Skip to main content

Full text of "The Garden : an illustrated weekly journal of gardening in all its branches"

See other formats 


*               UMASS/AMHERST               * 

1 

III  "  " 

III     <i;  ii 

11!  nil  1  III 

,  1! 

Hi  iiil  1  :il 

III 

III 

i 

III 

1  1 1 

1  ii 

: 

312066  0333   3084    1 

IPiiSS 


'     it: 


A'.^AV 


■'••ft  .\ 


m 


m' 


mM^. 


y^m^'f. 


ffMfA 


.'ii^i;  .■•■■;•; 


,\y.»-  ■,",',i".i 


I, 


ii^^,;<;^.^...^'A:v:/v:/:v'Vv;',-v::,v;Vv 


Cft/ri,'!,   I  I    r     '. 


Jlliiii^^t'" 


',1,1/1  [I 


T,-v 


i;     '  i      '■  'I  i';' 


.■'^•■''Mi'''.' ;'■  (''■^:-''yv 


'^",1    :i    ':'    :■■:'■    '        ' 


tu'v''.'!'.  :■-: 


'.,'1'. .!  .■ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 


MASSACHUSETTS 

AGRICULTURAL 

COLLEGE 


Source 


v.-n 


„  ,  [December  27,  1913- 

The  uarden.]  •  '-  1  •' 


The  Garden. 


[December  27,  1913. 


Leopold    de    Rothschild,    C.V.O.,    M.A.,     D.L-.    J.P- 


The  Garden.] 


[December  27,  191 


AN 


Illustrated   Weekly  Journal 


OF 


Horticulture   in   all   its   Branches 


Firundt-il  by  W.  Robinson  in  1871. 


Edited    kv    F.    W.    HARVEY. 


VOL.   LXXVIl.  CHRISTMAS,   191 3 


LO^DOOS^. 

Office:     20,  TAVISTOCK  STREET,    COVENT  GARDEN,  W.C, 


Published  by  "COUNTRY  LIFE,"  Ltd.,  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C,  and  by 
GEORGE  NEWNES,  Ltd.,  8-1 1,  Southampton  Street,  Strand. 


A 


The  Garden.]  [December  27    1913. 


f-^/z. 


Gr 


\(o 


v.V^ 


/ 

THIS     VOLUME     OF     "THE     GARDEN" 


Is   dedicated    to 

LEOPOLD    DE    ROTHSCHILD, 

C.V.O.,    M.A.,    D.L.,    LP. 


WE  have  much  pleasure  in  dedicating  this,  the  Sevent\.-seventh  Volume  of  The  Garden,  to  Mr.  Leopold 
de  Rothschild,  who  has  given  considerable  time,  thought  and  encouragement  to  the  advance- 
ment of  horticulture.  He  was  born  on  November  22,  1845,  and  is  the  third  son  of  Baron 
Lionel  de  Rothschild  of  Gunnersburj?  Park,  Acton,  W.,  and  brother  of  Lord  Rothschild  and 
Mr.  Alfred  de  Rothschild.  Mr.  Leopold  de  Rothschild  is  an  enthusiastic  lover  of  gardening  in  all  its  branches, 
and  has  not  only  almost  a  passion  for  landscape  gardening,  but  a  practical  knowledge  of  all  its  details,  being 
ably  supported  in  his  love  of  horticulture  by  Mrs.  Leopold  de  Rothschild.  He  was  almost,  if  not  actually, 
the  pioneer  of  Carnation  cultivation  in  pots — notably  of  the  Malmaison  t^'pe — taking  a  keen  interest  in 
these  beautiful  flowers  before  the  now  popular  winter-flowering  race  was  in  vogue.  His  most  picturesque, 
delightful,  and  one  might  say  romantic,  gardens  at  Ascott,  Leighton  Buzzard,  are  his  own  design.  The  house 
itself,  when  taken  possession  of  nearly  forty  years  ago,  was  an  old  farmhouse  of  the  better  type  ;  now  it  is 
a  most  extensive  residence,  but  the  original  style  of  architecture  has  been  carefully  preserved.  The  house  on 
all  sides  is  well  clothed  with  climbers.  The  gardens  are  extensive,  and  both  spring  and  summer  bedding 
are  well  carried  out.  This  season  a  rock  garden  has  been  formed.  Winter-flowering  plants  under  glass  are  one  of 
the  special  features  at  Ascott,  and  Carnations,  Begonias,  Plumbagos,  Geraniums  and  forced  Roses  are  particularly 
well  grown.  His  gardens  at  Gunnersbury  are  also  well  known,  and  fruit  culture  is  carried  out  on  an  extensive 
scale,  both  imder  glass  and  in  the  open.  Here  the  pleasure  grounds  are  very  charming,  particularly  in  the 
summer-time,  when  they  are  extensively  used  for  garden-parties  and  other  social  functions.  Mr.  Leopold 
de  Rothschild  is  a  keen  lover  of  country  life,  and  few  things  afford  him  greater  pleasure  than  visiting 
well-known  gardens.  He  is  a  Vice-president  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  and  of  other  bodies 
that  have  for  their  object  the  encouragement  of  horticulture.  He  was  chosen  last  year  as  the  President 
of  the  Jury  at  the  Royal  International  Horticultural  Exhibition.  Recently  the  Veitch  Memorial  gold  medal 
was  awarded  to  him  for  his  distinguished  services  in  the  furtherance  of  horticulture.  This  year  he  presided  for 
the  second  time  at  the  Festival  Dinner  of  the  Gardeners'  Royal  Benevolent  Institution.  Gardeners  have  no 
greater  friend  than  Mr.  Leopold  de  Rothschild.  He  is  at  once  in  full  sympathy  with  their  difficulties  and  their 
disappointments. 


Vol.  LXXVII. 


[•'The  Garden,"  December  2^,,,  1913- 


INDEX 


A. 

Abutilon  Bouii:  de  Xeige,  lili  ;   xitifolium, 

'Mi  ;    in  Ireland.  31 
Acaiitholimon  venustum,  621 
Acanthus  mollis.  24 
AcclyU-ne  gas  generator  refuse,  99 
Achillea  Kellereri,  534 
Achimenes,  395 

Adiantuni  trapczlforme  Quccu  Mary.  352 
JStllionema  Warley  Hybrid,  235 
Agapanthus  WellUghi,  424 
Almond  :    Is  It  hardy  In  Scotland  ?  558, 

570,  582 
Almonds,  double-flowered,  203 
Alpine    dowers    in    October,    525,    558 ; 

seedlings,  188 
Alpines,    mulching,    120 ;     planting,    79 ; 
the  flftv  best.  115.  130,  151.  16B.  107, 
187.   211.    227,    251,    274 ;    uncommon, 
168 
Amaryllis.  350  ■ 

Ampllieonie  Emodii.  118 
Ampney  Park,  flower  borders,  562  j 

Anchusa    italica    as    a    pot   plant,    227. 
239  ;    Dropraore  variety,  cultivation  of, 
501 
Androsace   lanuginosa,    522 ;     tibeticum, 

208 
Anemone     apennina,      546 ;       coronaria. 
460  ;     fulgens    failing,    181.    190.    202, 
214;      Gracieuse.    418,    443;    japonica. 
83  ;     robinsoniana    cornubiensc,    202  ; 
vcrnalis,  156,  166 
Angriecum  sesqtlipedale,  6 
Annual  borders,  107 

Annuals  as  greenhouse  plants,  7  ;    climb- 
ing,   161 ;     for    autumn    sowing,    420, 
431 ',      for    edgings,    93 ;      for    flower 
borders,    495 ;     for    the    rock    garden, 
155  ;    greenhouse,  240  ;    in  the  kitchen 
garden.    5 ;     raising,    125 ;    3i.\-     good, 
170  ;   sweet-scented,  101 
Anopterus  glandulosus,  177 
Antirrhiuum  rupestre,  483 
Antirrhinums,  trials  at  Wisley,  480 
Auts,  how  to  destroy,  203 
Apple     Blenheim     Orange     fruiting     on 
young    trees,    521  ;     Cliveden    Prolific. 
528 ;     Guelph.     528 ;     Lane's      Prince 
Albert,  77,  102  ;    JIaidstone  Favourite. 
448  ;    Peacemaker,  528  ;    S.  T.  Wright. 
552  ;   sucker,  the,  121 
Apples   for   suburban   gardens,   606  ;    on 

Spruce,  274 
Aquatics,  some  interesting,  314 
Aquileglas,  335 

Araucana  excelsa,  propagating,  307 
Arbutus  Unedo,  569 
Arenaria  balearica,  314.  347 
Arsenic  compounds  as  insecticides,  451 
Artichokes,  Globe,  172 
Artificial  manures  for  vegetables,  471,  495 
Arum  Lilies,  how  to  grow,  425 
Asparagus,  forcing.  48 
Aspidistras,  repotting.  221 
Asi)idium  angulare  aeutilobum,  119 
Aster   Eeauty  of   Colwall.   522 ;    Beauty 
of     iionsdorf,     500;      Falconen.     275; 
Feltham  Blue.  476  ;    grandlfloru.,,  593  ; 
Mrs.    Frank   Penn.    500 ;     Perle   Eose. 
606  ;    Purdomii.  271  ;    Tradescantii,  545 
Asters,     giant-flowered,     129 ;      in     cold 

frames,  108 
Aubrietias,  the  colour  of,  274  ;    What  is 

a  noveltv  ?  298 
Atlricula  Flame,  252 ;    Suffragette,  208  ; 

William  Smith,  275 
Auriculae,  36,  175,  180  ;    notes  on,  283  : 

repotting,  307 
Autumn  border,  an,  281  ;    planting,  582 
Avenues,  trees  for.  529 
Azaleas,  early.  154 
Azara  luicrophylla,  153,  215 


Bamboo  garden,  the,  205 
Bamboos,  rapid  growth  of,  213 
Bartonia  aujea,  165 
Baskets,  bow  to  fill  flowsr,  269 


Beans,  how  to  grow  Runner,  209 
Bedding,  distances  to  plant  apart,  281  ; 

plants,  increasing,  85 
iieds.  summer.  269 
Begonia  manicata,  89  ;    Syros,  600 
Begonias,     sowing     seed,     25 ;      ^vintcr- 

flowering,  6,  636 
Berberis    aggregata.    500 :     congestiflora 

hakaoides,  217 ;    verruculosa,  202,    226 
Berry-bf^iring  trees  and  shrubs,  432 
Bitter-pit  in  Apples,  68 
Black  Currants  reverting,  117 
Blackberry  as  a  garden  fruit,  486 
Blandfordia  Cunninghamii,  328 
Blue-flowering  greenhouse  plant,  629 
Books — 

"  Crops  and  Methods  for  Soil  Improve- 
ment," 116 

■■  Fruit-growing  for  Beginners,"  40 

"  Hcrbals,"  88 

"  The  Genus  Iris,"  320 

Two  Earlv  English,  5 
Border,  a  July,  158  ;  of  grey  and  blue,  105 
Brachyglottis  repanda,  177 
Bracken  as  a  vegetable,  570 
Bramble,  the  double-flowering,  118 
Brambles,  flowering,  350 
Brockhurst,  the  rock  garden  at,  110 
Brooms  for  the  rock  garden,  237  ;   hardy, 

229 
Buddleias,  pruning,  129 
Bulb  lists,  456 
Bulbophvllum  MedusK.  488 
Bulbs,   cutting  the  foliage  of,  225,   250, 

286  ;   for  spring  planting,  106  ;  forcing, 

401  ;    in  fibre.  465,  470 


Cabbage  Early  Heartwell,  143 

Cacti  flowering,  219 

Calandrinlas,  51 

Calanthes,  SO 

Calceolaria    alba,    157 :     Clibranii,    238 ; 

integrifolia,  387  ;    Veltcliii,  191 
Calceolarias,  annual,  201 
Callicarpa  purpurea,  155 
Camellia  cenisia  alba,  483  ;    fragilis,  507  ; 

reticulata,  65 
Camellias  in  the  open,  18 
Campanula  G.  F.  Wilson,  371  ;   isophylla. 

hardiness  of,  66,  90,  102  ;    lanata,  454  ; 

Miss     Willmott,     345,     375 ;      patula, 

562,    595 ;     pumila    and    its    varieties. 

304  ;      pusilla     Miranda,     430 ;      pyra- 

midalis,  329  ;    raddcana,  79  ;    Stevensii 

nana,  275  ;   Zoysii,  430 
Campanulas,    lime-hating,    546,    570 ;     or 

Bellflowers,    433.    445.    473,    483,    496. 

524,  534,  536,  550,  562 
Canary  seed  as  Christmas  decoration,  618 
Candytuft,  the  Gibraltar,  646 
Cannas,  327 
Carnation    Champion,    576 ;     Cinderella , 

552 ;       Fairmount,      500 ;       Gorgeous. 

576  ;    Lady  Ingestre,  272,  274  ;    Lady 

Shrewsbury,  272 ;    Mrs.   Wilfred  Gott, 

187,     192 ;      Queen    Alexandra,     528 ; 

fiosy  Morn,  403  ;    Salmon  King,  500  ; 

Yellowstone,  528 
Carnations    and    cats,    78 ;     border,    48, 

563  ;    in  frames,  84  ;    in  New  Zealand. 

244  ;    in  Scotland,  192  ;    layering,  365  ; 

notes  on,  147,  175,  230,  301,  336,  622 
Carpinus  polyneura,  560 
Cassia  corymbosa,  372 
('atalpa  cordifolia,  41 
Caterpillars  on  fruit  bushes,  202 
Ceanothus  tliyrsiflorus,  475 
Ceanothuses.  432  ;  the.  134 
Centaureas,  new,  31 
Charlock  seed,  longevity  of,  582 
Cheiranthus  Allionii,  287,  571 
Chelsea  Show,  review  of,  255 
Cherries  and  their  ctiltivation,  595 
Cherry,  Chinese,  the,  124 
eiiina  Asters,  the  colour  of,  118 
j  Chionodoxa  nana,  166  ;  sardensis,  130,  141 
Chorizema  varium,  153 
I  Clirysanthemum  Elegance,  595  ;  Improved 

Northern     Star.     448;      Mary    Morris, 
I      600  ;    pallens.  474 


Clirysanthemums.  fragrant,  19:  how  to 
take  buds,  413  ;  in  tubs,  575  ;  new, 
500,  552,  576,  624 ;  notes  on.  47.  02. 
146,  231,  271.  287.  329.  444.  487,  523, 
555  ;  propagating.  13,  637  ;  singles,  623 
Cineraria  Beauty  of  Cambridge,  81 
i;istuses,  373 

Clandon  Park,  spring  flowers  at.  218 
Clarkias,  183  ;   the  charm  of,  418 
Clematis   c»rulea   on   warm   walls.    583 ; 
indivisa  in  New  Zealand,  67  ;    jubata, 
549  ;     montana   and   its  .t varieties,   84  ; 
tangutica  obtusiuscula,  403 
Clematises,  .\ugust-flowering,  421 
Clcrodendron  foetidum,  560 
Clianthus  puuiceus,  190 
Climbers  for  a  lofty  conservatory,  286 
Climbing  plants  for  a  garden  pillar,  539 ; 

greenhouse,  553  ;   on  walls,  338 
Cold  frames  and  tender  plants,  577 
Collector  for  Wisley,  a  proposed,  581,  591 
Collinsia  coccinea,  285 
Colour  combination,  a  beautiful,  190,  213, 
285,  334,  382,  394,  442,  469,  471,  482, 
493,  505 
Columbines.  161 
Columnea  oerstediana,  600 
Convolvulus  Heavenly  Blue,  419  ;   mauri- 

tanicus,  446 
Cordvline  anstralis.  606 
Corydalis  thaUctrifoUa,  621 
Cossington  House,  Daffodils  at,  467 
Crambe  orientale,  33 
Creeping  Jenny,  405.  430 
Crocus     biflorus.     155 ;      caspius.     506 ; 
cilicicus  lilaclnus,  69  ;  Kathleen  Parlow, 
103  ;   Sieberi,  456 
Crocuses,  Dutch,  445  ;  spring,  361 
Cucumbers  in  cool  frames,  449 
Cunning  hand  among  the  branches,  451 
Cupidone,  the,  253 
Cupressus  lawsoniana  Fletcher!.  275 
Currants,  Black,  and  big-bud,  89  ;     from 

cuttings,  553 
Cut  flowers,  424 
t^ittings  under  bell-glasses,   541 ;    under 

hand-lights,  477 
Cyclamen,    a    veteran,    454 ;     from    old 
corms,      240  •      ibericum,     594 ;      old 
plants,  29.  42.  54,  66,  130  ;   the  Persian 
as  a  biennial,  594 
Cvclamens  as  biennials,  536,  558,  618 
Cymbidiums,  327 
Cypripedium  Calceolus,  358 
C'rtisus  andreana  prostrata,  275  ;  fragrans 
outdoors,    225 ;     proliferus,    117,    142 ; 
scoparius  sulphiu'eus,  373 


Dabcccia  poUfolia,  620 

Daffodil  as  a  pot  plant,  487  ;  fly,  458  ; 
notes.  94,  139,  148,  163,  169,  184,  191, 
204,  219,  228,  242,  375,  391,  423,  435, 
479,  587 ;  society,  a  proposed  National, 
75,  78.  90.  115.  154.  163 ;  seedlings, 
213  ;    Year  Book,  467 

Daffodils,  four  good,  410  ;  in  grass,  461  ; 
in  New  Zealand,  463,  464,  479,  547  : 
new,  461 ;  new  rules  for  entering  for 
awards.  579 ;  packing,  127  ;  weeding 
out,  459 

Dahlias,  252  ;  at  Chrysanthemum  shows, 
606 ;  for  garden  effect.  526 ;  new, 
424,  448,  453,  476,  500,  528  ;  planting, 
293  :    storing,  637  ■  work  among,  409 

Daisies  in  Scotland,  42 

Damson  Merryweather,  500 

Daphne  Cneorum  \ariegatum,  313  ; 
Genkwa,  96,  143  ;    Laureola,  1 

Daphnes,  96 

Dasvlirion  flowering  outdoors,  594 

Davidia  involucrata,  239.  287,  288,  358 

Delphinium  Mrs.  F.  Brewster,  304 

Dendromecon  rigidum,  403 

Designing  a  Ftose  garden,  508 

Diauthus  arboreus,  46  ;    microlepis,  41 

Diascia  Barberse,  102,  131 

Dielytra  spectabiUs,  potting,  583 

Dipladenia  boli^iensis,  358 

Disease,  a  mysterious,  on  Hyacinths, 
91,  102,  131 ;  in  plants,  treatment  of, 
215,  226 


Dodecatheons,  the,  419 
Dracffiua  austraUs,  570,  594 
Dryas  octopetala,  45 


E. 

Echium  Wildpretii,  131 

Edelweiss,  the,  156 

ElEeocarpus  reticulatus,  301 

ElUottia  racemosa,  29 

Endive,  343 

Eremuri  in  the  wild  garden,  315 

Eremums,  protecting,  141 

Erica  austraUs,  237  ;  darleyensis,  442  ; 
graciUs,  593  ;  hybrida,  407  ;  lusitanicji, 
129 ;  mawcana,  451 ;  mediterranea 
hybrida,  430,  442  ;    vagaus,  469 

Ericas,  beautiful,  41 

Erigeron  Asa  Gray,  214 

Erinus  alpinus.  285,  351 

Erlangea  tomentosa,  436 

Escallonia  langleyensis,  352 

Eucryphia  pinuatjfolia,  421 

Eustoma  rvissrllianum,  129,  142 

Everlasting  Flowers,  preserving,  441 


Fabiaua  imbricata,  31,  443 

Fatsia  japonica,  30 

Faulkner,  Mr.  C.  F.,  54 

Ferns  in  bottles,  3  ;    poisoning  by,  165 
repotting,  117 

Figs  outdoors,  470,  507 

Florist's  flower  ?   What  is  a,  462,  475 

Flower  borders,  winter  treatment  of,  57T  ; 
garden  in  winter,  2,  18,  19,  54 

Forget-me-nots,  335 ;  in  the  pleasure 
grounds,  273,  316 

Forsythia    intermeilia    spectabilis,     129 
suspensa,  pruning,  165 

Franeoas,  85 

Freesias,  coloured,  177 

Fritillaria  Meleagris,  158,  178 

Fruit  blossom  discovery,  213  ;  notes  on, 
235,  325,  373,  444  ;  protecting,  132 ; 
the  ripening  of.  95  ;  trees  at  flowering- 
time,  233 ;  trees,  combating  fungi, 
196 ;  trees,  spraying,  77,  80,  272 ; 
trees,  the  flowering  of,  118;  trees,  the 
"  Woburn  "  planting  of,  39 ;  tree-, 
thinning,  52  ;   trees,  wounds  0!i,  100 

Fruits,  how  to  gather  and  store,  486  ; 
how  to  plant  bush,  529 

Fuchsias  from  seed,  497 ;  the  autumn 
propagation  of,  395 

Fungus,  name  of,  534 


G. 

Gaillardia,  the,  131 

Galega  Hartlandu  from  seeds,  227 

Garden   clubs,   238 ;    plants,   some   good 

but  common,  276 ;    seat,  a  simple,  104 
Gardening   acrostics,   3,   19,    31,    43,    55, 

67,  79,  91,  101,  152,  583,  607,  627,  630, 

651 
Gardens  of  To-day — 

Chatsworth,  610 

Clandon  Park,  218 

Hallingbury  Place,  598 

Hopetoun  House,  22 

Taplow  Court,  325 

Trebah,  277 

Tregothnau,  Cornwall,  397 

Warter  Priory,  York,  8 
Gas  boilers  for  greenhouse  heating.  600 
Genista  tinctoria,  391 
Gentiana    verna,    548,    558,    594,    606 ; 

verna,   how  to  grow,   250 ;    verna   in 

grass,  376 
Geraiuum   lancastriense,    434;    striatum, 

431 
Gerbera  Jamesonii,  417 
Gesneias,  395 
Gladiolus,    a    taU,    451  ;      Craig-a-Noor, 

424 ;    Lady  Faire,  448 ;    Lady  North- 
cote,  448  ;    Mrs.  Bromet,  448 
Glastonbury  Thorn,  29 
Gloxinia  Veitch's  strain,  403 


V'l. 


INDEX. 


[■'  The  Garden,"  December  27,  1913. 


Gloxinias,  896,  407 

Godetias,  self-sown.  178 

Gooseberries  from  cuttings,  553  ;   priming, 

501 
Gorse.  double-flowered,  153 
Grafting  trees,  472  ;    standard  Apples,  97 
Grass  banks,  how  to  treat,  559 
Greenhouse  in  autumn,  564 :    in    winter, 

625 ;  plants  from  seed,  105 ;    shading, 

317 
Grenfell,  Field-Marshal  Lord,  117,  177 
Grouping  for  colour,  276,  298 
Guelder  Rose  and  Traveller's  Joy,  581 
Guernsey  Lily,  which  Is  the  ?  619 
Guuneras,  154 
Gypsophila  Kokejekii,  507 


H. 

Habranthus  pratensis,  359 

Hjemanthus  multiflorus,  1 

Hardenbergia  comptoniana,  89 

Hardv  plants,  uncommon,  315 ;  useful, 
Sl.S 

Hawthorns,  2 

Heath  garden,  109,  119,  133,  145 

Heaths,  greenhouse,  36  ;  in  winter,  645  ; 
propagating.  389 

Hedges,  cutting,  329  ;   the  upkeep  of,  239 

Hehanthemums.  310 

Hehanthus  speciosus,  528,  583 

Helichrysum  bellidioides,  208,  254 

Heliotrope  Mme.  de  Blouay,  595 ;  The 
Speaker.  271 

Herb  garden,  347 

Herbaceous  borders,  107  ;  borders,  reno- 
vating, 24  ;  plants,  staking,  293 

Hesperis  matronalis  alba  plena,  .309 

Heucheras,  the,  170 

Hippeastrum  Eurasian,  208 

Hippeastrums  from  seed,  396 

Hippophafi  rhamnoidcs,  17 

HolUes,  179 

Hollyhocks,  99  ;   abnormal,  622 

Honesty  from  seed,  137 ;  in  the  wild 
garden,  249,  276,  287 

Honeysuckles,  the  bush,  311 ;  winter- 
flowering,  18 

Horticultural  changes  in  thirty-four  years. 

Hot  water  as  an  insecticide,  116 
Humea  elegans  for  bedding,  470 
Hunneniannia  fumaritefolia,  288 
Hyacinths    for    Christmas,     454 ;      three 
good,  103  ;   to  flower  at  Christmas,  396 
Hybridisation,  67 
Hydrangea,  a  remarkable,  78 
Hydrangeas,  436  ;    blue,  323,  359 
Hypericum  calycinum.  201 


Iberis  gibraltarica,  646 ;  sempervirens,  254 

Insecticides,  52 

Iris,  a  Netted,  42  ;  deUcata,  166  ;  flmbri- 
ata,  142,  166,  179 ;  gracilipes,  304 ; 
Kaempferi.  337,  346  ;  Kcempferi  from 
seed.  406 ;  Kajmpferi  in  Japan,  483  : 
laevigata,  337,  346 ;  .Morning  mst, 
352  ;  sibirica,  108,  285,  362,  363  : 
sibirica,  increasing,  377  ;  stylosa,  43  ; 
the  Siberian,  551  :  tingitana.  648 ; 
unguicularis,  2,  54 ;  Vartanii,  69 ; 
\'artanii  and  its  white  variety,  78; 
Vartanii  \^'hite  Pearl  576 

Irises,  English,  538  ;   Siberian,  363 

Ivy,  pruning,  129 


J. 

Jacobinla  magnifica.  310 
Jacobinias,  the,  497 
Jasmine,  pruning,  77 


Kerria  japonica  flore  pleno,  78 
Kew  pavilion  burned  down,  101 
Kuiphofta  Nelsonii,  569  ;    Tysonii,  538 
Kniphoftas,  82,  90  ;    two  white,  687 


L. 

Lachenalias,  119 
Lackey  moth,  822 
Lantana  salvisefolia,  7 
Laurels  under  trees.  292 
Laurustiuus    lucidum,     07,     90        trans- 
planting. 153 
Lavender,  increasing,  141 


Lawns,  Clover  in,  397  ;    liow  to  improve, 

49  ;    maintaining.  280,  343 
Lawrence.    Sir    Trevor,    77 :     resignatioj 

of,  177 
Leptospermums.  the,  612 
Leschenaultia  biloba  major,  154 
Lewisias.  2,  18,  30,  51 
Libonia  floribunda.  351 
Lilac  flowering  in  October,  535 
Lilacs,  216 
Lilies  :    A   causerie,   11,   23,    34,   46,    70, 

83.  93,  118  ;    for  outdoor  borders,  613  ; 

for  the  garden,    135.    142,    167,    636 ; 

hybrid,     538 :     of     the     Valley.     99  ; 

sporting  of.  533 
Lilium     Brownii.     409,     443 ;      Brownii 

leucanthemum,  94, 102 ;  giganteum,  358, 

382,  419,  482  ;    giganteum  in  Cornwall, 

122 ;     giganteum  in    Yorkshire,     547 ; 

pardaUnum,  405.  430  ;  Sargentise,  442  : 

speciosum,     488 ;    sulphureum    out    of 

doors,  142  ;  wallichianum,  593  ;  warley- 

ense,  357 
Liliunis  in  fibre,  73 
Lily    of    the    Valley,    forcing,    565  ;     the 

Prairie,  in  Canada,  178 
Limes  at  Brockley  Coombe,  165 
Linum  arboreum,*434 
Lithospermum  graminifolium,   70  ;    pros- 

tratura  flowering  late,  572 
Living  from  the  land,  236,  261 
Lobelias  or  Cardinal's  Flowers,  157 
Loganberry,  the.  385,  406 
Lonicera  fragrantissima,  30  ;    nitida.  117  ; 

tragophylla,  276 
Lowberry,  the,  370 
Lycastes,  207 
Lysinotus  warleyensis,  424 


M. 

MagnoUa  Delavayi,  352  :    stellata,  145 

Manettia  bicolor.  444 

Manure,  misuse  of,  39 

Manures,  buying,  on  analysis,  62 

Marrows,  Vegetable,  245 

Matricaria  eximia  Silver  Ball,  471 

Matthiola  bicornis,  89 

Mazus  rugosus,  139,  154,  178 

.Mealy  bug  on  Peaches,  187  ;   stopping,  on 

Grapes,  481 
Meconopsis  Delavayi,  275  ;    Wallichii,  348 
Melons,  ripening.  436 
Mendel's  laws.  67 
Mezereons.  the.  189 
Michaelmas  Daisies,  the  charm  of,  535 
Michauxia  Tchihatcheflli,  486 
Midland  Daffodil  Society,  443.  454.  630 
Mignonette,  437  ;   sowing.  209 
Miltonia  Sanderae.  362 
Mimosa  in  the  London  markets,  53 
Mistletoe,  some  peculiarities  of,  644 
Mock  Oranges,  the,  399 
Montbretia  Queen  Adelaide,  448  :    Star  of 

the  East,  135 
Moraine  plants,  the  fifty  best.  271 
Morse.   Mr.   Lester,  on  Sweet   Peas.   130, 

154.  166,  178 
Moss,  the  lied  Cup.  118 
.MlUleins  and  how  to  grow  them.  147 
Mushrooms  outdoors,  476 
.Musk,   scentless.  309.  322.  347.   395.  406, 

418,  430,  454,  470,  482,  507 
Myosotidium  nobile,  189 


N. 

Narcissi,  Poetaz.  458 ;    raising  new.  160 
Narcissus  Brighteye,  460  ;    bulbs,  disease 

of,    609 ;     Caedmou,   208 ;     calathinus, 

459  ;   Colleen.  463  ;    Emerald  Eye,  220 ; 

Europa.    208  ;     EvangeUne.    235  ;     fly. 

203,  251  ;    Golden  Spur  tor  pots,  77  ; 

minievcla,  70  ;    Mrs.  Ernst  H.  Krelagc. 

208  ;    pallidus  precox.   18 ;     St.    Olaf. 

208 ;     Venetia.   236 ;     \Vhite  Emperor. 

187 
National  Daffodil  Society,  a,  242 :  Diploma 

in  Horticulture.  443 
Nepeta  Mussinii.  441 
Nephrolepis  e.xaltata  Willmottje,  275 
Nerine  Bowdenii  flowering  outdoors,  570, 

582  ;    flexuosa  alba.  593 
Nerines.  455,  523.   534,  570.  582  :    new. 

628 
New  and   rare  plants,   39,   60,   87,    139, 

163,  187,  208,  235,  271,   275.  304.   328, 

352,  379,  403,  424,  448,  476,  500,  528. 

552,    576,    600.  624,  648 ;    cultural  hints 

on,  23.  99,  116,  205,  288,  324,  371,  407 
New  Zealand  garden,  a.  522 
Nicotiana  afflnis.  523 
North  of  England  Horticultural  Society  : 

Its  future,  383 
Nursery  Notes — 

Annuals  at  Heading,  140 

Messrs.  Artindale  and  Son.  615 

Messrs.  Carter,  Eaynes  Park.  15 


NURSERlf  NoTii- — 

Messrs.  Cutbush  and  Son,  591 
3Iessrs.  Merryweather  and  Sons,  531 
Messrs.  Seabrook  and  Sons,  656 

Nymphsea    Colossea,    403 ;     Escarboncle. 
403 


Oak,  an  old.  at  Hauipage  Wood,  42 
October  in  garden  and  woodland.  535 
Ointment,  White  Eose.  346,  394 
Olearia  myrsinoides,  59 
Onions,  sowing,  72  ;   transplanting.  152 
Opuntias  at  Cambridge,  167 
Orchard  for  a  cottage  holding,  627 
Orchids  in  ants'  nest,  237  :    raising  from 

seed,  20 
Ostrowskia  magnifica,  361 
Ourisia  coccinea,  276,  298 
Oxalis  enneaphvlla.  tiie  colour  of,  582 
Oxlip.  the  Bardfleld,  249 


Pachysandra  termmalis,  141 

Pseonia  La  Lorraine.  271,  292 

Pseonies.  mulching,  89 

Pseony  L'Esperance,  304,  310 

Paint,  a  good  green,  165 

Pansies  from  seed,  397 

Papaver  Perry's  Unique,  304 

Paphinia  cristata,  379 

Parsley,  293  ;  for  succession,  425 

Pasque  Flower,  the,  153 

Paulownia  tomentosa  lanata.  528 

Paved  garden,  planting  a,  192 

Pea  thrips,  226 

Peaches,  444  ;  disbudding,  149  :  planting. 

609 
Pear,  a  crippled,  238,  250  ;    midge,  306  ; 
Magnate,   226  ;    tree  with  four  crops, 
494 
Pears    as    cordons.    4 ;     f.iilurc    of,    523, 

546 
Pearson,  the  late  John,  689 
Peas,  early,  in  boxes,  607;    garden.  Ill  ; 

some  good,  12 
Pedicularis  palustris,  297 
Pelargonium    Maxime    Kovalevsky,    179, 

215,  431 
Pelargoniums.    364;    scented,   411,    422; 

winter-flowering,  179 
Pentstemon  Davidsonii,  275 ;    Southgate 

Gem,  481 
Pentstemons,  218  ;    are   they  too  large  ? 

493,  535  ;    shrubby,  811 
Perfume,  a  plea  for,  275,  298,  334,  371 
Pergolas,  climbers  for,  267  ;  wood  tor.  583 
Phlomis  fruticosa,  370 
Phloxes  from  cuttings,  246 
Phyllocactus.  a  well-flowered,  406 
Phytolacca  decandra.  523 
Pmk   Gloriosa,   322,   334  ;     Jlrs.   Sinkins. 

325 
Plant  fertiliser,  a  new,  547 
Plants   flowering  out   of    season,   40,   63, 

618,  630;  registration  of  new,  468 
Platystemon    calLfornicus,    417 ;     and   its 

common  name,  171,  190 
Plum,  Pershore  Egg,  141  ;    purple-k'a\ed, 

41 
Plums  and  how  to  grow  them.  35 
Poems — 

"  A  Garden,"  334 
"  Carthago  est  delendum,"  78 
"Sovereignty,"  310 
"  Wallflowers,"  179 
Polyanthuses,  how  to  raise.  221 
Polygonum  baldschuanicum,  propagating. 

18  ;    equisetiforme,  533 
Polypodium  irioides  pendulum  grandiceps. 

93 
Pond  weeds  and  copper  sulphate,  248 
Poppies,  cultivation  of,  annual,  197 
Poppy,  the  alpine,  361 
Portulaca  grandiflora.  41 
Potato  White  City,  32 
Potatoes  as  a  cure   for  headache,   201  ; 
culture  of.  543  :   does  it  pav  to  sprav  ? 
226,    299 ;     for    planting,    112 ;     new. 
448 ;     spraying,    201  ;     storing,    489 ; 
that  resist  wart  disease,  172 
Potentilla  Boule  de  Feu,  304  ;    clusiana, 
10  ;    grandiflora  and  Erica  alpinus,  351 
Potentillas,  290 
Primroses  and  Polyanthuses,  194  ;   preser* 

vation  of,  226 
Primula  cockburniana :  How  far  is  it 
perennial  '/  229,  260,  274,  287,  324  ; 
cockburniana  hybrids,  324,  409  ;  denti- 
culata,  77.  118 ;  Excelsior,  304 ; 
Fortunei,  182  ;  involucrata,  314  ; 
japonica  as  a  water-side  plant.  189 ; 
Juribella,  46  ;  La  Lorraine.  235,  564  : 
Leddy  Pilrig.  286,  310 ;  littoniana, 
482  ;  malacoides.  291  :  malacoi^es 
fl.-pl.,    6-24 


Primula  JIaximowiczil,  208 ;  obconica, 
hybrids  from,  596 ;  obconica  out- 
doors, 630 ;  Poissonii.  570 ;  Pois- 
sonii  flowering  late,  594 ;  Pseudo- 
sikkimensis,  803  ;  Purdomii,  138.  170  ; 
Reidii,  231  ;  rosea,  198  ;  Rusbyi,  370 ; 
vincKflora,  500  ;  viscosa  Beauty,  208  ; 
viscosa  hybrids,  187,  216 

Prunulas  at  Clandon  Park,  101,  194. 
370;  at  Monreith.  364;  hybrid,  324, 
858,  367  ;  increasing,  137  ;  some  good 
395 

Prizes  tor  fruit  gardens,  558,  582 

Prophet  Flower.  821 

Pruning-knite  v.  secateurs,  631 

Puya  chiliensis  flowermg  at  Cambridge 
102,  334 

Pyrus  cratiEgifolia,  48 


Quinces,  the  Japanese,  110 


R. 

Ramondia  pyrenaica,  399 

Ranunculus  Lyallii  in  New  Zealand,  34, 

66 
Raspberries  after  fruiting,  435  ;    autumn- 
fruiting,  547,  594  ;    summer  treatment 

of,  305 
Red  Currants,  3 
Rehmamiia  angulata,  142 
Rhodanthi'  Manglesii,  65 
Rhododendron,  a  huge,  383,  418  ;    Cun- 

nmgham's  White,  249  ;    dauricum,  18  ; 

Grievei,    214 ;     nobleamun,    30 :     Rose 

Queen,     271  ;      Schlippenbachii,     136 ; 

Wightu,  271 
Rhododendrons,  sweet-scented,  208 
Richardia  Mrs.  Roosevelt,  314,  347 
Robinias,  268 
Rock    garden     at    Drynham,    498 ;      at 

Leonardslee,  337  ;   dwarf  trees  for,  10  ; 

flve   months    after    construction,   813 ; 

in  autumn,  624,  525  ;    in  autumn  and 

winter,   607 ;     plants   for  summer  and 

autumn,  388 
Rock  gardens,  designing  and  constructing, 

572,     683,   696.     607,     621,    634,     646  ; 

prizes  for,  3,  19.  31,   43,   56,  67,    103, 

167,  215,  2:39,  299 
Rockery  planting,  express,  813,  335 
Romneyas,  291 

Root-pruning  by  dynamite,  154 
Rosa  sinica  Anemone,  840,  846 ;    sertata, 

417 
Eoscoea  cautloides,  275 ;   purpurea,  454 
Rose  Aglaia,  546  ;    Annie  Crawford,  408  ; 

Augustine      Guinoisseau,      482,      622 ; 

Beauts     de     Lyon.     340 ;      Bennett's 

Seedling.   613  ;    Blush   Rambler,   202  ; 

Carine.  299  ;    Cliateau  de  Clos  Vougeot, 

483,  571 ;  Cherry  Page,  514 ;  Com- 
mander Jules  Gravereaux,  328  ;  Dan&e, 
254 ;  Douarte  de  Elvira,  595, 618  ;  Duke 
of  Edinburgh  deteriorated,  368  ;  Edward 
JIawley,  359 ;  Erna  Teschendorlf. 
236  :  Etoile  de  France,  471  ;  Fortune's 
Yellow,  610.  536 ;  General  G.  R. 
Home,  102  ;  Gorgeous,  388 ;  growers 
of  bygone  days.  606 ;  growing  in 
town  gardens,  619;  Hugh  Dickson, 
454 ;  Irish  Elegance  in  Scotland,  507  ; 
Irish  Elegance  :  Is  it  free-flowering  'i 
430,  442,  464,  470;  Irish  Fireflame,  275, 
582;  La  France,  pruning,  371,  394; 
Lady  Alice  Stanley,  470 ;  Lady  HilUng- 
don,  225,  287,  298,  358  ;  Lady  Pirrie, 
534;  Leonie  Lamesch.  482;  Lyon  in 
New  Zealand.  143  ;  Mary  Countess  of 
Ilchester,  869,  382 ;  ittiss  Cynthia 
Forde,  10 ;  Miss  Flora  Mitten,  271  ; 
Mme.  Abel  Cliatcuay,  607  ;    Moonlight, 

484,  500  ;  ftlrs.  Andrew  Carnegie, 
448  :  Mrs.  C.  Reed,  312  ;  Mrs.  Campbell 
Hall,  275 ;  Mrs.  Forde,  242 ;  Mrs. 
George  Norwood.  828.  358  ;  Mrs.  James 
Lynas,  518,  535  ;  Mrs.  Mackellar.  44  ; 
Nancv  Perkins,  275 ;  notes  from 
the  Riviera,  631  ;  Old  Gold,  159 : 
Peace,  534,  559,  582  ;  President  Vignet, 
507  ;  Rayon  d'Or,  81,  103  ;  Rosabelle, 
90 ;  Sarah  Bernhardt,  9,  80,  33,  42, 
54 ;  some  diseases  of  the,  227, 
241  ;  species,  510 :  the  Altai,  486  ; 
the  best  white  for  bedding,  448,  454, 
471.  571 ;  the  Cabbage.  123 :  the 
Orleans,  482 ;  Una,  188 ;  White 
Tausendschon,  276  ;  Yellow  Banksian. 
482,  522 

Hoses,  a  few  perfect.  16  ;  about  garden, 
369,  382  :  applying  manure-water  to. 
103.  142  ;  as  large  shrubs,  515  ;  bud- 
ding. 341  ;  buds  dropping,  507  ;  cure 
for  black  spot  in,  189  ;  disbudded  v. 
undisbudded,  606  ;  disbudding,  249  ; 
dark-coloured.  471  ;  do  they  deterio- 
rate ?  312;  fallacies  regarding  Tea, 
104 


The  Garden,"  December  27,  1913] 


INDEX. 


vu. 


Uoafs  for  arches,  519 ;  for  beds,  408, 
44:i.  471,  515;  for  button-holes,  279: 
for  hou^ie  decoration,  31:2  ;  for  pegging 
down,  518  ;  for  pergolas,  516,  519 ; 
trasrrant,  9;  from  cuttings,  353;  gold 
mtdal,  at  the  autumn  show,  484 ; 
improvement  of  garden,  507  :  in  a 
Iventish  garden,  87  ;  in  churchyards, 
540  :  In  the  wild  garden,  561  ;  indoor, 
446 ;  late  wichuraiana,  482 ;  losses 
among,  66,  78,  90,  102  ;  Manetti  stock 
for,  43  ;  mid-November,  581  ;  mildew 
on.  559 ;  new  Polyantha,  278 ;  new 
Rambler,  340;  notes  on  newer,  8,  21, 
32,  45.  58,  66,  72,  81,  92,  104;  of 
recent  Introduction,  526 ;  on  rustic 
poies,  71  ;  planting,  589 ;  preparing 
S'Oil  for,  400 ;  protecting  Kambler, 
482 :  pruning,  92,  143,  159,  172 ; 
pruning  Dorothy  Perkins.  523  ;  prun- 
ing Scotch,  334";  llambler,  in  winter, 
442  ;  rambling,  406 ;  red  Hybrid 
'I'ea,  32  ;  scented,  514  ;  simultaneous 
sports  among,  500 ;  single  and  semi- 
double,  512  ;  single,  late-blooming, 
442  ;  some  of  the  newer  in  a  Hamp- 
shire garden,  517,  525,  539,  548,  561, 
573,  585,  597,  615,  619,  632;  standard. 
512;  standard  and  insect  pests,  347; 
stems  and  foliage  of,  273,  298 : 
summer-pruning.  347  ;  three  garden, 
586  ;  top-dressing,  267  ;  uncommon, 
123  ;  under  glass,  299 ;  unwieldy  names 
for.  408 :  work  among,  183.  217 ; 
yellow.  167 

Rosemary  and  Carnations,  581,  618 

Koyal  Ciardeners'  Orphan  Fund.  77 

Kueilia  macrantha.  3 


Salisbury  Close,  borders  at,  434 

Salix  maguiflca,  304 

Salvia       Grahamii,       417 ;        involucrata 

Bethellii,     482 ;      turkcstanica,     431 ; 

uliginosa.  476,  484,  507 
Sarracenia  Brucei,  275 
taxifraga  apiculata,  1  ;    Boydii,  varieties 

of,  130  ;    brunoniana,  328  ;    burseriana. 

how  to  grow,  191,  202,  214,  226,  238. 

474,  494,  506  ;    burseriana  in  Scotland. 

547  ;    faldonside,  140  ;    florulenta,  420  ; 

Graudfleldii,     275  ;      Griesbachii,     12iJ. 

190  ;    longifolia  magniflca,  298  ;    margi- 

nata,  206  ;    oppositifolia,  129 
Saxifrage  cliffs,  35 
Saxifrages,    annual,    190 ;     hybrid,    485 ; 

late-tlowcriug,  545  ;   Mossy,  303 


Scal)iosa  caucasica  magniflca.  448 

Scjihinus,  the  Caucasian,  117 

Scliizanthus,  179.  371 

Schizostylis  coccinea,  593 

Science  "in  relation  to  horticulture.  44. 
67,  95,  136.  167.  215.  447.  623 

Scottish  garden,  sonn'  good  thiUL'~  in  a. 
;i31 

Seakale,  forcing,  32 

Senecio  Clivorum.  122 

Ser\ian  Spruce.  119 

Shrubberies,  hints  on  planting  new,  649 

Shrubs  at  Aldenham.  300  ;  "autumn- 
llowering,  538;  choice  climbing.  144: 
for  low  walls,  15  ;  for  sliady  pluce>^. 
499:  for  small  gardens,  601  ;  for  the 
rock  garden,  473 

Silene  acaulis,  251 

Silver-leaf  disease.  117.  ;J0i>,  322,  346. 
381,  571,  572.  6n3.  630 

Sleeping  disease  in  Tomatoes,  447 

Snapdragons,  107.  302 

Snowdrops  in  the  grey  moraine.  154 

Snowy  Mespilus,  285 

Soil  moisture,  how  to  retain.  519  :  purifi- 
cation, 307 

Soils,  sterilisation  of,  167 

Solanum  Wendlandii,  dwarf.  359 

Solidago  Golden  Sheaf.  547 

Sophora  japonica,  58:1 

Sphagnum  moss,  117 

Spinach  Beet,  377 

Spirspa  Aitchisonii.  500;  Anthony 
AVaterer,  407 ;  arborea  graudis,  403, 
424  :  iindleyana,  437 ;  sargentiana, 
328  ;    Wilsonii.  432 

Spiraeas,  the  herbaceous,  643 

Spraying  mixture,  a  new,  237  ;   trials,  247 

St.  John's  Wort,  431 

St.  Mark's  tly,  76 

Stachys  Corsica,  304 

Statices  in  the  greenhouse,  358 

Sterilising  seeds  with  hydrogen  peroxide, 
383 

Stocks  :  Are  Ten-week  dying  out  ?  394  ; 
Intenncdlate.  East  T.othian  and  Bromp- 
ton,  397 

Stone  edgincs.  360 

Stove  plants,  305 

Strawberries,  early,  planting.  372 ;  in 
November,  557  :   layering,  317 

Stream  garden,  plants  for.  232 

Streumside  garden,  how  to  plant  a.  20 

Strt'ptoearpuses.  395 

Styrax  Wilsonii.  276 

Suburban  Roj-e  garden,  509 

Summer  flowers,  some  good.  349  :  prun- 
ing, 414 

Sundial,  a  quaint,  573  :   how  to  set  a,  250 

Sunflower  Sutton's  Red.  403,  415 

Sutton,  the  late  Martin  John.  639 

Swamp  Honeysuckles.  59 


Swan  River  Daisy.  177 

Swede  Turnips,  29 

Sweet  Bockets,  double,  309,  334 

Sweet  Pea  :  An  appreciation,  229  : 
Dobbie's  Lavender,  403  ;  Edith  Taylor, 
52,  65;  Eric  Harvev,  56;  futures  for. 
56  ;  King  White,  403 :  Mother 
o"  Pearl.  4:14 :  notes,  33.  60.  122,  171. 
211,  290,  335,  635  :     Royal  Rose,  429 

Sweet  Peas  as  bedding  plants,  56.  103  : 
at  Sutton  Green,  57  ;  elassiflcation  of. 
63  ;  four  good.  58  :  improvements  in, 
75  ;  in  a  Scottish  garden.  496  ;  multi- 
plicity of  names.  60.  103  ;  reverting, 
57,  78;  some  new.  82:  some  reflections 
and  hints,  588  ;  watering.  349 

Sydenham.  Robert.  379 

Symphoriearpus    raeemosus    maeroearpa, 


Table  decoration.  51 

Tamarix  Pallasii  rosea,  494  :    the.  5:i 

Tarragon.  154 

Taxodium    distichuni.    23  :     in    Northern 

ilorida.  160 
Thalictrums,  244 
Thrift  as  an  edging.  387 
Thunbergia  Gibsonii,  272,  400 
Thyme,  layering,  341  ;    propagating.  141 
Timber,  charring,  for  protection.  163 
Toads  in  the  garden,  251,  287.  310 
Tobacco-growing  in  England.  531 
Tomato  blooms,  "  setting,*'  165 
Tomatoes,  open-air.  376,  406,  430  ;    out- 
doors, SO  ;   under  glass,  113 
Trees   and   slirubs   for   the   winter.    110 ; 

winter- pruning,  575  ;    with   ornamental 

bark,  647 
Trees,  hvbrid,  124  ;    repairing  hollow.  37 ; 

twisted,  633 
Tricyrtis  stolonifera.  52S 
Trillium  grandiflorum,  288     . 
Trollius  patulus  Bees'  Variety,  328 
Tropaeolum  canariense,  482 
Trophy  for  rock  gardens.  27 
Tuberoses,  potting.  73 
Tulip  breaks,  naming  of,  595.  608,    651  ; 

disease,  249.  273  ;    Massenet,  272.  290  ; 

notes.  537,  551  ;    species.  195  ;    Tree  in 

America,  30 ;    Tree,  transplanting,  30, 

179 
Tulipa    clusiana.    171 ;     fosteriana,    201, 

403  ;   kaufmanniana.  129 
Tulips  at  Vincent  Square.  252  :    dressing 

flowers.    153:     oarlv.  5)':'.  ;     "  fire  "  in. 

2411 


Tulips  in  grass,  189.  214,  238,  456.  457  ; 
.\fav-flowering.  457 ;  notes  on,  279, 
295.  316  ;   the  naming  of,  574 

Turnips,  late.  353 


V. 

Valerian,  a  good,  89  ;   the,  131 

Valeriana  Phu  aurea,  117,  131 

Vegetables,  early,  286  ;  hints  on  cooking 
and  serving.  543  ;  in  frames.  61  ; 
notes  on.  72,  111,  152,  172.  194.  248, 
292,  312,  359,  376,  543.  567.  644 

Veitch,  Sir  Harry,  367 

Velthemia  \iridiflora,  89 

Verbena,  sweet-scented,  15,  42  ;  Lemon- 
scented,  propagating,  113  ;  venosa.  523. 
546 

Veronica  hulkeana.  134 

Vines,  disbudding,  149  ;  in  August.  407  ; 
notes  on,  280  ;  planting,  49  ;  pruning, 
25  ;   renovating  old,  555 

Vineyard,  a  sixteenth  century,  131 

Viola  florairensis,  11,  43  ;  pedata,  254 
299 

Violas,  increasing,  437 

Violets  for  winter  flowering,  449;  propa- 
gating. 185 

Virgilia  lutea,  523 


Wahlenbergia  viuctettora.  430 

Walks,  renovating  gravel,  141 

Wall  shrubs.  527 

Wallflower   Early    Paris,    189 ;     Priiiu-ose 

Monarch,  235 
Wallflowers    for    the    greenhouse,    202 ; 

without  fragrance,  239 
Wasps,    destruction    of.    369,    453.    522, 

534,  571 
Water  gardening.  386 
Water  Lilies.  181,  193,  206,  289 
Water-side,  foliage  plants  for  the.  574 
Watsonias,  484 
Weeping  trees,  384 
Weigelas,  propagating,  311 
Wilks,  Rev,   W.,  testimonial  to  the.   41, 

77,  273  ;  portrait  of  the,  177 
Winter  foliage  for  cutting.  127 
Wisley,  notes  from.  302  ;    spring  flowers 

at,  243  ;  trials  in  1914-15,  543 
Wistarias,  339 
Woodland  effects,  300 
Work  Ens  Among  the  Flowers — 

Hurst,  Major  C.  C.  55 

Wright,  Mr.  S.  T..  251 
Worms,  exterminating,  280,  286,  323.  346 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Abutilon  Boule  de  Neige,  612  ;   \itifolium. 

374 
Acanthus  mollis,  24 
Acauthohmon  venustum,  622 
Achillea  Kellereri,  534 
Alkanet    by  the   water-side,    500;     culti- 
vation of,  501 
Alyssum  White  Carpet.  93 
Anemone  apennina.  546  :    japonica  Queen 

Charlotte,  83 
Augraecum  sesqnipedale,  7 
Animals,  raising,  125 
Apple  Guelph,  528  ;   Maidstone  Favourite, 

444  ;   sucker,  the.  121 
Apples,  how  to  plant,  529  :    bitter-pit  in, 

08 
Aquatic  plants,  an  effective    grouping  of, 

181 
Arum  Lilies,  how  to  grow,  425 
Aster    Feltham     Blue,    476 ;      Purdomii. 

260  ;    Rose  Perle,  606 
Asters.  Comet.  110 
Auricula    Flame.    252 ;     Phyllis    Douglas. 

240  ;    William  Smith,  230 


Bamboos  at  Cambridge,  205 
Bean  Scariet  Giant.  209 


Bedding  plants,  propagating.  85  ;    simple. 

269  ; 

Beech.  Weeping.  384.  385  ! 

Begonia  Optima.  636 
Birches.  Silver,  in  the  woodland.  047 
Bitter-pit  in  Apples.  68 
Border,  a  mixed.  158 ;    of  hardy  flowers. 

577 
Borders  of  hardy  flowers.  562 
Box,  a  useful  packing.  127 
Bramble,  a  thornless,  350 
Buckliurst,  the  rock  garden  at.  410.  411 
Bulbs,  how  to  pot.  401  ;    in  fibre.  465 


C. 

Cabbage  Early  Heartwell.  U:; 

Calceolaria  integrifolia.  387 

Campanula  garganica  hirsutu.   473  :    iso- 

phylla  alba,  91  ;    lanata.  454  :    latifolia 

alba.   550;    Miss   Willmott.   375;    per- 

sicifolia  humosa,  563  ;  portenschlagiana. 

433  ;    portenschlagiana    bavarica.   525  ; 

rotundlfolia    alpina.    524 ;     Stansfieldii. 

537;    Stevensii  nana.  279;    thyrsoidea. 

536 
Candytuft,  mixed.   108  ;    perennial,   254  ; 

Snowflake  as  an  edging,  5 
Carnation  Bookham  White.  244  ;    Delicia. 

146;     Fah-mount,    490;     Mrs.    Wilfred 

Gott.  192 


Carnations,  propagating.  365 

Ceanothus  albus  plenus,  432 :  thvrsi- 
florus,  135,  475 

Cedar  walk,  Taplow  Court.  326 

Chatsworth  Gardens.  610.  611 

Chelsea  Show,  exhibits  at,  258,  259.  261. 
266 

Cherry,  a  flowering.  124 

Chrysanthemum  Improved  Northern  Star, 
448;  Robert  Thorpe,  623;  William 
Vert,  552 

Chrvsanthemums.  a  simple  border  of, 
281;  at  Crookley  Park,  618;  how  to 
propagate,  13  ;  in  tubs.  575  ;  taking 
buds,  413  ;  taking  cuttings,  637  ;  top- 
dressing  and  disbudding,  329 

Cineraria  Beauty  of  Cambridge,  81 

Clematis  indivisa  in  New  Zealand,  67 ; 
jubata.  549 ;  montana  and  Solanum 
crispum,  539  ;  Pseudo-flammula.  421  ; 
the  Mountain.  84  :  Viticella  alba.  421 

Clerodendron  fcetidum,  560 

Clip  for  names  at  shows.  164 

Columnea  oerstediana.  600 

Conifers,  trained  and  untrained.  11 

Convulvulus  mauritanicns.  440 

Coprinus  comatus.  214 

Corydalis  thalictriiolia,  621 

Cowslip,  American,  419 

Crab  Apple,  the  Thsrn-leaved,  47 

Crambe  orientale.  33 

Creeper-clad  archway  {Supplement).  338 

Crocus,  an  early  spring.  155  ;  Kathleen 
Pailow.   102 


Cupressus  lawsoniana  Fletcheri,  274 

Currant  cuttings.  553 

Cuttings  under   bell-glasses,   541  ;     under 

hand-lights,  477 
Cypress,  the  Deciduous.  23.  160 
Cypripediuni  Olympus.  570 


D. 

Dart:odil  bulb  diseased.  008  ;    The  Doctor. 

169 
DatfodiJs,  a  beautiful  group  of.  467  ;    at 

Clandon  Park,  218  :   in  grass.  461 
Dahlia  Kaiserin  Augusta  Victoria.  520 
Daisy  Bush.  Australian,  58 
Dasylirion  gracilis,  594 
Davidia  involucrata,  358 
Delphiniums,  293 


K. 

Elseocarpus  reticulatus.  301 

Elm,  Weeping  Scotch,  385 

Eremuri,  315 

Erica  gracilis  alba.' 36  ;    hyemalis,  645 

Erinus  alpinus,  351 

Eriangea  tomentosa.  436 

Eucharis  grandiflora.  418 

Eucryphii^pinnatifolia,  422,  423 


vm. 


INDEX. 


[-'The  Garden,"  December  27,  1913- 


Faulkner,   Mr.   C.   F.,   distributing 

Peas,  54 
Fern,  a  hardy,  119 
Foliage  plants,  hardy,  574 
Fritillary,  a  Snake's-head,  159 
Fruit  trees,  training,  '232,  233 


Garden  seat,  a  simple,  104 
Gardenias  at  Warier  Priory,  S 
Gamons,  Hereford,  a  border  at,  106,  107 
Gentian  from  Asia  Minor,  168 
Gentiana  verna,  548 
Geranium  lancastriense,  434 
Gladiolus  Mrs.  Bromet,  448 
Godetias,  self-sown.  179 
Gooseberry  cuttings,  553 
Grafting,  96,  97  ;   trees  and  shrubs,  472 
Greenhouse  in  winter,  625 
Grey  foliage,  a  border  of.  105 
Grouping,    effective,    in    a    London    rock 
garden,  586 


H. 

Hallingbury  Place  Gardens,  598,  599 
Harebell,  the  Carpathian,  447 
Hawthorns  at  Beauchief  Abbey,  2 
Heaters,  '*  Norbury,"  132.  133 
Heaths  from  cuttings,  389  ;    St.  Dabeoc's 

620 
Helichrysum  bellidioides,  253 
Herbaceous  border  at  Hopetoun   Housi- 

22 
Holly,  a  weeping,  180 
Honesty  in  a  wild  garden,  276 
Hunnemannia  fumariaefolia,  288 
Hyacinths,  specially  treated,  396 
Hydrangea,  a  blue,  79  ;    Sargentii,  264 


I. 


Iberis  gibraitarica,  646 

Iris  flrabriata,  142  ;  Morning  Mist.  349  ; 
nursery  in  Japan.  433 ;  reticulata 
liistrioides,  42  ;  sibirica,  effective  group- 
ing of,  109 ;  sibirica,  363,  377 ;  Snow 
Queen,  364 ;  tingitana,  648 ;  the 
Siberian,  551 ;    Vartanii,  69 

Irises  at  Clandon,  362 


K. 


Kniphofla  modesta,  588  ;    niultiflora,  587 


L. 

Lackey  moth  caterpillar.  322 

Lamp-post    clothed    with    Convolvulust 
101  I 

Lilac  Mnie.  Lemoine,  216  I 

Lilies,  planting,  613 

Lilium    Browuii,     409 ;    at   Chirk,    382 ;  | 
at     Ivew,     94  ;     giganteum,     35,     122 ;  i 
rubellum   raised   from   seed.    95  ;     Sar-  i 
geutia^.    442 ;    tigrinnm   in  a   bowl    of 
fibre.  73 


Lily  of  the  Valley,  forcing,  565 
Linum  arboreum,  435 
Lycaste  Skinneri.  207 


M. 


Magnolia  stellata,  145 

Mazus  rugosus,  139 

Meconopsis  Delavayi,  274  ;    Wallicliii,  348 

ifedusa's  Head  Orchid.  488 

Michauxia  Tchihatchcffli,  486 

Miltonia  Sanderae,  352 

Mistletoe  on  Apple  and  Whitethorn.  644 

Mock  Orange,  a  new,  323 

iloonlight  Broom.  373 

Mountain  Avens.  the,  45 

Mullein,  the  Rosette,  399 


N, 


Narcissus  Aspasia,  458  ;  Brighteve.  460  ; 
Colleen,  463 ;  Emerald  Eye,  220 ; 
fly,  203  ;  minicycla,  70 ;  Norah  Pear- 
son, 228 ;  St.  Olaf,  204 ;  Sycorax, 
163  ;  triaudrus  calathinus,  459  ;  White 
Emperor,.  184:    White  Frank,  148 

Nerine  Bowdenii  flowering  in  the  open,  570 

New  Zealand  garden,  a,  522 


Orchid  seeds,  how  to  prepare  pots  for.  20 
Ostrowskia  magnifica.  361 
Ox-eye  Daisy,  an.  474 


Picony  L'Esperance,    304 ;     La   Lorraine, 

292 
Pasque  Flower,  the  Shaggy,  155 
Pea  International.  Ill  ;    Mayflower,  12 
Peaches,  disbudding,  149 
Pear  midge.  305  ;    tree,  a  crippled,  238  ■ 

trees  on  pergola,  4 
Pelargoniums,  scented,  412 
Phloxes  from  cuttings.  245 
Phvllocactus.  a  well-flowered,  406 
Pink,  the  Tree.  46 

Pittosporum  eugenioides  variegata,  277 
Polyanthuses  at  Clandon  Park,  194  ;    by 

water-side,  243 ;   in  bed.  221 
Polypodiura.  a  new.  92 
Poppies.  Shirley,  197 

POUTHAITS — 

Dickson.  Hugh,  553  ;  Hurst,  Major 
C.  C  F.L.S..  55  :  Jennings.  F..  607  ; 
Lawrence.  Sir  Trevor.  Bart.,  K.C.V.O.. 
78  :  Sutton.  JNIartin  John,  639  ;  Syden- 
liam,  Robert.  370  ;  Wright,  Mr.  S.  T.,  251 

Potato  Royalty.  112  ;    Wlute  City,  32 

Potatoes,  how  to  store.  489 

Potentilla  granditlora,  351 

Prickly  Pears  outdoors,  157 

Primroses,  increasing,  137 

Prinmla  Fortunei,  182 ;  La  Lorraine, 
564 ;  Leddy  Pilrig,  286 ;  malacoides. 
291 ;  m.  flore  pleno,  624 ;  Maximowiczii, 
208  ;  obconica  outdoors,  630 ;  Pseudo- 
sikkiraensis,  303 :  Reidii,  231  ;  rosea. 
193  ;    Purdomii,  170  ;    vincseflora,  497 

Primulas  and  Leopard's  Bane,  219 

Puya  chiliensis.  334 


Queen  Alexandra  at  the  Chelsea  Show,  255 


Rhododendron  dauricura,  18  ;  nobleanura. 
30  ;   Schlippenbachii,  136 

Rock  garden  at  Drynham,  498,  499  ;  at 
Wartcr  Priory,  9  ;  first  prize,  336, 
337  :  in  five  months,  313 ;  in  New 
Zealand,  34  ;    the  beginning  of  a.  572 

Rock  gardens  at  Chelsea,  256, 257  ;  design- 
ing and  planting,  534,  585  ;  designing 
and  constructing,  596,  608,  634 

Romneya  trichocalyx  (Supplement),  291 

Rosa  arvensis,  510 ;  Dupontii,  510  ; 
moschata,  511  ;  sinica  Anemone,  340  ; 
soulieana,  511  ;    tomentosa,  511 

Roscoea  cautloides,  275 

Rose  Acacia,  a  spray  of,  268  ;  arch,  519  ; 
Arthur  R.  Goodwin.  408 ;  Bennett's 
Seedling.  513;  Blush  Rambler,  202; 
Cherry  Page.  514  ;  CvntWa  Forde,  10. 
400  ;  Edgar  M.  Bmnett.  485  ;  G. 
Amedec  Hammond.  370  ;  garden  and 
Lily  pool,  plan  of.  508;  ~  garden  at 
Surbiton.  509 ;  Gloire  de  Dijon,  an 
old,  540 ;  Gorgeous.  388 ;  growers  of 
bygone  days.  506  ;  Gustave  Regis. 
394 ;  Irish  Elegance,  430 ;  Irish 
Kireflame.  5.S2 ;  Lady  Alice  Stardey, 
470 ;  Lady  Plymouth.  226 ;  Lady 
Waterlow,  518 ;  leaf  attacked  by 
black  spot,  241  ;  leaf  attacked  by 
rust,  241  :  Mme.  Edouard  Herriot. 
267 ;  Mrs.  Ambrose  Ricardo.  355  ; 
Mrs.  C.  Reed,  312;  Mrs.  Charles  Russell, 
59 ;  Mrs.  E.  J.  Holland.  597  ;  Mrs  F. 
W.  Vanderbiit.  376  ;  Mrs.  Forde,  242  ; 
Mrs.  Mackellar,  44;  Mis.  James  Lynas, 
516;  Queen  Mary,  346';  stem  cankered, 
241  ;  Una  on  a  pillar,  183 

Roses,  an  informal  bank  of,  561  ;  at 
Dulwich,  515 ;  budding,  341  ;  from 
cuttings,  353  ;  I-a  France  and  Caroline 
Testout,  515 ;  on  rustic  poles,  71  ; 
mildew  on,  227  ;  planting,  589  ;  prun- 
ing. 160.  172,  173 ;  standards,  512  ; 
veteran,  540 


Salisbury    Close,    herbaceous    borders    at 

(Supplement),  434 
Salvia  uliginosa,  484 
Sandwort,  Creeping.  314 
Saxifraga   Faldoiisidc.    130  ;     Griesbachii,  ■ 

120,    190 ;     longifolia    magnifica.    298 ; 

marginata.  206 
Saxifrages,  Mossy,  302 
Scabiosa  caucasica  magnifica,  445 
Schizanthus  pinnatus.  372 
Senecio  Clivorura.  123 
Shrubs  planted  for  effect,  649 
Siberian  Flag,  how  to  increase.  377 
Silver-leaf  disease,  571 
Snowberry,  a  fine,  527 
SpiriBa  Aitchisonii.  560  ;    arborea  grandis, 

424  ;    lindleyana,  487  ;    Wilsonii,  432 
Spraying  trials  at  Wisley,  247 
Stone  edgings,  360;  steps,  634,  635 
Strawberries,  layering.  317  , 

Strcamside  garden.  21  ' 

Sun  Roses,  310 
Sundial    and    flower-bed,    573  ;     how    to  .. 

set  a,  250 
Sunflower.  Sutton's  new,  415 
Sutton  and  Sons'  exhibit  of  Sweet  Peas,  63 


Swamp  Honeysuckle,  a,  60 

Sweet  Pea  Eric  Harvey,  56  ;    trophy. 

Sweet  Peas,  unstaked,  57 


T. 

Tamarix  Pallasii  rosea,  494 

Taplow  Court,  gardens  at,  324,  326 

Tlurift  as  an  edging.  386 

Tobacco-growing  under  glass,  531 

Tomato  Magnificent,  48 

Tomatoes  under  glass.  113 

Torch  Lilies.  82 

Torch  Lily,  a  handsome,  538 

Trebah,  the  gardens  at,  278 

Trees,  repairing  hollow,  37  ;  twisted,  6 12. 

633 
Tregothnan,  flower  borders  at,  398 
TroUius  patulus  Bees'  Variety,  328 
Trophy,  the  Clarence  Elliott,  27 
Tulip  Massenet,  290  ;   show  at  Wakefi^dd, 

316  ;   The  Lady,  171  ;    the  Water  Lily, 

195 
Tulipa  saxatilis.  196 
Tulips,  May-floweriug,  457  ;  May-Lowering, 

grouped    for    effect,     599  ;     Prince    de 

Ligne,  464 


Vegetables,  raising,  in  frames,  61 

Verbascums,  147 

Veronica  hulkeana,  134 

Viburnum  Tinus,  601 

Vines,  disbudding,  149 ;  ornamental, 
144  ;   planting.  49  ;    pruning,  25 

Vineyard,  a  sixteenth  century,  131 

Violas  at  Sheffield,  616  ;    increasing,  437 

Violets  for  winter  flowering,  449  ;  propa- 
gating, 185 

Virgin's  Bower,  the  fragrant,  421 


W. 

Warter  Priory,  the  gardens  at,  9 
Water  garden,  a  natural  (Supplement),  386 
Watsonia  rosea,  484 
Wistaria  multijuga,  339 
Wood  Lily,  the  American,  289 
Woodland    scene,    a    beautiful,    300 ;     in 
spring,  462 


COLOURED     PLATES. 


Annuals  as  greenhouse  plants,  7 

Apple  Padnall  Seedling,  538 

Arum  Lily  Mrs.  T.  H.  Roosevelt,  314 

Carnations,    hardy    border,     563 ;     three 

Perpetual-flowering,  230 
Centanreas,  some  new.  31 
Clarkias,  a  bowl  of,  183 
Crocuses,  spring,  361 

Daffodils,  five  good,  461  ;    four  good,  410 
Leptospermum  NichoUii,   612 
Montbretia  Star  of  the  East,  135 
Rose  Danae,  254  ;  Mme.  Edouard  Herriot, 

633  ;   Old  Gold,  159 
Roses   Irish   Fircflame  and   Queen   Mary 

512 ;   three  garden,  586 
Saxifrages,  hybrid,  485 
Snapdragons,  107 

Sweet  Peas,  four,  58  ;    two  new,  82 
Water  Lilies,  three  good.  206 


GARDEN. 


1^ 


3rii 


No.  2146.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


January  4,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week.  .     1 
Correspondence 
A     beautiful     native 

tree 2 

Winter     Aconites 

flowering  early      ..     ;i 

Good  Red  Curraots  . .     3 

Ruellia  maurantha  . .     3 

Feras  in  glass  bottles    3 

Forthcoming  events     . .     3 

Gardening    Aouostics    3 

Prizes  for  the    Best 

Rook  Gardens       . .     3 
Fruit  Garden 

Cordon  Pear  trees  for 
arboursj  pergolas  or 

walls       4 

Annual    Flowers    in 

THE  Kitchen  Garden     5 
Two    Early    English 

Flower  Books       . .     5 
Greenhouse 
Winter-flowering 

Begonias        . ,      . .     (i 
A  grand  winter-flower- 
ing Orchid      . .      . .     6 
Coloured  Plate 
Annuals  as  greenhouse 

plants 7 

A      useful     greenhouse 

climber       7 

(iAHDENS  OF  To-day 

Warter   Prior>-,   York     8 


Rose  Garden 

Notes    on   thu   newer 

Roses      8 

Some    good    frai^rant 

Roses      9 

Rose     Miss    Cvnthis 

Forde      10 

Rock  and  Water  Gardkn 
PotentiUa  clusiana  ..  10 
Dwarf   trues    for    the 

rock  garden   . .      . .     10 
Viola  florairen.-iis       . .     11 
Flower  Garden 

Lilies:  A  causerie    ..     11 
Kitchen  Garden 
Some    good    Peas   to 
order  now       . .  12 
Gardening  for  Beginners 
How      to     propagate 
Chrysanthemums  . .     13 
Gardenlng   of  the  Week 
For     Southern     gar- 
dens            14 

For     Northern     gar- 
dens             14 

Trees  and  Suruijs 
The  best   shrubs   for 
low  walls        . .      . .      15 
Nursery  Notes 

Annuals     at    Messrs. 
Carte  r's     trial 
arounds  at  Raynes 
Park       . .       .      . .     15 
A  Few  Perfect  Roses    16 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 


IliliDSTRATIONS. 

Hawthorn  trees  at  Beaucliict  Al-bi-y 2 

Pear  trees  clothing  a  per^'ola  in  a  kitchen  garden      . .  4 

A  broad  eduing  of  annual  Candytuft  Snowtlake. ...  5 

Annuals  as  greenhouse  plants Coloured  plate 

A  well-grown  plant  of  a  Madagascar  Orchid         . .  7 

A  house  of  Gardenias  at  Wartor  Priory,  York    . .  8 

A  waterfall  in  the  rock  garden  at  Warter  Priory        .  .  9 

The  cottage  garden  and  tea-house  at  Warter  Priory . .  9 

Silver  medal  Woom  of  Rose  Miss  Cynthia  Forde       ,.  10 

An  untraine<l  and  ill-shapen  conifer      11 

Tlie  same  conifer  after  the  branches  had  been  trained  11 

First-early  Pea  Mayflower       12 

How  to  propagate  Chrysanthemums     13 


BDITORIAIi    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


Tht  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  iDill  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  mil  be  taken,  and  where  stainps 
'ire  enclosett,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accept*  ' 
contributions. 


A.S  regards  photograplts,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asirs  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
ijrapfier  or  owner  of  the  copyriglit  u-ilt  be  treated  with. 


T/ie  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
tfte  receipt  of  a  proof  must. not  be  taicen  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  ivill  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  .■  20,   Tai'istocl;  .'Street,  Corent  (larden,    ]V.C. 


Treatment  of  Yew  Hedges. — We -would  remind 
readers  that  the  present  is  a  good  time  to  attend 
to  Yew  hedges,  which  are  not  so  satisfactory  as 
they  should  be.  A  top-dressing  of  well-rotted 
manure  some  3  inches  thick  and  a  foot  or  18  inches 
in  width,  placed  along  either  side  of  the  hedge  and 
nearly  up  to  the  stems  of  the  Yews,  will  prove 
highly  beneficial  during  the  coming  growing  season. 

Chrysanthemum   Godfrey's  Perfection.— This 

recent  introduction  only  requires  to  be  known,  and 
it  promises  to  make  an  ideal  pot  plant  for  the 
amateur.  It  belongs  to  the  Anemone  -  flowered 
section,  and,  when  fully  developed,  the  flower- 
heads  are  quite  white.  It  is  a  sturdy-habited 
plant  of  about  three  feet  high,  bushy  and  free 
flowering  withal. 

Succulents  in  the  Edinburgh  Royal  Botanic 

Gardens. — The  succulent  plants  in  the  Royal 
Botaiiic  Gardens,  Edinbiurgh,  are  always  worth  a 
visit  from  all  interested  in  these  attractive  plants. 
The  collection  is  a  very  large  and  well-selected  one, 
inclucUng  many  choice  Cereuscs,  Opuntias,  Echino- 
cacti,  Euphorbias,  Haworthias,  Staptlias,  Huer- 
nias,  Mesembryanthemums,  .\loes  and,  in  fact, 
all  classes  in  cultivation.  The  collection  is  not 
onlv  very  large  and  well  selected,  but  it  is  admirably 
cultivated. 

Saxifraga     apiculata.  —  The    persistency    with 

which  this  sturdy  yellow-flowered  alpine  endeavours 
to  flower  right  through  the  winter  is  one  of  its 
most  remarkable  attributes.  Frost  and  storm  may 
appear  to  repel  and  mar  it  every  now  and  again, 
but  it  still  returns  to  the  charge,  and  later,  in 
more  senses  than  one,  is  as  a  "  giant  refreshed  "  ; 
that  is  to  say,  its  later  flowering  is  its  better 
flowering  so  far  as  the  open  air  is  concerned.  Mean- 
while, we  may  have  it  and  enjoy  it  in  the  alpine- 
house,  where  it  is  free  to  expand  its  pretty  primrose 
yellow  blossoms. 

The  Laurustinus. — This  old  favourite  shrub  is 
flowering  more  profusely  at  the  present  time  than 
we  have  ever  seen  it  before.  Nearly  every  outside 
branch  bears  a  cluster  of  flowers,  opening  and  in 
bud.  We  have  seen  several  division  hedges  in 
gardens  entirely  composed  of  the  Laurustinus, 
and,  owing  to  good  treatment,  both  the  sides  and 
the  tops  are  well  covered  with  flowers.  In  tubs 
placed  on  paths  and  in  other  parts  of  the  garden, 
this  shrub  is  equally  well  flowered,  and  in  every 
instance  the  fofiage  is  lu.xuriant.  Any  ordinary 
garden  soil  suits  this  shrub. 

Christmas  Roses  and  Hardy  Ferns. — In  the 

vicinity  of  the  Cumberland  Gate  at  Kew  a  wide 
border  is  very  attractive  at  the  present  time  by 
reason  of  a  natural  arrangement  of  Christmas 
Roses  and  hardy  Ferns,  with  here  and  there  the 
marbled  foliage  of  healthy  clumps  of  hardy 
Cyclamen.  The  mild  weather  has  resulted  in  the 
fronds  of  tlie  Ferns  leniaining  greener  than  is  usual 


lor  the  time  of  year,  hence  the  white  flowers 
of  the  Hellebores  are  prettily  contrasted.  But 
even  where  the  fronds  are  brown,  the  effect  is  very 
pretty,  and  such  grouping  might  well  be  copied 
by  people  who  have  a  border  to  plant  which  is 
made  up  of  fairly  moist  soil  and  is  in  partial  shade, 
for  Christmas  Roses  like  a  moist  root-run  and  a 
certain  amount  of  shade. 

The  Spurge  Laurel  (Daphne  Laureola). — If 
this  plant  were  a  new  introduction,  it  would  be 
heralded  with  a  flourish  of  trumpets  as  an  inter- 
esting shrub  that  flowers  in  the  dead  of  winter. 
.^s  it  is  a  native  of  our  woods,  little  heed  is  taken 
of  its  many  virtues,  and  its  fragrant,  although  not 
showy,  flowers  come  and  go  unseen  save  by  the 
few  who  look  for  the  joys  of  the  cotmtry-side  at 
this  season  of  the  year.  On  the  chalk  hills  in 
Berkshire  we  recently  came  across  little  copses 
of  Hornbeam  and  conifers,  in  which  the  Spurge 
Laurel  was  flowering  freely.  It  is  an  excellent 
shrub  for  coverts,  and  is  one  of  the  few  evergreens 
that  will  flourish  under  the  dense  shade  of  trees. 

To  Our  Readers. — With  this  issue  a  new  volume 
and  a  new  year  commence.  It  is  pleasant  to  look 
back  upon  the  year  which  has  just  closed,  and  to 
recall  the  kindly  feeUng  that  has  existed  between 
Editor  and  readers.  To  those  who  have  sent  us 
letters  of  appreciation  and  notes  of  interest,  and 
also  to  those  who  have  so  ably  assisted  us  in 
making  The  Garden  better  known,  we  tender  our 
thanks.  Numerous  readers  have  sought  advice 
in  difliculties  which  have  beset  them  in  their 
gardens,  and  it  has  been  a  pleasure  to  give  such 
advice.  We  hope  in  the  year  that  is  just  starting 
many  more  will  write  to  us  about  their  gardens 
and  their  difficulties.  To  all  our  readers  we  wish 
greater  success  in  their  gardens  than  they  have 
ever  experienced  before. ^  Following  our  usual 
custom,  we  are  presenting  an  almanack  with  this 
issue.  This  gives  the  dates  of  the  leading  horti- 
cultural shows  to  be  held  during  rgis,  and  we 
hope  it  will  be  hung  up  as  a  guide  to  these  events. 

A  Bright  Greenhouse  Plant. — Ha;manthus 
multiflorus  is  a  beautiful  bulbous  plant  and  one 
of  the  most  pleasing  occupants  of  the  warm  green- 
house when  in  bloom  ;  and,  fortunately,  it  is  so 
amenable  to  various  methods  of  culture  that  its 
flowering  period  can  be  extended  over  a  consider- 
able time  by  the  device  of  prolonging  or  restricting 
the  resting  period.  In  midwinter  its  bright  red 
flowers  are  perhaps  more  pleasing  than  at  any 
other  period,  and  they  are  charming  when  associated 
with  Ferns  or  other  green-foliaged  plants.  The 
flowers  appear  in  a  large  umbel  surmounting  a 
stout  stalk  13  inches  to  18  inches  high,  and  are  in 
advance  of  the  leaves.  It  is  necessary  to  keep 
the  plant  growing  in  a  warm  greenhouse  or  stove 
until  the  leaves  begin  to  turn  yellow,  when  water 
may  be  gradually  withheld  until  all  leaves  are 
dead.  Perfect  dryness  and  rest  are  then  necessary 
for  several  months,  the  earlier  bulbs  being  started 
into  growth  again  in  November. 


lllE     GAUD  EN. 


[January  4,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The    Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


The  Mild  Weather. — As  your  correspondents 
are  showing,  this  is  indeed  quite  an  abnormal 
season.  Here  I  had  Winter  Aconites  in  bloom  on 
November  30.  At  the  present  date  the  ordinary 
Snowdrops  are  in  full  bud.  The  Cilician  type 
have,  of  course,  been  blooming  for  weeks,  and  are 
nearly  over.  But  what  to  me  is  even  more  extra- 
ordinary is  that  not  only  is  Anemone  alpina  up  in 
profusion,  but  already  some  of  the  clumps  are 
flowering  ! — H.  Kingsmill  Moore.  Cedar  Mount, 
Dundrum,  County  Dublin. 

A  Beautiful  Native  Tree. — During  the  early 
days  of  May  there  is  no  more  beautiful  sight  in 
this  country  than  the  hedges  and  trees  of  the 
native  Hawthorn,  Crataegus  Oxyacantha,  or  May- 
blossom  as  the  children  delight  to  call  it.     We  often 


brightening  up  a  garden.  A  bright  variegated 
Rock  Cress  is  Arabis  albida  aurea  variegata,  which 
has  pretty  yellow  and  green  leaves.  A.  albida 
argentea  variegata  has  a  similar  variegation,  but  in 
this  case  the  colours  are  white  and  green.  A. 
alpina  flore  pleno  variegata  is  a  white  and  green 
variegated  form  of  the  popular  double  Arabis. 
A.  lucida  variegata  is  not  so  good  on  dry  soil,  but 
is  of  green,  edged  with  5'ellow. — S.  A. 

Lewisias  Cotyledon  and  Howellii. — Your  corre- 
spondent's notes  on  these  lovely  plants  on  page  635 
of  the  December  21  issue  are  misleading.    The  plants 


why  such  a  society  is  desirable,  i.  Tlie  Daffodil 
holds  the  undoubted  position  of  queen  of  the 
spring  flowers.  2.  The  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Narcissus  committee  has  neither  the 
time'  nor  the  power  to  advance  the  interests  of 
the  flower  as  its  merits  deserve.  3.  The  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  Classification  List,  good 
though  it  is,  requires  revision  now,  and  the  constant 
introduction  of  new  varieties  calls  for  its  annual 
revision.  4.  It  is  desirable  that  special  standards 
be  laid  down  for  the  flowers  in  each  class.  These 
would   be   of   assistance   to   the   seedling-raiser   as 


are  not  natives  of  California,  but  of  cold,  wind-  1  well  as  to  the  judges  of  show  flowers.  5.  Special 
swept  Alaska,  in  the  Far  North.  There  they  make  \  rules  are  required  for  judges  at  Daffodil  shows, 
their  home  in  the  deep  crevices  of  the  rocks  in  the  6.  The  annual  report  giving  inter  alia  lists  of  good 
rough,  gravelly  soil.  That  they  have  been  princi-  garden  varieties  and  describing  the  best  novelties 
pally  supplied  through  a  Californian  collector  of  the  year  would  be  of  value.  7.  Investigation  of 
may  be  the  cause  of  the  error  as  to  their  habitat.  |  insect  pests  and  diseases  is  required.     I  hope  that 


There  is  no  doubt   as  to  their  absolute  hardiness 
and   easy  culture  in   any  deep,  well-drained  stony 


A     BEAUTIFUL     SPRING     SCENE  :      HAWTHORN      TREES      FLOWERING     AT     BEAUCHIEF     ABBEY 
SHEFFIELD.        NOW    IS    THE    TIME    TO    PLANT    TREES. 


wonder  why  trees  ot  this  are  not  more  freely  planted 
in  the  less  formal  parts  of  the  pleasure  grounds 
in  place  of  others  which  are  often  quite  unsuitable 
for  the  positions  tbey  fill.  That  the  common 
Hawthorn  can  be  very  effectively  grouped,  the 
accompanying  illustration  will  show.  This  is 
from  a  photograph  kindly  sent  us  by  Mrs.  W. 
Wilson,  jun.,  Horsley  Gate,  Holmesfield,  Sheffield, 
and  represents  a  scene  in  the  gardens  at  Beauchief 
Abbey,  near  Sheffield.  We  pubUsh  it  now  while 
there  is  time  to  plant.  The  tree  is  not  fastidious 
in  its  requirements,  as  we  know  of  examples  that 
are  thriving  in  almost  all  sand,  and  others  doing 
equally  as  well  in  the  heaviest  clay. 

Variegated  Arabises  in  Winter. — Without  pro- 
fessing any  great  admiration  for  plants  with 
variegated  leaves,  one  may  well  find  them  of 
considerable  value  for  certain  positions  and  at 
certain  times.  In  winter  they  are  occasionally 
of  considerable  valye,  as  the  golden  or  silver 
variegated  leaves  are  almost  as  good  as  a  flower  for 


soil  in  a  suuny  position.  Last  winter  we  planted 
some,  just  received  from  a  collector,  on  a  new 
moraine  in  an  especially  exposed  position,  and 
also  on  a  wall,  yet  these  have  done  quite  as  well  as 
the  rest,  which  were  carefully  potted  and  pro- 
tected under  glass.  They  are  easy  and  hardy, 
and  are  happy-looking  subjects  at  all  times  ;  but 
are,  apparently,  so  slow-growing  that  the  demand 
will,  I  fear,  have  to  be  supplied  from  their  native 
country.  My  earnest  hope  is  that  the  supply 
may  prove  inexhaustible. — J.  Stobmonth,  Kirh- 
bride,  Carlisle.  [We  welcome  notes  about  the  cul- 
tivation of  new  plants,  as  so  little  is  known  about 
the  requirements  of  many  of  them. — Ed.] 

A  National  Daffodil  Society. — In  1910  con- 
siderable discussion  took  place  in  some  of  the  garden- 
ing papers  as  to  the  desirabihty  of  forming  a 
National  Daffodil  Society,  but  although  the  sugges- 
tion met  with  very  general  approval,  nothing  was 
effected.  In  venturing  once  more  to  raise  the 
question,  1  should  like  to  advance  a  few  reasons 


it  may  be  found  possible  to  hold  a  conference  on 

the     question     during    the    forthcoming    Daffodil 

season,  and  that  those  "  in  authority  " 

in    the   Daffodil  world   will   take   the 

matter  in  hand. — C.  E.  Kitchin. 

The  Flower  Garden  in  Winter.— 
I  would  suggest  that  Coronilla  glauca 
might  be  added  to  the  list  on  page  639 
of  The  Garden  for  December  21.  In 
Surrey  it  seems  hardy,  having  with- 
,;  stood  25°  of  frost;  but,  of  course, 
being  winter-blooming,  the  flowers  and 
young  growth  will  be  nipped  back  by 
such  cold.  At  the  end  of  December 
I  had  it  in  bloom  in  the  open,  having 
withstood  12°  of  frost  without  pro- 
tection. As  a  plant  on  a  south  wall 
it  would  only  need  protection  when 
in  full  bloom  in  severe  weather.  The 
season  of  flowering  lasts  long  into  the 
spring.  Also  Iris  stylosa  should  not 
be  forgotten  as  a  cut  flower  from  the 
open  in  mild  weather  from  November 
until  April.  Many  notes  have  appeared 
in  The  Garden  about  this  lovely 
and  easily-grown  Iris.  Although  I  have 
grown  it  for  years,  I  can  never  make 
up  my  mind  whether  clumps  which  do 
not  bloom  well  one  winter  should  be 
divided  up  and  replanted  in  spring, 
or  whether,  if  left  alone,  they  will 
bloom  well  another  winter  after  miss- 
ing a  season.  Perhaps  a  real  autho- 
rity Uke  Mr.  Dykes  can  decide  this 
point. — C.  G.  B. 

Reading  an  article  on  this  sub- 
ject, pages  639  and  640,  issue  December  21,  called 
to  mind  the  following  winter-flowering  plants : 
Lonicera  Standishii  and  L.  fragrantissima  (for  a 
wall).  Daphne  Mezereum  (with  its  exquisitely-scented 
blossoms),  Crataegus  monogyna  prascox  (Glaston- 
bury Thorn),  Tree  and  Bush  Ivies,  and  Viburnum 
Tinus  (Lauriistinus),  whose  pinkish  white  flowers 
and  dark  green  foliage  are  invaluable  for  cutting. 
Then  there  are  many  evergreen  shrubs  with  fine 
berries,  such  as  Skimmia  japonica,  Escallonia 
macrantha.  Hollies,  of  course,  Ruscus  aculeatus 
(Butcher's  Broom),  which  thrives  under  the  shade 
and  drip  of  trees.  Plants  with  handsome  foliage  and 
stems  also  help  to  make  a  garden  interesting  during 
the  winter  months,  and  of  these  I  would  mention 
Yucca  gloriosa  (Adam's  Needle), Magnolia  grandiflora 
(with  its  shining,russet-backedleaves),  Laurus  nobilis 
(Sweet  Bay),  Megasea  cordifolia,  Brooms,  and  last, 
but  not  least,  the  hoary  grey  foliage  of  Lavender 
and  Rosemary  and  the  silvery  grey  hue  of  a  Carna- 
tion bed. — E.  G.  Shelley,  Alresford,  Hants. 


NEAR 


January  4,  1913.] 


IIIE     GAKDEN. 


Winter  Aconites  Flowering  Early.— i   think 

your  readers  will  be  interested  to  hear  that  ever 
since  the  second  week  in  December  the  woodland 
glades  of  the  Fellows'  Garden  of  St.  John's  College, 
Cambridge,  have  been  carpeted  with  a  sheet  of 
Winter  Aconites,  hundreds  and  thousands  in  full 
bloom.  I  have  for  years  kept  a  careful  record 
of  the  dates  of  opening  of  our  earliest  flowers,  and 
I  have  never  known  these  to  appear  before  the  last 
days  of  the  year,  and  then  only  as  isolated  specimens. 
— M.  Kenny,  Weslbye,  Cambridge. 

Good  Red  Currants. — No  doubt  the  varieties 
recommended  in  The  Garden  for  December  i8 
are  good  in  a  way,  but  they  are  all  late  sorts,  and  I 
never  could  see  that  La  Constante  and  Versaillaise 
were  distinct.  The  fault  of  these  last  two  is  that 
I  he  branches  are  very  liable  to  break  off  from  the 
parent  bush,  so  that  it  is  not  easy  to  get  a  large 
bush,  such  as  Raby  Castle  forms  ;  from  this  half  a 
bushel  has  been  gathered.  My  selection  would  be 
the  varieties  Knight's  Early  for  first  crop  (called 
Scotch  in  Kent),  New  Red  Dutch  or  Chiswick  Red 
for  main  crop  (dark  red),  and  Raby  Castle,  Scotch- 
fjrou'n  Upright,  Dutch  Spreading  and  Raby  (half- 
spreading),  while  for  a  very  late  variety  Prince  of 
Wales  or  Rivers'  Late  is  very  fine.  Fay's  Prolific 
and  Versailles  are  very  much  alike,  and  are  best 
on  a  fence  or  wall.  They  are  sweeter  than  the 
others. — George  BrsvARn. 

Ruellia  macrantha. — Among  the  many  acan- 
thaccous  plants  that  are  of  considerable  value  in  a 
warm  greenhouse  owing  to  their  winter-flowering 
qualities,  must  be  included  this  Ruellia,  which  came 
to  us  from  Brazil  many  years  ago.  It  stands 
out  from  all  other  Acanthads  in  the  size  of  the 
individual  flowers,  these  being  in  vigorous  examples 
nearly  four  inches  long,  funnel-shaped,  and  well 
approaching  three  inches  across  the  expanded 
mouth.  They  are  of  a  pleasing  rosy  red  shade, 
veined  in  the  throat  with  a  deeper  colour.  This 
Ruellia  is  most  satisfactory  when  propagated 
from  cuttings  of  the  young  growing  shoots  in  early 
spring  and  shifted  on  during  the  summer  when 
required.  In  the  warm  weather  the  plants  wiU  do 
well  in  a  frame,  shutting  them  up  rather  early 
in  order  to  husband  the  sun-heat,  but  exposing 
them  more  towards  tha  end  of  the  season — H.  P. 

Ferns  in  Glass  Bottles. — It  is  quite  usual  for 
Ferns  to  appear  in  glass  bottles,  as  mentioned  on 
page  633  of  The  Garden  for  December  21  especially 
when  buried  to  some  depth  in  the  soil.  I  recollect 
many  years  ago  seeing  a  short  edging  in  a  small 
garden  which  had  been  formed  with  empty  soda- 
water  bottles,  which  had  been  discarded  and  fixed 
in  the  soil,  sunk  to  about  two-thirds  of  their  length, 
and  in  most  of  these  small  Ferns  had  appeared, 
mostly  Lastreas.  It  cannot  be  contended  that 
these  sprung  from  spores  conveyed  on  other  Ferns, 
but  the  spores  must  have  been  in  the  soil.  Since 
that  time  I  have  seen  and  tried  the  experiment 
of  sinking  broken  bottled  in  the  ground,  bottom 
up,  leaving  a  few  inches  above,  and  in  many  of 
these  young  Ferns  have  appeared.  The  experiment, 
if  such  it  can  now  be  called,  is  an  interesting  one, 
although  I  have  never  seen  any  but  common 
Lastreas  and  similar  F'erns  produced. — S.  Arnott. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

January  5. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Ex- 
amination for  Employes  in  Public  Parks  and 
Gardens,  10  a.m. 

January  7. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Exhi- 
bition at  Vincent  Square,  i  p.m.  to  5  p.m. 

January  8. — East  .Anglian  Horticultural  Club 
Meeting. 


GARDENING    ACROSTICS. 

A   S  announced  m  our  issue  for  December  i.(, 

/\  1912,  we  ar;-  publishing  a  series  of  eight 

/    %         acrostics  based  on  gardening  or  simple 

/       %       botany.     Prizes    of    £3,    £z    and    £1, 

*  ^      respectively,  will' be  awarded  to  those 

sending  in  correct  solutions  of  all  the 

acrostics.     The  names  of  those  who  have  correctly 

solved  the  problems  will  be  published  from  week 

to  week,  and  the  final  list  of  prize-winners  in  our 

issue  of    February   22.     In    all  cases  the   Editor's 

decision  must   be  final.     The  solution  to  Acrostic 

No.     3,     which     appeared     last     week,     wll     be 

published  next    week,  and  the  solution  to  No.   4, 

which    is    printed    below,    will    be    published    in 

our    issue    dated    January    18.      For     full     rules 

governing  tlie  competition  readers  are  referred  to 

page  623  of  our  issue  for  December  14,  1912. 

DOUBLE    ACROSTIC     No.    4. 

"  Hortulanorum  Princeps  "   (properlv  arranged). 

1.  A  much-abused  word. 

2.  Singers  of  an  "  O." 

3.  The  flower  Glenny  never  saw. 

4.  A  "  classy  "  Botanist  and  Gardener  of  old. 

5.  A  green  circlet. 

6.  Part     of     a    chaplet  —  a    glorious   sight     in 

quantity.      "  In    medicine    famous  and   of 

sovereign  use."     Say  what  I  am  in  Latin. 

Solutions  of  the  above  must  be  sent  so  as  to  reach 

the  Editor  at  20,   Tavistock  Street,   Covent  Garden, 

London,    W.C.,   not  later  than  January  11.     Mark 

the  envelope  "  Acrostic  "  on  the  tipper  left-hand  corner. 


SOLUTION     AND     NOTES     OF 
ACROSTIC     No.    2. 

•  JOSEPH    PAXTON." 

Sir  Joseph  Paxton  was  gardener  at  Chatsworth  ; 
Editor  of  the  "  Magazine  of  Botany,"  begun  m 
1834  and  continued  for  sixteen  volumes ;  and 
architect  of  the  building  of  the  Great  Exhibition, 
for  which  he  was  knighted. — "  History  of  Gardening 
in  England,"  third  edition,  page  296. 
•  I.     J.  P. 

t  -■  O  SMUND  A 

t  3.  S  PADI  .X 

§  4.  E  SCHALO  T 

!|  5.  P  OTAT  O 

U  6.  H  OXTO  N 
*  John  Parkinson. — Johnson's  "  History  of 
English  Gardening,"  page  82.  Parkinson  wrote 
the  "  Paradisus"  and  also  the  "  Theatrum  Botan- 
nicum,"  1640 — "  The  most  extensive  Botannical 
work  then  extant."  f  The  Osmunda  is  "  the 
Royal  Fern  "  ;  it  is  dedicated  to  St.  Christopher. — 
Friend's  "  Flowers  and  Flower  Lore,"  page  158. 
There  is  only  one  species  of  Osmunda  in  England. 
t  The  centre  of  the  so-called  Arum  Flower  is 
called  a  spadix.  §  A.  Dean's  "  Root  and  Stem 
Vegetables,"  page  37.  It  is  often  spelt  Shallot, 
e.g.,  in  Weathers'  "  Garden  Guide."  1|  Messrs. 
Sutton  and  Sons  and  others  are  trying  to  obtain 
such  a  tuber.  1[  T.  Fairchild  had  a  vineyard  at 
Hoxton  as  late  as  1722. — Johnson's  "  History  of 
English  Gardening,"  page  191. 


Jeffreys.  E.  B.  Anderson,  "  Ubique,"  Thomas  D. 
Taylor,  "  Tile,"  "  Elm,  Wisbech,"  Dr.  C.  G.  Cooper. 
H.  C.  Hislop,  "  Rushmere,"  Mrs.  Prideaux,  S.  W. 
Philpott,  "  Arnold."  Mrs.  L.  S.  Robertson,  Mrs. 
Fitz  Hugh,  L.  Bigg-Wither,  Margaret  E.  Ewbank, 
B.  Newill,  "  Penwarne,"  "  H.  G.,"  "  Witton," 
"  Newton,"  A.  J.  Rennie,  Frank  Mark,  "  Iris," 
Walter  D.  Cartwright,  Bruce  Barron.  Gertrude  E. 
Simmins,  E.  S.  Lyttel,  "  Bob,"  "  Muggins,"  M. 
Brown,  "  Rag,"  Mrs.  Palmes,  "  D.  T.,"  I..  A. 
Londen,  H.  Carrier,  "  W.  C.  E.,"  "  Ping,"  "  Judith," 
R.  W.  Dean,  Mrs.  Florence  Jones,  "  Chum," 
Miss  Hay,  H.  Tomalin,  Miss'  Pittis,  "  Anna 
Olivier,"  "  Ardenmore,"  Miss  G.  M.  Hallowes, 
"  White  Lady,"  "  Roco,"  W.'  H.  Chapman,  "  Sen- 
lac,"  James  Shearer,  "  Salgnod,"  "  Briar  Bank," 
"  Watteau,"  "  Elm,  Brompton,"  D.  Grant,  William 
Holton,  "Nemo."  "  Boronia,"  "Huxham," 
"  George,"  "  Arethusa,"  "  San-tan,"  "  R.  P.  B," 
"  G.  B.  B.,"  "  Lonsdale,"  "  Ivy,"  "  Leander," 
WiUiam  Ackworth,  A.  C.  Carne,  "  Yeltsa,"  William 
Slocombe,  Alex.  Henderson,  Lilla  Dance,  "  Glevara," 
"  A.  A.  T.,"  "  Cycle-car,"  "  Traveller's  Joy," 
Nlfs.  H.  Jenner,  "  E.  Key,"  "  A.  B.  C,"  James 
Gilchrist,  E.  Beeson,  W.  P.  Wood,  "  Boschetto," 
"  Agrostis,"  Lionel  Coombes.  J.  Dnguid,  W.  H. 
Mothersole  and  "  Vic." 

*,^*    The  names  of  those  who  have  correctly  solved 
No.  2  will  be  given  next  week. 


PRIZES     FOR    THE    BEST 
ROCK    GARDENS. 


SOLVERS    OF    ACROSTIC     No.     1. 

Correct  sohitions  of  Acrostic  No.  i,  published  in 
our  issue  for  December  14,  1912,  were  sent  in  by  the 
following:  "  S.  W.,"  "  Brixtonian,"  W.  Bond, 
Frederick  Marshall,  James  Clayton,  Miss  L.  Joshua, 
R.  Chapman,  H.  A.  Churchill,  Mrs.  C.  J.  Clerk, 
"  Nedrag."  Ernest  Walker,  "  Omega,"  Mrs.  L. 
Patterson,  F.  W.  Hull,  "  Tempus  Fugit,"  F.  Bloomer, 
Miss  N.  Lucas,  "  Arlesey,"  .Agatha  Mayo,  .Miss  G.  H. 


To  further  stimulate  the  interest  that  is  being  taken 
in  rock  gardens,  the  Proprietors  of  The  Garden 
offer  the  following  prizes  for  three  photographs  of 
a  rock  garden,  or  portions  of  a  rock  garden  : 

First  prize:    Five  Guineas,  or  a  Silver  Gup  o( 

that  value. 
Second  prize  :    Two  Guineas,  or  Books  o(  that 

value. 
Third  prize  :    One  Guinea. 

The  competition  is  open  only  to  the  actual 
owner  of  the  rock  garden,  or  to  his  or  her  gardener. 
The  object  is  to  encouragS  good  rock  gardening, 
and  preference  will,  therefore,  be  given  to  those 
rock  gardens  which  show  originality  in  design,  and 
where  the  plants  depicted  arc  well  grown.  It 
should  be  distinctly  understood  that  awards  will 
be  made  to  the  best  rock  gardens,  and  not  neces- 
sarily to  the  best  photographs.  The  photographs 
need  not  be  taken  by  the  competitor,  who  must, 
however,  in  such  cases  have  the  written  consent 
of  the  photographer  for  their  reproduction  in  The 
Garden.  The  competition  is  subject  to  the 
following  rules  : 

r.  Not  more  than  three  photographs  of  each 
garden  may  be  sent  in  by  one  competitor. 

2.  Each  photograph  must  have  the  full  name  and 

address  of  the  competitor  plainly  written 
on  the  back  in  mk. 

3.  Successful  competitors   shall    furnish   written 

particulars  of  the  rock  garden  forming  the 
subject  of  their  photographs. 

4.  Glazed  and  mounted  P.O. P.  prints  must  be  sent. 

5.  All   photographs   must   be   sent   to   arrive   at 

The  Garden  Offices,  20,  Tavistock  Street, 
Strand,  W.C,  not  later  than  June  i,  1913. 

6.  Unsuccessful      photographs     sent      in      will 

be  returned  if  a  sufficiently  stamped  and 
addressed  envelope  or  wrapper  is  enclosed, 
but  no  responsibility  will  be  taken  for  the 
loss  or  damage  of  photographs  submitted, 
although  every  care  will  be  taken  of  them. 

7.  The   Proprietors  of  The  Garden   reserve   to 

themselves    the    right    to    reproduce    any 
photograph  sent  in  for  competition. 
S.  The  decision  of  the  Editor  will  be  final. 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[January  4,  191; 


THE     FRUIT     GARDEN. 


CORDON  PEAR  TREES  FOR  ARBOURS, 
PERGOLAS     OR    WALLS. 

THE  pergola  furnished  with  Roses  and 
other  beautiful  climbing  flowering 
plants  has  had  a  run  of  treat  success 
and  popularity  for  some  years.  Why 
not  give  the  Pear  tree  a  more  extended 
trial  in  the  same  way  ?  The  summer 
eJiarm  of  the  two  subjects  cannot,  of  .-course,  be 
compared,  and  yet,  in  many  respects,  the  claims 
of  the  Pear  to  popularity  as  a  subject  for  planting 
in  this  way  is  undeniab'c.  In  early  spring,  as  the 
accompanying  illustration  so  well  shows,  it  forms 
an  object  of  beauty  and  interest  which  always 
commands  and  receives  unstinted  praise  and 
admiration.  The  g'ossy  and  handsome  foliage 
of  <lie  trees  is  alway.  pleasant  to  look  upon,  and, 
train.ed  thus,  affords  welcome  sh.idi'  in  hot  weatlier. 


by  reason  of  the  limited  space  they  occupy  and  the 
large  return  of  fruit  they  are  capable  of  giving. 
Another  advantage  the  cordon-trained  tree  possesses 
is  that  it  enables  the  owner  to  enjoy  quite  an 
interesting  collection  of  varieties  in  a  garden  of 
small  dimensions. 

Position. — This  is  an  important  matter  which 
must  not  be  forgotten,  namely,  that  the  trees 
must  have  full  exposure  to  light  and  air  all  day 
long,  and  shelter  froni  north  and  east  winds,  if 
possible. 

Cultivation. — The  Pear  will  succeed  in  any 
orchnarily  good  garden  soil  that  is  w;ll  drained, 
but  prefers  a  deep,  loamy  soil  of  rather  a  heavy 
texture.  It  is  essential  to  consider  the  character 
of  the  stock  on  which  the  trees  are  worked  in 
relation  to  the  soil  in  which  they  are  to  be  planted. 
If  the  soil  is  a  rich  and  deep  loam,  it  would  be  a 
mistake  to  plant  cordons  worked  on  the  Pear 
slock  there,   as  the  growth    would    be  so  vigordus 


BEAUTY    ANn    UTILITY 


PEAK    TREES    CLOTHING    A    I'ERGOLA    IN    A    KITCHEN    GAK.DE 


Not  the  least  enjoyment  of  a  garden  in  summer 
is  the  pleasure  of  watching  the  young  fruit 
grow,  while  autumn  brings  with  it  not  only  the 
beauty  of  the  ripening  foliage  in  Its  varied 
and  rich  colouring,  but  also  the  substantial  and 
generous  return  of  a  good  crop  of  sweet  and  luscious 
fruit. 

Of  all  hardy  fruit  trees  the  Pear  is  best  suited  for 
this  way  of  training  ;  its  young  shoots  in  summer 
are  so  pliable  that  they  may  he  trained  to  any  shape 
desired.  As  the  accompanying  Illustration  shows, 
the  manner  of  construction  is  very  simple  and  easy. 
The  base  of  the  work,  ho^vever,  must  be  so  firm,  and 
the  material  of  which  the  structure  is  made — whether 
of  iron  or  wood — so  strong,  as  to  safely  resist 
wind  pressure.  Other  purposes  for  which  cordon 
Pear  trees  are  well  suited  are  for  covering 
wall  spaces  quicldy,  or  for  profitably  hiding  ugly 
corners  of  the  garden  in  summer.  For  small 
gardens  they  are   a  blessing  withcmt    the  disguise, 


that  it  would  be  found  impossible  to  properly 
ripen  it  in  ordinary  seasons,  especially  that  on 
young  trees ;  therefore  no  fruit-buds  would  be 
formed  and  the  trees  would  be  barren.  Thus  trees 
worked  on  the  Quince  stock  only  should  be  planted 
on  soil  of  this  nature,  because  the  roots  of  the 
Quince  are  of  a  more  fibrous  nature  and  remain 
near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  where  they  will 
not  only  derive  all  the  benefit  of  this  better  soil, 
but  also  be  where  they  are  accessible  to  the  benefits 
to  be  obtained  from  summer  mulchings  of  manure 
placed  on  the  surface  of  the  soil  over  their  roots. 
i  Trees  bear  crops  much  younger  when  worked  on 
this  stock  than  on  the  Pear.  On  the  other  hand,  where 
the  soil  is  comparatively  poor  and  not  of  great 
depth,  trees  on  the  Pear  stock  should  be  planted, 
as  they  will  not  grow  so  strongly,  and  consequently 
the  wood  they  make  is  easier  ripened,  and  in  case 
of  drought  they  would  suffer  no  ill-eft.?ct,  as 
the   roots    of    the     Pear,     when     grown     on     this 


stock,   strike   down   deeply   into    the    grouud   for 
sustenani.o. 

Preparation  of  the  Soil.— Before  planting  takes 
place  the  soil  should  be  deeply  trenched  and  well 
stirred,  but  the  bottom  poor  soil  must  not  be 
brought  to  the  top.  It  Is  a  mistake  to  add  organic 
manure  to  the  soil  at  the  time  of  planting,  for  thj 
reason  that  it  encourages,  especially  in  young 
trees,  too  coarse  and  strong  a  growth  of  branches, 
which  it  will  be  found  difficult  to  ripen,  and  in 
consequence  will  prove  barren.  The  grower's 
aim  shouUl  be  to  encourage  a  moderately  strong 
growth  only,  so  that  its  ripening  can  be  assured; 
and  there  is  no  better  way  of  doing  this  than  by 
adding  a  barrow-load  of  good  fibrous  loamy  soil 
to  the  soil  of  each  tree,  and  where  the  soil  is  at  all 
poor  add  a  quart  of  bone-meal,  well  mixing  it 
with  the  soil  at  the  time  of  planting. 

Planting. — Avoid  planting  deeply,  especially 
on  iieavy,  cold  soils.  It  is  a  safe  practice  to- follow 
to  make  sure  that  the  top  layer  of 
roots,  after  the  planting  is  completed, 
is  not  more  than  5  inches 
below  the  surface  of  the  soil.  Do 
not  plant  if  you  can  help  it  when 
the  soil  is  sticky  and  wet,  but  choose  a 
time  when  it  is  fairly  dry.  Do 
not  Ist  the  roots  of  the  trees  be 
exposed  to  the  air  without  cover  for 
a  moment  longer  than  can  be  helped. 
Spread  out  the  main  roots  evenly 
and  carefully  before  covering  with 
soil,  serving  each  successive  layer  the 
same  until  the  last  layer  is  laid 
under,  and,  lastly,  tread  down  the 
soil  over  the  roots  as  firmly  as 
possible  and  give  a  good  watering  if 
the  soil  is  at  all  dry. 

The  Best  Trees.— Three  year  old 
trees  are  the  best  to  plant.  A  few 
fruit-spurs  will  have  been  formed  at 
the  base  of  these  from  which  one  or 
two  fruits  to  a  tree  may  be  taken, 
without  harm  being  done,  the  first 
year.  Where  it  is  desired  that  a 
large  space  of  bare  wall  or  pergola 
should  be  furnished  with  trees  in  a 
short  space  of  time,  there  is  no  other 
form  of  trained  fruit  tree  which  can  be 
used  to  so  good  an  advantage.  Trees 
from  six  to  eight  years  old  may  safely 
and  successfully  be  planted,  and  a 
^.  space    of    from  7    feet    to    g    feet    thus 

covered  in  one  season. 

Pruning  After  Planting.— Judging  from  the 
number  of  enquiries  received  on  this  point,  one  would 
think  that  the  pruning  of  a  Pear  or  any  other  fruit 
tree  was  one  of  the  most  mysterious  and  unattain- 
able of  objects,  a  sort  of  sealed  book,  to  be  read 
only  by  the  expert.  It  is  really  nothing  of  the 
sort,  but  is  most  simple  and  interesting  work. 
The  most  important  thing  to  remember  in  starting 
on  the  winter  pruning  of  the  Pear  tree  is  that  in 
ordinary  pruning  no  shoots  are  to  be  cut  in  any 
shape  or  form  other  than  the  shoots  of  the  past 
summer's  growth,  and  these  always  consist,  in  the 
case  of  the  cordon,  of  side  and  terminal  shoots.  Let 
every  one  of  these  be  cut  back,  the  side  shoots,  in 
the  case  of  the  weakest,  to  within  two  buds  of  their 
base,  and  the  strongest  to  within  three  buds  of  their 
base,  the  terminal  or  leading  shoot  (of  last  summer's 
growth),  supposing  it  is  3  feet  long,  to  be  pruned 
back  to  half  its  length.  If  it  should  be  2  feet  long, 
f)  inches  only  should  be  cut   off,   and  if  it  is  oiilv 


January  4,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


1  foot  or  15  inches  long,  then  no  shortening  is 
ruqiiirfcl.  The  IVar  seldom  if  ever  bears  on  one 
year  old  wood,  and  the  object  the  pruner  has  in 
view  in  cutting  the  shoots  so  liard  back  is  for  the 
purpose  of  encouraging  the  formation  of  fruit- 
spurs  at  the  base  of  the  shoots  so  cut  bark. 

Summer  Pruning,  which  in  the  case  of  the 
cordon  tree  is  of  much  more  importance  than 
winter  pruning,  will  be  referred  to  again  nearer 
the  time  it  will  need  attention. 

The  Best  Varieties. — The  following  sixteen 
varieties,  which  are  arranged  in  the  order  of  ripen- 
ing, will  be  found  among  the  best,  and  are  good, 
liealthy  growers.  A  few  trees  of  each  should 
secure  a  good  succession  of  ripe  Pears  from  summer 
to  spring.  The  \-ery  earliest  ones  are  scarcely 
worth  planting,  especially  in  small 
gardens,  as  they  are  available  for 
use  for  so  short  a  time  :  Beurre 
r.iffard  (ripe  in  August),  Williams' 
Hon  Chretien  (September) , 
Trioraphe  de  Vienne  (September), 
Conference  (October  and  Novem- 
ber), Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey 
(October  and  November),  Marie 
Louise  (October  and  November), 
Doyenn^  du  Cornice  (October  and 
November — plant  most  of  this,  as  it 
is  the  best),  Emile  d'Heyst  (October 
and  November),  Glou  Morceau 
(about  Christmas),  Winter  Nelis 
(about  Christmas),  Santa  Glaus 
(about  Christmas),  Blickling  (Janu- 
ary and  February),  Bergamotte 
Ksperen  (January  and  February), 
Nouvelle  Fulvie  (January  and  Feb- 
ruary), I.e  Lectier  (January  and 
February),  and  Duehesse  de  B<ii - 
deau.x  (March  to  May). 

Owen  Thomas,  V.M.H. 


espalier  fruit  trees  near  the  pathways,  and  not 
infrequently  these  come  close  up  to  the  edge  of 
tile  path.  Where,  however,  the  much  better  plan 
of  setting  them  back  about  two  feet  from  the  path- 
way is  adopted,  room  is  left  for  an  edging  of  flowers 
that  may  be  anything  from  i  fool  to  i8  inches 
in  width,  and  here  it  is  tliat  we  can  put  our  annuals 
to  good  account.  The  accompanying  illustration 
will  give  a  fairly  clear  idea  of  what  I  mean.  In 
.April  of  last  year  the  seed  of  the  Candytuft  was 
thinly  sown  in  a  drill  9  inches  wide,  and 
when  fully  grown  produced  the  effect  seen  in 
the  illustration.  Owing  to  the  thin  sowing, 
no  thinning  of  the  seedlings  was  necessary, 
and,  beyond  weeding,  the  plants  required  no 
attention     whatever.       The     pathwav     shown      is 


ANNUAL  FLOWERS 
IN  THE  KITCHEN 
GARDEN. 


IT  has  long  been  a  source  oi 
wonder  to  me  that  more  use 
is  not  made  in  the  kitchen 
garden  of  the  many  beautiful 
annual  flowers  that  are  avail- 
able. In  many  large  estab- 
lishments it  is  customary  to  flank 
tlie  paths  in  the  kitchen  garden 
with  a  narrow  or  broad  border  01 
herbaceous  flowers,  a  practire  ^-^ 
which  has  much  to  commend  it. 
Not  only  is  the  whole  garden 
made  more  attractive,  but  such 
borders  provide  an  abundance  of 
Hcjwcrs  for  cutting — a  very  important  it 
large  quantities  are  required. 

In  gardens  of  more  modest  dimensions,  howe\'er, 
sucli  borders  are  not  practicable ;  they  would 
encroach  far  too  much  on  the  space  that  is  required 
for  the  more  utilitarian  vegetables,  and  conse- 
quently in  such  kitchen  gardens  flowers  are,  to 
use  a  well-known  aphorism,  too  often  conspicuous 
by  their  absence.  Here  it  is  that  our  annual 
flowers  should  be  made  to  play  an  important  part, 
and  one  that,  if  carried  out  with  reasonable  care, 
will  give  a  great  deal  of  pleasure  for  a  very  insignifi- 
cant outlay  of  time  and  money.  In  most  small 
kitchen  gardens  it  is  usual  to  find  either  bush  or 


usual ;  then  early  in  May,  when  the  foliage  is  declin- 
ing, stir  up  the  soil  and  sow  our  annuals  between 
the  Daffodils.  Such  a  procedure  would  not  harm 
either  of  the  flowers,  and  would  render  small 
kitchen  gardens  far  more  attractive  than  we 
usually  find  them. 

There  are,  of  course,  a  great  many  annuals 
suitable  for  the  purpose,  but  in  all  cases  I  would 
emphasise  the  nccessit%  for  having  a  good  broad 
belt  of  one  kind.  A  narrow  edging  to  a  long  path 
looks  lost,  while  a  mixture  of  kinds  is  not  to  be 
commended.  On  the  other  hand,  a  good  mixture 
of  colours  of  one  kind  of  plant,  such,  for  example, 
as  Candytuft  or  Virginian  Stock,  may  be  used  with 
good  effect,  but  do  not  sow  a  few  yards  of  Candytuft, 
a  few  of  Virginian  Stock  and  a  few  of  something 
else.  Generally  speaking,  an  aimual 
with  showy  flowers  should  also  be 
selected,  particularly  where  the 
path  is  a  long  one.  .A  few  kinds, 
in  addition  to  those  already  named, 
that  occur  to  mind  as  being  suit- 
able, and  which  may  be  sown 
where  they  are  to  flower,  are  Sweet 
Alyssum,  Swan  River  Daisy,  Pot 
Marigold,  Godetias,  Linum  grandi- 
florum  rubrum.  Lupines  of  the 
nanus  set,  Dwarf  Nasturtiums  and 
Viscaria  cardinalis.  If  a  prominent 
edging  is  not  desired,  the  ever- 
welcome  Mignonette  may  be  used, 
but  at  a  distance  it  does  not  pro- 
duce a  very  good  effect.  This  is,' 
however,  largely  compensated  by 
its  delightful  fragrance.        H.  H. 


TWO  EARLY  ENG- 
LISH FLOWER 
BOOKS. 

{CoiiliHued    from    page    652,     Vol. 
LXXVI.) 


1 


A    UKUAU    bUGlNU    OK    A.NNUAL    CANDYTUFT    SNOWFLAKE    IN    A 
SMALL    KITCHEN    GARDEN. 


where 


about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  and  the 
cost  of  the  floral  edging  was  6d..  the  Cahdytuft 
being  the  variety  known  as  Webb's  Snow-flake.  This 
is  remarkably  free  flowering  and  excellent  for 
cutting,  and  possesses  the  additional  merit  of 
lasting  in  bloom  for  about  seven  weeks  in  a  summer 
such  as  was  experienced  last  ^  ear.  Even  before 
the  plants  flowered  they  formed  a  neat  edging 
and  added  not  a  little  to  the  general  tidiness  of 
the  kitchen  garden. 

To  carry  the  idea  of  such  edgings  in  small  gardens 
a  little  further,  we  might  very  well  plant  the  margins 
of  the  paths  in  autumn  with  the  earlier-flowering 
Daffodils,   allowing   them   rather  more   room   than 


DO  not  know  how  far  I  am 
right  or  wrong,  but  it  seems 
to  me  that  Samuel  Gilbert 
may  almost  be  regarded  as  the 
interpreter  and  populariser 
of  Rea,  in  much  the  same 
manner  as  Kingsley  in  another 
sphere  and  in  more  modern  times 
is  said  to  have  performed  like 
offices  for  Maurice.  For  one 
thing,  his  "  Vade  Mecum "  was 
a  very  much  smaller  work  than  the 
"  Flora,"  and  consequently  it 
must  have  been  obtainable  at  a 
much  lower  price.  Then  he  tells 
us  in  his  preface  of  his  intention  to 
avoid  "  Bombastick  "  words  and  "  useless  notions," 
and  that  he  was  going  to  write  "  plain  English  " 
as  his  tract  was  "  really  designed  for  the  benefit 
of  the  meanest  Florist."  It  is,  in  fact,  almost 
entirely  a  flower  book,  as  only  in  the  Monthly 
Directions  at  the  end  are  the  work  and  plants  of 
the  orchard  and  Idtchen  garden  mentioned,  his 
reason  for  confining  himself  to  floriculture  being 
that  fruit  trees  had  been  "  well  done  by  Mr.  Langford 
in  a  pocket  volume  of  easy  price."  In  this  his 
opinion  coincides  with  that  of  the  famous  John 
Evelyn,  who  writes  of  this  work  "  as  I  know  nothing 
extant  that  exceeds  it,  so  nor  do  I  of  anything  which 
needs  be  added  to  it  "  (Evel^Ti's  introductory  letter 


THE    GAllDEN. 


[Ja-nuary  4,  1913. 


in  the  1696  edition).     The  author  was  a  clergyman, 
being  Rector  of  Quatt  in  Shropshire  and  Chaplain 
to  Jane,  wife  of  Charles,  the  fourth  Baron  Gerard. 
.According    to    Harwood's   edition    of    "  Edsvvick's 
Antiquities  of  Shropshire,"  he  also  practised  as  a 
physician.     It  was  doubtless  in  this  capacity  that 
he  published  in  1676  "  Pons  Sanitas,  or  the  Healing 
Spring     at    Willowbridge     in     Shropshire."      The 
double  calling  was  not  uncommon  in  these  early 
times,  and  with  communication  slow  and  a  country 
thinly  populated,  it  is  easy  to  see  the  utility  of 
such  as  arrangement.     As  I  have  already  mentioned, 
Gilbert  married  Rea's  daughter,   Minerva,  and  he 
appears  to  have  lived  for  the   greater  part  of,  if 
not  his  entire  married  life  with  his    father-in-law 
at  Kinlet,  near  Bewdley.     He  had  one  son  and  four 
or  five  daughters.     He  probably  died  about   1692 
to  1694.     To  the  garden-lover  he  is  known  as  the 
author     of     "  The     Florist's    Vade      Mecum,"      a 
small    i2mo.   manual,    with    which,   in    the   1683 
or   first  edition,  was   bound    up   his    "  Gardener's 
Almanack"     to      last       from      1683      to       1687. 
It      also     contained      his      portrait.      The     work 
passed     through      several      editions ;       according 
to     the     "Dictionary     of     National     Biography" 
they  appeared  in  1690,  1693,  1702  and  1713.     My 
own  copy  bears  the  date  1693,  and  is  called  "  The 
Second    Edition    Corrected."     This    is    the    copy 
whose  pages  we  are  going  to  turn  over.       But  before 
I  begin,  in  order  to  bring  home  to  my  readers  the 
estimation   in    which    this   little   book   must    have 
been   held,    I    would   mention    that    1    possess   the 
first  and  second  editions  of  "  The  Complete  Florist, 
or  the   Lady  and   Gentleman's   Recreation   in   the 
Flower    Garden,"    which    is    nothing    but    a    very 
obvious  plagiarism  of  the  "  Vade  Mecum." 

As  might  naturally  be  expected,  Gilbert  makes 
considerable    use    of   his    father-in-law's    "  Flora," 
but    there    is    no    slavish    imitation.     His    work 
appears  to  be  very  much  his  own,  in  arrangement, 
in  feeling,  in  composition  and  in  style.   He  is  always 
letting  off  steam  in  some  quaint  poetic  effusion. 
"  The  Daffodils  are  by  the  Curious 
(Whether  Legitimate  or  spurious) 
Accounted  beauties  in  their  time. 
Deserving  notice  in  our  Rhime. 
But  since  'tis  here  so  poorly  done, 
They  hang  their  heads,  ashamed  t"  r>\vn 
What  so  much  fiats  their  reputation  ; 
Such  Limping-languide  commendation  ; 
Lest  Honour  loose  ;    with  yellow  Jeaknisie 
Fretting  fall  to  the  earth  and  mourning  die." 
The    flowers    are    arranged   in    the   sequence    of 
their  "  blowing."     Each  month   as  it   were   takes 
under  its  wing   the   particular  ones  which  should 
be   in   season    then.     The   toUowing   are   those    to 
which    most    space    is    devoted,    and    accordingly 
may  be  claimed  as  the  most  popular  ones  at  the 
time    the    book    was    first    published :     Crocuses 
(some    twenty    varieties).     Primroses,     Hepaticas, 
Hyacintiis,  Bear's  Ears  (double  and  single),  Tulips, 
Fritillaries,    Anemones,   Stock-Gilliflowers,   Ranun- 
culuses,5Peonies,'fIrises,  Roses,  Lilies,  Mnlys,  July- 
flowers,     Jasmines,     Flower     gentles,     Colchicums 
and    various  "  greens,"   such    as  the   Orange    and 
the  "  Mirtle."     Of  these,  as  being  the  most  popular 
of  all  1  would  single  out  Tulips.  .Auriculas  or  Bear's 
Ears,    Anemones   and   July-flowers   or   Carnations. 
This   selection   is   borne   out   by   those   which   are 
specially'  mentioned  in   "  The   English   Gardener," 
a    contemporary   work   by   one    Leonard    Meager, 
who,    when    he    wrote,    had   been    thirty   years    a 
'•  Practitioner   in    the   Art   of   Gardening."     Julv- 
flowers  and  Bear's  Ears  ran  Tulips  very  hard  in 
popular  favour.     Gilbert  says,  "  Caryophyllus  hor- 


Tulips  the  pride  of  Spring,  deserving  a  Flowerist's 
care  in  their  propagation  and  preservation,  especially 
the  nobler  forms,  which  are  called  the  Dutch- 
luly-flowers  or,  more  vulgarly.  Carnations." 
Roses  are  said  to  be  "  one  of  the  chiefest  ornaments 
that  enrich  our  Gardens."  Thirty  varieties  are 
noted  and  described,  and  there  are  hints  on  bud- 
ding and  various  points  of  culture. 

"Who  would  not  then  these  sweet-leaved  flovv'rs 
esteem 
So  rare,  when  cither  felt,  or  smelt,  or  seen  : 

Directions  are  given  for  making  a  hot-bed,  and 
the  necessity  of  having  a  summer-house  is  insisted 
upon  in  a  rather  long  piece  of  poetry,  in  which 
he  moralises  and  bids  us 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

BEGONIAS. 


yy 

1 


"  ourSelves  as  Gardens  keep  ; 
Pluck  up  the  Weeds  of  Sin,  soon  as  they  peep." 

The  last  few  pages  are  taken  up  with  "  Monthly 
Directions  what  ought  to  be  done  both  in  the 
Kitchen  and  Flower-Garden  for  ever."  Here 
we  have  the  most  interesting  part  in  the  whole 
book.  As  an  introduction  to  what  is  to  follow, 
two  pages  of  astrological  gardening  are  inserted. 
.Arranged  under  ten  heads  elaborate  instructions 
are  given  as  to  when  certain  operations  should 
be  done  or  when  they  should  not  be  attempted 
(str).  2.  Trees  are  not  to  be  gr.afted  the  moon 
waning  or  not  to  be  seen.  4.  Sow  or  plant  when 
the  moon  is  in  Taurus,  Virgo  or  Scorpio  and  in  good 
aspect  of  Saturn.  8.  Set,  cut  or  sow  what  you 
would  liave  speedily  shoot  out  aga.in  or  spring 
and  grow,  in  the  increase  of  the  moon. 

One  wonders  how  a  man  could  do  so  who  gives 
such  reliable  hints  on  culture  as  those,  for  example, 
of  the  Fritillary  :    It  "  loses  its  fibres  like  the  Tulip 
when  the  stalk  dies  down,"  and  it  must  not  be  kept 
out  of  the  grotmd  "  longer  than  August  lest  thereby 
the  roots  perish  or  be  much  weakened  by  it."    TUere 
is  not  a  single  word  about  the  moon  or  any  of  the 
planets  until  we  come  to  th;  "  Directions."     There 
was  not  a  hint  of  any  such  thing   in   Rea.     How- 
came  it  that  they  are  now  inserted  in  the  "  Vade 
Mecum  "  ?     I  can  only  presume  Gilbert  was  carrying 
out  what   he  had   previously  written   and  what  I 
quoted  in  my  last  article  about  "  Jackanapes    on 
Giant's  shoulders."     Owing  to  the  wrrtings  of  several 
foreign   botanists   and   doctors,    and     probably   in 
our  own  land,  more  especially  to  those  of  Culpeper 
(,616—1654)    in    his    "  Physicall    Directory,"   the 
idea  that  the  planets  exercised  an  influence  upon 
plant-life    gained  wide  credence  in  the  latter  part 
of   the   seventeenth   century.     The   subject   is  one 
of  much  interest.     All   that    I   can   do  now   is   to 
suggest  that  certain  gardeners— Gilbert  among  the 
number— thought  that  there  might  be  sometliing  in 
it,  and,  in  case   there  was,,  took  the  precaution  of 
giving  a  few  of  the  leading  principles  of   the  then 
fashionable  theory.    Meager, before  referred  to, says- 
'■  Perhaps  it  might  be  expected  by  some  that  Ishould 
say  something  as  to  the  observation  of  the  moon  in 
sowing,    planting,    grafting    and    pruning     .     .     . 
assuredly  notwithstanding  the  oest  of  my  diligence 
I    have    not    had    always   like   success    wherever 
the     fault      was ;       but     I     shall     set     down     a 
little  what  some  others  have  writ  concerning  the 
obser.'ation   of  the  moon."     The  same  idea  may 
have  occurred  to  our  author.     He  would  be  on  the 
safe  side  if  he,  too,  included  a  little  of  what  others 
had  written  about  the  moon  and  planets,  but  I  do 
not  believe  he  followed  them   himself.     I    trust    I 
may    have   stimulated    the   curiosity   of  some    of 
mv  readers   sufficiently  to    make    them    wish    for 


WINTER  FLOWERING 

T  is  now  manv  vears  since  the  conjunction  of 
the    distinct    Begonia    socotrana    and    some 
members  of  the  tuberous-rooted  section  gave 
rise  to  quite  a  new  race  of  wuiter-flowering 
Begonias,  which  rapidly  made  headway  in 
popular   favour.     In  nearly   all   the   earlier 
examples,  however,  the  flowers  are  of  some  shade 
of  carmine  ;    but  last  year  Messrs.  Veitch  showed 
some  forms,   all  with  single  flowers,  characterised 
by  unusual  vigour,  large-sized  blooms  and,  above 
all,    by    the    distinct    shades   of    orange    and   rose 
represented  .among  them.     This  class  has  received 
further  additions  during  the  present  season.  Though 
fairly    well    acquainted    with    these    Begonias,    a 
splendid    group    put    up    by    Messrs.    Clibran    of 
Altrincham  at  the    Royal    Horticultural    Hall  on 
November   19  contained  some  eye-openers.       The 
flowers  of  many  of  their  varieties  are  perfectly  double 
and  of  different  shades  of  colour,  the  pink,  warm 
salmon  and  orange  tones  being  particularly  striking 
among  the  varieties  that  are  now  bemg  distributed. 
Four  were  given   awards  of  merit,   namely,   Lucy 
Clibran   (buff  salmon,  suffused  orange),  and  three 
quite    new    forms — Eclipse    (salmon    red).    Scarlet 
Beauty     (bright     scarlet),     and     Splendour     (rich 
crimson-scarlet).       All   of   these   have   semi-double 
flowers.     This    group    also    contained   some    small 
seedlings,  which,  though  considered  to  be  insuffici- 
ently developed  to  place  before  the  floral  committee, 
aroused   a  deal   ol   interest   among   the  specialists 
present.     The  flowers  of  some  of  these  were  large, 
perfectly  double  and  of  an  intense  crimson  colour. 
.Not  only  are  the  membc-s  of  this  section  valuable 
for  their  own  intrinsic  merit,  but  as  the  harbingers 
of  a  new  race  they  are  doubly  welcome,   and  we 
shall  doubtless  soon  see  the  members  of  this  section 
within   close   comparison  of  the  summer-flowering 
kinds.     The  later  novelties  show  a  greater  vigour 
than  we  have  hitherto  obtained  among  the  socotrana 
hvbrids.  H.   P. 


A     GRAND 


WINTER  FLOWERING 
ORCHID. 


detailed 


tensis,    called    july-flowers    from    the    month    they    more 

blow   in.    and    are    indeed    the   Summer's   glory    as  I  these  two  old  fli 


iformation  about  the    contents  of 
pr  books.  Joseph  Jatoh 


(ANORyECUM    SESOUIPED.M.E.) 

The  chief  interest  in  this  rem.arkable  Orchid  is 
centred  in  its  ivory  white  flowers,  each  with  a  long 
tail-like  spur.  In  some  Angra;cums  the  spurs  are 
coiled  as  in  A.  Kotschyi,  which  invariably  has 
two  spiral  twists  in  each  of  its  whip-like  spurs. 
In  the  species  under  notice  the  spurs  are  not  twisted, 
but  their  length — usually  from  10  inches  to 
18  inches — appears  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  size 
of  the  flowers.  The  spurs  contain  nectar,  but  only 
very  long-tongued  insects,  such  as  some  of  the 
tropical  moths,  ccnud  ever  hope  to  reach  it  by 
way  of  the  labellum. 

Plants  under  cultivation  produce  their  flowers 
from  November  till  January,  and  the  flowers  last 
some  weeks — a  point  of  some  importance  at  this 
time  of  year.  The  leaves  are  evergreen  and 
produced  in  two  opposite  rows,  while  roots  are 
emitted  from  the  stem— a  common  occurrence 
among  epiphytal  Orchids. 

This  Angra'cum  could  only  be  successfully  grown 
in  a  warm  house  or  stove  in  which  a  winter  tem- 
perature of  about  60°  Fahr.  is  maintained.  A 
suitable  rooting  medium  comprises  a  mixture  of 
crocks,  charcoal  and  sphagnum  moss,  a  dressing 
of  fresh  sphagnum  moss  being  arranged,  cone- 
shaped,  arotmd  the  stem.  .Angra'cum  sesquipedaie 
was  introduced  from  Madagascar  in  1823. 


CD 
H 
Z 

< 

cu 

UJ 
c/2 

D 
0 


< 

D 
Z 
Z 


January  4,  1913.] 


'I'lIE     GARDEN, 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PLATE     1462 

ANNUALS  AS  GREENHOUSE  PLANTS. 

DIRING  recent  years  a  great  deal  of 
attention  has  been  given  to  the 
cultivation  of  annual  flowers  as 
t'rcenliouse  plants.  Their  simple 
cultivation,  low  cost  and  inimitable 
beauty  when  in  flower  demand  that 
tlioy  shuulil  he  much  more  widely  grown  in  this  way 
ilian  they  are  at  present.  Thanks  to  the  efforts 
-if  ,\lessrs.  Sutlfui  and  Sons,  who  have  for  some  vears 
past  made  a  wonderful  display  of  pot-grown  annua!s 
,il  the  Temple  Show,  and  last 
viar  at  the  (ireat  International 
l",.Khibitinn,  tluir  value  for  the 
;;roenhouse  is  becoming  wicleh* 
r.'cognised. 

To  those  who  have  not  sern 
ilu'  displays  mentioned,  tin 
.oUiured  plate  presented  with 
Uiis  issue  will  cou\'ey  some  idea, 
,a  least,  of  tlic  beautiful  efl'ecl 
I'btainable  fr.'in  plants  that  are 
Ino  often  and  erroneously  looked 
upon  as  coinuiou  t.leiii/.ens  of  the 
outdoor  garden.  The  plate  has 
been  prepared  from  a  ciilo\ir  photn- 
.Lirapli  taken  in  the  conservator\ 
a  I  Mr.  I,  e  o  n  a  r  d  Sutton's 
p  r  i  \-  a  t  e  residence.  The  eoji- 
v.Tvatory  is  quite  an  ordina'ry 
iructurc,  and  is  never  heated  to 
.my  great  extent.  We  mention  this 
because  many  people  seem  to 
imagine  that  elaborate  heating 
.u'rangements  and  special  houses 
,ire  necessary  for  the  successful 
cultivation  of  annuals  in  pots. 
The  foHowing  cultural  details 
liasc  been  kindly  sent  us  by  Mr. 
Sutton's  head-gardener,  who  is 
responsible  for  the  cultivation  of 
the  plants  shown  in  the  coloured 
pi. lie  :  ■■  When  once  the  full 
value  of  annuals  becimtes  known. 
I  feci  sure  they  will  rank  first 
and  foremost  among  our  green- 
house flowering  plants  —  first, 
because  their  cost  is  very  trifling  ; 
secondly,  they  provide  a  brilliancy 
I  if  colour  and  wealth  of  bloom 
that  cannot  be  equalled  by  an\- 
other  class  of  flower  in  such  a 
short  period  ;  and.  thirdly,  they 
require  so  very  little  heat — in 
fact,  the  cooler  they  are  grown, 
liie  better  the  results.  For  ex- 
.imple,  Clarkias  (the  elegans  class), 
.Alonsoa  Mutisi,  Neraesias, 
l.'ibelia,  f^hlox  Purity,  Antirrhinums  and  .^n- 
chusas,  nearly  all  of  which  will  be  seen  in 
the  coloured  illustration,  were,  with  one  ex- 
ception, s.jwn  in  the  months  of  January  and 
Kebruary. 

The  cultivation  of  these  annuals  in  pots  is  easy, 
because  they  all  need  practically  the  same  treatment, 
the  same  compost  and  the  same  temperature.  Take, 
for  instance,  the  Clarldas  shown  at  the  Temple 
Show.  Seed  of  these  is  generally  sown  during 
September,  but  good  specimens,  such  as  are  seen 
in  the  illustration,  may  be  had  from  seed  sown 
■IS  late  as  Februar%  .     The  seed  is  sown  in  shallow 


boxes  and  placed  in  a  cool  house.  As  soon  as  the 
seedlings  are  fit  to  handle,  prick  them  off  in  shallow 
boxes  3  inches  apart,  and  when  they  have  made 
two  or  three  pairs  of  leaves,  nip  out  the  points 
of  the  growths  ;  this  will  induce  them  to  break 
and  make  fine  bushy  plants.  Later,  pot  singly 
into  middle  6o's,  and  on  reaching  the  height  of 
about  nine  inches,  again  remove  just  the  points, 
I-'or  the  final  potting  nifo  6-inch  or  8J-inch 
pots  the  soil  should  consist  of  two-thirds  good 
loam,  broken  up,  and  one-third  leaf-mould,  with 
an  addition  of  a  little  soot  and  bone-meal.  Water 
carefully  until  the  plants  are  well  ro  itcd.  The 
best  varieties  for  pot  culture  are  Sutton's  Scarlet 
Beniity    (the    brightest'  coloured    of   all    Clarkias), 


A    WELL-GROWN    PLANT    OT    AN    INTERESTING    AND    BE.\UTIFUL 
MADAGASCAR    ORCHID    (aNGR.ECUM    SESQUIPEDALE)  . 


Sutton's  Firefly  (vivid  scarlet-crimson  flowers, 
the  long,  graceful  sprays  .lending  themselves 
admirablv  fi^r  vase  decoration).  Double  Salmon, 
and  Sutton's  Snowball  (pure  white  flowers  and 
exceptionally  double). 

Alonsoa  Mutisi  and  A.  Warscewicr.ii  compacta 
make  charming  subjects  for  greenhouse  decoration, 
the  former  having  delicate  pink  flowers,  each  with 
a  deep  crimson  centre,  while  the  latter  has  racemes  of 
bright  scarlet  flowers  and  dark  green  foliage.  Seeds 
of  these  may  be  sown  during  September  and  gently 
.grown  on,  and  some  more  for  a  later  batch  in 
b'ebrnarv.     The     cultural     treatment     is     ex.actly 


similar  to  that  given  for  the  Clarkia,  for   the   final 
potting  using  4j-inch  or  fi-inch  pots. 

Phlox  Purity  is  a  beautiful  pure  white  perpetual- 
flowering  Phlox  for  the  greenhouse.  It  makes  a 
charming  pot  plant,  and  the  fact  of  its  being  sweet- 
scented  makes  it  all  the  more  welcome.  Seedlings 
from  a  September  sowing,  grown  in  cool  frames  and 
finally  potted  into  4j-inch  pots,  will  be  in  full 
flower  in  May.  A  batch  from  a  February  or 
March  sowing  will  commence  flowering  in  June. 
Antirrhinmns,  as  we  all  know,  are  really  hardy 
perennials,  but  when  once  their  fidl  value  becomes 
knomi  as  annuals  in  pots  for  the  decoration  of 
the  conservatory,  they  will  be  in  as  mucli  demand 
as  the  Clarkias.  The  cultural  treatment  is  exactly 
the  same  as  advised  for  Clarkhis, 
with  the  exception  that  they  do 
not  require  pinching.  Such 
varieties  as  Sutton's  Tall  Cloth 
of  Gold,  Pure  White  and  Tall 
Golden  Chamois,  Intermediate  Fire 
Kine,  Delicate  Pink,  and  Ciiral 
Red,  when  once  seen  grown  under 
glass,  are  a  sight  not  to  be  forgotten. 
Nemesias  are  beautiful  South 
.\frican  annuals  that  make  ex- 
ceedingly pretty  pot  plants  with 
their  diversity  of  colouring  and 
floriferous  cliaractcr,  Nemesias 
are  splendidly  adapted  for  group- 
ing by  themselves  in  the  con- 
servatory, or  for  use  in '  the 
mixed  greenhouse,  as  will  be* 
seen  in  the  coloured  plate.  Sow 
seed  in  shallow  boxes  during 
h'ebruary,  keeping  in  gentle  heat 
until  the  seedlings  are  large  ei.ough 
to  handle,  when  they  should  be 
pricked  off  and  gradually  har- 
dened. It  is  a  mistake  to  keep 
them  in  a  high  temperature. 
Later,  pot  singly  into  small 
fio-sized  pots  and  place  close  to 
the  glass.  When  fairly  rooted, 
pot  in  large  60  or  .fS  sired  pots, 
in  which  they  will  flower.  The 
compost  for  this  potting  shoifld 
consist  of  two-thirds  good  loam, 
broken  up,  and  one-third  leaf- 
mould,  with  an  addition  of 
coarse  silver  sand,  wood-ashes 
and  bone-meal.  Remove  t>,  a 
cool  frame  and  keep  close  for 
a  period  until  root-action  again 
(■ommences.  Afterwards  gradually 
harden  by  givmg  air  until  the 
lights  can  be  removed  altogether. 
The  cooler  the  treatment 
Xemesias  are  given,  the  dwarfer 
and  more  bushy  will  be  the  plants. 
The  best  varieties  for  pot  culture 
are  Sutton's  Large  -  flowered  in 
separate  colours,  such  as  Pale  ^'cllow,  Rose  Pink, 
Crimson,  Rich  Orange.  White  and  Scarlt ;." 


A   USEFUL    GREENHOUSE    CLIMBER. 

Laxt.^xs  salvi.«foli.i  has  considerable  merit  as  a 
climbing  plant  for  the  greenhouse,  though  it  is  very 
seldom  employed  in  this  way.  It  is  of  a  free  habit 
of  growth,  and  if  the  main  branches  are  secured 
to  a  roof  or  rafter,  the  long,  slender  shoots  hang 
down  for  a  considerable  distance.  The  flowers, 
which  are,  as  in  the  other  Lantauas.  in  rounded 
heads,  are  of  a  lilac  colour,  and  borne  for  a  con- 
sider.ible  distance  along  the  shoots.  II.   P. 


THE     GARDEN. 


[January  4,  1913. 


G!A'R  DENS      OF     TO-DAY. 


WARTER    PRIORY,     YORK. 

ON  the  Yorkshire  Wolds,  some  Soo  feet 
above  sea-level,  are  situated  some 
of  the  most  extensive  and  beautiful 
gardens  that  can  be  found  in  the 
country.  Anyone  visiting  those  at 
Wart^r  Priory,  which  belong  to 
the  Dowager-Lady  Nunbumholme,  have  no  need 
to  be  reminded  that  the  owner — besides  being  an 
architect  of  no  mean  order — is  a  most  enthusiastic 
and  clever  gardener,  for  here  originality  proclaims 
itself  on  every  side. 

The  Priory  and  its  grounds  are  surrounded  by 
densely-wooded  hills  and  verdure-clad  dales.  An 
adequate  water  supply  is  obtained  fr<im  numerous 
springs  in  the  hillsides;  hence  the  name  of  Warter, 
which  was  formerly  spelt  in  the  orthodox  way. 

From  the  mansion  one  sees  goodly  stretches  of 
velvety    lawn    connected    bv    bold    terraces,   with 


companion,  the  cottage  garden  (a  most  original 
feature — see  illustration  on  page  g),  complete  with 
a  tea-house  of  the  Gothic  style  and  a  delightful 
wishing-well  almost  encompassed  with  Rosemary, 
Lavender  and  various  twining  plants. 

From  a  somewhat  elevated  point  close  by  we 
view  a  long  dry  wall,  divided  at  suitable  distances 
by  wide  steps,  or,  to  be  precise,  rough-hewn  stepping- 
stones,  the  whole  overgrown  by  alpines  in  Nature's 
own  way.  Here,  too,  we  get  our  first  glimpse  of 
the  rock  and  water  garden,  and  as  we  take  our 
steps  -xlong  the  rippling,  tumbling,  sometimes 
rushing  stream,  we  cross  and  recross  at  our  leisure 
to  admire  the  endless  variety  of  flowers  and  plants 
on  either  side.  We  marvel  at  the  combination 
of  colour,  and  at  length  come  to  the  cascade  and 
watch  the  water-wagtails  dart  beneath  the  showers 
of  spray  as  the  water  tumbles  over  the  rocks  into 
the  turmoil  below.  We  are  loth  to  leave  such  a 
scene,  but  must  needs  follow  our  guide  through 
the  quite  recently  made  wild  garden  and  dry  tennis 
court  to  the  gardens  across  the  park. 


Cypripediums,  Begonias,  Bouvardias,  Pancratiums, 
Camellias,  Liliums,  Callas,  Plumbagoes,  Pelar- 
goniums, Cinerarias,  Primulas,  and  quite  a  host  of 
decorative  and  exhibition  Chrysanthemums. 

Fruit  is  well  represented  at  Warter  Prior\ . 
There  are  ideal  vineries,  and  the  Vines  raised  from 
eyes  over  two  years  ago  produce  large,  shapely 
bunches  of  Grapes.  Peaches,  Nectarines,  Figs. 
Cherries,  Plums,  Apricots  and  Melons  are  grown 
in  quantity  under  glass,  and  Apples  and  Pears 
are  included  in  the  pot  fruits. 

Our  guide  leads  us  along  a  winding  leafy  drive, 
which  brings  us  to  the  picturesque  village  of 
Warter.  Here  one  sees  well-tended  gardens  with 
a  choice  collection  of  plants  seldom  met  with  in 
cottagers'  gardens.  Prizes  are  awarded  annually 
for  the  most  effective  cottage  gardens. 

Another  short,  steep  drive  to  the  south  of  the 
Priory,  and  we  suddenly  enter  the  snug  little  village 
of  Nunburnholme,  asleep — so  to  speak — to  the  rest 
of  the  Wolds.  From  here  we  turn  our  faces  homeward 
with  the  unspoken,  but  none  the  less  sincere,  wish 
that  the  lady  whose  gardens  have 
given  us  such  pleasure  may  live  long 
to  promote  the  noble  art  of  gardening. 
Walton,   Warwick.       Sidney  Lego. 


A    HOUSE    OF    GARDENIAS    AT    WARTER    PRIORY,    YORK. 


ornamental  stone  walls  covered  with  Roses  and 
various  creepers,  which,  in  summer  and  early 
autumn,  are  ablaze  with  colour.  As  we  ramble 
through  a  fine  old  rustic  pergola  we  come  to  the 
Italian  garden,  with  its  wealth  of  bloom,  statuary 
and  fine  topiary  work.  Of  special  interest  at 
this  point  is  a  broad  flagged  path,  considerably 
more  than  a  hundred  yards  long,  parallel  to  which, 
but  separated  by  informal  beds,  runs  a  fine  Rose 
hedge  of  the  old  and  well-known  variety  Fellenberg. 
To  the  south-west  of  this  is  a  carefully-planned 
and  charmingly-situated  recluse,  in  the  centre  of 
which  stands  a  massive  Italian  well-top,  brought 
by  the  owner  from  Italy. 

We  proceed  by  way  of  the  lake,  well  stocked 
with  golden  trout  and  furnished  with  water  plants, 
through  the  Rose  garden,  resplendent  with  large 
beds  of  sterling  varieties,  to  the  spacious  Dutch 
garden,  with  its  quaint  ornrments.  WV  then  come 
to    the    greatly  -  admired     sunk     garden    and     its 


On  entering  the  kitchen  garden  we  meet  with 
another  surprise.  Besides  most  worthy  examples 
of  fruit  and  vegetables  we  espy  a  harvest  of  flowers 
on  all  sides — borders  of  Roses.  Carnations,  Chry- 
santhemums, PjEony  Dahlias,  annuals,  herbaceous 
plants  and  half  an  acre  of  Sweet  Peas.  All  these 
are  grown,  we  are  told,  for  the  embellishment 
of  the  mansion.  A  large  supply  is  needed  for  this 
purpose  throughout  the  year.  The  newly-built 
glass-houses  are  numerous,  aii*the  fruit  and  flowers 
grown  therein  are — as  is  vegetation  in  all  other 
departments — brought  to  a  high  standard  of 
excellence.  It  is  no  wonder  that  such  an  all-round 
gardener  as  the  superintendent,  Mr.  F.  Jordan, 
is  often  seen  judging  at  the  leading  horticultural 
exhibitions. 

About  five  thousand  Tree  and  Malraaison 
Carnations  are  grown,  and  among  other  things 
are  quantities  of  Ixoras,  Gardenias,  Gesneras, 
Euphorbias,       Cyelainen,      Catlleyas,       Calanthes, 


THE    ROSE    GARDEN. 

NOTES     ON     THE     NEWER 
ROSES. 

SOME     DECORATIVE     VARIETIES. 

[Continued  from  page  641.) 
Excelsa  (H.  M.  Walsh,  1910), 
wichuraiana. — A  double-flowered  Hia- 
watha, rather  deeper  and  better 
ciDloured  than  Crimson  Rambler,  with 
the  advantage  of  being  late  flowering. 
Flower  of  Fairfleld  (Schultheis, 
1908),  a  perpetual  (so  called)  flowering 
Crimson  Rambler.  —  It  undoubtedly 
flowers  on  the  wood  of  this  year's 
growth,  but  is  terribly  subject  to 
mildew,  and  I  have  discarded  my 
plants  of  it  this  autumn. 

Miss  Hellyett  (Fauqueet  Fils,  1909), 
wi'luiraiana. — To  my  mind  this  is  one 
iif  the  best  of  recent   introductions   in 
this   rapidly-growing    class.      It    is    a 
\'ery    vigorous   grower,  as   rampant  as 
American    Pillar,    and    the  flowers    arc 
of  large  size  for  this  class,  in  the  bud 
stage     not      unlike     Lady    Waterlow, 
opening  out  into  flowers  that  resemble  that  beauti- 
ful Tea  Mme.  Antoine  Mari.    It  is  a  midseason  rather 
than  an  early  flowerer  ;    its  only  fault  is  that  so  far 
one   would   not   call   it    particularly   free  flowering, 
but  I  do  not  think,  when  it  has  become  established, 
one  would  have  to  find  fault  with  it  on  that  account. 
Sweet-scented,   bright   rosy  carmine  outside   petal, 
fading  into  a  blush  flesh  in  the  large  open  flower. 
Those  who  have  not  got  it  should  certainly  try  it  ; 
it  has  been  very  much  admired  here. 

Sarah  Bernhardt  (Dnhreuil,  1908),  Hybrid  Tea. — 
This  should  It  m  every  garden.  A  semi-climber, 
good  for  a  loft.  pillar.  The  flowers  are  a  brilliant 
scarlet-crimson  that  does  not  fade  into  an  un- 
pleasant shade,  but  becomes  quite  a  good  velvety 
purple.  The  flowers  are  quite  large,  and  although 
only  of  few  petals,  one  might  call  them  semi- 
double,  yet  the  younger  blooms  have  quite  a 
good  point  and  are  of  excellent  shape,  ll  is  free 
flowering,  and  llu-  tlowers  are  produced  in  trusses 


January  4,  1913-] 


THE    GiUiDEN. 


Klondyke,  Messrs.  Paul's  latest  intro- 
duction, is  even  better.  They  both 
have  most  beautiful  foliage,  and  the 
Rose  under  notice  is  certainly  one  of 
the  best  yellows,  not  particularly 
strong  growing,  but  making,  with  me, 
an  excellent  pillar  Rose.  The  flowers 
are  of  fair  size,  double,  rosette-shaped, 
retaining  their  colour  imtil  almost  the 
last,  when  they  fade  to  white.  The 
contrast  with  the  foliage  is  excellent ; 
mdeed,  the  Rose  is  worth  growing  for 
the  foliage  alone,  so  beautiful  is  it. 
Klondyke  has  not  yet  flowered  with 
nie,  but  I  am  told  the  flowers  are  ot 
a  better  shape,  a  deeper  colour  and  an 
improvement  on  Shower  of  Gold. 

Sodenia  (Weigland,  IQI2),  wichiirai- 
.ma. — I  have  not  grown  or  flowered 
tlus  variety,  but  it  has  been  recom- 
mended to  me  to  get,  so  I  have  a  plant 
of  it.  It  is  a  carmine  pink  of  very  deep 
colour,  approaching  a  scarlet;  described 
as  having  a  larger  truss  than  Dorothy 
Perkins,  and  lasting  for  a  Ujng  time 
on  the  plant.  A  good  grower  that  may 
prove  an  acquisition. 

Soulhumplon.         H.   E.   Molvneux. 
(7"()  be  continued.) 


A    WATERFALL    IN     rHK    K<X'K    GARDEN    AT    WARTER  _PRIO  RV. 

of   three   to   hvc   on   the   laterals  froui  last   year's    it  is  better  established  it  will   improve  both  in  the  i 

wood  in  the  early  part  of  the  season,  and  again  in    quantity  of  flowers  and  in  growth.  j 

the   autumn  on   the  wood  of   this   year's  growth.        Showerof  Gold  (Paul  and  Son,  i9io),wichuraiana.  i 

Not   quite   free   from   mildew,   perhaps,    but    only    — This  is  quite  a  good  Rose,  but  I  am  told  that  ' 

slightly    attacked.      With    me    it    has 

been  one  of   the   most  satisfactory    of 

the  new  climbers,  and  I  can  thoroughly 

recommend  it  to  the  trade  (who  appear 

to  have    overlooked    it)    and    amateur 

alike. 

Seagull  (M.  Prichard,  1909).  —  \ 
very  pretty  little  single,  flowers  the 
size  of  a  shilling,  colour  pure  white 
with  yellow  stamens,  produced  in  very 
large  clusters  containing  fifty  flowers 
or  more.  It  is  a  very  rampant  grower, 
having  made  several  shoots  more  than 
twenty  feet  long  with  me  this  season." 
The  flowers  are  not  unlike  that  old- 
fashioned  Rose  The  Garland,  but  are 
a  better  and  purer  white.  I  should 
say  it  is  mildew-proof.  It  only  flowers 
once,  but  the  buds  are  so  numerous 
that  it  is  in  flower  for  quite  two 
months. 

Sheilagh  Wilson  (Paul  and  Son, 
191 1). — \  semi-climbing  Hybrid  Tea 
raised  by  Dr.  J.  Campbell  Hall.  I 
first  saw  it  in  his  garden  at  Monaghan. 
It  is  described  as  a  better-shaped  and 
longer-petalled  Carmine  Pillar  —  and 
this  is  true  of  it — but  so  far  with 
me  it  has  not  proved  anything  like 
so  free  flowering  as  that  variety,  and 
might  almost  he  described  as  a  shy 
flowerer.  It  certainly  is  more  per- 
petual, .iiid  1  had  a  few  flowers  in  the 
.lutnmn  ;  Inil  so  far  it  does  not  grow 
with  MIC  lii'vond  S  feet.     Perhaps  when 


SOME     GOOD     FRAGRANT 
ROSES. 

VVuE.v  selecting  the  Roses  lor  our 
gardens  at  this  season  of  the  year,  it 
is  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
varieties  possessing  the  precious  attribute  of 
fragrance  should  for  the  most  part  be  chosen  in 
preference  to  others  which  have  not  been  endowed 
in  this  special  direction.     I  hav^for  many  years 


THE    COTTAGE    GARDEN    AND    TEA-HOUSE    AT    VVARTER    rRlORV 


10 


THE     GARDEN. 


[January  4,  iqi; 


been  ail  ardent  cultivatdr,  amid  great  difficulties, 
of  Roses,  especially  Hybrid  I'erpetuals,  Teas, 
Noisettes,  Austrian  Briars,  wichuraianas  and 
Hvbrid  Teas,  and  I  am  strongly  of  opinion  that  a 
Rose  destitute  of  fragrance  is  like  a  beautiful  woman 
without  sweetness  of  nature.  Who  that  sees  Fran 
Karl  Druschki  for  the  first  time  and  has  heard 
that  one  of  its  august  parents  is  the  intensely 
odorous  Caroline  Testout  (the  other  being  Merveille 
de  Lyon)  could  possibly  imagine,  from  its  outward 
aspect,  that  such  an  absolutely  peerless  beauty 
among  pure  white  varieties  should  know  nothing 
of  that  subtly  pervading  fascination  that  only 
fragrance  can  confer  ? 

Tliere  are  many  cultivators,  like  tlie  late  Dean 
of  Rochester  and  the  Rev.  H.  D'oinhrain,  who 
would  gladly  prefer  for  the  adorn- 
ment of  their  nuirh-loved,  gracious 
gardens  sucli  intensely  odorous 
varieties,  though  of  widely  different 
complexion,  as  I. a  France,  Caroline 
Testout  and  Viscountess  Folkestone, 
of  which  the  last-mentioned  Hybrid 
Tea,  one  of  the  very  fniest  crea- 
tions of  tlic  late  Mr.  Henr\ 
Bennett,  has  not  yet  lieen  super- 
seded,.in  my  estimation. 

Tlicre  is  at  least  one  extremely 
graceful  pure  white  Rose  of 
pendulous  tendency  which  has  an 
exquisite  fragrance,  derived  directly 
from  Souvenir  d'un  .Ami,  and  that 
is  the  variety  called  The  Queen 
in  America,  and  in  this  country 
Souvenir  de  S.  A.  Prince.  This 
is  a  Tea  that  luifolds  its  floral 
treasures  very  late  hi  the  autumn. 
.At  the  end  of  September  I  had 
it  still  flowering  serenely  and 
fragrantly.  I  have,  therefore,  no 
hesitation  in  recommending  this 
charming  Rose,  which  received 
its  English  name  from  the  late 
Mr.  Prince  of  Oxford,  to  those 
readers  of  The  Garde.n  who 
desire  to  include  in  their  collei-- 
tion  of  Tea  Roses,  however  strictly 
limited,  a  truly  sweet-scented, 
snowy  white  variety. 

There  are  quite  a  number  of 
eminent  representatives  of  this 
attractive  section,  such,  for  ex- 
ample, as  Catherine  Mermet, 
The  Bride  (whose  delicate  green 
suffusion  below  the  petals  makes 
it  seem  among  Roses  what  Lilium 
speciosum  Kra?tzeri  is  among 
Oriental  Lilies)  and  the  White 
Maman  Cochet,  which  have  a 
highly  distinctive  fr.agrance,  like  that  of  a 
Nectarine  or  -  a  ripe  Peach.  1  find  that,  as  a 
general  rule,  Roses  of  the  closely  compact 
Catherine  Mermet  family  are  arduous  of  culture, 
and  especially  in  a  shady  garden  such  as  mine, 
requiring  a  richly  fertile  soil  and  a  warm,  ripening 
season  for  their  perfect  floral  evolution.  There 
are  many  of  the  so-called  Hybrid  Perpetuals  that 
have  an  exquisite  fragrance.  Those  1  most  admire 
are  Captain  Hayward,  Hugh  Dickson  (a  very  near 
approximation  to  perfection),  Florence  Haswell 
Veitch  (a  recent  and  notable  introduction). 
Lady  Helen  Stewart  (a  lovely  native  of  far- 
famed  Newlownards)  and  In^■  own  beautiful 
carmine  rose  nanicsakc  Irmii  W.iltliam  Cross, 
which    the    late     Mr,     Willi. nn     I'.nil     rxiiressi\'cly 


described  as  "one  of .  the  sweetest  Roses  in 
cultivation." 

A  refined  aroma  einaiiates  in  the  tranquil,  dewy 
evenings  of  summer  from  the  China  Roses,  while 
supremely  fascinating  are  the  .Austrian  and  Penzance 
Briars  with  their  radiant  flowers  and  fragrant 
leaves.  David  R.  Williamson. 

ROSE     MISS    CYNTHIA     FORDE. 

This  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  promising  of 
Hybrid  Teas  brought  out  within  the  last  few-  years. 
It  is  very  free  flowering,  and  good  alike  for  garden 
and  for  exhibition  purposes.  .-Mrcady  it  has  gained 
distinction  as  an  exhibition  Rose  by  the  fact  that 
the  bloom  illustrated  on  this  page  and  shown  by 


THE 


ROCK    AND     WATER 
GARDEN. 


POTENTILLA     CLUSIANA. 


P 


IL\  ER    MEDAL    BLOOM    OK    ROSE    MIS.S    CYNTHIA    irQRDE 


the  raisers  (Messrs.  Hugh  Dickson)  secured  the 
silver  medal  at  the  last  autumn  show  of  the  National 
Rose  Society  for  the  best  Hybrid  Tea  in  the  show. 
As  a  garden  variety  tliis  Rose  possesses  two  precious 
gilts — it  is  almost,  if  not  quite,  mildew-proof, 
and  is  sweetly  fragrant.  It  is  brilliant  rose  pink 
in  colour  and  possesses  exceptional  merits  as  a 
bedding  variet\.  When  introduced  in  1900  it 
received  the  gold  medal  of  the  National  Rose 
Society,  and  so  far  it  has  [irovcd  worthy  of  this 
high  honour.  It  is  true  tint  th.  flowers  are 
not  quite  so  erect  as  one  wi  ild  wish,  but  its 
many  other  good  poiats  more  than  compensate 
this  slight  falling.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
i  dniirrd  ui  thi-  R'>^c;  in  oir  ;;a  d  Ml  last 
suniiiH  r. 


OTENTILLA       NITIDA,        from        the 
Dolomites,     we     all    know,     with     its 
exquisite     mats      of       silver      foliage 
peppered     thick     with    little    blushing 
Dog     Roses,    (And     if     the    peppering 
prove     too     sparse     in     our     gardens, 
I    believe     that    poor    soil     and    squeezing      the 
plant  between  stones  may  produce  wonders  in  the 
way  of  blossom.)     But  its  no  less  beautiful  snow 
white  counterpart,  P.  clusiana,  seems  to  be  almost 
unknown  among  us.     It  is  a  species 
of   the    Eastern   limestones,    where 
it      replaces     P.     nitida     at     con- 
siderable  elevations  on    cliffs   and 
rocky     ridees.       It     is     only   less 
beautiful   than   its   rosy  rival,   de- 
\eloping   into    large,    low    masses 
of    silver    grey    foliage    (but     not 
so  silvery  as    in    P.    nitida),     with 
abundance  of  great  flowers  of  the 
purest   white,    not    quite    so    large 
nor  singly  borne,  nor  sitting  quite 
so    close    to    the    tult,     but    nime 
the   less    of     very   special    beauty 
and    brilliancy    in    all  its    forms, 
and,    in    the    liest,    a    really    re- 
markable    plant.         Between     the 
snowy   petals  peeps  the    hint  of  a 
rosy  sepal,    which  gives    an    added 
(■harm.     P.  nitida  and  P.  clusiana, 
woody-rooted,    and    often  hanging 
in     huge    sheets     fnun    a     micro- 
scopic     crevice     in     some      sheer 
limestone      precipice,      are        both 
Impossible      to        collect       entire. 
Fortunately,  however,  the  broken- 
oft    cushion    can    very    easily    be 
made    to    root  as    cuttings,    and    I 
see  no   reason    to    doubt    that    P. 
clusiana     will     prove     to     be     of 
perfectly    willing     culture     and     a 
real  treasure  in  the  garden.     Like 
P.    nitida,    it   enhances  its  beauty 
and    its    value    by   showing    both 
in  late  summer,  when  almost  everv- 
thliig     but      the      Campanulas     is 
gone    to    sc^ed.        I    never    saw    it 
before     1911,      nor       collected     it 
seriously    till     last    year  ;     but     it 
attracts   me   very    greatly,    and    I 
desire  to  see  nothing  more  beautiful 
than   a   great  grey  chff  hung  with 
its  silver  green   masses,   on   which 
like  thick-set  stars  stand  out  the  milky  brilliance 
of  its  blossoms.  Reginald   Farrek. 

DWARF    TREES     FOR    THE     ROCK 
GARDEN. 

LvERVON'K  is  familiar  with  the  charm  that  ..h\'.irl 
or  slow  growing  conifers  give  to  the  alpine 
garden  when  judiciously  placed,  and,  being 
evergreen,  they  gl\e  a  furnished  appearance  to 
the  garde  1  even  in  the  depth  of  winter.  One  of 
the  drawbacks,  however,  which  become  apparent 
when  they  are  grown  in  sheltered  places,  free  from 
the  tearing  gusts  of  wind  which  their  giant  relatives 
ha\'e  to  withstand  in  the  alpine  regions,  is  that  they 
are  apt  to  grow  vcr\-  iIchm-  iiitl  crowded,  and  so  lose 
llic  characteristic  liii(<  whli  h  an  old  weather-beaten 


January  4,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


11 


-AN    UNTKAIXF.n    AND    ILL-SHAI'EM    CONIl'lCK 
XOTICE  HOW    niSNKIv   THE   HICAD    IS. 


irce  assumes.  This  is  probably  accentuated  by 
very  little  attention  being  gi\'en  thorn  with  regard 
tn  their  shape  by  the  nurseryman. 

Conifers  in  the  mountains,  where  they  often  look 
so  picturesque  clinging  to  some  projecting  crag, 
do  not  have  this  mop-headed  appearance,  but 
'^how  an  airy  grace  which,  if  we  could  secure  it  in 
our  small  specimens  in  the  alpine  garden,  would  be  a 
Kreat  acquisition.  Having  made  some  experiments 
in  this  direction,  I  venture  to  bring  them  forw.ird 
so  that  others  may  take  advantage  of  any  merit 
they  may  possess,  and  doubtless  other  growers 
will  vastly  improve  upon  mv  examples. 

Photograph  \o.  i  shows  a  little  conifer  just 
as  received  from  the  grower,  and  though  it  appears 
somewhat  lU-shapeu,  had,  in  my  opinion,  the  making 
of  a  suitable  specimen  for  a  projecting  shoulder 
m  the  rock  garden,  if  only  the  matm-cd  aspect 
could  be  introduced  into  it.  It  illustrates  the  dense 
cluster  of  growth  which  is  more  or  less  often  met 
with  in  young,  slow-growing  conifers.  I  carefully 
planted  it  in  the  desired  spot,  and  roughly  staked 
it  to  prevent  movement  by  wind,  .\fter  rain  had 
consolidated  the  soil  about  its  roots,  I  replaced 
the  three  sticks  with  three  pieces  of  thin  copper  wire, 
this  standing  the  weather  better  than  most  other 
kinds,  and  having  the  very  great  advantage,  in 
my  case,  of  becoming  almost  invisible  by  tarnishing 
in  a  short  time.  Small  bandages  of  leather  were 
placed  upon  the  stems,  before  putting  the  wires 
ftn  them,  to  prevent  chafing.  Then,  by  gently 
bending  down  the  branches  into  positions  which 
were  more  suitable  for  the  effect  I  desired,  and  fixing 
them   with   short    pieces   of  copper   wire,  either   to 


the  previous  supports  or  to  the 
main  stem,  aided  by  judicious 
thinning  out,  where  necessary,  those 
places  where  growth  was  superflu- 
ous, ■  the  result  obtained  was  as 
illustrated  in  photograph  No.  2. 

.After  a  week  it  was  impossible, 
at  a  distance  of  5  yards,  to  detect 
the  wires.  The  two  photographs 
were  made  at  an  iiitervahof  eighteen 
days,  and  I  think  the  second  one 
gives  a  better  idea  of  a  matured  tree 
on  a  small  scale  than  the  former, 
and  certainly  is  more  decorative  in 
appearance.  From  my  own  experi- 
ence I  think  the  greater  number 
of  dwarf  conifers  one  sees  in  dif- 
ferent alpine  gardens  could  with 
advantage  be  so  treated,  except, 
perhaps,  the  rigidly  erect  growing 
ones.  Of  course,  after  a  time — 
varying  with  the  age  of  each  subject 
dealt  with — the  <vires  may  be  re- 
moved, the  branches  having  hardened 
sufficiently  in  the  desired  positions 
to  so  remain. 

This  method  of  procedure  appe^u's 
to  open  up  a  considerable  avenue  for 
decorative  treatment,  at  an  insigni- 
ficant cost,  and  will,  I  think,  lead 
to  a  more  general  use  of  these 
charming  little  trees  in  our  rock 
gardens.         Reginald  A.  Mai.bv. 

[There  arc  many  dwarf  conifers 
suitable  for  the  rock  garden,  but 
few  are  better  adapted 
to  tin*  work  than  Juni- 
]:)ers.  .Among  others 
should  be  mentioned 
Picea  pungens  argentea 
pendula,  P.  p.  diversi- 
nrientalis  pygma?a,  P.  o. 
Kamontii,    Pinns  montena. 

P.    Strobus     prostrata,      P.     excelsa 

dumosa,  P.  c.  globosa  nana.   Thuya 

dolabrata    Lxtivirens,     T.     japonica 

pygra,x>a,  Tsuga   canadensis  pendula 

and  Cupressus  obtusa  nana.^ED. ! 


VIOLA     FLORAIRENSIS. 

.\  HYBRID  between  V.  rothoraa- 
gensis  and  V.  calcarata  was 
found  six  years  ago  in  our  garden 
here,  and  proved  so  superior 
to  anything  else  that  we  gave 
it  the  name  of  Floraire.  It  is  a 
very  low  and  rather  creeping  plant, 
like  V.  saxatilis,  but  its  flowers, 
instead  of  being  dark  purple,  are 
pale  lilac,  with  a  light  blue  centre, 
marked  with  fifteen  or  seventeen 
dark  stripes,  and  with  a  golden 
eye.  The  flowers  are  large  and 
well  formed,  but  the  main  charm  ol 
the  plant  is  its  long,  or,  rather,  its 
perpetual  efflorescence.  It  flowers 
here  the  whole  year  through.  I 
do  not  know  another  plant  so 
floriferous  as  this  one  and  so 
easy  to  cultivate.  It  sows  itself 
everywhere  when  once  estab- 
lished  in    a  rockery. 

H.    CORREVON. 

h'loraiye,  near  (tcneva. 


THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LILIES  :    A     CAUSERIE. 

SURELY  there  can  be  nothing  worth  saying 
about  Lilies  that  is  unsaid.  Poets  and 
lolk-lorists,  writers  of  gardening  books  and 
scientific  botanists  have,  to  speak  figura- 
tively, worn  the  poor  things  to  death. 
But  to  speak  the  open  and  shameful 
truth,  the  gardeners  have  done  the  same  murderous 
deed,  and,  nothing  ashamed,  are  ready  to  repeat 
the  treatment  to  fresh  victims.  It  is  this  annual 
slaughter  of  the  innocents  that  makes  me  feel 
I  have  a  mission  to  fulfil,  a  plea  to  plead  (one  does 
plead  pleas,  does  one  not  r).  I  am  as  well  qualified 
for  it  as  the  Scotchman,  who  on  his  deathbed 
advised  his  son  thus  :  '•  Honesty  is  the  best  policy, 
Jeamie,  1  ken  full  well,  for  I  hae  tried  both." 
Many  a  Lily  have  I  murdered  with  the  assistance 
of  the  Lily-poisoning  soil  and  dry,  scorching 
summer  .atmosphere  of  this  garden,  and  therefore 
I  can  warn.  On  the  other  hand,  some  pleasant 
groupings  of  Lilies  have  apparently  settled  down 
and  so  far  improved  from  year  to  year  that  I  feel 
I  may  advise.  Notice  I  write  "  apparently  "  and 
'•  so  far."  That  is  my  epistolary  method  of 
"  touching  «%6d."  So  often  have  sudden  death 
and  total  disappearance  followed  my  boastings  in 
print  of  the  glories  of  a  fine  specimen  of  some 
rare  plant  that  I  must  confess  to  an  uncanny 
feeling  of  dread  in  writing  of  successes,  and  a 
superstitious  hope  that  a  carefully-expressed 
diffidence  of  future  prosperity  may  blind  the  Evil 
Eye   and   preserve  my  darling   from   the   palate   ol 


folia,     r 
nana.  P 


-THE  SAME  CONIFER  AFTER  THE  BRANCHES  HAD 
BEEN  TRAINED  AS  DESCRIBED  IN  THE  ACCOM- 
PANYING ARTICLE.       NOTE  THE  NATURAL  CONTOUR. 


12 


TitE    GARDEN. 


[January  4,  1913. 


the  slug.  It  is  too  true  that  hundreds  of  thousands  ! 
ijj  Lily  bulbs  reach  this  country  annually,  only  to 
flower  and  die.  This  is,  in  a  great  measure,  due 
to  the  nature  and  structure  yf  their  bulbs.  The 
many  scales  of  which  they  are  composed  are,  in 
fact,  underground  leaves,  in  which  a  great  amount 
of  nutriment  has  been  stored.  They  may  be 
compared  with  certain  succulent  plants,  such  as 
the  Aloes  and  .Agaves,  which  produce  large  fleshy 
leaves  of  great  size  and  weight,  and  for  many_  years 
continue  to  store  up  a  reserve  of  food  in  them. 
The  Agaves  at  length  use  it  all  up  in  a  mighty 
effort  of  flowering  and  seeding,  and  then  perish  ; 
but  Aloes,  Gasterias  and  such  plants  use  but  iittle 
of  the  store  when  their  roots  are  healthy  and  have 
access  to  food  and  moisture,  and 
even  form  new  leaves  in  a  season 
as  well  as  produce  flowers.  Lilium 
giganteum  resembles  the  .\gave, 
and  after  storing  food  for  some 
six  or  more  years,  exhausts  it  all 
in  one  rapidly-growing  flower- 
stem.  L.  tenuifolium  also  natu- 
rally flowers,  seeds  and  dies  ;  and 
though  preventing  its  bearing  seed 
may  prolong  its  life  for  another 
season,  that  is  all  that  can  be 
done,  and  it  seems  best  to  grate- 
fully accept  all  the  seed  it  will 
give  and,  when  ripe,  to  sow  it — as 
the  Irishman  said,  "  at  once,  or 
sooner  if  possible."  But  most 
Lilies  follow  the  example  of  the 
latter  type  of  succulent  plants, 
and  when  healthy  and  in  suitable 
surroundings  add  annually  to  the 
number  of  their  bulb  scales  and 
the  general  weight  of  nutriment. 

Thus  it  happens  that  Lily  bulbs 
can  be  grown  to  a  good  size  and 
weight,  and  having  so  much  food 
stored  in  them,  even  after  months 
of  knocking  about  on  journeys  and 
in  sale-rooms,  are  still  alive  and 
capable  of  flowering  in  the  foliow- 
ing  season,  but  they  are  invalids, 
and  without  the  treatment  of  a 
convalescent  home  their  brave 
and  cheerful  display  is  at  the  ex- 
pense of  their  strength,  and  their 
_  label  becomes  a  mere  tomb-stone. 

Therefore  I  warn  and  exhort 
thus  :  If  you  cannot  procure  home- 
grown sound  bulbs  in  September, 
but  are  tempted  by  the  lower 
prices  of  imported  ones,  measuring 
as  many  inches  round  the  chest 
as  the  Fat  Boy  of  Peckham,  in 
December,  and  wish  to  save  their 
lives  and  have  some  hope  of 
establishing  them  permanently  in 
your  garden,  you  must  pot  or  box 
up  the-bulbs  in  a  mixture  of  sharp  sand  and  leaf-soil, 
keeping  them  in  a  cold  frame  or  house  until  they 
are  well  rooted,  planting  them  in  their  permanent 
homes  in  spring  just  before  their  stems  appear  above 
ground  ;  and,  most  important  of  all,  you  must  make 
up  your  mind  to  forego  the  tirst  season's  flowers 
and  harden  your  heart  to  nip  off  all  the  tiny  buds 
as  soon  as  they  can  be  detached  without  injuring 
the  surrounding  leaves.  Otb.?rwise,  I  fear  you  must 
be  classed  among  the  murderous  horde  of  Lily 
slayers,  who  squander  their  pelf  on  buying  and 
killing  Lilies  annually  to  make  a  gay  garden. 
Wallhttm  Cross.    '  E.    A.    Bowles. 

(7'o  Oe  tontiiuied.) 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 


SOME    GOOD   PEAS   TO  ORDER  NOW. 

HE  summer  and  early  autumn  of  the  year 
that  has  just  closed  will  long  be  remem- 
bered as  exceptionally  good  in  most 
localities  for  that  best  of  all  vegetables, 
the  Green  Pea.  Right  away  from  the 
earliest  sowings  until  well  on  into  Sep- 
tember an  abundance  of  pods  were  to  be  gathered  in 
most  gardens,  but  owing  to  the  excessive  wet 
experienced  during  the  autumn,  the  seed  crop  in 
many  districts  did  not  ripen  so  well  as  we  might 
have  wished.     For  that  reason  there  should  be  no 


T 


.  >ifX'^'m^iij.^af^S&i:'JfSif^^;'i^''-li^:'SSX,''C  £^t.-'^^>i.. 


^^^ 


Of    % 


FIRST-EARLY    PEA    MAYFLOWER,    A    GOOD    FREE-CROPPING    VARIETY 
FOR    LARGE    OR    SMALL    GARDENS.      (Much  reduced.) 


delay  in  ordering  seed  for  sowing  during  the  coming 
season  ;  and  with  a  view  to  guiding  those  who  may 
be  in  some  doubt  as  to  which  sorts  to  purchase. 
I  propose  to  name  those  which  did  particularly 
well  with  me,  or  which  I  had  ample  opportunity 
of  watching  closely  in  other  gardens. 

First  Earlies. — Previous  to  last  year  I  had  not 
grown  Carter's  Eight  Weeks,  but  so  well  did  it 
behave  that  it  will  certainly  find  a  place  in  the 
garden  again  this  season.  It  is  a  very  dwarf 
and  robust  variety,  exceptionally  hardy,  and  one 
of  the  freest  cropping  early  Peas  that  I  know. 
Its  quality,  too,  is  excellent,  Mayflower,  sent  out 
by  the  same  firm,  follows  Eight  Weeks  very  closely, 


and  is  a  grand  Pea  in  every  respect.  It  grows 
18  inches  liigh  and  is  really  a  wonderful  cropper. 
The  accompanying  illustration  of  a  portion  of 
haulm  will  serve  to  show  its  cropping  powers, 
but,  naturally,  the  pods  are  very  much  reduced 
in  size.  Pioneer  is  an  early  Pea  that  I  like  very 
much.  It  grows  about  three  feet  high,  is  very 
hardy  and  early,  crops  freely,  and  is  of  excellent 
flavour.  Of  similar  height  is  Sutton's  Ideal,  a 
beautiful  dark  green  podded  variety  that  crops 
exceptionally  well  and  is  superb  when  cooked. 
Sutton's  May  Queen  is  also  a  grand  first-early 
Pea  of  the  taller  section. 

Second  Earlies. — A  splendid  pair  that  come  from 
the  Reading  firm,  and  which  belong  to  this  section, 
are     Centenary    and    Prizewinner. 
^  The    first    named  is  a  grand   Pea 

for  exhibition  purposes  and  also 
ol  excellent  quality,  but  with  me 
tt  did  not  crop  so  heavily  as 
Prizewinner.  This  last  named  I 
have  grown  regularly  for  seven 
or  eight  years,  and  no  matter 
what  the  weather  may  be,  it 
always  does  well.  It  is  of  first- 
class  quality  and  a  good  all-round 
Pea.  A  new  second  early  that  I 
grew  for  the  first  time  last  year 
was  International,  sent  out  by 
Messrs.  Carter  and  Co.  Unfortu- 
nately, birds  crippled  a  portion  of 
the  row,  out  that  part  which 
escaped  tlieir  attention  gave 
splendid  results.  International  is 
undoubtedly  a  Pea  that  has  come 
to  stay.  It  is  a  little  on  the  tall 
side,  reaching  a  height  of  nearly 
six  feet,  but  it  is  a  good  cropper 
and  the  quality  leaves  nothing  to 
be  desired.  Daisy,  as  usual,  gave 
good  results.  As  a  standard 
second-early  Pea  of  short  stature, 
Daisy  will  take  a  lot  of  beating. 
The  colour  of  the  Peas  is  on  the 
pale  side,  but"  tlic  flavour  is  equal 
to  that  of  darkcr-hued  sorts.  Para- 
gon Marrowfat  and  New  Model, 
sent  out  by  Messrs.  Webb,  are 
first-class  second-early  Peas,  both 
for  exhibition  .and  general  use. 
The  first  named  attains  a  height  of 
about  three  feet,  and  the  latter 
aDout  a  loot  more.  1  know  of  no 
prettier  Pea  when  growing  than 
New  Model. 

Maincrop.  —  in  this  section, 
Gladstone,  though  an  old  variety, 
tully  maintained  its  excellent  repu- 
tation. I  have  grown  this  variety 
now  for  at  least  ten  years  and  in 
several  differjnt  kinds  of  soil,  but 
it  always  does  well,  and  ils  high 
quality  is  invariably  maintained.  It  is  a  sure  winner 
in  the  show  tent,  as  the  pods  are  well  filled.  It  is 
one  of  the  best  sorts  for  very  late  crops.  King 
George  is  a  new  variety  that  Messrs.  Webb  spnt 
out  last  year,  and  of  vxhich  I  had  a  good  row.  It 
grows  5  feet  high  and  is  one  of  the  best  flavoured 
Peas  that  I  have  grown.  It  did  not  pod  quite 
so  freely  as  some  other  varieties,  but  this  was 
more  than  compensated  by  its  high  quality  and  the 
fact  that  the  pods  were  e.xceptionally  well  filled. 
Dreadnought  is  a  new  variety  that  Messrs.  Carter 
made  a  great  deal  of  stir  about  when  they  introduced 
it  a  vear  ago,  and  judging  hy  its  results  last  season, 
they  were  justified  in   doing  so.  .\     B.   G 


January  4,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


13 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

HOW  TO  PROPAGATE   CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 


DHRING  tlic  oarly  half  of  January  and 
(iiiuanls  1(1  the  month  of  April, 
I  lovers  of  Chrysanthemums  will  be 
'  busy  inserting  cuttings  so  as  to 
secure  good  batches  of  plants  for 
the  production  of  exhibition  blooms, 
specimen  plants,  pl.ants  for  greenhouse  decoration, 
for  the  supply  of  cut  flowers,  and  for  outdoor  borders. 
For  every  purpose,  in  order  to  be  successful,  the 
cultivator  should  make  a  good  and  careful  beginning. 
He  must  use  sound  judgment  in  the  selection  of  the 
cuttings,  the  pots  and  the  cimipost.  It  is  a  great 
mistake  to  thijik  that  any  kind  of  compost  will  do 
lor  rooting  cuttings  in  :  they  retain  the  cutting  soil 
around  their  roots  throughout  the  whole  of  their 
growing  season,  and  so  we  cannot  have  a  compost 
that  is  too  good  for  them. 

Selecting  Cuttings. — Where  there  is  a  good  I 
selection,  the  best  oidy  must  be  put  in.  These  are  i 
taken  from  the  sucker  shoots  growing  from  the  soil 
in  the  pots,  and  not  from  the  stems  of  the  cut-hack 
plants.  Nos.  i,  i  in  Fig.  A  show  good  sucker 
cuttings.  They  must  be  about  three  and  a-hnlf 
inches  long  ;  if  not  so  long  at  a  given  date  it  is 
better  to  wait  until  they  grow,  rather  than  to  cut  off 
the  stems  below  the  soil.  Cuttings  so  severed 
do  not  lorm  roots  freely.  Nos.  2,  2  show  stem 
cuttings  with  buds.  Only  in  the  case  of  rare  varieties 
should  suclr  cuttings  be  used.  They  invariably 
take  a  long  time  to  grow  free  of  bud  formation, 
which  is  often  persistent  during  the  spring  months. 
No.  3  shows  a  cutting  free  of  buds  but  much  too 
weakly  ;  No.  4,  a  strong  cutting  containing  a  bud. 
This  kind  is  sometimes  found  among  the  sucker 
shoots.  No."  5  depicts  the  kind  of  cutting  that  must 
he  relied  on  to  produce  the  best  plants  and  blooms. 
Compost,  Pots  and  Boxes. — Fibrous  loam,  with 
the  linest  parts  passed  through  a  small-meshed 
sieve,  sweet  leaf-soil  ami  coarse  sand  should  form 


0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

8 

A 


STURnV     BASAL    CUTTINGS    ANO     THOROUGHLY    DRAINED     P9TS      OR 
ESSENTIAL    IN     PROPAGATING    CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 


BOXES     ARE 


the  compost  ;  loam  two-thirds,  leaf-soil  one- 
third,  and  sand  to  make  it  all  very  porous  and 
to  induce  healthy  root-action.  F"or  exhibition 
plants  cuttings  should  be  rooted  in  small,  deep 
pots  singly.  Others  for  decorative  purposes  and 
for  the  garden  border  must  be  rooted  in  larger 
pots,  several  cuttings  in  a  pot,  and  in  boxes.  All 
vessels  and  crocks  must  be  clean.  No.  6  shows 
a  cutting-pot  crocked  and  the  level  of  the  surface 
soil.  No.  7  depicts  the  same  pot  .ind  the  way  in 
which    the   rutting   is   inserted   with   sand   on   the 


//777777777'^'//?7^fe^^:)^/ 


Trr/77T777r' 


WHEN      l^LANTED,    THE    BASE    OF    THE     CUTTING    SHOULD     REST   FIRMLY   ON    THE    SOIL, 
AND    THF;    POTS    THEN    STOOD     IN    GENTLK    HEAT. 


surface  and  around  the  base  of  the  cutting,  No.  8, 
the  section  of  a  box  duly  prepared  for  cuttings,  and 
No.  9  the  drainage  holes  in  the  bottom  of  the  box. 
If  holes  are  not  made  in  the  boards,  the  latter  should 
have  spaces  between  them  when  nailed  in  position. 

No.  I  in  Fig.  B  shows  how  cuttings  are 
inserted  round  the  edges  of  large  flower-pots, 
and  No.  2  the  way  they  are  inserted  singly  in 
small  pots.  A  greenhouse  temperature,  or 
that  of  a  slightly  warmed  frame,  is  most 
suitable  for  the  cuttings ;  they  ought  not  to 
be  subjecied  to  .i  strong  bottom-heat.  A  small 
frame  put  on  the  greenhouse  stage,  as  shown 
at  No.  3,  is  an  ideal  place  in  which  to  propagate 
Chrysanthemums.  There  is  just  sufficient  heat 
in  a  frame  so  placed,  and  excessive  damp  can  be 
expelled.  In  all  kinds  of  weather  such  frames 
may  be  opened  a  little  every  morning.  When 
sufficiently  rooted  the  young  plants  may  be  trans- 
ferred to  another  stage,  as  shown  at  No.  4.  When 
first  repotted  they  should  be  placed  on  shelves 
not  far  away  from  the  roof-glass,  as  shown  at 
Nos.  5,  5.  The  air  must  be  admitted  from  one  side 
of  the  roof  only  at  one  time,  so  as  not  to  cause 
cold  draughts  to  blow  on  the  newly  potted  plants. 
If  subjected  to  cold  draughts,  the  leaves  soon  flag 
and  the  growth  is  not  satisfactory.  No.  6  shows 
a  young  plant  sufficiently  well  rooted  to  be  repotted 
in  a  larger  pot,  and  No.  7  depicts  a  plant  rooted  in  a 
box,  at  that  stage  when  reboxmg  or  repotting  is 
desirable. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  in  the  cultivation 
of  Chrysanthemums  to  make  a  good  beginning,  and 
this  can  only  be  accomplished  by  selecting  sturdy 
basal  cuttings  of  the  type  above  described.  Cuttings 
taken  from  the  stems  of  cut-back  plants  are  rarely 
if  ever  a  real  success,  and  should  only  be  used  when 
basal  growths  are  scarce.  The  young  plants  must  be 
taken  to  cool  frames  before  their  stems  become 
drawn  and  weakened  by  being  subjected  to  a  too  high 
temperature  as  the  longer  days  come.  G.   CI. 


14 


THE    GARDEN. 


[January  4,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  New  Year. — In  this,  the  hrst  calendar  of 
gardenhig  operations  that  I  have  written  for  The 
Garden,!  would  emphasise  the  necessity  of  doing 
all  work  at  the  right  time  and  as  well  as  time  and 
circumstances  will  allow.  It  may  not  happen  that 
particular  plants,  vegetables  or  fruit  are  in  the 
same  condition  in  different  gardens  at  any  given 
time  or  date,  and  some  may  not  require  potting 
or  attending  to  generally  at  the  time  they  are 
mentioned,  but  I  hope  that  the  notes  will  act  as 
useful  reminders,  which,  after  all,  is  their  main 
purpose.  I  hope  to  cover  the  whole  routine  of 
gardening  as  far  as  space  permits,  though  I  may, 
perhaps,  be  rather  inclined  to  dwell  a  little  on  those 
subjects  in  which  I  take  a  special  interest. 

Flower  Garden  and  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Planting. — Having  had  what  we  may  term  a 
fairly  open  autumn,  all  odd  planting  operations 
should  by  now  have  been  completed,  though  in 
the  case  of  extensive  operations  this  may  have  to 
go  on  for  some  considerable  time.  It  is,  however, 
wise  to  push  on  all  planting  while  the  weather  is 
open,  as  even  in  the  South  we  often  get  three  or 
four  weeks'  frost,  which  stops  all  such  work  for  a 
time,  and  the  other  kinds  of  ground  work  may  be 
carried  on  during  spells  of  frost,  when  it  is  not  a 
good  policy  to  be  handling  trees  or  shrubs. 

Bulbs. — It  often  happens  that  the  planting 
of  various  kinds  of  bulbs  has  to  be  deferred  till 
alterations  have  been  carried  out  in  the  borders 
of  pleasure  grounds  and  wild  gardens,  but  no  time 
should  now  be  lost  in  getting  the  bulbs  planted. 
Many  of  the  Mav-flowering  Tulips  and  other  late- 
flowering  bulbs  will  not  have  been  injured  by  keeping 
them  out  of  the  ground  s6  long,  but  the  earlier- 
flowering  TuUps  and  Narcissi  will  naturally  suffer. 
All  odd'  and  small  bulbs,  whether  newly  bought 
in  or  those  that  have  been  lifted  from  the  beds  or 
borders  during  the  past  summer,  may  with  advan- 
tage be  planted  in  the  wild  garden  or  on  the  borders 
of  woodland  paths,  and  under  such  natural  condi- 
tions they  often  look  and  do  well. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Cleaning  Operations. — .\lter  the  festivities  of 
Christmas  and  the  New  Year,  which,  in  many 
instances,  will  have  proved  a  drain  on  the  plant- 
houses,  and  consequently  left  some  of  them  bare, 
the  opportunity  should  be  taken  to  commence 
cleansing  operations,  as  these  are  much  more  easily 
accomplished  when  a  house  or  two  can  be  quite 
cleared  of  plants.  The  cooler  and  consequently 
drier  houses  should  be  started  on  first,  as  they 
will  keep  cleaner  in  appearance  for  a  greater  length 
of  time  than  will  the  stove  and  forcing  houses, 
and  by  leaving  these  latter  till  a  little  nearer  the 
spring,  their  cleanliness  is  assured  during  the  summer 
months. 

Forcing-House. — To  keep  up  a  supply  of  flower- 
ing plants  and  cut  flowers  during  the  spring  months, 
a  batch  of  bulbs  and  other  forcing  plants  must  be 
taken  in  each  week,  regulating  this  according  to  the 
demand. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Soil  Preparation. — At  this  season  there  is  very 
little  in  the  outside  garden  to  be  done,  except  in 
the  preparation  of  the  soil  for  the  forthcoming 
crops  ;  but  this  will  be  sufficient,  as,  wherever 
possible,  all  the  ground  should  either  be  trenched 
or  bastard-trenched  if  the  very  best  results  are 
to  be  obtained,  On  some  soils  such  work  can  be 
carried  out  at  any  time,  but  on  close,  sticky  soils 
it  is  well  to  do  this  in  dry  weather  only,  leaving 
the  surface  as  rough  as  possible,  thus  allowing  it  to 
get  the  greatest  benefit  from  the  frost. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Pot  Vines  that  may  have  been  started  during 
December  will  be  rapidly  swelling  their  buds,  and 
though  a  fair  amount  of  humidity. and  heat  should 
be  kept  up  during  the  day,  the  night  temperature 
must  not  be  too  high,  nor  should  there  be  an 
e.vcessive  amount  of  moisture  at  night,  particularly 
during  severe  frost,  or  the  young  foliage  may  be 
injured  by  the  drip  from  condensation. 

Early  Planted-Out  Vines,  such   as  Hamburgh 

and  Sweetwater,  may  now  be  shut  up,  maintaining 
a    temperature  of   about    50°   to   55°   till   the   buds 


begin  to  push  nicely,  when  the  temperature  can  be 
raised  from  5°  to  10°.  A  nice  light  spraying  over- 
head once  or  twice  on  all  fine  days  will  greatly 
facilitate  their  breaking,  and  on  dull  days  a 
moistening  of  the  paths  and  borders  might  suffice. 

Late  Vineries. — Any  fruit  that  may  be  hanging 
should  be  cut  at  once  and  bottled,  afterwards 
throwing  the  houses  quite  open  for  a  few  days 
before  proceeding  to  prune. 

First-Early  Peach-Houses.— The  trees  in  these 
are  now  being  moved  along  gradually,  and  here 
again  a  certain  amount  of  humidity  is  necessary 
to  secure  a  nice  free  pushing  of  fruit  and  growth 
buds.  Very  light  sprayings  at  this  season  are 
all  that  is  necessary,  varying  the  night  tempera- 
ture a  little  according  to  outside  conditions. 

Strawberries. — To  secure  an  early  crop,  a  batch 
of  these  should  be  brought  in  from  the  frames, 
where  they  should  have  been  for  some  time  past. 
The  shelf  of  a  vinery  or  Peach-house  will  prove 
a  suitable  position  for  them,  the  temperature  of 
the  freshly-shut-up  houses  being  about  right  for 
them  till  the  young  foliage  begins  to  push,  when 
the  temperature  may  be  considerably  increased. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Planting. — .^ny  filling  up  in  the  hardy  fruit 
garden  that  has  not  been  done  should  be  finished 
off  at  once.  In  cold,  heavy  soil  too  deep  planting 
should  be  avoided,  as  it  tends  to  unfruitfulness, 
especially  with  Pears  ;  but  in  lighter  soils  a  little 
mistake  of  this  sort  is  not  quite  so  noticeable. 
In  all  cases  a  careful  spreading  out  of  the  roots 
and  good  firm  planting  are  imperative,  the  latter 
tending  to  check  the  rampant  growth  which  often 
follows  the  planting  of  young  fruit  trees. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Sweet  Peas. — We  are  now  being  inundated  with 
catalogues  in  general  and  Sweet  Pea  catalogues 
in  particular,  and  the  work  of  selecting  varieties 
for  the  coming  season's  display  cannot  be  long 
delayed.  The  choice  must  be  determined  by  the 
ultiniate  object  in  view.  If  for  exhibition  purposes, 
the  selection  should  include  several  of  the  best 
up-to-d.ate  varieties;  if  only  tor  general  decorative 
purposes,  while  quality  must  be  kept  in  view, 
the  harmonising  of  colours  is  of  prime  importance. 

Gladioli. — if  not  already  attended  to,  the  planting 
of  Gladioli  of  the  Colvilleitype  should  be  proceeded 
with  if  weather  permits.  They  delight  in  a  light, 
rich  soil,  and,  not  being  quite  hardy,  they  should 
be  protected  with  some  loose  material,  such  as 
the  stems  of  herbaceous  plants  which  have  been 
recently  cut  over,  till  all  danger  of  severe  frost  is 
past.     Plant  about  three  inches  deep. 

Wallflowers. — These  popular  old  favourites, 
although  almost  hardy,  often  suffer  during  spells 
of  severe  weather,  especially  when  frosty  winds 
prevail.  Spruce  twigs  stuck  into  the  ground 
thinly  among  the  plants  will  help  to  break  the 
currents  and  prevent  damage,  or  at  least  reduce 
the  extent  of  it. 

The  Rock  Garden. 
Snowdrops. — Where  any  of  the  rarer  species 
of  Snowdrops,  such  as  Galanthus  cilicicus,  G. 
caucasicus  and  varieties  of  G.  Elwesii,  are  planted 
in  the  lower  reaches  of  the  rockery,  they  will  soon 
be  showing  flower,  and  if  dirty  weather  is  experienced 
it  will  be  worth  whUe  protecting  a  few  of  them  at 
least  by  placing  bell-glasses  or  hand-lights  over 
them  to  keep  the  blooms  clean. 

The  Shrubbery. 

Garrya  elliptica. — The  male  plant  of  this  ever- 
green shrub  IS  highly  attractive  with  its  long 
catkin-like  yellowish '  green  flowers.  It  makes 
a  good  wali  plant,  but  here,  on  the  shores  of  the 
Firth  of  Forth,  it  thrives  and  flowers  beautifully 
as  a  shrubbery  plant  on  heavy  clay.  It  usually 
comes  into  flower  shortly  after  the  New  Year,  but  it 
has  been  in  bloom  here  since  the  end  of  November. 

Viburniun  Tinus,  better  known  as  Laurustinus, 
IS  oni<  of  our  most  imposing  winter-flowering 
shrubs.       .Although      the      lully-developed     white 


flowers  are  not  much  in  evidence  till  mid-winter, 
the  bright  rosy  tints  of  the  unopened  flowers  make 
a  brave  show  from  autumn  onwards.  The  varietv 
known  as  V.  Tinus  hirtum  is  more  precocictus 
than  the  type,  flowering  persistently  from  the 
beginning  of  November  onwards. 

Pruning. — Deciduous  shrubs,  ornamental  trees, 
Rambler  Roses  and  Clematises  should  be  pruned 
in  the  absence  of  frost.  The  pruning  of  Dogwoods 
should  be  delayed,  as  winter  is  their  chief  season 
of  beauty.  Clematises  of  the  Jackmanii  type 
may  be  cut  hard  back,  but  those  of  the  lanuginosa 
type  should  only  have  the  dead  wood  removed. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums. — The  work  ol  propagating 
the  decoratives  and  singles  must  now  be  proceeded 
with  at  once.  Cuttings  of  these  are  generally  more 
plentiful  than  is  the  case  with  the  large-flowerinig 
section.  Pots  5  inches  in  diameter,  liberally 
drained  and  filled  firmly  with  sandy  soil,  finishing 
off  with  a  layer  of  pure  sand,  form  a  suitable 
medium  for  rooting.  Dibble  them  in  more 
thickly  than  you  would  the  exhibition  varieties. 

Japanese  Varieties. — A  greenhouse  temperature 
is  all  that  is  wanted,  and  unless  the  house  is  kept 
rather  close,  they  should  be  struck  in  cases  covered 
with  sheets  of  glass.  Remove  the  glass  for  an  hour 
daily,  and  invert  it  when  replacing  in  position. 
The  cuttings  should  begin  to  root  in  about  three 
weeks,  when  the  glass  should  be  gradually  tilted 
up  to  admit  air. 

Tuberoses. — The  bulbs  of  these  delightfully 
fragrant  flowers  are  now  to  hand,  and  a  portion  of 
them  should  be  potted  up  and  started  forthwith. 
Turfy  loam,  with  some  old  cow-manure,  leaf-mould 
and  sand,  forms  an  ideal  compost  for  them.  One 
bulb  to  a  5-inch  pot,  or  three  bulbs  to  a  6-inch  pot, 
will  be  found  suitable.  Plunge  in  a  bottom-heat 
of  about  65°  and  give  them  as  light  a  position  as 
possible,  for  they  are  naturally  tall  and  inclined 
to  "  draw."     The'Pearl  is  the  best  variety. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Strawberries. — .A  batch  may  now  be  brought 
indoors  for  early  work.  Where  a  house  is  not 
specially  provided  for  them.  Strawberries  can  be 
successfully  forced  along  with  other  fruits,  always 
provided  they  are  kept  near  the  light  and  a  suitable 
temperature  accorded  to  them.  At  this  season 
a  shelf  in  an  early  Peach-house  is  an  ideal  position 
for  them. 

Tomatoes. — The  main  crop  should  be  sown 
without  delay.  Sow  thinly  and  regularly  in  well- 
drained  pots  of  rather  light  soU,  covering  the  pots 
with  panes  of  glass  till  germination  takes  place. 
Place  the  pots  in  a  temperature  of  55°  or  slightly 
over  that. 

Hardy  Fruits. 

Pruning. — Finish  up  all  pruning  during  open 
weather.  Small  fruits  may  be  pruned  during 
slight  frosts  ;  it  is  cold  work,  but  the  improved 
conditions  under  foot  compensate  for  this. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Digging. — Turn  over  all  vacant  ground  so  that 
it  may  get  weathered  before  spring.  Trenching  or 
double-digging  always  pays  for  the  extra  labour. 

Peas. — On  all  but  very  heavy  soils  a  sowing  of 
Peas  should  now  be  made.  Gradus  is  highly 
popular,  but  I  have  a  preference  for  William  the 
First  Improved  as  a  first  variety  ;  it  has  a  good 
constitution  and  is  earlier  than  Gradus,  which  can 
follow  at  the  end  of  the  month.  Coat  the  seeds 
with  red  lead. 

AsparS^US. — Where  it  is  intended  to  make  a 
fresh  plantation,  the  ground  should  now  be  pre- 
pared. Deep  cultivation  is  essential  to  success, 
2i  feet  being  none  too  deep,  and  I  would  fix  2  feet 
as  a  minimum  if  good  results  are  to  be  expected. 
Where  this  is  not  available,  the  depth  must  be  made 
up  by  the  addition  of  "  travelled "  soil.  A  free 
root-run  is  also  essential,  so  that  where  the  natural 
soil  is  at  all  heavy,  sand  should  be  incorporated  with 
it  to  lighten  it .  Being  a  seaside  plant,  the  Asparagus 
must  have  a  certain  amount  of  salt  afforded  to  it, 
and  in  gardens  contiguous  to  the  seashore  this  can 
be  given  in  the  form  of  seaweed.  It  need  hardly 
be  added  that  the  ground  should  receive  a  liberal 
allowance  of  organic  manure. 

Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Mid- 
lothian. 


SoS§SgS£S2l°Sg5xSS5l£SK"o!000-ilO)0.*^Mt( 


n  •«  ^  ^  ^  2  81  ^  ■^  S^  <  ?  SUltfi^B^^^SWm -fl  H  5  H  S  in  t« -B  H 


0^0  -,, 

D-t5  C  >"  i 

•3  w^  "  ■ 
£  m  ft-    ^ 

-■0  »7^— 

•1  ffi  r  3^ 

2"    h3 


X':C-''-  " 


3    ft    -•  =   O    O   ■ 

5  ;  »  =  «  5'ui 


•^B)    . 


5"  t 
^     :?S  cr^  o  3  a  -t  o  "7  b 


o  ^ 

2  S" 


5W 


PS5&I5 


,  rt  S  Op 


n 


>• 


3- 


:  *-  :;  — ff  9 

-  <;  -.  '-^  a.  5 

o^r  5'o'K- 


cc£jn^aC7  =  ',  1  o  p  " 


^  at 


5'c/i 


st^^'H?'^'^ 


u  —  c  (O  X  -J  3v  w'  ^  «;  lo 


-  o  to  .X  -3  ct;  C' . 


ii|JI(n'5^5^2«itAiiH^HgU,c/,,H     ^Hgmc/iKriH^Hsm 


'  c  (S  £  -3  a.  tJ  £  fe  tS  ►^  c  «  X  -1  o".  i;i  ^  cc  ti  ■—  o 


(D  ac  -a  ov  ci  *-  w  to 


i??siin/i'^d^?am^-^5^^siJic/:T;H   ^jijiuic/i^^^   H 


51»1/!S  'DOW 
gSg  s-it  J  =  ' 
:.v!3<Jf»5.5'; 

•fl»2  =  =■''■,: 

nc    *  §  D-3 
3-«i    =-^o.5 

-0     -      t,  "^ 

^      »'o'<  3 

=       ?3     o 


WHH'S. 


"■3  n  = 


zz 

ay 
^^ 

O  O 

2  i 

"  C 


•  K-,„o     •/>     — 2.        o»0  3     E 
MSrK„z5"3-»-"§!i;-ioU- 


3  t; ; 


'  »  ■ 


:3-3  2 cp  1 


»> 

p 

n 

X 

- 

rr 

m 

</l 

rr  X 

•T 

ITO 

■  rJ3^t/'2j  ft/^^s^^ft    1^ 

S^r^s-?^-    5-0.  (/>3i:  "  „E. 


t    -       r— .' 


r§a2 


"  to 


^3  3  o  g  g  n-o  a- 


:r  ffi  fT  w  ' 


?  ?^V--i  O  n  CL- 


-      ^^N 


■(TO  O  _ 


P°.        0\  -ITl 


i  ri IS icio tc 
:;  ;c  oc  -J  oi  Or 


^^'.^^'^'ytS 


[i»— OCOGC--]^:Ot*-CCti'—  _ 


CD  GC  -q  O!  tn 


/)^d^^2ijic/)^^^^smai-^^^^suic/i'^^^^      smc/)Ti 


u  o  0 1  ae 

-  t)  0)   ■"   _tt 

-  -•  "  ft  pli/l 


>-  O  (TO  71  '71  g 


^  a. 


:gc/i3-SH 


t/i  c/i  c/!  z  50  r  r 

..  -^3-Q  ZT  ■■_  —  '. 

p  =  p  n.Q)  ;„     ^- 
"  -  "-D  "  y-^'<  ■ 

1  S-5  rs  ^"  s  : 
3.-  c-oS  i»  =^5;  ■ 

?-!2  B.l""  ?• 
!sw2§Pp J: 


ZCt/' 
p  s  s 

r"  2  B 


'3-3'P   S^ 
O   W   3   p* 

Sp^^ 

K"p  w 

^  -     ^ 


■    -  x-< 
r.'<  Z^  3  ft 


':rn 


E.-         if" 


M        4-  5L 


■;  c 


<  y. , , 

-3  n 


2  >M 

Ot  3 


p  **  >  = 


Z'    D-S 


rpgSr 3 


14* 


/ 


02tcictot05ot°fOtoioici2>--'-')_.^tJt-^t_^tj 

•— otDjc-ioiOfit'Wto^otDOc^asuiii'CCK.^otDac-^o;; 


^WS^EtfCf-om-flw-ec^g-c-Dznjj-niJMXSJSlSHiJ 


t^l",  cog  ?=r  i-s-l^f.  ^"^o'S  5.£  2-^  = 

=  t :;? i.g-53-o 5  =  i a S-2 EiljrSa? 


S  a.3  S  S  v<2.^  g  3  ^S.^f?-"  JTo"  r£."S^ 


oK-s;: 


0^3  3=; 


5  a.3- 

T'^  2- 

"  i  tD  P-'S  £ 


2.o._  '-'  p  p  ^'~-n  "^  r. p  3  ^i  r'iTcLp  —So  „.-    --3  ;:p 

■<  „  r'  <.  -»  .-,.=  •'  .-^  3  3  S.^=Si»5»  '^'°  =  ?<?•«  3  S- 


n      2.O. 


2.  -_ ..  ? 


;;j  ?    3^  5  3 


K  3 
5  > 


3  5  c!! 


S5- 


1  tresis' 

^  o'crn  o  IT 


<       X       O  0  c,    ^ 

"^        2  ::;;  "^  a  c^-o  r^-- 
3|     3fp-^»i 


;-      _--o.5L 

_  "C       1  *-  fr  ft  ; 


ft  2.       ^^-oiTIo^ 

Se-    5-     3|p 


'  5.    "4.  * 


3  3-' 


"■333      = 


n  o  ;'3'^~" 

3    3    C~3   ^ft 

p  _<t  o  ^:  n 
=  » "  =  s~£ 


■n-a 
E=3 


z?=: 


cj: 


^£■2."  -" 

3„  0.3  »  erg 

-?  S"  !j=3  3 
3-3  -  nS^=^  " 


-■SM^ 


KB^o      ■„ 


rj  w  -T-  O  3-  - 

w  fp  .    ^  -.Jt 

3  3  Irt  g  S 

■    IJ  X  '^  p  £ 

S  '>-na.Z 
•^  -^  (t     *^ 

^^:** ^  ■ 

r  w  3  3 


-n-ag«  >-  S-p  yn  g  re: 
•g  OOP'S  S2.S^-,t:<^|3 

-       ■     p  E  —  .^^_*^  <"  ^■  —  - 


:  J^ 


t  s 
•    ft  (rt 


..W   O    I 


;3-s?'t 
?2  3-; 


c  3  :r 
3'aip 

05  =■- 
"•  °  » 
O   *   ~ 

-P  X 
p  "  t/i 


p  =  =2o 

•-1   1   _.  O   "1 


B3 


^^SS 

^fe& 

1^ 

ttSf^SSoo^ciclI*^ 

ijjto-' 

ocoao-^c3>ci>t^coioi-i 

smc/^-^ 

g 

iitc/5'3i^^^smc/3^ 

cr<c 

SUlw.^H^- 

2Uim 

-  2 

3?C/-.  S" 


ilS  ?o  3  S  tns 


2??=!fS  I  20? 


:/>  O  H -0  05  S]  •^ -0  a  w  X  t"  ~3  2  ■'"'' Z  t"  t"**  Z  I"  "C  cr  K)  M-^  O 

_  -  ^  ::  ti  5's 

?rS  5i  eg  0  ^ 

5,?.2a:g.ss 

P  re  P 


nr  — >,. 

5  2  o  p  ;■: 
^  o  7"  -^  ■ 


^'  a)coP 

"    3  -g   - 


;=?y=i 


o'a  p 


p  p  2  -^°  ^(T 

o  a.3  3  „3  s_:: 

O         —  Ul 

=  PS'S  =: 


'-  ? 


:.  n 


;  =■     3 


b  u^  1 

;  sr-  7-  2 

"»■<■§  ° 

B  "  cr2  = 

o  2  S  ■  ,„ 


^'SE  p  3 


'    -. E3bS2a°, 

o  Sip'''  ai  " 


■~oj  r  o  3  =-"  f-<w 


_.  w  (/)  t"  3  ; 

O  ft=3  7-       . 


o   Ct   „ 

Q  _  n 

1^   o 


,  w 


^  3 

3  o 


o  :T  3  „ 

"  T!  £  ~  -<• 

3  •_  3  n  r 

"  3  (s  o-R 


(£U) 


to      10  to  to  to  ►- 


4OCDX-^C:Cl4-C0Kii— OtDQ0-qCTiCni*4CciBh4 


gH2liic«TiH     ^Hggim^flH^- 


poo 

>3-=   ^ 


en  53 

5S 


3  ■  -~  2'  3  ej  o 


'^n 


=    T33    •      = 

-  ^  Ei  — 

no  o  '  c 

=  P  S  2"  ■ 


,■    o 


ft  ^. 

o  n 
■""  E. 

cnp 

^  cpt/iE  ~ 
p  '^  o  J    c 

K  2^  =. :"  ■ 
^■=■  =  -1  i 
a  =  -1  3"^ 

p  cr-.  • 
v:  o  o 


O     t;     Cn3     =     ■         ?- 

-P   3,=^  3'— ■     -1 

=  3^2  'f'  - 
H2  3  ?■§  k:3  !^ 

^2£2ya>g 

^3-"  O  o  3"2 
-  -.  .  (t  X  3  re 
„0  J   „»,   3-TO   3 


m2  ;;    .      re  — 


:  -tr 


»l2'-  re  a.     r 

?^.=  :2;?^ 

re  .4  ^P  p  -o 


5  TJS 


cnr 


S'B 
a.. 


i  O  - 

■  Si.K 

■  =»lx 

5    ■      p 

,  (/13 

J  o  p 

f*  - 

p  W 
p  W 


££     3  3 


,3  * 


^  '^0  = 
"  "  S.a3  370 

—  o  ■        =^  °  ?^ 

r-  .t^  -    re  f'^  "  p 
.  ^o.  r>c"^ 

^j]^  p  3  p  p 

1        "3    3Tr   ZOI 
^  "    ■"    C    J^  3- 


o  o  ^-    ■ 
S  3  3  XX 

p  re  rj       ■ 

o  _":  =  fj 

£  '^  X tus- 
° ^  ~  "  n, 

1=^  ^  ^  3 
s^       3'W 


E3- 

2  cr 


W    —1 

o  50 


h3? 


^2 

0  oP 


M 

in 


""  -  •  on  (/v 


^4 


<»^ 

^ 


0 


V 


m 
m 

■< 


■0 

m  o 

z 
m 


CD 


Offioo-jSt;i.*»cSKj  3^  ^  So  •$&  cnrfitoioi-'OcDOD-^oscnh^cotai-' 


^2Ulc«i)^^Hg8,c«TiH^Hg«,(/,KgH^H  = 


3ri5H 


S?S 


°  =  ?^  Sc/K/).^S  ?  t  3  a  . 
o  c  <  r'"  ^- 


5^  u-^ 

g3P 
=  -    o 

oi   (/I   fD 


5    M   ft 


•3  "t  o 

3   p   V   0) 


<cr3  5  '1  c  *    -  ■ 
—  2  o'r  c/ift  >jS  2 

s     »;  s  »;  D!o 
£■3  r'  iE=.-£ 


:::^o'E!i  o  o  ov 

«S  -  fS  <«  S  » 
=  -^  c  "^  ""  "1  S 


>  Tl 


n  o 


•   2§ 


S  D-?;    'C.o 


S'g: 


2  "' 


m  <-nCi 


fit  r 


m  55 


(/in  3 


5^  W   O  3   -•  ( 

MP-    ;.  g  ' 


f^  H  "d  JO  T]  t- ?3 1^  :i: 

■  -^  ^  r  ^^  D3^  •*  -* 
•-jiy^r;!:;  ^  f*  "'-01-' 

■    5  ■    c/i      =  '"  ^  -^ 

Jo    ic 


rnwn 

Si  Ecn  < 


HT3 
^  ft*  ft  , 


,oB' 


U>    -  Z 

a-  Il^- 
ri  w  ~  C 


'S^: 


31 


p  =-■  =  = 

trq  c  ^  01  : 


o      at" 


1  ft>  3  t 


lij  LJ  I-;.'  I-  IC-  tC  Li  1—  ^  >—  H-  ^  I 
CT.  Gi  fi-  O;  ti-  ^-  O  CO  OTi  -:]  3",  G"  i 


-""■Or 

=  2  U;  . 


O    CLVi 
t/)3   p   _ 

1  2.-    (/) 


3k 


;  fi)  p  (^ 

>  g  3  ~ 


5-5  ^ 

aj   ft>   C 
O   "■   P 


a^ 

w 

13 

3 

3- 

5* 

' 

Si" 

SJ 

(in 

0 

cr 

(5 

tn 

< 

p 

3 

P 

75  .:i 


0  Ufa    ? 


;3! 


|5 


P  T^ 
-    W    ^ 


o  ■ — '  -  <r"^ 


—  -   ii  ET 


C/)  C/1 C/1  W  (/) 

ui  (^  (^m  ^ 
p  p  p  -  lL 
"  ll"  ^^"^ 

'  5-ntn 

:  3  o  3-0-3- 

?,S-- <>» 

:  5  E-t/l'T'S 

'  w  .   fT  ■   ft' 
■  "  i-~=  5 

Q.2?  3 

3  a:  Ob 


iWWO  Z?3 

?o.»  swans 


=   "  n   (yi  - 

n-o-    ^ 
Li  ft  ^  S,- 


re  C  "-n^ 


^  t/i 


—  P  -     S- 


3-^ 


E.      ■    o  n 
<        M  1  P 


ft 
ri  jr 

3  O.^ 


p  s  0 


-Otocc-aoimn 


;risiJn/>Ti^^Hgm„^H^Hgu,„^H^Hgm„.flH^H£ 


og^z 

cr  = 


3 

rt 

::> 

0 

- 

frt 

3 

c 

P 

? 

T- 

- 

tr  A" 

-1 

,    .    .,  P  P   ^-q" 

I  ^  — c  (X,  s  — 
o  :a  op-a  -  g^ 
—  '^  in  crews''-' 

3      3  ~V 


?■£  3  s  2(/i-3»S  " 
3„p,--*5S2P>- 


p  H.?  - 

n  ^^ 
o  ~  „ 


m  -  '   ::""  S.- 
2  2  n  S  "■     ' 

c_  — P  IT  r 

■"-    O-t/l   CL(y, 

p  p  p  "^ti:-  ^ 


3    P    --    vq    p    ■       p  r 

5  ?r;  ^JT?  2  s: 


3  ;--o  Q    S.5. 


is? 

■  F:  3 


'  I!  ■     ^  1 


k.  .1 


■   "               ■^'3     3'             3S            Ss"            fS 

^OtocX-ic".  aii+-^ioi^otDa:-jo:oi**^coL-ii-'Ocoa:-^oim*-o;io'-' 

-n5i^^smc«'7iH^Hgu,a,^H^Hgu,(/,.fl^^Hgm„T,H^ 

PC 


X 


C3 


z 

0 


o 


!,^' 


m    c/) 


|S    ^     I     c/>    m 


c/»    m 


CO 


n      c/> 


January  4,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


15 


TREES    AND    SHRUBS. 


THE  BEST  SHRUBS   FOR  LOW  WALLS. 

THE  existence  of  low  walls,  such  as  those 
retaining  terraces  or  surrounding  some 
portion  of  the  pleasure  grounds,  are, 
in  my  opinion,  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing features  of  any  garden,  as  growing 
on  such  may  usually  be  found  some 
shrubs  that  are  not  generally  considered  hardy 
in  the  neighbourhood,  but  when  given  the 
protection  of  a  low  wall,  and  particularly  when 
facing  south  or  south-west,  often  grow  luxuriantly 
and  make  good  specimens.  One  reason  in  par- 
ticular is  respoTisible  for  this,  I  think,  viz.,  that  the 
footings  of  such  a  wall  help  to  drain  the  soil. 
On  heavy  soils  wet  is  responsible  for  more  failures 
than  actual  frost.  The  locahty,  again,  plays  an 
important  part  in  what  can  be  grown,  and  it  is 
surprising  how  in  one  garden  a  plant  thrives,  and 
in  the  adjoining  one  the  greatest  difficulty  is  ex- 
perienced in  keeping  it  alive. 

Apart  from  all  these  indifferences,  however, 
there  are  a  host  of  shrubs,  comprising  evergreen, 
deciduous  and  flowering  subjects,  which  may  be 
relied  upon  to  grow  without  coddling  ;  and  though 
many  are  not  climbers  in  the  true  sense  of  the 
word,  yet  they  are  easily  secured  to  a  low  wall 
with  little  trouble  and  without  losing  their 
character.  Lack  of  space  will  not  permit  of  my 
dealing  with  the  various  subjects  at  any  length  ; 
I  will,  however,  deal  with  them  alphabetically, 
and  those  included  are  generally  acknowledged  to 
be  hardy  unless  otherwise  stated. 

Abelia  chinensis. — A  good  subject  for  a  low 
wall  ;  a  deciduous  shrub  with  attractive  foliage 
and  pretty  pink  flowers.  Of  neat  and  bushy  habit, 
and  though  not  quite  hardy  is,  nevertheless,  well 
adapted  tor  such  a  position. 

Actinidia  cbinensis. — A  true  climber,  of  fairly 
recent  introduction,  and  quite  hardy  here  at 
Aldenham  trained  to  poles  without  the  least 
protection.  If  the  growths  are  trained  horizontally, 
this  is  a  fine  deciduous  subject.  The  young  growths 
are  particularly  attractive,  and  will  easily  cover 
a  large  area  if  so  desired. 

Aloysia  (Lippia)  citriodora. — This,  in  favoured 

localities,  is  well  worth  a  position  on  a  wall,  giving 
shelter  from  hard  frosts  during  the  winter.  It  is 
too  well  known  as  the  Scented  Verbena  for  any 
further  description. 

Ampelopsis. — Several  varieties  of  this  genus  are 
indispensable  for  such  a  site,  especially  the  smaller- 
leaved  varieties.  A.  Lowii  is  one  of  comparatively 
recent  introduction,  and  especially  suited  for  a  low 
wall.  It  is  of  deciduous  growth,  self-supporting 
and  turns  a  grand  colour  in  the  autumn.  A. 
sempervivens  is  an  evergreen  of  dense  habit  with 
green  foliage,  and  is  particularly  suited  for  low 
walls,  being  of  slow  growth  compared  with  many 
of  the  other  creepers  belonging  to  this  genus. 
Requires  protection.  A.  Veitchii  is  one  of  the  most 
attractive  and  colours  well,  though,  of  course,  it  is 
also  suitable  for  a  much  larger  area  than  a  low  wall. 

Azara    microphylla. — A    Chilian     shrub,    but 

without  doubt  perfectly  hardy  in  our  ordinary 
winters,  even  without  the  protection  of  a  wall.  It 
is  evergreen,  with  shining,  neat  fohage,  and  the 
flowers,  though  minute,  are  produced  thickly  in 
the  spring,  and  emit  a  pleasing  aroma  easily  de- 
tected when  one  is  near.  Suitable  for  any  aspect 
except  north. 

feBerberis  Daiwinii. — This  well-known  Barberry 
is  a  good  evergreen  subject    for  planting  in  a  cold 


aspect.  The  foliage  is  at  all  times  attractive,  and 
the  beauty  of  the  plant  is  further  enhanced  in 
spring  when  in  flower. 

Berberis  stenophylla,  though  somewhat  spoilt 
in  its  graceful  habit  when  planted  against  a  wall, 
may  be  similarly  employed. 

Berberis  Fremontii  is  a  charming  species  hailing 
from  the  Southern  United  States,  and  is  generally 
found  either  on  a  wall  or  planted  as  a  bush  on  the 
rockery.  It  is  of  comparatively  slow  growth,  and 
likes  a  warm  position.  Several  others  of  this 
family  might  be  similarly  tried,  with,  I  should 
imagine,  good  effect. 

Berchemia  racemosa  variegata. — This  plant  is 
most  attractive,  and  might  be  taken  for  anything 
but  a  hardy  climber,  so  dehcately  marked  and 
variegated  are  its  ovate  leaves.  A  plant  here  makes 
good  growth  each  season.     Likes  a  warm  position. 

Bridgesia  spicata  syn.  Ercilla. — A  tightly- 
clinging  evergreen  climber,  perfectly  hardy  here 
on  an  east  aspect,  and  one  that  ought  to  be  more 
commonly  employed  for  clothing  low  walls  and  on 
houses. 

Carpenteria  californica. — .\  most  beautiful 
evergreen  with  flowers  resembling  Anemone 
japonica  alba,  but  needs  a  sheltered  position  in 
a  district  not  too  cold. 

Ceanothus. — Several  of  these  are  well  suited  for 
culture  on  walls,  but  the  palm  must  be  given  to 
Gloire  de  Versailles,  a  beautiful  variety,  very  per- 
sistent in  flowering. 

Choisya  ternata. — One  that  must  not  be  for- 
gotten. A  beautiful  evergreen  commonly  known 
as  the  Mexican  Orange  Flower.  Further  de- 
scription is  unnecessary. 

Colletia  cruciata,  commonly  known  as  the 
.\nchor  Plant  on  account  of  its  curiously  shaped, 
flattened  branches,  is  none  too  hardy  unless  given 
the  protection  of  a  wall.  It  is  of  slow  growth,  and 
particularly  attractive  when  in  bloom,  the  white 
flowers  being  produced  from  old  and  new  wood 
alike. 

Corokea  Cotoneaster. — This  quaint  shrub  might 
be  mcluded  on  a  wall,  and  especially  in  cold 
localities,  though  we  find  it  hardy  here  in  the  open. 
Nevertheless,  it  is  an  intensely  interesting  subject, 
and  well  worth  a  position  among  choice  wall  shrubs. 

Cotoneasters. — Among  these  are  some  of  the  best 
subjects  imaginable  for  low  walls,  being  of  close 
growth,  and  particularly  ornamental  when  in  fruit. 
C.  adpressa,  C.  congesta,  C.  horizontalis  and  C. 
microphylla  are  well  worth  recommending. 

Crataegus  Pyracantha. — Fine  in  autumn  and 
winter  when  freely  berried,  but  if  allowed  to  go 
will  cover  a  great  space  in  time,  though  not  a  rapid 
grower.     It   bears  cutting  back  with  impunity. 

CrinodendroD  Hookeri. — An  evergreen  from 
Chih,  and  unless  in  very  favonred  spots  is  best 
placed  at  the  foot  of  a  wall.  It  has  drooping  scarlet 
flowers,  freely  produced  on  the  sm.allest  plants, 
and  is  one  of  our  choicest  shrubs. 

Cydonias. — The  various  species  and  varieties  of 
Japanese  Quinces,  which  produce  flowers  of  vary- 
ing colours  in  early  spring.  C.  japonica,  C.  nivalis 
and  C.  Mauler  are  all  excellent. 

Elaeagnus. — Among  these  we  have  several 
varieties  with  variegated  evergreen  foliage,  which 
renders  them  most  attractive  at  all  seasons. 

Escallonias  include  E.  philippiana  (white- 
flowered),  E.  macrantha  (crimson)  and  the  hybrid 
E.  langleyensis  (bright  rose).  They  are  some  of 
the  best  and  most  beautiful  of  our  evergreen 
climbers,  or,  I  should  say,  wall  shrubs. 


Euonymus  radicans  Silver  Gem  is  one  of  our 

most  accommodating  wall  plants.  Beautiful  at  all 
seasons,  and  will  thrive  almost  anywhere. 

Fabiana  imbricata. — This  evergreen  shrub  much 
resembles  a  Heath,  and,  though  not  hardy,  is  worth 
trying  against  a  sheltered  wall.  Flowers  highly 
attractive  during  summer. 

Forsythia. — F.  suspensa  and  F.  viridissima, 
though  generally  found  as  bush  shrubs,  do  remark- 
ably well  on  a  wall,  and  are  wonderfully  attractive 
in  spring  with  their  golden  yellow  flowers. 

Garrya  elliptica. — Intereeting  at  all  seasons, 
also  when  in  flower  and  fruit.  Being  dioecious, 
both  sexes  should  be  planted. 

Hederas,  or  Ivies. — The  smaller-leaved  varie- 
ties, such  as  H.  argentea  variegata,  H.  aurea 
spectabilis,  H.  caenwoodiana,  H.  minima  piixpurea 
and  H.  maderiensis  variegata  are  all  useful. 

Hydrangea  scandens,  or  H.  petiolaris,  has  large, 
flat  corymbs  of  white  flowers,  and  H.  quercifolia 
is  another  species,  from  the  States,  with  attractive 
Oak-leaved  foliage  in  addition. 

Jasminums,  both  J.  nudiflorum  and  J-  officinale, 
the  white-flowered,  may  be  used,  also  J.  revoluta. 

Lardizabala  biternata. — This  evergreen  stands 
well  with  us,  and  is  worth  a  position  for  its  large 
evergreen  foliage. 

Lonicera  japonica  aureo  -  reticulata  (with 
variegated  foliage  veined  with  gold),  L.  £ra- 
grantissima  (very  early  flowering,  deliciously 
fragrant)  and  L.  sempervirens  (with  scarlet 
flowers)  are  three  to  be  thoroughly  recommended, 
the  latter  being  none  too  hardy,  but  worth  a  little 
care. 

Muehlenbeckia  complexa. — For  a  low  wall  this 
shrub  might  be  used,  though  we  grow  it  on  the 
rock  garden  ;  but  wherever  it  may  be  appor- 
tioned is  a  very  interesting  subject. 

Myrtles. — One  or  two  of  these  are  general 
favourites  on  a  sheltered  position,  especially 
M.  Ugni. 

Rapbiolepis  japonica. — .A  choice  evergreen  with 
sweetly-scented  clusters  of  pure  white  flowers. 

Veronica  Iiulkeana. — A  glorious  plant  where  it 
does  well.  Likes  a  south  or  south-west  wall,  and 
must  have  adequate  protection  during  the  winter. 

The  foregoing  list  is  by  no  means  exhaus- 
tive, as  I  have  purposely  refrained  from  mention- 
ing many  because  of  their  undoubted  hardiness, 
and  also  because  their  freedom  of  growth  certainly 
suggests  that  they  require  more  space  in  which 
to  display  their  beauty  and  true  character. 
Aldenham  House  Gardens,  Elstree.       E.  Beckett. 


NURSERY     NOTES. 

ANNUALS      AT      MESSRS.      GARTER'S" 
TRIAL   GROUNDS,   RAYNES   PARK. 

FOR  some  time  now  the  extensive  establish- 
ment of  Messrs.  James  Carter  and  Co., 
so  long  identified  with  High  Holbom, 
has  arrested  the  attention  of  travellers 
on  the  South  Western  Line,  near 
Raynes  Park  Station.  The  huge  and 
imposing  building,  with  its  vast  labour-saving 
machinery  (despite  which,  however,  quite  an  army 
of  workpeople  find  accommodation  therein),  has 
been  before  now  exhaustively  dealt  with,  though 
even  to  this  additions  are  continually  being  made. 
Smrounding  the  building  on  three  sides  are  the 
extensive  trial  grounds,  of  which  their  twenty  acres 
or  so  are  about  equally  divided  between  flowers 


16 


THE    GARDEN. 


[January  4,  1913. 


and  vegetables.  These  grounds  being  as  they 
purport  to  be  for  trial  purposes,  one  does  not  meet 
with  huge  stretches  of  any  particular  kind,  but 
rather  to  the  proving  of  Messrs.  Carter's  numerous 
specialities  or  the  testing  of  any  stocks  that  may  be 
submitted  to  them.  Some  of  these  last  will  need 
a  certain  amount  of  rogueing  before  they  are  up 
to  the  "  Holborn  "  standard,  but  with  regard  to 
the  firm's  specialities  one  cannot  fail  to  be  struck 
with  the  uniform  nature  of  the  plants  in  the  difierent 
rows  and  the  high  class  of  the  flowers  them- 
selves. At  the  time  of  our  visit  in  early 
September  some  of  the  annuals  were  past  their 
best,  among  thera  being  the  Sweet  Peas,  Stocks 
and  the  different  forms  of  Candytuft.  Of  this 
last,  however,  there  stili  remained  sufficient  to 
show  the  great  supci  4ority  of  the  Hyacinth- 
flowered  forms  over  the  old-fashioned  type.  The 
massive  heads  and  brilliant  colour  of  Rose  Cardinal 
appeal  to  everyone. 

Nemesias  were  also  much  in  evidence.  Carter's 
large-flowered  strain  at  once  arresting  atten- 
tion by  reason  of  the  size  of  the  individual  blooms 
as  well  as  by  theur  richness  of  colouring  and 
the  fact  that  many  of  them  possess  quite  distinct 
tiger-like  markings.  The  pretty  little  Forget-me- 
not-like  variety.  Blue  Gem,  though  quite  a  miniature 
compared  with  some  of  the  others,  is  very  generally 
admired. 

Second  to  none  in  its  gorgeous  mass  of  colour  was 
a  bed  of  a  distinct  variety  of  the  common  Marigold, 
namely,  Cocade  Orange,  the  large  double  flowers, 
about  four  inches  in  diameter,  being  of  a  rich  deep 
orange  and  borne  in  the  greatest  profusion.  The 
distinct  Meteor,  lemon,  striped  with  orange,  was 
also  in  fine  condition.  From  the  ordinary  kind 
being  so  common,  many  people  have  a  prejudice 
against  the  Marigold  as  a  decorative  subject  for  the 
flower  garden  ;  but  the  sight  of  a  batch  of  Cocade 
Orange  would  probably  lead  to  an  altered  opinion. 
The  French  Marigolds,  too,  are  very  fine,  and  show 
a  wide  range  in  colour  and  in  marking. 

Vying  with  the  Marigold  in  brightness  of  colour- 
ing stand  out  the  several  varieties  of  Eschscholtzia, 
to- the  improvement  of  which  Messrs.  Carter  have 
of  late  years  devoted  a  good  deal  of  attention. 
The  result  of  their  labours  are  to  be  seen  in  the 
richly-coloured  Carmine  King  and  The  Mikado, 
while  the  blush-tinted  Dainty  Queen  is  a  decided 
break  away. 

Blue  flowers  are  admired  by  many,  and  this 
colour  is  freely  represented  in  innumerable  shades, 
promment  among  them  being  Delphiniums  of 
sorts,  the  Nigellas,  especially  that  charming  variety 
Miss  Jekyll ;  the  daintily-tinted  Nemophilas,  the 
tiny  lonopsidium  acaule  and  the  varied  forms 
of  Lobelia  speciosa.  While  these  last  have  for  the 
most  part  flowers  of  some  shade  of  blue,  two 
striking  departures  therefrom  are  White  Queen 
and  Prima  Donna,  this  last  being  the  finest  rich 
red  variety  that  has  evei  come  under  our  notice. 

Nasturtiums,  too,  were  a  blaze  of  colour, 
the  dwarf  varieties  especially.  A  notable  feature 
of  them  is  the  wide  range  in  colour  that  now  exists, 
and  also  how  true  the  different  forms  come  from 
seed.  For  hot,  dry  soils  especially  the  merits  of 
these  for  the  summer  eintellishment  of  the  flower 
garden  might  be  considered  more  than  they  .arc 
now.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  dwarf 
Nasturtiums  were  first  introduced  by  Messrs. 
Carter  and  Co. 

The  old-fashioned  race  of  Cosmos,  with  its 
blossoms  like  single  Dahlias,  used  to  flower  too  late 
in  the  season  for  them  to  be  of  any  great  service, 
but  there  is  now  an  earlier-flowering  race  of  great 


value.  Messrs.  Carter  have  the  old  and  the  new 
type  planted  side  by  side,  one  being  full  of 
flower  while  the  other  has  not  yet  any  blooms 
expanded. 

■  Mignonette  is  largely  grown,  and  in  a  mass  the 
different  tones  of  colour  in  the  white,  golden  and 
red  kinds  are  far  more  striking  than  when  only 
considered  in  single  spikes.  Of  these  varieties 
White  Queen,  Golden  Queen  and  Red  King  are 
very  noticeable.  One  of  the  showiest  beds  was 
planted  with  Mallow  Pink,  Domino  ana  White 
Lady,  the  former  having  large,  rose-coloured 
blossoms,  and  the  other  pure  white,  both  with  a 
pleasing  silky  texture. 

Verbenas  are  largely  raised  from  seeds,  and  so 
thoroughly  are  they  selected  that  they  come  remark- 
ably true  when  increased  in  this  way. 

It  is  impossible  to  deal  individually  with  the  many 
subjects  represented,  but  there  were  fine  examples 
of  Alyssum,  Antirrhinum,  Asters,  Coreopsis,  Cen- 
taurea.  Chrysanthemum  (annual),  Clarkias,  Dian- 
thus,  everlastings  of  sorts,  Godetia,  Larkspur, 
Lavatera,  Linaria,  Linum,  Pansies,  Petunia,  Phlox 
Drummondii,  Salpiglossis,  Scabious,  Viscaria, 
Zinnia  and  others. 

While  the  foregoing  include  what  may  be  regarded 
as  the  more  generally-grown  annuals,  there  are  a 
lew  that  arrest  attention  by  reason  of  their  attrac- 
tiveness and  the  fact  that  they  are  very  seldom 
seen.  Among  them  are  Abronia  umbellata,  a 
trailer  with  clusters  of  pretty  pink  blossoms ; 
Argemone  grandifiora,  pure  white  Poppv-like 
flowers ;  Arctotis  grandis,  Marguerite-like,  white 
and  purple ;  Dimorphotheca  aurantiaca,  orange 
apricot,  better  than  the  newer  hybrid  kinds ; 
Eutoca  viscida,  bell-shaped  flowers,  rich  blue ; 
Kaulfussia  araelloides,  bright  blue ;  Phacelia 
campanularia,  whose  thimble-like  blossoms  are  of  a 
delightful  shade  of  gentian  blue  ;  Platystemon 
californicus,  soft  yellow  ;  and  Thunbergia  alata. 
orange,   dark  throat. 


A    FEW    PERFECT    ROSES. 


WHEN  is  a  Rose  perfect  ?  When 
it  has  scent,  good  formation, 
colour  and  size.  A  friend  of  mine 
wants  a  selection  of  perfect  Roses. 
She  wants  to  go  into  her  gar- 
den and  cut  Roses  she  will  be 
proud  to  own  ;  Roses  that  will  make  their  presence 
felt  in  any  room  they  adorn.  She  will  not  waste 
energy  on  varieties  that  will  not  give  thanks  in 
fragrant  or  shapely  blooms,  and  I  think  readers 
will  be  interested  in  the  list  I  have  given  her. 

Arthur  R.  Goodwin. — This  has  blooms  of  various 
size,  some  really  large,  poised  on  sturdy  stems 
amid  thick,  graen,  leathery  foliage,  showing  up 
the  coppery  orange  blooms,  the  centre  radiating 
a  deeper  glow  that  spreads  over  the  whole  bloom. 
It  is  very  sweetly  scented  and  the  plant  has  a 
spreading  habit  of  growth. 

Mme.  Melanie  Soupert.— This  superb  Rose 
once  seen  is  never  forgotten.  It  is  not  very  full, 
but  a  large,  deep-petalled  bloom,  yellowy  cream, 
with  a  fusion  of  pale  pink  over  the  whole,  sometimes 
more  intense  than  at  others,  the  edge  of  the  petals 
taking  on  a  faint  carmine,  especially  when  grown 
as  a  standard.     Can  be  cut  with  very  long  stems. 

Marquise  de  Sinety. — Recently  classed  with 
"Roses  with  Bad  Habits"  because  of  its  poor 
colour.  This  quite  puzzled  me,  as  my  blooms  are 
always   very   deep    golden    yellow,    with    a    Roman 


ochre  centre,  and  some  of  the  deeper  blooms  give 
one  the  idea  of  a  sun  having  set  in  the  middle  of 
the  flower.  I  admit  it  is  not  a  good  shape,  but  if 
the  blooms  are  cut  young  and  the  outer  petals 
nicely  arranged  it  is  splendid. 

Mrs.  Aaron  Ward. — In  this  we  have  one  of  those 
useful  all-round  Roses  ;  a  delightful  bud  opening 
a  very  deep  apricot,  specially  free-blooming,  with 
bronze  foliage,  and  few  have  any  idea  how  good  it 
comes  under  glass  until  they  have  grown  it  in 
their  own  Rose-house. 

Sunburst, — An  orange  yellow  Hybrid  Tea,  very 
free-blooming ;  long,  exquisitely-shaped  blooms, 
with  delicious  scent ;  useful  for  any  purpose  and 
absolutely  superb  under  glass. 

Miss  Alice  de  Rothschild.— A  pale  yellow, 
large,  perfectly-formed,  high-centred  Tea,  always 
in  bloom  and  one  of  the  best  we  have. 

Alexander  Hill  Gray  is  the  largest  Tea,  a  well- 
formed  yellow,  being  particularly  fresh  m  colour 
during  the  dull  weather.     Ideal  for  any  purpose. 

Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs  is  one  of  the  high-flowered 
type  of  Teas ;  ivory  white,  with  a  very  faint 
pink  that  is  hardly  noticeable  on  the  edge  of  the 
petals.     One  of  the  "  great  "  Roses. 

Lady  Greenall. — A  long-petalled  Hybrid  Tea, 
each  petal  perfectly  arranged  from  a  high  centre. 
One  of  the  best  of  the  newer  Roses.  Colour, 
creamy  saffron  yellow. 

Herzogin  Maria  Antoinette. — An  intense  real 
orange  Tea  with  a  crimson  splash  on  the  outer 
petals ;  medium  sized,  sweetly  scented,  growth 
of  spreading  habit,  and  never  out  of  bloom  all 
through  the  season. 

Mrs.    Fred    Straker. — A   long  -  pointed    bud  ; 

colour,  a  blend  of  silvery  fawn  and  faint  orange  ; 
very  charming. 

Mrs.  Theodore  Roosevelt.  —  Large  creamy 
white,  shaded  with  rose  pink.  One  of  those  sohd, 
reliable  blooms,  opening  well. 

Souvenir  de  Maria  de  Zayas.— This  has  every 
petal  artistically  arranged  from  a  high-pointed 
centre,  very  prettily  formed,  growing  on  long, 
stiff  stems  ;  a  pleasing  shade  of  crushed  strawberry  ; 
sweetly  scented. 

Other  varieties  are  Mjne.  Abel  Chatenay,  Eliza- 
beth Barnes,  Mine.  Segond  Weber,  Mrs.  Herbert 
Hawksworth,  Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens,  Entente 
Cordiale,  Irish  Beauty,  British  Queen,  The  Lyon 
Rose  and  Irish  Elegance. 

Now  we  come  to  shades  of  red.  Hugh  Dickson 
and  J.  B.  Clark  must  both  be  grown  as  tall  pillars. 
They  are  never  so  happy  as  when  they  are  allowed 
to  roam  at  will,  and  they  give  some  splendid  blooms, 
the  latter  without  the  split  centre.  Chmbing 
Richmond  and  the  famous  George  Dickson,  with 
Red  Letter  Day,  must  have  a  place,  as  well  as 
King  George  V.,  M.  Jules  Gravereaux,  Florence 
Haswell  Veitch  and  the  charming  Mrs.  Edward 
Powell. 

To  complete  our  garden  we  must  have  arches, 
pergolas,  banks  and  hedges  of  Roses,  for  which  I 
suggested  the  following  :  Una  will  give  yards  of 
creamy  white,  semi-double  blooms,  very  useful  for 
cutting  ;  Mrs.  O.  G.  Orpen  and  Dawn,  two  pink 
singles,  the  latter  blooming  all  through  the  season  ; 
Dorothy  Perkins,  White  Dorothy,  Dorothy  Denni- 
son,  Excelsa,  Jersey  Beauty,  Shower  of  Gold, 
Paul's  Sylvia,  American  Pillar,  Miss  Hellyett 
(one  01  the  largest  of  the  wichuraianas),  Carmine 
Pillar  and  Flower  of  Fairfield.  Juliet  and  Beauty 
de  Lyon,  of  the  famous  pernetiana  section,  complete 
my  list.  E.  E.   F. 


jifevi. 


J^'VST'^- 


GARDEN.  I 


-z=^=- 


"^-^^^m 


No.  2147.— Vol.  LXXVIL 


January  ii,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Wkek  17  , 
coreespondenoe 

Fragrant  Chrysanthe- 
mums          19 

Two     early     English 

flower  books  . .      . .     19 
The  flower  garden  in 

winter 19 

Forthcoming  events  . .  19 
<J.\RDEsiNa  Acrostics  19 
Prizes    for  the  Best 

Rook  Gardens       . .     19 
Greenhouse 
The  raisin-,' of  Orchitis 
from  seeil       . .      , .     20 
Rock  and  Water  Garden 
How  to  make  and  plant 
a  streamside  sarrten     20 
Rose  Garden 
Notes  on    the   newer 

Roses      21 

Gardens  of  To-Day 
Bopctoun  House,  Lin- 
lithgo\v-;hire  ..      . .     22 
Trees  and  Shrubs 
Cultural  hints  on  new 
and  rare  plants     ..     23 


Trees  and  Shrubs 
The    Deciduous  Cy- 
press        23 

Flower  Garden 
Lilies :  A  causerie  . .     23 
Reno  vat  ing   h  e  r  b  a  - 

ceous  border?        . .     24 
A  hardy  Bear's  Breech    21 
Gakdbninq  for  Beoinners 
Pruning  and  cleaning 

Grape  Vines  . .      . .     25 
How  to  sow  Begonia 

seeds       25 

Gardemno  of  the  Week 
For     Southern     gar- 
dens         26 

For     Northern     gar- 
dens         26 

Horticultural 
Changes  in  Thirty- 
pour  Years     ..     ..     27 
Silver  trophy  for  ama- 
teurs'rock  gardens..     27 
Answers    to    Corre- 
SPO  ndents 
Flower  garden  . .      , .     27 
Greenhouse       . .      . ,     28 
Rose  garden      . .      . .     28 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


ILI.nSTRATIONS. 

Rhoiaden-iron  daurioura  at  Kew 18 

How  to  prepare  pots  for  Orchid  seeds 20 

How  to  make  and  plant  a  streamside  garden     ..      ..  21 

Tile  large  herbaceous  lx)rder  at  Hopetoun  House       . ,  22 

A  state!  V  tree  of  tile  Deoidiious  Cypress      23 

Acanthus  mollis        24 

Pruning  and  cleaning  Grape  Vines        25 

The  Qarence  Elliott  Trophy 27 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
Invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


TAe  Editor  welcome  photographs,  articies  and  notes, 
fmt  he  will  not  be  responsible  tor  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  hoioemr,  ivill  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  toill  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  i/  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
atks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  0/  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  thai  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  accentance. 


Olficts  :  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


Lily  Bulbs  from  Japan.— As  an  indication  of 
the  vast  quantities  of  Lily  bulbs  that  are  annually 
imported  to  this  country  from  Japan,  we  may 
mention  that  one  ship  which  arrived  in  London 
last  week  from  Yokohama  brought  over  no  fewer 
than  +,000  cases. 

Sir  Frank  Crisp. — Among  the  list  of  New 
Year  Honours  we  were  pleased  to  see  that  a 
baronetage  had  been  conferred  upon  Sir  Frank 
Crisp.  His  famous  rock  garden  at  Friar  Park, 
Henley-on-Thames,  is  known  to  lovers  of  alpine 
plants  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  in  our  issue 
for  October  26,  1912,  we  presented  a  coloured 
plate  of  a  portion  of  it.  Sir  Frank  is  president  of 
the  Horticultural  Club  and  takes  an  active  interest 
in  its  work. 

Oak-Leavod  Primulas. — Quite  a  distinct  break 
ill  the  Chinese  Primulas  from  any  others  in  com- 
merce are  those  possessing  leaves  almost  identical 
mth  th053  of  the  Oak-leaved  Geranium.  In  many 
instances  the  flowers,  although  set  rather  low, 
are  beautifully  double,  and  they  are  invariably 
produced  in  great  profusion.  A  variety  with 
clear  salmon-shaded  flowers  is  most  pleasing, 
particularly  early  in  the  year,  when  even  green- 
house flowers  are  none  too  plentiful. 

Rambler   Roses  over   Rustic    Poles. — .A   few 

days  ago  we  saw  an  effective  method  of  growing 
some  of  the  stronger-growing  Rambler  ;  Roses, 
such  as  .A.merican  Pillar.  Some  rough,  slightly- 
branched  poles  about  nine  feet  high  had  been 
firmly  thrust  into  a  circular  lawn  bed,  wigwam 
fashion,  and  around  and  outside  these  the  Roses 
had  been  planted,  the  growth  nearly  hiding  the 
supports.  The  effect  when  the  Roses  are  in  bloom 
can  easily  be  imagined,  and  the  method  has  the 
merits  of  being  simple  and  inexpensive. 

Ground  Plants  for  Fuchsias  in  Beds. — For 
bedding,  some  of  the  dwarfer  Fuchsias  are  very 
well  adapted,  but  the  effect  is  often  destroyed 
by  the  unsuitability  of  some  of  the  flowers  chosen 
as  carpeters  or  for  groundwork.  We  have  found 
nothing  better  for  dark  Fuchsias  than  plants  of 
the  old  double  white  Pink,  whose  glaucous  foliage 
in  itself  forms  an  admirable  setting  for  the  Fuchsias, 
and  which  is  not  reduced  in  value  in  the  slightest 
by  its  flowers.  For  light  Fuchsias  the  dwarfest 
blue  Ageratums  are  as  good  as  anything  we  can 
have.  These  plants  were  largely  used  by  an 
experienced  gardener  years  ago,  and  we  have  seen 
nothing  better  as  yet  to  supersede  them. 

The  Sea  Buckthorn  (Hippophae  rhamnoides.) — 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  this  beautiful  sea- 
shore shrub  produces  male  and  female  flowers  on 
different  plants.  Needless  to  say,  the  male  flower- 
bearing  plants  do  not  produce  berries  ;  at  the  same 
time,  it  is  advisable  to  have  a  male  plant  in  the 
vicinity  to  obtain  a  good  display  of  berries  among 
those  shrubs  bearing  female  flowers.    An  even  better 


method  is  to  graft  branches  of  the  male  upon  the 
berry-producing  shrubs,  and  thus  ensure  a  free 
distribution  of  pollen  at  the  time  of  flowering. 
The  Sea  Buckthorn  is  a  native  of  our  seashores, 
though  it  is  equally  happy  in  inland  gardens. 

Delphiniums  and  Slugs. — In  common  with 
many  other  plants,  the  Delphiniums  are  com- 
mencing to  grow,  owing  to  the  unusual  mUdness 
of  the  season.  The  crowns  of  the  plants  are  swelling, 
and  although  they  will  not  be  seriouslydamaged 
by  frosts  later  on,  there  is  considerable  danger 
from  slugs.  We  have  seen  plants  partially  ruined 
by  slugs  eating  away  the  young  crowns.  Readers 
who  now  find  the  crowns  quite  bare,  owing  to 
their  being  so  washed  by  the  rains,  should  'place 
some  fine  ashes  on  them  to  a  depth  of  i  inch  or 
rather  more. 

Hardy  Heaths  in  Midwinter. — Owing  in  a 
large  measure  to  the  exceptionally  mild  weather, 
hardy  Heaths  are  flowering  much  earUer  this  winter 
than  usual.  In  our  gardens  just  now  Erica 
mediterranea  hybrida,  with  E.  codonodes  or 
E.  lusitanica,  are  the  most  beautiful,  the  rose 
pink  flowers  of  the  former  and  the  white  ones  of 
the  latter  being  much  appreciated.  E.  camea 
and  its  white  variety  alba  are  also  flowering  freely  ; 
the  type  is  the  best  for  a  bold  display.  Closely 
allied  to  the  true  Ericas  is  the  Ling,  Calluna  vulgaris, 
and  the  white-flowered  form  of  this,  commonly 
known  as  white  Heather,  is  full  of  flower-buds 
that  are  far  enough  advanced  to  give  the  bed  quite 
a  white  appearance.  .K\\  hardy  Heaths  should  be 
planted  in  colonies. 

Two  Showy  Greenhouse  Plants.— An  effective 

combination  of  two  rather  uncommon  plants  was 
noted  recently  in  the  greenhouse  at  Kew.  The 
plants  were  the  Mexican  Jacobinia  chrysostephana 
and  the  Brazilian  Tibouchina  semidecandra. 
The  latter  species  was  grown  in  bush  form,  the 
individual  plants  being  2  feet  to  2\  feet  high,  and 
composed  of  five  or  six  main  branches  well  fur- 
nished with  short  branchlets,  from  which  the  large 
purple  flowers  were  freely  borne.  Jacobinia 
chrysostephana  was  represented  by  bushy  plants 
about  eighteen  inches  high,  each  branch  being 
terminated  by  a  head  of  orange-coloured  flowesr. 

"  The  Orchid  Review."  —  This  monthly 
journal  of  orchidology  is  now  entering  its  twenty- 
first  year.  The  first  issue  appeared  in  January, 
1893,  when  it  was  established  to  supply  a  long-felt 
want  among  amateurs  of  Orchids,  viz.,  a  journal 
devoted  to  their  special  interests.  Every  branch 
of  orchidology,  including  cultivation,  evolution, 
structural  peculiarities,  natural  distribution  and 
the  vexed  question  of  hybrid  nomenclature,  has 
been  discussed  and  continues  to  be  discussed 
in  the  pages  of  "  The  Orchid  Review."  The  import- 
ance of  this  extremely  useful  work  is  fully  recog- 
nised and  appreciated  by  Orchid  experts,  and  while 
wishing  it  every  success  in  the  future,  we  take 
this  opportunity  of  congratulating  Mr.  R.  A. 
Rolfe,  A.L.S.,  the  editor,  on  the  success  he  has 
achieved. 


18 


THE    GAEDEN. 


[January  ii,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 


(The 


Editor    is   not-    responsible     for    the 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


opinions 


Camellias    in    the    Open. — Reading    Mr.    S. 

Arnott's  notes  on  "  Camellias  in  the  Open,"  page  646 
of  The  Garden  for  December  28,  I  thought  perhaps 
it  would  be  of  interest  to  others  to  know  that  we 
have  here  a  tree  of  C.  nobilissima  now  in  flower, 
and  which  has  been  flowering  off  and  on  for  the 
past  six  weeks.  It  has  had  as  many  as  three  dozen 
blooms  expanded  at  one  time.  It  is  about  one  and 
a-half  miles  from  the  sea. — J.  S.  Higgins,  Glynllivon 
Gardens.  Carnarvon. 

Plants  Flowering  Out  of  Season. — Amid  the 
many  plants  now  flowering  out  of  season,  the  most 
remarkable  here  is,  I  think,  the 
common  Cowslip,  which  does  not 
flower  in  a  natural  way  until  April. 
In  a  wood  on  a  hill  having  a  north 
aspect,  flowers  were  picked  from 
two  plants  on  December  17.  My 
Christmas  Roses  of  the  altifolius 
variety  growing  at  the  foot  of  a 
south  wall  were  all  over  before 
Christmas  Day.  My  first  flower  of 
Iris  stylosa  was  gathered  on 
December  20,  which  is  not  an 
unusually  early  date  for  that 
variety. — E.  Molyneux,  Swanmore 
Park. 

Two  Winter-flowering  Honey- 
suckles.— All  who  appreciate  per- 
fume in  flowers — and  who  does  not  ? 
— shoiild  grow  the  Bush  Honey- 
suckle, Lonicera  fragrantissima, 
which  is  now  in  flower  in  many 
places.  Old  specimens  will  often 
attain  a  height  of  from  7  feet  to 
8  feet,  and  it  is  a  pleasant  surprise, 
on  a  calm  day,  to  enter  the  zone 
of  fragrance,  many  yards  in  extent, 
created  by  such  a  shrub,  every  shoot 
studded  with  small  ivory  white 
blossoms,  deliciously  scented. 
Though  by  no  means  a  showy  shrub, 
it  is  far  from  being  devoid  of 
beauty,  its  shoots  being  freely  set 
with  small  white  blooms.  Sprays 
in  flower  when  cut  and  brought  into 
the  house  will  fill  the  living-rooms 
with  delicious  perfume  for  many 
a  day.  This  Honeysuckle  is  classed 
as  an  evergreen,  but  when  exposed 
to  cutting  %vinds  and  severe  frost  it 
often  loses  its  foliage.  L.  Standishii 
is  a  very  similar  species,  bearing 
small  white,  sweet-scented  flowers ; 
but  where  only  one  is  grown,  L. 
fragrantissima    is    preferable.  —  Wyndham    Fitz- 

HERBERT. 

Narcissus  pallidus  praecox. — Turning  up  an 
old  copy  of  The  Garden  dated  igor,  I  find  a 
note  of  mine  in  praise  of  Narcissus  pallidus  prtecox, 
and  I  have  not  altered  my  opinion.  My  first 
flowers  of  it  opened  under  glass  the  last  week 
in  December,  and.outside  it  had  at  that  time  burst 
its  spathe.  No  Daffodil  here  ever  opens  so  early, 
whether  protected  or  not,  and  that  I  suppose  is 
its  chief  charm  to  those  to  whom  the  Daffodil 
appeals.  It  is  a  variable  and  capricious  plant 
from  several  points  of  view.  For  instance,  in  potting 
it,  it  is  futile  to  put  more  than  one  bulb  in  a  pot, 
for  the  flowers  open   at  all  sorts  of  times,  and  no 


two  flowers  seem  of  quite  the  same  pattern.  Then, 
again,  it  is  delicate  in  constitution,  and  the  bulbs 
here  seem  to  disappear  after  a  season  or  two  ; 
but  it  seeds  freely  and,  if  planted  in  places  where 
the  seedlings  have  a  chance  of  germinating  and 
remaining  undisturbed,  one  gets  a  successional 
supply  of  this  pretty  little  Pyrenean  Narcissus 
without  the  trouble  entailed  by  successive  replant- 
ings. — F.  Herbert  Chapman,  i?yc. 

Rhododendron  dauricum  at  Christmas. — Very 

rarely  has  this  Rhododendron  been  seen  to  such 
great  advantage  as  during  the  present  winter,  the 
mild  weather  and  almost  total  absence  of  frost 
during  the  three  or  four  weeks  immediately  pre- 
ceding Christmas  being  exactly  what  was  wanted 
to  allow  it  to  open  its  flowers,  so  that  throughout 
Christmas  Week  it  was  a  mass  of  rosy  purple  flowers. 


^^%    ..^.-H^ 

Ws^^^X^Sm 

r  ■  "".■   -;■*■                 -'"'MmrFffarfyrr-  ■- 

RHODODENDRON   DAURICUM,   PHOTOGRAPHED   IN    THE    ROCK   GARDEN 
AT    KEW    ON    DECEMBER    26,    I9I2. 


and  certainly  one  of  the  showiest  of  outdoor  plants. 
Quite  recently  a  fine  group  in  full  flower  was  noted 
between  the  Palm  House  and  Temperate  House  at 
Kew,  while  other  well-flowered  examples  were  seen 
in  the  rock  garden.  An  illustration  of  one  of  these, 
from  a  photograph  taken  on  Boxing  Day,  is  given 
herewith.  R.  dauricum  is  a  native  of  Dahuria, 
Mandshuria  and  Sachalin,  and,  coming  from  a 
cold  region,  a  spell  of  mild  weather  in  midwinter 
causes  it  to  begin  to  open  its  flowers  very  early 
in  this  country  ;  therefore  they  often  fall  a  prey 
to  frost  before  they  can  all  expand.  Nevertheless, 
it  is  a  good  ktad  to  plant,  for  in  those  seasons  when 
it  does  escape  injury  it  adds  a  bright  touch  of 
colour  to  the  garden  at  a  very  dull  season.     There 


are  several  forms  of  the  plant,  some  having  deciduous 
leaves,  and  in  other  cases  the  leaves  are  evergreen 
or  sub-evergreen. — D. 

Greenhouse  Eupatoriums. — The  Eupatoriums, 
referred  to  by  "  H._  P.,"  page  646,  issue  Decem- 
ber 28,  are  extremely  valuable  for  the  conservatory 
and  greenhouse,  furnishing  during  the  autumn  and 
winter  months,  or,  at  least,  until  Christmas  is  well 
past.  They  are  very  useful  to  amateur  cultivators, 
as  the  plants  can  be  grown  in  pots  in  the  open  air, 
just  like  Chrysanthemums,  during  the  summer 
months.  Unstopped  plants  yield  very  fine  heads 
of  flowers  ;  plants  stopped  branch  out  freely  and 
form  nice  bushes,  being  serviceable  in  this  way  as 
well  as  for  yielding  cut  blooms  for  vases. — B. 

Lewisias  Cotyledon  and' Howellii.^lt   would 

be  of  value  to  many  if  Mr.  Stormonth.  whose  note 
appears  on  page  2,  January  4  issue, 
would  tell  us  how  long  the  Lewisias 
named  above  have  been  hardy  in 
his  nursery.  His  is  not  the  usuai 
experience,  even  in  places  much 
further  South  than  Cumberland.  So 
far  as  regards  the  habitats  of  L. 
Cotyledon,  the  authority  of  the 
"  Index  Kewensis  "  supports  the 
statement  by  your  contributor  on 
page  365  (December  21)  that  these 
are  in  California.  It  is,  however, 
satisfactory  to  learn  that  the  above 
come  from  Alaska  also,  and  it  is 
quite  likely  that  plants  from 
that  habitat  will  stand  our  winters 
better  than  those  from  further 
.South.  L.  Tweedyii,  which  comes 
from  Oregon,  may  perhaps  live  for 
a  time  at  Kirkbride  also;  but  one 
would  like  to  learn  precisely  what 
species  have  stood  the  winter  in  the 
open  for  a  series  of  years  in  Mr. 
Stormonth's  most  interesting  nur- 
sery, which  is,  by  the  way,  in  a  mild 
district  for  the  county  in  which  it 
lies. — S.  Arn'ott. 
Propagating   Polygonum  bald- 

SChuanicum.  —  In  your  issue  of 
December  21  last  it  is  said  of  this 
climber  that  "  both  cuttings  and 
layers  are  somewhat  erratic  in  their 
behaviour."  Is  it  meant  that  they 
are  difficult  to  strike  ?  I  have  only 
had  one  experience  of  it,  which  was 
as  follows  :  Last  ."^pril  I  took  thir- 
teen cuttings  of  the  young  growth, 
each  taken  with  a  heel.  These  I 
placed  in  a  pot  in  sandy  loam,  and 
from  them  obtained  a  dozen  strong 
plants,  several  of  which  made 
growths  of  over  twelve  feet  last 
summer.  The  plan  I  adopt  for 
striking  cuttings  is  as  follows  :  Insert  the  cuttings 
in  a  pot  in  the  ordinary  way.  Then  place  the  pot 
in  a  larger  empty  pot.  This  pot  should  be  so  much 
larger  that  the  tops  of  the  cuttings  are  beneath 
its  rim.  A  sheet  of  glass  is  then  placed  on  the  top, 
so  making  a  sort  of  propagating-case.  I  find  the 
cuttings  strike  with  remarkable  freedom  in  this 
contrivance.  On  one  occasion  cuttings  of  double 
Gorse  had  made  roots  over  three  inches  long  within 
a  week,  and  that  in  an  unheated  greenhouse  in 
summer. — Walter  de  H.  Birch,  W-alton-le-daU, 
Lancashire.  [Our  correspondent  has  been  successful 
in  his  efforts.  Sometimes  cuttings  root  quite  easily, 
and  at  others  are  difficult  to  strike  successfully. 
—Ed.] 


January  ii,  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


19 


Fragrant  Chrysanthemums.— Frnra  my  experi- 
ence the  single-flowered  variety  Mrs.  Langtry  l^ 
quite  the  Strongest  in  perlunie,  and  pleasing 
as  well.  This  variety  was  very  popular  two 
ducades  ago.  ,  It  is  especially  free  in  flower 
and  grows  vigorously  in  quite  a  small  pot.  — 
!•.  M. 

Two  Early  English  Flower  Books.— In  reply  to 

tlie  Rev:  1.  Jacob's  request  lor  inlorraation,  page  C52, 
issue  December  28,  1912,  Roa  styles  himself  a  gentle- 
man, vide  title  -  page  of  his  book,  "  John  Rea, 
gent."  He  seems  not  to  have  owned  any  property  ; 
at  least,  he  rented  the  tenement  at  Kinlet,  and  some 
land  he  cultivated  he  had  on  lease,  and  probably 
lived  on  the  profits  from  the  latter.  His  garden 
he  made  himself,  with  the  assistance  of  labourers. 
It  has  been  thought  by  some  that  in  the  produc- 
tion of  the  poetry  which  distinguishes  his  book,  his 
son-in-law,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Gilbert,  had  a  more 
important  share  than  those  who  helped  him  had 
in  garden-making.  Anyhow,  he  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  his  initials  appended  to  one  effusion. 
The  book  appears  in  "  Horticultural  Bibliography  " 
under  two  titles — by  that  given  it  by  Mr.  Jacob, 
which  is  really  a  sub-title  for  Part  I.,  and  by  that 
on  the  engraved  frontispiece,  "  Flora,  Ceres  and 
Pomona,"  which  is  the  better,  as  it  indicates  the 
purpose  of  the  volume.  My  copy  has  in  the 
second  title  ("Flora  seu  et  Florum  Cultura") 
the  name  of  Nath.  Brook  as  publisher  ;  the  first 
title  and  the  other  sub-titles  that  of  Richard 
Maniot.  It  is  bound  in  the  same  style  as  Evelyn's 
•'Sylva"  of  1664.  The  second  edition,  it  may  be 
added,  contains  fuller  lists  of  some  plants  than  the 
first. — R.  P.  Brotherstqn. 

The  Flower  Garden  in  Winter. — In  reference 

to  the  plants  mentioned  on  page  2  of  your  last 
number,  I  have  the  following  in  flower  in  the  open  : 
Iris  reticulata  Krelagei,  Hepaticas,  Leucojum 
vernum  (Snowflake),  Chionodo.xa  sardensis.  Rhodo- 
dendron racemosum,  Cheiranthus  alpinus,  Anemone 
sylvestris,  Arabis  albida  flore  pleno,  Chiraonanthus 
fragrans,  Crocuses  (three  species),  Adonis  amurensis. 
Campanula  grandis,  Primula  denticulata,  Spirsea 
Thunbergii,  and  Pyrus  japonica  (four  varieties). 
In  a  day  or  two  Saxifraga  apiculata.  S.  Elizabetha\ 
a  strong  spike  of  Delphinium  (variety  King  of 
Delphiniums),  three  spikes  on  a  plant  of  Lupinus 
polyphyllus  and  a  big  bush  of  Kerria  japonica 
should  be  in  full  flower.  Last  week  I  had  a  Rasp- 
berry cane  in  bloom,  and  I  can  any  day  cut  some 
thick  sticks  of  .\sparagus  growing  in  the  open 
without  any  adventitious  aid.  Walking  round  a 
neighbour's  garden  to-day,  I  noticed,  among  others, 
a  yellow  Carnation  in  flower,  also  an  Erigeron, 
.Achillea  tomentosa,  Statice  tartarica  and  a  big 
group  of  Erica  arborea.  By  the  water's  edge 
Caltha  polypetala  had  half-a-dozen  fully-expanded 
flowers,  and,  close  by,  a  Water  Lily  had  five  bloom- 
buds  on  it.  On  a  south  wall  Ceanothus  Veitchii 
was  a  mass  of  bloom-buds,  which  should  open, 
if  the  present  weather  lasts,  in  about  ten  days' 
time.  My  wichuraiana  Roses  have  basal  shoots 
on  them  which  one  would  be  proud  to  see  in  July. 
It  will  go  hard  with  these  if  severe  frost  comes. 
Just  now  it  is  not  a  question  of  what  is  in  flower, 
but  what  is  not. — B.,  Weybridie. 


FORTHCOMING    EVENTS. 

January  15. — North  of  England  Horticultural 
Society's  Meeting  at  Leeds.  Lecture  by  Mr.  R. 
Farrer  on  "  Treasures  of  the  Alps." 

January  21. — Royal  Horticultural  Socielv's 
Meeting  and  Exhibition. 


GARDENING     ACROSTICS. 


AS  announced  in  our  issue  for  December   14, 
/%  1912,  we  are  publishing  a  series  of  eight 

/  %  aaostics  based  on  gardening  or  simple 
^^^k  botany.  Prizes  of  £3,  £2  and  £i, 
*  ^     respectively,  will  be   awarded   to  those 

sending  in  correct  solutions  of  all  the 
acrostics.  The  names  of  those  who  have  correctly 
solved  the  problems  will  be  published  from  week 
to  week,  and  the  final  list  of  prize-winners  in  our 
issue  of  February  22.  In  all  cases  the  Editor's 
decision  must  be  final.  The  solution  to  Acrostic 
No.  4,  which  appeared  last  week,  will  be  published 
next  week,  and  the  solution  to  No.  5,  which  is 
printed  below,  will  be  published  in  oiu"  issue  dated 
January  25.  For  full  rules  governing  the  compe- 
tition readers  are  referred  to  page  623  of  our  issue 
for  December  14,  njiz. 

DOUBLE    ACROSTIC    No.    5. 

The  very  latest  in  the  latest  fashion  in  gardening. 
Some  of  the  things  that  might  be  tried  in  them. 

I.  The  first  letters  in  the  surnames  of  two  of  the 
first  men  who  tried  to  find  out  what  was 
inside  plants. 

2    The  most  famous  "  Green." 

3.  -^  seventeenth  century  Virgil. 

4.  "  Seed   of   the   Sun  " — a   pretty   name   for   a 

fruit    whose    modern   name   might    possibly 
be  connected  with  "  praecox." 

5.  \  correct  ending! 

6.  A  plant   with   many   names.     The   right   one 

here  is  suggested  by  the  seeds. 

7.  A  celebrated  cultivator  of,  and  writer  about, 

the  Auricula. 

8.  Responsible  for  many  quaint  plant  names. 

Solutions  of  the  above  must  be  sent  so  as  to  teach 
the  Editor  at  so,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden, 
London,  W.C.,  not  later  than  January  18.  Mark 
the    envelope    "Acrostic"     on     the     upper    left-hand 


promotes  the  growth  of  plants.  ••  So-called 
from  the  resemblance  of  the  round  fiower-heads 
to  a  sea-urchin.  In  Greek  a  sea-urchin  is 
"  echinops." 


SOLVERS     OF    ACROSTIC    No.    2. 

Correct  solutions  of  .Acrostic  No.  2,  which 
appeared  in  our  issue  for  December  28,  have  been 
sent  in  by  the  following  :  "  Observer,"  M.  Browne, 
Mrs.  H.  Jenner,  "  Traveller's  Joy,"  "  White  Lady," 
S.  W.  Philpott,  '■  Retrac,"  E.  B,  Anderson, 
"  .Arnold,"  William  Bond,  Mrs.  Ferguson.  W.  P. 
Wood,  "  Elm,  Bampton,"  "  R.  P.  B.,"  and  "Scottie." 
The  word  "  Hoxton  "  proved  a  stumbling-block,  the 
majority  of  the  solutions  sent  in  giving  this  as 
Hampton,  Holborn  or  Hatton  Garden. 

*,*  The  names  of  those  who  have  correctly  solved 
No.  3  will  be  given  next  week. 


SOLUTION     AND     NOTES 
ACROSTIC     No.     3. 

"  SOPS-IN-WINE— CARNATIONS.' 


OF 


PRIZES     FOR     THE    BEST 
ROCK   GARDENS. 


One  of  the  oldest  English  names  ot  the  Carnation 
was  Sops-in-wine,  from  their  being  used  to  fla\'our 
wine. 

*   I.     S.  C. 

2.  O  l.E.\RI  ,A 

t    3.  P  ETE  R 

J    4.  S  ALiMO  N 

5.  I  RIS      SUSIAS'  .A 

§  6.     N  u  T 

11     7.  W  INTF.RI  I 

8.  I              NDIG  O 

H    9.  N  ITROGE  N 

**    10.  E  CHINOP  S 

*  Verj  often  "  s  "  and  "  c  "  are  placed  wrongly  in 
"  Fuchsia,"  e.g..  Slater's  "  Floral  Guide,"  page  93. 
t  Peter  the  Great  rented  Evelyn's  house  while  he 
was  ill  England  learning  the  art  of  shipbuilding. 
He  did  great  damage  to  the  garden,  t  Salmon's 
"  Herbal,"  published  in  1710  ;  a  large  folio,  really 
as  much  an  inventory  of  garden  plants  as  a  herbal. 
§  Pit  =  grave  and  Nit=nut.  This  is  a  form  of  the 
popular  idea  that  many  berries  foretell  a  hard 
winter.  ||  Primula  Winterii,  a  most  distinct  and 
lovely   Primula  from  the    Himalayas.     1[  Nitrogen 


To  further  stimulate  the  interest  that  is  bemg  taken 
in  rock  gardens,  the  Proprietors  of  The  Garden 
offer  the  foUowuig  prizes  for  tfuree  photographs  of 
a  rock  garden,  or  portions  of  a  rock  garden  : 

First  prize:    Five  Guineas,  or  a  Silver  Cup  of 
that  value. 

Second  prize  :    Two  Guineas,  or  Books  ol  that 

value. 

Third  prize  :    One  Guinea. 

The  competition  is  open  onlv  to  the  actual 
owner  of  the  rock  garden,  or  to  his  or  her  gardener. 
The  object  is  to  encourage  good  rock  gardening, 
and  preference  will,  therefore,  be  given  to  those 
rock  gardens  which  show  originality  in  design,  and 
where  the  plants  depicted  are  well  grown.  It 
should  be  distinctly  understood  that  awards  will 
be  made  to  the  best  rock  gardens,  and  not  neces- 
sarily to  the  best  photographs.  The  photographs 
need  not  be  taken  by  the  competitor,  who  must, 
however,  in  such  cases  have  the  written  consent 
of  the  photographer  for  their  reproduction  in  The 
Garde.n'.  The  competition  is  subject  to  the 
following  rules  : 

1.  Not    more    than    three    photographs   of   each 

garden  may  be  sent  in  by  one  competitor. 

2.  Each  photograph  must  have  the  full  name  and 

address  of  the  competitor  plainly  written 
on  the  back  in  ink. 

3.  Successful  competitors    shall    furnish    written 

particulars  of  the  rock  garden  forming  the 
subject  of  their  photographs. 

4.  Glazed  and   mounted   P.O. P.    prints  must    be 

sent. 

5.  All    photographs    must     be    sent    to    arrive 

at  The  Garden  Offices,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Strand,  W.C,  not  later  than  June  i, 
1913. 

6.  Unsuccessful      photographs     sent      in      will 

be  returned  if  a  sufficiently  stamped  and 
addressed  envelope  or  wrapper  is  enclosed, 
but  no  responsibility  will  be  taken  for  the 
loss  or  damage  of  photographs  submitted, 
although  every  care  will  be  taken  of 
them. 

7.  The   Proprietors   of  The  Garden    reserve    to 

themselves  the  right  to  reproduce  any 
photograph  sent   in   for  competition. 

8.  The  decision  of  the  Editor  will  be  final. 


20 


THE    GARDEN. 


[January  ii,  1913. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

THE     RAISING     OF    ORCHIDS     FROM 
SEED. 

THE  raising  of  plants  from  seed  is  always 
an  interesting  pursuit,  especially  when 
the  object  is  to  produce  a  new  "  break  " 
in  either  flowers,  fruits  or  vegetables. 
There  is  a  certain  degree  of  delightful 
expectancy  which  only  those  who  have 
had  practical  experience  can  realise,  and  this  is 
more    especially    felt    when    raising    Orchids    from 


I. HOW    TO    PREPARE     POTS     FOR    ORCHID    SEEDS.       O 

IS    A    POT     READY     FOR     SOWING,     AND     ON     THE 
CONTAINING    VERY    SMALL    SEEDLINGS. 

seed,  .although  much  has  been  accomplished  witli 
this  great  family,  more  remains  to  be  done,  par- 
ticularly with  some  genera  ;  but  we  must  always 
have  an  object  in  view,  for  the  days  of  haphazard 
crossing  are  past,  and  the  old  idea  "  you  can  never 
tell  what  you  will  get  "  is  obsolete.  This,  however, 
is  just  by  the  way,  and  we  must  assume  that  the 
seed-pod  is  ripe  and  the  contents  ready  for  sowing. 
The  House. — The  methods  described  in  the 
present  article  apply  to  most,  if  not  all,  epiphytal 
Orchids,  of  which  Caltleya,  La;lia,  Brassavola  and 
Dendrobium  may  be  cited  as  examples.  Seeds  of  the 
terrestrial  kinds,  suit  as  Disa,  Cypripedium  and 
Calanthe,  are  best  sown  around  plants  belonging 
to  the  same  genera,  selecting  a  specimen  that 
will  not  require  repotting  for  at  least  a  year.  A 
warm,  moist  atmosphere  is  essential  for  the 
successful  raising  of  Orchids  from  seed,  and  in  some 
establishments  a  small  frame  is  arranged  in  the 
warmest  corner  of  a  house  where  the  temperature 
varies  from  65°  to  70°  Fahr.  If  the  body  of  the 
frame  is  extended  to  the  floor,  it  can  be  kept  5° 
or  more  higher  than  the  bouse,  while,  if  necessary, 
the  surroundings  can  be  maintained  near  saturation 
point  ;  but  this  ought  not  to  be  overdone,  or  the 
canvas  and  soil  will  rot  befor?  germination  takes 
place. 

-  Preparing  the  Seed-Pots.— In  the  first  illus- 
tration are  sho\vn  two  pots,  one  just  prepared  for 
sowing  the  seed,  and  on  the  right  hand  the  seed- 
lings are  ready  for  pricking  off  in  store  pots,  although 
they  are  rather  too  minute  to  be  seen  to  advantage 
in  the  illustration.  Each  pot  is  filled  one-half  of 
its  depth  with  drainage  ;  then  a  ball  of  soil,  which 
consists  of  peat,  partly-decayed  Oak  leaves  and 
sphagnum  moss,  is  rolled  up  in  a  piece  of  cheese 
cloth,  calico,  or  similar  material,  and  wedged  tightly 
in  the  pot.  A  thin  layer  of  sphagnum  is  then 
placed  round  the  side  and  neatly  clipped  off,  when 
we  get  an  example  like  that  on  the  left-hand  side 
of  the  illustration.  The  surface  must  always  be 
at   least   half  an   inch    below   the   top   of   the   pot. 


N    THE    LEFT 
RIGHT     ONE 


'■r  the  seed,   which   is   very   light,  mav  be   washed 

n\'er. 

Sowing  the  Seed. — This  is  best  sown  imme- 
diately after  it  is  ripe,  excepting,  perhaps,  during 
the  winter  months,  when  it  can  be  stored  in  paper 
where  the  temperature  is  about  60°  Fahr.  till 
spring  arrives.  The  pans  should  be  well  watered 
twenty-four  hours  in  advance,  the  seed  may  then 
be  sprinkled  lightly  and  evenly  over  the  surface 
and  not  covered  in  any  way,  while  the  best  method 
of  distributing  the  seed  is  with  the  blade  of  an 
ordinary  budding-knife ;  but  after  sowing  one 
pod  the  knife  must  be  carefully 
wiped  before  starting  another,  or  the 
seed  may  get  slightly  mixed  and  cause 
confusion  when  the  seedlings  flower. 
I  might  state  here  that  accurate 
records  ought  always  to  be  kept. 
Careful  watering  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary, and  this  can  be  brought 
about  by  standing  the  pans  in  tepid 
water  and  allowing  it  to  percolate 
through  the  soil,  or  employing  one 
of  the  numerous  fine  sprayers.  After 
the  seed  is  sown  it  should  never 
be  allowed  to  become  dry,  but 
the  other  extreme  must  also  be 
avoided. 

Pricking   OH  the  Seedlings. — In 

four  of  five  weeks  germination  will 
have  taken  place,  providing  the  seed 
was  fertile,  and  numerous  little 
green  globules  will  be  seen  on  the  surface.  As 
they  become  larger  they  are  pricked  off  with  a 
pointed  stick  into  what  are  known  as  store  pots. 
These  are  2  J- inch  pots,  which  are  filled  three  parts 
of  their  depth  with  drainage,  the  remaining  space 
being  occupied  with  the  usual  Orchid  compost 
cut  up  rather  fine,  and  closely  clipped  so  as  to  form 
a  level  and  firm  surface.  On  the  left  of  Fig.  2 
may  be  seen  such  a  pot  as  I  have  described,  with 
twenty  or  thirty  small  seedlings,  and  as  they  grow 
more  space  must  be  given.  In  the  other  pot  are 
three  larger  seedlings,  and  at  the  next  repotting 
each  would  be  placed  in  a  receptacle  of  similar 
dimensions.  From  the  time  of  sowing  the  seed 
till  the  flowering  stage  is  reached  the  plants 
are  never  permitted  to  become  dry  at  the 
base,  nor  is  the  rooting  medium  allowed  to 
get  into  a  sour  condition.  A  moist,  buoyant 
atmosphere  is  advisable  and  an  average  tempera- 
ture of  65°  Fahr.,  while  cleanliness  is  a  most 
important  factor,  for  thrip  will  soon  destroy  the 
tiny  seedlings  or  cripple  them 
to  such  an  extent  that  progress  is 
considerably  retarded.  Although  the 
niethud  of  raising  Orchids  from 
seed  is  rather  different  to  that 
adopted  for  most  other  plants,  yet 
it  really  presents  very  lew  difficulties. 
Our  aim  should  be  to  flower  each 
plant  in  the  shortest  possible  time,  and 
to  this  end  repot  directly  a  larger 
receptacle  is  needed  or  the  soil  is 
in  a  bad  state,  keep  the  house  and 
seedlings  quite  clean,  the  surround- 
ings moist,  give  a  gentle  spray  * 
overhead  occasionally  during  the 
spring  and  summer  months,  using 
au  .\bol  or  similar  spraying  syringe, 
and  maintain  an  equable  tempera- 
ture throughout  the  year.  If  these 
details  are  observed,  success  is 
assured.  S.  T' 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


S 

T 


HOW    TO     MAKE    AND    PLANT    A 
STREAMSIDE    GARDEN. 

O  have  water,  whether  of  'pmid  or  stream, 
in  a  garden  is  the  greatest  possible 
gain,  for  it  enables  the  ingenious 
garden  owner  or  designer  not  only  to 
grow  in  perfection  many  beautiful 
plants,  but  to  treat  the  watery  places, 
according  to  their  nature  and  capability,  in  various 
delightful  ways.  The  kind  of  stream  that  is  easiest 
to  deal  with  is  one  which  has  a  shallow  flow  over 
a  stony  bottom  and  that  is  not  much  below  the 
general  ground-level.  Here  we  have,  ready- 
made,  the  most  desirable  conditions,  and  it  is  an 
easy  matter  to  plant  the  banks  and  water  edges 
without  any  work  of  shifting  or  shaping  ground. 

If  the  little  waterway  passes  through  dressed 
flower  garden,  it  may  be  tamed  to  take  its  part 
in  the  garden  design  in  rills  and  pools  and  basins, 
bordered  with  wrought-stone  kerbing  and  planted 
with  such  beautiful  things  as  the  Japanese  Iris 
laevigata  and  I.  sibirica,  scarlet  Lobeha  and  the 
fine  double  Arrowhead.  But  if  it  passes  through 
the  outer  part  of  the  garden,  or  near  grounds 
of  wilder  character,  the  plants  would  be,  many  of 
them,  natives — the  Water  Plantain  with  its  beauti- 
ful leaves,  the  Flowering  Rush  (Butoijius),  the 
lovely  Water  Forget-me-not,  the  deep  yellow  Marsh 
Marigold,  the  bright  clear  yellow  Mimulus,  so 
long  acclimatised  that  we  class  it  as  a  native  ; 
then  for  foliage  the  common  Bur-reed  (Sparganium 
ramosum).  Lady  Fern  and  Dilated  Shield  Fern  ; 
then  the  double  form  of  the  wild  Meadow-sweet 
and  its  foreign  congeners  the  pale  pink  Spirjea 
venusta,  the  rosy  S.  palmata  and  the  larger  white- 
plumed  S.  Aruncus,  native  of  the  banks  of  alpine 
torrents.  There  are  other  of  our  beautiful  native 
water-side  plants,  but  these  will  be  enough  for  a 
considerable  length  of  planting.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  the  best  effects  are  gained  by 
some  restraint  in  the  numbers  of  different  kinds 
of  plants  used.  If  in  one  stretch  of  20  feet  tn 
25  feet  the  plants  are  blue  Forget-me-not,  yellow 
Mimulus  and  Lady  Fern  only,  one  can  see  and 
enjoy  these  lovely  things  to  the  full,  and  far  better 
than  if  there  were  two  or  three  other  objects  of 
interest  besides.  It  should  also  be  borne  in  mind 
that  the  plant-pictures  of  wise  selection  and  good 
grouping  are  best  seen  from  the  opposite  side  r^f 
the  stream.  If  its  direction  is  sinuous,  there  will 
be  ample  opportunity  for  carrying  the  path  across 


ON  THE  LEFT  IS  A  POT  OF  SEEDLINGS  THAT  HAVE  BEEN 
PRICKED  OFF,  AND  ON  THE  RIGHT  ONE  CONTAINING  THREE 
LARGER    SEEDLINGS. 


January  ii,  1913] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


21 


and  across,  so  gaining;  different  aspects  of  light 
nn  flower  and  water.  Tile  path  may  cross  either 
liy  stepping-stones  or  by  some  very  simple  bridge, 
something  much  better  than  the  so-called  rustic 
bridge  that  so  coinmoidy  defaces  garden  waters. 
If  the  stream  is  not  shallow  and  stony-bottomed, 
it  is  worth  a  good  deal  of  work  and  trouble  to  make 
it  so. 

Not  only  is  it  pleasant  to  see  the  clear  pebbly 
bottom,  but  it  makes  more  movement  of  water, 
and  the  movement  brings  forth  that  sweet  babbling, 
the  language  of  the  water,  telling  of  its  happy 
life  and  activity.  One  may  learn  the  value  of  this 
both  for  sight  and  sound  at  many  a  bridge  in 
country  places  where  a  road  crosses  a  running 
stream  or  small  river.  On  one  side  or  other  of 
llie  bridge  there  is  generally  a  shallow,  stony  place 


PLAN    SHOWING    SECTION    OF    A    DEEP    DITCH 


where  the  water  is  not  much  more  than  ankle-deep. 
However  ancient  the  bridge  may  be,  this  shallow 
is  the  evidence  of  a  still  older  ford.  The  ford  must 
h.ive  been  m.ade  by  widening  the  area  of  the  flow 
and  by  shallowing  the  bottom,  putting  down  stones 
to  hinder  its  being  washed  out.  It  is  a  useful 
lesson  in  the  treatment  of  garden  streams. 

Sometimes  the  only  stream  one  has  to  deal 
with  is  running  water  in  the  bottom  of  a  straight, 
deep,  narrow  ditch,  with  nearly  vertical  sides. 
Nothing  can  be  less  inspiring  to  the  planter  than 
such  a  ditch  ;  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  nothing 
is  more  stimulating  to  its  power  of  invention 
and  determination  to  convert  unsightliness  into 
beauty.  The  ditch,  as  it  exists,  is  useless  except 
as  a  drain,  but  there  is  the  precious  running  water 
— the  one  thing  most  wanted.  In  such  a  case  it 
is  often  advisable  to  mak-  an  entirely  new  channel. 


able  offence  in  all  gardening.  The  course  of  the 
stream  may  be  more  erratic,  and  a  glance  at  the 
sketch  will  show  how  such  planning  gives  oppor- 
tunities for  planting  and  enjoying  a  limited 
number  of  pretty  things  at  a  time,  for  each  Dend 
of  the  brook  may  show  quite  a  different  treatment. 
The  soil  is  taken  out  not  only  for  the  wider, 
shallower  stream,  but  nearly  down  to  the  water- 
level  for  a  width  of  some  feet  on  the  pathside. 
The  spare  earth  is  thrown  up  beyond  the  path  and 
shaped  so  that  it  rises  first  gently  and  then  a  little 
more  sharply.  The  rest  of  the  excavation  goes 
on  the  other  side  of  the  stream,  rising  easily  from 
rather  near  the  water's  edge.  In  the  section  the 
shrubs  on  the  banks  are  shown  of  the  size  they  would 
be  about  a  year  after  planting  ;  eventually  they 
would  be  quite  as  big  again.  The  course  of  the 
stream  is  dug  out  less 
than  one  foot  dcp, 
flattish  rough  stones 
are  laid  at  the  bottom, 
and  over  them  smaller 
stones.  If,  as  is  likely, 
the  path  is  inclineu  to 
be  damp,  it  can  be 
made  dry  and  solid  by 
ramming  small  stones 
into  its  surface,  or  it 
can  be  roughly  laid  with  flat  stones  in  the  wettest 
places.  The  path  must  have  the  character  of  a 
wild  path,  not  that  of  a  garden  walk — nothing 
that  suggests  rolled  gravel,  and  no  straightly- 
trimmed  hedges.  Gertri;de  Jekvll. 


r/r/7r^7/- 


THE      ROSE     GARDEN. 

NOTES     ON     THE     NEWER    ROSES. 

(Continued  from  pave  g.) 
THE  NEWER  DECORATIVE  ROSES. 
The  advance  that  has  been  made  of  recent  years 
in  this  section  of  the  dwarf  decorative  or  garden 
Rose  is  very  great,  and  yet  one  feels,  great  though 
it  has  been,  it  will  be  greater  still  in  the  near  future. 
Those  who  have  seen  the  Roses  not  yet  in  com- 
merce feel  that  that  much  is.  at  any  rate,  assured 


In  dealing  with  these  decorative  Roses  I  shall 
limit  my  selection  to  those  that  I  have  grown  or  ■> 
know  intimately  enough  to  speak  of  with  some 
degree  of  confidence.  This  at  once  shortens  my 
task  very  considerably.  .Might  I  suggest  to  your 
readers  that  they  would  help  on  the  cause  of  the 
Rose  by  naming  any  new  Rose  they  may  have 
tried  and  found  satisfactory,  and  by  forwarding  a 
short  description  for  insertion  in  your  columns. 
Roses  vary  so  much  in  behaviour,  according  to 
the  climate,  soil  and  attention  they  receive,  that 
a  good  Rose  in  one  locality  may  easily  be  unsatis- 
factory in  another,  and  vice  versa.  Where  I 
have  already  referred  to  a  Rose  under  the  exhi- 
bition varieties,  I  shall  not  include  it  here  except 
by  reference.  Very  many  of  our  new  exhibition 
Roses  are  first-rate  garden  Roses  also. 


PLAN    OF    A    PATHWAY    AND    STREAM. 

Alice  Lemon  (K.  G.  Hill,  iyi2). — See  notes  on 
"  Hybrid  Teas  for  Exhibition." 

Andre  Gamon  (Pemet-Ducher,  1910),  H.T. — 
See  notes  on  "  Hvbrid  Teas  for  Exhibition." 

Arthur  R.  Goodwin  (Femet-Ducher,  1909). — 
.A.  pernetiana  Rose,  and  one  of  the  best  of  the 
section,  so  far  as  we  have  made  their  acquaintance  ; 
it  is  named  after  one  who  was  once  a  keen  rosarian, 
hut  who  now  goes  in  for  bulbs  I  A  free-flowering, 
pi;etty,  decorative  Rose  of  good  habit  ;  colour 
variable,  pale  orange  yellow,  veined  old  gold. 
Mildew-proof  with  me  and  scented. 

Beaute  de  Lyon  (Pernet-Ducher,  1910). — 
Another  of  this  rlass,  but  in  habit  of  growth  par- 
taking of  more  of  the  original  cross,  Soleil  d'Or. 
The  colour  is  a  bright  pink  shade  of  terra-cotta, 
quite  unusual,  but  which  appears  again  in  Mme. 
Edouard  Heriot.     A  Rose  one  would  grow  for  its 


^^m 
?//// 


A    STREAMSIDE    GARDEN    THAT    HAS    BEEN    MADE    FROM    A    DEEP    DITCH. 


excavating  a  good  width  so  as  to  gaui  plenty  of 
space  down  at  the  water's  edge,  and  to  give  the 
stream  some  other  form  than  a  straight  one.  A 
natural  stream  is  seldom  straight,  and  though  in 
gardening  in  general  straight  lines  have  great 
value,  yet  there  are  often  reasons  for  departing 
from  them,  especially  in  groundwork  of  the  wilder 
sort.  So  with  our  stream  and  its  accompanying 
path,  the  character  of  the  environment  must  be 
considered,  the  general  lie  of  the  land,  the  nature 
of  the  places  where  the  water  enters  and  leaves 
the  garden  and  so  on.  The  path  should  swing 
along  in  one  easy  line,  not  straight,  but  not  going 
out  of  its  way  to  twist  for  no  reason — an  unpardon- 


from  every  point  of  view — scent,  freedom  of 
flowering,  length  and  continuity  of  the  flowering 
period,  colour,  shape  and  habit  of  growth.  In 
every  one  of  these  respects  advances  are  being 
made  ;  yet  perhaps  if  one  was  asked  to  say  .in  which 
respect  was  the  greatest  advance  to  be  found, 
one  would  say  coloiu' — Queen  Mary,  Irish  Fire- 
flame,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Peirson,  Old  Gold,  Mrs.  Hunting 
and  Lady  Mary  Ward,  to  name  some  of  the  new 
Irish  Roses,  and  then  in  this  connection  one  must 
not  forget  Pernet-Ducher's  great  work.  Probably 
the  foundation  of  this  yellow-in-all-shades  advance — 
a  great  deal  of  it — can  be  traced  back  to  that  source  ; 
at  least,  I  should  imagine  so. 


extraordinary  colour,  just  as  one  would  include 
Juliet ;    but  a  bed  of  it  would  be  a  mistake. 

Berthe  Gaulis  (Bemaix,  1910),  H.T. — A  useful 
Rose.  Colour,  deep  China  pink,  occasionally 
quite  a  good  shape  and  of  some  size  and  substance. 
I  am  giving  it  a  further  trial. 

British  Queen  (S.  McGredy  and  Son,  191:;). — 
See  "  Exhibition  Varieties." 

Carine  (A.  Dickson  and  Sons,  191 1),  H.T. — A 
beautiful  bedding  Rose,  and  one  that  h.is  been 
very  much  admired  here,  so  much  so  that  it  was 
nearly  always  cut  first  if  Roses  were  wanted  for 
the  house.  That  tells  its  own  tale ;  at  least,  I 
think  so.     It  is  a  Hybrid  Tea  with  a  great  deal  of 


•22 


THE    GARDEN. 


[January  ii,  1913. 


Tea  blood  in  it.  If  one  might  venture  a  guess  at  its 
parentage,  I  should  say  that  G.  Nabonnand  had 
had  something  to  do  with  it.  The  colour  is  v.iriable, 
creamy  fawn,  coppery  salmon  in  the  early  stage, 
but  very  attractive  at  all  times.  A  delightful 
button-hole  flower  in  the  bud  stage.  Excellent 
habit  of  growth,  flowers  being  carried  erect.  Very 
sweetly  perfumed  ;  altogether  a  desirable  Rose. 
Southampton.  Herbert  E.  Molyneu.x. 

(To  be  continued.) 


GARDENS     OF    TO-DAY. 


HOPETOUN     HOUSE     GARDENS, 
LINLITHGOWSHIRE. 

Situated  in  one  of  the  favoured  corners  of 
Scotland,  these  extensive  gardens  can  easily 
claim  a   place  of  equality  with  the   best    of   their 


houses   and,    indeed,   a  quite   modern  glass  equip- 
ment. 

A  long  span-roofed  house  is  filled  with 
fine  sturdy  plants  of  Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine, 
both  white  and  pink.  As  these  are  in  great 
demand  during  the  winter,  some  five  hundred 
plants  are  cultivated.  Carnations  of  all  kinds 
are  grown  in  enormous  quantities.  A  large  span- 
roofed  house  was  recently  converted  into  a 
Carnation-house,  and  that  it  is  admirably  adapted 
for  this  purpose  the  healthy  plants  amply  prove. 
.\  smaller  house,  running  at  right  angles  to  the  one 
just  mentioned,  was  filled  with  a  batch  of  young 
Perpetual-flowering  Carnations  in  front,  while  at 
the  back  are  older  plants  that  have  been  giving  a 
constant  supply  of  fine  flowers  for  the  last  twelve 
months.  They  were  still,  at  the  time  of  my  visit, 
giving  plenty  of  fine  blooms  on  stiff,  clean  stems. 
Still   another   house   was   filled   with   a  fine   batch 


grown,  and  also  climbing  Roses  of  the  wichuraiana 
type.  One  of  these  borders  is  devoted  to  Carna- 
tions, all  the  most  distinct  border  varieties  being 
grown  in  hundreds. 

Snapdragons. — Another  section  holds  Ijuudreds 
of  Antirrhinums,  all  the  finest  of  Sutton's  varieties 
being  grown.  Those  who  have  never  seen  Antir- 
rhinums massed  as  they  are  at  Hopetoun  can  have 
no  idea  of  the  gorgeous  effect  produced  by  these 
simple  flowers.  I  shall  never  forget  my  first  visit 
to  these  gardens  several  years  ago,  when  the  first 
thing  to  take  the  eye  was  a  border  in  front  of  the 
Peach-houses  filled  with  2,000  Antirrhmums. 
This  sight  of  itself  was  worth  a  long  journey. 
Last  season  they  were  equally  fine,  but  hardly  in 
such  numbers,  I  think. 

Pentstemons. — While     the     Antirrhinums     are 

always  fine,  they  must  surrender  pride  of  place  at 

I  Hopetoun   to   the   Pentstemons.     Nowhere  have   I 


THE    LARGE    HERBACEOUS    BORDER    AT    HOPETOUN   HOUSE,    LINLITHGOWSHIRE. 


kind  in  the  United  Kingdom.  The  grounds, 
lawns  and  shrubberies  at  Hopetoun,  which  is  the 
seat  of  Lord  Linlithgow,  are  of  great  extent, 
while  the  garden  proper  covers  an  area  of  over 
twenty  acres.  I  do  not  know  who  chose  the 
site  origuially,  but  that  it  must  have  been  one 
well  versed  in  such  matters  is  evident,  as  no  finer 
situation  for  a  large  garden  could  be  found  any- 
where. The  ground  slopes  gently  from  west  to 
east,  and  much  more  steeply  from  north  to  south, 
into  a  winding  dale,  or,  as  we  call  it  in  Scotland, 
a  glen.  To  the  north  side  are  the  very  extensive 
flower  gardens,  while  on  the  south  side  are  the 
kitchen  and  fruit  gardens. 

The  glass  structures  are  situated  at  the  west 
side  of  the  gardens,  and  are  of  considerable  extent. 
They  comprise  long  ranges  of  fruit-houses,  large 
stoves,     Palm-houses,     Orchid-houses,     Cvnation- 


of  these  Tree  Carnations,  just  throwing  up  their 
first  spikes,  and  Mr.  Highgate,  the  head-gardener, 
acknowledged  that  he  was  prouder  of  this  house 
than  of  almost  anything  else  on  the  place. 
Many  other  interesting  subjects  could  be  named  ; 
but  space,  or,  rather,  the  want  of  it,  compels  me 
to  pass  on  to  what  is  really  the  glory  of 
HopetoUTi — 

The  Flower  and  Rose  Gardens.— The  north 
side  of  the  gardens  is  protected  by  a  high  brick 
wall,  against  the  west  end  of  which  are  built  the 
principal  vineries.  Further  east  this  wall  is  clothed 
with  Pears,  Peaches  and  Apricots.  The  Pears 
last  season  were  remarkably  fine.  I  do  not 
remember  ever  seeing  finer  Marie  Louise  and 
Pitmaston  Duchess.  In  front  of  these  Pears  are 
broad  borders,  with  large  Rose  and  Sweet  Pea 
pillars  at  the  back.     All  the  best  Sweet   Peas  are 


seen  these  glorious  autumn  flowers  in  such  perfec- 
tion. I  have  no  idea  how  many  plants  arc  used, 
but  they  must  run  into  several  thousands.  All  the 
very  finest  types  are  planted  in  separate  colours, 
and  this  feature  of  these  gardens  must  be  seen  to 
be  appreciated.  Last  year  I  think  they  were  finer 
than  I  have  ever  before  seen  them,  and  that  is  saying 
a  good  deal.  While  all  were  fine,  special  mention 
must  be  made  of  Crimson  Gem,  Daydream  (raised 
at  Hopetoun)  and  Mrs.  J.  Forbes.  The  last  named 
is  the  largest  flower  I  have  yet  seen,  while  the 
spike  is  long  and  massive.  Daydream  is,  so  far 
as  I  know,  by  far  the  finest  large-flowered  pink, 
while  Crimson  Gem  is  the  most  striking  of  all  the 
family. 

East  Lothian  Stocks. — The  late  Lord  Luilith- 
gow  was  very  fond  of  East  Lothian  Stocks,  and 
one  long  border  was  yearly  devoted  to  these  plajits. 


January  ii,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


23 


In  191 1  a  border  under  a  wall  and  facing  east 
was  given  to  these  delightful  old  plants,  and  very 
fine  they  were.  Planted  in  rows  of  a  colour,  they 
were  greatly  admired  by  every  visitor.  On  a 
similar  border,  further  cast,  is  a  full  collection  of 
late  perennial  Phloxes. 

The  Herbaceous  Border. — Last  summer  I  was 
just  late  i'uoukIi  In  ^co  the  famous  winding  herba- 
ceous border  at  its  best.  On  a  former  occasion  I 
was  fortunate  enough  to  catch  it  at  the  height  of  its 
glory,  and  can  safely  say  it  is  one  of  the  finest  of 
its  kind  in  existence.  It  is  a  real  mixed  border 
in  the  best  sense  of  the  word,  and  none  of  the  so- 
called  colour-scheme  freaks.  The  plants  thrive 
and  flower  luxuriously,  and  all  the  very  finest 
varieties  of  the  various  kmds  are 
represented.  I  will  not  attempt  to 
go  into  the  merits  of  the  different 
species  used,  but  I  was  greatly 
struck  with  that  grand  biennial, 
Meconopsis  Wallichii.  The  photo- 
graph of  the  border  reproduced 
on  page  22  was  taken  by  Mr.  Francis 
C.  Inglis,  photographer  to  His 
Majesty  the  King  at    Edinburgh. 

The  Rose  Garden  is   on  grass, 

the  beds  being  large,  and  filled,  for 
the  most  part,  with  one  variety  to 
each.  The  soil  is  just  light  enough 
to  produce  luxuriant  growth,  but 
all  the  varieties  flower  very  freeh- 
and make  a  grand  show  in  their 
season.  The  beds  are  usually  car- 
peted with  Viola  Come-to- Stay.  It 
would  be  easy  to  fill  double  the 
space  and  not  exhaust  the  good 
things  to  be  seen  at  Hopetoun, 
but  I  fear  the  Editor  will  even  now 
be  thinking  that  I  have  run  on 
quite  far  enough.  C.  Blair. 

Preston  House  Gardens,  Linlithgow. 


The  large,  rounded  leaves  and  white   flowers  make 
a  well-developed  bush  very  attractive. 

Corokea  Cotoneaster  is  a  rare  New  Zealand 
shrub  whkii  is  well  worth  a  position  on  a  wall, 
or  even  in  the  open  ground  in  the  warmer  counties. 
Light  loamy  soil,  or  sandy  soil  containing  a  little 
peat,  suit  it  admirably.  Its  contorted  branches, 
tiny  dark  green  leaves  and  star-shaped,  yellow 
flowers  make  it  attractive. 

(To  be  continued.) 


THE     DECIDUOUS     CYPRESS. 

(Ta.xodiu.m  distichum.) 
The  Deciduous  Cypress  is  a  stately  tree,  possessing 
many   interesting   characteristics.     .As   its   popular 


condition.  This  is  borne  out  by  the  accompanying 
illustration,  showing  a  remarkably  fine  specimen 
growing  on  the  summit  of  St.  Leonard's  Hill, 
Windsor,  in  the  gardens  of  Lady  Tress  Barry.  This 
tree  was  the  pride  of  the  late  Robert  Brown, 
who  for  so  very  many  years  was  head-gardener  at 
St.  Leonard's  Hill,  and  whose  lamented  death 
occurred  last  year. 

Considerable  interest  has  lately  been  displayed 
in  the  fact  that  cones  of  Taxodium  distichum 
were  produced  in  different  parts  of  the  country 
last  autumn,  and  an  illustration  appeared  in  our 
pages  for  November  9,  1912,  of  a  cone-bearing 
shoot  from  the  Duke  of  Northumberland's  garden 
at      Syon     House,     where    the     tallest    trees    of 

Taxodium     distichum    in    Europe 

are  growing. 


TREES   &    SHRUBS. 


CULTURAL  HINTS  ON 
NEW  AND  RARE  PLANTS. 

TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

{Continued  from  page  648, 
Vol.  LXXVI.) 

Magnolia  salicifolia  may  be 
grown  successfully  in  light,  sandy 
sou,  but  it  will  be  assisted  if  a  little 
peat  is  placed  about  the  roots  at 
planting-time.*  A  little  shelter, 
such  as  is  afforded  by  other  shrubs, 
makes  an  appreciable  difference  to 
its  development,  but  it  must  not 
be  planted  in  close  proximity  to 
very  vigorous  subjects.  Its  glisten- 
ing white  flowers  appear  in  April,  and  it  promises  to 
become  quite  as  useful  as  the  well-known  M.  stellata. 

Berberis  Wilsonae. — Both  by  its  showy  yellow 
flowers  and  bright  red  fruits  this  shrub  is  well 
worth  a  place  in  the  shrubbery.  Its  requirements 
are  simple,  for,  given  ordinary  garden  soil,  it  will 
continue  to  give  satisfaction  without  any  special 
cultural  attention.  Pruning  is  unnecessarv.  Propa- 
gate from  seeds. 

Styrax  Obassia. — .-Uthough  not  new,  this 
Japanese  shrub  or  small  tree  is  very  rare.  Requiring 
well-drained,  good  loamy  soil,  it  grows  fairly  rapidly 
in  the  warmer  parts  of  the  country,  but  has  a  habit 
of    suddenly  going    wrong    when    in    full    growth. 


.\    STATELY    TREE  OF  THE    DECIDUOUS    CYPRESS    IN    THE    G.\RDENS    AT 

ST.  Leonard's  hill,  Windsor. 


name  implies,  it  is  deciduous,  and  m  casting  its 
foliage  in  the  autumn  it  is,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Larch,  quite  unlike  the  general  run  of  conifers, 
to  which  family  Taxodium  belongs.  Another 
peculiarity  of  the  species,  and  one  that  has  created 
a  deal  of  interest,  is  the  presence  of  "  woody  knees," 
about  two  feet  above  the  ground,  sometimes  pro- 
duced within  a  few  yards  of  the  tree  when  gro«-n 
in  swampy  places.  When  the  trees  are  permanently 
surrounded  by  water,  it  is  not  uncommon  for 
them  to  produce  very  much  enlarged  basal  trunks. 
But  Taxodium  is  evidently  a  very  accommodating 
subject,  as  it  appears  to  flourish  equally  well 
on  the  top  of  a  hill  as  it    does   in   a   semi-aquatic 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

LILiES:  A  CAUSERIE. 

{Continued  from  page  12.) 
"  Like  the  Lily, 
That  once  was  mistress  of  the  field, 

and  flourish'd, 
I'll  hang  mv  head  and  perish." 
— •'KingHenryVni.,"III.,  I.,  ijr. 

SO  Shakespeare  wrote,  but 
though  he  had  no  garden 
difficulties  with  Lilies 
imported  from  Japan 
or  California,  he  here 
connects  the  fair  flower 
with  a  delicacy  of  constitution. 
Our  present-day  failures  likewise 
are  not  confined  to  recently- 
imported  bulbs.  We  sometimes 
call  the  whole  race  evil  names — 
pernickety,  peevish,  ill-tempered 
and  so  forth — when  they  will  not 
grow  as  we  wish  and  in  the  spot 
we  choose  for  them.  Our  parda- 
linums  perhaps  refuse  to  produce 
the  blaze  of  orange  we  planned  in 
our  callous  modem  way  of  plant- 
ing, dubbed  colour  scheming. 
Oriental  Poppies  and  scarlet  Salvia 
grow  well  just  there,  and  yet 
the  Panther  Lilies  refuse  to  bridge 
over  the  blank  moment  when 
the  croceums  have  gone  and 
the  Tigers  have  not  yet  ap- 
peared. Very  disobligmg  of  them, 
we  say,  but  we  do  not  stop  to 
realise  it  is  our  own  fault  in  select- 
ing too  hot  and  stmny  a  position 
for  them,  sorting  them  out  by 
colour  like  silks  for  embroidery, 
and  not  by  their  own  requirements, 
after  the  manner  of  the  older 
mind,  better  school  of  gardeners, 
more  of  the  happiness  of  plants 
blending    of    their    colours.     Take 


and,  to  my 
who  thought 
than  of  the 
Baker's  revision  of  the  Liliacese  and  a  map  of  the 
world,  and  mark  a  line  round  the  native  countries 
of  Lilies.  When  you  see  what  a  wide  stretch 
from  East  to  West  this  line  takes,  and  realise  how 
many  different  climates  must  be  included,  and 
that,  with  the  exception  of  the  Siberian  L.  daviiri- 
cum  and  some  Chinese  and  Japanese  species, 
the  majority  of  Lilies  live  in  more  Southern  and 
favoured  climes  than  our  England  can  boast, 
surely  pity  for  these  exiles  from  happier  homes 
should    replace    our    abuse    of    their    inability    to 


24 


THE    GAEDEN. 


[January  ii,  1913 


acclimatise  themselves  without  all  our  possible  aid 
and  sympathy. 

We  often  wait  till  the  frosts  have  cleared  oiu" 
flower-beds  to  remodel  and  plant,  so  it  is  just  at 
the  wettest  and  coldest  period  of  the  year  that 
the  poor  bulbs  are  put  into  new  beds — one  may 
almost  say  into  damp  sheets,  and  chills  and  decay 
follow.  A  bulb  of  loose  scales  like  a  Lily  is  difficult 
to  handle  without  bruising,  or  at  least  misplacing, 
some  of  the  scales,  and  anything  that  tends  to 
let  an  undue  amount  of  water  in,  to  lodge  near 
the  heart,  and  especially  near  a  cracked  portion 
of  scale,  is  a  serious  danger  in  winter. 

Besides  care  in  handling,  much  may  be  done 
when  replanting  by  placing  sharp  sand  below  the 
bulbs  and  tilting  them  slightly  to  one  side  to 
prevent,  as  much  as  possible,  water  reaching  and 
resting  in  the  heart,  and  then  covering  them  to 
a  depth  of  r  inch  or  2  inches  with  sand.  Then 
we  may  look  our  Lily  honestly  in  the  face,  feeling 
we  have  done  our  best  for  it,  and  may  reasonably 


and  seems  really  to  be  wilful,  pervicacious  and 
wayward.     It  will  often  grow  and  increase  in  the 

I  most  generous,  warm-hearted  way  in  a  somewhat 
neglected  cottage  border,  yet  be  quite  unmoved 
by  the  flattery  of  a  special  bed  and  utterly  unre- 

I  sponsive  to  the  care  lavished  ou  it  in  some  great 
garden.  As  I  find  the  Lilies,  they  fall  into  three 
classes.  First,  the  frail,  delicate  beauties  that 
refuse  to  tcike  a  fancy  to  me  and  my  garden.  I 
name  and  pass  by  some  of  them  :  L.  japonicum 
(Krameri),  L.  rubelluni,  L.  superbum,  L.  tenui- 
folium,  L.  speciosum,  L.  elegans,  L.  Leichtlinii, 
L.  Batemanniae  and  L.  longitJorum.  These  flower 
but  once  here,  as  though  one  good  stare  at  what 
I  can  offer  them  for  a  home 'is  sufficient  to  provoke 
suicide.  Secondly,  those  that  have  made  friends 
with  me.  Of  these  faithful  dog-like  creatures  I 
must  sing  loud  praises  ;  and,  thirdly,  those  with  a 
cat-like  disposition,  that  appear  to  love  me  when 
they  happen  to  get  just  what  they  want,  but  which 
I  always  feel  are  ready  to  sulk  and  walk  off  with  tail 


ACANTHUS    MOLLIS.       AN    EASILY-GROWN    PLANT    THAT    MAY    BE    INCREASED    BY    DIVISIO 


expect  it  to  look  back  at  us  with  fair  flowers  and 
plenty  of  them.  The  late  Mr.  G.  F.  Wilson  ("  Lily 
Wilson,"  as  he  himself  has  told  us  he  was  named. 
Canon  Ellacombe  having  been  his  horticultural 
godfather)  used  to  say  every  garden  could  grow 
tliree  Lilies,  and  most  of  them  three  only.  That 
is  no  doubt  true,  if  one  leaves  it  entirely  to  the 
garden  to  do  the  growing,  for  L.  Martagon,  L. 
pyrenaicum,  and  L.  umbellatum  or  L.  croceum 
would  grow  in  any  garden  that  was  not  a  grove 
of  Yew  trees  nor  unduly  disturbed  by  deep  digging 
in  the  dog-days  or  hard  frosts  ;  but  where  know- 
ledge and  care  on  the  part  of  the  gardener  are  added, 
it  would  be  better  to  move  from  a  garden  that 
would  not  also  provide  healthy  clumps  of  L. 
testaceum,  L.  tigrinum.  L.  Henryi,  L.  Hansonii 
and  L.  pardaliniun.  L.  giganteum  also.  I  believe, 
can  be  made  happy  by  anyone  sufficiently  in  earnest 
.ibout  it  to  spend  a  little  money  and  to  take  a  good 
deal  of  trouble  ;  but  L.  candidum,  the  Lily  of  all 
Lilies   one   most   longs   for,    behaves   so   strangely 


stiffly  erect  if  they  get  their  feet  wet  or  their  milk 
is  not  to  their  liking,  to  complete  the  feline 
metaphor,  which,  translated  into  Lily  language, 
would  be  to  die  of  stagnant  moisture  or  the 
wrong  manure.  E.  A.  Bowles. 

{To  be  continued.) 


a  whole  does  not  suffer,  some  of  the  weaker  plants 
should  be  replanted.     Choose  a  few  vigorous  root- 
growths  from  the  outer  portions  of  each.     Before 
replanting,  remove  the  soil  i  foot  deep  and  as  wide, 
assuming,   of  course,   that  the  same  subject  is  to 
occupy  the  same  site  ;    but  if  not,  there  will  be  no 
occasion  to  remove  the  soil.     Replace  the  old  soil 
with   fresh.     If  not   convenient   to   bring  in   quite 
new  soil  to  the  border,  take  some  from  the  surface 
close  by,  replacing  it  with  that  removed  from  the 
site,  adding  a  fourth  part  of  manure  in  a  decayed 
state.     The  whole  of  the  border  should  be  forked 
over  between  the  clumps — quite  lightly,  of  course, 
near   tlie    plants,    so   as    to   avoid   disturbing   the 
roots  too  much.     Where  space  exists  between  the 
plants,    dig    the   soil    over   deeply.     As    the    work 
proceeds,   bury  a  quantity  of  half-decayed  stable 
manure   near  such   plants  as   those   already   men- 
tioned, as  tliey  are  voracious   feeders,    and    unless 
constant  stimulants  are  applied,  the  growth  becomes 
i  weak,  and,  naturally,  a  poor  flower  crop  is  the  result. 
When    the    digging    of    the  border  is 
completed,  a  mulching,  2  inches  thick, 
.  of  a   compost    made    up   of    decayed 
vegetable  refuse,  old  potting  soil,  leaf- 
mould,    wood-ashes   and   road    sweep- 
ings should  be  given.    Such  a  covering 
not    only    imparts    new     life    to   the 
plants,      but     serves      as     a     mulch 
during    the    early     summer     months, 
when   a    period    of    drought     is    often 
experienced. 

One  great  fault  made  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  herbaceous  plants  is  that  of 
allowing  each  specimen  to  grow  to  an 
unwieldy  size.  It  is  not  an  uncommon 
>ight  to  see  Michaelmas  Daisies, 
Tyrethrums,  Chrysanthemum  maxi- 
mum and  Hcleniums  fully  a  yard 
across  at  the  base,  with  stems  half 
the  strength  they  should  be.  Sup- 
porting the  stems  of  such  clumps  as 
these  is  a  difficult  matter.  The  result 
is  they  are  too  often  tied  in  close 
together,  resembling  a  tightly-bound 
broom ;  the  natural  beauty  of  the 
plant  is  lost  and  the  centre  of  the 
plant  quite  prevented  from  making  ' 
a  free  development,  whereas  smaller 
plants  can  easily  be  kept  in  an  upright 
position  by  the  aid  of  one  or  two 
stakes  and  loose  ties.  Instead  of 
retaining  clumps  of  the  larger  size, 
N   NOW.  it  is  better  to  reduce  them  to  6  inches, 

retaining  the  outer  portion,  filling  up 
the  space  with  half-rotted  manure  and  fresh  soil, 
which  will  invigorate  the  plant  retained. 

Swanmorc  Park.  E.   Molvneu.y, 


RENOVATING     HERBACEOUS 
BORDERS. 

There  are  times  when  it  is  not  convenient  to 
replant  herbaceous  borders,  and  when  this  is  so, 
renovation  should  take  place  and  stimulating  food 
be  provided  for  the  occupants.  Such  free-growing 
subjects  as  Michaelmas  Daisies,  Polygonums, 
Bocconias,  Helianthus,  Chrysanthemum  maximum 
and  herbaceous  Phloxes  are  soil-exhausting,  and 
quickly  become  weak  if  not  fed.  When  a  border 
is  replanted,  the  weakening  of  the  centre  of  each 
clump  is  avoided  ;  but  where  replanting  the  whole 
is  not  convrniont,  then  renovation  must  be  resorted 
to.    To  do  justice  to  the  plants,  so  that  the  border  as 


A     HARDY     BEAR'S    BREECH. 

(AcANTHtJS    MOLLIS.) 

This  strikingly  handsome  plant  is  occasionally 
met  with  in  the  gardens  of  this  country,  although, 
speakuig  generally,  it  is  a  sadly-neglected  subject. 
j  When  grown  on  herbaceous  borders  it  always 
'  attracts  a  good  deal  of  attention  by  virtue  of  its 
tall  flowering  spikes  and  its  equally  attractive 
foliage.  It  is  a  plant  of  easy  cultivation,  and  the 
one  thing  to  bear  in  mind  is  that  it  requires  plenty 
of  room,  for  it  is  notoriously  vigorous  in  growth. 
In  regard  to  soil  it  is  not  fastidious,  and,  given  a 
partially-shaded  position,  it  makes  an  admirable 
backgrour.d  for  other  flowering  plants.  Propaga- 
tion is  usually  eflected  by  division  of  the  roots  either 
in  the  autumn  or  at  this  season,  providing  the 
weather  is  open. 


JANUARY    II,  1913.] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


25 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

PRUNING     AND     CLEANING     GRAPE     VINES. 


Thi:  pniniiit;  nt  all  Vines  should  now  be  com- 
pleted with  all  possible  haste  No  hard-and- 
fast   lines   can    be   laid  down   with  the  pruning  of 


.hiaX;aibi! 


I. A    VINE    ROD    WITH    LATERAL  OR  SIDE    SHOOTS 

PRUNED    BACK    TO    TWO    BUDS    TO    FORM    SPURS. 

Vines,  as  some  cases  call  for  quite  different  treat- 
ment to  others.  For  instance,  young  vigorous 
Vines,  or  even  comparatively  old  ones  provided 
they  are  strong  and  vigorous,  may  be  pruned  to  two 
buds,  and  will  crop  as  well  as  though  they  were 
pruned  to  five  or  si.\.  Vines  which  need  plenty 
of  yomig  wood  to  ensure  a  good  crop  of  fruit  are 
uld  Vines  wfiicb  have  been  subjected  to  early  forcing 
lor  a  number  of  years.  Such  Vines,  naturally, 
become  weakened  through  being  forced  out  of 
season,  and  it  is  prudent  in  such  cases  to  leave 
plenty  of  young  wood  so  that  tbere  shall  be  a 
number  of  vigorous  shoots  from  which  to  select  the 
best  bunches.  Moreover,  the  extra  foliage  resulting 
from  these  liberal  measures  is  a  great  incentive 
to  root-action.  Of  course,  there  will  be  a  super- 
abundance of  young  growth,  but  this  must  be 
removed  as  soon  as  it  can  be  determined  which 
shoots  are  carrying  the  best  bunches. 

.Another  point  which  must  not  be  lost  sight  of 
when  pruning  old  Vines  is  the  fact  that  old  rods 
which  are  becoming  weaker  every  year  may  be 
replaced  by  young,  vigorous  canes,  but  this  con- 
tingency must  be  provided  for  some  years  in  advance 
by  selecting  convenient  shoots  from  as  near  the 
base  of  the  old  Vines  as  possible,  and  giving  these 
shoots  every  chance  to  make  good,  stout  growth. 
The  lower  spurs  on  the  old  rods  must  be  sacrificed 
as  these  young  canes  develop.  Eventually  the  old 
rods  may  be  cut  out,  leaving  the  young  ones  in 
sole  possession  of  the  house. 

Cropping    Young    Vines. — ^There   has   been    a 

great  deal  written  from  time  to  time  of  the  extra- 
ordinary crops  of  Grapes  that  have  been  produced 
by    Vines  which   have    been    planted   only   two   or 


three  years.  I  do  not  wish  to  cast  any  doubt 
on  the  accuracy  of  these  statements,  as  I  have  seen 
young  Vines  carrying  these  heavy  crops,  but  I  would 
warn  the  inexperienced  Grape-grower  against  such 
a  practice.  This  heavy  cropping  of  young  Vines, 
although  they  may  have  made  abnormally  strong 
growths,  is  almost  certain  to  end  in  failure.  To 
build  up  strong  Vines  which  are  going  to  last 
through  one's  lifetime,  or  even  longer,  a  strong 
foundation  must  be  laid,  and  this  is  only  possible 
by  patience  and  care.  However  strong  the  growth 
is  the  first  year  after  planting,  the  leaders  should 
be  cut  back  to  2  feet  or  3  feet.  Vines  which  have 
made  unsatisfactory  progress  the  first  season  after 
planting  should  be  cut  back  to  two  or  three  eyes. 
The  Vines  are  sure  to  make  better  growth  the 
following  year. 
Newly-Planted    Vines. — Young    Vines    which 

an-  nitcnded  for  planting  in  the  spring  should  be 
cut  back  to  three  or  four  buds,  and  the  strongest 
growth  must  be  selected  to  form  the  leader  Vines 
should  be  planted  far  enough  apart  to  grow  two, 
three,  or  even  more  rods  from  each  plant.  The  life 
of  Vines  planted  on  this  system  is  far  longer  and 
the  growth  fsu-  more  vigorous  than  when  they  are 
planted  on  the  single-rod  system,  as  witness  the 
famous  Hampton  Court  and  Cumberland  Lodge 
Vines. 

The  Cleaning  of  Vines  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant matters  which  call  for  attention  at  this 
time  of  year.  Vines  which  are  badly  infested  with 
mealy-bug  need  very  severe  methods  to  rid  them 
of  this  pest.  After  the'  Vines  are  pruned,  the 
house  should  be  subjected  to  a  thorough  cleanmg. 
The  glass  and  woodwork  should  be  first  well 
washed  with  strong  soft  soapy  water.  The  trellis 
and  all  ironwork  where  the  insects  are  likely  to  be 
secreted  ought  to  be  painted  over  with  paraffin. 
The  rods  should  then  be  stripped  of  all  loose  bark, 

and  any  holes  which  are  likely  to  harbour  insect 
pests  must  be  thoroughly  cleaned  out.  A  sheet 
of  canvas  or  something  similar  should  be  laid  down 

to  catch  all  the  loose 

baik,  and   this  must 

be  taken  to  the  stoke- 
hole     and      burned. 

The    rods  must  then 

be  thoroughly  washed 

with    a   strong   mix- 
ture of  soft  soap  and 

sulphur,  using  a  stiff 

brush     so     that     the 

solution  may  be  well 

worked  into  the  bark. 

This  operation  must 

be  repeated  just  be- 
fore  the  buds   burst 

into       growth,       but 

great    care    must    be 

taken    so  as    not    to 

damage  the  buds. 
A  careful   look-out 

must  be  kept  during 

the   early    stages    ol 

the     Vines'     growth 

for  any  stray  insects 

which      may     have 

,     ■'  2. —  VINES  GROWN   ON   WHAT 

escaped    the    wmter  ^.^^^    ^^^^     ^g    ^^^^ 

cleaning,      as      they  system. 


spread  with  alarming  rapidity.  A  few  hours' 
careful  searching  before  the  Vines  ha\'e  made 
much  progress  will  save  days  of  weary  labour 
when  the  trellis  is  covered  with  growth.  I  have 
tried  cleaning  Vines  of  mealy-bug  by  fumi- 
gating with  cyanide,  but  while  it  killed  the  insects 
which  were  exposed,  it  failed  entirely  to  have  any 
effect  on  those  which  were  concealed  in  holes  or 
crevices.  I  have  also  seen  the  young,  tender  shoots 
badly  affected  by  its  use. 

Lockinge.  E.   H. 


HOW    TO     SOW     BEGONIA     SEEDS. 

The  seeds  of  tuberous  and  fibrous  rooted  Begonias 
are  very  small  ;  they  resemble  dust  or  fine  pepper, 
and,  of  course,  it  would  be  quite  wrong  to  cover 
them  with  a  body  of  soil.  However,  the  proper  way 
to  sow  the  seeds  is  a  very  simple  one.  and  if  care- 
fully attended  to  afterwards,  there  n»ed  be  no 
difficulty  in  raising  a  big  slock  of  plants  success- 
fully. 

The  seedlmgs  are  best  raised  in  pots  ov 
pans.  These  must  be  clean  and  dry,  also  the 
crocks  placed  in  them  for  drainage.  A  compost  _ 
of  sifted  loam,  sweet  leaf-soil  and  sand  in  equal 
proportions  should  be  mixed  and  the  pans  three 
parts  filled  with  it.  Make  the  surface  level  and 
smooth,  and  then  well  water  through  a  fine-rosed 
watering-can.  In  an  hour's  time  scatter  the 
seeds  evenly  and  not  too  thickly  on  the  surface,  and 
on  them  give  a  very  light  sprinkling  of  sand.  Place 
the  pans  on  a  bed  of  damp  moss  in  a  warm  place 
in  the  greenhouse  or  in  a  heated  fra'ine,  and  cover 
the  tops  with  squares  of  glass.  Both  before  and 
after  the  seedlings  appear,  any  necessary  water 
should  be  given  by  immersing  the  pans  in  a  vessel 
of  tepid  water  until  the  surface  soil  becomes  dark 
with  the  rising  moisture  ;  then  gently  lift  out 
the  pans.  If  the  tiny  seedlings  are  thus  taken 
care  of  and  not  directly  exposed  to  the  sun's 
rays,  they  will  soon  grow  large  enough  to  trans- 
plant. Shamrock, 


IS   KNOWN   AS  the   EXTENSION   SYSTEM.        FREQUENTLY 
TO      ONE       MAIN      ROD,      KNOWN     AS     THE     SINGLE-ROD 


26 


THE    GARDEN. 


[January  ii,  1913- 


GARDENING    OF    THE    WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Care  of  Lawns. — A  well-kept  lawn  is  a  delightful 
adjunct  to  the  flower  garden.  At  no  season  of 
the  year  can  weeds  such  as  Dandelion,  Plantains 
and  Daisies  be  removed  with  greater  ease  than  the 
present.  No  opportunity  should  be  lost  in  getting 
them  removed  while  the  weather  remains  moist 
and  open. 

Top-Dressing. — Where  the  grass  is  apt  to  be 
thin,  a  top-dressing  of  good  rich  soil  or  short 
manure,  well  worked  in,  will  do  a  great  deal  of  good  ; 
but  too  heavy  a  dressing  is  apt  to  kill  the  grass, 
so  a  small  quantity  should  be  given  and  well  worked 
in,  to  be  followed  with  a  second  dressing  when 
the  grass  commences  to  grow,  if  it  is  thought 
necessary. 

Moss  on  Lawns. — Where  this  has  got  a  hold 
among  the  grass,  it  should  be  scratched  out  with 
short-toothed  rakes,  top-dressing  afterwards  as 
advised  above,  or  in  this  case  a  good  dressing  of 
wood-ashes,  well  worked  in,  will,  in  many  instances, 
eradicate  it. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Alterations. — During  open  weather  any  altera- 
tions or  additions  to  the  rock  gardens  should  be 
pushed  forward,  for  at  any  time  now  such  work 
may  have  to  be  suspended  for  a  while.  During 
such  alterations  any  of  the  smaller-growing  shrubs 
may  be  replanted,  also  some  of  the  larger  and  more 
hardy  rock  garden  subjects  ;  but  as  far  as  possible 
the  smaller  and  more  tender  subjects  should  be 
left  till  the  end  of  March  or  early  in  April,  when 
they  are  less  likely  to  be  affected  by  the  frost  after 
removal. 

Propagated  Plants  (whether  from  seeds  or 
cuttings)  that  are  being  wintered  in  frames  should 
be  kept  as  hardy  and  dry  as  possible  during  the 
winter  months,  as  with  much  moisture  various 
subjects  are  apt  to  damp  off. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine. — With  care  and 

attention  this  splendid  winter-flowering  plant 
will  keep  our  greenhouses  and  conservatories  gay 
for  two  or  three  months  longer  ;  but,  as  the  plants 
are  now  well  in  bloom,  the  structure  in  which  they 
are  kept  must  be  quite  dry,  with  a  temperature  of 
about  50°  at  night. 

Cinerarias,  Primulas  and  Cyclamen  are  all 
developing  their  flower-buds,  and  should  be  assisted 
with  a  little  manure-water  as  often  as  they  become 
dry.  The  former,  also,  should  have  more  space 
given  them  as  they  develop  their  heads  of  bloom. 

Perpetual-Flowering  Carnations. — Nice  short- 
growing  shoots  make  the  best  cuttings  if  taken 
direct  from  the  hard  stems.  Insert  either  in  pots, 
pans  or  shallow  beds  in  a  compost  of  sand,  old 
crocks  or  brick  dust  and  a  little  fine  loam ;  they 
will  soon  strike  in  a  temperature  of  about  50°. 
If  a  little  bottom-heat  is  at  hand,  so  much  the 
better,   but   this  is  not    absolutely  necessary. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Pot  Roses. — The  earUest  batch  that  may  have 
been  removed  under  cover  a  week  or  two  ago 
should  be  pruned  at  once  preparatory  to  starting, 
and,  wherever  possible,  the  main  batch  should  be 
placed  under  cover.  Quite  a  cool  house  is  the 
best.  Here  they  should  be  allowed  to  get  a  little 
dry  before  proceeding  to  prune  them. 

Tea  Roses  planted  out  under  glass,  having  had 
their  season  of  rest,  may  be  thinned  out  somewhat, 
removing  all  weakly  growth  and  pruning  the 
other  wood  back  according  to  the  system  adopted 
and  the  space  at  hand  for  extension. 
The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Hot-Beds. — The  matter  of  hot-beds  must  not 
be  forgotten  for  the  forcing  of  early  crops  of  vege- 
tables, and  hard  weather  is  often  a  very  suitable 
time  for  preparing  and  mixing  manure  and  leaves 
for  this  purpose.  It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  say 
that  very  wet  material  does  not  heat  as  well  as 
that  which  is  fairly  dry,  so  the  manure,  leaves,  &c., 
should,  if  possible,  be  kept  under  cover  and  turned 
a  time  or  two  before  it  is  made  up. 

Salad  Plants  in  frames  must  be  gone  over  regu- 
larly, scratching  over  the  surface  of  the  soil  and 
picking  off  any  decaying  leaves.  Give  as  much 
air  as  is  consistent  with  the  state  of  the  weather. 


Endive  should  be  tied  up  and  cevered  over  to  eusure 
nicely-blanched  plants,  and  Chicory  and  Dandelion 
placed  in  the  Mushroom-house  or  other  forcing 
place  in  quantities  sufficient  to  keep  up  a  regular 
supply.  Also  Mustard  and  Cress  should  be  sown 
weekly  and  placed  in  one  of  the  fruit-houses  that 
have  been  started.  Here  it  will  come  along  nicely. 
Cauliflower,  Cabbage,  Onions  and  Lettuce  should 
now  be  sown  in  boxes  and  placed  in  gentle  heat. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Melons. — -A  sowing  should  be  made  at  once  for 
early  crops,  and  if  a  variety  such  as  Blenheim 
Orange  or  Hero  of  Lockinge  is  selected,  the  fruits 
will  be  found  to  ripen  slightly  in  advance  of  those 
of  some  of  the  heavier- fruiting  varieties. 

Cucumbers  also  should  be  sown  to  succeed 
those  that  are  fruiting  during  the  winter.  If 
both  the  above  are  sown  in  3-inch  pots  in  fairly 
moist  soil  and  plunged  in  the  propagating-frame 
with  a  bottom-heat  of  about  70°  to  75°,  no  water 
should  be  needed  till  germination  has  taken  place. 

Tomatoes. — These  also  should  be  sown  in  pans 
and  placed  in  a  warm  house.  Thin  sowing  is  essen- 
tial, as  the  plants  draw  very  quickly  during  the 
early  months  of  the  year  if  the  seed  is  sown  too 
thickly.  Sunrise  and  Ideal  are  two  varieties  that 
are  excellent  in  every  way. 

Rhubarb. — Batches  of  this  most  excellent  fruit 
or  vegetable,  whichever  it  is  termed,  should  be 
placed  in  the  forcing-house  or  in  a  frame  on  a  hot- 
bed at  regular  intervals,  according  to  requirements, 
as  it  will  be  found  very  useful  as  Apples  and  Pears 
get  scarcer. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Pruning. — The  work  of  pruning  the  Apples  and 
Pears  should  be  started  at  once  if  not  already 
commenced,  and  my  plan  is  to  start  on  the  walls 
first,  and  this  before  the  ground  has  been  prepared 
for  the  vegetable  crops.  This  is  distinctly  advan- 
tageous, as  it  saves  treading  about  on  the  ground 
that  has  been  worked.  The  work  of  pruning  is 
carried  out  on  various  systems  ;  but,  judging  by 
the  trees  one  sees  in  many  gardens,  the  methods 
adopted  do  not  always  fall  in  with  one's  own 
ideas.  All  trees  trained,  on  walls  or  espaliers 
should  be  kept  as  short  in  the  spurs  as  possible, 
so  as  to  admit  a  maximum  amount  of  light  to  all 
parts  of  the  trees. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wobitrn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestoue,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

The  Seed  Order. — The  following  are  a  few  things 
worth  including  in  the  seed  order  :  Asters  of  the 
Ostrich  Feather  and  sinensis  types  in  variety, 
Alyssum  minimum,  Anchusa  italica  Dropmore 
variety  and  Opal,  Antirrhinums  in  variety. 
Long-spurred  Aquilegia,  Cheiranthus  AUionii, 
Clarkia  elegans  in  variety  (especially  Firefly  and 
Double  Salmon),  Dimorphotheca  aurantiaca  and 
its  hybrids,  Dianthus  Heddewigii  (especially  Salmon 
Queen) .Gilia coronopifolia,  Lavatera rosea splendens, 
Leptosyne  maritima,  Myosotis  Royal  Blue,  Nemesia 
Suttonii  and  N.  Hybrid  Blue  Gem,  Sweet  William 
Pink  Beauty,  Swan  River  Daisy  and  Thalictrum 
dipterocarpum. 

Rhododendron     arboreiun. — This      precocious 

species  and  its  varieties  are  showing  colour  earlier 
than  usual.  If  sharp  frosts  occur,  they  should 
be  protected  by  a  mat,  as  for  lack  of  this  small 
attention  a  season's  effort  is  often  rendered  abortive. 

The  Wild  Garden. 

Formation. — Those  who  can  afford  the  room — 
if  they  do  not  already  own  one — will  derive  great 
pleasure  from  a  wild  garden.  In  forming  one 
all  conventionalities  may  be  dispensed  with,  and 
one  can  here  safely  follow  their  "  own  sweet  will." 
Try  to  avoid  incongruities,  of  course,  and  imitate 
Nature ;  the  less  formal  the  better.  Those  who 
have  the  advantage  of  a  more  or  less  undulating 
surface   are    happily   circumstanced. 

The  Best  Plants. — Of  material  for  furnish- 
ing there  is  abundance.  Tall  subjects  include 
Thorns,  Cherries,  Crabs  and  Amelanchiers,  while 
shrubby  subjects  include  Dogwoods,  orna- 
mental Brambles,  Guelder  Roses  and  Hydrangeas. 
Then    herbaceous   subjects   include  Crambo   cordi- 


folia,  Senecio  clivorum,  S.  tanguticus,  Willow- 
herbs.  Teasels,  Delphiniums.  Michaelmas  Daisies 
and  Bocconia  rordata.  A  few  clumps  of  Sweet 
Peas  may  also  be  included.  Dwarfer  subjects 
include  St.  John's  Wort,  Saxifraga  peltata, 
Oreocome  Candollei,  Funkias,  the  more  vigorous 
Saxifrages,  Irises,  Polyanthuses,  Tulips,  Snow- 
drops, Scillas  and  Dog's-tooth  Violets. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Protection. — We  often  have  our  severest  frosts 
after  this  ;  if  such  occur,  a  little  Wheat  straw 
shaken  loosely  over  the  Teas  and  Hybrid  Teas 
will  preserve  them  from  being  damaged.  Where 
planting  could  not  be  done  in  November,  the  ground 
should  be  prepared  for  planting  next  month. 
Work  in  some  wood-ashes  with  the  manure,  and  if 
the  soil  is  deficient  in  lime,  a  little  should  be  worked 
in  among  the  top  spit. 

The  Shrubbery. 

Pruning. — Any  deciduous  shrubs  which  have 
not  been  pruned  should  receive  attention  at  once 
to  prevent  the  loss  of  sap. 

Protection  from  Rabbits. — Where  the  grounds 
are  not  rabbit-proof,  young,  succulent  specimens 
of  Crabs,  Cherries,  &c.,  should  either  be  protected 
from  rabbits  and  hares  by  placing  a  circle  of  wire- 
netting  round  them  or  have  their  stems  anointed 
with  bitter  aloes. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Begonias  require  a  long  period  to  germinate ; 
therefore  the  sooner  seed  is  sown  the  better. 
Fill  well-drained  pans  wit''  loam,  peat,  leaf-mould 
and  sand,  finishing  off  firm  and  smooth  ;  water 
with  a  fine-rosed  can,  and  after  two  hours  sow  the 
seed,  mixing  it  first  with  some  sand  to  aid  in 
securing  equality  of  dispersion.  Do  not  cover  with 
soil,  but  cover  the  pan  with  a  pane  of  glass.  Never 
allow  the  soil  to  become  dry,  and  if  water  is  required, 
supply  it  by  partial  immersion.  Place  in  a  tempera- 
ture of  from  60°  to  65°. 

Cinerarias. — Growth  will  again  be  more  active, 
and  mild  stimulants  should  be  applied  twice  a 
week.  Vary  the  food  ;  say,  soot-water  one  week 
and  guano-water  or  some  other  fertiliser  the  next. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Vines. — In  disbudding  always  retain  a  strong 
bud  for  preference,  but  uniformity  of  spread  must 
always  be  kept  in  view  ;  therefore,  if  only  a  weak 
bud  is  available  to  fill  a  previous  blank,  do  not 
hesitate  to  retain  it. 

Peaches. — Where  the  trees  are  coming  into 
flower,  maintain  a  rather  dry,  buoyant  atmosphere 
to  assist  in  the  dispersion  of  the  pollen,  The  three 
artificial  means  of  pollination  are  by  a  rabbit's  tail, 
tapping  the  trees,  and  spraymg  with  a  fine  spray 
of  water.  Pollination  should  receive  attention  in  the 
forenoon. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Protecting  Bush  Fruits. — When  fruit-nets  are 
allowed  to  rest  on  the  bushes,  they  are  often  much 
damaged  in  moving  them  off  and  on  ;  this  is 
especially  the  case  with  Gooseberries.  Both, 
therefore,  on  the  ground  of  convenience  and  of 
ultimate  economy  it  is  much  better  either  to  have 
permanent  supports  for  the  ordinary  fruit-nets 
or  to  net  all  over  with  bird-proof  wire-netting. 
It  has  sometimes  been  alleged  that  in  the  event  of 
the  latter  method  being  adopted,  damage  would 
result  through  drip  from  the  overhead  netting. 
The  subject  was  discussed  at  the  December  meeting 
of  the  Scottish  Horticultural  Association,  when 
those  who  have  had  long  experience  of  this  method 
of  protection  testified  that  the  allegation  was 
groundless. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

The  Seed  Order. — When  making  up  the  seed 
order  do  not  fail  to  include  the  following  useful 
items  :  Seakale,  Beet,  Asparagus  Kale,  Sutton's 
Sprouting  Greens  and  Turnip-rooted  Beet  for  early 
use. 

Brussels  Sprouts. — Do  not  throw  away  plants 
which  have  been  stripped  bare ;  when  growth 
commences  in  spring  the  growing  tops  will  furnish 
a  very  nice  dish  before  the  early  Cabbages  turn  in. 

Rhubarb. — If  some  loose  litter  or  leaves  are  thrown 
over  a  portion  of  the  crowns,  a  supply  will  be  avail- 
able from  the  open  air  a  fortnight  before  the  crop 
comes  away  naturally.  But  as  these  form  a  com- 
fortable harbour  for  mice,  which  often  attack  the 
crowns,  a  few  traps  should  be  set  near,  or  a  little 
Rodine  provided  for  them.  Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


January  ii,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


27 


HORTICULTURAL    CHANGES 
IN  THIRTY-FOUR  YEARS. 


*    S   a    regular    subscriber    to    The    Garden 

/\  and  one   whose   first   article   appeared 

/    %  as  long  ago  as  1879,  I  thank  the  Editor 

/  %  for  his  good  vishes  at  the  commence- 
A  »       ment  of  a  New  Year,  which  good  wishes 

I  am  sure  will  be  heartily  reciprocated 
by  all  readers  of  this  journal.  On  such  an  occasion 
one  may  be  pardoned  a  slight  retrospect  of  the 
various  changes  that  have  taken  place  within  the 
last  thirty-lour  years  and  of  the  plants  that  were 
then  quite  unknown  or  looked  upon  as  of  minor 
importance,  but  which  now  occupy  a  prominent 
position. 

Of  those  quite  undreamt  of  may  be  mentioned 
the  Streptocarpus's,  Gerberas,  Kalanchofes,  many 
Primulas  (especially  P.  obconica  and  P.  mala- 
coides),  Golden-flowered  .*\rums,  and  Cannas,  at 
least  in  the  light  in  which  they  are  considered 
to-day,  namely,  as  among  the  most  desirable  o( 
flowering  plants. 

In  the  case  of  Koses,  too,  the  changes  have  been 
great,  for  the  single-flowered  varieties  were  then 
completely  ignored,  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals  were 
unchallenged  by  the  Hybrid  Teas,  and  the  pretty 
little  Polyantha  race  was  then  imborn.  Rosa 
wichuraiana,  too,  whose  introduction  has  had 
such  far-reaching  results,  was  then  still  in  residence 
in  far-off  Japan,  and  had  not  made  its  appearance 
in  this  country. 

Of  Dahlias  the  massive  show  varieties,  the 
fancies  and  the  pretty  little  Pompons  occupied 
the  foremost  position,  though  the  single-flowered 
and  the  Cactus  varieties  were  just  beginning  to 
assert  themselves. 

In  Begonias  great  changes  have  taken  place, 
not  only  in  the  tuberous-rooted  section,  but  also 
in  other  classes.  The  most  prominent  feature  of 
all  has  been  the  great  influence  of  Begonia  socotratia 
in  giving  us  a  magnificent  race  of  winter-flowering 
kinds. 

While  Pelargoniums  are  as  popular  as  ever, 
some  sections,  namely,  the  tricolor,  show  and  fanc%-. 
have  almost  disappeared,  but  the  members  of  the 
Zonal  section  are  still  universally  grown,  and  in 
the  Ivy-leaved  class  great  strides  have  been 
made 

In  1879  Chrysanthemums  were  firmly  on  the 
upward  grade,  and  after  a  few  years  they  reached 
the  height  of  popularity ;  but  whether  they  still 
hold  that  position  has  more  than  once  of  late 
furnished  groimd  for  argument. 

The  last  decade  has  seen  the  meteoric  rise  of 
Perpetual-flowering  Carnations  and  Sweet  Peas, 
both  of  wliich  occupy  a  far  more  important  position 
than  ever ;  and  much  the  same  may  be  said  of 
hybrid  Orchids,  whose  one  stumbling-block  is  the 
outrageously  long  and,  to  the  average  person, 
senseless  names  applied  to  many  of  them. 

Other  features  of  the  last  thirty-four  years  are 
the  gradual  disappearance  of  specimen  stove  and 
greenhouse  plants,  especially  of  the  hard-wooded 
class,  and  the  continually  increasing  popularity 
of  hardy  plants  of  all  kinds,  either  for  the  rock 
garden,  herbaceous  border,  or  the  varied  purposes 
to  which  they  may  be  applied.  Hardy  trees  and 
shrubs,  especially  those  with  showy  blossoms, 
also  occupy  a  higher  position  than  they  ever  did 
before. 

The  rise  of  the  Daffodil,  too,  must  not  be  passed 
over,  and  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob  would  tell  us  that 
Tulips,  thanks  to  the  Darwins  and  May-flowering 


varieties,  are  becoming  increasingly  popular  agaui 
while  in  both  fruit  and  vegetables  great  strides  have 
tiaken  place.  This  li.st  might  be  indefinitely 
extended,  but  the  Editor's  blue  pencil  is  still  a 
power  in  the  land,  so  I  will  now  brmg  my  few 
remarks  to  a  close.  W.  Truelovk. 


SILVER      TROPHY     FOR     AMATEURS' 
ROCK     GARDENS. 

.\s  already  announced  in  our  pages  (see  July  27, 
1912,  page  373),  the  Council  of  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society  will  offer  a  silver  trophy,  pre- 
sented to  them  by  Mr.  Clarence  Elliott  of  Stevenage, 
for  an  exhibit  of  alpines  and  other  plants  suitable 
for  a  rock  garden.  These  are  to  be  arranged  with 
rockwork  in  a  space  6  feet  by  3  feet,  and  the  compe- 
tition is  to  take  place  on  May  14.  The  trophy, 
to  be  known  as  the  Clarence  Elliott  Trophy,  illus- 
trated   herewith,    has    been    designed    and    carried 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 

RULES   FOR   CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAf  Eiiitor  inlende  to 
make  THE  Gardkn  hti/ifut  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  svle  of  the  paper  only^ 
and  addressed  to  the  EDITOR  of  'I'HR  G.^RDEN,  20,  Tamstock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  n«me  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  arldition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  titan  one 
query  is  sent,  eacli  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper^ 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool ,  and  flowering 
slioots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PdbliSHRR. 


THE  CLARENCE  ELLIOTT  TROPHY,  OF- 
FERED TO  AMATEURS  FOR  ROCK 
GARDEN     PLANTS. 

out  by  the  well-known  sculptor  Mr.  Allan  G.  Wyon. 
It  is  valued  at  21  guineas,  and  is  to  be  won  out- 
right. The  object  of  the  donor  in  presenting 
the  trophy  for  competition  among  amateurs  is 
to  stimulate  interest  in  rock  gardening.  The  beauty 
of  arrangement  of  rocks  and  plants,  together  with 
the  suitability  of  the  plants  employed,  are  points 
for  special  consideration.  Full  details  of  the  rules 
governing  the  competition  will  be  foimd  in  the 
forthcoming  Book  of  Arrangements  issued  by  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society,  Vincent  Square, 
Westminster,  or  they  may  be  had  from  Mr. 
Clarence  EUintt,  .Six  Hills  Nursery,  Stevenage, 
Herts. 

On  page  19  of  this  issue  readers  will  see 
that  we  are  offering  valuable  prizes  for  the  best 
rock  gardens,  and  we  hope  that  those  who  have 
gardens  of  this  kind  will  send  us  photographs  of 
them. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

SWEET  PEAS  (E..1/.7'.).— We  should  certainly  keep  the 
Sweet  Pe.as,  but  they  will  be  far  better  outside  in  some 
position  where  they  can  be  readily  protected  from  birds, 
snow  or  torrential  rain,  and  in  no  circumstances  must 
frost  be  allowed  to  crack  the  pots.  As  a  matter  of  pre- 
{  eaution  we  should  sow  again  about  the  middle  of  February* 
'  Your  mana'jement  must  have  been  good  to  secure  such 
an  excellent  result  from  the  seeds  sown. 

LIMING  THE  SOIL  (IT.  C.  B.).~On  your  soil,  which 
is  liiilit  and  sandy,  except  for  the  purpose  of  kiHius  pests, 
chalk  in  a  powdered  form  is  the  best  to  use  in.stead  of 
either  slaked  lime  or  quicklime.  It  should  be  spread 
at  the  rate  of  half  a  bushel  to  one  bushel  to  the  square  rod 
now,  and  forked  in  in  the  ordinary  course  of  dicginsl.  Crops 
may  be  planted  immediately  afterwards.  The  cost 
depends  lar'.;;ely  upon  the  distance  the  stult'  has  to  'be 
carted  from  the  pits,  but  there  are  probably  pits  in  your 
nrar  neighbourhood, 

THE  BEST  KNIPHOFIA  (Jm).— For  purposes  of 
display  you  cannot  do  better  than  grow  K.  aloides  in 
variety,  and  by  embracing  the  typical  form  with  K.  a. 
glaucescens  and  K.  a.  nobilis,  a  rather  long  flowering  seasoB 
would  be  secured.  The  first  named  is  about  four  feet  high, 
the  others  range  from  5  feet  to  7  feet,  and  are  superb 
when  well  established.  Perhaps  one  of  the  best  is  John 
Senary,  most  brilliant  in  colour,  but  somewhat  more 
expensive  that  the  others  named.  All  are  vigorous  growers 
and  very  tree-flowering.  We  do  not  know  of  an  enthely 
cattle-proof  Rose,  and  the  more  prickly  sorts  are  as  liable 
to  get  eaten  as  the  rest.  Unfortunately,  cattle  do  not 
wait  till  the  spines  are  fully  developed,  but  often  take 
the  shoots  in  the  young  state ;  hence  the  difficulty. 
As  they  are  4  feet  distant  from  the  fence,  however,  we 
should  imagine  all  but  the  more  straggling  of  the  branches 
would  be  safe. 

GROWING  NEW  ZEALAND  FLAX  FROM  SEEDS 
(.Mrs.  C). — The  New  Zealand  Flax,  Phormium  tenax, 
may  be  raised  quite  well  from  seeds,  providing  they 
are'  sown  after  they  are  ripe.  If  you  sow  them  at  once 
in  well-drained  boxes  or  pans,  in  a  compost  of  equal  parts 
of  peat,  leaf-mould  and  sand,  in  a  temperature  of  from 
'iO°  to  55°,  they  ought  to  germinate  during  early  spring. 
Do  not  cover  the  seeds  deeply :  one-eighth  of  an  inch  of 
soil  will  be  quite  sufficient  for  the  purpose.  After  sowing, 
water  well,  and  cover  each  box  or  pan  with  a  sheet  of  glass 
and  a  sheet  of  brown  paper.  These  will  help  to  keep  the 
soil  moist  without  undue  applications  of  water.  When 
the  seedlings  are  large  enough  to  handle,  prick  them  out 
in  boxes  •j'inches  apart  each  way,  and  when  well  estab- 
lished place  in  a  cold  frame.  Allow  them  to  remain  there 
until  the  following  spring  ;  then  transplant  them  into  a 
bed  of  rich  loamy  soil  of  a  moist  nature.  Plant  1  foot 
apart,  and  the  following  spring  transfer  them  to  permanent 
positions,  which  should  be  moist  rather  than  dry.  The 
fibre  from  the  leaves  has  been  experimented  with  for 
various  purposes  in  this  country,  but  so  far  the  plant 
has  not  been  cultivated  for  commercial  purpose?. 

LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY  AND  PffiONIES  (JV?s(a).— 
With  your  shallow  soil — 6  inches  on  chalk — we  cannot 
hold  out  much  hope  of  permanent  or  even  temporary 
success  with  the  first  named,  and  the  latter  we  do  not  advise 
you  to  plant  at  all.  There  is  no  great  difBculty  in  culti- 
vating Lily  of  the  Valley  with  an  assured  dept  b  of  at  least 
15  inches  of  good  soil,  though  high  e.i;cellence  would  only 
ensue  with  moisture  nex-t  the  roots.  If  these  were  not 
present,  the  best  varieties  would  soon  dwindle  to  the 
size  of  those  seen  in  woodland  places ;  hence  our  advice 
is  to  considerably  deepen  the  soil  by  excavating  the  chalk 
and  supplying  good  garden  soil  in  its  stead.  As  you  only 
require  a  small  bed.  the  preparation  suggested  would  not  be 
a  serious  item.  Single  crowns  of  the  I/ilies  may  be  planted 
6  inches  asunder,  and  small  clumps  of  not  more  than 
six  crowns  each — larger  are  not  recommended — at  9  inches 
apart  each  way.  Tlie  Berlin  and  Victoria  are  among 
the  larger-flowered  varieties,  though  size  is  very  much 
a  matter  of  soil  and  generous  cultivation.  The  Pc-eonies 
would  requhe  at  least  21  feet  of  good  soil.  They  root 
deeply  and  are  very  voracious  ;  hence  need  quite  rich  soil 
also.     The   old   double   crimson   European    Pseony    is   au 


28 


THE    GAflDEN„ 


[January  ii,  1913- 


exception  and  roots  iess  deeply  than  the  taller-growinG; 
Chinese  forms,  and  for  this  2  feet  of  good,  well-cultivated 
soil  would  suffice.  The  plants  should  be  set  alternately 
at  2  feet  aaiinderj 

THE     GREENHOUSE. 

INJURY  TO  AZALEAS  (Pepper).— There  is  no  ia^ect 
or  fungus  on  the  Azalea  to  account  for  its  condition. 
There  are  aphides,  d'C,  in  the  house,  however,  with  it, 
which  call  for  fumigation.  The  Azalea  has  died  from 
improper  watering.  Possibly  the  repotting  was  done 
so  that  the  water  drains  through  without  wetting  the 
whole  of  the  soil,  a  frequent  and  fatal  cause  of  trouble 
with  these  plants.  Tn  any  case,  we  are  sure  that  either 
a  lack  or  a  plethora  of  water  is  the  cause  of  the  plants* 
condition. 

POINSETTIAS  A  FAILURE  (A.  itf.).— There  was 
nothing  about  the  plant  sent  to  indicate  any  reason  for 
the  whole  batch  behaving  as  they  have  done,  but  we 
should  say  that  in  all  probability  the  plants  received  some 
severe  check  just  as  the  bracts  were  developing.  What 
feat  was  likely  to  be  we  must  leave  for  you  to  find  out. 
It  may  be  a  chill,  an  insufficient  supply  of  water,  or  too 
strong  a  dose  of  stimulants.  Poinsettias  may  be  grown 
coolly  during  the  summer,  and  then  they  readily  respond 
to  a  little  heat  in  the  autumn. 

VARIETIES  CF  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  FOR  EXHI- 
BITION U'Jrhibiior). — For  showin^:  in  Class  1  you  should 
grow  plants  of  Master  James,  Evangeline,  Mrs.  Luxford 
and  Rose  Pockett ;  for  Class  2,  Master  James  and  Evange- 
line ;  for  Class  3,  Mrs.  Luxford  ;  for  Class  4,  ladysmith, 
Ceddie  Mason,  Mary  Richardson  and  Mensa ;  for  Class  5, 
F.  L.  Vallis  (two).  White  Queen  (two),  Mrs.  Marsham 
(one)  and  Mrs.  L.  Thorn  (one)  ;  and  for  Class  6,  Mrs. 
William  Knox  and  Mrs.  R.  F.  Felton.  All  the  varieties 
named  flower  fairly  early,  are  free,  dwarf  in  habit  and 
carry  good  foliage. 

CARNATION  DISEASED  (M.  PT.).— The  death  of  the 
shoots  of  the  Carnation  is  due  to  the  attack  upon  them 
of  a  species  of  Fusarium  (apparently  undescribed).  This 
fungus  seem?  to  gain  an  entrance  into  the  shoots  wliich 
have  been  cut  back  after  (lowering.  In  every  case  among 
those  you  send  the  trouble  originated  in  the  snag  left 
on  cutting  back,  and  spread  so  as  to  check  the  water 
supply  to  the  young  lateral  which  was  pusliing,  and  caused 
its  death.  We  suggest  that  you  should  cut  back  the 
growths  to  the  node,  and  not  leave  the  inch  or  so  of  snag 
beyond,  for  that  will  more  rapidly  aid  the  plant  in  healing 
the  wound  you  make,  and  so  reduce  the  chance  of  infec- 
tion. This  will  greatly  check  the  spread  of  the  trouble. 
All  diseased  pieces  should  be  cut  away  and  burned  as 
soon  as  they  appear,  so  as  to  check  the  distribution  of 
the  spores,  and  keep  the  air  of  the  liouse  as  dry  as  you 
conveniently  can. 

"^'TTLEYA  GIGAS  NOT  FLOWERING  (T.  i^.).— We 
have  heard  of  a  shy-flowering  variety  of  this  beautiful 
species  being  in  commerce,  but  cannot  vouch  for  its 
accuracy.  The  probable  cause  of  the  non-production 
of  flowers  is  due  to  some  cultural  error.  When  brought 
under  cultivation,  each  plant  requires  as  much  light  as 
possible  without  injury  to  the  foliage,  while  air  is  also 
an  important  item  and  must  be  admitted  on  every  favour- 
able opportunity.  Suspend  the  plants  about  two  feet 
from  the  roof-glass,  and  as  the  pseudo-bulbs  near  com- 
pletion more  light  and  air  can  be  allowed,  so  that  they  are 
thorougtdy  ripened.  Such  subjects  as  Cattleya  gigas 
and  C.  aurea  are  often  grown  in  too  dense  phade,  and  are 
in  consequence  shy  flowering.  To  produce  flowers  the 
plants  ought  not  to  be  too  green.  To  the  amateur  this 
is  a  healthy  sign,  but  the  experienced  grower  does  not 
mind  if  his  plants  present  a  somewhat  yellow  appearance, 
because  he  is  more  sure  of  getting  flowers.  In  their  native 
habitat  the  best  blooms  are  always  found  on  plants  well 
exposed  to  the  sun,  while  on  plants  growing  in  the  shade 
the  blooms  are  less  numerous  and  of  poor  quality. 

PLANT  FOR  NAME  AND  TREATMENT  (.7.  5.).— 
The  name  of  the  specimen  sent  is  Crassula  arborescens, 
a  native  of  South  Africa.  It  is  quite  possible  that  your 
plant  will  be  all  the  better  for  a  larger  pot,  but  do  not 
disturb  it  before  April.  It  will  thrive  in  a  compost  mainly 
consisting  of  loam,  with  an  admixtiire  of  leaf-mould  or 
peat,  broken  brick  rubble  and  sand.  From  its  succulent 
nature  it  needs  to  be  kept  moderately  dry  during  the 
winter  months,  and  an  excess  of  moisture  may  be  the 
cause  of  your  plant  losing  some  of  its  leaves,  while,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  old  and  exhausted  ones  may  have  died 
otf  naturally.  It  needs  to  be  kept  safe  from  frost.  In 
potting,  ellective  drainage  must  be  ensured  and  the  soil 
pressed  down  moderately  firm.  It  must  during  the  winter 
be  kept  safe  from  frost.  If  you  desire  to  increase  your 
plant,  shoots  such  as  the  specimen  you  sent  for  naming 
will  make  suitable  cuttings,  which  will  strike  root  witliout 
difficulty  if  put  into  well-drained  potr,  of  sandy  soil  and 
care  is  taken  not  to  overwater  them.  At  the  same  time, 
the  soil  must  be  kept  moderately  moist.  They  will 
strike  root  well  in  a  light  position  in  a  window. 
h-  TREATMENT  OF  GERBERAS  iEnquver).—lD  yonr 
district  (Cheshire)  you  had  better  resort  to  pot  culture 
and  greenhouse  treatment  entirely,  save,  perhaps,  for 
the  hot  summer  months,  when  you  might  plunge  the 
plants  in  their  pots  in  beds  to  flower.  In  favoured  dis- 
tricts near  the  coast  the  plant  is  reliably  hardy  in  the  open 
without  protection,  while  in  Surrey,  Middlesex,  Cambridge 
and  other  places,  if  given  the  shelter  of  a  greenhouse  wall 
and  a  light  covering  in  winter-time,  it  does  fairly  well. 
As  a  native  of  South  Africa,  the  plant  revels  in  heat  and, 
in  our  experience,  moisture  too.  Some  plants  that  had 
bean  exposed  to  the  winter  in  pots  and  got  into  a  bad  way 


recovered  in  an  iucredibly  short  time  when  repotted 
and  placed  in  the  Cucumber-house  where  heat  and  mois- 
ture prevailed.  The  spring  is  the  best  season  for  potting 
tliem,  as  at  that  time  the  plants  re-ume  active  leaf  and 
root  growth.  No  ;  the  plants  should  not  be  kept  "  in 
fairly  small  pots,"  whatever  that  may  imply,  but  be  given 
liberal  root-room.  With  good  greenhouse  treatment 
plants  of  a  few  months  old  are  capable  of  producing  a 
solitary  flower-head,  and  for  the  flrst  year  pots  4V  inches 
across  will  suffice.  In  the  second  year  atford  them  6-inch 
pots.  Give  them  a  fairly  rich  compost  of  loam,  leaf-mould 
and  sand,  with  some  well-decomposed  stable  manure  at 
the  rate  of  one-fifth  part  of  the  other  materials.  The 
manure  should  be  rubbed  through  a  sieve  of  rather  fine 
mesh. 


Be  careful  not  to  let  your  tree  get  dry  at  any  time,  winter 
or  summer.  If  you  do  not  know  what  is  the  best  soil 
for  Peach  trees,  let  us  know  and  we  will  help  you  further. 


ROSE     GARDEN. 

PROTECTING     BRIARS    FROM    THE    STEM-BORER 

(F.  C.). — This  pest  can  be  stopped  by  painting  tlic  vmU 
over  with  painter's  knotting,  and  also  with  liquid  gnifting- 
wax. 

CURIOUS  GROWTH  IN  ROSES  (T^/fty).— The  curious 
growths  on  the  Rose  appear  to  be  galls  produced  by  the 
attack  of  tlie  Hose  canker  fungus,  Coniothyrinm  Fuchelii. 
You  did  quite  right  to  cut  the  stem  out.  and  it  would  be 
well  also  to  paint  the  cut  end  of  the  stem  with  lead  paint 
or  tar. 

STRONG-GROWING  ROSES  (RUGOSA  STOCK) (North). 
— We  should  say  the  so-called  "  shrub  "  upon  which 
some  Roses  are  budded  is  the  rugosa  stock,  or  Japanese 
Rose.  This  variety  is  capable  of  being  grown  with  tall 
stems,  and  is  largely  employed  by  foreign  growers  and 
also  some  English  nurserymen  for  standard  Roses.  The 
only  objection  to  it  is  that  the  stems  are  not  very  straight, 
but  Roses  budded  upon  it  make  remarkably  large  heads. 

TRANSPLANTING  BUDDED  STANDARD  BRIARS 
(,/.  (;_),_— It  would  be  best  to  leave  the  Briars  where  they 
are  until  next  autumn.  They  would  do  much  better 
than  if  moved  this  season.  Frau  Karl  Druschki  is  a  good 
Rose  to  grow  on  its  own  roots.  Rambler  Roses  of  the 
wichuraiana  type  planted  last  autumn  need  not  be  pruned 
back  in  the  spring,  save  just  the  extreme  end  of  the 
shoots,  but  the  mnltiflora  tribe  are  best  cut  back  to  about 
three  feet. 

SELECTIONS  OF  ROSES  (Rosary). — Eight  well-varied 
Polyantha  Roses  of  similar  growth  to  each  other  would 
be  Jessie,  Orleans  Rose,  Katherina  Zeiraet.  Cecile  Brunner, 
Caaaricnvo^el,  Petite  Con=itanbe,  White  Cecile  Brunner 
and  Leonie  Laraesch.  The  four  best  China  Roses  are 
Comtesse  du  Cayla,  Laurette  Messimy,  Fabvier  and 
Ducher.  These  will  grow  from  2  feet  to  3  feet  in  height. 
The  3-feet  standards  would  be  about  right  to  plant  behind 
them.  We  should  prefer  one  variety  in  a  row,  and  eight 
best  kinds  would  be  Caroline  Testout,  Mme.  Llavary, 
Prince  de  Biilgarie,  Pharisaer,  General  Macarthur,  Gustave 
Granerwald,  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay  and  Chateau  de  Clos 
Vougeot. 

PRUNING  WICHURAIANA  ROSES  (U.  G.  B  ).— We 
are  afraid  you  liave  pruned  the  plants  too  severely.  This 
tribe  are  not  like  the  multifloras,  ivhich  should  have  most 
of  their  old  wood  removed,  but  are  best  allowed  to  retain 
some  of  the  two  and  three  year  old  growths,  and  by  so 
doing  check  the  tendency  to  premature  new  growth  that 
seems  inherent  in  them.  If  these  two  and  three  year  old 
growths  have  their  laterals  cut  back  hard  in  March,  they 
will  yield  splendid  trusses  of  blooms  from  them.  Too 
frequently  the  summer  growths  are  soft,  and  unless  pro- 
duced in  early  summer  will  not  be  so  serviceable  as  the 
two  year  old  shoots.  We  think  you  had  best  leave  the 
young  growths  untouched,  but  smother  them  with 
Bracken  or  straw  sliould  severe  weather  come  If 
these  get  injured,  you  need  not  fear  that  the  plants  will 
not  send  up  plenty  more  next  summer.  Spread  the 
growths  out  all  you  can  and  do  not  coddle  them  at  all. 
If  young  growtlis  are  injured  by  cutting  them  back  to 
one  eye,  they  will  break  out  again  and  bloom  as  though 
nothing  had  happened. 

FRUIT     GARDEN. 

PEAR  TREE  AND  FRUIT-SPURS  (B.  J.  i.).— The 
swollen  shoots  are  not  marks  of  disease  in  the  tree. 
They  are  the  shoots  (spurs)  which  bore  fruits  this  season, 
and  you  evidently  had  a  good  crop.  There  is  nothing  to 
fear  from  their  presence. 

PRUNING  FRUIT  TREES  (fF.  G.  0)— All  you  have  to 
do  is  to  prune  back  all  the  side  shoots  of  this  year's  growt-h, 
the  strong  ones  to  three  buds  from  their  base  (meaning 
from  the  branch  from  which  they  emanated)  and  the 
weaker  ones  to  two  buds  from  their  base.  The  terminal 
shoot  of  each  main  branch  should  be  pruned  back  to  the 
extent  of  one-third  its  length. 

PEACH  TREE  FAILURE  {Trouhledy— There  are,  we 
think,  two  mistakes  in  your  treatment  In  the  flrst  place, 
top-dressing.  Instead  of  taking  an  inch  of  the  old  soil 
off,  you  should  have  taken  as  many  inches  off  as  would 
expose  a  good  body  of  roots,  even  if  you  had  to  take 
6  inches  or  7  inches  off,  and  then  lay  a  top-dressing  on  the 
top  of  these  roots,  6  inches  deep,  of  the  best  Peach  soil, 
ramming  it  down  firmly  while  it  was  fairly  dry.  This 
new  soil  this  spring  and  summer  will  be  filled  with  a  great 
mass  of  new  roots,  which  will  carry  the  crop  safe  tlirough, 
with  the  aid  of  surface  mulching  and  stable  manure  in 
summer  and  the  careful  application  of  weak  liquid  manure. 
The  other  mistake  you  made  was  in  applying  a  top- 
dressing  of  nasty  pig-manure  to  the  border.  Peacli  trees 
do  not  like  this  cold,  raw  stuff  over  their  roots  in  winter. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

VEGETABLES  FOR  GENERAL  USE  {E:i/iinrp  r).~ 
This  is  a  matter  of  taste  on  which  opinions  differ  widely, 
and  probably  no  two  persons  are  like-minded  in  the 
matter.  We  give  a  list  below  of  the  best  kinds  of  vege- 
tables usually  grown  in  English  gardens,  from  which  we 
hope  you  may  be  able  to  make  an  agreeable  selection. 
We  have  denoted  those  kinds  we  would  prefer  to  grow,  if 
restricted  to  only  twelve  kinds,  by  asterisks.  Beans — Broad, 
French  and  Kidney — we  place  as  one  kind,  only  for  the 
purposes  of  this  list.  Artichokes  (Jerusalem  and  Globe), 
•Asparagus,  'Beans,  Beetroot,  *Broccoli,  *BrussPls 
Sprouts,  *C)abbage,  Celeriac,  *Celery,  'Carrots,  •Cauli- 
flowers, Cnleworts,  Seakale,  'Leeks,  Vegetable  Marrow, 
Mushrooms,  'Onions,  Parsnips,  *Peas,  'Potatoes  and 
Turnips. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

STAINING  A  SUMMER-HOUSE  (H.  E.).—Yoii  cannot 
do  better  tlian  have  your  summer-house  stained  a  dark 
oak  or  mahogany.  We  do  not  think  that  paint  would  be 
suitable  witli  the  Heather-thatched  roof. 

MALT-DUST  AS  MANURE  {W.  E.  IT .).— Malt-dust  is 
a  valuable  fertiliser,  and  if  it  can  be  obtained  cheaply  is 
well  worth  using.  Like  all  organic  matters,  it  should 
be  applied  some  time  before  it  is  actually  wanted  by  the 
crop,  so  as  to  allow  time  for  the  soil  bacteria  to  act  upon 
it.  Either  winter  or  early  spring  would  do  well,  and  it 
should  be  dug  in,  not  used  as  a  top-dressing,  except  on 
pots. 

COLLECTIONS  OF  VEGETABLES  {R-mk'op).— The 
Ruyal  Horticultural  Society's  book,  "  Code  of  Rules  for 
Judging,"  gives  the  following  points  value  to  the  vegetables 
you 'mention  at  tlie  exhibition  held  in  mid-September, 
these  being  the  maximum,  which  are  very  seldom  attained  : 
Collection  A. — Potatoes,  8  points  ;  Celery,  8  points  ; 
Carrots,  8  points ;  Turnips,  6  points ;  French  Beans, 
7  points :  Cauliflower,  8  points  ;  Tomatoes,  8  points  ; 
Onions,  8  points  ;  Cucumber,  7  points — total,  68  points. 
These  figures  prove  little  or  nothing.  They  only  suggest 
a  standard  maximum  figure  as  an  aid  to  pointing. 

GRASS  FOR  PEAT  LAND  IN  VANCOUVER.  B.C.  (W.  S.). 
— Holcus  lanatus  has  been  found  to  be  one  of  the  be?t 
trasses  for  covering  poor  peaty  ground  in  Western  North 
America,  and  preparing  the  way  for  more  profitable  kinds. 
One  or  two  seasons  of  this  grass  are,  as  a  rule,  quite 
sufficient,  for  it  is  not  a  remunerative  kind  to  grow.  Its 
feeding  properties  are  said  to  be  good  once  stock  take 
a  fancy  to  it ;  but  horses  prefer  other  kinds  when 
obtainable.  Although,  if  left  unattended,  it  is  likely  to 
crowd  out  better  kinds,  it  may  be  killed  out  fairly  easily 
by  mowing  it  down  beiore  the  seeds  set,  tliereby  prevent- 
ing the  self  sowing  of  seeds.  If  you  write  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  for  Canada,  you  will  probably  be  able 
to  obtain  an  expert  opinion  on  the  best  kinds  of  grass  to 
follow  the  Holcus. 

A  WATER-LOGGED  FIELD  (W  L.  5.).— Your  only 
chance  of  turning  your  field  into  a  profitable  garden  is 
to  have  it  properly  drained,  even  if  you  have  to  obtain 
permission  to  lay  a  new  main  drain,  with  the  i  roper  fall 
to  the  outlet  three-quarters  of  a  mile  away.  You  would 
find  this  considerably  cheaper  and  better  than  moundinn 
up  the  ground  as  you  suggest.  A  garden  made  of  small 
hillocks  and  catchpits  would  be  both  unsightly  and 
dangerous,  while  the  expense  would  be  very  great.  Your 
new  drain  could  be  started  3  feet  or  34  feet  below  the 
surface,  and  branch  drains  could  be  connected  with  it, 
starting  at  li  feet  below  the  surface.  This  would  ensure 
the  proper  draining  of  the  top  soil,  and  you  would  not 
need  to  introduce  much  new  material,  for  by  trenching 
the  ground  li  feet  deep  the  various  kinds  of  soil  would  be 
broken  up  and  mixed  together,  making  it  suitable  for  most 
of  the  plants  you  might  wish  to  grow.  In  addition  to 
being  difficult  to  work  in  wet  weather,  crops  planted  on 
very  wet  ground  are  subject  to  injury  by  spring  frosts  ; 
therefore  everything  is  against  successful  gardening  under 
the  conditions  you  describe.  If  you  lay  new  drains,  be 
careful  to  cover  the  pipes  with  stones  to  keep  out  dirt. 

WOODLICE  AND  VIOLETS  (A.  D.  M .).— Woodlice  are 
purticularlv  fond  of  retiring  during  the  day  into  some  dark, 
dry  spot,  wliere  they  are  out  of  sight  till  darkness  sets  in. 
and  they  recommence  their  work  of  mischief.  This  habit 
may  be  taken  advantage  of,  in  order  to  trap  them  in  a  whole- 
sale manner,  thus  :  Small  fiower-pots  filled  loosely  with 
some  dry  moss  or  hay  can  be  laid  on  their  sides  where  they 
most  congregate,  and  if  examined  during  the  day  these 
pe-sts  will  be  found  hiding  therein.  The  quickest  way  to 
destroy  them  is  to  examine  the  contents  of  each  pot  over 
a  pail  containing  some  boiling  water,  as  the  pests  quickly 
drop  when  disturbed,  and  some  may  otherwise  escape. 
Two  pieces  of  board,  one  laid  on  the  top  of  the  other  in 
such  a  manner  that  there  is  just  enough  space  for  the 
woodlice  to  get  between,  will  also  trap  many.  Besides 
this,  they  probably  liave  some  favourite  haunts  at  the  foot  of 
the  wall,  and,  if  so,  a  few  kettlefuls  of  boiling  water  poured 
therein  will  destroy  considerable  numbers.  Potatoes  or 
Turnips  hollowed  out  and  placed  on  the  ground  hollow 
side  downwards  will  al>=o  prove  very  attractive  to  them. 
They  can  then  be  killed  by  dropping  them  into  boiling  water. 
Paris  green,  a  preparation  of  arsenic  mixed  with  sugar 
and  barley-meal,  is  said  to  be  very  effective  in  destroying 
these  pests,  but  we  have  always  found  the  trapping  of  them 
to  be  effectual  if  persistently  carried  out. 


■■«5-  ^fe*^ 


m&^s.- 


GARDEN. 


^S^ 


-^£5'" 


l^5& 


No.  214S.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


January  18,  1913. 


CONTSINTS. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


Notes  of  the  Week.. 

coebespondence 

liOQlcera     fragrautls- 

sima  iu  a  Fifoshire 

garden    . . 

Rose  Sarah  Bernhardt 

The    Tulip    Tree    in 

America 
Fatsia  japonica 
Khododeudrou  uoble- 

auum      

Abutilou  vitifolium  iu 

Ireland 

fabiana  imbricata  .. 
Winter  -   flowering 

plants 

t  orthcomiDg  events  ., 
Gardening  Acrostics 
Prizes  roii  the  Best 

KocK  Gardens 
Coloured  Plate 

some  new  Ceutaureas 
Kitchen  Garden 
Forcing  Suakale 
Potato  While  City.. 
Rose  Garden 
Some   of    the    newer 
decorative  Itoses.. 
Some  little-known  red 
Hybrid  Tea  Hoses 
rLOWEtt  Garden 
A     bold     herbaceous 
plant      


FLOWER  Garden 

sweet  Pea  notes       . .     33 
Lilies :  A  causerie  . .     34 
Rock  and  Water  Garden 
Ranunculus  Lyalli  id 

JN'ew  Zealand        . .     35 
Saxifrage  cliffs  in  rock 

gardens 35 

Fruit  (jarden 

The    best  Plums  and 

their  cultivation  , . 

Greenhouse 

Winter  -  flowering 

greenhouse  Heaths 

A  seasonable  note  on 

Aui'iculus 

How    TO    repair 

Hollow  Trees 
Gardenino  of  the  Week 
i'or     Southern     gar- 
dens        38 

I'or     ^'orthern     gar- 
dens        33 

New    and     Rare 

plants     39 

The    Misuse     of 

Manures 39 

The  "Woburn  "  Plant- 
ing OF  Fruit  Trees    39 
Plants  Flowering 

out  of  season      .,    40 
Books 40 


liili  a  ST  RATIONS. 

Rhododendron  nobleanum  in  full  flower  at  Kew    ..  30 

Potato  White  City 32 

An  ornamental  Kale  (Crambe  orientale) 33 

Part  of  a  >"ew  Zealand  rock  garden 34 

Liiium  giganteum  in  Mr.  E.  A,  Bowles'  garden        , .  35 

A  white-flowered  Heatli  (Erica  gracilis  alba)   . .      . .  36 

How  to  repair  hollow  trees 37 


BDITORIAIi    NOTICHS. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  mil  be  taken,  and  where  stampg 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contrilnttioHS. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  deured,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  lUerary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  muit  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Gakden  iiill  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tai-istock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


Winter  Greens  Running  to  Seed.— The  effect 

of  the  mild  weatlier  so  generallv  experienced  until 
quite  recently  has  had  a  remarkable  effect  on  winter 
greens,  .^t  the  present  time  we  have  Savoy 
Cabbages  and  Drumhead  Kale  almost  in  flower, 
while  even  the  hard  buttons  ot  Brussels  Sprouts 
have  burst  and  are  pushing  out  flowering  shoots. 
So  far  Chou  de  Russie  and  Purple  Sprouting 
Broccoli  ha\'e  not  misbehaved  in  this  way. 

Old  Cyclamen  Plants.— Now  that  the  Cycla- 
mens are  once  more  adding  their  quota  of  beauty 
to  the  conservatory,  it  may  be  interesting  to 
raise  the  question  of  their  longevity.  Owing  to 
the  general  practice  of  growing  them  for  one  season 
of  flowering  only,  it  may  be  difficult  to  secure 
reliable  data  on  this  point.  We  know  personally 
of  one  plant  that  is  at  least  twenty-five  years  old, 
and  which  still  gives  annually  a  good  display  of 
flowers.  It  is  grown  in  a  cottage  window,  and  is 
a  sweet-scented  form  of  C.  persicum.  Can  any  of 
our  readers  beat  this  ? 

New  Secretary  for  Shrewsbury  Show.— We 
understand  on  good  authority  that  Mr.  W.  G. 
Brazier  has  been  appointed  secretary  of  the  Shrop- 
shire Horticultural  Society,  under  the  auspices  of 
which  the  great  Shrewsbury  Show  is  held.  Mr. 
Brazier  has  been  connected  with  the  firm  of  Messrs. 
Adnitt  and  Natmton,  the  late  secretaries,  for 
twenty-five  years,  and  will,  therefore,  be  well 
versed  in  his  new  duties.  There  were  nearly  fifty 
applicants  for  the  post.  We  take  this  opportunity 
of  wishing  the  new  secretary  every  success  and  the 
society  continued  prosperity. 

Rose  Dorothy  Perkins.— This  Rose  is  almost 
an  evergreen.  In  ordinary  seasons  the  leaves 
remain  on  in  great  numbers  throughout  the  winter  ; 
but  our  own  plants,  and  others  we  see  in  gardens 
wide  apart,  are  almost  as  green  now  as  in  summer. 
Last  autumn,  no  doubt  owing  to  the  dull  weather 
of  the  summer,  the  leaves  were  very  green,  also  the 
bark  of  the  branches ;  but  in  the  autumn  of 
191  r  the  leaves  and  the  bark  were  of  a  bronze 
colour.  The  wood  is  none  too  ripe  now,  and, 
as  there  is  plenty  of  it,  cultivators  would  do  well 
to  thin  out  old  branches  forthwith  where  there  is 
overcrowding. 

A  Pretty  Outdoor  Effect.— Quite  recently  a 
pretty  outdoor  effect  was  noted  from  a  group  of 
a  red-stemmed  Cornus  carpeted  with  Winter 
Aconites,  the  contrast  between  the  red  and  yellow 
being  very  marked,  especially  when  the  sun  was 
shining.  Such  an  effect  may  be  easily  repro- 
duced, for  both  plants  are  cheap  and  easily  obtained, 
while  they  tlurive  almost  anywhere.  By  selecting 
one  of  the  variegated-leaved  Cornuses,  such  as 
alba  variegata  or  Spathii,  the  double  advantage 
is  obtained  of  having  a  decorative  winter  group 
and  one  which  is  showy  throughout  the  summer. 
In  some  instances  the  idea  may  be  varied  by  using 
Snowdrops  or  Chionodoxas  for  the  groundwork. 


The  Caucasian  Scabious. — This  is  undoubtedly- 
one  of  the  finest  liardy  perennials  in  cultivation, 
and  as  it  will  thrive  and  flower  freely  in  almost 
any  soil  or  situation,  it  can  be  strongly  recom- 
mended. It  produces  large  heads  of  pale  lilac 
flowers  3  inches  to  4  inches  across,  while  the  stems- 
are  long,  which  renders  it  also  an  ideal  subject 
for  cutting  purposes. 

The   Glastonbury   Thorn.— in   regard  to  this 

remarkable  Crataegus,  whicli  is  still  flowering  in 
many  gardens,  it  is  interesting  to  recall  the  legend 
associated  with  its  past  history.  The  Glastonbury 
Thorn  is  alleged  to  be  a  descendant  of  Joseph  of 
Ariraathea's  staff,  which  grew  when  he  stuck  it 
in*  the  ground  at  Glastonbury.  This  tree  is  a 
variety  of  the  common  May  or  Hawthorn,  whicb 
usually  flowers  about  New  Year's  Dav  ;  the  date 
of  flowering  is,  however,  largely  dependent  on  the" 
season. 

Sowing  Early  Peas.— Although  it  is  rather 
early  yet  to  sow  Peas  in  the  open  garden,  it  may 
be  useful  to  pass  on  a  hint  that  was  given  us  some 
years  ago  by  the  late  Charles  Foster.  It  is  to- 
cover  the  seeds  very  lightly  instead  of  the  usual 
r-inch  or  2-inch  covering  that  is  desirable  for 
later  sowings.  Also,  if  the  soil  is  mainly  clay, 
some  sand  or  old  potting  soil  placed  under  and 
over  the  seeds  will  do  much  to  prevent  them 
decaying.  To  sow  Peas  very  early  deeply  in  wet, 
cold  soil  is  to  invite  failure.  The  above  hint  also- 
applies  to  early  sowings  of  Sweet  Peas  in  the  out- 
door garden. 

Swede   Turnips    for   the     Dining-Room.  —  It 

is  ditticult  to  understand  why  the  small,  garden 
forms  of  the  Swede  Turnip  are  not  more  extensively 
grown  for  human  consumption.  Just  now  we 
are  enjoying  some  excellent  little  roots  that  have 
been  stored  m  soil  in  a  cool  shed  since  November, 
and  much  prefer  them  to  the  watery  white  Turnips- 
that  are  so  largely  used.  We  believe  that  the 
Swede  Turnips  contain  the  greatest  amount  of 
nutrition.  In  making  out  the  seed  order,  include 
a  small  packet  of  garden  Swede  Turnips,  give 
them  good  soil  so  that  growth  is  rapid,  and  then 
test  them  with  the  white  Turnips  next  winter. 

A  Rare  Shrub  (Elliottia  racemosa). — Concern- 
ing this  rarity  Mr.  W.  J.  Bean,  in  his  notes  on 
"  New  and  Rare  Slurubs "  now  appearing  io 
Coimtry  Life,  says :  "  Unless,  as  one  hopes,  some 
unsuspected  colony  exists  in  a  wild  state,  it  seems 
likely  that  this  shrub  vvill~meet  the  same  fate  as- 
the  great  auk,  and  disappear  as  a  living  thing- 
from  the  earth — to  future  generations  only  known 
by  museum  specimens."  Apparently  very  few 
plants  are  known  to  e.xist  in  a  wild  state,  and  these, 
like  cultivated  ones,  seem  to  have  lost  the  powers 
of  reproduction  by  seed.  It  is  a  native  of  Georgia, 
U.S.A.,  and  only  two  plants  are  at  present  known 
to  be  alive  in  Europe,  both  at  Kew.  .\  descriptive 
article  and  illustration  of  this  extremely  rare  plant, 
belonging  to  the  Heath  family,  appeared  in  our 
issue  dated  September  30,  1911. 


30 


THE     GAKDEN. 


[January  i8,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The   Editor   is   not    responsible  for   the   opinions 
expressed   by   correspondents.) 

Lonicera  fragrantissima  in  a  Fifeshire  Garden. 

This  extrpinely  iisttul  Wiiitfi-fluwfniii;  Honey^iukle 
has  given  us  its  pretty  cream-coloured  flowers 
ioT  the  last  two  years  in  the  third  week  of  December. 
It  remains  in  bloom  for  a  long  time,  and  on  fine 
■days  gives  off  its  delicate  fragrance  quite  freely. 
Planted  three  years  ago  against  a  south  wall  and 


evenly  and  straight.  It  bears  transplanting  well, 
and  is  a  very  rapid  grower.  One  I  have  in 
mind  grew  fully  60  feet  in  fourteen  years.  It  takes 
its  name  from  the  shape  of  its  flower,  which 
resembles  the  Tulip.  It  is  only  attacked  by  a 
scale  insect,  which  can  be  cheeked.  In  an  autumn 
of  moderate  rain  and  plentiful  sunshine,  the  first 
touch  of  frost  turns  it  yellow,  nnd  it  soon  gains  its 
colour,  which  seems  like  solid  sunshine. — F.  A.  S. 

Fatsia  japonica. — On  page  635,  issue  Decem- 
ber 21  ot  TriE  Garden,  "  C.  T."  refers  to  this 
plant   as  grown  in   the  open   air  in   the   Highgate 


fairly  well  sheltered,  it  is  now  forming  a  nice  plant.  I  district.  North  London.  In  the  South  of  Hampshire 
It  is  easily  propagated  from  cut- 
tings inserted  in  a  cold  frame  in 
August,  and  should  be  in  every 
:garden  where  winter  -  flowering 
■shrubs  in  the  open  are  in  demand. 
—J.  W.   E. 

Rose  Sarah  Bernhardt. — It  is 
rather  amusing  to  read  some  of 
Mr.  Molyneux's  notes  on  the  newer 
Roses.  I  do  not  consider  he  is 
justified  in  saying,  as  he  does  on 
page  q,  January  4  issue,  that  "  the 
trade  appears  to  have  overlooked 
this  Rose,"  just  because  perhaps 
he  does  not  find  it  mentioned  in 
■catalogues  that  he  has.  I  know 
for  a  fact  that  two  well-known 
firms  have  listed  it  ever  since  its 
introduction  by  Dubrieul  in  rgoS, 
and  I  myself  have  exhibited  it 
for  the  last  four  summers.  I  have 
not  only  grown  it,  but  I  have 
a  salmon-coloured  sport  from  it 
that  was  budded  in  1910. — Dan'E- 
<;roft. 

Rhododendron  nobleanum. — 
Among  large  -  leaved  e\'ergreen 
Rhododendrons,  this  is  the  first  to 
flower.  The  blooms  sometimes  open 
in  November,  and  frequently,  dur- 
ing] a  spell  of  mild  weather  from 
December  to  February,  large 
bushes  make  a  nice  display.  The 
mild  weather  of  the  past  month 
has  resulted  in  an  exceptionally 
brilliant  display  of  flowers  on  two 
large  groups  of  this  variety  in  the 
Rhododendrim  Dell  at  Kew.  The 
illustration,  prepared  from  a  photo- 
graph taken  on  New  Year's  Day, 
of  a  portion  of  one  of  the  bushes 
will  give  readers  some  idea  of  its 
beauty.  The  plants  form  large 
bushes,  10  feet  to  r5  feet  high. 
The  flowers  are  brilliant  rose, 
changing  with  age  to  a  paler 
-shade.  R.  nobleanum  is  a  hybrid, 
the  result  of  a  cross  between  R. 
arboreum     and     R.    caucasicum. 


It  is  readily 
propagated  by  grafting  or  layering.  Flowering 
naturally  in  midwinter,  R.  nobleanum  is  a 
valuable  subject  for  the  greenhouse,  the  blooms 
opening  at  Christmas  without  the  extra  heat 
necessary  to  force  most  hardy  subjects  into  flower 
by  that  date.— A.  O. 

The  Tulip  Tree  in  America.— In  the  issue  of 

The  Garden  of  Decemljer  28  I  notice  a  letter 
■on  the  Tulip  Tree,  where  it  is  said  it  is  called 
the  Saddle  Tree  in  the  United  States.  In  the 
Hudson  River  Valley,  where  the  tree  is  found  in 
numbers  in  the  uncared-for  woods,  it  is  known  as 
the   Tulip   Tree.     Give   it    room    and  it    will    grow 


plants  7  feet  through  and  5  feet  high,  with  leaves 
touching  the  ground.  The  many  burrs  this  season 
are  the  result  of  the  hot  weather  of  1911. — G.  G. 

Lewisias  Cotyledon  and  Howellii. — In  answer 
to  Mr.  .-\riiott's  note  last  week,  page  18,  I  can  only 
say  that  my  personal  experience  is  short.  I  saw 
these  in  flower  in  another  garden  two  years  ago 
for  the  first  time,  and,  carried  away  by  their 
distinctive  beauty,  purchased  a  lot  from  their 
native  home.  These,  as  I  before  stated,  came  to 
hand  last  November,  arriving  in  a  very  bad  con- 
dition through  defective  packing.  As  we  had 
just  constructed  a  little  moraine,  three  of  each  were 
planted  on  the  very  top,  just 
where  the  south-west  storms — 
turned  aside  by  striking  the  front 
of  our  house — expend  their  force 
with  double  fury,  and  yet  they 
went  through  the  winter  and 
faced  the  terrible  storm  of  last 
spring,  which  almost  killed  a  Y'ew 
hedge  adjoining,  quite  smashed 
up  and  killed  a  glorious  specimen 
"f  Cytisus  pallidus  alongside,  and 
ruined  some  fine  little  specimen 
miniature  conifers  near  them. 
The  Lewisias  smiled  happily 
through  it  all.  Other  plants  were 
put  on  a  wall  garden  in  ordinary 
stony  soil,  and  the  rest  potted. 
All  have  lived  and  grown  as 
heartily  as  any  plant  we  know 
could  have  done.  We  expected 
that  some  of  these  much-travelled, 
bedraggled  plants  would  have 
died  ;  but  no,  they  have  simply 
gone  on,  both  inside  and  outside 
alike,  though  they  have  not  yet 
got  up  courage  enough  to  bloom. 
This  I  look  for  next  season. 
From  the  appearance  of  the  roots 
and  the  experience  of  one  season, 
I  should  say  that  poor,  stony  soil 
of  a  good  depth — say,  2  feet  to 
3  feet  at  least — and  a  sunny, 
warm  aspect  are  necessary  to  their 
successful  culture.  Given  these, 
I  should  not  fear  to  plant  them 
almost  anywhere.  Of  course,  I 
may  yet  be  startled  by  a  change 
in  their  behaviour.  So  far  I  am 
quite  satisfied,  even  though  I 
have  not  yet  had  a  single  bloom  ; 
but  I  am  no  longer  young,  and 
so  have  learned  to  be  patient. 
Our  situation  is  not  a  good  one 
for  delicate  things,  though  many  of 
our  friends  who  visit  us  in  summer 
think  it  is.  While  mild  as  regards 
frost,  the  whole  village  is  swept 
by  the  storms  from  the  south- 
the  Fatsia  does  remarkably  well  in  the  open  border,  west  to  such  an  extent  that  standard  Roses  cannot. 
Your  correspondent  says  that  the  bulk  of  the  plants    and  even  bush  Roses  can  hardly,  exist,  while  few 


RHODODENDRON     NOBLEANUM     IN     FULL    FLOWER    IN    THE    DELL    AT 
KEW.         THE    PHOTOGR.\PH    WAS    TAKEN    ON    NEW    YEAR'S    DAY. 


he  has  noticed  in  gardens  are  leggy,  with  only  a 
few  leaves  covering  the  top  portions  of  the  stems, 
and  they  were  never  left  to  face  the  winter.  It 
lifted  or  retained  in  pots,  no  doubt  the  plants 
would  frequently  lose  some  of  the  basal  leaves. 
He  may,  however,  be  interested  to  learn  that  even 
in  this  part  of  Hampshire,  where  the  plants  grow 
in  the  open  borders  undisturbed  for  many  years, 
quite  a  number  of  those  grown  in  very  hot  positions 
lose  many  basal  .leaves,  and  so  there  are  many 
leggy   specimens   to   be   seen.     In   more   sheltered 


evergreen  shrubs  can  be  kept  alive  in  gardens 
of  the  villagers.  Again,  our  soil  is  a  moist,  reten- 
tive one,  and  growth  goes  on  until  the  frost  comes 
and  cuts  things  down.  We  simply  cannot  grow 
very  many  things  I  see  in  our  own  Lakeland 
gardens  and  in  the  gardens  on  the  north  side  of 
the  Solway,  and  of  many  others  we  can  never 
emulate  the  glorious  specimens  I  often  see.  Of 
course,  our  collection  is  a  remarkable  one,  but 
manv  of  the  plants  are  only  kept  in  stock  by 
the    expenditure  of    much    thought   and   care. — J- 


corners,  not  very  hot,  there  are  spreading,  vigorous    Stormonth,  Kirkbride,  Carlisle. 


n 


Stippli'iiiciil  to   THE  GARlJEX.  January   \'^lli,  1913. 


f 


SOMh    GOOD    CENTAUREAS 

1.  "Bride." 

2.  "  Bridegroom." 

3.  "Bridesmaid." 

4.  "  Honeymoon." 


titittson  &  lie 


January  i8,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


31 


Abutilon  vitifolium  in  Ireland. — This  shrub 
appears  to  be  quite  hardy  here,  some  eighteen  miles 
trorii  the  sea  and  250  feet  above  sea-level.  I 
send  you  a  photograph  of  one  of  my  plants,  taken 
when  in  full  Noon:.  We  recently  had  17'  of  frost, 
but  it  escaped  unhurt. — H.  D.  M.  Barton,  The 
Bush,  Antrim.  [Unfortunately,  the  photograp!'. 
which  depicted  a  very  good  plant,  was  not  sharp 
i-uough  for  reproduction. — Ep.] 

Fabiana  imbricata. — How  strange  it  is  we 
do  not  sec  more  plants  of  this  Heath-like 
s\ibject  in  the  garden  !  When  we  consider  how 
freely  it  grows  and  the  abundant  manner  in  which 
I  it  blossoms  aimually,  the  wonder  is  emphasised. 
Eight  years  ago  I  put  a  small  plant  in  a  border 
only  to  inches  wide  and  18  inches  deep  next 
to  a  brick  path  at  the  foot  of  a  south  wall,  where 
it  has  grown  luxuriantly  and  has  given  extremely 
heavy  crops  of  its  pure  white  blossoms  yearly 
without  exception.  If  short  pieces  of  the  current 
year's  growth  are  broken  off  in  a  downward  direc- 
tion in  .\ugust  or  September  and  dibbled  in  sandy 
sr)il  in  a  cold  frame,  every  piece  will  grow  and  quickly 
form  a  stocky  plant.  I  do  not  say  this  plant  will 
succeed  in  the  open  in  any  situation  or  soil,  but, 
given  a  warm  site,  such  as  a  south  w-all,  in  sandy 
or  peaty  soil,  it  will  quickly  establish  itself  as  a 
favourite  in  May  and  June  when  in  flower  and 
without  occupying  much  space. — E.  M. 

Winter-flowering  Plants. — The  finest  flowering 

plant  here  at  present  is  Laurustinus,  many  of  the 
bushes  of  which  are  white  with  the  bloom.  The 
south  side  of  a  hedge  of  this  plant  is  also  covered 
with  flowers.  It  does  not  give  such  a  fine  display 
every  year,  but  the  flowers,  if  not  always  so  soon  out 
as  this  season,  seldom  fail  to  make  a  fine  display 
somewhat  later.  Very  fine,  too,  is  a  variety  of 
Arbutus,  of  which  there  are  several  distinct  forms 
here,  varying  in  foliage,  flowers  and  fruit.  The 
fruit  is  usually  ripe  at  this  time  of  the  year,  but  it  ! 
is  still  green  now.  Hellebores  are  consistent  winter 
bloomers  here,  and,  like  other  things  this  season, 
are  generally  late  in  flowering,  though  the  niger 
varieties  are  earlier.  Our  earliest,  of  which  many 
dozens  were  used  last  month,  is  a  greenish  yellow 
named  H.  odorus,  lovely  for  table  decorations, 
and  quick  to  follow  it  is  H.  atropurpureus,  also  of 
value  for  the  same  purpose,  but  not  quite  so  refined. 
Then  the  winter-flowering  Honeysuckles  are  a  great 
stand-by,  but  it  is  essential  that  strong  and  long 
shoots  be  encouraged,  the  short  twigs  being  far 
inferior  as  decorative  objects.  A  not  infrequent 
late  winter  flowerer  is  Piptanthus  nepalensis,  the 
young  shoots  of  which  and  the  foliage  are  equally 
striking.  The  early-flowering  Prunus  Davidii  and 
its  white  variety  may  also  be  mentioned,  and 
Rhododendron  dahuricum,  which  always  begins 
to  flower  in  Januar\-.  Of  berried  plants,  besides 
the  Crataegus  Pyracantha  mentioned  (page  639), 
there  are  a  few  good  things  in  Cotoneaster  (the 
small  tree),  C.  frigida,  C.  Simonsii  (a  very  gay  and 
easy-to-grow  plant)  and  the  less  showT,'  C.  micro- 
phylla.  Pemettyas,  where  they  succeed,  are  also 
invaluable.  One  of  the  prettiest  shrubs  of  the 
present  season  was  a  yellow-berried  Yew,  and  it 
was  rather  extraordinary  that  while  missel-thrushes 
and  other  frugivora?  fed  on  the  common  red,  they 
abstained  from  the  yellow.  Daphne  Mezereum, 
with  its  wealth  of  sweet-scented  purple  flowers  in 
January,  is  an  object  of  much  beauty. — R.  P. 
Brotherston,  Tynin^hame,  Preslonkirk,  N.B. 


GARDENING    ACROSTICS. 

A    S  annotmced  in  our  issue  for  December  14. 
/%  1913,  we  are  publishing  a  series  of  eight 

/  %  acrostics  based  on  gardening  or  simple 
/  %  botany.  Prizes  of  ^3,  £2  and  /i, 
'  ^      respectively,  will  be  awarded  to  those 

seiuling  in  correct  solutions  of  ail  the 
acrostics.  The  names  of  those  who  have  correctly 
solved  the  problems  will  be  published  from  week 
to  week,  and  the  final  list  of  prize-winners  in  our 
issue  of  I'"ebruary  15.  In  all  cases  the  Editor's 
decision  nmst  be  final.  The  solution  to  .Acrostic 
No.  5,  which  appeared  last  week,  will  be  published 
next  week,  and  the  solution  to  No.  6,  which  is 
printed  below,  will  be  published  in  our  issue  dated 
I'obruary  i.  For  full  rules  governing  the  compe- 
tition readers  .a.re  referred  to  page  623  of  our  issue 
for  December  i.\.  1012, 

DOUBLE    ACROSTIC     No.    6. 

Morphologically  oidy  a  leaf ;  now  changed  m 
?hape  and  function. 

-My  firsts  are  the  top  of  my  whole,  and  my  finals 
are  my  whole  standing  on  its  head. 

1.  A    process    in    plants   similar    to    digestion    in 
animals. 

2.  I    scintillate  when    I    get    niv    South    .African 
sunshine. 

3.  Where  was  Pope's  celebrated  vill;;  ? 

4.  A  sunk  fence. 

5.  What  is  the  best  way  of  dealing  with  a  Kirke 
Plum  with  a  dense  blue  bloom  upon  it  ? 

6.  .-Xn  old  rival  of  the  Tulip,  which,  like  it,  came 
westwards  vid  Constantinople. 

Sohiliniis  0/  the  above  must  be  sent  so  as  to  reach 
the  Tiditor  at  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden, 
London,  W.C.,  nut  later  than  January  25.  Mark  the 
envelope  "  Acrostic  "  on  the  upper  left-hand'corner. 


OF 


FORTHCOMING     EVENT. 

January     21.  —  Royal     Horticultural     Society's 
Meeting  and  Exhibition. 


*  I. 

P 

AL 

M 

t     2. 

H 

ORTILAX 

I 

t  ^■ 

I 

DEA 

L 

§  4. 

L 

OBE 

I. 

!1  5. 

I 

NVOLLCR 

E 

If  6. 

P 

A  PAVE 

R 

SOLUTION     AND     NOTES 
ACROSTIC     No.    4. 

■■PHILIP    MILLER." 

Foreigners  of  his  day  gave  Philip  Miller  the  title 
of  "  Hortulanorum  Princeps"  ("  Johnson's  English 
Gardening,"  page  193.) 

*   I.     P 

t   2.      H 

t   3-      I 

§  4.     L 

!1  5.     I 

116.  P 
*  Like  "  Fern,"  this  word  is  often  loosely  used, 
t  "  O  Radix  Jesse  "  was  the  anthem  sung  by  the 
Hortulanus  at  certain  great  feasts  in  Monastic 
times.  It  was  one  of  the  seven  "  Roman  or 
Gregorian  Great  O's."  The  first  is  still  marked  in 
the  Church  of  England  calendar  on  December  16 
(page  r5  in  .\mherst's  '■  A  History  of  Gardening  in 
England,"  second  edition).  |  Ide?l.  Glenny,  in  his 
"  Properties  of  Flowers,"  always  pictured  an  ideal 
flower  which  florists  were  to  work  for.  §  Lobel,  or, 
more  correctly,  I'Obel,  was  botanist  to  James  I., 
and  keeper  of  Lord  Zouche's  garden  at  Hackney. 
Famous  for  his  system  of  classification.  (Arber's 
"  Herbals,"  pages  78  and  79.)  !|  In  botany  the 
green  bracts  surrounding  a  composite  flower  are 
called  an  involucre.  If  Papaver — Barley,  Wheat 
and  Poppies  formed  the  garland  of  Ceres.  As 
opium,  much   used  medicinally. 


a  much  easier  acrostic,  and  we  wish  to  inform 
readers  that  m  the  event  of  no  one  solving  .all  the 
acrostics,  the  prizes  will  be  awarded  to  those 
who  solve  the  greatest  number. 

*t*   The  names  of  those  who  have  cnrrctly  solved 
No.  4  will  be  given  ne.tl  week. 


PRIZES     FOR    THE     BEST 
ROCK     GARDENS. 


SOLVERS    OF    ACROSTIC    No.    3. 

Correct  solutions  of  Acrostic  No.  4  were  sent  in 
bv  the  following  :  "  Leander,"  "  Ping,"  "  Judith  " 
and   •'  Penwame,"     This  week  we   are   publishmg 


To  further  stimulate  the  interest  that  is  bemg  taken 
in  rock  gardens,  the  Proprietors  of  The  Garden 
offer  the  following  prizes  for  three  photographs  of 
a  rock  garden,  or  portions  ..f  a  rock  garden  : 

First  prize  :  Five  Guineas,  or  a  Silver  Cup  of 
that  value. 

Second  prize  :  Two  Guineas,  or  Books  ot  that 
value. 

Third  prize  :   One  Guinea. 

The  competition  is  open  only  to  the  actual 
owner  of  the  rock  garden,  or  to  his  or  her  gardener. 
The  object  is  to  encourage  good  rock  gardening, 
and  preference  will,  therefore,  be  given  to  those 
rock  gardens  which  show  originality  in  design,  and 
where  the  plants  depicted  are  well  grown.  It 
should  be  distinctly  understood  that  awards  will 
be  made  to  the  best  rock  gardens,  and  not  neces- 
sarily to  the  best  photographs.  The  photographs 
need  not  be  taken  by  the  competitor,  who  must, 
however,  in  such  cases  have  the  written  consent 
of  the  photographer  for  their  reproduction  in  The 
Garden.  For  rules  governing  this  competition 
see  issues  for  January  4  and  11. 


COLOURED      PLATE. 

PLiATB     1463 


SOME     NEW    CENTAUREAS. 

Dl'RING    recent     years     visitors     to    the 
principal     horticultural     shows     in 
I       .arious    parts   of    the    country  have 
had    an    opportimity   of   seeing    the 
new    forms   of    Centaurca,    some    of 
which  are  shown  in  the  accompany- 
ing coloured   plate.     It  is  to  Messrs.  Jarman   and 
Co,  of  Chard,  Somerset,  that  we  are   indebted  for 
these   charming   varieties.     For   many   years   past 
they  have  been  working  with  and  improving  these 
flowers,    which,    owing    to    their   long   stems    and 
graceful   poise,   are  admirably  adapted  for  use  in 
\'ases   and   epergnes   when    cut.      In   this   condition 
they  last  good  for  a  long  time,  which  is  an  additional 
point   in   their  favour.     The   colour  shades  found 
among    them    are    very   delicate   indeed,   and,   un- 
fortunately,   owing    to   difficulties  in  reproduction, 
these  arc  none    too    well    shown    in  the  coloured 
plate.   The  cultivation  of  these  Centaureas,  or  Sweet 
Sultans   as   some    delight    to    call   them,    is   quite 
simple.     They  are  annual  plants,  and  consequently 
the  seed  may  be  sown  in  the  open  garden  where 
the  plants  are  intended  to  grow  and  bloom.  An  open 
situation  and  well  drained,  rather  light  soil  seem 
to  suit  them  best.     The  seed  should  be  sown  thinly 
during  -April,  and  as  soon  as  the  seedlings  appear 
steps  should  be  taken  to  protect  them  from  slugs, 
which  are  very  fond  of  them.     The  dusting  of  soot 
or  lime  between,  but  net  on,  the  seedlings  is  a  good 
deterrent.        At    an    early    stage    of    their    career 
the  seedlings  should  be  thinned  to   i   foot   apart, 
and  .IS  soon  as  they  are  tall  enough  to  reqtiirc  it, 
support    in    the    form    of    light,   branching   sticks. 
well  thrust  into  the  ground,  should  be  aflorded. 


32 


THE     GARDEN. 


[January  i8,  IQ13. 


iKi 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

FORCING    SEAKALE. 

TO  force  Seakale  successfully,  good, 
strong,  well-ripened  crowns  are  indis- 
pensable, and  this  has  been  a  good 
season  for  obtaining  suitable  crowns. 
The  best  way  is  to  grow  a  supply  for 
forcing  from  thongs  or  root-cuttings 
every  year,  getting  them  rooted  in  the  winter  and 
planted  out  on  a  well-prepared  plot  of  ground  as 
early  as  possible,  so  that  they  have  a  long  season 
of  uninterrupted  growth. 

As  soon  as  the  leaves  wither  and  can  come  off 
easily,  crowns  may  be  potted  up  in  gj-inch  pots, 
putting  about  seven  or  eight  crowns  in 
evenly  and  filling  up  with  soil  firmly  ; 
then  place  on  a  stage  or  floor  in  a  dark 
room  where  the  temperature  is  not  less 
than  60°  to  65°.  It  is  well  to  cover 
over  with  an  inverted  pot.  This  not  only 
increases  the  darkness,  but  keeps  a 
moist  atmosphere  and  wards  of  draughts 
from  the  opening  and  shutting  of  doors. 
A  supply  like  this  can  be  easily  kept  up 
by  putting  in  a  number  equal  to  the 
demand  about  every  ten  days.  1  have 
found,  after  many  years  of  experience, 
that  a  dark  cellar  or  room  underground, 
with  a  pipe  or  pipes  running  around,  is 
the  most  suitable  spot  for  forcing  Sea- 
kale,  also  such  things  as  Chicory  and 
Dandelion,  and  likewise  for  starting 
Mustard  and  Cress.  Mushrooms  do  ex- 
ceedingly well  on  the  ground  floor  of  such 
structures.  Of  course,  quicker  and  better 
results  are  obtained  later  in  the  season, 
say,  this  month.  During  November 
the  forcing  will  take  four  or  five  weeks, 
but  as  each  week  rolls  on  the  forcing 
takes  less  time.  The  Kale  should  be  cut 
as  soon  as  ready,  that  is  when  6  inches 
high.  Nothing  is  gained  by  leaving  it  a 
day  after  it  is  ready  to  cut.  It  should 
be  cut  off  with  a  heel,  i.e.,  a  slice  of 
the  old  crown  ;  this  keeps  it  together  and 
fresh  till  conveyed  to  the  kitchen  tor  use. 
.\nother  important  factor  is  that  Seakale 
should  be  cooked  as  soon  after  it  is  cut 
as  possible,  to  bring  out  its  best  flavour 
and  crispness.  By  growing  in  pots  much 
work  is  saved,  as  on  wet  days  a  number 
of  pots  can  be  tilled  and  stored,  and  a 
handbarrow-load  conveyed  to  the  forcing- 
chamber  in  a  few  minutes  at  any 
time.  W.  A.  Cook, 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


SOME  OF  THE   NEWER   DECORATIVE 
ROSES. 

{Cotitntut'd   front    f?age  22.) 

Comtesse  Felicie  Hoyos  (Soupert  et  Notting, 
igi2).— This  is  a  good  Rose.  Colour,  variable 
salmon  yellow,  centre  rosy  copper.  A  good  grower 
and  free-flowering.  Said  to  be  a  very  promising 
variety  and  an  improvement  on  that  useful  garden 
Rose  Prince  de  Bnlgarie,  I  have  only  one  plant 
of  it,  and  should  hesitate,  therefore,  to  recommend 
it  ;  but  several  growers  mentinneri  it  to  me  as 
likely  to  prove  very  useful. 


m^f^y^W^  «'^«-„^.t 


'U 


^  <# 


■*«"T<  1''*'' 


■«»;- 


T^- 


.Js? 


POTATO    WHITE     CITY. 

-Amonc.    maincrop    Potatoes    of    recent 
introduction     the      variety     known     as        POTATO 
White      City      deservedly      occupies     a 
high  position.     Introduced    in    1909  by 
Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons  of  Rending,  it  was  not  long 
in  finding  its  wa>'  into  many  of  the  best  gardens  in 
the  country.     Although  last  season  was  by  no  means 
favourable  for  the  cultivation  of  Potatoes,  While 
City  behaved  splendidly,  and  the  illustration  shows 
a  crop  of   57jlb.,   or  just   over  one   bushel,   from 
31b.    of    sets.     This    may    not    be    a    particularly 
heavv    crop,    but    only    ordin.ary    cultivation    was 
adopted,    and    nothing    whatever    m    the    way    of 
extra  manuring  or  layering  of  growths  was  done. 
Practically  all  the  tubers  were  large  enough  for  use. 
In  quality  White  City  leaves  nothing  to  be  desired, 
the  tubers  when  rooked  being  white  and  Rowery.    H. 


WHITE     CITY,      A     GOOD     MAINCROP 
PLANTING    THIS    SPRING. 


C.  W.  Cowan  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1912), 
Hybrid  Tea. — What  little  I  have  seen  of  this  Rose 
I  liked  very  much.  Ihe  raisers  call  it  an  improve- 
ment on  Marquis  Litta.  Its  colour  is  certainly 
more  lasting,  and  it  produces  its  flowers  much 
more  freelv,  entitling  it  to  be  called  a  good  garden 
Rose,  which  is  more  than  can  be  said  for  Marquis 
l.itta.  Its  growth  is  vigorous,  and  the  colour  a  good 
cherry  carmine  of  the  shade  one  sees  in  that  beau- 
tiful Rose  Souvenir  dc  Maria  Zayas.  Nearly,  if  not 
quite,  miMew-proof,  and  with  .t  delicious  perfume. 

Desdemona  (Paul  and  Son,  igii),  Hybrid  Tea. — 
A  tnic  huge  flower  that  opens  freely,  but  not  exactly 


refined  in  shape.  I  see  the  raisers  call  it  a  bold 
flower.  It  is  that.  Colour,  deep  pink.  Its  chief  merit, 
1  think,  lies  in  its  perfume,  which  is  marked.  1  should 
sav  there  was  some  Bourbon  lilond  in  it^  veins. 

Duchess   of   Sutherland    (.Mpx.    Dickson    and 

Sons,  191 2^  Hybrid  Tea. — There  are  several  points 
about  this  Rose  that  attracted  me  when  I  saw  it 
at  Newtownards.  First  of  all,  a  quite  noticeable 
Sweet  Briar  perfume  that  is  certainly  unusual  in 
a  Rose  of  this  stamp  and  character  ;  then  its  colour, 
although  one  must  call  it  pink,  had  sometliing 
out  of  the  way  about  it  that  rendered  the  flower 
very  pleasing.  The  raisers,  I  see,  describe  it  as 
warm  rose  pink,  with  lemon  shading  on  a  white 
base  ;  but  that  does  not  quite  convey  the  colour 
.IS  I  saw  it,  Howe\'rr.  it  \vould  be 
I'M.lish  of  me  to  attempt  to  correct  such 
p.ist-masters  in  the  art  f)f  colour  descrip- 
tion  as  the  compilers  of  IMessrs.  Alex. 
Dickson's  catalogue  ;  but  the  Rose  struck 
me  as  being  of  a  colour  that  has  no 
name,  and  with  that  bit  of  useful 
information  I  must  leave  it.  It  is  a  tall 
grower  ;  the  flowers  are  of  good  size  and 
shape,  and  produced  on  good,  stiff  foot- 
stalks. .Altogether  a  welcome  addition. 
Duchess  of  Wellington  (.\lex.  Dick- 
son and  Sons,  1909),  Hybrid  Tea. — This 
is  one  of  our  best  bedding  yellows,  and 
at  its  best  a  beautiful  Rose,  entitled  to 
be  called  a  yellow  Killarney,  although, 
as  a  rule,  its  flowers  are  hardly  as  large 
as  that  variety.  Very  free- flowering,  of 
delightful  fragrance,  hardy,  of  good  habit 
of  growth  and  almost  mildew-proof,  1 
call  tiiorousjhly  recommen.!  this  variety. 

Duchess     of    Westminster    (Alex. 

Dickson  and  Sons,  tqii).  Hybrid  Tea. — 
I  referred  to  tliis  variety  under  "  Exhibi- 
tion R(jses,"  but  it  should  also  he  men-' 
tioned  here.  Its  colour,  perfume  and 
shape  are  all  good.  The  petals  are  large, 
but  of  rather  unusual  shape  ;  but  there 
is  one  point  I  must  refer  to.  The  buds 
in  their  early  stage  sometimes  look 
misshapen,  and  one  is  tempted  to  pick 
them  off  as  not  likely  to  produce  good 
flowers  ;  but  they  do,  and  seem  to  recover 
iu  a  marvellous  fashion.  It  is  a  change 
to  have  a  Rose  that  performs  better  than 
it  promises ;  so  many  promise  better 
than  they  perform, 

Southampton.        \\.   V..   Molv.nkun. 

SOME     LITTLE-KNOWN     RED 
HYBRID    TEA    ROSES. 

One  would  think  by  the  demand  for 
Liberty  and  Richmond  that  there  were 
but  very  few  Roses  of  a  red  or  scarlet 
colour  among  the  Hybrid  Teas ;  but 
really,  when  one  searches  for  them, 
there  are  quite  a  number.  Of  course, 
they  do  not  preponderate  like  the  cream,  orange 
and  pink  varieties  ;  but  yet  there  are  more  than 
at  first  sight  appears.  One  lovely  variety  is  named 
Gruss  an  Sangerhausen,  a  Rose  raised  by  that 
eminent  Germ  an  raiser  Dr.  MUller,  to  whom  \ve 
are  indebted  for  Conrad  I'.  Meyer  and  the  lovely 
semi-double  Gottfried  Keller,  and,  I  rather  think, 
Grliss  an  Teplitz  also,  although  Lambert  intro- 
duced it.  Sonte  have  foiuid  Griiss  an  Sanger- 
hausen only  a  moderate  grower,  but  with  me  it 
makes  fine,  vigorous  shoots.  Its  colour  is  a  fine 
scarlet,  with  deep  red  centres.  The  flowers  are 
of  good  size,  very  shapely,  but   they  droop.     This 


VARIETY      FOR 


January  i8,  1913.] 


THE     GAliDEN. 


33 


is  a  fault  in  uiaiiv  respects,  and  one  not  nientioneil 
tiy  siinir  wiiicrs.  1  ni)tir.e  that  .Mr.  Molyneux.  in 
speakiiiK  ■>'  Nita  HVldon,  ignores  this  very  had 
hahit  in  an  ntherwisc  lovely  variety.  Then  (iriiss 
an  Saiiijerliauscn  possesses  delicious  fragrance — 
surely  a  quality  too  rare  to  be  overlooked — and  it 
has  also  verv  distuictive  foliage. 

Sarah  Bernhardt,  until  this  last  summer,  has 
been  little  seen.  If  any  reader  has  room  for  one 
more  Rose  and  does  not  possess  Sarah  Bernhardt, 
he  should  procure  it  at  once  and  grow  it  as  a  big 
bush,  looping  up  its  somewhat  willowy  growths 
to  a  4-foot  Bamboo  cane.  Last  summer  I  cut  one 
of  the  most  perfect  blootns  from  this  variety  I 
have  ever  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing.  It  was  in 
the  early  morning,  before  the  sun  had  had  time  to 
iTiake  it  burst  open,  and,  my  word,  what  a  bloom 
it  was  !  I  ran  see  it  now,  and  will  never  forget  it. 
There  was  that  delightful  point  we  love  to  see  in 
our  favourite  flower,  and  one  wished  most  sinrorely 
there  were  a  few  more  petals  to 
make  the  bloom  more  durable,  for 
it  is  tittle  more  than  a  single.  I  have 
grown  it  now  some  six  years,  as  it  was 
sent  out  l-\'  I)ni)rienl  in  the  year  if)ti6. 

Friedrichsruh  is  a  very  dark 
blood  ri'd — really  a  grand  eoUjur — but 
the  plant  is  a  sprawling  grower, 
so  much  so  that  its  blooms  often 
lie  on  the  ground.  I  ike  M.  Pernet- 
Ducher's  exquisitely  dark  variety 
Chateau  de  Clos  Votigeot,  it  is 
best  seen  grown  as  a  standard, 
and  it  is  a  colour  that  would  be 
welcome  among  a  line  of  standards. 

Hippolyte  Burreau.  —  This  is  a 
Rose  that  is  best  in  autumn.  .\t 
that  season  of  the  year  it  is  splendid 
and  well  worthy  of  a  place  in  any 
garden.  The  colour  is  carmine  red. 
shaded  veh-ety  crimson.  Very  swectlv 
scented. 

Princess  Bonnie  is  a  semi-double, 
vivid  crinisun  Ruse  of  most  delicious 
fragrance,  obtained,  I  believe,  from 
the  now  almost  e.\tinct  W.  )•'.  Bennett. 
It  is  of  American  origin,  and  one 
that  should  not  be  allowed  to  drop 
oiit  of  our  lists.  When  shall  we 
have  our  National  Rose  Garden  ?  so 
that  many  varieties  could  be  secured 
from  the  very  hard-hearted  nursery- 
man, who  finds  he  must  delete  a 
hit  of  sorts  every  year  from  his 
catalogue  ;  and  if  Fashion  does  not  favour  a  Rose 
it  must  go.  Damcroft. 

[To   lit'   continitt'tl.) 


it  is,  perhaps,  seen  to  the  best  advantage,  although  in  sufficient  lumibers,  or  the  space  available  is  not 
it  IS  a  very  useful  plant  for  filling  out  any  odd  extensive  enough  for  them.  Unless  they  are  ex- 
corner  in  the  summer  months.  It  should  be  ceptionally  deep  for  their  size,  they  have  the  dis- 
mentioned  that  C.  orientale  is  a  near  relative  of  advantage  o!  crr.mping  the  roots  somewhat  in  the 
the  common  Seakale,  and  it  is  quite  as  easily  grown  :  stages  shortly,  prior  to  plantmg  in  the  garden, 
as  that  well-known  vegetable.  In  the  event  of  boxes  being  chosen,  this  last-named 

disability  need  not  arise,  since  those  of  good  depth 

SWFET  PEA  NOTES.  -:an  be  selected-  If  they  run  from  6  inches  to 
O.m:  occasionally  sees  it  suggested,  even  if  the  :  9  inches  deep,  they  will  aflord  abundance  of  spate 
statement  be  nut  made  in  as  many  words,  that  f*"'  ">«  roots  ;  but  great  care  will  be  required  to 
all  the  most  successful  exhibitors  of  Sweet  Peas  keep  so  large  a  bulk  of  soil  quite  sweet  until  there 
now  sow  the  seeds  in  cold  frames  in  the  autumn  are  plenty  of  roots  working  in  it.  If  boxes»are 
months,  and  that  it  is  only  the  second  and  third  "sed,  allow  a  dist.ance  of  4  inches  from  seed  to  seed, 
raters  who  continue  the  out-of-date  system  of  Sowing. — There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  seed- 
sowing  in  gentle  heat  in  the  spring  ;  while  the  man  lings  thrive  best  when  the  compost  is  made  fairly 
who  sows  out  of  doors  in  March  is  regarded  as  firm,  and  it  is  therefore  admirable  to  fill  the  pots 
nearly  as  extinct  as  the  great  auk.     It  is  possible  to  within   three-quarters  of  an   inch  of  the  edge, 


that  the  people  who  think  and  say  such  things 
as  these  find  satisfaction,  but  they  fail  to  convince 
their 'fellows  who  gfi  .ibtnit   with  their*  eyes  open. 


make  the  soil  firm,  and  then  to  press  the  seeds  in 
to  the  necessary  depth — half  an  inch  as  a  rule, 
but  the  while  and  spotted  seeds  are  best  when  just 


AN    ORNAMF.NTAI,    KALE    (CRAMBE    ORIENTALE) 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

A    BOLD     HERBACEOUS     PLANT. 

(CrAMBE    ORIIiNPALi:.) 

IN  large  gardens  where  space  is  not  a  con- 
sideration, this  ornamental  Kale  is  worthy 
of  a  good  position.  It  is  notoriously  a 
strong-growing  plant,  requiring  abundance 
of  room  in  order  th.it  its  immense  leaves 
may  be  fully  developed,  Crambe  orientale 
is  one  of  the  largest-leaved  herbaceous  plants  in 
cidtivation,  and  when  seen  in  full  bloom,  carrying  ,  is  a  matter  of  individual  convenience  whether  pots 
myriads  of  its  creamy  white  flowers,  it  makes  an  1  or  boxes  shall  be  utilised.  Small  pots  to  accornrao- 
imposing  and  showy  effect.  When  grown  in  a  ]  date  one  seed  in  each  are  much  to  be  preferred  to 
large    circular    br-d,    as   shown    in    the    illustration,    large  pots,  but   thev  .are  commonlv  not  at  disposal 


As  a  matter  of  fact,  many  thousands  of  seeds  are 
sown  indoors  and  out  of  doors  in  the  spring  months, 
and  in  those  instances  where  care  and  attention  are 
devoted  to  the  plants,  superb  results  are  achieved. 
Between  the  present  date  and  the  end  of  the  month 
is  admirable  for  those  with  a  gently-heated  green- 
house or  frame ;  but  those  who  have  only  cold 
structures  will  be  wiser  to  defer  sowing  until  well 
on  in  February. 

The  Soil. — The  ideal  compost  consists  of  three 
parts  of  loam  and  one  part  of  refuse  manure, 
with  enough  sharp  sand  or  grit  to  keep  it  open, 
and  it  must  be  pleasantly  moist  at  the  time  of 
sowing.  It  is  advisable  to  surface  each  pot  or 
box  with  a  depth  of  about  half  an  inch  of  sand. 

Pots  or  Boxes. — As  receptacles  for  the  seeds,  it 


level  with  the  surface.  Pressing  in  as  suggested 
ensures  a  firm  base,  and  a  little  soil  can  readilv 
be  put  over  the  seeds.  JVIany  growers  make  a  rule 
of  chipping  each  seed  either  by  cutting  through  the 
skin  with  a  knife  or  filing.  It  does  no  harm  and 
undoubtedly  favours  more  rapid  progress. 

Treatment. — It  is  of  the  utmost  importance 
that  the  soil  shall  be  kept  equably  moist,  as 
extremes  of  dryness  or  wetness  inevitably  cause 
trouble.  The  light-coloured  and  spotted  seeds  should 
usually  be  in  a  little  drier  soil  than  the  brown 
or  black  seeds.  In  frames,  always,  and  commonly 
also  in  greenhouses,  it  is  desirable  to  cover  each 
pot  or  box  with  a  piece  of  glass  to  exclude  mite, 
and,  as  it  encourages  germuiation,  it  is  well  to  use 
it  in  all  instances.  The  best  position  after  the 
seedlings  show  through  the  surface  is  as  close  to 
the  roof  glass  of  the  structure  .as  the  pots  or  boxes 
will  stand,  the  object,  of  course,  being  to  indtice 
the  sturdiest,  stockiest  growth. 


34 


THE     GARDEN. 


[January  i8,  1913. 


LILIES:     A    CAUSERIE. 

[Conlinued  from   page   24.) 

Of  the  faithful  few  I  give  first  place  to  L. 
giganteura,  to  which  its  beauty  and  good  manners 
entitle  it.  We  are  old  friends,  for  I  grew  my  first 
colony  from  a  pod  of  seed  given  me  by  that  most 
generous  instructor  of  my  gardening  youth,  the 
late  Dr.  Lowe  of  Wimbledon.  I  strongly  advise 
any  who  have  the  bump  of  patience  at  all  developed 
on  their  cranium  to  accept  fresh  seed  of  this  Lily 
wherftver  offered.  I  have  saved  a  small  quantity 
this  season,  and  shall  be.  glad  to  send  some  to  any 
reader,  as  long  as  it  lasts,  who  will  send  me  an 
addressed  envelope.  If  sown  before  it  is  dried 
up  it  will  germinate  the  following  spring,  and  the 
seed-pan  will  apparently  promise  a  crop  of  Onions. 
Next  season  you  might  think  a  family  of  Erythro- 
niums  had  taken  their  place,  and  the  next  that  they 
are   Funkias,   and   from   thenceforward   the   glossy 


the  smallest  size  offered  and  planting  them  well,  so 
that  they  may  remain  undisturbed  for  two  or  three 
years  before  flowering  ;  then  they  will  be  sufficiently 
strong  to  send  up  full-sized  flower-stems,  and  also 
should  have  given  birth  to  an  offset  or  two  to  take 
their  places  after  their  inevitable  demise.  I  have 
known  of  large  bulbs  being  successfully  transplanted 
the  season  before  flowering  and  producing  fine 
stems,  but  only  when  they  were  transferred  from  a 
neighbour's  garden  and  treated  en  prince  as  to  soil 
and  waterings ;  but  I  have  also  known  some 
terribly  misshapen  dwarfs  with  a  flower  or  two 
at  the  height  of  two  feet  something  and  blind  buds 
to  crown  the  stem,  all  the  result  of  a  migration 
at  the  eleventh  hour.  As  to  a  choice  of  site,  shade 
from  the  rising  and  midday  sun  is  requirement 
number  one,  and  protection  from  the  nort'i-east 
wind  in  early  spring  number  two.  That  means  a 
position  to  the  west  or  north-west  of  tall  shrubs 
or  trees,  but -tar  enough  away  from  them  to  escape 


PART  OF  A  NEW  ZEALAND  ROCK  GARDEN. 

cordate  leaves  increase  in  beauty  each  season  till, 
ofter  their  fourth,  there  are  few  plants  to  match 
them  in  the  outdoor  garden,  Richardia  a;thiopica, 
the  white  Arum  of  common  speech,  being  perhaps 
their  nearest  counterpart  in  the  greenhouse.  If  the 
seedlings  have  been  well  cared  for  in  a  cold  frame 
for  their  first  two  years,  they  can  be  planted  out 
in  their  third  spring.  They  soon  make  a  beautiful 
foliage  group,  and  in  six  to  eight  years  most  of  them 
should  be  strong  enough  to  throw  up  10  feet  of 
flower-stem  with  twenty  or  more  of  their  magnificent 
trumpet-shaped  flowers.  I  am  very  fond  of 
their  fragrance,  which  always  strikes  me  as  being 
of  a  similar  type  of  scent  to  the  Honeysuckles,  with 
that  same  suggestion  of  custard  with  grated  nutmeg 
on  it.  Of  course,  it  is  magnified  Honeysuckle,  as 
befits  such  alarge  flower,  and  carries  to  a  wonderfully 
great  distance,  which  is  one  of  its  greatest  charms, 
for  it  is  delightful  to  get  whiffs  of  it  on  the  summer 
air.     When  buying  bulbs,  I  strongly  advise  selecting 


I  have  always  followed  this  plan  and  found  it 
most  successful,  only  adding  to  it  by  surrounding 
the  bulbs  with  sharp  silver  sand,  a  refinement 
that  is  doubtless  unnecessary  in  a  sandy  Surrev 
garden.  The  bulbs  should  be  only  just  below  the 
surface,  but  if  they  work  their  way  out  too  much, 
a  good  mulch  of  leaf-soil  and  well-rotted  cow-manure 
may  be  given  as  a  covering.  Watering  with  weak 
manure-water  will  help  the  great  flower-stem  to 
add  to  its  stature  if  judiciously  supplied. 

The    illustration    on  page    35    shows    a  specimen 
of  L.  giganteum  which  flowered  here  this  summer 
after    an    adventurous    and    almost    tragic    youth. 
When   it   was  in   its  sixth  year  and  beginning  to 
think  of  preparing  for  flowering.   Fate  overtook  it 
in  the  shape  of  my  disreputable  tame  raven.     She 
generally  lives  in  the  tree  tops  and  contents  herself 
with  barking  at  passing  rooks  and  simdry  damages 
to  Fir  cones  and  Beech  sprays,  only  coming  down 
to  be  ted  and  to  roost  in  her  house.      But  in  spring 
Crown   Imperials   prove    an    irresistible 
attraction  to  her — I  suspect  on  account 
of     their     dreadful    scent,    a    mingled 
essence    of     fox    and    F.xeter    Station 
(though  many  other  large  stations  are 
as  ill-smelling  nowadays  from  the  gas 
let  loose  from  the   trains).     Then    one 
season   she   discovered  that    L.  gigan- 
teum, though  it  lacked  the  odour,  was 
just  as  amusing  to  slash  up  in  its  suc- 
culent youth.     Two  or  three  seasons  of 
this  mincing  process  reduced  my  gigan- 
teum    bulbs     in     a     most     interesting 
though   heart-breaking    manner.     The 
bulbs    dwindled    to    the   size  of  throe 
year  olds,  and    only    by  wiring    them 
round  in  spring  and  by  liberal  feeding 
have   we   saved   their  lives,  and   after 
three   seasons   seen    a    flower-spike    on 
that  group.     It  shows   well  what  can 
bo     done    in     restoring     to    health     a 
moribund  specimen.     The  satisfaction 
of  slashing   a    juicy  Giant    Lily  is    not 
confined   to  ravens,    however,  for   one 
of  our   greatest   living   gardeners   told 
me  a  tale  of  mingled  joy  and  woe  that 
always  recurs  to  my  mind  when  I  see 
a  fine  spike  of  this  Lily.     It  happened 
in    his    tender   youth   that  his   father, 
the  Director  of  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful botanic   gardens   in   Europe,  was 
regarding    as    the    important     garden 
event   of  the   year    the   flowering,   for 
the    first    time    there,  of    a    group    of 
THE  PLANT.S  SHOWN  ARE  NATIVES  OF  THAT  COUNTRY.       Giant  Lilies.     The  spirit   of   Jack  the 

Giant  Killer  descended  upon  the 
being  overhung  and  the  consequent  drip,  and  also  future  knight,  and,  fashioning  a  lath  sword,  he 
being  robbed  of  their  due  ot  soil  fatness  by  hungry,  '  fought  a  fierce  and  sappy  battle  with  the  Giants, 
thieving  roots.     The  soil  should  be  well   drained,    ending  in  complete  victory  to  the  boy  and  utter 


and  enriched  that  the  strong  roots  may  go  far  afield 
and  find  juicy  food  throughout  the  growing  season. 

Miss  Jekyll  has  so  well  described  her  method  of 
planting  the  Giant  Lily  at  page  97  of  "  Home  and 
Garden"  that  I  cannot  do  better  than  quote  it: 
"  Here  .  .  .  their  beds  are  deeply  excavated, 
and  filled  to  within  a  foot  of  the  top  with  any 
of  the  vegetable  rubbish  of  which  only  too  much 
accumulates  in  the  late  autumn.  Holes  12  feet 
across  and  3  feet  deep  are  convenient  graves  for 
frozen  Dahlia-tops  and  half-hardy  annuals ;  a 
quantity  of  such  material  chopped  up  and  tramped 
down  close  forms  a  cool  subsoil  that  will  comfort 
the  Lily  bulbs  for  many  a  year.  The  upper  foot 
of  soil  is  of  good  compost,  and  when  the  young 
bulbs  are  planted,  the  whole  is  covered  with  some 
inches  of  dead  leaves." 


ruin  to  the  vegetable  enemy.  He  still  remembers 
with  equal  vividness  the  wild  joy  of  overcoming 
the  succulent  resistance  of  the  Lily  stems  and  the 
painful  interview  with  his  father  that  formed  the 
sequel  to  the  Battle  of  the  Giants. 

Even  now,  in  late  December,  at  the  moment 
of  writing,  there  is  great  beauty  in  the  tall  bare 
stems  and  seed-pods  standing  sentinel  among 
Asarums  and  dwarf  evergreens,  and  while  still 
clad  with  the  glistening  leaves,  gradually  diminishing 
in  size  as  they  ascend  the  stem,  and  crowned  with 
the  vivid  green  seed-capsules,  which  stand  erect 
with  a  particularly  striking  effect  of  vigour  and 
stability,  few  plants  give  so  noble  an  architectural 
outline  in  the  hardy  flower  border. 

E.  A.   Bowles, 
{Jo  be  continued,) 


January  i8,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


35 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

RANUNCULUS    I.YALLI    IN     NEW 
ZEALAND. 

[AM  sending  you  a  photograph  ot  a  portion  oi 
the  rockery  here  devoted  entirely  to  native 
plants.  In  the  foreground  are  several 
varieties  of  Celmisias,  on  the  left  Ligusticum 
brevistyle,  and  in  the  background  Raniui- 
culus  Lyalli.  I  am  surprised  the  latter 
is  not  grown  more  in  England,  as,  given  a  good 
strong  loam,  good  drainage  and  a  fair  amount  of 
water  in  summer  and  a  heavy 
mulching  of  spent  hot-bed  manure 
in  winter,  I  see  no  reason  why  it 
should  not  do  well.  R.  Matthewsii 
(a  very  rare  species)  is  one  that 
should  do  well,  as  I  find  it  flowers 
much  quicker  after  collecting  than 
K.  Lyalli ;  in  fact,  one  plant  I  got 
two  years  ago  flowered  twice  last 
season — in  early  spring  and  again 
ill  autumn.  I  shall  have  a  limited 
amount  of  seed  of  R.  Matthewsii, 
also  a  quantity  of  seeds  of  alpines, 
Veronicas  and  similar  plants,  which 
I  shall  be  glad  to  exchange  with  any 
of  your  readers  for  seeds  of  alpines 
horn  the  Northern  Hemisphere. 
William  Willccx. 
Queeitstown,  Olago,  New  Zealand. 


beneath  it,  but  recedes  slightly  from  it.  This  is 
ni'cessary  to  enable  moisture  to  reach  the  Voots. 
If  the  plants  are  put  in  in  this  manner  while  the 
I  [iff  is  being  built,  it  is  astonishing  how  soon  they 
arc  at   home  and  how  rapidly  they  grow. 

On  a  clitlf  made  as  recently  as  March,  1912, 
which  is  about  five  feet  high  and  projects  ironi 
a  south-east  corner  of  rockwork,  I  have  at  the 
bottom  plants  of  S.  rocheliana  lutea,  and  im- 
mediately above  these  S.  sancta  speciosa  and  S. 
PaulincE,  higher  up  S.  Ferdinandi-Coburgi,  and  on 
top  of  the  white  stone  S.  Borisii.  .'\bove  this,  on 
the  left,  is  S.  fcardica.  one  of  six  plants  of  S.  loniii- 


SAXIERAGE      CLIFFS      IN 
ROCK     GARDENS. 

Of  the  many  methods  of  growing 
Saxifrages,  I  have  found  none  as 
satisfactory  as  the  "  cliff  "  method. 
When  properly  built  the  Saxifrages 
nestle  into  it,  soon  filling  its  cracks 
and  chinks  with  their  tight,  silvery 
cushions.  Even  the  hottest  sun 
seems  unable  to  scorch  them  or  to 
<lry  up  their  roots,  which  run  far 
back  behind  the  protecting  ledges 
of  stone,  and  the  heaviest  rain  fails 
to  rot  their  centres,  as  they  are  all 
growing  in  vertical  positions,  and 
the  water  cannot  lie  on  them. 

Such  cliffs  are  not  difficult  to 
make;  any  projecting  "nose"  of 
tlie  rockwork  can  be  adapted,  and 
stones  too  small  or  ugly  to  be 
worked  into  the  general  scheme  of 
the  rockwork  can  now  be  utilised. 
The  stones,  which  must  be  built 
into  the  face  of  the  rock  bank, 
are  placed  on  top  of  one  another, 
with  a  little  light,  gritty  soil  sand- 
wiched in  between.  They  should 
not  be  too  far  apart.  If  you  con- 
sider the  stones  as  bricks,  and  the 
layer  of  soil  as  the  mortar 
between  them,  you  cannot  go  far  wrong. 
Having  built  in  your  first  stratum  of  stones  and 
covered  their  tops  lightly  with  the  soil,  next  select 
your  Saxifrages — two  or  three  plants  of  a  kind,  if 
possible — knock  them  out  of  their  pots,  shake  a 
little  of  the  soil  from  their  roots,  slightly  flatten 
the  latter  with  the  palms  of  your  hands,  and  then 
lay  the  plants  on  top  of  the  stones  in  such  a  manner 
that  their  foliage  only  just  clears  the  edge  ;  then 
sprinkle  a  little  more  soil  over  the  roots,  place 
another  stone  on  top  and  press  it  down,  taking  care 
that  its  lower  edge  does  not  overhang  the  stone 


LILIUM    GIGAXTEUM    IN    MR. 


E.    A..    BOWLES 
CROSS. 


GARDEN    AT    WALTHAM 


folia,  and,  just  peeping  o\'er  the  top,  S.  dalmatica. 
On  the  right  from  the  bottom  are  S.  longifolia  and 
S.  Obristii,  above  S.  thessalica,  and  near  the  top 
S.  tombeana  and  S.  Aizoon  minima.  All  are  the 
picture  of  health  and  growing  vigorously,  and  I 
strongly  recommend  this  method  to  all  who  grow 
Saxifrages.  On  a  similar  clifl  a  few  yards  away, 
built  two  years  ago,  the  plants  here  completely 
covered  its  face,  and  are  crowding  each  other  to 
such  an  extent  that  I  shall  have  to  harden  my  heart 
before  next  growing  season  and  thin  them  out. 
Knapton,  Abbeyleix.         Murr.w  Hornibrook. 


THE     FRUIT     GARDEN. 

THE     BEST      PLUMS     AND     THEIR 
CULTIVATION. 

WTHILE    the  exact    identification  of 
r        the  "  forbidden    fruit  "   remains 
a  matter  of   speculation,  I  have 
no  hesitation  in  designating  the 
Plum  the  "  unappreciated  fruit." 
The    extended     culture    of    the 
commoner   varieties   for   "  market "   purposes   has 
perhaps   to    answer    for   the   lack   of   appreciation 
of  this  most  delicious  fruit ;  but  I 

also  venture  to    think   that  a  lack 

of  care  in  gathering  at  the  right 
season  and  storing  for  a  short 
interval  are  likewise  partly  respon- 
sible for  its  neglect. 

The  Plum  has  long  been 
reproached  with  un  fruit  fulness ;  but 
we  are  now  able,  thanks  to  recent 
research  at  the  John  Innes  Horti- 
cultural Institution,  to  remedy  one 
frequent  cause  of  this  first  of 
deadly  sins.  I  allude  to  the  fact 
that  Plums  are  generally  self-sterile ; 
that  is,  pollen  must  be  brought 
from  another  variety  to  ensure  the 
perfect  setting  of  their  fruit.  This 
is  a  valuable  piece  of  information 
to  gardeners — and  nurserymen. 

.Another  cause  of  infertility  is 
the  destruction  of  blossoms  by 
spring  frosts.  Considering  the  ease 
with  which  this  may  be  combated, 
l>\-  throwing  over  the  tree  a  piece 
of  netting,  I  wonder  it  is  not  more 
practised  on  dwarf  trees.  Most 
gardeners,  however,  allow  a  certain 
wall  space  to  the  choicest  varieties, 
where  protection  is  easier  still.  It 
is  a  common  complaint  that  the 
Plum  in  its  earlier  stages  makes 
too  much  growth.  This  should  be 
remedied  by  the  culture  of  pyramids 
and  bushts,  when  occasional  trans- 
planting lor  the  first  ten  years  will 
ensure  an  abundance  of  fruiting 
spurs.  It  must  also  be  remembered 
that  this  fruit  is  a  lime-loving 
plant,  and  needs  a  good  supply 
always  at  hand,  or  should  I  say  at 
the  root  ? 

Plum  orchards  may  be  seen  thriv- 
ing on  the  Southern  chalk  downs 
with  the  thinnest  of  surface  soils. 
Of  varieties  there  is  a  wide  choice, 
and  I  will  mention  but  a  few  of 
the  best.  First  of  all  comes 
OuUin's  Golden  Gage,  a  large 
yellow  fruit,  excellent  for  dessert, 
and  for  bottling  one  of  the 
very  best.  .August  brings  the  Early  Transparent 
Gage,  small,  but  certainly  highly  flavoured. 
September  is  the  Plum  month,  and  many  are  at 
the  disposal  of  the  gardener.  The  Green  Gage, 
Transparent  Gage  and  Jefferson  are  all  sorts  that 
no  self-respecting  gardener  can  dispense  with, 
while  for  the  kitchen,  and  also  for  the  boys  home 
from  school,  Victoria,  the  ever-cropping,  and 
Belle  de  Louvain  are  desirable.  Late  varieties 
are  found  in  Golden  Transparent  and  Coe's  Golden 
Drop.  It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  latter 
ran    be    kept  for    a    long  period  in  the  fruit-room. 


36 


THE     GAKDEN. 


[January  i8,  1913. 


For   late  cooking  puipoies  MoiKircli  .ind  llic  newer 
President  arc  most  valuable. 

Those  whose  gardens  are  in  sheltered  spots,  and 
where  spring  frosts  are  not  troublesome,  should 
grow  a  tree  or  two  of  the  Myrobalan,  of  which 
there  are  two  varieties — yellow  and  red.  The  tree 
flowers  very  early  and  is  decorative,  so  that  even 
if  it  fails  to  crop,  it  justifies  to  some  extent  its 
existence.  The  fruits  when  bottled  are  excellent, 
but  must  not  be  gathered  too  ripe,  or  they  will 
be  mealy.  This  must  not  be  confused  with  the 
Mirabelle  of  the  Continent,  which  is  of  the  Gage 
tribe  and  noted  for  its  excellent  jam-making 
properties. 

To    those    who    have    glass    at    their    disposal, 
pyramid    trees  in    pots    can    be    strongly  recom- 
mended.       As     decorative     specimens     when     in 
flower    and    fruit    they    are    most 
beautiful,  and  the   fruit   attains  a 
richness     of     flavour     not     often 
equalled    by    outdoor    trees.      No 
heat    is   necessary,   and   they   will 
be    over    in    time    to    allow    the 
house    to    be    used    for    Chrysan- 
themums— a  further  point  in  their 
favour.  I-'.  A.   Bunvard. 


cheap  rate.  There  is  a  variety  of  this  known  as 
superba,  whose  jiowers  are  deeper  coloured  than 
those  of  the  type,  also  a  variety  alba,  in  which 
they  arc  pure  white. 

Another  winter-flowering  Heath  that  has  come 
prominently  forward  within  the  last  decade  or  so 
is  E.  melaiithera,  which  may  be  grown  into  larger 
specimens  than  any  of  the  others.  The  flowers 
of  this,  which  are  borne  in  great  profusion,  are 
small  and  of  a  distinct  mauve  colour,  with  blackish 
anthers.  The  low-growing,  white-flowered  E. 
caflra  is  also  grown  to  a  limited  extent. 

Of  those  that  as  a  rule  bloom  somewhat  later 
than  the  preceding,  but  yet  may  well  be  included 
with  winter-flowering  Heaths,  are  E.  wilmoreana, 
somewhat  in  the  way  of  E.  hyemalis,  but  of  a  more 
rofpust,  spreading  habit ;  and  F.  persoluta  alba,  with 


THE  GREENHOUSE 


WINTER  FLOWERING 
GREENHOUSE      HEATHS. 

A    T  one    time  collections    of 

I\  greenhouse     Heaths 

/  %  formed  a  prominent 
^■"^^  feature  of  many  gar- 
^  *      dens,     but      with     the 

decline  in  popularity 
of  hard-wooded  plants  in  general, 
many  of  the  Heaths  disappeared 
from  cultivation.  A  few  kinds, 
however,  are  still  grown,  and  as 
a  rule  in  very  large  quantities,  for 
some  of  the  nurserymen  who  make 
a  speciality  of  them  gencralh' 
devote  the  greater  part  of  ttreir 
energies  to  these  greenhouse 
Heaths  and  similar  plants,  such  as 
Boronias  and  F.pacrises.  Delightful 
little  specimens  of  these  may  fre- 
quently be  seen  in  the  Horists' 
shops,  especially  during  the 
autunm,  winter  and  early  spring 
months,  the  summer  -  flowering 
kinds  being,  naturally,  not  so 
much  in  demand,  though  of  them 
the  attractive  Erica  ventricosa  is  still  grown. 
After  the  summer  is  over,  the  Heath  season  may 
be  said  to  begin  with  E.  gracilis,  a  dense,  twiggy 
little  bush,  whose  tiny  rosy  purple  flowers  are 
borne  in  great  profusion.  Several  varieties  of  this 
Heath  are  in  cultivation,  namely,  rosea,  in  which 
the  purple  tinge  of  the  flower  is  almost  wanting, 
it  being  of  a  pleasing  rosy  shade  ;  and  vernalis, 
of  more  sturdy  growth  than  gracihs  itself,  and 
much  later  in  flowering.  There  are  two  white  or 
pale  flowered  kinds,  namely,  alba,  the  oldest, 
in  which  the  blossoms  often  have  a  pinkish  tinge. 
They  are  decidedly  less  pure  than  those  of  nivalis, 
which  is  now  extensively  grown. 

After  E.  gracilis  comes  E.  hyemalis,  a  great 
favourite,  and  always  in  considerable  demand 
about  Christmas-time,  when  model  little  plants 
in  5-ini:h  pots  can  be  purchased  at  a  comp.aratively 


best  covered  wilh  a  bell-glass,  so  that  the  size  of 
the  pots  or  pans  will  depend  upon  that  of  the  bell- 
glasses  available.  Whether  pots  or  pans,  they 
must  be  filled  to  within  an  inch  of  the  rim  with 
broken  crocks,  coarse  at  the  bottom  and  very  fine 
on  the  top.  The  soil  should  consist  of  peat  and 
sand  passed  thrjugh  a  sieve  with  one-eighth  of 
an  inch  mesh,  and  made  very  firm  and  smooth. 
In  inserting  the  cuttings,  each  one  must  be  made 
quite  firm,  and  though  space  should  not  be  wasted, 
overcrowding  must  be  avoided.  A  length  of  about 
an  inch  is  a  suitable  one  for  the  cuttings,  in  pre- 
paring which  a  very  sharp  knife  is  essential.  When 
a  pot  is  filled,  it  should  be  watered  through  a  ver\- 
fine  rose,  allowed  to  drain,  and  then  be  placed  in  a 
snug  part  of  a  warm  greenhouse,  taking  care  that 
the  cuttings  are  shaded  from  all  direct  sunshine. 
When  rooted  they  must  be  potted 
off,  the  subsequent  treatment  being 
a  matter  of  detail.  It  must,  how- 
ever, be  borne  in  mind  that  it 
takes  nearly  three  years  to  obtain 
a  good  plant,  and  this  circum- 
stance renders  the  cheap  price  al 
which  flowering  examples  are  sold 
very  surprising. 

Where  it  is  intended  to  keep  the 
old  plants  after  flowering  and  grow 
them  on  .another  season,  they 
should,  when  the  blossoms  are 
past,  be  cut  back  hard,  and  as 
soon  as  the  young  shoots  make 
their  appearance  the  plants  must 
be  repotted,  giving  them  in  most 
cases  a  pat  one  size  larger  than 
before.  The  sol!  should  be  peat 
and  sand,  pressed  down  very  firmly, 
.and  especial  care  must  be  taken 
when  repotting  that  the  ball  of 
earth  is  not  dry,  otherwise  it  will 
be  almost  impossible  to  moisten  it 
in  a  satisfactorv  manner.       H.  P. 


A    WHITK-I-LOWERF.D    HEATH      F.RICA    GRACILIS    ALBA 


a  profusion  of  tiny  white  bells,  gracefully  disposed. 
Within  the  last  few  years  miniature  plants  of 
some  of  these  Heaths,  particularly  E.  gracilis, 
I{.  caffra  and  E.  persoluta  alba,  have  made  their 
appearance  in  the  florists'  shops  and  met  with  a 
ready  sale.  The  smallest  of  these  are  struck  in 
the  spring  and  .allowed  to  go  on  and  flower  without 
stopping. 

Cultivation. —  All  the  different  winter-flowering 
kinds  alluded  to  belong  to  what  are  termed 
soft-wooded  Heaths,  from  the  fact  that  they  are 
re.adily  propagated  by  cuttings  of  the  soft-growing 
shoots ;  whereas  many  of  those  that  used  to  be  grown 
as  large  specimens  could  only  be  increased  by 
cuttings  of  a  firmer  nature.  These  soft-wooded 
cuttings  are,  as  might  be  supposed,  very  delicate 
subjects  to  handle  ;  hence  everything  shmild  be 
prepared  before  they  are  taken  in  hand.     They  are 


A    SEASONABLE     NOTE 
ON     AURICULAS. 

So  far  the  plants  have  been  kept 
strictly  on  the  dry  side,  but  soon 
the  days  will  begin  to  lengthen 
and  the  Auriculas  will  show  signs 
of  renewed  activity.  Towards  the 
end  of  the  month  the  collection 
ought  to  be  looked  over,  all 
decayed  leaves  removed  and  the 
soil  slightly  stirred  with  a  pointed 
stick.  There  is  no  need  to  take 
away  an  inch  or  so  of  soil  and  re- 
place with  a  rich  compost,  as  was 
the  case  in  the  old  days.  All  offsets  may  be  taken 
oft',  whether  they  are  rooted  or  not,  and  those  with 
roots  can  be  potted  singly  in  3-iiicli  pots.  Any 
without  roots  should  be  placed  around  the  edge 
of  a  pot,  where  they  will  soon  become  established, 
when  they  can  be  treated  as  larger  examples. 
If  the  weather  keeps  open  and  mild,  more  water 
ought  to  be  given  ;  but  even  at  this  period  they 
must  not  be  kept  too  wet,  or  the  roots  will  decay 
and  the  quality  of  the  blooms  suffer  later  on. 
Plenty  of  air  must  be  allowed  at  all  times ;  but 
now  that  growth  has  recommenced  and  the  spikes 
beginning  to  appear,  it  will  be  advisable  to  cover 
the  frames  with  .Archangel  mats  should  frosts  make 
their  appearance.  The  weather  has  been  so  mild 
up  to  the  present  that,  unless  they  receive  a  check, 
the  ,'\uricul:is  will  probably  flower  earlier  than 
usual.  ^- 


Januakv  i8,  1013.] 


THE    GAllDEN, 


37 


HOW    TO 


REPAIR 
TREES. 


HOLLOW 


THIS  is  a  subjert  worth  more  ;ittciithiM 
frnm  the  owners  or  tho-;t*  who  have 
'lie  rare  of  trees.  It  is  a  matter  for  the 
small  sardeii  with  a  few  trees  as  well 
as  for  the  pleasure  grounds  and  parks 
where  the  trees  may  be  counted  by 
liiiiidn-ds.  The  causes  or  origin  of  wounds  "r  decay 
in  trees  are  varied.  Branches  broken  off  by  wind 
usually  leave  a  stump,  or  it  may  splintrr  off  a  piece 
of  the  larger  lijnb  to  which  it  was  attached.  In  both 
<  uses  dccav  will  almost  inevitablv  folhjw,  unless 
means  are  adopted  to  check  it.  Snags  or  stumps 
should  be  sawn  oft  close  to  the  remaining  branch 
or  to  the  trunk.  .After  sawing,  the  rough  surface 
ca;ised  by  the  triih  of  the  saw  should  be  gone  over 
and  pared  with  a  sharp  knife,  to  provide  a  better 
surface  for  the  tar.  A\[  wounds  made  on  trees, 
whether  through  accident  or  the  removal  i:i 
hrimches  in  the  training,  pruning,  or  balancing 
ol  a  tree,  should  be  coated  with  ordinary  coal-tar. 
Historical  Trees. — The  life  of  famous  old  trees 
.tud  grand  specimens  is  sometimes  considerably 
shortened  by  disease,  which,  if  checked  or  even 
cured,  would  have  consideraMv  prolonged  their 
existence.  Before  filling  up  a  hole  or  cavity  in  a 
tree,  the  hollow  must  be  thoroughly  cleaned  out. 
Damp,  rotten  wood  attacked  by  fungus,  or  soft, 
crumbling  wood  must  be  first  cleaned  out,  removing 
it  with  a  chisel  or  small  axe  till  only  dry,  hard 
wood  remains.  One  or  two  dressings  of  carbolic 
acid  .solution  should  then  be  applied  to  destroy,  if 
possible,  all  traces  of  disease.     In  a  day  or  two  a 


I. A    WUL.NU    l.S     A    CHtsi.SUi     iKbt    CAL.■^L:D    BY 

THE    REMOVAL    OF    A    BRANCH. 

decide  the  method  o(  tilling  it.     Small  holes  may  be 
filled   with   a  mixture   of  cement    and  sand,    or,   if 


coating  of  tar  shoidd  be   applied   and   allowed   to  |  round  and  a  fair  depth,  an  Oak  peg  coaled  with  tar 
dry.     The    nature    and   extent    of   the    hollow    will  !  mav  be  driven  in  and  cut  off  flush  with  the  trunk. 


THE    TRUNK    OF    A    SILVER    BIRCH    TREE    BEFORE    AND    AFTER    REPAIR. 


2. IHE    HOLLOW     FILLED    WITH    A    MI.XTURE    OF 

CEMENT    AND    SAND. 

Bricks  and  mortar,  together  with  concrete,  are  the 
best  materials  for  filling  up  large  hollows.  It  is 
sometimes  necessary  to  build  up  a  face  with  bricks, 
and  fill  in  behind  with  concrete  as  the  work  proceeds. 
One  tree — a  Beech — with  which  we  had  to  deal 
was  hollow  on  one  side,  from  the  ground  to  a  height 
of  21  feet.  In  this  tree  eighty-four  courses  of 
bricks  were  built  up — some  three  hundred  bricks 
in  all — with  concrete  behind  and  a  facing  of  cement 
r>ver  the  bricks.  Another  tree — a  Walnut — took 
nearly  a  ton  of  concrete,  but  in  this  case  the  shell 
of  the  tree  held  it  together  without  the  aid  of 
many  bricks.  Before  attempting  the  work  of 
filling  up  large  holes,  make  sure  that  the  tree  is  • 
net  dangerously  weakened  through  decay. 

Those  readers  who  have  not  had  much  to  do 
with  trees  will  probably  say,  "  Why  let  tlie 
hollows  get  so  big  before  filling  them  up  ?  "  In 
some  cases  the  large  holes  are,  of  course,  due  to 
neglect  in  the  earlier  stages,  but  the  decay  goes 
on  in  some  instances  unnoticed  within  the  tree. 

The  wound  in  the  Chestnut  illustrated  was  caused 
through  the  removal  of  a  large  branch,  and  before 
the  wound  could  heal  right  over,  decay  started  in 
the  centre.  The  new  bark  is  plainly  visible  growing 
on  either  side  of  the  hollow,  and  in  time  it  should 
grow  over  the  cement  and  meet.  Tor  this  reason 
it  will  be  observed  the  filling-up  material  has  only 
been  brought  level  with  the  new  bark,  and  not 
flush  with  the  trunk.  For  important  work  of  this 
kind  the  gardener  will  often  find  It  necessary  to 
call  in  the  aid  of  a  bricklayer.  With  a  little  practice 
the  varying  colours  of  the  wood  can  be  obtained 
bv  lamp-black,  soot,  or  a  little  dry  cement  being 
sprinkled  on  when  wet.  The  markings  of  the 
trunk  can  also  be  imitated  by  a  skilled  workman. 
It  is  necessary  to  watch  the  wounds  and 
"stopping"  occasionally,  tarring  over  the  former 
every  two  or  three  years  till  quite  healed  over. 

The  carbolic  acid  solution  is  prepared  by  mixing 
a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  carbolic  acid  and  one 
gallon  of  methylated  spirit. 


38 


THE    GARDEN. 


[January  i8,  IQ13. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Propagating  Bedding  Plants. — Where  only 
biuall  stocks  of  such  pUints  as  Coleus,  Iresme, 
Lobelia,  Mesembryanthemum.  &c.,  are  wmtered,  the 
work  of  propagation  should  be  commenced  at  once. 
The  cuttings  root  quite  freely  at  this  date,  and,  once 
rooted,  tire  work  of  hardening  them  off  is  much 
more  easy  than  later,  when  strong  sunshine  has  a 
tendency'  to  make  them  flag  for  a  considerable 
time,  unless,  of  course,  the  syringe  is  kept  going 
prettv  freely  over  them. 

Zonal  Pelargoniums  that  may  have  been  rooted 
singly  in  small  pots  or  in  boxes  in  the  autumn 
should  now  be  potted  oft  as  time  and  available 
space  permit,  using  the  size  pot  that  may  be  most 
suitable  for  their  proper  development,  remembering 
that  a  plant  starved  in  a  small  pot  takes  a  longer  time 
to  get  over  the  shift  when  removed  to  its  summer 
quarters  than  one  in  the  full  vigour  of  growth, 
the  loss  of  foliage  in  the  former  case  proving  an 
eyesore  for  a  considerable  time. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Malmaison  Carnations. — if  not  already  done, 

autunm  layers  of  these  beautiful  flowering  plants 
should  be  potted  into  their  flowering  pots  at  once, 
which,  by  the  way,  should  be  of  6  inches.  Good 
friable  loam,  spent  Mushroom  manure,  a  little  bone- 
meal — a  4-inch  potful  to  a  wheelbarrowful  of  soil — 
a  good  sprinkling  of  wood-ashes  and  lime  rubble, 
with  sufficient  coarse  sand  to  keep  the  whole 
porous,  should  suit  them  well,  making  them  pretty 
firm  during  the  operation. 

Arum  Lilies. — These  are  now  growing  freely, 
and  if  a  good  crop  of  large  blooms  is  required, 
plenty  of  water  and  manure  must  be  given  them, 
and  a  dressing  of  some  artificial  manure  might  be 
given  at  least  once  every  fourteen  days.  These 
plants,  being  somewhat  subject  to  green  fly,  should 
be  fumigated  occasionally.  This  is  sometimes 
thought  expensive,  but  in  the  long  run  it  is  much 
cheaper  than  sponging. 

Lachenalias. — If  a  batch  of  these  is  required 
in  bloom  fairly  early,  they  may  be  placed  in  a  house 
with  a  night"  temperature  of  50°  to  55°,  but  not 
warmer.  Those  still  in  cold  frames  should  be 
removed  to  the  shelf  or  stage  of  a  light,  airy  and 
cool  house,  where  the  foliage  will  get  much  more 
robust,  and  with  the  aid  of  a  little  liquid  manure 
the  flower-spikes  should  come  strong  and  of  good 
colour. 

Chrysanthemums. — Cuttings  propagated  during 
late  November  and  December  under  cool  conditions 
should  be  making  roots  nicely,  and  when  found 
to  be  doing  so  should  be  removed  to  a  frame  or 
house  where  the  conditions  are  less  close,  and  where 
air  can  be  admitted  in  increasing  quantities  as 
the  young  plants  attain  hardiness.  To  prevent 
flagging  during  bright  weather,  the  plants  should 
be  very  lightly  sprayed  overhead.  A  further 
batch  of  cuttings  for  large  blooms  may  be  put  in, 
selecting  those  varieties  that  from  earlier  propa- 
gation produce  flowers  a  little  too  early  for  Novem- 
ber blooming.  These  include  such  varieties  as 
Master  James,  Mrs.  A.  T.  Miller,  Frances  Jolliffe, 
White  Queen,  Mrs.  L.  Thorn,  Mrs.  R.  Luxford, 
Evangeline,  Marie  Loonies,  Kara  Dow,  Japan 
and  Miss  Gladys  Herbert. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Asparagus. — Where  a  regular  supply  of  this 
has  to  be  kept  up  weekly  or  bi-weekly,  batches 
should  be  placed  in  the  forcing  pit  or  house, 
covering  the  crowns  over  with  3  inches  or  4  inches 
of  leaf-mould  or  light,  sandy  soil.  A  bottom 
temperature  of  about  60°  to  65°  should  be  main- 
tained either  by  hot-water  pipes  or  by  well-prepared 
hot-bed  material,  which  will  sustain  a  good  quick 
growth. 

Seakale. — A  good  supply  of  this  should  also 
l>e  kept  up,  varying  the  amount  according  to 
requirements.  Where  a  Mushroom-house  or  other 
specially-constructed  place  is  not  to  hand  for  the 
forcing  of  Seakale,  and  Rhubarb,  the  supply 
may  be  kept  up  by  placing  from  six  to  nine  roots 
in  12-inch  pots,  inverting  another  pot  over  the  top 
i>{  each.  These  roots,  if  placed  under  a  stage  in  a 
warm  house,  will  soon  be  fit  for  use.  The  whole 
batch  of  forcing  Seakale  should  now  be  lifted 
(if  not  already  done)  and  thinned. 


Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Pruning    Peaches   in   Successional   and   Late 

Houses. — presuming  the  trees  have  been  gone 
over  after  fruiting,  the  pruning  should  not  be  a 
serious  matter  ;  but  before  cutting  them  free  of 
the  wires  they  should  be  gone  over  carefully, 
taking  out  all  wood  that  is  not  absolutely  necessary 
for  the  proper  furnishing  of  the  tree,  discrimi- 
nating, of  course,  in  favour  of  the  younger  wood, 
unless  this  be  of  too  luxurious  a  growth.  Peaches 
and  Nectarines  are  often  left  too  thickly.  From 
4  inches  to  6  inches  is  quite  close  enough  for  the 
wood,  for  it  has  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  when 
growth  commences  there  is  bound  to  be  two  shoots 
for  one  at  least,  and  these  covered  with  foliage. 

Orchard-House  Trees  of  Apples,  Pears,  Plums, 
Apricots  and  Cherries  should  still  be  kept  quite 
cool  unless  they  are  wanted  very  early,  as  undue 
hastening  of  the  flowering  period  is  apt  to  result 
in  weak  flowers  and  a  poor  set  of  fruit. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Pruning. — Continue  the  pruning  of  hardy  fruit 
as  time  .and  weather  permit,  going  from  tlie  wall 
trees  when  they  are  finished  to  the  more  exposed 
trained  trees  growing  round  the  paths  in  the  garden. 

Pears. — On  our  cold  soil  I  find  there  are  certain 
varieties  of  Pears  that  will  not  stand  really  hard 
or  close  pruning,  owing  to  the  shoots  dying  back 
when  pruned,  and  these  include  such  varieties  as 
Beurred'Amanlis, Olivier  desSerres,  BeurreSuperfin, 
Easter  Beurre,  Josephine  de  Malines,  Winter  Nelis, 
Beurre  Alexandre  Lucas  and  Louise  Bonne  of 
Jersey,  so  when  pruning  these,  either  during 
summer  or  winter,  I  leave  the  growths  about  two 
inches  longer  than  those  of  the  ordinary  varieties. 

Apples. — Certain  varieties  of  Apples  are  also 
much  more  shy  when  grown  as  trained  trees  than 
as  standards,  and  such  varieties  often  carry  a 
crop  of  fruit-buds  that  are  at  the  apex  of  small 
shoots,  say,  from  6  inches  to  8  inches  in  length, 
such  shoots  often  springing  from  beneath  the  fruit. 
If  these  shoots  are  left,  they  will  often  give  a  crop 
of  fruit  when  there  are  no  short  fruit-buds  formed 
at  the  base  of  the  spur,  and  varieties  I  have  noted 
cropping  in  this  way  are  Gascoyne's  Scarlet, 
Cornish  Gilliflower,  Golden  Pippin,  Irish  Peach, 
Old  Nonpareil,  Mr.  Gladstone,  Gloria  Mundi, 
Hollandbury  and  Kentish  Fillbasket. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestonc,  Surrey. 


FOR    NORTHERN      GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Sowing  Sweet  Peas. — This  should  not  be  much 
longer  delaved.  Equallv  good  results  may  be 
obtained  either  by  sowing  m  pots  or  boxes,  the 
latter  method  being  more  convenient.  Sow  in 
rows  about  three  inches  apart,  and  an  inch  apart 
in  the  rows.  W'ell-ripened  seed  from  a  healthy, 
well-grown  stock  is  the  best  guarantee  for  satis- 
factory germination.  Mice  must  be  guarded  against, 
either  by  coating  the  seeds  with  red  lead,  by  cover- 
ing the  bo.xes  with  sheets  of  glass,  or  by  laying 
poison  near.  The  last-named  precaution  will  be 
necessary  after  germination  takes  place  in  any  case. 
Place  the  pots  or  boxes  in  a  frame  or  cold  pit. 

Bedding  Plants. — Stock  should  now  be  placed 
in  heat  to  supply  cuttings  later  on.  Geraniums 
should  have  their  growing  points  pinched  to  induce 
a  stubby  growth  prior  to  potting  or  boxing  off. 

Dahlias  should  have  their  tubers  shortened  and 
the  dead  parts  cut  away,  then  be  placed  in  heat 
in  order  to  furnish  cuttings.  Spray  them  daily  after 
the  first  week  to  induce  them  to  break  vigorously. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Additions. — Any  constructive  work  should  be 
pushed  forward,  "so  that  the  work  of  planting 
(best  done  m  autumn)  may  be  proceeded  with  as 
early  in  spring  as  possible. 

Protection. — Treasures  such  as  Daphne  blagay- 
ana  are  well  worth  the  trouble  of  placing  a  bell- 
glass  over  them  to  keep  them  clean.  The  glass 
should  be  set  on  two  bricks  to  admit  abundance  of 
air.  The  finer  varieties  of  the  Lenten  Rose,  too, 
will  be  benefited  by  the  protection  of  a  hand-light. 
Mice  are  fond  of  the  flower-buds  of  the  lighter- 
coloured  varieties,  and  should  be  trapped  or 
poisoned. 


The  Shrubbery. 

Lilacs. — These  often  throw  up  a  lot  of  suckers, 
which,  if  left  alone,  draw  up  weaklv,  doing  no  good 
to  themselves  and  robbing  the  main  stem  of  nutri- 
ment. If  the  plant  is  grafted,  the  suckers  should 
be  removed  and  burnt.  If,  however,  it  is  a  desirable 
variety  on  its  own  roots,  some  of  the  strongest 
suckers  may  be  pl.anted  in  the  reserve  garden  for 
subsequent  planting. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Winter-Flowering  Begonias.— As  these  go  out 

of  bloom  they  should  be  headed  back  to  induce 
them  to  make  cuttings.  .\  slight  spraviiig  dailv 
will  assist  m  the  process, 

Perpetual-Flowering  Carnations.— The  propa- 
gation of  these  plants  must  now  be  proceeded 
with,  and  this  is  the  time  for  th'ise  who  have  not 
yet  attempted  their  culture  to  make  a  start. 

The  Cuttings  should  be  taken  off  with  a  heel 
and  inserted  round  the  edge  of  3j-inch  pots,  six 
to  a  pot.  \  compost  of  loam,  leaf-mould  and 
sand  is  suitable  for  the  purpose.  Place  the  pots 
in  a  propagating-case  where  a  night  temperature 
of  60°  is  being  maintained,  and  the  cuttings  will  be 
rooted  in  about  three  weeks. 

Gloxinias. — If  seedlings  are  expected  to  flower 
in  the  autumn,  a  sowing  should  now  be  made. 
Use  a  well-drained  pot  or  seed-pan,  and  fill  it  with 
a  mixture  of  loam,  peat,  leaf-mould  and  sand. 
Make  the  surface  quite  smooth,  and  water  with  a 
fine  rose.  After  two  hours  the  seed  may  be  sown, 
and,  being  very  fine,  it  should  first  be  mixed  with 
some  sand  to  secure  equality  of  dispersion.  Do 
not  cover  with  soil,  but  place  a  pane  of  glass  over 
the  pot  or  pan  and  inure  to  air  as  germination 
takes  place. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Melons. — if  not  already  done,  a  sowing  should 
now  be  made  if  ripe  fruit  is  expected  by  the  begin- 
ning of  June.  One  seed  to  a  pot  is  good  practice  ; 
but  if  room  is  scarce,  1  find  that  a  batch  can  be  sown 
in  a  pot  or  pan  and  duly  potted  off  into  3j-:nch 
pots,  with  equally  good  results.  .'V  bottom-heat 
ranging  from  75°  to  80°,  with  5°  less  of  top-heat, 
is  necessarv  to  keep  them  going  smartly,  and  this 
is  very  necessarv  with  a  naturallj^  succulent, 
quick-growing  plant  like  the  Melon. 

Orchard-House  Fruits. — A  start  may  now  he 
made  with  Pears,  Plums,  Cherries  and  any  other 
orchard-house  fruits.  Begin  to  force  gradually ; 
in  fact,  if  the  house  is  kept  close,  no  fire-heat  will 
be  necessary  lor  the  first  fortnight,  provided  the 
weather  is  mUd. 

Figs  may  be  started  with  a  night  temperature 
of  about  50°,  with  a  rise  of  5°  during  the  day  in 
dull  weather  and  5°  to  10^  more  with  bright 
sunshine. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Loganberries  are  acceptable  to  most  families, 
as  they  can  be  utilised  in  various  ways — uncooked, 
stewed,  or  as  a  jelly.  Moreover,  in  soils  such  as 
I  have  to  deal  with — a  heavy  clay — where  Rasp- 
berries do  not  succeed  well,  they  form  a  welcome 
substitute  for,  or  addition  to,  that  crop.  Those 
who  purpose  making  a  plantation  should  trench 
the  ground  ,ind  give  it  a  liberal  manuring  prior 
to  planting,  then  little  working  of  the  soil  will 
be  required  for  several  years.  By  far  the  best 
method  of  training  is  on  a  double  trellis  i  foot 
apart,  training  the  fruiting  canes  up  one  side  and 
the  succession  ones  the  other,  and  transposing 
them  annually. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Early  Carrots. — Fermenting  materials  should 
now  be  prepared  for  making  up  a  slight  hot-bed, 
.and  an  earlv  sowing  of  some  of  the  stump-rooted 
varieties,  such  as  French  Short  Horn,  should  be  made. 

Early  Turnips. — Preparations  similar  to  those 
directed  for  early  Carrots  should  also  be  made  for  an 
early  sowing  of  this  crop,  where  such  is  m  demand. 
Early  Milan  or  its  white  variety  is  suitable  lor  this 
purpose. 

Onions.-  If  not  already  attended  to,  not  a  day 
should  be  lost  in  getting  in  the  seed  of  these.  Sow 
in  boxes  of  fairly  rich,  finely-sifted  soil,  and  place 
in  a  vinery  at  work.  Ailsa  Craig  and  Cranston's 
Excelsior  arc  the  varieties  to  sow  where  big  bulbs 
are  wanted. 

Lettuce. — .\  small  sowing  should  be  made  in  a 
house  with  a  temperature  ranging  from  50"  to 
,t5°.      Use  a  quick-hearting  Cabbage  variety. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfuld  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


January  i8,  1-913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


39 


NEW   AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


AWARD     OF     MERIT. 

Lindenbergia  grandiflora. — Tliis  inisht  u«x 
inaptiv  be  styleil  the  ■  Trii-  Musk."  so  nearly  d'l 
the  fldwers  in  size  and  roloiir  and  form  approximate 
to  the  popular  plsiiit  indicated.  The  example 
shown  was  2J  feet  high,  and  had  been  flowering 
for  some  three  months  in  sueccssion.  It  is  by  no 
means  a  novelty,  having  been  known  to  cultivation 
for  manv  years,  though,  with  many  others, 
apparently  .almost  lost.  The  plant  has  a  bushy 
habit  of  rather  woolly  leaves  and  stems,  and  almost 
from  base  to  sinnmit  is  furnished  with  a  profusion 
of  yellow  Musk-like  flowers.  .-Vs  a  winter-flowering 
subject  it  is  worthy  of  attention.  From  Messrs. 
James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea. 

NEW    ORCHIDS. 

There  was  n.>  lack  of  novelties  brought  before 
the  Orchid  committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  on  January  7,  when  the  foregoing  award 
and  those  following  were  granted.  Only  one 
first-class  certificate  was  awarded,  and  this  went 
to  a  remarkably  tine  form  of  Odontoglossura 
Pescatora;  named  Sander.e,  which  was  shown 
by  Baron  Brimo  Schroder.  There  were  three 
new  Cypripedinras  to  gain  awards  of  merit,  viz., 
C.  Amazon,  from  F.  Menteith  Ogilvie,  Esq.  ;  C. 
lona,  from  His  ('itace  the  Duke  of  Marlborough  ; 
and  C.  .\lcinida,  shown  by  .Messrs.  Charlesworth 
and  Co.  Other  novelties  to  secure  awards  ol  merit 
were  :  I.iclia  anceps  roeblingiana,  shown  by  C.  J. 
Roebling,  Esq..  of  New  Jersey ;  Odontonia 
I'irminii,  from  M.  Firmin  Lambeau  ;  Habenaria 
Kabelinii,  shown  by  E.  H.  Davidson,  Esq.  ; 
and  Odontoglossum  Ccorge  Dav,  from  H.  S 
Goodson,  Esq. 


THE  MISUSE  OF  MANURES. 


DOUBTLESS  the  majority  of  the  readers 
.  of  this  journal  have  heard  the  story 
I  of  the  old  gardener  who,  on  a 
'  visitor  enquiring  of  him  for  the 
head-gardener,  took  him  to  the 
manure  heap.  I  have  never  been 
able  to  see  anything  cither  humorous  or 
clever  about  this,  as  anyone  who  allows 
manure  to  be  master  must  have  a  very  poor 
idea  of  the  profession.  That  manure  is  an  indis- 
pensable item  in  good  gardening  no  one  will  deny, 
but  its  indiscriminate  use  does  far  more  harm  than 
many  suppose.  Instead  of  calling  the  manure 
heap  the  head-gardener,  I  would  terra  it  an  excellent 
assistant,  if  kept  in  its  proper  place.  For  instance, 
the  production  of  good  Celery,  Onions,  Leeks, 
Peas,  Beans,  Cauliflowers  and  Brussels  Sprouts 
depends  to  a  considerable  extent  on  the  judicious 
use  of  manure,  while  Beet,  Carrots,  Potatoes  and 
a  few  other  vegetables  will  simply  be  ruined  if 
inanured  on  the  same  liberal  scale.  .It  is  in  cases  of 
this  kind  where  intelligent  experience  is  a  necessity. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  a  great  amount  of 
manure  is  annually  wasted  through  ignorance  or 
carelessness,  rhis  applies  more  especially  to  the 
artificial  compounds  that  are  now  in  conunon  use 
all  over  the  country,  as,  with  the  advent  of  the 
motor-car,  the  amount  of  stable  manure  is  now 
considerably  reduced  in  quantity.  Naturally,  the 
amateur  is  the  greatest  sinner  in  this  respect, 
alth.^■lgh  I  am  ashamed  to  say  that  many  pro- 
fessional gardeners,  in  their  hurry  to  make  things 


grow,  not  infrequently  use  their  artificials  in  too 
strong  doses,  and  thus  over-reach  themselves.  It 
never  seems  to  strike  these  people  that  the  vendors 
of  these  compounds  invariably  advise  the  maximum 
safe  quantity  to  be  used,  or  at  least  the  proper 
quantity,  to  give  best  results.  If  the  directions 
are  faithfully  followed,  the  great  bulk  of  the  manures 
offered  will  give  satisfactory  results.  I  am  no 
chemist,  so  do  not  pretend  to  know  much  about 
the  various  ingredients  that  go  to  make  up  the 
different  artificial  fertilisers  on  ,the  market,  but 
from  a  long  and  careftfl  study  of  the  wants  of  the 
various  plants  I  have  been  able  to  secure  quite 
good  results  in  the  majority  of  cases. 

I  have  heard  numerous  discussions  on  the  subject 
of  artificial  manures,  many  holding  that  they  are 
excessively  e.xpensive,  and  tltat  one  would  save 
considerably  bv  mixing  their  own  manures.  I  do 
not  believe  this  to  be  practicable,  as  who  is  to 
decide  as  to  the  ingredients,  their  proper  propor- 
tions and  other  points  ?  I  for  one  have  no  time, 
nor  inclination,  for  carrying  out  a  series  of  ex- 
periments so  as  to  decide  the  question,  and  will 
continue,  as  I  have  done  for  twenty-five  years,  to  rely 
on  one  or  two  of  the  standard  preparations  on  the 
market. 

In  past  years  I  have  tested  in  a  small  way  a  great 
number  of  the  proprietary  fertilisers,  and  found  that 
the  majority  had  tli^ir  good  points,  if  strict  atten- 
tion were  paid  to  the  directions  supplied  by  the 
makers.  I  have  always  tried  to  be  as  exact  as 
possible,  both  with  quantities  and  times  of  applica- 
tion, and  consider  that  in  most  cases  the  resu'ts 
justified  the  expenditure.  For  pot  plants,  to  my 
mind,  a  good  sound  artificial  manure  gives  far 
better  resiflts  than  the  use  of  natur.al  manures 
ever  do,  and  with  about  a  quarter  of  the  trouble. 
While  I  have  proved  this,  to  my  own  satisfaction 
at  least.  I  am  well  aware  that  a  careless  use  of  these 
chemical  stimn.l.ints  may  easily  result  in  disaster, 
but  the  same  may  happen  if  the  plants  be  dosed 
with  too  strong  liquid  manure.  On  the  other  hand, 
I  have  no  great  reliance  to  place  on  artificial  manures 
when  used  alone  for  flowers,  fruits  or  vegetables 
in  the  open  garden. 

Good  farmyard  manure  used  in  moderation  and 
supplemented  with  a  light  dressing  of  a  good 
artificial  will  in  every  case  give  excellent  results. 
Over-manuring  is  not  only  wasteful  of  material, 
but  causes  waste  through  the  crops  being  coarse 
and  unfit  for  use,  and  not  infrequently  either  kills 
plants  directly  or,  by  forcing  them  into  sappy 
growth,  causes  them  to  succumb  to  frost  or  damp. 
It  would  be  easy  to  dilate  further  on  the  evils  of 
over-manuring,  but  enough  has  been  said,  I  hope, 
to  cause  the  careless  to  take  thought  on  the  subject, 
and  so  avoid  this  most  undesirable  mistake. 

Preston  House  Gardens,  Linlithgow.         C.   Blair. 


THE"WOBURN"   PLANTING 
OF    FRUIT    TREES. 


In  an  article  contributed  to  Science  Pro- 
gress by  Mr.  Spencer  Pickering,  F.R.S..  the 
Director  of  the  Woburn  Experimental  Fruit  Farm, 
among  other  interesting  matter  the  author  gives 
some  account  of  experiments  in  tree  planting,  both 
by  the  ordinary  accepted  methods  and  by  his  new 
plan  of  "  ramming."  ■  .A.s  he  claims  to  get  such 
excellent  results  from  his  method,  so  much  supwrior 
to  those  following  upon  ordinary  planting  ;  more- 
over, as  his  method  might  without  offence  be 
described    as    "  careless,"    and   as   the   success    of 


"  careless "  planting  over  that  carried  out  with 
much  care  may  encourage  growers  to  still  more 
slipshod  methods  than  they  adopt  at  present,  it 
may  be  as  well  to  examine  carefully  what  has  been 
accomplished  and  what  is  claimed  for  it. 

The  author  starts  the  consideration  of "  ramming  " 
with  the  thesis :  For  the  development  of  the 
dormant  root  buds,  as  they  may  be  termed,  intimate 
contact  between  the  roots  and  the  damp  soil  is 
essential.  No  thoughtful  planter  will  quarrel  with 
this,  as  the  aim  of  every  such  person  has  been  to 
tread  the  soil  as  solidly  as  possible  when  the  roots 
have  been  covered.  He  goes  on  to  say,  however, 
that  ■'  much  more  intimate  contact  between  the 
roots  and  soil  can  be  secured  by  ramming  the  soil 
around  the  tree,  as  in  fixing  a  gate-post,  especially 
if  the  soil  be  wet  at  the  time  "  ;  and,  further  on, 
"  Planting  with  ramming  can  be  safely  practised, 
however  wet  the  soil  may  be,  and  at  a  time  when 
planting  in  the  ordinary-way  would  be  out  of  the 
question,  ramming  to  the  extent  of  puddling  the 
soil  being  no  disadvantage."  Here  I  think  we 
should,  many  of  us,  part  company  with  the  author, 
in  spite  of  the  experiments  he  has  carried  through 
and  which  seem  to  point  this  way.  In  the  first 
place,  it  is  quite  possible  that  ramming  a  light  sand 
when  wet  might  not  permanently  harm  it,  but  if 
such  treatment  were  applied  to  a  heavy  clay,  on 
the  approach  of  spring  with  its  drying  winds,  all 
the  soil  which  had  been  treated  to  this  ■'  puddling  " 
would  dry  like  bricks,  and  one  can  scarcely  conceive, 
of  fruit  trees  thriving  under  such  conditions. 

Another  point  is  the  absolute  impossibility  of  any 
aeration  going  on  in  soils  which  can  be  described 
as  "  puddled,"  a  condition  which,  one  would  think, 
could  not  be  anything  but  harmful,  in  view  of  the 
late  discoveries  concerning  bacteria  and  their 
requirements. 

Can  it  be  possible  that  unconsciously  Mr.  Picker- 
ing and  his  assistants  who  carried  out  the  experi- 
ments have  treated  the  trees  planted  by  the  ordinary 
methods  too  gingerly,  and  that  they  have  not  really 
been  planted  solidly  enough  ? 

Next  we  come  to  the  question  of  the  treatment 
of  the  roots,  and  here  again  the  author  departs 
from  accepted  practice  a  good  deal.  He  says : 
"  Whether  the  end  of  a  broken  root  be  trimmed 
or  not  appe.ars  to  make  no  difference  to  the  welfare 
of  the  tree,"  and  he  bases  his  argument  upon  the 
fact  that  "  only  15  per  cent,  of  the  new  roots  of 
trees  were  formed  within  a  quarter  of  an  inch  from 
the  old  root  ends  "  ;  but  surely  this  does  not  affect 
the  matter.  We  do  not  cut  away  a  jagged  end  of 
a  root  primarily  with  a  view  to  root  formation, 
but  in  order  that  the  tree  may  quickly  heal  and 
protect  the  wound,  a  result  more  and  more  necessary 
in  these  days  when  animal  and  vegetal  pests  inhabit 
the  soil  and  prey  upon  the  roots  as  well  as  the 
branches.  It  seems  to  me  that  one  might  as  well 
say  that  a  broken  branch  need  not  be  cut  back 
because  shoots  did  not  arise  from  a  certain  distance 
from  the  fracture.  Another  passage  runs  :  "  Short- 
ening of  the  roots  up  to  one-third  of  their  length 
i.but  not  more)  has  been  found  to  be  of  slight  advan- 
tage rather  than  the  contrary."  It  is  dilficult  to 
see  exactly  to  what  this  refers,  but  one  must  suppose 
it  is  the  length  of  the  root  as  lifted  with  great  care — 
that  is,  the  maximum  length  of  root  it  is  possible 
to  get  out — that  is  meant.  If  the  roots  of  trees — as 
they  .u-e  often,  unfortunately — htted  in  commercial 
places  were  submitted  to  this  drastic  shortening, 
there  would  be  but  very  little  root  left.  I  fancy 
that  quite  as  drastic  a  shortening  of  the  roots  is 
done  on  a  market  place  as  an  ordinary  matter  of 
course — that    is    to    say,    the    roots    as     planted 


40 


THE    GARDEN. 


[January  iS,  1913. 


arejbut  little  longer  than  Mr.  Pickering's,  though 
the  actual  cutting  back  is  not  so  severe,  and  that 
anything  further  in  this  direction  would  be  unwise. 
In  the  same  way,  I  think  that  a  proper  planter 
with  his  gang  on  a  market-grower's  place  makes 
his  trees  quite  as  solid  by  his  treading  as  the  author 
does  by  his  ramming,  and  so  achieves  much  the 
same  results.  The  personal  element  enters  so  largely 
into  this  sort  of  thing,  where  there  is  no  means  of 
actually  checking  all  the  conditions,  in  this  case 
the  density  of  the  soil  arrived  at  by  the  different 
methods  of  "  treading  "  and  "  ramming."  I  ven- 
ture, with  all  diffidence,  to  suggest  that  these  are 
some  of  the  reasons  for  the  rather  starthng  set  of  re- 
sults Mr.  Pickering  claims  for  his  experiments.      X. 


PLANTS     FLOWERING     OUT 
OF    SEASON. 


ALTHOUGH  the  calendar  declares  the  date 
to  be  the  early  half  of  January,  the  birds 
and  flowers  of  this  garden  insist  that 
i  it  is  at  least  the  latter  half  of  February. 
■■  This  is  so  unexpected  to  me  after  so 
cool  and  damp  a  summer  that  it  seems 
worth  recording  and  endeavouring  to  accoimt  for 
it.  Last  December  was  the  warmest  known 
since  iS6S.  Dr.  H.  R.  Mill,  in  a  letter  to  The 
Times  of  January  3,  gives  the  mean  temperature 
of  the  past  December  as  498°  and  that  of  1868 
as  50-0°,  one-fifth  of  a  degree  higher.  But  the 
mean  of  the  highest  daily  temperature  of  December, 
1912,  is  50-8°,  whereas  it  was  50-7°  for  1868,  and 
so  stands  higher  for  1912  than  has  been  yet 
recorded. 

That,  of  course,  is  a  large  factor  in  this  unseemly 
rush  to  be  first  in  flower  ;  but  I  think  we  must 
look  still  further  back  for  other  causes  to  accoimt 
for  the  extreme  earliness  of  some  plants.  For 
instance,  Eranthis  hyemalis  was  in  full  flower 
here  in  the  third  week  of  December,  making  the 
ground  green  and  yellow  where  the  larger  colonies 
grow  ;  but  the  blossoms  were  thin  and  poor,  as 
they  always  are  when  early.  Gerard  knew  this, 
and  expresses  it  thus  in  his  pleasant  Old  English  : 
"  Yea  the  colder  the  weather  is,  and  the  deeper 
that  the  snow  is,  the  fairer  and  larger  is  the  floure, 
and  the  warmer  that  the  weather  is,  the  lesser  is 
the  floure  and  worse  coloured."  I  take  it 
that  when  delayed  below  ground  and  then  rushing 
up  with  the  thaw,  the  flowers  are  better  matm-ed 
and  have  lost  that  thin  texture  and  greenish  tint 
which  are  also  so  characteristic  of  an  over-forced 
Dafiodil. 

But  more  marked  still  in  this  garden,  and  I 
hear  almost  everywhere  else,  is  the  early  flowering 
of  the  Lenten  Hellebores,  H.  orientalis  and  kindred 
kinds.  By  mid-December  they  were  in  full  bloom 
here,  and  taller  and  handsomer  than  they  usually 
are  even  as  late  as  early  March.  They  had  not 
rushed  out,  but  had  come  along  quietly  and  steadily 
for  months.  There  were  sharp  frosts  in  early 
November.  Here  we  registered  11°  or  12°  on 
several  nights,  and  when  this  spell  of  warmth 
followed,  the  plants  seem  to  have  been  persuaded 
the  winter  had  come  and  gone,  and  grew  m  a 
rapid  manner,  somewhat  akin  to  plants  that  have 
been  retarded  in  cold  storage  or  etherised.  It 
is  well  known  that  Rhubarb  forces  better  after 
being  frozen,  and  entomologists  who  wish  to  force 
pup*  find  that  it  is  better  to  let  most  of  them, 
at  any  rate  our  truly  Northern  species,  feel  a  touch 
of  cold  before  putting  them  into  heat,  or,  instead 


of  being  hurried  into  emergence,  they  may  be 
induced  to  lay  over  to  another  season. 

I  am,  however,  inclined  to  think  that  the  greatest 
amount  of  preparation  for  early  flowering  this 
season  must  be  attributed  to  the  extraordinary 
absence  of  rain  in  April  and  early  May  of  last  year, 
which  hurried  up  and  stunted  the  Darwin  Tulips 
so  markedly,  robbing  them  of  much  of  their  beauty 
in  all  but  deeply-dug  and  cool  soils.  I  noticed 
how  Crocus  leaves  ripened  and  disappeared  quite 
six  weeks  earlier  tjian  usual,  and  it  was  the  same  with 
Snowdrops,  and  that,  I  feel  sure,  is  the  prime  cause 
of  my  having  Galanthus  byzantinus,  Imperati 
and  several  early  seedling  forms  of  nivalis  well  out 
in  bloom  before  Olgae  was  over.  And  the  list  of 
Croci  in  flower  in  the  open  ground  in  Christmas 
Week  included  C.  Imperati,  Sieberi,  dalmaticus, 
tommasinianus,  ancyrensis,  chrysanthus  in  about 
a  dozen  varieties,  Korolkowi,  alatavicus,  cyprius 
and  aureus.  Now,  in  the  second  week  of  January, 
most  of  the  species  that  should  be  out  in  mid- 
February  are  full  of  flower,  but  the  dull,  wet  days 
forbid  their  opening  properly,  and  I  feel  I  am  being 
cheated  by  the  Clerk  of  the  Weather  of  my  proper 
enjoyment  of  the  Crocus  season.  Iris  sophenensis 
and  histrioides  were  both  in  full  flower  Ijefore 
Christmas.  I  deplore  this  unseasonable  blooming, 
but  to  compensate  for  it  such  subjects  as  Iris 
unguicularis,  Chimonanthus  fragrans,  Lonicera  frag- 
rantissima,  Correa  magnifica  (on  a  wall),  Brassica 
insularis,  Garrya  elliptica  and  other  naturally 
winter-flowering  plants  have  never  been  finer, 
and  a  source  of  great  enjoyment.  Iris  unguicu- 
laris and  Chimonanthus  must  have  prepared  for 
this  flowering  early  in  last  season,  and  are  note- 
worthy, as  their  free  production  of  flowers  is  usually 
associated  with  a  previous  hot  summer.  Thus  it 
appears  to  me  that  a  dry  spring  hastened  the  ripening 
of  certain  plants,  early  frosts  deceived  them  with 
false  hopes  of  troubles  past,  and  an  unusually 
mild  December  gave  them  no  further  warning 
of  troubles  ahead. 

Waltkam  Cross.  E.  A.  Bowles. 


BOOKS. 


Fruit-Growing    lor    Beginners.*— The     ranks 

of  gardeners  are  constantly  being  augmented  by 
beginners,  and  one  of  their  many  troubles  is  to 
find  quickly  information  upon  which  reliance  may 
be  placed.  Authors  thoroughly  conversant  with 
all  the  multifarious  details  of  their  subjects  are 
apt  to  take  it  for  granted  that  the  readers  for  whom 
they  are  writing  are  equally  skilled  in  the  rudiments, 
and  the  result  is  that  what  are  elementary  points 
to  the  experienced  are  omitted.  It  is  particu- 
larly these  that  the  tyro  wants  to  aid  him  to  estab- 
lish his  garden  on  a  sound  foundation.  Far  be  it 
from  me  to  blame  the  authors,  since  I  have  the 
honour  to  take  humble  rank  with  them,  and  have 
probably  found  as  many  pitfalls  as  the  majority 
— very  possibly  more  than  the  minority  —  and, 
so  doing,  have  failed  in  some  degree  of  my  duty. 

The  author  of  "  Fruit-Growing  for  Beginners," 
Mr.  F.  W.  Harvey,  F.R.H.S.,  Editor  of  The 
Garden,  has  made  no  mistakes  in  the  direction 
indicated,  because  he  has  taken  nothing  for  granted. 
It  is  true  that  lie  wanders  into  error  in  the  second 
and  third  hues  of  his  Preface,  when  saying  that 
there  is  no  handbook  on  fruit  culture  suited  to  the 


•  "  Frult-Growiiijj  for  Beainners,"  by  F.  W.  Harvey, 
F.K.H.S. ;  price  Is.',  or  in  stout  cloth  covers  Is.  6d.  net. 
The  Country  Life  Librar.v,  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Coveiit 
Garden,  London,  W.C. 


needs  of  the  amateur.  Filial  duty,  with  honesty 
of  opinion,  compels  me  to  say  that  "  Profitable 
Fruit-Growing  "  is  essentially  a  book  for  the  novice, 
and  my  father's  name  will  be  honoured  by  posterity 
as  its  author.  But,  after  all,  it  matters  little 
what  is  said  in  a  preface,  since  no  one  reads  it 
other  than  the  one  who  is  anxious  to  find  fault 
or  to  seek  an  excuse  to  grumble  about  a  point 
which  has  no  practical  importance. 

Mr.  Harvey,  then,  sets  himself  to  teach  the 
principles  which  underlie  successful  fruit  culture, 
and  he  admirably  succeeds  in  his  task.  He  has 
achieved  the  distinction  of  getting  right  down  to 
his  subject,  with  the  result  that  no  detail  has  been 
passed  over  as  too  insignificant  for  statement. 
He  has  fully  appreciated  the  fact  that  the  grower 
who  has  once  learned  the  small  points  has  set  his 
feet  firmly  on  the  threshold  of  success.  Too  many 
amateurs  who  become  imbued  with  the  love  of 
gardening  rush  ahead  without  thought  or  con- 
sideration, and,  later,  wonder  why  failure  has  been 
the  end  of  their  efforts.  The  best  advice  that  I 
can  give  those  who  are  about  to  essay  the  art  of 
fruit-growing  is  diligently,  intelligently  and  re- 
peatedly to  study  Mr,  Harvey's  simple  words  of 
wisdom,  because  their  reward,  provided,  of  course, 
that  they  proceed  with  scrupulous  exactitude 
mixed  with  the  common-sense  with  which  they 
are  endowed,  must  be  gratifying  success.  The 
man  who  could  fail  under  such  instructions  as  are 
given  in  this  book  would,  indeed,  be  clever  in  his 
stupidity,  so  clearly  and  forcibly  are  the  funda- 
mental principles  set  forth  in  its  124  pages. 

"  Fruit-Grovring  for  Beginners  "  resembles  other 
books  in  that  it  is  arranged  in  chapters,  each  treat- 
ing of  some  particular  phase  of  its  subject ;  but  it 
differs  from  many,  probably  from  most,  in  having 
a  tail  to  every  chapter,  in  which  its  burning  point- 
might  I  say  its  sting  ? — is  summarised.  For 
example,  who  will  venture  to  dispute  the  truth  of 
any  one  of  the  following  facts  or  statements  ? 
"  Grow  your  ovsm  fruit.  It  will  be  better  than  any 
you  can  buy.  Nurserymen  will  be  pleased  to  supply 
trees  for  large  or  small  gardens.  The  beginner 
should  not  attempt  at  the  outset,  before  he  has 
gained  some  practical  laiowledge,  to  grow  fruit  on 
a  large  scale.  Start  with  a  few  kinds  and  master 
the  cultivation  of  these  first." 

There  are  exhaustive  chapters  on  soils,  sites, 
propagation,  forms  of  trees,  planting,  staking, 
pruning,  mulching  and  manuring,  all  dealing  with 
generalities ;  while  subsequent  chapters  treat 
specifically  of  Apples,  Pears,  Plums,  Cherries, 
Peaches,  Nectarines,  Apricots,  Gooseberries,  Cur- 
rants, Blackberries,  Raspberries,  Logan  and  kindred 
berries,  Figs,  Medlars,  Quinces,  Mulberries,  Grapes 
and  Nuts,  so  it  is  abundantly  clear  that  nothing 
has  been  omitted.  Beyond  these  there  is  a  chapter 
on  the  insect  pests  and  fungus  diseases  to  which  the 
fruit  trees  of  oiu-  gardens  are  heirs.  This  is  so 
important  a  phase  of  the  subject  that  it  might  have 
been  amplified  to  advantage.  Severe  compression 
has  forced  the  omission  of  such  remedies  for 
American  blight  as  the  application  of  luiseed  or 
sweet  oil,  and  of  Hellebore  powder  against  the 
GoosebeiTy  caterpillar.  But  perhaps  these|j  criti- 
cisms are  a  little  captious.  Throughout  the  whole 
of  the  1^4  pages  which  comprise  "  Fruit-Crowing 
for  Beginners  "  there  is  sound  advice,  which  might 
be  followed  with  much  benefit  by  many  <jldj  as 
well"  as  young  growers.  The  several  illustra- 
tions are  on  all  fours  with  the  letterpress- 
practical  instructive  value  has  been  allowed  to 
overwhelm  mere  ornamentation.  —  Hor.^ce  J. 
Weight. 


GARDEN! 


s^'- 


No.  214c,.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


January  25,  1913. 


GONTBNTS. 


Notes   of  the    Week 

CORRESl'CINIJENrE 

A 11    o  1  il     Oak     at 

Harnpaue  Wood  .  . 

Iris  tineitaiia  fluwi.-!- 

1112  outdoors 
Omphalodes   verna 
f  1  o  «■  e  I  i  n  g     in 
Itfc'-mbcr 
Mahnaison    C  a  ••  n  a  - 

tioiis      

Iris  stylosa 
Viola  floraircnsis 
Tlii;  Manetti  stock  for 

Koscs 

Forttu'oniin-i  events  . . 
Gaubexiso  Acrostics 
Prizes  fok  the  Best 

KocK  Gardens 
Science  in  Uelatiox 

TO   HORTICtTLTHRE  .  . 

Rose  Garden 
Rose  Mrs.  Mackellar 
Some  of    tlie  newer 
decorative  Roses 

Rock  and  Water  Gar 
The  Mountain  Aven: 
X  rare  Primrose 

I'l.owER  Garden 
Tlie  Tree  Pink.  .      . 
Lilies ;  .\  causerie   . 


42 
43 

43 

J3 
43 
43 

43 
43 
43 

43 


44 

45 

DEN 

45 
46 

46 
4H 


FIOWER  (JARUEN 
Xotes  on  Chrysanthe- 
mums         47 

Bo  r  d  e  X   Carnations 
and   mild  weather     48 
The  Thorndeaved  Crab 

Apple         48 

Kitchen  Garden 
Hints    on   f  o  r  c  i  n  tr 

Asparagus    . .      . .     48 
A   new-    s e e  d  1  i n  ti 
Tomato 48 

ClARDESINCl  FOE  BEOISNERS 

How  to  plant  Grape 

Vines 49 

How    to     improve 

lawns 49 

Gakdeninc;  op  the  Wkek 
For     Southern     par- 
dons              50 

For     Xorthoin     L'ar- 

dens       :-0 

Practical    Hints    on 

Table    DECOR.iTioN    51 
Some    Little  -  known 

Hardv  Flowers    ..     51 
FRI'IT  G.^rden 
The    t  h  i  n  n  i  n  2    of 
fruit  trees     . .      . .     51 
Bujins     manures      on 
analysis     52 


ILIiOSTRATIONS. 

Iris  reticulata  histrioide- 42 

Rose  Mrs.  MaekeUar.  a  new  Hybrid  Tea      44 

The  Mountain  Aven.s        45 

The  Tree  Pink  in  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew 46 

The  Thorn-leaved  Crab  Apple        47 

A  house  of  Tomato  Ma<jnit\ceut 48 

How  to  plant  Grape  Vine^      49 


BDITORIAL,     NOTICBS. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


Th<'  KflUof  wetcmnes  i>fiotogmi>/t8,  articles  ami  nnu-s. 
bat  hi'  a'iU  not  hi>  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  Alt 
reasonable  care,  however,  unll  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enrlosed.  he  'rill  endeavour  to  return  non-arcepted 
coiitribatians. 


.\s  regards  photographs,  if  paijment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  thnt  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  mast  be  distinrihj  understood  thai  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  ou-ner  of  the  copyright  will  he  treated  u-ith. 


The  Editor  a  ill  not  he  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  ttse,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  he  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  uill  atone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance 


20,  Tavistock  St, eel.  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 

Our    Sweet    Pea    Number.— Our  next    issue, 

dated  l-ebruary  i,  wiH  contain  a  number  ot 
special  articles  on  Sweet  Peas,  and  these  will  deal 
with  several  little-understood  phases  of  Sweet 
Pea  cultivation.  There  wdl  also  be  included  a 
coloured  plate  of  four  of  the  best  Sweet  Peas  of 
to-day  and  some  unique  photographic  illustrations 
of  Sweet  Peas.  As  there  is  sure  to  be  a  large 
demand  for  this  issue,  we  advise  readers  to  order 
in  advance  any  e.xtra  copies  they  may  require. 
The  price  will,  as  usual,  lie  one  penny. 

Tulip  Vermilion  Brilliant.— It  is  difficult  to 
understand  why  this  Tulip  is  not  more  extensively 
grown  in  pots  for  forcing  into  flower  early  in  the 
year.  Compared  with  the  Due  Van  Thol  varieties, 
which  appear  to  find  so  much  favour,  it  has  much 
to  commend  it.  The  flowers  are  of  deep  rich  colour, 
are  borne  on  long  stems,  and  last  in  good  condition 
for  a  much  longer  period  than  the  Due  Van  Thols. 
.Although  its  habit  is  rather  stiff,  this  is  not  notice- 
able when  the  plants  are  arranged  with  a  few  small 
Fems  or  other  foliage  plants. 

An  Annual  for  a  Sunny  Spot. — Now  that  seeds 

of  annuals  are  being  ordered,  it  may  be  useful 
to  draw  attention  to  the  Sun  Plant,  Portulaca 
grandiflora,  which  is  an  ideal,  low-growing  flower 
for  the  hottest  place  in  the  garden.  It  delights  in 
well-drained,  rather  sandy  soil,  and  seeds  are  best 
sown  towards  the  end  of  .\pril  or  early  in  May 
where  the  plants  are  to  flower.  There  are  single 
and  double  flowered  forms,  and  both  are  usually 
sold  in  mixed  colours,  some  of  which  are  very 
brilliant.  The  plants  are  quite  procumbent,  have 
fleshy  leaves  and  quickly  form  a  carpet. 

A  Little-Known  Dianthus. — There  is  a  charm- 
ing little  Moimtain  Pink  known  as  Dianthus 
microlepis,  which  is  seldom  seen  in  gardens  and 
rarely  mentioned  in  horticultural  works.  The 
flowers  are  carmine  red  and  the  plants  dwarf  and 
tufted,  not  unlike  D.  glacialis  in  miniature,  although 
it  is  quite  distinct  from  that  species.  It  occurs 
in  the  mountains  of  Thrace  and  Bulgaria  at  fairly 
high  altitudes.  There  is  also  a  white  form,  but 
this  is  seldom  found  in  the  wild  state.  When 
better  known,  D.  microlepis  bids  fair  to  become  a 
popular  alpine  plant. 

A   Useful  Winter  Shrub. — One  of  the   most 

interesting  shrubs  during  the  winter  months,  and 
one  that  is  not  sufficiently  grown,  is  Cassinia 
fulvida.  .\t  the  present  time  its  golden  leaves, 
minute  though  they  are,  make  quite  a  warm  and 
pleasing  feature  in  otherwise  dull  surroundings. 
It  is  a  quick-growing  and  rather  ungainly  shrub, 
but  this  defect  can  be  remedied  by  occasionally 
pruning  back  the  too  venturesome  growths  in  March. 
Anything  like  formality  must,  however,  be  care- 
fully guarded  against  when  pruning.  This  shrub 
was  at  one  time  known  as  Diplopappus  chryso- 
phyllus. 


A  Valuable  Timber  Tree. — It  is  not  generally 
known  that  Catalpa  cordifolia  (which  is  sometimes 
regarded  as  a  vigorous  form  of  C.  bignonioides,  or 
Indian  Bean  Tree)  is  valued  by  reason  of  its  wood 
having  the  remarkable  power  of  resisting  decay 
when  in  contact  with  earth  or  water.  The  follow- 
ing observation  is  made  by  Sargent  ;  "  The  trunks 
of  Catalpa  trees  killed  by  the  sinking  and  subse- 
quent immersion  of  a  large  tract  of  land  near  New 
Madrid,  Missouri,  which  followed  the  earthquake 
of  i8ii,  were  standing  perfectly  sound  67  years 
later,  although  all  their  companions  in  the  forest 
had  disappeared  long  before."  Catalpa  wood  is 
well  adapted  for  railway  sleepers,  gateposts,  &c., 
but  so  far  Catalpas  have  only  been  grown  in  this 
coimtry  as  ornamental  flowering  trees. 

A  Beautiful  Heath. — An  interestmg  group  is 
formed  in  the  greenhouse  at  Kew  by  several  kinds 
of  Ericas  and  various  Australian  shrubby  plants, 
but  E.  melanthera  is  the  most  conspicuous  subject, 
for  it  is  represented  by  specimens  sJ  feet  to  4J  feet 
high,  which  are  flowering  from  base  to  summit. 
Grown  in  a  different  way  to  that  usually 
adopted  for  Ericas,  they  have  been  allowed  to 
attain  their  present  height  practically  unchecked  ; 
thus  they  are  very  narrow  in  comp.arison  to  their 
height,  the  side  growths  nowhere  being  more  than 
from   6  inches   to   9   inches  in   length. 

The  Rev.  W.  Wilks. — We  are  pleased  to  be 
able  to  auiiuuiice  that  a  movement  is  on  foot  to 
present  a  testimonial  to  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  secre- 
tary of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  as  an 
appreciation  of  his  services  to  horticulture  during 
the  past  twenty-five  years.  As  we  pointed  out  in  our 
issue  for  December  28,  1912,  Mr.  Wilks  has  been 
secretary  of  the  society  for  that  period,  and  during 
that  time  has  done  a  vast  amount  of  good  work 
for  the  society  and  horticulture  generally.  Sub- 
scriptions towards  the  testimonial  are  invited  from 
Fellows  of  the  society,  such  subscriptions  not  to 
exceed  £r  is.  All  cheques  and  postal  orders 
should  be  sent  to  the  Manager,  the  London  County 
and  Westminster  Bank,  Victoria  Branch,  Victoria 
Street,  Westminster,  and  should  be  crossed 
"  Wilks  Testimonial." 

The  Purple-Leaved  Plum. — It  is  usual  for 
this  tree  to  blossom  towards  the  end  of  March, 
but  this  year  many  flowers  were  open  diuring 
the  first  week  in  January,  thus  making  a 
companion  for  the  early-flowering  Almond,  Prunus 
davidiana,  which  often  opens  its  flowers  towards 
the  end  of  January  or  early  in  February,  Both 
these  trees  require  planting  against  a  background 
of  Pines,  Arbutuses,  Evergreen  Oaks,  or  some  other 
evergreen  to  be  seen  to  advantage,  otherwise 
much  of  the  effect  is  lost.  A  group  of  the  Purple- 
leaved  Plum  was  noted  recently  near  a  cluster 
of  Pine  trees  in  the  Arboretum  at  Kew,  and 
the  effect  of  the  white  flowers  and  dark  foliage 
was  very  pretty.  An  undergrowth  of  variegated- 
leaved  Dogwood  makes  this  particular  group 
attractive  during  summer  also. 


42 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[January  25,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  Editor  is  not  responsible  for  the  opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


An  Old  Oak  at  Hampage  Wood. — 1  am  enclosing 
a  photograph  of  an  old  Oak,  called  the  "Gospel 
Oak,"  which  stands  in  Hampage  Wood,  near 
Avington  Park,  Alresford,  Hants.  Local  tradition 
supposes  St.  Augustine  to  have  preached  the 
Gospel  under  it,  and  this  legend  would  seem  to  be 
supported  by  the  story  of  Bishop  WalkeUn  sparing 
the  Oak  when  he  felled  the  whole  of  the  remaining 
timber  in  Hampage  Wood  for  the  rebuilding  of 
Winchester  Cathedral  in  the  year  1079. — E.  G.  S. 
[Unfortunately,  the  photograph 
sent  by  our  correspondent  was  not 
sharp  enough  for  reproduction. — 
Ed.: 

A  Delightful  Netted  Iris.— At 
the  time  of  writing  (January  16) 
the  charming  variety  of  Iris  reti- 
culata known  as  histrioides  is  in 
full  bloom.  The  flowers  are  deep 
blue  in  colour  and  a  shade  deeper, 
almost  purple,  in  the  falls,  with 
cream  markings  radiating  from  a 
golden  line  running  down  the 
centre.  Since  the  flowers  are  pro- 
duced in  little  tufts  near  to  the 
ground,  it  seems  to  suggest  that  it 
would  be  an  admirable  subject 
for  intermingling  with  yellow 
Crocuses  now  coming  into  bloom. 
It  is  one  of  the  daintiest  of 
January  flowers,  showing  a  pre- 
ference for  a  light  soil  and  shel- 
tered position. — Q.,  Surrey. 

The  Sweet-Scented  Verbena.— 

The  valuable  article  by  Mr.  H. 
Beckett  on  "  The  Best  Shr\ibs  for 
T,ow  Walls,"  on  page  ii,  January  \ 
issue,  mentions  the  old  Sweet- 
scented  Verbena,  Aloysia  or  I.ippia 
citriodora.  Mr.  Beckett  justly 
says  that  this  is  well  worth  a 
position  on  a  waU,  giving  shelter 
from  hard  frosts  in  winter.  Even 
in  Scotland,  though  in  the  milder 
parts,  it  will  stand  the  winter  fairly 
well' on  a  wall ;  but  it  is  greatly 
helped  by  having  a  glass  coping 
over  it — a  valuable  protection  for 
many  tender  subjects.  Where  glnss 
accommodation  is  limited,  it  is  an 
advantage  to  know  that  the  Sweet- 
scented  Verbena  can  be  grown  on 
a  wall. — S.  .Arnott. 
Daisies  Flowering  in  Scotland. 

!  send  yon  some  Daisy  plants 
m  full  bloom.  They  have  now 
been  blooming  here  fully  two 
months  all  over  our  lawn,  in  spite  of  very 
severe  frosts  at  times  during  this^  period  and 
some  snow.  We  stand  very  high  on  a  hill 
on  the  northern  bank  ol  the  river  Tweed, 
and  are  much  e.vposed  to  northerly,  westerly 
and  southerly  winds.  Our  gardener  thinks,  with  me, 
that  this  blooming  of  Daisies  thus  far  North  at 
such  a  time  of  year  may  be  of  sufficient  interest 
for  you  to  mention  it  in  The  Garden.— (Mrs.) 
F.  M.  J.  Baxendalf.,  Bemersyde,  St.  Boswells,  N.B. 
[The  plants  sent  by  our  correspondent  were  flower- 
ing very  freely.  This  is  not  unusual  in  the 
Southern  Counties  of  England. — En. I 


Rose  Sarah  Bernhardt. — I  am  glad  your  worthy 

correspondent  '  Danecroft,"  on  page  30,  issue 
January  18,  finds  some  of  ray  notes  on  the  newer 
Roses  amusing.  I  could  hardly  expect  that  he 
would  find  them  instructive  also.  He  does 
not  consider  I  am  justified  in  stating  that 
the  trade  has  overlooked  this  Rose,  and  in  order 
to  prove  they  have  not  he  states  that  he  knows 
as  a  fact  that  two  well-known  firms  have  listed  it 
since   1908,   and  that   he  himself  has  exhibited  it 


Cyclamen  cornis  for  many  years,  and  have  at  the 
present  time  a  nice  batch  of  plants  in  flower. 
Some  of  them  are  fourteen  years  old,  and  annually 
produce  eighty  to  a  hundred  flowers  on  each 
plant.  The  corms  should  be  carefully  ripened 
after  flowering,  as  I  think  next  season's  display 
depends  on  this.  They  should  not  be  shaken  out 
or  repotted  until  the  corms  break  into  new  growth. 
Then  they  should  be  carefully  cleared  of  decayed 
stalks  and  potted  into    smaller    pots    than   those 


for  the  last    four   seasons.     A  gross  total  of  three  !  in  which  they  last  flowered.     Do  not  throw  them 


nurserymen  !  To  which  I  can  only  reply.  But 
what  are  they  among  so  many  ?  My  statement 
was  not  founded  on  catalogue  knowledge.  Since 
1906,  when  I  think  Sarah  Bernhardt  was  introduced 


A     BEAUTIFUL     DWARF      EARLY      FLOWER,      IRIS      RETICULATA 
HISTRIOIDES,   PHOTOGRAPHED   OUTDOORS   ON   JANUARY   I6. 


(not  1908)  I  have  visited  scores  of  Rose  nurseries, 
and  I  only  remember  finding  Sarah  Bernhardt  in 
one  of  them.  I  am  truly  sorry  if  I  have  hurt  the 
feelings  of  anyone  in  the  trade  ;  but  I  submit  for 
a  Rose  introduced  in  1906  to  have  to  wait  until 
1912  before  it  finds  its  way  into  such  recognition 
as  three  catalogues  would  give  it,  surely  justifies 
my  statement  that  it  has  been  overlooked.  But 
we  are  both  agreed  that  Sarah  Bernhardt  is  a 
good  Rose,  that  should  be  more  grown.  — 
Herbert    E     Molvneu.x. 

Old  Cyclamen  Plants. — I  agree  with  you  about 
the    longevity    of    Cyclamens.      I    have    grown    old 


aside  like  an  old  broom  after  they  have  given  you 
so  much  pleasure.  Treat  them  kindly,  and  thev 
will  repay  you  for  all  your  trouble. —  William 
Driver.    Stonehouse,    Gloucestershire. 

In     your     last      issue. 

page  29,  you  have  a  note 
as  to  the  age  of  some  cornis 
of  Cyclamen  persicum,  and 
mention  one  plant  which  you 
know  to  be  of  the  age  of  twenty- 
five  years,  asking  if  this  can  be 
beaten.  I  do  not  know  about 
C.  persicum,  but  there  is  a  corm 
of  C.  neapolitanum  in  this  gar- 
den, brought  here  by  my  late 
father,  which  must  be  at  least 
forty  years  old,  and  which  still 
annually  bears  a  profusion  of 
flowers.  I  measured  it  last  autumn, 
and  it  is  about  eight  inches  in  dia- 
meter.  F.  HERBERTCHAPMAN,ify«. 

A  National  Daffodil  Society. — 

I  was  very  glad  to  read  a  letter 
on  the  above  subject  in  your  issue 
of  the  4th  inst.,  page  2.  The 
formation  of  such  a  society,  it 
seems  to  me,  has  been  too  long 
delayed,  and  should  not  be  further 
postponed,  for  the  Daffodil  and  its 
cult  is  developing  with  remarkable 
rapidity,  and  in  the  interests  of 
the  trade  and  lovers  of  the 
flower  alike  it  is  most  desirable 
that  a  society  should  be  formed 
to  look  after  its  many  interests, 
just  as  the  Rose,  Sweet  Pea  and 
other  societies  have  been  formed 
for  a  like  purpose,  and  with  excel- 
lent results.  In  your  issue  of 
February  18,  1911,  pages  74  and  75, 
vou  were  good  enough  to  publish 
a  letter  of  mine  on  this  subject, 
and  from  conversations  I  have 
since  had  with  those  interested 
in  the  Daffodil,  I  am  convinced  that 
such  a  society  has  but  to  be  started 
under  good  auspices  to  be  success- 
ful. But  in  this,  as  in  all  else, 
it  is  a  case  of  "  It  is  the  duty 
of  leaders  to  lead  "  !  Will  not 
those  many  well  -  known  heads 
of  the  Daffodil  world  put  their  shoulders  to  the 
wheel  ?  If  they  will  but  do  for  the  Daffodil  what 
Rose-growers  and  Rose-lovers  have  done  and  do 
for  the  Rose,  I  feel  positive  that  the  "  small  fry," 
of  whom  I  am  glad  to  count  myself  one,  will  heartily 
back  them  up.  There  are  many,  I  know,  who  feel, 
as  I  do,  that  the  Daffodil  is  too  important  a  flower 
to  be  run  as  a  "  side-show,"  even  by  so  excellent 
and  powerful  an  institution  as  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society.  .A  "  Conference  of  the  Powers  " 
could  easily  be  arranged  if  only  one  of  the  "  big- 
wigs "  would  take  the  necessary  steps.  Who  will 
carry  the  flag  ? — A.  C.  Carne  Ross,  Brecon. 


January  25,  1913. 


THE     GARDEN. 


43 


Iris  tingitana  Flowering   Outdoors.— It  may 

ho  of  interest  to  your  readers  to  know  that  I  picked 
on  the  8th  inst.  in  the  open  a  bloom  of  Iris  tingitana. 
I  have  two  other  buds  showing  colour.  This  is 
quite  the  earliest  date  on  which  I  have  seen  this 
Iris  in  flower. — H.  G.  Hawker,  Strode,  Ivybridge. 

Omphalodes  verna  Flowering  in  December. — 

.\iii'>iiK  the  listx  ol  pLints  given  as  flowering 
especiallv  early  this  winter,  I  have  noticed  no 
mention  of  Omphalodes  verna,  a  plant  of  which  I 
saw  in  full  bhiom  in  a  garden  near  here  on  Decem- 
ber 2t,  1912,  growing  in  a  shaded  border  with  a 
western  aspect. — M.mid  Glvn,  Albury  Hall,  Much 
Hadham,  Herts. 

Malmaison    Carnations. — The    article    by    Mr. 

.\!l.>rchie  nil  these  Carnations,  page  651,  issue  Decem- 
ber 28,  Vol.  LX.XVI.,  had  three  most  interesting 
and  instructive  points  :  (i)  The  unusual  layering 
material  employed  ;  (2)  His  saline  preparation  for 
improving  the  foliage  ;  and  (3)  the  pinching  or 
stopping  back  system  adopted.  It  has  been  my 
lot  to  work  in  two  very  large  establishments  where 
some  hundreds  were  yearly  managed,  but  in  neither 
did  we  practise  points  one  and  two,  though  point 
three  was  most  successfully  followed  in  one  of  the 
gardens.  I'rom  personal  observations  and  enquiries 
made,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  very  few  gardeners 
have  ever  tried  the  experiment. — C.  T. 

Iris  stylosa. — I  have  picked  fully  ninety  blooms 
from  m)-  two  small  clumps  since  November,  and  there 
are  plenty  more  to  comb.  I  am  rather  surprised, 
because  last  sumtner  was  a  wet  one  ;  but  I  think 
the  three  hot  weeks  in  July  effected  the  necessary 
ripening  of  the  plants,  which  are  close  up  to  the 
wall  of  the  house  facing  west,  where  they  have  been 
for  seven  years.  I  never  divide  or  move  them  ; 
I  keep  them  as  dry  as  possible  ;  I  never  manure 
them  ;  I  just  leave  them  alone.  I  think  May  and 
June  are  the  months  to  m.ike  a  fresh  planting. 
No  flowers  must  be  expected  for  the  first  year  after 
planting  or  moving.  —  H.  W.  Price,  Amblecote, 
Cobham,  Surrey. 

Viola  florairensis. — The  note  by  M.  Correvon 
on  Viola  florairensis,  page  11,  January  4  issue, 
sh<>uld  be  welcomed  as  drawing  notice  to  one  of 
the  prettiest  and  most  useful  of  the  small  alpine 
Violas.  I  first  saw  it  last  summer  in  the  wonderful 
rock  garden  of  Sir  Frank  Crisp  at  Friar  Park, 
Henley,  and  was  much  pleased  with  its  beauty 
there.  Mr.  Knowlef,  who  has  a  thorough  know- 
ledge of  the  plants  under  his  charge,  had  a  very 
high  opinion  of  V.  florairensis.  It  seems  to  have  a 
good  deal  of  the  character  of  one  of  the  parents, 
V.  rothomagensis,  but  improved  by  the  influence 
of  V.  calcarata.  As  a  rock  garden  plant  V.  florair- 
ensis is  much  superior  to  many  of  the  other  hybrids 
we  see  and  hear  so  much  about. — S.  .\rnott. 

The  Manetti  Stock   for  Roses. — Just  now  is 

what  one  may  term  the  holiday  season  for  the  Rose- 
grower  and  at  such  times  he  is  open  to  discuss 
matters  th,it,  if  mooted  during  the  summer,  would 
probably  be  allowed  to  pass  tmchallenged.  I 
must  confess,  I  have  been  a  strong  opponent  of  the 
Manetti  stock,  but  I  think,  in  justice  to  an  old 
friend,  one  must  give  it  its  due.  In  November  last 
I  saw  a  grand  bed  of  Richmond  almost  in  full  bloom. 
The  plants  were  only  planted  in  the  previous 
autumn,  but  they  were  evidently  quite  happy 
and  growing  luxuriantly  in  a  deep  soil  of  a  strong 
clayey  nature.  Now,  these  plants  were  on  the 
Manetti !  It  was  not  the  first  occasion  I  had  noticed 
the  superiority  of  this  variety  when  grown  upon 
the  Manetti.  As  a  ;naiden  I  have  h.id  superb 
flowers  of  Richmond  from  the  Manetti.  Another 
Rose   equally   grand   as   a   maiden   on   Manetti   is 


I-ady  Ashtown.  Last  summer  I  thought  I  would 
try  some  of  Messrs.  .\.  Dickson's  fine  novelty, 
Mrs.  Walter  F.aslea,  on  the  Manetti,  as  upon  the 
seedling  Briar  the  growth  did  not  satisfy  me.  I 
was  rewarded  with  splendid  plants,  and  by  dis- 
budding freely  splendid  show  blooms  resulted. 
This  IS  no  news  to  the  Rose  man,  but  he  will  say, 
"  How  about  the  Manetti  for  cut-back  plants?" 
This  is  what  I  want  to  ascertain.  Have  any  readers 
found  any  special  sorts  superior  as  cut-backs  on 
Manetti  stock  ?  If  so,  they  would  be  rendering 
rosarians  some  service  if  they  would  name  the 
sorts  and  the  soil  they  were  growing  in.  This 
question  of  stocks  is  a  very  important  one,  and  I 
wish  the  National  Rose  Society,  when  they 
issue  their  new  oflicial  catalogue,  would  give  us 
some  reliable  expert  opinions  upon  the  best  stock 
for  each  variety. — D.wecroft. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

January  28. — Royal  Institute  Meeting.  Lecture 
by  Professor  W.  Batcson. 

January  31. — Beckenham  Hortirultur.il  Society's 
Meeting  and  Lecture. 

February  r. — Societc  Fran^aise  d' Horticulture 
de  Londres  Meeting. 


GARDENING    ACROSTICS. 


A   S  announced  in  our  issue  for  December  14, 
f\  1912,  we  are  publishing  a  series  of  eight 

/  %  acrostics  based  on  gardening  or  simple 
/  %  botany.  Prizes  of  £3,  £2  and  £1, 
*  ^     respectively,  will  be  awarded  to  those 

sending  in  correct  solutions  of  all  the 
acrostics.  The  names  of  those  who  have  correctly 
solved  the  problems  will  be  published  from  week 
to  week,  and  the  final  list  of  prize-winners  in  our 
issue  of  February  15.  In  all  cases  the  Editor's 
decision  must  be  final.  The  solution  to  Acrostic 
No.  6,  which  appeared  last  week,  will  be  published 
next  week,  and  the  solution  to  No.  7,  which  is 
printed  below,  will  be  published  in  our  issue  dated 
February  8.  For  full  rules  governing  the  compe- 
tition readers  are  referred  to  page  623  of  our  issue 
for  December  14,  1912. 

DOUBLE    ACROSTIC    No.    7. 

Written  about  by  Andrews  ;  grown  by  the 
Loddiges  ;  sometimes  rn  favour,  sometimes  not. 
Grown  indoors  and  out  of  doors. 

My  firsts  are  my  English  name,  and  my  lasts 
that  given  me  by  Pliny. 

1.  Sometimes   a  "Rose."  sometimes    a    "bear's 

foot." 

2.  A  method  of  training  fruit  trees. 

3.  As  good  as  Ivy  and  cleaner. 

4.  Frequently  put  into  pots — best   when  turned 

over  as  I  must  be. 

5.  Mahomet's  Flower  of  Paradise. 

Solutions  of  the  above  must  be  sent  so  as  to  reach 
the  Editor  at  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,, 
London,  W.C.,  not  later  than  February  i.  Mark  the 
envelope  ^\Acrostic  "  on  the  upper  left-hand  corner. 


SOLVER     OF    ACROSTIC    No.    4. 

Only  one  competitor  correctly  solved  Acrostic 
No.  4.  This  was  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Gardiner.  We 
would  remind  readers  that  in  the  event  of  no  one 
correctly  solving  all  the  acrostics,  the  prizes  will 
be  awarded  to  those  who  send  in  correct  solutions 
of  the  greatest  number. 

*,^'^   The  names  of  those  who  have  correctly  solved 
No.  5  will  be  given  next  week. 


SOLUTION     AND    NOTES     OF 
ACROSTIC    No.    5. 

"  MORAINES  —  GENTIANS." 

*   I.      M       .iLpiGHi       G  (rew) 

t    2.       O  R.\N'G  E 

X  3.     R  API  N 

§    4.       .\  FRICO  T 

II  5-       1  I 

^    6.       N  IGELL  A 

*"'    7.       E  MMERTO  N 

tt    8.       S        IGNATURK        S 

*  Malpighi,  an  Itahan,  and  Grew,  an  English- 
man, both  of  whom  lived  in  the  latter  half  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  are  styled  "  co-founders  of 
the  science  of  Plant  Anatomy." — See  "  Makers  of 
British  Botany,"  page  44.  t  Orange  trees  were 
very  highly  esteemed  200  to  300  years  ago.— See 
"  Systema  Horticulturae,"  by  Wooldridge  (Wor- 
lidge),  fourth  edition,  page  138.  An  Orange  tree 
was  a  "  Green."  t  Rapin,  a  French  Jesuit,  wrote 
a  Latin  poem  on  Gardens  in  four  parts.  Flowers, 
Trees,  Water  and  Orchards.  This  was  translated 
into  English  by  James  Gardiner  in  1718.  §  Loudon 
in  his  Encyclopa;dia  (fourth  edition,  page  719), 
quotes  Martyn  as  suggesting  the  derivation  of 
Apricot  from  "  a  Precox,"  then  with  usage  "  Apri- 
cocks " — now  Apricots.  It  was  once  looked 
upon  as  an  early  Peach.  "  Seed  of  the  Sun  "  is 
a  Persian  name,  and  one  can  easily  see  its  appro- 
priateness, li  Botanists  have  now  agreed  that 
"  ii "  should  be  used  in  terminations.  11  For 
some  of  the  aliases  of  Nigella  (a  diminutive  of 
niger,  black)  see  "  Annual  and  Biennial  Garden 
Plants,"  by  A.  E.  Speer.  The  seeds  are  small 
and  black.  "•  Emmerton  was  a  famous  grower 
of  Auriculas,  and  wrote  a  treatise  on  them,  which 
was  published  in  1816.  ft  For  the  "  Doctrine  of 
Signatures "  see  Agnes  Arber's  "  Herbals," 
Chapter  VIII.  Such  names  as  Adder's  Tongue, 
Eyebright,  Lungwort  and  Liverwort  have  been 
given  for  the  medicinal  properties  the  plants  were 
said  to  have.  Why  they  should  have  such  names 
is  explained  by  their  "  Signatures." 


PRIZES     FOR    THE     BEST 
ROCK    GARDENS. 


To  further  stimulate  the  interest  that  is  being  taken 
in  rock  gardens,  the  Proprietors  of  The  Garden 
offer  the  following  prizes  for  three  photographs  of 
a  rock  garden,  or  portions  of  a  rock  garden  : 

First  prize  :  Five  Guineas,  or  a  Silver  Cup  of 

that  value. 
Second  prize  :  Two  Guineas,  or  Books  of  that 

value. 

Third  prize  :  One  Guinea. 

The  competition  is  open  only  to  the  actual 
owner  of  the  rock  garden,  or  to  his  or  her  gardener. 
The  object  is  to  encourage  good  rock  gardening, 
and  preference  will,  therefore,  be  given  to  those 
rock  gardens  which  show  originality  in  design,  and 
where  the  plants  depicted  are  well  grown.  It 
should  be  distinctly  understood  that  awards  will 
be  made  to  the  best  rock  gardens,  and  not  neces- 
sarily to  the  best  photographs.  The  photographs 
need  not  be  taken  by  the  competitor,  who  must, 
however,  in  such  cases  have  the  written  consent 
of  the  photographer  for  their  reproduction  in  The 
Garden.  For  rules  governing  this  competition 
see  issues  for  January  4  and  11. 


44 


THE    GAEDEN. 


[January  25,  1913 


SCIENCE    IN    RELATION    TO 
HORTICULTURE. 

DURING  recent  years  science  has  played 
^  a  very  important  part  in  the  progress 
I  of  horticulture,  and  we  propose  to 
f  publish  from  time  to  time,  under 
the  above  heading,  particulars  of 
recent  scientific  investigations.  These 
articles  will  be  written  by  Mr.  D.  Houston,  F.L.S., 
Agricultural  Biologist  at  the  Royal  College  of  Science 
for  Ireland.  Mr.  Houston  has  for  many  years 
been  keenly  interested  in  science  as  applied  to 
horticulture,  and  is  able  to  write  about  it  so  that 
the  average  reader  can  understand 
what  is  meant. 

Rust  in  Hollyhocks. — Professor 
Eriksson,  a  Swedish  botanist,  has 
been  investigating  the  life-history 
of  the  parasitic  fungus  that  causes 
"  rust  "  in  Hollyhocks  and  Mallows 
(Puccinia  Malvace.arum).  The 
disease  is  a  very  troublesome  one 
to  gardeners,  so  much  so,  indeed, 
that  the  culture  of  Hollyhocks  is 
not  even  attempted  in  some  gar- 
dens. The  disease  came  originally 
from  South  America,  from  which 
it  spread  to  "  the  States  "  and  to 
Europe.  Everyone  knows  the 
disease,  and  that  the  rust  patches 
represent  little  ruptures  in  the 
skin  of  the  host  plant  filled  with 
the  spores  technically  known  as 
"  teleutospores."  In  most  cases, 
in  other  plants  where  teleutospores 
are  formed  they  hibernate  duruig 
the  winter,  but  in  the  present  case 
they  can  germinate  at  once,  and  so 
propagate  the  disease  during  the 
whole  of  the  growing  season.  This 
is  one  reason  why  the  disease 
spreads  so  rapidly.  .According  to 
Eriksson,  the  spores  cannot  survive 
the  Swedish  winters,  neither  can 
the  vegetative  mycelium  of  the 
fungus  existing  in  the  plant.  How 
is  the  disease  propagated,  then, 
from  season  to  season  ?  Eriksson 
says  that  the  source  of  infection 
is  from  the  seeds.  His  belief  is 
that  the  living  matter  of  the 
parasite  mixes  with  the  living 
matter  contained  in  the  cells  of 
the  Hollyhock,  and  that  when  the 
seeds  are  harvested  the  parasite 
is  dormant  in  the  seeds.  As  the 
seeds  germinate  in  the  spring,  the 
fungus  also  awakens  into  life,  and  ROSE    P 

when  the  plants  reach  the  age  of 
throe  months  the  mycelium  of  the 
pest  uivades  every  organ  of  its  body  and  breaks  out 
into  rusty  eruptions  all  over  the  plant.  It  should 
be  added  that  this  idea  of  Eriksson's  is  not  uni- 
versally accepted  by  working  botanists,  as  a 
belief  is  held  by  some  that  the  surface  of  the  seeds 
gets  contaminated  with  the  microscopic  spores, 
much  in  the  same  way  as  seed  grains  get  contami- 
nated with  the  spores  of  smut.  In  any  case,  it  is 
clear  that  gardeners  should  pay  close  attention 
to  the  origin  and  character  of  the  seeds  of  all  mal- 
vaceous  plants  before  they  venture  on  sowing  them. 
Explosives  as  an  Aid  to  Gardeners. — The  us^ 
of  explosives  as  helpful  agents  in  laborious  tillage 


operations  is  at  present  engaging  the  attention 
of  cultivators.  Cartridges  containing  a  com- 
paratively safe  explosive  are  inserted  at  suitable 
depths  in  the  soil  to  be  disturbed,  with  the  result 
that  after  the  explosion  the  deep  subsoil  is  cracked 
and  fissured,  and  the  upper  soil  reduced  to  powder 
through  the  sheer  violence  of  the  shock.  Experi- 
ments, for  example,  have  been  successfully  carried 
out  in  heavy,  wet  soils  expensive  to  work  under 
ordinary  methods  of  cultivation.  The  work  was 
most  eft'ectively  done  and  at  a  relatively  low  cost. 
The  advantages  claimed  for  the  method  are  :  i.  It 
so  displaces  the  soil  that  it  alters  its  physical 
character,  rendering  it  more  suitable  for  the  roots 
of    cultivated    plants.     2.    By    fining    the    soil    it 


strong  enough,  while  gun-cotton  and  dynamite  are 
too  dangerous.  The  "  safety "  type  contains  at 
least  8n  per  cent,  of  nitrate  of  ammonia,  and  being 
in  itself  a  valuable  plant  food,  it  contributes  to 
the  fertility  of  the  soil. 

Feeding  Carnations. — An  interesting  series  of 
experiments  with  artificial  fertilisers  in  relation 
to  Carnation  culture  has  been  carried  out  recently 
at  the  New  Hampshire  Agricultural  Station. 
Recognising  the  commercial  interests  involved  in 
the  cut-flower  trade,  the  objects  of  the  experi- 
menter (D.  Lumsden)  v.'ere,  first,  to  discover  the 
relative  value  of  certain  fertilisers  applied  as  a 
top-dressing  to  Carnation  plants  grown  imder 
glass,  and,  secondly,  to  determine  if  differences  in 
manurial  treatment  affect  to  any 
appreciable  extent  the  keeping 
quality  of  the  cut  blooms.  It  will 
be  unnecessary  to  describe  the 
experiments  at  length,  but  the 
tests  were  carefully  arranged  and 
strictly  carried  out.  The  fertilisers 
used  were  (among  others)  bone- 
meal,  nitrate  of  soda,  muriate  of 
potash,  fowl-manure  and  Clay's 
Fertilizer.  The  bone-meal  gave  the 
best  results.  Its  action  was  much 
slower  than  that  of  the  nitrate,  but 
the  plants  were  more  vigorous  and 
the  keeping  properties  of  the  cut 
flowers  miirkedly  superior  to  any 
of  the  other  manures  used.  Clay's 
Fertilizer  was  the  second  best  with 
respect  to  keeping  (juality.  It  was 
quicker  in  action  than  the  bone- 
meal.  Fowl-m.Hnure,  when  used  in 
small  quantities,  came  third,  but 
used  in  excess  was  distinctly 
liarmful,  as  it  ^nduced  a  rapid  but 
weak  growth  and  greatly  shortened 
the  keeping  period  of  the  cut 
flowers.  Muriate  of  potash  pro- 
duced good-keeping  blooms,  but 
it  was  not  nearly  so  good  on  the 
whole  as  the  three  already  named. 
Nitrate  of  soda  produced  the  least 
satisfactory  results.  The  plants 
responded  very  quickly  at  first, 
but  eventually  they  showed  less 
vigour,  and  the  cut  flowers  lost 
their  freshness  much  sooner  than 
the  others.  D.   Hot'STON 

Royal  College  ot  Science  for 
Ireland,  Dublin. 


ROSE    GARDEN. 


:rs.    mackellar,    a    new    hybrid    tea    of    great 

PROMISE. 


materially  increases  its  water-holding  powers. 
3.  In  the  case  of  wet  lands  it  improves  the  drainage 
by  forming  deep  fissures  in  the  subsoil.  4.  In  the 
work  of  planting  fruit  trees,  holes  can  be  rapidly 
formed  and  the  upper  soil  and  subsoil  considerably 
improved  as  a  medium  for  root  development. 
In  old  orchards  also  the  soil  can  be  opened  and 
improved.  5.  Other  work,  such  as  the  excavation 
of  ditches,  can  be  easily  carried  out  by  the  explosive 
method.  The  kind  of  explosive  recommended 
is  a  safety  one,  having  as  its  base  the  nitrate  of 
ammonia  made  by  the  Favier  Explosives  Company 
of    Vilvorde,    near    Brussels.      Gunpowder    is    not 


ROSE    MRS.   MACKELLAR. 

This  charming  Hybrid  Tea  bids  fair 
to  become  popular  when  better 
known.  In  colour  it  is  of  a  creamy 
vellow  tone,  possessing  the  precious  gift  of  fragrance. 
It  carries  a  large  bloom  of  good  substance,  the 
form  of  which  is  clearly  depicted  in  the  accompany- 
ing illustration.  It  is  one  of  many  superb  varieties 
for  which  we  have  to  thank  Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson 
and  Sons,  Limited,  Newtownards,  County  Down, 
and  was  shown  in  September  last  before  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  with  two  other  new  Roses, 
viz.,  George  Dickson  and  Edward  Bohane, 
each  of  them  being  honoured  with  an  award  of 
merit.  The  Rose  under  notice  is  named  after  the 
wife  of  Mr.  A.  Mackellar,  V.M.H.,  the  well-known 
head-gardener  at  the  Royal  Gardens,  Windsor. 


January  25,  1913] 


THE    GAEDEN. 


45 


SOME  OF  THE    NEWER   DECORATIVE 
ROSES. 

(Conliiiucd  from  page  32.) 
Dorothy  Ratcliffe  (S.  McGredy  and  Son,  191 1), 
Hybrid  Tea. — One  of  the  first  of  the  British- 
raised  Roses  to  have  as  one  of  its  parents  one  of 
the  pernetiana  Roses  ;  and  the  first,  one  has 
little  doubt,  of  a  large  army  that  will  vary  and  be 
of  all  colours  possible  to  Roses.  Here  we  have  a 
slight  resemblance  to  Lyon  Rose,  but  the  plant 
is  a  better  shape  and  a  better  grower,  and  has  not 
the  bad  habit  of  defoliation  that  spoils  Lyon  Rose 
as  a  bedder.  The  flowers  are  of  good  shape  ; 
colour  variable,  coral  red,  shading  to  fawn  yellow 
as  the  flower  ages.  It  received  the  silver-gilt 
medal  of  the  National  Rose  Society  at  the  autumn 
show  in  1910,  and  should  be  extensively  planted 
by  those  who  like  the  Lyon  colouring,  but  do 
not    like    its    "  manners    and    customs." 

Ethel  Malcohn  (S.  McGredy  and 
Son,  1910),  Hybrid  Tea. — A  good 
garden  Rose  and  fragrant ;  fully 
described  under  "  Exhibition 
Varieties." 

Evelyn    Dauntesey    (S.    McGredy 

and  Son,  lyii),  Hybrid  Tea. — I  was 
very  pleased  with  this  Rose  in  my 
garden  last  year.  Notwithstanding 
the  wet  of  the  autumn,  it  opened 
well  and  freely.  It  is  quite  a  good 
grower,  of  excellent  habit  ;  colour, 
soft  salmon,  outside  of  petal  a  deep 
carmine  rose,  and  the  flowers  were 
freely  and  continuously  produced ; 
dehghtfully  fragrant.  As  a  bedder  I 
can  strongly  recommend  it,  as  the 
colour  is  warm  and  distinct.  One 
hesitates  to  call  it  an  improvement 
on  La  France,  but  it  is  reminiscent 
of  that  grand  old  variety,  and  cer- 
tainly does  not  ball  in  damp,  wet 
weather.  The  flowers  come  with  a 
good  point,  and  the  petals  reflex  like 
La  France,  but  are  much  deeper  in 
colour,  more  like  Grand  Due  A.  de 
Luxembourg.  It  was  the  first  Rose 
to  receive  the  silver-gilt  medal  of  the 
National  Rose  Society,  awarded  for 
the  first  time  at  the  "  National "  at 
Regent's  Park  in  r9io,  and  I  hope 
all  silver  -  gilt  medal  Roses  will 
equally  well  deserve  the  award  as 
Evelyn  Dauntesey  has  proved  she 
did.      I  see   the   last  "  e  "  is  generally  THE 

left   out,  but    I   have  ascertained  that 
as  printed  at  the  head  of   this  note  is   the  correct 
way  of  spelling  the  name. 

Eugene  BouUet  (Pernet-Ducher,  1910),  Hybrid 
Tea. — I  should  say  an  Etoile  de  France  seedling 
with  a  little  more  crimson  in  the  flower.  It  opens 
(as  well  it  might)  very  much  better  than  that 
disappointing  Rose,  is  a  good  grower,  and  very 
free-flowering  all  through  the  season.  A  crimson 
red,  with  a  certain  amount  of  piurple  in  the  older 
flowers.  One  of  those  Roses  that  will  not  be 
wanted  for  long,  as  it  is  bound  to  be  improved  upon 
as  far  as  colour  goes. 

Ferniehurst  (.Mex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  igit), 
Hybrid  Tea. — A  garden  Rose  of  much  promise 
as  well  as  an  exhibition  variety,  under  which 
heading  I  have  already  described  it. 

Florence  Haswell  Veitch  (Wilham  Paul,  191 1), 
Hybrid  Tea. — A  Rose  that  has  been  very  strongly 
recommended  to  me  as  a  splendid  garden  Rose, 
of  good  colour  and  very  fragrant.     It  is  vigorous 


enough  in  growth  to  be  called  almost  semi-climbing  ; 
good  scarlet,  and  likely  to  be  very  useful.     I  have 
not  flowered  it,  so  am  only  passing  on  information 
which  I,  however,  believe  to  be  reliable. 
George   Reimers   (Soupert   et   Notting,    1910), 

Hybrid  Tea. — A  good-coloured  scarlet  that  will 
be  useful,  though  for  a  short  time  only.  A  fine 
grower  and  bedder,  not  a  bad  shape,  with  a  good 
long  bud.  I  am  afraid  the  life  of  many  of  our 
new  Roses  will  be  very  short,  here  to-day  and 
gone  to-morrow.  The  progress  that  is  being  made 
is  so  rapid  that  they  will  be  quickly  superseded. 
Herzogin  Marie  Antoinette  (Jacobs,  1911), 
Hybrid  Tea. — This  was  one  of  the  best  of  the  Con- 
tinental varieties  that  I  tried  in  1912.  I  did  not  see 
it  in  any  of  the  nurseries  I  visited,  and  the  only 
catalogue  I  have  been  able  to  find  it  in  is  that  of 
Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons  It  is  undoubtedly 
a  lot  better  than  many  others  that  are  being  grown 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


THE     MOUNTAIN     AVENS. 

(Dryas  octopetala.) 

THIS  beautiful  plant  is,  unfortmiately, 
not  too  generous  with  its  creamy, 
Rose-like  flowers  when  growing  in  our 
gardens,  no  matter  how  carefully  we 
humour  it.  In  the  mountains,  how- 
ever, it  is  one  of  the  most  universal 
of  alpine  plants,  and  seems  equally  happy  on  either 
limestone  or  granitic  formations,  provided  it  has 
full  exposure  to  sunshine  and  root  moisture  during 
its  growing  season.  At  elevations  ranging  from 
5,000  feet  to  7,500  feet  this  Mountam  Avens  makes 
glorious,  spreading  patches  of  verdiure  many  feet 
across,  which  in  ,lune  and  July  become  sheeted 
with  the  pale  cream,  eight-petalled  flowers  rising 


•^?  **,^*« 


MOUNT,\IX    AVENS    (DRYAS    OCTOPETALA)    IN    ITS    NATIVE    HAUNTS    ABOVE    ZERMATT. 


and  catalogued.  If  only  for  its  colour  it  is  worth 
a  place.  I  heard  of  it  from  a  Continental  corre- 
spondent, and  he  thought  very  highly  of  it  and 
told  me  it  had  received  quite  a  number  of  awards. 
It  is  a  yellow  of  a  good  deep  shade  generally  called 
orange,  fading  to  an  old  gold.  It  is  very  fragrant, 
with  strong  Tea  perfume,  and  a  good  grower. 
Reminiscent  of  Marquise  de  Sinety  at  its  best. 

James  Ferguson  (William  Ferguson,  1911), 
Hybrid  Tea. — A  Scotch-raised  sport  from  Caroline 
Testout,  of  a  beautiful  silvery  pink  shade  ;  identical 
in  every  other  respect.  It  was  awarded  a  silver- 
gilt  medal  at  the  National  Rose  Society's  autumn 
show  at  Vincent  Square  in  1910.  It  is  certainly 
a  lovely  colour,  paler  than  Mme.  C.  JuranvUle, 
and  the  only  other  sport  of  Caroline  Testout  that  I 
think  worth  growing. 

Jonkheer  J.  L.  Mock  (Leenders,  1910). — See 
"  Exhibition  Varieties." 

Southampton.  Herbert  E.   Molyxeux. 


just  above  the  foliage.  So  plentifully  are  these 
yellow-eyed,  Rose-like  blossoms  produced  that 
the  foliage  is  often  in  danger  of  being  overlooked. 
When  above  Zermatt  during  July  last  I  came 
upon  whole  hillsides  clothed  with  this  lovelv  plant, 
mingling  on  the  sloping  banks  with  Primula 
farinosa,  Soldanella  montana  and  Pinguiculas. 
Here,  though  the  chief  flush  of  the  flowering  season 
was  past,  I  secured  the  accompanying  photograph, 
which  gives  some  idea  of  how  decorative  a  plant 
the  Dryas  can  be  when  well  flowered.  From  obser- 
vations in  the  mountains  I  believe  success  would 
more  surely  attend  our  efforts  in  the  lowland  garden 
if  we  gave  it  the  same  extremely  gritty,  well- 
drained  soil  and  sunny  aspect  in  which  it  thrives 
in  its  native  habitat,  and  also  ample  water  from 
March  to  July.  Possibly  it  would  make  a  satis- 
factory moraine  plant,  since  that  situation  would 
provide  these  various  requirements  in  a  large 
degree.  Reginald  A.   Malby. 


46 


THE    GARDEN. 


[January  25,  1913. 


A     RARE    PRIMROSE. 

(Primula  Juribella.) 
Earnest  enquiries  have  often  sought  of  me  the 
character  and  country  of  this  very  rare  Primula. 
In  the  innocence  of  my  heart  I  myself  once  derived 
its  name  mysteriously  from  "  Jura,"  and  believed 
it  the  especial  species  of  that  range.  It  was  only 
quite  by  chance  one  day  that  in  scanning  a  map  of 
the  Dolomites  I  came  upon  the  word  "  Giur-bella," 
and  instantly  knew  that  my  quest  was  ended. 
P.  Juribella,  in  fact,  takes  its  name  from  the  Giur- 
bella  Alp  (where,  to  the  best  of  my  belief,  it  does  not 


Unfortunately,  this  and  some  of  the  other  hybrids 
with  minima  for  one  parent  come  up  disastrously 
for  comparison  against  such  crashing  beauties  as 
minima  itself,  or  gorgeous  spectabilis,  blazing 
tyrolensis,  bland  and  melting  Allionii,  or  the 
imperial  violet  loveliness  of  glutinosa.  Few 
indeed  of  the  hybrid  Primulas  can  hope  to  rival 
the  beauty  of  their  progenitors.  There  is  no 
question  about  floerkeana,  Kellereri,  Forsteri  and 
Heerii ;  but  if  Juribella  had  ambitions  to  do  so, 
it  has  not  succeeded.  I  will  only  add  that  in  the 
garden  P.  Juribella,  like  almost  all  the  other  hybrids, 


THH    TREE    PINK    (DI,\N'THUS    ,\RBOREUS)    IN    THE    ROy.-\L    GARDENS,    KEW. 


grow),    above    the     Val    Travignolo    in    the    Pala 
Dolomites,  and  is  a  hybrid  (only,  I  believe,  recorded 
here)   between   P.   minima   and   P.   tyrolensis.     To 
know  all  this  was  to  go  there.     The  first  year  1 
had  trouble  in  finding  the  hybrid,  for  the  flowers 
were  quite  passed  ;    but  find  it  I  did,  and  abun- 
dantly,  on   one   Uttle   steep   slope   of   a  mountain 
whose  turf  was  full  of  P.  minima,  and  its  limestone 
rocks   with    P.    tyrolensis.     Once   seen,  the  leaf    is 
never    forgotten.     Growing    among    P.    minima    it 
is  much  rounder,  draws  to  an  oval  and  is  not  glossy, 
but   dull   green,   with   glands   that   are    its  legacy 
from  the  extreme  stickiness  of  P.  tyrolensis.     This 
season  I  went  out  again  to  see  it  in  bloom  ;    but 
the   flower,    I   must   confess   it,    disappointed   me. 
There  is  a  vindictive  aniline  note  about  P.  tyrolensis 
which  is  so  brilliant  as  to  end  by  being  impressive. 
To  the  hybrid,  however,  it  gives  a  tone  that  is  at 
once  loud  and  feeble  in  its  vulgarity.     Then,  having 
inherited  the  worst  fault  of  its  father,  P.  Juribella 
adds  to  it  the  thin  and  ragged  outline  that  is  the 
worst    fault    of   the   worst    forms   of   minima,    its 
mother.     I  am  measuring  P.  Juribella,  of  course, 
by  a  very  exacting  test.     In  itself  it  is  certainly 
a  verv  bright,  striking  and  splendid  little  plant. 


seems  to  show,  as  a  rule,  much  more  vigour  and 
robustness  than  either  parent  under  ordinary  condi- 
tions of  reasonable  culture.        Reginald  Farrer. 


THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 

THE    TREE     PINK. 

vDianthus    arborf.us.) 

WH.AT  is  probably  the  giant  of  the 
genus  is  the  subject,  of  the 
accompanying  illustration.  It 
has  long  been  in  cultivation,  but 
has  not  met  with  the  apprecia- 
tion it  deserves,  this  being 
probably  due  to  the  fact  that  it  is  somewhat  tender, 
requiring  to  be  given  a  warm,  sheltered  spot,  such 
as  the  foot  of  a  south  wall,  and  to  be  protected 
during  severe  weather.  A  well-grown  specimen 
in  full  flower  is  really  a  charming  sight,  as  the 
flowers  open  in  succession  for  a  period  of  six  or 
eight  weeks.  These  are  ij  inches  in  diameter 
and  variable  in  colour,  from  pink  and  rose  to  lilac, 
the  lilac  shades  predominating  among  the  plants 
raised  from  seeds.     These  had  better  be  discarded 


and  a  stock  raised  of  the  rose  or  pink  coloured 
varieties  from  cuttings,  which  are  readily  rooted 
under  a  bell-glass  or  hand-light  in  a  half-shaded 
spot  in  the  garden,  when  they  should  then  be 
planted  out  direct  into  their  permanent  positions 
for  flowering,  as  they  are  impatient  of  any  inter- 
ference with  the  roots  when  once  they  have  reached 
their  flowering  size.  The  habit  of  the  plant  is 
that  of  a  free-branching  dwarf  shrub,  and,  densely 
clothed  with  rich  green  or  slightly  glaucous  leaves 
in  all  the  upper  parts  of  the  stems,  the  flowers 
appear  in  July  and  continue  in  good  condition 
until  the  end  of  .A.ugust,  while  odd 
^  ,  flowers      continue      to     appear     until 

October,  with  its  accompanying  frosts, 
checks  all  further  display.  From  its 
freedom  of  bloom  and  branching 
habit  it  should  make  a  valuable  parent, 
especially  if  crossed  with  the  Carnation 
or  Pink ;  at  any  rate,  I  throw  out 
the  suggestion  for  what  it  is  worth. 

The  plants  depicted  in  the  accom- 
panying illustration  were  three  and 
a-half  years  old  from  cuttings,  and 
were  each  over  four  feet  in  height  and 
about  five  feet  in  diameter  in  July. 
Under  favourable  conditions,  such  as 
obtain  in  the  South-West  of  England 
and  Ireland  and  on  the  Sonth-West  Coast 
of  Scotland,  the  species  would  require 
little  or  no  protection,  and  would 
rapidly  form  a  large  bush.  It  is  a 
native  of  the  Grecian  Archipelago, 
also  of  the  island  of  Crete,  and  is 
well  figured  in  Sibthorp's  "  Flora 
Gra'ca,"  t.  406.  C.    P.    Raffill. 

LILIES:     A    CAUSERIE. 

(ConlinuLii  from  piii;c  34.) 

The     Nankeen     Lily,    L.    testaccum, 

stands  next  in  favour  after  L.  gigan- 

teum  in  this    garden.     I  wish   all  my 

readers    had   seen  a    group    of    some 

twenty    or    more     6-feet-high     stems 

backed  by   some    old    Tree  Ivies  and 

next  to  a  fine   old   specimen  of  Ceano- 

thus  Gloire  de  Versailles,  which  was  in 

full  bloom  last   July  at   the  same  time 

as  the  Lilies.     The  soft  greyish  blue  of  the  Ceanothus 

v/as    delightful    as    contrasted   with  the    colouring 

I  of   the   Lily.     .Apricots  stirred  up  with   plenty   of 

cream  comes  nearest   to  its  colour  of  anything  I 

know,    for    I    never   remember   to   have   seen    the 

Indian  heroes  of  old  who  walked  forth  in  nankeen 

breeches. 

It  evidently  likes  us,  for  the  group  in  question 
I  began  as  six  bulbs,  and  at  every  lifting  since  they 
have  increased  in  a  most  satisfactory  manner. 
They  have  had  no  special  luxuries  provided  for 
them,  but  just  the  ordinary  border  soil,  enriched, 
at  the  rare  intervals  when  the  border  is  turned  out 
and  replanted,  with  farmyard  manure.  For  all 
its  delicate  beauty  this  Lily  does  not  seem  to  object 
to  a  little  strong  feeding,  provided  the  bulbs  do 
not  actually  come  into  contact  with  the  manure. 

Its  origin  is  wrapt  in  mystery.  Some  think  it 
came  from  Japan,  and  Dr.  Wallace  stated,  in  his 
useful  book,  "  Notes  on  Lilies,"  that  he  had  "  more 
than  once  "  seen  Japanese  drawings  by  some  of 
the  best  artists  in  Yeddo  which  strongly  resembled 
it.  Mr.  Elwes,  in  the  great  "  Lily  Monograph," 
declares,  on  the  contrary,  that  no  such  plant  is 
represented  among  the  Japanese  drawings  seen  by 


January  25, 1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


47 


liiiii.  A  recent  work  on  Lilies  gives  1846  as  the 
dale  of  its  first  recorded  appearance,  1  think 
following  a  misprint  in  Pr.  Wallace's  book,  for  it 
was  described  by  Lindley  in  the  Botanical  Register 
in  1842  as  flowering  in  RoUison's  Nnrsery  at 
looting,  and  was  figured  in  the  following  volume — 
that  for  1843.  It  is  there  said  to  be  of  Japanese 
origin,  and  a  frame  or  half-hardy  bulb.  But  the 
best  account  of  its  appearance  in  Europe  is  that 
given  by  M.  Van  Houtte  in  Vol.  I.  of  the  "  Flore 
des  Serres."  He  tells  how  M.  Haage  of  Erfurt 
found  it,  about  the  year  1836,1  n  a  bed  of  Martagons 
which  had  been  sent  to  him  from  Holland,  and  that 
it  was  also  in  the  possession  of  three  amateurs  at 
l.iUe,  who  each  believed  his  the  only  stock  of 
it.  M.  Van  Houtte  saw  it  in  one  of  their  gardens 
and  greatly  admired  it,  and  not  long  after  a 
quantity  of  bulbs  were  offered  him  from  yet  another 
source.  -Ml  this  appears  to  point  to  its  origin  as 
seedlings  from  an  accidental  crossing  and  the 
dissemination  of  the  bulbs  before  they  had  flowered. 
This  would  accord  with  the  generally-accepted 
opinion  that  it  is  a  hybrid  between  the  Madonna 
Lily,  I,,  randidum,  and  the  scarlet  Turk's-cap, 
I,,  chalcedonicum.  Its  colour  cer- 
tainly suggests  this  combination. 
Having  no  wild  home  from  which 
collected  bulbs  can  be  torn,  we 
are  dependent  on  nursery  increase 
for  its  supply,  and  that  I  take 
to  be  the  reason  of  its  still 
rather  high  price  ;  but  then,  on  the 
other  hand,  one  is  sure  of  getting 
liome-grown  bulbs.  So  I  strongly 
advise  its  purchase  and  planting  in  as 
great  numbers  as  the  plumpness  of 
one's  purse  admits.  It  certainly  looks 
best  in  large  groups,  and  is  equalh" 
good  at  the  back  of  a  border  among 
quiet,  cool  -  coloured  neighbours  or 
standing  out  at  the  corner  of  a  bed 
among  dwarf  plants.  Dendy  Sadler 
has  so  placed  it  in  one  of  his  charming 
pictures,  but  I  fear  by  the  costumes  of 
the  dear  old  couple  sitting  by  it  he  has 
antedated  its  introduction  to  English 
gardens. 

The  Madonna  Lily,  L.  candidnm, 
is  so  well  known  that  it  seems  a 
work  of  supererogation  for  me  to  WTite 
of  it.  But  1  do  not  think  it  is  so 
generally  appreciated  as  the  fact 
deserves  that  there  exists  a  poorer 
form  of  it  called  var.  peregrinum, 
which  is  sometimes  puffed  up  as  being 
rare  and  a  superior  form.  One  claim 
made  for  it  is  that  it  is  more  disease- 
resistant  than  the  ordinary  form.  It 
blooms  rather  later,  has  a  purplish 
black  stem  and  thin  spidery  flowers, 
very  narrow  in  the  segments,  and  not 
recurving  so  gracefully  as  in  the  well- 
known  white  Lily.  I  always  feel  a 
sense  of  disappointment  when  I  see 
its  starry  blooms,  and  wish  it  coulc" 
have  been  the  form  that  was  best 
beloved  of  the  dread  fungus  Botrytis  cinerea.  It  is 
hgured  by  Sweet  in  the  second  series  of  the 
"  British  Flower  Garden,"  t.  367. 

There  is  also  a  so-called  double  form,  in  which 
the  axis  of  the  flower  is  prolonged  and  bedecked 
with  narrow  white  segments  arranged  spirally. 
When  strong  and  healthy  and  favoured  with  fine 
weather,  this  production  of  segments  goes  on 
for  some  weeks,  and  a  long  spike  of  them  is  the 
result  ;  but  usually  the  inner  ones  damp  oti  and  a 


singularly  ugly  decayed  vegetable  muddle  is  offered 
to  view.  It  masquerades  in  lists  at  times  under 
the  names  of  var.  spicatum,  var.  monstrosum 
or  flore  pleno.  A  very  fine  example  of  it 
was  figured  in  The  Garden  for  September  14, 
rgiz. 

As  to  the  best  way  to  grow  and  how  and  when 
to  plant  this  fickle,  fair  jade,  I  do  not  believe  the 
same  process,  however  carefully  repeated,  would 
produce  a  similar  result  in  any  one  garden  for 
certain.  How  can  one  advise  others,  then  ?  Some 
say  transplant  as  soon  as  the  flowers  fall ;  others, 
just  before  growth  recommences — that  is,  of  course, 
the  autumn  production  of  radical  leaves  so 
characteristic  of  this  Lily.  Doubtless  both  are 
right — sometimes.  Some  twenty-five  years  ago 
1  ordered  some  white  Lily  bulbs  to  plant  in  a 
churchyard.  They  arrived  on  a  frosty  December 
day,  and  I  well  remember  the  hopeless  spirit  in 
which  I  broke  up  the  hard-frozen  top  inch  of  soil 
to  plant  them  and  the  unpleasant  way  that  biscuit- 
like, stiff,  frozen  portion  refused  to  be  replaced 
in  any  manner  promising  comfort  to  the  poor 
plants.     Vet  ne\er  have  I  known  Lilies  thrive  more 


NOTES       ON      CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 

BORDER  PLANTS:  SOME  CHARMING  VARIETIES. 

Garde  .N  Chrysanthemums  have  become  very 
popular  during  the  last  few  years.  The  introduc- 
tion of  a  number  of  new  varieties  of  great  beauty 
and  dwarf  habit  has  done  much  to  make  the 
border  Chrysanthemum  popular.  Then,  again, 
the  deeper  interest  taken  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  plants  has  had  good  results  ;  they  have 
been  trained  in  a  more  natural  form  and  given 
better  positions.  They  have  proved  extremely 
useful  not  only  in  the  vegetable  garden,  but  also 
in  flower  borders,  and  yielded  great  quantities  of 
blossom  for  the  house  vases.  The  earliest  com- 
mence to  bloom  at  the  end  of  July,  and  there  is  a 
continuous  supply  without  any  protection  until 
the   frost    come?. 

How  Cultivators  May  Fail. — Many  cultivators 

have  failed  to  get  the  best  from  these  plants  in  the 
past  through  neglecting  to  deal  with  them  in  the 
winter-time.  All  cultivators  are  not  situated  ahke. 
Some  have  cold  frames  available  at  this  season  ; 
others    do    not     possess    them.     Now,    the    latter 


THE    THORN-LEAVED    CRAB    APPLE    (PYRUS    CRAT.EGIFOLIa),    A    BE.\UTIFUL    SHRUB    THAT    FLOWERS 

.\T   MIDSUMMER.     (See  page  iS.) 


successfully  nor  increase  .so  happily  as  those  two 
rows.  I  think  the  success  was  due  to  their  being 
English-grown  bulbs,  and  that,  though  lifted  at 
an  awkward  moment,  they  were  not  kept  long 
out  of  the  soil.  The  best  advice,  I  believe,  is  to 
try  all  methods,  and  most  probably  the  least 
reasonable  one  will  succeed  best.  With  a  flower 
of  this  kind  one  never  knows  quite  what  is  going 
to  happen.  E.   A.   Bowles. 

(To  be  continued.) 


should  carefully  examine  the  old  roots  (stools  they 
are  commonly  called)  and  remove  old  stems, 
foreign  matter  and  very  weakly  sucker  growths. 
Then  some  fine  sifted  ashes  must  be  neatly  placed 
among  the  suckers  and  all  round  them  to  a  depth 
of  2  inches.  The  ashes  will  protect  the  suckers 
from  frost  and  slugs.  Cultivators  who  possess 
cold  frames  may  lift  the  old  roots  at  once,  and, 
after  carefully  dividing  them,  separating  the  strong 
young  suckers  which  bear  roots  from  the  weakly 


48 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[January  25,  1913. 


ones,  transplant  the  former  in  the  frame,  4  inches 
apart  each  way,  in  a  bed  or  good  sandy  loam 
4  inches  deep.  By  the  middle  of  April  these  young 
plants  will  be  strong  and  branching  and  ready  to 
be  planted  out  in  the  borders  again.  In  the  mean- 
time the  border  soil  must  be  deeply  dug  and  well 
manured. 
Grouping  to  Secure  Bold  Effects. — A  number 

ul  plaTits  of  the  same  variety  should  be  planted 
together  to  form  groups,  especially  in  the  case  of 
broad  borders.  Where  the  borders  are  long  and 
narrow,  rows  of  distinct  varieties  look  very  well. 

Yellow  and  Yellow  and  Bronze  Varieties. — 

Cranford   Yellow,    Diana,     Elstob     Yellow,    Etoile 
d'Or,  Figaro,  Jenny,  Horace  Martin,  Harrie,  Mrs. 
A.   Thomson,   Mrs.   A.    Beech,   LesUe,    Le   Pactole, 
Arion,    Polly,  Tapis  d'Or,  Tonkin, 
A.    Barham,    Border    Beauty    and 
Cranfordia. 

White  Varieties. — Le  Cygne, 
La  Neva,  Holmes'  White,  Hermine, 
Flossball,  EmUy,  Dolly  Prince, 
Caledonia,  Bouquet  Blanc.  Mrs. 
W.  J.  Scott,  Queen  of  the  Earlies, 
Roi  des  Blancs,  Savoie,  Tapis  de 
Neige,  White  Quintus  and  Auguste. 

Pink  Varieties. — Anita,  James 
Bateman,  Goacher's  Pink,  Gertie, 
Dolly  Reeves,  Lillie,  Mabel  Roberts, 
Mme.  Aug.  Nonin,  Sally,  Provence, 
Normandie  and  Mrs.  Wingiield. 

Crimson    Varieties.  —  Roi    de 

Precoces,  Mrs.  W.  Sydenham,  Mrs. 
E.  V.  Freeman,  Weils'  Crimson, 
Goacher's  Crimson,  Crimson  Diana 
and  Chaldon. 

A  Few  Other  Varieties. — Belle 

Mauve,  mauve  ;  Dolores,  terra- 
cotta;  Fedora,  rosy  lilac;  La 
Somme,  mauve  and  pink  ;  Henri 
Yvon,  rosy  salmon  ;  Mme.  Marques, 
rosy  white  ;  Rabelais,  rosy  purple  ; 
and  Mandarin,  red  on  a  gold 
ground. 

The    Propagation    of     Border 

Varieties. —  in  addition  to  the 
division  already  referred  to,  cut- 
tings may  be  inserted  about  the 
end  of  February  and  during  the 
early  part  of  March.  They  form 
roots  quickly  at  that  time,  and  the 
resultant  plants  should  be  put  out  in 
the  borders  during  May.       Avon. 


the  weather  permits  of  it,  the  surface  soil  ought  to 
be  lightly  pricked  over  with  a  planting  fork,  or 
even  a  bluntly-pointed  stick,  to  encourage  the 
admission  of  air  ;  but  it  is  necessary  to  guard 
against  disturbing  the  roots,  as  this  seriously 
prejudices  the  prospects  of  success.  If  it  occurs 
through  any  cause,  lose  no  time  in  properly 
refirming  it.  Senator. 


THE    THORN-LEAVED    CRAB    APPLE. 

(PYRUS     CRATjEGIFOLIA.) 

Amid  the  wealth  of  handsome  species  belonging 
to  the  genus  Pyrus,  the  subject  of  the  illustra- 
tion    on      page      47      must     take     a     prominent 


are  1  inches  to  3  inches  long,  of  a  rich  dark  green 
colour,  ovate  or  nearly  round,  and  beautifully 
divided  around  the  margins.  The  whole  plant  is  so 
strikingly  distinct  and  handsome,  even  when  out  of 
flower,  that  I  confidently  recommend  it  to  all  lovers 
of  hardy  trees  and  shrubs.  ,  It  is  a  native  of  woods 
in  the  northern  part  of  Italy,  where  it  is  a  somewhat 
loial  and  rare  plant.  C.  P.  R. 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 


A    HOUSE     OF 


BORDER     CARNATIONS 
AND   MILD   WEATHER. 

Both  young  and  old  plants  have 
grown  wonderfully  this  winter 
in  many  gardens,  but  it  is  in 
no  sense  assured  that  they  will 
be  the  better  for  it  when  the 
flowering  -  time  comes  along. 
The  extraordinarily  mUd  and  open  weather 
which  prevailed  for  so  protracted  a  period  literally 
forced  progress  when,  in  normal  seasons,  the 
plants  would  be  almost  completely  at  rest. 
Sparrows,  if  no  one  or  nothing  else,  have  been  the 
gainers,  because  the  growths  are  sweeter  and  more 
succulent  than  is  customary,  and  the  birds  have 
not  failed  to  ascertam  the  fact.  It  is  apparent 
that  the  plants  will  be  ruined  by  these  feathered 
pests  unless  threading  is  done  promptly  and 
efficiently.  Use  very  strong  black  thread,  make  a 
perfect  network  round  and  above  each  plant,  and 
no    further    trouble    will    be    experienced.     When 


TOMATO     MAGNIFICENT,      A    SEEDLING 
READER    IN    THE    ISLE    OF   WIGHT. 


place ;  for  while  the  bulk  of  the  cultivated 
species  are  dwarf  trees,  the  plant  under  notice 
forms  a  fine  free-flowering  shrub,  quite  distinct 
in  habit  and  general  appearance  from  the  rest 
of  the  genus.  It  further  has  the  valuable  charac- 
teristic of  flowering  about  midsummer,  when 
the  bulk  of  the  hardy  trees  and  shrubs  are 
over. 

The  stems  are  long,  archingoutwards,  and  wreathed 
with  pure  white  flowers  from  top  to  bottom.  These 
are  about  two-thirds  of  an  inch  in  diameter  and 
produced  on  short  axillary  clusters  or  leafy  racemes, 
the  flower-stalks  being  tinted  with  red.     The  leaves 


HINTS    ON    FORCING    ASPARAGUS. 

This  much-esteemed  vegetable  can  be  forced  most 
easily.  .A  gentle  hot-bed  is  the  one  essential,  and 
this  should  be  made  up  of  about 
half  fallen  leaves  and  half  horse- 
manure.  When  enough  has  been 
obtained  of  each  for,  say,  a  two- 
light  frame,  which  is,  say,  9  feet 
by  7i  feet,  the  hot-bed  should  be 
made  about  one  and  a-half  feet 
bigger  all  round,  so  that  there  is 
room  to  walk  around  and  cut  the 
heads,  and  this  margin  also  allows 
of  room  to  increase  the  heat  if  it 
should  subside  too  quickly.  The 
manure  and  leaves  should  be  turned 
over  several  times  to  allow  the 
rank  heat  to  escape,  when  the  bed 
ought  to  be  made  up  evenly  and 
firmly.  Then  the  lights  should 
be  put  on,  and  about  three  inches 
or  four  inches  of  fine  soil  spread 
evenly  all  over  the  surface  of  the 
maniu-e,  when  the  Asparagus  roots 
should  be  placed  on  as  thickly  as 
possible.  Another  3  inches  of  fine 
soil  should  then  be  placed  over  the 
crowns,  or  as  much  as  will  cover 
them,  be  it  2  inches,  3  inches  or 
4  inches.  The  roots  should  be  pro- 
cured at  least  three  years  old ;  if 
older  so  much  the  better ;  but  if 
one  has  to  buy  the  roots,  three 
year  old  crowns  must  be  obtained. 
After  planting  keep  the  lights  fairly 
close,  except  for  just  a  chink  of  air 
at  the  back  of  the  frame  to  let  off 
any  vapour  which  may  arise  ;  but 
as  soon  as  the  heads  appear,  give 
more  air.  Cut  when  about  five 
inches  to  six  inches  in  length, 
and  if  not  enough  for  a  dish, 
the  first  cutting  should  be  tied 
up  neatly  and  placed  in  tins 
or  saucers  of  warm  water  till 
the  next  morning.  It  is  impera- 
tive that  cutting  should  be  done 
as  soon  as  the  heads  are  ready, 
as  they  quickly  become  drawn 
and  weak.  As  soon  as  the 
Asparagus  is  finished,  take  out  all  the  roots,  burn 
them,  fork  up  the  soil,  and  add  a  little  fresh  soil. 
Leonardslee.  W.  A.  Cook. 


RAISED     BY    A 


A    NEW    SEEDLING    TOMATO. 

Being  a  reader  of  The  Garden,  I  am  sending 
you  a  photograph  of  a  new  seedling  Tomato 
named  Magnificent,  which  I  have  raised.  There 
are  fourteen  plants  in  the  border  shown  in  the 
photograph.  It  is  a  splendid  cropper,  especially 
when  grown  in  pots,  the  fruit  being  fleshy  and 
of  good  quahty. 

Ryde,  Isle  0/  Wight.  J.  A.  Barkham. 


January  25.  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


49 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 


HOW    TO     PLANT     GRAPE    VINES. 

KvKV  one  \'inr-  affords  the  amateur  a  great  deal  washed  do\ni  and  blocking  the  waterway.  Fibrous 
of  pleasure  when  grown  in  an  ordinary  greenhouse  '  turves,  chopped  into  pieces  about  four  inches 
with  various  kinds  of  pr>t  plants.     Very  fine  crops  I  square,  should   be   used  to  btiild   iip   the   border. 


PREPARING    INSIDE    BORDERS    AND    PLANTING    GRAPE    VINES. 


of  Grapes  are  often  obtained  from  such  Vines, 
and  when  an  amateur  has  succeeded  in  growing 
Vines  satisfactorily  in  a  greenhouse,  he  often 
wishes  to  have  a  properly-constructed  vinery  in 
which  he  can  grow  several  varieties  of  Grapes. 
The  Vines  may  be  planted  any  time  from  December 
ti>  May  ;  in  the  first  months  while  the  buds  arc 
dormant,  and  in  the  later  months  after  the  new 
growth  has  commenced. 

Good  Positions  (or  Vineries. — In  every  case 
some  protection  should  be  afforded  against  the 
north  and  east  winds  ;  trees,  walls  and  belts  of 
shrubs  a  short  distance  away  afford  the  necessary 
shelter.  Lean-to  vineries  must  have  a  position  facing 
due  south.  A  span-roofed  vinery  must  have  one  end 
facing  the  north  and  the  other  facing  the  south  ; 
then  the  Vines  get  the  maximum  amount  of  light 
.•\nd  sunshine.  If  it  is  intended  to  plant  Vines  in 
existing  houses,  they  should  be  trained  under 
the  glass  roof  which  receives  the  greatest  amount 
of  sunshine. 

The  Drainage  and  the  Border.— Although  the 

roots  of  \^ines  require  ample  supplies  of  water, 
stagnant  water  in  the  soil  is  very  bad  for  them, 
so  that  thorough  drainage  is  essential.  Where  there 
is  a  natural  slope  away  from  the  vinery,  it  will 
only  be  necessary  to  provide  rough  drainage 
material  under  the  border  itself ;  but  in  cases  where 
the  ground  is  almost  level,  or  the  border  is  con- 
structed below  the  surface,  drain-pipes  should  be 
laid  from  the  bottom  of  the  border  to  the  nearest 
and  lowest  outlet.  Stones,  clinkers,  chalk  and 
broken  bricks  may  be  used  to  ensure  the  drainage 
of  the  border.  A  total  depth  of  o  inches  of  this 
material  will  be  quite  sufficient  for  the  purpose. 
On  the  hard  material  put  down,  whole  tiu-ves  should 
be  laid  grass-side  down  before  the  main  body  of 
soil  is  put  in.  These  whole  turves  will  last  for 
many  years,  and  prevent  the  finer  material  being 


To  the  chopped  turves  add  one  birrow-Ioad  of  old 
mortar  rubble  and  one  peck  of  half-inrh  bones 
to  eight  bushels  of  the  chopped  turves.  No  other 
kinds  of  manure  should  be  added.  .-^  border  of 
soil  2  feet  deep  will  do  niceh-,  and,  where  con- 
venient, it  may  be  constructed  piecemeal ;  that  is, 
a  strip  about  four  feet  wide  the  first  year,  and  then 
annual  additions  2  feet  wide  until  the  whole  space 
is  filled. 

Planting  the  Vines. — Carefully  turn  out  the 
balls  of  soil  and  roots  from  the  pots,  and  remove  the 
crocks  and  soil  without  damaging  the  roots.  Spread 
out  the  latter  evenly,  cover  them  with  the  finer 
portions  of  the  com.post,  .\  ijiches  deep,  and  give  a 
good  watering. 


Fig.  A. — No.  I  shows  a  "  planting  "  Vine  turned 
out  of  the  pot  ;  No.  2,  the  soil  removed  from  the 
roots  ;  No.  3,  the  yoimg  Vine  rod  cut  back  to  about 
fifteen  inches  of  its  base.  No.  4  shows  how  the 
stones  and  bricks  should  be  laid  to  form  the 
dr.iinagc  ;  No.  5,  the  section  of  the  drainage 
material,  namely.  No.  6,  the  stones  and  bricks, 
and  No.  7,  the  layer  of  whole  turves  ;  No.  8,  the 
body  of  the  border. 

Fig.  B. —  Nos.  I,  I,  Vines  planted  in  an 
inside  border,  the  roots  being  able  to  enter  the 
outside  borders,  Nos.  2,  2,  through  the  arched 
walls  ;  No.  3,  stake  to  support  the  young  rod  to 
the  wires,  No.  4.  No.  5  shows  how  a  Vine  should 
be  planted  in  an  outside  border,  the  surface  of  the 
latter  being  covered  witli  straw  iji  winter,  and  the 
rod  taken  through  the  wall  at  No.  6  and  trained 
inside  the  greenhouse.  No.  7  shows  the  wrong 
way  to  make  the  hole  through  the  wall,  and  No.  8 
the  right  way.  G.  G. 


HOW    TO    IMPROVE     LAWNS. 

It  is  a  fact  that  lawns  usually  present  a  better 
appearance  in  January  and  February  than  later 
on  when  the  cold  east  winds  prevail.  The  grass 
very  rapidly  recovers  its  freshness,  however, 
when  the  winds  become  warm  and  showers  of  rain 
fall.  Many  lawns  are  improved  by  surface  dressings 
of  rotted  manure  and  such  material  as  road  scrap- 
ings, which  contain  plenty  of  grit.  Everyone 
cannot  procure  such  material,  but  they  can  pur- 
chase some  bone-meal,  and  this  is  one  of  the  best 
and  most  lasting  of  manures  for  a  lawn.  The 
latter  should  be  well  brushed  with  a  half-worn 
broom  on  a  dry  day ;  then  sow  the  bone-meal 
evenly,  applying  it  at  the  rate  of  40Z.  per  square 
yard,  afterwards  w-ell  rolling  the  grass.  Do  not 
again  roll  or  brush  the  lawn  until  a  good  shower  of 
rain  has  fallen  ;  then  roll  several  times,  taking  the 
roller  in  different  directions  each  time  before  the 
surface  gets  quite  dry  again.  After  an  applica- 
tion of  bone-meal  the  grass  grows  freely,  but  not 
coarse  ;  indeed,  the  bone-meal  induces  a  much  finer 
growth.  This  surface-dressing  of  bone-meal  must 
be  put  on  before  the  middle  of  February.  B. 


B 


HOW    TO    MAKE    AND    PLANT    INSIDE    AND    OUTSIDE    VINE    BORDERS. 


50 


THE    GARDEN. 


[January  25,  191  j. 


GARDENING    OF    THE    WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Marguerites. — Those  rooted  in  frames  for  bedding 
purposes  have,  owing  to  the  mild  weather,  made 
rather  more  growth  than  usual.  These  should 
be  potted  off  at  once  into  suitable-sized  pots  and 
replaced  in  the  frames,  making  sure  that  frost  does 
not  reach  them.  After  they  get  w'ell  hold  of  the 
new  soil,  takeout  the  point  of  each  plant  to  encourage 
a  bushy  growth. 

Calceolarias  also  are  very  forward  in  growth  ; 
but  as  it  is  somewhat  early  to  pot  up  or  replant 
these,  all  the  air  possible  should  be  given  them. 
Any  decaying  foliage  should  be  removed,  and  if  the 
plants  are  getting  unduly  long,  take  out  the  point 
of  each  plant,  then  by  the  time  they  have  broken 
into  growth  they  may  be  either  potted  up  or 
replanted  in  cold  frames',  giving  them  more  room. 

Melianthus  major. — This  I  look  upon  as  one 
of  our  best  subtropical  bedding  plants,  and  it 
deserves  every  care  to  get  good  specimens  for 
planting  out.  Seeds  sown  in  the  autumn  make 
good  plants,  and  should  now  be  ready  for  potting 
off  into  4j-inch  pots.  They  require  very  little 
heat — just  sufficient  to  keep  them  growing  steadily. 
Seed  sown  now  will  make  nice  little  plants  if  pushed 
along  quickly,  but  they  are  not  so  effective  early 
in  the  season  as  the  autumn-sown  ones. 

Abutilon  Thompsonii. — These  should  be  potted 
off  out  of  the  stove  pots  into  3-inch  pots,  trans- 
ferring them  later  into  4i-inch  or  6-inch.  To  secure 
good  plants  they  should  be  grown  on  for  a  time 
in  an  intermediate  temperature,  taking  care  they  do 
not  get  drawn  by  being  placed  too  closely  together, 
or  it  will  rob  them  of  their  tendency  to  make  side 
growths,  which  is  so  essential  when  they  are  used 
as  dot  plants. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 
Azaleas. — Beds  of  Azaleas  do  much  better  after 
they  are  well  established  if  given  a  mulch  of  short 
manure,  or  manure  and  leaves  mixed,  during  the 
winter  months  ;  so  if  not  already  done,  it  may 
be  carried  out  at  once. 

Rhododendrons  may  be  treated  in  the  same  way, 
and  if  old  hot-bed  material  is  to  hand,  it  will  suit 
them  admirably. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Hydrangeas. — Select  the  most  promising  of  last 
season's  rooted  plants  and  place  them  in  a  house  with 
an  intermediate  temperature,  and  as  soon  as  growth 
commences  they  may  be  assisted  with  manure- 
water.  Being  very  gross  feeders,  they  must  not 
be  neglected  if  good  heads  of  bloom  are  wanted. 
Mme.  E.  MouUiere,  one  of  the  newer  French 
varieties,  is  a  distinct  acquisition,  and  may  be  had 
in  flower  during  the  greater  part  of  the  summer. 

SchizanthUS. — Pot  these  on  into  their  flowering 
pots  as  soon  as  they  are  fit,  using  a  fairly  rich 
compost,  a  check  at  any  time  being  very  detri- 
mental to  the  growth  of  these  plants.  Make  a 
sowing  in  3-inch  pots  as  a  succession  to  the  autumn- 
sown  plants.  The  retusus  varieties  in  small  pots 
are  particularly  useful  during  the  summer  months 
for  grouping  purposes. 

Forcing  Plants,  such  as  Laburnums,  Azaleas, 
Viburnums,  Pyrus  and  Wistaria,  force  easily  and 
well  if  placed  indoors  about  this  date,  a  temperature 
of  from  55°  to  60°,  with  a  gentle  spraying  overhead 
two  or  three  times  each  day,  being  all  that  is  re- 
quired to  ensure  success  with  them. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Peas  :    Sowing  Under  Glass. — lor  very  early 

work  a  sowmg  of  ftrst-earlv  varieties  should  be  made 
at  once,  either  in  pots,  boxes  or  turves.  Also 
for  exhibition  purposes  it  is  advisable  to  sow  a 
box  or  two  of  the  best  varieties  ;  this  ensures  a 
dish  or  two  during  June  if  they  are  required.  To 
ensure  good  germination  and  a  stocky  growth,  a 
temperature  of  45°  to  50°  is  sufficient. 

Broad  Beans. — These  also  may  now  be  sown  in 
pots  or  boxes,  and  when  the  nature  of  the  soil  is  such 
that  they  cannot  be  sown  outdoors  in  the  late 
autumn,  this  early  sowmg  in  pots  will  give  a  crop 
equally  early. 

Potatoes. — For  planting  in  frames  and  for  early 
crops  on  warm  borders,  the  tnoers  should  be  spread 
out  in  trays  and  placed  in  a  slightly-heated  house, 
where  they  will  soon  break  and  make  strong,  robust 


shoots,  which  will,  when  planted,  soon  make  head- 
way. Sharpe's  Victor,  Sharpe's  Express  and  May 
Queen  are  varieties  that  can  be  relied  on  for  early 
crops.  During  bad  weather  all  seed  Potatoes 
should  be  picked  out  and  placed  in  trays,  as  advised, 
and  it  might  not  be  out  of  place  to  mention  that 
Potatoes,  more  than  any  other  crop,  pay  for 
a  change  of  seed. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Figs. — For  very  early  work,  pot  F'igs  are  probably 
more  in  favour  than  those  planted  permanently 
in  the  houses,  as  they  can  be  rested  somewhat 
earlier  in  the  autumn  ;  this  being  so,  they  respond 
more  readily  to  early  forcing.  After  thoroughly 
cleaning  and  top-dressing,  if  necessary,  the  pot  trees 
should  be  started  in  a  temperature  of  50°  to  55°, 
allowing  a  fair  rise  with  what  sun-heat  there  is 
during  the  day.  A  fairly  humid  atmosphere 
must  be  maintained  by  the  use  of  the  syringe, 
but  too  much  water  at  the  root  is  not  necessary 
for  a  time. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Pruning    Standard    Trees. — .After    completely 

pruning  the  trees  in  the  enclosed  garden,  those  in  the 
outside  orchard  should  be  taken  in  hand.  Young 
trees  do  not  need  much  done  to  them  except  the 
removal  of  branches  which  may  be  crossing  each 
other,  or  that  may  be  crowding  up  the  centre  of 
the  young  trees. 

Older  Trees  mav  need  more  systematic  treatment, 
and  should  cold  weather  stop  the  ground  work, 
this  is  a  matter  that  may  well  be  taken  in  hand, 
as  old  trees  that  are  thinned  out  intelligently,  with 
due  consideration  to  the  style  and  habits  of  the 
individual  varieties,  may  be  brought  into  such  a 
condition  of  fruitfulness  that  they  will  compare 
very  favourably  with  the  younger  trees. 

Spraying. — After  completing  the  above  operations, 
it  is  advisable  to  give  all  the  trees  a  thorough  spray- 
ing with  caustic  alkali.  This  removes  all  moss 
and  lichen  from  the  trees,  as  well  as  many  of  the 
insects  that  take  refuge  under  the  loose  bark. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
Wokurii  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR    NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Trenching  and  Digging.— The  digging  or 
trenching  of  all  open  quarters  should  now  be 
completed  as  speedily  as  possible,  so  that  the  up- 
turned soil  may  receive  the  pulverising  effects  of  air 
and  frost.  Deep  cultivation  is  of  even  greater  value 
than  liberal  manuring.  I  would  therefore  recom- 
mend that  all  ground  should  either  be  trenched  or 
bastard-trenched.  By  the  former  process  the 
soil  is  usually  dug  two  spits  deep,  the  whole  mass 
of  soil  being  inverted.  By  the  latter  process  the 
soil  is  usually  dug  the  same  depth,  but  the  top  and 
bottom  spits  are  left  in  their  relative  positions. 
The  latter  method  is  better  in  the  case  of  soil 
which  has  not  been  so  deeply  moved  for  several 
years. 

Manuring. — Both  kind  and  quantity  are  often 
a  question  of  ways  and  means,  but  a  certain  amount 
of  humus  should  always  be  afforded,  in  order  to 
keep  the  roots  cool  and  moist  during  hot,  dry 
weather.  A  more  liberal  supply  should,  of  course, 
be  given  to  ground  which  is  to  be  occupied  by  such 
gross  feeders  as  Dahlias,  Hollyhocks,  Sweet  Peas 
and  Chrysanthemums  than  that  on  which  the 
lighter  annuals  are  to  be  grown. 

Sweet  Peas. — Where  these  are  to  be  grown  in 
rows  and  really  good  results  are  desired,  trenches 
should  be  dug'  out  and  a  good  heavy  dressing  of 
farmyard  manure  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the 
trench.  A  portion  of  the  soil  should  be  removed, 
replacing  it  with  some  old  Melon  or  Chrysanthemum 
soil.  A  dressing  of  soot  should  be  incorporated 
with  the  top  spit. 

Dog's-Tooth  Violets,  where  growing  in  beds 
or  masses,  should  receive  a  top-dressing  of  fresh 
loam. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Labelling. — Where  necessary,  labels  should  now 
be  renewed,  and  this  raises  the  vexed  question 
as  to  which  is  the  best  label.  I  was  very  partial 
to  the  Acme  Label- Rest,  which  1  regret  is  no  longer 
on   the   market.     I   now   intend         go  in   for   the 


Acme  Rose  Label,  with  raised  letters.  This  can 
be  suspended  with  lead  wire,  which  is  easy  of 
manipulation  when  the  branch  from  which  the 
label  is  suspended  has  to  be  cut  away  at  pruning- 
time. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Laburnums  of  considerable  age  have  a  knack 
of  splitting  at  the  fork,  which  generally  occurs 
a  few  feet  from  the  ground.  If  not  too  long 
neglected,  the  evU  can  be  remedied  to  some  extent 
by  placing  an  iron  band  round  the  trunk  imme- 
diately under  the  fork.  The  band  should  be  about 
the  length  of  the  normal  circumference  of  the 
trunk,  and  the  ends,  each  of  which  should  have 
an  eye  pierced  in  it,  should  be  turned  out  at  right 
angles.  A  screw-bolt  should  then  be  inserted  into 
the  two  holes,  and,  the  nut  having  been  adjusted, 
the  band  can  be  tightened  up  by  means  of  a  screw- 
key.  The  wound,  if  still  gaping,  should  be  filled 
up  with  cement. 

Turfing. — If  any  slight  depressions  occur  on 
the  lawns,  the  turf  should  be  rolled  back  in 
convenient  breadths,  the  ground  levelled  up 
firm,  and  the  turf  replaced  and  firmly  beaten. 
If  the  soil  used  for  this  purpose  is  much  richer 
than  that  of  the  lawn,  the  grass  will  grow  stronger 
than  the  rest  and  look  patchy. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Gloxinias. — A  portion  of  the  stock  should  now 
be  started.  Shake  the  tubers  out  and  place  them 
in  a  shallow  box  among  some  flaky  leaf-mould 
and  sand,  only  partially  covering  them.  Place 
in  a  brisk  temperature  and  spray  daily  with  slightly 
tepid  water.  Last  year's  late  seedlings  which  have 
been  kept  slowly  moving  during  the  winter  should 
be  potted  on. 

Achimenes. — .An  early  batch  of  these  may  now 
be  started.  The  stolons  should  be  placed  about 
an  inch  apart  on  pans  partly  filled  with  light, 
rich  soil.  They  should  then  be  slightly  covered 
with  a  little  of  the  soil  which  has  been  passed 
through  a  fine  sieve.  Place  the  pans  in  a  brisk 
temperature  and  keep  the  soil  moderately  moist. 
Keep  near  the  light  when  growth  commences,  as 
they  are  easily  drawn. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Vines. — Tying  down  the  shoots  in  the  early 
house  will  now  be  necessary,  although  present-day 
cultivators  wisely  defer  the  work  till  a  later  stage 
than  our  forefa'thers  did,  thereby  lessening  the 
risk  of  snapping.  But,  even  so,  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  bend  the  shoot  too  far  at  the  first 
tying.  It  will  still  further  reduce  the  risk  of 
snapping  if  the  operation  can  be  performed 
on  the  afternoon  of  a  sunny  day,  when  the  shoots 
are  more  or  less  limp. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Planting  of  all  kinds  of  hardy  fruit  trees  is  best 
done  immediately  after  the  fall  of  the  leaf.  Where 
it  was  impracticable  to  carry  out  the  operation  at 
that  season,  it  may  be  proceeded  with  now, 
provided  the  weather  is  open.  The  aim  of  the 
cultivator  should  be  to  keep  the  roots  near  the 
surface,  and  the  system  of  planting  on  the  surface 
and  covering  the  roots  with  good  soil  (maiden 
loam  for  preference)  has  much  to  recommend  it. 

Stocks  and  Grafts. — If  not  already  done,  all 
grafts  should  be  cut  and  their  bases  inserted  in  the 
ground  in  a  shaded  position,  in  order  to  keep  them 
plump.  Stocks  should  be  headed  back,  also  any 
trees  on  which  it  is  intended  to  work  grafts. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Horse-Radish,  although  possessing  great  vitality, 
can  only  be  produced  in  good  condition  by  liberal 
cultivation.  Trench  the  ground  from  2  feet  to 
3  feet  deep,  working  in  old  decayed  manure  and 
decayed  vegetable  refuse.  Plant  the  upper  portion 
of  the  thongs  with  the  tops  pared  off. 

Cauliflower. — .A  sowing  of  some  early  variety, 
such  as  Snowball  or  Early  Erfurt,  should  now  be 
made  in  a  cool  greenhouse  temperature. 

Brussels  Sprouts. — Many  people  prefer  sowing 
now,  as  directed  above  for  Cauhflower,  instead  of 
sowing  in  the  open  in  autumn.  There  are  few 
things  that  a  gardener  is  so  often  disappointed  with 
as  the  seed  of  Brussels  Sprouts  ;  hence  the  reason 
why  so  many  save  their  own  seed. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


January  25,  1913.J 


THE     GARDEN. 


51 


PRACTICAL     HINTS     ON 
TABLE    DECORATION. 


1  UNDERSTAND  there  is  much  table  decora- 
lion  stUJ  carried  out  with  mud  for  a 
foundation,  and  yet  more,  perhaps,  with 
flowers  arranged  in  receptacles  of  many 
shapes  and  sizes.  Whether  the  dainty 
fashion  of  arranging  a  varied  vegetation 
on  the  cloth  obtains  to  any  great  extent,  I  do  not 
know,  but  it  has  advantages  that  cannot  be  claimed 
for  other  methods,  the  greatest  of  which,  no  doubt, 
is  that  of  causing  no  obstruction  between  the  diners 
on  opposite  sides  of  the  table.  At  the  same  time 
it  yields  to  none  in  effectiveness,  though  it  must 
be  allowed  that  in  clumsy  hands  there  is  a  certainty 
of  its  being  a  shocking  failure. 

It  must  be  allowed,  too,  that  all  kinds  of  flowers 
cannot  be  used  with  success.  Zonal  Pelargoniums, 
for  instance,  brilliant  as  they  are  at  this  season, 
are  far  too  modish  unless  trusses  with  only  two  or 
three  open  pips  are  used.  Carnations  are  also  a 
difficulty,  though  m  their  case  they  may  be 
employed  in  loosely  -  arranged  sheaves.  This 
differentiation  of  ways  of  using  particular  flowers 
is  a  feature  of  fiat  decoration  that  must  not  be 
overlooked  in  estimating  its  advantages.  Each 
flower  has  a  way  that  it  must  be  arranged  in  order 
to  bring  out  its  beauty  to  the  fullest  extent.  So 
while  we  would  make  sheaves  of  Carnations  and 
emplov  only  a  few,  comparatively,  Cypripediums, 
such  as  C.  insigne,  would  be  arranged  so  as  to  exhibit 
every  part,  the  purple  stems  being  in  their  way 
as  important  as  the  "  slippers."  Carnation  foliage 
and  buds  are  suitable  for  Carnations.  Cypripedium 
leaves  are  less  to  be  preferred  than  narrow-leaved 
Crotons  for  Cypripediums.  Gloire  de  Lorraine 
Begonias  are  exquisite  if  arranged  in  small  pieces 
with  a  little  of  their  own  foUage  in  very  finely- 
leaved  sprays  of  Smilax.  Lenten  Roses,  again, 
go  best  in  wreaths  with  a  very  few  of  the  smallest 
of  their  own  leaves  and  the  greenery  on  their 
flower-heads  with  plenty  of  buds,  and,  perhaps, 
a  few  pieces  of  the  curiously-twisted  Muelilenbeckia 
complexa. 

A  very  nice  effect  is  produced  with  Plumbago 
rosea  in  sprays,  and  Apera  arundinacea.  Humea 
elegans  is  also  suitable  but  not  so  dainty.  A 
limited  number  of  kinds  of  Chrysanthemums 
afford  a  desirable  change,  and  of  these  the  most 
effective  is  undoubtedly  Mary  Richardson.  Emily 
Wells  and  Jessie  ."Vngus  are  also  good,  and  I  grow 
two  Pompon  Anemones  without  name,  the  one 
pink,  the  other  brov\'n,  both  of  which  are  indis- 
pensable. Usually  these  are  all  best  arranged 
in  neat  little  bunches  with  selected  foliage.  Smilax, 
Crotons  and  material  of  that  kind  should  not  be 
used  with  them. 

Quite  a  distinct  effect  is  produced  with  Jasmmum 
uudiflorum,  with  plenty  of  its  thin  shoots  mixed 
with  the  flowering  and  budded  ones.  Sometimes 
a  verv  marked  distinction  may  be  effected  by  intro- 
ducing a  very  few  fine  trails  of  Vinca  minor. 
Cyrabidiums  are  particularly  desirable — Lowii, 
tracyanum  and  chestnut  brown  ones — and  all  are 
best  used  with  the  flowers  detached  from  the  stems. 
For  these  perhaps  there  is  nothing  more  suitable 
for  a  setting  than  Crotons  and  Asparagus  Sprengeri. 
There  are,  of  course,  many  more  combinations 
equally  effective  that  can  be  produced  from  the 
employment  of  Star-flowered  Primulas,  P.  mala- 
coides  and  Cyclamen  of  the  right  colours,  deep 
crimsons  and  salmon  being  the  best.  .\s  a 
rule,  one  need  not  be  afraid  to  use  strong  colours. 


For  a  while  last  autumn  there  was  quite  a  run 
on  a  deep  crimson  Lobelia  of  the  cardinahs  type. 
It  is  much  to  be  preferred  that  nothing  should  be 
on  the  cloth  with  the  exception  of  a  little  plate, 
and  underdo  the  amount  of  material  rather  than 
have  too  much. 

Most  flowers  will  last  quite  fresh  over  the  dinner- 
hour  if  previously  placed  for  several  hours  in 
water — in  some  cases  the  stems  merely  ;  in  others, 
e.g.,  Hellebores  and  Begonias,  the  flowers  also  are 
immersed.  Some  flowers  are  of  no  further  use 
afterwards,  but  the  majority  are  as  valuable  as 
before  for  furnishing  vases.  Cypripediums  which 
did  duty  three  weeks  ago  are  still  quite  fresh,  and, 
indeed,  the  majority  of  the  flowers  are  none  the  worse 
for  the  ordeal.  Plumbago  rosea  is  one  of  the  worst 
to  stand.  Quite  fresh,  well-budded  sprays  only 
should  be  used,  and  not  be  arranged  till  the  last 
possible  moment.  R.   P.   Brotherston. 


SOME      LITTLE  -  KNOWN 
HARDY    FLOWERS. 

CALANDRINIAS    AND    LEWISIAS. 

[Ill    Answer    to    a    Correspondent.] 

C.\LANDRINIAS  and  Lewisias,  closely- 
allied  plants,  together  form  a  class 
of  alpine  flowers  which  deserve 
and  require  the  full  care  of  all 
admirers  of  rock  gardens  and  the 
gems  which  adorn  them.  The 
difficulties  they  present  in  the  way  of  culture 
only  whet  the  desire  of  the  cultivator  to  succeed 
with  them,  and  he  may  well  consider  himself 
happy  who  can  manage  to  grow  these  beautiful 
flowers  for  a  term  of  years  in  the  open.  There 
are  about  one  hundred  and  forty  species  recognised 
by  botanists,  the  vast  majority  being  classed 
with  the  Calandrinias.  The  botanical  distinctions 
between  the  two  genera  are,  however,  so  small 
that  the  distinguishing  point — that  o'  the  open- 
ing of  the  capsifle — is  ofte.i  unknown  to  the 
botanist,  with  the  result  that  several  of  the  true 
Lewisias  are  frequently  included  among  the 
Calandrinias  by  high  authorities,  so  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  separate  them  unless  they  have  seeded  in 
one's  ovm  garden  or  have  been  fully  distinguished 
by  competent  botanists.  The  sole  difference 
between  the  two  lies  in  the  dehiscing  or  opening 
of  the  seed-capsule.  That  of  the  Lewisias  opens 
from  the  base  to  the  apex,  the  capsule  of  the 
Calandrinias  opening  in  the  opposite  way.  With 
such  a  small  distinction  it  is  unfortunate  for  garden 
purposes  that  they  have  been  separated. 

A  considerable  proportion  of  the  Calandrinias 
can  only  be  classed  as  annuals  or  biennials  with 
us,  and  seeds  of  only  a  few  of  these  are  ever  offered 
by  British  seedsmen.  Like  the  perennials,  they 
have  rather  succulent  foliage  and  beautiful  flowers, 
and,  like  them,  they  should  have  a  dry,  warm  and 
sunny  position  to  do  them  justice.  They  are  best 
so\vn  where  they  are  to  bloom,  and  may  be  treated 
like  other  half-hardy  annuals.  If  treated  as 
biennials,  they  should  be  kept  under  glass  all 
the  winter  and  planted  out  in  May  after  being 
hardened  off. 

The  perennials  can  also  be  sown  in  the  open 
where  they  are  to  bloom  ;  but  it  is  desirable  to 
sow  the  seeds  under  glass  in  spring,  planting  the 
seedlings  out  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  so 
that  they  may  become  established  before  winter 
if  they  are  to  be  allowed  to  take  their  chances 
of  standing  the  seasons  in  the  open.  If  not,  it  is 
better  to  grow  them  on  in  pots  for  the  first  year. 


keeping  them  near  the  light  in  a  low  house  or  frame 
in  summer  and  in  a  slightly-heated  house  in  winter. 
They  are  difficult  to  manage  in  a  cold  frame  in 
winter,  and  a  minimum  of  heat,  just  sufficient  to 
exclude  frost,  is  better  than  a  higher  degree. 

The  soil  for  the  Calandrinias  and  Lewisias  should 
always  be  light,  sandy  and  well  drained,  and  the 
writer  has  found  the  perennial  species  to  thrive  better 
if  jammed  between  two  stones,  on  which  the  foliage 
rests,  unless  planted  in  a  moraine,  probably  the 
best  treatment  of  all.  They  do  not  seem  to  require 
lime,  nor  are  they  averse  to  its  presence  in  the  soil. 

Remarkably  few  of  the  annuals  are  available 
in  the  form  of  seeds,  and  the  few  offered  in  cata- 
logues are  but  little  known  in  gardens.  Even  some 
of  the  described  species  in  works  of  reference  are 
not  obtainable  at  all  in  the  trade.  Of  those  which 
are  offered  by  some  specialists  is  included  C.  chro- 
mantha,  a  most  ornamental  plant,  growing  about 
three  feet  high,  and  bearing  elegant  sprays  of  little 
Gv-psopliila-like  pink  flowers,  which  are  followed 
by  small  orange  berries.  C.  discolor,  another 
annual  or  biennial  species,  is  only  about  a  foot  high, 
and  affords  a  succession  of  large  and  handsome 
rose-coloured  flowers.  These  are,  I  believe,  all 
the  annuals  offered  at  the  present  time  in  Great 
Britain.  C.  procumbens  and  C.  umbellata  have 
also  been  cultivated. 

One  of  the  best  known  of  the  allied  plants  is 
C.  umbellata,  a  very  beautiful  subject  for  the  rock  • 
garden.  It  is  of  rather  shrubby  habit,  grows  about 
six  inches  high,  and  has  large  crimson  flowers 
with  a  tinge  of  magenta,  which  is  a  drawback  to 
its  popularity.  There  is,  however,  a  variety 
called  camea,  with  blooms  of  a  pleasing  flesh  pink. 
Unfortunately,  C.  umbellata  cannot  be  relied  upon 
to  stand  our  winters,  although  it  may  survive 
for  a  short  series  of  years.  It  is  safer  to  treat  it 
as  a  biennial,  though  seeds  sown  early  will  give 
plants  which  will  flower  in  the  autumn. 

.A.  charming  Calandrinia  called  C.  leeana  has 
been  in  cultivation,  but  appears  diflicult  to  secure 
at  the  present  time.  It  makes  a  close  tuft  of 
succulent  foliage  and  bears  a  number  of  small 
pink  flowers.  It  is  a  very  charming  little  subject, 
and  one  which  the  writer  retained  for  several  years 
on  a  flat  terrace  of  a  sunny  rockery,  facing  full 
south  and  in  sandy  soil,  surfaced  with  fine  gravel 
to  a  depth  of  about  an  inch.  Although  its  flowers 
lack  the  size  of  some  of  its  allies,  they  are  so  freely 
borne  that  they  more  than  compensate  for  their 
smaller  size.  This  species  has  stood  for  several 
years  in  stiff  soil  also,  but  it  is  not  a  long-liver, 
generally  rotting  off  at  the  neck  and  requiring  to 
be  replaced  by  seedlings  or  by  cuttings,  which  are 
difficult  to  strike  except  in  gentle  heat. 

C.  oppositifolia,  which  was  figured  in  The 
Garde.n  of  November  28,  iSgi,  is  a  very  beautiful 
plant,  with  larger  leaves  and  flowers  than  those  of 
C.  umbellata.  The  blooms  are  white,  and  those 
who  have  access  to  this  journal  of  the  date  men- 
tioned will  find  a  faithful  representation  of  this 
now  scarce  Calandrinia.  It  is  a  pleasing  little 
plant,  which,  like  most  of  its  aUies,  will  frequently 
survive  for  a  season  or  two,  but  is  not  a  long-liver 
in  our  climate.  A  dry,  sunny  spot  should  be  chosen 
for  it. 

In  the  notes  by  the  late  Mr.  Dsmiel  Dewar  which 
accompanied  the  illustration  in  The  Garden, 
mention  is  made  of  C.  Gilliesii  and  C.  setosa  as  so 
closely  related  to  C.  umbellata  as  to  be  hardly 
distinguishable  from  it.  These  do  not  at  present 
appear  to  be  in  cultivation,  and  C.  Menziesii  or 
speciosa,  rose  purple,  is  apparently  not  now 
offered. 


52 


THE    GARDEN. 


[January  25,  1913. 


So  far  as  I  am  aware,  no  other  perennial  Calan- 
drinias,  as  distinct  from  the  Lewisias,  are  at  present 
available,  and  we  may  now  turn  our  attention  to 
the  latter,  which  are  of  great  beauty  indeed,  and 
whose  popularity  in  gardens  is  only  limited  by  the 
drawback  which  attaches  to  their  allies — that  of 
short  life.  Th'^y  are  charming  plants,  requiring 
the  same  treatn.ent  as  the  Calandrinias,  and  giving, 
where  they  are  happy,  handsome  flowers  and 
pleasing  plants  in  every  way. 

It  was  to  The  Garden  that  those  interested 
in  the  genus  were  first  indebted  for  an  illustration 
of  the  charming  Lewisia,  then  called  Calandrinia 
Tweedyi,  as  it  was  figured  in  these  pages  in 
Vol.  LIII.,  1898,  page  420,  when  the  plant  attracted 
much  attention.  It  is  a  lovely,  dwarf,  tufted 
plant,  with  flowers  which  are  red  in  the  bud,  and 
of  a  pleasing  flesh  colour,  edged  with  bronze, 
when  fully  open.  It  has  been  several  times  figured 
since  then,  and  has  been  much  admired  wherever 
seen.  It  is  an  Oregon  plant,  and  is  said  to  be 
very  plentiful  in  some  parts.  Like  the  others, 
it  was  considered  hardy,  and  stood  the  winter 
for  some  years,  even  in  Cheshire,  as  well  as  further 
South.  It  is  not,  however,  so  reliable  as  was  at 
one  time  believed,  and  wet  in  winter  is  one  of  its 
greatest  enemies.  ,  L.  Tweedyi,  or  Tweediei  as 
it  is  often  spelt,  received  an  award  of  merit  at 
the  Temple  Show  of  1901,  when  it  was  exhibited 
by  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons.  An  illustration  v.-ill 
be  found  in  the  Botanical  Magazine,  t.  7633- 

.\nother  acquisition  among  the  Lewisias  was  pre- 
sented at  the  Temple  Show  of  191 1  by  Mr.  G.  Reuthe, 
who  received  an  award  of  merit  for  the  lovely 
Lewisia  or  Calandrinia  Cotyledon,  which  is  fittingly 
said  by  the  Journal  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  Vol.  XXXVII. .  Part  2,  where  it  is  also 
figured,  to  be  "  the  most  beautiful  of  the  genus." 
It  was.  I  am  informed,  raised  from  seeds  sent 
from  Klondyke,  and  is  probably  the  most  enduring 
of  the  Lewisias  in  our  climate,  although  winter  wet 
is  its  bane  also.  It  has  exquisite  white  flowers, 
fully  an  inch  across,  with  a  distinct  crimson 
band  along  the  centre  of  each  petal.  The  pretty 
leaves,  in  rosettes,  are  fleshy  and  green,  tinged 
with  pink  at  the  margins.  But  for  the  winter  wet 
this  would  be  an  assured  favourite. 

Following  on  this,  last  year  Mr.  Maurice 
Prichard  received  an  award  of  merit  from 
the  floral  committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  for  L.  Howellii,  another  charming  plant, 
with  rosettes  of  succulent  leaves,  lanceolate  in 
shape  and  tinged  with  pink.  The  handsome 
fiowers  are  of  a  kind  of  creamy  apricot,  marked 
with  lines  of  rose,  and  are  borne  in  good  umbels. 
It  is  another  great  acquisition  to  our  gardens, 
but  is  no  more  to  be  relied  upon  than  the 
others. 

The  best  known  of  the  Lewisias  is  the  old  L. 
rediviva,  which  is  said  to  have  again  sprung  into 
growth  after  being  in  a  herbarium  for  a  long  time, 
and  which  has  been  in  cultivation  for  a  number  of 
years.  It  is  fairly  well  known,  its  succulent  leaves 
in  rosettes  and  its  large  flowers,  which  do  not 
expand  until  the  leaves  have  withered,  making  it 
a  handsome  plant,  though  it  is  marred  by  the 
absence  of  leaves  when  in  bloom.  It  should  have 
a  warm,  dry,  sunny  place,  but  some  cultivators 
give  a  good  supply  of  moisture  at  the  roots,  while 
keeping  the  neck  of  the  plants  dry.  This  also  is 
liable  to  injury  from  wet,  and  although  living  for 
years,  sometimes  dies  off  unexpectedly  from  rot. 
Another  Lewisia  or  Calandrinia  which  is  to  be 
met  with  in  one  or  two  hsts  is  nevadensis,  but  I 
have  had  no  experience  of  this  species. 


The  favour  with  which  these  plants  have  been 
received  will  doubtless  lead  to  the  introduction 
of  other  beautiful  Calandrinias  and  Lewisias, 
and  were  it  not  for  their  want  of  reliability  in 
our  climate,  these  lovely  members  of  the  great 
Purslane  family  would  be  assured  of  permanent 
favour.  S.  .^r.nott. 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


the  next  winter,  .\bout  every  three  years  will  be 
often  enough  to  prune  in  the  case  of  old-established 
orchard  standards.  F.    V\'.    Ha.mmo.n'D. 

Pilgrim's  Hatch.  Btcniwood. 


THE     THINNING     OF    FRUIT    TREES. 

HE  believes  in  spraying  a  lot,  but  I 
believe  in  keeping  my  trees  thin." 
This  was  a  remark  I  overheard  made 
by  oae  individual  to  another  in 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Hall  on 
the  occasion  of  the  last  great  show 
of  British-grown  fruit.  There  is  not  the  least 
doubt  '  that  there  is  a  tremendous  lot  of 
truth  in  the  idea  underlying  the  above  expres- 
sion of  the  different  growers'  creeds.  It  will  be  a 
very  long  while  yet  before  we  are  able  to  dispense 
with  spraying  as  an  aid  to  growing  a  good  crop  of 
large,  clean  fruit — particularly  of  Apples — but  it 
is  quite  certain  that  such  a  task  is  rendered  far 
more  easy  if  the  trees  are  kept  sufficiently  open 
so  that  all  the  sun  and  air  possible  is  allowed  to 
circulate  through  the  branches,  rather  than  if  choked 
with  growth  so  thick  that  light  and  air  can  hardly 
penetrate  at  all.  A  casual  examination  of  over- 
crowded fruit  trees  during  the  fruiting  season  will 
reveal  the  fact  that  all  the  fruit  worth  calling  by 
that  name  is  on  tlie  outside  of  the  tree,  and  nothing 
at  all  is  borne  by  the  thick  growth  inside.  The 
work  may  be  done  at  any  time  during  the  winter 
months,  though  I  prefer  to  do  it  early  in 
the  autumn,  just  before  the  leaves  fall,  as 
one  can  then  tell  better  exactly  how  much  to 
cut  out. 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  remove  any 
of  the  lower  boughs  which  are  too  low,  or 
which  have  become  stunted  and  unthrifty.  Next, 
all  the  small  boughs  and  twigs  which  are  encumber- 
ing the  main  branches  of  the  tree  must  be  cut  off, 
taking  careto  cut  right  close  home;  otherwise,  if 
even  the  smallest  snag  be  left,  shoots  will  spring 
from  it  and  become  a  nuisance  later.  After  this 
has  been  done  it  will  be  found  that  a  considerable 
improvement  has  been  effected  in  the  appearance 
of  the  tree,  and  it  will  now  be  possible  to  turn  the 
attention  to  the  better  outside  growths,  which  are 
perhaps  growing  across  the  tree  or  are  ill-placed 
according  to'  the  general  shape  and  symmetry  of 
the  tree.  In  this  work  some  caution  must  be 
observed,  removing  smaller  rather  than  larger  pieces 
at  a  time  and  the  worst  first.  Wherever  the  saw 
has  been  employed  to  remove  a  bough,  the  rough 
edges  of  the  wound  must  be  pared  round  with  a 
knife  to  enable  the  bark  to  callus  over  and 
protect  it  as  soon  as  possible.  With  the  same 
end  in  view,  all  wounds  above  an  inch  in  diameter 
should  be  painted  with  a  styptic  of  some  sort, 
to  prevent  the  entrance  of  the  spores  of  any  of 
the  wound  fungi  till  such  time  as  the  new  bark  has 
completely  healed  the  wounds  over.  A  good  thing 
to  use  is  a  red  or  white  lead  paint  made  with  pure 
linseed  oil,  but  without  turpentine.  This  will  be 
found  to  set  quite  hard  on  the  cut  surface,  and  to 
remain  in  good  condition  and  without  flaking  off 
for  a  long  time.  Stockholm  tar  can  also  be  used, 
but  not  gas-tar,  unless  the  pruner  is  dealing  with 
verv  old  trees  indeed.  After  a  tree  has  been  well 
thinned,  it  is  not  necessary  to  repeat  the  process 


M  ISCELLAN  EOUS. 


BUYING     MANURES     ON     ANALYSIS. 

The  Fertilizers  and  Feeding  Stuffs  Act  was  amended 
in  an  important  respect  when  the  latest  Act  {1906) 
was  passed.  Small  purchasers  of  manures  were 
protected  in  the  same  way  as  larger  buyers,  who 
stand,  perhaps,  in  less  need  of  it.  Before  this  date 
the  provisions  of  the  .'Kct  did  not  apply  to  quantities 
of  less  than  tcwt.,  but  this  has,  fortunately,  been 
amended,  and  buyers  of  any  quantity  have  a  right 
to  know  the  percentages  of  nitrogen  and  the  other 
two  ingredients  covered  by  the  Act — phosphates 
and  potash.  Another  point  worth  noting  under 
the  same  .-^ct  is  that  where  such  percentages  are 
mentioned  in  an  artificially-made  manure,  the 
purchaser  now  knows  the  actu.il,  and  not  merely,  as 
heretofore,  tlie  minimum,  amounts  of  the  different 
constituents.  These  provisions  are  valuable,  for 
cheap  grade  manures  are  often  traps  for  the 
unwary,  and  often  very  uneconomical,  .attention 
is  drawn  to  organic  matter,  alkaiis  or  other  sub- 
stance not  covered  by  the  plain  terms  of  the  Act, 
and  which,  therefore,  should  not  be  valued  at  all. 
Low  grade  fish-manure,  for  example,  should  be 
bought  with  gre.1t  care,  and  statements  that  the 
phosphates  are  "  partially  soluble  "  should  not  be 
accepted.  In  a  recent  case  submitted  to  the 
writer,  this  description  accompanied  a  singularly 
poor  manure,  in  which  attention  was  called  to  the 
"  organic  matter,"  and  a  high  price  was  charged, 
quite  out  of  proportion  to  the  percentages  of  the 
ingredients  which  possessed  a  marketable  value. 


HOW  CONTACT  INSECTICIDES    KILL. 

iNSEcnciDES  kill  Ml  vari'ius  ways,  and  it  is  supposed 
that  those  to  which  the  .ibove  term  has  been  given 
do  so  by  causing  siiffocati.m  Little  is  known, 
however,  about  the  way  in  which  such  insecticides 
do  their  work,  and  experiments  have  shoivn  how 
very  difficult  it  is  to  kill  manv  insects  in  a  reasonable 
time  merely  by  excluding  air.  The  agricultural 
authorities  at  Michigan  College.  U.S.A.,  have  been 
putting  this  to  the  test,  and  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  death  must  be  due  to  another  cause, 
because  insecticides  like  kerosene  and  gasolene 
kill  quickly,  and  this  points  to  something  more 
than  a  stopping  up  of  the  breathing  apparatus. 
Several  insecticides,  too,  were  found  to  be  as  effective 
in  a  state  of  vapour  as  in  the  liquid  form,  which 
confirms  these  conclusions.  The  results  of  these 
experiments,  however,  still  seem  to  show  a  con- 
nection between  the  breathing  apparatus  and 
death,  because  it  appears  that  the  absorption 
of  oxygen  is  in  some  way  interfered  with  by 
such  agents  as  creolin  and  pyrethrum.  This 
seems  to  account  for  their  speedy  action, 
for  in  the  form  of  vapour  these  insecticides 
were  found  to  penetrate  the  chitine  far  more 
quickly  than  liquid  or  powder  could  do.  For 
rapid     action,    then,    vapour    seems    better    than 


spravins. 


G.  T. 


Cat.ilooijes  Received. 

SIt<ssrs.  Fisher,  Son  and  Sibray,   I/iiaited,    Handsworth, 

Sheffield  ;    Seeds. 
.Messrs.  Edraondson  Brothers,  Dublin  :   Seeds. 
Sli'Sisrs.  Kent  and  Brydon,  DarUngton  :    Seeds, 
lles-irs.  W.  .^tlce  Burpee  and  Co.,  Philadelphia  :   Seeds. 


GARDEN. 


-^gp- 


^i:^^^ 


No.  2150.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


February  i,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


-Votes    ow  ,the   Week    53 
Correspondence 
Plants  and  the  mild 

weather .54  i 

Plants    flowering    on 

..54 


January  20 
Workers     Among 
Flowers 

.Major  C.  C.  Hurst  . . 
I'orthcoraini^  events  .. 
liAUDESixo  Acrostics 
Phizes  for   the  Best 

UOOK  Gardens 
Some  FuTtTREs  for  the 

sweet  Pea 
Sweet  Pea  Eric  Harvey 
Sweet  Pe.\s  as   Bed- 

Dixa  Plants  . . 
Sweet   Peas    Rktert- 

i!«otothe  Wild  Type  57 
Rece.vt  Improvements 

IN  SWEET  Peas        . .     57 
How  I  Grew  sweet  Peas 

AT  Sutton  Green.. 
Colooped  Plate 

Four  good  Sweet  Peas 
riosE  Garden 

Some    of    the    newer 
decorative  Roses  . . 


THE 


56 
56 


56 


I'RErS  AND  .SRHUBS 

A     beautiful     Daisy 

Bush      59 

The   Swamp   Honey- 
suckle         59 

Seasonable  Notes  on 

Sweet  Peas    . .     . .    60 

New  and  Rare  Plants    00 

New  Orchids        . .  60 

Gardening  for  Beginners 

How   to    raise    early 

vegetahles  in  frames     61 
Cleaning  the  leaves  of 
plants  in  houses  . .     61 
Gardening   of  the  Week 
For     Southern     gar- 
dens         62 

For     Northern     par- 
dens        62 

Plants  Flowering  Out  op 
Season 
Some  iMterestins: 

records 83 

Classification  of 

Sweet  Peas    . .     . .    63 
The  b&st  Sweet  Peas  . .     64 
.answers  to  Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden  . .      . .     64 
Trees  and  shrubs      . .     64 


IIiIiOSTRATIONS. 

.Mr.  C.  F.  Faulkner  distributing  Sweet  Peas         ..      ..  54 

Major  0.  C.  Hur^t,  F.L.S 55 

Sweet  Pea  Eric  Harvey 56 

.\  bed  of  unslaked  Sweet  Peas       57 

Four  good  Sweet  Peas      Coloured  jdate 

.\  little-icnown  Australian  Daisy  Bush 58 

I'll  •  new  Rose  Mrs,  Charles  Russell        59 

The  lieautiful  Swamp  Honeysuckle       60 

How  to  raise  early  vegetables  in  frames        61 

Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons'  exhibit  of  Sweet  Peas         . .  63 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Kditar  wdcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  mil  not  be  responsible"  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  mil  endeat^our  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


.!.«  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
iisks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  oumer  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  talcen  as  evid'^nce  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  icill  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 

O^ces  :  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


Double  Daisies  in  Pots. — The  owner  of  an 
unhealed  greenhouse  might  derive  considerable 
pleasure  from  now  onwards  from  a  few  potfuis  of 
double  Daisies.  .Mthough  these  are  not  everyone's 
flower,  they  are  highly  appreciated  by  many. 
Plants  lifted  from  the  outdoor  garden  now  witii 
good  balls  of  soil  and  potted  up  into  5-inch  pots 
will  scarcely  notice  the  disturbance,  and  if  placed 
in  a  cool  greenhouse  will  quickly  give  a  beautiful 
display  of  flowers.  More  use  should  be  made  of 
hardy  flowers  in  the  cold  greenhouse,  instead  of 
attempting  to  grow  plants  which  need  a  com- 
paratively high  temperature  to  bring  them  to 
perfection. 

The  Tamarix. — Owing  to  the  mildness  of  the 
season  the  young  buds  on  these  plants  are  becoming 
very  prominent.  The  Tamarix  is  a  splendid  plant 
for  growing  on  e.xposed  sandy  banks  in  or  near 
gardens  by  the  sea.  We  know  of  many  plots  of 
large  size  now  well  covered  with  the  plants  where 
it  would  be  difficult  to  establish  other  kinds.  We 
know,  also,  of  many  plants  whose  roots  are  covered 
with  sea  water  at  high  tide,  and  the  growth  of  these, 
too,  is  very  satisfactory.  Cuttings  soon  root 
if  inserted  in  a  sandy  compost  under  a  hand-light 
or  in  an  ordinary  frame  early  in  spring. 

Planting    Fruit    Trees    in    Spring. — .Although 

November  is  the  ideal  month  for  planting  fruit 
trees,  and  the  work  is  always  best  done  then  when 
possible,  it  often  happens  that  for  some  reason  or 
other  the  trees  cannot  be  put  in  at  that  time. 
We  are  often  asked  whether  it  is  impossible  to  plant 
fruit  trees  or  bushes  at  any  other  time,  and  un- 
hesitatingly answer  "  No."  We  have  on  many  occa- 
sions planted  fruit  trees  in  February  and  the  early 
days  of  March,  and  such  trees  have  invariably 
done  well.  The  soil  must  not,  of  course,  be  frozen 
hard  nor  sodden  with  water.  Plant  in  November 
if  you  can  ;  if  not,  do  the  work  during  open 
weather  in  February. 

Pensions  for  Aged  and  Infirm  Gardeners. — 

On  another  page  we  give  particulars  ut  the  annual 
election  of  aged  and  infirm  gardeners,  or  the  widows 
of  gardeners,  to  the  funds  of  the  Gardeners'  Royal 
Benevolent  Institution.  During  the  seventy-four 
years  the  Institution  has  been  in  existence  it  has 
brightened  the  lives  of  a  vast  number  of  those 
who,  through  no  fault  of  their  own,  have  fallen  on 
evil  times.  We  would  remind  our  readers  that 
these  are  men,  or  the  widows  of  men,  who  have  in 
their  earlier  and  happier  days  done  so  much  to 
give  us  the  flowers  and  fruits  that  we  now  enjoy. 
What  a  pension  of  £20  a  year  means  to  these  un- 
fortunate and  destitute  people  only  the  committee 
of  the  Institution  perhaps  know.  We  urge  those 
of  our  readers  who  have  enough  and  to  spare  to 
send  a  donation  towards  the  funds  to  the  secretary, 
Mr.  G.  J.  Ingram,  72,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster. 
By  so  doing  they  will  have  the  satisfaction  of 
knowing  that  they  are  bringing  some  ray  of  hope  to 


those  who  in  the  past  have  given  of  their  best  to 
brighten  the  lives  of  others. 
Mimosa  in  the  London  Markets. — During  the 

last  two  or  three  ye.irs  the  species  of  .\cacia  sent 
from  the  South  of  France  to  the  London  markets 
at  this  season  has  been  changed.  A  few  years 
ago  the  Silver  Wattle,  .\cacia  dealbata,  was  practi- 
cally the  only  one  sold  as  Mimosa,  but  it  has  now 
been  almost  Superseded  by  A.  baileyana.  The 
latter  is  the  more  graceful  of  the  two  in  a  cut  state, 
the  smaller  and  softer  glaucous,  deeplv-serrated 
leaves  and  the  long  racemes  of  globular,  bright 
yellow  flower-heads  making  an  ideal  spray  for 
vases.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  why  the 
growers  have  almost  dropped  the  cultivation  of 
.\.  dealbata  for  this  new-comer. 
A  Beautiful  Early-Flowering  Crocus. — During 

the  last  few  wfcks  the  charming  little  Crocus 
Sieberi  has  been  giving  us  its  rich  lavender  blue 
flowers  in  the  outdoor  garden,  but  owing  to  the 
simless,  damp  weather  that  has  prevailed,  they 
have  seldom  got  beyond  the  balloon  or  unopened 
stage.  This  is  unfortunate,  because  much  of  the 
beauty  of  this  Crocus  lies  in  its  rich  orange  stig- 
mata, which  can  only  be  seen  when  the  flowers  are 
fully  opened.  A  few  days  ago  we  potted  up  a 
few  plants  in  some  damp  fibre  and  moss  and  took 
them  into  a  warm  room,  where  the  flowers  quickly 
expanded  and  revealed  to  the  full  their  beautiful 
interiors.  We  pass  on  the  hint  to  others  who  mav 
care  to  try  it. 

An  Effective  Grouping. — A  pretty  effect  is 
now  to  be  seen  in  the  Temperate  House  at  Kew 
by  the  bright  red  flowers  of  Cestruin  elegans  and 
the  yellow  blossoms  of  Acacia  verticillata,  the 
two  plants  growing  side  by  side  and  being  covered 
with  flowers,  .\lthough  it  is  impossible,  except 
in  those  establishments  where  there  are  large  winter 
gardens,  to  allow  the  plants  to  develop  so  freely 
as  in  the  case  referred  to,  a  similar  effect  on  a  reduced 
scale  can  be  produced  by  most  people  who  possess 
a  moderate-sized  greenhouse,  for  both  plants  are 
easily  grown,  while  other  species  of  Acacia,  such 
as  A.  armata  or  A.  Drummondii,  both  of  which 
thrive   excellently   in    pots,    might    be   substituted. 

An     Early-Flowering     Almond.^lt     is     not 

unusual  to  see  flowers  on  the  Chinese  Prunus 
davidiana  towards  the  middle  or  end  of  January, 
but  it  can  have  rarely  happened  that  a  variety  of 
P.  Amygdalus  has  been  in  full  flower  during  the 
third  week  of  January,  yet  such  was  the  case  this 
year.  The  variety  in  question  is  persicoides, 
a  form  which  usually  blossoms  early  in  or  towards 
the  middle  of  March,  a  fortnight  or  so  in  advance 
of  the  type.  Its  precocity  this  winter,  however, 
is  remarkable,  and  is  doubtless  due  to  the  exceed- 
ingly mild  winter  which  has  been  experienced 
m  the  South  of  England.  The  tree  specially  noted 
is  growing  in  an  enclosure  surrounding  the  flag- 
staff at  Kew.  while  another  tree,  similarly  flowered, 
was  seen  about  the  same  time  in  the  churchvard 
at  Kew. 


54 


THE     GARDEN. 


[February  i,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  Editor  is   not  responsible  for  the  opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Plants  and  the  Mild  Weather.— I  imagine  the 
abnormal  condition  of  vegetation  is  due  to  the  hard 
frost  in  November,  which  gave  the  necessary  check 
to  vegetation,  and  to  the  nice  weather  that  followed. 
There  is  here  a  Sycamore  in  full  leaf,  and  a  hedge 
of  Mahonia  Aquifolia  has  been  in  flower  since  the 
New  Year,  while  Montbretias,  which  were  very 
late  in  flowering  last  year,  already  have  shoots 
several  inches  in  length.  Flowering  Currants  are 
also  far  in  advance  of  a  normal  season.  That  the 
weather  of  last  April  and  May  could  affect  these, 
as  Mr.  Bowles  seems  to  think,  is  scarcely  to  be 
credited.^R.  P.  Brothekston,  Tyninghame,  Pres- 
tonkirk,  N.B. 

Rose  Sarah  Bernhardt.— May  I  add  a  contri- 
bution to  the  notes  which  have  appeared  in  your 
columns  relative  to  this  Rose  ?  I  was  a  little  sur- 
prised that  Mr.  Molyneux  should  have  included  it 
in  his  list  of  new  Roses,  seeing   it  was  raised  by 


In  the  first  place,  it  is  at  least  doubtful  whether 
it  is  wise  to  transplant  this  Iris  in  spring.  Growth 
obviously  begins  when  the  soil  becomes  thoroughly 
wet  in  autumn,  and  continues,  except  for  inter- 
ruptions by  hard  frost,  until  midsummer.  As  a 
general  rule,  it  may  be  said  that  Irises  should  be 
transplanted  while  growth  is  active  and,  if  possible, 
when  growth  first  becomes  active.  In  the  case  of 
I.  unguicularis,  this  usually  begins  early  in  Sep- 
tember, and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  this  is  the 
best  period  at  which  to  transplant  this  Iris.  Pro- 
vided the  plants  are  placed  close  to  the  foot  of  a 
warm,  sunny  wall  in  somewhat  poor,  light,  well- 
drained  soil,  the  number  of  flowers  produced  seems 
to  depend  on  the  weather,  although  it  has  been  a 
surprise  to  find  that  plants  are  blooming  fairly  well 
this  winter  in  spite  of  the  lack  of  sun  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  summer.  Last  winter,  when  the  flower-buds 
had  formed  in  vast  numbers  during  the  long  summer 
drought,  the  majority  of  them  were  killed  by  hard 
frosts  before  they  had  had  time  to  develop,  and 
when  their  presence  could  only  be  detected  by 
dissecting  the  base  of  the  growths.  If  the  plants 
can  be  given  a  sunny  position  in  suitable  soil  close 


MR.    C.    F.    FAULKNER    Uis,  i  Ki  BU  UNO    SPRAY 
FRONT    OF    THE    TOWN 

M.  Dubreuil  in  1907  and  sent  out  in  rgoS.  I  was 
first  attracted  to  it  by  seeing  fine  bushes  of  the 
variety  in  Messrs.  Paul  and  Son's  nursery  in  1909. 
The  following  autumn  we  had  a  plant  or  two,  and 
in  1910,  perceiving  it  to  be  a  valuable  addition 
to  the  decorative  section  and  superior  to  Bardou 
Job,  we  increased  our  stock,  and  have  grown  and 
exhibited  it  ever  since.  Mr.  Molyneux  classes  it 
as  a  pillar  Rose.  It  may  be  so  in  his  climate, 
but  not  m  ours.  It  flowers  from  the  top  of  the 
shoot,  not  the  laterals,  and  should  be  moderately 
pruned,  leaving  the  shoots  about  three  feet  high. 
With  us  it  is  a  good  bush  Rose,  flowering  best  in 
a  dry  season,  early  and  late.  It  may  be  best 
described  as  a  serai-single  Horace  Vemet,  producing 
some  six  to  a  dozen  blooms  on  a  stem. — Joseph 
H.  Pemberton. 
'     Treatment  of  Iris  unguicularis.— A  note  on 

Iris  unguicularis  (stylosa)  in  The  Garden,  page  2, 
issue  January  4,  suggested  that  transplantation 
in  spring  might  induce  clumps  of  this  Iris  which 
had  remained  flowerless  to  produce  a  crop  of  blooms. 


S    AND    BUTTONHOLES    OF    SWEET    TEAS    IN 
HALL,    MANCHESTER. 

to  the  foot  of  a  greenhouse  wall,  where  they  reap 
the  benefit  of  warm  pipes  on  the  other  side  of 
the  wall,  they  seldom  or  never  fail  to  produce  their 
crop  of  flowers.  —  W.  R.  Dvkes,  Charterhouse, 
Godalming. 

Plants  Flowering  on  January  20.— The  list  below 
represents  plants  in  flower  on  January  20  in 
the  gardens  at  Cann  House,  most  of  which  are  not 
due  to  bloom  for  many  weeks.  I  have  purposely 
omitted  many  commoner  shrubs,  and  have  only 
included  the  rarer  species.  I  should  like  to  add 
that  Primula  Winteri,  a  recent  introduction  ftrom 
the  Himalayas,  is  making  a  brave  show  in  the  open. 
Aotus  gracillima,  Azara  microphylla,  Akebia 
lobata,  Berberis  Bealii,  Bauera  rubioides.  Brachy- 
sema  Drummondii,  Boronia  megastigma.  Camellia 
japonica,  Clematis  balearica,  Ceanothus  rigidus, 
Cytisus  prsecox,  Ceanothus  Veitchii,  Conius  Mas 
variegata,  Correa  magnifica,  C.  alba,  C.  ventricosa, 
C.  curiosa,  C.  cardinalis,  Daphne  Genkwa,  D. 
blagayana,  Edgworthia  chrysantha.  Erica  australis 
and  six  other  species,  Grevillea  sulphurea,  Gnidia 


carinata,  Hymenanthera  crassifolia,  Jasminum 
primulinum,  Lonicera  syringantha,  Lithospermum 
prostratum  Heavenly  Blue,  Loropetalum  chinensis, 
Libonia  floribunda,  Medicago  arborea,  Prunus 
Pissardii,  P.  davidiana,  Pyrus  nivalis,  P.  Maulei 
Sargentii,  Polygala  Chamaebuxus  and  the  variety 
alba,  P.  dalmaseanum,  Pieris  floribunda,  Ribes 
speciosus,  Rubus  speciosus,  Sycopsis  sinensis, 
Veronica  macrocarpa  and  Viburnum  rhytido- 
phyllum. — H.  W.  Grigg,  Cann  House,  Crown  Hill, 
South  Devon. 

Old  Cyclamen  Plants. — It  is  the  general  prac- 
tice in  cultivating  Cyclamen  persicum  to  treat  it 
as  an  annual,  and  really  well  it  succeeds  managed 
in  that  way  ;  but  one  occasionally  comes  across 
plants  several  years  old  which  are  also  a  success. 
In  the  gardens  at  Corhampton  House,  not  far 
from  where  I  write,  Mr.  Cawte,  the  gardener,  has 
a  fine  batch  of  plants  now  coming  into  flower  that 
are  several  years  old,  and  remarkably  well  they 
promise,  being  furnished  with  large,  healthy  leaves, 
and  throwing  up  a  quantity  of  reaUy  fine  flowers. 
The  treatment  the  plants  receive  after  flowering 
is,  they  are  gradually  dried  off,  stood  at  the  foot 
of  a  north  wall,  and,  when  they  show  signs  of  new 
growth  in  July  or  August,  the  old  soil  is  shaken  off 
the  roots,  and  the  corms  are  freshly  potted  in  a 
fairly  rich  compost,  stood  in  a  cold  frame  for  a 
time,  carefully  watered,  daily  sjTinged,  and,  as 
the  autumn  comes  along,  they  are  removed  to  a 
shelf  close  to  the  glass  in  a  cool  greenhouse. — E. 
MoLYNEUx,  Swanmore  Park,  Hants. 

After  reading  the  note  on  "  Old  Cyclamen 

Plants"  on  page  29,  issue  January  rS,  I  feel 
tempted  to  write  you  my  experience  with  them. 
When  taking  charge  of  these  gardens  four  years 
ago  there  was  a  batch  of  nearly  two  dozen  plants,, 
all  from  about  ten  to  fifteen  years  old,  I  should 
think.  The  best  had  a  dozen  or  so  blooms.  As  soon 
as  the  plants  had  finished  flowering  they  were 
put  into  a  frame  in  full  sun,  watered  until  the 
foliage  began  to  turn  yellow,  then  dried  off  until 
some  corms  shrivelled.  In  August  all  the  soil  was 
shaken  off,  and  they  were  potted  up  in  a  good 
mixture  of  loam,  leaf-soil,  sand  and  road  scrapings,, 
put  back  into  the  frame  again,  kept  fairly  close 
and  shaded,  and  we  syringed  between  the  pots  twice 
daily.  In  October  we  put  them  into  a  house  with  a 
temperature  of  45°  to  50°  and  carefully  watered! 
them.  The  next  spring  I  selected  fifteen  of  the 
finest  plants.  The  best  of  these  had  120  flowers, 
the  smallest  had  eighty. — Albert  James,  The- 
Gardens,  Wins/ord  Hall,  Great  Yarmouth. 

A  Sweet  Pea  Enthusiast.— Among  those  who 
take  a  particula-ly  keen  interest  in  Sweet  Peas  is 
Mr.  C.  F.  Faulkner  of  Clevelands,  Park  Avenue, 
Hale,  Cheshire.  For  fourteen  years  Mr.  Faulkner 
has  grown  Sweet  Peas  extensively,  and  each  year 
has  set  himself  the  laudable  task  of  distributing, 
sprays  and  buttonholes  of  the  flowers  at  garden^ 
fetes,  crippled  children's  picnics  and  similar 
functions.  In  the  accompanying  illustration  he 
is  seen  distributing  Sweet  Peas  in  front  of  the 
Town  Hall,  Manchester,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
picnic  arranged  for  members  of  his  firm  last  summer.. 
Mr.  Faulkner  is  a  provincial  corresponding  member 
of  the  committee  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society,, 
a  past  president  of  the  Altrincham  and  District 
Chrysanthemum  Society  and  the  Altrincham 
Gardeners'  Mutual  Improvement  Society,  as  well 
as  a  patron  of  several  other  horticultural  societies- 
in  the  district.  He  is  also  a  vice-president  of  the 
National  Auricula  and  Primula  Society  (Northernj 
Section).— W.  J.  W.  ;!,,     '^^    , 


February  i,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


55 


WORKERS    AMONG     THE 
FLOWERS. 


MAJOR    C.     C.     HURST. 

HORTICULTURE  of  to-day  owes  not 
a  little  to  the  investigations  of 
scientific  men,  who  may  legitimately 
be  regarded  as  workers  among  the 
flowers.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the 
average  horticulturist  realises  the 
immense  amount  of  sound  investigation  into  plant- 
life  that  Major  C.  C.  Hurst,  whose  portrait  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  publish  in  this  issue,  has  done.  As 
Director  of  the  Burbage  Experimental  Station  at 
Hinckley,  Leicestershire,  Major  Hurst  had  charge 
last  year,  and  has  charge  this  year,  of  the  National 
Sweet  Pea  Society's  trials,  and  we  think  it  appro- 
priate to  give  some  particulars  concerning  him 
in  this  our  Special  Sweet  Pea  Number. 

Apart  from  his  work  among  Sweet  Peas,  evidence 
of  which  is  clearly  set  forth  in  the  admirable  paper 
read  by  him  at  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society's 
Conference  last  year,  and  now  published  in  the 
Society's  "  Annual,"  Major  Hurst  has  done  a  vast 
amount  of  work  among  flowers.  Of  these,  mention 
may  be  made  of  Orchids,  Roses,  Antirrhinums, 
Rhododendrons,  Berberises  and  Daffodils,  while 
the  more  utihtarian  fruits  and  vegetables  have  not 
escaped  his  active  attention.  Indeed,  it  is  to 
memoirs  and  articles  of  his  which  have  appeared  from 
time  to  time  in  the  publications  issued  by  the 
Royal  Horticultiural  Society,  Linnean  Society, 
Royal  Society  and  the  British  Association,  that 
we  are  indebted  for  much  new  information  about 
plant  and  animal  life  in  general.  We  mention 
animal-life  because  this  has  been  almost,  if  not  quite, 
as  deeply  investigated  by  him.  With  Mr.  R.  A. 
Rolfe  of  Kew,  Major  Hurst  is  responsible  for  the 
Orchid  Stud  Book,  the  only  one  of  its  kind  ever 
compiled. 

In  other  directions  our  worker  among  the  flowers 
has  distinguished  himself.  He  is  a  Member  of 
the  Advisory  Council  on  Horse-breeding  to  the 
Board  of  Agriculture  and  Scientific  Adviser  to  its 
Standing  Committee,  a  Fellow  of  the  Linnean 
Society,  Member  of  the  Scientific  Committee  of  the 
Royal  HorticiJtural  Society,  and  Correspondent 
of  the  Carnegie  Institute  of  Experimental  Evolu- 
tion, Washington,  U.S.A.  Before  devoting  him- 
self entirely  to  scientific  research.  Major  Hurst 
served  in  the  4th  and  5th  BattaUons  of  the 
Leicestershire  Regiment,  and  was  for  ten 
years  on  the  Stafi  as  an  Instructor  of  Signalling, 
and  Brigade  and  Divisional  Signalling  Officer. 
He  retired  with  the  rank  of  Major,  and  is  now  in 
the  Reserve  of  Officers.  That  Peace  will  enable  him 
to  carry  on  his  valuable  work  of  investigation  into 
plant-hfe  is  the  earnest  desire  of  all  who  are  privi- 
leged to  know  him. 


GARDENING    ACROSTICS. 

Below  will  be  found  acrostic  No.  8,  which  finishes 
the  scries.  The  solution  to  No.  7,  which  appeared 
last  week,  will  be  given  in  our  next  issue,  and  the 
solution  to  No.  8;  together  with  the  names  of  those 
who  have  correctly  solved  Nos.  7  and  8,  and  the 
names  of  the  prize-winners,  will  appear  in  our  issue 
dated  February  15. 

DOUBLE     ACROSTIC     No.    S. 

My  firsts. — The  surnames  of  two  men  who  have 
added  much  to  our  knowledge  of  plant  biology. 

My  lasts. — Their  "  special  line." 

Note. — Arrange    as    usual ;     then    reverse    the 
letters  of  the  evens. 

1.  The  initials  of  the  member  of  the  Elephant's 

Trunk  family  that  has  the  most  character- 
istic seed-vessels. 

2.  The  maker  of  Versailles. 

3.  I  end  in  smoke. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

February  3. — National  Chrysanthemum  Society's 
Annual  Meeting. 

February  4. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Exhi- 
bition and  Meeting.  Lectmre  at  3  p.m.  by  Mr. 
C.  F.  Ball  on  "  Plant-hunting  in  Bulgaria."  Horti- 
cultural Club's  Annual  Meeting  and  Dinner. 
Scottish  Horticultural  Association's  Meeting. 

February  7. — Royal  Gardeners'  Orphan  Fimd 
Annual  Meeting  and  Election  of  Orphans  at 
Simpson's  Restaurant,  Strand,  at  3  p.m. 

February  10. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Meeting. 


Solutions  must  be  sent  so  as  to  reach  the  Editor 
at  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  London. 
W.C,  not  later  than  February  8.  Mark  the  envelope 
"Acrostic"  on  the  upper  left-hand  corner. 


SOLUTION     AND     NOTES    OF 

ACROSTIC     No.    6. 

"  .ANTHER— STAMEN  '•    (inverted). 

•     I.  .\  'SSIMILATIO  N 

t    2.  N  ERIN  E 

t    3.  T  WICKENHA  M 

§    4.  H  A-H  A 

II   5.      E  AT  I  T 

K    6.        R  ANUNCULU  S 

•  By  means  of  the  chlorophyll  in  the  leaves  car- 
bonic acid  gas  is  made  into  a  plant  food,  t  The 
blooms  of  Nerines  sparkle  in  sunlight  as  if  covered 
witl  diamond  dust.  {  See  Johnson's  "  History 
of  Gardening,"  page  261.  §  Probably  a  sunk 
fence  was  first  made  by  Bridgeman,  the  landscape 
gardener.  One  derivation  of  the  name  is  from  the 
surprises  such  a  fence  created.  Amhurst's  "  History 
of  Gardening  in  England,"  page  263.  ||  When  fully 
ripe  a  Kirke  Plum  has  a  delicious  bloom  upon  it. 
Weathers'  "  Guide  to  Garden  Plants,"  page  1073. 
t  The  Ranunculus  was  in  high  favour  abotit  1800. 
A  list  of  that  period  contained  about  eight  hundred 
varieties.  See  Phillips'  "  Flora  Historica,"  imder 
"  Ranimculus." 

SOLVERS    OF    ACROSTIC    No.    5. 

Although  a  nimiber  of  readers  succeeded  in 
getting  most  of  the  points  right  in  No.  5,  no  one 
sent  in  a  correct  solution  as  published  last  week. 
We  would  remind  readers  that  prizes  will  be 
awarded  to  those  who  correctly  solve  the  greatest 
number. 

*,*  The  names  0/  those  who  have  correctly  solved 
No.  6  will  be  given  next  week. 


PRIZES     FOR    THE    BEST 
ROCK   GARDENS. 


MAJOR     C.     C.     HURST,     F.L.S. 

4.  An    EngUsh  name  for  an  old  herb — but  does 

it  make  it  or  stop  it  ? 

5.  A  celebrated  botanist-artist  not  unknown  to 

C.  J.  Trew. 

6.  I  am  a  herb  with  royalty  in  my  name  and 

sacredness  ui  my  use. 

7.  Sometimes  pictured  in  old  gardening  books,  I 

was  most  useful  in  filling  up  gaps  in  beds. 

8.  "  O  Flowers, 

That  never  will  in  other  Climate  grow  ! 

Who  now  shall  rear  you  to  the  Sun,  or  rank 
Your  Tribes  ?  " 

Whose  lament  is  this  ? 

9.  One   of  the  most   famous  of  all  Continental 

nurserymen  who  lived  in  the  last  century. 
I.:.  '■  Le   Jardin   de    HoUande " — what    am    I    in 
English  ? 

11.  A  many-coloured  Japanese  hybrid — magnifi- 

cent at  Wisley. 

12.  Henry    VIII.    began    to    make    the    gardens 

of     .     .     . 

"  Which  no  equal  has  in  art  or  fame." 

13.  My  art  once  filled  English  gardens. 


To  further  stimulate  the  interest  that  is  now  being 
taken  in  rock  gardens,  the  Proprietors  of  The 
Garden  offer  the  followmg  prizes  for  three  photo- 
graphs of  a  rock  garden,  or  portions  of  a  rock 
garden  : 

First  Prize  :  Five  Guineas,  or  a  Silver  Cup  of 
that  value. 

Second  prize  :  Two  Guineas,  or  Books  of  that 
value. 

Third  prize  :  One  Guinea. 

The  competition  is  open  only  to  the  actual 
owner  of  the  rock  garden,  or  to  liis  or  her  gardener. 
The  object  is  to  encourage  good  rock  gardening, 
and  preference  will,  therefore,  be  given  to  those 
rock  gardens  which  show  originality  in  design,  and 
where  the  plants  depicted  are  well  grown.  It 
should  be  distinctly  understood  that  awards  will 
be  made  to  the  best  rock  gardens,  and  not  neces- 
sarily to  the  best  photographs.  The  photographs 
need  not  be  taken  by  the  competitor,  who  must, 
however,  in  such  cases  have  the  written  consent 
of  the  photographer  for  their  reproduction  in  The 
Garden. 

For  rules  governing  the  competition  will  readers 
please  see  our  issue  dated  February  4. 

.\11  photographs  must  be  sent  to  arrive  at 
The  Garden  Offices,  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Strand, 
W.C,  not  later  than  June  i.  1913- 


56 


THE     GARDEN. 


[February  i,  1913. 


SOME     FUTURES     FOR    THE 
SWEET   PEA. 


IT  would  be  an  easier  task  to  write  about  the 
importunities  of  editors  than  about  Sweet 
Peas.  I  would  certainly  have  something 
to  say  then,  both  from  the  victim's  and 
also  from  the  paper's  point  of  view.  A 
successful  importunate  editor  must  be 
worth  his  weight  in  golp  (provided  only  he  impor- 
tunes the  right  people.  I  feel  badly  equipped  to 
write  just  now  on  Sweet  Peas.  For  one  thing, 
I  did  not  visit  any  Sweet  Pea  shows  last  year 
except  our  own  local  one  at 
Whitchurch  (Salop)  and  a  parti- 
cularly pleasing  "  at  home  exhibi- 
tion "  of  Dr.  Phillips  at  Malpas- 
Again,  the  catalogues  and  books 
devoted  either  wholly  or  in  part 
to  thi=  one  flower  are  legion,  not 
to  mention  the  many  notes  and 
articles  in  the  papers,  so  that  it  is 
almost  beyond  the  bounds  of 
human  possibility  to  say  anything 
new  about  them.  And  yet  I 
have  promised  to  write,  and  I  do 
not  want  to  take  away  from  the 
weight  of  the  Editor,  so  I  feel  a 
little  nervous  in  putting  pen  to 
paper  to  record  these  few  random 
thoughts  about  the  future. 

Bush  Sweet  Peas. — I  used  to 
grow  these  once  upon  a  time,  and 
I  found  them  most  useful  for 
supplying  the  greenery  in  my 
Sweet  Pea  vases.  It  has  since 
occurred  to  me  that  this  2-feet 
to  3-feet  type  might  be  developed, 
and  that  if  good  shaped  and  many 
flowers  oould  be  put  upon  them, 
they  would  be  verj'  valuable  for 
border  decoration. 

Scent. — I  should  like  to  see  a 
class  for  fragrant  varieties  intro- 
duced at  some  shows.  I  think 
I  am  quite  right  in  saying  that 
in  the  evolution  of  the  modern 
Sweet  Pea  fragrance  has  suffered 
somewhat  severely.  Mother  o' 
Pearl  is  my  ideal  in  this  respect. 
You  can  always  smell  it  when 
you  pass  it  by  in  the  garden. 
Lead  me  blindfolded  down  a  row 
of  yard  patches  of  different  kinds, 
and  1  would  always  know  when 
I  came  to  it.  Now,  why  not  a 
class  for  fragrance  ?  It  wants 
encoiuragement. 

Trained   Sweet    Peas.— 

Schedule  -  makers  are  doubtless 
on  the  look-out  for  new  ideas, 
the  late  chairman  of  our  committee  must  be 
sighing  for  new  worlds  to  conquer.  I  expect  he 
saw  some  wonderful  examples  of  trained  Chry- 
santhemums in  Paris,  as  I  did  at  Liverpool  last 
autumn.  Well,  why  not  try  if  something  in  this 
way  could  not  be  done  with  the  Sweet  Pea  ?  The 
results  might  be  stiff,  but  they  would  be,  like  the 
Chrysanthemum  plants,  a  triumph  over  difficul- 
ties. Here  is  my  suggestion :  Class  so-and-so, 
for  the  best  balloon-trained  plant  (or  plants)  of 
Sweet  Peas  growing  in  an  8-inch  or  lo-inch 
pot. 


Sweet  Pea  "  At  Homes." — It  struck  me  that 
this  is  a  capital  idea,  and  one  that  might  be  carried 
out  by  a  good  many  people.  It  would  provide 
an  object  for  high-class  cultivation,  and  also  g.ve 
much  pleasure  to  one's  friends  and  acquaintances. 
A  mass  of  one  flower  is  always  effective,  and  it 
is  surprising  what  an  interest  the  comparing  of 
one  sort  with  another  is  when  a  good  many  are 
brought  to  one's  notice.  Two  friends  might  join 
forces  in  growing  and  share  the  expenses  of  the 
day  very  well.  The  requisites  are  a  tent  and 
good  staging ;  or  a  large  room  would  do  instead 
of  the  former.  A  band,  or  music  of  some  description, 
would,    of    course,    be    an    additional    attraction. 


There  is  nothing  more  stimulating  to  tlie  true 
lover  of  a  flower  than  to  see  from  time  to  time 
attainments  to  which  he,  too,  one  day  hopes  to 
aspire.  Joseph  Jacob. 


SWEET    PEA    ERIC    HARVEY. 

It  is  for  table  decoration  and  garden  effect  that  this 
comparatively  new  variety  is  especially  commended. 
The  flowers  are  of  average  size,  nicely  waved  and 
gracefully  arranged  on  the  flower-stems.  In  colour, 
the  back  of  the  standard  is  of  a  pleasing  soft  rose, 
while  the  front  view  presents  a  Picotee  marking 
on  a  white  ground.  This  variety,  raised  a  few  years 
ago  by  Mr.  W.  J.  Unwin,  Histon, 
Cambs,  is  now  quite  fixed,  and  is 
certainly  one  of  the  best  garden 
Sweet  Peas  of  recent  introduction. 


SWEET  PEAS  AS 
BEDDING    PLANTS. 


D 


SWEET    PEA    ERIC    HARVEY,    A    BEAUTIFUL    X'ARIETY    FOR    GARDEN 
AND    HOUSE    DECORATION. 


I    am    sure 


Later  in  the  day,  when  the  "  at  home "  is  over, 
the  smaller  people  of  the  neighbourhood  might  be 
invited  to  look  round,  and  I  am  sure  they  would 
appreciate  the  sight. 

Local  Shows. — We  have  had  one  at  Whitchurch 
for  two  years,  and  we  are  going  to  have  a  third 
this  year.  My  experience  tells  me  two  things ; 
First,  that  there  must  be  a  hard-and-fast  radius 
line  to  ensure  the  competition  being  truly  local  ; 
and,  secondly,  that  there  should  be,  if  at  all  possible, 
one  open  class  with  sufficiently  valuable  prizes  to 
attract  a  few  of  the  tip-top  growers  like  Mr.  T. 
Jones,  Mr.  Usher,  Mr.  Stevenson  and  Mr.  Prophet. 


URING  recent  years  the 
cultivation  of  Sweet 
Peas  for  garden 
decoration  has  been 
carried  out  in  many 
F  ways,  and  in  some  a 
great  deal  of  ingenuity  has  been 
displayed.  With  such  a  free-flower- 
ing and  easily-grown  annual  it  is 
not  difficult  to  understand  the 
desire  of  the  amateur  to  put  it  to  as 
many  uses  as  possible ;  but  we  do 
not  ever  remember  seeing  it  used 
as  a  bedding  plant.  We  refer,  of 
course,  to  the  Sweet  Pea  proper, 
and  not  the  Cupid  forms  of  it. 
Wlien  visiting  a  market-garden 
establishment  in  a  country  district 
last  summer,  we  were  surprised 
to  come  across  a  large  bed  of  Sweet 
Peas  that  were  grown  primarily  for 
providing  cut  flowers,  but  which 
had,  by  some  means  or  other 
escaped  being  staked.  The  result 
was  that  the  plants  had  become 
procumbent  and  the  growths  had 
intertwined,  so  that  the  whole  made 
one  glorious  bed  of  fragrant, 
delicately  -  poised  blossoms.  No 
doubt  Sweet  Pea  enthusiasts  would 
term  this  bad  cultivation,  but 
with  this  we  should  not  agree. 
It  is  unconventional,  but  the 
effect  was  most  pleasing.  The 
flowers  were  of  good  size  and 
quality,  and  the  illustration 
'u  page  57  will  give  a  slight 
idea  of  the  effect.  The  owner 
informed  us  that  immense  quantities  of  good  blooms 
had  been  cut  from  the  bed,  and  that  the  plants 
had  been  in  good  and  floriferous  condition  for 
many  weeks. 

Those  who  have  large  lawn  beds  to  fill,  and  who 
are  looking  out  for  a  cheap  and  unique  method 
of  doing  so,  might  well  sow  or  plant  them  with 
Sweet  Peas  on  the  lines  suggested  in  the  illustra- 
tion. If  desired,  a  good  pillar  could  be  formed 
as  a  centre-piece  by  providing  supports  in  the 
form  of  sticks  or  ^Sunplicitas  Netting  for  the  plants 
there  to  scramble  over.  The  only  drawback  to  grow- 
ing Sweet  Peas  in  beds  in  this  way  is  the  difficulty 


February  i,  1913.] 


THE     GAEDEN. 


57 


ill  getting  at  all  the  newly-formed  seed-pods  to 
remove  them,  an  essential  point  where  continuity 
of  flowering  is  desired  ;  but  this  can  he  overcome 
with  a  little  care.  The  bed  illustrated  was  about 
nine  feet  wide,  and,  by  carefully  placing  one  foot 
between  the  haulm,  the  centre  plants  could  be 
reached  in  comfort. 


SWEET    PEAS    REVERTING 
TO   THE   WILD    TYPE. 


real  clearing  up  of  the  mystery.  The  wild  Sweet 
Pea,  being  a  native  of  Sicily,  was  evidently  visited 
by  some  insect  (possibly  the  leaf-cutting  bee, 
very  common  in  those  parts),  which  carried  the  pollen 
from  the  wild  to  the  cultivated  varieties,  and,  the 
old  purple  bicolor  being  dominant  over  all  other 
colours,  it  was  only  natural  that  all  flowers  thus 
cross-fertilised  should  produce  the  purple  bicolor. 
Lang/ord,  Bristol.  Vernon  T.   Hill. 


T 


A 


[  HOSE    who   had   the   privilege   of   hear- 
ing Major  Hurst's  interesting  paper  at 
the  annual   conference  of  the  National 
Sweet   Pea  Society  on  rogues  in  Sweet 
Peas  must   have  been  impressed  by  the 
fact     that    the    greater    knowledge    of 
Mendelism  as  applied  to  the  hybridisation  of  Sweet 
Peas  has  been  of  the  greatest  assistance,  not  only    What 
to  the  actual  raiser,  but  has  provided  a  satisfactory    scarlets 
explanation     of     many     curious     and 
seemingly  inexpUcable  facts  that  have 
occurred  in  many  gardens. 

Some  readers  may  recall  a  discussion 
a  few  years  ago  concerning  a  state- 
ment that  seeds  of  Sweet  Peas  pur- 
chased from  one  of  our  best  known 
English  seedsmen  had  reverted  to  the 
wild  purple  bicolor  in  Sicily  and 
-Madeira 

One  of  these  cases  was  particularly 
interesting  to   the   writer,    as   it   hap- 
pened   in    his    mother's     garden     at 
Taormina    in    Sicily.       Although   this 
island  is  the  home  of  the   wild    Sweet 
Pea,    our     modern,    highly-cultivated 
production   was    there  practically  un- 
known at  that  time.     With  up-to-date 
methods  of  cultivation  and  the  natural 
climatic  advantages  these  plants  from 
imported  seed  grew  to  great  perfection, 
producing     particularly    line     blooms, 
and  were   the  object  of  much  admira- 
tion  and  curiosity  in   the  surrounding 
neighbourhood.     Therefore,  great  must 
have  been   the  disappointment  of  the 
owner,  having  carefully  saved  the  seeds 
of  each  variety  separately,  to  find,  the 
following    year,    haulm    and     growth 
giving  promise  of  equally  good  results, 
that     the     early     blooms    (the     wild 
Pea    of    Sicily    blooms     earUer     than 
our  Pea)  were  merely  a  slightly-improved  form  of 
the  purple    bicolor.      Irritated  at  the  disappoint- 
ment, she  did  not  wait  for  any  more  to  blossom, 
hut  ordered  them  all  to  be  pulled  up.     Thus  did 
slie  destroy  what  might  have  been  not  only  the 
elucidation   of   the   mystery,   but   further   possible 
proofs  of  the  working  of  the  theory  of  Mendelism, 
and  the  production  of  new  varieties  had  she  saved 
the  seeds  of  these  plants. 

Many  of  our  experts  were  consulted,  and  the  sub- 
ject was  referred  to  at  the  Sweet  Pea  Conference 
in  igio,  but  it  was  considered  hardly  credible, 
and  the  general  feeling  was  either  that  the  state- 
ment was  inaccurate  or  the  gardener  was  dishonest. 
-As  may  be  well  understood,  these  explanations  (!) 
were  received  with  natural  indignation,  and  the  sub- 
ject has  since  been  carefully  avoided  in  the  family. 

Major  Hurst's  reply  to  Mr.  Sydenham's  question, 
why  Sweet  Peas,  when  saved  in  Sicily  or  Madeira, 
reverted  to  the  wild  purple,  was  awaited  with  great 
interest  by  those  who  had  heard  of  similar  incidents 
in  those  countries.     His   lucid  explanation  was  a 


RECENT  IMPROVEMENTS  IN 
SWEET     PEAS. 


this  season  the  Sweet  Pea  lover  usually 
reviews  the  past  and  wonders  what 
the  future  has  in  store.  We  are  told 
by  some  that  there  are  very  few  dis- 
tinct novelties,  and  that  there  is  very 
Uttle  advance  from  year  to  year, 
greater  advance  could  we  have  than  in 
Two  years  ago  we  had  no  scarlets  with 


bad  in  most  districts,  and  this  may  delay  the  arrival 
of  some  of  them.  The  following  are  a  few  I  have 
seen  :    King  White. — This  is  a  wonder  for  size  and 

I  purity.  It  is  quite  as  large  as  Melba,  has  four 
blooms  on  nearly  every  stem,  and  often  five.  The 
blue  Picotee  edge  is  coming,  both  on  white  and 
cream  grounds.  These,  I  have  been  told,  have  taken 
some  time  to  fix.  Both  will  be  very  much  in  demand 
when  offered.  A  Stirling  Stent  with  the  size  and 
vigour  of  King  White  will  make  some  of  the  keen 

!  hearts  flutter  when  they  grow  it  for  exhibition. 
A  large  Mid  Blue  Spencer  proves  that  the 
Lavender  blood  is  not  all  exhausted  yet.  I  saw 
one  in  July  last,  and  it  was  a  beaut\ — pure 
perfection. 

The  duplex  varieties  have  quite  as  many  admirers 
as  opponents.  There  are  some  lovely  stocks  of 
these  about  the  country.  There  is  one  duplex 
that  has  never  given  less  than  two  double  flowers, 
often    three,    and  sometimes  all   four   on    a   stem. 

I  When  the  raisers  are  able  to  offer  it,  the  market- 
men  and  those  who  grow  for  cutting  will  be  pleased 


.\    BED    OF    UNST.\KED    SWEET    PEAS, 


SHOWING    HOW 
DECORATIVE 


true  Spencer  form  and  growth  ;  now  there  are 
several  offered  for  sale.  I  think  this  class  will 
gain  in  favour,  as  most  of  them  improve  after 
cutting,  while  the  crimson  shades  soon  lose 
colour.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  send  or  carry 
the  latter  in  boxes  for  any  length  of  time  and  find 
them  of  good  colour. 

The  first  of  the  waved  type.  Countess  Spencer, 
is  losing  ground.  It  cannot  compete  with  Hercules 
or  Elfrida  Pearson.  Again,  who  would  have  said 
two  years  ago  that  Helen  Lewis  would  so  soon  drop 
out  of  cultivation  ?  John  Ingman  will  have  a 
struggle  to  hold  its  own  in  1913,  as  Rosabelle  will 
be  a  favourite.  It  is  much  more  effective,  both 
in  the  garden  and  on  the  table.  The  salmon  shades 
are  improving,  both  in  size  and  vigour,  and  the 
same  appUes  to  most  of  the  other  colours.  We 
cannot  expect  to  see  such  distinct  novelties  every 
year  as  Mrs.  W.  J.  Unwin,  Charles  Foster  and  May 
Campbell. 

That  there  are  still  some  lovely  varieties  to  come 
I   am  convinced.      The  seed  harvest  of   1912  was 


THESE    FLOWERS    MIGHT    BE    USED    FOR    LARGE 
BEDS. 

with  it.     I  hope  all  the  Sweet  Pea  lovers  will  have 
a  good  season.  Andrew  Ireland. 


HOW    I    GREW  SWEET  PEAS 
AT  SUTTON   GREEN. 


IN  connection  with  Sweet  Peas  there  is  nothing, 
to  my  mind,  so  interesting  as  growing 
different  varieties  for  trial,  and  the  person 
who  has  vmder  his  care  such  trials  as 
those  organised  by  the  National  Sweet 
Pea  Society  is  to  be  envied  by  all  Sweet 
Pea  lovers.  There  are  certainly  few  who 
have  such  an  opportunity  of  becoming  so  well 
acquainted  with  the  best  novelties  of  the  leading 
raisers  previous  to  their  being  placed  on  the  market. 
But  such  privileges  are  not  without  their  responsi- 
bilities, for  one  can  understand  that  a  failure 
or  two  through  the  ravages  of  mice  or  disease  or 
bad  germination  are  not  pleasant  memories. 
There  is  also  the  grower  who  has  one  or  more  stocks 


58 


THE    GARDEN. 


[February  i,  1913. 


badly  mixed,  and  who  promenades  up  and 
down  the  rows  saying  that  he  cannot  understand 
it  at  all,  as  they  are  quite  fixed  at  home. 

Tlie  germination  at  Sutton  Green  last  year  was 
remarkably  good.  Out  of  over  two  thousand 
one  hundred  seeds  sown,  over  93  per  cent,  germi- 
nated ;  but,  of  course,  the  seeds  were  all  specially 
picked.  All  the  same,  a  good  deal  was  due  to  the 
potting  material,  which  consisted  of  decayed  turf 
and  sandy  soil  containing  little  humus.  The 
plants  were  strong  and  healthy,  but  hard ;  not,  as 
one  often  sees,  strong  and  sappy.  These  hardy 
seedlings  can  be  planted  out  sooner  and  will  not 
be  so  adverse  to  the  changed  conditions,  and  for 
this  reason  it  is  advisable  to  limit  the  richness 
of  your  potting  material  and  pay  more  attention 
to  the  drainage.  Ventilating  freely  in  mild  weather 
and  gradual  hardening  off  must  not  be  overlooked. 
The   method   of  cultivating     the    soil    which    was 


COLOURED      PLATE. 

PLATE    1464. 


FOUR     GOOD    SWEET     PEAS. 

THE  four  Sweet  Peas  shown  in  the  coloured 
plate  presented  with  this  issue  represent 
some  of  the  best  that  have  been  intro- 
duced during  the  last  few  years.  Each 
has  some  special  merit  to  recommend 
it  to  those  who  are  interested  in  Sweet 
Peas,  and  all  are  good  for  garden  decoration,  for 
cutting,  or  for  exhibition.  Walter  P.  Wright  and 
Leslie  Iniber  were  both  put  into  commerce  by  the 
raiser,  Mr.  W.  J.  Unwin  of  Histon,  Cambs. 
The  first  named  is  regarded  by  many  as  the  finest 
of  its  class,  the  large,  pale  lavender  flowers  being 
exceedingly  pretty  and  freely  produced  on  long, 
stout  stems      Leslie  Imber  is  worth  growing  if  only 


invariably    produces    four  on  a  stem  under    good 
cultivation.     It  is  of  strong,  vigorous  growth. 

Red  Star  was  raised  by  Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co. 
of  Edinburgh,  and  sent  out  by  them  last  year. 
In  igri  it  secured  the  distinction  of  an  award  of 
merit  from  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society.  It 
is  a  very  deep  rich  scarlet  self,  and  last  year  produced 
more  stems  with  four  flowers  than  any  other  scarlet 
variety  we  had. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


A    LITTLE-KNOWN    AUSTRALIAN    DAISY-BUSH,    OLEARIA    MYRSINOIDES. 


found  from  experience  to  be  the  most  satisfactory 
should  prove  interesting  to  those  Sweet  Pea  lovers 
having  a  sandy  soil,  the  difficulty  being,  of  course, 
to  get  the  plants  to  last  during  dry  spells.  As 
soon  as  possible  in  October  trenches  2  feet  6  inches 
wide  and  i  foot  deep  were  taken  out  and  the  soil 
placed  between  the  trenches,  there  being  ample 
room,  as  from  the  centre  of  one  trench  to  the  next 
6  feet  6  inches  was  allowed.  The  bottom  of  the 
trench  was  deeply  forked,  and  bullock-manure 
and  about  three  pounds  of  bone-meal  to  a  20  yards 
run  worked  well  in.  The  trenches  were  then  left 
for  the  frost  to  work  on  the  soil  until  February, 
when  the  top  spit  was  replaced,  a  sprinkling  of 
soot  being  added.  Another  point  which  must 
not  be  overlooked  on  sandy  soil  is  deep  and 
firm  planting.  Harry  L.   Foster. 


for   the  sake  of  its  unique  colour.     Unfortunately,  1  blush,    with 


SOME  OF  THE  NEWER   DECORATIVE 
ROSES. 

HYBRID     TEAS. 

{Continued  from  page  45.) 
Lady  Greenall  (A.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1911). — 
I  referred  to  this  under  the  exhibition  varieties, 
but  it  is  really  as  a  garden  Rose 
that  it  will  be  most  useful.  There  is 
no  reason  why  our  garden  Roses 
should  not  be  as  exquisite  in  shape 
as  the  exhibition  varieties,  provided 
they  answer  our  other  requirements. 
It  is  not  so  very  long  ago  that 
the  terra  "  garden  Rose "  was 
almost  synonymous  with  a  Rose 
of  indiiierent  shape  ;  but  now  we  are 
getting  our  garden  Roses  as  perfect 
in  shape  (possibly  smaller)  as  their 
exhibition  cousins,  and  the  Rose 
under  notice  is  an  excellent  ex- 
ample of  what  I  mean.  The  flowers 
are  of  beautiful  shape.  It  would 
be  hardly  fair  to  call  them  of 
medium  sire,  but  they  are  not 
very  large,  with,  however,  a  beau- 
tiful pointed  centre,  and  good 
outside  guard  -  petals  that  reflex. 
Colour,  creamy  white  ground,  suf- 
fused with  saffron  orange.  It  has 
a  delicious  Tea  scent,  and  is  quite 
free-flowering  and  a  good  grower.  It 
is  a  Rose  of  distinction,  and  will  be 
much  used  for  bedding  purposes 
when  better  known.  I  think  I 
am  correct  in  saying  it  was  one 
of  the  most  admired  of  the  newer 
Roses  in  my  garden  last  summer. 

Lady   Margaret   Boscawen   (Alex. 

Dickson  and  Sons,  191 1). — Another 
Newtownards  variety  of  excellent 
garden  habit.  It  makes  a  very 
pretty  button-hole  even  in  the  fully- 
expanded  flower,  as  it  is  not  too 
large  for  that  purpose  and  of  very 
pretty  shape.  The  colour  is  soft 
a    slight     suggestion     of     fawn     as 


this  is  not  well  shown  in  the  coloured  plate.  In 
reality  the  standard  is  medium  blue  and  the  wings 
a  much  deeper  shade  of  that  colour. 

In  the  variety  Edith  Taylor  we  have  a  Sweet  Pea 
that  is  quite  distinct  and  one  that  is  regarded  by 
many  as  indispensable.  It  was  raised  by  Mr. 
Robert  Holmes  of  Tuckswood  Farm,  Norwich, 
and   put   into   commerce   by   him   last   year.     Mr. 


the  under  colour ;  strongly  Tea  perfumed  and 
holds  its  flowers  erect.  Not  quite  mildew- 
proof,  but  a  good  and  pleasing  Rose  all  the 
same,  and  one  that  will  find  favour  with 
many. 

Lady  Pirrie  (Hugh  Dickson,  Limited,  1910). — 
If  this  Rose  had  only  a  few  more  petals,  it  would 
be   near   perfection.     There  is   no   gainsaying   the 


W.  J.  Leak,  vice-chairman  of  the  National  Sweet  beautiful  combination  of  colour,  especially  in  the 
Pea  Society,  has  very  kindly  sent  us  the  following  bud  and  half-opened  flower  stage.  I  will  not 
description  of  it  :  "A  most  pleasing  shade  of  deep  attempt  to  do  it  justice — it  has  to  be  grown  to  be 
rosy  cerise  or  old  rose.  Quite  distinct  from  any  fully  appreciated ;  but  the  outside  of  the  petals 
other  variety.  It  has  the  advantage  that  the  colour  might  be  termed  of  a  coppery  salmon,  and  the 
intensifies  in  the  sun,  whereas  all  others  of  a  similar  inside  fawn  and  apricot.  The  bud  is  a  good 
shade  bum  badly.  The  flowers  are  large,  of  fine  '  long  one,  and  makes  a  button-hole  that  will  take 
form     and     beautifully     waved,     and    the     plant  '  a  lot  of  beating.     The  foUage  and  habit  of  the  plant 


Supplement  to  THE  GARDEN,  Eebniary  \st,  191 3.      i 


fl 


f.. 


<fi^ 


'*! 


Four  good  Sweet  Peas — 

1.  Walter  P.  Wright.     2.   Leslie  Imber 
3.  Edith  Taylor.     4.   Red  Star. 


Hudson  t?  Kearns,  Ltd,,  Printers,  London,  S,E, 


February  i,  1913^ 


THE    GARDEN. 


59 


are  good,  and  it  will  become  very  popular,  especially 
for  decorative  purposes  indoors.  It  is  undoubtedly 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  Roses  that  the  Belmont 
firm  have  given  us.  It  was  awarded  the  gold 
medal  of  the  National  Rose  Society  at  the  Royal 
Botanic  Show  in  1900.  but  was  not  sent  out  till 
the  following  year. 

Lady  Reay  (Messrs.  B.  R.  Cant  and  Sons,  1911). 
— This  is  another  button-hole  variety,  and  at  the 
same  time  free-flowering  enough  for  a  bedder, 
although   possiblj'   the   majority   would   choose   a 


TREES     AND 


T 


SHRUBS       °'^  rather  poor  or  sandy  nature  is  the  best,  although 

by  no  means   absolutely  essential,  providing  other 

A     BEAUTIFUL     DAISY     BUSH.  conditions  are  favourable. 

fOLE.\Ri.\  MVRSisoiDES.)  It   is   a  common   plant   in   Tasmania,   and   also 

HIS  graceful  and  evergreen  species  has  occurs  locally  in  Victoria  and  New  South  Wales, 
long  been  in  cultivation,  but  is  still  growing  in  poor,  sandy  soil  or  rocky,  barren, 
a  somewhat  rart  plant  in  gardens.  It  scrubby  places  where  little  else  can  exist.  In 
has  the  habit  of  forming  long,  arching  common  with  the  majority  of  the  species,  it  does 
or  trailing  growths,  densely  clothed ;  not  stand  exposure  to  severe  weather  to  any 
with    rich    dark     green,    wavy    leaves,  '.  extent  without  suffering,  and  in  selecting  a  suitable 


and  is  rovered  in  all  its  upper  parts  with  hundreds  position  in  which  to  plant,  shelter  from  cold, 
larger-flowered  variety.  The  colour  is  blush  pink  of  Daisy-Uke  flower-heads  during  the  month  of  cutting  winds  should  be  taken  into  consideration, 
in  the  centre,  shading  off  to  mother-o'-pearl  white.    June.      Each  head  is   i    inrh  in   diameter,   the  rav    also  bearing  in  mind  that  a  stiff,  heavy  soil  or  wet 


My  plants  of  it — and  I  had 
five — were  always  in  flower 
last  summer  ;  but  it  might 
with  advant  age  be  a 
stronger  grower.  It  is 
scented,  and  can  be  ob- 
tained at  the  reasonable 
price  of  is.  6d. 

Leslie  Holland  (Hugh 
Dickson,  1911). — Although 
best  known  as  an  exhibi- 
tion variety,  I  am  inclined 
to  think  that  at  the  moment 
this  is  the  best  bedding 
variety  of  its  colour.  We 
have  long  wanted  a  real 
good  scarlet-crimson  garden 
Rose.  J.  B.  Clark  and 
Hugh  Dickson,  both  from 
this  firm,  will  still  be  grown, 
the  one  as  a  pillar  or  semi- 
climber,  the  other  as  an 
exhibition  Rose  and  as  a 
fine  standard  ;  but  for  one 
of  a  set  of,  say,  a  dozen 
beds,  they  were  both 
almost  impossible  by  reason 
of  their  growth.  Leslie 
Holland  does  not  sin  in 
that  respect,  and  is,  there- 
fore, a  much  better  bedder 
than  either.  It  is  a  good 
grower,  but  not  too 
vigorous,  rarely  throwing 
shoots  more  than  3  feet. 
I  should  say  2  feet  is  about 
the  I  average  height  of  the 
plant ;  free-flowering  and 
fragrant. 

Little  Dorrit  (Paul  and 
Son,  1912). — Although 
figuring  in  most  catalogues 
as  a  Tea,  this  Rose,  when 
exhibited  by  the  raisers  at 
the  autumn  show  of  the 
National  Rose  Society, 
where  it  was  awarded  a 
silver  medal  in  the  new 
seedling  Rose  class,  was 
termed  by  them  a  Hybrid 

Tea,  and  I  should  say  correctly  so.  It  is  of  almost 
China  habit,  and  as  seen  growing  in  the  Cheshunt 
nurseries  of  the  firm  was  very  free-flowering  and  a 
beautiful  Rose,  with  something  of  the  colour  asso- 
ciated with  Hugo  Roller,  only  deeper.  It  will  appeal 
to  all  as  a  most  effective  dwarf  bedder.  The  centre 
flower  of  the  spray  is  very  prominent,  of  excellent 
shape.  The  colour  is  lemon  yellow,  splashed  and 
edged  with  deep  carmine  rose  that  gives  a  coppery 
effect.     Altogether  a  charming  variety. 

Soutkampion.  Herbert  E.  Molvneu.x. 

(To  be  continued.) 


position  is  fatal  to  success. 
The  hardiest  and,  for 
general  purposes,  the  best 
species  of  the  genus  is  O. 
Haastii,  a  fairly  common 
plant,  especially  in  the 
South.  Its  merit  lies  in  its 
floriferous  and  evergreen 
habit  and  in  being  a  most 
useful  shrub  for  town  gar- 
dens where  the  soil  is  light 
and  well   drained. 

C.  P.    Raffill. 


THE    NEW    ROSE    MRS.    CHARLES    RUSSELL,    WHICH     GAINED     AN    AWARD     OF    MERIT 
AT    THE    ROYAL    HORTICULTURAL    SOCIETY'S    SHOW    ON    JANUARY    21.     (See  page  tO.) 


florets  being  pure  white,  those  of  the  disc  being 
yellow  and  fading  with  age  to  brown.  When  seen 
at  its  best  it  is  a  really  effective  and  valuable  plant, 
and  is  well  suited  for  trailing  over  a  large  rock  or 
stones  in  the  rockery.  It  is  also  useful  for  the 
front  of  the  shrub  border. 

The  largest  plant  with  which  I  am  acquainted 
is  some  3  feet  or  4  feet  high  and  about  the 
same  in  diameter,  and  is  about  eight  years  old 
from  a  cutting.  A  well-dramed  and  sunny  position, 
sheltered  from  the  north  and  east,  is  the  most 
suitable    for   this   pla:it,    and   a   compost    which    is 


THE    SWAMP 

F.ONEYSUGKLE.. 

The  hardy  Azaleas  or 
Swamp  Honeysuckles  lend 
a  touch  of  beauty  to  the 
shrubbery  and  woodland 
that  no  other  subject  can 
impart.  The  pleasing  tones 
of  colotu:  created  by  masses 
of  yellow,  orange,  fiery  reds 
and  delicate  pinks  are  so 
beautiful  in  May  and  early 
June  that  they  quite 
baffle  description.  More- 
over, in  the  fall  of  the  year 
the  foliage  assumes  au- 
tumnal tints  of  bronze, 
purple,  and  even  crimson 
)iue. 

In  a  general  way  these 
beautiful  shrubs  are 
spoken  of  as  Ghent  Azaleas, 
although  in  reality  they 
have  their  origin  in  the 
bogs  and  uplands  of  North 
.America.  The  Califomian 
species,  A.  occidentalis, 
produces  bunches  of  frag- 
rant white  flowers  a  little 
later  in  the  year  than  most 
others,  and  this  species  is 
certainly  one  of  the  most 
charming  in  autumn  tints. 
The  pure  white  Ghent 
Azalea  named  Anthony 
Waterer  is  one  of  the  most 
popular, while  those  with  double  Hose-in-hose  flowers, 
called  the  narcissiflora  group,  are  now  widely 
grown.  Azalea  mollis,  from  Japan,  with  its  host  of 
varieties  in  salmon  red  and  orange  tones,  are  like- 
wise hardy,  and  being  dwarf  are  best  suited  for 
planting  in  the  foreground. 

This  is  quite  a  good  season  for  the  planting  of 
.\zaleas.  While  it  is  true  that  they  are  peat -loving 
shrubs,  it  should  not  be  overlooked  that  they  do 
quite  well  in  loam,  providing  it  is  deficient  in 
lime.  The  illustration  on  the  next  page  shows 
the  spring  effect  created  by  well-grown  bushes. 


60 


THE     GARDEN. 


[February  i,  1913. 


SEASONABLE     NOTES    ON 
SWEET     PEAS. 


Multiplication  of  Sweet  Pea  Names. — In  the 

"  Sweet  Pea  Annual,"  among  other  matter  of  more 
or  less  general  interest,  Mr.  Lester  Morse  of  Santa 
Clara,  California,  gives  his  "  Impressions  of  the 
Sweet  Pea  Show  of  1912."  These  are  mostly 
exceedingly  flattering  to  the  grower  at  home, 
and  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  Mr.  Morse  will  be 
written  down  an  excellent  fellow ;  whereas,  if  he 
had  ventured  to  be  critical,  as  he  could  easily  have 
been,  our  thoughts  of  him  would  have  been  the 
reverse  of  complimentary.  The  most  interesting 
portion  of  his  remarks  is  that  in  which  he  alludes 
to  the  multiplication  of  names  in  Sweet  Peas. 
Mr.  Morse  says  :  "  I  was  greatly  impressed,  and 
annoyed,  when  I  came  to  my  note-taking,  to 
discover  a  hopeless  confusion  of  new  names. 
A  hundred  varieties  I  thought  I  easily  recognised 
were  shown  under  names  I   have  never  heard  of, 


so  closely  similar  that  it  would  demand  a  wonderful 
power  of  imagination  to  discover  the  difference. 
They  have  no  opportunity  of  ascertaining  which 
varieties  are  distinct,  except  the  personal  experience 
which  they  cannot  afford  to  give.  I  do  not  mean 
that  they  particularly  begrudge  the  cash,  but 
they  do  emphatically  object  to  the  waste  of  space 
which  is  entailed  when  one  variety  is  unknowingly 
grown  under  a  multiplicity  of  names.  It  will  be 
said  that  they  ought  to  go  to  the  National  Society's 
trials,  but  that  is  absurd.  Not  one  person  in 
fifty  can  do  this,  and  many  of  them  would  not  if 
they  could. 

The  fact  is  that  in  the  old  days  they  looked  to 
the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society  to  keep  them  on 
the  right  track  ;  but  they  do  not  do  that  now, 
tiecause  they  find  that  scarcely  anything  useful 
is  done  in  this  direction  by  that  powerful  body. 
Mr.  Morse  expresses  pity  for  the  committee  which 
is  set  the  task  of  putting  things  right ;  but  that 
task  will  have  to  be  faced.  A  committee  must  be 
appointed,    consisting  of  amateurs  of  ripe  know- 


is  done  to  remedy  this,  the  Sweet  Pea,  and  also 
those  who  make  it  their  business  to  grow  seeds 
for  sale,  are  bound  to  suffer. — Ed.] 


NEW   AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


THE    BEAUTIFUL    SWAMP    HONEYSUCKLE    OR    HARDY    AZALEA. 

(See  page  59.) 


THE    SHRUBS    MAY    BE   PLANTED    NOW 


and  frequently  one  variety  bore  four  to  six 
names.  I  thought  last  year  that  Margaret  Madison 
was  absolutely  new,  but  I  foimd  it  here  under 
seven  names.  A  variety  we  had  named  Veiled 
Lady,  but  which  we  will  not  send  out,  I  found  here 
with  two  other  names,  i.e..  The  Abbot  and  Bird- 
brook.  The  Earl  Spencer  shade  must  have  had 
quadruple  twins  and  the  Scarlet  Spencers  surely 
led  the  bimch.  I  pity  the  committee  that  attempts 
to  straighten  out  the  nomenclature." 

I  am,  of  course,  sorry  that  Mr.  Morse  should  be 
"  annoyed "  at  anything  that  he  found  in  this 
country  ;  but  his  annoyance  is  not  nearly  as  impor- 
tant as  that  of  hundreds,  probably  thousands, 
of  amateur  Sweet  Pea-growers  at  home.  Pur- 
chasers of  Sweet  Peas  are  becoming  disgusted 
with  the  descriptions  in  catalogues,  and  place 
little  reliance  upon  them.  They  find  different 
names,  different  descriptions,  and  growing  one, 
two,  three,  or,  according  to  Mr.  Morse,  anything 
up  to  seven,  may  find  all  the  flowers  identical  or 


ledge,  and  it  must  be  given  the  widest  powers  to 
bracket  varieties  which  are  identical  or  so  close 
that  it  is  impossible  for  the  ordinary  man  or  woman 
to  distinguish  them.  No  trade  grower  must  be 
on  this  body,  because,  no  matter  how  conscien- 
tiously the  committee  did  its  duties,  the  decisions 
would  not  prove  acceptable  to  the  .Sweet  Pea  world. 

It  is  the  amateur  lovers  of  the  Sweet  Pea  who 
keep  the  society  going,  and  who,  incidentally, 
make  it  worth  the  while  of  the  trade  to  support 
that  society  in  so  generous  a  manner,  and  they 
are  therefore  entitled  to  be  far  more  carefully 
considered  than  is  the  case  at  present.  The  "  Sweet 
Pea  Annual  "  is'good,  but  it  is  not  worth  5s.  unless  it 
contains  information  which  cannot  be  got  anywhere 
else  and  which  is  perfectly  reliable.         Am,ethon. 

[Although  we  publish  the  above,  it  does  not 
mean  that  we  necessarily  agree  with  all  the  state- 
ments made  by  our  correspondent.  We  do,  how- 
ever, endorse  his  remarks  regardiag  the  multipli- 
cation  of  names.     Unless  something  very   drastic 


AWARDS  OF  MERIT. 
Narcissus  minicycla. — An  early-flowering  hybrid 
between  N.  minimus  and  N.  cyclamineus,  in  which 
almost  intermediate  characters  between  the  two 
species  have  been  'established.  The  taller  growth 
is  that  of  N.  cyclamineus  ;  the  colour,  the  reflexing 
brim  of  the  crown  and  its  many  divisions  are 
characteristics  easily  traceable  to  the  first-named 
parent.  The  Cyclamen-flowered  character  of  the 
perianth  segments,  which  is  so  marked  a  feature 
of  N.  cyclamineus,  is  apparently  lost  in  the  hybrid, 
the  perianth  segments  being  almost  at  right  angles 
with  the  crown.  The  plants  first  flowered  when  four 
years  old,  and  as  shown  were  4  inches  to  5  inches 
high.  In  all  probability  a  taller  habit  may  yet  be 
forthcoming.  As  an  early  variety  it  will 
be  welcome  in  the  alpine-house.  From 
Mr.  F.  Herbert  Chapman,  Rye. 

Cyclamen  persicum  St.  George.— A 

deep  salmon  -  coloured  variety  with 
crimson  base  to  the  petals.  In  this 
respect  the  variety  is  not  superior 
to  other  salmon-coloured  forms.  The 
great  attraction  is  in  the  handsome, 
well  -  marked  leaves,  some  marbled 
and  veined  with  white,  others 
heavily  bordered.  The  variety 
appears  to  reproduce  these  variations 
in  lirge  degree  from  seeds.  From 
the  St.  George's  Nursery  Company, 
Harlington,  Middlesex. 

Rose    Mrs.    Charles    Russell. — A 

variety  with  a  gloriously  rich  per- 
fume and  fine  form.  Of  its  true  colour 
we  are  not  in  a  position  to  determine, 
the  handsome  vase  of  flowers  gainmg 
the  award  only  reaching  England  from 
•America  the  day  prior  to  the  last 
meeting.  Those  flowers  having 
been  cut  some  ten  days  from 
the  plants,  and  probably  cold-stored 
at  once,  would  account  for  the  non- 
descript colour  tone  —  pale  Pickling 
Cabbage  red  —  as  presented.  The 
2j-feet-long  stems  and  highly-built 
flowers  were  of  the  usual  American 
type,  and  which  we  in  England  might 
well  imitate.  Could  we  but  also  imitate  America's 
sun  during  the  winter  season.  The  whole  secret 
of  such  productions  are  sunlight  and  sunheat. 
(See  page'59.)     Froi"  Mr.  W.  A.  Manda,  St.  Albans. 


NEW     ORCHIDS. 

A  first-class  certificate  was  granted  to  M.  Firmin 
Lambeau  of  Brussels  for  a  magnificent  variety  of 
Cattleya  Enid  named  Firmin  Lambeau.  Awards 
of  merit  were  made  to  the  following :  Laelio- 
Cattleya  Firmini  ardens,  shown  by  Firmini  Lam- 
beau ;  Coelogyne  intermedia,  shown  by  Messrs. 
James  Cypher  and  Sons ;  Odontioda  Madeline 
Prince  of  Orange,  from  Mrs.  C.  J.  Phillips  of  Seven- 
oaks  ;  Sophro-Cattleya  Orchid  Dene,  from  E.  H. 
Davidson,  Twyford ;  and  Odontoglossum  Aire- 
worthii  Goodson's  variety,  from  Mrs.  H.  S.  Goodson 
of  Putney. 

The  foregoing  awards  were  made  by  the  Royal 
Horticultiu-al  Society  on  the  occasion  of  the  fort- 
nightly meeting  held  on  January  21. 


February  i,  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


61 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

HOW    TO     RAISE     EARLY     VEGETABLES    IN     FRAMES. 


BY  the  use  of  cold  frames,  frames  placed 
on  hot-beds  and  those  heated  by  hot- 
water  pipes,  several  kinds  of  vegetables 
may  be  brought  to  maturity — that 
is,  to  a  condition  suitable  for  cooking — 
very  early  in  the  year.  Such  produce 
is  highly  appreciated.  By  the  same  means  other 
kinds  of  vegetables  may  be  considerably  forwarded 
in  growth.  This  is  done  by  simply  sowing  the 
seeds  in  boxes,  pots  or  beds  in  the  frames,  and  then 
by  carefully  nursing  the  resultant  seedlings  under 
glass  while  the  cold  weather  prevails,  so  that  there 
will  be  a  nice  stock  of  sturdy  plants  fit  to  put  out 
directly  the  weather  and  the  soil  in  the  garden 
are  suitable.  A  great  deal  may  be  done  in  this 
direction  by  the  use  of  one  frame  only. 

Early  Potatoes  may  be  dealt  with  at  once.  In 
Fig.  A,  No.  I  shows  how  the  seed  tubers  must  be 
planted  in  a  frame  in  a  bed  of  good  soil,  put  in  to 
a  depth  of  i  foot.  The  siurface  of  the  soil  (No.  2) 
should  be  i  foot  from  the  glass.  If  the  frame  is  a 
verv  deep  one,  littery  manure,  tree  leaves,  or  both, 
mixed,  may  be  put  in  to  fill  up,  the  soil  being  placed 
on  the  bed.  The  latter  will  soon  become  warm 
and  hasten  the  growth  of  the  Potatoes.  Wooden 
frames,  as  well  as  brick  ones,  may  be  used  for  this 
purpose.  No.  3  shows  a  good  seed  tuber  bearing 
one  strong  sprout  only.  Such  generally  produce 
.1  crop  of  fine  eating  tubers  and  few  small  ones. 
No.  4  is  a  tuber  quite  unsuitable  for  planting  either 
in  frames  or  in  the  open  border.  A  succession 
of  Potatoes  may  be  assured  by  planting  a  few  tubers 


K.\RLY    CROP.S    OF    POTATOES    CAN    BE    EASILY    RAISED    IN    FRAMES. 


admitted   to   all   young   vegetables,   also   fresh   air 


at  intervals  of  twenty-one  days.  Some  of  the  tubers  |  when  the  weather  is  mild  enough.  No,  7 
may  be  brought  on  by  placing  them  in  boxes  and  shows  how  to  put  the  drainage  material  in  a 
surrounding  them  with  light  soil,  as  shown  at  ,  12-inch  pot,  or  in  a  box  for  seeds  of  Cauliflowers, 
No.  5.  The  sprouts  wUl  grow  and  roots  form,  as  :  Cabbages,  Brussels  Sprouts,  Leeks,  Lettuces, 
shown  at  No.  6.  These  forwarded  tubers  should  I  Tomatoes,  Celery,  &c.  The  seeds  must  be  sown  in 
be  carefuUy  planted,  when  the  growth  will  continue  |  the  finer  compost  (No.  8).  No.  9  depicts  a  yotmg 
and  young  tubers  soon  form.  I  may  say  here  seedling  Tomato  potted  singly  in  a  3-inch  pot. 
that  all  frames  should  be  covered  with  mats  or  I  These  plants  do  well  on  a  mild  hot-bed. 
straw  on  frosty  nights  ;  but  it  is  essential  to  Turnips,  Radishes  and  Carrots  should  be  sown 
success   that    the   maximum   amount    of   light    be    in  shallow  drills  in  cold  frames,  as  .shown  at  Nos.  i, 


— 

1     1     ■ 

1    !    ; 
1    1    , 
1    1    , 

i    1/  i 
1    1    1 

1    '    1 
1    I    I 

1   1    I 
1    '    1 
1   [    i 

1    1    ' 
1    ii] 
i    1 

i    1    ' 

1    1    1 

i    1    i 
1    1    1 

/ 

J 

1 

2  and  3  in  Fig.  B  :  or  broadcast,  as  depicted  in 
Nos.  4  and  5.  Long,  narrow  frames  such  as  these 
are  very  suitable  for  seedlings  of  Cauliflowers, 
Cabbages,  Celery,  Brussels  Sprouts,  Lettuces,  &c., 
to  be  transplanted  from  the  seedling-boxes,  as 
shown  at  No.  6.  A  small  wooden  frame  of  this 
kind  will  accommodate  many  hundreds  of  seedlings 
in  boxes.  Such  a  frame  may  have  a  bed  made  up 
in  it  and  Carrots  gro\vn,  as  shown  at  No.  7. 
Ventilate  freely  when  the  weather  is  not  frosty.  It 
is  a  fact  that  young  Carrots  form  larger  roots  when 
the  frame  is  removed  after  they  are  well  estab- 
lished. This  may  be  done  late  in  March,  exposing 
the  crop  to  the  wind.  Early-maturing  varieties 
of  vegetables  must  be  selected,  of  coiurse  ;  Turnips 
with  small  tops,  as  shown  at  No.  8  ;  and  Carrots  of 
the  French  or  English  Horn  types,  as  depicted  at 
No.  9.  No.  10  shows  a  seedling  Cauliflower  ready 
for  transplanting;  No.  II,  the  same  ready  for  a 
second  shift ;  and  No.  12,  the  same  fit  to  plant  in 
a  deeper  frame,  or  in  an  open,  sheltered  border. 
Nos.  13  and  14  show  how  Leeks  are  strengthened 
by  transplanting  ;  and  No.  15,  a  stocky  Lettuce 
raised  in  a  cold  frame.  C.  G. 


B 


LETTUCE  AND    OTHER    KINDS    OF  PL.\NTS    FOR    THE    OPEN    GARDEN    MAY  BE    R.MSED 

IN    FRAMES    AS    SHOWN. 


CLEANING  THE  LEAVES  OF  PLANTS 
IN    HOUSES. 

There  is  no  time  more  suitable  than  the  present 
for  cleansing  the  leaves  of  various  Idnds  of  green- 
house and  stove  plants.  In  summer-time  many 
kinds  of  foliage  plants  are  freely  syringed  every 
week.  This  work  prevents  sediment  lodging  on  the 
leaves ;  but  in  winter-time  there  is  not  much 
syringing  done,  and  as  there  is  more  smoke  from 
chimneys  arotmd,  sediment  accumulates  on  the 
leaves  of  the  plants.  Scale  and  other  insect  pests 
must  be  got  rid  of,  and  to  this  end  we  should  use 
warm  soapy  water  and  a  clean  sponge. 


62 


THE     GARDEN. 


[February  i,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Sweet  Peas. — .-Ul  ground  for  Sweet  Peas  should 
be  prepared  at  once.  Good  deep  trenching  is 
essential,  with  a  liberal  supply  of  manure  in  the 
lower  spits.  Stations  for  clumps  in  borders  or 
on  the  verges  of  lawns  may  with  advantage 
have  the  soil  renewed,  thus  ensurmg  good  healthy 
growth.  Where  the  grower  depends  on  spring 
sowing,  no  time  should  now  be  lost,  choosing  those 
varieties  which  suit  the  individual  requirements 
best. 

Climbers,  such  as  Vitis,  Ivies,  Honeysuckles, 
Clematises,  Wistarias  and  wichuraiana  Roses, 
whether  growing  on  poles,  arches,  pergolas  or  on 
the  house,  should  now  be  pruned.  In  some  instances 
they  may  need  tying  or  nailing  in  ;  in  others  a  trim- 
ming up  may  be  all  that  is  necessary,  taking  off  all 
the  unsightly  hanging  growths  of  last  season  that 
are  unnecessary  for  the  proper  furnishing  of  the 
structure  they  are  on. 

Pyrus  japonica,  now  nicely  in  bloom  in  sheltered 
positions,  should,  if  necessary,  be  cut  back  after 
the  period  of  flowering  is  over  ;  this  only  where 
the  area  to  be  covered  is  restricted.  Plants  trained 
on  the  houses  must,  of  course,  be  kept  spurred  in, 
or  they  soon  become  rather  unsightly. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Pruning. — Though  I  prefer  pruning  shrubberies 
rather  later  in  the  season  to  avoid  the  danger  of 
severe  frost,  which  at  times  kills  the  shrubs  back, 
yet,  where  there  is  a  great  deal  to  do,  the  work  must 
perforce  be  pushed  forward,  commencing  with  those 
in  a  sheltered  position. 

Digging. — Naturally,  after  pruning,  the  shrub- 
beries should  be  dug  whenever  possible;  and,  need- 
less to  mention,  if  plenty  of  leaves  are  dug  in,  the 
leaf-soil  will  keep  the  plants  in  a  good  growing 
condition,  it  being  the  most  natural  form'  of  manure 
and  certainly  all  that  can  be  afforded  in  many 
instances. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Liliums. — By  this  date  all  imported  bulbs 
should  be  to  hand  and  potted  forthwith.  For 
general  decorative  purposes  single  bulbs  in  pots 
are  very  useful ;  but  for  use  as  specimen  plants 
in  the  conservatory  or  for  cut-flower  piurposes, 
three  to  nve  may  be  potted  in  8J-inch  or  gj-inch  pots. 

Amaryllis. — Bulbs  that  flowered  early  last 
season  wUl,  on  examination,  be  found  to  be  pushing 
their  flower-spikes,  and  should  be  removed  to  a  house 
with  an  intermediate  temperature.  Very  little 
water  is  necessary  till  the  flower-spikes  are  well 
advanced,  or  the  foliage  may  come  away  quickly, 
and  thus  rob  the  flower  both  of  nourishment  and 
good  appearance. 

Clarkia  elegans. — Autumn-sown  plants  that 
have  been  wintered  in  3-inch  pots  should  now  be 
potted  on,  still  keeping  them  in  a  very  cool  position  ; 
also  a  further  sowing  should  now  be  made  for 
succession,  these  plants  being  extremely  useful 
both  in  pots  and  for  cut  flowers. 

Mignonette  also  should  be  potted  into  its 
flowering  pots,  either  4j-inch  or  6-inch.  Firm 
potting  is  very  necessary  to  keep  the  plants  dwarf 
and  to  get  good  flower-spikes.  Where  sown 
straight  into  their  flowering  pots,  they  may  now 
be  showing  flower.  If  bushy  enough,  feed  a  little ; 
if  not,  pinch  the  points  out.  This  will  induce  them 
to  break  and  make  better  phmts. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Peas. — Good  batches  of  dwarf  early  varieties 
should  be  sown  as  soon  as  the  ground  is  in  a  fit 
condition,  preferably  on  a  warm  border,  Laxtonian 
and  Little  Marvel  being  excellent  varieties. 

Broad  Beans. — These  also  may  be  sown  at  once 
to  succeed  those  sown  outdoors  in  the  late  autumn. 
These  latter,  being  pretty  forward,  may  have  the 
soil  drawn  up  to  them  a  little  to  preserve  them 
from  the  frost  if  it  is  likely  to  be  severe. 

Parsley. — In  cold  districts  this  does  not  always 
winter  well,  and  as  that  sown  in  frames  runs  to 
seed  early,  a  sowing  should  nov,-  be  made  in  boxes 
as  a  succession.  This,  if  pricked  oB  as  soon  as 
ready  on  to  a  warm  border,  wUl  soon  get  away, 
and  be  found  ready  for  use  much  earlier  than  that 
sown  in  the  open  a  little  later  on. 


Celery. — For  very  early  work  a  sowing  of  one 
of  the  white  varieties  should  be  made  in  boxes 
or  on  a  hot-bed,  pricking  it  off  as  soon  as  large 
enough  to  handle. 

Leeks. — For  exhibition  purposes  early  sowing 
of  Leeks  is  quite  essential,  and  these  also  may  be 
sown  in  boxes  or  even  singly  in  2i-inch  pots,  pricking 
or  potting  off  in  the  first  case  as  soon  as  necessary, 
and  in  the  latter  potting  on  into  3-inch  or  ij-inch 
pots.  A  temperature  of  50"^  to  55°,  with  occasional 
spraying?  overhead  to  assist  germination,  will  suit 
them  nicely. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Early  Peaches. — Whether  these  are  pot  or 
planted-out  trees,  as  soon  as  nicely  in  bloom  they 
should  be  fertilised  by  means  of  a  rabbit's  tail  or 
some  other  pollen-distributing  appliance,  preferably 
about  midday,  after  a  little  air  has  been  put  on 
to  ensure  the  pollen  becoming  dry.  This  must  be 
repeated  every  day  or  two  till  the  List  flowers 
have  opened,  and  it  invariably  ensures  a  good  set 
of  fruit. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Spraying. — This  has  become  one  of  the  essentials 
of  fruit  cultivation,  and  the  month  of  February  is 
probably  the  best  time  to  do  it.  To  get  the  very 
best  results,  it  is  work  that  must  not  be  performed 
in  a  haphazard  manner,  but  every  branch  and  crevice 
must  be  well  wetted  to  ensure  all  the  eggs  or  larvae 
of  insects  being  killed. 

Mussel  Scale. — The  ordinary  caustic  alkali 
spray  I  have  not  found  to  kill  the  above,  and  as  it  is 
a  most  insidious  pest  when  it  once  gets  hold,  great 
pains  should  be  taken  to  try  to  eradicate  it.  Spray- 
ing with  a  strong  paraffin  emulsion  will  often  loosen 
it,  but  the  trees  should  be  thoroughly  gone  over 
once  or  twice  with  a  brush  that  is  not  too  stiff,  and, 
providing  the  operator  takes  his  time  and  uses 
a  good  mixture  of  soft  soap  and  paraffin,  it  can 
be  got  rid  of.  Thomas  Stevenson. 

(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Anemones  and  Ranunculuses. — Those  who  did 

not  plant  their  Anemones  of  the  coronaria  type 
or  their  double  French  Ranunculuses  in  autumn 
may  do  so  now,  provided  the  weather  conditions  are 
suitable.  Both  delight  in  a  rich,  light  soil  deeply 
worked.  Plant  about  two  inches  deep,  and  see 
that  the  crowns  are  uppermost.  If  sharp  frost 
occurs,  a  little  light  protection  should  be  given. 

Chrysanthemums. — There  need  be  no  hurry 
with  the  propagation  of  early  Chrysanthemums. 
Still,  where  the  young  shoots'  are  pushing  early, 
it  is  better  to  take  cuttings  now.  They  can  be 
struck  in  boxes  in  a  greenhouse  with  a  rather 
close  atmosphere.  As  to  varieties,  their  name 
is  legion  ;  but  Lady  Mary  Hope,  Miss  Balfour 
Melville,  Lily,  Rosie,  j.  C.  Grieve,  Masse  Improved 
and  Abercorn  Beauty  are  worthy  of  inclusion  in 
any  collection. 

Early  Sowings. — Several  thuigs  should  be  sown 
now,  and,  among  others,  East  Lothian  Stocks, 
one  of  the  sheet-anchors  of  the  gardener  for  a 
summer  and  autumn  display.  White,  scarlet, 
crimson  and  rose  shades  are  all  valuable.  Sow 
in  pans  or  boxes,  and  cover  with  panes  of  glass 
till  germination  takes  place.  If  water  is  required, 
always  supply  it  by  partial  immersion.  Other 
seeds  to  be  sown  now  include  .Aquilegia,  Centaurea 
candidissima,  Pentstemon,  Ricinus,  Scabious  and 
Verbena. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Pruning  Climbers. — All  classes  of  Roses  now 
embraced  by  that  convenient  word  ''Rambler" 
may  now  be  pruned.  Considerations  of  space 
forbid  details,  but,  speaking  broadly,  all  weakly 
or  badly-ripened  main  shoots  should  first  be  cut 
away ;  then  one  or  two  of  the  oldest  main 
stems,  and  a  sufficient  number  of  the  best- 
ripened  of  last  year's  growth  retained  to 
replace  those  cut  away.  All  laterals  should  be 
cut  back  to  within  a  few  eyes  of  the  main  stem. 
On  pergolas  and  screen  fences  the  only  general 
principle  to  be  observed  is  that  of  keeping  the 
framework  of  the  tree  reinforced  by  timely  supplies 
of  young,  well-ripened  wood. 


Planting. — Where  from  any  cause  the  work 
could  not  be  carried  out  in  November,  it  should 
be  pushed  forward  as  soon  as  practicable.  On 
heavy  ground  it  will  facilitate  the  production 
of  young  fibrous  roots  if  a  good  spadefiU  of  old 
potting  soil  is  worked  in  among  the  roots  when 
planting. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Top-Dressing. — If  the  weather  permits,  the  w.jrk 
of  top-dressing  may  now  be  carried  through  with 
advantage  whenever  necessary.  Different  subjects 
require  different  soils,  and  a  good  plan  is  to  take 
them  in  groups,  making  up  a  batch  of  soil  that 
will  suit  (with  modifications)  a  certain  group 
and  disposing  of  it  first,  and  so  on,  group  by  group. 
Where  it  can  be  done  without  injury  to  tlie  roots, 
the  surface  soil  should  be  stirred  a  little  before 
applying  the  top-dressing. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Repotting  Ferns. — Many  Ferns  only  require 
repotting  every  two  years  if  the  work  of  top-dressing 
is  attended  to.  All  plants  requiring  repotting 
should  have  attention,  however,  before  growth 
becomes  active,  or  the  young  fronds  are  apt  to 
get  damaged  in  the  process.  Recent  experience 
has  proved  that  peat  is  not  a  necessity  for  a  great 
niany  species.  This  is  especially  the  case  with 
Adiantums  and  Pterises,  both  of  which  luxuriate 
in  loam,  Oak  or  Beech  leaf-mould  and  sand. 

Hydrangeas. — Old  plants  may  now  be  repotted. 
Reduce  the  balls  and  pot  them  into  a  size  larger  than 
they  occupied  before.  They  are  gross  feeders  and 
require  a  rich  compost. 

Pelargoniiuns  of  the  Regal  and  fancy  type 
should  now  receive  their  final  shift,  bearing  in  mind 
that  they  should  be  rather  restricted  as  to  root- 
room.     Vaporise  occasionally  to  ward  off  green  fly. 

Chrysanthemums.  —  Japanese  varieties  that 
were  rooted  singly  in  2j-inch  pots  will  now  be 
ready  for  shifting  into  3j-inch  pots.  For  this 
potting  a  compost  of  loam,  two  parts,  and  good 
leaf-mould  and  old  Mushroom  manure,  one  part 
each,  with  a  dash  of  sharp  sand,  will  be  suitable. 
Stand  near  the  glass,  and  spray  once  a  day  for  a 
week  if  the  weather  is  bright.  Decoratives  as  they 
become  rooted  must  he  gradually  inured  to  full 
air  and  then  be  potted  off  into  3j-inch  pots,  two  or 
three  m  a  pot,  according  to  the  habit  of  the  variety 
or  the  purpose  for  which  the  plants  are  ultimately 
intended. 

Alpinia  Sanderae. — This  is  a  near  relative  of 
the  Ginger  Plant,  belonging  to  the  Order  Zingi- 
beraceae,  and  it  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  lovely 
variegated  plants  in  cultivation,  as  anyone  can 
prove  by  paying  a  visit  to  the  Royal  Botanic 
Gardens,  Edinburgh.  It  is  planted  out  in  one  of 
the  stove-houses  there,  where  it  is  growing  luxuri- 
antly ;  but  I  understand  it  is  equally  amenable 
to  pot  culture.  Somewhat  Dracaena-like  in  general 
appearance,  it  seems  an  ideal  plant  for  house 
decoration. 

Sow  Now  Eucalyptus  globulus  and  E.  citrio- 
dora,  Grevillea  robusta,  SaintpauUa  ionantha, 
Srailax,  Streptocarpus  and  Torenia  Fournieri. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Vines  which  have  been  bent  downwards  aivd 
have  now  broken  freely  should  be  tied  up  into 
position  and  disbudded.  The  late  house  may 
now  be  shut  up  and  a  night  temperature  of  45° 
maintained,  with  a  rise  of  5°  during  the  day. 

Strawberries. — The  main  batch  should  now 
be  brought  indoors  and  accommodated  in  a  late 
Peach-house  if  available. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Peas. — A  sowing  should  now  be  made  without 
delay,  and  Gradus  is  hard  to  beat  for  this  sowing. 

Leeks  require  a  long  period  of  growth,  and  they 
should  be  sown  in  rows  a  foot  apart  in  rich  soil  on 
a  south  border.  Where  large  sorts  are  aimed  at, 
the  Lyon  is  perhaps  the  best  variety,  but  for 
general  purposes  Musselburgh  (if  true)  is  excellent. 

Parsley. — A  sowing  should  now  be  made  indoors 
in  a  warm  greenhouse  temperature.  As  this  vege- 
table is  largely  used  for  garnishing,  some  really 
good  variety,  such'  as  Dobbie's  Exhibition,  should 
be  used. 

Carrots  and  Turnips. — An  early  sowing  should 
now  be  made  in  a  frame  on  a  slight  hot-bed,  as 
recommended  a  fortnight  ago. 

Ch.^rles  CoMFORr, 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


February  i,  1913J 


THE    GARDEN. 


63 


PLANTS      FLOWERING     OUT 
OF    SEASON. 


SOME     INTERESTING     RECORDS. 

HAVING,    since     1893,    carefully     noted 
abnormal   dates   of   flowering  in   the  |  (i)  1913,  (2)  1912,  (3)  1894,  (4)  1903 


and  1912  they  were  wet  as  a  whole,  with  dry 
periods  ;  1893  and  1911  were  abnormally 
sunny  during  Jime,  July  and  August  ;  1902 
was  about  normal,  and  1912  hardly  saw  a  day's 
bright   sunshine. 

In    order    of   early   flowering    the    years    were  : 

The  years 


CLASSIFICATION  OF  SWEET 
PEAS. 


case  of  certain  wild  or  semi-wild 
Bowers  which  are  characteristic  of 
their  respective  seasons,  Mr.  Bowles' 
article  in  your  issue  of  the  i8th  nit. 
iterested  me    greatly — so  much  so  that  I  looked 


1894  and  1903  varied  in  order  of  precedence  with 
different  flowers ;  whereas  in  order  of  rainfall 
they  were  (i)  1893,  (2)  1912,  (3)  1911,  (4)  1902, 
or,  for  April  only,  (i)  1S93,  (2)  1912,  (3)  1902,  (4) 
1911.     April,  1911,  had  the  largest  rainfall  of  the 


We  quote  the  following  from  the  National  Sweet 
Pea  Society's  Annual : 

"  The  floral  committee  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea 
Society  presents  the  following  as  an  up-to-date 
selection  of  varieties  placed  in  alphabetical  order. 
*  Indicates  a  grandiflora  variety  ;  all  others  are 
waved. 

Bicolor. — Arthur  Unwin,  Colleen  (A.M.,  B.H.S.,  1909), 
Mrs.  .\ndrcw  Ireland  (F.C.C.,  1908)  and  Mrs.  Cnthbertson 


up  my  notes  on  the  subject,  and  also  the  available    four  years,  and  yet  the  spring  flowers  were  earlier 

rainfall  records  for  the  years  antecedent  to  those    in  1912  than  in  either  1894  or  1903,  which  scarcely  1  (■^•*,''  R.JJ.-S..  1912) 

,          .,     ,,        r.      ,    T  .u                     J            •  '    I      Blue.— moid.    Norton    Spencer, 
noted.  accords   with    Mr.     Bowles     theory;     and,    agam     •  •-      ~   ~.     .      '^ 


,  Lord  Nelson  (A.M., 
1907)  and  .Mrs.  G.  Charles. 

Bliuh. — Mrs.  Hardcastle  Sykes  (A.M.,  1905)  and 
Princess  Victoria  (A.M.,  R.H.S.,  1907). 

Carmine. — John  Ingman  (F.C.C.,  1904). 

Cerise. — Cherry  Ripe  (A.iM.,  1910)  and  Decorator 
(A.M.,  1912). 

Cream,   Buff  and  Jvory. — (Jlara  Curtis  (F.C.C.,   1909), 


My  experience  is  that   wild  flowers  are  not  so  the  spring  and  summer  of  1895  were  nearly,  if  not 

responsive  to  mild  weather  in  autumn,  winter  and  quite,  as  dry  and  hot  as  1893  and  igir,  and  yet 

earh  spring  as  are  garden  flowers,  so  that  for  com-  1896  does  not  come  into  the  list  at  all.     If,  on  the 

parisons  of  this  kind  they  are  more  valuable  than  other  hand,  it  is  not  April,  but  the  general  character 

the   latter.       Since    1893    the    spring   flowers    have  of    the    soring    which    causes    this    earliness,    why  \  Isobel  Malcolm  and  Paradise  Ivory  (A.M.,  i908) 

..        ,,  ,      ■        o  J-  1       ,  1    ^L.  i_  ,  ,-  ,  ,  '       Cream  Pink  (Pale) — Gladvs  Burt.  Ladv  Jliller  (AM 

been  exceptionally  early  m   1894,    1903  and   1912,  should    this    year    be    so    much    earlier    than    last,     1912),  Mrs   H.  Dickson  (A.m!,  1910)  and  Sirs.  Routzalin. 

as  my  records  show,  and,  of  course, 
in  the  current  season,  1912-13.  Out 
of  the  various  flowers  available  which 
are  generally  very  regular  in  their 
time  of  opening,  I  will  take  two  as 
examples,  namely,  the  common  Snow- 
drop and  the  wild  Sweet  Violet. 
Th?  Snowdrop's  average  appearance 
here  is  during  the  last  few  days  of 
January  or  the  first  week  of  February, 
and  wild  Violets  begin  to  blossom 
as  a  rule  about  March  »i.  In  tlu- 
years  above  mentioned  they  came 
into  flower  as  follows  :  Snowdrop — 
January  20,  1894;  January  27,  1903; 
January  6,  191 2  ;  December  26, 
1912.  Violet — February  20,  1894  ; 
February  17,  1903  ;  February  18, 
1912  ;  January  7,  1913.  These 
dates  are,  of  course,  those  on  which 
the  first  blossom  was  found,  but 
the  whole  season  in  each  case  was 
correspondingly  early ;  ^for  instance, 
I  found  Hawthorn  in  leaf  on  Feb- 
ruary 7,  1903,  and  have  already 
seen  the  young  leaves  unfolding  this 
year. 

The  cause    of    this   occasional  pre- 
cocity is  more  difficult    to   ascertain. 
The   really   warm    winters   and   early 
springs    since    1893    were    r894,   1896 
and    1903.       Last    year,    which     was 
earlier    than    any  of    these,   was   not 
at   all   a  forcing  season    from    January 
In     1896,     which     was     the     mildest 
remember,  and  which  followed  a  very  hot  and  dry 
summer,    the  spring  flowers,    though   earlier   than 
usual,  were  later  than  in  any  of  the  years  mentioned, 
and  not  far  from  the  normal. 

Mr.  Bowles  attributes  this  early  flowering  to 
spring  drought,  and,  referring  to  the  rainfall  figures, 
we  find  the  totals  for  the  three  months — March, 
.\pril  and  May — were,  in  1893,  i-o8  inches  (Green- 
wich) ;  in  1902,  510  inches  (Greenwich)  ;  in  1911, 
415  inches  (Woodbridge  Abbey,  Suffolk)  ;  in  1912, 
3  39  inches  (Woodbridge  Abbey,  Suffolk)  ;  or 
taking  April  alone  12  inch  (Greenwich)  ;  -41  inch 
(Greenwich)  ;  126  inches  (Woodbridge  .Abbey, 
Suffolk)  ;  and  19  inch  (Woodbridge  Abbey, 
Suffolk),  all  being  below  the  average,  and 
three  of  them  very  much  below.  All  the  autumns 
(September,  October  and  November)  were  mild, 
but  neither  very  warm  nor  very  wet.  The 
summers  of  1893  and  1911  were  very  dry  ;    in  1902 


A    .MODERN    METHOD    OF     SHOWING     SWEET     PEAS.         THIS     LARGE     AND     BEAUTIFUL     GROUP     WAS 
STAGED    BY    MESSRS.    SUTTON    AND    SONS    AT   WOLVERHAMPTON    FLORAL    FETE    LAST    YEAR. 


to    .April, 
winter     I 


when  there  was  only   75  inch  difference  in  the  spring        Cream  Pink  (Dee;)).— Constance   Oliver  (A.M.,    1908), 
.    ,  ,,         ,     .     .  ,    ,.~  .      ,.  ^-1  Doris  Usher  (A..M.,  R.H.S.,  1909)  and  Mrs.  R,  Hallam. 

ramfaU   and  six  hours    difference  m   the  sunshme        Cri?nson.— King   Edward  Spencer,   Maud  Holmes  .ind 

records,  I9ir  having  both  more  rain  and  more  sun  I  Sunproof  Crimson  (jl.M..  1909). 

^,  ,  i^ann/.— .\ftereiow,    Charles   Foster   (A.M.,    1909)   and 

than  iqi2  ?  ;  prince  George. 

I  am  inclined  to  think  that  while  there  is  a  great  '      ioieMrfcr.— Florence     Nightingale,     Lavender     George 

J     ,.,,_,,  ^,  .,.  ,     '  Herbert    (Dohbie's),    Masterpiece    (A.M.,    1910),    R.    F. 

deal  m  Mr.  Bowles    theory,   comparmg     the  early  j  pelton  (A.M.,  1912)  and  True  Lavender. 

years  with  one  another,  it  looks  as  if  there  were  '      Lilac. — Agricola  (A.M.,  1912). 
.,        t     .  .  ,  ,,       ^        ..  ,_     ^L    .         Magenta. — Jlenie  Christie. 

some  other  factor  at  work  as  well.     Can  it  be  that        MarHed   and   Watered.— 'nAm\   Pierre   (F.C.C.,    1907) 

we  are  still  feeling  the  effects  of  the  hot  summer    and  Jfay  Campbell  (A.M.,  1911). 

Maroon. — Black    Knight    Spencer,    Nubian    and    Tom 


of  191  r,  but  did  not  feel  the  eft"ects  of  the  equally 
hot  summers  of  1893  and  1895  respectively  two 
years  later  because  the  winters  of  1895  and  1897 
were  too  cold  ?  The  remarkable  similarity  of  my 
wild  flower  records  for  December,  1894,  and 
December,  1912,  supports  this  suggestion  strongly, 
for  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  severe  winter  of 
1895  did  not  begin  till  the  latter  part  of  January 
and  was  most  felt  during  February  ;  or  are  we 
experiencing  the  effects  of  two  dry  springs  with  no 
intervening  hard  winter  to  neutralise  them  ? 
Hadleigh,  Suffolk.  T.   H.   Dip.v.^ll. 


Bolton  (A.M.,  1906). 

Maroon  Purple. — Arthur  Green  (A.M.,  1910)  and  Mrs. 
J.  M.  Gerhold. 

Maroon  iicrf.— Brunette  (A.M.,  R.H.S.,  1912)  and  Red 
Chief. 

Mauve  (Dark). — Hello-Paradise,  Queen  of  Norway 
(-\.M.,  1906),  Tennant  Spencer  and  Wenvoe  Castle. 

Mauve  (Paic).— Improved  Bertrand  Deal  (A.M.,  1912), 
JIauve  Queen  (.4.M.,  1911),  Mrs.  K.  H.  Carrad  and 
Winsome. 

Orange  Pink. — Edrom  Beauty  (A.M.,  1909),  Helen 
Grosvenor  and  Helen  Lewis  (F.C.C.  and  S.M.,  1905). 

Orange  Scarlet.— DAlzXer  (A.M.,  1909),  Edna  Unwin 
(A.M.,  R.H.S.,  1909)  and  Thomas  Stevenson  (F.C.C, 
1911). 

Picotee  Kdged  {Cream  Ground). — Evelyn  Hemus  (.i.M., 
R.H.S.,  1907)  and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Breadmore. 


64 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[February  i,  1913 


Picoiee  Edged  (While  Ground). — Elsie  Herbert.  (A.M., 
1906)   Marchioness  of  Twecddale  and  .Mrs.  Towiisend. 

Pink  (Beep).— Countess  Spencer  (F.C.C.,  1901)  and 
Hercules. 

Pink  (Pa/c).— Elf rida  Pearson  (A.M.,  U.H.S.,  1910). 

Rose. — Marie  Corelli,  Marjorie  Willis  and  Rosabelle. 

Salmon  S/inrfes.— Barbara  (F.C.C.,  1911),  Earl  Spencer 
(AM  R  H  S.,  1910),  Melba  (A.M.,  K.H.S.,  1912)  and 
Stirling  Stent  (P.C.C.  and  S.M.,  1910). 

5rarie«.— George  Stark  (F.C.C.  and  S.M.,  1908),  Red 
Star  (A.M.,  1911)  and  Scarlet  Emperor. 

Striped  and  Flaked  {Purple  and  Blue). — Loyalty  and 
Suflragette. 

Striped  and  Flaked  (Chorolate  on  Grey  Ground). — 
Senator  Spencer  and  W.  R.  Beaver. 

Striped  and  Flaked  (Red  and  Rose). — America  Spencer, 
Aurora  Spencer  and  Mr«.  \V.  J.  Unwin  (A.M.,  1909). 

B7,a,._'Dorothy  Eckford  (F.C.C,  1902),  Etta  Dyke 
(A.M.,  1996)  and  Nora  Unmn  (A.M.,  1907)." 

THE    BEST     SWEET     PEAS. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  the 
National  Sweet  Pea  Society's  Annual  this  year 
is  the  numerous  answers  to  questions  that  were 
sent  out  to  members  at  the  commencement  of 
the  Sweet  Pea  season  last  year.  Among  these, 
members  were  asked  to  name  the  best  six  varie- 
ties of  Sweet  Peas  for  garden  decoration,  the  best 
twelve  Sweet  Peas  in  cultivation,  the  best  three 
novelties  of  1911-12,  and  the  six  strongest-growing 
Sweet  Peas.  An  analysis  of  the  replies  was  com- 
piled by  Mr.  J.  Harrison  Dick  and  published  in 
the  Annual,  and  we  quote  this  below. 

The  following  selections  show,   as  the  result  of 
an  analysis  of  "  Expressions  of  Opinion,"  what  the 
members  generally  consider  the  best  varieties  : 
SIX  Best  Varieties  foe  Garden  Decoratios,. 
(Analysis  of  Annwers  to  Questvin  1.) 

1.  Maud  Holmes  33  votes- 

2.  Etta  Dyke 24      „ 

3.  Mrs.  Hugh  Dickson 21      „ 

i.     Thomas  Stevenson ■  •     IS      ,, 

5.  Elfrida  Pearson  and  Mrs.  W.  J.  llnwin     . .     16      „ 

6.  Nettie  Jenkins  . .         . .         . .         ■  •     15      „ 

Twelve  Best  Sweet  Peas  in  Cni.TivATiON. 
{Analysis  ol  Answers  to  Question  2.) 

1      Thonms  Stevenson 53  votes. 

2.     Clara  Cnrtis 42      „ 

3      Ellrida  Pearson  and  Maud  Holmes  ..40      ., 

4.  R.  F.  Felton 39      ., 

5.  Elsie  Herbert  37      „ 

6.  Nubian  36      „ 

7.  .Mrs.  C.  W.  Brcadmorc        . .         . .         . .     35      „ 

8.  Etta  Dyke 33      „ 

9.  Hercules        . .  . .  . .  •  ■  . .     30      ,, 

10.  Mrs.  Hugh  Dickson  and  Smiprool  Crimson    23      „ 

11.  Barbara,   Edroni   Beauty,  John  Ingma.M, 

Melba  and  Mrs.  Cuthbertson  ..21 

12.  Charles  Foster  and  Mrs.  W.  J.  Unwin      . .     20      „ 

Best  Three  Novelties  of  1911-12. 
(Analysis  ol  Ansivers  to  Question  3.) 

1.  R.  F.  Felton 36  votes. 

2.  Mrs.  W.  Cuthbertson  18      „ 

3.  Edith  Taylor ,  h?      •• 

Other   varieties     finding    favour    wen- :     Melba,     14 ; 

Barbara,  13  ;  Scarlet  Emperor,  11  ;  lied  Star,  8  ;  Thomas 
Stevenson,  7 ;  W.  P.  Wright,  7 ;  Afterglow,  6 ;  and 
Hercules,  6. 

Six  Stronsest-geowinr  Sweet  Peas. 
{Analysis  ol  Answers  (0  Question  4.) 

1.  Mrs.  C.  W.  Breadmore         38  votes. 

2.  Elsie  Herbert  34      „ 

s.     R.  F   Felton 2/       „ 

4      Hercules  and  Maud  Holmes  . .         . .     22      „ 

5.  Mrs.  W.  Cuthbertson  "9      " 

6.  John  Ingman  .and  Snnrroof  Crimson  ..      In 


THE     EDITOR'S    TABLE. 

Cotoneaster    angustifolia.— Mr.     J.     Comber, 

Nymans  Gardens,  Handcross,  Sussex,  sends  fruiting 
sprays  of  this  interesting  shrub  with  the  following 
note  :  "  Some  fine  sprays  of  this  Chinese  shrub 
were  exhibited  by  Mr,  G.  Paul  on  behalf  of  the 
grower,  M.  Vilmorin,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  on  November  29,  1904, 
when  it  received  a  first-class  certificate.  Subse- 
quently a  coloured  plate  appeared  in  The  Garden. 
Many  besides  ourselves  must  have  been  induced 
to  try  it,  and  it  is  probable  that  there  are  now 
numerous  fine  specimens  in  this  country  ;  but, 
as  far  as  I  am  aware,  very  few  have  been  recorded. 


A  specimen  planted  in  1905  has  for  the  past  two 
seasons  fruited  abundantly  in  these  gardens.  At 
first  it  grew  rapidly,  soon  reaching  the  height  of 
6  feet,  afterwards  making  horizontal  shoots  2  feet 
or  3  feet  in  length  each  season.  The  points  rarely 
matured,  and  were  more  or  less  injured  by  frost. 
Transplanted  to  poorer  ground  and  an  open, 
sunny  position,  it  has  since  reached  the  width 
of  r2  feet  ;  but  the  growth  is  sturdy  and  has 
borne  an  increasing  quantity  of  fruit.  The  berries 
are  the  size  of  small  culinary  Peas,  and  cast  their 
downy  covering  in  October,  gradually  passing  from 
greenish  yellow  to  brilliant  orange  yellow.  Their 
abundance  gives  the  plant  a  most  ornamental 
appearance.  Unfortunately,  as  far  as  my  ex- 
perience goes,  they  are  not  very  persistent,  for 
having  lasted  in  full  beauty  only  six  weeks,  they 
now  (January  22)  fall  readily  at  the  slightest  touch. 
No  pruning  is  needed,  the  plant  as  it  ages  forming 
a  handsome  bush." 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
make  The  Gauuen  helpful  to  all  leaders  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  yardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistocfc 
Street,  Corent  Garden,  London,  IV. C*.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  tfie  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  s/iould  be  sent  to  the  Publisher. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

DOUBTFUL  PLANT  {Enquirer  ).^ln  all  probability 
you  are  euquiring  tor  Senecio  elcyans,  whicb  may  Ue 
obtained  from  any  good  seed-house  in  crimson,  purple, 
rose,  white  and  other  shades.  All  are  easily  raised  from 
seeds,  the  varieties  ranging  from  9  inches  to  18  inches 
high. 

ADONIS  FROM  SEED  {E.  T.  ir.J.— All  the  Adonises 
should  be  sown  soon  after  maturing,  preferably  m  slight 
warmth,  i.e.,  -io'  or  50'.  A  light,  sandy,  well-drained 
soil  is  best,  and  a  soil  covering  about  twice  the  depth  of 
the  seed.  Where  the  seed  is  long  kept  out  of  the  soil, 
it  is  apt  to  remain  two  seasons  before  vegetating.  We  do 
not  know  the  species  referred  to,  and  would  be  interested 
to  learn  more  concerning  it. 

ANNUALS  FOR  SHADY  BORDER  {Regular  Reader).— 
Most  annuals  prefer  sun,  though  many  are  quite  iuditterent. 
One  of  the  most  important,  of  coui'se,  is  the  Sweet  Pea, 
particularly  the  scj-rlet  shades,  which  not  infrequently 
■■  burn  "  wlien  grown  fully  exposed.  For  several  years 
we  have  grown  a  collection  within  the  shade  of  fruit  trees. 
Others  of  service  are  Asters  in  variety,  Cornflower, 
(Jalliopsis,  t'andytuft,  Sweet  Sultan,  Statice  sinuata 
and  the  Wallflowers  Antirrhinums  and  Canterbury 
Bell;  among  biennials  arc  worthy  of  note  and,  if  well 
grown,  arc  capable  of  t  good  display. 

JUDGING  SWEET  PEAS  (7.  C'.).— As  you  have  had 
no  experience  in  judging  Sweet  Peas  and  do  not  know  the 
points  whicb  go  to  make  a  good  spike,  the  best  thing  for 
you  to  do  is  to  leave  the  task  to  someone  better  quaiitied 
to  undertake  it.  It  is  mifair  to  you  to  be  cahed  upon 
for  so  technical  a  duty,  and  unfair  to  tlie  exhibitors  that 
their  blooms  should  be  adjudicated  upon  by  one  who 
is  not  fnUy  qualified.  If  you  write  to  Mr.  Charles  H. 
Curtis,  2,  Adelaide  Road,  Brenttord,  iliddlesex,  he  will 
gladly  SL-nd  you  the  rules  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea 
Society,  and  for  2-^.  would  send  you  a  copy  of  the  "  Sweet 
Pea  Annu.ll,"  containing  the  report  of  a  conference  on 
judging;  but  you  must  spcrify  that  it  is  this  particular 
one  that  you  want.     No  ;   two  competitors  may  not  enter. 

PRIMULA  FROM  AROLLA  (R,  S.).—li  the  Primula 
is  really  P.  fariuosa,  it  would  now  be  more  or  less  in  the 
crown-bud  stage.  The  plant  in  flower  is  4  inches  to 
6  inches  high,  the  rosy  lilac  flowers  borne  at  the  summit 
of  a  frail  stcnii  covered  by  a  dense  whitish  meal  or  farina. 
The  leaves  are  also  similarly  characterised.  The  plant 
is  plentiful  in  the  upland  pastures  of  the  Alps.  The  flrst 
week  of  May  would  be  early  to  flower  it,  unless  frame  culture 
be  resortedto  throughout,  and  even  then  a  little  artificial 


heat  may  be  necessary.  Such  treatment,  however, 
robs  these  things  of  their  grace  and  charm,  and  not  a 
little,  too,  of  the  colour.  In  the  larger  pot  the  plant 
should  flower  well.  It  is  by  no  means  difficult  to  grow, 
and  is  best  perpetuated  by  means  of  seeds  sown  as  soon 
as  ripe. 

GENTIANAS  {A.  de  G.).— The  main  essentials  for  the 
sncci'^stul  riilture  of  Gentiana  acaulis  are  a  sunny  position, 
good  loamy  soil  with  a  fair  proportion  of  gritty  sand 
and  a  reasonable  amount  of  moisture.  If  it  is  intended 
to  divide  the  plants,  the  best  time  to  do  so  is  directly 
the  flowers  are  over  ;  but  when  established  clumps  are 
obtainable,  they  may  be  planted  during  the  autumn  and 
winter  months  whenever  the  weather  is  suitable.  They 
should  be  planted  firmly,  and  it  is  very  essential  that  they 
are  at  no  time  allowed  to  suffer  for  the  want  of  moisture. 
The  hardy  Cyclamen  may  be  planted  in  ejirly  autumn 
when  dormant  or  nearly  so. 

DRAINAGE  FOR  ROCKERY  (H.  J.  C.).— Either  the 
clinkers  or  the  chalk  would  do  quite  well  —  anything, 
indeed,  that  will  permit  of  a  free  passage  of  superfluous 
moisture.  You  might,  in  your  case,  have  9  inches  of  it 
before  you  start  building,  though  this  amount  might 
require  modification,  according  to  cu-cumstances.  For 
example,  you  say  nothing  of  its  position,  high  or  low, 
whether  on  sloping  bank,  nearly  level  ground,  or  in  a 
depression.  If  the  rockery  is  of  any  extent,  a  little  expert 
advice  on  the  spot  would  be  money  well  spent,  and  probably 
save  you  much  future  disappointment  and  many  failures. 
Sandstone  will  do  quite  well  if  of  the  right  kind.  Some 
sandstones,  however,  are  of  little  value.  Grit  and  leaf- 
mould  and  the  addition  of  burnt  ballast  would  be  much 
better  for  mixing  with  the  soil  than  chalk  from  the  gas- 
works, which  may  to  some  extent  be  impregnated  by 
the  gas  itself.  A  heavy  soil  is  certainly  not  the  best  foi 
the  cultivation  of  choice  alpines,  though  you  do  not  say 
what  you  contemplate  cultivating. 

PLANTS  FOR  STREAMSIDE  BORDER  {Asphodel).— 
For  this  particular  purpose  the  Tunica,  Sedum,  Andro- 
saces  and  Geranium  would  be  quite  unsuitable  ;  the  Caltha , 
much  too  early  in  flower.  The  (Enothera  is  also  a  trailing 
subject  far  better  suited  to  the  rock  garden  or  rockery 
border,  where  it  might  trail  among  stones.  Indeed, 
the  only  really  suitable  things  your  list  contains  are  the 
Lobelias  and  Japanese  Irises.  To  these  latter  you  might 
add  I.  aurea,  I.  Monnierl  and  I.  pallida  dalmatica.  0\her 
good  things  would  be  some  of  the  newer  Astilbes,  as 
Ceres,  Peach  Blossom  and  Queen  Alexandra,  Spira?a 
Filipendula  ti.-pl..  Lobelia  cardinalis,  L.  Queen  Victoria, 
Lilium  canadense  (in  peat),  Primula  japonica,  P.  pulveru- 
lenta  (a  notable  plant  indeed),  Anemone  japonica  in  red, 
pink  and  white  shades,  and  Senecio  Doronicum.  To  make 
a  show,  the  whole  of  these  should  be  planted  in  groups, 
say,  three  or  half-a-dozen  plants  to  each  group.  As  you 
say  nothing  of  the  extent  of  the  border,  we  cannot  suggest 
in  this  direction  at  all.  The  easiest  rock  plants  to  raise 
from  seeds  are  Aubrietia,  Alyssum,  Saxifrages  (Mossy 
sorts).  Tunica  Saxlfraga,  Sileno  alpestris,  Achilleas  (any), 
Acantholimon  glumaceum,  Campanulas  in  variety. 
Sedums,  Saponaria  ocymoides,  Armeria,  Erinus  of  sorts. 
Iberis,  Coronilla,  Hutchinsia  alpina  and  Pianthus  in 
variety. 

ARUM  LILIES  FOR  STREAMSIDE  GARDEN  {L.  B.).— 
Calla  elliottiana  differs  so  markedly  from  the  ordinary 
Arum  that  you  are  not  at  all  likely  to  succeed  with  it 
under  the  conditions  named.  In  the  first  place,  the  ordi- 
nary kind  (Calla  or  Richardia  »thiopica)  is  a  native  nf 
Cape  Colony,  where  it  frequents  ditches  and  similar 
spots,  and  in  some  places  there  frosts  are  not  unknown. 
C.  elliottiana,  on  the  other  hand,  comes  from  a  warnn-r 
district  further  North;  hence  it  would  not  survive  an 
English  winter.  There  yet  remains  another  and  very 
important  item,  and  that  is  the  ordinary  Arum  is  practi- 
cally an  evergreen  unless  it  is  dried  off  during  the  summer  ; 
whereas  elliottiana  behaves  quite  differently.  This  last 
named  forms  a  flattened  tuber,  much  resembling  that  of 
a  Caladium,  and,  like  it,  passes  the  winter  in  a  totally 
dormant  state,  during  which  period  it  should  be  kept 
quite  dry.  Shaken  quite  clear  of  the  old  soil  and  repotted 
in  February  in  a  mixture  of  loam,  leaf-mould,  well- 
decayed  manure  and  sand,  it  will,  in  a  temperature  of 
55°  to  65",  start  freely  into  growth  and  push  up  its  hand- 
some, spotted  leaves,  soon  after  which  the  flowers  make 
their  appearance.  When  the  pots  get  full  of  roots,  an 
occasional  stimulant  will  be  helpfiU.  After  flowering, 
the  plant  must  be  kept  in  the  greenhouse  in  order  to  encour- 
age growth  and  the  formation  of  flowers  for  another  season. 
By  the  end  of  the  summer  the  plant  will  show  signs  uf 
going  to  rest  by  the  leaves  turning  yellow.  When  this 
happens,  the  water  supply  must  be  lessened,  and,  when 
quite  dormant,  discontinued  altogether. 


TREES     AND    SHRUBS. 

CLIMBERS  FOR  HURDLES  {A.  C.).— A  mixture  of 
green-leaved  Ivy  and  Jasminum  nudiflorum  would  look 
very  well  in  the  position  you  describe,  or,  if  the  position 
is  not  exposed  to  great  cold  in  winter  or  early  sprmg, 
Escallonia  langleyensis  might  be  used.  The  latter  plant 
forms  long,  graceful  shoots,  and  bears  large  quantities 
of  rosy  red  flowers  during  the  summer.  It  will  stand 
15'  or  18°  of  frost  without  harm,  providing  the  frosty 
period  is  not  a  prolonged  one  ;  but  when  over  20°  are 
experienced  it  is  liable  to  injury.  The  Ivy  and  Jasrame 
combination  forms,  of  course,  a  pretty  wmter  effect, 
for  the  flowers  are  at  their  best  during  January.  The 
<^reenery  of  the  Ivy,  however,  remains  the  year  round, 
and  a  summer-flowering  Clematis  might  be  placed  with  it, 
for  that  could  be  cut  down  in  winter. 


^^t^ 


r>0^-^—^. 


GARDEN.! 


-^r- 


■=^i,. 


^^ 


No.  2151.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


February  8,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week.  .     63 
coburspondence 

Fatsia  japonica  harcl> 
in  Lancashire       . .     ttti 

Plants  flowering  early     c« 

I.auruatinus  lucidum    67 

Clematis  indivisa  in 
New  Zealand       . .     67 
Solution  and    notes  of 

Acrostic  No.  7..  ..  67 
Solversof  Acrostic  No.  6  67 
Forthcoming  events  . .  67 
Prizes  for  the  Best 

RooE  Gardens      ..     67 
SoiEsoE  IN    Relation   to 
Hoktiooitoee 

Hybridisation  . .      . .     67 

FKUIT  G.IRDEN 

Bitter-pit  in  Apples  68 
KocK  AND  Water  Garden 


Iris  Vartanii 
A  Cicilian  Crocus    . . 
Lithospermum  grami- 
nifolinm 
Fi.owEP.  Garden 
A   miniature   hybrid 

Narcissus 
Lilies:    A  causerie. . 


70 


llosE  Garden 
Growing  Roses  over 

rustic  poles  . .      , .     71 
Some   of    the  newer 
Hjbrid  Tea  Roses    72 
Kitchen  Gakden 
Seasonable   notes  on 
vegetables     . .     . .     72 
Gardening  for  Beginners 
Liliums  in  uudrained 

pans  of  moss  fibre    73 
How  to  grow  Balsams    73 
How    to   pot    Tube- 
roses           73 

How  to  prepare  soil 
in  a  Rose-bed      . .     73 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For     Southern     gar- 
dens            74 

For     Northeru     gar- 
dens            74 

A  National  Daffodil 

SOCIETY  .  .       .  .      75 

.\NSWERS    TO     CORRE- 
SrON DENTS 

Flower  garden  . .     . .  75 

Rose  garden     . .      . .  76 

Miscellaneous  . .      . .  76 

Societies     76 


II.I4USTRATIONS. 

Clematis  indivisa  in  a  reader's  garden  in  New  Zealand  67 

Apple  Tower  of  Glamis  attacked  by  bitter-pit    . .      . .  68 

Vascular  network  of  Apple  with  bitter-pit  patches  . .  68 

Fibro-vascular  system  of  a  Pear 68 

A  beautiful  Iris  (I.  Vartanii)  for  the  alpine-house     . .  69 

A  new  miniature  Narcissus  (N.  mlnicycla) 70 

Rustic  poles  as  supports  for  rambler  Roses 70 

Rose  Elise  Robichon  growing  over  rustic  poles  . .      . .  71 

Ijilium  tigrinum  Fortune!  in  an  undralned  bowl  of  fibre  73 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  icdcomea  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  lor  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  unll  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  unit  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contribuiions  w-hich  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistoi,k  Street,  Covent  Qardm,  W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 

Sweet  Pea  Edith  Taylor.— On  page  52  of  our 
last  issue  we  inadvertently  stated  that  this  Sweet 
Pea  was  sent  out  by  Mr.  Robert  Holmes.  .•Uthough 
raised  by  him,  it  was  sent  out  by  Robert  Sydenham, 
Limited,  Tenby  Street,  Birmingham. 

Two  Uncommon  Ornamental  Trees. — Planters 

of  ornamental  trees  are  sometimes  at  a  loss  to  know 
what  to  secure  in  the  way  of  uncommon  subjects. 
Two  distinct  trees  for  planting  in  gardens 
are  Cedrus  atlantica  pendula  and  Pinus  sylvestris 
aurea,  the  former  a  weeping  form  of  the  well- 
known  Cedrus  atlantica,  the  latter  a  beautiful 
golden  form  of  Pinus  sylvestris.  Both  are 
splendid  for  isolated  specimens  in  the  pleasure 
grounds. 

The  Victoria  Medal  of  Honour  in  Hor- 
ticulture. —  To  fill  the  three  vacancies  caused 
by  deaths  during  the  past  year,  the  Council 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  have 
bestowed  the  Victoria  Medal  of  Honour  in 
Horticulture  on  Mr.  Divers,  the  well  -  known 
head-gardener  at  Belvoir  Castle ;  Mr.  Whytton, 
Superintendent  of  Glasgow  City  Parks ;  and  the 
Rev.  W.  Wilks,  for  twenty  -  five  years  the 
esteemed  secretary  of  the  society. 

A  Primula  Conference. — On  April  16  a  Primula 
Conference  will  be  held  by  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  at  Vincent  Square,  vfhen  Sir  John  Llewelyn, 
Bart.,  will  occupy  the  chair.  The  papers  to  be 
read  are  as  follow ;  "  Himalayan  Primulas,"  by 
Mr.  Craib  of  Kew  ;  "  European  Hybrids  in  Nature," 
by  Mr.  Reginald  Farrer ;  "  Primulas  from  a 
Garden  Point  of  View,"  by  Miss  Jekyll ;  "  Chinese 
Species  of  Primula,"  by  Professor  Bayley  Balfour, 
F.R.S.  ;  and  "  European  Primulas,"  by  Dr.  John 
McWatt. 

Dwarf  Shrubs  for  the  Hock  Garden.— Among 
dwarf  shrubs  for  planting  on  narrow  borders  or  on 
the  rock  garden,  the  following  are  very  interesting, 
and  are  not  seen  so  often  as  their  merits  deserve  ; 
Berberis  buxifolia,  Olaria  niummulari^folia.  Genista 
sagittalis,  Veronica  cupressoides,  and  V.  pinguifolia, 
the  latter  having  grey  foliage.  These  subjects 
are  of  easy  cultivation,  and  do  not  require  constant 
pruning  to  keep  them  in  shape.  Many  so-called 
dwarf  shrubs  are  only  kept  in  boimds  by  constant 
priming,  and  however  neatly  this  operation  is 
performed,  it  is  often  advisable  to  use  plants 
which  do  not  require  the  constant  use  of  knife 
or  shears. 

Ornamental  Crab  Apples  tor  the  Conserva- 
tory.— Among  the  numerous  hardy  trees  and 
shrubs  which  are  forced  for  conservatory  decoration, 
the  best  of  the  Crab  Apples  are  great  favourites, 
both  on  account  of  their  free-flowering  quaUties 
and  delicate  colouring.  A  group  composed  princi- 
pally of  Pyrus  floribunda,  its  variety  atrosanguinea, 
and  the  semi-double-flowered  P.  Scheideckeri  was 
noted  on  January  35  in  the  greenhouse  at   Kew, 


where  it  was  certainly  one  of  the  daintiest  and 
most  admired  features.  The  plants  of  P.  fiori- 
bnnda  were  10  feet  or  12  feet  high  and  well 
flowered  throughout,  P.  Scheideckeri  being  bushes 
3  feet  or  4  feet  in  height.  The  elegance  of  such 
plants  and  the  pretty  shades  of  the  flowers  open 
up  a  wide  field  of  possibilities  for  the  exercise  of 
the  decorator's  art,  for  in  conjunction  with  wfiite- 
flowered  or  foliage  plants  many  effective  arrange- 
ments might  be  made. 

A  Useful  Annual  for  the  Greenhouse. — Among 
the  various  annuals  that,  sown  in  pots  in  the  spring, 
are  of  considerable  value  for  the  embellishment 
of  the  greenhouse  later  on  must  be  included  Rho- 
danthe  Manglesii  and  its  white-flowered  variety. 
The  seed  sown  now  will  quickly  germinate,  and, 
providing  it  is  grown  in  a  good  light,  airy 
position  in  the  greenhouse,  so  that  the  young  plants 
do  not  become  drawn,  it  gives  but  little  trouble. 
By  some  the  seeds  are  sown  in  the  pots  in  which 
they  are  to  flower,  while  by  others  they  are  sown 
in  pans  or  boxes  and  pricked  o2  therefrom  into 
their  flowering  pots,  which  are,  as  a  rule,  5  inches 
in  diameter.  From  eight  to  ten  plants  are  put 
in  a  pot. 

Apples  with  Many  or  No  Pips. — At  a  recent 
meeting  of  the  scientific  committee  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society,  Mr.  Chittenden  showed 
specimens,  to  which  reference  has  already  been 
made,  of  Apples  having  more  than  two  seeds 
in  the  capillary  cells.  The  variety  Duchess's 
Favourite  had,  as  a  rule,  in  the  past  season  four 
seeds  in  each  cell,  and  in  one  case  five  had  been 
found.  This  is  remarkable,  as  the  number  in  the 
wild  types  is  practically  constantly  two,  and  that 
has  been  used  as  a  basis  of  separation  between  the 
genera  Pyrus  and  Cydonia.  He  also  showed 
specimens  of  an  Apple  called  No- Pip,  which  was 
reputed  to  form  no  seeds,  although  the  Apple  was 
perfectly  developed.  Those  exhibited  had  only 
the  merest  rudiments  of  seeds,  apparently  no  larger 
than  the  ovules  had  been. 

Camellia  reticulata. — To  many  people  the 
irregular-shaped  flowers  of  this  species  appear 
more  beautiful  than  the  flowers  of  the  varie- 
ties of  C.  japonica  with  their  formal  outline, 
and  everyone  who  sees  a  bush  in  full  bloom  is 
impressed  by  its  beauty.  A  native  of  Hong 
Kong  and  China,  it  forms  a  large  bush,  with  longer 
and  more  slender  shoots  than  C.  japonica.  The 
flowers  resemble  those  of  a  semi-double  Paeony, 
for  the  red  petals  are  of  irregular  size  and  shape, 
and  enclose  a  central  mass  of  yellow  stamens,  a 
single  flower  being  from  5  inches  to  6  inches  across. 
Unfortunately,  it  is  less  hardy  than  C.  japonica, 
and  may  not  be  grown  out  of  doors,  even  in  the 
milder  counties,  imless  it  is  given  the  protection 
of  a  wall.  It  is,  however,  an  excellent  plant  for 
planting  in  a  border  in  a  greenhouse  or  conservatory, 
where  it  may  be  trained  against  a  wall  or  allowed 
to  assume  bush  form.  Under  glass  it  blooms 
during  January  and  February. 


66 


THE    GARDEN. 


[February  8,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  Editor   is   not   responsible  for  the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


The  Herbaceous  Border  at  Hopetoun  House, 
Linlithgowshire. — In  my  notes  in  The  Garden 
of  January  ii,  page  22,  I  regret  having  omitted  to 
give  the  dimensions  of  the  fine  herbaceous  border 
at  Hopetoun  House,  an  illustration  of  which  was 
given.  The  total  length  is  167  yards  and  the 
width  18  feet. — C.  Bl-'vir. 

Rose    Herzogin    Marie    Antoinette. — I    was 

much  interested  in  Mr.  Herbert  E.  Molyneux's 
note  on  the  above  Rose  on  page  45  of  The  Garden 
for  January  25,  and  was  glad  to  observe  that 
he  had  grown  it.  Many  Continental  varieties  of 
great  merit  are  apt  to  be  overlooked,  and  the  Rose 
under  notice  is  a  case  in  point.  It  is  certainly  a 
good  decorative  Rose. — George  M.  Tavlor, 
Midlothian. 

Fatsia  japonica  Hardy  in  Lancashire. — In 
reference  to  the  note  about  this  plant  on  page  30, 
issue  January  18,  it  may  interest  readers  to  know 
that  it  is  quite  hardy  here.  There  is  a  plant  of  it 
here  that  has  been  outdoors  for  eight  years,  and  it 
is  a  fine  one,  with  leaves  down  to  the  ground. 
It  is  5  feet  6  inches  high  and  as  much  through. 
It  has  had  no  protection  whatever. — H.  Glover, 
Orrell,  near  Wigan. 

Plants    Flowering   Early. — I  have  read  with 

interest  your  various  correspondents'  notes  on 
the  early  flowering  of  various  plants.  .In  these 
gardens  on  January  8  there  were  fifty-three 
different  species  of  plants  in  bloom  outside,  the 
most  remarkable  being  Olearia  Gunnii,  which  had 
ten  flowers  open  and  numerous  others  on  the 
point  of  bursting,  and  Staphylea  colchica,  with 
foiu'  sprays  of  blossom  fully  open  ;  while  Anemone 
alpina,  A.  blanda'  and  Cyclamen  Coum  are  patches 
of  bright  colour. — A.  Grant,  The  Gardens,  New 
Place,  Haslemere. 

Flowers  in  British  Columbia. — ^So  many  people 
are  now  mterested  m  Canada,  but  I  think  the 
climate  in  places  is  misunderstood.  For  instance, 
here  in  my  garden  in  Victoria,  B.C.,  I  had  the 
following  plants  in  bloom  on  January  3  :  Roses, 
Chrysanthemums,  Auriculas,  Violets,  Geraniums, 
Snowdrops,  Hypericums,  Calceolarias,  Helleborus, 
Aubrietias,  Pansies,  Primroses,  Wallflowers,  Stocks, 
Fuchsias,  Dianthuses,  Antirrhinums,  Cmeraria 
stellata,  Daisies,  Lupines,  Primulas,  Eschscholtzias, 
Hollyhocks,  Portulaca,  Poppies,  Mignonette  and 
Arabis. — T.  B.   Pemberton. 

The  Hardiness  of  Campanula  isophylla. — At 
the  conclusion  of  a  lecture  which  I  gave  the 
other  day,  an  interesting  discussion  took  place 
on  the  question  of  the  hardiness  of  Campanula 
isophylla.  In  my  lecture  I  stated  that  I  had 
been  unable  to  keep  it  in  the  open  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Dumfries ;  that  I  had  never 
seen  it  standing  in  the  open  in  this  part  of 
the  country ;  and  that  the  finest  plants  of  C. 
isophylla  I  had  ever  seen  in  the  open  were  in  Ireland. 
Several  who  were  present  practically  confirmed 
what  I  had  said  regarding  this  Bell-flower  in  this 
part  of  Scotland,  but  one  gentleman  stated  that 
when  in  Lancashire  he  had  seen  C.  isophylla  standing 
through  the  winter  in  pots  in  the  open,  and  sub- 
jected to  treatment  which  many  professedly  hardier 
flowers  would  not  stand.  In  view  of  these  remarks 
it  would,  I  think,  be  an  advantage  if  others  who  have 
tried  C.  isophylla  out  of  doors  would  give  us  the 
benefit  of  their  experience.  I  may  add  that  the 
plants  in  Ireland  to  which  I  referred  were  grown 


on  a  sheltered  wall  in  Dublin  and  were  exceedingly 
fine.  Nowhere  do  we  see  this  plant  better  grown 
than  in  cottage  windows,  and  many  fine  examples 
are  to  be  met  with  in  this  district. — S.  Arnott, 
Dumfries. 

Old  Cyclamen  Plants. — In  The  Garden  for 
January  18  you  ask  readers  (or  particulars  con- 
cernmg  the  age  of  Cyclamen.  I  have  a  friend  who 
has  some  plants  twenty  years  old,  and  which  flower 
profusely  each  year.  I  have  seen  them  yearly 
for  the  last  six  years,  so  I  can  vouch  for  their 
flowering  well.  ■  Speaking  to  him  last  week  on  the 
topic,  he  informs  me  that  they  can  be  kept  as 
remarked  in  your  note.  He  also  believes  in 
keeping  them  when  he  has  good  colours,  as 
he  knows  what  he  is  growing. — George  Crabbe, 
Woodside. 

Sowing  Early  Peas. — I  quite  agree  with  the 
method  of  sowing  seeds  of  early  Peas  as  practised 
by  the  late  Mr.  Charles  Foster  and  referred  to  in 
"  Notes  of  the  Week,"  issue  January  18.  For 
several  years,  having  ample  space  in  a  six-acre 
kitchen  garden,  I  sowed  some  seeds  of  early  varieties 
of  Peas  in  December  and  January  and  chanced 
what  the  result  would  be.  Having  plenty  of  dry 
soil  from  the  potting-shed  and  root  stores,  I 
covered  the  seed  r  inch  deep  with  it  in  a  dust  dry 
state,  and  then  put  on  a  thin  layer  of  the  border 
soil.  The  border  was  a  warm  one  on  the  south 
side  of  a  12-foot-high  fruit  wall,  and  we  had  no 
failures  except  once,  when  rats  did  a  lot  of  damage. 
The  pods  were  ready  to  gather  about  a  week 
earlier  than  those  grown  on  plants  from  later 
sowings. — .\voN. 

The  Newer  Roses.— On  page  21,  date  January  11, 
is  a  suggestion  by  Mr.  H.  E.  Molyneux  that  readers 
should  send  a  list  of  the  newer  varieties  they  have 
tried  and  proved  satisfactory.  Among  others,  we 
have  tried  the  foUowmg,  which  have,  on  the  whole, 
in  growing  and  flowering  given  every  satisfaction  : 
Miss  C.  Forde,  Lady  A.  Stanley,  Mrs.  C.  MUler, 
Lady  Pirrie,  Jonkheer  J.  L.  Mock,  Mrs.  A.  Munt,  My 
Maryland,  Entente  Cordiale,  Mrs.  E.  G.  Holland,  E. 
Mawley,  Herzogin  Marie  Antoinette  and  Rosomane 
Thomas  (catalogued  as  a  Tea  variety).  To  par- 
ticularise, I  may  add  that  Mrs.  Holland,  E.  Mawley 
and  Herzogin  Marie  Antoinette  do  not  appear  any  too 
strong  in  making  growth,  but  perhaps  time  may 
set  this  matter  right,  while  the  last  of  the  three 
is  very  free-flowering.  I  think  this  list  only 
dates  back  to  1909.  Our  soil  inclines  to 
stiffness,  and  the  plants  get  liberal  attention. — 
C.  T.,  Highgate. 

Roses  Grown  Near  London.— A  few  words 
regarding  a  Rose  which  I  have  seldom  seen  men- 
tioned in  your  columns,  but  which  I  have  found 
a  very  suitable  one  for  town  gardens,  may  be  of 
interest.  I  refer  to  Mme.  Hector  LeuUliot.  While 
it  is  quite  true  that  it  is  not  one  of  those  Roses 
which  are  remarkable  for  their  freedom  m  producing 
flowers,  still,  I  think  it  is  well  worthy  of  being 
more  generally  grown,  it  being  very  hardy,  a  good 
strong  grower,  with  lovely  foliage,  and  one  that 
appears  to  thrive  on  a  poor  soil.  The  colour  of 
its  blooms  is  extremely  rich  orange,  the  outer 
petals  being  somewhat  paler  and  prettily  veined  ; 
they  have,  moreover,  a  pleasant,  fruity  fragrance. 
In  a  cool  summer  similar  to  what  we  experienced 
last  year,  the  blooms  are  even  deeper  and  richer  in 
colour.  The  blooms  are  full  and  hang  their  heads 
slightly,  but  I  do  not  consider  that  this  detracts 
anything  from  their  loveliness  when  the  plant  is 
grown  at  the  foot  of  trellis-work  and  the  growths 
trained  and  tied  back  to  hide  the  same.     A  tree 


of  this  variety  that  I  have  growmg  in  this  manner 
made  splendid  growth  even  for  the  remarkable 
summer  we  experienced  last  year.  One  shoot  I 
measured  was  fully  14^  feet  long,  while  some  of 
the  leaves  on  it  were  loj  inches  in  length.  This 
vigorous  growth  appears  wonderful  to  me  when 
taking  into  consideration  the  light,  stony  soil 
in  which  it  is  planted  and  how  confined  the  gardens 
are  in  the  immediate  vicinity  where  I  reside. 
Perhaps  some  others  of  your  readers  would  give 
their  experiences  with  this  variety. — H.  A. 
FoRDHAM,  Forest  Gate,  E. 

Ranunculus     Lyalli    in    New    Zealand. — As 

the  writer  of  a  note  on  this  subject  which  appeared 
in  The  Garden  about  two  years  ago,  I  was, 
naturally,  greatly  interested  in  Mr.  Willcox's 
note  and  the  charming  illustration  of  a  portion 
of  his  rockery  which  appeared  in  your  issue  for 
January  18,  page  34,  with  R.  Lyalli  (one  of  the 
finest  of  all  sub-alpines)  nestling  in  the  background. 
In  my  note  I  advocated  its  extended  culture  in 
this  country,  but  was  informed  by  your  esteemed 
correspondent  Mr.  S.  Arnott  that  the  plant  is 
difficult  to  establish,  and  that  attempts  had  been 
made  which  mostly  proved  a  failure.  However, 
I  was  determined  to  try,  and  had  two  plants  sent 
me  by  my  sister  from  Invercargill,  New  Zealand. 
They,  however,  proved  a  failure  ;  the  long  journey 
had  extracted  their  vitality  to  such  an  extent 
that  after  a  brave  struggle  to  live  they  gradually 
dwindled  away.  Still,  I  firmly  believe  that  if 
we  raised  our  plants  from  seeds,  success  would 
be  more  assured,  and  if  we  follow  Mr.  Willcox's 
cultural  directions  we  might  establish  this  new 
plant  in  our  own  country. — J.  E.  Davies,  The 
Gardens,  Talygarn,  South  Wales. 

Serious  Losses  Among  Roses  in  Linlithgow- 
shire.— Not  for  many  years  have  our  Roses  suffered 
so  severely  as  they  have  done  during  the  present 
winter.  Climbers  on  walls,  arches  and  pillars, 
in  particular,  are  a  sorry  sight,  while  dwarfs  have 
by  no  means  escaped.  In  this  garden  our  Rose 
arches  are  of  painted  iron,  and  at  first  I  was  inclined 
to  blame  these  for  the  losses,  but  on  examining 
a  row  of  wooden  pillars  connected  by  hempen 
ropes,  I  find  the  destruction  quite  as  heavy,  while 
also  in  other  gardens  in  the  district,  where  all  arches, 
pergolas  and  pillars  are  of  rustic  woodwork,  the 
same  serious  state  of  affairs  is  in  evidence.  Now, 
the  winter,  on  the  whole,  has  been  anything  but 
severe,  so  far  as  frost  is  concerned,  but,  owing 
doubtless  to  the  cold,  wet  summer,  growth  was 
made  so  late  that  the  wood  was  very  imperfectly 
ripened,  and  what  frosts  we  had  found  everything 
green  and  full  of  sap.  The  most  severe  frosts 
were  from  November  27  till  December  3,  and  it 
was  this  spell  of  cold  weather  that  did  the  mischief. 
So  far  as  my  observation  serves,  the  only  climbing 
Rose  that  has  totally  escaped  is  our  old  friend 
Gloire  de  Dijon.  All  our  plants  of  this  are  on  walls, 
so  that  they  have  all  the  shelter  going,  but  as 
Crimson  Rambler,  Griiss  ai  Teplitz  and  others 
liave  suffered  more  or  less  severely  when  trained 
in  similar  positions,  it  seems  evident  that  the  good 
old  Gloire  is  the  hardiest  of  all  climbing  Roses. 
A  good  big  plant  of  Hiawatha  on  an  arch  is  quite 
killed,  as  is  also  a  weeping  standard  of  White 
Dorothy.  As  I  have  already  said,  the  dwarfs 
have  not  entirely  escaped,  but  it  is  just  too  early 
to  determine  how  serious  the  loss  is  among  these. 
Perhaps  readers  in  other  parts  of  the  United  King- 
dom will  briefly  state  their  experiences  in  regard 
to  this  matter. — C.  Blair,  Preston  House  Gardens, 
Linlithgow. 


February  8,  1913.] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


67 


Laurustinus  lucidum. — In  the  various  para- 
graphs that  appear  from  time  to  time  regarding  the 
Laurustinus,  I  am  surprised  that  no  one  refers  to 
the  variety  lucidum.  Tliis  has  a  large,  pohshed, 
dark  green  leaf,  not  corrugated  Uke  the  type, 
and  the  flowers  are  at  least  twice  the  size  of  the 
common  kind.  It  is  fairly  common  in  Qimish 
gardens,  but  is  quite  hardy.  It  is  not  easy  to  obtain 
from  nurserymen,  who  sometimes  supply  the 
French  variety  (much  inferior)  in  place  of  it.  It 
can  be  obtained  in  Ireland.  I  should  like  to  know 
when  it  was  introduced  and  from  where. — J.  A.  D., 
Noctorum. 

Clematis    indivisa    in    New    Zealand. — 1   am 

sorry  that  I  am  not  near  enough  to  send  you 
some  flowers  for  your  tabic,  but 
please  accept  a  photograph  of  a 
plant  of  Clematis  indivisa,  which 
was  planted  two  years  ago  in  my 
garden.  It  covers  the  top  of  a  rustic 
fence  for  a  distance  of  i6  feet.  Un- 
fortunately, the  camera  could  not 
include  the  whole  length.  Viewed 
from  the  other  side,  the  mass  of  flowers 
looked  even  finer  than  this,  but  the 
background  was  poor.  The  plant 
began  to  flower  on  July  20,  and  there 
were  still  a  few  flowers  to  be  seen  at 
the  beginning  of  November. — Frank 
Mason,  Whakaronga,  New  Zealand. 


PRIZES     FOR    THE     BEST 
ROCK    GARDENS. 


To  further  stimulate  the  interest  that  is  being  taken 
in  rock  gardens,  the  Proprietors  of  The  Garden 
offer  the  following  prizes  for  three  photographs  of 
a  rock  garden,  or  portions  of  a  rock  garden  ; 

First  prize  :  Five  Guineas,  or  a  Silver  Cup  of 
that  value. 

Second  prize  :  Two  Guineas,  or  Boolcs  of  that 
value. 

Third  prize  :  One  Guinea. 

The  competition  is  open  only  to  the  actual  owner 
of   the   rock   garden,    or   to   his   or   her   gardener. 


SCIENCE    IN    RELATION    TO 
HORTICULTURE. 


T 


HYBRIDISATION. 

art     of    hybridisation 


HE 

enormously  by  the 
coveries  of  Mendel. 
a    game    of    chance 


has    gained 

far-reaching    dis- 

It    is   no  longer 

between    the    ex- 


perimenter and  Nature.  Mendel's 
carefully-planned  researches  drew  from 
Nature  a  knowledge  ot  the  controlling  laws 
under  which  sexual  reproduction  worked,  and 
of  the  new  forms  of  life  she  called  into  being. 
No    hybridiser     nowadays     need     experiment     at 


H 

E 
A 
T 
H 


SOLUTION    AND  NOTES   OF 
ACROSTIC     No.    7. 

"HEATH"      "ERICA." 

ELLEBOR  E 

SPALIE  R 

MPELOPSIS    VeITCHI     I 

SOPMO  C  (compost) 

ENN  A 

H.  Andrews  published  a  monograph 
of  the  genus  Erica  betw^een  1804  and 
1814.  Loddiges  and  Son  w'ere  cele- 
brated nurserymen  at  Hackney  early 
in  the  nineteenth  century.  Erica  was 
the  name  used  by  Pliny. — See  Nichol- 
son's "  Dictionary  of  Gardening." 

*  Christmas    Rose    (H.    niger)    and 
Bear's-foot  (H.  foetidus).     t  Folkard's 
"  Plant    Lore,"    page    24.       Mahomet 
called  it  "  chief   of   the  flowers   of   this  world  and 
the  next."     It  is  now  known  as  Lawsonia  alba. 


CLEMATIS    INDIVISA    IN    A    READER'S    GARDEN    IN    NEW    ZEALAND. 


SOLVERS     OF    ACROSTIC    No.    6. 

Correct  solutions  of  Acrostic  No.  6  were  sent  in 
by  the  following :  "  Leander,"  L.  .A.  Louden, 
"  Elm,  Hampton,"  "  H.  A.  T.,"  Mrs.  F.  Jones, 
"  Nemo,"  "  Ian  Dhu,"  William  Bond,  "  Rustic," 
"  Retrac,"  "  R.  P.  B.,"  "  Tempus  Fugit,"  "  Briar- 
bank  "  and  Miss  G.  M.  Hallowes.  In  our  next 
issue  we  hope  to  pubHsh  the  names  of  those  who 
have  correctly  solved  N05.  7  and  8,  and  also  the 
names  of  the  prize-winners. 


FORTHCOMING    EVENTS. 

February  10. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Meeting. 

February  11. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Annual  Meeting. 

February  12. — East  .4ngUan  Horticultural  Club's 
Meeting. 

February  14.  —  Finchley  Chrysanthemum 
Society's  Annual  Meeting.  Beckeuham  Horti- 
cultural Society's  Meeting  and  Lecture. 


The    competition    is    subject    to    the    following 
rules  : 

1.  Not    more   than    three    photographs   ofj^each 

garden  may  be  sent  in  by  one  competitor. 

2.  Each  photograph  must  have  the  full  name  and 

address  of  the  competitor  plainly  written 
on  the  back  in  ink. 

3.  Successful   competitors   shall   furnish   written 

particulars  of  the  rock  garden  forming  the 
subject  of  their  photographs. 

4.  Glazed  and  mounted  P.O.P.  prints  must  be  sent. 

5.  .\11   photographs   must   be   sent  to   arrive   at 

The  Garden  Offices,  20.  Tavistock  Street, 
Strand,  W.C,  not  later  than  June  i,  1913- 

6.  Unsuccessful   photographs   sent    in    for   com- 

petition will  be  returned  if  a  sufficiently 
stamped  and  addressed  envelope  or  wrapper 
is  enclosed  for  the  purpose,  but  no  responsi- 
bility will  be  taken  for  the  loss  or  damage  of 
photographs  submitted,  although  every  care 
will  be  taken  to  return  them  uninjured. 

7.  The    Proprietors  of  The   Garden  reserve   to 

themselves  the  right  to  reproduce  any 
photograph  sent  in  for  competition. 

8.  The  decision  of  the  Editor  will  be  final. 


random.  His  work  can  be  carried  along  definite 
and  well-defined  lines,  and,  having  discovered  by 
experiment  certain  factors,  he  is  able  to  foretell 
the  likely  results  of  mating  this  parent  with  that. 
Mendehsm,  therefore,  has  given  a  great  impetus 
to  the  practice  of  hybridisation,  and  has  largely 
contributed  to  the  enrichment  of  our  gardens  with 
improved  strains  of  cultivated  plants.  A  good 
illustration  of  the  application  of  Mendel's  law,  as 
it  is  conveniently  called,  to  prcictical  gardening  is 
furnished  by  a  series  of  interesting  experiments 
on  Tomatoes  recently  carried  out  at  the  New  York 
Agricultursd  Experimental  Station  by  R.  Welhngton. 
Mendel's  Laws. — To  imderstand  the  meaning 
of  the  results  obtained  in  these  experiments  it  will 
be  necessary,  first,  to  explain — to  those  who  are  not 
familiar  with  the  working  of  Mendelian  factors — 
one  or  two  of  the  first  principles  underlying  the 
science  of  hybridisation.  The  factor  determining 
any  given  character  of  a  plant,  such  as  height, 
is  inherited  ;  that  is,  it  is  transmitted  from  the 
seed  parent  to  the  offspring  or  seedhng.  Pure- 
blooded  "tails"  when  mated  will  always  produce 
tails,  as  the  pollen  as  well  as  the  ova  carry  the  same 
kind  of  factor.     But  what  will  hapnen  if  the  pollen 


68 


THE    GARDEN. 


[FfiSRtJARY  8,  1913 


or  ova  of  one  parent  carries  the  factor  of 
tallness,  and  the  pollen  or  ova  of  the  other 
parent  carries  the  factor  of  shortness  from 
a  pure  strain  of  dwarfs  ?  While  the  offspring 
will  obviously  inherit  the  power  to  produce 
both  characters,  it  is  also  obvious  that  it 
cannot  be  both  tall  and  short  at  the  same 
time.  It  must  be  one  or  the  other,  unless, 
.ndeed,  it  makes,  as  it  were,  a  compromise 
and  becomes  neither  the  one  nor  the  other, 
but  simply  grows  to  a  medium  height. 
But  it  may  not  take  this  latter  course, 
in  which  case  one  of  the  characters  will  be 
"  dominant  "  ;  that  is,  It  will  master  the 
other,  or  "  recessive,"  as  it  is  called.  Tall- 
ness in  Sweet  Peas,  for  example,  is  domi- 
nant to  shortness.  It  follows  from  this  that 
when  a  dwarf  and  a  tall  Sweet  Pea  are 
mated,  the  progeny  of  the  cross  in  the  first 
generation  will  be  all  tall  and  all  hybrids, 
hybrid  because,  although  they  are  all  tall, 
yet  they  all  contain  the  factor  of  dwarf- 
ness  in  subjection.  Now  the  next  point  to 
understand  is  that  while  an  individual  plant 
may  be  hybrid,  the.  individual  pollen  and 
ovu  produced  by  that  plant  can  never  be 
hybrid  in  its  nature.  As  the  pollen  grains 
are  formed,  the  Mendelian  characters 
separate  in  twos  and  twos  equally,  so  that 
half  the  number  of  pollen  grains  possess  the 
factor  of  tallness  and  half  the  factor  of  dwarfness, 
and  the  same  thing  happens  with  respect  to  the 
ova,  thus : 

Pollen.  Om. 

I     T  3     T 

2D  4     D 

Now,  if  you  take  up  a  quantity  of  ripened  pollen 
in  a  camel-hair  brush  from  either  the  pollen  or 
seed  parent  and  dust  it  over  the  stigmas  of  the 
other,  what  are  the  chances  of  combination  ? 
If  pollen  No,  i  fertihses  ova  No.  3,  clearly  the 
offspring  will  be  a  pure  tall ;  while  if  it  fertilises 
ova  No.  4,  the  offspring  will  just  as  obviously  be  a 
hybrid.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  pollen  grain 
No.    2    carrying    the    pure    dwarf-producing   factor 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


m  1  1  E 

D 


^^^^^^■HJlfe*' 

^^^^^^^^^^^Hm^*'. 

4  'v;il^|^^^^^^| 

RHp* 

'i^Mi^^^^^^^^r 

-VASCULAR  NETWORK  OF  APPLE  WITH  BITTER- 
PIT  PATCHES  ATTACHED.  THE  NETWORK  IS 
INTERRUPTED  WHERE  THE  BROWN  PATCHES 
OCCUR. 


I. .\PPLE    TOWER     OF     GLAMIS     SHOWING     EXTERNAL 

APPEARANCE    WHEN    ATTACKED    BY    BITTER-PIT. 


fertilises  ova  No.  4,  the  resulting  offspring  will 
be  of  a  pure  dwarf  strain  ;  while  if  it  fertilises  ova 
No.  3,  a  hybrid  will  be  the  result.  The  second 
generation,  therefore,  breaks  up  into  three-fourths 
tall  and  one-fourth  dwarf.  But  of  the  three  tails 
one  only  is  pure,  the  other  two  being  hybrids. 
If  we  are  dealing  with  a  hybrid  "  medium,"  then  the 
second  generation  will  break  up  into  50  per  cent, 
mediums,  25  per  cent,  talis  and  25  per  cent,  dwarfs. 

Influence  of  Crossing  on  Yield  in  Tomatoes. — 

To  return  now  to  the  experiments  with  Tomatoes 
at  the  New  York  Agricultural  E.xperimental  Station, 
Mr.  Wellington  has  found  that  a  crop  of  hybrid 
plants  of  the  first  generation  give  a  larger  yield 
than  either  of  the  parental  forms,  or  of  the  succeed- 
ing generations  after  the  "  break."  The  results 
suggest  and  seem  to  warrant  the  use  of  first- 
generation  seed  only  if  the  main  object  be  the 
production  of  a  heavy  crop.  Of  course,  it  entails 
all  the  extra  care  and  trouble  that  artificial  fertilisa- 
tion means ;  but  Tomato  fruits,  as  a  rule,  produce 
a  large  number  of  seeds,  which,  so  far,  is  some 
compensation  against  the  extra  trouble.  Tomato 
seeds  retain  their  vitality,  it  is  said,  for  from  three 
to  seven  years  ;  therefore  it  would  only  be  absolutely 
necessary  for  seed-growers  to  raise  every  third 
year  a  sufficient  quantity  to  cover  the  needs  of  a 
three-year  sale.  It  would  appear  to  be  a  simple 
matter  for  raisers  of  Tomato  seed  to  select  pure 
strains  of  comparatively  heavy  croppers  and  reserve 
them  for  breeding  purposes.  Those  not  wanted  for 
purposes  of  hybridisation  could  be  kept  pure  by 
self-fertilisation,  with  the  view  of  keeping  up  the 
stock  of  hybrid  mothers.  In  this  work  it  must 
be  remembered  that  violent  crosses — that  is,  using 
parents  too  widely  different — produce  not  stronger 
but  weaker  offspring.  Finally,  it  is  known  that  a 
corrugated  form  is  dominant  to  a  smooth  form, 
and  that  a  dark  red  coloration  is  dominant  to 
pink,  and  pink  dominant  to  yellow.  Size  and 
shape  are  both  inherited  characters,  and  extremes, 
when  mated,  tend  to  produce  medium  hybrids. 
It  is  also  said  that  earliness  is  slightly  increased  by 
crossing.  D.  Houston. 

Royal  College  oj  Science  tor  IreUwd,  Dublin. 


BITTER-PIT     IN     APPLES. 

RING     the    hot     summer    and 
autumn  of   191 1    there  were 
numerous    complaints     from 
various  parts  of  the  country 
of    the  prevalence  of    bitter- 
pit   in   Apples.     This   was  a 
rather     mysterious     disease     that     caused 
sunken,  brown  spots  to  appear  under  the 
sldn    of    many  Apples,    particularly    those 
with   soft   flesh,   such    as    Warner's    King. 
■Although  little  had  been  heard  of  it  in  this 
country  up  to  that  time,  it  had  been  very 
prevalent     in    Australia,    which,    together 
with  the  fact  that  our  summer  of  1911  was 
exceptionally  dry  and  resembled  the   Aus- 
tralian summers,  gave  rise  to  the  supposi- 
tion that  drought  was  the  indirect  cause  of 
the  trouble,  which  also  attacks  Pears. 

We  have  just  received  a  voluminous  but 
extremely  interesting  Report  on  the  subject 
from  Mr.  D.  McAlpine,  Government  Vege- 
table Pathologist  to  the  Department  of 
.\griculture  for  Victoria,  .Australia.  Mr. 
McAlpine  has  been  investigating  bitter-pit 
in  Apples  for  some  years,  and  the  volume 
we  have  before  us  is  his  First  Progress 
Report.  In  our  issue  for  December  2,  1911,  we  pub- 
lished an  illustration  of  an  .-^pple  Tower  of  Glamis 
attacked  by  this  disease,  and  we  reproduce  this  again, 
so  that  those  readers  not  familiar  with  it  may  get 
an  idea  of  the  external  appearance  of  a  fruit  so 
attacked.  Mr.  McAlpine  has  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  bitter-pit  arises  from  some  derange- 
ment of  the  vascular  system  of  the  Apple  ;  and  as 
the  matter  is  one  of  importance  to  fruit-growers 
in  this  and  other  countries,  we  publish  his  letter, 
together  with  the  summary  of  the  Report  that  he 
sends  us  and  two  illustrations  from  the  very 
numerous  and  interesting  collection  that  is  to  be 
found  in  its  pages.     Mr.  McAlpine  writes  : 

"  I  have  much  pleasure  in  forwarding  you  my 
First  Progress  Report  on  bitter-pit  in  Apples, 
and  although  somewhat  voluminous,  since  it  clears 
the  ground  for  future  action,  you  will  be  able  to 
get  an  idea  of  the  principal  points  from  the  table 
of  contents  and  from  the  summary  at  page  109. 
One  important  point  has  been  already  established 
as  the  result  of  experiments,  viz.,  that  oversea 
shipments  of  clean  fruit  will  be  free  from  bitter-pit 


February  8,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


69 


on  reaching  its  destination  if  kept  at  a  constant 
and  sufficiently  low  temperature,  viz.,  30°  to  32° 
Fahr.  The  fruit  was  cooled  down  to  35°  Fahr. 
and  then  kept  at  the  above  temperature  without 
fluctuations.  The  scientific  explanation  of  this 
fact  is  that  at  1°  or  2°  Fahr.  below  the  freezing 
point  of  water,  the  respiration  of  the  Apple  is 
suspended,  and  in  this  state  of  suspended  animation 
or  dormancy  the  development  of  bitter-pit  is 
retarded.  It  would  hardly  be  expected  that  any- 
thing fresh  would  be  found  out  in  such  common 
objects  as  the  Apple  or  Pear,  and  yet  I  have 
discovered  a  beautiful  and  delicate  vascular  net 
immediately  beneath  the  skin,  which  has  an  impor- 
tant bearing  on  the  origin  of  bitter-pit,  and  the 
purpose  of  which  is  to  regulate  and  equalise  the 
distribution  of  food  material  in  the  area  where 
the  greatest  and  most  rapid  growth  necessarily 
takes  place."     (See  illustration  on  page  68.) 

The  summary  in  the  Report  referred  to  is  as 
follows  : 

"  It  is  a  fundamental  principle  of  pathology  that 
the  normal  structure  and  functions  of  the  part 
(tr  organ  concerned  sliould  be  determined  as  far 
as  possible,  in  order  that  the  abnormal  conditions 
may  be  properly  understood. 

The  structure  and  functions  of  the  Apple  and 
Pear  were  therefore  investigated,  with  the  result 
tliat,  on  the  removal  of  the  skin  and  flesh  after 
softening,  there  remained  a  delicate  skeleton 
and  vessels  as  a  model  of  the  whole,  ramifying 
through  and  permeating  every  portion  of  the  fruit, 
supplying  the  seed-vessels  and  the  flesh  with 
liquid  nourishment,  and  forming  a  network  of 
vessels  immediately  beneath  the  skin.  This 
vascular  network  was  found  to  originate  in  the 
earliest  stages  of  the  fruit,  and  continues  to  expand 
with  the  enlarging  flesh. 

It  is  shown  that  neither  insects  nor  fungi, 
bacteria,  nor  external  agencies,  such  as  spraying, 
are  concerned  in  the  production  of  bitter-pit. 
Bitter-pit  is  seen  to  be  an  internal  disease,  due  to 
internal  causes,  and  always  found  associated 
with  the  discoloured  vascular  bundles.  '  Crinkle,' 
or  '  pig  face,'  or  '  hoUow  .Apple  '  is  shown  to  be  a 
confluent  form  of  bitter-pit,  every  gradation  being 
observed  from  pit  to  slight  and  advanced  crinkle. 
Large  cavities  are  formed  by  the  rupture  of  the 
tissue,  owing  to  rapid  and  excessive  growth  at 
the  periphery.  Diseases  found  associated  with 
bitter-pit  were  '  black  spot.'  '  bitter  rot,'  '  glassi- 
ness  '  or  '  water  core.'  and  '  mouldy  core  ' 

.\ppearances  mistaken  for  bitter-pit  were  hail- 
marks,  bruised  skin,  effects  produced  by  chemical 
reagents  and  local  poisoning.  Pitted  Apples  are  pro- 
duced on  unsprayed  trees,  and  a  chemical  analysis  of 
such  Apples  revealed  no  trace  of  mineral  poisons. 

It  was  found,  as  far  as  my  investigations  go, 
that  the  key  to  the  solution  of  the  bitter-pit  problem 
lay  in  the  wonderful  vascular  system  which 
permeates  the  '  core '  and  the  '  flesh,'  and  the 
marvellous  network  of  vessels  just  beneath  the 
skin,  their  function  being  to  regulate  and  equalise 
the  distribution  of  food  material  at  the  periphery 
of  the  fruit,  where  the  greatest  and  most  rapid 
growth  normally  takes  place. 

The  brown  spots  of  bitter-pit  are  generally  first 
formed  in  the  zone  occupied  by  the  vascular  net, 
of  which  there  is  not  only  ocular  demonstration 
in  the  position  of  the  tough  brown  spots  still 
adhering  to  the  -Apple  in  which  the  network  is 
shown  (Fig.  2),  but  in  the  figure  of  the  Apple 
reproduced  direct  from  the  object  itself.  There 
is  also  a  striking  confirmation  of  this  in  the  fact 


has  been  noted  by  competent  observers  in  Europe, 
America  and  .Africa,  even  although  the  existence 
of  the  network  was  unknown  to  them.  The  earliest 
external  appearance  of  bitter-pit  was  noticed  when 
the  fruit  was  about  the  size  of  a  Walnut,  but  it 
generally  occurs  when  the  fruit  is  about  half  grown 
or  approaching  matiunty.  It  generally  occurs 
in  the  upper  half  of  the  fruit  and  towards  the 
■  eye  '  end,  and  this  is  correlated  with  the  openings 
in  the  skin  being  much  more  numerous  in  the  upper 
than  in  the  under  portions.  Chemical  analysis 
shows  that  there  is  less  water  in  the  flesh  of  the 
upper  portion.  The  larger  number  of  openings 
will  necessarily  allow  more  active  transpiration 
to  go  on  at  the  '  eye  '  end  than  at  the  stalk  end, 
and,  owing  to  this  extra  transpiration,  there  is 
less  water  in  the  flesh  at  the  top. 

Bitter-pit  may  be  associated  with  wet  or  drv 
seasons,  so  long  as  they  are  intermittent  and 
fluctuating  in  their  character  at  the  critical  period 


tree  and  the  fruit  formed  may  be  controlled  to  a 
large  extent  by  cultivation,  manuring,  including 
green  manuring,  irrigation,  the  stocks  used  and  the 
method  of  pruning.  The  relation  of  each  of  these 
factors  to  the  development  of  bitter-pit  is  being 
determined  by  means  of  experiments.  Young  and 
vigorous  trees  making  rapid  growth  may  have 
pitted  fruit,  from  the  rapid  transpiration  and 
excessive  growth  interfering  with  the  regular 
development  of  the  vascular  network.  A  light 
crop,  with  abnormally  large  fruit,  is  more  liable 
to  pit  than  a  heavy  crop  of  average-sized  fruit 
equally  distributed  over  the  tree." 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

IRIS    VARTANII. 

This  winter-flowering  Iris  of  the  reticulata  section 
is    not    nearly    as    widely   known    or    grown    as    it 


.\    BE.\UTIFUL    IRIS    (l.    V..iRT.\NII)    FOR    THE    .\LPINE    HOUSE. 

of  growth.     The  principal  contributing  factors  to  ,  deserves    to    be.     Its    flowering    season    is    from 

bitter-pit  are  :  I  October  to  January,  and  as  an  Iris  for  growing  in 

(i)   Intermittent    weather    conditions    when    the  ;  pans  to  brighten  the  alpme-house  in  the  dull  winter 

fruit  is  at  a  critical  period  of  growth.  I  days  it  has  few  equals.     When  grown  outside,  it 

(2)  Amount  and  rapidity  of  transpiration.  should  be  given  a  favoured  position  imder  a  wall 

(3)  Sudden    checking    of    the    transpiration    at  |  or  a  sheltered  niche  in  the  rock  garden,  while  it 


night,  when  the  roots  are  still  active  owing 
to  the  heat  of  the  soil. 

(4)  Failure  of  supplies  at  the  periphery  of  the 
fruit,  followed  by  spasmodic  and  irregular 
recovery. 

(5)  Inequality  of  growth,  so  that  the  vascular 
network  controlling  the  distribution  of 
nutritive  material  is  not  regularly  formed. 

(6)  Fluctuations  of  temperature  when  fruit  is 
in  store  ;    and 

(7)  Nature  of  variety. 
The    weather   cannot    be    controlled    (except    in 

so  far  as  a  smoke-blanket  is  allowed  to  drift  over 


is  one  of  those  plants  showing  a  decided  preference 
for  a  light  soil.  The  chief  colour  of  the  flowers  is 
a  slaty  blue,  the  broad  falls  being  almost  white, 
copiously  veined  with  a  lavender  hue  and  having 
a  very  pretty  yellow  crest.  The  erect  standards 
are  slaty  blue.  This  Iris  is  a  native  of  Palestine, 
and  is  named  after  Dr.  Vartan  of  Nazareth. 


that  the  same  place  of  origin  of  the  brown  spot    the  orchard  on  frosty  nights),  but  the  soil  and  the 


A     CICILIAN    CROCUS. 

(Crocus  cilicicus  lilacinus.) 

A  PRETTV  late-flowering  Crocus  is  that  called 
C.  cilicicus,  which  Maw  in  his  "  iMonograph " 
refers   to   the   species   C.    cancellatus.     It    is    the 


70 


THE    GARDEN. 


[February  8,  iqi^. 


A    NEW     MINIATURE     NARCISSUS,    N.  MINI- 
CYCLA.       (Natural  size.) 

Cilician  form  of  cancellatus,  and  it  differs  but 
slightly  from  the  type.  There  are  several  varieties 
of  this  CUician  Crocus,  generally  of  different  shades 
of  blue.  The  one  named  above  is  of  a  pale  lUac, 
and  looks  very  pleasing  on  rockwork  in  the  late 
autumn  and  winter.  This  Crocus  seems  to  open 
with  but  a  moderate  amount  of  sunshine.      S.  A. 


and  there,  some  tufts  of  that  beautiful  pink  Linum 
viscosom  growing  together  with  them,  and  dark 
brown  Serapias  longipetala  and  bright  yellow 
Coronillas,  all  these  together  under  the  brilliant  sun 
of  Italy.  You  will  have  an  idea  of  the  charming 
apparition.  And  then,  in  the  shady  and  grassy 
places,  fields  of  the  marvellous  cardinal  red  Lilium 
carniolicum,  framed  by  the  deep  pink  Epimedium 
alpinum,  the  rocks  being  covered  with  Phyteuma 
humile  and  P.  comosum,  with  the  deep  blue 
Paederota  and  the  delicate  Saxifraga  cassia,  every 
kind  of  colour  and  tint,  and  all  in  masses 
in  myriads,  every  rock  coloured  and  adorned,  and 
you  will  have  a  little  idea  of  my  emotion. 

Lithospermum  graminifolium  is,  in  my  opinion, 
far  better  than  the  Pyrenean  L.  prostratum. 
The  elegance  of  the  flower  and  the  beautiful  pure, 
deep  azure  of  the  long,  tubular  corolla  are  un- 
surpassable ;  but  the  best  of  it  is  that  it  is 
the  easiest  to  grow.  We  have  in  the  wall  of  Floraire 
two  tufts  of  it  measuring  2  feet  to  3  feet  in  diameter, 
which  are  indescribable  in  beauty  and  vigour. 
They  were  singly  planted  between  the  stones  of 
the  wall  in  a  very  sunny  place.  The  plant  likes 
sun,  of  course,  and  does  not  stand  well  in  the  misty 
and  damp  climates. 

Another  very  good  Lithospermum  is  rosmarini- 
folium,  from  the  Abruzzis  in  South  Italy.  It 
flowers  in  early  spring,  and  again  in  late  autumn, 
and  has  deep  blue  flowers.  But  it  is  not  quite 
hardy  with  us.  L.  fruticosum,  from  the  South 
of  France,  is  a  hardy  kind,  and  forms 
little  bushes  of  2  feet  to  3  feet,  with  deep  blue 
flowers.  L.  prostratum  is  not  good  here,  as  we 
have  too  much  chalk  in  the  ground  and  in  the 
water.  Two  creeping  sorts  of  the  Pyrenees,  L. 
olaefolium  and  L.  Gastonis,  are  easy  growers,  the 
first  having  pink  and  blue  flowers  and  silver  whitish 
leaves,  and  the  other  is  a  low 
herbaceous  kind,  with  deep,  big 
flowers.  The  first  likes  the 
rockery  and  a  sunny  place 
between  the  stones ;  the  second, 
a  peaty  soil,  half  shady. 

H.    CORREVON. 

Floraire,  near  Geneva. 


LILIES:     A     CAUSERIE. 

{Continued  from  page  47.) 

The  many  forms  of  L.  Martagon  are  not  made 
as  much  of  as  they  deserve.  Though  they  prefer 
a  sunny,  open  border,  there  are  few  corners  in  a 
garden  where  they  will  not  settle  down  and  make 
themselves  at  home,  whether  it  be  in  semi-wild 
grass  or  in  thin  shade  under  trees.  The  common 
pink  type  is  the  dullest  of  the  forms,  but  even  that 
varies  greatly,  and  some  pretty  pearly  pink  forms, 
as  well  as  deeper  ones,  may  be  selected.  I  should 
like  to  be  in  the  hay  meadows  around  Modane 
when  the  Martagons  are  ablow.  I  have  only  seen 
their  fat  buds  just  appearing  in  pendent  bunches, 
but  from  the  variety  of  coloiu's  they  wore  at  that 
early  stage,  shading  from  yellowish  green  to  nearly 
black,  and  from  the  variation  in  the  amount  of 
white  down  that  covered  some  and  the  shining, 
glabrous  surface  of  others,  they  promised  a  rich 
array  of  varieties.  I  did,  however,  secure  one 
treasure  from  that  neighbourhood.  While  scram- 
bling on  the  rocky  southern  hillside  behind  a  little 
frontier  town,  searching  for  butterflies  chiefly, 
I  espied  in  a  garden  a  group  of  Martagons  witli 
curiously  pale  golden  leaves.  A  closer  inspection 
through  the  gaps  of  the  fence  showed  it  was  not 
diseased,  but  a  distinctly  golden-leaved  form. 
It  appeared  to  be  growing  in  the  garden  of  the 
Douane,  and,  as  I  was  not  very  certain  then  as  to 
the  attitude  the  officials  took  to  the  collecting  and 
posting  of  plants,  I  was  daunted,  and  waited  to  .ask 
mine  host  of  the  inn  if  he  could  get  me  a  bulb  in 
autumn.  This  he  promised  to  do,  the  Chef  de 
Douane  being  his  very  good  friend.  However, 
no  bulb  came,  so  on  my  next  visit  I  plucked  up  all 
my  courage,  my  best  manners,  and  wliat  I  call  my 
French.      Anything    in    h'S     garden     was    at    my 


LITHOSPERMUM     GRAMINIFOLIUM. 

Some  years  ago  I  was  ascending  the  very  humble 
Mount  Summano  up  to  Sohio,  near  Vicenza  in 
High  Italy,  The  ground  was  then  covered  with 
rare  Orchids.  It  was  just  the  best  time  for  them 
(June),  and  I  gathered  there  many  charming 
species  in  the  world  of  Serapias,  Ophrys  and  Orchis. 
Suddenly  before  my  eyes  arose  the  most  exquisite 
sight  I  ever  saw.  Like  in  a  dream,  in  a  heavenly 
dream,  I  saw  a  blue  picture,  fringed  with  pink, 
formed  by  a  mass  of  deep  azure  flowers.  "  What  is 
this?"  I  said  to  the  Italian  friend  who  was  at  my 
side.  "  I  do  not  know,"  he  answered,  so  I  hastened 
and  hastened  till  I  was  at  the  slope  which  was  so 
adorned  with  the  blue,  and  saw  it  was  the  exquisite 
Lithospermum  graminifolium,  a  gem  I  cultivated 
for  years,  but  which  I  had  not  yet  found  wild. 
This  made  such  an  impression  upon  my  mind  that 
I  shall  never  forget  it.  Imagine  thousands  of 
millions  of  such  long  and  thin  deep  azure  flowers, 
all  close  to  each  other,  all  together  pressed  on 
the  tuft  of  grass-like  foliage,  so  dense  that  no  place 
was  free  for  the  foliage.     And  imagine,  still,  here 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 


A    MINIATURE    HYBRID 
NARCISSUS. 

(Narcissus  minicycla.) 

This  interesting  Uttle  hybrid,  re- 
produced life-size  on  this  page, 
was  raised  by  crossing  Narcissus 
minimus  with  N.  cyclamineus.  The 
hybrid,  raised  from  seed  sown  in 
190S,  is  almost  intermediate, be- 
tween the  two  parents,  and  a 
detailed  description  of  it  appeared 
in  last  week's  issue  on  page  60 
under  "  New  and  Rare  Plants." 
An  award  of  merit  was  granted  to 
this  novelty  by  the  Royal  Horticul- 
tural Society  on  January  21,  and 
this,  we  believe,  is  the  earliest 
date  on  which  a  Narcissus  has  ever 
gained  an  award.  The  hybrid  was 
raised  by  Mr.  F.  Herbert  Chapman 
of  Rye,  and  we  understand  that 
it  has  now  passed  into  the  hands 
of  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  through 
whom  it  will  be  distributed. 


RUSTIC  rOLES  ARRANGED  IN  A  BED  AS  SUPPORTS  FOR 
RAMBLER  ROSES.   SEE  THE  EFFECT  ON  THE  NEXT  PAGE. 


February  8,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


71 


disposal,  but,  arrived  witliin  view  of  my  golden 
treasure,  alas  !  it  was  not  on  his  property.  That 
little  stone  marked  the  boundary,  and  beyond  it 
was  the  garden  of  the  Barracks  !  I  despaired ; 
my  companion  said  "  Courage."  He  would  conduct 
mc  to  a  sous-officer  who  directed  the  horticulture, 


is,  I  think,  the  best.  I  find  they  require  a  mulch 
and  watering  In  dry  weather  just  before  coming 
into  flower,  otherwise  they  flag  on  hot  days  and 
the  lower  whorls  of  leaves  do  not  recover,  but  die 
off  and  spoil  the  general  effect.  The  parent  I.. 
Hansonii   is   a   grand   acquisition   for   a   partially- 


and  so,  after  much  more  bowing  and  hat-raising  i  shaded  spot.     It  appears  to  be  very  easily  satisfied 
than  I  had  ever  achieved  before  in  so  short  a  space  i  as  to  soil,  provided  it  is  deeply  planted  and  gets 


of  time,  the  bemedalled  martial  director  of  horti- 
culture sent  for  a  pleasant  old  blue-blonsed  gardener 
with  a  huge  spiide  that  looked  as  if  it  h.id  been 
cut  out  of  a  giant's  pack  of  cards.  The  Lilies  were 
attacked,  and  I  acquired  three  and  their  history. 
Ihat  related  how  one  plant  was  found  on  the 
mountains  and,  brought  to  the  garden  many  years 
ago,  had  increased  to  form  this  glowing  patch. 
Of  course,  it  was  not  very  good  for 
them  to  be  lifted  just  at  ffowering- 
time  and  sent  off  on  the  long  journey 
to  England,  but  I  have  hopes  they 
will  recover  it  and  be  as  beautiful 
here  as  they  appeared  to  be  on  Mont 
Cenis.  The  beauties  of  the  Martagon 
family  are  album,  the  pure  white,  and 
the  deep  claret  L.  dalmaticum.  The 
former  of  these  is  a  very  old  garden 
plant,  and  w.is  praised  by  Parldnson 
as  "  being  altogether  of  a  fine  white 
colour,  without  any  spots,  or  but 
few,  and  that  but  sometimes  also." 

Then,  as  now,  a  form  existed  with 
flowers  of  a  poorer  quality  of  white, 
and  speckled  with  dull  purple  towards 
the  centre.  Being  so  easily  raised 
from  seed,  it  is  always  likely  that 
inferior  forms  will  be  found  in  any 
large  stock  of  it ;  so  in  buying"white 
Martagons  it  is  best  to  make  as  sure 
as  possible  of  getting  those  of  the  fine 
white  colour.  Parkinson  also  wTitcs 
of  the  Blush  Martagon,  "  whose  flowers 
are  wholly  of  a  delayed  flesh  colour 
with  many  spots  on  the  flowers." 
This  I  believe  I  have,  and  it  is  a  very 
charming  plant.  I  got  it  from  an 
old  garden  near  here  that  was  deserted 
and  had  gone  wild. 

The  deep  purple  dalmaticum  is  a 
noble  Lih-,  but  all  too  seldom  seen. 
I  know  a  garden  in  which  a  bulb  of 
It  throws  up  annually  a  5-foot  stem, 
bearing  a  great  number  of  deep  claret 
crimson  flowers,  just  on  the  edge  of  a 
shrubbery  bordering  a  lawn,  where  it 
looks  as  though  it  had  been  undis- 
turbed for  many  years.  I  know 
nothing  of  quite  the  same  deep  colour- 
ing at  its  season  of  flowering,  and  it 
gives  a  fine  note  of  colour,  especially 
when  the  sunlight  shines  through  it. 
Here  I  find  it  takes  some  years  to  get  established  and 
flower  well.  From  tliis  and  L.  Hansonii  the  hand- 
some hybrid  L.  Dalhansouii  was  raised.  The  blend- 
ing of  orange  with  the  purple  has  produced  a  curious 
deep  chocolate-coloured  Lily  more  or  less  spotted 
with  orange.  It  is  not  so  fine  a  thing  as  L.  dal- 
maticum, perhaps,  liut  seems  to  possess  a  good 
constitution,  and  I  grow  a  group  of  it  in  front 
of  the  Ceanothus  mentioned  previously,  and  like  the 
effect  of  their  contrasted  colourings.  Another 
wedding  in  the  same  family — that  of  Miss  Blanche 
Martagon  and  Mr.  Hansonii — has  given  us  the 
various  hybrids  called  .Marhan,  fine  effective  young 
people  of  various  buff  and  orange  shades  and  more 
or  less  speckled.     The  one  known  as  Miss  Willmott 


a  fair  share  of  moisture  in  the  growing  season, 
and  its  clear  orange  shade  is  wonderfully  effective 
among  Ferns  and  other  plants  with  a  taste  for 
semi-shade.  It  is  often  called  the  Japanese 
Martagon,  but  is  not  of  true  Martagon  shape, 
as  the  segments  of  the  flower  do  not  curve  inward 
in  the  same  way  to  form  the  Turk's-cap — the 
martagan— the    form   of   turban    worn    by   Sultan 


THE      ROSE 

GROWING 


GARDEN. 

RUSTIC 


ROSES    OVER 
POLES. 

of  the  most  effective  ways  of 
growing  rambling  Roses  is  to  train 
them  over  rustic  poles.  Nothing 
could  be  easier ;  the  idea  is  sim- 
plicity itself,  and  is  excellent  for 
both  large  and  small  gardens. 
A  glance  at  the  two  accompanying  illustrations 
will  readily  explain  the  principle.  In  the  first  of 
them  we  see  large  rustic  poles  arranged  more  or 
less  in  the  manner  of  a  tripod,  being  wired  together 
at  the  top.      .^t    the  base  it  will  be  observed  are 


O' 


ROSE    ELISE    ROBICHON     GROWING     OVER     RUSTIC 
TRATION    ON    THE    OPPOSITE    PAGE. 


POLES    SIMILAR    TO    THOSE   SHOWN    IN    THE    ILLUS 
PLANTING    MAY    STILL    BE    DONE. 


Mohammed  I.,  from  which  the  name  is  derived. 
I  hope  the  forthcoming  supplement  to  Elwes' 
"  Lilies,"    of    which    little    birds    already    sing    in 


planted  rambling  Roses,  and  these,  with  an 
occasional  tie,  are  being  trained  to  clothe  the 
rustic  poles.     In  the  second  illustration  we  see  a 


horticultural    inner    circles,    will   make    clear    and ,  rambling   Rose  in   its   full   glory,   with   scarcely   a 
plain  for  us   the  at  present   confused  identity  or    trace  of  the  rusticwork  visible.      Surely  a  rambler 


distinction  of  L.  avenaceum  and  L.  medeoloides. 
Mr.  Grove  already  tells  us  in  his  little  foretaste 
book  that  the  figiure  of  L.  avenaceum  in  the  Mono- 
graph must  be  taken  to  be  I.,  medeoloides  ;  best  of 
all,  that  this  little  gem  can  be  grown  well  in  lime-free 
leaf-mould  in  slight  shade.    It  was,  I  suppose,  this 


could  not  be  shown  to  greater  advantage  than  this. 
In  this  method  of  culture  there  are  two  salient 
points  to  bear  in  mind.  In  the  first  place,  it  should 
not  be  overlooked  that  rambling  Roses,  above  all 
others,  respond  to  deep  cultivation,  an  important 
matter  if  it  is  hoped  that  they  will  attain  a  good 


Lily  that  was  confused  v/ith  L.  Hansonii  when  that  ^  height.     Secondly,  the  poles  must  be  made  secure 

golden  beauty  made  its  dibut  in  English  gardens,     j  and  well  fixed  in  the  ground  ;    they  must  be  per- 

Waltham  Cross.  E.  A.  Bowles.      \  fectly  rigid  before  plantmg.     Roses  may  still   be 

{To  be  cmitinued.)  \  planted,  but  owing  to  the  mildness  of  the  season 


72 


THE    GARDEN. 


[February  8,  1913. 


and  the  subsequent  forwardness  of  plant-life,  we 
advise  readers  not  to  delay  planting  longer 
than  can  reasonably  be  helped.  Any  of  the 
rambling  Roses  may  be  grown  in  the  manner 
described.  The  wichuraianas  are  especially  suit- 
able, such,  for  instance,  as  Dorothj'  Perkins  and 
Jersey  Beauty,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of 
Dundee  Rambler  and  Longworth  Rambler,  to  men- 
tion only  a  few  among  a  multitude  of  others. 
The  second  illustration  is  that  of  the  variety  Elise 
Robichon,  one  of  the  best  of  the  wichuraianas  for 
this  purpose. 


SOME  OF   THE    NEWER  HYBRID   TEA 
ROSES. 

(Continued  from  page  59.) 
Mabel  Drew  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1911). — 
This,  an  excellent  exhibition  variety,  will  fill  a 
decided  want  as  a  good  cream-coloured  bedding 
Rose  also.  I  have  always  considered,  taking  it 
all  round,  that  Mrs.  David  M'Kee  was  the  best 
Rose  of  its  colour  for  this  purpose  and  a  Rose  that 
was  not  half  enough  appreciated  ;  but  now  Mabel 
Drew  will  displace  Mrs.  David  M'Kee,  having 
rather  more  colour  in  its  flowers  and  being  a  more 
continuous'  flowerer.  Mrs.  David  M'Kee  had,  it 
is  true,  three  distinct  periods  of  flower  ;  but  Mabel 
Drew  promises  to  beat  that,  being  practically  in 
flower  from  June  till  November.  Its  flowers  are 
large,  of  good  shape,  sweet  scented,  and  held  erect 
above  good  foliage  that  appears  to  be  almost 
mildew-proof. 

Mme.  Segond-Weber  (Soupert  et  Notting, 
igo8). — This  is  a  beautiful  Rose  of  a  good  clear 
salmony  pink  in  colour,  free-flowering,  a  good 
grower  of  nice  habit,  producing  a  beautiful  long 
bud  that  makes  an  excellent  button-hole.  A  great 
favourite  with  me.  It  has  a  delicious  perfume, 
and  as  a  bedder  can  be  strongly  recommended  as 
being  the  best  Rose  of  its  colour,  easy  to  grow  and 
with  no  bad  fault. 

Margaret  MolyneUX  (.Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
igog). — This  is  not  a  Rose  that  will  appeal  to 
everyone  ;  it  has  too  few  petals,  being  only  semi- 
double,  but  at  its  best  it  is  a  Rose  of  exquisite 
colouring.  It  produces  its  flowers  freely  in  trusses 
of  tliree  to  five  blooms.  These  should  be  cut 
quite  young  and  allowed  to  expand  in  water.  The 
colour  varies  from  pale  saffron  yellow,  shaded 
apricot  and  peach,  but  ^fades  to  crimson  in  the  sun. 
A  great  favourite  for  table  decoration. 

Melody  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  igri). — This 
is  a  Rose  that  seems  to  have  caught  on  in  America 
grown  under  glass  ;  outdoors  with  me  in  Hampshure 
it  was  quite  satisfactory.  The  flowers  are  not 
large,  but  very  beautiful  in  shape  and  colour, 
and  are  freely  produced  on  good  long  shoots.  It 
will  prove  one  of  our  best  bedding  yellows,  I  think. 
It  has  the  further  advantage  of  being  mildew-proof, 
and  is  deliciously  scented. 

Miss  Cynthia  Forde  (Hugh  Dickson,  1909).— 
I  referred  to  this  Rose  under  exhibition  varieties, 
but  it  will  take  a  very  high  place  as  a  bedding 
Rose,  and  although  there  are  many  pinks,  I  am 
inclined  to  say  this  is  the  best  of  them  all,  and  is 
to  be  preferred  even  to  Caroline  Testout  or  Lady 
Ashtown.  It  is  a  gold  medal  Rose  of  much 
merit. 

Mrs.  Alfred  Tate  (S.  McGredy  and  Son,  1909).— 
This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  Roses  for  table 
decoration  that  wc  have,  and  now  that  it  is  down 
to  normal  prices  should  find  a  place  in  every 
garden  where  such  Roses  are  wanted.  It  also 
.■nakes  an  excellent  button-hole  in  the  bud  stage. 


It  has  not  many  petals,  but  it  keeps  its  shape  well, 
and  its  colour  is  best  described  as  coppery  shaded 
fawn.  I  do  not  think  it  was  ever  staged  for  the 
National jRose  Society's  gold  medal,  but  it  has 
received  "the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  award 
of  merit  and  was  awarded  a  gold  medal  at  the 
Bagatelle  Trials'at  Paris  in  1910. 

Mrs.  Amy  Hammond  (S.  McGredy  and  Son, 
igii). — See  page  589,  November  23,  1912,  "  Exhi- 
bition Varieties."  A  Rose  to  be  obtained  at  the 
earliest  opportunity. 

Mrs.  Arthur  R.  Waddell  (Pernet-Ducher. 
1908). — Really  outside  the  date  (1909-12),  but  I 
think  I  ought  to  make  a  passing  reference  to  the 
fine  colouring  of  this  Rose.  Of  neat  habit,  not 
very  vigorous,  it  is  a  pretty  bedding  Rose  ; 
colour,  deep  salmon  rose  on  copper.  An 
excellent  long-pointed  bud,  very  useful  for  house 
decoration. 

Mrs.  Frank  Worltman  (Hugh  Dickson,  1911). — 
This  is  a  good  grower  and  a  fine  decorative  Rose 
of  good  habit,  flowers  held  erect  ;  colour,  a  clear 
deep  rose  pink.  Very  free-flowering  as  seen  at 
Belmont.  It  received  a  card  of  commendation  at 
Salisbury  in  1910. 

Mrs.  Fred  Straker  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
1910). — Another  very  beautiful  button-hole  Rose, 
with  that  delightful  spiral  twist  to  the  petals  that 
gives  such  a  look  of  perfect  finish  to  the  flower.  Not 
large,  but  of  excellent  shape,  very  sweetly  scented  ; 
a  colour  that  varies  from  orange  in  the  bud  to 
silvery  fawn  in  the  older  flower.  .A  good,  erect 
grower  and  a  "  fascinating "  Rose  for  table 
decoration. 

Mrs.  Richard  Draper  (Hugh  Dickson,  1912). — 

See  page  611,  December  7,  1912,  "Exhibition 
V.arieties." 

Mrs.  Wakefield  Christie  Miller  (S.  McGredy 
and  Son,  1910). — A  great  Paony-hke  flower  of 
bicolor  tints,  soft  blush  pink  on  the  inside  of  the 
petal,  with  deep  rose  on  the  outside.  A  bed  makes 
a  great  splash  of  colour,  but  there  is  not  much 
shape  about  the  individual  flower.  .A  robust 
rather  than  a  vigorous  grower,  so  the  plants  are 
best  planted  thickly.  A  good  decorative  variety 
for  the  garden. 

Mrs.  Walter  Baslea  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons. 
1910). — .\  flower  not  unlike  Richmond  and 
Libertv,  but  holding  its  flowers  more  erect  than  the 
latter  variety.  It  is  free-flowering,  but  I  cannot 
say  that  I  have  found  it  a  great  advance  on 
Richmond. 

Southampton.  Herbert  E.  Molvneu.x. 

(To   be   contimied.) 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

SEASONABLE    NOTES    ON    VBGE 
TABLES. 

Sowing  Onions. — It  is  now  regarded  as  necessary 
for  every  amateur  and  cottager  to  endeavour  to 
grow  monster  Onions,  and  though  they  do  not 
often  succeed  in  producing  anything  beyond  a 
modest  three-pounder,  failure  will  assuredly  not 
come  for  want  of  strenuous  efforts.  It  is  impera- 
tive to  secure  a  particularly  fine  strain  of  seed  ; 
but  this  is  not  difficult  from  the  advertisers  in 
The  Garden,  and  a  faur  price  must  be  paid  for  it. 
For  sowing,  choose  boxes  about  ten  inches  deep 
and  fill  them  to  within  an  mch  of  the  top  firmly 
with  a  mixture  of  loam  and  manure,  adding  sharp 
sand  or  grit  at  discretion.  On  the  level  surface 
set  the  seeds  so  far  asunder  that  transplantation 


to  other  boxes  or  a  specially-prepared  bed  in  a 
frame  will  not  be  required,  as  labour  will  be  saved 
in  this  manner.  Stand  the  box  ui  a  greenhouse 
or  heated  frame,  and,  immediately  the  seedlings 
appear,  put  it  in  a  position  close  to  the  roof  glass 
to  prevent  the  slightest  chance  of  drawing.  From 
the  time  they  are  2  inches  high  a  cold  frame 
is  the  best  place,  but  it  is  absolutely  essential 
to  success  that  the  plants  shall  not  cease  steady 
advance,  as  they  never  fully  recover  from  a 
check,  even  though  the  cessation  be  for  only  six 
hours. 

Horse-Radish. — It  is  a  cause  of  some  wonder 
why  Horse-radish,  which  is  so  highly  appreciated 
by  many  people,  is  so  frequently  a  nuisance  in 
gardens.  Of  course,  the  reason  is  that  the  plant 
is  treated  as  unworthy  of  attention,  and  it  quickly 
becomes  a  pestilential  weed.  If  it  were  grown  on 
ridges,  a  supply  would  always  be  readily  at  com- 
mand, which  is  far  from  being  the  case  in  the 
generation-old  bed,  and  the  grower  would  feel 
himself  in  complete  control  of  the  situation.  The 
process  is  simple.  Cut  a  trench  3  inches  deep  and 
14  inches  wide,  and  fill  it  firmly  with  good  manure. 
Then  build  up  a  ridge  10  inches  high  and  5  inches 
wide  at  the  top,  and  insert  slantingly  along  each 
side,  at  distances  of  8  inches,  whips  4  inches  long 
and  about  as  thick  as  a  pencil.  In  the  late  summer 
and  autumn  there  will  be  plenty  of  excellent 
produce  to  dig,  and  a  fresh  ridge  can  be  made  each 
season,  the  length  varying,  of  course,  with  the 
demand. 

Seed  Potatoes. — It  is  most  important  that  the 
tubers  which  are  under  process  of  sprouting  prior 
to  planting  shall  be  kept  quite  cool  now,  or  the 
shoots  will  be  weak.  Provide  them  with  as  much 
light  as  possible,  and  see  that  they  have  plenty  of 
fresh  air.  If  the  trays  are  in  a  room  with  light 
coming  from  one  side  only,  turn  them  daily,  and 
if  they  are  stacked  to  economise  space,  bring  the 
sets  from  the  middle  to  the  sides  at  least  once  a 
week.  Bear  in  mind  that  frost  must  be  excluded 
from  the  place,  or  disaster  is  inevitable. 

Early  Peas. — Those  who  can  afford  the  space  in 
a  frame  or  greenhouse  should  sow  a  few  seeds  of 
a  fast-podding,  dwarf,  marrowfat  Pea  at  once  in 
boxes.  A  little  trouble  is  entaUed,  but  with 
proper  care  the  results  are  so  excellent  that  the 
return  is  profitable.  The  boxes  may  be  6  inches 
wide,  4  niches  deep  and  of  any  length  that  may 
be  convenient.  Make  provision  for  drainage, 
fill  with  light  soil  and  sow  the  seeds  thuily.  To 
encourage  germination  there  should  be  gentle 
heat ;  but,  as  soon  as  it  is  safe  to  do  so  after  the 
seedlings  show  through,  put  the  box  in  a  cold  frame 
to  favour  hardy  progress  until  the  plants  can  be 
put  out  in  April.  If  a  sowing  is  made  out  of  doors 
of  the  same  variety  on  a  warm  border,  the  plants 
from  seeds  sown  under  glass  will  yield  pickings 
from  fourteen  to  twenty  days  earlier.  This  last- 
mentioned  sowmg  must  be  done  before  the  end 
of  the  month  in  any  case  if  it  is  within  the  bounds 
of  possibility. 

Longpod  Beans. — It  is  also  necessary  to  make 
a  sowing  of  a  good  variety  of  Longpod  Beans  as 
soon  as  the  state  of  the  weather  and  the  soil  will 
permit.  The  plants  are  usually  grown  in  double 
lines,  and  the  drill,  or  shallow  trench,  for  the  seeds 
ought  to  be  not  less  than  12  inches  wide,  the  seeds 
being  set  3  inches  asunder  i  inch  from  the  sides. 
When  the  seedlings  are  big  enough  to  prove  which 
are  the  best,  thin  them  out  to  5  inches.  The  soil 
covering  above  the  seeds  may  be  2  inches  or  3  inches 
deep.  H.  J. 


Februauy  8,  IQ13.] 


THE    GAEDEN. 


73 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

LILIUMS     IN     UNDRAINED    PANS    OF     MOSS     FIBRE. 


THE  accompanying  illustration  shows 
the  good  results  which  attended  my 
tirst  experiment  at  growing  Liliums 
in  vases  of  carbonated  fibre  without 
drainage,  a  method  of  culture  to  be 
recommended,  provided  {as  is  neces- 
sary with  all  the  spring-flowering  bulbs)  that 
care  is  taken  to  avoid  overwatering.  The  following 
were  tried :  L.  longiflorum,  L.  giganteum 
speciosum,  L.  Melpomene,  L.  Kraetzeri, 
L.  tigrinum  Fortunei  and  L.  auratum,  all 
of  which  flowered  most  sat'Sfactorily. 
Further  proof  of  this  treatment  suiting  the 
Liliums  was  the  extreme  freedom  with 
which  the  bulbs  had  rooted,  so  much  so 
that,  after  flowering  and  the  stems  being 
cut  down,  it  was  difficult  to  remove  the 
old  bulbs  intact.  Probably  if  they  bad 
been  left  undisturbed  and  kept  moderately 
dry  until  early  spring,  the  speciosums  would 
have  again  flowered  well  the  next  season. 

Now  is  a  good  time  to  plant  for  this 
purpose,  using  a  vase  7  inches  or  8  inches 
in  diameter  ;  and  since  Liliums  always  emit 
roots  from  the  stems  as  well  as  from  the 
base  of  the  bulb,  they  should  be  placed  so 
that  their  tops  are  covered  with  the  moss 
fibre  at  least  2  inches.  Press  the  fibre 
moderately  firmly,  and  if  at  all  dry,  moisten 
well.  Stand  either  in  a  light  or  dark  but 
cool  place,  bearing  in  mind  that  as  the  moss 
fibre  retains  moisture  much  longer  than 
ordinary  potting  compost  (especially  so 
when  undrained),  no  further  watermg  will 
be  required  for  several  weeks.  The  variet)- 
shown  in  the  illustration,  L.  tigrinum 
Fortunei  (Giant  Japanese  Tiger  Lily),  is  to 
be  highly  recommended,  always  succeeding 
either  under  glass  or  outdoors,  where  it 
thrives  equallj'  well  in  sim  or  partial 
shade,  being  especially  effective  when 
planted  about  two  feet  apart  in  groups. 
L.  tigrinum  Fortunei  is  considerably  more 
handsome  and  vigorous  than  the  old  form 
of  L.  tigrinum,  the  growths,  of  which  two 
or  more  are  usually  produced,  attaining 
an  average  height  of  5  feet.  The  moss 
fibre  suiting  all  the  above  varieties  of 
Lil'-ums  so  well,  I  propose  this  seasop  also 
trying  it  mixed  with  the  same  quantity 
of  ordinarj'  compost  for  pot  culture  ; 
while,  when  planting  Liliums  in  the  op?n 
ground,  it  is  quite  anticipated  that  2  inches 
or  3  inches  of  this  material  placed  both 
below  and  over  the  bulbs  would  suit  most 
varieties  admirably.  V. 


require  a  good  heat  in  their  young  stages  of  growth. 
They  must  be  grown  quickly,  but,  of  course,  not 
unduly  forced.  A  day  temperature  of  65°  and  one 
of  58°  at  night  answer  the  purpose  admirably 
in  March.  Sow  the  seeds  now  in  a  light, 
sandy  compost,  fibrous  loam  and  sweet  leaf-soil 
in  equal  proportions  serving  the  purpose  well. 
Pots  or  pans  may  be  used,  and  the  drainage  must 


let  it  remain  rather  loose  in  the  pans,  as  the  water 
applied  will  firm  it  sufficiently.  Rapid  growth 
then  results.  The  young  plants  must  be  repotted 
directly  they  require  it,  so  as  to  induce  a  branching 
habit.  Use  well-rotted  manure  in  the  compost 
after  the  first  pricking  out  of  the  seedlings. 
When  buds  form,  feed  judiciously  and  admit 
more  air.  The  leaves  form  a  beautiful  setting  to 
the  Camellia-like  flowers.  Sh.\mrock. 


HOW    TO     POT    TUBEROSES. 

The  Tuberose,  when  properly  treated, 
grows  and  flowers  freely,  but  many  tubers 
are  spoiled  during  their  early  stages  of 
growth  through  wTong  treatment.  Fre- 
quently one  sees  plants  very  tall,  weakly 
of  stem  and  bacUy  flowered,  many 
individual  flower-buds  not  developing  as 
they  ought  to.  Some  cultivators  place 
the  tubers  in  small  pots,  and  then  repot 
the  growing  plants  in  due  time ;  others 
put  them  in  the  flowering  pots  at  once. 
I  favour  potting  in  3j-inch  pots,  and  then 
repotting  when  the  pots  are  getting  well 
filled  with  roots.  Nearly  every  tuber, 
possesses  several  "  eyes  "  "or  buds  on  the 
sides.  These  must  all  be  carefully  picked 
out  with  the  aid  of  a  knife  before  the 
tubers  are  potted.  If  this  is  not  done, 
the  yoimg  side  shoots  grow  through  the 
soil  in  the  pots  and  their  removal  is  a 
difficult  matter.  These  young  shoots  are 
valueless  as  regards  the  bearing  of 
flowers,  and  if  left  on  greatly  weaken  the 
main  stem  which  does  bear  flowers. 

A  suitable  compost  is  one  formed  of 
fibrous  loam,  two  parts ;  leaf-soil,  one 
part ;  and  well-rotted  manure,  one  part, 
with  plenty  of  sand  added.  When  the 
tubers  are  potted,  some  sand  should 
be  placed  under  and  around  each  one. 
Press  down  the  soil  firmly  with  the 
fingers,  and  leave  one-third  of  the  tuber 
exposed  above  the  soil  in  the  pot.  If 
the  compost  is  moderately  moist,  it 
wUl  be  in  good  condition.  Do  not  water 
until  some  roots  are  forming  and  new 
growth  has  started.  If  the  pots  can  be 
placed  on  a  warm  base,  new  growth  will 
soon  commence.  The  temperature  should 
range  about  60°  until  the  new  stems 
are  nearly  a  foot  high ;  then  more  air 
must   be  admitted.  Avon. 


HOW    TO     GROW    BALSAMS.  a 

When  well  grown,  a  batch  of  Balsam  plants 
maxes  a  brilliant  display  in  the  greenhouse 
or  conservatory,  and  are  strong  rivals  to  the 
tuberous  Begonias.  The  Balsam  was  very  ex- 
tensively grown  twenty  years  ago ;  then  there 
seemed  to  be  a  falling  off  in  the  general  appre- 
ciation ;  but  of  late  it  has  again  found  much 
favour,  as  the  plants  have  been  proved  to  be 
useful  in  dry  borders  as  well  as  in  the  green- 
house. It  is  a  half-hardy  annual,  easily  raised 
from  seeds,  and  so  there  is  no  necessity  for 
the  wintering  of  stock.  Although  the  plants 
will  do  so  well  in   the  tjpen   air  in  summer,   they 


GIANT    TIGER    LILY,    LILIUM    TIGRINUM      FORTU 
GROWN    IN    AN    UNDRAINED    BOWL    OF    FIBRE. 

be  ample.  Sow  the  seeds  an  inch  apart  and  biury 
them  a  quarter  of  an  inch  deep.  Keep  the  soil 
moderately  moist  and  the  seed-pots  in  a  warm 
position  ;  if  not  on  the  top  of  a  hot-bed  in  a  frame, 
then  in  a  warm  place  on  the  stage  in  the  greenhouse. 
The  stems  of  both  seedlings  and  flowering 
plants  are  succulent,  and  consequently  a  con- 
stantly saturated  condition  of  the  soil  is  undesir- 
able. Transplant  the  seedlings  early,  using  a 
similar  compost  to  that  recommended  for  the 
raising  of  the  seedlings,  and  do  not  make  it  firm  ; 


HOW     TO     PREPARE     SOIL     IN 
A     ROSE-BED. 

Very  often  the  tiie.'cperienced  cultivator 
NEI,  can,  in  imagination,  see  his  trees  growing 
in  the  bed  before  he  plants  them.  He 
then  procures  the  trees  and  plants  them 
in  dug-out  holes,  and  the  following  year  the 
growth  is  not  very  satisfactory.  Before  any 
planting  is  done  the  soil  should  be  trenched  at 
least  2  feet  deep  all  over  the  bed,  and  if  it  is  very 
poor  a  quantity  of  rotted  manure  may  be  mixed 
with  the  soil  6  inches  below  the  surface.  When 
the  trees  are  planted,  if  they  are  standards  they 
must  be  held  securely  in  position  by  short  stakes 
and  a  thin  mulch  of  litter  put  on.  Heavy 
winter  dressings  of  cold,  wet  manure  do  more 
harm  than  good  to  newly-planted  Roses.  B. 


74 


THE    GARDEN. 


[February  8,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE    WEEK. 


FOR 


SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 


Seeds  of  Bedding  Plants  to  be  sown  at  once 
include  Centaureas,  Cineraria  maritima,  Antirrhi- 
nums, fibrous  and  tuberous  rooted  Begonias, 
Chamffipeuce,  Wigandia,  Pentstemons  and  Cyperus 
natalensis. 

Fuchsias  are  among  the  finest  of  all  subjects 
for  summer  bedding,  and  young  plants  rooted  m 
the  autumn  and  potted  off  singly  should  now  be 
ready  for  another  shift  forward,  this  time  mto 
44-inch  pots.  By  this  means  really  good  specimens 
4  feet  high  may  be  had  by  early  June. 
Plants  Under  Glass. 

Gloxinias.— Some  of  the  older  tubers  should  now 
be  shaken  out  from  the  old  sod,  and  these,  if  placed 
in  shallow  boxes  and  partially  covered  with  very 
light  soil,  will  soon  begin  to  make  growth  m  a  warm 
house.  As  soon  as  sufficiently  well  rooted,  they 
should  be  potted  direct  into  their  flowering  pots. 

Begonias. — Where  early  plants  of  these  are  de- 
sired, they  may  be  treated  as  above,  but  they  should 
not  be  started  in  quite  so  much  heat  as  Gloxinias, 
an  intermediate  temperature  being  more  in  keeping 
with  their  requirements. 

Caladium  Argyrites  and  other  small-foliaged 
varieties  may  also  be  started  in  boxes,  potting  off 
as  soon  as  the  young  growths  get  an  inch  or  so  high. 
Quite  small  bulbs  make  the  best  plants  eventually, 
if  care  is  taken  to  give  a  slight  pot  on  when  necessary. 

Seed-Sowing. — Various  seeds  should  now  be 
sown  including  Begonias,  Gloxinias,  Streptocarpus, 
Medeola,  Grevilleas,  DraciEna  australis  and  Aspara- 
gus plumosa  and  A.  Sprengeri.  Needless  to  say,  great 
care  is  necessary  in  the  sowing  and  attention  to 
the  smaller  seeds,  and  these  should  be  covered  with 
glass  in  the  propagating-frame  till  the  seedlings 
appear  above  the  surface. 

Propagation  by  Cuttings.— Various  occupants 
of  the  stove  root  readily  at  this  season,  and  cuttings 
of  Crotons,  Dracajnas,  Panax,  Pandanus,  Panicum, 
Acalyphas  and  Dieffenbachias  should  be  got  m  as 
space  in  the  propagating-frame  permits.  A  quick- 
rooting  compost  of  peat,  leaf-soil  and  silver  sand 
should  be  used  for  the  above  subjects,  placmg  the 
cuttings  in  small  pots  with  a  fairly  warm  bottom- 
heat.  "Most  of  them  should  be  ready  for  removal 
in  from  fourteen  to  twenty-one  days. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Manure-Water.— During  indd  weather  liquid 
manure  from  the  farmyard  tank  may  with  advantage 
be  given  to  the  Rose-beds.  At  this  season  the 
gromid  will  take  it  much  more  readily  than 
during  the  summer,  and  if  the  tank  is  emptied 
after  rain,  there  is  not  much  danger  of  the  Uquid 
manure  being  too  strong.  It  may  seem  superfluous 
to  apply  liquid  at  this  season  of  the  year,  but  it  is 
certainly  making  good  use  of  manure  which  would 
probably  be  wasted. 

Freshly-Planted  Trees.— Look  well  after  these, 
treading  the  soil  well  about  them  after  frost.  Teas 
and  others  that  may  have  been  protected  by  having 
the  soU  dra%vn  up  to  them  should  be  looked  over 
occasionally,  the  unusually  mild  fore  part  of  the 
winter  having  kept  them  in  a  very  soft  condition, 
and  I  have  noticed  that  it  is  the  later  frosts  which 
do  the  most  damage. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Ground  Work. — Press  on  with  this  as  long  as 
the  weather  keeps  open,  reserving  such  work  as 
preparing  stakes  and  burning  rubbish  till  frost 
drives  one  off  the  ground. 

Preparing  Composts  for  Frames.— This  is  ano- 
ther of  the  jobs  that  can  be  done  during  wet  or  even 
hard  weather,  providmg  a  good  open  shed  is  avail- 
able. Old  hot-bed  material,  Mushroom  manure, 
well-decayed  leaves,  wood-ashes  and  a  fair  propor- 
tion of  loam  will  make  a  good  compost  for  growing 
Carrots,  Lettuce,  Turnips,  Beans  and  Potatoes  in 
frames,  keeping  it  under  cover,  if  possible,  till  it  is 
required. 

Spring  Cabbage. — FiU  up  anv  blanks  during 
favourable  weather  and  give  the  bed  a  good  hoe- 
ing occasionaUy,  the  loose  surface  allowing  the 
soil  to  get  the  full  benefit  of  whatever  sun  there  is. 
The  same  remark  applies  to  any  other  growing 
crops,  such  as  autumn-suwn  Onions  and  Spinach. 


Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Vine  Borders. — By  this  time  some  of  tie  earher- 
started  houses  with  inside  borders  may  be  requiring 
water,  and  though  they  must  not  be  allowed  to 
continue  dry,  care  should  be  taken  to  apply  water 
only  when  the  outside  conditions  are  favourable. 
.Although  I  do  not  think  that  water  straight  from 
the  tap  later  on  in  the  season  is  at  all  detrimental, 
it  is  safer  at  this  season  to  apply  only  water  that 
has  been  standing  in  the  house  some  time,  or  by 
some  other  means  has  been  raised  to  a  temperature 
of  from  55°  to  60°,  this,  of  course,  only  applying 
to  houses  containing  Vines  forward  in  growth. 
Vines  in  houses  that  are  being  shut  up  will  not  be 
hurt  by  using  cold  water. 

Disbudding  Peaches  and  Nectarines.— The 
earliest  trees  will  probably  be  pushing  into  good 
growth  rather  quickly  now,  and  as  soon  as  the 
shoots  are  forward  enough  to  handle,  disbudding 
must  commence.  Nearly  every  grower  will  have 
his  own  system  of  disbudding,  but  I  would  point 
out  that  to  keep  the  trees  well  furnished  it  is  quite 
necessary  to  encourage  young  growths  as  far  back 
on  the  old  wood  as  possible. 

Pot  Trees. — Very  little  disbudding  is  necessary 
with  pot  trees,  but  to  keep  them  as  small  as  possible 
the  shoots  on  last  year's  growths  may  be  rubbed  off 
down  to  where  the  fruit  is  nicely  set,  and  some  of 
these  may  even  be  taken  off  the  extremities  of 
the  shoots,  thereby  diminishing  the  size  of  the  tree, 
the  remaining  shoots  being  stopped  as  necessary 
to  build  the  tree  and  to  concentrate  its  energy 
into  the  fruit. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Gooseberries. — These  are  breaking  into  growth 
uncommonly  early,  and  pruning  should  be  under- 
taken at  once.  Nothing  is  gained  by  having  the 
trees  too  thick,  a  well-trimmed  tree  generally  carry- 
ing a  good  crop  and  being  much  easier  to  gather 
the  fruit  from.  In  nearly  all  instances.  Gooseberries 
have  to  be  protected  from  the  birds,  and  where 
they  are  not  enclosed  in  a  wire  cage,  the  trees, 
after  pruning,  should  be  sprayed  with  a  fairly  strong 
solution  of  soft  soap,  immediately  afterwards 
giving  them  a  good  dusting  aU  over  with  quite 
freshly-slaked  quicklime.  I  have  never  known 
this  to  fail  to  keep  the  birds  from  taking  the  buds. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR    NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Antirrhinums. — These  popular  flowers  now 
play  an  important  part  in  our  gardens,  whether 
large  or  small.  They  have  much  to  recommend 
them,  being  inexpensive,  easy  of  cultivation, 
highly  floriferous,  having  a  long  flowering  period, 
and  furnishing  a  great  variety  of  colour.  They 
should  be  sown  within  the  next  ten  days  in  boxes 
in  moderate  heat,  and  pricked  off  about  two  inches 
apart  as  soon  as  the  first  pair  of  rough  leaves 
are  formed.  They  can  be  had  tall,  medium  and 
dwarf.  The  mediums  are  the  most  useful,  arid 
the  following  can  be  recommended  :  Carmine 
Pink,  Bright  Pink,  DeUcate  Pink,  Apricot,  Orange 
King,  Fire  King  and  Brilliance  ;  also  crimson, 
yellow  and  white  sells. 

Propagation    by    Cuttings.— The    propagation 

of  bedding  plants  bv  cuttings  should  now  proceed 
apace.  These  will"  include  Geraniums,  Paris 
Daisies,  Ageratums,  Heliotropes,  Lobelias  and 
Salvias.  Geraniums  must,  of  course,  have  abun- 
dance of  air,  but  all  the  foregoing  will  root  readily 
whenever  they  can  have  the  benefit  of  a  brisk 
temperature  with  plenty  of  moisture  and  a  close 
atmosphere. 

Jasminimi  nudiflorum. — This  attractive  winter- 
flowering  wall  plant  will  now  be  out  of  bloom, 
and  should  be  pruned  forthwith.  Cut  away  a 
number  of  the  old  shoots  to  make  room  for  the 
young  growth,  as  it  is  on  this  that  the  next  winter's 
crop  of  bloom  will  be  borne. 

Polygonum   baldschuaniciun. — This  native  of 

Western  Asia  is  one  of  our  most  accommodating 
plants,  being  equally  at  home  on  a  wall,  a  pergola, 
or  the  front  railing  of  a  villa.  If  not  already  done, 
it    should    be    pruned    now,  but     not     too    closely  ; 


say,  to  within  6  inches  or  8  inches  of  the  frame- 
work of  the  plant.  The  plant  yields  two  crops 
annually  of  its  graceful  panicles  of  pale  pink 
flowers. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Late  Planting. — Where  from  some  unavoidable 
cause  planting  must  be  delayed  beyond  the  normal 
period,  the  plants  should  be  lifted  now  and  heeled 
in  behind  a  north  wall  or  hedge  to  retard  growth, 
so  that  the  plants  shall  not  be  unduly  checked 
when  planted  in  their  permanent  quarters. 

Stocks  for  Standards. — Those  who  propose  to 
work  stocks  for  standards  or  half-standards  should 
search  the  hedgerows  for  suitable  material  and 
have  them  planted  and  staked  in  the  reserve 
garden. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Slugs,  like  the  poor,  are  ever  with  us.  They 
are  very  partial  to  the  blooms  of  Dendrobiums  and 
CcElogynes.  At  night,  by  the  aid  of  a  lamp,  is 
the  time  to  catch  them  red-handed. 

Zonal  Pelargoniums. — Those  that  flowered 
during  the  autumn  and  early  winter,  if  cut  back 
now  and  rested  for  a  few  weeks,  will  make  a  brave 
show  during  the  summer.  Prior  to  cutting  them 
back,  the  points  of  the  shoots  should  be  utilised 
for  cuttings  for  next  winter's  supply. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Ventilation. — This  should  receive  very  careful 
attention,  for  three  good  reasons  :  First,  shade 
and  sunshine  alternate  very  rapidly  at  this  season  ; 
secondly,  there  is  great  disparity  between  the  • 
external  and  internal  temperatures  ;  and,  thirdly, 
whenever  growth  is  active  it  is  succulent  and  tender, 
and  therefore  highly  susceptible  to  sudden  fluctua- 
tions of  temperature.  Admit  air  gradually,  at  the 
top  first,  and  never  at  the  top  and  front  or  sides  at 
the  same  time.  Very  little  front  or  side  air  will 
be  required  for  some  weeks  yet. 

Melons. — When  the  first  batch  has  made 
3  inches  of  growth,  the  pots  should  receive  a  top- 
dressmg,  care  being  taken  that  the  sod  has  been 
warmed  to  the  temperature  of  the  Melon-house 
before  being  applied.  A.  successional  sowing 
should  now  be  made. 

Peaches. — Where  these  have  just  set  their  fruit, 
they  should  be  vigorously  syringed  to  remove 
all  decaying  flowers  and  cleanse  the  foliage.  A 
rather  higher  temperature  may  now  be  maintained. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
American    Gooseberry    Mildew. — Although    I 

have  had  no  personal  experience  of  this  virulent 
disease,  I  would  remind  readers  that  the  Board  of 
Agriculture  recommend  that  whenever  there  is 
any  suspicion  of  the  presence  of  the  disease,  the 
bushes  should  be  sprayed  with  Bordeaux  mixture 
about  a  fortnight  before  the  buds  begin  to  open, 
and,  should  rain  occur  soon  after  the  operation, 
it  should  be  repeated. 

Strawberries. — Where  late  runners  were  taken 
and  planted  in  nursery  lines,  they  should  be  planted 
in  their  permanent  quarters  as  soon  as  possible. 
The  rows  should  be  from  2  feet  to  2i  feet  apart, 
and  the  plants  12  inches  to  rj  inches  apart  in  the 
row,  according  to  the  vigour  of  the  variety. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Broad  Beans. — A  sowing  of  these  should  now 
be  made  on  a  south  border,  and  for  this  sowing 
Early  Mazagan  is  the  best.  It  will  be  advisable 
to  coat  the  seeds  with  red  lead,  and  a  little  wood- 
ash  should  be  scattered  along  the  drills  ;  2  inches 
is  deep  enough  to  plant. 

Rhubarb. — Where  young  plantations  are  to 
be  made,  the  work  should  be  carried  out  as  soon 
as  convenient.  The  ground  should  be  trenched 
and  well  enriched,  as  Rhubarb  is  a  gross  feeder 
and  is  being  continually  robbed  during  the  growing 
season.  Daw's  Champion  and  Victoria  are  two 
excellent  varieties. 

Mint. — The  Mint-bed  should  receive  a  top- 
dressmg  of  some  light,  rich  compost  for  the  young 
roots  to  feed  on. 

Lime. — .Although  not  a  fertiliser,  lime  is  valu- 
able as  a  liberator,  and  most  garden  soils,  if  at  all 
heavy,  are  benefited  by  light  dressings  of  it.  Some 
ground  lime  should  therefore  be  ready  for  the 
approaching  spring  weather. 

Charles  Comkort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


February  8,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


75 


NATIONAL     DAFFODIL 
SOCIETY. 


THE  letters  of  Captain  Kitchin  and  Mr. 
Carne  Ross,  which  have  recently 
appeared  in  The  Garden,  seem  to 
point  to  a  feeling  which  I  entirely 
reciprocate,  viz.,  that  the  time  has  come 
when  steps  should  be  taken  to  see  if  a 
National  Daffodil  Society  could  not  be  formed.  My 
reasons  are  as  follow  ; 

1.  As  Mr.  Carne  Ross  says,  the  Daffodil  is  to-day 
too  important  a  flower  in  the  economy  of  the  garden 
to  be  run  as  a  side-show,  even  of  such  an  august 
society  as  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  I 
put  it  a  little  differently  and  say  it  does  not  seem 
to  me  that  we  are  giving  it  the  honour  to  which 
its  merits  and  commanding  position  entitle  it, 
when  we  do  anything  less  than  put  it  upon  the 
same  level  as  the  Tulip,  Rose,  Carnation,  Auricula, 
Chrysanthemum,  Sweet  Pea  and  Gladiolus,  which 
are  all  enjoying  at  the  present  moment  the  dignity 
of  a  "  National."  This  sentimental  reason  is  with 
nie  a  very'strong  one,  and  if  others  feel  it  in  anything 
like  the  way  I  do,  it  will  not  be  long  before  it  is  a 
lait  accompli.  Carthago  est  delendurn.  A  National 
Daffodil  Society  must  be  formed. 

2.  This  feeling  of  mine  would  not  be  in  the  least 
altered  if  I  had  found  after  nearly  two  years'  trial 
that  the  Royal  Horticultiu'al  Society  had  done  all 
that  was  expected  of  it  in  regard  to  the  Daffodil, 
In  my  humble  opinion  it  has  been  tried  and 
has  been  found  wanting.  I  write  this  in  no  fault- 
finding spirit.  I  state  it  as  what  appears  to  mc 
to  be  a  self-evident  fact.  The  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  lets  its  hall  to  the  cats  and  the  cooks, 
and  they  do  not,  I  suppose,  expect  it  to  run 
their  shows  for  them  ;  why  should  the  poor 
Daffodil  ?  It  is  not  the  function  of  such  a  society 
to  "  run  "  one  flower  more  than  another.  I  look 
upon  it  as  the  mother  of  all  flowers,  fruits  and 
vegetables,  and  I  do  not  think  it  should  have  a 
favourite  child.  Years  ago,  when  valentines  were 
in  fashion,  I  received  one  from  a  dear  old  aunt  of 
a  hen  surrounded  by  chicks,  with  the  inscription, 
"  I  long  to  take  you  under  my  wing."  I  think 
this  would  not  be  a  bad  crest  and  motto  for  our 
great  society.  It  so  exactly  hits  off  its  function 
as  nurse  and  protector,  even  to  the  ugly  duckling, 
if  the  necessity  should  arise. 

3.  T  give  a  concrete  example  of  what  I  mean 
by  its  not  being  the  function  of  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society  to  run  the  Daffodil.  As  readers 
know,  a  Daffodil  show  was  held  in  1912,  and  I 
presume  another  is  to  take  place  in  IQ13  ;  but  up 
to  the  present  (January  27)  I  have  had  no  schedule 
sent  to  me,  nor  can  I  hear  of  anyone  who  has. 
Some  little  time  since  I  hinted  to  one  of  the  powers 
that  be  that  if  there  were  any  schedules  they  should 
be  sent  round  at  once,  as  we  ought  to  have  had 
them  last  July.  The  reply  I  got  was  something  as 
follows :  "  Send  them  round  !  Who  to  ?  Let 
people  apply  if  they  want  them."  Yes,  who  to  ? 
All  Daffodil-lovers  !  How  can  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society  know  them  even  if  it  wanted  to 
send  them  all  a  schedule  ?  Then  take  the  second 
part  of  the  reply,  *'  Let  people  apply  if  they  want 
them."  How  are  people  to  know  that  there  is 
to  be  a  show  in  1913  ?  How  are  people  to  know 
that  they  may  or  must  apply  if  they  want  a 
schedule,  or  they  will  get  none  ?  For  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  to  expect  this  (and  I  presume 
from  its  action  in  this  matter  it  does  do  so)  is  to 
expect  the  cart  to  pull  the  horse. 


4,  By  retaining  the  Barr  Cup  in  its  own  hands 
the  committee  of  the  same"looked  forward  to  a  time 
when  a  national  society  would  come  into  being. 
As  a  member  of  that  body  I  think  I  may  say  that 
should  such  an  event  take  place,  it  would  then  hand 
over  the  cup  to  the  national  society.  This  is  one 
reason,  but  only  a  small  one,  for  taking  the  step  I 
am  advocating.  More  weighty  ones  are  the  neces- 
sity for  legislation,  for  guidance,  for  information, 
for  fostering  care,  and  last,  but  far  from  least, 
for  leadership.  These  things  are  wanted  in  the 
Daffodil  world.  There  is  a  void  in  the  life  of  the 
Daffodil  fancier  which  legitimately  calls  upon 
someone  or  something  to  fill  it.  But  there  is  no 
one  to  hear. 

5.  I  venture  to  suggest  a  meeting  of  Daffodil 
people  to  talk  all  this  over  on  the  morning 
of  the  second  day  of  the  Spring  Bulb  Show — 
that  is,  on  Wednesday,  March  5.  Carthago  est 
delendurn.  Joseph  Jacob, 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— 7'A,  E-litor  intends  to 
make  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  wko  desire  assist, 
ance,  no  matter  ivkat  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
Ufith  tftat  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answerg 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  c^yncisely  u>ritten  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  h^ 
may  desire  to  be  used  iti  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is"  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  net  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PUBLISHER. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

WIRE  FOR  SWEET  PEAS  (JV!/6m»),— You  should 
unhesitatingly  give  the  preference  to  Simplicitas  galvanised 
iron  wire  for  your  Sweet  Pea  supports,  choosing  that 
of  the  finest  procurable  quality.  Yes ;  horse-manure 
from  animals  bedded  in  sawdust  may  be  advantageously 
used. 

INJURY  TO  ANTIRRHINUMS  (N.  »F,).— We  think  the 
.Antirrhinums  are  sulfcring  partly  from  slug  attacks, 
but  at  the  same  time  there  is  apparently  a  fungus,  a 
species  of  Septoria,  attacking  the  foliage.  We  recommend 
you  to  try  spraying  with  potassium  sulphide  at  the  rate 
of  loz.  to  three  gallons  of  water.  If  this  does  not  check 
the  trouble,  write  to  us  again,  giving  full  particulars  of 
the  mode  of  cultivation  and  sending  further  specimens. 

PLANTS  IN  BOXES  (H.  R.  i?.).— The  following  plants 
will  be  likely  to  tlirivc  in  your  boxes  :  Front  box — 
Hypericum  calycinum  (evergreen,  St.  John's  Wort,)  ; 
second  bo.x — a  mixture  of  Aucuba  japonica  and  Berberis 
Aquifolium,  both  evergreens  ;  tlxird  box — Jasminum 
nudillorum  ;  and  Ampelopsis  Veitchii  to  grow  on  the  wall. 
It  will  be  necessary  to  drain  the  boxes  well  and  provide 
really  good  loamy  soil  in  the  first  instance.  If  the  leaves 
become  very  dusty,  syringe  them  occasionally  with  soft- 
soap  water,  followed  by  clean  water, 

FLORISTS'  FLOWERS  (F.  H.  IF.).— The  florist's  type 
of  Ranunculus  is  not  now  in  general  favour,  and  the  most 
likely  reason  is  that  public  tastes  alter  as  time  goes  on, 
as  instance  the  decline  of  Balsams  and  Hyacinths  and  the 
increasing  popularity  of  Carnations  and  Narcissi,  air, 
T.  Smith  of  Newry,  Ireland,  or  Messrs.  Barr  may  be  able 
to  supply  named  varieties,  while  a  post-card  would  secure 
a  catalogue  from  any  of  the  bulb-merchants  advertising 
in  The  Garden.  Some  of  the  Auriculas  you  mention 
are  old  kinds  and  not  in  general  cultivation.  Smiling 
Beauty  was  cvhibited  in  1877  by  the  Kev.  F.  D.  Horner 
at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  his  first-prize  set  of  twelve,  but 
is  now  probably  superseded  by  others.  Acme  is  one  of 
the  best  white-edged  Auriculas.  It  has  been  e.xhibited 
141  times  in  winning  stands  at  the  London  shows  during 
the  last  ten  years,  which  is  a  first-rate  testimonial.  Sun- 
shine we  do  not  know.  Sapphire  has  a  pale  yellow  tube, 
white  paste,  and  violet  blue  edge.  Mrs.  Potts  has  a  margin 
of  violet,  but  the  stem  is  weak  ;  and  Favourite  is,  no  doubt, 
the  finest  of  tliose  with  a  violet  edge.  There  is  not  much 
to  choose  between  Henry  Wilson  and  Shirley  Hibberd. 
Both  are  good  ;  personally,  we  prefer  the  latter.  Auriculas 
have  produced  more  autumn  flowers  than  usual,  and  growth 


has  commenced  earlier  this  season  owing  to  the  excep- 
tionally mild  weather.  A  second-hand  bookshop  is  a 
good  hunting-ground  for  old  books,  but  an  advertisement 
in  The  Oarden  would  no  doubt  bring  you  some  replies, 
as  such  books  as  you  reqiiire  are  somewhat  scarce. 

DELPHINIUM  SEEDLINGS  (,/,  B.).—So  far  as  hardiness 
is  concerned,  tlir  ^rrillm-s  need  no  protection  whatever, 
and  a  frame  is  fr.(|ui  iitly  harmful,  in  that  it  harbours 
slugs,  unless  these  are  well  looked  after.  You  may 
certainly  put  the  seedlings  into  the  frame,  but  first  place  in  a 
few  inches  of  coal-ashes  and  so  raise  the  boxes  that  the 
plants  are  kept  near  the  light.  Do  not  close  the  frame 
entirely;  allow  plenty  of  air  day  and  night.  Dust  the 
plants  and  the  frame  with  a  httle  fresh,  dry  soot,  and  it 
will  render  the  seedlings  distasteful  to  the  pest.  Karly 
in  March  plant  them  in  rich,  deeply-prepared  gardeli 
soil,  allowing  about  two  feet  between  the  plants  for 
development.  Tims  treated,  the  plants  will  stand  tor 
two  or  more  years.  We  much  regret  that  your  letter 
has  been  mislaid. 

PLANTS  FOR  BORDER  (E.  Chester).— Fov  a  tall  plant 
you  could  not  plant  anything  more  suitable  than  the 
Sweet  Pea  in  white,  iilue,  mauve,  cream  and  pink  shades. 
This  would  hide  the  wall  and  give  you  a  display  of  flowers 
for  many  weeks.  Prepare  a  deep  trench  of  soil  now  2  feet 
from  the  wall  and  sow  seeds  early  in  March.  As  the  wall 
is  of  red  brick,  the  scarlet  shade  of  Sweet  Pea  should  be 
avoided.  In  front  of  the  Sweet  Peas  white  and  pink 
lAvateras,  Rocket  Larkspur,  white  Tobacco,  tall  Antir- 
rhinums in  several  colours,  Helianthus  cucumerifolius 
Nigclki,  Calliopsis  in  variety.  Poppies  and  the  like  should 
appear ;  while  nearer  the  front  Asters,  Stocks,  Linums, 
Chrysanthemum  coronarium  in  variety,  C.  carinatumi 
Sweet  Sultan,  intermediate  Antirrhinums,  Statice  sinuatai 
Phlox  Urummondii,  .Mignonette,  .Marigolds,  Candytuft 
and  other  things  should  be  seen.  The  Antirrhinums 
would  be  best  obtained  as  small  plants  in  March  ;  the  others 
could  be  sown  (quite  thinly)  in  their  positions.  If  you 
bought  a  few  dozen  plants  of  Pentstemons  and  Salvia 
Clory  of  Zurich,  a  brilliant  efl'ect  would  be  secured  till 
the  arrival  of  frosts.     The  young  plants  are  very  cheap. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

ALBUCA  NELSONIl  (.Seeker).— A  pot  7  inches  in  diameter 
will  be  ([uitc  large  enough  for  the  Albuca,  and  if  the  bulb 
is  too  long  to  bury  it  completely,  it  will  be  better  to  leave 
an  inch  of  the  upper  part  above  the  ground  than  to  use  a 
larger  pot. 

AZALEA  MOLLIS  DROPPING  ITS  LEAVES  (If.  A.  C). 
— The  dropping  of  the  leaves  of  Azalea  mollis  clearly 
indicates  some  error  of  culture.  Perhaps  the  plants  are  kept 
too  wet  or  too  dry,  or  it  may  be  owing  to  their  having  been 
potted  just  before  they  were  taken  into  the  greenhouse, 
so  that  the  roots  had  no  time  to  take  possession  of  the  new 
soil, 

ACACIA  ARMATA  LOOKING  BARE  (PT.  A.  C.).—lt 
is  quite  probable  that  the  .\cacia  had,  previous  to  your 
purchasing  it,  been  grown  in  a  higher  temperature  than 
that  in  which  it  now  is,  and  this  would  be  sufficient  to 
account  for  the  leaves  dropping.  Excesses  of  drought  or 
moisture  and  great  fluctuations  of  temperature  might 
also  play  a  part  in  the  matter. 

LILIES  OF  THE  VALLEY  AFTER  FORCING  (W.  A.  C.) 
— Those  Lilies  of  the  \;l1Ii  y  tli;ir  lia\i-  tiiiish' d  flowerin" 
may  be  kept  in  the  gririih'jus--  or  placed  in  a  frame 
where  they  are  safe  from  frost.  They  must  be  watered  as 
before.  Then  in  May  they  can  be  planted  out  in  a 
prepared  hed.  taking  care  they  are  not  allowed  to  suffer 
from  the  want  of  water  during  the  summer.  Even  then  they 
will  be  two  or  three  years  before  they  flower  freely,  and  for 
this  reason  those  that  have  flowered  in  pots  are  very  often 
thrown  away. 

CYCLAMEN  AFTER  FLOWERING  (W.  A.  C.).— 
.\fter  the  Cyclamen  have  done  blooming  they  must  still 
be  kept  in  the  greenhouse,  watering  them  as  before  till 
the  leaves  turn  yellow,  when  they  must  be  kept  drier, 
and  when  totally  dormant,  water  must  be  almost  dis- 
continued. When  space  in  the  greenhouse  is  a  considera- 
tion, the  plants  may  later  on  be  turned  out  into  a  frame ; 
but  at  present  the  risk  of  severe  frosts  is  too  great  to  do' 
this.  When  dormant  they  may  be  kept  almost  dry  till 
midsummer,  when  they  should  be  shaken  clear  of  the  old 
soil  and  repotted  in  a  mi.vture  of  loam,  leaf-mould,  broken 
brick  rubble  and  sand,  .\fter  potting  they  must  be 
watered  sparingly  till  growth  recommences.  The  best 
place  for  them  during  the  summer  is  in  a  frame  where 
they  are  shaded  from  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun.  In  hot 
weather  frequent  sprinklings  are  very  beneficial.  Plenty 
of  air  should  he  given,  but  the  lights  must  be  put  on  in 
the  event  of  heavy  rains, 

CARNATIONS  DISEASED  (Stockport).— The  "  chocolate- 
coloured  blisters  "  on  the  leaves  of  your  Carnations  are 
due  to  the  presence  of  the  so-called  "  rust,"  in  reality  a 
fungus  vegetating  and  first  developing  within  the  cuticle 
of  the  leaf.  Unfortunately,  Carnations,  like  ordinary 
mortals,  are  prone  to  a  variety  of  diseases,  and  the  past 
wet  and  sunless  season  in  conjunction  with  a  mild  winter 
has  been  most  favourable  to  their  development.  Usually 
a  rather  dry,  buoyant  atmosphere — that  created  by 
warmth  and  a  free  ventilation — will,  with  careful  culti- 
vation and  studiously  avoiding  head  watering  or  syring- 
ing, prevent  any  undue  spread  of  the  disease.  In  other 
words,  moisture,  and  that  phase  of  moisture  which  is  the 
outcome  of  a  close,  stutfy  atmosphere,  favours  its  growth, 
while  dryness  is  opposed  to  it.  If,  therefore,  you  main- 
tained a  temperature  of  55°  with  air  on  night  and  day  at 
the  roof  ventilators,  all  moisture  would  be  dispelled  "and 
the  plants  presently  brought  into  a  fresh,  clean  growth 


76 


THE    GARDEN. 


[February  8,  1913. 


Salt  in  solution  is  fatal  to  it,  but  this  would  also  be  fatal 
to  the  plants  if  allowed  to  penetrate  to  their  roots.  You 
had  better  wet  the  "  blisters  "  with  the^aid  of_a  camel- 
hair  brusli.  Dissolve  a  tablespoonful  of  common  salt 
in  a  pint  of  water  and  employ  it  thus,  or,  if  this  is  likely  to 
prove  too  tedious  an  operation,  get  a  small  piece  of  sponge 
or  even  cotton-wool  and,  having  wetted  it  in  the  solution, 
wipe  the  leaves  on  both  surfaces.  By  frequently  rinsing 
the  sponge  in  the  solution,  the  germs  will  be  retained  and 
destroyed.  Some  varieties  are  nearly,  or  quite,  immune 
from  rust ;  others  take  it  badly.  Continued  greenhouse 
treatment  on  intelligent  lines  as  suggested  will  accomplish 
much,  and  unless  the  plants  arc  now  overwhelmed  by  the 
rust,  they  will,  with  longer^and  brighter^'days,  grow  out 
of  it. 

PRIMULA  MALACOIDES  (M.  S.).— We  cannot  under- 
stand your  lack  of  success  in  the  culture  of  Trimula 
malacoides,  as  it  is,  in  a  genera]  way,  so  easy  to  grow. 
The  fact  of  the  crowns  damping  otf  would  suggest  that  the 
plants  had  been  kept  too  close  or  fed  too  much  with  stimu- 
lants. Despite  the  fact  that  you  say  feeding  was  not 
overdone,  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  this  is  at  the  root 
of  the  trouble.  A  quantity  of  beautiful  plants  came 
under  our  notice  a  short  time  since  wlxich  had  been 
given  no  stimulants  whatever.  The  seed  was  sown 
in  the  spring  and  the  plants  grown  in  a  frame  throughout 
the  summer,  their  final  potting  being  into  pots  4J  inches 
and  5  inches  in  diameter.  Tlie  compost  in  which  they 
were  potted  was  made  up  of  loam,  leaf-mould  and  sand, 
no  manure  being  employed.  We  would  suggest  that  next 
season  you  treat  yours  in  the  same  way,  and  we  do  not  then 
think  that  you  will  have  any  further  trouble  in  the  matter. 

PRIMULAS  (£.  F.). — The  Primula  that  sets  up  a  form 
of  eczema  m  some  persons  who  handle  it  is  P.  obconica. 
While  it  is  most  irritating  to  many,  others  are  totally 
unaUected  by  it.  This  species  does  not  form  a  regular 
crown  as  in  the  Chinese  Primula,  but  produces  a  dense 
tuft  of  radial  leaves.  Tlie  blade  of  the  leaf  is  broadly 
oblong,  with  a  heart-shaped  base,  and  it  is  not  lobed  as 
in  the  Chinese  Primula.  The  flowers,  which  are  borne  in 
clusters  on  stalks  from  6  inches  to  9  inches  or  thereabouts 
in  height,  vary  in  colour  from  wliite  to  crimson  through 
various  intermediate  shades,  though  in  the  original  species 
they  were  of  a  soft  lilac  tint.  A  description  in  words 
is  a  dilflcult  matter,  but  we  have  no  doubt  that  you  will 
be  able  to  recognise  P.  obconica  from  what  we  have  said. 
With  regard  to  the  Aconites  and  Snowdrops,  you  do  not 
say  when  they  were  planted,  a  likely  cause  of  failure 
being  that  they  were  kept  out  of  the  ground  too  long. 
They  ouglit  to  be  planted  in  September  or,  at  the  latest, 
in  the  first  half  of  October.  In  a  fairly  good  sandy  loam 
they  should  give  no  trouble  whatever.  No  mulching  of 
manure  is  needed. 

SCHIZANTHUS  (C.  M.  L.). — In  order  to  obtain  good 
flowering  plants  of  Schizanthus  in  April  and  May,  the 
seed  sliould  be  sown  in  September  and  tlie  plants  grown 
on  in  a  light,  airy  house,  where  tliey  are  safe  from  frost. 
Above  all  things,  avoid  a  warm,  stuliy  atmosphere,  as 
the  royal  road  to  success  is  to  induce  the  plants  to  grow 
stoutly  and  sturdily  from  the  tost.  They  may  be  wintered 
in  pots  4  inches  in  diameter,  and  should  be  pinched  once 
or  twice  according  to  the  habit  of  the  plant.  Pots  6  inches 
in  diameter  are  very  suitable  in  which  to  flower  them, 
though  e.xtra  vigorous  ones  may,  if  required,  be  put  into 
8-inch  pots.  Good  loam,  with  an  .admixture  of  well- 
decayed  manure,  leaf-mould,  and  sand  will  suit  them  well. 
While  the  seed  should  be  sown  as  above  for  early  flowers, 
if  sown  now  the  young  plants  will  come  on  quickly  and 
aiford  a  good  succession  to  the  autumn-sown  ones.  The 
main  thing  is  to  grow  them  sturdily  from  the  first.  In  a 
temperature  of  50°  to  60°  the  seeds  will  quickly  germinate, 
and  as  soon  as  this  happens  the  young  plants  must  have 
plenty  of  light  and  au-.  When  potted  ott  tliey  will  need 
to  be  kept  closer,  and  perhaps  shaded  for  a  few  days,  till 
the  roots  take  possession  of  the  new  soil.  For  pot  culture 
all  are  good,  but  the  largc-ttowered,  compact  hybrids 
and  wisetonensis  are  among  the  best  if  dwarf  plants 
are  required. 


ROSE     GARDEN. 

PRUNING  ROSES  (./.  C.  F.  M.).— The  variety  Juliet 
should  have  the  gro^vths  that  were  produced  last  summer 
pruned  back  to  about  a  foot  in  length.  You  will  notice 
tiiere  were  two  growths — that  made  before  the  tost  bloom 
and  that  made  after.  It  is  the  tost  growth  we  refer  to. 
Do  not  peg  down  the  Austrian  Briar,  but  just  leave  the 
plant  quite  unpruned.  It  will  bloom  best  on  the  small 
wood  made  last  season. 

SULPHATE  OF  IRON  FOR  ROSES  (Mrs.  T.).— Un- 
doubtedly sulphate  of  iron  is  good  for  Koses,  but  how 
far  it  may  be  applied  in  conjunction  with  the  artificial 
manure  you  mention  would  depend  upon  an  analysis 
of  the  article.  It  is  generally  looked  upon  as  the  best 
fertiliser  for  Hoses  grown  under  glass.  In  an  analysis 
made  of  the  composition  of  a  Rose  plant  it  was  found  that 
iron  was  present  in  the  roots,  2-86  ;  wood,  4-23  ;  leaves, 
2-49  ;  and  flowers,  -97.  Probably  the  fertiliser  already 
contains  a  large  proportion  of  iron.  Instead  of  using  it 
we  sliould  advise  making  some  liquid  manure  with  soot 
placed  in  a  peck  bag  and  steeped  in  a  cask.  Another  cask 
could  be  prepared  by  steeping  some  sheep-manure  (this 
also  in  a  bag)  and  giving  the  Roses  alternate  waterings 
with  it  as  soon  as  the  flower-buds  are  visible.  The  liquid 
could  be  apphed  about  twice  a  week,  and  at  first  it  should 
be  diluted  to  half  strength.  We  have  found  Wakeley's 
Hop  Manure  also  an  excellent  aid  to  colour  in  Roses 
out  of  doors,  and  we  should  say  it  would  be  beneflcial 
to  pot  Roses,  but  a  great  deal  depends  on  how  you  have 
used  the  patent  fertiliser  you  mention.  We  certamly  do  not 
recommend  either  to  be  used  in  conjunction  with  it ,   but 


if  the  fertiliser  was  added  to  the  soil  at  the  time  of  potting 
or  has  been  given  as  a  top-dressing,  then  you  can  refrain 
from  using  any  more  of  it  and  give  the  Roses  the  others 
as  mentioned  when  the  flower-buds  are  forming,  but  not 
after  the  colour  is  visible. 


FRUIT    GARDEN. 

WALNUT  TREE  BLEEDING  (J.  IF.  T.).— It  is  very 
difficult  to  stop  the  bleeding.  It  will  stop  naturally  as 
soon  as  the  tree  begins  to  grow.  We  presume  there  has 
been  no  fermenting  manure  or  leaves  placed  near  its  roots 
to  disturb  the  normal  winter  condition  of  the  sap  ?  The 
likeUest  way  to  stop  it  is  to  sear  up  the  surface  and  so 
close  up  the  pores  of  the  sap,  afterwards  tarring  with  a 
thick  coat  of  gas-tar. 

APPLE  TREE  NOT  BEARING  iSMon-in-Aslifield).— 
Take  olf  tlie  turf  all  round  the  tree  for  a  distance  of  3  feet 
from  its  stem.  Break  up  the  surface  of  the  soil  about 
an  inch  deep,  and  scatter  over  it  about  a  quart  of  bone- 
meal,  and  then  surface-dress  the  ground  with  a  barrow-load 
of  good  farmyard  manure,  spreading  it  evenly  over  the 
surface  round  the  tree.  Your  tree  does  not  want  root- 
pruning.  Flue  dust  has  but  little  manurial  value  ;  all 
the  same,  it  does  good  when  mixed  \vith  the  soil,  especially 
if  the  soil  is  heavy. 

SWELLING  ON  THE  RODS  OF  VINES  (O.  IF.).— It 
is  not  often  one  comes  across  a  wart  or  swelling  on  the 
stems  of  Vines,  and  there  is  no  knouu  cause  for  its  appear- 
ance. It  does  not  injuriously  alfect  the  health  or  fruit- 
fulness  of  the  Vines  according  to  our  experience,  and  the 
best  way  of  dealing  with  it  is  to  cut  out  the  swelling 
\vith  a  sharp  knife  level  with  the  bark  of  the  Vine,  and  the 
bark  will  then  grow  over  the  wound.  It  is  too  late  to 
cut  it  out  now,  as  the  sap  will  soon  be  on  the  move 
and  there  would  be  danger  of  the  Vines  bleeding. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

EARLY  LETTUCE  (Oxok). — As  you  possess  a  heated 
glass  structure,  we  advise  you  to  sow  seeds  of  the  varieties 
Tom  Thumb  Market  and  Early  French,  a  Cos  Lettuce, 
at  once  in  shallow  boxes  filled  with  rich  soil.  The 
resultant  seedlings  should  be  transplanted  in  other  boxes 
6  inches  deep,  also  filled  with  rich  soil,  8  inches  apart. 
Sow  seeds  again  early  in  March,  and  then  seeds  in  the 
open  border  in  April.  The  seedlings  from  the  early 
March  sowings  may  be  grown  in  the  frame.  For  next 
winter  sow  seeds  of  Hicks'  Hardy  White  and  Black-seeded 
Bath  in  August,  and  again  at  the  end  of  September. 
Some  of  the  seedlings  may  be  grown  at  the  foot  of  the 
walls — 9  inches  from  them — and  some  in  the  cold  frame. 
In  January,  February  and  March  sow  seeds  of  those 
varieties  named  above  in  boxes  again.  Paris  White  is 
a  grand  summer  Cos  variety. 

HERBS  (M.  E.  F.). — In  addition  to  the  herbs  and 
scented-leaved  plants  you  enumerate,  the  following  may 
be  expected  to  thrive  in  your  garden.  Providing  the 
soil  is  moderately  good  and  loamy,  it  will  suit  all ;.  ^but  if 
poor,  it  ought  to  be  enriched  by  the  addition  of  well- 
rotted  manure  or  better  soil.  Aspect  is  of  httle  conse- 
quence. Balm  (Melissa  officinalis).  Marjoram  (Origanum 
Marjoram),  Horebound  (Marrubium  vulgare).  Tarragon 
(Artemisia  draconculoides).  Wormwood  (Artemisia  Absin- 
thium), Southernwood  or  Lad's  Love  (Artemisia  Abro- 
tanum),  Sweet  Basil  (Ocymum  Basllicum),  Chamomile 
(Anthemis  nobilis).  Hyssop  (Hyssopus  officinalis),  Penny- 
royal (Mentha  Pulegium),  Peppermint  (Mentha  piperita), 
Apple  Mint  (Mentha  rotundifolia).  Honey  Balm  (Melittis 
Melissophyllum),  Rue  {Ruta  graveolons).  Summer  Savory 
(Satureia  hortensis).  Winter  Savory  (Saturela  montana). 
Tansy  (Tanacetum  vulgare),  Lemon  Thyme  (Thymus 
Serpyllum  var.  oitriodorus),  Cotton  Lavender  (Santolina 
OhamsecyparissuB)  and  the  Sage  Brush  (Artemisia  triden- 
tata).  In  addition,  such  things  as  Parsley,  (Mves,  Chervil, 
Borage  and  Fennel  can  be  admitted  if  you  wish.  All  are 
obtainable  at  a  moderate  price  from  any  of  the  leading 
nurserymen. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

ST.  MARK'S  FLY  (P.  C.).— The  dark  grey  grubs  are 
the  larval  of  the  fly  which  appears  so  commonly  in  gardens 
about  St.  JIark's  Day,  whence  it  has  gained  the  name 
of  St.  Mark's  fly.  The  grubs  feed  usually  on  the  decaying 
leaves  and  so  on  in  the  soil,  but  when  these  are  not  to  be 
had,  they  will  attack  roots  of  plants.  They  are  perhaps 
more  abundant  m  rather  damp  situations  than  elsewhere, 
but  do  not  confine  themselves  to  these  positions.  The 
best  thing  to  do,  if  they  are  damaging  the  roots  of  any 
particular  plant,  would  be  to  put  a  little  lime  or  Vaporite 
or  some  similar  soil  fumigant  about  their  roots. 

IMPROVING  THE  SOIL  (Alumina). — You  cannot  do 
better  than  bastard-trench  the  soil  and  thoroughly  mix 
basic  slag  and  long  manure  with  it,  not  putting  the  manure 
in  layers  Leave  it  as  rough  as  possible  in  the  hope  of 
frost,  but  do  not  mix  the  manure  and  the  basic  slag ; 
let  them  lie  on  the  surface.  As  soon  as  they  come  into 
contact  they  must  be  buried.  Potash  salts  will  be  quite 
unnecessary,  for  the  soil  contains  abundance  of  potash, 
which  the  lime  in  the  slag  will  set  free.  Another  season 
the  digging  should  be  done  in  autumn,  and  it  would  be 
well  to  give  a  dressmg  of  ground  quickhme  at  the  rate  of 
half  a  bushel  to  the  square  rod  at  the  same  time.  The 
value  of  lime  and  of  the  pulverising  action  of  the  frost 
cannot  bo  overestimated  wliun  clay  soils  are  being  dealt 
with.  Indeed,  we  should  almost  think  It  would  be  better 
to  get  the  soil  into  thoroughly  good  heart  before  any 
permanent  planting  was  attcmpted.for  with  the  present  con- 
ditionslittle  can  be  expected  from  it.   Is  the  drainage  good  ? 


LEMONS  GROWN  IN  FRAME  (£.  F.  £.).— Wejdo'^not 
say  that  it  is  impossible  to  grow  Lemons  a  pound  inVeight 
in  a  cold  frame,  but,  considering  the  dull,  cold  weather  of 
last  year,  it  would  be  a  difficult  task.  There  is  a  variety 
of  Lemon  called^  Metford's  Lemon  which  sometimes 
perfects  fruits  over  two  pounds  in  weight  when  the  plant 
is  cultivated  in  a  warm  greenhouse,  and  very  larize  Lemon 
and  Citron  fruits  are  ripened  every  year  on  plants  growing 
against  an  putdoorVwall  inja  Falmouth  garden.  Perhaps 
you  could  get  the  gentleman  who  has  grown  the  fruits 
to  let  you  see  them. 

BUILDING  AND  HEATING  A  RANGE  OF  GLASS- 
HOUSES (E.  r.).— At  least  a  12-feet  run  of  wall  or  trellis 
space_per  tree  would  be  necessary  in  tile  case  of  Peach 
trees.  To  accommodate  seven  trees  on  the  back  wall 
and  a  front  trellis,  a  house  50  feet  long  would  be  required. 
The  front  trellis  should  be  curved,  so  as  to  admit  light 
over  it  to  the  trees  on  the  back  wall.  A  house  lOXfeet 
wide  would  be  suitable.  The  Vines  should  be  planted 
3  feet  apart  at  nearest  ;  a  house  30  feet  long  would  answer 
for  eight  Vines.  A  forcing-house  in  the  centre,  12  feet 
long  and  10  feet  wide,  would  do  very  well.  The  vinery 
should  be  12  feet  6  inches  wide.  We  are  presuming  that 
your  houses  would  be  lean-to.  If  so,  the  front  wall  of 
the  Peach-house  should  be  20  inches  high,  with  ventila- 
tion in  it,  and  at  the  top  of  the  rafters  also.  The  front 
wall  of  the  vinery  should  be  18  inches  high,  with  front 
glass  on  it  2  feet  6  inches  high,  with  ventilators  in  it 
and  also  top  ventilators.  The  front  wall  of  the  forcing- 
pit  may  be  of  similar  height,  the  glass  portion  also 
corresponding  to  that  in  the  vinery.  Good  bricks  usually 
cost  about  thirty-two  shillings  per  thousand,  and  they 
are  laid  at  an  average  cost  of  10s.  per  thousand.  You 
can  thus  get  to  know  the  cost  of  the  walls,  with  the  mortar 
and  sand  required,  from  a  local  builder.  The  cost 
of  the  wood  and  glass  per  foot  run  would  be  about  ten 
shillings  in  the  case  of  the  Peach-house,  and  15s.  in  the 
case  of  the  forcing-house  and  vinery.  It  would  be  advis- 
able to  fix  the  boiler  near  the  forcing-liouse,  and  to  have 
two  flow  and  two  return  4-inch  pipes  round  it.  One 
flow  and  one  return  pipe  would  suffice  in  the  Peach-house, 
and  two  flow  and  one  return  pipe  in  the  vinery.  A  check- 
end  saddle  boiler  would  be  the  best  to  fix,  with  rings  and 
rubber  joints  for  the  pipe  connections.  A  local  plumber 
could  then  fix  the  pipes,  but  we  advise  you  to  give  the 
sizes  of  the  houses  (when  you  have  decided  on  them) 
and  the  length  of  piping  in  each  to  hot-water  engineers 
advertising  in  The  Garden,  and  ask  for  the  lowest  estimate 
with  specifications.  If  you  will  refer  to  THE  Garden, 
page  49,  issue  January  25,  you  will  find  useful  hints 
on  planting  Vines.  The  Peach  trees  should  be  put 
in  a  firm  soil,  well  drained,  fan-trained  trees  being  the 
best. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— IF.  6'.,  Hawick.— \,  Selaginella 
Braunii ;  2,  Helxine  Solierolii ;  3,  Selaginella  caulescens  ; 
4,  S.  kraussiana  ;  5,  Fieus  radicans  variegata  ;  6,  Ccesal- 
pinia  species  ;  7,  Chlorophytum  elatum  ;  8,  Sempervivum 
prealtum  ;  9,  Adiantum  formosum  ;  10,  Gymnogramme 
japonica. A.  D.  Groves. — Cotoneaster  Simonsii. 

NAMES  OF  FRUIT.— Marie*  Harbormgh.— The  Apple 
is  Rouudway  Magnum  Bonum.    It  should  do  in  your  soil. 

271,  J.  B. — The  Apple  is  Baldwin's,  and  of  no  value 

grown  in  this  country. 


SOC  I  ET  I  E  S. 


THE    NORTH     OF    ENGLAND     HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 

THE  close  of  the  second  year  of  operations  shows  a  paid-up 
membership  of  just  over  five  hundred  Fellows  or  members, 
sixteen  affiliated  societies  and  a  turn-over  of  £650.  The 
increase  in  Fellows  is  nearly  fifty  per  cent.,  and  the  number 
of  affiliated  societies  has  been  doubled.  The  society  is 
still  handicapped  by  its  heavy  initial  expenses,  but  in 
the  coining  year  income  and  expenditure  are  expected 
to  be  made  to  balance  each  other.  This  year  should  see  a 
great  movement  forward,  as  very  few  FeUows  or  members 
have  fallen  out  of  the  ranks  except  by  death  or  inability 
to  attend  shows,  and  an  appeal  is  to  be  made  on  a  large 
scale.  Various  special  sub-committees  are  taking  matters 
in  hand  with  keenness,  chief  among  which  is  the  new 
magazine  committee,  which  will  run  the  magazine  on 
the  "  round  table "  method,  there  being  sub-editors 
from  each  of  the  four  main  committees  of  experts,  besides 
a  chairman  (Professor  R.  S.  Soton)  and  a  printing  and 
advertisement  secretary  (Mr.  T.  H.  Gaunt).  The  annual 
meeting"  will  be  held  at  the  Queen's  (Midland)  Hotel, 
Leeds,  on  Wednesday,  February  19,  at  5  p.m. 


WARGRAVE     AND     DISTRICT     GARDENERS' 
ASSOCIATION. 

A  GOOD  number  of  members  assembled  on  Wednesday 
evening,  January  29.  to  hear  a  lecture  by  Mr.  T. 
Tunbridfe  F.R.H.S.,  liead-gardencr  to  S.  C.  Davies,  Esq., 
The  Three  Elms,  Rcmenham,  on  "  The  Pruning  of  a  Few 
Groups  of  Hoses."  These  consisted  of  the  following  : 
the  multiflora,  wichuraiana.  Noisette,  Tea  and  China 
sections  Most  minute  details  were  given  for  the  time 
and  manner  of  pruning  in  the  best  possible  way,  the  lecturer 
strongly  advocating  autumn  pruning  to  spring  pruning 
in  the  above-mentioned  groups.  A  splendid  discussion 
ensued  and  many  questions  were  asked  the  lecturer. 
These  'he  kindly  answered.  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks 
was  accorded  Mr.  Tunbridge  at  the  close,  being  earned  with 
acclamation. 


GARDEN.  I 


-^p= 


^ii^fe 


No.  2152.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


February  15,  1913. 


CONTBMTS. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


.Notes   uf   tiik    Week    77 
corresi'ondence 
Serious  losses  amoni! 

Rosos 78 

Canmtions  and   cats    78 
Solution    and    notes  of 

Acrostic  No.  8..      ..     79 

Solvers  of  Acrostic  No.  7     79 

Foilhcomirm  events    . .     79 

Rock  .ind  Water  0.\kdex 

The  firm  planting;  of 

alpine  Howers        .  .     79 
A  little-known  ('ain- 

panula 79 

b'Rl'IT  i;.\Ri>EN 
The   winter  spruyinij 
of  fniit  trees. .      . .     SO 
Kitchen  Uarden 

Outdoor  Tomatoes  . .     80 
Greenhouse 

Notes     on     Orcliids : 

Calanthcs      . .      . .     80 
cineraria    Beauty    of 
Cambrid5c    . .      . .     81 
Rose  G.irden 
Some    of    the   newel  I 

H.vbrid   Tea  Koses     81 
("oLotiRED  Plate 
Two  new  Sweet  Peas     82 


Flower  Garden 
Kniphoflas,  or  Torch 

Lilies      82 

The    Japanese 
Anemone       . .      . .     83 
I      Lilies :  A  causerie   . .     83 
Seasonable    notes  on 
Carnations     . .     . .     84 

Trees  anu  Shruiis 
Clematis  montana  and 
its  varieties  . .      . .     84 

Gardening  for  Bec;innf,rs 
How    to   propauate 
bedding    plants   in 

sprini: 85 

The  Bridal  Wreath  . .     85 

Gardening  of  the    Wf,ek 
For      Southern     gar- 
dens          86 

For     Northern     (jar- 

den.s        . .      ....  86 

New  and  Rare  Punts  87 

New  Orchids             . .  87 
Cultural  hints  on  new 

and  rare  plants     . .  87 

Roses   in    a    Kentish 

Garden  in  1912      ..     87 
.\nswers    to    corre- 

SPONDr,NTS         . .       . .      88 


I  III.  U  ST  RATION  8. 

Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  K.C.V.0 78 

.\  Mue-floweied  Hydrangea  in  the  Isle  of  Wight       ..  79 

Cineraria  Beauty  of  Cambridge SI 

Two  new  Sweet  Pea?        Coloured  plate 

A  large  bed  of  Torch  Lilies 82 

Japanese  Anemone  Queen  Charlotte     S3 

The  rose-flowered  Mountain  Clematis 84 

How  to  propasate  bedding  plants  in  spring        . .      . .  S.i 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
blU  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  trill  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  staled. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  eindence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


fices:  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Cocent  Garden,  IT.C. 


Orchids  Destroyed  at  Kew. — Those  who  love 
flowers,  .111(1  p.iriicularly  tliose  who  enjoy  the  rare 
kinds  that  are  always  to  be  found  at  Kew,  will 
learn  with  indignation  that  a  number  of  Orchids 
were  destroyed  during  the  small  hours  of  Saturday 
morning  last.  We  understand  that  an  envelope  bear- 
ing the  words  "  Votes  for  Women  "  was  left  among 
the  broken  plants.  A  great  deal  of  the  glass  in 
the  three  houses  was  broken  and  a  number  of  plants 
hacked   to  pieces. 

The  Rev.  W.  Wilks.— .-^s  we  have  akeady 
pointed  out,  this  week  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks 
completes  twenty-five  years'  hard  and  valuable 
work  for  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  as  secre- 
tary. We  had  intended  publishing  his  portrait, 
with  some  particulars  of  his  work,  but  after  hearing 
his  speech  at  the  annual  dinner  of  the  Horti- 
cultural Club,  where  he  stated  that  he  positively 
disliked  such  attention  being  drawn  to  him, 
we  respect  his  wishes  and  allow  his  work  to  speak 
for  itself. 

Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  K.C.V.O.,  whose 
portrait  we  have  much  pleasure  in  publishing 
on  the  following  page,  has  been  president  of 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  (or  the  long 
period  of  twenty-five  years,  a  position  he  has 
admirably  filled  to  the  benefit  of  the  society 
and  horticulture  in  general.  Sir  Trevor  has 
not  been  merely  a  president  in  name ;  through- 
out the  whole  of  his  presidency  he  has  attended 
almost  every  Council  meeting,  where  his  vast  and 
intimate  knowledge  of  horticulture  has  proved 
highly  beneficial.  We  understand  that,  owing  to 
the  work  now  being  beyond  his  strength,  Sir  Trevor 
contemplates  resigning  his  position,  a  resolution 
that  we  feel  sure  all  who  know  him  will  deeply 
regret. 

Primula    denticulata. — This    is    one    of    the 

earliest  cf  the  hardy  Primulas  to  flower.  In  many 
rock  gardens  and  borders  its  heads  of  dense  lilac 
flowers  are  already  showing  colour.  It  is  a  native 
of  the  Himalayas,  rather  like  P.  capitata  in  habit, 
but  the  flowers  are  larger  and  of  different  colour. 
This  Primula  is  particularly  effective  when  planted 
in  breadths  in  short  grass  about  the  alpine 
garden.  It  likes  a  moist  position.  The  varieties 
alba  and  cashraeriana  are  well  worth  growing, 
the  latter  having  violet  flowers  with  yellow 
eyes. 

Royal  Gardeners'  Orphan  Fund. — The  annual 
meeting  at  this  excellent  Fund,  held  on  Friday  of 
last  week,  entied  in  a  most  satisfactory  way  for 
the  whole  of  the  candidates  that  were  nominated 
for  election.  No  fewer  than  twenty-five  cases  of 
motherless  and  fatherless  children,  all  of  them  of 
a  most  distressing  nature,  were  brought  forward. 
Nineteen  children  were  elected  in  the  usual  way, 
and  the  remaining  six  were  placed  on  the  funds 
in    anticipation    of    the    forthcoming    grant    from 


the  Royal  International  Horticultural  Exhibition. 
We  command  this  Fmid  to  the  notice  of  our  readers. 
Full  particulars  may  be  had  from  the  secretary. 
Mr.  B.  Wynne,  ig,  Bedford  Chambers.  Covent 
Garden,  London,  W.C.  A  report  of  the  proceed- 
ings at  the  annual  meeting  will  be  found  on  another 
page  in  this  issue. 

Narcissus  Golden  Spur  for  Pots.— This  com 

paratively  old  v.incty,  just  now  at  its  best  in  the 
conservatory,  is  one  of  the  finest  and  brightest 
of  the  early-flowering  Narcissi  for  growing  in  pots. 
Its  medium-length,  sturdy  flower-stems  support 
the  brilliant  self  yellow  flowers  in  a  graceful  manner , 
and  if  well  grown,  wire  or  other  artificial 
supports  are  not  needed.  Golden  Spur  is  equally  as 
valuable  in  the  outdoor  garden,  creating  a  bright 
splash  of  colour  early  in  the  year  such  as  we  get 
from  no  other  variety  just  at  that  time.  The 
market  -  growers  fully  appreciate  its  value  for 
forcing. 
Apple  Lane's  Prince  Albert  for  Dessert.— It 

is  dilhcult  to  understand  why  this  useful  Apple 
is  not  more  extensively  grown,  for  it  has  much  to 
commend  it.  The  trees  usually  start  to  crop 
when  young,  produce  fruit  regularly  every  year, 
and  the  .Apples  can  either  be  used  for  cooking  or 
dessert.  We  have  been  using  some  for  the  latter 
purpose  since  the  early  days  of  January,  and 
although  they  cannot  be  compared  with  Cox's 
Orange  Pippin,  Ribston  Pippin,  or  others  of  that 
class,  they  are  far  superior  to  most  of  the 
Colonial  Apples  with  which  our  shops  are  at 
present  flooded. 

When  to  Prune  Winter  Jasmine. — ^We  so  often 
see  this  beautiful  winter-flowering  shrub  mutilated 
by  injudicious  pruning,  or  by  pruning  done  at  the 
wrong  season,  that  a  timely  reminder  may  not  be 
out  of  place.  It  is  not  often  that  it  requires  much 
attention  v;ith  knife  or  secateurs,  a  thinning  out 
of  weak,  overcrowded  shoots,  with  the  shortening 
of  any  that  may  be  encroaching  too  far  on  the 
available  spice,  being  all  that  is  necessary.  The 
best  time  to  do  this  is  just  now,  when  the  flowers 
have  faded.  Young  wood  that  is  made  during  the 
coming  summer  is  likely  to  give  the  best  display 
of  flowers  next  winter. 

Spraying   Fruit  Trees  :   A  Warning   Note. — 

Owing  to  the  very  mild  winter  and  the  subsequent 
condition  of  certain  fruit  trees,  we  take  this  oppor- 
tunity of  warning  readers  against  the  use  of  caustic 
ilkili  wash,  recommended  by  Mr.  E.  Molyneu.x 
on  page  8o,  upon  those  trees  that  are  very  forward. 
A  few  days  ago  we  observed  .\pple  shoots,  of  the 
variety  Keswick  Codlin  in  particular,  just  on  the 
point  of  breaking  into  growth.  Although  February 
is  usually  considered  a  good  month  for  winter 
spraying  with  the  caustic  alkali  wash,  yet  if 
practised  this  year  it  wiU  have  an  injurious 
effect  upon  those  trees  already  commencing 
growth.  It  is,  however,  perfectly  safe  to  usi- 
it  upon  those  trees  where  the  bids  are  still  quite 
dormant. 


78 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[February  15,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

[The  Editor  ts   not  responsible  for  lite  opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Rose  Florence  Haswell  Veitch. — 1  strongly 
recommend  this  Rose  for  the  garden :  it  is 
vigorous  in  growth,  flowers  freely,  is  fragrant, 
and  the  colour  is  especially  noticeable^scarlet, 
with  a  flush  of  velvet  overlying  the  petals. — E.  M. 

Iris    Vartanii   and    its   White    Variety.— We 

were  interested  to  see  figured  m  yuur  February  8 
issue,  page  69,  the  fine  pan  of  Iris  Vartanii,  and 
should  like  to  call  attention  to  the  very  little 
known  white  variety  of  it  which  goes  under  the  name 
at  Pearl  of  Jerusalem  or  White  Pearl.  We  intro- 
duced it  a  few  years  back  as  a  variety  of  Histrio, 
but  it  showed  itself  to  be  Vartanii  as  soon  as  it 
flowered,  .\nother  point  worth  mentioning  with 
regard  to  the  species  is  its  ilelightful 
fragrance,  which  Sir  Michael  Foster  seems  to 
have  overlooked  in  his  invaluable  little  book 
on  bulbous  Irises.  It  strongly  reminds  one 
of  Almonds. — R.   Wallace   axd  Co. 

Kerria  japonica  flore  plena. — Mention 
is  often  made  of  the  usefulness  of  this 
flowering  shrub  for  various  purposes, 
but  nothing  is  said  of  its  value  as  a  wall 
climber  for  a  northern  aspect — a  site  at  all 
times  difficult  to  effectively  clothe  with 
flowering  subjects.  Covering  the  whole  of 
the  northern  side  of  a  cottage  here,  18  feet 
high,  this  Kerria  makes  a  glorious  sight 
every  year,  smothered  quite  thickly  as  it  is 
with  its  rich  orange-coloured  blossoms.  .^11 
the  attention  it  receives  is  the  tying  of 
the  current  season's  shoots  to  the  main 
branches  directly  flowering  is  past. — E.  M  , 
Bishop's  Wnltham,  Herts. 

Sweet  Peas  Reverting  to  the  Wild  Type.— 

I  was  interested  in  reading  the  article  by  Mr. 
Vernon   Hill  on    this  subject,  page  57,  Feb- 
ruary  I    issue,  and  rather  surprised  to  find 
there    could    be    any    doubt    on    the    point 
indicated    in   the    above   headmg.      It    is    a 
matter  of  very  common  experience   in   India 
that    Sweet    Peas   of   good   varieties   in   the 
course  of  two  or  three  years  will  have  gone 
back  to   two    types    (i)    blue    and    maroon, 
presumably  the  purple   referred  to,   and  (2) 
white  and  pink.     Now,  in  India  we  have  not 
the  wild  Sweet  Pea,  and  the  reversal  is  evi- 
dently due  to  the  promiscuous  hybridisation. 
The  first   year  a  few  come  true,  the  second 
still    fewer,    and    I    believe    I    am    right    in 
saying  that  in  the  third  year  you  would  find  none. 
If  this  is  not   the  case  in   England,   it   would  be 
interesting    to    know    why   it    occurs    in    India.      I 
should  like  to  know  also  whether  the   white   and 
pink    is    one    of    the    wild    types. — A.    Newnham 
(Lieutenant-Colonel,  I. A.,  retired),  Fabron,  Nice. 

A   Remarkable   Hydrangea. — I   am  sending  a 

photograph  of  a  very  free-flowering  Hydrangea 
growing  on  the  premises  of  the  Shanklin  Tennis  Club. 
It  is  said  to  have  been  planted  in  the  memorable 
year  of  1887,  and,  as  the  picture  shows,  it  has  now 
exceeded  its  allotted  space,  having  quite  grown  out 
of  bounds.  Last  year  this  shrub  carried  about 
six  hundred  heads  of  bloom,  and  was  the 
pride  of  Mr.  W.  R.  Jones,  the  club  gardener. 
Its  position  is  100  feet  above  sea-level,  and 
the  flowers,  of  which  only  about  half  are 
shown  in  the  photograph,  are  invariably  deep 
blue.— H.  C. 


A   Proposed    Daffodil    Society. — A  misquoted 

Latin  phrssc  in  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob's  article  on 
this  subject  which  appeared  on  page  75  of  our  issue 
for  last  week,  has  aroused  the  poetic  spirit  of  a  well- 
kniiwn  Daffodil  expert,  who  sends  us  the  following : 

■'    CARfHAGO    EST     DeLEXDUM." 

A  health;'  rule,  in  my  days  at  school. 

To  block  and  birch  would  send  'em 
Who  wrote,  in  defiance  of  godly  alliance, 

Carthago  est  dejendum. 
For,  though  he'd  own  that  the  Punic  town 

Was  a  masculine  virago. 
The  Roman  said  (and  note  that  he  made 

The  words  the  other  way  go) 
Not  "  it,"  but  "  she  destroyed  must  be, 

Delcnda  est  Carthago."  G.   H.   E. 

1  was  very  glad  to  see  Mr.  Jacob's  interesting 

article  in  your  last  issue  on  this  subject.      Following 


SIR    TREVOR    LAWRENCE,    BART.,    K.C.V.O. 

as  it  does  the  letters  of  Captain  Kitchin  and  Mr. 
Carne  Ross,  both  of  whom  I  know  to  be  keen 
Daffodil  enthusiasts,  it  wUl,  I  feel  sure,  be  the 
means  of  imittng  all  lovers  of  this  flower  in  their 
determination  to  give  it  a  national  society  of  its  own. 
In  my  opinion  a  National  Daffodil  Society  should 
have  been  formed  years  ago,  and  now  that  new  varie- 
ties of  the  Daffodil — good,  bad  and  indifferent — are 
being  introduced  yearly  by  the  thousand,  it  appears 
to  me  to  be  imperative  that  we  should  have  a 
society  whose  business  would  be  to  sift  the  good 
from  the  bad,  draw  up  new  classifications  when 
necessary,  and  generally  take  charge  of  the  Daffodil 
and  do  what  the  National  Rose  Society  does  for 
the  Rose.  If  there  is  any  single  flower  that  should 
have  a  national  society  of  its  own,  it  is  the  Daffodil. 
Probably  there  is  no  other  hardy  flower  which 
exists  in  such  a  variety  of  forms  and  which  offers 
such  possibilities  to  the  hybridist.     It  is  a  florist's 


flower  and  a  decorative  flower,  and  although  it 
repays  good  cultivation,  is  easy  to  grow.  The 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  and  the  Midland 
Daffodil  Society  hold  excellent  shows,  and  I  look 
forw.ard  each  year  with  more  pleasiure  to  my 
visit  to  Birmingham,  where  one  meets  one's 
Daffodil  friends.  These  shows,  however,  cannot 
do  what  a  national  society  could  for  the  Daffodil. 
—  X.  V.  Lower,  Presteign,  Radnor. 

Carnations  and  Cats. — Many  will  consider  that 
the  only  connection  between'the  two  is  that  the 
initial  letter  of  each  is  the  same.  Such,  too,  wa?- 
my  opinion  until  lately,  when  I  found  the  growins 
points  of  many  of  my  Carnations  eaten  off.  My 
thoughts  at  once  reverted  to  sparrows,  and  I 
immediately  decided  that  those  cheeky  but  not 
wholly  mischievous  birds  shovild  be  fed  no  more. 
Although  I  watched  the  sparrows  for  a  long  time, 
I  could  obtain  no  evidence  of  their  being  the  authors 
of  the  mischief,  but  found  out  quite  sufficient 
to  sh'^w  that  I  was  blaming  them  for  damage 
which  they  did  not  do,  as  I  detected  the 
culprit  in  a  neighbouring  cat,  which  was 
several  times  seen  carrying  out  its  work  of 
destruction.  Cats  sometimes  eat  grass  for 
medicinal  proposes,  and  the  resemblance  be- 
tween the  two  is  probabh'  the  reason  why  it 
turned  its  attention  to  the  Carnations.  After- 
wards I  found  it  eating  both  Pinks  and  Thrift. 
Lack  of  grass  is  not  the  cause,  as  there  is 
plenty  close  by. — H.   P. 

Serious  Losses  Among  Roses. — Many 
Rose-growers  in  the  South-West  of  Scotland 
will  have  rea,son  to  sympathise  with  Mr.  Blair, 
whose  note  appears  on  page  66  of  last  week's 
issue.  Climbing  Roses  here  have  suffered 
extensively,  and  many  which  have  stood  un 
harmed  for  a  number  of  years  have  been 
severely  injured.  I  do  not  like  iron  for  climb- 
ing plants,  and  all  my  climbing  Roses  art- 
either  on  pillars,  walls,  or  trellises,  yet  they 
have  suffered  greatly,  and  I  fear  that  one  or 
two,  at  least,  are  completely  gone.  Most  ol 
them  are  severely  crippled.  This  is  note- 
worthy among  the  wichuraianas,  and  this  is 
not  surprising  in  view  of  the  "  Tea  blood  " 
in  these  charming  Roses.  The  typical 
wichuraiana  is  all  right,  and  some  of  thi- 
hybrids  have  come  through  with  compara- 
ti\'ely  little  injrury.  I  have  been  much 
surprised  at  one  plant  of  the  old  Fellenberg 
grown  as  a  climber,  which  has  been  in 
its  present  position,  sheltered  from  the  north 
and  east  and  against  a  wall  and  arch  for 
some  years.  This  plant  is  cut  to  the  ground. 
Another,  on  a  pillar,  is  not  so  much  injured. 
Dorothy  Perkins  is  partly  injured,  and  is  worse 
in  some  parts  of  the  garden  than  in  others.  Oup 
peculiar  thing  with  Dorothy  Perkins  is  that  a  plant 
in  a  place  where  it  generally  suffers  from  wind 
in  bad  summers  is  little  the  worse,  and  a  plant  ol 
White  Dorothy  against  the  same  arch  as  the  one 
of  Fellenberg  alluded  to  before  is  quite  fresh  and 
healthy-looking.  Tea  Rambler,  which  is  often 
hurt  in  winter  and  is  not  so  satisfactory  as  one 
would  like,  looks  sadly  crippled  and  will  hardly 
recover.  Blush  Rambler  is  all  right.  So  is  Lady 
Godiva,  and  only  some  two  or  three  of  the  con- 
siderable number  of  other  ramblers  and  wichurai- 
ana hybrids  are  much  harmed.  Crimson  Rambler 
has  suffered  considerably.  Dwarfs  are  not  much 
the  worse,  but  these  were  saved  by  a  heavy  snowfall 
which  remained  on  the  ground  during  the  worst 
of  the  frost  towards  the  end  of  November  and  the-, 
beginning    of   December. — S.  -Arnott,  Dumfries. 


February  15,  1913.] 


I'HE     GARDEN. 


79 


SOLUTION     AND 
ACROSTIC 


Firsts- 


t  -:. 

t  3. 

§  4. 

II  5- 

t  6. 

"  7. 

tt  8. 

n  9- 

§§   lo- 

nil  "■ 

•*•  13. 


NOTES 

No.    8. 
MENDEL-DE  VRIES."     Lasts—" 
BREEDING." 
(Marty.nia  proboscidea] 

E     NOTR 
ICOTIAN 
OSEBLEE 
HRE 
ASI 
ISPLANTE 


M 
L 

N 

N 

E 

B 

D 

E 

V 

D 

I 

N 

S 


OF 

PLANT 

P 
E 
A 
D 
T 
L 
K 
E 
E 
K 
1 

E 
G 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


A.N    HOUTT 

UTCH    GaRDENE 

RIS    K.EMPFER 

ONESUCH    PaLAC 

IMPLIN 

•  The  seed-pods  are  "  armed  with  two  long 
hook-line  appendages."  Speer's  "  .\iinual  and 
Biennial  Garden  Plants"  under  "  Martynia." 
t  Le  Notre  made  Versailles  for  Louis  XIV. 
i  Nicotiana,  the  Tobacco  Plant  family.  §  Prior's 
■'  Popular  Names  of  British  Plants."  The  name 
.Millefolium  was  transferred  from  the  Horsetail 
10  the  Yarrow,  and  hence  the  properties  of  one 
were  passed  on  to  the  other.  ||  Ehret  was  em- 
ployed by  Trew.  See  Mrs.  Earle's  "  Pot-Pourri," 
page  60.  H  Cole's  "  Art  of  Simpling "  cuid 
Folkard's  "  Plant  Lore  "  tinder  "  Basil." 
**  Figured  in  some  editions  of  "  Hortus  Floridus  " 
and  in  Liger's  "  Compleat  Florist,"  page  146. 
tt  Eve  in  Milton's  "  Paradise  Lost."  tt  Van 
Houtte  was  a  very  celebrated  nurseryman  of 
Belgium.  §§  See  "  Pritzel,"  edition  1851,  under 
■■  Henry  van  Oosten."  ||l|  See  Dykes'  "  Iris " 
("  Present-day  Gardening ").  tl  Nonesuch 
Palace  See  .\mherst's  "  History  of  Gardening," 
second  edition,  page  95,  and  also  Johnson's 
"  History  of  Gardening,"  page  59.  ***  Cole 
published  the  "Art  of  Simpling"  in  1656.  One 
of  the  objects  of  gardens  about  that  time,  and 
for  a  great  many  years  previous,  was  to  provide  a 
home  for  medicinal  plants.  The  plants  were 
called  "  simples." 


SOLVERS     OF    ACROSTIC    No.     7. 

Correct  solutions  ot  .\crostic  No.  7  were  sent  in 
by  the  following  :  "  While  Lady,"  Mrs.  F.  Jones, 
"  Elm,  Bampton,"  "  Rustic,"  L.  A.  Louden  and 
■■  R.  P.  B." 

*,*  Owing  to  the  great  amoiiiil  of  work  entailed 
in  sorting  out  the  replies,  we  regret  that  we  are 
unable  to  publish  the  names  of  those  who  have 
solved  No.  8  this  week.  These,  with  the  names  of 
the  prize-winners  m  the  cotnpctition.  will  appear 
next  week. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

February  18. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Exhibition  and  Meeting.  Lecture  by  Miss  Mason 
on  "  Some  Flowers  of  Eastern  and  Central  .\frica," 
illustrated  by  water-colour  drawings.  Croydon 
and  District  Horticultural  Mutual  Improvement 
Society's  Meeting. 

February  19. — National  Fruit  Growers'  Federa- 
tion's .\nnual  Meeting  at  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Hall.  North  of  England  Horticultural 
Society's  Annual  Meeting  and  Show  at  Leeds. 

February  20. — Linnean  Society's  Meeting. 

February  28.— Beckenham  Horticultural  Society's 
Meeting  and  Lecture. 

March  i. — Societe  Frangaise  d'Horticulture  de 
Londres  Meeting. 


THE     FIRM     PLANTING     OF     ALPINE 
FLOWERS. 

Ni  'U'  that  planting-time  will  soon  be 
here,  it  seems  a  good  thing  to  urge 
upon  amateurs  and  others  the 
necessity  of  firm  planting  of  alpine 
flowers.  I  have  seen  so  many 
instances  of  plants  being  lost  through 
planting  them  too  loosely  or  in  too  loose  soil  that 
it  seems  only  right  to  caution  beginners,  in  par- 
ticular, on  this  point.  One  is  frequently  con- 
sulted regarding  the  losses  among  alpines,  and  it 
is  not  too  much  to  say  that  a  large  proportion  of 
these  are  caused  by  defective  planting.  This 
frequently  arises  through  the  soil  being  made 
unduly  light  by  the  addition  of  too  much  leaf-soil 
and  sand.  Both  are  good  when  used  rightly,  but 
an  excess  is  injurious. 


operation.  The  result  was  that  the  alpines  never 
looked  back  again,  and  by  the  end  of  the  season 
they  were  in  excellent  condition. 

The  quantity  of  leaf-soil  and  sand  to  be  used 
depends  on  the  quality  of  the  loam  ;  the  stiffcr 
the  latter  is,  the  more  leaf-soil  and  sand  is  required. 
Then  the  leaf-soil  used  is  often  too  flaky  smd  im- 
properly matured,  so  that  fungoid  growths  appear, 
to  the  detriment  of  the  alpines  planted  in  it.  I 
would  emphatically  enforce  the  necessity  of  firm 
planting,  spreading  out  the  roots  well,  pressing  the 
earth  well  about  them  and  finishing  off  by  pressing 
it  about  the  neck  of  the  flowers,  and  putting  a  few 
stones  about  them  also  if  they  are  not  planted  in 
crevices.  "  Plant  firmly  "  is  a  piece  of  advice  which 
should  not  be  neglected.  An  Old  Alpinist. 


A    LITTLE  KNOWN    CAMPANULA. 

It  is  hardly  possible  to  overpraise  the  charming 
Campanula  raddeana,  but  it  has  one  defect  which 
it  is  unwise  to  endeavour  to  conceal.     This  is  its 


A  BLUE-FLOWERED  HVDR.\NGE.\    GROWING    .\T    SHANKLIN,   ISLE    OF    WIGHT,     (-^ee /lage  78.) 


I  had  a  striking  instance  of  this  a  year  or  two  ago, 
when,  on  being  asked  to  visit  a  garden  to  advise 
about  alpines  which  were  not  doing  well  and  where 
many  of  them  were  dying  off,  I  found  that  they 
were  planted  in  soil  containing  far  too  much  loose, 
flaky  leaf-mould  and  sand.  This  would  not  have 
mattered  so  much  even  had  the  compost  been  made 
quite  firm,  but  it  was  laid  in  the  slackest  fashion 
and  no  attempt  had  been  made  to  firm  it  at  all. 
Then  the  plants  had  been  put  in  and  never  pressed 
into  the  soil  or  the  latter  made  firm  about  them. 
In  consequence,  their  roots  never  had  a  chance  of 
taking  hold  of  the  soil,  and  many  of  them  were 
on  the  verge  of  their  demise.  .\t  once  the  lifting 
of  the  plants  was  advised,  together  with  the 
addition  of  some  good  loam  and  making  the  whole 
firm,  though  not  into  a  stiff  mass.  Then  the 
alpines  were  replanted,  with  the  soil  made  firm 
about  their  roots,  and  a  good  watering  given,  the 
month    being    May,    not    the    best    time    for    the 


inability  to  maintain  itself  upright  without  some 
assistance — rather  a  serious  drawback  for  a  plant 
which  is  so  pretty  on  rockwork.  One  does  not 
like  to  see  a  plant  on  the  rockery  upheld  by  a 
stick  or  twig,  yet  this  seems  necessary  with  C. 
raddeana,  unless  we  can  grow  it  through  some 
slender  rock  shrub  which  would  uphold  its  stems. 
These  fall  forward  owing  to  the  weight  of  the  many 
large  bells  which  they  bear,  and,  unfortunately, 
these  flowers  seem  always  to  fall  with  their  "  faces  " 
against  the  sod,  so  that  they  do  not  show  so  nicely 
as  do  many  other  flowers  with  this  failing.  But 
C.  raddeana  is  such  a  lovely  thing  that  it  is  worth 
while  trying  to  contrive  some  support  which 
would  not  be  obtrusive.  With  me  it  is  about 
a  foot  high,  and  gives  with  great  freedom  stems 
laden  %vith  purple  blue  bells  on  a  plant  of  the 
freest-growing  habit,  the  roots  running  sufficiently 
rapidly  to  increase  quickly  without  being  too 
troublesome.  S.  Arnott. 


80 


THE     GARDEN. 


[February  15,  1913. 


THE    FRUIT    GARDEN. 


THE    WINTER    SPRAYING    OF    FRUIT 
TREES 

CONTINUING  my  article,  page  637  of 
the  last  volume,  I  now  purpose  deal- 
ing with  some  chemical  winter  washes 
employed  lor  the  double  purpose  of 
the  cleansing  of  the  trees  from  moss, 
and  lichen,  and  from  such  pests  as 
■eggs  of  the  winter  moth,  woolly  aphis,  mussel-scale 
ova,  Apple  blossom  weevil,  oyster-shell  bark  lice, 
earwigs  and  the  caterpillar  of  the  Codlin  moth  in 
its  cocoon. 

The  Board  of  Agricultiure,  in  the  valuable  leaflets 
issued,  strongly  recommend  the  use  of  winter 
washes  for  fruit  trees,  and  mention  the  Woburn 
Wash  as  being  desirable. 

In  addition  to  the  pure  lime  spray  noted,  I  am 
using  the  following  wash,  made  from  this  formula, 
in  addition  to  some  prepared  washes  which  I  will 
also  note,  as  in  many  instances  those  persons  with 
but  a  few  trees  prefer  a  prepared  wash  to  the  trouble 
of  preparing  one  from  a  formula.  In  the  soil  here 
lime  is  not  needed  so  much  as  in  soils  of  a  diiierent 
character,  as  the  subsoil  is  chalk  at  some  dis- 
tance from  the  surface.  For  this  reason  other 
washes  suit  rae  equally  as  well  as  the  lime 
spray.  Caustic  soda,  i^b,  ;  copper  sulphate, 
ijlb.  ;  lime.  Jib.;  paraffin  emulsion,  5  pints; 
water,  10  gallons.  Dissolve  the  copper  sulphate 
in  six  gallons  of  water  and  slake  the  lime  in  three 
gallons  of  water.  The  dissolved  copper  sulphate 
should  be  run  through  a  fine  sieve  to  remove  any 
portions  of  a  gritty  character.  Then  add  the 
paraffin  emulsion  and  stir  them  together,  adding 
the  caustic  soda  and  sufficient  water  to  make 
ten  gallons. 

The  paraffin  emulsion  requires  careful  prepara- 
tion. Boil  one  gallon  of  skim-milk,  gently,  gradually 
add  two  gallons  of  paraffin  by  pouring  it  gently 
in  the  middle  of  the  milk,  but  not  in  sufficient 
quantity  to  take  the  milk  off  the  boU.  Add 
ijlb.  of  soft  soap,  •  gently  whipping  it  up  in 
the  middle  of  the  vessel,  keepmg  it  away  from 
the  side  of  the  copper,  as  it  is  so  liable  to  burn  to 
the  vessel. 

Some  growers  may  prefer  to  use  iron  sulphate 
in  the  place  of  copper  sulphate  ;  in  that  case  add 
half  a  pound  of  iron  sulphate  instead  of  the  i  Jib.  of 
copper  sulphate  to  the  same  ingredients  and  the 
same  quantity  of  water.  Prepare  and  apply  in  the 
same  manner  any  time  between  November  and 
the  end  of  February. 

A  simple  winter  wash  can  be  made  with  lime  and 
sulphur  only  in  the  same  manner  as  recommended 
in  my  book,  "  Chrysanthemums  and  Their  Cultiure," 
which  I  wrote  and  practised  in  1886.  Place  2lb. 
of  sulphur  and  alb.  of  lime  which  has  not  been 
slaked  in  ten  quarts  of  water,  and  boil  for  twenty 
minutes.  Use  fom:  wineglassfuls  of  the  mixture 
to  foiu'  gallons  of  clean  cold  water.  This  is  a  capital 
fungicide  for  summer  use  also,  using  it  at  half  the 
strength,  for  many  of  the  insect  .-md  fungus  pests 
which   attack  the    trees. 

Of  prepared  washes  the  following  are  desirable  : 
Bentley's  Concentrated  AlkaU  Wash  is  most 
efficacious  in  cleansing  the  trees,  rendering  the  bark 
quite  bright  and  imparting  a  dark  colour  to  it. 
In  using  this  mixture  I  would  caution  users  not  to 
drench  the  trees  unnecessarily  with  the  Uquid, 
especially  standards,  because  the  stems  become 
too  saturated  with  the  wash  running  down,  collecting 
as  it  does  from  the  branches  to  the  stem,  and.  of 
course,  the  older  the  tree  the  more  numerous  are 


the  lodgments  iu  the  stem  for  the  wash  ;  an  undue 
quantity  might  do  some  slight  harm.  Dissolve 
the  contents  of  one  tm  in  fifteen  gallons  of  slightly 
warm  soft  water. 

Messrs.  Strawson  prepare  an  article  known  as 
Strawsonite,  which  is  efficacious,  easy  to  apply  and 
quite  safe.  Add  2lb.  Strawsonite  to  fifteen  gallons 
of  cold  water.  Keep  the  spray  fluid  well  agitated 
while  spraying  to  prevent  the  settling  of  the  mixture 
at  the  bottom  of  the  sprayer. 

Messrs.  Voss  and  Co. '  prepare  a  liquid  winter 
wash  which  is  easy  to  use,  at  the  rate  of  one  gallon 
to  fifty  gallons  of  water.  This  wash  I  am  giving 
an  extended  trial  this  season  as  it  is  so  simple 
of    application. 

Swanmore  Park.  E.  Molyneux. 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 


OUTDOOR     TOMATOES. 

THE  past  year  was,  on  the  whole,  not 
very  suitable  for  the  production  of 
high-class  Tomatoes  in  the  open  garden. 
Some  very  fair  fruit,  however,  was 
secured  from  plants  growing  upon 
south  walls.  The  seed  for  this  year's 
supply  of  plants  should  be  sown  in  heat  during 
February  and  March.  Failing  a  warm  greenhouse, 
use  may  be  made  of  a  hot-bed  to  raise  the 
seedlings.  A  small  pan,  or  even  a  pot,  will  con- 
tain sufficient  for  the  average  amateur's  garden. 
Fine  soil,  made  moderately  firm,  and  good 
drainage  are  essential  points  in  the  production  of 
healthy  plants. 

The  plants  from  their  first  appearance  must  be 
placed  in  a  position  where  they  will  obtain  the  full 
advantage  of  light,  and  as  soon  as  they  are  strong 
enough,  air  within  reason  should  be  admitted. 
This  will  secure  short-jointed,  sturdy  plants,  so 
important  a  factor  in  the  ultimate  success  of  the 
crop.  The  seedlings  may  be  pricked  out  when  large 
enough  to  handle.  I  prefer  to  plant  them  arotmd 
the  edge  of  5j-inch  pots ;  it  is  then  a  simple 
matter  to  divide  the  ball  of  soil  and  pot  on  the  plants 
when  they  are  ready  without  injury  to  their  roots. 
The  plants  grow  quickly  as  the  season  advances,  and 
they  may  be  given  a  final  shift  singly  into  sj-inch 
pots.  As  these  pots  become  full  of  roots  and  the 
sun  increases  iu  power,  plenty  of  water  will  be 
required  by  the  plants.  They  may  be  arranged 
in  a  frame,  allowing  plenty  of  room  for  the  air  to 
circulate  freely  between  them.  Frames  are  so 
often  overcrowded  during  the  spring,  and  it  is  a 
good  plan  to  arrange  the  Tomatoes  on  a  bed  of 
ashes  under  the  protection  of  a  south  wall  or  fence 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  May.  A 
framework  of  Bamboo  canes  or  poles  may  be  fitted 
up,  on  which  mats  may  be  placed  at  night  as 
an  extra  protection  against  damage  by  frost. 
The  first  week  of  June  is  a  suitable  time  for 
planting. 

The  first  places  to  plant  are  those  agauist  walls  or 
on  fences  facing  the  south  or  west.  The  next  best 
places  are  on  borders  immediately  in  front  of  these 
walls  or  fences,  while  in  some  locahties  and  during 
favourable  seasons  good  crops  have  been  taken 
from  the  open  ground.  Do  not  add  manure 
at  the  time  of  planting,  except  in  cases  where 
the  soil  is  very  light  and  poor.  Plant  firmly. 
Secure  the  plants  to  the  wall  or  to  stakes.  Apply 
water  as  required.  Remove  all  side  shoots  as 
they  appear.  A  mulch  of  maniure  is  advantageous 
in  preserving  moisture  and  affording  food  to  the 
plants.     Three,  or  in  sunny  positions  four,  bunches 


of  fruit  may  be  allowed  to  set  on  each  plant.  The 
plants  should  then  be  stopped  at  "one  leaf  above 
the  last  bunch.  A  portion  of  the  foliage  may  be 
cut  away,  so  that  the  fruit  may  derive  fuU  advantage 
of  the  sun.  Do  not  entirely  denude  the  plants 
of  their  foliage.  The  latest  bunches  seldom  ripen 
thoroughly  outdoors.  They  may  be  placed  on  the 
shelves  of  a  greenhouse  or  in  a  sunny  window  to 
finish.  Satisfaction  and  Sunrise  are  excellent  varieties 
for  growing  in  the  open  garden.        Colin  Ruse. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 


NOTES    ON    ORCHIDS:    GALANTHES. 

THERE  are  several  Orchids  well  cultivated 
by  gardeners  who  do  not  claim  to  be 
Orchid-growers  in  a  general  sense. 
Calanthes  are  among  them,  for  they  are 
special  favourites  with  those  who  live 
outside  the  metropolitan  area  and 
away  from  large  manufacturing  centres,  where 
dense,  smoky  fogs  play  havoc  with  the  blooms, 
while  the  absence  of  light  also  has  a  bleaching 
effect  on  the  flowers. 

In  an  ordinary  establishment  there  usually 
exists  a  Melon-pit,  a  shelf  in  the  vinery,  or  a 
Cucumber-house,  where  Calanthes  thrive  admir- 
ably. At  this  season  they  will  soon  commence  to 
grow,  and  when  the  new  shoot  is  about  two  inches 
long  and  ready  to  push  out  a  batch  of  roots,  the 
repotting  may  be  taken  in  hand.  The  bulbs  have, 
no  doubt,  been  kept  quite  dry  at  the  base  through 
the  winter  months,  and  to  prevent  any  injury 
to  the  new  growth,  the  pots  should  be  given  a 
thorough  watering  a  day  or  so  before  potting 
operations  begin.  The  old  soil  is  then  shaken  out 
and  all  the  roots  cut  away  excepting  a  little  tuft 
to  hold  the  bulbs  in  position  till  they  become 
established.  One  bulb  behind  each  growing  point 
is  sufficient,  and  where  the  older  bulb  has  not 
decayed,  it  could  be  placed  in  some  silver  sand 
till  growth  is  apparent,  if  it  is  desirable  to  increase 
the  stock.  However  careful  the  grower  may  be, 
a  few  of  the  bulbs  lose  their  top  ;  but  these  may 
also  be  utilised  iu  a  similar  way,  when  they  will 
generally  produce  a  "  break." 

Soil  and  Repotting. — A  suitable  rooting  medium 
consists  of  the  best  fibrous  loam  one-half,  peat 
one-fourth  and  partly-decayed  Oak  leaves  one- 
fourth,  and  to  every  bushel  of  the  mixture  add 
a  6-inch  potful  of  crushed  crocks  or  finely-broken 
charcoal.  Ordinary  flower-pots  prove  the  best 
receptacles,  which  should  be  filled  one-fourth  of 
their  depth  with  drainage,  and  over  this  can  be 
arranged  a  thin  layer  of  fibrous  loam.  The  bulbs 
ought  to  be  potted  singly,  the  larger  ones  being 
placed  in  6-inch  pots  and  the  smaller  ones  in  4  J-inch 
and  5-inch  pots.  Make  the  compost  fairly  firm  and 
allow  the  base  of  the  new  growth  to  rest  upon 
the  soil,  which  may  be  an  inch  or  so  below  the  rim. 
This  will  leave  ample  space  for  watering  and 
top-dressing  during  the  summer  months.  .'Vfter 
the  repotting  is  completed,  the  bulbs  should  be 
provided  with  a  light  position  in  a  house  where  an 
average  temperature  of  60°  to  65°  Fahr.  can  be 
maintamed  ;  but  as  the  sun  gains  power  no  harm 
will  accrue  if  the  thermometer  rises  to  75°  or  even 
80°.  Keep  the  surroundings  moist,  but  scarcely 
any  water  will  be  required  at  the  root  for  about 
six  weeks.  As  growth  advances  and  root  action 
becomes  more  vigorous,  the  water  supply  can  also 
be  increased,  and  from  this  stage  till  the  spikes  are  re- 
moved the  plants  must  never  be  permitted  to  suffer 


February  15,  1Q13] 


THE    GAliDEK. 


81 


from  lack  of  moisture  at  the  base.  As  the  foliage 
grows,  additional  stage  room  must  be  given  and  the 
plants  kept  about  a  foot  from  the  roof  glass.  Plenty 
of  light  is  necessary,  short  of  scorching  the  leaves  ; 
but  blinds  made  of  thin  canvas  wUl  be  required 
for  a  few  hours  each  day  when  the  weather  is  bright 
and  hot.  Ventilation  is  a  most  important  factor 
in  the  successful  culture  of  Calanthes,  for  they 
refuse  to  be  healthy  in  a  close,  stuffy  atmosphere  ; 
but  air  must  be  admitted  cautiously  to  prevent 
cold  draughts  passing  over  the  plants.  Spraying 
overhead  is  not  recommended,  but  the  stages  and 
floor  should  be  damped  two  or  three  times  each  day 
throughout  the  growing  period.  Some  growers 
advocate  liquid  manure,  but  personally  I  do  not 
advise  its  use.  If,  however,  anyone  wishes  to 
experiment  with  a  few  examples,  it  ought  not  to 
be  applied  till  the  new  bulb  is  formed. 

When  growth  is  near  completion,  the  foliage  will 
begin  to  show  signs  of  decay  at  the  tips,  and  water 
will  be  required  in  sUghtly  smaller  quantities, 
while  the  atmosphere  may  be  less  moist,  and  a  little 
more  top  ventilation  will  help  to  consolidate  the 
bulbs.  The  flower-spikes  will  now  soon  appear, 
and  their  life  will  be  prolonged  if  they  are  arranged 
in  a  dry  house  where  the  temperature  is  about 
60*  Fahr.  .when  fully  expanded.  Directly  the 
scapes  are  cut,  the  bulbs  (stUl  left  in  their  pots) 
may  be  stored  on  a  dry  shelf  till  the  spring.  No 
water  is  needed,  and  the  temperature  ought  not 
to  fall  below  55°  Fahr. 

Selection  of  Varieties. — C  Veitchii  is  one  of 
the  most  popular  in  cultivation,  the  flowers  being 
a  rich  rose  colour.  The  varieties  of  C.  vestita, 
such  as  luteo-oculata  and  rubro-oculata,  are  very 
pleasing,  while  for  a  later-blooming  kind  C. 
Regnieri  should  be  chosen.  C.  Harrisii  is  a 
beautiful  pure  white  variety,  while  C.  Bryan,  C. 
Bella  and  C.  William  Murray  are  also  desirable 
subjects.  Sentinel. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


SOME  OF  THE   NEWER   HYBRID    TEA 
ROSES. 

{Continued  from  page  72.) 

Rayon  d'Or  (Pemet-Ducher,  1910). — This  Rose 
can  fairly  be  termed  unique,  raised  from  Mme. 
Melanie  Soupert  crossed  with  Soleil  d'Or.  It 
created  a  great  sensation  when  first  exhibited, 
and  its  fame  spread  to  England  long  before  we  saw 
flowers  of  it.  When  exhibited  by  Dr.  Waddell  for 
M.  Pernet-Ducher  at  the  Royal  Botanic  Show  in 
1 910,  when  it  was  awarded  the  gold  medal,  it 
attracted  all  who  saw  it  by  reason  of  its  colouring. 
Like  all  Roses  that  are  at  all  out  of  the  common, 
its  lirst  year  found  it  suffering  very  much  from  over- 
production, and  the  plants  that  reached  us  were 
surely  the  smallest  that  were  evi  r  flattered  by  the 
name  of  plant.  I  was  fairly  fortimate,  but  1  saw 
a  batch  that  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  find 


It  is  a  great  break  from  the  hybridist's  point  of  view, 
and  its  colour  and  robust  constitution  have  no 
doubt  caused  it  to  be  freely  used  as  a  parent,  so 
that  we  can  reasonably  look  forward  to  a  Rayon 
d'Or    without    thorns,    or    perhaps    I    had    better 

I  say  with  fewer  thorns.  It  is  free-flowering, 
and  the  flowers  are  not  injured  by  rain ;  a 
bed  of  it  makes  a  fine  splash  of  colour  when  in 
full  flower. 

Rose  du  Barri  (B.  R.  Cant  and  Sons,  191 1). — ^The 
name  fairly  describes  the  colour  of  this  Rose,  which 
makes  a  good  May  bedder.  Fully  expanded,  the 
flowers  remind  one  of  a  Shirley  Poppy.  It  is 
very  free  -  flowering  and  fragrant,  and  produces 
a  large  number  of  buds  ;  these  should  be  thinned 
to  three  or  five,  othenvise  the  flowers  will  be  small. 
Although  a  Rose  of  recent  introduction,  the  raisers 
are  able  to  offer  it  at  normal  prices — I  believe  is.  6d. 
a  plant.     One  spray  makes  a  very  effective  ornament 

I  in  a  vase,  with  its  centre  flower  fully  out  and  sur- 
rounded by  three  or  four  buds  in  various  stages. 


CINERARIA    BEAUTY     OF    CAM- 
BRIDGE. 

This  attractive  and  useful  greenhouse  plant  was 
raised  some  years  ago  by  Mr.  R.  I.  Lynch,  M.A., 
of  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Cambridge,  by  crossing 
Cineraria  Heritieri  with  a  white  form  of  the  ordi- 
nary garden  Cineraria,  and  is  quite  intermediate 
between  the  two  parents.  The  light,  graceful 
flowers  are  white  with  a  violet  centre,  some  of  the 
floret  rays  being  sHghtly  tinged  with  blue,  making 
it  a  very  desirable  plant.  It  is  readily  increased 
by  means  of  cuttings,  and  if  given  the  same  treat- 
ment as  the  ordinary  garden  Cineraria,  good  plants 
can  be  grown  in  5-inch  pots,  equally  as  useful  for 
room  decoration  as  for  the  greenhouse.  A  plant 
identical  to  the  above  was  exhibited  some  time 
back  under  the  name  of  C.  hybrida,  said  to  be  a 
cross  between  C.  cruenta  and  Senecio  Tussala- 
ginis.  Undoubtedly  there  must  have  been  some 
mistake  in  the  names  of  the  parents,  for  it  is 
quite  evident  such  a  cross  could  not  give  the 
same  result  as  C.  Heritieri  crossed  with  a  white 
form  of  the  ordinary  garden  Cineraria,  which 
are  certainly  the  parents  of  C.  Beauty  of 
Cambridge. 

.\s  already  stated,  this  is  a  charming 
and  useful  plant,  and  one  that  ought  to  be 
more  widely  known.  In  common  with  other 
Cinerarias  it  should  be  grown  in  quite  a  cool 
house,  and  have  an  abundance  of  fresh  air  at 
all  times.  Cold-frame  treatment  is  best  for  the 
plants  during  the  summer,  where  they  must  be 
shaded  from  brilUant  sunshine.     F.  G.  Preston. 


CINER.\RIA    BE.\UTV    OF    CAMBRIDGE,    A    GARDEN    HYBRID    THAT    IS    USEFUL    FOR    THE 

GREENHOUSE. 


any  wood  on  bigger  than  an  ordinary  safety  match. 
The  result  was  that  we  had  to  wait  another  year 
before  any  decent  flowers  or  plants  could  be  ob- 
tained, and  it  was  only  in  the  summer  of  1912 
that  the  Rose  made  its  way  into  most  of  our  ex- 
hibitions. It  is  a  vigorous  grower,  of  fairly 
branching  habit,  rather  apt  to  send  up  one  strong 
shoot  that  absorbs  all  the  strength  of  the  plant. 
Excellent  foliage,  of  bright  bronze  green  colour, 
that  seems  quite  mildew-proof.  I  saw  no  sign  of 
mildew  on  any  of  my  plants  last  season,  when  1 
suppose  mildew  generally  was  as  bad  as  it  is  possible 
to  be,  and  that  is  saying  a  good  deal.  The  great 
feature  of  the  flo%ver  lies  in  its  wonderful  colour  ; 
it  is  without  question  the  deepest  yellow  Rose  we 
have,  and  the  colour  lasts  ;  but  it  is,  to  my  mind, 
better  in  the  garden  than  in  the  house,  the  colour 
being  a  little  crude  for  decoration ;  and  another 
point  that  rather  detracts  from  its  use  as  a  decora- 
tive Rose  on  the  table  is  that  its  thorns  are  terrible. 


Rose  Queen  (The  E.  G.  Hill  Company,  1911). — 
This  is  a  free-flowering  garden  Rose  of  American 
introduction,  and  no  doubt  very  useful  under 
glass.  Mr.  Gumey  HUl,  when  over  for  the  "  Inter- 
national," told  me  it  was  particularly  free-flowering ; 
whether  it  will  prove  so  out  of  doors  with  us  I 
cannot  say,  but  that  was  its  characteristic  under 
glass.  It  is  deep  pink  or  full  rose  iu  colour,  of 
good  habit,  but  not  particularly  distinct.  A  pink 
Rose  has  to  be  particularly  good — for  example. 
Miss  Cynthia  Forde — ^if  it  is  to  tak»  a  place  in  the 
ranks  of  pink  Roses. 

Reine  Mere  d'ltalie  (Bernaix,  1911). — My 
solitary  plant  of  this  Rose  gave  me  some  excellent 
flowers  last  summer.  It  is  a  good  yellow,  of  an 
ochre  shade,  very  free-flowering,  of  fair  size,  and 
generally  satisfactory. 

Senateur  Mascurand  (Pernet-Ducher,  1910). — 
This  is  a  fine  Rose,  of  good  shape  and  substance, 
but    its   colour  is   variable.      Personally,    I    do   not 


82 


THE    GARDEN. 


[February  15,  1913. 


object  to  a  Rose  on  this  ground,  but  it.  of  course, 
would  not  do  to  plant  it  in  a  bed  forming  part  of 
a  colour-scheme  unless  it  is  used  to  shade  from  a 
yellow  into  a  white. 

Souvenir  de  Gustave  Prat  (Pernet-Durher,  igio)- 
— A  Rose  with  similar  characteristics  to  the  last 
named,  which  latter,  however,  I  prefer.  The 
buds  of  this  Rose  are  possibly  a  trifle  longer,  but 
with  me  the  other  Rose  was  the  better  grower  and 
certainly  more  free-flowering.  I  do  not  think  both 
are  wanted. 

Sunburst  (Pernct-Ducher,  1912). — A  Rose  that 
has  caused  much  controversy.  Under  glass  there 
can  be  no  two  questions,  I  think,  of  its  beauty  ; 
out  of  doors  it  behaves,  apparently,  in  some  gar- 
dens indifferently,  in  others  well.  I  think  position 
has  something  to  do  with  the  result.  It  does  not 
like  full  sim,  and  in  such  a  position  loses  its  colour 
very  quickly.  My  plants  get  no  sun  till  late  in 
the  afternoon,  and  I  had  some  wonderful  coloured 


inside  decoration  and  garden  purposes,  is  un- 
questioned if  flowers  that  will  hold  their  deep 
cadmium  yellow  colour  are  produced. 

Southampton.  Herbert  E.   Molyneux. 

(To  be  continued.) 


COLOURED      PLATE. 

PIiATB     1465. 


TWO     NEW    SWEET     PEAS. 

THE  two  Sweet  Peas  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying coloured   plate  have  much  to 
commend  them  to  the  notice  of   those 
particularly  interested  in  these  flowers. 
In  these  days,  when  so  many  so-called 
novelties    so     closely    resemble     older 
sorts,  it  is  a  rehef  to  get  new  ones  that  are  distinct, 
which  the  varieties  depicted  in  the  coloured  plate 
certainly   are.     In   Muriel   Quick   we  have   one   of 


LARGE    BED    OF    TORCH    LILIES.         WHEN    MASSED    IN    THIS    WAV    THESE    PLANTS    CREATE    A 
DISTINCTIVE    NOTE    IN    THE    GARDEN. 


flowers  in  consequence ;  with  me  it  was  quite 
satisfactory.  Here,  again,  the  over-production 
question  comes  in,  and  I  think  we  must  wait  before 
passing  a  verdict.  Every  eye  was  propagated 
from  last  year  and  the  year  before,  with  the  inevit- 
able result.  We  were  told  at  the  "  International "  of 
a  method  of  pruning,  or,  rather,  stopping,  akin  to 
that  which  the  Chrysanthemima-grower  practises — 
the  leading  shoot  not  being  allowed  to  flower,  but 
stopped  at  two  eyes,  both  of  which  would  then  pro- 
duce deep-coloured  flowers.  Two  groups  of  plants 
were  exhibited,  the  first  after  the  normal  pruning 
being  allowed  to  flower  and  showing  blooms  white 
edged  if  not  quite  white  throughout,  the  second, 
stopped  in  the  manner  suggested,  showing  deep- 
coloured  flowers.  It  is  vigorous  and  of  Rose 
carries  few  thorns,  and  its  beauty,  both  for 
good  branching   habit.     Unlike   Rayon   d'Or,   this 


the  beautiful  veined  Sweet  Peas,  of  which  the 
grandiflora  or  unwaved  variety  Helen  Pierce  was 
the  forerunner.  Ever  since  it  was  introduced 
raisers  have  been  endeavouring  to  secure  it  in  a 
waved  form,  and  Muriel  Quick  is  the  nearest  and 
most  pleasing  approach  to  it  that  we  have  seen. 
The  other  variety,  Mrs.  D.  Denholm  Eraser,  is  a 
very  striking  Sweet  Pea,  its  large,  bold  flowers, 
with  their  vigorous  splashes  of  bright  orange, 
making  a  gay  picture  in  the  garden  and  a 
fine  addition  to  an  exhibit  in  the  show  tent.  It 
is  a  counterpart  of  the  beautiful  Mrs.  W.  J.  Unwin, 
except  in  the  .colour  of  the  flakes,  which  is,  ol 
course,  quite  distinct.  Both  Muriel  Quick  and 
Mrs.  D.  Denholm  Eraser  were  raised  by  Mr.  W.  J. 
Unwin  of  Histon,  Cambs,  to  whom  we  are  indebted 
for  the  flowers  from  which  the  coloured  plate  was 
prepared. 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

KNIPHOFIAS,     OR     TORCH     LILIES. 

KNIPHOFIAS,  or  Tritoraas,  to  use  an 
older  generic  name  which  still  clings 
to  them,  are  valuable  hardy  perennials 
lor  summer  and  autumn  flowering. 
Several  popular  names,  such  as  Flame 
Flower,  Red-hot  Poker  and  Torch  Lily, 
have  been  fittingly  applied  to  them.  No  garden  of 
any  size  can  be  considered  complete  without  the  rich , 
warm  colours  of  their  flowers.  The  genus  Kniphofia 
contains  some  forty  species,  chiefly  natives  of 
South  Africa.  Comparatively  few  of  these,  how- 
ever, are  grown  to  any  extent  in  gardens,  as  for 
general  culture  and  beauty  the  species  are  surpassed 
by  the  numerous  hybrids  and  garden  varieties 
raised  in  this  country  and  on  the  Continent. 
Though  generally  looked  upon  as  hardy  plants, 
in  cold  districts  and  exposed  positions  the  pre- 
caution of  protecting  them  with  coal- 
ashes,  leaves,  or  Bracken  in  winter  is 
desirable,  for  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  they  grow  wild  in  a  country 
warmer  than  this. 

Soil  and  Situation.  —  Kniphofias 
will  grow  in  the  cultivated  soil  of 
most  gardens,  provided  it  is  well 
drained.  For  preference  a  light 
sandy,  rather  than  a  heavy,  loam 
should  be  provided.  An  annual 
mulching  of  well-rotted  mcmure  in 
June  is  beneficial.  Propagation  may 
be  effected  by  division  of  the  clumps, 
preferably  during  March,  or  in  autumn 
if  more  convenient.  Kniphofias  may 
also  be  raised  from  seeds  sown  under 
glass  during  February  and  March,  or 
outdoors  in  April.  When  established 
and  flourishing  Kniphofias  should  be 
left  undisturbed,  merely  pricking  over 
the  surface  soil  between  the  plants  in 
spring,  and  keeping  the  ground  at 
other  times  free  from  weeds.  The 
plants  delight  in  abimdant  supplies 
of  water  in  summer  and  autumn.  It 
is  often  recommended  to  plant  Kni- 
phofias by  the  lakeside.  The  plants, 
however,  must  be  located  a  sufficient 
distance  up  the  slope  of  the  bank,  so 
that  the  water  does  not  reach  the 
roots  in  winter.  In  such  a  position 
few  herbaceous  plants  can  be  so 
effectively  employed  planted  in  bold 
groups  or  masses.  Most  readers  will 
be  aware  of  the  value  of  Kniphofias  for 
the  herbaceous  or  mixed  borders,  and  they  are 
also  particularly  effective  for  beds  in  the  pleasure 
grounds.  Even  when  not  in  flower  the  clumps  or 
tufts  of  broad  and  long  grass-like  leaves  are 
ornamental. 

A  Good  Selection. — K.  aloides,  or  Tritoma 
Uvaria,  is  the  old^Red-hot  Poker  of  the  cottage 
garden.  There  are  several  forms  worthy  of  cultiva- 
tion with  flower-spikes  4  feet  to  6  feet  high,  some- 
times even  taller  than  this — glaucescens,  yellow, 
tipped  with  orange  scarlet  ;  grandiflora,  scarlet 
and  yellow,  a  grand  variety  producing  tall,  vigorous 
spikes  of  flower  in  autumn  ;  maxima,  scarlet  and 
orange ;  nobilis,  one  of  the  most  vigorous  and 
hardy  varieties,  flowers  orange  red  ;  and  Saundersii, 
a  very  free-flowering  variety  with  orange  scarlet 
flowers.  K.  aloides  is  one  of  the  parents  of  most 
of  the  strong- growing  hybrids.     The  following  list 


Siij>pleincnt  to  THE  GARDEN,  Febntarv  15///,  1913 


Two  new  Sweet  Peas — ■ 
Blue:  Muriel  Quick. 
Red  Flaked  :  Mrs.  D.  Denholm  Frazer. 


Htidson  t--  Keaiiis,  Ltd.,  Prinfets,  London,  S.E. 


February  15,  1913-] 


THE     GARDEN. 


83 


after  which  it  will  need  little  or  no  further  atten- 
tion.    In  the  accompanying  illustration  is  seen  an 


comprises  a  selection  of  the  best :    Chloris,  apricot  I  be  very  successfully  cultivated  as  pot  plants  for  the 

vellow  :     corallina,    coral    red  ;     Lachesis,    golden    cold  greenhouse.     For  cutting,  the  flower-spikes  are 

vellow  ;    Obelisk,  rich  yellow  ;    Pfitzeri,  yellow  and    for  many  purposes  more  valuable  than  the  vigorous  |  effective  grouping  of  the  variety  Queen  Charlotte 

scarlet,'  a  strong   grower  ;     R.   Wilson    Ker,   coral    kinds,   lending   themselves   more   readily    to   light  •  of  a  soft  rosy  hue,  and  one  of  the  most  pleasing  in 

red,  a  vigorous  plant  ;    Triumph,  orange  yellow  ;    and  graceful  arrangements.  cultivation. 

John   Benarj',    dark   orange   red ;     Rufus.   yellow. 

'haded  crimson  ;    and  Victor  Lemoine,  coral  red.  \  THE     JAPANESE     ANEMONE.  LILIES  :     A     CAUSERIE. 

The  Small-flowered  Torch  Lilies. — ^As  a  contrast  j  This   is  beyond   doubt   one   of   the  most   popular  (Continued  from  page  71.) 

to  the  noble   and  vigorous  varieties  and  hybrids  |  garden   flowers   of   to-day.     For  massing  in   large    Another    Lily  that    has,  so   far,  reciprocated  my 
of   K.    aloides   we   have   the   miniature    or   small-  I  beds  by   the   water-side,   on   the   outsldrts  of   the    affection    is   the  golden  and  fragrant   L.  monadel- 


flowered  Torch  Lilies.  They 
require  more  attention  and 
care  than  their  stronger 
brethren,  or  during  a  severe 
winter  many  losses  among 
them  will  have  to  be  re- 
corded. These  miniature 
Kniphofias  succeed  best  in 
light,  sandy  soil  and  warm, 
sunny  positions.  They  are 
charming  for  the  front  of 
the  herbaceous  border,  the 
mixed  border,  and  may  also 
worthily  find  a  place  in  the 
rock  garden.  In  some  gar- 
dens, to  guard  against  loss 
the  plants  are  carefully 
lifted  and  heeled  in  light, 
sandy  soil  in  a  sheltered 
spot,  protecting,  if  neces- 
sary, still  further  till  spring. 
The  following  are  the  most 
important  miniature 
species:  K.  breviflora. 
yellow,  producing  slender 
spikes  2  feet  to  3  feet  high, 
a  rather  rare  South  African 
species  ;  K.  Macowanii,  soft 
coral  red,  spikes  2  feet 
high,  valuable  in  the  rock 
garden,  also  from  South 
.Africa  ;  K.  Nelsonii,  orange 
red,  a  charming  free-flower- 
mg  plant  of  considerable 
value  grown  in  pots  for  the 
cold  greenhouse,  a  native 
of  the  Orange  River  Colony  ; 
K.  pauciflora,  grows  about 
one  and  a-half  feet  high, 
yellow  flowers,  borne  on 
slender  spikes,  flowers  pro- 
duced over  a  long  season. 
■I  native  of  Natal ;  and  K. 
rufa,  yellow  and  red,  may 
be  truly  described  as  a 
miniature  K.  aloides  in  both 
foliage  and  flowers,  the 
hardiest  and  most  free  in 
growth  of  the  small-flowered 
species,  free  and  continuous 
in  flower,  a  native  of  the 
Orange  River  Colony. 

With  these  species  to 
work  upon,  hybridists  have 
given  us  several  useful 
small  -  flowered  hybrids 
during  recent  years.  One  of  these,  Goldelse  shrubbery,  or  in  the  herbaceous  border  it  has  few 
(citron  yellow),  has  received  the  award  of  merit  equals.  Moreover,  it  is  grand  for  cutting,  and 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  Torchlight  when  grown  in  large  masses  the  pink  and  white 
is  a  companion  plant,  with  orange  scarlet  flowers  ;  flowers  may  be  cut  in  arrafuls  during  the  autumn. 
Lemon  Queen,  lemon  yellow,  a  distinct  plant,  with  It  is  a  plant  of  easy  cultivation,  and  it  is  just  as 
spikes  about  two  feet  high;  Solfaterre,  yellow,  well  to  place  it  both  in  sunny  and  shady  positions  to 
tipped  with  green.  prolong  the  flowering  season.     No  garden  is  com- 

In  addition  to  their  value  in  the  outdoor  garden,    plete  without  this  cliarming  Anemone.     It  may  be 
the  miniature-flowered   Kniphofias  may,  if  desired,    planted  now  in  deep,  rich    and    well-prepared  soil. 


.\N 


EFFECTIVE    METHOD    OF    GROUPING    THE    BEAUTIFUL    JAP.\NESE    ANEMONE 
QUEEN    CHARLOTTE. 


phum,  which  has  annually 
returned  my  admiration 
with  Daffodil  yellow  bells 
and  whiffs  of  blended 
essence  of  Hyacinth  and 
Poet's'Narcissus.  The  scent 
is  strong  and  heavy,  even 
lor  a  Lily,  and  is  almost 
too  much  of  a  good  thing 
early  in  the  evening,  when 
this  Lily  seems  to  concen- 
trate its  efforts  on  adver- 
tising its  presence,  which  I 
take  to  be  a  sign  that  in 
its  own  country  it  lays 
itself  out  for  the  visits  of 
crepuscular  insects,  pro- 
bably some  large  hawk- 
moths  that  fly  at  early 
dusk,  when,  of  course,  pale  ' 
lemon  yellow  and  strong 
scent  would  prove  good 
guides  for  these  hungry 
visitors,  who  come  only 
with  the  idea  of  sipping 
lioney,  but  are  welcome  to 
the  Lily  as  its  best- 
appointed  means  for  cross- 
fertilisation.  It  is  said  to 
be  one  of  the  best  Lilies  fo. 
permanent  planting,  hating 
disturbance  and  improving 
in  vigour  after  its  third 
year's  tenancy.  That  is 
one  of  the  characteristics  1 
most  desire  in  a  plant.  I 
•.hould  like  to  fill  a  garden 
with  plants  whose  only 
needs  after  a  good  planting 
are  spring  and  autumn 
cleanings  of  the  surface  of 
their  bed,  and  for  which 
patience  is  the  best  manure. 
I  have  a  feeling,  whirh  I 
cannot  exactly  trace  to 
book  -  reading  or  garden 
observation,  that  mona- 
delphum  prefers  a  cool, 
loamy  soil,  so  I  should 
always  choose  a  position 
for  it  where  shade  lies  for 
some  portion  of  the  day. 
Once  one  gets  such  a  con- 
ception of  the  right  position 
for  a  plant,  it  is  hard  to 
shake  it  off,  and  sometimes 
noticing  successful  cul  tivation  in  the  gardens  of 
others  under  totally  different  conditions  sets  one  to 
look  out  for  climatic  or  geological  differences  rather 
than  to  account  for  it  by  questioning  the  truth  of 
one's  preconceived  notions.  Still,  it  is  a  fact  that  the 
best  gardeners  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  geography 
of  their  own  gardens  which  is  often  of  the  greatest 
service  in  choosing  a  suitable  home  for  a  new  sub- 
ject,   and   yet    can   hardly   be   explained   in   words. 


84 


THE     GAKDEK 


[February  15,  1913 


So  I  have  a  rooted  idea  that  this  fine  Lily  is  a  fitting 
companion  for  herbaceous  Pasonies — the  same  site 
should  suit  both.  The  poor  thing  has  suffered 
terribly  at  the  hands  of  its  botanical  sponsors,  and 
it  laments,  moans  and  groans  (the  best  opposites 
to  rejoicing  that  I  can  think  of  at  the  moment)  in 
the  synonyms  Loddigesianum,  szovitzianum  and 
Ledebourii,  and  I  daresay,  like  many  of  the 
Ermyntrudes  and  Adolphuses,  who  wish  they  had 
been  named  Jane  or  Thomas,  would  prefer  to  be 
called  by  its  shortest  synonym,  colchicum.  The 
plaui  yellow  forms  are  most  to  my  liking  ;  but 
they  vary  so  endlessly  in  the 
matter  of  spotting  that,  unless  you 
can  choose  your  plants  when  in 
flower,  it  is  impossible  to  predict 
what  you  may  get  from  lemon 
yellow  to  deep  chrome,  any  of  which 
may  be  plain  or  speckled. 

L.  Henryi  surprised  me  more 
than  any  other  Lily  I  have  planted 
here.  I  purchased  a  bulb  when  it 
was  new  and  rare,  and  also  expen- 
sive. It  was  a  small  one,  to  match 
my  purse,  and  I  was  not  greatly 
in  love  with  its  weak,  bending-over 
make  of  stem  and  the  one  or  two 
blossoms  it  gave  me  during  its 
furst  three  years  here.  As  it  bent 
over  so  much,  it  was  mostly  the 
recurved  portion  of  the  segments 
that  I  saw,  and  in  the  choice 
southern  border  I  gave  to  so  rare 
a  novelty  they  scorched  rather 
badly.  Then  I  thought  it  was 
about  good  enough  to  grow  on  the 
edge  of  a  grouping  of^Hemerocallis 
at  the  corner  of  a  border  in  a  lawn, 
and  a  couple  of  seasons  after  the 
move  it  shot  up  a  6-foot  stem, 
still  with  the  arching  habit,  of 
course,  and  to  keep  it  clear  of  the 
passing  mowing-machine  it  was 
staked  at  the  height  of  4  feet,  and 
when  the  remaining  2  feet  leant 
over  the  lawn,  bearing  over  a 
dozen  great  flowers  and  buds  at 
eye-level,  I  wanted  more  Henryis 
for  that  corner.  They  came,  and  in 
191 1  were  a  fine  sight,  taller  than 
ever,  about  a  dozen  stems,  and'all 
staked  for  only  half  their  height, 
so  that  they  bent  over  naturally 
with  their  wealth  of  blooms.  The 
great  heat  of  that  summer  induced 
them  to  set  seed  in  a  most  whole- 
hearted way,  and  I  greedily  left 
too  many  pods  on  and,  I  believe, 
rather  exhausted  the  plants,  so  that 
this  season  they  were  not  so  higli 
or  well  budded  as  usual.  But 
the  unusual  drought  of  the  whole  o 
.April  and  half  of  May  must  have 
some  blame  for  their  loss  of  inches, 
and  I  have  a  promising  younger 
seedlings  from  the  crop  to  make  up  for  lack  of 
blooms  this  year,  for,  sown  as  soon  as  gathered, 
nearly  every  seed  germinated  in  the  spring.  This 
season's  autumn  manoeuvres  necessitated  the  lift- 
ing of  this  Hemerocallis  group,  alsii  the  Lilies,  and 
I  am  rather  anxious  about  the  result  ;  so  herewith 
I  touch  wood  in  saying  most  likely  I  have  ruined 
them,  it  may  be  for  years  and  it  may  be  for  ever. 
Wallham  Cross.  E.   \.   Bowles. 

[To  be  continued.) 


SEASONABLE     NOTES      ON     CARNA- 
TIONS. 

Carnations  in  Frames. — Thousands  of  rooted 
layers  are  potted  in  the  late  summer  and 
autumn  with  a  view  to  wintermg  them  in  frames, 
and  the  system  must  be  commended  with  the 
choicest  varieties,  and  more  particularly  so  in  dis- 
tricts where  the  soil  is  cold  and  wet.  The  precaution 
is  always  a  good  one,  and  never  more  so  than  in  the 
winter  through  which  we  are  now  passing.  The 
wet  was  incessant  in  many  places,  and  where  the 
drainage    was    in    the    slightest    degree    defective, 


TREES 

CLEMATIS 


AND 


SH  RU  BS. 

AND    ITS 


A 


THE    ROSE-FLOWERED    MOUNTAIN    CLEM.\TIS     (C.    MONTAN.^    RUBENS 
GROWING    OVER    RUSTIC    POLES. 


generation   of 


many  roots  perished  in  the  cold  ground.  In  a 
frame  the  plants  are  completely  under  the  control 
of  the  cultivator,  and  it  is  rare  to  lose  more  than  an 
odd  one  or  two  where  reasonable  care  is  exercised 
in  management.  It  is  impossible  to  admit  too 
much  fresh  air  to  the  plants  ;  but  torrential  rains, 
snows  and  severe  frosts  ought  to  be  excluded. 
The  advance  should  be  slow  and  strong,  so  that 
when  the  time  arrives  for  putting  the  plants  in 
the  garden,  the  task  can  be  accomplished  without 
the  slightest  check  being  given. 


MONTANA 
VARIETIES. 

QUICK-GROWING  climber  and  a  general 
favourite  wherever  grown,   the  type  of 
this  species  has  long  been  in  cultivation, 
and  is  known  in  the  South  and  West  of 
England  as  a  most  effective  and  flori- 
ferous  plant  for  training  on  a  balcony, 
wall,  fence,  or  other  suitable  position  where  it  can 
display  its  wealth  of  pure  white  flowers,  which  are 
produced    in    early    summer.      It 
delights  in  a  hot,  sunny  pftsition  on 
the  wall  of  a  house,  facing  due  south 
for  preference,  as  in  such  a  position 
the  growths  receive  a  good  ripen- 
ing and  never  fail  to  produce   an 
abundance  of   flowers.     These    are 
produced  on    the  ripened   wood  of 
the  previous  year's  growth,  so  that 
any  pruning  which   may  be  neces- 
sary  should  be   done  immediately 
after  the  flowering  period  is  over. 
The   plant   is   not  at  all  fastidious 
as   to  soil,  but   prefers   one   which 
is  light   and   open   and  containing 
an  abundance  of  lime. 

The  advent  of  a  beautiful  rose- 
coloured  variety  named  rubens, 
which  was  introduced  by  Messrs. 
J.  Veitch  and  Sons  through  their 
collector  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson  some 
eight  or  nine  years  ago,  was  hailed 
with  delight  by  lovers  of  this  hardy 
climber,  and  was  awarded  a  first- 
class  certificate  on  May  23,  1905,  by 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
The  plant  is  of  exceptional  beauty, 
and  has  the  merit  of  flowering  freely 
when  only  a  foot  or  so  high ;  it 
further  has  the  additional  advantage 
of  not  requiring  a  backgroimd  to 
show  it  to  advantage  as  in  the  case 
of  the  white  flowers  of  the  type. 
For  this  reason  it  is  most  suitable 
for  training  over  an  old  tree  stump 
or  for  furnishing  an  old  or  dilapi- 
dated tree.  Another  pleasing  way 
in  which  it  may  be  used  to  advan- 
tage is  that  depicted  in  the  accom- 
panying illustration.  Several  stout 
branches  with  their  laterals  left 
about  a  foot  long  are  sunk  in  a 
small  bed  and  form  a  rough  or  ir- 
regular p)T:amid  in  outline.  At  the 
base  of  these  several  plants  were 
planted,  and  the  photograph  was 
taken  of  the  result  the  second 
season  after.  A  glance  at  the 
illustration  will  show  how  rapid  is 
the  growth  in  the  first  few  years, 
and  what  a  really  valuable  and 
effective  plant  this  new  variety  is. 
the  flowers  are  produced  in  late 
and  odd  flowers  continue  to  develop 
all  the  summer  ;  they  are  from  li  inches  to  2  inches 
in  diameter. 

Another  new  variety  from  the  same  source  is 
Wilsonii,  with  large  pure  white  flowers,  sometimes 
as  much  as  3  inches  in  diameter.  It  has  the 
additional  merit  of  flowering  in  .August,  a  period 
when  flowering  climbers  are  scarce.  Both  of  these 
new  varieties  are  excellent  and  can  be  recommended 
with  confidence.  C.   P.  Raffill. 


The    bulk    ot 
May  and  June 


Februaky  15,  1913] 


THE    GAEDEN. 


85 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

HOW     TO     PROPACiATE     BEDDING     PLANTS     IN     SPRING. 


OWING  to  a  shortage  of  cu.tingJ  in 
1  the  autumn,  to  losses  during  the 
I  winter,  and  other  causes,  many 
amateur  gardeners  find,  at  the  pre- 
sent time,  that  they  will  not  have 
enough  bedding  plants  to  properly 
fill  Iheii  borders  in  the  summer.  It  is  not  too  late 
to  supplement  the  stock  of  plants  raised  Irom  cut- 
tings inserted  last  autiunn.  Indeed,  many  sp.-ing- 
struck  cuttings  grow  freely  and  make  very  nice 
plants,  which  come  in  useful  for  front  lines  of 
beds  and  small  borders. 
How  to  Root  Cuttings  Quickly. — The  wood  of 

all  Puttings  inserted  at  this  season  is  much  softer 
than  that  made  usually  at  the  end  of  the  summer. 
Roots  are  emitted  from  soft  wood  if  this  is  earlier 
subjected  to  a  bottom-heat  and  a  fair  amount  of 
moisture.  The  cultivator  must,  therefore,  endeavour 
to  build  a  hot-bed,  or  arrange  a  frame  over  some  hot- 
water  pipes>  Of  course,  the  cuttings  may  be  rooted 
without  any  bottom-heat,  but  more  time  will  be 
necessary,  and  probably  there  will  be  a  higher  per- 
centage of  ]osst>. 

The   Compost   and    Cutting    Receptacles. — It 

will  be  advisable  to  use  a  lighter  compost  now  than 
in  the  autumn,  also  one  that  is  much  richer, 
as  in  the  case  of  many  kinds  of  plants  they  may 
remain  in  the  cutting  pots  until  planting-out- 
time  comes,  though  this  course  is  not  advisable. 
Loam  and  leaf-soil  in  equal  parts,  with  plenty  of 
sand  added  and  a  7-inch  potful  of  rotted  manure 
to  a  bushel  of  the  combined  portions,  will  do  very 
well.  The  manure  should  be  placed  in  the  bottom 
of  the  pots,  pans  or  boxes,  and  not  mixed  with  the 
other  ingredients.  The  smaller  cuttings  should  be 
inserted  in  large  pots,  pans  or  boxes,  and  the  larger 
cuttings  singly  in  small  pots.  For  example. 
Lobelia  may  be  put  in  the  former  and  Zonal  Pelar- 
goniums in  the  latter.  The  Zonal  Pelargoniums 
will   not    require   any  sliift   until    turned    out   for 


^\h 


CUTTINGS  MAY   BE  TAKEN   FROM   BEDDING  PLANTS  IN  SPRING  WHERE  STOCK  IS  SHORT. 


bedding   piurposes,   and  the  rotted    manure  in   the 
bottom  of  the  pot  will  prove  very  beneficial. 
How    to   Improve    Autumn-Struck   Plants.— 

Such  kinds  as  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  Fuchsias  and 
Coleuses  often  grow  very  tall  by  the  time  spring 
comes,  and  "  topping"  will  improve  them  and  at 
the  same  time  provide  quite  a  number  of  suitable 
cuttings  for  spring  propagation.  The  tops,  denuded 
of  all  flower-buds,  should  be  put  in  forthwith. 
The  cut-back  plants  will  branch  out  and  become 
nice,  bushy  specimens,  satisfactorily  filling  more 
space  in  the  flower-beds  when  put  there. 

Fig.    A. — No.    I    shows    an    old    Lobelia    plant 
which  should  be  cut  down  as  denoted  by  the  dark 


-  -.'  '  '  Mrz:^/-'— 


Ci  o  n  i^.c:zian~ 


I^ 


BEDDING    PELARGONIUMS,    OR    GER.\NIUMS,    ARE    OFTEN    BEST    WHEN    THEIR    TOPS    ARE 
REMOVED    IX    SPRING.       THESE    TOPS    MAY    BE    USED    AS    CUTTINGS. 


cross  -  line  ;  then  more  young,  flowerless  shoots 
will  grow.  No.  2  is  not  a  good  slip  for  a  cutting, 
but  if  cut  down  it  may  be  used.  No.  3  is  the  right 
kind  to  put  in,  and  may  be  dibbled  in  boxes 
or  pots  as  shown  at  Nos.  4  and  5.  The  Alternai- 
thera  is  much  used  in  front  lines  and  in  designs  in 
small  beds.  Old  plants  quickly  run  to  flower  and 
are  useless,  but  if  side  shoots  are  selected  as  shown 
at  Nos.  6  and  7,  a  fine  stock  of  young  plants  will 
soon  be  obtained.  No.  8  shows  a  bad  shoot  for  a 
cutting  of  a  Coleus  plant,  and  No.  9  an  ideal  cutting. 
Fig.  B. — No.  I  shows  a  Zonal  Pelargonium 
grown  tall.  This  kind  of  plant  should  be  topped 
as  shown  at  No.  2.  No.  3  depicts  the  top  pre- 
pared for  insertion  as  a  cutting ;  No.  4,  the  wrong 
way  to  cut  off  the  stem  when  making  the  cutting. 
No.  5  shows  how  to  take  cuttings  from  Fuchsias, 
and  No.  6  a  cutting  prepared.  No.  7  depicts  cuttings 
in  boxes  ;  No.  8,  cuttings  in  pots  on  side  shelves  ; 
and  No.  9,  cuttings  in  pots  on  high  shelves  under 
the  roof  glass.  They  will  all  do  well  in  such  posi- 
tions, also  in  warm  frames.  G.  G. 


THE     BRIDAL    WREATH. 

The  white  Francoa  (Bridal  Wreath)  is  a  well- 
known  greenhouse  plant.  The  light  pink  species. 
F.  appendiculata,  is  not  so  often  met  with  in 
gardens.  The  latter  makes  an  attractive  pot 
plant,  and  is  also  suitable  for  planting  outdoors 
in  sheltered,  well-drained  situations.  Now  is  the 
time  to  sow  seed  of  the  Francoas.  Use  clean,  well- 
drained  pots  and  light,  sandy  soil.  Sow  the  seed 
thinly,  and  place  the  pots  in  the  warm  corner  of 
the  greenhouse.  When  the  seedlings  appear,  place 
the  pots  in  full  light.  Pot  off  singly  when  large 
enough  to  handle,  and  grow  on  in  good  sandy  loam 
and  leaf-mould.  Young  plants  of  F.  appendiculata 
may  be  planted  out  during  the  summer.  Choose 
specially-drained  sites  for  the  plants  in  warm  corners 
of  the  rock  garden,  or  plant  at  the  foot  of  south 
walls.  The  writer  has  recently  seen  a  strong 
clump  growing  on  a  bank,  which  is  sheltered  by 
overhanging   t:ees.  Colin  Ruse. 


86 


THE    GARDEJ^ 


[February  15, 1913 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Chrysanthemums. — No  class  of  plant  is  more 
useful  than  these  for  beds  or  borders  during  the 
early  autumn,  and  the  present  is  a  very  suitable 
time  for  propagation.  If  a  few  stock  plants  were 
lifted  after  blooming  last  autumn  and  placed  in 
a  cold  frame,  good  cuttings  should  be  procurable 
m  plenty,  which  will  root  readily  in  a  very  slightly- 
heated  frame.  They  are  easily  handled  if  placed 
in  shallow  boxes,  from  which  thev  mav  be  potted 
off  into  3-inch  pots  when  well  irootecl,  and  this 
one  shift  should  suffice,  as  thev  may  be  planted  out 
during  April. 

Border  Carnations. — In  many  districts  these 
have  to  be  wintered  in  frames';  but.  providing 
the  ground  has  been  well  prepared  for  them,  there 
is  no  reason  now  why  they  should  not  be  planted 
out  during  fine  dry  weather.  A  dressing  of  new 
loam  and  wood-ashes  to  the  beds  or  borders  will 
greatly  facilitate  their  growth.  Furm  planting  is 
essential,  and  a  dusting  of  soot  will  help  to  keep 
off  wireworm  and  slugs. 

Dahlias. — Generally  speaking,  I  look  upon  young 
plants  of  Dahlias  as  being  more  satisfactorv  than 
old  ones,  provided  thev  are  propagated  early  and 
are  good  strong  plants' when  put  out.  With  this 
object  in  view  a  few  tubers  should  be  placed  ui 
heat,  when  they  will  soon  throw  up  cuttings,  which 
should  be  taken  off  when  from  3  inches  to  4  inches 
high.  These  root  readily  in  a  mixture  of  leaf-soil 
and  sand.  Too  high  a  temperature  is  not  necessary, 
as  it  induces  a  very  soft  growth,  and  this  is  detri- 
mental. 

FIower-Beds.^Now  that  most  of  the  bulbs  are 
appearing  above  the  soil,  it  is  advisable  to  go  over 
all  the  beds  and  loosen  the  surface  either  with  the 
fingers  or  a  small  hand  drag,  taking  care  not  to 
injure  the  young  growths  of  the  bulbs  or  the  roots 
of  the  covering  plants.  Any  losses  of  these  latter 
should  be  made  good  at  once,  so  that  the  beds  have 
a  regular  appearance  when  in  bloom,  and,  needless 
to  add,  this  work  is  best  done  when  the  surface  of 
the  soil  is  conip.iratively  dry. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Chrysanthemums   (Single  and   Decorative).— 

The  present  is  probably  as  good  a  time  as  any 
for  the  propagation  of  these,  and  the  same  system 
as  advised  for  outdoor  varieties  will  answer  well. 
When  propagatmg,  do  not  overlook  the  fact  that 
good  late  varieties  are  speciallv  useful,  and  extra 
attention  should  be  paid  to  this  b.atch,  as  during 
December  and  January  there  is  often  a  shortage 
of  good  long-stemmed  flowers,  which  a  good  batch 
of  late  Chrysanthemums  will  fill  up  nicely. 

Zonal  Pelargoniums. — A  batch  of  cuttings 
put  in  at  this  date  makes  good  plants  for  autumn 
and  winter  blooming.  They  will  root  readily  in 
any  house  where  there  is  a  little  warmth,  and  for 
preference  they  should  be  inserted  singly  in  2j-inch 
pot^. 

Ivy-Leaved   Pelargoniums. — Though  not   used 

as  much  now  for  cut  flowers  during  the  winter 
\  as  formerlj',  they  nevertheless  are  most  useful, 
especially  where  there  is  much  table  decoration, 
the  variety  Mme.  Crousse  being  very  pretty  for 
this  purpose.  Propagate  now  and  stop  a  few  times 
during  the  summer,  and  good  bushy  plants  will  be 
the  result. 

Dielytra  spectabilis,  if  introduced  into  a  little 
heat  about  this  date,  will  throw  up  strongly,  the 
somewhat  glaucous  foliage  and  pendulous  spikes 
of  flower  making  it  a  first-rate  plant  for  house  or 
conservatory  decoration. 

Perpetual-Flowering  Carnations. — Pot  off  the 

young  plants  into  3-inch  pots  as  soon  as  nicely 
rooted,  giving  them  a  position  near  the  glass 
with  a  temperature  of  about  50°.  Flowering  plants, 
now  the  days  are  getting  longer,  should  be  given  a 
slight  top-dressing  of  soil  and  bone-meal,  this 
latter  being  recognised  as  one  of  the  best  manures 
for  Carnations. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Melons. — These  should  be  planted  out  as  soon 
as  fit  in  a  house  where  there  is  a  good  command 
of  heat,  65°  to  70°  at  night  being  a  suitable  tempera- 
ture. Where  pipes  run  under  the  bed,  there  will 
be  no  need  to  use  manure  for  bottom-heat  ;  but, 
failing    pipes,    the   manure    is    very   useful  to  give 


the  early  plants  a  good  start.  A  slate  should  be 
placed  beneath  each  plant  to  prevent  the  roots 
going  directly  down  into  the  manure,  or  too  rank 
a  growth  will  result.  Small  heaps  of  soil  are  the 
best  to  plant  in,  and  these  may  be  added  to  when- 
ever necessary  or  as  the  roots  show  thickly  on  the 
surface.  Further  sowings  should  be  made  for 
succession. 

Cucumbers. — Tliese  also  should  be  planted, 
using  somewhat  lighter  and  richer  soil  for  the 
purpose  than  for  Melons.  Keep  the  houses  of 
both  the  above  well  damped  down  and  the  foliage 
sprayed  over  on  all  bright  days ;  but  during  cold 
weather  a  certain  amount  of  discretion  must  be 
used,  as  a  drop  in  the  temperatiure  at  night  and 
too  much  moisture  mav  result  in  the  appearance  of 
mildew. 

Tomatoes. — Young  plants  should  be  potted  on 
as  they  require  it,  autumn  sown  or  struck  plants 
being  probably  large  enough  for  their  fruiting 
pots,  which  should  not  be  too  large  if  verv  earlv 
crops  are  desired.  Seedling  plants  should  be  kept 
near  the  glass,  with  a  temperature  of  55°  to  60°, 
making  further  sowings  as  necessary  to  keep  up 
the  supply. 

Strawberries. — Early  batches  are  now  pushing 
out  their  trusses  of  bloom,  and  these  as  they 
expand  must  be  carefully  fertilised  with  rabbits' 
tads  to  ensure  a  good  set.  If  the  blooms  are  not 
already  expanding,  it  might  be  advisable  to  fumigate 
the  plants  to  keep  down  fly,  and,  as  syringings  should 
not  be  so  frequent  while  they  are  in  bloom,  a  spray- 
ing under  and  over  the  foliage  with  sulphur  and 
soft  soap  will  help  to  keep  spider  in  abeyance. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Onions. — On  light  soils  the  main  crop  of  Onions 
should  be  got  in,  selecting  the  varieties  that  are 
noted  for  good  keeping  qualities,  though  by  sowing 
early  some  of  the  large-bulbed  varieties  will  mature 
quite  well.  On  heavy  soils  it  might  be  advisable 
to  delay  sowing  a  little  longer,  but.  providing  the 
weather  is  dry  and  the  soil  in  a  good  workable 
condition,  there  is  no  reason  to  delay  sowing  beyond 
the  end  of  the  month. 

Parsnips  also  may  be  sown  now,  the  same  con- 
ditions applying  as  above.  In  each  instance  the 
ground  should  be  thoroughly  well  worked  and  a 
good  dressing  of  soot  applied  previous  to  sowing. 

Hardy  Fruits. 
Currants    (Red   and   White). — In   last   week's 

calendar  I  spoke  of  pruning  Gooseberries  and  dust- 
ing with  lime  to  keep  off  birds.  This  applies 
equally  well  to  Red  and  White  Currants,  and  I 
have  certainly  found  it  more  efifective  than  stretch- 
ing cotton  over  the  bushes,  and  it  is  quicker  to 
put  on.  There  is  no  need  to  stint  the  quantity  of 
lime,  as  a  little  falling  on  the  soil  will  prove  very 
beneficial  to  the  bushes. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 
Wobiirii  P!nc€  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Herbaceous  Plants. — It  the  weather  is  open 
and  the  ground  in  suitable  condition,  any  planting 
to  be  done  may  be  proceeded  with.  Clumps  that 
have  grown  too  large  may  be  reduced,  some  good, 
fresh  soil  worked  in  where  the  plants  grew  and  small 
pieces  taken  from  the  outside  of  the  clump  planted. 
The  bed  or  border  should  also  receive  a  top-dressing 
of  old  hot-bed  manure  or  other  light,  rich  material. 

Dahlias. — Whenever  cuttings  3  inches  in  length 
are  available,  they  should  be  taken  and  inserted 
in  2j-inch  pots,  filled  with  sandy  soil,  and  then 
plunged  in  a  brisk  bottom-heat.  If  the  cuttings 
are  kept  sufficiently  moist,  they  do  not  require  to 
be  placed  in  a  propagating-case. 

The  Rose  Garden. 
Trellises. — Wire  trellises  are  objected  to  on 
two  grounds — first,  on  account  of  the  wire  chilling 
the  shoots  during  frosty  weather  ;  and,  secondly, 
and  perhaps  with  greater  cause,  on  account  of  the 
wires  injuring  the  shoots  by  friction.  Here  we 
have  overcome  these  objections  by  covering 
the  wires  on  the  side  on  which  the  plants  are  trained 
with  split  6-feet  lengths  of  Bamboo  stakes.  The 
nith  is  taken  out  of  the   Bamboos    when  they  fit 


nicely  on  to  the  wires,  to  which  they  are  tied  with 
light  copper  wire.  The  light  lattice-work  exten- 
sion screens  are  very  artistic  and  easv  of  manipu- 
lation, but  they  do  not  last  long. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Caladiums. — These  .\roids  are  highly  decorative 
either  in  the  stove  or  in  rooms.  .\  portion  of  the 
stock  may  now  be  started  for  early  work.  Place 
them  in  a  temperature  of  about  '65°  and  spray 
twice  a  day.  When  fairly  started  they  should 
be  turned  out  of  their  pots,  the  ball  reduced,  and 
then  potted  up  into  pots  two  sizes  less  than  those 
they  occupied  before,  to  be  potted  on  in  due  course. 
Loam,  peat  and  old  hot-bed  manure,  with  a  dash 
each  of  sand  and  pounded  charcoal,  suits  them. 

Edging  Plants. — A  good  stock  of  these  should 
be  got  ready,  both  for  the  conservatory  and  room 
decoration.  Suitable  subjects  include  Fuchsia 
Golden  Fleece,  Asparagus  Sprengeri,  variegated 
Water  Ivy,  the  variegated  form  of  Vinca  major, 
Lonicera  aurea  reticulata,  Tradescantias  in  varietv. 
Fuchsia  procumbens  and  Origanum  sipyleura. 

Calceolarias. — -These  should  now  mostly  be 
ready  for  their  final  shift,  and  7-inch  pots  are 
generally  used  for  this  shift.  They  delight  in 
a  light,  rich,  porous  soil,  and  should  not  be 
potted  too  firmly.  A  cool  pit  is  the  best  position 
for  them.      Beware  of  green  fly,  their  only  enemy. 

Chrysanthemums. — Continue  to  pot  off  cuttings 
as  soon  as  they  are  well  rooted.  A  slight  spray  in 
the  early  afternoon  on  sunny  days  will  prevent 
flagging.  More  care  will  have  to  be  taken 
in  watering  these,  as  evaporation  is  now  more 
rapid  and  plants  in  small  pots  suffer  quickly 
unless  closely  attended  to. 

Cannas. — Many  of  these  have  very  handsome 
flowers  in  shades  furnished  by  few  other  plants. 
A  batch  may  now  be  started,  and  a  vinery  at  work 
is  a  suitable  position  for  them.  Spray  them  daily 
along  with  the  Vines,  and  when  tlrey  have  pushed 
a  little  the  rootstocks  should  be  divided  up  with 
the  aid  of  a  stout  pointed  stick  and  a  pruning- 
kiiife.  Put  them  in  small  pots  and  pot  on  as 
necessary. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Stopping  Vines. — The  stopping  of  Vines  is  an 
important  operation,  and  should  receive  timely 
attention.  It  consists,  first,  in  stopping  the  leading 
growth  of  the  shoot,  and,  secondly,  stopping  the 
laterals  and  sub-laterals.  The  leading  shoot  is 
usuallv  stopped  at  one  joint  beyond  the  embryo 
bunch,  but  it  is  unwise  to  draw  a  hard-and-fast 
line.  .All  laterals  should  be  stopped  beyond  the 
first  joint. 

Melons. — Where  these  are  ready  for  planting, 
the  soil  should  be  placed  on  the  bed  a  day  before- 
hand. The  bed  should  first  be  covered  with  turves 
grass  side  downwards.  The  compost  should  consist 
chiefly  of  good  sound  loam  not  broken  up  too  finely. 
About  a  sixth  part  of  old  Mushroora-bed-manure  and 
a  little  bone-meal  and  lime  rubbish  will  make  an 
excellent  compost.  The  plants  should  be  put 
on  little  mounds  as  a  preventive  of  canker.  Tie 
to  a  stake  at  once. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Trees  in  Grass. — -It  has  been  clearly  proved 
that  orchard  trees  in  grass  do  not  yield  their  best 
when  the  grass  is  allowed  to  grow  up  to  the  stem 
of  the  tree.  Where  such  is  the  case,  it  is  therefore 
advisable  to  scarify  the  ground  for  a  distance  of 
3  feet  from  the  stem  and  fork  it  lightly  over, 
working  in  a  little  lime  and  well-rotted  manure. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Onions. — If  the  weather  is  mild  at  this  season 
of  the  year,  autumn-sown  Onions  begin  to  push, 
and  they  will  be  greatly  benefited  by  a  light  dress- 
ing of  nitrate  of  soda,  fowl-manure  or  soot.  The 
ground  should  also  be  stirred  with  the  Dutch  hoe. 
It  seems  early  to  sow  yet,  but  if  one  is  going  in 
for  spring  sowing  in  the  open  and  one  wishes  to 
dp  on"'s  best  to  escape  the  ravages  of  the  Onion 
fly,  do  not  delay  sowing  a  day  after  the  ground  is 
in  working  order. 

Spinach. — It  is  the  early  and  late  sowings  of 
Spinach  which  pay.  As  soon  as  the  ground  is  in 
order  on  a  south  border,  make  a  sowing.  It  will 
do  nicely  between  the  lines  of  the  early  Peas.  I 
am  partial  to  Round  Victoria. 

Broccoli. — Go  over  the  plants  and  remove  all 
decayed  leaves,  and  if  the  ground  is  in  a  fit  state, 
hoe  between  the  rows.  Charles  Comfort. 

Bronmfidd  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains.  Midlothian. 


February  15,  1913.] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


87 


NEW   AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


FIRST-CLASS       CERTIFICATE. 

Polypodium  irioides  pendulum  grandiceps. — 

A  liisliMi  I  .mil  striking  Fern  of  dark  olive  green 
colouring  Irom  Queensland.  .As  shown,  the  plant 
was  low-growing — less  than  a  foot  high  and  about 
the  same  through — the  fronds  many  times  branched 
.ind  somewhat  tasselled  at  their  extremities.  From 
Messrs.  H.  K.  May  and  Sons.  Edmonton. 
AWARD      OF      MERIT. 

Crocus  chrysanthus  E.  A.  Bowles.— .\  most 
lieautiful  and  rehned  variety,  and  certainly  one  of  the 
most  desirable  we  have  seen.  To  the  predominant 
vellow  shade  of  the  inner  surfaces  of  the  petals 
there  would  appear  to  have  been  added  a  small 
proportion  of  pale  orange  buff,  the  mingling  of  the 
twain  giving  the  variety  an  air  of  distinction. 
Externally  the  flowers  are  lined  or  feathered  with 
dark  purple.  It  is  obviously  a  free  and  profuse 
bloomer.  Exhibited  by  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons, 
Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


NEW    ORCHIDS. 

There  is  no  lack  of  novelties  in  the  Orchid  world, 
and  some  extremely  interesting  and  beautiful  forms 
were  shown.  Two  first-class  certificates  were 
granted,  viz..  to  Odontoglossum  ardentissimum  Ehor, 
shown  by  Baron  Bruno  Schroder,  Englefield  Green  ; 
and  Cymbidium  Lady  Colman  Golden  Queen, 
shown  by  Sir  Jeremiah  Colman,  Bart.,  Gallon 
Park. 

.\wards  of  merit  were  made  to  each  of  the  follow- 
ing :  Oncidioda  Cooksoniae,  from  Messrs.  Charles- 
worth  and  Co.,  Hayward's  Heath  ;  Odontoglossum 
armandum,  shown  by  C.  J.  Phillips,  Esq.,  Seven- 
oaks  ;  and  Cymbidium  J.  Davis,  sent  by  J.  Gurney 
Fowler,  Esq.,  South  Woodford. 

The  foregoing  novelties  were  shown  before  the 
Royal  Horticidtural  Society  at  the  fortnightly 
meeting  held  on  February  4. 


CULTURAL    HINTS    ON    NEW    AND 
RARE   PLANTS. 

TREES     AND      SHRUBS. 

[Continued  from  page  23.) 

Spiraea  Henryi, — Several  new  Spiraeas  have  oeen 
introduced  from  China  during  the  last  few  years. 
I  his  white-flowered  species  being  one  of  the  best 
In  rich,  loamy  soil  it  develops  quickly  and  attains 
'X  height  of  5  feet  or  6  feet.  No  pruning  other  than 
an  occasional  thinning  of  the  branches  is  required, 
while  it  is  easily  increased  by  means  of  cuttings 
m  summer.  It  is  a  good  plant  for  a  specimen  bed 
or  for  a  group. 

PopulUS  lasiocarpa,  from  China,  is  a  remarkable 
Poplar,  for  its  leaves  are  sometimes  r  foot  wide, 
and  it  has  the  advantage  of  red  leaf-stalks  and 
midribs.  Like  most  other  Poplars,  it  succeeds 
best  in  moist  ground,  such  as  is  found  about  the 
borders  of  a  lake  or  stream,  where  the  trunk  stands 
clear  of  the  water,  but  where  the  roots  can  take 
advantage  of  the  generous  supply.  Cuttings  ot 
ripened  wood  may  be  rooted  during  winter. 

Rhododendron  kamtchaticum,  a  dwarf-growing 
plant  from  Northern  Asia,  should  be  given  a 
position  where  the  ground  is  perpetually  moist. 
Planted  on  the  margin  of  a  bog,  in  peat  and  sphag- 
num, it  forms  a  dense  mass  i  inch  or  2  inches  high. 
Its  habit  of  spreading  by  means  of  underground 
shoots  makes  it  possible  to  effect  propagation  by 
division  of  the  clumps.  Otherwise  it  may  be 
raised  from  seeds  in  the  ordinary  way. 


Pterocarya  Paiiurus  is  an  interesting  new  tree 
from  China  %vhich  may  be  grown  in  moist,  loamy 
soil  of  moderate  depth.  Its  nearest  well-known 
relative  is  the  Caucasian  V.  caucasica,  which  is 
Iaio\vn  by  its  long,  pinnate  leaves  and  racemes  of 
winged  nuts.  The  leaves  of  the  new  tree  are 
equally  ornamental,  while  the  nuts  are  surrounded 
by  wide,  circular  wings,  ftopagation  is  from 
seeds  or  by  grafting  upon  the  common  species. 

Plagianthus  Lyallii.  —  Although  this  New 
Zealand  shruli  was  introduced  many  years  ago,  it 
is  not  generally  grown  on  accoimt  of  its  reqtiire- 
ments  being  imperfectly  understood.  By  planting 
it  in  a  sunny  position,  in  light,  well-drained,  loamy 
soil,  it  may  be  expected  to  grow  well  and  produce 
its  pretty  white  flowers  freely.  Cuttings  inserted 
indoors  in  sandy  soil  may  be  rooted,  but  propa- 
gation is  more  easily  accomplished  by  layering  the 
branches  in  spring. 

Fothergllla  major  is  a  North  American  shrub 
which  is  valuable  on  account  of  its  white  flowers 
in  June  and  its  golden  foliage  in  autumn.  It 
thrives  in  moist  peaty  soil,  and  is  most  successful 
when  planted  in  a  mass.  Cuttings  of  side  shoots 
taken  in  Juiy  and  inserted  in  sandy  peat  may  be 
ront'-.l  in  a  close,  sliglitly-warmed  frame. 

Rhus  Henryii  may  be  grown  tov;ards  the  back 
of  a  shrubbery,  or  as  a  specimen  plant  on  a  lawn, 
providing  it  is  furnished  with  good  loamy  soil. 
It  is  a  strong-growing  Chinese  bush  or  small  tree, 
and  the  leaves  colour  well  in  autumn.  No  pruning 
is  necessary. 

Liriodendron  chinensis  is  the  Chmese  counter- 
part of  the  North  .American  Tulip  Tree.  Of 
vigorous  constitution,  it  grows  rapidly  in  good 
loamy  soil,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  suppose 
that  it  will  attain  the  same  height  in  this  country 
as  its  American  relative,  namely,  80  feet  to  100  feet. 
It  appears  to  thrive  quite  well  when  grafted  upon 
I.,  tulip.ifera. 

{To  be  continiceu.i 


ROSES  IN  A  KENTISH 
GARDEN. 


POSSIBLY  the  following  notes  about 
Roses  in  a  Kentish  garden  may  interest 
such  of  your  readers  as — like  the 
writer — are  amateurs.  Our  so-called 
summer  of  last  year  was  harm- 
ful to  most,  if  not  all,  gardens. 
With  me  it  certainly  was  an  especially 
bad  one  so  far  as  my  Roses  were  concerned, 
for,  in  addition  to  tmseasonable  weather,  I 
was  compelled  to  be  absent  from  my  garden 
from  March  till  June,  just  the  very  time 
when  Roses  need  constant  attention.  The  sorry 
appearance  of  their  foliage  and,  indeed,  of  most 
of  the  flowers  in  autumn  was,  I  fully  realise,  the 
unmistakable  language  in  which  thev  reproached 
me  for  my  neglect.  Still,  in  spite  of  that  neglect, 
and  in  spite  of  unfavourable  weather,  I  have 
derived  much  enjoyment  from  my  Roses. 

Betty  has  never  done  really  well  with  me.  but 
t  love  her  long  pointed  buds  and  the  delicious 
fragrance  of  her  full-blown  bloom.  She  seems  to 
whine  at  leing  expected  to  flourish  in  this  part  of 
Kent,  but  before  ousting  her  I  mean  to  try  her 
in  another  site,  as  she  is  said  to  bloom  right  up  to 
Christmas. 

Black  Prince,  though  not  to  be  found  in  the 
National  Rose  Society's  catalogue,  is  a  good  dark 
crimson    Rose    that    I    have    known    elsewhere    to 


give  lovely  bloom.  He  dots  not  se«m  happy  ni 
his  lodgings  here,  and  though  he  has  given  me 
some  good  flowers,  he  has  not  done  so  as  frequently 
as  I  expected. 

Boadicea  yields  a  sweet  bloom,  but  is  so  very 
shy.  She  never  will  look  you  full  in  the  face, 
and  a  drooping  head  is,  in  my  opinion,  a  fatal 
fault  in  a  Rose. 

Camoens  is  very  sweet,  very  free-fiowering,  and. 
indeed,  in  all  respects  a  very  satisfactory  Rose 
with  me. 

Captain  Christy  and  Captain   Hayward  both 

do  fauly  well  with  me,  but  they  are  not  up  to  the 
.'lescription  given  of  them  in  catalogues.  This  may, 
perhaps,  be  accoimted  for  by  the  fact  that  I  bought 
niy  plants  of  both  at  an  auction,  a  supposition 
strongly  supported  by  the  fact  that  I  have  had 
some  good  blooms  from  some  half-standards  ot 
Captain  Hayward  I  only  planted  from  Messrs. 
Ben  Cant's  nurseries  last  year. 

Celine  Forestier.— I  advert  to  this  Rose, 
albeit  a  climber,  because  for  five  years  I  have  been 
trying  hard  to  get  her  to  flourish  on  a  corner  post 
in  my  verandah,  under  almost  hopeless  conditions, 
facing  west,  getting  but  little  sun  and  a  lot  of 
moisture.  She  resented  being  placed  in  such  a 
gloomy  comer,  and  refused  to  give  me  any  bloom 
from  the  long,  lanky,  almost  leafless  stem  which 
more  or  less  entwined  itself  along  the  iron  arch  to 
its  left.  However,  constant  care — I  might  almost 
say  devotion — has  at  length  softened  her  resentfu.l 
spirit,  and  last  autumn  I  was  rejoiced  to  find 
a  fine  healthy  offshoot  springing  up  from  the 
junction  with  the  stock,  giving  promise  of  better 
things  to  come.  I  hate  to  be  defeated,  even  by 
a  Rose  ;  that  is,  I  hate  being  tmable  to  get  a  Rose 
to  thrive  where  I  particularly  want  one  to  grow, 
and  really,  for  an  amateur,  I  have  been  wonder- 
fully successful,  for  I  have  made  Roses  grow  and 
bloom  where  I  have  been  assured  by  a  real  rosariau 
friend  it  %vas  quite  hopeless  to  expect  them  to  grow. 
Some  time  ago  I  remember  showing  this  expert 
friend  of  mine  a  Marie  Bret  and  a  Carmine  Filial 
in  good  bloom  where  he  had  said  they  would  never 
thrive.  He  pointed  to  his  walking-stick  and  said, 
"  Well,  I  believe  you  would  make  this  stick  grow 
if  yon  tried."  But  I  must  not  boast,  for  1  am  sadly 
aware  of  the  fact  that  I  have  had  some  failures. 
Is  it  not  the  best  General  who  has  the  fewest  ' 

Possibly  my  success  at  times  is  due  to  the  farts 
that  I  am  an  amateur  and  an  ignorant  but  deter- 
mined old  man.  Still,  I  am  morally  convinced, 
from  my  limited  experience,  that  determination, 
coupled  with  agreeable  nourishment  and  constant 
loving  care,  will  work  wonders  with  Roses,  as 
with  children.  For  Roses  are  like  children.  Let 
them  but  feel  that  you  really  love  them  and  want 
them  to  please  you,  and  I  firmly  believe  that  nine 
times  out  of  ten  they  will  succumb  to  your  affection 
and  do  their  best  to  reward  your  love  and  care  of 
them.  In  darmg  to  write  thus  I  know  I  am 
opposing  one  of  our  greatest  rosarians,  whose 
intense  love  of  the  Queen  of  all  Flowers  induced 
him  to  censure  so  pungently  those  who  "  ha^  e 
sent  Her  Majesty  by  lobbies  and  back  staurs  into 
dismal  chambers."  But  I  write  not  to  rosarians. 
but  to  amateurs,  and,  with  all  due  deference,  I 
still  maintain  we  are  at  times  compelled  to  make 
the  best  of  our  circumstances  and  conditions, 
and  to  call  upon  our  children  to  yield  us  loving 
compliance  in  our  endeavour  to  do  so.  Since 
writing  the  above  I  have  derived  much  comfort 
from  a  perusal  of  Mr.  Walter  C.  Clark's  interesting 
"Experiences  of  Growing  Roses  Under  Pines" 
in  the  National  Rose  Society's  .Annual  for  last  year. 


88 


THE     GARDEN. 


[February  15,  1913. 


Charles  Lefebvre. — Th»s  pop\ilar  favourite  is 
as  kind  tu  me  as  I  try  to  be  to  him.  And,  oh  !  what 
a  soft  velvety  crimson,  sweet-smelling  flower  he 
l^ives  me  ! 

Chateau  de  Clos  Vougeot. — In  191 1  this 
Rose  gave  me  some  truly  magnificent  blooms, 
soft  and  velvety,  and  of  the  deepest  red  I  have 
seen  in  any  Rose.  It  continued  to  bloom  almost 
without  a  break  throughout  the  summer,  giving 
me  the  first  flower  on  June  i,  and  I  find  by  my 
note-book  it  was  still  in  bloom  on  November  9. 
It  is  a  very  sweet  Rose. 

Claudius. — I  had  my  first  bloom  from  this  new- 
Rose  on  June  15  in  1911,  and  a  deliciously  sweet 
one  it  was.  On  July  ir  I  recorded  another  thus, 
"  A  real  gem  and  so  sweet,"  I  had  a  few  fairly 
good  blooms  in  1912,  but  not  with  the  erect 
head  of  the  previous  year,  due,  doubtless,  to  the 
heavy  rains. 

Commandant  Felix  Faure  does  well  with  me, 

holds  his  head  well  up  and  is  very  sweet.  I  got 
my  plants  from  Messrs.  Cocker  and  Sons  ol 
Aberdeen.  I  am  rather  inclined  to  think  it  is 
not  a  bad  plan  to  procure  one's  Roses  from  a  colder 
chmate  than  that  of  one's  own  garden,  and 
experience  rather  supports  the  idea. 

Comtesse  du  Cayla. — I  fell  in  love  with  this 
Rose  from  the  gorgeous  colotur  of  one  worn  by  a 
voung  lady  in  a  railway  carriage,  and  procured  it 
on  the  recommendation  of  the  young  lady's  father, 
to  whom  I  was  forced  to  introduce  myself.  It 
IS  hideed  a  Rose  of  beauteous  colouring,  but  is 
better  in  a  lady's  dress  than  in  a  garden,  as  it 
droops  its  head  despairingly.  However,  she  is  a 
continuous  bloomer. 

Corallina. — A  Rose  that  smells  sweetly  and  is 
superb  in  the  bud  stage.  A  good  bloomer  in 
autumn  and  does  well  with  me.  The  colour  is 
very  attractive. 

Countess  of  Annesley.— A  deliciously  sweet 
Rose,  but  has  not  done  well  where  I  planted  her, 
so  I  played  "  post  office  "  with  her  and  several 
other  Roses  last  autumn. 

Countess  of  Caledofi,  Countess  of  Oxford, 
David  Harum  and  Dean  Hole, — None  of  these 
Roses  ha\c  di>jK'  as  well  with  me  as  I  expected, 
and,  as  they  are  sulkier  than  ever,  I  shall  do 
with  them  as  with  my  Countess  of  Annesley. 

Dr.  Andry  and  Dr.  Grill.— Both  sweet,  good 

Roses  and  very  satisfactory  in  my  garden.  Hardy 
and  free-fliiwi-ring. 

Edward  Mawley.— I  hardlv  like  to  say  what  I 
feel  about  this  great-boomed  Rose.  I  paid 
half-a-guinea  for  one  plant  in  a  pot,  and,  as  far  as 
my  experience  goes,  I  would  gladly  exchange  it  for 
any  sweet-smelling  Rose  that  grows. 

Enchantress. — Even  during  the  neglected  and 
most  unfavourable  season  of  last  year,  I  have  had 
quite  a  profusion  of  bloom  from  this  creamy  white 
Tea. 

Eugenie  Lamesch. — A  charming  little  dwarf 
Rose  that  thrives  splendidly  with  me  and  gives  me 
constant  clusters  of  orange  yellow  blooms,  which 
are  always  very  acceptable. 

Fisher  Holmes. — A  well-kno%vn,  good  Rose 
that  has  done  splendidly  with  me.  I  have  two  on 
my  espalier  that  have  been  a  constant  delight  to 
me  and  my  friends  as  we  walk  along  it,  as  it  is  good 
to  look  at.  very  sweet,  and  lasts  well  when  plucked. 

G.  C.  Waud. — Described  in  the  National  Rose 
Society's  catalogue  as  "  a  vigorous  dwarf  Rose 
of  most  distinct  shade  of  colour."  Has  done,  so 
far,  fairly  well  with  me.  Its  perfume  is  deliciously 
sweet,  and  it  promises  to  be  all  that  one  wants. 


G.  Nabonnand. — A  wholly  satisfactory  Rose 
with  me,  except  that  he  is  inclined  to  hang  his 
head  a  bit.  Gave  me  his  first  bloom  in  June, 
and  bloomed  well  again  in  autumn. 

General  Jacqueminot  is  very  sweet,  and  his 
large  velvety  blnora  is  very  grateful  to  the  eye. 

General  Schablikine. — I  had  this  Rose  sent  to 
me  from  P.  Nabonnand  with  a  great  flourish  ol 
trumpets,  but  in  my  opinion  he  is  "  not  in  it  ' 
with  his  rival  General,  and  if  his  tactics  do  not 
improve  he  shall  certainly  "  be  called  upon  to 
retire."  G.   B.  W. 

{To  be  continued.) 


BOOKS. 


Herbals.* — At  the  present  moment  there  is 
in  a  bookshop  in  Liverpool  an  "  immaculate  "  copy, 
as  the  dealers  express  it,  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
herbals  in  existence,  viz.,  the  "  De  Historia 
Stirpium  "  of  Leonhard  Fuchs,  published  in  1542. 
I  have  paid  that  shop  more  than  one  visit,  just 
to  have  the  pleasure  of  turning  over  its  pages,  for, 
as  Mrs.  Arber  says,  the  zenith  of  book  illustration 
in  the  herbal  is  perhaps  reached  in  this  exquisite 
volume.  How  I  should  like  to  one  day  carry  it 
home  !  .Alas  !  its  price  is  prohibitive.  I  would 
have  to  produce  from  £35  to  £38  to  be  able  to  do 
so.  .-Ul  old  gardening  works  have  appreciated 
very  much  in  value  of  late  years,  and  few  nowadays 
can  afford  to  possess  themselves  of  the  gems. 
However,  as  wise  people  know  that  half  a  loaf  i^ 
better  than  no  bread,  so  on  the  same  principle 
they  will  find  "  Herbals  "  is  better  than  no  Fuchs, 
no  Brunfels  and  no  Crispian  van  de  Passe.  It 
is  full  of  excellent  reproductions  of  some  of  the 
most  characteristic  illustrations  in  these  and  other 
herbals  of  the  years  between  1470  and  1670.  which 
is  the  period  covered  by  Mrs.  Arber  in  her  book. 
I  have  carefully  compared  a  certain  number  with  the 
originals  and,  taking  these  as  samples,  I  can  truly 
say  that  they  are  most  faithful  reproductions, 
and  that  the  authoress  has  been  very  fortunate 
in  her  photograplier,  Mr.  W.  Tams  of  Cambridge. 
There  are  no  fewer  than  twenty-one  whole-page 
plates  and  ri3  "  figures  in  the  text."  If  one  wants 
to  turn  to  all  the  examples  of  one  author,  they  are 
a  little  troublesome  to  find  ;  and  I  would  suggest 
the  insertion  of  an  inde.x  of  authors'  names,  with 
the  plants  illustrated  following  on  under  each  one. 
This  would  be  a  great  convenience.  The  letterpress 
professes  to  deal  with  the  "  origin  and  evolution  " 
(see  the  title-page)  of  the  herbal.  With  all  respect 
to  the  learned  lady  who  has  given  us  this  interesting 
work,  I  cannot  help  feeling  that  the  title  is  somewhat 
misleading.  When  I  opened  the  book  for  the 
first  time,  I  imagined  I  would  find  "  all  about  " 
herbals  in  its  pages.  I  always  thought  that  there 
were  three  principal  factors  in  the  genesis  and. 
development  of  the  herbal — medicine,  botany  and 
horticulture.  As  Mrs.  Arber  practically  passes 
the  first  and  the  last  of  these  by  and  concentrates 
herself  upon  the  second,  I  think  this  should  have 
been  indicated,  and  that  a  title  such  as  "  Herbals 
in  Their  Relation  to  Botanical  Science  "  would  have 
been  more  appropriate.  The  whole  is  written  from 
a  botanist's  point  of  view,  and  not  a  herbalist's  ; 
so  much  so.  indeed,  that  the  authoress  gets  almost 
angry  because  Dioscorides'  classification  is  not  up- 
to-date  and  certain  other  people's  illustrations  are 
not  moderrly  botanical.  {Quare:  Would  she  expect 
to  find  in  Pliny  a  disquisition  on  the  "  motor"  ?) 


•  "Herbals,"  by  Agnes  Arber;  prioe  6s.    Published  by 
the  University  Press,  Canibridge. 


If  such  a  change  were  made,  everyone  would  know 
what  to  expect  when  they  purchased  the  book,  and 
the  interest  in  its  contents  would  be  just  as  great. 
In  a  small  space  much  valuable  information  is 
given.  The  happenings  of  the  high-water-mark 
era  of  the  herbal  are  unfolded  by  a  well-known 
botanist,  and,  what  is  so  nice,  they  are  so  related 
as  to  be  quite  understandable  by  that  celebrated 
personage,  "  the  man-in-the-street."  One  or 
two  comments  on  its  contents  I  should  like  to 
make.  I  am  a  little  surprised  to  read  that  the  fable 
of  the  Goose  Tree  was  rejected  in  the  later  editions 
of  Gerard.  As  I  read  Johnson  I  hardly  think  it 
was.  Again,  as  a  friend  who  dabbles  in  biblio- 
graphy points  out,  Choulant's  "  Graphische  Incun- 
abeln  fuer  Naturgeschichte  imd  Medicin,  1858," 
ougbt  to  be  m  her  second  appendix.  It  is  a  biblio- 
graphy and  history  rich  in  its  descriptions  of  Latin 
herbals.  .\nd  in  the  first,  since  Bartholomie  s 
Anglicus  finds  a  place,  ought  not  P.  de  Crescenzi 
and  Vincent  de  Beauvais  also  to  be  mentioned  ? 
Lastly,  a  full  list  with  dates  of  the  various  editions 
of  all  the  works  included  in  Appendix  I.  would 
add  much  to  its  value,  especially  if  in  two  or  three 
cases  the  more  accurate  word  "  reprint  "  were  used 
instead  of  "  another  edition,"  as,  for  example, 
in  referring  to  the  r904  Parkinson.  These  little 
flies  do  not  in  the  least  spoil  the  flavour  of  the 
ointment.  "  Herbals  "  is  a  book  to  buy,  to  read 
and  to  keep.  It  is  a  muUum  in  parvo  of  many 
of  the  most  famous  herbals  of  a  most  interesting 
period  of  their  history.  Joseph  J.^cob. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 

RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— 2'/i«'  Editor  intenUs  to 
make  'J'hb  G.vuden  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
unce,  HO  mattrr  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  objeet  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Ansiver^ 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  'J'hr  Gardkn.  20,  TarlMock 
Street,  Comnt  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  h& 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  fioivering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  t/tat  are  not  characteristic  of  t/ie  plant.  Letters- 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Pubi.ishek. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

INJURY  TO  ANTIRRHINUMS  {fl,  F.  P.J. —We  Hud 
ueithnr  insect  nor  fungus  on  the  Antirrhinums.  We- 
suspect  the  cause  of  the  death  of  the  shoots  is  rather 
frost  than  a  boring  insect,  and  the  wet  and  changeable- 
weatlier  is  probably  larucly  responsible  for  the  spotting 
of  the  foliage. 

WINTER-FLOWERING  STOCKS  (M.  C'.).— Neither 
fungus  nor  insect  is  to  blame  for  the  condition  of  your 
Stocks.  They  are  suffering  as  the  result  of  some  cultural 
error.  Perhaps  tlie  air  has  been  too  dry,  or  they  have 
become  either  dry  or  too  wet  at  the  roots,  which  has  shown 
itself  in  the  dyina  of  the  leaf-tops,  &c.,  especially  as  the- 
plants  have  apparently  been  kept  in  a  rather  tiiirh  atmo- 
spliere  and  tlie  leaves  have  becomi-  thin  aiii  easily  damac'cd. 

DWARF  PLANTS  FOR  FLAGSTONE  PATH  [R.  H.  K.). 
— Some  of  the  dwarfest  of  plants  sniti-d  to  tiie  purpose 
are  *Erinus  alpinus.  *E.  a.  albus,  Mentha  Requienii, 
Arenaria  balearica.  Campanula  puUa,  C.  pusilia,  C.  p. 
alba,  Sedum  hispanicum,  S.  h.  var.  glaucum,  S.  Lydium^ 
•Dianthus  squarrosa.  *D.  ciesia,  *Linaria  pilosa,  *L. 
hepatictefolia.  Thymus  lanuginosus,  T.  Serpylhim  cocci- 
neus  (quite  a  gem),  *Draba  aizoides,  Veronica  repeus 
and  Hutchinsia  alpina.  In  certain  circumstances  the 
Aubrietias  are  valuable ;  in  others  they  occupy  too  much 
space.  The  whole  of  the  above  are  perennials.  Those 
marked  with  an  asterisk  may  be  grown  from  seed  if  so 
desired.  The  better  way,  usually,  is  to  introduce  them 
by  little  pieces  of  plants,  first  raking  out  the  interstices- 
between  the  stones  to  a  depth  of  2  inches  and  chai^rim; 
them  with  good  soil. 


^^ 


No.;;;2i53.— Vol.  lxxvii. 


GARDEN. 


-^^= 


February  22,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


NllTKS    OF    IlIK    WEKK 
OORRESPONDENCK 

Lauru^tinus  luoidum 
A  good  Tort-h  Lily 
*'  Carthago  est  dclen- 

dum" 

Sorious  losses  among 

lloses 

A  National  Daffodil 
Society 
Result  of  tlie  Aciostics 
Fortljcoiiiinu  events.. 
Anothrr  FrxooiD  Pest 
Mysterious     diseaf>e 
of  Hvaeintlis  and 
Datfodils      .  .     . . 
Rose  OiRDEN 
Hose  -  pruning    and 
ttie  mild  weather 
:>ome  of  the  newer 
Hybrid  Tea  Roses 
Greenhouse 
Notes  on    Chrysan- 
themums   . . 
A  new  Fern     . . 
Fi,owee  Gardes 
Some  Kood    annual 
flowers  for  edginss 
liilies :     A    causerie 
Daffodil  notes 


Science  in  HORTicrLTURE 
The  ripening  of  fruit      95 
Trees  .^nu  Shrcus 
'I'hc     Daphnes    and 
how  to  grow  them       96 
GUAi'TixG    Standard 

Apple  Trees.  ...      97 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    .Southern    gar- 
dens            98 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens            98 

Cultdral  Hints  on 
New  and  Hare 
Plants 99 

How     TO     Grow 

UllLLYHOOKS  .  .  99 

Aretylone  ga«  getiera- 
tor  refuse  fai  uardcn 
crop?        99 

Lilies  of  the  Valley    . .     99 

Fruit  Garden 
Wounds     on     fruit 
trees;  Their  danger 
.ind  prevention..     100 

Answers   to   Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden       . .     100 


ILLUSTRATIOKS. 

A  hanging  plant  of  Campanula  isophylla  alba     ..      ..  91 

A  ii'w  and  distinct  Polypodium  for  the  greenhouse    ..  92 

A  bioad  edging  of  Alyssum  White  Carpet 93 

A  bed  of  Lilium  ISrownii  at  Kew 94 

•  iroup  of  Lilium  rubelhmi  raised  from  se.d         . .      .  .  95 

Grafting  standard  Apple  trees         96,97 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  oJ  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


Tiie  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
bid  he  mil  not  be  responsible  lor  their  sate  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  he  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeneour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


.is  rajards  photographs,  i/  paiimeill  be  desired,  the  Editor 
aslcs  that  the  price  required  lor  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo. 
graphcr  or  omter  ot  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  lor  the  return  ol  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  ol  a  prool  must  not  be  taken  as  eridence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Gardes  will  alone 
be  lecognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices:   20,  Tavistock  .Vtreel,  Corent  Garden,  ^\'.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


A  Good  Valerian. — The  genus  Centranthus 
contains  several  species  of  ornamental  herbaceous 
plants,  excellent  for  borders  where  ordinary  garden 
soil  exists.  C.  coccineus  grows  about  two  feet 
high,  is  crimson  in  colour.  a[id  very  effective  in  a 
mass  or  clumps  at  the  back  or  middle  of  the  border. 
The  flowering  period  is  from  June  to  September, 
and  plants  can  be  purchased  for  a  small  sum. 

Mulching  Paeonies. — Between  now  and  the  end 
of  .March — the  earlier  the  better  in  forward  seasons 
— is  a  good  time  to  apply  a  nourishing  mulch  to 
Paionics.  There  plants  are  heavy  feeders,  and 
h.-avy  drinkers,  too,  by  the  way,  so  there  cannot  be 
anvthing  more  beneficial  than  well-decayed  manure 
placed  around  each  plant,  but  not  in  or  actually 
touching  the  crowns.  Where  cow-manure  can  be 
obtained,  this  should  be  given  the  preference, 
particularly  if  the  soil  be  of  a  light  nature.  It  is 
richer  than  ordinary  stable  manure,  and  experience 
has  shown  recognised  growers  that  its  use  better 
suits  the  needs  of  P.^onies. 

Our  Special  Spring  Number. — Our  next  issue 

will  be  considerably  enlarged,  and  will  contain  a 
number  of  interesting  and  useful  articles  on  spring 
gardening.  Seed-sowing,  for  both  greenhouse  and 
outdoor  flowers,  the  best  bulbous  flowers  that 
should  be  planted  in  spring,  concise  cultural 
details  for  the  best  fifty  alpine  plants  for  a 
small  rock  garden,  and  the  first  of  a  new  series 
of  articles  on  the  Heath  garden  will  be  special 
features.  Practical  articles  on  Peas,  Potatoes 
and  Tomatoes  will  also  be  included.  In  addition 
to  numerous  black-and-white  illustrations,  there 
will  be  a  coloured  supplement  of  Antirrhinums, 
The  price  of  this  special  issue  will,  as  usual,  be  one 
penny. 

Begonia  manicata. — .-^  fine  group  of  this  hand- 
some Mexican  Begonia,  to  be  seen  in  the  green- 
house at  Kew,  directs  attention  to  its  virtues  for 
conservatory  decoration  during  the  early  months 
of  the  year.  As  seen  at  Kew,  individual  plants, 
including  the  inflorescences,  are  as  much  as  3J  feet 
high  ;  tlie  base  a  group  of  large  ornamental  leaves, 
and  the  upper  part  fine,  graceful  inflorescences 
of  pinkish  flowers.  In  addition  to  the  type,  there 
are  varieties  with  golden-variegated  and  fringed 
leaves.  It  is  one  of  the  easiest  of  the  shrubby, 
or  rather  the  rhizomatous.  Begonias  to  cultivate, 
for  it  may  be  easily  propagated  from  the  offsets 
which  appear  from  the  semi-creeping  stems, 
and  it  grows  well  in  pots  or  pans  in  a  well-drained 
compost  made  up  of  peat,  loam,  leaf-mould  and 
sand. 

A    Beautiful    Greenhouse    Climber.^lt    is 

seldom  that  HardenbTgia  comptoniana,  a 
hard-wooded  Australian  climber,  is  seen  in  good 
condition  ;  not  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  grow,  but 
because  it  is  not  well  known,  although  a  very  old 
garden  plant.      Its  proper  place  is  the  cool  green- 


house, for  in  such  a  structure  it  is  safe  from  thrips 
and  red  spider,  which  prove  its  worst  enemies 
in  warmer  houses.  In  the  Temperate  House  at 
Kew  two  plants  were  noticed  recently  in  full 
flower,  and  few  more  beautiful  sights  can  be 
imagined  than  these  two  large  plants  perfectly 
covered  with  racemes  of  charming,  deep  blue 
or  violet,  Pea-shaped  flowers.  This  climber 
proves  most  satisfactory  when  planted  out  in  a 
compost  of  sandy  peat  and  loam.  It  must  be 
carefully  watered,  for  it  soon  suffers  if  allowed 
to  become  dry. 

Big    Bud    in    Black   Currants. — This   pest    is 

likely  to  be  migrating  from  one  bush  to  another 
earlier  than  usual  this  season,  and  for  that  reason 
we  give  particulars  of  a  remedy  that  Messrs. 
Pearson  and  Sons  of  Lowdham,  Notts,  first  made 
public,  and  which  we  have  since  proved  to  be  good. 
Use  20Z.  of  best  quality  soft  soap  and  40Z.  of 
Quassia  chips  to  one  gallon  of  water  (soft  for 
prefereiice).  Steep  the  chips  in  cold  water  for 
some  hours ;  then  bring  the  water  to  boiling  point 
and  allow  it  to  simmer  for  twenty  minutes. 
Dissolve  the  soft  soap  in  a  separate  vessel  and  add 
to  the  Quassia  liquor  while  warm.  Spray  with 
this  mixture  as  soon  as  the  Currant  leaves  unfold, 
and  repeat  it  at  intervals  of  ten  to  fourteen  days 
until  the  end  of  May. 

A  Sweet-Scented  Annual. — Now  that  seed 
orders  are  being  made  out  and  sent  to  the  seedsmen, 
we  would  draw  attention  to  the  little  Night- 
scented  Stock,  Mathiola  bicornis.  This  is  not 
grown  nearly  so  extensively  as  it  ought  to  be. 
It  is  true  that  during  the  daytime  the  plants  have 
nothing  to  commend  them,  but  in  the  early  evening 
the  naked-looking  stems  are  transformed  into 
flowering  wands.  But  the  fragrance  is  the  feature. 
There  are  few  greater  joys  in  gardening  than  to 
sit  by  an  open  window  on  a  summer  evening  and 
inhale  the  fragrance  of  this  little  Stock.  We  always 
sow  it  close  to  the  dwelling-house,  where  a  modicum 
of  lime  in  the  shape  of  mortar  from  the  walls  is 
present.  The  early  part  of  April  is  the  time  to 
sow  the  seed,  but  order  it  now. 

An  Easily-Grown  Bulbous  Plant.— Velthemia 

viridifolia  is  an  excellent  subject  for  the  con- 
servatory during  the  early  months  of  the  year, 
for  it  may  be  had  in  flower  from  December  tmtil 
March  if  a  little  attention  is  paid  to  the  period  at 
which  it  is  started  into  growth,  while  it  is  equally 
effective  either  used  alone  or  mixed  with  plants 
having  white  flowers.  A  native  of  South  Africa, 
it  is  recognised  by  its  long,  vivid  green  leaves, 
which  are  up  to  18  inches  long  and  2i  inches  wide, 
and  by  its  rose  or  pinkish,  cream-spotted  flowers, 
which  are  borne  in  dense  spikes.  At  potting- 
time  the  large.  Onion-shaped  bulbs  are  placed  on 
the  surface  of  the  soil,  or  but  slightly  covered, 
and  a  compost  of  loamy  soil,  into  which  a  little 
'eaf-mould  and  sand  has  been  mixed,  usually  suffices 
to  produce  excellent  plants. 


90 


THE    GAIIDEN. 


[February  22,  1913- 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The  Editor  is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents. ) 


Laurustinus  lucidum. — This,  referred  to  by 
your  correspondent  "  J.  A.  D."  on  page  67, 
February  8  issue,  is  largely  planted  in  the  Isle 
of  Wight,  where  it  does  well,  flowering  in  May. 
•Besides  the  flowers  being  double  the  size  of  the 
common  variety,  they  are  of  a  pure  white.  It 
can  be  obtained,  I  believe,  from  Messrs.  Gauntlett 
of  Chiddingfold  under .  the  name  of  Viburnum 
Tinus  lucidum.— C.  G.  O.  B. 

A  Good  Torch  Lily. — On  page  82  of  The  Garden 
of  February  15,  in  the  notice  of  Tritomas  (Kni- 
phofias)  I  miss  the  yery  best  of  the  dwarf  varie- 
ties, Marie  Derken.  This  makes  a  sturdy  plant 
I J  feet  high,  flowers  very  freely,  and  is  much 
hardier  and  less  affected  by  winter  damp  than  any 
others.  The  colour  of  the  spikes  is  brilliant — a 
gem,  in  fact ;  and  every  collection  should  embrace 
the  noble,  deep  golden-flowered  Star  oi  Baden- 
Baden,  which  attains  to  5  feet.^GEORGE  Buny.^rd, 
Maidstone. 

"  Carthago  est  delendum." — I  apologise  for 
my  stupid  blunder  on  page  75,  issue  February  8. 
I  have,  however,  this  consolation — that  without 
it  we  would  not  have  had  "  G.  H.  E.'s  "  interesting 
little  bit  of  poetry  on  page  78  of  last  week's  issue. 
I  rejoice  to  find  that  while  he  so  justly  and  so 
tenderly  finds  fault  with  the  letter,  no  blame  is 
attached  to  the  spirit  of  the  quotation.  Delenda 
est  Carthago z^a  National  Dafiodil  Society  must 
be  formed,  .^t  is  the  persistency  of  the  Roman 
oritor  that  I  feel  I  must  copy,  if  that  which  I  so 
much  desire  is  to  be  a  fait  acr:ompli. — J.  Jacob. 

Rose  Rosabelle. — Among  the  newer  climbing 
Roses  I  strongly  recommend  RosabeUe  (Bruant, 
at  Poitiers),  which  received  a  first-class  certificate 
from  the  National  Horticultiural  Society  of  France. 
It  is  a  beautiful  and  mildew-proof  Rose,  with  glossy 
and  almost  persistent  foliage,  purple-bronzed  in 
youth,  and  it  has  a  vigorous  habit.  The  elegant, 
fragrant  flowers  are  of  a  lovely  pink  colour,  with 
salmon-like  shades,  and  the  reverse  of  the  petals 
of  a  fine  China  pink  hue.  The  flowers  are  rather 
drooping,  but  this  must  be  imputed  to  the  rambling 
and  weeping  character  of  the  species.  I  have  a 
plant  in  my  Rose  garden  which  gave  me  entire 
satisfaction  and  pleasure  the  first  year  it  was  planted, 
and  I  intend  to  plant  a  second  as  a  very  high 
weeping  standard.  It  will  perhaps  interest  English 
readers  if  I  tell  them  that  Anemone  Hepatica 
triloba  flowered  this  year  on  January  10  in  my 
garden  near  Fribourg.  I  was  then  in  Paris,  and 
my  boys  sent  me  a  few  of  these  lovely  little  flowers 
in  their  letters. — Baronne  A.  de  Graffeuried- 
ViLLARS,  Clidtenu  de  La  Poya,  Fribourg,  Switzer- 
land. 

Serious  Losses  Among  Roses. — 1  am  tempted 
to  respond  to  Mr.  Blair's  in^'ltation  in  The  Garden 
of  February  8,  page  66,  as  I  seldom  see  my  district 
represented  in  your  excellent  paper.  We  had  a 
snowstorm  on  November  28,  while  Roses  were  in 
full  leaf  and  flowering  freely.  Two  days  later  the 
temperature  fell  to  zero,  and  the  following  night 
it  rose  to  4°  Fahr.  Among  climbing  Roses  Crimson 
Rambler  suffered  most  severely,  one  plant  being 
killed  outright.  R6ve  d'Or  was  also  seriously  dam- 
aged, but  it  may  yet  recover.  Other  Roses  show 
more  or  less  damage.  The  only  standards  Idlled 
are  those  of  Jeannie  Dickson,  budded  on  Briar. 
Among    dwarf    Roses     Mrae.     Jules    Grolez     and 


Laurette  Messimy  have  been  the  most  injured. 
Griiss  an  Teplitz,  within  a  few  feet  of  Crimson 
Rambler,  shows  no  sign  of  injury,  and  Blairii  No.  2, 
close  to  Mme.  Jules  Grolez,  is  still  bearing  last 
summer's  foliage  quite  fresh  and  green.  None  of 
my  newly-planted  Roses  suffered.  Generally  speak- 
ing, those  Roses  most  prone  to  mildew  suffered, 
and  among  standards  those  on  the  rugosa  stock 
did  better  than  those  on  the  Briar. — M.  H.  Scott- 
NiCHOLSON,  Burn  Close.  Carlisle. 

A    National    Daffodil   Society.— The   majority 

of  Daffodil-fanciers  will  heartily  agree  with  the 
suggestion  put  forward  by  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob  and 
others,  "  that  the  time  has  come  when  steps  should 
be  taken  to  see  if  a  National  Daffodil  Society 
could  not  be  formed."  Mr.  Jacob  furnishes  us 
with  his  reasons,  comparisons  and  facts  which  are 
evident  and  galling  to  those  who  desire  freedom, 
progress  and  a  more  commanduig  position,  which 
it  deserves.  According  to  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Book  of  Arrangements  for  1913  (see 
page  57),  I  notice  that  the  society  is  restricted 
and  fettered  by  its  own  regulations,  for  there  we 
read  that  "  The  society  being  registered  as  a 
scientific  institution  it  is  exceedingly  doubtful 
whether  it  is  not-  legally  prohibited  from  ofiering 
money  prizes  at  any  of  its  shows  to  any  of  its 
members."  The  responsibility  is  placed  on  the 
shoulders  of  a  few  leaders.  The  Royal  Horticul- 
tural Society  cannot  be  blamed  for  the  want  of 
generosity.  To  my  mind  its  own  laws  prohibit 
progress.  This  is  an  additional  reason  why  we 
should  agitate  for  a  National  Daffodil  Society  and 
why  all  lovers  of  this  favourite  flower  should  render 
what  assistance  they  can  in  its  formation.— 
J.  E.  D  ,  Talygarn. 

1  have  read  Dr.  Lower's  letter  in  your  last 

issue  with  much  interest  and  sympathy.  I  am 
inclined  to  think  that  if  Dr.  Lower  could  use  his 
persuasive  powers  effectually  on  "  G.  H.  E.," 
whose  poem  appears  just  above  his  letter  (and 
who  has  previously  only  been  known  to  us  as  a 
maker  of  Poets,  not  poems),  one  of  the  principal 
obstacles  to  the  formation  of  a  National  Daffodil 
Society  would  disappear.  But  Dr.  Lower  would 
have  to  be  a  better  pleader  than  I  have  been. — 
F.  Herbert  Chapman. 

As    a    Dafiodil    enthusiast    and    one    who 

woiJd  like  to  see  a  greater  diffusion  of  the  doings 
of  the  Daffodil  world,  I  vei;ture  to  address  you 
on  this  much-vexed  subject.  Have  the  would-be 
promoters  of  the  National  Society  carefully  weighed 
the  results  of  their  movement,  if  successful  ? 
Three  results  would  seem  to  me  likely  to  follow  : 
(i)  A  serious  interference  with  the  Midland  Daffodil 
Society,  if  not  its  abolition.  (2)  Virtually  a  break 
with  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  (3)  The 
incurrence  of  a  heavy  financial  responsibility. 
As  to  No.  I,  can  supporters  of  the  Midland  Daffodil 
Society  logically  and  with  loyalty  to  such  society 
promote  another  society  which  may  supersede 
the  Midland  Society  ?  As  to  No.  2,  can  the  pro- 
moters of  the  new  society  ensure  an  attendance 
such  as  the  shows  under  the  auspices  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  ensure  ?  As  to  No.  3.  why 
incur  any  financial  responsibilities  while  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  is  wilUng  to  save  all  these  ? 
Is  there  not  another  way  of  obtaining  our  wants 
than  breaking  up  one  of  our  friends  and  breaking 
off  with  the  other  ?  I  would  suggest  that  a  more 
universal  membership  of  the  Midland  Society 
is  one  way,  as  if  we  put  funds  into  that  society's 
hands  it  might  issue  fuller  reports  and  dis- 
seminate the  news  of  the  Daffodil  world;  and  I 
would     further    suggest     that     a     combined    and 


firin  representation  to  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  committee  might  ensure  a  better  service 
from  that  committee.  —  C.  Lemesle  Adams. 
[Would  the  Midland  Daffodil  Society  be  willing 
to  form  itself  into  a  National  Society  ?  If  so,, 
a  great  initial  difficulty  would  be  overcome.  Work- 
ing details  could  be  arranged  later  by  mutual 
consent. — Ed.] 

I  have  been  pleased  to  see  in  recent  issues 

of  The  Garden  an  article  and  letters  respecting 
the  formation  of  a  National  Daffodil  Society.  I 
am  much  in  favour  of  the  formation  of  such  a 
society,  as,  although  the  Midland  Society  is  most 
useful  and  well  managed,  it  cannot  possibly  do 
the  work  which  a  National  Society  would  be  able 
to  do. — J.  Mallender,  Scrooby. 

Hardiness  of  Campanula  isophylla. — The  para- 
graph by  your  esteemed  contributor  Mr.  Arnott 
on  page  66,  February  8  issue,  prompts  me  to  reply 
that  plants  have  grown  for  years  in  PortobeUo 
in  an  open  border  facing  east.  They  had  become 
so  large  that  advice  was  sought  as  to  dividing  them. 
The  border  was  raised  somewhat  from  the  adjoin- 
ing path  and  ran  along  the  side  of  a  dwelling-house. 
In  another  part  of  the  town  this  plant  grew  well 
in  an  ordinary  herbaceous  border,  but  suffered 
much  from  wind.  The  soil  here  was  distinctly 
light.  I  have  grown  the  white  form  for  many 
years  in  pots  that  were  always  frozen  solid  in  severe 
weather.  Then  the  foliage  and  shoots  became 
quite  limp,  I  presume  through  lack  of  available 
water,  for  as  soon  as  a  thaw  came  they  never 
seemed  any  the  worse.  I  grew  them  in  a  very 
draughty  corridor,  where  they  were  only  protected 
from  rain.  To  get  nice  plants  I  encouraged  new 
growth  as  much  as  possible  as  soon  as  the  flowers 
were  past,  never  allowing  the  soil  to  get  dry,  and 
I  thus  got  very  long  growths,  which  by  the  end  of 
July,  throughout  August  and  into  September  were 
simply  a  mass  of  bloom.  The  enclosed  photo- 
graph is  of  a  plant  so  treated.  It  was  in  a  7  inch 
pot,  suspended  by  wires  attached  to  a  cord  and 
pulley  for  convenience  in  watering.  This  plant 
measured  exactly  63  inches  from  bottom  to  top, 
and  had  not  been  repotted  for  four  years.  It 
faced  a  slanting  glass  roof  backed  by  a  wall,  so 
the  flowers  were  all  on  one  side.  It  was  grown 
naturally  without  training,  except  that  a  few 
growths  were  twined  about  the  wires  supporting 
the  pot.  I  was  not  aware  this  Campanula  was 
considered  tender.  Mere  cold  may,  I  think,  be 
disregarded,  but  strong  wind  and  soaked  foliage 
are  certainly  detrimental. — W.  T.  Bashford, 
PortobeUo,  Midlothian. 

I  have  read  with  interest  the  remarks  of 

Mr.  Arnott  in  your  issue  of  February  8  regarding 
Campanula  isophylla  standing  the  winter  in  some 
parts  of  the  country  but  not  in  others.  I  have 
some  plants,  8  inches  across,  growing  on  a  rockery 
facing  north-east,  and  up  to  the  present  time 
they  are  looking  quite  healthy,  although,  of  course, 
we  have  had  a  very  mild  winter  so  far,  but  they  : 
have  stood  10°  to  12°  of  frost. — W.  Coles,  The 
Gardens,  Wallacefield,  Croydon. 

In  reference  to  the  note  about  this  plant 

on  page  66,  it  may  be  interesting  to  some  readers 
to  know  that  I  have  grown  it  in  the  open  for  several 
years  in  some  cast-iron  vases  fully  exposed,  and  . 
it  has  stood  the  severest  frosts.  I  leave  it  undis- 
turbed through  the  winter,  and  then  break, 
it  up  in  the  spring  and  plant  it  alternately  with 
blue  Lobelia  round  the  edge  of  the  vase,  which, 
makes  a  very  pretty  combination. — C.  Williams. 
The  Gardens,  Selmont  House.  Doncaslcr. 


February  22.  1913.] 


THE     GAllDEN. 


91 


Seedlings  of  this   plant  raised  during  the 

summer  of  191 1  wire  planted  out  in  the  open 
!;arden  at  Lambay  Island  and  remained  there  the 
following  winter.  We  experienced  no  severe 
frost,  but  the  ground  was  often  very  wet.  These 
plants  were  eventually  planted  on  a  rock  garden. 
Tliey  flowered  profusely  during  the  summer.  Some 
years  since  the  writer  put  out  some  plants  from 
pots  on  a  small  rockery  in  Hertfordshire,  .\lthough 
these  were  partially  protected  during  the  follow- 
ing winter,  only  one  plant  out  of  about  a  dozen 
survived,  and  this  did  not 
grow  strong  enough  to  produce 
flowers.  The  conclusion  is  that 
this  lovely  Campanula  is  not  hardy, 
4nul  can  only  be  grown  in  th?  open 
in  localities  where  severe  frosts  are 
practically  unknown.  As  hanging 
plants  for  windows,  also  for  use  in 
h.iskets  during  the  summer,  these 
•subjects  arc  invaluable. — C.  Ruse, 
Jreland. 


MYSTERIOUS      DISEASE      OF 
HYACINTHS    AND    DAFFODILS. 

I  OR  several   seasons   past   the    Hyacinths  1 
potted   up   for   trial   purposes    by    my  ' 


F 


stopped 


RESULT     OF    THE 
ACROSTICS. 

We  now  have  much  pleasure  in 
announcing  the  prize- wmners  in  the 
Acrostic  Competition.  No  one  cor- 
rectly solved  more  than  four  out 
■of  the  eight  set,  and  only  two 
<■'  Elm  Bampton  "  and  "  R.  P.  B.") 
had  this  number  to  their  credit. 
In  both  cases  the  correct  solutions 
were  those  of  Nos.  1,  2,  6  and  7. 
According  to  the  conditions  already 
iumounced,  the  first  and  second 
prizes  will  be  equally  divided 
between  these  two.  In  five  cases 
three  correct  solutions  have  been 
sent  in,  viz.,  by  "  Leander,"  W. 
Bond,  L.  A.  Louden,  Mrs.  Florence 
Jones  and  "  White  Lady."  The 
acrostics  correctly  solved  were 
Nos.  "i,  2,  3,  6  and  7.  grouped  in 
■various  ways.  The  third  prize  will 
be  divided  between  these  five. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  two 
or  three  weeks  we  hope  to  have 
time  to  study  the  results  in  detail, 
and  we  will  then  comment  upon 
them.  Guided  by  our  experience 
in  the  present  competition,  we 
intend  to  outline  another  on  similar 
lines,  which  we  hope  to  conduct 
■during  the~winter  of  1913-14. 

Prize-List. — Equal  firsts:  Mr^:. 
Macahster.  Hamslade.  Bampton. 
North  Devon  ;  and  Mr.  R.  P 
Brotherston.  Tyninghame,  Preston- 
kirk,  X.B.  Equal  thirds:  Mr. 
H.  Ticehurst,  43.  Leander  Road, 
Brixton  ;  Mr.  W.  Bond,  60,  Bostal 
Lane,  .Abbev  Wood,  Kent  ;  Mr. 
L.  A.  Louden,  Louden  House. 
South  Woodford ;  Mrs.  Florence 
Jones,  21,  West  Bank  Road,  Birkenhead 
H.  R.  Darlington,  Park  House,  Potter's  Bar. 

Sixteen  competitors  sent  in  two  correct  solutions 


ANOTHER       FUNGOID      PEST.    Daffodils    potted    up    with    a    view   to    exhibiting 

the  blooms  in  March  shared  the  same  fate  as  the 
Hyacinths,  only  they  were  not  quite  so  badly 
affected. 

Last  autunin  we  procured  some  nice  fresh 
Kettering  loam  and  potted  up  both  Hyacinths  and 
firm  have  failed  in  a  very  puzzling  !  Daffodils  in  it  after  it  had  been  turned  several 
manner.  They  have  started  to  grow,  ;  times  and  well  aired.  All  bulbs  have  done  well 
and  then,  when  the  tops  have  been  I  in  this  soU  with  the  exception  of  Hyacinths,  which 
2  inches  to  3  inches  high,  growth  has  '•  made  splendid  roots,  and  then,  just  about  the 
and      many    have    failed     to      develop    time  they  were  brought  inside,  the  tips  of  the  roots 

began  to  go  brown,  and  after  a 
week  or  two  half  the  roots  were 
quite  decayed  ;  at  least,  the  worst 
specimens  were.  In  some  cases 
there  was  much  less  damage  done. 
Having  exhausted  every  theory 
as  to  the  cause  of  the  damage, 
but  leaning  strongly  to  the  idea  of 
a  fungus  pest,  I  at  last  sent  two 
good  specimen  bulbs  in  their  pots 
to  the  Nottingham  University,  and 
Professor  Carr,  the  resident  botanist 
there,  had  the  matter  thoroughly 
investigated,  and  reports  that  'he 
trouble  is  caused  by  the  fungus 
Pythium  Barganum,  and  that  sec- 
tions cut  through  the  roots  of  the 
Hyacinths  revealed  the  fungus  in 
all  stages  of  growth.  Now,  this 
is  a  decided  gain  to  know  what 
kind  of  enemy  one  is  fighting, 
but  at  present  I  am  quite  in  the 
dark  as  to  what  causes  the  fimgus 
to  attack  the  healthy  roots. 

After  being  potted  the  bulbs  were 
placed  on  ashes,  and  were  plunged 
in  and  lightly  covered  with 
Cocoanut  fibre,  a  small  inverted 
pot  having  been  previously  placed 
over  the  bulb.  When  removed 
from  the  plunging  material,  the 
plants  looked  really  well,  both  as 
regards  roots  and  tops ;  but,  as 
before  stated,  the  roots  soon  began 
to  go  wrong.  The  soil  did  not  seem 
the  least  bit  too  wet,  and  looked 
beautifully  fresh  and  sweet.  Some 
Hyacinths  potted  in  fibre  are  not 
attacked  by  the  fungus,  but  have 
roots  as  white  as  snow.  Last  yeai 
some  Daffodils  grown  in  boxes  for 
cut  bloom  were  so  badly  affected 
that  they  were  quite  rootles,  and 
could  be  easily  pulled  up  by  taking 
hold  of  the  foliage.  I  was  con- 
■vinced  that  it  was  no  fault  of  the 
bulbs,  as  some  of  the  same  varieties 
grown  in  fibre  were  all  right. 
Now,  this  year,  Daffodils  treated 
in  the  same  way,  only  planted  in 
the  Kettering  loam,  have  done 
excellently,  and  have  had  roots 
protruding  from  the  bottom  of  the 
boxes  some  4  inches  to  6  inches  ; 
yet  in  the  same  soil  the  Hyacinths 


.\    H.\NGING    PLANT    OF    CAMP.\NUL.\     ISOPHYLL.A    .ALB.\    GROWN    BV 
MR.     W.     T.     BASHFORD,      PORTOBELLO,       MIDLOTHIAN.  THIS 

MEASURED    5    FEET    3    INCHES    FROM    BASE    TO    SUMMIT. 


and  Mrs.  their  flower-spikes,  while  others  have  flowered  but  '  have  gone  wrong.  I  am  perfectly  sure,  from 
poorly.  On  examining  the  roots  they  have  letters  one  sees  in  the  columns  of  this  and 
been  found  more  or  less  damaged,  in  some  cases  '  other  gardening  papers,  that  there  are  many 
entirely  gone,  in  others  partly  decayed.  For  sufferers  from  this  pest,  and  a  preventive  or  cure 
a   long    time    we    attributed    the    failure    to    eel-  i  would  be  welcomed  by  many. 

worm,  or  a  similar  whitish  grub  just  visible  to  the        Only  a  few  days  ago  one  of  our  correspondents 
naked  eye.     Consequently,  we  had  the  soil  sterilised  j  sent  some  Roman  Hyacinth  bulbs  which  had  failed 
March  i. — Societe   Franpair^e   d'HorticuUiire    de  I  and  hoped  for  an  improvement  ;    but  the  case  was  j  to  flower.     These  were  quite  healthy  and  plump 
Londres  Meeting.  1  as  bad  as  ever,  and,  unfortunately,  a  large  batch  of!  as   to  the   bulbs,   but   when  one  looked  for  roots 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 
February  28. — Beckeiih^im  Horticultural  Socie'y's 
Meeting  and  Lecture. 


92 


THE     GARDEI^. 


[February  22,  1913- 


there  were  none.  There  had  been  roots,  but  they 
had  decayed  completely  away.  Some  bulbs  potted 
up  for  trial  from  the  same  batch  have  given  us 
better  bloom  than  we  have  had  for  years,  which 
proves  that  the  fault  lies  with  the  soil  or  environ- 
ment, and  not  with  the  bulb.  One  reason  why  T 
have  ventilated  this  question  is  that  those  who  are 
suffering  from  the  effects  of  the  same  disease 
should  not  lay  the  blame  upon  the  bulbs,  but  seek 
for  the  cause  of  failure  in  other  du"ections.  Another 
reason  is  that  I  have  hopes  of  hearing  from  one 
of  your  numerous  readers  that  he  or  she  has  been 
plagued  with  the  same  trouble  and  has  found  a 
remedy  for  it,  for  that  is  what  we  all  want. 
Lowdhanu  Notts  J.  Duncan  Pearson. 


THE      ROSE    GARDEN. 


ROSE-PRUNING     AND    THE     MILD 
WEATHER. 

There  are  many  readers,  no  doubt,  much  exercised 
in  mind  as  to  what  they  should  do  in  the  way  of 


"  The  Book  of  the  Rose,"  by  the  Rev.  Foster 
Melliar,  the  author  refers  to  a  very  early  season — 
1893 — and  says  that  the  plants  "  bled  "  a  great  deal 
that  year,  owing  to  the  very  forward  growths  at 
pruning-time,  and  although  the  ground  around 
was  kept  quite  damp  for  some  days  by  the  over- 
flowing sap,  yet  subsequent  growth  did  not  seem 
to  suffer  thereby. 

Those  who  have  had  occasion  to  transplant 
their  Roses  will  be  fortunate  in  having  retarded 
plants,  and  if  one  could  have  foreseen  such 
a  season,  it  would  have  been  a  good  plan  to 
have  just  raised  the  plants  a  little  and  dropped 
them  back  again  in  their  own  positions.  I  have 
plants  that  have  been  moved  three  or  four  times 
in  the  course  of  the  last  three  months,  and  they 
are  in  a  nice  dormant  condition.  If  we  have  no 
very  severe  weather.  Ramblers  will  be  very  early  ; 
but,  alas  !  they  have  a  usually  cruel  May  to  go 
through,  and  I  fear  the  result.  These  Roses, 
however,  have  a  wonderful  power  of  recuperation 
from  the  basal  eyes  of  the  lateral  shoots.  A  year 
or  so  ago,  some  plants  of  Blush  Rambler  were  so 


SOME  OF   THE    NEWER   HYBRID   TEA 
ROSES. 

(Continued  from   page  82.) 

Theresa  (A.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1909). — Semi- 
double  flowers  of  variable  but  beautiful  colouring,, 
orange  apricot,  with  carmine  splashes  on  the  out- 
side of  the  petals,  passing  to  flesh  pink.  Excellent 
habit  of  growth  and  free-flowering,  fragrant  and 
a  pretty  decorative  variety. 

Verna  MacKay  (A.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1912). — A 
bright  lemon-coloured  flower,  reminiscent  of  the 
beautiful  garden  variety  sent  out  in  1911  called 
Carine.  It  may  be  a  sport  from  that  variety, 
but  it  is  a  very  beautiful  Rose  that  has  only  one 
fault,  and  that  is  it  is  not  quite  free  from  mildew- 
Free-Howering  ;  medium-sized  flowers  of  excellent 
shape,  sweetlv  perfumed. 

Viscount  Carlo*  (A.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1910). — 
An  excellent  bedding  Rose,  very  free-flowering  ; 
colour,  a  bright  pink  on  a  cream  ground.  Distinct 
bronzy  foliage  and  excellent  habit  of  growth. 

Viscountess  Enfield  (Pemet-Ducher, 
1910). — A  beautiful  button-hole  Rose 
of  distinct  colouring,  coppery  rose, 
with  yellow  shading.  Not  too  good  a 
grower  with  me,  but  it  may  improve  in 
this  respect,  as  I  believe  my  plants 
were  grafted. 

Walter  Speed  (A.  Dickson  and  Sons. 
1909). — This  can  be  best  described  as 
a  yellow-tinted  Antoine  Rivoire,  with 
all  the  good  pomts  of  that  fine  old 
variety.  It  is,  if  anything,  better 
shaped,  and  will,  no  doubt,  find  its  way 
occasionally  on  to  the  exhibition  bench  ; 
but  it  is  a  good  garden  Rose,  though  we 
have  so  many  of  these  whitish  Roses,, 
tinted  yellow,  that  very  many  of  them 
will  fall  out  of  cultivation.  Walter 
Speed  is,  however,  one  of  the  best  of 
them  all,  and  when  better  known  will 
become  popular.  Next  week  I  will  con- 
clude these  notes  with  particulars  of  ai 
few  of  the  newer  decorative  Tea  Roses- 
Southampton.        H.  E.  Molyneux. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


NOTES     ON     CHRYSANTHE- 


E 


A    NEW    AND    DISTINCT    POLYPODIUM    FOR    THE    GREENHOUSE.        See  pai/e  03.) 


pruning  in  Ihis  exceptionally  early  season.  They 
are  wondering  whether,  instead  of  waiting  till  the 
usual  time  of  the  second  week  in  March  for  the 
hardier  sorts  and  early  .'\pril  for  the  Teas,  they 
should  start  almost  at  once,  seeing  that  growth  is 
so  wonderfully  forward.  In  some  cases  I  have 
even  seen  bloom-buds  forming  on  the  new  shoots. 
Now,  my  advice  would  be  to  defer  pruning  until 
the  usual  time,  for  this  reasor  :  If  we  prune  now 
or  at  the  end  of  February,  or  even  early  in  March, 
our  plants  are  sure  to  start  into  growth  almost 
at  once  if  present  conditions  prevail.  And  therein 
would  be  the  risk,  because  April  frosts  would  almost 
certainly  cripple  the  growths  that  should,  under 
normal  conditions,   give    us   our  best    blooms.     In 


forward  when  a  frost  came  that  the>  seemed  a^ 
though  they  had  been  singed  ;  yet  I  did  not 
cut  the  young  growths  away,  but  allowed  them 
to  develop,  and  the  plants  flowered  as  though 
nothing  had  happened.  The  advice  now  given  is 
that  Roses  should  not  be  pruned  earlier  than  usual 
in  this  forward  season.  When  pruning  is  done,  it 
must  be  mostly  to  dormant  eyes,  except  in  the 
case  of  decorative  Roses.  These  may  have  a 
growth  or  two  left  much  longer,  and  although 
it  may  be  advisable  to  cut  this  growth  away 
later  on  when  others  are  developed,  it  serves 
the  good  purpose  of  slightly  retarding  lower 
eyes  and  also  preventing  a  too  severe  "  bleeding  " 
of  the  sap.  Danecroft. 


MUMS. 

VEN  since  the  first  batch  of 
cuttings  was  put  in,  the 
weather  has  been  favour- 
able for  them,  except  in 
the  matter  of  damping  in 
cases  where  amateur  culti- 
vators have  been  obliged  to  rely  on  cold 
houses  or  frames  in  which  to  carry  out  propagation. 
From  this  cause,  and  in  the  circumstances  referred 
to,  some  loss  has  been  sustained.  The  newly-rootedl 
cuttings  have,  however,  grown  very  nicely  mdeed, 
as  there  has  been  no  frost  severe  enough  to 
check  them.  Such  frost,  however,  may  be  ex- 
perienced, and,  if  so,  growers  must  duly  protect 
their  plants,  as  the  young  stems  are  rather 
tender. 

The  Potting  of  the  Rooted  Cuttings.— it  is 
not  wise  on  the  part  of  the  cultivator  to  allow  the 
newly-rooted  cuttings  to  remain  too  long  in  the 
small  pots.  Time  is  precious,  and  it  soon  passes  ; 
and  if  the  young  plants  are  not  closely  watched 
and  potted  on  when  they  need  more  rooting  space 


February  22.  1913.] 


THE     GAEDEN. 


93 


and  fresh  nourishment,  they  quickly  lose  ground, 
as  it  were.  A  light,  sandy  compost  is  the  best 
for  the  plants  generally.  Some  rotted  manure 
should  be  mixed  with  equal  quantities  of  fibrous 
loam  and  leaf-soil,  at  the  rate  of  one  peck  to  five 
pecks  of  the  combined  parts.  At  this  potting, 
too,  a  3j-inch  potful  of  bone-meal  may  be  added 
to  a  bushel  of  the  prepared  compost,  but  no 
concentrated  manures,  because  the  roots  to  each 
plant  are  not  very  numerons.  Avoid  firm  potting, 
too  ;  simply  press  down  the  soil  gently  with  the 
fingers  and  keep  the  roots  near  the  surface,  removing 
any  of  the  loose  cutting  soil  from  the  top. 

A  Good  Position  for  the  Plants.— When  first 

repotted,  place  the  plants  fairly  close   together  on 
a  stage,  or  in  a  frame  in  the  Southern  Counties,  for 
a  week  or  so,  and  during  that  time  avoid 
watering  the    soil   unless   it    gets  rather 
dry,  as,  if  it  is  fairly  moist  when    used, 
two   or    three    light    syringings  wUl    be 
sufficient  and  the    roots    will  permeate 
the  new  compost    more    freely.      Then 
water  through  a  fine-rosed  watering-can 
and  spread    out    the    plants    so    as    to 
admit    air    among  them  freely.      Thev 
should  be    placed     close    to    the    roof 
glass  if  in  a  greenhouse,  and  on  a  bed  oi 
ashes  if  in  a  frame. 
Ventilation  and  Mildew.— After  the 

work  of  repotting  has  been  done,  do  not 
admit  air  to  the  plants  for  several  days, 
and  afterwards  apply  it  in  such  a  way 
as  to  avoid  cold  currents  of  air  blowinp 
directly  on  them.  They  must  be  well 
ventilated,  as  fresh  air  in  mild  weather 
is  very  essential :  but  cold  draughts 
cause  the  spread  of  mildew  and  check 
free  growth.  Any  plants  affected  by 
mildew  must  be  dealt  witl-  quickly,  else 
many  leaves  will  be  lost.  Flowers  ot 
sidphur  dusted  on  the  parts  will  be 
found  a  good  and  simple  remedy. 
Propagation  in  Spring. — Plants  that 

are  to  be  grown  with  single  stems  and 
to  bear  one  bloom  only  are  best  raised 
from  cuttings  inserted  from  Febru- 
ary 20  to  April  20.  The  early  varieties 
must  be  propagated  in  April,  and  the 
naturally  late-flowering  ones  at  the  end 
of  February  and  during  March.  Some 
cultivators  insert  several  cuttings  in  a 
large  pot  or  bo.\,  but  beginners  should 
insert  one  cutting  in  a  small,  deep  pot  ; 
then,  when  sufficiently  rooted,  repot  at 
once  and  there  will  be  no  check.  It 
is  very  important  that  the  late-rooted 
plants  be  grown  on  steadily,  and  not 
forced  in  a  high  temperature.  The 
cuttings  root  quickly  at  this  season,  so  that  a  stock 
of  young  plants  is  soon  secured.  Avon. 


THE 

SOME 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 


GOOD     ANNUAL     FLOWERS 
FOR     EDGINGS. 

N  The  Garden  for  January  4  there  was  an 
article  on  the  use  of  annuals  for  edgings  to 
the  kitchen  garden  paths,  with  an  illustra- 
tion of  a  path  bordered  by  white  Candytuft. 
In  addition  to  the  kitchen  garden,  there 
are  the  more  ornamental  parts  of  the 
garden  where  the  paths  might  well  be  edged,  at 
very  little  expense,  with  annual  flowers,  particu- 
larly those  of  a  low-growing  character.  The  accom- 
panying illustration  shows  an  edging  of  Alyssum 
Webb's    White    Carpet,   that    made    an   attractive 


I 


edgings,  among  them  being  Leptosiphon  hybridus, 
(a  little  gem  that  likes  a  sunny  place).  Mignonette, 
Virginian  Stock,  Viscaria  cardinalis.  Erysimum 
perofskianum,  Nemophila  insignis  (should  not  be 
sown  where  cats  are  troublesome),  Phacelia  campanu- 
laria,  Saponaria  calabrica,  Silene  pendula  compacta, 
dwarf  Godetias,  and  Sanvitaha  procumbens  Little 
Gem.  H.   H. 


A    BROAD    EDGING    OF    ALYSSUM    WHITE    CARPET, 

ANNUAL    THAT    MAY    BE    SOWN    OUTDOORS    IN    SPR 


feature  in  the  garden  for  nearly  four  months  last 
year  for  the  initial  outlay  of  sixpence,  the  cost  of 
the  seed.  The  border  at  the  back  of  this  edging 
was  filled  with  Horace  Martin  Chrysanthemums, 
and  when  these  were  in  bloom  during  the  early 
autumn  the  effect  was  most  pleasing.  It  will  be 
noted  that  the  edging  of  Alyssum  is  a  broad  one. 
This  is  important.  A  narrow  edging,  if  of  any 
considerable  length,  looks  puny  and  out  of 
place. 

The  chief    merits    of    these    annual    flowers    are 


A     NEW     FERN. 

(POLYPODIUM      IRIOIDES      PENDULUM      GRANDICEPS.) 

The  new  Fern  illustrated  on  page  <j2,  and  having 
the  misfortune  to  bear  the  above  name,  was  referred 
to  in  our  issue  of  February  15,  page  87,  under  "  New 
and  Rare  Plants."  It  is  very  distinct  in  appear- 
ance, with  forked  fronds  of  leathery  texture,  which 
are  more  suggestive  of  the  Stag's-horn  Fern  or 
Platycerium  rather  than  a  Polypodium.  The  fronds  |  their  easy  ctdtivation.  effectiveness  and  cheapness, 
are  of  a  deep  rich  olive  green  colour,  and  inclined  It  is  only  necessary  to  sow  the  seed  thinly  in  early 
to  be  of  pendent  habit.  Old  specimens  are  said  !  April,  subsequently  thin  the  seedlings,  and  keep 
to  make  beautiful  basket  plants,  producing  trailing  1  those  that  remain  free  from  weeds.  In  addition 
fronds  a  yard  in  length.  The  plant  was  intro-  1  to  the  Alyssum  and  Candytuft  already  referred 
duced  from  a  garden  in  Queensland.  I  to,    there    are    a    i\umber    of    annuals   suitable    for 


LILIES:    A     CAUSERIE. 

[Continued  from  page  84. 1 

LiLiuM  Henrvi  is  still  high-priced,  but  well  worth 
5s.  for  a  good  bulb.  It  has  such  a  fine  effect  in 
the  border,  and  is  very  amiable  in  most  gardens. 
I  have  been  told  that  its  native  home  is  a  ledge  on 
a  cliff  face,  and  most  frequently  there 
is  but  little  depth  of  soil  for  its  bed, 
so  that,  growing  wild,  it  has  never  been 
seen  exceeding  4  feet  in  height,  and  its 
arching  habit  well  fits  it  to  hang  out 
over  the  precipices.  I  have  sometimes 
seen  it  in  gardens,  staked  stiffly  upright, 
and  then  all  its  grace  is  gone.  I  would 
as  soon  see  Solomon's  Seal  staked  to 
stand  up  as  does  a  Guardsman.  There 
is  a  photograph  of  a  fine  head  of  L. 
Henryi  in  a  recent  American  gardening 
magazine  that  well  illustrates  this. 
There  must  be  nearly  fifty  flowers  and 
buds  on  that  stem  ;  but  it  appears  a 
confused  mass  instead  of  the  graceful 
groupings  of  opened  and  unopened 
flowers  that  may  be  seen  on  a  stem 
allowed  to  bend  over  to  a  horizontal 
position  in  its  own  way.  If  shooting  up 
through  thin  shrubs,  the  lower  portion 
would  be  supported,  but  if  among  low 
plants  it  is,  perhaps,  as  well  to  stake  the 
lower  2  feet  or  3  feet  of  the  stem,  doing 
so  before  it  has  grown  more  than 
three  feet  high,  and  cutting  the  top  of 
the  stake  off  at  about  that  height.  L. 
Henryi  flowers  throughout  August,  which 
adds  to  its  value,  as  it  just  precedes 
L.  tigriuum  in  time  of  flowering. 

This  last  is,  in  fact,  the  latest- 
flowering  Lily  that  it  is  safe  to  trust  in 
the  open  ground  in  most  British  gardens, 
that  glorious,  stately  creature,  L.  sul- 
phureum,  being  too  precious  to  risk 
outdoors  save  in  Cornish,  South  Irish 
and  other  singularly  well-favoured  gar- 
dens. The  Tiger  Lily  is  too  well  known 
to  need  description  here.  A  large 
planting  of  it  is  a  fine  sight  when  in 
flower ;  its  warm  but  soft  orange 
ground  colour  is  rare  in  gardens  at 
any  season,  and  one  of  those  I  most  enjoy.  I  had 
a  good  effect  this  autumn  from  a  bold  group  of  its 
fine  and  late-flowering  variety  splendens,  growing 
among  white  Phloxes  and  various  shrubs  with 
silver  variegation  of  leaf,  among  which  Galtonia 
candicans  was  scattered  at  irregular  distances, 
the  whole  backed  by  purple-leaved  shrubs  and 
trees,  such  as  Prunus  Pissardii,  Purple  Hazel 
and  Barberry,  Enonymus  europsus,  and  that  most 
wonderful  of  all  purple-leaved  things,  PaiU's 
Purple  Peach.  How  I  hope  they  will  all  reproduce 
the  picture  again  and  again  !  But  here  L.  tigrinum 
wearies  of  my  lime-charged  soil  in  two  or  three 
years.  The  variety  named  Fortunei  is  also  very 
good,  and  may  be  known  by  its  grey,  woolly  stem 
and  earlier  flowering.  I  do  not  care  much  for  the 
double-flowered    form,    for    though    its    individual 


HARDY 
ING. 


94 


THE     GARDEN. 


[February  22,  1913 


flowers  last  rather  longer,  they  never  make  so  fine 
a  display  as  those  of  the  two  varieties  previously 
named.  For  those  with  patience,  a  spare  corner 
and  plenty  of  leaf-mould  and  good  loam,  it  is  easy 
to  raise  a  stock  of  the  Tiger  Lily  from  the  bulbils 
so  freely  produced  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves,  and 
which,  if  well  treated,  should  flower  in  the  third 
or  fourth  year. 

There  remains  but  one  group  more  that  I  can 
rank  in  my  second  class  of  Fidos,  the  Orange  Lilies 
being  the  only  other  trustworthy  canine-natured 
settlers  here.  To  reconcile  the  synonyms,  sort 
out  the  varieties,  and  group  the  subspecies  around 


even  as  Poppies  often  do  in  East  Anglia,  and  it 
was  a  pleasant  thing  to  see  a  corps  of  Alpinisti 
returning,  after  some  mountain  manoeuvres,  to  the 
Barracks  at  Daone,  a  tired  and  travel-stained 
company  indeed,  but  many  of  them  carrying 
bunches  of  flowers,  and  especially  of  Orange 
Lilies.  I  have  never  yet  seen  Mr.  Thomas  Atkins 
returning  from  Aldershot  with  a  bunch  of  Gentiana 
Pneumonanthe.  I  wish  a  millionaire  would  let 
me  plant  a  sloping  hay-meadow  with  all  the  varie- 
ties of  Orange  Lilies  his  purse  and  the  nurserymen 
could  provide,  and  let  me  go  and  stare  at  them 
annually    before    they    fell,    whether    before    the 


struggle  to  grow  it,  and  I  believe  stiff  soil  on  a 
sunny  bank  of  rockwork  might  make  it  happy. 
Lilium  Brownii  has  lived  happily  for  some  dozen 
years  in  a  peat  bed,  behind  a  Cactus  bank,  where 
American  Erythroaiums  also  flourish.  The  bank 
shades  the  midday  sun  from  its  roots,  and  the 
Lily's  great  flowers  stand  up  into  the  sunlight. 
It  is  exquisitely  beautiful  in  shape  and  colouring  ; 
the  brown  outer  surface  of  the  trumpets  reminds 
me  of  some  beautiful  Japanese  carving  in  ivory, 
in  which  the  natural  brown  outside  of  the  tusk 
has  been  left  where  required.  I  hope  my 
written  praise  will  not  affright  it. 

As  the  New  Year  is  still  so  young, 
surely  it  is  in  place  to  make  some 
good  resolutions.  I  must  make  a 
point  of  growing  more  Lilies  from 
seed,  and  I  strongly  advise  all  who 
have  followed  me  thus  far  in  these 
notes  to  be  on  the  look-out  for  fresh, 
ripe  seed  whenever  available,  and  to 
sow  it  at  once.  The  charming  group 
of  L.  rubellum  on  page  95  shows 
what  has  been  done  at  Kew  lately, 
and  what  you  and  I  ought  to  do. 
Waliham  Cross.       E.  A.  Bowles. 


A    BED    OF    I.ILIUM    BROWNII    AT    KEW,    WITH    A    CARPETING    OF    IRISH    HEATH. 


a  central  head  of  the  clan.  In  this  group  is  a  work 
awaiting  another  Daniel  to  come  to  judgment  and 
a  Solomon  with  a  knowledge  of  everything  from 
"  the  Hyssop  on  the  wall  to  the  Bishop  on  the 
bench,"  and  perhaps  then  we  should  still  need  a 
special  enquiry  under  a  stipendiary  magistrate  to 
tell  us  whether  or  no  we  might  believe  the  evidence 
in  an  ordinary  sense  or  only  in  a  police-court  one. 
Anyway,  I  shall  not  attempt  it.  I  find  such 
divergence  ot  opinion  among  the  highest  authori- 
ties, Nyman,  I'Abbe  Coste,  Baker,  &c.,  as  to  where 
L.  bulbiferum  ends  and  croceum  or  daviuricum  begins 
in  wild  or  cultivated  forms  that  I  just  grow  what 
I  can  get  of  any  of  them.  I  used  to  believe  bulbiferum 
invariably  grew  bulbils,  and  thereby  was  easily 
distinguished  from  the  others ;  but  whenever  I 
have  come  across  the  glowing  Fire  Lily  growing 
wild,  never  a  bulbil  has  it  given  me  to  carry  away 
and  grow.  I  have  seen  it  on  rocky  ledges,  single- 
flowered  and  only  inches  high,  on  the  Gothard, 
a  glorious  splash  of  colour  against  the  grey  rocks. 
Once,  above  a  damp  ravine,  the  Lilies  made  lines 
of  fire  along  the  ledges,  and,  below,  Saxifraga 
Cotyledon  shot  out  ostrich  feathers  of  brilliant 
whiteness.  But  I  think  i{  pleased  me  even  more 
when  its  flowers  floated  above  the  Meadow-grasses, 
Campanulas    and    Salvi.is    of    Tyrolean    hayfields, 


mower  or  the  wind.  Failing  hay-meadows,  they 
look  well  enough  in  an  ordinary  sunry  border, 
and  umbellatum,  whether  it  be  right  to  call  it 
a  davuricum,  bulbiferum  or  a  hybrid  from  elegans, 
is  one  of  the  best  for  most  purposes.  The  croceum 
of  cottage  gardens  is  a  great  favourite  of  mine,  as 
its  colour  is  so  good  and  true  an  orange. 

Of  my  third  class — the  hoity-toity  beauties, 
I  feel,  may  be  offended  at  any  moment — I  should 
like  to  speak  in  whispers,  or  have  this  paragraph 
set  in  the  smallest  type,  lest  I  scare  them.  L. 
chalcedonicum,  the  glorious  scarlet  Martagon,  is  one. 
Now  and  then  it  has  appeared  quite  happy  here, 
and  sent  up  tall  stems  furnished  so  neatly  and  over- 
lappingly  with  the  white-edged  leaves  so  distinc- 
tive of  its  identity  that  I  have  believed  all  was 
well  ;  then  for  a  season  or  two  inch-high  stems  and 
blind  buds.  I  think  it  loves  a  stiff  soil,  its  feet  in 
a  cold  poultice  in  summer,  but  its  head  in  a  furnace  ; 
for  I  have  known  it  to  thrive  marvellously  in  the 
clay  soil  of  Cheltenham,  and  here  it  seems  to  suffer 
most  after  hot  summers.  It  comes  from  Greece, 
so  should  love  heat,  and  is  said  to  stand  drought  ; 
but  I  have  often  l<nown  candidum  to  flourish  well 
on  stiff  clay  if  not  planted  deeply,  and  especially 
if  in  sloping  ground.  The  pure  scarlet  of  chalce- 
donicum's  flowers  is  so  glorious  that  it  is  worth  a 


DAFFODIL    NOTES. 
Early     Flowers    in    Pots.  —  As 

the  bulbs  I  force  are  an  omnium 
gatherum  from  many  sources,  I 
may,  I  think,  take  my  own  experi- 
ence as  a  sample  of  that  of  others. 
.'Ml  the  same,  I  hope  it  is  not,  for  my 
flowers  so  far  (February  13)  have 
not  been  as  large  or  as  even  as 
usual,  and  in  some  cases  the  foliage 
has  been  more  or  less  distorted. 
Curiously  enough,  Dutch  bulbs  have 
been  more  satisfactory  than  British- 
grown  ones,  which  is  not  the  case  as 
a  rule.  As  bearing  upon  this  I  had 
a  certain  variety  grown  in  igir-r2  in 
five  different  parts  of  the  British 
Isles,  and  also  in  Holland.  1  potted 
last  autumn  a  sample  from  each 
place,  six  in  all.  Up  to  two  days  ago 
these  lived  in  a  cold  shed,  and  after- 
wards in  a  cold  frame,  so  they  have  not  been  forced. 
At  the  time  of  writing,  the  Dutch-grown  ones  are 
the  picture  of  health,  while  the  others  all  look 
rather  yellowish,  and  those  from  the  warmest 
district  the  worst  of  all.  Each  one  was  potted  on 
the  same  day  and  in  the  same  mixture  of  soil,  and 
all  along  each  has  had  precisely  the  same  treatment. 
This  is  a  puzzler.  My  man  and  I  have  talked  it 
over  and  talked  it  over,  but  we  have  got  no 
"  forrarder."  .All  I  can  say  is  that  it  seems  to  have 
some  bearing  on  our  experience  with  the  other 
bulbs.  Perhaps  some  reader  can  throw  some 
light  on  this. 

Orphee  and  Fairy  Queen  in  Pots.— My  good 
opinion  of  these  for  pot  work  at  the  end  of  January 
has  been  confirmed.  For  a  bit  of  red  colour  at 
this  early  period  of  the  year  I  know  nothing  better 
than  Orphee.  It  beats  Barri  conspicuus  into 
"a  cocked  hat."  I  always  think  the  merits  cf 
this  grand  old  border  variety  as  a  pot  plant  are 
greatly  overrated.  The  two  have  been  in  flower 
for  the  last  week  in  my  greenhouse,  and  you  might 
as  well  compare  the  veriest  daub  to  one  of  Mr. 
Hayward's  exquisite  flower  paintings  as  old  Barri 
in  a  pot  to  its  less-known  and  more-than-rival 
Orphee  growing  in  the  same  receptacle.  The 
well-defined  red  edge  oi  the  cup  always  shows  up 


February  22,  iqi3.] 


iJiJi     UxUCUEJN. 


95 


•so  well,  and  the  pale  primrose  perianth  keeps 
quite  stiff  and  never  flops.  Both  stem  and  leaves 
i  are  good.  The  shapely  little  Leedsii  Fairy  Queen 
also  lends  itself  to  this  unnatural  treatment.  It 
comes  so  easily,  it  is  so  florifcrous,  and  it  is  of  such 
an  exquisite  shape  that,  even  without  its  nice 
spicy  perfume,  it  would  be  a  variety  to  be  highly 
recommended  for  this  purpose. 

Cultivation    in    the   Open. — ^This   is   such    an 

abnormal  season  that  a  word  as  to  the  benefits 
of  the  constant  stirring  of  the  surface  of  Daffodil 
beds  and  clumps  may  be  given  now.  Two  important 
factors  in  Daffodil  cultivation  are  deep  digging 
before  planting  to  promote,  among  other  things, 
good  drainage  and  warmth,  and  in  the  spring, 
when  the  little  noses  begin  to  peep  abos'e  the 
ground,  the  constant  loosening  of  the  surface  to 
give  the  plants  air.  This  latter  operation  is  best 
performed  bv  the  use  of  an  appropriate-sized 
•'  Buco "  cultivator.  It  is  altogether  a  more 
satisfactory  tool  than  the  old  hoe.  It  does  the 
same  work,  but  much  quicker  and  more  thoroughly. 
Helxine  Solierolii. — The  possibilities  of  using 
this  as  a  carpet  plant  for  bulbs  in  pots  struck  me 
last  autumn,  and  I  tried  the  experiment  on  a  small 
scale.  I  have  now  a  small  pan  of  W.  P  Milner 
and  another  of  Winter  Cheer  Hyacinth  with  thi- 
soil  nicely  covered  all  over  and  the 
bulbs  just  about  to  flower.  The 
efiect  is  excellent.  My  procedure 
was  as  follows  :  I  put  small  cuttings 
of  Helxine  all  over  the  pans  in  Sep- 
tember, and  when  these  were  getting 
hold,  I  put  in  the  bulbs.  They  have 
been  in  a  frost-proof  frame  with 
practically  no  heat  ever  since.  This 
plant  strikes  so  easily  that  there  is 
no  difficulty  in  having  a  sufficient 
stock  always  at  hand  to  carpet  a 
goodly  number  of  pots  or  pans. 

Packing    Flowers    to    Take    to 

Show. — 1  have  been  asked  by  one 
or  two  correspondents  to  give  a  few 
wrinkles  on  how   to   pack  for  show. 

j    I  have   had  a  photograph   taken  '  of 

I   a  partly-filled  box,   and,   as   it    has 

'  turned  out  a  pretty  good  one.  I 
hope  to  use  it  next  week  to  illustrate 
an  article  on   this  subject.     Getting 

'  one's  blooms  to  the  show  in  the  best 

'  condition  possible  is  one  of  the  essen- 
tials of  success.        Joseph  Jacob 


active,  that  oxygen  gas  was  absorbed,  and  that 
much  carbonic  acid  was  generated.  -A^s  ripening 
advanced,  the  acid  was  gradually  changed  to  sugar, 
as  was  also  any  starch  that  happened  to  be  present 
in  the  fruit.  He  also  stated  that  the  tannin 
which  imparts  the  bitter  taste  to  the  unripe  fruit 
was  destroyed  by  oxidation.  Furthermore,  it 
was  discovered  that  tliese  changes  would  only 
take  place  within  certain  limits  as  to  temperature. 
Fruits  containing  malic  acid  required  only  a  com- 
paratively low  temperature,  hence  the  perfect 
ripening  of  Apples  in  these  latitudes ;  while  it 
explains  also  why  Apples,  if  botanically  ripe 
(that  is,  the  seeds  matured)  but  the  flesh  still  sour, 
will  ripen  after  harvesting. 

Tartaric  acid  fruits  require  a  medium  tempera- 
ture, hence  the  necessity  of  allowing  Grapes  to 
ripen  in  this  country  on  the  Vines.  Citric  acid 
fruits  require  a  still  higher  temperature,  as  all 
gardeners  know  who  attempt  the  cultivation  of 
Oranges.  But  the  changes  that  take  place  in  fruit 
do  not  stop  at  the  "  ripening  "  stage.  Fermenta- 
tion follows  and  the  sugar  is  changed  into  alcohol, 
volatile  acids  .and  perfumes,  to  be  succeeded,  in 
turn,  by  stUl  further  changes  that  gradually  pass 
into  decomposition  of  all  the  softer  tissue.  These 
latter  changes  also  are  influenced  by  temperature  ; 


Western  States  (California  and  Arizona)  having  a 
climate  apparently  suitable  for  these  popular  and 
profitable  fruits.  But  it  was  found  that  while 
they  grow  well  and  produce  fruit,  yet  the  conditions 
are  not  favourable  for  the  completion  of  the  ripening 
process.  It  is  therefore  necessary,  if  the  projected 
new  industry  is  to  succeed,  that  some  method  be 
devised  to  ripen  the  fruit  artificially.  Mr.  Swmgle 
of  the  Scientific  Staff  of  the  Department  of  .Agri- 
culture at  Washington  has  charge  of  the  experi- 
ments. When  the  seed  of  the  Date  has  re.iched 
maturity,  the  flesh  of  the  fruit  is  so  bitter  (due  to 
the  presence  of  tannin)  that  it  is  quite  uneatable, 
and  the  problem  is  how  to  artificially  alter  thu 
tannin  so  that  it  will  lose  its  .astringency.  Accord- 
ing to  Swingle,  there  are  two  essential  factors 
influencing  the  change — heat  and  moisture.  In 
Arizona  the  autumns  are  warm  enough,  but  the 
air  is  too  dry  ;  therefore  the  experiment  has  been 
made  to  harvest  the  botanically  ripe  but  still 
bitter  fruits  and  subject  them  to  a  moist  heat 
of  43°  to  49°  Cent.,  when  ripening  takes  place 
within  twenty-four  hours.  The  tannin  collects 
in  a  layer  of  large  cells  close  to  the  skin,  and  under- 
goes a  change  in  character  that  destroys  its  astrin- 
gent property.  (This  tannin  layer  'may  be  seen 
as  a  dark  ring  on  cutting  a  Date  fruit  in  half.) 


SCIENCE 
IN    HORTICULTURE. 


THE   RIPENING  OF  FRUIT. 

Natural  Ripening. — .A  knowledge 
of    the    essential     conditions    regu- 
lating  the   ripening    of    fruit,    and 
especially  of  soft   fruit,   is  of  peculiar  interest   to 
gardeners.     Everyone    is   quite    familiar   with   the 
change   that    takes   place   whereby   a   sour    .Apple 
gradually  changes  its  character  and  becomes  sweet, 
and    also   how   a   green,    hard,    bitter    Date    fruit 
gradually  loses  its  astrmgency  and  becomes  mellow 
and  pleasing  to  the  taste. 

With  regard  to  this  subject,  Gerber  some  years 
ago  conducted  researches  with  three  types  of 
fruit,  namely,  those  containing  (i)  malic  acid,  as 
in  the  .Apple  ;  (2)  tartaric  acid,  as  in  the  Grape  ;  and 
(3)  citric  acid,  as  in  the  Orange.  He  showed  that 
during  the  ripening  changes  respiration  was  ver}- 


THIS    GROUP    OF    LILIU.M    RUBELLUM    WAS    RAISED    AT    KEW    FROM    SEEDS. 


hence  the  use  of  cold  storage  as  a  means  of  arresting 
such  after-maturation  results.  .According  to  a 
recently-published  Hungarian  report  on  fruit 
storage,  the  temperature  most  favourable  for  the 
good  preservation  of  .Apples  is  from  2°  to  3°  Cent., 
that  is,  2°  to  3°  above  freezing  temperature. 

ArtiGcial  Ripening. — Most  interesting  and 
instructive  experiments  in  the  artificial  ripening 
of  Date  fruit  are  at  present  in  progress  in  the  United 
States.  The  results  obtained  so  far  are  very 
suggestive,  and  British  fruit-growers  would  do  well 
to  keep  in  touch  with  the  work.  Algerian  Dates 
have    been    introduced    to    cultivation  into   certain 


But  perhaps  the  most  interesting  experiments 
relating  to  the  artificial  ripenmg  of  bitter  fruits 
are  those  carried  on  by  Professor  Lloyd  of  the 
McGill  University.  By  a  series  of  observations, 
experiments  and  inferences,  and  guided  by  the 
previous  experience  of  Gore  of  the  United  States 
Department  of  .Agriculture,  this  worker  was  led 
to  believe  that  the  cause  of  the  tannin  change  was 
not  directly  due  to  oxidation,  but  to  the  presence 
of  carbonic  acid  gas  produced  by  oxidation.  In 
order  to  test  this  theory,  he  constructed  a  metal 
vessel  in  which  the  unripe  fruits  could  be  placed 
and  subjected   to   the   influence  of  an   atmosphere 


96 


THE    GARDEN. 


[February  22,  1913- 


of  pure  carbonic  acid  gas  under  any  desired  pressure. 
With  this  apparatus  and  at  151b.  pressure  the 
fruits  lost  their  bitterness  in  about  thirty-six  hours, 
while  at  a  451b.  pressure  the  ripening  change  was 
effected  in  about  fifteen  hours.  This  method  has 
the  advantage  of  great  simplicity  and  cheapness. 
Firm,  unripe,  bitter  fruits,  such  as  Dates  or  Per- 
simmons, can  be  sent  long  distances  to  market, 
and  made  ripe  and  ready  for  immediate  sale  and 
use  within  fifteen  hours  of  delivery,  or,  in  case  of 
a  glut,  kept  in  cold  storage  until  the  state  of  the 
market  justifies  their  immediate  ripening. 

David  Houston. 
Royal  Cohere  of   Science  for  lyilniul. 


TREES 

THE 


AND 


SHRUBS. 

TO  GROW 


DAPHNES  AND  HOW 
THEM. 

Daphnes  are  an  extremely  ornamental  genus  of 
plants,  esteemed  both  for  their  beauty  and  the 
delicato  fragrance  of  their  flowers.     A  large  number 


D.  oleoides  is  a  plant  of  many  synonyms  ;  D. 
fioniana.  D.  coUina  and  D.  ncapolitana  arc  identical 
with  this.  It  forms  a  neat,  rounded  bush  some 
2  feet  to  3  feet  high,  producing  rose  purple 
flowers  in  small  clusters  at  the  extremities 
of  the  branches.  It  makes  an  attractive  shrub 
for  the  rock  garden,  but  is  not  so  showy  as  some 
others. 

D.  I.aureola  and  its  variety  I'hilippii  and 
D.  pontica  arc  stout,  evergreen  shrubs  that  succeed 
admirably  vmder  the  shade  of  other  trees,  including 
Beech  ;  they  also  grow  freely  in  almost  any  kind 
of  soil.  While  those  already  described  arc  all 
indigenous  to  Europe,  D.  Genkwa  comes  from  far 
Rastern  Japan,  and  is  one  of  the  most  captivating 
of  this  genus.  Unfortunately,  it  is  not  quite  hardy, 
and  is  best  grown  against  a  low  wall.  The  flowers, 
as  in  our  common  Mezereon,  are  borne  on  the 
naked  branches  in  advance  of  the  leaves.  Indi- 
vidually they  are  very  large,  of  a  rich  shade  of 
lilac  and  sweetly  fragrant.  It  reaches  a  height  of 
2  feet  to  3  feet,  or  rather  taller  when  grown  against 
a  warm  wall 


while  the  stems  revel  in  sunshine.  It  forms  dense 
cushion-like  masses  of  trailing  stems  some  9  inches 
to  12  inches  in  height,  the  flowers  being  borne 
in  dense  terminal  heads.  The  buds  are  bright 
crimson,  but  when  fully  open  the  tubular, 
wax-like  flowers  are  a  glowing  pink.  It  is 
a  subject  one  enjoys  having  easy  access  to 
when  in  flower,  and  if  a  drift  is  arranged  on  the 
rock  garden  about  a  y  ird  above  the  path, 
each  passer-by  may  freely  1  artake  of  its  delicious 
fragrance. 

D.  rupestris  occupies  a  similar  position  among 
the  dwarf  kinds  as  D.  Genkwa  holds  among  those 
of  taller  growth.  It  is  a  diminutive  species,  of 
slow  growth,  so  that  one  rarely  comes  across  a 
large-sized  specimen.  It  is  most  suggestive  oi 
D.  Cneorum  in  the  flowers,  but  these  are  larger 
and  even  more  waxy  in  texture.  They  are  borne 
in  clusters,  and  the  colour  is  a  glistening  pearly- 
rose  pink.  In  its  native  haunts  D.  rupestris 
grows  in  fissures  of  limestone,  in  a  soil  that  is 
described  as  peaty  loam,  while  on  rock  garcens 
it  appears  to  succeed  best  in   a  well-drained  but 


-STAND.\RD    APPLE     TREE    CUT    BACK    READY 
FOR    GRAFTING. 


-THE   GRAFTS 


INSERTED 
RAFFIA. 


AND       TIED       WITH 


-THE    GRAFTS     COATED    WITH     CLAY     TO    ASSIST 
THE    UNION    WITH    THE    TREE. 


are  among  our  hardiest  shrubs,  those  of  tall  growth 
being  eminently  adapted  for  grouping  in  shrub- 
beries and  woodlands,  while  the  dwarf  kinds  form 
a  group  of  exquisitely  beautiful  rock  plants.  The 
commonest  and  best-known  species  is  D.  Mc/.ereum, 
wliose  fragrant,  reddish  purple  blossoms  wreathe 
the  naked  branches  in  January  and  February. 
It  attains  a  height  of  3  feet  to  4  feet,  with  erect 
branches,  at  the  nodes  of  which  the  clustered 
flowers  are  borne.  It  succeeds  best  in  a  sunny 
position,  or  with  only  partial  shade,  and  grows 
freely  in  ordinary  garden  soil.  Its  precocious 
beauty  and  charming  fragrance  are  best  enjoyed 
when  it  occupies  a  foremost  position  in  the 
shrubbery.  Besides  the  type,  there  is  a  pink- 
flowered  form,  also  single  and  double  white-flowered 
varieties. 


O.  blagayana  is  a  prcistrate  species  v\ith  creamy 
white,  tubular  flowers,  arranged  in  dense  heads 
on  the  terminal  points  of  the  branches.  The  leaves 
are  evergreen  and  chiefly  confined  to  the  points, 
around  which  they  are  arranged  in  the  form  of  a 
rosette.  It  rarely  exceeds  6  inches  in  height, 
spreading  out  in  all  directions.  It  soon  forms  a 
rich  carpet,  succeeding  best  in  a  mixture  of  loam, 
peat  and  sandstone  chips  in  a  partially  shady  posi- 
tion, the  scented  flowers  being  in  season  during 
March  and  April.  D.  blagayana  and  D.  Cneorum 
are  two  of  the  most  select  Daphnes,  easy  to  procure 
and  not  difficult  to  cultivate.  The  Garland 
Flower,  as  the  latter  is  called,  is  a  native  of  the 
great  mountain  ranges  of  Europe,  and  is  eminently 
adapted  for  the  rock  garden.  The  roots  appear 
to  enjoy  close  contact  with  the  cool  rock  surface, 


cool  site,  planted  in  a  compost  of  loam,  peat  and 
stone  chips,  and  with  plenty  of  rough  grit  in  the 
soil.  D.  odora  and  its  variety  Mazelii  are  exceed- 
ingly popular  as  greenhouse  plants,  as,  unfortu- 
nately, neither  is  hardy  enough  for  outdoors, 
except  in  very  favoured  districts.  The  flowers  of 
D.  Mazelii  are  pinldsh  white  and  borne  on  short 
laterals,  being  in  season  from  December  till  spring. 
The  flowers  of  D.  odora  are  in  clustered  terminat 
heads  and  appear  in  spring.  D.  odora  and  D. 
Mazelii  are  slow  in  growth,  and  are  usually  grafted 
on  a  commoner  kind.  They  make  pretty  pot  plants, 
and  are  best  grown  in  a  mixture  of  peat,  loam  and 
silver  sand.  The  flowers  arc  so  intensely  fragrant 
that  a  small  plant  is  capable  of  filling  a  large  room 
with  its  odnur. 

Coombe  Court  Gardens.  Thomas  Smith. 


February  22,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


97 


GRAFTING     STANDARD    APPLE    TREES. 


The  art  of  grafting  is  old,  dating  back  to  very 
remote  times.  It  forms  a  very  ready  means  of 
propagating     stock     of     many     plants     that     are 


4.-1  HI-     ^AM1•:    TREE,    SHOWING    THE     HKi  1     "i  t.ik's 
THE    GRAFTS. 


slow  on  their  own  roots,  and  on  this  account 
is  valuable  in  the  nursery.  Apart  from  that, 
it  serves  many  other  useful  purposes.  For 
example,  a  strong  stock  may  give  vigour  to  an 
otherwise  weak-growing  plant.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  may  have  a  dwarfing  effect,  as  exemplified 
by  the  use  of  the  Paradise  stock  for  Apples  and  the 
Quince  for  Pears.  Again,  many  Pears  are  only 
fertile  when  double  grafted  ;  for  example,  a  Pear 
stock  may  be  worked  with,  say,  Beurre  Clairgeau, 
and  the  desired  sort,  such  as  Gansel's  Bergamot, 
grafted  on  that  again. 

Apart  from  the  fact  that  stock  and  scion  should 
have  some  natural  affinity,  and  should,  of  course, 
be  in  a  suitable  state  of  growth — and  in  this  respect 
the  stock  should  generally  be  in  a  mWe  forward 
state  than  the  scion — the  one  great  essential  in 
successful  grafting  is  the  fact  that  the  cambium 
layer,  or  inner  bark  of  both  stock  and  scion,  should 
coincide  and  come  in  contact  with  one  another. 
Of  course,  quick,  clean  workmanship  is  important 
as  in  all  branches  of  propagation. 

The  simplest  and  most  generally  practised  forms 
are  whip,  saddle  and  wedge  grafting.  In  all  three 
forms  the  stock  and  scion  should  be  as  nearly  as 
possible  of  one  size,  so  that  their  barks  may  coincide. 
Whip  and  saddle   grafting  are  largely  practised  for 


working  young  fruit  trees,  also  for  Rhododendrons. 

Cleft  and  crown  or  rind  grafting  are  generally  resorted 

to  when  the  stock  is  considerably  larger  than  the 
scion.  The  latter  method  is  very 
clearly  illustrated  on  the  opposite 
page.  As  shown,  the  method  is  usually 
applied  to  working  stocks  with  large, 
woody  branches.  In  cleft-grafting  the 
ends  of  the  stock  are  generallv  split 
with  a  chisel.  The  scion  is  then  cut 
wedge  shape  to  fit  the  split  stock. 
As  can  readily  be  understood,  this 
method  has  many  objectionable 
features.  The  split  wood  is  a  fruitful 
source  of  decay,  as  it  seldom  gets 
properly  covered  with  healing  tissue. 
Crown  or  Rind  Grafting  as  illus- 
trated is  the  best  method  for  dealing 
with  large  stocks,  and  is  a  very 
quick  method  of  replacing  a  poor 
or  otherwise  unsuitable  variety  of 
Apple  or  Pear,  and  for  this  purpose 
is  generally  practised  in  fruit- 
growing districts.  The  stock, 
naturally,  should  be  healthy  and 
fairlv  young.  In  the  case  of  Apples 
in  orchards  it  is  best  to  work  them 
with  strong-grow- 
ing sorts,  such  as 
Bramley's  Seed- 
ling or  Newton 
Wonder. 

In  preparing 
such  trees  for 
grafting,  they 
should  be  headed 
down  during 
,  ■  '  .  January,  leaving 
the  stumps  long 
enough  to  cut 
back  to  fresh 
wood  when  graft- 

Kc-'U  iH  ui-  ing.  This  may  be 
done  any  time 
during  the  spring, 

when  the  sap  is  running  freely, 

as  it  is  essential  that  the  bark 

should     part    easUy    from    the 

wood.      The    tree    figured    was 

grafted    about    the    middle    of 

April. 

The  scions  required  should  be 

selected  during  the  winter,  tied 

up   and  securely  labelled,  when 

they  should    be    laid  in   at   the 

north  side  of  a  wall  or  hedge. 

In  such  a  position  they  remain  in 

a  dormant  state  until  required. 

Grafting    wax    or    clay  will    be 

required  to   cover  the  union    of 

stock     and   scion    and    exclude 

the    air.     The    clay    should    be 

well  worked  up  with  some    soft 

meadow-hay  ;      this     binds    the 

whole  together   and    prevents  it 

from  cracking. 

Everything   being  ready,    the 

scions   should    be    stood     in     a 

vessel   of   water   to   keep    them 

fresh.    The  stumps  of  the  stock 

should    then    be    cut    back  the 

required    distance     with    a    fine 


priming-saw,  afterwards  paring  them  smooth  with  a 
sharp  knife.  The  scion  should  then  be  selected  from 
one  of  the  shoots,  cutting  it  some  six  inches  long. 
From  2  inches  to  3  inches  of  its  bottom  end  should 
then  be  pared  off  in  a  slanting  direction  ;  the  prac- 
tised hand  will  do  it  with  one  cut.  A  slit  should 
then  be  cut  about  the  same  length  in  the  bark  of  the 
stock  in  the  desired  position,  raising  the  edges  of 
the  bark  with  the  haft  of  a  budding-knife,  when  the 
scion  can  readily  be  pushed  into  position  and 
secured  with  a  string  of  matting,  as  is  shown  in 
No.  I,  where  the  stock  is  shortened  back  ready  for 
grafting,  with  one  scion  shown  in  position. 

No.  2  shows  the  same  stock  with  all  the  scion& 
inserted  and  tied  in  position,  while  No.  3  depicts  the 
operation  of  covering  the  points  of  union  with 
clay  completed,  during  which  operation  a  vessel 
of  water  should  be  handy  to  dip  the  hands  in, 
else  difficulty  may  be  found  in  smoothing  the  clay 
over.  No.  4  shows  the  same  tree  some  eight  months 
afterwards,  where  it  will  be  seen  that  each  graft 
has  united  and  also  made  considerable  growth. 
In  this  case  the  variety  is  Cox's  Orange  Pippin. 
No.  5  shows  a  stock  worked  with  Bramley's  Seedling. 
This  example  was  grafted  during  the  last  week  of 
May,  and  shows  the  tree  pruned  after  the  second 
season's  growth.  Until  the  scions  unite  with  the 
stock  and  commence  to  grow,  the  stock  will  persist 
in  throwing  out  shoots  from  latent  buds.  They 
must  be  kept  rubbed  off  as  they  appear.       J.   C. 


5. A    SIMILAR    TREE    TWO     YEARS     AFTER     GRAFTING.         NOTE     THAT 

PRUNING    HAS    BEEN      DONE     AND     THAT    A    NUMBER     OF    FRUIT- 
SPURS    ARE    FORMED. 


98 


rilE    GAllDEN. 


[February  22,  1913. 


GARDENING     OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Pruning. — Specimen  Hollies,  Yews,  Portugal 
Laurels,  also  the  more  tender  shrubs,  may  be 
pruned  without  any  fear  of  damage  from  frost. 

Lawns. — These  should  be  swept  over  as  often 
as  may  be  necessary  to  remove  worm-casts,  using 
the  heavy  roller  on  them  whenever  time  permits, 
a  loose,  spongy  lawn  being  often  badly  mailced  by 
the  mowing-machine  during  the  summer. 

Edgings. — It  is  usual  to  go  over  the  edges  of 
the  paths  at  least  once  a  year  to  keep  them  in 
good  condition,  and  when  there  is  a  lot  to  do  it 
■should  be  taken  in  hand  before  the  stress  of  work  in 
■other  ways  comes  along. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Gladioli. — These  are  almost  indispensable,  and 
for  an  early  show  of  bloom  in  the  borders  they 
may  be  planted  at  once.  Plant  a  few  inches  below 
the  surface  in  well-prepared  ground,  not  stinting 
a  little  manure  for  them,  though  this  should  not 
be  of  too  rank  a  nature.  For  cutting  purposes 
they  may  be  planted  in  beds  4  feet  or  5  feet  wide, 
and  for  a  succession,  beds  may  be  planted  every 
three  or  four  weeks  till  May.  It  is  full  early  for 
starting  them  in  boxes  for  bedding-out  purposes. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Stove  Climbers. — Many  of  these  will  be  now 
breaking  into  growth,  and  such  of  them  as  have 
been  kept  dry  at  the  root  to  prevent  too  early 
starting  should  now  have  a  thorough  soaking  of 
water,  after  giving  them  a  top-dressing  of  suitable 
soil  with  a  little  bone-meal  or  other  manure  added. 
If  in  pots,  some  may  need  repotting,  and  this  should 
be  done  before  they  make  much  growth.  Specimen 
AUamandas,  Steplianotis,  Clerodendrons  and  Bou- 
gainvilleas  that  may  be  wanted  for  a  display  later 
on  in  the  season  niay  be  left  in  a  cool  house  for 
some  little  time  yet  if  it  is  thought  they  are  likely 
to  flower  too  early. 

Potting  Stove  Plants. — This  is  about  the  best 
time  to  go  thro\igh  the  general  batch  of  stove 
plants,  potting  all  such  as  require  it,  relegating  any 
old  and  unsightly  phints  to  the  rubbish-heap, 
thus  making  more  room  for  the  younger  and  more 
useful  ones,  which  from  now  will  be  making  rapid 
growth. 

Compost. — This  should  be  of  a  fairly  open 
nature,  and  if  it  consists  of  two  parts  loam,  one  of 
peat,  one  of  leaf-soil  and  one  of  sand,  with  a  little 
old  mortar  rubble,  wood-ashes  and  bone-meal  added, 
it  will  suit  most  stove  subjects,  including  Ferns, 
though  where  a  quantity  of  Crotons  are  grown, 
a  little  more  holding  compost  should  be  prepared. 
I  find  they  colour  and  grow  better  imder  rather 
more  generous  treatment  than  that  given  to  the 
ordinary  run  of  stove  plants. 

Chrysanthemums. — The  early  propagated  varie- 
ties that  may  have  been  rooted  singly  in  small 
pots  should  now  be  in  fit  condition  for  potting  on. 
Three-inch  or  4-inch  pots  are  the  best,  and,  provid- 
ing the  plants  are  well  rooted,  good  firm  potting 
should  be  practised.  The  stage  or  shelf  in  a  cool 
house  is  a  good  position  for  them  after  potting, 
though  a  quite  cold  frame  will  suit  them  equally 
well  providing  every  care  is  given  to  watering, 
airing  and  covering  up  at  night  in  case  of  frost. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Asparagus. — Beds  that  may  have  had  the 
surface  soil  removed  in  the  autumn  and  probably  a 
dressing  of  manure  given  should  now  be  covered 
up  again  by  cutting  down  the  sides  of  the  beds  and 
shovelling  the  soil  from  the  alleys  back  on  to  the 
surface  of  the  beds.  If  a  good  dressing  of  well- 
rotted  manure,  or  even  old  Mushroom-manure 
and  leaves,  can  be  put  on  before  the  soil,  so  much 
the  better,  as  it  will  secure  a  greater  length  of 
head  before  the  shoots  push  through  the  soil,  and, 
where  people  like  blanched  Asparagus,  this  will  help 
matters  considerably. 

French  Beans  in  Pots. — Plants  in  bearing 
should  be  top-dressed  with  good  rich  soil  and 
manure,  or,  if  the  size  of  the  pots  does  not  allow 
of  this,  they  must  be  kept  well  fed  with  manure- 
water.  Keep  up  the  supply  by  sowing  fresh  batches 
at  short  intervals. 

Potatoes  in  Pots. — ^These,  as  they  push  through 
the  soil,   must    be   given   a  good  light   position,   as 


attenuated  top  growth  usually  results  in  an  in- 
different crop. 

Lettuce. — Plants  raised  from  seed  sown  in  the 
autumn  may  now  be  transplanted,  choosing  a  time 
when  the  soil  works  well.  A  warm  border  is  the 
best  to  secure  an  early  crop,  and  if  a  single  row  is 
planted  quite  at  the  toot  of  a  wall  facing  south 
or  south-west,  it  will  make  a  material  difference 
to  their  earliness. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Disbudding  Vines. — Vines  shut  up  early  in 
the  vear  and  brought  along  steadily  should  now 
be  in  a  forward  enough  condition  for  the  first  dis- 
budding. Commence  by  taking  off  the  shoots 
that  are  badly  placed,  and  for  the  time  being  leave 
two  that  are  showing  bunches  to  each  spur.  These 
may  be  reduced  to  one  when  the  size  and  shape  of 
the  bunch  can  be  better  judged. 

Ventilation.—  Earlier  houses  will  need  con- 
siderable attention  as  to  air,  the  early  morning 
being  the  most  critical  time,  and  I  very  much 
favour  the  system  of  giving  a  little  before  the 
temperature  rises  very  much,  increasing  it,  of 
course,  in  accordance  with  the  weather  conditions 
prevailing,  always  closing  up  in  time  to  take  full 
advantage  of  the  sun-heat,  which  even  at  this 
season  is  none  too  plentiful. 

Orchard-House   Plums   and    Apricots   should 

now  be  in  full  bloom,  and  on  fine,  warm  days 
artificial  fertilising  should  be  practised,  unless  a 
hive  of  bees  near  by  have  found  out  the  trees  in 
flower,  when  they  will  probably  do  all  that  is 
necessary.  Rather  warmer  conditions  should  now 
prevail,  but  at  present  no  real  effort  should  be  made 
to  push  them  along. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Cuttings  of  Bush  Fruits. — To  keep  up  a  supply 
of  young  trees  it  is  a  good  practice  to  put  in  a  batch 
of  cuttings  every  two  or  three  years,  and  though 
rather  late,  they  may  still  be  made  and  inserted. 
Strong-growing  shoots  are  the  best,  and  I  prefer 
to  put  them  in  on  a  somewhat  shady  border. 
Here  they  root  readily,  and  if  shifted  to  a  more 
open  position  next  winter  they  will  soon  make  good 
pl.-mts.  Thomas  STEVENSO^J. 

(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Carnations. — Where  Carnations  were  potted  up 
and  wintered  in  cold  frames,  they  will  now  require 
attention  as  regards  watering,  although  it  is  still 
advisable  to  keep  them  rather  dry.  The  lights 
should  now  be  removed  entirely  in  fine  weather 
prepaiatory  to  planting. 

Hoeing. — As  soon  as  the  soil  is  in  a  satisfactory 
condition.  Wallflowers,  Forget-me-nots  and  other 
spring  bedding  plants  above  ground  should  have  the 
soil  between  the  plants  stirred  with  the  Dutch  hoe. 

Tropaeolum  speciosiun. — This  lovely  climber  is 
undoubtedly  erratic,  proving  well-nigh  indestruc- 
tible in  some  cases,  while  in  others  no  amount  of 
coaxing  will  induce  it  to  do  well.  So  far  as  ascer- 
tained, however,  the  two  essential  conditions  to 
success  seem  to  be  a  free  root-run  with  a  cool 
bottom.  When  once  it  takes  to  a  position,  it 
should  be  left  severely  alone.  The  present  is  a 
good  time  to  plant. 

Wistaria  chinensis. — ^There  is  a  popular  fallacy 
that  this  beautiful  twiner  is  comparatively  tender. 
I  have  had  this  plant  under  observation  for  over 
forty  years,  and  have  again  and  again  seen  it 
exposed  to  25°  of  frost  with  impunitj'.  For  a 
high  wall  it  is  an  ideal  plant,  and  those  intending 
to  give  it  a  trial  should  select  a  site  for  it  now 
and,  after  excavating  a  pit,  fill  it  up  with  a  barrow- 
load  of  good  turfy  loam,  with  a  view  to  planting  a 
week  or  two  hence. 

The  Rock  Garden. 
Planting. — Young  plants  which  were  rooted  in 
autumn  and  wintered  in  frames  should,  if  hardy,  now 
be  planted  if  the  weather  conditions  are  favourable. 
In  the  disposal  of  the  various  subjects  their  respec- 
tive requirements  as  to  soil  and  situation  must  be 
kept  clearlv  in  view.  Where  difficulty  is  ex- 
perienced in  finding  room  for  real  gems  and  it  is 
deemed    inadvisable    to    extend    the    rockwork,    do 


not  liesitate  to  sacrifice  some  of  the  coarser  subjects, 
as  they  can  probably  be  accommodated  in  beds  or 
borders. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Liliums. — Where  not  already  attended  to,  the 
potting  of  Liliums  should  no  longer  be  delayed. 
Auratum  and  the  varieties  of  lancifolium  are 
all  worthy  of  a  place.  Only  from  larg?,  well- 
ripened  bulbs  can  good  results  be  obtained,  and 
the  price  should  only  be  considered  in  relation  to 
quality.  Peat  is  not  essential,  but  a  compost  of 
turfy  loam,  fibrous  peat,  dried  cow-manure  and 
some  clean  sand  is  an  ideal  one.  Always  leave 
sufficient  room  for  top-dressing.  Keep  dry  and 
cool  till  the  huilis  rommence  to  grow. 

Eucomis  punctata. — This  is  a  desirable  bulbous 
plant  for  a  cool  house  ;  moreover,  it  is  very  cheap. 
Pot  up  into  6-inch  or  7-inch  pots,  using  a  compost 
of  three  parts  turfy  loam  to  one  of  dry  cow-manure 
and  a  dash  of  clean  sand. 

Forcing  Plants. — Later  batches  of  bulbs  and 
other  forcing  plants  can  now  be  brought  on  with 
(Very  little  fire-heat,  especially  duruig  the  day. 
Plants  to  be  placed  in  rooms  will  stand  longer  in 
condition  if  stood  m  a  cool  house  for  a  few  days 
prior  to  being  placed  in  the  rooms.  Many  forced 
plants  will  be  of  future  service,  and  should  be  cared 
for.  Deutzias,  Philadelphuses  and  several  other 
shrubs  should,  when  they  have  done  flowering,  be 
returned  to  heat  to  finish  their  growth. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Figs. — Early  Figs  in  pots  will  now  require  some 
rise  in  the  temperature.  They  will  also  need 
an  increase  of  moisture,  both  at  the  roots  and  in 
the  atmosphere.  Later  trees  may  now  have  a 
night  temperature  of  55°  and  be  syringed  daily, 
but  they  should  be  kept  fairly  dry  at  the  root  till 
growth  is  active. 

Tomatoes. — Autumn-sown  plants  will  now  have 
their  fruits  well  set.  To  facilitate  the  development 
of  the  fruits,  only  a  limited  number  should  be 
retained,  and  after  the  requisite  number  have  set. 
the  leading  shoot  should  be  pinched  and  all  laterals, 
on  their  first  appearance,  be  rubbed  out.  Feeding 
may  be  commenced  gradually. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Supports  for  Bushes. — (jooseberry  and  Currant 
bushes  often  get  out  of  position  and  heel  oyer. 
Where  such  a  state  of  things  exists,  a  sufficient 
number  of  forked  stakes  about  eighteen  inches 
in  length  should  be  prepared.  The  soil  round  the 
stem  of  the  bush  to  be  operated  on  should  then  be 
slackened  with  a  fork,  the  bush  placed  in  an  erect 
position,  and  supported  by  the  forked  stake  placed 
at  an  angle  with  one  end  pushed  a  little  way  into 
the  ground.  .\  piece  of  canvas  should  be  placed 
in  the  fork  to  prevent  friction. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Rhubarb. — Growth  will  soon  be  active,  and,  as 
manv  things  will  claim  attention  soon,  the  Rhubarb 
quarters  should  now  be  forked  over.  The  principal 
part  of  manuring  the  crop  should  have  been 
attended  to  in  the  autumn  by  the  application  of 
a  good  top-dressing  of  farmyard  manure.  If  this 
was  omitted,  however,  it  should  now  be  remedied. 
In  addition  to  this,  a  liberal  dressing  of  soot  should 
be  given  prior  to  forking  over  the  ground. 

Celery. — A  pinch  of  seed  should  now  be  sown  in 
a  little  heat  for  early  use.  White  is  superior  to  red, 
and  at  this  period  white  only  should  be  used. 
.After  long  experience  I  can  heartily  recommend 
Wright's  Grove  White. 

Spinach. — .Autumn-sown  Spinach  will  now  be 
beginning  to  move,  and  will  be  benefited  by  a  dress- 
ing of  nitrate  of  soda  or  fowl-manure.  The  Dutch 
hoe  should  also  be  run  between  the  lines  to  aerate 
the  soil.  It  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  in  this  con- 
nection that  dressings  of  nitrogenous  subst.ances 
are  most  beneficial  in  the  early  part  of  the  season 
before  the  temperature  has  risen  sufficiently  to 
permit  of  the  nitrification  of  the  soil  by  natural 
processes. 

Stored  Roots. — if  mild  weather  prevails,  stored 
roots,  such  as  Beet,  Parsnips  and  Swedes,  are  apt 
to  show  growth  and,  consequently,  become  stringy. 
This  is  especially  the  case  if  a  little  sand  or  soil 
has  been  mixed  with  them.  If  they  are  gone  over, 
decayed  roots  removed,  and  returned  to  their  posi- 
tion, growth  will  for  a  time  be  arrested. 

•  Ch.-vrles  Comiout. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Dmidson's  Main":.  Midlothian. 


FhBKUARY    22,   IQI3.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


99 


CULTURAL    HINTS  ON    NEW 
AND    RARE    PLANTS. 

TREES    AND    SHRUBS. 

{Conlinued  from  page  87.) 

Rhododendron    lutescens,    a    yellow-flowered 

species,  giuwiiig  to  a  height  of  8  feet  or  10  feet  in 
China,  succeeds  in  this  country  in  a  rather  sheltered 
position  in  cool  and  moist  soil  free  from  lime. 
The  necessity  for  placing  it  in  a  position  sheltered 
from  the  eaily  morning  sun  is  noticeable  in  spring, 
(or  it  stiirts  into  growth  rather  early  and  the 
young  shoots  are  liable  to  injury  by  frost,  especially 
if  bright  sun  strikes  them  before  the  frost  has 
disappeared. 

Rubus  biilorus  quinqueflorus  is  a  strong- 
growing  Bramble  suitable  for  the  wUd  garden. 
Its  chief  attraction  lies  in  its  \agorous  stems, 
which  are  covered  with  a  white  or  glaucous  bloom. 
The  best  results  are  obtained  by  planting  in  rich 
loamy  soil,  and  by  removing  the  old  shoots  each 
year  when  the  young  ones  are  i  foot  or  2  feet  high. 
Increase  by  seeds  or  by  bending  the  points  of  the 
branches  over  to  the  ground  and  covering  them 
with  soil,  when  roots  and  young  shoots  will  be 
formed. 

Ilex  Pernyi.  —  This  new  Chinese  Holly  gives 
promise  nf  becoming  an  exceptionally  good  tree 
for  planting  as  a  specimen  evergreen,  while  when 
common  enough  it  will  doubtless  make  a  good 
hedge  plant.  Planted  in  well-drained  ground  of 
a  loamy  character  it  makes  rapid  progress,  growing 
iiito  a  shapely  specimen  with  little  or  no  priming. 
Cuttings  inserted  in  sandy  soil  in  a  close  frame 
during  July  root  as  easUy  as  those  of  the  common 
Holly,  while  it  may  also  be  grown  from  seed.  It 
is  quite  hardy. 

Csesalpinia  Gilliesii  is  one  of  the  few  South 
.■American  woody  plants  that  may  be  grown  out 
of  doors  in  the  warmer  parts  of  this  country.  A 
very  rare  plant,  its  interest  centres  in  its  delicately- 
divided  pinnate  leaves  and  large  inflorescences  of 
golden  flowers  with  bunches  of  bright  red  stamens. 
It  should  be  given  a  position  against  a  warm  wall 
with  a  south  or  south-west  aspect,  and  other 
necessaries  are  well-drained  loamy  soil  and  pro- 
tection for  the  base  of  the  trunk  in  the  event  of 
Irost. 

Picea  breweriana. — This  Californian  Spruce  is 
certainly  one  of  the  rarest  trees  under  cultivation, 
not  only  in  this  but  in  other  countries.  Fotmd  in 
inaccessible  parts  of  the  Siskiyon  Mountains,  it 
has  only  appeared  in  our  gardens  within  the  last 
fifteen  years.  A  specimen  about  four  and  a-half 
feet  high  may  be  seen  near  the  Pagoda  at  Kew, 
growing  amid  Ericas  and  other  shrubs  where  the 
soil  is  sand  with  a  little  peat.  The  healthy  appear- 
ance of  the  plant  points  to  those  conditions  being 
suitable  for  its  growth. 

Sopbora  viciifolia,  though  introduced  less  than 
twenty  years  ago,  has  made  many  friends  by 
reason  of  its  pretty  white,  violet-tinted  flowers, 
which  appear  in  profusion  during  late  May  and 
June.  At  home  in  light,  loamy  soil,  it  succeeds 
admirably  in  an  exposed  position  on  the  lf.wn, 
as  a  wall  plant,  or  in  a  shrubbery.  Cuttings 
inserted  in  pots  of  sandy  soil  in  July  root  well, 
while  it  is  easily  raised  from  seed.  As  it  dislikes 
root  disturbance,  the  plants  should  be  placed  m 
permanent  situatious  while  small. 
{To  be  contimied.) 


HOW   TO    GROW    HOLLY- 
HOCKS. 


THERE  are  many  who  are  deterred  from 
growing  these  grand  plants  by  the 
prevalence  of  the  disease,  or,  more 
properly,  the  fungoid  pest,  that  is 
likely  to  infest  them,  the  same  pest 
attacking  more  or  less  all  the  members 
of  the  Mallow  family,  of  which  the  Hollyhocks  are 
the  most  important  of  the  garden  representatives. 
But  one  may  say  that  Hollyhocks  are  indispensable 
in  the  late  summer  and  autumn,  and  they  cannot 
be  let  go  Ughtl>.  In  strong  soils  they  are  nearly 
always  healthy,  a  plant  lasting  for  several  years, 
throwing  up  several  grand  spikes  and  being  well 
clothed  with  foliage  to  the  ground.  The  difficulty 
arises  in  the  lighter  soils,  for  the  Hollyhock  is  what 
gardeners  call  a  gross  feeder,  rejoicing  in  a  soil 
either  of  loam  or  lime,  in  any  case  rich  and  deep 
and  also  well  manured.  There  can  hardly  be  a 
place  whose  conditions  are  worse  for  Hollyhocks 
than  the  present  wTiter's  garden — on  a  sandy 
upland,  which  naturally  produces  only  Heath  and 
Gorse.  Here  all  flower-borders  have  to  be  arti- 
ficially made  ;  but  where  Hollyhocks  are  to  grow 
it  is  made  deeper  still,  the  sand  taken  out  to  a 
depth  of  3  feet  and  the  place  filled  with  the  best 
stuff  wc  can  get  together,  with  the  ashes  of  the 
fire-heap  plentifully  admixed  and  some  good  manure 
from  I  foot  to  18  inches  down.  It  is  true  that  the 
plants  always  lose  their  lower  leaves  and  are  not 
free  from  the  disease  (Puccinia  malvacea)  ;  but 
as  they  are  necessarily  near  the  back  of  the  border, 
it  is  a  simple  matter  to  make  sure  that  some  group 
of  plants,  of  close  habit  or  strong  foliage,  shall  be 
just  in  front.  The  well-fed  Hollyhocks  will  send 
up  fine  spikes  and  the  defect  of  bareness  of  the 
lower  stem  will  not  be  apparent.  The  flowers 
will  be  so  good  that  their  absence  would  be  a 
grievous  loss  to  the  garden,  although  they  must 
not  be  expected  to  be  so  vigorous  as  they  would  be 
on  a  soil  of  a  stronger  nature.  The  pest  can  be 
kept  in  check,  though  not  absolutely  abolished, 
by  frequent  syringing  with  a  weak  solution  of 
permanganate  of  potash  as  soon  as  the  leaves  have 
made  some  growth,  or  with  any  of  the  anti-fungoid 
preparations. 

For  flowering  the  same  year,  Hollyhock  seed  may 
be  sown  in  heat  as  early  as  the  first  days  ct  January  ; 
but  it  may  be  sowii  a  month  or  six  weeks  later  if  the 
plants  are  pushed  on  as  quickly  as  may  be.  There 
is  a  good  deal  in  getting  a  strain  of  seed  that  will 
give  the  right-shaped  flower.  The  florists'  Hollyhock, 
so  fully  double  that  the  whole  flower  is  the  same 
rounded  shape  all  over  and  is  equally  tightly 
packed  with  crowded  petals,  is  not  the  best  for 
the  garden  ;  in  fact,  instead  of  being  a  beautiful 
flower  it  is  rather  an  ugly  thing.  The  best  kind 
has  a  distinct  guard  petal  or  outer  petticoat,  and 
the  rising  centre  is  only  moderately  filled.  In  this 
case  the  colour  also  is  much  enhanced  by  the  play 
and  transmitted  glow  of  light  and  tint  withm  and 
between  the  inner  petals.  All  this  is  lo'^t  in  the 
round,  tight  flower,  where  the  light  can  only  play 
upon  the  outer  surface. 

There  is  much  beauty  of  tender  colouring  among 
some  of  the  single  Hollyhocks,  but  of  these  the 
ones  that  are  easiest  to  grow  and  are  the  most 
generally  useful  are  the  varieties  of  Althsa  ficifolia, 
the  Fig-like  shape  of  the  leaf  accounting  for  the 
specific  name.  The  best  are  those  of  sulphm  and 
white  colourings,  which  should  be  secured  if  possible, 
or    there    wU!    probably    be    a    preponderance    of 


flowers  of  a  poor,  washy,  purplish  pink.  But  if 
mixed  seed  is  sown,  some  wil'  be  sure  to  be  yellow 
and  white,  and  seed  for  further  use  can  be  kept 
from  these.  G.  Jekvll. 


ACETYLENE     GAS     GENERATOR 
REFUSE    FOR    GARDEN    CROPS. 

[In  Answer  to  Several  Correspondents.] 

THE  question  of  the  usefulness  or  other- 
wise in  gardens  of  the  refuse  from 
the  acetylene  generator  plants  is  very 
frequently  raised,  and,  in  response 
to  numerous  requests  from  readers, 
we  give  the  following  particulars 
which  we  published  several  years  ago.  Calcium, 
carbide  is  made  by  causing  lime  and  carbon  to 
combine  together  in  an  electric  furnace,  so  that  a 
compoimd  having  the  chemical  formula  CaC2 
is  formed.  When  water  is  brought  into  contact 
with  this  substance,  certain  chemical  reactions 
immediately  take  place,  with  the  result  that 
acetylene  gas  is  generated  and  a  white  substance 
remains  mixed  and  partly  dissolved  in  water. 
This  is  shown  by  the  following  chemical  equation  . 

CaC2         +         2  H2O   =    C2H2    -I-     Ca(0H)2 
(Calcium  carbide.)    (Water-)    (Acetylene.)    (Slaked  lime.) 

The  white  substance  is  slaked  lime,  and  if  it  were 
not  for  the  presence  of  some  impurities,  derived 
mostly  from  the  form  of  carbon  used  in  the  manu- 
facture of  the  carbide  (that  have,  of  course,  been 
ignored  in  the  equation),  this  slaked  lime  would 
not  differ  in  the  least  from  that  obtained  when 
fresh  burnt  lime  is  slaked  with  water. 

On  account  of  the  presence  of  some  impurities 
in  the  carbide,  however,  the  refuse  is  likely  to 
contain  certain  compounds  of  sulphur  and  lime 
(sulphides),  and  occasionally  some  phosphide  of 
lime,  a  compound  of  phosphorus  and  lime.  Both 
of  these  compounds  are  injurious  to  plant-life, 
but  the  latter  is  not  likely  to  be  present  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  do  any  appreciable  damage,  and  the 
former  soon  alter  in  composition  in  the  soil  and 
become  innocuous.  Thus  the  refuse  may  be  used 
with  advantage  upon  soils,  though  it  should  first 
be  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  air  for  a  time  before 
it  is  allowed  to  come  in  contact  with  roots.  It 
may  be  spread  on  the  soil  in  the  autumn  at  the  rate 
of  about  half  a  bushel  to  the  square  rod,  as  evenly 
as  possible,  and  allowed  to  lie  for  a  time  before  it 
is  forked  in.  Used  in  this  way  it  will  have  the  same 
beneficial  effects  upon  the  soil  as  a  dressing  ol 
slaked  lime  applied  in  the  same  way,  counteracting 
sourness  of  the  soil  and  mitigating  the  evils  arising 
therefrom,  and,  in  the  case  of  clay  soils,  causing 
the  minute  particles  of  clay  to  coagulate  and  there- 
fore making  the  pores  in  the  soil  larger  and  the 
soil  itself  easier  to  work,  more  open  to  the  air  and. 
as  a  result,  more  easily  warmed  by  the  sun  in  the 
spring.  Scientist. 


LILIES      OF     THE      VALLEY. 

Lifting  and   Replanting  Old  Crowns. 

Lilies  of  the  Valley  are  often  planted  in  thf 
borders  and  then  left  there  untouched  for  many 
years,  with  the  result  that  the  spikes  of  flowers 
become  fewer  each  year  and  hundreds  of  crown> 
fail  to  flower  at  all.  When  growing  in  the  wood? 
in  a  natural  state,  these  Lilies  get  an  annual  top- 
dressing  in  the  form  of  decaying  leaves  and  other 
matter  ;  but  it  is  only  a  light  covering,  and  not  a 
heavy  one  such  as  is  often  put  on  by  the  inex- 
perienced- cultivator.     I   have   seen   plants   ruined 


100 


THE    GARDEN. 


[February  22,  1913. 


through  injudicious  surface  mulching.  It  is  not 
a  wise  plan  to  disturb  the  plants  too  often.  When 
well  planted  in  good  soil,  they  will  continue  to  grow 
strongly  and  flower  freely  for  a  number  of  years. 
I  have  grown  half  an  acre  of  Lilies  of  the  VaUey 
in  various  parts  of  a  garden  where  the  soil  also 
varied,  some  being  light  and  a  portion  clayey, 
and  always  found  the  crowns  to  do  well  when  not 
overcrowded.  The  overcrowding  is  often  caused 
by  the  great  number  of  small  crowns  being  mixed 
with  the  large  ones.  An  unprofitable  bed  should 
be  dug  up,  the  crowns  of  the  plants  assorted  and 
replanted  in  deeply-dug  soil  made  moderately  firm. 
This  work  may  be  done  at  once.  Directly 
all  the  leaves  can  be  cleared  away  without 
forcible  pulling,  lift  the  crowns  and  at  once  pick 
out  the  strongest,  keeping  both  roots  and  crowns 
moist.  There  is  nothing  better  for  this  purpose 
than  damp  sand,  as  it  also  excludes  air. 

Only  trim  off  any  bruised  roots,  and  replant 
the  best  crowns  9  inches  apart  in  rows  i  foot 
asunder.  This  is  not  too  far  apart  to  plant 
where  it  is  intended  that  the  bed  should  remain 
undisturbed  for  a  number  of  years,  as  the 
roots  soon  spread  and  the  big  leaves  entirely 
hide  the  soil.  The  weaker  crowns  should  also 
be  planted,  if  the  stock  is  limited,  in  another 
border,  allowing  space  in  proportion  between  them. 
In  two  years'  time  these  secondary  crowns  will 
have  yielded  strong  ones,  bearing  big  flowers 
on  stout  stems.  An  annual  top-dressing  of  sifted 
leaf-soil  is  highly  beneficial  in  the  case  of  all  the 
beds.  One  often  sees  the  roots  actually  bared 
through  the  raking  off  of  rubbish  in  the  autumn, 
and  when  no  effort  is  made  to  cover  them,  the  crowns 
degenerate  rapidly.  Some  cultivators  believe  that 
Lilies  of  the  Valley  can  only  be  successfully  grown 
in  certain  positions,  but  I  have  proved  that  they 
mil  succeed  m  any  aspect  if  treated    as   suggested 


abovpg 


Avon. 


THE    FRUIT    GARDEN. 


WOUNDS    ON    FRUIT   TREES:     THEIR 
DANGER    AND    PREVENTION. 

IN  the  social  and  political    realm    of    life    the 
aged  are  apt  to  regard  the  past  with  feelings 
of    regret,    and    to    talk    and    write    of    the 
good  old  days.     So   those   of  us   who   have 
had    a    considerable     experience     of     fruit- 
growing    are     inclined    to    look   back    and 
regret  the  days  that  are  past,  when,  at  least  so  we 
think,  it  was  an  easier  task,  and  the  difficulties  that 
we  encountered  were  not  so  numerous  nor  so  hard 
to  over;ome  as  they  are  now.     In  no  direction  is 
this  so  striking  as  m  the  increasing  virulence  of 
the  fungi  that  attack  the  womids  of  trees.     Despite 
all    that    has   been    written    and   said    durini;    the 
last  twenty  years  concerning  canker,  the  ravages 
due  to  the  fungus  that  causes  it,  Nectria  ditissima, 
are  in  no  way  abated  ;   while   the   last  decade  has 
witnessed    terrible    strides    made    by    that    awful 
scourge,    silver-leaf    disease,    due    to    the    fungus 
Stereum    purpureum.     Since    there    is    no    doubt 
at   all  that   the  latter  invariably  first  obtains  an 
entrance   into   the   tissues   of  the   tree   through   a 
wound,  and,  moreover,  it  is  pretty  well  established 
that  the  majority  of  cases  of  canker  are  started  in 
the  same  manner,  it  becomes  a  question  of  para- 
mount  importance,  first,  to  reduce  the  chance  of 
wounds,  accidental  and  otherwise,  on  a  tree  to  a 
minimum,  and,  secondly,  to  so  protect  such  wounds 
which  may  be  made  that   the   fungus  spores  may 
not  find  an  entrance  therein. 


In  a  strict  scientific  sense,  a  wound  is  any  breaking 
or    abrasion   of    the   surface   tissue   which   is   un- 
protected by  palisade  cells,  or  callus.      There  are 
many   wounds   which   can    be   prevented,    and   as 
things   are   at   present,   must   be   prevented  if  the 
trees   are  to  be   kept  in   a  healthy  state.     There 
are  the  wounds  too  often,  alas  !    caused  in  staking 
the  trees  soon  after  they  have  been  planted.     Too 
many  people  allow  the  stake  to  project  uito  the 
head  of  the  tree,  so  that  the  boughs  chafe  on  it 
when  moved  about  by  the  wind,  and  a  wound  soon 
results.     Then,  again,  even  if  the  trees  are  properly 
staked    at  first,    they   sometimes   break  or   some- 
thing  else   happens   that    the   tree    breaks   loose  ; 
then,  if  it  is  not  soon  seen  to,  the  inevitable  result 
is  that  it  is  dashed  against  the  stake  and  injured. 
In  the  case,  too,  where  no  staking  is  done  at  all, 
after  a  little  while  the  tree  gets  loose  at  the  top 
of  the   ground,   and  when   a  spell  of  frost   comes 
and  makes  the  surface  soil  hard,  the  bark  of  the 
tree   is   soon    chafed   sore   in   rubbing    against    it. 
Again,   in  orchards  or  plantations  where   cultiva- 
tion is  done  by  horse  labour,  unless  the  ploughman 
is  specially  cautioned  against  it,   he  will  get   too 
close    to    the    trees   and    allow   either   the    horses' 
harness  or  the   draw-bar  of  his  plough   to   break 
the  bark  of  the  trees  in  many  places.     A  further 
fruitful  source   of  wounds  in   trees,   and   wounds, 
moreover,   which   are   extremely   slow   to   heal,    is 
the  practice  of  shooting   among  them,   either   for 
pleasure  or  in  order  to  kill  birds  or  vermin  which 
are    causing    damage.     Wounds,    too,    are    caused 
in   various  ways  when   the   fruit   is  on  the  trees, 
either  by  allowing  the  branches  to  break  owing  to 
lack  of  support   when   heavily  loaded  with   ft-uit, 
by    carelessness    in    placing    the    picking    ladders, 
so  that  the  greatest   weight  is  put  upon   the  tree 
instead  of  on  the  foot  of   the  ladder,  or,  when  the 
trees  are  large,  by  scrambling  about  in  the  branches 
in  boots  shod  with  heavy  nails. 

So  much  for  preventable  wounds,  but  there  are 
others,  those  caused  by  pruning,  which  must  of 
necessity  be  made  for  the  well-being  of  the  tree. 
The  problem,  therefore,  is  to  provide  the  best 
means  of  protecting  these  wounds,  either  naturally 
or  artificially.  An  examination  of  a  wound  of  a 
few  months'  standmg,  say,  where  a  bough  has 
been  removed,  will  show  that  Nature  is  hard  at 
work  trying  to  protect  the  wound,  and  that  a 
layer  of  new  tissue  is  creeping  over  it  from  the  bark 
inwards  in  the  effort  to  cover  it  up.  No  growth 
at  all  takes  place  from  the  wood,  only  from  the 
inner  bark  ;  consequently,  if  the  wound  is  a  large 
one,  it  is  a  matter  of  considerable  time,  even 
years,  before  the  new  tissue  finally  creeps  all  over 
and  the  wound  is  entirely  covered  up.  What  we 
require  to  do  is,  first,  to  make  it  as  easy  as  possible 
for  the  healing  process  which  the  tree  itself  carries 
out  ;  and,  secondly,  so  to  protect  the  larger  wounds 
that  no  fungus  spores  may  obtain  an  entrance 
during  the  interval  before  the  wound  is  finally 
protected  by  new  bark. 

Good  pruners  have  always  insisted  on  any  saw 
cuts— that  is,  where  branches  have  been  removed 
by  a  saw — being  shaved  with  a  knife  all  round 
the  bark  and  a  small  portion  of  the  wood 
adjoining,  believing  that  the  bark  healed  over 
more  quickly  when  this  was  done.  Perhaps,  as 
with  the  old  notions  in  connection  with  planting, 
the  people  at  Woburn  will  prove  that  all  such 
care  is  a  waste  of  time  ;  but  at  present  it  will  cer- 
tainly be  advisabb  for  all  pruners  to  adopt  the 
practice,  and,  moreover,  do  their  work  as  far  as 
possible  with  a  good  sharp  knife,  without  having 
recourse    to    secateurs    or    other    mechanical    aid. 


since,  after  all,  there  is  nothing  which  makes  such  a 
clean  cut  as  a  good  pruning-knile. 

Protecting  Wounds. — With   regard   to  the  pro- 
tection of  the   wound,   after  considerable  investi- 
gation and  some  amount  of    trial  I  have  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  course  advised  by  Professor 
Bailey  in  America  is  the  best,  viz.,  to  paint  the 
wounds  with  either  red  or  white  lead  paint.     This 
should   be   made   with  pure  linseed  oil   free   from 
adulteration,   and  preferably  without  the  addition 
of  turpentine.      I  have  found  that  paint  made  thus 
will  set  quite  hard,  and  will  not  flake  oS  the  wounds 
when  growth    takes    place     during    the    following 
summer.     On  one  occasion  I  used  red  oxide  paint, 
mixed  for  painting  ironwork,  in  mistake  for  the  red 
lead  ;     but   no  ill-results   followed,    and  we   found, 
indeed,  that  this  set  harder  than  any  of  the  others. 
Stockholm  tar  can  be  used,  but  it    is  necessary  to 
see  that  it  is  pure,  otherwise  harmful  results  may 
ensue  ;    but  gas-tar  should,  in  my  opinion,  never 
on  any  account   be  used,   even   on  the  largest   or 
oldest  trees.     It  is  always  a  matter  of  uncertainty 
how  it  will  behave  and  whether  it  will  cause  injury, 
and  I  cannot  see  any  necessity  for  running  the  risk, 
as  one  has  excellent  materials  in  the  paints  just 
mentioned.     For  the  last  two  or  three  years  now 
I  have  used  such  paints,  with  quite  good  results, 
and  have  found  that  they  have  little  or  no  retarding 
effect   upon   the   self-healing   process   of   the   tree, 
the  bark  creeping  over  the  wound  much  as  if  there 
were  no  paint  there.     To  sum  up,  avoid  as  far  as 
possible     making     any     unnecessary     wounds     on 
the  trees  ;    in  pruning  make  the  cuts  as  clean  as 
possible,   so   as   to  assist   the  tree  to  heal   them  ; 
and,   lastly,    protect    all   wounds   from    i    inch   in 
diameter  upwards  with  either  white  or  red  lead  paint 
as  pure  as  possible,  but  without  the  admixture  of 
turpentine.  F.   H.mcmond. 


TO 


ANSWERS 
CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— 7V!C  E,IUor  intends  In 
make  Thk  (J.^iuien  helpjul  to  all  reatUrs  irho  desitr  assist- 
ance, 710  matter  what  the  branch  of  'jardeninij  may  be,  and 
vith  that  obiCCt  will  make  a  special  Icatiire  of  the  "Answers 
to  Con espondents  "  columns.  All  commutiicalions  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  ivrUlen  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only , 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The;  Gardkn,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Corent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  [Vhen  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  he  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  lor  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  eotton-wuot,  and  floicering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  setd.  It  is  useless  to  send 
smalt  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  I'Ubl.ISHEK, 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

TROPffiOLUM  SPECIOSUM  {J.  £.).  -Your  better  way 
would  be  lo  purcliase  roots  ,in(i  jilant  tlicm  near  a  wall, 
or  in  some  north-western  exposure  wliere  the  plants 
conld  ramble  amid  Holly  or  like  bushes.  The  plants 
appear  to  prefer  a  sandy  soil  with  much  fine  leaf-soil 
iutorporated  therewith,  the  whole  beins  made  moderately 
rich,  (^over  the  roots  nor  deeper  than  2  inches  with  tlic 
soil  The  Hoshy  roots  now  obtainable  may  be  had  very 
cheap  from  most  of  the  hardy  plantsmen.  Seedlings  may 
take  two  years  and  even  longer  before  Howerins. 

PLANTS  FOR  A  LONG  BORDER  iConslanI  Reader).— 
Either  of  tlie  followiu;;  subiect-  would  do  for  your  centre 
bed  between  the  two  red  Geraniums:  Calceolaria  Uolden 
Gem  white  Geranium  Queen  of  Denmark,  or  Marguerite 
.Mrs  F  K  Sander.  The  same  Jlarguerite  would  do  very 
well  for  your  window-boxes  ;  some  of  the  most  successful 
window-boxes  noted  last  year  were  composed  principally 
of  that  plant.  Sweet  Peas  would  be  likely  to  thrive  in 
the  tubs  you  mention,  or  you  could  plant  climbing  >astur- 
tiums  in  them.  It  would  not  be  wise  to  plant  anything 
between  yonr  rows  of  .\ntirrhinums  and  (..odetias,  l>ut 
von  ini"lit  plant  white  Stocks  in  front  and  a  row  of  Fairy 
ijucen  IBegonifl  if  vou  think  there  will  be  room. 


^.■"-tgfe^ 


GARDEN. 


No.  2154.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


March  i,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


NdTKS    OF   THE    WKKK 
C'ORKESrONDKNCE 

Peas  (luriui;  1912  . . 

Rose  Uayuii  d'Or  . . 

The  multiplication 
of  Sweet  Pea 
names 

Three  aood  Hyacinths 

Sweet  Peas  as  bed- 
dine  plants. . 

Applying;     inarxure- 
water  to  Koscs  in 
February    .. 
Prizes  for  the  Best 

KocK  Gardens    . . 
Crocus  Kathleeu  Parlow 
Forthcoming  events.. 
Rose  G.irdkx 

A  simple  garden 
seat      

Some  of  the  newer 
Roses 

Fallacies  reiiarding 
Tea  Roses  . . 

CREF.NHOnSF. 

Greenhouse     plants 
irom  seed 
Flower  Garden 
A  flower  border  of 

erey  and  blue    . . 
Some    hardy    bulbs 

for  sprint;  planting 
t3orden>  of  annuals 

and     herbaceous 

plants 

CoLODRED  Plate 
Snapdragons     and 

their     cultivation 


its 


108 


103 
109 

107 

107 


110 


111 
112 


Iris    sibirica  and 

varieties 
Raising  Asters  in  cold 

frames     108 

The  Heath  Garden 
How  to   make  and 
maintain  it. .     ..     109 
Trees  and  Shrtbs 
The  Japanese  Quinces  110 
Some    good    winter 
trees  and  shrubs 
Kitchen  Gaedfn 
Garden  Peas  . . 
Good   Potatoes    for 
spring  planting  . . 
Gardening  for  Beginners 
How  to  yrow  Toma- 
toes undei  glass. .     113 
How  to  make  and 
plant  a  herbaceous 

border 113 

Propagation  of  the 
Lemon  -  scented 
Verbena      . .      . .     113 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens          114 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens          114 

A    National  Daffo- 
dil SOCIETY  . .      ..      115 
Rock  and  \V.\ter  Garden 
The  fifty  best  alpines 
for  small  gardens    115 
Hot    Water    as    an 

Insecticide  . .     . .     116 
Books 116 


I  LitiDBT  RATIONS. 

'J'Jie  new  white  bedding  Crocus  Kathleen  Parlow     . . 

A  simple  garden  seat      

A  border  of  grey  foliage  and  flowers  in  autumn 

A  mixed  border  at  Gamons,  Hereford       

Snapdragons Coloured 

Borders  of  annual  flowers  at  Gamons,  Hereford 

A  summer  bed  of  mixed  Candytuft 

An  effective  grouping  of  Iris  sibirica  at  Kew    . . 

A  bed  of  mixed  Comet  Asters      

Pea  International,  anew mainerop  variety 

A  feood  crop  of  Potato  Royalty 

flow  to  grow  Tomatoes  under  glass 


102 

104 
105 
IDS 
plate 
107 
108 
109 
110 
111 
112 
113 


BDITORIAIi    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible,  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  howerer,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclose*!,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contribviions. 

j        As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  retjuired  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
;   /(  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo. 
\  urapher  or  owner  of  t'lc  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 

The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 

'  or  literary  contributions  u'hich  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 

the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 

I  article  is  accepted.     Publication  in  THE  GARDEN  will  alone 

I  be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tucistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


Cucumbers  from  South  Africa. — \n  attempt 
has  recently  been  made  to  ship  Cucumbers  from 
Cape  Colony,  the  first  consignment  arriving  at 
Covent  Garden  Market  early  last  week.  These 
were  sent  over  with  a  shipment  o£  fruits,  but 
when  they  reached  the  market  were  quite  unfit 
for  use.  Evidently  different  treatment  to  that 
required  by  Cape  fruits  is  needed  if  Cucumbers 
are  to  reach  us  from  there  in  good  condition. 

An  Early  Rhododendron. — The  present  winter 
has  been  unusually  favourable  for  the  early- 
iiowering  Rhododendrons.  In  the  Rhododendron 
Dell  at  Kew  there  is  a  large  bush,  g  feet  in  height, 
of  the  variety  George  Cunningham,  well  clothed 
with  trusses  of  blooms.  This  variety  is  a  fitting 
companion  for  Noble's  Rhododendron  (R.  noble- 
anum),  which  also  is  flowering  freely  close  by. 
The  variety  George  Cunningham  was  raised,  many 
years  ago,  in  the  nurseries  of  Messrs.  Cunningham, 
Fraser  and  Co.,  Comely  Bank,  Edinburgh.  The 
trusses  of  flowers  are  moderate  in  size  ;  the  indi- 
vidual blooms,  rather  closely  arranged,  are  white, 
liberally  spotted  or  blotched  with  chocolate- 
coloured  markings. 

Pruning  Lilacs  in  London. — Those  who  have 
visited  the  Victoria  Embankment  Gardens  during 
the  last  week  or  two  have  had  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  how  not  to  prune  Lilacs.  The  thin,  weedy- 
looking  shrubs  that  border  the  roadway  are  mostly 
Lilacs,  and  just  recently  they  have  imdergone  a 
process  of  thinning  that  is  quite  remarkable  in  its 
way,  and  entirely  opposed  to  good  gardening. 
A  few  lessons  in  the  pruning  of  shrubs  of  any  kind 
are  sorely  needed  by  those  who  have  been  doing 
the  work.  Lilacs  are,  even  if  properly  treated, 
quite  misuited  for  these  gardens,  and  they  should 
long  ago  have  been  replaced  by  more  suitable 
shrubs.  But  as  they  still  remain,  it  is  difficult  to 
imderstand  why  they  should  be  mutilated  in  this 
way  and  made  to  look  even  more  incongruous 
than  they  were  wont  to  do. 

Sweet-Scented  Annuals. — The  note  on  the 
Night-scented  Stock  which  appeared  last  week 
has  brought  requests  from  several  readers  for 
tile  names  of  other  annuals  that  possess  this 
precious  attribute  in  marked  degree.  In  addition 
to  the  well-known  Mignonette  and  Ten-week 
Stock,  we  have  pleasant  memories  of  the  fragrance 
of  Nicotiana  affinis,  or  Sweet-scented  Tobacco, 
Martynia  fragrans  (a  rather  tender  plant).  Sweet 
Sultans,  Woodruff,  Indian  and  Japanese  Pinks, 
Schizopetalon  Walked,  Candytuft  and,  of  course, 
the  ubiquitous  Sweet  Pea.  An  annual  that  is 
not  usually  credited  with  fragrance  is  the  common 
Tropjeolum,  or  Nasturtium.  Its  perfume  is  not 
at  all  pronounced,  but  a  vase  of  flowers  shut  up 
in  a  room  for  a  few  liours  will  emit  a  perfume  that 
is,  in  contrast  to  that  of  many  flowers,  quite 
refreshing.  How  many  of  our  readers  have  noticed 
this? 


Royal    Agricultural    Society's    Horticultural 

Exhibition. — The  Royal  Agricultural  Society  of 
England  is  sending  out  a  very  attractive  schedule 
of  prizes  to  be  competed  for  in  the  horticultural 
section  of  their  annual  show.  This  year  the  show 
will  be  held  at  Bristol,  the  horticultural  section 
opening  on  July  i  and  closing  on  July  4.  Entries 
should  be  sent  to  Mr.  Peter  Blair,  Trentham 
Gardens,  Stoke-on-Trent,  on  or  before  May  31. 

A  Good  Winter  Green. — Although  green  food 
has  been  plentiful  this  v/inter,  thanks  to  the  mild 
weather,  it  is  not  alwa>'s  so,  and  it  may  be  useful 
to  draw  attention  to  one  variety  that  is  in  season 
just  now.  This  is  Russian  Kale,  or  Chou  de 
Russie.  It  is  a  hardy,  elegant-looking  plant, 
the  much-lacerated  leaves  having  quite  a  unique 
appearance.  Seed  should  be  ordered  now  for 
sowing  towards  the  end  of  April,  the  young  plants 
being  transplanted  to  firm  ground  when  large 
enough.  A  bed  of  this  Kale  will  give  an  abundance 
of  fresh,  delicious  young  shoots  at  this  season, 
when  there  is  usually  a  scarcity  of  most  kinds. 

Winners  of  Acrostic  Prizes. — In  the  list  of 
prize-winners  published  on  page  91  of  last  week's 
issue,  we  regret  that  a  mistake  occurred.  On 
investigation  we  find  that  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Gardiner 
of  Eversden  Rectory,  Cambridge,  who  sent  in 
solutions  under,  the  pseudonym  of  "  Nemo," 
correctly  solved  Nos.  r,  4,  6  and  7,  and  is  therefore 
entitled  to  share  the  first,  second  and  third  prizes 
witli  .Mrs.  .Macalister  and  Mr.  R.  P.  Brotherstou. 
Under  the  circumstances  we  shall  also  divide  an 
amount  equal  to  the  third  prize  between  the 
other  competitors  whose  names  and  addresses  we 
published  last  week. 

Primulas  at  Clandon  Park. — Passing  through 

this  beautiful  Surrey  park  quite  recently,  we 
observed  a  little  copse,  in  which  Primula  denticu- 
lata  and  its  improved  form,  cashmiriana,  with  rich 
violet  purple  blooms,  were  flowering  to  perfection 
A  wooded  dell  on  heavy  soil,  in  which  tree  growth 
is  not  too  dense,  is  obviously  an  ideal  home  for 
Primulas,  and  quite  near  to  this  spot  may  be  seen 
the  wild  Primrose  growing  naturally.  The  beauty 
of  the  scene  is  all  the  more  appreciated,  as  a  public 
footpath  runs  through  the  wood.  Many  other 
Primulas  are  naturalised  in  the  woodland  at 
Clandon  Park,  but  Primula  denticulata  cashmiriana, 
which  is  becoming  more  and  more  popular,  is 
worthy  of  special  note. 

The  Pavilion  at  Kew  Burned  Down. — Readers 
in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  Kew  men  in  particular, 
will  learn  with  regret  that  the  tea  pavilion,  which 
stood  near  the  Pagoda  in  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew, 
was  burned  down  in  the  early  hours  of  February  20. 
The  pavilion  was  built  about  twenty-five  years  ago 
and  was  of  rustic  appearance,  so  as  to  be  as  far 
as  possible  in  harmony  with  the  sylvan  surround- 
ings. A  card  foimd  near  the  conflagration  was  signed 
"  Two  Voteless  Women,"  and  we  understand 
that  two  women  are  in  custody  charged  with  the 
offence.  Such  wanton  acts  of  mischief  call  for  no 
comment . 


102 


TllK     GAiiUEN. 


[March  i   1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The    Editor    is    not    rcspoiisibh:    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Rose  General  G.  R.  Home. — I   cannot  trace 

this  Rose  in  the  growers'  catalogues  that  I  have 
before  me.  I  have  been  promised  by  a  friend 
some  buds  of  this  for  budding  next  season,  and 
he  tells  me  that  he  had  two  plants  sent  to  him 
along  with  others  by  a  grower,  whose  name  he  has, 
unfortunately,  forgotten.  I  should  be  glad,  there- 
fore, if  you  or  some  of  your  readers  could  give  me 
information  about  it.  From  what  I  saw  of  the 
plants,  the  Rose  appears  to  be  a  strong  grower. — 
B.  A.  Bell,  South  Norwood.  [We  know  of  no 
Rose  bearing  the  above  name.  Perhaps  some 
reader  will  kindly  let  us  know  if  such  a  variety  is 
in  cultivation. — Ed.] 
Diascia  Barberae  as  a  Perennial. — 1  constantly 

see    in    various    seedsmen's    catalogues    this    plant 
in  the  list  of  annuals  ;    but  in  this  garden,  which 


Apple  Lane's   Prince   Albert   for   Dessert. — 

The  reference  to  this  variety  in  "  Notes  of  the 
Week,"  issue  February  15,  is  very  timely.  I  have 
always  had  a  strong  liking  for  this  Apple,  it  being 
a  grand  all-roimd  variety.  At  this  time  and  as 
late  as  the  early  part  of  May  I  used  it  as  a  dessert 
variety,  and  it  was  greatly  appreciated.  In  March 
and  April  my  fruits  used  to  assume  a  deep  yellow 
tinge  on  one  side,  and  while  in  that  condition  were 
most  acceptable  for  dessert.  Amateurs  should 
always  include  a  few  bushes  in  their  collections,  but 
they  should  not  allow  the  trees  to  bear  much  fruit 
mitil  they  are  well  established.  Many  specimens 
are  stunted  through  premature  cropping. — G.  G. 
Hardiness  of  Campanula  isophylla. — Whether 

tliis  plant  is  hardy  or  not  is  very  much  a  question 
of  locality,  though  more  particularly  of  the  position 
individual  examples  occupy.  For  instance,  in 
the  drier  conditions  the  wall  garden  affords,  in  the 
deep-running  crevices  of  the  rock  garden,  or  in 
window-boxes — almost  anywhere,  indeed,  where 
it  would  be   raised   above  the  ordinarv  level,   and 


THE    NEW    WHITE    BEDDING    CROCUS    KATHLEEN    PARLOW. 


is  in  by  no  means^a  speciallj'  warm  situation, 
it  has'proved  itself  a  perennial,  flowering  abundantly 
during  the  late  summer  and  autumn  from  a  seed 
planted  seven  years  ago.  It  increases  from  under- 
groimd  roots,  and  is  now  a  patch  3  feet  by  2  feet 
6  inches,  or  thereabouts.  The  flowers  are  shaped 
like  a  miniature  spurred  Aquilegia,  and  are  of  a 
pretty  shade  of  copper  colour. — V.  M.,  East  Devon. 
[Oiu'  correspondent's  experience  of  this  pretty 
South  African  plant  is  interesting  and  valuable, 
proving  that,  given  certain  conditions,  it  is  of 
strictly  perennial  duration.  Seven  years  is 
surely  ample  time,  and  the  development  of  the 
plant  to  a  patch  3  feet  across  is  conclusive. 
We  trust  the  above  letter  wiU  tempt  others  living 
in  favom-ed  places  to  regard  it  as  a  perennial. 
Generally,  however,  the  plant  has  to  be  regarded 
as  an  annual  as  a  matter  of  convenience.  Other 
South  African  plants  of  our  acquaintance  do  not 
die  as  a  result  of  flowering  and  seeding,  but  perish 
because  they  cannot  endure  the  cold  and  vicissitudes 
of  our  English  climate. — Ed.] 


therefore  well  drained  and  warm — the  plant  may 
be  regarded  as  generally  hardy,  unless  in  very 
severe  winters.  If,  however,  the  plant  is  colonised 
in  the  soil  of  the  rock  garden  or  grouped  in  the 
border  in  the  ordinary  way,  it  will  perish  before 
the  winter  is  half  gone,  even  around  London. 
At  the  same  time,  it  should  be  stated  that  it  is  not 
suitable  for  the  border.  The  right  place  for  a 
plant  with  its  mantling  habit  of  growth  is  the 
higher  parts  of  the  rock  garden,  where  its  free  and 
late  flowering  would  render  it  imique.  In  a  window- 
box  or  hanging  basket  or  pot  much  of  the  beauty 
of  the  plant  is  revealed,  but  in  so  cultivating  it 
its  value  to  the  rock  garden  has  been  almost 
entirely  overlooked.  For  this  latter  purpose  we 
have  nothing  so  good  or  so  late  flowering,  and 
plants  which  give  such  sheets  of  colour  are  worth 
making  much  of.  My  hybrid  Campanula  Pro- 
fusion has  isophylla  blood  in  its  veins,  and  the 
same  conditions  in  wall  or  rock  garden  suit  it 
exactly.  In  garden  soil  it  is  not  reliably  hardy,  and, 
moreover,  is  not  suited   thereto.— =-E.  H.  Jenkins. 


Lilium  Brownii  leucanthum.— The  fine  group 

of  this  Lily  shown  on  page  94  of  the  last  issue  is, 
unfortunately,  described  as  L.  Brownii,  omitting 
the  varietal  name.  The  photograph  was  taken 
at  Kew  in  1905  from  a  group  of  bulbs  bought 
in  1904  from  Messrs.  Veitch  and  Sons  as  L.  Brownii 
leucanthum.  This  is  the  Lily  that  Wilson  describes 
as  L.  Sargentias.  It  is  a  taller  plant  than  the 
typical  L.  Brownii  and  resembles  L.  sulphureum 
somewhat,  both  in  the  yellow  tint  of  the  outside 
of  the  flowers  and  in  its  habit  of  producing  bulbils 
in  the  axils  of  the  leaves. — E.  A.  Bowles. 

Serious  Losses  Among  Roses. — I  note  in  The 
Garden  of  February  8,  page  66,  Mr.  C.  Blair's 
remarks  on  Roses  at  Preston  House  Gardens  and 
the  damage  done  by  the  frost  in  November  of  last 
year.  In  the  gardens  here  and  the  surroimding 
district  the  majority  of  chmbers  are  killed  to  the 
ground,  while  dwarf  Roses,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Lyon,  have  suffered  less.  On  a  pergola 
built  of  stone  pillars  and  Oak  beams  some  of 
the  varieties  have  escaped  injury,  viz.,  Leucht- 
stern,  Rubin,  Felicity  Perpftue,  Bennett's 
Seedling,  while  American  Pillar,  Gardenia, 
Dorothy  Perkins,  Lady  Gay  and  many  others 
are  completely  spoilt. — C.  L.  Cawkell.  The 
Gardens,  Angerton,  Morpeth,  Northumberland. 

Mysterious    Disease    of    Hyacinths.— I    was 

greatly  interested  to  see  m  The  Garden  of  last 
week  Mr.  J.  Duncan  Pearson's  comment  on  the 
mysterious  disease  of  Hyacinths  and  Daffodils, 
as  it  has  revealed  to  us  the  cause  of  our  Roman 
Hyacinths  failing  this  season.  Out  of  our  whole 
batch  none  of  them  made  any  roots  worth  speaking 
of,  and  those  they  did  soon  decayed.  The  bulbs 
were  potted  up  in  September  and  plunged  in  ashes, 
and  on  examining  them  in  November  were  found 
to  have  made  about  one  inch  of  top  growth,  and 
the  roots  which  they  had  made  were  all  decayed  ; 
yet  the  bulbs  in  themselves  seemed  quite  good. 
We  were  quite  puzzled  as  to  the  cause,  because 
all  our  Narcissi  and  the  named  varieties  of 
Hyacinths  have  come  through  all  right  and  have 
bloomed  splendidly.  Naturally,  we  put  it  down 
to  bad  bulbs,  and  drew  the  nurseryman's  attention 
to  it.  His  remark  was  that  his  bulbs  were  just 
the  same,  and  he  could  not  account  for  it.- — 
F.  C.  Willie,  Lindfield,  Sussex. 

Puya    chilensis    Flowering   at    Cambridge. — 

This  handsome  Bromeliad,  which  lor  some  time 
has  been  an  attractive  feature  in  an  outside  border 
in  front  of  the  plant-houses  at  the  Botanic  Gardens, 
Cambridge,  and  is  said  to  be  only  equalled  in  the 
Scilly  Isles,  is  now  coming  into  bloom.  The  spike 
was  first  noticed  on  February  5,  when  it  had  forced 
its  way  through  the  glass  light  which  is  placed  over 
it  in  the  winter,  being  at  that  time  20  inches  high, 
and  has  since  grown  at  the  rate  of  about  three 
inches  a  week.  It  is  12  inches  in  circumference 
10  inches  from  the  tip,  that  being  larger,  and  has- 
every  appearance  of  bearing  a  fine  inflorescence, 
probably  fully  developed  about  May  or  Jime. 
The  plant  is  6|  feet  high  and  about  seven  and  a-half 
feet  through,  and  has  been  growing  outside  now 
ior  some  years,  but,  as  previously  mentioned, 
covered  with  a  glass  light  in  the  winter,  while  in 
very  severe  weather  mats  are  hung  in  front  oi  it. 
The  leaves  are  from  3  feet  to  4  feet  long,  with  hard, 
hocked  spines  on  the  margin.  Up  till  1910  the 
plant  was  one  huge  rosette  ;  then  it  commenced 
to  send  out  branches,  which  one  would  expect  t& 
come  alter,  not  before,  flowering,  unless  the  spike 
has  been  forming  for  some  considerable  time. — 
F.  G.  Prest'.n. 


Sitpplcmeiit  to  THE   GARDEN,  Man  It  \<.t,   1913 


FOUR    GOOD    ANTIRRHINUMS. 

Left;  Bright  Pink.     Centre:  top,  Fire  King;  bottom,  Orange  King.     Right:  Rich  Apricot. 


''■■'""  *  '>■"""'■  tM..  Prmters.  Loudon,  S.E. 


(Sutton  &  Sons). 


March  i,  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


103 


Peas  During  1912. — Although  last  year  was 
not  a  particularly  good  one,  all^our  culinary  Peas 
did  admirably.  Perhaps  some  readers  of  The 
Garden  may  like  to  learn  of  our  method  of  culti- 
vation. We  dig  or  trench  the  ground  in  winter 
in  the  ordinary  way  after  it  has  been  well  manured. 
As  the  time  for  sowing  approaches,  we  dig  trenches 
as  for  Celery  and  8  feet  apart,  and  dig  in  a  good 
lot  of  farmyard  manure.  The  Peas  are  sown 
thickly  in  the  trenches,  and  it  is  very  rarely  they 
require  watering.  Our  chief  varieties  last  year 
were  Little  Marvel,  Advancer,  Alderman,  Essex 
Star,  Model  Telephone  and  Victoria.  I  am  very 
reluctant  to  trust  new  varieties  for  main  crops, 
hence  the  old  varieties.  From  two  quarts  of  Essex 
Star  sown  we  gathered  upwards  of  twelve  bushels 
of  pods,  .'Ml  other  kinds  did  well  in  a  lesser 
degree. —  John  Beams,  Kensington  and  Chelsea 
School,  Banstead,  Surrey. 

Rose  Rayon  d'Or. — Your  correspondent,  Mr. 
H.  E.  Molyneux,  on  page  8i,  issue  February  15, 
groups  this  Rose  with  the  Hybrid  Teas,  but  1  con- 
tend it  is  so  very  distinct  from  that  tribe  that 
its  inclusion  among  the  Hybrid  Teas  would  be  an 
error.  One  has  only  to  look  upon  its  lovely  foliage 
and  prickly  growths  to  see  at  once  that  it  belongs 
to  a  new  race ;  and  why  not  call  this  race  Rosa 
pemetiana,  as  most  authorities  are  doing  ?  I  am 
as  much  averse  as  anyone  to  multiplying  groups  ; 
but  when  a  new  race  is  so  very  evident,  as  in  the 
case  of  Roses  such  as  Arthur  R.  Goodwin,  Rayon 
d'Or,  Juliet  and  Beaut6  de  Lyon,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  beautiful  varieties  M.  Pernet-Ducher 
will  soon  be  sending  us,  I  think  it  is  quite  time  for 
our  National  Society  to  recognise  the  group.  1 
admit  there  are  already  two  sections  of  this  new 
group,  the  one  more  closely  resembling  the  sttu'dy 
Soleil  d'Or  and  the  other  the  Hybrid  Tea  ;  but  I 
am  convinced  all  thoughtful  rosarians  will  see  the 
wisdom  of  recognising  the  new  group. — Danecroft. 
[We  notice  that  some  of  oiu:  leading  Rose  nursery- 
men are  listing  Rayon  d'Or  as  a  Hybrid  Tea,  but 
it  is,  as  our  correspondent  points  out,  one  of  a 
quite  distinct  type. — Ed.] 

The  Multiplication   of  Sweet   Pea   Names.— 

Your  correspondent  "  Am^ethon,"  page  60, 
February  i  issue,  waxes  eloquent  on  this  subject, 
and,  like  me,  he  wants  something  done.  The 
question  is,  "  What  ?  "  My  latest  suggestion  is 
that  two  lists  should  be  compiled,  one  of  synonyms 
and  one  of  too-much-aUkes.  Of  the  latter,  no 
two,  under  existing  rules,  should  be  shown  in 
one  exhibit  ;  of  the  former,  all  the  varieties  in 
any  one  class,  e.g.,  crimson,  cream,  and  lavender, 
must  be  exhibited  under  one  name  chosen  by  the 
floral  committee  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society. 
Decorator,  which  received  an  award  this  year, 
is  a  step  in  the  right  direction.  But  the  question 
is  not  so  easy  as  it  looks.  If  it  were  a  question  of 
colour  only,  it  would  be  easy  enough  ;  but  there 
are  other  things  to  consider.  "  Amsethon  " 
seems  to  think  that  none  but  a  committee  of 
amateurs  can  give  a  rehable  and  unbiassed  decision 
on  the  question.  Why  is  this  ?  If  such  men  as 
Cuthbertson,  Sydenham,  Wright  and  many  more 
cannot  be  trusted  to  decide  on  merit  only,  who 
can  ?  I  might  add  the  names  of  Aldersey  and 
several  others.  For  myself,  as  a  member  of  what 
may  be  called  the  "  amateur "  class  who,  being 
obUged  to  earn  his  living,  has  taken  up  Sweet  Pea 
culture  with  that  object  and  from  an  inborn  love 
of  flowers,  I  may  say  that  I  have  complete  confidence 
in  the  official  members  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea 
Society.  I  believe  that  they  are  honestly  desirous 
of  giving  a   fair  and   just    decision  on   all   matters 


that  are  brought  up  for  their  consideration,  and 
for  this  reason  probably  hesitate  to  "  rush  in 
where  angels  fear  to  tread."  Thi  oretically,  I 
would  rather  see  these  questions  d'  -ided  by  a 
committee  of  amateurs  ;  practically,  they  would 
probably  be  a  hopeless  failure. — T.  H.  Dipnall. 
Three  Good  Hyacinths. — Somehow,   I    cannot 

quite  give  them  up.  Old  associations  are  very 
clinging.  Last  autumn  I  bought  one  or  two 
"  pigs  in  a  poke  "  ;  one  of  them,  Oranjeboven,  is 
very  charming  and  of  an  uncommon  colour  among 
Hyacinths.  My  Dutch  dictionary  tells  me  that 
the  name  means  extra  or  very  orange,  and  so  it  is. 
There  is  a  deeper  line  down  the  middle  of  each 
petal,  with  the  edges  much  paler.  I  have  consulted 
my  Colour  Chart,  and  found  the  dark  stripe  to  be 
76-1  and  the  lighter  outsides  751  or  thereabouts. 
The  bells  arc  not  too  crowded  on  the  spike.  .\ 
well-tried  old  friend  is  the  pretty  pale  pink  General 
de  Wet.  I  like  the  ciu'l  back  of  the  petals  and  the 
loose  arrangement  of  the  flowers  on  the  stem. 
Sir  William  Mansfield  has  been  a  stranger  for  a 
considerable  time,  but  I  have  renewed  his  acquain- 
tance this  year.  The  colour  is  a  reddish  mauve, 
and  the  type  of  flower  and  spike  rather  recalls 
Gigantea.  It  is  just  a  wee  bit  weak  on  the  stem, 
and  needs  a  friendly  support.  "  Quite  a  lady's 
shade,"  I  was  told  yesterday. — -J.  Jacob. 
Sweet  Peas  as  Bedding  Plants. — I  was  greatly 

interested  in  reading  the  article  under  this  heading 
in  The  Garden  for  February  r,  page  56,  as  I 
have  used  the  Sweet  Pea  for  beds  since  1902. 
During  that  year  the  bed  was  a  large  Maltese 
cross,  and  the  colours  used  were  red,  white  and 
blue.  The  centre  was  red,  and  the  arms  were  white 
and  blue  alternately.  When  the  planting  was 
completed,  a  wire  frame  the  exact  size  and  shape 
and  covered  with  netting  was  placed  over  the  bed. 
As  the  plants  advanced  in  growth  they  were  taken 
through  the  netting  (which  was  about  six  inches 
above  the  soil)  and  trained  within  their  allotted 
space.  The  training,  pinching,  tying  and  pod- 
picking  required  great  attention ;  but  when  the 
plants  were  in  full  bloom  the  effect  was  charming. 
For  convenience  of  training  and  t>'ing,  a  four-legged 
stool  or  form  was  thrown  across  the  centre  of  the 
bed  ;  then  a  broad  plank  was  stretched  from  the 
grass  to  the  stool,  from  which  plank  any  part  of 
the  bed  could  be  reached  with  ease. — J.  Brown, 
Balminnoch,  N.B. 
Applying  Manure-Water  to  Roses  in  February. 

— I  was  much  surprised  to  read  Mr.  T.  Stevenson, 
in  "  Gardening  of  the  Week  "  of  the  issue  February  8, 
recommending  the  above  practice.  During  a  fairly 
long  experience  I  have  never  seen  nor' "known 
manure-water  given  at  this  time  of  the  year,  nnr 
can  I  recall  to  mind  having  seen  it  advised  by  other 
writers.  True,  it  is  carried  out  in  late  autumn, 
and  even  early  winter  when  mild,  for  fruit  and 
Rose  trees  ;  but  can  it  be  wise  to  give  manure- 
water  just  now  ?  To  the  writer  it  seems  more 
Ukely  to  be  injurious  than  in  any  degree  beneficial, 
but  I  may  be  wrong  in  so  judging  and  am  open  to 
correction.  Most  rosarians,  I  feel  sure,  are  anxious 
just  now  that  their  plants  should  remain  as  quiet 
as  possible  ;  but  manure-water  is  always  admitted 
to  have  an  exciting  or  stimulating  effect  upon 
growth.  There  is  another  month  of  dangerous 
weather  possibilities,  and,  owing  to  the  mild  weather 
we  have  had,  Roses  are  already  too  much  advanced 
for  the  time  of  year.  Is  there  any  proof  that 
Rose  trees  in  their  present  stage  of  growth  need 
or  can  avail  themselves  of  manure-water,  or  that 
the  soil  will  retain  it  until  they  stand  in 
neC'l  ? — C.  Turner. 


PRIZES     FOR    THE     BEST 
ROCK    GARDENS. 


To  further  stimulate  the  interest  that  is  being 
taken  in  rock  gardens,  the  Proprietors  of  The 
Garden  offer  the  following  prizes  for  three  photo- 
graphs of  a  rock  garden,  or  portions  of  a  rook 
garden  : 

First  Prize  :  Five  Guineas,  or  a  Silver  Cup  of 
that  value. 

Second  prize  :  Two  Guineas,  or  Books  of  that 
value. 

Third  prize  :   One  Guinea. 

The  competition  is  open  only  to  the  actual 
owner  of  the  rock  garden,  or  to  his  or  her  gardener. 
The  object  is  to  encourage  good  rock  gardening, 
and  preference  will,  therefore,  be  given  to  those 
rock  gardens  which  show  originality  in  design,  and 
where  the  plants  depicted  are  well  grown.  It 
should  be  distinctly  understood  tliat  awards  will 
be  made  to  the  best  rock  gardens,  and  not  neces- 
sarily to  the  best  photographs.  The  photographs 
need  not  be  taken  by  the  competitor,  who  must, 
however,  in  such  cases  have  the  written  consent 
of  the  photographer  for  their  reproduction  in  The 
Garden.  The  competition  is  subject  to  the 
following  rules  : 

1.  Not    more   than    three    pliotographs    of    each  , 

garden  may  be  sent  in  by  one  competitor. 

2.  Each  photograph  must  have  the  full  name  and 

address  of  the  competitor  plainly  written 
on  the  back  in  ink. 

3.  Successful   competitors   shall   furnish   wTitten 

particulars  of  the  rock  garden  forming  the 
subject  of  their  photographs. 

4.  Glazed  P.O. P.  prints  must  be  sent,  and  each 

should  be  on  a  mount  with  not  more  than 
half  an  inch  margin. 
=,.  -Ml   photographs   must   be   sent    to   arrii'e   at 
The  Garden  Offices,   20,  Tavistock  Street, 
Strand,  W.C.  not  later  than  June  i,  1913. 

6.  Unsuccessful    photographs   sent    in    for   com- 

petition will  be  returned  if  a  sufficiently 
stamped  and  addressed  envelope  or  wrapper 
is  enclosed  for  the  purpose,  but  no  responsi- 
bility will  be  taken  for  the  loss  or  damage  of 
photographs  submitted,  although  every  care 
will  be  taken  to  return  them  uninjured. 

7,  The    Proprietors   of  The   Garden  reserve  to 

themselves  the  right  to  reproduce  ayn 
photograph  sent  in  for  competition. 

5.  The  decision  of  the  Editor  will  bf-  final. 


CROCUS  KATHLEEN  PARLOW. 

This  new  Crocus  is  an  exceptionally  bold-looking 
and  handsome  bedding  variety  with  pure  white 
flowers.  The  plant  is  a  very  free  bloomer.  It 
was  exhibited  by  Messrs.  Cartwrigbt  and  Goodwin 
of  Kidderminster  at  the  last  fortnightly  exhi- 
bition of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  when 
it  was  the  only  novelty  brought  before  the  floral 
committee  to  receive  an  award.  It  was  granted  an 
award  of  merit. 


FORTHCOMlNCr    EVENTS. 

March  4.— Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Meeting 
and  Bulb  Show  (two  days).  Lecture  at  three  o'clock 
on  the  first  day  by  Mr,  W.  H.  Divers,  V.M,H.,  on 
"  The  Spring  Flower  Garden,"  Scottish  Horti- 
cultural Association's  Meetmg,  Croydon  and  Dis- 
trict Horticultural  Mutual  Improvement  Society's 
Meeting. 

March  6. — Linnean  Society's  Meeting. 


104 


THE     GARDEN. 


[March  i,  1913. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


A     SIMPLE    GARDEN     SEAT. 


m 


A>JY  pleasing  features  of  a  garden  can 
be  made  in  the  simplest  way,  and 
the  garden  seat  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying illustration  is  one  of  these. 
The  seat  itself  is  of  a  simple 
character,  constructed  of  slips  of 
wrjod  about  an  inch  and  a-half  across  and 
aljout  an  inch  thick.  It  is  set  on  posts  with  a 
pavement  of  flat  stones  underneath  and  in  front, 
and  is  covered  with  an  arching  bower,  composed 
of  branches  from  an  old  Ash  tree  which  stood  in 
the  field  from  which  the  garden  was  formed,  and 
which  had  to  be  cut  down  for  the 
sake  of  the  garden.  These  were 
selected  so  as  to  form  arches  over 
the  seat,  and  they  have  been 
covered  over  with  the  lovely  Blush 
Rambler  Rose,  one  of  the  freest 
.md  most  vigorous  as  well  as  one 
of  the  most  charming  of  all 
Rambler  Roses.  It  makes  strong 
shoots  annually,  and  these,  if  just 
shortened  and  the  weak  and  oldest 
wood  removed,  give  each  year  a 
mass  of  lovely  blush  flowers.  These 
are  comparatively  small  and  semi- 
double,  and  are  borne  in  huge 
hunches.  The  illustration,  unfor- 
tunately, does  not  show  the  whole 
of  the  flowers. 

Dumfries.  S.  .Arnott. 


believe  it  belongs.  It  is  of  China-like  growth  and 
a  very  pretty  and  promising  variety,  but  it  appears 
to  be  catalogued  as  a  Tea  in  most  lists. 

Miss  Alice  de  Rothschild  (A.  Dickson  and 
Sons,  1910). — This  is  a  good  strong  grower,  almost 
Hybrid  Tea-like  in  growth,  but  with  a  Marechal 
Niel  perfume  that  may  or  may  not  denote  its 
parentage.  A  free-flowering  yellow  Tea  of  much 
promise  as  a  garden  Rose,  mildew-proot,  and  makes 
a  fine  standard. 

Mrs.  Foley  HobbS  (A.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1910). 
— Although  an  exhibition  Rose  of  the  first  water, 
this  Rose  should  be  in  every  garden.  I  consider  it 
the  finest  Tea  of  recent  introduction,  and  as  it  is  of 
easy  culture  and  good  growth,  good  alike  on  dwarf 
or  standard   and   sweetly  perfumed,    all  should  try 


SOME     OF     THE     NEWER 
ROSES. 

TEA     ROSES. 

(Qontimied  from  page  92.) 
Many  of  the  Teas  make  fine 
decorative  garden  plants,  especially 
the  more  hardy  varieties  of  the 
family,  such  as  G.  Nabonnand, 
Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens,  Mme.  Antoine 
Mari,  Jean  Dupuy  and  Souv.  de 
Pierre  Notting,  to  name  only  a  few  ; 
and  in  the  South  and  South-West 
they  might  with  advantage  be  much 
more  freely  planted.  A  good  Tea 
is  the  most  beautiful  Rose  we  have. 
There  is  an  additional  refinement 
about  the  flower  that  other  Roses 
lack,  and  the  extra  trouble  that 
may  be  necessary  for  their  cuUure 
is  so  slight,  taking  the  form  of 
earthing  up  durmg  the  winter,  that 
one  is  amply  repaid.  I  have 
already  dealt  with  the  newer  ex- 
hibition varieties,  and  the  garden  or  decorative 
list  is  not  a  long  one,  as  few  of  the  hybridists 
make  a  speciality  of  Teas. 

Lady  Hillingdon  (Lowe  and  Shawyer,  1910). — 
This,  until  the  appearance  of  Sunburst,  was  our 
deepest  yellow  garden  Rose,  and  I  am  not  sure 
that  it  is  not  still  entitled  to  that  distinction. 
It  has  fine  long  pointed  buds  of  a  deep  apricot 
yellow,  but  the  open  flower  is  apt  to  be  thin.  A 
fine  Rose  on  a  standard  or  half-standard,  but  it 
hangs  its  head  somewhat,  which  is  its  only  fault. 
A  good  grower,  mildew-proof  and  fragrant.  Awarded 
the  gold  medal  of  the  National  Rose  Society. 

Little  Dorrit  (Paul  and  Son,  1912). — This  I 
described  under  "  Hybrid   Teas,"  to  which    cla;s  I 


frosts  of  October,  it  was  one  of  the  last  Roses  in 
my  garden  to  give  me  a  good  flower. 

DWARF    POLYANTHAS     OR    POMPONS. 

There  have  been  a  fair  number  of  additions  to 
these  delightful  Roses  in  the  last  few  years,  but  I 
have  not  grown  many  of  them.  Herr  Peter  Lambert 
of  Trier  has  given  us  many  varieties.  Messrs. 
Paul  and  Son  of  Cheshunt  have  sent  out  several, 
notably  their  Queen  of  the  Musks  and  Snowstorm. 
Then  two  very  fine  additions  to  this  cLass  in  Maman 
Turbat  (Turbat  and  Co.),  a  very  pretty  flower, 
large  for  this  class,  and  Yvonne  Rabier  (Turbat  and 
Co.),  a  beautiful  white  that  should  be  grand  for 
beds,  made  their  appearance  at  the  "  International  " 
at  Chelsea,  and  are  now  in  commerce.  They 
should  certainly  be  tried. 

Jessie  (Merry weather,  1909)  must 
also  be  mentioned.  A  bright  crim- 
son, small-flowered  variety  but  very 
free,  keeping  its  colour  well  and 
always  in  bloom.  Excellent  for  a 
dwarf  bedder  under  standards  or 
as  an  edging.  I  have  a  half- 
standard  that  is  carrying  flowers 
now  (February),  notwithstanding 
wind,  rain  and  hurricane. 

Orleans  Rose  (Levavasseur. 
1910). — A  fine  companion  to  the 
above,  and,  I  think,  the  best  of  all 
the  numerous  pink  varieties.  I 
prefer  it  to  Mrs.  Cutbush,  gene- 
rally accepted  as  the  best  pink. 
It  is  freer-flowering  in  the  autumn, 
and  produces  its  flowers  in  immense 
clusters. 
Southampton.     H.  E.  Moi.vneu,\. 


A    SIMPLE    G.^RDEN    MiAT.       THb    ARCH     IS    COVERED    WITH    ROSE 
BLUSH     RAMBLER. 


it  who  have  not  done  so.  A  gold  medal  variety. 
Colour,  delicate  cream  ;  the  catalogues  call  it  ivory 
white.  The  young  flowers  have  a  slight  Picutee 
edging  that  adds  to  their  charm. 

Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens  (S.  McGredy  and  Son, 
1910). — Another  Rose  I  referred  to  under  "  Exhibi- 
tion Varieties,"  but  its  right  place  is  among  the 
garden  Roses.  A  pure  white  Rose  of  long  pointed 
flowers,  of  not  many  petals,  that  hangs  its  head 
modestly ;  it  is  a  great  favourite  with  me.  A 
vigorous  grower  for  a  Tea,  as  hardy  as  any  Rose. 
I  am  inclmed  to  call  it  the  most  refined,  if  not  the 
most  beautiful,  of  all  white  Roses.  A  bed  of  it 
has  flowers  from  May  untU  December  in  an  ordinary 
season,    and    last    year    (1912),    despite    the    early 


FALLACIES     REGARDING 
TEA    ROSES. 

In  most  of  our  Rose  guides  we 
are  instructed  to  give  Tea  Roses 
a  light,  gritty  soil,  and  the 
warmest  spot  we  can  select  for 
them,  -■^s  I  have  no  specially  warm 
spot,  and  as  my  soil  is  about  as 
strong  a  clay  as  can  well  be  ima- 
gined, I  was  compelled  to  plant 
my  Tea  Roses  under  these  dis- 
advantages. But  what  do  I  find  ? 
Why  !  simply  that  the  Roses  seem 
intensely  happy  tmder  the  condi- 
tions named.  I  have  such  sorts 
as  Mrs.  Myles  Kennedy,  Hugo 
Roller,  W.  R.  Smith,  Molly  Shar- 
man  Crawford,  Anna  Olivier  and 
Medea  making  basal  growths  as 
thick  as  one's  little  finger.  Varieties 
such  as  Souvenir  de  Catherine 
Guillot  and  Mme.  de  WattevUle  seem  quite  happy, 
and  I  know  from  past  e.xperience  in  other  parts 
that  they  are  not  the  easiest  sorts  to  pull  through. 
I  admit  I  have  the  advantage  of  the  sea  air 
about  one  and  a-half  miles  away,  b)it  I  think  it  is 
the  soil.  The  conclusion  I  have  come  to  is  that 
the  seedling  Briar  prefers  clay,  and  as  we  bud 
our  Tea  Roses  on  the  seedling  Briar,  it  seems 
reasonable  to  study  rather  the  stock  than  the 
Rose  budded  upon  it.  We  may  know  that  the 
wild  Briar  loves  moisture,  for  do  we  not  often  find 
them  luxuriating  near  a  brook  ? 

It  is  really  wonderful  what  a  length  a  seedling 
Briar  root  will  descend.  I  have  dug  some  plants 
this  vear  whose  roots  when  measured  were  over  a 


March  i,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


106 


yard  in  length.  No  wonder  such  plants  can  laugh 
at  a  dry  season  when  they  are  so  well  anchored 
in  a  clay  subsoil.  1  thought  perhaps  this  might 
be  a  useful  topic  to  discuss  at  this  slack  season, 
and  it  would  be  very  helpful  to  beginners  in  Rose- 
growing.  Dasecroft. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

GREENHOUSE    PLANTS    FROM    SEED- 

WITH  the  advent  of  spring,  seed- 
sowing,  both  out  of  doors  and 
under  glass,  is  in  full  sxving, 
and  among  other  items  the 
decoration  of  the  greenhouse 
and  conservatory  during  the 
summer  and  autumn  months  has  to  be  fully  con- 
sidered and  provided  for.  Of  course, 
many  of  the  occupants  of  these  struc- 
tures are  of  a  permanent  character, 
and  others  that  loom  largely  as  green- 
house flowers,  such  as  Primulas, 
Calceolarias,  Ciner.irias  and  Cycla- 
men, must  not  be  sown  thus  early 
in  the  year.  Still,  there  are  a  great 
many  that  may  be  sown  now,  notably 
a  large  variety  of  annuals,  which  for 
greenhouse  decoration  increase  in 
popularity  year  by  year.  One  of 
the  reasons  of  this  is  that  annuals 
have  had  a  deal  of  attention  devoted 
to  them  of  late,  the  result  being 
vastly-improved  forms,  and  also  the 
fact  that  the  .different  varieties  and 
colours  can  be  depended  upon  tn 
come  true  from  seed.  It  is,  of  course, 
necessary  that  the  seed  be  obtained 
from  a  reliable  lirm. 

Good  Kinds. — Of  flowering  annual- 
that  are  particularly  amenable  to  pot 
culture  may  be  mentioned  .-^lonsoas. 
Nemesias,  Phlox  Drummondii,  .\sters. 
Balsams,  Browallias,  Celosia  pyra- 
midalis,  Clarkias,  Mignonette. 
Rhodanthe  .Vlaiiglesii.  Stocks  and 
Schizanthus.  .\lt hough  some  of  thesr 
do  not  remain  at  their  best  for  lonp, 
by  sowing  at  intervals  a  succession 
may  be  kept  up  for  a  considerable 
time. 

Hints  on  Sowing. — The  golden  rule 
to  be  observed  in  sowing  annuals,  or, 
in  fact,  seeds  of  any  kinds,  is  to  take 
care  that  they  are  not  sown  too 
thickly,  otherwise  they  are  heavily  handicapped 
from  the  start,  being  drawn  up  thin  and  weak. 
To  obviate  this,  the  young  plants  should  after 
germination  have  plenty  of  light  and  air,  as  if 
once  weakened,  their  natural  sturdy  character 
cannot  be  restored. 

-^s  an  object-lesson  agamst  overcrowding, 
reference  may  be  made  to  a  charming  group  of 
Nemesias  which  was  shown  last  summer  at  one 
of  the  meetings  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Societv. 
These,  which  were  in  pots  4^  inches  and  5  inches 
ill  dianieter,  were  perfect  httle  models  and  masses 
"i  bloom.  Each  put  contained  but  a  single  plant. 
The  young  plants  were  stopped  twice  during  their 
growing  period,  and  in  this  way  they  formed  ideal 
little  specimens.  Ui  course,  they  were  not  allowed 
to  get  drawn  or  stunted  at  any  time.  The  differ- 
ence between  plants  grown  in  this  free  and  natural 
manner  and  others  that   developed  under  crowded 


conditions  was  brought  forcibly  to  my  mind  a 
week  or  two  after  I  saw  those  at  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Hall,  when  a  large  batch  that  made  a  fine 
show  of  flower  was  exhibited.  .\t  a  httle  distance  the 
display  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  but  close 
inspection  revealed  the  fact  that  each  pot  con- 
tained several  weak  plants  that  could  not  possibly 
keep  up  a  display  for  as  long  a  period  as  those 
that  had  been  grown  singly.  Moreover,  the  mixed 
tmts  were  less  pleasing  than  those  of  the  plants 
which  had  been  grown  singlv. 

Homilies  against  thick  seeding  are  often  in- 
dulged in,  but  still  it  goes  on  Perhaps  m  some 
respects  the  seedsmen  are  to  blame  in  giving  us 
so  much  for  our  money.  The  grand  effect  often 
produced  by  a  solitary  self-sown  annual  in  the 
open  ground  furnishes  a  good  object-lesson  as  to 
the  possible  progress  of  a  plant  that  has  not 
been  coddled  in  anv  wav. 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN 


A    FLOWER   BORDER    OF   GREY    AND 
BLUE. 

HAPPILY,  there  is  no  lack  of  subjects 
that  lend  themselves  to  a  blue  and 
grey  colour  -  scheme  in  the  hardy 
flower  border,  and  few  colours  blend 
m  such  perfect  harmony.  Of  blue 
flowers,  the  tall  spikes  of  Delphiniums 
in  variety  and  Anchusa  itahca  Dropmore  variet>- 
are  indispensable,  while  others  that  readily  suggest 
themselves  are  Michaelmas  Daisies,  Lupines, 
Campanulas  in  variety.  Phloxes,  Flowers  of  a  Day 
(Tradescantia  virginica),  not  to  mention  the  many 
blue  -  flowering  annuals,  such  as  Cornflowers, 
Myosotis,  Nemophila  and  Nigella,  that  may  readily 
be  used  to  fill  any  vacant  spots  should  they  arise. 


-^    BORDER    OF    GRKY    KOLIAc^t    .\ND    ILuWhU- 


Plants   with  Ornamental  Foliage. — it  is  not 

flowering  plants  alone  that  are  readily  raised  from 
seed  and  can  then  be  used  for  decorative  purposes, 
as  many  whose  ornamental  foliage  is  their  chief 
claim  to  recognition  can  be  readily  increased  in 
this  way.  Among  these  may  be  included  Ama- 
ranthus  of  sorts,  whose  bright-coloiu'ed,  gracefully- 
disposed  leaves  are  very  effective  ;  Asparagus  in 
variety,  Coleus  of  sorts.  Eucalyptus  globulus  and 
E.  citriodora,  Grevillea  robusta,  Kochia  tricho- 
phila  (which  under  the  name  of  the  Summer 
Cypress  is  very  popular  both  indoors  and  out), 
with  the  different  variegated-leaved  forms  of  the 
Indian  Com  (Zea  Mays). 

Of  the  ornamental-fohaged  subjects  above  alluded 
to,  the  Asparagus,  Coleus,  Eucalyptus  and  Grevillea 
are  plants  of  a  perennial  character,  though  they 
are  readily  raised  from  seeds.  The  others  are  of 
annual  duration.  H.   P. 


For  grey  effects  one  needs  to  fall  back  upon 
foliage  plants  to  a  great  extent,  although  there 
are  suitable  flowers,  such  as  Gypsophila  and 
Statice  elata,  producing  drifts  of  grey  in  cloud- 
like effect,  as  seen  in  the  accompanying  illustration. 
Both  Erigerons  and  Eryngiums  may  be  used  to 
advantage,  and  help  to  make  up  a  late  summer 
border  such  as  this,  .'\mong  the  best  of  the  silver- 
leaved  plants  must  be  mentioned  Cineraria  mari- 
tima  and  Stachys  lanata,  while  Cerastiums  and 
.Antennarias  are  likewise  useful. 

The  subject  of  the  illustration  is  a  feature  of 
the  charming  gardens  at  Regal  Lodge,  Kentford. 
These  gardens  are  perfect  in  point  of  colour  and 
grouping,  each  feature  blending  unconsciously 
with  the  next  without  undue  formality  or  anv 
leaning  towards  overcrowding.  Thus  at  one  end 
of  this  flower  border  is  situated  a  paved  Lavender 
walk,  which  in  itself  is  a  study  in  grey  and  blue, 


106 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  i,  1913. 


A     MIXED     Bl  il;  I  M   1;     IN      i  II  I 

with  innumerable  patches  of  dwarf  Campanulas, 
chiefly  C.  pulla  and  the  variety  Miss  Willmott, 
with  bells  of  silvery  blue,  growing  between  the 
paving-stones. 

The  grass  path  in  front  of  the  flower  border 
leads  from  the  Lavender  walk  to  a  little  flight  of 
steps  in  grass,  whence  one  is  conducted  to  a  well- 
trained  pleached  alley  of  Lime  trees — a  feature 
that  was  at  one  time  popular  in  old-world  gardens, 
but  now  not  seen  as  frequently  as  one  might  hope 
to  see  it.  The  simple  design  of  the  trellis-work 
in  the  background  of  the  border  has  much  to 
commend  it,  and  when  clothed  with  blue- 
flowering  Clematises  it  wijl  enhance  the  beauty 
of  this  simple  flower  border,  where  harmony  in 
colour  rather  than  contrast  is  desired. 


SOME    HARDY     BULBS     FOR     SPRING 
PLANTING. 

While  many  bulbs  which  may  be  planted  in 
spring,  from  now  imtil  the  end  of  March, 
are  well  known,  there  are  a  goodly  number  which 
are  not  within  the  ken  of  the  amateur,  and 
about  which  he  may  like  to  know  a  little.  By 
their  aid  his  garden  would  be  rendered  a  pleasaimce 
of  higher  beauty  and  of  more  intense  interest. 
Some  of  these  bulbs  are  not  listed  by  many  bulb- 
dealers,  yet  all  may  generally  be  procured  through 
the  specialists  who  advertise  in  the  pages  of  The 
Garden.  They  ordinarily  present  little  difficulty 
in  their  cultivation,  but  it  must  be  noted  that  a 
number  of  them  are  not  suitable  for  permanent 
planting  and  ought  to  be  lifted  when  the  leaves 
l)ecome  yellow,  dried  carefully,  stored  in  dry  sand, 
and  kept  out  of  the  reach  of  frost  until  the  following 
spring.  Unless  otherwise  indicated,  they  should 
be  planted  in  an  open  soil  of  loam,  leaf-soil  and 
sand.  A  simny  place  is  preferable,  though  such 
flowers  as  the  Poppy  Anemone  should  have  a 
slightly-shaded  place. 

Anemones. — It   is  unnecessary   to  describe   the 
Anemones,   especially  of  the  coronaria  section,   of 


i.\kL>h.\b    .\r    GARNONS,    HEREFORD. 

which  the  St.  Brigid  varieties  are  the  best.  If 
planted  in  March  or  April  from  2J  inches  to  3  inches 
deep,  about  five  inches  apart,  they  will  bloom 
during  the  summer  months,  long  after  the  autumn- 
planted  ones  are  over.  The  glowing  scarlet  A. 
fulgens  and  its  varieties  may  also  be  planted  in 
spring.  A.  apennina,  blue,  can  also  be  planted 
up  till  the  middle  of  March. 

Anomatheca  cruenta. — A  gem  among  summer- 
flowering  bulbs  is  Anomatheca  cruenta,  which  has 
bright  crimson-scarlet  flowers  and  is  hardy  in  dry 
soil  in  some  places,  though  in  many  it  must 
be  lifted  and  stored  irntU  spring.  It  is  only  a 
few  inches  high,  and  does  best  in  a  little  shade. 

Bessera  elegans. — Here  we  have  a  charming 
flower  about  two  feet  high,  with  umbels  of  drooping 
scarlet  blossoms  outside,  but  white  inside.  Plant 
3  inches  deep  in  sandy  soil  and  lift  when  the  leaves 
die  do\™. 

Bravoa  geminiflora. — The  Twin-flower  is  a  gem 
among  summer-flowering  plants,  and  gives,  on 
stems  about  eighteen  inches  high,  from  twenty  to 
thirty  lovely  flowers  of  coral  red.  It  is  almost 
hardy,  but  should  have  some  winter  protection  if 
not  lifted  in  winter.     Plant  4  inches  deep. 

Chlidanthus  fragrans. — This  is  an  attractive 
yellow-flowered  bulb,  giving  white  or  yellowish, 
long-tubed  flowers  in  summer.  The  fragrance  of 
the  blooms  adds  to  their  attractions.  It  is  nearly 
hardy,  but  in  cold  districts  ought  to  be  lifted  and 
kept  in  sand  during  winter. 

Cooperia. — This,  called  the  Evening  Star,  is  a 
lovely  bulb  with  white  flowers,  which  only  open 
in  the  evening.  C.  Drummondii  and  C.  pedunculata 
are  the  best  species,  and  the  latter  is  the  more 
refined  of  the  two.  Plant  3  inches  deep  and  protect 
in  winter  if  not  lifted,  which  is  the  safer  plan. 
These  have  white  flowers  and  are  about  si.x  inches 
high. 

Crinums. — The  hardiest  of  these  stand  our 
winters  in  many  parts  of  the  British  Isles,  and  are 
magnificent  flowers  for    warm    places ;    they    give 


great  umbels  of  fine  flowers  on  plants 
3  feet  or  so  high.  The  bulbs  should 
be  planted  a  foot  deep  if  to  be  kept 
outside,  and  are  best  against  a  wall, 
with  some  protection  over  the  border. 
C.  hjngiflorum  or  capense  (pink), 
Its  variety  album  (white),  C.  Moorei 
(rosy  white,  slightly  tender),  C. 
Powellii  (rose),  C.  P.  album  (white) 
and  C.  yemense  are  the  best  for 
outdoor  culture. 
Hardy  Cyclamen. — I  prefer  autumn 

planting  lor  these,  but  dry  roots  of 
C.  europccum  (crimson)  and  C.  nea- 
politanum  (rosy  pink  or  white),  both 
flowering  in  autumn,  can  be  obtained. 
Plant  in  shade  about  one  inch  deep 
in  any  soil  with  some  lime  rubbish 
mixed  with  it. 

Habranthus   pratensls. — No  plant 
rxcitid    mure     uiterest    at     the    great 
show    at    Chelsea   last  year  than  this. 
It    is   hardy  in    the  Eastern  Counties 
if    grown  in    sandy  soil  near  a  sunny 
^       wall  in  well-drained  positions.     Plant 
0    inches    to    12    inches     deep.       The 
flowers,  of  a  brilliant  scarlet,  open  in 
May  or   June.       [Autumn  planting  is 
adopted  by  Mr.  Davison  of  Westwick 
Gardens,     Norwich,    who    grows    the 
plant  better  than  anyone  we  know.— 
Ed.] 
Galtonia     candicans. — Only     a    reminder    that 
March  is  the  time  to  plant  this  grand  bulb  is  neces- 
sary.    Its  pendent  white   flowers  are  simply  grand 
in  the  garden  in  autumn.      Plant  6  inches  deep. 

Incarvilleas. — These  beautiful  hardy  plants 
may  be  planted  in  the  open  from  February  to 
AprU.  Plant  3  inches  deep  in  good  soil.  I. 
grandiflora  is  the  dwarfest,  I.  brevipes  is  the  ne.xt, 
and  I.  Delavayii  the  tallest.  The  flowers  are  carmine 
or  crimson,  with  yellow. 

Milla  biflora. — This  is  a  charming  half-hardy 
bulb  with  dainty  star-shaped,  white  flowers.  Plant 
4  inches  deep  in  sandy  soil  in  a  warm  place,  and 
lift  and  dry  in  autumn. 

PancratitmiS. — In  these  we  have  lovely  hardy 
bulbs,  though  requiring  some  protection  or  lifting 
for  winter  in  cold  districts.  P.  illyricum  and  P. 
maritimum  are  the  best.  The  former  should  be 
plac  d  9  inches  deep,  but  the  latter  will  do  with 
from  6  inches  to  8  inches.  The  charming  white 
flowers  are  borne  in  umbels. 

Ranunculuses. — It  is  necessary  to  remind 
amateurs  that  Ranunculuses  may  be'  planted  in 
March  or  April  in  good,  light,  moist  soil.  Place 
the  tubers  about  two  inches  deep,  lift  when  the 
leaves  have  withered,  and  store  until  autumn  or 
spring.  The  Giant  Double  French  are  the  most 
vigorous. 

Tigridias. — Everybody  who  has  a  sunny  bed 
or  border  should  grow  some  of  the  Tigridias,  or 
Tiger  Flowers,  gorgeous  plants  in  sunshine,  and 
of  almost  barbaric  beauty.  Plant  2  inches  deep 
in  a  drv,  rich  bed  or  border,  and  when  the  foliage 
has  withered  lift  the  bulbs  and  store  in  dry  sand 
until  spring.  They  are  capable  of  wonderful 
effect,  giving  flowers  from  white  through  yellows 
to  lilacs,  roses  and  scarlets,  and  wonderfully  marked. 
It  is  unnecessary  to  speak  of  Gladioli  or  Mont- 
bretias,  as  they  are  frequently  treated  of  in  The 
Garden,  and  Mr.  Bowles  has  been  dealing  fully 
with  the  Lilies. 

Dumjriii.  S.   AkNorr. 


March  r.  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


107 


BORDERS       OF      ANNUALS      AND 
HERBACEOLfS     PLANTS. 

,\i.THOUGH  among  plants  of  :innual  duration  only, 
or  those  perennials  usually  growni  as  annuals,  we 
find  some  of  the  most  beautiful  of  our  outdoor 
flowers,  one  cannot  say  that  they  are  groivn  so 
extensively  as  their  merits  deserve.  For  their 
beauty  alone  such  kinds  as  Antirrhinums,  Lark- 
spurs, Godetias  and  Clarkias  demand  a  place  in 
the  best  of  gardens,  while  the  fragrance  of  such  as 
Mignonette  and  Night-scented  Stock  endears  them 
to  all.  Apart  from  their  beauty  and  fragrance, 
however,  annuals  are  particularly  useful  for  filhng 
blank  spaces  in  mixed  or  herbaceous  borders,  also 
for  planting  or  sowing  between  such  bulbs  as  May- 
flowering  Tulips.  These  bulbs,  owing  to  their  late 
date  of  flowering,  often  cause  the  gardener  con- 
siderable worry,  as  to  follow  them  with  ordinary 
bedding  plants  would  necessitate  lifting  the  bulbs 
some  time  before  they  were  ready. 

It  is  in  such  instances  as  this  that  annual  flowers 
have  a  special  value.  They  can  either  be  sown 
between  the  Tulips  or  other  late-flowering  bulbs, 
or  plants  can  be  raised  in  frames  and  planted  out 
between  the  Tulips,  this  latter  course  being  adopted 
with  such  kinds  as  .\ntirrbinums  and  Pentstemons, 
which,  though  not  strictly  annuals,  are  often  grown 
as  such,  and  which  must  be  sown  early  in  the  year 
to  get  them  into  flower  during  late  summer  and 
autumn. 

The  accompanying  illustrations — one  of  a  bulb 
border  sown  or  planted  with  annuals,  and  the 
other  a  mixed  border  containing  some  annuals  — 
are  from  photographs  taken  by  Mr.  J.  Crnot  Tucker 
in  the  gardens  at  Garnons,  Hereford,  the  residence 
of  Sir  John  Cotterell,  Bart.  We  are  indebted  to 
the  head-gardener  at  Garnons,  Mr.  Charles  Liddle, 
lor  the  following  particulars  relating  to  them. 
.Mr.  Liddle  has  only  been  at  Garnons  four  years, 
and  made  up  the  annual  borders  three  years  ago. 
These  borders  (shown  on  this  page)  are  planted  with 
May-flowering  Tulips,  these  being  grouped  in  masses 
of  separate  colours,  with  clusters  of 
German  Irises,  and  the  annuals  sown 
or  planted  between  them.  Among  the 
annuals  used  are  Antirrhinums,  tall 
white  and  pink,  and  intermediate  forms 
of  the  same  colours  ;  Pentstemons 
Gosford  Pink  and  Newbury  Gem, 
mauve  and  pink  Verbenas,  and  white 
and  purple  East  Lothian  Stocks.  Thi 
annuals  commenced  to  flower  at  the 
beginnmg  of  July,  and  made  a  good 
display  well  into  the  autumn. 

The  mixed  border  (page  io6)  is  in 
front  of  a  fruit  wall,  and  contains 
Roses  on  poles,  the  tLornless  Rose 
Zephyrine  Drouhin  being  successfuUv 
used  in  this  way.  Its  vigorous  habit, 
fragrance  and  the  delightful  colour  of 
its  blooms  render  it  excellent  for  the 
purpose.  Michaelmas  Daisies,  Heli- 
anthemums,  Campanula  pyramidalis 
and  Artemisias  are  freely  planted  in 
good-sized  groups,  with  plants  of  more 
lowly  stature  in  the  foreground. 

The  illustration  on  page  io8  show^ 
an  awkward-shaped  bed  in  an  Essex 
garden,  where  the  same  idea  of  using 
annuals  between  bulbs,  as  referred  to 
above,  has  been  carried  out.  The 
bed  contains  choice  Darwin  Tulips, 
between  which  the  Candytuft  was 
sown  abotit  the  middle  of  April. 
As    may    be    seen,    the    Candytuft    is 


perfectly  happy,  and  the  Tulips  were  none  the 
worse  for  the  association.  The  cost  of  the  seed 
used  in  this  bed  was  threepence.  After  the  Candy- 
tuft had  finished,  the  Tulips  were  lifted,  the  ground 
well  dug  and  the  bulbs  replanted.  Between  them 
Snowdrops  were  also  planted,  and  these  have  given 
a  right  royal  display  this  spring.  Now,  the 
Tulips  are  coming  up  freely,  and  later  on  will  give 
us  their  flowers,  to  be  followed  in  July  and  August 
with  a  display  of  annuals.  In  addition  to  Candy- 
tuft and  the  others  already  mentioned,  there  are 
many  annual  flowers  that  could  be  utilised  in  this 
way.  A  few  that  come  to  mind  are  Mignonette, 
white  .Myssum,  Leptosiphon,  Virginian  Stock, 
dwarf  Larkspurs,  Antirrhinums,  Nigella  Miss 
Jekyll  where  tall  plants  can  be  accommodated, 
(iodetia.  Clarkia  and  Shirlev  Poppv. 


COLOURED      PLATE. 

PliATB     1466. 


SNAPDRAGONS      AND      THEIR 
CULTIVATION. 

IN  the  Snapdragons,  or  Dragon's  .Mouths,  as 
we  delight  to  call  the  many  beautiful  forms 
of  Antirrhinum  majus,  we  have  flowers  of 
great  beauty  and  curious  form,  plants  of 
excellent  habit,  free-flowering  propensities 
and  almost  immune  from  disease,  while 
their  floral  display  is  continued  over  a  longer 
period  than  that  of  most  kinds  of  plants  which 
can  be  as  easily  raised  from  seed.  Snapdragons 
have  been  known  in  our  gardens  for  a  great  many 
years,  and  some  of  the  striped  forms  are  figured 
in  the  old  herbals  ;  but,  in  common  with  many 
other  flowers,  it  is  only  during  the  last  decade 
or  two  that  the  majority  of  the  beautiful  varieties 
which  adorn  our  gardens  have  been  evolved.  These 
varieties,  four  of  which  are  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying coloured  plate,  are  the  outcome  of  long, 
ardent,   intelligent   labours  on   the  part   of  a  few 


of  our  leading  seed  firms,  among  which  Messrs. 
Sutton  and  Sons  have  always  held  a  foremost 
position.  It  is  to  this  firm  that  we  are  indebted 
for  the  colour  photograph  from  which  the  coloured 
plate  has  been  prepared,  and  the  varieties  shown 
therein  are  from  their  trial  grounds  at  Reading. 

The  usefulness  of  these  modern  Snapdragons  in 
the  outdoor  garden  can  scarcely  be  overstated. 
Providing  the  soil  is  well  drained  and  does  not 
contain  a  great  amount  of  fresh  manure,  the  plants 
will  thrive  almost  anywhere.  Beds  or  borders 
may  be  filled  with  them,  or  clusters  of  one  colour 
may  well  find  a  home  in  the  mixed  border.  For 
those  narrow  borders  usually  to  be  found  next  to 
the  dwelling-house,  and  where  the  soil  is  often  too 
poor  and  dry  for  many  plants,  the  Snapdragons 
will  thrive  luxuriantly,  while  for  the  tops  of  walls, 
or  the  interstices  of  dry  walls  where  there  is  a  modi- 
cmn  of  good  soil,  we  know  of  few  better  plants. 
At  Hopetoun  House  Gardens,  Linlithgow,  par- 
ticulars of  which  appeared  in  our  issue  for 
January  ii,  a  whole  border  of  large  dimensions  is 
devoted  to  them,  and  so  well  are  the  beautiful 
art  colours  blended  that  the  border  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  features  of  a  particularly  interesting 
garden. 

Cultural  Notes. — .Although  these  Antirrhinums 
are  strictly  of  perennial  duration,  the  most  favoured 
method  is  to  treat  them  as  annuals  or  biennials, 
preferably  as  annuals.  For  this  purpose  seeds 
are  usually  sown  early  in  February,  and  from  then 
onwards  until  well  into  March,  so  that  if  seeds  are 
procured  and  sown  at  once,  good  plants  should  be 
available  for  the  outdoor  garden  by  the  second  or 
third  week  in  May.  Well-drained  boxes  or  pans, 
filled  with  soil  composed  of  good  loam  two  parts, 
coarse  grit  one  part,  and  a  little  sweet  leaf-soil  or 
old  manure,  should  be  used  for  seed-sowing,  which 
must  be  done  thinly,  and  the  seeds  lightly  covered 
with  fine  soil.  If  placed  in  a  warm  greenhouse  or 
frame,  the  seedlings  soon  appear,  and  should  be 
early  transplanted   to   other  boxes  or  pans  filled 


BORDERS    OF    .\XNU.\L    FLOWliRS    .\T    GARNONS,    HEREFORD.       THESE    BORDERS   WERE    FILLED    WITH 

TULIPS    IN"    THE    SPRIXG. 


108 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[March  i,  1913- 


with  similar  soil  to  that  already  advised,  except 
that  rather  more  decayed  manure  and,  if  available, 
a  little  old  mortar  may  with  advantage  be  added. 
The  seedlings  should  be  placed  3  inches  apart 
each  way,  as  it  is  highly  essential  that  sturdy, 
branching  young  plants  be  secured.  With  this 
end  in  view,  free  ventilation,  as  soon  as  the  seedlings 
are  established,  must  be  given,  and  they  must  be 
kept  near  the  glass.  If  in  a  frame,  the  lights  may 
be  entirely  removed  on  bright,  simny  days.  About 
the  second  or  third  week  in  May,  or  even  a  little 
later,  the  young  plants  should  be  put  out  about 
a  foot  apart  in  their  permanent  quarters,  and  from 
early  July  right  on  until  severe  frosts  are  experienced 
they  will  give  a  bounteous  display  of  flowers. 

When  treated  as  biennials, 
it  is  usual  to  sow  the  seed  in 
the  open  garden  in  June  or 
July,  subsequently  transplant- 
ing the  seedlings  either  into 
other  beds,  and  later  still 
into  their  flowering  quarters, 
or  direct  into  the  latter  posi 
tions,  whichever  method  is 
adopted  being  a  matter  of 
convenience.  Plants  raised  in 
this  way  'commence  to  flower 
in  early  summer,  and  continue 
to  do  so,  as  a  rule,  well  into 
the  autumn.  It  is,  however, 
essential  to  remove  seed-pods 
and  old  flower  -  stalks  as 
frequently  as  possible.  Named 
varieties  are  sometimes  in- 
creased by  means  of  cuttings  ; 
but  as  most  of  the  colours 
come  true  from  seed  and  the 
seedling  plants  usually  possess 
the  greater  vitality,  few  care 
to  bother  with  cuttings.  We 
prefer  the  tall  and  medium 
types  of  Snapdragons  to  the 
dwarf,  stunted  section,  which, 
however,  some  like  to  use  as 
an  edging  to  beds.  It  is,  how- 
ever, but  a  poor  example  of 
a  beautiful  race  of  flowers. 
With  the  wide  range  of 
colours  available,  it  would  be 
invidious  to  specially  mention 
any  by  name.  All  that  are 
offered  by  seed  firms  of 
repute  are  good. 


All   the   varieties   are   gross   feeders   and    prefer  ;  so   detrimental   to  success   as  deep   planting.     All 
an  alluvial  soil  rich  in  humus,  such  as  leaf-mo>ild  ,  the  rhizomatous  Irises  produce  their  rhizomes  along 


or  well-decayed  manure,  and  they  well  repay 
any  extra  trouble  taken  in  order  to  give  them  a 
good  start  ;  in  fact,  there  are  few  plants  of  such 
easy  culture  when  their  requirements  are  properly 
understood.  Of  course,  to  plant  them  in  a  dry 
position  or  in  poor,  sandy  soil' is  courting  failure 
at  the  commencement. 

When  to  Plant. — Another  point  is  that  they 
should  be  replanted 'at  the  right  time.  The  proper 
time  to  replant  this  and,  in  fact,  all  other  species 
of  this    extensive  genus  is  immediately  after  they 


the  surface  of  the  soil,  and  this  points  to  the  idea 
that  sunshine  is  essential  to  success.  The  primary 
roots  of  practically  all  the  genus  have  the  habit 
of  striking  straight  downwards,  and  once  these 
have  developed,  any  disturbance  afterwards  is 
distasteful  to  the  plants,  so  much  so  that  even  the 
operation  of  forking  between  the  clumps 
will  often  cause  them  to  fail  to  produce  their 
flowers. 

The  Best  Varieties. — Of   the    numerous   varie- 
ties   of   I.   sibirica    which    are    worth    growing,    I 


IRIS     SIBIRICA     AND 
ITS    VARIETIES. 

The  numerous  varieties  of  this 
handsome  and  well  -  known 
species  are  all  possessed  of  ex- 
ceptional merit  as  garden 
plants.  All  the  forms  are  ex- 
ceedingly graceful  and  are  most 
pleasing  when  grown  together  in  clumps  or  massed 
for  effect.  For  grouping  together  on  the  margins 
of  a  pond  or  water-course  there  are  few  subjects 
so  delightful,  the  lavender  blue  and  violet  coloured 
varieties  being  particularly  useful  for  this  purpose, 
forming  bright  and  most  pleasing  masses 
of  colour  in  the  landscape.  In  choosing  a  posi- 
tion in  which  to  plant,  the  chief  consideration 
should  be  to  secure  one  where  the  plants  will 
receive  full  sunshine  at  all  times,  preferably  one 
adjoining  or  in  the  vicinity  of  a  plentiful  water 
supply. 


have  finished  flowering,  not  in  the  winter  period,  I  can     recommend     the     following,     all    of     which 
as  is  the  case  with  most  herbaceous  plants.     It  is  I  may  be  purchased   from  nurserymen    at   from   3d. 

to  gd.  each  :  sibirica  (type), 
standard  (or  petals)  light  blue, 
fall  (or  sepals)  purplish  blue, 
reticulated  ;  alba,  pure  white  • 
Snow  Queen,  a  fine  white 
variety  with  raiher  larger 
flowers  than  the  type  ;  atro- 
purpurea,  a  rich  deep  purple  ; 
acuta,  deep  blue  falls,  white 
reticulations  and  of  dwarf,  com- 
pact habit  ;  furcata,  white, 
falls  reticulated  with  yellow  ; 
lactea,  white,  reticulated  with 
brown  ;  Melpomene,  a  dwarf 
variety  with  white  flowers ; 
and  Baxteri,  blue,  with  white 
falls. 

In  his  recent  monograph  of 
the  genus  Iris,  Mr.  W.  R. 
Dykes  suggests  that  I.  sibirica 
is  confined  to  Central  Europe 
and  Russia,  and  that  the 
Siberian  plant  is  I.  orientalis. 
He  points  out  that  the  two 
plants  may  be  readily  dis- 
tinguished by  their  fruits  and 
seeds,  and  illustrates  their 
distinguishing  characters  with 
some  exquisite  coloured  plates. 
Apart  from  their  fruits  and 
seeds,  the  two  plants  may  be 
readily  distinguished  by  their 
habit  of  flowering,  the  blos- 
soms of  I.  sibirica  being  borne 
on  long,  slender  stems  often 
twice  the  length  of  the 
leaves,  while  those  of  I. 
orientalis  are  on  short  stems 
partly  hidden  among  the  leaves 
or  barely  rising  above  them. 
P.   C.   Raffill. 


A  SUMMER  BED  OF  MIXED  CANDYTUFT.  IN  THE  SPRING  THIS  BED  WAS 
MADE  BEAUTIFUL  WITH  DARWIN  TULIPS  AND  THE  CANDYTUFT  SEED 
WAS    SOWN    BETWEEN    THEM    IN    APRIL.       (See  page  107.) 


immediately  after  the  flowers  are  over  that  the 
new  growths  are  made  with  their  accompanying 
new  roots,  and  any  necessary  division  or  replanting 
should  precede  the  new  growth.  In  the  case  of 
I.  sibirica  this  should  be  done  about  July,  but  is 
liable  to  vary  slightly  from  year  to  year.  If 
replanted  at  the  proper  season,   there  is  sufficient 


RAISING     ASTERS     IN 
COLD   FRAMES. 

It  is,  I  think,  safe  to  assert 
that  there  are  no  more  de- 
lightful flowers  grown  in  our 
gardens  than  these,  and  it  is  therefore  regrettable 
that  they  should  so  seldom  be  seen  in  per- 
fection. Of  course,  hundreds  of  amateurs 
produce  magnificent  blooms,  but  thousands 
of  others  have  flowers  of  mediocre  or  poor  quality. 
The  reasons  for  this  are  not  easy  to  indicate.  Beyond 
question  the  point  of  initial  importance  is  to  pro- 


time  for  them  to  become  established  in  their  new  1  cure  seeds  from  a  source  of  the  first  repute  :  but 
quarters  before  the  winter  period,  and  most  of  |  this  presents  no  difiiculties.  Then  the  seeds  must 
the  plants  will  flower  the  followrag  year.  In  j  be  sown  sensibly  and  the  plants  treated  rationallv 
planting  it  is  important  that  the  rhizomes  should  1  throughout,  and  these  things  are  not  invariably 
be  Hept  on  oj-  near  the. surf  ace,  as  there  js  nothjng  '•  done.     Then  the  soil  mifst  he  clean  and  not  made 


March  i,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


109 


1  ink  with  excessive  dressings  of  manure,  as  is  far 
(no  i-ommoaly  seen.  The  growers  then  wonder 
w:  their  plants  collapse — the  real  marvel  would 
'      if  they  lived  in  health  in  such  unsatisfactory 

aiitions.    The  fact  of  the  matter  is  that  the  idea 
.5  gaining  ground  that  manure  will  take  the  place  of 
mechanical  cultivation.  Those  who  hold  this  impres-  , 
sion  must  disabuse  their  minds  of  it  at  once  if  they 
desire  to  achieve  real  success  in  the  garden. 

The  point  raised  as  to  purchasing  seeds  of  the  ; 
finest  quality  has  been  practically  disposed  of  | 
already,  since  there  are  many  seedsmen  upon  whom 
complete  reliance  may  be  placed.  For  example, 
Messrs.  E.  Webb  and  Son  have  a  particularly  choice 
strain  of  Comet  ."Vster.  The  quality  of  the  blooms 
can    be    seen    in    the    illustration    on     page    no,  ' 


that  direction  often  end  in  dire  failure.  The  earlier 
the  seeds  are  sown  and  the  warmer  the  structure 
in  which  the  seed-boxes  are  placed,  the  greater  the 
trouble  of  culture  and  the  more  the  chances  of  loss 
and  disappointment.  Given  a  cold  frame,  even 
a  box  with  a  piece  of  glass  over  it,  some  sweet, 
fine,  friable  soil,  and  intelligence,  everything 
essential  to  success  is  at  command.  Let  there  be 
a  generous  proportion  of  sweet  leaf-mould  and 
sharp  sand  in  the  soil,  and  make  the  surface  firm 
and  level  prior  to  the  distribution,  evenly  and  very 
thinly,  of  the  seeds.  It  must,  of  course,  be 
pleasantly  moist,  and  it  is  then  improbable  that 
more  water  will  be  needed  until  the  seedlings  are 
through.  As  regards  the  time  of  sowing,  one  has 
latitude,   since   anv  dav  between   the  end   of   the 


base  of  humus  already  present,  it  is  much  wiser 
to  rely  upon  a  little  artificial  fertiliser  than  to  mix 
in  organic  manures.  There  are  plenty  of  excellent 
plant  foods  advertised  in  The  Garden  that  can 
be  advantageously  used  according  to  directions, 
or  a  home-made  compound  of  superphosphate  and 
sulphate  of  potash  may  be  applied.  In  any  case, 
let  the  dressing  be  made  three  weeks,  and  preferably 
one  month,  before  the  planting  is  done.         F.  R. 


THE     HEATH     GARDEN. 

HOW  TO    MAKE    AND    MAINTAIN    IT- 

In  these  days,  when  fashion  has  given  a  healthy 
impetus  to   the  improvement  of  flower  gardening 


.\N     Kll-ECTIVE    GROUPTNG    OF    TRTS    SIBIRICA    BY    THE    WATER-SIDE    AT    KRW. 


but  the  range  of  refined  and  charming  colours  is 
not  reproduced.  In  case  some  captious  critic 
should  cavil  at  the  two  or  three  single  plants 
observable,  let  it  at  once  be  said  that  they  were 
planted  as  fill-ups.  and  the  proud  owner  knew 
they  would  come  sooner  or  later  and  detract  a 
little  from  the  effect. 

Sowing  the  Seed. — The  next  point  which  shall 
l)e  passed  in  review  is  the  seeding.  No  artificial 
heat  whatever  is  necessary  ;  indeed,  I  am  inclined 
strongly  to  the  view  that  it  is  not  desirable. 
.Amateurs  with  heated  frames  and  greenhouses 
are  almost  sure  to  sow  the  seeds  too  early,  with 
the  inevitable  result  that  endless  worry  and  trouble 
are  involved  in  keeping  the  plants  sturdy,  strong 
«nd    compact,    and,    unfortunately,    all    efforts   in 


third  week  of  March  and  a  similar  time  in  .\pril 
will  answer  splendidly.  The  seeding  ought  to 
be  so  thin  that  thinning  wdl  not  be  required,  and 
when  the  available  space  is  filled,  prick  the  young- 
sters out  in  a  bed  to  strengthen.  Here  they  will 
make  many  roots,  and  about  the  end  of  May  they 
should  go  into  their  flowering  quarters.  Moderately 
firm  planting  is  necessary,  and  the  distance  asunder 
will  obviously  vary  with  the  varieties  cultivated. 
The  plants  shown  in  the  illustration  were  raised  in 
a  cold  frame  on  the  lines  indicated  above. 

Then  as  to  the  soil.  It  must  be  in  perfect 
ph\-sical  condition,  and  there  must  be  a  supply  of 
food.  To  ensure  the  first  named  one  digs  deeply, 
taking  small  bites,  and  to  provide  the  second 
essential  one  adds  manure  ;    but  where  there  is  a 


in  all  its  aspects,  including  rock,  water  and  wall 
gardening,  as  well  as  a  revival  of  topiary  work,  it  may 
not  be  out  of  place  to  enter  a  special  plea  for  a  more 
extended  use  of  this  interesting  race  of  hardy  plants ; 
and  if  one  could  imitate  the  graphic  pen  of  a  Reginald 
Farrer  and  so  describe  the  many  gems  contained 
in  the  genus,  their  easily-understood  and  modest 
requirements,  together  with  the  knowledge  that 
they  provide  an  inexpensive  hobby  which  may  be 
enjoyed  equally  by  those  looking  for  further  exten- 
sion to  their  pleasure  grounds  or  those  possessing  only 
a  small  strip  of  ground  which  may  be  unsuitable 
for  other  styles  of  gardening,  then  the  formation 
of  Heath  gardens  would  soon  become  general. 

The  genus  Erica,  belonging  to  the  Natural  Order 
Ericacese,  is  said  to  contain  between  four  hundred 


110 


THE    GAUDEN. 


[March  i,  1913. 


and  five  hundred  species,  the  majority  of  which 
come  from  South  Africa,  the  others  being  natives 
of  Britain  and  Southern  Europe.  The  common 
Heath  or  l.ing.  Erica  vulgaris  or  Calluna  vulgaris, 
so  plentiful  in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland  and  on 
moors  in  England,  is  said  to  extend  to  North 
America,  but  only  in  small  quantities.  The  South 
."African  species  were  at  one  time  largely  grown  as 
greenhouse  plants,  but  few  of  them  are  now  in 
cultivation,  their  places  being  filled  by  numerous 
soft-wooded  hybrids  which  are  largely  grown  on 
the  Continent  for  autumn  and  winter  decoration  ; 
but  it  is  of  the  varieties  that  have  proved  hardy  in 
Britain  that  I  propose  to  treat.  A  full  collection 
or  a  selection  of  those  best  suited  to  the  climate 
may  be  had  to  provide  a  succession  of  flower  almost 
throughout  the  year  ;  indeed,  it  may  be  said  that 
the  Heath  garden  is  never  entirely  devoid  of  flowers 
unless  when  the  plants  are  buried  deep 
in  snow.  Those  flowering  in  iate  autumn 
retain  their  flowers,  with  very  little 
diminution  in  the  bright  colours,  through 
the  dull  months  of  November  and  Decem- 
ber, and  after  the  plants  are  entfreh 
denuded  of  flowers,  numerous  varieties 
show  such  a  distinction  and  contrast 
in  the  colouring  of  the  foliage — some 
silvery,  some  golden,  and  others  bronzy 
or  russety — that  they  are  not  without 
decorative  effect,  while  such  varieties 
as  E.  multiflora,  E.  arborea  and  E. 
codonodes  will,  by  the  end  of  the  year, 
be  pushing  out  their  delicate  flowers 
until  arrested  by  severe  frost  or  a  heavy 
coating  of  snow,  only  to  reappear  with 
renewed  beauty  as  soon  as  the  sun  has 
proved  strong  enough  to  melt  the  snow 
on  the  higher  shoots.  These  three  are 
followed  in  quick  succession  by  a  host 
of  spring  and  early  summer  flowering 
varieties,  a  list  of  which  I  propose  to 
give  later  on,  with  their  respective  colours 
and  habits. 

The  increased  demand  now  shown  for 
all  kinds  of  outdoor  gardening,  and 
especially  for  hardy  plants,  has  been  the 
means  of  bringing  this  highly  interesting 
genus  into  more  prominence  than  it  has 
perhaps  hitherto  enjoyed  ;  and  while 
it  cannot  be  claimed  that  it  has  the 
reputation  of  having  an  accommodating 
nature,  its  wants,  when  properly  under- 
stood, are  easily  satisfied. 

Situation  and  Soil.  —  The  situation 

chosen  for  the  Heath  garden  should  be 
one  having  a  southern  aspect,  if  pos- 
sible, or  on  a  sunny  slope  leading 
from  the  formal  flower  garden  to  the  shrubbery 
or  plantation,  a  sort  of  connecting  link,  in  fact, 
between  the  purely  artificial  and  the  natural. 
The  place  selected  must  be  thoroughly  drained, 
if  not  naturally  a  dry  spot,  for  these  plants  will 
not  thrive  with  any  excess  of  moisture  about  the 
roots,  and  the  soil,  if  of  a  heavy,  retentive  nature, 
or  containing  much  lime,  would  require  to  be  re- 
moved and  replaced  with  a  mixture  of  peat,  leaf- 
mould  and  sand  or  grit.  Should  the  natural  soil 
lie  a  light,  sandy  loam,  however,  none  of  these 
ingredients  wi'l  be  required.  Fortunately,  or 
unfortunately,  I  have  here  a  soil  in  which  all  sorts 
of  hardy  Heaths  grow  and  luxuriate  without  any 
.issistance,  but  which  requires  heavy  manuring  and 
other  ingredients  to  produce  crops  of  fruit  and 
vegetables,  the  tiniest  scrap  of  Heath  with  but 
few   roots    attached    being   generally   sufficient    to 


establish  strong  plants  in  a  very  short  time.  As  an 
instance  of  the  ease  with  which  these  plants  can  be 
grown  when  the  soil  is  suitable,  we  have  a  section 
of  the  kitchen  garden  walks  edged  with  Erica 
carnea  and  E.  c.  alba  as  a  substitute  for  the  usual 
Box  edging  ;  these  grow  with  such  rapidity  that, 
although  clipped  annually,  they  have  to  be  lifted 
and  replanted  every  few  years.  The  effect  in  early 
spring,  when  the  lines  (about  eighteen  inches  in 
width)  are  an  unbroken  mass  of  flowers,  is  one  to  be 
envied  by  those  who  find  a  difficulty  in  getting 
these  plants  to  thrive. 

Formation  of  the  Heatti  Garden. — As  I  have 
already  said,  the  situation  of  the  Heath  garden 
may  form  an  adjunct  to  the  formal  flower  garden, 
or  it  may  be  an  extension  or  addition  to  the  rock 
garden  ;  and  a  very  pretty  effect  may  be  obtained 
if  a  piece  of  ground  is  selected  which  has  a  decided 


do  not,  as  a  rule,  molest  the  Heaths,  protecting 
fences,  which  often  prove  a  difficulty,  need  not  be 
considered.  The  positions  of  the  beds  having  been 
determined,  these  should  be  excavated  to  a  depth 
of  ij  feet  to  2  feet  and  filled  in  with  the  mixture 
already  mentioned.  Planting  may  be  safely  under- 
taken during  favourable  weather,  either  in  autumn 
or  spring.  The  fringes  of  shrubberies  or  large 
borders  might  also  be  made  more  interesting  by 
the  addition  of  numerous  varieties  of  the  Heath, 
disposing  them  in  large,  bold  clumps  or  in  bays 
formed  by  taller-growing  subjects.  Edgings  of 
some  of  the  dwarfer,  free-growing  sorts  might  be 
formed  around  the  margin  of  all  beds  or  borders 
containing  hardy  shrubs.  There  are  also 
numerous  varieties  that  do  not  exceed  5  inches 
in  height  which  might  find  a  place  in  the 
rockery,  their  stations  being  filled  with  a 
suitable  compost.  T.  Wilson. 

The  Gardens,  Glamis  Castle,  N.B. 
(To  be  continued.) 


TREES    AND    SHRUBS. 


w 


A    BED    OF    MIXED    COMET    ASTERS.       THESE    WERE    RAISED 
FROM  SEED  SOWN  IN  A  COLD  FRAME  IN  MARCH.   (See  pagelOS.) 


slope  with  an  undulating  surface,  where  beds  of 
irregular  shapes  and  sizes  could  be  made  to 
harmonise  with  the  existing  surroundings.  A 
plantation  or  belt  of  timber  on  the  north  and  east 
of  the  site,  if  an  exposed  one,  would  give  shelter 
to  visitors  and  do  no  harm  to  the  plants  ;  while  a 
rustic  summer-house,  thatched  with  Heather 
obtained  from  some  friendly  owner  of  a  grouse 
moor,  erected  on  a  spot  to  command  a  good  view 
of  the  garden,  would  add  to  the  general  comfort 
and  appearance.  Avoid  geometrical  designs  or 
the  making  of  gravel  paths,  which  I  do  not  think 
are  in  keeping  with  the  subject  under  notice.  Beds 
cut  out  in  grass,  so  that  when  in  full  growth  the 
plants  may  appear  as  if  growing  naturally  in  clumps 
out  of  the  turf,  give  the  best  effect.  The  grass  will 
require  to  be  kept  regularly  mown,  so  that  each 
bed  may   be   examined  conveniently.     As  vermin 


THE    .JAPANESE    QUINCES. 

E  are  so  accustomed 
to  the  red  -  flowered 
form  of  C  y  d  o  n  i  a 
japonica  that  the  other 
distinct  and  vari- 
coloured varieties  are 
apt  to  be  neglected.  The  mild  weather 
of  the  present  winter  at  Kew  has  been 
especially  favourable  for  the  different 
forms  growing  in  the  border  near  ■  the 
Pagoda.  For  nearly  two  months  now 
the  notice  boards  at  the  entrance  gates 
have  indicated  to  visitors  that  the 
Cydonias  are  an  object  of  special  interest. 
Near  the  Pagoda  the  plants  are  grown 
as  bushes,  while  at  the  other  end  of  the 
Gardens  several  plants  are  flowering 
freely  against  a  wall.  The  protection 
afforded  the  latter  is  very  beneficial 
during  an  ordinary  winter.  Among  an 
interesting  and  varied  list  of  varieties, 
the  following  will  be  found  a  useful 
selection  for  walls,  fences,  or  grown  as 
bushes  in  a  border  (in  most  instances 
the  name  indicates  the  colour  of  the 
flowers) :  C.  japonica  (red),  Aurora  (pale 
salmon  pink),  alba,  atrococcinea,  can- 
dica  or  candicans  (pale  sulphur  white, 
very  free),  luteo  viridis  (yellow, 
shaded  green),  Moerloezii  (pink  and 
white,  a  strong  grower),  umbihcata  (rich  rose), 
sulphurea  perfecta,  and  flore  pleno  (semi-double, 
red).  A  closely-allied  species,  C.  Maulei,  with 
orange  scarlet  flowers,  is  also  blooming  freely. 
Of  this,  alba,  superba  (dark  red)  and  Leichtlinii 
(red)  are  distinct  varieties.  Layering  forms  a 
ready  means  of  increasing  these  Quinces. 

AND 


SOME 


GOOD  WINTER  TREES 
SHRUBS. 
Prunus  davidiana  alba.— This,  althougl\  it 
flowered  abnormally  early  tliis  season,  is  one  of  our 
earliest-flowering  trees,  and  during  the  first  week 
of  the  New  Year  was  one  of  the  greatest  attrac- 
tions in  the  gai-den.  Owing  to  its  blossoms  being 
pure  white,  it  is  not  so  readily  seen  as  many  others 
of  the  Prunus  family  ;  but  when  the  long,  whip-like 
growths,  studded   witli  flowers,  are   caught   in    the 


March  r,  1913] 


THE     GAliDEN. 


Ill 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 


P 


GARDEN     PEAS. 

EAS  form  one  of  our  most  popular 
garden  crops,  and  may  be  grown  in 
almost  any  garden  providing  the 
ground  is  properly  prepared  for  them. 
The  Pea  is  a  deep-rooting  and  moisture- 
loving  plant,  and  only  when  the  soil  has 
been  thoroughly  prepared  can  the  best  results  be 
obtained  ;  but,  given  these  conditions,  and  by 
frequent  sowmgs,  a  continual  supply  of  young 
pods  may  be  kept  up  from  May  till  October,  or 
even  November  if  the  weather  is  favourable.  To 
grow  Peas  to  perfection  it  is  necessary  to  trench 
and  prepare  the  land  early  in  winter  and  to  mix 
a  liberal  supply  of  decomposed  farmyard  manure 
with  the  soil   as  the  work  proceeds. 


right  light,  it  is  a  beautiful  picture.     The  tree  is  of 
pyramidal    growth,    with    branches    arising    from 
the  base  almost  as  fastigiate  as  a  Lombardy  Poplar 
and  some  i8  feet  in  height,  and  every  year  blossoms 
m    spite   of   the    weather    prevailing    at    the    time, 
though  1  have  never  seen  it  so  thickly  laden  as  at 
this    season.     The    five-petalled    flowers    are    pro- 
duced in  ones  and  twos  the  entire  length  of  last 
year's  growth,  and  are  barely  an  inch  in  diameter. 
Cornus     Mas. — This     deciduous    species,     com- 
monly known   as  the  Cornelian   Cherry,   from  the 
fact  that  established  bushes  produce  fruits  resem- 
bling   a    long    Cherry,   has  flowered    profusely.     It 
occurs  wild  in   the   North    of  Asia  in   hedges   and 
;imong  bushes,  and  the  wood,  being  exceptionally 
hard,  is,  I  believe,  used  for  making  skewers,  tooth- 
picks and  similar  articles.     In  this  country,  how- 
ever, it  forms  a  fairly  slow-growing,  compact  bush, 
'and   at    this   season    is    attractive    because   of    its 
minute   yellow  flowers,  which  are  par- 
ticularly pleasing  and  interesting.     In 
addition  to  the  type  there  are  one  or 
two    forms    which    produce     prettily- 
variegated  foliage,  and  especially  good 
is    the    variety    C.    Mas    foliis    aureis 
variegatis, 

Aralia   chinensis. — To   those  who 

have  a  considerable  amount  of  plant- 
Mig  to  do,  and  who  do  not  know  the 
merits  of  this  shrub,  I  would  strongly 
recommend  it.  The  name  by  which 
it  is  now  recognised  is  certainly  much 
more  suitable  than  Dimorphanthus 
mandschurica,  under  which  it  is  often 
met  with.  It  is  perfectly  hardy,  will 
thrive  anywhere,  and  produces  large 
;xnd  elegant  foliage,  which,  however, 
falls  at  the  first  touch  of  frost.  The 
stems,  which  are  prickly,  are  quite 
hardy,  and  attain  a  height  of  lo  feet 
or  so.  When  once  established  this 
subject  may  easily  be  propagated  by 
suckers,  which  arise  from  the  base. 
During  the  summer  its  appearance  is 
considerably  enhanced  by  the  large 
trusses  of  flower,  which,  if  not  indi- 
vidually beautiful,  give  the  plant  a 
further  sub-tropical  appearance.  There 
are  two  variegated  forms  of  this  shrub, 
one  bearing  silver,  the  other  golden 
variegation.  Both  are  pleasingly 
marked  and  totally  distinct  from  each 
other.  As  the  leaves  have  a  great 
spread  when  fully  matured,  abundance 
of  room  must   be  allotted  the   shrubs 

when  planting,    a  matter   which   might   easily    be        When    to    Sow. — At    Frogmore    we    ni,ake    our 
overlooked,  as  when  denuded  of  their  foUage  one  i  first   sowing  in   the  open   as    early  in   January  as 


selected  for  sowing.  For  instance,  a  4-feet  Pea 
should  be  allowed  6  feet  between  the  rows,  and, 
if  necessary,  a  line  of  Spinach  or  some  other  quick- 
growing  crop  may  be  sown  between  the  rows, 
to  be  gathered  before  the  season  is  too  far  advanced, 
as  nothing  of  this  kind  should  be  allowed  to  remain 
long  enough  to  obstruct  the  free  passage  of  light 
and  air  among  the  plants.  The  drills  in  which  the 
seeds  are  sown  should  be  at  least  4  inches  deep, 
and  the  seeds  covered  with  2  inches  of  the  finest 
soil  from  the  surface  of  the  bed  which  has  been 
exposed  to  the  weather  during  the  winter,  and 
the  soil  taken  from  the  drills  may  be  allowed  to 
remain  as  a  protection  to  the  young  plants  from 
cold  east  wind  during  the  early  spring.  When  a 
few  inches  high,  this  soil  may  be  carefully  worked 
in  among  them  before  the  sticks  are  placed  in 
position,  thus  leaving  the  ground  almost  level, 
instead  of  drawing  the  soil  up  to  the  plants  in  ridge- 


PE..\    INTERNAT10N.\L,    .\    NEW    LARGE-PODDED    MAINCROP    VARIETY    OF    GOOD    CROPPING    QUALITIES 

AND    EXCELLENT    FLAVOUR.       (Much  reduced.) 


:an  hardly  imagine  them  to  be  the  same  plants. 

Cotoneaster  pannosa. — This  evergreen  Cotone- 
aster,  hailing  from  Yunnan,  is  one  of  the  finest 
berried  winter  shrubs  we  have,  and  has  been 
literally  covered  with  its  somewhat  small  red 
fruits  as  compared  with  some  of  the  other  members 
of  the  genus.  It  certainly  is  one  out  of  the 
numerous  species  and  varieties  now  growTi  that 
cannot  be  omitted,  and  it  has  been  in  commerce 
some  time.  It  makes  a  splendid  specimen  for  a 
lawn  as  we  grow  it  here,  as  it  has  quite  a  graceful 
habit  with  its  drooping,  slender  branches  and  its 
small  greyish  green  leaves.  On  our  cold,  wet  soil 
we  have  found  it  quite  hardy  during  the  last  few 
winters,  though  it  is  one  of  those  shrubs  that 
might  be  tried  against  a  wall,  where  it  would  make 
a  good  effect. 

Aldenham  HowiC,  Elilree.        Edwin'   Beckett. 


the  state  of  the  soil  will  permit.  For  the  earliest 
and  latest  sowings  a  sheltered  position  should  be 
chosen,  in  order  to  obtain  some  protection  from 
rough  wind,  for  although  young  Pea  plants  will 
stand  several  degrees  of  frost  without  injury, 
the  effect  of  rough  wind  upon  them  is  very  detri- 
mental. For  the  earliest  sowings,  only  hardv, 
round-seeded  varieties  should  be  chosen,  and  the 
rows  should  run  from  north  to  south,  in  order  to 
secure  the  maximum  of  light  and  air.  There  is 
great  risk  in  sowing  the  best  WTinkled  varieties 
before  the  middle  of  March,  and  only  then  if  the 
weather  and  the  state  of  the  soil  are  favourable. 
If  this  rule  was  more  generally  adopted,  there  would 
be  fewer  failures  with  this  class  of  Pea,  especially  in 
cold,  wet  seasons. 

Preparing  the  Drills. — The  space  between   the 


rows  must  he 


like  manner  and  casting  off  the  rain-water,  which 
is  so  necessary  for  the  production  of  first-class 
Peas. 

For  midsummer  or  maincrop  varieties  an  open 
position  should  be  chosen,  and  the  seeds  may  be 
sown  thinner  as  the  season  advances,  in  order  to 
promote  robust  growth  and  render  the  plants 
less  likely  to  suffer  from  mildew  than  if  crowded 
together,  as  they  frequently  are.  For  the  latest 
sowings,  which  should  take  place  early  in  Jiuie, 
a  position  should  be  chosen  with  some  natural 
protection  from  rough  west  wind,  which  often  proves 
disastrous  during  the  autumn.  This  is  a  very 
important  matter  where  an  unbroken  supply  has 
to  be  maintained  throughout  the  season. 

In  all  cases,  before  the  plants  are  staked 
a  number  of  small  twigs  should  be  placed  as 
close  to  the  plants  as  possible,  in  order  to  keep 
them   in    an    upright    position    until    tlieir    tendrils 


f-rneU  !>>■  the  height  of  the  varieties    reach  the  sticks 


112 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March   i,  1913 


Pests. — II-  ouce  the  plants  are  allowed  to  suffer 
from  insufficient  moisture  at  the  roots,  the  evil 
cannot  be  effectually  remedied  ;  but  it  may  be 
prevented  to  a  great  extent  by  timely  and  effectual 
watering  and  mulching.  There  is  no  more  fertile 
cause  of  mildew  among  Peas  than  an  insufficient 
supply  of  moisture.  Peas  suffer  greatly  from  the 
depredations  of  numerous  kinds  of  vermin,  and 
sparrows  in  particular,  which  should  be  guarded 
against  by  placing  wire  guards  over  the  rows  or 
by  covering  the  bed  with  fish-netting  as  soon  as 
the  young  plants  appear  above  the  surface  of  the 
soil.  If  slugs  are  troublesome,  there 
is  ho  better  remedy  than  dusting 
the  plants  with  soot  which  has  been 
exposed  to  the  air  for  some  time 
previous  to  use,  and  this  should  be 
applied  early  in  the  morning,  when 
the  atmosphere  is  moist. 

Varieties.  —  For  early  sowing 
there  is  no  more  reliable  Pea  than 
The  Pilot,  from  which  we  gathered 
our  first  supplies  on  May  24  last 
year.  The  seeds  were  sown  early 
in  January  on  a  south  border,  in 
trenches  4  inches  deep,  and  covered 
with  2  inches  of  fine  soil.  This 
Pea  was  raised  a  few  years  ago  by 
Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
and  is  rapidly  gaining  favour  both 
in  market  and  private  gardens. 
Other  varieties  to  follow  The  Pilot 
should  include  Veitch's  Acme.  This 
Pea  has  a  flavour  quite  its  own, 
and  if  sown  at  the  end  of  February 
should  be  ready  to  gather  about 
Ihe  middle  of  June.  If  dwarf  varie- 
ties are  desired  for  early  sowing, 
they  should  include  Little  Marvel 
and  Reading  Wonder,  the  latter 
being  one  of  the  earliest  dwarf 
Peas  in  cultivation.  Sutton's  Seed- 
ling and  Langley  Gem  are  also  very 
fine  dwarf  Peas.  For  the  second 
division  we  have  Gradus,  Early 
Giant  and  Daniels'  Matchless 
Marrow,  all  of  them  fine  Peas  for 
second  sowuig,  and  will  follow  the 
first  crop  for  succession.  In  main 
crop  varieties  Royal  Salute  is  one 
of  the  best.  Sutton's  Superlative, 
.Alderman  and  Discovery  are  all 
good.  For  the  latest  division, 
Chelsonian,  which  is  a  strong- 
airowing  variety  of  the  Ne  Plus 
Ultra  type  ;  Distinction,  a  fine  late 
Pea  which  resists  mildew  well ;  Rear- 
guard, a  new  late  variety  of  fine. 
quaUty  ;  and  Autocrat  are  all  to  be 
recommended.  For  exhibition  purposes 
is  none  to  equal  Carter's  Quite  Content. 

Royal  Gardens,  Windsor.  John  Dunn 


because  uo  Potatoes  can  be  bought  that  will  equal 
those  dug  from  one's  own  garden.  This  shoiJd 
apply  to  each  successive  group,  but  it  is  much  more 
pronounced  with  the  first  earUes  than  it  is  with 
those  grown  for  main  crop  and  late  use. 

Having  convinced  one's  self  of  the  paramount 
importance  of  the  Potato  crop,  it  should  not  be 
difficult  to  grasp  the  value  of  proper  soil  prepara- 
tion, of  procuring  perfect  seed  tubers,  of  planting 
carefully,  and  of  sprouting  the  sets  before  con- 
signing them  to  Mother  Earth.  The  particular 
size  of  set    utilised  has  a  substantial  bearing  upon 


A     GOOD 


there 


GOOD     POTATOES      FOR     SPRING 
PLANTING. 

The  garden  in  which  vegetables  are  grown  would 
be  lacking  the  most  important  of  economic  plants 
were  the  Potato  to  be  excluded,  and,  happily, 
such  a  peculiar  method  of  cropping  is  rarely  seen. 
It  is  often  impossible,  in  these  days  of  small  gardens, 
even  attached  to  houses  in  the  country,  where  the 
land  cannot  be  wcth  many  pounds  sterling  to 
the  square  fooi,  to  produce  enough  of  the  noble 
tuber  to  serve  the  year  round  ;  but  space  must 
always  be  found  for  a  few  rows  of  earlv  varieties. 


CROP     OF     POTATO      ROVALTY,      A     WHITE     MID-SEASON 
VARIETY    WITH    DWARF,    BRANCHING    HAULM. 


the  ultimate  results,  and  experience  in  many 
directions  goes  to  prove  that  an  average  weight  of 
30Z.  cannot  be  beaten. 

Preparing  the  Sets. — The  advantages  of  sprout- 
ing lie  in  the  production  of  a  more  vigorous  plant, 
which  wiU  have  greater  powers  of  resisting  the 
disease  than  one  that  has  been  grown  from  an 
unprepared  set  ;  in  the  prevention  of  gappy  lines 
in  a  quarter,  since  the  tuber  which  will  produce 
a  strong  sprout  will  give  a  fine  plant  ;  and  in  the 
fact  that  one  can  plant  later  and  harvest  the  crop 
quite  as  soon.  This  latter  is  a  point  of  import- 
ance, in  view  of  the  injury  resulting  from  late  spring 
frosts  It  is  wise,  too,  in  addition  to  sprouting 
the  seed  sets,  to  damp  them  thoroughly  ouce  or 
twice  with  Bordeaux  mixture,  with  a  view  to 
reducmg    the    serious   effects   of    the    blight.      It    is 


well  known  that  spores  cling  in  the  soil  on  the 
skins  and  also  congregate  in  the  buds,  and  it  is 
from  these  that  the  first  growths  of  the  murrain 
appear  rather  than  from  resting  spores  in  the  soil. 
The  old  method  of  dusting  the  tubers  with  lime  was 
good,  but  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  copper 
sulphate  solutionis  decidedly  better.  The  only  objec- 
tion that  I  have  heard  raised  to  the  system  is  that 
it  may  prejudice  the  progress  of  the  plants,  but 
proof  to  the  exact  contrary  is  not  difficult  to  adduce. 
Another  point  in  connection  with  seed  sets  is 
to  procure  them  from  an  outside  source  every  year. 
The  practice  of  saving  at  home  is 
wrong,  and  has  ended  in  the  ruin 
of  more  than  one  magnificent 
variety.  Buy  seed  from  some 
different  soil  and  climate — any 
source  rather  than  one's  own  dis- 
trict ;  but  avoid  South  of  England 
seed,  especially  from  light,  sandy 
lands,  as  one  would  avoid  the 
plague,  because  it  throws  too  big 
a  proportion  of  poor  plants,  and 
the  plants  are  hable  to  disease. 

In  choosing  Potatoes  one  is  pre- 
sented with  the  difficulty  that 
certain  varieties  will  grow  in  one 
garden  and  not  in  another,  even 
though  only  a  few  hundred  yards 
may  separate  them.  There  are, 
however,  some  Potatoes  which 
flourish  satisfactorily  in  the 
majority  of  places,  and  it  is  now 
purposed  to  mention  them. 

Some   Good  Varieties  . — A 

splendid  set  is  CiU'ter's  trio,  Early 
I'avourite,  Royalty  and  Long 
Keeper,  In  regard  to  the  second 
named,  it  is  worthy  of  note  that 
the  tubers  are  still  in  excellent 
I  ondition  and  are  cooking  magni- 
ficently, although  it  is  classed  as 
a  second-early  variety.  One  could 
not  go  in  for  Potato  cultivation 
without  trying  Sutton's  varieties, 
of  which  such  earlies  as  May 
Queen,  Ringleader  and  Epicure 
have  made  a  reputation  which  will 
last  for  many  ye.irs,  whether  one 
writes  of  thein  or  not  ;  while 
Balmoral  Castle  and  White  City 
are  grand  for  later  use,  Sutton's, 
by  the  way,  advocate  yellow  for 
quality,  and  they  are  right  in 
this,  as  in  so  many  other  things 
that  they  do. 

A  Scottish  set  that  will  please 
comprises  Midlothian  Early  (pro- 
bably one  of  the  finest  early 
Potatoes  ever  introduced).  Prolific  and  The  Factor  ; 
and  Dobbie's  strain  of  the  old  Windsor  Castle 
requires  a  lot  of  beating  for  home  use,  Dickson's 
recommend  Early  Queen,  New  Century  and  Eastern 
Planet,  and  trial  has  demonstrated  that  the  three 
varieties  are  fully  entitled  to  all  the  good  things 
that  the  firm  claims  for  them.  Irish  seed  has 
become  renowned  in  recent  years.  Mr.  Sands  is 
keen  on  Erin's  Queen  and  Irish  Hero,  but  he  does 
not  forget  to  speak  words  of  commendation  regard- 
ing the  excellent  Colleen,  One  could,  however, 
write  far  more  of  fine  Potatoes.  AW  growers 
should  select  the  varieties  which  they  know  to 
be  good  and  try  those  mentioned  above,  if  they 
have  not  already  done  so.  in  the  hope  that  one  or 
more  of  them  will  turn  out  superior  to  the  established 
favourites.  "■   J- 


March  i,  1913-] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


113 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

HOW     TO     GROW    TOMATOES     UNDER     GLASS. 


THE  cultivator  who  can  command  a  fair 
amount  of  artificial  heat  in  his  glass 
structure  may  sow  seeds  of  Tomatoes 
at  once.  Those  who  are  only  able  to 
heat  their  structures  sufficiently  to  keep 
out  frost  should  not  sow  the  seeds  fnr 
iuiother  fortnight,  as  then  the  heat  from  the  sun 
will  be  of  great  benefit. 

The  best  position  for  Tomato  plants  is  one  fulh 
exposed  to  the  sunshine,  and  the  atmosphere  in 
the    house    must    be    dry ;    then    there    will    be 

00  diseased  leaves  or  fruits.  Even  the  lower 
portion  of  each  plant  should  be  quite  exposed  to 
the  sun's  rays  ;  then  there  will  be  a  possibility  of 
fruit  forming  from  the  base  to  the  top,  which  means 

1  arliness  and  a  greater  weight  of  Tomatoes. 

Raising  the  Seedlings. — Through  experimenting 
,md  experienri-  t;inir.illy,  1  have  fomid  it  best  ti> 
sow  the  seeds  in  some  good,  new  loam  which  has 
been  stacked  about  four  months,  and  coarse  sand 
with  only  a  very  small  proportion  of  leaf-soil. 
The  resultant  seedlings  grow  very  sturdily  in  such 
a  mixture,  and  few  decay  at  the  soil-level.  In 
alight  compost,  with  a  large  quantity  of  leaf-soil 
in  it,  many  seedlings  die  suddenly  in  this  way. 
Do  not  cover  the  seed  pot  or  pan  with  glass  or 
paper,  as  in  such  circumstances  the  seedlings 
I'Ome  up  weakly.  .\void  overcrowding  from  the 
seedling  stage  onwards,  the  seedlings  in  Fig.  i 
being  rather  too  thick.  Under  these  circumstances 
the  seedlings  must  be  pricked  off  in  the  very  eariy 
stages,  as  soon  as  they  can  be  handled,  placing 
them  in  boxes  as  depicted  in  Fig.  2.  Until  the 
seedlings  have  grown  about  three  inches  high, 
apply  water  by  inmiersing  the  pots  ui'  boxes. 

Soil  for  the  Permanent  Bed  or  Pots. — A  narrow 
border  is  the  best  in  which  to  plant  the  Tomatoes, 
but,  as  previously  stated,  it  must  be  fully  exposed 
to  the  sun.  Ten-inch  and  12-inch  pots  are  more 
suitable  than  boxes  if  the  plants  are  grown  on  a 
stage.  In  every  case  thorough  drainage  is  essential 
to  success.  If  grown  on  a  border  in  the  house 
and  the  stems  are  trained  to  stakes  or  strings, 
the  soil  must  be  deeply  dug  and  then  trodden  firm 
again  before  the  Tomatoes  are  planted.  Neither 
ihemical  nor  organic  manures  must  be  added  to 
the  border  soil  nor  that  placed  in  pots  or  boxes, 
as  the  necessary  feeding  must  be  done  after  the 
two  basal  bunches  of  fruits  have  set.  The  first 
layer  of  soil  should  not  exceed 
7  inches  in  depth,  and  later  on 
surface- dressings  half  an  inch  deep 
should  be  put  on  the  roots.  All 
soils  used  must  be  made  firm. 

Training    the    Plants.  —  This 

simply  consists  of  restricting  each 
plant  to  one  main  stem,  or  the  re- 
moval, while  in  a  very  small  state, 
of  all  side  shoots,  keeping  the  main 
stem,  main  leaves  and  bunches  of 
huits  only;  then,  if  the  plants 
are  disposed  18  inches  apart,  they 
will  have  every  chance  to  do  well. 

Other  Necessary  Work.— Free 

Ventilation  in  mild  weather  is 
good  for  the  plants  generallv  ;  a 
teaspoonful  per  plant  of  super- 
Phosphate  every  ten  days  and  weak 
'l"ses    of    manin-e  -  water     weekK- 


I. TOMATO     SEEDLINGS    KEADV     TO     BE     PRICKED 

OFF.         THE     SEED     IN     THIS     INSTANCE    WAS 
SOWN'    TOO    THICKLV. 

may  be  given.  Other  concentrated  manures 
advertised  in  The  Garde.v  may  also  be  used 
according  to  the  instructions  given  with  them,  but 
not  pure  nitrate  of  soda  nor  sulphate  of  ammonia. 
When  in  flower,  the  trusses  should  be  gently  tapped 
at  noon  on  all  fine  days.  .A  bigger  "  set  "  of  fruit 
would  then  result.  Frogmore  Selected  and  Sunrise 
are  good  varieties  to  grow.  .\vos. 


HOW  TO  MAKE   AND   PLANT   A 
HERBACEOUS  BORDER. 

Whe.n  first  confronted  with  the  project  of  making 
and  planting  a  herbaceous  border,  the  inexperi- 
enced cultivator  of  the  plants  mostly  used  is  at 
a  loss  as  to  what  to  do  and  how  to  begin  the  work. 
Usually,  this  work  is  done  without  much  serious 
thought  and  consideration  as  to  the  kinds  of  plants 
to  put  in,  their  disposition  and  their  season  of 
flowering.  Then  there  are  the  minor  details,  such 
as  height  of  each  kind,  the  spreadmg  or  erect  habit, 
and  the  very  important  matters  of  coloiu:  blending, 
contrast,  and  the  securing  of  harmony  from  season 


to  season.  Too  often  all  these  vital  points  are 
ignored,  with  the  result  that  one  sees  herbaceous 
borders  which  are  eyesores  during  a  great  part  of 
the  year.  The  position  of  the  border  should  be  an 
open  one,  and  the  soil  the  best  that  is  possible.  The 
flowers  will  well  repay  the  best  treatment  that  can 
be  given,  and  the  beginner  should  endeavour  to 
excel  in   their  cultivation. 

Trenching  the  Soil.— SoUsof  all  kinds  should  be 
deeply  trenched  before  any  plants  are  put  in. 
Herbaceous  plants,  generally,  are  improved  by 
frequent  lifting,  division  .and  replanting  ;  but  there 
is  no  time  more  suitable  for  dealing  with  the  soil 
than  that  before  the  border  is  filled.  If  very  poor, 
add  some  rotted  manure  to  the  soil  as  the  work  of 
trenching  goes  on.  Thoroughly  break  up  the  sub- 
soil, but  leave  it  below.  The  top  portion  need  no; 
be  broken  so  finely,  as  it  will  be  separated  through 
the  planting  and  by  the  action  of  the  weather  on  it 
afterwards  ;  and  if  of  a  heavy,  retentive  nature, 
it  will  also  be  considerably  sweetened. 

The  Broad  Border. — If  the  border  to  be  dealt 

with  is  a  broad  one — we  will  say  9  feet  wide the 

taUest-growing  kinds  of  herbaceous  plants  may  be 
put  in  near  the  back  of  it  ;  in  fact,  there  will  be 
sufficient  space  for  all  the  leading  kinds  of  various 
heights,  both  at  the  back,  in  the  centre  and  in  the 
front  portion.  Furthermore,  each  clump  of  plants 
must  be  of  considerable  size. 

The  Narrow  Borders  are  more  numerous  than 
broad  ones,  and  are  more  difficult  to  furnish  satisfac- 
torily. Very  tall-growing  plants  must  not  be  used 
unless  as  isolated  specimens,  well  apart,  the  medium 
and  dwarf  growing  kinds  being  the  best.  Whereas 
in  the  large  border  plants  may  be  grouped  in  fives, 
,  sevens  and  nines,  in  the  narrow  border  threes  and 
fives  are  the  more  suitable.  Shamrock. 


2  THE    SEEDLINGS    ARE    TAKEN    FROM    THE    POT    AND    PRICKED    OFF     ij    INCHES 

APART    IN    BOXLS. 


PROPAGATION     OF     THE      LEMON- 
SCENTED     VERBENA. 

This  plant,  correctly  known  as  Lippia  citriodora, 
may     be    increased     freely      during      the     spring 
and   summer    months   by   adopting   the   following 
methods :     Place    the    old    plants    in    the    green- 
house or  on   a  hot-bed,   and  water  them.     Spray 
i  them  over  daily  until  growth  commences.     When 
the  young  shoots  are  from   ri  inches  to  2  inches 
1  in  length,  take  a  very  sharp  knife  and  sever  them 
from    the    plant    with    a    heel    attached.     Insert 
them  around   the  edges    of    small 
pots,   which    are    filled    with   very 
sandy    soil.       Make   the  soil   very 
firm.     Plunge  the  pots  on  the  hot- 
bed, and  place  over  them  a  hand- 
light   or  bell-glass.     Provide  shade 
during   spells    of    bright    sunshine. 
Keep  the  soil  moist.     Later  in  the 
season  cuttings  may  be  rooted  with- 
out the  aid  of  bottom-heat.      The 
pots    should,   however,    always    be 
plunged  in  some  moisture-retaining 
material,  and  be  covered  by  a  glass 
as  advised  above.     Success  is  often 
attained  by  these  simple  methods, 
while    failure     sometimes     follows 
attempts  to  propagate  this  delight- 
ful old  plant  by  a  more  elaborate 
system   in   the   stove  or  propagat- 
ing house.  c.   Ruse. 


114 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  i,  1913. 


I 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Bedding  Plants. — Continue  the  propagation  of 
all  such  subjects  until  the  desired  stock  is  raised, 
potting  or  boxing  off  those  already  rooted  as  they 
become  fit 

Surplus  Herbaceous  Plants. — Where  large 
quantities  of  cut  flowers  are  required,  the  surplus 
plants  or  offsets  should  be  planted  in  beds  in 
some  out-of-the-way  part  of  the  garden,  and  where 
they  may  be  cut  from  without  depleting  the 
herbaceous  borders. 

Seed-Sowing. — Many  bedding  plants  are  raised 
annually  from  seed,  and,  among  others,  the  follow- 
mg  should  now  be  sown :  Lobelia,  Pyrethrum, 
Variegated  Maize,  Ornamental  Beet,  Statices, 
Nemesias,  Celosias,  .^yssum  maritimum.  Phlox 
Drummondii,  Amaranthus,  Perillas  and  Kochias. 
Thin  sowing  and  an  intermediate  temperature 
:ure  far  the  best  for  these  plants,  as  they  come  more 
sturdy  and  need  far  less  hardening  of?  than  when 
subjected,  say,  to  a  stove  heat. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Begonias. — Winter-fiowering  Begonias  that  may 
have  gone  out  of  flower  and  been  given  a  rest  may 
now  be  cut  back  pretty  hard,  and  if  placed  in  a  warm, 
moist  house  will  soon  begin  to  throw  some  good 
cuttings,  though  it  is  full  early  yet  to  commence 
propagating  the  main  batch,  as  rather  later  cuttings 
often  make  the  best  plants. 

Begonia  haageana. — This  is  one  of  the  foliage 
Begonias  that  are  exceptionally  useful  either  in  the 
house  or  conservatory,  and  stands  well  for  a  long 
time  even  in  a  very  dark  situation.  Cuttings  put 
in  now,  three  in  a  3-inch  pot,  may  be  grown  on 
into  8i-inch  pots  by  the  autumn,  and  without  any 
pmchiiig  or  training  make  quite  good  specimen 
plants. 

Tuberous  Begonias. — The  present  is  also  a  good 
time  for  starting  these  for  pot  work,  .shaking  them 
quite  free  of  all  soil,  and  placing  them  in  boxes  in 
a  very  light  mixtiu'e  of  leaf-soil  and  sand.  Here 
they  will  quickly  make  roots,  and  should  be  potted 
before  they  have  made  much  top  growth. 

Pot  Roses  are  now  well  m  growth,  and  may  be 
led  liberally  as  soon  as  the  buds  show.  Climbers 
planted  out  in  the  houses  will  likewise  be  bene- 
fited by  copious  waterings  of  liquid  manure, 
or  occasionally  a  dressing  of  artificial.  As  the  days 
get  warmer  and  more  ventilation  is  necessary, 
mildew  is  apt  to  be  troublesome,  so  the  plants 
must  be  either  sprayed  with  a  ftuigicide  or  given  a 
very  light  dusting  of  black  sulphur.  This  ought  to 
be  done  as  a  preventive,  rather  than  leave  it  till 
the  plants  are  badly  infested  or  the  beauty  of  the 
foliage  is  lost. 

Climbers  such  as  Rose  Dorothy  Perkins,  Excelsa, 
Tausendschon,  Paradise,  Goldfinch  and  Lady  Gay 
may  now  be  introduced  into  a  little  w^armth,  and 
they  will  make  a  nice  succession  to  the  earlier 
batches  of  Teas  and  Hybrid  Teas.  Plenty  of  room 
should  be  allowed  between  these  tall  plants  to 
allow  a  proper  development  of  the  lower  shoots, 
or  it  may  be  foimd  that  the  top  shoots  only  will 
produce  good  flowers,  and  thus  mitigate  con- 
siderably the  usefulness  of  this  class  of  plant. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Onions  and  Leeks. — Sown  in  the  early  part  of 
the  year,  the  seedlings  should  now  be  advanced 
enough  for  pricking  out,  2  inches  or  3  inches  apart, 
in  boxes  or  in  frames  on  a  slight  hot-bed,  where 
they  can  remain  till  put  out  in  the  groimd  during 
April. 

Cauliflowers.  —  These  also  will  need  atten- 
lion,  and  though  the  above  system  will  suit  them 
weU,  I  prefer  to  pot  them  off  singly  in  3-inch  pots. 
A  little  heat  is  necessary  immediately  after  prick- 
ing out  or  potting  off,  but  as  soon  as  they  get  hold 
ot  the  fresh  soU  they  may  be  hardened  off  in  the 
cold  frame. 

Lettuces  should  also  be  pricked  off  as  soon  as 
large  enough  to  handle,  and  to  secure  an  early 
crop  they  also  should  be  pricked  o3  in  frames 
placed  on  a  hot-bed.  Seedlmgs  that  may  have 
been  sown  in  rows  between  the  Horn  Carrots 
should  be  thinned  out,  and  as  this  crop  should  be 
cleared  off  as  early  as  possible,  they  may  be  left 


moderately  close  together  and  cut  before  they 
overgrow  the  Carrots  in  any  way. 

Peas  and  Beans  raised  in  heat  should  be  hardened 
off  before  they  become  at  all  attenuated,  choosing 
a  mild  day  for  removing  them  to  the  cold  frame. 
A  further  sowing  of  one  or  two  exhibition  varieties 
may  be  made  in  pots  or  boxes.  These  I  find 
often  make  better  and  stronger  plants  after  being 
planted  out  than  do  those  raised  in  the  open  groimd. 

Parsley. — Though  full  early,  a  sowing  shoiild 
be  made  on  a  warm  border,  making  the  soil  very 
fine  before  sowing  the  seed.  This  will  come  in 
before  the  main  summer  sowing,  and  possibly 
prevent  a  gap  between  this  latter  and  the  batch 
sown  in  August  or  September, 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Peaches. — Continue  the  disbudding  as  the  trees 
get  sufficiently  advanced,  and  heeling  in  should  also 
be  commenced  as  sOon  as  the  shoots  are  long  enough. 
Delay  in  this  matter  means  curved  and  unsightly 
shoots,  which  no  amount  of  attention  at  a  later 
date  will  obviate. 

Thinning  the  Fruit. — This  is  an  operation 
that  should  be  carried  out  gradually,  leaving  at 
least  one-third  more  on  the  trees  than  is  ultimately 
wanted  for  a  crop  till  after  the  stoning  period,  this 
to  counter-balance  any  loss  that  may  be  sustamed 
during  this  critical  time.  Unfortimately,  I  have 
come  across  several  gardens  this  season  where 
the  amoimt  of  blossom  on  the  trees  will  hardly 
leave  any  surplus  for  thinning. 

Hardy  Fruit. 
Apricots,    Peaches    and    Nectarines.— Where 

tying  or  nailing  has  not  already  been  done,  it 
should  be  proceeded  with  at  once.  Many  growers 
leave  this  as  late  as  possible,  keeping  the  shoots 
from  the  walls  to  delay  blooming,  and  this  is  a  good 
plan.  But  all  flower-buds  are  very  forward  this 
season,  and  already  those  of  some  varieties  are 
almost  open,  so  further  delay  is  dangerous. 

Protection. — Where  protection  is  provided  for 
the  above  by  means  of  blinds  or  canvas  that  can 
be  let  down  at  night,  it  should  be  fixed  in  position, 
as  a  severe  frost  might  mean  ruin  to  practically 
all  the  bloom-buds.  Where  no  other  protection  is 
at  hand,  a  fish-net,  doubled,  hung  at  a  distance  of 
I  foot  from  the  wall,  will  do  a  lot  of  good,  and  such 
a  protection  may  with  advantage  be  given  to  the 
Plums  and  Pears  on  the  walls,  as  well  as  the  Peaches. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Primula  Sieboldii. — The  varieties  of  this  Primula 
are  worthy  of  more  extended  cultivation.  Here 
we  have  several  beds  of  them,  and  they  are  gorgeous 
during  the  month  of  May.  Those  who  have  masses 
of  them  should  at  this  season  apply  a  sUght  top- 
dressing  of  some  rich,  light  material.  This  is  also 
a  good  time  to  plant.  Avoid  a  southern  exposure, 
give  them  a  rich,  friable  soU  with  a  cool  bottom,  and 
success  is  assured. 

Sanguinaria  canadensis.  —  The  pure  white 
flowers  of  this  dwarf  border  plant  are  rather  fragile 
and  short-lived,  but  it  should  be  in  every  collec- 
tion. Those  wishing  to  plant  it  should  do  so  with- 
out delay.  Give  it  a  free  soil,  and  it  will  be  grateful 
for  a  slight  admixtm-e  of  peat  in  the  compost. 

Erica  berbacea. — This  harbinger  of  spring 
differs  from  most  Heaths,  in  that  it  can  be  quite 
happy  without  peat,  especially  if  it  gets  some 
sand  and  half-rotted  Beech  leaves.  It  will  now 
have  almost  finished  flowering,  and  may  be 
increased  by  division.  I  once  saw  a  large 
sized  bed  of  this  Heath  on  a  lawn  in  a  Fifeshire 
garden,  and  the  effect  in  early  spring  was  very 
fine.     E.  h.  alba  is  also  good. 

Salvia  patens. — Tliis  Salvia  gives  us  one  of  our 
finest  blues,  and  is  indispensable.  It  can  be 
raised  from  seed  in  heat,  which  should  be  attended 
to  forthwith.  Old  tubers  may  also  be  placed  in 
heat  to  furnish  cuttings. 

Calceolarias. — Calceolaria  amplexicaulis  and  any 
other  bedding  varieties  should  now  be  "  lined  off  " 
in    frames,    placing   some    flaky   leaf-mould    or    the 


rough  siftings  of  loam  under  the  compost,  so  that 
the  plants  may  lift  with  good  balls  at  planting-time. 

The  Shrubbery. 

Pruning  Evergreens. — Such  vigorous  ever- 
greens as  Laurels  and  Laurustinus  may  now  be 
primed.  A  start  should  be  made  with  the  Portugal 
Laurels.  Whatever  form  is  adopted,  stiffness 
should  be  avoided.  The  knife  is  generally  recom- 
mended for  this  work,  but  if  judiciously  used  the 
pruning-shears  will  do  the  work  equally  well  and 
more  expeditiously.  Where  pruning  has  been 
neglected,  however,  the  knife  should  be  employed 
and  the  offending  branch  cut  back  considerably 
beyond  the  general  surface  of  the  bush. 

Tree  Paeonies. — Where  these  are  employed  in 
the  shrubbery,  a  light  framework  should  be  placed 
round  them  for  a  few  weeks,  to  support  the  pro- 
tecting mat,  when  frost  occurs  to  imperil  the  young, 
tender  shoots. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Garden  Furniture. — The  time  is  not  far  distant 
when  garden  seats,  hammocks  and  tennis  nets 
will  again  be  called  into  use.  The  whole  should 
be  overhauled,  and  any  necessary  repairs  executed 
and  painting  done.  For  garden  seats.  Oak-grained 
or  plain  or  a  quiet  olive  green  are  the  shades  to 
be  preferred.  A  coat  of  clear  varnish  will  greatly 
help  to  preserve  the  paint. 

Lawns  should  be  well  swept  to  disperse  worm- 
casts  and  be  afterwards  rolled. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Gesneras  and  Nsegelias. — These  two  genera 
are  often  treated  of  as  being  synonymous,  and 
from  the  cultivator's  point  of  view  they  are  so. 
In  addition  to  the  named  sorts,  innumerable 
varieties  of  seedlings  are  in  commerce.  Such  old 
favourites  as  zebrina  and  cinnabarina  are  indis- 
pensable.    A  batch  should  now  be  started. 

Deciduous  Calanthes.— The  present  is  a  good 
time  to  start  these  terrestrial  Orchids.  They  can 
be  grown  one  pseudo-bulb  to  a  5-inch  pot,  or  three 
to  a  6-inch  pot. 

Coleus. — Although  not  so  popular  as  they  once 
were,  many  of  the  varieties  are  very  beautiful, 
and  should  find  some  place  in  the  conservatory 
during  the  summer  months.  Cordelia,  with  orange 
red  foliage,  is  a  Io\fely  variety  while  in  a  young  state. 
C.  thyrsoideus  is  also  very  attractive  during  winter 
with  its  plethora  of  bright  blue  flowers.  Strike 
cuttings  now. 

Sweet  Peas. — Autumn-sown  Sweet  Peas  must 
get  their  final  shift  without  delay,  and  have  atten- 
tion given  to  training  them. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Strawberries.— Plants  whose  fruit  is  swelling 
should  be  fed  two  or  three  times  a  week.  Liquid 
cow-manure  is  excellent  if  used  at  moderate  strength. 
A  night  temperature  of  65"  wiU  suit  this  batch. 
Where  the  plants  are  in  flower,  great  care  should 
be  exercised  in  admitting  air,  especially  if  east 
winds  prevail. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Grafting.  —  This  interesting  operation  is  of 
some  consequence  to  the  private  gardener  from 
the  utilitarian  point  of  view.  Those  who  have  any 
intentions  that  way,  should  proceed  with  their 
work  at  once. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Peas, — A  sowing  of  some  second-early  variety 
should  now  be  made.  Royal  Salute  and  Senator 
are  both  excellent  sorts,  the  latter  being  a  great 
cropper  and  only  2  J  feet  high. 

Broad  Beans.— A  planting  of  some  longpod 
variety  should  now  be  made,  and  I  am  partial  to 
Bunyard's  Exhibition,  with  its  long,  well-filled 
pods.  Plant  about  six  inches  apart  in  the  row 
and  2j  feet  between  the  rows.  A  dash  of  wood- 
ashes  sown  into  the  drills  helps  the  various 
leguminous  crops. 

Carrots. — A  sowing  of  one  of  the  stump-rooted 
varieties  should  be  sown  on  a  south  border  to 
succeed  those  sown  in  a  frame. 

Parsley.— This  takes  about  six  weeks  to  germi- 
nate, so  that  a  sowing  should  be  made  as  soon  as 
convenient. 

Potatoes. — Tubers  which  were  started  in  heat 
a  few  weeks  ago  should  now  be  hardened  off  in  a 
cold  frame  preparatory  to  planting. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains.  Midlothian. 


March  i,  1913] 


THE     GARDEN. 


115 


NATIONAL     DAFFODIL 
SOCIETY. 


[CANNOT  say  that  either  the  letters  in  The 
Garden  or  any  of  those  received  privately 
have  ?ltered  my  opinion  as  to  the  suitability 
of  establishing  a  National  Society.  I  cer- 
tainly do  not  write  in  any  hostile  spirit  to 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  nor  yet 
to  the  Midland  Society.  I  have  seen  the  inner 
working  of  the  former  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  out  of  its 
province  to  completely  provide  for  the  legitimate 
wants  of  the  Daffodil  people  of  the  world.  The 
supreme  and  only  power  is  the  Council.  The 
Narcissus  committee  have  no  real  authorit)'  in 
themselves. 

Even  the  classification  lists  of  1908  and 
1910  had  to  be  submitted  to  the  ruling  authority 
before  they  could  be  issued.  No  money  prizes 
for  shows  can  be  offered  by  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society.  This  has  had  to  be  collected  from  people 
who,  unless  they  happen  to  be  members  of  the 
Narcissus  committee,  can  have  no  voice  in  its 
spending. 

It  is  everyone's  business,  I  am  told,  to  see  to 
such  things  as  the  publication  of  a  year  book, 
the  issuing  of  a  scliedule  at  the  proper  time,  the 
recording  varieties  exhibited  at  shows,  and  such- 
like matters  ;  but  what  is  everyone's,  I  submit, 
is  really  no  one's.  .As  long  as  the  supreme  control 
is  in  the  hands  of  an  impersonal  body  like  the 
Council,  I  do  not  see  how  it  can  be  otherwise. 
They  have  not  the  driving  power  which  is  so  abso- 
hilcly  necessary  if  the  attempt  is  to  be  a  success. 
The  .Midland  Society  has  this  in  the  person  of  Mr. 
Robert  Sydenham.  Its  commanding  position 
to-day  is  due  to  his  personal  efforts  in  a  very  large 
measiu'e  indeed,  but  the  management  is  too  local 
for  it  to  take  upon  itself  "  National "  functions, 
as  few,  except  people  who  live  in  Birmingham  and 
an  half-an-hour  radius  by  train,  are  ever  present 
at  the  annual  meetings. 

Put  in  a  very  short  form,  my  proposals  are  as 
follow :  (i)  A  National  Society  to  be  formed, 
with  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Hall, 
London,  as  head-quarters.  (2)  The  Midland  to 
become  "  The  Midland  Branch  of  the  National." 
(3)  Each  body  to  be  independently  managed  and 
financed.  (4)  Subject  to  certain  conditions,  which 
would  be  settled  by  a  joint  committee  of  repre- 
sentatives of  both  societies — this  to  include  such 
matters  as  date  of  shows,  classification  of  varieties, 
deputations,  publication  of  a  year  book — a  floral 
committee  to  act  at  both  shows  for  maldng  awards 
to  new  varieties,  &c.  (5)  A  low  minimum  annual 
subscriptionjor  what  might  be  called  the  Southern 
National.  (6)  The  collecting  a  special  fund  to  start 
the  new  society,  and  form  a  nest-egg  for  future 
use  when  required. 

It  is  asked  by  certain  growers,  seedling-raisers 
and  dealers  if  all  this  will  help  to  sell  bulbs.  I 
think  it  will,  and  I  instance  the  Perpetual  Flower- 
ing Carnation  Society  under  the  able  guidance  of 
its  chairman.  The  formation  of  a  National  Daffodil 
Society  will  enlarge  the  circle  of  supporters,  as 
not  every  Daffodil  person  by  any  means  is  a  member 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  Hence  wider 
interest  and  an  extended  market  not  only 
for  show  (to  take  the  more  expensive  kinds), 
but  also  for  the  garden  (to  absorb  the  cheaper 
ones) . 

Lastly,  as  everyone  would  like  to  see  the  volume 
of  support  which  the  new  venture  is  likely  to  have, 


might  I  ask  those  who  are  willing  to  support  the 
proposal  financially,  and  by  becoming  members, 
to  kindly  send  me  a  post-card  nith  their  name  and 
address.  Joseph    I.\cob. 

Whitewell  Rectory,  Whitchurch,  Salop. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

THE    FIFTY    BEST    ALPINES     FOR 
SMALL     GARDENS. 

IT  requires  a  considerable  amount  of  temerity  to 
submit  a  list  of  fifty  alpines  and  to  assert  that 
they  are  the  best  fifty  for  a  small  garden. 
Criticisms,  some  of  them  doubtless  well 
founded,  will  arise,  but  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  several  considerations  have  had  to 
be  taken  into  account.  In  a  small  garden  not  only 
is  the  space  limited,  but  an  effort  has  to  be  made 
to  prolong  the  display  during  as  much  of  the  year 
as  possible,  and  a  representation  of  the  various 
classes  of  plants  should  also  be  included.  Then, 
while  the  easiest  subjects  need  not  always  be  in- 
cluded, it  is  necessary  to  confine  ourselves  to  those 
which  are  not  among  the  really  troublesome 
flowers.  Most  of  the  strongest  growers  are  omitted, 
but    Aubrietias,    Phloxes    and    Arenaria    montana 


cannot  be  banished  altogether.  Exception  may 
well  be  taken  to  the  small  selection  of  certain 
plants  given  here,  but  this  is  due  to  the  necessity 
of  affording  as  much  variety  as  possible.  Unless 
the  owTier  of  the  garden  is  obsessed  with  his  fancy 
for  certain  plants,  he  will  be  well  advised  not  to 
make  a  collection  of,  say,  Saxifrages,  worthy 
though  these  are  of  our  full  consideration,  but 
to  cultivate  alpines  giving  a  more  extended  period 
of  bloom. 

It  will  be  observed  that  a  few  bulbs  arc  named, 
though  the  list  of  these  might  be  greatly  extended. 
For  various  reasons  shrubs,  with  the  exception 
of  one  or  two,  have  been  omitted.  These  and 
other  sins  of  omission  are  due  to  reasons  which 
seemed  to  the  writer  to  be  too  powerful  to  ignore. 
It  may  be  added  with  respect  to  the  cultural  notes 
and  other  information  that  sandy  loam  will  answer 
for  most  of  the  plants  named.  Some  like  lime, 
but  all  will  do  without  it.  In  conclusion,  it  may 
be  said  that  the  list  is  submitted  in  no  spirit  of 
self-sufficiency,  although  it  is  founded  on  an  actual 
experience  of  at  least  thirty  years  in  growing 
alpines  in  the  rock  garden.  This  really  adds  to 
one's  diffidence  in  furnishing  it,  owing  to  the  full 
recognition  of  its  many  omissions — omissions  which 
may  to  some  appear  unpardonable  offences  against 
their  favourites. 


Height. 

Inches. 


Name. 

Acautholiraoii  glumaceum 

Adonis  amurcQsis 9 

^thiouema  grandiflnrum     ..  9 

*Androsace  lanuginosa ti 

Anemone  nemoro-^a  Allenii..  6 

A.  sylvestris  major    9 

Antiiemis  Aizoon  ti 

•Arenaria  montana   6 

Aroebia  echioides 9 

Asperula  suberosa  s>  n  Athoa  6 


Aspect.  Soil. 

Sun Loam  . 


*Aubrietia  Moerhcimii 

*A.  Dr.  Mules 

'Campanula  carganiea  hivsuta 
*C.  portenschlagiana  major. . 

Chionodoxa  gigantea     

Crocus  speciosus    

Cyclamen  neapolitanuni    .... 
Dianthus  neglect  u^    


Erica  camea  

Erodium  chelidoiiifoHum 
Erjthronium  Pink  Beauty 


,,     Sandy  loam 

, Loam  &  grit 

Sliadc   Loam    and 

leaf-soil 

Rich  loam 

Sun Sandy  loam 

Loam  \-  grit 

, Sandy  loam 

, Sandy  loam 

and  grit 
„     Sandy  loara 


Colour.  Pe,iod. 

Pink     June  and  July 

Yellow Feb.  to  April 

Rosy  purpl'.'  July  to  Sept. 

Rose     May  to  Sept.  ,, 

Blue April  and  May     Division 


White May  and  June 

June  to  Aug. 

June  and  July 

Yellow May  to  Aug. . . 

Pink     June  and  July 


How  to  Propagnti'. 

Seeds  or  cuttings 
Seed<i  or  division 
Seeds  or  cuttings 


4       „     

4        

6     Sun  or  shadt- 


Galax  aphylla    12 

Geranium  lancastriensc  . 
*GypsophiIa  prostrata  r( 
Haberlea  rhodopensis   . .  . 


Common 

Suu Sandy  loam 

Shade Rich  loam 

Sun Sandy  loam 

and  grit 
Sm\  or  partial    Sandy  loam 

shade 
Suu 

Sun  or  partial    Loam   .... 

shade 
Shad*^ 


Rose     April  to  June 

Purple      ....  April  to  June 

Pale  blue     ..  June  to  Sept. 

Blue 

Lavender     .  .  Feb.  to  March 

Blue September     . . 

Crims'n  orw'te  Aug.  to  Oct, 
Cherry  red 


Flesh  or  white 
Pink     


May  and  June 
Dec.  to  March 
June  to  Oct. . . 


Seed  or  cuttings 
Seeds  or  division 
Cuttings  or  division 
Division  or  seeds 

Cuttings  or  division 

Division 

Seeds  or  offsets 

Seeds 

Seeds  or  cuttings 

Division 


Seeds,  division  and 
cuttings 
April Offsets 


Moist  peat 
Sandy  loam 


Hypericum  fra2ilp 6 

Iberis  Little  Gem 6 

Iris  reticulata     9 

Linum  alpinum      0 

Leucojum  vemum  carpaticum  1 2 

*  Litho^perrau  m     prontrat  nm  6 
var.  Heavenly  Blue 

Onosma  tauricum      12 

Oxalis  enneaphylla    6 


6     Sun 

6 

6     Deep  shade..     Moist  peaty 
loam 

Sun Sandy  loam 

Sun  or  shade         ..           ,, 
Sun , 


White May  to  July 

Flesh    June  to  Sept. 

Pink     May  and  June 

Lilac     purple  May  to  Aug. 
and  white 

Yellow June  to  Sept. 

White May  to  July 


Blue,  Ac. 


Division 

Division  and  seeds 
Cuttings  and  seeds 
Division  and  seeds 


Cuttings  &  division 


Feb.  and  March  Oftsets  and  seeds 


♦Phlox  setacea  Brightness 
*P.  s.  Nelsoni 


6 
6 
Primula  marginata    6 

6 


Sun  or  shade  Loam  .... 

Sun  or  partial  Sandy  loam 

shade  and  grit 

Sun Sandy  loam 

Shade  or  Sandy  loam 
partial  sun 

Sun Loam  &  sand 


Blue May  to  Sept 

White Jan.  and  Feb. 

Blue May  to  July 

Y'ellow June  to  Oct.. . 

White  or  rose  June  and  July 


P.  pubescens  alba  (nivalis  of 

gardens) 
Ramondia  Natali?e    

Saxifraga  Aizoon  Portfe   


Any      Sandy  loam 

and  grit 


Deep  rose 

White 

Blue  lilac 


6 

6 

S.  burseriana      6 

S.  lantoscana      12 

S.  primulseoides     6 

S.  Wallacei     

Sedum  obtusatum 

Sempervivum  arachnoideum 
Shortia  galaoifolia     


Deep  shade . . 

Sun  or  shade 

Sun 

Partial  shade 


Moist  peaty 

loam 
Sandy  loam 
and  grit 


4     Sun  . .  ., Sandy  loam 


6     Shade 


Silene  Schafta    

Synthiris  reniformis  . 


Loam  and 

peat 
Sandy  loam 
liOam   .... 


April  to  June 

Feb.' to  May 

White March  to  May 

Blue-purple        June  and  July 

White May  and  June 

,,       Jan.  to  March 

,,       May  and  Jmie 

Rosy  pink  ..  ,,       ■■ 

White 

Y'ellow June  to  Sept. 

Rose      June  to  Aug. 

White  &  pink 


•Tunica  Saxifraga 
•Veronica  rupestris 


Sun  or  shade 
Sun  or  partial 

shade 

Sun Sandy  loam 

Sim  or  partial         ,, 

shade 

•  Trailing. 


Rosy  pink 
Blue 


Feb.  to  May 


Rosy  white         May  to  Sept. 
Blue June  and  July 


Seeds  and  divi:^ion 
Offsets  and  seeds 
Cuttings  or  division 

Cuttings 
Division  or  seeds 

Cuttings  A  division 

Division  and  seeds 

Division 

Seeds  and  division 

Division 


Division  &  cuttings 
Division  or  cuttings 
Division 


Seed 

Seed  and  division 


S.  Arnott.  Dumfries, 


116 


THE     GAKUEN. 


[March  i,  1913. 


HOT      WAT  ER      AS 
I  NSECTICI  DE. 


A  N 


OF  all  insecticides,  water  is  the  cheapest 
i  and,  heated,  is  cleanly  and  effec- 
I  tive.  The  summer  before  last  the 
'  drought  brought  red  spider  on 
Apple  trees,  Gooseberries  and 
other  plants,  and  before  the  end 
of  the  season  Vine  leaves  near  the  top  venti- 
lators were  slightly  affected.  Last  year  it 
appeared  on  the  same  parts,  and  spread  in  a  few 
days  down  the  Vines.  These  were  sprayed  twice 
with  perfectly  clear  water  heated  to  about  i8o°,  and 
this  killed  all  the  spider.  "  How  about  the  fruit  ?  " 
it  may  be  asked.  Provided  the  water  is  clean, 
no  marks  are  left  on  the  fruit,  except  here  and  there 
on  the  tip  of  an  odd  berry,  and,  if  the  foliage  is 
clean,  not  even  that.  I  have  several  times  recom- 
mended washing  bug-infested  Vines  with  hot  water. 
Some  have  tried  it ;  others  have  been  afraid  to, 
though  nothing  is  more  effective  for  Vines  in  leaf. 
With  the  addition  of  a  3-mch  potful  of  extract  of 
Quassia  to  four  gallons  of  lukewarm,  not  hot,  water, 
it  is  a  certain  remedy  for  red  spider  on  Peaches, 
and  for  both  Vines  and  Peaches  it  is  important  to 
remember  not  to  use  strong  insecticides.  For 
aphis  on  Roses  I  hke  nothing  better  than  soapsuds, 
into  which  some  parafiin  is  churned  with  a  syringe. 
A  pint  will  do  for  a  tubful,  and  this  need  not  be 
applied  hot. 

I  have  once  or  twice  had  to  deal  with  Camellias, 
Hoyas,  Ixoras,  Stephanotis,  Crotons  and  other 
tough-leaved  plants,  which  were  filthy,  not  only 
with  insects,  but  with  dirt  all  over  the  leaves. 
In  one  case  a  man  was  kept  constantly  employed 
in  the  endeavour  to  wash  the  leaves  of  Camellias 
with  a  sponge  and  water,  but  he  never  seemed  to 
make  any  progress.  A  thorough  washing  through 
an  engine  with  very  hot  water,  rendered  more 
effective  with  soft  soap  in  solution,  brought  off  the 
dirt  in  scales,  and,  while  moist,  the  rest  was  rapidly 
removed  with  a  sponge.  A  proprietary  wash  I 
have  found  most  effectual  in  destroying  scale  is 
Bentley's  Insecticide.  Sprayed,  it  goes  a  long 
way  ;  but  it  is  no  use  whatever  spraying  or  washing 
with  this  or  any  other  liquid  unless  enough  is 
used  to  reach  every  part. 

For  destroying  thrips,  red  spider  and  mealy 
bug  on  the  majority  of  plants,  nicotme  vaporised 
is  undoubtedly  the  best  uisecticide  we  have.  It 
injures  few  plants,  even  when  used  much  stronger 
than  the  several  brands  on  the  market  are  recom- 
mended to  be  used.  The  vapour  finds  its  way 
where  a  liquid  insecticide  cannot,  and  though 
e.xpensive,  if  carefully  used — taking  its  effectiveness 
into  consideration  and  the  facility  of  its  application 
— it  must  be  allowed  to  stand  at  the  head  of  all 
insect  destroyers.  What  of  hydrocyanic  acid  gas  ? 
It  is  true  it  is  equally — perhaps  in  some  cases  more — 
destructive,  but  there  is  always  a  risk  attending 
its  use.  Neither  this  nor  nicotine  can  be  used  for 
Vines  and  Peaches  in  leaf  unless  at  great  risk  to 
the  foliage.  Paraffin  ;?  also  a  dangerous  material 
to  employ  unless  one  is  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  proper  proportions  to  use,  and  usually, 
for  Vines  and  Peaches,  it  should  be  dispensed  with. 
I  have  found  it  most  useful  for  destroymg  ants 
in  vineries.  The  method  of  using  it  is  as 
follows  :  A  pan  is  three  parts  filled  with  boiling 
water,  and  the  paraffin  added  and  stirred  through 
the  water  till  it  is  equally  hot.  All  surfaces  on 
which  ants  are  found  are  then  sprayed  with  the 
pure  paraffin  which  floats  on  the  top  of  the  hot 
water,  a  few  applications  destroying. strong  colonies 


of  these  destructive  insects.  An  application  of  the 
same  kind,  applied  while  the  trees  are  at  rest, 
destroys  American  blight  on  Apple  trees.  Tobacco 
powder  should  always  be  at  hand  to  destroy  insects 
where  circumstances  render  the  application  of 
either  a  liquid  or  vapour  difficult  or  impossible. 
For  Chrysanthemums  in  summer  and  for  Carnations 
in  beds,  a  pinch  of  this  material  is  of  very  real 
value,  applied  at  the  right  moment.  I  have  found 
it  very  useful,  too,  for  Eucharis  mite,  applied  above 
the  bulbs,  moisture  soaking  it  downi  between  the 
scales.  Last  autumn  our  Cyclamen  were  severely 
attacked  with  a  mite  on  the  foliage  and  extended 
to  the  buds.  Besides  vaporising  with  nicotine, 
the  buds  have  been  repeatedly  dusted  with  Tobacco 
powder,  and  except  a  few  distorted  blooms  at  the 
beginning  of  the  season,  all  the  later  ones  have  come 
perfect. 

After  all,  hand  sponging  cannot  be  entirely  dis- 
pensed with.  If  there  are  no  insects,  there  is  still 
a  certain  amount  of  dirt  that  gathers  on  the  leaves, 
and  hand  washing  is  therefore  imperative.  It  is 
one  of  the  curious  facts  connected  with  practical 
gardening  that  one  finds  almost  all  young  men 
proceed  in  the  same  manner.  They  dip  their  dirty 
sponges  into  the  insecticide  or  wash,  and  soon  render 
it  as  filthy  as,  or  more  so  than,  the  plants  operated 
on.  Now,  the  way  to  proceed  is  to  have  a  somewhat 
large  vessel  with  clean  water,  into  which  to  wash 
the  dirty  sponge  thoroughly  every  time  before 
dipping  it  into  the  insecticide,  and  a  sponge  not 
too  wet  cleanses  better  than  a  saturated  one.  The 
insecticide,  if  the  washing  is  done  in  this  way, 
never  becomes  dirty.  Some  plants  can  be  most 
effectively  cleansed  by  spraying  the  leaves  lightly 
over,  then  rubbed  over  with  a  large  sponge  or  soft 
cloth,  the  process  of  cleaning  these  when  soiled 
being  the  same  as  that  just  noted.  Many  house 
plants  on  which  dust  settles  are  best  kept  clean 
by  rubbing  frequently  with  a  dry  cloth. 

R.   P.   Bkotherston. 


CULTURAL   HINTS  ON    NEW 
AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


TREES    AND    SHRUBS. 

Cornus  Nuttallii. — American  pubhcations  de- 
scribe this  Dogwood  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
objects  in  the  forests  of  Western  North  America, 
for  not  only  are  the  inflorescences  conspicuous 
by  reason  of  the  six  large,  cream-coloured  bracts 
which  surround  each  head  of  flowers,  but  the  foliage 
colours  brilliantly  in  the  autumn.  To  succeed 
with  it  in  this  country  it  is  necessary  to  provide 
a  sunny  position  in  deep,  well-drained,  loamy  soil. 

Tricuspidaria  dependens,  an  evergreen  shrub 
with  pendulous  white  flowers  which  have  delicately- 
fringed  petals,  forms  an  excellent  subject  for  a 
wall.  Planted  in  light,  loamy  soil  with  an  east, 
west  or  south  aspect,  it  may  be  expected  to  grow 
rapidly  and  give  little  trouble,  save  an  occasional 
pruning.  Cuttings  root  readily  during  the  summer, 
and  form  a  good  means  of  increase.  It  must  not 
be  confused  with  the  red-flowered  T.  lanceolata. 
which  is  sometimes  called  T.  dependens. 

Decaisnea    Fargesii    is    a    bushy    plant    from 

China,  conspicuous  on  account  of  its  long,  pinnate 
leaves,  greenish  yellow  flowers,  and  violet,  sausage- 
shaped  fruits.  It  may  be  expected  to  thrive  in 
the  milder  parts  of  the  country  if  given  a  sheltered 
position  and  light,  well-drained,  loamy  soil. 

Hamamelis  mollis. — This  is  the  best  of  the 
Witch   Hazels,   for  the  flowers  are  larger,    clearer 


coloured  and  borne  more  freely  than  those  of  other 
species.  Although  usually  grown  as  a  bush,  it 
may  be  made  to  assume  a  tree-like  habit  by 
judicious  pruning.  The  best  results  are  obtamed 
by  planting  it  in  light,  loamy  soil,  into  which  a 
little  peat   has  been  mixed. 

Cotoneaster  humitusa  may  be  distinguished 
from  other  Cotoneasters  by  its  long,  trailing  branches, 
which  rise  but  an  inch  or  so  above  the  ground. 
This  peculiarity  fits  it  well  for  planting  about 
rockwork  or  to  cover  an  upturned  tree  butt,  for 
the  branches  take  root  wherever  they  come  in  con- 
tact with  a  little  soil,  and  spread  rapidly  over  a 
considerable  area.  Its  evergreen  leaves  and  red 
fruits  are  its  chief  attractions. 

Stachyurus  praecox. —  Although  this  eany- 
flowering  shrub  has  been  known  for  many  years, 
it  is  rarely  grown,  yet  when  covered  with  its 
pendulous  catkins  of  yellow  flowers  in  March  it 
is  very  attractive.  It  requires  a  light,  well-drained 
soil  m  an  open  position  where  the  branches  can 
become  thoroughly  ripened  in  autumn. 


BOOKS. 

Crops  and  Methods  for  Soil  Improvement.*— 

Books  on  farming  and  gardening  come  thick  and 
fast,  some  dealing  with  particular  plants,  many 
little  better  than  recipe  books,  a  few  dealing  with 
principles.  The  present  volume  belongs  to  the 
last  group,  and  deals  with  the  basis  of  all  commercial 
cultivation — the  method  of  rnauitaming  the  fertihty 
of  the  soil.  It  deals  with  large  cultures,  more  for 
the  farm  than  the  garden  proper,  but  many  of  its 
chapters  will  prove  suggestive  to  the  thoughtful 
gardener.  It  preaches  the  gospel  of  lime  in  the 
first  place,  and  insists  upon  the  need  for  lime  m 
aU  ordinary  cultures.  We  are  continually  meeting 
with  cases  in  which  lime  is  deficient  in  the  soil, 
and  the  latter  acid  in  consequence,  the  result  being 
poor  growth  of  the  more  commonly-cultivated 
crops  and  the  encouragement  of  m^my  of  the 
more  common  insect  and  fungus  pests.  Clear 
accounts — and,  indeed,  the  whole  book  is  marked 
by  lucidity  of  expression — of  the  forms  of  lime, 
the  quantity  to  be  applied  and  the  time  of  appli- 
cation follow  the  demonstration  of  its  need,  and 
then  the  question  of  organic  matter  in  soils 
comes  under  discussion. 

We  would  like  to  have  seen  a  little  more  con- 
cerning the  use  of  green  manures  other  than  those 
of  a  leguminous  nature,  but  probably  their  use 
is  greater  in  the  garden  than  on  the  farm,  where 
the  land  would  otherwise  be  lying  fallow  for  a 
longer  period  than  it  does  in  the  garden.  In  this 
country  gardens  are  likely  to  suffer  considerably 
from  the  increase  of  motor  traction ;  indeed, 
the  difficulty  of  obtaining  stable  manure  is  already 
keenly  felt  in  many  districts,  but  green  manuring 
with  such  rapidly-growing  plants  as  Mustard  will 
help  very  much  to  fill  the  gap  caused  by  the  shortage 
of  stable  manure. 

A  chapter  on  the  sources  of  the  necessary  nitrogen, 
potash  and  phosphoric  acid  will  also  be  of  value 
and  interest  to  gudeners,  while  the  discussion  of 
crop  rotations  will  also  be  most  suggestive  to  the  . 
grower  of  vegetables. 

We  cannot  close  this  brief  notice  without  a 
further  reference  to  the  author's  clear  style  and 
the  freedom  of  the  book  from  unfamiliar  technical 
terms  ;  but  the  omission  of  an  index  is  a  drawback 
not  by  any  means  compensated  for  by  the  full 
table  of  contents  at  the  commencement  of  the  book. 

•  "  Crops  and  Methods  for  Soil  Improvement."  By 
Alva  Agcc,  M.S.    Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 


m-^—- 


GARDEN. 


-5^=-' 


^s:>$ 


No.  2155.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


March  8,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week 

117 

KosE  Garden 

COKRESPONDENCE 

Some     uncommon 

The  colour  of  China 

Roses 

Asters 

118 

The    Cabbpge  Uose 

I2;i 

Primula  denticulata 

118 

Trees  and  Shrdbs 

The     flowering      of 

The  double-flowered 

fruit  trees    . . 

tIK 

Chinese  Cherry  . . 

124 

A  noble  Fern  . .      . . 

11!) 

Hybrid     trees    and 

i^aehenalias,  or  Cape 

shrubs 

124 

Cowslips 

lii) 

Gardening  for  Beginners 

The  Servian   Spmcc 

119 

How     to     raise 

Forthcoming  events.. 

119 

annuals 

12ii 

The  Heath  Garden 

Gardening  of  the  Week 

Propagation   of 

For    Southern    gar- 

Heaths       . .      . . 

119 

dens     

128 

Rock  and  Watek  Garden 

For    Northern    gar- 

The '*  mulching  *'  of 

dens     

12ti 

alpines         . .      . . 

120 

Hints    on    Packing 

Saxi  f  raga  Gries- 

Daffodhs    for    a 

bachii 

120 

Show      

127 

FRUIT  Garden 

Winter  Foliage  for 

The  apple-sucker  . . 

121 

Cutting 

127 

Flower  Garden 

Answers  to   Corre- 

Lilium     giganteum 

spondents 

in  Cornwall 

122 

Flower  garden 

12f 

A  bold  plant  for  the 

Trees  and  shrubs    . . 

12K 

water-side   . . 

122 

Greenhouse 

128 

NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


IliLDSTRATIONS. 

.\  beautiful  hardy  Fern 119 

A  plant  of  Saxifraga  Griesbacnii 120 

The  apple-sucker 121 

A  beautiful  bed  of  Lilium  giganteum 122 

Senecio  Clivorum  at  Gonnersbury  House,  A'-tnii     , .  12:J 

A  beautiful  spring-flowering  tree  124 

How  to  raise  annuals         12.') 

A  useful  box  packed  with  Narcissi      127 


EDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


Th'T  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
biU  he  will  not  be  responsible  lor  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  houjever,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  re'jards  photographs,  ij  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  vHth. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  foi  the  return  of  artistit 
or  literary  contrilnUions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use.  ana 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :   20,  T'lristncl:  fit-eel.  Cnrent  Oarden    ll'.C. 


New    President   of   the   Royal    Horticultural 

Society. — We  understand  that  rield-Marshal  Lord 
Grenfell  of  Kilvey,  G.C.B.,  G.C.M.G..  F.S.A.,  Las 
been  invited  to  become  President  of  tlie  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  in  place  of  Sir  Trevor 
Lawrence,  Bart.,  who,  as  we  stated  in'our^issue 
of  February  15,  feels  compelled  to  relinquish  the 
position  on  account  of  failing  health.  We  believe 
that  Lord  Grenlell  is  likely  to  accept  the  invitation. 

The  Caucasian  Scabious. — Before  the  planting 
season  is  over,  we  would  draw  attention  to  this 
useful  and  beautiful  herbaceous  plant.  For  cut- 
ting^purposes  during  the  late  summer  and  autumn 
months  it  is  ideal,  the  long,  slender  stems,  with  their 
delicately-poised,  pale  blue  flowers,  lending  them- 
selves well  to  artistic  arrangement.  Given  good 
soil  in>an  open  position,  it  is  not  at  all  a  diiScult 
plant  to  grow,  and  it  can  be  bought  cheaply  under 
the  name  of  Scabiosa  caucasica. 

Black  Currants  Reverting  to  Wild  Type.— 

When  looking  over  a  large  plantation  of  well- 
grown  Black  Currants  in  the  Malvern  district 
a  few  days  ago,  the  owner  told  us  that  he  was 
considerably  troubled  by  bushes  reverting  to  a 
useless  or  almost  wild  type.  This  reversion  had 
reached  rather  serious  dimensions,  and  the  only 
remedy  was  to  dig  out  such  bushes  and  plant  others 
in  their  stead.  Perhaps  growers  in  other  districts 
can  give  us  their  experiences  with  this  fruit. 

The  Golden  Valerian  in  Spring. — The  golden- 
leaved  Valerian,  V'aleriana  Phu  aurea,  is  not 
much  seen  nowadays,  but  it  is  usefid  in  spring 
because  of  its  foliage  effect.  It  is  much  brighter 
at  that  season  than  later,  and  many  years  ago 
one  was  much  struck  with  the  effect  it  made  in 
a  long  herbaceous  border,  where  it  was  associated 
with  Orobus  vemus,  then  in  bloom,  and  with  the 
yoimg  growths  of  the  HemerocaUises,  Trades- 
cantias  and  Paonias.  There  the  golden  leaves 
of  the  Valeriana  made  a  really  tine  display. 

Growing  Sphagnum  Moss  for  Orchids. — It  is 
obvious  that  sphagnum  moss  which  can  be  pro- 
cured fresh  must  possess  far  better  quahties  than 
that  sent  out  for  sale  after  having  been  kept  in 
sacks  for  at  least  several  weeks.  Where  Orchid- 
growers  have  a  shallow  depression  which  will  hold 
water,  says  a  writer  in  the  current  issue  of  "  The 
Orchid  Review,"  it  is  quite  easy  to  grow  one's 
own  sphagnum.  It  does  not  require  running 
water,  but  likes  to  have  it  standing  at  an  even 
height,  if  possible  a  few  inches  below  the  level  of 
some  Wniow  clumps,  around  which  it  will  grow 
in  the  greatest  profusion.  It  seems  to  like  shade, 
direct  sunshine  on  it  during  the  summer  months 
turning  it  yellow  ;  but,  providing  water  is  kept 
round  it,  not  much  harm  will  be  done.  The  plant- 
ing of  a  new  bed  in  the  first  instance  is  by  no  means 
difficult,  and  if  a  genial  autumn  follows,  an 
astonishing  amount  of  growth  is  quickly  made. 


Silver-Leaf  Disease  of  Plums.— This  fungus 
is  spreading  rapidly  in  many  of  the  fruit-growing 
districts  in  this  country,  and  is  causmg  serious 
loss  among  Plum  trees,  the  variety  Victoria  seeming 
to  be  the  most  susceptible  to  its  ravages.  It  is 
difficult  to  understand  how  it  is  spreading  so 
rapidly  where  trees  are  well  tended,  because 
scientists  tell  us  that  spores  can  only  be  produced 
on  dead  wood.  Is  it  possible  that  some  stage 
of  its  hfe-history  has  been  overlooked  ?  Its 
presence  in  a  tree  is  manifested  by  the  foliage 
taking  on  a  silvery  grey  tint. 

Repotting  Room  Ferns. — Towards  the  end  of 
March  and  during  the  early  days  of  .-Vpril  is  the 
best  time  of  the  whole  year  for  repotting  Ferns 
that  are  grown  in  the  dwelling-house.  Just  at 
that  time  root  growth  is  becoming  very  active, 
and  the  new  soil  is  quickly  filled  with  roots  and 
stagnation  thus  avoided.  Good  sod  for  ordinary 
kinds  of  Ferns  is  composed  of  well-decayed,  fibrous 
turf  two  parts,  one  part  sweet  leaf-soil  or  coarse 
peat,  and  half  a  part  of  coarse  sand  or  grit.  The 
loam  should  be  puUed  into  pieces  about  the  size 
of  pigeons'  eggs,  and  ought  to  be  kept  in  a  warm 
place  for  a  day  or  two  before  repotting.  The  new 
soil  must  be  made  quite  firm  when  repotting,  and 
thorough  drainage  and  cleanliness  of  the  new 
pots  are  essential. 

The  Tenerlffe  Broom. — A  specimen  of  Cytisus 
proliferus,  the  Teneriffe  Broom,  is  at  the  present 
time  an  important  feature  in  the  Himalayan  House 
at  Kew.  Planted  out  in  one  of  the  borders,  the 
growths  are  trained  to,  and  clothe,  one  of  the  several 
pillars  of  this  house  to  a  height  exceeding  r2  feet. 
A  native  of  Teneriffe,  Cytisus  proliferus  is  occasion- 
ally seen  thriving  well  outside  in  the  warmer  parts 
of  the  South  and  West.  Those  who  have  bare 
pillars  and  walls  to  furnish  in  large  conservatories 
will  find  this  Broom  a  most  useful  climber.  Flower- 
ing in  early  spring,  the  plants  respond  to  liberal 
pruning  after  flowering,  making  young  growths 
up  to  3  feet  or  more  in  length,  which  hang  grace- 
fully from  the  pillars  wreathed  in  creamy  white 
blossoms  disposed  among  the  ternate  leaves. 

An  Evergreen  Bush  Honeysuckle.— Under 
the  name  of  Lonicera  nitida  a  valuable  evergreen 
Honeysuckle  of  recent  introduction  from  Western 
China  bids  fair  to  become  permanently  estabhshed 
in  our  gardens.  Introduced  by  Messrs.  J.  Veitch 
and  Sons,  Chelsea,  through  their  collector  Mr. 
E.  H.  Wilson,  it  has  ahready  received  an  award 
of  merit  from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
Lonicera  nitida  forms  a  neat,  compact  bush,  with 
small,  upright  shoots  clothed  with  httle  Box-like 
leaves,  their  general  appearance  suggesting  a 
small-leaved  evergreen  Veronica  rather  than  a 
bush  Honeysuckle.  It  roots  readily  from  cuttings, 
and,  growing  freely  in  most  soils,  L.  nitida  should 
soon  be  widely  grown  in  borders  and  as  a  specimen 
for  the  rock  garden.  In  Western  Chma  the  bushes 
are  said  to  ultimately  attain  a  height  of  about 
SIX  feet  ;  the  flowers  are  creamy  white  and  fragrant. 


118 


THE     GARDEN. 


[March  8,  19I3. 


CORflESPONDENCE. 

f{The  Editor  is   not  responsible  for  the  opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Crocus  candidus  sulphureus. — A  yellow  variety 

nf  the  charming  Crocus  candidus  seems  rather  a 
novelty,  but  we  have  it  in  the  variety  sulphureus, 
which  I  owe  to  the  kindness  of  Mr.  E.  A.  Bowles. 
It  is  a  handsome  Crocus  of  good  size  and  with 
plenty  of  substance.  It  is  hardly  properly  called 
sulphureus,  as  with  me,  at  least,  the  colouring  is 
considerably  deeper  than  sulphur.  It  is  not  only 
pretty  in  itself,  but  is  interesting  as  showing  the 
great  range  in  colouring  which  exists  among  the 
Crocus  species  and  their  varieties. — S.  Arnott. 

A  Good  Dwarf  Shrub. — I  was  particularly 
struck  last  summer  with  the  beauty  of  Genista 
tinctoria  fiore  pleno,  a  compact  and  dwarf-growing 
shrub,  which  bore  its  yellow  flowers  in  the  greatest 
profusion.  It  grows  about  twelve  inches  high  and 
appears  to  thrive  in  almost  any  soil  or  situation, 
for  I  saw  it  both  on  the  rockery  and  in  a  border 
of  herbaceous  subjects  where  the  soil  was  quite 
a  heavy  loam.  It  is  undoubtedly  a  very  attractive 
and  bright  little  plant,  which  is  free-growing, 
and  will  thus  form  a  nice  spreading  patch  in  a  short 
time.  There  is  also  a  single  form  of  G.  tinctoria, 
but  I  should  certainly  select  the  double  variety. — S. 

The  Colour  of  China  Asters. — Is  there  any 
hope  that  seedsmen  may  be  persuaded  to  name 
correctly  in  their  catalogues  the  colours  of  the 
.\sters  they  offer  ?  At  present  nothing  could  be 
more  foolish,  misleading  and  exaggerating.  When 
they  are  fairly  correct  as  regards  other  flowers, 
why  do  they  go  so  much  astray  when. describing 
.Asters  ?  I  have  suffered  in  silence,  hoping  against 
hope  year  after  year  that  by  selecting  carefully  (!) 
named  colours,  such  as  blush  pink  or  royal  purple, 
my  garden  might  not  be  wrecked  on  the  magenta 
rocks.  Last  year  I  made  one  more  attempt. 
I  chose  white  streaked  faint  lavender,  and  white 
streaked  light  flesh.  How  I  tended  and  cared  for 
the  little'  seedlings  and  watched  their  growth, 
and  with  what  joyful  expectancy  I  waited  for  the 
first  flowers  !  Alas  !  I  had  border  after  border 
of  Asters  white  with  hard  bands  of  violent  purply 
or  pinky  magenta.  The  effect  was  appalling. 
If  I  order  a  pink  coat  from  my  tailor  and  he  sends 
me  a  magenta  one,  I  can  return  it.  Why  could 
I  not  return  my  nightmare  Asters  ?  The  whole 
thing  is  extremely  vexatious.  I  can  see  no  reason 
why  proper  colour  names  cannot  be  given  to 
.\sters  as  to  other  flowers.  Is  it  that  seed  does 
not  come  true,  or  that  seedsmen  are  colour-blind  ? 
— E.  M.  Hadow. 

The  Tiger  Lily  in  Pots. — The  Lily  chat  that 

we  have  had  in  The  Garden  of  late  has  been 
particularly  interesting  to  lovers  of  this  beautiful, 
but  in  some  cases  erratic,  class  of  plants.  Refer- 
ence to  the  forms  of  the  Tiger  Lily  recalls  the  fact 
that  all  the  varieties  are  not  of  equal  value  for 
growing  in  pots,  a  mode  of  culture  which  for 
business  reasons  I  was  forced  to  adopt  a  few  years 
ago.  It  was  very  necessary  to  have  a  group  of 
Tiger  Lilies  in  flower  at  about  their  normal  period 
of  blooming,  but  they  were  required  to  be  estab- 
lished in  pots.  For  this  method  of  treatment'  the 
variety  splendens  proved  much  superior  to  any 
others.  As  I  have  seen  difierent  forms  bearing 
■.he  varietal  name  of  splendens,  it  may  be  as  well 
•o  say  that  the  one  referred  to  is  that  grown  by 
t  le  Dutch  for  very  many  years,  sometimes  as 
splendens  and  sometimes  as  Leopoldii.  It  differs 
frciin  the  type  in  several  particulars,  for  the  lower 


part  ct  the  stem  is  quite  smootli  and  almost  black  ; 
next,  the  leaves  are  fewer  in  number,  but  broader 
and  of  a  deeper  green,  while  the  flowers  are  larger, 
brighter  in  colour  and  with  fewer  spots.  These  are, 
however,  larger  than  in  the  other  forms.  Under 
pot  culture  the  variety  splendens  retains  its  leaves 
very  much  better  than  any  of  the  others,  the  very 
woolly-leaved  Fortune!  being,  under  this  mode  of 
treatment,  liable  to  get  bare  at  the  base.  The 
variety  flore  plena,  though  the  best  example  of 
a  double  Lily  that  we  have,  is  not  to  my  liking. — 
H.   P. 

The  Red  Cup  Moss. — The  pretty  scarlet  fungus 
known  popularly  as  Red  Cup  Moss,  the  botanical 
name  of  which  is  Peziza  coccinea,  is  one  of  the 
loveliest  of  the  common  objects  of  a  cormtry  walk 
in  the  winter-time.  It  may  now  and  again  be  found 
in  the  hedgerow,  but  never  in  quantity,  for  growing 
as  it  does  on  rotten  wood,  it  is  only  where  this 
occurs  in  abundance  that  it  is  at  all  common, 
and  the  most  likely  spot  to  find  it  is  in  an  old  wood 
or  spinney  where  the  ground  is  moist.  In  one 
place,  close  to  the  road,  where  an  old  plantation 
is  never  touched  from  year  to  year,  it  is  to  be  found 
annually  m  the  winter-time  in  great  numbers  on 
the  damp  ground,  the  little  red  cups  glowing  on 
the  dark  wood  in  dozens.  Few,  perhaps,  are  aware 
what  a  delightful  and  lasting  indoor  decoration 
this  Red  Cup  Moss  will  provide  if  it  be  only  artistic- 
ally arranged.  The  scarlet  fungi  should  be  carefully 
taken  up,  each  with  the  little  piece  of  wood  to  which 
it  is  attached  adhering  to  it,  and  cautiously  carried 
home  in  a  basket.  A  shallow  dish  or  china 'saucer 
should  be  obtained  and  partially  filled  with 
water.  Sufficient  fresh  Moss  should  be  placed  in 
the  saucer  to  fill  it,  this  being  of  a  rough  and 
not  close-growing  description,  the  so-called  Fern 
Moss,  a  Hypnum,  being  the  prettiest  that  can  be 
procured.  A  couple  of  dozen  fungi,  if  the  saucer 
is  large  enough,  these  ranging  in  size  from  half  an 
inch  to  2  mches  across,  will  afford  a  charming  and 
uncommon  decoration  for  the  living-room  during 
the  depth  of  the  winter,  and  will  retain  their 
colour  and  freshness  for  a  month  or  more. — 
Wyndham  Fitzherbert. 

Primula  denticulata. — I  heartily  agree  with 
your  note  in  The  Garde.n  for  February  15,  page  77, 
relative  to  the  above  and  its  variety  cash- 
meriana.  The  soil  of  my  garden  being  very  light, 
I  have  found  it  difiicult  to  get  a  spot  sufficiently 
moist  for  the  summer  months  in  any  border,  yet 
during  the  winter  the  wet  has  caused  the  crowns 
of  the  plants  to  decay,  and  I  shall  have  to  start 
with  a  fresh  stock.  Can  you  suggest  any  method 
of  cultivation  which  would  obviate  the  loss  of 
such  beautiful  spring-flowering  plants  ?  _  Could 
thev  be  lifted  in  the  autumn,  placed  in  5-inch 
pots  in  a  cold  frame  and  flowered  effectively 
therein  ? — Himalaya.  [What  is  really  needed  is 
that  the  plant  be  afforded  some  covering  in  imita- 
tion of  the  deep  snow  covering  of  its  native  home. 
For  this  we  know  of  nothing  better  than  a  mound 
of  new  Cocoanut  fibre,  which  is  at  once  light, 
warm  and  protective.  In  conjunction  therewith 
the  soil  should  be  well  drained,  despite  the  fact 
that  the  species  is  of  a  moisture-loving  nature. 
In  winter  it  cannot  utilise  the  moisture  ;  hence  the 
trouble.  With  the  shelter  of  a  wall  and  in  light, 
sandy  soils  heavily  dressed  with  cow-manure, 
we  have  grown  this  in  Northern  gardens  to  far 
greater  perfection  than  is  usually  attained  by 
treating  it  as  a  bog  plant.  Hence  you  might  try 
lighter  soils  and  afford  the  above  covering  for  some 
while,  potting  up  others  in  September  and  giving 
them  cold-franv  treatirieiit.      We  imagine  you  will 


get  the  finer  heads  of  flowers  from  the  undisturbed 
plants.  The  plants  should  be  so  covered  up  while 
perfectly  dry  early  in  November.  The  covering 
should  be  cone-shaped  to  throw  off  wet.  At  the 
end  of  February  it  should  be  removed. — Ed.] 

An    Unconunon    Greenhouse   Plant  (Amphi- 

COme  Emodi).  —  This  greenhouse  plant  is  said 
to  succeed  on  the  rockery  if  protection  from 
wet  and  severe  frosts  is  afforded.  It  is, 
however,  usually  seen  as  a  pot  subject,  and 
its  bell-shaped,  rose  and  orange  flowers  are  pro- 
duced from  July  to  October.  Overpotting  must 
be  guarded  against,  and  a  compost  of  loam,  leaf- 
mould  and  sand  will  be  found  most  suitable.  At 
the  present  time  cuttings  made  from  the  young 
shoots  may  be  inserted  in  sandy  soil  and  placed 
in  gentle  heat,  where  they,  will  soon  root,  and  if 
judiciously  potted  on  will  form  nice  flowering 
plants  in  a  comparatively  short  time.  Seed  can 
also  be  sown  in  well-drained  pots  or  pans  during 
the  months  of  March  and  April,  and  if  arranged  in 
the  greenhouse,  germination  will  soon  commence. 
Amphicome  Emodi  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order 
Bignoniacea;.  It  is  rather  dwarf  in  habit  and 
is  of  a  perennial  character. — S. 
The  Flowering  of  Fruit  Trees.— No  one  can 

help  admiring  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  white 
and  rose  petalled  branches  of  our  fruit  trees  in 
spring  ;  but  they  have  another  interesting  phase 
to  which  I  would  draw  attention,  and  that  is  the 
order  in  which  they  open  their  flowers.  My  obser- 
vations extend  over  two  successive  years,  but 
those  of  last  year  only  are  given,  while  my  notes 
are  somewhat  restricted  owing  to  the  limited  number 
of  varieties  under  my  charge,  and  also  to  the  fact 
that  both  years  1  omitted  to  note  several  sorts  of 
Apples.  It  is  my  intention  to  make  notes  again 
this  season,  when  I  hope  to  include  the  previously 
omitted  kinds.  In  each  case  the  date  given  is 
that  upon  which  the  first  flowers  opened.  Jeffer- 
son's Plum,  March  24  ;  Archduke  Plum,  March  27  ; 
Coe's  Golden  Drop  Plum  and  May  Duke  Cherry 
(both  growing  on  a  fence),  March  31  ;  Victoria 
Plum,  April  2  ;  Czar  Plum,  Transparent  Gage 
Plum  and  Archduke  Cherry,  April  4  ;  Empress 
Eugenie  Cherry,  April  6  ;  Pear  Williams'  Bon 
Chretien,  April  7  ;  Pear  Doyenne  du  Comice, 
April  14;  Morello  Cherry,  April  11;  Catillac 
Pear,  April  15  ;  Apples — Irish  Peach,  April  18  ; 
Lord  Suffield  and  James  Grieve,  April  21  ;  Potts' 
Seedling,  April  22  ;  King  of  the  Pippins  and 
Flower  of  Kent,  April  23  ;  Worcester  Pearmain 
and  Cellini,  April  24  ;  and  Lane's  Prince  Albert, 
April  25.  A  comparative  perusal  of  the  above 
varieties  and  dates  will  disclose  the  fact  that  all 
early  varieties  do  not  open  their  blossoms  before 
some  of  the  late  varieties  begin  to  do  so. .  To  the 
writer,  at  least,  this  seems  rather  strange.  One 
would  naturally  think  that  the  earliest  fruits 
to  mature  would  be  the  first  to  hasten  into  blossom  ; 
but  it  is  not  so,  apparently,  with  Apples  and  kindred 
fruits.  On  the  other  hand,  the  varieties  of  Straw- 
berries, Currants  and  Gooseberries  do,  so  far  as 
I  have  been  able  to  watch  them,  open  in  their  order 
of  coming  to  maturity.  Has  any  other  reader 
ever  made  like  observations,  or  can  anyone  suggest 
a  reason  for  the  above  methods  being  followed  ?  01 
course,  the  actual  dates  on  which  the  flowers  open 
each  year  will  vary,  depending  chiefly  upon  four 
factors,  namely,  the  earlifiess  or  otherwise  of  the 
spring,  the  warm  or  cold  nature  of  the  soil,  whether 
grown  in  the  open  or  a  shaded  position,  and  early 
or  late  pruning  ;  but  these  conditions  would  not 
affect  the  order  of  varietal  flowering  in  any  givei> 
garden. — C,  Turner. 


March  8,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


119 


A  Noble  Fern. — I  send  yon  a  photograph  of  a 
ViTv  handsome  Fern,  Aspidium  angularc  acnti- 
loliinn  (the  Soft  Prirkly  Shield  Fern),  grown  in  a 
lie.intilul  garden  in  Surrey,  at  Whitnioor  House, 
Sutton  Park,  near  Guildford,  belonging  to  Philip 
Witham,  Esq.,  where  I  often  visit,  and  which  garden 
I  helped  to  remake.  The  Fern  now  measures  6  feet 
across  and  3  feet  6  inches  in  height,  and  is  quite 
the  finest  specimen  of  the  kind  I  ever  saw.  It  was 
originally  growing  on  an  old  and  badly-constructed 
rockery  close  to  the  house,  which  was  done  away 
with  some  six  or  seven  years  ago,  and  planted  in 
its  present  position  by  the  edge  ot  a  walk  leading  to 
the  tennis  courts  and  herbaceous  borders,  in  a 
kind  of  semi-wild  garden.  The  position  and  soil 
evidently  suit  it,  as  it  has  more  than  trebled  in 
size, — C.  M.  Wni.sELFV,  Wnhelcy,  Slaffori. 

Lachenalias,  or  Cape  Cowslips.— I  call  these 
.ilways  my  February  flowers.  Writing  i[i  the 
e.irly  days  of  the  month,  I  am  daily  watching  my 
precious  treasures  coloiu'ing  and  opening.  As 
usual,  the  famous  old  Nelsoni  and  Rose  Barton 
lead  the  way,  but  some  of  the  red  edgers  are  just 
showing,  Ruby,  Brightness  and  Phyllis  Paul  among 
the  number.  This  year  my  patience  is  being  re- 
warded in  a  handsome  manner.  I  am  about  to 
enjoy  what  their  great  high  priest.  Sir  Frederick 
Moore,  has  been  doing  for  a  long  time — that  is, 
the  gradual  unfolding  of  a  number  ot  my  own 
seedlings.  In  dwarf  pots  the  best  varieties  look 
splendid,  and  they  are  so  good  for  bringing  into  the 
dwelling-house,  as  they  last  a  long  time  in  bloom, 
and  if  they  are  grown  "  coolly  "  the  spikes  need  no 
support.  After  my  late  awful  attempt  at  classical 
Latin,  and  profiting  by  "  G.  H.  E.'s"  wigging,  I 
am  taking  refuge  in  a  more  doggy  style,  and  say 
to  those  who  want  a  flower  of  much  quiet 
beauty  and  of  great  interest,  "  Growienda  est 
Larhenalia." — J.  Jacob. 

The    Servian    Spruce. — .An     interesting     fa.t 

about  the  Servian  Spruce,  Picea  Omorica,  is  that, 
though  a  native  of  Central  Europe,  no  evidence  of 
its  existence  is  recorded  until  1875.  It  is  a  native 
of  the  mountains  of  South-West  Servia,  Bosnia 
and  Montenegro,  growing  at  an  altitude  of  from 
2,000  feet  to  5,000  feet.  Several  trees  raised  from 
seeds  received  from  Belgrade  in  1889  are  bearing 
cones  at  Kew.  These  are  ij  inches  long,  rather 
less  than  half  an  inch  in  diameter  at  the  broadest 
part,  and  borne  near  the  top  of  the  tree.  In  its 
native  country  the  Servian  Spruce  varies  from 
50  feet  to  100  feet  in  height.  The  largest  trees  in 
this  country  are  from  30  feet  to  35  feet  high. 
Compared  with  the  height  of  the  tree,  the  branches 
are  short,  giving  the  tree  a  pyramidal  outline. 
A  large  number  of  trees  are  growing  at  Kew  in 
varying  stages  from  a  couple  of  feet  upwards, 
the  tallest  tree,  twenty-four  years  old.  being  about 
thirty-two  feet  high.  The  behavioiir  of  these  trees 
suggests  that,  particularly  considering  the  atmo- 
sphere of  Kew,  Picea  Omorica  will  be  a  valuabl? 
decorative  tree  for  extensive  planting.  It  is  one 
of  the  flat-leaved  Spruce  Firs,  its  nearest  allies 
being  P.  ajanensis.  P.  hondoensis  and  P.  sitchensis. 
In  some  books  the  specific  name  is  spelt  P.  Omorika. 
—A.  O. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

March  10. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Meeting. 

March  11. — Surbiton  Spring  Show. 

March  12. — North  of  England  Society's  Spring 
Sliow  at  Bradford.  East  .Anglian  Horticultural 
Club's  Meeting.  Clevedon  and  District  Spring 
Bulb  Show. 


THE     HEATH     GARDEN. 

PROPAGATION      OF    HEATHS. 

{Continued   from  page  no.) 

PKOP.\G.A.TION  is  effected  by  seeds, 
cuttings  and  layers,  the  former  being 
only  practised  in  the  raising  of  hybrids, 
although  self-sown  plants  of  the  com- 
mon Ling  are  to  be  found  in  great 
quantities  on  the  hills  and  moors  of 
Britain.  \  favourable  seed-bed  for  these  is,  how- 
ever, only  fomid  after  a  quantity  of  Heather  has 
been  burned  off  and  the  ground  rendered  bare  of 
vegetation  for  a  time.  As  is  well  known,  where 
large  tracts  of  Heather  are  found  on  grazing  land, 
a  portion  is  burned  off  annually  to  provide  a 
succession  of  fresh  young  shoots  as  food  for  sheep 
and  grouse,  but  when,  for  the  want  of  sufficient 
draught  to  enable  the  fire  to  consume  the  plants 
rapidly  and  pass  on  before  the  heat  has  had  time 
to  destroy  the  roots,  the  slow  combustion  tiiay 
destroy  all  life  and  render  it  necessary  to  procure 


always  a  few  plants  in  reserve.  These  should 
be  .planted  or  laid  on  their  sides  with  the  shoots 
buried  up  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  tips  ;  when 
left  thus  for  a  year  or  eighteen  months,  fresh  roots 
will  have  been  produced  from  the  hard  stems, 
and  young  plants  or  tufts  of  a  convenient  size 
for  replanting  will  be  easily  secured.  In  replanting 
the  beds  with  young  plants  it  will  not  be  necessary 
to  entirely  renew  the  soil ;  the  addition  of  some 
well-decomposed  manure  will  generally  be  found 
sufficient,  well  mi.xing  it  with  the  compost.  Top- 
dressing  the  beds  annually  with  stable  manure 
is  found  of  great  advantage  to  the  plants  ;  this 
should  be  secured,  if  possible,  where  the  stalls  or 
boxes  have  been  bedded  down  with  raoss-Iitter. 
\  little  of  the  material  taken  fresh  from  the  stable 
and  shaken  among  the  plants  during  their  season 
of  growth  will  well  repay  the  trouble  by  assisting 
the  production  of  strong,  healthy  growth  and 
abundance  of  flowers. 

Selection  of  Varieties. — In  making  a  selection 
of    varieties,  one    must    be    guided    by    the    extent 


A     BEAUTIFUL     HARDY    FERN,      ASPIDIUM      ANGULARE     ACUTILOBUM,      IN      A     SURREY 

GARDEN. 


a  crop  from  self-sown  seeds,  the  process  is,  however, 
slow,  and  several  years  must  elapse  before  it  again 
becomes  good  feeding  ground. 

Propagation  from  cuttings  is  also  slow,  but  is  a 
successful  enough  method  if  carried  out  with 
sufficient  care.  The  cuttings  should  be  selected 
from  half-ripened  shoots  of  the  current  year's 
growth  and  placed  around  the  edges  of  pots  filled 
with  a  sandy  compost.  .After  receiving  a  good 
soaking  of  water  they  should  be  placed  m  a  cold 
frame  or  under  a  bell-glass ;  secure  from  frost 
until  rooted. 

Layering. — The  most  satisfactory  method,  how- 
ever, of  increasing  the  stock  of  hardy  Heaths  is 
by  layering,  as  this  can  be  done  in  the  open,  unless 
where  the  soil  is  unsuitable,  in  which  case  a  cold 
frame  may  be  utilised,  filling  it  to  sufficient  depth 
with  a  light,  sandy  compost. 

As  all  the  Ericas  are  liable  after  a  few  years' 
occupation  of  the  beds  to  become  leggy  or  straggling, 
replanting  with  fresh  dwarf  plants  becomes  necessary, 
and   for   this   purpose   it   is   a  good  plan    to   have 


of  groimd  to  be  treated,  by  the  climate,  and  whether 
spring  or  autumn  flowering  varieties  are  most 
desired.  The  most  interesting  selection,  however, 
would  be  one  in  which  all  varieties  are  represented 
and  planted  with  a  view  to  having  the  beds  flowering 
in  succession  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year. 
Where  a  number  of  beds  can  be  convenienth- 
arranged,  each  should  be  planted  with  varieties 
flowering  about  the  same  time,  in  preference  to 
having  them  filled  with  many  sorts  flowering  at 
different  periods.  The  grouping  of  colours  should 
also  be  carefully  studied  along  with  their  com- 
parative heights,  commencing  with  those  that 
flower  early  in  the  year.  A  \31ge  bed  might  be 
devoted  to  Erica  multiflora,  E.  codonodes,  E. 
carnea  or  herbacea  and  its  varieties,  .\rborea. 
under  favourable  circumstances,  wdl  grow  to'  a 
height  of  from  4  feet  to  6  feet,  and,  indeed, " 
sometimes  attains  to  the  dimensions  of  a  small 
tree.  This  plant  is  said  to  provide  the  wood  from 
which  the  so-called  Briar-root  pipes  are  made, 
and  is  largely  imported  from  I'^raiur-  to  this  country 


120 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  8,  1913. 


for  that  purpose.  It  may  form  the  central  figure 
of  a  large  bed  ;  the  flowers  for  the  most  part  are 
white,  although  several  varieties  in  different  colours 
are  recorded.  E.  lusitanica  or  codonodes,  occa- 
sionally known  as  E.  polytrichifolia,  closely 
allied  to  E.  arborea,  is  also  a  tall  grower,  reaching 
a  height  of  4  feet  ;  this  is  a  most  beautiful  variety, 
with  white  flowers  borne  very  profusely,  and  having 
foUage  of  a  pleasing  soft  green.  E.  multiflora  is, 
perhaps,  the  earliest  to  show  flower,  producing 
its  blossoms  of  a  pale  red  colour  sometimes  in  the 
last  weeks  of  December,  if  the  weather  at  that  time 
is  at  all  favourable.  Its  average  height  is  about 
two  feet,  and  is  well  adapted  for  planting  between 
the  first  two  named  and  the  dwarf  varieties  of 
E.  carnea  with  which  we  would  finish  the  planting 
of  the'early  bed.  E.  camea  forms  dense  tufts  of 
pinkJ flowers,  and  rarely  exceeds  a  height  of  6  inches 
It  is  one  of  the  freest,  both  in  growth  and 
flowet,  of  the  whole  genus,  and  should  be  included 
iu  every  collection.  E.  c.  alba,  often  catalogued 
under  the  name  of  E.  herbacea,  is  of  slightly  dwarfer 


compact  grower  bearing  red  flowers  ;  this  variety 
requires  somewhat  closer  planting  than  the  others 
to  enable  it  to  cover  the  ground  properly  and 
avoid  a  certain  stiffness  in  form  that  it  assumes 
when  given  too  much  room.  E.  m.  hybrida  has 
somewhat  larger  and  brighter  individual  flowers 
on  shorter  stems,  and  usually  flowers  were  early, 
particularly  in  the  southern  counties.  E.  m. 
rubra  might  be  described  as  a  deep  pink  :  E.  m. 
nana  and  E.  m.  stricta  both  being  red.  The  first  four 
named  should  serve  for  most  purposes,  except  where 
a  very  full  collection  is  desired.  T.  Wilson. 

The  Gardens,  Glamis  Castle,  N.B. 
[To   he   coii/iitued.) 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


THE     "MULCHING"    OF     ALPINES. 

In    many    parts    of    this    country    alpine    flowers 
suffer    greatly     from    the     want     of     moisture     at 


A    PLANT    OF    SAXIFRAGA    GRIESB.\CHII    WITH    FIVE    FLOWER-SPIKES. 


dimensions  than  the  former,  but  otherwise  an  exact 
counterpart  in  all  but  the  colour  of  the  flowers, 
which  are  white.  When  grown  in  quantity  these 
ovely  little  Heaths  provide  some  of  the  earliest 
forage  for  bees,  and  together  with  the  tall  varieties, 
already  named,  give  a  display  during  the  first  three 
months  of  the  year  ;  but  before  they  have  quite 
gone  out  of  flower  other  varieties  are  rapidly  coming 
forward.  Diu'ing  the  period  from  March  to  May, 
E.  mediterranea  in  numerous  colours  will  serve 
to  keep  up  the  succession,  and  several  beds  may  be 
devoted  to  this  section.  The  type  grows  almost 
three  feet  high,  and  has  flowers  of  a  pleasing  shade 
of  red,  and  should  be  planted  towards  the  centre  of 
the  bed  or  well  back  from  the  margin  of  the 
border ;  the  others,  being  mostly  of  a  uniform 
height  of  from  9  inches  to  12  inches,  according 
to  the  suitability  of  the  soil  and  climate,  may 
be  disposed  m  patches  or  blocks  to  fill  up  the 
beds  according  to  the  ideas  of  the  planter. 
E.  m.   glauca   is    distinct    in    habit,  being  a  very 


of  something  which  will  not  only  ward  off  the 
scorching  winds,  but  will  serve  as  a  non-conductor 
and  keep  the  plant  free  from  excessive  changes 
of  temperature,  and  will  at  the  same  time  retain 
moisture.  If  we  can  attain  tfiis  object,  and  also 
prevent  the  plant  from  receiving  injury  from 
excessive  rains  in  winter,  we  shall  overcome  many 
of  our  greatest  difficulties  in  the  cultivation  of 
certain  flowers. 

The  moraine  is  almost  magical  in  its  effects  in 
this  direction,  but  it  is  not  everyone  who  can  have 
one,  although  small  and  simple  moraines  can  be 
constructed  at  very  little  expense.  We  can, 
however,  give  nearly  all  the  benefits  of  the  moraine 
by  mulching  our  plants  with  small  chips  or  gravel, 
or,  almost  as  well,  with  some  rough  grit.  It  is 
many  years  since  the  writer  learned  from  actual 
trial  how  beneficial  a  thing  was  a  thick  mulch 
of  the  rougher  grit  from  the  seashore  close  to  where 
he  lived.  With  i  inch  or  2  inches  of  this  about 
the  plants,  it  was  wonderful  to  see  the  benefits 
which  resulted.  Troublesome  subjects  were  mucli 
easier  to  grow,  and  many  easy  things  were  still 
easier  to  accommodate,  when  so  mulched  with  this 
material.  Small  chips,  such  as  are  now  so  much 
employed  on  roads,  are  every  whit  as  good,  and 
the  mulching  may  be  from  i  inch  to  3  inches  or 
even  4  inches  in  height.  An  excellent  mulch  is 
composed  of  a  combination  of  the  chips  and  the 
grit,  and  its  application  is  followed  in  many  cases 
by  results  which  are  perfectly  surprising.  Plants 
which  suffer  from  the  drying  spring  winds  art- 
protected  at  the  roots  by  this  material,  with  its 
"  layer "  of  air  between  the  stones.  Any  rain 
which  falls,  or  any  water  artificially  supplied, 
runs  freely  through  the  mulch  and  is  conserved 
when  it  reaches  the  soil.  In  times  when  there  is 
an  over-supply  of  moisture,  the  parts  of  the  plant 
which  are  most  liable  to  rot  off  are  saved  by  the 
dry  chips  about  them  ;  and  all  those  which  require 
glass  protection,  i.e.,  such  subjects  as  some  of  the 
silky  Androsaces  and  other  things  with  woolly 
or  very  hairy  foliage  are  much  benefitted. 

This  mulchuig  with  chips  or  gravel  may  be 
applied  at  any  time,  and  in  the  case  of  low-growing, 
carpeting  subjects  it  is  wise  to  add  it  gradually,  fn 
as  to  allow  the  plants  time  to  grow  up  among  the 
mulching  material,  and  not  to  smother  them  by  ton 
thick  a  layer  at  once.  This  "mulching"  is  simplicity 
itself,  but  it  is  most  efficacious.      Old  .\lpinist. 


the  roots  diu'ing  their  growuig  season,  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  from  too  much  surface 
wet  at  times  when  they  should  be  at  rest. 
In  spring,  especially  when  the  parching 
"  March"  winds  (which,  of  course,  do  not  always 
come  in  the  month  which  gives  them  their  name) 
lick  up  every  drop  of  moisture  and  leave  the  plants 
thirsting  for  the  genial  rains  of  the  spring,  many  of 
these  alpine  flowers  suffer  enormously.  Often 
carelessly  planted  and  in  uncongenial  conditions, 
they  miss  the  moisture  supplied  at  home  from  the 
melting  snows,  and,  alike  above  and  below  ground, 
have  much  suffering  and  trial  to  endure.  It  is 
easy  to  realise  the  vast  difference  between  the 
plant  growing  in  the  moist  soil  of  the  moimtain-side 
with  its  roots  constantly  supplied  by  the  melting 
snow,  and  the  same  flower  on  a  dry  rockery  subjected 
to   the   parching  winds  of  some  of  our  springs. 

This  condition  may  be  mitigated  by  the  roots 
being  snugly  tucked  away  under  or  between  stones, 
but  there  is  nothing  so  good  as  a  thick  "  mulcting  " 


SAXIFRAGA     GRIESBACHII. 

This  is  a  plant  all  alpine  specialists  are  anxious  to 
grow  well,  but  it  rarely  thrives  up  to  one's  expecta- 
tions in  the  gardens  of  this  country.  It  was  intro- 
duced to  cultivation  ten  years  ago,  when  it  received 
a  first-class  certificate  from  the  Royal  Horticul- 
tural Societv  and  created  quite  asensation  among  the 
rock  gardening  community.  It  was  at  first  thought 
likely  to  become  a  popular  subject  for  the  rock 
garden,  but  many  have  found  to  their  disappoint- 
ment that  such  is  not  the  case.  Now  and  then, 
however,  one  alights  upon  a  garden  where  it 
succeeds  fairly  well.  Its  greatest  enemy  is  damp, 
and  it  appears  to  give  the  best  results  when  grown 
upon  a  small  cone  of  stones  in  a  sunny  position. 
The  plant  illustrated  is  a  particularly  good  specimen, 
carrying  no  fewer  than  five  healthy  inflorescences. 
Each  rosette  develops  into  a  flower-spike,  the 
calyces  and  flowers  being  bright  crimson,  and, 
after  flowering,  young  rosettes  appear  at  the  base 
of  the  flowered  crown.  Saxifraga  Griesbachii  is 
a  native  of  the  mountams  of  Albania  and  Mace- 
donia, and  is  one  of  those  cherished  plants  requiring 
more  than  ordinary  care. 


March  8,  1913.] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


121 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


How 


THE     APPLE-SUCKER. 

Fruit     Trees      are      Attacked  :      Brief 

LlFE-HlSTORV    OF    THE    PeST. 

The  apple-sucker  (Psylla  mali)  is  certainly  one  of 
the  most  destructive  pests  of  the  orchard.     The  par- 
ticular object    of    its 
attack    is    the    bud, 
which  it  enters  imme- 
diately the    awaken- 
ing    life     in     spring 
sufficiently     expands 
the   protecting    scale 
leaves   to    enable    it 
to   crawl   inside.     At 
this  period   the   tiny 
creature — a  flat,  dirty 
yellow  larva(A)  with 
bright  red  eyes — has 
just  hatched  out  from 
the    egg,  being 
one     of     hun- 
dreds of  others 
laid     the    pre- 
vious    autumn 
on    the    young 
shoots    and    fruit-spurs   .if   the   tree.      Once 
inside   the    bud,  it    feeds    by    stabbmg    the 
delicate     tissues,     and    by    suction    of    the 
nutritive  juices  of  the  young  leaves  seriously 
interferes    with    their    normal    development. 
Leaves  so  attacked   (especially  if  the  larva> 
arf    numerous)    partially  lose    their    healthv 
green  colour,  and  become  pale,  shrunken  and 
curled.     The  vitality  of  the  leaves  is  lowered, 
hence  their  power  to    manufacture  starch  is 
reduced,  and  this  in    turn   lessens   nutrition 
and    weakens    the    seasonal     growth.       But 
bad  as  this  is,  it  is  not   by  any  means  the  end  of 
the  trouble.     For  so  soon  as  the   flowers   begin  to 
push    out    from  the    bud,   the    larva   are  able  to 
attack   the  soft,  sappy  tissues    of   the   lengthening 


peduncles  {or  flower-st^dks)  and  to  so 
injure  them  that  they  fail  to  transmit 
the  necessary  food  and  water,  and 
then,  of  course,  the  blossoms  wither 
and  die  and  all  chance  of  fruit  is  gone 
for  the  season.  The  dead  flower-trusses 
win  hang  on  to  the  spurs  for  a  long 
time,  and  a  very  large  number  of  gar- 
deners wrongly  attribute  the  damage 
to  late  spring  frosts,  and  thus  fail 
entirely  to  recognise  the  presence  of 
these  dreadfully  destructive  little 
pests.  The  rest  of  their  life-story  is 
soon  told.  After  two  or  three  moults 
the  larvae  gradually  pass  into  the 
nymph  stage(B)  ;  they  grow  a  little 
bigger,  their  colour  changes  to  green, 
and  wings  gradually  develop,  until  finally,  in 
late  May  or  early  June,  they  become  transformed 
into  first  green  and  then  variegated  winged 
adults,     from    one -tenth    to     one -eighth    of    an 


LARVA  OF  PSYLL.A.  (ENLARGED 
EIGHT    TIMES). 


.NYMPH  OF  PSVLLA  (E.VLARGED 
EIGHT    TIMES). 


RUPTURED       EGG -CASE      OF 

PSYLLA LARVA   ESCAPED 

(E.SLARGED  TWENTY-FIVE 

TIMES). 


THE    UTXr.ED    OR    ADULT    PSVLLA    (E.VLARGED    TEN    TIMES). 


SPURRED     SHOOT     OF     APPLE     TREE     I.V     WINTER. 
SHOWIN'G    ATTACHED    EGC.S    OF    PSVLLA. 


inch  in  length.  In  this  stage  of  their  existence 
they  are  apparently  harmless.  Towards  the  middle 
of  September  and  until  about  the  beginning  of 
November  the  females  begin  to  lay  their  eggs, 
selecting  for  this  purpose  the  hairy  surfaces  of  the 
youngest  twigs,  the  leaf-scars  round  the  bases 
of  the  lateral  buds,  and  particularly  the  rough  sur- 
faces of  the  fruiting  spurs.  The  eggs  are  minute, 
but,  still,  they  can  be  easily  seen  if  searched 
for.  They  are  oval  in  form  and  securely  fastened 
to  the  twig  by  means  of  a  glue-like  material. 
Treatment  of  Trees  to  Prevent  Attack.— The 

aim  rjf  the  fruit-grower  in  his  treatment  of  trees 
attacked  by  Psylla  must  be  mainly,  if  not  entirely, 
directed  to  prevention  of  entry  to  the  bud,  for  the 
reason  that  once  the  larvae  gain  an  entrance,  there 
is  considerably  less  chance  of  arresting  the  damage 
or  otherwise  effecting  a  cure.  Attempts  should, 
therefore,  be  made  to  destroy  the  eggs,  or  to  at 
least  prevent  the  escape  of  the  young  larvse  from 
the  shells.  There  is  a  real  difficulty,  however,  in 
this.  The  shells  that  serve  as  a  protection  to  the 
otherwise  exposed  ova  are  of  a  peculiar  horny 
nature,  and  only  a  strongly  corrosive  wash  can 
penetrate  them  ;  and  a  solution  of  sufficiently 
effective  strength  is  just  as  likely  to  damage  the 
tissues  of  the  tree  as  to  destroy  the  eggs.  There 
seem  to  be  good  grounds  for  the  belief  that  the 
method  ori.ginally  advocated  by  Mr.  Hammond 
(whose  extensive  Essex  experience  as  a  fruit- 
grower is  well  known)  is  the  best  course  to  take  in 
grapphng  with  the  difficulty.  Mr.  Hammond's 
wash  was  a  solution  of  a  mixture  of  quicklime 
and  salt,  made  as  follows  :  Slake  half  a  hundred- 
w^eight  of  freshly-biirni  lime  in  a  small  quantity 
of  water.     Then    add   it    to    loo  gallons   of   water. 


Stir  well  and  strain  off  to  separate  all  particles  of 
grit.  To  this  thick  lime-wash  add  jolb.  of  dissolved 
salt  and  thoroughly  mix.  Theobald  recommends 
the  addition  of  from  2lb.  to  jlb.  of  \vater-glas» 
to  this  solution,  explauiing  that  by  so  doing 
the  adhesive  power  of  the  wash  is  usefully 
increased.  In  spraying,  the  object  in  view  is 
to  thoroughly  cover  the  eggs  with  a  lime-salt 
paste,  and  so  increase  the  difficulty  of  the 
newly-hatched  larv^  to  escape.  A  special 
nozzle  is  almost  essential  in  spraj'ing  this 
rather  thick  fluid,  as  clogging  is  frequent 
during  the  operation.  The  special  form  of 
nozzle  known  as  the  "  Seneca "  has  been 
recommended,  as  it  is  provided  with  an 
arrangement  for  rapidly  clearing  the  aperture 
without  unscrewing  the  nozzle  ;  but  other 
types  to  meet  such  cases  are  now  on  the 
market. 

This  is  the  principal  method  of  preven- 
tion, but  there  are  others  that  may  be 
adopted  as  supplementary  in  severe  cases. 
For  example,  Mr.  Pickering  recommends  that 
the  above  work  might  be  usefully  followed  by 
spraying  with  a  decoction  of  Tobacco  at  the 
time  of  the  bursting  of  the  buds.  The  object 
of  this  particular  spray  is  to  kill  any  larvse  that 
succeeded  in  escaping,  before  they  have  time  to 
reach  the  young  flowers.  This,  if  successful,  will 
save  the  fruit.  The  strength  of  decoction  suggested 
is  that  of  two  parts  of  strong  Tobacco  in  a  hundred 
parts  of  water.  Suitable  nicotine  washes  for  the 
purpose     can, 

however,      be  -^^ 

readily  ob- 
tained f  r  o  ni 
reputable 
vendors  of  in- 
secticides. It 
will  be  safest 
and  best  for 
amateur  fruit- 
gro  wer  s  to 
take  this 
latter  course. 
C  o  1  1  i  n  g  e 
strongly 
reco  m  m  e  nds 
spraying  the 
trees  with  a 
paraffin  emul- 
sion in  the 
autumn,  when 
the      winged  ^^  _    _  _••;      ;. 

females     are 

h  o  v  e  r  i  n  <»       shoots  of  apple  tree  in'  spring 
•^  with   newly -hatched- out 

among  the  larv.e   of    psylla    waiting 

branches    and  for  buds  to  open. 


122 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[March  8,  1913. 


•engaged  in  egg  -  laying,  and  in  large  orchards 
the  practice  has  much  te  commend  it.  An 
attempt  at  the  eradication  of  this  ruthless  enemy 
of  Apples  is  a  work  that  ought  to  be  at  once 
undertaken  through  the  co-operation  of  all  gardeners 
and  fruit-growers  in  the  country.  Unlike  most 
other  members  of  the  aphis  family,  its  only  known 
food  plant  is  the  Apple,  This  fact  gives  an  enor- 
mous initial  advantage  to  the  exterminator.  Keep 
the  insects  off  the  Apple  trees  in  a  sufficiently  wide 
area,  and  they  will  become  extinct  by  starvation 
in  a  generation  or  two  within  that  area.  The 
difficulty,  of  course,  in  all  such  troubles  is  to  secure 
effective  f^imultaneous  action.  D.  Houston. 

[The  illustrations  used  in  connection  with  the 
foregoing  article  are  after  Theobald,  from  blocks 
kindly  lent  to  us  by  Irish  Gardening,.] 


THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 


LILIUM  GIGANTEUM  IN  CORNWALL. 

THE  accompanying  illustration  represents 
the  best  bed  of  this  noble  Lily  that  we 
have  ever  seen.  Good  individual  plants 
are  not  uncommon,  but  it  is  seldom  that 
a  whole  colony  can  be  induced  to 
flower  at  one  time.  The  illustration 
is   from  a  photograph   kindly   sent    us    by    Major 


SWRET    PEA     NOTES. 

A  QUESTION  which  is  perplexing  many  lovers  of 
Sweet  Peas  is  whether  or  not  their  favourites  are 
losing  ground  in  general  esteem.  The  streak 
disease  has  been  so  prevalent  and  so  widespread 
that  many  people  are  becoming  disheartened, 
and  it  will  not  need  many  additional  failures  to 
cause  them  to  exclude  the  plant  from  their  gardens, 
as  far  as  the  production  of  exhibition  blooms  is 
concerned.  Happily,  when  plants  are  grown  to 
yield  blossoms  for  cutting,  the  plants  do  not  suffer 
to  nearly  the  same  degree  as  those  more  highly 
cultivated  with  a  view  to  big  blooms  on  long 
stems,  while  the  old-fashioned,  smooth  varieties 
certainly  appear  to  enjoy  immunity  in  large  measure, 
presumably  because  they  are  of  stronger  constitution. 

.\  further  fault  that  tells  against  the  modern 
race  is  the  lack  of  perfume  ;  but  perhaps  some 
raisers  will  spare  time  from  their  Mendelian  studies 
to  remember  the  old  tragrance  which  was  so  pene- 
trating and  yet  so  delightful,  and  will  endeavour 
to  find  us  fresh  colours  in  which  it  is  present  in 
full  measure.  Given  this  and  healthy  plants, 
the  Sweet  Pea  can  never  die. 

This  is  the  great  month  for  outdoor  sowing, 
and  notwithstanding  the  thousands  of  seeds  sown 
indoors  in  the  autumn  and  spring,  far  larger 
quantities  are  sown  out  of  doors  in  March  and 
April.     Endeavours  have  been  made  to  persuade 


is  no  doubt  that  the  results  will  be  sufficiently  good 
to  admirably  repay  the  efforts  made. 

If  the  chosen  position  has  not  been  dug  since 
it  was  originally  prepared  and  manured,  forking 
over  to  a  depth  of  lo  inches  or  so  must  be  done  at 
once,  as  time  for  settlement  must  elapse  before 
the  seeds  can  be  satisfactorily  sown.  Where  it 
has  been  impossible  to  dig  and  manure  the  ground 
earlier,  do  the  work  instantly,  and  tread  sandy 
soils  hard  down  prior  to  seed  distribution.  In  all 
instances  where  flowers  for  the  home  are  wanted, 
it  is  unwise  to  use  natural  manure  to  excess,  as 
infinitely  superior  results  follow  upon  moderate 
dressings,  with  supplements  of  one  of  the  several 
valuable  concentrated  foods  offered  by  advertisers 
in  the  pages  of  The  Garden.  If  the  plants  are  to 
be  grown  in  rows,  a  distance  of  not  less  than  6  feet 
should  separate  them. 

For  the  reception  of  the  seeds,  shallow  drills  should 
be  cut,  and  the  base  ought  to  be  made  firm  and 
level.  As  a  rule,  a  depth  of  2  inches  suffices  ;  but 
in  light  soils  a  little  deeper  may  be  wise,  while  in 
heavy  land  rather  less  is  to  be  preferred.  The 
seeds  must  be  set  3  inches  apart,  and  later,  when 
the  seedlings  are  through,  thinning  should  commence 
and  continue  until  the  plants  are  6  inches  or 
9  inches  asunder. 

It  is  wise  to  provide  protection  against  birds, 
and  there  are  excellent  devices  on  the  market, 
or  guards  of  wood  and  string  can  be 
made  at  home.  Slugs,  too,  wUl  demand 
a  toll  unless  they  are  kept  in  check, 
and  for  the  purpose  frequent  dustings 
with  either  old  soot  or  lime  are 
reliable  ;  but  the  frequency  of  dressing 
must  be  allowed  to  vary  with  the 
weather,  more  applications  being 
wanted  in  wet  than  in  dry  weather. 
Constant  pricking  over  of  the  surface 
is  also  most  advantageous  in  checking 
the  ravages  of  the  slimy  foe.  Twiggy 
sticks  must  be  put  to  the  plants  before 
they  are  3  inches  in  height  to  prevent 
the  possibility  of  falling  over.    J.  R. 


A    BEAUTIFUL    BED    OF    LILIUM    GIG.^XTEUM    I.N    .-^    COKMSH    G.^KDEX. 


G.  T.  Williams  of  Manor  House,  Burton  Joyce, 
Nottingham,  and  the  plants  were  grown  in  his 
garden  at  Tredrea,  Perranwell,  Cornwall,  in  1911, 
which  was  his  home  at  that  time.  Major  Williams 
informs  us  that  there  were  twenty-three  stems 
bearing  flowers  in  the  bed  at  the  time  the  photo- 
graph was  taken.  We  are  much  indebted  to  him 
for  allowing  us  the  opportunity  of  recording  and 
illustrating  such  a  beautiful  bed.  We  hope  other 
readers  who  may  have  interesting  photographs 
wdl  follow  his  example.  By  so  doing  a  per- 
manent record  is  made  of  many  beautiful  plants 
that  would  otherwise  be  unnoticed  by  the  majority 
of  flower-lovers. 


growers  that  success  is  only  possible  when  sowing 
under  glass  is  done,  but  this  is  absurd.  Until 
recent  years  the  seeds  were  wholly  sown  where 
the  plants  were  to  flower,  and,  when  the  space 
in  and  between  the  lines  was  abundant,  many 
thousands  of  superb  flowers  on  splendid  stems  were 
produced  ;  and  if  they  were  not  as  big  as  those 
seen  at  present-day  shows,  they  were  unsurpassable 
for  the  decoration  of  the  house  and  garden. 
■Amateurs  who  love  Sweet  Peas  must  not  have  the 
slightest  hesitation  about  sowing  in  the  garden. 
If  the  soil  has  been  thoroughly  prepared  in  advance, 
the  seeds  are  thinly  sown  in  suitable  drills  and  the 
plants    are    correctly   managed    throughout,    there 


A    BOLD     PLANT    FOR    THE 
WATER-SIDE. 

(Senecio  Clivorum.) 

Of  the  numerous  plants  introduced 
from  China  within  the  last  decade  or  so, 
it  is  questionable  whether  any  one  of 
them  is  more  firmly  established  in  the 
gardens  of  this  country  than  Senecio 
Ciivorum.  It  is  a  large,  coarse-growing 
subject,  and  unless  given  ample  room 
is  calculated  to  smother  surrounding 
\'egetation,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  not 
a  desirable  plant  for  the  herbaceous 
border.  But  for  planting  in  bold  groups 
in  a  fairly  open  woodland,  ^vild  garden, 
or,  better  still,  by  the  water-side,  it  is  quite  well 
adapted.  'In  the  illustration  on  page  123  it  is  seen  in 
association  with  the  large-leaved  Gunnera  manicata, 
growing  by  the  lakeside  in  Gunnersbury  House  Gar- 
dens, and  this  is  a  congenial  liome  for  both  of  these 
robust  plants.  Senecio  Clivorum  has  roundly  peltate 
leaves  2  feet  or  more  in  diameter,  the  branching 
inflorescence  attaining  some  4  feet  or  5  feet  high. 
The  flower-heads  are  numerous  and  large,  the 
colour  being  rich  orange.  The  plant  is  quick  to 
develop,  quite  hardy,  and  of  striking  appearance 
when  in  flower.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  it 
belongs  to  a  vast  genus — probably  the  most  exten- 
sive in  the  vegetable  kingdom. 


J 


March  8,  1913.] 


iliJi    GARDEN. 


123 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


SOME     UNCOMMON     ROSES. 

THE  many  interesting  notes  that  are 
written  about  the  newer  varieties 
prompts  me  to  write  a  few  lines 
about  those  that  are  now  all  too 
little  grown  in  the  rush  for  the 
more  modern  sorts.  Many  of  the  older 
-varieties  have  much  to  recommend  them  if  they 
are  given  even  moderately  good  treatment.  For 
covering  walls,  those  I  name  are  really  useful. 
I  do  not  claim  for  them  that  they  are  perpetual 
flowering.  From  my  knowledge  of  the 
newer  varieties,  some  of  which  are 
claimed  to  be  continuous  flowering,  I 
^cannot  yet  see  that  any  appreciable 
advance  has  been  made  in  that  direc- 
tion. Flower  of  Fairfield  is  said  to  be 
an  improvement  on  the  older  Crimson 
Rambler,  from  which  it  is  a  seedling, 
but  I  am  afraid  the  continuity  of  flower 
only  extends  to  a  few  straggling  late 
shoots  that  develop  flowers  in  due 
<;ourse. 

Gloire  de  Dijon  is  certainly  per- 
petual flowering  as  new  growth  is 
made,  but  even  this  old  favourite  can- 
not be  termed  a  really  good  Rose  for 
covering  a  wall,  as  it  has  such  a  habit 
of  becoming  bare  at  the  base,  also  for 
a  considerable  way  up  the  wall. 

Reve  d'Or  was  introduced  by 
Pemet-Ducher  in  i86g,  belonging  to 
the  Noisette  class,  and  for  a  south  wall 
it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  better 
variety.  In  growth  it  is  \-igorous, 
producing  a  huge  crop  of  deep  yellow 
blossoms  which  contrast  well  with  the 
dark  -  coloured  foliage.  Where  so 
many  err  in  the  cultivation  of  this 
Rose  is  in  not  pruning  it  correctly. 
Many  persons  leave  the  whole  of 
the  last  season's  growth  to  flower, 
and  although  a  quantity  of  blooms 
are  produced  in  this  manner,  they 
are  Ul-shapen  and  poor  in  colour ; 
growth  does  not  appear  to  be  vigorous  enough  to 
develop  the  flowers  perfectly.  The  correct  method 
of  pruning  when  the  wall  is  covered  with  main 
branches  is  that  all  subsequent  shoots  should  be 
tlosely  spurred  in  yearly,  and  from  the  new  growth 
will  come  the  much-prized  blooms  in  quantity 
and  qualitv. 

Cloth  of  Gold  (Coquereau,  1S43)  is  another 
variety  almost  .ost  sight  of,  and  although  this  does 
not  flower  so  abundantly  as  the  former,  the  individual 
•quality  is  so  extremely  fine  that  one  does  not 
notice  the  lack  of  quantity. 

Celine  Forestier  (Leroy,  1S5S)  on  a  south  wall 
is  a  charming  Rose,  the  pale  yellow  blossoms  being 
almost  extravagantly  produced  in  clusters. 

Lamarque  (.Marechal,  1830)  is  one  of  the  oldest 
Roses  we  have  belonging  to  the  Noisette  class, 
and  for  freedom  of  flower  it  would  be  difficult  to 
find  a  superior.  Out  of  doors  the  colour  is  very 
pale  lemon  ;  under  glass,  pure  white.  In  growth 
it  is  rampant,  but  the  more  the  vigour  the  greater 
quantity  of  flowers  produced,  and  well  into  the 
autumn,  too.  A  system  of  close  annual  pruning 
is  desirable.  This  is  a  Rose  that  succeeds  on  its 
o^vn  roots. 

Aimee  Vibert  (Vibert,  1828)  is  an  almost  ever- 
green variety,  quickly  making  a  thick  wall  covering 


and  producing  its  pure  white,  sweetly-scented 
flowers  in  huge  quantities. 

Ards  Rover  (A.  Dickson,  1S9S)  is  a  much  better 
climber  than  many  persons  seem  to  think,  as  it 
is  so  seldom  seen  in  this  form  of  growth.  The  late 
Mr.  Flight  of  Twyford,  Winchester,  who  was  an 
ardent  rosarian,  knew  the  virtue  of  this  Rose  as 
a  wall  plant,  and  by  closely  spurring  it  in  yearly 
he  had  an  abundant  flower  crop  annually.  For 
richness  of  perfume  and  brilliant  colouring  this  is  a 
charming  Rose. 

Bouquet  d'Or  (Pernet-Ducher,  1872)  is  an  im- 
provement on  Gloire  de  Dijon,  in  that  its  flowers 
are     more      freely    produced    and    individually    of 


how  long  an  established  plant  on  a  south  or  east 
wall  will  continue  to  give  huge  crops  of  flower. 
I  know  of  one  of  the  yellow  type,  over  seventy  years 
old  with  a  huge  stem,  which  even  now  gives  its 
annual  quota  of  flowers. 

Swanmore.  E.  Molyneu.x. 

THE     CABBAGE    ROSE. 

Wh.^t  a  name  to  bestow  upon  such  a  fragrant 
Rose  !  Why  Cabbage  ?  Its  appellation  is  generally 
accepted  as  derivative  from  "  Cabuche "  or 
"  Cabus,"  which  are  the  Cabbages  and  Cabbage 
Lettuces    of    France.     Of   course,    it    is    generally 


SEXECIO    CLIVORUM    EFFECTIVELY    GROUPED    BY    THE   WWTERSIDE   AT    GUXNERSBURY    HOUSE,  ACTON. 


the    spring 


better  quality,  \vitli  a  little  more  copper   colour   in 
the  centre. 

Reine  Marie  Henriette  (Levett,  1S73),  commonly 
known  as  the  Red  Gloire,  is  deser-i'ing  of  attention 
where  an  early  bit  of  bright  wall  colouring  is 
required,  as  this  Rose  gives  its  cherry  red  flowers 
abundantly.     Prune  closely. 

Isabella  Sprunt  (Verschaffelt,  1867)  will  grow 
20  feet  high  and  annually  give  a  huge  crop  of  its 
lemon  yellow  flowers,  which  continue  in  a  lessened 
manner  throughout  the  summer  and  autumn. 

Sinica  Anemone  is  worthy  of  a  place  on  a  south 
or  west  wall,  where  its  large  silvery  pink,  single 
flowers  are  produced  freely,  and  which  contrast 
so  well  with  the  darkly-tinted  foliage. 

Belle  Vichysoise  produces  its  violet  pink  flowers 
in  clusters  early  in  the  season  and  again  in  Sep- 
tember, when  it  is  most  valuable  on  that  account. 

Marechal  Niel  I  hardly  care  to  mention,  as  it 
seems  t«>  have  almost  dropped  out  of  cultivation 
as  an  outdoor  variety,  .\nyhow,  given  a  south  wall 
and  liberal  treatment  to  plants  worked  on  the 
ordinary  Briar,  magnificent  blooms  can  be 
obtained,  also  a  wealth  of  foliage. 

I  have  left  the  Banksian  type  till  the  last,  but 
cannot  exclude  them,  although  they  have  one 
serious  fault — want  of  continuity.     If  is  surprising 


known  that  the  Cabbage  Rose  belongs  to  Rosa 
centifolia,  but  where  it,  orighiated  is  not  defi- 
nitely known.  Some  authorities  say  one  thing, 
others  another.  It  is  rather  remarkable  that 
hybridisers  have  not  taken  this  tribe  in  hand 
more,  because  undoubtedly  it  is  very  amen- 
able to  cross-fertilisation.  It  is  very  spor- 
tive, one  lovely  variety,  the  Crested  Provence, 
having  originated  as  a  sport  from  the  Cabbage 
Provence,  and  first  noticed  on  the  walls  of  a  convent 
in  Switzerland.  I  have  heard  of  plants  of  the 
Cabbage  Rose  known  to  have  been  in  one  family 
for  eighty  years.  Others  have  related  how,  on 
transplanting  rooted  cuttings  from  one  garden, 
the  plants  have  sported  and  produced  single 
blooms. 

The  iloss  Rose  is  generally  believed  to  have 
sported  from  the  Provence  Rose,  and  was  first 
introduced  from  Holland  to  England  some  300 
years  ago.  Now  in  the  Mosses  there  is  a  far  larger 
variety  than  in  the  Cabbage  or  Provence  Roses. 
I  am  certain  one  could  evolve  a  very  fragrant  group 
of  Roses  from  both  of  these  tribes,  and  I  should 
say  it  is  worth  while.  One  of  the  sweetest  Roses 
I  know  is  Zenobia,  a  large-flowered  Moss  variety, 
but  with  very  little  of  the  mossy  characteristic,  and 
yet  it  is  unmistakably  a  Moss.  I  value  fragrance 
so  much  that  I  think  I  would  rather  have  a  fragrant 


124 


THE     GARDEN. 


[March  8,  1913. 


variety  that  flowered  but  once  than  a  continuous 
bloomer  that  is  scentless.  That  the  Moss  Rose  is  able 
to  impart  its  mossy  character  is  proved  by  the  new 
hybrid  with  wicburaiana  in  the  variety  named  \\'ich- 
moss  ;  and  now  that  raisers  have  made  a  start  to  use 
the  tribe,  let  us  hope  we  may  soon  have  other  beau- 
tiful  hybrids  from  these  groups.  Daxecroft. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 


THE     DOUBLE-FLOWERED     CHINESE 
CHERRY. 

(Cer.^sus    SERRUL.^TA     PLORE    PLKN'O.) 

THIS  exceedingly  ornamental  tree  is  too  well 
known  to  need  description,  for  its  profu- 
sion of  double  white  flowers  suffused  with 
pink  make  it  one  of  the  greatest  pleasures  of  the 
garden  in  April.  The  tree  makes  a  fine  head  with  its 
widely-spreading  branches,  and  for  this  reason  it  is 


trees  and  shrubs.  Yet  in  the  few  instances  where 
the  hybridist  has  gone  systematically  to  work, 
he  has  achieved  results  which  are  quite  equal  to 
those  which  have  crowned  his  efforts  in  other 
directions.  Moreover,  the  several  natural  hybrids 
which  have  occurred  among  woody  plants  rank 
so  high  in  their  respective  groups  that  there  would 
appear  to  be  every  encouragement  offered  to  the 
person  who  takes  up  the  hybridisation  of  trees  and 
shrubs  on  an  extensive  scale. 

Everyone  is  familiar  with  the  gratifying  results 
which  have  rewarded  the  efforts  of  the  raisers  of 
the  garden  Roses.  Rhododendrons,  .Azaleas, 
Clematises  and  Syringas,  and  in  a  more  modest 
way  of  the  Diervillas,  Philadelphuses,  Magnolias 
and  Deutzias  ;  yet  in  each  of  these  groups  a  great 
deal  of  work  is  still  to  be  done.  With  the  many 
new  Rhododendrons  which  have  appeared  during 
recent  years,  particularly  with  those  of  a  dwarf 
character,  it  is  likely  that  quite  new  types  could 


.»>- 
'^^ 


«rv 


<% 


A    BEAUTIFUL    SPRING-FLOWERING    TREE  :      PRUNUS    SERRULATA    FLORE    PLENQ. 


an  admirable  subject  for  planting  as  an  isolated  speci- 
men on  a  lawn  in  such  a  position  as  that  depicted  in 
the  accompanying  illustration.  Although  the  cutting 
of  specimen  trees  is  by  no  means  recommended,  yet 
this  double-flowered  Cherry  is  one  of  the  most  useful 
for  room  decoration,  a  few  sprays,  each  wreathed 
with  its  little  rosettes  of  flowers,  having  a  most 
charming  effect  when  arranged  in  large  bowls  or 
Japanese  vases.  Trees  of  this  beautiful  Cherry  may 
still  be  planted,  but  the  work  should  be  completed 
at  the  earliest  possible  date. 


HYBRID    TREES    AND    SHRUBS. 

Although  the  hybridist  has  played  such  an  impor- 
tant part  in  the  horticultural  world  by  the  raising 
of  new  types,  or  the  improvement  of  existing 
kinds,  of  fruits,  vegetables  and  many  of  our 
siiowiest  decorative  plants,  except  in  the  case  of 
a  few  genera  very  little  work  of  a  systematic 
character  has  been  carried  i;jut  in  connection  with 


be  raised,  especially  if  such  a  sliowy  and  floriferous 
plant  as  R.  racemosum  were  used  as  one  parent. 


further  efforts,  while  the  popularity  and  general 
usefulness  of  the  hybrid  Berberis  stenophylla. 
suggest  the  Barberries  as  a  likely  field  for  work. 
Within  the  last  twenty  years  we  have  had  ample 
proof  of  M.  Lemoine's  success  with  the  two  genera 
Philadelphus  and  Deutzia,  while  his  garden  Lilacs 
may  be  found  by  the  dozen  ;  but  in  each  genus 
there  is  still  considerable  work  to  be  done,  for 
there  are  numerous  species  yet  unworked  which 
suggest  themselves  as  likely  parents. 

There  is  already  a  nmnber  of  hybrid  Spirjeas, 
but  with  such  a  one  as  S.  arguta  as  an  object- 
lesson    the    hybridist    may    well    push    the    work 
further.     Cotoneaster     is     an     untouched     genus, 
yet  it  appeals  to  one  as  a  likely  family  to  produce 
interesting  results.     With  the  exception  of  Hyperi- 
cum   moserianum,    no    hybrid    Hypericums    have 
appeared ;    yet,   although   the   various  species   do 
not  cross  readily,  they  should  be  persevered  with. 
Tlie  new  kinds  of  Clematis,  more  particularly  the 
varieties  of  C.  montana,  crossed  with 
,        older  kinds  might  be  made  the  parents 
of  a  distinct    race   with   the  montana 
habit,  while  the  beautiful  C.  Armandii 
is    quite    worth    trying  as   a   parent. 
Among     hardy     Heaths    there    is     a 
floriferous     hybrid.      Erica     Veitchii, 
raised    between    E.    arborea    and    E. 
lusitanica  ;    but  what  one  would   like 
to   see    would    be    the    union    of    the 
tall-growing  Southern  European  sorts 
with  the  hardier  E.  carnea.     Whether 
these  species  are  too  widely  separated 
to    cross    must     be     considered,    but 
in      hybridisation      one     must     take 
cliances  and  be  prepared  for  a  goodly 
percentage  of  failures. 

^Esculus  carnea.  the  red-flowered 
Horse  Chestnut,  is  a  worthy  ex- 
ample of  a  large  -  growing  tree  of 
hybrid  origin,  and  it  is  probable 
that  others  quite  as  beautiful  could 
be  raised  in  the  same  genus.  The 
\'arious  hybrid  Pyruses  are  showy 
enough  to  warrant  further  efforts 
among  the  species,  while  such  a 
genus  as  Catalpa  might  furnish  useful 
trees.  It  is  only  during  a  very 
hot  summer,  however,  that  the  last- 
named  genus  would  be  likely  to 
perfect  seed.  The  few  hybrid  forest 
trees  which  have  appeared  are 
generally  more  vigorous  than  their 
respective  types,  and  sylvicultural 
experts  look  forward  to  the  time 
when  hybrid  trees  may  be  growii  as  well  as, 
and    more    rapidly   than,   species.       Except     with 


The  large-flowered  Chinese  kinds,  again,  crossed  ^  those  subjects,  '  such  as  Willows  and  Poplars, 
with  Himalayan  or  American  species,  or  with 
existing  hybrids,  would  probably  produce  really 
good  varieties,  while  the  several  yellow-flowered 
kinds  which  are  now  obtainable  are  well  worth 
using  as  parents  in  order  to  try  to  obtain  a  large- 
trussed,  yellow-flowered  evergreen. 

Two  or  three  species  only  have  been  used  as 
parents  among  the  JIagnolias,  yet  there  are  many 
others  which  might  be  tried.  M.  stellata,  for 
instance,  ofters  decided  possibilities,  while  the 
summer-flowering  kinds  also  deserve  attention. 
More  will  doubtless  be  done  with  the  Diervillas 
yet.  while  the  new  genus  Dipelta  may  possibly 
prove  quite  as  amenable  as  the  closely-allied 
Diervilla. 

The  few  hybrid  Brooms  are  showy  enough  and    of  tlie   plants,  their  behaviour  in  regard  to  growth 
distinct    enough    to    encourage    tlie    hybridist     to    and  their  time  of  flowering 


which  may  be  raised  from  cuttings,  the 
day  seems  far  aw'ay  when  h\brid  trees  will 
be  able  to  compete  successfully  with  species 
for  forest  planting — not.  at  any  rate,  until 
types  can  be  obtained  wliich  will  breed  true 
from  seeds. 

Altogether  there  would  appear  to  be  a  remunera- 
tive future  for  anyone  who  takes  up  the  hybridising 
of  trees  and  shrubs  in  a  systematic  manner,  although 
he  must  be  prepared  to  wait  several  ^'ears  before 
he  can  hope  to  see  any  return  for  his  work.  One 
thing  is,  however,  highly  essential  to  the  success 
of  such  an  undertaking  ;  that  is,  that  strict  records 
are  kept  of  all  the  work  done,  not  only  the  actual 
crossing,  but  the  sowing  of  the  seeds,  appearand 


W.  D. 


March  8,  1913.] 


THE    GAEDEN. 


12  5 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS 

HOW    TO     RAISE     ANNUALS. 


WliLL-GROWN  annuals  bear  such 
a  profusion  of  beautiful  blossoms, 
and  are  so  varied  and  rich  in 
colours,  that  every  year  ama- 
teurs extend  their  cultiva- 
tion considerably,  and  there 
are  many  additions  to  the  ranks. 

There  are  the  half-hardy  and  the  hardy  annuals. 
Tlie  flowers  of  the  latter  are  as  beautiful  as  those 
of  the  former,  but  the  half-hardy  kinds  and  varieties 
must  be  raised  tmder  glass  or  given  some 
temporary  protection.  Amateurs  possessing  every 
convenience  as  regards  glass  structures — especially 
in  the  form  of  heated  frames — may  sow  seeds  several 
weeks  earlier  than  those  persons  who  are  obliged 
to  depend  on  cold  or  temporary  frames. 

Raising  Annuals  Under  Glass. — This  may  be 
iliuie  in  pots,  pans,  boxes,  or  on  the  bed  formed  in 
a  frame.  The  actual  sowing  of  the  seeds  is 
best  done  in  pots,  pans,  or  boxes.  Where  great 
quantities  are  required,  boxes  may  be  used  in 
which  to  sow  the  seeds,  as  the  inexperienced 
cultivator  is  not  so  likely  to  sow  them  too  thickly. 
It  is,  however,  a  good  plan  to  prepare  a  number 
i]f  pots,  pans  and  boxes  in  good  time,  also  the 
compost  :  then  the  work  of  actual  sowing  can  be 
quickly  done.  Xhe  larger  seeds  may  be  sown   in   the  coarser 

All  seed  receptacles  must  be  clean,  especially  compost,  but  for  the  very  tiny  ones  the  soil  used 
inside,  and  well  drained.  In  springtime  the  sun-  may  be  again  sifted.  There  is  no  difficulty  ex- 
heat  is  strong  and  the  soil  dries  up  quickly  on  the  periencedin  sowing  the  larger  seeds  with  the  hand, 
surface.  If  the  drainage  is  bad,  then  the  soil  but  the  finer  ones  may  be  sovvn  as  shown  in  Fig.  A 
will  soon  become  sour  through  the  frequent  appli-  at  No.  i.  The  seeds  are  placed  in  a  "scoop" 
cations  of  water.  The  general  compost  for  the  formed  of  half  a  sheet  of  note-paper,  or  even  a 
seeds  sown  under  glass  should  be  made  up  of  the  smaller  piece,  as  shown  at  No.  2.  It  is  very  easy 
following  ingredients  :  Old  fibrous  loam  passed  then  to  distribute  the  small  seeds  thinly  and  evenly, 
through  a  half-inch  sieve,  sweet  leaf-soil  (both  of  ,  Very  tiny  or  dust-like  seeds  should  be  scattered 
the  above  in  equal  proportions),  some  rotted  on  a  white  sturface  formed  of  sand ;  then  the 
manure  (r  peck  to  6  pecks  (jf  the  above),  and  coarse    sower    can    readily  see  how  thickly  the   seeds  are 


HELPFUL    ILLUSTRATIONS    IN    SEED-SOWING     AND     PRICKING-OFF 

FULL    DETAILS    SEE    TEXT. 


the 

hot- 

the 


sand  or  road  gnt.     This  will  do  nicelv. 


dropping. 


HOW    ANNUStS    MAY    BE    ARRANGED    IN    NARROW    BORDERS    AND     NEAR    FENCES. 


Favourite  positions  for  seed-boxes  arc- 
front  stages  of  greenhouses  over  the 
water  pipes,  as  shown  at  No.  3,  or  on 
higher  shelves.  Over-dryness  must  be  guarded 
against.  When  seeds  are  sown  in  pots,  the 
latter  should  be  well  drained  and  not  be  more 
than  three  parts  filled  with  compost,  as  shown  at 
Nos.  4  and  5. 

Harden,  and  even  raise,  many  seedlings  in  cool 
frames,  as  shown  at  No.  6.  No.  7  shows  a  seedling 
of  Marguerite  Carnation  ready  for  the  first  trans- 
planting, and  No.  8  the  same  plant  ready  for  a 
second  transplanting.  No.  9  shows  a  Helianthus 
seedling  before  being  transplanted,  and  No.  10 
the  same  plant  seven  days  afterwards.  These 
will  act  as  guides  for  an  inexperienced  amateur 
as  to  how  the  young  seedlings  must  be  treated 
right  from  the  beginning. 

How  to  Raise  Annuals  in  the  Open  Border. — 
These  should  be  of  the  hardy  kinds,  or,  if 
of  half-hardy  ones,  very  early  sowing  must  be 
avoided.  Prepare  the  soil  by  deeply  digging  it 
and  putting  in  some  rotted  manure  at  the  same 
time,  and  before  sowing  the  seeds  well  break  up 
the  surface. 

Whole  Borders  of  Annuals. — Fig.  B  shows 
how  to  arrange  annuals  in  a  border  near  a  fence. 
Nos.  I  I  I  I,  Mignonette;  Nos.  222,  Godetias  ; 
Nos.  3333,  Stocks  (some  mixed  coloiurs,  others 
distinct)  ;  Nos.  444,  Sweet  Peas  ;  Nos.  5555, 
Collinsia  grandiflora ;  Nos.  6  6  6,  Candytuft 
(some  mixed,  others  distinct)  ;  No.  7,  Coreopsis 
Burridgei  (crimson  and  yellow)  ;  No.  8,  Clarkia 
elegans  Brilliant  ;  No.  1  9,  annual  Chrysanthe- 
mums (mixed)  ;  No.  10,  Lupinus  roseus.  Fig.  C 
shows  a  long,  narrow  border,  tile-edged,  with  the 
annuals  grown  in  rows.  No.  i.  Stocks  ;  Nos.  2  2, 
Asters  (mixed  colours)  ;  Nos.  3  3,  Tom  Thumb 
Nasturtium  Beauty  of  Malvern  (rich  scarlet). 
Of  course,  other  kinds  may  be  used  ;  this  is  simply 
an  example  given  as  a  guide.  The  Nasturtiums 
are  best  in  poor  soil.  G.  G. 


126 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  8,  1913- 


GARDENING    OF    THE    WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Lobelia  cardinalis. — This  shuwy  subject  should 

uow  be  commencing  to  grow,  and  to  secure  good 
plants  the  old  clumps  should  be  pulled  apart, 
placing  one,  two,  or  three  shoots  in  a  3-inch  pot. 
A  little  heat  mav  be  necessary  to  give  them  a  start, 
hut  after  they  get  nicely  rooted  they  may  again 
be  returned  to  the  cold  frame. 

Clematis  Jaclunanii  should  now  be  pruned  hard 
back,  and  if  the  plants  are  in  such  a  position  that 
the  roots  are  among  or  under  other  shrubs,  a  good 
dressing  of  well-rotted  manure  will  help  them 
considerably.  Attention  must  be  given  the  plants 
as  they  break  into  growth,  tying  up  the  young, 
tender  shoots  regularly,  or  many  valuable  flowers 
will  be  lost. 

Lawns. — The  unusually  mild  weather  has  been 
the  cause  of  keeping  the  grass  growing  practically 
all  the  winter,  and  in  sheltered  positions  it  has 
attained  a  good  length  ;  but  now  that  there  should 
be  no  danger  from  severe  frost,  mowing  must  be 
commenced.  Where  very  long,  the  scythe  must 
be  requisitioned  ;  but  where  only  of  moderate 
length,  a  light  machine,  such  as  a  "  Pennsylvania," 
will  be  the  best  to  use.  Needless  to  say,  a  good 
sweeping  and  rolling  a  few  days  beforehand  is 
necessary  to  get  the  lawn  to  look  well  after  cutting, 
and  I  never  think  it  wise  to  set  the  machine  too 
low  for  a  start. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

The  various  subjects  111  the  m.  k  garden  are  now 
growing  apace,  and  the  present  is  a  good  time  for 
making  up  any  deficiencies.  Propagated  plants 
of  last  season  may  now  be  planted  out  without  any 
fear  of  injury  from  frost,  as  we  ought  not  to  get 
very  severe  frosts  now. 

Top-Dressing. — .After  a  year's  rain  such  as  we 
have  had.  manv  of  the  niches,  crevices  and  pockets 
in  the  rock  gMden  will  be  the  better  for  the  addition 
of  a  little  soil,  after  forking  over  the  surface  with 
a  small  hand-fork,  good  leaf-soil  and  fresh  loam 
being  probably  the  best  dressing  for  most  subjects, 
though  in  others  a  little  peat  or,  maybe,  lime- 
stone chippings  will  be  lound  more  suitable  to  the 
requirements  of  indi\'idual  plants. 
Plants  Under  Glass. 

Cannas. — Stock  plants  of  this  usefiil  greenhouse- 
subject  should  now  be  shaken  out,  potting  up  the 
voung  rhizomes  singly  or  two  or  three  in  a  pot. 
according  to  requirements.  For  flowering  on  single 
stems  in  a  4i-inch  or  6-inch  pot,  a  3-inch  or  4-inch 
pot  will  be  best  for  the  present,  while  those  intended 
for  larger  pots  or  for  planting  out  may  be  potted 
two  or  three  in  a  6-inch  pot.  A  fairly  rich,  open 
compost  is  best  for  them,  and  a  brisk  growing 
temperature  will  ensure  them  making  roots  quickly. 

Freesias. — Where  these  are  grown  on  from  year 
to  year,  they  should  be  given  fairly  liberal  treat- 
ment. Now  that  they  are  all  out  of  flower,  they 
should  be  placed  in  a  batch  in  a  fairly  cool  house 
or  frame  and  given  liquid  manure- water  till  growth  is 
matured,  when  the  maniure-water  may  be  gradually 
withheld  as  the  foliage  turns  yellow,  and  the  bulb's 
be  given  a  good  drying  off  in  the  sun  before  shaking 
them  out  of  the  soil. 

Alocasias. — These  are  now  breaking  into  leaf, 
and  should  be  repotted  before  growth  is  very  far 
advanced,  or  the  plants  will  receive  a  check.  Good 
ftbn.ms  loam,  peat,  charcoal,  sphagnum  moss  and 
silver  sand  is  a  good  compost  for  them.  Where 
the  rhizomes  have  attained  any  great  length, 
the  bottom  may  be  removed,  just  keeping  the 
crown  well  above  the  surface  of  the  soil.  The 
old  stem,  if  cut  up  and  placed  in  sand  in  the 
propagating-frame,  will  readily  increase  the  stock. 
Plenty  of  heat  and  moisture  are  required  for  these 
plants,  and  the  shady  side  of  the  stove  will  suit 
them  best. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Seakale. — The  present  is  a  very  suitable  time 
lor  plantnig  the  thongs  that  have  been  prepared 
beforehand  and  which  may  have  already  formed 
small  shoots  or  growths  ;  and  to  secure  good  forcing 
crowns  for  the  autumn  a  well-cultivated  and  richly- 
manured  piece  of  ground  should  be  selected. 
Plenty  of  space  should  be  allowed  between  the  rows, 
and  the  sets  placed  from  9  inches  to  a  foot  in  the 
rows.     These  should  be  well  firmed  by  treading, 


keeping  the  crown  of  the  thong  (or  cutting)  just 
on  a  level  with  the  surface  of  the  soil. 

Radishes. — Weekly  sowings  should  now  be  made 
out  of  doors,  at  the  same  time  making  another 
sowing  in  the  frame  to  keep  up  the  supply  till  the 
outdoor  ones  come  into  use. 

Potatoes. — Early  varieties  may  now  be  planted 
on  warm  borders,  but  only  where  the  soil  is  naturally 
light  and  dry.  Tubers  that  have  been  started 
in  boxes  will  naturally  be  selected  for  the  purpose  ; 
but  if  the  growths  have  attained  any  great  length, 
they  must  be  planted  at  a  depth  where  they  will 
not  come  through  the  soil  too  early. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Early  Vines.  —  Many  of  these  will  now  be 
advanced  enough  for  thinning.  If  a  good  set  has 
been  secured  and  there  are  more  bunches  than  are 
required,  they  may  be  taken  off  before  thinning  is 
commenced,  and  thus  save  time  and  labour,  though, 
where  young  hands  are  employed  in  thinning,  it 
may  be  advisable  to  leave  on  more  than  is  required, 
in  case  one  or  two  happen  to  be  spoilt.  Generally 
speaking,  early  varieties  of  Grapes  do  not  require 
quite  so  much  thiiming  as  do  the  later  varieties, 
but  to  secure  good  berries  a  fair  amount  of  space 
is  required.  Many  bunches  are  spoilt  by  over- 
thinning  of  the  shoulders,  or  top  branches  of  the 
bunch,  thereby  losing  weight  as  well  as  shapeliness 
of  the  bimches. 

Feeding. — immediately  after  thinning  is  an 
excellent  time  to  give  the  Vines  a  good  manuring, 
either  in  the  form  of  liquid  manure  or  artificial 
sprinkled  on  the  surface  and  watered  in,  and  at 
this  time  a  good,  quick-acting  maniu'e  is  far  the 
best,  as  most  growers  will  have  dressed  the  borders 
either  in  the  autumn  or  winter  with  the  slower- 
acting  phosphatic  and  potash  manures. 

Ventilating. — To  take  full  advantage  of  all 
the  smi-heat,  great  care  must  now  be  exercised, 
and  though  a  temperature  of  from  60°  to  65° 
may  be  sufficient  if  it  has  to  be  maintained  by 
fire-heat,  a  very  considerable  increase  may  be 
allowed  with  the  sun.         Thomas  Stevenson. 

(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wubiiyn  Place  Gardens,  Addlcslonc.  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Border  Carnations. — These  may  be  planted  as 
soon  .as  the  condition  of  the  soil  will  permit.  Taking 
it  for  granted  that  the  ground  was  previously 
manured  and  deeply  dug,  it  should  now  receive 
a  dressing  of  soot  and  ground  lime,  and  then  be 
loosened  and  made  fine  with  the  digging-fork. 
Allow  the  soil  a  few  days  to  settle,  and  then  plant 
with  a  trowel  about  fourteen  inches  apart  either 
way.  Carnations  are  most  effective  when  con- 
siderable masses  of  a  variety  are  planted  together. 
A  dusting  of  soot  when  the  foliage  is  damp  wUl 
help  to  keep  the  sparrows  at  bay. 

Iris  reticulata. — This  iris  is  a  gem,  and  as  it 
is  now  in  bloom,  it  suggests  to  one  to  advocate 
its  cultivation  on  a  more  extensive  scale.  With 
bulbs  at  sixpence  apiece  and  the  certainty  of  their 
increasing  rapidly,  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should 
not  be  every  man's  flower.  It  is  partial  to  a  good 
supply  of  moisture  if  drainage  is  ample,  and  it 
likes  a  little  peat. 

Gladioli. — The  finer  named  varieties  of  these 
may  now  be  started  in  a  greenhouse  temperature, 
either  in  4-inch  pots  or  in  boxes  among  some  light, 
flaky  material. 

Tuberous  Begonias. — These  should  now  be 
started  in  a  little  heat.  Place  them  in  shallow 
boxes  on  a  layer  of  flaky  leaf-mould,  and  work  in 
a  little  of  the  same  material  and  sand  between  the 
tubers,  leaving  the  crowns  bare.  Spray  lightly 
daily  to  induce  them  to  push,  but  beware  of  giving 
them  too  much  moisture. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 
Trimming  Edgings. — This  work  should  be 
attended  to  before  dry  weather  sets  in.  Prior  to 
applying  the  edging-iron  to  the  edgings  of  lawns 
and  grass  walks,  the  roller  should  be  run  along 
the  edge  of  the  lawn  twice,  and  when  edging  no 
more  should  be  pared  away  than  is  absolutely 
necessary     to     ensure     a    straight     edge.     Where 


curves  have  to  be  negotiated,  see  that  the  line 
describes  a  graceful  sweep  before  commencing  to 
cut.  Where  long,  straight  lines  occur,  the  line 
should  be  pegged  down  at  regular  distances. 

Pruning  Ivy. — This  is  an  ideal  time  to  prune 
Ivy,  just  before  active  growth  commences,  as  it 
then  remains  bare  for  the  shortest  possible  period. 
Here  we  use  a  sharp  hedge-bill  for  the  operation,  as 
by  means  of  ib  the  work  can  be  done  more  expe- 
ditiously than  with  the  pruning-shears  ;  moreover, 
with  this  tool  one  can  reach  points  difficult  of 
access  when  the  shears  are  used. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Rooted  Cuttings. — Cuttings  which  were  inserted 
a  week  or  two  ago  wiU  now  be  rooted,  and  should 
be  potted  off.  Give  a  good  watering  when  potted, 
but  afterwards  be  sparing  of  water  at  the  roots  till 
growth  again  commences.  Spray  lightly  in  the 
afternoons  and  keep  rather  close  for  a  time. 

Gloxinias. — The  main  batch  may  now  be  started 
into  active  growth  much  in  the  same  way  as 
recommended  for  tuberous  Begonias,  but  in  a  rather 
higher  temperature. 

Chrysanthemums. — Early-struck  stock  intended 
for  the  production  of  large  blooms  will  now  mostly 
be  fit  to  shift  into  5-inch  pots,  and  the  following 
mixture  will  be  found  suitable  :  Two  parts  of 
fibrous  loam,  one  part  of  good  leaf-mould,  one 
part  of  dried  horse-manure,  with  some  sand,  soot 
and  bone-meal  added.  Keep  the  plants  well  up  to 
the  light  in  a  cool  house. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Disbudding  Peaches. — Some  of  the  later  houses 
will  now  require  attention,  and  two  general  princi- 
ples should  be  observed — remove  buds  occurring 
above  and  below  the  shoot  for  preference,  and 
utilise  the  buds  occurring  near  the  base  of  the 
shoot  as  far  as  possible. 

Potted  Trees. — These,  whether  in  an  orchard- 
house  or  other  structure,  must  be  artificially 
pollinated  as  they  come  into  flower.  .A  fine  feather 
brush  or  a  rabbit's  tail  serves  the  purpose  very 
well.  The  operation  should  be  performed  in  the 
early  forenoon.  Maintain  a  rather  dry  atmosphere 
at  this  period  and  apply  no  stimulants  till  the 
fruit  is  set. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Fighting  the  Birds. — Bullfinches  often  do 
considerable  damage  to  the  buds  of  the  Black 
Ciurant,  and  tomtits  play  havoc  with  the  buds 
of  the  Gooseberry  and  Red  Currant.  A  dusting 
of  soot  or  slaked  lime  will  generally  ward  off  their 
attacks  till  the  critical  period  is  past. 

Magpie  Moth   Caterpillar.  —  When  the  sawfly 

caterpillar  appears,  a  dusting  of  Hellebore  powder 
will  annihilate  the  enemy.  Not  so  with  the  pest 
under  consideration.  This  too,  however,  can  be 
exterminated,  and  that  by  spraying  either  with 
arsenate  of  copper  at  the  rate  of  half  an  ounce  to 
twelve  gallons  of  water,  or  arsenate  of  lead  at 
about  eight  times  the  strength  indicated.  Which- 
ever is  used,  get  it  in  paste  form,  and  add  some  treacle 
to  the  mixture  to  make  it  adhere.  Stir  frequently 
during  the  process  of  spraying.  If  there  is  any 
suspicion  of  the  presence  of  the  pest,  the  bushes 
should  be  sprayed  now. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Planting  Early  Potatoes. — Tubers  which  were 
started  m  a  little  warmth  may,  if  the  weather  is 
mild,  be  planted  out  at  the  foot  of  a  south  wall, 
and  should  be  partly  covered  with  some  old  potting 
soil  in  a  rather  dry  condition.  This  batch  will  be 
of  limited  size,  and  will  require  to  have  protei- 
tion  afforded  it  should  hard  weather  occur.  The 
bulk  of  the  early  varieties  should  also  be  planted 
whenever  the  conditions  of  soil  and  weather  will 
permit.  A  good  tilth  should  be  secured,  and 
the  drills  be  drawn  2  feet  apart  with  the  draw- 
hoe.  .A  dusting  of  soot  in  the  drills  will  be  beneficial. 
Plant  the  sets  about  a  foot  apart.  Midlothian 
Early  and  Duke  of  York  are  two  excellent  early 
varieties. 

Parsnips  may  now  be  sown  in  ground  that  has 
been  deeply  trenched  and  has  had  no  rank  manure 
applied  to  it.  Those  who  are  to  grow  for  exhi- 
bition would  do  well  to  pierce  the  ground  deeply 
by  means  of  a  stout-pointed,  round  stake  and 
mallet,  filling  up  the  holes  with  sifted  rich  soil. 
Sow  a  few  seeds  in  each  hole  and  thin  out  to  one 
plant  later.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


March  8,  1913.] 


THE    GAEDIN. 


127 


HINTS    ON    PACKING 
DAFFODILS     FOR    A     SHOW. 


BETWEEN  the  growing  and  the  staging  of 
our  blooms  there  is  a  very  important 
operation  to  be  performed,  viz.,  their 
transference  from  our  own  home  to 
the  venue  of  the  show.  I  have  been 
asked  to  give  some  hints  as  to  the 
best  way  of  packing  the  flowers  for  this  journey. 

One  of  my  earliest  recollections  of  Daflfodil 
shows  is  the  arrival  of  the  late  Mr.  Bourne  on  the 
scene  at  Birmingham  with  an  innumerable 
number  of  small  boxes  that  might  very 
well  have  contained  chocolate  crsams  or 
slabs  of  nougat,  but  which,  as  a  matttr 
of  fact,  were  full  of  very  carefully-laid-in 
Daffodil  blooms.  .4t  that  time  my  own 
flowers  used  to  be  brought  in  the  more 
rough-and-tumble  way  of  just  bunching 
up  the  different  kinds  together  and  then 
crowding  them  into  boxes  rather  tightly  ; 
much,  in  fact,  in  the  same  way  as  I 
would  pack  for  market.  This  worked 
pretty  well.  The  flowers  were  too  clos' 
together  to  move,  but  when  they  were 
taken  out  they  showed  traces  of  their 
crushing,  and  it  was  long  before  the>- 
completely  recovered.  A  few  never  did, 
although  they  were  always  some  time  in 
water  before  thev  were  staged. 

Material  Required. — Nowadays  I  never 
pack  like  this.  What  I  do  I  am  about  to 
explain  step  by  step.  The  stock  in  trade 
from  which  I  draw  consists  of  (i)  suitable- 
sized  bo.xes  made  of  quarter-inch  light 
wood  with  the  ends  and  bottoms  of 
half  an  inch  to  give  strength.  They 
must  be  deep  enough  to  take  the  longest 
trumpet.  Width  and  length  are  more  or 
less  optional.  A  convenient  size  is : 
Depth,  4|  inches  or  5  inches ;  length, 
33  inches ;  and  width,  12  inches ;  but 
in  this  matter  everyone  must  please 
themselves,  only  let  them  be  deep  and 
long  enough.  .\11  the  boxes  should  be 
exactly  the  same  size  for  the  conveni- 
ence of  tying  them  together  in  twos  or 
threes  when  travelling.  (2)  Half  -  inch 
common  white  tape ;  (3)  small  drawing- 
pins  ;  (4)  white  tissue-paper  ;  and  (5) 
some  raffta  or  other  tying  material. 

The  First  Step  is  to  give  all  our  flowers 
a  good  drink.  From  ten  to  twelve  hours 
is  none  too  long.  Then,  before  packing, 
they  should  be  carefully  drained  and  the 
ends  wiped  to  avoid  any  liquid  oozing 
out,  as  has  happened  to  the  long  stem 
in  the  illustration.  The  box  must  be  lined 
with  paper,  and  enough  left  to  fold 
over  the  flowers  when  the  box  is  full. 
I  secure  the  tissue-paper  to  the  bottom  by  a 
pin  in  each  corner.  As  a  rule,  every  bloom 
is  packed  singly  by  securing  its  stem  in  two 
places  (sometimes  in  three),  as  shown  in  the 
partly-filled  box.  Sometimes,  however,  it  is  best 
to  tie  three  or  four  together,  as  is  done  with  the 
"  eyed  "  flowers.  These  are  secured  in  a  similar 
way  to  the  bottom  of  the  box.  To  steady  indi- 
vidual flowers  I  frequently  find  it  advisable  to  place 
cushions  of  crumpled  tissue-papei  behind  them  (see 
'he  right-hand  flower,  where  such  a  pad  can  be 
pljinly^een).  These  must  be  firmly  pnined  to  prevent 


their  working  loose.  The  pieces  of  tape  must  be  cut 
long  enough  to  leave  a  free  end  to  take  hold  of 
when  the  pinning  process  is  completed.  Unpack- 
ing is  thus  faciUtated,  as  the  pins  can  be  dra^vn  out 
without  any  breaking  of  finger  nails,  and  in  conse- 
quence, possibly,  some  not  very  polite  language. 
The  illustration  shows  only  a  partly-packed  box  ; 
but  both  ends  must  be  utilised  for  the  blooms, 
leaving  the  centre  for  the  stalks.  With  a  little 
practice  it  is  very  surprising  how  many  may  be 
got  into  a  box  by  carefully  interlocking,  as  it  were, 
one  flower  with  another.  Space  is  valuable,  as 
obviously  no  one  wants  to  take  more  boxes  than  are 


leaves.  These,  together  with  some  nice  fresh, 
green  moss,  should  be  in  a  box  by  themselves, 
I  always  take  rather  more  than  I  think  I  will  want. 
In  the  end  I  generally  use  all  I  have  ;  one  can  hardly 
ever  put  too  much  foliage  in  the  vases.  On  the 
other  hand,  it  is  an  eyesore  to  come  across  blooms 
set  up  with  too  little.  In  conclusion,  may  I  give 
this  further  piece  of  advice  to  those  who  are  not 
adepts  at  taking  flowers  to  show  :  Be  sure  to  prac- 
tise before  the  exhibition  box  is  to  be  packed. 
The  interlacing  of  the  blooms  into  one  another, 
no  less  than  the  firm  pinning  of  the  stems  with 
the  pieces  of  tape,  requires  a  certain  amount 
of  familiarity  with  the  process  if  it  is 
.  to  be  done  well.  Joseph  Jacob. 


WINTER    FOLIAGE     FOR 
CUTTING. 


A    USEFUL    BOX    TACKED    WITH     NARCISSI      READV 
TRAVELLING    TO    THE    SHOW. 


absolutely  necessary.  If  the  journey  is  a  very 
long  one,  small  sponges  or  wedges  of  damp  brown 
paper  may  be  introduced  among  the  stems  (of 
course,  well  secured)  to  keep  the  inside  atmosphere 
moist  and  so  preventing  the  perianths  from  flagging. 
On  Arrival  at  the  Show  it  is  hardly  necessary 
to  say  that  the  bo.xes  should  be  unpacked  as  soon 
as  possible.  If  there  is  enough  time,  about  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  of  each  stem  should  be  cut  off  with  a 
sharp  knife  before  the  blooms  are  put  into  water. 
This  undoubtedly  aids  its  absorption.  An  impor- 
tant  .idjunit   to    "jMcid    rtowers   is   having   plenty  of 


JUST  now,  when  flowers  are  scarce, 
it  may  be  of  use  to  note  some 
of  the  kinds  of  hardy  greenery 
that  are  available  for  indoor 
decoration,  with  the  addition  of 
very  few  flowers,  or  even  without 
|M|  any.  I  do  not  grow  many  shrubs  with 
*^  parti-coloured  foUage,  but  should  not  like 
to  be  without  a  bush  or  two  of  the  gold- 
variegated  Elfflagnus.  Not  <jnly  is  it  hand- 
some in  itself  and  highly  becoming  to  any 
white  or  yellow  flowers,  but  two  or  three 
short  pieces  of  branch,  from  their  ex- 
tremely stiff  and  rigid  character,  make  a 
cimvenient  support  for  the  flower-stems. 
It  is  also  durable,  lasting  well  for  a  fort- 
night or  even  three  weeks.  Every  winter, 
just  before  Christmas,  it  comes  into  special 
use  to  accompany  a  tew  spikes  of  Cypri- 
pedium  iusigne.  The  gold-variegated  Privet 
is  another  favourite  and  a  good  companion 
to  the  yellow  Winter  Jasmine.  .Another 
shrub  with  a  golden  effect,  thoug.h  not 
variegated,  is  Cassinia  fulvida.  The  small 
leaves  are  dark  green  above  and  yellow 
underneath,  but  from  the  set  of  the 
branches,  so  much  of  the  yellow  shows 
that  it  has  a  general  golden  effect.  As  a 
garden  shrub  its  defect  is  a  weak  habit, 
the  long,  yearly  shoots  hanging  out  in  a 
way  that  makes  a  rather  ragged-looking 
bush.  A  free  cutting  of  these  outer 
shoots  not  only  provides  greenery  of  a 
refined  and  unusual  appearance,  but  helps 
to  keep  the  shrub  in  bettor  shape. 

Alexandrian   Laurel   (Ruscus  racemosus; 

is    a    slow-growing    plant,    but    the    owner 

of  a   few  well-established    tufts    may  well 

spare  a  frond  or  two  for  room  ornament, 

r'OR       and  it  lasts   so   long    that  the  sacrifice  is 

the   less   regrettable.     In   a   room  one  can 

all  the  better  admire  its  incomparable  grace 

and  structure.     The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Sweet 

Bay.     It   is   a   strange    thing   that   one   does   not 

see  a  Bay  tree  in  every  garden.     It  may  be  a  little 

too  tender  for  our  colder  regions,  but   should   be 

grown    wherever   the    climate    allows.     As   in    the 

case    of   the    Alexandrian    Laurel,    the    beauty    of 

form  is  an  unending  wonder  and  delight,  and  can 

best  be  appreciated  when  it  is  brought  indoors. 

Earlier  in  the  year  Ilex  branches  are  beautiful 
with  flowers,  but  by  this  time  they  are  generally 
spotted  and  unfit  for  use.  Skimmia  japonica, 
and  especially  t.'if   wider-leaved  forms  oblata  and 


128 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  8,  1913. 


Foremanii,  arejamong  the  best  of  winter  greens 
for  cutting.  No  leaves  are  so  good  for  putting  with 
Stephanotis,  the  twigs  cut  short  and  set  in  an  open 
bowl.  Stephanotis  is  nut  flowering  yet,  but  Skim- 
mia  branches,  in  longer  pieces,  are  admirable  with 
Lent  Hellebores,  as  the  flowers,  whose  inclination 
is  to  hang  their  heads,  can  be  brought  up  among 
the  stiff,  leathery  leaves  and  made  to  show  their 
inner  beauties.  But  the  Hellebores  will  not  last 
well  unless  the  precautions  are  taken  of  slitting  up 
the  stems  so  that  they  can  drink  their  fill  of  water, 
and  of  putting  them  overnight  in  a  deep  pail  or  some- 
thing that  will  give  them  a  bath  of  several  hours' 
duration  with  the  water  up  to  the  actual  bloom. 

Two  of  the  Andromedas,  namely,  Leucothoe 
Catesbsei  and  L.  axillaris,  have  beautiful  and  long- 
enduring  foliage  for  winter  use  ;  some  of  it  green 
and  some  marbled  and  spotted  with  red ;  some  even 
red  all  over.  There  is  scarcely  need  to  remind 
anyone  of  the  use  of  Berberis  Aquifolium,  with  its 
fine  colom'ings  of  reddish  bronze.  The  almost 
equally  familiar  Aucuba  with  the  yellow-spotted 
leaves  is  not  so  often  used  indoors  as  it 
deserves.  G.  Jekvli.. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

RULES  FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 
QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— Z'/it'  Editor  intemh  to 
make  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  ivko  desire  assist- 
ance, no  moMcr  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
anth  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Ansivers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  niore  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  s/iould  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  sliould  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  tlie  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PUULISHKR. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

HERBACEOUS  BORDER  (J.  B.).—A  border  of  the  width 
and  leuj^h  yuu  deaenbe  would  be  better  treated  with 
two  lines  ot  groups,  together  with  low-growing  plants 
at  the  margin.  'Xha  Privet,  both  iu  the  matter  of  colour 
and  the  nungry  nature  of  its  ever- spreading  roots,  is, 
to  some  extent,  a  drawback,  though  the  colour  may  bR 
obliterated  by  planting  green-leaved  subjects — Galegas, 
iviichaelmas  l>aisies,  Delphiniums  and  other  tall-growing 
.subjects — in  the  background.  In  such  a  case,  and  more 
particularly  if  the  Privet  is  inclined  to  colour  much  in 
summcr-tmie,  you  should  avoid  planting  white  and  yeUow 
Mowerod  tlungs ;  good  strong  blues,  violet,  rose  and  mauve 
would  be  better.  If  the  aim  is  to  produce  good  effect 
quickly,  you  should  plant  three  or  five  of  every  variety 
uf  plant  to  torm  a  group,  arranging  the  items  a  foot  or  more 
apart  according  to  tueir  habit  and  vigour  of  growth, 
lor  example,  a  back  line  of  groups  set  at  least  24  feet 
irom  the  nedge  might  be  made  up  of  Anchusa  Dropmore 
variety,  Aster  Climax,  A.  William  Marshall,  A.  cordifolius 
Ideal,  A.  Arcturus,  Hollyhocks  iu  rose,  pink  or  red  shades, 
Phlox  Flambeau,  Delphiniums  l>uke  of  tomiaught,  Carmen, 
Persimmon,  King  of  Delphiniums,  Amos  Perry  and  Calega 
His  Majesty.  These  would  have  to  be  distributed  through- 
out the  length  of  the  border.  In  the  second  line  of  groups 
plant  Phloxes  Iris  and  Le  .Mahdi  (blue  shades),  Mrs.  E.  H. 
Jenkins  and  8ylphide  (white),  Etna  (crimson  scarlet), 
Klizabeth  Campbell  (pink),  Iris  pallida,  I.  p.  dalmatica, 
1.  aurea,  I.  Queen  of  May,  I.  Gracchus.  I.  Mme.  Chereau, 
Pyretlu-ums  (single  and  double),  hybrid  Columbines, 
Delphinium  (Belladonna,  TrolUus  napellifolius,  I.  Orange 
Glooe,  Kudbeckia  Newmanii,  Erigeron  Quakeress,  E. 
^peciosus  superbus  and  hybrid  Pentstemons ;  wiiile  near 
tue  margin  Phlox  Tapis  Blanc,  Campanula  carpatica, 
C.  c.  alba,  C.  c.  Uiverslea,  Mossy  Saxitragea,  Aubrietias, 
Pinks  and  other  plants  of  like  stature  might  appear. 
We  cannot  enter  into  the  question  of  cost ;  the  plants 
•■numerated  would  cost  from  5s.  to  10s.  per  dozen.  Your 
better  plan  would  be  to  invite  prices  from  the  hardy  plant 
specialists  who  advertise  in  our  columns.  Prices  vary, 
naturally,  according  to  the  size  and  quality  of  the  goods 
supplied.  You  had  better  allow  the  Currant  bushes  to 
remain,  as,  in  any  case,  the  fruit  crop  this  year  from 
recently-planted  trees  would  not  be  much. 


PLANTING  BEDS  WITH  PERENNIALS  {A.  0.  J.).— 
The  uoruers  on  each  side  of  tue  gravel  patli,  by  reason 
01  thuu  varyjjig  wiuths,  will  require  somewnat  dirterent 
\ leat menl .  i ou  migt'.t,  However,  observe  some  degree 
ol  umiormity  by  planting  a  n  argin  of  white  Pink  or  Dr. 
MiUes  Aubnetia,  royal  purple  colour.  Behind  these  for 
tue  larger  border  you  might  arrange  Campanula  Hostii, 
C.  H.  aloa,  C  glomerata  danurica,  C.  carpatica,  C.  c. 
alba,  C.  Kiverslea,  C.  Hillside  .Oiem,  ^Helenium  pumilum, 
H.  p.  magmhcum,  Heucheras  in  halt-a-dozen  sorts, 
Arenaria  plantaginea  rubra.  Aster  sub-CiJtruleus,  Primula 
japomca,  P.  denticulata  and  Saxifraga  cordifolia  purpurea ; 
in  another  row  hybrid  Columbines,  single  and  double 
Pyrethrums  in  variety,  Hag  Irises  in  perhaps  a  dozen 
sorts,  with  campanma  persicifolia  in  ulue  and  white, 
Helenium  cupreum  and  the  like.  If  a  few  taller  plants 
were  needed,  you  would  obtain  ihem  in  Michaelmas 
Daisies,  herbaceous  Phloxes,  Delphiniums  and  Sunflower?. 
In  the'  narrower  border,  apart  from  the  margin,  there 
would  be  room  lor  two  lines  oi  plants,  and  you  might  for 
a  start  take  ualf  of  the  Campanulas  named  above 
and  distribute  them  tluroughout  tue  length  ot  the  border. 
Jiy  planting  in  the  same  line  a  variety  of  Pentstemons,  great 
gaiety  would  be  secured,  and  to  these  could  be  added  PlUox 
canadensis,  Trodius  europaeus  and  Aster  acris  nana , 
in  the_^next  line  a  selection  of  white,  blue  and  salmon 
coloured  herbaceous  Pldoxes,  Iris  pallida,  I.  p.  dalmatica, 
I.  aurea,  I.  Monnieri,  Aquilegia  chrysantha,  TroUius 
Orange  Ulobe,  Delphinium  Belladonna,  Aster  Amellus 
in  variety,  A.  acris,  A.  eriroides,  A.  e.  Desire  and  the  like. 
In  tiie  lawn  beds  you  had  better  rely  on  a  few  plants, 
Aster  cordilolius  Ideal  and  scarlet  Pentstemons  tor  the 
central  bed,  planting  the  other  two  with  Lilium  speciosum 
cruentum  and  white  and  pink  Pentstemons.  It  is  a  little 
unfortunate  that  the  beds  are  now  occupied,  as  this  will 
make  the  planting  late.  Had  you  arranged  for  planting 
in  autumn,  a  variety  of  good  garden  Lilies  and  Daltodils 
might  also  have  been  included.  If  you  have  but  little 
knowledge  of  the  plants,  some  advice  on  the  spot  would 
appear  necessary  in  order  to  secure  an  effectivo  distribution 
01  me  plants. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

IS  THUYA  OCCIDENTALIS  POISONOUS  ?  ((V.  B.  M).^ 
We  have  no  evidence  of  Tiuiya  unhlriiiuhs  buiug  poisonous 
to  sheep  or  horses,  and  uotluug  tu  tluit  ullcct  is  mentioned 
in  any  of  the  American  publicatiuus  wc  have  seen.  We 
think  that  if  the  tree  were  really  poisonous,  something 
to  that  edect  would  be  mentioned  m  the  botanical  descrip- 
tions of  the  species.  It  has  been  in  cultivation  iu  this 
country  since  1596 ;  therefore  there  has  been  ample  oppor- 
tunity for  such  properties  to  have  been  noted,  did  it  possess 
them. 

PLANTING  HEDGE  NEAR  A  RIVER  {M.  M.  C.).~-It 
would  certainly  be  unwise  to  plant  a  Yew  hedge  ou  ground 
that  is  subject  to  occasional  flooding,  for  there  would  be 
little  chance  of  the  hedge  succeeding.  It  is  possible  that 
Whitethorn  might  answer  the  purpose,  but  you  would 
probably  do  better  to  plant  common  Alder,  Alnus  glutinosa. 
This  does  not  mind  the  ground  being  wet,  and  may  be  kept 
fairly  compact  by  strict  attention  to  pruning.  Be  careful, 
however,  to  use  plants  which  are  bushy  to  the  ground, 
otherwise  the  hedge  will  be  gappy. 

SHRUBS  FOR  A  NORTH  BORDER  (C.  B.  F.  M.}.-~ 
The  loUowing  shrubs  are  likely  to  thrive  m  the  posiUou 
you  mention :  Berberis  Aquifolium.  B.  wallienianum, 
B.  stenophvUa,  Kibes  sauguineum,  Forsythia  suspensa, 
8pir£ea  argiita,  Cotoneaster  buxifolia,  C.  rotundifolia, 
any  of  the  Privets,  Aucuba  japonica  and  Escallonia 
philippiana.  It  is  rather  doubtful  whether  a  Fuchsia 
updge  would  succeed  in  the  position,  but  it  is  worth  trying. 
Be  careful  to  work  the  ground  well  before  planting  the 
shrubs,  otherwise  they  will  not  start  away  well,  and  in 
such  a  position  a  good  start,  is  half  the  battle. 

CLIMBERS  FOR  A  HOUSE  {Mrs.  M.  5.).— You  cannot 
do  better  tlian  plant  Cratiegus  Pyracantha  on  the  front 
of  your  house.  It  is  evergreen,  is  easily  kept  within 
bounds  by  pruning,  flowers  well  in  May  and  bears  showy 
orange  scarlet  fruits  in  autumn.  It  is  not  a  seU-clinger. 
but  needs  little  nailing,  the  main  branches  only  requiring 
support.  Tropteolum  speciosum  may  succeed  with  you 
if  your  soil  is  cool  and  moist,  but  it  must  not  be  placed 
in  a  position  where  it  will  feel  the  full  force  of  the  sun. 
A  west  or  north-west  aspect  is  considered  a  good  one  for 
it.  We  do  not  know  whether  plants  take  two  years  to 
flower  if  grown  from  seeds,  but  it  is  quite  likely  that  they  do_ 

DISEASED  LEAVES  OF  CAMELLIA  (Rev.  S.  H.  B.).~ 
The  leaf  sent  for  e.-camination  has  been  injured  by  a  fungus, 
but  the  plant  from  which  it  was  taken  must  be  iu  a  very 
poor  condiUon  if  the  leaf  forwarded  is  typical  of  the  others 
on  the  plant.  We  imagine  that  the  plant  has  become 
weakened  by  being  planted  in  uasuitable  soil.  Probably 
it  is  badly  drained  and  sour.  A  little  good  could  be  done 
by  removing  and  burning  the  worst  of  the  leaves,  at  the 
same  time  cutting  the  branches  moderately  hard  back 
and  burning  the  prunings.  Then  spray  tiie  branches 
once  a  week  for  a  month  or  so  with  Bordeaux  mixture 
or  some  other  fungicide.  Syringe  with  clear  water  two 
or  three  times  a  day,  and  as  soon  as  new  shoots  appear 
take  the  plants  out  of  the  old  soil,  remove  all  the  soil. 
drain  the  border  well  with  clean  bricks  and  cHukers,  and 
replant  in  equal  parts  of  good  fibrous  loam  and  peat, 
with  a  fair  addition  of  sand,  bits  of  sandstone  and  pieces 
of  cha-coal.  The  replanting  could  probably  be  done 
about  tlie  middle  of  \pril.  There  is  little  douht  that  root 
injury  is  the  original  source  of  the  trouble.  In  the  event 
of  the  roots  being  found  to  be  very  liad.  it  would  be  advis- 
able to  destroy  the  plant  and  start  again  with  a  new  one 


DECAY  IN  OAK  TREE  (O,  itf.).— It  is  not  possible  to 
say  from  the  piece  of  wood  sent  lor  examination  what  may 
be  the  cause  of  the  decay  of  the  Oak.  The  section 
received  is  typical  of  what  is  often  noticed  in  decaying 
trunks  and  branches  which  have  been  injured  by  fungus. 
The  insects  present  in  the  wood  are  only  such  as  inhabit 
dead  wood,  and  they  are  not  responsible  for  the  decay. 
Your  best  plan  is  to  cut  all  dead  branches  clean  away, 
making  the  cuts  parallel  with  the  trunk.  Then,  where 
decayed  places  occur,  clear  away  as  much  decayed  wood 
as  possible  and  paint  the  surface  over  with  a  strong  solution 
of  carbolic  acid.  When  that  is  dry,  give  all  wounds  a  coat 
of  coal-tar,  and  where  there  are  any  hollows,  fill  them  with 
cement  level  with  the  bark.  When  the  cement  is  dry,  it 
may  be  painted  with  tar  to  make  it  less  conspicuous. 
Any  of  the  topmost  branches  which  may  be  dead  should 
be  cut  down  about  a  foot  below  the  dead  joints,  the  wounds 
being  tarred  over  as  advised  for  the  others.  If  the  tree 
is  fairly  vigorous,  a  considerable  amount  of  new  wood  will 
be  formed  in  the  course  of  the  next  few  years. 

PLANT  FOR  NAME  AND  TREATMENT  (fl.  C.  N.).— 
The  specimen  sent  for  identification  is  Acacia  armata 
variety  angustifolia.  It  may  be  grown  in  pots  or  in  a 
border  in  a  cold  or  cool  greenhouse,  and  in  Cornwall  and 
other  places  where  similar  climatic  conditions  prevail 
it  may  be  grown  out  of  doors.  A  good  compost  may  be 
prepared  by  mixing  peat  and  loam  in  equal  proportions, 
witn  one  part  in  seven  of  silver  sand.  Pot  firmly  and 
stand  the  plants  out  of  doors  in  June,  letting  them  remain 
iu  a  sunny  position  until  September,  then  removing  them 
to  a  light  and  ahry  greenhouse.  Plants  grown  in  indoor 
borders  may  be  given  the  same  kind  of  soil,  but  care  must 
be  taken  to  provide  good  drainage  When  the  plants 
are  well  rooted,  give  manure-water  twice  a  week  during 
the  growing  season,  for  the  object  in  view  is  the  formation 
of  long,  strong  shoots  which  will  produce  flowers  through- 
out almost  the  whole  length,  and  tlie  plants  must  be  grown 
without  a  check  to  effect  this.  As  soon  as  the  flowers  are 
over,  cut  the  shoots  well  back,  thinning  out  any  weak 
or  useless  wood,  and  give  a  little  more  heat  and  a  closer 
and  moister  atmosphere  until  growth  recommences. 
Any  repotting  required  may  be  done  when  the  young 
shoots  are  half  an  inch  or  so  long.  Cuttings  of  young 
shoots,  about  four  inches  long,  inserted  in  sandy  soil  in  a 
close  frame,  may  be  rooted  in  a  few  weeks'  time.  The 
young  plants  must  be  stopped  frequently  to  induce  a  stocky 
foundation,  and,  as  a  rule,  they  are  better  if  not  allowed 
to  flower  until  they  are  a  couple  of  years  old. 

THE     GREENHOUSE. 

DATES    ON    WHICH    TO   STOP    CHRYSANTHEMUMS 

(H.  M.). — Treat  the  varii'ties  as  friUows :  Countess  of 
Granard,  D.  B.  Crane,  H.  E.  Converse,  Lady  Talbot  and 
Lady  Edward  Letohworth  stop  about  April  20  and  take 
the  first-crown  buds  that  show  in  August.  They  will 
appear  from  tlie  10th  to  the  25th  of  that  month.  William 
Turner,  Lady  Francis  Ryder,  Thorp's  Beauty  and  Mary 
Poulton  stop  about  the  middle  of  April  and  again  in  the 
middle  of  May,  and  take  second-crown  buds  which  Avill 
show  during  the  latter  part  of  August.  F.  Chandler 
and  Hon.  Mr?.  Lopes  should  be  stopped  on  April  20  and 
first  crowns  taken.  The  variety  Mjs.  Gilbert  Drabble 
should  be  stopped  during  the  last  week  in  March  and 
first-crown  buds  taken;  these  will  not  show  too  soon  in 
the  ordinary  way.  The  other  varieties,  Mrs.  A.  T.  Miller, 
Mrs.  L.  Thor.i,  White  Queen  and  Francis  Jolliffe,  should 
be  allowed  to  make  natural  breaks,  and  natural  first  crowns 
taken. 

PERPETUAL-FLOWERING  CARNATIONS  {W.  D.  S.). 
— As  your  plants  are  in  such  good  coudition,  we  should 
certainly  advise  you  to  allow  them  to  fiower  in  the  pots 
they  are  now  growing  in,  as  any  disturbance  at  the  present 
time  would  cause  a  severe  check.  Then,  when  the  flowers 
are  over,  the  plants  may  be  shortened  back,  not  cut  down 
too  hard,  and  after  this  operation,  when  the  new  growth 
commences  to  show,  they  may  be  repotted  and  grown 
on  for  another  season.  For  the  second  year  pots  from 
6  inches  to  9  inches  in  diameter  can  be  employed,  the 
size  depending  upon  the  vigour  of  the  specimens.  These 
may  be  treated  in  the  same  way  as  you  successfully 
followed  in  the  past.  If  you  like,  you  may  plant  them 
out  in  the  border  when  the  season  is  sufficiently  advanced 
to  admit  of  this  being  done :  but  this  treatment  is  not 
invariably  a  success,  some  varieties  being  better  suited 
to  it  than  others.  Taken  altogether,  we  think  you  will 
derive  greater  pleasure  from  growing  them  a  second 
year  in  pots  than  from  planting  them  outdoors. 

DIOSMA  DYING  (Anxious). — Judging  by  the  specimen 
sent,  your  Diosma  is  too  far  gone  to  restore  to  health, 
whatever  treatment  you  may  give  it.  There  is  little 
doubt  that  it  has  been  practically  dying  for  a  long  time, 
and  whatever  is  done  now  will  only  hasten  the  dissolution. 
In  order  to  keep  this  Diosma  in  health,  it  needs  a  minimum 
winter  temperature  of  45'',  rising  10°  or  so  during  the  day. 
A  free  circulation  of  air,  too,  is  very  necessary  to  its  well- 
doing. A  compost  of  good  peat  and  sand  pressed  down 
firmly  will  suit  it  well.  You  may,  if  you  like,  try  to 
renovate  your  plant  by  syringing  it  with  one  of  the 
several  insecticides,  say,  prepared  paraffin  emulsion, 
or  Fir  tree  oil,  but  be  sure  to  keep  well  within  the  strength 
recommended  by  the  vendor.  Diosmas  are  increased  by 
means  of  cuttings,  put  firmly  into  pots  of  very  sandy  peat, 
placed  in  the  warmest  and  shadiest  part  of  the  greenhouse, 
and  covered  with  a  bell-glass.  In  order,  however,  to 
strike  them  successfully,  good,  healthy  cuttings  are 
absolutely  necessary.  After  having  disposed  of  the  scale, 
you  might,  if  von  are  inclined  to  try,  cut  it  back  ;  but, 
as  above  stated,  we  should  not  be  very  hopeful  of  the 
result.  If  cut  back,  it  would  bo  a  help  to  bedew  it  over 
with  the  syringe  two  or  three  times  a  day. 


■«a.  ^fey- 


-^-s- 


GARDEN. 


Z^* 


^i>^ 


No.  2156.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


March  15,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  thb  Wlek 
Correspondence 
A   well -flow  t!  I  ed 

Cyclamen    .  . 
Varieties     of     Saxi- 

fraga  Boydii 
Diascia  liarbene  as 

a  pcrfcnnial. . 
The  Valerian  . . 
Echium     Wildpretii 
Mysterious  disease  of 
Hyacinths   . . 
Forthcoming  events.. 
A     SixTi^RNTH    Cen- 
tury Vineyard  at 
H  A  D  H  A  M    Hall. 
Hertford  . .     i: 

A    2Dod    dry-weather 

plant        1: 

Fighting  Spring  Frosts 

How  to  protect  fruit 

blossom       . .      . .      1; 

The   Heath  Garden    1 

Trees  and  Shrubs 

Veronica     hulkeana 

in  Ireland    . .      ..     l: 
Some  Kood  and  in- 
teresting   shrubs: 
The    Ccanothuaes 
Flower  Garden 
Reliable    Lilies    for 
the   outdoor   gar- 
den        


130 

131 
131 
131 

131 
131 


129  Coloured  Plate 
I      Montbretia    Star  of 
1  the  East      . .      . .      135 

130  I  Science   in    Relation    to 
I  Horticulture 

Shortening  the  rest 
period  in  plants. .      136 
Greenhouse 

A  rare  and  beautiful 
Rhododendron  . .     136 
Gardening  for  Beginners 
Increasing    the 

choicer  Primroses     137 
How  to  treat   bed- 
ding-out    Calceo- 
larias        137 

Raising   Honesty 
(Lunaria)     from 

seed 137 

g.vkdenino  op  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens          138 

1      For    Northern    gar- 

I  dens     1.38 

Daffodil  Notes 
j      Daffodils  at  Vincent 
!  Square         ..      .,     139 

New  &  Rare  Plants    139 
NuRPERY  Notes 

Annuals  at  Reading     140 
Answers   to    Corre- 
spondents 
135         Flower  garden        ..      140 


134 


ILLaSTRATIONS. 

Saxifraga  Faldonside      130 

Saxifraira  Faldonside 130 

Plan  of  a  supposed  sixteenth  century  vineyard        . .  131 

Thermometer  that  gives  an  alarm  at  30"  Fahr.         . .  132 

A  "  Norbury  "  heater  with  cover  on  ready  for  use  . .  132 

One  of  the  '■  Norbury  '*  heaters  in  action 133 

Veronica  hulkeana  at  Corke  Abbey.  Bray.  Ireland  . .  134 

Ceaiiothus  thyrsiflorus  at  Corke  Abbey,  Bray   . .      . .  135 

Montbretia  Star  of  the  East Coloured  plate 

A  beautiful  Rhododendron  (R.  Schlippenbachii)     ..  136 

Increasing  the  choicer  Primrose-- 137 

Mazus  rugosus 139 


EDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes ^ 
biU  he  icill  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  unll  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  mmt  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


fices  :  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 

An     Eflective    Floral    Combination. — A     tew 

days  ago  we  were  much  interested  to  see  a  large 
vase  filled  with  Harbinger  Wallflower  aiid  the 
scarlet  Anemone  fulgens.  Without  seeing  it 
one  might  well  imagine  that  such  a  combination 
would  be  far  from  pleasing,  but  we  have  seldom 
seen  a  better  harmony  of  colours.  The  vase  was 
seen  in  electric  light,  and  the  effect  might  not  be 
"'lite  so  good  under  natural  conditions. 

''yjmning  Ivy  on  Walls. — We  are  often  asked 
which  is  the  best  time  of  the  year  for  cutting  back 
Ivy  on  walls  or  fences,  and  for  the  benefit  of  those 
in  doubt  we  may  say  that  there  is  no  belter  time 
than  March  for  carrying  out  this  work.  By  trim- 
ming Ivy  at  this  time  of  the  year,  new  leaves  are 
quickly  formed  to  take  the  place  of  those  removed, 
whereas  by  trimming  Ivy  in  the  autimin,  the  walls 
or  fences  appear  bare  throughout  the  winter;  ; 
and  the  great  charm  of  Ivy  is  that  it  is  the  best 
evergreen  climber  for  winter  effect. 

A  Free-Flowering  Heath. — Erica  lusitanica, 
perhaps  better  known  in  gardens  as  E.  codonodes, 
is  one  of  the  most  accommodating  Heaths  for  the 
garden.  It  succeeds  in  almost  any  soil,  providing 
lime  is  not  too  abimdant.  This  Heath  attains 
a  height  of  from  3  feet  to  9  feet,  and  its  small, 
bell-shaped  flowers  in  white  and  pink  are  produced 
very  freely  indeed.  Many  gardens  are  now  looking 
the  brighter  for  this  beautiful  Heath.  It  is  a  native 
of  Southern  Europe,  and  is  allied  to  E.  arborea, 
which  it  resembles.  It  may  be  relied  upon  for 
flowering  from  the  present  time  until  midsummer. 

A  Useful  British  Saxifrage. — Of  the  number 
of  alpmes  that  flower  in  March,  it  is  doubtful  if 
any  are  more  generally  appreciated  than  the 
popular  Saxifraga  oppositifolia.  It  is  everybody's 
plant,  so  easily  is  it  grown  in  the  rock  garden. 
Its  bright  purple  flowers  are  freely  sprinkled  over 
the  creeping  foliage.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
S.  oppositifolia  is  a  native  of  Britain,  occurring 
wild  in  the  mountains  of  Scotland.  There  are 
I  many  beautiful  forms  in  cultivation,  such  as 
1  ma.Kima,  splendidissima,  alba,  grandiflora  and 
coccinea.  This  lovely  native  hybridises  with  S. 
biflora  and  gives  S.  Kochii. 

Blue-Flowering  Plant  for  the  Conservatory. 

There    is    a    handsome    member   of   the   Gentian 
family,  known   as   Eustoma   russeHianum,  that   is 
an   e.xcellent   subject    for   the    conservatory.     The 
usual  flowering  period  is  June  and  July,  when  the 
plants  are  covered  with  a  profusion  of  large,  cup- 
i  shaped,  deep  blue  flowers  from  4  inches  to  5  inches 
1  across.     Seed  of  this  plant  should  be  sown  in  pots 
\  or  pans  at  the  end  of  March  on  the  surface  of  light 
soil  and  be  placed  on  a  little  bottom-heat.     Occa- 
sionally the  plant  is  met  with  imder  the  name  of 
Lisianthus    russeUianus,    but    it    is   surprising   that 
it    is   so   little    known.     A   native    of   Texas    and 
I  Mexico,  it  was    first  introduced  into  this  country 
in  1804. 


The  Water  Lily  Tulip. — There  are  few  more 
pleasing  flowers  in  the  outdoor  garden  just  now 
than  this  beautiful  TuUp,  known  to  botanists  as 
Tulipa  kaufmanniana.  On  a  sunny  day,  when 
the  flowers  are  fuUy  expanded  and  their  exquisite 
beauty  fully  revealed,  they  much  resemble  minia- 
tiu'e  Water  Lilies.  The  creamy  yellow  coloiur, 
with  rich  yellow  base,  looks  particularly  fresh 
and  sprmg-Uke,  and  it  is  difficult  to  understand 
why  this  Tulip  is  not  more  extensively  planted. 
Possibly  it  is  just  a  little  too  expensive  and  variable 
in  its  behaviour,  but  it  is  a  gem  among  spring 
flowers. 

How  to  Prune  Buddleia  variabilis.— The 
several  varieties  of  this  useful  flowering  shrub, 
notably  veitchiana  and  magnifica,  are  now  to  be 
found  in  many  gardens,  but  the  correct  method 
of  pruning  does  not  appear  to  be  generally  under- 
stood. The  best  plan  is  to  cut  them  well  back 
at  the  present  time,  removing  at  least  two-thirds 
of  the  young  wood  that  was  formed  last  year, 
and  which,  in  some  instances,  still  carries  the  old 
flower-heads.  This  will  induce  vigorous  growths, 
that  will  flower  well  in  late  summer.  After  the 
pruning,  a  generous  mulching  with  short  manure 
should  be  given. 

Giant-Flowered  Asters.  —  The  season  for 
sowing  seeds  of  Asters  being  at  hand,  attention 
may  be  drawn  to  a  comparatively  new  and  improved' 
type  of  undoubted  merit.  In  Sutton's  Mammoth 
Aster  we  have  one  of  the  largest  types  of  the  Chinese 
Aster  in  cultivation.  Growing  2J  feet  to  3  feet 
in  height,  the  large,  bushy  plants  produce  corre- 
spondingly large  blooms,  resembling  the  flowers- 
of  the  Japanese  Chrysanthemum.  Borne  on  long, 
stiff  stalks,  the  flowers  are  unsiurpassed  for  vase 
decoration,  and  they  are  also  of  considerable 
value  for  borders.  In  addition  to  a  wide  range 
of  colours  from  a  mixed  packet  of  seeds,  six  distinct 
shades  of  colour  are  offered  separately,  namely, 
dark  blue,  lavender,  old  rose,  scarlet,  shell  pink, 
and  white. 

A  Beautiful  Golden  Bell. — The  superiority  of 

Forsythia  interiuejia  spectabilis  over  the  ordinary 
intermedia  is  very  marked,  for  the  flowers  are 
brighter  coloured,  rather  larger  and  produced 
with  greater  freedom  ;  therefore  it  should  be  selected 
in  preference  to  the  type  when  one  sort  only  is 
required.  The  Forsythias,  as  a  whole,  are  easily- 
managed  shrubs,  for,  providing  they  are  planted 
in  moderately  good,  loamy  soil,  they  give  little 
trouble  save  for  an  occasional  thinning,  which  should 
be  done  as  soon  a?  the  flowers  fade.  They  are 
also  easily  propagated,  for  cuttings  of  short  young 
shoots  inserted  in  sandy  soil  in  a  close  frame  in 
June  root  in  from  two  to  three  weeks'  time.  An 
excellent  way  to  use  this  and  other  Forsythias 
is  to  plant  them  in  masses  with  a  carpet  of  Chiono- 
doxas  or  late-flowering  Crocuses,  for  then  the 
golden,  bell-shapcd  flowers  of  the  shrubs  expand 
at  the  same  time  as  those  of  the  carpet  plant  below, 
and  a  charming  effect  is  produced. 


130 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  13.  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

[The  Editor    is    not    responsible    ;or    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


A  Well-Flowered  Cyclamen. — As  a  reader  of 
The  Garden  I  have  been  interested  in  recent 
notes  on  Cyclamen.  Although  I  have  none  of 
venerable  age,  I  enclose  a  photograph,  taken  about 
a  month  ago,  of  a  two  years  old  plant.  When 
photographed  it  was  carrying  fifty  expanded 
flowers,  but  since  that  time  it  has  carried  as  many 
as  seventy-two  at  one  time.  It  is  growing  in  a 
7-inch  pot.      Plants  twelve  months  old  have  been 


more  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  first  fifty.  Where  are 
the  plants  to  supply  bloom  during  the  dull  winter 
months  and  late  autumn  when  our  herbaceous 
borders  are  almost  bare  ?  Take,  for  instance,  the 
pretty  lonopsidium  acaule,  Saxifraga  Cymbalaria, 
in  flower  all  the  autumn  and  winter  except  when 
covered  with  snow.  Cyclamen  Coum  and 
C.  europaeum  between  them  supply  bloom 
nearly  all  the  year  round,  and  C.  repandum  is 
superior  to  C.  neapolitanum.  Also  Pulmonaria 
arvernense,  backed  up  with  Erica  carnea,  is  lovely 
during  February  and  March.  What  have  Cypri- 
pedium  spectabile  and  C.  Calceolus  done  ?  They 
are  no  harder  to  manage  than  those  two  beautiful 


i 


SAXIFRAGA    FALDONSIDE, 


A    BEAUTIFUL    YELLOW-FLOWERED    VARIETY    OF    THE    BOYDII 
SECTION.      {Slightly  reduced.'^ 


carrying  thirty  flowers. — R.  T.  Saunders,  Park- 
henver  Gardens,  Redruth,  Cornwall.  [The  photo- 
graph sent  by  our  correspondent  showed  a  very 
good  plant,  but  was,  unfortunately,  not  quite 
suitable  for  reproduction. — Ed.] 

Glory  of  the  Snow  (Chionodoxa  sardensis). — 

The  question  is  sometimes  asked  :  "  Which  is  the 
most  effective  of  the  Glories  of  the  Snow  for  planting 
in  grass  ?  "  For  distant  effect  I  have  seen  nothing 
to  surpass  Chionodoxa  siurdensis,  which,  though 
smaller  in  bloom  and  more  drooping  than  the  others, 
is  self-coloured,  or  practically  so,  and  gives  a  more 
telling  appearance  at  a  distance.  It  is  generally 
free  from  the  white  eye  of  C.  LuciliaD,  C.  Tmoliisii 
and  some  others,  but  in  a  few  cases  C.  sardensis 
has  a  white  eye.  It  is  an  easily-cultivated  species, 
but,  like  its  sister  flowers,  appears  to  prefer  deep 
planting,  and  if  planted  too  shallow  will  in  time 
gradually  find  its  way  more  deeply  into  the  ground. 
Some  people  are  under  the  impression  that  it  is 
called  C.  sardensis  because  it  grows  on  the  spot 
where  stood  the  City  of  Sardis  ;  but  this  is  an  error, 
as  it  was  so  named  by  Mr.  E.  Whittall,  its  finder, 
because  the  ruins  of  Sardis  could  be  seen  from  the 
place  where  it  was  found. — S.  Arnott. 

The  Fifty  Best  Alpines. — In  The  Garden  of 
March  i,  page  115,  you  have  an  article  by  Mr.  S. 
Amott  on  "  The  Fifty  Best  Alpines  for  Small 
Gardens."    I  consider  there  are  a  great  many  plants 


gems,  Haberlea  rhodopensis  and  Ramondia,  of 
which  R.  pyrenaica  is  the  best.  There  is  also  the 
lovely  Cytisus  kewensis  var.  heufellianus.  Why 
not  Arenaria  montana  grandiflora,  also  A.  balearica 
to  cover  some  of  the  boulders  ?  Why  miss  Erinus 
alpinus  and  Saponaria  ocymoides,  Gentiana,  at 
least  acaulis ;  Phlox  pilosa,  much  more  free 
flowering  than  the  setacea  group  ;  Phlox  divaricata 
Laphamii,  Primulas  capitata  and  cashmeriana, 
Draba  pyrenaica,  Achillea  umbellata.  Anemone 
blanda,  Aubrietia  Fire  King,  Campanula  G.  F. 
Wilson,  Dianthus  alpinus  and  D.  caesius,  both 
easier  to  grow  than  the  varied  forms  of  D.  iieglectus ; 
Hutchinsia  alpina.  Lychnis  alpina,  and  Saxifraga 
bathoniensis  as  one  of  the  Saxifragas  ? — G.  F. 
Hvland,  The  Gardens,  Ashby  St.  Ledgers,  Rugby. 

Mr.  Lester  Morse  on  Sweet  Peas. — Americans 
are  a  strenuous  and  go-ahead  race,  and  rarely  do 
things  by  halves,  and  I  have  just  received  from 
Mr.  Lester  Morse  a  copy  of  his  "  Bulletin  on  Spencer 
Sweet  Peas,"  in  which  these  qualities  arc  strikingly, 
even  startlingly,  exemplified.  Mr.  Morse  has  set 
to  work  with  the  very  excellent  motive  of  {inter 
alia)  cutting  down  the  list  of  names  of  the  Spencer 
varieties  ;  but  I  am  disposed  to  think,  and  I  feel 
that  a  good  many  others  will  agree  with  me,  that 
the  conclusions  he  arrives  at  are  much  too  downright 
and  sweeping.  To  give  an  instance  or  two : 
What  keen  expert  will  agree  with  Mr.  Morse  %vhen 


he  tells  us  that  Margaret  Madison  and  Walter  P. 
Wright  are  practically  identical  with  Seamew  ? 
What  bold  man  will  back  him  up  when  he  classes 
Melba  as  "  practically  the  same  thing  as  Barbara  "  ? 
Then  he  sums  up  Aurora  Spencer  as  similar  to  Mrs. 
W.  J.  Unwin,  but  larger.  This  may  be  so,  but  it 
is  not  my  experience,  and,  indeed,  I  think  that 
Mrs.  W.  J.  Unwin,  shown  as  finely  as  it  was  at 
the  National  Show  two  years  ago,  was  very  nearly, 
if  not  quite,  the  largest  flower  in  the  show.  The 
raisers  of  Sweet  Peas  are  but  human,  and  some  of 
tliem  will  find  their  corns  unmercifully  trodden 
upon  by  Mr.  Morse.  He  has  discovered,  for 
example,  that  Paradise  is  "  precisely  the  same 
thing "  as  Countess  Spencer,  and  that  Evelyn 
Hemus  and  Mrs.  Breadmore  are  "  precisely  the 
same  thing."  What,  I  wonder,  will  be  said  to 
this  by  a  celebrated  lady  raiser.  On  the  whole. 
I  am  disposed  to  think  it  is  rather  a  good  thing 
for  Mr.  Morse  that  a  good  broad  strip  of  blue  ocean 
separates  him  from  the  British  raiser.  With  some 
of  his  conclusions,  however,  I  am  in  eminent 
agreement,  and  the  unstinted  praise  which  he 
gives  to  Stirling  Stent  for  its  non-burning  qualities 
is  amply  justified  here. — F.  Herbert  Chapman. 
Varieties  of  Saxifraga  Boydii. — It  is  more  than 

a  little  remarkable  that  while  the  merits  of  the 
original  S.  Boydii  were  recognised  by  a  first-class 
certificate  so  long  ago  as  March,  iSgr,  the  even 
more  beautiful  S.  Faldonside  only  received  recog- 
nition on  the  4th  of  the  present  month,  when  a 
charmingly-flowered  example  was  exhibited  by 
Sir  Everard  Hambro,  K.C.V.O.,  from  his  wonderful 
collection  of  these  things  at  Hayes.  The  apparent 
omission  may  be  due  to  a  variety  of  causes,  though 
chiefly,  perhaps,  because  S.  Faldonside  has  never 
before  been  presented  to  the  floral  committee 
under  its  correct  name.  The  same  variety  has, 
however,  been  repeatedly  exhibited  in  collections, 
though  usually  as  S.  Boydii,  and  the  knowledge 
that  the  latter  kind  had  already  received  the  highest 
award  of  a  first-class  certificate  precluded  its  being 
again  presented.  It  is  now  many  years  ago  since 
I  first  recognised  the  superiority  of  some  forms  ot 
S.  Boydii  over  others,  both  in  the  matter  of  outline, 
size  of  flower  and  colouring,  and  I  concluded  it 
was  impossible  that  all  could  have  been  raised  from 
one  stock  plant  originally.  This  idea  so  grew 
upon  me — it  was  patent  almost  to  the  ordinary 
observer  of  such  things — that  I  presently  com- 
municated with  Mr.  Boyd,  the  brother  of  the  raiser 
of  the  original  plant,  askuig  for  information.  To 
the  direct  question  as  to  whether  all  the  Boydii  then 
existing  were  the  outgrowth  of  a  solitary  individual, 
I  received  in  effect  this  most  useful  informative  reply. 
"  The  original  Boydii  first  appeared  as  a  solitary 
plant.  Subsequently,  however,  seedlings  were 
raised  from  it,  and  these,  upon  flowering,  were 
considered,  some  sufficiently  near  to,  and  others  so 
identical  with,  the  original  that  all  were  distributed 
under  the  one  name.  Later  developments  however, 
made  it  plain  that  some  forms  were  vastly  superior 
to  others."  Hence  it  is  that  in  gardens  to-day, 
and  in  those  more  particularly  where  the  entire 
stock  has  been  raised  from  a  solitary  plant,  it 
might  prove  to  be  wholly  Boydii  or  wholly  Faldon- 
side. The  latter  is  a  perfectly  circular  flower, 
the  petals  broad  and  overlapping  without  inter- 
vening spaces,  the  flower  remaining  slightly  saucer- 
formed  almost  to  the  last.  The  clear  yellow  colour 
is  enhanced  by  its  sparkling  effects.  I  regard  this  as 
the  finest  jewel  in  the  Boydii  crown.  A  good  idea 
of  its  size  and  form  may  bs  had  from  the  accompany- 
ing illustration.  By  some  it  is  regarded  as  the  best 
grower. — E.  H.  Jenkins. 


March  15,  1913.] 


TliE     G^UIUEN. 


131 


Diascia    Barberae    as    a    Perennial.  —  It    was 

interesting  to  road  in  The  Gardes  for  March  i, 
page  102,  that  others  have  found  Diascia  Barber* 
to  be  a  perennial.  Here  it  has  remained  outside 
for  several  seasons  ;  m  fact,  it  seemed  more  at 
home  without  protection  than  with  it.  On  the 
rockery  it  is  a  great  feature,  but  I  must  confess 
that  when  grown  as  an  annual  it  blooms  more-freely 
and  gives  finer  flowers.  I  use  it  freely  in  place  of 
Xemesia,  as  its  flowering  season  lasts  until  late  in 
the  autumn.  It  maybe  mistaken  for  the  latter  at 
first  sight. — M.  Nicholi.s,  The  Gardens,  Si.  Clere, 
Kemsing,  near  Sevciioaks,  Kent. 

The  Valerian. — Your  note  re  Valerian  on 
page  xxii,  of  March  i  issue  is  very  interesting. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  the  Valerian  (Centranthus 
ruber),  commonly  called  "  Pretty  Betsy,"  is  a  sea- 
loving  plant.  Round  here  it  grows  freely  on  any 
<ild  wall,  and  flourishes  amazingly.  Anyone  who 
has  seen  the  rocks  at  Barmouth  covered  with  this 
plant  must  hav.-  been  struck  by  the  wonderful 
blaze  of  colour.  I  must  say  it  is  a  handsome  plant 
and  a  very  telling  colour. — J.  S.  Higgi.ns,  Glyn- 
llirou  dardi'ns,  Carnarvon. 

Ecbium  Wildpretii. — I  see  in  The  Garden 
for  February  22  a  reply  to  "  E.  T.  D."  about  an 
Echium.  I  have  a  seedling,  raised  from  seed 
sent  me  from  a  plant  of  my  own  growing  in 
Alassio,  that  is  everybody's  admiration.  If  it  is 
the  kind  your  correspondent  wants,  and  he  will 
send  me  his  address,  I  will  gladly  give  it  him,  or  her, 
if  the  carriage  is  paid.  My  plant  is  of  the  clear 
blue  kind,  and  bears  huge  spikes  or  clubs  of  flowers 
Dut  there.  I  am  not  sure  of  the  right  name.  It 
will  not  stand  frost  unless  well  covered,  and  plants 
bloom  the  second  year  from  seed. — (Mrs.)  Gertrude 
E.  West,  Sliidc  Villa,  near  Newport,  Isle  of  Wight. 

Mysterious    Disease    of     Hyacinths. — I     am 

much  interested  in  Mr.  Pearson's  article  in  The 
Garden  for  February  22  re  eelworms.  My  bulbs 
have  been  worried  by  them  lately,  especially  last 
spring,  and  I  thought  it  was  my  ignorance,  as  I 
had  not  had  a  greenhouse  before.  I  had  a  collec- 
tion of  Lilies  from  Ant.  Roozen  given  to  me.  For 
some  time  they  did  very  well  ;  then  the  buds 
began  to  dry  up,  and  1  found  the  roots  were  as 
described  in  the  article  referred  to,  and  nearly 
all  my  bulbs  arc  spoilt.  But  they  were  not  content  : 
they  killed  my  Primulas,  spread  into  other  things — 
Sutherlandia  and  Arums — and  ate  up  all  my  seeds. 
I  tried  everything  I  could  think  of  to  get  rid  of 
them,  washing  the  bulbs  and  repotting  in  soil 
that  had  been  dressed  with  Vaporitc.  I  may 
say  that  I  had  no  trouble  vmtil  one  Lily  had  some 
stable  manure  in  the  soil.  I  noticed  every  pot 
that  was  infested  with  eelworm  had  little  black 
flies,  with  white  bands  on  the  body,  dead  on  the 
soil.  This  year  I  have  learnt  that  Oats  suffer 
from  a  frit  fly  which  produces  eelworm.  Is  it 
possible  that  the  eggs  of  the  fly  could  have  been 
in  the  Oats  which  came  into  the  stables  ?  I  have 
only  used  artificial  manure  this  year,  and  have, 
I  hope,  got  rid  of  the  eelworms.  I  had  potted 
Hyacinths  which  I  had  last  year,  and  had  to  burn 
them  all. — B.  Hall.  [Mr.  Pearson,  in  his  article, 
did  not  attribute  the  trouble  to  eelworms,  but  to 
a  fungoid  disease. — Ed.] 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 
March   18.— Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Exhi- 
bition  at   Vincent   Square,   Westminster.     Lecture 
at    3   p.m.   by   Mr.    R.   Lloyd   Praeger.    F.L.S,,   on 
'  The  Romance  of  Weeds." 


A  SIXTEENTH  CENTURY 
VINEYARD  AT  HADHAM 
HALL,     HERTFORD. 

GARDENING  has  its  antiquarian  side, 
and  I  have  lately  found  in  the 
kitchen  garden  here  something  which 
may  be  of  interest  to  those  who  care 
for  the  history  of  gardens.  This 
house  is  an  old  one,  built  cina 
1572  by  Henry  Capell,  and  was,  in  those  days,  all 
that  a  first-class  English  country  house  could  be. 
For  reasons  which,  to  save  your  space,  I  do  not  here 
enter  into,  the  Capell  family  left  it  in  1667,  when 
most  of  it  was  pulled  down,  the  little  that  was  left 
becoming  a  farmhouse. 

In  1901  it  again  became  a  residence,  and,  living 
here  since  that  date,  I  have  endeavoured  to  find 
out  all  that  the  house  and  garden  were  at  their  best. 
Partly  guided  by  old  pictures  and  partly  by 
excavations,  I  have  restored,  on  paper,  the  founda- 
tains,  terraces,  pavilions  and  statues  which  went 
to  make  up  a  garden  of  that  date.  But  besides 
all  these,  I  have  foimd  one  feature  of  special  interest. 
I  had  to  make  a  kitchen  garden,  and  for  the  pur- 
pose chose  a  spot  some  335  feet  long  by  200  feet 
wide,  which  offered  the  protection  on  the  north 
and  east  of  the  old  curtilage  wall  of  1572,  which 
yet    remained    standing.     Certain    failures    among 


for  a  vineyard.  We  know  that  houses  of  this 
stamp,  at  that  date,  all  had  vineyards ;  but 
I  have  searched  in  vain  in  many  gardening 
books  of  the  period  for  any  suggestion  of  this 
way  of  laying  them  out. 

And,  yet,  what  could  be  better  ?  .■\spect  due 
south,  a  protecting  wall  on  all  sides,  those  on  the 
south  and  west  kept,  as  we  must  think,  low,  the  sun 
would  strike  directly  into  the  bays  of  the  six  Vine 
walls,  nor  would  the  shade  from  these  aflect  the  wall 
behind  if  their  height  was  limited  to,  say,  5  feet, 
which  would  amply  suffice  for  a  Vine.  The  Vines 
planted  in  the  angles  of  the  bays  would  not  only 
catch  the  direct  sun,  but  their  branches,  spreading 
right  and  left  along  the  faces  of  the  bays,  would 
also  gain  somewhat  of  reverberated  heat.  Sheltered 
in  the  bays,  moreover,  the  Vines  would  be  well 
protected  from  the  bite  of  any  east  or  west  wind 
•vliich  might  strike  into  the  enclosure.  The  spaces 
between  the  walls  would,  of  course,  have  been  avail- 
able for  ordinary  garden  purposes,  while  the  reverse 
side  of  the  walls  could  have  served  for  Plums  and 
Cherries. 

Everything  seems  to  point  to  the  arrangement 
being  intended  for  a  vineyard,-  though,  as  I  say,  I 
can  nowhere  find  any  support  for  the  theory.  I 
should  be  deeply  grateful  to  any  of  your  readers  who 
could,  from  a  better  knowledge  of, gardens  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  establish  it  aS  a  fact.  Once 
discovered,  it  seems  strange  that  the  idea  has  not 


PLAN    OF    A    SUPPOSED    SIXTEENTH    CENTURY    VINEYARD    AT    HADHAM    HALL,    HERTS. 


young  Apple  trees  led  me  to  search  at  their 
roots  for  the  reason,  where  I  found  founda- 
tions of  brick  walls  some  2  feet  down.  These 
I  followed  up,  and  the  plan,  which  represents 
what  was  found,  will  need  but  few  words  of 
explanation. 

The  oblong  space,  now  the  kitchen  garden,  runs 
east  and  west  in  its  longer  direction.  Still  bounded 
on  the  north  and  east  by  the  old  curtilage  walls, 
similar,  though  no  doubt  lower,  walls  enclosed  it 
on  the  south  and  west.  Inside  this  enclosure, 
and  running  parallel  with  its  longer  axis,  were  six 
walls,  built  in  zigzags,  so  as  to  form  bays,  of  which 
there  were  eleven  in  each  wall,  making  sixty-six 
in  all.  These  six  walls  were  equidistant  throughout 
their  length  and  27  feet  apart. 

I  can  see  but  one  possible  explanation  for  such 
an    arrangement,     namely.,     that     it     was     meant 


survived ;  for,  though  we  no  longer  grow  Vines  in  the 
open,  yet  such  an  arrangement  would  surely  be  of 
advantage  for  our  wall  fruit.       William  Minet. 

Hadham  Hall,  Little  Hadham,  Hertfordshire. 

[We  shall  be  glad  to  receive  brief  comments  on 
the  interesting  points  raised  by  our  correspondent.] 
—Ed.] 


A    GOOD    DRY-WEATHER    PLANT. 

During  the  scorching  days  of  summer,  when  the 
majority  of  the  occupants  of  the  herbaceous  border 
are  looking  far  from  happy,  it  is  always  of  interest 
and  usefulness  to  note  anv  that-  £&>^ar  to  revel 


in  the  brilliant  sunshine  and  nfjra^  mind  the 
drought  One  such  is  ^he.GaiHardrai'.or  Blanket 
Flower,  the  perennial  sort  that  comes  .up  year  after 
year  and  gives  us  its  charming  flowers  so  profusely 
over  so  long  a  period.        '  • ' 


132 


THE     GAKDEN. 


[March  15,  1913. 


FIGHTING   SPRING    FROSTS. 


HOW  TO    PROTECT   FRUIT  BLOSSOM. 

ALTHOUGH  the  protection  of  fruit  blossom 
/\  from  late   spring   frosts    by   means  of 

/  %  smudge  fires  has  been  extensively 
^"^^  carried  out  for  some  years  in  California 
•  *     and  ether  parts  of  America,  there  are 

but  few  places  in  this  country  where 
the  method  has  been  given  a  thorough  and  exhaus- 
tive trial.  It  has  been  contended  in  many  direc- 
tions that  the  rhmatic  conditions  here  do  not 
lend  themselves  to  its  successful  adoption,  and, 
further,  that  the  protection  is  too  expensive  to 
make  it  worth  while.  The  latter  excuse  can  at 
the  outset  be  dismissed,  because  if  the  use  of  smudge 
fires  means  the  difference  between  a  full  crop  of 
fruit  and  a  very  poor  one,  it  will  certainly  pay  for 
doing.  The  position  of  the  grower  is  this  :  For  a 
whole  year  he  has  tended  his  trees,  cultivated  and 
manured  the  soil,  and  gone  to  a  great  deal  of 
expense    in    bringing    the    trees    to    as    fruitful    a 


-THE  MA.XIMUM  AND  MINIMUM  THERMOMETER,  THE  MERCURY  OF 
WHICH  MAKES  A  CONNECTION  AND  SO  GIVES  THE  ALARM  WHEN 
2°     OF     FROST     ARE      REGISTERED.  THE      PLATINUM     WIRE      AT 

30°  FAHR.    IS    INDIC.\TED    BY    THE    ARROW. 


condition  as  he  knows  how.  Then  one  night's  frost 
when  the  blossoms  are  open  may  mean  the  partial 
or  total  loss  of  this  outlay  of  time  and  money,  a 
loss  that  might,  as  we  shall  endeavour  to  show, 
be  to  a  great  extent  obviated  by  the  further  outlay 
of  a  few  pounds  per  acre  in  fighting  the  sprmg 
frosts. 

One  of  the  few  places  where  smudge  fires  have 
been  extensively  and  successfully  used  in  this 
country  is  The  Norrest,  near  Malvern  in  Worcester 
shire.  Here  Mr.  F.  Paget  Norbury  has  an  extensive 
fruit  farm  that  is  run  on  up-to-date  and  stricth 
commercial  lines,  and  it  is  by  his  courtesy  that 
we  are  able  to  place  before  our  readers  particulars 
of  his  efforts  in  combating  spring  frosts.  Owing 
to  curious  climatic  conditions  that  exist  at  Tht 
Norrest  Farm,  the  fields  occupied  by  Apples  are 
not  affected  by  these  frosts ;  but  in  another 
direction  the  Black  Currant  plantations,  of  which 
we  have  never  seen  finer,  are  particularly  susceptible 
to  damage,  and  it  is  here  that  the  smudge  fires 
have  been  successfully  utilised  for  the  last  six 
years.  Believing  as  he  does  that  if  a  thing  is 
worth  doing  at  all  it  is  worth 
doing  well,  .Mr.  Norbury  has 
had  wires  fixed  on  insulated 
poles  from  the  field  to  his 
house,  where  they  are  con- 
nected to  an  electric  alarm 
bell,  the  power  for  which  is 
derived  from  an  ordinary  cell 
battery.  On  a  post  in  the  field 
a  thermometer  is  fixed  about 
three  feet  from  the  ground, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  i.  This 
thermometer  is  a  maximum 
and  minimum  recorder,  and  at 
two  places  a  thin  platinum  wire 
has  been  carried  through  the 
tube  by  the  manufacturer.  As 
will  be  seen  by  the  arrow, 
one  of  these  wires  goes  through 
the  tube  at  30°  Fahr.,  or  2^  of 
frost.  To  these  platinum 
wires  the  transmitting  wires 
are  attached,  and  when  the 
mercury  reaches  the  30'  mark 
it  effects  the  connection  and 
the  alarm  is  given  in  the 
bedroom.  When  this  happens, 
Mr.  Norbury  promptly  tele- 
phones to  one  of  his  men  who 
lives  close  to  the  plantation, 
and  he  in  turn  arouses  two 
more,  who  proceed  with  torches 
and  light  the  smudge  fires  as 
quickly  as  possible.  By  the 
time  the  owner  reaches  the 
scene  these  are  well  on  the 
way,  and  are  kept  burning 
until  after  sunrise.  Just  before 
sunrise  dense  smoke  is  created 
by  adding  fresh  fuel  so  that 
the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  do 
not  strike  the  flowers. 

The  fires  are  made  in 
pots  designed  by  Mr.  Norbury, 
in  place  of  the  funnel-shaped 
Colorado  heaters,  which  are 
of  flimsy  construction.  The 
outer  construction  of  these  is 
well  shown  in  Fig.  2.  These 
smudge  pots  are  filled  with 
straw,  specially  prepared  chips 
and      soft      coal,      so     that    a 


2. A     "NoKlilKV         HEATER    WITH     COVER     ON 

READY    FOR    USE. 

dense  smoke  and  some  considerable  warmth 
are  created  when  the  fires  are  lighted.  When 
the  fruit  blossom  is  about  to  open,  these 
heaters  are  placed  in  position,  and  torches 
and  additional  fuel  placed  in  readiness  for  im- 
mediate use.  During  a  period  of  six  years 
Mr.  Norbury  has  found  it  necessary  to  light  the 
fires  about  a  dozen  times,  or  an  average  of  two 
nights  each  spring,  sometimes  for  only  a  few  hours 
per  night. 

It  will,  no  doubt,  be  argued  that  such  elaborate 
precautions  are  expensive  and  scarcely  worth  while  ", 
but  the  outlay,  t.iking  one  year  with  another,  is  not 
excessive,  and  the  saving  in  fruit  very  considerable. 
The  cost  of  the  Norbury  heaters,  such  as  we  illus- 
trate, and  which  are  made  locally  under  Mr.  Nor- 
bury*s  supervision,  is  2S.  6d.  each,  carriage  paid, 
and  forty-eight  are  required  for  each  acre.  Thus 
the  initial  outlay  on  pots  is  /6  per  acre.  Cut  those 
illustrated  have  been  in  use  six  years,  and  will 
probably  last  another  six,  so  that  the  cost  per 
annum  for  these  is  about  ten  shillings  per  acre. 
Naturally,  the  cost  of  fuel  will  be  rather  a  heavy 
item,  but  then  it  is  only  burned  if  absolutely 
necessary. 

The  thermometer  illustrated  cost  los.  fd. 
and  the  installation  of  wires  and  bell  was  not  a 
heavy  item.  From  experience  gained,  Mr. 
Norbury  does  not  think  it  necessary  to  have 
the  thermometer  fixed  fir  away  from  the  house, 
so  long  as  it  is  in  an  exposed  position  and 
at  the  proper  height  from  the  ground.  The 
temperature  at  the  same  altitude  within  a  mile 
radius  is  not  likely  to  vary  more  than  1°  or  2°, 
and  this,  once  local  conditions  had  been  fully 
studied  and  mastered,  could  be  allowed  for. 
Judging  by  what  we  saw  at  Mr.  Norbury's  farm  and 
by  what  he  told  us,  the  protection  of  fruit  blossom 
in  this  way  might  be  successfully  carried  out 
in  almost  any  part  of  the  country.  At  the  Wor- 
cestershire County.  Council's  experimental  gardens 
at  Droitwich  these  heaters  have  been  successfully 
employed  by  the  superintendent,  Mr.  James  Udale. 
for  the  protection  of  Apple  blossom,  and  have  proved 
far  more  economical  and  effective  than  the  Colorado 
h  eaters. 


March  15.  19  [3.] 


THE     GAKJJEN. 


133 


THE     HEATH     GARDEN. 

(Continued  from  page  120.) 


JUNE  is  perhaps  the  month  in  which  we 
find  the  smallest  nmnber  of  hardy 
Heaths  in  flower,  that  is,  at  the  full 
expanse  of  their  beauty,  for  those  that 
were  in  full  flower  during  April  and  May 
have  by  no  means  ceased  to  provide  some 
colour  effect  in  their  respective  beds,  as  the  plants 
retain  their  flowers  and  colour,  though  somewhat 
faded,  for  a  long  time  after  they  have  lost  their 
freshness,.  The  later-flowering  varieties,  too,  when 
only  in  bud  provide  a  certain  amount  of  colour 
as  a  promise  of  what  may  be  enjoyed  in  the  near 
future.  The  varieties,  then,  that  we  may  expect 
to  find  in  full  flower  in  the  month  of  June  are 
restricted  to  two,  so  far  as  I  can  gather  from  my 
own  observations.  These  are  Erica  australis 
and  E.  Stuartii,  two  plants  with  very  different 
habits,  the  former  being  about  three  feet  high, 
\Wth  flowers  of  a  curious  shade  of  colour,  which, 
for  want  of  abetter  description,  I  would  call  purplish 
red.  E.  Stuartii  is  a  neat  little  plant  about  si.x 
inches  high,  with  pretty,  rose-coloured  flowers, 
and  forms  a  suitable  subject  for  a  comfortable 
pocket  in  the  rock  garden. 

l''rom  July  to  September  a  very  large  number 
will  be  found  in  flower,  and,  as  little  difference 
<an  be  noted  as  to  their  respective  times  for 
flowering,  I  give  them  in  alphabetical  order.  E. 
Lawsonii,  a  neat-growing  dwarf  variety  with 
flowers  of  a  clear  red  shade,  forms  a  suitable 
subject  for  edging  E.  mackayana,  a  very  pretty 
red  variety  growing  about  nine  inches  high,  also 
a  double-flowered  form  of  the  same,  fotmd  in 
Connemara,  give  a  pleasing  variety  among  a  class 
of  plants  represented  principally  by  single  flowers. 
E.  mediterranea  multifiora  is  the  only  one  in  the 
Mediterranean  group  that  flowers  in  autumn, 
all  the  otliers  flowering  in  spring.  Tfiis  is  a  distinct 
and  striking  variety,  having  white  flowers  with 
prominent  chocolate-coloured  anthers.  A  bed  of 
smaller  dimensions  might  be  filled  with  the  last 
three  sorts  mentioned,  none  of  these  being  tall  ' 
growers.  H.  m.  multiflora  should  occupy  the 
centre,  with  E.  mackayana  next,  either  in  broad 
bands  oT  suitable-sized  patches,  and  E.  Lawsonii 
near  the  margin. 

The    Cross-leaved    Heath.  —  E.    Tetralix     is 

one  of  the  most  distinct  of  the  whole  genus, 
Imown  as  the  Cross-leaved  Heath.  The  whole 
plant  when  not  in  flower  is  of  a  greyish  hue.  Most 
of  the  varieties  are  about  six  inches  high,  a  few 
attaining  the  height  of  9  inches  to  12  inches.  E. 
Tetralix,  pale  red,  also  a  white-flowered  variety, 
alba,  and  another,  alba  major,  having  somewhat 
larger  flowers,  are  similar  in  habit.  Another 
■white  variety  called  molle  has  slightly  shorter 
and  denser  flower-spikes,  but  otherwise  similar  , 
to  the  former.  Pallida  resembles  the  last  named 
except  in  colour,  which  is  of  a  very  light  shade  of 
red.  E.  T.  praicox  grows  somewhat  taller  than 
any  of  the  above-named,  and  has  white  flowers. 
.M\  are,  however,  of  neat  habit,  and  suitable  alike 
for  the  rock  or  Heath  garden.  The  characteristic 
peculiarities  of  the  foliage  of  this  section  are  at  all 
times  striking  and  attractive.  A  new  variety, 
a  hybrid  between  E.  TetraUx  and  E.  cUiaris,  and 
named  E.  T.  Watsonii,  is  well  worthy  of  being 
included  in  the  list.  The  flowers  are  of  a  pretty 
rose  pink  colour.  The  plant  is  a  free  and  vigorous 
grower,  with  attractive  foliage. 

The  Cornish  Heath  (E.  vagans)  is  perhaps  the 
most  vigorous  of  all  the  autumn-flowering  Heaths, 


and  although  none  of  its  varieties  exceed  18  inches 
in  height,  they  soon  form  large  masses,  and  are 
therefore  invaluable  for  planting  in  quantity 
cither  in  the  Heath  garden  proper  or  for  clothing 
banks  where  the  soil  may  be  too  poor  for  the 
free  growth  of  shrubs.  I  have  also  used  this 
extensively  for  edgings  to  walks,  and  if  clipped 
immediately  after  it  has  passed  out  of  flower, 
it  will  keep  in  good  order  for  a  number  of  years 
before  it  requires  replanting.  The  type  is  repre- 
sented by  a  plant  of  compact  growth  about  twelve 
inches  high,  bearing  flowers  of  a  pale  purplish 
red  colour,  freely  produced  on  slender,  wiry  stems 
that  are  not  easily  damaged  by  rough  usage. 
Alba  {the  white  form),  camea  (pink)  and  pallida 
(flesh-coloured)  differ  only  in  colour  from  the 
first  named  ;  but  a  variety  called  nana,  possessing 
a  dwarf  and  neat  habit,  not  exceeding  6  inches  in 


Grampians.  There  are  numerous  varieties  of  this 
popular  Heath,  some  of  which  make  excellent 
subjects  for  grouping  in  the  grounds  either  in  large 
masses  of  one  colour  or  judiciously  mixed  in  beds. 
The  white  varieties  are  in  much  demand,  and  must 
be  a  source  of  industry  in  some  districts,  judging 
from  the  quantities  that  are  to  be  seen  on  sale  as 
cut  flowers. 

White  Heather  for  luck,  besides  bemg  the 
badge  of  a  Highland  clan,  is  in  much  demand  for 
wedding  bouquets,  and  there  are  few  sportsmen  who 
will  not  sacrifice  the  chance  of  a  good  shot  to  stoop 
and  pluck  a  sprig  of  white  Heather  when  dis- 
covered amid  a- sea  of  the  common  purple  variety. 
In  the  selection  of  the  finest  of  a  long  list  of  varieties 
of  E.  vulgaris,  we  would  give  first  place  to  E.  v. 
Haramondii,  closely  followed  by  E.  v.  Alportii 
and   E.   v.   Scarlii,    the   former   being  a  very  free 


-ONE    OF    THE    NORBURV    HEATERS    IN    ACTION.       NOTE    THE    DENSE    CLOUD    OF 
SMOKE    THAT    IS    EMITTED. 


height,  is  quite  distinct.  E.  v.  rubra  is  the  tallest 
of  the  group,  attaining  a  height  of  t8  inches 
when  in  full  growth,  with  flowers  of  a  bright  red 
coloiur. 

E.  Veitchii  is  a  lovely  white  hybrid  obtained 
from  crossing  E.  arborea  and  E.  codonodes. 
This  novelty  we  have  as  yet  only  seen  as  pot 
specimens,  but  from  its  general  appearance 
it  gives  promise  of  being  a  valuable  addition  to  an 
already  extensive  collection. 

Common  Heather  or  Ling. — E.  vulgaris  (Caiiuna 
vulgaris),  is  too  well  known  to  need  description, 
Clothing  our  hills  and  moors,  where  during 
the  autumn  months  it  transforms  the  whole 
landscape  into  a  rich  purple  mass,  presenting 
a  picture  of  rare  beauty  not  easily  forgotten, 
especially  by  those  who  view  it  for  the  first  time 
on    a   bright    autumn   day   on   the   slopes   of   the 


growing  variety  about  eighteen  inches  high,  with 
white  flowers  produced  on  fairly  long  spikes  and 
forming  a  less  compact  but  more  graceful-looking 
bed  than  many  of  the  others.  E.  v.  Alportii  is 
a  very  pretty  dark  red  variety  growing  about 
one  foot  high,  and  where  beds  of  mixed  colours 
are  favoured,  this  makes  a  fine  companion  for 
E.  v.  Haramondii. 

E.  V.  Searlii  is  conspicuous  even  when  not  in 
flower  owing  to  the  mossy  appearance  of  its  foliage 
which  is  further  enhanced  on  the  appearance  of 
the  flowers,  which  are  pure  white,  of  fine  form  and 
substance.  The  whole  plant  does  not  exceed 
12  inches  in  height.  E.  v.  .alba  and  E.  v.  alba 
minor  partly  convey  in  the  names  their  general 
description.  .-Vrgentea  has  beautiful  silvery 
foliage,  and  aurea  golden.  On  a  first  acquamtance 
with   the   last   named   one   might   be   forgiven   for 


134 


I'llK     GAUUEA. 


[March  15,  1913 


assuming  that  the  plant  was  in  an  unhealthy 
condition,  the  appearance  from  a  little  distance 
being  a  sickly  yellow  colour  in  the  foliage.  Cuprea 
possesses  a  distinct  bronzy  foliage,  which  is  more 
pronounced  in  winter  than  in  summer. 

The  variety  flore  pleno  should  not  be  omitted, 
as  its  double  red  flowers,  having  a  silvery  sheen, 
are  very  attractive.  The  plant  is  free-flowering, 
with  a  compact  habit.  A  few  other  varieties  of 
vulgaris  worthy  of  mention  are  decumbens  alba, 
tomentosa  alba,  hypnoides,  pilosa,  pygmea  and 
rigida.  These  are  of  slow  growth,  and  are  better 
adapted  for  the  rock  garden  than  the  Heath  garden. 

Ghimis.  T.   Wilson. 

{To  bt'  continued.) 


TREES      AND      SHRUBS. 


VERONICA  HULKEANA  IN  IRELAND. 

THE   owners   of    gardens  in   the   Midlands 
and   North   of    England  cannot   appre- 
ciate   the   value    of    the    New    Zealand 
shrubby  Veronicas  to   the  same  extent 
as    those  people  who  have  gardens  in 
the    South-West     Counties,    in    South 
Wales,  West  of  Scotland  and  in  Ireland,  for  in  those 
places   shrubby   Veronicas   are   looked   upon   as  a 
necessity    in    every    garden    of    any    pretensions, 


leaves  less  than  an  inch  long.  The  flowers  are  lilac 
or  pale  mauve  in  colour,  and  are  produced  in  very 
large  terminal  panicles,  which  are  peculiarly 
graceful  and  pleasing.  Under  pot  cultivation  it 
gives  the  best  results  when  raised  from  cuttings 
at  least  every  second  year,  but  when  grown  under 
more  generous  border  conditions  it  continues  to 
give  good  results  for  a  number  of  years.  D. 


SOME      GOOD      AND      INTERESTING 
SHRUBS:    THE     CEANOTHUSES. 

Unfortu-sately,  the  Ceanothuses  are  not  generally 
hardy,  otherwise  there  is  little  doubt  that  they 
would  find  a  place  in  every  garden,  for  no  shrubs 
are  more  floriferous,  while  many  of  them  have 
the  advantage  of  producing  blue  flowers,  a 
colour  which  is  not  common  among  shrubs.  In 
the  milder  parts  of  the  British  Isles,  however,  they 
may  be  gro\vn  to  perfection,  while  in  other  places 
the  hardier  kinds  can  be  grown  against  walls, 
though  they  may  fall  a  prey  to  cold  should  a 
winter  of  moderate  severity  be  experienced. 

That  the  plants  are  quite  worthy  off  wall 
space  is  evident  by  the  illustration  on  page  135, 
which  shows  a  section  ol  a  wall  in  Sir  Edward 
Verner's  garden  at  Corke  Abbey,  Bray,  East 
Ireland.  Sir  Edward  is  a  most  enthusiastic 
gardener,  and  he  takes  a  keen  interest  in  decorative 
plants.    In  1006  he  decided  to  give  up  a  considerable 


VERONICA    HULKEANA    IN    SIR    EDWARD    VERNER'.S    GARDEN    AT    CORKE    ABBEY,    BRAY, 

IRELAND. 

while  even  in  cottage  gardens  some  of  the  stronger-  area  of  wall  space  to  Ceanothuses,  and  in  May 
growing  kinds  are  used  as  hedges  for  dividing  one  j  of  that  year  he  planted  six  small  plants  of  C. 
garden  from  another.  Species  such  as  V.  speciosa  thyrsiflorus  from  pots  in  one  position.  That  they 
is  met  with  as  a  bush  4  feet  high  and  6  feet  through,  I  have  thriven  remarkably  well  is  evident  from  the 
covered  in  its  proper  season  with  upright  spikes  ■  photograph,  which  was  taken  during  the  flowermg 
of  lilac,  purple,  red,  or  white  flowers,  according  to    period  six  years  later. 

variety,  while  other  kinds  are  quite  as  conspicuous.  '  Fortunately,  Ceanoihuses  are  not  very  fastidious 
The  accompanying  illustration  bears  testimony  regardmg  soil,  and  providing  the  climate  is  right, 
to  the  decorative  qualities  of  V.  hulkeana,  as  it  they  succeed  quite  well  in  any  that  is  of  a  loamy 
is  grown  in  Sir  Edward  Verner's  garden  at  Corke  nature.  They  may  be  increased  by  cuttings  of 
Abbey,   Bray.     One  of  the  more   delicate  species,    half-ripe   wood,  inserted  in  sandy  soil  in   a  close 


it  is  often  grown  in  greenhouses  as  a  pot  plant, 
but  in  this  beautiful  Irish  garden  it  succeeds  quite 
well  in  the  open.  It  is  naturally  of  rather  loose 
habit,    with    slender    branches    and    broadly    oval 


frame  indoors  during  the  summer,  and  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  root  a  few  cuttmgs  of  each  of  the  more 
tender  kinds  each  year  and  keep  them  under  cover 
for  the  winter  in  case  of  a  mishap.      Pruning  requires 


to  be  carried  out  in  two  different  ways,  for  there 
are  two  distinct  groups  of  the  genus  which  blossom 
at  different  times.  Those  which  bloom  in  spring 
are  the  more  tender,  and  are  usually  grown  against 
walls.  They  require  pruning  as  soon  as  the  flowers 
are  over,  the  pruning  taking  the  form  of  cutting 
back  any  plants  which  appear  to  be  outgrowing 
their  positions  and  spurring  the  breast  wood  back 
to  the  main  branches ;  but  when  the  same  plants 
are  growing  as  bushes  in  the  open,  practically  no 
pruning  is  necessary.  The  other  group  blossoms 
during  the  autumn,  and  it  is  usual  to  cut  the 
various  kinds  back  moderately  hard  during  the 
winter  or  spring.  These  kinds  are  frequently 
planted  in  beds  in  conspicuous  positions,  while 
some  of  them  are  grown  against  pillars  or  walls. 

All  the  cultivated  species  are  natives  of  North. 
America,  the  majority  being  foimd  from  Oregon 
to  Southern  California,  others  being  met  with, 
throughout  the  Eastern  United  States,  Florida 
and  other  parts  The  best  of  the  spring-flowering 
kinds  are  evergreen  in  character,  whereas  those 
which  bloom  in  the  autumn  are  deciduous  or  sub- 
evergreen.  In  the  following  notes  attention  is- 
directed  to  the  most  suitable  sorts  for  gardens. 

Spring-Flowering  Kinds. — C.  cuneatus  is  a 
curious  species  with  rather  rigid  branches  bearing 
small  leaves  and  whitish  flowers.  One  of  the 
hardier  kinds,  it  may  be  expected  to  form  a  small 
bush  in  the  open  border  about  London.  It  is 
found  from  Oregon  to  South  California.  C. 
divaricatus  is  an  excellent  shrub  for  a  wall,  while 
it  succeeds  as  a  bush  in  the  South  of  England. 
Of  vigorous  growth,  it  attains  a  height  of  quite 
15  feet.  The  branches  are  somewhat  spiny,  and 
the  small,  oval  leaves  are  bright  and  glossy.  The 
blue  flowers  appear  towards  the  end  of  May.  C, 
integerrimus,  like  the  last-named,  is  a  Califomian 
species,  and  is  suitable  for  wall  culture.  Bearing 
thinner  and  duller  leaves  than  the  majority  of  the 
species,  it  also  diflers  by  its  large  heads  of  light 
lilac  flowers.  C.  Fendleri  has  a  rather  extended 
distribution,  for  it  occurs  in  Colorado,  New  Mexico 
and  Arizona.  It  is  of  rather  stifi,  rigid  growth, 
with  somewhat  spiny  branches,  and  bears  whitish 
flowers.  C.  papillosus  may  be  readily  distin- 
guished by  its  long,  narrow,  viscid  leaves,  which  are 
covered  vrith  small  oil  glands.  The  blue  flowers 
are  produced  with  great  freedom  in  May.  A 
native  of  California,  it  is  one  of  the  tenderer  kinds. 
C.  rigidus  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  beautilul 
of  all  the  species.  Of  vigorous  habit,  it  grows 
quite  10  feet  high,  and  is  recognised  by  its  stiff 
branches,  small,  deeply-cut  leaves  and  rich  deep 
blue  or  violet  flowers,  which  commence  to  open 
in  April.  Found  in  California,  it  is  sometimes 
grown  as  a  bush  in  the  milder  parts  of  the  British. 
Isles,  but  is  more  at  home  when  planted  against 
a  wall.  C.  thyrsiflorus,  sometimes  called  the 
Califomian  LUac,  is  one  of  the  hardiest  of  the  spring- 
flowering  kinds.  The  popular  C.  veitchianus  produces 
a  profusion  of  showy  blue  flowers  during  May. 

Late-Flowering  Kinds. — Few  species  are  to  be 
found  among  the  late  summer  and  early  autumn 
flowering  sorts,  but  the  deftciency  is  amply  met 
by  the  many  garden  hybrids  which  have  been 
raised.  Some  of  these  are  decidedly  superior 
to  the  types  lor  ornamental  planting,  and  flower 
continuously  over  a  period  of  three  months.  The 
two  most  important  species  are  C.  americanus  and 
C.  azureus.  The  former  is  widely  distributed 
through  the  Eastern  United  States,  where  it  is 
known  as  the  New  Jersey  Tea  on  accoimt  of  its 
leaves  sometimes  being  used  as  a  substitute  for 
Tea.     It    has   whitish   flowers   and   forms   a   bush 


March  15,  1913-] 


TliE     GAliDEN. 


135 


3  feet  high.  There  are  several  varieties,  of  whicli 
nanus  roseus,  with  rose-coloured  flowers,  and 
opacus  are  most  distinct.  C.  azureus,  on  the 
other  hand,  forms  a  bush  3  feet  to  4  feet  high, 
with  large  terminal  panicles  of  blue  flowers.  Two 
of  the  most  showy  garden  varieties  are  grandi- 
florus  and  Gloire  de  Versailles,  both  of  which  are 
renowned  for  their  fine  inflorescences  of  bright 
blue  flowers.  Other  good  kinds  are  Ceres,  rose  ; 
Albert  Petit,  rosy  lilac ;  Brilliant,  purplish  ; 
Cigale,  lilac  ;  Charles  Detrich^,  blue  ;  Esperanto, 
lilac;  Felibre,  raauve  ;  George  Simon, 
rosy  lilac ;  Indigo,  dark  blue  ;  La 
Condamine,  mauve  ;  Perle  Rose,  rose  ; 
and  Rosamonde,  blue. 


and  the  Japanese  L.  rubellum  do  not,  as  a  general 
rule,  last  ver>-  long.  On  the  other  hand,  I 
have  had  L.  Henryi,  L.  auratum  platyphyllum, 
L.  chalccdonicum  and  tne  exquisitely  odorous 
L.  speciosum  flowering  in  the  same  positions  for 
many  years. 

The  longest-lived  of  all  my  Lilies,  a  magnificent 
auratum,  was  obtained  from  Messrs.  James  Carter 
and  Co.  fifteen  years  ago.  I  have  only  to  add  to 
these  fragmentary  observations  that  several  of 
the  Oriental   Ulies  which   I   have  characterised   as 


Star  of  the  East  possesses  a  stronger  constitution 
than  the  old  types. 

For  this  beautiful  and  useful  flower,  as  well  as 
for  a  nimiber  of  other  excellent  Montbretias,  we 
arc  indebted  to  Mr.  G.  Davison,  head-gardener  at 
Wcstwick,  Norwich,  a  full  description  ot  the  gardens 
there,  with  a  portrait  of  Mr.  Davison,  being 
published  in  our  issue  dated  November  30,  1912. 
These  newer  Montbretias  have  been  put  into 
commerce  by  Messrs.  R.  Wallace  and  Co.  of 
Colchester,    and    among    those    of    special    merit. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 


America, 
reliable. 


RELIABLE    LILIES   FOR  THE 
OUTDOOR    GARDEN. 

THE  Lilies  that  so  greatly 
adorn  our  gardens  have  a 
wide  distribution,  especially 
the  great  Martagon  family, 
which  is  found  in  Southern 

Europe,      in      .\sia,       and 

Most  of  these  are  entirely 
Lilium  Humboldtii,  from  far 
California,  and  L.  szovitzianum,  from 
the  regions  of  Northern  Persia  and 
Mount  Caucasus,  are  among  the 
grandest  of  the  Martagonian  repre- 
sentatives. The  latter  is  one  of  the 
most  majestic  Lilies  in  cultivation. 
I  have  had  it  occasionally  in  ray 
garden  approximating  closely  to  a 
height  of  9  feet,  considerably  higher, 
Sir  Herbert  Maxwell  tells  me,  than  it 
grows  at  beautiful  Monreith,  where 
"  all  sorts  and  conditions  "  of  Lilies 
are  assiduously  and  successfully  cul- 
tivated. 

Of  the  sub-genus  Cardiocrinum, 
whose  membership  is  somewhat  limited, 
the  most  remarkable  illustration  is 
the  great  Himalayan  L.  giganteum, 
which  may  expressively  be  described  as  a  "  reliable  " 
Lily,  especially  when  planted  in  peaty  soil,  or  in 
leaf-mould  with  a  slight  mulching  of  manure. 
Its  perpetuation  is  for  the  most  part  accomplished 
through  its  offsets,  of  which  the  largest  usually 
survives  ;  but  it  takes  at  the  lowest  estimate  at 
least  four  years  to  build  up  its  magnificent  flowering 
bulb.  Sir  Herbert  Maxwell,  who  exhibits  great 
patience  and  perseverance — splendid  moral  quali- 
ties for  an  earnest  horticulturist — in  the  culture 
of  this  Lily,  grows  it  from  seed,  which  it  generates 
in  vast  quantities.  The  foliage  of  L.  giganteum 
is  exquisitely  heart-shaped,  as  luminous  as  that 
of  the  Laurel  or  the  Holly,  and  is  highly  ornamental. 
There  are  several  other  Indian  Lilies  of  distinctive 
beauty  and  characteristics,  such  as  L.  nepalense 
L.  neilgherrense,  L.  Lowii 
superbum    (called     by    Mr. 

sulphureum"),  which  are  only  suitable  for  con- 
servatory cultivation.  L.  candidum  would  im- 
doubtedly  be  one  of  the  most  effective  and  richly- 
fragrant  flowers  for  garden  cultivation,  were  it 
not  subject  to  the  often  fatal  influences  of  an 
insidious  disease.  L.  longifiorum,  though  extremely 
beautiful,    especially    in    such    fine    varieties    as 


CE.\NOTHUS    THYRSIFLOKLS    AT    CORKE    .\BBEY,    BR.W 

PL.^^NTED    FROM    SMALL 


unreUable   are   quite   "hardy"   in   the  catalogues, 
but  not  elsewhere  !  David   R.  Willi.\mson. 

Manse  of  Kirkmaiden,  Wigtownshire,  Scotland. 


COLOURED      PLATE. 

PLATE     1487. 

THE    EAST. 


T 


MONTBRETIA    STAR    OF 

HE  year  1912  wiU  long  be  regarded  as  a 
red-letter  one  in  the  annals  of  horti- 
culture, and  the  Montbretia  of  which 
we  present  a  coloured  plate  with  this 
issue  will  long  be  regarded  as  an  epoch- 
making  one  in  the  history  of  hardy 
flowers.  When  shown  before  the  flora!  committee 
and  L.  wallchianum  j  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  on  August  13 
Baker  of  Kew  "  L.  of  last  year,  this  Montbretia  was  awarded  a  first- 
class  certificate,  a  very  high  honour  for  a.  variety 
of  any  flower,  yet  it  was  an  honour  that  was  un- 
animously agreed  upon  by  the  members  of  the 
committee,  and  one  that  was  fully  deserved.  We 
have  only  to  compare  this  new-comer,  with  flowers 
nearly  four  and  a-half  inches  in  diameter,  with  the 
old  Montbretias  that  still  do  duty  in  many  good 
Wilsonii  and  giganteum,  is  frequently  not  enduring,  gardens  to  clearly  see  what  a  wonderful  change 
by  reason  chiefly  of  its  productiveness  in  the  direc-  has  been  brought  about — a  change  that  has  been 
tion  of  miniature  offsets.     L.  Bro«iiii    L.  Krameri    beneficial   in   evcrv   way,   inasmuch   as   Montbretia 


THERE  ARE  FOUR  PLANTS,  WHICH  WERE 
I'OTS    IX     1906. 

though  not  so  large  and  brilUant  as  Star  of  the 
East,  mention  must  be  made  of  Prometheus, 
King  Edmund,  Lord  Nelson.  Lady  Hamilton, 
Hereward  and  Norvic. 

Happily,  the  cultivation  of  these  useful  and 
beautiful  flowers  does  not  call  for  any  great  amount 
of  skill.  Mr.  Davison  believes  in  selecting  a  rather 
cool  position  for  them,  but  not  one  that  is  shaded 
by  overhead  trees.  Then  the  soil  should  be  well 
and  deeply  dug,  and  a  good  amount  of  leaf-soil 
added  to  it ;  and  if  clay  naturally  predominates, 
some  coarse  grit  or  other  lightening  material 
should  be  well  mixed  with  the  whole,  a  friable 
rooting  mediimi  that  contains  a  good  amount 
of  himius  or  decaying  vegetable  matter  being  the 
ideal  to  aim  at.  Planting  is  best  done  in  March, 
covering  the  corms  or  bulbous-looking  roots  with 
about  two  inches  of  soil.  Bold  groups  towards  the 
front  of  a  mixed  border,  or  lawn  beds  filled  with 
them,  are  very  effective  during  August,  September 
and  October,  months  when  too  many  of  our 
herbaceous  plants  are  past  their  best.  When  the 
tops  get  blackened  by  frost,  usually  at  the  end  of 
October,  the  roots  should  be  lifted,  the  tops 
shortened  to  about  six  inches,  and  then  stored  in 
a  cold  frame  where  actual  frost  can  be  kept  away. 
During  fine  days  in  winter  the  stored  roots  should 
have  as  free  ventilation  as  possible. 


136 


tup:   (jakjjkn 


[March  15,  191^. 


SCIENCE    IN    RELATION    TO 
HORTICULTURE. 


SHORTENING  THE  REST  PERIOD 
IN  PLANTS. 
Forcing  by  Anaesthetics. — Since  the  early 
experiments  of  Johannsen  in  1898  on  shortening 
the  period  of  rest  in  plants,  the  practice  of  forcing 
bulbous  plants  or  certain  flowering  shrubs  by 
either  the  hot-water  treatment  or  by  etherisation 
has  become  quite  familiar  to  gardeners.  Perennial 
plants  have  an  annual  period  of  rest,  and  under 
natural  conditions  there  is  a  certain  normal  length 
of  time  spent  in  this  state.  Johannsen's  discovery 
was  that  this  period  could  be  shortened  by  sub- 
jecting the  dormant  plant  to  the  influence  of  an 
ordinary  gaseous  anaesthetic,  such  as  chloroform 
or  ethe'".      The  vapour  acted  as  a  stimulating  agent, 


means  of  raisuig  very  early  crops  of  fruits.  In 
one  experiment,  for  example,  a  batch  of  600  plants 
of  the  variety  Vicomtesse  Hericart  de  Thury  was 
divided  into  two  equal  lots  of  300.  One  lot  was 
etherised  and  the  other  not,_  and  both  lots  were 
treated  in  the  way  usual  in  ordinary  forcing  work. 
He  reports  that  the  treated  plants  were  always 
superior  to  the  untreated  ones,  that  the  etherised 
lot  flowered;  as  a  rule,  so  much  earlier  than  the 
others  that  the  fruits  began  to  ripen  about  fourteen 
days  in  advance  of  the  untreated  lot.  He  adds 
that  the  method  is  certainly  profitable  in  the  com- 
mercial cultivation  of  the  Strawberry. 

The  dose  used  was  approximately  40Z.  of  ether 
vapour  per  10  cubic  feet  of  air  in  the  enclosed 
chamber.  The  time  of  exposure  was  varied. 
In  one  experiment  the  plants  were  exposed  to  the 
influence  of  the  ether  for  sixty  hours,  in  another 
for  forty-eight  hoiurs,  and  it  is  stated  that  it  makes 


a  rare  and  beautiful  rhododentro-x  (r.  schlippenbachil)  xow  flowering 
:n  the  temperate  house  at  kew. 


producing  immediate  activity,  and  on  condition 
that  the  artificially-awakened  life  was  given  a 
iavouring  temperature,  the  plant  started  growth 
"  right  away."  In  the  case  of  bulbs  and  flowering 
shrubs,  where  the  flower-buds  are  formed  the 
previous  season,  blooms  were  obtained  many  weeks 
in  advance  of  the  untreated  plants.  It  was  after- 
wards found  that  immersion  in  hot  water  for  a 
certain  length  of  time  produced  the  same  efiect. 

Application  to  Strawberries. — Now  Straw- 
berries form  their  trusses  of  flowers  and  lay  by  a 
■store  of  ready-made  food  in  their  stools  during  the 
previous  season,  so  that  very  soon  after  the  starting 
•of  growth  in  the  spring  the  flowers  push  out  ; 
hence  a  Strawberry  is  one  of  our  very  earliest  fruits. 
M.  C.  Bultel,  a  French  grower,  has  for  several 
years  (since  1906,  in  fact)  carried  on  forcing  experi- 
ments with   Strawberries,   using  etherisation   as   a 


very  little  difference  which  is  adopted.  The  longer 
time  seemed  to  give  only  slightly  better  results. 
It  will,  of  course,  be  understood  that  advantage 
from  etherisation  can  only  be  obtained  by  sub- 
mitting the  plants  to  the  stimulus  when  they  are 
in  a  complete  state  of  rest.  If  the  operation  is 
delayed  until  the  stools  are  ready  to  start  growth, 
it  is  obvious  that  no  advantage  will  be  gained  bv 
etherisation. 

Radium  Treatment. — As  a  matter  of  interest 
in  connection  with  this  subject,  it  may  be  noted 
that  a  German  experimenter  (H.  Molisch)  has  been 
testing  the  influence  of  radio-activity  upon  the 
rest  period  of  certain  plants.  In  his  first  experi- 
ments he  used  not  the  radium  itself,  but  radium 
preparations  (being  much  cheaper),  and  found  that 
exposure  to  radio-active  substances  acted  as  a 
stimulus  exactly  in  the  same  way  as  ether,  namely. 


it  shortened  the  period  of  rest  and  mduced  an 
early  opening  of  the  flower-buds.  The  subject 
used  was  Syringa  vulgaris,  or  common  Lilac. 
The  time  of  year  was  the  end  of  November  or  the 
begmning  of  December,  and  the  treatment  lasted 
for  two  days.  In  later  experiments  he  used  radium 
itself,  and  with  better  results.  It  acted  well  with 
Horse  Chestnut,  not  so  well  with  Acer  platanoides, 
and  not  at  all  with  common  Beech  ;  but  then  the 
latter,  as  is  well  known,  does  not  respond  to  etherisa- 
tion. At  present  this  method  is  far  too  expensive, 
commercially  speaking,  to  be  of  pr.ictical  utility  ; 
but,  as  has  been  said,  it  is  interesting,  especially 
as  radium  emanations  e.xert  an  entirely  different 
influence  upon  actively-growing  plants  than  they 
do  in  the  case  of  plants  dturing  their  resting 
period,  as  Molisch  proposes  presently  to  show. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  possible  utility  of  radio- 
active substances  upon  plant  growth,  reference  may 
be  made  to  Ewart  and  Nightingall's  experiments  in 
Victoria.  These  experimenters  used  finely-crushed 
radio-active  minerals,  which  they  mixed  with  soil, 
in  wliich  they  raised  crops  of  Wheat  with  the  object 
of  testing  the  effect  of  radio-activity  upon  growth. 
The  results  are  hardly  conclusive  enough  to  estab- 
lish any  theory,  but  one  notable  result  came  out 
in  the  experiment.  In  cases  where  the  seeds 
actually  touched  particles  of  the  radio-active 
mineral,  the  greatest  increase  of  yield  was  Jbtained. 
D.  Houston. 

Royal  College  of  Science  for  Ireland. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


A  RARE  AND  BEAUTIFUL 
RHODODENDRON. 

(R.    SCHLIPPENBACHII.) 

THIS  species  is  undoubtedly  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  Azalea 
section  of  the  genus,  but,  except 
in  the  warmer  parts  of  the  British 
Isles,  it  cannot  be  regarded  as  hardy. 
It  may,  however,  be  grown  success- 
fully in  'pots,  and  will  prove  quite  an  acquisi- 
tion in  the  conservatory  during  the  early  spring 
months.  Although  described  by  Maximowicz  in 
1863.  it  does  not  appear  to  have  been  in  cultiva- 
tion in  this  country  for  many  years  afterwards, 
but  a  plant  shown  by  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  and  Sons 
was  awarded  a  first-class  certificate  in  March, 
rSg.).  R.  Schlippenbachii  forms  a  deciduous 
shrub  from  3  feet  to  5  feet  high.  The  flowers, 
which  are  produced  in  loose  umbels,  are  abou. 
three  inches  across,  of  a  very  pleasing  pale  rose 
colour,  having  reddish  brown  spots  near  the  base. 
The  obovate  leaves  are  borne  in  whorls  at  the  end 
of  the  branches,  and  are  usually  produced  after 
the  flowers  open.  This  Rhododendron  is  a  native  of 
Manchuria  and  Japan.  It  is  allied  to  the  well- 
known  R.  sinense  (Azalea  mollis). 

The  Rhododendron  forming  the  subject  of  the 
illustration  on  this  page  is  now  flowering  in  the 
Temperate  House  at  Kew,  where  three  compara- 
tively small  plants,  some  3  feet  or  4  feet  in  height, 
each  carrying  a  wealth  of  blossom,  have  been  the 
admiration  of  visitors  for  some  weeks  past.  This 
is  certainly  one  of  the  most  lovely  Rhododendrons 
of  the  Azalea  section,  the  delightful  flowers,  pale 
rose  in  colour,  being  light  and  graceful  in  the 
extreme.  For  pot  cultiure  as  a  cool  greenhouse  or 
conservatory  plant,  this  Rhododendron  has  a  great 
future  before  it.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  it  was 
not  given  a  less  unwieldy  name.  Another  species 
which  somewhat  resembles  R.  Schlippenbachii  is 
R.  Mariesii,  a  tender  Chinese  species.  W.  T. 


i 


March  15,  iqiS-] 


THE     UAliUKX. 


137 


GARDENING       FOR       BEGINNERS 

INCREASING     THE    CHOICER     PRIMROSES. 


THERE  are  various  methods  by  which 
plants  are  increased,  and,  perhaps 
pxceptinK  seeds,  propagation  by  division 
is  the  most  important.  In  fact,  it  : 
the  only  way  to  work  up  a  stock  o. 
some  plants  if  they  are  to  b(r  absolutely 
true  to  name.  Herbaceous  subjects  are  usually 
propagated  by  this  method,  and  in  one  illustration 
is  shown  a  Primula  of  the  pulvrrulenta  and  cook- 
burniana  type  ready  for  division. 

I  know  that  they  can  be  raised  from  seed, 
but  there  occasionally  appears  a  better  form  than 
the  type,  or  we  may  succeed  in  getting  a  new 
hybrid,  and  out  of  the  batch  of  seedlings  one  is 
far  superior  to  all  the  others.  Such  a  plant  can 
only  be  reproduced  by  division. 

Some  growers  divide  Primulas  after  flowering, 
and  this  is  the  usual  method  for  Polyanthuses  in 
p.trticular ;  but  I  have  found  that  just  before 
growth  begins  in  the  spring  is  a  good  time  for  many 
choice  Primulas,  and  then  few  failures  are  recorded. 
For  the  purpose  of  more  distinctly  showing  the 
crowns,  a  plant  with  rather  advanced  growth 
was  selected  (see  Fig.  i).  In  the  second  illus- 
tration can  be  seen  the  same  plant  divided  into 
several  pieces  or  single  crowns,  which  are  ready 
to  plant  in  the  open  ground,  and  if  pot  culture  is 
practised,  they  may  be  potted  up  in  3i-inch 
receptacles  as  depicted  in  Fig.  2.  Where  choice 
Primulas  are  concerned,  placing  them  in  pots  is 
a  very  good  plan,  and  till  they  are  established  a 
cold  frame  could  be  utilised,  which  would  protect 
them  from  excessive  rains.  A  rich  rooting  medium 
is  not  necessary,  but  it  is  advisable  to  secure  some 
good  loam  and  leaf-mould,  three  parts  of  the  former 
to  one  part  of  the  latter  making  a  suitable  mixture. 
Only  a  few  potsherds  are  needed  for  drainage, 
and  the  soil  should  be  pressed  fairly  firm  around 
the  crown. 

During  the  summer  months  the  pots  may 
be  plunged  in  ashes,  or  similar  materia',  as 
far  as  the  rims,  selecting  a  position  on  the 
north  side  of  a  wall 
or  hedge  where  they  will 
be  shaded  from  the 
direct  rays  of  the  sun. 
The  surroundings  can 
be  kept  moist  by 
sprinkling  the  plants 
overhead  with  a  fine- 
rosed  watering-pot 
whenever  the  weather 
is  dry  and  hot,  par- 
ticularly late  in  the 
afternoon,  which  would 
caust  a  dew  to  be 
dept)  sited  upon  the 
foliage,  a  condition  that 
promotes  healthy  and 
clean  growth.  As  the 
plants  grow,  additional 
crowns  \vill  be  formed, 
and  further  division  may 
be  taken  in  hand  till  a 
sufficient  stock  has  been 
raised. 

The  object  of  the 
present  note  and  illus- 
trations   is    to    s  h  o  w 


I. — -A    PRIMULA    WITH     STROXG     CROWN 
READY    FOR    DIVISION. 

the  amateur  how  to  deal  with  a  choice  variety 
or  sport  that  may  by  some  chance  appear 
among  his  plants,  especially  with  Primulas  belong- 
ing to  what  may  be  termed  the  japonica  section. 
I  may  add  that  the  chief  points  when  divid- 
ing plants  are  to  see  that  each  portion  possesses 
enough  roots,  to  pot  or  plant  out  each  piece  while 
in  a  fresh  condition,  and  to  give  careful  treatment 
for  a  few  weeks  after  the  operation  ;  while  propa- 
gation by  division  is  most  successfully  performed 
when  root  action  and  growth  commence.        S.  T. 


HOW    TO    TREAT     BEDDING-OUT 
CALCEOLARIAS. 

Cuttings  inserted  in  September  or  October 
aJ9  often  left  in  the  frames  until  they  are  lifted 
for  planting  vut  in  the  flower  garden  the  following 
spring.  This  is  very  bad  treatment.  The  cuttings 
form  a  cahus  at  the  base  of  the  stem  ol  each  in  the 
autumn,  but  they  rarely  produce  roots  before  the 
end  of  January.  Al  the  time  that  the  roots  com- 
mf-nce  to  glow,  the  tops  do  so  also,  and  it  is  when 
the  latter  have  made  about  one  and  a-half  inches 
ot  new  growth  that  the  points  should  be  pinched 
out.  In  about  a  fortnight's  time  side  shoots  will 
be  growing  freely,  and  these  form  the  sturdy, 
bushy  olant.  To  improve  their  condition,  however, 
the  plants  should  be  lifted  and  transplanted  in  a 
nursery  bed  at  this  stage,  and  there  left  until  the 
end  of  .Xpril,  when,  if  the  beds  are  vacant,  the 
Calceolarias  m  1st  be  planted  in  their  flowering 
quarters.  During  their  sojourn  in  the  nursery 
beds  only  temporary  protection  against  frost  and 
cold  east  winds  need  be  given.  Thousands  of  these 
plants  die  annually  soon  after  they  are  put  out  in 
the  flower-beds.  I  have  found  that  the  cause  is  too 
late  planting  in  June,  too  deep  planting,  and  lack 
ot  mo'sture  at  the  roots.  If  permanently  planted 
in  .\pril  or  early  in  May,  the  plants  get  well  estab- 
lished before  the  summer  heat  comes,  and  then 
few  fail.  B. 


THE    SAME    PL.\XT 


DIVIDED    UP.        EACH    DIVISION 
PLANTED    SEPARATELY. 


RAISING     HONESTY     (LUNARIA) 
FROM     SEED. 

For  growing  under  trees  in  woodlands  and  in 
open  spaces  between  slirubs,  as  well  as  in  the  grass 
in  any  wild  part  of  the  garden,  Honesty  (Lunaria) 
is  a  charming  plant.  The  season  of  flowering  is 
very  early,  and  when  the  purple  blossoms  are 
faded,  the  shining  creamy  white  shields  are 
invaluable  for  room  decoration.  Seeds  may 
be  sown  in  boxes  in  cool  frames  or  in  the 
open  border.  If  in  the  latter,  a  position  facing 
east  or  west  should  be 
seleeted,  for  the  reason 
that  the  moisture  in 
such  borders  at  this 
season  is  more  regular 
than  in  those  facing  due 
south,  and  evenness  of 
moisture  is  conducive  to 
free  germination  of  seeds 
and  growth  of  resultant 
plants.  The  latter  must 
be  transplanted  when 
large  enough  in  a  nur- 
sery border,  and  from 
this  to  their  flowering 
quarters  before  the  sum- 
mer is  much  advanced  ; 
then  they  will  soon  get 
established.  The  plants 
look  well  in  herbaceous 
borders.  Lunaria  annua, 
light  purple,  is  annual 
or  biennial;  L.  a. 
albi  flora,  a  lovely 
white  ;  and  L.  rediviva, 
purple,  is  a  perennial 
variety.  Avo.m. 


MAY    BE    EITHER    POTTED    OR 


138 


THE     GAllUEN. 


[March  15,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Narcissi  planted  under  trees  and  on  banks 
in  the  flower  garden  have  in  many  instances 
bloomed  very  early  this  season,  and  for  the  sake 
of  tidiness  the  flower-stalks  should  be  picked  oft 
as  soon  as  the  flowers  become  withered.  There 
is  often  a  decided  inclination  to  cut  the  grass 
when  these  subjects  have  bloomed,  but  this  should 
not  be  done  for  some  time,  at  least  not  till  the 
foliage  shows  signs  of  turning  yellow. 

Planting  Out  Forced  Bulbs. — In  many  instances 

these  are  relegated  to  the  rubbish-heap,  but  there 
are  often  very  suitable  places  for  planting  these  in 
the  wilder  parts  of  the  flower  garden  or  by  the 
sides  of  the  paths  in  the  copse,  which  in  many 
instances  adjoins  the  garden  proper.  By  planting 
at  this  season  one  can  see  that  they  are  not  placed 
on  the  top  of  other  clumps,  which  often  happens 
if  left  till  all  the  foHage  has  died  down  in  the  autumn, 
and  the  bulbs  are  not  left  about  all  the  summer 
in  the  pots. 

Hyacinths  are  now  throwing  up  well  in  the 
beds,  and  in  sheltered  positions  they  may  thus 
early  require  support.  It  is  best  to  do  the  staking 
at  once,  as  one  night's  wind  and  wet  may  break 
off  a  good  many  of  the  flowers  and  so  spoil  the 
effect. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Pruning. — The  exceptionally  mild  winter  has 
kept  many  of  our  Roses  in  an  evergreen  state, 
and  though  full  early  for  the  general  pruning, 
a  start  might  well  be  made  with  the  later-flowering 
Hybrid  Perpetuals.  Generally  speaking,  good 
hard  pruning  is  best  for  most  varieties,  especially 
where  quality  is  desired  in  preference  to  quantity. 

Pegging  Down. — There  are,  however,  many 
strong-growuig  varieties,  such  as  J.  B,  Clark, 
Hugh  Dickson,  Frau  Karl  Druschki  and  Mme. 
Jules  Gravereaux  (this  latter  a  Tea),  which  make 
a  very  fine  show  when  pegged  down  to  within 
about  a  foot  from  the  ground,  choosing  three  or 
lour,  or  even  more,  of  the  strongest  and  best- 
ripened  shoots  for  the  purpose.  This  system 
requires  a  good  deal  of  room  ;  but  vigorous  varieties, 
such  as  those  named,  are  usually  planted  at  a 
good  distance  apart,  and  the  quantity  of  bloom 
thus  obtained  is  far  in  excess  of  that  from  plants 
pruned  in  the  ordinary  way. 

Pricking  Over  the  Beds. — Needless  t:>  add, 
after  pruning,  all  the  beds  or  borders  should  be 
lightly  forked  over,  thus  burying  any  manure 
that  may  have  been  given  as  a  top-dressing  earlier 
in  the  year,  at  the  same  time  firming  any  plants 
with  the  heel  that  may  have  been  blown  about 
by  the  wind  during  the  winter. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Imantopbyllums  are  among  the  hardiest  and 
easiest-grown  greenhouse  plants,  and  may  be  had 
in  bloom  over  quite  a  long  season.  Plants  that 
have  been  forwarded  in  a  warm  house  may  now  have 
gone  out  of  flower,  and  if  it  is  desired  to  increase 
the  stock,  these  may  be  divided  to  single  crowns 
and  potted  into  4j-i"nch  and  6-inch  pots,  in  which 
they  will  prove  quite  useful  for  decorative  pur- 
poses. Plants  throwing  up  their  flower-spikes 
may  be  liberally  fed  with  liquid  manure. 

Hanging  Baskets. — These  are  often  a  decided 
feature  in  the  houses  or  conservatory  where  there 
is  plenty  of  head  room,  and  may  be  made  up  of 
a  variety  of  subjects,  either  of  the  stove  or  green- 
house. Among  Ferns,  Nephrolepis  is  probably 
the  most  popular  for  the  purpose,  while  Acalypha 
hispida  and  musaica  make  fine  showy  baskets  in 
very  quick  time,  and  are  made  more  effective 
by  covering  the  baskets  with  Panicum ;  while 
Crotons,  Dracaena  godseffiana.  Begonias  (both 
foliage  and  flowering),  Achimenes,  Fuchsias  and 
Ivy-leaved  Pelargoniums  .-ire  all  useful  subjects. 
When  once  established,  baskets  will  take  an 
almost  tmlimited  supply  of  water,  and  for  this 
reason  should  not  be  placed  where  the  drip  from 
them    is    likely  to  injure  other  plants. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Sweet  Corn. — For  an  early  crop  a  small  sowing 

should  now  be  made  under  glass,  potting  the  young 

plants  off  into  3-inch  pots  as  soon  as  large  enough 

to  handle.     A  great  deal  of  heat  is  not  necessary 


for  them,  but  just  enough  to  keep  up  a  steadv 
growth. 

Celery. — For  the  main  crop  this  should  now  be 
so\\m  in  boxes,  or  thinly  in  a  frame  on  a  hot-bed. 
To  obtain  the  best  results  a  steady  growth  from  the 
outset  should  be  encouraged,  rather  than  subjecting 
the  seedlings  to  a  great  heat  at  the  start. 

Beetroot. — A  small  sowing  of  Turnip-rooted 
Beet"  should  be  made  in  light  soil  not  too  rich  in 
manure,  or  the  roots  will  quickly  grow  beyond  a 
useful  size. 

Hoeing. — The  hoe  should  be  kept  going  when- 
ever the  opportunity  offers  among  the  growing 
crops.  This  will  help  them  considerably  by 
allowing  the  sun  to  warm  the  soil. 

Cabbages  will  benefit  greatly  also  by  having  a 
slight  sprinkling  of  nitrate  of  soda  before  the  above 
operation  is  done  ;  but  it  must  be  kept  off  the 
foliage,  or  it  may  spoil  its  appearance  vuiless  it 
is  immediately  washed  off,  and  certainlv  at  this 
season  a  watering  is  quite  lumecessary. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Figs  that  arc  commencing  to  grow  nicely  should 
have  the  temperature  increased  somew'hat  at  night, 
and  as  the  shoots  lengthen  and  the  fruits  commence 
to  swell,  they  should  be  pinched  at  the  fifth  or  sixth 
leaf.  Thinning  the  fruits  also  may  be  necessary 
in  some  instances,  but  only  where  a  very  heavy 
crop  is  being  carried.  Shallow  borders  should  be 
given  frequent  waterings,  a  drought  at  the  time 
the  fruits  are  swelling  being  disastrous,  and  possibly 
resulting  in  the  total  loss  of  the  early  crop. 

Melons. — Every  encouragement  should  be  given 
to  the  early  batch  of  Melons,  and  if  grown  on  the 
cordon  system,  the  points  may  be  pinched  out  after 
the  plants  have  made  sufficient  side  growths  to 
ensure  a  crop.  If  planted  fairly  close,  it  is  best 
to  let  the  first  pair  of  fruits  that  are  set  grow  away, 
rather  than  wait  till  a  greater  quantity  are  set  at 
one  time,  as  it  may  mean  a  difference  of  a  week  or 
two  in  the  time  of  ripening,  and  the  earliest  fruits 
are  alwavs  the  most  appreciated. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wohuru  Plare  Gardens,  Addlcsiouc.  Siiyrty. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 
Removing     Protecting     Materials.  —  If     the 

weather  is  at  all  scasoiKiblc,  protecting  materials 
ma>'  now  be  removed  from  Tritomas,  Gunneras 
and  other  plants  of  doubtful  hardiness. 

Hollyhocks.  —  These  stately,  old-fashioned 
flowers  may  now  with  safety  be  planted  in  their 
flowering  quarters.  The  ground,  ha\'iTig  been 
previously  manured  and  trenched,  should  now  be 
forked  over,  pits  taken  out.  and  partly  filled  with 
some  light,  rich  compost  to  give  the  plants  a  favour- 
able start.  If  had  in  separate  colours,  Hollyhocks 
look  well  in  clumps  of  three  or  four  towards  the 
back  of  a  mixed  border. 

Anchusa  italica. — The  Dropmore  variety  of 
this  .\lkanet  is  a  grand  subject  for  mixed  beds  and 
borders.  Plants  in  the  reserve  garden  should  now 
be  removed  to  their  permanent  quarters  in  soil 
that  has  been  deeply  dug  and  well  enriched. 

Montbretias. — New  purchases  and  tubers  which 
have  had  protection  during  winter  should  now  be 
planted  out.  Montbretias  delight  in  a  rich, 
friable  soil  with  cool,  moist  conditions.  Among 
the  better  varieties  are  Prometheus.  Germania, 
George  Davison,  King  Edmund.  Vulcan  and 
Hereward. 

Half-Hardy  Annuals. — The  remainder  of  these 
should  now  he  sown  in  gentle  heat,  keeping  them 
close  and  shaded  till  germination  takes  place. 
East  Lothian  Stocks  are  apt  to  damp  off  if  left 
too  long  in  the  seed-box.  As  soon,  therefore,  as 
the  first  pair  of  rough  leaves  are  well  formed, 
the  plants  should  be  pricked  off  into  deep  boxes 
of  light,  rich  soil,  or  into  a  frame  that  has  had  a 
little  .fermenting  material  placed  in  it.  Beware 
of  drip,  as  the  Plants  are  very  liable  to  damp  off. 

The  Rose  Garden. 
Pruning. — in    all    Imt    very    cold    localities    the 
work   of   pruning    bush    Roses   may   now    be    com- 
menced.     I    have    heard    of    considerable    damage 
among    Roses    during    the    past    winter,    but    here 


they  have  come  through  practically  scathless. 
In  pruning,  the  following  is  the  order  in  which  they 
should  be  taken,  allowing  about  a  fortnight  froiii 
start  to  finish,  viz..  Hybrid  Perpetuals,  Hybrid 
Teas  and  Teas.  Only  general  principles  can  be 
laid  down  here.  In  tackling  any  one  bush,  first 
cut  away  all  dead,  diseased,  extra  weak  and  soft, 
badly-ripened  shoots,  after  which,  where  still 
too  crowded,  thin  out  more  shoots,  retaining 
those  of  medium  vigour  if  well  ripened.  Vigorous 
growers  should  have  the  shoots  shortened  to  ten 
or  twelve  buds,  while  weak  varieties  should  be 
pruned  in  fairly  hard.  If  intended  for  exhibition, 
Roses  should  be  pruned  harder  relatively  than 
when  only  wanted  ftir  decorative  purposes. 

The  Shrubbery. 

Planting  Evergreens. — The  planting  of  ever- 
green shrubs  may  be  carried  out  from  this  time 
till  the  beginning  of  April.  The  planting  of  Hollies 
is  b-st  carried  out  in  August,  and  Rhododendrons 
should,  for  choice,  be  planted  in  October.  The 
latter,  if  handled  carefully  and  well  watered,  may, 
however,  be  planted  now.  When  planting,  the 
claims  of  such  subjects  as  the  following  should 
not  be  overlooked,  viz.,  Andromeda  floribunda, 
Kalmia  latifolia,  Osmanthus  illicifolius,  Skimmia 
japonica  and  S.  laurifolia. 

The  Water-Side  Garden. 

Planting. — Those  who  are  fortunate  in  having 
a  lake  or  stream  within  the  grounds,  if  they  have 
not  already  done  so,  would  be  well  advised  to 
invest  a  little  money  and  labour  on  water-side 
gardening,  from  which  great  pleasure  may  be 
derived.  Given  suitable  soil,  most  of  tlie  subjects 
will  take  care  of  themselves  after  planting. 
I  can' only  indicate  a  few  in  alphabetical  order: 
Arundo  conspicua,  Astilbes  in  variety,  Carex 
Erased,  Iris  Pseudacorus  and  its  variegated 
form,  Japanese  Irises  in  variety,  Mimulus  cardinalis 
and  the  common  Monkey-flower,  Myosotis  palus- 
tris  semperflorens.  Podophyllum  peltatum.  Primulas 
in  variety,  especially  pulverulenta,  rosea  and 
varieties  of  japoaica,  Rodgersia  podophylla  and 
Rumex  \'iridis  rubrinervum. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Caladiums. — Those  started  in  small  pots  should 
now  be  ready  for  a  shift,  using  pots  according  to 
the  vigour  and  size  of  the  plant.  A  mixture  of  loam, 
peat  and  leaf-mould,  with  a  little  dry  cow-manure, 
pounded  charcoal  and  sand,  will  be  found  suitable. 
Start  the  later  batch  in  small  pots. 

Mignonette. — The  autumn-sown  batch  will  now 
be  showing  their  flower-spikes.  Give  abundance 
of  water,  adding  a  little  stimulant  till  the  flowers 
are  nearly  expanded. 

Pelargoniums. — The  Regal  varieties  should  be 
pinched  before  they  become  leggy.  Zonals  which 
were  cut  back  a  few  weeks  ago  and  have  started 
into  growth  should  haw  their  tialls  of  soil  reduced 
and  be  repotted.  Seven-inch  pots  will  be  generally 
suitable.  Three  parts  loam  to  one  part  dry  cow- 
manure,  adding  a  little  bone-meal  and  sand,  will 
suit  them. 

Sowing. — A  sowing  of  Zea  japonica  variety 
(improved  variety),  Kochia  trichophylla  and 
Amaranthus  salicifolius  may  now  be  made  for 
autumn  decoration. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Onions. — Those  that  were  sown  in  heat  in 
January  will  now  be  ready  for  pricking  off.  Use 
deep  boxes,  place  a  layer  of  spent  Mushroom 
manure  in  the  bottom  and  fill  with  rich  soil.  Prick 
out  about  two  inches  apart. 

Celery. — The  main  batch  may  now  be  sown 
in  light,  rich  soil  in  some  warmth.  We  stick  to 
Wright's  Grove  White  and  Pink,  the  latter  for  the 
late  winter  and  spring  supply. 

Peas. — .Another  sowing  should  now  be  made. 
There  is  great  choice.  Alderman  is  hard  to  beat 
as  a  tall  variety  ;  but  if  a  medium-height  variety 
of  good  quality  and  a  good  cropper  is  wanted, 
Senator  will  fulfil  all  expectations.  Where  sparrows 
are  troublesome  (and  where  are  they  not  ?),  Pea 
guards  must  be  placed  on  the  early  sowings. 

Turnips. — Although  still  risky,  a  sowing  of  one 
of  the  Milan  varieties  should  now  be  tried  on  a 
south  border. 

Liming. — Lime  is  of  great  value,  especially  on 
clayey  and  peaty  soils.  Now  is  the  time  to  apply 
light  dressings  of  it  in  the  ground  form  ;  cover  it 
lightlv  with  a  ho?  or  rake. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broom/icld  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


March  15,  1913.] 


THE     GAKDEiX. 


139 


DAFFODIL     NOTES. 


DAFFODILS    AT    VINCENT     SQUARE. 

March  4  and  5. 

THIS  show  is  called  in  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society's  list  of  fixtures  the 
"  Forced  Bulb  "  Show.  The  intention 
of  those  who  first  suggested  the  fixture 
was  primarily  to  provide  an  oppor- 
tunity for  showing  the  general  public 
which  varieties  of  Daffodils  were  the  best  for  pot 
cultivation ;  hence  the  notes  that  follow  are 
going  t.o  be  written  to  carry  out  this  idea.  I  do 
not  think  half  enough  people  know  the  charm 
of  growing  a  small  and  select  collection  under 
glass.  I  could  enlarge  on  this  to  any  extent, 
but  I  must  content  myself  with  the  suggestion  of 
a  dozen  good  varieties  that  might  be  grown  singly 
in  5-incli  or  6-inch  pots.  Take  Weardale  Perfection, 
King  Alfred,  Duke  of  Bedford,  Stromboli,  Southern 
Star.  Lucifer,  Homespun.  Castile,  Diana,  Seagull. 
Firebrand  and  a  nice  Giant  Lecdsii  like  White 
Countess.  These  would  make  a  charming  and 
varied  little  lot,  which  might  be  still  further 
improved  by  the  addition  of  a  Poet  like  Homer 
and  a  Poetaz  like  Orient  or  Jaune  k  Merveille. 

1  have,  however,  in  my  mind  rather  what  one 
may  call  good  pot  plants  ;  plants,  that  is  to  say, 
which  should  be  grown  in  the  ordinary  way  in 
pots,  and  which  seem  to  me  to  especially  lend  them- 
selves to  the  treatment.  One  of  the  surprises  of 
tlie  show  was  the  absence  of  Topaz.  To  me  it 
is  so  pleasing  that  it  seems  strange  that  no  one 
brought  it.  It  has  a  long,  narrow,  almost  all-red 
cup,  while  its  creamy  white  perianth  segments 
are  narrow  and  stiff  and  throw  themselves  slightly 
back.  It  is  a  good  doer  and  by  no  means  an 
expensive  variety,  being  priced  at  about  two  shillings 
and  sixpence  per  dozen.  A  pot  of  it  was  just 
coming  into  flower  when  I  left  home.  Of 
those  that  were  there,  in  the  front  rank  I  would 
place  Weardale  Perfection  and  Duke  of  Bedford. 
These  were  very  well  shown  by  Messrs.  Walter  T. 
Ware,  Limited.  The  first  named  is  so  immensely 
improved  by  being  grown  under  glass  that  it  miglit 
easily  be  mistaken  for  another  variety  did  one 
not  know  its  little  ways.  I  heard  Mr.  Engleheart 
eloquent  on  the  subject  at  the  Horticultural  Club 
one  evening.  When  he  "  lets  himself  go,"  you 
may  take  it  from  me  that  there  is  "  a  good  deal  in 
it."  Thora,  the  beautiful  buff-cupped  Giant 
Leedsii,  was  also  on  this  stand.  I  have  never  seen 
it  better  done.  It  is  an  extremely  well-balanced 
flower,  the  perianth,  which  is  slightly  twisted, 
going  so  nicely  with  the  short  trumpet  or  large  cup. 
It  is  a  real  gem. 

Messrs.  Barr  and  Sous  had  the  three  sisters 
Sunrise,  Sunbeam  and  Mohican  in  their  interesting 
collection.  I  mention  them  because  the  last 
named  is  said  to  be  very  good  indeed  in  pots  when 
not  forced.  As,  however,  everything  came  from 
their  new  garden  near  Penzance,  the  actual  flowers 
staged  were  no  criterion  of  their  pot  capabilities. 
I  am  rather  sorry  that  it  was  so,  as  all  the  other 
groups  had  obviously  been  grown  under  glass, 
and  it  is  quite  likely  many  of  the  public  did  not 
realise  this  difference.  But  of  these  and  also  of 
some  of  the  novelties  staged  elsewhere  more  will 
be  given  next  week. 

Messrs.  J.  R.  Pearson  and  Sons  (erroneously 
referred  to  in  last  week's  report  as  Mr.  J. 
Duncan  Pearson)  had  their  blooms  rather  on 
the  small  side,  but  they  were  fresh  and  clean 
Scarletta,  grown  in  their  Nottinghamshire  home, 
looked   very    pretty.      The    deep    cream    perianth 


blends  so  well  with  the  red  cup.  It  is  a  great 
thing  to  know  that  a  variety  can  be  grown 
outside  any  favoured  climatic  zone  and  bear 
forcing.  ,  Firebrand  is  one  of  these,  and  so  is 
Lucifer.  Both  were  on  this  stand.  1  was  glad 
to  see  two  fine  bunches  of  Florence  Pearson,  their 
grand  wliite  trumpet.  .\t  present  it  is  expensive, 
but  I  have  an  idea  that  in  the  more  or  less  distant 
future  it  will  be  Florence  Pearson  and  not  Mme. 
de  GraatI  that  wUl  be  the  great  white  trumpet  of 
commerce. 

Messrs.  Cartwright  and  Goodwin  had  some 
splendid  Incognita  and  Castile.  I  have  not  grown 
the  first  named  in  pots  myself,  but  I  have  th3 
latter.  It  is  a  real  good  thing  for  the  purpose, 
and  never  seems  to  fail.  Lady  Margaret  Boscawen, 
Fairy  (yellow  trumpet)  and  Olympia  also  deserve 
mention.  Seagull  was  also  there,  but  it  was  not 
at  its  best.  It  is  a  variety  that  I  think  very  highly 
of.  With  the  exception  of  last  year  it  has  never 
failed  to  give  an  excellent  account  of  itself  when 
grown  under  glass.     It  was  then  small,  just  as  the 


He  had  a  beautiful  group,  full  of  choice  new  things, 
such  as  Roxana.  Dazzler,  Alpine  Snow,  Sindbad, 
Wendy  and  White  Countess.  Of  these  anon. 
I  only  mention  to-day  George  Herbert,  a  pretty 
little  round  Poet  which  promises  well,  as  the  blooms 
staged  were  grown  at  Bletchley  in  1911-12.  (Poets 
that  do  well  anywhere  are  very  much  wanted. 
I  hope  there  is  nothing  rotten  in  the  state  of 
Denmark,  but  I  have  my  fears.  It  is  not  all  gold 
that  glitters,  and  it  is  not  every  Poet  that  is  a  garden 
laureate.)  Apricot  is  another  variety  that  is  dis- 
tinctly flattered  by  the  protection  of  glass,  as  it 
is  then  that  the  pink  flush  is  most  marked  on  its 
pale  apricot  trumpet  ;  and  Orient,  the  tall,  red- 
edged  Poetaz,  one  of  the  very  best  of  its  class,  and 
of  which  my  friend  Mr.  H.  G.  Hawker  remarked, 
as  we  stood  together  before  it,  "  Of  the  whites 
Orient,  and  of  the  yellows  Jaune  4  Merveille  ;  I 
don't  want  to  grow  any  others." 

All  the  foregoing  varieties  that  I  have  mentioned 
in  detail  are  good  in  pots.  In  almost  every 
case    I    have   grown    them   myself,  so   I    not    only 


MAZUS    RUGOSUS,    A    RARE    DWARF-GROWING    ALPINE    WITH    DEEP    MAUVE    OR 
ROSE-VIOLET    COLOURED    FLOWERS. 


vase  here  was.  I  hope  it  is  not  going  to  belie  its 
promise  of  being  one  of  our  most  valuable  pot 
plants.  It  comes  so  easily  and  it  is  so  very 
floriferous. 

I  greatly  admired  a  bowl  of  Lulworth  exhibited 
by  .Messrs.  R.  H.  Bath,  Limited.  I  am  not,  as 
a  rule,  in  love  with  growing  in  fibre.  This 
Lulworth  was  the  exception  that  proves  the 
rule.  It  was  "  jolly  good."  What  a  fine  com- 
panion this  would  be  to  W.  P.  Milner,  which, 
like  Weardale  Perfection,  is  only  seen  at  its  best 
when  grown  under  glass  ! 

Among  the  flowers  from  Robert  Sydenham, 
Limited,  were  the  two  trumpets  Olympia  and 
Cornelia.  The  first  is  a  big,  rough  flower,  which  I 
find  appeals  to  many  people  on  this  very  account. 
The  second  is  its  antithesis,  smooth  and  refined. 
Both  have  their  admirers,  and  so  both  are  men- 
tioned here,  for  the  Daffodil  family  can  indeed  be 
"  all  things  to  all  men." 

The  highest  award  of  the  day — a  silver-gilt 
Banksian  medal — fell  to  Mr.  C.  Bourne  of  Bletchley. 


see,  but  I    know,  which  is  far  better.     Experientia 
docel.  Joseph  Jacob. 


NEW   AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


AWARDS      OF      MERIT. 

Syringa  (Lilac)  Hugo  Koster.— This  novelty 
promises  well  as  an  early  forcing  variety.  The 
handsome  p>Tamids  of  flowers  as  shown  were 
coloured  a  pale  lilac,  the  individual  flowers  being 
of  large  size  and  well  formed.  In  its  natural 
flowering  season  in  the  open  we  imagine  it  would 
prove  one  of  the  most  attractive  and  distinct. 
From  Messrs.  Koster  and  Sons,  Boskoop,  Holland. 

MazUS  rugOSUS. — \  neat  and  pretty  early- 
flowering  alpine  from  the  Himalaya  and  a  perfect 
carpeter  of  the  soil.  The  violet  or  deep  mauve 
coloured  flowers  are  produced  singly  on  inch-high 
peduncles,  and  are  characterised  by  a  three-lobed 
lip,  on  which  are  two  sulphur  yellow,  longitudinal 
lines  marked  with   violet  spots.     The   flowers  are 


140 


TliJi     GAKUEK. 


[March  15,  1913. 


about  an  inch  or  so  long,  and  appear  above  the 
carpet  of  lustrous  green,  crenated  leafage.  See 
illustration,  page  139-  Exhibited  by  the  Wargrave 
Plant  Farm,  The  Arcade,  Liverpool  Street,  E.C., 
and  Twyford,  Berks. 

Saxifraga  Faldonside.— This  is  one  of  the  yellow 
Boydii  race,  and  perhaps  the  gem  of  the  little  set 
to  which  it  belongs.  The  perfectly  circular  flowers 
are  nearly  the  size  of  a  shilling  and  of  a  clear  lemon 
yellow  colour.  The  plant  has  the  reputation  of 
being  a  better  doer  than  Boydii,  but  in  any  case 
it  should  be  given  a  sheltered  place  in  the  rock 
garden  or  be  grown  in  the  alpine-house.  From  Su: 
Everard  Hambro,  K.C.V.O.,  Hayes  Place,  Hayes, 
Kent  (gardener,  Mr.  J.  Grandfield).  See  illustration, 
page  130. 

NEW     ORCHIDS. 

What  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  finest  hybrid 
Odontoglossums  yet  raised  was  shown  by  Messrs. 
J.  and  A.  McBean  of  Cooksbridge.  It  is  a  variety 
of  O.  eximium  named  Alpha.  The  flowers,  of 
remarkably  good  form,  are  densely  blotched 
with  chestnut  red.     First-class  certificate. 

Awards  of  merit  were  granted  to  the  following  : 
Cattleya  Trians  Colossal,  from  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Sir  George  Holford,  K.C.V.O.,  Westonbirt  ; 
Odontioda  Mossiee  and  Miltonioda  Harwoodii 
Moss's  variety,  both  from  J.  S.  Moss,  Esq.,  Bishop's 
Waltham ;  Dendrobium  bigibbum  Lady  Colman, 
shown  by  Sir  Jeremiah  Colman,  Bart.,  Reigate  ; 
Oncidioda  Cooksoni£E  Ralli's  variety,  from  Pantia 
Ralli,  Esq.,  Ashtead  Park;  and  Lielio-Cattleya 
Smilax  Prince  of  Orange,  from  Messrs.  J.  and  A. 
McBean. 

The  foregoing  awards  were  made  at  the  fort- 
nightly exhibition  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  held  on  March  4. 


NURSERY      NOTES. 


ANNUALS    AT    READING. 

FOR  some  years  now  we  have  visited  the 
seed  trial  grounds  of  Messrs.  Sutton 
and  Sons,  Reading,  for  the  piurpose  of 
inspecting  the  vast  array  of  annuals 
there  grown,  and,  incidentally,  to  note 
the  differences  of  the  varying  stocks 
of  this  or  that — it  may  be  the  Sweet  Pea,  Aster, 
Stock,  Snapdragon,  Carnation,  Eschscholtzia,  or 
what  you  will — their  trueness  to  colour,  compact- 
ness of  habit,  freedom  or  superior  flowering  attri- 
butes, or  any  other  matter  which  for  weeks  on 
end  each  year  engages  the  attention  of  the  firm, 
and,  while  making  for  progress — one  of  the  great 
aims  of  it  all — stamps  this,  as  indeed  all  other 
undertakings  of  Messrs.  Sutton,  with  the  hall- 
mark of  excellence. 

Novelties  may,  as  indeed .  they  do,  exist  at 
the  present  time  in  these  famed  trial  grounds  ;  but 
until  they  have  become  of  good  report,  till  they 
have  satisfied  the  exacting  requirements  of  the  firm 
as  to  their  reliabihty,  they  are  not  for  the  public, 
nor  is  the  journalist  permitted  to  say  anything  con- 
cerning them.  It  is  all  a  question  of  principle, 
and  that  phase  of  it  in  particular  which  never 
starts  before  being  ready,  and  never  adds  one  jot 
or  tittle  that  will  not  sustain  the  eminence  and 
reputation  of  this  world-renowned  firm  to  the 
sumptuous  volume  the  firm  prepares  and  distributes. 
Perhaps  one  of  the  most  valuable  of  the  many 
lessons  to  be  gathered  from  an  inspection  of  these 
trials  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  majority  of  the 
seeds  are  sown  in  the  open  ground  ;  hence  we  see 


such    as   Schizanthus,  Dimorphotheca,   Kochia  and 
others     affording     object-lessons     of     considerable 
importance.    ,In  such  instances  the  sturdy-habited, 
well-dressed  plants  are  goodly  to  look  upon,  and, 
hardily  grown  from  the  start,  have  a  greater  power 
to  endure  than  others  of  the  same  kind  raised  in 
warmth.   This  much  was  particularly  well  evidenced 
in  the  case  of  the  first  two  groups  named,  and  the 
gardener  should  lay  the  fact  to  heart.     It  is  of  the 
greater   value,    too,   in   the   case   of   tap-rooted  or 
sparsely-rooting  subjects,  since  upon  the  retaining 
of  every  root-fibre  formed  is  the  fullest   measure 
of  success  assured.     There  are  others,  however,  such 
as  the  Snapdragons   (Antirrhinums),   which,   while 
admitting  of  be  ng  sown  in  the  open  in  July  and 
transplanted    to    their    flowering    quarters    in    the 
September    following,    are    raised    here    for    con- 
venience in  slight  warmth  in  February  and  trans- 
ferred to  the  open  ground  in  early  May,  a  steady 
growth  being  maintained  meanwhile.     The  plants 
so  raised  last   year  were,  at  the  time  of  our  visit 
in   early   August,   a   field    of     colour     difficult    to 
imagine,   impossible   to  describe.     Some   there   are 
among  amateurs   to-day  who,   while   delighting  in 
these  flowers,  just  miss  the  fullest  measure  of  success 
noted  by  over-thick  seed-sowing  and  by  starving 
the    seedlings    before    transplanting    them.     These 
are   the  checks  from  which  they  seldom  recover. 
Now   these   Antirrhinums   are   such   an   important 
race — hardy,     free-flowering    and    effective    when 
massed — that  they  are  worthy  of  much  consideration. 
That    they    exist    in    the    "  Tom    Thumb  "    forms 
at  6  inches  high,  in  the  "  Intermediates  "  at  thrice 
that  height,  and  in  the  "  Talis  "  at  a  yard  or  more 
high,   many  will   know  quite  well.     Yet  how  few 
gardeners  appear  to   have  dreamed   of    combining 
all  three  of  these  in  a  single  border,  securing  thereby 
one  great  glorious  gallery  of  flowers,  of  which,  so 
far   as   we  remember,   no  other   plant   is   capable. 
Yet  the  idea  is  not  only  possible  ;    it  is  easy.     The 
material  exists  in  abundance  and  in  colours  to  suit 
all  tastes.   It  is  merely  awaiting  a  due  appreciation  of 
the  fact.  One  might,  indeed,  garden  with  these  Snap- 
dragons in  a  dozen  varieties — white,  pink,  yellow, 
rose,  carmine,  crimson  and  others — in  each  or    all 
of  the  sections,  and  thereby  create  a  display  worth 
a    day's    journey    to   see.     That    the    colours    are 
repeated  in  each  section,   too,  renders  the  plants 
suitable  for  small  and  large  gardens  alike,  and  a 
border  100  feet  or  200  feet  long  would  be   a  sight 
to    see.     In    the    boldest    borders    the    two    taller 
sections   might    predominate,   while   in   borders  of 
lesser   size    the    dwarfs    and    intermediates    might 
prevail.     Thus  arranged,  the  plants  would  become 
a    feature,    and    Snapdragon-time    in    the    garden 
would   be   something    to    aim    at    and   remember. 
One  of  those  we  saw  at    Reading  was    Fire    King, 
a  most  brilliant  flower  ;    while  Bright  Pink,  Coral 
Red,   which   has   a   white   throat  ;     Deep   Crimson, 
which  is  a  velvety  maroon  ;   Carmine  Pink,   Rich 
Apricot,    Orange    King,    Delicate    Pink,   and    Pale 
Apricot,  of  orange,  pink  and  white,  are  others  good 
and  distinct.     The  whole  of  these  come  practically 
true  to  their  kind ;  hence  good  effect  can  be  relied 
upon.     We   have    dwelt  upon    the  Snapdragon   at 
some  length  because  of  its  hardiness,  free-flowering 
and  general  popularity. 

Quite  one  of  the  best  object-lessons  noted  con- 
cerned the  Tom  Thumb  Nasturtium,  which 
gardeners  know  objects  to  richly-maniured  soils. 
"  Objects  "  is  perhaps  the  wrong  word,  for  the  plant 
just  delights  in  them,  the  excessive  luxuriance  of 
the  leave?  quite  overwhelming  the  flowers.  The  great 
central  avenue  in  the  trial  grounds  was  bordered 
with  these  and  other  showy  flowers,  and  in  several 


instances  the  corners  of  the  borders  had  been 
temporarily  utilised  as  a  "  tip  "  for  manure ;  the 
result  a  splendid  crop  of  leaves  and  few  flowers. 
Beyond  the  limit  of  the  "  tip,"  The  King,  the  chief 
variety  at  the  spot,  made  a  most  brilliant  display, 
and  in  soil  that  had  remained  unmanured  for 
twenty  five  years.  In  such  circumstances  the 
moral  is  as  plain  as  the  double-barrelled  "  tip," 
if  flowers  and  not  a  leafy  luxuriance  is  the  aim. 

We  have  referred  to  the  great  central  avenue 
here,  which  was  more  in  the  nature  of  display  work 
than  a  trial,  and  for  the  benefit  of  our  readers  who 
delight  in  spectacular  effects  we  give  in  conclusion 
some  of  the  plants  employed.  Near  the  railway. 
Nasturtium  The  King  blazed  forth  alone  ;  while 
in  other  parts  the  white  Alyssum  constituted  its  fore-  j 
ground,  with  Godetias  Duchess  of  Albany  (white),  I 
Crimson  King  and  Marchioness  of  Salisbury 
(rosy  crimson  and  white),  and  Evening  Star  Chry- 
santhemum at  the  back.  Other  sections  of  this 
effectively-massed  border  were  made  up  of  Chrysan- 
themum segetum  varieties,  such  as  Northern  Star, 
Morning  Star,  Eastern  Star  and  the  equally  remark- 
able range  of  colours  found  in  the  tricoloured  forms 
of  C.  carinatum.  Clarkias,  hybrid  Lupines  and  the 
annual  Larkspurs  were  alike  showy  and  choice, 
though  to  the  Orange  King  Marigold  must  be  assigned 
the  pride  of  place,  a  plant  undeterred  by  heat  or 
cold  or  wet,  and  whose  brilliant  and  free-flowering 
attributes  are  alike  incomparable. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES  FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— T/iC  EditAjr  intends  to 
make  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  bo 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Pfblisher. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

SUMMER  BEDDING  PLANTS  (An  Jdmirer).~lf  the 
Geraniums  ln^come  so  spindly  and  drawn  by  reason  of 
the  near  proximity  of  the  trees,  we  fear  other  plants  will 
meet  the  same  fate,  and  nothing  short  of  repeated  experi- 
ments with  diverse  classes  of  plants  will  be  of  much  service. 
For  this  season  at  least  we  should  be  inclined  to  try  hybrid 
Pentstemons  in  variety,  crimson  and  scarlet  shade«,  more 
particularly  orange  or  white  flowered  tuberous-rooted 
Begonias  in  their  immediate  front,  and  a  broad  band  of 
Godetias  as  a  margin.  You  might  itlieve  the  brilliancy  of 
the  first  named  by  interspersing  the  plants  with  others 
of  the  white  Tobacco,  which  is  also  a  free  and  continuous 
bloomer.  Unfortunately,  you  do  not  give  either  the 
width  or  length  of  the  border,  hence  we  cannot  assist  you 
other  than  from  the  general  standpoint. 

SNOWDROPS  AND  DAFFODILS  {J.  G.).^We  imagine 
from  the  behaviour  of  the  plants  that  the  position  is  too 
dry  for  both,  and  the  first  named,  after  two  years,  should 
now  be  flourishing.  Tlnsr  are  not  strirtly  moisture-loving 
plants,  though  a  consideral.ji'  tji  ptli  nt  loamy  soil  is  very 
much  to  theirliking.  If  in  addition  to  the  sandy  and  gravelly 
soil  the  position  is  one  of  exposure,  that  would  account  for 
the  small  size  of  the  flowers,  and  unless  you  can  modify 
these  conditions,  we  fear  there  will  be  little  improvement. 
Narcissus  princeps  is  one  of  the  best  to  naturalise,  but 
prefers  moist  woodland  clay  soil.  We  know  instances  of 
such  that  have  remained  undisturbed  for  twenty  years  or 
more,  the  plants  having  become  giant  tufts  in  the  mean- 
time. It  is  quite  possible  that  deep  digging,  manuring 
of  the  soil  and  replanting  in  August  may  improve  matters. 
At  the  moment  all  you  can  do  is  to  flood  the  ground,  if 
possible,  and  apply  a  little  nitrate  of  soda  at  the  same 
time. 


•"  ^fey- 


^r^- 


GARDEN. 


-^s>- 


S;fcajs 


No.  2157.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


March  22,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 


Notes  of  the  Week    141 

Correspondence 
A  well-grown   plant 

of  Iris  flmbriata. .  142 
A  useful  greenhouse 

plant 143 

The  Teneriffo  Broom 

(Cytisuy  proiiferus)  142 
Eustouiarussellianum  142 
Plants  flowering 

early 143 

.\  good  Cabbage  for 

spring  sowing  . .  143 
Rose    Lyou  in  New 

Zealand  ..  ..  143 
Daphne  Genkwa    . .     143 

Forthcoming  events..      143 

Rose  Garden 
The  priming  of  Hoses     143 

Trees  and  Shrubs 
Some   choice   hardy 

climbing  plants  . .  144 
The    Star  -  flowered 

-Magnolia     . .      . .     145 

THE  Heath   (iarden    145 


greenhouse 
Notes  on    Chrysan- 
themums    ..      ..     146 
Flower  Garden 
Notes  on  border  Car- 
nations       . .      . .     147 
The     Mulleins    and 
how  to  grow  thorn     147 
DArpODii  Notes 
Daffodils  at  Vincent 

Square 148 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
How  to  disbud  Vines 
and  Peaches       . .     149 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens          150 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens          150 

Rock  and  Water  Garden 
My  fifty  alpines     . .     151 
Notes  on  the  G.ard ek- 
ing AOROSIIOS     ..     152 
Kitchen  Garden 
Seasonable  notes  on 
vegetables  . .      . .     152 


I  Ii  Ii  D  S  T  R  A  T  I  O  N  S  . 

A  beautiful  greenhouse  Iris  (I,  flmbriata) 142 

Cabbage  Early  Heartwell       143 

A  pergola  of  hardy  ornamental  Vines       144 

A  bed  of  .Star-flowered  Magnolia  (M.  stellata)..      ..  145 

Carnation  Delicia 146 

A  bed  of  Mulleins  or  Verbascums        147 

Narcissus  White  Frank 14S 

How  to  disbud  Vines  and  Peaches      149 


EDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  description  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


'Vhe  EdiUiT  welco7nes  ■ptioiographs,  articles  and  Tloies, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  wilt  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated^ 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  anil  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  ivkich  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  tvill  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C, 


Date  of  Midland  Daffodil  Show  Altered.— The 

date  of  the  above  show  has  been  altered  from 
April  23  and  24  to  .A.pril  22  and  23. 

Increasing  Lavender. — Quite  large  pieces  of 
tliis  plant  will  root  trcely  if  slipped  from  the  old 
plants  and  firmly  embedded  in  the  soil.  With  very 
little  attention  the  majority  will  soon  develop 
into  quite  large  bushes ;  and  no  time  should  now 
be  lost  in  getting  them  planted. 

The  Purple  Pershore  Egg  Plum.— This  Plum 

is  being  planted  e.\teiisively  by  growers  in  the 
Evesham  Valley,  where  it  is  likely  to  eventually 
supersede  the  Yellow  Egg  Plum.  The  purple 
variety  originated  as  a  sport  from  the  yellow 
type,  and  has  the  same  characteristics,  being 
worthless  for  dessert,  but  excellent  for  preserving. 

Renovating  Gravel  Walks. — Now  that  most 
of  the  heavy  work  of  the  garden  is  completed, 
the  gravel  walks  should  have  some  attention. 
Where  the  surface  is  moderately  good,  it  may  be 
turned  over  with  a  fork  to  about  a  depth  of  two 
inches,  levelled  and  rolled  well  down.  .A  path 
treated  in  this  way  wQl  look  fresh  and  bright 
for  some  time.  In  many  cases  it  is  also 
necessary  to  add  some  new  surfacing  material, 
but  it  must  be  of  good  binding  qualitv. 

The  Glory  of  the  Snow. — Few  early  spring- 
flowering  bmbs  equal  the  delightful  effects  obtained 
by  liberal  plantings  of  Chionodoxas.  Of  the 
several  ways  in  which  they  may  be  planted  in  our 
gardens,  one  of  the  best  is  as  a  groimdwork  for 
beds  of  deciduous  shrubs.  In  such  positions  the 
bulbs  flower  before  the  appearance  of  the  foliage 
on  the  shrubs,  and  the  soil  is  seldom  disturbed 
except  just  on  the  surface.  The  bulbs  increase 
rapidly  by  means  of  ofisets  and  self  -  sown 
seeds. 

Propagating  Thyme. — If  a  packet  of  good  seed 
is  procured  and  sown  at  once  in  pans  and  stood 
in  mild  warmth,  a  good  supply  of  young  plants 
may  be  quickly  raised,  and  with  a  little  attention 
wUI  soon  develop  into  a  nice  useful  size  for  planting 
in  well-prepared  beds  at  the  end  of  April.  This 
is  the  best  plan  when  there  is  a  scarcity  of  older 
plants.  If  there  are  enough  of  the  latter,  pull  off 
young  pieces  and  plant  them  in  small  tufts, 
burying  the  older  wood  rather  deeply.  Make 
the  soil  firm,  and  water  a  few  times  if  needed  till 
well  rooted. 

Mounds  of  Crocuses.— The  planting  of  these 
delightful  spring-flowermg  bulbs  in  grass  is  being 
gradually  extended,  more  particularly  in  public 
parks  and  gardens.  For  some  years  now  Crocus- 
time  at  Kew  has  drawn  large  crowds  of  visitors  on 
fine  Sunday  afternoons  in  late  February  and 
March.  The  most  effective  plantings  at  Kew  are 
on  mounds  or  sloping  groimd,  generally  in  the 
vicinity  of  deciduous  trees  where  the  grass  is  not 
too  thick.     With  the  green  grass  as  a  groundwork, 


the  effect  is  much  more  pleasing  than  the  soil  ol 
beds  and  borders.  If,  however,  the  position  is 
too  open,  the  grass  generally  grows  too  thickly, 
and  in  time  the  Crocus  bulbs  deteriorate  and  dw'indle 
away. 

Modern  Cornflowers.  —  Unlike  most  other 
flowers,  the  humble  Cornflower  of  our  fields  has 
been  spoiled  by  florists  in  the  attempt  to  secure 
colours  other  than  the  deep,  brilliant  blue  which 
is  the  main  charm  of  the  wild  plant.  The  so-called 
rose  and  white  flowered  varieties  are  washed-out 
caricatmres  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  our 
native  flowers,  and  are  not  worthy  of  a  place  in 
our  gardens.  Even  some  of  the  blue-flowered 
varieties  offered  for  sale  are  not  so  good  in 
colour  as  those  we  were  wont  to  see  growing 
in  tlie  conifields. 

The  Canary  Creeljer. — Seeds  of  this  pretty 
climbing  plant,  also  known  under  the  name  of 
Tropa;olum  canariense,  should  now  be  sown  in 
pots  of  light  sou  under  glass,  or  placed  in  the  open 
ground  during  the  month  of  April.  There  are  a 
number  of  situations,  both  in  small  and  large 
gardens,  where  this  showy  subject  could  be  utilised 
with  telling  effect.  An  old  stump  of  a  tree  may 
require  covering,  arches  need  furnishing,  and  a  few 
clumps  in  the  flower  border  would  be  an  additional 
charm  if  allowed  to  ramble  over  Pea  sticks. 
Amateurs  who  take  an  interest  in  window-boxes 
will  find  the  Canary  Creeper  very  suitable  for 
trailing  over  the  sides. 

A  Shrub  to  Grow  Under  Shade  of  Trees. — 

Pachysandra  terminalis,  a  low-growing  shrubby 
plant,  is  one  of  the  most  useful  subjects  to  thrive 
satisfactorily  under  trees,  and  therefore  one  well 
worth  including  in  collections.  It  is  a  native 
of  China  and  Japan,  evergreen  and  of  dwarf  habit, 
and  has  been  known  for  some  time,  but  seeds 
were  recently  sent  to  England  among  those  collected 
by  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson.  From  the  Continent  comes  a 
very  attractive  variegated  form,  which  appears 
to  be  quite  as  robust  as  the  former.  Both  have 
white  flowers,  freely  borne  in  March  and  April,  and 
should  prove  useful  shrubs  for  inclusion  on 
rockeries  because  of  their  low  and  not  too  rapid 
spreading  habit. 

The  Protection  of  Eremurus.— These  hand-  • 
some  plants  are  gradually,  but  surely,  finding 
favour ;  but  their  liability  to  suffer  from  early 
spring  frosts  is  a  gre^t  drawback.  This,  however, 
can  be  partly,  if  not  wholly,  remedied.  At  the 
present  season  they  are  about  to  send  up  their 
spikes,  but  unless  some  meajis  of  protection  is 
given,  they  may  be  irretrievably  ruined  by  frost. 
A  few  pieces  of  Bracken  can  be  employed,  or  an 
Archangel  mat  supported  by  a  stake  or  two 
%¥ill  prove  effective,  while  various  other  methods 
will  occur  to  the  thoughtful  cultivator.  A  mistake 
is  often  made  when  selecting  a  position  for  these 
noble  plants.  The  best  aspect  is  north-west,  or 
wherever  the  morning  sun  cannot  shine  full  on 
them. 


142 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  22,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The   Editor    is    iu>t    responsible    jor  the    opinions 
expressed  by   correspondents.) 


Lilium  sulphureum  as  an  Outdoor   Plant.— 

As  I  have  twice  lately  read  article?,  in  The  Garden 
on  Lilies,  where  it  is  stated  that  Lilium  sulphureum 
(or  wallichianum  superbum)  cannot  be  considered 
a  garden  flower  as  it  requires  heat,  I  am  writing 
to  tell  you  that  I  grow  it  quite  successfully 
in  my  small  garden  here.  Planted  in  a  pocket 
of    sand    in     the     border,    it     produces    beautiful 


as  I  have  done  regularly  these  fourteen  years 
past,  usually  about  Christmas.  May  I  be  allowed 
to  add  as  some  slight  proof  that  it  has  had  no 
untoward  effect,  that  I  have  been  quite  reasonably 
successful  in  the  exhibition  tent. — N.  W.  M. 

A  Useful  Greenhouse  Plant. — Rshmannia 
angulata  is  a  most  useful  subject  for  the  decorating 
of  any  cool  glass  structure.  I  recently  saw  a  batch 
of  the  plants  in  the  greenhouse  in  Waterlow  Park, 
Highgate,  which  is  thrown  open  to  the  public. 
They  looked  healthy,  with  spikes  about  half  grown. 
At  their  best  they  attain  a  height  of  3  feet  to 
4i  feet,  and  have  a  long  season  of  flowering.     The 


A    BEAUTIFUL    GREENHOUSE    IRIS,    I. 


FIMBRIATA,    GROWN    BY    A    READER    AT    ST. 
CORNWALL. 


IVES, 


blooms  in  October.  This  may  encourage  other 
amateurs  to  try  this  glorious  Lily.  —  (Miss) 
A.  L.  Waud,  The  Haven,  Elstcad,  near  Godalming. 

A  Well-Grown  Plant  of  Iris  flmbriata.— I 
think  you  may  be  interested  to  see  the  photograph 
of  Iris  flmbriata  which  I  enclose.  I  brought  the 
plant  from  Rome  some  twenty  years  ago,  and  it 
has  only  bloomed  in  a  very  sparse  way  twice  or 
thrice  during  all  these  years.  You  wrote  me 
some  two  years  ago  as  to  its  treatment,  and  this 
is  the  result,  which  is  most  satisfactory,  and  for 
which  I  have  to  thank  you.  It  has  been  flowering 
for  a  fortnight,  and  will  go  on  for  another  ten 
days,  judging  from  the  number  of  buds  on  the 
plant. — T.  M.  D.,  St.  Ives,  Cornwall. 

Liquid  Manure  for  Rose  Trees  in  Winter. — In 

answer  t'l  Mr.  C.  Turner's  note,  page  103,  issue 
March  i,  asking  for  further  light  re  above,  he  may 
be  referred  to  Foster-Melliar's  "  Book  of  the  Rose  " 
— still  the  book  for  enthusiasts.  If  he  will  turn  up 
the  chapter  on  manures  and  also  read  the  calendar 
of  monthly  operations,  he  will  see  such  procedure 
advocated.  Curiously  enough,  although  not  seeing 
Mr.  Stevenson's  notes,  I  chose  the  week  they 
appeared   to   give   my   trees   a   thorough   soaking, 


form  of  the  flower  much  resembles  the  Incarvillea, 
while  the  markings  in  the  throat  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  Pentstemon.  In  tlie  warmer  and 
most  sheltered  of  our  Southern  gardens  it  is  said 
to  live  out  of  doors  the  year  through.  Propagation 
is  by  seed  and  cuttings. — C.  T. 

The  Teneriffe  Broom  (Cytisus    proliferus).— 

1  was  glad  to  see  the  reference  to  this  free- 
flowering  Broom  in  your  issue  of  March  8, 
page  117.  This  little-known  Cytisus  is  certainly 
worthy  of  extended  cultivation  as  a  pUlar  subject 
for  a  lofty  conservatory,  as  instanced  by  the 
grand  plant  that  may  be  seen  in  the  Himalayan 
House  at  Kew  at  the  present  time.  This 
specimen  is  clothing  a  pUIar  some  12  feet  or  20  feet 

j  in  height.    The   plant   is   wreathed   with    drooping 

I  inflorescences  of  creamy  white.  Pea-shaped  flowers. 

This  Cytisus   is   a   native  of   Teneriffe,  and  in  the 

i  warm  parts  of  this  country,  such    as    Cornwall,  it 

succeeds  out  of  doors.     In  Nicholson's  "  Dictionary 

of  Gardening  "  the  height  of   this  plant  is  given  as 

2  feet   to   4   feet.     When  the    trailing  growths  are 
I  trained    to    a   pillar,   as    in    the  example    referred 

to,  there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  it  should  not 
attain  six  times  that  height. 


Eustoma  russellianum. — Time  was  when  this 
beautiful  Gentian-wiirt,  referred  to  in  "  Notes 
of  the  Week  "  of  the  issue  for  March  15,  was  met 
with  far  more  frequently  than  it  is  at  the  present 
day.  Grand  specimens  were  at  times  exhibited, 
and,  being  particular  in  its  requirements,  it  was 
regarded  as  a  good  test  of  the  cultivator's  skill 
and  attention.  It  says  a  great  deal  for  the  old- 
time  gardener  that  with  the  more  primitive  struc-  ■ 
turcs  and  system  of  heating  he  used  to  grow  fine 
examples  of  many  plants  that  may  now  be  sought 
for  almost  in  vain.  This  Eustoma,  which  in  the 
olden  days  was  known  as  Lisianthus  russcllianus, 
is  a  native  of  Texas.  The  specific  name  is  in  honour 
of  one  of  the  earlier  Dukes  of  Bedford.  By  sowing 
the  seed  early  in  the  year  and  growing  the  plants 
on  freely  it  may  be  flowered  the  same  year,  but 
the  most  satisfactory  way  to  obtain  fine  specimens 
is  to  treat  it  as  a  biennial.  If  sown  in  spring  and 
the  young  plants  are  sturdily  grown,  they  will 
by  the  winter  be  established  in  pots  from  4  inches 
to  5  inches  in  diameter.  About  the  end  of 
February  tliey  may  be  put  into  their  flowering 
pots.  In  an  8-mch  pot  a  large  specimen  can  be 
;  grown.  A  mixture  of  loam,  leaf-mould  and  sand 
will  suit  this  Eustoma  well.  Like  many  of  the 
Gentian  family,  the  roots  are  delicate,  so  that  they 
must  be  carefully  handled  and  excesses  cjf  drought 
or  lunmture  a\'iiidc(l.  —  H.  P. 

Reliable   Lilies   for   the   Outdoor   Garden. — 

The  list  of  reliable  Lilies  from  your  correspondent 
the  Rev.  David  R.  Williamson,  page  135,  issue 
March  13,  is  decidedly  limited,  and  additions 
might  well  be  made  thereto.  For  instance,  what 
more  dependable  Lily  have  we  than  the  old  orange 
Lilium  croceum  ?  It  will  thrive  in  the  ordinary 
border  without  any  preparation,  and  increase 
quickly  by  means  of  its  numerous  offsets.  That 
It  is  reliable  enough  is  proved  by  the  fine  examples 
met  with  at  times  in  cottage  gardens,  where  they 
are  associated  with  perennials  that  are  of  such  a 
robust  constitution  that  they  are  able  to  look  after 
themselves.  Apart  from  the  beauty  of  its  orange 
red  blossoms,  a  desirable  feature  of  L.  croceum 
(a  feature  shared  by  most  of  the  upright-flowered 
LUies)  is  that  it  will  flower  well  the  first  season 
after  planting,  and  does  not  need  some  time  to  get 
established  as  do  several  of  the  Martagon  section. 
This  renders  it  a  trustworthy  Lily  for  pots,  in  which 
I  at  one  time  grew  it  extensively,  having  to  provide 
a  number  for  the  Orange  Celebrations  which  occur 
at  just  about  its  flowering  period.  Another  Lily 
which  seems  to  me  very  reliable  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  all,  namely,  L.  testaceuni,  also  know, 
as  L.  excelsum.  This  Lily,  ot  doubtful  origin 
is  exceedingly  graceful,  and  in  the  nankeen  tint 
of  its  blossoms  stands  out  ahme.  The  tall,  slender 
stems  are  of  far  more  stabihty  than  one  might  think, 
though  readily  swayed  by  the  wind.  That  garden 
group  known  sometimes  as  davuricuni  and  at 
others  as  umbellatum,  near  relatives  of  the  Orange 
Lily,  are  all  reliable,  perhaps  the  best  being  that 
known  as  erectum.  L.  tigrinum,  too,  is  a  good 
outdoor  LUy.  Of  the  Martagons  the  beautiful 
Japanese  L.  Hansonii,  whose  yellow,  wax-like 
flowers  are  spotted  with  dark  brown,  differs  fropi 
most  of  the  section  in  being  little,  if  at  all.  affected 
by  removal ;  whereas  most  of  tliis  group  take  some 
time  to  become  established.  In  soil  largely  of  a 
vegetable  nature  and  moderately  moist,  L.  parda- 
linum  does  well  and  becomes  thoroughly  establislied. 
I  am  completely  in  accord  with  your  correspondent 
concerning  L.  sxovitzianum,  that  is,  if  it  is  given 
a  good.  deep,  loamy  soil  utkI  allowed  to  remain 
umli^lurbfd    (or  It  resent?  beuig  moved. — H.  P. 


March  22,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


143 


Plants  Flowering  Early.— I  have  had  Primula 
denticulata  flowering  in  an  open  border  since  early 
in  January.  I  raised  the  plants  from  seed  last  April 
and  planted  them  out  in- July.  They  did  not  die 
down,  and  were  a  month  earlier  in  flower  than  those 
I  potted  and  put  in  a  cold  greenhouse.  The  soil 
is  medium,  and  I  kept  the  soil  very  firm 
round  their  roots. «  My  Apricots  began  to  flower 
on  March  i  on  a  sheltered  south  wall.  Saxifraga 
Griesbachii  is  still  in  flower,  with  two  large  heads 
and  a  small  one  coming  on. — M.  W.  Sugden, 
Wells,  Somerset. 

A  Good  Cabbage  for  Spring  Sowing.— I  am 
sending  you  a  photograph  of  Cabbage  Carter's 
Early  Heartwell,  which  is  the  best  variety  that  I 
know  for  spring  sowing.  .'Vs  will  be  seen  from  the 
illustration,  it  makes  a  good-shaped  head,  and  the 
flavour  and  te.\ture  are  all  that  one  can  desire.  If 
seed  is  sown  about  the  end  of  March,  good  Cabbages 
will  be  ready  for  cutting  during  the  early  part  of 
June.  1  notice  that  Messrs,  Carter  recommend 
it  also  for  autumn  sowing ;  but  as  I  have  never 
tried  it  for  that  purpose,  I  cannot  say  how  far  the 
recoramend.il ion  is  justified. — A.  B.,  Essex. 

Rose  Lyon  in  New  Zealand. — I  have  just  been 
reading  in  a  back  number  of  The  Garden  how  the 
Lyon  Rose  varies  under  different  treatment.  I 
should  like  to  tell  you  how  mine  behaved.  It 
first  flowered  with  a  fine  pink  Rose,  somewhat  the 
colour  of  Ina  Bingham  ;  then  on  another  branch 
it  flowered  the  true  Lyon-—"  shrimp  pink  and 
coral  red  "  I  think  the  catalogues  say  of  it.  On  a 
third  shoot  it  bore  only  coral  red  Roses  ;  then  the 
whole  thing  died.  I  suppose  the  effort  to  produce 
three  distinct  kinds  of  Roses  at  one  time  was  too 
much  for  it.  I  hoped  to  save  the  coral  red  shoot, 
lor  I  have  never  seen  such  a  beautiful  colour  in 
Roses  before  or  since  ;  but  I  was  unable  to  do  so. 
I  hope  this  may  interest  you. — E.  O'Callaghan, 
Hawera,  New  Zealand. 

Daphne  Genkwa. — On  page  q6  of  issue 
February  22,  Mr.  Smith  mentions  this  as  the  most 
captivating  of  the  genus,  and  with  that  I  think 
everyone  who  has  seen  it  in  flower  will  agree  ; 
it  is  one  that  should  find  a  place  in  every  garden 
where  a  suitable  position  can  be  found  for  it. 
Here  it  has  withstood  the  winter  in  the  open. 
A  few  other  shrubs  worthy  of  note  which 
are  sure  to  become  more  popular  when  better  known 
are  Ceanothus  Topaze,  a  strong-growing  variety, 
with  clear  blue  flowers  ;  Cotoneaster  Fontanesii, 
a  lovely  plant  for  the  autumn  with  brilliant  red 
berries,  about  three  feet  high  ;  Cytisus  kewensis, 
a  beautiful  plant  for  the  rock  garden,  with  creamy 
flowers  that  appear  about  May.  Unfortunately, 
the  rabbits  had  a  special  liking  for  my  plants  this 
winter,  for  they  were  all  eaten  off  to  the  graft  before 
discovered.  Exochorda  macrantha  has  fragrant, 
snow  white  flowers  which  are  very  fine  in  the  spring. 
Philadelphus  Virginal  is  a  magnificent  Mock 
Orange  with  fine  white  flowers.  Veronica  hulkeana 
is  a  good  climber,  planted  under  a  south  wall ; 
'  it  has  stood  the  winter  again  and  made  good  growth. 
It  should  have  slight  protection  in  very  severe 
weather,  and  if  planted  where  it  gets  drippings  of 
water,  should  have  a  board  or  something  to  carry 
them  off,  as  the  shrub  appears  to  suffer  more  from 
these  than  frost;  it  flowers  in  the  spring,  and  the 
flnwer-spikes  are  pale  lavender. — W.  Bee,  Surrey. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 
March   28. — Beckenham    Horticultural   Society's 
Meeting  and  Lecture. 

March  29. — Paisley  Spring  Flower  Show. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


THE     PRUNING     OF    ROSES. 

I. — General    Principles. 

Study  the  Plants. — In  order  to  prune  well, 
it  is,  before  all  things,  necessary  that  the  gardener 
should  have  a  clear  idea  of  the  object  he  wishes 
to  attain  and  the  probable  means  to  achieve  that 
end  ;  and  I  should  like  at  the  outset  to  point  out 
that  for  the  end  in  view,  theory  alone  will  help  but 
little  if  it  is  not  combined  with  a  careful  personal 
study  of  the  plants  themselves.  The  habit  of 
growth  of  the  different  species  and  varieties  varies 
greatly  ;  even  in  individuals  of  the  same  species 
differences  of  growth  will  be  found,  and  each 
variation  in  habit  probably  requires  some  modifi- 
cation in  the  treatment  to  be  applied. 

The  Objects  in  View  m  pruning  are  mamly 
three:  (i)  To  secure  the  constant  production  of 
new  wood  and  so  prolong  the  life  of  the  plant ; 
(2)  to  obtain  finer  and  better  flowers  than  the 
plant  would  produce  if  left  to  itself ;  (3)  to  fit 
the  plant  for  the  position  it  occupies  in  the  garden. 

Now,  the  Roses  in  our  gardens  are  plants  in  an 
extremely  artificial  condition.  For  the  most  part 
they  consist  of  plants  budded  on  the  Dog  Rose  or 
other  strong  -  rooting  wild  species.  The  means 
generally  resorted  to  by  wild  Roses  m  a  state  of 
Nature  for  the  production  of  new  growth  and 
perpetuation  of  the  plants  are  not  open  to  them 
in  our  gardens.  An  interesting  illustration  of  this 
is  recorded  by  Pro- 
fessor Cr^pin.  He 
noticed  that  the 
American  species  R. 
humilis,  which  had ' 
once  been  very  com- 
mon in  European 
gardens,  had  at  one 
time  nearly  dis- 
appeared, and  he 
found  the  explana- 
tion to  be  this :  In 
its  wild  state  this 
Rose  pushes  out  long 
roots  or  rhizomes, 
which  produce  shoots 
destined  to  replace 
the  principal  plant, 
which  usually  perishes 
after  languishing  for 
some  years.  In  cul- 
tivation these  shoots 
have  been  cut  off 
without  much  con- 
sideration of  thtir 
place  of  origin,  and 
so  the  plant,  formerly 
very  common,  dis- 
appeared from  nearly 
all  gardens.  To  pre- 
serve this  pretty  little  miniature  Rose,  he  adds, 
these  shoots  must  be  carefully  sought  for  and 
removed  when  sufficiently  rooted  and  planted 
elsewhere. 

This  is.  of  course,  an  extreme  case  ;  but  another 
illustration  may  be  taken  from  the  multiflora  and 
wichuraiana  hybrids,  now  so  commonly  used  as 
climbers  in  our  gardens.  These  produce  straight 
or  lax  green  shoots  of  considerable  length  which 
do  not  flower  the  first  year,  but  the  year  following, 
from  the  axils  of  the  buds  along  the  greater  part 
of  their  length,  laterals  or  side  shoots  are  produced, 
on  which  the  flower-clusters  are  bonie.  Now 
comes   the   point.     When   these   flowers   are   over. 


this  long  shoot,  which  has  turned  brown,  is  finished 
so  far  as  flower  production  is  concerned.  It  is 
true  that  if  the  flowering  laterals  be  left  they  will 
again  send  out  shoots  from  their  buds,  which  will 
flower  in  a  third  year,  but  no  more  flowering  shoots 
will  be  formed  immediately  from  the  old  stem. 
It  is  best,  therefore,  as  a  rule,  to  cut  it  away  after 
it  has  flowered,  leaving  the  plant  to  devote  its 
energy  to  the  fresh  shoots  of  the  year. 

Hard,    Barren   Stems. — On   old   standards   of 

Hybrid  Perpetuals  and  Hybrid  Teas,  particularly 
those  pruned  on  the  long  method,  it  is  common  to 
see  the  growing  and  flowering  part  separated  from 
the  stem  by  an  ever-increasing  length  of  hard, 
brown  wood  which  has  become  useless  for  flowering 
purposes  and  serves  only  as  a  carrier  for  the  growing 
and  flowering  parts.  The  longer  this  brown, 
flowerless  wood  becomes,  the  poorer,  as  a  rule, 
become  the  growth  and  flowers  at  its  extremity, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  stem  itself  is  liable  to 
attack  by  frost  or  fungus,  so  that  it  is  only  a  ques- 
tion of  time  before  it  becomes  necessary  to  remove 
it  altogether. 

In  the  case  of  standards,  where  specially  large 
heads  are  desired,  and  for  large  specimen  bushes, 
it  is  sometimes  necessary  to  keep  these  long, 
barren  stems  ;  but,  as  a  rule,  for  ordinary  garden 
Roses  it  will  be  our  object  to  keep  as  few  of  them 
as  we  can.  We  cannot,  of  course,  permit  our 
budded  garden  Roses  to  renew  their  young  wood 
by   the   development    of   suckers,    for   this    would 


CABBAGE     EARLY     HEARTWELL,      AN      EXCELLENT     VARIETY     TO 
SOW    NOW. 


soon  lead  to  the  death  of  the  budded  plant ;  but 
we  may  properly  make  it  our  object  to  encourage 
the  Rose  to  do  the  nearest  permissible  thing  to 
this,  namely,  to  have  recourse  to  the  constant 
production  of  strong  young  growths  from  the 
collai  of  the  dwarf  or  the  head  of  the  standard 
just  above  the  point  of  insertion  of  the  bud.  By 
the  encouragement  of  young  wood  not  only  do  we 
increase  the  length  of  life  of  the  Rose,  but  at  the 
same  time  we  improve  our  chance  of  obtaining 
good  flowers  from  our  plants.  The  method  we  are 
to  adopt  to  procure  this  constant  succession  of 
young  wood  must  greatly  depend  on  the  position 
the  plants  occupy  in  the  garden.     It  is  not  only 


144 


THE     GAKDEN. 


[March  22,  1913. 


by  pruning  back  that  this  result  can  be  attained, 
but  also  by  thinning  out  weak  shoots  and  pegging 
or  bending  down  the  strong  ones.  The  pegging- 
down  systems  can  be  adopted  where  we  have 
plenty  of  room  at  our  disposal  and  strong-growing 
varieties  to  deal  with.  On  walls  or  screens  the 
strong  shoots  can  be  trained  fanwise  or  more  or 
less  horizontally,  while  in  the  case  of  many  of  the 
Hybrid  Teas  grown  as  pillars,  bending  down  the 
growths  for  a  month  or  two  in  early  spring  is  a 
convenient  method  of  inducing  the  plants  to  break 
from  the  base.  This  may  to  some  extent  be 
assisted  by  careful  syringing. 


activity  by  pegging  down  are  from  one  and  a-half 
times  to  twice  as  long  as  those  of  severely-pruned 
plants  of  the  ''same  variety  and  the  same  age. 
A  French  wxiter  once  instituted  a  comparison 
between  great  growth  made  by  a  plant  of  Climb- 
ing Aim^e  Vibert  allowed  to  grow  practically 
unpruned  on  .a  house  wall  and  a  bed  of  Victor 
Verdier  Roses,  which,  after  being  pruned  by  expert 
gardeners  for  twenty  years,  were  found  to  weigh 
somewhat  less  than  when  first  planted. 

In  both  these  cases  pruning,  far  from  increasing 
growth,  has  materially  hindered  it.  It  is,  never- 
theless,  the   fact   that   if  we   take   two   plants   of 


THE    PERGULA    OF    H.^KDV     UK.\  A.Ml-.N  1  AL    VlNts    IN    THIC    GARni:XS    Ai    GT  N  X  i;  USB  f  R  Y    HOUSE,  ACTON. 


It  may  incidentally  be  mentioned  that  there  are 
certain  Roses,  such  as  Maman  Cochet  and  its 
white  sport,  which  will  naturally  break  from 
the  base  with  very  little  encouragement.  The 
growth,  at  first  upright,  soon  bends  over  after 
the  flower  forms,  and  strong  young  basal  shoots 
are  readily  formed.  If  there  is  room  at  our  dis- 
posal, all  we  need  do  in  these  cases  is  to  remove 
the  old  and  any  unripe  wood  when  pruning.  The 
amount  of  space  the  plant  can  be  allowed  will 
in  such  cases  be  the  determining  factor  in  guiding 
our  operations,  for  with  varieties  of  this  character 
I  have  noticed  in  several  cases  that  we  get  a  greater 
vigour  of  growth  when  little  shortening  is  practised 
than  when  the  plants  are  closely  cut  back.  This, 
however,  can  only  be  permitted  so  long  as  the 
plants  continue  to  make  good  young  shoots  from 
the  base  of  the  stems. 

It  is  often  stated  that  one  of  the  objects  in  prun- 
ing is  to  increase  the  growth  of  the  plant ;  and  some 
have  gone  so  far  as  to  suggest  that  where  sufficient 
growth  is  made  without  pruning  it  should  not  be 
practised  at  all.  Both  statements  require  con- 
siderable limitation.  I  have  found  that,  with 
nearly  all  varieties  of  very  vigorous  growth,  the 
stems  produced   from  the  basal  buds  toned   into 


Hybrid  Perpetuals  or  Hybrid  Teas  of  the  same 
kind  and  prune  one  lightly  and  the  other  severely 
enough  to  start  the  basal  shoots  into  growth, 
the  length  and  vigour  of  the  individual  growths 
on  the  severely-pruned  plant  will  be  decidedly 
greater  than  on  that  which  has  received  little 
pruning,  provided  the  plants  are  allowed  to  grow 
upright  and  in  otherwise  similar  conditions,  and 
this  effect  will  be  increased  year  by  year  if  in  subse- 
quent years  the  same  course  is  pursued  with 
regard  to  the  two  plants.  The  object  of  pruning 
is,  however,  principally  the  production  of  flowers. 
Vigorous  growth  is  only  of  incidental  interest 
towards  this  end.  It  will  be  necessary  to  con- 
sider separately  the  various  groups  or  classes, 
seeing  that  the  Roses  of  different  groups,  and  even 
the  members  and  varieties  in  those  groups,  behave 
very  chfferently  in  the  matter  of  flower  production, 
just  as  our  demands  on  them  vary,  for  in  some 
cases  we  seek  a  few  fine  flowers ;  in  others,  many 
flowers,  smaller,  but  well  shaped  ;  and  in  others, 
caring  little  for  the  individual  flowers,  we  seek  for 
a  mass  of  colour  in  the  garden.  The  appropriate 
treatment  for  these  different  groups  and  classes  will 
be  considered  in  subsequent  articles.  Whitk  Rosic. 
[To   be  continued.) 


TREES     AND      SHRUBS. 

SOME      CHOICE     HARDY     CLIMBING 
PLANTS. 

THE   number    of    woody   climbing   plants 
suitable    for   the     outdoor    garden   has 
increased   enormousiy   during    the    last 
few  years ;    therefore  it  may  not  be  out 
of    place    to  direct   attention   to  a  few 
of   the  choicer  and    more  useful  kinds 
in  order  that  those   who    are  not  well  acquainted 
with  them  may  be  guided  in  their  selections.     As  a 
rule,   the  kinds   referred   to  may    be 
expected  to  be  hardy  in   all  but  the 
coldest   parts    of    the   country ;    but 
where  there  is  a  doubt  about  hardi- 
ness, it  is  mentioned  m   the  descrip- 
tion.     In    the   selection    no   attempt 
has  been  made  to  keep  strictly  to  new 
plants,   for  some    which    have    been 
grown   in  our  gardens  for  half  a  cen- 
tury are  still  among  the  most  beautiful 
and  most  useful. 

Actinidia   chinensis. — This    is   a 

very  vigorous,  free-growing  plant,  and 
by  far  the  best  of  the  .Actinidias. 
Introduced  from  China  about  twelve 
years  ago,  it  soon  became  popular 
by  reason  of  its  large,  heart-shaped 
leaves,  which,  together  with  the  shoots 
when  young,  are  covered  with  showy, 
reddish  hairs.  The  yellow  flowers  are 
1^  inches  across,  and  those  of  female 
plants  are  followed  by  edible  fruits  as 
large  as  a  small  Plum.  It  thrives  in 
good  loamy  soU,  and  is  an  excellent 
pergola  or  trellis  plant. 

Akebia  quinata  is  an  older  plant, 

but  it  IS  not  met  with  so  frequently 
as  its  decorative  qualities  deserve. 
Of  vigorous  habit,  it  may  be  expected 
to  cover  a  large  bush  or  a  tree  i8  feet 
to  20  feet  high.  Its  five-parted  leaves 
are  very  distinct,  while  its  purple 
flowers,  which  appear  in  spring  before 
the  leaves,  are  borne  in  profusion.  It 
is  only  when  planted  against  a  warm 
wall,  however,  that  its  violet-coloured 
fruit  is  ripened.  A  second  species,  A.  lobata,  is 
equally  worthy  of  note. 

Clematis  Armandii. — This  is  a  showy,  white- 
flowered  species  which  was  introduced  from  China 
early  in  the  present  century.  The  flowers  are 
usually  borne  in  April,  and  they  appear  in  good- 
sized  axillary  clusters,  each  flower  being  ij  inches 
to  2  inches  acr6ss.  Apart  from  the  flowers,  the 
plant  is  conspicuous  by  reason  of  its  oblong,  ever- 
green leaves,  which  are  up  to  6  inches  long  and 
2  inches  or  more  wide.  It  may  be  planted  against 
a  pergola,  trellis,  or  wall. 
Clematis  montana  rubens  was  fully  described 

and  illustrated  in  The  G  \rden  for  February  15. 

Clematis  Durandii  should  be  planted  in  those 
gardens  '.vlien;  difliculty  is  e.\perienced  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  ordinary  garden  varieties,  for 
it  rarely  goes  wrong  in  the  way  they  do  ;  it  grows 
vigorously  and  bears  its  large,  purplish  flowers 
in  profusion.  The  yellow  flowers  of  C.  orientalis 
tangutica  make  it  an  object  of  special  interest, 
and  it  is  well  worth  a  position  against  the 
pillar  of  a  pergola.  A  variety  of  the  old  C. 
montana  also  deserves  a  word  of  praise.  This  is 
C.  m.  Wilsonii.  Its  flowers  are  larger  than  those 
of  the  type,  and  many  open  during  the  autumn. 


MAKCII    22,  I913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


145 


Wistaria  chincnsiS. — No  list  of  choice  climbers 
UDuld  lit-  complete  without  this,  for  although  it 
has  been  an  occupant  of  our  gardens  for  a  very 
long  period,  it  is  still  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
of  all  climbers.  Of  exceptionally  vigorous  habit, 
it  is  adapted  for  planting  against  high  buildings 
or  lor  covering  good-sized  trees,  while,  as  it  is 
amenable  to  severe  pruning,  it  is  well  adapted  for 
<iuitu  low  walls  and  pergolas,  .\fter  the  required 
space  has  been  covered,  the  object  of  the  cultivator 
should  be  to  secure  as  many  stunted,  spur-like 
growths  as  possible,  for  such  growths  continue 
year  after  year  to  produce  a  wealth  of  racemes 
of  fragrant,  mauve  flowers.  The  white-flowered 
v.iriety  may  also  be  planted,  but  neither  the 
double-flowered  form  nor  the  kind  with  varie- 
gated leaves  is  recommended,  W.  multijuga. 
however,  should  be  planted  by  all  means,  especially 
on  pergolas,  for  its  elegant  racemes  of  fragrant, 
mauve-coloured  blossoms  are  sometimes  between 
3  feet  and  .|  feet  long.  Its  white  variety  is  also 
very  beautiful. 

Jasminum    primulinum    is    excellent    for    the 

milder  counties,  but  is  not  sufficiently  hardy  for 
general  cultivation.  In  plaies  where  it  thrives 
it  is  quite  ,is  beautiful  as  the  old  Jasminum  nudi- 
llorum,  than  which  there  are  few  more  showy 
iliinbers,  while  its  golden  flowers  are  larger  than 
those  of  the  older  plant,  and  often 
iiiive  the  curious  hose-in-hose  arrange- 
ment of  the  corolla,  which  is  a  familiar 
fr-aturc  in  some  Primula  flowers. 

Hydrangea  petiolaris    is    worthy 

■  if  attention,  for  it  is  a  neat-growing, 
iclf-clinging  plant.  It  may  be  planted 
against  a  wall  15  feet  or  18  feet  in 
height,  and  a  single  plant  may  be 
expected  to  cover  a  space  of  350 
square  leet  and  give  little  trouble 
except  in  guiding  the  leading  shoots 
in  the  desired  direction,  and  once  a 
year  pruning  away  any  breast  wood 
which  is  not  desired.  Flowers  are 
borne  freely  during  the  summer  in 
large,  flattened  heads.  It  is  a  native 
of  Japan,  and  has  long  been  in  cul- 
tivation, although  it  is  not  widely 
grown . 

Schizophragma  hydrangeoides  is  .1 

Chinese  and  Japanese  plant  closelv 
allied  to  the  above.  It  climbs  in  the 
same  way,  by  means  of  aerial  roots 
■and  may  be  used  for  similar  purposes. 
Another  useful  species  may  be  ob- 
tained in  S.  integrifolia. 

Celastrus  articulatus  should,  be 
planted  where  a  vigorous  climber  is 
wanted  for  the  wild  garden  or  wood- 
land, for  it  is  only  seen  at  its  best 
when  allowed  to  develop  freely.  It 
will  ascend  and  cover  a  large  bush  or 
moderate-sized  tree,  and  although  of 
no  account  so  far  as  flowers  are  con- 
cerned, it  is  very  pretty  in  the  autumn  when 
covered  with  its  orange  and  red  fruits. 

Vitis. — There  are  many  excellent  kinds  of 
Vitis  which  are  first-rate  subjects  for  pergola 
planting  (see  illustration  on  page  144),  but  space 
will  only  allow  of  mention  being  made  of  V. 
Coignetiae,  V.  armata  var.  Veitchii,  V.  leeoides,  V. 
megalophylla,  V.  Thunbergii  and  V.  Thomsonii, 
with  the  showy-leaved  V.  henryana  for  wall 
I'lanting.     All  must  have  rich,  loamv  soil. 

RubUS,  such  as  R.  flagelliformis  R.  bambusarum 
and   R.  ichangensis,  have  scandent   branches,    and 


are  excellent  for  the  pergola  and  trellis ;  while  the 
now  well-known  Polygonum  baldschuanicum  is 
excellent  for  planting  against  a  large  bush  or  small 
tree,  over  which  its  branches  may  ramble  at  will, 
for  freely-grown  examples  usually  blossom  more 
profusely  than  those  which  have  their  growth 
restricted.  D. 


THE     HEATH     GARDEN. 

(ConHnued  irom  page  1 34.) 


THE    STAR -FLOWERED    MAGNOLIA. 

(M.    STELL.tTA.) 

No  garden  is  complete  without  this  pretty  shrub. 
It  is  the  first  of  the  Magnolias  to  flower,  and  this  is 
a  distinction  very  much  in  its  favour  m  a  mild 
spring,  but  ending  in  disaster  in  a  very  cold  one. 
Unlike  the  well-knowii  evergreen  Magnolia  grandi- 
flora,  so  often  used  for  clothing  the  walls  of  houses 
with  warm  aspects,  the  subject  of  this  note  is 
deciduous,  and  the  flowers  are  borne  from  the 
latter  end  of  March  and  through  .■\pril  before  the 
leaves  are  fully  developed.  The  starry  flowers 
are  pure  white,  and  are  greatly  cherished  for  their 
sweet  fragrance. 

Ml  Magnolias  show  a  dislike  for  certain  soils, 
and  this  may  explain  the  reason  why  they  are  not 
more  extensively  grown.  \  good  loamy  soil  of 
free  and  open  texture  is  probably  best,  but,  above 
all,  it  is  important  to  plant  in  as  warm  a  position 
as  possible.     .Magnolias,  again,  are  very  impatient 


H 


■WING      disposed     of      the     principal 
varieties  of  Erica  vulgaris,   those  re- 
maining  are   generally   a  httle   later 
m    flowering,    and,    with   one   or   two 
exceptions,  are  not  recommended  for 
planting  in  large  quantities. 
The  Dorset  Heath  (E,  ciliaris),  however,  makes 
a  very  eflective  mass  about  a  foot  in  height,  bearing 
pale  red   flowers,  coming    in    a    little    later    than 
E.  vulgaris. 

E.  cinerea,  sometimes  designated  the  Scotch 
Heath,  embraces  a  fair  number  of  dwarf-growing 
plants,  rarely  exceeding  i?  inches  high,  and  mostly 
of  red  and  purple  shades.  The  type  is  represented 
by  a  neat  little  plant  of  about  nind  inches  high, 
with  purple  flowers  shading  to  lilac.  Alba  and 
alba  major  are  the  only  white  forms  we  have  noted, 
the  former  being  a  fac-simile  of  the  type,  except 
in  colour,  the  major  form  being  slightly  larger 
and  later.  Atropurpurea  (g  inches),  atrosanguinea 
(6  inches),  coccinea  (6  inches),  purpurea  (9  inches), 
rosea  (g  inches)  and  rubra  (6  inches)  are  pretty 
correctly  described  in  the  names  they  bear.  Spicata 
is  perhaps  the  tallest  of  this  section,  bearing  long 


A    BED    OF    THE    STAR-FLOWERED    MAGNOLIA    (M.    STELLATA).       THIS    IS    A    BEAOTIFtlL    EARLY- 
FLOWERING    SHRUB    FOR    A    LAWN    BED. 


of   removal,    a   characteristic   that   seems   peculiar    spikes  of  a  dull  red,  showing  somewhat  dingy  when 
to  the  whole  Magnolia  family ;  the  reason  for  this  \  placed  beside  those  already  named, 
is  foimd  m  the  hue  fibrous  roots  that  are  so  easily  :      A  rather  curious  specimen  is  found  in  E.  scoparia, 
damaged.     Transplanting  is  sometimes  a  necessary  .  the  flowers  of  which  are  of  a  greenish  hue  ;    the 
evil,  and  in  such  cases  the  work  should  be  carried    plant  attains  a  height  of  about  two  feet,  and  the 


out  in  the  spring  just  at  the  time  when  growth 
commences,  and  not  in  the  autumn,  as  sometimes 
advised. 

Magnolia  stellata  is  most  effective  when  planted 
in  large  beds,  the  bright  flowers  lending  pleasing 
brilliance  to  the  landscape  in  the  suimy  days  of 
spring. 


flowers     are      distributed     unevenly     on     longish 
spikes. 

The  Corsican  Heath  (E.  stricta)  forms  a  large 
bush  about  three  feet  in  lieight,  and  possesses  more 
of  an  upright  habit  than  any  of  the  genus.  Its 
foliage  is  also  especially  attractive,  particularly 
in  the  earlier  stages  of  growth  :    the  flowers  are  a 


146 


THE    GARDEN 


[March  22,  1913. 


pale  red  colour,  and  are  bome  near  the  terminals 

of  the  shoots. 

With    E.    maweana,    a    dwarf-growing    variety, 

rarely  more  than  9  inches  in  height,   and  having 

flowers  of  a  rich  purplish  red,  which  are  usually 

at  their  best  in  the  month  of  October,  we  would 

close  our  list  of  hardy  Heaths  ;  but  another  very 

interesting   genus  belonging   to   the  same  Natural 

Order  is  found  in  Menziesia,  and  which  is  usually 

included    among    the    Heaths,    having    a    simUar 

habit  and  succeeding  under  the  same  treatment. 
The     Irish     Heath     (Menziesia    poUfolia,    syn. 

Dabcecia  polifolia,   the    St.   Dabeoc's   Heath,   and 

perhaps  better  known   as  Irish  Heath)   is   a  very 

pretty  plant,   and  quite  as  hardy 

and  as  free-growing  as  any  of  the 

Heaths.    There  is  a  purple  and  also 

a  white  variety  each  about  a  foot 

in  height  and  of  upright  growth  ; 

the  foliage  is   attractive,  being  a 

glossy    green    above     and    white 

beneath.    The    individual   flowers 

are  larger  than  any  of  the  Ericas, 

and  are  drooping,  the  white  form 

being  very  pretty. 

M.  empetrifolia,   a  synonym  of 

Hryanthus  empetriformis,  is  a  neat 

little  bush  of   about   six  inches  in 

lieight  ;     the   flowers   are   reddish 

purple,  and,  being  clustered  near 

the   extremities  of   the  branches, 

produce  a  strong   colour   effect  in 

the  group. 

M.    ca;rulea,     syn.     Phyllodoce 

taxifolia    (Yew-leaved),    is    some- 
what  scarce   and   difficult   to   get 

true.      It    possesses    very    shiny, 

green    foliage,   and    flowers    of   a 

lilac  colour.   The  Menziesias,  when 

grouped   in    a    bed    according    to 

lieight,  have  a  fine  effect,  and  make 

a     pleasing     contrast      with     the 

Heaths.      All  the  varieties  flower 

during  summer. 

Another  excellent  plant   for  the 

hardy    Heath   border   is    Fabiana 

imbricata,  and,   although   belong- 
ing   to    the   Order  Solanacea;,    it 

so  much   resembles    the    Heaths. 

both  in  foliage  and  in  flower,  that 

it  may  find  a  place  among  them. 

This  has  white  flowers  of  exquisite 

purity,  very  freely  produced  on 
long  branches  during  May  and 
Jime.  The  plant  grows  to  a  height 
of  3  feet,  and,  having  a  somewhat 
erect,  rigid  growth  w'ith^very  at- 
tractive foliage,  is  always  con- 
spicuous. In  cold  districts  it 
requires  the  shelter  of  a  wall  and 
protection  during  severe  winters. 
The  plant  will  thrive  in  light 
loam  without  the  addition  of  peat.  It  also  makes  a 
capital  subject  for  the  decoration  of  the  greenhouse 
or  conservatory  when  grown  in  pots.  There  are 
also  numerous  varieties  of  hardy  Heaths,  especially 
in  the  vulgaris  group,  that  make  excellent  decora- 
tive plants  when  grown  in  pots,  or  at  least  trans- 
ferred to  pots  from  the  open  border  before  showing 
flower,  and  if  suitable-sized  pieces  are  grown  for 
that  purpose  they  will  well  repay  the  little  atten- 
tion they  require.  It  is  not  claimed  that  they 
would  rival  such  varieties  as  E.  gracilis  or  E.  hyemalis 
for  indoor  decoration,  but  where  soil  and  climate 
are  suitable,  a  large  stock  for  the  purpose  can  be 
efononiicallv  obtained.  X'^onfAS  WfT.soN. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

NOTES       ON      CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Exhibition    Plants    in    March. — During    this 

month,  especially  the  latter  part  of  it,  cultivators 
will  be  very  busv  moving  their  forward  plants  into 
6-inch  pots,  and  the  more  backward  of  the  early- 
rooted  ones  into  5-inch  pots  In  order  tn  grow  every 
variety  to  perfection,  the  cultivator  should  be 
well  acquainted  with  the  habit  of  them  ;  but  it 
is  a  fact  th.it  the  most  experienced  grower  fails 
to  have  all  varieties  at  their  best  m  any  one  season, 
so  that  it  IS  wise  to  grow  a  few  more  varieties  than 


CARNATION    DELICIA,    A    BtAUIlFUL    WHITE-GROUND    BORD 
WITH    PINK    AND    CRIMSON    MARKINGS 


are  actually  required  on  this  account  alone. 
Furthermore,  it  is  a  wise  plan  to  adopt,  because 
some  varieties  fail  one  season  and  succeed  another, 
so  that  from  the  surplus  plants  .good  blooms  are 
often  obtained. 

Potting  Plants  in  March. — Some  varieties  do 
better  in  small  pots,  say.  9-inch  ones,  than  in 
ir-inch,  and  in  order  to  have  all  plants  in  such  a 
condition  that  the  work  of  potting  can  be  done 
conveniently  and  in  the  best  possible  way,  they 
must  be  grown  on  in  pots  of  at  least  two  sizes 
while  young.  The  compost  used  now  must  be  some- 
what rougher — more  lumpy — than  previously.  I  like 
to  pnll  the  fibrous  turf  to  pieces  in  every  case,  and 


for  this  potting  to  leave  as  many  lumps  as  possible 
about  the  size  of  a  Walnut  ;  the  potting-stick 
will  soon  compress  such  lumps  within  the  space 
allowed  when  potting  is  done.  Furthermore,  I 
prefer  to  sift  out,  through  a  quarter-inch  mesh 
sieve,  all  the  fibreless  portion,  and  so  retain  the 
most  fibrous.  This  sifting  must  be  done  gently, 
so  as  not  to  disturb  the  form  of  the  lumps  retained. 
Then  sweet  leaf-soil,  road  grit  or  coarse  sand  may 
be  added  to  replace  the  sandless  small  lumps, 
which  tend  to  clog  the  drahiage  if  left  in.  I  par- 
ticularly refer  to  loam  of  a  heavy,  or  rather  heavy, 
nature.  To  every  bushel  of  the  above  combined 
parts  add  a  3-inch  potful  of  bone-meal,  one  of  soot, 
a  6-inch  potful  of  wood-ashes, 
and  chemical  manures  according 
to  the  instructions  given  with 
them,  if  these  manures  are 
favoured  by  cultivators.  Ordinary 
firm  potting  is  best ;  avoid  un- 
due pressure  of  the  soil,  and  do 
not  go  to  the  other  extreme 
and  leave  it  too  light.  Pick 
out  the  plants  so  as  to  repot 
only  those  that  are  forwarc. 
enough    for  the  purpose. 

Frame  Treatment. — Un- 
doubtedly the  plants  do  better 
ill  cold  frames  at  this  season 
than  in  any  heated  structure. 
Much  heat  can  be  husbanded 
ill  a  cold  frame  at  this  season 
from  sunshine,  but  a  too  close 
atmosphere  would  result  in  a 
weakening  of  the  growth.  It  is 
only  advisable  to  keep  the  frame 
closed,  or  nearly  so,  during  the 
four  or  five  days  following  the 
potting  of  the  plants.  If  the 
compost  was  in  a  medium  state 
ot  moisture,  watering  will  not 
be  necessary  for  at  least  four 
(lays  if  the  foliage  is  gently 
svriiiged  twice  daily  on  bright 
days. 

Frame  Propagation  ot  Bor- 
der Varieties. — Even  an  inex- 
perienced cultivator  need  not 
liesitate  to  insert  cuttings  of 
border  varieties  freely  either  in 
boxes  or  the  beds  in  cold 
frames  now.  It  is  better  to  put 
them  in  boxes,  because  the  latter 
can  be  taken  out  of  the  frame 
for  the  hardening  of  the  plants 
and  the  freeing  of  the  frame  for 
other  kinds  of  plants  in  due  time. 
Even  if  the  old  roots  or  stools 
look  well  in  the  borders  now, 
it  is  advisable  to  root  some 
cuttings,  and  those  healthy- 
looking  suckers  are  just  the 
thing ;  none  could  be  better.  If  the  boxes 
are  3  inches  deep,  with  holes  or  slits  in  the 
bottom  for  drainage,  put  in  first  a  thin  layer 
of  rotted  manure,  then  nearly  fill  the  box 
with  a  sandy  compcst,  and  finally  surface  the 
firmed  soil  with  coarse  sand.  Put  in  the  cuttings 
3  inches  apart  each  way,  water,  and  keep  the  frame 
closed  for  two  or  three  weeks.  The  cuttings  will 
soon  form  roots,  and  the  young  plants  will  be 
available  for  planting  out  early  in  May,  when 
they  should  be  given  an  open  position  and 
moderately  rich  and  deeply  ctiltivated  soil.  For 
autumn  effect  in  the  border  these  Chrysanthemums 
are  indispciisabk'.  Avon. 


ER    VARIETY 


March  22,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


147 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

NOTES   ON    BORDER   CARNATIONS. 

A  I.THOUGH  these  plants  are  accommodating 

/\         in  the   sense   that   they   do   not   make 
/    %        heavy  demands  upon   the   time   of   the 
^^^^      grower  through  the  winter  months,  they 
*  will  prove  resentful  of  neglect.     There- 

fore, whether  the  wintering  is  done  in 
the  open  garden  or  in  cold  frames,  the  plants  are 
always  in  some  appreciable  degree  in  one's  mind. 

It  has  steadily  grown  into  a  regular  custom  to 
place  a  portion  of  the  stock  in  cold  frames  for  the 
winter,  because  several  of  our  most  beautiful 
modern  varieties  have  rather  poorer  constitutions 
than  the  old  favourites,  and,  especially  in  strong, 
cold  soils  in  a  lew-lying  garden,  the  winter  losses 
are  apt  to  be  serious.  Their  treatment  all  along 
must  be  that  of  hardy  plants  and  not 
of  tender  ones,  since  if  the  latter  course 
is  pursued,  trouble  and  anxiety  arc 
bound  to  arise  sooner  or  later.  Exclude 
torrential  rains  and  heavy  snow,  but 
apart  from  that,  see  that  the  plants 
have  all  the  fresh  air  and  light  that  it 
is  possible  to  afford  them.  This  will 
spell  slow  and  hard  progress,  and  when 
the  time  arrives  for  planting,  scarcely 
any  bother  and  no  worry  will  crop  up. 

If  the  positions  decided  upon  have 
not  yet  been  prepared  for  their  recep- 
tion, it  is  wise  to  attend  to  the  task 
forthwith,  because  it  is  desirable  that 
the  soil  shall  settle  well  down  after 
the  deep  moving  that  is  so  advan- 
tageous, and  for  the  food  virtues  of 
the  maniu'e  to  become  widely  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  ground.  As 
far  as  the  actual  process  of  prepara- 
tion is  concerned,  let  it  suffice  to  say 
that  it  is  impossible  to  dig  too  deeply 
or  too  thoroughlj',  and  the  advantage 
of  mixing  rotten  manure,  well  down, 
cannot  be  questioned,  though  one  is 
opposed  to  the  system  which  brings 
the  manure  in  immediate  contact  ■  ' 
with  the  roots.  With  the  top  spit  it 
is  sound  practice  to  incorporate  a 
generims  dressing  of  crushed  lime  or 
mortar  rubble,  and  if  there  is  some 
old  soot  at  command,  work  in  some  of 
it  as  well.  The  plants  are  most  appre- 
ciative of  both  of  these  things,  and 
their  use  tends  to  improve  the  flowers 
considerably.  A   BELi 

-As  a  rule  it  is  wise  to  defer  tlie 
planting  until  the  end  of  the  month 
in  favourable  situations,  and  until  the  first  or  second 
week  of  .April  in  cold  gardens  where  the  soil  is  on  the 
strong  side.  Meantime,  let  the  plants  be  steadily 
hardened,  so  that  they  will  not  feel  the  slightest  ill- 
effects  from  the  change  of  climatic  conditions. 

Plants  that  have  passed  the  winter  in  the  posi- 
tions in  which  they  are  to  flower  usually  thrive 
better  than  those  that  have  to  be  disturbed, 
provided  that  the  roots  are  in  a  friable  medium 
and  that  they  have  been  promptly  re-firraed  after 
the  roots  have  been  displaced  by  sharp  frosts. 

Mr.  James  Douglas  of  Great  Bookham,  Surrey, 
has  most  kindly  placed  the  illustration  on  page  146 
at  the  disposal  of  the  Editor,  and  he  describes 
r^elicia  as  a  fine  representative  variety  of  the 
fancy  group  ;  it  has  a  white  ground  with  pink  and 
crimson  markings.  This  leading  expert  also  speaks 
most  highly  of  Mrs.  Elliot  Douglas  as  a  pure  Narcissus 


yellow  self,  and  of  Mrs.  Griffiths  Jones  as  a  soft 
apricot  self.  Those  who  are  wise  will  give  the  trio 
a  good  trial  this  season,  procuring  some  for  planting 
about  the  beginning  of  next  month.  F.  R. 


THE  MULLEINS  AND  HOW  TO  GROW 
THEM. 

The  Verbascums,  commonly  known  as  Mulleins, 
have  been  greatly  improved  during  recent  years.  I 
know  of  no  plants  more  noble  or  picturesque  than 
the  newer  varieties.  Their  pyramidal  spikes 
towering  up  among  other  border  plants  are  just 
the  very  flowers  which  give  the  whole  border 
a  light,  graceful  and  most  natural  appearance. 
The  roots  enjoy  a  good  deep  soil. 

How  to  Propagate  Them. — The  Mulleins  are 
easily  propagated  from  root-cuttings.  Cut  the  fleshy 
roots  about  two  inches  or  three  inches  in  length, 


or  sand.  When  the  crowns  of  the  plants  often  appear 
to  be  dead,  the  roots  are  still  alive  and  in  quite  a 
suitable  condition  for  propagating. 

Varieties  to  Grow. — Mars  is  a  most  peculiar 
colour  of  buff,  turning  red  towards  the  centre. 
Caledonia  is  a  very  effective  variety.  The  colour 
of  the  flowers  is  sulphur  yellow,  suffused  bronze. 
Ivanhoe,  with  its  flowers  literally  packed  on  tall, 
blanching  spikes  and  of  a  deep  rosy  fawn,  is  very 
fine.  A.  M.  Burnie  is  rose  and  bronze.  One  of  the 
most  distinct  varieties  is  densiflorum.  The  foliage 
is  quite  distinct  from  any  of  the  others,  and  is  a 
beautiful  light  green.  The  spikes  are  not  quite 
so  dense  as  the  above-mentioned,  but  of  a  more 
branching  habit.  The  flowers  are  yellow,  with  a 
bronze  orange  centre.  I  consider  this  is  one  of 
the  most  attractive.  The  above-mentioned  varie- 
ties all  grow  from  3  feet  to  4  feet  high. 


OF    MULLEINS    OR    VERBASCUMS.        THE    PLANTS    SHOWN    ARE    MOSTLY    SPECIES    AND    ARE 
USEFUL    FOR    CREATING    BOLD    EFFECTS    IN    THE    GARDEN. 


taking  care  that  the  cuttings  are  kept  upright  ; 
then  place  them  about  two  inches  apart  in  sandy 
soil  in  pots,  pans,  or  boxes.  Insert  the  roots  so 
that  the  tops  of  the  root-cuttings  are  level  with  the 
soil ;  then  cover  them  with  about  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  of  sand.  Place  them  in  a  cold  frame  or  green- 
house, sprinkle  them  with  water  occasionally 
so  as  to  keep  the  soil  just  moist,  and  they  will  soon 
begin  to  shoot.  Spring  is  the  best  time  to 
propagate,  though  it  can  be  done  in  the  autumn 
quite  successfully. 

Protecting  the  Roots. — The  plants  sometimes  die 
in  the  winter,  but  this  is  not  because  there  is  any 
deception  as  to  their  hardiness  ;  but  on  account  of 
their  free  habit  they  sometimes  flower  themselves  to 
death.  When  the  stems  are  cut  down,  the  plants 
can  often  be  prevented  from  dying  by  placing  over 
the  crowns  (during  winter)  some  fibre,  coke-ashes. 


Tall-growing  Varieties. — Three  of  the  best 
tall-growing  Mulleins  are  Miss  Willmott  (white), 
phlomoides  (beautiful  soft  yellow)  and  pannosum 
magnificum  (syn.  gloriosa).  The  last-named  is  a 
giant  species  and  a  very  noble  plant.  The  foliage 
forms  beautiful  tufts  during  winter  of  a  thick 
downy  silvery  white.  It  throws  up  largfe  branching 
spikes  to  a  height  of  6  feet,  which  are  literally 
covered  with  bright  rich  yellow  flowers. 

Graceful  Hybrids. — Wiedmannianum  and  its 
hybrids  are  a  very  pretty,  graceful-flowering  section. 
They  throw  up  slender  stems  from  2  feet  to  2^  feet 
high,  which  are  covered  with  flowers.  The  different 
hybrids  vary  in  colour  from  white  to  palest  rose,  pale 
purple  to  the  deepest  purple,  and  deep  rose  to  copper 
colour.  Another  which  must  be  included  is  Chaixii 
alba.  It  has  strong  stems  about  three  feet  high, 
which  are  crowded  with  white  flowers.       J.  L.  E. 


148 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  22,  1913. 


DAFFODIL     NOTES. 


DAFFODILS    AT    VINCENT     SQUARE. 

March   4  and  5. 
{Continued'  from  page  139.) 

ONE  hesitates  about  saying  very  much 
,  either  ior  or  against  the  latest 
I  comers  when  we  only  see  them  in 
their  pot-grown  condition.  Accord- 
ing to  the  doctrine  of  chances  or 
the  law  of  proportion,  there  will  be 
the  small  class,  like  Weardale  Per- 
fection, Firebrand  and  W.  P.  Milner, 
which  revel  in  the  kindly  protec- 
tion and  warmth  of  a  glass-house, 
and  which  are  only  seen  at  the  top 
of  their  form  when  so  treated  ;  and 
there  will  be  the  larger  class,  where 
no  appreciable  benefit  is  gained 
from  it,  but,  on  the  whole,  probably 
rather  the  reverse.  Will  readers 
please  remember  this  in  perusing 
what  follows.  I  may  be  damning 
with  faint  praise  this,  which,  grown 
more  naturally,  would  show  quite 
a  different  face,  or  praising  that, 
which,  in  the  open,  would  certainly 
fall  below  the  standard  of  ex- 
cellence here  presented. 

I  will  deal  with  Messrs.  Barr  and 
Sons'  group  first,  as  all  the  blooms 
in  it  were  grown  in  the  open. 
During  the  day  I  had  a  talk  with 
the  secretary  of  the  Breconshire 
Show,  in  the  course  of  which  she 
incidentally  remarked  that  they  had 
three  climates  in  the  county.  I 
have  since  set  myself  this  sum.  If 
there  are  three  climates  in  Brecon- 
shire, how  many  are  there  in 
England  and  Wales,  and  how  many 
in  the  British  Isles  ?  I  have  nearly 
forgotten  my  algebra,  but  I  have 
a  dim  recollection  that  there  was  a 
convenient  "  x  "  which  one  could 
put  down  to  represent  any  unknown 
quantity.  I  unhesitatingly  put 
down  "  X  "  as  the  true  answer  to 
my  problem.  Talk  to  a  Devon 
man,  as  I  did  directly  after  my 
confab  with  the  secretary,  and  he 
will  tell  you  that  his  county  is  not 
Cornwall,  and  that  North  Devon 
is  not  South  Devon.  Then  you 
might  chime  in,  as  I  did,  and  say. 
"  Neither  is  Cornwall  Shropshire." 
Every  single  variety  that  I  grow, 
and  that  was  on  Messrs.  Barr's 
stand,  was  in  the  hard  bud  stage, 
or  even  hardly  that,  at  Whitewell, 
when  they  must  have  been  in  their 
full  glory  at  Rosemorran.  Even 
Lemon  Princeps  and  Alert  were 
only  just  expanding  on  March  3 
two  men  bought  a  £50  stock  after  reading 
something  1  had  written  in  The  Garden,  I  feel 
I  cannot  be  too  cautious  in  what  I  say,  and 
thus  in  the  very  forefront  of  another  season's 
notes,  which  the  Editor  has  again  kindly  asked  me 
to  supply,  I  call  attention — I  would  it  were  with  a 
megaphone  that  could  reach  every  Daffodil  en- 
thusiast's ear — to  the  enormous  differences  of 
climate  which  our  flower  has  to  live  in  when  it 
finds  a  place  in  the  gardens  of  the  British  Isles. 


When  you  pause  before  some  real  beauty  and  wish 
it  were  yours,  try  to  see  in  the  leaves  the  signal- 
man's green  flag,   and  "  proceed  cautiously." 

Probably  by  far  the  most  attractive  flower  in 
Messrs.  Barr's  collection  was  Sunrise,  which  was 
shown  in  excellent  condition.  It  is  a  lovely  thing  ; 
the  yellow  in  the  perianth  only  adds  to  its  beauty, 
and  acts  like  a  "  softener  "  in  a  magic  lantern.  A 
representative  of  one  of  our  most  famous  British 
firms,  who  is  not  much  up  in  Daffodils,  consulted 
me  during  the  show  about  purchasing  five  or  six 
goodish  things  for  their  autumn  trade.     "  I  want 


NARCISSUS    WHITE    FRANK,    A    BEAUIIFUI.    NLW    VARIETY    SHOWN    AT 
VINCENT    SQUARE    ON    MARCH    4.      (Much  reduced.) 


Ever    since 


to  show  you  one  I  would  like,  and  I  want  to  know 
what  you  think."  I  followed  him  as  best  I  could 
in  the  crowd.  He  took  me  to  Sunrise.  "  .Ah," 
I  said,  "  you  are  a  pretty  good  judge  of  what's 
what  ;  but  if  you  could  buy  even  a  couple  of 
hundred  wholesale  you  would  be  a  lucky  man."  It 
is  a  comfort  to  know  it  is  a  good  increaser.  I  was 
glad  to  see  Fairy  Queen  given  a  prominent  place. 
It  is  a  small,  lovely,  smooth-petalled  little  Leedsii, 
going  quite  white  with  age,  with  a  sharply-cut-ofi 
cup  and  the  perianth  segments  gracefully  incurving 


toward  their  tips.  It  is  very  floriferous  and  is 
a  quick  increaser,  equally  good  under  glass  and 
in  the  open. 

In  Messrs.  Cartwright  and  Goodwin's  group 
two  varieties  stood  out  pre-eminently.  Neptune  \- 
an  exquisite  bicolor  giant  incomparabilis,  which 
I  can  best  describe  as  a  "  show  "  Lady  Margaret 
Boscawen.  The  perianths  of  all  in  that  vasi 
would  satisfy  the  most  exacting  judge.  Maiden'b 
Blush  was  the  other  one,  a  very  ugly  flower,  but 
it  was  marked  "  Sold  "  early  in  the  day.  Why  ? 
There  was  an  unmistakable  pink  edge  to  the  short 
trumpet.  Who  knows  but  what 
this  ugly  duckling  may  be  the  pro- 
genitor of  a  pink-cupped  race  ! 

Messrs.  W.  T.  Ware,  Limited,  had 
all  their  flowers  in  pots,  one  bulb 
m  one  pot.  A  little  lot  of  Mace- 
bearer  occupied  the  top  centre. 
It  always  reminds  me  of  my 
favourite  Bernardino,  but  its  petals 
are  more  formal,  and  its  cup,  wliich 
is  shorter  and  more  expanded,  is 
banded  orange  red  rather  than 
suffused.  Diameter  of  the  flower, 
3  8-  inches ;  diameter  of  the  cup, 
one  and  three-sixteenths  inches. 
White  Nun  is  a  taking  giant  Leedsii, 
■  >f  what  I  call  the  squat,  well- 
groomed  type  ;  prim  but  pleasing. 
I  was  much  taken  with  a  recurvus- 
looking  Poet  with  a  rimmed  eye, 
named  Siena.  The  great  difference 
in  the  widths  of  the  alternate 
segments  was  very  pronounced.  1 
do  not  seem  to  remember  such 
another.  Princess  Alice,  as  its  name 
suggests,  is  similar  in  style  to 
Princess  Mary.  The  perianth,  how- 
ever, is  a  creamy  white,  and  Mr. 
Ware  assured  me  that  its  constitu- 
tion was  good,  which  is  more  than 
can  be  said  of  its  namesake.  It 
is  by  no  means  an  expensive 
flower. 

I  liked  Messrs.  J.  R.  Pearson's 
small,  dainty  giant  Leedsii  Capella; 
Messrs.  R.  H.  Batli's  white  perianth 
Barri  Star  of  the  East ;  and  Messrs. 
R.  Sydenham's  new,  almost 
triandrus  hybrid-looking  Leedsii 
White  Frank  (see  illustration), 
none  of  them  in  the  front  rank  is 
exhibition  varieties,  but  delightful 
flowers.  Mr.  Bourne  had  several  of 
these  tip-toppers.  He  had  some 
excellent  Moonbeam,  which  struck 
me  very  much,  as  it  is  so  very 
late — the  white  flag  which  heralds 
the  summer  truce  after  the  heated 
battles  of  the  shows.  Next  tti 
it  was  a  single  bloom  of  an 
even  whiter  one,  Alpine  Snow. 
as  white  as  any  triandrus 
of  its  type,  ilic  whitest  in 
the  show.  Wendy  is  a  refined  flower  after  Mr. 
Bourne's  own  heart.  Its  distinction  and  charm 
lie  in  the  wonderful  deep  apricot  colouring  of  the 
expanded  cup,  which  towards  the  edge  passes 
to  a  decided  buff  (size  of  bloom  3^  inches,  by 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  depth  of  cup,  by  i  inch 
width  at  top).  A  last  word  for  his  superb  blooms 
of  Whitewell.  They  quite  rivalled  in  their  depth 
of  colour  that  n.'ver-to-beforgolten  bloom  of 
Miss  Currey's  at  Birmingiiam.        Joseph  Jacob. 


hybrid,     and. 


March  22,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


149 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

HOW    TO     DISBUD     VINES     AND     PEACHES. 


BOTH  Vines  and  Peaches  make  rapid 
Krnwth  and  produce  young  shoots 
in  great  numbers  throughout  the  spring 
aiid  summer  seasons.  If  all  the  shoots 
that  grow  were  left  to  mature,  the  Vines 
would  become  a  tangle  like  Blackberry 
bushes  on  hedges,  and  the  Peaches  would  be  so 
overcrowded  with  them  that  neither  the  buds  nor 
the  fruits  would  colour  and  ripen  properly.  An 
inexperienced  cultivator  does  not  fully  realise  the 
importance  of  early  and  judicious  disbudding, 
because  he  is  misled  by  the  sparse  appearance  of 
the  tiny  shoots.  Early  disbudding  is  essential 
to  success.  In  carrying  out  the  work  the  cultivator 
must  not  rush  it  through  ;  that  is,  although  he  may 
be  able  to  remo\"e  every  surplus  shoot  in  a  single 
day,  he  should  not  do  so,  but  only  pinch  out  a  few 
each  day,  and  so  spread  out  the  work  that  it  will 
be  completed  in  about  a  week.  There  does  not 
follow  any  check  to  growth  of  either  branch  or 
fruit  left  on  when  this  system  is  adopted.  In  the 
case  of  Vines,  the  disbudding  should  commence 
when  the  young  shoots  are  about  an  inch  long, 
or  when  the  tiny  bunches  can  be  seen  in  the  ends 
of  the  shoots.  It  would  be  unwise  to  do  the  work 
before,  as  so  many  good-sized  bunches  might  be 
sacrificed  unintentionally.  In  the  case  of  Peaches, 
the  disbudding  should  be  commenced  directly  the 
shoots  are  large  enough  to  handle. 
The  Accompanying   Illustrations   will  enable 

a  beginner  tu  underst.iud  more  clearly  how  the  work 
ought  to  be  done.  Fig.  A  shows  at  No.  i  a  Vine 
rod,  a  few  years  old  and  bearing  spurs,  ready  for 
disbudding.  The  shoots,  Nos.  2  2,  on  the  lowest 
spur  are  worthless  and  should  be  removed.  The 
shoot.  No.  3,  is  the  one  to  retain  ;  it  bears  a  bunch 
of  Grapes,  which  can  be  seen  at  this  stage  at  the 
extreme  end  of  it.  On  the  second  spur  there  are 
two  good  shoots,  both  bearing  bunches  of  Grapes. 


THE   WORK   OF   DISBUDDING   VINES   EXPLAINED.       SOME   GROWTHS    ARE    REMOVED 

AND   OTHERS    LEFT. 

No.  4  is  badly  placed  and  should  be  removed.  |  Vine  rod  on  which  a  young  shoot,  bearing  a  bunch 
No.  5  is  well  placed  in  this  instance  and  should  be  of  Grapes,  has  been  duly  "  stopped  "  at  the  point, 
retained.  Where  there  is  only  one  young  shoot  1  No.  10  ;  then  all  the  strength  of  the  Vine  goes  to 
on  a  spur,   as  shown  at   No.  6,   and  that  spur  is  j  nurture  the  bimch  and  the  main  leaves.     The  sub- 


at  the  proper  distance — 18  inches,  or  nearly  that — 
from  others  on  the  same  side  of  the  rod,  it  must 
be  left  to  grow.  No.  7  shows  how  the  young  shoots 
must  be  retained  on  a  young  Vine  rod,  No.  8 
denoting  the  position  from  which  surplus  shoots 
have  been  removed.     No.  9  shows  a  portion  of  a 


HELPFUL    lLLUSTR.\TIONS    TO    THE    CORRECT    METHOD    OF    DISBUDDING    PEACH 
TREES.       (FOR    EXPLANATORY    NOTES    SEE    TEXT.) 


lateral  shoots  being  stopped  at  the  first  leal 
prevents  any  overcrowding  of  foliage.  No.  11 
shows  the  wrong  way  to  remove  a  shoot — -to  disbud 
— and  No.  12,  the  right.  The  young  bimch  can  be 
seen  tinder  a  glass,  as  shown  at  No.  13,  but  the  leaves, 
No.  14.  surrounding  it  must  never  be  forcibly 
pulled  back  for  the  purpose,  else  they  may  be 
broken  or  torn.  Fig.  B  depicts  how  Peach  trees 
should  be  disbudded.  No.  i  shows  one-half  of  a 
newly-planted  tree  properly  disbudded,  and  No.  2, 
the  other  half,  not  disbudded.  The  centre,  No.  3, 
will  always  fill  up.  No.  4  shows  a  large  branch 
bearing  both  flowers  and  shoots.  Nos.  5  5, 
denoting  shoots  and  flowers,  with  crosses  near  them, 
must  be  pinched  off.  Nos.  6  6,  those  without 
crosses,  should  be  left  on  to  grow.  A  single  shoot, 
or  branch,  properly  disbudded  of  both  flowers 
(where  very  numerous)  and  yoimg  shoots,  is  shown 
at  Nos.  7  7  and  Nos.  8  8  8  respectively.  Where 
there  are  flowers  in  pairs,  as  shown  at  No.  9,  with 
a  shoot  growing  between,  the  shoot  and  flower, 
No.  10,  on  the  under  side,  must  be  removed  where 
there  is  overcrowding.  No.  r  i  denotes  a  young  shoot 
of  medium  size  a  few  weeks  after  the  general 
disbudding.  It  may  be  left  unstopped,  and  side 
shoots,  Nos.  12  12,  st<jpped  as  shown.  The  swelling 
fruit  is  shown  at  No.  13.  No.  14  is  a  branch 
treated  similarly  to  No.    11. 

One  of  the  most  common  errors  made  by  amateurs 
in  the  cultivation  of  Vines  and  Peaches  is  that  of 
leaving  six  shoots  when  there  is  only  room  for  one. 
By  following  carefully  the  foregoing  instructions 
the  beginner  will  be  able  to  carry  out  satisfactory 
the  work  of  disbudding,  which  plays  such  an 
important  part  in  the  resultant  crops.  <•.  d. 


150 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[March  22,  1913. 


GARDENING     OF     THE     WEEK. 


FOR  SOUTHERN  GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 
Tuberous  Begonias. — For  bedding-out  pur- 
poses these  should  now  be  started  in  boxes  in  an 
intermediate  iiouse,  or,  where  large  quantities  are 
grown,  it  may  be  wise  to  devote  a  slightly-heated 
frame  to  them.  Here  they  may  be  just  covered 
with  light  sou,  and  if  given  plenty  of  room  to 
develop  their  foliage,  may  stay  in  the  frame  till 
planting-out-time,  hardening  tliera  off  as  growth 
proceeds.  From  the  boxes  they  will  require  potting 
off  when  nicely  rooted,  or  may  be  planted  in  a 
cold  frame. 

Seedling  Fibrous-Rooted  Begonias  should  be 
pricked  off  as  soon  as  large  enough  to  handle, 
keeping  them  growing  freely  in  a  warm  house 
or  pit.  This  also  applies  to  the  seedling  tuberous- 
rooted  plants. 

Pentstemons  and  Antirrhinums  sown  early 
in  the  season  ought  by  now  to  have  made  sturdy 
little  plants,  and  should  be  pricked  off  at  once. 
When  they  have  got  well  hold  of  the  new  soil, 
they  may  be  removed  to  a  cold  frame. 

Propagation  generally  must  be  proceeded  with, 
getting  in  all  the  cuttings  possible  during  the  next 
week  or  two,  as  after  the  end  of  March  there  is 
not  a  great  length  of  time  for  the  young  plants 
to  grow  and  be  hardened  off  before  bedding-out- 
time. 

Carpet-Bedding  Plants  may  be  rooted  in  the 
boxes  in  which  they  are  to  remain  till  planting-out- 
time. 

Alyssum  minimum  is  a  plant  much  used  for 
edging,  and  where  it  is  raised  from  seed  it  may  be 
sown  at  once,  pricking  ofi  the  seedlings  into  a  cold 
frame  when  large  enough  to  handle.  Seedlings  do 
not  make  such  a  nice  even  edging  as  plants  raised 
from  cuttings,  but  they  are  certainly  much  less 
trouble. 

Annuals. — The  present  is  a  good  time  (providing 
the  soil  is  fairly  dry)  to  sow  seeds  of  annuals 
either  for  cutting  purposes  or  for  garden  decora- 
tion. Too  thick  sowing  is  not  to  be  commended 
under  any  circumstances,  the  plants  growing  better 
and  flowering  for  a  much  longer  season  when  thinned 
to  a  good  distance  apart. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Hydrangea  paniculata. — Plants  plunged  out  of 

doors  may  now  be  pruned,  bringing  in  a  batch 
as  soon  as  the  basal  buds  have  plumped  up  nicely. 
Though  the  plants  will  stand  a  httle  forcing,  the 
best  results  are  obtained  when  they  are  allowed  a 
fairly  cool  greenhouse  temperature. 

Pelargoniums  that  are  showing  bloom  should 
be  well  looked  after  in  the  way  of  water  and  manure, 
especially  if  in  small  pots,  and  as  they  are  some- 
times apt  to  become  infested  with  green  fly,  a 
fumigation  should  occasionally  be  given.  Specimen 
plants  should  be  neatly  staked  out,  leaving  the 
stakes  long  enough  to  give  an  extra  tie  to  the 
flowers  as  they  push  up  well  above  the  foliage. 

Malmaison  Carnations  are  now  growing  freely, 
and  should  be  given  a  little  more  room  to  allow 
the  side  growths  to  develop  properly.  .'Vn  i8-inch 
stake  may  be  put  to  each  plant,  to  which  to  secure 
the  flower-spike  as  it  pushes  up.  If  well  rooted,  a 
Utile  manure-water  may  be  given,  or  a  dressing 
of  an  approved  fertiliser  applied  about  every  other 
week. 

Shading  Material. — Now  that  the  sun  is  gaining 
power,  it  may  be  necessary  to  shade  some  of 
the  more  tender  stove  plants,  as  well  as  batches  of 
plants  recently  potted.  The  flowering  house  is 
best  shaded  during  the  hottest  part  of  the  day. 
so  that  all  blinds  should  be  overhauled  and  placed 
in  position  at  once.  I  am  not  an  advocate  of  too 
much  shading  at  any  time,  but  in  some  instances 
it  is  quite  necessary  and  helpful  to  the  plants. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Potatoes. — Maincrop  Potatoes  may  be  planted 
at  any  time  now.  Those  for  semi-early  use  need 
not  be  planted  so  far  apart  as  those  for  late  use. 
These  latter  should  have  at  least  30  inches  between 
the  rows,  especially  in  heavy  soil,  and,  during  the 
progress  of  planting,  such  soil  should  be  well  broken 
up  with  the  fork,  or  it  will  mean  a  great  deal  more 
laboiu:  during  the  growing  period  previous  to 
earthing-up.     It  is  needless  to   mention  varieties, 


as  nearly  every  district  and  garden  grows  some 
varieties  better  than  others ;  but  a  thorough 
change  of  seed  every  year  is  extremely  beneficial, 
and  well  repays  the  extra  outlay. 

Runner  Beans. — For  very  early  work  a  small 
batch  should  now  be  sown  in  pots,  three  seeds  in  a 
6-inch  or  8|-inch  pot  being  a  very  good  plan  to 
adopt,  and  the  latter  will  carry  them  quite  a  long 
time  without  them  suffering,  should  the  weather 
be  unfavourable  for  planting  out. 

French  Beans  in  pits  will  be  growing  freely 
now,  and  to  encourage  a  stocky  growth  plenty  of 
air  may  be  given  on  fine,  warm  days.  When  they 
are  near  or  touching  the  glass,  a  good  covering  must 
be  given  at  night  to  ensure  them  not  being  injured 
by  frost. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Orchard-House  Trees. —  Plums  and  Pears, 
having  now  set  their  fruit,  might  be  benefited  by 
a  slightly  higher  temperature,  giving  the  trecb  a 
good  syringing  morning  and  afternoon  on  fine 
days,  but  sufficiently  early  to  allow  of  them  becom- 
ing thoroughly  dry  before  night.  A  few  of  the 
early  Apples  may  be  coming  into  bloom,  and  if 
these  are  kept  in  a  batch  by  themselves,  fertilisa- 
tion will  be  easier.  Too  much  moisture  at  the  roots 
is  not  necessary  at  this  season,  but  it  must  be 
remembered  that  if  they  get  thoroughly  dry  it 
is  very  detrimental  to  the  setting  and  swelling  of 
the  young  fruit. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Raspberries. — If  not  already  done,  these  should 
be  gone  over  and  matting  tied  to  the  wires,  allowing 
a  fair  distance  between  each  cane.  Where  stakes 
are  used,  it  may  be  necessary  to  renew  them, 
using  good,  strong  Hazel  or  Ash  stakes  which  have 
been  prepared  beforehand  by  tarring  the  bottom 
for  at  least  18  inches.  These  being  surface-rooting 
plants,  they  should  not  be  deeply  forked  between, 
but  a  little  short  manure  may  with  advantage 
be  lightly  pricked  into  the  surface  of  the  soil. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburii  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Sweet  Peas. — These,  whether  in  pots  or  bo.xes, 
must  have  an  abundance  of  air  and  hght  to  prevent 
the  plants  from  becoming  drawn  and  weakly. 
In  fine  weather  the  lights  of  the  frame  should  be 
removed  entirely. 

Sweet  Williams. — Self-coloured  varieties  of 
these,  such  as  Sutton's  Pink  Beauty,  are  very 
telling  when  planted  in  masses,  and  where  they 
have  been  wintered  in  the  reserve  garden,  they 
should  now  be  planted  out,  taking  care  to  lift  the 
plants  with  good  balls  of  sod. 

Canterbury  Bells. — These  biennials  are  among 
the  most  showy  of  our  summer  hardy  flowers,  and 
should  not  be  overlooked.  Planted  out  now  with 
good  balls  of  soil,  they  will  commence  flowering 
early  in  July. 

Pansies  and  Violas. — The  sooner  these  are 
planted  out,  the  sooner  they  will  begin  to  flower. 
It  is  advisable,  as  far  as  practicable,  to  plant  them 
in  fresh  quarters  annually.  We  have  been  for 
several  years  planting  a  certain  variety  of  Viola 
as  a  groundwork  among  the  biflk  of  our  Roses. 
All  has  gone  well  up  till  the  present,  but  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  young  stock  have  died  during  the  winter ; 
while  of  other  varieties  which  have  had  their 
summer  quarters  changed  regularly,  hardly  a  plant 
has  perished.     The  lesson  is  obvious. 

Shrubby  Veronicas. — There  are  a  number  of 
barely  hardy  shrubby  Veronicas  which  deserve 
attention,  such  as  V.  salicifoUus,  V.  Andersonii, 
V.  A.  Diamond  and  so  on.  If  they  have  been 
hardened  ofi,  they  may  now  be  planted  with  safety. 
They  can  either  be  associated  with  herbaceous 
plants  or  planted  immediately  in  the  front  of  the 
shrubbery.  V.  Andersonii  variegata  is  a  useful 
bedding  plant,  and  looks  well  in  conjunction  with 
Salvia  patens. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Scented  Plants. — .\  few  of  these  should  find  a 
place  m  every  rock  garden,  but  variety  could  be  ob- 
tained bv  devoting  a  portion  of  the  rockwork  wholly 


to'these.  In  the  higher  reaches  Lavender,  varie- 
gated Mint  and  Balm  could  be  planted,  and,  further 
down,  the  Sweet  Marjorams  and  Santolinas,  finish- 
ing at  the  base  with  Thymes,  dwarf  Menthas  and 
Micromeria  Douglasii. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Repotting  Palms.— Palms,  being  largely  used 
for  the  decoration  of  rooms  and  corridors,  should 
be  grown  in  as  small  pots  as  possible,  and  with 
careful  watering  and  judicious  feeding  they  will 
do  with  less  root  room  than  most  plants.  Potting 
must  be  had  recourse  to  from  time  to  time,  how- 
ever, and  the  present  is  a  good  time  to  carry  out 
the  operation. 

Phyllanthus  roseo-pictus.— So  far  as  I  know, 
this  is  the  only  member  of  the  genus  which  can  be 
called  showy.  Its  delicately-tinted,  graceful  foliage, 
however,  well  entitles  it  to  a  high  place  among  our 
stove  plants.  It  is  easdy  propagated  by  cuttings 
in  heat,  is  not  particular  as  to  soil,  but  prefers  a 
sandy  loam,  and,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes,  has 
no  enemies.  If  regularly  cut  well  back  in  spring, 
a  bushy  habit  will  be  formed,  and  the  plants  will 
be  serviceable  for  many  years. 

Cyclamens. — Seedlings,  the  result  of  an  August 
sowing,  should  now  be  ready  to  pot  off  into 
2j-inch  pots.  Use  equal  parts  of  loam,  good 
leaf-mould  and  sand;  lift  the  seedlings  carefully, 
pot  rather  loosely,  and  only  half  cover  the  corms 
when  potting.  Spray  twice  daily  and  shade  from 
bright  sunshine. 

Shading  must  now  be  provided  for  the  various 
plant-houses,  although  cool  houses  should  receive 
attention  last.  Where  time  and  expense  are  no 
barriers,  movable  shaduigs  should  be  used ;  but 
in  most  establishments  fixed  shadings  are  the  rule. 
A  useful  shadmg  can  be  made  from  sour  milk  and 
whiting.  Newly-slaked  lime  does  very  well,  but 
should  not  be  allowed  to  come  in  contact  with 
the  putty.  When  applying,  form  wavy  lines  in 
preference  to  straight  ones. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Thinning  Peaches. — This  work  must  be  carried 
out  with  discretion.  A  strong-growing  variety 
will  bring  to  perfection  more  fruit  relatively  than 
a  weak  one.  This  principle  holds  good  with 
trees  of  the  same  variety,  and  once  more  the 
principle  holds  good  with  regard  to  different  shoots 
on  the  same  tree.  Commence  the  operation  when  | 
the  fruits  are  about  the  size  of  small  marbles, 
and  if  fairly  well  placed,  retain  the  largest  fruits. 
Be  careful  not  to  tear  away  a  portion  of  the  bark. 
Give  the  fruits  a  sharp  twist  and  pull  towards  the 
point  of  the  shoot. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

The  Black  Currant  Mite. — It  is  to  be  feared  that 
no  thoroughly  efiicacious  remedy  has  yet  been 
foimd  for  this  destructive  pest.  If,  however,  the 
opening  buds  are  dusted  three  times  between  this 
and  the  end  of  April  with  one  part  ground  lime 
to  two  parts  of  flowers  of  sulphur,  the  mite  will  be 
well  kept  in  check.  The  bushes  should  be  damp 
when  the  mixture  is  applied. 

Looking  Ahead. — The  stock  of  nettmg  should 
be  overhauled  and  augmented  if  necessary,  as  it 
may  be  requisitioned  on  short  notice  when  spring 
frosts  occur  while  Pears,  Plums,  Apricots  and 
Cherries  are  in  bloom. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Turnip-Rooted  Beet. — It  is  too  early  yet  to 
sow  the  mam  crop  of  Beet,  but  a  sowing  of  a 
Turnip-rooted  variety  should  be  made  for  early 
use.  Several  firms  now  offer  varieties  superior 
to  the  old  Egyptian  variety.  For  this  class  the 
drills  need  not  be  more  than  a  foot  apart. 

Planting    Cabbages. — A   planting   shoiild   now 

be  made  from  those  sown  in  the  autumn.  A  good 
plan  is  to  plant  a  batch  of  an  early  variety,  and  a 
batch  of  Winningstadt  to  succeed  it  before  the 
spring-sown  stock  turns  in.  Give  the  autumn- 
planted  batch  another  dressing  of  nitrate  of  soda 
or  old  fowl-manure    and   stir  with  the  Dutch   hoe. 

Lettuces. — Give  the  autumn-planted  stock  a 
dressing  of  soot  and  stir  with  the  hoe.  Make  another  ^ 
sowing.  All  have  their  favourite  varieties.  We 
use  little  but  Neapolitan  for  the  main  crop  ;  if  a 
Cos  variety  is  wanted,  Paris  White  Cos  is  hard  to 
beat. 

Celery  Trenches  shunld  lie  formed  and  manured 
when  time  will  permit.  Cn-iRLES  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens.  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


March  22,  1913.] 


IHE    GARDEN. 


151 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

MY     FIFTY     ALPINES. 

THE  problem  of  exclusion,  so  bravely 
tackled  by  Mr.  Amott  in  The  Garden 
for  March  i.  is  one  of  intense  interest. 
In  all  such  lists  and  choices  there  is 
hound  to  lie  a  challenge  to  other 
gardeners  and  different  tastes.  It  is 
liardly  to  be  thought  possible  that  I  in  particular 
lould  sit  quite  quiet,  in  patient  peace,  beneath  a 
sflection  which  finds  no  room  for  Dianthus 
.ilpinus !  ."Vnd  I  trust  that  Mr.  Arnott's  choice 
will  stimulate  other  gardeners  also  to  give  theirs. 
M  the  same  time,  it  must  be  understood  that  I 
do  not  in  any  way  cavil  at  Mr.  Arnott's  selection. 
It  is  the  charm  of  such  selections  that  they  are 
almost  hound  to  elicit  the  views  of  other  people. 
Each  gardener  has  his  special  favourites,  to  whom 
he  burns  to  see  justice  done  (and  bravo,  Mr.  .\rnott, 
for  putting  Ramondia  Natalia;  instead  of  the 
commoner  and  dowdier  R.  pyrenaica).  Therefore 
will  I  come  forward,  not  to  attack  Mr  Amott, 
hut  to  break  a  lance  or  two  in  favour  of  some  of 
my  especial  loves  omitted  in  his  list. 

The  plants  to  be  chosen,  let  us  postulate,  must 
all  be  of  easy  and  robust  growth  in  any  garden, 
sreat  or  small,  under  reasonable  conditions  of 
culture.  Shrubs,  with  one  or  two  exceptions, 
are  to  be  excluded.  .\nd  also,  as  the  field  among 
bulbs  is  as  vast  as  that  among  alpincs,  I  think 
it  is  hardly  fair,  in  a  choice  of  rock  plants,  to 
run  the  risk  of  having  to  crowd  out  here  and  there 
a  treasure  to  make  room  for  such  and  such  a  no 
less  treasured  bulb.  No,  it  will  be  (and  has, 
alas !  been)  hard  enough  to  make  a  selection 
among  fifty  alpines  ;  if  bulbs  are  to  be  thrown  in, 
there  will  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth 
indeed.  Of  bulbs  and  monocotyledons  for  the 
•imall  rock  garden,  let  us  now  have  a  separate 
list,  please,  Mr.  Arnott.  It  will  be  very  easily 
filled  up,  and  will  need  hardly  less  drastic  selection 
than  the  other.  Iris  and  Crocus  alone  ^vill  bring 
up  many  fierce  rivalries,  and  half  crowd  up  the 
list  already.  No  bulbs,  then,  no  annuals,  no  shrubs 
as  yet  (except  the  indispensable)  and,  above  all, 
a  prolonged  season  from  spring  to  autumn. 

Now  for  the  personal  excisions  that  I  must  make 
from  Mr.  Arnott's  list.  Out  goes  Adonis  amurensis, 
a  lovely  thing  as  you  see  it  in  a  Japanese  hog 
garden,  just  a  golden  button  on  the  earth  and  no 
Tuore ;  in  gardens,  of  a  shrill  and  venomous  green- 
tainted  yellow,  like  that  of  so  many  poisonous 
Ranimculads  (hut  compare  the  pure  and  bland 
I'itron  of  Trollius),  and  in  habit  rather  ill-bred,  to 
my  taste,  in  its  development.  I  question  next 
.^mebia's  claim  to  front  rank,  and  I  do  not  expect 
my  list  will  be  able  to  afford  more  than  one 
.^ubrietia,  for  certainly  more  Campanulas  will 
he  wanted.  Erica  carnea,  again — good,  pleasant 
thing— is  "  general  utility "  rather  than  a  first 
choice.  Galax  aphylla  is  surely  quite  low  down 
among  one's  loves  ;  not  by  any  means  a  plant  to 
include  at  the  cost,  say,  of  Gentiana  acaulis. 
Then  comes  Hypericum  fragile,  not  to  be  com- 
pared, in  my  eyes  {pace  Sir  Herbert  Maxwell), 
with  either  H.  reptans  or  H.  Coris.  After  this  I 
chiefly  supplement  Mr.  Arnott's  list,  though  I 
cannot  set  pretty,  commonplace,  useful  Silene 
Schafta  among  my  first  fifty  beloveds.  Synthiris 
hardly  seems  of  first  rank  either,  and  Shortia 
galacifolia,  though  lovely,  certainly  yields  in 
beauty  to  S.  uniflora  grandiflora,  and  neither  is 
of  universally  easy  culture  ;  at  least,  I  trust  there 
are    some    gardeners    who     share     my    perpetual 


inability  to  make  either  of  them  seem  really  happy. 
.\t  this  rate,  if  Shortias  are  to  come  in,  where 
is  Schizocodon,  which,  at  its  best,  is  lovelier  than 
either  ?  Finally,  the  great  races  are  too  scantily 
represented.  Where  only  two  Campanulas  are 
allowed,  it  is  surely  imjust  to  sacrifice  indispensable 
pusilla  or  amenable  .\llionii  to  the  stout  and  com- 
paratively dowdy-coloured  garganica  hirsuta  ;  and 
the  great  silver  Saxifrages  in  themselves  are  winter 
furnishing  far  above  Erica  carnea. 

But  the  task,  however  you  achieve  it,  is  a  cruel 
and  terrible  one.  I  may  say  that  my  first  choice 
of  fifty  absolutely  indispensable  plants  that  no 
gardener  in  his  senses  could  possibly  live  without 
amounted  in  the  end  to  ninety-five,  and  the  anguish 
of  reduction  beggars  language.  Even  then,  when 
one  has  mangled  one's  choice  into  the  required 
limits,  there  are  bound  to  remain  a  certain  number 
of  tiresome  "  utility  "  plants,  such  as  Gypsophila 
repens  and  Saponaria  ocymoides  (or  lovely  .Anemone 
Hepatica  as  an  early  bloomer),  that  have  to  be 
kept  in  (or  ought  to  be  kept  in,  if  one  has  the  heart) 
at  the  cost  of  Campanula  Elatines,  C.  Raineri  and 
C.  Zoysii,  or  Saxifraga  retusa,  S.  cochlearis  and 
S.  longifolia.  Not  that  one  is  mthin  a  hundred 
miles  of  liking  them  so  well,  but  because  they  can 
be  relied  on  always  for  a  fine  and  large  display 
of  a  commonplace,  brilliant  nature,  imder  common- 
place treatment  and  conditions,  just  like  any 
Knotgrass  or  Goatweed.  (For  at  this  moment  I 
hate  them  heartily  and  grudge  their  very  existence.) 


With  regard  to  the  soil  mixtures,  I  believe  that, 
as  Mr.  Arnott  says,  a  good,  light  compound  will 
suit  nearly  all  alpines.  Where  I  have  suggested 
lime,  it  is  not  because  lime  is  clearly  necessary  (as 
it  almost  is,  I  believe,  for  Gentiana  "  Gentianella  "), 
but  because  the  species  attributed  to  it  seem 
specially  faithful  to  it  in  Nature,  as,  for  instance, 
the  Arthritic  Primulas,  constant  to  peaty  soil 
on  the  high  limestones,  as  against  P.  minima 
from  the  same  peaty  turf,  but  quite  indifferent 
as  to  its  underlying  rock.  With  regard  to  aspect, 
again,  each  garden  and  climate  has  to  discover  its 
own  rules.  I  have  merely  suggested  such  con- 
ditions as  seem  to  answer  here  in  an  alpine  climate, 
cool,  wet  and  cloudy.  The  rules  I  have  hinted  at 
have  been,  however,  as  universal  as  possible. 
Sempervivum  and  Papaver,  for  instance,'  are 
universally  unfavourable  to  shade  and  damp 
and  heavy  soil.  In  cases  where  I  suggest  an 
open  aspect,  it  may  be  found  that  in  hot.  Southern 
gardens  a  less  torrid  position  may  be  better.  And 
now,  please,  let  someone  else  come  forward  with 
another  list  of  fifty  indispensable  alpines,  or, 
perhaps,  a  secondary  list,  to  include  the  forty- 
five  irreplaceable  treasures  that  I  have  had  to 
excise,  with  breaking  heart,  from  the  first  choice 
of  universal  and  glorious  rock  garden  plants. 

Reginald  Farrer. 

[We  shall  be  pleased  to  receive  further  selections 
of  alpines  from  readers,  or  criticisms  and  comments 
on  Mr.  Farrers  and  Mr.  Arnott's  selections. — Ed.] 


Nfime. 
Aqtiilegia  glandulosa 


*.\ndrosace  lanuginosa  ... 
Anemone  sylvestri'i  major 

•Arenaria  montana     — 

Aster  alpinus    9 

•Aubrietia  Moerheimii    — 

Campanula  Allionii     3 

C.  G.  F.  Wilson    « 

C.  port«nschlagiana     B 

C.  pusilia       4 

•Daphne  blagayana    — 

*Dryas  octopetala   

Dianthus  alpinus 


12     Open    Cool,  rich  vcue- 

teble 
Sun Sandy,  light  loam  Pink Late Cutting! 


,,  ,  Flmvering 

Colour.  Period. 

Blue  &  white    Mav      


How  to  Piopagate. 
Seed 


12     Shade  (')     . .     Rich,  cool    White 

—    Sun Light  !oam ,,     . . 

9       „     „         „     Violet 


Early  A  late    Divide 
JMay  -  June     Cuttings 
June 


Divide  or  seed 


„    .Von  -  calcareous     Purple 

moraine 
OpiMi    Good,  light  loam    Violet 


April  -  June     Cuttings 


.May 


Seed  or  divide 


Geranium  argenteum 

G.  cinereum  album      

G.  lancastriense    

G.  wallichianum  Buxtonii 


Any      

Stony  peat 

Good  light 
Limy  loam  or 

moraine 
Limy  loam  or 

moraine 
Light  loam 


Gentiana  "  Gentianella "  (acaulis)  3 
•Gypsophila  prostrata  rosea        — 

Hepatica  angulosa       6 

Hypericum  Coris     6 

*H.  reptans — 

Lithospermum    graminifolium       9 

Mertensia  primuloides     6     Open    Cool,  moist 

moraine 
Myosotis  rupicola    4 


Sim Limy  loam  . 

„    Any      

Shady  or  open    Cool,  rich  . . 

Sunny Light  loam 

Sun 

Limy  loam  . 


August     . . 

Aug.  -  Sept. 

Blue  June  -  Oct. 

White    .... 

Rose  red    . . 

Pink,  silver- 
leaved 

White    

Pink 

Blue,  white- 
eyed 

Azure     

Pink 

Blue 


Divide 

Cuttings  or  division 

Division 
Feb.  -  June     Divide 
May  -  June     Seed  or  cuttings 
June  -  July  ,,         ,, 


May-Get... 
May-Oct... 


June 

Atay-July 

Jan 


Seed 


Divide 
Divide  or  seed 


Gold July  -  Sept, 

Rich  gold  . .     July  -  Nov, 


April     Divide 
Seed 


Oxalis  enueaphylla      f 

Papaver  alpinum     

•Phlox  G.  F.  Wilson 

*P.  Nelsonii      

*P.  Vivid 

Primula  Auricula     


Sun laght  loam  or 

moraine 

Shade Rich  and  coo! . . 

5i  Sun Moraine  or  very 

light  soil 
Open    Light  loam 


P.  clusiana        

P.  X  intermedia      

P.  marginata    

P.  X  pubescens  alba 

Ranunculus  parnassifolius 


•Saponaria  ocymoides  splendi 

dissima 

Saxifraga  Aizoon  rosea    

S.  linguiata  Bellardii       

S.  1.  lantoscana    

S.  Cotyledon     H  ^."^ 

S.  burseriana  Gloria    » 

S.  Paulinae    4 

♦S.  Camposii  (Wallacei)     ....       0 

Ramondia  Natalise 6 

Sempervivum  Comellii 12 

Silene  alpestris     8 

•Veronica  Teucrium  dubia     — 

(rupestris) 

Viola  gracilis    " 

Wahlenbergia  serpyllifolia  major    1 


Open  or  cool     Rich  loam  and 

rock 
Open  (sun)  . .     Limy,  peaty  I'm 

Open    ,,        ,, 

Open  or  cool    Limy  loam 

,,  ,,        Good  loam 

Open    Cool,  moist,  limy 

silt  or  loam 
Sun Any      


Pale  blue 
Sapphire 

amethyst 
Turquoise 

White    

White,  gold, 
pink,  orange 
Lavender 

White     

Salmon  rose 
Citron    

Rich  rose  . . 

Lavend'r  bl'e 
White 


Jime 
June  -  Aug. 

May- July.. 

May-Oct... 
May-Oct... 


Division 

Seed 


Divide 

Seed 


Mav  -  June     Divide  or  cutting 


March-April    Seed  or  cuttings 
April  -  May 


Seed  or  division 
Division 


9     Open    Light,  limy  loam 


May      

Pink Summer  . . 

May  -  June 


White 


Feb.-.Manli 
May      


Shade Good  loam  .... 

Light,  limy  loam        ,, 

Cool      Rich,  limy  inam         ., 

,,         „  „  Citron 

Good  loam  ....  White 

Shade Peat  &  leaf-mould  Violet 

Sun Very  light  loam  Steely  rosette  July     

Cool  or  shade         ,.  „  White    May  -  Sept. 

Sun Any     Blue 

Light,   rich  soil  Imperial  Vl't    May-July.. 

Light,  good  soil  Purple    ....         

•  Trailing 


Cuttings 
Division 


Seed  or  divide 
Divide 


152 


THE     GARDEN. 


[March  22,  1913 


NOTES  ON  THE  GARDENING 
ACROSTICS. 


THE  acrostics  are  over  and  the  prize- 
money  has  been  distributed,  and  we 
now  publish  our  promised  comments. 
First  let  us  say  that  we  hope  they  have 
been  acceptable  to  a  good  many  of 
our  readers,  even  beyond  the  number 
of  those  who  attempted  their  solution.  The  short 
explanatory  notes  of  most  of  the  "  lights "  were 
specially  printed,  in  order  that,  if  possible,  it  might 
be  so.  The  following  extracts  are  from  two  of  the 
last  letters  received  on  the  subject :  "  I  am  very 
pleased  to  see  you  are  going  to  give  another  series 
next  winter."  •'  I  almost  wish  the  end  of  the  year 
had  come  again  so  that  1  might  tackle  some  more 
of  your  puzzlers."  Such  will  be  the  case,  we  hope. 
Profiting,  however,  by  our  experience,  readers 
will  find  certain  changes.  The  questions  will  not 
be  so  difficult  on  the  whole,  and  the  marking  will 
be  different.  Instead  of  each  acrostic  counting 
one  and  there  being  no  sliding  scale  between 
absolute  right  and  absolute  wrong,  each  "  light  " 
correctly  solved  will  count  i,  and  each  "  firsts  " 
and  each  "lasts"  also  i.  Thus,  to  take  No.  i, 
"  China  Aster,"  the  full  marks  would  be  12.  We 
quite  see  that  it  is  hard  to  count  nothing  when,  as 
in  No.  ::,  so  many  had  all  right  except  the  vineyard 
"  light,"  wliich  should  have  been  Hoxton,  but 
which  a  large  proportion  gave  as  Hatton  Garden. 
Our  "  puzzler  "  is  not  infallible,  and  sometimes, 
either  intentionally  or  unintentionally,  he  is  vague  ; 
hence  the  wisdom  and  fairness  of  our  proposed 
amended  marking.  It  will  also,  we  hope,  promote 
increased  competition,  inasmuch  as  it  will  be  quite 
worth  while  to  send  in  partly-completed  solutions, 
which  in  the  last  competition  were  valueless. 

The  "  difficult  "  question  is  not  so  easy  of  solution, 
but  we  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  our 
"  Saint  Worrier  "  (to  use  a  name  given  him  by  a 
very  well  known  old-time  Liverpool  cricketer 
on  account  of  his  blocking  tactics  in  the  days  of 
his  youth)  knows  how  to  temper  his  worryings 
to  the  library  opportunities  of  our  readers. 
-Another  season's  acrostics  will  not  be  so 
severe,  although  we  may  have  to  call  in  some 
"  Senior  Wrangler  "  to  help  us  in  our  fractional 
calculations  when  the  prizes  are  sent  rovmd.  There 
will  be  eight  acrostics,  or  possibly  ten,  and  if 
between  now  and  next  November  any  scheme 
strikes  us  as  feasible  by  means  of  which  we  might 
make  two  classes  of  competitors,  we  will  certainly 
try  it,  as  our  wish  is  to  give  as  many  as  we  can 
of  our  readers  at  least  a  "  sporting  chance  "  interest 
in  them.     We  take  the  acrostics  seriatim  : 

No.  r. — No  fewer  than  172  solutions  were  sent  in, 
of  which  III  were  correct.  Our  acrostic  writer 
got  frightened  and  thought  he  was  too  easy,  and 
Nos.  3,  4  and  5  were  the  result.  In  the  last  named 
only  twelve  solutions  were  sent  in,  and  every  one 
was  wrong.  "  Ironwort  "  was  put  for  "  Indian 
Shot,"  and  "  Arbour  "  or  "  Arbor  "  for  "  Alder." 

No.  2. — The  stumbling-block  was  the  locality 
of  the  vineyard.  One  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
solutions  were  sent  in,  and  only  fifteen  were  correct. 
Hatton  Garden  was  a  favourite  locality,  and 
Walford's  "  Old  and  New  London,"  Vol.  IV., 
page  4,  was  quoted  in  support. 

No.  3. — A  great  falling  ofl'.  Only  thirty-seven 
sent  in,  out  of  which  but  four  were  right.  The 
"  difficult "  plant  was  variously  given  as  Iris 
iberica    imd    I.    reticulata.      These    would    fit    in 


and  would  come  under  the  head  of  "  difficult," 
but  Iris  susiana  was  the  plant  intended. 

No.  4. — This  was  undoubtedly  too  hard.  There 
were  fifteen  solutions  sent  in,  and  only  one  was 
correct.  We  congratulate  "  White  Lady "  on 
being  that  one.  "  Singers  of  an  '  O  '  "  puzzled 
nearly  everyone.  Pelargonium  would  have  done 
just  as  well  as  Palm  ;  but  we  had  to  keep  to  our 
rules. 

No.  5. — Twelve  attempts  were  made  to  solve 
this,  and  not  one  succeeded.  Olive  in  the  majority 
of  cases  was  given  as  the  well-known  "  green." 
We  cannot  find  much  about  it  in  comparison  to 
the  Orange,  and  would  be  grateful  for  a  note  on 
the  relative  importance  of  the  two  from  any  of 
those  who  put  it  as  their  solution.  "  Simpling  " 
was  a  stumbling-block  in  several  cases. 

No.  6  was  much  easier,  and  out  of  twenty-two 
sent  in,  fomrteen  were  right. 

No.  7. — Sixteen  solutions  came  to  hand,  of 
which  six  were  correct.  Several  put  Hepatica  for 
Henna  as  Mahomed's  Flower  of  Paradise. 

No.  8. — This  was  purposely  difficult.  We  have 
had  several  letters  asking  why  "  Le  Jardin  de 
Hollande "  should  be  translated  "  The  Dutch 
Gardener."  The  one  is  not  a  translation  of  the 
other,  but  they  are  both  the  chosen  titles  of  the 
French  and  English  editions  of  van  Oosten's  little 
Dutch  book  on  bulbs. 

With  these  brief  notes  we  conclude  our  acrostic 
season  of  1912-13.  If,  on  reading  the  foregoing, 
readers  have  any  suggestions  to  make  with  a 
view  to  our  going  "  one  better "  next  time,  we 
would  be  glad  to  hear  from  them. 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE    NOTES    ON    VEGE- 
TABLES. 

Potatoes. — In  most  gardens  the  earliest  Potatoes 
have  been  planted  for  some  considerable  time, 
and  the  chances  are  that  they  will  demand  careful 
watching  to  prevent  injury  or  perhaps  ruination. 
Although  a  position  is  chosen  with  a  warm  aspect 
and  preferably  where  the  soil  is  Ught,  it  is  unwise 
to  conclude  that  no  frost  of  sufficient  severity 
to  cut  the  tops  wiU  occur.  Have  immediately  at 
hand  enough  light  protective  material  with  which 
to  cover  the  plants,  and  one  may  then  feel  reason- 
ably secure.  It  is  by  no  means  amiss  to  give 
loz.  of  nitrate  of  soda  to  each  3-feet  run  of  drill 
just  before  the  first  earthing  is  done,  as  it  tends  to 
encourage  liner  stems  and  leaves.  The  second- 
early  varieties,  which  will  be  planted  directly  the 
soU  and  weather  are  favourable,  ought  to  have 
wider  spacing  between  the  lines,  because  they  grow 
more  strongly  and  to  facilitate  passage  down  the 
alleys  when  the  time  comes  to  take  preventive 
measures  against  the  disease.  As  a  general  rule, 
27  inches  should  be  allowed  from  row  to  row, 
and  a  distance  of  14  inches  should  be  given  between 
the  sets  in  them.  Each  tuber  ought  to  carry  two 
excellent,  hard,  deep  green  sprouts  to  ensure  a 
splendid  plant  ;  or,  if  the  tubers  have  not  been 
prepared,  let  the  shoots  be  reduced  to  two  with 
the  same  object.  Drilling  in  is  much  preferable 
to  dibbling,  and  if  wood-ashes  are  at  command, 
scatter  some  before  the  seed  sets  are  placed  in 
position. 

Sowing  Tomatoes. — A  common  error  made  by 
amateurs  whose  equipment  of  frames  is  not  com- 
plete is  to  sow  their  Tomatoes  for  outdoor  culture 
too  early.  Where  there  is  only  one  structure, 
the   middle   of  April   is  early   enough  ;     but   where 


there  are  two  of  different  temperatures,  seeds  may 
be  sown  between  the  present  date  and  the  end  of 
the  month.  To  achieve  success  it  is  imperative 
that  the  plants  shall  be  hardily  and  sturdily  grown, 
and  the  earlier  the  sowing  is  accomplished,  the  more 
trouble  is  involved  in  keeping  them  in  that  state. 
If  sufficient  small  pots  are  available,  sow  one  seed 
in  each,  as  this  precludes  the  possibility  of  root 
distiurbance  ;  if  not,  sow  very  thinly  in  pans  or 
boxes  to  obviate  the  necessity  of  any  thinning 
and  to  make  the  task  of  moving  much  easier 
without  giving  the  slightest  check.  The  slower 
the  rate  of  advance,  provided  there  is  no  com- 
plete stoppage,   the  better   the   plants  will  be. 

Successive  Peas. — The  good  grower  of  vege- 
tables regards  an  unbroken  succession  of  Peas  as 
a  necessity.  He  is  by  no  means  satisfied  when  he 
produces  exceptionally  early  or  extraordinarily 
late  crops,  unless  he  has  had  plenty  of  perfect 
pods  in  between  times.  With  a  view  to  securing 
this  he  makes  sowings  at  frequent  intervals  of  his 
favourite  varieties,  and  he  fervently  hopes  that 
the  weather  will  not  develop  that  peculiar  phase 
which  upsets  all  human  calculations.  An  excellent 
rule  is  to  sow  a  fresh  row  immediately  its  prede- 
cessor is  through  the  ground.  The  drills  should 
be  shallow,  flat-bottomed  and  firm,  and  the  seeding, 
after  heavily  coating  with  red  lead  where  mice 
cause  worry,  must  be  thin  to  economise  seeds 
and  labour,  and  favour  a  sturdier,  far  more  prolific 
plant. 

Winter  Greens.  —  The  earliest  sowings  of 
Brussels  Sprouts,  and  perhaps  of  other  kinds,  too, 
have  long  been  made  ;  but  green  crops  must  be 
available  from  early  in  the  autunm  until  late  in 
the  following  spring,  and  seeds  must,  therefore, 
be  sown  in  batches.  Between  the  present  date 
and  the  middle  of  April,  according  to  the  soil  and 
district,  the  principal  sowings  will  be  made. 
Specially-prepared  beds  for  the  seeds  are  desirable, 
if  not  necessary.  It  is  customary  to  select  a  position 
on  a  warm  border  the  soil  of  which  is  thoroughly 
dug  to  the  depth  of  at  least  a  spit,  and  with  the 
top  8  inches  may  advisedly  be  mixed  a  generous 
quantity  of  refuse  manure  or  flaky  leaf-mould. 
Such  material  as  this  is  appreciated  by  the  tender 
roots,  which  cling  to  it  with  considerable  tenacity 
and  thereby  favour  transplantation  with  a  ball 
of  soil  attached.  Thin  seeding  and  early  thinning 
are  details  of  paramoimt  importance. 

Broad  Windsor  Beans. — A  sowing  of  a  good 
strain  of  Broad  Windsor  Beans  must  be  made 
towards  the  end  of  the  month.  It  cannot  be 
claimed  that  these  Beans  have  the  same  con- 
spicuous importance  as  Peas  in  the  vegetable 
quarters,  but  in  no  circumstances  must  they  be 
omitted.  Double  lines  are  usually  preferred  to 
single  ones,  and  the  flat-bottomed  drills,  3  inches 
deep  in  most  soils,  ought,  therefore,  to  be  10  inches 
or  12  inches  wide.  Place  the  seeds  3  inches  apart 
along  each  side  i  inch  from  the  edge,  and  later 
thin  out  to  6  inches  asunder  in  both  lines  for 
fruiting.  This  allows  plenty  of  air  space  and 
profitable  plants  result.  H.  J. 


TRANSPLANTING     ONIONS. 

By  this  time  all  preparations  should  be  completed 
for  transplanting  autumn-sown  Onions.  Too  much 
stress  cannot  be  laid  upon  the  fact  that  the  Onion 
is  one  of  the  deepest  rooting  vegetables  we  have, 
and  in  consequence  responds  to  deep  cultivation. 
The  young  bulbs  should  be  planted  6  inchts  apar' 
in  rows  with  14  inches  between  the  rows.  It  is 
found  that  transplanted  Onions  are  less  liable  to 
the  attacks  of  the  much-dreaded  Onion  flv. 


<afe>^. 


GARDEN. 


'^■- 


^^^^^m^ 


^ 


No.  2158.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


March  29,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Weick    153 

Correspondence 

The  National  Daffo- 
dil Society  . .      . .      154 

Snowdrops  in  the 
grey  moraiiio      . .      154 

Mr.  I-ester  Morse  on 
Sweet  Peaa  . .      . .     154 

A  useful  greenhouse 
plant 155 

A  beautiful  early 
Crocus (C.  biflorus)    155 

Forthcoming  events,.      155 

ROCK  AND  Water  Garden 
Annuals  for  the  lock 

5;arden 155 

The  Shaggy  Pasque- 
flower        15fl 

'I'iie  Edelweiss        .  .      156 
greenhouse 
A     charming    cool 

greenhouse    plant     ]  57 
Asparagus  f^prengeri     137 
Flower  Garden 
Prickly  Pears  in  the 
open  at  Cambridge     157 


Flower  Garden 

Cardinal's  flowers  . .      157 
A  July  border        . .      158 
An  interesting  Easter 
flower 158 

CoLODRED  Plate 

Rose  Old  Gold       ..      159 

Rose  Garden 
The  priming  of  Roses     150 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
Annual  tiowers  with 

climbing  habits..     161 
Columbines  for  shady 
borders        ..      ..     161 

Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens       162 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      162 

New      and       Rare 
Plants 163 

Charrmg    timber    for 
protection   ..         ..     163 

Daffodil  Notes      . .     163 

Answers   to    Corre- 
spondents    . .      ..     164 


IliliU  ST  RATIONS. 

An  early  spring  Crocus 155 

Ihe  Shaggy  Pasque-flower 156 

Prickly  Pears  or  Opuntias  growing  outdoors             . .  157 

A  mixed  border  in  a  Yorkshire  garden        158 

Rose  Old  Gold Coloured  plate 

A  beautiful  Snake's-head  Pritillaiy 159 

A  Hybrid  Peipetual  Rose  before  pruning 160 

A  Hybrid  Perpetual  Rose  after  pruning 160 

A  lamp-post  clothed  with  annual  Convolvuluses     . .  161 

Narcissus  Syeorax 163 

Clip  for  iiajnes  at  shows         164 


EDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  iHll  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  ivill  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  oivner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  tvHl  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  mast  not  be  taken  as  ei^idence  that  un 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  GARDEN  ivill  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


Officer :  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Qarden,  W.C. 


Potatoes  in  1912. — According  to  the  Annual 
Returns  of  Crops  just  published  by  the  Board  of 
Agriculture  and  Fisheries,  the  Potato  crop  in  1913 
was  the  lowest  on  record,  the  average  yield  being 
4'84  tons  per  acre,  the  previous  lowest  figures 
being  4-97  tons  in  1900.  Owing  to  a  Ivger  area 
being  under  Potatoes  in  1912,  the  total  production 
was  not  the  lowest  on  record,  though  it  was  nearly 
610,000  tons  less  than  in  igir. 

A    Beautiful    Colour    Combination. — A    very 

charming  colour  combination  that  might  advan- 
tageously be  carried  out  in  many  gardens  was 
mentioned  by  Mr.  Dillistone,  of  Messrs.  R.  Wallace 
and  Co.,  when  lecturing  before  the  Chelmsford 
Gardeners'  Association  recently.  This  was  a  broad 
belt  of  Lavender,  interspersed  at  intervals  with 
groups  of  pink  China  Roses.  The  broad  belt 
could,  of  course,  be  modified,  the  main  idea  of 
combining  lavender  and  pink  always  being  borne 
in  mind. 

The  Pasque-FIower. — In  the  gardens  at  Lauris- 
ton  Hall,  Kirkcudbrightshire,  may  be  observed 
quite  a  number  of  fine  plants  of  the  Pasque-flower, 
Anemone  Pulsatilla,  growing  in  the  ordinary  border. 
It  is  quite  apparent  that  both  the  chmate  and 
soil  suit  this  Windflower  there.  The  soil  is  a  loamy 
one,  and  there  is  no  lime  or  other  calcareous  matter 
in  it.  The  situation  is  naturally  elevated,  but 
the  garden  lies  in  a  slight  hollow,  and  is  inclmed 
to  be  rather  damp  and  late,  this  being  a  somewhat 
cold  part  of  the  Stewartry  and  known  as  the 
"  Southern  Highlands."  It  is  interesting  to  see 
this  plant  doing  so  well  in  such  a  situation. 

Transplanting  Laurustinus. — Anyone  desirous 
of  transplanting  this  well-known  winter-flowering 
shrub  win  find  the  present  time  most  suitable, 
and  if  care  is  taken,  very  little  check  will  be  given. 
It  is  needless  to  mention  that  as  much  soil  as 
possible  should  be  kept  on  the  roots  ;  but  if  they 
have  been  cut  to  any  extent,  it  is  advisable  to 
remove  some  of  the  shoots  to  give  the  plant  a  more 
equal  balance.  A  mulching  of  manure  and  occa- 
sional syringing,  particularly  in  dry  weather, 
will  be  found  very  beneficial.  Little  pruning  is 
necessary  for  this  shrub  when  once  established, 
e.xcept  to  keep  it  in  shape  ;  this  should  be  done 
after  flowering. 

A  Cliarming  Hard-Wooded  Greenliouse  Plant. 

Unfortunately,  the  many  showy  Australian  shrubs 
which  were  so  popular  in  glass-houses  in  this 
country  about  the  middle  of  last  century  have 
almost  disappeared  from  our  gardens,  and,  \vith 
the  exception  of  the  Acacias  and  a  few  other  plants, 
we  rarely  see  them  now.  Yet  when  anyone  does 
produce  a  well-grown  and  well-flowered  group  of 
these  old-fashioned  plants  there  are  always  plenty 
of  commendatory  notices.  Quite  recently  we 
noted  a  few  excellent  examples  of  Chorizema  varium, 
or  C.  Chandleri  as  it  has  been  sometimes  caUed. 
The  plants  were  2  feet  to  3  feet  high,  and  composed 


of  from  six  to  eight  branches  each,  every  branch 
being  divided  into  numerous  branchlets,  each  one 
bearing  many  racemes  of  the  pretty  orange  and 
red  Pea-shaped  flowers. 

Tlie  Double-Flowered  Gorse. — The  various 
groups  of  double-flowered  Gorse  which  are  to  be 
seen  about  the  river  end  of  the  Syon  Vista  at 
Kew  are  a  good  object-lesson  as  to  satisfactory 
clothing  of  dry,  stony  banks,  for  at  the  present 
time  they  are  a  wealth  of  golden  blossoms,  and 
will  contmue  showy  for  several  weeks  to  come. 
The  positions  in  question  are  built  up  with  sandy 
gravel  which  has  been  excavated  at  various 
times  from  the  lake,  and  the  material  is  wholly 
unsatisfactory  for  the  cultivation  of  many  choice 
trees  or  shrubs  ;  yet  with  no  particular  attention 
the  Gorse  grows  and  blossoms  well. 

A  Pretty  Shrubby  Aster. — For  several  weeks 
past  a  shrubby  .\ster  has  been  flowering  well 
in  the  Temperate  House  at  Kew,  where  it  has . 
been  one  of  the  most  noticeable  of  the  uncommon 
plants.  The  species  is  A.  fruticosus,  a  native  of 
South  Africa,  and  although  grown  in  English  gardens 
as  long  ago  as  1759,  it  may  now  be  considered  to 
be  practically  unknown  to  the  general  horti- 
culturist. Forming  a  plant  2  feet  or  so  in  height, 
the  branch  system  is  made  up  of  numerous  wiry 
branchlets,  which  are  clothed  with  small,  linear 
leaves,  and  terminated  during  late  winter  and  early 
spring  with  solitary  flower-heads  half  an  inch 
to  three-quarters  of  an  inch  across,  the  ray 
florets  being  mauve  and  the  disc  florets  yellow. 

Dressing  Tulip  Flowers. — A  fashion  has  lately 

sprung  up  in  Holland  of  dressing  the  flowers  of 
Darwui  Tulips  by  turning  the  three  outer  perianth 
segments  back  and  leaving  the  three  inner  ones 
standing  upright.  We  are  told  that  the  reason 
for  this  practice  is  that  the  beautiful  colouring 
of  the  interiors  may  be  seen.  This  object  is  partly 
obtained,  but  at  the  cost  of  the  distortion  of  the 
flower.  We  have  noticed  a  few  blooms  treated 
like  this  at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
shows,  and  we  caimot  say  they  appealed  to 
us.  Why  torture  the  poor  Tulip  thus  ?  Was  it 
not  enough  to  see  the  wretched  Nelumbiums  so 
maltreated  last  year  ?  It  is  difficult  to  improve 
upon  Nature's  own  way  of  showing  her  gems. 

Azara  microphylla. — This  Chilian  shrub  makes 
an  excellent  plant  for  training  against  the  walls  of 
houses.  We  do  not  think  its  good  points  when 
used  in  such  positions  are  as  widely  known  as  they 
might  be.  We  know  a  house  as  far  North  as 
Cheshire  which  is  partly  covered  with  this  Azara 
on  its  south  and  west  aspects.  It  has  been  there 
for  about  twenty  years,  and  in  the  hardest  winters 
nothing  worse  has  happened  than  the  blackening 
of  the  ends  of  the  longest  shoots.  As,  however, 
it  does  not  mind  the  knife,  and  as  it  breaks  again 
very  freely  before  the  summer  is  far  over,  the 
damage  is  quite  obliterated.  It  is  covered  with 
small,  inconspicuous  yellow  flowers  in  March  or 
early  AprU,  which  emit  a  Vanilla-like  scent. 


154 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  29,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

[The    Editor    ts    not    responsible    ley    the    opinions 
expressed-    by    correspondents.) 


The  National  Daffodil  Society. — Our  letters  m 

The  Garden  have  acted  as  a  poker  ;    the  Narcissus 
committee  has  been  stirred  up  and  is  now  blazhig 
away  furiously,  as  you  will  see  from  my  notes  on 
page  163. — Joseph  Jacob. 
Gunnera  manicata  and  G.  scabra. — Whin  these 

handsome  water-side  plants  begin  to  deieriorate, 
which  they  will  do  in  course  of  time,  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  move  them  to  another  place.  The  best 
time  for  the  operation  is  March  or  early  in  April. 
A  good  piece  should  be  taken  from  the  old  plant 
with  as  much  root  attached  to  it  as  possible,  and 
carefully  planted  in  some  good,  rich  soil.  If 
possible,  a  good  mulching  of  cow-mantire  sh;-iuld  be 
given  ;  in  fact,  this  will  be  found  very  beneficial 
to  the  plants  at  any  time.  Much  finer  leaves  may 
be  obtained  if  the  flower-spikes  are  removed  as 
soon  as  they  appear. — F.    .    P. 

Tarragon. — To  obtam  healthy  young  shoots  of 
this  much-called-for  herb,  a  fresh  bed  shou'd  be 
made  yearly  large  mougn  to  meet  the  demand. 
It  is  a  native  of  Siberia,  and  readily  miiltip'i'  d  by 
division,  or  by  pulling  up  young  pieces  when 
about  three  inches  to  four  inches  high  and  dibbling 
Ihem  about  four  inches  apart  in  well-pupared 
beds.  Water  the  soil  well  if  the  weath'r  proves 
dry.  There  is  a  plant  sometimps  grown  which 
greatly  resembles  the  Tarragon.  I  grew  i'.  many 
years  ago,  but  it  was  quite  destitute  of  the  real 
Tarragon  flavour,  and  I  was  obliged  to  obtam  the 
right  land  from  a  good  firm,  after  which  I  ex- 
perienced no  further  difficulty  in  maint.-'ining 
plenty  of  the  true  variety. — H.  Markham. 

Snowdrops  in  the  Grey  Moraine. — A  remark- 
ably pretty  sight  here  has  been  a  good  group  of 
one  of  the  finest  of  the  hybrid  Snowdrops  at  the 
top  of  a  grey  whinstone  moraine,  at  the  base  of 
a  small  wall  planted  with  alpines.  This  Snowdrop 
is  called  Anne  of  Geierstein,  and  is  one  of  a  set  of 
hybrids  raised  by  a  Lanarkshire  amateur  between 
Galanthus  piicatus  and  G.  nivalis  a  number  of  years 
ago.  It  is  tall,  and  has  large  and  shapely  flowers 
of  the  purest  white,  save  where  that  is  relieved 
by  the  usual  green  markings.  Against  the  wall, 
and  at  the  top  of  this  grey  moraine,  associated 
with  Saxifrages,  Dianthuses  and  other  plants,  this 
Snowdrop  is  most  beautiful  among  the  grey  whin- 
stone  chips  which  surface  the  moraine.  We  are 
beginning  to  see  how  long  a  period  of  grace  will 
be  given  by  the  moraine,  when  we  find  that  many 
of  the  bulbs  do  so  well  in  it.  With  the  earliest 
Saxifrages,  Snowdrops,  Scillas,  the  smaller  Narcissi 
and  so  forth,  the  moraine  may  be  a  perfect  picture 
in  early  spring. — S.  Arxott.  Dumfries. 

A     Beautiful      Blue-Flowered      Greenhouse 

Shrub. — Flowers  of  a  bright  and  attractive  shade 
"f  blue  are  always  admired,  either  indoors  or  out- 
In  the  greenhouse  blue  flowers  are  not  at  all 
numerous,  and  among  the  shrubby  occupants  of 
this  structure  Leschenaultia  bUoba  major  stands 
out  almost  alone.  The  general  aspect  of  this 
Leschenaultia  is  that  of  a  Heath,  but  the  leaves 
are  thicker  and  more  fleshy  than  those  of  Heaths. 
The  flowers,  which  are  freely  borne  in  loose  clusters 
at  the  points  of  the  shoots,  are  about  an  inch  across 
and  of  a  lovely  shade  of  blue,  somewhat  deeper 
when  first  expanded  than  they  are  later  on.  This 
Leschenaultia  needs  much  the  same  treatment 
as  the  greenhouse  Heaths,  and,  like  them,  it  was 
formerly  grown  as  a  specimen  p'.ant.      It  is  a  nati\'e 


of  Australia,  as,  indeed,  are  all  the  other  members 
of  the  genus.  The  last  exhibitors  of  Leschenaultia 
biloba  major,  at  least  in  quantity,  were  Messrs. 
Balchin  of  Brighton,  who  at  that  time  had  a 
branch  nursery  at  Hassooks,  where  there  flourished 
not  only  this  Leschenaultia,  but  many  other 
almost  forgotten  hard-wooded  plants,  all  of  which 
grew  luxuriantly  in  the  pure  air  of  the  South  Downs. 
What  is  more,  the  blossoms  under  these  conditions 
acquired  a  depth  of  colouring  such  as  one  rarelj; 
sees  elsewhere  — W.  T. 

Early-Flowered  Indian  Azaleas. — A  variety 
of  this  class  of  Azalea  which  has  become  very 
popular  of  late  years  is  Mme.  Petrick,  whose  dis- 
tinguishing feature  is  the  early  season  at  which 
it  may  be  had  in  bloom.  It  is  of  good  habit,  and 
the  flowers,  which  are  freely  borne,  are  semi-double 
and  of  a  deep  rose  colour.  Where  these  Azaleas 
are  required  early,  the  merits  of  this  variety  must 
on  no  account  be  overlooked.  The  best  of  the 
double  or  semi-double  whites  for  early  flowering 
is,  and  has  been  for  a  long  time,  Deutsche  Perle, 
whose  blossoms  are  particularly  pleasing  when 
partially  expanded,  as  they  are  then  just  like  tiny 
Rosebuds.  Another  early-flowering  variety  which 
has  come  promuiently  forward  during  the  present 
season  is  J.  B.  Varonne.  It  belongs  to  a  section 
of  these  .\zaleas  which  has  of  late  years  gained 
many  admirers  ;  that  is  to  say,  those  whose  flowers 
are  of  a  salmon  or  rosy  salmon  tint,  with  a  light- 
coloured  margin  and,  in  some  cases,  a  pale  centre. 
In  J.  B.  Varonne  the  salmon  is  more  pronounced 
than  in  some  of  the  others,  the  result  beuig  a 
pleasing  flower.  Its  most  prominent  desirable 
feature  is,  however,  the  fact  that  it  blooms  earlier 
than  any  others  of  its  class. — H.  P. 

Mr.  Lester  Morse  on  Sweet  Peas. — I  had  not 

intended  to  address  you  on  the  subject  of  the 
necessity  of  tackling  the  question  of  Sweet  Pea 
nomenclature,  because  I  was  interested  to  read 
the  opinions  of  the  lay  public  and  wished  to  see 
in  what  direction  the  trend  of  opinion  might  lead. 
The  mention,  however,  of  two  of  my  varieties  by 
Mr.  F.  Herbert  Chapman  in  your  issue  for  March  15, 
page  130,  makes  me  think  it  may  be  opportune 
to  offer  a  few  remarks.  If  the  floral  committee 
of  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society  were  a  strong 
body,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  would  be  a  simple 
afiair  to  grow  all  the  600  "  varieties  "  and  reduce 
them  straightway  to  less  than  200,  and  give  names 
by  priority  of  introduction  or,  in  cases  of  doubt, 
by  lot.  With  the  help  of  local  horticultural 
societies  it  would  be  possible  to  ensure  that  these 
names  should  be  adhered  to,  and  the  approved 
varieties  could  be  grown  every  year  against  new 
challengers.  There  are  various  difficulties,  but 
they  can  all  be  got  over,  and  I  hope  to  take  active 
steps  to  institute  reform  during  the  ensuing  winter. 
One  of  the  points  that  arises  is  that  touched 
upon  by  Mr.  Chapman,  viz.,  with  regard  to 
differences,  reai  or  imagmed,  m  varieties  that  to 
the  American  eye,  and  perhaps  the  casual  English 
eye,  look  alike,  as  instanced  by  Evelyn  Hemus 
and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Breadmore.  The  former  would, 
no  doubt,  retain  the  name,  having  been  shown 
first  and  given  two  awards  of  merit,  while  anyone 
having  anything  that  he  considered  superior  to 
it  could  describe  it  as  Evelyn  Hemus  (Smith's 
or  Jones's  stock).  This  would  reduce  the  list 
for  the  public,  and  at  the  same  time  enable  the 
seedsman  to  take  credit  for  his  efforts.  It  can 
never  be  possible  for  any  committee  to  decide 
between  two  stocks  down  to  the  last  decimal  point  ; 
nor  do  I  think  it  necessary.  For  instance,  one 
diflorence  between  Evelyn  Hemus  and  Mrs.  C.  W. 


Breadmore  is  that  the  former  does  not  grow  coarse, 
as  the  latter  does.  If,  nevertheless,  it  were  decided 
by  an  independent  body  that  all  cream  terra-cotta 
picotees  should  be  known  as  Mrs.  C.  W.  Breadmore, 
I  should  willingly  acquiesce. — Hilda  Hemus. 

Mazus  rugOSUS. — With  reference  to  Mazus 
rugosus,  for  which  we  were  granted  an  award  of 
merit  at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
meeting  on  March  4,  and  which  was  illustrated  on 
page  139  of  The  Garden  for  March  15,  we 
send  you  the  following  particulars,  as  there 
appears  to  be  some  doubt  existing  as  to 
whether  it  is  a  perennial.  The  plant  originally 
came  from  the  Himalayas,  and  spreads  by  means 
of  procumbent  stems,  which  root  as  they  grow. 
These  produce  flowers  i  inch  in  height.  The 
fact  that  each  rooted  stem  had  a  flower  when 
exhibited  seems  to  have  given  the  impression 
that  it  was  a  pan  of  seedlings.  When  established 
it  literally  covers  itself  with  flowers  during  the 
early  spring  months,  and  also  produces  a  few 
solitary  flowers  during  the  summer,  which  are  of 
a  deep  mauve  colour,  freely  spotted  orange  on  a 
white  ground.  The  plant  is  undoubtedly  perennial. 
Johnson's  "  Gardening  Dictionary,"  1868,  describes 
both  M.  rugosus  and  M.  Purnilio  as  hardy  annuals, 
but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  is  erroneous. 
M.  Pumilio  is  quite  a  distinct  plant.  It  produces 
slender  tmderground  rhizomes,  and  the  leaves  are 
spatulate,  with  slightly-waved  edgjs,  which  are 
about  an  inch  long.  It  only  produces  its  flowers 
during  the  summer  months,  whereas  M.  rugosus, 
as  we  have  before  stated,  flowers  during  the  early 
spring  and  summer  months.  We  are  not  quite 
sure  about  the  date  of  introduction.  —  The 
Warcrave  Plant  Farm,  Limited. 

Root-Pruning  by  Dynamite. — I  witnessed  an 
interesting  experiment  recently  which  should  be 
of  value  to  fruit-growers.  Mr.  Robert  Holmes  of 
Tuckswood  Farm,  Norwich,  has  a  batch  of  healthy, 
young  Apple  trees  growing  upon  his  strong,  loamy 
soil,  but  they  are  growing  too  luxuriantly  and 
do  not  fruit  owing  to  their  excessive  root  action. 
For  a  long  time  horticulturists  in  Australia  and 
Canada  and  the  keen  growers  of  the  United  States 
have  sought  the  aid  of  dynamite  in  breaking  up 
subsoil  for  such  purposes  as  planting  trees,  also 
for  further  increasing  the  fertility  of  the  soil, 
and  in  some  cases  had  foimd  the  value  of  this 
agency  for  lifting  the  trees  for  root-pruning  pur- 
poses. Mr.  Holmes,  ever  on  the  alert  for  something 
new  in  the  horticultural  world,  had  come  across 
this  method  and  decided  to  become  proficient  in  the 
use  of  the  explosive.  On  the  occasion  referred  to, 
thirty-two  trees  were  lifted  bodily.  It  may  seem 
rough  treatment  to  the  trees,  but  where  a  large  num- 
ber have  to  be  done,  time  and  labour  count  for  much, 
and,  furthermore,  observations  have  proved  that 
the  plan  answers  just  as  well  as  the  methodical  way 
of  digging  round  and  cutting  under  the  tree.  The 
method  adopted  is  to  bore  with  a  stout  crowbar 
a  hole  about  fifteen  inches  from  the  trunk  to  a 
point  about  two  feet  six  inches  deep,  in  a  slanting 
direction,  to  about  the  centre  of  the  tree.  A 
cartridge  with  a  long  fuse  is  then  inserted,  and  the 
hole  filled  up  and  rammed  hard.  A  light  is  then 
applied,  and  the  operator  has  ample  time  to  move 
away,  just  a  few  feet  being  sufficient.  At  the 
explosion  there  is  an  upheaval  of  the  soil,  and  the 
thick 'roots  are  torn  asunder.  It  is  then  the  work 
of  a  very  few  minutes  to  adjust  the  soil  and  make  it 
firm  again.  One  could  see  that  the  force  of  the 
explosion  descended  as  well  as  .ascended.  The 
whole  operation  of  lifting  thirty-two  trees  took  less 
than  an  hour. — Avtch  Pea. 


March  29,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


165 


A  Useful  Greenhouse  Plant.— Among  stove 
and  greenhouse  berried  plants,  CaUicarpa  purpurea 
occupies  a  foremost  place,  the  berries  being 
numerous  and  blight,  glossy,  deep  violet  in  colour. 
It  is  usual  to  cut  the  old  plants  back  in  spring 
and  start  them  into  growth,  and  when  the  young 
shoots  are  i  inch  or  2  inches  long  they  may  be 
taken  off  as  cuttings,  but  only  those  with  short 
joints  ought  to  be  chosen.  When  rooted,  pot  off 
in  2i-inch  pots,  using  the  usual  compost,  and 
placing  them  in  a  temperature  of  65°  Fahr.  Pinch- 
ing back  the  shoots  must  be  practised  till^" August 
and  all  flower-buds  removed.  Good  fruiting 
specimens  may  be  obtained  from  pots  6  inches  and 
7  inches  in  diameter,  and  they  must  not  suffer 
from  lack  of  moisture,  or  red  spider  will  appear. 
Plenty  of  light  and  air  is  essential,  particularly 
after  they  are  permitted  to  flower,  and 
during  this  stage  an  occasional  shake 
of  each  plant  will  help  to  secure  a 
good  cnjp  of  berries. — S. 

A  Beautiful  Early  Crocus  (C. 
biflorus).  —  This  Crocus,  frequently 
flowering  towards  the  end  of  January, 
is  a  charming  harbinger  of  spring, 
sending  up  its  beautiful  silvery  white 
cups  from  between  the  very  narrow, 
conspicuously  striped  and  somewhat 
lax  leaves.  The  buds  as  they  rise  are 
slender  and  graceful,  while  the  rich 
feathering  on  the  outside  of  the 
petals  (appearing  at  first  glance  to 
be  dark  brown)  proves  upon  close 
examination  to  be  rich  purple,  which 
colouring  sometimes  tips  the  petals 
also.  The  central  zone  of  the  flower 
is  rich  yellow,  as  are  the  three 
stamens,  while  the  stigmata,  as  in  so 
many  species  of  Croci,  are  of  an 
intense  shade  of  orange.  Frequently 
the  petals  are  semi-transparent,  so 
that  the  dark  feathering  shows 
through  them  when,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  a  sunny  day,  the  flowers 
open  wide.  The  corms  appear  to 
thrive  in  sandy,  fibrous  loam,  though 
1  generally  add  a  little  leaf-mould 
and  grit  to  keep  it  open,  my  soil  being 
rather  heavy.  As  the  corras  are 
cheap — merely  yd.  per  dozen — there 
IS  no  reason  why  they  should  not  be 
extensively  employed  in  the  rock 
garden,  where  the  flowers  give  a 
ilelightlul  touch  of  brightness  during  the  dull 
winter  days. — Reginai  d  A.  Malby. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


ANNUALS  FOR  THE    ROCK   GARDEN. 

A  ROCK  garden  or  rock  path  is  a  charming 
sight  when  well  furnished,  proN-iding 
rock  or  stone  of  suitable  colour  is  used 
i  and  the  permanent  subjects  planted 
^  to  cover  it  are  carefully  chosen  and 
rightly  placed.  However,  as  it  is 
some  time  before  the  plants  will  cover  their  allotted 
spaces,  during  the  first  year  or  two  one  must  have 
recourse  to  quicker-growing  subjects.  There  are 
so  many  annuals  now,  both  dwarf  and  tall,  which 
may  be  used  that  they  are  indispensable,  and  I  am 
sure,  when  once  seen,  will  be  looked  for  again. 
Many    may    be    sown    in     the     open,   others    are 


and  there  is  now  plenty  of  variety.  The  dwarf 
forms  may  be  planted  in  masses  of  one  colour, 
and  should  be  given  a  bold  position,  when  their 
beauty  will  be  much  enh.inced.  The  intermediate 
varieties,  which  grow  about  eighteen  inches  high, 
may  be  used  in  the  same  way.  The  Antirrhinum 
is  not  particular  as  to  soil,  therefore  may  be  planted 
where  more  fastidious  plants  in  this  respect  would 
fail. 
Annual    Larkspurs    and    Pinks. — Delphinium 

Blue  Butterfly  is  very  pretty,  and  should  be  sown 
early  to  obtain  the  best  results.  This  should  be 
given  good  soU  in  a  position  where  it  will  not  get 
too  dry,  and  it  will  then  present  its  true  character. 
It  is  one  of  the  best  blue-flowered  annuals  we  have, 
and  will  flower  over  a  long  period.  Then  come 
Dianthus    chinensis,    or  Indian    Pinks,    which    are 


AN    EARLY    SPRING    CROCUS    (C.    BIFLORUS)    IN    A    GARDEN    NEAR    LONDON. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

April  I. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Meeting 
and  Exhibition  at  Vmcent  Square,  Westminster. 
Lecture  at  3  p.m.  by  Mr.  Arthur  W.  Paul  on  "  The 
Literature  of  the  Rose."  Horticultural  Club's 
Meeting.  Scottish  Horticultural  Association's 
Meeting.  National  .\mateur  Gardeners'  Associa- 
tion's Meeting. 

April  2. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  General 
Examination  in  Horticulture.  North  of  England 
Horticultural  Society's  Show  at  Liverpool  (two 
days). 

.\pril  3. — Linnean  Society's  Meeting.  Huntuig- 
donshire  Daffodil  and  S.Dring  Flower  Show. 

April  4. — Kingsbridge  Daffodil  and  Spring 
Flower  Show. 

April  5. — Societe  Fran(jaise  d' Horticulture  de 
Londres  Meeting.  New  York  International  Flower 
Show  (eight  days). 


best  sown  under  glass  and  afterwards  transplanted, 
and  of  these  latter  I  will  give  a  selection.  There 
are,  first,  the  Ageratums  of  soft  blue,  lavender 
and  white,  ranging  in  height  from  4  inches  to 
18  inches  ;  Abronia  umbellata  (the  Sand  Verbena), 
rosy  pink  and  of  trailing  habit.  Then  comes  the 
annual  Alyssum,  Snow  Carpet  or  procumbens, 
which  should  be  planted  in  good  masses  to  produce 
the  best  effect.  Seed  of  this  may  also  be  sown 
where  the  plants  are  to  bloom.  The  individual 
plants  spread  out  very  quickly  and  remain  in 
bloom  a  long  while.  The  flowers  are  very  nuiiute, 
but  produced  in  the  greatest  profusion.  To  go  from 
white  to  scarlet,  there  is  Alonsoa  Warscewiczii 
compacta,  which  is  the  best.  Planted  in  soil  that 
is  not  too  rich,  it  will  not  grow  too  tall  and  will 
flower  more  freely. 

The  Useful  Snapdragon. — The  next  we  come  to 
are  the  Antirrhinums  of  the  dwarf  and  inter- 
mediate sections.  Though  not  true  annuals,  they 
are  usually  treated  as  such.  They  have  been  much 
improved  as  regards  colour  and  form  of  late  years 


really  biennials,  but  if  sown  early  and  treated  as 
annuals,  make  lovely  pieces  of  colour.  Salmon 
Queen,  The  Bride,  laciniatus.  Queen  of  Holland 
and  Eastern  Queen  are  all  good  varieties  of  different 
heights.  The  Nemesia  is  quite  at  home  in  the 
reck  garden.  It  enjoys  plenty  of  sun,  and  its 
roots  should  be  kept  moist  and  allowed  good  soil  to 
grow  in.  The  flowers  are  of  all  shades  of  yellow, 
red,  cream  pink,  and  white,  and  seen  under  strong 
sunlight  are  most  gorgeous.  There  are  now  some 
new  hybrids  oi  a  li>\-ely  pale  blue,  and  another  of 
pale  lemon  colour.  These  are  dwarf  in  growth, 
and  I  should  say  would  be  very  useful. 

Another  beautiful  little  plant  is  Phacelia  cam- 
panularia,  of  a  lovely  deep  blue.  The  flower  is 
something  like  a  blue  Gentian,  both  in  colour  and 
form,  and  produces  a  striking  effect,  however 
planted.  The  foliage  also  turns  a  pretty  shade 
with  age.  The  next  on  my  list  is  the  Portulaca, 
a  half-hardy  annual  especially  suited  for  rockwork 
gardens,  and  one  that  will  thrive  in  a  dry,  sunny 
position,    where   it    wUl   be   seen    at    its   best.     It 


156 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  29,  1913. 


quickly  covers  the  ground,  grows  about  six  inches 
high,  and  the  colours  are  various  shades  of  orange 
and  yellow. 

The  Silenes  are  very  pretty,  and  should  be  sown 
in  the  summer  and  transplanted  to  bloom  in  the 
spring.  They  are  very  dwarf,  seldom  reaching 
more  than  6  inches  high,  and  prefer  soil  not  too 
rich  and  an  open  position.  Empress  of  India  has 
crimson  flowers  and  flower-stalks.  Snow  King 
and  pendula  alba  are  two  good  whites,  and  pendula 
compacta  and  Double  Pink  are  two  first-rate 
pinks.     The  latter  is  a  very  showy  plant. 

Although  Statices,  the  next  on  my  list,  are  mostly 
perennials,  there  is  one  exception,  Statice  Suworowi, 


The  Candytufts,  which  are  so  free-flowering 
and  sweet-scented.  Tiiere  is  the  White  Spiral, 
which  grows  about  a  foot  high,  and  also  lilac, 
purple,  carmine,  crimson  and  cardinal,  which  are 
somewhat  dwarfer.  All  are  very  beautiful,  and 
should  be  sown  in  good-sized  patches  of  one  colour. 
Pick  the  faded  flowers  off,  and  stir  the  soil  occa- 
sionally to  promote  new  growth. 

Dimorphotbeca  aurantiaca  is  a  decided  acquisi- 
tion. Tlie  colour  is  a  rich  orange,  with  a  black  disc, 
and  the  flowers  are  little  affected  by  the  weather, 
although  the  plant  is  at  its  best  when  warm  and 
sunny,  and  the  flowers  also  open  better.  The  various 
coloured  hvbrids  should  also  be  included.      Another 


THE    SHAGGY    PASQUE-FLOWER    (ANEMONE    VERNALIS)    IN    A    SOUTH    WOODEORD 

GARDEN. 


a  plant  of  singular  appearance.  The  foliage  looks 
something  Hke  a  Dandelion  leaf,  and  the  flower- 
spikes  are  thrown  up  from  the  centre.  The  colour 
is  rosy  pink,  and  the  individual  blossoms  are  very 
minute,  packed  closely;  together  on  stalks  about 
eighteen  inches  high. 

Sowing  and  Thinning.— I  will  now  name  some 
that  may  be  sown  where  they  are  to  b'oom,  and  wit! 
proper  attention  to  sowing,  thinnnig  and  keeping 
clean  will  produce  equally  as  good  results  as  those 
that  are  raised  under  glass  and  planted  out.  The 
great  thing  with  all  annuals  is  to  thiji  them  out 
sufficiently,  according  to  the  kind,  and  give  them 
every  encouragement  afterwards.  I  flrst  mention 
the  Pimpernel,  or  Anagallis,  to  give  it  its  proper 
name.  There  are  two  colours,  pale  blue  with  a 
black  blotch  in  the  throat,  and  a  brick  red  shade 
with  the  same  markings.  They  remain  in  bloom 
a  long  time,  especially  if  the  faded  blooms  are 
kept  picked  off.  They  should  be  given  a  warm, 
sunny  position,  or  the  flowers  do  not  open 
well. 

Another  effective  plant  is  Cacalia  coccinea, 
the  Tassel  Flower.  This  grows  about  a  foot  in 
height,  and  has  flowers  like  s  double  Daisy  on 
slender  stems.  The  foliage  is  very  luxuriant 
and  of  a  nice  green  shade.  It  is  a  plant  that  is 
always  noticed  by  reason  of  its  very  bright  colour. 
Then  come 


pretty  plant  is  lonopsidium  acaule,  the  Violet 
Cress,  a  tiny  thing  covered  with  little  lilac-coloured 
blossoms.  It  is  admirable  for  sowing  in  narrow 
crevices  between  the  stones,  and  should  be  kept 
moist  at  the  root,  or  it  is  apt  to  shrivel  up.  It 
does  not  grow  more  than  2  inches  high,  and  does 
not  spread  like  many  dwarf  plants.  Then  come 
the  Linarias  or  Toadflax,  indispensable  little 
plants.  Aurea  reticulata  is  crimson  and  gold, 
and  bipartita  splendens  is  purple  and  light  blue. 
Both  grow  about  a  foot  high,  and  should  be  sown 
thinly  and  not  thinned  out  too  much,  as  they  are 
very  slender  in  growth.  The  blooms  are  very 
small  and  something  like  a  miniature  Antirrhinum. 
I  consider  them  among  the  prettiest  of  our  dwarf 
annuals.  Linum  grandiflorum  rubrum  is  a  dark 
shade  of  red,  as  the  name  suggests,  and  is  very  nice 
in  contrast  with  some  of  the  lighter-coloured 
flowers.     Then  the 

Dwarf  Nasturtium  deserves  a  place,  and  is 
another  plant  that  flowers  better  in  soil  that  is 
not  too  rich,  and  also  in  a  dry  season.  Two  or  three 
sowings  should  be  made  to  prolong  the  season. 
The  flowers  are  all  shades  of  yellow,  crimson, 
scarlet  and  rose,  and  some  are  spotted  and  veined 
with  deeper  markings.  Some  have  golden  foliage 
and  others  are  silver  variegated,  which  produce  a 
fine  effect  even  if  they  never  flower.  The  next 
that    claims    attention    is   the    Nemophila,    a    most 


attractive  plant  when  in  bloom.  The  colours  are 
very  pleasing  and  dainty.  Insignis  is  a  Cambridge 
blue  ;  i.  alba,  white  ;  maculata,  white,  with  purple 
blotch  ;  and  atrocaerulea,  bright  blue,  with 
small  spots.  They  all  grow  from  3  inches  to  6  inches 
high  and  are  very  hardy.  Two  or  three  sowings 
at  intervals  should  be  made,  as  the  plants  do 
not  last  so  long  as  some  annuals.  They  may  also 
be  sown  in  autumn  to  bloom  the  following  spring. 
Saponaria  calabrica  is  an  annual  of  rose  colour, 
and  there  is  also  a  white  form.  Both  are  old 
favourites  with  many.  They  are  both  very  dwarf, 
and  may  be  used  in  the  front  portion  of  the  rockery. 
1  conclude  my  list  with  the  Swan  River  Daisy 
(Brachycome),.  a  flower  very  much  like  a  small 
Cineraria  stellata.  From  a  mixed  packet  of  seed 
one  may  get  many  shades,  or  they  may  be  pur- 
chased in  separate  colours.  It  should  have  fairly 
good  soil,  and  be  well  watered  if  the  weather  is 
dry.  The  foliage  is  very  light  and  pretty,  and  the 
plants  grow  about  a  foot  or  even  less  in  height. 
It  remains  in  bloom  a  long  while  and,  though  last,  is 
certainly  not  the  least  of  those  I  have  mentioned. 
There  are  many  more  that  I  could  name,  but  those 
I  have  mentioned  will  be  found  very  useful  and 
add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  rock  garden. 

R.  W.  Thatcher. 
Tlie   Gardens,   East    Carlton    Park,    Market    Har- 
borough. 


THE     SHAGGY     PASQUEFLOWER 

(Anemone  veknalis.) 
Of  the  m.iny  members  of  this  lovely  family,  none 
appeals  to  me  so  forcibly  as  A.  vernalis,  the  Shaggy 
Pasque-flower.  As  the  snow  recedes  from  the 
highest  alpine  pastiures,  leaving  the  ground  sodden 
and  black  with  the  previous  season's  decavmg 
foliage,  there  rises  from  a  few  prostrate,  deeply- 
divided  leaves  a  beautiful  hud  covered  with 
brown  silky  fur.  When  this  opens  there  emerges 
a  dainty,  somewhat  Crocus-like,  Anemone  flower, 
white  or  pale  pink  in  colour,  flushed  with  amethyst, 
supported  on  a  shaggy  stem  rarely  more  than 
I  inch  or  ij  inches  high.  .After  pollination  the 
petals  and  calyx  agam  close  over  the  vital  organs, 
and,  the  stem  elongating,  allows  the  embryo  fruit 
to  assume  a  pendent  habit,  in  our  gardens  this 
daiuty  Windflower  has  rather  a  bad  reputation, 
since  (as  it  is  one  of  the  first  to  open  its  blossoms 
in  the  mountains — frequently  being  in  full  flower 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  receding  snow)  it  is  very 
apt  to  attempt  t"  throw  up  its  blossoms  during 
one  of  the  many  mild  or  soft  intervals  which 
characterise  our  winters,  when,  of  course,  it  promptly 
mildews  off,  not  infrequently  infecting  the  whole 
plant.  I  have  found  that  it  grow^  very  satis- 
factorily in  my  moraine.  This  Anemone  is  easily 
raised  from  seed,  and  I  now  have  several  plants 
showing  flower-buds,  the  5eed  of  which  was  sown 
in  February,  1911,  a  satisfactory  result  when  we 
consider  that  many  Anemones  take  several  years  to 
come  to  maturity.  Reginald  A.   Malby. 


THE     EDELWEISS. 

(Leontopodium  alpinumI. 
This  very  popular  alpine  may  be  grown  satisfac- 
torily in  a  lowland  garden,  providing  that  congenial 
surroundings  can  be  found  for  it.  In  the  first  place 
it  is  necessary  to  find  a  suitable  niche  in  the  rock 
garden — the  position  should  be  exposed,  for  any- 
thing in  the  nature  of  heavy  shade  from  trees  is  very 
harmful  to  the  Edelweiss.  The  soil  should  be  of  .m 
open  sandy  nature,  for  a  heavy  adhesive  soil,  where 
moisture  is  likely  to  collect,  would  onlv  l>e  followed 
by  disastrous  results. 


March  29,  191.3.]  ■ 


THE     GAltUEN. 


157 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 

A    CHARMING     COOL    GREENHOUSE 
PLANT. 

(Calceolaria  alba.) 

ALTHOUGH     discovered     in     Chile    so    long 
i\  ago  as  1844.  this  pretty  plant  is  seldom 

/  %  met  with  in  our  gardens.  I  must 
^■■^^  confess  to  never  having  seen  it  until 
•  *     a   year   or   two   ago,  when  an  amateur 

friend  gave  me  a  few  cuttings  to  root 
lor  him.  This  I  did  ;  but  when  my  friend  dis- 
covered that  this  Calceolaria  required  greenhouse 
treatment  he  had  no  use  for  it,  so  I  secured  the 
lot,  and  a  really  handsome  and  useful  plant  it  has 
proved.  Like  all  Calceolarias,  it  requires  very 
little  artificial  heat  ;  indeed,  the  cooler  it  is  kept 
the  better  it  appears  to  thrive.  After  the  cuttings 
are  well  rooted  thev  should  be  pinched  to  induce 
a  bushy  growth  and  be  grown  steadily  on.  A 
compost  of  good  turfy  loam,  leaf-mould  and 
sand  suits  them  admirably  ;  but  the  addition  of 
a  little  well-rotted  manure  and  bone-meal  is  an 
improvement.  The  flowering  pots  need  not  be 
larger  than  the  6-inch  size.  Moderately  firm  pot- 
ling  seems  desirable.  After  the 
pots  are  well  filled  with  roots,  an 
occasional  soaldng  of  weak  liquid 
manure,  or  Ichthemic  Guano  in 
water,  is  vers  beneficial.  Slender 
stakes  about  eighteen  inches  long 
must  be  provided  in  good  time, 
and  the  shoots  lightly  tied  to 
these.  Like  all  the  members  of 
the  family,  this  variety  is  very 
liable  to  be  attacked  by  green  fly.  It 
is  well,  therefore,  to  vaporise  occasion- 
ally to  keep  these  pests  in  check. 

Coming  into  bloom  in  July,  the 
plants  continue  in  full  beauty  for 
three  months  at  least,  and  even 
on  November  23  last  there  were  a 
few  nice  blooms  left.  It  is  a  plant 
that  claims  attention  at  once,  as  it 
is  so  unlike  any  of  the  other 
inhabitants  of  the  cool  greenhouse. 
Ever>  visitor  here  last  summer  was 
interested  in  it,  and  not  one  knew 
what  it  was.  The  foliage  is  light 
and  graceful,  and  not  at  all  like 
any  of  the  herbaceous  or  shrubby 
kinds  usually  cultivated  in  our 
gardens.  When  out  of  flower,  several 
people  have  mistaken  this  Calceolaria 
for  the  perennial  Alonsoa.  The 
foliage  is,  indeed,  very  similar  in 
size  and  shape,  but  the  Calceolaria 
when  touched  has  the  sticky  feeling 
of  Diplacus  glutinosus.  The  flowers 
are    pure   white,    small    in    size    and  PRlc 

borne  in  graceful   sprays  on   wire-like 
stems.     They  are  excellent   for   cutting,  and   alto- 
gether it  is  a  very  desirable  plant.        C.   Blair. 

Preston  Hottsc  Garden^,.   Linlithgow. 


THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PRICKLY     PEARS    IN    THE    OPEN    AT 
CAMBRIDGE. 

NOT  the  least  interesting  feature  of  the 
famous  Botanic  Gardens  at  Cam- 
bridge is  the  large  colony  of  Prickly 
Pears,  or  Opuntias,  that  for  years 
have  been  established  in  a  sunny 
position  near  to  the  range  of  glass- 
houses. Opuntia  robusta,  a  particularly  well- 
named  species,  seen  in  the  foreground  of  the 
accompanying  illustration,  has  so  far  grown  beyond 
bounds  that  it  would  be  an  extremely  difficult 
task  to  enter  by  the  greenhouse  door,  even  if  one 
wished  to  do  so.  The  flat,  more  or  less  circular 
branches,  studded  with  spines,  are  from  i  foot 
to  i\  feet  across.  The  plants  are  literally  growing 
wild,  and  just  revel  in  their  warm,  sunny  position 
outdoors.  The  less  formidable  but  equally  rampant 
Prickly  Pear  spreading  over  a  wide  area  in  the 
background  of  the  picture  is  O.  cantabridgiensis, 
the  origin  of  which  is  unknown.  There  are  many 
and  diverse  forms  of  Opuntia  in  this'collection,  and 
among  others  might  be  mentioned  O.  arborescens, 


CARDINAL'S    FLOWERS. 

The  tall  perennial  Lobelias  have  much  of  interest 
in  their  history,  and  a  certain  degree  of  mystery 
attaches  to  the  varieties  at  present  cultivated, 
hybridists  having  so  mixed  the  progeny  of  species 
that  it  is  impossible  to  unravel  their  pedigrees. 
Those  which  I  cultivate  were  selected  from  seedlings 
of  many  colours,  the  deep  crimson  ones  alone  being 
retained.  So  early  as  16313  Lobelia  cardinalis 
was  cultivated  in  England,  the  stock  having  arrived 
via  France  from  Canada.  It  was  then  known  as 
"  Trachelium  americanum  flore  ruberrima  sive 
Planta  Cardinalis,  the  rich  crimson  Cardinal's 
Flower."  In  1665,  Rea  incidentally  mentions  the 
introduction  of  L.  syphilitica  in  these  words : 
"  There  is  another  of  this  kind  (which  lately  came 
from  Virginia)  with  blew  flowers  "  ;  and  it  is  worth 
while  noting  that  the  early  authorities  called  the 
plant  "  Cardinal's  Flower "  and  not  Cardinal 
Flower,  as  we  do  to-day.  Valuable  additions  were 
obtained  in  L.  fulgens  in  1809  and  L.  ignea  in  1838 
(see  Paxton's  "  Magazine  of  Botany,"  Vol.  VI.), 
the  flowers  of  this  being  blood  red  and  the  leaves 
coloured.  A  ^vriter  in  Harrison's  "  Floricultural 
Cabinet,"  in  which  the  flower  is  also  portrayed, 
recommends  the   stems   to   be   stopped   to   induce 


KLV    PEARS    OR    OPUNTIAS    GROWING    OUTDOORS    AT    THE    CAMBRIDGE    BOTANIC    GAKD1-,.\S. 


ASPARAGUS    SPRENGERL 

If  seedlings  a-'e  transferred  at  an  early  stage  to 
4 -inch  pots,  it  is  surprising  what  nice  little  bushy 
plants  they  make  before  any  very  long  shoots  are 
forra'-d.  We  have  seen  these  used  very  effectively 
for  corners  of  dinner-tables  and  on  smal)  tab.'es  in 
drawing-rooms.  They  remain  a  considerable  time 
in  this  small  state,  and,  being  easily  raised,  seed  may 
from  time  to  time  be  sown  to  provide  succession. 


a  native  of  Mexico,  said  to  attain  a  height  ot 
20  feet  to  30  feet  at  its  southern  limits,  but  so  far 
of  dwarf  dimensions  at  Cambridge ;  and  O. 
monocantha,  the  One-spined  Prickly  Pear,  a  native 
of  Brazil. 

It  might  be  mentioned  that  the  illustration  was 
prepared  from  a  photograph  taken  only  a  few- 
days  ago,  the  plants  having  wintered  in  the  open. 

The  economic  uses  of  Opuntias  are  varied. 
The  fruits,  known  either  as  Prickly  Pears  or  Indian 
Figs,  are  edible.  Some  species  are  grown  in  warmer 
climes  as  food  for  the  cochineal,^while'others  are 
appropriately  used  for  hedge-making. 


a  bushy  habit,  which  might  do  for  pot  culture, 
but  would  inevitably  retard  the  production  ol 
bloom  out  of  doors.  The  name  Lobelia,  it  may  be 
added,  was  bestowed  upon  a  stove  shrub  now  called 
Scaevola  Plumieri,  by  Father  Plumier,  which  was 
introduced  by  Catesby  in  1-724.  Though  one  of 
the  most  glorious  of  all  autumnal  flowers,  it  is 
seldom  seen  at  its  best,  and  in  the  majority  of 
gardens  one  visits  it  is  never  seen  at  all.  It  is  too 
true  that  it  is  sometimes  a  difficult  plant  to  preserve 
over  the  winter,  a  fact  recognised  by  Rea,  who  gives 
very  good  instructions  for  its  preservation.  But 
by   consistent    attention   to    a   few   details,   losses 


158 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  29,  1913. 


A     JULY     BORDER.  AN    INTERESTING   EASTER  FLOWER. 

The  portion  of  flower  border  shown  in  the  accom-  (Fritillaria  Meleagris.) 

panying  illustration  is  in  the  garden  of  Mr.  Walter  Fritillaria  Meleagris,  commonly  Ivnown  as  the 
Jesper,  Beechwood,  .Menston-in-Wharfedale,  York-  Snake's-head  Fritillary,  is  one  of  the  gems  among 
shire,  who  kindly  sent  us  the  photograph  and  the  j  British  plants.  There  are  a  few  places  in  England 
following  notes  :  "  The  photograph  was  taken  '  where  it  may  be  seen  growing  freely,  particularly 
when  the  border  was  at  its  height  of  beauty,  i.e.,  j  in  the  meadows  round  Oxford,  where  children 
about  the  second  week  in  July.  The  flowers  |  gather  the  flowers  in  large  bunches  as  a  rule  about 
just  showing  at  the  bottom  right-hand  corner  j  Eastertide.  It  also  occurs  among  the  rich  lime- 
are  Campanulas.  High  above  them  is  the  splendid  I  stone  pastures  of  North  Wilts,  where  the  flowers 
Delphinium  Reynaldo.  Between  this  and  the  I  are  called  Toads'-heads  by  the  natives.  Near 
Cupressus    is    the    beautiful    creamy    Delphinium  j  to  the  village  of  Oaksey  are  two  or  three  meadows. 


Beauty  of  Langport,  which  shows  to  great  advan- 
tage against  the  dark  foliage  behind.  Just  below 
is  a  young  plant  of  D,  Belladonna,  in  front  of  which 


may  be  reduced  to  a  point  not  worth  taking  account 
of.  Warmth  is  inimical  to  the  plant  in  winter, 
for,  though  not  hardy  enough  to  stand  every 
winter  unharmed  in  the  open,  it  is  at  least  suffi- 
ciently hardy  to  be  preserved  in  a  cold  frame. 
The  plan  I  have  practised  for  many  years  is  to 
lift  each  plant  with  a  ball  of  soil,  packing  the 
plants  close  together  in  4-inch-deep  cutting-bo.xes, 
which  are  afterwards  arranged  in  frames  and  deeply 
covered  with  dry,  flaky  leaf-soU.  In  very  frosty 
weather  a  further  covering  of  dry  straw  above  the 
leaf-soil  is  suflScient  to  enable  them  to  withstand 
the  winter. 

Propagation  is  effected  by  division  in  spring, 
when  the  boxes  are  transferred  to  one  of  the  plant- 
houses,  the  bulk  of  the  leaf-soil  removed,  and  the 
plant,  for  the  first  time  since  being 
lifted,  watered,  and  afterwards 
given  moisture  as  required.  Divi- 
sion does  not  take  place  till  growth 
is  well  advanced,  when  each  piece 
contains  three  or  four  growths, 
and  is  replanted  in  an  open  rich 
compost  in  other  boxes,  in  a  week 
or  so  being  again  transferred  to 
cold  frames,  and  finally  planted 
about  the  end  of  April.  A  highly 
manured  soil,  with  summer  mulch- 
ings, is  essential  to  success.  Equally 
important  is  the  way  the  plants 
are  arranged,  which  should  always 
be  in  masses.  Single  -  stemmed 
pieces  planted  widely  apart  can 
afiord  no  good  idea  of  the  decora- 
tive value  of  the  plants  ;  therefore, 
when  grouped  by  themselves,  they 
should  almost  touch  each  other. 
That  is  the  way  I  use  them  in 
mixed  borders.  But  for  the  best 
decorative  effects  they  must  be 
arranged  in  large  beds  or  borders 
with  other  suitable  plants.  In  the 
present  year  I  shall  use  about 
1,500  pl-nts  in  large  oblong  beds, 
mixed  with  Centaurea  Cyanus  to  a 
width  of  about  6  feet,  with  Tri- 
tomas  and  blue  Stock-flowered 
Larkspurs  behind.  Last  year,  in 
an  arrangement  that  gave  much 
satisfaction,  the  Lobelias  were 
thickly  dotted'as  an  under-ground 
to  heavy  masses  of  the  same  Lark- 
spurs in  batches  of  five,  which 
formed  pillars  7  feet  in  height.  A 
few  tall  yellow  Antirrhinums  were 
also  introduced,  with  a  dwaif 
mauve  Ageratum  filling  any  odd 
vacancies.  Where  many  cut 
flowers  are  a  necessity,  a  portion 
of  the  stock  shoi:'d  be  grown  for 

the  purpose  of  providing  material  to  cut.  The  1  rise  the  handsome,  tall  leaves  of  Iris  Monnieri,  Snake's-head 
flower-spikes  cannot  be  surpassed  for  richness  of '  not  yet  in  bloom.  Below  this  is  a  spike  of  the 
colouring,  and  few  things  last  better.  Very  i  white  Mallow,  while  on  the  stone  edging  are  Saxi- 
briUiant  flowers  for  table  decorations  have  been  |  frages  and  the  charming  little  Campanulas  pusilla 
condemned,  but  not  everybody  disapproves  of ,  and  pusilla  alba.  In  the  centre  of  the  picture, 
strong  colours,  and  for  this  purpose,  too,  the  ]  just  to  the  left  of  Delphinium  Beauty  of  Langport, 
flowers  are  greatly  valued.  In  fact,  there  are  a  1  are  the  graceful  spikes  of  .Anchusa  italica  Opal. 
great  many  uses  to  which  these  brilliantly-  Beyond  is  an  old-established  plant  of  the  early- 
coloured  flowers  may  be  put,  both  in  a  growing  1  flowering  white  Phlox,  and  near  the  edge  of  the 
and  a  cut  state,  and  it  is  difficult   to   understand  '  border  is  a  group  of  Veronica  spicata  alba.    Further 


A    MIXED    BORDER    IN    A 


YORKSHIRE    GARDEN, 
TAKEN    IN    JULY. 


FROM    A    PHOTOGRAPH 


why  they  are  not  more  extensively  grown. 
They  are  well  worth  taking  some  pains  over,  and 
are  sure  to  be  highly  appreciated  if  grown  to 
anything  like  perfection. 

Prestonkirk,  N,B.  R,  P.  BbotbsrstO" 


groups  of  Delphiniums  are  seen  in  the  background. 
Altogether,  the  effect  of  this  long  border  (some 
12  feet  wide)  in  what  we  call  our  '  blue  fort- 
nights '  in  July  is  one  that  lingers  long  in  the 
memory,  even  vvhen  winter  is  upon  us," 


where  it  can  be  seen  in  magnificent  profusion. 
Concerning  Fritillaria  Meleagris  in  this  particular 
neighbourhood,  it  is  a  source  of  wonder  to  the 
natives  that  the  colony  is  on 
the  march,  ever  moving,  though 
but  slowly,  in  an  easterly  direc- 
tion. A  most  interesting  article 
on  this  subject  by  a  corre- 
spondent, "  F.  J.  F.,"  appeared 
in  The  Garden,  July  29,  igii, 
from  which  we  take  the  follow- 
ing :  "  As  regards  the  gradual 
eastward  march,  I  have  a  very- 
respected  relative  who  has  lived 
continuously  in  that  village  the 
whole  of  her  life,  something 
over  ninety  years.  Within  her 
memory  the  Fritillarias  have 
moved  across  several  fields.  I 
cannot  help  thinking  that  three 
or  four  centuries  ago  the  original 
stock  was  planted  in  the  gar- 
dens attached  to  Malmesbury 
Abbey,  fostered  there  by  those 
monks  to  whom  we  owe  the 
preservation  of  so  much.  As  in 
course  of  time  the  Abbey,  with 
its  gardens,  fell  into  decay,  so 
these  flowers,  in  accordance  with 
the  direction  of  the  wind  at 
the  time  the  seeds  were  ripened, 
sowed  themselves  on  their  eastern 
front,  while  the  old  bulbs  on 
the  western  rear  gradually  died 
out.  My  theory  may  be  wrong, 
but  it  is  very  feasible,  and  cer- 
tainly is  able  to  account  for 
this  isolated  colony  of  a  very 
rare  and  very  beautiful  native 
flower." 

There       are      many      beautiful 

varieties    of     this    subtle     flower, 

one     of     the     finest     being     that 

named     Emperor,    illustrated    on 

page     159.     There     is     a     belief 

among   country  folk  that   no  one 

can     successfully    transplant    the 

but      this,      no     doubt,     is     the 

result  of  lifting    when    in    flower,    which    would, 

naturally,    end   in    disastrous   results.     The    bulbs 

may  be  removed   with  impunity  in   August,   and 

will    thrive    in    the  border  or   the    rock  garden    if 

given  congenial  soil. 

.^s  pot  plants,  with  several  bulbs  in  a  pot, 
the  varieties  of  F.  Meleagris  are  exceedingly 
dainty.  Moreover,  they  may  be  grown  in  bowls 
filled  with  fibre,  in  much  the  same  way  as 
Hyacinths,  Daffodils,  Tulips,  or  Crocuses,  that  are 
now  so  extensively  grown  as  room  plants.  We 
have  quite  recently  seen  some  excellent  bowls  of 
Snake's-heads,  but  the  bulbs  require  very  careful 
treatment  when  grown  in  this  manner. 


,„ppln>iniUo  nil-:  (i.lRDl'.N,  Mmrli  ^olh.  191 3 


^», 


ROSE    OLD    GOLD. 


Hiitlsnn  £■  Kearns.  Lid..  Printers,  London,  S.B. 


March  29,  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


159 


COLOURED      PLATE. 


PLATD     1468. 


ROSE    OLD    GOLD. 

THE  wonderful  colours,  or  blen dings  ol 
colours,  we  are  getting  in  our  modem 
Roses  were  certainly  never  dreamed  ol 
by  Rose-growers  of  years  ago.  In 
the  Florist  of  October,  1855,  the  late 
Thomas  Rivers  wrote  :  "  One  almost 
fears  the  point  of  perfection  has  been  attained, 
and  that  no  better  Roses  than  those  we  now 
possess  can,  or  will,  be  originated."  WTiether 
Mr.  Rivers  referred  to  form,  colour,  or  vigour  one 
does  not  know,  but  surely  all  three  attributes 
have  been  vastly  improved  since  those  days. 
Even  as  far  back  as  twenty  years  one  would 
not  have  ventured  to  prophesy  that  we 
should  be  having  such  colours  as  raisers  are 
now  giving  us.  Certainly  one  of 
the  most  delightful  will  be  the 
Hybrid  Tea  Old /Gold,  the  splendid 
production  ofc-ijlessrs.  S.  McGredy 
and  Son.  As  I  saw  it  at  Porta- 
down  last  July  it  was  truly  mar- 
vellous, and  I  was  not  surprised 
to  find  that  this  variety 
secm-ed  for  the  lady  decorator  the 
first  prize  for  a  table  display.  It 
was  thought,  when  the  same  raisers 
gave  us  Mrs.  .\lfred  Tate,  that  they 
had  scored  a  triumph,  and  now  we 
have  Old  Gold,  which  seems  to  be  a 
replica  of  Mrs.  Alfred  Tate  in  all 
save  colour ;  in  fact.  I  think  I  am 
right  in  saying  that  the  latter  Rose 
was  one  of  its  parents.  That  it  will 
be  a  popular  garden  Rose  is  already 
assured,  and  I  predict  for  it  a  great 
success. 

Where  these  raisers  are  obtaining 
these  glorious  shades  is  a  mystery. 
Of  course,  they  have,  as  all  raisers 
have,  their  own  "  bloods,"  and  I 
fancy  they  have  still  more  wonders 
in  store,  for  I  question  if  there  has 
ever  been  seen  a  house  of  Rose 
seed  to  equal  that  at  Portadown 
last  year.  Fancy  one  house  90  feet 
long  containing  plants  carrying  some 
7,000  cross- fertilised  pods  of  seed. 
Upon  one  plant  alone  I  saw  some 
300  pods,  all  tallied,  and  this  plant, 
a  seedling,  had  already  produced 
Roses  for  its  owners  that  had  gained  fo\u:  or  five 
gold  medals.  This  firm  has  some  of  the  most 
glorious  canary  yellows  I  have  ever  seen.  One 
or  two  especially  took  my  fancy,  for  the  flowers 
were  produced  on  stems  as  rigid  as  a  Mrs.  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  and  all  who  have  much  to  do  with 
bedding  Roses  know  what  a  valuable  trait  this 
is  in  a  Rose.  I  only  hope  Messrs.  McGredy  will 
not  keep  us  waiting  long  for  them,  and  I  almost 
wish  they  would  send  out  a  dozen  novelties  every 
year,  although  our  collection  now  is  so  embarrassing. 
I  am  not  one  of  those  who  bemoan  the  influx 
of  novelties,  providing  they  are  really  good  and 
an  advance  upon  e.xisting  sorts.  By  all  means 
let  us  encourage  them  in  every  way  we  can.  Some 
old-fashioned  florists  may  repudiate  these  newer 
artistic  Roses  and  say  they  are  wanting  in  form 
and  substance ;  but  I  know  which  are  most 
popular  with  the  general  public,  and  these  are  the 
decorative  kinds,  of  which  Old  Gold  is  a  beautiful 
example.  Danecroft. 


THE     ROSE      GARDEN. 

THE     PRUNING     OF    ROSES. 

(Continued  from  page  144.) 
Hybrid   Perpetijals. 

HYBRID  PERPETUALS  are  generally 
nice,  easy  subjects  to  prune,  and  it  is 
perhaps  possible  to  grasp  the  general 
principles  of  pruning  dwarf  plants 
more  readily  with  them  than  with 
most  other  groups  of  Roses.  It  is, 
therefore,  worth  while  to  consider  their  pruning 
rather  caxefully.  It  should  be  taken  in  hand  during 
March,  and  in  the  writer's  opinion  the  earlier  in 
that  month  the  better,  and  even  the  end  of  February 
may  often  be  convenient  if  there  are  many  to  get 
through  ;  but  this  view  is  not  accepted  by  all 
rosarians.  However  this  be  for  reasons  which 
%vill  appear  later,  the  earlier  in  the  year  we 
prune  these  Roses,  the  harder  they  may  safely  be 


buds  at  the  top  of  the  pruned  stem  will  grow 
out  and  produce  flowers,  and,  besides  this,  some- 
times in  the  first  growing  period,  but  more  often 
during  the  second  period,  the  third,  fourth  and 
occasionally  the  fifth  bud  from  the  top  will  break 
and  form  shoots  ;  but  the  lower  buds  and  the 
invisible  or  dormant  buds  at  the  base  of  the  plant 
will  not  grow  either  in  the  first  or  second  growing 
period.  This  effect  and  mode  of  growth  may  be 
traced  in  the  left-hand  branch  of  the  plant  shown 
in  the  illustration  {Fig.  i)  of  a  Hybrid  Perpetual 
before  pruning.  This'  method  of  pruning  may 
often  be  noticed  in  old-fashioned  gardens.  Its 
disadvantages  are,  first,  that  it  does  not  allow  of 
the  replacing  of  the  old  wc  ■"!,  basaV  shoots  being 
seldom  produced  ;  and,  secondly,  the  growing  and 
flowering  parts  of  the  plant  in  a  course  of  years 
gradually  rise  further  and  further  from  the  roots. 

Turning   now   to   the   opposite   extreme,    where 
the  pruning  has  been  too  severe,  we  may  perhaps 


A    B1,AUTIFUL    SNAKt'S-HEAD    FRITILLARV.^FRITILLAKIA    MELE.AUKIS^EMPEROR. 


cut  back.  Whether  we  desire  our  flowers  for 
exhibition  or  for  our  own  enjoyment  in  the  garden, 
there  should  not  be  any  very  great  difference  in 
our  treatment  of  the  plants,  for  in  the  case  of 
Hybrid  Perpetuals  the  object  in  view  will,  in  both 
cases,  be  the  production  of  well-shaped  specimen 
flowers.  The  difference  in  treatment  between 
these  Roses  when  grown  for  exhibition  flowers 
and  for  the  garden  will  generally  occur  later  on, 
when  the  thinning  out  of  the  superfluous  shoots 
takes  place  in  May.  The  best  course  to  pursue 
in  pruning  will  be  most  simply  sho^vn  if  we  consider 
first  the  effect  of  pruning  these  Roses  too  little, 
and  then  of  pruning  them  too  severely. 

As  is  well  known,  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals  have 
two  flowering  periods  in  each  year,  each  flowering 
being  preceded  by  a  period  of  growth,  the  first 
talving  place  in  spring  and  early  summer,  the  second, 
in  late  summer,  ultimately  carrying  the  autumn 
flowers.  The  effect  of  leaving  the  stems  too  long 
at  pruning-time  will  generally  be  that  one  or  two 


find  a  single  shoot  only  starting  from  the  cut-back 
shoot  of  the  previous  year,  and,  this  being  insufficient 
to  absorb  the  sap  sent  up  by  the  roots,  the  dormant 
buds  at  the  base  of  the  plant  are  forced  into  prema- 
ture growth  and  push  up  strong,  sappy,  basal 
shoots,  called  by  the  .Americans  "  watcrshoots  " 
and  by  the  French  "  gourmands."  They  usually 
occur  on  the  same  side  of  the  stem  as  that  on  which 
the  bud  was  originally  inserted,  and  absorb  the 
energy  of  the  plant,  to  the  detriment  of  the  liigher 
and  more  useful  branches. 

It  is  probable  that  in  most  cases  the  best  flowers 
are  obtained  when  only  two  of  the  buds  on  the 
young  stems  of  the  previous  year  are  allowed 
to  develop  in  the  first  or  summer  growth,  and  they 
should  be  as  near  to  its  base  as  practicable  ;  but 
the  cutting  back  should  not  be  sufficiently  severe 
to  induce  the  dormant  buds  in  the  collar  of  the 
plant  to  take  part  in  this  first  growth.  These 
basal  shoots,  however,  will  generally  develop  in 
the    course    of    the    second   or  autumnal   growth. 


160 


THE     GAllDEN. 


[March  29,  1913. 


It  is  true  the  autumn  flowers  on  these  particular 
basal  growths  may  often  be  poor,  but  they  will 
not  be  the  only  flowers,  and  if  the  stems  have  been 
formed  early  enough  to  ripen  well,  they  may  be 
retained  and  utilised  for  the  production  of  the 
flowering  shoots  of  the  following  spring,  the  old 
and  now  branched  stem  which  had  produced 
flowering  shoots  the  previous  summer  being  cut 
right  away.  But  it  is  often  well  to  retain  one  or 
two  of  the  best  of  these  oM  stems. 

By  following  this  method  we  practically  work 
each  stem  on  a  two  years'  system,  and  the  renewal 
of  the  young  wood  becomes  continuous.  We  may 
now  see  why  it  is  that  the  later  in  the  season 
pruning  is  deferred,  the  more  buds  should  be  left 
on  the  stems,  and,  conversely,  the  earlier  we  prune, 
the  harder  it  is  safe  to  cut  back.  Although  the 
great  bulk  of  the  food  supply  comes  from  the  leaves, 
yet  early  in  the  year,  before  these  have  developed, 
the  material  for  the  formation  of  the  early  growth 
must  of  necessity  come  from  the  reserve  material 
stored  in  the  roots  and  carried  up  by  the  rising 
sap.  Early  in  the  season  the  flow  of  sap  and  reserve 
material  is  not  great,  and  if  the  plant  be  then 
pruned  hard  back,  though  only  a  few  visible  buds 
are  left,  yet  these  will  slowly  develop  without 
starting  the  dormant  buds  in  the  first  growing 
period.  Not  so,  however,  if  the  same  course 
be  pursued  later  on  in  the  season,  when  the 
flow  of  sap  and  reserve  material  is  in  full 
swing. 

The  system  indicated  above  may  seem  simple 
enough  to  read  of,  and  so  it  is  in  practice  with 
free-growing  Hybrid  Perpetuals  which  readily 
make  ripened  shoots  in  their  second  growth  ; 
but  they  do  not  all  do  this,  particularly  the  weakcr- 


I. A    HYBRID    PERPETUAL    ROSE    BEFORE    PRUNINl', 


growing  varieties,  such  as  Duchess  of  Bedford 
and  Prince  Arthur.  Some  of  these  plants  will 
often  fail  to  push  up  any  young  basal  shoots  at 
all,  or  such  shoots  as  are  produced  in  this  way 
may  be  sappy,  unripe  and  quite  unreliable.  What 
is  the  pruner  to  do  then  ?  Dogberry  chargi  d  liK 
watch  to  bid  any  man  stand  in  the  Prince's  nani' 
"How  if  a'  will  not  stand?"  said  the  wateh 
"  Why,  then,"  answered  Dogberry,  "  take  no  not. 
of  him,  but  let  him  go  .  .  .  and  thank  Godyc^ii 
are  rid  of  a  knave."  Many  a  good  man  before 
and  since  Dogberry,  when  deahng  with  a  subject, 
whether  animal  or  vegetable,  which  declines  to 
act  in  the  manner  expected  of  it,  has  found  no 
better  answer  than  Dogberry's.  Here,  in  fact,  the 
pruner's  art,  his  experience  and  judgment  come 
into  play.  The  plant  may  be  healthy  enout:li. 
but  it  has  perhaps  been  neglected,  and  he  miisi 
consider  how  to  restore  it  for  the  production  ni 
useful  new  growths.  It  may  be  sufficient  to  prune 
the  plant  to  one  or  two  eyes  of  the  last  summer'^ 
growth,  or  the  shoots  may  be  left  longer  and 
partially  bent  or  pegged  down  ;  or,  again,  pruning 
may  be  deferred  somewhat  later  than  is  usual, 
so  that  the  sudden  check  may  induce  it  to  break 
back.  In  the  case  of  Roses  that  have  been  freshly 
planted  in  the  previous  autumn  and  do  not  seem 
to  have  come  through  the  winter  well,  it  is  often 
policy  to  delay  pruning  somewhat  beyond  the 
ordinary  period.  Everything  must  be  done  to 
promote  new  growth,  and,  in  particular,  that 
from  near  the  base  of  the  plant,  while  if, 
when  all  has  been  done  for  this  end  that  is 
practicable,  success  does  not  result,  then 
take  Dogberry's  advice  and  let  him  go,  to 
make  way  for  a  better  plant. 

In  cases  where  strong-growing 
Hybrid  Perpetuals,  such  as  Frau 
Karl  Druschld,  Hugh  Dickson  and 
Commandant  Felix  Faure,  are 
grown  in  isolated  beds  and  the 
long,  autumnal  growths  are  ob- 
jected to,  it  is  sometimes  advis-, 
able  that  the  growth  of  the 
previous  year  should  be  left 
longer  than  usual,  something,  in 
f  ict,  like  the  plant  shown  in 
l-'igs.  I  and  2,  in  order  to  check 
t  lis  tendency  to  form  basal 
s  .oots  ;  and  some  even  go  so  far 
a;  to  lift  the  bushes  and  replant 
every  autumn  with  a  similar  end 
in  view. 

There  arc  .also  a  few  Hybrid 
Perpetuals,  mostly  of  recent  intro- 
duction and  single-flowered  or 
nearly  so,  at  least  with  rather 
small  and  numerous  flowers,  such 
as  Maharajah,  Commander  Jules 
Gravereaux,  Ards  Rover  and,  if 
it  can  be  included  here,  Gloire 
des  Rosomanes,  where  the  pro- 
duction of  a  large  quantity  of 
bloom  is  of  first  importance,  and 
here,  again,  very  little  pruning  is 
necessary  ;  in  fact,  it  may  be  con- 
fined to  thinning  out  old  shoots 
which  have  already  flowered, 
where  necessary,  to  give  room  for 
younger  shoots  to  develop. 

Let  us  now  turn  for  a  moment 
to  the  illustrations.  Fig.  i 
shows  a  rather  vigorous  Hybrid 
Perpetual  before  pruning,  and 
Fig.   2    is    the   same    plant    after 


2. THE      SAME      BUSH       AFTER       PRUMING.         THE 

PLANTS     WERE      LIFTED     AND      POTTED      FOR 
CONVENIENCE    IN    PHOrOGRAPHING. 

the  operation  has  been  performed.  Taking  the 
stems  which  remain  after  pruning  in  order  from 
the  left  No.  r  is  an  old  stem  on  which  two  shoots 
of  the  previous  year  have  been  retained.  As 
this  old  stem  is  to  bo  kept,  one  or  two  buds  of  the 
young  shoots  from  it  must  also  be  retained.  Next 
comes  No.  3,  a  young,  vigorous  stem ;  No.  3, 
another  old  stem  with  two  young  shoots  ;  No.  4, 
a  vigorous  young  growth  ;  and  No.  5,  pointing 
towards  us,  a  rather  less  robust  young  shoot. 
For  strong  growers,  such  as  Frau  Karl  Druschki, 
Duke  of  Edinburgh,  or  Hugh  Dickson,  this  amount 
of  pruning  would  be  about  right  ;  but  with  the 
majority  of  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals  it  would  be 
better  to  shorten  still  further.  In  the  case  of  a 
variety  rather  less  vigorous  than  those  named, 
such  as  Victor  Hugo,  Nos.  2  and  4  should  be 
shortened  to  about  half  the  length  shown,  choosing, 
of  course,  an  outward  pointing  bud  for  the  top 
one  retained.  No,  3  might  be  removed  altogether, 
and  No.  5  shortened  by  about  one-third  of  the 
length  shown  in  Fig.  2.  It  would  probably  in 
any  case  be  necessary  to  leave  No.  i  in  order  to 
keep  the  plant  nicely  balanced,  but  not  more  than 
three  good  buds  should  be  left  on  each  of  the  two 
young  branches. 

But  whichever  mode  of  pruning  is  adopted, 
something  yet  remains  to  be  done.  Tliere  is  the 
end  of  a  stump  left  in  the  middle  of  the  tree, 
and  two  stumps  may  be  seen  at  the  base.  If  these 
are  left,  they  will  only  die,  and  perhaps  lead  to 
the  introduction  of  disease.  They  must  be  pared 
right  away  with  the  pruning-toife,  often  an  awkward 
job,  and  the  wound  painted  over  with  some  styptic, 
such  as  knotting  or  priming  paint.  This  styptic 
may  also  be  applied  to  the  cut  tips  of  the  branches. 

I  have  dealt  with  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals  at 
considerable  length,  because  the  theory  of  the 
operation  is  more  readily  grasped  with  Roses  of 
this  class  than  with  any  others.  In  my  next  article 
I  propose  to  apply  this  method  to  the  Hybrid 
Teas,  Teas  and  Chinas.  Tlie  pruning  and  training  of 
the  multifloras  and  wichuraianas  should  have  been 
finished  before  January  was  out,  and  the  rugosas  are 
usually  pruned  in  February,  so  I  do  not  propose 
to  deal  with  them  at  present.  White   Rose. 

[To  he  continued.) 


March  ag.'igis.] 


THE    GAEDEN. 


161 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

ANNUAL     FLOWERS     WITH    CLIMBING     HABITS. 


T 


HE  value  of  climbing  annuals  for  Although  not  an  annual  ni  the  strict  sense  of 
quickly  covering  bare  fences,  ciothing  the  term,  Cobaea  scandens  is  grown  as  such  in 
ugly  corners,  cr  hiding  up  any  un-  '  many  gardens  in  the  South.  In  one  of  the  London 
sightly  object  in  the  garden  can  hardly    parks   the    writer    has    often    seen    this   handsome 


be  overrated.     Speaking  generally,  the 
cultivation     of     climbing     annuals     is 
simplicity  itself.     The  spring-sown  seedlings  grow 
rapidly,  and  beyond  an  occasional 
tie  or  a  little  care  in  training  the 
shoots,     very     little     attention      is 
required. 

Foremost  among  the  climbing 
annuals  must  be  mentioned  the 
ever-popular  Sweet  Pea,  but  when 
grown  with  the  idea  of  forming  a 
screen  it  is  advisable  to  select 
those  varieties  known  to  be  strong 
growers  and  to  avoid  particularly 
those  of  salmon  shades,  such  as 
Henry  Eckf^rd,  that  are  not  ol 
robust  habit. 

.•ythough  not  usually  grown  as 
an  ornamental  subject,  the  Scarlet 
Rimner  Bean  forms  one  of  the  most 
effective  annual  screens  that  can 
be  desired.  The  beautiful  orange 
scarlet  flowers  are  by  no  means 
appreciated  as  they  should  be,  and 
here  it  might  be  mentioned  that 
the  colour  of  the  Scarlet  Runner 
flower  was  long  sought  after  by 
raisers  of  new  Sweet  Peas. 

The  Morning  Glory  (Convolvulus 
major)  is  another  easily-grinvn 
subject  that  commands  admiration, 
especially  when  the  flowers  are 
seen  at  their  best.  Its  uses  as  a 
climbing  annual  are  manifold,  and 
in  the  accompanying  illustration 
it  is  shown  clothing  what  would 
otherwise  have  been  a  bare  and  by 
no  means  beautiful  lamp-post. 
For  such  a  purpose  there  is  nothing 
to  excel  the  Morning  Glory,  as  it 
is  a  rapid  grower  and  attains  .i 
considerable  height,  while  it  readily 
entwines  itself  around  strings  ar- 
ranged from  the  ground  to  the  top 
of  the  lamp-post.  The  Morning 
Glory,  however,  is  none  too  hardy, 
and  seeds  should  not  be  sown 
before  April. 

One  of  the  most  popular  of 
climbing  annuals  is  undoubtedly 
the  Canary  Creeper  (Tropaiolum 
canariensis).  This,  again,  is  none  too  hardy, 
and  the  most  satisfactory  way  of  growing  it  is  to 
sow  the  seeds  in  frames  in  April,  afterwards  trans- 
planting the  seedlings  to  their  flowering  quarters. 
Its  hardier  relative,  the  common  Nasturtium  in 
climbing  form  (Tropaeolum  majus),  is  everyone's 
plant  so  far  as  cultivation  goes.  It  should,  how- 
ever, be  grown  in  a  poor  soil  in  preference  to  a 
rich  one.  If  the  soil  is  heavily  manured,  the  plants 
will  grow  apace  and  make  an  overabundance  of 
growth  and  green  foliage ;  but  one  may  look  in 
vain  for  the  flowers.  Indeed,  most  annuals  give 
better  results  on  a  poor  or  moderate  soil,  the  Sweet 
Pea  being  a  notable  exception 


climber  used  for  clothing  dwarf  trees  or  shrubs 
that  may  have  died  from  some  cause  or  another. 
By  utilising  a  climber  in  this  way,  bare  gaps  in  the 


have  come  very  much  to  the  fore  in  recent  years, 
and  are  specially  suited  for  growing  singly  up  stout 
Larch  poles. 

A  very  simple  arrangement  for  growing  climbing 

annuals  is  to  fix  three  stakes  in  the  ground  in  the 

form  of  a  triangle,  securely  binding  them  together 

at   the   top   to   form   a  tripod.     Such   climbers  as 

Convolvulus   and    Canary    Creeper 

look  very   pleasing  when  grown  in 

this  way. 


rV    L.V.Ml'-rOST     CLOTHED      WITH    .\NNU.\L     CONVOLVULUSES     BY    A 
CARRIAGE    DRIVE. 


shrubbery  may  be  avoided.  Cob;ea  scandens  and 
its, variegated  form  are  most  often  met  with  as 
greenhouse  or  conservatory  roof  climbers,  and 
when  grown  under  congenial  conditions  the  plants 
are  of  perennial  duration 


COLUMBINES    FOR 

SHADY    BORDERS. 

.Amateurs  are  often  unable  to 
satisfactorily  611  shady  borders 
with  flowering  plants.  The  above- 
named  plants  are  very  suitable,  as 
both  the  foliage  and  flowers  come 
so  fresh  when  developed  in  light 
shade.  Furthermore,  the  plants 
are  splendid  for  growing  in  damp 
borders,  providing  the  soil  is  well 
drained.  By  damp  borders  I 
mean  those  that  are  low-lying, 
and  in  which  moisture  collects 
regularly  in  consequence.  The 
ordinary  .\quilegias,  or  Columbincf 
as  they  are  often  called,  cast 
their  seeds,  and  the  result.ant 
seedlings  spring  up  and  thrive 
amazingly ;  but  the  rarer  varieties 
require  much  more  careful  treat- 
ment. Instead  of  putting  out  the 
young  seedlings  in  their  flowering 
quarters  among  strongly-growing 
herbaceous  subjects,  they  should 
be  first  transplanted  in  a  nursery 
bed.  First  put  down  a  layer  of 
well-rotted  manure  2  inches  deep, 
then  one  of  gritty  soil  4  inches 
deep.  In  this  bed  put  out  the 
young  plants  d  inches  apart  each 
way. 

Early  in  the  spring  the 
young  plants  must  be  trans- 
ferred to  their  permanent  posi- 
tions, the  soil  of  which  should 
be  deeply  dug  and  well  enriched 
with  road  grit,  leaf -soil  and 
rotted  manure  if  it  be  of  rather 
poor  quality.  Plants  so  treated 
will  make  good  specimens  by 
the  summer  and  bear  some  flowers. 
If  overcrowded  in  a  herbaceous 
border  while  they  are  small,  they  rarely  make 
good  flowering  plants  the  same  year.  By 
placing  the  rotted  manure  under  the  soil  in  the 
nursery  bed  the  cultivator  is  enabled  to  lift  the 
plants  with  nice  balls  of  soil  attached  to  the  roots. 


Eccremocarpus    scaber    is    another    very    useful  '  «o  that  the  plants    do    not    feel    any  check    and 
climber.     It    is    particularly    suitable    for    arches  ;  continue  to  grow  steadily.     The  flowering  season 
and  pUlars,   where  its  orange  flowers  are  seen   to 
perfection. 

Neither  must  we  omit  to  mention  the  Japanese 
Hop  (Humulus  japonicus  variegatus),  which  should 
be  sown  without  delay  for  the  coming  season's 
display.  Finally,  we  mention  the  ornamental 
Gourds,    in    diverse    and    fantastic    types.     These 


IS  from  June  to  the  end  of  August.  Aquilegia 
califomica,  scarlet ;  A.  cjerulea,  violet  and  blue  ; 
A.  c.  albiflora,  white  ;  A.  chrysantha,  golden 
yellow ;  A.  chrysantha,  double ;  A.  Stuartii, 
blue  with  white  cap  ;  A.  glandulosa,  blue  with 
white  corolla  ;  and  the  many  long-spurred  hybrids 
are  all  very  charming  varieties.  G.  G. 


162 


THE    GARDEN. 


[March  29,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Mowing. — This  will  now  become  a  weekly  or 
bi-weekly  operation,  according  to  the  weather  and 
strength  of  the  grass  ;  and  if  a  good,  firm,  green 
lawn  is  desired,  it  is  advisable  to  keep  the  mowing 
well  in  hand.  If  left  for  too  long  a  time,  the  grass 
has  to  be  gone  over  twice,  and  if  the  growth  is  thick, 
the  bottom  soon  turns  pale  in  colour,  and  is  very 
ea?ily  injured  by  the  frosts  that  we  are  still  likely 
to  get. 

Feeding. — Where  the  growth  of  the  grass  is 
weak,  a  dressing  of  some  approved  grass  manure 
should  be  applied  during  the  next  few  weeks, 
preferably  during  showery  weather,  or,  failing 
rain,  it  may  have  to  be  washed  in  with  the  hose. 

Worms. — Although  these  are  credited  with 
being  beneficial  for  the  drainage  and  feeding  of  a 
lawn,  the  casts  thrown  up  during  mild,  showery 
weather  are  anything  but  pleasant  to  see.  A 
special  efiort  should  be  made  to  rid  tennis  and 
croquet  lawns  of  worms,  and  by  far  the  best  means 
of  doing  this  is  to  use  Carter's  Worm  Destroyer. 
This,  evenly  distributed  and  well  washed  in,  will 
thoroughly  dear  a  lawn  of  worms  for  a  year,  and 
in  some  cases  even  longer. 

The  Rose  Garden. 
Pruning. — Now  that   the  month  is  drawing  to 
a  close,  it  will  be  well  to  complete  all  the  Rose- 
pruning.     After   finishing   the   Hybrid   Perpetuals, 
all  the  Hybrid  Teas  may  be  done. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums. — The  early-rooted  Japanese 
varieties  will  shortly  be  ready  for  potting  on  into 
6-inch  pots,  and  this  should  be  done,  before  the 
roots  become  too  densely  matted,  in  4-inch  or 
44-inch  pots,  or  the  plants  will  sustain  a  check. 
January  and  February  rooted  plants  may  not 
require  a  shift  just  now,  but  any  lack  of  attention 
as  to  watering  and  potting  will  eventually  show 
itself  in  the  plants,  either  in  loss  of  foliage  or 
premature  hardening  of  the  stems. 

Cuttings  for  growing  on  as  single-stemmed 
plants  may  be  rooted  now,  and  these,  if  well  looked 
after,  make  excellent  plants  for  grouping  either  in 
the  conservatory  or  at  exhibitions. 

Fuchsias. — Old  plants  that  have  been  pruned 
and  placed  in  gentle  warmth  wUl  now  have  made 
sufiicient  growth  to  warrant  their  being  partially 
shaken  out,  or  the  old  ball  reduced  and  repotted 
into  the  same-sired  pots.  Young  plants  that  are 
being  grown  on  as  specimens  must  be  given  a  slight 
shift  as  often  as  they  require  it,  using  a  fairly  rich 
and  light  compost.  These  plants  like  a  moderately 
warm,  moist  atmosphere  while  making  their 
growth,  and,  according  to  the  shape  the  plants 
are  required,  so  they  must  be  pinched.  Pyramids 
are  perhaps  the  most  useful,  though  standards 
of  some  varieties  are  exceptionally  pleasing  in 
certain  positions  in  the  conservatory. 

Pandanus  Veitchii  is  one  of  the  occupants  of 
the  stove  which  are  much  admired  and  very  easily 
grown.  The  old  plants  are  now  throwing  small 
suckers  from  the  base,  and  if  these  are  removed, 
inserted  smgly  in  small  pots  and  placed  in  the 
propagating-frame,  they  will  soon  make  roots. 
To  maintain  good  variegation  in  the  foliage,  a  very 
light  and  porous  compost  should  be  used,  potting 
very  firmly  when  placed  in  4j4nch  pots. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Vegetables  in  Frames. — Peas,  Broad  Beans, 
Cauliflowers  and  any  other  vegetables  raised  under 
glass  for  planting  out  should  now  be  given  ali  the 
air  possible  to  harden  them  oft  preparatory  to 
planting,  and  though  this  may  not  be  permissible 
for  a  week  or  two  yet,  the  hardier  they  are  the 
better  wUl  they  grow  away  when  placed  in  the  open. 

Herbs. — The  herb  border  should  now  be  gone 
over,  digging  up  and  replanting  anything  that 
requires  it,  splitting  up  such  plants  as  Thyme, 
Chives  and  Tarragon,  while  small  sowings  may 
be  made  of  Borage  and  Chervil. 

Mint. — ^To  keep  up  a  supply  of  Mint  till  well 
into  the  autumn,  I  prefer  to  make  a  small  planta- 
tion each  spring,  pulling  up  the  young  shoots 
with  a  piece  of  root  attached  and  dibblmg  them  in  a 
piece  of  fresh  ground  in  rows  i  foot  apart  and  4  inches 
between   the   plants   or  cuttings.     By   about  July 


such  a  bed  will  have  made  sufficient  growth  to 
warrant  the  old  bed  being  dug  up.  For  an  early 
supply  for  forcing  next  season,  such  shoots,  pricked 
off  in  boxes  3  inches  apart  and  grown  on  all  the 
summer,  give  a  much  better  return  than  lifting 
the  roots  and  placing  in  a  frame,  as  a  box  may 
be  placed  indoors  every  week  or  ten  days,  according 
to  the  quantity  required. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Vines. — Too  heavy  disbudding  of  young  shoots 
should  be  avoided,  as  occasionally  there  are  losses 
when  the  shoots  are  being  tied  down,  and  it  is  easy 
to  remove  a  shoot  or  two  when  it  is  found  that  the 
desired  number  are  quite  safe.  Alicantcs  and 
one  or  two  other  very  strong  growers  are  the  worst 
sufferers  in  this  respect,  and  need  very  careful  tying. 

Stopping  the  Shoots. — Generally  speaking,  the 
shoots  should  be  stopped  two  leaves  beyond  the 
bunch ;  but  where  there  is  ample  room  between 
the  rods,  this  rule  need  not  be  rigidly  adhered  to. 
In  fact,  where  the  Vines  are  none  too  strong  and 
the  foliage  small,  I  believe  it  is  an  advantage  to 
extend  them  an  extra  joint  or  two.  All  lateral 
growths  should  be  rubbed  out  to  the  bunch,  pinching 
those  beyond  the  leaf  at  the  first  or  second  joint, 
according  to  the  space  at  command.  Overcrowding 
of  the  foliage  shovild  be  avoided,  as  one  well- 
developed  leaf  is  better  than  two  or  three  anaemic- 
looking  leaves  that  are  partially  stifled  for  want 
of  light  and  air. 

Melons. — Plants  that  have  set  their  fruit  should 
be  top-dressed  with  good  loam  and  a  little  manure, 
which,  as  soon  as  filled  with  roots,  may  have  the 
help  of  a  weekly  dressing  of  a  good  artificial 
manvure.  The  present  is  a  good  date  for  sowing  a 
batch  of  Melons  for  cultivating  in  frames.  Although 
most  varieties  will  do  well  in  frames  with  good 
treatment,  the  smaller  varieties,  such  as  Hero  of 
Lockinge  and  Blenheim  Orange,  are,  I  think, 
the  most  suitable.  Cantaloupe  Melons  may  also 
be  sown,  and  such  plants  would  be  ready  for 
placing  in  the  warm  frames  at  about  the  time 
the  bedding  plants  are  being  removed  to  the  cold 
frames  for  hardening  off. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  AdUlesto)te,  Surrey'. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Bedding  Geraniums. — Although  not  so  popular 
as  they  once  were,  these  showy  bedders  have 
still  many  admirers,  especially  that  glowing  scarlet 
variety  Paul  Crampel.  The  plants  should  now  be 
transferred  to  cold  frames  to  be  gradually  hardened 
off.  Keep  rather  close  and  dry  for  the  first  ten  days, 
and  then  inure  them  to  the  air  by  degrees,  accord- 
ing to  the  weather. 

Calceolarias. — If  frame  room  is  scarce,  these 
may  be  run  out  in  trenches  similar  to  Celery 
trenches.  Lay  a  few  rods  across  the  trenches  to 
support  mats  in  the  event  of  frost  occurring. 

Half-Hardy  Annuals. — As  soon  as  these  show 
the  first  pair  of  rough  leaves,  they  should  be  pricked 
off  into  boxes  filled  with  equal  parts  of  loam  and 
leaf-mould  with  a  little  sand  in  it.  When  sifting 
this  compost,  place  the  rough  part  in  the  bottom 
of  the  boxes  to  encourage  root  action. 

Hardy  Annuals. — These  may  be  sown  within 
the  next  fortnight.  Such  things  as  Nigellas, 
Poppies,  Candytufts  and  Eschscholtzias  may  be 
sown  where  they  are  to  bloom  ;  but  with  many 
of  the  finer  varieties  it  is  worth  while  to  sow  them 
in  cold  frames  or  under  improvised  protection 
formed  of  rough  boards  and  sheets  of  glass  in  some 
sheltered,  simny  nook.  This  precaution  is  chiefly 
taken  to  protect  the  tiny  seedlings  from  slugs  and 
snails. 

Herbaceous  Plants. — All  bulbous  plants  will 
now  be  pushing,  and  the  work  of  forking  over  the 
beds  and  borders  may  be  proceeded  with.  If 
previous  hints  were  acted  upon,  all  top-dressing 
will  have  been  attended  to  ;  this,  1  owever,  is  a 
good  time  to  give  dressings  of  soot  or  ground  lime. 
Any  necessary  planting  or  reduction  of  the  plants 
should  now  have  attention.  In  carrymg  out  the 
lattei  operation,  retain  a  portion  near  the  outside 
of  the  clump,  where  it  will  be  observed  the  pushing 
growths  are  stronger  than  in  the  centre. 


The  Rose  Garden. 

Pruning  Teas. — With  the  later  additions 
to  the  Hybrid  Teas  the  difference  between  them 
and  the  Teas  is  almost  indistinguishable,  whether 
as  regards  colour,  form,  or  constitution.  Taking 
the  Teas  as  a  class,  however,  they  should  be  pruned 
harder  than  either  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals  or  the 
Hybrid  Teas  ;  but  in  carrying  out  the  work  of 
pruning  the  same  general  principle  as  that  laid 
down  here  a  fortnight  ago  must  be  observed, 
viz.,  the  weaker  the  variety,  the  more  closely  should 
it  be  pruned.  Except  in  very  cold  localities,  the 
work  of  pruning  may  now  be  proceeded  with. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Zonal  Pelargoniums.— The  cuttings  inserted 
a  few  weeks  ago  to  furnish  plants  for  late  autumn 
flowering  will  now  be  ready  for  potting  up  into 
34-inch  pots.  Use  a  compost  of  two  parts  loam 
to  one  part  good  leaf-mould,  with  a  little  sand. 
Keep  the  plants  in  an  intermediate  temperature 
for  another  week  or  two. 

Tuberous  Begonias. — Tubers  started  a  month 
ago  should  now  be  ready  f  Dr  potting  off.  The  size  of 
the  pot  must  be  determined  by  the  size  of  the  tuber, 
but  do  not  give  too  much  room  at  first.  Equal 
parts  of  fibrous  loam  and  half-decayed  Beech  leaves 
passed  through  a  three-quarter-inch  mesh  sieve, 
plus  a  little  sand  and  pounded  charcoal,  will  suit 
them  at  this  stage.  Barely  cover  the  tubers 
and  pot  lightly.  Shade  from  bright  sunshine  and 
do  not  coddle. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Thinning  Grapes. — This  delicate  and  impor- 
tant operation  should  be  carried  out  with  great 
care,  more  especially  if  there  is  any  thought  of 
exhibiting.  The  Muscat  varieties  and  those  of 
the  Hamburgh  type  require  somewhat  different 
treatment,  although  certain  general  principles 
apply  to  both.  These  principles  are  as  follows : 
Never  reduce  the  circumference  of  the  bunch : 
maintain  its  symmetry  as  far  as  possible,  aim  at 
leaving  the  berries  a  uniform  distance  apart, 
and  cut  out  the  small  berries  as  far  as  is  con- 
sistent with  this.  Muscats,  having  stiffer  and 
shorter  footstalks,  must  be  more  severely  thinned 
than  Hamburghs. 

Strawberries. — As  the  fruits  begin  to  ripen, 
give  them  the  benefit  of  all  the  available  sunshine, 
also  a  little  air  on  all  favourable  occasions. 
Continue  to  give  mild  stimulants  to  plants  whose 
fruits  are  swelling. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Protection  from  Frost. — As  fruit  trees  on  walls 
come  into  flower,  a  close  watch  should  be  kept, 
and  they  must  be  protected  from  frost  by  means 
of  netting.  It  is  wonderful  what  an  amount  of 
protection  is  afforded  even  by  a  single  net,  and  a 
double  net  will  ward  off  all  but  an  abnormally 
sharp  snap  of  spring  frost. 

Raspberries. — As  soon  as  the  young  growths 
are  6  inches  high,  all  surplus  ones  should  be  cut 
out,  as  they  only  tend  to  rob  the  others  of  their 
due  share  of  light  and  nutriment.  Six  canes  is 
the  maximum  number  that  should  be  allowed  to 
a  stool. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Vegetable  Marrows. — Seeds  of  this  useful 
vegetable  should  now  be  sown  in  a  little  heat  in 
4-inch  pots,  one  seed  to  a  pot.  Moore's  Cream 
and  Long  White  are  two  excellent  varieties,  the 
latter  being  a  heavy  cropper. 

Cauliflower. — Autunm-sown  plants  may  now 
be  planted  out  on  a  south  border  in  well-prepared 
and  highly-enriched  soil.  Lift  carefully  and  plant 
with  a  trowel.  Place  a  ring  of  soot  round  each 
plant  to  ward  off  the  attacks  of  slugs.  Plants 
resiflting  from  an  early  sowing  under  glass  should 
be  pricked  out  rmder  frames  or  hand-lights  and 
gradually  hardened  off. 

Staking  and  Sowing  Peas.— The  early  sowings 
will  now  be  ready  for  staking.  Draw  a  little  earth 
up  to  them  first,  and  see  that  twiggy  branches 
are  supplied  near  the  ground  for  the  plants  to  cling 
to  right  away.     Make  another  sowing. 

Broccoli  should  now  be  sown  after  the  seeds 
have  been  coated  with  red  lead.  For  the  autumn 
supply  Veitch's  Self-protecting  is  very  good  ; 
for  winter.  Snow's  Winter  and  Purple  Sprouting 
are  both  good  in  their  way  ;  and  for  spring  I  can 
recommend  Flower  of  Spring  and  June  Monarch. 
Charles  Comfort. 
Broom/ield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


March  29,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


163 


NEW   AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


Primula  Purdomii. — A  remarkable  new  species 
from  Foochow,  West  Kansu,  and  probably  the 
most  distinct  of  a  genus  rich  in  good  things.  The 
4-inch  to  6-inch  long  lanceolate  leaves  with  the 
stems  and  calyces  arc  covered  with  a  white  farina. 
The  pale  lilac,  yellow-eyed  flowers  are  borne  in  um- 
bels on  8-inch-high  peduncles,  the  umbels  six  to  twelve 
flowered.  Tlie  flowers  are  delightfully  fragrant.  The 
new-comer  is  said  to  be  quite  hardy.  From  Messrs. 
James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited, 
Chelsea.  First-class  certificate. 

Omphalodes    Cappadocia.  —  .\ 

lovely  Mue,  wliHe-t-ycd  species  of 
distinct  habit  and  free  growth. 
The  flowers  are  profusely  borne 
on  8-inch-high  stems.  The  leaves  are 
ovate-acuniiiiatc,  deeply  nerved. 
I J  inches  long  and  i  inch  broad. 
A  pretty  plant  for  the  rock  garden 
or  alpine-house.  From  Mr.  M, 
Prichard,  Christchurch,  Hants, 
Award  of  merit.  Both  were  shown 
before  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  on  the  i8th  inft. 


DAFFODIL     NOTES. 


DalTodils  in  Pots. — I  joined  Mr,  Waiter  Ware 
and  Mr,  Christopher  Bourne  while  they  were 
enjoying  a  good  supper  at  "  The  Windsor "  the 
other  night.  The  subject  of  growing  choice  varie- 
ties in  pots  was  touched  upon.  You  should  have 
heard  them  talk,  I  am  not  going  to  repeat  all 
they  said,  and  I  do  not  want  anyone  to  write  to 


such   busy   men    to    ask   them.     Well,    they   were 

most   enthusiastic,   and   I   do   not    think  they   ate  j  Wilson    staged    was    an    excellent    one. 


Robert  Sydenham's  and  Mr,  C.  Bourne's,  every 
group  had  its  own  seedlings,  to  be  a  bit  Irish, 
Messrs,  R,  H,  Bath,  Messrs,  Cartwright  and 
Goodwin,  Mr,  F.  Herbert  Chapman  and  Mr.  Watts, 
to  say  nothing  of  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons  and  Mr. 
Wilson,  displayed  samples  of  their  hybrids.  This, 
again,  is  but  typical  of  what  is  to  my  certain  know- 
ledge going  on  in  several  amateurs'  gardens.  It 
is  food  for  reflection  for  both  dealers  and  buyers, 
for  it  must  influence  prices.  I  think  everyone 
was  agreed  that   the  collection   which  Mr.   A.   M. 

He    had 


CHARRING   TIMBER    FOR 
PROTECTION. 

Of  the  numerous  expedients  for 
preventing  decay  in  fencing  tnnber, 
charring  is  perhaps  the  simplest. 
Rather  an  old-fashioned  remedy, 
its  use  is  dying  out,  and  creosote 
finds  more  favour  in  modern  fenc- 
ing. There  is  more  in  charring, 
however,  than  may  appear  at  first 
sight,  and  it  is  not  done  merely  as 
a  surface  protection  against  wind 
and  weather.  It  is,  in  fact,  a  very 
useful  form  of  preservative,  as  the 
burning  process  not  only  forms  an 
outer  covering  to  the  timber  which 
is  fairly  good  proof  against  insects 
and  fungi,  but  it  acts  as  a  protec- 
tion to  the  inner  layers  of  the  wood 
in  a  manner  not  perhaps  always 
realised.  The  charcoal  is  itself 
almost  indestructible  after  the  post 
has  been  buried,  but  the  protection 
of  the  deeper  layers  of  timber  is 
due  to  their  being  saturated  by  a 
layer  of  resins,  tannin  and  similar 
material,  which  the  heat  from  the 
tire  drives  inwards,  and,  to  make 
this  effective,  about  half  an  inch  of 
charcoal  should  be  formed. 

.A  tendency  to  crack  is,  no 
doubt,  one  of  the  disadvantages  of 
charring,  but  if  the  wood  is 
thoroughly  burnt  and  not  merely 
surface  scorched,  there  is  much 
less  danger  of  this  occurring.  In  any  case, 
tarring  in  addition  is  advisable,  as  it  more 
effectually  seals  up  the  wood  from  the  entrance 
of  water  and  air,  and  this  is  the  one  thing  needful. 
There  is,  of  course,  some  damage  done  to  the  wood, 
and  a  proportionate  amount  of  weakness,  but  far 
less  than  occurs  naturally  at  the  point  where 
charring  is  required — a  little  above  and  below  the 
ground-level.  Cracks  in  the  timber  should  be 
speciilly  aviided  in  this  form  of  preserving  timber  as 
comoarcti  with  creosote  or  similar  fungicides,    G,T, 


samples  of  that  fine  all-red  cupped 
Poetaz  Rubellite  and  the  almost 
equally  bright  ijicomparabilis 
Robespierre,  He  had  beautiful 
yellow  trumpets  and  no  less  taking 
giant  Leedsiis  and  giant  "  incom- 
parables,"  One  which  was  num- 
bered 170  was  a  great  spidery- 
looking  thing  with  a  cup  of  a 
striking  red  orange  so  large  that  one 
almost  imagined  one's  self  among 
the  Dutch  cheese  in  the  market- 
place at  .Alkmaar,  Others  of  this 
type  were  Cedric,  a  rather  pale 
yellow,  with  that  curious  withered 
look  in  the  perianth  which  always 
suggests  a  chill  ;  and  the  Hon, 
J,  R,  Seddon  (4  J  inches  by 
I J  inches  by  ij  inches),  a-  more 
pointed  flower,  with  a  primrose 
perianth  and  a  deep  yellow  cup. 
I  have  seen  photographs  of  many 
.\ustralian  and  New  Zealand 
flowers,  but  this  is  the  first  lime 

1  have  seen  it  (to  know  it)  m  the 
flesh.  I  heartily  congratulate  Mr. 
J.  Biggs  uf  Christchurch,  New 
Zealand,  on  being  the  raiser  of  a 
variety  that  can  well  hold  its  own 
among  Mr,  Wilson's  gems.  A 
bloom  which  very  much  appealed 
to  me  was  Buckram,  a  flat,  show 
flower  with  the  palest  of  primrose 
perianths  and  a  pale  lemon  yellow 
cup  with  a  band  of  soft  red.  Size, 
3j  inches  diameter  of  perianth, 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  diameter 
of  the  eye.  Two  varieties  of  a 
moderate  price  which  I  feel  I 
must  mention  are  Diogenes,  a  fine 
pale  bicolor  Ajax,  and  Fleetwing, 
a  bicolor  incomparabilis.  Messrs. 
Barr  and  Sons  were  deservediv 
awarded  a  silver-gilt  Flora  medal. 
They  had  at  least  100  different 
seedlings — of  course,  of  varying 
grades  of  goodness — a  gentle  re- 
minder that  the  "  old  original  "  is 
not  worked  out  yet.  There  was 
the  immense  yellow  trumpet 
Ajax    Atlas    (5    inches    by 

2  inches  by  ij  inches)  bearing  all 
as  much  as  they  otherwise  would  have  done.  1  these  kinds  on  its  shoulders  as  it  were,  with  a 
You  can  draw  your  conclusions.  I  know  what  \  leaf  almost  broad  enough  (ij  inches)  to  make  a 
they  will  be.  I  will  supplement  them  by  saying  I  boat  to  take  them  down  the  Thames.  As  nearly 
pot  early — pot  very  early — if  you  wish  for  the  1  all  were  only  under  numbers,  it  is  impossible  to 
maximum  of  size  and  beauty  in  your  flowers  I  describe  them.  Battle  Axe,  a  giant  red-cupped 
and  the  maximum  of  enjoyment  for  yourselves.      !  Nelsoni-looking    flower,    took    my    eye    for     one, 

March  18  at  Vincent  Square. — It  is  proverbially  !  and  so  did  Sycorax,  a  Dutch  cyclamineus  seedling 
difficult  to  foretell  events,  but  the  advent  of  seed-    which  has  a  good  constitution  and  is  a  rapid  in- 


NARCISSUS      SYCORA.K,      A       NEW 
RICH      YELLOW      COLOUR. 


CYCLAMINEUS       SEEDLING      OF 
{Two-thirds    natural    size.) 


ling  Daffodils  in  increasing  numbers  every  year 
makes  one  wonder  what  will  happen  in  the  not 
very     distant      future.     With     the     exception     of 


creaser.  It  is  very  early  and  has  the  well-known 
reflexed  perianth  of  its  parent.  It  is,  however, 
considerably  larger  in  all  its  proportions.     I  fancy 


/ 


\CA 


THE     GAltDEN. 


[March  2g,  iqi3. 


it  will  make  an  ideal  plant  for  the  rockery  or  for 
pots.  Blazing  Star  belongs  to  the  garden  or 
decorative  type.  It  is  j  ioosely-built  yellow 
incomparabilis  with  a  decided  red  edge  to  the 
cup.  I  have  not  grown  it  myself,  but  I  am  assured 
It  does  not  burn.  An  out  of  the  common  but 
charming  little  flower,  the  result  of  crossing  cala- 
thinus  with  minimus,  was  to  be  seen  in  Little 
Queen.  The  small  trumpet  is  ivory  white  and 
the  perianth  pale  lemon.  I  think  such  little 
things,  if  they  prove  to  be  good  doers,  wUl  have 
a  real  use  in  these  days  of  the  rockery  mania 
beyond  their  mere  botanical  interest.  More 
comments  on  flowers  I  must  reserve  till  next  week. 
Clip  for  Names  at  Shows. — A  certain  Mr.  W.  F. 
Mitrhill  of  the  Midland  Daffodil  Society  one  day 
lately  had  a  happy  inspiration  and  promptly  sat 
down  and  thought  out  a  simple  contrivance  for 
attaching  the  names  of  the  flowers  to  the  vases 
in  which  they  are  shown  on  the  exhibition  stand. 
He  thereupon  made  a  sample,  and  then  took  the 
very  wise  step  of  showing  it  to  the  governing 
director  of  Robert  Sydenham,  Limited,  who  in 
turn  brought  it  to  London  for  expert  opinion, 
which  I  am  sure  was  more  than  favourable.  The 
upshot  is  that  it  is  now  being  made  as  quickly  as 
possible,  and  I  hope  to  see  it  before  the  season  is 


A     NEW     CLIP     FOR    HOLDING    A     NAME     CARD. 

over  figuring  at  some  of  our  shows.  The  illus- 
tration fully  explains  the  principle  of  the  con- 
trivance, which  is  simplicity  itself — nothing,  in 
fact,  but  a  small  steel  spring  which  clasps  the 
vase,  and  a  properly-adjusted  holder  for  displaying 
the  name  card.  Everyone  will  say  when  they  see 
it,  "  Why  did  no  one  ever  think  of  it  before  !  "  I  do 
not  thmk  it  will  stop  short  with  us  Daffodil  people. 

A  Daffodil  Year  Book.— The  Royal  Horticul- 
tural Society's  Narcissus  committee,  at  its  meeting 
on  the  i8th  inst.,  approved  certain  recommenda- 
tions with  respect  to  the  publication  of  a  year 
book.  I  hope  that  this  widely-wanted  annual 
wDl  make  its  bow  to  the  public  before  the  summer 
is  over  I  have  undertaken  to  make  a  list  of 
varieties  which  have  received  awards  during  the 
present  season  from  all  societies  other  than  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society.  Lists  of  such  from 
secretaries,  especially  Colonial  ones  in  Australia  and 
New  Zealand,  would  be  very  gratefully  received. 

A  Step  in  the  Right  Direction.— A  small  sub- 
committee has  been  appointed  to  try  to  devise  a 
workable  scheme  whereby  the  scope  of  its  awards 
could  be  enlarged.  The  committee  has  got  deeply 
into  the  florist  rut,  and  it  is  going  to  try  to  get 
out  of  it.  Joseph  Jacob. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES   FOR   CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— YVic  lidilor  intends  tu 
make  THE  G.\KDEN  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance,  no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  ivill  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearlij  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  EDITOR  of  THE  Gaeden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Publisher, 

THE     GREENHOUSE. 

POLYANTHUS  NARCISSUS  (.4.  B.).—On  no  account 
should  the  Narcissus  be  ciiveu  any  stimulant  as  the  flowers 
are  developing,  as  the  blooms  in  embryo  are  contained 
within  the  bulb,  and  the  natural  nutriment  derived  from 
the  soil  and  water  is  all  that  is  needed.  Too  moist  an 
atmosphere  would  also  cause  some  of  the  buds  to  go  rotten. 

ARUM  LILIES  FAILING  (^rum).— We  resret  that  it 
is  quite  impossible  for  us  to  state  the  reasons  of  tho  com- 
parative failure  of  your  Arum  Lilies,  It  may  be  caused  by 
attacks  of  aphides,  or  green  fly,  as  the  spathes  are  develop- 
ing, or  by  their  being  allowed  to  get  too  dry  at  times. 
Furthermore,  the  feeding  seems  to  have  been  on  a  very 
liberal  scale  ;  indeed,  it  may  have  been  sufficient  to  injure 
the  roots.  We  sliould  certainly  advise  the  giving  of  a 
less  amount  of  stimulants,  as  too  much  is  apt  to  set  up 
an  unliealthy  condition  of  the  plants,  which  affects,  first 
of  all,  the  flowers. 

PERPETUAL  CARNATIONS  (T.  H.  H.).~The  change 
from  a  clear  atmosphere  to  a  smoky  district  would  be 
very  detrimental  to  the  American  Tree  Carnations,  as  also 
would  the  knocking  them  out  of  their  pots  and  sending 
them  a  distance  in  the  month  of  October.  The  tempera- 
ture stated  is  correct,  but  if  the  house  was  kept  in  any  way 
close  and  damp,  it  would  be  very  detrimental  to  the 
Carnations,  as  they  need  a  light  and  buoyant  atmosphere. 
We  fear  nothing  can  now  be  done  to  restore  the  plants 
to  health,  and  should  suggest  obtaining  some  young 
growing  plants  in  small  pots  at  the  present  time  and  shifting 
them  into  larger  ones  when  necessary.  The  plants  would 
then  have  ample  time  to  become  acclimatised  to  their  sur- 
roundings during  the  spring  and  summer  months. 

PELARGONIUM  LEAVES  {N.  C.  i.).— Your  Ivy- 
leaved  Geraniums  are  attacked  by  a  trouble  very  common 
among  this  class  of  plants.  Various  suggestions  have 
been  put  forward  as  to  its  cause,  but  the  most  generally 
accepted  idea  is  that  it  is  set  up  by  too  liberal  feeding. 
It  may  not  be  that  your  particular  plants  have  had  an 
excess  of  stimulants,  as  the  taint  in  the  blood  may  be 
inherited  for  generations,  just  as  the  human  race  often 
suffers  for  the  excesses  of  its  forefathers.  At  all  events, 
potting  or  planting  into  some  good  sweet  soil  in  which 
manure  enters  but  little,  if  at  all,  will  often  suflSce  to 
restore  them  to  health.  Some  varieties  are  more  prone 
to  this  disease  than  others.  In  some  instances  a  form  of 
fungus  occurs  on  the  blotches,  and  for  this  spray  the  plants 
with  a  solution  of  permanganate  of  potash,  prepared  by 
dissolving  the  crystals  in  water.  The  solution  should 
be  made  of  such  a  strength  that  it  is  of  a  pale  rose  colour. 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

WASH  FOR  FRUIT  TREES  (F.  N.  H.).— It  is  almost 
useless  trying  to  destroy  mildew  by  winter  spraying  ; 
but  there  is  nothing  better  for  stimmer  use  than  potassium 
sulphide,  at  the  rate  of  loz.  to  three  gallons  of  water. 
Flowers  of  sulphur,  dusted  on  while  the  plants  are  moist 
with  dew,  is  also  an  effective  preventive.  Apple  trees 
affected  by  mildew  should  have  the  affected  shoots  cut 
away  and  burned. 

STRAWBERRIES  IN  BARRELS  (Brandville).— It  is 
now  too  late  to  make  a  good  start  to  grow  Strawberries 
in  barrels  for  this  year.  The  earliest  runners  sbould  be 
obtained  and  planted  in  the  barrels  as  soon  as  they  are 
rooted  in  small  pots.  This  should  not  be  later  tlian  the 
first  week  in  August.  If  you  would  like  to  try  to  produce 
a  crop  in  this  way  this  year,  the  only  way  to  do  so  with  a 
fair  prospect  of  success  is  by  purchasing  strong,  well- 
rooted  young  plants  in  pots  and  planting  at  once.  An 
eightecn-gallon  barrel  is  a  good  size  to  use.  Holes  should  be 
bored  1  ^  inches  in  diameter  at  8  inches  apart,  the  top  row  of 
holes  tobe  6  inches  below  the  top  of  the  tub.  The  next  row 
should  be  7  inches  below  the  first  row,  and  so  on  to  the 
bottom  of  the  barrel.  The  bottom  row  should  be  at  leat^t 
t>  Inches  from  the  bottom.  The  barrel  must  have  five  holes 
bored  in  the  bottom  (1  inch  diameter)  to  admit  of  drainage. 
Place  broken  potsherds  over  these  holes  to  the  depth 
of  2  inches,  and  then  add  over  these  thin  turves,  one  layer 
only,  with  the  grass  side  downwards,  ramming  tiglitiy  down 
over  the  drainage.     On  these  turves  place  as  much  soil 


(say,  1  inch  or  so  in  depth)  as  will  bring  it  to  the  leve^ 
of  the  first  (bottom)  holes,  planting  the  bottom  row- 
Turfy,  loamy  i^oil  of  ratlier  a  heavy  texture  is  the  best. 
Break  the  turves  into  lumps  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg.  using 
the  small  soil  also.  To  a  barrow-load  of  this  loam  add 
half  a  bushel  of  well-rotted  farmyard  manure,  one  peck 
of  old  mortar  rubble,  and  half  a  gallon  of  bone-meal, 
mixing  the  whole  well  together.  The  soil  should  be  mode- 
rately dry  whr^n  planting  takes  place. 

PRUNING  KENTISH  COB  NUT  TREES  {J.  P.).— The 
K'liti^h  I  (ill  Nut  tree  is  much  benefited  by  hard  pruning. 
Tl  IS  con^isi,^  of  cutting  back  the  young  shoots  of  last 
year's  growth  by  one-third  their  length.  This  induces  ■ 
the  formation  of  fruit-spurs  lower  down  the  shoots.  These 
shoots  should  always  be  cut  to  a  bud  underneath  the 
branch,  as  in  this  way  it  encourages  side  or  lateral  growth 
in  the  trees  and  prevents  the  branches  getting  too  high  at 
any  time.  Dead  and  decayed  wood  must  be  cut  away, 
also  any  suckers  which  may  form,  in  order  that  plenty 
of  light  and  air  may  penetrate  and  circulate  among  the 
branches. 

PEACH,  TREES  CASTING  THEIR  FLOWER-BUDS 
(E.  H.). — In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  cau^^e  of  bud- 
dropping  in  Peach  trees  is  the  want  of  sufficient  water 
at  the  roots  during  the  autumn  and  winter.  It  is  no  use 
watering  after  the  mischief  is  done  and  when  the  buds 
are  dropping.  Take  a  lesson  from  the  Peach  grown  on 
walls  out  of  doors.  Buds  seldom  or  ever  drop  on  sucti 
trees.  See  how  well  soaked  they  arc  with  all  the  autumn 
and  winter  rains.  Try  thorough  watering  with  weak 
liquid  manure  every  other  time  next  autumn  and  winter. 
Bo  not  excite  the  trees  into  premature  growth  by  keeping 
the  house  too  warm  at  any  time.  Learn  again  from  the 
trees  out  of  doors,  how  dormant  they  remain  until 
Nature  forces  them  into  gro^vth. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

TO  GROW  MUSHROOMS  WITHOUT  HORSE-MANURE 

(M.  i^.).— Many  materials  have  been  tried  over  and  over 
again,  such  as  moss  litter  and  freshly-fallen  leaves,  but 
without  any  success,  and  we  would  not  advise  you  to 
begin  with  anything  else  than  fresh  stable  manure,  and 
that  from  corn-fed  horses  if  possible. 

VEGETABLES  FOR  EXHIBITION  IN  JULY  (New 
Reader). — To  be  certain  it  will  be  safer  to  make  at  least 
two  small  sowings.  As  regards  Cauliflowers,  it  depends 
whether  you  are  going  in  for  large  varieties  or  smaller 
ones.  If  large  ones,  you  should  sow  at  once  under  glass 
in  a  cold  frame,  and  again  the  first  week  in  March.  For 
smaller  ones  a  fortniglit  later  will  do  in  a  warm  corner 
out  of  doors.  Make  one  small  sowing  of  Peas  at  the  end 
of  March,  another  the  first  week  in  April,  and  another  a 
week  later.  It  depends  so  much  on  the  weather.  For 
Cos  Lettuce  you  must  allow  from  ten  to  twelve  weeks 
from  the  time  of  sowing.  For  Cabbage  Lettuce  a 
fortnight  less  will  suffice. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

TREE  STUMP  AND  RAMBLER  ROSES  {M.  G.  /.).— 
We  think  it  would  be  unwise  to  attempt  to  kill  the  stump 
of  the  tree  with  salt  now,  for  Roses  are  very  intolerant 
of  salt  in  the  soil. 

COLLEGES  FOR  LADY  GARDENERS  (A  Reader).— 
The  Swanley  Horticultural  College,  Swanley.  Kent,  and 
the  Lady  Warwick  Hostel,  Studley  Castle,  Warwickshire, 
both  teach  ladies  the  art  of  gardening.  If  you  write  to 
the  Principal  of  either,  you  will  obtain  full  information 
concerning  them. 

TREATMENT  OF  VARIOUS  NEW  ZEALAND  PLANTS 
{New  Zealand). — Cordyline  australis  may  be  grown  in  a 
greenhouse  or  dwelling-room  from  wliich  frost  is  excluded, 
and  in  the  milder  parts  of  the  country,  such  as  Devonshire 
and  Cornwall,  it  thrives  quite  well  in  the  open  ground. 
It  may  be  grown  in  a  compost  of  two  parts  fibrous  loam 
and  one  part  peat,  with  a  little  well-rotted  manure  and 
sand.  Give  plenty  of  water  at  all  times,  keep  the  leaves 
well  washed,  and  when  the  pot  is  filled  with  roots  give 
manure-water  once  or  twice  a  week.  When  planted  out 
of  doors  it  grows  12  feet  or  15  feet  high,  and  forms  a  stout 
trunk  surmounted  with  several  branches  bearing  large 
heads  of  leaves.  Phormium  tenax  requires  the  same 
temperature,  but  is  always  seen  at  its  best  when  planted 
out  in  the  vicinity  of  water,  say,  about  the  margins  of  a 
lake  or  stream.  It  then  grows  into  very  large  clumps 
and  forms  leaves  6  feet  to  8  feet  long.  You  cau  cultivate 
it  in  pots  or  large  pans  in  similar  soil  to  that  recommended 
for  the  Cordyline,  but  you  must  give  it  plenty  of  water  at 
all  times,  more  particularly  during  the  summer.  Sopliora 
tetraptera  can  be  grown  "in  a  cool  house  likewise,  but 
it  never  does  so  well  in  pots  as  when  planted  against  a 
wall  in  the  milder  counties.  It  then  flowers  magnificently, 
but  flowers  are  rarely  produced  by  pot-grown  plants. 
Similar  soil  to  that  recommended  for  the  otlier  plants 
will  answer,  except  that  leaf-mould  may  be  substituted 
for  manure.  It  will  not  require  so  much  water  as  the 
other  two,  especially  during  the  winter. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— JWra.  iJnyfn/)ori.— Cistus  albidua 
and  Nephrolepis  exaltata. — —S.  P.  Rowlands. — 1,  Prunua 
Laurocerasus  (common  Laurel) ;  2,  Berbeils  Aquifolium;  3, 
Prunus  lusitanica  (Portugal  Laurel) ;  4,  Ligustrum  vulgare 

(common    Privet);  5,  Sequoia  gigantea. M.  O.   F. — 

Probably  Prunus  Mume  ;  specimen  tuo  scrappy  to  identify. 

0.  Dean. — Rumex  Acctosella  (Sheep  Sorrel). <?,  E. 

Bletchley. — The  common  Privet  (Ligustrum  vulgare). 

NAMES  OF  FRUITS. — F.  Crockdt, — 1,  Smart's  Prince 
Arthur;  2,  Nelson's  Codlin. 


GARDEN.  I 


^'^^^^^ 


-50"=^' 


No.   2159.— Vol.  LXXVU. 


April  5,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 


Notes  of  thk  Wkkk     IB.') 

CORRESPONDKNCK 

Mr.  Lester  Morse  rm 

Sweet  Peas..  ..  16« 
The     fifty    best 

alpiiies. .      ....     106 

Reliable     Lilies    fur 

tlio  garden  . .  . .  107 
I'lie    ad  van  ee    in 

yellow  Hoses  .  .  167 
Phizes  for  the  Best 

KOOK  OARDESS      ..      16" 

Forthcoming  events..     167 

Science  in    Uelatios    to 
horticditure 
Sterilisation  of  soils     167 

llOCK  AND    WATKR    OAKDEN 

Some  uneo  m  mon 
alpines 168 

A  free-flowering  Gen- 
tian             168 

Flower  Garden 

Daffodils  at  Vincent 
Square 169 

frimula  Purdomii..      170 

Beautiful     border 
flowers 170 


Fl-OWKR   fiARDEN 

Six  annuals  that 
might  be  more 
grown 170 


Tulipa  clusiana 

171 

Sweet  Pea  notes      .. 

171 

Kitchen  Garden 

Potatoes  that  resist 

wart  disease 

17U 

Globe  .\rticljokes  . . 

17a 

Rose  Garden 

The  pruninj!  of  Roses 

172 

Gardening  of  the  Week 

For    Southern    gar- 

dens      -     . .     . . 

174 

For    Northern    gar- 

dens      

174 

Seasonable  Notes  on 

Carnations    ..     .. 

173 

Notes  on  Auriculas    . . 

173 

Answers    to   C o r r e ' 

SPONDE  NTS 

Flower  garden 

175 

Rose  garden   . . 

176 

Greenhouse     . .      , . 

IVtt 

Fruit  garden  . . 

176 

Miscellaneous 

176 

ILiLiUSTRATIONS. 

The  deciduous  Cypress  m  Northern  Florida      ..      ..  166 

A  little-known  Gentian  from  Asia  Minor 168 

A  magnifloent  bloom  of  Daffodil  The  Doctor    ..      ..  169 

Primula  Purdomii ..      ..  170 

A  flue  colony  of  "  The  Lady  Tulip  •■ 171 

A  Hybrid  Tea  Rose  before  pruning 172 

The  same  Hybrid  Tea  Rose  after  pruning 172 

Tea  Rose  before  pruning        17o 

The  same  Tea  Rose  after  pruning       173 


EDITORIAL    NOTIOBS. 

Every  description  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
InU  he  mil  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photograplts,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
graoher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  takeri  as  evidence  that,  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  loill  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Oficet :  20,  Tarislock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


I  A  Good  Green  Paint. — In  response  to  requests 
I  from  se\  era]  readers,  we  repeat  the  recipe  for  a  really 

good  green  paint  which  first  appeared  in  our  pages 
I  in  iqro.  This  is  a  mixture  of  paints  "  ground  in 
■  oil"  of  one  part  hi  act;,  two  parts  light  chrome, 
I  and  four  parts  white  lead,  suitably  thinned  in  the 

usual    w<iy.     Most    of   the    so-called    green    paints 

used  for  stakes  and  tubs  refuse  to  harmonise  with 

green  foliage  and  stems. 

Manuring  Strawberry-Beds.— During  the  next 

week  or  two  it  will  be  advisable  to  give  the  Straw- 
berry-bed a  rather  hea\  y  dressing  of  long,  strawy 
manure.  This  will  answer  a  dual  purpose.  A 
certain  amount  of  nutriment  will  be  washed  from 
it  down  into  the  soil,  and  by  the  time  the  fruit  is 
ripening,  the  straw  will  be  perfectly  sweet  and 
clean,  and  act  as  a  good  protection  against  the 
splashing  of  the  fruits  by  rain.  Previous  to  put- 
ting on  the  manure  we  like  to  very  lightly  fork 
into  the  soil  some  soot  and  lime,  about  a  good 
handful  of  each  to  a  square  yard. 
A    Beautiful   Rock   Garden   Viola.— in    Viola 

florairensis  we  have  a  delightful  little  hybrid 
Viola,  raised  by  M.  Correvon  in  his  alpine  garden, 
and  one  of  the  mijst  useful  rock  garden  plants. 
It  is  only  2  inches  or  3  inches  high,  and  bears  for 
a  long  time  in  succession  delightful  little  blue 
flowers.  It  has  already  acquired  considerable 
favour,  and  should  be  remembered  by  those  who 
are  fond  of  these  dainty  hybrid  Violas  in  their 
rock  gardens.  That  it  is  a  welcome  plant  in  the 
famous  garden  of  Sir  Frank  Crisp  is  a  sufficient 
passport  to  secure  the  admission  of  this  Swiss 
hybrid  tn  many  of  our  best  rock  gardens. 

Limes  at  Brockley  Coombe.— In  the  beautiful 
woods  at  Brockley  Coombe,  Somerset,  may  be  seen 
some  of  the  finest  Lime  trees  in  the  country.  .-^ 
little  way  off  the  public  road  that  runs  through 
the  coombe  stand  a  line  of  eight  veteran  trees, 
the  remains  of  what  was  probably  a  much  longer 
avenue.  The  trees  are  of  magnificent  proportions, 
with  low-spreading  branches  almost  from  the 
base.  Some  of  the  side  branches  alone  are  t2  feet 
to  r4  feet  in  girth.  That  the  trees  are  of  great 
age  there  can  be  no  doubt.  They  are  said  to  be 
over  four  hundred  years,  while  the  common  Poly- 
pody growing  on  the  branches  adds  an  additional 
charm  to  the  picturesque  appearance  of  these 
noble  trees. 

Official  Guide  to  Kew  Gardens. — The  Board  of 

.\griculture  and  I'lsheries  have  appointed  an 
official  guide  to  conduct  parties  of  visitors  round 
the  collections  in  the  gardens,  plant-houses  and 
museums.  Two  tours  will  be  made  daily,  Sundays. 
Good  Friday.  Christmas  Day  and  Bank  Holidays 
excepted.  .\  njminai  scale  of  charges  has  been 
authorised,  and  means  will  be  taken  to  prevent 
unauthorised  persons  attaching  themselves  to  the 
party.  These  tours,  of  which  full  particulars 
can  be  obtained  by  applying  to  the  Director,  the 


Royal  Gardens,  Kew,  commenced  on  April  i.  and 
should  be  much  appreciated  by  those  who  wish 
to  gain  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  many  inter- 
esting features  to  be  found  in  the  gardens. 

A  Yellow-Flowered,  Fragrant  Annual.  Har- 
tonia  aurcu  is  a  showy  hardy  annual  with  large 
golden  yellow  flowers  an  inch  or  so  across,  which 
arc  fully  expanded  in  the  evening,  when  they  are 
very  fragrant.  It  will  thrive  in  the  open  border 
or  in  partial  shade,  and  to  produce  a  display  during 
the  summer  months,  seed  should  be  sown  in  April. 
This  annual  does  not  like  transplanting,  neither 
ought  the  seedlings  to  be  crowded.  When  large 
enough  it  is  advisable  to  thin  them  to  a  distance 
of  4  inches.  The  plant  grows  about  eighteen 
inches  high. 

"Setting  "  Tomato  Blooms. — It  is  well  known     « 

that  bees  never  visit  the  flowers  of  the  Tomato, 
and  in  order  to  secure  a  good  yield  of  fruits  it  is 
necessary  to  adopt  some  artificial  means  of  polli- 
nating the  blooms.  This  is  usually  accomplished 
by  tapping  the  stakes  or  wires  to  which  the  plants 
are  tied,  or  by  pollinating  the  flowers  with  a  hare's 
tail.  .A.  much  better  way  of  performing  this  work 
is  by  syringing  the  plants  with  clear  water  about 
noon,  when  the  flowers  are  open.  The  different 
methods  have  been  tried  both  with  Tomatoes 
under  glass  and  in  the  open,  and  the  use  of  the 
syringe  has  given  the  best  resiuts. 
Pruning    Forsythia    suspensa. — .Although    it 

is  not  necessary  under  all  conditions  to  prune 
this  plant  regularly,  when  it  is  planted  against  a 
wall  or  trellis,  or  when  it  is  grown  as  a  bed  in  the 
open  ground,  an  annual  pruning  is  essential,  and 
n  )w,  or  as  soon  as  the  flowers  are  over,  is  the  time 
to  do  the  work.  Cut  all  secondary  branches  back 
to  within  one  or  two  eyes  of  the  base  and  remove 
very  weak  shoots  altogether,  for  it  is  better  to 
obtain  a  comparatively  small  number  of  long, 
vigorous  shoots  than  a  larger  number  of  weaker 
growths.  As  soon  as  the  pruning  is  done,  fork 
the  ground  lightly  over  about  the  roots  and  apply 
a  generous  dressing  of  well-rotted  farmyard  manure, 
for  to  keep  the  plants  in  good  health  it  is  necessary 
to  keep  the  surface  soil  rich. 
Alleged    Poisoning    by    Ferns.— At    a   recent 

meeting  of  the  scientific  committee  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society,  Miss  S.  Edmonds  sent  an 
account  of  the  death  of  two  cats,  supposed  to  have 
been  caused  by  eating  the  fronds  of  Ferns  in  a 
dwelling-house.  One  had  died  and  a  second, 
which  later  betrayed  the  same  symptoms,  which 
were  those  of  an  irritant  poison,  was  killed,  as 
recovery  was  deemed  impossible.  The  first  was 
not  examined,  but  the  second  was,  and  pieces  of 
a  Fern  frond  were  found  in  the  stomach.  The 
Fern  was  sent  for  examination,  and  proved  to  be 
Nephrolepis  exaltata  todeaoides.  No  record  of 
this  Fern  or  any  of  its  congeners  being  poisonous 
was  known  to  any  member  of  the  committee,  but  the 
committee  would  be  glad  to  leam  whether  animals 
having  access  to  it  have  been  known  to  be  poisoned, 


166 


THE    GARDEN. 


[April  5,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The    Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


The  Shaggy  Pasque-Flower. — Owing  to  a 
misunderstanding,  the  illustration  of  this  Pasque- 
flower (Anemone  vernalis)  on  page  ijO  of  last 
week's  issue  was  stated  to  represent  a  group  grow- 
ing in  Mr.  Malby's  garden  at  South  Woodford. 
The  photograph  was  taken  by  Mr.  Malby  last 
July  in   the  Valois  at  an  altitude  of  8.500  feet. 

The  Raising  o(  Seedling  Narcissi. — For  some 
years  past  Narcissus  Princess  Mary  has  been 
recommended  to  those  who  are  engaged  in  hybridis- 
ing the  Daffodil  as  an  excellent  seeder 
and  parent  of  fine  progeny.  I  have 
for  years  raised  numbers  of  seedlings 
from  it,  and  many  charming  varieties 
may  be  picked  out  of  them.  But 
Princess  Mary  seedlings  are  mostly  on 
the  srhall  side,  and  among  the  multi- 
tudinous things  that .  are  now  being 
produced  on  all  sides,  size  is  becom- 
ing an  important  consideration.  I  wonder 
if  any  of  your  readers  know  of  a  large 
incomparabilis  which  will  throw  seed- 
lings of  anything  like  the  beauty  and 
variety  that  does  Princess  Mary,  but  of 
larger  size.  If  so,  I  feel  sure  that  the 
information  would  be  useful  to  others 
besides  myself. — A. 

Iris  fimbriata. — "  T.  M.  D.'s  "  note 
and  illustration  of  this  plant  on 
page  142  of  March  22  issue  are  very 
interesting.  I  have  grown  this  plant 
for  ten  years,  and  I  never  fail  to 
flower  it.  The  first  plant  I  had  was 
brought  by  a  lady  also  from  Rome, 
and  she  called  it  a  "  Roman  Iris," 
but  the  proper  name  is  Iris  japonica 
sinensis  fimbriata.  I  had  it  classified 
at  Kew.  It  is  a  beautiful  flower, 
but  only  lasts  for  such  a  short  time. 
— J.  S.  HiGGiNS,  Glynllivon  Gardens, 
Carnarvon. 

I   was  much   interested   to  see 

illustrated  on  page  142  of  March  22 
issue  Iris  fimbriata.  I  may  say  my 
employer  sent  a  plant  of  this  home 
from  Madeira  five  years  ago,  which  has 
done  very  well  and  flowered  very  freely 
every  year  since.  I  have  grown  it  in 
a  vinery  for  the  most  part,  and  it  seems 
to  have  suited  it  very  well.  I  should 
be  pleased  to  know  if  the  plant 
illustrated  behaves  in  the  same  way 
as  mine  does,  that  is,  that  here  the 
individual  blooms,  which  are  of  a 
most  fascinating  shade  of  pale  blue,  with  very 
fine  delicate  darker  markings  and  a  beautiful 
yellow  throat,  only  last  about  twenty-four  horn's  ; 
but  such  a  quantity  of  blooms  are  produced  on  the 
spikes  that  the  flowering  period  lasts  with  me 
about  six  weeks.  —  David  Mackie,  The  Gardens, 
Eshott  Hall,  Felton,  Northumberland.  [It  is 
characteristic  of  this  Iris  for  each  flower  to  last 
only  for  about  twenty-four  hours,  but,  as  our  corre- 
spondent points  out,  so  many  are  produced  that  a 
good  plant  always  has  a  number  of  open  blossoms 
during  the  flowering  season.  We  hope  next  week  to 
publish  cultinal  details  of  this  chaiming  Iris. — Ed.] 

Iris  delicata. — As  the  very  earliest  of  the 
Bearded  Irises,  this  is  a  valuable  h'ttle  plant, 
although   the    flowers   are   not    particularly  showy. 


The  standards  are  silvery  white  and  the  falls  are 
sulphur  coloured,  with  rather  deeper  veinings 
and  a  yellow  beard.  In  our  large  collection  of 
species  and  hybrids  this  is  the  first  to  flower  out 
of  doors,  and  so  we  think  it  deserves  to  be  better 
known.  It  was  raised  several  years  ago  by  Mr. 
W.  J.  Caparne,  but  is  still  very  scarce.  It  must 
be  grouped  with  the  pumilas,  the  flowers  rising 
only  from  6  inches  to  8  inches  above  the  ground. 
The  constitution  is  sound  and  vigorous,  although 
it  does  not  increase  so  rapidly  as  some  varieties. — 
R.  Wallace  and  Co. 

Mr.  Lester  Morse  on  Sweet  Peas. — In  refer- 
ence to  the  note  by  Miss  Hemus  on  page  154  of 
last    week's   issue,    1    am    only    a   little   dabbler   in 


,/ 


fc 


,-^^>;-: 


THE  DECIDUOUS  CYPRESS  (TAXODIUM  DISTICHUM)  IN 
NORTHERN  FLORIDA.  NOTE  THE  PROMINENT  "  KNEES  " 
THAT   THE    TREES    HAVE    FORMED. 


Sweet  Peas,  but  I  always  like  to  get  the  best  of 
each  colour  according  to  the  Ust  issued  each  year 
by  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society,  and  I  have 
never  been  disappointed  with  the  result.  The 
floral  committee  may  not  be  the  acme  of  perfec- 
tion— none  would  be  to  all,  for  what  would  please 
one  would  offend  another ;  but  1  am  sure  the 
present  committee  are  quite  as  unprejudiced  and 
capable  of  giving  us  an  impartial  list  of  the  best 
varieties  that  will  eventually  give  the  best  results 
to  the  people  who  pay  money  for  seed  and  for 
whom  it  is  intended,  quite  irrespective  of  raisers' 
names,  than  any  committee  to  be  nominated  or 
headed  by  your  correspondent.  I  have  grown 
Evelyn  Hemus  and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Breadmore  side  by 
side   under   identical   cultural  conditions,   but   dis- 


carded the  former  in  favour  of  the  latter  because 
I  found  Mrs.  C.  W.  Breadmore,  certainly  not  coarse, 
but  stronger  in  growth,  far  freer  in  flowering 
and  over  a  longer  period  ;  in  short,  a  better  variety 
all  round.  It  is  the  one  variety  I  place  first  in 
my  seed  order  each  year  as  being  the  one  I  feel 
I  shall  get  the  best  results  from,  and  as  she  has 
served  me  so  well,  1  cannot  be  silent  when  her 
reputation  is  challenged.  We  all  think  our  off- 
spring far  better  than  anyone  else's,  but  it  is  indis- 
creet to  mention  it  too  often. — H.  P.  B..  Bristol. 

Chionodoxa  nana. — This  rare  little  Glory  of  the 
Snow  is  a  late  bloomer  and  is  a  pleasing  Chiono- 
doxa,  although  considerably  smaller  than   any  of 
its  congeners.     It  hails  from  Crete,  whence  it  came 
several  years  ago,  but  it  does  not  appear 
to  have  been  reimported  for  a  consider- 
able time.       It   has  narrow  leaves  and 
small  blue  and  white  flowers,  much  less 
effective   than   those   of  its   allies,    but, 
still,  pleasing   and   interesting.     It  is  a 
sjood  Chionodoxa  for  the  rock  garden.    It 
IS  only  J  inches  or  so  high. — S.  Armott. 

Deciduous  Cypress  in  Northern 
F  1 0  r  i  d  a  .  —  In  The  Garden  for 
January  ri,  page  23,  you  published 
an  interesting  article  on  Taxodium 
distichum,  and  in  it  reference  was 
made  to  the  curious  swelling  of  the 
roots  which  takes  place  when  the  trees 
grow  in  a  wet  place,  as  is  often  the 
case.  Herewith  I  enclose  a  print  of  a 
photograph  I  took  in  Northern  Florida 
showing  this  formation,  which  might  be 
interesting  enough  to  publish.  The 
appearance  of  the  foliage  may  be  a 
little  difficult  to  understand,  as,  besides 
the  leaves  of  the  tree,  there  is  what  is 
known  as  "  Spanish  Moss"  (Tillandsia 
usneoides)  hanging  from  the  branches. 
This  so-called  Moss  is  very  common  in 
Florida  and  forms  quite  a  featiure  in  the 
landscape,  as  it  often  hangs  down  for 
several  yards.  I  even  noticed  it 
hanging  from  the  telegraph  wires,  but 
as  it  is  of  a  grey  colour  it  was  not 
possible  to  say  definitely  that  it  was 
growing  there. — J.  C,  Lame,  County 
A  nirim. 

The  Fifty  Best  Alpines.— The  hsts 
of  fifty  best  alpines  given  by  Messrs. 
Arnott  and  Farrer  in  recent  numbers 
of  The  Garden  are  of  great  interest 
to  those  who,  like  myself,  are  but  begin- 
ners in  the  art  of  alpine  gardening. 
."Vs  you  invite  lists  from  your  readers. 
I  venture  to  offer  one  that  was  pub- 
lished, about  five  years  ago,  by  a 
writer  in  the  Times,  whose  articles 
have  since  been  published  in  book  form  under 
the  title  of  "  Studies  in  Gardening."  His  hst  is 
as  follows  (it  may  be  noted  that  there  are  not 
quite  fifty)  :  Achillea  argentea,  /Ethionema  grandi- 
florum,  Aquilegia  pyrenaica,  A.  alpina,  Androsace 
camea,  Arenaria  montana,  Asperula  Athoa,  A. 
hirta.  Campanula  garganica,  C.  portenschlagiana. 
Daphne  Cneorum  majus,  Dianthus  alpinus,  D. 
callizonus,  D.  neglectus,  Erodium  guttatuni, 
Gentiana  vema.  Geranium  argenteum,  Hypericum 
reptans,  Iberis  saxatilis,  Linaria  alpina,  Lithosper- 
mum  prostratum,  Nierembergia  rivularis,  Onosma 
tauricum,  Oxalis  enneaphylla,  Papaver  alpinum, 
Pentstemon  glaber  aflinis,  Phlox  Nelsoni,  P. 
Vivid,  Polemonium  confertum,  Polygonum  vaccini- 
folium,  Primula  nivalis,  Raniuiculus  amplexicaulis, 


.t 


April  5,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


167 


Ramondia  pyrenaica,  Rosa  alpina,  Saxifraga 
Cotyledon,  S.  burseriaiia  major,  Sapoiiaria  ocy- 
moides,  Sempervivura  arachiioideum,  S.  Laggeri, 
Silene  alpestris,  Viola  gracilis  and  Veronica  pros- 
trata.  Perhaps  I  ought  to  mention  that  this 
list  is  called  "  The  Fifty  Best  Rock  Plants  "  (not 
alpines),  which  may  account  for  some  of  its  varia- 
tions from  the  others.  The  writer  had  in  a  previous 
article  given  a  list  of  the  fifty  best  hardy  perennials. 
— L.  B. 

Had  you  not  invited  criticisms  of  the  lists 

given,  I  should  not  have  dared  to  comment  on 
Mr.  Farrer's  choice  of  his  beloved  specialities. 
But  my  favourites  would  surely  have  resented 
my  allowing  them  to  remain  unnamed,  and  I  cannot 
risk  their  displeasure  ;  therefore  I  must  crave 
Mr.  Farrer's  forgiveness  for  carving  his  list.  Quite 
apart  from  colour  and  times  of  blooming,  I  must 
first  include  Sisyrinchium  grandiflorum  and  dis- 
pense with  Primula  x  intermedia  ;  then  I  could 
do  without  Saxifraga  Cotyledon,  but  no't  so  Calan- 
drinia  Howellii.  Anemone  sylvestris  major,  sweet- 
scented  beauty  though  it  be,  must  give  place  to 
A.  nemorosa  Allenii,  which  I  consider  to  be  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  dwarf  Anemones.  Rhodo- 
dendron raremosum  must  be  there  at  the  expense 
of — shall  1  say  ? — Geranium  lancastriense.  Lastly, 
please  let  me  include  Primula  iuvolucrata,  a  mass 
of  it,  in  place  of  P.  x  pubesccns  alba,  much  as  I 
love  the  latter. — G.  G.  Traherne  (Captain), 
Strathavt'H.  X.B. 

Reliable  Lilies  for  the  Garden. — I  am  much 
itbliged  to  \'Our  tijiitributur  "  H.  P."  for  sup- 
pli-nienting  on  page  142,  issue  March  22, 
niv  hst  of  "  Reliable  Lilies  for  the  Garden."  Some 
yrars  ago  a  selection  oi  varieties  that  I  made  at 
the  request  of  the  Duchess  of  Sutherland  for  a 
projected  "  Lily  garden  "  at  l.illeshall  House  in 
Shropshire  was  supplemented  by  Sir  Herljert 
Maxwell  in  a  similar  way.  I  am  glad  your  corre- 
spondent has  included  Lilium  Hansonii  and  1., 
excelsum,  which  I  cultivate  in  my  garden  and 
greatly  admire. — David  R.  Williamson. 

The   Advance   in   Yellow   Roses. — During  the 

last  two  decades  or  so  we  have  had  a  vast  imprttve- 
ment  in  yellow  Roses.  Mar^chal  Niel,  Celine 
Forestier  and  Reve  d'Or  were  for  a  long  time  our 
best  and  most  generally  grown  yellows  among 
climbers,  with  Isabella  Sprunt,  Mme.  Falcot  and 
Marie  van  Houtte  as  dwarfer  growers.  Unfortu- 
nately, the  first  two  in  these  selections  are  rather 
tiMider,  but,  wliere  they  do  well,  few  among  the 
large  number  of  newer  y  Hows  can  approach  them. 
It  is  the  purer  yellows  that  I  have  more  particu- 
larly in  ray  mind  at  present,  "but  must  perforce 
say  that  there  has  been  equal  improvement  in 
buth  flowers,  habit  of  growth  and  general  useful- 
ness ill  the  class  of  orange  and  golden  yellows, 
with  their  many  and  varied  beautiful  shadings. 
The  best  newer  yellows  among  the  Hybrid  Teas 
must  include  Miss  Alice  de  Rothschild,  Gustave 
Regis,  Instituteur  Sirdey,  James  Coey,  Le  Progres, 
Melody,  Senateur  Mascurand  and  Walter  Speed  ; 
while  among  the  Teas  we  have  a  few  grand  additions 
ill  Harry  Kirk,  Alexander  Hill  Gray,  Lady  Hilling- 
dun,  Medea  and  Sulphurea.  In  the  newer  class 
of  Pernetiana  Roses  Rayon  d'Or  stands  head 
and  shoulders  above  the  rest.  It  is  freer  blooming 
than  most  in  its  section,  and  retains  its  depth 
of  pure  yellow  right  up  to  the  last.  As  a  rule, 
our  other  yellows  have  a  tendency  to  pale  very 
rapidly  as  the  flowers  expand.  Both  Rayon  d'Or 
and  Miss  Alice  de  Rothschild  are  marked  excep- 
tions to  this,  and  have  been  good  during  the  widely 
varying  seasons  since  their  introduction. — A.  P. 


PRIZES     FOR    THE     BEST 
ROCK    GARDENS. 


SCIENCE    IN    RELATION    TO 
HORTICULTURE. 


To  further  stimulate  the  interest  that  is  now  being 
taken  in  rock  gardens,  the  Proprietors  of  The 
Garden  olTer  the  following  prizes  for  three  photo- 
graphs of  a  rock  garden,  or  portions  of  a  rock 
garden  : 

First  prize  :  Five  Guineas,  or  a  Silver  Cup  of 
that  value. 

Second  prize  :  Two  Guineas,  or  Bool<s  of  that 
value. 

Third  prize  :   One  Guinea. 

The  competition  is  open  only  to  the  actual 
owner  of  the  rock  garden,  or  to  his  or  her  gardener. 
The  object  is  to  encourage  good  rock  gardening, 
and  preference  will,  therefore,  be  given  to  those 
rock  gardens  which  show  originality  in  design,  and 
where  the  plants  depicted  are  well  grown.  It 
should  be  distinctly  understood  that  awards  will 
be  made  to  the  best  rock  gardens,  and  not  neces- 
sarily to  the  best  photographs.  The  photographs 
need  not  be  taken  by  the  competitor,  who  must, 
however,  in  such  cases  have  the  written  consent 
of  the  photographer  for  their  reproduction  in  The 
Garden.  The  competition  is  subject  to  the 
following  rules  : 

1.  Not    more    than    three    photographs    of    each 

garden  may  be  sent  in  by  one  competitor. 

2.  Each  photograph  must  have  the  full  name  and 

address  of  the  competitor  plainly  written 
on  the  back  in   ink. 

1  Successful  competitors  shall  furnish  written 
particulars  of  the  rock  garden  forming  the 
subject  of  their  photographs. 

i  Glazed  P.O. P.  prints  must  be  sent,  and  each 
should  be  on  a  mount  with  not  more  than 
half  an  inch  margin. 

5  All  photographs  must  be  sent  to  arrive  at 
The  Garden  Offices,  20,  Tavistock  Street, 
Strand,  W.C,  not  later  than  June  i,  1913. 

('.  Unsuccessful  photographs  sent  in  for  com- 
petition will  be  returned  if  a  sufficiently 
stamped  and  addressed  envelope  or  wrapper 
is  enclosed  for  the  purpose,  but  no  responsi- 
bility will  be  taken  for  the  loss  or  damage  of 
photographs  submitted,  although  every  care 
will  be  taken  to  return  them  uninjured. 

7.  The  Proprietors  of  The  G.\rden  reserve  to 
themselves  the  right  to  reproduce  any 
photograph  sent  in  for  competition. 

S    The  decision  of  the  Editor  will  be  final. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

April  8. — Cornwall  Daffodil  and  Spring  Flower 
Show  at 'Truro  (two  days).  Devon  Daffodil  and 
Spring  Flower  Show  at  Barnstaple  (two  days). 

.April  9.  —  Royal  Caledonian  Horticultural 
Society's  Spring  Show  at  Edinburgh  (two  days). 

April  10.  —  Perpetual  Flowering  Carnation 
Society's  Show  at  Leamington  (two  days).  East 
.\nglian  Horticultural  Club's  Meeting. 

April  14. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Annual  Meeting. 

April  15. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Meeting 
and  Daffodil  Show  (two  days).  Lecture  by  the 
Rev.  Professor  G.  Henslew  on  "  The  Origin  of 
Life — Why  it  is  Undiscoverable." 

April  16. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Bulb 
Show  and  Primula  Conference.  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society  of  Ireland  Spring  Flower  Show 
(two  days).  County  Clare  Horticultural  Society's 
Spring  Show. 


STERILISATION     OF    SOILS. 

THE  subject  of  soil  sterilisation  is  receiving 
considerable  attention  at  present  from 
gardeners,  and  especially  from  market- 
gardeners  raising  crops  under  glass. 
It  is  found  that  the  rich  artificial 
soils  with  a  high  water  content  and 
summer  temperature  used  in  such  cases  form  a 
particularly  favourable  medium  for  the  growth 
and  development  of  certain  forms  of  minute  life, 
and  that  these  .gradually  make  the  soil  unhealthy 
to  the  roots  of  the  crop.  The  soil  becomes  "  sick," 
and  hence  useless  for  greenhouse  work  unless  the 
sickness  can  be  cured  and  health  again  restored 
to  it.  Some  of  the  organisms  frequent  in  "  sick  " 
soils  are  animal  creatures,  such  as  the  minute 
worms  that  cause  "  clubbing "  in  Cucumbers, 
while  others  are  of  a  fungal  nature,  like  the  parasite 
that  produces  "  sleepy  disease "  in  Tomatoes. 
But  if  these  were  the  only  inhabitants  of  the  soil, 
while  they  would  still  induce  disease,  yet  they 
could  hardly  bring  about  that  peculiar  soil  condition 
recognised  as  "  sickness." 

For  a  proper  understanding  of  the  subject  w<- 
must  know  something  more  about  the  soil,  and 
especially  understand  the  conditions  that  deter- 
mine its  fertility.  Tlie  soil  is  not  a  mere  mass 
of  inert  material  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  teems  with 
life  ;  it  is  a  world  in  itself.  Each  tiny  particle 
of  soil  is  surrounded  by  a  film  of  water,  and  as 
these  films  are  in  touch  with  one  another,  it  follows 
that  a  vast  sheet  of  water  extends  throughout 
the  entire  soil.  In  this  shallow  sea  of  soil  water 
uncountable  numbers  of  bacteria  "  live,  move  end 
have  their  being,"  together  with  minute  slow- 
moving  animals  (protozoa)  that  feed  upon  these 
bacteria  as  herbivorous  animals  feed  upon  grass 
in  the  upper  world.  The  bacteria  play  a  most 
important  part  in  the  nutrition  of  crops.  Some 
break  down  the  organic  matter  of  manure,  5"C.,  and 
liberate  ammonia  ;  others  convert  the  ammonia 
into  nitrates  ;  while  others,  again,  can  utilise  the 
free  nitrogen  of  the  air  in  the  interspaces  of  the  soil. 
Without  bacteria  the  soil  would  be  barren  ;  the 
food  might  be  there,  yet  the  crops  would  starve, 
because,  unless  fermentation  is  induced,  the  food 
material  cannot  be  dissolved  in  water,  and  hence 
the  feeding  roots  cannot  absorb  it.  Now,  under  the 
conditions  of  intensive  culture  in  a  warm  greenhouse, 
it  seems  that  the  protozoa  are  very  highly  favoured, 
and  that  as  they  increase  enormously  in  numbers 
they  reduce  the  population  of  bacteria  to  such  a 
degree  that  their  efficiency  is  seriously  interfered 
with,  and  the  soil,  although  excessively  rich,  fails 
to  supply  a  sufficiency  of  food  to  the  growing  crops. 
It  becomes  "  sick." 

We  can  now  turn  our  attention  to  sterilisation 
and  its  use  in  practical  horticulture.  In  1888  Franke 
discovered  that  by  heating  a  soil  he  increased  the 
amount  of  soluble  foodstuff  in  it,  while  later 
experiments  showed  that  chief  among  these  were 
soluble  compounds  of  phosphorus  and  nitrogen. 
In  1902  Dietrich  made  the  important  discovery 
that  while  this  was  true,  >ct  at  the  same  time 
certain  poisonous  substances  were  liberated  on 
heating,  but  pointed  out  that  these  might  be 
neutralised  by  the  use  of  lime.  Later  it  was  noted 
by  Schule  that  even  without  lime  the  poisonous 
properties  of  the  soil  gradually  disappeared,  and  that 
the  crop,  growing  poorly  at  first,  afterwards  made 
great  progress  in  its  growth. 


168 


THE    GAitDEN. 


[April  5,  1913. 


In  1907  Russel  and  Darbeshire  found  that  they 
were  able  to  get  the  same  results  by  the  use  of 
antiseptics  as  others  had  got  by  heating  the  soil 
to  the  boiling  point  of  water.  New  this  was  a 
most  important  discovery,  as  it  pointed  to  the  real 
nature  of  the  cause.  It  indicated  a  biological 
factor  in  addition  to  a  chemical  one  in  producing 
the  results  of  sterilisation.  Following  up  this 
work,  Russel  and  Hutcliinson,  in  1907,  published 
a  paper  in  which  it  was  first  suggested  that  protozoa 
were  the  chief  cause  of  soil  sickness.  The  explana- 
tion is  this  ;  By  heating  the  soil  frcm  95°  Cent,  to 
100^  Cent,  it  is  partially,  not  wholly,  sterilised. 
The  animal  population  is  destroyed,  but  not  the 
bacterial,  at  least,  not  entirely.  By  the  use  of  an 
antiseptic,  such  as  carbon  bisulphide  or  formalin, 
the  protoeoa  are  killed  ;  but  the  only  effect  upon 
the  bacteria  is  to  throw  them  into  a  state  of  rest, 
and  when  the  volatile  antiseptic  escapes,  as  it  will 
in  time,  the  bacteria  awake  and  renew  their 
activities.  So  that  after  partial  sterilisation, 
either  by  heat  or  by  the  use  of  antiseptics,  when 


of  heated  soils,  it  is  shown  that  sterilisation  induces 
the  formation  of  both  beneficial  substances  (guanine, 
for  example)  and  harmful  ones,  and  that  for  a 
certain  length  of  time  the  harmful  compounds 
overbalance  the  good  effect  of  the  beneficial.  This 
explains  the  results  obtained  by  Pickering  in  1908, 
that  seeds  on  heated  soils  germinated  very  badly 
indeed.  Russel  and  Petherbridge  have  been  recently 
engaged  in  an  investigation  on  "sickness"  in 
greenhouse  soil  in  association  with  market-growers 
in  the  VValtham  Cross  district.  London ;  but  reference 
to  this  and  other  experiments  dealing  with  more 
intimate  details  of  sterilisation  procedure  must  be 
held  over  until  another  opportunity.  D.  Houston. 
Royal  College  of  Science  for  Ireland. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

SOME     UNCOMMON     ALPINES. 

The  following  notes   contain   a  list,  with   cultural 
bints,  of  some   good  alpine  plants  that  are  not  too 


is    very    striking,    being   spotted    with    black.     It 
has   beautiful    pink    flowers,   standing   about   one 
I  foot    in    height.       It    thrives  well    in    very  sandy 
soil. 

Veronica    Teucrium    dubia  E.  C.  Bowell.— 

A  beautiful  pink  form  of  our  common  prostrate 
Veronica.  It  thrives  well  in  any  sunny  posi- 
tion, and  will  be  a  great  acquisition  for  the 
rock  garden. 

Antbemis  Hauschnecbtii. — For  a  white  sUvery 

foliage  effect  this  takes  first  rank  among  all 
alpines  I  know.  As  it  is  not  deciduous,  it 
gives  this  beautiful  effect  all  the  year  romid 
on  a  well-drained,  sumiy  position.  It  is  about 
'  one  foot  in  height,  and  has  a  charming  yellow 
flower. 

Lathyrus     cyaneus.  —  The    smallest     of     uji 

perennial     Everlasting   Peas,     with    blue    flowers, 

and     only     about     six     inches     in     height.       It 

!  flowers  in.  April,   and   is    a    very   desirable    plant 

'  for  the  rockery.     It    does   best    with    me    in   half 

shade,  •  which    brings    out     its    true 

beautiful  blue. 

Cheltenham.  E.  C.   Bowell. 


A    LITTLE-KNOWN    GENTIAN    FROM   ASIA   iMINOR    (GENTIANA    FREYNIANA). 


the  bacteria  become  active  again  they  find  them- 
selves in  surroundings  entirely  freed  from  their 
voracious  enemies,  and  thus  they  feed,  grow  and 
multiply  at  an  amazing  rate,  and  hence,  incidentally, 
liberate  an  abundant  supply  of  food  to  the  growing 
crop.  The  partial  sterilisation  of  soil  for  forcing 
work,  especially  in  Cucumber  and  Lettuce  culture,  is 
largely  practised  in  the  United  States.  Such  pests 
as  nematoids  and  the  Rhizoctonia  fungus  are 
destroyed,  and  an  increase  of  growth  secured  equal 
to  33  per  cent,  in  recorded  cases.  Of  course,  great 
care  must  be  taken  not  to  overheat  the  soil  so  as 
to  kill  the  resting  bacteria,'  else  inoculation  with 
fresh  bacteria  from  natural  soil  must  be  resorted  to. 
In  a  recently-issued  Bulletin  from  the  Bureau 
of  Soils,  Washington,  dealing  with    the    chemistry 


well    known,    but    which   are  worthy   of    extended 
cultivation  : 

Centaurea  stricta. — The  smallest  and  the  gem 
of  the  genus  Centaurea,  and  very  suitable  for  the 
rockery,  being  about  six  inches  high,  with  pretty 
blue  flowers  arising  from  silvery  grey  foliage. 
It  loves  a  well-drained  position,  and  increases 
readily  by  runners. 

Felicia  abyssinica. — An  extremely  beautiful 
little  composite  shrub  about  nine  inches  high, 
with  fine  feathery  foliage,  from  which  arise  elegant 
pale  blue  flowers.  It  is  very  continuous  in  flower- 
ing, and  loves  a  svmny  spot. 

Oxalis  Lasiandra. — A  gem  for  a  shady  position 
on     the    rockery.      Its     beautiful     coppery     foliage 


A     FREE     FLOWERING 
GENTIAN. 

(GENTIANA     FREYNIANA.) 

How  beautiful  are  the  patches  of 
intense  blue  made  by  alpine  Gen- 
tians in  their  mountainous  homes ; 
but,  alas,  how  disappointing  Gen- 
tians sometimes  are  in  lowland 
gardens  !  When  planting  these  gems 
of  the  High  Alps,  they  should  be 
tried  in  different  parts  of  the  same 
rock  garden,  for  it  often  happens 
that  they  succeed  m  one  spot  and 
dwindle  away  in  another  for  no 
obvious  reason,  and  this  is  notably 
the  case  with  Gentiana  verna,  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  Gentians.  Now 
and  then  one  hears  complaints  about 
Gentiana  acaulis,  owing  to  the  paucity 
of  blooms,  while  it  is  well  known  that 
the  intense  blue'colouring  of  Gentians 
in  general  is  never  so  bright  as 
when  seen  in  the  pure  atmosphere  of 
their  mountain  homes. 

There  are  many  forms  of  the 
Gentian  in  cultivation,  most  of 
which  are  suitable  for  the  rock 
garden.  One  catalogue  gives  uo  fewer 
than  forty-two  species  and  varieties, 
but  one  might  look  in  vain  in 
niurserymen's  catalogues  for  any 
mention  of  G.  freyniana.  This 
obscure  and  comparatively  rare  species  is  not 
unlike  its  near  relative  G.  septemfida.  The 
flowers  are  of  intense  blue,  and  the  profusion 
in  which  the  clusters  are  borne  is  clearly 
depicted  in  the  accompanying  illustration,  taken 
in  the  rock  garden  at  Kew.  The  home  of  this 
little-knowii  Gentian  is  m  the  mountains  of 
Asia  Minor,  and  so  far  as  it  has  been  tried  in  this 
country  it  promises  to  give  a  plentiful  supply  ol 
flowers  that  may  be  relied  upon  in  successive 
years.  The  flowers  are  seen  at  their  best  about 
mid-July,  and  when  better  known  this  profusely- 
flowered  Gentian  will  be  looked  upon  as  quite  an 
acquisition  for  the  rock  garden.  A  sandy  loam 
forms  a  suitable  medium,  but,  like  other  Gentians, 
it  resents  disturbance  at  the  root. 


April  5,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


169 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

DAFFODILS    AT     VINCENT     SQUARE. 

March  i8. 
{Conttmicd  /com  Pai^e   164.) 

[BROKE  off  my  notes  on  the  flowers  exhibited 
on  March  18  to  include  two  items  of  news 
which  I  felt  sure  would  be  of  much  interest 
to  Daffodil  people.  Going  back  to  Mr. 
A.  M.  Wilson's  group,  I  must  not  omit  to 
mention  that  it  contained  the  one  flower 
that  received  an  award  of  merit. 
This  was  Judith,  an  early  giant 
Leedsii  with  a  rather  pointed- 
looking  perianth  and  a  good  long 
stem.  It  was  probably  this  feature, 
combined  with  its  earliness,  that 
weighed  more  than  anything  else 
with  those  who  voted  in  its 
favour.  Beryl  was  also  up  before 
the  committee.  A  remark  of  one 
of  the  big  men  on  this  body  has  . 
provided  me  with  a  good  deal  of 
food  for  reflection  :  "  No,  Mr. 
Chairman,  you  cannot  give  hii 
award  to  such  a  small  flower  ;  how 
can  you  ?  "  Poor  little  Beryl  !  Had 
vou  only  been  larger,  this  giant 
would  have  voted  for  you.  It  seems 
A  bit  hard  on  the  small  folk,  this 
wnrship  of  size.  I  do  the  same 
nnself  in  some  things,  I  know. 
I  like  a  turkey  better  than  a  snipe, 
liut  that  is  because  life  is  too  short 
to  spend  unnecessary  time  in  pick- 
ing bones.  Beryl  had  refinement, 
exquisite  texture,  pleasing  shape, 
regularity  of  outline,  and  novelty 
of  type  (inasmuch  as  it  is  a  cycla- 
mineus  hybrid),  but  it  had  not 
the  one  thing  needful — size.  Prob- 
ably a  good  many  readers  will  not 
agree  with  me  about  the  turkey 
and  the  snipe.  I  would,  however, 
like  to  know  what  they  think 
about  size  in  Daffodils,  because, 
when  I  am  called  upon  to  judge,  I 
feel  that  I  am  bound  to  pocket  as 
far  as  possible  my  own  personal 
leanings,  and  that  I  must  try  to 
give  my  rulings  with  due  regard  to 
the  unwritten  consensus  of  expert 
opinion.  Letters  from  those  inter- 
ested would  be  most  instructive  if 
the  Editor  can  find  room  for  some. 
Messrs.  R.  H.  Bath's  exhibit  was 
chiefly  interesting  because  it  in- 
cluded a  fair  number  of  home- 
raised  seedlings.  Two  white  trum- 
pets and  a  soft  yellow  one  were 
quite  first-rate.  Mr.  Leak,  the 
manager,  not    only  knows   a   good  ^  m\g.\iI' 

flower  when  he  sees  it,  but  he 
evidently  knows  how  to  make 
one.  Two  of  the  named  varieties  appealed  to 
me  very  much :  (i)  Golden  Dustman,  which  may 
be  called  a  glorified  Santa  Maria  with  all  its  charm 
of  shape  and  rich  colouring,  and  with  this  valuable 
addition,  a  do-anywhere  constitution,  which  I 
am  sorry  to  say  its  prototype  lacks;  (2)  Dream, 
a  small  but  very  refined  Dutch  seedling,  which 
under  glass  comes  nearly  white  (size  3J  inches 
by  I J  inches  by  i  inch).  Miss  Ciurrey  bought 
probably  the  most  beautiful  show  flower  that  we 


have  of  this  type  when  she  acquired  White 
Knight  from  Holland.  The  present  variety 
cannot  compete  with  it  for  this  purpose,  but 
for  pots  it  must  be  very  dainty.  I  think 
the  price  is  somewhere  about  five  shillings,  so 
most  of  us  will  have  to  wait  for  it  a  little 
longer.  Here  and  elsewhere  in  the  hall  was 
to  be  seen  a  vase  of  my  favourite  Ber- 
nardino. Every  year  it  seems  to  grow  on  one 
more  and  more.  I  can  recommend  it  not  only 
for  its  exquisite  beauty,  but  also  for  its  grand 
constitution  and  power  of  increase. 


ICENT    BLOOM    Ol"    THE    LATE-FLOWERING    DAFFODIL   THE 
DOCTOR. 

Seedlings  occupied  a  considerable  space  in  Mr. 
F.  Herbert  Chapman's  group.  A  single  bloom  of 
Tennyson  was  one  of  the  nicest  things  there.  I 
was  told  I  had  once  described  it  as  a  very  gentle- 
manly flower.  So  it  is.  There  is  nothing  obtru- 
sive in  its  composition  :  everything  is  just  right. 
Shrove  is  a  curious,  rather  delicate-looking  bloom, 
which  somewhat  reminded  me  of  Dawn,  with  a 
pale  primrose  perianth  and  a  citron-coloured  eye, 
large  and  smooth,  and  as  flat  as  a  pancake  ;    hence, 


I  am  told,  "Shrove."  Oh,  these  names!  What 
are  we  coming  to  ?  My  Celtic  friend,  Mr.  Watts 
of  St.  .\saph,  unfortunately  (shall  I  say  ?)  for  us 
had  an  ancestor.  Dr.  William  Owen,  who  was 
the  author  of  our  standard  Welsh  Dictionary  and 
Grammar.  Filial  piety,  no  doubt,  suggested  its 
use  when  naming  seedlings,  and  there  they  were  in 
the  hall,  a  whole  batch  of  them — incomparabilises 
of  various  shapes,  sizes  and  colouring,  each  little 
stranger  with  a  nice  little  name,  just  as  Welsh  as 
itself.  Cenig,  Erevan  and  Hcngan  were  the  ones  I 
liked  best,  the  first  being  a  large  starfish-shaped 
self  flower  of  a  pleasing  shade  of 
yellow,  with  just  a  narrow  band 
of  red  round  its  edge  ;  Erevan, 
a  soft  yellow  after  Autocrat,  and 
Hengan,  a  soft  yellow  after  Frank 
.Miles.  One  ugly-looking  trumpet 
was  called  Defol.  Our  friend  evi- 
dently does  not  agree  with  Miss 
Marie  Corelli's  presentment  of  that 
gentleman  in  one  of  her  most 
famous  novels  to  give  this  flower 
such  an  appellation.  Beware  of 
these  innocent-looking  names  ! 

Robert  Sydenham,  Limited,  had^ 
a  good  vase  of  that  large  pale 
mcomparabilis  Victory  and  that 
ultra-refined-looking  Miss  Leeds. 
Both  are  good  for  the  show  table, 
but  as  I  have  not  grown  them 
myself  I  can  say  nothing  about 
their  garden  properties.  A  small 
si-inch  pan  of  splendidly-grown 
N.  triandrus  calathinus,  with  ten 
bulbs  in  it,  was  one  of  the  most 
delightful  things  in  the  show. 
Each  bulb  sends  up  one  stem, 
seldom  more,  and  each  stem  bears 
two  large  white,  pendulous  flowers, 
in  shape  like  the  better-known 
triandrus,  but  far^more  beautiful. 
If  a  small  cold  frame  could  be 
given  up  to  them,  there  is  no 
reason  why  they  should  not  be 
raised  from  seed,  which  they  pro- 
duce in  abundance  if  they  are 
helped  by  a  brush  ;  at  least  V 
suggest  it  is,  as  the  Scotch  minister* 
said,  "  an  experiment  well  worth 
trying." 

Messrs.  Cartwright  and  Goodwin, 
as  remarked  last  week,  had  some 
of  their  own  seedlings  on  view. 
They  were  nothing  very  remark- 
able, with  the  exception  of  a  much- 
frilled  and  irregularly-shaped  giant 
Leedsii.  One  would  like  to  see 
it  again  next  year,  as  floral  com- 
mittees often  say.  In  Marshlight 
they  have  annexed  some  bulbs  of 
a  very  striking  flower.  I  call  it 
an  intensified  Lucifer,  and  if  only 
its  deep  red  cup  will  hold  colour 
like  that  variety,  it  will  be  a  fine 
garden  plant  indeed.  Mr.  WUson,  who  holds  the  bulk 
of  the  stock,  is  sticking  to  it,  and  it  takes  a  tempting 
offer  to  make  him  part.     Solviinr  ambulandu. 

Mr.  Christopher  Bourne  had  not  the  same  array 
of  novelties  as  he  had  a  fortnight  earlier.  The 
highly-coloured  Poetaz  Scarlet  Gem  occupied  a 
central  position  in  the  group.  Its  all-red  cups  and 
strong  yellow,  flat  perianths  give  it  a  remarkable  ap- 
pearance. When  one  thinks  of  this  and  Mr.  Wilson's 
Rubellite.  one   begins   to  realise   the   changes  that 


170 


THE    GARDEN. 


[April  5,  1913. 


are  taking  place  in  this  section.  Below  Scarlet 
Gem  and  equally  prominent  were  two  particularly 
fine,  large,  yellow  trumpets,  The  Earl  and  The 
Doctor.  They  were  a  striking  contrast  in  colour 
and  shape.  The  Earl  was  a  rich  deep  yellow  self 
with  a  trumpet  the  exact  counterpart  of  a  King 
Alfred  and  a  real  obvallaris-looking  perianth, 
but,  of  course,  greatly  enlarged.  A  very  fine 
thing.  (Size,  4J  inches  over  all ;  trumpet,  if  inches 
long  by  2  inches  wide  at  the  brim.)  The  Doctor 
was  much  paler  in  colouring,  a  sort  of  yellow 
bicolor,  with  a  soft  yellow  trumpet  and  a  deep 
primrose  perianth  of  exquisite  texture.  The  bold 
trumpet  reminded  me  of  Glory  of  Leiden  with  a 
recurved  brim,  while  its  perianth  was  pointed  and 
overlapping  and  inclined  to  incurve  like  it  does  in 
Frank    Miles.     (Size,   4J    inches    by    2    inches    by 


covered  with  the  white  mealy  substance  known 
as  farina.  The  great  point  about  this  welcome 
Primula  is  that  there  is  every  reason  to  hope  that 
it  will  prove  hardy. 


BEAUTIFUL    BORDER     FLOWERS. 

(The  Heucheras.) 
The  genus  Heuchera,  commonly  known  as  Alum- 
root or  American  Sanicle,  was  first  introduced  into 
this  country  in  1656  from  Northern  and  Western 
America,  but  it  is  only  of  recent  years  that  the 
plants  have  been  used  to  any  great  extent  for  orna- 
mental purposes.  H.  sanguinea,  a  species  from  New 
Mexico,  introduced  in  1822,  is  by  far  the  best 
and  the  origin  of  many  of  the  fine  forms  now  grown, 
although  very  few  of  them  equal   the  type  so  far 


till  May,  the  pieces  neing  placed  in  sandy  soil  in 
a  warm,  sheltered  corner  and  left  till  the  autumn 
or  following  spring.  By  then  they  will  have  made 
good  plants  for  putting  in  their  permanent  quarters. 
The  latter  method  is  advisable,  as  Heucheras 
hybridise  so  freely  that  seed  cannot  always  be 
relied  upon  to  come  true. 

A  few  of  the  best  are  H.  sanguinea,  H.  s.  rubris, 
H.  s.  Profusion,  H.  s.  alba,  H.  s.  splendens,  H. 
grandiflora,  H.  micrantha,  H,  brizoides,  H.  b.  gracil- 
lima,  H.  Rosamund  and  H.  zabeliana,  all  of  which 
are  worthy  of  a  place  in  every  garden.      F.  G.  P. 


l'RIMUL.\    PURDOMII,    .\    NEW    SPECIES    1-ROM    CHINA    WITH    P.\LE    LILAC    FLOWERS. 


2  inches.)  It  is  a  very  late  bloomer,  and  of 
great  value  on  this  account.  I  think  it  was  about 
the  only  yellow  trumpet  shown  in  the  competitive 
classes  at  Birmingham  last  year.  The  bloom  of 
The  Earl  was  from  the  open,  and  that  of  The  Doctor 
from  a  cool  greenhouse  ;  hence  their  appearance 
on  the  stage  together.  They  were  fine  examples 
of  their  respective  types.  Joseph  Jacob. 


PRIMULA     PURDOMII. 

New  Primulas  continue  to  arrive,  and  the  latest 
introduction  is  P.  Purdomii,  collected  in  West 
Kan-Su,  China,  by  Mr.  W.  Purdom  on  behalf  of 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons.  As  described  in 
last  week's  issue,  page  r63,  the  flowers  of  this 
new  and  very  distinct  species  are  pale  lilac  and 
delightfully   scented,    while    the    foliage    is   densely 


as   colour   goes,    but   are   of   a   more   free-flowering 
habit. 

They  are  excellent  subjects  for  the  herbaceous 

borders,  the  wild  garden,  and  even  the  rock  garden, 

making  a   fine  show   from   May   until   the  end   of 

July,  and  some  continue  to  flower  on  until  October. 

:  .A.part   from  their  flowers,  many  are  worthy  of  a 

I  place     for     their    handsome     foliage     alone.     The 

flowers  are  also  of  great  value  for  cutting,  being 

j  light   and  graceful   and  remaining   fresh   in  water 

for  a  considerable  time. 

Heucheras  require  an  open,  sunny  position 
in  ordinary  light,  rich  or  peaty  soil,  but  will  not 
succeed  in  pure  sand  or  heavy  clay.  They  are 
easily  propagated  by  seed,  sown  almost  at  any 
time  in  a  cool  frame  and  pricked  out  when  large 
enough,  or  hv  division  of    the    crowns  from  March 


SIX    ANNUALS    THAT    MIGHT     BE 
MORE     GROWN. 

I  SUPPOSE  a  captions  critic  in  reading  my  headiri;; 

might  ask,  "  Why  limit  it  to  six  ;  all  annuals  should 
be  '  more  grown'?'  But  the  six  I 
propose  to  call  the  attention  ot 
readers  to  in  these  notes  are  not 
\-ct  tn  be  found  in  every  garden, 
.md  while  I  should  hesitate  to 
label  them  uncommon,  they  might 
with  advantage  be  more  frequently 
seen 

Cosmea  or  Cosmos  :    New  Early- 
Flowering     Varieties.  —  The     word 
larly-fiowciiiig    is    important.     There 
is  no  comparison    between    the  ettei- 
tiveness   of   these   new    varieties   and 
the  old  Cosmos,  which  with  difliculty 
was  induced    to    flower    at   all  before 
October,  whereas  these  new  kinds  are 
in    full    flower  in    July  and  continue 
right  lip  to  the  first  frost.     There  are 
three     kinds  —  White     Queen,     Rose 
Queen  and   Crimson    King.     The  first 
two     are     excellent     varieties,     with 
flowers     3     inches    across,     borne    on 
long    stems     on     plants     that     reach 
.{  feet   in   heieht.  with  foliage  that  is 
very     useful     for     vase      and      table 
decoration.      Crimson    King    I   found 
was    not     quite    fi.xed    either    as    to 
colour    or    shape    of    flower,    and    it 
was  also    later    coming   into    bloom ; 
so    I  ■  am    only    here    recommending 
White      Queen      and       Rose      Queen, 
and    if    one     only    is    to     be   chosen, 
I  prefer  Rose  Queen.     Messrs.  Dobbie 
have    obtained    an    award    of    merit 
from       the       Royal        Horticultural 
Society    for    both    of  these    varieties. 
Coming    from    Mexico    as    they    do, 
one     would      hardly     have     expected 
the    moist     weather    of    last    summer 
to  have  suited   them  ;    but   they  did 
excellently  here.     A  soil  not  too  rich  in  manure 
should     be     given     them ;     otherwise    too     much 
foliage    is     produced     at     the     expense     of     the 
flowers.       I    sowed     under    a     frame    in     March, 
boxed    them   in   -April,  and    transplanted    in    Ma>' 
to  their  flowering    quarters.      No    heat    is   neces- 
sary   to    raise    them,     and    the    seed     germinated 
very  freely. 

Arctotis  grandis,  another  delightful  composite, 
this  time  from  the  Cape,  can  be  treated  in  exactly 
the  same  way.  The  plants  are  low-growing, 
foliage  grey  in  colour,  and  tomentous  or  hairj . 
The  flowers  are  produced  on  very  long  footstalks. 
They  are  pure  white  on  the  inside  of  tht  petal, 
with  a  wonderful  blue-centred  eye  that  brightens 
the  silvery  sheen  of  the  petals.  These  latter  are 
delicate    lilar    blue    on     the    under    surf.ice.     The 


Ai'Rii.  5.  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


171 


flowers  are  Marguerite-shaped,  some  3  inches  across, 
last  a  long  time  when  rut,  and  are  very  beautiful. 
!,a?t  year  suited  Ihcm,  as  they  like  plenty  of 
nioi-tuiT. 

Linaria  maroc^ana  Excelsior. — This  is  most 
useful  either  in  the  border,  where  it  grows  18  inches, 
or  on  a  dwarf  wall,  where,  I  think,  it  is  at  its  best. 
The  number  of  colours  one  gets  is  astonishing. 
The  flower  itself  is  Snapdragon-shaped  in  miniature. 
Some  of  the  combinations  arc  very  pretty — purple 
and  orang".  light  and  dark  blue,  two  shades  of 
pink,  yellow  and  white,  dark  crimson  and  yellow, 
pale  lavender  and  yellow,  pure  white  and  dark 
violet.  It  should  be  sown  thinly  where  it  is  to 
flower  in  April,  and  is  smothered  in  blossom  right 
np  to  the  end  of  October  ;  in  fact,  I  had  some 
flowers  out  at  Christmas  on  a  sheltered  corner 
of  the  dwarf  wall.  A  threepenny  packet  will 
give  you  hundreds  of  plants. 

Omphalodes   linifolia. — A  I'or-  

lllglU'Se  I  nr;4et-nie  n.it  with  grey- 
grcen  foliage  and  purest  white 
flowers,  sometimes  called  Venus' 
Navel-wort,  I  believe  from  the 
shape  of  the  seed-vessel.  Sown 
thinly  where  it  is  to  flower,  only 
just  covering  the  seeds,  it  grows 
about  twelve  inches  to  eighteen 
iin-hes  high,  and  makes  a  pretty 
little  bush  some  six  inches  or 
nine  inches  through.  It  is  a  very 
old  favourite  with  me,  the  foliage 
making  a  nice  cool  spot  to  rest  the 
eye  on.  It  seeds  itself  very  freely, 
and  if  these  are  not  disturbed, 
they  will  flower  early  in  the  year 
and  make  much  bigger  plants  than 
the  spring-sown  seeds. 

Platystemon   californiciis.    -  A 

Californian  Poppywort,  but  there 
is  nothing  gross  about  this  delight- 
ful little  plant.  Crowing  some 
f>  inches  to  g  inches  high,  it  forms 
a  tuft,  sending  out  its  buds  and 
flowers  on  6-inch  stalks.  The  coloui 
is  a  cool  cream  yellow,  the  flowers 
about  the  size  of  a  sixpence,  with 
a  lovely  .array  of  stamens  in  the 
centre.  The  flouer -in  shape  re- 
tninds  one  of  the  Grass  of  Parnas- 
sus ;  here  again  we  have  glaucous 
grey-green  hairy  foliage.  Sown  in 
March  or  April  where  it  is  to  flower 
and  well  thinned,  it  makes  a  charm- 
ing picture.  Useful  for  the  rock 
garden  or  dwarf  wall,  or  for  the 
border.  ft  flowers  in  June,  and 
generally  flowers  itself  to  death  by 
October.  It  seeds  itself  freely.  I  have  never 
heard  any  garden  name  for  this  plant.  Is 
there  one  ?  It  should  be  something  with  cream 
in  it  ! 

lonopsidium  acaule.— A  pretty  little  Cress 
from  Portugal  rarely  growing  above  2  inches  high. 
It  is  used  here  for  the  crevices  of  the  paved  walk  and 
dwarf  wall.  Quite  hardy  ;  in  flower  all  the  year 
round — even  as  1  write.  Its  delicate  pale  lavender, 
cruciform  flowers  are  always  welcome.  It  prefers 
a  damp  spot  and  sows  itself  freely,  the  plants 
flowering  within  two  months  of  sowing.  If  sown 
in  September,  it  could  be  used  to  carpet  bulb-beds  ; 
if  in  April,  it  will  be  in  flower  by  Jime.  If  thinned 
out,  the  plants  will  get  quite  a  respectable  size, 
hut  I  like  the  small  ones  best.  .Another  amiual 
■  •f  somewhat  bigger  habit,  but  still  on  the  small 
side,  ajid  one  that    can   be   put   to  similar  uses,  is 


Saxifraga  Cymbalaria,  I  believe  the  only 
annual  member  of  this  large  family.  Small,  Ivy- 
shaped  leaves,  it  forms  a  tuft,  very  neat  growing, 
some  three  inches  high,  and  is  covered  with  scores 
of  its  little  golden  yellow  flowers  all  tlvrough  the 
summer.  Quite  hardy,  it  also  is  in  flower  from 
self-sown  seedlings  as  I  write.  It  prefers  a  moist 
spot  ;  at  least,  it  is  flourishing  on  a  moist  piece  of 
rockwork  ;  but  this  is  not  one  of  the  six,  and 
perhaps  would  not  appeal  to  everyone,  as  I  believe 
the  others  will. 

Southampton.  Herbert   E.  Molyneu.k. 


TULIPA    CLUSIANA. 

This  charming  and  dainty  Tulip  has  found  a  resting- 
place  in  British  gardens  ever  since  the  early  years 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  for  it  is  figured  in 
Parkinson's  "  Paradisus,"   and  also  in  the  second 


l-INE    COLONY    OF    "THE    LADY    TULIP"    (TULIPA    CLUSIANA) 


edition  of  Gerard,  under  the  name  of  T.  persica. 
In  common  with  certain  other  species,  it  seems 
to  have  been  for  a  long  time  neglected,  and  possibly 
it  quite  died  out.  In  the  latter  years  of  the 
eighteenth  and  at  the  commencement  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  it  was  hardly  ever  met  with,  and 
when  it  was  illustrated  in  the  famous  Bat.  Mag. 
(the  colloquial  way  of  referring  to  the  Botanical 
Magazine),  it  was  said  to  be  "  very  rare."  On 
Plate  1390  of  that  publication  there  is  an  excellent 
illustration  showing  the  rosy  red  flame  up  the 
centre  of  the  exterior  of  each  petal,  and  the  deep 
claret  eye  of  the  piu'e  white  expanded  bloom. 
It  is  worth  turning  up,  if  the  volume  is  handy, 
to  compare  it  with  the  colony  seen  in  the  above 
illustration.  Speaking  from  memory,  I  should  say  it 
grows  from  9  inches  to  a  foot  in  height.  I  have 
had  it  growing  in  light,  sandv  soil   in   my   garden 


for  some  years  without  any  particular  attention, 
and  find  it  lives  all  right,  but  that  it  only  increases 
slowly,  if  at  all.  Its  places  are  nice  warm  pockets 
on  the  rockery  and  the  front  rows  of  herbaceous 
borders.  In  either  it  looks  well.  It  is  hard  to 
say  whether  it  is  more  taking  in  the  bud  or  when 
th-  flower  is  fully  expanded.  It  is  always  slender 
and  graceful,  taking  and  charming.  No,  readers, 
I  am  not  wandering ;  it  is  still  a  Tulip  that  I  am 
describing  ;  but  it  is  one  we  gardeners  all  love  and 
admire.  It  is  "  The  Lady  Tulip."  Never  was  flower 
more  appropriately  named.  Joseph  Jacob. 

SWRET    PEA     NOTES. 

It  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  right  of  an 
Knglishman  to  grumble  at  everything,  and 
when  all  else  fails  him,  which  is  very  seldom,  he 
falls  back  upon  the  weather.  The 
things  which  he  says  of  it  would, 
if  only  approximately  true,  make 
it  impossible  to  grow  a  single 
plant  in  our  gardens  ;  but,  happily, 
there  is  much  exaggeration,  and, 
despite  the  badness,  successes  are 
achievsd  every  year  that  make  the 
worker  in  other  lands,  where  the 
conditions  are  supposed  to  be 
ideal,  decidedly  envious.  Without 
claiming  that  our  climate  is 
perfect,  or  even  near  that  extra- 
.  ^  ordinary  state,    it    is  my  opinion 

j^  that    there    is    not    much    wrong. 

'  ■  .^^^  In  some  districts  the  conditions 
may  be  bad,  but  in  another  they 
will  be  good  ;  and  as  afflictions 
in  this  particular  direction  rarely 
\isit  us  in  the  same  manner  year 
after  year,  we  all  get  our  share 
of  the  best  as  well  as  the  worst, 
which  is  quite  fair. 

Immense  numtjers  of  words 
have  been  wasted  over  the  weather 
this  season,  and,  according  to  the 
pessimists,  everything  is  bound 
to  fail.  Sweet  Peas  have  never 
suffered  such  a  terrible  time, 
Roses  have  been  entirely  ruined, 
and  so  on ;  but  when  the  time 
comes  to  show  them  to  our  friends 
in  the  garden  and  against  our 
rivals  in  the  show,  it  will  be  found 
that  quality  and  quantity  are  there. 
.■\s  far  as  Sweet  Peas  are  concerned, 
my  experience  is  that  they  are 
looking  wonderfully  well,  and  that 
the  year  will  be  an  excellent  one 
from  all  points  of  view. 
Planting. — The  important  cultural  task  of  the 
month  is  planting  out  the  stock  raised  from  seeds 
sown  under  glass.  There  are  many  thousands 
of  plants  in  small  pots,  big  pots  and  boxes,  and 
all  will  have  to  go  into  their  flowering  positions 
about  the  middle  of  the  month.  Assuredly  some 
cultivators  who  are  not  believers  in  the  rule  to 
"  Hasten  slowly  "  will  have  put  out  their  plants 
before  this  date,  but  whether  they  gain  thereby 
is  doubtful.  It  never  seems  to  me  that  the  con- 
siderable risk  involved  in  very  early  planting 
is  wdrth  taking.  What  does  one  gain  by  planting 
at  the  end  of  March  as  compared  with  planting 
at  the  middle  of  .-Vpril  ?  Nothing,  and  one  runs 
the  risk  that  the  plants  will  be  brought  to  a  com- 
plete standstill,  which  is  a  slate  that  the  Sweet 
Pea  detests.  As  a  rule,  we  can  feel  siure  that  if 
the  plants  are  put  out  when  the  soil  and  the  weather 


172 


THE    GARDEN. 


[April  5,  1913. 


are  excellent  about  the  middle  of  April,  they  will 
not  cease  progression  even  for  a  very  short  time. 

Assimiing  that  the  soil  has  been  fully  prepared 
some  time  ago,  we  shall  wait  only  for  the  favour- 
able weather  to  accomplish  our  task.  If  the  plants 
are  splendidly  rooted,  as  they  certainly  ought  to 
be  by  now,  and  they  are  firmly  planted  in  very 
deep  holes,  satisfactory  advance  is  assured.  Where 
the  seeds  were  sown  in  pots,  it  is  almost  always 
wise  to  separate  the  roots,  as  there  is  a  danger 
that  they  will  have  matted  so  hard  that  they  will 
never  get  freely  away  from  the  hall  if  the  planting 
is  intact.  Where  the  plants  have  been  in  deep 
boxes  with  plenty  of  space  between  them,  it  is 
improbable  that  this  will  have  occurred,  and 
planting  can  be  done  with  plenty  of  soil  on  the 
roots,  though  it  is  doubtful  whether  that  is  an 
advantage  or  not. 

Those  who  dread  the  so-called  streak  will  be  well 
advised  to  shake  all  the  soil  from  the  roots  and 
rinse  them  in  a  weak  solution  of  permanganate  of 
potash,  and  to  spray  the  plants  once,  twice,  or  thrice 
with  the  same  solution  after  they  are  established 
in  the  ground.  The  extra  careful  cultivator  who 
has  suffered  losses  in  previous  seasons  will  go 
further  and  give  the  soil  a  soaking  a  few  hours 
before  planting,  and  he  may  use  loz.  to  the  gallon 
of  water  for  this  purpose,  whereas  half  that  quantity 
will  do  well  for  the  roots  and  for  the  plants.  As 
it  is  known  that  the  disease  is  most  prevalent 
where  heavy  dressings  of  natural  manures  and 
over-generous  applications  of  nitrogenous  fertilisers 
have  been  employed,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  amateurs 
have  testrained  their  common  tendency  to  give 
excessive  amounts  under  the  erroneous  impression 
that  it  is  only  on  heavily-manured  land  that  Sweet 
Peas  will  grow  to  perfection.  The  contrary  is  the  | 
case  if  perfection  spells  quality,  as  it  should  do. 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN.         THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


POTATOES     THAT    RESIST    WART 
DISEASE. 

THE  report  for  1912  of  the  Harper  Adams 
Agricultural  College,  Newport,  Salop, 
contains  some  interesting  particulars  of 
Potatoes  which  have  been  tested  at  the 
college  and  other  centres  in  the  district 
with  a  view  to  ascertaining  their 
immunity  from  wart  disease,  which  is  very  pre- 
valent in  Shropshire.  We'  quote  the  following 
remarks,  which  apply  to  varieties  that  had  nut 
been  previously  tested  by  the  college  authorities  : 

"  Of  the  early  varieties  none  can  be  recom- 
mended as  suitable  for  general  cultivation,  each 
being  deficient  in  some  respect — colour  of  flesh, 
quality,  or  cropping  power.  Among  the  second 
earlies.  Entente  Cordiale  and  King  George  V.  an 
the  best,  the  former  being  the  better  in  qualit\ 
A  considerable  number  of  maincrop  varieties  proviil 
to  be  resistant,  but  few  of  them  are  suitable  in: 
general  planting.  Great  Scot  is  undoubtedly  th' 
best  of  the  varieties  grown,  and  as  it  withstuo.l 
the  wet  season  well  and  was  practically  frci 
from  Phytophthora,  it  should  be  planted  exten- 
sively as  soon  as  the  price  is  right.  A  variety  ncii 
widely  known  is  Culdees  Castle.  The  tuber  is  well 
shaped,  eyes  shallow,  and  the  plant  vigorous,  whil 
the  quality  is  very  high.  Irish  Queen  is  a  good  firin 
Potato,  but  the  eyes  are  rather  deep  and  it  is  mit 
of  the  type  in  request  in  English  markets.  Si 
Malo  Kidney  is  of  good  shape,  but  the  quality  1- 
not  very  high  and  it  suffered  considerably  from 
Phytophthora.  It  is  difficult  to  distinguish  thi- 
variety  from  Reading  Giant.  Dalmeny  Sun  and 
The  Lochar  are  also  good  croppers  of  good  quality 
and  very  free  from  Phytophthora,  while  Flourball 
is  well  known  as  a  Potato  ot 
excellent  quality.  Only  a  few 
Continental  varieties  proved  to 
be  resistant,  and  these  left  much 
to  be  desired." 


THE     PRUNING     OF     ROSES. 

{Continued    from    page    160.) 
THE     HYBRID     TEAS. 

THE  Hybrid  Tea  Roses  vary  greatly  ni 
habit,  some  very  nearly  approaching 
the  Hybrid  Perpetuals,  others  inerging 
into  the  Teas,  while  in  other  directions 
we  find  varieties  closely  resembling 
the  China  Roses,  and,  again,  others 
approximating  to  the  Noisettes.  Besides  the 
difference   in   the   character   of  the   growth   of  the 


I. A    HYBRID    TEA    ROSE    BEFORE    PRUNING. 


GLOBE   ARTICHOKES. 

.Although  these  plants  will  con- 
tinue bearing  heads  for  several 
years  in  succession  without 
being  disturbed,  after  two  or 
three  seasons  the  crop  is  not  so 
good  as  that  produced  by  | 
younger  plants.  These  are  easily  j 
raised  by  seeds  or  suckers,  the  ] 
last  method  being  that  most 
commonly  practised,  and  if 
detached  from  the  old  storls 
with  care  and  planted  during 
the  end  of  March  or  early  April 
a  very  serviceable  crop  of  tender 
heads  will  be  produced  after  the 
older  plants  have  ceased  bearing, 
thus  prolonging  the  season  for 
several  weeks.  Artichokes  de- 
light in  a  deeply  -  broken  -  up  I 
soU.  with  plenty  of  manure 
added.  Plant  the  suckers  in 
lines  and  in  clumps  of  fours, 
watering  them  well,  should  the 
weather  set  in  dry,  till  they 
become  established.  The  root';  1 
■  if  Artichokes  require  ample 
nourishment,  and  in  dry  weather 
copious  supplies  of  manure- water 
will  he  useful.       H    M.\rkh.\m. 


2. THE    SAME     HYBRID    TEA    ROSE    .M-'TER 

PRUNING. 

plants,  there  is  great  variation  in  the  character 
of  the  flowers.  Some  carry  large  exhibition 
flowers,  where  form  and  quality  will  be  the  main 
consideration  ;  others,  numerous  and  medium- 
sized  flowers  of  some  substance  ;  then  there  arc 
varieties  with  comparatively  .few  petals  or  semi- 
double  blooms,  single-flowered  varieties,  and 
varieties  carrying  loose  clusters  of  bloom.  Some, 
like  Mme.  Ravarj',  are  short-stalked ;  others, 
such  as  Liberty  and  Mme.  A.  Chatenay,  readily 
give  flowers  on  long  stalks.  Again,  the  position 
in  the  garden  becomes  of  importance,  also  the 
character  of  the  soil.  As  a  rule,  a  sunny  position 
and  light  soil  will  favour  floriferousness,  while  a 
heavy  soil  or  partially-shaded  situation  has  a 
tendency  in  some  varieties  to  foster  the  production 
of  foliage  at  the  expense  of  flowers.  All  these 
matters  should  be  considered  by  the  pruner, 
as  well  as  the  age  and  previous  culture  of  the  plants. 
John  Ruskin,  Gladys  Harkness,  Charles  J.  Grahame 
and  W.  E.  Lippiatt  are  among  those  which  approach 
the  Hybrid  Perpetual  in  habit,  and  may  be  pruned 
exactly  in  the  manner  described  with  regard  to 
them. 

Those  Hybrid  Teas  which  in  their  second  growth 
are  apt  to  push  up  a  single  strong  shoot  often 
present  difficulties  to  the  beginner.  On  the 
principle  that  the  stronger  the  shoot  the  longer 
it  should  be  left,  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  this 
strong  stem  left  long,  the  others  being  much 
reduced.  A  common  result  of  this  treatment 
is  to  find  one  of  the  higher  buds  only  on  the  strong 
shoot    starting    away,    as    though    the    plant    was 


s 


April  5,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


173 


endeavouring   to    pursue    the    method   of   growth 

it  had  found  successful  during  the  previous  swmmer. 
Other  things  being  equal.  I  think  this  is  a  mistake. 
The  case  is  exactly  that  supposed  by  M.  Forney 
in  his  third  a.xiom  of  pruning.  He  says  we  give 
vigour  to  a  branch  by  leaving  it  long,  if  all  the 
other  branches  are  pruned  short.  The  long  branch 
dominates  the  others,  and,  being  higher  and 
furnished  with  a  larger  number  of  eyes,  it  attracts 
10  itself  all  the  sap.  Now,  in  the  case  supposed, 
the  strong  branch  has  already  made  the  tree  one- 
sided by  attracting  an  undue  proportion  of  the 
growth  of  the  previous  summer.  By  leaving  it 
long  and  shortening  the  others,  we  still  further 
accentuate  this  result.  Our  object  should  be 
t-xactly  the  opposite  to  this,  namely,  to  correct 
the  balance  of  the  tree,  and  to  do  this  the  strong 
=hool  should  rather  be  reduced  to  less  than  the 
Dthers  than  allowed  to  exceed  them.  In  fact, 
it  should  only  be  left  longer  than  the  rest  when 
some  system  of  pegging  down  can  be  applied  to 
it.  Fig.  I  represents  a  Hybrid  Tea  Rose 
before  pruning,  and  Fig.  2  the  same  Rose 
after  being  rather  lightly  pruned.  Pruning  to  the 
extent  shown  in  these  figures  would  be  about  the 
right  amount  for  a  free- flowering,  strong-growing 
decorative  Hybrid  Tea  of  the  character  of  La 
Tosca  or  Irish  Elegance. 

The  unpnmed  Rose  appears  to  possess  three 
main  stems  and  an  old  stump.  The  old  stump 
will  be  at  once  removed,  and  we  are  then  to  deal 
with  a  very  good  young  stem  on  the  left  of  the 
figure,  a  fair  one  in  the  middle,  and  one  on  the 
right  which  is  probably  two  years  old,  but  has 
some  of  last  year's  branches  proceeding  from  it. 
Possibly  it  may  have  been  left  rather  long  the 
previous  year.  However  that  may  be,  supposing 
the  Rose  we  were  treating  were  a  full  Rose  on 
which  we  might  expect  to  get  some  specimen 
flowers,  such  as  Caroline  Testout,  Konigin  Carola, 
or  Pharisaer  the  two  stems  on  the  left  and. in  the 
<  entre  should  be  reduced  to  about  half  the  length 
^ho^^^l    in    Fig.    2.   .md   we  should   then    tarkle   the 


3. TEA  ROSE  BEFORE  PRUNING 


Stem  on  the  right  of  the  figure.  The  first  branch 
from  the  base  crossing  to  the  left  should  be  reduced 
to  about  two  buds,  and  we  should  then  examine 
those  going  to  the  right.  Choose  the  best  of  them 
and  remove  all  the  rest,  and  then  shorten  the 
selected  branch  to  about  two,  or  possibly  three, 
buds,  according  to  their  position  on  the  stem. 
We  shall  expect  to  remove  the  whole  of  this  branch 
on  the  right  next  year,  and  are  only  now  keeping 
it  to  preserve  the  balance  of  the  tree  and  in  the 
hope  that  it  may  break  from  its  base  in  the  course 
of  the  year.  At  the  same  time  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  these  are  merely  general  directions, 
any  or  all  of  which  must  give  way  to  considerations 
arising  from  the  actual  condition  of  the  plant, 
the  position  of  the  buds  on  the  stems  and  the 
ripeness  of  the  shoots.  Again,  for  priming  some 
of  the  tall-growing  decorative  Hybrid  Teas,  the 
directions  given  here  would  be  quite  inappropriate. 
Such  varieties  as  Griiss  an  Teplitz,  Gustave  Regis 
and,  perhaps,  Rosette  de  la  Legion  d'Honneur  do 
not  flower  satisfactorily  if  at  all  closely  pruned. 
With  these,  I  think,  the  best  plan  is  to  begin  by 
selecting  the  shoots  that  are  strongest  and  most 
desirable  to  retain  ;  then  spur  in  the  side  shoots 
on  these  to  withm  about  an  inch  of  the  stem,  and 
remove  the  other  shoots  altogether.  When  this 
has  been  done,  review  the  plant  as  a  whole  and 
shorten  the  retained  stems  slightly  so  as  to  get 
a  fair-shaped  bush,  and  cut  away  so  much  of  the 
ends  of  the  shoots  as  is  found  to  be  unripe. 

TEA      ROSES. 

With  many  of  the  Teas  the  operator  may  exercise 
a  large  discretion  in  pruning,  provided  he  is  careful 
to  notice  and  remove  (i)  all  wood  injured  by 
frost  ;  (2)  unripe,  sappy  growths  ;  and  (3)  thin 
spray-like  shoots.  This  proviso,  while  it  applies 
more  or  less  to  all  pruning,  is  of  special  import- 
ance with  the  Teas.  Roses  like  the  pink  and  white 
Cochets,  Marie  van  Houtte  and  Anna  Olivier  so 
readily  produce  basal  shoots  that  the  precautions 
necessary  to  encourage  these  with  the  Hybrid 
Perpetuals  are  not  required, 
and  they  may  either  be  left 
rather  long  or  pruned  hard 
back,  according  to  the  size  of 
the  bush  desired.  Moreover, 
these  Teas  can  at  any  time  be 
cut  back  to  the  old  wood,  if 
necessary,  with  a  fair  certainty 
of  their  breaking  from  it,  and 
I  have  at  times  thought  I  have 
got  more  vigorous  growth  from 
plants  ot  the  Cochet  type  when 
little  pruned  than  when  they 
.ire  cut  hard  back.  They  will 
do  well  with  either  treatment. 
The  more  upright-growing  Teas, 
however,  and  those  which  are 
chiefly  valuable  for  exhibition 
flowers,  like  Mme.  Constant 
Soupert,  should  generally  be 
considerably  shortened. 

Many  amateurs  at  first  feel 
some  difficulty  in  dealing  with 
a  much-branched  bush  of  the 
Tea  Rose  type.  Fig.  3  shows 
such  a  plant  before  pruning, 
and  Fig.  4  the  same  plant 
after  that  operation.  It  will  be 
noticed,  however,  that  in  Fig.  4 
the  photograph  is  taken  from 
the  opposite  side  of  the  plant 
to  that  of  Fig.  3,  consequently 


4. THE  SAME  TEA  ROSE  AFTER  PRUNING. 

the  two  young  basal  shoots  shown  on  the  left  in 
Fig.  3  appear  on  the  right  in  Fig.  4.  It  will  be 
noticed  that  the  pruning  has  been  rather  light. 
It  is  possible  the  three  thin  crossing  shoots  retained 
were  actually  better  than  they  appear  in  the 
photograph ;  but  if  not.  it  would  generally  be 
better  either  to  remove  these  altogether  or  to  spur 
them  back  to  within  two  eyes  of  the  stem  from  which 
they  spring.  The  centre  shoot  of  the  fork  shown 
on  the  left  of  Fig.  4  might  also,  in  all  probability, 
be  taken  away  with  advantage.  It  is  common 
to  find  three,  or  sometimes  more,  young  stems 
springmg  from  the  bud  to  which  the  stem  was 
reduced  the  previous  year,  and  in  such  cases 
only  two  at  the  most  should  be  retained,  and  unless 
they  are  decidedly  riper  or  more  promising  than  the 
outer  stems,  it  is  generally  best  to  remove  those  in 
the  centre  altogether,  shortening  back  the  others. 

THE  CHINAS 
should  either  be  pruned  rather  closely  or  very  little, 
and  both  methods  should  be  practised.  By  this 
means  we  get  a  greater  continuity  of  flower.  The 
unpruned  Chinas  begin  to  flower  ten  days  to  a 
fortnight  before  those  that  are  pruned,  and  their 
second  flowering  fills  in  the  gap  between  the  first 
and  second  flowering  periods  of  the  pruned  bushes. 

THE    NOISETTES. 

The  method  of  pruning  has  already  been  indicated. 
Choose  the  stems  to  be  retained  and  remove  the 
rest  ;  then,  if  the  retained  stems  have  any  side 
branches,  spur  these  in  to  two  or  three  buds  of 
the  main  stem.  Finally,  if  necessary,  shorten  the 
retained  stems  somewhat,  but  not  more  than  is 
required  by  the  condition  of  the  stems,  the  place 
the  plant  occupies  in  the  garden  and  the  general 
symmetry  of  the  plant.  These  directions  apply 
tvhether  the  Noisette  is  grown  on  a  wall,  as  a  pillar, 
or  as  a  free  bush. 

THE    POLYANTHA    POMPONS. 

The  position  they  occupy  in  the  garden  should 
generally  determine  the  amount  of  pruning  these 
are  to  receive.  In  beds  it  is  best  to  plant  them 
closely  and  cut  them  to  the  groimd  each  year. 
On  the  other  hand,  on  banks,  or  suitably  placed 
in  borders  they  may  be  left  to  themselves,  merely 
removing  dead  wood  and  flower-stalks.  I  have 
on  a  bank  three  or  four  plants  of  Marie  Pavie 
which  have  been  practically  imtouched  for  some 
ten  years,  and  have  made  nice,  round,  little  bushes 
some  3  feet  to  4  feet  high  and  nearly  as  much 
through.  On  the  other  hand,  Perle  d'Or  and 
Cecile  Brunner  are  generally  best  with  at  least  a 
moderate  amount  of  pruning.  White   Rose. 


174 


THE    GARDEN. 


[April  5,  1913. 


GARDENING     OF     THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Sweet  Peas. — Whenever  the  ground  is  in  a 
suitable  condition.  Sweet  Peas  may  be  planted 
out.  If  the  site  happens  to  be  exposed  to  wind, 
the  shelter  of  a  few  sprays  of  evergreen,  or  even 
short  Pea  stakes,  wUl  help  them. 

Clumps  in  Herbaceous  Borders.— These  are 
especially  effective,  but  to  ensure  complete  success 
the  stations  should  be  thoroughly  well  prepared. 
From  five  to  eight  plants  will  make  a  good  clump, 
but  they  should  not  be  planted  too  close  together, 
nor  should  they  be  planted  with  the  ball  of  soil 
intact,  or  they  may  suffer  during  a  hot  spell. 

Asters,  Stocks  and   Zinnias.— These  I  always 

thmk  make  the  best  plants  when  sown  on  a  mild 
hot-bed  about  the  first  week  in  April,  as  at 
the  time  thev  are  large  enough  to  prick  off  the 
weather  is  such  that  they  may  be  put  out  in  any 
temporary  frame,  where' a  mat  may  be  put  over 
them  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  or  at  night  m 
the  event  of  a  very  late  frost. 

Hardening  Off  Bedding  Plants.— Providing 
we  are  not  experiencing  sharp  frosts,  several  of 
the  hardier  classes  of  bedding  plants  may  be 
removed  from  the  heated  to  quite  cold  frames, 
and  thus  make  room  for  the  tender  subjects  which 
are  growing  and  requiring  more  space  almost 
daily. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

SchizanthUS. — Late  autumn-sown  plants  are 
now  rapidly  developing  their  flowers,  and  will 
require  plenty  of  water  and  manure  to  keep  them 
going,  especially  if  not  overdone  with  pot  room. 
Later  batches  should  be  potted  on  as  they  require 
it  until  the  desired  size  of  pot  is  reached. 

Clarkias. — These  also  are  very  fast-growing 
at  this  season,  and  if  big  specimens  are  required, 
they  may  be  potted  into  8J-inch  pots.  Pro- 
viding they  have  been  carefully  grown,  no  stop- 
ping is  required  to  induce  a  bushy  habit  of 
growth  ;  but  mucli  depends  on  the  treatment  in 
the  early  stages.  A  late  batch  of  the  two  above- 
named  plants  may  be  had  by  sowing  now  a  few- 
seeds  in  2^-incli  pots,  afterwards  thinning  to  one 
pi. lilt  in  each  pot. 

Herbaceous     Calceolarias. —  These   are  now 

developing  their  flower-heads,  and  large  plants 
may  require  a  little  staking  out.  h'eed  regularly, 
but  in  quite  weak  doses.  To  preserve  a  good 
colour  in  the  foliage,  regular  damping  among  the 
plants  must  be  practised,  and  they  must  be  shaded 
from  all  hot  sunshine. 

Shrubby  Calceolarias,  such  as  Chbrani,  require 
similar  treatment,  but  as  they  are  of  a  much  hardier 
nature,  they  may  be  subjected  to  a  little  heat  to  force 
them  into  bloom  if  necessary,  or,  on  the  other  hand, 
may  be  grown  in  the  cold  frame  till  they  commence 
to  bloom.  Young  plants  may  have  the  leading 
growth  pinched  out,  and  this  will  make  them 
flower  from  the  side  growths  at  a  much  later  date 
and,  by  the  way.  make  larger  plants.  These  I 
hnd  most  useful  for  the  conservatory. 

Azalea  indica. — After  blooming,  these  should 
be  plared  all  together  in  a  house  to  make  their 
growth.  Any  repotting  required  should  be 
done  at  once.  Large  shifts  are  not  necessary, 
and  a  compost  of  peat,  leaf-soil,  sand  and  a  srnall 
proportion  of  loam  suits  them  best.  Very  firm 
potting  is  essential,  after  which  a  fairly  warm, 
moist  atmosphere  should  be  maintained  till  growtli 
is  well  advanced,  when  they  should  be  hardened 
off  and  placed  out  of  doors. 

Salvia  splendens. — Early  propagation  of  this 
plant  IS  not  necessary,  and  if  good,  strong  cuttings 
are  put  in  now  and  kept  growing  freely,  they  will 
make  quite  large  plants  by  the  autumn.  In 
adchtion  to  the  old  and  somewhat  taller-growing 
t\-pe,  it  is  as  well  to  grow  a  few  plants  of  the  dwarf 
ones,  such  as  Glory  of  Zurich,  and  these  may  be 
flowered  successfully  in  smaller-sized  pots. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Carrots. — About  this  date  the  main  batch  of 
Carrots  may  be  sown,  providing,  of  course,  the 
ground  is  in  a  suitable  condition  ;  if  wet  and 
heavy,  by  all  means  defer  sowing  till  it  breaks 
down  to  a  nil-.-  fine  tilth. 


ISVegetable  Marrows. — These  should  now  be 
sown  in  pots  in  a  little  heat,  or  a  frame  may  be  at 
liberty  on  a  hot-bed,  and  if  one  or  two  seeds  are 
planted  between,  say,  a  crop  of  Lettuce,  they  will 
quickly  come  along  and  take  the  place  of  the 
Lettuces  as  they  are  cleared. 

Gourds. — Many  varieties  of  these  are  edible 
as  well  as  ornamental,  and  if  treated  as  Vegetable 
Marrows  they  will  succeed  admirably  in  any  warm 
garden,  though  for  decorative  effect  they  should 
be  trained  on  posts  or  over  pergolas. 

Peas. — Continue  to  sow  Peas  for  succession 
about  every  fourteen  days,  varying  the  quantity 
according  to  the  requirements  of  the  establishment. 

Asparagus. — The  present  is  a  very  suitable 
time  for  sowing  seed.  This  may  be  sown  where 
it  is  to  remam  as  a  permanent  bed,  or  in  some 
position  from  which  the  plants  can  be  removed  to  a 
permanent  bed  in  two  years'  time.  Two  year  old 
plants  may  be  transplanted  now,  having  previously 
prepared  'the  bed  by  trenching  and  manuring. 
Asparagus  plants  suffer  very  much  if  the  roots  are 
left  exposed  to  wind  and  sun  for  any  length  of  time, 
so  such  work  should  be  carried  out  as  expeditiously 
as  possible,  covering  the  young  crowns  to  the 
depth  of  about  three  inches  with  fine,  light  soil. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 


Strawberries. — Ripening  fruit  should  be  given 
as  much  light  and  air  as  is  consistent  with  the 
state  of  the  weather,  thereby  adding  flavour  to 
the  fruit.  Cold  draughts  to  the  plants  must  be 
avoided,  or  mildew  is  hkely  to  result.  This  latter 
may  be  sometimes  avoided  by  spraying  the  plants 
with  a  httle  sulphur  and  soft  soap  before  the  fruits 
have  attamed  any  great  size. 

Early  Peaches  in  pots  or  planted  out  that  have 
passed  the  stoning  stage  should  now  be  gone  over, 
taking  off  any  surplus  fruit.      Rather  more  warmth 
may  now  be 'given,  and  a  thoroughly  good  feed  of 
Le  'Fruitier  or  some  such  manure  well  watered  in 
should    set    them   swelling    away,    freely   repeating 
the  dose  in  from  fourteen  to  twenty-one  days. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 
Wobuni  J'lace  Gardens,  Addlestoiie,  Surrey. 


FOR 


NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Pentstemons. — Those  raised  ■  from  seed  will 
not  be  fit  for  plantmg  out  for  some  weeks,  but 
named  varieties  or  selected  seedlings  raised  from 
cuttings  last  autumn  should  be  planted  now. 
The  Pentstemon  requires  liberal  cultivation  to 
do  it  well;  therefore  I  would  advise  giving  the 
ground  a  dressing  of  soot,  fowl-manure,  or  bone- 
meal  prior  to  forking  it  over. 

Antirrhinums. — Seedlings  should  now  be  ready 
for  transferring  to  cold  frames  to  be  hardened 
off.  .\utumn-struck  lUttings  should  now  be 
planted  out. 

Sweet  Peas. — The  pots  or  boxes  nuiy  now  lie 
taken  from  the  frame  and  stood  hi  some  sheltered 
position  where  they  will  get  the  full  benefit  of  the 
sun  and  air. 

Gladioli. — Dormant  bulbs  should  now  be  planted. 
On  most  soils  it  is  advisable  to  give  these  showy 
border  plants  some  special  soil  of  a  light,  ricli 
nature.  If  planted  in  lines,  a  good  plan  is  to  draw 
a  drill  as  for  Potatoes,  place  a  little  of  the  prepared 
compost  in  the  bottom,  plant  the  bulbs  at  a  foot 
or  more  apart,  and  partly  fill  the  drill  with  more 
of  the  special  compost.  Brenchleyensis,  Childsii 
and  Hollandia  are  all  good  for  massing. 

Chrysanthemums. — Cuttings  put  in  a  few  weeks 
ago  will  now  be  ready  for  boxing  off  or  potting  off 
into  small  pots.  Place  them  at  once  in  a  cold 
frame  and  keep  close  and  shaded  for  a  few  days, 
after  which  beware  of  coddling. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Digging. — The  beds  and  borders  should  be 
dug  over  with  the  digging-fork,  so  as  to  aerate 
the  soil  and  give  the  quarters  a  tidy  appearance. 
Where  dry  earth  was  drawn  up  to  the  stems  of 
the  plants  as  a  winter  protection,  some  — 
rotted  farmyard  manure  should  be  given 
where  manure  was  used  for  protection,  the  ranker 
part  of  it   should   be  removed   and   the  remainder 


ell- 
and 


dug  m.     Light   dressmgs  of  lime   and   wood-ashes 
will  also  be  found  beneficial. 

The  Rock  Garden. 
Taking  Stock. — This  is  one  of  the  gayest  months 
in  the  rock  garden,  and  is  a  good  time  to  take 
notes  as  to  any  proposed  modifications  in  the 
disposition  of  the  plants  for  the  future.  It  is 
also  a  good  time  to  make  notes  as  to  discarding, 
wholly  or  in  part,  varieties  already  in  possession 
or  for  the  purchase  of  new  stock.  Lovers  of  the 
cult  should  keep  their  eyes  open  at  the  Edinburgh 
Spring  Show  next  week. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Ferns. — The  young  succulent  fronds  of  several 
of  the  species  have  a  great  fascination  for 
slugs  and  woodlice.  The  Maidenhaurs  are  prime 
favomites  with  them.  Young  Lettuce  leaves 
will  attract  slugs,  and  woodlice  can  be  caught 
when  sheltering  under  half  a  Potato  scooped  out 
with  an  aperture  for  admission.  At  night,  with  a 
candle  in  hand,  is  the  time  to  catch  the  enemy 
red-handed.  Precious  gems  should  be  stood  on  a 
small  inverted  flower-pot  stood  in  a  "  flat  "  filled 
with  water. 

Winter-Flowering  Begonias.  —  Newly-rooted 
cuttings  must  be  potted  off  into  2-inch  pots,  using 
a  light,  open  compost,  say,  fibrous  loam,  peat 
and  leaf-mould  in  equal  proportions,  with  a  dash 
of  sharp  sand  and  pounded  charcoal.  It  will  be 
an  advantage  if  the  pots  are  plmiged  in  Cocoanut 
fibre  or  flaky  Beech  leaf-mould  ;  this  will  keep 
the  temperature  and  moisture  equable  at  the  roots. 
Supply  sufficient  atmospheric  moistture,  and  spray 
lightly  morning  and  afternoon. 

Camellias. — These  favourites  of  long  ago  have 
regained  some  of  their  popularity,  but  the  improve- 
ment in  their  favour  is  so  recent  that  few  large 
specimens  are  to  be  seen.  They  will  now  be  out 
of  flower,  and  shoidd  enjoy  some  rise  of  temperature 
while  making  their  growth. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Melons. — In  early  houses  where  tlie  crop  has 
been  set,  no  time  "should  be  lost  in  supporting 
the  fruits,  or  damage  may  ensue.  Many  devices — 
wicker-work,  canvas  and  twine — are  adopted  for 
this  purpose  ;  but  nothing,  I  think,  equals  the 
light,  inexpensive  nets  sold  for  the  purpose. 

Second  Thinning  of  Grapes.— Where  the  first 

thinning  was  done  carefully  and  skilfully,  this  is 
an  easy  operation.  It  should  be  taken  in  hand 
two  or  three  weeks  after  the  first  or  principal 
thinning,  and  must  be  carried  through  with  care, 
as  the  berries  are  apt  to  be  pierced  by  the  points 
(if  the  scissors.  If  a  cloth  is  spread  under  the 
bunch  being  operated  on,  the  thiunhigs  can  be 
utilised  for  tarts. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Hoeing. — The  quarters  which  were  pointed  oyer 
a  few  weeks  ago  will  now  be  weathered,  and 
will  be  in  good  condition  for  hoeing.  The  operation 
wUl  both  produce  a  fine  tilth  and  check  the  weeds, 
which  begin  to  assert  themselves  about  this  period. 
I  would  here  :%aiii  remind  the  inexperienced  that 
it  is  necessary  to  keep  a  sharp  look-out  for  frost 
and  promptly  drop  the  nets  in  front  of  fruit  trees 
in  flower  on  walls. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Autiunn-Sown  Onions. — Many  cultivators  still 
make  an  autumn  sowing,  Trebons  being  the 
favourite  variety,  and  good,  useful  crops— generally 
immune  from  the  fly— lau  be  produced  by  this 
method.  Now  is  the  time  to  transplant  either  the 
whole  crop  or  only  the  thinnings.  It  is  taken  for 
granted  that  the  gnnind  was  well  manured  and 
deeply  dug  hi  autumn  or  winter,  .\pply  a  dressing 
of  pigeon  or  fowl  manure  and  fork  it  in,  after  which, 
if  the  soil  IS  light,  tread  it  firmly  and  rake  over. 
Lift  the  plants  carefully  by  meaiis  of  a  fork,  and 
plant  to  the  line  with  a  dibble,  .\djust  so  that 
the  bulb  will  rest  on  the  surface  of  the  soil.  Water 
after  planting,  allow  a  distance  of  t4  inches  between 
the  rows,  <~uid  plant  6  inches  apart  in  the  row. 

Late  Potatoes. — These  must  now  be  planted 
forthwith.  Their  name  is  legion  and  it  is  dangerous 
to  dictate,  but  one  has  no  hesitation  in  recom- 
mending such  varieties  as  Table  Talk,  The  Provost. 
The  Factor  and  Golden  Wonder.  Allow  2j  feet 
between  the  drills,  and  plant  15  inches  apart  in 
the  drills.  Sow  a  little  soot  and  Cross'  Garden 
Fertiliser  along  the  drills. 

Chari.es  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midinlhian. 


April  5,  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


175 


SEASONABLE     NOTES    ON 
CARNATIONS. 

Time  was  when  all  our  Carnations  were  layered 
in  the  summer,  and  later  on  transferred  to  the 
positions  in  beds  and  borders  where  they  were 
wanted  to  flower  in  the  following  year  ;  and  at  the 
risk  of  being  dubbed  old-fashioned  I  am  bound 
to  confess  that  in  my  opinion  such  plants  flowered 
far  more  satisfactorily  than  those  that  are  now 
wintered  in  cold  frames  and  put  into  their  perma- 
nent quarters  this  month.  One  would  not  suggest 
that  all  varieties,  in  all  soils  and  in  all  situations, 
should  be  left  to  take  their  chance  out  of  doors  in 
the  winter.  Unfortunately,  the  day  for  this  has 
gone,  because  the  modem  varieties  of  most  con- 
spicuous merit  are  indubitably  more  tender  of 
constitution  than  the  majority  of  their  prede- 
cessors, It  would,  however,  be  well  if  more  stock 
was  tried  under  the  older  system,  as  it  would 
probably  be  found  that  many  plants  which  are 
now  popularly  regarded  as  of  doubtful  hardiness 
would  safely  withstand  the  weather,  and  no  steps 
are  taken  to  prove  the  fact  or  the  contrary. 

Plants  wintered  in  3-inch  pots  in  cold  frames 
miss  that  chance  to  develop  a  perfect  rooting 
system  which  those  planted  out  always  enjoy, 
and  the  consequence  is  that  they  are  not  so  likely 
to  make  vigorous,  healthy,  floriferous  plants  in 
the  summer  months.  The  cramping  of  the  roots 
in  a  restricted  space,  with  the  tendency  to  harden 
round  the  porous  sides  of  the  pot,  cannot  be  over- 
come, and  the  effect  must  be  distinctly  prejudicial 
to  the  eventual  results. 

It  does  not  appear  to  me  that  there  is  any  sound 
reason  why  half  the  stock  at  least  should  not  go 
into  the  open  ground,  the  remainder  being  potted 
to  winter  imder  cover.  The  objection  to  this  is, 
of  coiu'se,  that  some  of  the  choicest  varieties  do 
not  produce  a  great  quantity  of  "  grass  "  suitable 
for  layering,  and  that  the  method  might,  therefore, 
end  in  disastrous  loss.  This  is  true,  and  the 
specials  might  be  dealt  with  in  the  more  careful 
manner  and  the  generaUties  treated  more  hardily, 
according  to  circumstances.  The  risk  would  be 
far  too  serious  in  excessively  cold  soils,  but  in 
thoroughly-drained  gardens  with  naturally  warmer 
soil  the  risk  would  be  shght,  if  any.  These  things 
are,  however,  matters  for  future  consideration. 
What  we  now  have  to  put  in  hand  is  the  planting 
out,  and  it  ought  to  be  done  as  soon  as  possible  ; 
but  one  should  not  rush  it  to  the  extent  of  putting 
the  roots  in  a  medium  that  was  obviously  in  a 
totally  misuitable  state. 

Carnations  are  appreciative  of  a  soil  that  is  in 
good  heart,  but  it  cannot  be  claimed  that  they 
welcome  fresh  manure  near  their  roots,  or  that 
they  are  markedly  responsive  to  very  generous 
dressings  of  artificial  or  chemical  foods.  Used  in 
moderation  these  will  prove  advantageous,  but 
the  least  excess  will  inevitably  lead  to  trouble  and 
disappointment.  One  fact  is  incontrovertible, 
and  that  is  their  decided  partiality  for  lime  in 
some  readily  available  form.  Unless  this  mineral 
is  present,  the  plants  do  not  assume  that  aspect  of 
lude  health  which  one  likes  so  much  to  see,  nor 
do  they  produce  flowers  of  such  outstanding  excel- 
lence of  quality.  As  far  as  the  present  is  con- 
cerned, the  readiest  way  of  providing  the  essentia] 
lime  is  in  the  form  of  old  lime  or  mortar  rubbish 
crushed  to  a  state  approaching  gritty  dust,  and  this 
may  be  freely  added  where  a  shortage  is  suspected. 
The  usual  system  is  to  dig  it  into  the  station  pre- 
pared for  the  reception  of  the  roots  ;  but  where 
the  quantity    at   command   will  permit  of  it,  more 


satisfaction  accrues  to  broadcast  it  over  the  entire 
bed  or  border  and  dig  it  in.  There  is  then  less 
concentration,  but  the  plants  never  fail  to  secure 
the  full  benefit  of  the  dressing. 

When  planting,  the  soil  should  be  deeply  loosened 
and  made  Arm  again.  Unless  it  is  known  to 
be  quite  sweet,  it  is  wise  to  put  in  a  layer  of  fresh 
loam  for  the  roots  to  rest  upon,  and  if  they  can 
be  packed  in  the  same  material,  so  much  the  better. 
In  any  event,  they  must  be  firm  without  being 
so  tightly  fixed  that  extension  is  impossible.  If 
birds  are  known  to  do  injury,  it  will  be  well  to 
put  black  thread  or  cotton  over  the  plants.  The 
surface  must  be  frequently  lightly  pointed  over  as 
well  with  these  as  with  plants  that  have  wintered 
out  of  doors.  F.  R. 


NOTES     ON     AURICULAS. 

A  MILD  winter  has  caused  Aiu'iculas  to  become  more 
advanced  in  growth  than  is  usual  at  this  time  of 
the  year.  .Many  plants  are  showing  good  trusses 
fairly  well  advanced.  In  the  green-edged  section 
these  should  be  encouraged,  as  they  are  more 
slow  in  opening  ;  this  applies  particularly  to  such 
notoriously  slow  growers  as  Mrs.  Henwood. 

Acme,  among  the  white  edges,  is  in  a  forward 
state,  and  wherever  this  is  so  it  will  be  well  to  give 
the  plants  cool  quarters  in  order  to  delay  them 
opening  quite  so  soon,  but  at  the  same  time  do 
not  let  frost  touch  them.  Cover  frames  with  mats 
as  soon  as  the  sun  goes  down,  and  keep  as  warm 
as  possible  at  night  by  keeping  out  cold,  not  by 
applying  artificial  heat. 

Sells  are  in  a  forward  state,  and  if  mild  weather 
prevails  will  need  to  be  kept  cool  if  the  best  flowers 
are  to  be  seen  in  good  form  at  show-time.  I  am 
writing  from  the  point  of  view  of  an  exhibitor 
at  the  shows.  By  keeping  cool  I  mean  shaded 
from  bright  sun  during  the  warm  part  of  the  day. 

Disbudding  should  be  done  as  early  as  the  state 
of  the  pips  will  allow.  Do  not  let  the  plants 
suffer  from  laclf  of  moisture,  but  at  the  same  time 
guard  against  excessive  watering.  Alpines  are 
coming  along  well,  and,  providing  we  do  not  get  an 
April  with  the  weather  and  heat  of  midsiunmer, 
as  was  experienced  last  year,  very  good  blooms 
should  be  seen  at  the  shows  this  year.        G.  J.  S. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES      FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS,— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
make  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  u'ko  desire  assist- 
ance,  no  matter  what  the  branch  oi  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C-  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  nwss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PUBLISHEK. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

VIOLET  LEAVES  FOR  EXAMINATION  {L.  C.  F.).— 
The  Violets  are  affected  by  the  fungus  Homodendron 
cladosporioides,  which  is  the  parasitic  form  of  Cladosporium 
herbarum.  It  is  usually  only  leaves  that  have  been 
weakened  by  some  uncongenial  conditions  that  fall  victims 
to  this  fungus  ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  it  does  much  harm 
itself.  All  attention  should  be  given  to  drainage  and 
ventilation,  and  the  plants  should  be  sprayed  with  potas- 
sium sulphide,  loz.  to  three  gallons  of  water. 


PiEONIES  AND  ViOLA  (H.  7.).  — The  herbaceous 
Paeony  is  one  of  the  hardiest  subjects  so  far  as  its  roots  are 
concerned  (occasionally  the  flower-buds  suffer  from  the 
effect  of  late  spring  frosts).  The  occurrences  are  rare, 
however,  and  even  then  only  a  bud  or  two  may  be  affected. 
You  cannot  plant  Peeonies  at  this  season  with  success. 
Viola  Mrs.  C.  F.  Gordon  is  a  fancy  bluish  purple  in  colour, 
with  a  lavender  blotch  on  each  petal.  These  markings 
are  constant  in  some  districts  and  variable  in  others. 
Mrs.  F.  W.  R.  Johnstone,  Cottage  Maid  and  Countess  of 
Kintore  are  other  blotched  varieties. 

EARLY-FLOWERING  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  (C.  IK.  £.}. 
—  The  following  are  good  and  reliable  sorts  :  Abercorn 
Beauty  (orange,  shaded  bright  crimson),  Blush  Beauty 
(blush),  Horace  Martin  (yellow),  ChatiUon  (orange  and 
oclire  yellow),  Goacher's  Crimson  (rich  crimson),  Mme. 
Casimir-Perier  (creamy  white  and  pink),  Mme.  Marie 
Mas?6  (lilac  mauve),  Mrs.  A.,  Willis  (yellow,  shaded  and 
striped  red),  Nina  Blick  (bronzy  red),  Koi  des  Blancs  (pure 
white),  White  Mass6  (white,  sometimes  tinted  pink),  Perle 
Chatillonaise  (creamy  white,  shaded  peach),  J.  Bannister 
(lemon  yellow,  shaded  bronze),  Claret  (bright  claret)  and 
Dame  Blanche  (pure  white). 

BLUE -FLOWERING  PERENNIALS  {Emelie  Behm).— 
The  great  period  of  blue  in  the  garden  is  .Tune  and 
July,  when  Iris,  Delphinium  and  Anchusa  are  giving  a 
rich  display  ;  after  that  time  we  have  to  be  content  with 
minor  subjects,  the  best  of  which  are  Galcga  His  Maje-sty, 
Erigeron  speciosus,  Aster  acris,  A.  Amellus,  Campa",jla 
carpatica,  C.  Riverslea,  C.  lactiflora  cserulea,  Eryn^ium 
oliverianum,  E.  amethystinum  and  Veronica  subsessilis. 
You  might  introduce  each  year  a  few  plants  of  Salvia 
patens,  and  A.  azureus  granditlorus,  which  is  hardy.  There 
is  also  the  so-called  race  of  blue  herbaceous  PlUo^es, 
which  are  of  violet  ami  rich  purple  shades ;  Iris,  Le  Mahdi, 
Gloire  du  Marc  and  Violet  are  some  of  them,  and,  planted 
in  groups  apart,  they  are  singularly  effective  and  good. 

IRIS  AND  STONE  WALL  (//ex).— The  specimen  sent 
for  naming  is  Pulmonaria  officinalis.  The  Iris,  from  your 
description,  is  I.  reticulata.  It  is  a  bulbous  species  with 
2-feet-long  leafage  at  this  time.  If  there  is  not  much  over- 
head shade,  you  might  plant  the  wall  of  the  stone  well 
with  some  of  the  Mossy  Saxifrages,  as  Guildford  Seedling, 
muscoides  purpurea  and  Clibrani.  Erinus  alpinus  would 
do  in  many  cracks  and  crevices,  and,  nearer  the  top, 
Aubrietias  in  one  or  more  shades.  At  the  base  you  might 
introduce  Arenaria  balearica  to  climb  and  clothe  the  wall, 
while  the  small-growing  Fern,  Asplenium  Trichomanes, 
should  do  quite  well.  In  similar  places  we  have  seen  the 
common  Polypody  and  Hart's  tongue  flourish,  while 
little  pieces  of  Thrift  nnd  seeds  of  Iceland  Poppies  would 
soon  make  a  show.  The  spores  of  the  Ferns  should  be 
sown  in  tlie  crevices,  or,  by  mixing  them  with  a  little  clay 
and  water,  smear  them  on  by  the  aid  of  a  brush.  You 
certainly  could  sow  seeds  of  Crocuses  and  Daffodils, 
though  the  latter  would  be  years  before  flowering.  A 
far  better  way  would  be  to  obtain  the  forced  bulb  stock 
of  the  large  growers.  The  bulbs  are  usually  very  cheap, 
and  in  two  years  are  quite  satisfactory.  Occasionally 
we  hear  of  such  for  sale,  and  would  communicate  with  you 
if  so  desired. 

SEED-SOWING  {Ignoramus). — You  may  sow  seeds 
of  Stocks  and  Pinks  in  shallow  boxes  of  light,  sandy 
soil  in  your  conservatory  at  once.  Prepare  a  compost 
of  two  parts  fibrous  loam,  one  part  leaf-mould,  and  one 
part  sand.  Sift  a  little  of  the  mixture  through  a  fine- 
meshed  sieve  and  stand  it  on  one  side.  Place  crocks  or 
cinders  in  the  bottom  of  the  boxes,  and  over  these  place 
a  layer  of  the  coarse  soil  which  has  failed  to  pass  through 
the  sieve.  Proceed  to  fill  the  boxes  to  within  half  an  incli 
of  the  surface  with  the  ordinary  soil,  and  level  it  with 
a  little  of  the  fine  material.  Sow  the  seeds  thinly  and 
cover  with  a  little  of  the  finest  soil.  Water  with  a  fine- 
rosed  watering-can,  and  cover  each  box  with  a  sheet  of 
glass  and  a  sheet  of  brown  paper.  When  the  seedlings 
appear,  remove  both  glass  and  paper,  and  keep  the  con- 
servatory well  ventilated.  As  soon  as  the  young  plants 
are  large  enough  to  handle,  prick  them  off  in  boxes  about 
two  inches  apart  each  way.  Keep  the  house  well  venti- 
lated, and  do  not  allow  the  plants  to  become  dry.  It' 
your  ground  is  at  liberty,  you  may  sow  some  of  the  seeds 
out  of  doors  at  once.  You  may  pot  your  Privet  in  loamy 
soil  at  once  ;  keep  the  young  shoots  pinched  back  to  induce 
a  bushy  habit.  Unless  the  young  plants  are  very  leggy, 
there  is  no  necessity  for  cutting  them  back  when  you 
pot  them. 

TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

SOWING  GORSE  SEED  (C.  L.  C.  T.).— It  is  scarcely 
possible  to  say  how  much  Gorse  seed  is  required  per  lineal 
yard  for  a  hedge,  but  if  you  sow  about  forty  to  fifty 
seeds  to  the  yard  they  will  be  quite  enough.  Arrange 
to  sow  the  seeds  over  a  space  9  inches  wide  ;  then,  when 
the  seedlings  germinate,  the  plants  may  be  thinned  to 
9  inches  apait  in  two  alternate  rows. 

EVERGREENS  FOR  VERANDAH  WALL  (5.  C.  R.).— 
The  following  evergreens  are  likely  to  prove  satisfactory 
against  the  wall  beneath  your  verandah.  All  flower  well : 
Camellia  japonica  varieties,  Choisya  ternata,  Escallonia 
macrantha  and  common  Myrtle  (Myrtus  communis). 
Good  soil  ought  to  be  provided  at  planting-time,  also 
proper  provision  made  for  drainage. 

HEDGE  UNDER  ASH  TREE  (J5  K.  P.).— You  wil 
find  that  nothing  will  do  well  as  a  hedge  plant  on  a 
bank  composed  of  poor,  chalky  soil,  under  an  Ash  tree. 
The  conditions  are  quite  against  anything  growing  satis- 
factorily. You  might,  however,  trench  the  ground  well 
and  try  Bcrberis  vulgaris  or  common  Whitethorn.  The 
Ash  roots  are,  however,  likely  to  rob  the  hedge  of  all  the 
available  food  material. 


176 


THE    GAEDEN. 


[April  5,  1913- 


ABOUT  BERBERIS  AND  ACERS  (7.  B.).— Berberis 
Bealei  is  a  synonym  of  B.  japonica,  and  differs  from 
B.  nepalensis  in  having  fewer  leatlcts  to  its  leaves.  As 
a  rule,  B.  japonica  does  not  have  more  than  nine  leaflets, 
whereas  B.  nepalensis  may  have  as  many  as  thirteen  or 
fifteen.  ^Thc  leaflets  of  B.  japonica  are  geneially  much 
broader  than  those  of  B.  nepalensis.  Acer  Davidii  is 
a  Chinese  species,  of  less  vigorous  growth  than  A.  striatum. 
The  correct  name  of  the  latter  is»A.  pennsylvanicum,  and 
it  is  the  Morse  Wood  of  the  ."Eastern  United  States. 
Prunus  or  Cerasus  caroliniana  and  P.  ilicifolia  are  distinct 
species.  C.  ilicifolia  is  a  native  of  California.  It  forms  a 
small  tree  10  feet  to  15  feet  high,  wth  ovate  evergreen 
leaves  3  inches  to  4  inches  long,  with  conspicuously  toothed 
margins.  The  flowers  are  white,  borne  in  racemes  about 
four  inches  long,  and  are  followed  by  globular  purple 
fruits.  P.  caroliniana,  on  the  other  hand,  is  found  in 
North  .Carolina,  Florida,  Texas  and  Bermuda.  It  also 
is  an  evergreen  tree.  15  feet  to  18  feet  high,  with  oblong 
or  oblong-lanceolate  leaves  up  to  8  inches  long,  which  have 
entire,  or  almost  entire,  margins.  The  flowers  are  white, 
produced  in  short  spikes,  and  are  followed  by  round 
black  fruits. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

CYCLAMEN  FLOWERS  MALFORMED  {Cyclamen).  ~ 
The  appearance  of  the  Cyclamen  flowers  sent  suggests 
that  they  were  attacked  by  insect  pests,  either  aphides, 
popularly  known  as  green  fly,  or  thrips,  when  in  the  bud 
state.  Again,  the  damage  may  have  been  caused  by 
fumigation  or  by  too  strong  applications  of  manure. 
II  you  are  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society, 
you  may,  through  the  society,  have  your  soils,  manures, 
&c.,  analysed  at  a  fixed  price.  The  consulting  chemist 
is  Br.  Augustus  Voelcker,  M.A  ,  F.I.C.,  '22,  Tudor 
Street,  New  Bridge  Street,  London.  E.C.  If  you  are 
not  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  he  would, 
no  doubt,  carry  out  the  analysis  all  the  same,  but  the 
charges  might  be  diflcrent. 

TREATMENT  OF  POINSETTIAS  (R.  y.).— Poinsettias 
should,  when  the  bracts  have  faded,  be  placed  in  the 
greenhouse  and  kept  dry.  If  they  are  too  parched  up,  a 
slight  watering  may  be  given,  but  very  little  will  be 
needed.  Then,  early  in  May,  they  may  be  brought  out, 
the  soft  parts  of  the  tops  of  the  shoots  cut  off,  and  the 
plants  placed  in  the  temperature  of  an  intermediate  house, 
water  being  given  and  the  plants  freely  syringed.  This 
will  lead  to  numerous  young  shoots  being  pushed  forth, 
and  when  these  are  nearly  3  inches  long  they  are  ready  to 
be  taken  as  cuttings.  The  cutting  may  be  formed  of  an 
entire  shoot  with  its  swollen  base  just  where  it  starts 
from  the  old  wood,  as  from  this  spot  roots  are  freely 
produced.  Each  cutting  should  be  inserted  in  a  small 
pot,  which  must  be  clean  and  well  drained.  A  light, 
sandy  soil  must  be  used  for  the  cuttiniis,  which  should  then 
be  put  in  a  close  propagating-case  iu  a  warm  structure, 
where,  if  care  is  taken  not  to  over-water,  they  will  soon 
root.  As  soon  as  rooted,  the  cuttings  must  be  exposed 
to  the  air  of  the  structure  in  which  the  propagating-case 
is  situated.  «In  a  short  time  they  will  be  ready  for  a 
shift  into  pots  5  inches  in  diameter.  A  very  suitable 
soil  for  Poinsettias  consists  of  good  fibrous  loam,  lightened 
by  a  mixture  of  leaf-mould,  dried  cow-manure  and  sand. 


ROSE     GARDEN. 

BUDDING    SEEDLING    BRIARS    LEFT    OVER    FROM 

LAST  YEAR  (W.  P.  P.).~Yes  ;  you  can  bud  the  Briars 
this  year.  It  will  be  best  to  cut  back  the  tops  now  to 
about  six  inches  from  the  ground,  and  have  the  soil  dug 
shallow  in  between  the  rows, 

PERGOLA  FOR  ROSES  {B.  E.  il/.).— The  brick  supports 
for  your  pergola  should  be  about  15  inches  square, 
10  feet  to  12  feet  high,  12  feet  apart  in  the  rows  and  14  feet 
between  the  rows.  By  using  brick  pillars  you  should 
use  rather  stout  cross  timbers,  for  light  rustic  branches 
look  out  of  place  with  brick  or  stone  pillars.  Very  often 
squared  Oak  timbers  are  used  with  such  supports. 

PIGEON-MANURE  {Goldfinch).— U  you  possess  a  large 
quantity  of  this,  the  better  way  would  be  to  mix  it  with 
twice  its  bulk  of  good  loamy  soil  and  place  it  in  a  heap  for 
some  months,  turning  It  occasionally  meanwhile.  Thus 
treated,  it  would  be  suitable  for  incorporating  with  the  soil 
of  Rose-beds  in  the  ensuing  autumn,  digging  it  in  at 
planting-time  preferably.  A  peck  of  it  put  in  a  bag  and 
dropped  in  a  thirty-six  gallon  tub  of  water  would  con- 
stitute a  weak  stimulant  for  many  plants.  Twice  that 
amount  may  be  used  for  Roses  in  beds  in  the  open. 

ROSE  FORTUNE'S  YELLOW  {H.  7i.).— The  premature 
shedding  of  its  foliage  is  a  peculiarity  of  this  Rose,  shared 
by  few,  if  any,  other  varieties.  We  have  an  idea  the  trouble 
lartrely  arises  from  over-watering  ;  but  perhaps  it  is  due 
even  more  so  to  the  fact  that  most  plants  sold  are  grafted 
upon  the  Briar  or  some  other  foster-stock.  To  be  successful 
with  this  lovely  Rose,  it  should  be  raised  from  cuttings 
or  layers,  and  it  should  be  planted  out,  if  grown  under 
glass,  in  a  well-drained  border.  The  main  secret  of  success 
is  in  the  pruning.  As  soon  as  the  plant  has  provided  its 
crop  of  bloom,  the  flowering  growths  are  cut  hard  back 
to  the  main  stems.  New  shoots  will  soon  appear,  and  the 
weakest  of  these  should  be  removed  during  the  summer. 
After  growth  is  completed,  all  the  side  shoots  are  cut  back 
hard,  and  weak  points  of  all  the  leading  shoots  shortened. 
From  the  spurs  we  obtain  the  glorious  blooms  that  are 
unrivalled  for  beauty  of  colouring  and  elegance  of  form. 
Perhaps  you  can  take  a  few  cuttings  now  and  insert  in 
sandy  soil.  Grow  on  when  rooted,  and  by  the  autumn 
you  slionld  have  some  nice,  sturdy  plants.  If  grouni  out- 
doors it  is  best  if  a  glass  coping  is  erected  over  it,  and  one 
should  be  very  careful  that  the  soil  is  well  drained. 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

PRUNING  MAIDEN  APPLE  TREES  (Eccleshall).~Cnt 
back  the  terminal  shoot  of  the  centre  stem  by  one- 
third  its  length,  and  serve  all  the  side  shoots  the  same. 
This  will  induce  young  shoots  to  grow  from  their  base 
in  due  time,  and  so  furnish  a  foundation  of  a  system  of 
permanent  branches  for  the  tree.  If  this  were  not  done, 
the  trees  would  run  into  tops,  leaving  the  bottom  bare 
of  fruit-buds. 

SILVER-LEAF  ON  PEACH  TREES  {H.  H.  £».).— 
The  Peach  shoots  are  attacked  by  the  disease  known  as 
"silver-leaf,"  caused  by  the  fungus  Stereum  purpureum. 
Affected  branches  seldom  bear  fruit  and  rarely  recover, 
and  It  is  much  the  best  plan  to  cut  them  out  entirely, 
cutting  back  beyond  the  point  where  the  wood  shows  "a 
brown  stain.  If  the  greater  part  of  the  tree  is  aflected, 
it  would  be  better  to  remove  it  altogether.  The  shoots 
cut  away  should  be  destroyed  by  fire,  as  it  is  on  the  dead 
wood  that  the  fruits  of  the  fungus  are  borne. 

TOMATO  PLANTS  IN  VINERIES  {W.  C.).— Under  the 
best  conditions  possible,  and  in  the  hands  of  the  best 
experts,  it  is  difficult  to  make  good  progress  in  setting  and 
properly  swelling  the  fruit  of  the  Tomato  in  the  depth  of 
winter.  Our  advice  to  you  is  not  to  force  your  plants 
unduly,  but  to  keep  them  |steadily  growing  until  the 
days  are  longer  and  the  sun  has  greater  power.  You 
will  find  that  the  fruit  will  set  and  swell  all  right  then, 
provided  the  plants  have  passed  through  the  winter  in 
good  health.  Keep  the  plants  on  the  dry  side  for  a  time 
and  the  atmosphere  also  fairly  dry  for  the  present,  with  a 
mean  temperature  of  from  55"  to  65"  Fahr.  in  the  day- 
time, dropping  tr.  50'  in  tlie  eaily  morning,  but  not  lower 
than  that. 

VINE-BUDS  DESTROYED  BY  WINTER  WASH  {A.  J.  E.) 
— The  safest  way  to  proceed,  we  think,  will  be  to  do  every- 
thing you  can  to  encourage  the  Vines  to  break  into  ne'w 
growth  from  the  base  of  the  old  spurs,  by  keeping  up  a 
genial  moist  and  growing  atmosphere.  Once  you  can 
induce  the  Vines  to  break  into  new  growth,  the  bleeding 
will  soon  cease,  and  the  new  growth  would,  of  courst;, 
bear  fruit  next  year.  Supposing,  however,  your  Vines 
refuse  to  break  into  growth,  you  will  still  have  your  remedy, 
for  you  can  cut  them  out,  say,  early  in  May,  throw 
them  away,  make  a  new  border,  and  plant  at  once  with 
nice  healthy  young  Vines  in  pots  in  full  growth.  These 
will  be  as  forward  at  the  end  of  the  year  as  if  you  had 
planted  dormant  Vines  now,  and  in  the  meantime  you 
have  had  the  satisfaction  of  having  given  your  old  damaged 
Vines  a  chance. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

SCAB-RESISTING  POTATOES  (Bishops  Offley  Manor).— 
Your  list  giveQ  by  the  Board  of  Agriculture  consists  mostly 
of  unfamiliar  names,  but  the  following  may  be  recom- 
mended :  Findlay's  Conquest,  Soutliern  Star,  Sutton's 
Abundance,  Dobhie's  Favourite,  Crofter,  Peacemaker, 
Provost,  Sutton's  Flour  Ball,  St.  Malo,  Kidney,  Aher- 
lady  Early  and  Irish  Queen. 

GRUBS  IN  STEMS  OF  CABBAGE  PLANTS  (•/.  S.).— 
The  grubs  iu  the  young  Cabbages  are  *hose  ot  the  little 
beetle  Psylliodes  chrysocephala.  They  are  not  often 
found  attacking  the  Cabbage,  but  have  been  recorded  as 
doing  so  a  few  times.  The  beetle  is  about  one-sixth  of 
an  inch  long,  of  a  bluish  green  colour,  with  reddish  head 
and  legs.  It  feeds  on  various  cruciferous  plants  mostly 
near  the  coast,  though  it  also  occurs  inland  to  some 
extent.     The  beetle  is  one  of  the  "  flea  "  beetles. 

GROWING  VEGETABLES  BETWEEN  APPLE  TREES 
(B.  B.) — The  trees  being  planted  only  8  feet  apart  does 
not  leave  much  room  for  the  culture  of  vegetables  round 
them,  bearing  in  mind  that  the  ground  over  the  roots 
of  the  trees  must  not  be  cropped.  We  think  the  best 
you  can  do  is  to  plant  two  rows  of  early  Potatoes.  These 
would  be  otf  the  ground  about  the  end  of  July  or  early 
in  August,  and  you  could  then  sow  three  or  four  rows  of 
Turnips,  which  would  turn  in  during  late  autumn  and 
early  winter.  Tliis  would  do  the  .\pple  trees  no  harm, 
but,  rattier,  good  by  the  culture  of  the  soil  entailed. 

BONE-MEAL  FOR  POTATOES  (Reader).— Yes;  it  is 
a  good  manure.  Spread  a  handful  of  it  over  a  yard 
length  of  row  after  the  sets  are  put  in.  A  better  artificial 
manure  for  Potatoes  is  the  following  :  Half  a  hundred- 
weight of  guano,  two  hundredweight  of  superphosphate 
of  lime,  and  half  a  hundredweight  of  muriate  of  potash. 
This  should  be  applied  at  the  rate  of  four  hundredweight  to 
the  acre.  Potatoes  do  not  want  much  dressing  for  show. 
Wash  them  clean  carefully  without  breaking  the  skin, 
but  do  not  attempt  to  polish  them,  as  judges  do  not  like 
this.  Select  the  tubers  with  the  most  even  and  smooth 
surface,  with  shallow  eyes,  of  good  average  size,  not  too 
large  nor  too  small. 


and  they  are  frequently  abundant.  The  larvae  usually  feed 
on  decaymg  vegetable  matter,  and  when  this  is  scarce 
will  sometimes  damage  the  roots  of  neighbouring  plants. 
Injection  of  carbon  bisulphide  at  the  rate  of  half  an  ounce 
to  the  square  yard,  the  use  of  one  or  other  of  the  soil 
tumigants,  or  the  pouring  of  boiling  water  on  their  haunts, 
may  be  practised  with  advantage,  while  the  use  of  lime 
will  help  to  render  their  surroundings  uncongenial  to 
them.  Although  yours  is  a  chalky  district,  it  often 
happens  that  the  top  soil  is  devoid  of  lime  ;  it  easily 
washes  out. 

APPLYING  LIME  (J.  R.  >•.).— We  do  not  know  ot  anv 
article  dealing  fully  with  lime-loving  plants,  but  there 
are  several  families  of  plants  which  have  a  distinct  objection 
to  lime.  The  chief  one  is  Ericaceae,  and  very  few  of  the 
plant.s  in  this  Order,  which  includes  such  genera  as  Rhodo- 
dendron, Kalmia,  Erica,  Calluna,  Pieris,  Zenobia  and 
Arbutus,  thrive  in  ground  which  contains  lime.  Conifers, 
as  a  rule,  object  to  lime,  while  there  are  many  plants 
which  do  not  object  to  lime  in  the  soil  wl.ich  would|be 
injured  were  lime  strewn  over  the  ground  when  they  were 
commencing  to  grow.  If  you  were  to  spread  your  lime 
on  the  surface  of  the  ground  in  autumn,  let  It  lie  for  a 
couple  of  months  and  then  fork  it  in,  it  is  unlikely  that 
it  would  injure  the  plants  you  mention  ;  but  if  the  same 
kind  of  lime  is  spread  about  after  the  plants  have  com- 
menced to  grow,  there  is  little  doubt  but  what  it  will 
kill  them.  It  is  quite  likely  that  vegetables  would  be 
killed  in  the  same  way  if  the  lime  was  sown  broadcast 
over  the  young  leaves,  altliougli  the  plants  would  be 
benefited  were  it  applied  to  the  ground  in  autumn 

BRITISH  GARDENERS'  ASSOCIATION  (Jt/ii  Smt).-^ 
The  British  Gardeners'  Association  is  an  organisation  of 
professional  horticulturists  of  every  grade.  Its  member- 
ship is  widespread  and  influential.  Its  chief  aims  are  to 
endeavour  to  obtain  wages  for  ^professional  gardeners 
commensurate  with  the  ability  necessary  to  be  a  gardener  ; 
to  educate  the  public  as  to  the  real  value  of  the  gardener 
to  the  community  ;  to  obtain  educational  and  travelling 
facilities  for  its  members  ;  to  create  a  bond  of  fellowship 
among  professional  gardeners  the  world  over ;  and  to 
use  every  endeavour  to  raise  the  status  of  the  whole  pro- 
fession. The  conditions  of  membership  are  that  a  candi- 
date for  membership,  if  over  twenty-three  years  of  age, 
must  have  seven  consecutive  years  of  professional  experi- 
ence ;  under  twenty-three  years  of  age,  five  consecutive 
years'  experience.  Youths  under  twenty  years  of  age 
are  eligible  to  join  as  junior  members. '  The  subscription 
per  annum  for  seniors  is  2s.  6d.,  and  for  juniors  Is. ; 
entrance-fee,  2s.  6d.  and  Is.  ed.  respectively.  Satisfactory 
references  must  be  submitted  on  application  for  member- 
ship. It  would  certainly  be  beneficial  for  Scottish  gardeners 
to  join  the  British  Gardeners'  Association,  in  more  ways 
than  one.  The  movement  is  national,  and  in  no  sense  a 
local  one.  A  branch  exists  in  Edinburgh.  The  general 
secretary's  address  is  Ulysses,  Fortune  Green,  London, 
N.W. 
NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— £.  T.  W.,  BtcienAead.— Veronica 

lycopodioides. Miss  H.,  Uawkhursl. — 1,  Rubus  specta- 

bilis  ;  2,  'Tsuga  canadensis. A.  W.,  Somerset. — Lathraja 

Squamaria  (Toothwort). At/ord. — 1,  Narcissus  Glitter  ; 

2,   N.    Stella  super'oa. A.   P.  F.—TYie  Daffodils  are: 

1,  SirWatkin;  2.  W.  P.  Milner :  3,  Burbidgei :  4,  Hors- 
fleldii ;  5,  Minnie  Hume  ;  fi,  Gwyther. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

FLANNEL  WEED  IN  POND  (Vhelwynd  Leech).— U  is 
a  good  plan  to  rake  as  much  of  the  Flannel  Weed  as  you 
can  out  of  your  ponds  ;  but  the  best  thing  to  do  is  to  apply 
copper  sulphate  at  the  rate  of  2Joz.  to  10,000  gallons  of 
water.  As  you  have  no  fish  in  the  ponds,  you  might  use 
the  copper  sulphate  somewhat  stronger,  providing  there 
are  no  water  plants  to  consider  and  the  water  is  not  used 
for  animals.  It  will  be  necessary  to  apply  the  copper 
sulphate  sev^'ral  times  during  the  summer.  The  Flannel 
Weed  is  not  Elodea  canadensis. 

ST.  MARK'S  FLY  (H.  E.  B..  Essex).— lite  grubs  sent 
are  those  of  a  slow-flying,  two-winged  fly  called  the  St. 
Mark's  tty,  from  its  habit  of  appearing  about  St.  Mark's 
Day.     There  are  several  species,  black  or  red  in  colour. 


SOCIETIES. 


ELSTREE    AND    BOREHAM    WOOD    HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 

There  was  a  good  attendance  of  members  aud  friends 
on  the  evening  of  the  13th  ult.,  when  Mr.  E.  Molyneux. 
V.M.H.,  of  Swanmore  gave  a  lecture  on  "  Herbaceous 
Plants."  The  commodious  dining-hall  at  the  Elstree 
Schools  was  kindly  placed  at  the  dispo.sal  ot"  the  society 
by  E.  L.  Sanderson.  Esq.,  who  also  occupied  the  chair. 
The  lecturer  opened  his  remarks  by  speaking  in  eulogistic 
terms  of  the  value  of  these  plants  and  their  increasing 
popularity.  He  then  spoke  of  the  definition  of  the  word 
"  herbaceous,"  and  of  the  importance  when  exhibiting  to 
include  only  those  plants  stipulated  in  the  schedule. 
Almost  any  site  except  under  overhanging  trees  would 
suffice  for  growing  them,  and  as  a  background  to  the 
herbaceous  plants,  where  room  was  available,  the  lecturer 
recommended  climbing  Koses  of  the  Dorothy  Perkins 
type  trained  over  rougli  Larch  or  other  poles.  Trenching, 
particularly  on  heavy  soils,  should  be  done  at  least  3  feet 
deep,  and  plenty  of  manure  and  other  suitable  Ingredients 
added.  Unless  the  latter  were  to  be  freely  acquired 
and  the  subsoil  was  poor,  leave  it  at  the  bottom.  Planting 
on  light  soil  should  be  carried  out  in  autumn,  October 
for  preference  ;  but  on  lieavy  soils  Mr.  Molyneux  advocated 
spring  planting.  On  heavy  soils  lift  a  few  plants  of 
Lychnis,  Chelone  barbata,  &c.,  and  winter  in  a  box  in 
a  cold  frame.  When  dividing,  pull  the  old  clumps  to 
pieces  and  replant  tlie  outer  and  more  vigorous  growths. 
The  lecturer  strongly  advised  the  inclusion  of  bulbs, 
especially  Narcissi,  for  spring  effect  in  the  borders,  as 
well  as  others,  such  as  Snowdrops,  Crocuses  and  Hyacinths. 
He  strongly  advised  the  inclusion  of  the  better  varieties, 
especially  relating  to  Asters  or  Michaelmas  Oaisie's,  Phlox, 
Chrysanthemum  maximum  and  Montbretlas.  At  the 
close  of  the  lecture  many  questions  were  put  to  the  lecturer, 
which  proved  very  interesting,  especially  in  relation  to 
the  question  of  dividing  and  planting,  list  of  best  varie- 
ties, Ac.  Mr.  E.  Beckett,  V.M.H.,  proposed  a  hearty 
vote  of  thanks  to  the  lecturer,  which  was  warmly  received. 
Several  new  members  were  elected  during  the  evening. 


i&M'  ■•"'  ^^ 


GARDEN. 


—j^- 


No.  2160.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


April  12,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


Notes  of  the  Week 
corbespohdence 
Mr.  Lester  .Morse  on 

Sweet  Peas . . 
Transplanting     t  h  e 
Tulip  Tree..      ,. 
Wallflowers    . . 
Forthcoming  events.. 

(fREENHOrSE 

Treatment    of     liis 

flmbriata     . . 
Winter-f  lowering 

Zonal    Pilar- 

goniums 
Schizanthns    . . 

TREES  AND  SHRDBS 

The  Hollies  and  their 
culLi\'ation  . . 

FLOWER    0.4RDEN 

Seasonable  notes  on 

Aurienlas     . . 
The    Siarlet    Wind- 

Hower  failing 


181 


lincK  .4ND  Water  G.irdkx 
The     hardy      Nym- 
phxas    or  Water 

Lilies 181 

Primula  Fnrtunei . ,      182 


Rose  Gaedek 

An   early  -  flowering 
pillar  Rose  . .      . .     183 

Seasonable      work 
among  the  Roses     183 
CoLOCREi)  Plate 
Clark  las  for  garden 
and  greenhouse..      183 
D.VFFODiL  Notes      ..     IM 
Oardenino  for  Beoinners 
How    to    propagate 
Sweet  Violets     . .     185 
Garuemno  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens    ..      ....      183 

Fur    Northern    gar- 

dens     186 

THE   Fifty   Best 

Alpines 187 

New       and       Rakk 

Plants 187 

Fruit  Garden 

Mealy  bug  on  Peaches  187 
Prickinq  Off  Alpine 

seedlings      ..     ..     188 
ANSWERS   TO   Corre- 
spondents    ..     ..     188 


IIiIiU  ST  RATIONS. 

Korders  of  self-sown  Godetia^      179 

A  weeping  Holly  as  a  lawn  specimen         180 

.\u  effective  grouping  of  aquatic  plants      181 

Prinmla  Fortune! 182 

Rose  Una  growing  on  a  pillar       183 

Clarkias  for  garden  and  greenhouse   ..      .  .Coloured  plate 

Ih..' new  Narcissus  White  Emperor 184 

Unw  to  propagate  Sweet  Violets 185 

_\ 

BDITORIALr    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  :s  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


Thr  Kdittii  trelcoiiws  photographs,  articles  and  notfa, 
ti'tt  he  will  not  b/*  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  rare,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
ennfribulions. 


As  reyards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  staled. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  tfiat  only  the  actital  photo- 
'jrapher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  wilt  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistock  Utreet.  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


Resignation    of    Sir    Trevor    Lawrence.— in 

two  previous  issues  we  have  reported  the  intention 
of  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence  to  resign  his  position  as 
president  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  This 
resignation  formally  took  place  at  the  Council 
meeting  on  Tuesday  of  last  week,  when  Sir  Trevor 
vacated  the  chair.  This  was  duly  occupied  by 
the  new  president,  Field-Marshal  Lord  Grenfell. 
Sir  Trevor  has  presided  over  the  society  for  nearly 
twenty-eight  years,  and  during  that  time  has 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  it  become  the  premier 
society  of  its  kind  in  the  w.jrid. 
Asparagus    as    Ornamental    Foliage. — Those 

who  appreciate  delicate  green  foliage  with  those 
kinds  of  cut  flowers  which  do  not  furnish  suitable 
leave;  of  their  own  should  sow  a  little  ordinary 
Asparagus  seed.  .\  row  sown  in  some  convenient 
part  of  the  kitchen  or  reserve  garden  towards 
the  end  of  .\pril  will,  in  the  autumn,  provide 
small,  feathery  growths  for  cuttings ;  and  next 
year  similar  graceful  shoots,  but  of  larger  size, 
will  be  available  from  early  May  until  frost  comes. 
Seeds  of  the  ordinary  variety  are  cheap,  and  need 
no  special  care  when  sown  for  this  purpose. 

The  Swan  River  Daisy. — This  pretty  half- 
hardy  annual  is  known  under  the  name  of  Brachy- 
come  iberidifoha.  and  produces  a  wealth  of  blue 
flowers  somewhat  resembling  a  small  Cineraria. 
It  attains  a  height  of  g  inches,  and  should  be  sown 
in  batches  or  fairly  large  clumps  to  get  the  bes; 
effect,  while  as  an  edging  plant  it  proves  extremely 
useful.  Seed  may  now  be  sown  in  the  open  ground, 
selecting,  if  possible,  a  warm,  dry  situation,  although 
it  is  not  fastidious  regarding  position  There  is 
also  a  new  variety  in  commerce,  viz.,  Purple  King, 
which  may  be  described  as  royal  purple.  The 
colour  is  quite  distinct,  and  the  plant  should  be  in 
great  demand  for  beds  or  borders  where  annuals 
ire  culti\'ated. 

An  Interesting  Tasmanian  Shrub. — 0\\ners 
of  gardens  in  Cornwall.  South  Wa'es  and  Ireland 
would  do  well  to  make  a  note  of  .\nopterus  glandu- 
losus  for  future  planting,  while  in  gardens  which 
are  less  favourably  situated  it  is  well  worth  con- 
sidering as  a  greenhouse  plant.  Belonging  fo 
the  Saxifrage  Order,  it  is  very  different  in  appearance 
from  the  other  shrubby  members  of  the  family 
which  may  be  grown  out  of  doors,  and  its  general 
appearance  is  more  suggestive  of  Photinia  serrulat.T 
than  an  Escallonia,  Ribes,  or  Philadelphus.  Its 
rather  stiff  branches  arc  clothed  with  thick,  ever- 
green leaves  with  coarsely-toothed  margins,  which 
are  from  3  inches  to  6  inches  long  and  from 
I J  inches  to  2  inches  wide.  The  flowers  are  white, 
with  sometimes  a  tinge  of  rose  on  the  outside  of  the 
petals,  and  they  are  borne  in  rather  dense  terminal 
racemes  during  early  spring.  The  best  result^ 
may  be  expected  from  planting  it  in  warm,  well- 
drained,  loamy  so'l  into  which  a  little  peat  has 
been  mixed. 


Portrait  of  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks.— An  excellent 
portrait  of  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks,  secretary  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society,  has  been  exhibited 
at  the  Grosvenor  Gallery.  Bond  Street,  London, 
during  the  last  week.  This  has  been  painted  at 
the  request  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
by  Mr.  William  Strang.  We  believe  this  portrait 
is  eventually  to  be  hung  in  the  Council  Chamber 
with  those  of  other  worthy  and  distinguished 
hortieiilturists. 

Coloured  Freesias. — There  was  a  most  inter- 
esting exhibit  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Hall  on  April  i,  when  Mr.  Hoog  brought  over  from 
Haarlem  one  of  Tubergen's  best  varieties.  Conquest, 
.-md  exhibited  it  alongside  of  the  original  first 
coloured  hybrid,  Tubergenii.  The  advance  to  a 
purer  and  clearer  colour  was  very  marked,  and  in 
our  opinion  fully  merited  an  award.  It  was  almost 
of  the  exact  shade  of  Rhododendron  nobleaiium. 
When  a  set  with  real  bright  colours  and  good- 
sized  blooms  is  evolved,  Sparaxises  and  Ixias  and 
all  that  ilk  will  have  to  look  to  their  laurels  ;  that 
is,  of  course,  with  the  proviso  that  the  scent  factor 
is  not  .ill  eliminated. 

A  Pretty  Pot  Plant. — in  these  days  we  do  not 
often  see  examples  of  the  genus  Diplacus,  of  which 
there  are  several  species,  such  as  coccineus,  puniceus 
and  glutinosus.  It  is,  however,  the  hybrid  forms 
of  the  latter  that  make  pretty  pot  plants,  and  the 
flowers  greatly  resemble  the  Musk  or  Mimulus  ; 
in  fact,  they  are  closely  allied,  and  we  wonder  if 
any  reader  has  attempted  to  unite  the  two  genera 
by  hybridisation.  Cuttings  may  now  be  inserted 
in  sandy  soU,  and  if  placed  in  gentle  heat  will 
soon  root.  Grow  on  m  a  cool  pit  or  green- 
house, and  when  they  become  large  enough  for 
4  5-inch  or  6-inch  pots  they  will  produce  their 
flowers  freely.  The  colour  is  in  shades  of  yellow 
and  red.  and  the  mnnts  attain  a  height  of  2  feet  to 
2A  feet. 

A  Showy  New  Zealand  Shrub.— in  many 
Cornish  gardens  Brachyglottis  repanda,  a  New 
Zealand  Composite,  is  by  far  the  most  striking 
flowering  shrub  during  the  present  spring,  for 
Rhododendrons  and  Camellias,  which  are  usually 
the  most  conspicuous  shrubs  at  this  season,  are 
flowering  very  indifierently  this  year.  The  largest 
bushes  are  frequently  from  12  feet  to  15  feet  in 
height  and  as  far  across,  and  they  carry  scores  of 
large,  elegant,  terminal  panicles  of  small,  cream- 
coloured  flowers  which  are  most  effective,  especially 
when  seen  against  a  dark  background.  .As  a 
foliage  plant  it  has  also  attractions,  for  the  ever- 
green leaves  are  large,  green  above  and  silvery 
beneath,  every  breath  of  wind  disclosing  the 
silvery  surface.  Wherever  the  climatic  conditions 
are  mild  enough  to  allow  it  to  survive  the  winter 
out  of  doors,  it  may  be  grown,  for  once  planted  in 
ordinary  garden  soil  it  gives  no  other  trouble 
than  is  required  to  prune  it  into  shape  occasionally 
and  to  remove  the  old  flower-heads  at  the  end  of 
the  flowering  season. 


178 


THE     GARDEN. 


[April  12,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The    Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Self-Sown  Godetias.— I  enclose  a  photograph 
of  Godetias  that  were  growing  in  my  garden  here 
last  summer.  They  were  self-sown  from  plants 
that  were  growing  in  the  same  positions  in  igii 
Although  the  photograph  is  not  very  sharp,  it 
will  serve  to  show  the  wealth  of  flowers  that  these 
hardy  annuals  are  capable  of  producing. — M. 
Lyell,  Ruckmans.  Oakwood  Hill,  Surrey. 

Fruit   Trees   for   the   North  of   Ireland.— It 

may  interest  your  readers  to  have  the  following 
select  list  of  fruit  trees  for  the  North  of  Ireland, 
none  of  which  has  failed  to  crop  for  six  years 
in     succession  :      Apples — Lane's     Prince     Albert, 


valuable  plant  ?  It  is  too  true  that  it  is  gathered 
in  large  quantities,  and  I  hate  to  see  the  stiff 
bunches  in  Oxford  Market,  especially  as 'my  friend 
Mr.  Potter,  of  the  firm  of  Backhouse,  who  lives 
in  the  neighbourhood,  tells  me  that  this  wholesale 
gathering  must  tend  to  decrease  the  number  of 
the  plant,  as  it  is  prevented  from  increasing  in 
the  natural  way  by  seed.  I  was  going  one  year 
into  Oxfordshire  on  purpose  to  see  the  Fritillaria 
in  bloom,  but  found  that  it  would  be  useless,  as 
the  meadows  had  been  almost  stripped  of  flowers. 
Probably  no  bulb  suffers  more  than  the  Fritillaria, 
as  there  is  foliage  on  the  flower-stalk.  Pray,  Sir,  do 
what  you  can.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  University 
might  with  great  advantage  buy  one  or  two  of 
the  meadows  and  thus  preserve  their  beauty. — 
F.  A.  Sturge,  Coed  Efa,  near  Wrexham.  [We  feel 
sure  that  all  who  love  wild  flowers,  and  who  live 
in  the  Oxford  district,  will  do  all  they  can  to  prevent 


BORDERS    OF    SELF-SOWN    GODETIAS    IN    THE    GARDENS    AT    RUCKMANS,   OAKWOOD    HILL, 

SURREY. 


Bramley's  Seedling,  Lord  Grosvenor,  James  Welsh, 
Grenadier  and  Allington  Pippin  ;  Pears — Hessle 
(against  wall)  and  Jargonelle  ;  Plum  Victoria. — 
Walter  Smyth,  Holywood,  County  Down. 

A  Freak  Narcissus. — I  enclose  an  abnormal 
Narcissus,  a  freak  which  I  have  not  seen  before. 
You  will  see  that  the  spathe  which  enclosed  the 
bud  has  developed  mto  a  leaf,  and  there  are  only 
four  petals  and  four  stamens.  The  variety  is 
Sirius.— W.  S.  P.  BuNBURY  (Major),  Rothsay 
Gardens,  Bedford.  [Such  examples  have  been 
previously  recorded,  but  they  are  by  no  means 
common. — Ed.] 

The  Snake's-Head  Fritillary.— I  have  read 
with  much  interest  your  article  on  Fritillaria 
Meleagris  on  page  158,  issue  March  29.  Its 
quaint  beauty  makes  a  meadow  where  it  abounds 
a  delightful  sight.  Can  you  persuade  your  Oxford 
readers    to    use    their    influence    to    preserve    this 


the  extermination  of  these  quaint  and  interesting 
native  plants.  Certainly  steps  ought  to  be  taken 
to  prevent  the  spoliation  that  our  correspondent 
states  is  taking  place. — Ed.  I 

Mr.  Lester  Morse  on  Sweet  Peas.— With 
reference  to  the  letter  from  "  H.  P.  B."  under  the 
above  head  on  page  166  of  last  week's  issue,  I 
need  only  say  that  mv  varieties  can  well  take 
care  of  themselves,  but  that  they  are  not  the 
subject  of  the  present  discussion.  What  every- 
body who  is  really  honestly  interested  in  the  Sweet 
Pea  wants  is  restriction  upon  random  naming 
and  a  considerable  reduction  in  the  present  list. 
I  think  only  an  amateur  committee  can  achieve 
that.  In  putting  this  idea  forward  I  made  an 
attempt  to  find  a  solution,  but  I  am  prepared  to 
do  my  little  best  to  help  forward  any  better  plan. 
I  have  nothing  more  to  say. — Hilda  Heml's. 
[This  discussion  is  now  ended. — Ed.] 


The    Prairie    Lily    in    Canada. — Perhaps    the 

following  notes  may  be  of  interest  to  some  of  your 
readers.  Lilium  philadelphicum,  the  Prairie  Lily, 
seems,  from  the  following  extract  from  the  "  Book 
of  the  Lily,"  by  W.  Goldring,  to  be  little  under- 
stood in  England  :  "  L.  philadelphicum  is  a  gem 
among  the  upright  flowered  section,  and  a  Lily- 
grower  who  succeeds  in  flowering  it  will  regard  it 
as  a  triumph  of  his  cultural  skill.  .  .  .  It  is  a 
difficult  Lily  to  permanently  establish,  and  no  one 
can  definitely  say  what  its  exact  requirements 
are,  as  so  few  grow  it  and  still  fewer  are  successful 
with  it."  This  Lily  is  very  common  in  Manitoba, 
and  grows  in  a  great  variety  of  soils,  from  heavy 
loam  on  clay  subsoil  to  sandy  hill  faces,  but  seems 
to  prefer  a  sandy  loam  on  well-drained  and  sunny 
hillsides.  I  have  seen  large  masses  of  this  Lily 
growing  to  perfection  on  rolling  sandy  plains  in 
company  with  Gaillardia  grandiflora,  Anemone 
patens  and  Viola  delphinifolia,  all  plants  requirim; 
(with  us)  a  somewhat  dry,  sunny  position  ;  and 
while  the  earliest  blossoms  are  always  to  be  looked 
for  on  hot,  dry,  southern  hillsides,  I  have  never 
yet  found  a  Lily  in  a  place  where  the  soil  was  m.oist 
over  the  winter.  The  btilbs  usually  grow  at  a  depth 
of  from  3  inches  to  4  inches,  and  the  soil  where 
they  grow  is  usually  dry  enough  to  crumble  when 
winter  sets  in.  The  ground  generally  freezc-s  to 
the  depth  of  from  6  inches  to  a  foot  in  November 
and  remains  frozen  till  early  in  April,  so  that 
extreme  frost  will  not  injure  bulbs  while  dormant. 
If  Mr.  Goldring,  Mr.  Bowles,  or  some  other  ex- 
perienced Lily-grower  has  a  dry,  sunny  bank  or 
rockery  on  which  they  would  care  to  try  this 
Lily,  1  could  send  them  some  bulbs  at  planting- 
time.  —  F.  L.  Skinner.  Dropmore  Manitoba, 
Canada. 

Mazus  rugOSUS. — The  note  by  the  Wargrave 
Plant  Farm  on  page  154  of  March  29  issue  on 
Mazus  rugosus,  which  was  shown  by  them  before 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  on  March  4  and 
given  an  award  of  merit,  stimulates  interest  in  a 
very  pretty  little  alpine  ;  but  in  view  of  the  doubt 
as  to  the  correctness  of  the  name,  it  would  be  useful 
if  the  firm  could  tell  us  the  source  of  their  plant 
and  the  origin  of  the  name  they  attach  to  it.  Mazus 
rugosus  is  a  very  old-fashioned  plant.  Sweet 
figured  it  in  Vol.  I.  of  his  "  British  Flower 
Garden "  (1823),  where  he  describes  it  as 
a  hardy  annual :  "  The  plants  begin  to  flower 
when  they  are  scarcely  two  inches  high  and 
continue  to  bloom  all  the  summer  and 
ripen  plenty  of  seeds,  growing  in  pretty 
round  tufts,  the  branches  spreading  prostrate 
on  the  ground  in  different  directions.  Being  of 
small  growth  and  spreading  flat  on  the  ground, 
it  should  be  sown  at  the  front  of  the  flower  borders. 
The  proper  time  for  sowing  them  is  about  the 
middle  of  April.  If  sown  earlier  they  will  be  liable 
to  be  injured -by  the  sprmg  frost."  Sir  Joseph 
Hooker  also  describes  the  plant  in  Vol.  IV.  of  his 
"  Flora  of  British  India"  (1885)  as  a  glabrous 
or  sparsely  hairy  annual,  without  runners,  with 
radical  leaves  i  inch  to  3  inches  long  and  flowering 
stems  from  2  inches  to  10  niches  long,  racemes 
I  inch  to  6  inches,  and  corolla  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
to  half  an  inch.  This  is  obviously  a  different  and 
less  valuable  plant  than  that  from  the  Wargrave 
Plant  Farm.  Can  the  plcuit  certificated  be  one 
of  the  new  Chinese  species  ?  Except  in  the 
colour  of  its  flowers,  it  agrees  well  with  the 
published  description  of  Mazus  pulchellus  which 
Dr.  Henry  had  collected  in  Ichang,  and  it  is 
perhaps  a  near  ally  of  that  species. — R.  W., 
Colchester. 


April  12.  lyii-. 


THE     GAKDEN. 


179 


Transplanting  the  Tulip  Tree,— In  the  issue 
of  The  Garden  of  January  i8  last,  on  page  30, 
I  observe  some  remarks  on  "  The  Tulip  Tree  of 
.America,"  which  draw  interesting  attention  to 
this  desirable  tree.  That  "  it  bears  transplanting 
well  "  is  not.  however,  the  common  experience. 
Significant  of  this  I  find  the  following  direction 
in  the  catalogue  of  one  of  the  largest  and  most 
reputable  nurserymen  in  this  country  :  "  Plant 
only  in  spring  and  prune  very  closely."  My  pur- 
pose will  be  gained  if  those  setting  out  Tulip  Trees 
recognise  the  uncertainty  of  so  doing  with  success 
unless  care  is  exercised.  Yet  chance  seedlings 
of  the  Liriodendron  spring  up  on  my  place  in  the 
vicinity  of  several  tall  and  beautiful  trees  grow- 
ing there.  Sassafras  officinale  is  another  of  our 
native  trees  well  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  grounds, 
alike  for  its  strong  green,  curiously-cut  foliage 
from  spring  to  its  clear  yellow  in  autumn,  if  only 
it  would  transplant  %vith  greater  facility.  I  have 
moved  some  fifty  plants  with  fair  success,  but 
only  by  choosing  the  young  plants  and  cutting 
them  back  to  within  3  inches  or  4  inches  of  the 
ground,  and  that  only  in  the  growing  spring- 
time. Nevertheless,  the  Sassafras  is  difficult  to 
extirpate  from  any  place  where  it  has  become 
established,  but  will  spring  up  again  and  again. — 
W.  M.  Ram?.\v,  New  York. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


WALLFLOWERS. 
One  IS  dressed  in  velvet  brown. 
One  hath  got  a  golden  gown. 
Sweet  and  humble  is  their  mien. 
Modest  handmaids  for  a  queen. 
Stoop  !    the  thuribles  they  bring 
Perfume  all  the  paths  of  spring  ! 
Winter  winds,  that  stript  the  trees, 
Had  uo  withering  power  on  these  ; 
Through  the  rain  and  through  the  frost 
Never  heart  of  hope  they  lost  ; 
Ready  for  their  service — bliss 
They  will  never  ask  but  this. 
Glint  of  sun,  and  light  wind's  kiss  ! 
Though  they  win  but  meagre  praises 
'Mid  the  Primroses  and  Daisies, 
Long  ago  a  wearied  mortal 
Vigilant  at  wisdom's  portal 
Found  the  English  morning  hours 
Sweeter  for  this  waft  of  flowers. 

Though  in  lone,  forsaken  places, 
Brave  and  bUthe  they  Uft  their  faces  : 
Yet,  in  gardens.  Brown  and  Gold 
Please  the  young  and  cheer  the  old. 
June's  too  wealthy  ! — I  could  spare 
Half  her  splendour  ! — for  my  share 
Flowers  that  brave  the  chill  March  air. 

Debonair, 
Like  my  Wallflowers  there. 

.Agnes  S.  Falconer,  in  Country  Ltfe. 

FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

April  14. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Annual  Meeting. 

April  15. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Meeting 
and  Daffodil  Show  (two  days).  Lecture  by  the 
Rev.  Professor  G.  Henslow  on  "  The  Origin  of 
Life — Why  it  is  Undiscoverable." 

April  16. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Bulb 
Show  and  Primula  Conference.  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society  of  Ireland  Spring  Flower  Show 
(two  days).  County  Clare  Horticultural  Society's 
Spring  Show. 

.April  17. — Ipswich  and  East  of  England  Spring 
Flower  Show. 


TREATMENT     OF      IRIS     FIMBRIATA. 

[fn  Answer  to  a.  Number  of  Correspondents] 

THE  treatment  which  we  recommended 
our  correspondent  "  T.  M.  D.,"  whose 
photograph  and  letter  were  published 
on  page  142,  issue  March  22,  and 
which  we  are  pleased  to  learn  has 
been  so  successful,  is  as  follows : 
Iris  fimbriata,  also  known  as  1.  chinensis,  but 
whose  latest  name  is  I.  japonica,  is  a  beautiful 
species  that  many  fail  to  flower  in  a  satis- 
factory manner.  Out  of  doors  it  is  only  in 
particularly  favoured  spots  that  its  blossoms 
are  produced  ;  hence  it  must  chiefly  be  regarded 
as  a  greenhouse  plant.  As  far  as  soil  is  concerned, 
it  is  not  very  particular,  though  it  prefers  a  fairly 
holding  compost,  such  as  fibrous  loam,  lightened 
by  a  little  well-decayed  manure,  leaf-mould  and 
sand.  If  repotting  is  needed,  it  should  be  done 
directly  the  flowers  are  over,  but  annual  potting 
is,  in  the  case  of  the  Iris,  by  no  means  necessary  ; 
indeed,  it  often  flawers  in  a  particularly  satis- 
factory manner  as  a  large  mass  in  a  good-sized 
pot,  suggestive  of  an  Agapanthus.  If  it  is  not 
repotted,  the  necessary  stimulus  may  be  applied 
in  the  form  of  an  occasional  dose  of  liquid  manure 
during  the  growing  season,  which  is  in  the  sprinf 
aud  earlv  summer  months.  At  that  time  it  should 
be  given  a  good  light  position  in  the  greenhouse. 
Under  this  treatment  it  will  by  August  have 
completed  its  growth,  or  nearly  so,  when  it  should 
be  stood  out  of  doors  in  a  spot  fully  exposed  to  the 
sun.  It  must  at  that  time  be  kept  watered,  but 
rather  sparingly  ;  that  is  to  say,  less  will  be  needed 
than  in  the  growing  season.  As  autumn  advances 
it  should  be  again  brought  into  the  greenhouse 
and  stood  in  a  good  light  position  there.  When 
growth  recommences,  more  water  may  be  given, 
and  the  appearance  of  the  flowers  can  then  soon 
be  reasonably  anticipated. 

WINTER -FLOWERING     ZONAL 
PELARGONIUMS. 

Two  very  fine  Zonal  Pelargoniums  for  winter  are 
His  Majesty,  a  fine  rich  red  with  a  white  eye,  and 
Winter  Cheer,  a  lovely  pate  shade  of  Turkey  red 
("Colour  Chart,"  92.1).  They  were  originally 
introduced  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Page  of  Hampton,  and 
I  have  found  them  to  fulfil  all  that  be  claimed  for 
them.  A  coloured  plate  of  the  former  appeared 
in  The  Garden  for  March  23,  1912.  Another 
good  variety  of  a  distinct  and  very  pleasing  shade 
of  orange  red  is  Cannell's  Maxime  Kovalesky.  I 
was  very  much  struck  with  this  at  the  early  Decem- 
ber Royal  Horticultural  Society's  show,  and  there 
and  then  acquired  it.  I  have  been  told  since  it  is 
excellent  for  winter,  and,  judging  by  the  plants 
that  have  come  to  me  from  Swanley,  I  should  say 
it  undoubtedly  is.  I  do  like  red  flowers  in 
December  and  January  to  brighten  things  up ; 
hence  my  penchant  for  the  above.  J.   Jacob. 


TREES    AND     SHRUBS. 


SCHIZANTHUS. 

Few  annual  flowers  have  made  greater  strides 
in  public  favour  within  the  past  few  years.  For 
greenhouse  and  conservatory  they  produce  an 
unrivalled  effect.  At  this  season  the  young 
plants  will  grow  apace,  but,  providing  they  are 
of  bushy  habit,  no  stopping  of  the  growths  is 
required.  .Autumn-sown  plants  that  are  develop- 
ing their  flowering  growth  may  be  given  occasional 
doses  of  weak  cow  manure  and  soot  water. 


THE     HOLLIES    AND    THEIR    CULTI- 
VATION. 

TH  E  various  kinds  of  Hollies  are  un- 
questionably among  the  most  useful 
of  all  evergreens,  for  they  exhibit  a 
considerable  diversity  of  habit  and 
foliage,  and  the  majority  are  amenable 
to  cultivation  in  most  parts  of  the 
country.  The  common  Holly  and  its  varieties, 
for  instance,  thrive  luxuriantly  in  woods,  copses 
and  gardens  in  the  South  of  England,  while  they  are 
equally  at  home  in  many  gardens  in  the  Highlands 
of  Scotland.  Again,  they  are  not  fastidious  re- 
garding soil,  for  they  thrive  equally  well  on  the 
peaty  land  of  Woking  and  parts  of  the  New  Forest, 
on  the  heavy  clay  of  the  Forest  of  Dean  and  the 
chalk  of  the  Chilterns,  while  they  also  grow  well 
in  very  light,  sandy  soil  and  that  of  a  gravelly 
character.  The  most  unsuitable  ground  is  that 
which  is  subject  to  periodical  flooding  or  badly 
drained  and  inclined  to  sourness. 

The  Use  of  Hollies. — There  are  many  uses  to 
which  Hollies  may  be  put.  Their  natural  position 
is  as  an  undergrowth  to  Oak  woods,  and  in  such 
places  examples  30  feet  to  50  feet  high,  which 
have  trunks  a  foot  or. more  in  diameter,  may  be 
met  with.  But  they  are  equally  adapted  for 
planting  in  full  sun,  and  are  at  home  as  isolated 
specimens  or  as  clumps.  Some  kinds  are  excellent 
for  planting  as  lawn  specimens,  while  no  better 
evergreen  hedge  plant  can  be  found  than  the 
common  Holly  for  general  planting,  although  some 
of  the  broad-leaved  kinds,  such  as  Hodginsii  or 
Shepherdii,  stand  better  in  the  vicinity  of  the  sea. 

The  Time  to  Plant. — .Although  the  various 
Hollies  lend  themselves  so  well  to  general  culti- 
vation, they  are  decidedly  difiicult  to  establish 
unless  a  few  points  regarding  transplanting 
are  observed.  When  the  rocts  are  to  be  pulled 
about  to  any  considerable  extent,  it  is  neces- 
sary that  transplanting  should  be  done  either 
during  late  April  or  early  May,  or  in  August  or 
early  September.  At  these  times  the  vitality  of 
the  plants  is  most  pronounced  and  Nature  com- 
mences at  once  to  repair  injuries,  whereas,  if  the 
roots  are  disturbed  in  the  dead  of  winter,  they  lie 
dormant  for  several  months  in  cold  soil,  and  the 
plants  often  suffer  severely.  Another  point  which 
is  worth  considering  at  planting-time  is  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  branch  system  to  counterbalance  the 
injury  done  to  the  roots,  and  it  will  be  noticed  that 
if  a  few  branches  are  removed  or  shortened,  the 
plants  will  be  greatly  benefited.  Deep  planting 
must  also  be  avoided,  for  the  most  vigorous  plants 
are  those  which  have  their  feeding  roots  near  the 
surface  of  the  soil.  One  of  the  greatest  mistakes 
imaginable  is  to  bury  the  stems  of  trees,  even  to 
the  depth  of  a  few  inches  ;  yet  it  is  often  done 
with  the  idea  that  the  plant  will  better  withstand 
the  efiects  of  wind,  an  altogether  erroneous  con- 
clusion. Should  the  weather  be  dry  at  planting- 
time,  the  trees  must  not  only  be  well  watered 
when  planted,  but  syringed  overhead  twice  a  day 
for  a  few  weeks.  A  surface-dressing  of  decayed 
leaves  will  also  do  good.  If  by  any  means  a  large 
ball  of  soil  can  be  moved  attached  to  the  roots 
the  work  may  be  done  at  almost  any  time  ;  in 
fact,  plants  can  be  moved  any  month  in  the  year, 
but  in  such  a  case  the  roots  are  scarcely  disturbed. 
The  Propagation  of  Hollies  may  be  effected  hi 
one  of  three  ways.  AU  species  may  be  increased 
bv  seeds,  which  take  a  long  while  to  germinate. 


180 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[April  12,  1913. 


often  from  one  to  two  years.  Cuttings  of  half-ripe 
shoots  of  species  and  varieties  inserted  in  sandy 
soil  under  a  hand-light,  or  in  a  cold  frame  in  July 
or  August,  will  root  by  the  following  spring,  while 
fancy  kinds  may  be  budded  or  grafted  upon  stocks 
of  the  type.  The  latter,  however,  is  not  a  plan 
to  be  generally  adopted,  unless  in  the  case  of 
those  varieties  which  have  weepijig  branches, 
for  there  is  great  danger  of  the  stock  growing 
and  spoiling  the  scion.  In  some  gardens  the 
practice  obtains  of  clipping  Hollies  into  formal 
cones,  and  the  smoother  the  surface  of  the  pl?nt, 
the   more    perfect  is    it    considered   to    be.     Some 


so  than,  the  type,  while  others  rarely  exceed  a 
few  feet  in  height.  Some,  again,  have  pendulous 
branches,  others  large  or  very  small  leaves ;  some 
have  variegated  foliage,  others  are  distinguished 
by  their  very  spiny  or  almost  spineless  leaves ; 
while  in  still  other  instances  the  varieties  are 
distinguished  by  the  colour  of  the  fruits.  In  select- 
ing variegated  varieties,  it  is  always  better  to 
choose  those  with  the  variegation  about  the  margins 
of  the  leaves,  rather  than  those  with  green  margins 
and  coloured  centres,  for  they  do  not  revert  to  the 
type  so  readily  as  the  latter.  A  few  good  green- 
leaved   varieties   are    1.    .-V.  camellisefolia,    donning- 


A    WEtPlNG    HOLLY    (ILEX    AQUIKOLIUM 


PENUULA)    AS 
TO    PLANT. 


A    LAWN    SPECIMEN.       NOW    lb    THE    T1.ME 


people  describe  this  clipping  as  pruning,  and  appear 
to  consider  it  to  be  quite  the  Lurrect  treatment  : 
but  anything  more  hideous  than  these  closely- 
clipped  plants  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  The  best 
plants  are  those  which  assume  tiie  form  of  the 
b'-st  woodland  examples,  and  any  necessary 
pruning  should  take  the  form  ol  thinning  out  the 
branches  rather  than  clipping 

One  item  which  often  causes  dissatisfaction  is 
the  failure  of  certain  plants  to  produce  fruit,  and 
the  fact  does  not  appeal"  to  be  generally  understood 
that  certain  examples  bear  male  flowers  only  and 
others  produce  female  flowers  only.  While,  how- 
ever, the  former  plants  never  bear  fruit,  a  female 
plant  may  do  so  even  though  there  be  no  male 
plant  near,  although  few  of  the  seeds  will  be  fertile. 
Those  seeds  which  are  perfect  probably  owe  their 
lertility  to  insect  agency. 

The  Best  Varieties. — As  is  very  well  known, 
the  common  Holly  (Ilex  Aquifohum)  is  composed 
of  a  large  number  of  varieties,  some  of  which  have 
been  cultivated  under  one  name  or  another  for 
upwards  of  a  century.  They  exhibit  a  great 
diversity  of  habit,  some  being  as  vigorous  as,  or  more 


tonensis,  handsworthensis,  Maruockii  and  ovata. 
Good  variegated-leaved  sorts  are  Golden  Queen, 
Silver  Queen,  aurea  marginata,  watereriana, 
argentea  pendula,  Handsworth  Silver  and  argentea 
margmata.  Pendula  is  an  excellent  variety 
of  pendulous  habit,  and  fructu-luteo  has  yellow 
berries. 

The  large-leaved  Hollies  are  mostly  hybrids 
between  either  the  Canary  Island  I.  platyphylla 
and  1.  Aquifolium,  or  the  latter  species  and  I. 
balearica.  They  are  generally  very  vigorous  and 
have  very  broad  leaves.  Hodginsii  or  Shepherdii, 
maderensis,  nobilis,  nigrescens,  platyphvlla  and 
Wilsonii  are  all  good  kinds  to  grow. 

Among  other  species  are  numerous  useful  kinds. 
I.  opaca  is  the  American  Holly,  a  useful  and  showy 
tree  ;  I.  crenata  is  a  dwarf,  compact  kind,  with 
small  leaves,  from  Japan  ;  I.  cornuta,  an  oblong- 
leaved  species,  hails  from  China ;  I  Pemyi,  a 
new  species  from  the  same  country,  is  a  very  pretty 
kind ;  I.  Integra  is  interesting  by  reason  of  its 
spineless  leaves  ;  while  I.  dipyrena  is  a  large-growing, 
useful  species  from  the  Himalaya  suitable  for  the 
Southern  Counties.  W.  D. 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

SEASONABLE  NOTES  ON 
AURICULAS. 
Alpines  Outdoors.— Although  these  are  easily 
among  the  most  charming  of  all  the  early-flowermg 
plants,  it  cannot  be  said  that  they  receive  much 
attention.  Many  people,  of  course,  fully  appreciate 
their  beauty  and  utility  ;  but  the  majority  do  not 
do  so,  if  one  may  judge  by  the  specimens  in  gardens. 
Large,  established  clumps  are  handsome,  but  the 
variety  must  be  one  that  is  reasonably  good, 
though  not  necessarily  new,  and  a 
faulty  variety  should  be  grubbed  to 
give  space  for  its  betters.  Young 
plants  should  be  raised  annually  from 
seeds  as  well  as  from  cuttings,  since 
the  former  are  nearly  sure  to  provide 
something  of  quality,  provided  the 
seeds  are  procured  from  a  source 
of  the  first  repute.  The  plant  is 
wonderfully  accommodating,  and  will 
flourish  in  practically  any  position  in 
the  border  or  the  rock  garden  ;  but 
where  it  is  imperative  that  a  very  hot, 
sunny  situation  has  to  be  selected 
fur  flowering,  it  is  wise  to  move  the 
plant  when  the  blossoming  period  is 
over  to  a  cooler  place. 

Alpines  from  Seeds.  —  Notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  the  seeds  are 
most  irregular  in  germinating,  and 
therefore  one  has  to  keep  the  seed- 
pan  or  box  under  close  observation 
for  a  considerable  period,  this  is  an 
extremely  easy  method  of  raising  a 
stock,  and  it  is  certain  that  the 
\arieties  produced  will  be  excellent. 
The  source  of  worry  with  the 
.imateur  who  has  not  previously  sown 
seeds  invariably  lies  in  the  fact  that 
lie  sees  the  seedlings  coming  through 
in  a  most  patchy  way,  and  promptly 
roncludes  that  the  seeds  were  poor 
111  quality.  Such  is  not  the  ease,, 
liowever  ;  the  Primulas  as  a  family 
.ire  prone  to  exhibit  this  tendency. 
Often  the  late  seedlings  prove  to 
be  the  best  varieties,  and  the  weakest 
must  not  be  discarded  for  the 
as  might  be  permissible  in  the  case  of  a 
Sow  so  thinly  that  no  thinning  will  be 
required,  and  to  enable  the  early  seedlings  to  be 
removed  without  disturbing  the  surrounding 
soil  which  contains  seeds  at  rest  or  only  just 
vegetating,  and  do  not  miss  a  single  one  because 
it  happens  to  be  on  the  puny  side.  The  soil  should 
be  light  and  sandy,  and  the  place  may  be  a  cold 
greenhouse,  cold  frame,  or,  failing  either  of  these 
conveniences,  beneath  a  hand-light  in  the  open. 

Alpines  from  Cuttings. — Those  who  find  when 
their  plants  are  in  bloom  that  they  have  one  or 
two  which  they  particularly  desire  to  perpetuate 
in  increased  numbers  will  have  recourse  to  propa- 
gation by  cuttings,  which  will  be  produced  in  due 
course.  Some  varieties  will  yield  more  than  others, 
and  the  grower  must  decide  the  number  he  wants. 
Two  and  a-half  inch  pots  containing  very  sandy 
loam  answer  our  present  purpose,  and  the  cuttings, 
which  must  have  a  short  length  of  hard  stem 
attached,  should  be  firmly  inserted.  Stand  the  pots 
in  a  cold  frame,  greenhouse,  or  under  a  hand-light, 
and  immediately  they  are  well  rooted,  plant  out .  Old 
plants  can  be  divided  after  flowering  if  required. 


strongest, 
Parsnip. 


April  12,  1913. 


THE    GARDEN. 


181 


Plants  in  Flower. — We  are  on  the  threshold 
of  the  flowering  season  of  the  exquisite  show 
varieties  in  pots.  More  strenuous  concerted  efforts 
ought  to  be  made  by  Auricula-lovers  to  impress 
upon  others  the  charm  of  these  plants,  their  ease 
of  culture  and  the  small  expense  that  they  entail. 
It  is  regrettable  that  the  most  refined  of  all  florists' 
flowers  should  be  in  a  position  such  as  that  occupied 
by  the  show  Auricula.  It  is  known  and  worshipped 
by  the  few,  whereas  it  ought  to  be  kno-ivn  and 
worshipped  by  the  many  to  do  it  justice.  Some- 
thing should  be  done,  and  the  society  maintained 
in  its  honour  fought  to  do  it.  The  plants  will 
demand  more  water'now  and  onwards,  and  directly 
the  blossoms  have  'passed  their  best  snap  o£f  the 
stem  just  beneath  the  truss  and  leave  it  to  waste 
away.  The  plants  must  not  be  exposed  to  hot  sun, 
and  the  atmosphere  must  be  sweet. 

Repotting. — Perhaps  the  most  generally  satis- 
factory time  for  repotting  is  immediately  after 
flowering,  though  it  may  be  deferred  until  the  late 
summer  if  more  convenient.  The  soil  should  be 
the  cleanest  that  can  be  procured,  sound  loam 
answering  to  all  the  demands  made  upon  it ;  but 
we  will  postpone  the  discussion  of  this  task  for  a 
week  or  two.  F.   R. 


from  other  causes,  we  are  on  less  secure  lines 
of  treatment.  One  has  tried  all  the  stock  methods 
of  cultivation,  yet  in  certain  places  these  all  fail. 
A  common  prescription  is  a  half-shaded  place  in 
rich,  deeply-dug  loam,  with  a  little  lime  applied 
to  it.  .Another,  quite  opposed  to  it,  is  a  sandy  loam 
in  full  sun.  Still  another  is  to  plant  in  loam, 
leaf-soil  and  sand.  Now,  all  of  these  fail  in  certain 
gardens,  while  in  others  A.  fulgens  can  be  cultivated 
with  little  care,  save  to  plant  in  a  border  of  ordinary 
loam. 

It  would,  perhaps,  help  us  were  we  better 
acquainted  with  the  conditions  under  which 
imported  tubers  have  been  cultivated.  In  most 
cases  we  find  that  these  flower  very  well  the  first 
season,  but  that  they  do  not  bloom  nearly  so  well, 
if  at  all,  the  following  years.  It  appears  to  the 
writer  that  very  frequently — in  most  cases,  in 
fact— this  failure  in  subsequent  years  is  due  to  a 
want  of  rest,  and  that  in  many  parts  of  our  kingdom 
the  tubers  are  not  sufficiently  ripened.  It  does 
not  do  to  dogmatise  on  such  questions,  but  this 
is  put  forward  as  at  least  an  indication  of  what 
the  writer  has  found  with  this  glowing  and  most 
beautiful  scarlet   Windflower.     Where  it  does  not 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


THE       HARDY      NYMPH^AS      OR 
WATER     LILIES. 

Their  Popularity.— Perhaps  no  flower  among 
all  the  British  flora  is  more  admired  than  our 
common  or  wild  Water  Lily,  Nymphaea  alba. 
It  was  about  the  first  of  all  flowers  that  claimed 
my  attention  nearly  sixty  years  ago.  I  remember 
weli  the  lovely  effect  that  was  made  upon  some 
large  sheets  of  water  in  a  deer  park  near  to  my 
home,  and  with  most  suitable  surroundings,  too, 
such,  for  instance,  as  the  Bulrush  (Scirpus  lacustris). 
I  have  also  seen  other  sheets  of  water  covered  with 
this  Water  Lily  flowering  in  the  greatest  pro- 
fusion. The  flowers  are  often  offered  for  sale 
in  the  seacoast  towns  of  the  Eastern  Counties, 
the  source  of  supply,  no  doubt,  bemg  the  Broads. 
The  true  N.  alba  has  a  comparatively  small  flower, 
and  must  not  be  confounded  with  N.  Candida, 
which  is  more  vigorous  in  every  respect.  Con- 
sidering how  very  popular  these  old  inhabitants 
of  our  ponds  and  lakes  have  ever  been,  it  was  no 
wonderment   to  think  how  the  first  of  the  tinted 


THE    SCARLET     WIND- 
FLOWER    FAILING. 

It  would  be  of  great  service,  I  think, 
were  some  of  the  readers  of  The 
Garden  to  give  their  experiences  of 
Anemone  fulgens,  particularly  where 
they  have  cultivated  it  for  a  period 
of  years.  It  is  well  known  to  man>- 
who  have  so  grown  this  flower  that 
it  is,  in  quite  a  number  of  gardens, 
a  most  unsatisfactory  plant,  inasmuch 
as  it  is  not  only  liable  to  be  lost 
through  the  attacks  of  some  of  the 
diseases  to  which  Anemones  are  sub- 
ject, but  often  fails  to  flower  regularly, 
and,  in  consequence,  its  value  is  entirely 
discoimted. 

It  appears  subject  to  practically 
nearly  all  of  the  recognised  Anemone 
diseases,  such  as  the  .\nemone  root- 
mould  (Piasmopara  pygmaea  Unger), 
the  Anemone  smut  (Urocystis  Ane- 
mones Pers.),  Anemone  cluster  cups 
<.4Jcidium  punctatum  Pers.)  and  Ane- 
mone Periza  (Sclerotinia  tuberosa 
Hedw.).  I  have  rather  frequently  had 
specimens  affected  with  the  Anemone 
Peziza  sent  me,  and  have  come  across 
this  in  several  gardens  among  A. 
iulgens.  The  most  satisfactory 
method  of  dealing  with  all  the 
Anemones  affected  with  any  of  these 
diseases  is  to  commit  them  to  the 
furnace,  with,  perhaps,  the  exception 
of  those  affected  with  the  Anemone 
smut,  where  immediate  destruction  of  all  affected 
leaves  may  eventually  dispel  the  disease.  The 
remedy  may  be  a  drastic  one,  but  it  is  better  far  to 
lose  the  diseased  plants  than  to  have  the  whole 
stock  affected  by  the  ravages  of  these  pests. 
Where  the  leaves  only  are  affected,  spraying 
with  Bordeaux  mixture  or  other  checks  may 
be  helpful,  but  the  drastic  methods  are  usually 
the  most  effective  with  such  diseases  as  afflict  the 
scarlet  Windflower. 

When  we  consider,   however,   the  failure  of  the 
plants   to   grow,    or   their   unwillingness   to   flower 


.\N    EFFECTIVE    GROUPING    OF    .\QUATIC    PLANTS    IN    A    SURREY    GARDEN. 

PLANT    HARDY    WATER    LILIES. 


NOW    IS    THE    TIME    TO 


bloom  well,  it  may  be  necessary  to  lift  the  hybrids  took  on  when  first  imported  mto  this 
tubers  when  the  foliage  has  withered,  and  to  country.  There  was,  it  is  true,  an  impression  in 
give  them  a  month  or  two  of  rest,  drying  some  quarters  that  these  hybrids  were  not  per- 
them  off  carefully  and  replanting  in  a  moderately  I  fectly  hardy.     That  doubt  has  now,  I  think,  been 


sunny  position.  In  wet  climates  the  tubers 
are  hardly  ever  at  complete  rest.  The  question 
is  of  more  than  passing  importance,  as  no  one 
who  has  grown  any  of  the  lovely  varieties  of 
A.  fulgens  is  willing  to  confess  to  being  beaten 
in  the  attempt  to  secure  flowers  on  this  charming 
plant. 

Dum/ries.  S.   Arnott. 


completely  dispelled.  We  have  been  steadily 
led  up  to  the  deeper  tints  that  now  obtain  in  some 
of  the  more  recently-introduced  hybrids.  Now 
we  have  an  ample  choice  from  the  point  of  colour 
alone,  as  we  have  also  in  diversity  o(  growth. 
Many  are  the  ponds  and  lakes  that  are  now  orna- 
mented with  these  lovely  flowers,  and  that  to 
great     advantage    beyond    a    doubt.     They    look 


182 


THE     GAKDEN. 


[April  12,  1913 


weJl  when  seen  at  a  distance,  and  even  more  so 
when  viewed  from  rising  ground,  such,  for  instance, 
as  at  the  Wisley  Gardens  of  the  Royal  Horticul- 
tural Society,  also  at  Gravetye  Manor,  Mr.  William 
Robinson's  cotmtry  seat  in  Sussex.  To  inspect 
them  more  closely  and  to  fully  appreciate  their 
individual  beauty  and  distinct  characteristics, 
a  closer  inspection  needs  to  be  made.  Then  we 
can  fully  realise  how  lovely  some  of  the  later 
hybrids  are. 

Their  Utility. — Many  sheets  of  water,  both 
large  and  small,  look  well  without  any  super- 
abundance of  aquatic  growth.  It  is,  however, 
around  the  margins  and  in  cosy  nooks  of  the  larger 
surfaces  of  water  that  the  Nymphseas  have  a  good 
effect.  Smaller  sheets  of  water  may,  in  some 
measure,  have  a  greater  quantity  of  these  plants, 
so  as  to  produce  a  distinct  effect.  For  these  pur- 
poses there  is  now  an  abundant  choice,  both  in 
various  forms  of  growth   and  in   the  diversity  of  I 


this  cannot  be  provided,  it  is  better  to  thin  out 
the  crowns.  This  should  be  done  without  any 
hesitation,  for  two  or  three  good  crowns  are  very 
much  better  than  twice  the  number  in  the  same 
space.  For  the  strongest  growers  6  feet  in  depth 
of  water  is  none  too  much  for  them.  I  have 
seen  such  as  N.  Marhacea  cbromateUa  doing  well 
in  as  much  as  i8  feet  of  water,  but  I  do  not  recom- 
mend planting  at  that  depth.  This  variety 
is  very  often  seen  late  in  the  season  to  be  over- 
crowded. When  such  is  the  case,  it  points  to  a 
need  of  division.  The  flowers  are  often  smothered 
by  the  leaf-growth  also  when  the  latter  is  so  dense  ; 
this  in  no  sense  is  desirable.  Vigorous  growth  is 
also  fostered  and  encouraged  when  the  mud  is  too 
deep  ;  this  fact  must  also  be  contemplated  when 
the  planting  is  being  done.  I  knew  an  instance 
once  where  there  was  an  escape  of  sewage  into  a 
lake ;  here  the  growth  was  luxurious  almost 
beyond  description. 


PRIMULA    FORTUNE!,    A    BEAUTIFUL    EARLY-FLOWERING    PRIMROSE    FOR    THE    ROCK    GARDEN 


colours.  Some,  too,  are  suitable  for  large  fountains, 
others  are  better  even  when  grown  in  small  basins 
of  water,  while  it  is  also  possible  to  grow  them 
in  large,  shallow  tubs  with  very  good  results. 
In  whatever  way  they  are  grown  they  add  to  the 
attractiveness  of  the  garden,  and  that,  too,  at  a 
season  when  the  garden  is  most  frequented  and 
more  time  spent  therein.  Small  ponds  and  shallow 
pools  are  at  times,  in  a  measure,  unsightly  by  reason 
of  a  scum  upon  the  surface  of  the  water.  Where 
this  happens  to  be  the  case,  some  Water  Lilies 
should  be  planted.  These,  it  is  true,  may  not 
altogether  dispel  the  bad  effect  produced,  but 
they  will  greatly  assist  in  doing  so. 

Their  Freedom  of  Growth. — Many  of  the 
hybrids  raised  by  M.  Latour-Marliac  are  remark- 
able for  their  vigorous  growth.  For  these  more 
room  is  needed  than  is  often  allotted  to  them. 
When  it  is  seen  that  the  leaves  are  so  dense  as  to 
force  themselves  out  of  the  water,  it  is  indicative 
that    a   greater   depth   is   necessary   for   them.     If 


On  the  other  hand,  there  are  several  of  these 
hybrids  that  are  of  quite  moderate  growth,  yet 
produce  both  leaves  and  flowers  of  large  size. 
When  I  note  that  any  particular  variety  possesses 
long  petioles  (or  leaf-stalks),  I  take  it  as  an  indica- 
tion that  it  will  thrive  better  in  deeper  water.  What 
I  do  not  like  to  see  is  a  plant  that  has  a  tendency 
to  produce  a  multitude  of  small  leaves,  which 
lie  alm:)st  upon  each  other  at  times,  and  with  but 
few  flowers.  A  few  years  ago  this  appeared  to  be  a 
weakness  of  a  few  of  the  hybrids.  I  have  not  noted 
it  to  such  an  extent  during  the  past  two  or  three 
years.  When  it  does  occur,  it  is  advisable  to  break 
up  the  plant  into  single  crowns  where  it  is  possible 
to  do  so.  This  should  be  done  in  May,  if  it  be 
possible,  and  with  a  sharp  knife,  aiming  at 
a  few  roots  to  each  division.  These  wUl  almost 
invariably  establish  themselves  during  the 
coming  summer.  Some  there  are  that  flower 
so  profusely,  almost  at  every  leaf,  and  do  not 
in    consequence    make    any    back    breaks.       It   is 


rather  difficult  to  propagate  such.  We  had 
such  a  case  once  in  N.  Laydekeri  rosea,  which 
never  made  a  break.  This  plant  ultimately 
died,  but  not  before  we  had  obtained  one 
seedling  from  it.  ..^ 

Their   Value   in   the  Water   Garden.— Water 

Lilies  play  an  important  part  now  in  the  effective 
grouping  of  water  plants,combined  with  sub-aquatics 
and  plants  that  associate  with  both  and  which  may 
be  fairly  termed  water-side  plants.  Taking  the 
illustration  that  accompanies  this  article  (page  i8i) 
as  an  example,  one  may  note  how  well  all  the 
subjects  comprised  therein  blend  with  one  another. 
Here  may  be  noted  such  water  plants  as  the 
Arrowhead  (Sagittaria  species),  the  Water  Sedge 
(Cyperus  longus),  and  of  sub  -  aquatics  such 
as  the  Astilbes  in  variety.  Upon  firmer  ground 
may  be  noted  both  Bamboos  and  Miscanthus, 
as  well  as  the  moisture-loving  Saxifrage  (S. 
peltata),  the  giant  Califomian  species.  Such  a 
grouping  as  this  is  most  effective, 
the  trees  in  the  distance  adding 
to  the  general  attractiveness.  In 
the  immediate  foreground  one  Water 
Ldy  gives  indication  of  needing 
either  deeper  water  or  division. 
Allusion  to  the  treatment  of  such 
will  be  noted  further  on.^  Each  of 
the  clumps  of  Lilies  is  planted  at 
a  good  distance  apart.  This  is  as 
It  should  be.  When  possible,  it  is 
most  advisable  to  plant  for  colour 
i-ffect.  By  selecting  those  that  can 
he  relied  upon  to  flower  freely, 
this  can  be  done.  It  is  possible 
to  so  arrange  such  a  water  garden 
.IS  this  for  distant  effect,  but  person- 
lUy  I  should  favour  such  an  arrange- 
ment as  would  produce  a  surprise. 
In  the  illustration  it  may  be  noted 
that  no  large  trees  overhang  the 
water.  This  is  as  it  should  be,  as 
these  are  not,  by  reason  of  the 
shade,  at  all  favourable  to  healthy 
growth.  Caltha  polypetala  (the  new 
Kingcup)  would  add  much  to  the 
colour  effect,  while  both  Menyan- 
Ihes  trifoliata  (the  Bog  Bean)  and 
Butomus  umbellatus  (the  Flowering 
Rush)  would,  if  not  so  showy,  add 
to  the  attractiveness  in  their  season. 
For  growing  in  the  water  abso- 
lutely, Richardia  aethiopica  is  most 
valuable  in  such  groupings  as  this. 
It  will  continue  in  flower  for  a  long  period  in  the 
summer  season.  James  Hudson,  V.M.H, 

Gunnersbury  House  Gardens,  Acton. 
{To  be  continued.) 


PRIMULA    FORTUNEI. 

This  dainty  Primrose  bears  a  considerable  resem- 
blance to  P.  frondosa,  and  is  of  about  the  same  size. 
Its  flowers,  however,  are  rather  less  rosy,  tending 
more  to  lUac,  and  when  poised  upon  the  intensely 
white,  farina-covered  stalks,  look  extremely  dainty. 
Unlike  P.  frondosa,  the  plant  does  not  form  such 
close  resting  buds  ;  indeed,  dm"ing  mild  winters 
it  continues  to  grow  the  whole  time,  and  is  one  of 
my  earliest  Primulas  to  open  its  attractive  blossoms. 
It  is,  1  believe,  not  quite  hardy,  and  should  be 
protected  during  cold  periods,  or  grown  in  a  pan, 
and  plunged  out  during  the  milder  weather.  Loam, 
grit  and  leaf-mould  make  a  compost  which  appears 
to  suit  this  Primula  excellently,  while  it  seems  to 


April  12,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


183 


favour  a  copious  supply  of  moisture,  especially 
during  the  growing  season.  When  each  plant  sub- 
divides into  several  crowns,  it  may  be  split  up, 
thereby  readily  increasing  one's  stock,  while  pieces 
jof  sandstone  partially  buried  about  its  roots 
greatly  modify  the  evaporation  of  moisture,  in 
addition  to  enhancing  the  appearance  of  the 
clump.  Reginald  A.  Malby. 


THE 

AN 


ROSE      GARDEN. 


EA«LY-FLOWERING     PILLAR 
ROSE. 

ROSE  UNA  is  one  of  the  first  of  the 
pUlar  Roses  to  greet  us,  which  it 
does  with  large  and 
practically  semi- 
double  blooms  of  a 
creamy  white  shade 
that  passes  to  a  clearer  white 
when  fully  open.  In  this  gar- 
den— Ken  View,  Highgate — it  has 
been  grown  for  several  years, 
though  rather  badly  given  to 
attacks  of  mildew  in  the  bud 
stage ;  yet  one  is  bound  to 
admire  and  speak  well  of  it 
because  of  the  free  manner  in 
which  the  large  flowers  are  pro- 
duced. It  is  rather  sparse  with 
us  in  sending  up  new  growths 
from  the  bottom ;  they  more 
often  come  halfway  or  more  up 
the  existing  rods,  which  makes 
the  September  pruning  a  work 
of  just  thinning  the  head  part 
rather  than,  as  is  mostly  the  case 
with  climbers,  a  clearing  away 
of  complete  stems  from  the  base. 
However,  it  is  rather  a  good  thing 
that  Una  does  not  want  too 
nmch  handling,  for  it  has,  I 
should  think,  about  the  worst 
thorns  of  all  Roses.  C.  T. 


that  Wakeley's  Hop  Manure  is  equally  as  suitable 
for  the  majority  of  soils  as  the  best  prepared  stable 
manures  ;  and  if  one  must  piurchase,  this,  aided 
by  the  sprinkling  of  bone-meal,  will  afford  the 
cleanest  and  least  objectionable  mulch  of  any  that  ;CLARKIAS    FOR    GARDEN  AND 


COLOURED      PLATE. 

PLATB    1469. 


I   Jim   acquainted   with. 

If  one  must  plant,  or  even  fill  up  a  few  gaps  thus 
late  in  the  season,  it  will  be  well  to  give  more 
attention  to  firmer  soil  around  the  roots,  whether 
the  plants  be  from  the  open  ground  or  from  pots  Of 
course,  before  any  mulching  is  done,  one  should  take 
good  care  to  eliminate  any  suckers  from  the  stocks 
the  Roses  may  be  worked  upon.  If  this  is  being  done 
at   the  time  of  pruning,  on  no  account   be  tempted 


GREENHOUSE. 

MONG  hardy  annuals  there  are  few  more 
beautiful  and  useful  than  the  varie- 
ties of  Clarkia  elegans,  of  which  there 
are  now  some  particularly  good  colours 
obtainable.  For  sowing  in  the  open 
garden    during  April  where  the  plants 

are   intended   to   flower   these   Clarkias   are   ideal. 

their   tall   yet   graceful   habit   and   the   delicately- 


A 


SEASONABLE    WORK 

AMONG  THE  ROSES. 

.\PART  from  the  most  important 
work  of  pruning  our  Roses,  there 
is  much  to  be  done  during  this 
month  whenever  the  w'eather  per- 
mits. Mulchings  applied  now,  or 
immediately  after  the  prunings 
are  collected,  will  be  a  great 
support  to  the  plants  all  through 
the  coming  season.  Before  mulch- 
ing I  would  prefer  to  sUghtly 
move  the  surface  soil,  and  if  a 
sprinkling  of  bone-meal  can  be 
.idded  just  before  turning  this 
over,  there  are  few  cases  where 
It  will  not  be  beneficial.  One 
may  be  sure  of  the  fertilising  juices  from  these 
spring  mulchings  being  of  use,  for  the  active 
roots  of  Roses  will  be  ready  to  take  them  up 
at  once.  On  the  other  hand,  I  have  Uttle 
donbt  that  a  good  proportion  ot  these  are  lost 
by  winter  percolation  taking  it  quite  beyond  the 
roots  while  in  no  condition  to  absorb  or  make 
use  of  the  nourishment. 

The  nature  of  these  mulches  must  be  largely 
a  matter  of  convenience,  with  a  little  regard  to  the 
natural  constituents  of  the  soil.     But  I  may  say 


to    use    a    sharp-edged     knife.       Keep    an     older  1  poised  flowers  creating  bright  and  pleasing  effects 

and  rougher-edged  one  speci.illy  for  this  purpose,    in  mixed  borders,  large  beds,  or,  indeed,  in  almost 

zny  position  that  is  not  densely 
shaded  by  overhanging  trees.  In 
common  with  other  hardy  annuals, 
it  is  essential  that  the  seed  be 
sown  very  thinly,  and  when  the 
seedlings  are  well  up  they  must 
be  thinned  to  9  inches  or 
12  inches  apart  to  allow  the 
plants  to  develop  their  natural 
branching  habit.  As  cut  flowers 
these  Clarkias  are  exceedingly 
pretty,  possessing  the  merit  of 
lasting  well  and  lending  them- 
selves to  artistic  arrangement, 
this  latter  feature  being  well 
shown  in  the  accompanying 
coloured  plate. 

Until  a  few  years  ago  varieties 
of  Clarkia  elegans  were  regarded 
solely  as  flowers  for  the  outdoor 
garden  ;  but  thanks  to  the  beau-' 
tiful  exhibits  that  have  been 
staged  by  Messrs.  Sutton  and 
Sons  at  the  Royal  Horticul- 
tural Society's  Temple  Shows  and 
at  the  International  Show  at 
Chelsea  last  year,  a  great  impetus 
has  been  given  to  their  cultivation 
in  pots.  Possibly  this  impetus 
has  been  aided  also  by  the  in- 
troduction of  several  new  and 
charming  colours,  the  latest  and 
most  beautiful  of  which  is  Sutton's 
Scarlet  Beauty,  shown  in  the 
accompanying  coloured  plate, 
which  has  been  prepared  from 
a  coloiu:  photograph  kindly  placed 
at  our  disposal  by  Messrs.  Sutton 
and  Sons. 

For  early  spring  decoration  cf 
the  conservatory  nothing  is  more 
telling  than  well-grown  plants  of 
this  and  several  other  varieties. 
For  this  purpose  the  seeds  should 
be  sown  in  September  and  the 
seedhngs  grown  under  quite  cold 
treatment,  just  preservmg  the 
plants    from    frost     and    keepmg 

Even  on  March  7  I  f"und  some  green  fly  upcm  the    them  as  near   the  glass  as  possible   to  encourage 

very  precocious  young  growths  in  sheltered  corners    sturdy   growth.     The   seedlings   should  be   potted 

upon   walls   and   fences.     Here,   in   the  South,  we    on  and  pinched  back  two  or  three  times  to  ensvu-e 

have  scarcely  had  any  real  check  to  many  growths 

in  warm  quarters,   and   I   would   advise  the  use  of 

the  syringe   freely  wlierever  fly  is  visible.      If    one 

does  not,  he  will   simply  be   harbouring  a  healthy 

colony  of  enemies,  which  will  assuredly  infest  the 

whole   of   the  young  Rose  growths   as  soon  as  the 

first  real  spring  days  put  m  an  appearance. 
Sussex.  A.  P. 


ROSE    UNA,    A    BEAUTIFUL    SEMI-DOUBLE    VARIETY,    GROWING    ON    A 

PILLAR. 


nice  bushy  plants.  Scarlet  Beauty  is  perhaps 
the  brightest  colourmg  of  all,  and  with  winter 
pot  culture  the  colour  comes  a  beautiful  rich 
salmon  pink,  resembling  the  colour  of  Sweet  Pea 
Earl  Spencer.  Double  Delicate  Pink,  Double 
Salmon,  Double  White  and  Furefly  (a  bright  rose 
crimson)  are  also  well  worthy  of  cultivation,  both 
in  pots  and  in  the  open  border. 


184 


THE     GARDEN. 


[April  12,  1913. 


DAFFODIL     NOTES. 


The  Present  Season.— The  present  is  a  "  How- 
are     things    looking    with     you  ?  "     season.     The 

ordinary   salutation   is    forgotten,    and   hands    are 

clasped    with   the  anxious   accompaniment   of    the 

above    formula.     Each    one    hopes    for    the    cold 

comfort   of  being  told  that   his  neighbour  is  like 

himself,   for,   if   the   truth   must   be   told,    1913   is 

not   a  vintage  year.     Frosts,   merodons  and  slugs 

have   done   or   are   doing  their  best    to   make   the 

Nvretched    Daffodil    as    uncomfortable    as    possible. 

Taken     as    a    whole,     the    blooms    in     the     Royal 

Horticultural   Society's  Hall 

<Mi    April    I    did    not    look    up    to 

the   mark.     They   had   that 

peculiar  appearance  which  always 

■seems   to   tell    me   that  they  have 

been     short     of    a    top  -  coat    on 

more     than      one     occasion.       In 

our  fickle    climate   Jack    Frost    is 

often     in     evidence.       An     extra 

early  season  like  the   present  only 

makes    his    visits    more    apparent, 

that    is    all.     The    merodon    is    an 

even     more      imwelcome     visitor. 

How    to    combat    it    is    a   serious 

question.       When     there     are 

ominous     gaps      in      our      serried 

ranks,    let     us    lose    no    time    in 

getting    our     nets    ready.       With 

the    advent    of    warmer    weather 

he  is  sure  to  be    seen.      He    must 

then     be    caught.       He    does    not, 

however,   accomit    for    all.      Some 

blanks  must    be    credited    to   the 

ul>iquitous  slug.      Slugs  have  had 

a  good    time    lately,   and   in   stiff 

soils    they    have     been    especially 

active   among  the  Daffodils.      M>- 

head  -  gardener     has    lately    been 

investigating     some    failures,    and 

he     frequently    found     the     bulb 

quite  sound,  but  minus  roots 
and  plus  some  fat  slugs.  Among 
others     who     talked      to    me     at 

the    show     was     Mr.    Denison    of 

Henley-on-Thames,  who  has  a 
garden    of  stiff,     clayey   soil.       He 

bemoaned    the   loss   of  his   Poetaz 
and    his    Lucifer,    owing    to    the 
long-continued     waterlogged     con- 
dition    of    his     ground,     and     he 
then     went    on     to    say    that    he 
had     been     very    much    bothered 
with    slugs,     and    that     when    he 
■dug    down   to   some   of   the   bulbs 
he    often    found    slugs   enjoying    a 
nice  meal.     He   fancied   that  they 
ate  the  roots.     His  experience  and  my  own  are  so 
■similar,   and    the    coincidence   of    his  mentionmg 
It   to  me   when   he  did  struck  me  so   much,  that 
r    have    inserted  it    here    as    a    possible    solution 
of  other   people's  troubles. 

A  Vexed  Question. — There  were  several  varieties 
up  for  award  before  the  committee,  but  only  one 
gained  the  coveted  distinction  ;  that  was  White 
Emperor,  a  beautiful  flat  flower  of  ivory  white  and 
the  palest  primrose.  While  there  was  a  general 
■consensus  of  opinion  in  favour  of  the  award,  there 
was  a  sharp  cleavage  between  members  as  to 
what  it  should  be  labelled.  Here  are  the  facts. 
By  breeding  and  parentage  the  varietv  is  an  Ajax  or 
trumpet,  but  by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 


measurement  classification  of  1910  it  is  an  un- 
doubted giant  Leedsii,  inasmuch  as  the  segments 
are  from  one-eighth  of  an  inch  to  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  longer  than  the  trumpet  ;  again, 
as  you  see  it  sideways,  it  looks  like  a  trumpet  ; 
but  if  you  stand  straight  opposite  it,  it  has 
a  decided  Leedsii  appearance.  The  amount 
of  interest  aroused  was  very  great.  One  was 
continually  being  asked,  "  Is  it  decided  ?  "  ;  or, 
as  a  witty  member  of  the  Narcissus  committee 
put  it,  ■'  When  is  a  trumpet  not  a  trumpet  ?  "  the 
answer  being,  "  On  the  first  of  April  !  "  It  has  been 
suggested  that  it  is  on  the  border-line.  It  might  be, 
if  a  trumpet  was  a  mile  long,  but  when  a  very  big 


THE    NEW    NARCISSUS    WHITE    EMPEROR.       IS    IT    A    TRUMPET    OR    A 
GIANT    LEEDSII    VARIETY  ? 


one  is  only  i|  inches,  surely  one-eighth  of  an  inch 
or  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  is  a  very  appreciable 
quantity.  One  consolation  that  the  owners  will 
have  will  be  that  this  divergence  of  opinion  is  an 
uncommonly  good  advertisement  or  send-ol?  as  it 
begins  its  market  life.  Some  of  its  judges  may  be 
April  fools,  but  its  purchasers  were  not — at  least, 
I  for  one  do  not  think  so.  The  illustration  of  this 
famous  flower  which  is  figured  on  this  page  gives 
a  side  view  of  it  and  shows  its  trumpet  appearance. 

Generalisms    on    the    Best    Flowers.— Again 

seedlings  u-ere  in  tne  ascendant.  Never  before  has 
Mr.  v.  Herbert  Chapman  staged  such  an  exhibit. 
It  was  almost  entirely  composed  of  his  own  home- 
made flowers,    .\mong  others,  he  had  six  magnificent 


golden    trumpets  —  lovely   things  —  every   one   oi 
which    changed   hands   before    the    day  was 'over. 
Haydon's  mantle  seems  to  have  fallen  upon  Chap- 
man.    Lissadell    had    far    and    away    the    largest 
exhibition  of  their  own  seedlings  that  I  have  ever 
seen.     There  were  some  nice  things  among  them, 
but  on  the  whole  they  would  not  set  the  Thames 
on  fire.     I  am,  however,  pretty  sure  that  this  was 
only    a    feeler.       There   are    more   at    home.       Mr. 
Watts  had  a  goodly  array  of  novelties,  aU  made  in 
Wales,    and   again  he  requisitioned  his  ancestor's 
dictionary.      He  is  very  good  about  it   at  present, 
and  does  not  often  go  beyond  two  syllables  ;    but 
what  will  it  be  like  when  these  are  used  up  and, 
it  may  be,  in   addition  to  his  own 
he      has      Anglesey     Bulb      Farm 
seedlings    to    christen !      I    saw    a 
real    beauty  from    Colonel    Cotton 
in     the      Editor's      sanctum      the 
other   day.      It  had    quite    a   nice 
name  —  Apricot     Gem,     I     think, 
or   somethmg   of   that    sort ;     but 
just     suppose    he    began     naming 
them  after  the  parish  in  which  he 
lives — Llanfair  &c.,  &c.,  &c.  (these 
etceteras  refer  to   the  word  which 
includes    a    whole     tale    about     a 
well    before  it   is  finished).      Then 
there     was     an    interesting     Uttlc 
collection   from  Mrs.    R.   O.  Back- 
house  of    Hereford.      The   blooms 
were   in    an   unfortunate    position, 
right  against  the  light,  and  were  not 
seen  at  their   best  in  consequence 
Two  cups,  one  a  triandrus  seedling 
and    the    other   a    red-edged,    had 
curiously     thickened    margins,     of 
the    same    sort    of    look    that    the 
excrescences    on    the    trumpets    of 
many     frilled     white      have.       In 
Engleheart's   fine   display,  perhaps 
the  feature    above    all    others  was 
the    size     of     his     largest      giant 
Leedsii.      Super-Giants   would  not 
be  a  bad  name   for  them.     Among 
Wilson's    the    wonderful    red    cups 
stood  out  ;    what  a   pity  that    the 
colour    is     so     fleeting !       In    my 
next    notes     1     hope    to    describe 
in  some    detafl    about   a    score  of 
the    newer    ones     at     this     show 
which  took  my   fancy,  and   which 
are  not    much,  if   they   are   at  all, 
known. 

Andrew  KingsmilL — It  was  a 
sad  duty  that  fell  to  Mr.  War- 
render  when  he  had  to  announce 
the  death  of  the  friend  who  had 
proposed  him  as  member  of  the 
committee.  We  all  feel  his  loss. 
His  connection  with  the  Daffodil  goes  back  to 
earlier  days  than  the  appearance  of  that  epoch- 
marking  plate  of  Seagull  and  Albatross  in  The 
Garden.  He  was  a  member  of  the  celebrated 
syndicate  that  quietly  absorbed  all  the  best  of 
the  early  Engleheart  productions,  beautiful  things 
that  are  only  now  becoming  common.  His  garden 
was  largely  of  the  semi-wild  order,  and  here,  under 
the  partial  shade  of  trees,  he  established  fine  colonies 
of  the  cheaper  and  better-known  kinds.  A  favourite 
both  of  Mrs.  KingsmUl  and  himself  was  the  old 
small  incomparabUis  John  Bull.  It  is  much  in 
the  style  of  Autocrat.  I  will  always  connect  him 
with  it.  Its  name  was  typical  of  the  man  in  more 
ways  than  one.  Joseph  Jacob. 


H 

D 
< 

H 

W 

< 

U 

CO 

Z 

< 

o 

_] 


a: 
< 

-J 

U 


c 
o 

0) 


3 
CO 


April  12,  1913.J 


THE    GAKDEN. 


185 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

HOW    TO     PROPAGATE     SWEET     VIOLETS. 


ExpERi  cultivators  pay  much  attentiuu  to  the 
propagation  of  new  stock,  as  they  know  quite 
well   that   the  finesi    crops   of   flowers   will   result 


quarters.     Fig    4    shows    a    runner    with    a    hard 
crown   producing  sma'J   flowers  and   more  runners, 


It  they  possess  a  few  roots,  carefully  lift  and  replant  down  runners.  Old  plants  may  be  divided  and 
them  in  a  prepared  border  facing  east,  west  or  I  the  separate  parts  planted  out.  but  it  is  not  the 
even  north,  putting  them  in  i,  inches  apart  each  best  way  to  mcrease  the  stock,  as  much  strength 
way.  They  will  socn  form  a  mass  of  routs  and  be  of  plant  is  required,  and  this  can  only  be  obtained 
in    good   condition    for   planting   in    their   siunmer    from  the  robust  suckers. 


I.— DIAGRAM     SHOWING     HOW    VIOLETS    PRODUCE     SUCKERS    AXD 
MAY    BE    USED    FOR    PROPAGATION. 


RUNNERS,    WHICH 


Planting  the   Violets   in   Open   Borders.— in 

the  first  place  it  is  necessary  to  deeply  dig  the  soil 
and  to  put  in  some  rotted  manure.  If  the  soil 
is  naturally  light,  it  must  be  well  enriched,  less 
manure  being  required  where  a  heavier  loam 
obtains.  The  latter,  well  prepared,  is  the  best 
for  Violets.  Do  not  use  fresh,  strawy  manure  in 
any  case,  but  that  which  is  well  rotted.  A  single 
row  of  plants  may  be  put  out  between  rows  o( 
Peas  in  the  ve.getable  garden,  as  shown  at  Fig.  8  : 
A,  rows  of  Peas  ;  b,  one  row  of  Violets.  Fip.  9 
shows  how  to  put  out  plants  in  a  border  facing  the 
west,  a  good  summer  position  for  them.  The  large- 
leaved  varieties,  such  as  Princess  of  Wales,  require 
a  space  of  18  inches  between  the  rows  and  16  inches 
from  plant  to  plant  in  the  rows.  The  smaller- 
leaved  varieties  may  be  planted  4  inches  closer 
each  way.  It  is  very  important  that  the  surface 
soil  be  kept  moistened  at  first  to  get  the  plants 
established,  and  afterwards  it  should  be  loosened 
with  the  Dutch  hoe  every  week.  Water  when 
necessary  and  feed  with  nitrate  of  potash,  loz. 
dissolved  in  three  gallons  of  water,  once  fortnightly 
from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  end  of  July  The 
small  runners,  as  shown  in  Fig  10,  must  be  pinched 
off  while  quite  small.  Plants  treated  in  this  way 
will  be  in  excellent  condition  for  lifting  and 
planting  in  frames  about  September,  to  provide 
flowers  during  the  winter  months.  It  is  useless 
putting  weak,  poorly-grown  plants  into  frames 
a-  they  can  never  give  really  satisfactory  results. 
It  is  hoped  to  deal  with  the  work  of  preparing 
the  soil  and  transplanting  the  Violets  just  before 
the  proper  time  for  doing  so.  In  the  mean- 
time every  effort  should  be  made,  on  the  lines 
indicated  above,  to  get  as  good  plants  as  posible 
for  the  purpose. 

Varieties. — Princess     ot     Wales.     De     Parm^, 

I. a  France  and 


Fig.  7  shows  a  peg  for  fastening  I  wellsiana  arc  all  good. 


if  the  young  plants  are  carefully  reared.  A  as  shown  at  Fig.  5 — 5.  Of  coiu'se,  it  is  absolutely 
Violet  plant  will  grow  in  almost  any  kind  of  necessary  to  cut  off  these  late  runners  as  soon 
soil,  but  it  will  not  bear  many  fine  flowers  if  as  they  are  large  enough  to  handle,  or  they  will 
badly  treated.  rob  the  young  plant  of  much  nourishment.     The 

Runners  and  Suckers. — Both  grow  from  the  other  sketch,  Fig.  6,  shows  the  sucker  growing 
old  or  parent  plant  ;  but  the  former  are  borne  with  a  free  centre  and  producing  large  flowers, 
on  long  stems,  which  spread  out  over  the  surface  All  blooms,  however,  must  be  pinched  off  regularly, 
ot  the  soil,  and  the  latter  grow  up  through  the  soil,  as  the  main  object  is  to  get  large  plants  for  autumn, 
in  some  instances  close  to  the  old  plant,  and  many    winter    and    spring    flowering.     The    propagation 

of  them  grow  from  the  base  of  the  latter.  Now,  i  of  the  plants  is  the  same  both  in  frames  and  in  1  Marie  Louise.  John  Raddenbury 
the  best  of  the  two  kinds  is  the  sucker,  because  the  open  border 
it  bears  larger  flowers  and  more  continuously 
than  the  one  on  the  rimner.  The  latter  persists 
in  producing  more  runners,  and  consequently 
it  does  not  attain  to  a  large  size  itself  and  the 
flowers  are  small.  The  suckers  are.  therefore, 
the  best,  and  though  they  may  not  be  as  plentiful 
as  the  runners,  they  should  be  secured  in  preference 
to  them.  Fig.  i  shows  the  old  or  parent  plant. 
Fig.  2  the  runner,  and  Fig.  3  the  sucker.  The 
runners  may  be  layered  just  the  same  as  Straw- 
berries, by  pegging  them  down,  or  by  merely 
burying  the  stem  and  base  of  the  young  plant 
in  some  prepared  compost.  The  suckers  must, 
liowever,  be  more  carefully  treated.  First  clear 
away  some  of  the  old  soil  from  around  them 
and  the  base  ot  the  old  plant  generally.  Replace 
the  soil  with  some  sifted  leaf-soil,  sand  and  a  smal' 
quantity  of  heavier  loam,  well  mixed.  Press  the 
new  compost  fairly  firmly  round  the  suckers 
and  keep  it  in  a  moist  state.  In  a  very  short  time 
new  roots  will  have  formed,  and  then  the  rooted 
suckers  can  be  detached  from  the  old  plants. 
In  cases  where  the  suckers  are  found  growing  up 
through    the    soil,    they    must    be    examined,   and 


G.   G 


A 


2.— SHOWING    HOW    THE   YOUNG    VIOLETS    SHOULD    BE    PLANTED    IN    THE    OPEN. 


186 


THE    GAllDEN. 


[April  12,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Pentstemons. — Young  plants  propagated  from 
cuttings  in  the  autumn  and  wintered  in  cold  frames 
should"  now  be  in  hardy  enough  condition  to  warrant 
their  being  planted  out  in  vacant  spaces  in  the 
borders.  Where  planted  in  the  herbaceous  borders 
it  is  best  to  make  a  nice  clump  of  from  three  to  a 
dozen  plants. 

Antirrhinums  raised  in  the  autumn  either  from 
seeds  or  cuttings  may  be  treated  in  the  same  manner, 
while  seedlings  recently  raised  in  heat  should  be 
pricked  out  2  inches  or  ^  inches  apart  in  boxes, 
or  in  the  cold  frames  from  which  the  others  are 
taken. 

Dahlias. — Cuttings  should  be  potted  off  as  soon 
as  nicely  rooted,  keeping  them  in  a  little  heat 
till  established,  when  cooler  treatment  should  be 
afforded  them,  potting  them  on  into  .|J-inch  or 
6-inch  pots  as  they  require  it.  This  extra  potting 
is  quite  necessary  if  good  plants  and  early  bloom 
arc  required.  Early  planting  out  is  often  fatal, 
and  plants  st.arved  in  small  pots  are  very  slow  in 
getting  away  after  being  planted  out.  Stock  plants 
may  be  put  out  in  a  cold  frame  where  they  can 
have  plenty  of  hgbt  and  air,  with,  of  course,  the 
necessary  protection  in  case  of  frost. 

Chrysanthemums. — Border  varieties,  as  soon 
as  well  rooted  ni  j-inch  pots,  should  be  grown  as 
hardily  as  possible.  On  mild  nights  the  lights 
may  be  left  off  altogether,  thus  preparing  them 
for  the  planting  out,  which  should  be  done  quite 
early  in  May. 

Flower-Beds. — Many  of  the  Narcissi  planted 
in  the  beds  will  be  going  out  of  flower,  and  the 
flower-heads  should  be  removed  at  once.  Double 
Tulips,  which  are  always  rather  late  in  opening, 
may  require  a  stake  to  prevent  them  being  damaged 
bv  wind  and  rain  ;  but  the  tie  must  be  loose,  or 
the  heads  will  break  off  as  the  flower-stems  grow. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Peppers. — These  are  excellent  pot  plants  ,  in 
fart,  many  of  them  make  really  good  decorative 
subjects  for  the  autumn  months,  a  few  good  ones 
being  Coral  Gem  Bouquet,  Chameleon,  Cerise, 
Cayenne,  Old  Red  ChiU  and  Red  Cluster;  while 
of  the  larger  varieties  that  may  be  mentioned 
are  Ruby  King,  Chinese  Giant,  Giant  Red,  Giant 
Yellow  Nocera,  Elephant's  Trunk,  Early  Yellow 
and  American  Bullnose.  Seeds  should  be  sown 
in  heat,  potting  off  singly  into  pots  as  soon  as  large 
enough  to  handle  and  growing  on  in  a  heated  pit. 

Begonia    Gloire    de    Lorraine. — A    batch    of 

cuttings  should  now  be  put  in,  and  if  the  pots  are 
plunged  in  a  brisk  bottom-heat,  rooting  should 
not  take  long.  Cuttings  taken  quite  from  the  base 
of  the  old  stools  usually  make  the  best  plants, 
though  many  people  rely  on  leaf-cuttings  ;  but  1 
have  not  found  them  so  generally  reliable  as  the 
first  mentioned. 

Poinsettias. — Rested  stools  may  now  be  cut 
fairlv  hard  back  and  introduced  into  a  warm, 
moist  house  to  provide  a  batch  of  cuttings  for 
striking  during  Mav,  reserving  a  portion  of  the 
stock  for  later  batches- 

Euphorbia  jacquiniflora  may  also  be  started 
soon,  but  these  plants  do  not  care  for  severe  cutting 
back,  and  I  prefer  to  leave  these  about  a  foot 
long,  when  stronger  and  more  easily-rooted  cuttings 
are  likely  to  be  emitted. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Peas. — If  properly  h.irdened  off,  Peas  raised 
in  pots,  boxes,  or  turves  should  now  be  planted  out, 
choosing  a  day  when  the  weather  conditions  are 
suitable.  The  soil  should  be  broken  up  as  finely  as 
possible,  thus  ensuring  the  plants  getting  a  good 
start,  and  if  small  stakes  are  put  to  them  imme- 
diately after  planting,  they  will  afford  a  iittle 
protection.  Dressings  of  soot  also  may  be  necessary 
to  keep  away  slugs. 

Broad  Beans. — These  also  should  be  planted 
out  at  once,  and  if  they  have  attained  a  fair  height, 
a  small  stake  and  a  tie  may  be  required  by  each 
plant. 

Cauliflowers  are  rather  more  tender  than  Peas 
and  Beans,  and  a  little  protection  should  be  provided 
when  planting  out.      If  a  fairly  deep  and  broad  drill 


is  taken  out  and  the  plants  put  out  in  the  middle, 
it  will  protect  them  a  little.  The  soil,  if  pulled 
in  as  the  plants  attain  size,  will  keep  them  steady ; 
also  a  small  branch  of  Laurel  placed  over  each 
plant  will  protect  it  in  case  of  sharp  frost. 

Parsley. — Seedlings  raised  in  a  box  or  frame 
may  now  be  pricked  out  in  the  open  ground,  and 
in  cold  soil  such  a  system  is  often  better  than  sowing 
early  in  the  open  ground. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Tomatoes.— Plants  setting  their  fruit  should 
be  fertilised  with  a  rabbit's  tail  to  ensure  a  good 
set,  this  being  especially  necessary  when  the  house 
is  not  entirely  devoted  to  the  Tomatoes.  In  such 
a  case  the  atmosphere  of  the  house  may  not  be  all 
that  is  desired.  Plants  that  are  fruiting  in  small 
pots  must  not  be  neglected  as  regards  manure, 
so  that  as  soon  as  a  truss  or  two  are  set  it  is  as  well 
to  give  a  little  top-dressing  and  so  keep  up  the 
vigour  of  the  plant,  or  weak  trusses  will  result. 
Successional  batches  must  be  potted  on  or  planted 
out  as  they  require  it,  making  a  sowing  during 
the  next  week  or  two  to  provide  a  good  batch 
for  early  autumn  fruiting. 

Cucumbers  that  are  fruiting  also  require  liberal 
treatment  in  respect  to  manure  and  water,  and  where 
only  one  or  two  plants  .are  grown,  a  little  thinning 
of  the  fruit  may  be  necessary  to  regulate  the  supply. 
The  shoots  also  may  require  thinning,  and  where 
space  is  limited  may  be  stopped  at  every  second 
leaf.  As  often  as  roots  appear  .at  all  thickly  on 
the  surface  of  the  soil,  top-dress  with  horse- 
manure  and  loam,  about  half  and  half. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Peach  Trees  on  Walls  uUl  now  have  set  their 
fruit — at  least,  where  they  have  been  sufficiently 
protected — and  even  ni>w  it  is  wise  to  allow  a  double 
thickness  of  old  fish-netting  to  hang  in  front  of 
the  trees  to  protect  them  from  the  cold  winds. 
Wherever  the  leaf  blister  appears,  all  the  diseased 
leaves  should  be  picked  off  and  burnt  and  the  trees 
given  a  good  spraying  over  with  sulphide  of  potas- 
sium at  the  rate  of  loz.  to  three  gallons  of  water. 
Though  this  may  not  actually  prove  a  cure,  it 
may  prevent  it  spreading. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wobit.ru  Place  Gardcus,  Addleslone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Planting  Sweet  Peas. — Weather  and  the  con- 
dition of  the  ground  permitting,  this  operation 
should  be  carried  through  at  an  early  date,  ^f 
not  already  attended  to,  the  clumps  or  lines  along 
which  the  .Sweet  Peas  are  to  be  planted  should 
have  a  dressing  of  pigeon  or  fowl  manure,  or  one 
of  soot  and  superphosphate,  which  should  be  forked 
in  a  few  days  prior  to  planting.  If  the  plants  have 
been  raised  in  boxes,  they  should  be  carefully 
lifted  and  planted  with  a  trowel  i  loot  apart  if 
the  highest  results  are  to  be  obtained ;  but  for 
general  decorative  work  6  inches  apart  is  quite 
sufficient. 

Montbretias    in    Pots. — .Many    of    the    Mont- 

bretias  are  worth  more  trouble  than  is  often  taken 
with  tbem.  We  pursue  the  following  system  here, 
with  highly  satisfactory  results  :  When  lifting  the 
bulbs  in  the  autumn  the  clumps  are  broken  up, 
generally  into  halves.  We  then  pot  them  up 
into  fi-inch  pots.  They  are  wintered  u\  a  cold 
frame,  and  about  the  middle  of  March  are 
stood  outside  in  some  sheltered  spot.  .\bout 
this  date  they  are  planted,  with  the  balls  intact, 
either  in  masses  or  lines. 

Sweet  Violets. — Runners — rooted  if  possible-- 
should  now  be  taken  from  the  plants  in  frames 
and  planted  i  foot  apart  in  a  plot  which  has 
been  specially  prepared  for  them.  Violets  require 
liberal  cultivation,  with  cool  conditions. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Cannas. — If  started  in  small  pots  last  month, 
these  will  now  be  ready  for  a  shift,  and  as  they  are 
vigorous  growers,  they  may  at  once  be  transferred 
to  their  flowering  pots.  Cannas  delight  in  a  rather 
porous,  rich  soil,  and  as  they  have  fleshy  roots, 
they  should  be  potted  rather  loosely. 


Stopping    Chrysanthemums. — .All    the    classes 

of  Chrysanthemums  require  stopping  more  or  less. 
Stopping  in  the  big-flowered  section  has  been  reduced 
to  a  fine  art  and  cannot  be  dealt  with  in  a  small 
space.  Those  who  have  not  learned  the  art  should 
study  the  directions  given  in  such  a  price-list  as 
that  of  Messrs.  Wells,  Limited,  Merstham.  Bush 
plants  should  be  stopped  when  about  6  inches  high, 
stopping  the  freer-growing  varieties  again  when  the 
plants  have  made  about  another  six  inches  of 
growth. 

Strobilanthes  dyerianus.— To  see  this  fine 
foliage  plant  to  advantage  it  must  be  grown 
liberally  in  a  brisk  temperature,  and  a^  its  bright 
colouring  fades  with  age,  successional  batches  of 
cuttings  should  be  struck. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Peaches. — The  tying  in  of  the  shoots  must  be 
attended  to  as  growth  advances.  The  young 
shoots  can  often  be  tied  alongside  the  older  bare 
ones  ;  but  in  any  case  they  should  be  as  evenly 
distributed  as  possible,  special  care  being  taken 
to  fully  expose  to  the  light  the  succession  shoots 
at  the  bases  of  the  bearing  ones. 

Figs. — In  early  houses  where  the  fruit  is  swelling, 
the  temperature  should  be  raised  somewhat,  the 
atmospheric  moisture  being  increased  in  propor- 
tion. .As  the  fruit  begins  to  ripen,  however,  the 
air  should  be  kept  in  a  drier  condition. 

Melons. — If  any  of  the  plants  show  signs  of 
canker  at  the  neck,  the  affected  part  should  have  a 
little  dry  powdered  lime  or  powdered  charcoal 
applied  to  it.  If,  however,  t.he  plants  were  slightly 
raised  above  the  general  level  at  planting-time 
and  ventilation  has  been  carefully  attended  to, 
there  is  seldom  any  trouble  with  canker. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Grafts. — If  the  weather  continues  dry,  grafts 
should  be  examined  ;  and  if  found  to  be  too  dry, 
a  little  damp  moss  should  be  tied  round  them 
and  sprayed  every  few  days  till  growth  takes  place 
or  rain  occurs. 

Loganberries. — This  useful  fruit  is  now  throwing 
up  young  shoots  freely,  and  all  superfluous  ones 
should  be  thinned  out.  The  number  to  be  left 
must  be  determined  by  the  amount  of  sp.ace  to 
be  covered. 

The  Shrubbery. 

Evergreens  may  still  be  planted,  but  the  work 
should  be  completed  as  soon  as  possible.  If  dry 
conditions  obtain,  the  newly-planted  stock  ought 
to  be  watered  at  the  roots  and  be  sprayed  overhead 
in  the  afternoon. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Amelanchier  canadensis. — The  Snowy  MespUus 
is  one  of  our  most  floriferous  and  most  beautiful 
ornamental  trees,  and  deserves  to  be  more  widely 
cultivated.  Its  only  defect  is  its  slowness  of 
growth.  It  does  best  in  bush  form  or  as  a 
standard  grafted  on  the  common  Hawthorn. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Kidney  Beans. — .A  sowing  of  an  early  variety, 
such  as  Ne  Plus  Ultra,  should  now  be  made  on  a 
south  border  in  rows  21  inches  apart,  with  6  inches 
between  the  seeds.  If  the  seeds  are  steeped  in 
tepid  water  for  twelve  hours  pre\nous  to  sowing, 
germination  will  be  accelerated. 

Asparagus. — -The  beds  should  have  a  dressing 
of  rotted  manure  forked  into  them.  Seed  may 
uow  be  sown  and  plantations  m.ade.  The  latter 
operation  must  be  carried  through  with  great  care, 
as  the  plants  suffer  very  much  if  the  roots  are 
exposed  to  the  air  for  any  length  of  time. 

Beetroot. — -This  useful  vegetable  may  be  sown 
during  the  next  week  on  ground  that  has  been 
deeply  worked  and  has  had  no  rank  manure  applied 
to  it.  The  drills  should  be  about  eighteen  inches 
apart.  There  are  many  varieties  to  choose  from, 
but  I  can  thoroughly  recommend  Goldie's  Exhi- 
bition and  Frisby's  Excelsior. 

Spring-Sown  Onions. — Those  raised  under  glass 
may  now  be  planted  out  according  to  the  directions 
given  last  week  for  the  autumn-sown  crop.  Of 
course,  where  extra  large  bulbs  are  desired,  ample 
space  must  be  allowed  for  their  development,  a 
square  foot  not  being  too  much  for  each  bulb. 

Broad  Beans. — .\nother  planting  should  now 
be  got  in  for  autumn  supply. 

Chari.es  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


April  12,  igi3-] 


THE    GARDEN. 


187 


THE    FIFTY    BEST   ALPINES.     NEW   AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


TH  E  lists  of  choice  alpiius  which 
appeared  in  The  Garden  for  March  i 
and  March  15,  from  Mr.  Amott  and 
Mr.  Farrer,  have  been  exceedingly 
interesting  to  all  lovers  of  these  choice 
little  gems.  .Although  I  have  nothing 
like  the  extensive  experience  of  your  two  well- 
known  and  able  correspondents,  yet  "  fools  will 
enter  where  angels  fear  to  tread,"  and  at  the  risk 
of  being  classed  among  the  former  I  now  enclose  a 
list  of  what  I  consider  to  be  the  bast  fifty.  In  this 
list  are  included  several  commoner  sorts  which  seem 
to  be  ignored  by  the  more  experienced  growers  ; 
but  although  common  and  easily  grown,  they 
are  none  the  less  beautiful.  The  Gold  Dust 
(,\lyssum  saxatile  compactum)  and  the  Crimson 
Thyme  (Thymus  Serpyllum  coccineum)  are  both 
unique  in  their  respective  colours,  which,  when 
seen  in  a  mass,  are  perfectly  dazzling  in  the 
sunshine. 

I  found  curtailing  the  list  to  fifty  a  more  difficult 
matter  than  e.\tending  it  to  one  hundred  would 
have  been,  many  beautiful  and  useful  plants 
having  had  to  be  eliminated.  This  difficulty  would 
have  been  considerably  increased  if  shrubby  plants 
and  bulbs  had  been  included.  Perhaps  at  a  future 
date  lists  of  both  of  these  beautiful  and  indis- 
pensable plants  for  rockeries  might  be  given 
[Yes. — Ed.],  as  I  have  no  doubt  such  would  prove 
as  interesting  and  helpful  as  the  lists  of  alpines  have 
been. 


AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Douglasia  laevigata. — .\  pretty  and  rare  plant 
from  the  .\lps  of  Oregon,  closely  allied  to  Androsace. 
The  entire  plant  is  not  more  than  ij  inches  high, 
of  close-tuftcd  habit,  after  the  manner  of  a  free- 
growing  Androsace  carnea,  above  which  the  rosy 
red  flowers  appear  in  clusters.  The  certificated 
example  was  shown  in  a  pot  5  inches  in  diameter, 
which  it  nearly  filled.  Few  of  the  hardy  plant 
specialists  had  seen  this  gem  in  such  condition 
before.  From  Mr.  Reginald  Prichard.  West  Moors, 
Wimborne,  Dorset. 

Carnation  Mrs.  Wilfred  Gott. — A  pure  white- 
flowering  variety  belonging  to  the  Perpetual- 
flowering  Malmaison  section,  and  an  acquisition 
to  boot.  Plants  in  pots  were  shown  demonstrating 
great  freedom  of  flowering  and  an  entire  absence 
of  calyx  splitting.  The  plants,  although  growing 
in  small  pots,  showed  exceptional  vigour,  the  stiS, 
erect  stems  carrying  the  handsome  flowers  without 
support.  One  of  the  best  attributes  of  the  new- 
comer is  its  powerful  Clove-like  fragrance,  a  quality 
which  cannot  fail  to  make  it  popular  with  all. 
From  Messrs.  William  Cutbush  and  Sons, 
Higligate,  N. 

Primula  viscosa  Othello. — A  beautiful  and 
showy  variety,  said  to  have  resulted  from  the 
crossing  of  Auricula  Innocence  and  a  selected 
variety  of  Primula  viscosa.  Except  for  the 
increased  vigour  of  the  above,  there  is  no  external 
evidence  of  the  influence  of  such  a  cross,  the  best 


Name. 


Height. 
Inches. 


Achillea  argentea     4 


Androsace  Chumbyi 

Areaaria  balearica  

A.  montana 

Alyssum  saxatile   compactum 

Aubrietia  Leichtlinii   

A.  Dr.  .Mules     

Campanula  muralis 

C.  puUoides 

Cfieirauthus  miitabllis    


Cortusa  villosa. . . 
Diantluis  alpinus. 


D.  neglectus 


3 


Aspi'ct. 

Sunny  

Partial  sun  , 

Shady  

Sun 


.S'oi7. 

Coloui . 

Fiowerim 
Period. 

Means  of 
Propagation. 

Loam   

White    .... 

Summer     

Division 

Peaty       

Pink 

,,           .... 

Loam   

White    .... 

•  .           .... 

Seed  or  division 

^,     

Earlv  spring. . 

Division 

^^       

Golden  v'lrw 

Sprints    

Seed  or  cutting 

Sandy  loam     .  . 

Kosy  carmine 
Purple    

Sprinu'    

Cuttings 

.... 

Blue  purple 

July  and  Aug. 

Division 

>• 

iJark  blue  .  . 

Summer     

ij 

I^amand  liino- 

Ituir      and 

Early  summer 

stone 

purple 

Loam   

Dark  red   .  . 

Summer     

Seeds 

Loam  and  limr- 

Kosy  crims'n 

,. 

Dodecatlieon  media    12 

Erigeron  philadelphicus 10 

Erinus  alpinus 3 

Gentiana  acaulis 4 

Geranium  argeuteum 6 

Helinntheniums    10 

Hepatica  angulosa 3 

Heucliera  sanuuinea  splendens  15 

Hutrhinsia  alpina    3 

Hypericum  reptan^; 4 

Iberis  senipervirens  Little  Gem  4 

Lithospcrmum  prostratum  1 

Heavenly  Blue 

[iychnis  Viscaria  splendens  10 

plena 
Meconopsis  cambrica  ft. -pi 


Sun  or  !?hade 

Sun  ..". 

Sun  or  ^hade 

Sun Li 

stone 
Loam  and  lime- 
stone 

Shade Loam  and  peat 

Sun Loam  

y,     Loam  and  lime 

Half  shade  ..     Stiff  loam    .... 

Sun Ordinary  .soil  . . 

, Sandy  loam     . . 

Shade  Light  loam 

Sun Loam   Scarlet 

White 


Deep  rose  . .  ,,  

Rose May  and  June 

Kosy  pink.  .  Summer     .... 

Light  purple     Sprin;:    

Blue   ,,         

Blush Summer     

Various 


rtich  blue  . 


1- 

S^erteusia  virginica Vl 

G 

15 
6 
6 
4 
i 

e 

4 


Onosma  tauricum 

Phlo^i  canadensis  lapfiamii 

P.  ovata    

P.  subulata  Nel«onii    

PotentiUa  Tonguei 

Primuli  marj^inata 

P  cockburniana 

P   nivali.- 

ilamondia  pyrenaica   4 

RanuQCuliis  araplexicaulis. ...      12 

Sanguinaria  canadensis 6 

Saxifraga  pyramidaUs     18 

S.  Wallace!   6 

S.  burseriana    3 

Silene  alpestris     4 

S.  Schafta 6 

Thymus  Serpvllum  coccineum       3 
Trillium  grandiflorum     9 


Partial  shade 

Sun 

Sun  or  shade 
Semi- shade. . 
Sun 


Serai-shade  . .     Moist  loam 


Shade Peaty  soil   . 

Partial  shade  Loam  White 

,,  Sandy  loam 

Sun 


Golden  yelTw 

White     

Blue   

Kosy  red    . . 

Orange 
Pale  i)lue  .  . 
Pale  yellow 
Pale  "blue  .  . 
Deep  rose  . . 
Snow  white 
Orange  red 
Purple    .... 
Orange  scarl't 
White    .... 
Lilac  blue 


Early  spring. . 
June  to  Aug 
Summer     .... 


Earlv  summer 
Summer     .... 


Early  summer 


Summer     .... 
Early  spring. . 


Early  summer 


Division 


Seed 

Cuttings 

Divisioli 

Seeds 

Division 

Cuttings 


Seeds 

Seed  or  lUvi'^ion 

Cuttincs 


Division 

Seeds 

Division 

Seed  or  division 

Division 


Gritty  soil  . 
Loam  

Sandy  loam 


June  and  July 
Summer 


Offsets 
Cuttings 


Tunica  Saxifra^ia 


0 


Rosy  purple 

,,    ,,  . .     Bright  red.  . 

Shade Leaf-mould  and     White       t  o 

loam  rose 

Sun  or  shade      Loam  Pale  pink  . . 


Marcli    Division 

May    to    July     Seed  or  division 


Late  summer 
Summer  .... 
Spring    


Seed 
Di'-ision 


Veronica  pio?trata * 

Vinla  gracilis    4 

Vittadenia  trilobata    S 

Ochilview,  Bridge  of  Earn, 


Sun 

Semi-shade.. 
Sun 


Summer   and      Seed 
autumn 

Blue Summer     ....     Cutting.- 

Violet     blue  ,,  .... 

White     and     March         to 
rose  October 

William  Little. 


attributes  of  the  Primula  being  seen  in  an  enhanced 
decree.  The  colour  is  rosy  red  and  very  effective 
The  plant  is  very  free-flowering. 

Primula  viscosa  Jean  Douglas. — This  charming 
alpine  Primula  resulted  from  the  crossing  of  P. 
viscosa  and  P.  intermedia.  The  colour  is  a  warm 
rosy  tint,  the  trusses,  like  those  of  the  first 
named,  large  and  abundantly  flowered.  These 
were  shown  by  Mr.  J.  Douglas,  Great  Bookham, 
Surrey. 

Narcissus  White  Emperor, — We  regard  this 
as  an  unfortunate  name  applied  to  a  flower  of 
sterling  merit.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  not  an 
Emperor  in  any  sense,  though  the  name  might 
suggest  that  it  was  either  a  seedling  or  white  sport 
from  that  well-known  highly-popular  sort.  In 
short,  it  is  superior  in  many  ways  to  Emperor, 
more  particularly  in  the  fine  overlapping  character 
of  the  perianth  segments  and  in  their  firm  texture. 
This  fine  white  Narcissus  is  of  distinguished  bearing. 
See  illustration  on  page  184.  Shown  by  Messrs. 
Cartwright  and  Goodwin,  Kidderminster,  and 
Mr.  Christopher  Bourne,  Bletchley,  who,  we  undei- 
stand,  are  sharing  the  stock  of  this  handsome 
novelty. 


NEW    ORCHIDS. 

A  number  of  novelties,  some  of  them  of  excep- 
tional value,  were  brought  before  the  Orchid 
committee.  No  fewer  than  five  first-class  certificates 
were  granted.  Cymbidium  Humblolii,  shown  by 
Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co.,  secured  this  high 
award,  with  a  cultural  commendation  in  addition. 
Other  novelties  to  gain  first-class  certificates  were  : 
Brasso-Cattleya  heatonensis  Canary  and  Cypri- 
pedium  Roundhead,  both  shown  by  Lieutenant - 
Colonel  Sir  George  Holford ;  Odontoglossum 
eximium  Warnham  Court,  from  C.  J.  Lucas. 
Esq.,  Horsham  ;  and  Lailio-Cattleya  dominiana 
Southfield  variety,  from  Waters  Butler,  Esq. 

Awards  of  Merit. — Cattleya  intertexta  Juliettas, 
shown  by  Firmin  Larabeau,  Brussels  ;  Odontioda 
Cooksonse  Ralli's  variety,  from  Pantia  Ralli,  Esq.. 
Ashtead  Park  ;  and  Odontioda  keighleyensis 
ignifera,  shown  by  Messrs.  J.  and  A.  McBean. 

The  foregoing  awards  were  made  by  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  on  April  i,  when  all  of  the 
novelties  were  showii. 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 

MEALY     BUG     ON     PEACHES. 

TH  E  raealv  bug  often  causes  a  lot  o£ 
trouble  among  the  Peaches  about  this 
time.  Fumigation  may  be  resorterl 
to,  but  unless  it  is  constantly  repeated 
the  new  broods  hatching  out  seem  to 
establish  an  ever-increasing  army  diffi- 
cult to  overcome.  Should  only  an  odd  insect  or 
two  be  noticed,  the  simplest  method  is  to  touch 
the  bug  with  a  drop  of  methylated  spirit  at  the 
end  of  a  stick — an  old-fashioned  and  effective 
remedy.  If  in  large  numbers,  however,  I  strongly 
recommend  syringing  with  an  insecticide  once  a 
week.  This  must  be  done  regularly,  and  as 
syringing  is  always  being  carried  out,  very  little 
e.\tra  work  and  trouble  is  entailed  by  the  process. 
I  have  tried  many  insecticide  washes,  and  the 
following  has  proved  the  best,  most  effective  and 
cheapest  :  Take  one  gallon  of  warm  rain-water 
and  into  it  measure  a  teaspoonful  of  paraffin 
and  a  like  quantity  of  soft  soap  (the  disinfectant 
soft  soaps  now  sold  are  by  far  the  best  for  maldng 


188 


THE     GAltDEN. 


[April  12,  1913- 


up  horticultural  washes,  and  they  are  just  a  trifle 
dearer  than  the  ordinary  soaps).  Chum  the 
mixture  to  get  a  thorough  emulsion.  To  assist 
this,  draw  it  up  in  the  syringe  and  squirt  it 
back  into  the  pail  a  few  times.  Keep  stirring  it 
all  through  the  process  of  spraying,  in  case  the 
oil  separates  out.  Larger  quantities  are  made  up 
in  proportion.  The  wash  should  be  about  the 
same  temperature  as  the  Peach-house  before 
spraying. 

Syringe  the  tree  from  various  directicns  to  get 
at  all  parts.  Apply  in  the  afternoon,  and  then 
syringe  again  with  tepid  water  the  following 
morning.  This  remedy  is  most  efiective,  does  no 
harm  to  the  trees,  and  tends  to  keep  down  all  other 
pests  as  well. 

Chrvstoii.  Hugh   H.   Aitken. 


PRICKING    OFF    SEEDLINGS 
OF    ALPINE    FLOWERS. 

The  raising  of  seedlings  of  alpine  flowers  is  pleasant 
and  interesting  work  which  may  well  be  recom- 
mended to  the  amateur  who  desires  to  secure  a 
stock  of  such  plants  at  a  moderate  cost.  Many 
plants  of  good  alpines  can  be  obtained  from  seeds 
with  but  little  trouble,  although  some  time  is 
required  for  pricking  off  the  seedlings.  This 
should  be  performed  at  the  earliest  suitable  time, 
as  in  this  way  strong,  healthy  plants  can  be  secured. 

It  is  always  desirab'.e  to  prick  oft  the  seedlings 
as  soon  as  they  have  made  a  pair  of  their  second 
or  true  leaves,  even  though  the  plants  are  then 
very  small.  A  compost  of  iibrous  loam,  leaf-soil 
and  sand  in  about  equal  proportions  will  answer 
well,  although  any  good  garden  earth  or  loam 
lightened  with  leaf-soil  and  sand  will  answer  well. 
Clean  pots  or  pans  can  be  employed,  but  bo.\es  will 
do  quite  well  if  they  have  plenty  of  ho\s  bored 
in  them  and  a  sufficient  depth  of  drainage  put  in 
the  bottom.  These  boxes  require  about  the  :  amc 
depth  of  drainage  as  pots,  and  about  a  third  of  the 
depth  of  the  box  or  pot  filled  with  drainage  is  not 
too  much.  Over  the  drainage  put  some  of  the 
rougher  compost  ;  then  fill  up  to  within  about  half 
an  inch  of  the  top,  and  press  the  compost  gently 
but  firmly  down  with  a  piece  of  wood. 

The  seedlings  ought  to  be  carefully  lifted  out  ot 
the  seed-pot  so  as  to  injure  the  rootlets  as  little 
as  possible,  and  to  avoid  disturbing  the  seedlings 
which  are  not  large  enough  to  prick  off.  If  the 
seedlings  are  very  small,  a  piece  of  wood,  like  a 
pointed  match,  may  be  employed  to  lift  out  the 
young  plants  and  to  make  a  hole  for  planting  them 
in  the  box  or  pot  to  which  they  are  being  trans- 
ferred. When  the  seedlings  are  inserted,  they 
should  be  put  in  to  the  base  of  the  first  leaves,  and 
the  sou  gently  firmed  about  them.  When  the  whole 
have  been  removed,  the  box  should  be  thoroughly 
watered  with  a  fine  rose,  the  plants  kept  rather 
close  for  a  day  or  two,  and  then  gradually  be 
given  air. 

If  the  whole  of  the  seedlings  are  turned  out  ol 
the  pot  and  the  soil  thrown  away,  much  loss  will 
result,  as  there  are  frequently  many  seeds  which 
have  not  germinated,  but  which  will  do  so  later, 
many  even  appearing  the  following  spring.  This 
is  specially  the  case  with  such  things  as  Primulas. 
Gentians  and  many  others.  Early  pricking  oft, 
careful  handling  of  the  seedlings,  thorough  drainage 
of  the  pots  or  boxes  in  which  they  are  placed,  and 
proper  after-attention  in  the  way  of  giving  air 
and  water  will  be  well  repaid  by  securing  a  number 
of  healthy  plants.  An  Old  Alpinist. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 

RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— T/ie  Editor  intends  to 
make  THE  Garden  ftelpfut  to  alt  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  ivritien  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only^ 
and  addressed  to  the  EDITOK  of  The  G.iKDEN,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper- 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool  ,and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PtJBLISHER. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

VIOLETS  [Mrs.  /■'.  !•'.). — Tli«  appi'araiice  of  tlie  Violet 
leaves  suggests  tluit  all  is  not  quite  right  with  the  draiuage, 
and  that^the  vi-iililation  has  not  been  as  free  as  it  should 
have  been  at  tinif--  during  the  past  particularly  mild  and 
damp  winter. 

PERGOLA  PATH  iA.  B.  £.).— The  least  e.\pcnsive 
path  would  bo  one  of  gravel,  or  the  burnt  ball  ash  common 
to  many  country  places.  The  'jravol  may  possibly  bind 
well ;  the  other  will  not,  at  least  alone.  Bricks  or  tiles 
would  require  to  be  set  in  mortar,  or  they  would  move 
about.  Clean  screened  cinder-ashes  mixed  with  lime 
or  cement  would  be  as  cheap  as  anything,  anil  emiiloyed 
in  this  way  would  not  prove  unsightly.  Borderings  of 
.Mossy  Saxifrage,  say,  S.  hypuoides  variety,  or  white  garden 
Pink"  would  do  quite  well.  Both  are  of  easy  culture 
and  inexpensive,  and  while  costing  little  for  the  upkeep, 
would  prove  ctTective  for  some  time. 

ROCK  GARDENING  (B.  M.  B.).—k  book  hkely  to  be 
of  service  to  you  is  "  Rock  and  Water  Gardens,"  by  the 
late  F.  W.  Meyer,  published  at  6s.  net  at  the  ofBce  of  this 
paper.  Independently  of  this,  or  even  in  conjunction 
therewith,  you  might  study  the  valuable  series  of  articles 
entitled  "  Itock  Gardens  in  the  Making,"  which,  com- 
mencing in  the  issue  of  THE  GARDEN  for  October  26,  1912, 
were  continued  weekly  to  the  end  of  that  year.  This 
series  deals  with  many  phases  of  the  work.  If,  however, 
you  are  contemplating  building  a  rock  garden,  and  have 
but  little  knowledge  of  the  subject,  your  better  plan  would 
be  to  confer  with  a  specialist  on  the  spot.  The  position 
appears  to  be  in  some  respects  favourable,  assuming  it 
is  not  so  near  the  sea  as  to  sulfer  from  the  iil-etfeets  of 
the  salt  spray. 

INCREASING  LEDCOPHYTA  BROWNII  (W.  O.).- 
We  have  made  enquiries  and  cannot  find  that  seed  of 
I,cucophyta  (Calocephalus)  Broivnii  is  obtainable.  'iXv 
general  method  of  increase  is  by  means  of  cuttings,  which 
are  not  at  all  difflcult  to  root.  They  should  be  taken  off 
at  a  length  of  a  couple  of  inches  or  thereabouts,  and  be 
dibbled  into  prepared  pots  of  fine  sandy  compost.  After 
this  they  need  to  be  placed  in  a  close  propagating-case, 
and  if  there  is  a  slight  bottom-heat,  so  much  the  better. 
If  the  ease  is  too  close — that  is  to  say,  if  there  is  an  excess 
of  atmospheric  moisture — the  cuttings  are  liable  to  damp 
off.  In  the  summer  cuttings  may  be  struck  in  an  ordinary 
garden  frame  without  any  artificial  heat,  provided  the 
frame  is  kept  close  and '  shaded  from  direct  sunshine 
until  the  cuttings  are  rooted. 

IRISES  FOR  RIVER  BANK  Qt .  M.  C'.).— There  are 
no  Irises  more  suitable  for  the  purpose  than  those  known 
as  Flags,  and  these,  while  crowning  the  top  of  the  bank, 
might  "overflow  dow^n  the  bank  itself.  If  you  desire  a 
bold  display  at  the  top,  we  would  suggest  that  you  employ 
onlv  one  variety,  vi?,.,  pallida,  and  arrange  for  a  yard- 
wid'e  band  of  it.  If  you  desire  more  than  one  variety, 
we  suggest  Queen  of  May,  .Mme.  Chereau,  Gracchus, 
"Dr.  Bernice  and  Mrs.  C.  Darwin  to  make  a  distinct  set. 
Down  the  bank  the  common  purple  Flag  and  Princess 
of  Wales,  white,  would  do  perfectly.  You  might  plant 
at  once,  giving  all  a  fair  start  in  deeply-dug  soil.  We 
presume  the  bank  soil  is  not  infested  by  wireworms,  which 
are  partial  to  these  Irises.  You  might  establish  Daffodils 
in  plenty  on  the  bankside  by  planting  bulbs  in  autumn 
Scarlet  Dogwood,  Flowering  Currant,  Berberis  Darwinii, 
Spirsea,  Deutzia  and  Weigela  in  variety  are  shrubs  that 
would  prove  useful  for  the  purpose.  The  Irises  and 
Daffodils,  with  Dogwood  for  winter  effect,  would,  we 
think,  produce  the  best  results. 

PRIMULAS  AND  AURICULAS  (./  H.  P ).- -We  need 
not  advise  Auriculas,  as  you  already  do  them  so  well, 
but  the  following  Primulas,  in  addition  to  those  enu- 
merated by  you,  should  succeed  under  the  conditions 
named  :  P'.  b'ulleyana,  P.  eajutata,  P.  cocklmrniana,  P. 
dentieulata,  P.  d.  alba.  P.  floribunda.  P.  Forbesii,  P. 
iuvolucrata.  P.  ro«ea,  P.  Sieboldii  in  variety,  P.  viscosa, 
P.  V.  nivalis.  P.  v.  Mrs.  H.  J.  Wilson  and  P.  Veitchii. 
We  liave  at  one  time  or  another  met  with  a  dozen  forms 
of  double  Primrose,  but  cannot  say  whether  they  are 
all  in  existence  now.  In  a  catalogue  ot  one  of  the  principal 
hardy  plant  nurseries  we  note  eleven  varieties  mentioned. 


It  gives  us  great  pleasure  to  learn  that  you  have  been 
so  successful  with  your  .\uriculas,  more  especially  as 
you  have  gained  yoiu-  information  from  The  Garden. 
It  has  always  been  our  aim  to  assist  our  numerous  readers 
as  far  as  possible,  and  the  many  grateful  letters  that  we 
receive  show  that  our  endeavours  have  been  largely 
crowned  with  success.  We  trust  that  your  display  of 
Auriculas  will  in  every  way  come  up  to,  or  even  exceed, 
anticipation. 

PLANTS  FOR  HIGH,  DRY  WALL  (M.  U.  C.).—U  the 
wall  is  quite  dry  and  no  soil  exists  between  the  stone^, 
you  will  have  difficulty  in  establishiug  plants  therein. 
If,  however,  you  can  introduce  a  little  soil  into  the 
crevices,  such  things  as  .\ubrietias,  Alyssuin  saxatile, 
Zauschneria  ealifornica,  Iberis  sempervirens,  Erinus 
alpinus.  Snapdragons,  Thrift,  Iceland  Poppies  and 
Centranthiis  ruber  may  be  grown.  The  whole  of  these 
may  be  introduced  by  means  of  seeds,  mixing  a  pinch  of 
seed  with  a  pint  of  moist  soil  and  working  it  into  the 
crevices.  If  this  quantity  of  soil  was  distributed  over 
a  2-feet  run  of  the  wail,  a  group  would  be  presently  formed  ; 
or  perhaps  you  may  like  your  wall  to  be  a  mass  of 
Aubrietia  in  May  and  June,  and  if  so,  the  entire  wall 
may  be  treated  with  varieties  of  these  plants,  which 
afford  sheets  of  colour  in  pink,  violet  and  lilac.  The  best 
plants  for  the  paved  walk  would  be  Campanula^  pusilla 
and  alba,  puUa  and  muralis.  .Mentha  Requienii,  Arenaria 
baleariea,  Erinus  alpinus.  i^inaria  pilosa.  Thymus  Ser- 
pyllum  eoeeineum  and  Sedum  hispanicum  glaucum, 
all  of  which,  save  Erinus,  should  be  introduced  by  means 
of  small  pieces  of  plants  into  the  crevices  between  the 
stones.     The  present  is  a  good  time  to  plant. 

FAILURES  IN  SWEET  PEAS  (P.  H.).— In  the  fiirf 
place,  we  advise  you  not  to  plant  your  Sweet  Peas  in  a  deep 
trench  which  has  been  partly  tilled  with  well-rotted 
manure,  though  certainly  the  ground  should  be  well 
trenched  all  over,  and  where  the  rows  are  to  come  there 
may  be  a  slight  depression,  just  sufficient  to  allow  the 
moisture  to  run  towards  the  rows  rather  than  away, 
this  more  for  economy  when  applying  water  artificially  ; 
but  if  your  ground  is"  heavy,  plant  or  sow  quite  on  the 
flat.  We  have  only  come  across  one  lot  of  Sweet  Peas 
ttiat  acted  in  the  same  manner  as  yours — grew  quite  well 
and  failed  to  open  or  throw  many  bloom-buds — and  this 
was  also  on  a  rather  low  and  damp  position.  Earlier  in 
the  season  we  should  have  advised  you  to  have  given 
the  soil  a  thorough  good  liming  all  over,  and  even  now, 
if  the  plants  or  seeds  are  in  the  ground,  you  might  give 
the  ground  a  fair  sprinkling  of  fresh-slaked  lime,  taking 
care  not  to  get  too  much  of  it  on  the  young  foliage.  This 
may  prove  all  that  is  necessary.  Instead  of  the  lime, 
or  in  addition  to  it,  you  might  give  the  rows  a  dressing 
of  superphosphate  of  lime  and  sulphate  of  potash,  say, 
loz.  of  each  to  each  yard  run.  This  may  be  given  two 
or  three  times  during  the  growing  season  at  intervals  of 
two  or  three  weeks. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

INJURY  TO  BEGONIAS  {Begonia).— \oa  should  always 
send  speeiniens  when  asking  for  advice,  for  that  enables 
us  to  be  more  certain  of  the  cause  of  the  trouble  enquired 
about.  There  are  two  causes  for  the  so-called  "  rust  " 
in  Begonias — eelworm  and  mite.  Probably  the  latter 
is  at  work  in  your  plants :  but  it  is  very  difflcult  to  see 
without  a  powerful  lens.  We  think  you  will  find  (if  the 
mite  is  the  source  of  the  trouble)  that  dipping  the  plants 
now  and  then  in  a  wash  made  by  kneading  flowers  of 
sulphur  into  a  handful  of  soft  soap  and  dissolving  it  in 
one  and  a-half  gallons  of  warm  water  will  be  the  best 
remedy. 

DAFFODILS  FAILING  (P.).— It  is  difficult  to  give  a 
reason  for  the  comparative  failure  of  some  of  your  Daffodils, 
but  one  thing  struck  us.  Although  you  say  they  were 
treated  on  the  lines  laid  down  by  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob  in 
his  book,  you  mention  they  have  been  in  the  Auricula- 
house  throughout.  Now,  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob  in  his  book 
advises  them,  when  potted,  to  be  plunged  under  Cocoanut 
fibre  refuse  or  ashes  outside  till  they  are  well  roofed. 
If  you  overlooked  this,  it  might  be  answerable  for  your 
very  limited  success.  Again,  success  or  otherwise  will 
depend  upon  the  vigour  and  condition  of  the  bulbs,  as  if 
they  contain  but  a  single  flower  in  embryo,  a  solitary  bloom 
is  all  that  one  will  have,  lio\\e\ei  they  may  be  treated. 
We  should  advise  you  to  waler  the  bulbs  until  they  die 
down  naturally,  anil  tlieu  phiiit  tliein  out  next  August  or 
September. 

GREENHOUSE  FLOWERS  FOR  CUTTING  (D.  C.).— 
Wallflowers  sown  now.  afcerward.^  planted  out,  and  in 
the  autumn  lifted  and  carefully  repotted  will  flower  well 
in  the  greenhouse.  The  .\ntu:rhinums,  Dianthus  and 
Campanula  pyramidalis  would  not  prove  satisfactory 
for  winter  flowering.  Mignonette  should  be  sown  iu  July 
and  August.  Two  good  varieties  for  the  purpose  are 
Maehet  and  Queen  Victoria  Other  subjects  that  can 
be  recommended  for  flowering  in  such  a  structure  are 
Forget-me-not,  sown  now  and  potted  up  in  the  autumn, 
while  hardy  Primroses  arc  also  satisfactory  if  carefully 
lifted  and  potted.  Seeds  of  Primula  sinensis,  P.  kewensis 
and  P.  obconica  may  be  sown  now.  and  Stocks  Beauty  of 
\ice  and  East  Lothian  in  Ma\ .  Besides  these,  some  of 
the  late-flowering  Chrysanthemums  are  very  valuable 
in  the  greenhouse.  These  can.  as  young  plants,  be  pur- 
chased at  a  cheap  rate  now.  Bulbs,  too,  are  worthy  of 
consideration,  though  the  bulk  of  them  do  uot  flower 
till  the  new  year  is  one  or  two  months  old.  Roman 
Hyacinths  potted  in  .August  will,  however,  flower  by 
Christmas,  while  Crocuses  will,  under  glass,  anticipate 
by  some  time  their  usual  season  of  flowering  out  of 
doors. 


GARDEN. 


'^^Ti 


No.  2161  -  Vol.  LXXVII. 


April  19,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Wekk 


CORRESPONDENCK 

Tbe  Parrot's  Bill 
Plant 190 

Saxifraira  (Jrisc- 
bachii 190 

Calceolaria   Veitfhii     191 

How  to  s;row  Saxi- 
fraga  burseriana. .      191 

Forthcoming  events..      191 

Daffodil  Xotes 
Some  of  tbe  recent 
gems    at    Vincent 
Squaie          ..      ..      191 
Planting  a  paved  gar- 
den         192 

Greenhouse 
The  Perpetual-tlower- 
ing    Carnation    in 
Scotland      ..      ..      192 
A     new     PerpHnal- 
flowering      M  a  I  - 
maison  Carnation     19:' 

llOCK  AND    M'ATER    GaKIiKS 

A  Primrose  for  the 
water-side   ..      ..     19:1 

The  Nymphseas  or 
hardy  Water 
Lilies 193 


194 


194 

195 


190 


189  I   IvITCHEN    G.iRDEN 

Seasonable  notea  on 
vegetables  . . 
Flower  Garden 

Primroses  and  Poly- 
anthuses 

Some   good    Tulip 
species 
FuriT  Garden 

Methods  of  combat- 
ing  wound    fungi 
on  fruit  trees 
Gardening  foe  Bf.oinneks 

The    cultivation    of 
annual  Poppies..      197 

Three    beaut  i  f  u  1 
annuals        ..  197 

(iARDENINO    OF    THE    WEEK 

For    Soutliern    gar- 
dens       198 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens       198 

Answers    to    Corre- 
spondents 

Flower  garden        . .  199 

Greenhouse  J  99 

Fruit  garden  . .  199 

Kitchen  garden       ,  .  199 

Miscellaneous  199 

Societies 199 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


190 


Well-grown  plants  of  Saxifraga  Grisebachii 

The  new  Perpetual-flowering  Malmaisou  Carnatiun 

>Iis.  Wilfred  Gott       192 

An  effective  grouping  of  Primula  rosea      193 

Polyanthuses  as  streamsidc  flowers  at  Clandoii  Park  194 

A  beautiful  group  of  the  Water-Lily  Tulip       . .      . .  195 

The  early-flowering  Tulipa  saxatilis 19d 

Shirley  Poppies  in  an  open  woodland  space     . .  197 


EDITORIAL     NOTIGBS. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  pliotographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  tvill  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions . 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  mu^t  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  vtith. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  ai>le  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  mxist  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Gajiden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


O^res  :  20.  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 

The  Mezereons. — The  varieties  of  Daphne 
iMezereum  .irr  flowering  exceedingly  well  this 
spring,  so  that  the  popular  idea  that  the  want  of 
ripening  caused  by  the  wet  summer  would  prevent 
them  blooming  so  freely  has  not  been  borne 
out  by  facts.  Rarely,  if  ever,  have  we  seen 
bushes  so  full  of  bloom  as  this  spring,  and 
some  of  them  are  literally  laden  with  flowers. 
Curiously  enough,  they  are  flowering  later  than 
usual. 

Wallflower  Early  Paris. — This  useful  plant  is 
undoubtedly  unc  ot  the  most  valuable  of  Wall- 
flowers, owuig  to  the  long  period  it  may  be  had  in 
bloom.  By  sowing  seeds  now,  flowers  may  be  had 
from  the  end  of  the  summer  on  through  the  autunm 
and  winter — providing  they  are  planted  in  a  warm, 
sheltered  spot  and  the  weather  mild — till  the 
spring,  when  they  are  followed  by  the  Wallflowers 
that  are  usually  grown,  giving  us  this  favourite 
flower  most  of  the  year.  The  Early  Paris  type 
can  be  had  in  yellow  and  brown  shades,  and  seed 
is  i-heap. 

Fasciated  Stock. — At  a  recent  meeting  of  the 
scientific  committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  Mr.  H.  Stuart  Thompson  sent  from 
Carquieraime.  South  of  France,  part  of  a  tasciated 
example  of  Matthiola  sinuata  bearing  hundreds 
of  flowers  and  having  a  stem  about  two  and  three- 
quarter  inches  in  width.  Though  fasciated  plants 
are  very  frequently  showii  before  the  committee — 
perhaps  more  frequently  than  those  showing  any 
other  aberration  of  growth — Stocks  have  rarely 
or  never  been  exhibited  in  this  condition.  The 
present  specimen  was  growing  on  the  cliff  outside 
an  hotel  garden,  and  others  there  showed  a  similar 
habit  of  gruwth- 

Newly-Planted  Fruit  Trees. — in  many  districts, 

owmg  to  the  very  wet  and  sticky  condition  of  the 
soil,  the  planting  of  fruit  trees  could  not  be  carried 
out  in  such  a  satisfactory  manner  as  when  the 
earth  is  more  friable.  Now  that  it  is  becoming 
drier,  cracks  of  various  sizes  will  probably  appear, 
which  must  be  immediately  filled,  and  it  will  be 
expedient  to  see  that  the  soil  is  quite  firm  around 
the  base  of  the  trees.  The  wind  has  also  been 
very  rough  in  most  parts  of  the  coimtry,  and  it 
behoves  the  grower  to  see  that  his  trees  are  secure, 
especially  where  any  staking  has  been  done,  for 
it  sometimes  happens  that  the  tying  material 
or  stake  is  chafing  against  the  tree,  which  will 
cause  irreparable  damage  unless  given  prompt 
attention. 

Tulips  in  Grass. — As  far  is  we  can  gather, 
there  seems  to  be  great  doubt  if  Tulips  will  con- 
tinue to  bloom  more  than  one  or  two  years  when 
they  are  planted  in  grass.  The  bulbs  will  go  on 
living,  and  year  by  ye^u-  they  will  send  up  a  large 
single  leaf,  as  much  fs  to  say,  "  I  am  here  all  right, 
but    no    bloom    this    year."     Our    contributor    the 


Rev.  J.  Jacob  is  most  an.xious  to  gather  reliable 
information  about  their  behaviour  from  those 
who  have  grown  them  in  this  way.  A  wider  know- 
ledge of  this  important  branch  of  Tulip  culture  is 
much  wanted.  We  heartily  endorse  Mr.  Jacob's 
appeal  and  hope  he  will  have  many  communica- 
tions on  the  subject,  so  that  later  on  in  the  year 
he  may  be  able  to  place  before  our  readers  some 
reliable  facts.  His  address  is  Whitewell  Rectory, 
Whitchurch,  Salop 

Primula  japonica  as  a  Water-side    Plant.— 

People  who  are  only  familiar  with  this  species  when 
it  is  grown  as  a  single  specimen  or  as  a  small  group 
can  have  no  idea  of  its  imposing  character  when 
cultivated  on  an  extensive  scale,  as  is  sometimes 
practised  in  gardens  in  the  South-West  Cotmties, 
and  particularly  at  Enys,  near  Falmouth.  In 
the  latter  garden  it  is  naturalised  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  lake,  and  covers  a  considerable  area  ol 
groimd,  the  plants  being  particularly  vigorous, 
the  leaves  large,  the  inflorescences  tall  and  strong, 
and  the  colour  of  the  flowers  rich.  There  is  no 
necessity  to  introduce  fresh  stock  at  any  time,  • 
for  an  abmidant  supply  of  self-sown  seedlings 
appear.  It  is,  however,  necessary  to  weed  out  the 
i  poor-colijured  forms  each  year,  for  by  this  means 
onlv  can  the  best  strain  be  kept. 

A  Simple  Cure  for  Black  Spot  in  Roses. — in 

the  National  Rose  Society's  Annual,  fuller  par- 
ticiUars  of  which  appear  elsewhere,  Dr.  Arthur  R. 
Waddell  gives  some  most  interesting  and  instructive 
information  on  the  treatment  of  black  spot,  a 
fungus  that  attacks  the  foliage  of  Roses  very  badly 
in  some  districts.  Dr.  Waddell  has  proved  that 
commercial  formaldehyde  (40  per  cent.),  one 
tablespoonful  to  a  gallon  of  water,  is  an  excellent 
preventive.  This  should  be  sprayed  on  to  the 
plants  and  also  the  soil  at  frequent  intervals  during 
the  growing  season.  Dr.  Waddell  has  also  found 
it  answer  well  for  mildew  and  Rose  black  mildew. 
This  commercial  formaldehyde  can  be  obtained 
cheaply  and  is  clean  to  use,  Roso-growers  will, 
in  future,  be  able  to  successfully  combat  the  pests 
mentioned  above. 
The  Chatham  Island  Forget-me-not.— Although 

suggestive  of  an  ordinary  Forget-me-not,  Myoso- 
tidium  nobile  belongs  to  a  different  family.  Writing 
in  the  Lyttleton  Times  of  May  2,  1906,  Dr.  Cockayne 
describes  it  fully,  and  mentions  two  other  but  less 
appropriate  common  names  which  are  sometimes 
used,  viz.,  Chatham  Island  Lily  and  Macquarie 
Cabbage.  Under  natural  conditions  the  plant  is 
said  to  be  almost  extinct,  though  at  one  time  it 
formed  a  continuous  belt  along  the  seashore  just 
above  high- water  mark.  In  those  counties  where 
it  thrives  it  is  certamly  a  plant  which  ought  to 
be  widely  grown.  It  would  not,  however,  be 
Wise,  in  the  face  of  its  being  well  known  to  he 
suitable  only  for  certain  localities,  to  make  an 
extensive  plantmg  without  previously  testing  its 
ability  to  withstand  the  climatic  conditions  of  the 
district. 


190 


THE     GARDEN. 


[April  19.  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The    Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
ixpressid  by  correspondents.) 


Annual  Saxifrages. — In  The  Garden  of  April  5 
your  correspondent  H.  E.  Molyneux,  referring  to 
Saxifraga  Cymbalaria,  writes  ■,  ,  "  I  believe  the 
only  annual  member  of  this  large  family."  Our 
delicate  little  native  S.  tridactylites  is  another. — 
G.  G.  T.,  Strati  aven,  N.B. 

Platystemon    californicus   and    Its    Common 

Name. —  In  your  issue  of  April  5,  page  171.  in  an 
article  containmg  a  reference  to  Platystemoi.' 
californicus,  the  writer  queries  the  existence  of 
a  more  common  name  for  this  interesting  plant. 
There  is  one,  and  he  is  not  far  from  the  mark  in 
suggesting  Cream.  The  garden  name  is  Cream 
Cups.  I  think  that  is  correct. — H.  A.  Day, 
Ellham,  Kent. 

A  Beautiful  Colour  Combination. — Your  note 
on  this  in  The  Gar.ien  for  March  29,  page  153. 
encourages  me  to  make  mention  of  a  similar  lovely 
combine  I  took  notice  of  last  year.  The  discovery 
came  more  by   chance  than   by  set   purpose.     At 


pinnate  leaves  keep  fresh  and  oright,  and  lurnish 
a  delightful  setting  for  the  rich  red  flowers,  which 
appear  in  large  terminal  inflorescences.  Each 
flower  is  from  2  inches  to  3  inches  long  and  curiously 
shaped,  the  shape  having  suggested  the  common 
name  of  Parrot's  Bill  Plant,  which  is  current  in 
New  Zealand.  C.  puniceus  is  not  a  difficult  plant 
to  grow,  but  it  requires  frequent  renewal,  for  after 
giving  good  results  for  several  years  it  hegins 
to  deteriorate,  and  should  then  be  replaced  by  a 
young  specimen.  There  is  a  white-flowered 
variety,  but  it  is  les?  showy  than  the  type. — W.  D. 
Snow  in  Norfolli. — Norwich  and  Norfolk  ex- 
perienced the  full  force  of  the  snowfall  on  the 
nth  inst,,  quite  5  inches  falling,  and  with  a  strong 
wind  much  damage  was  done  to  the  spring  flowers. 
Thi  Narcissus  family  seems  to  have  fared  worst. 
Generally  speaking,  the  blooms  of  these  were  at 
their  best,  but  the  weight  of  the  snow  brought 
them  down  to  the  soil  and  utterly  ruined  thousands. 
On  the  morning  of  the  12th  a  frost  followed,  but, 
previous  to  this,  much  damage  had  been  done 
to  the  Plum  blossom  by  cutting  winds,  which  had 
shrivelled  tender  subjects  as  if  they  had  been 
burned. — Aytch  Pea. 


WELL-GRCW.M    PLANTS    Of-    SAXIFRAGA    GRISEBACHIl    IN    B.WARIA. 


the  top  of  a  small  rockery  were  a  few  plants  of 
Linum  perenne,  while  immediately  below  a  few  bare 
places  existed.  To  hide  these  latter  some  plants 
of  the  Ivy-leaved  Geranium  Mme.  Crousse  were 
obtained  and  planted.  When  they  both  came 
into  flower,  the  effect  was  really  splendid ;  the 
light  pink  trusses  crouching  at  the  feet  of  the  graceful 
swaying  blue  spikes  at  once  arrested  the  attention. 
It  has  since  occurred  to  me  that  the  arrangement 
of  these  two  plants  would  make  a  striking  summer 
bed.  The  Ivy-leaved  Geranium  would  be  trained 
over  the  bed  to  make  a  groundwork,  and  the  Linum 
used  as  a  dot  or  upright  plant  at  intervals. — 
C.  Turner,  3,  Kenwood  Road.  Highgale,  N. 

Tlie  Parrot's  Bill  Plant. — No  more  beautiful 
wall  plant  than  this,  Clianthus  puniceus,  can  be  found 
for  planting  in  Devonshire,  Cornwall  and  other 
places  with  a  similar  climate,  for  from  mid-March 
t')  early  June  it  blossoms  with  great  freedom, 
the  flowers  being  of  a  peculiarly  showy  character. 
A  native  of  New  Zealand,  it  has  long  been  in  culti- 
vation, and  is  a  favourite  plant  for  growing  on 
greenhouse  rafters  and  pillars  in  many  parts  of 
the  country,  but  in  such  positions  it  can  rarely 
be  allowed  to  develop  so  freely  as  is  the  case  when 
it  is  planted  against  outside  walls.     Its  evergreen. 


The    Scarlet    Windflower    Failing.— Mr.     S. 

Arnott's  desire,  on  page  181,  April  12  issue,  to 
discover  the  cause  of  failure  of  this  lovely  subject 
is  welcome.  In  the  home  of  my  childhood  it 
flourished  year  after  year  in  ordinary  perennial 
beds,  receiving,  so  far  as  I  know,  no  special  treat- 
ment. The  soil  was  shallow,  on  limestone  rocks 
with  perfect  drainage,  and  in  the  same  mixed 
beds  I  remember  great  mats  of  Daphne  Cneorum. 
Alas  !  now  both  are  gone.  In  another  garden  for  a 
number  of  years  several  beds  of  Anemone  fulgens 
flowered  regularly  with  the  greatest  profusion. 
The  position  was  high,  600  feet  above  sea-level. 
The  beds  were  on  the  top  of  a  sloping  bank  which 
falls  rapidly  towards  the  west.  The  soil  was  a  light, 
gravelly  loam,  with  limestone  rock  just  below.  The 
tubers  were  planted  deeply  and  never  moved,  and 
in  the  summer  the  surface  was  used  for  bedding 
plants  ;  yet  for  many  years  they  continued  to  be 
a  perfect  success,  vigorous,  increasing,  a  mass  of 
blooms,  imtil  a  new  gardener  with  new  methods 
soon  settled  them.  I  have  had  success  with  first 
season  new  tubers,  but  failure  afterwards,  although 
a  few  isolated  clumps  that  are  neglected  and  in 
apparently  unsuitable  places  never  fail  to  bloom  well. 
— Ernest  Ballard    Colwall   near  Malvern. 


Seasonable  Advice. — In  our  intensive  methods 
of  modern  cultivation  we  have  come  to  recognise 
that  diseases  and  plant  pests  are  making  great 
headway  against  us,  and  that  every  precaution 
ought  to  be  taken  to  eliminate  all  chances  of 
bringing  fresh  troubles  into  our  gardens.  I  have 
conducted  many  experiments  in  connection  with 
this  matter  and  made  a  large  number  of  investi- 
gations, and  I  want  to  warn  readers  that  every 
fresh  plant  which  is  brfiught  into  the  garden 
should  be  sterilised  or  disinfected.  To  do  this, 
liver  of  sulphur  solution  (loz.  per  two  gallons), 
Bordeaux  mixture.  Quassia  solution  chunied  up 
with  soft  soap,  or  some  of  the  valuable  proprietary 
insecticides  and  fungicides  advertised  in  these 
coluimis  should  be  employed,  and  new  plants 
sprayed  from  top  to  bottom.  Only  by  such 
methods  can  one  expect  to  preserve  a  garden  pure 
and  free  of  pests,  and  the  plan  is  thoroughly 
efficient  if  consistently  practised,  besides  being 
well  worth  the  trouble.  A  garden  free  of  pests 
and  diseases  is  a  "  thing  of  beauty  and  a  joy  for 
ever,"  and  greatly  to  be  desired  in  these  days  of 
advancing  horticultural  science.  —  Hugh  H. 
Aitken. 

Saxifraga  Grisebachii. — From  the  note  m  youi 
issue  tor  March  8,  page  120,  I  was  surprised  to 
learn  that  this  Rockfoil  does  not  thrive  so  well 
as  could  be  wished  for  in  England.  This  is  a  great 
pity,  for  the  species  is  really  of  exceeding  beauty 
when  it  grows  away  freely.  Mavbe  the  difficulty 
is  confined  to  some  localities  with  exceptional 
climatic  conditions.  The  report  from  a  place 
where  the  plant  gives  no  cause  lor  complaint 
Tiiiv  be  welcome,  and  perhaps  show  the  way  to 
success  I  have  a  plant  on  my  rockery  which 
forms  a  firm,  close  cushion,  having  at  the  present 
time  thirty  rosettes,  sixteen  of  which  bear  flower- 
spikes.  For  this  plant  a  hole  8  inches  deep  by 
4  inches  wide  was  cut  in  the  top  of  a  block  of 
hard  tufa  rock,  and  a  small  channel  to  drain  off 
water  was  driven  in  laterally  to  the  bottom  of  that 
hole.  This  receptacle  was  then  filled  in  with 
calcareous,  gritty,  loamy  soil,  with  a  little  peat, 
uito  which  pieces  of  sharp-edged  limestone  of 
Walnut  size  were  closely  pressed,  the  whole  being 
firmly  pressed  down  as  the  work  went  on.  When 
the  top  was  reached,  the  plant — then  a  simple 
rosette — was  inserted  a  little  above  top-level. 
In  course  of  time,  through  the  action  of  rain  and 
waterings,  some  soil  was  washed  away  from  the 
neck  of  the  rosette,  so  as  to  leave  it  a  little  raised 
up,  the  method  of  planting  resembling,  in  fact, 
tnat  recommended  for  planting  Androsace  helvetica. 
The  plant  has  now  occupied  this  place  for  five  years, 
always  looking  healthy,  and  it  has  since  increased 
to  the  size  above  mentioned.  The  aspect  is  south- 
west, a  position  which  few  species  of  the  encrusted 
section  could  stand  unscathed ;  but  neither  the 
scorching  sun  of  1911  nor  the  unceasing  rains  of 
last  season  harmed  it.  The  illustration  shows  four 
alpine  pots,  some  with  one.  others  with  originally 
two  or  three  single  rosettes,  the  latter  having  now 
grown  together  into  one  compact  tuft  each.  These 
plants  have  a  little  more  soil,  and  the  rosettes  are 
of  great  size,  some  measuring  2  inches  across. 
These  plants  are  now  four  years  old,  and  are  bearing 
twelve,  sixteen,  eighteen  and  twenty  inflorescences 
respectively.  I  have  increased  this  Saxifrage 
considerably  during  the  last  five  years  without 
any  difficulty.  I  will  not  close  this  note  without 
a  word  in  favour  of  another  lovely  species,  S. 
thessalica,  not  quite  so  imposing,  but  sweetly  pretty 
with  its  more  modest  little  purple  spikes. —  E. 
Heinrich,  Planegg,  near  Munich,  Bavaria. 


April  19,  1913-] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


191 


Calceolaria  Veitchil. — As  a  supplement  to  the 
article  on  Calceolaria  alba  on  page  157,  March  29 
issue,  attention  may  well  be  directed  to  a  delightful 
hybrid  from  it,  namely.  Calceolaria  Veitchii. 
This,  which  was  given  an  award  of  merit  at  the 
International  Exhibition  last  May.  was  raised  at 
the  nursery  of  Messrs.  Robert  Veitch  and  Son  of 
Exeter,  the  parents  being  C.  alba  and  an  albino 
form  of  that  pretty  garden  variety  Golden  Glory, 
which  was  also  raised  at  Exeter  and  is  now  much 
grown.  A  prominent  characteristic  of  C.  Veitchii 
is  its  extreme  wgour,  in  which  respect  it  greatly 
surpasses  either  of  its  parents,  as  it  forms  quite  a 
bold  bush  from  3  feet  to  5  feet  in  height  and  bears 
a  great  profusion  of  milk  white  flowers,  with, 
when  first  expanded,  a  slight  yellowish  tinge.  The 
foliage  is,  except  in  size,  somewhat  after  the  manner 
of  C.  alba,  as  the  leaves  are  lanceolate  in  shape 
and  much  serrated.  It  comes  readily  from  seed, 
and  the  young  plants  grow  away  freely.  Besides 
this,  it  may  also  be  struck  from  cuttings.  Another 
variety  sho^vn  at  the  "  International  "  by  the  same 
exhibitors  was  Bronze  Age,  a  plant  18  inches  to 
2  feet  in  height,  of  a  loose,  pleasing  habit  of  growth, 
and  bearing  good-sized  flowers  of  a  rich  bronzy 
crimson  coloiu:.  Both  are  good  decorative  subjects 
for  the  greenhouse. — H.  P. 

How  to  Grow  Saxifraga  burseriana.— Beginners 
in  the  art  of  growing  alpine  plants  ha%'e  many 
difficulties  to  contend  with,  but  the  difiiculties  are 
increased  when  those  who  offer  instruction  as  to 
the  method  of  treating  the  plants  differ  among 
themselves.  Take,  by  way  of  example,  Saxifraga 
burseriana,  Mr.  Reginald  Farrer,  in  "  The  Rock 
Garden,"  page  68,  says  "  This  (S.  burseriana) 
detests  sunshine  and  open  positions, 
in  his  other  work,  "  My  Rock  Garden," 
S.  burseriana  among  the  Kabschia 
which,  as  he  states  on  page  115.  require  light,  limy 
loam,  and  an  open  but  not  too  sunburnt  exposure. 
Compared  with  one  another,  most  people  would 
say  that  these  two  statements  are  contradictory. 
Ha\nng  tried  S.  burseriana  and  its  varieties  Gloria 
and  Magna  in  a  partially-shaded  position,  with 
the  result  that  I  obtained  one  bloom  from  the  three 
plants,  I  sought  out  other  authorities.  On  con- 
sulting Robinson's  "  Alpine  Flowers  for  Gardens," 
I  find  "  it  soon  forms  good-sized  tufts,  preferring 
a  dry,  simny  situation."  On  my  appealing  for 
advice  to  Mr.  Clarence  Elliott,  who  has  exhibited 
magnificent  examples  of  S.  burseriana  Gloria 
at  recent  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  shows, 
he  wrote  me  that  I  should  give  a  south  or  south- 
west aspect.  Now  will  some  of  your  readers 
who  have  had  more  experience  than  I  have  had 
be  good  enough  to  vouchsafe  information  on  the 
subject  ?  He  would  be  a  bold  man  wtio  would 
suggest  that  Mr.  Farrer  has  made  a  mistake  in 
the  advice  he  has  given  in  "  The  Rock  Garden." 
I)ut  it  looks  like  it.  Would  Mr.  I'arrer  also  be 
good  enough  to  say  which  he  really  thinks  is  the 
correct  method  nf  growing  this  (to  me)  difficult 
plant  ? — Alpinisi. 


DAFFODIL     NOTES. 


B 


"  &c. ;  yet 
he  classifies 
Saxifrages, 


FORTHCOMINC;     EVENTS, 

.^pril  22. — Midland  Daffodil  Society's  Show  at 
Birmingham  (two  davs).  Lincolnshire  Daffodil 
Society's  Show. 

April  23. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Exaim- 
nation  in  Cottage  and  Allotment  Gardening.  North 
of  England  Horticultural  Society's  Spring  Show  at 
Leeds. 

.\pril  24. — Norwich  Spring  Flower  Show. 

April  26. — Ghent  Quinquennial  Exhibition  (nine 
days). 


SOME    OF    THE    RECENT     GEMS    AT 
VINCENT     SQUARE. 

EFORE  I  carry  out  my  promise  of 
last  week,  a  word  or  two  of  explanation 
is  necessary.  Top-of-the-tree  varieties, 
such  as  CroBSus  and  Bernardino,  are 
too  well  known  to  need  a  description 
here.  I  have  only  one  card  trick. 
I  get  a  bystander  to  draw  a  card,  and  after  he 
has  looked  at  it  I  ask  him  to  put  it  back 
anywhere  in  the  pack,  which  I  give  him 
for  the  purpose.  I  then  take  it  back,  and 
having  given  the  cards  a  real  good  shuffle,  say  : 
"  You  are  quite  sure  you  know  the  card  ?  " 
"  Yes."  "  Quite  certain  ?  "  "  Yes."  "  Oh  !  then 
there  is  no  need  for  me  to  tell  you."  There  is  no 
need  for  me  to  describe  flowers  already  famiUar 
to  my  readers.  So  will  they  please  note  these 
I  twenty  are  not  the  very  best  of  all  that  were  there. 
<  These  best-known  ones  and  the  brand-new  un- 
named seedlings,  with  two  exceptions,  .ir'"-  mt;  this 
occasion  passed  by  on  the  other  side.  Hor"-.  then, 
is  my  list,  alphabetically  arranged,  and  with  the 
exhibitors'  names  in  parentheses  dirortly  after  the 
name  of  the  flower. 

Ambell  (Watts).  —  A  pretty,  almost  white 
.Ajax.  The  perianth  is  of  the  double  triangle 
type,  with  overlapping  segments,  and  of  a  greenish 
white  colour.  The  trumpet  is  primrose.  Size, 
31  inches  by  i|  inches  by  li  inches. 

Anette  (R  Sydenham,  Limited). — A  "  Crosfield  " 
Giant  Leedsii.  No  Crosfield  flowers  are  anything 
but  very  good — none,  at  any  rate,  that  the  public 
ever  see.  He  is  a  very  "  Spartan "  among  his 
seedlings.  The  perianth  is  flat  and  overlapping, 
and  the  cup  primrose,  well  formed  and  prettily 
frilled.  Size,  3i  inches  by  ij  inches  by  ij  inches. 
Bloodstone  (Barr). — About  the  nicest  flower  on 
the  stand.  The  cup  has  a  very  distinct  angular 
appearance,  and  the  orange  red  edge  looks  as  if 
it  was  the  top  of  a  ruflle.  The  perianth  is  white, 
slightly  ribbed  and  rather  undulating. 

Bride  of  Lammermoor  (Barr). — A  distinct 
white  trumpet,  with  a  perianth  shaped  like  that 
of  Sir  Francis  Drake.  Its  weak  spot  from  a  show 
point  is  the  top  of  the  trumpet,  which  has  an 
ungainly  look.  It  is,  however,  a  striking  flower, 
and  one  that  many  people  will  like. 

Fire  King  (R.  H.  Bath). — An  improved  Lucifer. 
The  red  in  the  cup  is  of  a  deeper  shade,  and  the 
perianth  not  so  floppy.  Mr.  Leak  tells  me  that 
the  sun  only  intensifies  the  colour,  and  before  it 
is  over  it  looks  as  if  you  would  burn  your  fingers 
if  you  touched  it.     This  is  just  what  we  all  want. 

Gold  Coin  (R.  Sydenham). — A  taking  and  very 
distinct  bloom,  a  five-pound  piece  running  away, 
with  broad  white  streamers  all  round  it.  Size  of 
diameter  of  reflexed  perianth.  2}  inches  ;  of  the 
eye.    1 1  inrhe>. 

Impressario  (Chapman),  but  Chapman';,  no 
longer,  as  it  was  bought  liy  that  most  exacting 
critic  "  P.  D."  It  is  a  soft  Nelson  yellow  trumpet, 
with  a  smooth,  overlapping  and  very  slightly- 
hooded  perianth.  The  trumpet  has  a  very  refined 
look,  and  is  broadly  flanged  at  the  apex  Size, 
4  inches  by  if  inches  by  i|-  inches.  A  beautiful 
show  bloom. 

John  0'  Gaunt  (Cartwright  and  Goodwin). — A 
magnificent  large  yellow  trumpet  raised  by  Mr. 
Chapman.  Mr.  Engleheart  told  me  he  had  tried 
to  buy  it  ;   but,  like  Pierpont  Morgan  with  Hardv's 


manuscript,  he  had  failed.  Later  in  the  afternoon 
I  met  Mr.  Tom  Page  of  Hampton  looking  very 
pleased  with  himself  and  wearing  a  fine  bloom 
of  Carnation  Mary,  .-Ulwood  in  his  button-hole. 
I  soon  found  out  why — he  was  the  purchaser. 
His  market  instincts  led  him  to  single  out  this 
particular  variety  as  something  in  his  line  which 
he  was  prepared  to  pay  for.  It  is  a  flower  of  the 
star-shaped  type,  with  broad,  overlapping  perianth 
segments,  with  a  slight  twist  in  the  three  alternate 
ones.  Size,  5  J  inches  by  i|  inches  by  2  inches. 
Very  tine  indeed. 

Lissadell  23&— 9  (Ussadell).— A  beautiful  pale 
canary  triandrus  seedling  with  quite  an  incom- 
parabilis  look,  so  much  so  that  those  unfamiliar 
with  Daffodils  might  easily  have  thought  it  some 
relation  to  Homespun.  Size.  3 J  inches  by  seven- 
eighths  of  an  inch  bv  t  inch.  It  was  one  of  the 
most  distinct  flow  •  ^  in  the  show,  and  so  delicate 
and  retincl. 

March  White  (R.  H.  Bath).— A  very  carly- 
fl  wering,  almost  white  Ajax  of  moderate  size. 
P'  rianth  segments  slightly  twisted,  trumpet  pale 
primrose.  The  plant  is  vigorous  and  free-flowering, 
and  the  flowers  are  borne  on  long  stems.  It  has 
the  makings  of  a  very  fine  pot  variety  ;  but  that 
will  not  be  yet  awhile,  as  the  price  is  about  four  to 
five  pounds. 

Paulban  (Chapman). — A  dehghtfully  clean  and 
pretty-looking  Barri  with  a  pure  white  perianth 
and  a  cup  of  clear  lemon  edged  with  an  orange  red. 
It  first  showed  its  face,  as  the  old  flower  books 
would  say,  when  the  celebrated  aviator  was  trj-ing 
to  beat  the  London  and  North  Western  express 
from  London  to  Manchester ;  hence  its  name. 
Diameter  of  the  whole,  3  inches ;  of  the  eye, 
three-quarters  of  an  inch. 

Pixie  (Wilson). — A  show  flower  in  every  sense 
of  the  word.  Smooth  and  refined  ;  large,  spreading 
eye,  with  a  red  edge  graduating  in  shade  to  the 
yellow  centre.  Perianth  ivory  white  and  much 
overlapping. 

Plucliley  (Warren). — A  refined  yellow  trumpet. 
One  of  the  Westbere  seedlings,  and  having  the 
good  texture  and  substance  of  that  celebrated 
strain.     Size,  4  inches  by  i  J  inches  by  ij  inches. 

Queen  of  the  North  (Barr). — An  improved  and 
enlarged  WTiite  Lady.  Bound  to  be  a  popular 
flower. 

Red  Lady  (Bourne). — If  one  put  an  Almira 
perianth  on  to  a  Firebrand  cup,  shghtly  enlarged, 
one  would  have  something  like  Red  Lady.  1  fanc\- 
it  wants  good  cultivation,  but,  given  that,  it  is  a 
charming  thing.  Size,  3^  inches  by  seven-eighths 
1)1  an  inch. 

Sarabande  (Hath). — .\  Chapman  Poet  with  .1 
medium-sized  red  eye  and  a  striking  Poetarum- 
looking  perianth.  A  good  -  sized  flower.  Size, 
3  J  inclies  bv  three-qu'irters  of  an  inch. 

SardiUS  (Wilson). — A  fine  bit  of  colour.  The 
deoply-edged  eye  at  once  arrests  attention,  and 
in  combination  with  the  slightly-reflexed  and 
long-segmented  perianth  gives  us  a  most  pleasing 
bloom.     Size.  3  J  inches  by  ij  inches. 

White  Emperor  (Bourne  and  Cartwright  .iiid 
Goodwin). — A  di\idiiig  (see  last  week's  notes)  and 
a  di\ided  (in  ownership)  flower.  If  it  had  only 
been  named  White  Empress  I  would  have  called 
it  divine.  Size,  4J  inches  by  if  inches  by  i|  inches. 
L^ndoubtedly  an  exhibition  flower  of  a  very  high 
quality  ;  but  it  does  not  seem  to  me  to  be  either 
fish,  flesh,  fowl,  or  good  red  herring.  It  has  too 
much   of  a  Leedsii  look  if  one   thinks  of  it   as  a 


192 


THE     GARDEN. 


[April  19,  1913. 


trumpet,  and  too  much  of  a  trumpet   look  it  one 
thinks  of  it  as  a  Giant  Leedsii, 

White  Pennant  (Bath).— The  greatest  novelty 
m  the  Hall.  A  Giant  Leedsii  of  exquisite  substance 
and  with  long,  Almond-shaped  perianth  segments 
very  slightly  inciurving.  The  cup  is  well  formed, 
of  pale  primrose  colour,  with  a  decidedly  deeper 
shade  on  its  broadly-flanged  edge.  Here  is  a 
proportion  sum  worked  out  :  As  The  Doctor  is  to 
The  Earl,  or,  say,  Frank  Miles  to  Autocrat,  so  is 
White  Pennant  to  Empire. 

Wilson's    500    (Wilson).— A    "  cool    customer." 
It    has    a    very    green-looking    centre,    with    the 
narrowest   rjf  red  edges  and  a  slightly  undulating 
white    perianth.      Size,    si   inches 
by   five-eighths    of    an     inch.       It 
might   be   said   by  some   to    be   a 
little    lacking    in     colour,    as    the 
red   is   not   very  pronounced.     To 
me,     however,    it    appealed     very 
much.  Joseph  Jacob. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 


THE 


T 


no   doubt 

practical 

diminished 


PERPETUAL-FLOWERING    CAR- 
NATION   IN    SCOTLAND. 

HE  production  of  plants  of  Perpetual- 
flowering  Carnations  is  pursued  on 
different  lines  in  Scotland  to  those 
ni  the  South  of  England,  though  the 
flowering  treatment  is  identical,  or 
practically  so.  Individual  methods, 
vary ;  but  unless  some  of  the  chief 
points  are  similar,  success  may  be 
even     to     the    vanishing-point.     Like 


PLANTING    A    PAVED 
GARDEN. 


I  KIND  the  best  tool  to  use  in 
planting  a  stone  pathway  in  a  rock 
garden  is  a  small  wooden  dibble 
and  the  handle  of  an  old  tooth 
brush,  as  the  spaces  do  not  permit 
of  the  more  orthodox  instrument. 
On  that  portion  of  the  path  which 
receives  the  most  wear  I  find 
Arcnaria  balearica  is  invaluable, 
nnining  like  a  green  film  in  the 
V-shaped  grooves  between  the 
stones,  and  spreading  on  to  the 
upper  surface  of  the  pavement 
whenever  the  tread  permits  of  it. 
Other  good  plants  are  Arenaria 
ca'spitosa,  Cotula  squalida  and 
acajnafolia,  Epilcbium  nummulari- 
folium,  Linaria  equitriloba, 
Thymus  Serpyllum  and,  last  but 
not  least,  that  charming  little 
close-growing  Mint,  Mentha 
Requienii,  from  Corsica. 

In  the  bays  formed  by  a  pro- 
jecting rockery,  where  the  tread  is 
■flight,  Linaria  alpina.  Campa- 
nula pusilla  and  C.  pusilla  alba 
scramble  about  very  prettily,  while, 
where  it  can  partly  rise  up 
against  the  face  of  an  upright 
rockery  stone,  Antennaria  tomen- 
tosa  and  A.  dioica  variety  rosea 
make  a  silver\'  patch.  If  the  path 
is  sufficiently  wide,  and  not  too 
frequently  walked  over,  many 
other  plants  may  be  introduced, 
such  as  many  of  the  medium-sized 
Campanulas,  like  C.  pulla,  C. 
puUoides,  G.  F.  Wilson,  Stansfieldii  and  even 
carpatica,  also  Sedums,  such  as  S.  reflexum,  S. 
rupestris  and  S.  puIcheUnm,  where  they  will  not 
te  caught  by  the  foot.  It  is  best,  however,  to  start 
with  the  fairly  rapid  and  dwarf  growing  plants, 
and  considerable  attention  should  be  given  in  the 
early  days  to  replacing  any  pieces  which  ma>  ge< 
disturbed  either  by  the  foot  or  by  some  inquisitive 
sparrow,  since  in  such  a  position  the  plants  have 
not  the  same  opportunity  of  undisturbed  extension 
which  they  get  in  a  sheltered  bed  in  the  rock 
sarden.  Rfc.inald  A.  Malby. 


THE    NEW    PERPETU.\L-FLOWERING    MALMAISON 
WILFRED    GOTT. 


Others,   I   have   had  to  feel  my  way   and  adapt 
methods  to  means   and  circumstances. 

I  bloomed  a  portion  of  the  stock  very  well  last 
winter  along  with  Chrysantliemums,  and  when 
the  structure  was  required  for  .\rums,  the  Carna- 
tions were  transferred  to  a  cool  Peach-house, 
where  they  have  continued  eminently  healthy, 
but  have  yielded  fewer  good  blooms.  I  tliink, 
on  the  whole,  that  a  structure  devoted  solely  to 
the  plants  will  always  give  the  greatest  satisfaction. 
In  the  little  span-roofed  house  set  apart  for 
them  here,  the  heating  pipes  have  been  kept  slightly 


warm  all  the  winter  up  to  the  end  of  March.  It 
has  never  raised  the  temperature,  which  was 
seldom  higher  than  50°,  and  frequently  as  low  as 
45° ;  but  the  slight  heat  seems  to  be  beneficial 
in  the  way  of  opening  the  blooms,  and  no  doubt 
it  allows  for  ventilation  in  cold  weather  being 
given  without  any  ill  effects. 

But  of  even  more  importance  than  a  proper 
structure  in  which  to  flower  the  plants  is  one  in 
which  to  grow  them  during  the  summer  months. 
I  have  been  very  fortunate  in  Having  a  low  pit 
originally  erected  for  border  Carnations,  &c., 
the  sides  of  which  can  be  opened  wholly  by  means 
of  wooden  shutters,  which,  when  closed,  form  the 
sides.  A  portion  of  this  has  been 
fitted  with  top  ventilators,  so  that 
the  plants  in  the  hottest  weather 
may  be  as  cool  as  if  they  were  in  the 
open,  where,  it  may  be  explained, 
they  will  not  succeed  so  far  North. 
Throughout  it  is  imperative  that 
they  be  grown  all  along  under  glass. 
I  am  sure  that  quite  a  number  of 
cultivators  fail  during  the  summer 
through  lack  of  facilities  to  give  the 
plants  the  treatment  they  demand 
— protection  from  the  weather  and 
unlimited  ventilation. 

Propagation. — About  the  propa- 
gation of  Carnations  there  is  much 
diversity  of  opinion,  and  this  surely 
demonstrates  the  adaptability  of 
the  plant  when  it  is  found  to  pro- 
pagate so  easily  in  so  many  diverse 
ways  and  at  various  dates.  I  have 
found  the  cuttings  to  root  equally 
satisfactorily  dibbled  into  sand  in 
boxes,  in  the  sand  bed  of  a  propa- 
gating-pit,  and  in  small  pots.  In 
pots  there  is  the  advantage  of  being 
able  to  remove  those  which  are  first 
rooted  without  disturbing  those  not 
so  forward,  or,  what  is  worse,  to 
leave  the  first  rooted  till  the  others 
are  ready,  which  weakens  the 
former,  for  it  is  clear  that  until  roots 
are  produced,  top  growth  is  at  a 
standstill ;  but  once  roots  are  formed 
it  becomes  active,  and  is  one  of  the 
evidences  of  root  production.  I  like 
to  take  the  cuttings  early  in  October. 
It  is  said  that  there  is  no  advantage 
in  striking  the  cuttings  so  early,  but 
I  cannot  escape  noticing  that  those 
who  delay  operations  for  two 
months  or  more  fail  to  get  as  many 
breaks  as  do  those  who  propagate 
early.  Nor  do  I  care  to  have  the 
plants  stopped  too  soon.  Apparently 
time  should  be  gained  by  early  stop- 
ping, but  unless  the  plant  is  very 
strong  and  well  established,  the 
breaks  will  be  as  four  to  six  or  eight 
on  an  average  of  the  strong  plants.  Then  the  impres- 
sion that  it  is  essential  to  break  off  cuttings  with  a 
heel  is  not  borne  out  in  practice.  A  healthy  and  stout 
cutting  roots  just  as  freely  when  cut  off  as  if  pulled 
off,  and  the  former  has  the  advantage  of  producing  a 
sturdier  plant  with  strong  shoots  from  the  very  base. 
I  have  plants  growing  from  pieces  cut  off  the  base  of 
the  cuttings  which  were  inserted  with  only  two 
leaves  ;  but  these  need  not  be  used  unless  to  get  up  a 
slock  of  a  particular  variety,  as,  of  course,  they  never 
make  large  plants.  Stopping,  it  may  be  added, 
cannot  be  safely  done  after  the  beginning  of  June. 


CARN.'MION    MRS. 


April  19.  1913] 


THE     GARDEN. 


193 


The  Best-Sized  Pots. — I  am  sure  that  it  is  a 
mistake  to  limit  the  pots  to  6-inch  ones.  Continuity 
of  bloom  requires  a  pot  of  7  inches  or  8  inches 
diameter,  though  in  the  case  of  weakly-growing 
sorts  the  smaller  size  may  be  admissible.  Those 
who  can  command  a  strong  loam  ought  to  be 
grateful,  because  in  a  rooting  medium  of  this  kind 
blooms  of  the  finest  quality  can  be  produced ; 
but  those  whose  soil  is  of  a  light  nature  need  not 
despair.  The  blooms  at  their  best  will  not  be  so 
fine,  and  it  will  be  necessary  to  feed  the  plants 
from  an  early  stage  of  growth  either  with 
such  a  manure  as  Bentley's  Carnation  Manure 
or  with  soot-water,  which  is  excellent.  Under 
suitable  conditions  disease  will  be  a  negligible 
quantity,  and  of  the  insect  tribe  the  oiJy 
member  that  ever  attempts  to  colonise  is  the 
aphis.  I  have  heard  of  thrips  and  red  spider 
affecting  plants,  but  so  far  North  the  conditions 
do  not  seem  to  suit  them.  To  sterilise  a  small 
quantity  of  soil,  Wulfing's  Formalin  is  excellent 
It  should  be  applied  at  least  a  week  previous  to 
the  soil  being  required.  To  conclude,  do  not 
expect  fine  blooms  from  weakly  shoots ;  but 
remove  these,  however  heartrending  the  process 
may  prove,  and  those  left  will  feel  all  the  better 
for  their  absence.  R.   P.  Brotherstov. 


A   NEW    PERPETUAL  FLOWERING 
MALMAISON    CARNATION. 

The  new  Carn.ttion  Mrs.  Wilfred  Cutt.  which 
recentlv  gained  an  award  of  merit  from  the  Roya! 
Horticultural  Society,  combines  the  good  qualities 
of  the  Perpetual-flowering  and  the  Malmaison 
Carnations.  The  handsome  pure  white  flowers 
possess  a  powerful  Clove-like  fragranc-'.  The 
broad  grey  recurving  foliage  and  the  large  globose 
flow-T-buds  closely  resemble  those  of  the  true 
.Malmaison,  but  the  plants  showed  the  exceptional 
vigour  and  freedom  that  is  characteristic  of  the 
Perpetual-flowering  varieties. 


THE  NYMPH.^AS  OR  HARDY  WATER 
LILIES. 

{Contiiwifd  from  page  182). 

Methods  of  Planting. — Various  methods  of 
planting  can  be  adopted,  but  the  system  I  have 
practised  from  the  very  first  I  have  foimd  to  answer 
well.  To  begin  at  the  beginning,  in  our  case 
here,  I  would  state  that  the  first  order  that  was 
given  was  for  a  dozen  varieties.  That  would  be 
about  eighteen  years  ago.  The  cost  of  all  of  these 
did  not  amount  to  £3  ;  but  I  should  state  that  the 
plants  were  all  small,  though  well  rooted  and 
healthy.  When  unpacked  on  arrival  from  M.  B. 
Latour-Marliac  I  placed  them  securely  in  shallow 
Strawberry  punnets.  These  held  them  quite  com- 
fortably, each  plant  being  tied  in  to  prevent  its 
escape  by  any  movement  of  the  soil.  These,  with 
the  exception  of    N.  flava,  all  throve  well  the  first 


the  bottom  of  the  basket,  then  some  broken-up 
turfy  loam  and  road  scrapings.  Into  this  soil 
the  plants  were  firmly  placed,  being  again  tied  down 
to  prevent  floating.  That  season  the  eleven  plants 
grew  surprisingly  well,  and  flowered  quite  freely 
for  their  size. 

Dividing  the  Plants. — In  about  three  years 
afterwards  I  found  it  necessary  to  divide  the 
stronger-gro\s'ing  varieties.  These  were  N.  Mar- 
liacea  albida,  N.  M.  chromatella,  N.  M.  rosea  and 
N.  M.  camea,  all  of  which  are  well  known  as 
\igorous  growers,  even  imder  adverse  circumstances, 
I  then  used  larger  nursery  rounds  of  from  3  feet 
to  4  feet  in  diameter.  It  was  somewhat  of  a  diffi- 
culty to  lift  the  plants  that  time,  so  well  had  they 
rooted  into  the  muddy  bottom  of  the  lake.  They 
were  slid  back  into  the  water  ;  then,  by  means  of 
a  cord,  the  baskets  were  pulled  into  greater  depth 
from  the  other  side.      Divisions  of  these  and  other 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

A      PRI.VIROSE      FOR      THE      WATER- 
SIDE. 

(Primula  rose.v.) 

THIS  beautiful  Himalayan  Primrose, 
which  gladdens  us  with  its  umbels 
of  intensely  rich  c;u-niine  flowers 
during  March,  is  an  indispensable 
waterside  plant,  in  addition  to 
making  itself  almost  equally  at 
home  in  rather  drier  situations,  provided  vege- 
table soil  enters  largely  into  the  composition 
of  its  rooting  medium.  During  the  winter  months 
it  forms  deep  bronzy  red,  resting  buds,  which  at 
the  first  call  of  spring  open  and  expose  the  cluster 
of  blossoms  neatly  packed  in  their  centres.  Given 
reasonable  weather  conditions,  these  buds  develop 
with  surprising  rapidity,  and  while  the  blossoms 
frequently  open  when  but  r  inch  or  2  inches  above 
the  ground,  the  flower-stem  finally  reaches  a  height 
of  6  inches  or  8  inches,  and  sometimes  more. 
Even  here  in  the  smoke-laden  air  of  Woodford 
this  Primula  appears  to  be  of  the  easiest  culture, 
while  it  comes  so  readily  from  seed  that  no  gardener 
shouJd  be  without  it.  When  the  crowns  become 
numerous,  it  is  advisable  to  break  them  up, 
replanting  some  few  inches  apart.  Not  infre- 
quently the  resting  buds  have  a  tendency  to  rise 
out  of  the  soil,  and  this  should  be  counteracted  by 
either  gently  pressing  them  back  into  the  ground  or 
— perhaps  the  better  way  —  placing  some  top- 
dressing  about  them.  Reginald  .\.  Malby. 


.\X     EFFECTIVE     GROUPING     OF     PRIMUL.'^      ROSE.\,    A    CH.\RMING     SPECIES      FOR      JHi-. 
ROCK   GARDEN    OR    WATER-SIDE. 


season  and  survived  the  following  winter,  which 
was  a  very  severe  one.  The  plant  of  N.  flava, 
however,  succumbed  during  that  trying  winter. 
As  I  did  not  then  feel  assured  of  their  hardihood, 
I  covered  the  ice,  soon  after  it  formed,  with  some 
straw  litter,  to  prevent,  if  possible,  a  thick  coating 
over  the  Lilies.  I  followed  this  system  of  protec- 
tion for  a  few  seasons  afterwards.  Finding,  or  at 
least  deeming,  it  not  to  be  essential,  I  ceased  to 
cover  them,  and  have  never  done  so  since.  These 
little  plants  of  the  first  season  grew  so  well,  and  a 
few  flowers  were  the  result  in  the  second  year  from 
planting.  At  two  years  from  their  receipt  I  lifted 
them  carefully.  The  punnets  were,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  decayed,  but  the  roots  all  lifted  well.  I  then 
transferred  the  plants  to  small,  but  old,  nursery 
rounds  of  about  two  feet  in  diameter.  The  soil 
I  used  then — and  I  have  found  nothing  to  answer 
better — %vas,  first,  a  layer  of  decayed  leaves  over 


strong-growing  varieties  have  taken  place  since. 
One  has  to  be  careful,  I  find,  about  the  division 
of  the  weaker  growers.  This  has  to  be  done  with 
more  care  and  not  so  frequently.  I  divided  our 
plants  of  N.  odorata  rosacea  and  others  of  this 
section,  and  they  never  throve  well  afterwards. 
I  am  sorry  to  say.  The  root  growths  of  these  arc 
much  smaller  and  not  nearly  so  succulent  or  sappy, 
being  somewhat  hard  in  texture.  They  make 
much  smaller  roots  in  comparison  also.  The 
N.  Laydekeri  section  appear  to  be  somewhat 
intermediate  in  growth,  but  they  grow  freely,  all 
the  same,  and  flower  most  profusely,  but,  like 
the  N.  odorata  section,  do  not  need  to  be  dis- 
turbed so  frequently. 

Never  on  any  account  should  tubs  be  used.  This 
is  an  utter  mistake,  for  the  soil  in  them  becomes 
stagnant  and  sour  beyond  any  hope  of  improve- 
ment.    I  have  heard  of  Teak  tubs  being  used  for 


194 


riTK     GAliDRK, 


[April  iq,  191,3. 


the  purpose,  but  it  is  an  expenditure  that  cannot 
be  in  any  sense  justified.  Wire  baskets  are  not 
50  bad  as  tubs,  because  aeration  of  the  water 
and  the  soil  can  then  take  place  within  them. 
But  wire  baskets  will  contract,  or  limit,  the  growth 
■  if  the  rhizomes,  and  this  is  to  be  regretted.  Loose 
bricks  are  better  than  wire  baskets,  as  these  can 
be  removed  and  extended.  Of  all  the  systems, 
however,  I  much  prefer  nursery  rounds  without 
anv  handles  to  them.  In  small  and  easily  accessible 
fountains,  or  basins  of  water,  I  consider  nothing 
to  equal  bricks  of  the  usual  size  ;  these  should  be 
Imilt  up  lightly  and  loosely,  so  as  to  hold  the  soil. 
.\bout  three  courses  of  these  are  sufficient  for  all 
but  the  strongest  growers,  and  these  only  need 
four  courses  at  the  most.  So-called  "  pockets," 
or  hollow  spaces  provided  in  rockwork,  at  times 
.ire  bad  places  for  Water  Lilies,  as  the  soil  cannot 
be  readily  renewed  in  them. 

Season    of    Planting    and    Seedlings.— After 

several  years'  experience  now,  1  find  no  time  to 
iMinal    the    spring,      h'rom    the    last    week    in    April 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE    NOTES    ON    VEGE 
TABLES. 

Tomatoes    for    Outdoors. — In    these    days  we 

expect  to  see  Tomatoes  growing  splendidly  in 
the  garden  of  the  cottage  as  well  as  in  the  ornate 
establishment  attached  to  a  nobleman's  home. 
It  is,  in  a  sense,  extraordinary  how  popular  they 
liave  become,  because  they  are  not  the  easiest  of 
plants  to  manage,  and  when  outdoor  culture  is 
the  only  method  possible,  disappointment  is  apt 
to  come,  despite  all  efforts  to  guard  against  or 
prevent  it.  To  ensure  success  the  season  must 
be  a  sunny  one,  but  the  grower  should  always 
endeavour  to  produce  such  excellent  plants  that 
the  utmost  advantage  will  be  secured  of  the  good 
weather  that  comes  along.  To  this  end  the  plants 
now  hi  2j-inch  pots  should  be  transferred  to  those 
4 1  inches  in  diameter  when  the  present  pots  are 
full  of  roots,  while  those  in  boxes  must  go  into 
_l-inch    pots   preparatory    t"   passing    to   the   larger 


but  it  is  so  welcome  on  the  table  that  no  cultivator 
hesitates  to  accept  the  slight  risk  involved  in  sowing 
after  the  middle  of  this  month.  Choose  a  variety 
like  Sutton's  Crimson  Globe,  drop  seeds  in  groups 
of  three  at  intervals  of  lo  inches,  and  thin  out, 
always  reserving  the  weakest  plant,  provided  it  is 
healthy,  as  it  will  produce  the  most  refined  root. 

Scarlet  Runners. — The  season  when  this  plant 
becomes  most  useful  is  very  late  in  the  summer  and 
autumn,  when  the  Green  Peas  have  either  gone  for 
the  year  or  are  scarce,  and  sowing  in  May  meets 
the  demand.  It  is,  however,  almost  invariably 
necessary  to  have  pods  ready  for  picking  much 
earher  in  case  they  are  wanted,  and  seeds  should 
therefore  be  sown  under  glass  at  once  to  provide 
early  plants.  Do  not  attempt  to  rush  them  in 
a  high  temperature,  as  this  spells  weakness  and 
involves  trouble  when  they  have  to  be  planted, 
but  grow  sturdily  and  strongly  to  secure  hardy 
plants.  No  matter  how  carefully  they  have  been 
managed,  they  must  have  a  process  of  hardening 
prior  to  planting  in  deep,  rich  soil  in  the  position 
chosen.  Sow  out  of  doors  twice,  or 
'  ven  thrice,  between  the  first  week 
.md  the  end  of  May. 

(S.-  Dwarf  French  Beans.— Amateurs 

and  cottagers  cnnnnonly  fail  with 
these  delicious  Beans  for  two  reasons. 
One,  they  will  sow  too  early  ;  and 
two,  they  will  grow  too  thickly. 
The  plant  is  exceedingly  tender,  and 
must  not  he  sown  imtil  May,  or  the 
youngsters  will  be  yellowed,  and  it 
is  quite  possible  they  will  never 
recover.  Then  they  are  of  strong, 
branching  habit,  and  should  always 
be  15  inches,  and  better  18  inches, 
asunder  in  rows  3  feet  apart  If 
they  are  to  develop  their  full  capacity 
lor  fruiting.  H.   J. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 


T 


POLYANTHUSES    .\S    STREAMSIDE    FLOWERS    AT    CLANDON    PARK. 


to  the  third  week  in  May  I  consider  to  be  the  best 
time  to  both  plant  and  divide  the  rhizomes.  The 
water  then  is  more  perceptibly  rising  in  tempera- 
ture week  by  week,  and  this  wUl  be  congenial 
to  quicker  root  development.  Later  planting  may 
be  safely  practised,  but  such  does  not  give  the  plants 
the  same  opportunity  of  re-estabUshing  themselves 
before  the  autumn  sets  in.  I  should  never  attempt 
to  plant  or  divide  after  August  draws  to  a  close. 
If  by  any  chance  seedlings  are  noted  during  the 
summer  months,  it  is  better  to  mark  these  and 
leave  them  until  the  following  spring  before  in 
any  way  attempting  removal.  If  during  the 
month  of  August  or  early  September  any  seed 
should  be  seen  floating  upon  the  surface  of  the 
water,  it  may  be  secured  and  at  once  sown  in  mud, 
then  raised  in  a  temperate  house.  After  the 
bursting  of  the  seed-pods  the  seeds  only  float 
twenty-four  hours,  then  sink  to  the  bottom. 

James  Hudson,  V.M.H. 
Gnnr.ershitry  House  Gardens,  Acton. 
[To  be  cnntinued.) 


size  just  mentioned.  Always  use  a  compost  of 
loam,  leaf-mould  and  sand,  and  if  there  are  wood- 
ashes  at  command,  add  some. 

Maincrop  Carrots. — These  ought  to  be  sown 
this  month,  and  those  who  labour  on  an  unkind 
soil  and  desire  to  produce  the  3-feet,  perfectly 
straight,  even  roots  which  gladden  the  eye  at 
shows  must  bore  for  them.  Make  holes  3  feet  or 
more  in  depth,  according  to  the  variety,  fill  with 
light,  open  compost,  sow  three  seeds  in  the  top, 
and  thin  to  one  plant  in  due  course.  Most  of 
us,  however,  do  not  aspire  to  such  heights  as 
this,  but  are  contented  with  medium-sized  roots 
of  fine  quality.  We  therefore  prepare  a  quarter 
that  was  well  manured  for  the  previous  crop  by 
deep  digging,  and  every  effort  is  made  to  ensure 
friability.  Then  drills  are  drawn  i  foot  asunder, 
and  at  intervals  of  from  4  inches  to  8  inches  groups 
of  three  seeds  are  dropped,  to  be  reduced  to  one  plant 
when  it  can  easily  be  seen  which  is  the  best. 

Beetroots. — This  is  one  of  the  tender  salad 
vegetables  which   are   best  sown   in  bulk   in   May, 


PRIMROSES    AND    POLY- 
ANTHUSES. 

HERE  is  no  need  to 
extol  the  merits  of  these 
beautiful  spring  flowers, 
though  it  may  be  help- 
ful to  point  out  which 
are  the  more  beautifui 
ways  of  employing  them.  They 
are  good  in  any  garden  use,  but  best  of  .ill 
where  they  may  hive  a  place  to  themselves, 
as  in  some  quiet  space  of  woodland,  such  as 
is  the  natural  home  of  the  wild  Primrose.  This 
is  especially  the  case  with  the  large  yellow  and 
white  Bunch  Primroses,  which,  in  such  a  place, 
can  be  used  in  bold  massings.  The  finest  effect 
is  obtained  where  the  woodland  adjoins  the 
garden  and  the  Primrose  place  is  reached  through 
a  planting  of  dark-leaved  shrubs,  such  as  Box, 
Yew  and  Portugal  Laurel  ;  and  the  path,  a 
little  winding,  suddenly  discloses  the  garden  of 
Primroses,  witl  an  effect  that  is  little  short  of 
astonishing. 

These  fine  things  are  not  at  their  best  till  the  third 
week  of  April,  or,  in  late  seasons,  till  the  earlier 
days  of  May,  when  their  effect  is  all  the  better  for 
the  near  trees  being  in  thin,  early  leaf.  The  coloured 
Primroses  are  better  fitted  for  general  garden  use, 
and  are  ail  the  more  valuable  if  carefully  sorted 
for  tints  that  harmonise  together,  thus  forming 
a  number  of  separate  groups. 


April  19,  iqij] 


THE    GARDEN. 


195 


Within  the  last  fifty  years  we  have  come  to  look 
upon  the  dear,  homely  Primrose  as  a  national 
emblem  of  deep  significance  to  a  now  immense 
band  of  patriotic  people,  and  in  memory  (for  it  was 
liis  chosen  flower)  of  the  statesman  who  conceived 
the  idea  and  raised  the  structm-e  of  Empire  for 
Britain.  It  stands  to  us  as  the  sign  of  the  constant 
labour  .md  the  united  effort,  all  over  the  land, 
ol  those  who  hold  to  thi'  best  traditions  and  the 
noblest  interests  of  our  home  country  and  its 
closelv-linked  Overseas  Dominions,  .^mong  those 
who  from  the  beginning  have  given  untiring  labour 
lo  the  truly  national  and  patriotic  work  of  the 
Primrose  League,  it  is  only 
litting  to  name,  iu  all 
reverence  and  honour,  the 
late  Lady  Dorothy  Ncvill  ; 
uid  all  the  more  fitting  in 
these  pages  because  of  her 
uluilc-hearted  sympathy  with 
all  the  best  interests  and 
ilevi'lopments  of  horticulture, 
(treatly  as  Lady  Dorothy  is 
regretted  among  her  immense 
I  irrle  of  friends,  her  gracious 
and  cheery  presence  bad 
become  one  of  the  bright 
features  if  the  fortnightly 
meetings  of  the  Koyal 
Hortiruitural  Society,  from 
which  it  can  be  ill- 
spared  and  will  be  sorely 
missed.  G.   J. 


early  bloomer,  this  year  flowering  in  February. 
It  is  a  native  of  Central  Asia,  and  was  introduced 
in  1877.  The  open  flowers  have  been  likened  to 
those  of  a  Water  Lily.  In  its  variety  aurea  the 
ground  colour  is  golden  yellow. 

T.  Batalinii. — This  is  a  beautiful  dwarf  species 
from  .\sia  Minor,  and  is  an  excellent  plant  for  a 
choice  nook  in  the  rock  garden.  It  has  long, 
taperuig  leaves,  and  the  flowers,  the  petals  of  which 
are  pointed,  are  of  a  beautiful  soft  pale  yellow, 
and  are  deliciously  fragrant.  Its  blooms  are  about 
three  inches  long,  and  the  plants  flower  in  March 
,and  .\pri!.      It  is  one  of  the  daintiest  of  Tulips. 


SOME      GOOD     TULIP 
SPECIES. 

Nowadays,  when  countless 
seedling  Tulips  have  been 
raised  —  early  -  flowering, 
medium  and  late — it  must  be 
admitted  that  the  brilliant 
self  colours  and  mixed  hues 
in  almost  endless  diversity 
are  most  effective  in  beds 
and  borders,  while  a  great 
advance  has  been  made  in 
the  past  decade  in  the  Cottage 
and  Darwin  sections.  Showy, 
however,  as  are  many  of 
these  named  varieties,  the 
true  species  are  at  least  as 
fascinating,  and  the  flower- 
loving  amateur  who  once 
takes  up  the  culture  of  the 
latter  is  not  likely  to  regret 
his  enterprise.  The  following 
are  handsome  species,  well 
worthy  of  extended  cultiva- 
tion, and  have  flowered  well 
for  the   past    few   years  : 

Tulipa     clusiana.  —  This 
was  described    and  illustrated 
on  page  171,  .\pril  5  issue,  and 
referred  to  in  detail. 

T.  kaufmanniana  holds  a  foremost  position 
among  the  many  rare  and  beautiful  species  of 
Tulip.  It  is  certainly  one  of  the  handsomest 
of  the  early-flowering  species.  Its  broad  petals 
reflex  considerably,  and  the  flowers  often  attain 
a  diameter  of  5  inches.  In  colour  the  blossom  is 
creamy  white,  while  the  base  is  golden  orange, 
this  being  sometimes  barred  with  carmine-red. 
The  buds  are  tinted  externally  with  crimson, 
ft  grows  to  a  height  of  about  a  foot,  and  is  a  very 


A    BEAUTIFUL    GROUP    OF     THE  WATER-LILY  .,TULIP__(TULIPA   KAUFMANNL\XA) 

need  not  again  be  T.  tubergetliana. — This  was  foimd  on  the  high 
mountains  of  Central  Bokhara  about  ten  years  ago  ; 
it  is  without  doubt  one  of  the  finest  Tulips 
yet  introduced,  and  has  flowered  splendidly.  Its 
immense  cup-shaped  blossoms  are  of  intense  scarlet, 
and  often  measure  as  much  as  6  inches  across. 
At  the  base  of  the  pet  Js  there  is  a  black  blotch. 
The  flower-stem  is  erect  and  tall,  and  the  glaucous 
leaves  are  of  great  size.  It  is  very  robust,  perfectly 
hardy  and  does  well  in  English  gardens. 

T.    saxatilis. — This,     a   native    of    Crete,    is    a 
charming  Tulip,  and  the  earliest  of  its  race  to  bloom_ 


the  plants  often  opening  early  in  February.  The 
blossoms  are  faint  rose  in  colour,  with  a  base  of 
deep  golden  yellow  in  the  interior.  The  flower- 
stems  are  about  eight  inches  in  height,  and  the 
blooms  are  about  three  inches  long.  One  drawback 
to  it  is  that  it  i?  sometimes  a  shy  flowerer. 

T.  gesneriana  is  the  best  known  of  the  Tulip 
species,  and  is  largely  grown  in  gardens.  It  is 
very  hardy  and  does  not  require  annual  litting, 
as  do  most  of  the  species,  but  succeeds  well  if  left 
in  the  ground  year  after  year.  Its  form  major  is 
a  very  fine  flower  of  large  size,  and  a  bed  of  this 
in  full  bloom  is  a  gorgeous  sight.     The  colour  of 

the    blossoms     is     a    glowing 

crimson. 

T.  flava  is  a  noble  Tulip 
■lud  one  of  the  latest  to 
flower.  It  often  attains  a 
height  of  close  upon  3  feet, 
and  has  stout  stems  and 
leaves.  The  blossoms  are 
about  five  inches  in  length, 
with  pointed,  slightly  reflexing 
petals  of  a  clear  yellow  colour. 
It  is  one  of  the  finest  of  the 
Tulip  species,  very  strong 
and  free  in  growth,  and  of 
the  easiest  possible  culture. 
Towering  above  its  fellows, 
with  the  sun  shining  on  its 
bright  flowers,  it  presents  a 
lovely  picture. 

T.  Greigii.  —  This  is  a 
native  of  Turkestan,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  gorgeous 
of  all  Tulips.  Its  large,  goblet- 
shaped  flowers  are  brilliant 
scarlet,  and  there  is  no  Tulip 
that  can  excel  it  in  vivid 
colouring.  Its  broad,  glaucous 
leaves  are  irregularly  striped 
and  spotted  with  purple, 
which  gives  it  a  distinct 
character.  In  a  garden  when 
twenty  or  more  blossoms 
are  expanded  simultaneously 
the  effect  is  superb. 

T.  celsiana,  also  known  as 
r.  australis,  is  a  native  of 
Persia.  The  flowers,  which 
are  yellow,  tinged  with  red  on 
the  outside,  droop  before  they 
expand.  The  plants  bloom  in 
May,  and  frequent  meadows 
in  the  chalky  moimtains  al 
an  elevation  of  nearly  seven 
thousand  feet.  The  species 
is,  apparently,  closely  allied  to 
T.  sylvestris. 

T.  elegans  is  a  very  handsome 

Tulip.     The   growth  is  strong 

and  the  flower  of   the  richest 

crimson,  while  it  is  even  larger  than  the  showy  T. 

Greigii.    The  petals  of  the  flower  narrow  to  a  point. 

It  is  supposed  to  be   a  natural  hybrid  between  T. 

acuminata  andT.  suaveolens,  but,  if  so,  is  decidedly 

superior  to  either  parent.     In  the  variety  alba  the 

petals  are  white,  with  a  narrow  margin  of  crimson. 

T.    ixioides. — This    is  held  to  be  a  form  of   T. 

gesneriana.     Its    blossoms    are    of    a    soft    canary 

yellow,   and  in  the  interior  is  a  deep  black  base, 

which   is    very    effective    and   renders    the    flower 

distinct  from  others  of  its  clas?  with  yellow  blooms, 

It  grows  to  a  height  of  about  two  feet, 


196 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[April  19,  1913. 


T.  kolpakowskiana.— This  is  a  native  of 
Turkestan  and  a  very  handsome  species,  flowering 
in  AprQ  and  May.  It  is  one  of  the  most  variable 
in  colouring,  hardly  two  bulbs  producing  blossoms 
of  the  same  tint.  The  flowers  are  often  yellow 
flushed  with  scarlet,  some  are  pure  scarlet,  and  the 
charming  blending  of  hues  in  a  large  group  is  very 
attractive.  The  plant  has  lanceolate  leaves  from 
5  inches  to  i  foot  in  length,  and  the  flower-buds  are 
pointed. 

T.  linifolia  is  a  very  pretty  Tulip,  with  narrow 
leaves  and  flowers  of  an  intensely  dazzling  scarlet, 
which  are  furnished  with  pointed  petals.  The  flowers 
are  very  lovely  and  second  to  none  in  brilliance. 

T.  strangulata  maculata  has  soft  primrose 
yellow  flowers  with  a  conspicuous  black  centre. 
There  are  two  other  forms  of 
T.  strangulata,  namely,  primulina. 
a  self  primrose  yellow  without 
the  black  blotch,  and  picta, 
primrose  yellow,  shaded  with 
rose  on  the  outside  of  the 
petals. 

T.     ostrowskiana,     a    native 

of  Turkestan,  is  a  graceful 
plant  attaining  a  height  of 
18  inches.  The  leaves  are 
narrow,  and  the  flowers,  which 
are  each  about  five  inches  in 
diameter,  are  of  a  brilliant  scarlet. 
Wyndham  Fitzherbert.  ■ 


FRUIT  GARDEN. 


it  is  quite  clear  that  thousands  of  spores  must  fall 
upon  this  plant  from  its  affected  neighbours,  and 
the  natural  inference  is  that  there  is  something 
in  the  sap  of  such  a  plant  which  is  inimical  to  the 
growth  of  the  fungus  spores. 

Such  phenomena  as  these  suggest  a  possible 
method  of  dealing  with  fungous  attacks,  which 
has  certainly  some  element  of  hopefulness  in  it 
Unfortunately,  very  little  is  at  present  known 
concerning  the  substances  which  can  be  intro- 
duced into  the  sap  of  plants  which  will  not 
be  harmful  to  them,  and  in  addition  will  be  toxic 
to  fungi. 

One  or  two  facts  closely  related  to  the  manuring 
of  plants  are,  however,  pretty  well  established. 
In  the  first  place,  a  very  luxuriant  growth  caused 


METHODS  OF  COMBAT 
ING  WOUND  FUNGI 
ON    FRUIT    TREES. 

IN  a  previous  article  (page  loo, 
issue  February  22)  reference 
was  made  to  the  alarming 
increase  in  the  prevalence 
and  virulence  of  the  attacks 
of  wound  fungi  on  fruit 
trees,  and  the  necessity  of  pro- 
tecting all  the  wounds  which  can 
possibly  be  protected  was  insisted 
upon.  In  this  article  it  is  pro- 
posed to  treat  with  another  aspect 
of  the  subiect,  viz.,  the  possibility 
of  feeding  the  trees  so  as  to 
render  the  sap  in  leaf  and  in  the 
wood  toxic  to  the  fungi.  One  of 
the  first  facts  that  strikes  a  think- 
mg  person  when  considering  the 
ciuestion  of  fungi. us  growths  on 
all  sorts  of  vegetation  is  that, 
broadly  speaking,  each  fungus  con- 
fines its  attacks  to  the  one 
particular  host  plant.  When  one  considers  the 
enormous  quantity  of  fungus  spores  produced, 
this  becomes  all  the  more  marvellous,  since  it  is 
absolutely  certain  that  many  spores  fall  on  quite 
different  races  to  that  to  which  the  particular 
host  plant  belongs.  It  must  necessarily  follow 
that  there  is  some  resistant  quality  in  the  sap  of 
these  different  races  of  plants  which  prevents 
the  fungus  spore  from  growing  to  any  degree, 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  there  must  be  some  affinity 
between  the  fungus  and  its  particular  host  plant. 
There  is  not  only  this  phenomenon,  but  another, 
even  more  strange,  which  can  be  often  observed. 
In  a  set  of  plants,  one  more  sturdy  and  vigorous 
than  the  rest,  but  not  necessarily  coarse  and 
overgrown,  will  be  found  to  be  quite  free  from 
disease,  while  all  the  rest  may  be  attacked.     Again, 


THE    EARLY-l-LOWERING    TULIPA    SAXATILIS,    NATIVE    O 


by  heavy  dressings  of  nitrogenous  manures  un- 
balanced by  phosphates  and  potash  almost  invari- 
ably falls  a  prey  to  any  fungus  disease  to  which 
its  race  is  subject.  For  example,  the  worst  attack 
of  Cladosporiunr  fulvum  (the  Tomato  rust)  to  be 
found  in  the  greenhouse  is  generally  on  the  plants 
most  highly  fed  with  nitrogenous  manures ;  and, 
again,  fruit-growers  are  finding  to  tlieir  bitter 
cost  that  the  dreaded  American  Gooseberry 
mildew  is  invariably  worse  where  the  manure 
has  been  most  liberally  supplied.  On  the  other 
hand,  to  take  only  the  case  of  the  Tomatoes, 
plants  supplied  with  a  sufficiency  of  potash  are 
noticeably  much  more  free  from  disease. 

Unfortunately,  at  present  it  has  not  been  found 

that  potash  has  much  beneficial  effect  hi  checking 

'  disease  in   fruit    trees.      It    has   been    tried   for   the 


silver  -  leaf  disease,  which  attacks  Plums  and 
Apples,  with  little  or  no  result.  Some  experi- 
menters, however,  claim  to  have  succeeded  by  the 
use  of  superphosphate.  The  writer  has  not  himself 
seen  these  experiments,  but  he  has  it  on  very  good 
authority,  and  the  results  are  described  as  very 
good  indeed,  plantations  being  quite  cleared  of 
this  nasty  disease.  It  is  believed  that  the  best 
time  to  sow  the  superphosphate  is  in  the  late  summer 
or  early  autumn,  August  or  September,  before  the 
leaves  fall  from  the  trees,  and  the  quantit\  required 
would  not  exceed  5cwt.  per  acre  ;  but  the  best 
quality,  giving  the  highest  percentage  of  soluble 
phosphates,  should  be  used. 

Several  additional  experiments  are  now  in  pro- 
gress to  endeavour  to  prove  the  truth  or  otheiwise 
of  the  conclusions  previously 
arrived  at  ;  but  the  results  cannot 
be  ascertained  till  the  foliage  of 
the  trees  comes  out  this  spring- 
time and  summer,  when  it  is 
hoped  definite  information  will  be 
secured  whether  this  treatment 
really  effects  a  cure  for  sUver- 
leaf  .'\nother  substance  which 
has  been  tested  for  silver  leaf, 
but  which  has  up  to  the  present 
given  very  varying  results,  is 
sulphate  of  iron.  It  is  to  be 
supposed  that  the  first  experi- 
menters, knowing  that  it  had  a 
good  fungicidal  action,  endeavoured 
to  get  it  taken  up  in  the  sap  of 
the  trees  for  the  purpose  of  deal- 
ing with  the  fungus,  whose 
mycelium  is  in  the  inside  of  the 
tree,  in  the  wood  and  bast  cells. 
For  this  purpose  the  well-known 
practice,  so  often  advised  for 
combating  silver-leaf,  of  boring 
into  the  main  stem  of  the  tree 
and  inserting  finely  -  ground  sul- 
phate of  iron,  was  proposed.  As 
stated  above,  however,  the  results 
obtained  have  been  very  diverse, 
some  experimenters  claiming  to 
have  quite  cured  the  affected 
trees,  while  others  could  see  no 
good  results  following  the  proc?ss. 
It  is  extremely  important  that 
careful  experiments  sliould  be  made 
to  end?avour  to  discover  a  method 
by  means  of  which  the  active 
fungicidal  properties  of  the  sul- 
phate could  be  rendered  assimil- 
able by  the  tree  sap,  and  so  be 
conveyed  all  over  the  tree  to  act 
F   CRETE.  as   an    active    agent    in   checking 

the  germination  of  any  chance 
spores  which  may  fall  upon  leaf  or  branch,  and 
also  to  resist  the  advances  and  growth  of  any 
disease  which  may  be  present. 

Another  method  of  using  the  sulphate  of  iron 
for  combating  the  various  fungoid  diseases  is  to 
sow  it  round  the  base  of  the  trees,  forking  it  into 
the  soil,  the  idea  being  to  get  it  taken  up  into  the 
tree  by  the  medium  of  the  roots  when  in  solution 
in  the  soil  water.  As  before,  this  method  seems 
to  hav4  met  in  some  cases  with  but  scant  success, 
while  in  others  it  seems  to  have  accomplished  a 
great  improvement  in  the  trees  affected.  At 
present  the  superphosphate  manuring  seems  to  be 
the  most  successful  method,  as  well  as  tlie  simplest, 
in  dealing  with  these  wound  diseases,  and  it  is  in 
this  direction  we  turn  most  hopefully  in  our  battle 
with  these  insidious  foes.  F".   W.   Hammond. 


April  19,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


197 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

THE     CULTIVATION     OF     ANNUAL     POPPIES. 


A    S    each    April    comes    round,    my    thoughts 
/%  turn  unerringly  to  the  summer  show 

/   %         of  Shirley   Poppies  that   brighten  the 
/       %       garden    in    delightful    art    shades    of 
A  ^     colour.     Surely    no    flowers    could    be 

more  easily  grown  —  a  handful  of 
seed  scattered  over  a  prepared  plot  of  ground, 
and  very  little  attention  is  required.  There  are 
just  one  or  two  salient  points,  however,  to  bear 
in  mind.  Seedling  Poppies  never  transplant  well, 
and  in  consequence  the  seed  should  be  sown  in 
ihe  places  where  the  plants  are  to  flower.  It  is 
a  common  mistake  lo  sow  the  seeds  as  thickly  as 
Mustard  and  Cress,  with  tlie  result  that  the-  plants 
are  weak  and  spindly  and  the 
rtciwers  of  poor  quality.  To  sow 
thinly  and  to  thin  early  are  both 
of  the  utmost  importance,  and 
it  is  a  good  plan  to  mix  the  fine 
seed  with  sand,  and  then  to  sow 
both  sand  and  seed  together.  B\ 
this  means  an  even  distribution  oi 
seed  will  be  ensured.  Before  s  'W- 
ing,  the  sted-bed  should  be  well 
prepared.  The  soil  should  be  forked 
over  and  the  surface  left  fairly 
lirm  and  even  after  being  raked 
over.  The  seedlings  should  eventu- 
ally be  thinned  out  to  6  inches 
or  8  inches  apart,  so  that  side  shoot-^ 
may  develop  and  carry  flowers. 

Not  only  are  Shirley  l'oppi<'S  so 
valuable  lor  colour  effect  in  the 
garden,  but  they  are  welcome  as 
cut  flowers  for  table  decoration. 
When  used  for  this  purpose,  how- 
ever, the  flowers  should  be  cut 
in  the  bud  state  and  allowed  to 
cjpen  indoors,  when  they  are  found 
to  last  much  longer  than  if  cut 
when  fully  expanded.  Flower-buds 
cut  in  the  evening  and  placed  in 
water  indoors  will  be  found  wide 
open  the  next  morning,  to  the 
astonishment  of  those  who  are 
imaware  of  this  quality. 

The    Shirley    Poppy  is    an    admir- 
able  subject    for   the    sunny   garden 
and    for    semi- wild    places    or    open 
woodland,  such   as   that    depicted   in    the   accom- 
panying  illustration.      The  same   may  be   said  of 
Papaver    Rhajas,    the    common     Corn     Poppy,  of 
which  the   Sliirley  Poppy  is  but  one  of  its  many 
cultivated    forms.       The  Opium    Poppy,    Papaver 
somniferum,      and      its      varieties     require      the 
same   treatment   as   that   advised   for   the   Shirley 
Poppies.  Spartan. 


soon  grow  to  the  flowering  stage,  and  continue 
to  bear  blossoms  until  the  end  of  October,  or 
when  frost  comes  in  November.  A  good  com- 
post must  be  used  in  which  to  raise  the  seed- 
lings, and  when  the  latter  are  large  enough  to 
handle,  prick  them  out  3  inches  apart  in  a  light 
compost  in  boxes,  and  still  retain  them  in  a  warm 
frame.  From  the  boxes  transplant  them  in  a 
cool  frame  or  one  temporarily  constructed.  If 
the  young  plants  are  grown  under  cool  conditions 
during  .^pril  and  the  early  part  of  May,  they  will 
be  in  tine  condition  for  the  flower  garden  at  the 
end  of  May.  The  following  colours  may  be 
obtained  :      Pink,    carmine,    rose,    scarlet,    white. 


way  and  carefully  hardening  them  diu-ing  the 
fortnight  or  so  prior  to  planting  in  the  flower- 
beds they  will  soon  become  established  and  fill 
the  beds,  flowering  freely.  Small,  puny  specimens 
are  rarely  satisfactory. 

Zinnias. — Unless  the  single-flowered  varieties 
find  special  favour,  1  strongly  recommend  culti- 
vators to  grow  the  double-flowered.  The  latter, 
when  well  grown,  are  really  splendid  for  bedding- 
out  purposes.  Zinnia  elegans  grandiflora  robusta 
plenissima  is  a  charming  variety.  The  foliage 
is  so  robust,  a  good  point,  as  very  often  the  foliage 
of  Zinnias  is  sparse  and  the  plants  present  a  ragged 
appearance.     Slugs  an-  partial  to  these  plants  while 


SHIRLEY    POPPIES    IX    .\N    OPK.N    WOODL.\.\U    SP.\CE. 


THREE     BEAUTIFUL    ANNUALS. 

The  three  beautiful  half-hardy  annuals.  Phlox 
Drummondii,  Browallia  elata  and  the  double- 
flowered  Zinnia,  are  very  effective  in  the  flower 
garden  when  the  plants  are  well  grown. 

Phlox  Drummondii  has  many  charming  colours. 
During  the  past  ten  years  the  improvement  m 
the  strains  has  been  most  marked.  The  plants 
in  these  days  are  more  compact  in  habit  and  may 
be  used  entirely  for  filling  flower-borders.      They 


marbled,  rose  with  white  eye ;  purple,  white 
eye  ;  white,  dark  eye  ;  scarlet,  white  eye  ;  and 
blue,  white  eye. 

Browallia  elata. — This  is  an  exceedingly 
beautiful  annual,  and  should  be  grown  in  all 
flower  gardens.  The  plants  are  generally  grown 
and  flowered  in  a  greenhouse,  but  will  do  equally 
well  in  the  flower  garden  if  planted  there  the  first 
week  in  June.  The  plants  attain  a  height  of  about 
eighteen  inches,  and  bear  white,  blue  and  violet 
blue  flowers  respectively.  Sow  the  seeds  thinly 
in  boxes  or  pans,  and  place  the  latter  in  a  warm 
frame  or  on  a  greenhouse  shelf.  Transplant  the 
resultant  seedlings  in  boxes  at  a  distance  of 
2  inches  apart,  and  still  retain  them  under  glass. 
It  is  very  important  that  the  seedlings  be  nursed 
in  a  genial  atmosphere  during  their  early  stages, 
and  when  taken  from  the  greenhouse  they  should 
have  the  shelter  of  a  frame  until  the  early  part  of 
May.    Cy  building  up  fine  bushy  plants  in   this 


in  the  seedling  stage,  and  I  have  often  found  that 
where  young  plants  have  been  attacked,  they  rarely 
recover  normal  conditions.  Raise  the  seedlings 
in  a  temperature  of  about  60°  and  continue  to 
grow  them  in  a  warm  place,  but  guard  them 
from  slugs.  The  soil  for  the  seedlings  must  be 
rich,  but  not  containing  any  fresh  organic  manure. 
The  manure  must  be  rotted  and  passed  through 
a  half-mch  mesh  sieve,  so  that  the  particles  vfill 
mix  with  the  soil.  In  such  a  compost  the  roots 
will  cling  to  the  manure  when  the  plants  are  put 
out  finally.  Prepare  the  flower-bed  in  a  similar 
manner,  and  when  the  plants  are  growing  freely 
hi  it  give  a  few  waterings  of  weak,  clear  soot- 
water  ;  then  both  leaves  and  flowers  will  assume 
a  richer  colour.  The  plants  grow  about  eighteen 
inches  high.  Sow  the  seeds  without  delay. 
There  are  about  eight  distinct  colours,  including 
Fire  King,  scarlet,  and  Queen  Victoria,  pure  white, 
with  flowers  4  inches  or  more  across.  .\von. 


198 


THE    GARDEN. 


[April  19,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

Pleasure  Grounds. 

Mowing. — With  the  warm  weather  the  grass 
'.'.•i;l  be  growing  freely,  and  to  keep  it  in  good  order 
:i  weekly  mowing  will  be  necessary.  If  left  a  fort- 
night the  bottom  will  be  found  to  be  turning  yeUow, 
especially  where  the  grass  is  very  thick,  and  if  a 
sliarp  frost  occurs  immediately  after  mowing,  it  will 
lo.'ik  bad  for  three  or  four  weeks. 

Sowing  Grass  Seed. — If  necessary,  bare  patches 
may  still  be  sown  with  seed  ;  in  fact,  the  seed  ger- 
iBinates  much  quicker  and  better  now  than  at  any 
rime,  though  it  is  wise  to  try  to  choose  a  time  when 
the  wind  is  not  too  drying. 

Gravelling. — Any  gravelling  that  has  to  be  done 
s;iould  be  proceeded  v\'ith  at  once,  breaking  up  the  old 
gravel  with  picks  or  forks  according  to  the  nature 
of  the  surface,  levelling  this  over  nicely  before 
proceeding  to  lay  the  new  gravel.  Too  heavy 
:t  dressing  is  quite  as  bad  as  too  little  ;  in  the  latter 
case  the  rough  stones  soon  show  through  the  surface, 
while  in  the  former  case  it  is  apt  to  be  soft  and 
spongy  during  wet  weather.  It  seems  unnecessary 
to  add  that  it  should  be  rolled  well  before  being 
walked  upon,  following  this  up  with  a  thoroughlv 
good  rolling  in  after  the  first  heavy  rain. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

The  Beds. — Now  that  all  the  pruning  is  done, 
the  beds  should  be  carefully  edged  and  the 
surface  soil  pricked  over  with  a  fork,  making  it 
as  fine  as  possible  in  the  operation — this  to  facilitate 
hoeing,  which  should  be  done  regularly  from  now 
onwards. 

Spraying. — Before  the  buds  get  too  far  advanced 
it  is  advisable  to  give  all  the  plants  a  good  spraying 
with  paraifin  emulsion,  this  acting  as  a  preventive 
to  both  mildew  and  green  fly.  Some  may  prefer 
other  insecticides  or  fungicides,  but  this  does  not 
matter,  the  point  being  to  prevent  rather  than  to 
cure  these  enemies,  and  by  making  an  early  start 
there  is  a  much  better  chance  of  getting  the  upper 
hand. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Humea  elegans. — This  tine  decorative  plant 
is  now  thrownig  up  its  flower-head,  and  should  be 
fed  regularly  with  liquid  manure.  Artificials, 
if  given,  must  be  in  very  small  quantities,  or  a 
loss  of  foliage  may  result ;  the  roots,  being  very 
fine,  are  easily  injured  by  an  excess  of  water  or 
manure.  Seed  should  now  be  sown  for  next  season's 
plants,  using  a  shallow  pan  and  fine  soil  for  sowing, 
while  an  intermediate  temperature  will  suit  them 
best  until  such  time  as  the  seedlings  are  large 
enough  to  prick  off. 

Zonal  Pelargoniums,  rooted  in  February  in  3-inch 
pots,  should  now  be  advanced  enough  for  potting  on 
into  4-inch  or  4j-inch  pots,  adding  a  little  bone-meal 
to  the  compost  when  potting.  Pinch  out  the  point 
of  each  plant  when  nicely  rooted  in  the  larger 
pots,  and  so  induce  a  bushy  habit  of  growth. 

Caladiums,  being  nicely  rooted,  may  be  potted 
into  the  pots  in  which  they  are  to  remain  during 
the  summer,  this  being  desirable  before  they 
become  at  all  potbound.  A  very  light  mixture 
of  fairly  lumpy  peat,  leaf-soil,  loam  and  sand, 
with  a  little  charcoal  added,  suits  them  well.- 
Plenty  of  heat  is  necessary  if  good  large  and  well- 
coloured  leaves  are  desired,  and  if  the  water  is 
at  all  likely  to  discolour  or  form  a  sediment  on  the 
foliage,  the  plants  should  not  be  syringed  overhead, 
but  a  good  moist  atmosphere  must  be  maintained 
by  spraying  between  the  pots,  while  shading 
is  necessary  during  bright  sunshine. 

Sweet  Peas  in  Pots. — These  will  now  be  taking 
an  glmost  unlimited  supply  of  water  during  bright 
weather,  and  on  no  account  must  they  be  allowed 
to  suffer.  .\s  soon  as  the  first  blooms  commence 
to  open,  liquid  and  artificial  manures  may  be  given 
trequently,  but  these  must  be  kept  in  abeyance 
till  the  buds  are  very  forward,  or  they  are  apt 
to  drop  ;  also  too  high  a  temperature  must  be 
guarded  against. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Salsify. — This  deep-rooting  vegetable  may  now 
be  sown,  selecting  a  piece  of  ground  that  has  been 
deeply  dug  or  trenched.  If  sown  in  rows  18  inches 
apart,  the  plants  may  be  thinned  to  about  one 
foot  apart,  which  will  allow  ample  space  for  their 
development . 


Scorzonera  may  also  be  sown  and  should  be 
given  similar  treatment  to  that  advised  for  Salsify. 

Onions. — Autunm-sown  Onions  should  now 
be  large  enough  for  their  final  thinning.  If  large 
specimens  are  desired,  they  should  be  left  at  least 
I  foot  apart,  but  for  ordinary  utility  purposes 
6  inches  should  be  sufficient.  Plants  raised  under 
glass  should  be  gradually  hardened  off  preparatory 
to  planting  out  at  an  early  date. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Melons. — Continue  to  sow  and  plant  Melons 
according  to  the  requirements  and  convenience 
of  the  establishment,  arranging  the  various  batches 
to  come  in  at  a  time  when  they  are  likely  to  be  in 
most  demand. 

Hot-Beds. — In  a  recent  calendar  I  advised  the 
sowing  of  a  batch  of  seeds  for  cultivating  in  frames, 
these  to  be  planted  early  in  May,  so  that  no  time 
should  now  be  lost  in  preparing  material  and  making 
up  hot-beds  to  receive  them.  Such  material 
should  be  turned  and  mixed  once  or  twice  before 
making  up. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Strawberries. — .^fter  a  good  hoeing  through,  a 
commencement  may  be  made  to  bed  down  the  early 
varieties.  By  doing  it  thus  early,  long  strawy 
litter  may  be  used,  and  what  manurial  properties 
there  may  be  in  it  will  be  washed  into  the  soil, 
thus  leaving  it  in  a  light,  clean  condition  for  pro- 
tecting the  fruits  from  dirt,  &c.  If  left  too  late 
it  is  apt  to  cause  the  fruits  to  rot,  and  the  use  of 
clean  straw  is  to  be  preferred. 

Apricots. — These  being  the  earliest  to  bloom 
in  good  warm  positions,  the  trees  may  be  ready  for 
thinning  the  fruit — this  when  the  weather  condi- 
tions have  been  favourable  to  a  heavy  set  of  fruit. 
It  is  not  wise  to  take  off  too  many  fruits  at  once, 
but  when  several  are  set  in  a  clump  it  is  certainly 
advisable  to  thin  them  to  one  or  two,  taking  off 
others  when  in  a  more  advanced  state. 
TnoM.ts  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,    Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Sowing   Hardy  Annuals. — Now  is  the  time  to 

sow  hardy  annuals  in  the  open.  The  ground  should 
be  deeply  dug,  but  only  lightly  manured,  especially 
for  the  dwarfer  sorts  and  for  Poppies.  A  good 
tilth  is  also  essential  to  success,  and  the  common 
error  of  sowing  too  thickly  should  be  avoided. 
Another  frequent  mistake  is  to  bury  the  seeds 
too  deeply,  and  when  they  fail  to  germinate 
the  seedsman  is  blamed.  Where  there  are  masses 
of  English  and  Spanish  Irises,  a  good  plan  is  to 
sow  some  of  the  easier-grown  annuals,  such  as 
Poppies,  Candytufts,  or  NigeUas,  among  them 
for  successional  bloom. 

Sowing  Mignonette. — I  believe  in  sowing 
Mignonette  under  glass,  pricking  it  off  into  fibrous 
loam,  and  then  planting  it  out  about  six  inches 
apart  ;  but  where  it  is  desired  to  sow  it  in  the 
open,  now  is  the  time  to  do  so,  and  I  would  venture 
to  give  three  hints  regarding  its  culture — manure 
pretty  heavily,  give  a  little  lime,  and  coat  the  seeds 
with  red  lead  as  a  protection  from  birds. 

Weed-Killer. — Although  somewhat  expensive 
in  the  first  instance,  yet,  all  things  considered, 
gravel  can  be  kept  clean  more  economically  by 
weed-kUler  than  by  any  other  means.  From  now 
till  the  first  week  in  May  is  the  best  time  to  apply 
it.  It  is  best  to  do  this  after  a  moderate  fall  of 
rain.  There  are  many  kinds  on  the  market,  but 
we  find  Climax  highly  satisfactory. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Suckers. — K.xcept  where  Roses  are  on  their  own 
roots,  a  sharp  look-out  must  be  kept  for  suckers, 
as  they  soon  rob  the  rightful  owner  of  the  ground. 
Cut  them  off  just  under  the  surface  of  the  soil. 

Rose  Grubs. — Several  varieties  of  sawfly  attack 
Roses  from  time  to  time.  Some  of  them  can  be 
eradicated  by  spraying  with  arsenate  of  lead  ; 
but  there  .are  two,  Lyda  inanita  and  Bleiinnranip.i 
pusdla,  the  larva-  of  which  ensconce  thrinsthrs 
in  the  curled-up  leaves  and  defy  the  efforts  of  the 
sprayer.  Hand  picking  is  the  only  cure  for  these, 
and    a   watch    should    be    kept    for   them.     When 


detected,   the   affected  leaves  should  be   promptly 
picked  off  and  burnt. 

The  Wall  Garden. 
Transplanting.  —  Where    young    stock  —  either 

[  seedlings  or  rooted  cuttings — are  intended  to  fill 
up  blanks  or  to  take  the  place  of  present  occupants, 
they  should  be  planted  forthwith,  so  as  to  get 
established  before  the  conditions  become  rather 
dry.  If  possible,  a  stone  should  be  removed 
where  the  plant  is  to  be  placed,  and  some  good 
loam  inserted  in  the  aperture  for  the  plant  to  feed 

j  on.     When   the  planting  is  completed,   the  whole 

:  of  the  newly-planted  stock  should  be  thoroughly 
watered  by  means  of  the  syringe. 

t  Sowing  Seed. — A  good  many  of  the  plants 
siutable  for  wall  gardens  can  be  raised  from  seed 
sown  in  the  future  home  of  the  plants.  The  seeds 
should  be  mixed  with  some  fine  soil,  which  should 
then  be  well  moistened  and  pressed  into  the  inter- 
stices which  the  futtu'e  plants  are  to  occupy.  If 
dry  weather  sets  in,  give  the  soil  an  occasional 
spraying  in  the  afternoons,  at  least  till  germination 
takes  place. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Perpetual-Flowering  Carnations. — The  earliest 
batch  of  these  will  now  be  almost  ready  for  their 
final  shift.  Seven-inch  pots  are  generally  suitable, 
but  vigorous  sorts  like  Britannia  and  Mrs.  Burnett 
may  require  a  size  larger.  These  plants  are  by 
no  means  fastidious  as  to  soil,  but  good  fibrous 
yellow  loam,  with  about  a  third  part  each  of  old 
Mushroom  manure  and  Oak  or  Beech  flaky  leaf- 
mould,  with  a  good  dash  of  sand,  will  give  good 
results,  other  points  receiving  due  attention. 
Water  carefully  at  all  times,  but  especially  after 
repotting. 

Celosias. — A  batch  of  these  from  a  good  strain 
of  seed  is  a  valuable  asset.  They  require  a  brisk 
temperature  and  a  fairly  rich  soil,  and  should 
have  abmidance  of  light. 

Amaranthus  tricolor. — This  inexpensive  annual 
makes  an  excellent  conservatory  plant.  Seed 
sown  in  a  little  warmth  now  and  grown  on  liberally 
wUl  be  found  very  useful  in  the  early  autumn. 
A.  tricolor  splendens  is  an  improvement  on  the 
type. 

Fruits' Under  Glass. 

Strawberries. — Plants  that  have  finished  fruit- 
ing need  not  be  thrown  away.  If  they  are  hardened 
off  and  then  planted  out  in  well-prepared  soil, 
they  should  give  excellent  results  next  season  in 
the  open  air. 

Watering  Vines. — This  work  should  receive 
close  attention,  especially  where  there  is  no  outside 
border.  Liquid  manure  should  be  applied  once 
or  twice  during  the  season. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Peas. — This  is  the  leading  summer  crop,  and  it 
should  receive  much  attention.  Stake  promptly 
with  Beech,  Elm,  Hazel,  or  Spruce  branches 
if  available  ;  if  not,  sheep  netting  may  be  em 
ployed.  Where  natural  stakes  are  bare  at  the 
bottom,  smaU  twigs  should  be  inserted  to  prevent 
the  plants  from  bending  over,  after  which  they 
never  do  so  well.  Sow  successions  as  the  previous 
sowing  appears  above  the  ground. 

Planting  Parsley. — Where  a  batch  was  raised 
in  heat,  it  should  now  be  fit  for  planting  out.  The 
ground  should  have  a  dressing  of  soot  forked  into 
it  prior  to  planting.  Plant  in  rows  about  fifteen 
inches  apart,  and  from  9  inches  to  i  foot  apart  in 
the  rows. 

Turnips. — .-^  good  sowing  may  now  be  made 
on  the  open  break,  but  I  would  still  recommend 
Milan  Earlv  Purple  or  White,  the  latter  for 
preference. 

Planting  Cabbages. — Those  which  were  raised 
under  glass  early  in  spring  will  now  be  ready  for 
planting  out,  and  it  will  be  well  to  use  the  trowel 
instead  of  the  dibber  in  carrying  out  the  operation. 
.A.  Utile  extra  pains  will  have  been  taken  with  these, 
and  they  should  lift  with  balls  which  cannot  be 
got  into  a  dibbled  hole  without  cramping  the  roots. 

Cauliflowers  similarly  raised  may  be  treated  in  the 
same  way,  but  should,  in  addition,  have  a  ring  of  soot 
placed  round  them. 

Cutting  Asparagus. — Inexperienced  hands  are 
apt  to  work  mischief  in  this  operation  by  cutting 
the  roots  of  the  plants.  If  the  hooked  Asparagus-- 
knife  is  used,  the  danger  will  be  obviated. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broomficld (iardens.  Davidson's  Mains.  .Midlothian. 


Apkii.  19.  igi7f 


THE     (LVliDluN. 


199 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— 77(.-  J-Attfu.  nitfinis  tu 
miikr  Thk  UAltitKN  h'-//>ful  fn  nil  readers  icho  desire  assist' 
ance,  no  mutter  tvhat  the  hrune/i  of  gardeninq  may  he.  and 
with  thai  object  will  make  a  apeciai  feature  oj  the  "Answers 
10  Correspondents  "  columns.  A/l  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only. 
anil  addressed  to  the  liDlTOK  of  THK  (iAKl»KS.  20.  Taristock 
Street,  Covent  (iarden.  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designaiUm  he 
may  desire  to  he  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
qu^ry  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  ti  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-uool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible.  sltouUt  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  th?  plant.  Letters 
iin  huniness  should  he  sent  to  the  PUBLiSHKit 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

INJURY  TO  DAFFODILS  {H.  If.  U'  ).  -Vour  IJallodil- 
are  attacked  hv  iflwDmis,  and  wv  doubt  whctlior  a  curr 
is  possibk-.  for  the  pests,  which  ar<'  insidi'  tlie  l)un)s. 
cannot  be  reached  without  damaging  the  biUbs  inort-  tlian 
they  arc  now.  The  ^oil  i^  probably  infi'^ted  with  the 
pests,  and  no  <ioutt  they  iiave  entered  the  bulbs  from  that 
source.  A  heavy  dressing  of  kainit  as  soon  as  the  buDc^ 
are  lifted  woiihl  be  a  help  towards  getting  th*-  better  of 
them,  and  an  even  greater  help  would  be  the  growing 
of  some  other  nun-susceptible  plants  for  two  or  three  years 
un  the  ground  thf  I'alfodil-  no«  occupy  before  they  are 
planted  again. 

ROMNEYA  COULTERI  FAILING  (Miss  ('.  K.  A.).— 
It  is  ditficult  to  >ugge^t  a  reason  for  your  Romneya  L'oultcri 
tailing  to  open  its  tlowcrs.  Possibly  it  is  growing  in  a  shady 
position,  or  it  may  have  become  dry  at  the  roots  when  th  ■ 
buds  were  forming.  It  would  be  a  good  plan  to  examine 
the  soil  about  the  roots  and  sec  what  condition  it  is  in. 
If  it  looks  as  if  it  i-s  likely  to  I'ecome  dry,  towards  June 
arrange  to  give  a  copious  wat'-ring  occasionally.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  give  new  soil  or  manure  now,  as  you 
say  that  the  plant  is  (|uite  vigorr>u?  ;  but  if  you  give  water 
when  the  buds  are  forniiuLr.  a  little  weak  mamin.'-water 
may  be  fiivcu  with  advantage.  Do  not  allow  the  roots 
to  be  interfered  with  by  other  iilunt<. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 

INJURY  TO  OLEANDER  {Colchester).'-\\v  can  find  no 
fuugus  or  iuMct  on  tbf  Oleander  to  account  for  the  trouble. 
The  stem  is  dead  and  the  bark  brown,  but  tin-  root  seems 
to  be  perfectly  healthy.  Is  it  at  all  likely  that  the  plant 
has  been  exposed  to  frost  'i  It  ha>  that  appearance. 
These  plants  will  bear  a  decree  or  two  without  much  harm, 
but  httle  more. 

SCHIZANTHUS  {G.  fl.).— We  can  discover  no  Ciiuse 
to  dccount  for  the  peculiar  tufted  gro^\th  on  the 
Schizauthus,  and  think  it  must  be  inherited  ;  that  is  to 
say,  the  seed  may  have  been  saved  from  a  plant  showing 
that  peculiarity.  The  young  plants  sent  appear  as  if 
they  will  grow  out  of  it.  You  do  not  say  whetlier  many 
of  your  plants  are  as  bad  as  the  large  one  sput.  If  they 
are  like  the  small  ones,  we  do  not  think  they  will  give 
much  trouble. 

GERANIUMS  AND  VIOLETS  FOR  INSPECTION  (C.  .4.). 
— There  is  no  fungus  present  on  the  Geraniums  sent.  \Ve 
are  inclined  to  think  the  trouble  is  due  to  the  temperature 
and  moisture  conditions  not  being  suitable  for  them 
compared  with  the  supply  of  light.  The  colour  of  the 
Violets  IS,  no  doubt,  due  to  their  having  had  very  dull 
light  during  the  time  they  have  been  developing,  and 
they  have  probably  become  very  damp,  too,  judging  from 
their  appearani.e.     Is  the  drainage  good  ? 

HYACINTHS  FAILING  {R.  B.).— The  Hyacinths  are 
very  badly  attacked  by  the  bulb  mite,  and  this  has  caused 
the  destruction  of  the  roots.  It  is  important  that  bulbs 
should  be  planted  in  fresh  soil  and  in  clean  pots,  and 
examination  of  the  bulbs  for  this  minute  pest  should  be 
made  with  care  when  bulbs  are  purchased.  Many  of 
the  bulbs  lately  imported  have  been  badly  attacked  by 
this  pest.  Unfortunately,  no  method  of  destroying  it 
can  be  relied  upon  to  do  this  completely,  but  fumigation 
with  carbon  bisulphide  is  the  best  thing. 

DECORATIVE  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  {Amateur).'~Th^ 
ten  varieties  mentioned  in  your  query  are  well-known 
decorative  Chrysanthemums,'  and  in  consequence  the 
question  of  stopping  the  plants  with  the  object  of  pro- 
curing crown  buds  does  not  apply  10  these  plants.  They 
should  be  grown  to  develop  a  free  display  of  medium- 
sized  flowers,  and  with  this  object  in  view  should  be 
stopped  now  and  at  each  successive  6  inches  of  growth. 
Stop  for  the  last  time  .it  the  end  of  June,  and  from  that 
point  grow  on  to  tlie  terminal  buds.  Thin  out  these  to 
suit  your  requirements. 

AMARYLLIS  LEAF  FOR  INSPECTION  {B.  B.).— 
The  Amarylli-s  leaf  is  very  badly  infested  with  scale, 
which  may  be  got  rid  of  by  sponging  each  leaf  on  both 
sm-faces  with  a  strong  solution  of  soft  soap  and  wat«r. 
These  pests  have  such  a  firm  hold  on  the  plant  that  it 


is  probable  two  or  throe  spongings  at  intervals  of  ten 
days  or  a  fortnight  will  be  necessary  in  order  to  thorougldy 
eradicate  them.  The  Abntilon,  too,  must  be  served  in 
the  same  way.  In  the  case  of  this,  it  may  be  quite  possible, 
without  injuring  the  ]>lant,  to  cut  off  some  of  the  worst 
leaves  and  burn  them,  a*  *be  plant  will  soon  grow  away 
again.     With    regard    to    the    number   of   leaves    to    be 


SOC  I  ETI  ES. 


removed,  you  mus 
itself. 


:  be  guided  by  the  condition  of  the  plant 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

PEACH    TREES    WITH    STRONG    SHOOTS   {E.    H.).~ 

S'-ciii'.:  thnt  you  lifted  ymir  Pe;i(ii  trees  last  autiunn 
and  that  you  ha\e  cut  back  the  >-troic:  shoots,  we  antici- 
pate that  the  -jrowth  of  young  shoots  from  these  cut- 
back ones  will  be  of  moderate  strentrth  only  this  summer, 
and  will  be  in  L'ood  condition  for  bearing  full  crops  ne\t 
year.  There  is  no  other  way  of  preventing  this  excess 
of  growth  in  the  brandies  except  by  lifting  and  root- 
pruning.  In  Th<'  course  of  the  summer  side  shoots 
will  grow  out  of  the  young  shoots  first  formed:  these 
should  be  pinched  back  to  one  leaf  from  their  base. 
The  young  shoot>  first  formed  should  not  be  stopped, 
but  allowed  to  grow  thi'ir  full  length,  as  these  are  the 
shoots  which  will  hi'ar'fniit  next  year. 

PEACH  TREE  ATTACKED  BY  SILVER-LEAF  (R.  W.). 
-Vou  have  done  (|uilr  ri'jlit  in  removing  the  diseased 
branch,  which  is  attacked  by  the  disease  known  as  silver- 
leaf.  If  you  lun  e  r-ut  the  branch  out  beyond  the  point 
at  which  it  slu>ws  a  brown  stain  in  the  wood,  you  w'll 
probably  have  --topped  the  spread  of  the  disease;  but 
the  rest' of  the  tree  may  be  infected,  and  then  the  best 
thing  is  to  cut  the  tree  out  completely  and  plant  another,  i 
The  disease  is  due  to  the  fungus  Stereum  purpureum. 
am!  no  eur<-  is  known.  Trees  attacked  rarely  recover, 
and  after  death  the  fungus  fruits  appear.  Infection  i>- 
by  spores,  and  the  fungus  get.s  in  by  a  wound.  X\\  wounds 
should  be  painted  witli  Stnckholni  tar  as  soon  as  made. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

PLANTING  POTATOES  (.1.  r;.).— We  think  you  have 
prepared  one  halt  "f  the  plot  in  an  excellent  way, 
(■specially  for  early  Potatoes.  The  second  half  of  the 
plot,  which  has  already  been  dug  and  not  manured,  will, 
we  pre-*inne.  be  planted  chiefly  with  later  varieties.  The 
Factor  is  one  of  the  best.  We  should  dig  the  cow-manure 
into  the  ground,  row-manure  is  cool  in  itself,  and  not 
good  for  the  sets  to  come  into  contact  with  in  its  raw  state  ; 
but  incorporated  and  mixed  with  light  soil  it  is  excellent. 
.V  light  dressing  of  artificial  manure  could  be  given  with 
great  advantage,  sown  among  the  plants  before  the  first 
moulding  up  takes  place.  This  should  be  done  in  showery 
weather.  Provided  the  manure  is  short  and  well  rotted, 
the  old-fashioned  way  of  placinc  it  in  the  furrows  and 
planting  I'otatoc-^  on  top  answers  very  well,  especially 
with  later  \arietics. 

PREPARING  ROUGH  GROUND  FOR  POTATOES 
{J.  C.  i).).— -You  say  the  ground  is  now  covered  with 
coarse  grass,  the  top  turves  from  which  «ould  not  be  of 
much  use  for  potting  soil.  However,  you  could  stack 
some  of  the  best.  The  best  way  of  dealing  with  such  land 
is  to  trench  it  2\  feet  deep,  burying  the  grass  and  turf 
it  is  growing  in  15  inches  deep,  and  picking  out  every 
particle  of  the'roots  of  the  Nettles  as  the  digging  pro- 
ceeds, or  the  ground  will  soon  become  foul  with  them  again. 
In  trenching,  care  should  be  taken  that  the  best  of  the  soil 
is  kept  nearest  the  surface.  As  soon  as  the  trenching 
is  finished,  plant  in  furrows  or  rows  in  the  usual  way. 
Do  not  plant  under  turves,  and  do  not  plough,  but  trench. 
The  effect  will  last  for  years.  Rhubarb  does  well  in 
partial  shade,  provided  the  soil  is  deep  and  well  manured  ; 
also  Leeks  and  Horse-radish.  Seakale  does  fairly  well, 
also  the  summer  and  autumn  Cabbage  tribe  ;  but  those 
vegetables  which  have  to  stand  the  winter  to  provide  a 
spring  supply  must  not  be  planted  in  a  shady  place, 
as  they  would  be  too  soft  to  stand  the  winter. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

FUNGUS  DISEASE  OF  HYACINTHS  (J.  .S.).— The 
name  printed  Pythium  burganum  should,  as  you  suggest, 
read  P.  de  baryanum.  It  may  be  added  that  eelworms, 
bulb  mite-;,  and  the  fungi  Fusarium  bulbigenum  and 
Botrytis  (Sclerotinia!  appear  very  frequently  to  be  sources 
of  failure  in  bulbs. 

JUDGING  SCHOOL  GARDEN  (School  Garden).— It  is  too 
early  to  judu'e  a  school  garden,  but  it  may  encourage  the 
scholars  a  little.  We  should  wait  until  the  seedlings  are 
through  and  thinning  has  been  done.  Then  give  points 
for :  Order  and  neatness,  10  maximum ;  paths  and 
edgings,  10  maximum  ;  straightness  of  lines,  10  raa.ximum  ; 
correctness  of  thinning.  10  maximum  ;  and  best  written 
labels.  10  maximum.  We  do  not  see  that  you  can  do  more 
than  this  until  it  is  possible  to  appraise  the  value  of  the 
crops,  when  the  judging  should  be  done  on  a  point  basis 
by  an  experienced  gardener. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— J/.  A.  B.— Daffodils :    J.  B.  M. 

Ca mm  (pale  trumpet)  and  grandis  (bicolor  trumpet).^ 

A.   P.  i^.— Daffodils :     1,    Barri   Glitter:     2,    Rugilobus  ; 

3,  Cemuus  puleher;  4,  possibly  Stella  superba ;  too  much 

withered  to  identify  with  accuracy. T.  H.  J. — Saxifraga 

(Megasea)  crassifolia.^ A.  L     P.,  LymnotUh. — 1,  Erica 

mediterranea :  2,   E.   m.  alba. E.  K.  B.,  Wimbledon. — 

Berberis  Darwinii. A".  G.,  Virqinia    Water. — 1,   Rhodo- 
dendron Rhodora;  2,  R.  ferrugineum  :  3,  Cassinia  fulvida; 

4,  Leucothoe  Catesbffii. ir.  F.,   Gambs.  —  Anthurium 

scherzerianum, J.  ./.,  Bellast. —  1,  Maxillaria   picta  ; 

2,  Coelogyne  cristata ;    3,  Ada  aurantiaca  ■     4.    Davallia 
canariense  ;  5,  Adiautum  species. 


THE  CORNWALL    DAFFODIL  AND    SPRING    FLOWER 

SOCIETY. 

The  annual  show  in  connection  with  the  above  society 
was  held  at  Truro  on  the  8th  and  9th  inst.,  when  there 
was  an  excellent  display  of  Daffodils  and  flowering  shrubt . 
The  Rhododendrons,  though  excellent,  were  not  quite 
so  good  as  usual,  but  other  shrubs  were  very  fine.  The 
weather  was  fine  and  visitors  numerous,  and  the  Hon. 
John  Boscawen  and  his  statf  of  helpers  had  made  exeiUent 
arnin  rements. 

THB  Daffodil  C'lassks. 

(ieni'rally  speaking,  these  were  well  contested,  the 
flowiTs  in  most  instances  being  fresh  and  good. 

In  Class  1.  for  thirty  varieties  of  Daffodils  in  commerce, 
any  section,  first  prize  went  to  Mrs,  Soltan  Symons, 
Chaddlcwood.  Plympton,  for  a  beautiful  lot,  notabh- 
among  them  being  White  well.  White  Lady,  Treasure 
Trove  and  Horace.  In  the  second-prize  group,  staged  by 
Miss  Clarice  Vivian,  Bosahan.  St  Martin,  we  specially 
noticed  Chaffinch  and  some  beautiful  blooms  of  Scarh-t 
Eye. 

For  a  similar  class,  except  that  varieties  not  ia  commerce 
were  allowed.  Lady  .Margaret  Boscawen  was  the  only 
exhibitor,  staging  a  nice  group  of  fresh  blooms.  Lorelei 
(a  beautiful  white  Lecdsii),  Will  Scarlet,  Cornish  Cnam 
and  Horace  called  for  special  mention. 

In  Class  3.  for  nine  distinct  varieties  of  trumpets  as 
defined  in  certain  dimensions,  there  were  three  entries, 
first  honours  falling  to  Mrs.  Soltan  Symons,  who  had  lovely 
flowers  of  Mme.  de  Graalf  and  Mrs.  Morland  Crosfleld. 
Miss  Clarice  Vivian  was  a  good  second,  her  best  variety 
being  Princess,  a  beautiful  smooth  trumpet  variety  and 
almost  white.  Third  prize  went  to  Colonel  the  Hon, 
M.  K.  Trefusis. 

For  six  distinct  varieties  of  incomparabilis  there  were 
four  entries.  Sirs.  Soltan  Symons  again  coming  to  the 
fron*.  Miss  Clarice  Vivian,  Lady  Margaret  Boscawen 
and  -Miss  .Mabel  C.  S.  Williams  followed  in  the  order 
named. 

For  six  Harris  Miss  Clarice  Vivian  was  first,  Stonechat 
and  Beacon  being  shown  in  fine  form.  Mrs.  S.  Symons 
was  second  and  iliss  Mabel  Williams  third. 

For  six  Leedsiis  Jlrs.  S.  Symons  secured  premier  honour^. 
Miss  Mabel  Williams  being  second. 

Miss  Clarice  Vivian  was  first  out  of  seven  competitors 
for  three  Poets,  staging  beautiful  blooms  of  Comus, 
Cassandra  and  Horace. 

Class  8,  for  fifteen  distinct  varictic^i.  any  section,  was 
well  contested,  and  Mrs.  S.  Symons  is  to  be  congratulated 
on  securing  the  premier  prize.  Among  her  flowers  we 
noticed  good  blooms  of  Horac<'  and  Mme.  de  Graaff. 
Miss  C.  C.  Rogers.  Burncoose.  I'crranwcll,  was  ser^ond  ; 
and  .Mr.  F.  W.  Jetfcry,  Lismore.  lielston,  third. 

For  sincle  blooms  the  first  prize  winners  were  as  follow  : 
Trumpet,  Miss  Mabel  Williams,  with  Monarch:  incom- 
parabilis. Mrs.  S.  Symons.  with  Lady  Margaret  Boscawen  : 
Barri,  Mrs.  S.  Symons.  with  Cavalier :  Leedsii,  Mrs. 
S.  Symons,  with  White  Lady  ;  triandrus  and  cyclamineus 
hybrids,  Mrs.  S.  Symons,  with  Dorothy  Kingsmill  ; 
aiid  Poet.  Miss  Mabel  Williams,  with  Cassan(6a.  In 
the  foregoing  classes,  except  Classes  1  and  2,  flowers 
grown  from  bulbs  priced  over  10s.  each  were  excluded. 

In  Class  16,  for  fifteen  varieties,  any  section,  in  com- 
merce or  not  in  commerce,  there  was  a  big  fight  between 
Mr.  J.  C.  Williams,  Caerhayes  Castle,  and  Mr.  P.  D. 
Williams.  Llanarth.  the  fonner  coming  first  with  a  grand 
lot  shown  under  numbers,  for  which  he  was  also  awarded 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  silver  Flora  medal. 
A  fine  Poet  numbered  445  was  about  the  best  in  the  show, 
and  a  lovely  incomparabilis,  X3,  was  also  very  fine.  Indeed, 
all  were  first-class.  Mr.  P.  D.  Williams  in  his  second- 
prize  group  had  some  of  his  under  names,  Moonbeam 
(beautiful  white).  Pedestal.  White  Wax  and  Princess 
calling  for  special  mintion.  Among  those  under  numbers 
were  some  beautiful  flowers,  but  it:  is  useless  to  refer  to 
them  in  detail  until  names  are  forthcoming.  This  exhibit 
was  also  awarded  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
silver  Flora  medal.  Mr.  A.  J.  Nix.  Mount  Charles,  Tniro, 
was  third. 

In  the  single  bloom  classes  in  this  section,  all  to  be  in 
commerce,  the  first  prize  winners  were  as  follow ; 
Trumpet,  Mr.  P.  D.  Williams,  with  Princess  ;  Leedsii, 
.Miss  Lavender  Williams,  with  Lavender ;  Poeticus, 
Mr.  P.  D.  Williams,  with  Snow  King. 

For  ten  distinct  varieties,  any  section,  open  only  to 
those  who  have  never  won  a  prize  for  Daffodils  offered 
by  the  society,  JMr.  C  Burleigh,  The  Sportman's  Arms 
Hotel,  Menheuiot,  was  the  only  exhibitor,  securing  the 
first  prize  with  a  fresh  lot  of  blooms. 
Fr.owERiNG  Shrubs. 

These  were  a  feature  of  the  show,  the  Rhododendrons 
and  many  other  choice  kinds  being  shown  in  abundance. 

For  the  best  group  of  Rhododendron  blooms,  an>  variety, 
not  exceeding  twenty  varieties,  there  were  three  entries, 
first  prize  and  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  silver- 
gilt  medal  being  awarded  to  Mr.  J.  C.  Williams,  Caerhayes 
Castle,  for  a  very  beautiful  lot.  Argenteum  was  par- 
ticularly good,  as  were  a  number  of  seedlings,  a  pale  pink 
one  being  particularly  pleasing.  Second  honours  went 
to  Mr.  B.  H.  Shilson,  Tremough,  who  had  a  fine  truss  of 
the  cream-coloured  Nuttallii  as  well  as  the  beautiful  deep 
red  Cornubia.  Mr.  Robert  Fox,  Penjerrick.  was  a  good 
third,  lindieyanum  being  well  shown  here. 

The  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  silver  Banksian 
medal  was  awarded  to  Mr.  J.  C.  Williams  for  «ix  vases  of 
small-leaved  Rhododendrons,  these  being  intricatum. 
racemosum,  Angustinii,  yunnanense,  lutescens  and 
oliofolium. 


200 


THE    GAKJJEJN. 


[April  iq,  1913. 


The  first  prize  for  six  distinct  varieties  weut  to  Mr.  ; 
P.  D.  Williams,  who  had  a  beautiful  pink  and  also  a  deep  j 
red  seedlinp.  The  j^econd  prize  went  to  Mr.  Charles  Hext,  , 
Trebah,  trebianuni  (a  very  lart;e-flowered  pink  variety)  \ 
being  specially  yood. 

For  six  cut  blooms    grown   under  tjlass,   Mr.    K,   Fox  , 
was    first    with    some    beautiful    varieties,    the    trass    of 
Dalhousige  being  particularly  fine. 

For  the  finest  cut  blooms  of  Rhododendrons  grown 
under  glass,  the  premier  award  weut  to  Mr.  J.  C.  Daubuz, 
Killiow,  Truro,  for  a  wonderful  truss  of  Nuttailii,  tbe 
flowers  being  large  and  very  clean. 

The  class  for  three  large  jars  of  outdoor  Rhododendrons 
was  very  pretty,  first  p^ize  going  to  Mr.  Robert  Fox, 
Penjerrick. 

For  a  group  of  out'loor  unforced  flowering  shrubs  or 
climbers,  the  first  prize  and  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  silver-gilt  Banksian  medal  went  to  the  Rev. 
A.  T  Boscawen,  Ludgvan  Rectory,  Long  Rock,  who 
put  up  a  really  wonderful  lot.  We  need  only  mention 
such  as  Acacia  verticillata,  Viburnum  Carlesii.  Boronia 
heterophylla,  Pittosporum  eugenioides  and  Prostranthera 
violacea  to  give  readers  some  idea  of  his  favourable  clime. 
The  second  prize  and  the  Ro>al  Horticultural  Society's 
silver  Banksian  medal  went  to  Mr.  T.  B.  Bolitho,  Trewidden, 
who  showftd.  among  other  interesting  plants,  Embothrium 
roccineum,  Grevillea  sulphurea,  Viinirnum  rhytido- 
pbyllum,  Dendromecon  rlgidum  and  Abutilon  vitifoUum. 
In'the  third-prize  group,  shown  by  Mr.  R.  Fox,  Penjerrick. 
and  which  also  carried  the  silver  Banksian  medal  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society,  we  noted  such  varieties  as 
Anopteris  glandulosa,  Drimys  Winter!  and  Pittosporum 
eugenioides!  Fourth  prize  went  to  Sir  Arthur  P.  Vivian, 
Bosahan,  Clianthus  puniceus  and  the  white  variety. 
Clematis  indivisa  and  C>tisus  racemosus  being  well  shown. 

For  six  varieties  of  outdoor  unforced  hardy  shrubs, 
the  first  prize  and  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
silver  Banksian  medal  were  well  won  by  Mr.  P.  D.  Williams, 
who  had  Veronica  macrocarpa  and  Erica  au^^t rails  riiiida 
in  splendid  condition.  Sir  Arthur  P.  Vivian  was  •.(■nuiil. 
having  grand  varieties  of  Drimys  Wiuteri  and  Clematis 
indivisa.  The  third  and  fourth  prizes  went,  respectively, 
to  Mr.  A.  P.  Bearne  and  Mr.  C.  Hext. 

In  a  similar  class,  but  confined  to  those  who  have  never 
been  awarded  a  prize  olfered  by  the  society  in  these 
classes,  the  first  honours  went  to  Mr.  E.  Beard,  Boscawen 
Park,  Truro. 

Violets  were  well  and  freely  shown,  the  blnuni^  h.in„' 
large  and  of  good  colour.  A  harmless  joke  was  uttimptrd 
in  this  section,  scented  flowers  of  the  double  IVriwinkle, 
Vinca  minor,  being  staged  as  a  new  Violet  !  Needless  to 
say,  the  judges  discovered  the  joke  and  dealt  with  it 
officially. 

For  Roses  Lady  Margaret  Boscawen  and  Mr.  A. 
JMenkinsop  were  the  principal  winners,  the  last  named 
showing  a  fine  vase  of  Catherine  Mermet. 

The  classes  for  Polyanthuses  and  Primroses,  three 
varieties  of  each,  were  splendidly  contested,  the  plants 
being  shown  in  round  wicker  baskets.  Mr.  A.  P.  Worth, 
Lemon  Street,  Truro,  was  first  for  Polyanthuses,  and 
Lady  Margaret  Boscawen  for  Primroses. 

For  a  collection  of  hardy  unforced  spring  flowers, 
twelve  varieties,  not  to  include  hard-wooded  shrubs, 
Mr.  P.  O.  Williams  was  first,  staging,  among  other  varie- 
ties, Ourisia  macrophylla.  Epimedium  sulphureum  and 
Caltha  polypetala.  The  second  prize  went  to  Mr.  T.  B. 
Bolitho.  and  third  to  Lady  Margaret  Boscawen. 
Non-competitive  Groups. 

Captain  T.  A.  Dorrien-Smitb,  Isle  of  Scilly.  staged  a 
wonderful  collection  of  plants  of  botanical  interest.  We 
doubt  whether  so  good  a  collection  has  ever  before  been 
shown.  Among  others,  Beschorneria  tuccoiles  with 
a  flower-spike  ^»  feet  long,  Brachyglottis  repanda,  Correa 
iiiveus.  Grevillea  sulphurea.  Correa  cardinalis,  Acacia 
iongifolia,  Sophora  tetraptera  grandifiora,  Echium  calli- 
t.hyrsum,  Acacia  verticiUata,  Fuchsia  cordifolia.  Psoralea 
affinis,  Sedum  arboreum,  Correa  alba,  Agonis  marginata, 
Illicium  anisatum,  Pittosporum  Tobira,  P.  tenuifolium, 
P.  t.  Mayii,  P.  Raphii,  P.  Colensoi,  P.  undulatum,  P. 
bicolor,  P.  cornifolium  and  P.  eugenioides  were  some  of 
the  most  interesting.  A  group  such  as  this  staged  at  a 
London  show  would  create  much  interest.  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society's  gold  medal. 

Messrs.  R.  Veitch  and  Sons  of  Exeter  put  up  a  mis- 
cellaneous group,  mainly  composed  of  choice  hardy  plants. 
Clianthus  puniceus,  Olearia  insignis,  Daphne  Cueorum, 
Osmanthus  Delavayi,  Rlbes  cereum,  Psoralea  arborea, 
Gerbera  Jamesonii  hybrids,  Primula  helvetica  nivalis 
and  Anemone  Pulsatilla  were  some  of  the  most  interesting 
that  we  noticed.  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  silver 
Flora  medal. 

Mr.  G.  Reuthe,  Kestou,  Kent,  staged  a  comprehensive 
group  of  alpines  and  shrubs.  Rhododendrons  being  con- 
spicuous among  the  latter.  Of  the  rock  plants,  Primula 
nivalis  hybrids,  Saxifraga  Bertolonii,  S.  Boydii,  Primula 
Julise,  P.  glutinosa  and  Saxifraga  Stribneyi  called  for 
special  mention.  Among  many  interesting  shrubs  we 
noticed  cut  flowering  sprays  of  Illicium  floridanum.  Royal 
Hortlcvdtural  Society's  silver  Flora  medal. 

Mr.  C.  Bourne,  Bletchley,  had  a  small  but  very  beautiful 
and  splendidly -arranged  exliibit  of  his  famed  Narcissi. 
These  included  a  number  of  good  new  sorts,  a  few  that 
specially  appealed  to  us  being  Red  Lady,  Queen  of  Hearts, 
White  Countess,  Countess  Grey,  Florence  Pearson  and 
.Mrs.  Robert  Sydenham.  Silver-gilt  Flora  medal  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society. 

Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  King  Street,  Covent  Garden, 
staged  a  fine  lot  of  Daffodils,  the  arrangement  being 
superb  and  in  excellent  tastr.  .\mong  other  varieties 
cAlling  for  special  mention  were  Cleopatra,  Lord  Roberts, 
Mrs.  G.  H.  Barr,  Venus,  Charm,  Coeur  d'Lion,  Koyal 
Star  and  Lord  Kitchener. 


Mr.  J.  C.  Martin.  Truro,  staged  a  nice  group  of  Narcissi. 
Brunette  being  one  that  called  for  special  mention.  Several 
rather  attractive  red-eyed  seedlings  were  also  among 
this  group,  to  which  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
silver  Banksian  medal  was  awarded. 

Messrs.  Tresedcr  and  C'o.  of  Truro  put  up  a  collection 
of  hardy  Tree  Ferns,  Acacias.  Boronias,  Hydrangeas, 
Ericas,  and  forced  Roses  and  other  greenhouse  plants,  the 
whole  being  well  grown  and  clean.  This  firm  also  had 
some  nice  rock  garden  plants,  Gentiana  acaulis  being 
particularly  pleasing. 

From  the  Devon  Rosery  and  Fruit  Farm,  Limited, 
came  a  collection  of  Roses  in  pots  and  some  well-preserved 
Apples,  the  latter  including  such  varieties  as  Annie 
Elizabeth,  Bramley's  Seedling  and  Newton  Wonder. 

Mr.  Jephson,  Hessenford,  Cornwall,  staged  a  miscel- 
laneous lot  of  alpine  plants.  Primula  helvetica  nivalis, 
(Enothera  ovata,  Siiene  Hookeri,  Onosma  taurica,  Primula 
Forrestii,  and  several  unnamed  seedling  Saxifrages  lent 
interest  to  this  group. 

A  beautiful  plant  of  Grevillea  hookeriana  was  shown 
by  the  Rev.  A.  T.  Boscawen,  Ludgvan  Rectory.  This 
is  a  native  of  West  Australia  and  a  very  rare  plant  in  this 
country.  The  specimen  shown  was  a  splendid  example 
of  the  gardener's  skill.  tli«-  Mood  red  inflorescences  remind- 
ing one  of  giant  tnotli-brushes.  This  received  a  flrst-class 
certificate  from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 

Awards  of  merit  were  granted  by  the  Truro  Society 
to  the  following  :  Mr.  P.  D.  Williams  for  Camellia  Lady 
Buller  and  Ourisia  macrophylla  ;  the  Rev.  A.  T.  Boscawen 
for  Pernettya  ciUaris  and  Pentapterigerum  rugosum ; 
Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons  for  Narcissus  Venus ;  Mr.  C. 
Bourne  for  Narcissus  Golden  King ;  Mr.  J.  C.  Martin 
for  Narcissus  Silver  Penny ;  Mr.  Reuthe  for  Rhodo- 
dendron Blsse  ;  Messrs.  R.  Veitch  and  Sons  for  Osmanthus 
Delavayi ;    and  Mr.  Jephson  for  Primula  Forrestii. 


ROYAL     CALEDONIAN      HORTICULTURAL     SOCIETY. 

The  annual  spring  show  of  this  society  was  held  in  the 
Waverley  Market,  Edinburgh,  on  April  9  and  10,  and 
proved  a  most  interesting  and  attractive  one.  The  com- 
petitive section  was  of  high  excellence.  In  few  of  the 
classes  was  there  any  reduction  of  quality  from  that  of 
former  years,  while  in  many  there  was  a  marked  advance. 
The  trade  exhibits  were  remarkably  good  for  the  spring 
show,  and  they  gave  a  brightness  and  quite  an  elfective 
appearance  to  the  large  area  of  the  market.  The  show 
was  opened  on  the  afternoon  of  the  9th  by  the  Marchioness 
of  Linlithgow  in  a  brief  but  appropriate  and  graceful 
speech.  It  is  impossible  to  do  justice  to  the  trade  exhibits 
in  the  space  available,  and  it  is  only  possible  to  refer 
briefiy  to  the  leading  features  in  a  few  of  the  stands. 

Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co.,  Edinburgh,  made  a  magnificent 
display,  occupying  a  large  space  on  one  side  of  the  market, 
their  exhibit  being  marked  by  the  high  quality,  exquisite 
condition  and  tasteful  arrangement  always  present  in 
their  show  exhibits.  The  group  of  spring  bulbous  plants 
included  many  of  the  choicest  Narcissi,  Tulips.  Hyacinths 
and  other  subjects  of  this  nature,  with  lovely  Violas, 
these  making  quite  a  show  in  themselves.  A  grand 
group  of  Roses  in  pots  was  also  exliibited,  these  com- 
prising such  fiowers  as  Jessie,  Juliet,  Rayon  d'Or,  Melody. 
Mrs.  Taft  and  many  more.  Adjoining  these  was  a  fine 
group  of  Cinerarias  in  the  various  classes,  followed  by  a 
bank  of  magnificent  Calceolarias.  A  large  and  repre- 
sentative collection  of  Potatoes  was  also  exhibited  by 
the  firm.     Gold  medal. 

One  of  the  finest  things  in  the  show  was  the  extensive 
exhibit  on  the  floor  of  Messrs.  R.  B.  Laird,  Dickson  and 
Sons,  Edinburgh,  this  being  a  truly  grand  group  of  forced 
and  other  shrubs,  together  with  other  flowering  and 
decorative  subjects.  Admirably  arranged  and  com- 
posed of  a  number  of  the  best  Rhododendrons,  Lilacs, 
Azaleas  and  Roses,  this  group  attracted  much  attention 
and  well  deserved  the  gold  medal  it  received.  It  was 
highly  creditable  as  the  fljst  public  exliibit  of  the  incor- 
porated businesses  of  the  two  old  firms  of  Messrs.  R.  B. 
Laird  and  Sons  and  Messrs.  James  Dickson  and  Sons. 

Messrs.  Dicksons  and  Co.,  Waterloo  Place,  Edinburgh, 
set  up  another  very  fine  exhibit  on  the  floor.  The  flnest 
feature  here  was  tile  grand  lot  of  Hippeastrums  (Amaryl- 
lises), these  being  of  exceptional  beauty  and  quality. 
The  group,  which  was  an  extensive  and  highly  tastefully 
arranged  one,  included  Azaleas,  Rhododendrons,  fine 
standard  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  Lilacs,  Tulips  and  Narcissi. 
Gold  medal. 

J^'rom  Mr.  David  King,  Osborne  Nurseries,  Edinburgh, 
came  a  glorious  group  of  plants  and  flowers,  which 
practically  occupied  one  end  of  the  market,  and  which  was 
arranged  in  a  manner  which  gave  much  pleasure.  A 
low  bank  of  plants,  arranged  in  a  winding  outline,  with 
turf  in  front,  it  contained  a  number  of  good  things,  such 
as  Roses,  Lilacs,  Cytisuses,  Rhododendrons,  Ferns,  Palms, 
and  other  flowering  and  foliage  plants.  Mr.  King,  who 
is  the  president  of  the  Scottish  Horticultural  Association, 
received  much  praise  for  tliis  group.     Gold  medal. 

Another  striking  exhibit,  which  also  received  a  gold 
medal,  was  that  of  Messrs.  J.  and  A.  Glass,  Edinburgh, 
who  sent  a  magnificent  lot  of  Carnations,  these  including 
the  best  of  the  present-day  varieties,  splendidly  grown 
and  shown, 

A  silver-gilt  medal  was  given  to  Messrs.  Cunningham, 
Eraser  and  Co.,  Edinburgh,  for  their  alpine  plants,  arranged 
on  rockwork  and  including  a  number  of  good  alpines, 
both  old  and  new.  The  Primulas,  now  so  popular,  were 
represented  by  the  new  P.  pinnatifida,  Forrestii,  giraldi- 
ana  (syn.  muscarioides),  littoniana,  hirsuta  variety 
nivea,  decora,  d.  alba,  a  number  of  the  viscosa  hybrids, 
pnlverulenta  and  others,  while  the  other  plants  in  this 
choice  display  included  Morisia  hypogOBa,  Androsaces, 
such    as    pyrenaica    and    others ;     Haberleas,    virginalis 


being  among  the  number  ;  Saxifrages  Faldonside,  Boydii, 
Cherrytrees,  Arkwrightii  and  many  others,  with  Anemones, 
Heaths,  iS:c.  The  little  Rhododendron  Grievei.  raised 
originally  liy  Mr.  James  Grieve,  was  delightful  with  its 
dwarf  habit  and  soft  pinkish  or  rose  and  white  flowers. 

A  similar  award  went  to  Messrs.  Cutbush  and  Son, 
London,  for  a  most  creditable  exhibit  of  alpines.  Car- 
nations, i&c.  The  Carnations  made  a  brilliant  and  effec- 
tive group,  prominent  among  them  biiuL'  .Mrs.  E.  C. 
Raphael  and  others,  while  the  ulinnr--  comprised,  among 
many  others,  the  pretty  Saxifraga  .Miss  Willmott,  the 
double  blue  Hepatica,  Tulipa  platystemon,  Iris  orchioides 
and  a  number  of  other  good  things. 

The  Orchids  of  Messrs.  Sander  and  Sons  of  St.  Albans 
were  honoured  with  a  silver-gilt  medal,  the  small  but 
choice  group  including  a  inunber  of  real  merit  and  rarity 
which  space  prevents  detailing. 

The  large  group  of  Messrs.  Storrie  and  Storrie.  Gleii- 
carse,  N.B..  received  a  similar  award.  Noteworthy  here 
was  the  mass  of  Primula  obconica  of  the  highest  quality, 
showing  in  a  marked  degree  the  improvements  effected 
within  recent  years.  In  colour,  size  of  truss  and  of 
individual  pips  these  plants  were  admirable.  Cinerarias 
of  equal  quality  constituted  the  other  leading  feature 
of  Messrs.  Storrie  and  Storrie's  exhibit. 

A  silver-gilt  medal  was  also  given  to  Messrs.  Young 
and  Co.,  Hatherley,  Cheltenham,  for  one  of  their  mag- 
nificent displays  of  Carnations  of  the  most  modern  type  : 
and  to  Messrs.  Hogg  and  Robertson,  Dublin,  for  a  grancl 
array  of  Narcissi,  Tulips  and  Anemones,  these  all  being 
very  flne  and  well  displayed. 

From  Messrs.  John  Forbes,  Hawick,  Limited,  came  a 
varied  and  interesting  group  of  Streptocarpi,  Caladiums, 
.\zaleas.  Primroses,  Polyanthuses,  Auriculas,  Primula 
species,  Viola  gracilis  and  florists'  Violas,  with  Cytisuses 
and  a  number  of  other  good  things.     Silver  medal. 

.Mr.  Clarence  Elliott.  Stev.iiage,  staged  a  good  variety 
of  alpines,  shown  on  well-arranged  rockwork.  In  good 
masses,  these  looked  well  in  the  natural  arrangement  of 
the  rocks.  Tl.e  x>lants  included  Lithospermums,  Gentiana 
acaulis,  .^".thionema  iberideum,  Androsace  carnea,  several 
of  the  best  red  Mossy  Saxifrages  and  others  of  the  genus, 
O.xalis  enneaphylla,  Primulas.  Sempervivums  and  Sedums. 
A  silver  medal  was  awarded. 

Messrs.  J.  Piper  and  Son,  London — new  exhibitors  here 
— had  a  capital  group  of  alpines  and  shrubs  suitable  for 
rockwork.  A  leading  feature  was  th'^  collection  of  Primulas, 
including  a  most  varied  set  of  viscosa  hybrids,  mostly  under 
numbers  only.  Mrs.  Robinson,  yellow,  was  good,  though 
approaching  some  of  the  old  P.  Auricula  forms.  Sarra- 
cenias,  Saxifrages,  Gentianas  and  Aubrietias  composed  a 
group  which  attracted  much  notice.     Silver  medal. 

A  silver  medal  weut  to  the  Liverpool  Orchid  Nursery 
(John  Cowanl,  Limited,  foi  a  handsome  group  of  good 
Orchids;  Mr.  T.  E.  Dawes,  King's  Lynn,  for  Rhubarb; 
and  Messrs.  Thyne  and  Son,  Dundee,  for  a  capital  stand 
of  alpines  and"  other  hardy  flowers.  A  bronze  medal 
was  awarded  to  Messrs.  Reamsbottom  and  Co.,  Geashill, 
King's  County,  Ireland,  for  .\nemones. 

The  decorated  dinner-tables  brought  out  a  capital 
competition,  and  the  judges  must  have  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  arriving  at  a  decision.  Mr.  J.  Wilson  came  first, 
with  Mr.  J.  Hood  second  and  Mr.  D.  Kidd  third. 

Fruit  was  limited  to  two  classes,  and  Mr.  G.  Anderson 
was  first  for  a  dish  of  Strawberries,  Mr.  T.  M'Phail  winning 
a  similar  position  for  bottles  of  fruit. 

Vegetables  formed  a  most  attractive  section,  Mr.  R. 
Stuart  winning  for  the  collection  of  vegetables  and  also 
for  the  collection  of  salads.  Other  winners  were  Mr. 
W.  F.  Staward,  Mr.  D.  Eraser,  Mr.  J.  Cossar,  Mr.  W.  G. 
Pirie.  Mr.  J.  K.  Brown,  Mr.  J.  Paterson  and  Mr.  G.  M. 
Service. 

In  the  under-gardeners'  competition  for  a  plan  of  laying 
out  thirty-eight  acres,  the  following  were  announced  ah 
the  prize-winners  :  First,  Mr.  H.  G.  Oliver,  Edinburgh 
Royal  Botanic  Gardens ;  second,  Mr.  J.  W.  Forsyth, 
Markyate  Gell,  Herts ;  third,  Mr.  Archibald  Macey. 
Godiugton  Gardens,  Ashford,  Kent. 

Non-competitive  exhibits  by  private  exhibitors  were 
Brachyglottis  repanda,  a  pleasing  New  Zealand  shrub, 
from  the  Marquis  of  Linlithgow  ;  and  splendid  pans  of 
Saxifrages  Boydii,  Faldonside,  Cherrytrees  and  pyrenaicH 
splendens,  from  Mr.  W.  B.  Boyd,  Faldonside,  Melrose. 

The  arrangements  of  the  council  and  of  Mr.  Mackenzie, 
the  secretary  and  treasurer,  were  excellent. 


DUMFRIES    AND    GALLOWAY     GARDENERS* 
ASSOCIATION. 

Mr.  S.  ARNOTT  presided  over  the  fortnightly  meeting  of 
this  association  in  St.  George's  Hall,  Dumfries,  on  April  6. 
There  was  a  large  attendance  to  hear  the  paper  by  Mr. 
James  Henderson,  The  Gardens,  Elmbank,  Dumfries, 
on  "  The  Chrysanthemum."  The  paper  was  in  every  way 
an  excellent  one,  dealing  with  the  various  classes  of  the 
flower  from  a  punly  praetiral  standpoint,  Mr.  Henderson, 
as  he  stated  at  t  lie  oiitset .  iffraining  from  discussing  the  ques- 
tion of  the  history  of  the  flower.  He  pointed  out  its  beauty 
and  utility,  and  then  passed  on  to  speak  under  separate 
heads  of  the  three  leading  divisions  into  which  he  grouped 
his  flowers.  These  were  the  early-fiowering,  the  decorative 
midseason  varieties,  and  the  late-fiowering  or  exhibition 
flowers.  In  each  of  these  sections  Mr.  Henderson  gave 
full  directions  regarding  their  propagation  and  cultural 
after-treatment.  Abounding  with  humour,  the  paper 
was  closely  listened  to  and  much  enjoyed.  A  spirited 
discussion  took  place,  the  points  principally  raised  being : 
Time  of  propagating  autumn  varieties,  the  effect  of  the 
use  of  nitrates  on  the  duration  of  the  blooms,  single  pots 
or  boxes  for  cuttings,  the  cure  of  rust  and  other  subjects 
of  importance.  Mr.  Henderson  replied  on  the  discussion, 
and  received  a  warm  vote  of  thanks. 


J^fe^ 


GARDEN. 


-^=^i^?^^' 


No.  2162.— Vol    LXXVII. 


April  26,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  WntK    201 

COKKESPONDENCE 

Rose  Blush  Kanibli-r    202 
Caterpillars  on  fruit 

bushes 202 

Failure  of  Anemone 

fulgens         . .      . .     202 
Saxifraga  burscriaiia    202 
A  hint  when  syring- 
ing         203 

A  Itose  note  . .      . .     203 
How  to  destroy  ants     203 
Double  -  flowered 
pink    and    white 
Almonds      . .      . .     203 
Forthcomhig  events . .     203 
My  Experience  with 

THE  Naeoissfs  Klv     203 
Daffodil  Notes     ..     204 

CniTORAL     HINT3     ON    NEW 

AND  Kake  Plants 
Trees  and  shrubs  . .     205 
Bamboo  Garden     . .     205 
KocK  AND  Water  Garden 
Saxifraga  marginata    206 
Coloured  Plate 
The      hardy     Nym- 
pheeas    or    Water 
Lilies 206 


Greenhouse 
Easily  -  grown 
Orchids  for  the 
amateur  ..  ..  207 
Sweet-scented  green- 
house Rhododen- 
drons        208 

New    and    Rake 

Plants 208 

Gakdenino  for  Beginners 
How  to  grow  good 

Runner  Beans  . .     209 
Sowing    Mignonette     209 
Gakdenino  op  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      210 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      210 

The   Fifty   Best 

ALPINES 211 

Flower  Garden 

Sweet  Pea  notes     . .     211 
Editor's  Table       . .    211 
Answers    to    Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden        . .     212 
Trees  and  shrubs   . .     212 
Greenhouse     . .      . .     212 
Miscellaneous..      ..     ilZ 


IIiIiD  ST  RATIONS. 

Rose  Blush  Rambler  at  BexLill 202 

The  Narcissus  fly  with  larva  and  pupa      203 

The  new  Leedsii  Narcissus  St.  Olaf 204 

Bamboos  in  the  Botanic  Gardens  at  Cambridge      . .  205 

Saxifraga  marginata      206 

The  hardy    Nymphseas  or  Water  Lilies.. Coloured  plate 

Lycaste  Skinneri 207 

Primula  Maximowiczii 208 

Runner  Bean  Scarlet  Giant 209 


BDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  wilt  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistock  Utrcet,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


The  Best  Bedding  Pelargonium. — .\t  tin-  trial 

of  bedding  Pelargoniums  hold  by  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society  at  Wisley  last  year,  it  was  proved 
that  there  was  no  advance  on  some  of  the  older 
and  well-known  varieties.  Paul  Crampel  was 
considered  to  be  much  the  finest  scarlet-flowered 
bedding  variety  in  the  whole  tri,-il,  which  included 
ninety-eight  stocks. 

Large  Prize  for  a  New  Rose. — Raisers  of  new 
Roses  will  learn  with  interest  that  the  management 
of  the  Panama-Pacific  International  Exhibition, 
to  be  held  in  San  Francisco  in  1915,  are  offering  a 
cup,  value  i.ooodol.,  in  addition  to  any  award 
that  the  horticultural  jury  may  vote,  for  the  best 
new  Rose  that  is  shown.  Amateurs  and  pro- 
fessionals will  be  entitled  to  compete,  but  the  Rose 
must  be  imnamed  and  must  not  have  been 
previously  e.xhibited. 

White   Hepaticas   in   the   Rock    Garden. — A 

charming  etJect  has  been  produced  in  the  rock 
garden  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens,  Edinburgh, 
by  the  tasteful  maimer  in  which  a  number  of  plants 
of  the  white  Hepatica,  Anemone  Hepatica  alba, 
have  been  planted.  On  a  somewhat  steep  portion 
of  shelving  rockwork,  rising  to  6  feet  or  more  high, 
the  Hepaticas  were  planted  along  the  little  terraces 
between  the  shelving  rockwork.  The  efiect  in 
April  has  been  remarkably  pleasing,  the  pure 
white  flowers  of  the  Hepaticas  showing  in  an 
exquisite  way  against  the  dark  stones.  The  position 
appears  to  be  a  partially  shaded  one. 

A  Good  Plant  for  Sliade. — Hypericum  caly- 
cinum,  commonly  known  as  Rose  of  Sharon  or 
St.  John's  Wort,  will  be  found  useful  for  planting 
in  shady  places,  such  as  under  trees,  providing 
these  are  not  exceptionally  dense,  where  it  is 
sometimes  difficult  to  get  grass  to  become  estab- 
lished. The  plants  are  easily  increased  by  division, 
and  pieces  with  roots,  planted  now,  will  soon  furnish 
ground  which  would  otherwise  remain  bare.  It 
is  advisable  to  plant  thickly  to  get  the  ground 
covered  in  a  short  time,  and  apart  from  cutting 
off  the  old  growths  in  the  spring,  when  the 
new  ones  appear,  the  plants  will  need  little 
attention. 

A  Gorgeous  Tulip. — One  of  the  most  interest- 
ing flowers  in  our  garden  just  now  is  Tulipa 
fosteriana,  a  beautiful  species  from  Bokhara  that 
deserves  to  be  grown  wherever  Tulips  are  appre- 
ciated. The  immense  goblet-shaped  flowers  are 
rich  scarlet,  glowing  as  a  furnace,  with  a  rich 
yellow  centre,  in  which  are  delicately  poised  slate 
blue  anthers.  We  have  given  it  a  warm  comer 
in  deep,  loamy  soil,  and  there  it  seems  quite  happy. 
The  largest  flower  measures  6  inches  from  the 
base  to  the  tips  of  the  petals,  the  largest  of  which 
is  2|  inches  wide.  The  foliage  is  large  and  pale, 
almost  glaucous,  green  in  colour,  and  the  flower- 
stems   attain   a  height   of   about   eighteen   inches. 


This  species  received  a  first-class  certificate  from 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  1906,  but 
as  yet  seems  to  be  little  known.  Mr.  Jacob 
must  assist  us  in  spreading  its  virtues. 

Lime-Sulphur  versus  Bordeaux  Mixture  for 
Spraying  Potatoes. — Experiments  conducted  at 
the  New  York  .Agricultm-al  Experimental  Station 
last  year  proved  that  a  solution  of  lime-sulphur 
cannot  be  recommended  as  a  spray  for  the  Potato 
disease.  On  the  other  hand,  six  applications  of 
Bordeaux  mixture  increased  the  yield  of  market- 
able tubers  at  the  rate  of  111-5  bushels  per  acre. 
The  lime-sulphur  wash  dwarfed  the  plants,  though 
it  did  not  appear  to  burn  the  foliage.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Bordeaux  mixture  prolonged  the 
life  of  the  plants  about  two  weeks. 

A  Good  Annual  for  Cutting. — When  sowing 
hardy  annuals,  the  Sweet  Sultan  should  not  be 
forgotten,  as  for  border  embellishment  it  cannot 
be  surpassed.  The  flowers  remain  fresh  in  water 
for  a  long  period,  and  are  therefore  valuable  as 
cut  flowers,  being  very  effective  either  in  vases 
alone  or  mixed  with  Fern,  light  Grasses,  or  with 
Gypsophila.  The  seeds  should  be  sown  where 
the  plants  are  to  flower,  and  the  best  results  are 
obtained  from  plants  that  are  well  thinned.  There 
are  several  beautiful  varieties.  The  Bride  (white), 
The  Bridegroom  (heliotrope).  The  Bridesmaid 
(yellow)  and  splendens  (rich  wine  red)  are  some  of 
the  most  distinct,  although  a  mass  of  mixed  shades 
is  very  attractive. 

Hardy  Annual  Calceolarias. — Among  the  many 

hardy  annuals,  few  are  mure  deserving  of  a  place 
in  our  gardens  than  the  annual  Calceolarias.  Seeds 
of  these  sown  now  in  beds  or  borders  containing 
Aquiljgias,  Sweet  Williams,  Dr  similar  early- 
flowering  plants  will  make  such  beds  look  bright 
at  the  latter  part  of  the'summer  when  the  perma- 
nent occupants  are  over.  They  are  easily  grown. 
Seeds  may  be  scattered  among  the  early-flowering 
plants  and  raked  in  the  soil,  which  should  be  fairly 
rich.  A  good  watering  occasionally  during  the 
dry  weather  is  all  that  will  be  found  necessary. 
Calceolaria  chelidonifolia,  C.  pinnata  and  C. 
me.xicana  are  the  most  commonly  known,  each 
being  useful  for  this  purpose. 

Potatoes    as   a    Cure    for    Headache.— Those 

who  have  hitherto  regarded  the  humble  Potato 
solely  as  a  wholesome  and  useful  vegetable  will 
be  interested  to  learn  that  it  possesses  other  virtues. 
According  to  a  short  article  in  the  Lancet  for  last 
week,  the  small  doses  of  poisonous  solanine 
contained  in  a  healthy  Potato  "  are  stated  by 
some  authorities  to  be  an  excellent  sedative, 
and  more  efficacious  in  long-standing  neuralgia 
than  either  antipyrine  or  antifebrin.  We  have 
little  doubt  that  oftentimes  a  judicious  diet 
of  Potatoes  would  be  of  greater  benefit  to  a 
good  many  self-physicking  people  than  a  dose  of 
some  antipyretic  substance  which  they  regard  as 
adapted  to  relieve  all  headaches,  whatever  their 
origin." 


202 


THE    GARDEN. 


[April  26,11913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The    Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 

Rose  Blush  Rambler. — This  single-flowered 
climbing  Rose  is  one  of  the  most  vigorous-growing 
varieties  suitable  for  outdoor  cultivation,  and  for 
clothing  arches,  pergolas  or  verandahs  has  few 
equals.  It  blooms  comparatively  early,  and 
produces  its  large  trusses  of  blush  flowers  in  great 
profusion.  The  accompanying  illustration,  showing 
this  Rose  growing  on  a  house  at  Bexhill,  was 
kindly  sent  to  us  by  Mrs.  Mainwaring,  Bembridge, 
Isle  of  Wight,  and  well  depicts  the  free-flowering 
characters  of  this   charming    Rose. 

Anemone  robinsoniana  cornubiense. — Here  we 
have  a  very  pretty  Wood  Anemone,  resembling 
the  lovely  blue  A.  robinsoniana,  save  that  the 
exterior  of  the  buds  and  flowers  is  red,  this  colouring 
giving  a  special  brightness  to  the  buds  and  to  the 
flowers  when  they  are  closed.  This  is  a  charming 
little  Wood  Anemone,  easily  cultivated  in  semi- 
shade,  shade,  or  even  sun,  but  preferring  a  light, 


Berberis  verniculosa. — This  new  Barberry 
promises  to  be  a  good  subject  for  the  rock  garden 
if  it  at  all  fulfils  the  expectations  one  forms  from 
seeing  plants  in  pots.  This  was  in  the  Royal 
Botanic  Gardens,  Edmburgh,  where  little  specimens 
not  more  than  3  inches  or  4  inches  or  so  in  height 
were  bearing  a  number  of  their  bright  yellow 
flowers  along  with  their  pleasing,  small  leaves. 
I  am  not  certain  whence  this  charming  little 
Berberis  comes,  but  it  is  probably  a  Chinese  species. 
Should  it  turn  out  to  be  as  hardy  as  it  looks  and 
to  retain  its  dwarf  habit,  B.  verniculosa  will  achieve 
some  favour  from  cultivators  of  rock  plants. — S.  A. 

Wallflowers     for     the     Cold     Greenhouse. — 

Readers  who  have  unheated  greenhouses  in  which 
they  would  fain  see  flowers  throughout  the  winter 
may  like  to  try  Wallflowers,  which  with  me  have 
been  continuously  in  bloom  from  October  to  April. 
Formerly  I  tried  seedling  plants,  such  as  those 
used  for  spring  bedding,  but  these  did  not  flower 
before  the  end  of  February.  Last  May,  when  the 
spring  bedding  Wallflowers  were  cleared  away, 
I  saved  some  of  the  best-shaped  plants,  potted 
each  into  a  5-inch  pot,  and  sunk  them  where  space 


ROSE  BLUSH  KAMBLKR  IN  A  READER  b  GARDEN  AT  BEXHILL. 


rather  open  soil,  though  this  should  not  be  too 
loose.  It  is  as  hardy  as  the  common  wild  Wood 
Anemone,  and  tubers  should  be  procured  in  early 
autumn  and  straightway  planted  about  two  inches 
deep. — S.  Arnott,  Dum/ries. 
Caterpillars    on    Fruit    Bushes. — Paris   green 

is  about  the  only  effective  remedy  for  these  pests. 
It  can  be  mixed  with  water  and  applied,  but  the 
best  method  of  preparation  is  to  make  up  some 
lime-water  in  the  usual  way,  and  into  every  five 
or  six  gallons  stir  loz.  of  Paris  green.  Churn 
them  well  together,  then  spray  as  finely  as  possible 
over  the  bushes  and  trees.  A  weeK  later  syringe 
with  lukewarm  water,  in  order  to  remove  the 
substance  from  all  fruits.  This  method  is  one  of 
the  most  effective,  but  should  not  be  adopted 
within  a  fortnight  of  the  date  when  the  fruit  is 
to  be  gathered,  as  the  Paris  green  is  poisonous. 
If  the  spraying  is  performed  after  picking  the 
fruits,  allow  the  substance  to  remain  on  the  foliage. 
It  will  do  no  harm  and  keep  off  pests. — Hugh  H. 

AlTKEN. 


offered  in  a  mixed  border.  There  they  were  left 
till  October,  when  they  were  removed  to  the  cold 
greenhouse,  and  were  very  shortly  in  bloom,  as 
they  have  continued  ever  since.  Primrose  Dame 
was  the  variety  used. — M.  Kenny,  Cambridge. 

Failure  of  Anemone  fulgens. — As  Mr.  Arnott 
asks,  on  page  181,  issue  April  12,  for  opinions 
about  Anemone  fulgens,  I  may  say  that  here  in 
Surrey  it  flourishes  well,  but  not  in  the  natural 
soil,  which  is  poor  and  sandy.  We  find  it  will 
only  do  well  in  the  moister  parts  of  our  garden. 
Each  year  it  flowers  in  abundance  during  about 
two  to  three  months  on  the  lower  parts  of  a  small 
rock  garden  in  which  the  soil  is  entirely  made  up 
of  good,  light  loam  with  some  leaf-mould  mixed 
with  it.  In  this  part  of  the  garden  the  natural 
subsoil  is  rather  moist  sand.  The  plants  are  in 
full  s>m,  but  they  also  do  equally  well  in  a  small 
bed  with  the  same  subsoil  where  they  only  get 
the  midday  sun.  The  flowers  sometimes  begin 
before  January  is  over,  but  this  year  they  did  not 
begin  till  the  end  of  February. — Tempus  Fugit. 


How  to    Grow    Saxifraga   burseriana.— I    am 

interested  in  "Alpinist's"  very  considerate 
challenge^on  the  above  subject,  page  191,  April  19 
issue.  I  am  very  grateful  to  him  for  not  dealing 
more  harshly  with  one  whom,  I  fear,  he  has  proved 
a  false  prophet.  I  will  frankly  confess; that  S. 
burseriana  puzzles  me.  Mr.  Elliott,  whom  I  took 
with  me  for  our  first  sight  of  the  plant  in  one  of 
its  loci  classici,  will. bear  me  out  when  I  say  that 
it  there  luxuriates  on  limey  silt  in  a  very  deep  and 
sunless  gorge,  and  there  alone.  Similarly  I  have 
since  seen  it  in  the  Schlem  Klamm,  the  same  great 
Tridentine  form,  but  less  abundant  and  less 
luxuriant.  (But  there  was  born  S.  b.  Gloria  and 
by  me  collected.)  And  here  also  it  appears, 
though  less  rigidly,  to  shun  the  more  open  and 
simny  places.  Finally,  on  the  high  crest  of  the 
Hoch  Ober,  in  the  Karawanken,  S.  b.  minor  may 
be  found  in  enormous  masses,  always,  for  choice, 
on  the  under  side  of  the  shelving  tussocks,  though 
exposed  to  all  the  wind  and  rain  along  the  moim- 
tain's  neck.  It  was  under  the  influence  of  these 
experiences  that  I  declared  the  plant  (in  "  The 
Rock  Garden ")  to  "  detest  sunshine  and  open 
positions."  I  do  not  think  that  the  allusion  or 
general  prescription  for  the  whole  race  of  Kabschia 
in  "  My  Rock  Garden "  is  really  contradictory 
to  this,  as  it  has  to  cover  so  much  wider  a  field  to 
generalise  about  the  section,  rather  than  prescribe 
specifically  for  one  member  of  it.  At  the  same 
time,  I  incline  to  think  that  the  more  general 
statement  may  perhaps  be  nearer  to  horticultural 
truth  (as  conditions  so  vary)  than  the  stronger 
pronouncement  of  "  The  Rock  Garden,"  though 
this  as  a  fimdamental  fact  of  the  plant's  natural 
requirements  should  always  be  kept  in  mind, 
.■^t  the  same  time,  "  Alpinist "  must  remember 
that  "  dry  and  simny,"  "  cool  and  shady,"  mean 
very  different  things  in  almost  every  garden  of 
almost  every  English  coimty,  and  a  very,  very 
different  thing,  again,  from  the  sun  and  shade  of 
the  Salum  Gorge  or  the  Schlem  Klamm.  I 
myself  mean  by  "  detests  sun  and  open  positions  " 
merely  that — having  so  often  seen  burseriana  in 
Southern  gardens  fried  and  frizzled  out  of  life  by 
being  planted  in  the  "  dry,  sunny  positions  "  in  which 
Mr.  Robinson  hopes  it  will  soon  form  good-sized  tufts 
— now  I  should  always  advise  cultivators  in  hot 
counties  to  give  it  a  northerly  or  westerly  exposure. 
Is  it  possible  that  "  Alpinist  "  thought  I  meant 
that  it  should  have  positive  shade  of  bush  or  tree  ? 
In  this  case  I  apologise  for  my  obscurity.  No 
wonder  I  have  been  found  a  false  prophet.  I 
am  certain  that  burseriana,  if  it  is  to  grow  well 
in  full  sun  in  Southern  Counties,  depends  on  very 
perfect  conditions  of  drainage  and  underground 
moisture.  Generally  speaking,  to  elaborate  and 
clarify  my  prescriptions,  I  advise  growing  it  in 
some  quite  open  and  unshaded  position,  but  in 
one  which  does  not  get  the  full  fiury  of  midday 
summer  heat,  imless  it  be  well  watered  from 
below  and  in  a  soil  that  suits  the  demands  of  such 
a  baking  situation — very  loose,  that  is,  with  chips 
and  lime  rubble  freely  mixed  with  a  light,  rich 
compost.  My  own  experience  with  the  plant  is 
valueless,  for  here  (where  the  sun  is  pale)  it  grows 
without  trouble  in  almost  any  aspect.  But  even 
here  I  should  not  give  it  my  hottest  situation. 
But  in  any  case  I  am  sure  we  must  never  forget 
ttat  the  very  best  forms  of  the  plant — Gloria  and 
magna — are  only^to  be  found  in  deep  and  darkish 
gorges,  where  they  are  protected  from  the  rages 
of  an  Italian  sun  and  summer,  not  by  tree  or  bush, 
but  by  the  vast  encompassing  walls  of  limestone 
on  either  hand. — Reginald  Farrer. 


April  26,  1913-] 


THE     GARDEN. 


203 


A  Hint  when  Syringing. — When  using  the  syringe 
for  spraying  bushes  with  an  oily  or  soapy  emulsion, 
great  difficulty  is  often  experienced  in  holding  it 
sufficiently  tight  to  develop  the  required  force 
necessary  for  successful  work.  If  this  is  so,  a 
band  of  metal  should  be  soldered  round  the  barrel 
at  the  most  convenient  point ;  a  piece  of  corru- 
gated brass  or  lacquered  metal  raised  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  in  the  centre  gives  a  secure  hold. 
I  have  also  seen  a  syringe  having  a  piece  of  thick 
copper  wire  tightly  wound  round  the  barrel  and 
soldered  in  position  for  the  same  purpose.  A 
plumber  will  do  the  work  for  a  few  pence. — H.  A. 

A  Rose  Note. — Some  weeks  ago  one  or  two 
N'i>ithern  correspondents  complained  of  the  winter's 
havoc  among  their  Rose  plants.  Happily,  no  such 
ill-effects  have  to  be  chronicled  from  this  district. 
But  had  severe  frosts  visited  us,  I  believe  we  should 
have  fared  equally  badly,  for  as  one  has  gone  through 
the  pruning  operations,  the  soft  and  pithy  state 
of  so  much  of  last  year's  wood  is  all  too  evident, 
thus  making  it  necessary  to  cut  some  growths 
practically  to  the  ground  which  otherwise  ought 
to  have  been  left  with  three  or  four  good  eyes. 
I  iiresunie  this  want  of  firmness  in  the  wood  is 
due  to  last  year's  lack  of  sunshine. — C.  Turner, 
1.  Kenwood  Road,  Highgate,  N. 

How  to  Destroy  Ants. — Ants  are  often  trouble- 
some pests  during  the  summer.  A  weak  solution 
of  carbolic  atid,  one  to  three  parts  of  the  ordinary 
commercial  substance  to  lOO  parts  of  water,  is  a 
good  liquid  to  spray  in  places  which  they  frequent  ; 
but  a  good  insecticide  is  equally  effective.  Vaporite, 
a  substance  often  advertised  in  your  columns, 
is  even  better  than  the  carbolic  solution.  I  have 
also  heard  of  boiling  water  being  used  success- 
fully, as  the  insects  do  not  love  a  moist  habitation, 
even  should  they  not  be  killed  by  the  heat.  If 
the  nest  can  be  found,  it  ought  to  be  flooded  with 
water,  or  hberally  treated  with  some  poisonous 
substance  or  a  strong  insecticide  like  Vaporite. — 

HluU    H,    .\ITKEN. 

Double-Flowered  Pink  and  Rose  Almonds. — 

Among  hardy  flowering  trees  that  adorn  our 
gardens  in  early  spring,  those  having  flowers  of  a 
deep  pink  or  rose  colour  are  none  too  numerous, 
and  amid  the  general  run  of  white,  yellow  and  blue 
flowered  subjects  their  ruddy  colours  stand  out 
conspicuously.  Exceedingly  pictiuresque  at  the 
present  time  is  Prunus  Araygdalus  Clara  Meyer, 
whose  leafless  branches  are  thickly  set  with  deep 
pink  flowers  like  miniature  semi-double  Roses.  The 
flowers  are  exceedingly  lasting,  are  not  readily 
marred  by  adverse  weather,  and  the  trees  are 
floriferous  even  in  a  yoimg  state.  In  Prunus 
persica  rosea  plena  we  have  a  double  rose-coloured 
form  of  the  Peach,  while  in  the  variety  magnifica 
the  flowers  are  of  a  much  deeper  shade.  All  these 
forms  of  Prunus  are  exceedingly  ornamental, 
either  as  bushes  planted  in  grass — at  least  a  yard 
around  the  stems  must  be  kept  clear  of  grass — 
or  as  standards,  singly  as  specimens,  or  grouped 
among  other  shrubs. — Thom.\s  Smith,  Coomhc  Court 
Gardens. 


MY  EXPERIENCE  WITH  THE 
NARCISSUS  FLY. 

(Merodon   EguEsiRis.) 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

April  29. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Meet- 
ing and  National  Auricula  and  Primula  Show 
(Southern  Section)  at  Vincent  Square,  Westminster. 

April  30. — National  Auricula  Society's  Show 
{Midland  Section)  at  Birmingham  (two  days). 

May  I. — National  Rose  Society's  Spring  Show 
at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Hall. 

May  3. — Societe  Frani;aise  de  Horticulture  de 
I.ondres  Meet.ng. 


IN  writing  of  the  Narcissus  fly,  I  do  not  make 
any  pretensions  to  profound  knowledge,  but 
I  can  see  things  are  not  exactly  as  we  have 
been  taught,  and  for  this  reason  1  have 
taken  upon  myself  to  put  forward  the  points 
at  variance  with  accepted  orthodoxy.  My  first 
knowledge  I  gathered  from  the  Rev.  S.  E.  Bourne's 
"  Book  on  the  Daffodil,"  but  my  experience  has 
led  me  to  see  that  things  are  not  exactly  as  described 
there,  so  I  am  now  anxious  to  get  a  more  perfect 
knowledge  and  to  get  others  interested,  so  that  by 
combined  investigation  we  may  find  out  the  real 
life-duration  of  the  larva  and  other  matters  con- 
nected therewith,  which  will  clear  away  the  mists 
at  present  surrounding  the  mystery.  It  is  necessary 
that  we  should  have  proof  of  the  position  of  the 
egg  as  it  is  deposited  by  the  fly.  This  can  be  done 
by  watching  the  female  while  occupied  in  this  work. 
Then  we  need  strong  proof  of  the  direction  the 
newly-hatched  larva  takes,  as  it  is  a  keenlV-disputed 
point  whether  it  works  its  way  down  the  foliage 
inside  the  bulb  or  outside,  entering  from  below. 
The  approximate  date  of  change  from  larva  to 
pupa  jught  als)  to  be  known. 

In  1909  I  had  a  bed  of  Emperor  Narcissi  nearly 
destroved  bv  the  flv.     1  took  about  thirtv  of  the 


Larva 


Pupa  . 


Fly. 


THE    X.\RCISSUS    FLY    (MERODON    EQUESTRIS) 
WITH    L.\RVA    AND    PUPA. 

bulbs  having  larva;  therein  and  planted  them  in 
sjil  in  a  box,  over  which  I  placed  a  sheet  of  glass, 
so  that  none  could  escape.  In  March,  1910,  the 
first  fly  metamorphosed  ;  others  followed  in  a  few 
days,  and  I  fed  them  with  honey,  but  they  did  not 
live  more  than  eight  or  ten  days.  May  was  the 
most  prolific  month.  One  of  these  larval  grubs 
was  of  quite  nomadic  tendency  ;  it  left  its  home 
and  wandered  in  the  soil  until  it  found  a  hole  in 
the  side  of  the  wooden  box  from  which  a  small 
knot  had  fallen,  and  in  this  it  was  jammed.  No 
doubt  its  food  supply  had  faQed  and  it  was  in 
search  of  fresL  quarters.  Let  it  be  noted  that  1 
found  this  larval  grub  thus  jammed  in  April,  at  a 
time  when  it  ought — according  to  accepted  theories 
— to  have  been  in  its  chrysalis  state.  This  is  one 
of  the  several  points  I  did  not  grasp  as  I  ought  to 
have  done  until  too  late,  but  I  think  it  will  go  a 
long  way  towards  proving  my  theory  of  a  two 
seasons'  larval  state.  I  did  not  then  give  it  proper 
consideration.  I  was,  after  this,  better  acquainted 
with  the  fly,  and  began  to  watch  for  it  in  the  garden. 
I  found  by  experience  that  from  ri  a.m.  to  3  p.m. 
was  the  best  time,  and  got  into  the  habit  of  leaving 
all  other  work  at  those  times  so  that  I  might  give 
my  undivided  attention  to  their  destruction. 
My  method  of  capture  was  as  follows  :  After  accus- 
toming my  eyes  to  recognise  the  fly  on  the  wing, 
I  watched  until  I  saw  it  drop  on  the  soil    near  the 


beds  ;  then,  holding  my  net  about  two  feet  from  the 
ground,  I  cautiously  drew  within  striking  distance, 
then  dropped  the  net  over  it  and'. flattened  it  out 
with  my  fingers  as  quickly  as  possible.  I  found 
that  when  the  fly  rises,  being  disturbed,  it  will,  as  a 
rule,  settle  again  fiu'ther  along  the  bed ;  but  if 
missed  when  struck  at,  it  vanishes  like  magic  to 
some  distant  retreat.  I  have,  however,  seen  others 
take  a  turn  round  of,  say,  20  yards,  then  as  suddenly 
return  and  drop  within  striking  distance  and  be 
caught.  This  is  more  especially  so  when  the  fly 
has  been  hatched  on  that  particular  bed — at  least, 
I  have  thought  so. 

I  saw  no  flies  on  the  wing  after  June  25.  In 
igit  the  season  opened  cold  and  wet,  and  I  saw 
no  flies  untU  May  2$.  After  this  they  came  out 
daily,  until  I  caught  as  many  as  twenty-seven 
in  one  day  ;  then,  dwindling  in  number,  1  caught 
the  last  on  Jime  21.  I  kept  a  diary,  and  totalled 
a  bag  of  127  males  and  fifty-seven  females.  I 
experienced  a  great  joy,  believing  I  had  caught 
the  last.  I  have  proved  my  imaginings  sadly 
deficient.  According  to  Mr.  H.  C.  Long,  Gar- 
deners' Chronicle,  October  12,  1912,  the  laying 
capacity  of  each  female  fly  for  one  season  is  stated 
to  be  100.  I  do  not  accept  that.  I  have  several 
times  dissected  the  female,  and  with  a  cambric 
needle  counted  sixty,  more  or  less,  but  always  within 
half-a-dozen  of  that  number.  If,  therefore,  the 
number  of  bulbs  destroyed  in  a  season  was  based 
on  the  100  product  it  would  be  very  misleading. 
This  year  I  caught  fifty-seven  females,  and  this 
number  multiplied  by  sixty,  which  I  consider 
correct,  gives  57  x  60  =  3,420,  representing  the 
total  number  of  bulbs  that  might  be  destroyed. 

In  iqi2  the  fly  rose  early,  my  first  catch  being 
on  .^pril  20.  The  Daffodil  period  was  very  early,  too, 
and  much  difficulty  was  experienced  by  growers  in 
keeping  their  flowers  for  the  shows.  The  season  was 
warm  and  the  flies  were  very  active.  I  was  very 
active,  too,  and  did  not  sit  down  to  watch  them 
grow.  1  took  my  "  gun  "  (I  always  call  it  so)  and 
went  afield  after  the  game.  Last  year  I  found  it 
very  late  at  work,  and  my  last  kill  was  on  July  8. 
When  I  drew  my  balance  I  found  I  had  a  bag  of 
thirty-eight  males  and  sixty-six  females.  It  is 
impossible  to  calculate  the  extent  of  the  losses, 
because  there  is  so  much  we  cannot  compute ; 
for  instance,  small  side  bulbs  suffer  terribly  when 
the  large  bulbs  are  affected.  I  consider  this  fly- 
catching  method  far  outstrips  any  other  scheme 
for  the  destruction  of  the  flies.  Here  they  are  all 
killed  before  the  breeding  begins.  In  other  methods, 
you  must  wait  until  a  new  generation  of  flies  is  at 
work  in  the  bulbs.  I  often  think  of  the  old  adage, 
"  A  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth  two  in  the  bush." 

A.  rather  remarkable  thing  came  under  my  notice 
last  year.  On  March  26  I  took  up  a  bulb  of  Mme. 
de  Graaff,  owing  to  the  iU-conditioned  state  of 
its  foliage.  Searching  for  a  cause,  I  found  a  full- 
grown  larval  grub,  and  it  set  me  wondering  as  to 
why  that  grub  was  still  in  a  larval  state — it  really 
ought  to  be  a  chrysalis.  I  felt  there  was  something 
wrong.  I  wanted  to  know  why,  so  I  prepared 
another  bulb  by  cutting  it  in  two  and  scooping  out 
a  portion  to  fit  the  grub  in.  I  then  put  nails 
through  it  and  stowed  it  away  to  keep  it  tmder 
observation.  On  June  25  I  found  another  bulb 
having  a  full-grown  larval  grub,  and  I  treated  it 
in  the  same  way.  The  nomad  or  tramp  larva, 
previously  referred  to,  now  came  to  my  memory, 
strongly  confirming  my  theory  of  two  seasons' 
larval  existence.  Keeping  the  two  bulbs  under 
observation  until  October  26,  they  were  examined, 
found  alive,   and  planted  in   soil  in   a  flower-pot. 


204 


THE    GAEDEN. 


[April  26,  1913. 


There  can  be  no  question  about  them,  but  I  shall 
keep  an  eye  on  them,  all  the  same.  Respecting 
this  two  seasons'  larval  life,  1  lnuiid  a  very  stronfi 
confirmation  of  this  in  tlio  Gardeners'  Chronicle, 
October  19,  1912,  from  Ih?  pen  ot  Mr.  A.  J.  Bliss, 
F.R.H.S.  He  had  a  harvest  uf  about  ten  thousand 
bulbs,  and  owing  to  the  prevalence  cf  the  fly 
he  made  a  most  carclul  search  for  the  larvje 
and  found  from  thirty  to  forty,  each  being 
about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long.  He  also 
found  three  other  larva  tlirce-quarters  of  an  inch 
long.  Not  having  arrived  at  my  two  seasons 
theory,  he  attributed  those  of  t!.e  smaller  size  to 
some  mysterious  retardation  wliiic 
still  in  the  egg  state.  He  thinks 
the  eggs  remained  dormant  for 
some  time  after  oviposition.  Of 
course,  this  second  season  in 
the  life  of  the  larva  must  nut 
now  be  lost  sight  of,  but  be 
followed  up  for  fuller  corrobora- 
tion. All  the  same,  it  appears 
as  plain  as  a  pikestaff  that 
two  seasons  must  have  been 
occupied  in  the  life  of 
the  two  I  have  under  observa- 
tion and  the  three  named  by  Mr. 
Bliss. 

With  reference  to  fly  iden- 
tification, we  have  much  instruc- 
tion towards  this  that  is  helpful, 
but  it  needs  repeating  for 
amateur  guidance.  I  would  there- 
lore  put  the  method  thus :  The 
fly  has  many  varied  hues,  is 
covered  mth  short  hairs,  and 
very  much  resembles  the  worker 
female  of  the  field  bee.  In  fhght 
it  is  more  like  the  domestic 
drone  bee,  with  a  manoeuvring 
similar  to  the  blue-bottle  fly. 
The  colour  is  black,  or  j- black 
banded  with  grey,  yellow,  old  gold, 
pinky  russet,  or  sometimes  all  grey 
or  yellow. 

Methods  for  its  Destruc- 
tion. —  I.  First  and  best  is  a 
proper  net  to  catch  the  fly. 
No  other  method  is  so 
effectual.  2.  A  constant  watch- 
ful eye  early  in  the  morning 
when  the  fly  is  leaving  its 
cocoon,  or  it  may  be  foimd  with 
wings  not  expanded,  or  even 
in  the  cocoon  on  the  bed.  It 
may  also  be  found  dormant  on 
hedges,  Bo.\  edging.  Potato, 
Bean  and  Pea  haulm  and 
similar  places.  3.  A  rigid  in- 
spection of  all  bulbs  every 
time  they  change  hands  (raiser, 
sorter,  packer,  buyer  and 
planter),  and  if  this  be  done 
the  beds  will  receive  the  benefit  and  the  fly 
will  cease  to  terrorise.  4.  A  close  examina- 
tion of  bulbs  where  distorted  foliage  exists  or 
where  they  do  -ot  grow  properly,  also  of  the 
beds  round  such,  to  find  the  chrysali=,  in  March, 
April,  Ma)  and  June.  5.  Be  careful  to  put 
the  flies  out  of  their  misery  as  quickly  as 
possible.  Do  not  be  tempted  to  follow  such 
recommendations  as  spraying,  steeping  in  hot 
water  or  stoving  up  to  120"  Fahr.  It  is 
questionable  if  those  recommending  have  prooi 
of  success.  Gforc.e  St.  Ox. 


DAFFODIL    NOTES. 


The  Chairman  of  the  Daffodil  Committee.— 

Like  all  of  us,  our  chairman,  Mr.  E.  A.  Bowles, 
always  has  a  more  or  less  severe  attack  of  yellow 
fever  every  Daffodil-time  ;  but  this  spring,  unfortu- 
nately for  himself  and  for  us,  he  has  combined  it 
with  a  bout  of  the  scarlet — the  real  thmg,  I  am 
sorry  to  say.  Hence  he  is  a  prisoner  at  Myddelton 
House,  and  I  fear  we  shall  not  see  him  in  his  accus- 
tomed place  for  another  week  or  two.  Just  fancy 
spending  a  whole  Daffodil  season  in  one's  bedroom  ! 


THE  NEW  LEEDSII  NARCISSUS  ST.  OLAF  I-'OR  WHICH  MESSRS.  BARR 
.\ND  SONS  RECEIVED  AN  .\WARD  OF  MERIT  AT  THE  LONDON 
SHOW    LAST    WEEK.      {See  page  2U8  ) 


The  idea  is  too  awful  to  contemplate,  and  yet  in 
our  chairman's  case  it  has  been  a  reality.  I  am 
sure  there  is  not  a  single  one  of  his  colleagues  who 
does  not  heartily  sympathise  with  him  in  his 
misfortune  and  wish  him  a  speedy  return  to  the 
world. 
Two    Barnstaple    Seedlings. — My    wanderings 

this  year  led  me  to  both  Barnstaple  (Devon  Show) 
and  Truro  (Cornwall  Show).  At  the  former  I 
thought  Mr.  T.  Batson  of  Beaworthy  had  a  good 
seedling  in  Melpomone,  a  bicolor  Barri,  in  shape 
rather  like  Croesus.     The  pale  orange  cup  .and  the 


ivory  white  perianth  harmonised  very  well  and 
gave  a  nice  bloom.  Size,  3J  inches  by  half  an 
inch  by  I J  inches.  Ionia  was  another  good  seed- 
ling, shown  by  Miss  Ida  Pope  of  King's  Norton. 
It  is  after  the  style  of  Albatross,  but  with  a  flatter 
and  more  expanded  cup  and  a  very  pale  canary 
perianth,  overlapping  and  of  good  texture.  Size, 
3j  inches  by  half  an  inch  by  ij  inches. 

Truro  Show.— Truro  and  J.  C.  and  P.  D.  Williams 
are  inseparable.  Here  these  famous  champions 
of  the  Daffodil  show  meet  in  friendly  combat 
every  year.  Their  exhibits  are  always  worth 
seeing,  and  this  year  was  no  exception.  I  spotted 
a  very  fine  Poet  in  "  Mr.  J.  C.'s." 
I  have  since  learnt  that  our  great 
Poet-maker  considers  it  to  be 
one  of  the  very  very  best  he  has 
ever  raised.  The  same  variety 
figured  on  Messrs.  Barr's  stand 
at  the  London  show  last  week, 
where  it  gained  an  award  of 
merit  under  the  name  of 
Caedmon.  Awards  of  merit  were 
given  to  Venus,  an  excellent 
Giant  Leedsii  of  a  good  class 
for  shows,  and  also  to  Silver 
Penny  (Martin).  In  days  not 
so  long  ago  it  would  have  been 
called  a  bicolor  Engleheartii. 
The  big,  flat  eye  was  of  a 
distinct  tone  of  deep  yellow,  and 
the  whole  flower  reminded  me 
of  Mr.  W.  T.  Ware's  very 
pretty  Princess  Alice,  which  is 
described  by  the  vendor  as 
"  practically  a  white  form  of 
Princess  Mary  with  a  splendid 
constitution." 

The  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's   Daffodil  Show. — 

"  London,"  as  we  are  beginning 
to  call  this  show  for  short, 
was  a  great  gathering  of  the 
clans.  All  sorts  and  conditions 
of  flowers  were  to  be  seen  in 
the  hall.  Mr.  Stocks  from 
Darlington  must  have  given  the 
merodons  a  short  respite,  for  he 
had  left  his  nets  at  home  and 
brought  some  flowers.  Then  there 
was  that  keen  amateur,  Mr. 
Morton,  who,  I  believe,  holds 
the  money-bags  of  the  National 
Hardy  Plant  Society.  His  ex- 
hibits were  many  and  also  his 
prizes.  Then,  again,  there  were 
the  White  Lady  and  the  White 
Gentleman — more  famous,  perhaps, 
in  the  Rose  world  than  in  ours 
— with  much  nice  stuff.  Lastly, 
but  not  inclusively,  there  were 
Parson  Buncombe  from  Devon 
with  good  examples  of  the  grand 
white  trumpet  Sibyl  Forster  and  Red  Wing,  the 
reddest  thing  out  in  perianths  ;  Canon  Fowler,  Mr. 
Mallender  from  Scrooby  (a  seedling-raiser  of  much 
merit),  Mr.  Lower  from  Mid- Wales,  Mr.  T.  Batson, 
Mr.  Cranfield,  Mr.  Staffurth,  Messrs.  Cartwright 
and  Goodwin,  Mr.  Watts,  Mr.  Bourne,  Mr.  P.  D. 
Williams,  Mr.  Crosfield  and  Mr.  Wilson,  the  coming 
man,  a  description  which  I  use  with  deliberate 
intent  of  one  whom  everyone  thinks  has  already 
come — but  "  wait  and  see." 

When   our   present    King   was   Prince   of   Wales 
he  made  his  famous  tour  of  the  Empire  and  rf mrdf  d 


April  26,  1913. 


THE    GARDEN. 


205 


his    impressions    in    the    now    celebrated  phrase, 
"  Wake  up  !  "     The  fascination  of  the   Daffodil   is 
great.     Yearly   it    attracts   an   increasing   number 
of  devotees.     It  is  as  if  a  stone  had  been  dropped 
in  a  still  pool  and  the  expanding  ripples  had  just 
touched  our   big,   big  firms.     Sutton's  with   their 
own  seedlings  !     Carter's  with  quite  a  lot  of  good 
new  things,  of  which  perhaps  Dazzler,  a  magnificent 
vase  flower,   was   the   pick  !     Veitch's,   not   to  be 
left  behind,  had  an  orthodox  stage  full  of  good  old 
favourites     and     new     leaven.     These     signs     are 
striking.     So,  too,  but  in  another  way,  were  the 
vast   number  of  new   seedlings   that   were   every- 
where to  be  seen.     Someone  asked  me  what  would 
happen  if  they  were  all  to  be  grown  on  into  stocks. 
"  Only   one   thing,"    I   said ;    "  apply  to  the  new 
Chinese  Parliament  for  a  leave  of  their  country." 
But  this  will  not  come  to  pass.     There  will  be  a 
great    massacre    of    the   innocents,    and    practical 
business  men  will  find,  I  expect,  their  goose  with 
the  golden  egg  in  having  and  holding  large  stocks 
of  the  precise  things    the    public  is 
sure    to    want     and    which    it    will 
have.       What    those     varieties     will 
be     is    the    question     of     questions 
to    the    up-to-date    Daffodil-grower. 
Mr.    Ware,    for    example,     acquired 
Horace.     I   have   heard  it  said  that 
he  looks    upon    his   possession    as   a 
certain     yearly     income     for    many 
years.      I    feel    sure     he     is     right. 
Another   everyone's    flower    is  Wliito 
Lady,    another    is    Lucifer,     another 
is  .■\spasia,  another  is  Olympia.     T'l 
return    to    the     show,    of    which    a 
fuller     description      will      be     given 
next      week,     I     feel      I     must,     in 
response      to      many      solicitations, 
lodge  a   protest    here    to    the   policy 
of      the     Council     in     allowing     the 
Royal    Horticultural    Society's    Hali 
to    be    let    immediately    before    such 
an     important     show     as     that     of 
April  r5-i6.     It   makes   one   wonder 
whether     flowers     or     other     things 
are     the     more    important    in    their 
estimation.       This    is    a  bare    state- 
ment of  what  happened  last   week  : 
Time,     5     p.m.     on    the     day    befort- 
the     show.       No    staging     whatever 
fixed ;     about      two      hundred     and 
fifty      vases      only     available     and, 
say,    1,500    wanted ;      dust     ad    lib. 
This  I  myself    saw    on    my  arrival. 
Readers  can    draw    their  own   con- 
clusions  of    the    amiable   frame   of    mind   of  the 
competitors   who  had  arrived   ■^arly  to   try  to  get 
forward  with  their  work,  for  Daffodils  take  a  long 
time  to  put  up. 

A  Daffodil  Year  Book. — This  is  taking  shape. 
The  Narcissus  committee  have  offered  me  the 
position  of  Editor,  and  I  have  accepted  the  same. 
I  hope  I  may  be  able  to  turn  out  a  book  which 
will  not  disappoint  the  expectations  of  those  who 
have  waited  for  such  a  volume  so  long.  More 
particulars  concerning  this  will  be  forthcoming  in 
due  course.  Joseph  Jacob. 

[We  have  made  enquiries  respecting  the  arrange- 
ments at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Hall 
on  Monday  last,  and  find  that  the  trouble 
referred  to  by  Mr.  Jacob  was  in  a  large  measure 
due  to  the  illness  of  the  superintendent, 
Mr.  S.  T.  Wright,  who  was  unable  to  be 
present  on  either  the  Monday,  Tuesday  or 
Wednesday. — Ep.] 


CULTURAL   HINTS  ON    NEW 
AND   RARE   PLANTS. 


THE     BAMBOO    GARDEN. 


TREES     AND    SHRUBS. 

(Continued  from  page  Qfj.) 

Ailantus  vilmoriniana.  —  An  ornamental  tree 
allied  to  the  well-known  Tree  of  Heaven  (A. 
glandulosa),  from  which  it  differs  by  having 
spiny  stems  and  rose-coloured  stalks  to  the  leaves. 
It  succeeds  in  loamy  soil,  and  requires  a  position 
exposed  to  full  sun,  where  the  wood  can  become 
well  ripened,  for  during  its  early  life  the  plant  is 
a  little  tender.  Usually  grafted  upon  stocks  of 
A.  glandulosa,  it  might  be  increased  by  root-cuttings 
once  own-root  plants  were  obtained. 

Robinia  Kelseyi. — The  flowers  of  this  are  quite 
as  beautiful  as  those  of  the  Rose  .Acacia  (R.  hispida) 
and  the  same  colour,  while  the  species  has  the  advan- 
tage of  forming  a  larger  plant  and  producing  seeds, 
whereas  seeds  cannot  be  obtained  from  R.  hispida. 


THE  latter  half  of  April  and  during  May  is 
an  importaiit  time  in  the  Bamboo  gar- 
den, for  during  that  period  any  necessary 
alterations  may  be  carried  out  most 
satisfactorily,  as  Bamboos  are  then 
in  the  best  condition  for  transplanting. 
It  is  also  the  best  time  for  pruning,  for  although 
some  people  trouble  little  about  this  work.  Bamboos 
which  are  regularly  pruned  have  a  great  advantage 
over  those  which  are  left  untouched. 

Transplanting. — The  time  to  begin  dividing 
and  transplanting  the  clumps  varies  according 
to  the  season,  but  a  good  guide  is  the  condition 
of  the  new  shoots.  When  these  are  from  2  inches 
to  3  inches  long  and  new  leaves  are  bursting  on 
the  older  branches  is  the  proper  time  to  begin. 
Bamboos  are  not  very  fastidious  regarding  soil, 
for  they  thrive  well  in  light,  medium  and  heavy 
loam  ;    but    they   must   be   planted  in   a  position 


H.\RDY    BAMBOOS    IN    THE    BOTANIC    G.\RDENS    AT    CAMBRIDGE. 


Propagation  is  effected  by  means  of  root-cuttings 
or  by  seeds.  In  the  former  case  sections  of  root  as 
thick  as  a  lead  pencil  may  be  cut  4  inches  long 
and  be  planted  in  light,  loamy  soil  in  a  little  heat 
in  spring,  when  growths  will  be  formed.  Plant  in 
light,  loamy  soil,  and  keep  the  leading  shoot  tied 
up  and  the  side  branches  checked  for  a  few  years 
to  encourage  height. 
Leptospermnm     scopariiun     Nicbollii. — Manv 

people  voted  this  to  be  the  most  beautiful  new 
plant  shown  at  the  International  Exhibition  held 
in  London  last  year.  It  is  an  erect  shrub,  and  has 
beautiful  dark  red  flowers  instead  of  the  familiar 
white  of  the  typical  L.  scoparium.  In  the  South- 
west Counties  it  may  be  grown  out  of  doors  in  ordi- 
nary garden  soil  like  any  other  shrub,  but  in  a  colder 
climate  a  cool  greenhouse  is  required.  When  new  soil 
is  provided,  equal  parts  of  fibrous  peat  and  loam 
mav  be  given  with  a  fair  proportion  of  silver  sand. 
(7'o  be  (onlinued.) 


where  the  ground  is  never  likely  to  become  dry, 
or  where  plenty  of  water  can  be  provided  during 
dry  weather.  At  planting-time  it  is  a  good  plan 
to  place  a  little  leaf-mould  among  the  soil  which 
comes  in  immediate  contact  with  the  roots,  while 
a  little  distance  away  well-rotted  manure  may  be 
mixed  with  the  soil.  A  good  watering  should  follow 
transplanting,  and  both  newly-planted  and  estab- 
lished clumps  are  benefited  by  a  mulch  of  rotten 
manure  and  leaves  applied  in  May.  Wherever  a 
good  force  of  water  is  obtainable,  it  is  an  excellent 
plan  to  give  the  plants  a  thorough  washing  overhead 
several  times  a  year,  and  particularly  before  and 
after  pruning.  This  is  specially  needful  in  the 
case  of  plants  growing  in  the  vicinity  of  towns, 
where  dirt  collects  about  the  leaves  and  branches. 
Bamboos  are  usually  increased  by  dividing  old 
clumps  into  small  pieces,  potting  them  up,  and 
standing  them  in  a  moist  and  warm  greenhouse 
until    growtli   recon:\mences :     hut    whenever   it    is 


206 


THE    GARDEN. 


[April  26,  1913. 


possible  to  obtain  seeds  of  any  species,  it  is  very 
much  better  to  raise  plants  from  them  than  to 
propagate  in  any  otiier  way.  As  is  well  known, 
many  Bamboos  have  flowered  and  died  within 
the  last  few  years.  Some  people  have  an  idea 
that  a  plant  which  has  flowered  can  be  coaxed 
back  to  life  ;  but  if  such  a  thing  happens  it  is  very 
rare,  and  the  owner  of  a  flowering  plant  would  be 
well  advised  to  keep  a  sharp  look-out  for  seeds, 
for,  once  he  obtains  seedlings,  he  is  safe  for  many 
years,  as  it  is  doubtful  whether  a  seedling  will 
bloom  before  it  is  thirty  years  of  age ;  whereas  a 
plant  obtained  by  the  division  of  an  old  stock 
plant  mav  blossom  and  die  within  a  year  or  two. 

Varieties.  —  Over  thirty  different  kinds  of 
Bamboos  have  been  introduced  which  are  hardy 
iu  al!  except  the  coldest  parts  of  the  British  Isles, 
providing  a  sheltered  position  is  accorded  them. 
Among  the  Arundinarias  the  following  deserve 
special  attention:  A.  auceps. — A  Chinese  plant 
growing  from   7  feet   to  q  feet  high,  with  slender. 


plant  seen  in  the  illustration  on  page  205  is  this 
species.  In  size  of  leaf  it  is  only  surpassed  by  one 
other  hardy  Bamboo,  that  being  the  Chinese  and 
Japanese  Bambusa  tessellata,  which,  although 
only  attaining  a  height  of  about  three  feet,  often 
produces  leaves  which  exceed  a  foot  in  length. 
Perhaps  the  hardiest  of  all  Bamboos  is  A.  japonica. 
It  is  often  found  in  old  gardens  forming 
dense  clumps  12  feet  to  15  feet  high  and 
as  far  across.  The  dark  green  leaves  are  from 
6  inches  to  8  inches  long.  A.  nitida  is  perhaps 
the  daintiest  of  all  Bamboos,  its  graceful,  arching 
branches  being  clothed  with  small,  elegant,  bright 
green  leaves.  It  grows  from  6  feet  to  9  feet  high. 
The  stateliest  of  the  Arundinarias  is  A.  Simonii. 
a  Chinese  species,  which  grows  18  feet  high  and 
forms  wide-spreading  clumps.  As  a  contrast 
to  this  we  find  the  Japanese  A.  pygma?a,  which 
scarcely  grows  i  foot  high.  It  is  useful  for  forming 
large  masses  by  the  water-side.  More  tender  than 
the   foregoing   kinds  are   A.  falcata,   A.    Falconcri, 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


SA.XIFRAGA    MARGINATA, 


A    BEAUTIFUL    ROCKFOIL    FOR    THE    ALPINE-HOUSE    OR 
ROCK    GARDEN. 


wand-like  shoots  clothed  with  dainty,  bright  green 
leaves.  A.  auricoma. — A  Japanese  species  which 
attains  a  height  of  from  3  feet  to  4  feet.  It  is  of 
dense  habit,  produces  slender  branches  and  has 
golden-variegated  foliage.  A.  Fortunei. — Although 
this  grows  but  a  couple  of  feet  high,  it  is  very  popular 
on  account  of  its  silver-variegated  foliage.  The 
Japanese  A.  Hindsii  is  an  erect-growing  plant 
10  feet  to  15  feet  high,  of  rather  coarse  habit.  It 
is  surpassed  in  beauty  by  its  narrow-leaved  variety 
graminea,  which,  though  quite  as  tall,  is  of  better 
habit  and  more  leafy.  A.  humilis  and  A. 
chrysantha  are  two  dwarf-growing  plants  which 
attain  a  height  of  from  3  feet  to  4  feet  ;  both  form 
rather  dense  masses.  A.  Kumasasa  is  better  known 
in  most  gardens  under  the  name  of  Bambusa 
palmata.  It  is  of  very  distinct  appearance,  for 
it  forms  a  wide-spreading  mass  6  feet  to  8  feet 
high,  clothed  with  leaves  8  inches  to  q  inches  long 
and  2  inches  to  3  inches  wide.     The  wide-leaved 


A.  intermedia,  A.  hookeriana,  A.  nobilis  and  A. 
racemosa,  all  large-growing  species  suitable  for  a 
mild  climate. 

The  Phyllostachys  include  such  graceful  plants 
as  P.  aurea,  P.  flexuosa,  P.  Henonis,  P.  mitis, 
P.  nigra,  P.  sulphurea  and  P.  viridi-glaucescens, 
all  tall-growing  plants,  which  form  fine  clumps 
with  elegant  branches.  But  perhaps  the  finest  of 
all  hardy  Bamboos  is  found  in  P.  fastuosa.  Of 
more  erect  habit  than  the  majority  of  the  Phyllo- 
stachys, it  gTows  r8  feet  or  20  feet  high,  with 
stout  branches  clothed  with  showy,  deep  green 
leaves,  which  keep  their  colour  later  in  spring 
than  those  of  any  other  hardy  Bamboo.  A  few 
species  oiJy  of  Bambusa  are  grown.  One,  B. 
tessellata,  has  already  been  mentioned.  B. 
angustifolia  and  B.  Nagashima  are  small-growing 
kinds,  while  B.  quadrangularis  is  remarkable  for 
its  four-angled  stems.  It  is  only  suitable  for  the 
warmer  parts  of  the  country,  W.  P- 


SAXIFRAGA     MARGINATA. 

AMONG    the    earliei -flowering    members     of 
f\  the    Rockfoil    family    Saxifraga    mar- 

/  %  ginata  takes  a  foremost  position.  Its  ■, 
^^^^  large  trusses  of  pure  white  flowers  are  ' 
»  •     \-ery  charming  during  the  end  of  March 

and  the  beginning  of  -April,  either  grown 
in  pans  in  a  cold  frame  for  use  in  the  alpine-house  or 
perched  on  a  rocky  ledge  in  the  rock  garden.  In  the 
shelter  which  is  afforded  by  the  former  mode  of 
cultivation  the  flowers  are  seen  to  the  best  advan- 
tage, unaffected  by  the  weather,  which  is  often 
detrimental  to  plants  flowering  at  this  early  period 
of  thj  year.  Nevertheless,  a  group  of  this  Rock- 
foil  suitably  planted  in  well-drained,  gritty  soil 
in  a  sunny,  sheltered  position  in  the  rock  garden, 
when  in  flower,  is  very  attractive.  The  flowers 
are  of  greater  substance  than  many  other  members 
of  the  Kabschia  group,  to  which  this  species  belongs. 
This  group  consists  of  about  eighteen  species  of 
close-growing,  tufted  plants  with  small  rosettes 
of  leaves,  which  are  pitted,  and  secrete  lime  along 
the  margins.  They  are  mostly  natives  of  the 
dry,  calcareous  mountains  of  Southern  Europe.  S. 
marginata  is  a  native  of  the  Abruzzi  in  Italy, 
and  is  also  said  to  be  found  on  Mount  Taygetus 
in  Greece.  The  latter  probably  is  S.  Boryi,  a 
distinct  plant,  but  which  is  sometimes  given 
as  synonymous  with  the  Italian  plant.  In  the 
production  of  the  numerous  hybrids  which  have 
appeared  in  our  gardens  during  recent  years, 
S.  marginata  has  played  a  prominent  part  as  a 
parent.  Of  these  the  best  is  S.  Borisii  (marginata 
X  Ferdinandi-Cobiu-gi),  a  handsome  plant  of 
free-growing  habit  with  large  trusses  of  rich  yellow 
flowers  on  erect  stems  3  inches  high.  It  is  one 
of  the  best  of  the  later  yellow  kinds.  S.  Obristii 
(burseriana  x  marginata)  partakes  more  of  the 
habit  of  the  former  parent  in  foliage,  but  has 
pure  white  flowers  of  greater  substance  like  the 
latter.  All  three  are  of  easy  cultivation,  their 
main  requirements  being  ample  drainage  and 
gritty  soil  that  does  not  get  too  dry  in  summer. 
They  may  be  propagated  by  means  of  division 
in  spring  after  flowering,  or  by  cuttings  in 
summer.  \A'    1. 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PIiATE    1470 


THE       HARDY      NYMPH^AS      OR 
WATER     LILIES. 

[Continued  from  page  182.) 
Varieties. — We  have  now,  thanks  in  a  great 
measure  to  the  untiring  efforts  of  the  late  M.  B. 
Latour-Marliac,  and  more  recently  to  his  son  and 
successor,  a  marvellous  selection  of  hybrids,  and 
that  in  surprising  variety,  both  as  it  pertains  to 
colour,  to  vigour  and  to  freedom  of  growth.  There 
is  an  abundant  choice  now  in  whites,  in  pale  pinks, 
in  deeper  pinks  and  rose  colours,  in  reds,  in 
crimsons  of  various  shades,  and  in  yellows  also.  Of 
these  some  of  the  more  recently-raised  hybrids  are 
most  remarkable,  both  in  purity  of  colouring,  in  size 
of  flowers,  in  the  breadth  and  substance  of  the 
petals,  and  in  their  floriferousness.  To  look  at 
some  of  these  later  hybrids  when  in  their  full  beauty 
is  but  to  admire  them,  and  even  to  wonder  how 
they  have  been  evolved  out  of  those  we  knew, 
say,  ten  years  back.  In  more  than  one  instance 
the  season  of  flowering  has' been  extended,  both 


/ 


H 


ttJ 
X 


April  26,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


207 


early  and  late.  Some  of  the  best  of  these  newer 
hybrids,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  note  them, 
are:  Whites — N.  virginalis  (Latour-Marliac,  igio), 
which  is  very  free-flowering,  with  flowers  of  the 
largest  size,  the  petals  being  shell-shaped  and  of  the 
purest  white.  The  sepals  are  very  slightly  tinged 
with  faint  rose  colour  at  the  base,  the  stamens 
being  yellow.  With  us  it  is  the  earliest  of  all  to 
flower,  as  well  as  one  of  the  very  latest.  Its  descrip- 
tion anent  this  by  Latour-Marliac  is  "  pr^coce  et 
tardive,"  and  it  well  explains  this  characteristic. 
The  foliage  is  large,  and  has  a  faint  tinge  of  purple 
therein.  Of  pale  pinks,  N.  Mrs.  Richmond  (Latour- 
Marliac,  T910)  is,  in  my  opinion,  the  most  lovely 
flower  imaginable  in  this  the  softest  of  colours. 
Of  it  we  have  had  flowers  nearly, 
or  quite,  nine  mches  in  dia- 
meter. The  petals  are  broad  and 
massive,  the  stamens  yellow.  The 
flowers,  when  fully  expanded,  are 
a  lovely  sight.  Its  vigour,  too, 
is  all  that  one  can  desire.  It  has 
flowered  now  for  two  seasons  with 
us,  and  is  gaining  in  vigour.  (See 
coloured  illustration.)  N.  formosa 
(Latour-Marliac,  1909)  is  some- 
what similar  to  the  preceding  in 
its  colouring,  but  deepening 
towards  the  centre.  The  petals 
in  this  instance,  I  have  noted, 
are  distinctly  margined  with  pale 
pink  (quite  a  picotee  edge) ;  the 
growth,  also,  of  this  hybrid  is 
very  vigorous.  The  stamens  are 
yellow  and  the  flowers  of  the 
largest  size.  N.  somptuosa  (Latour- 
Marliac,  igog),  in  w-hich  the  rose 
colour  is  slightly  more  intensified, 
is  another  acquisition.  In  form 
it  very  much  resembles  N.  Lay- 
dekeri  rosea,  having  that  incurved 
shape  of  the  petals.  The  stamens 
are  of  a  deep  orange  tint.  I 
should  add  that  the  petals  are  more 
numerous  than  in  many  of  these 
hybrids ;  in  addition,  also,  it  is 
fragrant.  The  growth  is  both 
dense  and  vigorous.  N.  Newton 
.(Latour-Marliac,  1910)  is  not, 
strictly  speaking,  a  pink  colour, 
having  a  suffusion  of  vermilion, 
though  of  a  pale  shade.  Its 
flowers  are  stellate  in  form  and 
stand  distinctly  above  the  foliage  ; 
the  stamens  are  orange  yellow. 
N.  Colossea  (Latour-Marliac,  igor) 
is  not,  strictly  speaking,  a  new 
variety;  nevertheless,  I  do  not  think 
it  is  sufficiently  known.    It  produces  LYC.\STE 

the  largest  flowers  of  any  with  us, 
and  is  best  described  as  being  a 
glorified  N.  Marliacea  rosea.  I  have  noted  its 
flowers  in  the  height  of  the  season  as  much  as 
10  inches  in  diameter.  It  flowers  both  early  and 
late  ;  the  foliage,  also,  is  of  the  largest  size.  The 
parentage  of  N.  Colossea  is  given  as  being  N. 
maxima  alba  x  N.  gloriosa.  Of  crimsons,  the 
finest,  in  my  opinion,  is  N.  Escarboncle  (Latour- 
Marliac,  1909).  In  its  colouring  it  is  almost 
unique.  We  have  none  that  approaches  it  in 
intensity  of  colour,  which  is  described  as  a  uniform 
vermilion  red.  So  far  I  do  not  think  it  is  found 
in  many  collections.  The  stamens  are  of  a  deep 
vermilion  red,  very  distinct.  N.  Meteor  (Latour- 
Marliac,    1909)    is   somewhat    after   the   preceding. 


but  not  so  brilliant  in  colour.  The  petals  are 
streaked  with  white,  but  not  regularly  ;  the  sepals 
are  lined  with  red,  and  the  stamens  of  a  golden 
yellow  shade.  N.  Attraction  (Latour-Marliac, 
igio)  resembles  somewhat  that  well-known  hybrid 
N.  atropurpurea.  It  is,  however,  much  brighter, 
and  cannot  be  considered  as  of  the  same  colour, 
which  in  this  instance  is  a  deep  bright  purplish 
crimson  with  venations  of  almond  white ;  the 
stamens  are  of  a  deep  mahogany  tint.  N. 
Conqueror  (Latour-Marliac,  igio)  has  very  fine 
and  distinct  flowers  of  the  largest  size,  bright  red 
in  colour,  with  white  veinings  occasionally,  the 
colouring  being  deeper  upon  the  convex  side  of 
the  petals  ;   the  stamens  in  this  instance  are  orange 


du  Temple-sur-Lot,  N.  Marguerite  Laplace,  N. 
Picciola  and  N.  Sirius.  These  will  not  be  dis- 
tributed until  they  have  been  exhibited  in  Paris 
when  in  flower. 

There  are  two  other  varieties  which  make  up 
the  trio  in  the  coloured  plate  of  this  issue.  One 
is  N.  gloriosa  (Latour-Marliac,  iSg6),  the  parent- 
age of  which  is  given  as  N.  Laydekeri  x  N. 
caroliniana.  In  its  colour  and  form  there  is  not 
one  that  is  finer.  The  colour  needs  no  descrip- 
tion here,  but  as  regards  its  form  it  should 
be  noted  that  N.  gloriosa  has,  in  every  perfect 
flower,  five  sepals.  It  is  the  first  hybrid  in  which 
I  have  noticed  this  tendency.  This  causes  the  flower 
to  open  more  fully,  and  to  show  itself  to  the  best 
advantage  in  so  doing.  N. 
gladstoneana  is  given  in  Le 
Jardin  as  N.  tuberosa  gladston- 
eana, and  the  parentage  as  N. 
tuberosa  x  N.  alba  (Richardson. 
1897).  It  is  a  most  remarkable 
hybrid  and  one  of  the  finest  whites 
in  cultivation,  with  no  semblance 
whatever  of  pink  in  the  petals ; 
instead  of  which  the  few  touches 
of  palest  green  add  to  its  beauty. 
The  flowers  are  somewhat  after 
N.  tuberosa  in  form,  being  dis- 
posed to  incurve  as  in  that  species. 
The  flowers  are  of  the  largest  size, 
while  the  leaves  are  larger  than 
any  other  Water  Lily  with  which 
I  am  acquainted.  I  suppose  this 
latter  feature  is  why  the  moorfowl 
oftentimes  select  it  upon  which 
lo  make  their  nests. 

James  Hupson,  V.M.H. 
Gunnersbtiry  House  Gardens,  Aclun. 
{To  be  continued.) 


GREENHOUSE. 


SKINNERI,    A    BEAUTIFUL    YET    EASILY-GROWN 
FOR    THE    amateur's    GREENHOUSE. 

yellow.  The  flowers  possess  great  substance  in 
addition.  The  foregoing  are  ten  of  the  finest 
of  the  newer  hybrids,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able 
to  prove  them.  They  are  all  distinct  from  the 
older  varieties,  and  every  one  possesses  the  essential 
of  a  vigorous  growth. 

One  other  new  hybrid,  with  flowers  of  a  stellate 
form,  is  N.  James  Hudson  (Latour-Marliac,  1912). 
Of  this  I  hope  to  report  on  another  occasion.  So 
far  I  have  not  had  a  good  flower  of  which  I  could 
form  a  correct  opinion.  Others  that  are  to  be 
sent  out  this  season  bid  fair  to  be  quite  distinct. 
Of  these  I  will  only  give  the  names  of  four  that 
should    prove    acquisitions.     These    are    N.    Gloire 


EASILY  GROWN  ORCHIDS 
FOR  THE  AMATEUR. 

Lycastes. — The  genus  Lycaste 
contains  several  plants  which  are 
largely  grown  for  their  useful 
and  decorative  value.  The  most 
popular  is  L.  Skinneri,  from 
12  inches  to  24  inches  in  height, 
while  the  fleshy,  handsome 
flowers  are  usually  a  beautiful 
shade  of  rose.  These  are  produced 
from  the  base  of  the  last-made 
pseudo-bulb,  being  borne  singly 
upon  erect  scapes.  There  are 
various  forms  of  L.  Skinneri,  such 
as  alba,  a  chaste  variety  with  pure 
white  blooms,  and  others  with  paler 
and  deeper  shades  of  rose,  while  the 
lip  in  some  instances  is' distinctly  marked  with  crim- 
son. It  is  an  ideal  plant  for  an  amateur  to  choose. 
The  amount  of  variation  to  be  found  in  this  species 
makes  it  an  interesting  subject  to  buy  freshly 
imported.  It  is  free-flowering,  of  easy  culture, 
and  the  flowers  remain  in  perfection  for  several 
weeks.  Such  attributes  are  not  always  to  be 
found  wrapped  up  in  a  single  species.  For  the 
grower  who  desires  other  representatives  of  this 
genus,  I  would  suggest  the  yellow  aromatica 
and  its  closely-allied  neighbour  cruenta. 

Cultural  Notes. — At  this  period  of  the  year 
L.  Skinneri  and  its  numerous  varieties  will  be 
past    the  flowering  stage,   and  the  season's  growth 


208 


THE    GARDEN. 


[April  26,  1913. 


will  Slum  begin.  When  this  is  2  inches  or  3  inches 
high  and  a  batch  of  roots  are  seen  pushing  out 
from  the  base,  any  necessary  repotting  may  be 
carried  out  ;  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 
annual  disturbance  is  not  advisable,  every  second 
or  third  year  being  sufficient  if  the  watering  is 
properly  carried  out.  Ordinary  flower-pots  or 
fairly  deep  pans  prove  ideal  receptacles,  which 
ought  to  be  filled  one-third  of  their 
depth  with  drainage,  over  which  is 
laid  a  thin  layer  of  fibrous  loam. 
A  suitable  rooting  medium  con- 
sists of  good  loam,  fibrous  peat 
and  Osmunda  fibre  in  equal  parts, 
and  to  every  bushel  of  the  mix- 
ture add  a  7-inch  potful  of  finely- 
crushed  potsherds.  Having  selected 
a  plant  requiring  fresh  rooting 
material,  it  will  be  found  neces- 
sary to  remove  a  large  portion  of 
the  old  soil,  cutting  away  any 
decayed  roots  and  all  the  useless 
back  pseudo-bulbs,  three  behind 
each  growing  point  being  ample. 
When  the  plant  is  thus  prepared, 
the  old  bulbs  should  be  placed 
close  to  the  rim  of  the  pot,  which 
will  bring  the  new  shoot  near  the 
centre,  and  so  leave  space  for 
future  development.  Work  the 
soil  well  between  the  roots,  and 
press  it  moderately  firm  as  the 
operation  proceeds  ;  but  it  must 
not  be  brought  above  the  rim,  as 
Lycastes  enjoy  a  fair  quantity  of 
water  throughout  their  growing 
period.  A  light  position  in  the 
cool  or  intermediate  house  will  suit 
them  throughout  the  year.  After 
repotting,  keep  the  plants  on  the 
dry  side  till  the  roots  are  seen 
creeping  to  the  edge,  when  the 
compost  must  be  kept  moist  till 
the   pseudo-bulb  is  fully  matured  ;  '* . 


Nature  this  often  occurs  as  an  epiphyte,  finding  its 
rooting  medium  in  the  vegetable  debris  collected 
in  the  forks  of  trees.  The  flowers,  which  are  borne 
few  m  number  in  a  loose  head,  are  pure  white, 
except  for  a  yellow  stain  on  the  upper  part  of  the 
interior.  As  with7,  epiphytes  in  general,  this 
Rhododendron  dislikes  a  large  mass  of  soil  around 
the    roots.     Among    the    older     and    well-known 


NEW    AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


but    afterwards   less    moisture    is 


rv,. 


needed     until     the     flower-scapes 

appear.     As    Lycastes   come    from 

fairly  high  altitudes,  fresh  air  is  an 

important  factor  in  their  successful 

cultivation  ;    but   in   this   country 

it   must  always  be   admitted  with 

discretion,  and  strong  currents  of 

air  passing  over  the  plants  cannot 

be  tolerated.     .The  chief  subject  of         primula 

this   note,   viz.,    L.  Skinneri,    may 

be  termed    semi-deciduous,   so    no 

anxiety   need    be    felt    by   any  amateui    when    he 

notices    some     of     the    leaves    showing    signs    of 

decay.  Sentinel. 


SWEET-SCENTED     GREENHOUSE 
RHODODENDRONS. 

A  DELICIOUS  fragrance  is  a  valuable  asset  in  flowers 
of  any  kind,  and  this  feature  is  very  pronounced 
in  the  case  of  some  of  the  greenhouse  Rhododen- 
drons, now  in  flower.  Many  of  these  are  garden 
lorms,  and  in  nearly  all  cases  they  inherit  the 
greater  part  of  their  fragrance  from  the  Himalayan 
R.  Edgeworthii,  in  which  this  feature  is  largely 
developed.  This  species,  which  is  among  the  most 
tender  of  the  Himalayan  kinds,  is  very  distinct 
from  any  of  the  others,  the  somewhat  stifaggling 
branches  being,  especially  when  young,  of  a  very 
woolly  character,  which  feature  also  extends 
to  the  under  sides  of  the  leaves.     In  a  state  of 


MAXIMOWICZIl,      A      NEW     SPECIES     WITH      RED 
FROM    NORTHERN    CHINA. 

garden  forms  that  owe  the  greater  part  of  their 
fragrance  to  R.  Edgeworthii  may  be  named  Princess 
Alice,  sesterianum,  fragrantissimum  and  Lady 
Alice  FitzwUliam.  An  exceedingly  free-flowering 
and  sweet-scented  race  of  Rhododendrons  was 
raised  by  the  late  Mr.  Isaac  Davis  of  Ormskirk, 
noted  as  the  original  raiser  of  Rhododendron  prcEcox. 
From  the  intercrossing  of  R.  Edgeworthii  and  R. 
multiflorum  (a  garden  form)  Mr.  Davis  raised  the 
following  varieties,  all  of  which  are  remarkable 
for  their  perfume  :  Countess  of  Derby,  Countess 
of  Sefton,  Duchess  of  Sutherland,  Lady  Skelmersdale 
and  Mrs.  James  Shawe.  Up  to  the  time  of  the  death 
of  Mr.  Davis  and  the  dispersal  of  his  collection  one 
could  always  purchase  delightful  little  flowering 
plants  of  these  varieties,  but  they  are  now  very 
difficult  to  obtain  from  nurseries.  This  is  a  great  pity, 
as  most  of  them  flower  well  in  a  smaller  state  than 
many  other  of  the  Edgeworthii  hybrids.  H-  P. 


FIHST-CLASS     CERTIFICATE. 

Narcissus  Mrs.  Ernst    H.  Krelage. — .V  hand- 
some white  Ajax   (trumpet)   Daffodil,   than   which 
nothing  so    fine  has  been  seen  for  some  time.       A 
well-nigh     faultless     flower   of    large    size,     even 
balance,   bistrous  white   throughout    save   for  the 
lemon  yellow  reflexing  rim  of  the 
crown.     From  Messrs.  Krelage  and 
Son,  Haarlem,  Holland. 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Narcissus  Europa. — This  has  a 
creamy  white  perianth  and  lemon 
yellow  expanding  crown.  The 
flower  is  of  exceptional  size.  From 
Messrs.  W.  T.  Ware,  Limited,  Bath. 

Narcissus  Caedmon. — A  hand- 
some Poeticus  variety  of  excep- 
tional size  and  purity,  the  slightly- 
incurving  segments  of  the  perianth 
suggestive  of  the  influence  of  re- 
curvus  or  one  of  its  kin.  The 
red-rimraed,  green-eyed  crown 
renders  the  flower  quite  conspicu- 
ous.    Shown   by  Messrs.  Barr. 

Narcissus  St.  Olaf. — A  Leedsii 
form  of  almost  opaque  whiteness. 
Apart  from  its  good  balance,  its 
substance  and  firmness  of  texture 
appeal  to  one  at  a  glance.  An 
all-white  flower  save  for  a  touch 
of  palest  lemon  in  the  crown. 
Exhibited  by  Messrs.  Barr  and 
Sons,  Covent  Garden,  W.C.  See 
illustration  on  page  204. 

Primula  Maximowiczii. — A  re- 
markable novelty  from  North  Chma 
and  an  acquisition  withal.  In  the 
rosette  of  lanceolate  leaves  there 
is  more  than  a  suggestion  of  P. 
rosea,  the  stout  scape  rising  there- 
from to  the  height  of  i  foot  or 
thereabouts.  Flowers  cardinal  red, 
drooping,  with  slightly-reflexing 
lobes,  pedicellate,  and  produced  in 
whorls,  those  on  the  lowest  whorl 
most   numerously  disposed. 

Androsace     tibeticum.  —  The 

habit    of    the    plant    is   somewhat 
similar  to  A.  Chumbyii  ;    the  indi- 
"J^'.Xl  .  vidual  flowers  are  larger,  however, 

and  in  their  pink   and  white  garb 
Flowers      '    quite  distinct.     A  beautiful  alpine. 

Hippeastrum  (Amaryllis)  Eura- 
sian.— A  handsome,  well-formed 
flower  of  good  substance  and  rich  ruby  crimson 
colour.  The  plant  is  of  dwarf  habit.  The  three 
foregoing  novelties  were  shown  by  Messrs.  James 
Veitcli  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea. 

Auricula  Suffragette. — The  finely-formed,  large, 
circular  flowers  are  coloured  a  rich  golden  yellow, 
and  have  a  well-defined  white  centre. 

Primula  viscosa  Beauty  (P.  viscosa  x  Auricula 
Innocence). — The  Auricula  influence  is  not  marked, 
the  hybrid  presenting  all  the  characteristics  of  a 
good  alpine  Primrose.  The  predominant  colour 
is  violet  purple  ;  the  eye  is  white.  These  were  from 
Mr.  James  Douglas,  Great  Bookham,  Surrey. 

Helichrysum  bellidoides. — An  alpuie  "  Ever- 
lasting" witli  wliite  flower-heads  abundantly 
produced  on  3-inch-high.  subsequently  trailing 
plants.  A  novelty  and  a  desirable  plant  withal. 
It  is  quite  hardy,  flowering  naturally  in  May  and 
June.     Froni  Mr.  H-  Hemsley,  Crawley,  Sussex, 


April  26,  1913.] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


209 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

HOW     TO     GROW     GOOD     RUNNER     BEANS. 


*    MONG     amateurs     there     are     few     more 
/\  popular    or    highly-appreciated    vege- 

/  %  tables  than  well-grown  Runner  Beans. 
A~~%  Whether  they  are  required  solely  for 
*  *      the  dining-table  or  for  the  additional 

purpose    of    exhibiting,    good    fleshy, 
brittle    pods    are    indispensable  during    the    early 
autumn,  when  the  Green  Peas  are  on  the  wane.     In 
not     a     few     districts     amateurs 
vie    with    each    other     in     culti- 
vating   these    Beans    to    well-nigh 
perfection  ;    and  it  is  with    a  view- 
to     providing      the     beginner     in 
vegetable  culture  with   some   hints 
on   growing   these    Beans   that    we 
publish  this  article. 

Preparation    of     the    Soil. — 

.\s  till-  pl.uits  are  voracious 
feeders  and  appreciate  a  cool, 
moist  root-run,  no  pains  should 
be  spared  in  providing  them 
with  these  essentials.  The  stout 
roots  also  penetrate  the  soil  to 
a  considerable  depth,  so  that 
it  well  repays  to  break  it  up  at 
least  two  spits  deep.  With  the 
lower  spit  plenty  of  partially- 
decayed  manure  should  be  mixed. 
If  the  soil  contains  a  prepon- 
derance of  sand,  cow  or  pig 
manure  is  best  ;  but  if  clay  is 
the  principal  element,  that  from 
horses  is  prfferable,  though  in 
many  cases  the  beginner  has  to 
use  the  best  that  is  obtainable. 
With  the  top  spit  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  mix  some  superphos- 
phate or  steamed  bone-meal,  a 
good  hajidful  of  either  to  each 
yard  run  of  row.  In  addition, 
if  the  soil  is  very  stiff  clay, 
some  burnt  earth,  old  potting 
soil,  road  scrapings  from  country 
roads,  or,  indeed,  anything  of  a 
porous  nature  that  will  tend 
to  render  it  more  friable  may 
be  added,  taking  care  to  mix 
it  well  with  the  soil.  If  the 
ground  can  be  prepared  at  once, 
it  will  be  in  good  condition  for 
sowing  the  seeds  when  the  time 
comes. 
Sowing  the   Seeds. — The   time 

usually  selected  for  sowing 
Runner  Beans  in  the  London 
district  is  the  second  week  in 
May.  The  plants  are  very  easily 
injured  by  frost ;  hence  it  is 
inadvisable  to  sow  earlier  than 
the  time  named.  A  system  that 
is  much  in  vogue  in  cold  districts  and  where  early- 
crops  are  desired  is  to  sow-  the  seeds  in  pots  or 
deep  boxes  and  bring  the  plants  along  in  a  cold 
frame,  transplanting  them  to  their  permanent 
quarters  about  the  last  week  in  May.  Where  such 
a  system  is  adopted,  it  is  highly  essential  that 
tile  plants  be  grown  on  as  sturdily  as  possible, 
any      attempt      at      forcing     growth     in     a     high 


temperature  resulting  in   weak,   attenuated  plants  i  the  plants,   but   the  soot  or  lime  must  not  touch 


that  will  never  give  good  results.  In  sowing 
outdoors  we  always  like  to  make  a  trench 
[  about  three  inches  deep  and  fifteen  inches 
wide.  This  facilitates  watering  during  hot 
weather.  The  seeds  should  be  sown  in  two 
rows  in  the  trench,  placing  them   8  inches   apart 


the  foliage.  As  soon  as  the  plants  begin  to  run, 
stout  stakes,  twine,  or  coarse  netting  must  be 
placed  for  them  to  climb.  Six  feet  is  a  reasonable 
height  for  the  supports,  though  the  plants  will 
climb  nearly  twice  that  height  if  supports  are 
available.     The  system  of  topping  Runner  Beans, 


in  the  rows  and  leaving  the  row-s  about  ten  inches  I  as  is  done  in  the  market  gardens,  is  not  one  that 

we  would  advocate  for  garden 
cultivation  ;  wherever  a  pod  rests 
on  the  SOU  its  flavour  is  im- 
paured.  Besides,  a  well-supported 
row  of  Rtmner  Beans  makes  an 
excellent  screen  in  the  garden, 
a  point  that  ought  not  to  be  lost 
sight  of  in  selecting  the  site. 
During  hot  weather,  and  par- 
ticularly when  the  plants  com- 
mence to  flower,  copious  supplies 
of  water  must  be  afforded,  and 
once  a  week  should  be  supple- 
mented with  w-eak  liquid  manure. 
In  addition,  an  overhead  syringing 
w-ith  clean  water  will  prove  highly 
beneficial  and  keep  that  most 
dreaded  of  all  pests,  red  spider, 
at  bay.  When  the  plants  reach 
the  tops  of  their  supports,  the 
growing  point  of  each  should  be 
nipped  out,  an  operation  that 
may  have  to  be  repeated  several 
times. 

Some    Good    Varieties.— There 

are  a  number  of  good  varieties 
now  obtainable,  preference  being 
given  to  those  with  long,  fleshy 
pods.  A  good  type  of  this  section 
is  shown  in  the  accompanying 
illustration,  the  variety  being 
Carter's         Red      Giant.  With 

ordinary  cultivation,  on  the  lines 
suggested  above,  this  variety  last 
year  produced  a  heavy  crop  of 
pods,  most  of  which  measured 
from  10  inches  to  12  inches 
long.  Hackwood  Park  '  Success, 
Suttcjn's  Prizewinner  and  Best 
of  All,  Mammoth  White,  Painted 
Lady  and  Webb's  New  Exhibition 
are  all  varieties  that  one  can 
thoroughly  recommend.  H. 


RUNNER    BEAN    RED    GIAN'T,    A    LONG-PODDED    VARIETY    OF 
HIGH    QUALITY. 


SOWING      MlGaVONETTE. 

We  take  this  opportunity  of  re- 
minding readers  that  this  sweet- 
scented  plant  may  still  be  sown  to 
prolong  the  supply  of  bloom.  There 
is  much  to  be  said  in  favour  of 
growing  Mignonette,  as  well  as 
Violas,  as  a  grotmdwork  to  beds  of 
Two    inches   is    about    the    right    depth     Roses,  although  the  very  keen  rosarian  might  raise 

'  an  objection  to  this  procedure.  Mignonette  is  a 
very  accommodating  subject,  and  may  be  used 
to  furnish  any  odd  corner  in  the  garden.  It  seems 
hardly  necessary  to  remind  readers  that  slugs  are 
very  partial  to  the  Mignonette  in  its  seedling  stage. 
These  pests  may  be  kept  at  bay  by  occasionally 
dusting  soot  aroimd  the  seedlings. 


asunder, 
to  sow. 

After-Treatment. — When  the  seedlings  appear, 
steps  must  be  taken  to  guard  them  against  slugs, 
which  are  particularly  fond  of  them.  Apart  from 
trapping  the  pests,  which  is  the  most  satisfactory 
method  of  all,  some  fine  coal-ashes,  soot,  or  soot 
and  lime   may  be  sprinkled  rather  thickly  round 


210 


THE    GARDEN. 


[April  26,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

m  Violets. — There  are  various  systems  employed 
for  raising  a  stock  of  Violets  for  flowering  during 
the  winter  and  spring,  but  the  simplest  method 
is  to  plant  out  the  young  rooted  side  shoots  on 
ground  that  has  been  well  prepared  some  little  time 
beforehand  ;  this  should  be  done  as  soon  as  the 
crop  of  bloom  is  over  in  the  frames. 

Cuttings  put  in  during  the  autumn  in  a  frame 
or  under  hand-lights  should  also  be  planted  in 
the  open  ground  at  once,  giving  a  fair  distance 
between  the  plants.  These  latter  will  not  need 
so  much  attention,  should  the  weather  be  warm, 
as  the  first  mentioned,  owing  to  theh:  being  better 
rooted,  and  they  certainly  make  larger  plants. 

Violas. — Named  varieties  propagated  in  the 
autumn  should  now  be  removed  to  their  flowering 
quarters,  either  in  the  borders  or,  it  may  be,  to 
furnish  the  beds  under  Roses.  Though  I  do 
not  recommend  this  for  the  sake  of  the  Roses, 
one  is  obliged  to  admit  that  the  Violas  in  many 
instances  make  a  good  show  in  such  a  position. 

Plants   for  Summer   Bedding.— Where  Violas 

are  intended  to  be  used  as  a  groundwork  to  other 
plants  for  summer  bedding,  they  may  have  to 
remain  some  three  or  four  weeks  in  the  stock 
beds.  Such  plants  should  have  the  blooms  removed, 
and  when  the  young  plants  are  inclined  to  be  rather 
leggy,  they  may  be  pinched  to  induce  a  more  bushy 
habit'  of  growth.  Needless  to  add,  wherever 
Violas  are  wanted  for  a  summer  show  here  in  the 
South,  a  fairly  cool  and  moist  position  must  be 
selected. 

Labelling  Plants. — No  matter  how  careful  one 
is  to  try  to  keep  labels  in  their  proper  positions, 
it  often  happens  that  some  get  displaced  or  the 
writing  obliterated,  so  that  it  is  advisable  to  go 
round  the  borders  as  the  various  classes  of  plants 
come  into  bloom,  labelling  those  that  require  it. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

The  Conservatory. — Just  now  the  conservatory 
should  be  very  gay  with  such  plants  as  Cineraria, 
Schizanthus,  Amaryllis  and  Calceolaria,  and  to 
prolong  their  flowering  period  a  fair  amount  of 
shade  must  be  given  during  bright  sunlight. 

Climbing  Plants,  such  as  Fuchsias,  Habro- 
thamnus,  Tacsonias,  Abutilons  and  Heliotropes, 
to  be  planted  out  later  should  be  kept  tied  and 
thinned,  according  to  the  space  they  have  to  cover, 
and  if  on  the  roof,  must  be  kept  very  carefully 
thinned,  or  plants  underneath  are  very  apt  to 
suffer. 

Primulas. — For  an  early  batch  of  plants  seeds 
may  now  be  sown  of  P.  sinensis,  P.  stellata,  P. 
obconica  and  P.  malacoides.  From  such  a  sowing 
they  should  flower  in  the  autumn,  but  for  spring 
lilooming  sowing  a  month  or  six  weeks  hence 
should  be  quite  soon  enough. 

Maidenhair  Ferns. — Batches  of  these  that  have 
not  been  repotted  and  that  are  growing  freely 
should  be  fed  fairly  regularly  either  with  liquid 
manure  or  artificial  manure,  giving  this  latter  about 
once  a  week  in  small  doses.  If  required  for  con- 
servatory work,  too  much  moisture  must  not  be 
given,  or  the  fronds  will  become  soft,  and  there  is 
danger  of  the  small  inside  fronds  damping  where 
the   plants  are  at  all  dense. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Globe  Artichokes. — To  keep  up  the  stock  of 
this  vegetable  in  a  healthy  condition  it  is  advisable 
to  break  up  and  replant  a  portion  of  it  each  season, 
and  the  present  is  a  very  suitable  time  to  do  it. 
Suckers  from  the  old  plants  should  be  planted 
in  a  deeply-cultivated  and  manured  piece  of  gromid 
in  rows  about  four  feet  apart,  allowing  at  least  a 
yard  between  the  plants  ;  and,  should  the  weather 
become  dry  soon  after  planting,  it  may  be  necessary 
to  give  a  good  watermg  to  prevent  undue  flagging. 

Asparagus. — This  delicious  vegetable  should 
now  be  giving  good  strong  heads,  and  wherever 
possible  It  is  advisable  to  break  these  off  rather 
than  to  cut  them,  as  many  young  heads  are  often 
injured  below  the  ground.  Keep  the  surface  of 
the  soil  clear  of  weeds,  and  give  occasional 
dressings  of  Asparagus  manure  during  showery 
weather. 


Chicory. — This  useful  winter  salad  plant  should 
be  sown  during  the  next  few  days,  preferably  as 
a  continuation  to  the  bed  of  Salsify  and  Scorzonera, 
and  at  about  the  same  distance  apart,  thinning 
the  plants  to  about  nine  inches  apart  when  they 
are  large  enough  to  withstand  the  ravages  of  slugs. 

Brassicas. — Another  sowmg  of  Brassicas  should 
now  be  made,  chiefly  of  late  varieties  of  Kale, 
Coleworts,  Savoys  and  Broccoli.  These  late 
batches  of  plants  often  prove  more  useful  than 
the  earlier  ones,  especially  when  they  have  to  be 
planted  after  the  ground  is  cleared  of  some  of  the 
early  crops  of  Peas  and  other  vegetables. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Pot  Vines. — The  fruit  on  the  earliest  pot  Vines 
will  shortly  commence  colouring,  and  to  secure 
evenness  in  colouring  the  plants  should  be  carefully 
turned  round  occasionally ;  this,  of  course,  if 
they  are  not  allowed  to  root  into  the  border.  Water 
must  not  be  stinted,  though  as  colouring  progresses 
rather  less  may  be  used  about  the  house,  and  more 
ventilation  may  be  given,  though  draughts  from 
the  front  ventilators  must  be  avoided. 

Permanent  Houses  must  be  very  carefully 
looked  after  in  respect  to  ventilation,  especially 
where  the  fruit  is  stoning.  If  a  little  air  is  left  on 
all  night,  there  is  not  much  danger  from  scalding  ; 
but  if  shut  up  close  and  the  house  gets  the  full 
benefit  of  early  morning  sun,  unless  air  is  put  on 
before  the  temperature  rises  unduly  there  is 
considerable  danger,  and  many  good  bunches 
may  be  spoilt. 

Hardy  Fruits. 

Peaches  on  Walls. — As  soon  as  the  shoots  are 
forward  enough,  thinning  should  be  commenced. 
It  is  not  advisable  to  do  this  all  at  once — just  a  few 
growths  from  each  shoot  or  branch,  commencing 
by  taking  off  the  back  shoots  and  a  few  on  the 
under  side,  always  bearmg  in  mind  that  it  is  the 
basal  shoots  and  perhaps  one  or  two  on  the  upper 
sides  of  the  branches  that  are  required  to  furnish 
the  next  season's  fruiting  wood.  Go  over  the 
trees  two  or  three  times  before  reducing  the  shoots 
to  the  desired  number. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wobiini   Place  Gardens,  Aihllesloiie,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Primula  Sieboldii. — Those  who  have  only  seen 
individual  pkmts  or  small  patches  of  this  lovely 
Primula  can  have  no  idea  of  the  effect  produced 
by  masses  of  it.  Here  we  have  several  beds  ui 
various  shades — white,  lilac  and  crimson.  I 
would  strongly  recommend  its  extended  cultiva- 
tion. Give  it  a  cool  bottom  and  a  light,  rich  soil, 
and  it  will  increase  rapidly  by  means  of  its  creeping 
roots. 

Perpetual-Flowering  Carnations.— This  accom- 
modating class  of  Carnations  has  not  been  much 
drawn  upon  for  the  flower  garden  in  Scotland 
yet,  I  believe  ;  but  I  know  one  garden  where  the 
plants  have  been  tried  with  success  for  the  past  two 
seasons.  Those  who  have  some  year  old  plants 
of  varieties  like  Britannia  and  Mrs.  Burnett  might 
do  worse  than  try  them  in  the  open,  and  the 
present  is  a  good  time  to  plant. 

Planting  Gladioli. — Named  florists'  varieties 
which  have  been  forwarded  in  pots  should  now 
be  planted  out.  As  indicated  some  weeks  ago, 
Gladioli — this  class  especially — require  liberal  culti- 
vation. A  fairly  rich,  rather  light,  deeply-wrought 
soil  is  what  they  want,  and,  like  all  bulbous  plants, 
they  are  impatient  of  stagnant  moisture. 

Dahlias.— Whether  old  tubers  or  young  plants, 
these  must  now  be  got  into  cold  frames  and  gradually 
hardened  off.  Give  old  tubers  plenty  of  flaky 
leaf-mould  to  root  in. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Aphis.— This  pest,  like  the  poor,  is  always 
with  us  ;  happily,  however,  it  is  not  difficult  to 
deal  with.  Quassia  Chips  Extract,  XL  All  Liquid 
Insecticide  and  Gishurst  Compound  are  all 
effectual  remedies ;  but  the  same  result  can  be 
obtained  by  syringing  with  a  solution  of  soft  soap 
and  water,  at  the  rate  of  a  good  handful  of  soft 


soap  to  a  bucketful  of  water.  If  the  operation  is 
repeated  with  clean  water  two  hours  later,  no 
traces  of  the  soft  soap  will  remain, 

Aerating  the  Soil. — This  is  a  very  important 
point  in  Rose  cultivation,  and  the  soil  should  be 
stirred  at  least  once  a  fortnight  by  means  of  the 
Dutch  hoe. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Begonias. — Those  of  the  tuberous  section  will 
now  be  ready  for  their  final  shift,  and  the  size  of 
the  pot  must  be  regulated  by  the  age  and  vigour 
of  the  plant.  Afford  ample  drainage,  use  a  fairly 
rich,  porous  soil,  and  do  not  pot  too  firmly.  These 
plants  resent  coddling  on  the  one  hand  and  cold 
draughts  on  the  other  ;  they  enjoy  comparative 
shade. 

Herbaceous  Calceolarias. — As  the  flower-stems 
develop,  staking  must  be  attended  to,  using  Bamboo 
tips  or  some  other  slender  form  of  stake.  As  the 
blooms  develop  they  must  be  shaded  from  bright 
sunshine,  or  the  flowering  period  will  be  curtailed. 
If  there  is  the  least  appearance  of  aphis,  vaporise 
now. 

Sowing  Cinerarias. — The  main  batch  of  these 
should  now  be  sown  in  a  cool  frame.  Water  the 
soil  in  the  box  or  pan  two  hours  or  so  previous 
to  sowing.  Cover  the  seeds  lightly  with  a  little 
fine  soil  and  a  sheet  of  glass,  and  shade  lightly  till 
germination  takes  place. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Orchard  Fruits. — The  <jccupants  of  the  orchard- 
house  will  now  have  all  set  their  fruits  and  will 
require  close  attention.  Thinning  the  fruits  should 
be  commenced  early  and  spread  over  a  week  or 
two.  It  is  more  creditable  to  have  a  fair  quantity 
of  fruits  of  good  size  and  quality  than  to  have 
double  the  quantity  of  small,  inferior  fruits.  Feed- 
ing is  also  very  important,  as  the  tree  depends  largely 
upon  the  nutriment  thus  given.  Weak  and 
frequent  doses  should  be  the  rule.  Potash  must 
be  given  in  some  form  if  the  best  results  are  to  be 
obtained.  One  other  point  to  be  remembered 
is  that  if  the  soil  is  even  once  allowed  to  become 
quite  dry,  the  damage  caused  to  the  current  crop 
is  practically  irreparable. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Spring  Frosts. —  in  our  liclde  climate  frosts 
frequently  occur  about  this  period,  especially  in 
low-lying  gardens  or  those  a  considerable  distance 
inland.  On  this  account  many  a  crop  of  fruit 
has  been  ruined.  It  is  worth  while  to  take  the 
trouble  on  a  frosty  night  to  throw  a  piece  of  old 
netting  over  any  tree  of  special  value,  and  a  break 
of  Gooseberries  or  Currants  might  be  saved  by 
running  one  or  two  nets  over  them. 

Removing  Suckers. — Plum  trees  have  a  knack 
of  sending  up  suckers  from  the  stocks,  and  these 
should  be  promptly  removed  with  the  hoe  or  knife. 
Gooseberries  also  occasionally  throw  up  suckers, 
and  must  be^imilarly  dealt  with. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Kidney  Beans. — A  good  sowing  should  now  be 
made  of  some  reliable  main  crop  variety,  such  as 
Canadian  Wonder,  and  for  this  type  of  Bean  the 
drills  should  be  about  two  feet  apart.  A  little 
wood-ash  sown  into  the  drills  will  prove  beneficial. 

Runner  Beans. — A  sowing  of  this  useful  crop 
should  now  be  made.  I  find  it  a  good  plan  to 
sow  two  drills  about  two  and  a-half  feet  apart, 
and  then  allow  about  double  the  distance  before 
the  next  pair  of  drills  are  drawn.  It  is  unnecessary 
to  get  in  between  the  two  closer  rows. 

Leeks  for  Exhibition. — Leeks  which  have  been 
raised  under  glass  and  potted  up  should  now  be 
fit  for  planting.  A  trench  similar  to  a  Celery 
trench  should  be  prepared  for  them,  and  if  some 
turfy  soil,  such  as  the  parings  of  grass  edgings, 
is  available,  so  much  the  better.  A  layer  of  well- 
rotted  farmyard  manure  should  be  placed  in  the 
bottom  of  the  trench,  and  then  the  trench  should 
be  partly  filled  in  with  a  mixture  of  the  turf — 
chopped  up,  of  course — rotted  manure  and  bone- 
meal,  with  a  little  soot.  Plant  in  a  single  row  at 
r  foot  apart. 

Early  Potatoes. — As  the  foliage  develops,  a 
little  drv  earth  should  be  drawn  up  to  it  to  protect 
it  from  late  frosts.  The  ground  between  the  drills 
should  also  be  loosened  with  the  diggmg  -  fork 
prior  to  earthing  up  the  crop. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


April  26,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


211 


THE    FIFTY    BEST    ALPINES.       THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 


M' 


R.  KARRER,  in  his  selection  of 
ftity  alpines,  has  picked  out  some 
gems,  which  could  only  be  expected 
of  him,  and  he  also  invites  other 
selections.  I  now  give  my  selec- 
tion of  hfty,  and,  as  is  usual  among 
alpiue-lovers,  one  is  siu"e  to  differ  from  another. 
In  the  first  place,  Mr.  Farrer  has  chosen  the  awl- 
leaved  setacea  group  of  Phloxes,  which  are  very 
fine,  especially  in  a  showery  season,  but  suffer  more 
from  drought  than  any  other  rock  plants  that 
I  loiow,  and  unless  thoroughly  watered  each  day 
when  in  full  bloom,  would  be  completely  burnt  up 
in  a  day  or  so  it  bright,  sunny  weather  prevailed,  and 
further  South  would,  I  should  think,  be  a  difficult 
plant  to  manage  in  any  but  a  showery  season. 
It  does  not  winter  so  well  as  a  great  many  other 
plants.  Mr.  Farrer  has  also  given  four  Geraniums, 
which  are  very  fine,  but  he  does  not  mention  the 
gem  of  them  all,  G.  tuberosum.  These  different 
lists,  with  their  concise  cultural  hints,  are  of  the 
greatest  assistance  to  those  who  essay  to  grow 
alpines,  about  the  cultural  requirements  and  value 


SWFET  PEA  NOTES. 
Planting  Out. — Generally  speaking,  there  is 
not  the  slightest  need  to  xirge  Sweet  Pea  growers 
to  get  the  plants  into  their  permanent  positions  ; 
on  the  contrary,  the  principal  trouble  is  to  persuade 
them  to  exercise  reasonable  patience  in  the  matter  ; 
but  there  are  always  a  few  laggards,  and  it  is  to 
these  that  this  brief  paragraph  is  specially  directed. 
Those  who  have  plants  still  in  pots  or  boxes  in  the 
greenhouse,  frame,  or  standing  out  of  doors  must 
plant  them  immediately.  It  is,  of  course,  most 
important  when  the  plants  are  in  pots,  because 
they  will  inevitably  become  rootbound ;  and  while 
one  has  not  the  slightest  objection  to  shaking 
out  the  roots,  one  would  not  desire  to  tear  them 
all  to  pieces  in  the  process.  Besides  that,  the 
roots  are  certain  to  harden,  and  therefore  an  un- 
desirable check  to  progress  follows  upon  the  plant- 
ing. The  popular  objection  to  sowing  Sweet 
Peas  indoors  with  a  view  to  transplantation  is 
that  they  cease  growing  entirely  for  some  days 
when  put  in  their  flowering  quarters  ;  but  this 
is  not  the  case  when  proper  care  is  taken  in  handling 


of  which  there  is  evidently  some  considerable  j  the  roots  and  in  choosing  a  time  when  the  soil 
diversity  of  opinion.  It  would  be  surprising  |  is  in  an  ideal  state  for  such  an  important  operation, 
if  there  was  not  a  wide  difference  of  opinion  I  The  holes  must  be  exceptionally  deep  and,  needless 
as  to  the  best  fifty  alpines,  nothing  but  good,  |  to  say,  the  soil  must  be  fertile, 
however,  can  result  from  the  publication  of  these  |  Late  Sowing. — It  is  not  uncommon,  for  reasons 
diffe'-ent  ideas.  '  over  which  the  owner  of  a  garden  desiring  to  grow 


Name. 


Height. 
Inchei. 


Aspect 


Soil. 


Adonis  pyrcnaica     12 

Anemone  sulphiirua    18 

Androsacc  lanu^^inosa — 

Autlicmis  Aizoon     6 

Aquile'_'ia  tzlandiilosa       12 

Arenaria  laliarica  1 

A.  montaua  uraiidiflora 6 

Arnebia  cchioidus     ..." 9 

Aster  alpiniui    9 

Atraiiene  alpina  60 

Aubriotia  Dr.  Mules    4 

Campanula  G.  F.  Wilson    ....  6 

C.  muralis 6 

Cyclamen  Coum       4 

Cypripedium  Calceolus 12 


Sun Rich  loam  .  . 

,,    Sandy  loam 

,,    Light  loam 

Sandy  loam 

Open    Rich  soil 

Shade Loam  or  ^rit 

Sun Light  loam  .  . 

,,    Sandy  loam 

,,    Light  loam  . . 

,,    Rich  loam  . . 

,,    Sandy  loam 

Open    Light  loam  . . 


Shade Rich  loam  . . . . 

Half  sliade  . .     Loam  and  peat 


•Cytisus  keweiLsis    

Dianthus  alpinus 4 

Daphne  Cncomm    12 

Draba  aizoides 3 

Dryas  octopetala 6 

EdJaianthus  serpyllifolius  major   4 
Eriuus  alpinus  carmineus  ....       6 

Gentiana  acaulis 3 

G.  verna    3 

Geranium  tuberosum 6 

Habcrlea  rhodopensis     6 

Hutchinsia  alpina    , 

Hepatica  angulosa 

Hypericum  replans 

Lithospermum  prostratum 
Mertensia  primuloides    . . . 


Myosotis  rupicola  . 
Oxalis  enneaphylla. 
Papaver  alpinum     . 


—    Sun Sandy  loam 


Loam  and  peat 
Sandy  loam 


Half  shade  . .  ,, 

Sun Light  loam  . 

,,    Limy  loam  . 


,,    Rich  loam  . . . . 

Shade Peaty  loam .  .  .  . 

Sun Loam   

Sun  or  shade     Moist  loam 

Sun Sandy  loam    . . 

,,    Limy  loam  .  .  .  . 

Open    Loam  


Pldox  canadensis  Laphamii  . .       9 

P.  reptans     v 6 

Polygala  ChamEebuxus  purpurea     6 


Suu Light  loam  . . 

Shade Sandy  loam 

Suu Light  soil    . 

, ,    Light  loam  . . 


Half  shade  . 


Peat  and   loam 


Potentilla  nitida 

Primula  marijinata 

P.  clusiana    , 

Ramondia  pyrenaica 

Saponaria  ocymoides  splendi 

dissima 
Saxifraga  bm^eriaua  major   , . 
S.  pyramidalis     


Sun Sandy  loam    .  . 

Open    Limy  loam  .... 

Open  or  sun     Peaty  loam 

Half  shade  . .  Peaty  soil 


r^jn,,,-  Flowering  Method  of 

notour.  Period.  Propagation, 

Yellow   ....  April  -  May  Seed  or  division 

Sulphur      .  .  May  -  June  Seed 

Pink     .  .    .  .  May — Sept.  Cuttings 

White    ....  June — Aug.  Division 

Blue  <t  white  May Seed 

Wliite     ....  May — July  Division 

....  May  -  June  Cuttings 

Yellow  ....  May — Sept.  Cuttings  or  division 

Violet     ....  June    Division  or  seed 

Violet  purple  June  -  July  

Purple   April  -  May  Cuttings 

Violet    August    . .  Division 

Aug.  -  Sept.  ,, 

Rose  Nov. — M'ch  Seed^ 

Brown     and  May  -  June  Division 

yellow 

Creamy  yell'w  May  -  June  Seeds 

Deep  red   .  .  June  -  July  Seed  or  cuttings 

Pink July  -  Aug.  Cuttings 

Yellow March-April  Division 

^Vhit.e    July  -  Aug.  ., 

Purple   ....  May — July  „ 

Rosy  purple  ,,  Seeds 

Azure     M'ch — June  Division 

Blue April  -  May  ,, 

Purple   ....  June    ,, 

Lilac  purple  June -July  Seed  or  division 

White    ....  April  •  May  Di\'ision 

Blue  Jan. — -April         ,, 

Golden  yellow  July  -  Aug.  ,, 

Deep  blue  . .  April — Oct.  Cuttings 

Plumbago  J  une  -  July  Division 

blue 

Deep  blue . .  May — July 

White    May— Oct. 

White,  gold, 
pink,  orange 

Plumbago  May — July 

blue 
Rose       ....  , ,  , ,  J , 

Purple    and  Oct. — May  Division 

yellow 

Rose  pink  . .  May — Sept.  

Lavend'r  blue  April  -  May  Division 

Rich  rose  . .  March- April  Seed  or  division 

Violet  piuple  May — July 


Seed 

Division 

Seed 

Division  or  cuttings 


Sun Any  soil Rosy  crim.son   Summer 


4     Partial  shade      Loam  and  grit     White    Feb. -March 

24               ,,                        ,.  White, sp'tfd  June-July 

crimson 

,,  ,,  White    May  -  Juue 

9    Shade Rich  loam , , 

4  Half  shade..     Loam  and   grit     Red    April — June 

6     Sun Cow-maniU'e  and    Rose June — Aug. 

clay 

5  ,,    Sandy  loam  and  Purplish  rose    Mav  -  June 

grit 

4     Half  shade  . .     Sandy  loam     .  .     Blue   June  -  Julv 

•  Prostrate. 
The  Gardens,  Ashby  St.  Ledgers,  Rugby. 


S.  lougifolia 18 

S.  lingxilata  lantoscana   .... 

S.  bathonien-^is     

Sempervi\'um  arachnoideura 

Silene  Schafta 

Veronica  fupestris   


Division 


Seed  or  division 
Division 


Seed  or  division 
G.  F.  Hyland. 


Sweet  Peas  has  no  control,  to  be  unable  to  sow 
under  cover  in  the  autumn  or  the  spring,  or  out  of 
doors  at  the  middle  of  March,  which  is  usually 
accepted  as  somewhere  near  the  best  time  in  the 
South  of  England.  Someone  with  a  mania  for 
early  sowing  tells  him  that  it  is  useless  to  start 
at  the  end  of  April,  as  the  plants  will  never  proceed 
so  satisfactorily  as  to  ensure  a  plenteous  crop 
of  good  flowers.  Take  no  notice  of  such  a  man. 
If  it  has  been  impossible  to  sow  before  the  present 
date,  sow  as  soon  afterwards  as  can  be  managed. 
It  is,  of  course,  necessary  that  the.  soil  shall  be 
in  perfect  mechanical  condition,  and  that  there 
shall  be  an  abundant  supply  of  readily  available 
food,  not,  for  preference,  in  the  form  of  natural 
manure  near  the  roots.  Place  the  seeds  not  less 
than  3  inches  apart  on  a  firm,  level  base,  and  cover 
the  dark  brown  and  black  seeds  with  half  an  inch 
of  mould,  but  simply  press  the  white  and  spotted 
seeds  into  the  surface.  When  the  time  arrives 
for  thirming,  remove  plants  as  may  be  necessary 
to  leave  the  distance  6  inches.  This  will  not  con- 
duce to  the  production  of  blooms  with  stems  a 
couple  of  feet  in  length  ;  but  that  will  not  matter, 
as  the  object  of  culture  is  not  exhibition  blooms, 
but  plenty  for  home  decoration. 

Pinching  Laterals. — The  man  who  must  be 
there  will  pinch  out  every  lateral  directly  he  can 
see  it,  and  when  this  is  done,  the  next  best  thing 
is  to  let  the  plants  flower,  or  the  result  will  be 
coarseness  in  an  unenviable  degree.  If  blooming 
is  permitted  until  a  given  date  before  a  show, 
the  tendency  to  grossness  will  have  received  some 
check,  and  the  stems  will  be  of  splendid  substance, 
the  blooms  of  fine  size  and  form  and  artistically 
set,  instead  of  being  on  the  floppy  side  and  widely 
separated  on  the  stalk.  Some  pinching  of  laterals 
is  always  necessary,  even  when  the  primary  idea 
is  plenty  of  flowers ;  but  it  should  not  be  carried 
to  an  unreasonable  extent. 

Training  the  Plants.— The  grower  for  exhi- 
bition shows  much  better  judgment  than  the  man 
who  cultivates  for  immense  quantities  of  blossoms, 
because  the  latter  is  usually  inclined  to  let  the 
plants  grow  anyhow  and  anywhere,  provided 
they  go  up  the  supports.  This  is  not  wise. 
Although  one  must,  of  course,  give  more  time 
to  the  plants  when  tying  is  done,  it  pays  over  and 
over  again.  Vigorous  shoots  do  not  always  go 
in  the  direction  that  will  favom:  or  ensure  the 
most  gratifying  results ;  but  when  the  grower 
takes  the  trouble  to  train  them,  he  sees  to  it  that 
they  go  where  he  wants  them  to  go.  No  matter 
whether  the  plants  are  grown  to  one,  two,  or  three 
stems — few  people  let  more  than  the  last  number 
remain  nowadays — tying  must  be  done  m  loose, 
secure  hgatures,  the  most  scrupulous  care  being 
exercised  not  to  draw  the  growths  in  so  closely 
that  a  formal  appearance  is  given  to  the  mdividual 
plants  and  to  the  rows. 


THE     EDITOR'S    TABLE. 


Beautiful     Flowers     from     Berkhamsted.— 

A  box  o£  delightful  flowers,  comprising  Blue 
Primroses,  Arctotis  aureola  and  Rose  Fortune's 
Yellow,  has  been  sent  to  us  by  Mr.  A.  G.  Gentle, 
gardener  to  Mrs.  E.  H.  Denison,  Little  Gaddesden, 
Berkhamsted,  Herts.  The  flowers  reflect  the 
highest  credit  upon  the  cultivator,  while  we  have 
nothing  but  praise  for  the  admirable  strain  of  Blue 
Primroses  that  were  sent.  Mr.  Gentle  sends  the 
following  note  with  the  flowers  :  "  I  am  sending 
for  your  table  a  few  of  each  of  the  many  different 


212 


THE    GARDEN. 


[April  26,  1913. 


shades  of  Blue  Primroses  that  are  now  in  flower 
in  these  gardens.  I  also  enclose  a  few  flowers 
of  that  beautiful  greenhouse  plant  Arctotis  aureola, 
which  I  am  surprised  is  not  more  often  grown. 
It  is  free-flowering,  and  at  this  time  of  the  year 
very  useful  for  decoration,  as  it  lasts  a  long  time 
in  water.  The  few  Fortune's  Yellow  Roses  are 
nearly  the  last.  I  have  cut  over  seven  hundred 
blooms  off  the  one  tree  this  year.  We  used  to 
think  it  good  to  get  5oo,  but  these  last  two  years 
the  number  has  been  over  seven  hundred.  I  planted 
the  tree  about  twelve  years  ago.  I  think  you  will 
agree  that  the  colour  of  the  Roses  is  very  good." 
Carnations    from    Guernsey. — Mr.    C.    F.    A. 

van  der  Sluys,  the  well-kno%vn  Carnation-grower 
of  Ramee,  Guernsey,  sends  flowers  of  Perpetual- 
flowering  and  Perpetual  Malmaison  Carnations. 
These  include  many  of  the  best  and  latest  varieties, 
and  all  the  blooms  show  signs  of  good  cultivation. 
The  value  of  these  flowers  for  cutting  can  scarcely 
be  over-estimated. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES  FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
make  The  GAiti>t:N  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  sid&  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  tJie  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  tlie  sender  are  required  in  iuldition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  eeparate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  w/iere  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  cfiuracterstic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  sliould  be  sent  to  the  PUBLISHER. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

ANEMONES  AND  RANUNCULUSES  UNDER  YEW 

{Miss  M .). — The  plants  may  flower  in  the  position  oqco. 
though  much  would  depeiid  upou  tlie  top  spread  of  the 
branches  of  the  tree  and  the  dryness  of  the  situation. 
In  any  case  it  would  not  be  well  to  plant  within  0  feet  of 
the  bole  of  the  tree,  as  the  gro\vth  will  of  necessity  become 
drawn  and,  of  course,  will  favour  the  direction  of  light. 
If  you  are  contemplating  planting  this  season,  the  work 
should  be  done  at  once. 

GODETIAS  AND  CLARKIAS  {Dr.  H.  S.).—li  the  soil 
is  light  and  well  drained  and  tlie  plants  have  responded 
to  the  earlier  priclilng  out  or  transplanting,  they  would 
do  so  again  if  taken  in  hand  early.  Where  the  soil  is  sandy 
or  stony,  sowing  in  the  open  about  mid-March  gives 
excellent  results.  In  your  own  case,  where  the  soil  is 
of  a  retentive  nature,  a  good  way  would  be  to  raise  seed- 
lings in  boxes  or  pans,  prick  tlirec  or  four  into  a  small 
pot,  and  subsequently  plant  these  when  requilred.  We 
are  not  sure  what  Centaureas  you  are  referring  to.  The 
forms  of  C.  cyaneua  are  best  sown  in  the  open.  Those 
of  the  Sweet  Sultan  class  (C.  moscliata)  should  be  sown 
three  or  four  seeds  in  a  4-inch  pot,  and  transplanted  bodily 
when  of  sutficient  size. 

PENTSTEMONS  AND  OTHER  PLANTS  {St.  Mary's 
Cliurch). — The  Pentstemon  is  a  true  perennial,  without 
doubt,  though  the  florists'  varieties  of  it  are  not  hardy 
in  all  districts.  Those  of  the  Gem  class,  Newbury  Gem 
and  others,  are  hardier.  If  you  are  growing  the  former, 
the  best  results  would  be  secured  by  sowing  seeds  in  warmth 
in  January,  or  by  looting  cuttings  in  autumn  and  wintering 
in  a  frame  or  greenliouse.  t'orget-me-nots,  if  cut  back 
after  flowering,  should,  with  the  lapse  of  a  week  or  two, 
be  divided  and  planted  in  lines.  They  make  nice  tufts 
for  autumn  planting  when  so  treated.  These  things  are 
also  easily  raised  from  seeds.  The  border  Carnation 
should  be  layered  in  July.  In  a  few  instances  the  layered 
plants  may  be  allowed  to  remain  to  flower  without  replant- 
ing, though  this  method  cannot  be  generally  recommended. 
Potting  up  the  layers  in  September  or  replanting  them 
is  the  best  course  to  pursue. 

THE  GARDEN  GENTIANELLA  {Will  Bruce).— It  is 
difl&cult  to  lay  down  hard-and-fast  rules  in  respect  to 
this  fine  plant,  and  we  know  of  instances  where  it  thrives 
and  flowers  well  in  cool,  loamy  clay  with  little  sand,  in 
light,  sandy  loams,  and  in  peaty  soils.  Generally  speaking, 
it  grows  and  flowers  most  freely  in  light,  sandy  loams 
wliich  are  deficient  in  lime,  though  it  is  known  to  do  well 


in  limestone  soils,  also  in  light,  loamy  soils  over  sand, 
and  in  gravel.  The  plant  rarely  gives  much  trouble 
and, by  planting 'moderately  small  pieces  in  October  or 
between  that  and  February,  success  may  be  assured. 
To  the  light  soil  well-decayed  leaf-mould  may  be  added. 
It  is  important, that  firm  planting  be  indulged  in,  and 
that  the.plant  be  inserted  low  down.  In  parts  of  Ireland 
the  plant  revels  in  peaty  soils  and  the  moisture-laden 
atmosphere.  Extremes  of  dryness  should  be  studiously 
avoided.  It  appears  also  to  have  a  fondness  for  th'e 
cooling  influence  of  old  red  sandstone,  and  some  of  this, 
if  at  hand,  might  be  finely  pulverised  and  mixed  with 
soils  of  a  more  holding  natiire. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

BEAUTIFYING  PARKLAND  {E.  M.  M.)  —The  best  thing 
to  do  with  your  park  would  be  to  introduce  a  number  of 
groups  of  irregular  shape  of  Gorse,  Broom,  Thorns,  common 
juniper,  various^  species  of  Kosa,  such  as'R.  canina,  R. 
rubiginosa,  K.  nigosa  and  R.  arvensis,  Sloe,  common 
Berberis  and  Brambles,  with  a  few  groups  and  isolated 
specimens  of,  common  trees,  such  asjEeech,  Oak,  Elm 
and  Hornbeam.  The  remainder  of  the  park  might  then 
be  mown  for  hay,  as  at  present,  and  pastured  later  on. 
It  would  be  necessary  to  protect  the  shrubs  and  trees 
with  low  fences  until  they  were  large  enough  to  look 
after  tliemselves,  both  on  account  of  hares  and  cattle. 
We  do  not  think  you  would  find  it  a  satisfactory 
method  of  dealing  with  the  park  to  stop  mowing  alto- 
gether, for  the  grass  would  become  very  coarse,  especially 
if  tliere  were  no  animals  to  eat  it  off.  By  forming  natural- 
looking  groups  of  trees  and  shrubs  and  protecting  them 
for  a  time,  the  park  ought  gradually  to  assume  the  appear- 
ance desired.  Bracken  may  also  be  tried,  but  it  is  a  very 
difficult  plant  to  establish  in  many  places,  although  such 
a  pest  elsewhere.  Here  and  there  the  groups  of  shrubs 
and  Bracken  should  be  of  considerable  size. 

THE     GREENHOUSE. 

UNCOMMON  GREENHOUSE  FLOWERS  (Tf.  £.).— 
Uncommon  subjects  that  might  suit  your  purpose  are 
Amphicome  Emodii,  Cliantluis  puniceus  albus,  Erlangea 
tomentosa,  Gerbera  (new  hybrids),  Tecoma  Smitliii  and 
Rehmannia  angulata  Pink  Perfection. 

SMILAX  TURNING  YELLOW  (iViO-— There  is  nothing 
on  the  foliage  of  the  Smilax  to  account  for  the  yellowing 
except  a  few  green  flies.  They  do  not  seem  to  be  suffi- 
ciently numerous  to  have  caused  it.  There  may  possibly 
be  some  scale  insect  lower  down  than  the  pieces  you  send, 
otherwise  we  think  the  trouble  is  the  result  of  some  error 
in  cultivation. 

BELLADONNA  LILY  {P.).  -  Amaryllis  Belladonna 
flowers  naturally  in  the  autumn,  and  then  commences 
to  grow  directly  afterwards.  We  can  scarcely  understand 
your  bulbs  being  dormant  now  unless  they  are  imported 
ones.  Tlie  rational  way  to  treat  the  Belladonna  Lily  when 
it  is  grown  in  pots  is,  as  soon  as  the  blossoms  are  over, 
to  give  it  a  good  position  in  a  frame  or  cool  house  and 
keep  it  growing  during  the  winter.  Towards  the  end  of 
spring  or  in  early  summer  it  will  go  to  rest,  when  the  pot 
should  be  fully  exposed  to  the  sun  and  the  soil  kept  almost 
dry.  By  the  end  of  August  or  thereabouts  signs  of  growth 
will  be  apparent,  the  flower-spike  being  the  flrst  to  show, 
and  then  water  must  be  given.  As  yours  is  still  dormant, 
we  should  advise  it  being  moderately  watered,  in  order 
to  start  it  into  growth  as  quickly  as  possible.  When 
the  pots  are  well  furnished  with  roots,  it  may  be  fed. 
It  will,  in  all  probability,  be  late  in  dying  down,  but  in 
any  case  a  certain  amount  of  rest  is  essential.  The 
after-treatment  must  be  as  advised  above. 

CULTIVATION  OF  CASSIA  (Captain  R.  H.  V.).— 
The  Cassia  referred  to  is,  in  all  probability,  C.  corymbosa, 
which  requires  the  protection  of  a  greenhouse.  It  is  a 
free-growing  shrub,  whose  pinnate  leaves  are  of  a  deep 
green  colour,  and  the  golden,  Pea-shaped  blossoms  are 
borne  in  summer  and  autumn.  It  forms  a  handsome 
bush  in  the  conservatory,  is  well  suited  for  training  to 
the  back  wall  of  a  greenhouse,  providing  it  gets  plenty  of 
light,  and  may  be  sometimes  seen  during  the  summer 
planted  out  in  parks  and  gardens  in  the  beds  of  large 
miscellaneous  subjects  wliich  are  now  so  generally  popular. 
Its  cultural  requirements  are  not  at  all  exacting,  as  it 
may  be  given  much  the  same  treatment  as  a  Fuchsia, 
except  that,  being  evergreen,  it  must  not  be  kept  dry  in 
the  winter.  At  that  season  it  needs  a  minimum  tempera- 
ture of  45°  to  50°.  Ordinary  potting  compost,  such  as 
a  mixture  of  loam,  peat,  or  leaf-mould  and  sand,  will  suit 
it  well.  When  old  it  flowers  profusely,  but  seedling  plants 
need  to  attain  a  fair  size  before  they  bloom  freely.  It 
may  be  placed  out  of  doors  during  the  summer  montlis, 

GLOXINIAS  AND  CYCLAMEN  (0.  B.).— After  the 
Gloxinias  have  done  blooming  they  must  be  treated 
as  before  till  the  leaves  die  down  and  tl^e  plants  go  to 
rest.  Yours  will,  in  all  probability,  produce  a  few  blooms 
for  some  time  yet.  Then,  as  they  die  down  in  the  autumn, 
keep  them  quite  dry  and  in  a  structure  where  a  minimum 
temperature  of  45°  to  50*  is  maintained.  Early  in  the 
year  they  may  be  shaken  quite  clear  of  the  old  soil  and 
repotted  in  some  good  compost.  Little  water  will  be 
needed  till  they  start  into  growth.  Like  the  Gloxinias, 
the  Cyclamen  must  be  treated  as  before  till  the  leaves 
die  down,  which  will  probably  be  towards  the  end  of  May 
or  early  in  June,  Then  keep  them  dry  for  a  month  or 
six  weeks,  after  which  the  corms  must  be  shaken  quite 
clear  of  the  old  soil  and  repotted  in  a  mixture  of  loam, 
leaf-mould,  silver  sand  and,  if  available,  a  little  brick 
rubble.  After  they  are  potted  an  occasional  damping 
overhead  will  be  beneficial,  but  do  not  give  too  nmch 
water  at  the  roots  till  the  young  leaves  make  their  appear- 
ance,    A  frame  in  a  partially-shaded  position  is  the  best 


for  them  at  this  season.  As  the  plants  grow,  plenty  of 
air  will  be  needed,  and  they  are  greatly  benefited  by 
exposure  to  light  rain  and  the  night  dews  which  often 
prevail  in  August.  By  the  middle  of  September  they 
should  have  formed  good  plants  ready  to  be  taken  into 
the  greenhouse. 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

RED  SPIDER  ON  VINES  {M.  0.  £,).— It  is  early 
for  red  spider  to  appear  on  Vmes,  and  if  it  is  not  imme- 
diately destroyed  it  will  do  no  end  of  mischief  to  your 
Vines,  the  foliage  being  now  so  soft  and  tender.  To  kill 
red  spider  with  XL  All,  or  with  any  other  fumigator,  it  is 
necessary  to  apply  a  strone  dose,  unfortunately  too  strong 
for  the  Vine  foliage  to  stand  in  its  present  soft  and 
immature  condition.  There  is  nothing  else  for  it,  then, 
but  to  sponge  the  affected  foliage  carefully  over  with  tepid 
rain-water  and  Calvert's  Soft  Soap,  using  not  more  than  a 
wineglassful  of  soap  to  a  gallon  of  water.  It  is  tedious  work, 
but  if  you  will  stick  to  it,  it  will  soon  be  done.  Keep  a 
sharp  look-out  afterwards  and  apply  the  same  remedy  the 
moment  another  spider  is  seen,  and  you  will  get  rid  of  the 
spiders  in  time, 

INSECTICIDE  FOR  APPLE  TREES  (C.  D.).—Yo\i  do 
not  say  what  pests  you  aim  at  destroying,  and,  of  course, 
that  is  a  very  important  thing,  for  indiscriminate  spraying 
is  an  evil  rather  than  a  good.  Fungi,  sucking  insects, 
such  as  green  flies  and  scale  insects,  and  caterpillars 
all  need  diflerent  kinds  of  treatment.  For  sucking  insects 
probably  Quassia  and  soft  soap  will  serve  best,  and  it 
may  be  made  by  gently  boiling  lib.  of  Quassia  chips 
in  water  for  a  couple  of  hours.  Dissolve  half  a  pound 
of  soft  soap  in  warm  water  and  stir  in  the  strained 
Quassia  extract,  adding  sufficient  water  to  make  up  ten 
gallons.  For  caterpillars  and  other  biting  insects  arsenate 
of  lead  paste  is  best,  and  it  should  be  used  in  tlie  propor- 
tions directed  on  the  tins.  Nicotine  washes  are  also  of 
great  use  against  green  flies  and  so  on,  and  should  be 
bought  ready-made. 

SMALL  PEAR  TREE  PROFUSELY  BLOOMED  (A.  L.). 
— A  small  tree  like  this  so  lioavily  laden  with  fruit  already 
set  is  deserving  of  all  tlie  care  you  can  give  it.  As 
you  say,  the  tree  will  cast  off  some  of  the  surplus  fruit 
itself  later  on,  but  It  will  have  no  occasion  to  do  so  if  you 
in  the  meantime  will  gradually  ease  it  of  the  burden 
it  is  unable  to  bear.  Go  over  the  tree  carefully  as  soon 
as  the  fruit  is  set,  and  in  the  flrst  place  cut  out  all  the 
badly-formed  and  small  fruit  in  each  bunch,  leaving  only 
five  frmts,  and  then  in  about  another  fortnight  go  over 
the  tree  again,  still  cutting  out  the  smallest  of  the  fruits 
until  there  are  only  two  left  on  each  branch.  Later  still, 
when  all  danger  of  any  fruit  falling  is  past,  you  should 
reduce  the  number  of  fruits  in  a  bunch  to  one,  that,  of 
course,  being  the  finest.  You  will  then  have  a  good  crop 
of  fine  fruit.  Give  the  tree  a  good  soaking  of  weak  manure- 
water  from  the  stable  or  cow-yard  immediately,  and  mulch 
the  surface  of  the  soil  over  its  roots  with  a  dressing  of 
rotten  manure  3  inches  deep. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

QUASSIA  EXTRACT  {Nortfi  Wales).— This  is  obtain- 
able both  as  a  powder  and  in  a  liquid  form.  That  which 
tlie  writer  of  the  article  referred  to  uses  is  Bentley's  Extract 
of  Quassia,  a  liquid.  A  3-inch  potful  is  sufficient  for 
three  and  a-half  to  four  gallons  of  water. 

TO  KILL  WORMS  IN  POTS  (Nil).— Get  about  half 
an  ounce  of  carbon  bisulphide,  make  a  hole  in  the  soil 
of  the  pot,  pour  in  the  carbon  bisiUpltide,and  immediately 
close  the  hole.  This  will  cause  the  death  of  the  worms 
without  injury  to  the  plant,  so  long  as  the  liquid  does  not 
come  in  contact  with  any  large  roots. 

LARVffi  FOR  INSPECTION  (Hawick).— The  two  grubs 
readied  us  very  dried  up,  but  so  far  as  we  can  tell  they 
appear  to  be  tlie  larvee  of  the  St.  Mark's  fly,  one  of  them 
more  advanced  than  the  other  These  grubs  feed  for 
the  most  part  on  decaying  vegetable  matter,  but  when 
they  are  abundant  and  food  scarce  they  may  attack  the 
roots  of  plants.  Carbon  bisulphide  injected  into  the 
soil  at  the  rate  of  about  half  an  ounce  to  the  square  yard, 
pouring  boiling  water  on  the  groups  of  them,  or  the 
use  of  some  soil  fumigant  round  any  particular  plant, 
will  do  a  good  deal  towards  checking  their  attacks. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— iVo  Name.— I,  Centranthus 
ruber ;  2,  Pilea  muscosa ;  3,  Saxifraga  canaliculata ; 
4,  Dicentra  formosa  ;    5,  no  specimen  ;    6,  Streptosolen 

Jamesonii ;   7,  Arenaria  montana. W.  G. — 1,  Lycaste 

species;  2,  Dendrobium  species.     Specimens  too  imperfect 

to   identify    correctly. Stranger. — 1,    Aucuba    japonica 

variegata ;  2,  A.  japonica ;  3,  Elaeagnus  pungens ;  4, 
Laurus  nobilis ;  5,  Ilex  Aquifolium  variegatum ;  6, 
Quercus  Ilex  ;  7,  Euonymus  japonicus  ;  8,  Prunus  Lauro- 
cerasus ;  9,  Viburnum  Tinus  ;  10,  Euonymus  japonicus 
variegatus  ;  11,  Cotoueaster  horizontalis ;  12,  Veronica 
Traversii ;  13,  Sciadopitys  verticillata ;  14,  Cytisus 
species ;  15,  Forsythia  suspensa ;  16.  Muehleubeckia 
varians ;  17,  Magnolia  stellata ;  18,  Prunus  serrulata ; 
19,  Meeembryanthemum  species  ;  20,  Hypericum  species  ; 
21,  Jasrainum  officinale  ;  22,  Olearia  Haastii ;  23,  Pyrus 
floribunda ;  24,  Santolina  Chamacyparissus ;  25, 
Artemisia  Abrotanum ;  26,  Alyssum  t^axatile ;  27,  Epi- 
medium  species ;  28,  Arabis  albida ;  29,  Centaurea 
montana ;  30,  Doronicum  plantagineum ;  31,  Galega 
officinalis ;  32,  Muscaria  conicum ;  33,  Polygonum 
cuspidatum  ;    35,  Iris  foBtidissima  variegata  ;    34  and  36, 

specimens  too  scrappy. Crinum. — The  flower  sent  is 

that  of  an  Amaryllis  seedling  of  no  special  merit.     The 

cross   has   not    been   eftected  George     Dean.  —  The 

Butcher's  Broom  (Ruscus  aculeatus). 


^*L 


|,W^^- 


GARDEN. 


-^^= 


No.  2163.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


May 


1913- 


GONTBNTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week     213 

Correspondence 
Arranf^ements  at  the 
London     Daffodil 

Show 214 

Saxifraga  burscriana     214 
Azara     miciophylla 

at  Stranraer        . .     215 
Primula  viscosa  hy- 
brids     215 

Zonal    Pelargonium 
Maxime  Kovalev- 

sky       215 

Prizes  for  the  Best 
JJOCK  Gardens    . . 
Forthcoming  events . . 
Science   in   Relation 
Horticultcke 
Treatment  of  disease 
in  plants 
Trees  and  Shrubs 
Notes  on  Lilacs 
A  distinct   Barberry 
Rose  Garden 
Seasonable      work 
among  the   Roses 
Flower  Garden 
Some     good     Pent- 
steraons   for  beds 
and  borders 


215 


215 


Gardens  of   To-Day 
Spring     flowers     at 
Clandon  Park     ..     218 

Greenhouse 
Some  good  flowering 
Cacti 219 

Daffodil  Xotfs 

The  London  DatTodil 
Show,  1913..      ..     219 

Narcissus     Emerald 

Eye       220 

Gardening  for  Beginners 

The  Polyanthuses : 
How  to  raise  and 
grow    them   with 

success -^1 

Gardening  op  the  Week 

For  Southern  gar- 
dens      222 

For  Northern  gar- 
dens      222 

Answers  to  Corre- 
spondents 

Flower  garden        . .  223 

Trees  and  shrubs   . .  223 

Greenhouse     . ,      . .  223 

Rose  garden    . .  223 

Fruit  garden  . .      . .  223 

Miscellaneous..      ..  223 

Societies 224 


IIiIiUSTRATIONS. 

Coprintis  comatus 214 

The  double  white  Lilac  Mme.  Lemoine       216 

Daffodils  naturalised  at  Clandon  Park       217 

A  view  in  the  Primula  Dell  at  Clandon  Park. .         . .  218 
An    effective     grouping     of    hardy     Primulas    and 

Leopard's  Bane 219 

Narcissus  Emerald  Eye 220 

A  bed  of  seedling  Polyanthuses  edged  with  Aubrietia  221 


BDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  ivelcomes  photograplis,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  ivill  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
iisks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  ivill  not  he  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  GARDEN  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  10,  Tainslock  street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


Transplanting     Red-hot     Pokers.— The    best 

time  for  dividing  or  transplanting  Kniphofias  or 
Red-hot  Pokers  is  this  month,  when  the  plants 
are  getting  active  both  at  the  roots  and  leaves. 
Should  the  weather  be  dry,  a  good  watering  must 
be  given.  A  good  mulching  ot  rotten  manure 
should  also  be  given  annually  at  this  time  of  the 
year  to  established  plants. 

Primroses  and  Polyanthuses. — We  regret  that 
the  article  on  this  subject,  which  appeared  on 
page  195  of  our  issue  for  April  19,  should  have 
given  offence  to  some  of  our  readers.  The  sole 
reason  the  wTiter  had  for  referring  to  the  Primrose 
League  was  to  pay  some  slight  tribute  to  the  keen 
interest  taken  by  the  late  Lady  Dorothy  Nevill 
in  horticulture.  In  doing  so  a  sentence  that  has 
been  taken  as  political  inadvertently  appeared. 

Prunus  triloba  After  Flowering.— Now  that 
the  blossoms  of  this  beautiful  early-flowering  shrub 
are  over,  the  shoots  that  have  recently  flowered 
should  be  pruned  back  to  within  i  inch  or  2  inches 
of  their  base,  leaving  only  two  or  three  eyes.  As 
in  all  cases  of  pruning,  the  weaker  shoots  should 
be  cut  back  hardest  to  encourage  stronger  growth 
on  them.  A  young  tree  would  not  need  cutting 
back  to  the  extent  that  an  older  plant  would  until 
it  had  covered  its  allotted  space. 

Rapid  Growth  of  Bamboos. — When  visiting 
the  gardens  at  Trebah,  Cornwall,  a  week  or  two 
ago,  the  head-gardener,  Mr.  Thomas,  informed 
us  that  last  year  he  measured  the  rate  of  growth 
of  a  large  stem  of  Bambusa  or  Phyllostachys  Quilioi. 
In  fourteen  days  this  stem  attained  a  height  of 
II  feet  10  inches,  or  an  average  of  slightly  more 
than  ten  inches  per  day.  The  plant,  which  is 
growing  in  the  open,  is  a  very  large  one,  and 
some  of  the  stems  measure  over  five  inches  in 
circumference. 

Delayed  Flowering  of  Amaryllis  Belladonna. 
At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  scientific  committee 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  Mr.  Odell 
referred  to  the  failure  of  Amaryllis  Belladonna 
to  produce  flowers  in  the  past  autumn,  and  stated 
that  the  aborted  flowers  were  now  being  developed. 
Mr.  Worsley  stated  that  the  same  thing  had 
happened  in  his  garden  after  wet  summers,  and 
it  was  considered  by  the  committee  that  the  con- 
ditions obtaining  in  such  a  season  as  the  last 
militated  against  the  proper  development  of  the 
flowers,  though  they  might  begin  to  form. 

Magnolia  stellata  and  Muscari  Heavenly 
Blue. — The  combination  of  these  two  plants 
results  in  a  very  attractive  feature,  for  the  ghsten- 
ing  white  flowers  of  the  Magnolia  are  at  their  best 
during  the  time  when  the  rich  blue  Muscari  flowers 
are  expanded.  Moreover,  there  is  no  objection- 
able feature  in  the  combination,  for  the  bulbs  do 
not  rob  the  shrubs  to  any  appreciable  extent, 
while  the  Muscari  leaves  are  not  vigorous  enough 


to  interfere  with  the  Magnolia  branches.  M, 
stellata  should  be  planted  in  moderately  thin 
groups  in  a  soil  composed  principally  of  loam, 
but  containing  a  little  peat. 

A  Showy  Crab  Apple. — Those  who  do  not 
already  possess  Pyrus  niedzwetzkyana  would  do 
well  to  add  it  to  their  collections  of  flowering 
trees,  for  it  is  distinct  from  any  other  kind  of 
Pyrus,  and  the  colour  of  the  flowers  is  different 
from  that  of  any  other  flowering  tree.  In  habit 
very  like  that  of  an  ordinary  Apple  tree,  it  blossoms 
quite  as  freely  as  any  of  the  Crabs,  the  individual 
flowers  being  as  large  as  those  of  the  more  showy 
kinds  of  P.  Malus.  The  colour  is  a  curious  reddish 
purple,  and  branches,  roots  and  leaves  are  all 
stained  with  the  same  shade. 

Board  of  Agriculture  and  Fruit-Growers. — 

It  is  a  good  sign  to  fiiui  that  fruit-growmg  and 
other  branches  of  commercial  horticulture  are  at 
last  receiving  some  attention  from  the  Board  of 
Agriculture.  Mr.  Walter  Runciman,  President  of 
the  Board,  at  a  gathering  of  fruit-growers  in  the 
Pershore  district  last  week,  stated  that  he  advocated 
the  formation  of  a  fruit  institute,  and  promised 
assistance  from  the  Board,  who  would  put  down 
£3  for  every  £1  put  down  by  the  County  Council 
in  bricks  and  mortar,  presumably  in  the  shape 
of  cottages  and  necessary  buildings  ;  and  £2  for 
every  £1  provided  by  the  County  Council  for 
running  expenses. 

An    Important    Fruit   Blossom    Discovery. — 

At  the  National  Fruit  and  Cider  Institute,  Long 
Ashton,  near  Bristol,  Professor  B.  T.  P.  Barker  has, 
we  imderstand,  made  a  most  important  discovery 
relating  to  the  damage  of  fruit  blossom  in  spring. 
It  appears  that  a  great  deal  of  the  damage  usually 
attributed  to  frost  is  due  to  a  bacillus,  which 
causes  the  flowers  to  blacken  and  fall  ofi.  This 
bacillus,  the  name  of  which  is  not  yet  available, 
has  been  isolated  in  the  laboratory  and  is  found  to 
increase  very  rapidly.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  Professor  Houston,  writing  in  our  issue  of 
March  8,  page  121,  stated  that  a  good  deal  of 
the  damage  to  Apple  blossom  usually  attributed 
to  spring  frosts  was  due  to  the  attacks  of  the  Apple- 
sucker,  or  Psylla. 

A  Hint  for  Raisers  of  Seedling  Daffodils.— 

At  the  discussion  on  the  cultivation  of  Daffodils 
held  on  the  evening  of  the  opening  day  of  the 
Midland  Dafiodil  Society's  Show  last  week,  the 
Rev.  G.  H.  Engleheart  gave  many  useful  hints 
to  the  raisers  of  seedlings.  The  most  interesting 
of  these  was  that  he  believed  in  transplanting 
one  year  old  bulbs  from  the  seed-boxes  into  other 
boxes  4  inches  deep,  giving  them  good  soil,  instead 
of  allowing  them  to  remain  in  the  seedling-boxes 
two  years,  as  is  usuaDy  done.  By  transplanting 
he  considered  he  had  saved  a  year  of  the  time 
usually  taken  by  seedling  bulbs  to  reach  flowering 
size.  To  get  Dafiodil  seed  to  germinate  freely 
Mr.  Engleheart  stated  it  should  be  sown  as  soon 
as  riDe. 


214 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  3,  1913, 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The   Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents. ) 

Arrangements  at  the  London  Daflodil  Show.— 

With  reference  to  your  footnote  about  Mr.  Wright's 
unfortunate  illness  on  page  205  of  last  week's 
issue,  I  do  not  see  how  his  being  present  at  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Hall  would  have 
altered  the  fact  that  it  was  let  on  the  Saturday 
before  the  show  and  that  there  were  no  vases 
available  and  no  tables  on  which  competitors 
might  have  arranged  their  flowers  in  comfort. — 
Joseph  Jacob. 

Failure  of  Anemone  f  uigens. — In  reference  to  the 
recent  correspondence  on  this  subject,  seven  years 
ago  I  planted  some  in  a  bed  facmg  south,  in  a  good, 
rich,  light  soil.  They  bloomed  well  the  first  year,  the 
second  year  not  so  well,  and  by  degrees  they  almost 
disappeared.  Last  year  there  were  several  plants 
blooming  in  the  steep  grass  bank  below  the  bed, 
which  bank  is  hard  and  sun-baked  in  summer. 
This  year  there  are  more  plants  in  the  bank  and 
more  blooms,  but  the  latter  are  rather  small. 
There  is  still  one  plant  in  the  original  bed  with 
live  bl(K)ms. — Penwarne. 

Rhododendron  Grievei. — This  charming  little 
Rhododendron,  which  has  been  almost  lost  to 
cultivation,  was  shown  in  the  exhibit  of  Messrs. 
Cunningham,  Fraser  and  Co.,  Comely  Bank 
Nurseries,  at  the  recent  Edinburgh  Spring  Show. 
It  was  much  noticed  by  those  interested  in  the 
dwarfer  shrubs,  and  is  extremely  beautiful  with 
its  pinkish  white  flowers.  As  shown,  the  plants 
were  only  a  few  inches  high,  and  were  giving  good 
trusses  of  large  and  beautiful  flowers.  The  flowers 
are  not  the  sole  attraction  of  the  plant,  as  Mr. 
James  Grieve,  who  happened  to  be  at  hand  when 
the  writer  was  examining  the  Rhododendron, 
informed  him  that  the  leaves  were  fragrant,  and 
an  olfactory  test  showed  that  the  foliage  is  of  a 
most  agreeable  fragrance.  Mr.  Grieve  also  gave 
the  information  that  he  raised  this  plant  while 
with  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Dicksons  and  Co.,  the 
parentage  being  dahuricum  x  ciliatum.  It  par- 
takes largely  of  R.  ciliatum  in  flower.  Mr.  Grieve 
stated  that  it  had  been  almost  lost  to  cultivation ; 
but  it  is  to  be  expected  that  its  beauty  wUl  cause 
R.  Grievei  to  be  largely  propagated  and  cultivated. 
It  is  quite  hardy  and  an  excellent  rock  garden 
■  shrub. — S.  Arnott. 

Growing  Tulips  in  Grass. — Let  me  offer  my  small 
contribution  to  Mr.  Jacob's  problem  of  Tulips  in 
grass  page  189.  For  a  long  time  I  also  was  daunted 
by  the  superstition  that  they  would  flower  once, 
indeed,  but  never  again.  At  last,  however,  I 
was  rash  and  planted  some  Golden  Crowns  in  very 
poor  soil  on  a  steep  slope  in  very  coarse  grass 
that  afterwards  becomes  hay.  They  have  now 
been  there  some  six  years.  In  the  course  of 
that  time  they  have  so  broken  up  that  each 
original  bulb  is  now  represented  by  eight  or  ten 
great  broad,  grey  leaves.  But  each  bulb  mass 
(or  nine  out  of  ten)  is  so  strong  as  to  send  up  yearly 
at  least  one  bloom,  if  not  two,  which  amply  justifies 
the  purpose  of  their  planting.  Emboldened  by 
this,  I  myself  inserted  a  lot  of  Gesnerianas  into 
lifeless  soil  on  a  Kentish  lawn  bank  four  years 
ago,  and  these  also  still  bloom,  though  not  very 
richly,  nor  have  they  broken  into  the  masses 
of  my  Golden  Crowns.  At  the  same  time,  one 
blossom  in  grass  is  worth  ten  in  a  border  for 
decorative  effect.  The  Tulip  never  looks  so  superb 
and  so  characteristic  as  in  a  wild  green  setting, 
and  I  cannot  but  feel  that  even  such  partial  profit 


as  I  have  pointed  out  is  quite  sufficient  encourage- 
ment for  a  far  wider  use  of  the  greater  Tulips  in 
grass.  Even  some  ugly  Darwins  of  last  year 
are  now  again  coming  up  in  bloom  through 
coarse  herbage. — Reginald  Farrer. 

How  to  Grow  Saxifraga  burseriana.— With 
reference  to  the  note  on  the  above  subject  by 
"  Alpinist,"  on  page  igr,  April  rg  issue,  it  is 
not  for  me  to  champion  Mr.  Farrer,  but 
I  do  not  think  "  Alpinist "  has  treated  him 
quite  fairly.  "  My  Rock  Garden  "  was  published 
much  earlier  than  "  The  Rock  Garden,"  and 
apparently,  when  the  former  was  written,  the 
author  had  not  acquired  so  wide  an  experience 
of  the  plants  growing  under  natural  conditions, 
and  it  is  evident  that  his  observation  of  plants 
in  their  native  habitat,  in  circumstances  such 
as    those     mentioned     in     "  Among     the     Hills " 


coprinus  comatus,  the  fungus  that 
secretes  the  self-destroving  fer- 
ment used  as  a  cure  in  silver- 
LEAF  DISEASE.      (See  page  215.) 

(page  267),  led  him  to  recommend  a  different  treat- 
ment. However,  I  do  not  think  that  "  Alpinist  " 
quite  realises  that,  as  regards  the  requirements 
of  a  plant  in  his  own  particular  garden,  he  must 
buy  his  own  experience.  The  most  a  writer  can 
do  for  him  is  to  tell  him  of  the  plant's  requirements 
in  Nature,  and  then  of  his  (the  writer's)  own  ex- 
periences. I  will  give  "  Alpinist  "  my  own  experi- 
ence for  what  it  is  worth.  I  have  S.  burseriana 
and  its  many  forms  growing  all  over  my  rock 
garden  in  sun  and  shade  facing  east,  south-east 
and  south-west.  My  rainfall  is  somewhere  about 
forty-six  inches  in  the  year,  and  the  plants  have 
to  shift  for  themselves  in  dry  weather  (when  they 
get  it).  The  more  sun  they  get  here,  the  better 
they  flower ;  but  in  dry  summers,  like  that  of 
1911,  those  in  very  open  exposures  suffered  badly. 
I  should  be  interested  to  learn  whether  Mr.  Clarence 
Elliott's  plants  in  a  south-west  exposure  in  Herts 
were  out   on  rockwork,  dependent  on   the  heavens 


for  their  moisture,  or  were  artificially  watered 
on  rockwork  or  in  frames.  If  one  could  keep  them 
moist  enough  in  dry  spells,  I  do  not  think  they 
would  suffer  here,  even  in  due  south  exposures  ; 
but  for  the  average  rock  gardener  hand-watering 
on  a  large  scale  is  not  possible,  and  personally  I 
would  not  care  to  risk  the  burserianas  in  very 
open  exposures  in  a  climate  drier  than  my  own. 
Wherever  I  grow  them  they  like  light,  limey  soil 
and  plenty  of  chips  on  the  surface. — Murray 
HoRNiBROOK,  Knapton,  Abbey  Leix,  Queen's 
County. 

I  bought  a  small  plant  of  Saxifraga  burseri- 
ana major  last  year  and  put  it  into  the  hottest 
and  driest  comer  of  my  small  rock  garden.  This 
year  it  had  over  sixty  flowers  on  it,  nearly  all 
being  in  flower  at  the  same  time.  I  got  S.  b. 
minor  also,  and  put  that  about  six  inches  from 
the  other.  In  December  it  was  looking  so  bad 
that  I  transplanted  it  to  the  shady  side  of  a  new 
rock  garden  I  have  just  made.  It  seemed  to  get 
better  from  the  moment  I  transplanted  it,  and  has 
just  finished  flowering.  It  had  twelve  nice  flowers. 
The  petals  of  these  flowers  are  deeply  serrated. 
Of  course,  last  year  was  so  sunless  that  that  may 
account  for  S.  b.  major  doing  so  well  in  a  south- 
west aspect.  Perhaps  my  experience  may  be  of 
interest  to  "  Alpinist." — J,  C.  D. 

A  good  deal  has  been  written   about  the 

above  and  as  to  the  best  aspect  to  grow  it  in. 
Here  in  Cheshire  I  have  grown  it  for  many  years 
on  the  south  side  of  my  rockwork  in  full  sun,  but 
m  the  summer  of  1911,  which  was  very  hot  and 
dry,  the  plants  were  much  burnt  by  the  sun,  and 
in  some  instances  completely  killed.  Some  other 
of  the  Saxifrages  suffered  in  the  same  way.  The 
summer  of  rgii  was  very  unusual,  and  on  the 
whole  I  consider  a  southern  aspect  the  best  for 
Saxifraga  burseriana,  at  all  events  in  Cheshire. 
In  a  very  hot,  dry  county,  as  in  some  parts  of  the 
South  of  England,  possibly  not  a  fully  south  aspect 
would  be  best. — George  Dixon,  Astle. 

If   "  Alpinist,"    who   writes   in   your  issue 

of  April  19,  will  plant  Saxifraga  burseriana  in  a 
soil  composed  of  two-thirds  lime  rubble  or  lime  chips 
and  one-third  sandy  loam,  and  place  the  plants 
with  a  southerly  or  south-westerly  exposure, 
with  a  rock  behind  them  under  which  their  roots 
will  get  the  evenness  of  moisture  that  they  like, 
he  will  have  no  difficulty  in  growing  and  1  looming 
this  Saxifrage.  Of  course,  I  assume  that  the 
rock  garden  "  Alpinist  "  has  is  thoroughly  drained 
to  start  with.  I  emphasise  the  importance  of  the 
rock  behind,  as  of  two  large  clumps  th'^i;  I  had 
with  the  same  south-west  aspect,  the  one  tnat  did 
not  have  a  rock  behind  it  showed  signs  of  shiivelling 
up,  whereas  the  other  retains  the  bluish  green 
foliage,  which  is  a  sure  sign  of  health.  1  have 
grown  this  and  other  Kabschia  Saxifraecs  for 
many  years,  and  my  plants  of  biirseriana  are 
six  or  seven  years  old. — S.  H.,  Hertfordshire. 

[We  are  compelled  to  hold  over  other  mterest- 
ing  notes  on  this  subject. — Ed.] 

Erigeron  Asa  Gray. — This  is  almost  certainly 
a  hybrid  Erigeron,  though  it  seems  difficult  to 
trace  its  origin  or  to  say  with  certainty  what  its 
precise  parents  were.  One  would  believe,  how- 
ever, from  the  colour  of  the  flowers  that  it  has  some 
of  the  "  blood  "  of  Erigeron  aurantiacus  in  its  cells. 
It  is  a  very  handsome  plant,  with  flowers  which  some 
call  apricot  yellow  and  others  a  kind  of  biscuit 
colour.  It  is  about  a  foot  high  and  makes  an 
excellent  border  plant.  It  is  not  the  same  as 
the  variety  of  E.  salsuginosus  which  is  callril 
"  salsuginosus  of  Asa  Gray." — S.  A. 


May  3,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


215 


Azara  microphylla  at  Stranraer.— There  is  an 

exceedingly  fine  plant  of  Azara  microphylla  in 
tlie  "^deeply-interesting  garden  of  Mr.  Carrick- 
Biichnnan,  Corsewall,  Stranraer,  a  place  where 
raan>'  reputedly  tender  shrubs  thrive  apace.  The 
.Azara  is  generally  hardy  in  South-West  Scotland, 
but  the  specimen  at  Corsewall  is  exceptionally 
fine  on  a  high  wall  surrounding  the  kitchen  gardens. 
Speaking  from  recollection  only  of  the  plant  as 
seen  last  year,  I  cannot  venture  to  give  the  approxi- 
mate height,  but  it  is  one  of  the  finest  plants  of 
Azara  which  I  have  seen,  save  in  Ireland.  Its 
shining  green  foliage  makes  a  good  plant  most 
attractive.  It  does  not  appear  to  fruit  well  in 
South-West  Scotland,  and  in  a  considerable  number 
of  gardens  it  even  fails  to  flower.  The  non- 
flowering  is  of  less  consequence,  seeing  that  the 
blooms  are  small.  The  agreeable  aroma  they 
exhale  is,  however,  welcome  in  spring.  Probably 
late  frosts  have  much  to  do  with  the  non-flowering 
in  many  local  gardens. — S.  .Arnott. 

Primula  viscosa  Hybrids.— There  seem  now 
a  goodly  nunibt-r  of  liybrids  of  P.  viscosa  in  exist- 
ence, and  in  addition  to  the  two  named,  Jean 
Douglas  and  Othello,  referred  to  on  page  187, 
and  a  few  other  named  varieties,  a  considerable 
number  as  yet  unnamed  are  in  cultivation.  It 
IS  to  be  hoped  that  these  may  be  sent  to  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  Gardens  to  be  tested 
together  and  the  too-much-alike  varieties  eliminated 
by  a  competent  authority,  such  as  the  floral  com- 
mittee. I  have  recently  seen  a  considerable 
number  of  these  new  seedlings  in  flower,  and  one 
must  say  that  there  is  too  much  similarity  among 
them.  Then,  again,  the  use  of  some  of  the  alpine 
.Auriculas  as  one  of  the  parents  has  given  some  of 
them  too  great  a  resemblance  to  the  -Auricula, 
and  several  of  the  seedlings  which  it  is  intended  to 
name  are  little  different  from  a  poor  alpine  .Auricula. 
Yet  there  are  some  excellent  flowers  among  these 
viscosa  hybrids,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  there 
should  not  be  a  number  of  other  good  viscosa 
hybrids  produced. — .An  Old  .\lpinist. 
Zonal    Pelargonium    Maxime    Kovalevsky.— 

This  distinct  tnitc-d  variety  of  Zonal  Pelargonium, 
which  IS  referred  to  on  page  179,  issue  AprU  12, 
is  a  good  kind  for  pot  culture,  either  for  summer 
or  winter  blooming.  Besides  this,  it  is  very  effective 
as  a  bedding  plant,  and  in  this  way  it  formed  a 
very  attractive  feature  in  the  gardens  at  Hampton 
Court  last  summer.  Owing  to  its  distinct  shade,  a 
mass  of  this  Pelargonium  was  at  a  little  distance 
somewhat  of  a  puzzle,  the  tone  of  colour  being 
so  different  from  any  of  the  others.  It  is  one  of 
the  many  good  things  that  we  owe  to  M.  Lemoine 
of  Nancy,  France,  as  it  was  distributed  from 
that  establishment  in  the  spring  of  1906,  and  was 
given  an  award  of  merit  by  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  five  years  later.  It  is  by  no  means  the 
only  variety  that  was  sent  out  long  before  its 
merits  gained  recognition,  as  the  universally- 
grown  Paul  Crampel  was  first  put  into  commerce 
by  M.  Lemoine  in  1892  (one  year  before  Begonia 
Gloire  de  Lorraine),  but  it  was  about  a  decade  after 
that  when  it  became  popular.  Much  the  same 
applies  to  that  well-known  market  variety  with 
semi-double  flowers,  F.  P.  RaspaU,  which  I  first 
received  from  M.  Lemoine  in  1878,  the  year  of  its 
distribution.  It  was  long  after  that  before  it  was 
taken  up  by  some  of  the  market-growers,  when 
it  was  at  once  much  sought  after.  Not  only  were 
these  three  standard  varieties  all  raised  by  M. 
Lemoine,  but  the  Ivy-leaved  variety  Galilee, 
which  is  perhaps  grown  more  than  any  other, 
.ilsn  oame  from  the  same  source. — H.  P. 


PRIZES     FOR    THE     BEST 
ROCK    GARDENS. 


To  further  stimulate  the  interest  that  is  being 
taken  in  rock  gardens,  the  Proprietors  of  The 
Garden  offer  the  following  prizes  for  three  photo- 
graphs of  a  rock  garden,  or  portions  of  a  rock 
garden  : 

First  prize  :  Five  Guineas,  or  a  Silver  Cup  of 
that  value. 

Second  prize  :  Two  Guineas,  or  Boolis  of  tliat 

value. 
Third  prize  :  One  Guinea. 

The  competition  is  open  only  to  the  actual 
owner  of  the  rock  garden,  or  to  his  or  her  gardener. 
The  object  is  to  encourage  good  rock  gardening, 
and  preference  will,  therefore,  be  given  to  those 
rock  gardens  which  show  originality  in  design,  and 
where  the  plants  depicted  are  well  grown.  It 
should  be  distinctly  understood  that  awards  will 
be  made  to  the  best  rock  gardens,  and  not  neces- 
sarily to  the  best  photographs.  The  photographs 
need  not  be  taken  by  the  competitor,  who  must, 
however,  in  such  cases  have  the  wTitten  consent 
of  the  photographer  for  their  reproduction  in  The 
Garden.  The  competition  is  subject  to  the 
following  rules  : 

1.  .Vot    more    than   three   photographs   of   each 

garden  may  be  sent  in  by  one  competitor. 

2.  Each  photograph  must  have  the  full  name  and 

address  of  the  competitor  plainly  \vritten 
on  the  back  in  ink. 

3.  Successful   competitors   shall   furnish   written 

particulars  of  the  rock  garden  forming  the 
subject  of  their  photographs. 

4.  Glazed  P.O.  P.  prints  must  be  sent,  and  each 

should  be  on  a  mount  with  not  more  than 
half  an  inch  margin. 

■i.  .All  photographs  must  be  sent  to  arrive  at 
The  Garden  Offices,  20,  Tavistock  Street, 
Strand,  W.C,  not  later  than  June  i,  1913. 

t\  Unsuccessful  photographs  sent  in  for  com- 
petition will  be  returned  if  a  sufficiently 
stamped  and  addressed  envelope  or  nxapper 
is  enclosed  for  the  purpose,  but  no  responsi- 
bihty  will  be  taken  for  the  loss  or  damage  of 
photographs  submitted,  although  every  care 
will  be  taken  to  return  them  uninjured. 

7.  The   Proprietors  of  The   Garden   reserve   to 

themselves  the  right  to  reproduce  any 
photograph  sent  in  for  competition. 

8.  The  decision  of  the  Editor  will  be  final. 


SCIENCE    IN    RELATION 
HORTICULTURE. 


TO 


TREATMENT    OF    DISEASE 
PLANTS. 


IN 


T 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

May  6. — Scottish  Horticultural  Association's 
Meeting.  Forest  Gate  Chryscmthemum  Society's 
Meeting. 

May  10. — British  Gardeners'  Association's  Meet- 
ing at  Birmingham. 

May  12. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Meeting.  British  Gardeners' 
.Association's  .Annual  General  Meeting  at  Bir- 
mingham. 

May  14. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Meeting 
and  Tulip  Show.  East  Anglian  Horticultural 
Club's  Meeting. 

May  20. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Spring 
Flower  Show  at  the  Royal  Hospital  Gardens, 
Chelsea  {three  days). 

May  21. — National  TuUp  Society's  Show  at 
Chelsea  (two  days).  Devon  County  Show  at 
Barnstaple  (three  days). 


WO   methods  may  be  employed  in   the 
treatment    of    disease,  one    preventive 
and    the    other    curative.     So    far    as 
general    crops   are   concerned,    preven- 
tion   is    the    only    practical    method. 
Cures  can  only  be  attempted  in  indi- 
vidual  cases,   and  then  only  when  the  disease  is 
local,  as,  for  example,  canker  in  its  early  stages 
in   fruit    trees.     In   such    cases   a   simple  surgical 
operation  will  remove  the  danger. 

So  far  as  prevention  of  disease  is  concerned,  the 
fundamental  rule  is  to  secure  a  strong,  vigorous 
and  healthy  growth  of  the  plant — not  an  overfed, 
overcrowded  and  forced  growth  that  weakens 
the  tone  of  the  tissues  and  renders  them  a  more 
easy  prey  to  the  attacks  of  fungal  parasites.  Other 
factors  bearing  upon  disease  are  drainage  and 
good  tillage,  making  for  healthy  root  action;  the 
speedy  removal  and  destruction  of  all  infected 
plants  or  portions  of  plants  found  in  the 
garden,  and  the  use  of  well-rotted  instead  of  fresh 
manure. 

It  is,  further,  important  to  select  sound  seeds 
from  healthy  parents,  and  if  possible  to  choose 
varieties  that  possess  a  relative  resistance  toward 
the  particular  disease  that  threatens  yoiu:  crop.  ' 
Then,  in  such  cases  as  club-root,  where  the 
infection  comes  from  the  soil,  the  fungus  may 
be  starved  out  by  using  the  soil  for  several 
years  for  the  growth  of  crops  that  are  immune  to 
the  disease. 

The  most  successful  method  of  fighting  disease 
is  to  prevent  infection.  In  all  cases  where  the 
trouble  is  due  to  fungi  the  disease  starts  with 
infection  through  spores,  and  the  concern  of  the 
grower  is  to  prevent,  if  possible,  the  germination 
of  these  spores ;  hence  the  use  of  fungicides 
distributed  in  the  form  of  a  spray. 

Coming  now  to  curative  treatment,  the  difficulty 
of  destroying  a  fungus  growing  within  the  tissues 
of  a  plant  is  quite  obvious.  While  sprays  may 
destroy  all  branches  of  the  fungus  or  fungus  spores 
that  appear  on  or  reach  the  siu-face  of  the  plant, 
they  are  harmless  with  respect  to  the  internal 
portions  of  the  parasite. 

A  method  of  treatment  entirely  new  to  plant  patho- 
logy, by  which  the  internal  parasite  is  destroyed, 
has  been  recently  tried  by  Miss  S.  M.  Baker,  with 
encouraging  results.  It  depends  upon  the  use  of 
a  fluid  containing  a  ferment  that  digests  the  fungus, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  is  harmless  to  the  host 
plant.  This  ferment  is  obtained  from  a  fungus 
that  must  be  familiar  to  all  gardeners.  It  is  one 
of  the  common  Toadstools,  distinguished  by  the 
fact  that  when  the  spores  (which  are  black)  ripen, 
the  shaggy  cap  rapidly  melts,  forming  an  inky 
fluid  that  gradually  drips  away.  To  science  it  is 
known  as  Coprinus,  a  word  which  is  classic  for 
"  dung,"  in  reference  to  its  usual  place  of  growth. 
Dr.  Buller  has  shown  that  this  liquefaction  of  the 
cap  is  really  an  act  of  self-digestion,  by  means  of 
which  the  fungus  hberates  its  spores — liberates 
them  at  a  calculated  rate  of  a  million  a  minute  I 
Now,  all  digestive  processes  are  the  work  of  peculiar 
chemical  bodies  known  as  ferments  or  enzymes. 
The  change  of  starch  into  sugar  in  a  germinating 
Barley  grain,  for  example,  is  due  to  the  work  of 
the   ferment    diastase,    jus!    as   the   pept:c   ferment 


216 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  3,  1913. 


m  the  stomach  digests  albuminous  food.  So  in 
the  case  of  Coprinus  the  fungus  secretes  an 
enzyme  that,  strangely  anough,  digests  its  own 
fruit-body,  and  thus  speedily  reduces  it  to  an  inky 
fluid. 

This  particular  fungus,  therefore,  produces  a 
peculiar  ferment  that  has  the  special  property 
of  digesting  fungal  tissue,  and  this  fact  suggested 
its  application  to  the  treatment  of  disease  induced 
by  internal  fungal  parasites.  Miss  Baker,  in  the 
current  number  of  the  Annals  of  Botany,  describes 
experiments  in  which  she  made  use  of  the  expressed 
juice  of  Coprinus  in  destroying  the  fungus  which 
is  the  cause  of  silver-leaf  disease  in  Plums,  &c. 
Readers  of  The  Garden  will  remember  (seepage  i6, 
issue  January  14,  1911)  that  silver-leaf  disease  is 
due  to  the  .presence  of  wandering  threads  or 
hyphae  of  the  fungus  Stereum 
(notremotely  allied  to 
Coprinus),  and  the  idea  was 
to  introduce  the  ferment-con- 
taining sap  of  the  ink-fungus  into 
the  tissues  of  the  tree  infected 
with  the  Stereum,  reasoning  that 
if  it  was  brought  into  contact 
with  the  ramifying  threads  of 
the  pest,  digestion  would  take 
place,  and  so  the  parasite 
would  be  destroyed  and  the  disease 
cured. 

This  particular  disease  is  ex- 
ceptionally favourable  to  test  the 
efiiciency    of    inoculation,    as    the  y 

effects     of     the     disease     become         J*. 
evident    in    the     branches    before         K' "«• 
the  hyphae  reach    the  leaves,  and 
produce   silvering.     If  the  inocula- 
tion  of   an    infected    branch    pre- 
vents   silvering,    then    it    may  be 
reasonably     concluded     that      the 
introduced  fluid  has  a  destructive, 
and     therefore     curative,      power. 
The    method     adopted     by    Miss 
Baker   was    first    to    inject    under 
the    rind     of     the    branch    a    con- 
centrated   watery    extract    of    the 
liquefying   cap   of    Coprinus,    and, 
secondly,    to    apply    externally    a 
poultice    containing    the   digesting 
fluid    upon   those   portions   of   the 
dead     wood     showing     the     fruit- 
bodies     of      the     parasite.       The 
experimenter     states     that     "  one 
Victoria  Plum  tree  which  had  been 
treated  with  injections  for  two  years 
showed  no  silvering  on  the  leaves  of 
the  upper  parts    of    the   branch  in 
the  autumn  of  1912      When  treat- 
ment was  commenced,  this  branch, 
the  last  survivor  of  the  five  main  branches  of  the 
tree,  was  badly  affected  throughout ;    it  has  now 
borne  fruit  in  the  two  successive  seasons  after  a 
sterility  of  three  years'  standing,  and  has  produced 
remarkably    vigorous    new    growths.     The    lower 
parts  of  the  branch  near  the  infected  dead  wood 
still    showed    slight    silvering    on    the    leaves   last 
autumn."     These  results  are  not  only  interesting 
from   a   biological   point    of   view,    but   extremely 
suggestive  to  all  workers  in  the  field  of  vegetable 
pathology.  D.  Houston. 

Royal  College  oi  Science  for  Ireland. 

[We  should  be  glad  to  hear  from  any  of  our 
readers  who  have  had  experience  with  the 
fungus  referred  to  by  Professor  Houston. 
-Ed.] 


TREES      AND      SHRUBS. 


NOTES     ON     LILACS. 

OF  all  spring- flowering  trees  and  shrubs 
k  none  is  more  appreciated  than  the 
I  Lilac.  Even  the  ordinary  form  of 
'  Syringa  vulgaris  is  lovely,  but  when 
we  consider  the  intensity  and 
variety  in  colour,  the  huge  panicles 
of  blossom  of  both  double  and  single  varieties, 
one  cannot  wonder  at  the  appreciation  the  newer 
forms  find  with  those  who  are  conversant  with  them. 
A  few  comparisons  will  show  the  advance  that 
has  been  made  during  the  last  fifteen  years  or  so. 
The  variety  Charles  X.  is  a  form  of  S.  vulgaris 
in  which  the  panicles  are  thicker  and  the  blooms 


THE    DOUBLE    WHITE  LILAC    MME.    LEMOINE. 

richer  in  the  shade  of  piurple.  This  was  at  one 
time  considered  to  be  a  great  advance,  and  was 
held  in  high  esteem.  Charles  X.  is  now  surpassed 
by  Souvenir  de  Louis  Spath,  in  which  the  colour 
is  again  intensified,  the  panicles  larger.  For  garden 
decoration  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  more  beautiful 
Lilac.  A  shapely  bush  of  this  variety  will  in  ten 
years  produce  300  large  panicles  ;  these  densely 
coloured  blossoms  are  most  effective.  The  flowers 
last  a  long  time  in  a  good  condition.  Take, 
agahi,  the  double-flowered  variety,  Mme.  Lemoine, 
with  its  pure  white,  huge  flowers,  thickly  set  on 
panicles  almost  a  foot  in  length,  many  panicles 
having  three  spikes  each  ;  and  when  we  consider 
how  well  this  Lilac  forces  in  pots,  the  wonder  is 
that  more  plants  are  not  grown. 


Few  persons  will  say  that  'in  an  ordinary  garden 
Lilacs  receive  the  attention  "they  deserve.  Often 
they  are  cramped  in  between  .evergreen  .-shrubs, 
where  they  are  forced  to  grow  tall^and  ungainly, 
or  they  are  planted  under  forest  trees  which  eventu- 
ally overhang  them.  In  such  a  position  they 
cannot  get  the  necessary  amount  of  light  they 
require  to  mature  their  annual  growth.  The  roots, 
too,  are  unable  to  obtain  the  moistiure  they  require 
or  the  plant  food  necessary.  Abundance  of  space 
in  full  sunshine  is  necessary  to  do  them  justice, 
in  order  that  the  growths  may  become  properly 
ripened  each  season.  Without  maturity  of  growth 
they  cannot  flower  properly.  Freedom  of  growth 
should  be  encouraged  ;  the  stronger  the  shoots  the 
finer  the  blossoms.  Weakly  shoots  can  only  pro- 
duce similar  inflorescences. 

The  choicer  varieties  are  usually 
grafted,  and  too  often  the  suckers 
which  spring  from  the  various 
stocks  are  allowed  to  rob  the 
plants  of  much  of  their  energy. 
All  such  suckers  should  be  removed 
directly  they  are  detected.  Lilacs 
will  grow  in  almost  any  soil,  but 
that  of  a  heavy  rather  than  a  light 
nature  is  best,  as  in  such  soil  the 
flowers  develop  a  richer  colour  tint. 
The  panicles,  too,  are  stouter,  con- 
sequent on  such  soil  retaining 
moisture  longer,  as  it  too  fre- 
quently happens  that  a  dry  spell  is 
often  experienced  during  the  early 
part  of  May,  when  the  panicles  are 
developing. 

Deep  trenching  should  be  prac- 
tised before  planting,  and  an 
abundance  of  half-decayed  farm- 
yard manure  may  be  added  at 
the  same  time.  Established  plants 
should  be  given  a  liberal  top- 
dressing  of  bone-meal,  superphos- 
phate, or  fowl-manure  early  in 
April,  lightly  forking  it  in  for  the 
benefit  of  the  surface  roots.  This 
should  be  followed  with  a  mulch 
of  half-decayed  stable  manure  as 
the  panicles  lengthen.  Copious 
supplies  of  liquid  manure  are  dis- 
tinctly beneficial. 

If   extra   large    panicles   are  re- 
quired,   they    should    be    thinned 
and  the   bulk  of  the  shoots  grow- 
ing   around   the    panicles    pinched 
at     the     first     joint,     which    will 
concentrate     the   whole  energy  of 
the  branch  to  the  selected  panicle. 
As  to   pruning,  some  discretion   is 
needed.      When   first   planted,   the 
previous     year's     shoots     should    be     pruned    to 
within  an  eye  or  so  of  the  base,  with  a  view  to 
getting  a  dwarf  specimen  of  good  shape,  and  also 
to  induce  future  vigour  of  growth.     In  the  future 
the  cutting  of  the  panicles  of  bloom  will  be  nearly 
all  the  pruning  the  bushes  require.     Weakly  shoots 
should  be  removed,   allowing  more  space  for  the 
stronger  growths. 

Single-Flowered    Varieties. — Alba    magna    is 

quite  the  best  of  the  section,  being  pure  white, 
free  and  especially  fragrant.  Marie  Legraye  is 
creamy  white.  Alba  grandiflora  is  freely  furnished 
with  smaller  flowers  than  the  preceding.  Negro 
is  attractive  with  its  intense  purple  blue  shade. 
Othello  is  desirable  ;  the  blooms  are  so  placed  on 
the  panicles  that  they  do  not  overlap  each  other. 


I 


May  3,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


217 


The  deep  claret-coloured  flowers  have  a  red  border. 
The  deep  violet  purple  of  Uncle  Tom  is  distinct. 
Dr.  Mirabel  has  tall,  erect  panicles  of  claret-coloured 
buds,  opening  into  purple  lilac  flowers.  Gloire  de 
Lorraine  has  red  buds  changing  to  violet.  Professor 
Stockhart  is  a  lilac  shade  of  blue.  Gloire  de  la 
Rochelle  is  also  of  a  similar  tint  of  colour  after  the 
rosy  lilac  flowers  have  become  a  trifle  aged.  The 
wine  red  colour  of  Pasteur  is  attractive.  Duchesse 
d'Orleans  is  quite  a  new  light  blue.  Mme. 
Kreuter  is  furnished  with  large  spikes  of  various  red 
flowers.  Toussaiut  Louvertre  has  dark  crimson 
flowers  which  change  to  dark  violet.  Aline  Mar- 
queris  is  reddish  purple  ;  Philemon,  dark  red  ; 
Mme.  Briot,  bright  red ;  Mme.  F.  Morel,  with 
large  blossoms  on  stout  panicles,  is  of  a 
showy  purple  colour.  Hyacinthiflora  is  a  very 
pretty  variety  with  pale  blue  flowers,  pro- 
duced in  long,  rather  thin  panicles.  Congo  is 
very  large  in  flower  and  red  in  colour. 
Double  -  Flowered     Varieties.  — 

There  are  no  fewer  than  ten  white- 
flowered  sorts,  all  of  which  are 
worthy  of  a  place  in  a  large  collec- 
tion. Much  the  best  is  Miss  Ellen 
Willmott.  The  pure  white  flowers  are 
large  and  the  panicles  fine.  Mme. 
Lemoine  produces  longer  panicles,  but 
the  flowers  lack  the  size  and  purity 
of  colour  of  Miss  Ellen  Willmott. 
Mme.  de  Miller  is  a  dwarf-g-owing 
variety.  Jeanne  d'Arc,  Taglioni  and 
Banquise  are  new.  Mme.  Casimir- 
Pcrier  has  thick  panicles  of  rather  dull 
white  flowers.  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay 
is  a  magnificent  flower  and  is  later  in 
developing  than  any  other  'white 
variety,  and  for  this  reason  should  be 
included,  as  it  prolongs  the  season 
considerably. 

Coloured    varieties    are    numerous. 
Condercet  produces  the  largest  panicles 
of  any.     The  flowers  are  an  attractive 
shade  of  blue.     President  Grevy,  with 
the  cobalt   blue,  rose-edged  flowers,  is 
attractive.     Maurice    de    Vilmorin    is 
especially    thick   in    the  panicle ;    the 
rich  red  colour  of  the  buds  is  attrac- 
tive, and  when  expandec^they  are  blue 
with  a  white  centre.    Dr.  Troyanowsky 
lias  enormous  panicles   of   rosy   pink 
buds    which,    when    open,    are    azure 
blue.      Comte    de    Kerchove    I    like 
much — it    is    so    free    in    flowering ; 
in  colour    the    buds    are    a   rich  red, 
and   the  open  flowers   are  rosy  pink.      President 
Loubet    is    a    fine    variety,    with    carmine    buds 
and  deep  purple-red  flowers.     Comtesse  Horace  de 
Choiseul  has  creamy  white  flowers  shaded  with  rose. 
Michael    Buchner   has    pale    lilac-coloured    flowers 
with  a  pink  margin  to  each.     La  Tour  d'Auvergne 
is  very  double,  violet  purple.  E.  M. 


THE      ROSE      (GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE     WORK     AMONG     THE 
ROSES. 

ROSE  growth  should  be  making  rapid 
progress  by  the  middle  and  end 
of  May,  and  in  not  a  few  instances 
there  will  be  flowers  upon  our 
early  varieties  in  warm  quarters. 
It  is  this  early  gTO%vth  that  often 
gets  much  affected  with  green  fly,  which  only 
wait  until  a  suitable  change  in  the  weather 
to  spread  to  all  parts  of  the  Rose  garden.  Whether 
it  be  fighting  mildew  or  aphides,  we  shall  do  well  to 
attack  them  as  early  as  possible.  A  splendid  mixture 
against  all  foes  is  made  by  using  Jeyes'  Cyllin 
Soft  Soap,  at  the  rate  of  not  quite  loz.  to  a  gallon 
of  water.  Dissolve  the  soap  in  boiling  water. 
A  couple  of  pounds  may  be  dissolved  in  a  quart 


to  fill  the  centres  of  the  plants,  they  should  be  cut 
or  pinched  away  before  absorbing  much  nourish- 
ment from  the  plant,  and  there  will  generally  be 
a  good  deal  of  this  to  do  during  May.  The  hoe 
should  also  be  in  evidence  now,  not  only  as  a 
preventive  against  weeds,  but  for  stirring  the  surface 
of  the  soil,  to  which  most  growers  attach  great 
importance.  There  will  be  the  removal  of  suckers 
and  staking  of  maiden  Roses  to  attend  to,  and  if 
a  little  of  the  well-cultivated  soil  is  drawn  round  the 
base  of  dwarfs,  much  support,  as  well  as  a  better 
union  of  Rose  and  stock,  is  secured.  Consider  the 
average  growth  of  the  variety  when  staking  for  sup- 
port. The  height  and  strength  of  the  supports 
should  vary  in  accordance  with  the  growth,  and 
a  much  better  appearance  is  obtained  when  three 
assorted  sizes  are  used  with  a  little  judgment. 

Plants  that  have  given  their  main  crop  of  blooms 
imder  glass  need  care  and  attention  if  they  are 
to   be  of  future  service.     To  stand  these  on  one 


^^'^  ^- ^f^ 


DAFFODILS    NATURALISED    AT    CLAXDON    PARK.       [iee  page  2l8.)' 


A    DISTINCT    BARBERRY. 

(Berberis  congestiflora  hak^oides.) 
There  are  such  a  number  of  Berberises  now,  the 
majority  of  which  flower  in  the  early  spring,  that 
they  are  apt  to  become  bewildering  ;  but  the  subject 
of  this  note  is  one  that  is  so  conspicuous,  both  in 
growth  and  habit,  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  mis- 
take it  for  any  of  the  others.  It  is  an  evergreen 
of  upright  growth,  with  greyish  green  leaves  almost 
circular  in  shape,  spiny  on  the  margins.  The 
flowers  are  orange  yellow  in  colour,  and  are  borne 
in  clusters  on  short,  upright  stalks.  E.  B. 


vessel,  and  if  it  can  be  kept  simmenng  for  about 
twenty  minutes  it  seems  better.  Of  course,  one 
will  be  careful  to  mix  the  solution  to  a  proper 
strength  before  syringing,  bearing  in  mind  that  the 
ratio  should  not  exceed  loz.  to  the  gallon ;  a 
little  weaker  strength  can  be  used  more  freely  and 
will  be  more  useful.  It  can  be  applied  cold,  but 
is  rather  more  effective  when  used  at  a  temperature 
of  70°  to  80°  Fahr.  One  can  scarcely  be  too 
prompt  and  persistent  in  the  use  of  washes,  nor 
should  there  be  any  delay  in  captiu'ing  grubs, 
caterpillars  and  leaf-rollers,  which  are  certain  to 
be  about  as  soon  as  warmer  weather  sets  in. 
Washes  check  these  foes ;  but  no  method  is  so 
effectual  and  simple  as  hand-picking  or  squeezing 
between  the  finger  and  thumb. 

However  well  one's  Roses  may  have  been  pruned, 
a  little  looking  over  and  removal  of  ill-placed 
growths  will  be  beneficial.  Where  these  are  in 
any  way  overcrowded,  or  with  an  undue  tendency 


side  will  not  do  ;  rather,  give  every  care  to  the 
securing  of  some  good  wood  as  a  groundwork  for 
next  season's  winter  forcing.  This  is  all  the  more 
essential  with  the  cUmbing  and  weeping  sections, 
for  the  whole  of  next  year's  crop  of  blooms  depends 
in  a  great  measure  upon  good  and  well-matured 
rods.  Too  often  these  plants  are  placed  in  the 
open  full  early,  and  so  receive  an  injurious  check, 
to  the  great  detriment  of  the  future  crop. 

In  the  case  of  worn-out  plants,  it  will  generally 
be  found  advantageous  to  plant  these  in  the  open 
ground,  and  grow  on  younger  stuff  to  replace  them. 
Once  a  pot  plant  has  greatly  deteriorated,  it  is  far 
more  difficult  to  bring  it  to  a  satisfactory  condi- 
tion ;  but  when  most  of  the  soil  is  removed  and  the 
plant  given  tresh  soil  outside,  a  good  autumn  display 
and  healthy  growth  for  further  use  for  the  following 
year  are  obtained.  It  is  a  cheese-paring  pohcy  not 
to  have  the  very  best  wood  where  the  extra  expense 
of  heat  and  attention  is  given.  A    P 


218 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  3,  1913. 


THE   FLOWER    GARDEN. 


GARDENS    OF    TO-DAY. 


SOME     GOOD     PENTSTEMONS     FOR 
BEDS    AND    BORDERS. 

DURING  recent  years  considerable  atten- 
k       tion  has  been  given  to  the  smaller- 
I      flowered    forms    of    Pentstenion,    of 
"      which  the  best  known  in  gardens  is 
the     Newbury    Gem    class.       Their 
greatest    recommendation    is   found 
in   the   profusion    with    which    they    flower,    but 
their    extended    season    and    rich,  bright-coloured 
flowers    are     potent     factors     that    speedily    win 
them    recognition    in  all    departments  of  outdoor 
gardening  where   a   bright    and   prolonged  display 
is  desired.     They  are  delightful  sub- 
jects in  almost  any  position  in  the 
garden,  but    their   great   beauty  is 
most   fully  disclosed   when  planted 
lavishly  and  preferably  grouped  in 
quantities  of  each  variety,  for  once 
they  come  into  flower  there  is  never 
a  dearth  of  blossom,  and  the  display 
continues   right   up   to   the   period 
when  autumn   frosts  prevail.     The 
set    includes   Newbury  Gem,   with 
carmine   red    flowers    and   spotted 
throat,  the  white  form  and  a  pale 
pink  form.     There  is  also  a  hybrid 
form    named    Southgate    Gem,    in 
which  the  flowers  partake  more  of 
the  character  of  a  florist's  variety, 
the    tube    being   crimson   and    the 
throat  white.     In  the  hybrid  form 
named  Myddelton  Gem  the  flowers 
are  coloured  rose  carmine,  shading 
to  rose  white,  the  tube  being  white, 
edged  with  the  same  colour.     This 
section    of     Pentstemon     is    sub- 
shrubby.      On    light,    well-drained 
soils   the  plants  frequently  survive 
the  winter,  and  in  consequence  comr 
into  flower  earlier  in  the  season  than 
is  the  case    with    plants    obtained 
by  propagating    from    cuttings  in 
autumn   and    wintered    in   frames. 
The  latter,  under  normal  conditions, 
come  into  flower  towards  the  end  of 
June.     A  species  of  small-flowered 
Pentstemon  not  generally  given  the 
recognition     in     gardens     that     it 
deserves  is  heterophyllus.      In  its 
flowers  it   presents  a  phenomenon 
one  occasionally  notes  among  blue- 
flowered   plants,  in  that  it  requires 
brilliant    sunshine    to  develop  the 
colour  pure.    Given  favourable  con- 
ditions then  the  plant  is  effective, 
and  one  of  the  most  desirable  in  the 
entire  genus.     It  is  a  subject  I  have 
found  quite  hardy  on   a  limestone 
soil  when  given  a  position  where  sur- 
face water  and  moisture  readily  percolate  away.    It 
may,  however,  be  easily  propagated  from  seed,  which 
comes  true  and  flowers  in  the  season  following  that 
in  which  it  was  sown,  or  it  may  be  propagated  by 
cuttings  in  early  autumn  in  the  usual  way.    P.  Kel- 
lermanii  is  another  species  with  small  flowers,  the 
colour  being   an  uncommon  shade  of  dark  reddish 
purple  or  mahogany  colour.    Like  Newbury  Gem,  it 
flowers  profusely  from   autumn-struck   cuttings  or 
older  plants.     On  well-drained  soils  it  is  perennial, 
forming  a  leafy,   rounded  bush  some  twenty-four 
inclies  to  thirty  inches  in  height  when  in  flower. 
Coomb<^  Court  Gariens.  Thomas  Sinnu. 


SPRING     FLOWERS    AT     CLANDON 
PARK. 

CLANDON  PARK,  the  country  home  of 
the  Earl  of  Onslow,  is  situated  amid 
the  charming  scenery  of  the  Surrey 
Hills  and  at  no  great  distance  from 
Newland's  Corner,  a  prominence 
that  commands  one  of  the  finest 
views  in  the  South  of  England.  A  footpath,  well 
known  to  those  who  appreciate  rambles  in  this 
dehghtful  county,  runs  through  the  park,  joining 
up  the  old-world  villages  of  Clandon  and   Merrow. 


A    VIEW    IN    THE    PRIMULA     DELL    .\T    CLANDON     PARK,    SURREY 


In  Daffodil-Time. — It  is  a  pleasant  walk  at 
any  season  of  the  year,  but  more  especially  so  in 
Daffodil-time,  for  on  entering  at  the  Clandon 
Gate  a  magnificent  sight  is  revealed.  A  wide 
expanse  of  well-timbered  parkland  is  aglow  with 
Daffodils.  Over  four  hundred  thousand  bulbs 
have  been  planted,  among  them  being  Emperor, 
Sir  Watkin,  Barri  conspicuus,  Horsfieldii,  Poet's 
Narcissi  and  most  of  the  older  varieties.  Oriental 
Poppies  and  English  and  Spanish  Irises  are  all 
naturalised  over  the  same  area,  and  form 
a  succession  of  bloom  long  after  the  Daffodils 
are  over, 


The  Primula  Dell.— Following  our  path  from 
the  Clandon  side,  we  at  length  reach  a  rustic  bridge, 
from  which  rainbow  trout  may  be  seen  disporting 
in  the  pool  below.  A  little  stream  from  this  pool 
flows  through  a  copse  that  dips  down  by  the  side 
of  our  footpath,  and  it  is  this  little  glade  that  has 
been  converted  into  what  is  aptly  called  the 
Primula  Dell.  The  beautiful  undulated  woodland 
of  this  Surrey  garden,  with  winding  paths  and  a 
deep,  retentive  soil,  provides  just  the  ideal  sur- 
roundings for  a  natural  Primula  garden.  Mr. 
Blake,  the  able,  all-round  gardener — with  a  special 
fondness  for  Primulas — has  displayed  excep- 
tionally good  taste  in  the  grouping  of  these  hardy 
flowers  in  a  natural  way.  In  preparing  the  dell 
for  Primulas,  a  deal  of  under- 
,    ^  growth    had   of    necessity    to    be 

^^V  cleared      away,      and      the      soil, 

naturally  of  a  heavy  nature, 
had  been  dug  over  and  left  hi 
a  rough  condition.  The  spaces 
between  the  large  clods  of  clay 
were  filled  in  with  leaf-mould, 
and  it  is  in  these  niches  that 
Primulas  have  been  planted,  with 
such  admirable  results.  Primula 
rosea,  the  daintiest  of  all 
Primulas,  has  been  treated  in 
this  way,  and  is  now  colonised 
in  large  masses  by  the  stream- 
side.  This  year  the  brilliant  show 
of  bloom  has  surpassed  that  of  all 
previous  seasons.  P.  denticulata 
and  its  improved  and  immensely 
popular  form  cashmeriana  are 
the  first  to  flower,  and  these 
are  shown  in  the  illustration  on 
page  219  in  association  with  the 
Leopard's  Bane,  the  result  of 
accidental  planting,  but,  never- 
theless, creating  a  brilliant  scene 
of  woodland  flowers.  Wind- 
flowers  are  not  excluded  from 
this  lovely  garden,  and  Anemone 
apennina  is  the  subject  in  the 
foreground  of  the  illustration  on 
this  page,  while  the  slope  behind 
is  clothed  with  Primula  den- 
ticulata. 

P.  japonica,  now  sending 
up  its  sturdy  flowering  shoots, 
is  so  much  at  home  that  self- 
sown  seedlings  spring  up  each 
year  in  scattered  places.  Polyan- 
thuses in  a  variety  of  hues, 
but  mainly  those  with  primrose- 
coloured  flowers,  are  flowering 
profusely  in  shady  slopes  under 
Ivy-clad  trees  and  on  the  banks 
of  a  httle  stream.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  note  that  the  hybrid 
Primula  kewensis  has  been  tried 
A  year  or  so  ago  self-sown  seed- 
taken  from  imder  the  greenhouse 
staging  and  planted  in  the  dell.  They 
grew  for  a  time,  but  ultimately  succumbed, 
and  further  attempts  have  not  been  made  to  grow 
this  interesting  plant  outside.  The  Polyanthuses 
are  followed  by  Primulas  frondosa,  pulverulcnta, 
Veitchii,  japonica,  sikkimensis,  bulleyana  and 
capitata,  all  of  which  flourish  amazingly  in 
this  dell  and  prove  beyond  doubt  that  for 
beautifying  a  damp,  rather  low-lying  piece  of 
open  woodland  there  is  nothing  to  equal  the 
hardy  Primulas, 


outdoors, 
lings     were 


May  3,  1913. 


THE    GARDEN. 


219 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

SOME    GOOD    FLOWERING    CACTI. 

THE  most  striking  among  these  just  now 
are  the  two  distinct  Epiphyllums, 
wkich  are  so  widely  removed  from  the 
old  E.  truncatum  and  its  several 
varieties.  In  the  first  place,  their 
period  of  blooming,  their  self  scarlet 
colour  and,  above  all,  the  regular  shape  of  the 
blossoms  compared  with  the  oblique  ones  of  E. 
truncatum  are  marked  points  of  difference  from  the 
older  kind.  The  tw.-)  spring-flowering  forms 
referred  to — E.  Gsertnerii  and  E.  makoyanum — 
closely  resemble  each  other,  so  much  so,  indeed, 
that  though  the  difference  between  the  two  may  be 
readily  detected  when  they  are  compared  side  by 
side,  yet  the  general  effect  is  the  same.  The 
style  of  growth  is  reminiscent  of  E.  truncatum,  and 
like  that  well-known  kind,  these  scarlet  forms  will 
thrive  best  when  grafted  on  to  the 
Pereskia.  The  different  Phyllocacti 
have  also  unfolded  their  earliest 
blossoms,  and  the  gorgeous  colours 
of  some  of  them  make  one  wonder 
that  they  are  not  more  often  grown, 
particularly  as  their  cultural  require- 
ments are  so  simple.  That  they 
are  of  little  or  no  value  for  cut 
purposes  is,  perhaps,  the  reason  that 
they  are  at  the  present  day  to  ,t 
certain  extent  under  a  cloud.  Com- 
plaints of  their  non-flowering  may 
often  be  traced  to  unsuitable  treat- 
ment. During  the  summer  the 
plants  should  be  fully  exposed  to 
sun,  so  as  to  ripen  the  wood  and 
ensure  the  formation  of  flower-buds. 
They  should  at  that  season  also 
be  well  supplied  with  water  —  a 
necessary  precaution — as  there  is  a 
tendency,  owing  to  their  succulent 
nature,  to  keep  them  too  dry 
during  the  growing  period.  In 
winter  very  little  water  will  be 
needed. 

The  vivid  and  quite  undescrib- 
able  tints  of  some  of  these  Cacti 
constitute  their  greatest  charm.  To 
many  those  that  appeal  the  most 
are  the  varieties  in  which  the 
interior  of  the  flower  is  shot  with 
violet,  blue,  or  purple.  When  this 
is  in  combination  with  a  bloom  principally  of 
an  orange  or  salmon  shade,  the  effect  is  almost 
unnatural.  Some  of  the  rose-coloured  forms 
are  very  attractive,  as  is  also  the  creamy 
white  Cooperi.  The  small-flowered  Phyllocactus 
phyllanthoides  German  Empress  is  remarkable 
for  the  profusion  in  which  its  rose-coloured 
blossoms  are  borne.  Its  merits  are  so  great 
that  it  should  on  no  account  be  passed  over 
in  any  selection  of  Phyllocacti,  although  it  does 
not  arrest  attention  by  reason  of  the  startling 
nature  of  its  blossoms  as  many  of  them  do.  All 
the  Phyllocacti  strike  readily  from  cuttings  if  they 
are  not  kept  too  moist.  If  the  plants  need  repotting, 
the  time  to  do  this  is  directly  the  flowers  are  over. 
A  mixture  of  two-thirds  loam,  and  the  remaining 
third  made  up  of  leaf-mould,  broken  brick  rubble 
and  sand,  will  suit  them  well.  When  repotted 
the  plants  should  be  securely  staked,  other- 
wise from  their  weight  they  are  apt  to  sway 
about,  H.   P. 


DAFFODIL     NOTES. 


THE     LONDON     DAFFODIL    SHOW, 

1913. 

IN  both  quantity  and  quality  the  Daffodils 
shown  this  year  excel  those  of  I9r2.  Then 
the  season  was  very  exceptionally  early, 
whereas  this  year  flowers  were,  in  many 
parts  of  the  North  and  the  Midlands,  no 
earlier  than  usual ;  at  any  rate,  at  the  time 
this  show  was  held.  The  large  trade  exhibits  were 
excellent,  and,  taken  all  together,  they  provided 
an  immense  number  of  varieties  from  which  the 
visiting  public  might  pick  and  choose.  Messrs. 
James  Carter  and  Co.  of  Raynes  Park  and  Messrs. 
Sutton  and  Sons  of  Reading  departed,  as  they 
have  done  before,  from  the  usual  plan  of  staging 
a  mixed  collection  of  single  vases  of  different  kinds. 
They  grouped  bold  masses  of  one  sort,  and  so  gave 
people  an  idea  of  what  the  flowers  would  look  like 


It  is  a  small  Barri  with  an  all-red  eye  or  centre, 
and  with  a  fairly  well-shaped  perianth  of  a  very 
decided  pink  shade.  As  this  is  the  second  year 
that  it  has  flowered  at  Black  Torrington,  Devon- 
shire, we  may  take  it  to  be  constant.  Mr.  A.  M. 
Wilson  had  a  single  bloom  of  much  the  same  tone, 
but  not  so  deep  a  shade.  He  tells  me  that  others 
are  coming  along,  and  that  we  may  expect  develop- 
ments in  this  direction.  Opinions  were  much 
divided  about  its  beauty  among  the  experts. 
I  decidedly  liked  it.  The  two  colours  harmonised 
so  well.  The  pink  shade  of  the  segments, 
which  gave  me  the  idea  that  it  had  "  body 
colour  "  mixed  with  it — to  use  a  painter's  simile^ 
was  just  the  thing  to  go  with  the  dull  red  cup  ; 
but  Mr.  Frank  Galsworthy,  the  well-known  flower 
painter,  "  did  not  like  it  at  all  "and  was  "  horrified  " 
to  see  it. 

Mr.  Engleheart  singled  out  an  exceptionally 
lovely  flat-eyed  I-eedsii,  St.  Olaf,  size  3  J  inches 
by   ij  inches  (illustrated  on  page  204  last  week), 


AN    EFFECTIVE    GROUPING    OF    HARDY    PRIMULAS    AND    LEOPARD  S    BANE. 


in  a  garden  bed.  I  must  own  that  this  idea  is  a 
new  one  to  me.  and  that  it  was  suggested  by  a  lady 
who  is  very  fond  of  her  garden  and  is  always  on 
the  look  -  out  for  "  effects."  It  struck  me  as 
eminently  reasonable  and  an  idea  that  might 
be  more  often  carried  out  than  it  is.  Carter's  group 
was  especially  good  in  this  respect,  as  the  blooms 
were  more  nearly  on  the  ground-level.  I  must, 
however,  leave  details  of  these,  for  there  is  so  much 
to  say  about  the  best  and  newest  individual  varieties 
that  were  to  be  seen  in  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Hall  on  April  r5  and  r6. 

I  think  it  will  be  an  agreeable  change  for  readers 
to  have  the  views  of  various  people  as  to  what  they 
considered  either  the  best  or  the  most  novel  blooms. 
In  some  cases  my  own  opinion  coincides  with  theirs, 
in  others  it  does  not  ;  while  there  are  a  certain 
few  that  nobody  that  I  asked  seem  to  have  noticed. 

The  greatest  departure  from  the  ordinary  was 
to  be  seen  in  Red  Wing,  which  the  Rev.  T.  Bun- 
combe  staged  in   one  of  the   competitive   classes. 


which  most  deservedly  gained  an  award  of  merit. 
."Imong  all  the  countless  varieties  which  he  had 
raised,  he  said,  it  was  one  of  those  which  gave 
him  the  greatest  pleasure.  Three  grand  vases 
of  'this  stood  out  very  prominently  in  the  centre 
of  Messrs.  Barr's  stand.  The  large,  flat,  deep 
cream-coloured  eye  is  distinct  among  Leedsiis 
and  gave  the  flower  its  great  charm. 

Mr.  R.  Morton,  who  won  a  great  manv  prizes 
in  Section  III.  (for  amateurs  only),  cast  his  vote 
in  favour  of  Messrs.  E.  H.  Krelage  and  Son's 
marvellous  exhibit  of  trumpets  in  Class  2.  Included 
among  them  were  Mrs.  Ernst  Krelage,  the  famous 
white  of  exquisite  texture  and  faultless  shape, 
which  secured  the  much-prized  distinction  of  a 
first-class  certificate  ;  Hope  of  Holland,  soft  yellow, 
with  a  bold,  smooth  edge  to  the  trumpet,  size 
4|  inches  by  rj  inches  by  2|  inches,  practically 
a  self  ;  Seedling  No.  ir2,  a  very  deep  yellow,  with 
a  flat,  star-shaped,  overlapping  perianth  and  a 
well-proportioned    trumpet  ;      Glory    of    Haarlem, 


220 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  3,  1913. 


their  relative  merits.  Lysander  gained  tlie  first 
prize.  It  was  just  a  shade  the  better  florist's 
flower.  Size,  3f  inches  by  seven-eighths  of  an  inch. 
The  cup  is  of  deep  orange,  edged  red,  and  the 
perianth  pure  white,  with  three  flat  segments  and 
three  inclined  to  recurve.  Hereward  is  a  deep 
yellow  Ajax  of  the  highest  class.  It  has  a  more 
refined  trumpet  and  a  quite  flat  perianth  which 
is  very  slightly  hooded  towards  the  outside  of 
the  perianth.  Broad-backed  might  suggest  its 
form.  Size,  4  inches  by  if  inches  by  ij  inches. 
Miami  is  a  cool-looking  bloom  of  much  substance 
and     great     smoothness,    very    pale    primrose    in 


a  fine  big  yellow  ;     and  South  Pole,   a  good  pale 
bicolor.     It  certainly  was  a  fine  exhibit. 

Mr.  C.  Bourne  considered  the  forty-eight  of 
Mr.  E.  M.  Crosfield,  which  secured  first  prize  and 
the  gold  medal  in  Class  1,  as  the  best  collection 
ever  seen  in  London,  and  few  will  disagree  with 
his  judgment.  Of  individual  varieties  he  singled 
out  Maid  Marion  (P.  D.  Williams),  which  is  the 
acme  of  grace  and  refinement  among  the  bicolor 
Ajaxes.  It  is  by  no  means  large  (3J  inches  by 
if  inches  by  if  inches),  but  its  proportions,  shape, 
texture  and  soft  colouring  are  all  that  one  could 
desire.  My  comment  is,  "  quite  a  Bourne  flower." 
How  the  old  father  would  have 
loved  it  ! 

Captain  Kitchin,  the  child  of 
Brecon,  where  first  of  all  his 
Daffodil  love  was  aroused,  liked 
King  Emperor,  a  fine  flower, 
even  among  Mr.  Welchman's 
superb  yellow  trumpets.  Its  tex- 
ture was,  as  it  were,  of  the  finest 
silk,  and  its  soft  colouring  most 
pleasing.  Size,  4  inches  by  i| 
inches  by  ij  inches.  Mr.  P.  D. 
Williams  said  the  bloom  that  he 
would  like  to  live  with  was  his 
own  beautiful  pale  seedling  Susan. 
It  is  very  chic,  very  sweet,  and 
so  very  unassuming  that  none  but 
those  with  the  "  loving  eye,"  as 
Mr.  Edward  Thring  of  Upping- 
ham used  to  call  it,  would  ever 
have  noticed  it.  Susan  has  a 
small,  flat  eye  of  the  palest  lemon 
shading  to  green,  and  long,  nar- 
row, pure  white  segments.  Size, 
3  J  inches  by  five-eighths  of  an 
inch.  Mr.  "  Alpine  "  Farrer  saw 
it  when  I  took  him  round  some 
of  the  "  choiceities "  of  the 
show,  and  was  greatly  impressed 
with  it.  He  remembered  ray 
description  of  it  a  year  ago,  and 
had  often  wanted  to  see  it.  He 
was  not  disappointed — no  mean 
praise  when  one's  expectations 
are  satisfied. 

Both  Mr.  W.  A.  Milner  and  Mr. 
Herbert  Chapman  thought  Mr.  A. 
M.  Wilson's  Harpagon  one  of  the 
most  striking  of  all  the  new 
varieties.  It  is  what  of  old  would 
have  been  classed  as  an  Engle- 
heartii,  with  an  all  deep  red  eye 
and  a  pale  primrose  perianth 
whose  segments  slightly  incurve. 
Size,  4I  inches  by  iJ  inches.  It 
was  certainly  striking.  What 
put  this  idea  of  a  mild  sym- 
posium of  people  whom  I  casually 
met    into    my    mind    was     Mr.     Chapman    taking  ,  colour.     The  lemon  eye  is  almost  quite  flat. 


NARCISSUS    EMERALD    EYE,    A    BEAUTIFUL    NEW    VARIETY    SHOWN 
AT    THE    MIDLAND    DAFFODIL    SHOW. 


me  to  see  the  Daffodil  in  the  hall 

The  Rev.  T.  Buncombe  had  very  great  difiiculty 
in  saying  which  he  thought  most  worthy  of  special 
mention.  Ultimately  he  settled  upon  Ibex, 
Hereward  and  Miami  as  his  favourites.  Ibex 
(E.  M.  Crosfield)  is  very  similar  to  Lysander  (P.  D. 
Williams),  and  both  may  be  roughly  described  as 
looser  and  more  star-shaped  forms  of  the  celebrated 
Challenger.  They  were  exhibited  in  the  singles, 
and  as  I  happened  to  be  one  of  those  who  judged 
them,  I  was  very  satisfied  to  know  that  oiu'  decision 
was  in  accordance  with  that  of  the  two  owners, 
who    have    had    much    friendly    discussion    about    Size,  3I  inches  by  three-quarters  of  an  inch.     He 


Size, 
3}  inches  by  seven-eighths  of  an  inch. 

Mr.  T.  Batson  said  Loki  (E.  M.  Crosfield)  gave 
him  great  pleasure.  It  is  a  sort  of  flat  Frank  Miles, 
pale  yellow  in  colour.  Size,  4  inches  by  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch  by  seven-eighths  of  an 
inch.  It  has  a  similar  look  about  it  to  Miami, 
but  with  a  cup  and  not  an  eye,  and  it  is  of  a 
deeper  colour. 

Mr.  Robert  Sydenham  singled  out  King  Cyrus. 
It  is  one  of  the  large,  flat,  all-red  eyes.  The  size 
of  the  bloom  and  the  deeper  shade  of  colour  round 
the  outside  of  the  eye  make  it  a  striking  flower. 


also  liked  Sybil  Foster,  Mr.  Mallender's  large  white 
trumpet,  which  has  an  ideal  perianth  and  is  a 
flower  which,  if  only  it  had  not  such  a  long  trumpet, 
would  be  one  of  the  highest-priced  ones  of  the 
world.  As  novelties,  "  Uncle  Robert "  decided 
upon  Anicet  and  Antony.  The  former  is  a  pure 
white  Leedsii  with  a  narrow  rim  of  real  pink  to 
the  cup :  very  dainty,  delicate  and  innocent- 
looking.  The  latter  (Antony)  is  one  of  the  most 
distinct  giant  incomparabUises ;  bar  the  pink- 
petalled  Red  Wing,  one  of  the  greatest  novelties 
in  the  show.  The  cup  is  quite  away  from  anything 
else  in  the  way  it  rounds  in  towards  the  bottom. 
Magpie's  Cup  is  a  little  like 
it  in  shape.  Size  of  bloom, 
4  J  inches  by  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  by  iJ  inches.  Perianth 
lemon  and  very  smooth.  Cup 
deep  yellow,  with  a  slight  flush 
of  red. 

There  is  no  need  to  ask  Mr. 
Walter  Ware  about  his  particular 
favourites.  As  a  rule,  you  have 
only  to  go  to  his  stand  (which  is 
invariably  a  multuni  in  parvo)  and 
see  the  new  things  he  has  just 
acquired.  Here  was  a  giant  Leedsii 
— in  his  own  expressive  language, 
a  "  topper " — long  in  stem,  of 
good  form  and  superior  qualit\'. 
He  considers  it  the  equal  of 
Empire  in  its  own  line,  and 
hence  has  called  it  Kingdom. 
The  short  trumpet  is  a  lovely 
shade  of  greenish  sulphur,  and  there 
is  plenty  of  green  in  its  back. 

Mr.  Bennett-Poe  took  me  to 
Messrs.  Bath  and  Co.'s  Flame 
when  I  asked  him  what  he 
thought  stood  out  as  something 
uncommon.  It  is  a  huge  super- 
Barri  after  the  style  of  Bril- 
liancy, which  in  turn  is  a  sort 
of  glorified  Barri  conspicuus.  He 
calls  it  in  a  letter  to  me  "  a 
flower  of  wild  form,  of  great 
size  and  striking  colour."  "  Wild 
form  "  is  good.  "  She  looks  very 
wild "  we  say  of  a  lady  with 
dishevelled  hair ;  so  is  Flame. 
The  petals  are  dishevelled. 

My  "  likes "  not  previously 
mentioned  were  Aladdin  (bicolor 
trumpet),  Raeburn  (Poet),  King 
Solomon  (pale  sulphur  Ajax), 
Bayardo  (after  Buttercup)  and 
Anthea  (a  very  refined  Leedsii). 
I  have  others  too  numerous  to 
mention.  I  hope  they  will  pardon 
my  not  including  them.  Even 
The  Garden  cannot  hold  accounts 
Daff,"  good  and  kind  as  it  always 
Joseph  Jacob. 


of  every  lovely 
is  to  them. 


NARCISSUS     EMERALD    EYE. 

This  beautiful  new  Dafiodil,  which  was  shown  by 
Messrs.  Cartwright  and  Goodwin  at  the  Midland 
Dafiodil  Show  last  week,  and  a  report  of  which 
appears  on  another  page,  was  considered  by  experts 
to  be  the  new  variety  in  the  show.  As  its  name 
suggests,  the  eye  of  the  flat  cup  is  a  beautiful  and 
distinct  shade  of  green,  and  the  lower  flower  of  the 
two  was  of  perfect  contour.  Unfortunately  the  illus- 
tration does  not  convey  a  proper  idea  I'f  the  quiet 
charm  and  subtle  beauty  of  this  now  Narcissus. 


May  3,  1913-] 


THE     GAEDEN. 


221 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 


THE     POLYANTHUSES:      HOW     TO     RAISE     AND     GROW     THEM    WITH     SUCCESS. 


A   MI 

A 


MID  the  wealth  and  beauty  of  spring- 
flowering  plants,  none  surpasses  and 
few  equal  that  of  the  Polyanthuses,  or 
Bunch  Primroses,  They  are,  indeed, 
everybody's  flower  ;  perfectly  hardy, 
free  flowering,  beautiful  and 
varied  in  colour,  and  of  easy  cultivation 
withal.  Moreover — and  this,  indeed,  may  be  one 
of  the  chief  secrets  of  a  popularity  which  is  universal 
— they  may  be  raised  in  their  thousands  from  seeds 
at  quite  a  small  outlay,  hence  are  available  for 
creating  effects  in  .\pril  and  May  of  which  no  other 
plant  is  capable.  Then,  by  way  of  adding  to  their 
value  from  the  utilitarian  standpoint,  it  may  be 
stated  that  in  large  degree  they  reproduce  them- 
selves fairly  true  from  seeds,  hence 
may  be  planted  in  bold  masses  of 
colours  it  so  desired.  Pureness  or 
trueness  to  colour,  however,  is  often 
a  question  of  seed  selection  and  isola- 
tion of  the  colour  groups.  But 
whether  true  to  kind  or  in  mixture,  the 
straiu,  assuming  it  to  be  one  of 
repute,  will  of  a  surety  give  satis- 
faction, whether  by  the  sire  of  the  indi- 
vidual flowers,  the  giant  character  of 
the  trusses,  or  the  profusion  of  blossom- 
ing. In  short,  so  much  attention  is 
being  paid  by  the  seed-growing 
specialists  to  these  plants  to-day  that 
there  is  no  reason  for  the  presence  of 
strains  of  inferior  quality  in  our 
gardens ;  much  less  should  those  of 
weedy  appearance  be  tolerated.  A 
well-cultivated  clump  of  a  year  old  ^ 
plant,  grown  tmder  favoiu'able  con-  E^' 
ditions  of  soil,  may  approach  to  .i 
foot  high  and  as  much  through,  and 
be  crowded  with  flower-trusses.  Such,  sS^f- 
indeed,  may  result  where  the  loam 
inclines  to  clay,  and  where  it  is  of 
good  depth  and  natural  richness.  In 
Ughter  soils  the  plants  are  invariably 
less  vigorous,  though  special  cultivation 
may,  even  in  these  circumstances, 
mean  much  to  them. 

How  to  Raise  the  Plants. — It  should 
be  stated  at  once  that  there  is  no  method  to  equal 
that  of  raising  seedlings  periodically,  though  in 
certain  soils  the  divided  plants  give  uncommonly 
good  results.  The  seedling  plant,  however,  possesses 
a  freedom  and  vigour  of  its  own,  and  for  all  ordinary 
pm'poses  and  for  the  amateur  who  gardens  with 
hundreds  as  much  as  the  professional  gardener 
who  may  require  them  in  their  thousands,  seedling- 
raising  will  be  found  much  the  better  way — better 
by  reason  of  results,  which  are  usually  of  a  reliable 
nature,  and  because  of  a  more  uniform  development 
and  generous  flowering. 

Sowing  the  Seeds. — Seeds  may  be  sown  from 
January  to  August,  though  a  more  usual  period 
is  from  May  to  August.  Early  sowing  in  such  a 
case  is,  however,  conducive  to  large  plants,  and 
where  the  latter  are  required  to  give  effect  in  bold 
masses,  a  start  should  be  made  in  good  time.  These 
earliest  sowings  should  be  made  in  boxes  or  pans 
in  a  cool  greenhouse,  while  the  August  sowings 
would  be  best  made  in  a  secluded  spot  in  the  open, 
iir  vvdth   frame  protection.     In  the  case  of  rather 


heavy,  loamy  soils  that  are  both  cool  and  moist, 
it  has  been  found  a  good  plan  to  sow  the  seeds  on 
the  surface  of  a  well-prepared  bed  of  soil,  giving 
little  or  no  soil  covering  to  the  seeds.  In  soils 
of  lighter  texture,  a  shaded  position  should  be 
selected,  or  shade  provided  by  branches  of  ever- 
greens or  in  other  ways.  If  quite  thinly  sown, 
the  seedlings  may  remain  till  early  spring  before 
transplanting  them.  When  sowing  the  seeds 
in  boxes  or  pans,  thin  sowing  is  equally  desirable, 
as  is  also  shading  from  direct  sunlight  till  the  seed- 
lings are  well  in  the  rough  leaf. 

Transplanting    the   Seedlings. — The   February 

to  May  sown  batches  will  require  to  be  pushed 
along   rather  briskly,   and   to   avoid  overcrowding 


tending  to  great  leaf-production.  In  lighter  soils  a 
free  use  of  cow-manure  might  be  indulged  in.  Sep- 
tember and  October  are  the  best  months  to  transfer 
them  to  their  permanent  quarters.  E.  J. 


REPOTTING     ASPIDISTRAS    AND 
HOUSE     PALMS. 

There  is  no  better  time  for  doing  this  important 
work  than  the  latter  part  of  April  and  the  early 
days  of  May.  Just  then  the  new  leaves  of  -Aspi- 
distras are  pushing  up  from  the  base  and  the 
growth  of  most  Palms  is  getting  active,  so  that 
the  new  roots  which  are  formed  quickly  grip  the 
new  soil  and  the  plant  receives  the  minimum 
check.     Too  often,  however,  amateurs  repot  these 


A    BED    OF    SEEDLING    POLYANTHUSES    EDGED    WITH    AUBRIETIA. 


or  checking  their  due  development,  the  seedlings 
should  be  transplanted  as  soon  as  large  enough 
to  handle.  The  position  selected  should  be  one  of 
comparative  shade  and  shelter,  with  uniform 
coolness,  the  last  the  most  desirable  of  all.  These 
Bunch  Primroses,  Uke  the  common  or  single  kind, 
revel  in  cool  places,  while  only  existing  by  com- 
parison in  positions  more  exposed,  hence  the  need 
for  providing  shade  where  it  does  not  exist  naturally. 
The  seedlings  should  be  transplanted  4  inches  to 
6  inches  apart  from  plant  to  plant,  and  about 
nine  inches  from  row  to  row  to  admit  of  weeding, 
hoeing  and  the  like.  An  important  item  through 
all  the  stages  of  the  plant  is  a  plentiful  supply 
of  moistiure,  dryness  at  the  root  or  overhead  being 
detestable  to  the  plants.  -Apart  from  the  ordinary 
waterings  overhead,  soot-water  will  be  found  of 
much  assistance  in  dry  seasons  in  keeping  red 
spider  and  other  insect  pests  at  bay. 
General    Cultivation   and    Final    Planting.— 

Polyanthuses  prefer  a  good,  well-bodied  moist  lo.nm 
of  moderate  richness,  excessive  manuring    in   such 


plants  when  such  a  course  is  not  necessary.  Often 
a  top-dressing  of  good  new  potting  soil  would  suffice 
and,  indeed,  be  more  beneficial.  Aspidistras 
especiallv  do  not  object  to  their  roots  being  confined 
to  a  small  area,  providing  suitable  food  in  the 
form  of  liquid  maninre  or  the  top-dressing  already 
referred  to  is  provided. 

A  suitable  soil  mixtmre  for  .Aspidistras  and 
most  of  the  Palms  grown  in  rooms  is  composed 
of  sweet,  partially  -  decayed  loam  two  parts, 
thoroughly-decayed  manure  and  coarse  sand  half 
a  part  each,  with  a  good  handful  of  bone-meal  and 
a  similar  quantity  of  soot  to  each  half  a  bushel 
of  the  mixture.  The  plant  to  be  repotted  should 
be  turned  out  of  the  old  pot,  and  the  drainage 
and  as  much  of  the  old  loose  soil  as  conveniently 
possible  removed,  taking  care  not  to  unduly  injure 
the  roots  in  doing  so.  Place  it  m  the  new  and 
correctly-drained  pot ;  then  carefully  ram  the  new 
soil  all  round  it  with  a  blunt  potting-stick,  so  that 
when  finished  the  plant  will  be  about  half  an  inch 
lower  in  the  soil  than  it  was  before.  V.   V. 


222 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  3,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE    WEEK. 


FOR 


SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Care  of  Paths. — After  rainstorms  all  catch- 
pits  should  be  gone  over  and  thoroughly  cleared 
of  sand,  or  it  will  soon  lead  to  a  general  stoppage 
of  the  drainage  system. 

Rolling.— Paths  should  be  well  rolled  after 
rain,  so  as  to  keep  a  good,  hard  surface.  If  this 
is  not  regularly  attended  to,  they  soon  begin  to 
crumble  up  after  a  few  days'  drought,  particularly 
when  there  is  much  traffic  on  them. 

Weed-Killer.— This  should  be  applied,  if 
possible,  when  the  paths  are  in  a  moist  condition 
after  rain,  though  rain  immediately  after  applying 
it  often  nulMes  its  effects.  Such  an  operation 
should  not  be  left  to  an  irresponsible  person,  as 
considerable  care  is  necessary  in  applying  it  near 
the  grass  verges,  or  these  will  be  damaged.  Need- 
less to  say,  all  cans,  water  tanks,  &c.,  must  be 
thoroughly  cleansed  after  using,  and  the  surplus 
weed-killer  kept  under  lock  and  key. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Baskets  and  Tubs. — Where  these  are  utilised 
for  the  embellishment  of  the  garden,  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  get  them  filled  as  soon  as  possible,  so  that 
the  plants  in  them  are  nicely  established  when  the 
time  comes  to  put  them  out.  If  a  large  cool  house  is 
at  liberty  where  the  receptacles  may  be  filled  and 
the  plants  in  them  grown  for  a  week  or  two, 
so  much  the  better ;  but,  failing  this,  a  tem- 
porary structure  of  canvas  will  do  quite  well, 
the  shelter  thus  provided  being  just  sufficient  to 
allow  the  plants  to  get  nicely  established  without 
any  check  and  subsequent  loss  of  foliage. 

Calceolarias. — It  is  a  decided  advantage  to 
plant  these  early,  and  if  the  show  of  bulbs  is 
over  in  the  beds  in  which  it  is  proposed  to  plant 
Calceolarias,  they  should  be  cleared  at  once, 
working  in  nice  short  manure  and  planting 
as  soon  as  possible.  Naturalh',  one  would  not 
choose  an  exposed  position  for  this  early  planting, 
unless  provision  can  be  made  for  covering  the  beds 
in  the  event  of  late  frosts. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Cannas  treated  as  advised  in  the  calendar  for 
March  8  should  now  be  sufficiently  well  rooted 
ia  4-inch  pots  to  warrant  their  being  potted  into 
iheir  flowering  pots  (6-tnch),  A  good,  rich  compost 
is  necessary  to  ensure  good  bloom,  as  also  is  very 
firm  potting  to  keep  the  foliage  and  growth 
generally  dwarf.  A  great  amount  of  heat  is  not 
necessary  at  this  stage,  but  a  fair  amomit  of  atmo- 
spheric moisture  is  necessary  to  keep  them  in  really 
good  condition  and  free  from  spider. 

Chrysanthemums.— No  matter  at  what  stage 
Chrysanthemum    plants    are,    providing    they 


the 


are  nicely  rooted  they  will  be  the  better  for  remov- 
ing to  the  open  air,  though  it  is  wise  to  select  a 
sheltered  position  for  them  su  that  they  are  not 
damaged  by  wind  or  late  frost. 

Stopping. — Some  few  varieties,  such  as  the  Jame- 
son family,  Mrs.  Henshaw,  Fred  Green  Fred 
Chandler,  Miss  Rodwell  and  H.  D.  Thornton,  will 
have  to  be  stopped  during  the  early  part  of  this 
month  if  blooms  are  required  for  early  November. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Planting  Out  Onions.— Plants  raised  in  pots, 
boxes,  or  frames  should  be  planted  out  at  once, 
having  previously  made  the  soil  as  fine  as  possible 
Firm  planting  is  essential,  and  if  the  weather  con- 
tinues dry  after  plantmg,  it  may  be  necessary  to 
give  them  a  watering  in,  as  well  as  a  spraying 
overhead  each  evening  till  growth  recommences. 

Leeks. — These  also  should  be  planted  out  in 
trenches  prepared  in  much  the  same  way  as  for 
Celery,  allowing  from  a  foot  to  i8  inches  between 
the  plants.  On  light  soil  the  trenches  may  be 
fairly  deep,  but  on  heavv  soil  this  is  not  an  advan- 
tage, as  a  quicker  growth  is  maintained  when  the 
Leeks  are  planted  nearer  the  surface  of  the  soil. 

Runner  Beans. — One  or  two  rows  of  these  may 
be  sown  at  any  time  now,  selecting  a  piece  of  well- 
manured  and  deeply-dug  ground.  Prizewinner 
and  Scarlet  Emperor  I  have  found  to  be  excep- 
tionally good-cropping  varieties. 

Lettuce,  Carrots  and  French  Beans  in  frames 

must  be  given  plentv  of  air  during  the  hottest 
part      '     ■       ■ 


fair  quantity  of  water  must  be  given,  and  a  dressing 
of  artificial  or  manure-water  should  be  given  as 
required. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Figs  in  cold  houses  are  now  swelling  their  frui;, 
and  every  advantage  must  be  taken  of  th"  sui- 
heat,  shutting  up  the  house  or  houses  early  ui  the 
afternoon  after  a  good  syringing  ;  this,  of  course, 
only  on  fine  days. 

Late  Strawberries  in  frames  must  be  well 
looked  after,  giving  them  all  the  aur  possible  durmg 
fine  weather.  It  may  not  be  necessary  to  artificiallv 
fertilise  the  flowers  now  that  there  are  plenty  of 
bees  at  work.  Feed  liberally  as  soon  as  the  fruits 
are  set  and  thinned,  never  allowing  the  plants  to 
become  dry  at  the  root,  and  a  good  crop  of  fruit  will 
probably  come  on  at  a  time  when  it  is  much 
needed,  the  early  outside  crop  often  deceiving 
one  owing  to  late  frosts. 

Melons  ripenmg  must  be  given  rather  more  air 
than  during  the  growing  period,  but  I  am  not  in 
favour  of  withholding  water  at  the  root  during  the 
ripenmg  process,  the  best-flavomed  Melons  being 
those  that  are  liberally  supplied  with  water  till 
they  are  nearly  ripe. 

Hardy  Fruits. 

Peaches. — Continue  the  disbudding  of  Peaches 
on  walls  as  the  state  of  the  growth  warrants,  not 
forgettmg  to  keep  a  sharp  look-out  for  fly,  which 
is  often  troublesome  in  the  early  part  of  the  season. 

Apricots. — This  latter  remark  re  fly  is  also 
appUcable  to  these,  and  a  good  svringing  on  a 
warm  day  will  often  keep  it  under. 

Strawberries  that  are  coming  into  bloom  will 
need  protection  should  the  weather  prove  cold, 
and  plenty  of  covermg  material  must  be  at  hand 
to  cover  the  early  bed  over  should  it  prove  neces- 
sary. It  is  not  advisable  to  put  this  covering 
directly  on  to  the  plants,  but  by  running  a  string 
or  wire  down  each  row  it  will  keep  the  covermg 
material  off  the  plants  and  so  make  it  very  much 
more  effective.  Thomas  Stevenson. 

(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


>l   the  day,   and   to  secure  a  quick  growth   a  I  Roses,  no  disbudding  is  n 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Planting  Antirrhinums.  —The  ground  should  be 

forked  over  and  made  smooth  before  commencing 
operations.  Antirrhinums  tell  "most  effectively 
when  planted  in  masses  ;  much  depends  upon  the 
harmonising  of  colours.  The  crimson  shades  and 
yellows  should  be  associated  with  e.-ich  other, 
while  the  various  shades  of  pink  and  white  go 
together.  Planted  a  foot  apart,  they  will  entirely 
cover  the  ground. 

Planting  Pentstemons. — Seedlings  may  now 
be  planted,  and  although  not  so  reliable  as 
AntiiThinums.  they  are  quite  useful  for  a  mixed 
display.  Plant  at  a  foot  apart,  and  be  careful 
in  lifting  the  seedlings,  as  they  have  rather  bare, 
fleshy  roots. 

Staking. — Some  of  the  taller  herbaceous  plants 
will  now  require  staking  and  a  first  tying.  Where 
there  are  large  clumps  of  Delphiniums,  Lupines 
and  such  like,  three  stakes  should  be  given  to  each 
clump,  with  binder  twine  run  round  not  too  tightly. 
Strong-growing  subjects  should  have  fauly  stout 
stakes,  while  slender  subjects,  such  as  the  lighter 
forms  of  Aster,  should  have  rather  slender  stakes. 
If  a  line  of  binder  twine  is  run  round  a  Phlox,  the 
combuied  strength  of  the  stems  generally  keeps 
them  in  position.  Some  things,  such  as  Aster 
acris  and  Anthemis  tinctoria  or  Kelwayi,  are 
prone  to  recurve  unless  closely  attended  to,  'more 
especially  if  they  are  near  the  shade  of  trees. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Thinning  the  Buds. — This  operation,  technically 
known  as  disbudding,  is  a  necessity  to  those  who 
desire  large  blooms,  and  especiallv  to  those  who 
contemplate  exhibiting.  The  operation  can  be 
conveniently  performed  with  a  pair  of  Grape 
scissors.  All  malformed  buds,  or  those  which  have 
been  injured  by  insects,  should  first  be  removed. 
For  general  decorative  purposes  very  little  dis- 
budding is  necessary,  and  in  the  case  of  ramblers. 
Chinas  and   what   are   generally   known    as  garden 


quired. 


The  Shrubbery. 

Pruning  Forsythias.  —  .\lthough  frequently 
grown  on  a  wall,  Forsythia  suspensa  makes  an 
admirable  subject  for  the  shrubbery,  whether 
trained  in  bush  form  or  pegged  down  in  a  clump. 
Owing  to  the  lack  of  sunshine  last  summer,  it  has 
not  flowered  so  freely  as  usual  this  spring.  Now 
is  the  time  to  prune,  and  as  it  flowers  on  the 
previous  season's  wood,  a  considerable  portion  of 
that  should  be  cut  away. 

Pruning  Pyrus  japonica.— This  showy  shrub 
IS  more  or  less  a  continuous  bloomer,  near  the 
coast,  at  any  rate.  The  normal  flowering  period 
being  now  over,  this  is  a  good  time  to  prune 
and  it  should  not  be  done  too  severely.  ' 

Rhododendrons. — Early  varieties  like  arboreum 
and  nobleanum  should  have  the  dead  trusses 
removed. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Forced  Roses. — Unless  these  receive  careful 
treatment,  good  results  cannot  be  expected  next 
season.  If  the  weather  is  mild,  they  may  now  be 
placed  out  of  doors  in  some  cosy  comer  till  they 
harden  off  slightly  before  being  put  out  in  the  open. 
Attend  closely  to  watering  and  give  a  little  stimulant 
occasionally. 

Richardias. — As  these  go  out  of  bloom  they 
should  be  removed  to  the  greenhouse  and  the 
supply  of  water  gradually  reduced.  Keep  them 
clear  of  aphis. 

Chrysanthemums.— If  the  weather  is  genial, 
these  may  now  be  placed  out  of  doors  in  a  sheltered 
position.  Some  growers  give  them  the  final  shift 
before  bedding  out  commences,  while  others  delay 
the  operation  till  the  beguining  of  June.  Unless 
the  plants  are  very  forward,  I  thmk  the  latter 
period  is  to  be  preferred. 

Azalea  indica. — These  useful  greenhouse  shrubs 
sliould  now  be  enjoying  a  little  warmth  in  a  vinery 
till  they  make  their  growth  and  develop  their 
flower-buds. 

Deutzias  should  have  the  bulk  of  the  old  wood 
cut  away,  and  be  placed  in  a  little  heat  till  the 
young  wood  is  made.  Moderate  doses  of  liquid 
manure  twice  a  week  will  help  to  promote  a  vigorous 
growth. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Mulching  Peaches.— In  the  earliest  house  the 
fruits  v\ill  now  be  swelling  rapidly.  As  evapora- 
tion is  now  becoming  more  rapid,  the  trees  will 
be  benefited  by  receiving  a  good  watering,  and 
after  the  surface  of  the  border  has  partly  dried, 
stir  it  with  a  hoe.  and  then  apply  a  mulching  of 
well-decayed  manure. 

Tomatoes. — The  latest  batch  should  now  be 
planted,  boxed,  or  potted,  as  the  case  may  be. 
Good  loam  with  a  dash  of  bone-meal  in  it  is  all 
that  is  necessary  at  this  stage.  Early  crops 
swelling  their  fruits  must  be  regularly  fed,  more 
especially  if  the  roots  are  confined  in  pots  or  boxes. 
Thomson's  Special  Tomato  Manure  is  very  reliable. 

The  Fruit  Garden. 
Mulching.— If  not  already  attended  to,  all 
newly-planted  trees  should  receive  a  mulching  to 
conserve  the  moisture  and  to  help  to  maintain 
an  equable  temperature  at  the  roots.  Where  the 
sou  is  rather  light  and  porous,  mulching  is  much 
to  be  recommended,  especially  in  the  case  of  stone 
fruits  on  a  south  wall. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Thinning  Crops. — This  is  an  important  opera- 
tion, and  should  receive  prompt  attention.  Spring- 
sown  Onions  should  be  thinned  out  to  6  inches  or 
8  inches  apart,  intermediate  Carrots  to  6  inches 
and  long-rooted  to  9  inches,  Salsify  to  6  inches. 
Parsnips  to  12  inches.  Turnip-rooted  Beet  to 
6  inches  and  long-rooted  to  9  inches.  It  will  be 
readily  understood  that  these  distances  are  approxi- 
mate ;  a  good  deal  depends  upon  the  variety, 
soil  and  liberality  of  cultivation. 

Vegetable  Marrows. — it  is  too  early  to  plant  out 

yet,  but  preparations  should  be  made  for  tliem. 
A  good  plan  is  to  make  a  slight  excavation,  about 
a  yard  square,  towards  the  back  of  a  south  border, 
and  on  this  a  good  barrow-load  of  manure  is  placed. 
This  in  turn  should  be  covered  with  the  soil  exca- 
vated, thus  forming  a  slight  mound.  This  raises  the 
temperature  at  the  roots  above  that  of  the  border. 

Salading. — Continue  to  sow  successions  of 
Lettuces,  Radishes,  and  Mustard  and  Cress. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Ilniiimlu-hl  'iiirjeiis,  Davidsaii's  Mains  Midio  hiti  1. 


May  3,  1913.' 


THE    GARDEN. 


223 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES   FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— I'/ie  Editor  intends  to 
make  Tili:  Gakdkn  lu'lpful  to  all  readers  ivho  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  viay  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Ansivers 
(0  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  comynunications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  tvritten  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  fiame  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  natning  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  gra^s  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowerintj 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  setid 
small  scraps  tfiat  are  not  cfiaracteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  sliould  be  sent  to  the  Publisher. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

LAWNS  (Uenfry).— Yon  cannot  do  better  than  give 
your  lawiis  a  drcssint;  of  bone-meal  at  the  pre-sent  time  ; 
then  in  autumn  jiive  them  a  pood  dressing  of  rich  soil. 
Bone-meal  may  be  applied  at  the  rate  of  about  seven  to 
ten  hundredweights  to  the  acre,  and  an  inch  of  soil  may 
be  applied  with  advautat^e  in  autumn.  Providing'  you 
cannot  obtain  rich  soil,  apply  well-rotted  farmyard  manure 
in  autumn. 

HYACINTHS  AFTER  FLOWERING  (./.  G.  D.).~The 
Hyacinths  sliould  be  allowed  to  mature  in  the  position 
in  which  they  liave  flowered,  when  they  may  be  lifted 
and  dried  olf  in  an  airy  shed  or  outhou?e.  It  is  doubtful, 
however,  if  they  will  Hower  so  well  another  year,  thoutrh 
they  may  civc  small  spikes  of  flowers.  The  single  Jonquils 
usually  flower  in  May,  and  they  may  be  early  or  late, 
accordinti  to  the  conditions  of  the  weather.  It  is  Kettin;.' 
a  little  iatc  for  sowint;  annuals.  Mid- March  would  liave 
been  much  more  suitable  for  the  majority  of  such  things. 
Sow  the  seeds  of  the  perennials  at  once,  preferably  in  a 
prepared  plot  of  ground  in  the  open  in  a  rather  sheltered 
place.  The  resulting  seedlings  will  give  you  nice,  sturdy 
plants  for  transplanting  in  autumn. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

PRUNING  HOLLIES  (Judith).— Yomt  Holly  trees  may 
be  pnined  at  once  if  tliey  require  it,  but  we  do  not  advise 
you  to  prune  very  severely,  as  the  trees  have  been  cut 
fairly  hard  during  the  last  two  years.  It  is  a  great  mis- 
take to  clip  Hollies  so  severely  as  to  give  them  a  formal 
appearance.  A  mulch  of  well-rotted  manure  and  decayed 
leaves  will  do  good,  but  do  not  pile  the  top-dressing  round 
the  trunks  ;  rather,  keep  the  manure  a  foot  away  from  the 
trunks,  and  let  it  extend  to  the  outskirts  of  the  branches. 
It  is  probable  that  you  will  not  have  so  many  berries 
next  winter. 

BOX  SHOOTS  FOR  INSPECTION  (Quizzy).— The  Box 
shoot?  sent  for  exaniinatiim  ii;i\r  Iilcu  injured  by  a  small 
insect  called  by  scientists  .Muiiarthropalus  buxi.  The 
insect  deposits  its  eggs  below  the  epidermis  of  the  leaf, 
and  when  the  larvae  hatch  out  they  feed  on  the  leaf- 
tissues  and  cause  the  yellowish  galls.  You  can  do  something 
to  diminish  the  attack  by  spraying  the  plants  during 
May  and  June  with  a  paraffin  or  nicotine  solution.  Such 
solutions  prevent  egg-laying  to  a  certain  extent  by  making 
the  leaves  distasteful.  They  also  kill  any  insects  which 
have  not  already  escaped  from  the  galls.  The  Berberis 
leaf  sent  for  name  is  Berberis  Aquifolium  variety 
murrayaiia. 

FLOWERING  SHRUBS  FOR  SANDY  SLOPE  (F.  C.).— 
In  addition  to  those  you  name,  you  might  plant  the 
common  Barberry,  double-flowered  Gorse,  Flowering 
Currants,  Cytisus  praecox,  Berberis  Darwinii  and  Weigelas 
in  variety.  It  is.  of  course,  getting  rather  late  for  planting 
such  an  exposed  and  steep  slope,  and  early  autumn  would 
be  much  better.  If  you  desire  the  perennials  for  the 
same  position,  we  fear  only  the  Flag  Irises  would  do  you 
any  service.  White  and  red  perennial  Peas,  if  planted 
high  up  the  bank,  would  trail  and  look  very  beautiful. 
The  Marigolds,  Wallflowers,  or  Snapdragons,  each  of 
which  would  reproduce  themselves  from  seeds,  would  be 
worthy  of  trial.  Neither  Lilies  nor  Gladioli  would  be 
puitabie. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

INDIA-RUBBER  PLANT  {H.  M.).— Judging  by  the 
leaves  sent,  your  India-ruliber  Plant  appears  to  be,  if  not 
actually  dead,  at  least  so  far  gone  that,  however  treated, 
it  is  not  likely  to  recover.  You  speak  of  it  having  been 
for  years  in  a  cold  greenhouse,  and  if  that  implies,  as  is 
generally  understood,  a  structure  without  any  artificial 
heat  whatever,  you  are  fortunate  in  havinskept  it  solong, 
for,  being  a  native  of  the  East  Indies,  it  does  best  in  a 
fairly  warm  house.  At  all  events,  in  order  to  keep  it 
in  health,  a  minimum  night  temperature  should  not  fall 
below  45°  to  50".  There  Is  no  doubt  that  your  plant 
has  been  gradually  declining  in  health  for  some  time. 
Worms  at  the  root  might  be  choking  the  drainage,  and 
thus,  causing  a  sodden  state  of  the  soil,  be  answerable 


for  some  of  the  trouble ;  but,  as  stated,  we  consider 
the  main  reason  to  be  that  it  has  been  kept  too  cold. 

SALVIA  AZUREA  {A.  Af.).— Salvia  azurea  must  be 
treated  in  much  the  same  way^as  S.  splendens.  At  the 
same  time,  you  must  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  naturally 
of  a  taller  and  more  slender  habit  of  growth  than  the 
other,  and  consequently  it  cannot  be  formed  (into  such 
bushy  specimens  as  can  be  obtained  in  the  case  of  S. 
splendens, 

PELARGONIUM  LEAVES  FOR  OPINION  (F.  S.  B.).— 

We  think  you  are  quite  right  in  putting  down  the  trouble 
with  the  Pelargoniums  to  some  wTong  application  of 
water  under  the  conditions  existing  in  the  houses.  Either 
too  much  or  too  little  water  at  the  time  the  young  leaves 
are  developing  frequently  causes  a  check  from  which  they 
do  not  recover,  and  every  care  has  to  be  exercised  in  seeing 
that  a  proper  balance  is  maintained  between  the  supply 
of  water  at  the  root  and  the  moisture  in  the  air,  the 
temperature  and  the  light. 

SOIL  FOR  CARNATIONS  (G.  B.).— You  will  find 
directions  as  to  the  most  suitable  soil  for  Tree  Carnations 
in  The  G.\rdkn  for  April  19,  page  198.  At  the  same  time, 
different  cultivators  employ  diiferent  mixtures,  with 
equal  success.  One  who  grows  these  plants  remarkably 
well  advises  two  parts  of  good  loam  of  a  holding  nature, 
one  part  l(;af-mou!d,  and  one  part  made  up  of  equal 
portions  of  old  mortar  rubble  and  sand.  With  a  sprinkling 
of  bone-meal  tlio  whole  is  well  mixed  together.  A  good 
book  dealing  with  the  subject  is  "  Carnations,  Perpetual 
Flowering,"  by  Laurence  J.  Cook,  price  Is.  9d. 

INJURY  TO  PELARGONIUM  CUTTINGS  (£.  H.  H.).— 
The  Pelargonium  cutting  is  attacked  by  the  fungus 
Botrytis  cinerea.  This  is  a  very  common  fungus  on  all 
sorts  of  vegetable  matter,  and  the  spores  are  practically 
ubiquitous.  It  attacks  living  plants  as  a  rule  (1)  after 
it  has  been  growing  for  a  time  on  decaying  matter  in  the 
soil;  (2)  wlien  they  are  very  sappy  or  have  some  un- 
liealed  wounds  upon  them  ;  and  (3)  at  times  when  they 
have  been  exposed  to  low  temperatures.  Some  varieties 
are  naturally  more  liable  to  attack  than  others,  e.g.,  the 
white  Lily  is  much  more  frequently  attacked  than  any 
other  Lily  by  this  fungus,  which  is  the  cause  of  the  Lily 
disease.  Treatment  and  preventive  measures  in  the 
present  case  lie  in  keeping  the  plants  in  as  well  ventilated 
a  situation  as  possible,  removing  and  burning  all  dead 
and  decaying  matter,  keeping  the  atmosphere  as  dry 
as  is  consistent  with  the  slow,  steady  growth  of  the  plants, 
and  occasionally  spraying  with  a  solution  of  loz.  of 
potassium  sulphide  in  three  gallons  of  water. 

ROSE    GARDEN. 

DISEASE  ON  SCOTCH  BRIAR  (R.  F.  C.).— The  fungus 
on  I  111  l;iiar  is  tlie  Hose  rust  (spring  form),  Phragmidium 
sulicorticatum.  This  spreads  by  means  of  the  spores 
on  the  spring  form  to  the  foliage,  and  produces  brown 
and,  later,  black  spots  on  the  lower  side  of  the  leaves. 
The  fungus  winters  on  the  leaves,  and  the  more  com- 
pletely they  can  be  destroyed  in  the  autumn  the  better, 
for  it  is  from  these  diseased  leaves  that  the  spring  Infection 
comes.  Spraying  with  Bordeaux  mixture  or  with  a  rose 
red  solution  of  potassium  permanganate  will  help  to  keep 
the  fungus  in  check.  The  disease  attacks  wild  Roses, 
and  so  makes  it  difficult  to  keep  in  thorough  check  in  the 
garden. 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

WORMS  AND  STRAWBERRIES  (W,  P.).— The  worms 
you  speak  about  which  attack  your  Strawberry  fruits 
are  not  likely  to  be  wireworms,  but  what  they  are  it  is 
not  possible  to  say  without  seeing  them. 

SILVER-LEAF  ON  NECTARINE  (fl.  E.  J.).— The 
Nectarine  is  sulfering  from  silver-leaf  disease.  Cut  out  the 
atfected  branches  beyond  the  point  where  the  wood  shows 
a  brown  stain.  The  disease  attacks  stone  fruits  chiefly, 
but  spreads  only  from  dead  shoots.  Trees  attacked 
rarely  recover. 

APPLE  WOOD  FOR  INSPECTION  (A.  ./.  B.).— The 
Apple  trees  are  badly  attacked  by  the  woolly  aphis,  and 
probably  by  the  canker  fungus  as  well.  It  is  too  late 
now  to  spray  them  with  caustic  wash,  but  that  is  the 
best  winter  treatment.  From  now  onwards  they  ought 
to  be  painted  with  methylated  spirit  or  linseed  oil  wherever 
the  wliite  woolly  matter  that  protects  the  aphis  makes  its 
appearance,  working  the  brush  well  into  the  wounds  and 
among  the  galls  the  pest  makes. 

ARTIFICIAL  POLLINATION  OF  APPLES  (G.  H.  N.).— 
To  carry  out  the  cross-pollination  of  Apples  with  any 
large  area  outdoors  is  very  difficult  and  tedious,  as  to  be 
sure  of  doing  it  pollen  must  be  transferred  by  means  of 
a  brush  from  one  tree  to  another.  Pollination,  as  a  rule, 
occurs  naturally  ;  but  effective  cross-polhnation  in  Apples 
means  taking  pollen  from  the  flowers  of  another  variety 
altogether.  The  only  feasible  method  would  appear  to 
be  the  removal  of  branches  from  one  variety  to  the  tree 
it  is  destined  to  pollinate,  and  the  use  of  a  rabbit's  tail 
alternately  on  the  flowers  of  the  branch  and  of  the  tree. 

SILVER-LEAF  ON  PEACH  TREES  {Weybridge  and 
G.  !S.). — As  you  suggest,  the  Peach  is  attacked  by  silver- 
leaf.  Tbere  seems  no  doubt  that  this  disease  is  due  to 
the  fungus  Stereum  purpureum,  which  makes  its  way 
into  the  trees,  whether  they  are  Peaches,  Plums,  or 
Portugal  Laurels,  by  way  of  wounds.  The  fruits  of  the 
fungus  are  produced  only  on  the  dead  stems,  and  it  is 
from  these  that  the  fungus  spreads  to  new  trees.  Once 
attacked,  branches  rarely  recover,  and  it  is  best  to  cut 
them  out  in  case  the  disease  spreads  backwards,  as  it  does 
to  some  extent.  The  branches  should  be  removed  so 
far  that  no  brown  stain  can  be  seen  in  the  wood,  and  the 


wounds  should  be  painted  over  with  lead  paint,  tar,  or 
a  2J  per  cent,  solution  of  Lycol. 

YOUNG  VINES  NOT  FRUITING  {A.  5.).— The  young 
Vines  are  olfended  with  you  for  cropping  them  so  heavily 
the  first  year  after  planting,  and  are  having  their  revenge 
l>y  refusing  to  give  you  any  fruit  to  speak  of  this  year 
Indeed,  in  their  way  they  are  laughing  at  you  for  your 
folly  or  want  of  experience  in  your  treatment  of  them. 
Evidently  the  border  is  all  right,  and  the  treatment  you 
give  the  Vines  in  the  way  of  temperature  and  atmospheric 
moisture  is  also  right.  This  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  the  Vines  have  broken  into  growth  freely  and 
regularly  this  spring.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  you  ought 
not  to  liave  taken  a  single  bunch  from  them  last  year, 
and  only  about  three  bunches  to  a  Vine  this  year  if  you 
had  had  the  chance,  six  bunches  the  third  year  and  a  full 
crop  the  fourth  year.  No  doubt  the  "Vines  will  show 
plenty  of  fruit  next  year,  but  you  must  not  let  each  Vine 
carry  more  than  four  to  six  bunches,  according  to  their 
size  and  strength. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

CLEANINGS     OF     FLUES     FROM      A     DISTILLERY 

(G.  W.  0.). — We  presume  this  would  be  composed  of 
burnt  ash  and  soot,  and  therefore  must  contain  a  fair 
amount  of  potash  and  valuable  manures.  The  autumn 
IS  tlie  best  time  to  apply  it,  spreading  it  on  the  surface 
of  the  soil  and  digging  it  in  6  inches  or  7  inches  deep  at 
the  rate  of  a  peck  to  the  rod  or  perch. 

FROGS  AND  TOADS  {L.  fi.).~Frogs  and  toads  are 
extremely  useful  in  the  garden,  and  eat  many  injurious 
flies  and  other  insects  and  slugs.  They  do  no  harm 
whatever  themselves,  and  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  you 
have  a  stream  at  the  bottom  of  the  garden,  you  should 
have  no  difficulty  at  all  in  keeping  the  frogs  and  toads, 
as  there  are  damp  spots  with  plenty  of  nooks  for  shelter. 
Toads  especially  would  be  valuable. 

RAISING  SEEDLINGS  UNDER  CLOCHES  (C.  E.  0.).— 
Until  the  seeds  arc  above  the  ground  it  is  not  necessary 
to  ventilate  the  cloches,  but  rather  to  shade  them  during 
the  warmest  part  of  the  day.  As  soon  as  the  seedlings 
are  above  the  ground,  air  must  be  admitted  on  warm  days. 
This  is  done  by  tilting  the  glasses  on  one  side,  raising  them 
about  an  inch  by  placing  a  stone  under  them.  Remove 
the  stone  about  three  or  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  ventilate  on  cold,  dull  days.  The  cloches 
must  be  taken  off  while  watering  the  seeds  or  seedlings. 

SMALL  HOLDING  (G.  TT.).— We  are  not  inclined  to 
regard  your  sclieme  with  much  approbation,  as  the  pros- 
pects favour  the  losing  of  your  capital ;  but  if  you  are  a 
skilful  grower,  you  would  get  some  return.  If  you  use 
all  your  capital  on  the  house,  how  are  you  going  to  stock 
and  ^maintain  it,  and  how  are  you  going  to  live  until  even 
the  first  crops  mature  ?  It  seems  to  us  that  your  best 
course  would  be  to  grow  general  crops  out  of  doors  for 
one  season  at  least,  and  probably  for  two,  when  you  should 
have  a  steady  income  if  you  can  find  a  market.  How 
much  have  you  to  pay  for  the  land  ?  How  is  it  situated 
in  regard  to  markets  ?  What  practical  knowledge  have 
you  ?  Write  again,  giving  full  details  briefly  and  clearly 
and  a  fiuther  reply  will  be  st^nt. 

HORTICULTURAL  SCHOLARSHIPS  (fi.  F.  C.).— 
Some  of  the  County  Councils  offer  scholarships  in  horti- 
culture in  their  own  institutions  or  in  those  in  adjacent 
counties,  and  these  are  either  free  or  assisted.  In  other 
counties,  and  apparently  in  your  own,  no  such  provision 
is  made.  Agriculture  is  far  better  served  in  this  direction. 
One  or  two  scholarships  are  annually  offered  by  the 
Worshipful  Company  of  Gardeners  on  the  results  of  the 
General  Examination  in  Horticulture  held  by  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society.  A  syllabus  and  particulars  of 
this  examination  can  be  obtained  of  the  Secretary,  Koyal 
Horticultural  Society's  Hall,  Vincent  Square,  West- 
minster, S.W.  The  Royal  Horticultural  Society  also 
maintains  a  school  for  young  men  over  sixteen  at  its 
gardens  at  Wisley,  Surrey,  where  thorough  instruction 
is  given  in  both  the  principles  and  operations  of  horti- 
culture ;  and  other  schools  are  in  connection  with  the 
University  College,  Reading ;  Holmes  Chapel  College  of 
Agriculture,  Clieshtre  ;  and  Uckfield  Agricultural  College, 
Sussex.  Excellent  short  courses  are  given  in  the  County 
Institute  of  Agriculture,  Chelmsford. 

LICHEN  ON  TREES  AND  SHRUBS  {Mrs.  C.).—X 
humid  atmosphere,  particularly  if  it  be  accompanied  by 
a  stagnant  condition  of  the  soil,  is  very  favourable  to  the 
growth  of  lichen.  In  some  parts  of  Ireland  it  prevails 
to  a  considerable  extent,  and  we  have  at  different  times 
had  numerous  examples  from  that  country.  It  is  unfortu- 
nate that  you  have  delayed  the  enquiry  till  growth  is 
commencing,  as  in  order  to  destroy  the  lichen  it  must  be 
taken  in  hand  while  the  shrubs  are  quite  dormant.  Various 
remedies  have  been  tried,  but  the  one  that  meets  with 
the  most  favour  is  to  spray  the  affected  plants  with  the 
caustic  soda  wash  as  used"  for  fruit  trees.  It  must  be 
carefully  applied  and  the  hands  protected  with  rubber 
gloves,  as  it  is  of  a  burning  natm^e.  Some  forms  of 
Stephanotis  flower  more  freely  than  others,  and  if  plants 
are  raised  from  seeds  they  will  often  cover  a  considerable 
space  before  they  bloom.  As  your  plant  is  in  a  pot, 
you  will  be  able  to  limit  the  water  supply,  and  if  you  have 
been  giving  stimulants,  we  should  advise  you  to  dis- 
continue them.  Then,  if  it  does  not  bloom  this  season, 
see  that  it  gets  a  good  amount  of  sunshine  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  summer  and  in  autumn,  and  then  during 
the  winter  keep  the  soil  dry.  With  this  treatment  it 
will,  under  the  influence  of  increased  heat  and  moisture, 
probably  flower  next  spring  or  summer, 

NAME  OF  PLANT.— G.  EiUick.—Bxyop\\\\\\\m  caly- 
cinum. 


224 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  3,  1913 


SOCIETIES. 


THE    MIDLAND    DAFFODIL    SOCIETY'S   SHOW. 

The  fifteenth  annual  exhibitiou  in  connection  with  the 
above  society  was  held  in  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Edgba-ston, 
Birmingham,  on  Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  the  22nd 
and  23rd  ult.  The  show  was  opened  by  the  Lady  Mayoress, 
who  was  accompanied  by  the  Lord  Mayor.  Competition 
was  exceedingly  good,  no  less  than  six  groups  beiuj;  staged 
in  the  large  class  for  fifty  varieties.  A  promising  sign 
also  was  the  number  of  seedlings  shown  by  amateurs. 
The  arrangements,  as  usual,  were  excellent,  and  reflected 
the  greatest  credit  on  the  secretary,  air.  H.  Smith,  and 
the  committee.  In  the  evening,  Mr.  E-obert  Sydenham 
very  kindly  entertained  the  exliibitors,  judges  and  visitors 
at  dinner  at  the  Grand  Hotel,  after  which  the  llev.  G.  H. 
Kngleheart  opened  an  interesting  discussion  on  the  cultiva- 
tion of  Daffodils. 

Group  A.— Cut  Blooms  (Open). 

Class  1  was  for  a  collection  of  fifty  varieties  of  Dafiodils, 
representing  as  far  as  possible  the  different  divisions.  Six 
exhibits  were  staged  m  this  class,  the  premier  position 
being  filled  by  the  E,ev.  J.  Jacob,  Whitewell  Kectory, 
Whitchurch,  Salop,  with  a  beautiful  collection  of  fiowers. 
A  few  that  we  specially  admired  were  :  H.  C.  Bowles, 
a  giant  Leedsii  with  large  frilled  cup  ;  Charlotte,  Olympia 
alba,  a  large  white  trumpet ;  Horace,  Lady  Moore,  a 
lovely  ^flower,  with  large  orange,  scarlet-edged  cup,  and 
The  Fawn.  Second  honours  fell  to  Messrs.  Cartwright 
and  Goodwin,  Kidderminster,  who  also  staged  a  fine  lot 
of  flowers,  among  them  being  such  sorts  as  Enterprise, 
Trojan  Boy,  a  beautiful  giant  Leedsii ;  Ethereal,  Lord 
Kitchener,  and  Orangeman.  Mr.  C.  Bomne,  Bletchley, 
was  a  good  third,  having  some  superb  flowers  of  Queen  of 
Hearts  in  the  centre  of  Ids  group.  Mr,  J.  Pope,  King's 
Norton,  was  fourth. 

Class  2  was  for  a  decorative  exhibit  of  cut  Narcissi 
only,  arranged  iu  a  given  space.  This  was  the  most  artistic 
class  in  the  show,  and  made  quite  an  interesting  feature. 
Mr.  C.  Bourne  was  a  good  first,  with  a  beautifully  arranged 
exhibit,  his  vases  of  Poets  being  particularly  pleasing. 
Mr.  J.  Pope,  King's  Norton,  was  second,  and  the  Bev. 
J.  Jacob  third. 

In  Class  3,  for  six  distinct  varieties  of  trumpet  Dalfodils 
(yellow),  there  were  five  entries,  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts,  St. 
Asaph,  being  first,  with  splendid  blooms,  four  of  which 
were  seedlings.  The  llev.  J.  Jacob  was  a  good  second, 
his  King  Alfred  and  a  fine  seedling  calling  for  special 
mention.  Mr.  W.  A.  Milner,  Totley  Hall,  Shetheld,  was 
third. 

In  a  similar  class  for  white  trumpets  there  were  only 
two  entries,  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts  being  again  placed  first. 
His  Benen  and  Mme.  de  Graatt  were  superb.  Mr.  J. 
Mallender,  Ba^vtry,  was  second,  his  vases  of  La  Donna 
and  Sybil  Eoster  being  superb. 

Eor  six  tricolour  Dafiodils,  distinct,  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts 
was  again  first  out  of  four  competitors.  His  vase  of  Arium, 
a  superb,  long,  cream  trumpet  variety  calling  for  special 
mention.  The  Rev.  J.  Jacob  was  second,  Olympia  alba 
being  Ids  best  variety.  Third  and  fourth  prizes  went 
respectively  to  Mr.  J.  Mallender  and  Mi.  J.  Pope,  King's 
Norton. 

For  six  varieties  of  incomparabilis,  Division  2a,  there 
were  only  two  entries,  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts  being  first  and 
the  Kev.'j.  Jacob  second.  Tlie  flowers  in  this  class  were 
rather  poor.  In  a  similar  class,  but  Division  2b,  the  Rev. 
J.  Jacob  and  Mr.  C.  Bourne  were  equal  firsts,  both  staging 
a  very  fine  lot  of  flowers,  Mr.  Jacob's  Whitewell  and  Mr. 
Bourne's  Tritoma  calling  for  special  mention.  The  third 
and  fourth  prizes  went  respectively  to  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts 
and  Mr.  J.  Pope. 

Eor  six  distinct  Barris,  Division  3a,  there  were  only 
two  entries,  first  and  second  honours  going  respectively 
to  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts  and  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob,  both  of  whom 
staged  very  clean  flowers. 

In  a  similar  class,  but  Division  3b,  Mr.  C.  Bourne  was 
first  out  of  five  competitors,  putting  up  fine  vases  of  Red 
Eve  and  Ethelbcrt.  Mr.  E.  H.  Chapman,  Rye,  was  a  good 
second,  his  flowers  of  Captain  General,  Javelin  and  Glad 
Eye  calling  for  special  mention.  Third,  fourth  and  fifth 
prizes  went  respectively  to  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob,  Mr.  J.  Pope 
and  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts. 

For  twelve  distinct  varieties  of  Leedsiis,  three  stems  of 
each,  there  were  four  entries,  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob  being  first 
with  a  beautiful  lot  of  fiowers.  Endurance,  Last  Out  and 
Lord  Kitchener  were  three  favourites.  Mr.  C.  Bourne 
was  a  close  second,  his  Little  Joan  and  Silver  Spangle 
attracting  much  attention. 

In  Class  11,  for  three  distinct  varieties  of  triandrus 
hybrids,  Mr,  W.  A.  Watts  was  first  out  of  three  com- 
petitors, staging  Dewis,  Cibyn  and  a  seedling.  Messrs. 
Cartwright  and  Goodwin  were  a  good  second  with  Josette, 
Chloe  and  a  seedling.  Mr.  C.  Bourne  was  third,  his  vase 
of  Lemon  Belle  being  very  clean  and  good. 

Eor  six  distinct  varieties  of  Tazetta  and  Tazetta  hybrids 
Messrs.  Cartwright  and  Goodwin,  Kidderminster,  were 
first  with  fine  examples  of  Elmira,  Klondyke,  Jaune  k 
Merveille,  Ideal,  Orient  and  Irene.  Third  prize  went  to 
the  Rev.  J.  Jacob,  who  had  a  fine  vase  of  Orange  Blossom. 
Eor  nine  distinct  varieties  of  true  Poeticus  there  were 
five  entries,  Mr.  C.  Bourne  being  first  with  a  beautiful 
lot  of  flowers,  among  whicix  we  specially  noticed  Homer, 
Laureate  and  Horace.  Messrs.  Cartwright  and  Goodwin 
followed  closely,  the  third,  fourth  and- fifth  prizes  going 
respectively  to  Mr.  E.  H.  Chapman,  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts  and 
the  Rev.  J-  Jacob. 

In  Class  l-i,  for  twelve  distinct  varieties  of  original 
spt-xies  and  natural  hybrids,  there  was  only  one  exhibit, 


this  coming  from  Mr.  Bruce  Waite,  92,  Carless  Avenue, 
Harborne,  who  had  some  good  fiowers. 

Single  Blooms. — The  fixst  prizes  for  these  were  awarded 
as  follow:  Yellow  trumpet,  Mr.  W.  Welchman,  Upwell, 
Wisbech,  with  The  Commonwealth ;  white  trumpet, 
Mr.  A.  M.  Wilson,  Bridgwater,  with  White  Knight ; 
bicolor  trumpet,  Mr.  A.  M.  Wilson,  with  a  large  seedling  ; 
incomparabilis  (Division  2a),  Mr.  A.  31.  Wilson  with  a 
seedling ;  incomparabihs  (Division  2b),  Mr.  A.  .M.  Wilson 
with  Centurion  ;  Barri  (Division  3a),  Mr.  A.  M.  Wilson 
with  a  seedhng ;  Barri  (Division  3b),  Mr.  C.  Bourne, 
Bletchley,  with  Queen  of  Hearts ;  Leedsii,  Mr.  Ridley, 
Wincanton,  with  Moonbeam  ;  triandrus  hybrid,  Mr.  W.  A. 
Watts  with  a  large  seedling  ;  Jonquilla  hybrid,  31r.  V.  D. 
Williams  with  a  seedling ;  Tazetta  or  Tazetta  hybrid, 
Messrs.  Cartwright  and  Goodwin  with  Jaune  &  Merveille  ; 
true  Poeticus,  Mr.  H.  G.  Hawker.  Ivybridge,  Devon,  with 
Dulcimer  ;   and  double,  Mr.  J.  Pope  with  Golden  Rose. 

Eor  the  Bourne  Challenge  Cup,  oitered  for  a  group  of 
twelve  distinct  varieties  of  Dafiodils  that  have  been  raised 
by  the  exhibitor,  there  were  two  entries,  Mr.  E.  M.  Cros- 
field,  Cossingtou,  Bridgwater,  being  first  with  a  beautiful 
lot  of  flowers.  Ibex,  Orb  and  Nomad  were  three  exquisite 
Poets,  Dell,  Winsome  and  Ringdove  being  others  tliat 
attracted  much  attention.  Mr.  W.  Welchman,  Upwell, 
Wisbech,  was  second  with  a  dozen  trumpets,  Lord  Cromer 
(rich  yellow)  and  Lord  Lister  (bicolor)  calling  for  special 
mention. 

In  Class  30,  for  a  group  of  seedling  Daffodils  that  have 
been  raised  by  the  exhibitor  and  are  not  in  commerce, 
there  were  fifteen  entries,  Mr.  A.  M.  Wilson,  Shovell, 
Bridgwater,  being  first,  his  fiowers  including  some  exquisite 
unnamed  Poets.  Second  prize  fell  to  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts, 
St.  Asapli,  Mr.  J.  Pope  and  Mr.  E.  H.  Chapman  following 
in  the  order  named. 

In  the  following  class,  which  was  similar,  except  that 
only  three  varieties  were  asked  for,  there  were  no  fewer  than 
eleven  entries,  Mr.  P.  D.  Williams  being  a  good  first.  A 
seedling  with  a  rich  scarlet  eye  and  apricot  perianth,  and 
Susan,  with  a  green  eye,  were  much  admired.  Messrs. 
Cartwright  and  Goodwin,  Mr.  C.  H.  Cave  and  the  Rev. 
T,  Buncombe  followed  in  the  order  named. 

In  the  novice  seedling  challenge  class,  for  three  distinct 
varieties  of  Daffodils  raised  by  the  exhibitor  and  not 
iu  commerce,  Mr.  N.  Y.  Lower,  Presteign,  was  first  out  of 
ten  competitors,  staging  three  very  good  seedliug  Poets. 
Mr.  C.  L.  Adams,  Pendeford  Hall,  Wolverhampton,  was 
second ;  Mr.  W.  Wilson,  jun.,  Holmesfield,  Shettield, 
third  ;   and  Mr.  J.  Simkins  fourth. 

For  the  Cartwright  Challenge  Cup,  offered  for  a  group 
of  twelve  distinct  varieties  of  Dattodils  that  have  not  been 
in  commerce  more  tlian  four  years,  there  were  two  entries, 
Mr.  E.  M.  Crosfield  being  a  good  first,  his  Poets,  particularly 
Orb,  Ring  Dove  and  Dick  Turpin,  calling  for  special 
mention.  Messrs.  Cartwright  and  Goodwin  were  second 
with  a  beautiful  lot  of  blooms. 

In  a  similar  class  for  six  varieties,  Mr.  C.  Bourne  was 
first  out  of  four  competitors,  his  blooms  of  iVIiss  Willmott 
and  Queen  of  Hearts  being  very  fine.  The  Rev.  J.  Jacob 
was  second,  Lady  Moore  being  his  best  flower.  Mr.  H.  D. 
Phillips,  Mulverle,  Olton,  and  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts  were 
third  and  fourth  respectively. 

In  a  similar  class  for  three  varieties,  Mr.  H.  G.  Hawker, 
Ivybridge,  Devon  ;  the  Rev.  T.  Buncombe,  Black  Torring- 
ton,  Devon  ;  Sir.  F.  H.  Chapman  and  Mr.  J.  Pope  won 
in  the  order  named. 

Eor  the  Herbert  Chapman  Poeticus  Trophy,  for  a  group 
of  six  distinct  true  Poeticus  that  have  not  been  in  com- 
merce more  than  four  years,  including  at  le.tst  one  variety 
not  yet  in  commerce,  Mr.  E.  M.  Crosfield  was  a  good  first, 
his  blooms  of  Sarchedon,  Csesar  and  Millie  Price  being 
particularly  good.  Mr.  A.  M.  Wilson  was  second  and  Mr. 
C.  Bourne  third. 

For  the  Walter  Ware  Challenge  Cup,  offered  for  a  group 
of  eighteen  distinct  triandrus  hybrids,  Mr.  W.  A.  Watts 
was  the  only  exhibitor,  and  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Ware 
the  cup  was  awarded  to  this  exhibitor. 

Group  B.— Cut  Blooms  (Open  to  amateurs  Only). 

In  Class  38,  for  six  distinct  varieties  of  Daffodils  that 
have  not  been  in  commerce  more  tlian  four  years,  there 
were  three  entries,  the  first  prize  falling  to  Mr.  N.  Y. 
Lower  for  a  good  lot  of  flowers.  The  Rev.  T.  Buncombe 
was  second,  and  Mr.  T.  Batson  fliird. 

In  Class  39,  for  a  collection  of  twenty-four  distinct 
varieties  of  Daffodils,  there  were  no  fewer  than  eight  entries, 
the  first  prize  being  allocated  to  Mr.  E.  H.  Wood,  Ludlow, 
for  a  very  fine  lot  of  blooms,  Sunrise  and  Red  Chief  calling 
for  special  mention.  Mr.  N.  Y.  Lower  was  a  good  second, 
Lucifer  and  Red  Chief  being  two  of  his  best.  Mr.  J.  A . 
Kenrick,  Harborne  ;  the  Rev.  T.  Buncombe  ;  and  Mr. 
R.  Bruce  Waite,  Harborne,  followed  in  the  order  named. 

Eor  nine  distinct  varieties  of  trumpet  Daffodils,  tlu-ee 
stems  of  each,  there  were  seven  entries,  Mr.  J.  A.  Kenrick, 
Harborne,  being  a  good  first  with  very  clean  flowers. 
Mr.  E.  H.  Wood,  Ludlow,  was  second 

In  the  type  classes  for  three  distinct  varieties,  the  first 
prize  winners  were  as  follow  ;  Incomparabilis,  Division  2a, 
Mr.  N.  Y.  Lower ;  incomparabilis,  Division  2b,  Mr.  E.  H. 
Wood ;  Barri,  Division  3a,  Mr.  T.  Batson ;  Barri, 
Division  3b,  Mr.  T.  Bataon  ;  Leedsii,  Mr.  N.  Y.  Lower; 
Tazetta  and  Tazetta  hybrid,  Mr.  J.  A.  Kenrick  ;  true 
Poeticus,  Mr.  E.  H.  Wood ;  double,  BIrs.  Gumbleton, 
Tewkesbury. 

In  Class  49,  for  twelve  distinct  varieties  of  Daffodils, 
three  stems  of  each,  there  were  five  entries,  Mr.  A.  Taylor, 
Olton,  being  first  with  some  beautiful  flowers.  Mr.  R. 
Bruce  Waite  was  a  good  second. 

Group  C, 
This  section  was  open  only  to  those  who  have  never 
won  more  than  three  first  prizes  at  any  of  the  society's 


exhibitions.  The  first  prize  winners  were  as  follow  : 
For  twelve  distinct  varieties,  Mrs.  Ridley ;  six  distinct 
varieties  of  trumpets,  Mr.  E.  Winchester ;  six  distinct 
varieties  of  incomparabilis,  Mr.  A.  Taylor ;  six  distinct 
Barris,  Mrs.  Ridley  ;  three  distinct  Leedsiis,  Mr.  W.  F. 
Mitchell ;  three  distinct  varieties  of  Tazetta  and  Tazetta 
hybrids,  Mr.  E.  Deakin  ;  and  three  distinct  varieties  o£ 
true  Poeticus,  iVIrs.  Ridley. 

Non-competitive  Exhibits. 
Robert  Sydenham,  Limited,  Birmingham,  staged  a 
fine  and  comprehensive  group  of  Narcissi,  the  whole  of 
the  flowers  being  clean  and  well  set  up.  Among  a  few 
that  called  for  special  mention  were  Whitewell,  Tinsel, 
Bed  Chief,  Will  Scarlett.  Ethelbert,  Firebrand,  Evangeline, 
Red  Beacon,  Bliss  Bentinck  and  King  Alfred.  The  same 
firm  also  showed  some  Tulips,  Lily  of  the  Valley  and  other 
plants  grown  in  fibre.     Silver-gilt  medal. 

Messrs.  J.  R.  Pearson  and  Sons  of  Lowdham,  Notts, 
put  up  a  very  effective  group  of  high-class,  well-grown 
flowers,  the  staging  being  of  the  usual  high  order.  Vtrgil, 
Scarlet  Eye,  Norah  Pearson,  Florence  Pearson  (a  beautiful 
white  trumpet),  Advance  (a  deep,  red -eyed  Poet),  Heroine, 
Lowdham  Beauty  (fine  giant  Leedsii),  Gipsy  Queen, 
Croesus  and  Homer  were  a  few  among  many  that  called 
for  special  mention.     Silver-gilt  medal. 

Mr.  Christopher  Bourne,  Simpson,  Bletchley,  staged  a 
small  group  of  beautiful  Daffodils,  these  embracing  many 
of  the  latest  varieties.  Among  those  that  were  most 
admired  were  Queen  of  Hearts,  Undine,  Red  Eye,  Horace, 
White  Lady  and  Dewdrop.  Mr.  Bourne  also  had  a  collec- 
tion of  well-grown  Tulips,  such  varieties  as  Mrs.  Moon 
Mr.  Farncombe  Sanders  and  La  Tulip  Noire  calling  for 
special  mention.     Silver  medal. 

The  group  of  Daffodils  staged  by  Messrs.  Cartwright 
and  Goodwin,  Kidderminster,  was,  as  usual,  of  a  high 
order,  the  flowers  all  being  clean  and  well  grown.  Par- 
ticularly noticeable  were  Orangeman,  Whitewell,  Target 
(with  a  vivid  orange  red  cup),  Southern  Star,  Emerald 
Eye  (a  beautiful  flower  with  large  flat  cup  and  vivid  green 
eye),  Evangeline,  A.  D.  G.  Johnson  (with  bright  red  eye) 
and  Horace.     Silver  medal. 

Baker's,  Limited,  Wolverhampton,  put  up  a  flne  rock 
garden  exhibit  in  their  usual  position.  The  plants  shown 
were  all  in  good  condition,  and  were  well  arranged.  Among 
many  good  plants  that  called  for  special  mention  were 
Dianthus  csesius  Baker's  variety,  a  fine  lot  of  Ranunculus 
amplexicaulis,  Saxifrages  Red  Admiral  and  bathoniensis, 
Arabis  aubrietioides,  Incarvillea  grandiflora,  Erinus 
hirsutus  and  E.  alpinus  albus.     Silver-gilt  medal. 

Messrs.  Barr  and  Sous,  King  Street,  Covent  Garden, 
had  a  lovely  group  of  Dattodils,  all  the  latest  and  best 
varieties  being  staged  in  an  admirable  manner.  Among 
a  few  of  many  good  things  were  Anchorite,  Rosy  Morn 
(a  very  beautiful  flower,  with  scarlet  eye  and  apricot 
pink  perianth),  Gladiator  (a  very  large,  flat-cupped  variety, 
with  rich  yellow  centre  and  a  broad  band  of  orange 
scarlet).  Moonbeam  (white,  flat  cup,  delicate  yellow  eye), 
Sarchedon  (a  lovely  Poet),  Red  Rover,  Snow  King  and 
Socrates.  Messrs.  Barr  also  put  up  a  superb  lot  of  unnamed 
seedlings.     Gold  medal. 

Messrs.  R.  H.  Bath,  Limited,  Wisbech,  staged  a  beautiful 
lot  of  Datfodils  and  also  a  flne  lot  of  Tulips,  the  latter 
growing  in  Cocoauut  fibre  without  drainage.  Among 
the  Daffodils  we  noted  such  as  Marie  Hall,  Whitewell, 
Refulgence,  Evangeline,  Diogenes,  Will  Scarlett,  Heroine, 
Star  of  the  East  and  Laurettc.  The  Tulips  included 
such  beautiful  varieties  as  King  Harold,  Erguste,  Isis  and 
the  Rev.  H.  Ewbank.     Silver  iuedal. 

Messrs.  B.  R.  Cant  and  Sons,  Old  Rose  Gardens 
Colchester,  staged  a  beautiful  group  of  Roses,  many  of 
the  flowers  being  equal  to  those  seen  at  a  summer  show 
Such  varieties  as  Rosr  du  Barri,  Fortune's  Yellow,  Sun- 
beam, Richmond,  Claudius  and.  Antoine  Rivoire  called 
for  more  than  usual  praise.     SUver-gilt  medal. 

Mr.  S.  Mortimer,  Rowledge,  Famham,  Surrey,  put 
up  a  fine  bank  of  Carnations  and  Stocks  in  pots.  The 
latter  were  the  variety  All  the  Year  Round,  the  large, 
white  flowers  emitting  a  delightful  fragrance.  The 
Carnations,  which  included  all  the  best  varieties,  were 
well  up  to  Mr.  Mortimer's  high  standard  of  excellence. 
SUver-gilt  medal. 

Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons  of  Reading  made  a  beautiful 
display  with  Cinerarias  and  forced  vegetables.  The 
Cinerarias  embraced  the  large-flowered  and  stellata 
types,  manv  beautiful  art  shades  being  among  them. 
The  vegetables  included  such  kinds  as  Peas,  Beans, 
Bliishrooms,  Asparagus,  Turnips  and  Cauliflowers,  the 
whole  being  splendidly  staged.     Silver-gilt  medal. 

Mr.  H.  N.  Ellison,  West  Bromwich,  staged  a  beautiful 
bank  of  Feras,  which  provided  a  cool  and  welcome  change 
to  the  more  showy  flowers.  These  embraced  such  kinds 
as  Nephrolepis,  Adiantums,  Polypodiums,  Pterises  and 
Osmundas,  the  whole  being  in  perfect  condition.  In 
the  centre  of  the  group  we  noticed  some  excellent  plants 
of  Phoenix  Roebelinii,  an  excellent  Palm  for  the  dwefling- 
house.    Silver  medal. 

Mr.  Vincent  Slade,  Staplegrove  Nursery,  Taunton, 
put  up  a  good  collection  of  Pelargoniums,  the  bright 
flowers  making  a  fine  feature  in  the  sunshine.  All  the 
latest  varieties  were  included,  the  whole  being  well  grown 
and  of  good  constitution.     Silver  medal. 

Mrs.  Backhouse,  Sutton  Court,  Herefordshire,  had  an 
interesting  little  collection  of  unnamed  seedling  Narcissi, 
among  them  being  a  charming  little  fiower  with  deep 
scarlet  eye  and  pale  apricot  perianth,  and  also  several 
Poets  with  pale  apricot  eyes.     Silver  medal. 

Messrs.  Reamsbottom  and  Co.,  Geashill,  King's  County, 
Ireland,  had  a  flne  bank  of  their  world-famed  double 
St.  Brigid  Anemones,  the  large  fiowers  and  brilliant 
colours  being  concrete  examples  of  high-class  cultivation. 
Silver  medal. 


■t^  ^fey- 


^w^- 


GARDEN. 


^o^^& 


2164.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


May  10, 


191 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week 

Correspondence 

Berberis  verruculosa. . 

Anchusa     italica 

D  ropmore  as  a  pot 

plant    

Galega      Hartlandii 

from  seeds  , . 
The  fifty  best  alpines 
Furthcommg  events . . 
ROSE  Garden 
Some  diseases  of  tlio 

Rose 

F1.0WKU  Garden 
Oaffodil  notes 
Primula    coclsburni- 
ana :  How  far   is 
it  perennial  ? 
The  Sweet  Pea :  An 
appreciation 
TREES  AND  Shrubs 

The  hardy  Brooms 
Coloured  Plate 
Three    good   P  e  r- 
p  etu  al-floweriiig 
Carnations  . . 


227 

228 

229 
229 
229 


Greenhouse 
Seasonable  notes  on 

Chr>'santhemums     231 
Rock  and  Water  Garden 
A  rare  and  beautiful 

Primrose     . .      . .     2;J1 
Plants  for  a  stream 

garden 2;i2 

Trained  PRUir  Trees 

atPlowerino  Time    233 
Gardenino  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      234 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      234 

New       and       Rake 

Plants 235 

Fruit  Garden 

Seasonable  notes  on 

fruit     235 

Answers  to  Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden  . .  235 
Trees  and  shrubs  . ,  236 
Fruit  garden  . .  . .  236 
Miscellaneous         . .     236 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Tea  Rose  Lady  Plymouth     ..      .v      ,.  226 

Rose  shoot  and  leaf  attacked  by  mildew 227 

Narcissus  Norah  Pearson      228 

The  premier  green-edged  Auricula  Wm.  Smith         ..  230 
Three  good  Pcrpetual-llowi-ring  Carn,^tions. .  Coloured  plate 

Primula  Keidii         231 

A  well-trained  Pear  tree  at  Windsor 232 

Pear  Winter  Nelis  with  a  flue  show  of  bloom  . .      . .  233 

The  method  of  training  a  fruit  tree  over  a  wire  trellis  233 


EDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


27ie  Editor  welcomes  ■photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  wilt  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  ij  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  /or  reproduction  be  plainlg  stated, 
it  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  arAual  photo- 
ijrupher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  he  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  lie  may  not  he  able  to  ust,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  he  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


iOtkes:  20,  Tunslock  .street,  Covent  Harden,  W.C. 


Our  Rock  Garden  Competition. — Full  par- 
ticulars of  our  competition  f.»r  pIiol<_igTaphs  of  the 
best  rock  garden  appeared  in  our  issue  for  last 
week.  We  would  remind  all  those  who  intend 
entering  that  June  i  is  the  last  day  for  sending 
in  photographs. 

Trials    of   Spraying    Apparatus. — The    results 

of  the  trial  of  spraying  apparatus  held  by  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  at  Wisley  on  the 
23rd  ult.  have  now  been  published.  We  hope  to 
give  an  illustrated  report  of  the  trials  in  our 
next  issue. 

Removal     of    Seed-Vessels     from     Bulbs.— 

Hvacinths  and  Daffodils,  like  most  other  plants, 
greatly  benefit  by  the  removal  of  the  seed-pods 
as  soon  as  the  flowers  have  faded.  If  these  are 
left  on,  the  developing  of  the  seeds  takes  up  a  lot 
of  nutriment  that  would  otherwise  go  towards 
building  up  the  bulb  for  another  year.  Do  not, 
however,  make  the  mistake  of  removing  foliage  also. 

The  Dwarf  or  Russian  Almond. — This  is  a 
prett)'  dwarf  .\lmond,  lornimg  a  nice  bush  2  feet 
to  4  feet  high,  and  is  a  native  of  .Southern  Russia. 
The  rose-coloured  blossoms  are  freely  produced 
during  April.  There  is  a  white  variety  named 
alba  and  a  rich  rosy  red  form  named  rubra. 
Layering  forms  an  easy  and  ready  means  of  increase. 
The  dwarf  Almond  is  variously  known  in  gardens 
as  Primus  nana  and  Amygdalus  nana,  forming 
the  subject  of  a  figure  in  the  Botanical  Magazine, 
t.  i6i,  under  the  second  name. 

The  Chelsea  Flower  Show. — We  tmderstand 
that  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Spring 
Show,  which  is  this  year  to  be  held  in  the  Royal 
Hospital  Grounds,  Chelsea,  instead  of  the  Inner 
Temple  Gardens,  promises  to  be  a  record  one. 
Arrangements  are  already  well  in  hand,  and  the 
crush  which  has  characterised  the  Temple  Show 
in  recent  years  is  not  likely  to  occur.  The  show 
opens  at  12  noon  on  Tuesday,  May  20,  and  closes 
at  6  p.m.  on  Thursday,  May  22.  This  exhibition 
is  rightly  regarded  as  Ike  flower  show  of  the 
year. 

The  Queen  at  Kew. — The  Queen  visited  the 
Royal  Gardens  at  Kew  on  Wednesday,  the  30th  ult., 
making  a  tour  of  the  outdoor  garden  from  the  Main 
Gate,  through  the  Rhododendron  Dell,  to  the  Blue- 
bells in  the  Queen's  Cottage  Grounds.  There  on 
either  side  of  the  central  path  the  Bluebells  are  a 
sea  of  blue,  which  is  broken  only  by  the  trunks 
of  the  trees  under  which  they  grow.  Of  late  years 
openings  have  been  made  among  the  Brambles 
and  other  undergrowth,  so  that  wide  areas  of 
flowers  are  now  shown  which  were  previously 
hidden. 

Caltha  palustris  semi-plena. — In  this  plant  we 

have  a  bold  ycilttw-flowered  Marsh  Marigold  for  the 
side  of  the  pond  or  stream  or  the  bog  garden, 
and  many  will  admire  it  who  do  not  care  for  the 


several  double  varieties,  and  who  have  the  wild 
single  form  in  plenty  in  their  districts  and  so  do 
not  plant  it  in  the  garden.  This  variety  has  all 
the  charm  of  the  glossy  leaves  and  brilliant  gold 
of  the  wild  plant,  but  the  flowers,  which  are  large, 
are  semi-double.  They  are  thus  more  lasting 
than  those  of  the  single  form,  but  are  much  less 
heavy  than  the  doubles,  such  as  C.  palustris  fl.-pl., 
C.  p.  fl.-pl.  monstrosa,  or  C,  p.  fl.-pl.  minor.  There 
is  no  difficultv  in  cultivating;  it  in  moist  sai]. 

Does  it  Pay  to  Spray  Potatoes  ? — Potato- 
growers  have  long  asked  this  question.  It  is  well 
known  that  in  seasons  when  blight  is  destructive, 
spraying  will  check  the  blight  and  considerably 
increase  the  yield  of  tubers  ;  but  many  Potato- 
growers  have  doubted  that  spraying  is  profitable 
on  the  acreage.  According  to  a  report  just  pub- 
lished from  the  New  York  -Agricultural  Experiment 
Station,  a  long  series  of  experiments  demonstrate 
beyond  doubt  that  the  spraying  of  Potatoes  is 
highly  profitable  in  the  neighbourhood  of  that 
city.  The  report  goes  on  to  say  that  spraying 
with  Bordeau.x  mixture  should  be  commenced 
when  the  plants  are  6  inches  to  8  inches  high,  and 
repeated  at  intervals  of  ten  to  fourteen  days 
throughout    the   season. 

Cytisus  fragrans  Growing  Outdoors.— .A.lthough 

it  is  usual  to  associate  this  Canary  Island  Broom 
with  greenhouses  and  markets,  the  owners  of 
gardens  situated  in  Devonshire  and  Cornwall 
plant  it  in  the  open  groimd  as  people  in  less- favoured 
localities  do  the  common  and  Portuguese  Brooms, 
and  it  forms  a  handsome  specimen  ;  in  fact, 
those  who  have  only  known  it  as  a  pot  plant  can 
scarcely  imagine  to  what  proportions  it  grows. 
Specimens  6  feet  to  8  feet  high  are  not  uncommon, 
and  when  they  bloom,  often  during  February  and 
March,  they  are  very  conspicuous,  for  every  shoot 
bears  racemes  of  golden,  fragrant  blossonrs.  In 
some  gardens,  too,  the  finer  variety,  elegans,  may 
also  be  noted,  although  it  must  be  considered  a 
rarity.  \t  Penjerrick,  the  garden  of  Mr.  K. 
Fox,  a  very  fine  example  of  C.  fragrans  is  to  be 
seen. 

The  Spring  Rose  Show. — it  is  with  considerable 
pleasure  that  we  are  able  to  annoimce  that  the 
National  Rose  Society's  first  spring  show,  held 
in  London  on  Thursday  of  last  week,  and  a  report 
of  which  appears  on  another  page,  was  an  tm- 
qualified  success.  For  several  years  past  we  have 
advocated  the  holding  of  such  a  show,  because 
the  cultivation  of  Roses  under  glass  is  now  very 
much  more  widely  adopted  by  amateurs  than 
was  the  case  a  few  years  ago.  An  exhibition 
such  as  that  to  which  we  refer  has  considerable 
educational  value  in  bringing  before  the  public 
the  varieties  most  suitable  for  growing  imder 
glass.  We  would  warn  our  readers,  however, 
against  purchasing  indiscriminately  for  outdoor 
cultivation  some  of  the  Roses  that  were  shown. 
The  majority  would  do  well,  but  some,  such  as 
Lady  Hillingdon,  would  in  most  districts  prove 
intensely  disappointing  in  the  outdoor  garden. 


■226 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  10,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

[The  Editor  is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Berberis  verruculosa.— I  regret  that,  through 
a  clerical  error,  miniature  plants  of  this  handsome 
Barberry  were  mentioned  by  me  under  the  name  of 
B.  verniriilosa  on  page  202,  April  26.  The  mistake 
would  not  have  occurred  had  not  the  plants  been 
so  small  that  their  identity  with  B.  verruculosa 
could  not  be  established,  although  great  care  was 
taken.  B.  verruculosa  is  one  of  the  introductions 
nf  Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea, 
through  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson,  and  was 
offered  in  the  autumn  of  rgii.  It 
is  hardy  in  the  Coombe  Wood  Nur- 
series of  that  firm,  and  grows  about 
two  feet  high  eventually.  The 
flowers,  which  are  followed  by 
purple  fruits,  are  yellow,  as  men- 
tioned before.  Miniature  plants 
such  as  those  described  would  be 
exceedingly  pretty  even  on  small 
rockeries. — S.   Arnott. 

Pear  Magnate.— I  send  some 
photographs  ot  an  espalier  of  Pear 
Magnate.  I  think  Magnate  is  a  very 
fine  Pear,  in  flower  as  well  as  in 
appearance,  but  Messrs.  Bunyard 
have  dropped  it  out  of  their  list. 
When  I  asked  Mr.  Bunyard  why, 
he  said  it  was  such  a  shy  bearer. 
This  tree  is  more  crowded  with 
blossom  than  any  other  in  the 
garden,  perhaps  more  than  any  I 
have  ever  seen.  Unluckily,  the 
photographs  are  only  by  amateurs, 
and  were  taken  just  a  week  too  late 
for  the  blossom  to  be  at  its  best  ; 
but  if  they  are  capable  of  being 
printed,  they  will  refute  this 
calumny  against  Magnate.  The 
pyramid  is  Williams'  Duchesse,  and 
was  supplied  by  Baltet.  It  very 
closely  resembles  P  i  t  m  a  s  t  o  n 
Duchess,  but  is  not,  1  think,  quite 
identical.  Moreover,  Pitmaston 
Duchess  was  not,  I  believe,  raised 
by  Williams. — G.  E.  Jeans,  Shor- 
weil  Vicarage,  Isle  of  Wight.  [Un- 
fortunately, the  photographs  were 
not  sharp  enough  for  reproduction. 
— Ed.1 

Treatment  of  Disease  in 
Plants. — I  was  extremely  interested 
in  Professor  Houston's  excellent 
article  on  this  subject  which  ap- 
peared on  page  215  of  last  week's 
issue.  The  methods  of  prevention 
described  by  him,  if  they  could  be  adopted  on  a 
practical  scale,  would  prove  an  immense  boon  to 
fruit-growers.  I  hope  we  shall  have  more  par- 
ticulars from  others  who  have  investigated  the 
silver-leaf  disease. — G.  M. 

investigation  of  Pea  Ttirips.— May  I,  through 

your  columns,  ask  for  assistance  in  ;ui  investigation 
into  the  Pea  thrips  ?  Notes  on  the  presence  or 
absence  of  the  pest  in  all  parts  of  the  country  are 
required,  and  specimens  if  possible.  If  those 
willing  to  help  will  communicate  with  me,  par- 
ticulars will  be  sent.  Correspondents  are  specially 
required  in  the  South-Western  Counties  and 
Ireland. — C.  B.  Williams,  The  John  Innes  Horti- 
cultural Institution,  Merton,  .Surrey. 


The    Preservation   of   Primroses. — Is   it   not 

time  that  something  was  done  to  prevent  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  charming  Primrose  which  goes  on  so 
wantonly  at  this  season  in  many  coimtry  districts  ? 
In  a  number  of  locahties  where  the  flower  abounded 
within  the  memory  of  many  who  are  still  living 
not  a  plant  is  now  to  be  found.  The  uprooting  of 
flowering  plants  by  itinerant  vendors  is,  I  am  sure, 
one  of  the  main  causes  of  its  disappearance.  It  is 
true  that  in  country  places  far  removed  from  large 
towns  the  Primrose  still  flourishes  in  abundance, 
but  even  in  these  haunts  it  is  in  danger. — P.  R. 

How  to  Grow  Saxifraga  burseriana. — In  refer- 
ence to  the  note  by    "    Alpinist  "   in  your  issue  tor 


TEA  ROSp;  LADV  PLYMOUTH.  A  NEW  VARIETY  SHOWN  BY  MESSRS. 
ALEX.  DICKSON  AND  SONS  AT  THE  SPRING  ROSE  SHOW  LAST 
WEEK.       COLOUR,    DEEP    CREAM,    SUFFUSED    APRICOT. 


April  19,  this  Saxifrage  will  thrive  either  in  full  sun- 
shine or  partial  shade  ;  but  it  prefers  the  sun,  and  a 
south  aspect  suits  it  admirably.  Excessive  dampness 
is  a  great  enemy  to  this  plant ;  therefore  the  drainage 
must  be  perfect.  It  seems  quite  at  home  in  a 
loamy  soil  with  an  abundance  of  grit  and  some 
sandstones.  It  is  also  worth  growing  as  a  pot 
plant  in  the  cool  greenhouse,  as  it  there  makes  a 
handsome  plant  and  flowers  quite  a  month 
earlier  than  out  of  doors. — J.  Brown,  Balmin- 
noch,  N.B. 

In  writing  of  the  requirements  of  Saxifraga 

burseriana  on  page  202,  April  26  issue,  Mr.  Farrer 
says  :  "  Mr.  Elliott,  whom  I  took  with  me  for  our 
first  sight  of  the  plant  in  one  of  its  loci  classici. 


will  bear  me  out  when  I  say  that  it  there  luxuriates 
in  limy  silt  in  a  very  deep  and  sunless  gorge." 
But  in  spite  of  my  debt  of  gratitude  to  Mr,  Farrer 
for  "  taking  ine  with  him,"  I  cannot  honestly 
bear  him  out  in  all  that  he  says.  My  recollection 
is  that  the  plant  grew  in  screes  rather  than  silt, 
and  that  there  was  a  very  considerable  amount 
of  sun  in  the  gorge.  However,  as  Mr.  Farrer's 
impression  was  of  a  smiless  gorge,  and  mine  of  a 
sunny  one,  what  conclusion  is  one  to  come  to  ?  Shall 
we  put  it  down  to  the  effect  of  our  respective  disposi- 
tions on  each  other  at  the  moment  ?  Tome  the  whole 
aspect  of  the  plant  seems  to  indicate  that  it  is  a  sun- 
lover.  I  have  only  grown  one  plant  in  shade,  on  the 
north  side  of  a  low  rock,  and  it  has 
flowered  very  poorly.  I  have  several 
varieties,  including  Gloria,  planted 
out  on  granite  moraine  in  fullest  sun, 
without  a  vestige  of  shade  at  any 
time  of  the  day,  and  these  all  flower 
magnificently.  The  illustration  nf 
S.  burseriana  Gloria  in  Mr.  Farrer's 
little  bookj  "  The  Rock  Garden," 
represents  a  group  of  the  plant 
which  I  exhibited  at  the  R(.yal 
Horticultural  Society's  Bulb  Show 
in  1912.  These  plants  were  grown 
in  very  gritty  loam  (in  pots) 
plunged  in  sand  in  cold  frames, 
which  were  left  open  and  without 
shade  the  whole  of  the  previous 
summer  and  autumn,  when  they 
were  making  their  growth  and 
preparing  for  their  1912  crop  of 
flowers.  On  one  point  I  feel  sure 
Mr.  Farrer  and  I  cannot  fail  to 
agree,  and  that  is  the  amount  of 
sun  we  had  in  England  in  the 
summer  of  1911.  And  those  plants 
of  S.  b.  Gloria  received  not  only 
the  full  direct  glare  of  the  sun  from 
overhead,  but  probably  a  good  deal 
of  reflected  heat  from  the  back  of 
the  frame  as  well.  Needless  to  say, 
they  were  watered  during  all  this 
sun-baking.  My  own  opinion  is 
that  to  get  the  best  results  from 
S,  burseriana  and  its  varieties,  one 
should  grow  it  in  light,  gritty 
loam  in  full  sun  and  maintain  cool 
moisture  at  the  roots.  Drainage, 
of  course,  is  essential.  This  cool 
moisture  at  the  roots  is  most  easily 
secured  by  mi.xing  a  large  pro- 
portion of  stone  chips  in  the  soil, 
and  giving  a  top-dressing  of  the 
same  stone  on  the  surface.  When 
this  is  done,  overhead  watering  is 
required  at  much  less  frequent 
intervals  than  when  no  stone 
"  The  Rock  Garden "  Mr.  Farrer 
Gloria  as  having  green  flower-stems. 
This  puzzles  me  a  good  deal,  for  my  own  plants — 
the  original  stock  came  from  Mr.  Farrer — invariably 
have  reddish  stems.  Can  this  be  due  to  the  larger 
amount  of  sun  that  my  plants  receive  ?  I  should 
be  greatly  interested  to  know  whether  all  the 
S.  b.  Gloria  grown  by  Mr.  Farrer  have  come  from 
one  original  plant  collected  by  himself,  or  whether 
he  imported  the  original  stock  and  subsequently 
collected  the  variety  in  the  Schlern  Klamm.  The 
story  of  the  discovery  of  this  superb  variety 
from  Mr.  Farrer  himself  would,  1  feel  sure,  be  of 
interest  to  more  alpuiists  than  myself. — Clarence 
Elliott. 


is    used.       In 
describes  S,  b. 


May  10,  1913] 


THE    GAliDEN. 


227 


Anchusa  italica  Dropmore  as  a  Pot  Plant.— 

I  should  like  to  point  out  what  a  beautiful  subject 
this  is  fur  anyone  having  a  moderately  large  and 
light,  cool  house.  We  put  some  plants  in  pots  early 
in  February,  and  they  started  to  bloom  at  the  begin- 
ning of  April.  They  grow  in  any  kind  of  soil 
and  need  no  forcing.  As  growth  advances  and 
tht\-  make  large  plants  they  require  a  good  deal 
ol  water.  We  have  some  single  crowns  in  6-inch 
pots,  and  they  are  very  nice,  but  the  best  are  those 
with  three  or  four  plants  in  8-inch  and  9-inch  pots. 
They  get  no  taller  than  when  grown  outside,  and 
with  a  thin  stake  to  each  shoot  make  beautiful 
plants. — E.  Smith,  The  Gardens,  Springfield. 
A  Iderley  Edge. 

Galega  Hartlandii  from  Seeds.— .Although  not 
specially  fund  ul   v.irngated-leaved  plants,   I  have 
alwavs   had   a   liking   for   Galega   Hartlandii,    not 
only   because  of     its    very    beautifully    variegated 
foliage,  which  comes  such   a  nice  silver  and  green 
in  spring  and  retains  most  of  its  variegation   for 
a  long  time,  but  also  because  it  was  sent  me  by  the 
late  Mr.  W.  Baylor  Hartland  himself.     The  posses- 
sion of  G.  Hartlandii  and  of  the  handsome  trumpet 
Daffodil  raised  by  him  and  given  his  name  always 
reminds  me,  if  reminder  were  needed,  of  that  genial 
flower-lover   of   the   Emerald   Isle.     I    am   writing 
this,    however,    to   point    out    that    G.    Hartlandii 
produces  variegated  plants  from  seeds.     Some  are 
green-leaved,  but  a  large  proportion  are  as  finely 
variegated    as    the    original.     I    have    some    very 
pretty    self-sown     seedlings    i^    my     garden,     all 
delightfully    variegated.     One    may    add    that    G. 
Hartlandii,   unlike  many  other  plants  with  varie- 
gated  leaves,   flowers   freely,   and  is  pleasing   with 
its  lavender  blue  and  white  blooms — S.  Arnott. 
The  Fifty  Best  Alpines. — Being  only  a  beginner 
and    my     small    rockery    scarcely    eleven    months 
old,  1  feel  I  have  no  right  to  join  those  who  have 
been  giving  lists  of  the  fifty  best  rock  plants ;  but 
by  writing  out  a  list  of  my  favourite  fifty  it  may 
interest    other    beginners.     The    following    are    all 
looking  well  and  doing  their  duty  on  my  rockery 
in     sun     or     shade  :      Acantholimon     glumaceum, 
Androsace  camea,  A.  lanuginosa,  Arenaria  montana. 
Auricula  Large  Yellow,  Asperula  hirta.  Campanula 
garganica,  C.  erinus,  C.  portenschlagiana,  C.   G.  F. 
Wilson,    C.    pulla,    C.    pusilla    alba,    C.    pulloides, 
C.    turbinata,     Dianthus     alpinus,     D.     neglectus. 
Cyclamen       europECUS,        Erigeron         mucronatus, 
Gentiana   acaulis,   G.    verna,    Geranium   cinereum, 
Haberlea    rhodopensis,     Hypericum    polyphyllum, 
Iris    cristata,     I.     pumila    cyanea,   I.    p.   Florida, 
Lithospermum      prostratum.     Lychnis      Lagascae, 
Mimulus    alpinus    (cardinal    red,    4    inches.    Bees' 
strain),     Oenothera    eximia,     Phlox     stellaria,     P. 
subulata  The  Bride,  P.  s.  Vivid,  Primula  clusiana, 
P.  cortusoides.    P.  hirsuta,   P.  involucrata   Munroi, 
P.    villosa,    Saxifraga   .\izoon  lutea,    S.    A.    rosea, 
S.    Grisebachii,    S.    longifolia,    S.    Elizabethae,    S. 
Storraonth's  variety,  Sedum  dasyphyllum,  Semper- 
vivum    arachnoideum,  S.  triste  bicolor,  Soldanella 
alpinus.     Spiraea     crispifolia    and     Viola    gracilis. 
Besides  these  I  have  had  several  Crocuses,  Fritil- 
larias   and    Roniuleas,  all   in  full    flower. — M.    W. 
SiT.DEN,  Wells,  Somerset. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 

SOME     DISEASES     OF    THE     ROSE. 

SOME  three  or  four  hundred  different 
species  of  fungi  are  recorded  in  books 
as  attacking  the  Roses  of  different  species 
scattered  over  the  northern  hemisphere  ; 
but,  fortunately,  only  four  of  them 
need  be  at  all  commonly  the  causes  of 
really  serious  trouble  and  anxiety  to  the  Rose 
grower.  The  diseases  they  produce  are  too  well 
known,  at  least  by  name,  to  every  Rose-grower  ; 
but  possibly  the  symptoms  are  not  quite  so  well 
known,  and  the  Editor,  ever  alive  to  the  needs 
of  garden-lovers,  has  suggested  that  an  article 
dealing  with  them  would  serve  to  forewarn  and  so 
to  forearm  the  grower  against  the  attacks  of  his 
insidious  foes. 

What  is  Disease  ? — Perhaps  it  is  necessary  to 
point  out   that  the  fungus  is  not   the  disease,    but 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

May  12. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Meeting.  British  Gardeners' 
Association's  .Annual  General  Meeting  at  Bir- 
niingham. 

May  14. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Meeting 
and  Tulip  Show.  East  Anglian  Horticultural 
Club's  Meeting 


M^i 


ROSE    SHOOT    AND    LEAF    ATTACKKl)    BY 
MILDEW. 

its  attack  sets  up  a  condition  of  disease  by  (i) 
crippling  the  foliage  and  in  other  ways  interfering 
with  the  normal  performance  of  the  life-work  of 
the  plant,  (2)  robbing  the  plant  of  food  intended 
for  its  own  use  and  needed  for  its  own  development, 
and  (3)  forming  poisons  which  destroy  or  damage 
little  or  much  of  the  host's  tissues.  It  is  quite 
clear  that  wrong  methods  of  cultivation,  i.e., 
failure  to  provide  the  proper  environment  for 
the  plant,  will  also  cause  disease  ;  but  there  is 
one  great  and  important  difference  between 
diseases  due  to  the  attacks  of  fungi  and  those 
solely  due  to  imperfections  in  the  inanimate 
environment,  and  it  lies  in  the  contagious  character 
of  the  former. 

Dissemination  of  Disease. — Canker  is  as  catch- 
ing as  measles,  rust  as  infectious  as  whooping- 
cough,  black  spot  as  contagious  as  smallpox,  and 
mildew  as  catching  as  a  cold.  Like  these  human 
diseases,  those  of  the  plant  may  pass  over  indi- 
viduals, and  even  whole  races  may  be  compara- 
tively immune.      Like  them,  too,  the  condition  of 


the  prospective  victim  and  the  nature  of  its  environ- 
ment, which  so  much  determine  his  condition, 
to  a  great  extent  determine  whether  or  not  the 
plant  shall  succumb  to  their  attacks. 

The  Value  of  Sturdy  Plants. — If  one  wishes 
to  keep  a  plant  free  from  disease,  one  must  keep 
it  in  health,  which  is  to  say,  plants  really  healthy 
rarely  (not  never)  fall  victims  to  the  attacks  of 
fungi.  The  first  principle,  then,  is  to  see  to  it 
that  our  plants  are  grown  so  as  to  be  sturdy  and 
strong  ■  open  to  the  light  and  air  and  sheltered 
from  cold  draughts,  but  not  in  a  closed-in  space 
so  that  air  has  no  free  circulation  ;  in  soil  well 
drained  and  sweet,  moist,  but  not  so  as  to  encourage 
the  development  of  sappy  growth  ;  rich  in  plant 
foods,  but  not  uverrich  in  nitrogenous  matter. 

Prevention     Better    than    Cure. — The    next 

point  to  remember  in  dealing  with  diseases  caused 
by  fungi  is  that  when  once  damage  has  been  done, 
say,  to  a  leaf,  actual  cure  is  impossible,  i.e.,  the 
particular  leaf  damaged  cannot  be  repaired,  though 
the  plant  may  develop  new  foliage  in  its  place. 
So  all  our  efforts  must  be,  when  once  the  attack 
has  begun,  towards  prevention  of  its  spread. 
Thus  we  come  to  the  bed-rock  fact  "  Prevention  is 
better  than  cure,"  and  may  consider  what  preven- 
tive measures  to  adopt  in  dealing  with  these  four 
diseases,  beginning  with  the  most  virulent. 

Mildew. — The  fungus  giving  the  mildewed 
appearance  grows  outside  the  plant,  merely  sending 
suckers  into  it  to  obtain  nourishment.  Hence  its 
presence  is  quite  evident  and  it  may  be  detected 
by  careful  observation  at  its  first  onset.  It  attacks 
all  the  growing  parts,  causing  the  leaves  to  become 
curled  and  incapable  of  performing  their  functions. 
The  curling  is  often  worse  than  is  seen  in  the  illus- 
tration. Shoots  and  buds  are  also  attacked.  The 
powdery  appearam-e  of  the  mildewed  leaves  is 
due  to  the  presence  of  myriads  of  spores,  each 
capable  of  reproducing  the  fungus  in  a  fresh  centre. 
As  the  fungus  is  itself  on  the  outside  of  the  plant, 
it  may  be  killed  by  suitable  applications,  and  either 
plentiful  dusting  with  flowers  of  sulphur  while 
the  leaves  are  damp  with  dew  or  spraying  with 
sulphide  of  potassium  (liver  of  sulphur)  at  the  rate 
of  loz.  to  three  gallons  of  water  will  be  the 
best  means  of  accomplishing  this.  If  tough-leaved 
varieties,  like  some  of  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals,  are 
to  be  sprayed,  the  liver  of  sulphur  may  be  used 
at  the  rate  of  loz.  to  two  gallons  of  water.  It  is 
important  to  note  that  mildew  is  always  most 
virulent  when  the  Roses  have  received  a  check, 
as  by  drought  or  cold  winds  or  a  water-logged 
condition  of  the  soil.  Shelter  from  draughts  and 
good  drainage,  combined  with  a  dust  mulch  formed 
bv  a  hoe,  will  do  much  towards  avoiding  attack, 
and  at  the  same  time,  where  mildew  is  prevalent, 
choice  may  be  made  of  those  varieties  which, 
in  the  particular  district,  resist  the  attacks  of 
mildew  best.  Probably  no  varieties  are  perfectly 
immune,  but  some  are  less  prone  to  attack  or 
suffer  less  from  it  when  it  comes  than  others. 

The  fungus  passes  the  winter  on  the  shoots  in 
the  form  of  felted  webs  of  greyish  threads,  which 
are  well  shown  in  the  illustration.  Occasionally, 
though  rarely  in  this  country,  a  very  resistant 
form  of  fruit  is  developed  ;  but  in  any  case  it  is 
from  these  centres  that  infection  spreads  on  to 
new  growth,  and  pieces  of  stem  affected  should  be 
pruned  out  and  biu-ned  during  the  winter  or  spring 
pruning.  The  fungus  causing  the  Rose  mildew 
(which  does  not  attack  many  other  species  of  plant) 
is  called,  on  account  of  forming  this  felt-like  growth. 
Sphairotheca  pannosa.  F.  J.  Chittenden. 

iTn  be  cnntinwd). 


228 


THE    gakj:)KN. 


[May  io,  igij. 


THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 

DAFFODIL    NOTES. 

THE       MIDLAND      SHOW. 

AS     the      Editor     was     present     himself      at 
/\  Birmingham  and  a  full  report  of  the 

/  %  show  appeared  last  week,  there  is  no 
^•^\  need  for  me  to  make  many  general 
»  ^     remarks  upon  the  show.     Perhaps  as 

one  of  the  competitors  I  may  be 
allowed  to  congratulate  Mr.  Herbert  Smith,  our 
secretary,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Humphreys,  the  genial 
and  obliging  Curator  of  the  Edgbaston  Gardens, 
on  the  excellent  arrangements  made  for  our 
comfort.  In  my  opinion  the  most 
striking  feature  of  the  show  was 
the  exhibit  of  Mr.  W.  Welchman 
of  Wisbech  in  the  Bourne  Cup 
Class.  He  staged  a  magnificent 
set  of  trumpets,  some  of  a  very 
high  order  of  excellence,  and  I 
am  beginning  to  look  upon  him 
as  one  of  our  greatest  manufac- 
turers of  these  most  attractive 
flowers.  His  London  exhibit  a 
week  previously  was  fine ;  so  was 
his  Birmingham  one.  The  Com- 
monwealth, Hereward  and  Lord 
Lister  are  flowers  we  would  all  like 
to  possess.  A  second  feature  was 
the  pink  perianths  They  are 
coming  ;  there  is  no  doubt  of  it. 
Mr.  Buncombe  and  Mr.  Wilson 
each  had  one  at  London.  Mr. 
P.  D.  Williams  and  Mrs.  Back- 
house of  Hereford  each  had  them 
at  Birmingham.  One  of  this  lady's 
was  acquired  by  Messrs.  Barr  and 
Sons,  and  figured  on  their  stand 
as  Rosy  Morn.  It  is  a  small,  well- 
shaped  flower  {zi  inches  by  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch),  with  a  soft 
red  eye  and  a  decided  warm,  flesh- 
coloured  perianth,  shading  off  at 
the  ends  of  the  segments  to  a 
pale  blush.  The  colouring  is  not  so 
pronounced  as  in  Mr.  Buncombe's 
Red  Wing.  I  hear,  by  the  way, 
that  this  latter  has  changed  hands 
under  a  guarantee  of  its  coramg 
the  same  next  year.  As  it  has 
flowered  twice,  I  do  not  think  the 
raiser  need  be  afraid  of  any  chame- 
leon-like proclivities  developing. 

The  third  feature  was  the  rising 
tide  of  seedlings,  which  every  year 
now  creates  a  new  high-water 
mark  record.  The  Midland  schedule 
provides  numerous  classes  for 
these  new  flowers,  but  they 
are  none  too  many,  and  at  no 
very  distant  date  the  number  may  have  to  be 
increased. 

Lastly,  a  word  to  pat  ourselves  on  the.  back  on 
the  way  the  schedule  encourages  "  beginners."  In 
Group  C,  that  is,  "  open  only  to  those  who  have 
never  won  more  than  three  first  prizes  at  any  of 
the  society's  exhibitions,"  there  were  splendid 
entries  and  the  competition  was  keen.  Mr.  Syden- 
ham tells  a  tale  of  how  the  winning  of  a  very  low- 
down  prize  whetted  his  appetite  in  his  early  days 
of  Carnation-growing,  and  so  led  him  on  to  the 
position  he  afterwards  attained.  This  Group  C 
is  based  on  the  same  principle,  and  I  look  upon 
Dr.  Lower  of  Presteign  as  one  of  its  best  advertise- 


ments. I  would  like  to  have  his  fine  red-cupped 
seedling  (shown  in  Class  32)  photographed  with 
some  such  inscription  as  this  underneath  it  ;  "  See 
what  encouragement  in  the  early  stages  of  a  man's 
Daffodil  life  can  do."  I  most  heartily  congratulate 
him  on  his  first  prize  tor  three  seedlings  of  his 
own  raising. 

On  the  second  morning  of  the  show  I  had  a  quiet 
look  round  and  picked  out  some  of  the  best  novel- 
ties, which  I  am  now  going  to  describe.  The 
award  flowers  were  described  in  the  report  of  the 
show  published  last  week.  Of  these  I  will 
only  refer  to  Norah  Pearson,  an  illustration  of 
which    appears  below,   but   which   does  not   do   it 


NARCISSUS 
AT    BI 


NORAH    PEARSON,    A    BE.^UTIFUL    NEW    VARIETY    SHOWN 
RMINGHAM    BY    MESSRS.    J.    R.    PEARSON    AND    SONS. 

justice.  I  call  it  my  flower,  as  I  think  I  may  fairly 
claim  to  have  discovered  it.  I  do  not  think  Mr. 
Duncan  Pearson,  when  he  left  home  to  attend  the 
show,  had  any  more  idea  of  putting  it  up  for  an 
award  and  bringing  it  back  with  a  prize  card 
round  its  neck  than  Pope  Pius  X.  had  of  staying 
in  Rome  when  he  took  his  celebrated  return  ticket 
at  Venice  in  order  to  attend  the  Papal  conclave. 
Mr.  Pearson  thought  a  good  deal  of  Lowdham 
Beauty  perhaps,  and  also  of  the  yellow-cupped 
Elfrida  Pearson,  but  Norah  was,  comparatively 
speaking,  only  a  Cinderella.  The  blooms  that 
were  more  talked  about  than  any  others  were  two 
excellent  examples  of  Emerald   Eye,  illustrated  on 


page  220  last  week,  which  were  on  Cartwright  and 
Goodwin's  stand  almost  before  Mr.  Engleheart  had 
unpacked  it.  It  may  be  described  as  a  big  Moon- 
beam, but  with  a  much  flatter  cup,  in  the  centre 
of  which  is  a  large  deep  green  eye,  just  the  colour 
of  a  young  Lily  of  the  Valley  leaf,  which  happened 
to  be  near  and  with  which  I  compared  it.  Size, 
3i  inches  by  i  inch.  Ring  Dove  was  a  perfectly 
round  Poet  which  figured  in  Mr.  Crosfield's  Cart-  . 
wright  Cup  twelve,  and  also  in  his  Herbert  Chapman 
Poeticus  Trophy  lot.  It  is  a  most  symmetrical 
flower,  with  deep  red  rim  to  its  eye.  Size,  2|  inches 
by  half  an  inch.  It  was  a  decided  contrast  to 
Sarchedon,  which  also  was  in  the  same  collections. 
A  sport  frtini  Seagull  was  included 
in  my  own  first-prize  fifty  in  Class  i. 
It  w-as  found  three  years  ago  in  a 
batch  of  my  own  Seagull  which  I 
had  had  for  a  long  time,  so  I  think 
it  is  an  undoubted  sport.  In  shape 
and  size  it  is  the  counterpart  of 
Seagull.  It  differs  in  the  colouring 
of  the  cup,  which  is  a  sort  of 
pinky  buff  with  a  thin,  yellow 
edge.  It  attracted  much  attention. 
Orb  is  a  fine  large  red-eyed  Barri 
after  the  type  of  Harold  Finn. 
Size  3i  inches  by  seven-eighths 
of  an  inch.  I  know  more  than  one 
visitor  included  it  in  the  best  three 
flowers  in  the  show.  It  was  staged 
by  (Mr.  Crosfield  in  his  Bourne 
Cup  twelve.  Ibex  was  another 
flower  in  this  collection.  It  is  a 
sort  of  pointed-perianthed  Chal- 
lenger, with  a  very  distinct  rim  of 
rtd  to  the  cup.  Size,  3I  inches  by 
seven-eighths  of  an  inch.  Here- 
ward and  The  Commonwealth  were 
two  extremely  good  deep  yellow 
trumpets  in  Mr.  W.  Welchman's 
Bourne  Cup  twelve.  The  first 
was  described  last  week  under 
my  London  notes,  and  I  need  only 
say  here  that  a  second  look 
confirmed  my  high  opinion  of 
it  as  an  exceedingly  refined  bloom. 
The  Commonwealth  was  of  quite  a 
different  shape  and  of  a  much 
deeper  shade  of  yellow.  It  was 
distinguished  by  its  rather  short 
trumpet,  which  had  a  bold  massive- 
looking  edge.  Size,  4I  inches  by 
I J  inches  by  if  inches.  Lord  Lister, 
in  the  same  collection,  deserves 
notice  as  a  fine  specimen  of  a  pale 
bicolor  Ajax.  The  three  inner 
segments  have  a  distinct  curl. 

In  Advance  Messrs.  Pearson 
and  Sons  have  a  red-eyed  Poet  of 
great  merit  and  novel  colouring, 
inasmuch  as  there  are  two  distinct  shades  of  red 
in  the  very  flat  eye,  the  rim  of  which  is  of  a  deep 
dull  shade  and  the  centre  more  of  an  orange  tone. 
Size,  2 1  inches  by  three-quarters  of  an  inch.  Discus 
(H.  Backhouse,  raiser)  was  bought  by  Mr.  Bourne, 
and  was,  with  the  lovely  Queen  of  Hearts,  one  of 
the  features  of  his  trade  group.  I  called  it  a  flat- 
eyed  Leedsii,  with  a  pale  apricot  and  buff  eye  or 
shallow  cup.  There  was  much  substance  in  the 
round-looking  perianth,  which  was  broad  and 
overlapping. 

There  were  three  lovely  bunches  of  Tinsel  on  Mr. 
Robert  Sydenham's  stand.  It  has  an  undulating, 
white,  overlapping   perianth,  with  a  bright   yellow 


May  10,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


220 


(■up  edged  with  orange.  It  is  a  charming  flower. 
A  sort  of  magnified  PUhelbert  will  give  readers 
an  idea  of  what  it  is  like.  Although  by  no  means 
a  novelty,  I  must  allude  to  the  superb  example 
of  White  Knight  exhibited  by  Mr.  A.  M.  Wilson 
in  the  single  bloom  class  for  white  trumpets.  To 
me  it  was  the  flower  of  all  in  the  show.  Its  pure 
white,  clean-cut  perianth  and  elegant  trumpet, 
with  a  slightly  recurving  rim,  always  must  give 
it  character  as  a  unique  florist's  flower  ;  but  when 
good  cultivation  is  added  thereto,  then  we  "  have 
food  for  the  gods."  Ailsa  is  grand  ;  so  is  Sybil 
Foster.  Loveliness  and  Arian  (all  shown  in  the 
same  single  bloom  class)  are  good,  but  "  the  best 
of  riW  ihe  five  "  was  White  Knight  as  shown  by 
my  friend  Mr.  Wilson.  Joseph  Jacob. 


PRIMULA       COCKBl^NIANA  :      HOW 
FAR     IS     IT     PERENNIAL? 

Among  the  many  questions  I  iiave  raised  in  The 
Garden  respecting  the  conduct  of  plants  in  culti- 
vation, one  has  found  that  there  has  been  a  con- 
siderable diversity  of  experience.  The  experiences 
of  many  of  your  correspondents  have  helped, 
however,  to  solve  some  of  the  difficulties  one  has 
encountered,  and  have  doubtless  saved  others 
as  well  as  tlie  writer  much  loss  of  plants  and  of 
time  in  experimenting  with  them.  I  have  been 
much  interested,  for  example,  in  the  replies  to  my 
questions  regarding  Anemone  fulgens,  and  I  now 
venture  to  raise  tlie  question  of  the  perennial  or 
biennial  habit  of  Primula  cockburniana  when  in 
cultivation  in  this  country,  and  that  of  the  best 
place  to  grow  it  s'o  as  to  secure  its  retention  without 
annual  sowing  of  seeds. 

It  is  not  everywhere  perennial,  and  many  have 
Inst  it  from  time  to  time  after  flowering.  We 
find  well-known  authorities  differing  in  their  dicta 
regarding  its  duration.  Mr.  Reginald  Farrer, 
for  example,  tells  us  that  it  is  "  quite  perennial, 
like  P.  capitata,  if  carefully  watched  in  a  well- 
drained,  cool  place  and  frequently  divided." 
This  is  from  "  The  Rock  Garden  "  ;  but  in  his 
"  .Mpinrs  and  Bog  Plants "  Mr.  Farrer  calls  it 
"  biennial."  Of  course,  that  erudite  and  fasci- 
nating writer  is  drawing  upon  his  more  recent 
experience  in  "  The  Rock  Garden,"  but  readers 
will  require  to  note  carefully  the  words  "  if  fre- 
quently divided,"  which  reservation,  by  the  way, 
applies  to  so  many  Primulas  if  they  are  to  be  main- 
tained in  vigour.  Mr.  Lewis  B.  Meredith,  whose 
cultural  notes  one  has  so  much  confidence  in 
from  experience  of  their  general  practical  nature, 
says  in  "  Rock  Gardens "  that  P.  cockburniana 
is  "  quite  hardy,  but,  unfortunately,  only  a 
biennial."  Other  writers  have  had  similarly 
conflicting  views.  Personally,  I  have  been  of 
opinion  that  P.  cockburniana  is  practically  a  bien- 
nial with  the  majority  of  growers,  and  I  have  lost 
several  plants  in  experimenting  upon  what  I  have 
thought  likely  lines,  as  well  as  upon  those  recom- 
mended by  writers. 

There  seems  no  doubt  as  to  its  hardiness,  but  th? 
main  question  seems  to  lie  in  the  point  of  drainage. 
Like  most  of  its  kind  from  the  same  quarter,  it 
bears  the  reputation  of  being  a  moisture-lover, 
and,  in  consequence,  it  is  often  treated  to  such 
conditions  as  will  suit,  say,  P.  rosea,  with  the  result 
that  it  disappears  from  our  ken  in  winter  and  never 
reappears  after  flowering.  One  is  always  inclined 
to  attribute  this  to  the  exhaustion  caused  by  seed 
production  ;  but  it  seems  quite  likely  that  that  is 
not  the  case,  at  least  altogether,  although  we  find 
that  seedlings  generally  survive  where  adult  p'ants 
fail. 


I  have  been  following  up  the  subject,  and,  from 
one  or  two  experiences  which  have  more  recently 
come  under  my  observation,  I  am  disposed  to 
suggest  that  free  drainage  is  the  sine  qua  non 
with  old  plants  of  P.  cockburniana,  with  the 
possible  addition  of  frequent  division,  although  I 
do  not  think  the  latter  is  absolutely  necessary. 

The  best  plant  which  has  come  under  my  obser- 
vation, as  having  survived  for  three  winters, 
after  flowering  for  two  summers  and  also  bearing 
seeds,  has  been  one  in  the  gardens  of  Mr.  W.  A. 
Galbraith  at  Terregles,  Dumfries,  where  the  gar- 
dener, Mr.  William  Hutchinson,  informs  me  it 
has  been  for  three  years  and  has  flowered  and 
seeded.  This  spring,  after  a  trying  winter,  it  is 
quite  strong  and  vigorous.  Mr.  Hutchinson  has 
favoured  me  with  his  treatment,  and  I  think  it 
will  be  found  that  the  question  of  drainage  is 
emphasised  by  his  success.  A  bed  of  ashes  about 
eighteen  inches  deep  forms  the  base,  and  on  this 
were  laid  about  four  inches  of  road  grit,  above  this 
being  placed  about  two  inches  of  nice  open  loam. 
This  would  hardly  seem  ideal  treatment  for  P. 
cockburniana,  especially  with  dn  open,  rather 
sunny  position.  Yet  here  the  plant  has  behaved 
as  I  have  previously  indicated,  and  self-sown 
seedlings  have  been  produced.  I  have  observed 
in  several  other  cases  of  successful  retention  of 
P.  cockburniana  that  the  drainage  was  unusually 
perfect,  and  I  can  well  believe  that  a  somewhat 
similar  treatment  to  that  adopted  at  Terregles 
may  enable  many  to  succeed  with  this  bright 
scarlet  plant  we  call  Cockburn's  Primrose.  Per- 
sonally, I  am  again  experimenting  with  several 
plants,  each  being  tried  on  a  different  method, 
and  I  hope  to  be  able  to  report  progress  again. 
Yet  I  think  the  subject  is  so  well  worthy  of  con- 
sideration that  I  .venture  to  express  the  hope  that 
others  will  detail  their  practice  in  securing  that 
P.  cockburniana  siiould  remain  a  perennial  in  their 
gardens. 

Dumfries.  S.   .^rxott 

THE     SWEET     PEA  :    AN     APPRECIA- 
TION. 

It  is  not  arduous  to  understand  tlic  popularity 
of  this  flower,  for  there  is  no  other  annual  that 
approaches  it  in  floral  profusion,  in  fragrance, 
or  in  exquisite  grace.  It  is  very  unfortunate, 
however,  that  its  odorous  charm  (which  in  the 
older  forms  was  very  pronounced)  should,  in  the 
opinion  of  experts  and  amateurs  alike,  be  gradually 
disappearing  before  the  incessant  popular  demands 
for  larger  dimensions  and  crenulated  formations, 
and  the  consequent  results  of  excessive  and  exacting 
hybridisation. 

It  is  perhaps  somewhat  consoling  to  remember 
that  some  of  the  available  grandiflora  varieties, 
such,  for  example,  as  Queen  Alexandra,  Dorothy 
Eckford  and  Helen  Pierce,  are  still,  for  garden 
cultivation,  among  our  very  fairest  and  most 
effective  flowers.  Nevertheless,  so  great  is  the 
inconsistency  of  human  nature,  even  when  most 
seemingly  conservative,  that  I  am  at  the  present 
moment  getting  my  Parma-violet-coloured  Eck- 
fordian  namesake  crossed  with  a  Spencer  hybrid — 
merely  for  the  sake  of  ir  .iking  it  much  larger 
and,  therefore,  more  impressive — in  far  California 
by  Mr.  Lester  Morse. 

If  all  other  annuals  gradually  disappeared  from 
my  garden,  as  many  of  them  have  done,  and  only 
the  Sweet  Pea  and  Climbing  Nasturtium  remained, 
I  would  be  quite  satisfied  with  my  floral  possessions 
of  an  aspiring  description  ;  for  along  the  half-shaded 
borders,  with  an  environment  everj'Avhere  of  Roses 


(of  which  I  have  120  distinct  varieties)  and  Oriental 
and  Occidental  Lilies,  the  Sweet  Pea  blossoms 
everywhere,  and  *'  nothing  can  stale  its  infinite 
variety."  There  is  no  other  flower,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Rose,  that  so  tenderly  links  the 
pensive  present  with  the  fadeless  past.  By  the 
hybridising  genius  of  the  late  Mr.  Henry  Eckford 
and  his  numerous  successors  in  Europe  and  America 
it  has  developed  capabilities  undreamed  of  by  our 
ancestors,  and  though  it  has,  as  I  have  indicated, 
somewhat  deteriorated  in  the  essential  attribute 
of  fragrance,  it  is  unquestionably  more  command- 
ing in  its  beauty  than  it  ever  has  been  before. 
Its  colouring  has  been,  especially,  intensified  in 
a  marvellous  degree. 

Every  earnest  cultivator  of  the  Sweet  Pea  has, 
I  presume,  his  own  special  favourites,  and  among 
mine  are  Etta  Dyke  and  Nora  Unwin,  Dobbie's 
Scarlet  and  Vermilion  Brilliant,  Earl  Spencer.  Melba, 
introduced  by  Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co.  and  raised 
by  Mr.  Malcolm  of  Duns ;  Rosabelle,  usually 
regarded  by  experts  as  a  greatly-improved  Margaret 
Willis  ;  May  Campbell,  which  greatly  resembles 
in  colour  a  favourite  Nasturtium  ;  Marie  Corelli, 
Elfrida  Pearson,  Evelyn  Hcmus,  Paradise  Ivory, 
Mrs.  C.  W.  Breadmore,  John  Ingman,  Elsie  Herbert, 
Mrs.  Hugh  Dickson,  Thomas  Stevenson,  Clematis, 
Gustave  Hamel,  Nubian,  Mrs.  Routzahn  Spencer, 
Dorothy  Eckford,  Florence  Nightinga'e,  Helen 
Pierce  and  Asta  Ohn. 

Lord  Rosebery  has  asserted  that  to  him  the 
Sweet  Pea  is  more  fascinating  than  the  Orchid. 
Its  beauty  and  fragrance  can  at  least  be  more 
intensely  appreciated  under  widely  different  atmo- 
spheric conditions.  David  R.  Williamson. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

THE     HARDY     BROOMS. 

A  I.TH()r(rH  the  name  of  Broom  is  more 
f\  ( losely    associated    with    Cytisus    sco- 

/  %  parius,  the  common  Broom  of  our 
/  %  commons  and  hillsides,  than  with 
*  *■     other    species,     it     has     been     pretty 

generally  adopted  for  all  the  kinds  of 
Cytisus  and  Genista,  and  the  Brooms  are  looked 
upon  as  a  very  important  group  of  late  spring 
and  early  summer  flowering  shrubs.  That  they 
are  popular  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  when  it  is 
considered  that  they  are  easily  raised,  quickly 
attain  flowering  size,  flower  freely  every  year 
and  give  comparatively  little  trouble. 

Propagation. — This  may  be  effected  in  any  one 
of  three  ways.  Those  kinds  which  come  true  from 
seeds — and  this  may  be  said  to  refer  to  all  the 
species — are  best  raised  from  seeds.  But  there  are 
certain  hybrids  and  varieties  which  have  to  be 
raised  in  other  ways,  and  in  such  cases  cuttings  or 
grafts  are  used.  As  a  rule,  cuttings  3  inches  to 
4  inches  long  are  made  from  young  shoots,  with 
a  shght  heel  of  old  wood,  during  July  or  August, 
and  are  inserted  in  sandy  soil  in  a  close  but  cold 
frame,  artificial  heat  being  detrimental.  After 
being  firmly  inserted  they  are  well  watered  and 
kept  close  and  shaded  from  sun  for  several  months, 
giving  water  when  necessary.  Growth  commences 
with  the  lengthening  days  in  spring,  when  air  is 
admitted,  the  rooted  cuttings  being  removed  in 
.\pril.  When  grafting  is  resorted  to,  the  work  is 
usually  performed  indoors  in  spring.  As  a  rule, 
the  common  Laburnum  is  selected  as  the  stock, 
and  either  young  plants  or  sections  of  root  are 
used.  The  scions  may  be  made  of  either  one  year 
or  two   year  old  wood,   but  in  either  case  it  must 


230 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[May  10,  1913. 


be  woody,  that  which  is  of  a  pithy  character 
being  unsatisfactory.  The  side  graft  will  answer 
in  many  cases,  but  it  is  often  necessary  to  use  a 
wedge  graft  on  account  of  the  difference  in  size 
between  stock  and  scion.  When  grafted,  the 
plants  are  placed  in  a  warm  and  close  frame  until 
the  union  is  effected,  when  they  are  gradually 
hardened  off  and  removed  to  the  open  air.  Kinds 
like  andreanus  and  praecox  are  increased  by 
cuttings  or  grafts. 

Pruning. — During  the   first   two   or  three   years 
it   is   necessary   to   keep   the   plants   well   pruned, 
otherwise   they   will   grow   rapidly   in   height    and 
become     bare     at     the     bottom.     By     repeatedly 
cutting  the  young  shoots  back,  a  good  foundation 
is  laid,   and  pruning  in  later  life  is  reduced  to  a 
little  shortening  of  the  growths  after 
flowering.   Brooms  as  a  whole  object 
to  being  pruned  into  old  wood,  and 
a  plant  which  is  cut  back  into  wood 
which  is  three  or  four  years  old  never 
breaks  freely.    The  purple-flowered 
Broom,   Cytisus  purpureus,   differs 
from  other  kinds  by  requiring   to 
have  the  old  shoots  cut  clean  away 
each     year,    lor    it    renews    itself 
annually  by  young  growths,  which 
spring  from  the  rootstock.    Another 
kind,    Cytisus     nigricans,     and      a 
Genista,    G.    elatior.     also    require 
different  treatment,  for  they  flower 
during  late  summer  from  the  current 
year's  wood  ;    therefore  they  must 
be    pruned    during  winter  or   early 
spring. 

Planting.  —  A  few  words  are 
necessary  regarding  planting,  for 
although  the  Brooms  thrive  in 
almost  any  soil  of  a  loamy  character, 
from  sand  and  gravel  to  fairly  stiff 
clay,  they  must  be  placed  in  perma- 
nent places  while  quite  small,  for  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  transplant 
well-grown  examples  with  any 
degree  of  success.  As  a  rule,  the  root 
system  is  ridiculously  small  in  com- 
parison to  the  branch  system  ; 
therefore  large  plants  fail  to  obtain 
their  proper  supply  of  food  when 
the  roots  arc  disturbed. 

The  Best  Kinds. — Cytisus  scopa- 
rius,  the  common  Broom,  naturally 
suggests  itself  as  one  of  the  most 
useful,  for  it  grows  in  the  poorest 
soil  and  creates  a  glorious  effect 
when  covered  with  its  golden  flowers, 
whether  growing  on  poor  ballast  on 
railway  banks,  in  stony  groimd  on 
moors  and  commons,  on  mountain- 
sides, or  in  gardens.  Its  variety 
andreanus,  wliich  is  recognised  by  the  two  brown 
petals  borne  by  each  flower,  is  a  great  favourite  ; 
while  the  Moonlight  Broom,  a  variety  with  cream- 
coloured  flowers,  is  also  very  attractive.  The 
white-flowered  Portuguese  Broom  is  also  a  popular 
plant,  its  small  white  flowers  appearing  with  the 
greatest  freedom  during  May.  C.  DaUimorei  is 
a  hybrid  between  the  last  named  and  C.  andreanus. 
Growing  as  tall  as  either,  it  is  intermediate  in 
character  between  the  two,  but  it  has  showy 
purplisli  l)lossoms  and  is  quite  distinct  from  any 
other  Broom,  .\nother  hybrid  is  noticed  in  the 
early-flowering  C.  prajcox,  which  grows  5  feet  to 
6  feet  liigh  and  flowers  magnificently.  Its  only 
drawback  is  that  its  cream-coloured  flowers  have 


a  disagreeable  odour.  C.  purgans  is  a  dwarfer 
plant  than  those  previously  mentioned.  Growing 
about  three  feet  high,  it  is  of  upright  habit  and 
produces  golden  flowers.  The  Eastern  European 
C.  biflorus  is  one  of  the  earliest  kinds  to  flower, 
and  is  often  opening  its  blossoms  in  April.  It 
grows  from  2  feet  to  3  feet  high,  and  usually  bears 
its  flowers  in  pairs  from  axillary  buds.  C.  capitatus 
differs  from  other  kinds  by  producing  its  yellow 
flowers  in  rather  dense  heads  from  the  points  of 
the  branches.  C.  purpureus  is  a  charming  kind 
which  is  very  different  in  appearance  from  the  other 
Brooms.  Of  dwarf  habit,  it  scarcely  attains  a 
height  of  li  feet,  forming  slender,  arching  branches 
which  bear  a  profusion  of  pretty,  purplish  flowers. 
A  close  relation  of  the  last  named  is  found  in  the 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PIiATB     1471 


1 

D 


THE 


PREMl 
MR. 


GREEN-EDGED     AURICULA,     WM.     SMITH,     SHOWN 
DOUGLAS  AT  THE  LONDON  SHOW  LAST  WEEK. 


hybrid  C.  versicolor,  which  also  has  purplish 
flowers.  C.  Ardoini  introduces  quite  another 
group,  for  it  is  a  very  dwarf  grower,  suitable  for 
the  rockery.  Its  flowers  are  golden.  Several 
natural  hybrids  have  been  obtained  from  it,  two 
of  the  best  being  the  golden-flowered  Beanii,  and 
kewensis,  which  has  cream-coloured  flowers. 
Other  dwarf  Brooms  of  considerable  beauty  are 
C.  decumbens,  C.  leucanthus.  Genista  pilosa, 
G.  sagittalis  and  G.  dalmatica.  The  Spanish 
Gorse,  Genista  hispanica,  is  another  excellent 
plant.  Growing  about  two  feet  high,  it  forms 
excellent  cushion-like  plants,  which  towards  the 
end  of  May  are  globes  of  gold.  G.  cinerea,  G. 
virgata  and  G.  .■Ethnensis  are  tall-growing  kinds.     D. 


THREE    GOOD    PERPETUAL  FLOWER- 
ING   CARNATIONS. 

URING    the    last    decade  the  Perpetual 
or  winter  flowering  Carnations  have 
undergone  a  truly  wonderful  change, 
and  one  that  has  made  for  all-round 
improvement.     At    the    time    when 
these     Carnations     first     began     to 
attract  general  attention  in  this  country,  there  were 
not   a  large  number  of  varieties,   and  these  were 
mostly    of    American    origin.     Weak,    attenuated 
stems  and  thin,  colourless  flowers,   with  none  too 
robust    constitution,    characterised  the   Perpetual- 
flowering  Carnations  of  those  days  ; 
but,      thanks    to    the     efforts    of 
raisers  in  this  and  other  countries, 
all      these      defects      have      been 
remedied.     A  few  years  ago,  when 
Britannia   was    attracting   a   good 
deal  of  attention,  we  must  confess 
that     we     feared      that     precious 
attribute,  fragrance,  was  in  danger 
of    being      "  improved "     out     of 
existence,    if    we   may   use    such  a 
phrase  ;  but  after  a  few  rather  more 
than  gentle  warnings,  raisers  saw  the 
folly  of  their  ways,  and  have,  during 
the  last  three  or  four  years,  given 
fragrance  its  rightful  place. 

The  three  varieties  shown  in 
the  accompanying  coloured  plate 
were  raised  by  Messrs.  Allwood 
Brothers  at  their  Wivelsfield  nur- 
series, Hayward's  Heath,  to  whom 
wp  are  indebted  for  the  flowers  from 
which  the  coloured  plate  was 
prepared.  All  three  are  excellent 
varieties,  but  perhaps  Mary  Allwood 
is  the  doyen  of  the  trio.  It  has 
gained  92  points  out  of  a  possible 
100  from  the  floral  committee  of 
the  Perpetual  Flowering  Carna- 
tion Society,  the  highest  number 
yet  awarded  from  that  source  to 
any  variety.  It  is  good  in  shape, 
fragrant  and  particularly  free- 
flowering.  Need  we  say  more  ? 
Wivelsfield  Wonder,  the  striped 
flower,  will  probably  not  appeal  to 
everyone,  but  we  must  confess 
to  a  partiality  for  it.  The  flowers 
are  well  poised  on  long,  stout 
stems,  and  are  really  first-class  for 
decorative  purposes.  But  its 
delicious  fragrance  appeals  to  us 
more  than  that  of  any  other  variety 
we  know.  We  must  have  Wivelsfield 
Wonder,  if  only  for  its  scent,  It  is  a  seedling  from  the 
famous  old  variety  Mrs.  Bradt ,  which  was,  we  believe, 
one  of  the  parents  of  Enchantress,  and  which  has 
played  an  important  part  in  the  genealogy  of  most 
of  our  best  Perpetual-flowering  Carnations. 

Wivelsfield  White  is  a  white  seedling  variety  that  is 
as  yet  in  its  infancy.  We  have  seen  and  admired  it 
on  a  number  of  occasions,  and  we  believe  that  those 
salesmen  in  Covent  Garden  Market  wlio  have  seen  it 
think  very  highly  of  this  variety  for  decorative  pur- 
poses. It  is  a  pure,  glistening  white  ;  the  flowers  are 
very  full,  deliciously  fragrant  and.  we  believe,  more 
productive  than  any  other  white  variety.  If  it  lives 
up  to  its  present  reputation,  this  Carnation  should 
have  a  particularly  brilliant  future  in  store. 


Supplement  to   THE  GARDEN,  May  lol/i,   1913. 


// 


THREE  GOOD  PERPETUAL 
FLOWERING   CARNATIONS— 

Wivelsfield  White. 

Striped  :    Wivelsfield  Wonder. 

Red  :    Mary  All  wood. 


W 


,,^t^- 


Hudson  &  Keartis,  Ltd..  Printers.   London.  SE. 


May  10,  1913.; 


THE    GARDEN. 


231 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


SEASONABLE      NOTES     ON      CHRY- 
SANTHEMUMS. 

THE  Chrysanthemum  grower  and  en- 
thusiast has  much  to  do  during  the 
month  of  May,  as  the  plants,  no  matter 
in  what  stage  they  are  in,  should  be 
growing  freely,  and  the  best  advice  I 
can  give  just  now  is  to  allow  the  plants 
all  the  Ught  and  air  possible  if  still  in  the  frame, 
with  perhaps  this  exception — the  late-rooted  plants 
that  are  intended  for  growing  in  small  pots.  These 
probably  have  hardly  got  over  their  first  potting, 
and  must  be  very  carefully  coaxed  along  for  a 
little  while  ;  and  though  they  may  have  the  benefit 
of  the  lights. over  them  during  the  day  to  prevent 
them  flagging  too  much,  their  removal  in  the  after- 
noon and  evening  will  do  much  to  help  the  plants 
to  attain  that  hardiness  that  is  necessary  for  them 
to  stand  (without  flagging)  the 
hill  sunlight.  Early  in  the  month, 
riTtainly  during  the  second  week, 
all  established  plants,  whether  fur 
large  flowers  or  decorative  pur- 
poses, should  be  removed  to  the 
open  air,  giving  each  sufficient 
space  to  develop  its  leaves  pro- 
perly. A  somewhat  sheltered, 
though  open  position  is  the  best 
for  the  plants,  and  some  pro- 
vision should  be  made  to  spread 
tiffany  over  them  in  the  event 
of  late  frosts  occurring.  It  may 
alsn  be  advisable,  in  the  e\'ent 
cif  strong  winds,  to  run  a  length 
uf  tiffany  on  the  windward  side 
of  them,  for  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  foliage  for  the 
first  few  days  after  their  removal 
from  the  frame  is  very  brittle, 
and  strong  winds,  if  not  broken 
somewhat,  do  a  great  deal  of 
damage. 

Staking  is  also  necessary,  and 
I  make  a  practice  of  putting  a 
::-feet  or  3-feet  stake  to  ?ach 
plant  (according  to  the  varieties) 
as  they  are  stood  out  ;  this  carries 
them  nicely  till  they  are  potted 
and  placed  in  their  position  for  the 
summer. 

Green    Fly    at     this     season    is 
sometimes      troublesome,      but       a 
weekly  run  through  the  plants  with 
the  Tobacco  duster  will  keep  this  pest   in   check. 
I  am  apt  to  think  this  is  preferable  to,  and  quite 
as  effective  as,  spraying  the  plants  with  an  insecti- 
cide, as  the  slightest  overdose  will  bum  the  young 
growing  points,  and  any  injury  to  the  foliage  now, 
either  by  fly  or  insecticide,  will  spoU  the  look  of 
the  plants  for  the  whole  season. 

Stopping. — There  are  a  few  of  the  exhibition 
varieties  that,  if  left  to  break  naturally,  would 
produce  their  blooms  somewhat  late.  Such  varie- 
ties should  be  stopped  at  once,  and  these  include 
the  whole  of  the  Jameson  family,  Fred  Green, 
Fred  Chandler,  Miss  Boycs,  Bob  Pulling,  Mrs. 
H.  J.  Jones,  Mrs.  W.  T.  Smith,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Pullmg, 
.Miss  May  Fox,  J.  Surry,  Mrs.  A.  K.  I'sher,  Joan 
Stratton,  Miss  Rodwell,  C.  J.  Bieii,  W.  H.  Head, 
Mrs.  Henshaw  and  Mrs.  H.  D.  Thornton.  Towards 
the  end  of  the  month  the  following  varieties,  if 
they   have    not    alreadv    made    a    natural    break, 


should  have  their  points  pinched  out  :  Hon.  Mrs. 
Lopes,  Captain  Mitford,  Colonel  Converse,  Queen 
Mary, Mrs.  Gilbert  Drabble.  Frances  Rowe,  Miss  A.  E. 
Roope,  Lady  Frances  Ryder.  Frank  Payne,  Master 
Rex,  M.  Paolo  Radaelli  and  Mme.  G.  Rivol. 

Potting. — About  the  third  week  in  the  month 
some  of  the  earliest-rooted  exhibition  varieties 
should  be  in  a  forward  enough  condition  to  warrant 
them  being  given  their  final  shift.  Needless  to  say, 
a  well-prepared  compost  should  be  employed,  not 
necessarily  rich  in  manure,  but  of  a  good  holding 
nature  that  the  plants  will  make  plenty  of  roots 
in.  Firm  potting  is  essential,  and  well-drained 
pots  ensure  them  going  through  the  season  without 
becoming  water-logged.  Plenty  of  space  should 
be  left  at  the  top  of  the  pots  to  allow  of  two  or 
three  surface-dressings  later  in  the  season.  After 
potting,  the  plants  make  root  more  quickly  if  stood 
closely  together  for  a  time,  and  if  the  weather  is 
warm  and  dry,  frequent  syringings  overhead  will 
help  them  to  get  over  the  shift  quickly.     Watering 


that  can  be  obtained  if  they  are  well  looked  after. 
Plant  firmly  and  ^take  at  once,  making  the  soil 
quite  fine  round  the  plants,  so  that  there  is  no 
harbour  for  slugs.  If  the  weather  is  ver\'  dry,  give 
one  good  watering,  after  which  in  a  normal  season 
very  little  water  will  be  required  till  bloom- buds 
appear,  when  they  may  be  assisted  with  a  little 
natural  or  artificial  manure. 

Surrey.  Thomas  Stevenson. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

A  RARE  AND  BEAUTIFUL  PRIMROSE. 

(Primula    Reidii.1 

a  LTHOUGH    this    Himalayan     Primula   has 

/%  been  known  for  a  considerable  number 

/    %        of    years,  it     is    still     an    uncommon 

^""^k       plant  in  our  gardens.     This  is  perhaps 

due  in  some  measure  to  its  requirements 

under    cultivation     in      our     changeable     clim.itic 


^^Sli..^ 


rRl.MUI..\    REinU,    \    RARE    .\Xn    BE.\UTIFUL    PRIMROSE    WITH    WHITE    FLOWERS. 


in  must  not  be  delayed  too  long,  or  the  ball  of 
soil  will  become  very  dry,  when  several  waterings 
will  be  needed  to  soak  it  thoroughly  through  again. 
March  or  April  struck  plants,  as  soon  as  nicely 
rooted  in  the  3-inch  pots,  should  be  potted  on 
into  tinch  or  4i-inch  pots,  keeping  the  lights  on 
them  for  a  few  days  till  they  become  established, 
when  they  should  be  removed  to  the  open  air  and 
treated  in  the  same  way  as  the  earlier-rooted  plants. 
Early-Flowering    Chrysanthemums.— Whether 

intended  as  cut  flowers  or  for  the  embellishment 
of  the  garden,  these  should  be  planted  out  during 
the  early  part  of  the  month.  Richly-manured 
soil  is  not  necessary,  but  ground  that  has  been 
well  worked  is  quite  essential  for  success.  For 
cutting  purposes  the  plants  should  be  arranged 
in  beds  uf  three  or  four  rows  wide,  and  if  planted 
in  this  manner  they  may  easily  be  covered  in  the 
autumn.     It   is   astonishing   the   quality  of  bloom 


conditions  being  imperfectly  understood.  To  those 
possessing  a  cool  greenhouse  or  frame,  little 
difficulty  should  be  experienced  in  growing  this 
species  well. 

It  is  most  satisfactory  to  raise  this  plant  from 

;  seed.     This   should   be   sown   during   February  or 

!  March  in   a  seed-pan  and  kept   under  moist  con- 

'  ditions  in  a  temperature  of  from  50°  to  55°,  water- 

I  ing  when  necessary  by  standing  the  seed-pan   in 

a  saucer  of  water.     Germination  soon  takes  place, 

but  the  young  seedlings  should  be  left   until  the 

',  first  true  leaves  are  formed.     They  may  then   be 

pricked  out  carefully  in  a  fine  compost  such  as  is 

generally  used  for  this  purpose,  keeping  them  under 

the  same  conditions  of  temperature  and  moisture 

as  that  used  for  germination,  taking  care  to  shade 

from  the  strong  sunlight  until  they  are  established. 

Treated  in  this  manner  the  plants  produce  a  strong 

autumn  growth,  and  sturdy  specimens  are  obtained 


232 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  10.  1913. 


before  winter.  About  October  they  may  be  placed 
in  a  cold  frame  and  kept  fairly  dry  at  the  roots 
until  March,  when  they  may  be  removed  to  warmer 
quarters  ii  required  early  and  given  a  more  liberal 
supply  of  water,  and  the  greater  percentage  will 
be  found  to  produce  their  attractive  white  flowers 
with  the  growth  .  of  the  leaves.  If  tried  upon 
the  rockery,  every  means  possible  should  be  used 
to  retard  growth  until  this  is  safe  from  late  frosts, 
and  a  sheet  of  glass  or  some  such  covering  used  to 
throw  off  excessive  moisture.  This  'Species  is 
really  perennial,  and  may  be  propagated  by  divid- 
ing the  young  shoots  that  sometimes  spring  from 
the  sides  of  the  plant  ;  but  raising  by  seed  is  prefer- 
able, ind  gives  better  results.  The  illustration 
shows  one  of  the  two  pans  exhibited  at  the  Primula 
Conference  held  at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Hall  on  April  16,  and  portrays  the. beauty  of  this 
species  when  well  grown.  R.  L.  Harrow. 

Royal  Botanic  Gardens,  Edinburgh. 


PLANTS     FOR    A    STREAM    GARDEN- 

Not     every    garden      can     boast     natural     means 
wherein      to      cultivate      water-side      plants,      and 


actual  water-level,  for  although  numerous  plants 
revel  with  their  roots  in  wet  soil,  yet  they 
enjoy  somewhat  drier  conditions  around  the 
crowns. 

On  heavy  soils,  and  without  large  trees  in  the 
vicinity  to  send  their  roots  into  it,  well-puddled 
clay  offers  a  cheap  and  inexpensive  material  for 
holding  water.  It  requires  to  be  thoroughly 
worked  into  a  plastic  condition  before  laying  down, 
and,  to  ensure  the  work  being  thoroughly  done, 
only  a  small  quantity  should  be  treated  at  a  time, 
while  all  completed  parts  must  be  kept  damp 
until  water  is  turned  on.  A  thickness  of  6  inches 
to  9  inches  is  generally  employed.  Cement  concrete 
is  also  much  in  request  for  lining  water  areas, 
and  is  best  laid  down  in  two  coats  ;  but  before 
doing  so  all  moved  ground  must  be  rammed  abso- 
lutely firm,  otherwise  shrinkage  will  inevitably 
follow,  and  may  possibly  ruin  the  work.  The 
first  layer  is  formed  of  rough  ballast  and  cement, 
used  in  the  proportion  of  three  of  the  former  to 
one  of  the  latter,  and  is  well  beaten  together  while 
it  is  green.  The  second  coat  is  applied  when  this 
is  partlv  firm  but  not  fully  set,  so  that  both  may 


I. A    WELL-TRAINED    PEAR    TREE    IN    THE    ROYAL    G.\RDENS,    WINDSOR. 


elaborate  facilities  are  a  luxury  for  the  few. 
Happily,  tlie  pleasure  associated  with  water 
gardening  may  be  enjoyed  with  the  aid  of 
quite  simple  means  on  a  small  scale,  and  the 
success  obtained  with  the  latter  is  often  very 
great,  A  pretty  effect  is  given  to  the  water  garden 
when  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  stream  garden, 
the  water  being  given  an  irregular  course  and  for 
the  greater  part  of  its  length  confined  to  a  narrow 
channel,  with  one  or  more  wider  parts  introduced 
in  the  form  of  pools,  in  which  Nymphaas  and  other 
choice  aquatics  can  be  grown.  While  the  narrow 
channel  and  pools  will  form  the  actual  area  showing 
water  and  be  lined  with  some  impervious  material, 
the  sides  of  these,  if  shelved  some  nine  inches 
below  ground-level  and  lined  with  similar  material 
and  filled  with  soil,  will  make  congenial  positions 
for  growing  moisture-loving  and  bog  plants.  The 
soil  in  these  beds  should  come  quite  9  inches  above 


unite  together.  Fine  washed  sand  tjiree  parts 
and  Portland  cement  one  part,  well  mixed  and 
laid  over  a  3-inch  coat  of  the  rough  material,  will 
generally  prove  sufficiently  strong  for  any  water 
scheme  on  a  moderate  scale,  and  if  the  face  is 
well  worked  as  this  coat  is  laid,  a  perfectly 
impervious  lining  will  result.  When  all  is 
thoroughly  firm  and  hard,  the  bog-beds  are 
filled  with  a  compost  of  two  parts  fibrous  loam 
to  ofte  part  of  peat  and  leaf-soil  mixed,  and  if 
this  is  made  moderately  firm,  planting  may  take 
place  at  once. 

April  and  May  are  the  two  best  months  of  the 
year  for  moving  water  and  bog  plants,  as  growth 
is  then  becoming  active,  and  with  all  the  summer 
in  front  of  them  they  become  established  and 
often  give  a  good  display  the  first  year.  Of  effec- 
tive bog  plants  that  succeed  close  to  the  margin 
of  the  water,  Caltha  palustris  flore  plena  is  showy 


and  reliable.  Mimulus  Brilliant  spreads  out  into 
great  masses  of  coppery  red  flowers.  Primulas 
rosea,  japonica,  pulverulenta,  cockburniana,  Sie- 
boldii,  sikkimensis  and  buUeyana  are  invaluable 
for  this  position,  and  present  a  bright  display 
from  April  till  the  end  ot  July.  Ranunculus 
aconitifolius  plena  and  acris  flore  plena  are  bright 
subjects  for  an  early  display.  Trollius  in  lemon, 
yellow  and  orange  follow  later.  Dwarf  Astilbes 
like  Silver  Sheaf,  chinensis  and  Queen  Alexandra 
are  conspicuous  objects  in  the  water  garden,  where 
the  moist  conditions  bring  out  all  their  latent 
beauty. 

Of  the  Iris  family,  all  the  selected  forms 
of  Iris  sibiricaa  re  good  ;  so,  too,  are  the  hybrid 
forms  of  Monspur  and  the  giants  Iris  aurea  and 
gigantea ;  both  flower  in  July.  I.  Kaempferi 
presents  most  gorgeous  colours  and  the  greatest 
variety,  and  therefore  calls  for  liberal  representa- 
tion. Rodgersias  podophylla,  pinnata  and  tabu- 
laris  are  reliable  bog  plants  of  moderate  growth. 
Any  of  the  Arendsii  hybrid  Astilbes  give  an  eflec- 
tive  display,  and  the  species  Davidii,  grandis 
and  rivularis  develop  masses  of  their  showy  spikes. 
This  also  applies  to  Spiraia, 
of  which  palmata  and 
venusta  are  excellent 
among  the  dwarfer  kinds, 
and  kamschatica  (gigantea) 
and  A  r  u  n  c  u  s  the  best 
of  the  tall  growers. 
Senecios,  being  strong  sub- 
jects, demand  much  space. 
Artemisia  lactiflora  flowers 
late,  and  on  this  account 
is  welcome.  Varieties  of 
Phlox  decussata,  Michael- 
mas Daisies  and  Solidagos 
are  never  finer  than 
when  informally  grouped 
under  the  conditions  of  a 
bog. 

The  light  and  graceful 
habit  of  ornamental 
drasses,  when  suitably 
placed,  augment  the  beauty 
of  the  flowering  plants.  In 
this  connection  the  elegance 
of  Bamboos  must  not  be 
overlooked,  as  they  are 
inimitable  as  backgrounds 
in  small  gardens,  and  in 
larger  areas  they  may 
figure  prominently  in  the 
foreground  close  above  the 
water's  edge.  Other  effec- 
tive Grasses  are  Arundo  macrophylla  glauca, 
Cyperus  longus,  Scirpus  zebrinus,  Glyceria  spec- 
tabilis  variegata,  Carex  pendula  and  riparia 
variegata,  and  Miscanthus  zebrinus.  Some  of 
these  are  aggressive  in  character,  and  all  are 
best  given  positions  where  they  cannot  overrun 
choicer  things.  Small  ledges  at  the  sides  of  the 
basins  or  a  few  loose  stones  along  the  margin  placed 
in  the  water,  with  a  quantity  cf  soil  to  start  them, 
is  the  best  way  I  have  found  to  attain  this  end. 
In  the  drier  part  of  the  bog  Liliums  pardalinum 
and  snperbum,  with  Cypripedium  spectabile  and 
some  Osmundas,  Onoclea  and  Struthiopteris 
among  them,  will  present  a  charming  feature, 
to  which  Trilliums  and  Dodecatheons  may  be 
added  as  a  ground  carpet.  There  are,  of  course, 
many  other  good  and  suitable  plants,  but  the  above 
will  suffice  for  a  start.  Thomas  Smith. 

Coomb(  Courl  Gardens,  Kingston  Hill.  Surrey. 


May  10,  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


233 


TRAINED     FRUIT    TREES    AT     FLOWERING    TIME. 


J  HEX  fruit   trees    are   in  flower  it 
is  an  anxious  time  for  the  fruit- 


%    /  %    /         grower.      An       abundance       of 
^/      ^u  blossom     may     be     a     hopeful 

'         "  sign  ;     but,   alas,    how   often   a 

good  promise  has  been  followed 
by  a  paucity  of  fruit  !  The  havoc  that  may  be 
wrought  tlirough  frost  in  a  single  night  is  only  too 
well  known.  Judging  by  recent  observations, 
however,  the  Apple-sucker,  or  Psylla,  is  responsible 
for  much  injury  to  Apple  blossom,  while  a  great 
deal  of  damage  usually  attributed  to  frost  is  due 
to  a  bacillus,  so  far  imperfectly  understood,  which 
causes  the  flowers  to  blacken  and  fall  off.  So  far 
as  the  Apple-sucker,  or  Psylla,  is  concerned,  we 
refer  readers  to  The  Garden  for  March  8,  con- 
taining the  life-history  of  the  pest,  together  with 
numerous  illustrations.  The  .-Vpple-sucker  is  a 
tiny  creature  which  attacks  the  flowers  as  they 
begin  to  e.xpand,  and  the  dead  flower-trusses  will 
hang  on  the  spurs  for  a  long  time.  This  pest  has 
been  kept  in  check  by  spraying  with  a  mixture 
of  quicklime  and  salt  when  the  trees  are  dormant, 
followed  by  a  decoction  of  Tobacco  at  the  time  of 
the  bursting  of  the  buds.  Green  fly  and  the  cater- 
pillars of  bcjth  the  winter  moth  and  the  Codlin 
moth  are  likely  to  prove  troublesome,  but  these 
may  be  kept  in  check  by  spraying  with  a  solution 
of  arsenate  of  lead  (2lb.  to  fifty  gallons  of  water) 
soon  after  the  petals  fall.  Arsenate  of  lead 
has  been  foimd  of  greater  value  than  Paris 
green,  and  the  latter  is  being  discarded  in 
favour  of  the  former  by  many  of  our  large  fruit- 
growers. 

At  one  time  fruit  trees  were  trained  with  greater 
care  than  they  are  to-day.  Gardeners  of  the  old 
school  took  the  keenest  pride  in  this  work  ;  but  now 
it  is  only  in  well-ordered  gardens  that  one  finds 
trees  trained  in  the  same  skilful  manner  as  they 
were  a  few  decades  ago.  In  a  great  measure 
this  is  due  to  nurserymen,  who  are  an.vious 
to    make    saleable     trees    in     too    short    a   space 


of  time,  whereby  the 
foundation  of 
the  trees  is  seriously 
impaired. 

The  three  accom- 
panying illustrations 
depict  well-trained 
fruit  trees  in  the 
Royal  Gardens, 
Windsor.  In  each 
case  it  will  be  noted 
the  tree  is  full  of 
fruiting  wood,  and 
the  trusses  of  bloom 
are  seen  from  the 
base  to  the  top  of 
each  trained  branch. 
This  point  is  well 
portrayed  in  illus- 
tration No.  2,  show- 
ing a  shapely  tree 
of  Pear  Winter  Nelis 
in  full  bloom.  Here 
there  is  as  much 
bloom  in  the  centre 
of  the  tree  near 
to  the  main  stem  as 
there  is  on  any  other 
part  of  the  tree. 
Now,  it  is  cnly  trees 
well  trained  in  early 
life  that  give  such 
satisfactory-  results. 

Trained  trees 
require  constant  care 
and    attention    at   all 

times,  and  at  the  present  season  there  is  much 
to  attend  to.  Should  a  leading  shoot  be  making 
luxuriant  growth  at  the  expense  of  another,  it 
is  advisable  to  slightly  bend  it  down,  for  this  will 
have  the  effect  of  checking  the  growth.  If,  on 
the  other  hand,  a  shoot  is  weak,  it  may  be  trained 


^.-THE    METH011    OF    TRAINING    A    FRUIT    TREE    OVER    A    WIRE    TRELLIS. 


PEAR    WINTER    NELIS    WITH    A    FINE    SHOW    OF    BLOOM. 


up  for  the  time  being,  and,  having  made  satisfac- 
tory growth,  it  may  be  brought  to  its  correct 
position.  Young  growths,  particularly  on  Peaches 
and  Nectarines,  require  thinning  and  regulating, 
the  remaining  growths  being  tied  and  nailed  up 
in  position.  Very  shortly  the  thinning  of  stone 
fruits  may  be  carried  out,  so  as  to 
secure  an  even  distribution.  In 
doing  this  it  is  advisable  to  first 
of  all  remove  imperfect  .and  badly- 
placed  fruits,  but  it  is  not  wise  to 
hasten  the  work  of  thinning  until  one 
IS  sure  of  the  fruits  that  are  set. 
With  trained  Pear  trees  it  is  cus- 
tomary in  some  gardens  to  wash 
them  well  down  with  a  hose  or 
garden  engine  when  the  fruits  are 
set,  and  the  practice  has  much  to 
commend  it,  for  it  is  a  good  method 
of  removing  imperfectly-set  fruits. 

Fig.  I  on  the  page  opposite  depicts 
a  remarkably  well-trained  tree  fur- 
nished throughout  With  fruiting  spurs. 
The  wire  trellis  over  which  fruit  trees 
arc  trained  (see  fig.  3),  is  one  of  the 
features  of  the  famous  Windsor 
gardens.  A  low  trellis,  clothed  mainly 
with  Pears,  runs  either  side  of  the 
central  walk  in  the  kitchen  garden. 
It  is  a  feature  that  might  well  be 
adopted  in  other  gardens.  In  regard 
to  wall-trained  trees,  it  is  well  to  bear 
in  mind  that  the  walls  keep  off  a  great 
deal  of  water,  and  the  trees  are  often 
dry  at  the  roots,  even  after  heavy  rains. 


234 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  10,  1913, 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Early-Flowering  Chrysanthemums. — No  time 

should  now  be  lost  in  getting  those  planted,  whether 
they  are  intended  for  beautifying  the  garden  or 
for  cut  fiowers.  It  is  not  necessary  to  plant  in  richly- 
manured  ground,  but  there  should  be  sufficient 
nourishment  in  the  soil  to  maintain  a  steady  growth 
throughout  the  summer,  giving  a  little  further 
nourishment  just  prior  to  the  flowering  period. 

Planting  in  Borders. — The  plants  make  a  good 
display  in  the  borders  when  planted  in  fairly  large 
clumps  of  from  three  to  ten  plants  ;  but  such  large 
clumps  can  only  be  utilised  when  the  borders  are 
wide,  and  consideration  should  be  given  in  selecting 
the  colours  to  harmonise  or  contrast  with  the 
other  occupants.  For  cutting  purposes  they 
should  be  planted  in  beds  about  six  feet  wide, 
where  they  can  be  easily  looked  after  during  the 
summer  and  covered,  if  necessary,  during  the 
blooming  period,  allowing  from  18  inches  to  2  feet 
between  the  plants,  according  to  the  variety. 

Summer-Bedding  Plants. — Should  the  weather 
be  favourable,  some  of  the  more  hardy  plants, 
such  as  Ivy-leaved  Pelargoniums,  Marguerites, 
or  even  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  properly  hardened, 
may  be  removed  from  the  frames  to  a  sheltered 
position  out  of  doors,  though  it  may  be  necessary 
to  have  light  tiffany  at  hand  in  case  of  late  frosts. 
This  gradual  hardening  off  will  make  room  for  the 
more  tender  occupants  of  the  houses  and  frames, 
many  of  which  it  may  be  unsafe  to  remove  to  the 
open  air  till  the  end  of  the  month.  Zonal  Pelar- 
goniums and  Fuchsias  that  have  filled  their  pots 
with  roots  should  not  be  neglected  in  the  matter 
of  manure,  and,  when  handling,  a  pinch  of  Clay's 
Fertilizer  should  be  given  to  each  of  them,  thus 
keeping  them  in  good  condition  till  planting-time. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Roses. — Climbing  Roses  in  pots  should  be  well 
looked  after  in  the  way  of  water  and  manure. 
Precautions  must  also  be  taken  to  keep  them  free 
from  fly  by  fumigation  or  spraying.  At  this  season 
full  sunlight  is  not  necessary,  and  a  little  shading 
should  We  given  to  keep  the  temperature  down 
and  to  prevent  loss  of  colour  in  the  blooms. 

Hybrid  Perpetuals  and  Hybrid  Teas  from  which 
the  blooms  have  been  cut  may  safely  be  removed  to 
the  open  air.  Many  of  the  plants  will,  no  doubt,  have 
made  a  fair  quantity  of  secondary  growth,  and  if 
the  plants  are  carefully  looked  after,  this  will 
provide  a  certain  amount  of  bloom  before  the 
outdoor  Roses  come  on  to  flower. 

Gloxinias  coming  into  flower  should  be  afforded 
a  slightly  lower  temperature  than  when  growing, 
also  a  less  moist  house  would  be  advantageous. 
Seedling  plants  must  be  kept  growing  and  potted 
on  as  they  require  it,  though  4j-inch  pots  should 
be  large  enough  to  flower  them  in  the  first  season. 

Tuberous  Begonias  started  early  in  March 
should  now  be  fit  for  transferring  to  their  flowering 
pots,  a  rich,  open  compost  made  fairly  firm  in  the 
pots  suiting  them  well.  A  certain  amount  of 
humidity  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  house  and  a 
little  shade  are  two  points  that  must  be  observed 
to  attain  good  results  with  these  plants. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Peas. — Many  ciif  the  niidseason  Peas  will  now 
be  fit  for  staking,  and  in  the  event  of  a  wet  season 
the  height  of  the  stakes  should  not  be  stinted. 
Slope  the  top  of  the  stakes  slightly  outwards, 
thus  avoiding  the  trouble  of  the  haulm  growing 
through  and  hanging  down,  which  is  often  the 
case  when  the  tops  of  the  stakes  meet. 

Late  Peas. — In  some  soils  it  is  advisable  to  sow 
late  Peas  on  the  top  of  well-prepared  trenches,  the 
extra  manure  and  deep  working  tending  to  tide  them 
over  a  very  dry  spell.  In  this  district  Autocrat  is 
by  far  the  best  late  Pea,  and,  being  very  robust  in 
habit,  the  plants  should  be  thinned  to  about  four 
'  inches  apart  when  about  two  inches  high. 

Broad  Beans  planted  out  of  pots  are  sometimes 
apt  to  be  blown  or  topple  over  when  the  pods 
commence  to  swell,  so  it  is  advisable  to  stake  or 
run  a  string  from  end  to  end  of  the  rows  to  keep 
the  plants  upright.  The  early  batch  should  be 
topped  as  soon  as  sufficient  pods  are  set  to  form  a 
crop,  and  a  dressing  of  artificial  manure  will 
greatly  help  them  in  this  stage. 


Seedling  Onions,  Carrots,  Beet,  Turnips  and 
Brassicas  should  be  systematically  sooted  to 
ward  ofi  slugs  and  attacks  of  fly,  and  as  soon  as 
they  are  nicely  through  the  soil  the  hoe  should 
be  run  between  them,  repeating  this  operation 
as  often  as  may  be  necessary  to  keep  the  soil  from 
becoming  beaten  dowTi  or  clogged,  as  in  this 
condition  seedlings  are  very  slow  in  making  growth. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Thinning  Grapes. — The  matter  of  thinning  in 
successional  houses  must  be  proceeded  with,  as  a  few 
days'  neglect  may  mean  that  the  berries  will  become 
tight,  and  the  thinning  operation  is  much  more 
difficult  and  the  berries  likely  to  be  injured  by 
thrusting  the  scissors  between  them. 

Midseason  and  Late  Grapes  naturally  need 
rather  more  thinning  than  the  earlier  varieties, 
and  round-berried  varieties  more  than  oval  ones. 
Alicantes  and  any  other  varieties  with  heavy 
shoulders  should  be  carefully  tied  up  before  thin- 
ning, and  I  would  again  remind  readers  that 
then  the  berries  on  the  shoulders  may  be  left  rather 
more  closely  than  the  rest  of  the  bunch,  so  that  as 
the  berries  swell  they  are  just  thick  enough  to 
keep  the  top  berries  in  position,  and  so  improve 
not  only  the  shape  but  the  weight  of  the  bunch. 

Tomatoes.  —  Early  batches  are  fast  swelling 
their  fruit,  and  if  the  plants  happen  to  be  in  9-inch 
pots,  the  point  of  the  shoot  should  be  pinched  out 
after  they  have  set  about  five  good  trusses,  this 
being  quite  sufficient  for  a  pot  of  this  size,  unless 
the  roots  can  get  into  the  soil  or  turves  which 
may  be  placed  beneath  the  pots.  Such  a  stopping 
naturally  increases  the  weight  of  the  trusses  as 
well  as  inducing  early  ripening,  which  is  very 
essential  for  the  earliest  crops. 

Successional  Batches  must  be  got  into  their 
fruiting  quarters  as  they  become  fit.  If  planted  in 
borders  in  the  houses,  too  great  a  root-run  is  not 
necessary,  as  it  often  induces  too  free  growth. 
A  few  inches  of  soil,  with  top-dressings  as  the 
plants  make  growth,  is  the  best  system  to  adopt. 
Keep  the  plants  fairly  dry  till  the  first  trusses  of 
bloom  begin  to  open,  when  they  may  have  rather 
more  liberal  treatment. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wobiini  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Calceolarias. — if  the  weather  is  good  and  the 
ground  clear,  Calceolarias  may  now  be  planted 
with  safety,  although  it  might  be  well  to  delay 
dealing  with  C.  amplexicaulis  for  ten  days  or  so. 

East  Lothian  Stocks. — These  showy  annuals 
may  now  be  planted  out  if  the  weather  is  favour- 
able. See  that  the  ground  has  a  good  tilth  and 
lift  the  plants  carefully  with  a  trowel,  with  which 
they  should  be  planted  in  preference  to  a  dibber. 
Having  few  fibrous  roots.  Stocks  should  be  watered 
immediately  after  being  planted.  It  is  a  good 
plan  to  push  a  twig  of  Yew  or  Thuya  up  the 
spout  of  the  watering-pot  to  break  the  force  of  the 
flow,  and  then  water  without  a  rose. 

Sowing  Biennials. — Some  people  prefer  to  sow 
Wallflowers  and  other  biennials  in  June ;  but  if 
one  desires  to  have  strong  plants  either  for 
autumn  or  spring  planting,  I  would  recommend 
sowing  at  the  present  time.  Among  Wallflowers, 
Vulcan  for  a  red  and  Golden  Monarch  for  a  yellow 
are  unexcelled,  while  Eastern  Queen,  Ruby  Gem  and 
Primrose  Dame  are  excellent  in  their  way.  Among 
Forget-me-nots,  Royal  Blue  and  Myosotis  alpestris 
Victoria  are  hard  to  beat.  In  selecting  Sweet 
Williams  for  massing,  selfs  are  the  best.  Sutton's 
Pink  Beauty  and  Sutton's  Scarlet,  with  a  good 
crimson,  will  satisfy  most  tastes.  Other  biennials 
to  be  recommended  are  Canterbury  Bells,  Car- 
nation Grenadin,  and  Anchusas  italica  Dropmore 
variety  and  Opal.  It  is  too  early  to  sow  Holly- 
hocks yet. 

The  Reserve  Garden. 

Preparatory  Work. — See  that  the  ground  is  in 
a  fit  condition  for  the  reception  of  the  various 
subjects  to  be  planted  during  the  next  few  weeks. 
Where  Primulas  and  Polyanthuses  are  to  be 
planted  for  the  summer,  a  fair  amount  of  humus 
will  be  necessary,  either  in  the  form  of  well-rotted 
manure  or  half-decayeil  Ii-mvhs. 


Planting  Bulbs. — Good  varieties  of  Narcissus 
and  Tulip  that  have  done  duty  as  spring  bedders 
should  be  run  into  nursery  lines  rather  thickly, 
to  be  lifted  and  dried  for  future  use  when  the 
foliage  has  died  down. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Half-Hardy  Plants.— The  bulk  of  our  bona- 
ftde  alpine  plants  bloom  in  spring  or  early  summer, 
leaving  the  rock  garden  rather  grey  and  uninterest- 
ing during  the  late  summer  and  autumn  months. 
This  can  be  remedied  if  a  pocket  here  and  there 
is  left  vacant  for  suitable  summer-flowering  sub- 
jects, and  these  may  either  be  annuals  or  half- 
hardy  perennials.  Among  suitable  annuals  I 
would  suggest  the  following  :  Abronia  umbellata, 
Acrocliniums,  Alyssum  minimum,  Limnanthes 
Douglasii,  Linaria  in  variety,  Matthiola  bicornis, 
Nemesia  in  variety  and  many  others.  Among 
perennials  might  be  mentioned  Cupheas,  Fuchsia 
procumbens,  Altemantheras,  Echeverias  in  variety 
and  Lobelias. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Zonal  Pelargoniums. — Sprmg-struck  stock  for 
autumn  flowering  should  now  be  removed  to  a 
cold  frame  and  be  gradually  hardened  off.  Older 
plants  for  summer  display  should  be  pinched  for 
the  last  time. 

Seedling  Francoas. — Where  a  batch  is  being 
raised  from  seed,  the  plants  will  now  be  ready  for 
potting  up  into  3-inch  pots,  after  which  they  should 
be  removed  to  a  cold  frame. 

Rehmannia  angulata  Pink  Beauty. — This  useful 

conservatory  plant  will  now  require  staking,  for 
although  severely  pinched,  as  it  ought  to  be,  it 
grows  fairly  tall.  Only  slender  stakes,  such  as 
Bamboo  tips,  should,  however,  be  used  to  support 
its  slender  stems. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Stopping  Vines. — This  work  must  have  close 
attention,  both  for  the  conservation  of  energy 
and  the  admission  of  sufficient  light.  Sublaterals 
should  not  be  allowed  to  develop  beyond  one  joint. 

Aerial  Roots  of  Vines. — These  may  be  induced 
from  various  causes — too  hard  forcing,  excess  of 
moisture,  or  insufficient  ventilation.  Their  appear- 
ance should  be  a  warning  to  revise  the  general 
regime.  Where  the  foliage  is  being  maintained 
in  a  leathery  condition,  aerial  roots  will  not  give 
much  trouble. 

Melons. — Plants  swelling  their  fruits  should 
have  abundance  of  water  at  the  roots,  with  occa- 
sional doses  of  liquid  manure.  A  mulching  of 
old  Mushroom  manure  will  prove  highly  beneficial. 
Attend  closely  to  pollination  where  required. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Loganberries. — Attention  must  be  given  to 
tying  in  the  young  shoots  at  an  early  stage,  as 
they  are  easily  damaged.  The  same  remark 
applies  to  Raspberries,  especially  where  they  are 
trained  to  a  trellis. 

Hoeing. — The  Dutch  hoe  should  be  kept  going 
freely,  for  by  doing  so  one  aerates  the  soil  and 
keeps  down  weeds  by  one  effort. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Broccoli. — It  will  be  a  great  advantage  if  the 
young  plants  are  pricked  out  about  three  inches 
apart,  instead  of  leaving  them  in  the  seed-bed 
to  become  drawn  and  weakly.  As  soon  as  the 
present  season's  crop  is  cut,  the  ground  should  be 
cleared,  manured  and  dug  finely  to  be  ready  for  a 
summer  crop.  Leeks  or  late  Peas  form  a  good 
succession  to  Broccoli. 

Earthing-Up  Potatoes. — Prior  to  commencing 
this  operation  the  ground  should  be  forked  over 
between  the  drills,  as  the  Potato  enjoys  a  free  root- 
run.  Earthing-up  should  be  done  twice,  drawing 
up  a  little  earth  when  the  stems  are  about  six 
inches  high,  and  completing  the  operation  a 
fortnight  later. 

Broad  Beans. — These  should  be  earthed-up 
when  about  a  foot  high.  It  is  sometimes  asked, 
"  What  is  the  utility  of  this  earthing-up  ?  "  and 
I  reply,  "  It  steadies  the  plants  and  raises  the 
temperature  of  the  soil."  A  late  planting  may 
yet  be  put  in,  but  no  time  must  be  lost. 

Thinning    Turnips. — Early    crops    should    be 

thinned  out  first  to  about  two  inches  apart,  every 
alternate  plant  to  be  thinned  out  a  fortnight  later. 
When  pulling  commences,  thin  out  again  to  allow 
the  remainder  to  swell  out. 

Charles  Comkort. 
Hrooml'teld  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains.  Midloikian. 


May  10,  1913. 


THE    GAllDEN. 


235 


NEW    AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Primula         La  Lorraine.— A  hybrid  said  tu 

liave  originated  from  the  crossing  of  P.  Veitchii 
and  P.  cortusoides  amtena,  the  new-comer  being 
intermediate  between  the  parents.  P.  Veitchii, 
itself  of  the  cortusoides  set,  appears  in  the  hybrid 
to  have  influenced  leaf-growth  and  woolliness 
with  compactness  of  flowering,  the  other  parent 
having  given  of  its  colour  and  size  of  blossom 
individually.  The  flowers  are  rose-coloured,  almost 
Rose  du  Barri  shade.  Only  a  small  plant  was 
e.xhibited,  and  though  remarkable  for  freedom 
oi  flowering,  will  doubtless  presently  reveal  a 
fuller  development.  It  is  of  Continental  origin. 
Shown  by  Mr.  M.  Prichard,  Christchurch, 
Hants. 

iCthionema    armenum    Warley    Hybrid.— In 

efieit  this  pretty  alpine  sub-shrub  is  that  of  a  rosy 
red  flowered,  compact-growing  coridifolium  (Iberis 
jucunda)  rather  than  that  of  the  species  to  which 
it  is  here  referred.  In  any  case,  it  is  a  delightful 
plant  of  about  six  inches  high,  the  flowers  arranged 
in  close,  terminal,  rounded  racemes.  From  Miss 
Willmott.  Warley  Place. 

Rose  Erna  Teschendorff. — .\  crimson-flowered 
Polyantha  Rose  after  the  style  of  Jessie,  but  of  a 
deeper  crimson  than  that  variety.  Great  things 
are  said  of  it,  though  British  gardeners  at  least 
would  have  preferred  a  more  easily  pronounce- 
able name.  This  pretty  Rose  has  repeatediv 
been  shown  this  year  by  Mr.  George  Prince, 
Longworth.  It  was  presented  on  this  occasion  by 
Mr.  Profittlich,  Twickenham. 

Wallflower  Primrose  Monarch.— This  has  pale 

yellow  flowers  of  large  size.  The  habit  is  dwarf 
and  compact.  Unfortunately,  the  true  Wallflower 
fragrance  is  quite  lacking  in  the  plant.  From 
.Mr.  Moss,  Kelvedoii,  Essex. 

Narcissus  Venetia.— A  delightful  triandrus 
hybrid  of  singular  purity  and  grace.  Many  of  the 
scapes  were  two-flowered,  the  new-comer  showing 
a  plant  of  considerable  vigour.  Individually  the 
flowers  were  about  three  and  a-half  inches  across. 
From  Mr.  W.  B.  Crantield,  Enfield. 

Narcissus  Evangeline.— .\  Leedsii  variety  which 
has  come  in  for  honours  rather  late  in  the  day. 
Notwithstanding,  it  is  a  good  and  desirable  sort, 
holding  its  own  in  any  collection,  and  cheap 
withal.  It  is  a  somewhat  rounded,  shapely  flower, 
3  inches  across,  and  of  ivory  white  colour.  From 
Mr.  H.  N.  PhUlips,  Olton. 

All  the  above  were  shown  before  the  floral 
committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  on 
the  29th  ult.,  when  the  awards  were  made. 


THE    FRUIT    GARDEN. 


THE     EDITOR'S    TABLE. 

Star-Flowered  Cinerarias.- From  Messrs.  Jar- 
man  and  Co.,  seed-growers  and  nurserymen  of 
Chard,  Somersetshire,  we  have  received  a  great 
variety  of  the  Star-flowered  Cinerarias.  The 
flowers  have  quilled  and  in  some  cases  curiously 
twisted  ray  florets,  and  are  popularly  known  as 
Cactus  Cinerarias.  A  very  fine  range  of  colour, 
including  clear  blues  and  soft  pinks,  was  included, 
and  Messrs.  Jarman,  who  grow  the  plants  exten- 
sively for  seed,  inform  us  that  the  strain  is  perfectly 
fixed.  For  greenhouse  and  conservatory  decora- 
tion in  early  spring  this  race  of  Cineraria  stellata 
is  sure  to  be  widely  growTi  when  better  known. 


SEASONABLE     NOTES     ON     FRUIT. 

Caterpillars  on  Gooseberries.— It  is  of  para- 
mount importance  that  amateurs  shall  maintain 
the  keenest  watch  on  their  Gooseberries,  or  the 
probabilities  are  that  they  will  wake  up  to  find 
the  plants  so  terribly  infested  with  caterpillars 
that  the  most  drastic  steps  will  have  to  be  taken 
to  ensure  their  complete  extirpation.  These 
enemies  are  rapid  and  industrious  workers,  and 
while  it  is  acknowledged  that  the  Gooseberry  is 
an  accommodating  plant,  with  remarkable  powers 
of  recuperation,  it  is  impossible  for  it  to  sustain 
such  an  attack  without  serious  debilitation.  There- 
fore watch,  and  the  instant  an  enemy  is  seen 
destroy  it.  There  are  preparations  advertised 
in  The  Gardes  that  will  most  admirably  answer 
the  purpose  for  which  they  are  advised,  or  reliance 
may  be  placed  on  lime  or  white  Hellebore  powder 
dressed  on  when  the  leaves  and  stems  are  damp 
after  rain  or  dew.  Repeated  applications  will 
be  required  to  keep  everything  in  order. 

Weak  Trees. — Fruit  trees  that  are  not  making 
as  much  progress  as  one  could  desire  ought  to  be 
given  special  assistance.  The  trouble  with  those 
who  are  not  experienced  in  fruit  culture  is,  as  a 
rule,  to  check  them  in  their  desire  to  feed,  with  a 
view  to  producing  a  tree  that  is  conspicuous  for 
its  handsomeness ;  but,  unfortunately,  such  a 
conditicm  spells  unfruitfulness  in  many  instances, 
and  the  grower  is  therefore  going  on  the  wrong 
track.  Where,  however,  a  tree  is  stunted,  it  may 
be  most  advantageously  assisted  to  make  wood, 
as  this  will  in  due  course  spell  more  profit  in  the 
form  of  excellent  fruit.  Nothing  strong  must  be 
given,  and  whatever  is  applied  should  be  given 
when  the  soil  is  moist  to  a  depth  of  not  less  than 
2  feet. 


manure,  because  it  might  not  become  scrupulously 
clean  before  the  crop  began  to  swell  for  ripening, 
but  with  slightly-stained  material  there  need  be 
no  fear  or  hesitation  on  that  score.  A  prehminary 
to  the  spreading  of  the  litter  is  thorough  hoeing, 
as  well  to  remove  weeds  as  to  admit  warm,  fresh 
air  to  the  roots.  .Any  weeds  that  cannot  safely 
be  removed  with  the  hoe  ought  to  be  pulled  out  by 
hand.  .An  application  of  old  soot  in  sufficient 
quantity  to  darken  the  surface  often  does  great 
good  at  this  time  of  the  year,  or,  if  it  is  deemed 
that  there  is  a  real  lack  of  readily  available  food,  one 
of  the  many  excellent  concentrated  plant  fertilisers 
specially  recommended  for  Strawberries  may  be  used 
with  decided  advantage;  but  care  must  be  e.ver- 
cised  to  guard  against  an  excess,  or  far  more  harm 
than  good  will  inevitably  follow.  ([     ]    yv. 


Raspberries. — If  abundance  of  growths  may 
be  accepted  as  indicative  of  health  and  vigour 
in  the  Raspberrj-  plantation — and  there  is  no 
reason  why  they  should  not — then  the  plants 
are  now  in  fine  condition,  and  will  yield  splendid 
crops  this  year  and  build  up  strength  to  bear 
heavily  again  next  year.  It  is,  however,  impor- 
tant that  thinning  shall  be  put  in  hand.  It  is 
early  as  compared  with  most  seasons,  perhaps, 
but  this  does  not  alter  the  fact  that  it  is  desirable 
to  put  it  in  hand.  Remove  all  growths  that  cannot 
have  permanent  value  in  the  beds,  since  the  longer 
they  remain,  the  more  food  they  will  draw  from 
the  valuable  parts  of  the  plants,  and  the  more  light 
aiid  air  they  will  obstruct  from  the  fruiting  canes. 
If  the  plants  have  not  been  mulched,  remove  all 
weeds  and  do  the  work  at  once. 

Cropping  Young  Trees. — It  is  unwise  to  crop 

a  tree  in  the  first  season  after  planting.  One 
must  acknowledge,  of  course,  that  the  temptation 
to  do  so  is  strong,  but  it  results  in  stunted  growth 
and  consequent  failure  to  build  up  a  tree  that  wdl 
bear  profitably  for  many  years.  Amateurs  should 
harden  their  hearts  and  remove  any  fruits  that  are 
seen,  in  the  certainty  that  it  will  be  to  their  ultimate 
interests  to  do  so.  .-V  fruit  tree  cannot  properly 
establish  itself  and  develop  crops  at  the  same 
time,  and  the  former  is  the  particular  object  for 
the  first  season  or  two  ;  afterwards  the  fruits  will 
come. 

Mulching  Strawberries. — It  is  necessary  that 

the  mulching  shall  be  applied  to  Strawberry  plan- 
tations as  soon  as  possible,  especially  where  stained 
straw  is  to  be  utilised.  One  would  not  advocate 
the  use  of  litter  containing  a  large  proportion   of 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

RULES   FOR   CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— 77/.^  J-:d,tor  intnifi.t  to 
make  Thk  (;.\RDKN  h,>li}fnl  U,  all  rntdent  who  desire  assist- 
(ince.  no  matter  what  the  hramh  of  ijardening  may  be.  and 
with  that  object  will  nmke  a  special  feature  of  the  "Ansiverg 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only 
and  addressed  to  the  EuiTou  of  THE  (lARDKN,  20,  Taoistock 
Street,  Cuvent  Garden.  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-imol,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  he  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  cfiaracteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Publisher. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

PRUNING  ROMNEYA  COULTERI  (H.  G.  A'.).— It  is 
immaterial  wlietiuT  you  cut  down  your  plant  of  Romneya 
Coulteri  to  the  ground  or  not.  It  will  not  be  killed 
by  cutting  it  down,  but  as  the  branches  are  quite  healthy 
there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  be  so  pruned.  As  a  rule, 
the  flowers  are  rather  smaller  from  plants  which  have' 
been  -left  unpruned  than  from  those  which  have  been 
pnmed  hard,  but  a  great  many  more  flowers  are  often 
borne  by  unpruned  specimens.  We  therefore  advise  you 
to  simply  shorten  any  weak  side  shoots  and  the  point  of 
branches  which  may  bi-  dead.  A  surface-dressing  of 
well-decayed  niauure  may  be  given  with  advantage. 

SEEDS  FOR  SHRUB  BORDER  iDolpftin).~lt  would 
have  assisted  us  in  giving  a  selection  had  you  stated  the 
width  of  the  border,  since  the  plants  suited  to  one  3  feet 
wide  would  be  a  little  out  of  place  in  one  twice  that  width. 
There  is,  however,  a  great  variety,  ranging  from  those 
of  a  few  inches  to  others  of  6  feet  or  more;  of  dwarf 
ones,  Nemophila  insignis,  Candytuft  in  colours,  Godetia, 
Linum  sanguineum,  Phacelia  campanularia,  Alyssum 
maritimum,  Dianthus  Heddewiggii,  Leptosiphou,  him- 
nanthes  Douglasii,  Schizanthus,  Love-in-a-AIist,  Alonsoa 
Warscewiczii,  Dimorphotheca  aurantiaca,  Convolvulus 
minor,  Chrysanthemum  cariuatum,  C.  coronarium  (both 
in  variety)  and  many  more.  Poppies,  too,  would  be 
showy,  and  Sweet  Sultans  would  give  colour  and  fragrance. 
The  whole  of  these  could  be  sown  in  the  open  ground, 
and  none  exceeds  2  feet  in  height  in  the  ordinary  way. 

ANEMONE  HEPATICA  (E.  F.).— It  is  doubtful  whether 
you  will  be  able  to  obtain  seeds  of  Anemone  Hepatica, 
although  one  of  the  large  firms  of  seedsmen,  such  as 
Veitch,  Webb,  Sutton,  or  Carter,  may  be  able  to  procure 
them  for  you  if  they  do  not  catalogue  them.  You  would, 
however,  do  much  better  by  obtaining  the  dried  roots- 
later  on  and  starting  with  them.  They  may  be  secured 
through  any  of  the  large  bulb-dealers.  Suitable  bulbs 
for  the  ground  beneath  your  Oak  and  Birch  trees  are 
Narcissi  in  variety,  particularly  the  varieties  Emperor, 
Empress,  Leedsii,  Poeticus  and  its  ditferent  forms,  Barri 
conspicuus  and  the  common  double  Daffodil.  You  may 
also  plant  Crocuses  of  various  kinds  and  colours,  for 
they  continue  to  spread  and  flower  well  for  many  years, 
even  where  the  grass  is  dense.  Where  the  grass  is  rather 
thin,  you  may  also  plant  Chionodoxas  and  Snowdrops. 
The  ordinary  common  Bliiebell  and  the  Spanish  Bluebell 
(Scilla  hispanica)  are  also  suitable. 

PLANTING  FLOWER-BEDS  AND  VASES  (V.  W.  B.).-^ 
We  are  pleased  to  hear  of  the  complete  success  of  the 
TiUip  arrangement  in  the  Italian  garden.  With  respect 
to  the  summer  beds,  we  think  you  have  rather  overdone 
the  Aubrietia  groeca,  and  between  this  and  the  flowering 
of  the  Lilies  in  September  there  will  be  a  big  gap.  Some 
Tufted  Pansies  would  have  yiven  a  more  profuse  flowering. 


236 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  10,  1913. 


The  suggestions  for  Beds  A  and  B  will  do  admirably. 
For  Vase  C  you  might  get  a  big  Fan  Palm  (Latania  bor- 
bonica),  and  as  colour  is  valuable  at  this  point,  bed  it 
around  with  brilliantjjcarniine  Celosias  over  a  ground- 
work .  of  ..Saxifraga  xhypnoides,  treating  the  other^vaso 
similarly.  For  Bed  D  we  think. you  had  better  apply 
to  such  Begonia  specialists  as  Messrs.  T.  S.  Ware,  Limited, 
Feltham,  or  to  Messrs.  Blackmore  and  Langdon,  Twerton 
Hill  Nursery,  Bath,  both  Arms  having  strains  of  these 
flowers  of  the  highest  excellence.  These  varieties  are 
usually  selected  to  colour  by  the  firms  named,  and  are 
graded  in  shades  throughout. 

ARRANGING  BORDER  {Regular  Reader).— The  size 
of  the  clump  is  entirely  optional,  though  in  a  border  of 
the  dimensions  you  name  it  would  be  best  to  arrange 
irregular  groups  tlu-oughout,  starting,  say,  with  2-feet- 
wide  masses  at  the  front  and  4  feet  wide  for  the  others. 
The  good  effect  at  howering-time  will,  naturally,  depend 
upon  the  informality  of  the  groups  and  the  way  the 
colours  are  blended.  In  setting  out  the  perennials, 
for  e-vample,  avoid  arranging  colours  -that  approximate 
to  each  other,  k  Since  of  necessity  the  strong  would  over- 
power the  weak,  two  Delphiniums  or  two  Phloxes  whose 
colour  shades  are  near  akin  should  be  well  separated, 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  Michaelmas  Daisies  and 
many  others.  As  the  border  is  an  important  one,  you 
ought  really  to  plant  to  a  plan  previously  arranged,  so 
that  the  colours  would  blend.  In  setting  out  the  groups, 
carefully  avoid  repetition,  whether  of  size  or  form.  The 
groups,  whether  annuals  or  perennials,  might  extend 
longitudinally  to  6  feet  or  more,  running  down  from 
a  4  feet  boldness  to  quite  a  narrow  finish.  In  this  way 
you  would  create  variety  of  form,  a  very  desirable  thing. 

TREES     AND    SHRUBS. 

MICROMELES  FOLGNERI  (./.  £.).— Micromeles  Folg- 
neri  is  an  ornamental  tree  allied  to  the  Pyruses.  It  is  a 
native  of  China,  and  was  introduced  to  this  country 
about  twelve  years  ago.  Of  elegant  habit,  it  has  pendent 
branches  which  are  clothed  with  silvery  leaves  and  bear 
Battened  heads  of  white  flowers.  The  small  fruits  ditfer 
from  those  of  Pyrus,  principally  by  having  no  calyx  lobes 
to  the  apex. 

AZALEAS  NOT  FLOWERING  (£.  D.  L.).— The  Azalea 
indica  shoots  sent  for  examination  are  too  weak  to  produce 
fiower-buds ;  moreover,  the  leaves  are  very  dirty,  being 
infested  with  tlirips.  Weak  growth  may  have  been 
caused  by  the  cold,  sunless  weather  of  last  summer,  or 
the  plants  may  not  have  been  fed  sufficiently  last  year. 
The  reason  for  the  insect  attack  is  probably  due  to  the 
plants  being  kept  in  too  dry  and  too  warm  an  atmosphere. 
You  had  better  fumigate  the  plants  with  Tobacco  or  one 
of  the  commercial  nicotine  preparations  fortnightly  for 
a  time,  or  syringe  them  with  a  nicotine  solution  now  and 
then.  Give  weak  manure-water  occasionally  while  the 
new  growth  is  being  made,  providing  the  plants  are  not 
repotted . 

LICHEN  ON  AZALEAS  (Rema). — The  moss  and  lichens 
on  your  hardy  Azaleas  can  be  destroyed  by  spraying 
the  bushes  during  the  winter  with  a  caustic  wash.  This 
may  be  made  by  taking  21b.  of  caustic  soda  (98  per  cent.), 
lialf  a  pound  of  soft  soap,  five  pints  of  paraffin  and  ten 
gallons  of  soft  water,  mixing  them  as  follows  ;  Dissolve 
the  soft  soap  in  one  gallon  of  boiling  water,  and  while 
hot  add  the  paraffin  and  sth  into  a  creamy  liquid.  Dissolve 
the  caustic  soda  in  uine  gallons  of  soft  water,  and  into  the 
solution  pour  the  paraffin  emulsion  and  stir  thorouglily. 
The  mixture  may  only  be  used  when  the  bushes  are  dor- 
mant, as  the  soda  will  burn  expanding  buds  and  leaves. 
India-rubber  or  leather  gloves  should  be  worn  while  the 
wash  is  being  applied,  and  a  calm  day  should  be  selected 
for  the  work. 


with  Violas,  but  have  one  colour  to  each  bed.  The  blues 
go  well  with  the  yellow  Roses,  white  and  cream  with  reds, 
and  so  on.  *By  drawing  your  plan  and  painting  in  it 
the  approximate  (colour  of  the  Roses,  you  could  have  a 
nice  colour-scheme  with  the  Violas. 


SOCIETIES. 


ROSE     GARDEN. 

PARAFFIN       EMULSION      FOR     SPRAYING      ROSES 

(L.  D.  C). — This  can  be  made  as  follows  ;  Dissolve  one 
quart  of  soft  soap  in  two  quarts  of  boiling  soft  water. 
Remove  from  the  Bre,  and  while  still  boiling  hot  add  one 
pint  of  paraffin  oil  and  immediately  chum  the  mixture 
witl>  a  small  hand  syringe.  In  five  minutes  a  perfect 
emulsion  will  be  obtained.  For  use  dilute  with  ten 
times  its  volume  of  water. 

ROSE  HIAWATHA  WITH  DISEASED  GROWTHS 
(0.  W.). — The  warty-like  growth  upon  the  shoots  of  some 
varieties  of  wichuraiana  Roses  is  supposed  to  be  a  fungus 
peculiar  to  the  tribe.  We  have  not  seen  any  serious 
harm  arise  from  its  presence,  and  as  the  growth  is  one 
of  the  best  upon  the  plant,  we  should  advise  you  to  rub 
off  the  warty  growth  and  paint  the  part  over  with  some 
painter's  knotting  or  liquid  grafting-wax. 

REVISING  ROSE  PLAN  (B.  6'.).— There  have  been 
many  lovely  introductions  during  the  last  seven  years, 
so  that  the  plan  so  carefully  prepared  by  our  valued 
contributor  Mr.  A.  R.  Goodwin  in  1906  will,  of  course, 
be  open  to  revision.  We  would  suggest  substituting 
Cheshunt  Scarlet,  Irish  Glory,  Camoens,  Kaisorin 
Augusta  Victoria,  Marquise  de  Salisbury,  Mme.  E. 
Boullct,  Earl  of  Warwick,  Senateur  Belle,  Mme.  Edm(Se 
Metz,  Elizabeth  liitto,  Farbenkonigin  and  Anne  Marie 
Soupert  by  the  following  in  their  same  order  :  General 
Macarthur,  Lieutenant  Chaure,  Mrs.  Allied  Tate,  Molly 
Sharman  Crawford,  President  Vignet,  Sunburst,  Mrs.  W. 
Christie  Miller,  Mrs.  Aaron  Ward,  Mme.  Segond  Weber, 
Lady  Alice  Stanley,  Chateau  de  C!os  Vougeot  and  Laurent 
Carle.  2.  The  plan  could  be  reversed  to  east  and  west. 
3.  Climbing  Roses  would  look  best  quite  on  the  outside 
of  the  plan.  A  series  of  pillars  connected  by  ropes  or  chains 
would  have  a  nice  effect.     4.    You   may  carpet  the  beds 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

CHERRY-BLOSSOM  FORCED  (A.  H.).— In  common 
with  nearly  all  hardy  fruit  trees,  the  flowers  of  the  Cherry 
can  be  biought  on  in  advance  of  the  normal  time  if  branches 
are  cut  and  put  in  water  in  a  warm  greenhotise  until  the 
bloom  is  approaching  perfection.  The  blossom  is  all  the 
more  readily  produced  if  the  cut  end  of  the  stem  is  sliced 
up  across  and  across  and  the  bark  raised  in  three  or  fom- 
strips  for  a  couple  of  inches,  or  if  the  whole  end  is  beaten 
and  crushed,  with  a  hammer  or  mallet  on  a  block.  The 
object  of  this'  is  to  expose  a  larger  amount  of  woody  fibre 
to  the  action  of  the  water.  There  is  no  need  to  add 
charcoal  if  the  water  is  changed  every  two  or  three  days. 

JAPANESE  MAPLE  (A.  Z.I.— Judging  by  the  leaves 
sent,  your  Japanese  Maple  seems  to  be  in  a  sorry  plight, 
and  we  are  doubtful  if  it  is  not  too  far  gone  to  revive  it. 
These  dwarf  trees  are  the  result  of  what  may  be  termed 
systematic  ill-treatment ;  that  is,  they  have  insufficient 
root  room  to  allow  for  their  natural  development,  and  the 
soil  used  is  poor  in  quality.  The  result  of  this  is  that  the 
plant  gradually  falls  into  a  debilitated  condition  and  is 
uuable  to  assimilate  powerful  foods.  We  should  be 
inclined  to  turn  the  plant  ciut  of  I  lie  pot  and  examine  the 
condition  of  the  roots.  It  is  inciliiible  that  all  the  soil  will 
come  awav,  in  which  case  the  plant  should  be  repotted  in 
some  good'  sweet  compost.  Then  place  it  in  a  frame  kept 
rather  close  and  shaded,  give  just  enough  water  to  keep 
the  soil  moist,  and  spray  overhead  two  or  three  times  a  day. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

DUCKWEED  IN  PONDS  (f.  0.).— It  is  improbable  that 
the  introduction  of  gold-flsh  01  carp  will  keep  your  ponds 
clear  of  Duckweed,  but  it  might  be  worth  trying.  The 
best  plan  is  to  keep  the  Duckweed  raked  out  as  much  as 
possible.  This  may  be  done  by  lining  an  ordinary  sieve 
with  coarse  canvas  and  attaching  it  to  the  end  of  a  pole,  so 
using  it  as  a  skimmer.  In  case  there  is  any  slime  on  the 
water,  treat  the  ponds  with  copper  sulphate  as  advised  to 
Mrs.  E.  Fryctt  in  our  next  week's  issue. 

APPLICATION  OF  BASIC  SLAG  (Amateur). —  Basic 
slag  is  a  valuable  manure,  as  it  supplies  lime  (which  comiter- 
acts  acidity)  and  phosphates  to  the  soil  in  a  form  which 
plants  can  use  after  a  time.  But  it  is  slowly  soluble  only, 
and  must  be  used  only  in  autumn  on  that  account.  We 
should  recommend  the  sowing  of  the  slag,  at  the  rate  of,  say, 
3oz.  to  4oz.  to  the  square  yard  of  the  surface,  just  befoie 
digging  the  soil  in  the  autumn.  It  gives  the  best  results 
on  clay  soils,  or  those  containing  a  good  deal  of  moisture. 
LIVING  FROM  THE  LAND  (O.  IF.).— You  state  your 
case  much  more  lucidly  and  satisfactorily  in  the 
last  letter.  It  is  true  that  gardeners  are  often  so 
situated  that  the  education  of  the  cliildren  is  difficult  and 
sometimes  impossible  ;  but  the  very  fact  that  there  are 
cliUdren  who  must  be  clothed  and  fed  as  well  as  educated 
must  make  one  pause  in  advising  the  step  you  propose. 
You  have  knowledge  and  practical  experience,  and  these 
tilings  spell  much.  Have  you  the  determination  to  work 
from  dawn  to  dark  for  next  to  nothing,  for  it  means  that 
until  your  crops  are  at  perfection  1  Have  you  a  wife  who 
will  be  leady — nay,  anxious — to  help  you  in  your  work 
both  before  and  after  the  household  tasks  are  commenced 
and  finished  ?  If  you  can  answer  the  question  about 
yourself  with  an  emphatic  "  Yes,"  and  that  about  your  wife 
"with  an  equaUy  emphatic  "Yes,"  go  ahead  and  you  will 
succeed.  If  you  have  even  the  slightest  doubt  on  either 
or  both  points,  rest  contented  where  you  are,  for  the  con- 
templated chance  can  only  end  in  disaster.  If  you  desire 
to  proceed,  keep  enough  cash  for  six  months,  and  bear  in 
miud  the  importance  of  fast-growing  plants  which  will 
bring  early  and  certain  revenue.  The  district  you  mention 
js  excellent. 

VARIOUS  QUESTIONS  (D.  H.  S.  .S.).— There  is  really 
very  little  dilterence  in  value  between  tarred  twine  and 
shreds  for  securing  fruit  trees  to  walls  ;  but  twine  is, 
of  the  two,  likely  to  cause  more  injury  to  the  trees,  for 
if  it  is  tied  rather  tightly  in  the  fljst  place  and  not  looked 
to  in  a  few  months'  time,  it  is  likely  to  cause  injury  by 
cutting  into  the  branches.  Narcissus  pallidus  would 
probably  grow  under  Yew  trees  in  places  where  the  shade 
is  not  very  dense.  It  is,  however,  a  matter  for  experiment. 
The  plant  does  deteriorate  in  some  gardens,  as  you  suggest, 
especially  when  planted  in  permanent  positions.  The 
common"  double  Daffodil  and  Emperor  thrive  among 
St.  John's  Wort.  -It  would  not,  however,  do  to  cut  the 
St!  John's  Wort  down  before  the  bulbs  begin  to  grow; 
rather,  plant  the  bulbs  in  clumps  and  let  them  grow 
through  the  Hypericum,  cutting  the  latter  down  about 
the  end  of  March  or  early  April.  It  is  probable  that  your 
soil  is  too  cold  and  heavy  for  Spiraea  Thunbergii.  It 
thrives  most  satisfactorily  in  a  moderately  light,  well- 
drained,  warm  loam,  and  flowers  better  after  a  warm 
than  after  a  cold  summer.  Aspect  is  not  of  great  moment. 
You  cannot  do  much  good  by  giving  your  Magnolias 
chemical  manures.  You  would  do  better  to  remove 
some  of  the  chalky  soil  from  about  the  roots  and  replace 
it  with  good,  sweet  loam  into  which  a  little  peat  and 
leaf-mould  has  been  mixed. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— TF.  T.— The  Bird  Cherry  (Piunus 

Padus). A.  S.  F.,  Lynmcmth. — Rhododendron  indicum 

amoenum. Miss  I.    V.   C,  Hants. — Amelanchier  alni- 

folia. Mrs.  H.  T.  B.,  Bromyard. — Sedum   roseum. 

./.  O.  E.,  Blairgowrie. — Pulmonaiia  officinalis. G.  D., 

Poole. — Prunus  Padus  (the  Bird  Cherry). 


NATIONAL      ROSE     SOCIETY. 

FOK  the  flrst  time  in  the  history  of  this  society  a  spring 
show  of  Roses  was  held  this  year.  The  exhibition  took 
place  on  May  1  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Hall 
at  Vincent  .Square,  and  by  a  general  consensus  of  opinion 
it  was  considered  a  great  success.  .\11  of  the  exhibits 
were  competitive,  and  competition  was  keen  in  most  of 
the  classes.  Throughout  the  afternoon  the  hall  was 
thronged  with  visitors,  all  deeply  interested  in  this  flrst 
spring  show  of  the  Queen  of  Flowers. 

Nurserymen's  Classes. 

Class  1,  for  a  group  of  pot  Roses,  comprised  the  finest 
groups  in  the  exhibition.  The  flrst  prize  and  gold  medal 
fell  to  the  lot  of  Messrs.  Paul  and  Son,  The  Old  Nurseries, 
Cheshunt,  who  arranged  a  superb  collection  of  such 
varieties  as  J.  B.  Clark,  Marquise  de  Sincty,  Cherry  Ripe, 
Mrs.  Aaron  Ward,  Mme.  Edmi^e  Metz  and  Mme.  Segond 
Weber  as  a  groundwork,  arising  from  which  were  weeping 
standards  of  Lady  Gay,  Cuckoo's  Mate  and  Minnehaha, 
with  columns  of  Dorothy  Perkins  and  Excelsa  in  the 
background.  The  second  prize  went  to  Messrs.  Hobbies. 
Limited,  Norfolk  Nurseries,  Dereham,  for  a  massive 
group  of  ramblers  and  weeping  standards,  which,  unfortu- 
nately, were  much  overcrowded.  Two  trained  speci- 
mens of  Tausendsehon,  profusely  flowered,  were  among 
the  best  things  in  the  show,  but  were  somewhat  lost 
in  this  overcrowded  group.  Mr.  A.  Turner,  Slough,  was 
third. 

In  Class  2,  for  a  group  of  pot  and  cut  Roses,  Messrs. 
A.  J.  and  C.  .\llen,  Eariham,  Norwich,  won  the  first  prize 
in  keen  competition.  The  weeping  standards  of  Excelsa, 
Dorothy  Perkins  and  White  Dorothy  were  all  that  could 
be  desired.  Second,  Messrs.  B.  R.  Cant,  Old  Rose 
tiardens,  Colchester,  whose  group  contained  the  showy 
.Austrian  Yellow  and  a  new  climbing  Rose  named  Sweet 
Pea.  Third,  Messrs.  William  Cntbush  and  Son,  Highgate, 
N.,  for  a  group  in  which  the  Polyantha  Roses  Jessie  and 
Mrs.  F.  W.  Flight  were  much  in  evidence. 

There  was  keen  competition  in  Class  3,  for  a  group  of 
cut  Roses  in  a  space  20  feet  by  3  feet,  resulting  in  equal 
firsts  and  silver  medals  for  Messrs.  G.  Mount  and  Sons, 
Limited,  Canterbury,  and  Mr.  G.  Prince,  Oxford.  Mr. 
Prince's  ramblers  were  remarkably  fine,  and  Rayon  d'Or 
and  Lady  Hillingdon  were  used  with  telling  etfect.  Messrs. 
Mount's  ramblers  were  not  good,  but  this  was  more  than 
compensated  for  by  the  superb  collection  of  Sunburst, 
Richmond,  Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens  and  Mrs.  John  Laing. 
all  shown  in  the  height  of  perfection.  The  third  prize 
was  won  by  Messrs.  Benjamin  R.  Cant,  Old  Rose  Gardens, 
Colclicster.  Silver  Moon,  a  large  white  single,  was  much 
admired  in  this  group. 

In  Class  4,  for  eighteen  standard  Roses,  twelve  varieties, 
the  flrst  prize  and'  silver-gilt  medal  were  won  by  Messrs. 
Paul  and  Son  ;   second,  Mr.  .\.  Turner,  Slough. 

Messrs.  Paul  and  Son  secured  the  first  prize  and  were 
the  only  exhibitors  for  nine  weeping  standards  in  pots. 
The  same  flrm  was  flrst  for  Dwarf  Polyantha  Roses  in 
pots  ;   second,  Mr.  A.  Turner. 

Messrs.  A.  Dickson  and  Sons,  Newtownards,  were 
awarded  the  flrst  prize  and  gold  medal  for  nine  pots  of  new 
Roses.  Two  superb  novelties  from  this  firm  received 
gold  medals,  and  will  be  found  in  the  list  of  new  Roses. 
The  same  exhibitors  were  flrst  for  twelve  blooms  of  new 
Roses. 

Cut  Blooms  in  Exhibition  Boxes. 

In  Class  8,  for  thirty-six  blooms  in  not  fewer  than 
twenty-four  varieties,  the  first-prize  eoUection  from  Messrs. 
B.  R.  Cant  aroused  the  admiration  of  all  who  saw  them. 
.\mong  the  best  blooms  were  Bessie  Brown,  Mrs.  E. 
Mawley,  Claudius,  Souv.  de  Pierre  Notting,  Suzanne 
Marie  Rodocanachi,  William  Shean  and  Coleestria.  There 
was  no  second  prize  awarded. 

.Messrs.  A.  Dickson  and  Sons  were  flrst  for  eighteen 
blooms,  followed  by  Mr.  G.  Mount. 

There  were  no  entries  in  the  class  for  twelve  blooms  of 
Marfichal  Niel. 

AM.iTEUEs'  Classes. 

For  a  group  of  pot  Roses  in  a  space  of  40  square  feet, 
the  flrst  prize  and  gold  medal  were  secured  by  Mr.  J.  Brown , 
Longfleld,  Heaton  Mersey,  Manchester,  with  a  remark- 
ably well-grown  collection,  including  Mme.  Ravary, 
Mrs.  R.  G.  S.  Crawford,  Mrs.  John  Laing  and  Richmond, 
backed  with  pot  ramblers.  The  plants  were  healthy  and 
well  flowered,  and  the  group  was  in  every  way  a  credit 
to  this  exhibitor. 

For  a  group  of  cut  Roses  4  feet  by  3  feet,  Mr.  Gordon 
Clark  of  Leatherhead  secured  the  first  place  and  a  silver- 
gilt  medal  for  a  meritorious  group,  Mr.  H.  R.  Darlington, 
Potter's  Bar,  being  a  good  second. 

Mr.  Darlington  was  first  for  six  blooms  in  not  fewer  than 
four  varieties,  with  The  Bride,  Bridesmaid,  Dean  Hole 
and  Souvenir  de  President  Carnot. 

For  si.x  blooms  of  any  one  variety,  the  first  place  was 
secured  by  Mr.  C.  S.  Gordon  Clark,  Leatherhead,  with 
a  fine  half-dozen  of  Fran  Karl  Druschki. 

"For  a  basket  of  cut  Roses,  Mr.  Conway  Jones  of 
Gloucester  was  a  capital  first ;  Mr.  J.  Brown,  Heaton 
Mersey,  second.  Mr.  Brown  was  first  in  a  similar  class 
for  any  number  of  varieties,  and  again  for  five  distinct 
varieties  in  vases. 

For  a  vase  of  cut  Roses,  open  to  ladies  only,  Miss  West, 
Wray  Park.  Reigato,  was  flrst  with  a  flnc  vase  of  Rich- 
mond. Mrs.  Courtney  Page,  Enfleld,  was  second  with 
Sunburst. 


^fe^_ 


^g^*^-^«- 


GARDEN. 


^i^&I^Sf 


No.  2165.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


May  17,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week 

CORKi:SPONUENCE 

The  Dropmorc  Aii- 
chusa  as  a  pot  plant 

Wallflowers  without 
fragrance    . . 

Davidia  involucrata 

flowering  at  Kew 

Prizes  for  the  Best 

KocK  Gardens    . . 

Forthcoming  events.. 

TREES  AND  ShRCPS 

The  upkeep  of  gar- 
den hedges. . 

liilEENHOUSE 

(t  rowing  Cyclamen 
from  old  corms  . . 

Annuals  for  gieen- 
house  decoration 
KosE  Garden 

Some  diseases  of  the 
Rose 

N'ew  Rose  Mrs.  Forde 

Treatment  of  Roses 
with  unripened 
wood 


237 

239 
239 
239 

239 
239 


240 
240 


241 
242 


Flower  Garden 

Daffodil  notes        . .     242 
Spring      flowers     at 

Wisley         ..      ..     243 
Border      Carnations 

in  New  Zealand. .     244 
Some    good    border 

Thalictrums       .  .     244 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
How  to  increase  her- 
baceous    Phloxes 
from  cuttings     .  .     245 
How  to  grow  Vege- 
table Marrows    . .     245 

Oakdenino  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      24fi 

For    Northeni    gar- 
dens      246 

Spraying   Trials  at 

Wisley 247 

PosD     Weeds     and 

copper  Sulphate.  .     248 
Kitchen  Garden 
Seasonable  notes  ou 
vegetables  . .      . .     243 


IKiXi  U  ST  RATION  B. 

A  Pear  tree  in  Cumberland  which,  though  blown  over, 

continues  to  flower  aud  bear  fruit 238 

The  premier  alpinf^  Auricula  Phyllis  Douglas  . .  240 

Rose  leaf  and  leaflet  attacked  by  **  rast  "  disease    . .  241 

A  badly  cankered  Rose  stem        241 

Rose  leaf  attacked  by  black  spot  241 

Rose  Mrs.  Forde       242 

A  beautiful  water-side  grouping  of  Polyanthuses.    .  .  243 

A  superb  bloom  of  border  Carnation  Bookham  White  244 

How  to  increase  herbaceous  Phloxes  from  cuttings  .  .  245 

Spraying  trials  at  Wisley       247 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  arid  notes, 
bid  he  udll  not  be  Tesponsihle  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  vrill  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  tJte  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  unll  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  mil  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  tatcen  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  GARDEN  will  alone 
he  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Oficet :  20,  Taristook  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


Our    Special     Chelsea    Show     Number. — In 

response  to  the  request  of  numerous  readers,  who 
much  appreciated  our  Chelsea  Show  Number  last 
year,  we  shall  next  week  publish  a  Special  Double 
Number  containing  an  illustrated  review  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Spring  Show  to  be 
opened  at  Chelsea  on  May  20.  This  issue  will  be 
twice  the  ordinary  size,  and,  in  addition  to  the 
report  of  the  show,  will  contain  a  number  of  other 
special  features  and  a  coloured  plate  of  the  new 
Rose  Danae.  The  price  of  this  double  number 
will  be  twopence.  As  there  is  certain  to  be  a  large 
demand,  we  advise  those  who  require  extra  copies 
to  place  their  orders  well  in  advance. 

Silver-Leaf  on  Portugal  Laurel. — Numerous 
specimens  of  Peaches,  Plums  and  Nectarines 
attacked  by  silver-leat  have  been  sent  us  for  inspec- 
tion from  various  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom. 
Not  uncommonly  this  disease  makes  its  presence 
felt  on  the  Portugal  Laurel,  and  without  doubt  this 
is  a  common  seat  of  infection.  Where  silver- 
leaf  is  present  in  Portugal  Laurels,  all  infected 
branches  should  be  cut  clean  out  and  burnt  without 
delay. 

An  Interesting   Annual  Campanula. — As  the 

number  of  annual  Campanulas  is  somewhat 
limited,  such  an  interesting  one  as  C.  macrostyla 
should  receive  more  attention  than  it  does,  and 
one  wonders  why  it  is  so  little  grown.  The  duU 
purple  flowers,  with  their  curiously-veined  markings 
and  prominent  styles,  make  them  very  attractive. 
It  is  quite  hardy,  and  the  seeds,  which  can  be 
purchased  qtiite  cheaply,  should  be  sown  now 
where  the  plants  are  intended  to  flower. 

Fruit  Prospects  for  1913.— Judging  by  the 
monthly  agricultural  report  just  published  by  the 
Board  of  Agriculture,  the  prospects  for  fruit  this 
year  are  good.  Blossom  nearly  everywhere  has 
been  abimdant,  and  in  most  localities  severe  frost 
has  not  been  experienced.  In  those  districts  where 
frost  did  occur  about  the  middle  of  April,  it  does 
not  appear  to  have  done  any  considerable  damage. 
From  observations  that  we  have  made  in  the 
Eastern  Counties,  Plums  have  set  well,  notwith- 
standing the  biting  east  winds  that  were  experi- 
enced when  the  trees  were  flowering. 

The  Southern  Heath. — .\  native  of  Spain  and 
Portugal,  the  Southern  Heath,  Erica  australis,  is 
a  delightful  spring-flowering  shrub.  It  is  one  of 
the  taller-growing  species,  the  bushes  ranging 
from  3  feet  to  6  feet  high,  with  rich  rosy  red 
flowers,  brighter  than  those  of  the  Mediterranean 
Heath,  from  which  it  also  differs  in  being  looser 
in  habit.  As  it  is  not  perfectly  hardy,  choose  a 
sheltered  spot  for  the  plants,  and  protect  them 
during  severe  weather  with  Bracken  or  similar 
light  material.  When  only  one  or  two  plants  are 
grr.wn,  a  good  position  for  them  is  the  base  of  a 
warm  south  or  south-west  wall.  E.  australis  has 
stood  unharmed  now  for  several  winters  in  a  large 


sheltered  bed  near  the  Broad  Walk  at  Kew. 
During  April  and  early  -May  the  flowers  are  best. 

Dwarl  Brooms  for  the   Rock  Garden.— Few 

plants  are  more  attractive  at  the  present  time 
with  their  wealth  of  blossom  than  the  dwarf 
Brooms,  such  as  Cytisus  Ardoinii,  C.  Beanii  and 
C.  kewensis,  all  of  which  are  excellent  plants  for 
the  rockery,  and  it  space  permits  them  to  ramble 
about  over  the  stones,  they  present  a  charming 
effect.  But  if  the  rock  garden  is  small,  the  space 
for  them  is  limited,  so  that  as  soon  as  they  have 
done  blooming  the  wood  that  has  flowered  should 
be  cut  back  to  within  an  inch  or  so  of  the  previous 
year's  growth,  particularly  the  last  two  named, 
as  they  are  of  a  more  rambling  nature  than  C. 
Ardoinii.  This  pruning  will  not  in  any  way 
prevent   them  from   blooming  the   following  year. 

A  New  Spraying  Mixture. — On  May  6,  Professor 
Maxwell-Lefroy  of  the  Royal  College  of  Science 
and  Messrs.  Merryweather  conducted  an  extensive 
experiment  in  Richmond  Park  for  the  purpose 
of  demonstrating  the  value  of  lead  chromate  as  a 
substitute  for  Paris  green  for  killing  various  leaf- 
eating  caterpillars.  The  trees  selected  for  the 
experiment  are  situated  within  a  short  distance  of 
Ham  Gate,  and  from  what  is  known  as  Ham  Cross 
Plantation.  The  group  contains  some  370  trees, 
which  are  about  eighty-eight  years  old  and  about 
forty-flve  feet  high.  Last  year  they  were  defohated 
by  caterpillars,  and  caterpillars  have  appeared 
again  this  year.  Five  kinds  are  at  present  feeding, 
two  of  the  most  destructive  being  Tortrix  viridana 
and  Cheimitobia  brumat-i.  The  mixtture  used 
consisted  of  50  per  cent,  lead  chromate,  25  per 
cent,  sort  soap,  2  per  cent,  gelatine  and  the  balance 
water.  One  pound  of  this  was  then  mixed  with 
thirty  gallons  of  water  and  applied  by  one  of 
Messrs.  Merryweather's  petrol  spraymg-machines. 
Professor  Maxwell-Lefroy  has  used  this  insecticide 
in  India  with  considerable  success,  and  says  that 
it  is  as  great  as  a  deterrent  as  a  poison. 

Orchids  in  Ants*  Nests. — As  to  the  reason 
why  certain  Orchids  find  a  congenial  home  in  ants' 
nests,  a  note  in  the  May  issue  of  the  "Orchid  Review" 
by  "  Rodway  "  in  the  case  of  Oncidium  altissLmum 
is  suggestive.  After  giving  a  graphic  accoimt 
of  an  experience  in  obtaining  this  plant,  he  remarks  ; 
"  On  the  fork  of  a  tree  the  Orchid  had  found  a 
congenial  habitat,  where  it  grew  and  flourished 
for  years,  developing  a  great  mass  of  roots  to  be 
occupied  by  the  immense  horde  of  ants,  who, 
in  return  for  house  accommodation,  undertook  to 
keep  off  the  enemies  of  the  Orchid,  of  which  the 
cockroach  was  one  of  the  most  inveterate. 
Is  not  this  one  of  the  reasons  why  the  ants  are  so 
ready  to  take  up  their  abode  among  the  Orchid 
roots  ?  Where  its  food  was  to  be  found  the  cock- 
roach would  certainly  come,  and  the  ant  as  certainly 
find  its  prey."  The  benefit  may  be  mutual,  and 
the  roots  of  the  Orchid  may  provide  a  suitable 
nesting-place  for  the  ants,  as  is  certainly  the  case 
with  Schomburgkia  and  Diacrium, 


238 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  17,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The   Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


A  Crippled  Pear  Tree. — This  fine  old  tree  IS 
this  your  a  mass  of  bloom,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
several  years  ago  it  was  blown  down.  I  believe 
it  usually  crops  very  well.  It  is  in  a  fi*;Id  under 
the  shelter  of  a  fell  on  Lord  Muncaster's  property 
in  Cumberland. — Mary  C.  Fair. 

Calceolaria  Clibranll.  —  Extensive  use  is 
made  of  this  beautiful  Calceolaria  in  the 
greenhouse  at  Kew,  where  it  is  just  now  greatly 
admired.  In  one  part  of  the  structure  a  semi- 
circular group  arranged  on  the  floor  consists  of 
plants  from  3  feet  to  4  feet  in  height  and  as  much 
through,  while  in  another  part  a  number  of  smaller 
examples  testify  to  its  value  when  grown  in  this 
way.  A  notable  feature  of  this  Calceolaria  is  its 
graceful  habit  and  soft  yellow  colour. — H.  P. 

Tulips  Growing  in  Grass. — The  foilowmg  note 
may  be  of  service  to  Mr.  Jacob,  and  at  the  same  time 


Garden  Clubs. — Pleasant  it  is  to  see  by  my 
friend  the  Rev.  Joseph  Jacob's  recent  article 
in  The  Garden,  "  An  Amateur  Country  Garden 
Club,"  page  x.,  issue  April  5,  that  our  two 
countries  are  awakening  almost  simultaneously 
to  the  benefits  and  delights  sure  to  follow  such 
special  organisings  of  amateurs  as  these.  Such  a 
club  on  this  side  of  the  water  was  started  twelve 
years  ago  by  a  group  of  women  deeply  interested 
in  gardening  in  the  suburbs  of  Philadelphia, 
suburbs,  without  doubt,  the  most  beautiful  in  this 
coimtry,  and  often  given  the  high  compliment 
of  the  phrase  "  English-looking "  !  For  some 
years  this  garden  club  went  its  way  alone.  Lately, 
however,  in  the  great  gardening  fever  sweeping 
over  this  land,  numbers  of  other  garden  clubs 
have  arisen  in  various  places  with  memberships 
of  women,  sometimes  of  men  and  women,  ranging 
in  numbers  from  a  very  little  garden  club  in  New 
Jersey,  who  whimsically  call  themselves  "  The 
Nine  of  Spades,"  to  a  great  Connecticut  garden 
club  of  200.  It  is  impossible  to  over-estimate 
the  good  that  these  clubs  may  do  in   the  highest 


A     PEAR      TREE      IN      CUMBERLAND     WHICH,     THOUGH      BLOWN      OVER,     CONTINUES      TO 

FLOWER    AND    BEAR    FRUIT. 


of  some  interest  to  readers  of  The  Garden  in 
general.  A  batch  of  Tulipa  sylvestris  was  planted 
here  (Ken  View,  Highgata)  in  grass  under  an  Oak 
tree  about  nine  or  ten  years  ago.  The  first  three  or 
four  years  the  plants  did  very  well,  but  latterly  they 
have  dwindled  in  vigour  and  fioriferousness,  until 
this  year  only  four  flowers  put  in  an  appearance, 
two  of  these  being  rather  small.  It  is  ordy  fair  to 
add  that  no  help  or  encouragement  has  been  given 
the  bulbs  since  they  were  planted.  They  have 
not  been  touched  in  any  way.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  the  drip  from  the  tree  whenever  rain  fell  and 
the  exclusion  of  the  sim  by  the  dense  foliage  have 
militated  tremendously  against  their  success. 
In  fact,  I  think  they  can  be  said  to  have  made  a 
brave  fight  to  hold  their  own  by  yielding  four 
scapes  this  time  ;  for  it  has  been  impossible  for  them 
to  have  had  any  ripening  worth  speaking  about 
under  a  tree,  added  to  which  have  been  the 
continual  splashings  from  all  rains.  Grown  in 
grass  in  the  open  I  can  believe  this  variety  would 
succeed   quite   well. — C.  Turner. 


interests  of  gardening  in  .America,  for  the  clubs 
are  made  up  of  people  of  intelligence  and  taste, 
people  who  read,  who  travel ;  discriminating  and 
serious  amateurs.  The  Garden  Club  of  Philadelphia 
has  sent  out  invitations  to  each  of  the  sixteen 
clubs  of  America  to  a  meeting  for  considering 
the  afl^liation  of  all  the  garden  clubs  into  a 
national  one,  the  object  of  this  plan  being  the 
exchange  of  plans  for  yearly  programmes  of  meet- 
ings, papers,  speakers  and,  above  all,  for  the  vital 
thing  of  which  Mr.  Jacob  speaks — the  openiag  of 
gardens  of  members  ot  one  club  to  those  of  all 
other  clubs.  In  my  experience  of  the  meetings 
of  the  Garden  Club  of  Michigan,  the  one  of  sixty 
members  with  which  I  happen  to  be  associated, 
each  meeting  seems  more  delightful  than  the  ones 
past.  Enthusiasm  runs  high,  and  is  applied,  not 
wasted.  If  any  of  your  readers  care  to  see  our 
by-laws,  I  will  send  them  with  pleasure. — (Mrs.) 
Francis  King,  Orchard  HoziSf,  Alma.  Michigan. 

How    to    Grow   Saxifraga   burseriana. — I    am 

very  much  interested  in  the  keen  correspondence 


elicited  by  "  Alpinist's  "  questions  as  to  S.  burseri- 
ana, and  especially  to  see  that  my  experience  of 
the  plant  in  Nature  seems  to  be  generally  borne 
out  in  the  diverse  conditions  of  culture.  The 
essential  danger,  in  hot,  dry  situations,  is  that 
of  uncongenial  frizzling,  whereas  with  perfect 
drainage,  good  soil  and  underground  watering, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  the  plant  should  prove  safe 
in  even  the  most  extreme  development  of  the 
"  open  situation "  that  is  recommended.  I  am 
particularly  glad  to  find  that  Mr.  Homibrook 
endorses  my  opinion  and  takes  up  my  case.  All 
who  have  seen  his  garden  well  know  the  value 
of  his  horticultural  work  and  advice,  and  experience 
of  a  plant  at  home  (such  as  increasing  years  are 
bringing  me)  does  certainly  give  great  guiding- 
lines  along  which  to  go  in  culture,  so  long  as  those 
lines  are  not  followed  in  any  minute,  slavish,  or 
pettifogging  spirit  of  mere  imitation.  I  wish 
"  Alpinist "  could  see  the  tiny  burserianas  on 
my  cliff,  which  never  gets  any  sun  at  all.  Single 
rosette  cuttings  of  Magna  and  Gloria,  tucked  into 
crevices  two  seasons  since,  have  now  from  six  to 
eight  rosettes  apiece,  each  one  of  which  can  faith- 
fully be  counted  on  to  emit  a  flower. — Reginald 
Farrer. 

Mr.  Farrer's  notes  on  Saxifraga  burseriana 

in  The  Garden  for  April  26,  page  202,  will  be  read 
with  interest  by  every  cultivator  of  this  fine  plant. 
Personally,  I  have  no  knowledge  of  this  species 
in  its  natural  habitat,  although  I  enjoy  and  appre- 
ciate the  information  this  distinguished  collector 
furnishes  at  first  hand.  I  fear,  however,  there  is 
real  danger  in  translating  this  knowledge  too 
literally  in  practice,  and  we  can  easily  become 
mere  copyists  ;  whereas  the  value  of  original  travel 
in  disclosing  the  actual  conditions  under  which  a 
plant  grows  naturally  cannot  be  other  than  an 
approximate  guide  for  an  exotic  in  cultivation, 
and  it  does  not  follow  that  because  S.  burseriana 
prefers  or  frequents  some  sunless  gorge  in  an  alpine 
valley  that  it  will  refuse  to  grow  in  a  sunny  position 
here,  and  herein  lies  the  divergence  disclosed. 
That  it  will  grow  and  flourish  in  most  aspects  may 
readily  be  proved  by  anyone  who  sets  himself  the 
task  to  master  the  situation  :  but  I  contend  that 
S.  burseriana  discloses  its  highest  beauty  in  an 
open,  sunny  spot,  free  from  any  and  every  form  of 
overhead  shade.  Soil  and  situation  are  of  greatest 
moment,  and  in  proof  of  this,  on  a  natural  chalky 
soil,  I  have  had  it  give  no  more  trouble  than 
Aubrietias,  where,  beyond  the  bi-yearly  top-dressing, 
in  September  and  again  in  spring,  it  had  no  further 
attention  beyond  an  occasional  soaking  of  clear 
water  in  an  abnormally  dry  season.  Undoubtedly 
the  soil  was  responsible  for  this  result,  and  I  find 
that  the  great  majority  of  rock  and  alpine  plants 
commonly  cultivated  appreciate  lime  in  the  form 
of  chalk,  as,  apart  from  its  chemical  action,  it 
appears  to  part  less  readily  with  its  moisture  in 
summer,  while  in  winter  it  is  relatively  warmer 
and  drier  than  other  soils.  In  the  same  issue  of 
The  Garden  to  which  I  have  already  referred, 
on  page  211  Mr.  Hyland  comments  on  the 
behaviour  of  Phlox  setacea,  but  I  feel  sure,  were 
he  to  use  chalk  in  equal  quantity  with  his  present 
soil,  he  would  modify  his  treatment  of  this  fine 
species  and  assign  it  the  position  it  undoubtedly 
merits  in  Mr.  Farrer's  list  of  the  fifty  best  alpines. 
I  would  have  little  faith  in  an  alpine  that  requires 
to  be  thoroughly  watered  every  day  when  in  full 
bloom,  for  plants  of  this  character  have  little  garden 
value,  and,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes,  Phlox 
setacea  is  not  of  their  number. — Thomas  Smith, 
Coombe  Court  Gardens,  Kingston  Hill,  Surrey. 


May  17,  1913.] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


239 


The   Dropmore   Anchusa  as  a  Pot  Plant.— I 

was  pleased  to  see  the  note  by  Mr.  E.  Smith  on 
page  227  of  last  week's  issue  on  this  subject.  I 
have  grown  this  beautiful  plant  in  pots  for  several 
years,  andean  endorse  all  that  he  says  about  it. — B. 
Wallflowers  Without  Fragrance.— May  I  be 
allowed  space  to  enter  a  protest  against  the  tioral 
committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
granting  an  award  of  merit  to  a  Wallflower  in  which, 
as  described  on  page  235  of  your  issue  for  last  week, 
"  the  true  Wallflower  fragrance  is  quite  lacking 
in  the  plant "  ?  In  common  with  many  other 
Fellows  of  the  society,  I  have  hitherto  regarded 
the  award  of  merit  as  a  sort  of  hall-mark  of  excel- 
lence, denoting  that  the  plant  to  which  it  is  granted 
is  either  an  advance  on  existing  varieties  or  an 
entirely  new  species.  But  a  Wallflower  without 
the  characteristic  fragrance  is  surely  neither  of 
these.  So  far  as  I  could  see,  the  variety  under 
notice  had  nothing  to  commend  it.  The  colour 
was  certainly  one  that  few  would  care  to  have 
in  their  gardens  when  so  many  beautiful  and 
fragrant  Wallflowers  are  obtainable.  It  is  human 
to  err ;  but  if  the  floral  committee  of  the  premier 
society  in  the  world  are  going  to  confer  awards 
of  merit  on  such  flowers  as  this,  one's  faith  in 
their  judgment  will  be  badly  shaken.  Their  aim, 
and  that  of  everyone  else  who  wishes  to  forward 
floriculture,  should  be  to  foster  fragrance,  before 
all  else,  in  those  flowers  of  which  it  is  a  delightful 
characteristic.  Raisers  have  already  thrust  upon 
'  us  scentless  Roses  and  Sweet  Peas,  and  now, 
backed  up  by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society, 
we  are  to  have  scentless  Wallflowers  ! — F.R.H.S. 

Davidia    involucrata    Flowering    at    Kew. — 

Tra\*ellers  in  Central  and  Western  China  have  sung 
the  praises  of  this  Chinese  tree  when  in  flower  so 
frequently  that  the  fact  of  its  being  now  in  flower 
at  Kew,  though  only  represented  by  a  solitary 
flower,  is  worth  recording.  To  Messrs.  James 
Veitch  belong  the  credit  of  first  flowering  the  tree 
in  this  country  at  their  Coombe  Wood  Nursery  iji 
May,  1911,  from  seeds  collected  by  their  traveller, 
Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson,  and  sown  in  April,  1901. 
Previous  to  this,  in  1906,  a  plant  flowered  in  France 
with  M.  Maurice  de  Vilmorin  at  Les  Barres.  This 
tree  was  raised  from  seed  received  from  Abbe 
Farges  in  1897.  The  tree  flowering  at  Kew  is 
also  from  this  source,  M.  Vilmorin  presenting  it 
as  a  small  plant  in  1901.  In  the  hope  of  inducing 
the  plant  to  grow  and  flower  quicker,  it  was  planted 
when  large  enough  in  the  centre  of  the  Himalayan 
House.  The  Davidia,  however,  is  a  perfectly  hardy 
tree,  there  being  at  least  a  dozen  specimens  grow- 
ing outside  in  various  parts  of  the  Gardens.  It  is 
apparently  a  fairly  fast-growing  tree,  the  appear- 
ance, particularly  the  foliage,  suggesting  a  Lime 
tree.  The  average  height  of  the  trees  in  China 
is  given  as  40  feet  to  60  feet.  The  inflorescence  is 
pendulous,  produced  on  the  small  side  twigs  or 
spurs.  The  attractive  character  of  the  tree  lies 
in  the  two  creamy  white  bracts,  in  the  centre  of 
which,  arising  from  where  they  join  at  the  base, 
are  the  stamens.  An  interesting  point  about 
these  two  bracts  is  that  they  are  unequal  in  size, 
one  being  about  double  the  size  of  the  other,  the 
larger  4J  inches  long  by  2J  inches  wide,  the  smaller 
2j -inches  long  by  2 J  inches  wide.  The  bracts 
on  the  trees  in  China  are  much  larger  than  this, 
so  no  doubt  as  the  trees  increase  in  size  in  this 
country  the  inflorescences  will  be  larger.  The 
Davidia  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order  Cornaceae, 
coming  next  to  the  American  Nyssa  trees.  In 
tlie  bracts  there  is  a  resemblance  to  Cornus 
Nuttallii.— D.   A. 


PRIZES     FOR    THE     BEST 
ROCK    GARDENS. 


During  the  next  week  or  two,  rock  gardens  in 
most  parts  of  the  country  will  be  at  their  best. 
From  letters  that  we  are  constantly  receiving,  we 
know  that  a  great  many  owners  take  a  keen 
interest  in  these,  and  their  gardeners,  in  most 
instances,  are  also  alpine  enthusiasts.  For  some 
weeks  past  we  have  published  particulars  of  prizes 
that  we  are  offering  for  three  photographs  of  the 
best  rock  garden,  or  portions  of  a  rock  garden, 
and  these  details  will  be  found  below.  We  hope 
as  many  of  our  readers  as  possible  will  enter  this 
friendly  competition,  and  thus  allow  others  to  see 
what  beautiful  effects  can  be  obtained  by  a  well 
planned  and  planted  rock  garden. 

First  prize  :  Five  Guineas,  or  a  Silver  Cup  of 
that  value. 

Second  prize  :  Two  Guineas,  or  Books  of  that 
value. 

Third  prize  :  One  Guinea. 

The  competition  is  open  only  to  the  actual 
owner  of  the  rock  garden,  or  to  his  or  her  gardener. 
The  object  is  to  encourage  good  rock  gardening, 
and  preference  will,  therefore,  be  given  to  those 
rock  gardens  which  show  originality  in  design,  and 
where  the  plants  depicted  are  well  grown.  It 
should  be  distinctly  understood  that  awards  will 
be  made  to  the  best  rock  gardens,  and  not  neces- 
sarily to  the  best  photographs.  The  photographs 
need  not  be  taken  by  the  competitor,  who  must, 
however,  in  such  cases  have  the  written  consent 
of  the  photographer  for  their  reproduction  in  The 
Garden.  The  competition  is  subject  to  the 
following  rules  : 

1.  Not    more   than    three   photographs   of   each 

garden  may  be  sent  in  by  one  competitor. 

2.  Each  photograph  must  have  the  full  name  and 

address  of  the  competitor  plainly  written 
on  the  back  in  ink. 

3.  Successful   competitors   shall   furnish   written 

particulars  of  the  rock  garden  forming  the 
subject  of  their  photographs. 

4.  Glazed  P.O. P.  prints  must  be  sent,  and  each 

should  be  on  a  mount  with  not  more  than 
half  an  inch  margin. 

5.  All   photographs   must    be   sent   to   arrive   at 

The  Garden  Ofhces,  20,  Tavistock  Street, 
Strand,  W.C,  not  later  than  June  i,  1913. 

6.  Unsuccessful    photographs   sent    in    for   com- 

petition will  be  returned  if  a  sufficiently 
stamped  and  addressed  envelope  or  wrapper 
is  enclosed  for  the  purpose,  but  no  responsi- 
bility will  be  taken  for  the  loss  or  damage  of 
photographs  submitted,  although  every  care 
will  be  taken  to  return  them  uninjured. 

7.  The   Proprietors  of  The  Garden   reserve   to 

themselves  the  right  to  reproduce  any 
photograph  sent  in  for  competition. 

8.  The  decision  of  the  Editor  will  be  final. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

May  20. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Spring 
Flower  Show  at  the  Royal  Hospital  Gardens, 
Chelsea  (three  days). 

May  21. — National  Tuhp  Society's  Show  at 
Chelsea  (two  days).  Devon  County  Show  at 
Barnstaple  (three  days). 

May  27. — Rhododendron  Show  at  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  Hall  (four  days).  Bath 
and  West  and  Southern  Counties  Society's  Show 
at  Truro  (five  days). 


TREES      AND      SHRUBS. 


THE   UPKEEP   OF.  GARDEN    HEDGES. 

A  PART  from    the    necessary  clipping   which 
i\  is    required    to    keep    a    hedge     neat, 

/  '  %  there  are  other  matters  that  require 
^~^%  regular  attention  if  the  hedge  is  to  be 
'  *     kept  in  the  pink  of  condition.      These 

little  matters  are,  unfortunately,  often 
neglected,  and  the  hedges  suffer  in  consequence. 
A  fertile  source  of  trouble  connected  with  hedges 
is  the  growth  of  various  weeds  of  both  herbaceous 
and  shrubby  character,  which  spring  up  about 
the  bases  and  ultimately  create  gaps.  Grasses 
of  various  kinds  are  disastrous  to  a  good  dense 
bottom,  and  one  of  the  most  elementary  conditions 
regarding  good  hedge  culture  is  to  keep  the  bottom 
free  from  weeds.  Everyone  must  have  noticed 
the  difference  in  strength  between  well-cleaned 
and  dirty  hedges,  yet  the  cleaning  is  often  con- 
sidered too  much  trouble.  This  is  frequently 
the  case  where  farm  and  plantation  hedges  are 
concerned,  and  the  condition  is  not  absent  in 
gardens,  although  the  weeds  may  be  of  a  different 
character. 

Bindweed  creates  a  lot  of  trouble  when  it  once 
becomes  established  in  a  hedge,  and  this  is  perhaps 
one  of  the  commonest  weeds  found  in  garden  hedges. 
It  is  almost  impossible  to  fork  out  the  rhizomes  of 
the  Bindweed  from  among  the  roots  of  the  hedge, 
but  it  may  be  eradicated  by  patience.  The  best 
way  to  clean  a  hedge  of  this  pest  is  to  keep  pulhng 
up  the  young  shoots  when  they  are  but  a  few  . 
inches  long.  By  continuing  this  the  plants  are 
gradually  weakened,  and  eventually  die  out.  It 
is  a  tedious  job,  but  well  worth  the  trouble.  A 
boy  could  easily  perform  the  work  by  looking  over 
the  hedges  once  a  week.  The  writer  knows  of  a 
dense  Holly  hedge  which  was  being  ruined  by 
Bindweed  and  was  cleaned  in  this  way.  Couch 
Grass  and  Nettles  are  other  subjects  that  play 
havoc  with  hedge  bottoms.  These  are  best  dealt 
with  by  forking  out  the  rhizomes,  and  then  keeping 
all  young  ijrowths  cut  off  regularly  with  the 
hoe.  Once  such  rubbish  is  removed,  the  hedge 
improves  in  health  in  a  remarkably  short  space 
of  time,  and  holes  about  the  bottom  begin  to 
fill  up. 

Brambles,  Hops^  Honeysuckles,  Elm  suckers. 
Bryony,  Traveller's  Joy  and  the  Bitter  Sweet  arc 
coarse-growing  subjects  that  cause  serious  injury 
to  hedges,  and  whenever  such  are  noticed  they 
should  be  removed  at  once,  not  left  until  they  have 
smothered  a  few  yards  of  hedge  before  being 
dealt  with. 

How  to  Fill  Up  Gaps. — Gaps  about  the  bottoms 
of  hedges  may  be  dealt  with  in  a  variety  of  ways. 
Where  there  is  room  to  insert  a  young  plant,  that 
should  be  done  ;  but  where  this  would  be  impossible, 
branches  should  be  trained  across  the  opening. 
Should  such  openings  be  used  by  animals,  such  as 
dogs,  cats  and  rabbits,  strong  stakes  should  be 
driven  in  to  prevent  access,  or  if  that  is  impossible, 
wires  should  be  fastened  across,  for  if  the  animals 
are  able  to  use  the  gaps,  there  is  little  chance  of 
the  branches  growing  up.  When  the  bottom  of 
the  hedge  is  very  weak,  it  may  sometimes  be 
strengthened  by  cutting  a  foot  or  so  off  the  top, 
thereby  infusing  more  vigour  into  the  lower  parts. 
In  the  same  way  a  very  wide  hedge  which  is  becom- 
ing thin  in  places  may  often  be  improved  by  cut- 
ting the  sides  in  well.  Such  vigorous  cutting  is 
best  performed  during  late  winter  or  early  spring, 
for  then  a  full  growing  season  is  obtained,  whereby 


240 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  17,  1913. 


the  ugly  look  inseparable  to  a  hard-pruned  plant 
is  soon  over. 

Manuring. — Hedges  which  are  showing  signs 
oi  weakness  may  be  rejuvenated  by  applying  a 
dressing  of  manure  to  the  roots.  Care  must  be 
taken,  however,  to  let  the  manure  extend  for  at 
least  2  feet  from  the  centre  of  the  hedge  on  either 
side.  Farmyard  manure  should  be  chosen  whenever 
possible,  but  bone-meal  or  fish  manure  may  also 
be  used.  The  former  should  be  spread  over  the 
surface  of  the  ground  and  be  lightly  forked 
in,  and  the  same  remarks  apply  to  bone-meal ; 
but  fish  manure  is  best  mixed  in  water  and 
given  in  a  liquid  state  as  follows :  Take  7lb. 
of  the  manure  and  mix  it  with  thirty-six  to  forty 
gallons  of  water,  and  apply  in  AprU  and   again  in 

July- 

Holly  and  Thorn  Hedges  are  often  troubled 
with  aphides  of  various  kinds  towards  the  end  of 
June  or  July.  Such  attacks  maybe  dealt 
with  by  syringing  the  hedges  with  a 
nicotine  or  paraffin  wash.  -\s  a  rule, 
if  a  hedge  is  syringed  twice,  at  intervals 
of  a  week  or  ten  days,  it  is  quite  suffi- 
cient to  effect  a  remedy.  More  difficult 
to  deal  with  is  the  Holly  fly,  which  is 
responsible  for  the  disfigurmg  yellow 
blotches  which  occur  on  Holly  leaves 
in  so  many  parts  of  the  country.  The 
blotches,  or  galls,  are  caused  by  the 
larv£e,  which  feed  and  afterwards 
pupate  beneath  the  epidermis  of  the 
leaves.  The  mature  insects  escape  from 
the  galls  about  May  and  proceed  to 
lay  eggs  as  the  new  leaves  appear.  By 
syringing  the  hedges  with  a  paraffin 
or  nicotine  wash  occasionally  during  late 
April  and  May,  many  insects  may  be 
killed ;  while  by  spraying  the  young 
foUage  with  a  weak  paraffin  wash, 
with  a  little  infusion  of  Quassia  chips 
added,  the  leaves  are  made  dis- 
tasteful to  the  insects  and  fewer  eggs  are 
laid. 

Thin    and   Tall   Hedges   which    have 

become  gaunt  and  are  generally  thin, 
but  otherwise  healthy,  and  more  par- 
ticularly Thorn  hedges,  may  be  re- 
juvenated by  laying.  This  is  done  in 
winter-time  by  cleaning  all  rubbish 
from  the  bottom,  then  cutting  each 
stem  three  parts  of  the  way  through 
and  laying  it  down  lengthwise,  secur- 
ing it  to  two  or  three  strong  stakes 
driven  into  the  line  of  hedge.  This  is 
don»  throughout  the  hedge.  Rough 
brushwood  is  cut  away  imtil  the 
hedge  is  of  a  uniform  density,  and 
in  the  space  of  a  year  or  two  a  vigorous  hedge 
results.  In  some  districts  garden  and  farm 
labourers  are  very  expert  at  this  kind  of  work, 
and  competitions  in  hedge  laying  are  held  each 
year  somewhat  after  the  fashion  of  ploughmg 
matches. 

Clipping  Hedges. — In  conclusion,  it  is  very 
necessary  that  hedges  should  be  properly  and 
regularly  clipped  if  they  are  to  remain  in  good 
condition.  It  does  not  so  much  matter  whether 
a  hedge  is  clipped  in  June  or  August,  providing 
one  clipping  only  is  given  ;  but  it  must  have  that 
clipping,  and  when  hedges  are  kept  very  neat, 
two  clippings,  one  in  June,  the  other  in  August 
or  September,  are  required.  In  some  places  even 
Privet  may  require  to  be  cut  three  times  during 
the  season.  D. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 


GROWING  CYCLAMEN  FROM  OLD 
CORMS. 

IT  is  essential  to  give  most  bulbous  plants 
a  resting  period  at  some  time  during  the 
year.  Cyclamen  are,  however,  an  ex- 
ception to  the  rule,  though  this  fact  is  not 
generally  known.  Some  growers  certainly 
have  a  good  share  of  success  by  gradually 
drying  the  corms  for  a  time  under  various  systems 
best  known  to  themselves.  At  the  present  time 
many  good  gardeners  treat  the  Cyclamen  as  an 
annual,  and  throw  the  plants  away  after  once 
flowering.  There  is,  and  always  has  been,  such  an 
uncertainty  about  growing  on  from  old  corms 
that  this  is,  no  doubt,  the  reason  so  many  have 
adopted  the   annual  system. 


for  an  active  and  immediate  growth.  The  course 
to  take  now  is  to  select  the  requisite  number  of 
healthy  plants  that  have  just  finished  flowering. 
Now  comes  an  operation  that  looks  most  unnatural 
and  cruel,  which  will,  no  doubt,  be  looked  on  by  some 
with  suspicion ;  that  is,  to  sharply  jerk  off  all  the 
leaves  by  taking  each  singly  with  the  finger  and 
thumb  and  giving  a  sharp  pull,  which  will  sever 
the  stalk  at  the  union  with  the  corm.  Next  knock 
the  plants  out  of  the  pots,  shake  every  particle 
of  soil  from  the  roots,  and  pot  the  conns  in  3i-inch 
or  4-inch  pots,  which  must  be  clean  and  dry.  Place 
one  large  crock  in  the  bottom  and  pot  lightly,  at 
the  same  time  shaking  the  soil  well  in  among  the 
roots.  A  light  diet  is  all  that  is  necessary  at  this 
stage,  and  a  sandy  loam,  with  the  addition  of  a 
little  leaf-soU  or  peat,  forms  a  nice  compost.  Give 
the  newly-potted  corms  a  good  watering  with  a 
:'  rosed  can,  and  place  them  where  there  is  a  little 
heat,  at  the  same  time  close  and  shady. 
A  newly-started  vinery  or  Peach-house  or 
mild  hot-bed  are  all  suitable  places. 
Almost  immediately  growth  will  com- 
mence quite  strong.  The  plants  must 
then  be  sprayed  over  twice  daily,  and 
in  a  short  time  they  will  be  sufficiently 
well  rooted  to  be  potted  into  their  flower- 
ing pots.  Soil  that  has  been  left  over 
from  Chrysanthemum  potting  forms  a 
good  mixture,  with  the  addition  of  more 
sand  and  peat  or  leaf-soil.  From  now  till 
October  stand  them  in  a  shady,  moist  ' 
frame,  water  and  ventilate  carefully,  also 
spray  twice  daily  till  they  are  housed  and 
the  flowers  commence  to  show,  when 
overhead  spraying  must  cease.  There 
must  be  many  who  have  old  corms  at 
the  present  time  ;  and  if  a  few  are  grown 
on  as  described,  a  rich  harvest  of  bloom  on 
well-foliaged  plants  will  be  the  reward 
during  months  of  the  year  when  a  little 
warm  colour  is  most  cherished. 

D.  Lewis. 
Totley  Hall  Gardens,  Sheffield. 


ANNUALS    FOR    GREENHOUSE 
DECORATION. 

Of  late  years  the  different  forms  of 
Nemesia  have  come  largely  to  the  front, 
not  only  for  the  embellishment  of  the 
outdoor  garden,  but  also,  when  grown  in 
pots,  for  the  decoration  of  the  greenhouse 
or  conservatory.  Anyone  at  all  sceptical 
of  their  value  for  pot  culture  would  have 
had  an  eye-opener  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  on  April  15 
in  a  large  group  of  the  different  forms 
Cyclamen  are  so  useful  in  winter  as  cut  flowers  1  shown  by  Messrs.  Veitch  of  Chelsea.  The  usual 
for  table  decoration,  especially  the  salmon  shades,  :  method  of  growing  Nemesias  in  pots  is  to  have 
and  nothing  can  beat  them  for  creating  a  brilliant  j  more  than  one  plant  in  a  pot,  and  the  result  is  not 
show  in  the  greenhouse,  or  good  specimens  for  '  always  a  pleasing  one.  They  may  in  this  way 
rooms,   that   a  little   experimenting  is  well  worth  '  flower   profusely,    but    the   plants   have   always    a 


THE  PREMIER  ALPINE  AURICULA,  PHYLLIS  DOUGLAS, 
SHOWN  BY  MR.  C.  F.  FAULKNER  AT  THE  NATIONAL 
AURICULA    society's    SHOW   (NORTHERN   SECTION). 


the  labour.  When  the  plants  have  finished  bloom- 
ing, if  one  is  knocked  out  of  the  pot  it  will  be  found 
that  the  roots  round  the  side  are  quite  active, 
and  that  the  growing  point  or  each  is  very 
prominent.  Now  shake  off  all  the  soil  and 
e-xamine  the  base  of  the  corm,  and  numerous  strong 
young  roots  from  a  quarter  of  an  inch  to  half  an 
inch  long  will  be  found  ready  to  strike  down  into 
the  soil  in  search  of  food.  A  corm  on  examination 
the  other  day  was  found  to  be  emitting  thirty 
young  roots ;  this  strongly  suggests  that  there 
must  be  no  drying  off,  but  encouragement  given 


crowded  appearance,  and,  furthermore,  where  a 
certain  amount  of  variation  exists,  the  masses  of 
flowers  have  a  somewhat  patchy  look. 

In  the  case  of  those  referred  to,  only  one  plant 
was  grown  in  each  pot  (a  5-inch  one),  and  the 
specimens  so  obtained  were  as  near  perfection  as 
possible.  Each  plant  had  been  stopped  two  or 
three  times,  and  this  mode  of  treatment  proved  in 
every  way  satisfactory.  In  order  to  obtain  flower- 
ing examples  thus  early  in  the  season,  the  seed 
should  be  sown  in  the  autumn,  and  the  resultant 
plants    treated    much    as    the    first    batches    of 


May  17,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


241 


Schizanthus  are  ;  that  is,  grown  in  a  light  position, 
with  plenty  of  air  during  the  winter,  but  at  the 
same  time  keeping  them  quite  free  from  frost.  An 
excess  of  moisture  must  at  that  season  be  avoided, 
but,  at  the  same  time,  they  should  not  be  allowed 
to  become  dust  dry.  If  shifted  into  their  flowering 
pots  about  the  middle  of  February,  the  young 
plants  will,  with  the  return  of  spring,  have  made 
rapid  headway.  An  important  featm'e  in  con- 
nection with  these  Nemesias — and,  in  fact,  with 
many  other  annuals — is  that,  by  varying  the  time 
of  sowing,  a  succession  of  flowers  is  kept  up  for  a 
lengtliened  period.  Another  point  is  the  extreme 
variability  which  now  exists  among  them,  not  only 
in  the  colovu'  of  their  blossoms,  but  also  in  the 
size  thereof. 

The  small-flowered  class,  usually  referred  to  as 
the  Gem  section,  are  remarkably  neat  in  growth 
and  profuse  in  flowering.  Of  coloured  varieties  we 
have  White  Gem,  Yellow  Gem  and  Blue  Gem,  this 
last  being,  I  think,  the  more  generally  admired. 
The  flowers  of  this  are  of  a  soft  Forget-rae-not  blue, 
a  charming  tint,  and  one  which  is  at  a  little  distance 
difficult  to  verify. 

The  varieties  of  the  grandiflora  strain  cover  a 
wide  range  of  colour,  the  various  golden,  orange 
and  mahogany  tints  being  very  striking,  and 
unusually  attractive  to  the  fair  sex  by  reason  of 
their  being  now  such  fashionable  colours.  Besides 
these,  the  scarlets,  carmines  cmd  crimsons  are  equally 
showy.  Considering  that  seed,  even  of  the  best 
forms,  can  be  obtained  so  cheaply,  and  by  growing 
the  plants  singly  a  very  small  amount  will  go  a 
long  way,  the  pot  culture  of  Nemesias,  though 
now  largely  carried  out,  should  be  considerably 
extended. 

Schizanthus. — The  main  batches  of  these  will 
be  by  now  in  flower,  and  a  grand  effect  they  have  in 
the  greenhouse  when  at  their  best.  The  distincti\'e 
markings  of  the  blossoms  of  many  of  them  have 
led  to  their  popular  name  of  Butterfly  Flowers, 
which    is   cprtainlv    a    very   appropriate   one.     The 


.-■  'Sk 


•^gprL./^' 


different 
forms  of  Schi- 
zanthus may 
be  grown  in 
various  ways. 
In  the  first 
place,  good 
bushy  ex- 
amples of 
some  of  the 
more  compact 
varieties  may 
be    grown    in 

5  -  in  ch     or 

6  -  inch  pots, 
while  taller 
specimens  of 
the  stronger 
kinds  are  ex- 
ceedingly use- 
ful where  the 
scheme  of 
decoration  is 
on  a  bolder 
scale.  Besides 
this,  the  Schi- 
zanthus is  a 
valuable 
basket  plant, 
and  in  this 
way  the  large 
overhead 

masses  of  flowers  show  it  in  a  very  favourable 
light. 

Clarkias. — Treated  as  the  Schizanthus  the  first 
flowers  of  the  Clarkias-  are  now  open,  and  under 
favourable  conditions  a  succession  of  bloom  will 
be  kept  up  for  a  long  time.  Until  the  last  few 
years  the  Clarkias  were  but  little  grown  in  pots, 
but  the  advent  of  those  delightful  forms  with 
blossoms  of  different  shades  of  salmon  and  scarlet 
has  led  to  their  extended  cultivation. 

Mignonette. — The  delicious  fragrance  of  its 
blossoms  renders  the  Mignonette  a  universal 
favourite,  and  imtil  its  outdoor  flowers  can  be 
obtained  it  is  always  appreciated  in  the  greenhouse. 
Sown  in  autumn,  the  main  point  in  its  culture  is  to 
keep  the  plants  growing  very  slowly,  but  as  sturdily 
as  possible,  till  the  spring.  In  order  to  do  this, 
plenty  of  lialit  and  air.  with  immunity  from  frost, 
is  essential.  H.   P, 


A    BADLV 


C.\NKERED    ROSE 
STEM. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


ROSE    LEAF    AND     LEAFLET    ATTACKED 
"rust"    DISEASE. 


SOME     DISEASES     OF     THE    ROSE. 

[Continued  from  page  227). 

Black  Spot. — The  illustration  shows  admirably 
the  spots  or  blotches  made  by  the  fungus  Acti- 
nonema  rosae  on  Rose  foliage.  The  branching 
threads  of  a  dark  colour  growing  inside  the  leaves 
and  radiating  from  a  common  centre  may  be  easily 
seen  with  a  lens  or  even  with  the  naked  eye.  The 
spores  are  distributed  by  rain  and  wind  or  on 
msects'  feet,  and  soon  cause  the  spread  of  the 
disease,  especially  when  the  plants  are  in  a  closely- 
confined  place.  Very  quickly,  when  the  attack 
is  a  bad  one,  the  leaves  fall  and  the  trees  become 
almost  defoliated.  Hybrid  Perpetuals  perhaps 
suffer  most.  In  this  disease  the  fungus  passes 
the  winter  on  the  fallen  leaves  or  those  left  on  the 
Roses  in  mild  winters,  from  which  infection  spreads 
in  the  spring.  The  collection  and  burning  of 
these   is   one   method   apparently   called   for,    and 


spraying  with  Bordeaux  mixture  from  time  to  time, 
say,  at  three  or  four  weeks'  intervals,  beginning 
about  the  end  of  April  or  the  middle  of  May. 

Rust. — This  disease  is  much  more  prevalent, 
as  a  rule,  on  Briars  than  on  other  Roses,  and  does 
perhaps  less  real  harm  than  those  already  alluded 
to.  It  is  caused  by  the  fungus  Phragmidium 
subcorticatum,  and  its  first  appearance  is  quite 
early  in  the  season,  in  the  form  of  bright  orange 
masses  of  spores  bursting  through  the  bark.  They 
leave  cankerous-looking  spots  on  the  stems,  and, 
being  carried  to  the  foliage,  attack  it,  producing 
orange  or  brown  and  in  autumn  black  spots  on  the 
under  surfaces  of  the  leaves.  These  spots  are 
small  masses  of  spores,  for  the  fimgus  is  out  of 
reach  inside  the  leaves.  Something  may  be  done 
by  spraying  with  Bordeaux  mixture  or  with  a 
rose  red  solution  of  potassium  permanganate  in 
the  spring  at  the  time  the  stem  stage  is  about  ; 
but  the  main  thing  to  do  is  to  destroy  the  dead 
leaves  on  which  the  black  spore  masses  occur  in 
autumn  as  soon  as  possible,  and  so  prevent  the 
inlection  in  early  spring,  which  comes  only  from 
these  black  spores.  This  fungus  is  very  common 
on  Dog  Roses  in  our  hedges,  unlike  the  two 
mentioned  before. 

Canker, — In  canker  we  have  a  stem  disease,  in 
which  the  tissues  of  the  bark  down  to  the  cambium 
are  destroyed  by  a  fungus  called  Coniothyrium 
Fuckelii,  and  a  sort  of  alternate  development  of 
callus  and  destruction  of  it  by  the  fungus  goes  on 
until  a  large,  gaping  wound  with  irregular,  thickened 
edges  is  produced  on  the  stem.  The  fungus  gains 
entrance  by  a  wound,  and  the  canker  first  appears 
as  a  purplish  dead  area  on  the  bark.  Th.it  is  the 
time  to  deal  with  it  effectively,  and  it  calls  for  a 
surgical  operation.  Cut  out  (and  immediately 
burn)  the  affected  part  so  as  to  prevent  the  spores 
from  escaping  from  the  little  black  fungus  fruits, 
which  soon  appear  on  the  spot.  A  wound  such  as 
is  made  by  aphides  or  by  one  branch  pricldng 
another  is  sufficiently  large  to  permit  of  the  entrance 
of   the   fungus,    but   larger   ones   afford   an   easier 


^   " 


«l: 


'4 


W 


i^ 


ROSE  ;.EAF  ATTACKED  BY  BLACK  SPOT. 


242 


I'HE    GARDEN. 


[May  17,  1913 


entrancK,  and  all  such  made  in  pruning  if  over, 
say,  half  an  inch  in  diameter  should  be  painted 
over  with  either  white  or  red  lead  paint  (without 
turpentine),  or  with  a  2i  per  cent,  solution  of 
Lysol.  The  climbers,  especially  perhaps  those 
lovely  wichuraiana  hybrids  which  in  recent  years 
have  graced  our  gardens,  seem  most  prone  to 
attack.  F.  J.  Chittenden. 


NEW     ROSE     MRS.    FORDE. 

This   new   Hybrid   Tea  received   the   high   award 

of  a  gold   medal    at    the    recent    spring   show    of 

the    National    Rose   Society.      As 

described    in    the    report    of    that 

show    in    last    week's    issue,    the 

blooms  are  pale  blush  in  colour,  of 

great    depth,    conical    shape,    and 

not   without    the   precious   gift    of 

fragrance.    The  varietv  possesses  a 

vigorous  and  erect-growing   habit. 

It  is  to  Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson  and 

Sons,   Newtownards,    Ireland,  that 

we  are  indebted  for  this  promising 

new  Rose. 


except  about  a  hundred,  which  were  got  at  the 
end  of  December  to  complete  the  scheme  of  my 
new  garden.  The  two  pillar  Hlawathas  before 
mentioned  were  taken  up  and  heeled  in  for  three 
weeks,  as  I  wished  to  change  their  position.  The 
ramblers  on  the  arches  were  not  moved.  The 
sum  of  all  this  is  that  out  of  900  Roses,  mostly 
dwarfs,  only  about  a  dozen  are  dead,  ten  of  which 
are  among  the  new  ones  I  planted  late  ;  and  the 
inference  I  draw  from  the  above  facts,  on  which 
I  invite  the  opinion  of  your  readers,  is  this  :  In 
a  wet   season   the  wood  does  not   ripen  well   and 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


T 


TREATMENT  OF  ROSES 
WITH  UNRIPENED 
WOOD. 

Those  of  your  readers  who  grow 
Roses  may  be  interested  in  the 
following  lacts  and  my  attempt  to 
explain  them.  This  house  is  situated 
on  the  top  of  a  hill  about  three 
hundred  feet  above  sea-level,  three 
miles  from  the  coast  and  eight 
miles  south  of  Berwick-on-Tweed. 
Lost  winter  was  more  or  less  mild, 
with  heavy  gales  and  three  short, 
sharp  frosts,  the  hardest  being  m 
the  first  week  in  December,  shortly 
after  my  main  Rosi -planting  was 
completed.  It  is  hardly  necessary 
to  tell  your  readers  that  we  had  a 
very  wet  summer  from  the  end  of 
May  to  the  end  of  August.  Sep- 
tember was  fine,  though  not  warm, 
and  October  was  again  wet. 
November,  however,  proved  an 
exceptionally  good  "  planting " 
month.  All  my  neighbours  withm 
a  ten-mile  radius  are  complaining 
of  the  number  of  Roses,  especially 
ramblers,  that  have  been  killed 
this  winter.  Every  garden  seems 
to  have  lost  dozens.  I  am  glad  to 
say  that  mine  are  very  healthy, 
with  the  exception  of  twelve  three 
year  old  ramblers,  two  each  of 
Crimson  Rambler,  Dorothy  Perkins 
and  Lady  Gay  growing  on  metal 
arches.  These,  though  not  killed, 
have  been  badly  cut  down,  while 
two  contemporary  Hiawathas  which 
were   on   pillars   and    twelve    newly-planted  pillar  ,  the  sap  continues  to  run 


ROSE  MRS.  FORDE,  A  NEW  HYBRID  TEA  OF  PALE  BLUSH  COLOUR 
AWARDED  A  GOLD  MEDAL  AT  THE  NATIONAL  ROSE  SOCIETY'S 
SPRING    SHOW. 


ramblers  of  various  kinds  are  absolutely  intact 

In  November  last  1  made  some  new  Rose-beds 
and  remade  all  the  old  ones,  which  necessitated 
the  lifting  and  heeling  in  for  about  three  weeks 
of  all  the  old  plants,  some  two  hundred  odd. 
About  a  hundred  were  brought  from  my  former 
home,  forty  miles  south  of  here,  and  planted  imme- 
diately. All  the  rest  were  new  plants,  mostly 
Irom  the  South  ol  France,  Devonshire  and  Essex, 
nnd    were    planted    on    arrival    in    November,    all 


If  an  early  frost  comes 


and  finds  these  sappy  bushes,  they  are  killed. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  the  bushes  have  been  lifted, 
the  flow  of  sap  is  checked,  the  wood  becomes 
comparatively  dry  and  the  frost  has  no  eSect  on 
it.  Am  I  to  conclude  that  in  order  to  save 
one's  Roses  in  a  wet  season  they  should  all,  and 
especially  the  ramblers,  be  dug  up  and  heeled  in 
during  the  month  of  November  ?  It  seems 
a  laborious  remedy,  but  it  is  better  than  losing  the 
plants.  A  Lady  Amateur  Rose-grqwer. 


DAFFODIL    NOTES. 

HE  outstanding  feature  of  the  London 
Show  on  April  29  was  the  fine  collec- 
tion staged  by  the  Rev.  G.  H.  Engle- 
heart.  Not  that  it  was  so  very  out- 
standing in  itself.  I  have  often  seen 
his  groups  when  there  was  much 
greater  variety  of  type,  for  on  this  occasion,  as 
might  be  expected,  the  majority  were  Poets.  I 
have  seen  them  composed  of  choicer  and  more 
uncommon  flowers,  but  I  have 
never  before  seen  him  stage  one  of 
his  accustomed  white-robed  collec- 
tions in  the  annexe  after  Birming- 
ham. The  Lord  High  Daffodil- 
maker  has  this  season  broken  his 
own  records  in  length  (from  early 
March  till  just  upon  May)  and 
lateness.  I  feel  sure  every  Daffodil- 
lover  will  congratulate  him  heartily 
on  this  achievement,  and,  if  they 
had  any  say  in  the  matter,  would 
unanimously  vote  him  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  gold  medal, 
which,  it  is  almost  incredible  to 
believe,  he  has  never  as  yet  had  ! 
We  who  attend  these  Daffodil  days 
at  Vincent  Square  have  become 
so  accustomed  to  his  wonderful 
assemblages  of  lovely  blooms  that 
we  lose  our  sense  of  proportion  in 
our  estimation  of  their  value.  We 
forget  that  most  likely  when  we 
see  them  they  are  lacking  some  of 
their  choicest  jewels,  and  that  those 
very  flowers  are  possibly  the  pride 
of  other  stands.  Emerald  Eye  at 
Birmingham,  White  Emperor  and 
St.  Olaf  at  London  are  recent  ex- 
amples of  what  I  mean.  Suppose 
some  enthusiast  got  together  a 
collection  of  Engleheart  Daffodils 
like  art  committees  do  with  the 
pictures  of  some  famous  painter, 
what  a  collection  it  would  be  !  If 
arranged  on  an  historical  basis,  an 
epitome  of  the  later  days  of  seed- 
ling-raising, or  if  upon  merit,  it 
would,  at  any  rate,  be  a  close 
contest  if  matched  against  the 
world — a  sort  of  Champion  County 
V.  The  Rest  of  England.  He  is 
always  telling  me  I  am  fond  of 
Latin  quotations.  Salve!  magister. 
I  felt  I  must  write  what  I  have 
just  written.  I  now  feel  more  tran- 
quil and  prosaic,  so  that  I  can  call 
readers'  attention  to  a  few  of  the 
best  varieties  that  were  to  be  seen  on 
the  different  stands.  First,  Evange- 
line, the  beautiful  Leedsii  that  1 
once  called  a  white  Homespun,  but 
which  I  have  since  corrected  by  saying  I  should  have 
said  a  "  bicolor  "  Homespun.  It  is  a  grand  plant,  and 
fully  deserved  its  award  of  merit.  Mr.  H.  D.  Phillips 
of  Olton,  a  young  and  keen  trade  grower,  who  is 
fast  building  up  an  enviable  reputation  for  deliver- 
ing "  good  stuff,"  was  the  cultivator  of  the  blooms, 
and  they  did  him  very  great  credit.  It  is  a  plant 
that  everyone  should  have,  like  Emperor  and  old 
Barri  conspicuus.  Venetia,  a  fine  long-stemmed, 
cupped  pure  white  triandrus  hybrid,  raised  and 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Crantield,  also  received  an  award 


May  17,  1913-] 


THE    GAllDEN. 


243 


of  merit.  These  snowy  flowers  are  extremely 
lovely,  but  they  are  very  tantalising — easy  to 
raise  and  flower,  but  so  few  with  much  constitu- 
tion. It  is  a  great  prize  when  one  comes  across 
one  that  is  a  good  doer  ;  hence  I  am  very  glad 
this  particular  one  got  an  award.  Size,  3^  inches 
by  five-eighths  of  an  inch  by  i  inch.  Enterprise 
(CartwTight  and  Goodwin)  was  a  "  useful  thing." 
It  is  a  roundish  flower,  with  a  pale  primrose  perianth 
and  a  fairly  large  eye,  with  greenish  yellow  centre 
gradually  suffusing  to  red.  Size,  2}  inches  by 
seven-eighths  of  an  inch. 

Sonata  (R.  H.  Bath)  was  sho^vn  in  excellent  form. 
It  is  a  "  recurvoid  "  looking  bloom,  with  a  pleasing 
greenish  eye  edged  with  a  narrow  band  of  red. 
Size,  2^  inches  by  five-eighths  of  an  inch.  In 
these  days,  when  there  are  so  many  Poets  very 
similar,  it  is  no  small  recommendation  to  say  of 
any  one  that  it  is  distinct.  Sonata  is.  It  is 
exceptionally  lovely,  too — goodness  and  good  looks. 

A  Daffodil  Holiday. — Most  of  us 
do  not  think  it  much  of  a  holiday 
to  rush  about  from  show  to  show 
and  from  garden  to  garden  in  our 
anxiety  to  see  all  we  can  in  the  short 
Daffodil  season.  So  this  is  not  what 
1  mean.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon 
iif  the  29th  ult.,  I  met  Sir  Arthur  Hort 
with  a  small  box  full  of  real  wildings, 
picked  in  a  distant  Pyrenean  valley 
exactly  a  week  before.  They  were  a 
regular  medley  of  quaint  forms,  some 
quite  "  pallidus-prscoxy,"  others  quite 
"  muticusy,"  the  quaintest  of  all  being 
a  sort  of  "  length  without  breadth  " 
Ajax,  I  measured  it  and  found  the 
trumpet  to  be  i  J  inches  long  by  half  an 
inch  wide  !  Sir  Arthur  had  had  a 
holiday  in  the  Pyrenees,  and  he  very 
kindly  told  me  where  one  should  go 
if  one  wants  to  have  a  similar  enjoy- 
able experience — to  Bareilles,  an  old- 
world  village  four  miles  from  the  rail- 
way station  of  Arreau.  Someone  may 
think  it  worth  while  doing  another 
year.  It  is  a  fascinating  idea  :  a  week 
where  Daffodils  grow  like  Daisies. 

The  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Daffodil  Year  Book. — I  am  hard  at 

work  on  this  book  collecting  material. 
On  the  29th  ult.  the  Narcissus  com- 
mittee approved  the  voting  list  for 
the  lists  of  varieties  most  suitable  for 
various  purposes.  These  will  be  on  the 
lines  of  those  that  are  issued  in  the 
National  Sweet  Pea  Society's  Year 
Book,  and  should  prove  useful  for  reference. 
Our  Year  Book  will  also  contain  reports  of 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  London 
Daffodil  Show,  together  with  a  full  list  of  all 
the  varieties  that  were  staged  there,  and  also 
at  the  Midland  Show  at  Birmingham  in  the 
competitive  classes.  Among  the  other  contents 
there  will  be  several  articles  of  general  interest, 
lists  of  awards  in  1913,  descriptions  of  some  of  the 
best  of  the  novelties,  and  numerous  illustrations. 
I  hope  it  will  be  issued  early  in  August,  and  that 
the  price  of  the  same  for  those  who  are  not  members 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Societv  will  not  be 
prohibitive. 

The  Merodon. — Mr.  stocks'  paper  in  The 
Garden  for  April  27  will  have  been  read  with 
much     interest.     Without      wishing     to 


in  many  places  last  spring  and  early  summer. 
I  have  an  idea  that  the  present  inclement  weather 
may  prove  more  effectual  than  Mr.  Stocks'  racquet 
net  ;  but  if  neither  of  these  has  touched  the 
cause,  then  it  will  be  well  worth  trying  the  water 
method,  which  Mr.  \V.  Ponpart  of  our  Narcissus 
committee  told  me  his  sons,  who  carry  on  a  large 
cut-flower  trade,  had  found  very  efficacious  last 
autumn.  The  mode  of  action  is  to  steep  all  stocks 
which  are  suspicious  in  large  tubs  of  water  for 
three  days,  at  the  end  of  which  time,  when  the 
bulbs  are  taken  out  and  the  water  drained  off, 
a  deposit  of  merodons  is  found.  The  steeped 
bulbs  did  not  suffer,  he  said,  in  the  least,  and 
flowers  from  them  were  as  good  as  usual  this 
spring.  Joseph  J.\cob. 


SPRING     FLOWERS     AT    WISLEY. 

The    Royal    Horticultural    Society's    gardens     at 
Wislev    cont.iin     much     that     is     of    interest    at 


the  rocks,  much  in  the  same  way  as  Ramondias 
are  usually  arranged,  forming  rosettes  on  the  face 
of  the  rocks. 

In  the  moraine  we  foimd  a  fine  plant  of  Asperula 
suberosa  flowering  well,  while  Cheiranthus  Harpur- 
Crewe,  Parochetus  communis,  Cytisus  kewensis. 
Antirrhinum  Asarina  and  Myosotis  Rehsteinii 
were  other  plants  in  the  rock  garden  proper  that 
called  for  special  mention.  In  a  small  circular  bed 
near  the  old  rock  garden,  Gentiana  acaulis  was  a 
blaze  of  brilliant  blue,  and  near  the  pond,  not  far 
away.  Polyanthuses  provided  a  broad  belt  of  colour 
such  as  one  is  not  often  privileged  to  see. 

In  the  woods  we  were  much  interested  in  a 
fine  little  colony  of  Trillium  grandiflorum  roseum, 
the  largest-flowered  variety  of  its  class,  some  of  the 
blossoms  measuring  6  inches  in  diameter.  The 
delicate  blush  rose  colour  of  the  blooms  cannot 
fail  to  charm  those  with  artistic  tastes,  and  it  is 
a    fine    plant    for    a    damp,    shady    spot.       Under 


BEAUTIFUL    WATER-SIDE    GROUPING    OF    POLYANTHUSES    IN    THE    ROVAL    HORTICULTURAL 
society's    GARDENS    AT    WISLEY. 


every  season  of  the  year,  but  it  is  during  the 
spring  months,  perhaps  more  than  at  any  other 
time,  that  the  visitor  \\'\\\  find  numerous 
plants  that  call  for  comment.  This  is  emphasised 
more  than  usual  this  spring,  now  that  the  immense 
rock  garden  is  getting  clothed  with  alpine  vegeta- 
tion of  many  kinds.  When  visiting  the  gardens 
on  the  closing  day  of  .April,  we  found  a  vast  quan- 
tity of  choice  and  well-grown  plants.  In  the  rock 
garden,  that  gem  of  flowers,  though  one  that  many 
find  a  diflScuIty  in  growing,  Lewisia  Tweedyi, 
had  just  opened  its  first  flower.  There  was  a  small 
colony  of  plants,  keeping  company  with  L.  Cotyle- 
don, both  being  planted  in  an  open  position  on  a 
slight    mound,    and    in    grit    and   leaf-soil    with    a 


moisture-preserving  top-dressing  of  granite  chips, 
unduly  Not  far  away  we  found  a  fine  little  colony  of  Saxi- 
Irighteu  anyone,  there  seems  to  be  very  little  doubt  j  fraga  Grisebachii  just  coming  into  flower.  These 
that  the  fly  was  present  in  considerable  numbers  I  were   planted   facing  south-west   in   the   cracks  of 


the  Camellia  bushes  near  by,  Shortia  galacifolia 
was  growing  like  the  proverbial  weed,  forming  a 
large  tuft  more  than  a  yard  in  diameter,  and  evi- 
dently perfectly  happy  in  its  shady  home.  Near 
by,  the  large  stems  of  Liliumgiganteum  were  pushing 
upwards,  giving  promise  of  a  rare  display  of  beauty 
and  perfume  in  later  days.  On  a  large,  sloping 
bank  near  the  entrance  we  were  much  interested 
in  Narcissus  Philippe  Vilmorin,  a  beautiful  white 
variety,  unusual  on  account  of  the  great  length  of 
the  trumpet.  Apparently  it  is  but  little  known  in 
this  country,  but  it  is  exceedingly  beautiful,  and 
has  proved  a  great  favourite  with  visitors  to  Wisley 
this  spring. 

In  the  glass-houses  we  found  some  of  the  finest 
plants  of  Perpetual-flowering  Carnations  we  have 
ever  seen,  and  in  the  adjoining  house,  and  keeping 
company  with  the  show  Pelargoniums,  were  magni- 
ficent   flowering    plants   of   Schizanthus.     Fellows 


244 


THE    GAEDEN. 


[May  17,  1913. 


of  the  Society  are  fortunate  in  having  such  gardens 
as  these,  where  many  valuable  lessons  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  choice  plants  can  be  learned,  and  where  the 
whole  staff  is  the  very  essence  of  courtesy. 


BORDER 


IN     NEW 


CARNATIONS 
ZEALAND. 

Useful  Hints  for  Home  Growers. 
Doubtless  we  all  at  times  wonder  how  our  favourite 
flowers  prosper  in  distant  lands.  A  letter  recently 
received  from  New  Zealand's  best-known  and 
most  successful  Carnation-grower  answers  this 
question  as  regards  his  own  hobby  in  a  most  inter- 
esting manner,  so  interesting,  indeed,  that  it  would 
be  imfair  not  to  give  your  readers  the  benefit  of 
his  experience  and  methods. 

The  gentleman  in  question  is  Mr.  H.  A.  Fox  of 
Wellington,  and  to  those  who  do  not  know  his 
name  I  would  like  to  intro- 
duce him  as  a  really  great 
Carnation  specialist,  and  a 
gentleman  whose  word  can  be 
taken  as  a  true  and  imex- 
aggerated  story  of  his  flori- 
culture. He  is  a  firm  believer 
in  the  best  that  can  be  procured, 
whether  it  be  labour,  compost, 
or  plants,  and  his  collection  of 
border  Carnations  is  thoroughly 
irp  to  date.  Each  season  he 
imports  the  best  novelties  from 
England,  and  seems  to  prefer 
this  process  to  layering  his  own 
plants,  even  for  the  older  sorts, 
and  the  reason  for  this  brings 
out  one  of  the  most  interesting 
points  of  his  letter.  The  layers 
are  sent  out  in  the  autumn,  as 
soon,  indeed,  as  strongly  rooted  ; 
but,  naturally,  a  trying  and 
unstable  voyage  of  nearly  two 
months,  with  its  attendant 
state  of  semi-starvation,  gives 
them  a  severe  check.  Now, 
here  comes  the  point  —  these 
plants  arrive  and  are  planted 
just  before  the  solstice  of  the 
Antipodean  summer,  and  one 
might  imagine  they  would 
make  rapid  progress  and  per- 
haps bloom  in  the  autumn,  i.e., 
in  February  or  March.  But 
they  do  not  ;  the  check  seems 
to  be  just  sufficient  to  hold  them 
back,  so  that  they  make  a  whole 
year's  root  and  grass  growth 
before  flowering.  The  result  is  really  wonderful ; 
Imt  before  gomg  into  details  let  me  give  Mr.  Fox's 
methods  of  culture  from  the  beginning. 

In  readiness  for  the  plants  the  ground  is  trenched 
2  feet  deep.  Very  old  horse-manure  is  used  to 
enrich  the  soil,  with  a  sprinkling  of  superphosphate 
in  the  bottom  spit.  When  the  plants  arrive, 
some  time  in  December,  they  are  put  straight 
into  their  flowering  quarters  and  allowed  to  grow 
without  protection,  except  from  wind  and  rain. 
As  the  New  Zealand  springs  are  notorious  for 
furious  wind-storms,  some  protection  must  be 
afforded,   and  Mr.   Fox  secures  this  by  means  of 


glass  lights  and  some  by  oiled  paper  stretched  over 
lattice-work.  Regarding  these  two  coverings  it 
was  found  that  the  glass  was  the  better  in  dull 
weather,  the  paper  in  hot,  the  latter,  naturally, 
being  cooler  while  still  admittmg  plenty  of  light. 
As  soon  as  these  covers  were  on,  light  liquid  stimu- 
lants were  started,  weak  natural  manure  frequently 
being  used. 

By  this  time  the  plants,  which  have  been  develop- 
ing  for  nearly   a  year,    are   mostly    18   inches   in 


of  the  whole  show  with  a  superb  Mrs.  J.  L.  Gibson. 
This  flower  was  one  of  eleven  off  the  same  plant 
and  exhibited  at  the  same  show.  What  thews 
and  sinews  these  plants  must  be  endowed  with 
under  such  culture  ! 

Disease  seems  to  have  a  very  small  part  in  the 
life  of  these  horticultural  giants,  soft  blooms  being 
the  only  trouble  of  consequence  mentioned ;  and 
that  seems  to  be  something  of  a  mystery  to  one 
who  has  had  no  opportunity  to  investigate  on  the 


diameter,  with  from  eight  to  twenty  main  flowering  j  spot.  Probably  this  state  is  brought  about  by 
stems  per  plant  !  These  flowering  stems  are  !  bees  causing  the  flowers  to  collapse  by  hybridity. 
from  3  feet  to  3^  feet  long  and  as  thick  as  one's  1  The  illustration  is  of  a  bloom  of  the  new  border 
little  finger.  Disbudding  is,  of  course,  adopted,  Carnation  Bookham  White,  grown  by  Mr.  Fox, 
only  the  crown  and  the  two  lowest  buds  being  |  which  as  a  border  white  he  considers  is  without 
allowed  to  develop.  |  equal,  its  dazzling  whiteness  and  matchless  form 


And  now  for  results,  all  of  which  Mr.  Fox  states 
are  absolutely  correct.  On  one  plant  of  Eros 
twenty  excellent   blooms  were  open   at   one  time. 


proclaiming  it  to  be  the  white  par  excellence.  As 
the  flower  was  New  Zealand  grown,  so  were  the 
photograph  and  block  New  Zealand  produced, 
the  former  having  been  taken 
by  that  well-known  New  Zea- 
land florist,  Mr.  Lord  of  Welling- 
ton, at  the  Nelson  Show. 

J.  Douglas. 
Great  Bookham,  Surrey. 


A  SUPERB    BLOOM    OF    BORDER    CARNATION    BOOKHAM    WHITE,    GROWN    IN 

NEW    ZEALAND. 


and  forty  buds  remamed  after  the  disbudding 
process  mentioned  above.  Off  two  plants  of 
Mrs.  Robert  Morton,  Mr.  Fox  had  twenty-four 
show  blooms  out  on  the  same  day,  most  of  them 
3^  inches  tn  diameter.  ,Iohn  Kidd  carried  flowers 
up  to  3J  inches,  while  Linkman  went  one  better, 
a  bloom  staged  at  Nelson  South  Island)  being 
measured  in  front  of  competitors  and  exactly 
touching  4  inches  i  Renown  is  a  special  favourite 
with  Mr.  Fox,  who  says  he  had  two  flowers  of 
this  4  inches  across  and  "  were  real  champions." 
But  the  giant  of  the  lot  was  Bob  Acres,  which, 
shown    at     Lower    Hutt,    a    Wellington    suburb. 


urtains  of  cheese  cloth  or  unbleached  calico  carried    measured  as  it  stood  4i  inches,  and  a  perfect  flower 


along  the  two  sides  of  the  beds,  the  ends  remaining 
open,  and  free  ventilation  ensured  by  keeping  the 
curtains  6  inches  off  the  ground.  As  soon  as  colour 
shows  in  the  buds,  all  the  beds  are  covered,  some  by 


at  that.  At  the  chief  show  in  Wellington  Mr. 
Fox  carried  all  before  him,  wmning  the  £5  5s. 
trophy  for  twelve  blooms  and  the  £2  2s.  trophy 
for  twelve  with  own  foliage,  also  champion  bloom 


SOME    GOOD    BORDER 
THALICTRUMS. 

The  majority  of  Thalictrums  are 
most  interesting  on  account  of 
their  elegant  foliage,  which  is 
generally  much  subdivided  and  is 
suggestive  of  the  popular  Adian- 
tum  on  an  enlarged  scale.  Thalic- 
trum  aquilegifolium  purpureum 
presents  flowers  that  are  of  con- 
spicuous beauty.  They  are  borne 
in  giant  heads,  forming  billowy- 
like  masses  that  surmount  the 
leaves  and  form  commanding 
objects  in  the  border  during  June 
and  July.  In  the  variety  under 
notice  the  flowers  are  coloured 
deep  mauve,  and  these  are  usually 
succeeded  by  seed-pods  that  are 
distinctly  coloured  a  similar 
shade.  It  is  an  easy  subject  to 
grow  in  ordinary  garden  soil  that 
is  well  drained,  and  is  propa- 
gated by  seed  sown  in  spring, 
the  seedlings,  when  large  enough, 
being  transplanted  to  nursery 
beds  in  the  open,  thereby  ensur- 
ing strong  plants  to  flower  the 
following  year. 

Two  new  Thalictrums  from 
Cliina  are  among  the  most 
desirable  of  recent  novelties.  These  are  Delavayi 
and  dipterocarpum.  They  differ  from  the  plant 
already  described,  in  that  the  individual  flowers 
are  much  larger  and  are  arranged  at  wider 
intervals  on  the  elegant  spikes.  Delavayi  is  the 
dwarfer  plant,  with  pretty  lilac-coloured  flowers. 
Dipterocarpum  attains  a  height  of  5  feet  when 
fully  established,  the  flower-stems  being  extremely 
gracaful,  with  the  lightly-poised  flowers  of  a  bright 
rose  purple,  to  which  the  citron  yellow  anthers 
form  an  admirable  contrast.  These  Chinese 
species  enjoy  an  open,  sunny  position  in  any  light 
yet  rich  soil.  They  do  not  object  to  a  partially- 
shaded  position,  provided  moisture  is  not  excessive 
in  winter,  as  cold,  wet  soil  starves  and  weakens  them 
to  such  an  extent  that  they  suffer  in  comparison 
with  those  in  more  favourable  positions. 

Coombe  Court  Gardens.  Thomas  Smith. 


May  17,  1913] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


245 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

HOW     TO     INCREASE     HERBACEOUS     PHLOXES     FROM     CUTTINGS. 


THE  usual  way  of  increasing  Phloxes  is 
by  division.  Of  course,  this  is  by  far 
the  most  expeditious,  and  one  can 
depend  on  having  good  plants  the 
following  year  ;  but  when  we  come  to 
compare  the  quality  of  the  blooms  with 
those  of  plants  raised  from  cuttings,  then  we  must 
leave  the  subject.  The  reason  is  obvious.  In  the 
case  of  division  we  have  simply  a  portion  of  an  old, 
partially  worn-out  plant,  while  from  the  cutting 
we  have  a  young  plant  full  of  vigour.  For  filling 
bed?  the  plants  raised  from  cuttings  are  far  more 


I. — A    PHLOX     CUTTING     WITH     THE    LOWER 
LEAVES  REMOVED   READY   FOR  PLANTING. 

suitable  in  every  way.  The  plants  grow  vigorously 
and  uniformly,  both  as  to  height  and  size  of  flower- 
heads,  and  these  are  twice,  or  even  three  times, 
as  large  as  those  from  divided  plants. 

The  Phlox  is  a  most  useful  and  popular  flower, 
becoming  more  and  more  so  each  year.  This  is 
due  largely  to  the  great  improvement  which  has 
taken  place  in  the  colours  and  vigour  of  the  plants. 
As  above  statsd,  there  is  no  comparison  between 
the  heads  of  bloom  produced  by  plants  raised  from 
cuttings  a  year  old  and  those  from  old  plants 
or  pieces  of  old  plants.  There  are  two  seasons 
which  are  suitable  for  rooting  the  cuttings — 
spring  and  autumn.  Personally,  I  prefer  spring, 
because  we  get  the  most  vigorous  cuttings  full  of 
life  at  this  season,  while  in  the  autunm  the  vigour 
has  naturally  gone  after  the  plants  have  been 
flowering,  and  we  have  to  depend  on  secondary 
growth,  too,  for  our  cuttings.  The  weaker  cuttings 
will  readily  root  and  grow  into  good  plants,  but 
there  will  be  a  lack  of  vigour  as  compared  with  the 
spring-rooted  plants. 

How  to  Take  Cuttings. — The  process  of  rooting 
the  cuttings  is  a  most  simple  one.  I  have  foimd 
nothing  better  than  a  simple  packing-case,  with 
its  bottom  removed,  and  this  set  on  good,  sandy 
soil.  The  soil  should  be  10  inches  deep  and  pressed 
firmly.  Cover  the  surface  with  sand,  and  dibble 
the  cuttings  in  rather  thickly,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2. 


A  sheet  of  glass  should  be  placed  over  the  case, 
and  this  should  be  thinly  shaded  by  a  little  lime- 
wash  to  keep  the  strong  sun  from  the  cuttings. 
On  no  account  should  the  cuttings  be  allowed  to 
flag  ;  this  would  retard  the  rooting  process  con- 
siderably. It  is  sm'prising  how  quickly  these 
vigorous  cuttings  will  root  at  this  season  of  the 
year  if  properly  attended  to.  The  usual  time  is 
three  weeks  ;  this  will  be  indicated  by  new  growth 
at  the  points  of  the  cuttings.  As  soon  as  this  is 
observed,  air  should  be  admitted  freely,  and  as  soon 
as  it  is  seen  that  the  cuttings  stand  the  free  admission 
of  air,  the  glass  shijuld  be  removed  entirely.  There 
should  be  no  coddling.  Grow  the  cuttings  as  hardy 
plants  should  be  grown  from  beginning  to  end. 
There  is  nothing  which  fosters  disease  in  hardy 
plants  so  much  as  coddling.  Some  recommend 
the  propagating-case  on  warm  manure.  I  do  not 
like  this.  Place  it  on  a  warm  border  which  is 
sheltered  from  winds.  I  think  this  is  much  better. 
As  soon  as  the  cuttings  are  well  rooted,  transplant 
to  nursery  beds  of  good  soil.  Give  the  plants 
plenty  of  room  to  develop  during  the  sumraqr  months. 
Fig.  3  shows  the  kind  of  plant  to  be  placed  in 
the  nursery  bed.  This  is  a  sketch  of  an  actual 
plant  rooted  last  autumn,  and  which  has  developed 
several  embryo  buds  at  the  base  of  the  stem,  just 
ready  to  burst  into  growth.  This  would  m;ike  a 
fine  subject  for  autumn,  planting  in  bed  or  border, 
and  such  a  plant  would  give  a  good  account  of  itself 
in  the  summer  of  1914. 

Phloxes  are  gross  feeding  plants,  and  resent  drought 
as  quickly  as  any  herbaceous  plant  I  know ;  therefore 
an  abundance  of  water  and  an  occasional  dose  of 
liquid  manure  will  be  of  great  benefit  during  thS 
growing  season.  A.  T. 


HOW  TO  GROW  VEGETABLE 
MARROWS. 

There  are  few  more  popular  vegetables  with 
beginners  in  gardening  than  the  Vegetable  Marrow, 
and  in  many  country  districts  extraordinary 
methods  of  cultivation  are  adopted.  Size  seems 
to  be  the  sole  object,  and  with  this  end  in  view 
the  plants  are  gorged  with  liquid  manure  until 
their  flavour  is  sadly  impaired.  To  get  good, 
sweet,  medium-sized  Marrows  extraordinary  prepa- 
ration of  the  soil  is  not  necessary.  Just  before 
planting  or  sowing,  a  hole  about  eighteen  inches  in 


3. — A  ROOTED  PLANT  READY  TO  GO  INTO 
A  NURSERY  BED. 

diameter  and  the  same  in  depth  should  be  made 
for  each  plant,  and  with  the  bottom  soil,  which 
must  be  well  broken  up,  but  left  at  the  bottom, 
some  well-decayed  manure  ought  to  be  mixed. 
This  will  tend  to  keep  the  soil  cool  and  moist 
during  the  hot  days  of  summer  and  autumn. 
It  is  usual  to  put  out  plants  which  have  been 
raised  under  glass,  and,  if  this  is  done,  the  end 
of  May  will  be  quite  early  enough  for  planting. 
But,  contrary  to  what  many  amateurs  suppose, 
seeds  may  be  sown  outdoors  where  the  plants  are 
to  grow,  and  often  give  the  best  results.  Where 
this  course  is  adopted,  the  sooner  the  seeds  are 
put  in  now  the  better.  The  dang;r  with  plants 
raised  tmder  glass  is  that  too  often  they  have  not 
been  sufficiently  hardened  off  previous  to  putting 
them  outdoors,  when  they  receive  a  severe  check, 
from  which  they  rarely  recover.  Copious  supplies 
of  water  during  dry  weather  are  essential  for 
the  well-being  of  the  plants,  and  a  sharp  look- 
out must  be  kept  for  black  fly. 


2. PREPARED    CUTTINGS    PLANTED     IN    SANDY     SOIL     IN    A    DISUSED    PACKING-CASE 

AND    COVERED    WITH    A    SHEET    OF    GLASS. 


246 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  17,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE    WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Erica  carnea. — This  spring-flowering  Heath  is 
most  useful  for  edging  beds  of  shrubs,  and  usually 
makes  a  good  show  from  February  onwards  ;  but 
having  now  gone  out  of  flowei,  it  should  be  cut  over, 
and  if  the  plants  have  become  straggly,  they  may 
be  taken  up  and  replanted ;  or  if  a  compost  of 
sand  and  leaf-soil  or  peat  is  mixed  up  and  worked 
in  among  the  plants,  most  of  the  branches  or 
growths  will  root  freely  into  it,  and  they  may  be 
divided  and  replanted  in  the  autumn. 

{{ibes. — Plants  of  this  family  present  the  most 
graceful  appearance  when  allowed  to  bloom  on 
the  full  length  of  the  previous  season's  growth, 
though  I  have  seen  them  kept  trimmed  similar 
to  a  cUpped  Box  or  Yew.  When  the  plants  are 
as  large  as  their  position  warrants,  I  prefer  to  cut 
them  hard  back  after  flowering,  thus  securing 
long,  free  growths  for  blooming  next  spring. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Annuals. — Where  annuals  were  sown  very  early, 
thinning  should  have  been  done  before  now;  but 
in  many  districts  the  wet  state  of  the  soil  pre- 
vented sowing  till  quite  the  middle  of  April.  These, 
hcjwever,  should  now  be  ready  for  thinning. 
Unfortunately,  in  many  instances  annuals  are  not 
thinned  sufficiently,  thereby  losing  a  great  deal 
of  their  beauty  and  shortening  the  flowering  period. 

Wallflowers  should  now  be  sown  on  rather  a 
light  piece  of  ground,  and  if  it  has  been  dressed 
with  a  little  wood-ashes  and  lime,  so  much  the 
better.  This  I  have  found  to  induce  a  much  finer 
rooting  svstem,  which  is  an  advantage,  as  the 
plants  have  often  to  be  shifted  dtu-ing  the  heat  of 
the  summer. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Sweet  Peas  under  glass  are  now  blooming 
profusely,  and  plenty  of  water  and  manure  will 
be  necessary  to  keep' them  up  to  the  desired  stan- 
dard. Give  a  little  shade  during  the  day  when 
necessary,  and  keep  the  temperature  down  as 
much  as  possible,  thus  retaining  the  colour  and 
substance  in  the  blooms. 

Begonia  Gloire  de  Sceaux. — Cuttings  of  this 
useful  winter  and  spring  foliage  plant  should 
now  be  put  in,  using  the  young  shoots  that  spring 
from  near  the  base  of  the  plants.  These  are  prefer- 
able to  the  old  flowering  points,  as  they  grow  so 
much  stronger  and  make  much  larger  leaves. 

Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine. — Cuttmgs  put  in 

early  in  April  shoiild  now  be  ready  for  removal 
from  the  propagating-frame,  selecting  a  shady 
position  for  them  near  the  glass.  A  further  batch 
of  cuttings  should  now  be  put  in,  and  the  old  stools 
thrown  away. 

Euphorbia  pulcherrima  and  jacquiniflora  that 
were  placed  in  heat  a  few  weeks  ago  should  now 
have  made  sufficient  growth  for  the  cuttings  to 
be  taken  off.  As  these  are  apt  to  bleed  very  much, 
the  cuttings  should  be  placed  at  once  in  a  pot 
of  very  fine,  dry  sand,  afterwards  inserting  the 
cuttings  singly  in  2j-inch  pots  and  plunging  in 
a  propagating-frame  with  a  fair  amoiuit  of  bottom- 
heat. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Cauliflowers  planted  out  of  pots  must  be  well 
looked  after  if  the  weather  is  dry,  as  they  take 
some  little  time  to  get  a  good  hold  of  the  soil, 
and  before  thev  do  this  there  is  great  danger  of  the 
balls  of  soil  becoming  dry.  Plants  in  frames  or  pots 
that  are  turning  in  must  be  liberally  supplied  with 
manure-water. 

French  Beans. — .^fter  this  date  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  sow  in  pots  or  frames ;  but  to  keep  up  a 
regular  supply,  small  batches  should  be  sown  in 
the  open  ground  at  fairly  frequent  intervals, 
bearing  in  mind  that  they  go  on  cropping  over  a 
longer  period  in  the  open  ground  than  they  do 
under  glass.  Early  batches  that  may  be  coming 
through  the  soil  should  have  pots  placed  over 
them  at  night,  should  there  still  be  signs  of  frost. 

Potatoes. — Early  Potatoes  on  borders  are 
growing  apace,  and  after  breaking  up  the  soil 
well  it  is  advisable  to  keep  it  drawn  up  to  the  plants 
almost  daily,  when,  in  the  event  of  frost,  it  may 
save  them  somewhat. 


Later  Batches  should  be  hoed  through  as  soon 
as  the  rows  are  discernible,  but  not  at  a  time 
when  there  is  a  likelihood  of  frost,  as  I  have  often 
seen  much  damage  done  where  the  soil  has  been 
moved  immediately  beforehand. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Watering. — .\t  this  season  regular  attention 
must  be  parid  to  watering  the  borders  of  fruit- 
houses.  Where  these  are  fairly  shallow  and  well 
drained,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  give  too  much 
water,  and  certainly  once  a  week  water  may  be 
given  if  the  weather  is  hot.  Where  the  borders 
are  not  well  drained,  rather  more  discretion  will 
be  necessary,  and  an  examination  of  the  borders 
should  be  made  before  applying  water,  or  stagnation 
may  result. 

Feeding  also  is  very  essential,  and  though  much 
may  be  done  with  animal  manure,  it  is  to  the 
judicious  application  of  artificial  manures  that 
one  looks  for  the  best  results.  Trees  or  Vines 
carrying  heavy  crops  will  take  a  fair  amount  of 
manure,  both  animal  and  artificial,  during  the 
growing  season  ;  but  yomig,  free-growing  trees  or 
freshly-planted  Vines  will,  in  most  instances,  get 
sufficient  nourishment  from  the  newly-made 
borders,  and  the  application  of  much  manure 
in  the  young  stage  often  ruins  the  constitution 
of  the  recipients. 

Hardy  Fruits. 

Disbudding. — Continue  the  disbudding  and 
thinning  of  Peaches  and  Nectarines  as  they  become 
fit,  nailing  or  tying  in  the  young  growths  as  soon 
as  they  are  long  enough.  Walls  sometimes  keep 
a  lot  of  moisture  from  the  borders,  and  where 
the  trees  do  not  appear  to  be  doing  as  well  as  they 
might  do,  it  may  be  found  they  are  requiring 
water,  even  though  there  may  have  been  sufficient 
rain  to  keep  the  trees  in  the  open  well  supplied. 

Trained  Pears. — After  these  are  nicely  set  I 
make  a  practice  of  giving  a  thorough  wash  down 
with  the  hose  or  garden  engine,  this  removing  all 
the  imperfectly-set  fruits.  If  there  is  a  heavy 
set  of  fruit,  the  trees  should  be  gone  over,  removing 
a  portion  of  the  fruits,  leaving  tliose  which  in 
the  small  stage  appear  most  prominent  and 
Jikely  to  be  in  a  good  position  for  light  and  air, 
a  second  thinning  being  given  at  a  later  date. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wobuni  Place  Gardens,  Addles:one,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Sweet  Peas. — Young  plants  should  be  examined 
to  see  that  all  are  taking  to  their  supports.  Some 
cultivators  now  denude  the  plants  of  their  tendrils, 
so  that  the  plants  are  entirely  dependent  upon  the 
support  afforded  by  the  tying  material.  The 
utility  of  this  mutilation  1  have  as  yet  faUed  to  see. 

Staking  Carnations. — This  operation  must  now 
be  taken  in  hand,  or  the  flower-stems  may  get 
broken  over.  Wire  coil  stakes  are  now  the  most 
popular,  and  they  certainly  have  the  advantage 
of  being  easily  manipulated  ;  still,  if  the  aim  of 
the  gardener  is  to  hide  his  art  as  far  as  possible, 
then  I  opine  that  the  coil  wire  stake  is  rather  too 
obtrusive,  and  I  prefer  Bamboo  tips  ;  but  every 
man  to  his  taste. 

Planting  Annuals. — Most  of  the  annuals, 
both  hardy  and  half-hardy,  may  now  be  planted 
out  in  prepared  ground. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Mowing. — This  work  now  demands  unremitting 
attention.  As  far  as  possible,  the  mowings  should 
be. allowed  to  remain  on  the  lawn,  and  if  in  any 
case  they  are  unequally  dispersed  by  the  mower, 
a  turn  with  a  Birch  broom  will  put  things  right. 
Of  course,  where  games  are  being  played  it  may  be 
imperative  to  have  the  mowings  removed.  In 
such  a  case  the  utility  of  having  a  mower  provided 
with  a  grass  box  is  seen  ;  such  a  machine,  for 
example,  as  the  Caledonia. 

Roiling  must  also  be  attended  to,  especially 
where  games  are  being  played. 

Clipping  Edgings. — It  seems  common-place 
to  refer  to  such  an  obvious  duty  as  that  of  keeping 
edgings   regularly    clipped  ;     still,    it    is   sometimes 


postponed  unduly,  to  the  detriment  of  the  whole 
surroundings.  Cannot  someone  invent  edging- 
shears  with  really  secure  handles  ?  Even  those 
with  the  bolt  are  not  all  they  profess  to  be. 

Damaged  Trees. — It  sometimes  happens  that 
the  stem  of  an  ornamental  tree  receives  damage 
from  a  scythe  or  other  sharp  object,  and  as  a  conse- 
quence bleeding  ensues.  This  is  especially  the 
case  with  resinous  trees,  such  as  the  double-flowering 
Cherries.  Various  remedies  may  be  applied.  A 
good  plan  is  to  first  smear  the  wound  with  Arch- 
angel tar,  then  give  a  thick  coating  of  grafting- 
clay,  and  over  this  place  a  layer  of  moss  and  finish 
with  a  bandage  of  binder  twine. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Cannas. — These  will  now  be  growing  apace, 
and  should  have  copious  supplies  of  water  at  the 
roots,  with  frequent  syringings  overhead.  Being 
gross  feeders,  they  will  be  benefited  by  occasional 
doses  of  liquid  manure. 

Top-Dressing  Liliums. — Many  Liliums.  more 
especially  auratum  and  the  varieties  of  lancifolium, 
are  much  benefited  by  receiving  a  liberal  top- 
dressing,  for  which  ample  allowance  should 
be  made  at  the  time  of  potting.  A  mixture  of 
equal  parts  of  dry  cow-manure  and  fibrous  yellow 
loam  in  a  rather  lumpy  condition  suits  the  purpose 
admirably.  The  top-dressing  should  not  be 
pressed  too  firmly,  as  the  fleshy  roots  of  the  Liliums 
revel  in  a  rather  porous  medium. 

Callas. — Except  a  retarded  batch,  these  will 
now  be  better  in  the  open  air,  and  it  is  a  debatable 
question  whether  they  are  better  left  in  their  pots 
or  planted  out.  Good  results  can  be  produced 
by  either  system.  Personally,  I  prefer  the  latter, 
as  by  it  the  finest  foliage — half  the  beauty  of  the 
plant — is  generally  produced. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Figs. — Except  where  fruit  is  ripening,  fairly 
moist  conditions  must  be  maintained,  and  on  no 
account  must  the  trees  be  allowed  to  suffer  for 
lack  of  water  at  the  root.  If  the  root-run  is 
sufficiently  circumscribed,  trees  swelling  their 
fruits  will  be  benefited  by  frequent  applications 
of  liquid  manure. 

Peaches. — The  bearing  shoots  should  have 
their  terminals  shortened  to  about  four  inches, 
to  give  more  room  to  the  succession  shoots.  In 
houses  where  the  fruit  is  stoned,  the  trees  will 
stand  a  minimimi  temperature  of  60°. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Training  Wall  Trees. — .\ttention  will  have  to 

be  given  to  the  nailing  in  of  the  young  shoots 
and  of  thinning  and  regulating  the  growth.  Where 
a  leading  shoot  is  making  too  luxuriant  growth,  it 
should  be  trained  slightly  downwards  to  check 
the  flow  of  sap  ;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  a  shoot  is 
weakly,  it  should  for  the  time  being  be  trained 
in  an  upward  direction  to  encourage  the  flow  of  sap. 
Thinning  Stone  Fruit. — .\pricots  and  Peaches 
should  have  their  fruits  thinned  to  reasonable 
proportions.  The  object  should  be  to  have  the 
fruits  as  equ.^lly  distributed  over  the  tree  as 
possible,  yet  it  is  well  to  secure,  as  far  as  possible, 
the  largest  fruits.  Badly-placed  fruits  should 
be  discarded  as  far  as  circumstances  will  permit. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Vegetable  Marrows. — Where  they  can  have 
the  advantage  of  frames  or  hand-lights  for  a  time, 
this  useful  crop  may  now  be  planted  out  imder 
conditions  indicated  on  page  245. 

Celery. — Where  not  already  done,  the  trenches 
must  be  prepared  forthwith,  and  the  width  must 
be  regulated  by  the  number  of  rows  it  is  intended 
to  plant  in  a  trench.  Manure  liberally,  and  either 
surface  the  finished  trench  with  some  specially- 
prepared  soil  or  with  some  of  the  original  surface- 
soil.  Do  not  make  the  trenches  too  deep  ;  6  inches 
below  the  ground-level  is  sufficient  when  finished 
off.  The  young  plants  should  now  have  the 
lights  of  the  frame  removed  to  harden  off  the 
plants. 

Peas. — By  topping  the  earliest  sowing  a  gain  of 
a  week  or  so  will  be  obtained.  Except  on  retentive 
soils,  sowings  made  now  and  subsequently  had 
better  be  in  trenches  to  conserve  the  moisture 
later  on. 

Successions    of    Kidney    Beans,    Turnips    and 
salading  should  be  made.         Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midtolhian. 


May  17,  1913O 


THE    GARDEN. 


247 


SPRAYING    TRIALS    AT 
WISLEY. 


An  event  of  great  importance  to  horticulturists 
recently  took  place  at  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Gardens  at  Wisley,  when  spraying 
machinery  from  various  sources  was  put  to 
a  severe  test.  The  trials  were  thorough  and 
exhaustive,  and  a  deal  of  importance  was 
attached  to  the  spraying  with  unstrained  lime 
wash,  which  placed  fine  nozzles  to'"a  very  severe 
test.  The  judges  were  Professor  E.  S.  Salmon, 
Professor  H.  M.  Lefroy,  Messrs.  F.  J.  Cliittenden, 
S.  T.  Wright,  Henry  Hooper,  Cecil  H.  Hooper 
and  C.  R.  Fielder.  Every  syringe  and  spraying 
machine  was  thoroughly  overhauled  and  exarmned, 
and  the  cost  taken  into  consideration  in  making 
awards. 

Syringes. — In  testhig  syringes  the  judges  de- 
voted special  attention  to  the  efficiency  of  the  nozzles 
and  theh:  suitabilitv  for  various  washes.  The 
efficiency  of  the  nozzle  was  tested  by  directing 
the  spray  on  to  sheets  of  brown  paper  fixed  to  a 
temporary    fence.     An    illustration    of    a    syringe 


London,  E.G.,  and  Corry's  Syringe  were  both  com- 
mended by  the  judges.  From  the  official  report 
we  gather  that  "  The  judges  considered  the 
provision  of  means  of  carrying  accessory  nozzles  on 
the  hand  syringes  would  be  a  great  improvement. 
None  had  such  a  provision." 

Bucket  Sprayers. — The  only  bucket  sprayer 
to  receive  an"  award  of  merit  was  one  entitled 
the  Demon  Continuous  Spray  Syringe,  from 
the  Boundary  Chemical  Company,  Cranmer  Street, 
Liverpool.  (See  illustration  below).  This  pump, 
which  provides  an  excellent  spray,  is  made  to  tit  any 
bucket.  We  understand  that  this  firm  is  introduc- 
ing a  simple  clip  to  keep  the  tube  in  the  bucket, 
also  a  container  to  hold  the  spraying  fluid,  which 
can  be  carried  on  a  shoulder  strap.  The  Trafalgar 
Bucket  Sprayer  sent  by  Messrs.  G.  and  W.  Purser, 


Vermorel  Hand  Diffuser,  from  Messrs.  Cooper, 
Pegler  and  Co.,  and  the  Hand  Diffuser  No.  1807, 
by  Messrs.  Benton  and  Stone,  were  both  com- 
mended.     The  Four    Oaks    Nozzles    worked    in  a 


14  G  CAP 


Limited,  made  a  good  impression,  and  on  this  page 
IS  seen  an  illustration  of  this  sprayer  in  operation 
,a  the  trial.  In  using  some  spraying  materials 
the  judges  report  that  the  provision  of  a  strainer 
on  the  intake  nozzle  would  be  an  advantage. 

Continuous  Pumping  Knapsacks.— As  the  name 
implies,  tlie  knapsacks  shown  in  this  class  have 
to  be  pumped  while  on  the  back.  In  the  course  of 
tinxe  this  method,  at  present  the  most  serviceable, 
mav  be  superseded  by  knapsacks  that  maintam 
a  continuous  spray  by  means  of  compressed  air. 
.A.  good  number  of  continuous  pumping  knapsacks 
were  on  trial,  and  awards  of  merit  were  made 
to  the  Abol,  from  Messrs.  E.  A.  White,  Limited; 
and  Vermorel's  Eclair  No.  i  and  Etame,  both 
sent  bv  Messrs.  Cooper,  Pegler  and  Co.  The 
Four  daks  Centre  Knapsack  Pump  was  highly 
commended,  and  the  continuous  pumping  knap- 
sack from  Messrs.  Benton  and  Stone,  Birmingham 
(Enot's),  was  commended. 

Large    Pneumatic    Sprayers.  —  When    more 

i-fticieiit,  tins  type  of  machine  will  prove  a  decided 
advantage    on    the    continuous    pumping    sprayer. 


THE    ABOL    SYRINGE,   WITH    NOZZLE    AND 
ADJUSTABLE    SCREW    PLUG. 

most    satisfactory   manner   and    were   higlily   com 
mended  by  the  judges.     These  trials  are  of  immense 


THE  TRAFALGAR  SPRAYER  IN  OPERATION  AT 
THE  ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY'S 
TRIALS    AT    WISLEY. 

in  operation  appears  on  this  page.  Even  with  the 
best  syringes  a  hollow  spray  was  produced,  and  in 
this  direction  there  is  room  for  improvement. 
Two  awards  of  merit  were  granted  to  s>Tinges, 
viz.,  Four  Oaks  Undeniable  (angle  bend  excluded), 
sent  by  the  Four  Oaks  Spraying  Machine  Company, 
Sutton  Coldfield ;  and  the  Abol  Syringe,  from 
Messrs.  E.  A.  White,  Limited,  Paddock  Wood, 
Kent.  The  Abol  Syringe  gives  a  particularly 
good  spray,  and  it  is  fitted  with  interchangeable 
caps,  by  means  of  which  the  user  can  vary  the 
density  of  the  spray  from  fine  to  medium  or  coarse, 
as  desired.  The  Abol  nozzle  and  the  various  parts, 
also  the  syrmge  complete  with  bend  attachment, 
are  illustrated  on  this  page.  The  same  nozzle  applies 
to  the  Abol  Knapsack  Sprayer,  which  has  the 
same  fitting.  The  Four  Oaks  Undeniable  Syringe 
has  a  corrugated  outer  cover,  so  that  the  barrel 
within  is  imdentable.  Three  grades  of  nozzles 
are  supplied  to  this  serviceable  syringe,  including 
a  straight  jet.  An  excellent  spray  was  produced. 
Purser's  Arnold  Sprayer  No.  2,  from  Messrs. 
G.   and  W.   Purser,   Limited,   92,   Hatton   Garden, 


^^^^ ^ -    .     „     .      ,         value    to   horticulturists 

The^prmcipleis  that  of  pumping*^  into  the  machine  j  awards   were   made     by 

sufficient  air  pressure  to  expel  all  the  liquid  without  !  thorough  examination. 

further  pumping.    Messrs.  Heurjen  and 

Co.,    35,    Noble    Street,    E.C.,    were 

highly  commended  for  their  battery 

filler  and  holders,  which  are  of  sound 

construction,    and    created    a?  good 

impression    among    the    commercial 

fruit-growers  present. 

Large     Continuous     Pumping 

Sprayers.  —  A  very  serviceable 
wheeled  machine  with  powerful 
pumps,  and  known  as  the  Four 
Oaks  Large  Continuous  Piunping 
Battle  Sprayer,  was  highly  com- 
mended. This  machine  is  ftnmished 
with  two  15  -  feet  lengths  of 
armoured  hose,  and  for  spraying 
on  a  large  scale  it  is  decidedly 
useful.  Messrs.  Benton  and  Stone's 
Utility  Sprayer,  a  wheeled  machine 
with  a  powerful  pump,  was  com- 
mended by  the  judges.  It  is  par- 
ticularly useful  for  spraying  large 
standard  fruit  trees. 

Hand  Diffusers.— Quite  a  num- 
ber of  pneumatic  hand  sprayers 
specially  constructed  for  green- 
house or  conservatory  work,  and 
particularly  useful  to  exhibitors 
who  wish  to  freshen  their  ex- 
hibits at  fjower  shows,  were  on 
trial.  Most  of  them  hold  about 
four  pints  of  water,  and  are 
easily  manipulated.  The  Alpha 
Hand  Difluser,  shown  by  the 
Alpha  Extinguisher  Company,  was 
highlv  commended,  and  the  Holder 
Hand  Diffuser,  by  Messrs.  Hartjen 
and  Co.,  was  commended.  Both 
of  these  handy  sprayers  are  fitted 
with  an  automatic  stop  cock,  and 
so  easilv  manipulated  that  any 
child  might    use   them.      The 


of    all    classes,     as    the 
competent    judges   after 


A       SNAP-SHOT       PHOTOGRAPH       TAKEN       AT      THE 
SPRAYING     TRIALS. 


248 


THE    GAliDEN. 


[May  17,  1913. 


POND  WEEDS  AND  COPPER 
SULPHATE. 


FOR  several  years  past  a  considerable 
amount  of  trouble  has  been  caused  by 
the  presence  of  a  slimy-looking  scum 
upon  the  surface  of  ponds,  lakes,  tanks 
and  reservoirs  in  various  parts  of  the 
country,  and  requests  are  constantly 
being  made  for  information  regarding  a  method 
of  treatment  which  is  likely  to  eradicate  it  without 
injuring  Water  Lilies  and  other  aquatic  plants  and 
fish.  The  scum  is  caused  by  various  kinds  of 
Algffi,  low  orders  of  plant-life  allied  to  the  Sea- 
weeds, including  species  of  such  genera  as  Anabaena, 
Spirogyra  and  Ulothrix.  It  is  not  only  in  the 
British  Isles  that  these  or  allied  kinds  of  Alga; 
cause  trouble,  for  they  are  prevalent  on  the  Conti- 
nent, m  America,  the  Malay  States  and  elsewhere. 
In  some  countries  much  trouble  has  been  caused 
by  their  presence  in  reservoirs  of  water  intended 
for  domestic  purposes,  for,  in  addition  to  the  loath- 
some appearance  of  aiJected  water,  it  has  fre- 
quently an  abominable  stench,  and  numerous 
experiments  have  been  conducted  at  considerable 
expense  with  a  view  to  obtaining  a  cheap  method 
of  cleansing  the  water  without  making  it  detri- 
mental to  animal  or  human  Ufe.  Some  of  the 
Algae  form  a  considerable  amount  of  growth  below 
the  water,  and  one  common  kind  is  popularly 
called  Flannel-weed  on  account  of  Its  matted, 
thread-like  growths.  In  the  first  place,  people 
tried  to  rake  all  this  growth  out  of  the  water, 
but  that  only  created  a  temporary  relief,  and  after 
a  few  weeks  the  water  was  as  bad  as  ever.  Neither 
did  cleaning  out  lakes  and  pools  prevent  the  recur- 
rence of  scum ;  therefore  attention  was  directed 
to  finding  a  poisonous  chemical  which  could  be 
applied  in  small  enough  quantities  to  kill  the 
Algae  without  injuring  other  plants,  fish,  animals, 
or  human  beings.  A  good  deal  of  experimental 
work  was  conducted  in  America  and  other  coun- 
tries, the  Americans,  perhaps,  being  to  the  fore. 
As  a  result  of  these  experiments  it  was  found  that 
the  most  satisfactory  chemical  to  use  was  copper 
siJphate,  and  that  salt  has  now  been  taken  into 
general  use  for  the  purpose.  Highly  poisonous 
in  its  action,  one  part  to  1,000,000  parts  of  water 
is  sufficient  to  kill  the  Algae,  but  one  part  in 
750,000  parts  of  water  causes  no  injury  to  Water 
Lilies  nor  to  fish.  In  fact,  the  Americans  report 
that  gold-fish  and  minnows  live  indefinitely  in  a 
concentration  of  one  part  to  200,000,  whereas 
some  of  the  coarser  kmds  of  fish  will  stand  a  one 
in  50,000  concentration,  but  certain  delicate  kinds 
are  killed  in  a  one  to  500,000. 

Regarding  its  action  upon  animals  and  human 
beings,  it  is  argued  that  in  a  one  in  1,000,000 
solution,  50  quarts  of  water  a  day  would  have  to 
be  drunk  before  an  amount  of  copper  would  be 
absorbed  to  cause  any  unpleasant  action,  and  that 
after  a  few  hours  have  elapsed  from  the  time 
that  the  copper  sulphate  has  been  used,  there  would 
be  very  little  in  suspension  in  the  water,  as  a 
large  percentage  combines  with  the  Algae  or  is 
otherwise  precipitated. 

From  this  there  is  really  little  to  fear  from  the 
use  of  such  a  poisonous  substance,  providing  it  is 
used  with  care.  In  the  first  place,  a  careful  calcu- 
lation must  be  made  of  the  holding  capacity  of 
the  pond  or  lake  to  be  treated.  Then  the  weight 
of  the  water  may  be  taken  at  about  sixty-two  and 
one-third  pounds  to  the  cubic  foot,  and  the  copper 
sulphate  used  in  proportion.     It  may  be  applied 


to  the  water  in  two  ways — either  dissolved  in  a 
little  water  and  sprayed  over  the  sturface  of  the 
area  to  be  treated,  or  tied  in  a  canvas  bag  and 
drawn  through  the  water  until  dissolved.  When 
spraying  the  surface,  it  is  as  well  to  keep  the  mixture 
away  from  the  leaves  of  Water  Lilies,  or  it  will 
probably  bum  them  ;  once  diluted  with  the  water, 
however,  it  does  not  cause  harm.  On  no  account 
must  it  be  used  stronger  than  one  part  in  750,000, 
and  it  is  better  to  adopt  the  one  in  1,000,000 
concentration. 

In  a  Bulletin  on  the  subject  published  by  the 
American  Department  of  Agriculture,  it  is  said  that 
Watercress  beds  are  regularly  treated  in  some  parts 
of  America  without  injury  to  the  Watercress. 
An  instance  is  also  given  of  a  Kentucky  reservoir 
containing  25,000,000  gallons  of  water,  from  which 
in  July,  r903,  the  smell  became  unbearable  owing 
to  the  presence  of  various  kinds  of  Algae.  This 
was  treated  with  copper  sulphate  at  the  rate  of 
one  part  in  4,000,000  parts  of  water.  The  Algae 
was  killed  in  two  days,  and  the  smell  gradually 
disappeared.  In  addition  to  being  used  for  killing 
Algae,  it  is  said  that  a  concentration  of  one  part 
in  roo,ooo  kills  typhoid  and  cholera  germs  in  from 
three  to  four  hours,  and  mosquito  larvae  die  in  a 
concentration  varying  from  one  in  too, 000  to  one 
in  200,000.  As  a  rule,  about  two  applicatixjns  a 
year  may  be  expected  to  keep  the  water  clean. 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE    NOTES    ON    VEGE 
TABLES. 

Spinach. — Too  many  amateurs  and  cottagers 
who  pride  themselves  on  the  vegetables  produced 
in  their  gardens  either  neglect  Spmach  or  grow  it 
in  such  a  manner  that  it  is  impossible  for  its  full 
nutrient  and  medicinal  properties  to  be  developed. 
It  ought  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  vegetables  of  the  garden  and,  as 
such,  entitled  to  proper  attention.  To  ensure 
success  with  it  in  the  summer,  an  open  situation 
where  the  soil  is  deep  and  fertile  must  be  selected, 
as  unless  the  conditions  are  favourable  the  plants 
will  "  bolt "  in  a  most  disconcerting  and  dis- 
appointing manner.  Thin  seeding  must  be  the  rule, 
to  obviate  the  necessity  of  much  thinning  and  to 
encourage  a  thick-leaved,  splendid  plant  from  the 
start.  The  thinning  should  be  followed  up  until 
the  plants  stand  not  less  than  8  inches  asimder 
in  lines  about  one  foot  apaut.  Spinach  is  an 
excellent  crop  to  grow  between  other  kinds,  but 
it  must  have  plenty  of  fresh  air  and  unobstructed 
light  to  buUd  up  its  properties. 

Scarlet  Runners. — Between  the  present  date 
and  the  end  of  the  month  is  a  particularly  favour- 
able time  to  make  the  principal  sowing  of  this 
indispensable  autumn  vegetable,  and  the  finest 
results  can  be  achieved  only  when  the  site  chosen 
is  deep  and  the  soil  contains  an  abundant  supply 
of  readily  available  food.  Natural  manure  is  to 
be  preferred  to  chemicals  for  this  crop  ;  but  still 
heavier  returns  will  be  secured  when  the  first  named 
is  used  as  a  base  and  the  food  is  increased  by  the 
aid  of  the  concentrated  fertilisers.  It  is  essential 
that  the  drills  shall  be  flat-bottomed,  firm  and 
level,  and  in  no  instance  ought  the  seeds  to  be  set 
closer  than  6  inches,  while  the  plants  of  Sutton's 
Best  of  All  demand  12  inches  to  15  inches  in  which 
to  display  their  wonderful  powers  of  growtli  amd 
productiveness.  Ample  space  pays  with  these 
as  with  other  crops. 


Salsify  and  Scorzonera. — These  are  useful 
change  vegetables  of  which  one  or  two  good  rows 
may  well  find  a  place  in  gardens,  but  much  space 
should  not  be  accorded,  as  it  can  be  more  profit- 
ably used  for  other  kinds.  Those  who  can  spare 
a  little  room  should  sow  the  seeds  immediately, 
as  it  is  well  on  the  late  side.  The  drills  ought  to 
be  about  one  inch  deep,  and  the  seeds  should 
be  dropped  in  clusters  of  three  or  four  at  intervals 
of  8  inches.  Later  on,  thinning  will  have  to  be  done 
to  single  the  plants,  and  hoeing  will  keep  things 
going. 

Potatoes. — Amateur  and  cottage  gardeners  who 
like  to  postpone  their  tasks  imtil  the  latest  possible 
moment  must  now  realise  that  unless  they  plant 
any  Potatoes  still  remaining  out  of  the  grotmd  at 
once,  the  plants  will  not  have  time  to  make  perfect 
growth,  and,  in  the  absence  of  that,  one  cannot 
expect  to  produce  a  heavy  crop  of  excellent  tubers. 
Late  varieties  only  will  be  available,  and  the  lines 
should  not  be  less  than  33  inches  asunder,  and 
36  inches  is  to  be  preferred  in  most  soUs,  while 
15  inches  ought  to  separate  the  sets  in  the  rows. 
The  deepest  digging,  with  generous  but  judicious 
manuring,  is  imperative  if  the  finest  results  are  to 
be  secured.  Plants  of  early  varieties  will  be  coming 
through  the  surface,  and,  directly  they  are  seen, 
earthing  must  commence,  or  a  sudden  frost  may 
come  along  and  cut  them  down.  In  addition  to 
earthing  it  is  wise  to  have  at  hand  a  supply  of 
protective  material  to  hover  on  the  bed  if  it  is 
needed.  Immediately  prior  to  this  first  earthing 
is  a  suitable  time  to  apply  a  dressing  of  an  approved 
concentrated  food  to  the  plants. 

Hoeing. — It  is  imperative  that  the  hoe  shall  be 
kept  running  between  the  rows  of  all  vegetables 
from  the  time  that  the  lines  of  plants  can  be  clearly 
seen  showing  through  the  surface.  A  constant 
state  of  looseness,  to  the  point  of  dustiness,  con- 
serves the  moisture  in  the  soil  and  thus  encourages 
incessant  progress  in  the  plants  ;  while  at  the  same 
time  weeds  are  prevented  from  growing  to  the  stage 
of  flowering  and  shedding  their  seeds.  Beyond 
these  two  things,  each  of  which  is  of  great  import- 
ance, hoeing  admits  rain  freely  to  the  soil,  and  it 
is,  of  course,  followed  by  the  sweetening  and 
invigorating  fresh  air.  Thus  in  the  one  operation 
the  cultivator  does  immense  good  in  the  encourage- 
ment of  satisfactory  growth.  H.  J. 


THE     EDITOR'S    TABLE. 


A    White    Pelargonium    Sport. — Mr.    F.    W. 

Digwood,  The  Gardens,  Harewood  Park,  Ross- 
on-Wye,  writes  :  "  I  am  senduig  some  blooms  of 
a  white  Pelargonium  for  your  opinion.  It  is  a 
sport  from  the  pink  one  I  enclose,  Withyham. 
I  have  grown  it  now  for  five  years,  and  it  seems  to 
stand  all  right."  The  flowers  sent  are  remarkably 
fine,  being  over  two  inches  across,  pure  white, 
with  crimson  stigmata  and  borne  in  large 
trusses.  The  petals  are  delicately  fringed,  and 
we  regard  this  variety  as  an  improvement  on 
Purity. 

Rose    Niphetos    from    Bishop's    Waltham. — 

Mr.  E.  Molyneux,  Swanmore  House  Farm,  Bishop's 
Waltham,  Hants,  sends  some  superb  blooms  of 
this  old  but  fragrant  and  good  white  climbing 
Rose.  The  flowers  that  Mr.  Molyneux  sends 
prove,  a^  he  states  in  his  letter,  that  Niphetos  is 
still  far  from  being  played  out,  notwithstanding 
the  many  new  varieties  that  are  constantly  being 
raised. 


J3fe^ 


GARDEN. 


No.  2166.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


May  24,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  01  the  Webe 
cokbbspondemoe 
A  crippled  Pear  tree 
Saxif ruga  Khfti 
SUene  acauiia  for  the 

rock  garden 
Thefllty  beatalpines 
A  living    from    t.he 

land     

Toads  in  the  garden 
The  Narcissus  ily  . . 


219 

250 
261 

251 

251 

251 
251 
251 


Forthcoming  events..     251 

wobeers  amonq  the 
Flowers 
Mr.  S.  I.  Wright  ..     251 
Plowek  Garden 
Seasonable  notes  on 

Dahlias  ..  ..  252 
Auricnla  Flame  . .  252 
Tulips    at    Vincent 

Square 252 

A  useful    plant  for 
cutting        . .      . .     253 
Rock  and  Water  Garden 
An   Everlasting 
Flower    for    the 
rock  garden..      ..     254 
A  beautifoJ  rock  gar- 
den Violet  . .     . .     254 
The   perennial 
Candytuft  . .     . .     254 
CoLOOBKD  Plate 
Rose  Danie  . .     254 


Review  of  the  SrRiHQ 

Show    at  Chelsea    255 
Rose  Garden 
Top-dressing   Rose- 
beds     267 

Trees  and  Shkobs 
Str  ong-g  rowing 
climbers  for    per- 
golas         267 

Roblnias    or    False 
Acacias       ..      ..     268 

GARDEmNG  FOR  BEGINNERS 

A    simple    arrange- 
ment   of    summer 

beds 269 

How  to  harden  bed- 
ding-out plants..     269 
How   to   flu   liower- 
baskets        ..      ..     269 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens          270 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      270 

Chrtsanthemtim  Notes  271 
the     Fiiry      Best 

Moraine  Plants..     271 
New   and   Rare 

Plants 271 

Fruit  Gaedbn 

Spraying  fruit  trees    272 
Answers  to   Corre- 
spondents    . .      . .     272 


IliliOSTRATIONS. 

How  to  set  a  horiiontal  sundial 250 

Mr.  S.  T.  Wright 251 

Show  Auricula  Flame 252 

Hellchrysum  bellidioides       253 

Rose  Danae      Coloured  plate 

The  perennial  Candytuft       254 

Rose  Mme.  Edouard  Herriot        267 

A  apray  of  Rose  Acacia 268 

A  simple  arrangement  of  summer  beds      269 


BDITORIALr    NOTICBS. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  weloonua  photographs^  ariieUa  and  notes  ^ 
but  he  will  not  be  reeponeible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  vitl  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contribuiions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  mil  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artisti 
or  literary  contribuiions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
be  reoognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


To  Our  Readers. — In  this  Special  Double 
Number,  which  is  twice  the  ordinary  size,  vfill  be 
found  an  illustrated  review  of  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society's  Spring  Show,  which  was  this 
year  held  in  the  Chelsea  Hospital  Grounds  instead 
of  the  Inner  Temple  Gardens.  For  some  years 
past  the  Temple  Show  has  been  so  overcrowded 
that  it  was  impossible  for  visitors  to  see  the  exhibits 
with  any  degree  of  comfort,  and  the  Council  very 
wisely  decided  to  transfer  the  show  to  Chelsea, 
where  the  great  International  Exhibition  of  last 
year  was  held,  and  where  there  is  ample  space. 
Readers  who  have  friends  in  this  country  or  abroad 
who  are  interested  in  gardening  should  post  them 
a  copy  of  this  issue. 

Disbudding  Roses. — During  the  next  few  weeks 
the  disliudcUng  of  Roses,  where  such  a  course  is 
adopted,  will  need  attention.  Where  large,  bold 
flowers  are  desired,  thjre  is  no  doubt  that  the  re- 
moval of  the  weakest  and  badly-placed  buds, 
leaving  only  the  best  one  of  each  truss,  has  much 
to  commend  it.  There  are  many,  however,  who 
prefer  to  allow  their  Roses  to  develop  naturally, 
carmg  not  that  the  flowers  are  small.  The  advisa- 
bility or  otherwise  of  disbudding  is  therefore 
purely  a  question  of  individual  taste. 

The  Bardfield  Oxiip. — This  is  the  most  beautiful 
of  our  native  Primulas,  and  one  that  is  by  no  means 
widely  distributed.  In  common  with  the  Cowslip, 
it  has  been  flowering  very  freely  this  year,  and 
recently,  when  in  the  Bardfield  district,  we  noticed 
a  very  beautiful  colony  in  a  rather  thicldy-wooded 
plantation.  Curiously  enough,  the  natives  of 
Essex  call  the  Cowslip  Peggie  or  Paigle,  and  the 
Oxlip  is  known  to  them  as  the  Cowslip.  The  true 
Bardfield  Oxlip  is  a  plant  well  worth  a  place  in 
the  best  gardens,  and  will  thrive  well  in  moist, 
loamy  soil.  It  is  generally  regarded  as  a  natural 
cross  between  the  Primrose  and  Cowslip,  but  of  this 
there  is  some  doubt.  Certainly  in  appearance 
it  is  midway  between  the  two. 

Honesty  in  the  Wild  Garden. — A  very  pretty 
effect  has  been  noticed  over  a  period  of  several 
weeks  at  Kew  by  an  informal  group  of  the  common 
Honesty  (Lunaria  annua,  or  L.  biennis  as  it  is 
often  called).  Seeds  were,  apparently,  sown 
broadcast  among  hardy  Ferns  growing  in  a  thin 
shrubbery,  and  the  plants,  now  a  couple  of  feet 
high  and  masses  of  flowers,  have  not  the  slightest 
appearance  of  formality.  Contrasted  with  the 
various  shades  of  green  seen  in  the  young  fronds 
of  the  Ferns  and  the  leaves  of  the  shrubs,  the 
reddish  flowers  are  seen  to  considerable  advantage, 
and  one  cannot  but  admit  that  the  plant  is  much 
prettier  and  better  fitted  for  this  method  of 
culture  than  for  planting  in  formal-shaped  beds. 
As  the  seeds  can  be  sown  in  the  places  where  the 
plants  are  to  flower,  a  good  deal  of  trouble  in 
transplanting  is  saved. 


Azaleas  at  Kew. — Anyone  who  is  anxious  to 
sif  thi'  .\zaleas  in  flower  at  Kew  would  do  well 
to  pay  their  visit  before  the  end  of  May,  for  the 
plants  will  be  at  their  best  about  the  last  week  of 
the  month.  Of  the  many  outdoor  displays  at  Kew, 
the  show  of  Azaleas  is  one  of  the  best,  and  large 
numbers  of  visitors  make  annual  excursions  to 
see  them.  Situated  between  the  Palm  House 
and  the  Rhododendron  Dell,  the  Azalea  garden 
is  to  be  found  in  an  opening  amid  large  specimen 
Beeches  and  Oaks,  the  plants  being  arranged  in 
a  large  number  of  beds  on  a  smoothly-kept  lawn. 
Here  almost  every  shade  of  red,  yellow  and  pink 
is  to  be  found,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  imagine 
a  finer  picture  than  the  masses  of  showy  yet 
delicate  colours  of  the  flowers  amid  the  setting 
of  bright  green  leaves  of  the  trees  around. 

Cunningham's    White     Rhododendron.— This 

is  a  fairly  well-known  evergreen  Rhododendron, 
but  its  true  value  is  known  to  few,  or  it  would  be 
cultivated  much  more  extensively.  Rhododendron 
Cimningham's  White  is  a  very  hardy  sort,  escaping 
a  severe  winter  when  even  the  common  R.  ponticum 
has  suffered.  It  also  thrives  in  soil  when  lime  is 
present  ;  in  fact,  its  general  value,  both  in  hardi- 
ness, growth  and  habit,  is  so  good  that  the  plant 
finds  favour  among  propagators  as  a  stock  tor 
the  choice  sorts,  particularly  on  the  Continent. 
For  covert  planting  and  shrubbery  culture  Cunning- 
ham's White  equals,  or  even  surpasses,  R.  ponticum. 
It  flowers  earlier  than  R.  ponticum,  being  tully 
open  usually  about  the  middle  of  May.  The 
flowers  are  white,  with  a  faint  flush  of  lilac  or 
mauve,  which  as  they  reach  maturity  is  less  pro- 
nounced. Layering  is  the  most  satisfactory 
method  of  propagating  this  Rhododendron. 

"  Fire  "   in  Tulips   in  1913.— Owing  to  the 

inclement  season,  the  flowers  and  foliage  of  Tulips 
have  in  many  gardens  been  much  affected  with 
a  fungus,  known  botanically  as  Botrytis  galanthina. 
It  shows  itself  as  ugly,  withered-looking  spots, 
which,  in  damp  weather  especially,  are  often 
covered  with  "  mould,"  and  which  rapidly  extend 
in  size  and  infect  adjacent  parts.  If  the  attack 
is  not  too  bad,  constant  picking  or  cutting  off  all 
the  bad  parts  is  advised.  If  the  attack  is  so  bad 
that  nothing  practically  would  be  left  if  all  the 
diseased  places  were  removed,  it  will  still  be  best 
to  resort  to  the  knife.  The  bulbs  may  then  be 
left  where  they  are  to  ripen  off,  or  they  may  be 
lifted  with  their  roots  and  put  into  boxes  filled 
with  light  soil,  where  the  same  process  may  take 
place.  Tulips  should  not  be  planted  in  the  same 
soil  the  following  year.  Undoubtedly  protection 
from  cold  and  wind  helps  to  keep  the  plants  healthy. 
A  constant  watch  should  be  kept  at  all  times  for 
the  appear£uice  of  the  spots,  which  should  at  once 
be  removed  and  burned.  Bulbs  which  have  had 
their  leaves  destroyed  by  "fire"  will  be  weakened 
in  proportion  to  the  extent  of  the  damage  done, 
and  must  not  be  expected  to  produce  full-sized 
blooms  the  following  year. 


250 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  24,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The    Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the  opinions 
expressed   by   correspondents, ) 


A  Crippled  Pear  Tree. — I  was  much  interested 
to  see  the  illustration  on  page  238  of  last  week's 
issue  of  a  Pear  tree  which,  though  blown  over, 
still  continues  to  flower  and  bear  fruit.  Some 
years  ago  I  had  under  my  charge  a  half-standard 
Blenheim  Orange  Apple  tree  which,  during  a  gale, 
was   blown   over   in   the   same   way.     As   the   tree 


A. — SUNDIAL    FIXED    FOR    ENGLAND. 

was  about  thirty  years  old  and  in  its  prime,  and 
as  it  was  not  an  inconvenience,  it  was  decided  to 
leave  it.  For  some  years  afterwards,  and  as  long 
as  it  was  under  my  observation,  this  tree  con- 
tinued to  bear  splendid  crops  of  first-quaUty  fruit. 
Indeed,  the  check  to  the  roots  was  undoubtedly  bene- 
ficial, as  the  tree,  in  its  crippled  state,  cropped  more 
freely  than  before  the  accident.  Many  of  the  large 
roots  were  quite  bare,  but,  of  course,  sufficient  re- 
mained in  the  soil  to  nourish  the  tree. — A.  B.  Essex. 
Cutting  the  Foliage  of  Bulbs. — Your  useful 
reminder  on  page  225,  May  10  issue,  of  the  value 
of  removing  seed-vessels  from  bulbs  is  accompanied 
by  another  valuable  one  advising  that  the  leaves 
should  not  be  cut.  The  cutting  of  the  leaves  of 
bulbs  is  a  much  more  common  practice  than  is 
generally  believed  by  those  who  grow  them  in  a 
rational  manner,  and  who  allow  the  foliage  to 
ripen  before  removing  it,  thus  giving  the  bulb 
all  the  chances  possible.  One  regrets,  also,  to  see 
that  so  many  leaves  have  been  cut  from  Narcissi 
in  order  to  supply  the  demand  for  their  own  foliage 
to  accompany  the  flowers.  It  is  impossible  not 
to  sympathise  with  the  taste  whicb  counsels  the 
use  of  their  own  foliage  with  such  flowers,  as  they 
generally  look  better  when  so  displayed  thjui  when 
set  up  with  other  leaves.  One  is  led  to  pen  this 
note  from  seeing  so  many  Daffodils  cut  remorse- 
lessly down  for  foliage  to  use  with  the  flowers. 
It  is  little  wonder  that  so  many  complain  of  Narcissi 
refusing  to  flower  and  even  dying  out.  A  little 
consideration  in  the  way  of  selecting  foliage  from 
several  instead  of  from  one  or  two  plants  only 
will  palliate  matters,  but  it  cannot  be  too  frequently 
impressed  upon  all  that  bulbous  plants  suffer  greatly 
when  their  foliage  is  cut  off  prematurely. — S.  A. 


How    to  Grow   Gentiana  verna. — The  Vernal 

Gentian  is  such  a  lovely  flower  that  its  requirements 
deserve  full  qpnsideration  at  our  hands.  To  succeed 
with  it  is  to  be  the  possessor  of  one  of  the  choicest 
gems  of  the  alpine  flora.  Unfortimately,  just  as 
with  the  Gentianella,  G.  acaulis,  it  is  impossible 
to  assert  that  it  will  succeed  in  any  particular 
garden  under  certain  treatment.  In  many  gardens 
it  has  to  receive  special  treatment,  while  in  others 
it  appears  to  grow  with  the  minimum  of  difficulty. 
In  my  own  garden  I  have  now  been  successful 
with  it  in  a  low,  rather  moist  part,  exposed  to  the 
sun,  however,  but  surfaced  with  stone  chips, 
and  these  are  kept  renewed  and  brought  up  to  the 
neck  of  the  plants  as  there  is  occasion.  I  have  seen 
it  growmg  admirably  on  the  top  of  a  low  retaining 
wall,  with  plenty  of  stones  about  it.  In  some  places, 
however,  I  find  it  thrives  well  without  any  special 
care,  save  that  afforded  other  alpines. — S.  Arnott, 
Dumfries.  N.B. 

How    to   Set   a    Horizontal   Sundial. — 11  the 

sundial  is  for  use  as  garden  ornament,  the  follow- 
ing is  usually  considered  a  sufficiently  accurate 
method  of  setting.  Select  a  bright  sunny  day  (as 
near  as  possible  to  the  summer  solstice  is  generally 
preferred),  and,  first  making  sure  that  the  dial- 
plate  is  perfectly  level,  so  arrange  the  dial  that  at 
twelve  o'clock  the  shadow  of  the  gnomon  (or  style) 
points  to  the  XII.  on  the  dial-plate.  If,  however, 
greater  accuracy  is  desired,  the  first  thing  to  be 
considered  is  whether  the  dial  itself  is  made  and 
marked  correctly  for  the  district  in  which  it  is 
to  be  used.  A  sundial  made  for  the  South  of 
England  would  be  useless  in  the  North,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  the  style  (or  gnomon)  must  point 
to  the  Pole  star,  the  altitude  of  which  varies  with 
the  latitude.  The  angle  formed  by  the  style  with 
a  plate  made  for  London  would  be  5iJ°.  In  New- 
castle the  angle  would  be  more  obtuse,  being  90° 
at  the  North  Pole.  South  of  London  the  angle 
becomes  more  acute  the  nearer  the  Equator  is 
approached.  Assuming  that  the  dial-plate  is 
correct  for  the  district,  a  line  drawn  from  the  centre 
of  the  style,  through  the  XII.  mark,  should  point 
to  the  Polar  or  Geographical  North,  which  in 
England  may  be  taken  as  18°  58"  East  of  the 
Magnetic  North.  Even  with  the  utmost  care 
having  been  taken  in  the  manufacture  and  fixing 
of  a  horizontal  sundial  it  can  only  be  considered 
as  supplying  an  approximate  measurement  of  time. 
The  accompanying  diagrams  illustrate  the  dial 
fixed  for  England  in  relation  to  the  cardinal  points 
as  given  by  a  mariner's  compass  (a)  and  the 
elevation  of  the  style  above  the  dial-plate  for 
London  (b). — Geo.  Dillistone. 

Primula  cockburniana  :  How  Far  is  It 
Perennial  ? — This  question  is  asked  by  Mr.  Amott 
in  your  issue  of  May  10,  page  229.  Under  certain 
conditions  it  is  perennial,  but  sown  annually  and 
treated  as  a  biennial  better  results  are  obtained. 
I  have  a  bed  here  in  which  several  plants  flowered 
last  year,  and  they  are  coming  into  flower  again, 
clearly  pointmg  to  their  perennial  character.  The 
position  is  in  full  sun.  They  are  growing  in  very 
gritty  soil,  with  a  great  proportion  of  broken  chips 
mixed  with  loam,  sand  and  leaf-soil.  A  foot  of 
this  soil  on  the  top  of  another  foot  of  co£irser  drainage 
will  be  found  suitable  to  keep  the  plants  in  health 
for  several  years. -John  Macwatt,  Morelands,  Duns. 

Mr.  Amott's  experiments  with  this  charm- 
ing plant  are  interesting,  and  I  hope  he  may  yet 
succeed  in  establishing  its  reputation  as  a  perennial. 
So  far,  our  experience  here  is  but  a  confirmation 
of  his.  We  have  grown  it  both  as  a  pondside 
plant,   with   its   feet   in   water,    and   in    a  high   and 


fairly  dry  position.  It  flourishes  either  way, 
but  proves  nothing  but  a  biennial  with  us.  There 
is  no  doubt  that  this  and  many  other  of  the  newer 
Primulas  are  but  Uttle  understood  at  present. 
Some  enthusiasts  will,  I  hope,  take  them  in  hand 
and  learn  and  teach  all  about  them,  so  that  we  may 
handle  them  with  the  certitude  and  assurance 
with  which  we  now  handle  Auriculas  and  Primroses. 
When  they  are  better  understood,  the  new-comers 
of  the  Primula  family  have  a  great  reception 
awaiting  them. — Robert  Peel  Sheldon,  Hawk- 
hurst,  Kent. 

I  am  afraid  the  most  ardent  admirers  of 

this  beautiful  Primrose  will  have  difficulty  in 
substantiating  its  claim  to  be  a  perennial.  True, 
there  are  instances  where  it  has  stood  through 
three  winters,  as  has  been  the  case  with  those 
under  the  care  of  my  old  friend  Mr.  William 
Hutchmson  at  Terregles,  as  cited  by  Mr.  Amott 
on  page  229  of  The  Garden  for  May  10  ;  but  one 
or  two  isolated  instances  are  not  sufficient  to 
warrant  its  being  classed  as  perennial.  I  have  grown 
this  lovely  little  gem  for  several  years,  and  have 
also  been  fortunate  in  keeping  it  through  two 
winters  in  certain  positions  ;  but  the  great  majcffity 
of  the  plants  were  nothing  more  or  less  than 
biennial.  The  plants,  which  survived  two  winters, 
were  planted  fairly  high  up  in  a  pocket,  facing 
east,  in  a  thoroughly  well-drained  part  of  the  rock 
garden.  Others  grown  under  similar  conditions, 
but  with  a  northern  exposure,  failed  to  live  through 
the  winter.  The  soil  in  which  they  were  planted 
was  a  fairly  light  compost  of  yellow  loam  and 
leaf-mould,  with  some  rough  river  sand  added. 
The  freedom  with  which  P.  cockburniana  seeds 
and  reproduces  itself  by  this  means  amply  justifies 
its  being  treated  as  a  biennial ;  and  really,  after 
all,  is  it  worth  while  trying  to  make  it  otherwise  ? 

-7* 


flNCjLE      5(4 


B. — elf;vation  of  style  above  the 

DIAL-PLATE    FOR    LONDON. 

Beautiful  little  groups  of  year  old  plants  are 
exceedingly  effective,  the  richness  of  the  colouring 
being  very  conspicuous,  and  I  do  not  think  that 
its  biennial  character  will  be  in  the  least  a  draw- 
back to  its  popularity.  I  shall,  however,  he 
interested  to  learn  the  results  of  Mr.  Amott's 
experiments  with  this  very  charming  Primula. — • 
William  Little,  Ochilview,  Bridge  oj  Earn,  N.B, 


May  24,  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


251 


Saxitnga  Rhsei. — ^This  Mossy  Saxifrage  is 
one  of  the  freest  flowering  we  have,  and  several 
fine  dumps  are  now  quite  a  mass  of  bloom.  For 
several  years  they  have  been  established  on  the 
rockwork  of  a  bridge,  with  a  very  shallow  root- 
run,  subjected  to  extremes  of  heat  and  drought, 
cold  and  rains,  and  under  trying  conditions  which 
many  other  plants  rese«t. — E.  Beckett,  Aldenham 
House  Gardens,  Elstree. 

Silene   acaulis    for    the    Rock    Garden.— Mr. 

Farrer,  m  "  The  Rock  Garden."  page  48,  says  : 
"  Do  not  trouble  about  S.  acaulis.  It  may  grow 
well  in  soil  or  moraine,  but  it  rarely,  if  ever,  flowers 
as  it  should."  I  trust  enthusiasts  will  not  be  put 
off  by  this,  for  I  have  just  seen  a  patch  in  an  alpine 
garden  here  so  studded  with  buds  that  when  it 
flowers  it  will  be  a  sheer  mass  of  pink  which  could 
not  be  beaten  even  in  the  Alps,  except  for  size  of 
the  mass.  It  is  growing  in  a  light,  limy  loam  in 
full  sun  with  no  special  preparation.  So  let  us  still 
experiment  with  this  e.xquisite  native  until  success 
rewards  our  efforts. — E.  B,  .-Anderson,  Dublin. 

The  Fifty  Best  Alpines. — I  have  been  sorely 
tempted  to  send  my  list  of  the  fifty  best  alpines, 
but  I  think  the  subject  has  been  dealt  with  suffi- 
ciently. I  only  wish  to  remark  that  in  none  of  the 
lists  sent,  nor  for  that  matter  in  any  catalogue  I 
have  (and  their  number  is  legion),  do  I  find  a  plant 
mentioned  which  is  very  distinct  and  well  suited 
for  rock  gardening.  It  rejoices  in  the  name  of 
Tetraganobolus  siliquosus  [Lotus  siliquosus. — 
Ed.],  at  least  so  it  was  named  to  me  by  a  resident 
of  the  neighbourhood  where  I  found  it,  viz., 
Walchensee  in  Bavaria.  At  one  time  it  threatened 
to  be  too  great  a  robber  of  space  in  my  small  rock 
garden,  and  even  now  no  stones  can  keep  it  in 
bounds.  It  comes  out  the  other  side  and  seeds 
freely.  It  has  a  pretty  lemon-coloured  Pea  blossom. 
1  am  no  botanist,  and  cannot  describe  it  otherwise 
than  as  a  creeping  Pea. — Ellen  E.  Stevenson. 

A  Living  from  the  Land. — In  the  central 
column  of  page  236,  The  Garden,  issue  May  10, 
there  appears  a  splendid  answer  to  a  correspondent 
seeking  for  advice  on  the  above  subject.  Other 
readers  of  The  Garden  who  may  be  contemplating 
working  land  in  order  to  make  a  living  from  it 
should  also  read  this  reply.  Sound  advice  is  given, 
and  such  is  always  beneficial  to  enquirers.  Facts 
must  be  faced  and  every  detail  connected  with 
the  matter  duly  studied.  If  would-be  florists 
and  market-gardeners  would  do  all  this,  there 
would  be  fewer  unfortunate  ventures  in  this  direc- 
jtion.  A  good  home  and  a  regular  income  should 
not  be  given  up  without  much  careful  thought.  It  has 
been  my  duty  to  answer  many  enquiries  such  as  the 
one  referred  to,  and  while  giving  due  encouragement, 
I  have  never  hesitated  to  point  out  all  the  draw- 
backs I  am  acquainted  with,  this,  because  I  know 
of  many  failures  as  well  as  successes. — B. 

Toads  in  the  Garden. — As  stated  recently  in 
your  journal,  the  value  of  toads  as  destroyers 
c-f  insects  in  the  garden  is  great,  and  they  should 
be  encouraged  in  every  way.  Many  people  dis- 
like toads,  and  call  them  beastly  and  so  forth. 
A  closer  acquaintance  will,  however,  dispel  this, 
for  the  eye  of  the  toad  is  very  beautiful,  while  its 
manner  of  disposing  of  insects  and  worms  is  most 
interesting.  It  will  watch  its  prey  for  some  time, 
and  at  the  least  sign  of  movement  the  long,  glutinous 
tongue  of  the  toad  is  protruded  with  a  snap  and 
the  insect  disappears.  If  it  happens  to  be  a  vigorous 
beetle,  its  struggles  against  the  sides  of  the  toad 
may  be  seen  for  some  Utile  time.  Toads  may 
be  encouraged  in  the  garden  by  forming  them  a 
cool  and  shady  retreat    with  a  few    bricks.      One 


liT»d  in  this  way  in  my  garden  for  a  couple  of  years, 
until  it  unaccountably  disapp«ar«d.  It  was  so 
much  at  home  that  it  would  come  out  of  its  retrsat 
to  be  fed  when  I  whistled  for  it,  returning  to  its 
quarters  when  satisfied.  It  would  readily  eat 
an  insect  from  off  my  hand.  A  fact  that  interestsd 
everyone  was  that  it  would  eat  wasps  and  bees 
as  readily  as  anything  •Ise.  The  toad  being  a 
cold-blooded  animal,  their  stings  had  no  effect 
upon  i:  To  illustrate  this  I  used  to  catch  some 
wasps  and  imprison  them  under  a  bell-glass,  and 
then  slip  the  toad  in  with  them.  One  by  one  as 
they  came  within  reach  of  his  tongue  they  were 
gobbled  up.  After  the  disappearance  of  my 
specimen,  changes  took  place,  which  has  prevented 
me  from  acquiring  a  successor. — H.  P. 

The  Narcissus  Fly. — I  have  been  much  interested 
to  read  'he  article  by  G.  St.  Ox  in  your  issue  of 
the  26th  lilt.,  page  203,  on  merodons.  I  would 
like  1 1  add  a  little  from  experience  also.  The  fly 
is  to  be  recognised  partly  by  its  queer  hum  or  sing 
of  its  v.ings  and  by  its  yellow  or  red  lower  part 
of  its  body,  and  it  is  easily  confused  with  another 
fly,  a  sr)rt  of  darting,  hovering  one  that  has  a  pointed 


MR.    S.    T.    WRIGHT. 

tail.  This  5  not  a  merodon  fly.  A  fact  of  interest 
is  that  a  flv  will  nearly  always  lay  its  eggs  in  the 
same  bed  ?_nd  close  to  where  it  itself  was  hatched, 
and  I  "hiuK  we  can  from  this  presume  it  will  hang 
about  ttdt  part  of  the  garden  border  or  bed.  I 
have  as  far  back  as  seven  or  eight  years  ago  dis- 
covered that  eggs  late  hatched  do  not  mature  into 
full-grown  grubs  in  time  to  leave  the  bulb  early 
in  February  or  the  end  ot  January,  and  so  remain 
on  or  eat  their  way  into  a  neighbouring  bulb. 
And,  further,  bulbs  that  are  imported  from  abroad 
are  far  more  infected  with  grubs  than  those  grown 
in  our  c  mntry.  Q.E.D.,  buy  home-grown  bulbs. 
Last  year  we  had  great  fun  with  a  net  as  described 
in  the  article,  and  digging  up  all  our  bulbs  in  the 
autunm,  with  carefully  scrutinising  those  replanted, 
has  resulted  this  year  in  no  merodons  being  caught, 
though  we  have  looked  for  them  for  days.  We 
think  we  havt  seen  one  once. — W.  F.  M.  Copeland. 


WORKERS    AMONG    THE 
FLOWERS. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 
May    27. — Rhododendron    Show    at    the    Royal 
Horticultural   Society's   Hall    (four    days).      Bath 
and  West  and  Soulhern  Counties   Society's   Show 
at  Truro  (five  days). 


MR.     S.     T.     WRIGHT. 

IT   is   with   pleasure   that   we   publish   in   this 
special  issue  a  portrait  of  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright, 
the    genial    superintendent    of    the    Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  Gardens  at   Wisley. 
It  is  given  to  few  men  who  are  engaged  in 
horticulture  to  come  so  prominently  before 
the    public    as    has    Mr.   Wright   during    the    last 
seventeen  years,   the   period  that   he  has  held  the 
office  he  now  occupies. 

Practically  the  whole  of  his  working  life  has 
been  devoted  to  gardening,  his  horticultural  career 
commencing  at  Snelston  Hall,  Derbyshire,  under 
Mr.  McPherson,  who  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
finest  fruit-growers  of  the  day.  From  Snelston 
Hall  Mr.  Wright  went  to  Alton  Towers  under  Mr. 
Rabone,  and  from  there  to  Wood  Seat  in  Stafford- 
shire, the  gardens  of  which  were  famed  in  those 
days  for  Grapes.  After  two  years  there  as  fruit 
foreman,  the  subject  of  our  portrait  went  as  head- 
gardener  to  C.  B.  Kingdon,  Esq.,  Ednaston  Lodge, 
Derbyshire,  a  position  that  he  occupied  for  seven 
years,  until  the  estate  was  sold.  Ross,  near 
Hereford,  was  his  next  venue,  head-gardener 
to  C.  Lee-Campbell,  Esq.,  Glenston  Court,  being 
his  position  in  the  West  Country.  Here,  in  addition 
to  the  gardens  proper,  Mr.  Wright  had  charge  of 
extensive  fruit  plantations,  and  we  find  him  spending 
ten  years  in  this  position,  relinquishing  it  only 
when  the  lease  of  the  estate  expired.  It  was 
fortunate  for  horticulture  generally  that  this  expira- 
tion caused  him  to  retire  from  Glenston  Court, 
because  at  that  time — in  1895,  to  be  precise — 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  were  casting  about 
for  a  supermtendent,  and  their  choice  tell  on  Mr. 
Wright,  who  commenced  his  duties  on  January  i, 
1896. 

How  numerous  and  varied  these  duties  are,  few 
people  really  know.  One  would  naturally  assume 
that  the  supervision  of  the  gardens  at  Wisley,  with 
their  many  ramifications,  would  be  sufficient  in 
itself  to  keep  him  fully  occupied.  Yet  until  about 
two  years  ago,  when  Mr.  Fielder  was  appointed 
to  that  position,  he  acted  as  official  adviser  of  the 
society,  and  in  that  capacity  visited  and  advised 
on  Fellows'  gardens  in  all  parts  of  the  United 
Kingdom,  with  the  result  that  there  are  few 
localities  with  which  he  is  not  familiar.  Then 
we  find  him  at  every  one  of  the  fortnightly  shows 
held  by  the  society  at  Vincent  Square,  superintend- 
ing the  erection  of  staging,  spacing  of  exhibits,  and 
acting  as  a  sort  of  walking  encyclopaedia  to  any 
of  the  Fellows  who  may  require  his  assistance. 
During  the  first  season  he  is  usually  kept  busy 
naming  fruits,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  anyone  knows 
hardy  fruits  better.  Even  obscure  varieties  of 
Apples  and  Pears  that  the  average  gardener  has 
seldom  or  never  heard  of  are  an  open  book  to  him. 
It  is  at  the  great  exhibitions,  such  as  the 
Temple  and  Holland  House,  that  Mr.  Wright's 
genius  as  an  organiser  is  put  to  the  supreme  test. 
Probably  no  one  but  he  knows  the  difficulties  that 
have  been  encountered  at  the  Temple  Gardens 
during  the  last  few  years  in  packing  numerous  and 
ever-expanding  exhibits  into  a  limited  space,  and  it 
must  have  been  a  great  relief  to  him  this  year  to 
have  the  larger  space  in  the  Chelsea  Hospital 
Grounds  for  arranging  the.  great  spring  show. 
Imperturbable  and  courteous  always.  Mr.  Wright 
is  regarded  by  all  those  privileged  to  know  him  as 
the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  That  he  may 
long  be  spared  to  fill  it  is  our  earnest  wish. 


252 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  24,  1913. 


THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE     NOTES    ON    DAHLIAS. 

THERE  is  perhaps  no  other  florists'  flower 
which  has  experienced  such  ebbs  and 
flows  of  popularity  as  the  DahUa ; 
but  it  is  now,  and  has  been  for 
several  years,  on  the  rising  tide, 
and  it  is  likely  to  continue  to 
advance  in  general  esteem  as  long  as  we  find 
the  raisers  of  new  varieties  bringing  forward 
the  splendid  qualities  that  have  character- 
ised the  introductions  of  recent  years.  The  im- 
provement has  been  marked  in 
every  desirable  direction,  and  if 
some  genius  would  impart  delight- 
ful perfume  to  the  best  quaUty 
of  the  day,  we  should  have  an 
ideal  flower  for  our  gardens. 

The  Dahlia  is  not  a  plant  tor 
one  man,  for  one  class  of  men,  for 
one  garden,  or  for  one  district, 
since  it  will  grow  anywhere,  pro- 
vided that  the  owner  desires,  or, 
better  still,  determines,  to  grow  it. 
I  have  seen  blooms  in  a  backyard 
only  a  few  feet  square  that  would 
have  graced  any  show-board  in 
the  country,  and  the  cultivator  was 
a  shoemaker  by  trade. 

There  is  one  respect  in  which 
growers  are  prone  to  be  at  fault. 
They  have  a  collection  of  varieties 
that  has  been  steadily  built  up  and 
contains,  in  their  opinion,  the  very 
best.  So  far  good  ;  but  they  are 
too  apt  to  rest  content  with  those 
they  have,  and  it  is  a  difficult 
matter  to  persuade  them  to  make 
changes.  Herein  they  are  correct 
to  a  point.  To  retain  old  favourites 
is  sound  from  every  point  of  view, 
but  to  fail  to  try  one  or  two  fresh 
ones  every  season  is  a  short-sighted 
policy  that  can  only  result  in  the 
collection  gradually,  or  rapidly, 
falling  behind.  It  is  quite  im- 
material how  many  varieties  are 
grown ;  some  additions  must  be 
made  each  year,  and  now  is  the 
time  to  do  it.  In  The  Garden 
the  leading  specialists  in  Dahlias — 
as  in  other  flowers,  too,  tor  that 
matter — advertise  their  wares,  and 
they  have  at  this  moment  excellent 
stocks  of  the  leading  novelties,  and 
from  them  a  choice  ought  to  be 
made.  No  matter  how  superb  a 
variety  may  be,  trial  will  assuredly 
bring  forth  one  that  is  superior, 
when  the  old  stager  will  have  to  take 
a  back  place.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  new-comer  may  not  please,  in  which  event  it  is 
sate  to  assert  that  the  grower  will  not  make  a  special 
effort  to  perpetuate  it.  The  rule  must  be  to  make 
experiments  with  a  view  to  keeping  in  the  front. 

Preparing  the  Soil. — This  is  an  important 
task,  and  it  might  to  be  put  in  hand  immediately, 
that  is  to  say,  where  it  has  not  yet  been  accom- 
plished. The  plants  are  gross  feeders,  but  this 
by  no  means  implies  that  rotten  manure  should 
come  in  contact  with  the  roots  ;  on  the  contrary, 
they  will  resent  it.  Form  deep  stations  and  with 
the  bottom  mix  the  manure,  and  above  that  put 


a  6-inch  layer  of  the  finest  fresh  soil  at  command. 
The  roots  quickly  secure  a  hold,  and  later,  as 
progress  is  made,  the  plants  derive  immense  benefit 
from  the  excellent  food  put  down  below.  There 
is  no  fear  of  its  loss  in  so  long  a  season  of  growth 
as  the  Dahlia  demands  ;  in  fact,  it  is  the  other 
way  about,  since  Dahlias  will  exhaust  the  supply 
before  the  end  and  will  require  special  assistance 
from  the  cultivator. 

The  Stakes. — When  Dahlias  are  admirably 
grown  in  excellent  soil,  they  make  plants  which 
ofier  enormous  resistance  to  the  wind,  and  as 
the  shoots  are  always  brittle,  there  is  serious  danger 
that   there   will  be   disaster  miless   the  staking  is 


of  June,  the  results  will  be  perfectly  satisfactory, 
provided,  of  course,  that  all  other  essential  details 
are  correctly  carried  out.  The  plants  are  decidedlv 
tender,  and  even  when  protection  is  afiorded  it 
is  difficult,  and  sometimes  quite  impossible,  to 
prevent  a  check  to  advance,  and  this  is  in  no  sense 
desirable.  With  plants  that  have  been  thoroughly 
hardened  and  are  splendidly  rooted,  the  work 
may  be  done  at  discretion,  but  dull,  showery 
weather  is  most  conducive  to  success.  J.  H. 

AURICULA    FLAME. 

If  there  was  one  Auricula  which  by  virtue  of  its 
brilliant  colour  stood  out  from  all  others  at  the 
recent  Auricula  show  held  at 
Vincent  Square,  it  was  the  variety 
Flame.  It  was  shown  in  Mr.  J. 
Douglas'  winning  exhibit  in  the 
well  -  contested  class  for  twelve 
Auriculas,  dissimilar.  It  is  a  typical 
show  variety,  with  broad  banded 
petals,  and  paste  on  leaves  and 
flowers.  The  colour,  which  is  the 
remarkable  feature  of  the  variety, 
may  best  be  described  as  a  brilliant 
ruby  crimson,  and  of  a  vivid  glow 
that  made  it  conspicuous  among 
all  other  varieties. 


SHOW    AURICULA    FLAME,    A    BEAUTIFUL    VARIETY    WITH    RUBY 
CRIMSON    FLOWERS. 


done  with  care  and  efficiency.  The  one  principal 
support  should  be  placed  in  position  immediately 
the  preparation  of  the  station  is  completed,  and 
not  afterwards,  as  is  sometimes  done  by  the  novice. 


TULIPS     AT    VINCENT 
SQUARE. 

May  14. 
No  account  of  the  display  of  Tulips 
in  the  Hall  on  May  14  would  be 
complete  without  a  few  words  by 
way  of  preface,  on  the  eternal 
subject  of  the  weather.  It  would 
be  unseemly  for  me  to  describe  it  ; 
but  as  the  late  Archbishop  Magee 
said,  when  some  footman  anointed 
the  episcopal  coat  with  soup, 
"  Will  some  layman  please  make 
an  appropriate  remark  ?  "  There 
were  unmistakable  signs  of  what 
the  flowers  had  gone  through,  not 
the  least  significant  being  the 
empty  benches  which  had  been 
reserved  for  the  competitive  dis- 
plays of  "Cottages"  and  "  Dar- 
wins,"  which  one  fondly  hoped  were 
going  to  initiate  a  long  series  of 
friendly  contests  among  the  ama- 
teur Tulip-growers  of  Great  Britain.  ' 
Oh  !  Mr.  Curtis,  why  did  you  not 
bring  some  of  those  three  hundred 
fine  flowers  you  left  at  home  ?  Oh  ! 
Mr.  Faudel- Phillips,  why  did  you 
not  find  it  in  your  heart  to  cut 
just  two  or  three  dozen  from  that 
glorious  display  at  Balls  Park  ? 
Surely  they  would  never  have  been 
missed  !  Canon  Fowler  and  Mr. 
Morton  had  the  best  intentions  possible,  but 
"  fire  "  and  an  unkindly  soil  had  defeated  them. 
A  seasonable  toast,  good  readers :  "  Another 
year,    another    weather    and    some    competitors." 


Driving  down  a  stout,  pointed  stake  when  planting  j  Enough  of  the  show  of  empty  benches,  euphemisti- 


an    error    that    causes 
the    results    are    thus 


has  been  accomplished  is 
injury  to  the  roots,  and 
prejudiced  from  the  outset. 

Planting. — In  some  districts  planting  will 
have  commenced,  but  one  gains  little  by  over- 
haste  and  runs  risks  that  are  not  worth  accepting. 
If  the  whole  of  the  work  is  finished  by  the  middle 


cally  called  on  this  occasion  "  Tulips." 

As  the  blackest  cloud  always  has  a  silver  lining, 
so  these  desolate,  untenanted  spaces  had  a  brilliant 
and  varied  surrounding  of  fine  groups  and  isolated 
vases,  which  for  a  time  turned  the  large  Hall  into 
a  delightful  fairy-land  of  gorgeous  colour.  I  cannot 
recall    the    time   when    there    were   so   many   large 


May  24,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


258 


trade  exhibits  exposed  to  view  at  once.  Sutton's,  Tulips — it  is  a  long,  pointed,  medium-sized  flower  Messrs.  R.  H.  Bath's  collection  was  very  re- 
on  the  right  hand  of  the  door,  under  the  able  ;  of  deep  rich  crimson.  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright,  the  presentative.  Among  the  many  good  things  was 
generalship  of  Mr,  White,  had  a  splendid  collection  superintendent  at  Wisley,  told  me  it  had  stood  the  the  lovely  Darwin,  Massenet,  which  was  the  only 
of  good  varieties  beautifully  staged  and  excellently  :  rough  weather  wonderfully  well,  and  is  one  of  the  Tulip  to  gain  an  award  of  merit  at  the  committee 
grown  (not,  by  the  way,  in  Holland,  as  a  friend  very  few  luispotted  ones  at  Wisley,  where  it  has  i  meeting.  It  is  a  flower  well  apart  from  others  in 
suggested     to     me,     but     at     Reading).      Carters    been  much  admired.  its   colouring ;    pale   soft   rose,  edged   warm   flesh, 

occupied  their  accustomed  place  immediately  I  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons  were  at  one  end  of  the  with  a  conspicuous  deep  blue  base,  is  as  near  as  I 
facing  the  entrance,  with  a  bold  arrangement  in  I  hall,  and  had  a  large  display.  On  the  whole  their  can  get  in  my  description.  Melicette,  one  of  my 
big,  tall  vases,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  a  mass  flowers  were  on  the  small  side,  or  they  would  have  favourite  mauves,  and  the  rich  rosy  red  Orion, 
of  what  was  the  undoubted  novelty  of  the  show —  had  a  higher  award.  Prominent  here  were  one  of  the  red  Darwins  I  like  so  much,  took  my 
the  white,  branching  Tulip,  M.  S.  Mottet,  raised  '  Fontanelle,  a  dull  ruby  rose  Darwin,  very  distinct  ;  eye.  I  also  noticed  Admiral  Kingsbergen,  one  of 
by  M.  Bony  in  France,  and  to  whom  the  scientific  John  Ruskin,  the  beautiful  art  combination  of  the  most  effective  of  all  broken  red  and  whites, 
committee  gave  a  certificate  of  appreciation  when,  '  salmon  pink,  pink  and  yellow  ;  Emerald  Gem,  an  |  and  Miss  Doris  Diggle,  a  bright  little  striped  bloom 
on  his  behalf,  1  placed  some  growinp;  in  pots  before  orange  rose  with  an  olive  green  base,  lovely  and  dis-  ;  with  maroon  and  lemon  colouring.  Mr.  Leak 
them.  As  I  am  probably  the  only  person  who  tinct  in  the  garden  ;  Panorama  (also  called,  curiously  i  tells  me  he  has  some  fine  stocks  of  these  rectified 
has  a  good-sized  bed  of  them  in  his  garden,  I  would  enough,  Fairy),  an  immense  orange  crimson  ;  and  !  Tulips  at  Wisbech,  and  that  he  thinks  the  tide  is 
like  to  say  that  I  have  found  the  branching  to  be  Flamingo,  the  long  pale  rose  and  pink  Darwin,  ;  turning  in  their  favour.  It  has  already  done  so 
constant,  provided  the  bulbs  are  liberally  treated  Messrs.  R.  and  G,  Cuthbert  had  a  large  display,  1  in  America,  and  buyers  from  Uncle  Sam  are  rather 
and  only  the  biggest  ones  planted,  and  that  the  but  of  uneven  quality,  T  thought  they  would  keen  after  them, 
irregularity  in  the  size  and  develop- 
ment of  the  blooms  and  the  length 
of  the  stems  make  a  decided  and 
pleasing  alternative  to  the  soldier- 
like regularity  of  the  ordinary  dis- 
play, Messrs,  Hogg  and  Robertson 
had  a  fresh  and  varied  assortment 
from  "  Holland  in  Ireland,"  They 
can  get  fine  blooms  over  there,  and 
no  mistake.  Millet  (rich  crimson) 
and  Herta  (after  Pride  of  Haarlem) 
were  both  good.  Wales  was  quite 
the  equal  of  Ireland  in  tint  and  size, 
and  in  the  person  of  Mr.  Watts  showed 
what  the  gallant  little  land  can 
produce.  His  Baronne  de  la  Tonnaye 
must  have  been  about  the  high-water 
mark  of  what  the  flower  is  capable 
of  doing.  His  The  Fawn  was  also 
excellent. 

To  me  Dobbies  is  Cuthbertson — 
Sweet  Peas  and  Potatoes.  I  wiU 
have  to  add  Tulips  soon  I  hope. 
They  had  a  grand  lot  of  Sweet  Peas 
— beautifully  grown,  it  almost  goes 
without  saying — but  I  was  hardly 
prepared  for  their  Tulips,  Poor 
things  !  Mr,  Ireland  had  stuck  them 
away  right  at  the  back  in  two  some- 
what hard  and  stiff  lines,  as  if  he 
were  afraid  his  old  favourites  might 
he  jealous  of  them  were  their  charms 
more  attractively  displayed.  Possibly 
he  was  right,  for  in  freshness,  size 
and  colouring  the  Tulips  here  had 
no  superiors,  it  they  had  any  equals, 
in  the  Hall ;  but  it  is  only  fair  to 
state  that  they  had  passed  the  last  week  of  their 
life  under  the  kindly  protection  of  a  glass  light. 
Lucky  Irf^land  !  he  covered  them  in  the  nick  of 
time.  He  put  the  lights  on  on  April  9,  and  on  the 
nth  there  was  a  severe  hailstorm, 

Messrs.  R.  W.  Wallace  of  Colchester  exhibited 
several  good  new  varieties.  Grenadier,  a  large 
vermilion  self ;  Quaintness,  faded  mahogany  with 
coppery  yellow  edge  ;  Boadicea,  a  very  large  flower, 
dull  mahogany  red,  edged  orange,  very  like  Hammer 
Hales  :  and  Beauty  of  Bath,  a  very  pale  Fairy  Queen, 
w-ere  four  prominent  ones,  A  small  collection 
from  Mr.  C.  Bourne  was  very  attractive.  I  noticed 
here  Solfatare,  the  beautiful  pale  yellow  sport  of 
FuJgens  ;  that  acme  of  refinement,  Louis  XIV,, 
deep  rich  purple  with  golden  bronze  edges  ;  and 
Mrs,  W,  O,  Wolseley,  one  of  my  own  finds  in  a 
lottage  garden  about  a  mile  from  my  home,  and 
which   I   always  clain<  as  ope   of   the   hardiest   of 


HELICHRYSUM    BELLIDIOIDES,    A    CHARMING    LITTLE    EVERLASTING    FLOWER    FOR    THE    ROCK    GARDEN, 

(See  page  254,) 


have  had  a  higher  award,  but  their  little  joke  was 
lost  on  the  judges.  Brother  (Fra)  Angelico  was 
either  made  into  a  woman  or  given  a  wife,  for  there 
he  was  labelled  "  Frau  Angelica,"  Dom  Pedro 
here  was  excellent.  I  have  grown  it  for  years,  but 
its  quiet  beauty  was  lost  on  me  till  I  saw  a  bunch 
of  it  pot-grown  on  Messrs.  Sydenham's  stand  at 
the  Birmingham  Show.  "  Union  Jack  is  lovely," 
one  lady  said  to  another  as  I  was  standing  taking 
notes.  It  is  a  broken  "  byb.,"  rather  pale  in 
shade. 

Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons  displayed  a  very 
interesting  collection.  To  me  it  was  particularly 
so,  as  I  expect  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  "  Sir 
Harry  "  appeared  in  public  as  a  Tulip.  There  is 
a  good  illustration  of  it  in  my  book  on  Tulips, 
Suffice  it  to  say  now  it  is  a  large  flower  of  a  pretty 
shade  of  heliotrope  pink,  distinct  and  sturdy  in 
a  garden. 


My  last  words  are  to  record  the  small  and 
diversified  collection  from  the  new  venture,  the 
Wargrave  Plant  Farm,  I  liked  the  mauve  Glory 
of  Walworth  very  much,  A  pure  white  base  does 
set  off  a  flower,  and  gives  it  a  look  which  nothing 
else  does. 

Before  buying-time  comes  round  I  hope  to  give, 
with  the  Editor's  permission,  a  series  of  selections, 
for  one  has  only  to  go  to  such  a  show  as  that 
about  which  I  have  been  writing  to  realise  the 
bewildering  immensity  of  choice  which  to-day 
is  ours.'  Joseph  Jacob. 

A   USEFUL  PLANT    FOR   CUTTING. 

(The  Cufidone.) 
The  Cupidone,  as  Catananche  cajrulea  is  popularly 
called,    was   in    olden    times   employed    to   induce 
love,   and  the  name  of  Catananche  is  said  to  be 
derived  from  two  Greek  words  signifying  compulsion, 


254 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  24,  1913. 


the  idea  being  that  it  had  the  power  of  causing 
an  irresistible  impulse  to  love.  How  it  was  so 
applied  does  not  appear  to  have  been  handed  down 
to  these  prosaic  days  of  ours.  It  is  as  a  garden 
flower,  however,  that  it  is  prized  in  our  times, 
as  its  flowers  are  invaluable  for  cutting. 
The  Cupidone  is,  however,  not  too  hardy,  and 
should  have  a  dry  soil  and  a  sunny  position,  where 
it  will  generally  thrive  for  a  considerable  number 
of  years.  The  flowers,  which  are  borne  in  August 
and  September,  are  of  a  nice  blue,  but  there  is  a 
white  variety,  alba,  and  one  with  white  and 
purple  blooms  called  C.  c.  bicolor.  Seeds  may 
be  sown  in  spring  in  the  same  manner  as  those 
of  other  perennials  and  treated 
similarly  S.   A. 


in  September,  was  dead.  On  inspection,  however, 
we  found  it  just  pushing  through  the  soil,  and 
apparently  quite  vigorous.  This  note  may  save 
many  a  plant,  which,  if  left  alone,  might  appear 
in  due  course.  This  is  such  a  charming  Violet, 
with  its  prettily-cut  foliage  and  handsome  lavender 
or  blue  flowers,  white  in  alba,  and  with  purple 
upper  petals  in  bicolor. 

Dumfries.  S.   Arnott. 


THE     PERENNIAL    CANDYTUFT. 

The  perennial  Candytuft  is  foremost  among  efiec- 
tive   rock  plants  that   flower   from  May   onwards. 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PLATE    1472. 


T 


ROCK   AND   WATER 
GARDEN. 


AN  EVERLASTING 
FLOWER  FOR  THE 
ROCK    GARDEN. 

(Helichrysum  bellidioides.) 

THIS  dainty  little  New 
Zealand  plant,  with  its 
Daisy-like  blossoms  of 
about  half  an  inch  in  dia- 
meter, is  an  excellent 
subject  for  the  rock  gar- 
den, and  worthy  of  the  award  of 
merit  bestowed  upon  it  by  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  some  weeks 
ago.  The  flowers  are  pure  white, 
with  a  greenish  yellow  disc,  and 
borne  in  great  profusion  on  stems 
3  inches  or  4  inches  above  the  pros- 
trate growths,  with  small,  ovate, 
entire  leaves.  It  appears  to  be  quite 
hardy,  the  illustration  on  page  253 
being  taken  from  a  plant  that  has 
been  growing  on  an  exposed  part  of 
the  rock  garden  at  the  Botanic 
Gardens,  Cambridge,  for  the  last 
two  winters  without  having  been 
affected  in  the  slightest.  It  suc- 
ceeds in  a  good,  gritty  soil,  and  is 
readily  raised  from  cuttings  or  by 
divisions,  and  will  be  a  great 
favourite  when  it  becomes  better 
known.  F.  G.  Preston. 


A    BEAUTIFUL    ROCK 
GARDEN     VIOLET. 

(Viola  pedata.) 
This  is  a  very  beautiful,  but, 
at  the  same  time,  a  -  notoriously 
difficult  alpine  to  cultivate. 
This  is  admitted  by  everyone 
who  has  had  any  experience 
of  its  cultivation.  It  is  of  no  use  saying  that  its 
culture  can  be  successfully  attempted  by  using 
any  special  soil  or  situation,  although  it  is  said 
to  thrive  in  pure  sand  in  the  higher  altitudes 
here,  and  in  the  lower  parts  the  addition  of  some 
loam  and  leaf-soil  or  peat  to  the  sand  is  helpful. 
It  occurs  to  me,  however,  that  plants  are  often 
lost  because  they  are  given  up  as  dead,  whereas 
they  are  only  taking  a  long  rest.  On  May  i,  on 
going  through  the  alpines  in  the  nurseries  of  Messrs. 
T.  Kennedy  and  Co.,  Dumfries,  along  with  Mr. 
Croall,  who  has  charge  there,  the  latter  said  he  was 
afraid   that    Viola   pedata,   planted   on   a   rockery 


THE  PERENNIAL  CANDYTUFT  DRAPING  LARGE  BOULDERS  IN  THE 
ROCK  GARDEN. 


When  grown  in  a  sunny  position  overhangmg 
rocks,  it  is  seen  to  advantage,  for  the  patches  of 
pure  white  flowers  appear  like  drifts  of  snow  in 
the  distance.  The  perennial  Candytuft  is  known 
botanically  as  Iberis  seinpervirens,  and  the  variety, 
which  differs  but  sUghtly  from  that  species,  illus- 
trated on  this  page  is  known  as  garrexiana. 
For  many  weeks  past  these  bold  and  free- 
flowering  clumps  have  been  a  source  of 
pleasure.  This  subject  is  both  hardy  and  ever- 
green, and  when  once  established  will  remain 
good  for  years.  Young  plants  £(re  easily  raised 
from  cuttings. 


ROSE     DAN  AE. 

HIS  very  pretty  novelty  belongs  to  a 
group,  namely,  the  Hybrid  Musk, 
that  seems  likely  to  become  an  impor- 
tant one  in  the  near  future.  Although 
I  do  not  Icnow  for  certain,  I  assume 
Danae  originated  from  Trier,  crossed 
probably  with  a  yellow  Polyantha.  Certainly  its 
raiser,  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Pemberton,  has  succeeded 
in  producing  a  very  charming  garden  Rose,  and 
it  is  to  be  distributed,  I  believe, 
by  Messrs.  Hobbies,  Limited,  in 
the  autumn.  The  perpetual- 
flowering  character  of  the  Rose 
will  give  it  an  extra  value,  and 
its  lovely  yellow  blooms  will  be 
greatly  appreciated.  I  have  had 
no  opportunity  so  far  of  com- 
paring the  blooms  of  Danae  with 
a  Rose  already  in  commerce  named 
Thermidor,  but  I  believe  there 
will  prove  to  be  a  certain  simi- 
larity in  the  flower,  although 
Danae  is  of  greater  vigour.  With 
me  Thermidor  grows  like  a  strong 
dwarf  Polyantha,  and  it  is  very 
perpetual.  I  like  it  much,  and 
intend  to  grow  it  largely  as  a 
big  bedder.  Of  course,  Danae 
will  be  planted  more  as  a 
free  bush,  just  as  we  do 
Tries.,  and  I  expect  it 
possesses  the  same  delightful 
aromatic  fragrance  as  the  latter, 
which  originated  with  Herr  Peter 
Lambert.  The  Rev.  J.  H.  Pem- 
berton states  that  Danae  is  good  in 
autumn  and  mildew-proof.  It 
received  a  silver-gilt  medal  from 
the  National  Rose  Society  in  191  r, 
an  award  of  merit  from  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  in  September, 
1912,  and  a  first-class  diploma  from 
the  North  of  England  Horticultural 
Society  in  August,  1912. 

Messrs.  Paul  and  Son  have 
raised  a  very  useful  variety  named 
Queen  of  the  Musks,  which  will 
be  welcomed  for  its  fine  bold  effect 
in  the  garden.  Adrian  Reverchon 
hails  from  Trier,  which  is  the 
German  town  where  its  raiser, 
Herr  Peter  Lambert,  resides.  It 
is  a  sort  of  perpetual-flowering 
Hiawatha  of  a  climbing  character. 
This  should  prove  valuable,  and 
we  shall  also  be  able  to  plant 
around  it  the  new  Papa 
Heurcray,  a  rather  strong-growing  dwarf  per- 
petupl  Polyantha  with  large  trusses  of  bloom 
after  the  style  of  Hiawatha.  Geheimrat  Dr. 
Mittweg  is  another  of  the  Trier  seedlings  with 
a  very  free  perpetual-flowering  habit,  and  Schiller 
is  yet  another,  having  small,  peach  pink  flowers. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  group  is  ex- 
tending, and  I  for  one  welcome  them,  as  they 
give  us  a  race  of  Roses  with  a  lovely  dis- 
tinctive perfume  that  reminds  us  in  autumn 
of  the  June-time,  when  perhaps  there  are 
more  of  these  distinctly  -  scented  varieties  in 
blooin,  Panpcroft- 


Supplement  to  THE  GARDEN,  May  24th,   ini 


^* 


"^^. 


New  Perpetual  Flowering  Rose  Danse. 


Hudson  S-  Kciiin.i.  Ltd.,  rrintuis,  Luiidun,  ^.li. 


May  24,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


255 


REVIEW    OF    THE 
SPRING    SHOW    AT    CHELSEA. 


A  GREAT  and  unqualified  success  In  the  preparation  of  this  special  number 
best  describes  the  magnificent  we  have  been  greatly  assisted  by  various 
spring  show  of  the  Royal  Horti-  members  of  the  Council ;  by  the  secretary, 
cultural  Society,  which  opened  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks  ;  the  superintendent 
at  the  Chelsea  Hospital  Grounds  of  the  show,  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright  ;  Mr.  Frank 
on  Tuesday  last.  Hitherto,  as  Reader  and  other  ofticials,  and  to  these  we 
most  of  our  readers  are  aware,  this  exhibi-  tender  our  best  thanks.  Without  their 
tion  has  been  held  in  the  gardens  of  the  help  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  have 
Inner  Temple,  on  the  Thames  Embank-  placed  before  our  readers  an  illustrated 
ment,  and  it  was  with 
considerable  reluctance 
that  the  Council  had, 
owing  to  the  rapidly- 
increasing  number  of 
exhibits,  to  move  to 
the  more  spacious 
grounds  at  Chelsea. 
That  the  move  was 
fully  justified  the  mag- 
nificent exhibition  now 
under  review  fully 
proves.  The  number  of 
exhibitors  on  the  pre- 
sent occasion  is  nearly 
twice  as  many  as  the 
largest  number  at  any 
Temple  Show,  and  the 
exhibits  may  fairly  be 
regarded  as  represent- 
mg  the  highest  and 
best  forms  of 
gardening.  The  Old 
English  gardens  and 
the  rock  gardens 
are  in  themselves 
beautiful  features, 
and  the  interest 
taken  in  the  former  . 
would  lead  us  to  believe 
that  there  is  an  in- 
creasing tendency;,  to 
revert  to  this  form  of 
gardening  in  place  of 
the  more  natural  style 
that  has  for  so  long 
held  sway.  That  for- 
mal gardening,  as  it 
was  known  in  the  six- 
ties of  the  last  century, 
will  ever  replace  natu- 
ral gardening  we  do 
not  for  one  moment  believe,  nor  would  we    and  comprehensive  review  of  this  magnifi-    the   latter,   and  has  arranged  some  pretty  plant 


QUEEN    ALEXANDRA    AT      THE    OPENING    OF    THE    CHELSEA    SHOW 


,uid  pkmted  with  the  choicest  of  alpine  vegetation, 
and,  withal,  so  endowed  for  the  most  part  with 
the  atmosphere  of  mountain  plant-life  that  we 
might  be  pardoned  for  believing  them  to  be  a  true 
bit  of  such  scenery.  Hence  the  object  of  their 
being  is  achieved  ;  the  teaching  value  is  sound, 
which,  after  all,  is  the  one  great  reason  for  holding 
such  exhibitions  at  all.  Our  only  regret  is  that 
they  are  so  numerous  and  good  that  we  are  unable 
to  deal  with  them  all. 
They  are  arranged  near 
the  Embankment. 
'  Messrs.  Wallace  and  Co., 

Colchester,  who  led  the  way 
last  year  by  raising  the 
finest  rock  garden  ever  seen 
at  an  exhibition,  have  this 
year  a  fine  piece  of  rock- 
work  in  conjunction  with  a 
sunk  garden,  wall  garden 
and  garden  -  house.  The 
latter  is  remarkably  well 
done,  the  old,  stone-tiled 
roof  affording  much  proof 
of  true  and  thoughtful  work. 
A  fine  stretch  of  water,  or 
rock  garden  pool,  and  the 
paved  ways  with  their 
complement  of  little  things 
will  appeal  to  all.  Choice 
ronifers  andalpines 
.ibound  in  every  direc- 
tion, suitable  colonies  of 
plants  appear  near  the 
water's  edge,  and  anon 
•  Isewhere.  The  stone  is 
particularly  good  and 
well  chosen,  and  our 
readers  are  directed  to 
rxamine  it  with  care. 
Some  three  thousand 
square  feet  are  devoted 
to  it. 

Mr.  G.  Reuthe,  Keston, 
Kent,  reUes  rather  on 
the  choiceness  of  the 
material  he  employs  than 
on  any  elaborate  piece 
ot  rockwork.  On  this 
occasion,  however,  he  has 
a     nice     arrangement     of 


wish   it;    but    there   is   no  gainsaying    the    cent  show  in  so  short  a  time 

fact  that  such  gardens  as  those  exhibited 

by   Messrs.  Wallace  and  Carter   are  quite 

in  keeping  with  many  old  mansions.     The 

arranging     of     all    pot     plants     and     cut 

flowers  in   one   large   tent  is  an   excellent 

idea,  but  the  gangways  might  well  have  been        If    in    rock    gardenmg    the    great    International 

wider.      Queen  Alexandra,  accompanied  by    Show  held  last  year  at  Chelsea  was  in  the  natiure    best  piece  of  work  we  have  seen  from  him.     His 

Princess  Victoria,   visited  the  show  on  the    ot  an  "  eye-opener  "  to  all  interested  in  this  rapidly-    colonising  in  some  instances  is  admirable,  and  so 


ROCK  AND  FORMAL 
GARDENS. 


colonies  thereon.  Of  these,  Helichrysum  trinervis 
is  a  fine  plant  and  a  good  grower,  Mthioaema 
pulchellum  is  charming,  while  such  as  Pyxidan- 
thera  barbulata,  Lewisias  of  sorts,  Trilliums  and 
Edraianthus  serpyllifolius  are  all  things  to  seek  for 
and  admire. 

Mr.  Clarence  Elliott  is  near  by,  and  has  done  the 


opening  day,  and  spent  some  time  admiring 
the  many  beautiful  flowers  and  gardens. 
In  the  pages  that  follow  will  be  found  a 
review  of  the  principal  exhibits,  with  illus- 
trations of  some  of  the  most  noteworthy. 


growing  fascinating  phase  of  gardening — unique,  ;  fine  a  patch  as  AquilegiaStuarti  will  need  no  finding; 
indeed,  in  the  annals  of  horticulture — the  rock  '  it  is  there,  and  will  appeal  by  the  great  picture  of 
gardens  to  which  we  to-day  direct  our  readers'  ■  blue  and  white  it  creates.  It  is  in  the  highest 
attention  will  play  a  good  second.  Not  a  few  of  I  degree  superb,  a  worthy  plant  worthily  treated, 
them,  indeed,  are  works  of  art,  carefully  arranged    Next  to  this  our  readers  should  look  for  Saxifraga 


256 


THE    GAllDEN. 


[May  24,  1913. 


PART    OF    THE    BEAUTIFUL    ROCK    GARDEN    SHOWN    BY    MR.    J.    WOOD, 

BOSTON    SPA. 


A  izoon  rosea  ;  it  is  there  also,  deliglit fully  ar- 
ranged, and  demonstrates  rock  garden  group'ng 
par  excellence. 

Messrs.  R.  Tucker  and  Sons,  Oxford,  are 
responsible  for  a  quite  small  exhibit,  and  things 
to  be  looked  for  are  Androsace  arachnoidea, 
Anemone  alpina,  A.  sulphurea,  the  pretty  Stachys 
Corsica  (inimitable  among  ceirpeters)  and  CEnothera 
ovata. 

Exactly  opposite  this,  with,  as  we  thought,  an 
all  too  thin  dividing  line,  is  a  rock  garden  from 
the  Burton  Hardy  Plant  Nursery,  Christchurch, 
and  here  were  noted  many  beautiful  Primulas, 
not  least  of  those  being  P.  Lissadell  Hybrid.  Sedum 
pilosum,  too,  i-^  most  interesting,  while  Lewisia 
Cotyledon,  Ramondias  and  Cistus  purpureus  are 
worth  seeking. 

Messrs.  Piper  and  Sons,  Barnes,  have  a  much 
more  elaborate  rock  and  water  garden,  covering 
3,000  square  feet,  and  the  work  is  well  done.  At 
or  near  the  water's  edge  great  groups  of  Trillium, 
Cypripedium,  Sarracenia  and  Primulas  may  be 
seen,  Funkias,  too,  forming  handsome  foliage 
groups.  Good  bits  of  colour  are  aftorded  by  Primula 
cockbumiana,  Incarvillea  grandifiora  and  Cam- 
panula Stevenii  nana,  a  delightful  carpeting  pale 
blue  Bellfiower.  Shrubs,  flowering  and  otherwise, 
are  on  the  banks  and  slopes,  and  add  materially  to 
the  good  effect. 

Messrs.  Carter,  Rayncs  Park,  are  responsibi'- 
for  a  clever  piece  of  wall  and  formal  gardening, 
the  former  deftly  planted  with  very  choice  things. 
The  one  side — the  main  entrance  we  should  say 
— is  by  a  hammered  iron  gateway  from  the 
great  avenue,  and  here  at  once  visitors  are  in 
touch  with  terrace  garden  and  fountain,  with 
Columbines  and  Primulas  in  the  shadier  parts. 
By  steps  right  and  left  the  visitor  gets  to  the  lawn 
and  the  sumptuous  borders  of  Azaleas,  Rhodo- 
dendrons, Primulas  and  other  plants  which  lend 
their  brilliance  around.  The  whole  is  delightfully 
arranged,  and  is  certainly  one  of  the  features 
which  must  not  be  missed. 

The  Guildford  Hardy  Plant  Nvirsery  have 
an  admirable  rock  garden  exhibit,  and  not 
a  few  of  the  choicest  alpines.  For  example, 
no     one    should    miss    the    rare     assortment     of 


alpine  Erodiums ;  olympicum,  supracanum  and 
chrysanthum  are  sonae.  None  can  miss  Celmisia 
spectabihs  or  the  mass  of  Incarvillea  brevipes, 
which  is  a  big  rival  to  I.  grandifiora.  The  finest 
bit  of  colour,  howeve*,  comes  from  the  brilliant 
Ourisia  coccinea.  The  lovely  patch  of  it  is  a  show 
in  itself. 

Messrs.  Whitelegg  and  Page,  Chislehurst,  near 
by,  have  a  magnificent  piece  of  work.  Their  new 
orange  yellow  Geum  John  Bradshaw  is  alone  a 
gem,  while  Cotyledon  spinosura,  Wahlenbergia 
vincasfiora  and  Primula  cockburniana  will  appeal 
to  all.  Very  fine  in  contrasting  effect  are  the 
white  Meadow  Saxifrage,  S.  granulata  plena,  and 
the  scarlet-flowered  Habranthus  pratensis. 

Messrs.  J.  Cheal  and  Son's  formal  garden  and 
rock  garden  are  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road- 
way, the  rock  garden  being  formed  in  a  depression. 
It   is  full  of  interesting  and  showy  subjects,   and 


must  be  entered  and  examined  to  get  even  a  glimpse 
of  what  it  contains.  Alpines,  however,  abound, 
while  choice  shrubs  and  other  thmgs  play  their 
part  in  the  more  formal  work. 

Mr.  Maurice  Prichard,  Christchurch,  has  an 
elaborate  rock  garden  in  Purbeck  limestone,  though 
his  choicer  things  go  to  make  up  a  bit  of  moraim- 
gardening  which  is  not  placed  on  the  front-door 
steps.  In  other  words,  our  readers  must  "  walk 
in,"  and  Pentstemon  cseruleus,  Lewisias  oJ  sorts. 
Silene  Hookeri,  Oxalis  adenophylla  and  much  more 
will  be  revealed. 

Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  Covent  Garden,  have, 
right  at  the  entrance  to  their  rock  garden,  which 
is  of  1. 000  square  feet,  a  fine  subject  in  Aster 
Falconen,  with  Cytisus  Bcanii  (yellow)  at  its  feet. 
Orchises,  Primulas,  Cypripediums  and  Rodgersias 
are  either  in  the  water  or  at  its  margin. 

Quite  on  an  elaborate  scale  will  be  found  the  rock 
and  water  garden  arranged  by  Messrs.  Pulham  and 
Sons.  It  is  admirably  executed  in  mountain  lime- 
stone and  suitably  planted  in  every  part.  Saxi- 
fraga  peltata  is  notably  good  in  fiower,  and  colonies 
of  Primulas  may  be  seen  in  plenty. 

If  we  say  at  once  that  the  arrangement  of  moun- 
tain limestone,  covering  a  space  of  2,000  square 
feet,  set  up  by  Mr.  J.  Wood,  Boston  Spa,  con- 
stituted the  truest  imitation  of  Nature  of  any  rock 
garden  in  the  whole  show,  it  is  to  give  our  readers 
a  finger-post  to  guide  them.  Magnificently 
weathered,  designed  to  suit  the  most  exacting  land- 
scape gardener  or  geologist,  it  is  above  reproach, 
the  array  of  good  plants  it  contains  appearing  as 
suitable  garniture.  True  to  Nature,  it  is,  so  far 
as  it  goes,  the  finest  thing  we  have  seen  in  tljis 
respect.  There  is  great  teaching  value  in  it,  and 
our  readers  must  note  accordingly.  , 

Messrs.  T.  S.  Ware,  Limited,  Feltham,  have  an  ex- 
cellent rock  and  water  garden  on  a  large  scale.  Sedum 
pilosum  is  very  fine,  also  white  and  coloured  Ramon- 
dias, Silene  Hookeri,  Cypripediums  and  others, 

Messrs.  William  Cutbush  and  Sons,  Highgate, 
display  particularly  fine  groups  of  Lilies,  Anemone 
sulphurea,  Lewisia  leeana,  Incarvillea  grandifiora. 
Primula  pulverulenta  and  the  lilac-flowered  Daphne 
Genkwa.  Lilium  colchicum  is  very  handsome  and 
in  fine  arrav. 


a  noble  arrangement  of  rockwork,  with  waterfall, 
pulham's  exhibit. 


IN    MESSRS. 


May  24,  1913.] 


THE    GAllDEN. 


257 


Messrs.  Bickhouse  and  Sons,  York,  occupy 
1,000  square  feet,  and  with  well-toned  sandstone 
liave  arranged  a  fine  piece  of  rock  gardening. 
Kamondias  and  Haberleas  are  very  beautiful  on 
shady  slopes.  Anemone  sulphurea  is  superb,  and 
equally  so  Orchis  foliosa.  Quite  a  wealth  of  other 
good  plants  are  to  be  seen,  and  some  fine  water 
effects  also. 

The  Craven  Hardy  Plant  Nursery,  Clapham, 
Lancaster,  will  be  found  among  those  who  rely 
on  choice  plants — in  this  case  the  choicest  to 
associate  with  good  rock  gardening  —  but 
they  are  too  numerous  to  mention  in  detail. 
We  must,  however  name  some — the  inimit- 
able Daphne  rupestris,  which  we  remember 
for  nearly  a  dozen  years  iu  succession  at 
the  Temple ;  Ramondia  NatalicD  alba  (ex- 
quisitely beautiful).  Campanula  alpina,  Primula 
glutinosa  and  Ranunculus  pamassifolius.  Of 
course,  Mr.  Farrer  has  got  Edraianthus  serpylli- 
folius  major,  and  by  the]  hundreds  01  this 
occasion.  It  is  m  its  prime,  too, 
and  its  trails  of  imperial  purple  are 
rich  indeed. 

Messrs.  Bees,  Limited,  Liverpool, 
have  some  of  the  choicest  new 
alpincs  in  the  show.  These  will  be 
found  in  the  large  tent  high  up 
near  the  hospital  end.  Roscoea 
cautlioides  (yellow),  Pentstemon 
cteruleus  (true).  Primula  secundi- 
florus  a  wine-coloured  sikkimensis, 
Oxalis  adenophylla,  Dracocephalum 
bullatum,  Celmisia  spectabilis 
argentea  and  a  large  number  of 
rare  Primiilas  must  be  sought  out. 
They  exist  nowhere  else. 

Mr.  H.  Hemsley,  Crawley,  has  a 
table  of  interesting  alpines  and 
shrubs,  Ourisia,  Onosma,  Comus 
canadensis  and  Achillea  Aizoon 
being  good. 

Mr.  Reginald  Prichard,  West 
Moors,  Wimborne,  will  also  be  found 
high  up  in  the  big  tent  revelling 
in  the  choicest  of  alpines,  of  which 
he  appears  a  veritable  purveyor.  His 
well-flowered  mats  of  Campanula 
Stevensii  nana  will  never  be  for- 
gotten if  seen,  nor  the  spreading 
carpets,  18  inches  in  diameter, 
of  Helichrysum  bellidioides  (white 
flowered),  which  have  never  before 
appeared  so  fine.  Dianthus  Prichardii 
is  a  novelty  and  a  gem.  Edraianthus 
calycinus  is  a  great  rarity,  and  Linum  capitatum 
is  choice. 

The  Misses  Hopkins,  Shepperton-on-Thames,  have 
pretty  groups  of  alpines  on  rockwork.  also  xmder 
canvas,  the  group  being  rich  in  Primulas,  together 
with  Oxalis  enneaphylla,  Daphne  Cneorum,  alpine 
Phloxes  and  the  like. 

Messrs.  Kent  and  Brydon,  Darlington,  have 
particularly  good  examples  of  Gentiana  bavarica, 
also  a  variety  of  Cypripediums  and  Primulas  in 
conjunction  with  showier  things. 

Messrs.  Thomson  and  Charman,  Bushey,  Herts, 
have  a  most  valuable  plant  in  Lewisia  columbi- 
anum.  It  is  superbly  flowered  and  the  finest 
example  of  the  species  in  the  show.  Geum  Borisi, 
Campanula  Stevensii  nana,  Viola  Corsica,  and  good 
Ramondias  are  worth  lookmg  for. 

Mr.  Stuart  Maples,  Stevenage,  has  a  variety  of 
alpines  on  table  rockwork.  We  believe  this 
exhibitor  appears  for  the  first  time. 


ROSES. 

The  sense  of  overcrowding  so  often  manifest 
at  the  Temple  Shows  of  the  past  is  entirely  absent 
at  the  delightful  exhibition  now  on  view  at  the 
Chelsea  Gardens,  and  in  no  respect  is  this  more 
manifest  than  in  the  grouping  of  the  Roses.  Each 
exhibitor  has  seized  his  opportunity  and  made  the 
most  of  it,  and  the  difficulty  is  to  so  appraise  the 
merits  of  the  individual  groups  as  to  place  them  in 
order  of  merit.  .\s  these  notes  are  penned  before 
the  judges'  awards  have  been  made  known,  we  should 
say  that  the  judges  cannot  well  pass  over  for 
premier  place  the  noble  group  from  Messrs.  William 
Paul  and  Son  of  Waltham  Cross.  Mr.  Miller,  the 
able  grower,  has  timed  his  plants  to  a  day,  with 
the  result  that  we  have  here  on  view  a  most  delight- 
ful and  representative  group,  consisting  very 
largely  of  the  firm's  own  novelties.  Huge  pillars 
of  the  White  Tausendschon  are  to  be  seen  alongside 
the  lovely  and  original  Pink  Tausendschon,  and 
it    cannot    fail    to   catch    on    as   one    of    the    best 


Another  notable  group  is  that  of  Messrs.  George 
Mount  and  Sons,  and  here  we  have  perhaps  the 
most  perfect  quality  of  the  old  standard  sorts 
that  it  is  possible  to  conceive.  Surely,  not  even 
at  Chelsea  last  year,  were  the  Mrs.  John  Laings 
of  such  surpassing  quality  as  now,  and  they  are 
worth  a  journey  to  see  them,  even  were  there 
nothing  eUe  to  see  in  this  floral  Paradise.  Then,  the 
Mrs.  George  Shawyers  are  grander  than  ever,  and 
one  is  not  surprised  our  American  cousins  are 
going  crazy  over  this  lovely  Rose.  Huge  mounds 
of  Lady  Pirrie,  Irish  Elegance,  Ulrich  Brunner, 
Frau  Kjurl  Druschki,  George  C.  Waud  and  Sunburst, 
edged  by  the  delightful  Flower  of  Fairfield  in  small 
pots,  complete  a  very  splendid  group.  This  latter 
is  the  perpetual  form  of  Crimson  Rambler,  and  as 
a  dwarf  pot  plant  it  far  outshines  all  the  red 
Polyanthas. 

Messrs.  Paul  and  Son,  Cheshunt,  have,  as  is 
their  wont,  a  very  fine  group,  in  which  standard 
weeping  Roses  are  Jvery*proniinent.     We  thought 


PART    OV    THE    OLD    liNGLISH    GARDEN,    SHOWING    THE    GARDEN-HOUSE,    EXHIBITED    BY 
MESSRS.    R.    WALLACE    AND    CO.  ^ 


ramblers  hitherto  produced.  Another  fine  rambler 
is  Sylvia  (pure  white),  and  it  is  perpetual- 
flowering  and  fragrant,  most  desirable  attributes. 
The  pillar  and  standard  ramblers  are  most  gorgeous 
in  their  varied  tints,  and  consist  of  such  fine  things 
as  Excelsa,  American  Pillar,  Hiawatha,  Coquina, 
Lady  Gay,  and  the  new  Lady  Blanche  ;  this  is  a 
perfectly  dead  white,  which  will  make  it  of  greater 
value  than  the  so-called  white  sports  of  Dorothy 
Perkins,  which  frequently  have  pinkish  buds. 
Of  the  decorative  and  show  Roses  the  following 
are  splendid :  Ophelia,  Marcella,  Margaret,  Mrs. 
Charles  Hunter,  Lady  Downe,  Dora,  Juliet,  Portia, 
and  Dr.  William  Gordon,  all  of  the  firm's  produc- 
tion ;  and  besides  there  are  such  notable  kinds  as 
Rayon  d'Or,  Simburst,  Mme.  Lutaud,  Souvenir 
du  Gustave  Prat,  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs,  Commandant 
Felix  Faure,  Mrs.  George  Shawyer,  PharisSer, 
Entente  Cordiale,  Mrs.  Aaron  Ward,  and  Mme. 
Maiurice  de  Luze. 


the  group  a  little  too  crowded  perhaps,  but  yet  it 
contains  some  very  choice  things.  The  pretty 
dual  weeper  of  Milky  Way  and  Hiawatha  may  suit 
the  taste  of  some  individuals,  but,  generally, 
it  is  not  admired.  George  C.  Waud  is  very 
fine  ;  so  also  are  Freda,  Magnolia,  Lady  A.  Stanley, 
Laurent  Carle,  Souvenir  de  Gustave  Prat,  Mme. 
Segond  Weber  and  Marquise  de  Sinety. 

All  Rose  fanciers  must  see  the  fine  group  of 
novelties  from  the  renowned  raisers  Messrs.  Alex. 
Dickson  and  Sons  of  Newtownards.  Messrs. 
Dickson  have  brought  together  one  of  the  finest 
lot  of  novelties  they  have  ever  put  up,  and  it  cannot 
fail  to  be  an  attraction  throughout  the  show. 
Queen  Mary  is  a  lovely  gem  and  is  difficult  to 
describe.  It  has  wonderful  rainbow  tints  and  such 
delicious  fragrance.  Vema  McKay  is  a  gem  of  the 
first  water,  with  its  amber  tints  and  lovely  elongated 
buds,  Carine,  so  sweetly  fragrant ;  Irish  Fire- 
Flame,  a  copper- colotired  Irish  Elegance  ;  Alexande 


258 


THE    GAKDEK. 


[May  24,  1913. 


PART    OF    MESSRS.    J.    CARTER    AND    CO.'s    OLD    ENGLISH    GARDEN. 


Hill  Gray,  Duchess  of  Westminster,  Lady  Plymouth. 
Mrs.  Wemyss  Quin,  a  sort  of  deeper  Rayon  d'Or  ; 
Mrs.  Comwallis-West,  Mrs.  Campbell  Hall,  and 
Mrs.  Forde  are  other  fine  blooms  ;  while  a  box  of 
Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs  is  one  of  the  finest  things  in  the 
whole  show,  one  flower  especially  attracting  the 
envy  of  every  Rose  exhibitor.  There  are  two 
delightful  crimson  seedlings  unnamed,  and  a 
grand  lemon  novelty  named  Mary  Green,  which 
we  are  likely  to  hear  much  of. 

A  superb  group  comes  from  Messrs.  B.  R.  Cant 
and  Sons  of  Colchester,  in  which  we  find  splendid 
masses  of  St.  Helena  and  Sallie,  two  really  good 
things  that  everyone  must  have.  Sunbeam  is  a 
lovely  colour,  reminding  one  of  Mrs.  A.  R.  Waddell ; 
Elizabeth,  Lady  Reay  and  Rose  du  Barri  are  also 
fine.  Silver  Moon  is  a  charming  single  rambler  with 
huge  flowers  not  unlike  Simplicity,  and  one  can 
imagine  the  beauty  of  such  a  Rose  when  on  a 
pergola.  Garisenda  is  a  fine  big-flowered  rambler, 
and  Aviateur  B16riot  a  lovely  orange-coloured 
wichuraiana  of  a  most  unique  shade. 

Messrs.  Hobbies  and  Co.  of  Dereham  have  a 
novel  group,  consisting  largely  of  a  pergola  well 
covered  with  ramblers.  Pretty  baskets  add  a 
charm  to  the  group,  and  these  are  filled  with 
some  of  the  firm's  own  novelties,  such  as 
Dewdrop  and  Baby  Elegance.  Pink  Pearl  is  a 
pretty  rambler ;  so  also  is  the  Double  White 
Rambler,  a  seedling  of  Crimson  Rambler,  raised  by 
the  Rev.  J.  H.  Pemberton.  Its  delicate  pink  buds 
will  be  admired  by  many.  Danae  is  a  lovely  gem 
for  the  garden,  and  Miss  F.  Mitford,  a  semi-double 
seedling  of  Rosa  Brunonis,  will  be  a  good  addi- 
tion to  garden  Roses. 

Messrs.  Cutbush  and  Son  of  Highgate  are  strong 
in  Polyantha  and  rambler  Roses,  and  a  very 
charming  group  it  is,  which  well  displays  the  useful- 
ness of  the  Polyanthas  as  decorative  subjects. 
Practically  all  the  best  kinds  are  represented, 
not  in  single  plants,  but  in  fifties  or  more.  Baby 
Tausendschon  is  lovely  ;  Jeanne  d'Arc  and  Yvonne 
Rabier,  two  fine  whites ;  Mrs.  Cutbush,  Jessie, 
Ellen  Poulsen,  Perle  d'Or  andMme.  N.  Levavasseur 
are  all  here ;  while  delightful  masses  of  Tau- 
sendschon, Dorothy  Perkins,  American  Pillar  and 
Newport  Fairy  complete  a  very  fine  group. 


Messrs.  George  Beckwith  and  Sons  of  Hoddesdon 
have  a  group  that  we  venture  to  say  will  be  a  centre 
of  attraction,  for  it  contains  some  fine  masses  of 
the  sensational  Rose  Mme.  Edouard  Herriot,  which, 
as  all  the  world  knows,  is  one  of  the  latest  introduc- 
tions of  M.  Pernet-Ducher.  Willowmere,  the  im- 
proved Lyons  Rose,  is  also  shown  in  great  force, 
and  it  is  certain  to  become  a  favourite  ;  while  a 
vase  of  Cissie  Easlea  portrays  what  a  grand  nov?lty 
we  have  in  this  variety  of  the  Pernetiana  class. 
A  number  of  pots  of  Papa  Hemeray  is  a  pretty 
feature  of  this  group.  It  is  like  a  large  flower  of 
Hiawatha,   only   of   dwarf   growth   and   perpetual. 

Messrs.  Frank  Cant  and  Co.  have  a  sumptuous 
group  of  good  things,  including  many  fine  show 
blooms.  Lady  Alice  Stanley,  Mrs.  John  Laing, 
Mrs.  George  Shawyer,  Richmond,  Mrs.  D.  Jardine, 
and  Lady  Roberts  are  very  fine,  and  there  are 
numerous  kinds  to  be  found  in  smaller  quantities. 
The  quality  is  excellent  throughout  this  fine 
group. 

Mr.  Charles  Turner  of  Slough  has  a  very  elegant 
group  of  standard  weepers,  with  a  groundwork  of 
Polyanthas.  Some  grand  examples  of  Coronation 
and  Ethel  display  what  two  fine  novelties 
we  have  here  in  ramblers,  and  so  perfectly 
distinct. 

Messrs.  Low  and  Co.  have  a  pretty  group,  chiefly 
in  Bamboo  stands,  and  the  quality  is  excellent. 
Lady  Hillingdon,  Molly  Sharman  Crawford,  Lady 
Pirrie,  Sunburst,  Joseph  Hill  and  Mrs.  George 
Shawyer  are  very  lovely. 

Mr.  George  Prince  of  Oxford  has  huge  mounds  of 
ramblers  and  Polyanthas,  and  if  we  miss  his  glorious 
Tea  Roses,  we  must  wait  until  the  outdoor  crop 
comes  on  for  these.  A  grand  mass  of  Hiawatha 
is  most  showy,  and  American  Pillar,  Blush  Rambler, 
Lady  Godiva  and  White  Dorothy  are  also  fine, 
together  with  Ellen  Poulsen,  Jeanne  d'Arc  and 
other   good    Polyanthas. 

Messrs.  Robichon  of  Orleans  are  showing  a  yellow 
seedling  after  the  Rayon  d'Or  type,  but  not  nearly 
so  good  and  certainly  not  wanted. 

Messrs.  A.  J.  and  C.  Allen  of  Norwich  have  a 
small  but  attractive  group  of  good  things,  and 
perhaps  the  Rayon  d'Or  here  are  as  good  as  any 
in  the  show. 


Messrs.  R.  J.  Barnes  and  Son  of  Malveni  have  a 
small  collection  of  very  good  flowers. 

Mr.  Walter  Easlea  of  Danecroft  Rosery,  East- 
wood, Leigh-on-Sea,  has  a  very  pretty  group  of 
his  new  Polyantha  Rose  Susie,  a  charming 
peach  pink  flower  of  delightful  form.  It  will 
certainly  prove  a  worthy  addition  to  this  popular 
class. 

Outside,  in  the  grounds,  many  of  the  exhibitors 
of  sundries  are  freely  employing  Rambler  Roses, 
perhaps  the  best  exhibit  being  that  of  Messrs. 
William  Wood  and  Son.  The  ramblers  here  show 
up  grandly  against  the  pergola  columns,  and  cannot 
fail  to  give  a  stimulus  to  this  class  of  plant,  if  any 
were  required,  and  we  shall  all  welcome  the  day 
when  raisers  produce  some  really  perpetual- 
flowering  forms  that  are  equal  in  every  respect  to 
the  superb  varieties  now  in  commerce  which  are. 
unfortunately,  summer-flowering  only,  or  at  least 
the  majority  of  them.  We  can  safely  assert  that, 
were  there  nothing  but  Roses  at  this  grand 
show,  they  would  be  well  worth  the  journey 
to  see,  and  our  hope  is  that  the  exhibition  wilt 
prove  a  huge  success,  for  probably  no  finer 
show  of  mainly  British  productions  has  ever- 
been    placed   before    the    public. 


STOVE    AND    GREENHOUSE 
PLANTS. 

Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea, 
exhibit  a  splendid  group,  consisting  for  the  main 
part  ot  stove  foliage  plants,  lit  up  by  the  bright 
tints  of  the  Crotons  and  Caladiums.  A  choice 
collection  of  flowering  subjects  is  also  associated 
therewith,  prominent  among  them  being  Kalanchoe 
flammea,  Anthuriums  in  variety,  and  an  extremely 
choice  selection  of  Orchids.  Of  the  foliage  plants 
especial  mention  may  be  made  of  Croton  Dayspring,. 
F.  Sander,  Golden  Ring  and  Baron  A.  de  Roth- 
schild. Two  particularly  striking  subjects  are- 
Cy  anophyllum  magnificum  and  Coccoloba  pubescens,. 
this  last  having  large,  almost  round  leaves  of  a 
firm,  leathery  texture.  In  another  place  Messrs. 
Veitch  are  showing  a  charming  selection  of  green- 
house flowering  plants,  notably  Cinerarias  in  great 
variety.  Gloxinias,  Streptocarpus,  Calceolaria, 
Clibranii,  Streptosoleu  Jamesonii  and  Elsocarpus. 
reticulatus,  which  they  grow  well.  There  is  a 
fine  and  representative  group  of  their  strain  of 
Hippeastrums,  for  which  they  are  justly  famous,, 
and  disposed  above  these  are  a  number  of  cordon- 
trained  plants  of  Fuchsias,  which  serve  to  show 
the  snitabihty  of  these  plants  for  training  to  the 
roof  of  a  greenhouse. 

Messrs.  E.  Webb  and  Sons,  Wordsley,  Stour- 
bridge, make  a  very  imposing  display  of  different 
flowering  subjects  raised  from  seed.  Against 
one  side  of  the  tent  they  have  huge  hemispherical 
groups  of  Calceolarias,  Cineraria  stellata,  Schi- 
zanthus.  Begonias,  with  Petunias,  Gloxinias,  hybrid 
Impatiens,  Salvias  and  others. 

Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons  of  Reading  have  a  very 
fine  exhibit,  the  plants  composing  it  being  arranged 
in  several  beds.  Particularly  noticeable  are  the 
Reading  strain  of  Cineraria  stellata,  as  well  as  a 
pleasing  variety  known  as  Reading  Gem.  A  bed 
of  Schizanthus  includes  the  finest  forms  in  the 
entire  genus,  while  all  that  can  be  said  of  the 
Nemesias,  Stocks,  Begonias,  Primula  obconica 
and  Gloxinias  is  that  they  all  well  uphold  the 
great  reputation  that  the  firm  enjoys.  The  central 
figure  of  their  group  is  a  mass  of  Clarkias,  among, 
which  the  variety  Firefly  is  in  its  way  unsurpassed 


May  24,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


259 


Messrs.  James  Carter  and  Co.  of  Holborn  and 
RajTies  Park  also  show  a  group  of  flowering 
plants  that  can  readily  be  raised  from  seed.  Their 
principal  feature  is  a  magnificent  display  of  Cine- 
rarias, though  the  Gloxinias  and  Stocks  are  also 
very  fine.  The  beautiful  rich  green  of  the  turf  in 
which  the  flowers  are  set  serves  to  enhance  their 
beauty.  This  same  remark  also  applies  to  Messrs. 
Sutton's  exhibit. 

A  large  and  varied  collection  of  flowering  plants 
comes  from  Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co.  of  Bush 
Hill  Park,  Enfield.  Included  among  them  are  many 
Heaths,  Boronias,  Aphelexis  and  other  hard-wooded 
plants,  while  towering  above  them  are  tall  plants 
of  Acacia  pulchella  and  standard  specimens  of  the 
Bottle-Brush  Flower,  Callisteraon  saUgnus,  better 
known  as  Metrosideros  floribunda.  Other  notable 
features  of  Messrs.  Low's  exhibit  are  some  splendid 
blue  Hydrangeas,  Gerbera  hybrids,  the  distinct  and 
pleasing  Araucaria  Silver  Star,  and  Leptospermum 
scoparium  NichoUii,  which  was  given  a  first-class 
certificate  last  year  at  the  "  International." 

Messrs.  William  Cutbush  and  Sons  of  Highgate 
also  show  a  varied  group,  consisting  of  hardy 
Azaleas  and  Rhododendrons,  with  a  great  number 
of  greenhouse  flowering  plants.  The  dominant  fea- 
ture of  this  exhibit  is  the  collection  of  Hydrangeas, 
of  which  many  varieties  are  shown,  including  some 
of  the  latest  kinds.  One  bearing  the  outrageously 
long  name  of  Generale  Vicomtesse  de  Vibraye  is 
remarkable  from  the  fact  that,  though  naturally 
ot  a  bright  rose  colour,  it  acquires  a  more  decided 
blue  tint  than  any  other  Hydrangea.  Messrs. 
Cutbush  have  a  preparation  of  their  own,  known  as 
"  Azure,"  for  turning  Hydrangeas  blue,  and  the  con- 
dition of  those  shown  says  much  for  its  effectiveness. 

Messrs.  Charles  Turner  and  Sons  of  Slough  show 
some  Indian  Azaleas  trained  in  the  strictly  pyra- 
naidal  manner  that  was  at  one  time  so  popular. 
They  are  interesting  as  showing  the  way  in  which 
these  plants  were  in  the  olden  days  largely  grown. 
Arranged  with  some  bush  plants,  Malmaison 
Carnations  and  Ferns,  a  very  pretty  effect  is 
produced. 

Messrs.  John  Peed  and  Sons,  Roupell  Park  Nur- 
series, Streatham,  show  a  fine  collection  of  very 
large  specimens  of  Caladiums.  Prominent  among 
them  are  Triomphe  de  Comte,  bright  red  ;  Candi- 
dum,  white ;  King  George,  rose,  freckled  red ; 
Diamantina,  white,  green  and  red  ;  and  John 
Peed,  rich  red.  Besides  the  Caladiums,  Messrs. 
Peed  contribute  a  large  and  representative  group 
of  their  noted  strain  of  Streptocarpus. 

Scented-leaved  Pelargoniums  are  certainly  making 
great  headway  in  popular  favour.  Miss  Troyte 
Bullock,  North  Coker  House,  Yeovil,  Somerset, 
has  a  collection  of  no  fewer  than  140  distinct 
varieties,  a  fact  of  which  she  may  justly  feel  proud. 

From  Aldenham  House  Gardens  comes  another  fine 
collection,  which,  though  more  limited  in  numbers, 
makes  an  imposing  show,  owing  to  the  plants  being 
all  good-sized  bushes  in  pots  7  inches  or  8  inches 
in  diameter.  In  this  collection  some  seventy  or 
eighty  varieties  are  shown. 

Rolls  Hoare,  Esq.,  West  Grinstead  Park,  Sussex, 
also  contributes  a  good  collection  of  this  class  of 
Pelargoniums,  about  a  hundred  being  represented 
among  them.  In  all  the  exhibits  the  bulk  of  the 
plants  are  in  flower. 

Pelargoniums  of  the  Zonal  and  Ivy-leaved 
sections  are  shown  in  great  variety  by  Mr.  H.  J. 
Jones,  Limited,  Hither  Green  Nurseries.  Lewisham. 
The  plants  shown  are  good  examples  of  cul- 
ture, and  a  choice  selection  might  easily  be  made 
from  those  shown. 


As  usual,  Messrs.  Godfrey  and  Sons,  Exmouth, 
are  staging  a  large  number  of  decorative  Pelar- 
goniums, which  they  grow  so  well.  The  variety 
among  them  is  great,  and  their  dwarf  habit  and 
profusion  of  flowering  are  all  that  can  be  desired. 
Numerous  other  plants  are  shown  by  this  Exmouth 
firm,  notably  a  beautiful  salmon  pink  bedding 
Pelargonium,  Duchess  of  Cornwall,  and  the  New 
Zealand  Veronica  hulkeana,  whose  lavender- 
coloured  flowers  are  borne  in  great  profusion. 

A  imique  exhibit  is  that  from  Mr.  Bruce,  The 
Nurseries,  Chorlton-cum-Hardy,  Manchester.  It 
consists  of  a  group  of  insectivorous  plants,  mainly 
consisting  of  Sarracenias,  though  there  are  others. 
One  pan  of  Dion  sea  muscipula  is  very  striking. 
Many  of  the  Sarracenias  are  splendid  examples, 
perhaps  the  most  striking  of  all  being  S.  Willmottae, 
a  hybrid  kind.  Lightness  is  imparted  to  this 
group  by  a  free  use  of  Palms  and  Eulalias.  A 
charming  little  creeping  melastomaceous  plant, 
Heeria  elegans,  with  carmine  red  flowers,  is  freely 
represented  in  this  group. 

Mr.  L.  R.  Russell  of  Richmond  has  a  collection 
of  choice  Caladiums  shown  as  small  plants,  arranged 
several  together  in  large  pans.  In  this  way, 
looked  at  from  above,  they  are  most  attractive. 
The  new  Flora  Russell,  a  crimson-leaved  variety, 
is  especially  noteworthy.  .Associated  with  the 
Caladiums  are  other  choice  stove  plants,  par- 
ticularly Marantas,  Alocasias  and  several  examples 
of  Nidularium  Meyendorfii,  remarkable  for  the 
brilliant  colour  of  the  central  leaves. 

The  pigmy  trees  from  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons 
are,  as  usual,  much  admired  by  those  on  the  look- 
out for  something  away  from  the  common.  Though 
many  of  them  are  hardy,  in  their  pigmy  forms 
they  need  the  protection  of  a  greenhouse,  or,  at 
all  events,  a  situation  where  they  are  protected 
from  harsh   and  drying  winds. 

Messrs.  Blackmore  and  Langdon,  Twerton  Hill 
Nurseries,  Bath,  have  an  exhibit  that  well  upholds 
their  world-wide  reputation  for  tuberous-rooted 
Begonias.  When  so  many  beautiful  kinds  are 
shown,  it  is  difficult  to  make  a  selection,  but  the 
following  cannot  be  passed  over  :  Princess  Victoria 
Louise,  which  was  last  year  given  an  award  of 
merit,  pale  salmon  pink ;  Duchess  of  Cornwall, 
dark  crimson  ;   Rose  Queen,  rich  rose  ;  W.  Marshall, 


scarlet  ;  and  Mrs.  Thornton,  white.  The  sturdy 
growth  and  erect  flowers  of  the  recent  kinds  show 
quite  a  wide  departure  from  the  tuberous  varieties 
of  old.  Besides  these,  Messrs.  Blackmore  and 
Langdon  are  showing  a  new  basket  variety,  Mrs. 
Bowers,  whose  blossoms  are  of  a  delightful  shade 
of  reddish  salmon.  It  will  prove  a  desirable 
addition  to  this  valuable  class.  Two  semper- 
florens  hybrids.  Carmen  and  Pink  Beauty,  are 
doubtless  destined  to  be  soon  much  better  known. 

Messrs.  Thomas  S.  Ware,  Limited,  Feltham, 
have  long  been  identified  with  the  improvements 
in  the  tuberous  Begonia,  and  their  present  exhibit 
is  one  of  the  best.  It  mainly  consists  of  double- 
flowered  varieties,  with  blooms  as  perfect  as  one 
may  desire.  Among  the  best  are  Countess  Cadogau, 
orange  ;  Mrs.  Justice  Hodges,  cream,  red  picotee 
edge  ;  Lady  Ebury,  deep  rose  ;  Captain  Lafone, 
pink,  much  crisped  ;  and  W.  G.  Valentine,  scarlet. 
Lady  Cromer,  one  of  the  finest  of  the  tuberous- 
rooted  Begonias  ever  raised,  and  for  which  we 
are  indebted  to  Messrs.  Ware,  is,  as  might  be 
expected,  very  finely  shown  in  their  group. 

Messrs.  Robert  Veitch  and  Son,  Exeter,  show  a 
pretty  and  interesting  group  of  Calceolarias,  all 
raised  by  them.  Prominent  in  this  exhibit  is 
the  pretty  cream-coloured,  vigorous-growmg  C. 
Veitchii,  which  was  given  an  award  of  merit  last 
year  at  the  "  International." 

A  fine  lot  of  Calceolarias  of  the  herbaceous 
section  is  contributed  by  the  Rev.  H.  Buckston, 
Sutton  Hall,  Derby,  the  flowers  being  particularly 
good  and  the  colours  well  varied. 

From  Mrs.  V.  A.  Litkie,  Clarefield,  Pinkneys 
Green,  Maidenhead,  comes  a  noble  circular  group 
of  Calceolarias.  The  centre  consists  of  large  plants 
of  C.  Clibranii  or  protusa,  emd  around  the  margin 
are  beautiful  specimens  of  members  of  the  herba- 
ceous section.  Occupying  the  intermediate  space 
are  a  nimibcr  of  crosses  between  the  herbaceous 
kinds  and  C.  Clibranii.  These  are  in  habit,  size 
and  colour  of  the  flowers  about  midway  between 
their  parents,  and  are  a  decidedly  promising  lot. 

Mr.  Charles  Tiurner,  Slough,  contributes  a  small 
but  interesting  group  of  Pelargoniums,  among  them 
being  representatives  of  the  show,  decorative  and 
fancy  classes.  These  last  were  at  one  time  extremely 
popular,  but  are  now  very  rarely  seen,  their  lack 


A.    PORTION    OF    THE    ROSE    GROUP    SHOWN    BY    MESSRS.    STUART    LOW    AND    CO. 


260 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[May  24,  1913 


of  size  being  against  them,  according  to  present-day 
ideas. 

From  Mr.  Victor  Slade,  Taimton,  Somerset, 
comes  a  quantity  of  cut  blooms  of  Zonal  Pelar- 
goniums, consisting  of  both  single  and  double 
kinds.     A  ,  nod  and  representative  collection. 

In  a  gri  1,  mainly  consisting  of  Carnations', 
shown   by  J.    D.    Webster,    Chichester,    is    a 

magnificent  ^jt  of  cut  flowers  of  Richardia  Pent- 
landii,  which  shows  that  their  cultural  requirements 
are  well  understood. 

Messrs.  H.  Cannell  and  Sons,  Swanley,  Kent, 
fill  one  of  the  tables  with  a  selection  of  choice 
flowering  subjects.  Prominent  among  them  are 
Calceolaria  Clibranii  (very  much  in  evidence  at  the 
present  exhibition),  Schizanthus  (a  very  fine  strain). 
Pelargoniums  of  different  sorts,  but  mainly  of  the 
decorative  section,  and  herbaceous  Calceolarias, 
the  whole  being  finished  ofi  with  a  fringe  of  loose- 
growing  Lobelias,  which  serve  to 
prevent  any  bareness  at  the  front. 
Good  plants  of  GrevUlea  robust  a 
also  serve  to  take  off  any  stiffness 
or  formality. 

From  Messrs.  Kent  and  Brydon. 
Darlington,  comes  a  splendid  bank 
of  Lily  of  the  Valley,  both  the 
foliage  and  the  flowers  being 
equally  fine. 

Aug.  Ph.  Brandt,  Esq.,  Bletch- 
ingley  Castle,  Surrey,  contributes 
a  fine  bank  of  decorative  Pelar- 
goniums, the  selection  being  good, 
and  the  condition  of  the  plants 
leaves  nothing  to  be  desired. 

A  miscellaneous  collection  of 
plants  shown  by  Mr.  G.  Reuthe, 
Keston,  Kent,  is  made  up  of  a 
great  variety  of  different  subjects, 
some  being  hardy  shrubs  and 
many  of  a  half-hardy  character. 
Prominent  in  the  exhibit  are  a 
great  many  different  Rhododen- 
drons, both  Himalayan  species 
and  various  garden  hybrids. 

The  collection  of  Hippeastrums 
or  Amaryllis  set  up  by  Messrs. 
R.  P.  Ker  and  Sons,  Aigburth 
Nurseries,  Liverpool,  are  represen- 
tative of  their  well-lcnown  strain. 
Prominent  in  the  exhibit  are  the 
following  varieties :  Magnificent 
(chocolate  red,  shading  to  white 
at  the  edges).  Lord  Roberts 
(orange  scarlet,  light  centre). 
Magenta  Queen  (bright  carmine  rose),  and  Rosy 
May  (deep  reddish  rose,  shad'ng  t^  white  at 
the  edge). 

Messrs.  H.  B.  May  and  Sons  of  Edmonton  are 
showing  a  varied  collection  of  flowering  plants 
which  they  do  so  well.  Among  them  are  Pelar- 
goniums (including  that  scented-leaved  variety 
Clorinda),  Salvias,  Lobelias,  Heliotrope,  &c. 
Foliage  plants  include  a  co  lection  of  Coleus  and 
of  tricolor-leaved  Pelargon.  urns,  which  last  are 
very  rarely  seen  nowadays.  Standards,  too,  now 
so  popular,  are  represented  by  Salvias,  Lemon- 
scented  Verbena,  Fuchsias   and  Pelargoniums. 


a  very  high  state  of  culturf.  The  bulk  of  the 
exhibit  is  made  up  of  large  specimens  such  as  one 
rarely  sees,  and  these  of  many  of  the  choicest 
kinds.  Of  those  that  may  be  especially  noted  are 
Davallias  (quite  a  representative  collection),  Stag's- 
horn  Ferns  (of  which  the  same  may  be  said), 
Polypodium  Knightas,  Polypodium  Vidgenii  (which 
was  given  an  award  of  merit  a  year  ago)  and  Poly- 
podium glaucura  crispum  (remarkable  for  its  beauti- 
ful glaucous  tint).  There  is  a  fine  group  of  that 
mossiest  of  all  the  mossy  varieties  of  Nephrolepis 
exaltata,  namely,  Willmottae,  which  was  last  year 
given  a  first-class  certificate.  A  plant  ot  the 
interesting  Nephrolepis  Marshallii  compacta,  which 
before  the  advent  of  WillmottEe  was  regarded  as  the 
extreme  form,  is  shown  for  the  purpose  of  com- 
parison. The  fine  plants  of  Lygodium  also  form 
a  notable  feature  in  Messrs.  May's  collection.  The 
said  group  is  edged  with  a  representative  selection 


Mr.  Amos  Perry  of  Enfield  contributes  a  fine 
group  of  hardy  Ferns,  many  of  which  for  beauty 
vie  with  the  choicest  exotic  kinds.  The  beautiful 
leafage  of  all  those  shown  forms  a  very  striking 
feature.  The  different  varieties  of  Athyrium 
Felix-foemina,  Polystichum  angulare  and  Osmund? 
regalis  are  particularly  fine. 


FERNS. 


ASTER    PURDOMII,   A    NEW    DWARF  SPECIES  FROM   NORTHERN    CHINA 
SHOWN    BY    MESSRS.    J.    VEITCH    AND    SONS. 


of  the  finest  hardy  Ferns,  a  class  whose  culture  is 
now  largely  taken  up  at  Edmonton.  Not  only  is 
such  an  exhibit  of  great  beauty  in  itself,  but  the 
masses  of  greenery  serve  as  a  foil  to  the  bright- 
coloured  flowers  in  close  proximity. 

Messrs.  Hill  of  Edmonton,  whose  fame  as  Fern- 
growers  is  widespread,  are  showing  a  steep  bank  of 
very  beautiful  forms,  disposed  in  an  extremely 
pleasing  manner.  The  Gleichenias  in  this  collec- 
tion are  very  striking,  as  also  are  the  Davallias, 
Platyceriums,  Polypodium  Knightas,  Polypodium 
glaucum  crispum  and   Polypodium  Schneideri. 

Mr.  W.  A.  Manda,  New  Jersey  and  St.  Albans, 
make  a  feature  of  his  beautiful  new  Fern 
Polypodium  mandaianum,  which  made  its  first 
appearance  at  the  "  International,"  and  was  given  a 
first-class  certificate  later  on  at  Holland  Park.  It 
is  in  every  way  an  ideal  decorative  Fern  for  large 
ipecimens,   the  spreading  fronds  being  of  a  firm 


The  exhibit  of    Ferns    staged  by  Messrs.   H.   B. 
May  and  Sons  of  Edmonton  is  well  worthy  of  their 

great  reputation,  fully  1,000  square  feet  b?ing  filled  I  leathery  texture  that  enables  them  to  resist  draughts 
with  choice  examples,   every  one  of  which   shows  I  well 


ORCHIDS. 

It  is  to  the  Orchids  that  many  visitors  make 
their  way  on  entering  the  exhibition  gates.  There 
is  a  wonderful  display  to  be  seen,  for  leading  growers 
from  all  parts  of  the  coimtry  are  showing,  and  the 
quality  of  the  flowers  is  better  than  ever.  High 
banks  of  gorgeous  Orchids  create  colour-schemes 
of  bewildering  beauty.  Among  the  newer  varieties 
Odontiodas  are  well  to  the  fore,  while  Miltonias, 
which  eight  or  ten  years  ago  were 
thought  little  of,  are  now  favourites 
among  the  Orchid-loving  public. 

A  collection  of  Cattleya  hy- 
brids, in  perfect  condition,  comes 
from  Lieutenant-Colonel  Sir  George 
Holford,  K.C.V.O.,  Westonbirt, 
Gloucestershire.  Large  pans  of 
the  lovely  Cattleya  Skinneri  and 
innumerable  Brasso  -  Cattleyas, 
such  as  digbyano-Mossis  and  Mme. 
Hye,  with  broad,  fimbriated  lips 
are  among  the  features  of  the 
gorgeous  display.  We  have 
learnt  to  expect  great  things  from 
Westonbirt,  and  there  is  no  cause 
for  disappointment.  Every  plant 
is  a  picture,  and  the  whole  ot 
this  extensive  group  does  credit  to 
Mr.  Alexander,  the  ardent  and 
successful  cultivator. 

Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co., 
Hayward's  Heath,  have  quite 
surpassed  themselves  in  the  mag- 
nificent group  they  are  showing. 
Miltonias  form  a  strong  feature, 
and  the  rise  in  popularity  of 
these  flowers  is  due  in  a  great 
measure  to  the  efforts  of  this 
enterprising  firm.  Odontiodas  are 
exceptionally  fine,  notably  Queen 
Mary  and  Enchantress — two  of 
the  very  best  in  the  whole 
exhibition.  A  wide  range  of 
Cattleya  hybrids,  together  with 
Odontoglossums  and  Cymbidiums. 
are  prominent  in  this  truly  grand  and  in  evcrv 
way   creditable  display. 

Messrs.  Mansell  and  Hatcher,  Rawdon,  Yorks, 
have  an  extensive  collection,  in  which  most  Orchids 
in  season  are  represented.  The  Cattleya  hybrids 
are  worthy  of  special  note,  while  the  gems  among 
Miltonias,  Odontoglossums  and  Odontiodas  arouse 
the  admiration  of  ^11  visitors. 

Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co.  have  a  brilliant 
display,  including  Cattleyas,  Dendrobiums, 
Phalaenopsids  and  Oncidiums  in  all  colours  con- 
ceivable. The  centre  of  this  brilliant  group  is 
mainly  occupied  by  the  highly-attractive  Renanthera 
imschootiana,  of  orange  scarlet  hue. 

Messrs.  J.  and  A.  McBean  of  Cooksbridge  are 
showing  Odontoglossum  crispum  in  remarkably 
good  form,  also  Cattleya  hybrids  in  exquisite 
colours,  interspersed  with  a  variety  of  Cymbidiums 
in  long,  arch'ng  sprays.  About  sixty  plants  of 
Miltonias,  including  the  bright  ."Augusta,  are  shown 
in  this  group. 


May  24,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


261 


Mr.  Harry  Dixon,  Spencer  Park  Nursery,  Wands 
worth  Common,  is  showing  Cattleyas,  Odonto- 
glossums  and  Miltonias  in  great  variety.  Among 
his  best  plants  are  LeeUo  -  Cattleya  dominiana, 
a  wonderful  variety  of  L.-C.  G.  S.  Ball  and  two 
albino  Cattleyas,  C.  Skinneri  alba  and  C.  inter- 
media alba. 

Messrs.  J.  Cypher  and  Sons,  Cheltenham,  are 
represented  by  a  magnificent  bank  of  such  Orchids 
as  Miltonia  vexillaria  in  variety,  Phalaenopsis 
riraestadiana,  Laelia  Latona,  Renanthera  imschooti- 
ana  and  Dendrobium  Thwaitess.  A  little  batch  of 
the  orange  scarlet  Masdevallia  grandiflora  is  a 
showy  feature  of  the  bright  and  interesting  display. 

Messrs.  Sander  and  Sons,  St.  Albajis,  have  quite 
excelled  themselves  with  their  intensely  interesting 
and  well-staged  group,  in  which  Odontoglossums, 
choice  Cattleyas,  Phala'nopsids,  Cymbidiums  and 
Miltonias  are  mingled  one  with  the  other.  Among 
the  gems  of  the  collection  are  Odontioda 
Laelia  Sander,  O.  Roger  Sander,  and  Brasso- 
Cattleya  vilmoriniana  Etna.  The  choice  collection 
of  Odontiodas  is  the  outstanding  feature  of  this 
group. 

From  Sir  Jeremiah  Colman,  Bart.,  Gatton  Park. 
Surrey,  comes  an  admirable  display,  in  which  fiiie 
spikes  of  Odontoglossum  crispum  Mary  Colnian  and 
other  varieties  are  mingled  with  the  orange-toTicd 
Odontiodas,  such  as  Bradshawiae  and  Gatton 
Queen.  The  effect  is  charming.  A  fine  lot  of 
Miltonias  and  Cattleyas  are  included  in  this  group. 

In  Messrs.  Hassall  and  Co.'s  group  from  South- 
gate  may  be  seen  an  admirable  collection  of  Mil- 
tonias, Odontoglossums  and  a  perfect  specimen 
plant  of  the  albino  Cattleya  Skinneri  alba.  La;lio- 
Cattleya  Phoebe  is  likewise  well  shown. 

Mr.  Sidney  W.  Flory,  Twickenham,  sends 
Cattleyas  and  Odontoglossums  in  great  variety. 
Trichopilia  hennesiana,  with  ivory  white  flowers, 
and  Cochlioda  noetzliana,  with  vivid  orange 
scarlet  inflorescences,  are  two  of  the  gems  among 
the  species  shown. 

Messrs.  Armstrong  and  Brown,  Tunbridge  Wells 
have  an  extensive  and  highly  creditable  group, 
comprising  Miltonias,  Cattleyas,  Cypripediums, 
Odontiodas  and  Phalsnopsis.  Coelogyne  dayana, 
with  pendulous  chains  of  brownish  flowers,  is 
conspicuous  in  the  background.  Odontioda  Chanti- 
cleer and  Miltonia  vexillaria  G.  D.  Owen  are  two 
gems  not  to  be  overlooked. 

Odontoglossum  crispum  and  Cattleya  Mossia? 
in  variety  are  the  features  of  the  group  sent  by 
Mr.  C.  F.  Waters,  Balcombe,  Sussex.  Large 
batches  of  Miltonia  vexillaria  are  likewise  included 
in  this  group. 


SWEET     PEAS. 

The  season  of  the  year  is  not  one  at  which  it 
can  reasonably  be  anticipated  that  Sweet  Peas 
will  be  shown  in  that  profusion  and  perfection 
which  characterise  them  in  the  prime  of  summer. 
The  flowers  are  from  plants  grown  under  glass  ; 
and  from  the  fact  that  such  protection  is  afforded 
it  may  be  thought  that  the  weather  would  be 
controlled,  but  such  can  never  be  the  case.  The 
present  spring  has  undoubtedly  been  unpropitious, 
and  it  is  therefore  the  more  pleasing  to  be  able  to 
place  on  record  the  fact  that  many  blooms  of  wonder- 
ful quality — quality  spelling  richness  and  purity 
of  colour,  excellence  of  substance,  refinement  of 
form,  graceful  placing  on  the  stem  and  ample 
length  of  stalk — is  to  be  seen  in  the  Royal  Hospital 
Grounds  at  Chelsea.  Individual  exhibitors  are  less 
numerous   than    might    have    been   expected,    but 


the  conspicuous  absentees  were  away  under  the 
compulsion  of  the  weather,  over  which,  happily, 
none  of  us  has  the  least  control.  They  were  com- 
pelled to  withdraw,  and  their  absence  can  only  be 
described  as  a  loss  to  the  show,  magnificent  and 
varied  as  the  display  is  as  a  whole. 

Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co.,  Edinburgh,  did  not 
exhibit  Sweet  Peas  from  North  of  the  Border, 
but  from  the  metropolitan  county  of  Essex.  It  is 
impossible  adequately  to  praise  them  without 
being  accused  of  gross  exaggeration,  so  it  shall 
suffice  to  say  that  they  would  have  done  credit 
to  an  exhibition  in  any  centre  of  the  British  Isles 
in  July.  Qualitv  and  colour  are  emphasised  by 
excellent  arrangement.  Along  the  back  are  plants 
8  feet  high  in  6-inch  pots,  and  in  the  foreground 
are  superb  bunches  of  many  varieties.  Of  the  new 
ones,  personal  taste  will  decide  which  is  the  most 
beautiful,  and  probably  the  most  votes  will  go  to 
Mrs.  Mcllwrick,  of  which  the  standard  is  rose 
and  the  wings  a  peculiar  shade  of  blue.  A  refined 
beaut V  is   Blue   Pici'tee,  with   the  finest   thread  of 


P.  Wright,  Elfrida  Pearson,  .Apple  Blossom  Spencer 
and  Etta  Dyke. 

Essex  is  to  the  fore  in  a  small  group  from  Messrs. 
E.  W.  King  and  Co.,  Coggeshall,  and  the  feature 
that  most  promptly  strikes  one  is  the  quality 
of  the  varieties  to  which  the  prefix  of  Anglian 
is  attached.  There  are  Crimson,  Pink,  Blue, 
Orange  and  Fairy,  not  to  mention  Royalty,  of 
wfiich  no  mere  man  could  reasonably  be  expected 
to  describe  the  colour  with  even  approximate 
correctness.  Another  beauty  is  Mrs.  Reginald 
Hill,  a  warm  lavender,  while  Princess  Mary  and 
Electric  are  both  charming  colours. 

Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons,  Reading,  have  a  varied 
and  delightful  exhibit,  and  among  the  most  beauti- 
ful features  of  which  it  is  comprised  is  the  collec- 
tion of  Sweet  Peas — brilliant  in  colour,  perfect 
in  size,  substance  and  form,  and  artistically 
displayed.  Especially  fine  are  Avalanche,  Royal 
Rose,  Helen  Grosvenor,  Queen  of  Norway  and 
Doris  Usher.  Little,  if  at  all,  inferior  are  Mrs. 
Heslington,  Constance  Oliver,  Mrs.  W.  J.   Unwin, 


A    PORTION    OF    MESSRS.    DOBBIE    AND    CO.  S    SWEET    PEA    EXHIBIT. 


colour  round  the  white  ;  while  King  White  will 
probably  reign  for  long.  Among  the  other  beauties 
are  Dobbie's  Scarlet,  Dobbie's  Cream,  Dobbie's 
Lavender  George  Herbert,  with  Ruby  Palmer, 
Melba,  Thomas  Stevenson,  Sunproof  Crimson, 
Lady  Miller,  May  Campbell,  Mrs.  Cuthbertson, 
Elfrida  Pearson,  Decorator,  Brunette,  Inspector, 
Marks  Tey,  Elsie  Herbert.  Rosabelle,  New  Marquis 
and  Charles  Foster. 

Robert  Sydenham,  Limited,  Tenby  Street, 
Birmingham,  appear  to  have  a  rule  in  respect  to 
their  exhibits,  of  which  the  substance  is  that  quantity 
must  be  subservient  to  quality.  In  the  present 
instance  the  group  of  Sweet  Peas  is  not  extensive, 
but  it  has  the  merit  of  cheerfulness  of  colour  and 
attractiveness  of  arrangement.  The  flowers  are 
not  conspicuous  for  size,  neither  are  they  carried 
on  stems  2  feet  or  more  in  length,  but  they  lose 
nothing  on  these  scores.  The  most  attractive 
varieties  are  Hercules,  Barbara.  Edith  Taylor, 
Princess  Mary,  R.  F.  Felton,  Maud  Holmes,  Walter 


Charles  Foster  and  Dragonfly,  which  is  peculiar 
in  colour,  the  standard  being  very  pale  buS  and 
the  wings  rose  veined. 

The  only  other  exhibitor  of  Sweet  Peas  is  Miss 
Hemus,  Upton-on-Severn,  who  has  a  small  exhibit. 


HERBACEOUS    &    BULBOUS 
PLANTS. 

Bv  far  the  most  beautiful,  as  it  is  also  the 
most  imposing  and  sumptuous  of  groups  occiuring 
under  this  head  is  that  of  Lilies  arranged  by 
Messrs.  Wallace  and  Co.  of  Colchester,  which 
will  be  found  in  the  large  tent.  It  is  rich  in  Lilies 
and  teems  with  the  best  of  them,  and,  moreover, 
they  will  be  found  in  admirable  condition,  despite 
the  fact  that  they  have  been  forced  into  bloom. 
The  more  worthy  of  these  are  Hansonii  (orange), 
Brownii,  monadelphum  (szovitzianum),  the  rare 
Trumpet  Lily,  L.  myriophyllum,  and  the  inimitable 
L.  Krameri.      These   latter    are    really   admirable, 


262 


THE     GARDEN. 


[May  24.  1913, 


and  should  be  seen  by  all.  Dalmaticiun,  Dal- 
hansonii  and  tenuifolium  Golden  Gleam  are  other 
good  things  to  be  found  in  this  group,  the  accom- 
paniments being  Astilbes,  Irises,  Gladioli  and  the 
like. 

Mr.  Amos  Perry  has  brought  from  Enfield  a 
superb  lot  of  things,  and  quite  in  the  forefront  will 
be  found  a  rare  grouping  of  Tree  Paeonies,  the 
finest  of  which  is  Louise  Monchelet,  a  delightful 
pink  of  satiny  hue.  Irises  of  many  sections  are 
here,  too,  and  such  as  I.  Korolkowii  purpurea, 
I.  vaga  and  I.  tenax  will  be  noted  at  once.  Two 
representatives  of  the  Regho-cyclus  group  are 
worth  noting,  I.  Hesperia  and  I.  Hecate.  There 
are  many  other  fine  things  to  be  seen. 

Messrs.  G.  and  A.  Clark,  Limited,  Dover, 
display  a  fine  lot  of  Astilbe  Davidii,  Pyrethruras, 
Primulas,  Irises,  Verbascums.  Eremuri  and  other 
things  of  the  showier  class,  good  border  plants 
withal. 

In  the  group  from  Messrs.  Jackman  and  Sons, 
Woking,  there  will  be  found  many  showy  and 
useful  subjects,  Delphiniums,  Paeonies,  Verbascums, 
Astilbes,  Lilies  in  variety,  Cypripediums  of  sorts, 
the  pretty  Iris  cristata  and  a  fine  lot  of  Oxalis 
enneaphylla. 

The  group  from  Mr.  James  Box,  Lindfield, 
Sussex,  will  be  found  high  up  in  the  large  tent, 
adjacent  to  a  large  collection  of  Ferns.  It  contains 
many  excellent  border  and  choice  rock  plants. 
The  background  of  Bamboos  is  faced  with  Anchusa 
Opal  and  the  rich  blue  of  the  Delphinium  Lamar- 
tine,  which  is  in  capital  form.  Of  choice  Primulas 
there  will  be  seen  bulleyana,  Lissadell  hybrids, 
beesiana  and  luteola.  Incarvillea  brevipes  and 
I.  grandiflora  are  notably  good,  and  should  be  noted 
by  our  readers.  The  white-flowered  Delphinium 
Progression — a  novelty  withal — is  also  worth 
noting.  Anemone  coronaria  Rouge  Ponceau  is  of 
wondrous  scarlet  colour. 

Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea, 
are  showing  Eremuri,  a  fine  lot  of  Pentstemon 
Menziesi,  together  with  Geum  Mrs.  Bradshaw, 
Pyrethrums,  Irises,  Lilies  and  the  new  Aster 
Purdomii  (see  illustration  page  260). 

Messrs.  Artindale  and  Son,  Sheffield,  have 
some  excellent  Tree  Peonies,  early  Gladiolus, 
Megaseas  and  a  gay  gathering  of  Violas  in  many 
varieties. 

In  the  group  from  Mr.  W.  H.  Rogers,  Southamp- 
ton, some  fine  Primulas  will  be  found,  also  the 
brilliant  scarlet-flowered  Ourisia  coccinea  and  the 
inimitable  Omphalodes  Luciliie.  Corydalis  nobilis 
and  the  Delphiniums  will  not,  of  course,  be  passed 
by. 

Messrs.  Storrie  and  Storrie  have  one  of  their  fine 
exhibits  of  Auriculas  and  Polyanthuses,  the  vigour 
and  floriferousness  of  which  will  not  fail  to  be 
admired.  The  strains  of  both,  too,  are  excellent, 
and  Scotland's  air  seems  to  imbue  these  things 
with  new  life. 

Messrs.  Whitelegg  and  Page,  Chislehurst,  have 
fine  baskets  of  Primula  Veitchii,  Habranthus 
pratensis,  Aubrietias,  with  a  delightful  lot  of 
Primula  pulverulenta  and  P.  cockbumiana. 

The  very  fine  groups — for  there  are  two — of 
herbaceous  Phloxes  from  Messrs.  Gunn  and  Sons, 
Birmingham,  are  among  the  brightest  features 
of  the  great  tent.  Messrs.  Gunn  are  excellent 
cultivators  of  these  plants,  and  they  now  show  them 
very  finely.  Elizabeth  Campbell  (scarlet),  Duchess 
of  Wellington  (mauve),  Le  Mahdi,  Ellen  Willmott 
(mauve),  Fran  Antonie  Buchner  (purest  white) 
and  Countess  of  Ilchester  (orange  scarlet)  will  be 
found    among    the    most   distinct.     Viola  Moseley 


Perfection    is    a    great    thing    in    yellow-flowered 
varieties. 

Quite  in  the  opening  of  the  large  tent  from  the 
Embankment  side  will  be  found  the  sumptuous 
grouping  of  Delphiniums,  Tree  Paeonies,  P>Te- 
thrums,  GaUlardias  and  yellow  Lupines  from 
Messrs.  Kelway,  Langport.  We  have  frequently 
observed  that  it  is  better  to  display  a  few 
plants  in  good  condition  than  to  show  a  whole 
army  of  things,  meaningless,  dowdy  in  colour, 
and  of  no  significance.  Messrs.  Kelway  are  doing 
the  former,  the  result  being  a  very  fine  display. 

Mr.  Frank  Lilley,  Guernsey,  has  one  of  those 
attractive  groups  which  at  this  early  season  of  the 
year  only  this  favoured  island  can  show.  Sparaxis, 
Irises,  Camassias  and  other  things  will  be  found. 

Messrs.  Reamsbottom  and  Co.,  Geashill,  King's 
County,  have  one  of  their  fine  displays  of  St.  Brigid 
.Anemones,  and  the  great  variety  of  colour,  cheap- 
ness and  easiness  of  culture  should  tempt  thousands 
to  grow  these  showy  flowers. 

Mr.  W.  Lawrenson,  Yarm-on-Tees,  is  staging 
on  a  table  space  in  the  big  tent  a  variety  of  hybrid 
Primulas  ;  but  from  either  the  day,  the  sunlessness 
or  covering  canvas,  we  failed  to  see  any  advance 
upon  well-known  kinds. 

From  Dr.  Macwatt,  Morelands,  Duns,  N.B., 
may  be  seen  basket  groups  of  many  Primulas, 
the  majority  interesting  rather  to  the  botanist 
than  to  the  gardener.  Duns,  we  had  hoped,  would 
follow  Edinburgh's  lead  and  demonstrate  to  resi- 
dents in  southern  gardens  how  much  elevation, 
northerliness  and  coolness  are  to  these  plants.  Dr. 
Macwatt's  exhibits  do  not  demonstrate  these 
things.  The  inimitable  P.  glutinosa  is  better  from 
Mr.  Farrer  ;  the  free-flowering  P.  Veitchii  is  superior 
everywhere.  Hence  we  enquire,  after  all,  Is  it 
cultural  skill,  and  not  position  or  locality  ? 

Mr.  G.  Underwood,  Leicester,  also  shows  Violas. 
The  Wargrave  Plant  Farm,  Twyford,  have  a  small 
rockery  exhibit  under  canvas,  and  at  least  two  things 
should  attract  our  readers  thereto.  They  are 
Cypripedium  montanum  and  <Ethioneraaschistosum, 
a  pretty,  pink-flowered  plant  for  rockwork  or 
alpine  wall.  Ourisia  coccinea  and  Gentiana  verna 
will  also  be  found  very  charming. 

Baker's,  Wolverhampton,  will  be  found  to  have  a 
rather  extensive  grouping  of  Primulas,  Meconopsis 
cambrica  fl.  -  pi.,  Cypripedium  spectabile  and 
Incarvillea  grandiflora.  The  plants  will  le  seen 
in  groups  suggestive  of  what  may  be  done  in  the 
garden. 


VIOLAS    AND     PANSIES. 

A  very  bright  and  attractive  display  of  Violas 
and  Violettas  is  shown  by  Mr.  Howard  H.  Crane, 
Woodview,  Highgate,  N.,  embracing  many  of 
the  leading  bedding  sorts,  to  which  this  grower 
especially  devotes  his  attention.  Among  other 
good  Violas  are  May,  Liuggi,  Royal  Sovereign, 
Mrs.  E.  A.  Cade,  Constance,  Leonora  and  Mrs.  B. 
Eric  Smith  (all  noteworthy  yellow  sorts).  Admiral 
of  the  Blue  and  Royal  Blue  (rich  blue  varieties), 
and  others  of  various  colours  are  Nellie  Chapman, 
Lark,  Nancy  (velvety),  Ruth  Wilks,  Nellie  Harston, 
C.  B.  Murray,  Mrs.  Chichester,  Swan  and 
Maggie  Mott.  Pretty  Violettas  are  Eileen, 
Cliloris,  Yellowhammer,  Butterfly,  Cynthia  and 
Rock  Yellow. 

Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co.,  Edinburgh,  have  a 
number  of  Pansies  and  Violas  growing  in  pans, 
illustrating  their  true  character  in  this  way.  Good 
sorts  of  Violas  are  Jubilee,  Lord  Shaw,  Royal 
Sovereign,  Snowflake,   King  Cup  and  Blue  Cloud. 


The  fancy  Pansies  are  fine,  some  being  very  striking. 
Noteworthy  varieties  are  Unicom,  Sunburst, 
Emma  Bateman,  Mrs.  C.  Kay,  John  Picken  and 
Attraction.  Viola  Moseley  Perfection  is  shown  as 
growing  plants  lifted  and  placed  in  baskets.  This 
is  a  wonderful  yellow  Viola.  Other  sorts  are 
Admiral  of  the  Blue  and  Agnes  Kay.  There  is 
also  a  beautiful  lot  of  Viola  cornuta  purpurea  and 
V.  gracilis.  This  last  series  is  exhibited  by  Messrs. 
Gunn  and  Sons,  Olton,  Warwickshire. 

John  Forbes,  Hawick,  Limited,  in  addition 
to  several  other  things,  has  a  capital  display  of 
Violas  and  Pansies.  Exhibition  and  bedding 
Violas  are  represented  by  the  following,  among 
others  ;  Campbell  Bcinnerman,  Mrs.  D,  Davidson, 
W.  H.  Woodgate,  Mary  Burnie,  William  Daniels, 
John  Forbes,  Glencoe,  James  Pilling,  Blanche  and 
Purity. 

Mr.  George  Underwood,  Leicester,  has  a  small 
group  of  the  more  popular  Violas,  showing  three 
blooms  each  of  a  number  of  good  sorts.  Walter 
Welsh  (rich  yellow),  John  Smellie,  Dusky  Monarch, 
Gladys  Finlay,  A.  S.  Frater,  Nettie  Macfadyen, 
Admiral  of  the  Blues  and  Henry  Hamilton  are 
conspicuous.  Viola  cornuta  purpurea  is  shown  in 
glass  vases  on  three  semi-circular  arrangements 
in  front  of  the  exhibit. 

A  new  exhibitor  in   the   person   of  Mr.   W.    R. 
Tranmer,     Alma     Nurseries,     Cottingham,     Hull,  ' 
stages   Violas  in  sprays  with   appropriate   foUage. 
Here  are  to  be  seen  well-known  sorts  in  fresh  con- 
dition,   such    as    G.    C.    Murray,    Mrs.    Chichester,] 
Moseley  Perfection,  Maggie  Mott,  White  Swan  and! 
Archie     Grant  ;      also     Viola     cornuta     purpurea,! 
V.  c.  alba  and  V.  c.  variety  Fragrance  Queen. 

Mr.  G.  W.  Miller,  Wisbech,  stages  with  his  hardyl 
flowers  a  number  of  Violas  ;  Royal  Blue,  Moseleyl 
Perfection,  Seagull  and  Bridal  Mom  are  their  names.| 
He  has  also  Viola  cornuta  and  its  varieties,  which 
are  well  shown, 

Messrs.  Carter  Page  and  Co.,  London  Wall,  E.C.,| 
in  addition  to  Dahlias  and  other  things,  have  an! 
interesting  collection  of  Violas  in  fresh  and  cleanl 
condition,  set  up  in  pans  of  sand.  Mrs.  C.  F.l 
Gordon,  Maggie  Mott,  Kathleen  Gordon,  Mrs.| 
Airdrie,  Kitty  Bell,  Moseley  Perfection,  Bronze: 
Kintore,  Swan  and  Archie  Grant  are  some  of  the| 
more  distinct  kinds. 

Messrs,  W,  Artindale  and  Son,  Sheffield,  Yorks,! 
have  edged  their  group  of  hardy  flowers  with  a| 
number  of  Violas  planted  out  in  Cocoa-nut  fibre! 
in  irregular  colonies.  The  more  striking  sorts! 
are  Margaret  Wood,  J.  H.  Watson,  Kathleen, 
Minnie  J.  Ollar,  Admiral  of  the  Blue,  A.  S.i 
Frater,  Countess  of  Eglinton  and  Gladys  Finlay,  and! 
with  Viola  cornuta  purpurea  makes  a  nice  finish. 

Messrs.  Gunn  and  Sons  have  a  pretty  circularl 
group  of  Viola  cornuta  purpurea,  set  up  in  tubes! 
in  a  cut  state,  making  a  mass,  and  contrasting  with  I 
several  Saxifrages  in  the  centre  of  the  group.  I 
This  is  a  very  simple  but  charming  little  display. 
Masses  of  Violas  form  an  irregular  and  pretty  J 
edging  to  Messrs.  Ware's  group  of  hardy  flowers. 
Here  are  massed  in  colours  such  sorts  as  Royal  I 
Sovereign,  Maggie  Mott,  a  purple,  white,  and  aj 
blotched  blue  variety. 

Pans  of  Violas  form  a  ring  round  two  groups  of  J 
plants  shown  by  Messrs.  R,  H,  Bath,  Limited,! 
Wisbech,  In  this  way  the  plants  are  effectively] 
shown,  the  public  by  these  means  obtaining  a  good  I 
idea  of  the  habit  of  the  respective  varieties.  Among! 
other  good  things  are  True  Blue,  Seagull,  Molly  I 
Pope,  Primrose  Dame,  Councillor  Waters,  Ethel  j 
Baxter,  Royal  Blue  and  Amy  Barr.  There  are| 
also  several  pans  of  fancy   Pansies. 


May  24,  1913.] 


THE    GAllDEN. 


263 


CARNATIONS     AND     PINKS. 

Truly  magnificent  aptly  describes  the  wonderful 
exhibit  of  Carnations  set  up  by  Mr.  C.  Engelmann, 
Saffron  Walde.i,  Essex.  Tall  pillars,  artistically 
arranged  with  blooms  of  Lady  Northcliffe,  Rosa, 
Sunstar,  White  Enchantress  and  Elektra  occupy 
the  centre  of  the  group,  and  out  of  the  ground- 
work of  smaller  vases  there  rise  stately  vases  of 
such  sorts  as  the  rich  crimson  Carola,  White  Mrs. 
Lawson,  Beacon,  Triumph,  Benora,  White  Wonder, 
My  Rose  and  Pioneer,  among  others.  Edged  with 
well-grown  Ferns  the  effect  is  distinctly  beautiful, 
and  does  this  exhibitor  great   credit. 

A  circular  group  on  a  raised  platform  is  occupied 
with  a  dainty  group  of  Carnations  by  Messrs. 
Stuart  Low  and  Co.,  Bush  Hill  Park,  Middlesex. 
Malmaison,  Mrs.  C.  F.  Raphael,  Princess  of  Wales, 
Princess  Juliana,  Churchwarden,  Marmion,  Duchess 
of  Westminster  and  Gemma  were  all  good.  Among 
the  Perpetual-flowering  varieties  that  are  note- 
worthy are  British  Triumph,  Baroness  de  Brienen, 
Empire  Day,  Scarlet  Glow,  Fairmount,  Cinnabar 
and  White  Wonder.  Surmounted  with  Palms  and 
edged  with  Ferns  and  moss  the  effect  is  pretty. 

Near  to  the  Embankment  entrance  is  a  triangular 
table  group  of  Carnations,  set  up  in  quaint  and 
artistic  vases  and  charming  baskets  by  Mr.  A.  F. 
Dutton,  Iver,  Bucks.  The  blooms  in  this  group 
are  remarkable  for  their  clear,  bright  and  striking 
colours  ;  in  fact,'  there  is  nothing  like  it  in  the 
exhibition.  Britannia,  Scarlet  Glow,  Triumph  and 
Harlowarden  are  blooms  of  wonderful  colours. 
Beautiful,  too,  are  the  pink  tones  of  colour  as  re- 
presented by  May  Day,  Mrs.  A.  F.  Dutton,  Rose 
Pink  Enchantress,  Enchantress,  Winsor  and  others. 
Niagara  and  White  Enchantress  are  superb  white 
kinds.  Mention  should  also  be  made  of  Mikado, 
the  deep  mauve  of  a  unique  tone  of  colour. 

Perpetual-flowering  Pinks  are  well  shown  by 
Mr.  C.  H.  Herbert,  Acocks  Green,  Birmingham, 
and  are  very  welcome  at  this  early  period.  Progress, 
Sunset,  Delicata,  Cottage  Maid  and  Echpse  (a  new 
salmon  pink  coloured  sort,  of  a  size  equal  to  a 
Malmaison  Carnation)  are  a  pretty  feature  of  this 
great  show.  Edged  with  Ferns  and  other  foliage 
plants,  this  made  a  charming  group. 

A  few  tall  vases  of  Carnations  comprise  part  of 
the  group  set  up  by  Mr.  S.  Mortimer,  Rowledge, 
Famham,  Surrey,  embracing  several  of  the  popular 
sorts  that  now  find  favour,  including  Victory, 
Triumph  and  Alma  Ward. 

Mr.  Charles  Blick,  The  Warren  Nurseries,  Hayes, 
Kent,  so  long  associated  with  the  late  Mr.  Martin 
Smith  as  his  gardener,  exhibits  a  very  pretty  little 
group  of  well-grown  Carnations.  Beacon  (glorious). 
Enchantress,  Salome,  Empire  Day,  Scarlet  Glow, 
Cecilia,  R.  F.  Felton,  White  Wonder,  Mikado, 
Winsor,  Lady  Alington,  Scarlet  Beauty,  Mrs.  C. 
Ward  and  King  George  are  all  well  done. 

.An  interesting  collection  of  Carnations  calls  for 
note  as  shown  by  Mr.  J.  D.  Webster,  Chichester. 
Some  of  the  blooms  are  remarkably  handsome,  such 
as  Cecilia,  Lady  Coventry,  H.  J.  Jones,  Triumph, 
R.  F.  Felton,  Lady  Meyer,  Rose  Pink  Enchantress, 
Carola  and  others. 

Another  beautiful  representation  of  Carnations  is 
that  seen  in  the  group  set  up  by  Messrs.  Young 
and  Co.,  Hatherley,  Cheltenham.  The  roses,  both 
large  and  small,  are  charmingly  disposed  on  a 
groundwork  of  moss  and  foliage  plants,  and  the 
effect  is  distinct  and  very  pleasing.  In  the  centre 
is  a  high  stand  of  Cecilia,  and  four  others,  equi- 
distant, of  Duchess  of  Devonshire,  Hon.  Lady 
Neeld  (two)  and  White  Enchantress.  Other  small 
vases  worthy  of  note  are   Edith  Waters,   Regina, 


Britannia,  Mrs.  Raphael,  Winsor;  Mikado  and 
Scarlet  Glow. 

Associated  with  Azaleas,  Mr.  Charles  Turner, 
Slough,  has  a  number  of  Carnations  in  pots,  such 
as  Nautilus,  Nell  Gwynne,  Lady  Middleton,  Princess 
of  Wales  and  Thora. 

A  large  circular  group  is  set  up  by  Messrs.  William 
Cutbush  and  Sons,  Highgate,  N.,  and  Bamet, 
Herts.  This  is  another  of  the  splendid  efforts 
at  this  show,  and  the  effect  is  truly  artistic.  Sur- 
moimted  by  a  Palm  in  the  centre  of  the  group  are 
Carnations,  arranged  in  a  receptacle  high  up  above 
a  mound  of  Lady  Coventry  in  the  pink  of  condition  ; 
well-elevated  stands  of  Mrs.  Lucy  Mackinnon, 
Marmion,  R.  F.  Felton,  Mrs.  C.  F.  Raphael,  White 
Wonder  and  others  ;  and  in  a  charmingly  undulat- 
ing groundwork  of  Ferns  and  numerous  other 
Carnations  a  handsome  group  is  brought  into  effect. 

A  group  of  an  undulating  character  embracing 
Statice  and  Malmaison  Carnations,  set  up  by  Mr. 
Leopold  de  Rothschild,  Gunnersbury,  W.  (gardener, 
Mr.  J.  Hudson),  is  a  fine  effort.  The  Carnations 
are  of  the  Malmaison  type,  and  the  plants  are  well 
grown  and  the  flowers  all  that  could  be  desired. 
FVincess  of  Wales  and  Blush  Malmaison  ere  the  two 


TREES    AND    SHRUBS. 

Hardy  Azaleas  as  shown  by  Messrs.  R.  and  G- 
Cuthbert,  Southgate,  N.,  are  always  a  great  feature 
at  the  spring  show  of  this  society,  and  the  display 
made  by  this  firm  this  year  is  no  exception  to 
this  excellent  rule.  Two  really  magnificent  groups 
aptly  describes  this  display  of  free-flowering  plants. 
The  coloiurs  are  gorgeous,  and  the  quality  of  the 
flowers  all  that  could  be  desired.  Mollis,  Leon 
Vignes,  J.  C.  Van  Thol,  Consul  Ceresole,  J.  C. 
Van  Thol  Imperial,  Chevalier  de  Reali  and  Baron 
Eeimund  de  Rothschild  are  all  noteworthy.  Varie- 
ties of  mollis  X  sinensis  worthy  of  special  mention 
are  T.  J.  Seidel,  Nicholas  Beets,  Ellen  Cuthbert, 
Aureus  and  Clara  Butt.  Varieties  of  rustica 
fl.-pl.  that  call  for  notice  are  Corneille,  Phoebe, 
II  Tasso  and  Aida.  Edged  with  Ferns,  the 
irregular  grouping  of  the  hardy  Azaleas  makes 
this  exhibit  a  great  feature  of  the  show. 

Mr.  Charles  Turner,  Slough,  groups  plants  and 
cut  sprays  of  Lilacs  in  charming  variety.  Some  ot 
the  plants  need  a  little  more  time  before  they  can 
be  regarded  as  in  proper  condition.  Volcan,  Dr. 
Lindley,  Charles  X.,  Marie  Legraye,  Mme.  F. 
Morel   and   Negro   are   good  single-flowered   sorts. 


A    CORNER    OF    MESSRS.    SUTTON    AND    SONS      EXHIBIT,    WHICH    WAS    COMPOSED 
ENTIRELY    OF    PLANTS    RAISED    FROM    SEEDS. 


varieties  exhibited.  Rarely  are  these  two  Carna- 
tions so  well  shown,  and  there  is  little  doubt  they 
will  be  noted  by  many  who  desire  to  excel  in  the 
cultivation  of  this  type  of  the  flower. 

.\n  attractive  exhibit  of  Carnations  is  that 
pleasingly  ehsposed  by  Mr.  Bertie  E.  Bell,  Cashel 
Nursery,  Guernsey.  Unique  stands,  stately  vases 
and  long  glasses  are  artistically  arranged  with  most 
of  the  leading  varieties  in  fresh  and  clean  con- 
dition. Among  others  to  be  seen  in  this  table 
group  are  Winsor,  Enchantress,  Coronation,  May 
Day,  Mikado,  Scarlet  Glow.  Judith,  White 
Enchantress,   Mrs.   C.   W.   Ward  and  Marmion. 

A  pretty  table  group  of  Carnations  is  set  up  by 
Mr.  H.  Burnett,  Guernsey.  The  flowers  in  this 
collection  are  very  bright  and  of  good  quality 
throughout.  Marmion,  Mrs.  C.  F.  Raphael,  R.  F. 
Felton,  Carola,  Benora,  Beacon,  White  Wonder, 
Calypso,  Mikado,  Scarlet  Glow  and  Mrs.  Tatton 
are  a  few  of  the  good  things  to  be  seen  in  this 
attractive  group. 


Doubles  are  represented  by  .Arthiu-  W.  Paul,  Mark 
Micheli,  Mme.  Casimir  -  Perier,  President  Carnot, 
Mme.  Lemoine,  Belle  de  Nancy  and  others. 

Japanese  pigmy  trees  are  well  shown  by  Messrs. 
Barr  and  Sons,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C. 
Seldom  have  these  quaint  and  curious  examples- 
of  dwarf  trees  of  ancient  origin  been  represented 
in  better  condition,  and  their  staging  in  a  square 
group  so  that  each  individual  specimen  can  be  seen 
is  a  great  advantage. 

Messrs.  W.  Cutbush  and  Son,  Highgate  and 
Bamet,  staged  a  miscellaneous  group  of  flowering 
plants  and  other  subjects.  Rhododendron  Pink 
Pearl,  hardy  Azaleas,  Marguerite  Pink  Perfection, 
Hydrangea  Mariesii,  H.  Monneur  Ghys  and 
Araucaria  Silver  Star  are  among  the  interesting 
things  in  this  group. 

Lilacs  are  shown  by  Messrs.  W.  and  J.  Brown, 
Stamford,  near  to  the  Embankment  entrance, 
.^though  the  plants  are  not  large,  there  is  a  beautiful 
variety   of   both   double   and   single   kinds.     Good 


264 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[May  24,  1913. 


double  sorts  are  Mme.  Lcmoine  Creanon,  J.  Guillot, 
Alphonse  Lavallee  and  Leon  Simon.  Singles  are 
interesting,  such  as  Marie  Legraye,  Souvenir  de 
Louis  Spathe,  Geant  des  Batailles  and  Mme. 
Francisque  Morel. 

New  Chinese  trees  and  shrubs  are  exhibited  by 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea, 
and  are  a  constant  source  of  attraction  to  many. 
Some  of  the  more  interesting  plants  are  Coton- 
easter  Harroviana,  Pyrus  Folgneri,  Stranv,-E6ia 
undulata,  Stuartia  monogyna,  Viburnum  rhytido- 
phyllum,  Vitis  arraata,  Viburnum^  Henryii,  V. 
Davidii  and  Cotoneaster  rugosa.  Altogether  a 
most  interesting  collection. 

From  Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited, 
there  is  also  a  beautiful  group  of  miscellaneous 
flowering  trees  and  shrubs.  Rhododendrons,  Wis- 
tarias, Loniceras,  hardy  Azaleas,  Clematises, 
Philadelphuses,  Hydrangeas,  Cytisuses  and  R  jsa 
Hugonis  are  all  very  charming.  Rho- 
dodendrons Mirabile,  White  Pearl,  Pink 
Pearl  and  other  varieties,  together  with 
the  above-mentioned  subjects,  form  a 
mass  of  flowers  that  is  the  centre  of 
attraction  to  many. 

Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co.,  Enfield, 
Middlesex,  have  a  mixed  group  of 
hardy  and  tender  plants,  in  which 
Hydrangea  The  Bottle  Brush  Tree 
(Metrosideros  floribimda),  Leptosper- 
mum  bullatum  and  .Acacia  pulchella 
are  conspicuous. 

Hardy  Rhododendrons  as  exhibited 
by  Messrs.  John  Waterer  and  Sons, 
Limited,  Bagshot,  Surrey,  are  a  very 
fine  feature  indeed.  The  plants  are  in 
pots  and  are  well  grouped,  and  the 
flowers  are  superb.  Some  of  the  better 
varieties  are  Alice,  Mrs.  Fritton,  Comer 
Waterer,  Pink  Pearl,  Prometheus, 
Brilliant,  Martin  Hope  Sutton,  Mar- 
chioness of  Lansdowne  and  Strategist. 
A  few  Acers  dotted  about  here  and 
there  enhance  the  beauty  of  the 
display. 

Wistarias  in  variety,  growing  in 
quaint  and  curious  receptacles,  are 
exhibited  in  interesting  fashion  by 
Messrs.  Pipers,  Bayswater,  London,  W. 
Rarely  does  the  British  public  have  an 
opportmiity  of  seeing  1  anything  so 
novel,  and  some  of  the  plants  are 
flowering  most  profusely. 

Mr.  R.  C.  Notcutt,  Woodbridge,  has 
an  interesting  assortment  of  flowering 
and  other  shrubs,  all  combining  to 
make  a  pretty  exhibit.  Cytisus  an- 
dreanus,  C.  albus,  C.  Daisy  Hill, 
C.  andreanus  prostratus,  Kalmia  latifoUa,  Lilacs, 
Fabiana  imbricata,  Acers  and  a  host  of  pretty 
things  are   noteworthy. 

Messrs.  William  Paul  and  Son,  Waltham  Cross, 
Herts,  have  a  square,  compact  group  at  the  side 
of  the  big  tent  embracing  flowering  trees  and  shrubs 
in  variety.  Rhododendron  Pink  Pearl,  R.  Lord 
Palmerston,  hardy  Azaleas,  Genista  hispanica, 
Cytisus  albus,  Honeysuckles,  Clematises  and 
numerous  other  subjects  made  a  useful  and 
interesting  exhibit. 

Rhododendrons  in  small  baskets  ore  represented 
in  great  variety  in  a  group  set  up  by  Messrs. 
Fletcher  Brothers,  Chertsey,  Siurey.  William 
Austin,  Helen  Shifiner,  Limbatum  and  Profusion 
stand  out  from  the  rest. 

Clematises  from  Messrs,  George  Jackman  and  Son, 
Woking,  Surrey,   are  always  eagerly  sought   after, 


and  a  charming  group  will  reward  the  seeker  at 
this  show.  Quality  of  bloom  is  very  nociceable, 
and  many  of  the  plants  will  be  better  a  week  later. 
The  group,  however,  left  nothing  to  be  desired  ; 
interspersed  with  Palms  and  silver  Acers  the  effect 
was  distinctly  pretty.  A  few  good  sorts  are  Lady 
Caroline  Nevill,  Jackmanni  rubrum,  Fairy  Queen, 
Imperatrice  Eugenie,  Nellie  Moser,  Ville  de  Lyon 
and  Mrs.  George  Jackman.  This  group  is  edged 
with  Maidenhair  Fern,  and  is  a  welcome  relief  to 
the  gorgeous  colouring  elsewhere.  Miscellaneous 
flowering  shrubs  and  other  plants  are  also  well 
shown  in  another  group  by  Messrs.  George  Jackman 
and  Son.  This  is  a  very  bright  and  attractive 
lot  of  plants,  and  all  are  well  grown  and  freely 
flowered.  Superb  is  Kalmia  latifolia,  and  other 
good  things  are  :  Escallonia  langleyensis,  Cyasus 
scop.iriiis  andieana.  Andromeda  speciosus,  Ledum 
latili'lnun    and    L  ilar    Mmt-.    K.    Morel. 


HYDRANGEA    SARGENTl],     A     NEW    SPECIES    FROM    NORTHERN 
CHINA,    ^HOWN    BY    MESSRS.     I.    VEITCH    AND    SONS. 


H-ardv  ornamental  shriins  in  the  form  of  an  out- 
door group  ot  a  most  varied  collection  of  Acers  was 
a  praiseworthy  effort  on  the  part  of  Messrs.  John 
Waterer  and  Sons,  Limited,  Bagshot,  Surrey. 
Half-a-dozen  of  the  best  sorts  are  Acer  p-ilmatum 
var.  laciniatum  atropurpureum,  A.  p.  var.  dissectum 
palma:ifidum,  A.  p.  var.  corallinura  (very  fine), 
A.  p.  var.  dissectum  florescens,  A.  japonicum  var. 
aureum  and  A.  p.  var.  sanguineum. 

Clipped  Box  trees  are  extensively  shown  by 
Messrs.  Carlton-White,  53,  New  Bond  Street,  W. 
In  this  group  there  are  represented  such  subjects 
as  Teddy  Bears,  dogs,  peacocks,  ducks,  spirals, 
vases  and  a  host  of  other  designs  too  numerous 
to  mention.     This  is  a  very  large  group. 

Mr.  L.  R.  Russell  stages  a  most  attractive  group 
of  Tree  Ivies  in  beautiful  variety,  and  most  of  them 
in   splendid   growth   and   good   condition.     A   few 


kinds  worthy  of  special  notice  are  Sheen  Silver 
(used  as  a  fronting  to  the  group).  Gold  Cloud, 
flavescens,  amurensis,  fructo-lutea,  palmata  aurea 
and  margmata  alba.  There  are  some  handsome 
specimens  of  dentata  variegata. 

A  very  large  and  representative  greup  of  clipped 
Box  and  Yew  is  set  up  by  Messrs.  William  Cutbush 
and  Sons,  Highgate  and  Barnet.  This  firm  is 
famous  for  its  topiary  work,  and  the  present 
collection  well  merits  a  visit.  Here  are  to  be  seen, 
in  good  form  and  condition,  representations  of 
ships,  baskets,  vases,  anchors,  tables,  birds  of 
every  description,  dogs  and  spirals.  It  is  pleasant 
to  view  this  outdoor  group  after  the  plethora  of 
flowers  indoors.  ^ 

Comprehensive  aptly  describes  the  large  outdoor 
^roup   of   Mr.    L.    R.    Russell,    Richmond,   Surrey. 
In  this  charming  group  are  to  be  seen  hardy  Azaleas 
in    varietv,  Ce.inothus   veitchianus,   Olearia  Gunni, 
Cyusus     in     variety     and     a     pleasing 
assortment      of     Vines.       Vitis 
henryana    is    in    very    handsome    form 
just     now.     Aucubas,     Hypericum 
moserianum    tricolor,   Cupressus   erecta 
aurea     and     a    number    of     very     in- 
teresting   plants    are    admired    by    the 
many  visitors. 

A  series  of  outdoor  groups  of  trees 
and  shrubs,  arranged  in  the  form  of 
beds,  is  a  useful  and  practical  way  of 
showmg  the  value  of  the  subjects  planted 
therein.  Hardy  Azaleas  are  planted 
aloiKi  in  one  bed,  Acers  in  another. 
Rhododendrons,  Lilies,  Viburnums, 
Weigilas,  Cytisuses  and  many  other 
pretty  subjects  in  another,  all  combined 
to  transform  the  grounds  into  a  veritable 
pleasure  ground  or  garden.  This  is  a 
splendid  conception  of  what  visitors  may 
in  the  future  hope  to  see  at  these  shows, 
and  Messrs.  Cheal  are  to  be  congratu- 
lated on  this  fine  effort. 

Clipped  trees,  as  shown  by  Messrs 
John  Piper  and  Sons,  Bayswater,  Lon- 
don, W.,  made  a  fine  display.  In  this 
collection  there  are  many  very  handsome 
matured  specimens,  representing  a  host 
of  subjects.  Peacocks,  spirals,  double 
arrhcs,  a  man  sitting  on  a  garden  seat 
and  several  unique  designs  seemed  to 
app"al  to  many. 

Bi'ds  of  hardy  Azaleas  and  Rhodo- 
dendrons and  other  hardy  flowering 
ihrubs  are  pleasingly  set  out  with  paved 
walks  between  them,  and  garden  seats 
arranged  in  suitable  positions.  The 
whole  display  is  hedged  in  with  closely- 
planted  Yews,  and  the  conception  of  this 
idea  reflects  much  credit  on  Mr.  R.  C.  Notcutt,  Wood- 
bridge,  the  ^exhibitor.  The  beds  are  raised  very 
considerably,  heightening  the  effect  bv  these 
means. 

Messrs.  James  Carter  and  Co.  also  have  a  beautiful 
outdoor  garden,  the  beds  of  which  are  planted  with 
hardy  Azaleas,  Viburnums,  Acers  and  coniferous 
subjects,  all  combining,  with  the  wall  garden,  to 
make  a  really  pretty  scene. 

Messrs.  Paul  and  Son,  Cheshunt,  stage  a 
number  of  novelties  in  hardy  Azaleas,  some  of 
which  are  remarkable  for  their  novelty  of  colouring. 
Edith  J.  Keysell,  High  Beech  Orange,  Glory  of 
Cheshunt,  Moore  and  Milton  are  a  few  of  the  more 
striking  sorts. 

A  very  large  and  comprehensive  group  of  Acers 
was  exhibited  by  Messrs.  W  Fromow  and  Sons, 
Chiswick,  W.     There  seems  to  be  an  almost  endJrss 


May  24,  1913-] 


THE     GA.HDEN. 


266 


variety,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  plants  and 
their  character  prove  at  once  their  decorative 
worth  in  the  garden.  Acer  palmatum  corallinum, 
A.  japonicum  aureum  and  A.  dissectum  atropur- 
pureum  are  conspicuously  good. 

Standard  mop-headed  Bays  and  a  nice  assorted 
lot  of  those  of  pyramidal  form  are  exhibited  by 
Messrs.  John  Piper  and  Sons,  London  and^Barnes, 
Surrey. 

Dwarf  Japanese  trees  are  shown  by  Messrs 
Liberty  and  Co.,  London  and  Paris,  together  with 
a  number  of  accessories  for  a  Japanese  garden 
A  fine  specimen  of  a  dwarf  tree,  some  two 
hundred  years  old,  occupies  a  prominent  position 
in  this  rollection. 


TULIPS. 

Tulips  are  magnificently  shown  this  year.  Con- 
sidering the  inclement  season,  it  is  wonderful 
how  such  fresh  flowers  as  are  to  be  seen,  say,  in 
Messrs.  Sutton's  group,  have  survived  in  the  con- 
dition in  which  they  are  presented  at  this  show 
The  effect  of  the  friendly  covering  of  a  grass  shade 
during  the  latter  part  of  their  growth  does  wonders 
for  Tulips,  and  there  is  no  secret  in  the  fact  that 
the  glorious  examples  of  Mrs.  Famcombe  Sanders, 
Inglescombe  Yellow,  Mrs.  Moon  and  Inglescombe 
Pink  on  Messrs.  Dobbie's  stand  owe  everything  to 
this.  It  is  unfortunate  that  for  some  reason  or 
another  the  firm  has  not  entered  their  Tulip  group 
for  award. 

The  large  and  varied  group  of  Messrs.  A. 
Dickson  and  Sons  of  Belfast  is  a  delightful  bit  of 
arrangement,  although  the  bottom  row  of  vases 
look  as  if  they  had  been  disturbed  before  the  group- 
ing was  quite  finished.  They  include  a  very  varied 
assortment  of  the  different  types  and,  together 
with  that  of  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  it  has  pro- 
bably more  instructive  interest  than  any  other. 

Messrs.  R.  H.  Bath  of  Wisbech  has  a  collection 
arranged  almost  entirely  on  the  ground  and  broken 
with  five  pillars  of  Rambler  Roses.  It  makes  a 
bright  bit  of  colour,  but  somehow  the  grouping 
looks  a  little  too  mixed  up  to  be  very  striking, 
and  it  does  not  do  itself  justice  in  consequence. 
The  few  blooms  of  the  famous  Tulipe  Noire  sur- 
rounded by  the  beautiful  pale  yellow  Leghorn 
Bonnet  look  well. 

Mr.  C.  W.  Needham  has,  what  is  very  seldom 
seen,  a  good  selection  of  the  strictly  florist  types, 
such  as  Sir  Joseph  Paxton,  Eos  and  Trip  to  Stock- 
port. It  is  a  thousand  pities  that  the  blooms  are 
not  set  out  to  more  advantage,  as  the  public  is 
so  seldom  treated  to  a  display  of  these  old-world 
beauties. 

The  Tulip  hill  of  Messrs.  J.  Jefieries  and  Son  of 
Cirencester  is  the  most  decided  novelty  in  the 
way  of  arrangement  in  the  whole  exhibition.  It 
has  many  things  that  could  be  said  in  its  favour, 
but  space  forbids  us  to  say  more.  This  firm  has 
immensely  improved  upon  its  show  at  the  "  Inter- 
national "  last  year,  and  it  it  had  only  had  larger 
blooms,  it  would,  we  think,  have  qualified  for  a 
higher  award  than  that  which  it  received.  Bronze 
■Queen  (or  Clio,  to  give  it  its  old  name)  and  the 
never-to-be-surpassed  gesneriana  major  were  both 
good.  So,  too,  were  the  vases  of  the  grand  old 
■double  "  Blue  Flag."  Messrs.  James  Veitch  and 
Messrs.  Hogg  and  Robertson  have  two  of  the 
Ibrightest  displays  of  the  day.  In  both  cases  the 
blooms  are  large  and  clean.  The  large  masses  of 
■one  colour  affected  by  the  former  do  show  a  variety 
ito  great  advantage  and  must  inspire  those  hesitating 


*bout  a  purchase  more  than,  say,  an  isolated  vase. 
The  latter  firm  stage  more  variety,  and  among 
them  are  to  be  noted  Plurot  (pale  pink),  Erguste, 
Hammer  Hales  and  Rossetta  (rose  slightly  edged 
yellow). 

Mr.  C.  Bourne  has  a  small  but  well-grown  and 
well-staged  collection.  Solfatare,  Scarlet  Emperor 
and  Zulu  were  much  above  the  usual  average. 

Messrs.  Cartwright  and  Goodwin  and  the  War- 
grave  Plant  Farm  both  have  small  and  interesting 
exhibits,  and  both  have  flowers  in  fresh  condition. 
They  will  probably  be  finer  on  the  last  day,  when 
they  have  groivn,  than  on  the  first. 

Dealing  with  the  general  arrangements  of  the 
show,  we  would  like  to  be  able  to  see  the  different 
groups  in  a  little  more  comfortable  manner  when 
the  general  public  come  in.  The  gangways  are 
much  too  narrow.  Tulips  do  want  to  be  seen  at  a 
little  distance. 


FRU IT. 

It  is  clear  that  the  exhibits  in  the  fruit  section  have 
been  prejudiced  by  the  weather  ;  not  that  those  at 
Chelsea  are  inferior,  except  perhaps  in  colour,  but 


the  beautiful  collection  of  Strawberries.  The 
fruits  are  large,  firm  and  the  colour  in  most 
instances  nothing  short  of  wonderful.  The  varieties 
include  King  George,  The  Queen,  The  Earl,  Inter- 
national and  Maincrop.  This  firm  also  shows 
Loganberries,  Laxtonberries,  standard  Goose- 
berries and  Currants,  as  well  as  Peaches  and 
Nectarines.  Out  of  doors  Messrs.  Laxton  have  a 
very  fim  exhibit  of  trees  trained  in  various 
forms. 

Apples  of  the  summer,  autumn,  vrinter  and  spring 
are  equally  represented  in  the  collection  shown  by 
Messrs.  G.  Bunyard  and  Co.,  Limited,  Royal 
Nurseries,  Maidstone.  They  are  a  splendid  object- 
lesson  of  the  manner  in  which  Apples  may  be  kept 
when  the  conditions  and  circumstances  are  favour- 
able. The  varieties  include  King  of  Tompkins' 
County,  Calvaie  Malingre,  Belle  de  Pontoise, 
Sturmer  Pippin,  King  of  Pippins,  Cox's  Orange 
Pippin,  Alfriston,  Hormead's  Pearmain,  Bramley's 
Seedling,  Belle  de  Boskoop,  Newton  Wonder, 
Diamond  JubUee,  Claygate  Pearmain,  Lord  Derby, 
Ribston  Pippin,  Hambling's  Winter  Queening  and 
Gasco>Tie's  Scarlet  Seedling.  There  are  also  some 
fine  fruits  of  Uvedale's  St.  Germain  Pear. 


PART    OF    THE    COLLECTION    OF    MAY-FLOWERING    TULIPS    SHOWN    BY 
MESSRS.    A.    DICKSON    AND    SONS    OF    NEWTOWNARDS. 


they  are  not  as  numerous  as  might  be  expected 
and  desired  at  a  gathering  so  representative  of 
British  horticulture.  With  one  exception  the 
displays  were  of  trees  in  pots  or  of  trained  specimens 
lifted  from  the  open  ground. 

The  King's  Acre  Nurseries,  Limited,  Hereford, 
have  a  varied  group  of  plants  fruiting  in  pots. 
Among  the  notable  features  are  James  Grieve, 
Lady  Sudeley,  Red  Astrachan  and  Irish  Peach 
Apples  ;  Souvenir  du  Congrte,  Marguerite  Marillat 
and  Conference  Pears  ;  British  Oak,  Progress,  Lady 
Leicester,  May  Duke,  Whinham's  Industry,  White 
Eagle,  Dr.  Wooley  and  Clayton  Gooseberries ; 
Cardinal  and  Early  Rivers'  Nectarines ;  Duke  of 
York  Peach  ;  Negro  Largo,  White  Ischia,  Golden, 
Brimswick,  Pingo  de  Mel  and  Black  Bourjasotte 
Figs  ;  and  Early  Prolific,  July  Green  Gage  and 
Blue  Rock  Plums. 

It  is  surely  superfluous  to  say  that  the  outstand- 
ing feature  of  Messrs.  Laxton  Brothers'  groups  is 


Oranges,  Lemons  and  Citrons  from  Messrs.  T. 
Rivers  and  Sons,  Sawbridgeworth,  are  interesting 
examples  of  excellent  culture,  and  suggest  that 
these  valuable  fruits  might  well  be  far  more  exten- 
sively grown  in  our  gardens.  The  same  firm  has 
also  a  separate  group  of  Peaches  Peregrine  and 
Kestrel  ;  Plums  Stint,  Early  Prolific,  Early  Rivers 
and  Blue  Rock ;  Cherries  May  Duke,  Elton, 
Frogmore  Bigarreau  and  Knigkt's  Early  Black ; 
and  Nectarines  Early  Rivers  and  Cardinal.  Needless 
to  say  the  plants  were  clean  and  splendidly 
fruited. 

In  the  grounds,  surrounded  by  gorgeous  flowers 
and  charming  rock  gardens,  Messrs.  James  Veitch 
and  Sons,  Limited,  Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  Chelsea, 
have  a  group  of  fruit  trees  trained  in  many  forms, 
and  they  gain  interest  from  their  neighbours.  The 
trees  are  perfect  examples  of  how  training  should 
be  done,  and  they  illustrate  how  fine  crops  can  be 
produced  on  a  very  small  space. 


266 


THE     GAiiDEN. 


[May  24,  1913. 


VEGETABLES. 


A  collection  of  vegetables  of  superb  quality  comes 
from  the  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs,  Aldenham  House, 
Aldenham,  Herts  (gardener,  Mr.  E.  Beckett).  The 
collection,  which  is  staged  in  a  masterly  way,  con- 
tains Peas  Early  Giant,  Quite  Content  and  Selected 
Duke  of  Albany  (all  with  well-filled  pods  and  in 
perfect  condition).  Climbing  French  Bean  Princess 
of  Wales,  Dwarf  Bean  Canadian  Wonder  and  Broad 
Bean  Mammoth  Longpod.  Of  the  Cucumbers 
staged,  Sutton's  Matchless  is  doubtless  the  best, 
and  other  vegetables  include  Turnips  White  Gem 
and  Early  White  Milan,  Tomatoes  Peachblow  and 
Sutton's  Ai,  Kohl  Rabi,  Vegetable  Marrows,  Cauli- 
flower Magnum  Bonum,  Beetroot  Sutton's  Globe, 
Mushrooms,  Potato  King  Edward  VH.  and  Duke 
of  York,  Globe  Artichokes,  Egg  Plants  (purple  and 
white)  and  Radishes.  It  is  an  admirable  collection, 
worthy  of  the  highest  praise. 

From  the  Thatcham  Fruit  and  Flower  Farm, 
Newbury,  comes  a  creditable  collection  of  vege- 
tables, including  Cauliflowers  First  Crop  and 
Snowball,  Tomatoes  Early  Market  and  Holmes' 
Supreme,  Potatoes  Duke  of  York  and  May  Queen, 
Cucumber  Covent  Garden  Favourite,  Pea  Gradus, 
Radishes,  Lettuces,  Beans,  Carrots,  Spinach  and 
Vegetable  Marrows.  This  exhibit  was  arranged 
by  the  ladies  from  the  Horticultural  Training 
School  at  the  Thatcham  Fruit  and  Flower  Farm. 

Two  new  Cucumbers  are  being  shown  by  Mr. 
S.  Mortimer,  Rowledge,  Farnham,  Surrey.  The 
varieties  are  Continuity  and  May  Queen.  Both 
varieties  were  shown  in  perfect  condition  and 
uniform  in  size. 

Entering  the  main  entrance  from  the  Embank- 
ment, one  of  the  first  exhibits  to  be  observed  is 
that  of  Messrs.  James  Carter  and  Co.,  in  the  form 
of  a  choice  collection  of  vegetables  arranged  on  a 
neat  and  effective  white  stand.  The  vegetables, 
all  of  which  are  grown  from  Carter's  Tested  Seeds, 
include  Cauliflowers  Forerunner  and  Defiance 
Forcing,  Broccoli  Spring  White,  Peas  Early  Mom 
and  Early  Duke,  Dwarf  Bean  Improved  Longsword. 
Broad  Bean  Seville  Giant  Longpod,  Cucumbers 
Carter's  Ideal  and  Frame,  Seakale,  Beet,  Tomatoes, 
early  Carrots,  Lettuce,  Kohl  Rabi,  Radishes, 
Potatoes  and  Marrows.  This  exhibit  is  of  very 
high  quality. 

Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons,  Reading,  have  arrjmged 
an  exhibit  of  tempting  early  vegetables  and  delicate 
salading.  The  produce  of  the  firm's  well-known 
varieties  include  Dwarf  French  Bean  Superlative  ; 
Peas  Duke  of  Albany,  Green  Gem  and  Early  Giant  ; 
Cucumber  Telegraph,  Tomatoes  Early  Market, 
Winter  Beauty,  Eclipse  and  Princess  of  Wales ; 
Asparagus  Reading  Giant  and  Perfection,  Potatoes, 
Turnips  and  Carrots.  This  is  a  first-rate 
collection. 

Mr.  Theo  E.  Dawes,  Syderstone  Nurseries, 
Norfolk,  is  showing  a  fine  collection  of  Rhubarb, 
with  sticks  of  Dawes'  Challenge  well  over  three  feet 
in  length. 


AWARDS. 

FLORAL     CXJMMITTEE'S     AWARDS. 

First-class  CerHficates. — Nephrolepis  exaltata 
WillmottsB,  from  Messrs.  May  :  Cupressus  law- 
soniana  Fletcheri,  from  Mr.  Fletcher ;  and 
Meconopsis  Delavayi,  from  the  Edinburgh 
Botanic  Gardens. 

Botanical  CertiftcaU. — Olearia  Chathamica,  from 
the  Rev.  A.  T.  Boscawen. 

Awards  of  Merit. — Campanula  Stevensii  nana, 
from   Mr.    R.    Prichard ;     Pentstemon   Davidsonii, 


from  Mr.  Elliott  ;  Auricula  William  Smith,  from 
Mr.  Douglas ;  Calceolaria  Clarefield  Gem,  from 
Mrs.  Litkie  ;  Rose  Nancy  Perkins,  from  Messrs. 
Perkins ;  Rose  Irish  Fireflame  and  Rose  Mrs. 
Campbell  Hall,  from  Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson ; 
Saxifraga  Grandfieldi,  from  Sir  Everard  Hambro  ; 
Begonia  Lena,  from  Messrs.  Blackmore  and 
Langdon  ;  Roscoea  cautUoides,  from  Bees, 
Limited ;  Rose  White  Tausendschon,  from  Mr. 
W.  Paul  ;  Sarracenia  Brucii,  from  Mr.  A.  J.  A. 
Bruce  ;  Aster  Falconerii,  from  Messrs.  Barr  and 
Sons  ;  Cytisus  andreana  prostrata,  from  Mr.  L.  R. 
Russell ;  Styrax  Wilsoni,  from  Miss  Willmott, 
V.M.H.  ;  and  Lonicera  tragophylla,  from  Messrs. 
J.  Veitch  and  Sons. 

ORQHID     GO.VIVIITTEa'S     AWARDS. 

Ftrsl-class  Certificates.  —  Cattleya  Empress 
Frederick  alba,  from  Messrs.  Marshall  and 
Hatcher,  Rawdon,  Leeds  ;  Odontioda  Chanticleer 
Orchidhurst  variety,  from  Messrs.  Armstrong  and 
Brown,  Tunbridge  Wells  ;  Laslio-Cattleya  Britannia 
Westonbirt  var.,  from.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Sir  George 


Cultural  Commendations. — Sobralia  macrautha 
alba,  from  J.  Gurney  Fowler,  Esq.,  South  Wood- 
ford ;  Miltonia  vexillaria  virginale,  Miitonia  vexil- 
laria  Snowflake  and  Cattleya  Mossiae  Mahomet, 
from  Lieutenant-Colonel  Sir  G.  Holford,  Tetbury. 
Gloucestershire. 

The  Farrer  Cup  for  the  best  six  new  or  rare 
dwarf  rock  plants  was  awarded  to  Messrs.  Bees, 
Liverpool,  and  the  Davidson  Cup  for  the  best 
Cattleya,  not  a  hybrid,  to  Messrs.  Charlesworth, 
Hayward's  Heath,  for  Cattleya  percivahana  Mary 
Regina. 

The  other  cups  and  medals  awarded  were  not 
known  at  the  time  of  going  to  press. 


SUNDRIES. 

Outside. 
A  specially  interesting  exhibit  of  boilers  is  being 
shovm  by  Messrs.  C.  P.  Kinnell  and  Co.,  Limited., 
65,  Southwark  Street,  E.C.,  including  models  of 
the  Anglian  independent  sectional  of  new  and 
improved      form.      The      Rochford      and      Bisson 


AN    EFFECTIVE    GROUP    OF    TULIPS    ARRANGED    BY    MESSRS.    R. 

THE    FLOOR. 


H.    BATH,    LIMITED,    ON 


Holford,  Tetbury,  Gloucestershire  ;  Lalio-Cattleya 
Sylvia,  Princess  Victoria  Louise  and  Miltonia  Charles- 
worthia,  from  Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co.,  Hay- 
ward's  Heath ;  Laelio-Cattleya  Frederick  Boyle 
Gatton  variety  and  Odontoglossum  Queen  of 
Gatton,  from  Sir  Jeremiah  Colman,  Reigate ; 
and  Odontoglossum  Othmarschem,  from  Baron 
Bruno  Schroder,  Englefield  Green, 

Awards  of  Merit. — Odontoglossum  eximium 
Armstrongse,  Brasso-Cattleya  Excelsior  and  Laelio- 
Cattleya  Aphrodite  splendens,  from  Messrs.  Arm- 
strong and  Brown,  Tunbridge  Wells ;  Oncidium 
McBeanianum,  Cattleya  Mendelii  May  Queen, 
Odontioda  Charlesworthii  Perfection,  and  Cymbi- 
dium  gottianum  superbum,  from  Messrs.  J.  and 
A.  A.  McBean,  Cooksbridge ;  L«Iio-Cattleya 
Ganymede  Holford  variety  and  Odontoglossum 
lUustrissimum  Westonbirt  variety,  from  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Sir  G.  Holford,  Tetbury,  Gloucestershire  ; 
Odontioda  chelseaensis  variety  St.  Fuscien,  from 
M.  Graire,  Amiens,  France ;  Odontoglossum 
Georgius  Rex,  from  Messrs.  Charlesworth,  Hay- 
ward's  Heath  ;  Brasso  -  Cattleya  vilmoriniana 
var.  Etna.  Odontoma  Laelia  Sander  and  Onci- 
dioda  Cooksoniae  var.  illustris,  from  Messrs. 
Sander  and  Sons,  St.  Albans. 


are  also  suitable  types  for  large  growers,  and 
amateurs'  needs  are  catered  for  with  the  Horse- 
shoe and  Charm  patterns. 

Messrs.  Skinner,  Board  and  Co.,  Exmoor  Street, 
Bristol,  have  specimens  of  their  noted  wire  tension 
span-roofed  glass-houses  on  view,  also  heating 
apparatus. 

Syringes  and  spraying  apparatus  are  shown  by 
Messrs.  Benton  and  Stone,  Birmingham,  including 
pumps  in  various  forms,  one  of  the  knapsack 
pneumatics  having  a  mechanical  agitator,  which  is 
a  great  advantage. 

Messrs.  D.  Roberts  and  Son,  Tottenham,  show 
plant  tubs  of  excellent  design  and  finish,  garden 
seats  and  furniture. 

Boilers  of  sectional  form,  exhibited  by  Messrs. 
Hontsch  and  Co.,  Guildford,  are  also  on  view. 

A  useful  and  varied  selection  of  well-made  garden 
tools  is  staged  by  the  Hardy  Patent  Pick  Company, 
Keeley,  Sheffield,  which  should  prove  of  interest 
to  all  gardeners,  whether  professional  or  amateur. 

Vermorel  spraying  machines  of  varied  sizes  and 
types  are  on  view  and  displayed  in  tasteful  form 
by  Messrs.  Cooper,  Pegler  and  Co.,  24,  Christopher 
Street,  E.C. 

{Contifiued  on  page  xx.) 


May  24,  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


267 


THE      ROSE      GARDEN. 


1  <j 

A' 


TOP-DRESSING     ROSE-BEDS. 

TOP-DRESSING  is  beneficial  in  all 
seasons,  but  it  will  be  doubly  help- 
ful this  year,  considering  the  showery 
weather  we  are  having.  Of  course, 
much  depends  upon  what  we  have 
already  given   our   Roses  in  the  shape 

of    fertilisers    as   to   the    material   advisable   now. 

One  must    be  careful    at    all    times  not    to  apply 

a  top-dressing,  or  mulch  as  it  is  sometimes  termed. 

that  is  going    to  close,  as    it  were 

the  pores  of  the  soil. 

We    all   doubtless    know      how 

essential    air    and   warmth    are  to 

the     soil,     during     the     growing 

season  espec'ially.  hence  our  main 

object     in     hoeing     the     surface ; 

but  it  is  quite   possible    to    apply 

such  a  top-dressing  as  will   admit 

the  essential  air,  and  at  the  same 

lime    afford    nourishment    to    the 

inimbers    of     roots   that     abound 

upon   liealthy  plants.     If  one  has 

a    number    of    weakly    plants,    it 

would  be  utter  folly  to  top-dress 

such  plants  with  a  powerful  fer- 
tiliser; but  to  the  strong,  well- 
established  specimens  a  top- 
dressing    of    such    a    composition 

as  Wakeley's    Hop    Manure  would 

be    highly    valuable.       I     have    a 

high    opinion    of    this    compound, 

because  I  have  proved  its   value  ; 

hut     I     may    here    say    that    in 

spent    Hops   alone   we    have    also 

a    valuable    ingredient,    which,    if 

lightly  sprinkled  with  sulphate  of 

ammonia,  say,  at   the  rate  of  half 

an    ounce    per    square    yard,    will 

be     very    beneficial.      The    spent 

Hops  may  be  applied,   say,  about 

an    inch    in    depth,   and  then  let 

the     material     be     hoed    or    very 

lightly  forked  into  the  soil. 

It   must    be    remembered    that 

Roses   send   out    a   lot    of    small 

feeders,    which    come    very    near 

the  surface  ;     hence   the  need   for 

caution  in  forking  up.     To  obtain 

the    full     benefit    of    sulphate    of 

ammonia,   the   soil   must    contain 

lime      in    *a      good       proportion, 

and      the     best     time     to     apply 

this    would    be    in    the    autumn. 

However,    there     are     few     soils 

that    are    really   deficient   of   this 

article,  so   that   one   may  safely   apply  the   above 

now. 

Another   excellent    top-dressing   is   compounded 

as   follows  :     One   hvmdredweight   each   of   kainit, 

bone-meal  and  dried  blood,  mixed  with  about  six 

bushels  of  rather  dry  soil,  the  whole  well  mixed 

together  and  placed    in    an    airy,  rainproof  shed, 

and  after  two  days  apply  a  liberal  chressing  all  over 

the  beds,  repeating  this  again  in  a  month. 

Some  of  the  preparations  sold  by  reliable  firms 

are  excellent  for  top-dressing,  but  the  amateur  is 

apt  to  be  too  liberal  in  their  use.     If  applied  well 

beneath   the  prescribed  quantity  and  mixed  with 

soil  and  well  hoed  in,  they  are  of  much  fertilising 

value.     Rape-meal    is    a    splendid    substitute    for 

farmyard  manure,  and  makes  a  capital  top-dressing. 


.\pply  at  the  rate  of  about  foiu"  oimces  to  a  square 
yard  and  fork  it  into  the  siurface  soil.  As  I  said  at 
the  commencement,  if  the  Roses  were  heavily 
manured  in  autumn  or  early  spring,  it  may  be  they 
will  not  require  a  top-dressing,  but  instead  give 
them  some  good  liquid  manure  as  soon  as  the  buds 
are  about  the  size  of  Peas,  and  continue  tfiis  twice 
a  week  until  the  buds  show  colour.  To  Roses  that 
appear  somewhat  weakly,  a  handful  of  nice  compost, 
consisting  of  equal  parts  of  fine  soil  and  bone- 
flom-,  spread  around  them  will  be  helpful,  and  they 
may  have  in  addition  a  very  weak  solution  of 
liquid  cow-manure  once  a  week.     If  any  diflficulty 


TREES 

STRONG 


AND     SHRUBS. 


c 


ROSE    MME.  EDOUARD   HERRIOT,   A  BEAUTIFUL  NEW  VARIETY  SHOWN 
BY    MESSRS.   G.    BECKWITH    AND    SON    AT    THE    CHELSEA    SHOW. 


is  foimd  in  obtaining  spent  Hops,  old  hot-bed 
manure,  well  broken  up,  can  be  utilised ;  in  fact, 
if  this  is  available,  then  the  Hops  will  not  be 
needed. 

Peat-moss  litter  I  do  not  care  much  about,  as 
it  settles  do%vn  too  closely.  If  dug  imder,  there 
is  less  danger  on  this  head,  but  I  would  avoid  it 
if  possible.  In  such  a  dripping  season  as  it  is 
there  is  little  need  for  the  ordinary  mulch,  save 
upon  very  shallow,  gravelly  soils.  In  their  case  it 
cannot  but  be  useful,  and  it  is  surprising  in  what 
a  shallow  soil  Roses  will  thrive  if  they  are  well 
fed  by  top-dressings  followed  with  good  and 
frequent    stirring  of    the   surface  and  applications 


GROWING    CUMBERS     FOR 
PERGOLAS. 

LI.MBING     Roses   are   so   popular   for 
planting  on  pergolas  that  many  rely 
upon   them  entirely  and    take   little 
account  of  the  many  climbing  plants 
of   other    kinds    which    are    suitable 
for  the  purpose,  notwithstanding  the 
fact    that    they    have    much    to    commend    them 
either  by  reason   of  ornamental  foliage  or  showy 
flowers.    All  climbers  are  not,  how- 
ever, suitable  for  pergolas,  those  of 
weak    growth     perhaps    least    so. 
Plants   of    weakly   growth   fail   to 
attain     the    luxuriance     of     their 
stronger     companions ;      therefore 
wheal  planted  together  the  effect  is 
gappy,   a  condition    fatal    to    the 
generally  -  accepted    idea     of    the 
appearance  which  a  pergola  should 
present.      In    the    following   notes 
attention    is    directed    to    various 
strong-growing  climbers  which  may 
be  used  for  the  purpose. 

The  Wistarias  are  perhaps  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  flowering 
climbers  for  planting  against  per- 
golas, and  at  no  time  are  they  seen 
so  effectively  as  when  grown  in  such 
a  manner.  The  pendulous  racemes 
of  flowers  hang  gracefully  from  both 
pillars  and  cross-bars,  their  delicate 
colouring  and  perfume  being  highly 
appreciated  by  all.  Although  the 
common  W.  chinensis  is  very  beau- 
tiful, it  is  doubtful  whether  it  is  so 
generally  useful  for  the  purpose  as 
W.  multijuga  ;  but  the  latter  plant 
must  only  be  planted  against  per- 
golas of  considerable  height,  for 
the  pendulous  racemes  are  often 
2j  feet  to  3i  feet  in  length.  The 
colour  is  mauve,  but  there  is  a 
variety,  alba,  with  white  flowers 
and  rather  shorter  racemes. 

The  new  Actinidia  chinensis  is 
another  decorative  climber.  Its 
assets  are  the  bright  brownish  hairs 
which  cover  the  young  bark,  large, 
heart-shaped  leaves,  and  the  yellow 
flowers,  which  are  about  one  and 
a-half  inches  in  diameter.  In  China 
it  is  considered  useful  on  account  of 
its  edible  fruit.  Celastrus  articu- 
latus,  a  near  relative  of  the  common 
Spindle  Tree,  is  less  frequently  seen 
than  its  decorative  qualities  warrant.  Forming  long, 
strong  branches,  it  may  be  expected  to  cover  the 
highest  support  in  a  comparatively  short  space  of 
time.  Its  fruits  are  its  chief  attraction,  for  when 
ripe  they  are  highly  coloured,  the  outer  part  being 
yellow  and  the  covering  of  the  seeds  orange  scarlet. 
As  the  fruits  ripen,  the  outer  covering  bursts, 
disclosing  the  brighter  seeds  within.  In  this  con- 
dition they  remain  from  September  to  Christmas. 
The  flowers  are  inconspicuous.  Akebia  quinata 
and  A.  lobata  are  a  couple  of  strong-growing 
climbers  which  belong  to  the  Berberis  family. 
In  the  former  case  the  five-parted  leaves,  and  in 
the  latter  case  the  three-lobed  leaves,  are  decidedly 


of   weak  liquid   manure  whenever  the  plants  show    ornamental,    while    the    purple   flowers   appear   in 
signs  of  exhaustion,  Panecroft.      1  profusion  in  spring. 


268 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  24,  191 3. 


Jasminum  nudiflorum  is  well  known  as  a  winter- 
flowering  climber,  covering  walls  and  trellises ; 
but  it  is  equally  desirable  for  a  pergola.  The 
fact  must  always  be  remembered,  however,  that  it 
must  not  be  pruned  at  any  other  season  than  late 
winter  or  very  early  spring,  otherwise  the  flowering 
wood  will  be  cut  away.  The  summer-flowering 
Jasminum  officinale  is  also  an  admirable  climbmg 
shrub,  for  it  grows  well  and  its  fragrant,  white 
flowers  always  find  admirers.  There  are  several 
Honeysuckles  which  are  worth  attention.  The 
common  wild  Lonicera  Periclymenum  and  its 
various  forms  are  among  the  best,  while  the  Chinese 
and  Japanese  L.  japonica  is  both  free-growing  and 
free-flowering.  The  varieties  chinensis,  flexuosa 
and  halliana  are  equally  worthy. 

Where  the  garden  varieties  of  Clematis  can  be 
depended  upon,  they  make  admirable  subjects  ; 
but,  unfortunately,  there  are  many  gardens  where 
they  behave  in  an  unsatisfactory  manner ;  there- 
fore in  those  gardens  it  is  advisable  to  rely  upon 
species  and  botanical  varieties.  Clematis  Flam- 
mula  makes  a  most  effective  object  in  August 
when  covered  with  its  small,  white,  sweet-scented 
blossoms,  while  its  variety  rubro-marginata  is 
also  attractive.  Earlier  in  the  year.  May  and  early 
June,  C.  montana  may  be  expected  to  produce 
a  wealth  of  bloom,  the  flowers  being  white  ;  while 


rounded  leaves  are  dainty  and  attractive,  while 
it  bears  bunches  of  black  berries.  Periploca 
graeca  is  another  cUmber  which  is  not  often  met 
with.  It  grows  vigorously  and  bears  purple 
flowers  in  summer. 

Several  of  the  new  kinds  of  Chinese  Rubus  are 
well  worth  planting  against  pergolas,  particularly 
R.  bambusarum  and  R.  flagelliformis. 

Numerous  species  of  Vines  may  be  obtained 
which  have  highly  ornamental  foliage  ;  in  fact,  a 
pergola  of  considerable  length  might  be  made 
very  interesting  with  Vines  alone.  Among  others, 
Vitis  Labrusca,  V.  henryana,  V.  Thunbergii.  V. 
Coignetia?,  V.  armata,  V.  Leeoides,  V.  megalophylla 
and  V.  Thomsonii  are  specially  noteworthy.  V. 
megalophylla  is  a  particularly  ornamental  kind, 
for  its  much-divided  leaves  are  frequently  upwards 
of  ij  feet  across.  V.  Leeoides  is  also  remarkable 
for  its  pinnate  leaves. 

In  the  South  and  West  of  England  a  very  pretty 
white-flowered  climber  is  often  seen  covering  walls 
and  fences.  That  is  Solanum  jasminoides.  It  is 
equally  suitable  for  pergola  planting,  but  may  only 
be  grown  in  the  warmer  parts  of  the  country. 
The  Trumpet  Flowers,  Tecoma  radicans  and  T. 
grandiflora,  grow  quite  well  in  many  gardens, 
but  must  only  be  planted  in  sunny  positions,  else 
they  will  tail  to  perfect  their  flowers. 


A    SPRAY    OF    THE    ROSE    ACACIA, 


ROBINIA    HISPIDA    MACROPHYLLA. 
THAT    FLOWERS    IN    JUNE. 


THIS    IS    A    BEAUTIFUL    SHRUB 


when  in  flower,  the  numerously-divided  leaves 
render  the  trees  ornamental  at  other  seasons, 
while  in  winter  there  is  much  to  admire  in  the 
picturesque  trunks  of  old  specimens  of  the  False 
Acacia  (Robinia  Pseudacacia). 

Robinia  hispida  (the  Rose  Acacia)  forms  a 
beautiful  bush  up  to  6  feet  or  more  in  height, 
with  Fern-like  foliage.  The  branches  are  clothed 
with  stiff,  bristly  hairs  reddish  brown  in  colour; 
hence  the  name  R.  hispida.  The  rose-coloured 
flowers  are  freely  borne  in  pendent  racemes. 
The  variety  macrophylla,  illustrated  below, 
is  a  far  finer  plant  than  the  type,  having  much 
larger  leaves  and  flowers,  while  it  lacks  the  bristly 
hairs  so  notable  in  the  common  Rose  Acacia. 
The  flowering  season  is  June.  A  little  attention 
is  necessary  in  pinching  and  pruning  the  bushes 
in  a  small  state,  as,  naturally,  the  habit  is  rather 
straggling.  R.  hispida  does  not  produce  mature 
seeds  under  cultivation,  and  even  in  a  wild  state 
good  seeds  are  rarely,  if  ever,  found.  Fortunately, 
the  bushes  sucker  freely,  and  propagation  is  also 
possible  by  root-cuttings.  Pieces  of  root  as  thick 
as  a  pencil  and  3  inches  or  4  inches  long  will  grow 
if  taken  off  in  early  spring  and  started  in  a  propagat- 
ing-frame.  The  variety  macrophylla  can  be 
grafted  on  the  type  or  the  False  Acacia  (R.  Pseud- 
acacia).  The  vear  1758  is  given  as  the  date  of 
introduction  of  the  Rose  Acacia  from 
the  Southern  United  States. 

R.  neomexicana.  —  A  native  of 
Arizona,  Colorado  and  New  Mexico, 
this  species  was  introduced  as  recently 
as  1887  into  British  gardens.  In  a 
wild  state  it  is  found  as  a  small  tree 
20  feet  to  25  feet  in  height.  The 
pinnate  leaves  are  interspersed  with 
racemes  of  white  flowers  flushed  or 
tinted  with  rose. 

R.  Pseudacacia  (the  False  Acacia 
or  common  Locust)  is  the  most 
popular  Robinia  in  parks  and  gardens. 
It  is  quite  at  home  in  this  country, 
attaining  a  height  of  50  feet  to  70  feet 
or  more.  Introduced  from  the  Eastern 
United  States  in  1640,  plenty  of  old, 
picturesque  specimens  exist  in  this 
country.  The  timber  is  notable,  being 
very  hard  and  durable.  The  elegant 
Fern-like  foliage  is  very  attractive.  In 
Jime  the  trees  produce  quantities  of 
white  flowers  in  racemes.  The  False 
Acacia  is  useful  as  a  street  and  town 
tree,  thriving  quite  well  in  the  London 
district,  though  in  recent  years  it  has 
been  superseded  by  the  variety  inermis. 
Something  like  forty  varieties  or  sports 
from  the  type  have  been  given  distinc- 
tive names.  The  most  useful  and  dis- 
tinct  of  them    all   are   the    varieties 


a  good  companion  plant  may  be  obtained  in  the 
variety  rubens,  which  has  red  flowers.  C.  orien- 
talis,  with  yellow  flowers  ;  C.  campaniflora,  with 
pale  mauve  flowers  ;  C.  grata,  with  white,  violet- 
tinged  blossoms  ;  and  C.  Durandii,  a  hybrid  with 
bluish  flowers,  are  other  desirable  kinds, 

Aristolochia  Sipho,  sometimes  called  the  Dutch- 
man's Pipe  on  account  of  its  pecuharly  shaped 
flowers,  is  another  useful  pergola  shrub,  for,  in 
addition  to  its  being  of  rampant  growth,  its  large, 
deep  green  leaves  are  decidedly  ornamental. 
Although  rarely  met  with  outside  scientific  estab- 
lishments, the  Moonseed  (Menispermum  canadense) 
might    well   tie   included   as   a   pergola   plant.     Its 


bella     rosea,    rose-coloured     flowers ; 

As  a  rule,  these  climbers  are  only  seen  at  their  \  bessoniana,  a  tree  more  formal  in  growth  ;  decais- 
best  when  planted  in  really  good  soil  ;  hence  the  \  neana,  a  French  variety  with  deep  pink  blossoms  ; 
necessity  of  making  sure  that  the  soil  conditions  are  fastigiata,  a  tree  very  upright  in  growth,  like  the 
right  before  planting,  for  no  amount  of  top-dressing  familiar  Lombardy  Poplar  ;  and  inermis,  a  thom- 
afterwards  will  make  up  for  inferior  soil  about  the  less,  small  tree,  a  favourite  for  street  planting, 
roots.  K.  R.  viscosa  (the  Clammy  Locust)  grows  30  feet 

I  to    40    feet    high.     In    the    Botanical    Magazine, 

ROBINIAS  OR  FALSE  ACACIAS.  ,  t.  560,  it  is  figured  under  the  name  of  R.  gluti- 
Among  the  large  number  of  leguminous  trees '  nosa,  both  names  referring  to  the  sticky  glands 
and  shrubs  cultivated  outside  in  this  country,  I  on  the  young  twigs  and  leaf-stalks.  The  pale 
the  Robinias  or  False  Acacias  hold  an  important  rose-coloured  flowers  are  borne  at  the  end  of  June, 
position  as  ornamental  subjects.  There  are  five  1  thus  being  later  than  those  of  the  common  species, 
species,  all  natives  of  North  America,  and  a  con-  ,  It  was  introduced  to  Britain  about  1797,  and  is  m 
siderable    uuniber    of    varieties.     Very    attr£|ctivp    native  of  the  Southern  United  State'<, 


Mav  24.  tgts-] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


269 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

A    SIMPLE     ARRANGEMENT    OF    SUMMER    BEDS. 


DIFFICULTY  is  sometimes  experienced 
^  by  beginners  in  deciding  how  to 
I  plant  their  flower-beds  in  a  way 
"  which  would  produce  good  effect 
during  the  summer  months  and  at 
the  same  time  be  of  simple  design. 
The  beds  illustrated  on  this  page  are  very  simple 
in  form,  and  are  planted  with  effective  subjects ; 
imd  although  a  block  of  beds  is  represented,  this 
need  not  prevent  any  form  of  beds  which  may  be 
dotted  about  the  garden  being  planted  with  the 
subjects  recommended. 

The  centre  bed  is  to  be  planted  with  that  very 
fine  Pentstemon  Southgate  Gem  in  a  carpet  of 
Viola  White  Swan.  The  Pentstemon  should  not 
be  planted  too  thickly.  Give  the  plants  plenty 
of  space,  viz.,  18  inches  to  24  inches  between  the 
plants,  and  fill  in  with  the  Violas.  The  plants 
should  have  been  rooted  from  cuttings  inserted 
last  autumn.  Placed  in  small  pots  in  March  last, 
the  Pentstemons  should  by  this  time  be  well 
established  and  ready  for  planting  in  the  beds. 
The  Violas,  formerly  rooted  under  hand-lights, 
should  also  be  ready  for  transferring  to  the  beds 
in  which  they  are  to  flower  well  into  the  autumn 
months.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  this  bed  would 
continue  to  flower  well  into  November  unless  very 
sharp  frost  put  an  end  to  the  flower-spikes  of  the 
Pentstemons. 

No.  2  beds  will  also  prove  effective  and  lasting. 
Begonia  Hilda  is  a  very  fine  bedding  plant.  Each 
plant  should  have  ample  room  to  develop,  filling 
the  space  between  the  plants  with  Alyssum 
Little  Dorrit,  which  can  be  raised  from  seed  in 
a  very  short  time,  and  which  will  continue  to 
flower  well  into  the  autunm. 

No.  3  are  planted  with  White  Intermediate 
.\ntirrhinums,  and,  although  not  shown  in  the  plan, 
pale  blue  Violas  may  be  planted  with  them.  If, 
however,  this  is  done,  the  Antirrhinums  must  be 
planted  18  inches  apart,  in  order  to  give  the  Violas 
room  to  develop.  This  I  leave  to  the  discretion 
of  the  planter. 

No.  4  are  planted  with  yellow  Begonias.  Either 
the  single  or  double  variety  may  be  used.  If  it  is 
decided  to  use  the  double,  see  that  the  flower-stems 
hold  the  flowers  well  up  above  the  foliage,  or  choose 
an  erect-growing  variety.  Sedum  glaucum  is 
used  as  a  carpet  plant.  This  Sedum  has  the  merit 
of  keeping  the  soil  cool  and  moist,  a  condition  of 
things  very  essential  to  the  Begonia. 

As  above  stated,  it  is  not  at  all  necessary'  or 
intended  that  the  scheme  of  planting  should  be 
confined  to  a  formal  set  of  beds.  It  is  equally 
suitable  for  any  kind  of  bed,  whether  isolated  or 
one  of  any  number.  A.  T. 


HOW    TO    HARDEN     BEDDING-OUT 
PLANTS. 

The  time  has  come  when  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  bedding-out  plants  will  be  placed  in  the  open 
air  to  get  inured  to  the  outside  temperature  before 
being  planted  in  the  flower-beds.  It  is  necessary, 
and  wise,  too,  to  see  to  this  work  very  carefully. 
With  the  exception  of  Calceolarias,  Marguerites 
and  a  few  other  kinds,  which  only  need  frost  being 
kept  from  them  in  winter-time,  all  should  be 
gradually  exposed  to   the  air.     It  is,   however,   a 


fact  that  many  inexperienced  cultivators  are  too 
rash  in  thus  exposing  their  plants,  and  so  cause  them 
to  be  checked  and  even  much  disfigured.  A  shel- 
tered position  must  be  selected,  but  not  one  unduly 
overshadowed  by  tall  trees  or  buildings.  A  bed 
of  ashes  is  a  good  base  for  the  pots  and  boxes. 
A  few  laths  or  Pea  sticks  supported  by  forked  pegs 
will  bear  up  a  thin  covering  material  such  as  scrim, 


from  the  ground  to  enable  the  workman  to  walk 
round  it  freely.  Then  he  must  put  in  a  lining 
of  very  fresh  moss,  pressing  it  firmly  to  the  sides 
of  the  basket,  and  filling  up  with  compost  and  plants 
as  the  moss  is  placed  in  position  ;  then  the  roots 
of  the  smaller  plants  which  are  grown  through 
the  sides  can  be  better  arranged  in  the  soil  as  the 
work  proceeds.     It  is  very  important  that  a  good 


.-^     2. 


SOME    SIMPLE    ARRANGEMENTS    FOR    SUMMER    BEDS.       THE    SCHEMES    ARE    SUITABLE   FOR 
SEPARATE    BEDS    AS    WELL    AS    A    SET    AS    SHOWN 


and  this  should  be  put  on  for  a  few  days  at  first ; 
then  for  a  few  days  only  while  the  sim  shines. 
Do  not  water  the  foliage  while  the  sun  is  shining 
on  the  plants  ;  then  there  will  be  no  danger  of 
scalding  the  leaves.  B. 


HOW    TO    FILL    FLOWER-BASKETS. 

A  BASKET  in  a  window,  porch,  or  several  in  a  green- 
house, neatly  filled  with  flowering  and  foliage 
plants,  look  very  charming  indeed.  Beautifully- 
furnished  baskets  may  very  often  be  seen,  but 
there  are  many  also  which  are  not  an  im- 
provement to  the  appearance  of  the  structure 
in  which  they  are  placed.  Plants  grown  in 
pots  are  generally  well  prepared  for  estab- 
lishment on  stages  and  similar  places,  and  so, 
also,  should  plants  grown  in  hanging  baskets  be 
well  prepared. 

Failure  is  often  cointed  by  inexperienced  culti- 
vators putting  the  plants  in  the  basket  and  forth- 
with suspending  it  in  the  bright  simshine  under 
the  glass.  The  best  way  is  to  fix  the  basket  on  a 
wire  or  strong  piece  ot  cord  at  a  convenient  height 


rim  of  sound  moss  be  built  up  at  the  top  of  the 
basket,  and  also  that  sufficient  space  be  left  to 
hold  water.  A  mistake  is  very  often  made  in  both 
respects. 

The  Compost  should  be  a  good  one,  and,  generally, 
it  must  contain  some  fibrous  loam  and  well-rotted 
manure.  When  the  basket  is  filled,  water  carefully 
and  syringe  the  sides.  Unsuitable  plants  are 
sometimes  used,  and  then  disappointment  is  sure 
to  follow.  Fuchsias  or  similar  graceful  plants 
form  good  centre  subjects.  Ivy-leaved  Pelar- 
goniums are  very  effective  indeed.  The  Zonal 
Pelargoniums  may  be  employed,  also  Coleuses 
and  Petunias.  For  shaded  positions,  Ferns  in  their 
I>ots  look  well  in  the  centre,  with  pendulous-growing 
Fuchsias  to  depend  from  the  sides  of  the  basket. 
Selaginellas,  Panicum  variegatum  and  Trades- 
cantia  zebrina  form  a  lovely  covering  to  the  sides 
of  the  basket.  When  the  baskets  are  finished, 
place  them  in  a  shaded  part  of  the  greenhouse 
for  ten  days  or  a  little  while  longer,  keeping  the 
plants  syringed  or  watered  to  establish  them, 
and  then  put  the  baskets  in  their  summer 
positions.  Shamrock. 


270 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  24,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Preparations  for  Beddlng-ont. — Now  that  early- 
flowering  bulbs  are  over,  preparations  may  be  made 
for  summer  bedding.  Several  of  the  groundwork 
plants  may  still  be  making  a  good  show  ;  but  as 
our  summer  season  is  usually  so  short,  no  time 
should  be  lost  in  getting  the  beds  ready  for  plant- 
ing, especially  where  there  is  a  lot  of  them  to  do. 

Removal  and  Care  of  Bulbs. — Hyacinths, 
Tulips  and  Narcissi,  after  being  lifted  so  early  in 
the  season,  are  not  to  be  relied  upon  to  make  a 
good  show  in  the  beds  another  season,  but  by 
careful  lifting  and  laying  in  in  light  soil  in  a  semi- 
shady  position,  they  should  be  quite  good  enough 
for  planting  in  borders  or  for  naturalising  in  grass 
next  season,  this  latter  applying  more  particularly 
to  the  different  varieties  of  Narcissi. 

Arabis  and  Aubrietia  should  also  be  carefully 
lifted,  and,  after  being  carefully  cut  over,  planted 
in  a  border  to  provide  stock  for  next  season,  the 
former  to  be  propagated  from  cuttings  and  the 
latter  by  division. 

Polyanthuses  also  should  be  lifted,  splitting 
up  the  best  varieties  and  planting  in  ntnrsery  beds 
where  they  can  remain  till  the  autumn.  In  each 
instance  it  may  be  necessary  to  give  the  plants  one 
or  two  waterings  to  establish  them,  especially  if 
the  weather  is  hot  and  dry. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

The  Rose  Maggot. — Though  there  are  many 
very  efficacious  insecticides  on  the  market,  I  have 
not  found  one  that  can  be  relied  upon  to  kill  these 
grubs,  and  to  rid  the  plants  of  this  pest  they  must 
be  systematically  looked  over,  kUling  the  insects 
between  the  thumb  and  finger. 

Aphis,  too,  makes  its  appearance  very  early, 
and  to  keep  the  plants  quite  clean  they  require 
spraying  with  an  insecticide  at  least  once  every 
week,  a  carefidly-prepared  paraffin  emulsion  being 
one  of  the  most  efiective  remedies,  and  the  Holder 
Pneumatic  Sprayer  is  perhaps  the  most  economical 
method  of  applying  it. 

Disbudding  or  thinning  the  shoots  has  to  be 
practised  where  really  good  blooms  are  required, 
this  being  more  necessary  where  a  close  system  of 
pruning  is  practised.  All  weak  shoots  should  be 
removed  as  soon  as  they  attain  an  inch  or  2  inches  in 
length,  leaving  the  strongest  and  best-placed  shoots 
to  bloom.  This  thinning  applies  equally  as  much 
to  standards  as  to  dwarfs,  though  in  the  latter  case 
more  shoots  should  be  left  so  as  to  leave  a  good, 
full  and  shapely  head. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Fuchsias,  Begonias  and  Gloxinias  are  all  plants 
that  are  benefited  by  a  little  shade,  and  the  same 
applies  to  Streptocarpi  and  Celosias.  If  roller  blinds 
are  not  fixed  to  the  houses  occupied  by  such  sub- 
jects, a  little  permanent  shading  should  be  put  on, 
starch  and  whiting  carefully  mixed  and  put  on 
thinly  being  sufficient  to  stop  the  full  glare  of  the 
Sim  without  impeding  too  much  light,  and  this 
wUl  last  the  season  through  quite  well  and  come 
off  easily  when  desired. 

Chrysanthemums. — The  most  forward  plants  of 
the  large-flowering  section  will  now  be  read}'  for  their 
final  potting,  and  the  strongest  growers  shotild  be 
put  in  I  i^inch  pots.  A  moderately  rich  loam,  with 
the  usual  addition  of  short  manure,  leaf-soil, 
cinder  ashes,  lime  rubble,  bone-meal  and  sand,  is 
the  best  for  them,  and  good,  firm  potting  is  neces- 
sary to  secure  a  steady  and  well-hardened  growth. 
Sufficient  room  should  be  left  in  the  pots  to  allow 
of  three  or  four  slight  top-dressings  later  on  in  the 
season.  The  plants  should  be  fairly  moist  at  the 
time  of  potting,  and  they  must  be  well  watered  in 
before  the  ball  of  old  soil  gets  really  dry,  or  a  loss 
of  foliage  will  probably  result. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Parsnips  should  be  thinned  when  nicely  in  the 
rough  leaf,  and  if  fairly  strong  might  be  finished 
right  off  at  the  one  thinning,  say,  to  a  foot  or 
15  inches  apart,  after  which  give  a  good  sooting 
and  break  up  the  ground  nicely  with  the  hoe. 


Early  Carrots  also  may  be  thinned  to  the  requisite 
distance  apart.  If  of  the  Shorthorn  varieties, 
4  inches  to  6  inches  is  sufficient  space  to  allow  them ; 
but  the  longer  varieties  should  be  allowed  from 
9  inches  to  i  foot  apart.  Where  there  is  any  fly 
on  the  foliage,  it  should  be  carefully  sprayed  with 
paraffin  emulsion  or  some  other  insecticide. 

Runner  Beans  in  boxes  or  pots  and  Sweet  Corn 
should  be  gradually  hardened  off  preparatory  to 
planting  in  the  open  ;  also  Marrows  and  Gourds, 
as  after  this  week  one  feels  comparatively  safe 
from  frosts  here  in  the  South. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Early  Muscat  Vines  that  are  stoning  must  be 
very  carefully  handled  just  now,  the  least  inatten- 
tion to  airing  in  the  early  morning  often  resulting 
in  scalded  berries,  and  after  being  well  thinned  the 
scalding  of  only  three  or  four  berries  will  often 
spoil  the  appearance  of  a  bunch.  Plenty  of 
moisture  is  very  necessary  at  all  times  now,  but  an 
excess  of  it  in  the  atmosphere  as  the  temperature 
rises,  with  insufficient  ventilation,  often  results 
in  scalding. 

Front  Ventilation  on  Muscats  I  am  not  at  all 

in  favour  of,  particularly  if  the  house  is  fairly 
high  at  the  eaves.  I  think  this  is  more  pro- 
ductive of  red  spider  than  anything  else,  a  draught 
of  air  right  through  the  house  drying  the  atmo- 
sphere far  too  quickly. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Figs  on  walls  and  in  sheltered  positions  are  now 
pushing  forward  their  fruit,  the  somewhat  mild 
winter  being  favourable  to  them.  Where  the 
roots  are  partially  confined,  a  good  soaking  of  liquid 
manure  at  this  stage  will  help  them  very  much, 
but  it  is  hardly  wise  to  give  it  to  them  unless  it  is 
noted  that  the  fruit  is  swelling  a  little. 

Forced  Strawberries  that  have  come  through 

the  houses  in  a  clean  condition  may  be  planted 
(if  required)  to  make  up  a  permanent  bed,  and 
such  plants,  especially  of  the  variety  Vicomtesse 
Hericart  de  Thury,  will  often  give  a  very  fair  crop 
of  fruit  in  August  and  September.  Needless  to 
add,  watering  will  have  to  be  resorted  to  until 
the  plants  get  a  good  hold  of  the  soil. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 
Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addleslone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN    GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Bedding-Out. — Beds  which  have  been  occupied 
by  Wallflowers  should  receive  an  extra  supply 
of  manure,  as  these  exhaust  the  soil  very  much. 
Where  Begonias  are  to  be  planted,  the  ground 
should  have  a  good  admixture  of  flaky  material, 
such  as  old  Mushroom  manure  or  good  leaf-mould, 
plus  bone-meal.  The  hardier  things,  such  as 
Geraniums,  should  be  planted  first,  the  more  tender 
things,  such  as  Begonias  and  Cannas,  being  left 
till  the  last. 

Dahlias. — The  plants  should  now  be  fully 
exposed,  but  planting  should  be  delayed  till  June 
comes  in,  especially  in  districts  where  late  frosts 
are    of    frequent    occurrence. 

Planting    Auriculas    and    Primroses. — Where 

these  are  dotted  about  the  herbaceous  beds  and 
borders,  and  it  is  the  intention  to  increase  the  stock 
or  to  replant  more  deeply,  this  is  a  good  time  to 
do  so  ;  and  as  these  plants  all  incline  to  get  leggy, 
they  should  be  planted  so  deeply  that  the  lower 
leaves  will  be  almost  at  the  ground-level. 

The  Reserve  Garden. 

Spring  Bedding. — Many  subjects  will  now  have 
to  be  removed  from  the  flower  garden  and  planted 
in  the  reserve  garden.  They  will  include  Arabises, 
Primroses,  Polyanthuses,  Auriculas  and  Daisies. 
Arabis  can  be  planted  without  roots,  which  it  will 
soon  make  if  planted  deeply  and  firmly.  All 
the  others  named  should  be  broken  up,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  plant,  and  planted  rather  deeply 
in  lines  about  one  foot  apart  and  from  6  inches 
to  9  inches  apart  in  the  rows. 


The  Rose  Garden. 

Aphis. — Many  of  the  Hybrid  Teas  will  soon  be 
in  flower,  and,  before,  this  occurs,  care  should  be 
taken  that  the  bushes  are  free  of  aphis.  As  already 
suggested.  Quassia  Chips  Extract,  XL  All  Liquid 
Insecticide  or  soapsuds  may  be  applied  with 
equally  good  results. 

Suckers. — A  close  watch  must  be  kept  for  these, 
and  they  should  be  removed  at  once. 

Climbers. — It  is  a  waste  of  energy  to  allow  a 
number  of  superfluous  shoots  to  develop  and  then 
cut  them  away.  By  removing  these  now  the  vigour 
of  those  retained  will  be  increased  by  means  of 
the  extra  sap  and  light  at  their  disposal. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Hibiscus  Manihot. — This  erect-growing  Hibiscus 
makes  an  excellent  conservatory  plant,  its  one 
drawback  being  that  the  individual  blooms  are 
short-lived.  Seeds  sown  early  in  spring  will  yield 
a  batch  of  plants  which  will  bloom  in  autumn, 
but  seeds  sown  in  heat  now  will  give  nice  strong 
plants  for  next  season.  The  plant  requires  a  warm 
greenhouse   temperature. 

Perpetual  Carnations. — Young  stock  in  3-inch 
pots  should  be  potted  on,  using  5-inch  pots.  Good 
yellow  loam,  with  the  addition  of  a  little  sharp 
sand,  wood-ashes  and  dry  cow  or  sheep  manure, 
will  suit  them  at  this  juncture.  All  young  stock 
will  now  be  better  in  cold  frames,  which  should 
be  well  ventilated.     Vaporise  for  aphis. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Thinning  Late  Grapes. — This  work  is  sometimes 

apt  to  be  overlooked  iu  the  height  of  the  bedding- 
out  season.  It  is  work,  however,  which,  if  delayed, 
becomes  incre.isingly  difficult,  and  should  therefore 
receive  attention  at  all  hazards.  I  repeat  the 
advice  given  on  this  subject  earlier  in  the  season — 
see  that  hands  and  scissors  are  clean,  use  a  forked 
piece  of  wood  for  manipulating  the  bunches,  retain 
the  largest  berries  so  far  as  is  consistent  with 
equal  distribution  of  these,  and  preserve  the  full 
circumference  of  the  bunch. 

Ventilation  Overnight. — Unless  the  weather  is 
cold  and  gusty  it  is  an  advantage  to  leave  a  chink 
of  air  on  overnight,  and  in  the  case  of  early  crops 
beginning  to  show  colour  it  is  specially  advisable. 

Tomatoes. — Continue  to  feed  the  earlier  crops 
in  pots,  but  see  to  it  that  the  plants  are  not  really 
dry  at  the  root  when  the  feeding  is  applied. 
Continue  to  tie  later  crops  and  see  that  all  lateral 
shoots  are  promptly  pmched  out. 

Melons. — Where  fruits  are  ripening,  water  must 
be  gradually  reduced.  Fruits  are  sometimes  cut 
too  soon  by  those  who  are  inexperienced.  Two  tests 
are  applicable — a  well-ripened  fruit  should  have  a 
rich  aromatic  scent,  and  should  begin  to  crack 
round  the  stalk. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Gooseberries  for  Tarts. — These  are  much  in 
demand  in  most  establishments,  and  in  some 
gardens  a  proportion  of  Whinham's  Industry  is 
grown  specially  for  this  purpose.  If,  however, 
the  crop  is  an  average  one  and  the  fruits  are 
judiciously  thinned,  the  general  crop  will  be  im- 
proved rather  than  injured  by  the  removal  of  a 
proportion  of  the  fruits  at  an  early  stage. 

Caterpillars. — Should  this  pest  assert  itself 
it  may  still  be  annihilated  by  spraying  with  arsenate 
of  lead,  as  previously  directed,  but  the  fruits  must 
not  be  used  within  a  month  of  its  application. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Planting  Celery. — This  work  will  now  require 
attention.  As  indicated  in  the  calendar  last  week, 
the  width  of  the  trench  and  the  number  of  rows  to  a 
trench  are  immaterial  matters  provided  each  plant  is 
allowed  from  12  square  inches  to  15  square  inches 
to  develop.     Give  a  good  watering  after  planting. 

Staking  Runner  Beans, — This  work  should 
receive  attention  as  soon  as  the  growth  is  a  few 
inches  high.  Tall,  bare  branches,  or  sawn  stakes 
similar  to  those  used  for  Hollyhocks — undressed, 
of  course — will  suit  them. 

Sowing  Kidney  Beans. — A  late  sowing  should 

be  made  within  the  next  week.  If  the  ground  is 
dry,  water  the  seed  lines  well  after  sowing,  and  do 
not  allow  the  seed  to  become  dry  till  germination 
takes  place. 

Herbs. — Plant  out  those  which  were  raised 
from   seed.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


May  24,  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


271 


CHRYSANTHEMUM    NOTES. 


box-struck 
should  be 


PLANTS  FOR  THE  FILOWER  GARDEN. 

THE  early-flowering  varieties  are  not 
grown  in  the  flower  garden  as  exten- 
sively as  they  deserve.  Dahlias,  too, 
may  be  associated  with  them,  but  in 
separate  beds,  of  course.  Many 
amateurs  have  in  their  gardens  nice 
plants  at  the  present  time.  These 
planted  out  during  the  latter  part  of 
May  or  early  in  June  in  the  beds  in  which  they  are 
to  flower.  The  soil  should  be  enriched  with  well- 
rotted  manure,  and,  if  of  a  heavy  nature,  properly 
broken  up.  The  young  Chrysanthemums  will 
soon  get  established,  form  side  branches  and  make 
neat  specimens,  flowering,  according  to  variety, 
from  July  to  November. 

In  many  gardens  there  are  comer  or  out-of-the- 
way  beds  which,  if  filled  with  Chrysanthemums, 
would  provide  flowers  for  cutting  and  placing  in 
vases.  The  best  effect  is  obtained  when  distinct 
varieties  are  planted  in  each  bed,  but  a  border 
in  an  obscure  part  of  the  garden  may  be  filled 
with  a  number  of  varieties.  July,  August  and 
September  flowering  varieties  may,  with  good 
effect,  be  associated  with  other  kinds  of  bedding- 
out  subjects,  such  as  Fuchsias,  Liliums,  Lantanas 
and  Heliotrope.  Directly  the  plants — growing  in 
separate  beds — are  established  and  have  formed 
plenty  of  new  roots,  commence  to  feed  them, 
diluted  cow  and  stable  liquid  being  very  beneficial. 
Those  plants  growing  with  other  kinds  must  not 
have  manure-water,  except  in  cases  where  the 
soil  is  very  poor,  as  a  too  gross  growth  of  the  othex 
subjects  might  result.  Many  varieties  of  the 
early-flowering  singles  look  charming  in  the  flower 
garden. 

Pompons  for  Cutting. — In  a  cosy  comer  in  the 
vegetable  garden,  or  other  suitable  quarter,  a 
nice  batch  of  Pompons  may  be  planted  for  supply- 
ing cut  blossoms  for  small  as  well  as  large  vases 
in  the  autumn.  I  have  grown  them  in  this  way 
for  many  years  with  great  success,  using  small 
sprays  for  low  vases  on  the  tables,  and  cutting 
them  with  long  stems  for  placing  in  the  tall  trumpet 
vases  either  by  themselves  or  mixed  with  the  large- 
flowered  sorts.  In  any  form  they  look  charming 
in  vases.  It  is  advisable  to  plant  these  varieties 
in  rows  about  three  feet  apart  in  a  border,  so  that 
it  will  be  quite  convenient  to  put  on  a  temporary 
covering  in  the  autumn  to  shield  the  flowers  from 
early  frosts,  as  the  blooms  continue  to  open 
throughout  the  months  of  October,  November 
and  a  part  of  December.  Mats  and  scrim  drawn 
over  a  skeleton  lath  arrangement  will  form  sufficient 
protection  as  a  rule.  Avon. 


THE    FIFTY  BEST    MORAINE 
PLANTS. 


THE  selections  of  fifty  best  alpines  which 
have  appeared  in  recent  issues  have 
created  so  much  interest  that  I  am  now 
asked  to  give  my  personal  list  of  fifty 
best  plants  for  the  moraine.  The 
conditions  of  this  selection  are  different 
from  those  of  the  last.  In  the  first  place,  the 
question  is  far  less  general  and  the  experience 
much  less  diffused,  complete,  and  of  old  standing. 
Each  moraine,  like  each  gardener,  has  its  special 
favourites,  and  the  pet  results  of  one  moraine  are 
not  necessarily  those  of  its  neighbour  across  the 


wall.  Again,  the  moraine  being  a  very  special 
affair,  there  is  no  need  in  this  choice  to  trouble 
about  "  utility  "  plants,  such  as  the  Aizoon  Saxi- 
frages, which  will  grow  anywhere.  1  mean  to  allow 
myself,  in  fact,  an  orgy  of  special  treasures,  in 
repayment  for  the  cruel  excisions  X  was  forced  to 
make  in  the  general  list ;  since  it  is  for  these  that 
the  moraine  exists.  As  to  the  conditions  of  this, 
let  me  postulate  a  moraine  of  some  three  parts 
chips  to  one  part  good  compost  of  peat,  leaf-mould 
and  sand  (a  larger  percentage  of  soil  than  I  have 
suggested  hitherto),  watered  by  a  subterranean 
perforated  pipe  some  12  inches  to  15  inches  down, 
but  sharply  drained ;  for  more  and  more  do  I 
grow  to  distrust  cemented  bottoms,  unless,  indeed, 
your  slope  is  very  specially  rapid  and  your  climate 
of  a  very  specially  Saharan  torridness.  And  in 
this  mixture,  then,  I  will  allow  myself  a  free  hand 
in  clioice,  and  advise  my  friends  to  follow  it  without 
fear  of  disappointment  if  they  succeed.  But  it 
must  be  remembered  that  my  selection  is  purely 
personal,  haphazard  and  incomplete.  Many  things 
arc  omitted  simply  as  imtried,  such  as  Dryas  ;  and 
my  own  blank  failure  hitherto  with  most  Gentians 
and  Potentilla  nitida  in  the  moraine  is  very  likely  a 
mere  matter  of  conditions — a  little  soil  the  more, 
or  some  question  of  treatment — though  I  confess 
to  doubting  Gentians  as  a  family  for  the  moraine, 
despite  the  fact  that  one  of  my  G.  Clusii  is  now 
wearing  a  beautiful  flower.  But  in  one  place 
very  often  I  think  a  given  plant  enjoys  moraine, 
and  yet  refuses  to  put  up  with  another  apparently 
like  it  somewhere  else,  where,  perhaps,  the  con- 
ditions are  not  precisely  such  as  to  suit  it.  It 
was  some  time  before  any  of  my  moraines  suited 
Dianthus  neglectus,  which  forms  huge,  grassy 
masses  in  open  and  rather  inferior  soil  here. 


NEW   AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


FIRST-CLASS     CERTIFICATE. 

Paeonia  arborea  La  Lorraine. — A  remarkable 
hybrid  Tree  Psony,  said  to  have  originated  from  the 
crossing  of  P.  Moutan  with  P.  lutea,  MM.  V. 
Lemoine  et  Fils,  Nancy,  being  the  raisers.  The 
flowers  are  very  full  and  double,  somewhat  formal 
in  outline,  five  inches  or  so  across,  and  of  a  buS 
tone,  pcissing  to  yellow.  The  bases  of  the  petals 
low  down  are  of  a  reddish  colour.  The  foliage 
is  glaucous.  Exhibited  by  Messrs.  J.  Piper  and 
Sons,  Bayswater. 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Heliotrope     The    Speaker. — A   dark-coloured, 

richly-perfumed  variety  with  large  trusses  of 
flowers.     From  Mr.  P.  Ladds,  Swanley. 

Rose  Miss  Flora  Mitten. — A  perfectly  single- 
flowered  Rose  of  great  charm,  by  reason  of  the  large 
saucer-like  flowers  of  pinky  white,  which  appear 
in  big  clusters  on  greenish,  almost  thomless  growths. 
The  foliage,  too,  is  large  and  hard-looking.  A 
good  climbing  Rose.  From  Mr.  J.  Elliott,  Has- 
socks, Sussex. 

Rhododendron  Rose  Queen. — The  name  is 
somewhat  descriptive  of  a  beautiful  variety,  which 
is  also  very  freely  flowered.  The  flowers  are 
drooping,  warm  rose  pink  without  and  paler  within. 

Rhododendron  Wightii. — A  beautiful  variety 
with  creamy  yellow  bell-like  flowers.  The  foliage  is 
green  above  and  fuscous  brown  below,  save  for  the 
midrib,  which  is  pea  green.  Both  came  from  Miss 
Clara  Mangles,  Littleworth,  Scale,  Surrey. 

Aster  Purdomii. — The  plant,  which  is  9  inches 
high,    is    a   recent    introduction    from    China,    the 


Name. 
Androsace  alpiiia  (glacialis) 


A.  primuloides    4 

A.  villofia     3 

Anthemis  Aizoon 5 

Asperula  Athoa    3 

Artemisia  splendens 4 

Aster  alpinus 6 

Campanula  alpestris  (Allionil) '. 3 

"  "  1 

3 
6 
3 
4 
4 


Height. 
Inches. 

1     Rose  white 


Colour. 


Date  of 
Floweritig. 
May-June   . . , 


C.  cenisia 
C.  exclsa  . 
C.pulla.. . 
C.  Kaineri 
C.  Zoysii  . 
Cyananthus  lobatus  . 


Pink 

Pearly  white ,, 

Wliite Summer     

Pink „  

Silver  leaves  ,,  

Purple   ,,  

,,       June    

Electric  blue Summer    . . . . 

Violet Late  summer  . 


Soil. 

Non-calcareous,   soft, 

and  rich 
Ordinary 


Non-calcareous 


cool 


Blue. 


Delphinium  nudicaule     6 

Dianthus  alpinus    

D.  arvernensis 

D.  Freynii 

D.  neglectus   

D.  glacialis    

D.  sylvestris   

Eritricbium  nanum  


Electric  blue ,, 

Scarlet June 

Rich  rose    ,, 

Pink 

Pink  white , , 

Fiery  rose , 

Rose     , . 


The  blue  of  blues 


Iberis  petnea 

Leontopodium  alpinum  (Flannel-flower). 

Linaria  alpina 

Lithospermum  Gastonli    


2  White ,,        

6  Silver  white All  the  summer  , 

3  Violet  and  gold  ...  .  ,,         ,, 

4  Blue Summer    


Mertensia  primuloides    

Morisia  hypoga?a   

Myosotis  nipicola 

Papaver  alpinum 

PetrocalUs  pyrenaica     

Primula  intermedia 

P.  spectabiUs 

Polemonium  confertum  melUtum 

Ranunculus  alpestris     

R.  glacialis    

R.  pamassifolius 

K.  Seguieri    

Saxifraga  Burseriana  magna 

S.  caesia   

S.  Bumalii    

S.  Faldonside    

S.  Grisebachii 

Silene  Elizabetha-    

S.  Hookeri     

Soldauella  pyrolEefolia     

Thlaspi  limose  Use  folium 

Veronica  canesceiis      

Viola  cenisia 

Wahlenbergia  Pumilio    

Inglebornugh,  Lancaster 


4 
4 
6 
4 
6 
4 
5 
3 
4 
6 
4 
6 
3 
5 
5 
4 

H 

4 
3 


Blue  to  amethyst  . .  , ,  

Yellow Early  summer  . . 

Blue June    

White  to  rose   All  the  summer  . 

Whity  pink June     

Rosy  lilac    April 

, ,            April-May    . . . . 

White Summer    

, ,       All  the  season    . 

White  to  red    June    

White May     


February-March 
June    


Yellow March 

Red Marcb-April  . . . 

Rose  re  d    Summer    

Rose  pink   June    

Lilac     March-April   . . . 

, ,      May- June  

Blue    All  the  summer  . 

Violet   Summer     

, Early  summer    . 


Calcareous 


Ordinary 

Calcareous 
Ordinary 

Ordinary  or  non-calcareous 

Non -calcareous 

Ordinary 

Non -calcareous,    rich ,    cool 

and  light 
Ordinary 


Ver>'     calcareous, 
pure  lime-rubble 
Ordinary,  cool 
Ordinary,  clry 
Ordinary 

Calcareous 
Ordinary 


Damp,  calcareous 
Damp,  D  on-calcareous 
Damp  calcareous 
Drier  calcareous 
Ordinary  or  calcareous 


Ordinary 

Damp,  rich  and  silty 
Ordinary 
Fine  and  sandy 
Ordinary 
Calcareous 
Reginald  F.^hrer. 


272 


THE    GAKDEN. 


[May  24,  1913. 


florets    coloured    a    lilac    mauve.     From    Messrs. 
J.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea. 

Thunbergia  Gibsonii. — A  remarkable  plant 
from  East  Africa.  The  flowers  are  self-coloured  and 
of  a  rich,  refined  orange  tone.  Of  apparently 
perennial  duration,  the  plant  would  appear  to  be  a 
ground  creeper,  though  would  probably  climb 
with  age.  As  shown,  flowers  or  buds  were  appear- 
ing from  almost  every  leaf-axil,  the  pedicels  being 
about  six  inches  high.  The  leaves  are  almost 
rhomboid,  lobed  and  somewhat  hairy.  From 
Mr.  William  Van  der  Weyer,  Corfe  Castle, 
Dorset. 

Carnation  Lady  Shrewsbury. — A  very  full, 
handsome  pink-flowered  variety  that  is  sure  to 
find  many  admirers.  From  Messrs.  William 
Cutbush  and  Sons,  Highgate,  N. 

Tulip  Blassenet. — A  very  handsome  Darwin 
variety,  rose  pink  coloured  externally  and  flesh- 
tinted  within.  It  is  a  beautifully  shaded  flower, 
cream  and  pink,  pleasingly  associated,  and  in  fine 
contrast  with  the  electric  blue  and  green  coloured 
base.     From  Messrs.   Bath,  Wisbech. 


NEW     ORCHIDS. 

New  Orchids  to  gain  awards  of  merit  were 
Brasso-Laslio-Cattleya  Veitchii  The  Dell,  from 
Baron  Brmio  SchrSder ;  Laelio-Cattleya  Fasci- 
nator X  Mossioe,  sent  by  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence ; 
and  Odontoglossum  Phoebe  splendens,  from  Messrs. 
J.  and  A.  McBean. 

The  foregoing  were  shown  before  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  on  May  14,  when  the  awards 
were  made. 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


SPRAYING    FRUIT    TREES. 

THE  month  of  May  is  an  important 
period  to  the  fruit-grower,  who  has 
many  enemies  in  the  shape  of  insect 
pests  to  contend  with.  Having 
already  seen  the  eflect  of  winter 
spraying  for  the  removal  of  moss 
and  lichen  from  the  trees,  as  well  as  the 
diminution  of  Psylla  or  Apple-sucker  by  the  free 
use  of  lime  and  salt  before  the  blossoms  unfolded, 
I  would  like  to  advise  those  who  have  in  the  past 
been  troubled  with  Apple  scab  that  they  need  not 
now  have  their  fruit  disfigured  by  this  fungus 
if  they  will  but  take  the  trouble  to  spray 
with  Strawsonite,  commonly  known  as  Bordeaux 
mixture,  at  the  rate  of  ijlb.  of  Strawsonite  to 
100  gallons  of  water.  This  spraying  should  take 
place  directly  the  blossoms  fall.  Last  year  I 
commenced  on  May  14  with  this  mixture.  Should 
the  trees  be  affected  with  winter  moth  caterpillar, 
arsenate  of  lead  can  be  used  in  conjunction  with 
Strawsonite,  thus  saving  the  trouble  of  a  second 
spraying.  To  100  gallons  of  cold  water  add  lolb. 
of  Strawsonite  and  31b.  of  Strawson's  Swift  Arsenate. 
The  arsenate  of  lead  is  procurable  in  paste  form. 
This  should  be  dissolved  first  in  a  small  quantity  of 
water,  adding  it  afterwards  to  the  bulk  when 
thoroughly  dissolved.  If  the  trees  are  carefully 
sprayed,  Apple  scab  will  be  thoroughly  extermi- 
nated, and  I  think  all  will  agree,  if  this  is  so,  that 
one  of  the  greatest  pests  the  Apple-grower  has  to 
contend  with  will  have  been  eliminated. 

In  some  seasons,  when  the  fruit  begins  to  swell 
after  the  spraying,  a  coating  of  rust  may  be  seen 


on  much  of  the  fruit  ;  indeed,  in  some  cases  to  an 
apparently  alarming  extent,  so  much  so  that  the 
spraying  is  often  blamed  for  this  apparent  dis- 
figurement. Last  year  much  of  my  fruit  was  so 
affected.  I  found,  as  time  went  on,  this  rust  dis- 
persed and  did  no  harm,  not  even  disfiguring  the 
fruit.  The  cause  is  one  of  adverse  weather  at 
spraying- time.  When  cold  and  sunless,  the 
tender  skin  of  the  Apple  is  affected  by  the  chemicals 
used.  If  the  weather  were  of  a  more  genial 
character,  this  rust  would  not  be  perceptible. 
I  take  this  opportunity  to  point  out  to  the  inex- 
perienced what  may  happen,  but  to  assure  them 
no  harm  will  follow,  always  supposing  the  materials 
used  are  of  the  best  and  the  quantities  recom- 
mended are  not  exceeded. 

I  never  saw  the  trees  so  free  from  Psylla  (Apple- 
sucker)  as  they  are  this  season.  Warner's  King 
is  profusely  flowered,  and  this  variety  is  one  of 
the  first  to  indicate  the  presence  of  this  pest.  On 
all  the  trees  of  this  Apple  I  have  not  seen  a  single 
caterpillar  as  yet.  If  there  is  no  sign  of  caterpillar, 
the  arsenate  of  lead  is  not  required.  Simply  use 
Strawsonite  for  the  prevention  of  Apple  scab 
(Fusicladium  dentriticum).  Cox's  Orange  Pippin 
is  more  delicate  in  its  leaf  tissue  and  is  liable 
to  be  damaged  by  the  ordinary  strength  of 
spray  fluid  beneficial  to  other  sorts,  therefore 
should  not  be  sprayed  with  so  strong  a 
solution.  E.  MoLYNEUx. 


THE  ROSE  OUTLOOK  FOR 
1913. 


So  far  as  we  in  Mid-Sussex  are  concerned,  the  out- 
look for  the  coming  Rose  season  is  by  no  means 
black,  and  may  be  taken  as  about  up  to  the  average. 
We  have  lost  but  little  wood  through  frost,  and 
despite  the  only  partial  ripening  of  many  varie- 
ties, the  wood  cut  firm  and  promising  down  at 
the  pruning  point.  I  sometimes  fancy  we  are 
more  concerned  about  the  fuller  ripening  of  our 
Roses  than  we  need  be,  and  this  seems  more  so 
since  the  advent  of  our  Hybrid  Teas,  which  do  not 
matiu'e  their  points  of  late  growth  so  much  as 
was  the  case  with  the  older  Hybrid  Perpetuals. 
This  is  only  natural  when  we  consider  that  our 
present-day  Roses  consist  largely  of  autumnal 
bloomers  instead  of  summer  flowerers  only,  as  was 
the  case  of  the  majority  before  the  advent  of  the 
glorious  hybrids  that  are  now  more  or  less  con- 
tinuous right  up  to  the  advent  of  frost.  In  almost 
all  cases  this  class  of  Rose  matures  its  lower  growth 
in  a  surprisingly  good  condition.  One  notes  this 
soon  after  the  second  flowering  growth  has  formed, 
and  we  generally  have  to  cut  back  all  of  the  third 
crop  of  growth,  whether  ripe  or  not.  On  the  whole, 
our  Roses  are  breaking  evenly,  and  are  not  at  all 
in  a  dangerously  forward  condition,  especially 
when  we  take  into  accoimt  the  remarkably  mild 
season  experienced  in  this  district. 

Transplanted  Roses  are  looking  fairly  well, 
and  those  moved  early  in  the  spring  are  as  sound 
as  any  planted  during  late  autumn.  The  stocks, 
too,  put  out  for  working  upon  next  summer  are 
looking  even,  a  few  that  were  not  earthed-up 
being  the  worst.  Buds  inserted  in  1912  are  up 
to  the  average,  except  in  the  case  of  a  few  varieties 
on  standard  Briars,  which  seem  bound,  much  the 
same  as  we  often  find  them  after  a  severe  winter. 
In  this  case  we  shall  leave  more  young  wood 
beyond  the  Rose-buds  than  usual  for  a  time  to 
encourage  their  breaking.  A.  P. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
make  Thk  Gakden  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  ass^tst- 
ance,  no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
loith  that  object  mil  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  he 
clearly  and  concisely  wrUten  on  one  side  of  the  pa/per  only 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  nam,ing  should  be  dearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  7noss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  Irusiness  should  be  sent  to  the  Publisher. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

SWEET-SCENTED  PLANTS    FOR  NARROW  BORDER 

(Miss  M). — You  could  not  do  better  than  plant  Stocks 
of  several  sections  to  give  a  succession  of  flowers,  with 
whit©  Tobacco  at  the  back  and  a  bordering  of  the  Night- 
scented  Stock  for  the  front.  Of  the  first  two  you  h&ve 
to  secure  plants,  while  of  the  third  you  might  still  make 
a  sowing  where  it  would  remain  for  flowering.  You  do 
not  give  the  width  of  the  border  :  hence  we  cannot  gauge 
how  much  or  how  little  may  be  required. 

LILIUMS  FROM  SEED  {Redp Us). Seeds  of  Lilium 
giganteum,  and  other  kinds  of  Lilies  also,  are  often  very 
erratic  in  the  way  they  germinate,  especially  if  the  seeds 
have  been  allowed  to  dry  at  all  before  sowing.  They 
sometimes  vegetate  in  six  or  eight  weeks,  and  at  other 
times  Lie  in  the  soil  for  twelve  months  before  any  growth 
in  noticed.  It  is  not  necessary  to  provide  any  considerable 
heat;  an  ordinary  warm  greenhouse  will  furniBb  all  that 
is  required.  Hakea  eucalyptoides  will  succeed  in  either 
a  cool  or  a  warm  greenhouse.  The  seeds  take  from  two 
months  to  six  months  to  germinate.  Sandy  peat  should 
be  provided  for  this  plant. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

INJURY  TO  MAGNOLIAS  (Shirimarfc).^V/G  think 
the  Magnolias  must  be  exposed  to  cold  draughts.  There 
is  no  fungOB  or  insect  upon  them  to  account  for  the 
browning  of  which  you  complain. 

CISTUS  CUTTINGS  (Redpits). —Cnttiags  of  various 
kinds  of  Clstus  should  be  taken  in  July.  They  should 
be  made  about  three  inches  long  and  be  inserted  in  pots 
or  beds  of  sandy  soil.  If  in  pots,  a  good  watering  shoold 
be  given,  and  the  pots  shoiUd  then  be  plunged  in  fibre 
in  a  close,  cool  frame.  Subsequent  watering  must  be 
done  very  carefully,  and  the  frame  shoold  be  opened 
for  half-an-hour  or  so  each  day  to  allow  superfiaous 
moisture  to  dry  up.  During  bright  sunshine  a  blind 
must  be  placed  over  the  glass.  If  the  cuttings  are  to 
be  inserted  in  a  bed,  a  bed  of  soil  should  be  made  up 
in  a  cold  frame  and  the  cuttings  Inserted  1  inch  to  2  inches 
apart.  A  good  compost  consists  of  two  parts  good 
loam,  one  part  leaf-mould  and  one  part  silver  sand.  The 
frame  must  be  kept  close  until  roots  are  formed,  after 
which  time  air  must  be  admitted  freely.  Young  plants 
should  be  potted  singly  in  small  pots  until  they  can  be 
put  out  in  permanent  places,  for  they  do  not  transplant 
well  from  the  open  ground.  As  a  rule,  cuttings  root 
better  in  a  cool  than  in  a  heated  frame. 

IS  IVY  POISONOUS  TO  OTHER  PLANTS?  {Clossy),— 
We  have  never  had  experience  of  Ivy  roots  being  poisonous 
to  other  plants,  and  have  frequently  associated  Ivy  with 
other  shrubs  without  noticing  that  anything  nnusual 
has  happened  to  plants  in  the  vicinity.  In  some  gardens 
it  ia  a  common  practice  to  combine  Ivy  with  some  other 
climber,  such  as  Clematis  Jackmanii  or  Jasmlnum  nudi- 
florum,  on  walls,  while  Ivies  of  shrubby  growth  are  con- 
stantly mixed  with  other  shrubs  in  shrubberies.  We  do 
not  think  for  a  moment  that  the  Ivy  of  which  you  speak 
caused  the  Rhododendrons  to  become  unhealthy,  neither 
is  it  necessary  to  take  the  precautions  you  suggest  for 
shutting  the  roots  of  the  Ivy  out  from  the  Rhododendron- 
bed — that  is  on  account  of  poisonous  properties ;  bat  it 
might  be  advisable  to  cut  the  Ivy  roots  back  to  stop  them 
from  robbing  the  Khododendrous  of  food  material. 
Hypericum  calycinum  forms  a  good  evergreen  border 
plant  for  a  shady  place,  but  to  keep  it  in  good  condition 
it  should  be  cut  back  fairly  hard  each  spring.  There  is 
no  really  good  evergreen,  self-clinging  climber  other  than 
Ivy,  but  a  good  deciduous  one  is  Hydrangea  petiolaris. 
The  latter  climbs  in  the  same  way  as  the  Ivy,  by  means 
of  aerial  roots.  If  Ivy  were  really  poisonous  to  tree  and 
shrub  growth,  it  would  kill  trees  and  shrubs  in  woods, 
for  there  are  woods  which  are  practically  covered  with 
an  undergrowth  of  common  Ivy.  In  gardens  it  is  a  common 
practice  to  clothe  the  ground  beneath  trees,  where  grass 
will  not  grow,  with  Ivy,  and  neither  one  harms  the  other. 
We  know  such  coverings  where  clumps  of  Daffodils  have 
been  growing  among  the  Ivy  for  the  last  twenty  years. 


■,^fc»-_ 


a?5Gr^- 


GARDEN. 


-73<5'= 


s^fcsg 


No.  2167.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


May  31,  191 3. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week 

273 

Notes  on  Tclips    . . 

279 

Correspondence 

.Maintaining  a  Lawn 

Carnation       L  a  d  v 

IN  Good  condition 

28U 

Ingestre 

274 

Frdit  Garden 

The  colour  of    Au- 

Seasonable  notes,  on 

briettas        . .      . . 

274 

Grape  Vines 

280 

Aphis  on  Spruce    . . 

274 

Gardening  for  Beginners 

A  simple  border  for 

•»1 

HowtogrowOurisia 

275 
275 

The   importance   of 

A  plea  for  perfume 

early  mulching  . . 
The    right    distance 

281 

Forthcoming  events. . 

275 

apart  for  bedding- 

New       .\nd       Rare 

out  plants  . . 

281 

Plants 

275 

Gardening  of  the  Week 

f  LOWER  Garden 

For    Southern    gar- 

Grouping flowere  for 

dens     

282 

colour 

276 

For    Northern    gar- 

Some good  but  com- 

dens      

282 

mon  gaitlen  plants 

276 

Greenhouse 

■Gardens  of  Today 

Seasonable  notes  on 

Trebah,  Cornwall  . . 

277 

Auriculas    . . 

283 

Rose  Gardes 

Answers   to    Corre- 

New dwarf  and  climb- 

spondents 

ing  Polyantha 

Flower  garden 

28  a 

Roses 

278 

Rose  garden    . . 

283 

The  Rose  as  a  but- 

Fruit garden  . . 

283 

ton-hole  flowei  . . 

279 

Miscellaneous 

284 

NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


IIiIiU  ST  RATIONS. 

MeconopsisDelavayi      274 

Cupre.ssu3  lawsoniana  Fletcheri 274 

Roscoea  cautloides 275 

White  Honesty  in  a  wild  garden  at  Bishop's  Stortfoid  276 

.\  tine  specimen  of  Pittosporum  eugenioides  variegata  277 

A  view  in  the  gardens  at  Trebah         278 

'Campanula  Stevensii  nana 279 

A  simple  autunui  border  of  Chrysanthemums  ,.      ..  281 


HDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  Tphotographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  mil  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  hoicever,  icill  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
■contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  he  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo, 
rjrapher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
tor  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
<he  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
^fe  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20.  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden.  W.C. 


Our  Rock  Garden  Competition.— We  would 
remind  our  readers  that  June  i  is  the  last 
day  for  sending  in  photographs  of  reels  gardens 
for  our  competition,  full  particulars  of  which 
have  appeared  in  many  previous  issues. 

The  Chelsea  Show.— We  wish  to  thanic  all 
those  readers  who  have  so  kindly  sent  us  letters 
of  appreciation  relating  to  our  Special  Double 
Number  published  last  week.  It  was  only  by  the 
aid  of  thoroughly  up-to-date  printing  machines 
and  a  band  of  enthusiastic  helpers  that  we  were 
able  to  have  copies  at  the  show  by  3  p.m.  on 
Wednesday.  Some  of  the  photographs  reproduced 
in  that  issue  were  not  taken  imtil  iz  noon  on  the 
Tuesday. 

Record    of    the    International    Horticultural 

Exhibition. — Now  that  a  year  has  elapsed  since 
the  great  International  Horticultural  Exhibition 
was  held  at  Chelsea,  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  ask 
when  the  official  record,  of  which  so  much  was  heard 
last  yecir,  is  likely  to  be  published  ?  It  would 
almost  seem  that  the  muddle  which  characterised 
many  of  the  arrangements  of  an  otherwise  success- 
ful show  is  retarding  the  appearance  of  this  long- 
promised  volume. 

Honour  (or  Mr.  R.  A.  Rolle.— We  are  pleased 
to  leam  that  the  French  Acad^mie  Internationale 
de  G6ographie  Botanique  has  awarded  to  Mr. 
R.  A.  Rolfe  its  Scientific  Medal  in  recognition  of 
his  work  among  Orchids.  In  addition  to  bis 
valuable  work  in  the  Kew  Herbarium,  Mr.  Rolfe 
has  edited  the  Orcltid  Revietv  since  its  commence- 
ment in  1893.  The  honour  is  conferred  upon  Mr. 
Rolfe  at  a  fitting  time,  as  it  marks  the  coming-of- 
age  of  the  Orchid  Review. 

Tulip  Disease.— This  is  different  from  "  fire  " 
referred  to  on  page  249  last  week,  and  may  be 
known  by  the  stem  decaying  at  or  below  the  ground- 
level,  so  that  it  parts  company  with  the  bulb  with 
the  gentlest  pull.  Black  spots,  varying  in  size 
from  a  pin's  head  to  a  small  Pea,  are  present  on 
the  bulb  under  the  outer  covering,  and  on  the  bit 
of  stem  left  adhering  to  it.  All  the  plants  must 
be  at  once  rooted  up  and  burnt,  and  the  ground 
not  used  for  Tulips  for  at  least  two  seasons. 

Home-Grown  Cascara  Sagrada.— In  recent  years 
attention  has  been  called  to  the  possibility  of  this 
valuable  laxative,  prepared  from  Rhamnus  purshi- 
ana,  proving  a  remunerative  culture  in  the  British 
Isles.  The  bark  collected  from  home-grown  trees 
has  been  shown  to  possess  medicinal  properties 
indistinguishable  from  those  of  American  cascara. 
Mr.  W.  J.  Bean  gives  some  interesting  facts  con- 
cerning the  possibility  of  growing  Rhamnus 
purshiana  on  a  commercial  basis  in  this  cotmtry 
in  a  recent  issue  of  the  Kew  Bulletin ;  but  in 
his  opinion,  in  view  of  the  prices  at  present  obtain- 
able for  cascara  sagrada,  it  scarcely  seems  likely 
that  it  would  prove  a  paying  crop. 


Testimonial    to    the    Rev.   W.   Wilks.  — We 

understand  that  the  testimonial  subscribed  to  by 
Fellows  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  as  an 
appreciation  of  Mr.  Wilks'  twenty-five  years' 
work  in  connection  with  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  was  formally  presented  to  him  at  his 
residence  on  Saturday  last.  We  believe  the 
amount  subscribed  exceeded  £600.  .\s  we  have 
a.lready  pointed  out,  Mr.  Wilks  has  done  yeoman 
service  for  the  society  for  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  and  its  present  flourishing  condition 
is  largely  due  to  his  enterprise  and  energy. 

A  Beautiful  Bulbous  Plant.— One  of  the  most 
interesting  and  beautiful  plants  in  the  outdoor 
garden  just  now  is  Habranthus  pratensis,  a  rather 
rare  native  of  Chili,  that  many  fail  to  grow 
really  well.  It  was  sho^vn  in  good  condition 
by  a  few  exhibitors  at  the  Chelsea  Show  last  week. 
The  flowers,  which  resemble  those  of  a  miniature 
.\maryllis,  are  vivid  scarlet  with  a  greenish  yellow 
throat,  and  are  borne  on  stems  i  foot  to  15  inches 
high  and  from  four  to  six  on  a  stem.  We  have  a 
little  colony  doing  well  on  a  south  border,  the 
soil  being  good,  rather  rich  loam.  Sim  after 
flowering  appears  to  be  one  of  their  principal 
requirements. 

Roses  with  Beautiful  Stems  and  Foliage.— 
Although  Roses  have  not  yet  opened  their  flowers 
in  many  localities,  the  beds  are  not  devoid  of 
interest,  for  the  young  stems  and  foliage  of  many 
varieties  are  exceedingly  charming.  Take  that 
beautiful  Rose  Griiss  an  Teplitz.  Its  dull  crimson, 
mottled  green  leaves  form  a  picture  of  rare  beauty 
when  kissed  by  the  morning  sun.  Then  note  the 
glossy  green  of  American  Pillar,  the  deep  crimson 
of  Marquise  de  Sinety,  the  pale  crimson  and  green 
of  Gustave  Regis,  the  blood  red  shoots  and  spines 
of  White  Killamey,  and  the  red  stems  contrasting 
so  well  with  the  green  leaves  of  Miss  Cynthia 
Forde.  All  are  beautiful  in  their  way.  and  we 
hope  this  phase  of  Rose  glory  will  receive  its  due 
recognition  in  nurserymen's  catalogues. 

Forget-me-not  in  the  Pleasure  Grounds.- The 

value  of  the  beautiful  blue-flowered  Myosotis 
alpestris,  as  cultivated  in  masses  in  the  pleasure 
grounds  at  Kew,  is  worth  considering.  It  is  com- 
paratively little  trouble,  self-sown  seedlings  coming 
up  freely  in  favourable  positions.  Very  pretty 
effects  are  obtained  when  used  as  a  groundwork 
in  borders  and  large  beds  of  shrubs.  One  particu- 
larly effective  combination  is  the  pale  mauve 
pink  Tamarix  tetraudra,  with  the  Forget-me-not 
as  a  groundwork.  Beds  or  groups  of  the  following 
shrubs,  which  are  all  pruned  fairly  severely  in 
spring,  because  they  flower  in  late  summer  and 
autumn,  may  be  carpeted  with  Myosotis  :  Tamarix 
pentandra,  Hydrangea  paniculata,  Spirasa  Aitchi- 
sonii,  S.  Lindleyi,  Buddleia  variabilis  and  varie- 
ties, autumn-flowering  varieties  of  Ceanothus  and 
Hypericum  Henryi.  Self-sown  seedlings,  or  plants 
sown  where  they  are  to  flower,  as  a  rule  give  a 
better  carpet  than  when  transplanted. 


274 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  31,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The  Editor    is    not    responsible    for  Ihc    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Carnation  Lady  Ingestre. — We  were  exhibiting 
at  the  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
held  on  May  14  a  new  seedling  Carnation,  for 
which  we  received  an   award  of  merit.     We  find 


MECONOPSIS  DELAVAYI,  A  NEW  AND  RARE 
SPECIES  WITH  IMPERIAL  PURPLE 
FLOWERS,    SHOWN    AT    CHELSEA. 

that  by  an  error  the  bloom  was  named  Lady 
Shrewsbury,  which  was  incorrect  ;  the  name  of 
the  Carnation  should  have  been  Lady  Ingestre. — 
William  Cutbush  and  Son. 

The  Colour  of  Aubrietias. — Many  as  are  :he 
varieties  of  this  good  sprmg  flower,  I  think  we  have 
not  yet  arrived  at  the  very  best  type  of  colour 
for  general  gardening.  It  may  be  that,  being  un- 
able to  visit  nurseries  and  private  gardens,  I  am 
not  in  a  position  to  judge  ;  but  it  appears  to  me 
that  the  tendency  with  seed-growers  is  to  push 
them  too  much  towards  reds  and  very  strong  red 
purples.  We  seem  to  want  a  type  of  good  middle 
strength  of  colour,  but  of  the  cooler  rather  than 
the  hotter  class ;  that  is  to  say,  inclining  to  the 
colour  of  lavender  in  the  lighter  shades  and  to  that 
of  violets  in  the  darker.  I  fully  appreciate  the 
glorious  colour  of  the  variety  Dr.  Mules  and  the 
fine  bloom  of  the  one  named  Lavender ;  but  a 
whole  bank  of  Dr.  Mules  would  be  dazzling  and 
yet  a  trifle  monotonous,  whereas  a  bank  of  the 
colour  I  have  in  mind,  with  a  small  drift  of  Dr. 
Mules  or  any  one  of  the  strong  purples,  wovfld  be 
not  only  more  interesting,  but,  as  I  venture  to  think. 


incomparably  more  beautiful.  The  fine  variety 
Lavender  is  a  little  spoilt  by  the  white  eye,  which 
cuts  up  the  mass,  and  as  it  is  a  plant  that  one  wants 
to  use  in  quantity,  it  would  be  desirable  that  the 
whole  colour  of  the  flower  should  be  as  even  as 
possible. — G.  Jekvli.. 

Aphis  on  Spruce.— Complaints  from  widely 
different  districts  are  heard  of  the  attack  upon 
Spruce  by  the  green  fly  (Aphis  abietina).  It  is  a 
fairly  well-known  pest,  appearing  here  and  there 
when  conditions  favour  development,  necessitating 
sometimes  spraying  with  insecticide.  This  spring, 
however,  the  attack  is  much  more  severe  than  usual, 
every  leaf  on  some  trees  of  Picea  pungens  glauca, 
the  Blue  Spruce,  turning  brown  and  dropping 
off  owing  to  punctures  by  the  pest.  By  the  side 
of  the  lake  at  Kew  damage  is  being  done,  in  addition 
to  this  plant,  to  the  Sitka  Spruce,  P.  sitchensis, 
P.  hondoensis,  the  common  Spruce,  P.  excelsa 
and  varieties,  and  it  is  also  spreading  to  the  rare 
P.  morindoides.  The  only  suggestion  advanced 
so  far  to  account  for  the  widespread  destruction 
this  year  is  the  unusually  mild  winter,  there  not 
being  sufficient  frost  to  destroy  the  eggs  laid 
in  autumn.  In  Ireland,  also,  considerable  damage 
is  reported.  Careful  watch  should  be  kept  by 
everyone  having  charge  of  Spruce,  whether  the 
trees  are  few  or  many,  as  there  is  no  outward  appear- 
ance of  the  pest  till  the  damage  is  done.  It  belongs 
to  the  same  family  as  the  common  green  fly  of  our 
greenhouses  and  gardens  (Rophalosiphon  Dianthi), 
but  is  much  more  destructive.  Vigorous  spraying 
with  insecticide  is  necessary  to  check  its  spread. 
We  are  using  a  mixture  of  2lb.  of  Quassia  chips, 
4  pints  of  paraflSn,  ijlb.  of  soft  soap,  and  sufficient 
Tobacco  water  to  colour  it  brown,  to  36  gallons  of 
water. — O.  A. 

The  Fifty  Best  Alpines.— In  Mr.  Smith's  article 
on  Saxifraga  burseriana  of  your  issue  for  May  17, 
page  238,  he  refers  to  the  setacea  group  cf  Phloxes, 
which  I  did  not  include  among  my  first  fifty  plants. 
My  experience  does  not  lead  me  to  think  that  the 
chalk  mentioned  would  improve  our  soil  here  to  keep 
the  plants  from  burning.  I  was  something  in 
the  position  of  Mr.  Farrer  when  suggesting  my 
first  fifty  plants,  having  a  large  number  over, 
which  had  to  be  reduced  to  fifty,  and  that  was 
the  reason  of  my  leaving  out  this  most  beautiful  sec- 
tion of  Phloxes,  as  I  have  never  seen  them  more 
beautiful  than  this  year.  The  wet  and  showery 
time  has  just  suited  them.  We  have  here  some 
thirty  large  masses  of  these  (in  variety)  from 
I  yard  to  2  yards  across  each  plant,  and  they  present 
a  gorgeous  display  surrounded  by  Phlox  reptans, 
Lithospermum  Heavenly  Blue,  Aubrietia  Dr. 
Mules  and  Phlox  divaricata  Laphamii.  To  see 
one  of  these  grand  masses  burnt  just  when  in  full 
bloom  is  enough  to  make  one  weep.  By  some, 
plants  are  more  there  by  name  than  anything 
else,  and-jf  it  is  a  small  plant,  such  as  just  turned 
out  of  a  3-inch  pot,  this  burning  is  hardly  noticed. 
Another  great  point  of  Phlox  reptans  is  that  it 
is  in  flower  from  April  to  October,  and,  after  all, 
it  is  the  array  of  flowers  that  creates  enthusiasts, 
as  take,  for  instance,  the  interest  evinced  in  the 
flowers  at  any  great  show  in  looking  over  the  great 
trade  exhibits,  and  a  little  success  for  a  start  is 
better  than  so  many  failures. — G.  F.  Hyland, 
The  Gardens,  Ashby  St.  Ledgers,  Rugby. 

Primula  cockburniana. — Mr.  Amott  raises  an 
interesting  point  in  the  issue  of  The  Garden  for 
May  10,  page  229,  when  he  asks  how  far  is  it 
perennial.  The  article  throughout  is  brimful  of 
interest  to  lovers  of  hardy  flowers,  and  this  Primula, 
which  is  in  the  eyes  of  some  the  most  beautiful  for 


massing,  is  worthy  of  due  consideration  and  collected 
knowledge.  The  plant  is  certainly  a  perennial, 
but,  unfortunately,  a  difficult  one,  and  the  question 
naturally  arises  in  one's  mind  :  Is  it  wise  to  con- 
sider it  a  perennial  or  not  ?  I  say  "  No  "  ;  but  give 
the  world  to  understand  that  it  is  a  biennial,  and 
there  will  be  no  disappointments.  Grown  as  a 
biennial,  sow  the  seed  as  soon  as  ripe,  prick  off  the 
seedlings  in  a  sandy  compost,  and  winter  in  a  cold 
frame.  Pot  them  singly  in  3j-inch  pots,  when 
growth  commences  in  the  spring,  in  a  sandy  loam 
with  the  addition  of  a  little  leaf-soil  and  old  cow-  M 
manure,  and  plant  out  in  May  in  a  well-drained  bed  ^ 
in  a  half-shady  position.  Ordinary  garden  soil, 
with  the  addition  of  a  good  dressing  of  well-seasoned 
cow-manure  and  a  liberal  quantity  of  grit  well 
mixed  through  the  soil,  forms  a  nice  rooting  medium, 
and  in  the  autumn,  before  the  leaves  fade,  top- 
dress  with  good  loam,  with  one-third  very  coarse 
sand  added.  P.  cockburniana  is  quite  hardy, 
but  damp  it  will  not  stand  ;    therefore  a  deep  and 


CUPRESSUS  LAWSONIANA  FLETCHERI,  A 
NEW  DWARF  SHRUB  FOR  THE  ROCK 
GARDEN. 

perfect  drainage  is  the  greatest  essential  in  retaining 
a  "  perennial "  habit,  coupled  with  a  position  that 
stands  dry  in  winter.  Having  grown  this  beautiful 
Primula  in  fairly  large  quantities  since  its  intro- 
duction, I  must  confess  that  it  has  been  a  failure 
as  a  perennial.— D.  L.,  Sheffield.  [Our  corre- 
spondent sends  a  photograph  showing  a  splendid 
colony  of  this  Primula,  but,  unfortunately,  it  was 
not  suitable  for  reproduction. — Ed.] 


May  31.  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


275 


How  to  Grow  Ourisia  coccinea.— This  trouble- 
some subject  is  doing  well  and  flowering  in  a  rock 
bed  at  Terregles,  Dumfries,  the  residence  of  Mr. 
C.  E.  Galbraith,  where  alpines  are  doing  admir- 
ably under  the  care  of  Mr.  William  Hutchinson, 
the  gardener,  and  his  staff.  I  know  of  a  few 
gardens  in  this  locality  where  it  thrives  well, 
notably  the  garden  of  General  Stewart  at  Carruchan, 
Dumfries,  where  the  Ourisia  has  grown  and  flowered 
well  for  years.  At  Terregles  it  is  cultivated  under 
entirely  different  conditions,  being  well  above  the 
ordinary  level  on  a  rock  bed  on  the  top  of  a  low 
retaining  wall,  and  in  soil  composed  of  about 
eighteen  inches  of  ashes  below,  with  about  four 
inches  of  road  grit  and  two  inches  of  loam  above. 
At  Carruchan  O.  coccinea  grows  on  the  level,  and 
in  most  places  where  I  have  seen  it  thriv- 
ing it  has  been  in  a  lower  rather 
than  in  a  higher  part  of  the  garden. 
It  is  just  one  of  the  plants  about 
which  it  is  impossible  to  dogmatise 
respecting  its  treatment,  and  those  who 
wish  to  succeed  with  it  will  do  well 
to  try  it  in  different  positions  and 
not  be  disheartened  by  a  few  failures. 
What  is  an  ideal  place  according  to 
the  books  is  not  always  so  in  actual 
practice. — S.  Arnott,  Dumfries. 

A  Plea   for  Perfume. — I  am  most 

interested  to  find  that  at  last  the  lack 
of  perfume  in  so  many  of  our  otherwise 
admirable  modem  flowers  is  beginning 
to  be  commented  on  in  print.  It 
has  long  been  lamented  by  genuine 
amateurs,  and  more  particularly  by 
those  whose  lot  it  is  to  live  in  towns. 
We  continually  find  so-called  Sweet 
Peas  that  are  neither  sweet  nor 
shapely,  and  Roses  that  "  by  any 
other  name "  should  "  smell  as 
sweet,"  but  that  are  a  snare  and 
delusion  in  this  respect.  And  now, 
with  deep  dismay,  I  read  of  an  award 
of  merit  given  by  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society  to  a  Wallflower, 
as  mentioned  on  page  239  ,  issue 
May  17,  lacking  in  fragrance. 
Words  fail  me  (and  it  is  as  well 
they  do,  for  if  1  could  express  my 
sentiments,  you.  Sir,  would  certainly 
have  to  run  your  blue  pencil  through 
them).  As  the  gentle  Elia  owned  he 
had  "  no  ear,"  so  it  would  seem 
that  modern  florists  have  "  no 
noses "  !  I  do  most  sincerely  hope 
that  now  their  attention  is  being 
drawn  to  the  matter,  our  profes- 
sional florists  will  amend  their 
former  naughty  ways,  and,  ceasing 
to  be  obsessed  by  the  American  craze 
for  mere  size  and  conspicuous  colours,  they  will 
restore  to  our  gardens  flowers  with  their  former 
precious  charm  of  fragrance. — .Anne  Amateur. 


NEW   AND    RARE    PLANTS. 


Pentstemon  Davldsonii. — A  miniature-growing 
species  from  the  Rocky  Mountains,  having  greyish, 
nearly  ovate,  slightly-notched   leaves,  and   a  sub- 


FIRST-CLASS    CERTIFICATES. 
NephrolepiS  exaltata  Willmottae.— This  remark-  \  shrubby  habit.     The  flowers  are  i\  inches  long  and 
able  variety,  without  doubt  the  least  exalted  of  a 


wonderful  series  of  forms,  is  characterised  by  great 
density,  a  low,  spreading,  almost  prostrate  habit, 
and  quite  diminutive  fronds.  It  has  already 
received  an  award  of  merit.  From  Messrs.  May 
and  Sous.  ICdmonton. 


of  rose  scarlet  colour.  The  flowering  plants, 
as  shown,  were  4  inches  high.  From  Mr.  Clarence 
Elliott,  Stevenage. 

Auricula  William  Smith.— A  fine  green-edged 
variety  of  unusual  vigour.  The  plant  carried  a 
superb    truss    of    flowers.      From    Mr.    J.    Douglas, 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

June  3. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Show. 
Lecture  at  3  p.m.  by  Mr.  Spencer  Pickering  on 
"  Grass  and  the  Toxicity  of  Soils."  Scottish 
Horticultural  Association's  Meeting. 

June  5. — Ltnnean  Society's  Meeting. 

June  7. — Society  Franpaise  d'Horticulture  de 
Londres. 

June  g. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Meeting. 


Cupressus  lawsoniana  Fletcheri.  —  Promises  |  Great  Bookhara. 
well  for  the  rock  garden.  It  is  a  dwarf,  compact-  |  Saxifraga  Grandfleldii.— In  all  probability  a 
growing  variety  of  the  C.  1.  erecto-viridis  type,  j  seed  sp.Tt  from  S.  Aizoon  lutea,  havmg  flowers 
but  of  a  greyish  glaucous  colour.  A  neat  plant  j  of  snowy  whiteness.  The  plant  shown  was  nearly 
of  distinction  and  merit.  See  illustration  page  274.  '  a  foot  high,  and  had  been  raised  by  the  exhibitor 
From   Messrs  Fletcher  and  Sons,  Chertsey.  I  at  Hayes.     From  Sir  Everard  Hambro,  K.C.V.O., 

Hayes    (gardener,     Mr.    J.    Grandfield). 

Calceolaria    Clarefleld     Gem.— The 

flowers  are  bronze  and  yellow,  the 
plant  a  free  bloomer  and  nearly 
three  feet  high.  From  Mrs.  Litkie, 
Pinkuey's  Green. 

Rose  Nancy  Perkins. — A  small- 
growing  double  white  flowered  variety 
of  the  Polyantha  set.  The  plants 
as  shown  were  not  more  than 
0  inches  high.  Exhibited  by  Messrs. 
T,  Perkins  and  Sons,  Drapery, 
Northampton. 

Rose  Irisli  Fireflame.  —  A  single- 
flowered  variety,  characterised  ex- 
ternally by  a  wonderful  tone  of 
coppery    orange    colour. 

Rose  Mrs.  Campbell  Hall    (H.T.) — 

.\  shapely  and  beautiful  Rose  of 
blush  pink  colour  for  the  most  part, 
with  almost  salmon-tipped  centre. 
These  were  from  Messrs.  Alexander 
Dickson,  Newtownards. 

Rose     White      Tausendschon.— 

The  name  is  descriptive  and  good, 
and  everybody  who  knows  the 
original  will  welcome  this  pretty 
blush  white  sport  of  it,  which  is  in 
every  way  good.  From  Messrs. 
William  Paul  and  Sons,  Waltham 
Cross. 

Begonia  Lena. — The  thiwers  are 
deep  crimson  scarlet  and  f  r  r  c  1  y 
produced  in  a  pendent  habit, 
which  fits  It  for  basket-work. 
From  Messrs.  Blackmore  and  Lang- 
don,  Bath. 

Roscoea     cautloides.  —  A    distinct- 
looking      plant      with     yellow      flowers 
and    long,      cylindrically  -  inclined 
tuberous    roots.     It   is    perhaps    more 
quaint      and      distinct      than       pretty. 
From   Bees,   Limited,   Liverpool. 
Sarracenia       Brucei. — -A^     very     distinct      and 
beautiful   plant,   having   pitchers   nearly   two   feet 
high.     Of  true  trumpet  shape,  expanding  in  size  as 
the  apex  is  reached,   the  plant  is  remarkable  for 
the  brilliant  colouring  and  venation  of  the  lid  and 
adjacent     parts.     These     are     handsome     indeed. 
From   Mr.    A.    J.    A.    Bruce,    Chorlton-cum-Hardy, 
Manchester. 

Aster  Falconeri.  —  It  perfectly  hardy  and 
a  true  perennial,  this  will  prove  welcome. 
The  florets  are  coloured  violet  blue,  the 
flower-heads  about  four  inches  across.  From 
Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  Covent  Garden. 

Cytisus  andreana  prostrata.- The  varietal 
name    appears   strange    when    standard    plants   of 


ROSCOEA       CAUTLOIDES,      A      RARE      SPECIES,      SHOWN      BV 
MESSRS.    BEES    AT    CHELSEA. 


Meconopsis  Delavayi.  —  Probably  the  most 
unique  hardy  plant  novelty  of  the  season.  Four 
plants  were  shown  less  than  six  inches  high,  having 
roughish  hairy  entire  lance-shap  d  leaves,  and 
cupped  flowers  of  almost  imperial  purple  with  rich 
plum  purple  shading.  The  cluster  of  golden 
anthers  affords  a  fine  contrast.  See  illustration 
page  274.     From  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Edinburgh. 


AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Campanula    Stevensii    nana.— The   tufts,   less 

than  two  inches  high,  as  shown  by  Mr.  Reginald 
Prichard,  Wimborne,  Dorset,  crowded  as  they  were 
with  large  pale  blue  sub-erect  bells,  were  idolised 
by  all  lovers  of  alpine  plants.     It  is  quite  a  gem. 


276 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  31,  1913. 


4  feet  high  are  shown  and  a  drooping  habit  revealed. 
The  flowers  are  coloured  yellow  and  brown.  From 
Mr.  L.  R.  Russell,  Richmond. 

Styrax  Wilsonii. — Here  is  a  delightful  Chinese 
plant  endowed  with  not  a  little  of  the  grace  and 
charm  characteristic  of  its  tribe.  Only  a  small 
pot  plant  was  shown,  the  lower  branches  having 
a  lateral  spread  of  2  feet  or  more,  from  the  under 
sides  of  which  dainty  tresses  of  starry,  nearly  pure 
white  flowers  dangled  from  short  pedicels.  The 
habit  is  elegant  indeed.  Shown  by  Miss  Willmott, 
V.M.H,,  Warley  Place,  Essex. 

Lonicera  tragophylla. — The  yellow,  tubular- 
formed  flowers  are  fully  4  inches  in  length,  and 
even  on  the  small  plants  of  2  feet  high,  as  shown, 
were  present  in  goodly  numbers.  Exhibited  by 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea. 


right  use  and  right  placing  that  will  make  the 
picture,  and,  in  the  case  of  the  flowers,  show  what 
they  can  really  do  for  our  most  complete  enjoy- 
ment. 

It  is  proposed  to  give  a  series  of  short  notes 
suggesting  how  this  may  be  done,  and,  for  the  sake 
of  those  who  are  beginners  in  this  kind  of  arrange- 
ment, to  name  examples  of  good  grouping  that  can 
easily  be  grasped  and  followed.  Thus,  for  spring 
flowers  (for  greater  clearness  it  will  be  convenient 
to  take  the  groupings  in  four  sections),  each  group 
or  section  should  merge  imperceptibly  into  the 
next,  and,  whatever  the  shape  of  the  spring  garden 
may  be,  it  would  be  well  to  keep  the  sequence  of 
colourings  in  the  order  here  given  : 

r.  Myosotis  dissitiflora,  double  Arabis,  pink 
Tulip   Rosa    Mundi  or  Cottage    Maid,  white  Prim- 


with  such  as  the  early  Artus  and  ending  with  the 
splendid  tall  gesneriana  major.  Near  the  front, 
between  the  drifts,  some  of  the  reddish-foliaged 
Heuchera  Richardsoni. 

These  suggestions  suppose  a  space  of  garden 
ground  that  can  be  given  to  the  spring  flowers 
and  is  not  required  for  later  gardening  ;  for  many 
of  the  best  spring  flowers,  and  all  the  plants  of  large 
foliage,  such  as  Veratrum,  Solomon's  Seal  and 
Myrrhis,  that  so  greatly  enhance  the  appearance 
of  the  flowers,  have  to  remain  some  years  in  the 
ground. 

It  will  be  seen  that  several  of  the  groups,  or  main 
parts  of  groups,  are  in  close  coloiur  harmony.  The 
comparatively  slight  difference  of  related  colouring 
gives  that  most  important  quality  of  gradation 
that  is  a  prime  necessity  in  any  good  pictiure,  while 
the  fairly  large  spaces  of  each  kind 
of  colouring,  combined  with,  and 
inseparable  from  this  gradation,  give 
an  effect  of  richness  and  splendour 
such  as  cannot  be  obtained  by  any 
one  unbroken  mass  of  colour,  how- 
ever brilliant  that  colour  may  be  in 
itself.  G.  Jekyll. 


WHITE    HONESTY    IN    THE    WILD    GARDEN    AT    HALLINGBURY    PLACE,    BISHOP  S    STORTFORD 


The  foregoing  awards  were  made  at  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  Exhibition  at  Chelsea. 


THE     FLOWER     GARDEN. 


GROUPING    FLOWERS    FOR  COLOUR. 

THE  repeated  requests  for  information 
and  suggestion  that  have  recently 
reached  the  Editor  are  a  proof  of  the 
ever-increasing  interest  in  the  subject 
of  grouping  and  arranging  plants 
for  colour  effect.  It  is  a  significant 
sign  of  advance  in  the  character  of  the  aims 
of  those  who  love  their  gardens.  No  one  who 
has  seen  flower-borders  or  other  garden  spaces 
well  arranged  for  colour  effect  would  ever  go 
back  to  haphazard  planting.  A  garden  may 
contain  an  ample  supply  of  the  best  plants,  and 
the  gardener  may  be  the  most  able  of  cultivators ; 
but  if  the  plants  are  not  placed  to  good  effect  it  is 
only  like  having  the  best  paints  from  the  best 
colourman.     In  either  case,  it  is  only  the  exactly 


roses,  white  double  Daisy,  Tiarella  cordifolia, 
white  Tulip  Nelly  (short,  early)  and  White  Swan 
(taller  and  later)  ;    Veratrum  at  back. 

2.  Palest  Aubrietia,  again  double  Arabis,  Phloxes 
amoena,  Nelsoni,  stellaria  and  divaricata,  Corydalis 
ochroleuca,  Alyssum,  Tulipa  retroflexa,  palest 
yellow  Wallflower,  yellow  Priirurose,  Tulips  Cbryso- 
lora  (early)  and  Golden  Crown  (later),  Doronicum 
plantagineum  ;  at  back  Sulphin:  Crown  Imperial, 
Solomon's  Seal,  Veratrum  and  Myrrhis  odorata. 

3.  Orobus  vernus,  purple  Wallflower,  Aubrietia 
(middle  and  deep  purple),  purple  Tulips,  especially 
Rev.  H.  Ewbank  (pale,  moderate  height)  and  the 
taller  double  Bleu  Celeste  and  the  fine  single 
Morales  ;  dark  purple  Honesty,  and  again  Solomon's 
Seal  and  Myrrhis.     A  few  white  Tulips. 

4.  Tulips  Thomas  Moore,  La  Merveille  and 
gesneriana  aurantiaca  (they  are  named  in  the  right 
succession  for  season  and  height,  the  first-named 
being  the  shorter  and  earlier)  ;  brown  Wallflower 
in  plenty,  both  tall  and  dwarf.  At  back  Berberis 
Darwinii  and  one  or  two  of  the  red-leaved  dwarf 
Maples  ;    a  drift  or  two  of  scarlet  Tulip,  beginning 


SOME  GOOD  BUT  COMMON 
GARDEN    PLANTS. 

There  are  some  good  but  common 
garden  plants  whose  very  common- 
ness forms  a  bar  to  their  cultiva- 
tion. These,  and  some  others  not 
mentioned  below,  I  have  long  made 
a  point  of  finding  room  for,  not, 
perhaps,  in  every  case  every  year, 
for  some  of  them  are  apt  to  die 
out  and  need  reintroducing,  and 
anyhow  in  these  days,  when  so  many 
good  things  clamour  for  recognition 
and  the  limits  of  space  are  a  con- 
sideration, it  is  no  loss  to  allow 
plants  to  go  out  of  cultivation  for  a 
time,  that  others  may  have  a  turn. 
At  the  time  of  writing. 

Honesty  is  one  of  the  handsomest 
t.f  flowering  plants,  not  the  common 
ihrty  lilac  variety,  but  a  deep  purple 
crimson  one  which  makes  an  effective 
blotch  of  colour.  The  white  flower- 
ing Honesty  is  also  desirable,  for  vase 
furnishing  more  especially.  All  the 
seminal  variations  produce  nice  cutting  material 
when  the  seed-vessels  are  about  half  grown ; 
and  finally,  as  everybody  knows,  after  the  seeds 
have  dispersed,  the  whitened  dissepiments  are 
indispensable  for  decorating.  These  give  the  plant 
its  quaint  appellations  of  Honesty,  Silver  Plate  and 
Money-in-both-pockets.  Honesty  possesses  the 
happy  constitution  of  thriving  under  the  shade 
of  Apple  and  other  trees,  and  in  some  soils  becomes 
somewhat  of  a  weed,  needing  merely  to  be  thinned 
to  afford  a  sufficient  number  of  specimens.  It  is 
excellent  for  the  wild  garden,  grouped  as  shown  in 
the  above  illustration. 

The  Red  Valerian  (Centranthus  ruber)  is  like 
Honesty  in  respect  of  there  being  bad  and  good 
varieties.  The  finest  is  nearly  crimson-flowered, 
the  common  wild  form  being  of  a  coloiur  not  at  all 
to  be  commended,  and  perhaps  impossible  to  asso- 
ciate harmoniously  with  other  flowers.  There  are 
both  white  and  nearly  white  varieties.  As  a 
border  plant  it  possesses  the  invaluable  property 
of  flowering  from  May  till  November.  It  is  particu- 
larly suitable   for   wall   culture.     Many   years   ago 


May  31,  Tqi3-1 


THE    GARDEN. 


277 


I  introduced  it  on  the  garden  walls  by  means  of 
seeds  mixed  with  soil  scattered  liberally  on  top  of 
the  wall.  The  plants  from  these  and  their  progeny 
give  bright  splashes  of  colour  for  a  longer  time  than 
any  other  plant.  Usually  known  as  the  Red 
Valerian,  the  light  variety  goes  by  the  names  of 
Pretty  Betsy  and  Delicate  Bet,  and  the  dark  is 
Bouncing    Bet. 

The  Foxglove  is,  perhaps,  next  to  the  Hollyhock 
and  some  of  the  Verbascums,  the  handsomest  of 
hardy  flowering  plants  and  the  least  difficult  to 
grow.  In  this  case,  too,  it  is  essential  to  be  careful 
to  grow  oiJy  first-rate  forms.  Personally,  I  like 
the  pure  white  better  than  any  of  the  numerous 
coloiu'ed  kinds — that  is,  for  border 
furnishing.  For  others  there  is 
usually  plenty  of  room  among 
slirubs,  and,  really.  Foxgloves 
never  look  better  than  when  rising 
on  the  edge  of  a  shrubbery,  with 
the  dark  foliage  behind  as  a  set- 
ting. You  need  merely  scatter  the 
seeds  at  this  time  of  year  in  the 
less-congested  spots  in  order  to 
obtain  colonies,  which  afterwards 
will  usually  take  care  of  them- 
selves. Foxgloves,  though  bien- 
nials, do  not  die  away  after  flower- 
ing, but  if  given  good  treatment 
they  produce  spikes  7  feet  or 
8  feet  in  height,  with  secondary 
ones  of  lesser  altitudes,  and  if  not 
allowed  to  produce  seeds  the  same 
plant  will  live  for  several  years. 
.\t  the  same  time,  yoimg  plants 
give  the  best  results.  I  get  nice 
effects  with  plants  growing  close 
to  the  base  of  walls.  Foxglove  is 
one  of  those  names  which  have 
given  unending  trouble  to  philo- 
logists. On  the  Borders  it  used 
to  be  called  Foxter,  and  in  a  copy 
of  Fuchius'  "  Historia  Plantarum  " 
a  MS.  note  has  "  Fox  tre "  for 
the  Scots  name.  There  are 
numerous  other  pretty  names. 

Thistles,  as  a  rule,  are  not 
permitted  much  consideration  by 
garden  folk,  but  there  are 
Thistles  and  Thistles,  and  a  very 
handsome  vegetable  indeed  is 
the  Milk  Thistle  {Silybiun  mari- 
anum).  In  good  soil  it  grows 
6  feet  in  height  and  almost  as 
much  through,  but  one  must  take 
the  precaution  to  sow  the  seed 
where  the  plant  is  to  flower,  as 
transplanting,  if  the  plants  grow 
at  all,  dwarfs  them  extremely. 
As  well  as  possessing  blotched 
foliage  of  much  beauty,  the 
flowers  themselves  are  worth  something.  It 
is  perhaps  more  adapted  to  the  wild  garden 
than  to  the  kept  parts  of  the  grounds,  but 
in  any  case  high  cultivation  is  imperative  for  the 
best  results. 

One  of  the  prettiest  of  om'  native  flowers  is 
Succory,  and  though  I  do  not  advise  the  cultivation 
of  this  weed,  I  would  like  to  say  a  word  in  favoiu' 
of  Endive,  the  flowers  of  which  are  essentially 
identical.  They  are  of  the  same  shade  of  colovor 
as  Mulgedium  ruthenicum,  but  the  plants  are  of  a 
superior  habit  and  not  at  all  coarse,  as  that  is. 
As  many  plants  as  are  wanted  for  the  mixed  border 
may  be  planted  in  autumn,  or  they  may  be  wintered 


in   a  frame,  where   they  are  not   quite   hardy,  and 
planted  out  in  .\prii. 

The  Common  Mullein,  of  which  there  is  an 
improved  variety,  is  a  decorative  plant  not  to  be 
despised.  It  makes  a  desirable  wall  plant,  but 
succeeds  best  near  the  base  of  the  wall,  though 
not  necessarily  growing  in  soil.  Like  some  other  ' 
biennials,  it  does  best  with  the  seeds  sown  where 
the  plants  are  wanted  to  flower.      The   Mulleins  , 


GARDENS    OF    TO-DAY. 


T 


TREBAH,     CORNWALL. 

REBAH,  the  residence  of  C.  H.  Hext, 
Esq.,  is  situated  some  si.x  miles  from 
the  well-known  and  ancient  town  of 
Falmouth,  the  mansion  standing  in  a 
prominent    position    at    the    top    of    a 


deep  natural  valley  and  looking  down 
are  almost  as  well  known  under  the  generic  name  1  to  that  arm  of  the  English  Channel  known  as 
Verbascum.  The  genus  includes  effective  border  Helford  Passage.  The  view  from  the  front  of  the 
plants  that  produce  stately  flowering  spikes  from  house,  which  is  almost  due  south,  is  one  of  rare 
June  to  September.  The  Hoary  Mullein,  otherwise  beauty,  the  valley,  which  forms  the  garden,  being 
known   as   V.    pulverulentum,  is  a  striking   plant,  j  liberally  yet    tastefully  clothed  with    subtropical 

vegetation,  with  a  babbling  stream 
and  several  miniature  waterfalls 
running  almost  its  entire  length. 
Occasionally  the  patch  of  sea  that 
is  visible  at  the  far  end  gives 
anchorage  or  fairway  to  some 
yacht  or  fishing-boat,  and  the 
whole  surroundings  have  a  peace- 
ful, pleasant  atmosphere  such  as 
we  find  in  the  Temperate  House 
at  Kew  on  a  quiet  day.  Leading 
from  the  house  to  the  valley  or 
garden  proper  is  a  broad  expanse 
of  rolling  greensward,  on  which 
light  and  shadow,  caused  by  the 
surrounding  trees,  create  a  picture 
of  enchanting  beauty  that  would 
gladden  the  heart  of  the  artist. 
The  rather  steep,  sloping  banks 
on  either  side  of  the  valley  are 
intersected  with  pathways,  but  so 
cleverly  has  the  work  been  carried 
out  that  it  is  seldom  one  gets  a 
glimpse  of  the  paths,  except  in 
the  immediate  vicinity.  Indeed, 
natural  effect  is  aimed  at  through- 
out and  successfully  secured, 
harmony  of  colour  and  contour 
being  a  striking  feature. 

Rare   Trees   and  Shrubs. — In 

t  ummon  with  most    other  Comisli 
I  dens,  those  at  Trebah  are  rich 
choice   trees  and  shrubs.    Rho- 
dodendrons  and  Bamboos  finding 
a  happy  home  in  the  lower  regions 
of  the  valley.     On  the  eastern  slope 
we  were  interested  to  find  a  large 
tree   of  Araucaria   Bidwillii  and  a 
beautiful  specimen  of  Podocarpus 
Totara,    the    tnmk  of    the    latter 
measuring  nearly  five  feet  in  cir- 
cumference at  the  base.     Near  by 
are    two    fine    examples   of    Pinus 
insignis,     probably     two     of     the 
best     in    the     country ;      while 
Embothrium   coccineum,     the 
Japanese   Umbrella    Pine,   Sciado- 
pitys    verticillata.    Acacia    dealbata,    Pittosporum 
eugenioides  variegata  and  Drimys  Winteri  all  do 
well  on  this  side  of  the  garden.     Indeed,  there  are 
so  many  good  shrubs  and  trees  to  be  seen  there 
that  it  is  impossible  to  do  more  than  mention  a 
few.     On  the  western  slope  vegetation  is  equally 
interesting.     Near    the    uppermost    pathway    we 
were    interested    to    find    a    magnificent    bush    of 
Corokea  macrocarpa   about   ten   feet   high,   a  fine 
plant  of  Crinodendron  Hookeri,  a  small  but  healthy 
plant  of    the    rare   Olearia   insignis,   Desfontainea 
spinosa,  and  a  large  tree,  some  twenty  feet  or  more 
high,  of   Banksia  quercifolia,  which,    at   the   time 
of   our   visit    in   mid-April,    was   bearing   some   of 


A    FINE    SPECIMEN    OF     PITTOSPORUM    EUGENIOIDES    V.\RIEGATA    IN 
THE     GARDENS     AT     TREBAH,     CORNWALL. 


the  stems  and  leaves  of  which  are  covered  with  a 
mealy  white  wool.  The  flowers  are  produced  in 
panicles  of  bright  yellow.  A  remarkably  effective 
plant  for  massing  in  wooded  places  is  Campanula 
latifolia.  It  needs  no  cultivation,  and  the  seeds 
may  be  scattered  over  the  ground  selected  for  them. 
Rue  gives  us  tones  of  colour  quite  distinct  from 
those  of  any  other  plant.  It  is  easy  to  grow 
from  seeds.  Fennel  is  also  worth  growing  for 
its  unique  colouring,  and  selected  forms  of 
the  whitish  shades  of  foliage  of  Wormwood 
are  equally  distinct.  Clary  ought  to  be  grown 
for  a  like  reason,  the  silvery  bracts  being  quite 
a  feature.  R.  P.  Brothersto.n. 


278 


THE     GAEDEN. 


[May  31,  1913. 


its  white,  bottle-brush-Iike  flowers.  Near  by  was 
a  truly  magnificeitt  bush  of  Coronilla  Emerus, 
quite  20  feet  in  diameter,  and  just  a  mass  of  yellow, 
crimson  marked  flowers.  Scrambling  down  a 
small  grassy  bank  we  foimd  a  fine  plant  of  Daphne 
iudica,  the  fragrant  flowers  of  which  we  are  only 
able  to  enjoy  with  the  protection  of  a  greenhouse. 
At  the  lower  part  of  the  valley  the  visitor  suddenly 
comes  upon  an  orchard,  the  grass  of  which  is 
bejewelled  with  Primroses  innumerable,  to  be 
followed  later  by  myriads  of  Bluebells.  Near  this 
is  a  fine  shrub  of  Viburnum  lucidum,  a  great 
improvement  on  V.  Tinus  or  V.  Laurustinus,  and 
keeping  it  company  is  a  perfect  specimen  of 
Cupressus  macrocarpa.  This  tree, 
which  was  planted  when  quite 
small  by  the  head-gardener  at 
Trebah,  Mr.  Thomas,  is  now  quite 
60  feet  high,  and  the  most  beauti- 
ful of  its  kind  we  have  ever  seen. 
Nearer  the  mansion,  and  on  the 
eastern  slope,  is  Hydrangea 
scandens,  which  has  climbed  a 
Turkey  Oak  to  a  height  of  30 
feet   and  is  still  going  on  ! 

The  Bamboos.  —  As  already 
indicated,  these  form  a  prominent 
feature  in  the  lower  regions  of 
the  garden,  and  we  saw  some 
really  remarkable  specimens.  One 
plant  of  Bambusa  (Phyllostachys) 
Quilioi  had  stems  27  feet  in 
height  and  over  five  inches  in 
circumference,  the  plant  itself  at 
the  base  being  about  five  feet 
in  diameter.  Mr.  Thomas  last 
year  recorded  the  rate  at  which 
the  canes  of  this  Bamboo  grew, 
and  the  particular  cane  that  was 
under  observation  attained  a 
height  of  II  feet  10  inches  in 
fourteen  days,  or  nearly  a  foot 
a  day  !  Phyllostachys  mitis,  with 
golden  stems  and  paler  golden 
foliage,  and  Bambusa  Falconeri, 
25  feet  or  more  in  height,  were 
other  plants  that  called  for  special 
mention,  though  there  were  many 
others  of  considerable  interest. 

Tree  Ferns  and  Palms. — At  the 
bottom  of  the  lawn  leading  from 
the  mansion,  and  slightly  to 
the  left,  a  trio  of  the  beautiful 
New  Zealand  Tree  Ferns,  Dicksonia 
antarctica,  create  a  pleasing  and 
graceful  picture,  while  in  many  parts 
of  the  gardens  Trachycarpus  or 
Chamaerops  excelsa  finds  a  happy 
home.  Near  a  trickling  stream 
we  found  a  fine  plant  of  Phoenix 
canariensis,  a  Palm  that  is  not 
nearly  so  hardy  as  Trachycarpus,  but  which  was 
quite  happy  in  its  surroundings 
Palms  are  being  planted  out,  and  in  a  few  years' 
time  will  be  quite  a  feature  of  the  gardens. 
DracEena  indivisa  is  also  to  be  seen  in  many  places, 


Water  Lilies,  Cape  Pondweed,  Arum  Lilies  and 
many  other  choice  water  plants  find  a  happy 
dwelling-place.  On  the  banks  of  the  rivulets 
such  plants  as  Primula  japonica,  choice  forms  of 
Marsh  Marigold,  lusty  plants  of  Gunnera  manicata 
and  many  other  kinds  are  planted  with  a  lavish 
hand,  yet  always  with  a  keen  sense  of  refined 
taste  and  with  a  view  to  natural  effect.  At  the 
time  of  our  visit  these  water-side  plants  were  just 
making  new  growth,  and  later  in  the  summer 
would  doubtless  provide  a  floral  picture  of  great 
beauty.  On  the  western  slope,  and  near  the  upper- 
most end,  is  a  dainty  little  nook  with  a  pool  of 
crystal-like   water,    the    banks   of   which    are   lined 


THE 

NEW 


ROSE    GARDEN. 


T 


A    VIEW    IN    THE    GARDENS 


AT    TREBAH, 
SEA. 


LOOKING    TOWARDS    THE 


DWARF      AND      CLIMBING 
POLYANTHA     ROSES. 

HE    great    value    of    this    class    as    per- 
petual   bloomers    can     be     denied    by 
none,    but    formerly    we    had    scarcely 
any      variety     among      the      climbers 
that   flowered    more    than  once  in  the 
same    season,    or,      if    they    did,     the 
crop  was   so   scanty  as  to  be  insignificant.     Now, 
however,    we    seem    fast     approaching    an    ideal 
class      of     climbers     that     very      much      surpass 
the    Hybrid    Wichuraianas,    inas- 
much  as    they  possess  a  good  deal 
of   the   same  slender  and  graceful 
growths,    together     with   the   con- 
tinuous     blooming     of     our 
well-known    dwarf    Polyanthas  so 
generally     used      for     beds     and 
edgings. 

This  is  a  want  freely  expressed 
at  the  International  Conference  of 
Roses  held  during  the  large  and 
world-wide  represented  meeting  in 
London  last  year.  Herr  Peter  Lam- 
bert has  recently  given  us  several 
of  these  climbers,  as  well  as  quite 
a  number  of  improved  dwarfs.  On 
glancing  over  a  select  list  before 
me,  I  note  he  is  responsible 
for  no  fewer  than  eighteen  of  our 
best  varieties  among  the  dwarf  or 
bedding  section,  and  is  now 
sending  out  several  that  are 
excellent  climbers,  with  the 
inestimable  advantage  of  being 
continuous  bloomers. 

We  have  now  a  good  climbing 
sport  of  Mrs.  W.  H.  Cut  bush  which 
cannot  fail  to  become  a  standing 
favourite,  as  it  seems  to  retain  all 
of  the  great  floriferousness  of  that 
splendid  pink  bedder.  Climbing 
Cecile  Brunner  and  White  Pet 
are  other  good  sports ;  and  if  we 
can  secure  more  reliable  and  fixed 
sports  from  other  dwarf-growing 
Polyanthas,  our  arbours,  pergolas 
and  pillars  will  be  greatly  em- 
bellished. The  greatest  drawback 
at  present  is  the  dearth  of  bloom 
after  the  first  summer  or  late 
spring  glut.  There  is  no  lack  of 
autumnal  bloomers  as  dwarfs ; 
indeed,  it  is  here  that  we  have  so 
much  advanced  of  late ;  but  we 
do  sadly  want  more  flowers  upon 
our  climbers  and  pillars  late  in 
the  season. 
At  the  aforesaid  Conference  a  very  happy  and 
trite  remark  fell  from  Herr  P.  Lambert  when  he 
said  we  wanted  to  use  Roses  suitable  for  the 
purpose  in  the  place  of  shrubs,  which  flower  only 
ten  to  fourteen  days  in  the  year.  So  we  do, 
and  no  one  will  be  bold  enough  to  dispute  it. 
Not  a  few  of  our  most  charming  Roses  give  us  one 


with  Ferns.     Here  we  found  Woodward/a  radicans 
Many    young  ]  with  fronds  10  feet  long,  so  large,  indeed,  that  it 
was  difficult  to  recognise  it  as  that  species. 

The  Eastern  Garden. — This  is  situated  at  the 
summit  of  the  eastern  slope  of  the  valley,  and  is 
some  of  the  plants  having  reached  large  dimensions,    devoted  to  herbaceous  and  bulbous  plants.     Two  of 
The  New  Zealand  Flax,  Phormium  tenax,  and  its  :  the  most   interesting   plants   that  we   found  there 
variegated  form  also  thrive  well  in  the  lower  parts    were  Datura  sulphurea  and  D.  sanguinea,   both  of    good  crop  only,   and,  if  we  can  improve  such  by 
of   the    garden,    the    huge   clusters    of    sword-like    which     remain     outdoors     and     flower     all     the  1  continuation,  the  advance  will  indeed  be  great, 
foliage     being     perfectly     in     keeping     with     the  1  winter.     Over    a    little    pergola    at    the    end    of        A  few  of  the   newer  climbing   Polyanthas  that 
surroundings.  this  eastern  garden   Clematis  indivisa  was  flinging    flower   more   or   less   continuously   are   Excellentz 

The  Water  Garden. — This  extends  practically  I  its  flower-bedecked  shoots  in  profusion,  happy  Ktmze,  creamy  yellow  and  stilphiu' ;  Frau  Anna 
the  whole  length  of  the  gardens,  sometimes  as  a  |  in  a  climate  that  those  who  must  garden-  in  less-  '  Pasquay,  dark  carmine  rose  ;  Graf  Zeppelin, 
dancing  rivulet,  and  anon  as  a  placid  pool  wherein  I  favoured  districts  would  give  much  to  secure.  ,  deep  coral  red  ;    Jkver  D.  Baronesse  van  Ittersum, 


May  31,  1913-] 


THE    GAKDEN. 


279 


scarlet  crimson  on  orange  ground ;  Kommer- 
zienrat  W.  Rautenstrauch,  salmon  pink  and  yellow  ; 
Marie  Trenz,  rosy  crimson  ;  with  Climbing  Mrs. 
W.  H.  Cutbush.  Some  excellent  dwarf  growers 
are  Backfisch,  salmon  pink ;  Boskoop  Baby, 
China  rose  ;  Cyclope,  crimson  and  maroon,  striped 
white  ;  Ellen  Poulsen,  brilliant  pink ;  Ema 
Teschendorf,  resembling  the  brilliancy  of  Griiss 
an  Teplitz,  really  good ;  Unser  Peti,  peach  and 
rose ;  with  George  Elger,  coppery  and  golden 
yellow.  A.   P. 


THE      ROSE 


I 


NOTES    ON     TULIPS. 


AS     A      BUTTON-HOLE 
FLOWER. 

The  Rose  as  a  button-hole  flower  is  becoming  more 
and  more  popular.  The  city  man  has  taken  up 
the  cult,  and  it  is  very  refreshing  to  note  in  the 
drab  streets  of  our  great  cities  how  widespread 
the  desire  to  grow  a  few  Roses  has  become. 
A  business  man  myself,  who  spends  eleven  hours 
daily  in  the  city  of  Birmingham,  I 
write  for  the  guidance  of  men  who, 
like  myself,  are  fond  of  a  Rose  cut 
from  one's  own  garden  to  wear  for  the 
day  as  a  reminder  of  that  home  we, 
unfortunately,  spend  the  greater  part 
of  our  lives  away  from.  Some  Roses 
are  not  good  stayers,  even  though  the 
water  in  the  holder  may  be  changed 
once  or  twice  during  the  day.  Now  as 
to  varieties  with  good  staying  powers. 

Pharisaer.  —  I  cannot  speak  too 
highly  of  this  variety.  I  have  some- 
times, when  blooms  were  scarce,  worn 
a  flower  of  Pharisaer  two  days,  and 
on  the  evening  of  the  second  day  it 
was  still  presentable.  A  long  bud,  an 
ideal  button-hole  flower  and  a  good 
grower.     Colour,  salmon  pink. 

Mme.  Leon  Pain. — Not  quite  such 
a  stayer  as  Pharisaer,  but,  still,  it  will 
last  out  a  hot  day  in  a  creditable 
manner.  Colour,  outside  of  petals  deep 
pink,  ivory  white  on  the   inside. 

Prince  de  Bulgarie. — A  grand  Rose 
in  every  way.  I  have  several  bushes 
of  this  variety  struck  from  cuttings 
inserted  in  the  open  ground  in  Novem- 
ber. This  Rose  grows  with  equal 
vigour  on  its  own  roots  as  on  the 
Briar  stock.  Colour  variable.  In  early 
summer  the  blooms  are  pink  in  the 
centre,  outer  petals  white  ;  and  in  the 
autumn  it  often  comes  yellow,  and  is 
frequently  mistaken  for  Joseph  Hill. 

Ittme.  Ravary.  —  This  Rose  I 
strongly  recommend  city  men  to  grow 
of  the  most  vigorous  and  one  of  the  most  sweetly 
scented.  The  delightful  perfume  is  one  of  the 
greatest  features  it  possesses.  Its  colour  is  a  pleas- 
ing yellow,  but  it  possesses  one  failing — its  grand 
coloiu"  does  not  last  out  the  day. 

IWrs.  David  McKee. — A  reliable  stayer.  I 
have  many  times  worn  a  good  bloom  two  days, 
and  it  would  still  have  done  duty  on  the  third  if 
necessary.  It  is  of  a  greenish  white,  perfect  in  shape, 
and  with  the  scent  of  that  grand  Tea  Rose  Niphetos. 

Mme.  Constant  Soupert. — A  magnificent  Tea 
Rose  ;  yellow,  tinted  with  pink.  An  excellent 
garden  Rose,  and  quite  ideal  as  a  button-hole  flower. 

Dorothy  Page-Roberts. — Coppery  pink,  shaded 
yellow.  This  Rose  never  falls  to  attract  notice. 
Superb  in  coloiu:  and  of  great  lasting  powers,  it  holds 
its  own  in  whatever  company  it  may  happen  to  be. 

Sutton  Coldfield.  J.   W.   H. 


T  was  a  great  opportunity  for  the  Tulip  at 
Chelsea,  and  I  think  I  may  say  it  took 
advantage  of  it.  In  other  words,  most  of 
the  firms  that  make  the  sale  of  this  flower 
one  of  their  leading  features  staged  groups 
of  considerable  size,  and  it  was  not  their 
fault  that  they  were  not  larger.  To  put  my  im- 
pressions in  generalisations,  I  would  say,  fijst, 
that  as  the  taste  of  the  Tulip-lover  is  being  "  tuned 
up  "  he  becomes  more  and  more  particular  what 
he  buys,  and  none  but  the  best  are  now  displayed 
to  tempt  him.  Secondly,  that  that  '"  rare  burd," 
a  novelty  in  staging,  was  to  be  seen  in  what  I  can 
only  call  the  Tulip  mountain  of  Messrs.  Jefferies 
and  Sons  of  Cirencester.  I  thought  it  a  splendid 
idea,  for  it  gives  the  arranger  an  opportunity  of 
placing  his  flowers  in  the  positions  which  suit  them 
best.      Thus,    .■\da    (syn.    .Albion)    and    Sweetheart 


out  any  wrong  name  and,  if  they  are  able,  of 
substituting  the  proper  one.  Something  of  this 
sort  is  wanted  with  us.  Fourthly,  and  lastly, 
more  perhaps  from  conversations  than  from  seeing 
them  staged  in  large  quantities,  I  fancy  striped  or 
broken  Tulips  are  in  the  air.  I  was  told  that 
America  was  biting,  and  that  if  only  our  Yankee 
cousins  had  the  sentimental  side  put  before  them 
they  would  be  "  landed."  Messrs.  Bath  of 
Wisbech  had,  I  think,  tlie  largest  assortment  in 
the  whole  exhibition. 

The  novelties  in  the  twelve  groups  were  provided 
for  the  most  part  by  these  broken  varieties  and 
the  Darwins.  Doubtless  some  of  the  Cottage  would 
be  unfamiliar  to  many,  for  Beauty  of  Bath, 
Hammer  Hales,  Gondvink,  Lucifer,  Mrs.  W.  O. 
Wolseley  and  .'Mbion  are  not  widely  known  as  yet. 

There  is,  of  coinse,  a  great  difference  of  opinion 
as  to  the  relative  merits  of  the  chfferent  varieties. 
One  thing  the  Tulip  may:'justly  claim  is  that  it  is 


CAMPANULA    STEVENSII    NANA,    A    NEW    VARIETY    SHOWN    AT    CHELSEA    LAST    WEEK.       (See  page    275.) 


It  is  one 


(a  rose  Darwin  with  a  wonderful  pale  blue 
base)  are  nothing  above  eye-level,  while  such  a 
variety  as  Remembrance  is  best  when  seen  only 
from  the  outside,  and  such  should  be  above. 
Thirdly,  I  noticed  a  truly  appalling  amount  of 
variation  in  nomenclature ;  just  as  sooner  or  later 
in  its  life-history  every  one-coloured  flower,  or 
breeder,  as  the  florists  express  it,  breaks  and  be- 
comes parti-coloured,  so  it  almost  seems  every 
variety  may  become  many-named,  e.g.,  Gala 
Beauty  (syn.  Colombus  and  French  Crown)  and 
Goliath  (syn.  Kingscourt  and  Cardinal  Manning). 
This,  to  say  the  least,  is  very  puzzling  ;  but  what 
is  much  more  so  is  to  find  such  labelling  as  putting 
Mrs.  Moon  on  Leghorn  Bonnet,  White  Queen  on 
Parisian  White,  &c.  I  am  told  by  Mr.  Jan  de 
Graaff,  who  is  the  chairman  of  the  committee  of 
judges  of  the  Dutch  Bulb  Growers'  Association, 
that  at  Haarlem  the  power  is  given  them  of  crossing 


as  well  able  to  cater  for  everyone's  taste  as  any 
flower  I  know.  In  colour,  habit,  size  and  length 
of  possible  flowering  season  it  "  takes  some  beating." 
I  would  like  to  write  on  and  on  about  its  good  points 
in  the  abstract  and  give  concrete  examples  of  what 
I  mean,  but  my  present  purpose  is  not  this,  but 
rather  to  describe  what  I  actually  saw  in  the  way 
of  good  things.  I  will  begin  with  the  Rembrandts 
(broken  Darwins)  and  other  broken  varieties. 
The  following  little  list  includes  some  of  the  best : 
Admiral  Kingsbergen,  a  tall,  fine  large  crimson  and 
white,  vigorous  and  free  ;  Victor  Hugo  (Rembrandt) 
a  medium-sized  bloom,  well  marked,  scarlet  and 
white  ;  Bougainville  (Rembrandt),  a  pleasing  com- 
bination of  purple  and  white ;  Quasimodo 
(Rembrandt),  a  striking  and  distinct  shade  of  deep 
ruby  red  and  white  ;  Kroeschal,  a  magnificent  com- 
bination of  deep  brick  red  or  crimson  and  rich 
yellow,     large     flower     and     a     vigorous     grower  ; 


280 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  31,  1913. 


Crimson  Beauty,  a  dark  rich  crimson  and  white  ; 
and  Procles,  rather  a  small  bloom,  two  shades  of 
purple  and  white.  If  I  were  to  add  Semele 
(Rembrandt),  rosy  and  white ;  Columbus,  deep 
yellow  and  scarlet  ;  Goldmine,  orange  brown  and 
yellow  in  a  curious  and  effective  mixture  ;  Union 
Jack,  two  shades  of  purple,  or  lilac  and  purple  ; 
Summer  Beauty,  rose,  mauve  and  white  ;  and  the 
exquisite  Zomerschoon,  real  pink  and  white,  I 
think  I  could  claim  to  have  made  out  a  list  of  some 
of  the  best.  Joseph  Jacob. 

{To  be  continued.) 


MAINTAINING    A     LAW1M 
GOOD    CONDITION. 


IN 


A  S    an     under  -  greenkeeper    at     a    first-class 
I\  eighteen-hole    golf   course,   my  experi- 

/  %  ences  may  prove  interesting  and 
^"^^  instructive.  We  are  all  aware  that 
A  Ma   good     lawn    is   sure    to    arouse    the 

admiration  of  all  who  see  it,  and  to 
keep  it  in  first-class  condition  a  certain  amount 
of  expense  and  constant  work  are  required.  It  is 
probable  that  no  feature  is  more  neglected  than  the 
lawn,  yet,  properly  maintained,  it  can  be  termed 
the  carpet  of  the  garden.  To  have  a  fine  rich 
herbage  that  glistens  with  its  vivid  green, 
imparts  firmness  yet  elasticity  to  the  tread,  and 
grows  in  uniform  evenness  is  to  have  perfection 
in  a  lawn  ;  but  to  secure  this  it  is  essential  that 
the  ground  upon  which  the  lawn  is  constructed 
is  well  drained.  It  may  already  have  sufficient 
natural  drainage,  and  in  that  case  nothing  need 
be  added  ;  but  where  there  is  danger  of  the  water 
not  escaping  within  a  reasonable  time  after  a  heavy 
downpour,  then  no  expense  should  be  spared  in 
getting  it  drained  properly  ;  otherwise  it  will  prove 
not  only  disappointing  in  appearance  and  un- 
pleasant in  its  use,  but  the  finer  grasses  will  be 
smothered  by  overpowering  moss.  Apart  from 
drainage,  three  of  the  chief  operations  that  are 
essential  in  the  maintenance  of  a  lawn  are  extermi- 
nating worms,  manuring  and  weeding. 
Exterminating  Worms. — In  my  opinion,  worms 

are  the  worst  enemies  of  lawns,  for  it  is  at  the 
most  critical  period  of  the  year  that  they  begui 
their  destructive  work.  What  is  the  use  of  trying 
to  attain  a  fine  true  and  firm  surface  if  these  earth 
pests  are  allowed  to  exist  ?  Lawns  may  be  rolled 
incessantly  week  in  and  week  out  in  order  to  attain 
a  firm  and  clean  surface,  but  serious  damage  will 
be  done  to  the  turf.  Not  only  do  worms  deposit 
their  casts  upon  the  surface,  but  they  are  constantly 
disturbing  the  roots ;  therefore  it  is  impossible 
for  the  grasses  to  knit  together  and  grow  in  uniform 
evenness.  As  there  are  now  quite  a  number  of 
worm  exterminators  on  the  market,  it  is  an  easy 
matter  to  rid  lawns  of  worms.  The  one  that  I 
can  confidently  recommend  is  the  preparation  sup- 
plied by  Messrs.  James  Carter  and  Co.  There  is  not 
the  slightest  danger  of  damaging  the  turf  by  its 
use.  It  should  be  used  according  to  the  makers' 
directions.  A  theory  is  advanced  that  worms 
may  be  regarded  as  beneficial  to  lawns  by  the  casts 
which  they  deposit  upon  the  surface,  if  these  are 
brushed  about.  I  quite  agree  with  that  point, 
because  the  casts  are  the  best  of  the  soil ;  but  the 
question  is.  What  is  happening  to  the  roots  ? 
It  is  like  robbing  Peter  to  pay  Paul,  and  in  my 
opinion  it  is  far  better  to  rid  the  lawn  of  worms 
and  keep  the  good  soil  for  the  roots. 

Manuring. — While  good  lawns  are  looked  upon 
as  ornaments,  we  must  not  forget  that  they  are  to 


have  a  great  deal  of  wear  and  tear  upon  them  during 
the  course  of  a 'year.  It  is,  therefore,  necessary 
that  manuring  should  be  done  annually  in  order 
to  maintain  the  fertility  required  to  ensure  a  good 
growth  of  fine  grasses.  A  compost  consisting  of 
good  loamy  soil,  well-decayed  manure  and  wood- 
ashes,  applied  in  the  early  spring  in  a  finely-sifted 
state  evenly  over  the  lawn  to  the  depth  of  a  quarter 
of  an  inch,  and  followed  with  a  dressing  of  fertilising 
materials  in  the  autumn,  will  help  to  maintain  a 
lawn  in  good  condition  throughout  the  year. 
Many  lawns  are  spoilt  by  being  manured  with 
unsuitable  manures.  Manures  that  are  rich  in 
phosphates  and  potash  should  be  avoided,  as  they 
are  apt  to  encourage  Clovers  and  coarse  weeds. 

Weeding, — It  will  be  impossible  for  lawns  to 
develop  a  hard,  close  and  uniform  turf  if  they  are 
infested  with  weeds.  These  not  only  rob  the 
finer  grasses  of  their  food,  but  also  of  air,  light  and 
moisture.  There  are  many  preparations  on  the 
market  now  for  killing  weeds  upon  lawns,  including 
sulphate  of  ammonia  and  various  brands  of 
lawn  sand  ;  but  I  am  strongly  in  favour  of  hand- 
weeding,  and  I  doubt  whether  any  surer  or  cleaner 
method  e.xists.  It  may  seem  a  tedious  operation, 
but  I  believe  it  to  be  the  most  economical. 

Mowing  and  Rollirg. — For  the  proper  upkeep 
ot  a  lawn,  mowing  must  be  frequent  for  at  least 
six  months  in  the  year.  Never  allow  the  grass 
to  grow  long  and  ragged.  In  dry  weather,  and  if 
the  lawn  is  free  from  weeds,  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
forego  the  use  of  the  grass-box,  as  the  cuttings 
serve  to  protect  the  grass  roots  from  the  scorch- 
ing sun ;  but  should  the  lawn  be  weedy, 
it  is  not  advisable  to  forego  the  grass-box,  as  the 
machine  would  scatter  the  weed  seeds  all  over  the 
lawn.  Rolling  should  not  be  overdone,  as  it  is 
ruinous  to  the  turf.  Some  are  under  the  impres- 
sion that  constantly  rolling  the  lawn  in  the  autumn 
will  stop  worms  from  working  ;  but  I  think  the 
tighter  the  surface,  the  more  encouragement  there 
will  be  for  them  to  work.  Our  golf  greens  seldom 
have  an  iron  roller  upon  them,  yet  they  are  as 
firm  as  a  billiard  table.  In  the  absence  of  worms 
an  occasional  light  rolling  alone  is  necessary  for  the 
welfare  ot  the  lawn. 

Elm  Grove,  Bishop's  Stort/ord.  F.  Auger. 


THE    FRUIT    GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE     NOTES     ON     GRAPE 

VINES. 

Jk  T    no    season    of    the    year    will  cultivators 
A%         find  it  necessary  to    pay  closer   atten- 
/    %        tion   to   the   Vines    than    the   present. 
^^■^%      The     growth    is    very    rapid,    both    of 
*  *     bunches  and   shoots,  and    unless  thin- 

ning out  of  berries  and  shoots — lateral 
growths — and  judicious  training  are  done  just  when 
they  should  be,  the  crop  and  the  general  condi- 
tion of  the  Vines  will  not  be  satisfactory  at  the 
end  of  the  season  when  all  are  ripened. 

Training  tlie  SllOOtS. — These  have  a  tendency 
to  grow  towards  the  light — the  roof  glass — from  the 
first.  They  must  be  tied  down,  of  course,  but 
not  all  at  one  time,  on  account  of  their  brittleness  ; 
tie  them  down  gradually.  When  the  berries 
have  set,  the  shoots  may  be  tied  level  with  the  wires, 
as  they  will  be  tough  enough.  Weakly  and  surplus 
shoots  must  be  removed.  Pinch  off  the  ends  of 
the  shoots  at  two  or  three  joints  beyond  the  bunch 
retained,  according  to  the  space  available,  as  all 
roof  space  should  be  nicely  covered  by  the  main 
leaves.     Pinch  off  all  secondary  laterals  from  the 


shoots  beyond  the  first  leaf.  Thus  will  remain  the 
shoot,  the  bunch  of  Grapes  on  it,  the  side  or 
secondary  shoots  bearing  one  leaf  only.  Keep 
the  Vines  in  this  condition  throughout  the  summer, 
pinching  off  every  lateral  shoot  while  very  small. 

When  the  Vines  are  in  Flower. — The  cultivator 
will  soon  be  able  to  tell  when  they  are  in  flower,  as 
the  scent  is  very  sweet.  Until  all  the  berries  are  set 
it  will  be  necessary  to  rather  sharply  tap  the  Vine 
rods  about  noon  every  day,  especially  while  the 
sun  is  shining.  Shy-setting  varieties,  such  as  the 
Muscats,  should  have  a  camel's-hair  brush  or  a 
rabbit's  tail  lightly  passed  over  them  in  addition 
to  the  shaking  of  the  bunches  by  tapping  the  rods. 

Watering  and  Feeding. — Vines  do  not  make 
new  roots  in  great  quantities  much  before  the  month 
of  May,  and  so  it  is  not  necessary  nor  advisable 
to  saturate  the  borders  too  much  with  water 
so  early  in  the  season.  Vines  rooting  in  outside 
borders  have  had  ample  moisture  ;  too  much  in 
badly-drained  ones.  Careful  examination  must  be 
made  to  avoid  too  dry  a  condition  of  the  soil. 
The  first  feeding  with  liquid  manures  should  be 
given  directly  the  berries  have  set.  Before  applying 
the  manure  give  a  copious  watering  with  clear 
water. 

Ventilation. — Air  must  be  admitted  freely  on 
fine  days.  At  ten  o'clock  every  night  open  the 
ventilators  r  inch  wide.  Before  the  sun  shines 
strongly  on  the  glass  the  following  morning  increase 
the  ventilation  by  opening  the  ventilators  2  inches  ; 
and  by  nine  o'clock  give  ample  ventilation. 
Decrease  it  from  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
closing  the  ventilators  entirely  by  half-past  three 
o'clock,  with  plenty  of  atmospheric  moisture, 
but  do  not  syringe  the  leaves. 

Vines  in  Greenhouses. — Sometimes  cultivators 
fail  to  get  satisfactory  crops  from  Vines  grown  in 
greenhouses  ;  others  succeed.  Much  depends  on 
the  management,  the  situation  of  the  house  and 
the  border  in  which  the  Vine  roots  are,  and  the 
mimediate  surroundings.  I  was  once  requested 
by  a  cultivator  to  come  and  see  his  greenhouse 
Vines,  as  he  could  grow  no  Grapes  on  them. 
I  went,  and  as  soon  as  I  saw  the  house  I  told  him 
he  never  would  grow  Grapes  in  it  as  at  the  time 
constructed.  It  was  situated  close  to  a  high 
dwelling-house,  in  a  partially-shaded  spot,  other 
tall  buildings  in  close  proximity  causing  still  more 
shade,  and,  to  complete  a  bad  structure,  shaded 
ribbed  glass  was  used  in  the  roof.  The  greenhouse 
Vine  cannot  be  given  the  best  treatment,  but 
Black  Hamburghs  and  Foster's  Seedling,  as  well 
as  Buckland  Sweetwater,  do  very  well  as  a  rule. 
Other  occupants  of  the  house  must  be  given  first 
attention,  perhaps.  Well,  the  cultivator  should 
not  in  any  way  shade  the  glass  over  the  Vines. 
He  must  reduce  ventilation  on  cold  days  and,  above 
all,  not  have  the  door  of  the  house  propped  open. 
So  many  do  this.  The  ventilators  should  be  ample 
for  their  purpose.  An  open  door,  week  after  week, 
will  not  conduce  to  the  benefit  of  the  plants  in 
pots,  and  it  will  certainly  be  the  means  of  causing 
a  chill  many  times  to  the  Vines  and  encourage 
mildew  on  the  leaves.  Usually  there  will  be 
sufficient  atmospheric  moisture  for  the  Vines 
through  the  necessary  watering  of  the  pot  plants. 
Keep  up  the  strength  of  the  Vines  by  due  attention 
to  the  border.  If  possible,  wherever  it  may  be- 
placed,  contrive  to  give  liquid  manures  in  due 
season.  If  outside,  do  not  grow  plants  on  it,  nor 
place  material  on  it  that  vnll  prevent  the  sun's 
rays  penetrating.  If  inside,  and  mainly  under 
staging,  keep  the  surface  clean  and  sweet  and 
open.  G,  G. 


May  31,  iqi3.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


281 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

A     SIMPLE     BORDER    FOR     AUTUMN     EFFECT. 


DURING  the  late  summer  and  early  them  in  a  cold  frame  for  the  winter.  Plants 
,  autumn  days,  flowers  of  good  quality  treated  in  this  way  provide  excellent  material 
I  are  none  too  plentiful  in  the  her-  for  making  cuttings  the  following  spring.  Where, 
'  baceous  or  mixed  border.  The  scorch-  however,  the  soil  is  light  and  warm,  the  plants 
ing  sun  has  then  usually  given  the  will  frequently  stand  well  outdoors  all  the  winter, 
plants  a  severe  check,  and  large,  their  greatest  enemy  then  being  the  slug.  To 
ugly  gaps  are  too  often  present.  A  simple  prevent  damage  from  this  source,  some  coal-ashes 
autumn  border,  and  one  that  any  begiiiner  in  and  soot  should  be  heaped  up  over  the  old  stools, 
gardening  can  plant  at  the  present 
time,  is  composed  of  early-flower- 
ing or  border  Chrysanthemums, 
with  a  broad  edging  of  some  dwarf- 
growing  annual.  The  accompany- 
ing illustration  depicts  a  border 
of  this  kind,  the  edging  in  this 
instance  being  composed  of  Alyssum 
Carpet  White.  The  Chrysanthe- 
mums used  inmiediately  behind 
the  Alyssum  are  Horace  Martin, 
which  has  good  yellow  flowers,  and 
Goacher's  Crimson,  with  blossoms 
of  that  colour  and  bronze.  Coming 
behind  these  are  taller  plants  of 
Rubis,  an  old  and  later-flowering 
variety  with  port-wine  coloured 
blossoms.  The  green  foliage  of 
these  formed  a  splendid  back- 
ground to  the  dwarfer  varieties 
named,  and  as  the  latter  remained 
in  flower  for  about  six  weeks,  the 
effect  was  most  pleasing.  These 
border  Chrysanthemums  may  be 
purchased  now  in  small  pots,  and 
if  put  out  at  once  in  good  soil  will 
quickly  become  established.  When 
growing  freely  it  is  advisable  to 
pinch  out  the  point  of  each,  as 
this  induces  a  bushy  habit. 
Watering  during  dry  weather, 
frequent  hoeing  of  the  soil,  and 
staking  as  and  when  required  are 
practically  all  the  attention  that 
the  plants  require  from  now  until 
flowering-time.  Eighteen  inches 
apart  each  way  is  a  good  distance 
to  plant  the  dwarf  varieties,  but 
the  taller  ones  should  be  given 
rather  more  room.  Of  course, 
many  other  varieties  may  be  used 
in  this  way  ;  but,  for  effect,  only 
two  or  three  sorts  should  be  em- 
ployed. The  Alyssum  can  be  pur- 
chased cheaply  from  any  vendor  of 
bedding  plants,  and  should  be  put 
out  6  inches  apart  in  a  belt  not  less 

than  I  foot  wide  ;    a  narrow  edging  is  not  nearly  so  ,  removing  it   when   new   growth  is  well   advanced 
effective   or   pleasing.      If   desired,    dwarf   Stocks,    in    the    spring.     But    with    choice    varieties,    and 


L:jbi^*i  ix^ 


in  good  time.  Many  less  experienced  in  this  matter 
defer  the  application  of  the  mulch  until  the  ground 
has  become  very  dry,  and  the  growth  of  the  plants 
is  arrested  in  consequence.  The  recent  rains 
have  well  saturated  the  soil,  and  before  the  moisture 
is  dried  up  from  the  surface  portion  some  top- 
dressinp  material  should  be  put  on.  The  moisture 
is  then  conserved,  also  surface  roots.  Clayey 
as  well  as  light  soils  should  be 
dealt  with.  Leaf-soil  and  Cocoanut 
fibre  are  both  suitable  for  use  in 
_,  the  flower  garden,  and  half-rotted 
manure  for  fruit  and  vegetables. 
Lawn  grass  may  also  be  utilised 
for  the  same  purpose.  G.   G. 


A    SIMPLE    AUTUMN    BORDER    OF    CHRYSANTHEMUMS    EDGED    WITH 
WHITE    ALYSSUM.       THESE    CAN    BE    PLANTED    NOW. 


Asters  or  Violas  could  be  utilised  in  place  of  the 
Alyssum,  according  to  individual  taste.  These 
border  Chrysanthemums,  in  addition  to  creating 
a  beautiful  floral  display  in  the  garden,  provide 
a  wealth  of  splendid  flowers  for  cutting,  in  which 
condition   they  last  good  for  a  long  time. 

After  the  plants  have  finished  flowering,  the 
stems  should  be  cut  down  nearly  to  the  ground. 
If  the  soil  is  naturally  damp  and  of  a  clayey  nature, 
it  is  advisable  to  lift  some  of  the  best  of  the  old 
stools,   place   them   in   large   pots   or  boxes,   with 


where  there  is  any  doubt  about  the  plants  surviving 
the  winter  outdoors,  it  is  always  advisable  to  lift 
a  few  and  place  them  in  cold  frames  as  advised. 
Even  there  the  depredations  of  slugs  must  be 
guarded  against.  H. 


THE 


EARLY 


IMPORTANCE     OF 
MULCHING. 

The   mulching   of   growing   crops  in   both   flower, 
frtiit   and   vegetable   gardens  is   generally   carried 


out    every   year   by   experienced   cultivators,    and 
some  soil  made  firm  about  their  roots,  and  stand    they    are   careful    to     apply    the    surface-dressings 


THE  RIGHT  DISTANCE 
APART  FOR  BEDDING 
OUT    PLANTS. 

The  general  effect  of  really  fine 
specimens  of  bedding-out  subjects 
is  spoiled  if  they  are  overcrowded 
in  the  borders  or  put  out  too  far 
apart.  In  the  first  case,  the  bushy 
habit  oi  the  plant  soon  changes  and 
becomes  drawn  and  weakly  ;  in 
the  second,  owing  to  the  short 
summer  season,  the  plants  do  not 
fill  up  the  space  properly,  thus 
leaving  much  surface  soil  visible 
between  them.  The  quality  of  the 
soil  must  also  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration. Gross-growing  subjects 
must  not  be  planted  in  soil  too 
rich,  else  there  will  be  too  much 
foliage  and  few  flowers.  Zonal 
Pelargoniums  should  only  have  a 
medium  rich  soil ;  Nasturtiums,  a 
very  poor  soil.  Liliums,  Zea 
japonica,  the  Castor  Oil  Plant 
(Ricinus  Gibsonii),  the  Tobacco 
Plant,  the  Eucalyptus  and  similar 
subjects  intended  to  fill  borders  of 
a  subtropical  character  should  have 
a  rich  rooting  medium.  Plants 
with  rich  and  variegated  leaves 
must  have  a  poor  soil  rather 
than  rich.  Heliotropes,  Begonias, 
Fuchsias  and  Petunias  require 
good  soil.  All  these  details  must 
be  taken  into  account  when  carry- 
ing out  the  work  of  planting,  so 
that  each  specimen  may  make  good 
progress  and  flower  well,  and  nicely 
fill  up  the  space  in  every  bed. 
A  tew  hints  on  particular  varieties  may  be  uselul 
as  a  guide.  Zonal  Pelargoniums  should  be  put 
out  I  foot  apart  ;  Heliotrope  and  Pettmias, 
ro  inches  ;  Fuchsias,  18  inches  ;  Pansies,  8  inches  ; 
Calceolarias,  10  inches ;  plants  used  as  edgings, 
rather  close  at  first  ;  tuberous  Begonias,  15  inches 
to  18  inches,  according  to  the  size  of  the  tubers 
and  strength  of  the  plants  in  June  ;  and  fibrous- 
rooted  Begonias,  9  inches  or  10  inches  asimder. 
Plants  to  form  carpet-bed  designs  should  be  put 
out  so  that  they  almost  touch  each  other  at  the 
time  of  planting.  Dot  plants  must  be  disposed 
according  to  the  character  of  the  beds,  and  they 
must  be  seen  clearly  on  every  side.  B. 


282 


THE    GARDEN. 


[May  31,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Bedding-Out. — From  the  notes  in  last  week's 
calendar  it  will  naturally  be  inferred  that  bedding- 
out  should  proceed  at  once,  as  we  should  now  be 
quite  safe  from  frosts. 

Manuring. — The  beds,  if  manured  in  the  autumn 
for  the  bulbs,  should  not  require  manuring  again. 
They  should,  however,  be  deeply  dug,  working  in  a 
good  dressing  of  soot  and  a  little  bone-meal  before 
planting. 

Watering. — It  may  be  found  after  the  bulbs 
are  lifted  that  the  beds  are  very  dry,  and  a  good 
soaking  of  water  will  be  necessary  to  make 
the  soil  in  a  fit  condition  for  the  reception  of  the 
plants. 

Planting. — Wherever  possible,  the  hardiest  plants, 
such  as  Zonals  and  Marguerites,  should  be  planted 
first,  leaving  the  more  tender  subjects,  such  as 
Begonias,  Coleus,  Iresines  and  Celosias,  till  the 
last.  Where  the  soil  is  of  a  very  light  nature, 
the  beds  should  not  be  raised  to  any  extent,  or 
there  will  be  difficulty  when  watering  has  to  be 
done ;  but  it  is  sometimes  an  advantage  to 
raise  the  beds  considerably  when  the  soil  is  of  a 
good  holding  quality  and  inclined  to  lie  wet. 
I  have  noted  on  many  occasions  the  desultory 
manner  in  which  many  plants  are  put  in  the  beds. 
Good  firm  planting,  with  the  ball  of  soil  well  under 
the  surface,  is  absolutely  essential  if  the  plants 
are  to  get  over  the  check  quickly  and  do  well  during 
the  season,  and  any  little  extra  trouble  that  is 
taken  at  planting-out-time  is  amply  repaid, 
especially  if  we  experience  a  dry  season. 

The  Shrubberies. 

Pruning. — Many  flowering  shrubs,  such  as 
Berberis,  Lilac,  Syringa  and  Deutzia,  that  have 
bloomed  should  now  be  cut  back  into  shape  a 
little,  unless,  of  course,  they  are  planted  in  such 
a  position  where  they  can  be  allowed  unlimited 
growth. 

Clematises. — These  are  now  growing  very  rapidly, 
and  must  receive  regular  attention  as  to  tying 
if  the  growth  is  to  be  kept  at  all  within  bounds, 
whether  the  plants  are  on  the  house,  pergola,  or 
up  trees  or  stakes. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Perpetual-Flowering  Carnations. — The  earliest 

batch  should  now  be  ready  for  transferring  into 
their  flowering  pots,  and  for  such  early  plants 
8i-inch  pots  are  the  most  suitable  size.  A  rich 
soil  is  not  necessary,  but  it  should  be  a  good  holding 
loam,  with  sufficient  lightening  material  in  it  to 
keep  it  porous ;  thus  plenty  of  road  grit,  lime  rubble, 
broken  crock  and  wood-ashes  should  be  incorporated 
with  it,  and  this  is  better  than  leaf-soil  for  Car- 
nations, not  forgetting  a  4i-inch  potful  of  bone-meal 
to  each  barrow-load  of  soil.  Firm  potting  is  also 
necessary  to  secure  a  sturdy  growth,  and  from 
now  onwards  the  plants  may  be  stood  out  of 
doors  on  a  good  ash  bottom,  providing  lights  can 
be  erected  temporarily  over  them  in  the  event 
of  very  wet  weather. 

Chrysanthemums. — Continue  to  pot  Japanese 
varieties  as  the  plants  become  fit.  It  is  fatal  to 
the  plants'  well-being  if  they  are  allowed  to  become 
badly  pot-boimd. 

Cinerarias. — The  main  batch  of  Cinerarias 
may  now  be  sown,  selecting  the  varieties  that  are 
likely  to  prove  most  useful,  both  as  regards  their 
colour  and  habit  of  growth.  Fine  porous  soil 
is  the  best  to  raise  these  plants  in,  and  a  quite  cold, 
shady  frame  will  produce  much  healthier  plants 
than  will  a  warmer  structure. 

Primulas. — The  early-sown  batch  will  be  ready 
for  prickmg  ofi,  and  a  further  batch  of  obconica 
and  malacoides  may  be  sown.  These  will  make 
plants  quite  large  enough  for  flowering  in  4i-inch 
pots  from  January  onwards. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Frames  from  which  Lettuces  have  been  cut 
may  be  planted  with  Marrows  or  Ridge  Cucumbers, 
or,  if  frame  Cucumbers  are  required,  these  may 
be  planted ;  and  if  the  frame  is  given  a  lining  of 
fresh  manure,  it  should  provide  sufficient  heat 
to  give  them  a  good  start. 


Carrots. — When  the  garden  soil  is  of  such  a 
nature  that  Carrots  do  not  do  well  in  it,  frames  as 
previously  mentioned  may  be  utilised  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  good  crops  of  Intermediate  Carrots  can 
be  grown  by  sowing  now.  Also,  in  districts  where 
it  is  difficult  to  raise  good  crops  of  Carrots  owing 
to  fly,  an  early  June  sowing  will  often  succeed 
where  earlier  sowings  have  failed. 

Marrows  and  Gourds  may  now  be  planted  in 
the  open  ground,  though  if  the  garden  is  exposed 
to  rough  winds  it  is  advisable  to  plant  them  in  as 
sheltered  a  position  as  possible. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Melons  planted  in  frames  early  in  the  month 
will  have  made  considerable  growth,  and  as  soon 
as  the  selected  shoots  have  reached  the  sides  of 
the  frames  they  should  he  pinched,  thus  inducing 
lateral  growths,  from  which  a  good  set  of  fruit 
may  be  expected  if  proper  attention  is  given  to 
fertilisation. 

Top-Dressing. — If  sufficient  soil  was  not  put 
in  the  frame  when  planting,  this  should  be  added 
now  in  the  form  of  a  top-dressing,  it  being  difficult 
to  add  later  when  a  large  number  of  lateral  shoots 
have  been  made.  Keep  the  collars  of  the  plants  fairly 
high,  so  that  when  watering  they  may  remain  dry,  and 
a  little  dry  lime  sulphur  or  powdered  charcoal 
sprinkled  around  the  collars  often  prevents  canker. 
A  good  supply  of  water  during  the  growing  season 
is  quite  necessary,  and  sufficient  syringings  must 
be  given  to  keep  down  spider,  but  they  need  not 
be  so  frequent  or  as  heavy  as  given  to  plants  culti- 
vated in  houses.  The  best  crops  of  Melons  I  have 
seen  in  frames  have  been  where  the  lights  were 
removed  entirely  in  the  middle  of  the  day  during 
the  setting  period. 

Tomatoes  also  do  well  in  frames  from  now 
onwards,  and  come  in  well  after  the  early  crops 
in  the  houses.  Place  the  fruiting  pots  in  the  front 
of  the  frames,  training  the  shoots  a  few  inches 
from  the  glass  from  front  to  back,  and  by  ventilating 
freely  at  the  side  (not  top  or  bottom)  a  more  even 
temperature  is  maintained  and  the  fruit  sets  as 
freely  as  in  the  houses. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 
Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addleslone,  Surrey. 


FOR 


NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 


Sweet  Peas. — The  plants  will  now  be  growmg 
freely,  an-d  continued  attention  must  be  given 
to  the  tying  in  of  any  shoots  protruding  beyond 
the  sides'  of  the  stakes. 

Planting  Dahlias. — This  work  must  now  be 
proceeded  with.  It  being  imderstood  that  the 
ground  was  duly  prepared,  the  stakes  should  first 
be  driven  in  position,  after  which  a  small  pit  should 
be  dug  out  at  the  side  of  the  stake  to  receive  the 
plant.  It  will  be  a  great  advantage  if  a  special 
compost,  light  and  rich,  be  made  up  and  a  good 
spadeful  given  to  each  plant.  As  the  planting 
proceeds,  each  plant  should  be  tied  rather  loosely 
to  the  stake. 

Bedding-Out. — This  work  will  still  be  proceeding, 
and  I  would  remind  readers  that  a  few  spare  plants 
of  all  fragile  plants  should  be  planted  in  the  reserve 
garden  to  fall  back  upon  for  filling  up  blanks  in 
case  of  failure  or  accident. 

Crown  Imperials. — These  showy  spring  flowers 
grow  up  with  Mushroom-like  rapidity  and 
disappear  as  quickly.  They  sometimes  develop 
seed-pods,  and  unless  use  is  to  be  made  of  them, 
they  should  be  picked  off.  It  is  the  formation 
of  seeds,  not  of  flowers,  that  weakens  a  plant. 

The  Rock  Garden. 
Tidying    Up. — Many   of   the    plants    have   now 
finished  flowering  and  are  beginning  to  look  im- 
sightly.      These    should   be    cut    over    and   all    the 
weeds  promptly  removed. 

Mesembryanthemum    pugioniforme. — This    is 

a  rather  striking  plant,  with  fleshy  triquetros 
foliage  and  pale  yellow  flowers.  I  obtained  a  batch 
of  cuttings  of  it  from  a  South  Devon  garden,  where 
it  is  said  to  be  hardy.  I  root  cuttings  in  the  open 
in  a  seed-pan  in  September  and  winter  them  in  a  cold 
frame,  planting  them  about  the  rockwork  in  May. 


The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Watering. — We  often  have  a  spell  of  drought 
in  Jtuie,  when  newly-planted  trees  and  shrubs  are 
apt  to  sufier  unless  attended  to  with  water  at 
the  root. 

Trimming  Odd  Corners. — It  is  no  uncommon 
thing  to  see  the  lawns  trimly  kept,  while  in  odd 
comers,  where  the  mower  cannot  be  applied,  such 
as  round  trees,  against  buildings  and  in  sharp 
angles,  the  grass  is  allowed  to  grow  at  will  for 
weeks.  This  looks  bad.  Tidy  with  the  scythe 
as  far  as  possible,  and  a  sharp  knife  deftly  handed 
will  do  the  rest. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Final  Potting  of  Chrysanthemums. — This  work 

cannot  be  delayed  much  longer.  See  that  the  pots 
and  crocks  are  clean  and  dry,  also  have  a  good 
quantity  of  compost  ready  and  put  under  cover, 
so  that  the  work  may  proceed  irrespective  of 
weather  conditions.  Experienced  growers  have 
their  individual  theories  as  to  soils,  but  we  all 
know  that  success  largely  depends  upon  judicious 
feeding  in  the  autumn.  The  following  will,  how- 
ever, be  foimd  a  good  compost  for  general  use  : 
Turfy  loam  three  parts,  old  Mushroom  manure 
one  part,  half-decayed  Beech  or  Oak  leaves  one 
part,  sharp  sand  one  part,  bone-meal  half  a  part, 
wood-ashes  half  a  part,  and  about  a  six-inch  potful 
of  soot  to  four  bushels  of  soil.  If  the  plants  are 
suffering  for  want  of  food,  water  in  a  pinch  of 
Clay's  or  similar  fertiliser  prior  to  knocking  the 
plant  out  of  its  present  pot.  Leave  plenty  of  room 
for  top-dressing. 

Humea  elegans. — Seeds  of  this  graceful  plant 
should  niiw  \m:  sown  in  a  cool  frame. 

Liquid  Manure. — Many  plants  will  now  require 
help  with  liquid  manure.  The  article  can  be  had 
in  many  forms.  Horse-manure  with  some  soot 
put  into  a  guano-bag  and  immersed  in  a  tank  of 
water  will  yield  a  safe  stimulant.  Good  results  will 
also  be  obtained  by  mixing  guano  or  Clay's  Fertilizer 
at  the  rate  of  20Z.  per  gallon.  Dissolve  with  a 
little  hot  water  and  then  add  cold  water.  Twice  a 
week  is  quite  often  enough  to  applv  liquid  manure. 

Fruits  Under   Glass. 

Early  Peaches. — Where  the  fruits  are  ripening, 
a  net  should  be  run  along  under  the  trees  to 
catch  the  fruits  which  may  fall.  The  Peach  is 
easily  damaged,  and  should  be  handled  very  care- 
fully. All  the  fingers  and  thumb  should  be  applied 
when  picking  the  fruits. 

Late  Cucumbers. — Now  that  the  frames  are 
being  cleared  of  bedding  plants,  a  few  lights  may 
be  profitably  devoted  to  late  Cucumbers.  If 
seed  has  not  been  sown  for  this  purpose,  cuttings 
can  be  rooted  in  a  few  days. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Cleaning   Strawberries. — The    hoe    should   be 

run  through  all  the  Strawberry  quarters,  as  fruits 
will  be  swelling  now,  and  the  less  they  are  inter- 
fered with   subsequently   until   the   crop   is  picked 
the  better. 
Taking  Strawberry  Runners. — Where  stock  is 

wanted  tor  early  forcing,  runners  cannot  be  taken 
a  day  too  soon.  Fill  rather  more  than  the  requisite 
number  of  3-inch  pots  with  light,  rich  soil,  and 
sink  a  pot  to  its  rim  immediately  under  the  young 
plant,  securing  the  runner  to  the  soil  in  the  pot  by 
means  of  a  peg.  Give  all  a  watering  when  the 
layering  is  completed. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Late  Peas. — The  last  sowing  for  the  season 
should  be  got  in  within  the  next  week  or  ten  days, 
and  a  second-early  variety,  such  as  Senator  or 
The  Pilot,  is  now  preferable  to  a  late  variety. 

Planting  the  Brassica  Family. — Spring-sown 
Cabbages,  Savoys,  greens  and  Brussels  Sprouts 
will  now  be  ready  for  planting  out,  and  showery 
weather  is  to  be  preferred  for  the  work.  From 
2r  inches  to  24  inches  by  18  inches  is  the  correct 
distance  apart  for  the  foregoing.  If  the  weather 
is  really  dry,  make  a  puddle  of  earth  and  water 
and  dip  the  roots  in  it  prior  to  planting. 

Asparagus-Beds  will  be  benefited  by  a  slight 
dressing  with  salt,  preferably  during  showery 
weather. 

Thinning  Crops. — Beet,  Turnips  and  Salsify 
should  be  thinned  if  not  already  done. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


May  31,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


283 


THE  GREENHOUSE. 


SEASONABLE     NOTES     ON 
AURICULAS. 

Plants  After  Flowering. — One  of  the  most 
common  faults  with  amateurs  and  cottagers  who 
cultivate  these  refined  and  altogether  charming 
plants,  and  other  kinds,  too,  as  far  as  that  goes, 
is  to  neglect  them  when  they  have  finished  fiowering. 
Directly  the  blooms  have  gone  the  plants  are  for- 
gotten until  the  end  of  the  summer,  or  perhaps 
for  a  still  longer  period,  and  the  natural  result  is 
that  many  of  them  die  instead  of  hving  to  produce 
more  flowers  in  succeeding  years.  This  is  utterly 
vvrong  with  any  plants  whose  duration  is  more 
than  one  season,  and  particularly  so  with 
Auriculas,  since  some  of  the  most  important 
details  oi  management  come  along  after  the  period 
of  floral  beauty.  It  is  then  that  one  should  consider 
the  repotting  and  the  removal  of  such  enemies 
as  the  white  aphis,  which  gathers  roimd  the  crown 
of  the  plants,  as  well  as  other  routine  operations. 
Those  who  would  achieve  continued  success  with 
Auriculas  must  be  prepared  to  have  them  in  mind 
from  one  year's  end  to  another,  not  because  they 
will  always  be  demanding  attention  or  because 
they  are  "  miffy,"  but  because  any  little  thing 
that  is  required  will  be  done  at  the  correct  time. 

Choice  of  Pots. — The  task  of  the  moment  is 
repotting,  as  June  is  the  most  generally  satisfac- 
tory month  for  the  operation.  With  many  plants 
the  precise  shape  of  the  pot  does  not  matter  much, 
provided  that  it  affords  proper  space  for  the  roots  ; 
but  with  .Auriculas  one  should  always  give  the 
preference  to  pots  that  are  exceptionally  deep  in 
comparison  with  their  diameter  at  the  top.  The 
plant  forms  a  long  tap  root,  and  the  ordinary  pot 
does  not  give  the  depth  which  is  demanded,  or 
which  is,  if  not  really  essential,  beyond  question 
most  desirable.  It  is  possible  to  procure  these 
long,  deep  pots,  though  it  is  not  always  easy  to 
find  a  supply  ;  but  the  man  who  is  determined  to 
secceed  will  not  begrudge  the  time  necessary  to 
provide  for  wants. 

Repotting. — Having  secured  the  most  suitable 
and  convenient  pots,  they  must  be  washed,  and, 
if  new,  allowed  to  drain  before  use.  Then  turn 
to  the  question  of  soil,  and  do  not  follow  the  old 
writers,  who  recommended  the  most  extraordinary 
and  weird  mixtures.  Soimd  loam  of  the  finest 
quality  should  form  the  base  and  the  bulk  of  the 
compost,  and  to  it  may  be  added  at  discretion 
thoroughly-rotted  manure  and  sand  or  other  open- 
mg  m.^terial.  Whatever  the  components  may  be, 
they  ought  to  be  put  together  several  days  before 
actual  use.  Opinions  differ  as  to  whether  all  the 
soil  should  be  shaken  off  or  not  ;  but  it  has  the 
material  advantage  of  showing  immediately  if 
anything  is  amiss  with  the  tap  root,  in  which  event 
it  is  promptly  cut  away,  and  also  permits  one 
to  apply  methylated  spirit  or  other  effective  wash 
to  destroy  the  white  aphis. 

When  inspection  reveals  the  fact  that  the  fleshy 
tap  root  is  in  bad  condition,  necessitating  cutting 
back  to  the  healthy  part,  it  will  be  wise  to  put  the 
plant  into  a  pot  of  the  same  size  as  that  previously 
occupied,  or,  and  sometimes  wiser,  into  one  a 
size  smaller.  This  point  will  have  to  be  decided 
upon  the  merits  of  each  plant,  and  the  governing 
factor  will  be  the  number  of  clean,  sound  roots. 
It  is  in  no  case  desirable  that  the  soil  shall  be  rammed 
into  the  pots  until  it  is  as  hard  as  a  road  ;  but  it 
must  not  be,  on  the  other  hand,  so  loose  that  water 
appHed  will  rush  straight  through  to  the  drainage. 


Find  the  happy  medium  between  those  extremes 
and  the  condition  will  be  correct. 

Considerable  judgment  will  be  required  after 
potting  in  regard  to  the  quantity  of  water.  It 
is  never  wise  to  give  much  when  the  roots  are  not 
working  freely,  but  it  is  imperative  that  the  leaves 
shall  not  be  permitted  to  flag  seriously.  To 
obviate  the  necessity  for  frequent  applications, 
shade  the  frame  from  the  fierce  sun  for  a  fortnight 
and  do  not  admit  quite  as  much  tresh  air.  When 
there  are  unmistakable  indications  that  the 
plants  have  fully  recovered  from  the  change  of 
soil  conditions,  the  normal  amount  of  fresh  air 
must  be  again  provided  to  encourage  satisfactory 
advance.  Towards  the  end  of  the  month  frames 
which  are  facing  the  south  should  be  turned  to  give 
them  a  northern,  and  therefore  cooler,  aspect. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 

RULES   FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
make  TBE  G.\RDEN  helpful  to  alt  readers  who  desire  assUt- 
ance,  no  matter  ichal  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
mth  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columne.  Alt  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Gaeden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  .  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  he  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  thai  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  sliould  be  sent  to  the  PtJBLISHER. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

LILIUM    CANDIDUH    DISEASED    (E.    0.    JF.).— The 

white  Lily  is  attacked  by  the  Liiy  disease.  It  appears 
to  liave  attacked  the  plant  where  it  has  been  weakened, 
perhaps  by  frost  or  cold  wind,  or  even  by  insect  injury. 
No  cure  is  known  for  this  disease :  but  it  would  be  worth 
while  tryins  the  eflfect  of  removing  the  top  soil  and 
replacing  with  fresh  soil  which  has  been  well  sterilised. 

ASTERS  AND  WIREWORM  (J.  P.).— The  grub  eatin? 
your  Asters  is  the  wireworm.  Picking  out  wirewotms  is  the 
only  remedy  under  the  circumstances,  but  you  may  trap 
them  by  burying  a  half  of  a  hollowed-out  Potato  in  the 
soil  near  them.  Sprinkling  a  little  Apterite  or  Vaporite 
about  the  plants  would  also  help  to  drive  them  away. 
Wireworms  are  one  of  the  worst  pests  the  gardener  has  to 
contend  against. 

ORCHIS  iCoUapit). — All  the  Orchids  mentioned,  except 
Bletia  byacinthina  and  Calypso  borealis,  would  be  suitable 
for  growing  in  the  grass  unless  it  gets  too  thick  and  coarse. 
The  roots  must  be  planted  quite  3  inches  below  the  surface. 
Habenaria  bifolia,  Ophrys  apifera,  O.  lutea,  O.  speculum 
and  Orchis  provincialis  are  lime-loving  plants,  and  with 
Habenaria  ciliaris  are  the  best  of  those  mentioned.  In 
suitable  situations  they  flower  freely.  Bletia  hyacinthina 
and  Calypso  borealis  require  more  careful  treatment, 
especially  the  latter.  They  must  be  planted  in  a  shady 
position  in  rich,  leafy  soil. 

DIVIDING  PRIMULA  DENTICULATA  (G.  C.).— This 
Primula  and  all  its  forms  is  best  raised  periodically  from 
seeds  sown  as  soon  as  ripened.  The  divided  example 
is  rarely  endowed  with  the  vigour  of  the  seedling,  and 
seldom  produces  so  good  a  growth.  If  divided,  it  should 
be  done  as  soon  as  flowering  is  over.  From  a  well-flowered 
plant,  however,  a  couple  of  hundred  seedlings  might  be 
raised,  and  with  not  much  trouble.  If  the  grass  is  not 
sufficiently  dense  to  smother  the  plants,  they  may  do  well 
for  a  time,  even  in  the  gravelly  soil,  by  reason  of  the 
moisture  present.  To  avoid  excess  of  flooding,  give  them 
somewhat  raised  positions  where  the  root-flbres  would 
reach  moisture  when  necessary. 


it  is  necessary  for  the  plants  to  be  as  near  to  the  source 
of  light  as  possible.  The  placing  of  a  second  piece  of 
glass  over  the  plant  would,  therefore,  not  allow  the  plant 
to  obtain  the  necessary  light  nor  act  in  the  same  way 
as  placing  it  near  the  glass. 

CBRYSANTHEHDHS  (F.  F.). — The  varieties  you  name 
would  come  under  the  heading  of  decorative  varieties  or 
early-flowering  Japanese,  though  probably  Nina  Blick 
might,  if  necessary,  be  shown  as  a  reflexed  ;  but  we  rarely 
see  it  classified  as  such  nowadays.  For  blooming  in 
the  greenhouse  later  in  the  season  you  might  grow  the 
following  ;  'Soleil  d'Octobre.  'Bronze  Soleil  d'Octobre, 
La  Iriomphante  (pink),  'Matthew  Hodgson  (chestnut), 
Heston  Bronze,  Dr.  Enguhard  (pink),  'Freda  Bedford 
(bronze).  Moneymaker  (white),  Nagoya  (yellow),  Mrs 
Andrew  Walker  (coppery  red),  December  Gold  and 
'  Baldock'3  Crimson.  All  the  above  are  fairly  close  flowers, 
and  about  the  shape  of  those  you  name.  If  you  only 
wish  to  grow  half-a-dozen  varieties,  you  might  choose 
those  marked  with  an  asterisk. 

CULTURE  OF  CLIANTHUS  (R.  F.  C.).— The  culture 
of  Chant  hus  puniceus  and  its  variety  albus  differs  accord- 
ing to  the  part  of  the  country  in  which  the  plants  are 
grown.  In  the  milder  parts  of  the  country  they  thrive 
excellently  against  walls  in  the  open,  and  good  examples 
are  met  with  in  many  parts  of  Cornwall  and  Devonshure. 
It  is  probable  that  you  might  be  able  to  cultivate  it  against 
a  wall  with  a  south  or  west  aspect,  providing  a  small 
class  shelter  could  be  attached  to  the  top  of  the  wall 
Both  plants  are  perennials,  or,  rather,  sub-slurubs,  and  are 
raised  from  seeds.  Thev  thrive  in  well-drained  loamy 
soil.  In  colder  parts  of  the  country  they  must  be  grown 
in  a  sunny  greenhouse,  either  in  pots  or  planted  out  in  a 
well-drained  border.  .-Vs  a  rule,  the .  best  results  are 
obtained  by  training  tbem  to  pillars  or  rafters.  Clianthus 
Dampieri  is  somewhat  more  tender  than  the  last-named. 
It  is  usually  treated  as  a  biennial,  sometimes  as  an  annual. 
On  its  own  roots  it  is  a  very  difficult  plant  to  grow;  there- 
fore it  is  usually  grafted,  while  very  young,  upon  stocks 
of  the  Bladder  Senna  (Colutea  arborescens).  Seeds  of 
the  Colutea  are  sown  about  a  fortnight  in  advance  of  those 
of  the  Clianthus,  and  when  the  Clianthus  seedlings  are  a 
tew  days  old  they  are  cut  off  1  inch  or  so  below  the  coty- 
ledons. The  stem  is  cut  into  the  shape  of  a  wedge  by  means 
of  a  sharp  razor,  and  the  stem  of  a  young  Colutea  is  slit 
down  between  the  seed  leaves,  the  wedge-shaped  graft 
being  inserted  and  secured  in  position  with  matting. 
The  plants  are  then  stood  in  a  close,  warm  case  for  about 
a  fortnight,  after  which  time  the  union  of  stock  and  scion 
will  be  found  to  have  taken  place.  The  plants  are  then 
grown  in  an  airy  greenhouse  and  repotted  when  necessary, 
a  compost  being  made  up  of  two  parts  of  fibrous  loam  to 
one  part  of  peat  or  leaf-mould  with  a  moderate  amount 
of  sand.  When  in  flowering  pots  or  baskets,  manure- 
water  may  be  given  once  a  week  when  the  soil  is  well 
filled  with  roots.  It  should  have  been  mentioned  that  the 
Colutea  seeds  must  be  sown  singly  in  small  pots  to  avoid 
root  disturbance. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

WHY  PLACE  PLANTS  NEAR  THE  GLASS  ?  (L.  IF.).— 
Curiously  enough,  the  action  of  light  is  to  retard  the 
growth  of  plants,  and  the  nearer  they  are  to  its  presence 
the  less  are  they  likely  to  grow  lanky.  At  the  same  time, 
a  good  supply  of  light  enables  them  to  obtain  the  power 
necessary  to  have  in  order  to  enable  them  to  make  their 
food,  and  for  this  cause,  again,  the  nearer  the  source  of 
light  the  better  for  them.  No  matter  how  good  the  glass 
may  be,  a  certain  amount  of  light  is  cut  off  by  it,  and 


ROSE    GARDEN. 

ROSE  GROWTHS  INJURED  (C.  T.).— The  damage 
has  been  caused  by  caterpillars.  You  should  have  the 
trees  well  searched,  and,  if  you  have  cateipillars,  spray  with 
arsenate  of  lead  paste.  The  slugs  can  be  kept  down 
by  using  Slugene.  Both  preparations  are  obtainable 
from  Messrs.  \V.  Voss  and  Co..  Millwall,  E.  We  think 
you  would  obtain  all  you  require  for  your  rock  garden 
from  any  of  the  firms  who  advertise  in  oiu-  pages,  and  as 
they  keep  a  large  number  of  subjects  in  pots,  they  can  be 
planted  practically  at  any  time.  __ 

PREPARING  ROSE-BEDS  (F.  L.  i.).— September 
would  be  about  the  best  time  to  commence  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  soil,  and  it  would  then  be  in  a  nice  condition 
to  plant  towards  the  end  of  October,  the  best  time  of  all 
for  planting  Roses.  We  do  not  advise  chemical  manures 
when  preparing  new  beds,  excepting  basic  slag  and  bone- 
meal.  If  you  can  procure  a  supply  of  really  good  farmyard 
manure  in  early  September,  you  should  do  so  ;  not  strawy 
stuff,  but  good  manure  from  a  farm  that  has  been  well 
trodden  over  by  horses,  cattle  and  pigs.  In  preparing  the 
soil  it  should  be  trenched,  and  any  good  gardener  would 
show  you  how  to  have  this  done.  The  soil  is  moved  to 
a  depth  of  2  feet  to  3  feet ;  but  the  bottom,  or  subsoil,  ^ 
kept  in  its  place  and  not  brought  to  the  surface.  With 
the  lower  soil  we  advocate  mixing  basic  slag  at  the  rate 
of  about  six  ounces  per  square  yard,  together  with  a  good 
layer  of  the  farmyard  manure.  When  the  Eoses  are 
planted,  give  each  plant  a  handful  of  bone-meal,  mixing 
it  with  the  soil  at  the  time  of  planting. 


FRUIT    GARDEN. 

BIRDS  PICKING  FRUIT -BUDS  (IT.  S.  R.).— Un- 
doubtedly the  moss  on  the  trees  attracted  the'Tjirdain  the 
first  instance,  this  being,  partially  at  least,  the  innocent 
cause  of  the  fruit-buds  being  attacked.  One  way  of 
preventing  this  in  future  will  be  by  spraying  your  trees 
in  winter  with  the  caustic  alkali  wash.  This  will  destroy 
every  vestige  of  the  moss,  and  clear  the  trees  also  of  any 
other  vegetable  or  parasitic  insects  by  which  they  may 
be  infested.  This  is  a  cheap  wash,  and  may  be  had  of 
any  seed  merchant  advertising  with  us,  with  full  particu- 
lars as  to  how  to  apply  it.  If  you  have  any  difficulty  m 
procuring  it,  let  us  know,  and  we  will  give  you  the  recipe. 
Where  birds  are  numerous  and  fruit  trees  of  the  kind  you 
mention  not  over- plentiful,  buds  are  frequently  destroyed. 
The  only  way  of  preventing  the  mischief  is  by  netting.the 
trees  in  good  time. 


284 


THE     GAliDEN. 


[May  31.  191^ 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

DISEASE  IN  TOMATOES  (F.  M.  «.).— From  your 
<iescription  of  the  symptoms,  we  liave  no  doubt  whatever 
that  the  Tomatoes  are  attacked  by  a  fungus,  but  in  the 
absence  of  specimens  it  is  impossible  to  say  which  one. 
We  have  no  doubt  the  best  method  of  avoiding  the  trouble 
is  to  steam  sterilise  the  soil  in  which  one  intends  to  sow 
the  seeds, 

INSECT  PESTS  {Edinburgh).—!.  We  do  not  recognise 
the  larvse  sent  with  certainty.  They  are  those  of  a  moth 
belonging  to  the  group  called  Noctuae.  It  would  have 
been  a  help  to  have  mentioned  the  food  plant.  2.  The 
Rhododendron  leaves  have  been  bitten  either  by  a  weevil 
■or  by  a  caterpillar.  The  work  of  the  two  pests  is  very 
much  alike.  We  would  recommend  you  to  spray  the 
affected  plants  with  lead  arsenate,  to  be  obtained  in  the 
paste  form,  mixed  with  water  according  to  the  directions 
supplied  on  the  packet,  and  sprayed  on  with  a  very  fine 
sprayer.  3.  The  slug  trap  advertised  in  our  columns 
under  the  name  of  "  V.T.H."  will  be  found  an  excellent 
one.  4.  The  shade  of  Yews  is  too  dense  for  most  plants. 
You  may  find  a  few  Ferns  of  the  less  exacting  sorts  will  grow 
for  a  time  in  such  a  position,  but  they  will  require 
renewal  now  and  again. 
NAMES    OF    PLANTS.  —  J.    R.     Dalton.  —  Clianthus 

Dampieri    alba. J.    Brown. —  Rose    Richmond. 

£.  M.  H.,  Uffington. — 1  and  2,  Helianthemum  vulgare 
variety;  3,  Saxifraga  grauulata  ;  4.  S.  hypnoides  variety  ; 
5,  S.  trifurcata  ;    6,  Potentilla  species  (very  scrappy) ;    7, 

Alyssum    saxatile. ■/.    Thomas.  —  The    Bird    Cherry 

<Prunus  Padus). -I.B.,  N.   Wales. — J,  Chrysosplenium 

■oppositifolium  (Golden  Saxifraga) ;    2,  Armeria  raaritima 

(Thrift). E.    IF.,   5Ae^drf.  —  Weevil   Plant  (Curculigo 

ecurvata).- T.  H.  R. — 1  and  6.  Helianthemum  vulgare 

variety  ;  2,  Tiarelia  cordifolia  ;  3,  Geum  hybridum  ;  4, 
Sedum  altissimum  ;  5,  Saxifraga  Geum  crenatum ;  7  and  8, 
<'annot      name     without    flowers;     9,    Thymus    vulgaris 

variegatus  ;   10,  Iberis  correaefolium. W,  L. — 1,  Acacia 

juniperina ;  2,  Sophora  tetraptera  microphylla. 


SOCIETIES. 


ROYAL    HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY'S 
SPRING    SHOW    AT    CJHELSEA. 

SUNDRIES. 
[Continued  from  last  week.) 

Messrs.  Corry  and  Co.,  Limited,  Bedford 
•Chambers,  Covent  Garden,  W.C,  had  specimens 
of  their  tobacco  preparations  and  insecticides, 
including  syringes  and  other  articles  for  which  this 
firm  is  famous. 

Paper  flower-pots  were  shown  by  Messrs.  Blake 
and  Mackenzie,  Liverpool. 

A  useful  and  interesting  exhibit,  including  wire 
trainers  of  many  forms,  was  staged  by  Mr.  John 
Pinches,  3,  Crown  Buildings,  Camberwell,  S.E., 
bloom  protectors  and  Acme  labels  being  well  to 
the  fore. 

Lawn  boots  of  good  workmanship  and  design 
were  shown  by  Messrs.  H.  Pattisson  and  Co.,  Grey- 
hound Lane,  Streatham. 

Gishurst  compound,  fibre  and  insecticides  were 
staged  by  Price's  Patent  Candle  Company. 

Weed-killers,  lawn  sand  and  insecticides  were 
shown  by  the  Acme  Chemical  Company,  Tonbridge, 
and  also  examples  of  the  Higginson  patent  spraying 
appliances. 

Messrs.  Robinson  Brothers,  Limited,  Ryder's 
Green,  West  Bromwich,  had  a  most  interesting 
stand  displaying  Carmona  fertiliser,  with  illus- 
trated methods  of  application.  Cliffs  fluid  and 
pine  spray,  germicides,  insecticides  and  lawn  sand. 

Lawn-mowers  suitable  for  all  purposes  were  ex- 
hibited by  Messrs.  Alexander  Shanks  and  Son, 
Bush  Lane,  E.C. 

Messrs.  Walter  Voss  and  Co.,  Millwall,  E.C,  had 
a  large  and  varied  stand  of  the  famous  Carlton 
fertilisers,  and  examples  of  seedlings  growing  in 
sterilised  and  imsterilised  soil. 

The  Ahol  syringe  with  its  recent  improvements 
now  makes  a  perfect  sprayer,  and  with  Abol 
insecticide  proved  an  attractive  stand  as  shown  by 
Messrs.  E.  A.  White,  Limited,  Paddock  Wood,  Kent. 

Messrs.  James  Carter  and  Co.,  Raynes  Park, 
had  a  well-arranged  stand,  showing  some  large 
panoramic  views  of  their  offices  and  seed-testing 


station.  Some  excellent  diagrams  showing  various 
seeds  and  their  impurities  were  most  instructive, 
and  apparatus  for  simple  analysis  of  soils  for 
amateurs  well  deserved  attention.  A  further 
interesting  exhibit  consisted  of  specimens  of  growing 
turf  taken  from  twenty-two  golf  courses,  which 
have  been  grown  from  their  Tested  Seeds,  together 
with  samples  of  soil  from  each  course,  one  of  the 
most  interesting  being  turf  from  Merton  course, 
grown  from  seed  sown  in  November,  191 2,  A 
further  interesting  display  was  that  of  sections  of 
the  various  seeds  of  Rape,  Turnip,  Black  Mustard, 
Charlock  and  Cabbage,  which  in  the  seed  are 
exactly  similar.  These  diagrams  were  of  great 
interest,  showing  the  differential  inter-cellular 
tissue  of  the  sections,  which  were  sufficiently  distinct 
to  enable  one  to  distinguish  one  variety  from 
another. 

An  interesting  series  of  garden  plans  and  designs 
were  shown  by  Messrs.  R.  Wallace  and  Co., 
Colchester. 

Messrs.  Jeyes,  Limited,  Cannon  Street,  E.C, 
showed  some  good  examples  of  insecticides  and 
sprayers. 

Messrs.  Joseph  Bentley,  Limited,  Barrow-on- 
Humber,  had  a  well-arranged  stand  of  weed- 
killers and  other  horticultural  chemical  specialities. 

Mr.  G.  Dunford,  11,  Ley  Road,  Ilford,  showed 
his  well-lotou-n  lawn  brooms. 

The  French  Cloche  Company,  Ca.xton  House, 
Westminst'er,  staged  specimens  of  cloches,  mats 
and  frames,  and  all  other  requisites  for  French 
gardening. 

Messrs.  Thomas  Green  and  Sons,  New  Surrey 
Works,  S.E.,  had  a  well-displayed  assortment  of 
lawn  mowers  in  all  sizes,  and  garden  rollers.  A 
motor  lawn  mower  of  improved  form  was  also 
exhibited. 

Mr.  Vernon  T.  Hill,  Langford,  near  Bristol,  staged 
his  patent  slug  trap. 

The  Key  fertilisers  were  shown  by  Mr.  A.  Key, 
The  Crescent,   Norwich. 

Messrs.  Ransomes,  Sims  and  Jefferics,  Ipswich, 
had  an  attractive  exhibit  of  motor,  horse  and  hand 
power  lawn-mowers,  suitable  for  all  purposes. 

Robert  Sydenham.  Limited,  Birmingham,  showed 
rustic  table  decorations  in  many  pretty  and 
attractive  designs. 

Steel  garden  stakes  and  hoopsfor  fastening  were 
shown  by  Messrs.  F.  Walters  and  Co.,  Bilton.  Rugby. 

A  large  and  varied  exhibit  of  garden  requisites 
was  staged  by  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  King  Street, 
Covent  Garden,  including  garden  labels,  patent 
bulb  planter  and  dibber,  and  artificial  manures 
of  every  description. 


MEDALS    AND    CUPS    AWARDED. 

GOLD  MEDALS.— Sir  George  Holtord,  K,C.V.O  . 
CLE.,  Westonbirt,  Tetbury,  Messrs.  Charlesworth  and 
C'o.,  Hayward's  Heath,  and  Messrs.  Sander  and  Sons, 
St.  Albans,  for  Orchids;  Messrs.  R.  Wallace  and  Co., 
Colchester,  for  rock  and  formal  garden  ;  Mr.  J.  Wood . 
Boston  Spa,  for  rock  garden ;  Messrs.  James  Carter 
and  Co.,  Kaynes  Park,  for  flowering  plants  and  vege- 
tables :  Messrs.  Veltch  and  Sons,  Chelsea,  for  trained 
fruit  trees  and  stove,  greenhouse  and  flowering  plants  ; 
Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons,  Reading,  for  flowering  plants  : 
Mr.  L.  R.  Russell,  Richmond,  for  stove  plants  and 
shrubs ;  Messrs.  Blackmore  and  Langdon,  Bath,  for 
Begonias,  &c.  ;  Messrs.  Frank  Cant  and  Co.,  Colchester, 
for  Roses  ;  Messrs.  R.  and  G.  Cuthbert,  Highgate,  for 
Azaleas ;  Messrs.  Bobbie  and  Co.,  Edinburgh,  for  Sweet 
Peas,  &c. ;  Mr.  C.  Engelmann,  SatTrou  Walden,  for  Car- 
nations ;  aiessrs.  W.  Paul  and  Sons,  Waltham  Cross, 
for  Roses  and  flowering  plants ;  Messrs.  J.  Piper  and 
Sons,  Bayswater,  for  stmibs,  &c.  ;  Messrs.  J.  Waterer 
and  Sons,  Bagshot,  for  flowering  plants:  Messrs.  H.  B. 
May  and  Sons,  Edmonton,  for  Ferns ;  Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson, 
Newtownards,  for  Tulips  ;  the  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs,  Elstree, 
for  vegetables  ;  Messrs.  W.  Fromow  and  Sons,  Chiswick, 
for  Japanese  .Maples  ;  Messrs.  T.  Rivers  and  Son,  Saw- 
bridgoworth,  for  fruit  trees  and  Citrus  fruits  in  pots  ; 
and  Messrs,  W,  Cut  bush  and  Son,  Highgate  Nurseries,  for 
Carnations 


FARRER  CUP.— Messis.  Bees,  Limited,  Liverpool  for 
alpines. 

DAVIDSON  CUP.— Messrs.  Charlesworth,  HaywardV 
Heath,  for  the  best  Cattleya,  not  a  hybrid,  in  the  show 
C.  percivahana  Mary  Regina. 

SILVER-GILT  CUPS.— Messrs.  J.  Backhouse  and  Son 
Limited,  York;  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons.  Covent  Garden 
and  Messrs,  J,  Piper  and  Son,  Bavswater,  W.,  for  rrn'k 
and  water  gardens;  Messrs.  J.  Veit'ch  and  Sons  Clic-Ui-a 
for  Tulips  and  general  e.'chibits  ;  Messrs.  Jaekman  and 
Sons,  Woking,  for  Clematises,  shrubs  and  plants  ;  Mi.,-.sr~ 
G.  Bunyard  and  Co.,  Maidstone,  for  Apples ;  .ind  M.-s.sr> 
Wallace  and  Co.,  Colchester,  for  a  herbaceous  gioup. 

LARGE  SILVER  CUPS.  —  .Mr.  Maurice  Pricliard 
Christchurcli,  for  alpine  garden  and  herbaceous  plant-' 
Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons,  Reading,  for  vegetables,  &i-  '■ 
Mr.  L.  R.  Russell,  Richmond,  for  foliage  and  flowering 
plants  ;  Messrs.  G.  Paul  and  Sons,  Cheshunt  lor  Ho-r. 
and  Azaleas;  Mr.  Charles  Turner,  Slough,  for  Rose- 
Carnations.  Lilacs,  Ac. ;  Messrs.  E.  Webb  and  Sons  Stour- 
bridge, for  Calceolarias  and  flowering  plants  ■  Messrs 
Young  and  Co.,  Cheltenham,  for  Carnations  ;  '.Mr.  Amo- 
Perry,  Enfleld,  for  herbaceous  plants  and  alpine^  ■  Mr  A 
Dutton,  Ivor,  for  Carnations  ;  and  Messrs.  John  p'eed  and" 
Son,  West  Norwood,  for  Caladiums,  &c. 

SILVER  CUPS.— Sir  Jeremiah  Colman,  Bart.,  Gatton 
Park,  lleigate,  Messrs.  Armstrong  and  Brown,  Tunbr^dne 
Wells.  Messrs.  J.  Cypher  and  Sons,  Cheltenham,  Messps 
Stuart  Low  and  Co.,  Bush  Hill  Park,  and  Messrs  J  and 
A.  McBean,  Cooksbridge,  for  Orchids;  Messrs.  Puiham 
and  Son,  Newman  Street,  and  Messrs.  T.  S.  Ware,  Limited 
Feltham,  for  rock  gardens ;  Messrs.  J.  Cheat  and  Sons' 
Crawley,  for  formal  garden  and  alpines  and  ilirubs ' 
Messrs.  James  Carter  and  Co.,  High  Holborn,  for  formal 
garden  ;  the  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs,  Elstree,  and  Mis"  Trovte- 
Bullock,  Yeovil,  for  Pelargoniums  ;  Leopold  de  Rothscliild 
Esq.,  C.V.O.,  Leighton  Buzzard,  for  Carnations  and 
Statice;  Messrs.W.  Cutbush,  Highgate,  for  flowering  plants- 
Messrs.  B.  R.  Cant,  Colchester,  for  Roses  ;  Messrs.  J.  Hill 
and  Son,  Lower  Edmonton,  for  Ferns  ;  Messrs.  Hobbies 
Limited,  Dereham,  for  Roses  ;  Mr.  J.  Macdonald,  Harpen- 
den,  for  Grasses ;  and  Messrs.  G.  Mount  and  Sons 
Canterbury,  for  Roses, 

STANDARD  CUPS. — E.  H.  Davidson,  Esq.,  Borlases. 
Twyford,  and  Messrs.  Mansell  and  Hatcher,  Rawdon,' 
for  Orchids  ;  The  Craven  Nursery  Company,  Claphani 
Yorks.  for  rock  garden ;  Messrs.  Cunningham,  Frascr 
and  Co.,  Edinburgh,  for  alpine  plants ;  Mr.  Clarence 
Elliott,  Six  Hills  Nursery,  Stevenage,  for  rock  garden  • 
Mr.  G.  Reutlie,  Keston,  for  rock  garden  and  herbaceoas 
plants ;  Messrs.  Whitelegg  and  Page,  Chislehurst,  for 
rock  garden  and  alpines ;  Messrs.  G,  Beckwith  and  Sons, 
Hoddesdon,  for  Roses ;  Mrs.  B.  Barrett,  Castlethorpe^ 
for  Sctiizanthus  ;  Jlr.  A.  J.  Bruce,  Chorlton-cum-Hardyj 
for  Sarraccnias ;  Mr  Reginald  Prichard,  Wimborne,  for 
alpine,,;  Mr.  George  Prince.  Longworth,  for  Roses;  Dr.  John 
Macwatt,  Duns,  for  Primulas;  and  Mrs,  Litkie,  Maidenhead, 
for  herbaceous  plants. 

SILVER-GILT  HOGG  MEDAL.  —  Messrs  La.tton 
Brothers,  Bedford,  for  Strawberries  and  fruit  trees. 

SILVER-GILT  KNIGHTIAN  MEDAL.— The  King's 
.\cre  Nurseries,  Hereford,  for  fruit  trees. 

SILVER-GILT  FLORA  MEDALS.— Messrs.  Hassall 
and  Co.,  Southgate,  for  Orchids  ;  Messrs.  Barr  and  Son. 
Covent  Garden,  for  Tulips,  Ac.  ;  Messrs.  Stuart  Low. 
Bush  Hill  Park,  for  Carnations,  &c. ;  Messrs.  Phillips 
and  Taylor,  Bracknell,  for  herbaceous  plants ;  Messrs. 
Hogg  and  Robertson,  Dublin,  for  Tulips,  &c.  ;  Mr.  Bell, 
Guernsey,  for  Carnations ;  Mr.  Box,  Lindfleld,  for  hardy 
plants  ;  Mr.  Burnett,  Guernsey,  for  Carnations  ;  Messr.s. 
Clark,  Dover,  for  herbaceous  plants ;  Messrs.  Jefferies, 
Cirencester,  for  Tulips ;  and  Messrs.  Ware,  Feltham, 
for  iierbaceous  plants. 

SILVER-GILT  BANKSIAN  MEDALS.— The  Guildford 
Hardy  Plant  Nursery,  Guildford,  for  rock  garden  ;  Messrs. 
.^rtindale,  Sheffield,  for  hardy  and  water  plants ;  Messrs. 
Allwood,  Hayward's  Heath,  for  Carnations ;  Baker's, 
Woherhampton,  for  hardy  alpine  and  bog  plants  ;  Messrs. 
Fletcher,  Chertsey,  for  American  plants ;  Messrs.  Gibson. 
Bedale,  and  Messrs.  Kelway,  Langport,  for  herbaceous 
plants;  Messrs.  Ker,  Liverpool,  for  Amaryllis;  Messrs. 
Needham.  Kelmscott,  for  Tulips ;  Messrs.  Notcutt 
Woodbridge,  for  flowering  and  foliage  plants  ;  and  Messrs] 
Watkins  and  Simpson,  Covent  Garden,  for  annuals  in  pots] 
SILVER  KNIGHTIAN  MEDAL.— Thatcham  Fruit  Farm, 
Newbury,  for  vegetables. 

SILVER  FLORA  MEDALS.— .Mr.  S.  W.  Flory,  Twicken- 
ham, for  Orchids ;  The  Burton  Hardy  Plant  Nurseries, 
Christchurch,  for  rock  garden  ;  Messrs.  Bath,  Wisbech, 
for  Tulips  and  Carnations ;  Mr.  C.  Blick,  Hayes  for 
Carnations;  Mr.  C.  Bourne,  Bletchley,  for  Tulips;  A.  P 
Brandt,  Esq.,  Bletchingley,  for  fancy  Pelargoniums ; 
Messrs.  Cannell,  Swanley,  for  Canuas,  Pelargoniums, 
&c. ;  Messrs.  Carter  Page,  London  Wall,  for  herbaceous 
plants  and  annuals  ;  Mr.  Douglas,  Great  Bookham,  for 
Carnations ;  Mrs.  Edwards,  Llangollen,  for  alpines ; 
Messrs.  Godfrey,  Exmouth,  for  Pelargoniums,  Ac.  ; 
Messrs.  Gunn,  Olton,for  herbaceous  plants  ;  Mr.  Henisley, 
Crawley,  for  alpines;  The  Misses  .Hopkins,  Sliepperton, 
for  herbaceous  plants;  Messrs.  E.  W.  King  and  Co., 
Coggesliall,  for  Sweet  Peas;  the  Rev.  H.  Buckston, 
Hutton  Hall,  for  Calceolarias  ;  Mrs.  Rolls  Hoare,  Horsham, 
for  scented  Pelargoniums  ;  Robert  Sydenham.  Limited, 
Birmingham,  for  Sweet  Peas ;  Messrs.  Thomson  and 
Charman,  Adelplii,  for  hardy  plants;  Messrs.  Robert 
Veitch,  Exeter,  for  Calceolarias ;  The  Wargrave  Plant 
Farm,  Liverpool  Street,  E.C,  for  Tidips  and  herbaceous 
plants ;  and  Messrs.  Carlton  White,  Bond  Street,  for 
clipped  Box  and  topiary  work. 


'^jafe*^_ 


GARDEN. 


^^^^5^ 


No.  2168.— Vol.  LXXVII, 


CONTENTS. 


June  7,  1913. 


285 


•287 
287 


287 

287 

287 
287 

287 


Notes  of  the  Week 

roRRESPONDENCE 

A  cbarming  W  all  - 
flower 

Davidia  invotucrata 

Honesty  in  the  wild 
garden 287 

Toads   in    the   gar- 
den       

Hose  Lady  Hilling- 
don      

Primula      cock- 
bumiaiia     . . 
l-'orthcomins  events.. 
seasonable  notes  on 

Chrysanthemums. . 
CcLTritAL    Hints   on 

New    and    Hake 

Plants 288 

HOCK  AND  Water  Garden 

The  American  Wood 
Lily     288 

A    showy    Mexican 
Poppy 288 

The    Nymphffias    or 
hardy  Water  Lilies 
1'i.owER  Garden 

Seasonable  notes  on 
Sweet  Peas. . 

Darwin  Tulip   Mas- 
senet     

Potentillas    in     the 
border 290 


289 


290 
290 


FLOWER  Garden 
The     Uomneyns     or 
Tree  Poppies       . .     291 

A   dainty    greenhouse 
Primula 291 

Trees  and  Shrubs 
Laurels  under  trees    292 
A  golden  Pseony    . .     292 

Kitchen  Garden 
Seasonable  notes  on 
vegetables  . .      . .     292 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
The  staking  of  some 

heibaceous  plants  293 

Parsley 293 

Plungino:     pots     in 

summer-time      . .  293 

Planting  Dahlias  . .  293 

Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    [gar- 
dens      294 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens          294 


Notes  on  Tulip.s 


295 


ANSWERS     TO     CORRE 

spondents 
Flower  garden       . .     295 


Fruit  garden 
Kitchen  carden 
Miscellaneous 


295 
295 
295 


IIiLBSTRATIONS. 

A  beautiful  new  hybrid  Primula,  Leddy  Pilrig. .  286 

Hunnemannia  fumaritefolia 288 

.1  beautiful  grouping  of  the  American  Wood  Lily   ..  289 

Darwin  Tulip  Massenet .,  290 

Primula  malacoides        291 

The  golden  Tree  Paeony,  Piennia  arborea  la  Lorraine  292 

A  bed  of  Delphiniums 293 


BDITORIAI.    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


T/ie  Editor  welcomes  jjhotographs.  articles  and  notes, 
htU  he  mil  not  be  responsible  lor  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  car',  however,  iHll  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions 


As  regards  photographt,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  te  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  thai  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  ovmcr  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Enter  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
'>r  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Puhlication  in  The  Garden  urill  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


^tes  :  20.  TaHslock  Sireei.  Covent  Garden.  W.C. 


Our  Art  Supplement. — In  response  to  requests 
made  by  numerous  readers  on  different  occasions, 
we  are  presenting  with  this  issue  a  photographic 
art  supplement  in  place  of  the  usual  coloured  plate. 
Other  supplements  of  this  kind  will  appear  in  our 
issues  for  July  5,  August  2  and  .August  30  respec- 
tively, after  which  date  a  coloured  plate  will  appear 
every  fortnight  as  usual.  In  the  meantime  coloured 
plates  will  be  presented  with  our  issues  dated 
June  21,  July  19  and  August  r6. 

Effective     Combination     Under     Deciduous 

Trees. — .\  very  pleasing  effect  may  be  obtained 
by  planting  Thaspium  aureum,  the  North  American 
Meadow  Parsnip,  which  has  yellow  leaves  and  flowers 
somewhat  resembling  a  hardy  Euphorbia,  with 
the  common  Bluebell,  both  requiring  (he  amount 
of  shade  obtained  by  the  trees.  The  Thaspium 
is  easily  increased  by  divisions  or  by  seed,  and  soon 
becomes  established.  The  plants  then  give  an 
attractive  display  of  beauty  annually. 
Asters  and  Insects. — Now    that  thousands  of 

.\sters  are  being  planted  out  for  summer  effect, 
we  would  warn  readers  of  the  danger  that  is  usually 
lurking  unseen  among  them.  Too  often  we  hear 
complaints  of  plants  with  their  young  foliage 
curled  and  crippled,  and  this  is  usually  due  to 
mites  or  aphides.  As  each  plant  is  lifted  from  the 
box,  it  should  be  dipped  into  some  weak  insecticide 
and  moved  about  in  it,  so  as  to  thoroughly  wet  the 
whole  of  the  foliage.  This  simple  task  now  will 
in  many  cases  mean  the  difference  between  success 
and  failure  later  on. 
A  Useful  Crevice  Plant  (Erinus  alpinus).— 

Of  the  multiplicity  of  alpiiies  that  flower  at  this 
season,  Erinus  alpinus  occupies  a  foremost  position, 
particularly  as  a  subject  that  finds  a  suitable 
home  in  chinlss  in  the  alpine  garden.  Moreover, 
it  is  an  excellent  wall  plant,  and  may  easily  be 
established  in  a  wall  by  sowing  seeds  in  crevices 
that  have  been  filled  in  with  a  stony  or  gritty 
peat  and  loam.  E.  alpinus  has  variable  rosy 
purple  flowers,  and  the  variety  albus  is  a  white 
counterpart.  It  is  a  native  of  the  mountains  of 
Western  Europe,  but  it  is  naturalised  here  and 
there  in  Britain. 

An  Iris  for  the  Water-side. — Iris  sibirica  can 
be  depended  upon  to  grow  and  flower  freely  if 
planted  about  the  margins  of  lakes,  ponds  or 
streams  where  the  roots  are  continually  moist, 
and  there  are  few  showier  subjects  when  it  is  at 
its  best  during  early  June.  Throughout  the  growing 
season  the  grass-like  leaves  present  a  pleasing 
change  from  coarser  vegetation,  whereas  the  tall, 
slender  flower-scapes,  growing  to  a  height  of  aj  feet 
or  3  feet,  terminated  with  lilac  purple  or  bluish 
flowers,  are  most  attractive.  Added  to  this, 
it  gives  comparatively  little  trouble,  for,  once 
established,  it  grows  for  several  years  without  at- 
tention other  than  keeping  it  clear  of  coarse  weeds. 
When    the    clumps    become    overgrown    they    are 


easily  put  right  by  dividing  up  into  smaller  sections 
as  soon  as  the  flowers  fade. 

Wild  Gorse  and  Broom.— Never  before  in  the 
memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitants  of  the  Southern 
Counties  have  the  hillsides  and  commons  been  so 
resplendent  with  Gorse  and  Broom  as  they  are 
this  year.  The  Gorse  in  particular  has  been 
wonderfully  effective,  the  large,  inegular  masses 
of  dark  green  and  gold  providing  an  object-lesson 
in  landscape  effect  that  gardeners  would  do  well 
to  make  a  mental  note  of.  Both  plants  thrive 
admirably  on  dry,  sandy  soil  where  little  else  will 
grow,  a  fact  that  is  now  being  taken  advantage'  of 
in  gardens  where  soil  of  this  character  exists, 
the  double-flowered  Gorse  and  Cytisus  scoparius 
andreanus  being  extensively  planted. 

The  European  Snowy  Mespilus.— In  Ame- 
lanchier  vulgaris,  a  native  of  Europe,  we  possess 
one  of  the  best  Snowy  Mespiluses  or  June-berries 
for  small  gardens.  It  forms  a  spreading  bush 
averaging  3  feet  to  6  feet  high,  and,  being  com- 
paratively slow  in  growth,  does  not  outgrow  its 
position  a  few  years  after  planting.  A.  vulgaris 
is  later  in  flowering  than  the  better-known  A. 
canadensis,  being  at  its  best  at  the  beginning  of  May, 
and  the  flowers  are  not  so  fleeting  as  those  of  that 
species.  A.  vulgaris  is  readily  distinguished 
Irom  all  the  other  species  by  its  bushy  habit, 
hairy  leaves  and  large,  pure  white  flowers.  The 
Amelanchiers  thrive  in  most  soils  and  situations. 
Seeds  and  layering  form  ready  means  of  increase. 

The  Fuchsia-Sowered  Gooseberry.  —  Ribes 
speciosum,  sometimes  known  as  R.  fuchsioides, 
the  Fuchsia  Gooseberry  of  California,  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  of  the  flowering  shrubs  blooming 
at  the  present  time,  The  elegant  sprays  of  flowers, 
which  are  borne  in  clusters  of  one  to  three,  with 
the  stamens  twice  as  long  as  the  calyces,  are  of  a 
rich  deep  red,  and  somewhat  resemble  the  Fuchsia. 
They  are  very  attractive,  being  borne  on  the 
previous  year's  growth  from  3  feet  to  4  feet  long. 
If  room  permits,  it  may  be  allowed  to  grow 
naturally — it  will  then  form  a  bush  from  6  feet  to 
8  feet  high  ;  but  if  the  space  for  it  is  limited,  it 
should  be  cut  back  as  soon  as  the  flowers  are  over. 
In  either  case  it  produces  a  very  pleasing  effect. 

A  Beautiful  Hardy  Annual. — One  of  the  most 
interesting  annual  plants  that  we  have  in  flower 
outdoors  just  now  is  Collomia  coccinea,  which, 
although  a  native  of  Chili,  stands  our  winters 
unharmed.  The  plants  we  have,  "were  self-sown' 
last  autumn,  and  have  now  made  dense  little' 
bushes  some  12  inches  to  15  inches  high.  The 
flowers,  which  are  vermilion  in  colour,  are  produced' 
in  rather  dense  clusters,  much  in  the  same  way 
as  those  of  Crassula  or  Rochea  falcata.  The 
under  surface  of  the  petals,  and  also  the  flower- 
tube,  is  of  rich  apricot  hue.  In  addition  to  its 
value  for  the  outdoor  garden,  this  annual  is  excel- 
lent for  growing  in  pots  in  the  greenhouse,  where 
it  will  flower  early  in  the  year.  It  is  difiicult  to 
understand  whv  it  is  so  little  known. 


286 


THE    GAUDEN. 


[June  7,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the  opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Why  not  a  Hardy  Shrub  Society  ?— We  have 
now  Rose,  Sweet  Pea,.  Hardy  Plant,  Auricula  and 
other  societies   for   the   study   and   popularisation 
of  various  species  of  plant-life.      May  I  ask,  why 
not   a    Hardy   Shrub   Society  ?     There   is   a   large 
and    growing    interest    in    the    beautiful    flowering 
and  evergreen  shrubs  which  we   can  grow  in  the 
open  in  these  islands,   and  their  number  is  being 
added  to  yearly.     A  society  which 
would  promote  the  planting  of  the 
best   of   these   in   private    gardens 
and  might  assist  their  appropriate 
use  in  public  gardens    and    parks 
,  should  be   of  value   to   all  garden- 
lovers.      If    some    of    the   leading  ' 
growers    of    hardy    shrubs    would 
take  up    this    idea,   the  writer,   as 
a  humble  amateur,  would   be   glad 
to     give     any    assistance     in     his 
power. — E.  A.  Croft. 

Cutting  the  Foliage  of  Bulbs. 
Those  who  grow  Darwin  and  Cot- 
tage Tulips  largely  are,  naturally, 
much  interested  in  the  question  of 
cutting  back  after  flowering. 
Owing  to  the  fierce  spell  of  summer 
weather  which  s^t  in  just  after 
the  Chelsea  Show,  the  flowers  aged 
rapidly  and,  moreover,  the  foliage 
ripened  with  a  rapidity  that  I  have 
never  seen  equalled.  To  my  mind 
it  is  simply  bad  gardening  to  let 
long  stems  and  masses  of  textureless 
leaves  remain  on  the  plants  for 
many  days  and  even  weeks — an 
eyesore  in  the  garden  and  abso- 
lutely without  benefit  to  the  bulbs. 
The  fear  of  premature  leaf  removal 
sends  people  to  extremes.  Let 
them  boldly  cut  the  flower-stems 
away  quite  low,  with  the  small, 
thin,  Wcming  leaves  adhering,  but 
keep  the  large  feeder  leaf  neai' 
the  base  as  long  as  possible.  The 
appearance  of  the  garden  generally 
will  benefit  immensely,  and  the 
bulbs  will  not  suffer  injury  one  jot. 
New  bulbs  form  every  year,  and 
I  recently  turned  some  up  that 
were  large  and  well  coloured.  I 
may  add  that  it  is  a  complete 
delusion  to  suppose  that  May 
Tulips  require  annual  removal. — 
W.  P.  W. 

Extenninating  Worms. — I  was 
rather  surprised  to  see  no  edi- 
torial comment  on  Mr.  F.  Auger's 
remarks  on  exterminating  worms  in  lawns  that 
appeared  on  page  280  of  last  week's  issue. 
Worms,  instead  of  being  the  "  worst  enemies  "  of 
lawns,  are  their  best  and,  indeed,  theu:  indis- 
pensable friends.  They  do  absolutely  no  injury 
whatever  to  the  grass  roots,  and  the  necessary 
aeration  of  the  soil  is  almost  wholly  their  work. 
The  foolish  folk  who  waste  money  on  the  advertised 
worm  destroyers  and  attempt  to  entirely  banish 
worms  from  their  grass  would  succeed  in  nothing 
but  rendering  the  soil  inert,  dead  and  incapable 
of  growing  grass  at  all.     Fortunately,  it  is  probably 


an  impossibility  to  really  exterminate  the  worms 
on  a  grass  plot  of  any  size.  The  only  place  where 
worms  are  hurtful  is  a  pot  or  seed-pan,  where 
the  poor  creatures  are  imprisoned  and  unable  to 
live  naturally. — G.  H.  Engleheart.  [We  publish 
Mr.  Engleheart's  letter,  but  cannot  agree  with  all 
his  statements.  Although  worms  may  not  injure 
the  roots  of  the  grasses,  their  casts  are  a  great 
nuisance,  as  many  owners  of  lawns  know  to  their 
cost. — Ed.1 


An  excellent  way  of  covering  a  shady  wall  in  a 
conservatory  is  with  the  common  Hart's-tongue 
Fern,  planted  in  shallow  soil,  covered  with  moss, 
the  latter  being  kept  in  place  on  the  wall  by  means 
of  narrow  strands  of  iron.  The  entire  surface  of 
a  large  waU — if  in  the  shade — may  be  beautified 
in  this  manner. — Eleanor  Shelley.  Avington, 
Alresford,  Hants. 
A   Beautiful   Hybrid    Primula.— I   send  with 


this  note  a  spike  of  a  hybrid   Primula  which  my 
Climbers      for     a      Lofty      Conservatory. — Or  1  gardener,  Mr.  William  Robertson,  has  been  success- 


reading  an  answer  entitled  "  Climbers  in 
Conservatory "    in    The    Garden,    issue 


a  Lofty  ful  in  rearing.  It  is  a  cross  between  P.  bulleyana 
May  24,  !  and  P.  beesiana.  It  received  a  first-class  certificate 
last  year  from  the  Scottish  Horti- 
cultural Society.  This  year  the 
plants  have  thriven  well  and  have 
flowered,  as  I  think,  with  excep- 
tional beauty.  I  hope  you  will 
agree  with  me  when  you  see  the 
flowering  stem  which  I  send 
with  this.  The  Primula  measures 
now  from  the  ground  to  the  top 
37J  inches,  and  should  grow  at 
least  I  inch  or  2  inches  more. 
The  whorls  have  seventeen  or 
eighteen  flowers  on  each.  The 
colour,  as  you  will  see  if  the  spike 
travels  at  all  well,  combines  the 
purple  red  of  P.  beesiana  with  the 
apricot  of  P.  bulleyana  very 
delightfully.  It  has  a  perfume, 
which  It  takes  from  the  pollen 
parent,  P.  bulleyana.  The  hybrid 
IS  named  Leddy  Pilrig. — (Miss) 
B.      Balfour-Melville.  [The 

Primula  sent  by  Miss  Balfour- 
.Meholle  is  one  of  the  prettiest  we 
have  ever  seen.  The  spike  had 
seven  whorls  of  flowers,  the  sturdy 
stem  and  calyces  being  coateil 
with  farina. — Ed.] 

Early  Vegetable s.— Many 

readers  of  your  excellent  report  of 
the  great  show  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  at  Chelsea, 
issue  May  24,  must  have  a  longing 
to  grow  early  vegetables  when 
they  peruse  that  part  of  it  which 
describes  the  produce  staged  b\- 
Mr.  Beckett  of  Aldenham  House 
Gardens,  the  Thatcham  Fruit  and 
Flower  Farm,  Messrs.  James  Carter 
and  Co.,  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons, 
and  other  firms.  Undoubtedly, 
the  production  of  such  forward 
vegetables  means  suitable  accom- 
modation and  strict  and  very 
competent  attention.  1  have 
always  dune  my  best  to  secure 
fairly  early  vegetables  at  a 
small  cost.  Early  Potatoes, 
Radishes,  Turnips,  Carrots  and 
page  xvi.,  the  following  additional  climbing  plants,  I  Lettuces  were  grown  on  rubbish  soils  collected 
with  their  varieties,  occur  to  me,  all  of  which  diuring  the  summer  and  winter  from  the  potting- 
flourish     here     without     stove     heat :      Abutilon,  i  sheds  and  other  places,  and,  being  mixed  with  leat- 


A    BEAUTIiLil,    Ni-W    HYBRID    PRIMULA,    LEDDY    PILRIG,   THE    RESULT 
OF    CROSSING    P.    BULLEYANA    AND    P.    BEESIANA. 


practically  evergreen  ;  Tacsonia,  seen  to  advantage 
on  a  roof,  from  which  it  hangs  in  long,  graceful 
sprays,  and  very  quick  growing ;  Bougainvillea, 
Plumbago,  the  species  of  Fuchsia  (F.  gracilis  1 
think  it  is)  with  all  red  flowers  on  long,  slender 
stalks  and  large,  handsome  leaves ;  also  Vitis 
henryana,  the  distinctively  marked  leaves  of  which 
are  most  effective  trained  up  a  pillar.  It  turns  a 
deep  crimson  purple  in  winter  and  is  self-clinging. 


soil,  were  put  down  i  foot  to  18  inches  deep  on 
mild  hot-beds  in  the  open  in  early  spring.  Boards 
on  edge,  with  Pea-sticks  or  laths  on  the  top  to 
support  clean  litter  or  canvas  on  frosty  nights, 
constituted  all  the  protection  needed,  and  really 
very  fine  crops  were  secured  many  weeks  before 
they  could  be  had  from  the  open  borders. 
The  present  is  a  good  time  to  commence  collecting 
odd  soils  for  the  purpose. — Avon. 


June  7,  i9i3-l 


THE    GARDEK. 


287 


A  Charming   Wallflower.— Cheiranthus  AUioni 

showtd  up  prettily  m  one  or  two  of  the  rock  gardens 
at  the  Chelsea  Show,  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons  having 
a  particularly  bright  i>atch  of  it.  Those  who 
.ulniire  this  cheery  little  Wallflower  should  grow 
also  C.  Arkwrightii,  that  is,  if  it  is  procurable,  and 
I  have  an  idea  that  it  is  now  on  the  market.  This 
plant  is  a  cross  between  Allioni  and  alpinus, 
and  was  raised  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Arkwright  ot  Presteign. 
Plants  sent  me  by  the  raiser  a  year  or  two  back 
are  now  in  full  flower  here,  and  are  among  the 
brightest  little  pieces  of  colour  in  my  garden. — 
F.  Herbert  Chapman.  Rye. 

Davidia  involucrata. — This  must  be  a  wonderful 
tree,  by  all  accounts,  when  in  bloom.  Although 
now,  1  suppose,  found  in  several  gardens,  it  must 
be  still  quite  uncommon.  I  bought  a  very  small 
plant  of  it  from  Messrs.  Lemoine,  Nancy,  in 
December,  1906.  It  came  by  post  in  a  tiny  box. 
The  plant  could  not  have  been  more  than  a  few 
inches  in  length.  Now  it  measures  5  feet  2  inches 
in  height,  and  is  exactly  4  inches  in  circumference 
at  the  thickest  part  of  the  stem.  The  singularity 
of  the  tree,  and  its  strange  beauty  when  in  flower, 
would  almost  seem  to  make  a  journey  to  China 
worth  while  to  see  it  in  its  home  !  How  much  we 
owe  to  the  enterprise  of  Messrs.  Veitch  and  Mr. 
Wilson !  They  have  placed  within  our  reach 
such  a  large  number,  of  beautiful  Chinese  plants 
and  trees. — (Rev.)  William  W.  Flemvsc,  Coolfin, 
I'ortlaw,  County  Walerford. 

Honesty   in   the  Wild   Garden.— I   am  much 

interested  in  the  reference  to  the  above-named 
plant  in  "  Notes  of  the  Week,"  issue  May  24, 
and  also  on  page  276,  May  31  issue.  The  general 
beauty  and  usefulness  of  the  plant  is  not  recognised 
as  much  as  it  deserves  to  be.  As  suggested  in  the 
notes  referred  to,  the  best  place  for  the  plants  is 
the  wild  or  semi-cultivated  portion  of  the  girden. 
The  seedlings  are  tenacious  of  life,  and  will  survive 
in  most  unlikely  places.  In  a  garden  in  Lancashire 
there  is  a  wild  portion  of  great  extent  ;  in  fact,  it 
encircles  a  small  park,  and  has  a  wide  strip  (varying 
in  width)  of  ground  in  which  trees,  shrubs,  bulbous 
and  other  kinds  of  plants,  including  Honesty,  grow. 
The  latter  formed  irregular  masses  and  looked 
charming  indeed  when  in  flower,  and  when  the  seed- 
shields  were  mature  the  plants  were  cut  down  and  the 
shields  gently  beaten  to  separate  them. — B. 

Toads  in  the  Garden. — Perhaps  I  may  be  allowed 
space  to  make  .mother  brief  reference  to  the  value 
of  toads  in  the  garden.  "  H.  P."  has  a  very  inter- 
esting note  on  page  251,  issue  May  24.  Many- 
years  ago  I  was  told  by  a  gardener,  who  for  a  time 
worked  in  Messrs.  Dicksons',  Limited,  nursery 
at  Chester,  that  there  was  a  toad  kept  in  one  of 
the  propagating-houses,  and  that  he  was  greatly 
valued  and  made  quite  a  pet  of.  He  had  lost  one 
eye.  At  stated  times  he  used  to  take  his  stroll, 
hop,  or  walk  far  out  into  the  nursery  grounds  ;  but, 
with  equal  punctuality,  he  was  back  at  the  duor 
of  the  house  waiting  for  the  attendant  to  come 
and  open  it,  when  he  would  go  in.  This  toad 
was  a  very  old  one.  I  have  fovmd  toads  invaluable 
in  vineries  and  houses  where  earwigs,  woodlice 
and  other  insect  pests  were  troublesome.  The  two 
I  had  last  I  accidentally  killed  through  sprinkling 
an  insecticide  powder  on  them  behind  the  hot- 
water  pipes. — G.  G. 

Rose  Lady  Hillingdon. — My  experience  of  this 
Rose  IS  quiti-  m  opposition  to  the  note  on  page  225, 
May  10  issue,  in  which  doubt  is  cast  upon  the  good 
manners  of  this  charming  variety  in  the  open. 
Mv  pi. ml  1)1  it  was  put  out  in  June,   1911.  from  a 


pot,  when  it  gave  some  nice  blooms  quite  late  in 
the  autumn.  Last  year,  in  spite  of  the  bad  season, 
especially  in  our  stiff  soil  with  so  much  rain,  I  had 
a  lovely  lot  of  intensely-coloured  flowers.  The  only 
fault  I  find  with  its  growth  is  that  the  stems  and 
peduncles  are  weak.  This,  coupled  with  the  weight 
of  the  full  flowers,  makes  them  droop.  In  this 
way  the  blooms  do  not  show  themselves  so  well 
upon  the  plants  or  in  a  cut  state  ;  except  for  the 
latter  purpose  they  are  neatly  wired. — E.  M. 
[The  drooping  habit  of  this  Rose  is  rmdoubtedly 
a  great  drawback,  but  this  could  be  tolerated  if 
the  colour  were  good.  We  have  never  seen  blooms 
of  really  good  colour  from  outdoor  bushes  in  a 
fully-exposed  situation. — Ed.] 

Primula   cockburniana. — it   is   a  pleasure   to 
receive  the  experience  of  so  many  of  your  readers 
with  P.  cockburniana,  but   I  am  rather  surprised 
to  observe  that  several  of  them  appear  to  attach 
little    importance    to    the    biennial    or    perennial 
habit  of  this  Primula.     If  we  are  to  look  upon  it 
as  a  really  reliable  occupant   of  our  gardens,   we 
must    endeavour    to    secure    its    cultivation    as    a 
perennial  and  not  as  a  biennial.     One  knows  how- 
many   really   good    biennials   are   dropped   out    of 
gardens   because    they   either   do   not    sow-    them- 
selves  well  or   require   renewal,   either   by  saving 
seeds  or  by  propagation,  by  division,  or  cuttings. 
P.    cockburniana    does    sow   itself    well    in    many 
places,  but  in  others  it  has  hardly  any  opportunity 
of  doing  so,  and  cannot  be  trusted  to  be  left  alone 
to   reproduce   itself.      In    such   places,    at    least,    it 
is  highly  desirable,  surely,  that  it  should  be  grown 
as  a  perennial.     The  multiplicity  of  plants  which 
require    constant    propagation    is    quite    a    straiii 
upon  the  resources  of  many  places,  w-ithout  adding 
any   more   than    can    be   helped.     If,    however,   it 
can  be  proved  to  satisfaction  that  old  plants  are 
inferior    to    young   ones,    a  suflScient    reason    for 
annual     propagation     from     seeds     and     treating 
P.  cockburniana  as  a  biennial  might  be  admitted. 
I  am  confident,  however,  that   any  who  have  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  the  old  plants  as  grown  by 
Mr.   W.    Hutchmson  in  the  gardens  of  Mr.   C.   E. 
Galbraith    at    Terregles,    Dumfries,    will    not    be 
disposed  to  favour  growing   P.  cockburniana  as  a 
biennial.     The    picture    of    health,    free-blooming 
and  beautiful,  these  plants,  as  I  saw  them  a  w-eek  or 
so  ago,  were  superb,  and    much  superior  to  small 
one  year  old  plants,  how-ever  w-ell  grown.     We  find 
that    new    plants   receive    more    attention    in    the 
w-ay  of  propagation  than  old  ones  ;   and  that  they 
may   receive   some  new   claimant   for   the   limited 
amount  of  time  at  the  disposal  of  the  garden  calls 
for  attention  in  the  way  of  propagation.     But  for 
the  necessity  of  frequent  propagation,  the  old  double 
Rockets  and  the  Mule   Pinks,  for  example,  would 
be  all  the  more  cultivated  instead  of  being  com- 
paratively scarce  now.     P.   cockburniana  has  the 
advantage   over   these   of  reproducing   itself   from 
seeds,  but  it  should  be  the  aim  of  all  to  have  as 
few  things  as  possible  to  raise  annually,  unless  there 
are  gains  commensurate  with  the  amount  of  time 
and  trouble  they  require.     Those  of  us  who  know 
the    pressure    of   work   in    many    gardens    always 
welcome    any   knowledge   of   cultural   detail   which 
will  keep  it  as  low  as  possible. — S.  Arnott. 


SEASONABLE    NOTES    ON 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 


u 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

June  9.  — ■  United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Meeting. 

Jvme  ri. — East  Anglian  Horticultural  Club's 
Meeting. 

June  13. — National  Hardy  Plant  Society's  Show 
at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Hall. 


SUALLV,  cultivators  possess  batches  jf 
plants    for   exhibition — for    the    pro- 
duction of  large  blooms  in  a  cut  state 
to   place  on   boards  or  in   vases — as 
specimens,   for  the  furnishing  of  the 
conservatory  or  greenhouse,  and  for 
the  supply  of  cut  flowers  from  the  time  of  Dahlias 
to  Christmas  and  after.     These  are  in  addition  to 
the  plants  grown  in  the  open  borders.     All  these 
require  a  vast  amount  of  attention  and  labour  if 
they   are  to  be   quite  satisfactory  in  due  season. 
Many  persons  have  ample  space  outside  to  accom- 
modate the  plants  in  the  summer,  but  lack  it  under 
glass   in   the   autumn.     It   is   a  mistake   to   over- 
stock, and  this  is  the  time  to  make  the  balance. 

Potting. — Throughout  the  month  of  June, 
growers  will  be  busy  potting  some  of  their  plants, 
notably  those  late-rooted  which  are  being  trans- 
ferred to  their  flowering  pots.  Very  hard  ramming 
down  of  the  soil  must  be  avoided.  An  inex- 
perienced cultivator,  who  is  now  growing  a  batch 
of  plants  in  earnest,  called  on  me  a  few  days  ago 
and  asked  me  to  give  him  a  few  hints  about  composts 
and  potting.  He  said  ;  "  I  have  grown  a  few  plants 
in  previous  years,  but  without  much  success  ; 
I  think  I  pot  too  hard,  and  take  quite  five  minutes 
to  pot,  finally,  a  single  plant.  When  I  turn  out 
the  soil  in  the  autumn,  the  final  potting  compost 
falls  away,  as  it  contains  few  roots."  Now,  1  myself  . 
have  seen  this  condition  of  compost  and  plants. 
To  spend  nearly  five  minutes  ramming  soil  down  in 
a  flower-pot  is  worse  than  time  wasted.  It  defeats 
the  object  in  view-.  Only  moderately  firm  potting 
is  needed;  the  Japanese  varieties  must  not  be 
potted  quite  as  firmly  as  those  of  the  imuuvod 
section. 

Position  in  Simimer  for^the  Plants.— Usually, 

when  the  final  putting  has  been  completed,  the  plants 
are  placed  in  blocks  close  together  for  a  time  ;  but 
they  must  not  be  left  so  for  any  lengthened  period. 
Put  them  18  inches  apart  in  rows  running  north 
and  south,  and  allow  a  space  of  4  feet  or  5  feet 
between  the  rows.  The  pots  may  be  placed  on 
a  bed  of  ashes,  but  they  are  best  on  tiles  or  boards. 
On  the  latter  they  do  well  lining  garden  paths, 
where  it  is  convenient.  Specimen  plants  should 
have  a  position  by  themselves.  Two  rows  of 
wires,  fixed  to  strong  stakes,  will  be  necessary  for 
plants  that  grow  5  feet  and  more  high,  aod  one  wire 
for  plants  under  five  feet.  Always  apply  water 
through  a  rosed  watering-can. 

Persistent  Bud  Formation.— Some  varieties 
give  a  lot  of  trouble  and  create  much  disappoint- 
ment through  persistently  forming  buds  instead  of 
growing  on  freely.  A  bud  shows,  it  is  pinched  out, 
another  young  shoot  appears  and  then  it  bears 
a  bud,  and  so  on  mitil  the  summer  is  well  advanced. 
The  only  thing  to  do  is  to  remove  these  premature 
buds.  I  have  tried  topping  the  plants — that  is, 
pinching  off  about  two  inches — but  it  was  not  a 
remedy ;  buds  still  formed.  Sometimes  a  bud 
at  the  right  date  may  appear  and  be  "  taken,"  and 
the  resultant  bloom  is  a  passable  one  ;  but  more 
frequently  the  bloom  develops  too  late,  owing  to 
the  late  appearance  of  the  bud  that  can,  with  con- 
fidence, be  safely  "  taken." 

Planting-Out  for  Lifting.— Where  pots  are 
scarce  and  many  plants  are  required  for  the  pro- 
duction of  cut  flowers,  a  number  may  be  planted — 
say,  in   the  kitchen   garden   or  on   a  spare  plot   of 


288 


THE    GAEDEN. 


[jUNK 


?■  1913 


ground — with  the  object  of  lifting  and  placing  them 
on  Vine  or  Peach  borders  in  the  autumn. 
A  Simple  Way  of  Planting-Out. — For  many 

years  I  carried  out  the  following  plan.  On  a  bed 
of  ashes  I  placed  the  plants  2  feet  apart  in  rows 
4  feet  asunder.  Only  a  thin  layer  of  soil  was  put 
under  the  plants,  but  the  roots  were  well  covered 
with  good  compost,  and,  as  the  season  advanced, 
top-dressings  were  added.  These  plants,  being 
close  to  a  water  supply,  did  remarkably  well,  and 
in  the  autumn  were  readily  lifted  by  placing  a 
strong  garden  fork  under  each,  and  conveyed  to 
the  border  under  glass,  where  they  did  not  suffer 
any  check.  The  plants  so  treated  were  dwarfer 
than  others  planted  out,  very  bushy 
and  frcelv  flowered.  .\voN. 


loving  species,  nowhere  happier  than  near  abundant 
supplies  of  moisture  in  rich  soils.  Native  of 
Western  China,  where  at  great  elevation  it  is  said 
to  cover  whole  mountain  meadows.  Raise  from 
seeds  sown  when  fully  matured. 

Anemone  seythinica. — This  is  one  of  the 
A.  blanda  set,  and  one  of  the  most  charming  plants 
of  spring.  Externally  the  sepals  are  coloured  a 
deep  purplish  blue,  the  inner  row  of  petals  being 
white.  In  a  group  of  it  both  colours  are  seen  in 
the  picture,  the  contrast  of  intense,  almost  gentian 
blue     and    pure    white    bemg     particularly    fine. 


Height 
habit 


6   inches    to 
tufted     and 


8   inches   when     established ; 
highlv     ornamental.     Loves 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


T 


CULTURAL  HINTS 
ON  NEW  AND 
RARE    PLANTS. 

(Ciiiiliiiifd  from  page  205.) 
TREES      AND      SHRUBS. 

Davidia  involucrata  is  a  large- 
growing  tree  from  Chnia,  where 
it  is  reported  to  form  a  specimen 
as  large  as  a  Hor^e  Chestnut. 
Although  only  introduced  twelve 
or  thirteen  years  ago,  so  amenable 
is  it  to  cultivation  that  there 
are  already  numerous  specimens 
15  feet  in  height  and  over. 
Well-drained  loamy  soil  suits  it 
well,  while  it  also  thrives  in  soil 
of  a  peaty  character.  Cuttings 
both  young  and  fuUy-ripened  shoots 
may  lie  rooted. 

Pyracantha  angustifolia. — Th 
may      be      recognised     by     some 
people  under  the  name  of  Cotone 
aster   angustifolia,    but    the    former 
is     now     considered     tlie      corrci 
name.       An     evergreen     shrub,     il 
makes     a    worthy    companion 
llir    cinlin.uy    Pyracantha.    and    is 
a      loiitr.isl      by      nasi  in      of      ils 
yellowish    or     goldcMi     berries.       In 
tlic    milder    parts    of    the   country 
it      may      In       grown       hi      loamy 
soil      III       .III       open      border,     but 
elscwheir     il       slunikl     be     placed 
against   -i  w.dl. 

Styrax     hemsleyana,     a    new 

species  from  Szcchuan  and  Hupeh, 
is     likely     to     form     one     of     the 
most     ornamental    species    of    the 
genus,    for    it     has    whitish    bark, 
bold   foliage,   and    bears   good-sized    inflorescences 
of  white  flowers.     Like  other  Styraxes,  it  may  be 
planted  in  warm,  well-dramed,  loamy  soil  contain- 
ing a  little  peat. 

HARDY     PLANTS. 

Primula  bulleyana. — Among  the  moderns  m 
the  Primula  world  this  is  certainly  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  distinct,  valuable  alilce  for  vigour, 
for  amenability  to  cultivation  in  British  gardens, 
and  for  newness  of  colour  in  its  own  family.  The 
predominant  colour  is  orange,  but  there  ,ue  also 
touches  of  apricot,  buff  and  seal  Id  .  llie  plant 
forms  greal  spreading  rosettes  of  leaves,  (lom 
which  tlie  liiagiiilicenl  spikes  of  flowers,  2  feet  to 
il   fill  liigh,  issue  in  Jmie  and  July.       A  moisture 


THE     AMERICAN     WOOD     LILY. 

(Trillium  gkandiflorum.) 
HIS  year  the  American  Wood  Lily  seems 
to     have     flowered    with     exceptional 
freedom  in  various  gardens  throughout 
the    country.       Not   that   it   is   in  any 
way  a  difficult   subject  to   manage,  for 
it   may  be  relied  upon  to  flower  more 
or  less  freely  every  year.     Moreover,  it  is  a  most 
accommodating   plant,  for  not  only  is  it  most  at 
home  in  the  partial   shade  of  a  woodland  garden 
and    in     a    cool,    leafy    soil,    but 
it     also     flourishes     as     a     semi- 
bog  plant  or  in  the  drier  position 
of  a  pocket    in    the    rock    garden. 
T.    grandiflorum    is    one    of    those 
popular    plants    having    the    mis- 
fortune  to  bear   a   multiplicity  of 
common    names.       Of    the    names 
given   to   this    plant,   that   of    the 
American    Wood    Lily  appears    to 
be  the   most    appropriate,  for  it  is 
a   native    of    North   .\merica   and 
belongs     to      tlie      Natural     Order 
Liliaceff. 

For  naturalising  in  shady  places 
it  is  well  adapted,  and  when  grown 
in  the  natural  leafy  soil  of  old  woods 
it  increases  rapidly,  while  it  doe) 
almost  equally  well  on  a  deep  and 
well-drained  lied  of  peaty  soil. 
.\lthougli  there  are  a  number  of 
species,  the  subject  of  this  note  is 
unquestionably  the  most  useful  as  a 
garden  flower.  The  three-petalled 
flowers  of  T.  grandiflorum  are  very 
chaste  and  snow  white,  fading  to 
pale  rose  with  age.  The  subject  of 
our  illustration  on  page  289  is  that 
known  as  T.  grandiflorum  roseum. 
It  is  a  suitable  companion  to  the 
type,  the  flowers  being  of  a  rosy 
hue,  deepening  in  colour  aftei 
expanding. 


HUNNEMANNIA    FUMARI.ffiFOLIA,   A  LITTLE-KNOWN    PERENNIAL    WITH 
GREY    FOLIAGE    AND    YELLOW    FLOWERS. 


deep,  rich,  light,  sandy  soils,  .\bhors  clay. 
Raised  to  any  extent  almost  from  seeds,  which, 
if  sown  soon  after  ripening,  first  flower  at  eighteen 
months  old.  Flowers  March-.^pril.  A  notable 
plant,  good  and  cheap. 
Campanula  Profusion  Varieties. — Most  growers 

of  choice  Bellflowers  have  not  yet  realised  that 
there  are  two  distinct  varieties  of  this  plant,  and 
both  are  good  for  their  late  flowering.  One 
has  self-coloured  flowers  of  a  good  blue  tone,  the 
other  sky  blue,  mauve-shaded  flowers  of  exquisite 
delicacy  aiid  charm.  For  their  late  as  well  as 
abundant  and  profuse  flowering  they  .are  recom- 
lueiidr.l,  ll.il.il  Ir^iiliiiK,  Spiiiii,'  nil  lings  or 
di\'isi<iii. 

{Jij  be  cniitliiiud.) 


A    SHOWY     MEXICAN 
POPPY. 

(HUNNEMANNIA     FUMARl.EFOLI  A.) 

Tins  rather  uncommon  plant  with 
bright  yellow  Poppy-like  flowers 
might  at  first  sight  be  mistaken  for 
the  better-known  Eschscholtziacali- 
fornica,  to  which  it  is  closely  allied. 
The  subject  of  this  note  is  the  sole 
representative  of  the  genus.  It  is 
a  native  of  Mexico  and  takes  its  name  after  Hunne- 
mann,  a  zealous  botanist  who  died  in  1837,  while 
the  specific  name  indicates  that  the  plant  is  Fumaria- 
leaved.  Coming  from  a  much  warmer  clime  than 
ours,  it  is  not  surprising  that  it  should  prove  only 
half-hardy  in  this  country.  Seeds  may,  however, 
be  sown  in  the  open  either  in  spring  or  autumn,  and, 
providing  protection  from  frost  and  wet  is  given 
in  the  winter,  it  will  continue  to  grow  for  years, 
as  it  is  of  perennial  duration.  A  fairly  rich  soil 
suits  it  best,  and  it  succeeds  luuler  much  the  same 
conditions  as  the  lovely  .Senecio  pulchelliim.  Not 
onlv  is  Hiinnemannia  showy  when  in  flower,  but 
it  i^  also  liaiidsomi'  in  foliage,  while  Im  |il.iiilini 
ON  llir  siiiiiu*  side  of  the  rock  garden  in  .1  |Mnkcl 
sheltered  iroia  cold  winds  it  is  to  be  niiiinieiiditl. 


fUNE   7,  1913-] 


THE    GARDEN. 


289 


TUB   NYMPH-EAS  OR  HARDY  WATER 
LILIES. 

(Conliiiucd  from   t^agc   207.) 

Varieties. — Many  lovers  ot  the  Water  Lily  I 
ti.ivi-  cultivated  the  older  hybrids  and  found  great  ' 
satisfaction  therein,  as  I  know  (almost  too  well) 
by  the  larfje  amount  if  correspondence  received 
at  variovis  times,  yet  they  have  not  ventured  to 
add  to  their  collections  some  of  the  later  hybrids, 
not  by  any  means  the  newest  and,  consequently, 
the  most  rare,  but  those  that  are  comparatively 
plentiful.  Such,  for  instance,  as  the  following,  viz., 
N"yniph.ea  Marliacea  ignea,  a  siimewhat  miniature- 
growing  hybrid  iuid  one  well  sviited  for  fountains 
and  shallow  basins,  \«th  very  brilliant  H<iwers  ; 
N.  sangiiinca  (N.  caroliniana  x  N.  Laydekeri, 
Marliac),  another  Lily  for  the  fountain  or  basin,  very 
free-flowering  ;  N.  pygmaea  Helvola  (N.  tctragona  x 
K.  mexicana,  Marliac,  1803),  quite  a 
gem,  with  pale  yellow  flowers,  the 
smallest  of  all  the  hybrids  and 
.uiothi-r  good  subject  for  shallow 
water  ;  N.  odorata  exquisita  (Marliac, 
1898),  a  most  lovely  shade  of  rosy 
pink  and  of  moderate  growth  ;  N. 
caroliniana  perfecta  and  N.  carolhiiana 
rosea,  two  gems  in  their  way  ;  and  \. 
caroliniana  nivea,  a  pure  white  form, 
are  all  nt  Marliac's  raising.  The  pre- 
ceding are  about  the  best  that  can  be 
chosen  for  the  purposes  indicated. 
Others  with  more  vigorous  growth  are  : 
N.  r'roebelii,  raised  by  the  late  M. 
I'roebel  of  Zurich.  This  is  not  a 
hybrid,  but  the  result  of  repeated 
selection  from  seedlings  raised  from 
N.  spha;rocarpa  rosea,  and  from  first 
to  last,  when  N.  Froebelii  resulted,  a 
period  of  twenty  years  elapsed.  N. 
James  Brydon,  an  American-raised 
hybrid  (N.  Candida  rubra  x  X. 
Laydekeri,  Dreer,  1902),  a  most 
profuse-flowering  hybrid,  and  one  of 
the  most  distuict,  the  colour  being 
almost  impossible  to  describe ;  a 
pinkish  crimson  may  perhaps  describe 
it.  Its  form,  also,  is  globular,  hence 
quite  distinct,  too,  in  this  respect.  N. 
Marliacea  chromatella  foliis  mar- 
moratis  should  be  noted  as  a  varie- 
gated form  of  this  well  -  known 
hybrid. 

I  have  often  been  asked  to 
name  some  of  the  best  and  most 
distinct  of  these  hybrid  Nymphieas. 
In  my  opinion  the  following  constitute  the  best 
so  far  in  cultivation  :  Whites — N.  gladstoneana, 
N.virginalis,  N.  Marhacea  albida  and  N.  caroliniana 
nivea.  Pale  pinks — N.  Mrs.  Richmond.  N.  for- 
mosa,  N.  Marliacea  rosea  and  N.  Colossea.  Deeper 
pinks — N.  Masaneillo,  N.  suavissima.  N.  somptuosa 
and  N.  Newton.  Yellows — N.  Marliacea  chroma- 
tella or  N.  mooreana  (the  last  named  of  a  deeper 
shade  of  yellow),  N.  odorata  sulphurea  grandiflora 
and  N.  pygmaea  Helvola.  Crimsons  and  shades 
of  crimson — N.  atropurpurea,  N.  Attraction,  N. 
ellisiana,  N.  Escarbonele,  N.  Meteor,  N.  James 
Brydon,  N.  gloriosa,  N.  Froebelii,  N.  Marliacea 
flammea,  N.  sanguinea,  N.  William  Falconer, 
N.  Marliacea  ignea,  N.  Robinsonii  and  N.  lucida. 
These  comprise  thirty  of  the  very  best,  so  tar  as 
1  have  taken  note  of  them  at  various  times. 

Enemies. — Like  all  other  plants  that  are  culti- 
vated in  our  gardens,  the  Water  Lilies  have  soran 


enemies  to  contend  with.  The  water  snail  is  one 
that  is,  in  a.  few  waters,  somewhat  troublesome. 
The  best  remedy  that  I  can  advise  for  this  is 
the  use  of  finely-gnnnid  lime  (not  slaked  lime, 
which  is  not  quite  so  effective,  I  think).  If  very 
troublesome,  then  lower  the  water  and  destroy 
all  that  can  be  seen,  and  lime  all  the  surface  lightly 
before  raising  the  water-level  again.  Too  free  a 
use  of  lime,  be  it  noted,  is  prejudicial,  in  ray  opinion. 
Aphides  will  attack  them  at  times.  For  this  the 
remedy  is  spraying  over  the  entire  surface  towards 
the  evening,  .uid  with  repeated  doings  if  needful, 
selecting  a  dry,  quiet  time  if  possible.  A  mite  or 
other  small  aquatic  insect  will  eat  away  the 
leaves  from  the  under  side,  b'or  this  llie  remedy 
is  a  well-proven  insecticide  at  about  double  the 
usual  strength  of  application.  This  should  be 
forced  tmder  the  foliage,  so  that  it  rises  against 
tlie    under    surface    of    the    leaves.     Anr)ther    and 


l;u-gc  or  small,  predominate.  The  vole  or  water- 
rat  is  also  an  enemy  to  tlic  crowns,  and  this  rodent 
will  do  .1  lot  of  harm  possibly  before  he  is  detected. 
Cultural  Hints. — In  small  basins  and  where 
fountains,  too,  are  in  play  at  times — anywhere,  in 
fact,  where  the  beneficial  effects  of  the  syringe 
can  be  utilised — it  is  well  to  syrmge  the  plants  over- 
head during  hot  weather  and  towards  the  close  of 
the  day.  On  our  lake  we  cannot  well  do  this,  but 
I  have  raised  a  smile  sometimes  when  I  have  said 
that  our  Water  Lilies  would  be  all  the  better  for 
a  good  shower.  If  accessible  and  time  can  be  given 
to  it,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  wade  in  and  aroimd  the 
plants  and  remove  any  dead  or  decaying  foliage, 
also  where  the  leaf-growth  is  too  thick.  Old 
flowers  can  at  the  same  time  be  removed.  Occa- 
sionally 1  have  noted  that  some  leaves  get  scorched 
on  very  hot  days.  Remove  these  where  it  is 
possible  to  do  so. 


A    BEAUTII-UL    GROUPING    OF    THE    AMERICAN    WOOD    LILY    IN    THE    ROCK    GARDEN. 


most  determined  enemy  of  the  Water  Lily,  in  my 
experience,  has  been  the  waterfowl  of  divers  kinds, 
from  the  black  and  white  swans  down  to  the  moor- 
fowl.  All  grades  have  a  liking  either  for  the  young 
bronzy  leaves  of  many  of  the  best  hybrids  or  for 
the  flowers  themselves.  The  moorfowl  will  peck 
through  the  unopened  buds  of  those  of  the  highest 
colour  ;  this  is  most  provoking.  Again,  as  I 
have  alluded  to,  the  same  bird  will  appropriate 
the  leaves  of  the  individually  small  plants  (these 
in  most  instances  will  be  the  choicer  kinds),  and 
this,  too,  is  annoying,  as  if  the  leaves  of  the  older 
varieties  were  not  good  enough  for  making  their 
nests.  Ducks  will  dive  and  peck  out  the  hearts 
of  small  plants  very  persistently,  while  swans  do 
a  vast  amomit  of  injury  in  tearing  off  the  leaves 
and  swimming  through  the  separate  plants.  Water 
Lilies,  other  than  the  common  variety,  cannot 
be  grown  as  they  should  be  where  aquatic  birds. 


Congenial  Positions. — Failure  in  many  instances 
has  undoubtedly  arisen  through  planting  Water 
Lilies  in  what  may  be  termed  running  water. 
I  have  found  out  this  to  be  the  case  by  the  numerous 
letters  I  have  received  upon  the  subject.  I  have 
in  my  travels  taken  note  of  where  Water  Lilies 
establish  themselves  in  waters  that  are  moving 
to  some  considerable  extent.  I  watched  for  them 
all  one  day  on  journeying  up  the  Rhine  from 
Cologne  to  Mayence.  At  last  I  found  a  few  in 
what  we  should  term  a  back-water,  where  the 
movement  of  the  water  was  not  felt.  In  the  same 
way  and  fashion  I  found  them  in  the  waters  behind 
the  city  of  Bergen  in  Nonvay,  and  also  upon  inland 
lakes,  but  always  in  such  positions.  Upon  a  sheet 
of  water  well  above  Coniston  Lake — in  a  mountain 
tarn,  in  fact — I  found  them  in  rather  deeper  water, 
but  where  there  was  not  much  movement,  all  the 
same.     When    in    Norway    I    looked    in    vain    for 


290 


THE    GARDEN. 


[June  7,  1913. 


varieties  with  any  tinge  oi  colour  in  the  flowers- 
Those  with  this  characteristic,  I  am  informed  on 
good  authority,  exist  in  Sweden  in  considerable 
quantity.  If  it  were  possible,  I  should  like  to 
see  these  growing.  I  refer  to  such  as  N.  alba  rosea 
(syn.  N.  sphjerocarpa  rosea),  which  I  never 
succeeded  in  growing  ?.  tisfactorily  at  Gunnersbury. 
Water  Lilies  undoubtedly  prefer  quiet  water,  not 
so  much  so  as  to  be  termed  stagnant,  but  where 
there  is  not  a  great  variation.  If  I  had,  however, 
to  deal  with  a  sheet  of  water  that  was  stagnant, 
and  was  thus  a  source  of  trouble  and  complaint, 
I  would  plant  Water  Lilies  there.  This  would,  I 
feel,  obviate  the  difficulty  by  keeping]  the  surface 
of  the  water  quieter.  Too  great  a 
depth  of  mud  is  not  advisable,  for 
this  would  encourage  leaf-growth 
at  the  expense  of  flowers.  I  have 
known  this  to  occur.  The  ideal 
position  for  Water  Lilies  is,  in  my 
opinion,  an  open,  placid  lake  where 
the  sun  has  full  influence  upon  the 
plants  and  the  water  also.  A  con- 
sideralile  variation  in  depth  is  advis- 
able. James  Hudson,  V.M.H. 
Gunticrsbury  House,  Actoii,  W. 


not  less  than  3  feet,  should  find  their  plants  continue 
in  health.  At  a  modest  computation  one  would 
regard  three  gallons  to  the  square  yard  as  the 
smallest  quantity,  and  advise  five  gallons  on  light 
soil. 

Mulching. — Herein  lies  the  secret  of  avoiding 
the  too  frequent  use  of  the  water-pot,  Cover  the 
surface  of  the  soil  with  some  suitable  material 
which  will  keep  it  cool  and  arrest  evaporation, 
and  on  naturally  holding  soils  it  will  rarely  .be 
found  needful  to  give  water.  It  is  not  always 
convenient  to  provide  manure  for  this  purpose, 
though  the  preference  should  always  be  given 
to  it,  because  it  provides  a  certain  amount  of  readily 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE   NOTES  ON 
SWEET    PEAS. 

Disbudding. — Arising  out  of  the 
decisions  which  have  been  reached 
by  judges  at  great  and  small  shows 
throughout  the  entire  length  of  the 
country,  it  has  come  to  be  accepted 
that  a  spike  of  Sweet  Peas  for 
exhibition  must  he  something 
approaching  to  2  teet  in  length, 
and  that  it  shall  carry  not  fewer 
than  four  more  or  less  floppy 
flowers  set  more  or  less  gracefully 
on  the  stems.  It  is  unfortunate 
that  this  should  be  so  ;  but  the 
fiat  has  gone  forth,  and  no  one  is 
allowed  to  look  at  smaller,  perfectly 
formed  and  arranged  blooms  on  a 
shorter  leg.  To  give  the  requisite 
length,  severe  disbudding  of  all 
lateral  shoots  must  be  one  of  the 
rules,  and  it  will  result  in  a  plant 
that  is  grown  purely  for  exhibition 
and  not  for  the  embellishment  of 
the  garden.  The  disbudding 
must  be  strictly  followed  up, 
or  the  desired  end  will  not  be 
achieved. 

Watering. — No  one  doubts  for 
an  instant  the  imperative  neces- 
sity of  maintaining  the  soil  about 
the  roots  of  Sweet  Peas  pleasantly  moist,  but  many 
people  regard  incessant  watoring  with  more  than 
doubtful  favour.  And  they  aie  wise,  for  nothing 
so  prejudices  the  progress  of  the  plants  or,  in  my 
opinion,  more  rapidly  predisposes  them  to  attacks 
of  "  streak "  as  constantly  pourii.^  cold,  hard 
water  from  the  main  into  the  ground.  Those 
who  can  avoid  watering  from  start  to  finish  save 
labour  for  one  thing,  and  reduce  the  possibilities 
of  failure  to  a  minimum  for  another  thing.  It 
is,  of  course,  difficult  to  reach  so  ideal  a  state, 
and  often  it  is  quite  impossible  to  do  so  ;  but 
those  who  make  it  a  rule  to  water  on'v  when  it 
is  necessary,  and  then  to  give  enough  to  soak  dovra 


very  dry,  windy  days.  When  and  conditions 
prevail,  the  plants  lose  a  considerable  amount  of 
vital  energy,  and  they  are  helped  towards  complete 
recovery  by  the  treatment  suggested.  Not  only 
this,  but  the  syringing  or  hosing  tends  to  increase 
the  length  of  the  stems. 

Feeding. — When  inexperienced  growers  see  .' 
plant  in  poor  health  or  think  that  it  is  sufierinj 
from  some  dread  disease,  they  promptly  turn  to 
the  liquid  manure  tub  in  the  confident  expectation 
that  applications  of  strong  manure-water  will  restore 
it  to  health.  Nothing  could  be  further  from  the 
truth  in  respect  of  Sweet  Peas  or  anything  else. 
To  derive  benefitifrom  special  food  a  plant  must  be 
n  perfect  condition,  and,  given  this 
state,  a  Sweet  Pea  will  not  object 
to  a  varied  and  generous  diet. 
The  initial  point  will  be  to  see 
that  the  ground  is  moist,  and  then 
to  use  the  particular  manure  that 
is  fancied.  There  is  not  so  much- 
in  the  kind  as  in  the  manner  of 
giving  it  and  the  variety  which  can 
be  imparted.  A  plant  will  always 
respond  more  readily  to  a  fresh 
food  than  to  one  that  has  already 
been  given  twice  or  thrice,  and  this 
should  guide  the  cultivator  to  the 
desirability  of  finding  the  change 
that  is  so  beneficial. 


DARWIN  TULTP  MAS- 
SENET. 
The  outstanding  feature  of  this 
variety  is  that  it  is  quite  distinct 
in  colour  from  any  other.  Not  that 
it  is  brightly  coloured ;  on  the 
contrary,  it  is  of  a  somewhat  dull 
rose  pink  externally  and  flesh- 
tinted  within.  The  shading  of  the 
flower  is  beautiful,  and  affords  a 
pleasing  contrast  to  the  electric 
blue  and  green  coloured  base.  The 
flowers,  perfect  in  form,  are  borne 
on  long,  stout  stems.  When  shown 
by  Messrs.  Bath,  Wisbech,  at  a 
recent  meeting  of  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society,  this  variety  gained 
what  is  this  year  a  rare  distinction 
for  a  Tulip,  viz.,  the  society's  award 
of  merit. 


DARWIN      TULIP 


MASSENKT.        A      ROSE     PINK 
ELECTRIC    BLUE    BASE. 


VARIETY      WITH      AN 


available  food  and  serves  the  primary  uitention 
of  the  mulch.  Where  it  is  not  at  command,  turn 
to  the  mowings  from  the  lawn,  and  spread  them 
freely  from  within  a  few  inches  of  the  stems  to 
2  feet  outwards  from  them.  Failing  grass  cuttings, 
secure  anything  else  about  the  place  that  will 
answer  the  purpose  in  view ;  and  when  nothing 
can  be  had,  rely  upon  incessant  hoeing  to  create 
a  dusty  condition  on  the. top,  as  this  will  prove 
excellent,  though  not  equal  to  manure  or  grass. 

Syringing. — Although  it  is  undesirable,  except 
under  compulsion,  to  give  water  at  the  roots, 
it  is  indisputably  advantageous  to  hose  or  syringe 
the  plants  vigorously  on  the  evenings  of  hot  or 


they    should 


POTENTILLAS      IN      THE 
BORDER. 

The  value  of  the  Potentilla  in 
the  border  in  summer  is  not  now 
so  much  realised  as  in  former 
years,  although  the  wealth  of 
variety  offered  is  greater  than 
ever  before.  To  do  them  justice 
have  a  rich,  well-manured  soil, 
not  too  much  subject  to  drought,  and  they 
f  ought  always  to  be  tied  to  stakes,  unless 
they  are  planted  on  rockwork.  The  fine  double 
I  hybrids  are  by  far  the  best  for  border  subjects, 
making  large  plants  with  crowds  of  their  hand- 
some, well-coloured  double  blooms.  They  are 
now  too  numerous  to  discuss  under  name,  but 
a  purchaser  can  hardly  go  wrong  in  selecting 
from  a  good  hardy  nursery  catalogue.  They  may 
be  had  in  almost  every  floral  colour,  from  deepest 
brown,  almost  black,  through  reds,  yellows  ant' 
various  shades,  some  being  spotted  and  other 
almost  roarWed  with  various  shades,  S.  A, 


June  7,  1913.] 


THE    GAllDEN. 


291 


THE    ROMNEVAS    OR    TREE  POPPIBS. 

(See  full  pagf  SuppUmcut.) 
Untii.  about  fifteen  years  ago  only  one  species  of 
the  Californian  Tree  Poppy  (Romneya  Coulteri) 
was  known  to  exist.  Investigations  made  in  i89<S 
by  Miss  A.  Eastwood,  Curator  of  the  Herbarium 
of  tlie  C.iliforniari  Academy,  proved  the  existence 
of  a  second  species,  wliich  slie  described  under 
the  name  of  R.  trichocalyx.  Both  are  natives  of 
California.  The  exact  date  of  the  introduction 
of  R.  trichocaly.x  is  not  known,  as  it  was  in  culti- 
vation in  this  country  as  R.  Coulteri  previous  to 
1898.  The  first  recorded  flowering  of  the  new 
species  was  in  1902,  in  the  garden  of  Mr.  H.  C. 
Baker,  Oaklands,  Almondsbury,  Gloucestershire. 
Difterences  between  this  plant  and  the  familiar 
vigorous  growths  of  R.  Coulteri  were  noticed, 
the  late  Mr.  George  Nicholson  recognising  the 
plant  as  Miss  Eastwood's  new  species,  R.  tricho- 
calyx, described  four  years  previously. 
In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year| 
(1902)  this  lady  sent  seeds  to  Kew, 
the  plants  raised  flowering  in  about 
twent\"  months  from  sowing. 

In  habit  R.  trichocalyx  is  less 
vigorous  than  R.  Coulteri,  producing 
mure  growths,  but  the  stems  are 
thinner  and  more  leafy.  The  buds  of 
R.  trichocalyx  are  round  and  hairy, 
those  of  R.  Coulteri  being  j  more 
pointed  and  smooth.  Though  quite 
as  good  a  garden  plant  as  K. 
Coulteri,  the  subject  of  the  illustra- 
tion is  readily  distinguished  when 
seen  growing  side  by  side  with  it, 
as  it  does  not  possess  those  thick, 
tall  stems,  upright  habit  and  the 
substance  of  the  less  divided  leaves 
of  R.  Coulteri.  R.  Coulteri  was 
lirst  introduced  in  1875  by  Messrs. 
E.  G.  Henderson  and  Son,  and  as 
the  plants  seldom  mature  good  seeds 
ill  this  country,  most  of  the  seed  sold 
is  obtained  from  California  annually. 

The  Romneyas  are  not  of  the 
plants  we  meet  with  thriving  in 
every  garden  throughout  the  country. 
The  experiences  and  successes  under 
such  widely  different  conditions  of 
climate  and  soil  are  so  confusing 
that  one  hesitates  to  recommend 
cultural  details.  Take,  for  example, 
the  following  letter  published  in  The 
Garden  of  August  12,  1905,  from 
an  Irish  reader  :  "  Sir, — I  send  you 
a  photograph  of  my  Romneya  Coul- 
teri, which  has  been  a  mass  of  blooms  for  the  past 
three  weeks.  The  plant  is  growing  on  a  wall  facing 
south-east,  and  has  been  in  its  present  position  for 
eight  years  since  I  planted  it,  a  small  plant,  out 
of  a  4-inch  pot.  It  is  now  over  twelve  feet  high, 
about  five  feet  wide  and  blooms  profusely  every 
year.  The  soil  of  my  garden  is  light,  thin,  poor 
and  hungry,  and  the  plant  has  never  had  any 
.assistance  in  the  way  of  manure  of  any  sort  since 
it  was  planted."  The  most  unsatisfactory  soil 
for  Romneyas  is  a  wet,  heavy  clay.  Those  who 
have  tried  to  grow  the  Californian  Poppies  in  their 
garden  and  failed  under  ordinary  conditions 
should  try  the  follomng  cultural  recommenda- 
tions :  Choose  a  position  at  the  base  of  a  south 
or  south-west  wallj  sheltered  from  the  north  and 
east.  Take  out  a  hole  2j  feet  deep,  put  in  the 
bottom  a  foot  of  brick  rubble  for  drainage,  over 
this   place    iS   inches   of   Good   sandv   turfv   loam, 


a  little  Iraf-uioiihl,  an<l  plentvof  old  mortar  rubble 
or  road  grit  to  keep  it  open.  This  will  ensure 
efficient  drainage  when  the  plants  are  at  rest  in 
winter,  while  ample  supplies  of  water,  including 
liquid  manure,  can  be  given  the  plants  if  the 
weather  is  dry  in  the  summer.  A  mulching  of 
leaf-mould  or  old  decayed  manure  is  also 
beneficial. 

Romneyas  may  perhaps  be  best  described  as 
sub-shrubby,  for  during  a  mild  winter  the  stems 
and  foliage  survive.  On  the  other  hand,  severe  frosts 
kill  the  stems  to  the  ground.  Though  flowers  may 
be  produced  by  the  stems  which  survive,  by  far 
the  best  display  is  made  by  the  Wgorous  young 
shoots  which  push  up  from  the  base  and  smother 
the  old  growths.  The  average  height  of  these 
in  the  case  of  R.  Coulteri  is  from  5  feet  to  7  feet  or 
8  feet,  occasionally  more.  R.  trichocalyx  grows 
about  three  feet  to  live  feet  high.     Either  of  these 


ripe  ;  otherwise  sow  as  soon  as  they  come  to  hand, 
even  if  it  is  November  or  December.  Romncyj 
seeds  are  often  very  slow  in  germinating,  and  may 
not  move  for  several  months  if  they  have  been  kept 
for  some  time.  Cuttings  made  of  the  smaller 
ripened  shoots  in  autumn  which  have  not  flowered 
will  root  under  a  bell-glass  in  light,  sandy  soil. 
They  usually  show  little  sign  of  movement  till 
spring,  when  a  few  or  most  of  the  cuttings  may 
start  off.  Success  in  prcpagation  is  also  possible 
witli  pieces  of  the  thick,  fleshy  roots  in  early  spring. 
\  plate.  No.  465,  of  R.  Coulteri  was  published  in 
The  Garden  for  November  8,  1884. 


A    DAINTY    GREENHOUSE    PRIMULA. 

(PRlMfLA    MAI.ACOIDES.) 

Although   of   comparatively  recent   introduction, 
this   daintv   Primula   is   alreadv   a   favourite,   and 


PRIMULA    MALACOIDES,    A    BEAUTIKUL    GREENHOUSE    PLANT    THAT. CAN    BE    EASILY    RAISED    FROM 

SEED. 


plants,  with  six  to  twelve  flovsers  open  at  one 
time,  is  a  most  beautiful  and  imposing  sight.  The 
flowers  average  6  inches  across,  with  shining 
white  petals  almost  like  slightly  crumpled 
satin,  with  a  large  tuft  of  yellow  stamens  in 
the  centre.  The  flowers  are  fragrant.  The 
flowering  season  is  from  June  to  October.  When 
once  planted  out  in  the  border,  Romneyas  should 
not  be  disturbed,  for  there  are  few  plants  which 
transplant  so  badly.  Any  interference  with  the 
fleshy  roots  is  most  detrimental  to  the  plants, 
so  that  till  large  enough  and  the  final  position  is 
decided  upon,  Romneyas  should  be  grown  in  pots. 
In  most  gardens  it  is  as  well  to  place  a  small  mound 
of  ashes  round  the  plants  in  winter  to  throw  off  or 
absorb  excessive  moisture  in  winter. 

The  easiest  and  most  satisfactory  method  of 
propagation  is  from  seed.  If  fortunate  enough  to 
procure  home-grown  seeds,  sow   them  as  soon  as 


may  be  found  in  many  gardens  of  this  country. 
Moreover,  it  is  being  widely  grown  for  market — 
a  certain  sign  of  popularity.  The  flowers  are  of 
a  pretty  pale  mauve,  produced  tier  upon  tier  in 
a  light  and  graceful  manner.  Of  free  and  easy 
growth,  it  is  invaluable  for  cutting  and  for  green- 
house decoration  during  the  winter  months.  It 
is  usually  grown  as  a  pot  plant,  but  it  is  surprising 
to  note  how  freely  self-sown  seedlings  under  a  green- 
house staging  will  flower  when  allowed  to.  Seed  may 
sown  any  time  in  the  summer  months,  preferably  be 
in  August.  Sown  in  pans  in  a  gentle  heat,  the 
seedlings  should  be  potted  oft  singly  in  3-inch  pots 
as  soon  as  they  can  be  handled.  On  no  account 
should  this  Primula  be  coddled  in  a  heated  atmo- 
sphere. It  is  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  of  all 
flowers  for  the  unhealed  greenhouse.  There  is  a 
pure  white  variety  now  in  commerce  known  as 
P.  malacoides  alba. 


292 


THE    GARDEN. 


[June  7,  1913, 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 


those 
result 
about 


LAURELS     UNDER     TREES. 

AT  one  time  the  planting  of  common  Laurels 
i\  under     tall    forest    trees    to     hide  the 

/  %  soil  where  little  else  would  grow, 
^"^  owing  to  the  drip  from  the  trees 
»  *     above     and      the     absence     of     light 

below,  was  largely  practised,  and 
who  did  so  were  well  pleased  with  the 
Of  late  there  has  been  a  loud  outcry 
the  wide  use  of  common  Laurel,  and 
in  a  general  way  it  has  lieen  vigorously  condemned, 
too  often,  though,  without  the  mention  of  a  substi- 
tute. That  is,  in  my  opinion,  a  poor  argument. 
Those  who  condemn  a  practice  should  suggest 
a  remedy.  Now,  as  to  the  value  of  tlu-  comuiou 
Laurel  under  trees,  when  first 
planted,  if  properly  t  e  n  d  e  d  , 
manured  and  annually  pruned,  a 
tliick  green  screen  is  quickly 
obtained,  and  remains  so  for  nuuiy 
years  with  close  attention.  There, 
however,  comes  a  time  when  the 
plants  become  "  leggy,"  showing 
the  soil  underneath,  especially 
roimd  the  edge  of  the  clump,  and 
gradually  becoming  untidy.  The 
remedy  is  to  cut  down  the  whole 
of  the  plants  to  within  a  foot  or  so 
of  the  soil,  when  new  growth  will 
push  from  the  stems  and  become 
a  thick  mass  of  grei'iiery  again  in 
a  few  years.  While  this  is  going 
on,  how  bare  and  untidy  this 
part  becomes  !  My  plan  is  to  t.ike 
away  all  the  Laurels,  trench  the 
soil  as  well  as  the  roots  of  tlic 
trees  above  will  admit,  and  add 
manure  freely.  Plant  Irish  Ivy 
quite  thickly  over  the  plot  ;  this 
will  in  a  short  time  make  a  dense 
green  covering.  The  leaves  from 
the  trees  above  will  annually 
enrich  the  soil,  giving  a  fillip  to 
the  grow-th  of  the  Ivy.  Here  and 
tlierc  in  the  lightest  places  plant 
groups  of  Berberis  Aquifolium.  not 
less  than  6  feet  in  diameter.  In  tlie 
still  lighter  places,  plants  of 
the  common  yellow  Broom  would 
succeed  and  certainly  add  variety. 
The  growing  of  Ivy  under  the  trees 
affords  an  opportunity  to  plant 
bulbs  of  the  strong-growing  kinds  of 
Narcissus,  like  Emperor,  Horsfieldii. 
Golden  Spur  and  the  old  double 
Daffodil.  I  know  they  would  not 
succeed  so  well  as  in  the  open,  but 
a  quantity  of  flowers  would  be  obtained,  all  tending 
to  give  variety  and  brighten  an  otherwise  dull 
part  of  the  garden.  E.  M. 


e.xc.cptional  aw.n-duf  a  first-<-lass  certifiralr,  and  was 
proclainied  one  ol  llie  most  striknii;  novelties 
introduced   In  this  I'nnntrv  this  season. 


THE    KITCHEN   GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE    NOTES    ON    VBGE 
TABLES. 

N  some  gardens  vegetables  are  thought  more 
of  than  either  fruit  or  flowers  by  the  culti- 
vator, and  receive  attention  accordingly. 
The  general  rule  is,  however,  that  lovers 
o[  fruits  and  flowers  also  take  a  great  delight 
ui    growuig   vegetables.     To    all   those    who 

are  nnt  well  versed  in  their  euUiv.ation  the  following 

Innls  will  be  nseliil. 


1 


A     GOLDEN     P^ONY. 

(P,E0NIA    ARBOREA    La    LORRAINE.) 

Various  references  in  praise  of  this  beautiful 
Pffiony  have  appeared  in  our  columns  in  the  past 
year.  It  is  a  remarkable  hybrid  Tree  Paeony, 
raised  by  MM.  V.  Lemoine  et  Fils,  Nancy.  It  is 
said  to  have  originated  from  the  crossing  of  P. 
Moutan  w^th  P.  lutea.  The  bloom  is  globular  in 
form,  very  full  and  double,  and  of  a  buff  tone  passing 
to  golden  yellow.  When  shown  before  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  by  Messrs.  J.  Piper  and 
Sons,   Bayswater,   a  few  weeks  ago  it   gained  the 


THE     GOLDEN     TREE     P.'EONY,    P.liONIA    ARBOREA    LA    LORRAINE,    .\ 
NEW    VARIETY    WITH    YELLOW    FLOWERS. 


New  Zealand  Spinach. — The  Spniaih  crop  is 
a  very  important  one.  In  some  light  soils,  however, 
cultivators  often  find  it  difficult  to  grow  the  ordinary 
round-seeded  variety — the  Summer  Spinach — 
after  the  middle  of  June.  The  large,  succulent 
leaves,  so  much  coveted,  cannot  be  obtained, 
as  the  plants  will  run  to  seed  prematurely.  There 
is  no  danger  of  this  kind  in  the  case  of  the 
New  Zealand  Spinach.  A  well-grown  single  plant 
will  cover  a  space  of  50  square  feet  in  a  very  short 
time,  and  such  a  specimen  will  bear  many  pecks 
of  fine  fleshy  leaves.  In  fairly  light  soils  there 
is  no  difficulty  in  getting  the  yoimg  plants  to 
make  good  growth  at  this  season  ;  but  in  heavy, 
clayey  loam  thev  are  rather  sttdiborn  in  this 
respect.     However,     the     cultivator     should     not 


hesitate  Id  sow  seeds  now.  The  l.itter  must  be 
sown  in  drills  about  si.N  feel  .q.art,  tlic  drills  being 
4  feet  asunder.  Place  a  snuall  quantity  of  lighter 
soil  where  the  seeds  are  to  be  sowii,  and  drop  about 
half-a-dozen  seeds,  several  inches  apart,  in  it, 
lightly  covering  them,  and,  in  the  absence  of  rain, 
give  water  b.  Iiastcn  germination. 

Beet  In  Heavy  Soils.— Many  cultivators  make 
the  mistake  of  sowing  seeds  of  this  vegetable  too 
early.  The  resultant  plants  grow  very  slowly, 
of  course,  and  then  the  roots  are  tough,  lacking  in 
juice  and  in  colcjur  when  cooked.  In  warm  soils 
seeds  for  the  main  crop  may  he  sown  late  in  April 
or  early  in  May.  Splendid  roots  will  then  result. 
In  clayey  soils  the  middle  of  May  is  soon 
enough  to  sow,  but  I  should  not  hesitate  to  m^ke 
a  sowing  about  the  middle  to  the  end  of  Jtme. 
In  a  clayey  hiam  germination 
of  seeds  is  then  fairly  rapid,  and 
the  roots,  though  small,  are  of 
very  high  quality,  being  well 
coloured,  exceedingly  tender  .and 
full  of  juice.  If  the  weather  and 
ground  are  both  dry,  pour  plenty 
of  water  in  the  open  drills; 
tlieii  --ow  the  seeds  and  cover 
them  with  dry  loam.  This  plan 
will  induce  quick  germination. 

Broad  Beans. — Lovers  of  this 
\-egel.ibh — and  they  are  legion- — • 
will  in>t  be  averse  to  sowing 
seeds  late  in  the  season.  Usually, 
one  finds  many  rows  of  the 
plants  growing  apace  in  the  spring. 
Some  are  spoiled  through  black 
•iphides,  .and  the  pods  of  others 
are  never  gathered  because  there 
liappens  to  be  a  glut.  Too  many 
seeds  are  sown  at  once,  early  in 
the  year,  and  then,  because  there 
are  Dwarf  and  Runner  Beans  and 
Peas  in  plenty,  the  Broad  Bean 
is  neglected.  Now,  a  good 
variety  of  vegetables  is  always 
welcome,  and  in  a  dry  season, 
when  Peas  often  do  badly, 
tlie  Broad  Bean  will  thrive  and 
pod  freely  if  grown  on  the 
north  side  of  a  wall  or  fence, 
.ind,  moreover,  in  a  clayey  soil. 
Cultivators  who  have  never 
tried  this  plan  would  be  sur- 
prised  at  the  satisfactory 
result.  Seeds  may  be  sown  as 
late  as  the  latter  part  of  June 
and  the  early  part  of  July. 
Early  varieties  must  be  grown. 
Two  good  ones  are  Beck's  Green 
Gem  and  Harlington  Windsor. 
When  five  iir  six  trusses  of  flowers  have  formed, 
pinch  off  the  top',,  and  so  induce  quick  podding. 

The  Silver-Skinned  Onion. — Undoubtedly  this 

is  the  best  variety  for  pickling,  but  it  is  also  a  fine 
one  for  pulling  in  a  young  st.ate  for  eating  when  in 
that  condition.  Many  persons  like  young  Onions  at 
thinning-out-time,  and  the  Silver-skinned  variety 
may  be  so  used,  as  well  as  for  pickling  purposes. 
Do  not  sow  in  rich  soil.  A  good  loam  without 
manure  will  do.  A  very  poor  soil  manured  last 
spring  or  earlier  in  the  winter  will  also  answer  the 
purpose.  The  l>ulb5  will  grow  almost  one  on  the 
top  of  another,  so  that  the  seeds  may  be  sown 
fairly  thickly,  and,  with  the  exception  of  drawing 
out  for  eating  while  yoimg,  thinning  is  not 
necessary.  G.  G. 


Supplement  to  THE   GARDEN,  June  jtli,   191 3. 


A  New  Californian  Tree  Poppy  :    Romneya  Trichocalyx. 


Hudson  <?  Kearns,  Ltd.,  Printers,  London,  S.E. 


June  7,  19^3.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


29S 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

THE     STAKING     OF     SOME    HERBACEOUS    PLANTS. 


THE  staking  of  plants  is  an  important 
operation  in  the  successful  managc- 
niint  of  a  garden,  be  it  small  or  large, 
imder  glass,  or  in  the  open  ground. 
In  eitlier  case  the  two  chief  points  to 
bear  in  mind  are  the  same,  namely, 
appropriateness  and  neatness.  Over-staking  is 
imsightly  and  as  undesirable  as  the  want  of  a  stake 
is  untidy  and  disastrous.  At  the  same  time,  it 
sliould  be  borne  in  mind  that  no  plant  ought  to 
be  slaked  that  will  stand  safely  without  so  doing, 
tor  the  two  simple  reasons  tliat  it  would  V)e  waste 
of  time  and  would  produce  a  most  unnatural  result. 
Indeed,  what  may  be  called  gixid  staking  often 
liegets  the  latter  state,  but  yet  it  nmst  be  done 
to  sa\e  the  lives  of  growths  and  flowers. 

This  brings  me  to  where  I  want  to  say  that  some 
nt  our  herbaceous  subjects  are  suitable  for  a  more 
.u'tistic  method  ot  staking  than  that  which  is  mostly 
ju  vogue.  .\  glance  at  the  illustration  on  this 
I'.ige  will  show  what  is  meant.  It  is  a  bed  of 
Delphiniums  staked  with  branched,  natural  stakes 
,is  distinct  from  plain  stakes,  which  are  so  commonly 
used;  and  I  think  few,  if  any,  will  doubt  tlie 
more  natural  appe;u"ance  of  the  plants  as  so 
supported  when  they  have  grown  sufticienllv  ' 
to  hide  the  stakes. 

The  latter  may  be  put  in  pi)siliou  at  one  opei  .i- 
tion   or  two,  as  most  convenient   to  the  operator 
at  the  time  the  plants  require  tliem.      For  strong 
and  tall-growing  plants  like  Delphiniums  the  twice- 
staking  practice  is,   I   consider,   the  better.     That 
is,  put  short,  twiggy  pieces  of  support  around  the 
rootstocks   while   they   ;ire  short  in  growth  ;     this 
will  ensure  a  more  compact  habit,  and  the  stakes 
will  soon  be  lost   to  view  in  the   upward  growth 
■  if  the  plants.     As  these  first  stakes  are  outgrown, 
then  the  final  ones  are  placed.     Kor  this  purpose 
strong,     bushx'     Pea-sticks    trimmed    into    shape 
«ill  do  splendidly,  or  loppings  from  the  thinning 
nut   of   trees   will    answer,   the   kind   used   in   the 
illustration   happening   to   be   winter   primings   of 
ail  old  I'oplar  tree.     Whatever  is  used,  it  will  be 
found  wise  not   to  have  the  stakes  of  a  uniform 
height.      Varying  lengths  of,  say,  3  feet  to  6  feet 
will  be  found  to  fit  into  each  other  better  when 
being  put  in  position,   and   these  lengths  will  be 
the    measure    of    assistance    needed    by     average 
garden    plants.     Of   course,    sometimes    a    variety 
will  throw  up  extra  long  spikes,  or  an  extraordinary 
strong    wind    may    prevail,    in  which    cases    resort 
can  be  made  to  an  additional  long  cane  or  two — 
at  any  rate,  that  is  how  we  meet  such  difficulties. 
Although    this    form   of   bushy   staking   can   be 
adopted  for  isolated  plants,  it  is  when  seen  in  beds 
or  large   clumps  of   plants   that   it   becomes  most 
telling.     The    spikes    stand    up    more    free    and 
graceful,  because  the  general  contour  of  the  plants 
has  been  better  preserved  throughout  their  develop- 
ment  than  when  bunched  together  with   three  or 
four  stakes,  and  this  after  some  of  the  growths  have 
been  allowed  to  fall  about. 

.\s  mentioned  above,  there  are  ntluT  plants  of 
the  herbaceous  border  that  can  l)e  so  treated  ; 
in  fact,  will  look  much  more  effective  if  so  done. 
Some  of  the  more  important  are  Pyrethrums, 
Papavers,  Ceutaiireas,  Michaelmas  Daisies  (where 
grown  in  large  •  Imups  or  beds),  P.eonies,  b^rigeroiis, 
Shirle\-     Poppies    and    old    plants    of    Carnations. 


These  and  any  other  such  growers  may  with 
advantage  to  their  general  appearance  be  bush- 
staked,  remembering,  as  with  all  staking,  the 
work  is  easier  if  begun  in  the  early  stages  of  growth. 
These  lines  will  probably  appear  too  late  for  this 
year's  practice  on  some  of  the  subjects  mentioned, 
but  a  note  can  be  made  of  the  method  for  another 
season  by  those  with  whom  it  finds  favour. 

C.    TURXEK. 

Tht'  Gardens,  Ken  \'icw^  Hi^hgate,  .V. 


I'SU.VLLV    tl 


PARSLEY. 

many  Parsley  plants  are  grown  in  a 
uiven  space,  with  the  result  that  the  leaves  are  not 
as  fine  as  they  ought  to  be.  Neither  are  they  as 
hardy.  Small  leaves  and  thin  stems  will  not 
withstand   moisture   in   the   atmosphere  nor   frost. 


fully  exposed  to  the  scorching  influence  ot  the  sun's 
rays.  Plants  of  a  permanent  character,  such  as 
.\zaleas  and  Deiitzias,  which  are  to  be  retained 
in  their  pots,  require  very  careful  treatment, 
and  they  well  repay  it.  Plunge  the  plants  almost 
to  the  rims  of  the  pots  in  ashes,  sand  or  ordinary 
soil,  putting  a  tile  under  each  pot  to  ensure  drainage 
and  prevent  the  ingress  of  earth-worms.  Water 
need  not  be  given  so  frequently,  and  the  soil  in 
each  pot  will  be  uniformly  moist.  If  one  side  is 
fully  exposed  to  the  sun's  rays,  the  soil  on  that  side 
dries  up  quickly,  and,  in  the  case  of  peaty  composts, 
it  very  often  remains  dry,  notwithstanding  frequent 
subsequent  waterings.  The  result  is  that  the 
roots  perish,  the  plants  lose  leaves  wholesale,  and 
frequently  they  die.  This  is  a  good  way  to  treat 
Roses,  Cienistas  and  S'lnilar  plants  in  pots  in  the 


-IKSVtJ^!'-' 


.\     l;i;i)    01      DELl'HlMUMi    WMH    N.\TURAL    SUTPORTS    rL.\CED    IX    POSITION. 


Strong  ones  will,  and  these  are  only  obtained  by 
sowing  the  seeds  thinly,  early  thinning  out  and  the 
pinchuig  off  of  the  young  point  of  the  plant  towards 
the  end  of  August.  The  crop  of  Parsley  for  winter 
and  spring  use  is  a  very  important  one,  and,  to 
ensure  its  success,  two  sowings  of  seeds  are  advisable, 
one  about  the  middle  of  June  and  the  other  the 
middle  of  July.  The  seeds  must  be  sown  in  shallow 
drills  on  a  border  protected  from  the  north  and  east 
winds,  but  open  to  the  south  and  west.  Only  use  old, 
rotted  manure  in  the  soil.  Trench  the  latter  2  feet 
deep  (as  Parsley  roots  deeply)  and,  before  sowing 
the  seeds,  tread  down  the  soil  firmly  while  it  is 
comparatively  dry,  if  of  a  light  nature.  Thin  out 
the  resultant  seedlings  quite  early,  and  at  the  final 
thinning  leave  the  plants  i  foot  apart  ;  then  they 
will  grow  stronglv 


PLUNCINC;    POTS    IN    SUMMERTIME 

'ruiiki.  arc  Miaiu'  plants  in  pots  placed  out  of  doors 
at  this  season  of  the  vear  and  allowed  to  remain 


summer-time.  It  is  important  that  the  soil 
around  the  roots  be  kept  in  a  regular  state  of 
moisture  without  much  watering.  B. 

PLANTING    DAHLIAS. 

The  first  week  in  June  is  the  accepted  time  for 
planting  Dahlias  in  the  open.  This  work,  how- 
ever, like  most  other  gardening  operations,  is 
governed  by  circumstances,  and  it  is  never 
advisable  to  work  entirely  by  rule  of  thumb.  The 
ground  in  which  Dahlias  are  to  be  planted  should 
haxe  been  selected  and  thoroughly  trenched  in 
the  winter,  and  again  turned  over  and  manured 
in  March.  It  is  most  important  that  the  plants 
should  be  well  hardened  off  before  planting  out, 
.111  1  this  is  best  achieved  by  placing  them  in  a 
cool  frame.  If  unable  to  put  newly-purchased 
plants  in  a  frame,  they  may  be  planted  out  on 
.irrival  from  the  nursery.  Under  such  circum- 
stances it  is  advisable  to  cover  the  newly-pbinled 
I  jriivals  at  ni.uhl  with  pots  or  boxes. 


294 


THE    GARf>EN. 


[JUNE    7,  I9I3. 


GARDENING     OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 
Summer  Bedding.— Ii  is  now  safe  to  put  uut 

-ill  the  more  tender  plants,  including  Begonias 
and  Coleus,  although  it  should  be  borne  in  mind 
that  a  little  shelter  for  a  few  days  after  planting 
will  assist  the  plants  to  become  established. 

Watering. — Even  though  the  beds  are  moist 
at  the  time  of  planting,  a  few  days'  siui  or  drying 
wind  causes  a  considerable  strain  on  the  plants, 
and  a  good  watering  or  two  may  be  necessary  to 
keep  them  going  till  they  root  into  the  soil  in  the 
beds.  When  once  they  are  well  rooted,  too  free 
Ml  application  of  water  is  apt  to  make  such  subjects 
as  Geraniums  very  sappy,  which  is  detrimental 
to  their  flowering  freely. 

Staking. — Tall-growing  subjects,  such  as  Fuchsias, 
.\butilons  and  Helianthus.  should  be  securely 
staked  at  once,  not  leaving  them  till  they  have 
been  injured  by  the  wind,  and  the  less  obtrusively 
this  can  be  done,  the  better  it  is  for  the  appearance 
of  the  garden  generally. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Bulbs. — By  this  date  Crocuses  will  have  com- 
menced to  dry  down,  and,  for  the  sake  of  tidiness, 
patches  where  they  are  planted  imder  trees  should 
be  mown  over,  using  the  scythe,  following  a  few 
days  later  with  the  machine.  Early-fiowering 
Narcissi  also  will  soon  be  turning  yellow,  and  the 
same  system  of  mowing  may  be  adopted  ;  but  it 
is  not  wise  to  do  this  too  early,  or  the  bulbs  will 
suffer. 

Sowing  Biennials. — Sweet  Williams,  Canterbury 
Bells,  Anchusa  and  Delphiniums  should  now  be 
sown,  and  where  the  ground  is  heavy  it  is  wise 
to  prepare  a  bed  for  them  of  old  potting  soil,  or 
they  may  be  sown  in  boxes,  to  be  pricked  out  in  beds 
as  soon  as  the  seedlings  are  large  enough  to  handle. 

Violas  for  making  a  spring  show  should  now 
be  sown,  and  where  cuttings  of  named  varieties 
do  not  come  through  the  winter  well,  these  seedlings 
are  very  useful,  and  make  a  really  good  show 
during  April,  May  and  Jime. 

Rock  and  Water  Garden. 

Now  that  some  of  the  early  spring  plants,  such 
as  Arabis,  Aubrietia  and  Iberis,  are  going  out  of 
flower,  it  may  be  advisable  to  trim  these  back 
somewhat,  sd  that  they  do  not  get  out  of  proportion 
to  the  surrounding  plants.  Such  subjects  are 
often  planted  in  greater  quantities  on  new  rockeries 
than  it  is  desirable  to  have  as  a  permanency,  so 
they  must  be  either  cut  back  or  pulled  up  to  allow 
the  proper  development  of  the  more  choice  and 
permanent  occupants  of  the  rock  garden. 

Aubrietias. — The  choicer  varieties  may  be 
propagated  by  taking  off  the  soft-growing  tips 
and  pricking  them  out  in  boxes  or  pots  in  the  cold 
frame,  keeping  the  bright  sun  from  them  till  they 
hold  up  their  heads  well,  by  which  time  they  will 
probably  be  rooted.  T\v<j'  light  varieties  that 
please  me  much  are  Lavender  and  Bridesmaid, 
the  flowers  in  each  instance  being  large  and  the 
habit  of  the  plants  good. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Humea  elegans. — The  inflorescences  of  this 
decorative  plant  will  be  greatly  enriched  in  colour 
if  the  plants  are  stood  out  of  doors  hi  a  semi- 
sheltered  position ;  but  care  must  be  taken  with 
the  watering,  as  if  once  the  plants  are  allowed 
to  get  very  dry,  the  foliage  will  turn  yellow.  The 
seedling  plants  should  now  be  ready  for  potting 
off,  giving  them  the  benefit  of  an' intermediate 
temperature  till  they  are  established,  when  they 
may  be  removed  to  a  cold  frame  for  the  summer 
months. 

Capsicums  or  Peppers. — These,  if  sown  and  pot- 
ted off  as  advised  in  previous  calendars,  should  now 
be  ready  for  their  fruiting  pots.  For  the  smaller 
ornamental  varieties  6-iuch  pots  are  quite  large 
enough,  but  for  the  larger  edible  varieties  8J-inch 
pots  are  best.  A  good,  rich  soil  should  be  used, 
making  it  rather  firm  in  the  process  of  potting. 
.\  fairly  warm  temperature  will  suit  them  best 
for  a  time,  using  the  syringe  freely  to  keep  down 
insect  pests. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Peas.— -\liMiil  this  il.ili-  .1  flood  luliii  ..[  laic 
I'eas  should  be   sown,   selecting  the  varieties  that 


do  best  in  the  particular  locality  in  which  one 
is  situated.  Gladstone  and  Autocrat  are  recog- 
nised as  two  standard  varieties,  and  on  heavy  soil 
I  have  found  the  latter  to  do  exceptionally  well. 

Early  and  Midseason  Varieties  that  are 
podcUng  should,  in  the  event  of  dry  weather,  have 
a  good  soaking  or  two  of  manure-water,  and  on 
very  light  soils  a  mulching  of  short  manure,  well 
watered  in.  will  greatly  help  them. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Melons. — No  time  should  be  lost  after  the  early 
batch  of  fruit  is  cleared  in  getting  a  second  crop 
planted,  giving  the  house  a  wash  down  and  clearing 
out  most  of  the  old  soil ;  this  ensures  a  clean  start, 
and  certainly  a  greater  chance  of  success,  if  fresh 
soil  is  given  for  each  succeeding  batch.  When 
planting  at  this  season,  a  little  shading  may  be 
necessary  for  a  few  days  ;  but  it  should  not  be  left 
on  longer  than  is  necessary,  as  there  is  more  difficulty 
in  setting  the  fruit  when  the  growth  is  unduly 
rapid  and  soft. 

Hardy  Fruits. 

Strawberries. — The  early  batches  on  warm 
borders  are  now  showing  colour,  and  protection 
should  be  given  from  the  birds.  Wherever  possible, 
the  nets  should  be  raised  high  enough  to  walk 
under,  and  thus  save  a  lot  of  trouble  when  gathering 
commences.  Later  batches  in  the  open  should 
have  the  trusses  slightly  raised  from  the  ground 
by  means  of  wires  or  strings  running  the  length  of 
the  rows.  This  is  especially  desirable  on  two  year 
and  three  year  old  plants,  as,  the  fruits  and  foliage 
being  thicker,  there  is  a  greater  tendency  of  the 
fruit  rotting  during  a  spell  of  bad  weather. 

Raspberries  coming  into  bloom  will  be  benefited 
by  a  good  soaking  or  two  of  manure-water  or  a 
light  mulching  of  manure,  giving  the  ground  a 
good  hoeing  first.  Suckers  taken  off  at  this  time 
andj)lanted  at  once  often  make  good  canes  by  the 
autumn,  though  care  should  be  taken  when  lifting 
to  secure  as  much  root  with  them  as  possible, 
and  this  method  of  making  fresh  plantations  T 
consider  preferable  to  planting  matured  canes 
during  the  autumn  and  winter. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR  NORTHERN  GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 
Propagating  Pinks. — This  work  may  now  be 
carried  out.  and  is  quite  simple.  Pull  the  young 
shoot  backwards,  thereby  securing  a  heel,  although 
this  is  not  absolutely  necessary  ;  trim  off  the  lower 
pair  of  leaves  and  make  the  cutting  in  the  ordinary 
way.  Insert  in  boxes  of  sandy  soil  which  has  been 
pressed  firm,  place  in  a  close  frame  and  shade 
from  bright  sunshine  till  rooted. 

Border    Carnations. — ^These    should    now    be 

making  vigorous  growth,  and  will  be  benefited 
liy  a  dressing  of  soot,  after  which  run  the  hoe 
through  the  bed  or  border.  Attend  to  tying,  or 
if  coil  stakes  are  used,  attend  to  training. 

Bearded  Irises. — Here  we  have  a  border  devoted 
to  these  attractive  flowers,  except  that  we  have 
a  few  plants,  such  as  Marguerites,  Hyacinthus 
candicans  and  Chrysanthemums,  dotted  in  among 
them.  I  think  they  look  best  in  a  mass  thus. 
They  will  now  be  coming  into  bloom,  and  this 
is  a'  good  time  to  rename  them,  as  in  the  case 
of  misplaced  labels  or  obliterated  writing,  identifi- 
cation is  comparatively  easy  now. 

The  Rock  Garden. 
Planting  Primulas. — There  is  now  a  great 
variety  of  Primulas  available  for  the  rock  garden, 
and  if  watering  is  attended  to  there  is  no  better 
time  for  planting  new  stock  or  moving  that  already 
in  hand  than  just  after  the  flowering  period. 
P.  japonica,  sikkimensis,  rosea,  Sieboldii  and  a  few 
others  require  moist  conditi'ins,  and  must  be 
planted  at  the  base,  but  those  of  the  nivalis  and 
luarginata  type  prefer  drier  conditions.  Good 
yellow  loam  will  suit  any  of  them. 

Polygala  Chamaebuxus.  —  Let  me  strongly 
recommend  this  beautiful  little  sub-shrub  to  those 
who  do  not  possess  it.  Its  fragrant,  Pe.i-like 
flowers  of  cream  and  purpli-,  linrni-  in  racmies. 
last  many  weeks. 


The  Rose  Garden. 

Mildew. — The  rosarian  must  ever  be  on  Ihe 
alert  for  this  enemy.  Sulphur  is  the  enemy  of 
all  fungi,  and  this  in  particular.  Spraying  witli 
liver  of  sulphur  will  prove  effectual. 

Watering. — Being  deep  rooters,  Roses  once 
established  rarely  require  watering,  except  on  very- 
light  soils.  Spring-planted  stock,  however,  require 
close  attention,  and  should  be  well  watered  if 
drought  sets  in. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Seedling  Begonias. — Seedling  tuberous  Begonias 
that  have  been  pricked  off  into  pans  or  boxes 
and  seem  to  require  potting  up  will  do  far  better 
if  planted  out  in  a  frame  in  rich,  flaky  soil.  Here 
they  will  make  rapid  growth,  and  when  they  begin 
to  show  flower  they  can  be  potted  up  into  4-inch 
or  5-inch  pots,  in  which  they  will  make  a  good  show 
in  the  front  of  the  conservatory  stages  during  the 
autumn. 

Begonia  semperflorens. —  ihe  popular  winter- 
flowering  Begonias  have  put  some  of  the  older 
species  in  the  shade,  but  semperflorens  and  its 
varieties,  such  as  rosea  multiflora  and  Fran  Maria 
Brandt,  should  not  he  overlooked.  Spring-struck 
plants  will  now  be  ready  for  potting  up  into  5-inch 
pots.  Loam,  peat,  leaf-mould  and  sand  form 
a  compost  that  suits  them. 

Hard -Wooded  Plants.  —  .Acacias,  Cytisuses. 
Epacrises,  Deutzias  and  most  hard-wooded  plants 
should  now  be  stood  out  of  doors  for  the  summer, 
and  with  the  exception  of  Deutzias,  which  require 
all  the  sun  they  can  get,  they  are  better  shaded 
from  the  midday  sun.  .Any  necessary  pruning 
should  now  be  attended  to.  Plants  of  Azalea 
indica  should  be  left  in  a  little  heat  till  the  flower- 
buds  have  been  well  formed. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Pot  Fruits. — These  will  now  require  close 
attention  hi  the  matter  of  watering,  as  trees  often 
require  to  be  watered  twice  a  day  in  hot  weather. 
Feeding  should  also  be  continued,  seeing  to  it 
that  the  food  contains  a  fair  amount  of  potash 
and  phosphates. 

The  Cape  Gooseberry,  or  Physalis  edulis, 
finds  favour  with  some  families.  It  is  easily  grown, 
succeeding  well  on  the  back  wall  of  a  vinery.  It 
can  either  be  raised  by  seeds  or  cuttings.  It  is  a 
rapid  grower. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Training  Peaches. — Extra  vigorous  succession 
shoots  should  be  nailed  in,  while  those  that  are 
rather  weakly  may  be  allowed  to  grow  at  will 
for  some  time.  By  such  means  the  balance  of 
growth  will  be  maintained. 

Syringing. — Peach  and  Nectarine  trees,  and 
all  trees  on  walls  planted  last  autumn  or  spring, 
should  be  well  syringed  in  the  afternoon  during 
hot  weather.  If  green  fly  is  present,  put  some 
XL  All  Liquid  Insecticide  into  the  water. 

Watering. — Wall  trees,  especially  those  on  south 
walls,  must  be  watered  at  the  root  if  the  border 
becomes  dry,  and  as  the  temperature  of  the  soil 
will  be  pretty  high,  the  water  should  be  slightly 
warmed  prior  to  its  being  applied. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Early  Cauliflowers. — These  will  be  turning  in 
for  use  ill  the  course  of  a  week  or  so,  and  if  they 
turn  in  rather  rapidly,  they  can  bo  lifted  and  laid 
in  behind  a  north  wall,  or  cut  and  their  bases 
stood  in  flat  vessels  containing  a  few  inches  of 
water,  to  be  stood  in  a  cool  house  or  shed.  If 
clubbing  appears,  water  with  a  little  nitrate  of 
soda  or  with  common  saltpetre  at  the  rate  of 
loz.  t<)  a  gallon  of  water. 

Broccoli. — It  will  pay  to  lift  the  young  seedhngs 
from  the  seed  lines  and  prick  them  out  3  inches  apart 
in  fine  soil,  leaving  them  there  until  it  is  time  to 
plant  them  out  in  their  permanent  quarters. 

Broad  Beans. — Draw  some  earth  up  to  the 
later  sowings,  and  top  early  crops  to  facilitate 
the  filling  of  the  pods. 

Jerusalem  Artichokes. — If  not  already  done, 
ease  up  the  soil  between  the  rows  with  the  digging- 
fork,  and  earth  up  in  the  same  way  as  Potatoes 
are  earthed  up. 

Kidney  Beans. — A  late  sowing  should  now  be 
made,  and  it  will  be  advisable  to  use  an  early 
variety,  such  as  Ne  Plus  Ultra.  Earth  up  the 
earliest  sowing  when  (<  inches  high. 

Ch.ukmls  CoMioKi. 
Uroom/ie/d  (,aide>is,  IJuvidscii's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


June  7,  1913.: 


THE    GARDEN. 


295 


NOTES    ON     TULIPS. 


I  FEAR  I  rather  digressed  last  week  in  describ- 
ing the  striped  (or  broken)  Tuhps,  for  I 
did  not  confine  myself  altogether  to  those 
varieties  which  were  actually  in  the  Chelsea 
Show.  I  wish  to  remark  that  my  selection 
as  there  given  must  not  be  taken  as  including 
all  the  very  best.  In  passing  on  to  the  Darwin 
and  Cottage  varieties,  I  feel  I  must  comment  on  a 
note  that  recently  appeared  in  one  of  the  gardening 
weeklies,  in  which  the  writer  rather  scoffed  at  this 
division,  and  said  it  was  rather  absurd,  and  that 
both  ought  to  be  simply  called  late  flowerers. 
I  franldy  admit  that  there  are  a  fair  number  of 
the  Cottage  which  are  very  much  on  the  border- 
land, and  also  that  perhaps  it  is  somewhat  pedantic 
to  refuse  to  call  any  bizarre  (such  as  Jaune  d'Oiuf 
and  Clio)  a  Darwin.  All  the  same,  I  hold  that 
these  designations  do  mark  off  distinct  types, 
and  that  it  is  helpful  and  not  harmful  to  retain 
them.  Some  spring  I  hope  to  see  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  holding  a  Tulip  conference 
with  the  co-operation  of  some  of  the  best  Dutch 
authorities.  The  tangle  of  names  is  now  very  bad 
indeed,  and  I  feel  sure  any  attempt  to  unravel  it 
would  be  greatly  appreciated  by  amateurs  and 
traders  alike.  But  to  get  to  the  immediate  purpose 
of  these  notes.  I  will  commence  with  the  Darwins. 
Among  those  not  very  much  known  I  singled  out 
the  following  :  Louise  de  la  Vallifere,  a  lovely  rosy 
pink,  with  a  blue  base — practically  a  self,  large, 
well-shaped  bloom,  much  more  of  a  pink  than  the 
well-known  Mr.  Farncombe  Sanders.  Near  to 
It,  on  Messrs.  James  Veitch's  stand,  was  a  smaller 
but  quite  as  beautiful  a  flower,  Pomona  ;  it  was 
still  further  removed  from  Mr.  Farncombe  Sanders 
in  the  rose  pink  direction.  It  looked  as  if  it  had  had 
a  thin  wash  of  salmon  colour  all  over  it  ;  it  had  a 
white  base,  edged  blue,  and  on  the  three  e.xterior 
petals  there  was  a  deeper  flame  of  the  same  tone. 
The  Bishop,  a  large  flower  of  singular  charm, 
attracted,  so  the  attendant  told  me,  much  attention 
in  Mr.  C.  Bourne's  collection.  I,  personally,  do  not 
wonder  at  it,  for  it  is  one  of  my  own  special  favour- 
ites among  the  purples,  and  is  invariably  singled 
out  by  visitors  to  my  garden.  The  interior  of 
the  petals  is  a  rich,  glowing,  true  purple,  while 
externally  one  gets  the  impression  of  the  same 
colour  seen  through  a  thick  grey  veil.  With  age 
the  purple  develops  and  takes  on  a  decided  blue 
tone.  The  plant  is  tall,  with  a  fine  thick  stem. 
Julie  Vinot  (syn.  Princess  Elizabeth)  is  a  pretty 
shade  of  rose,  which  at  the  edges  of  the  petals  passes 
away  to  a  blush.  It  has  a  clear  white  base,  and 
IS  of  the  flat-sided  shape  that  is  seen  in  Orange 
King.  It  has  the  reputation  of  standing  bad 
weather  well.  Moralis  was  in  nice  condition  in 
Messrs.  A.  Dickson  and  Sons'  gold  medal  group. 
It  is  a  clean-cut  flower  of  deep  rich  plum,  with  a 
decided  "  bloom "  on  the  outside  of  the  petals. 
It  is  a  tall  grower;  one  of  the  be-st  of  the  very 
dark  selfs.  I  was  glad  to  renew  my  acquaintance 
vnth  the  pretty  rosy  scarlet  Sweetheart.  It  is 
very  nearly  like  Mr.  Farncombe  Sanders  in  shade, 
but  not  such  a  large  flower.  Its  special  charm 
and  distinction  consist  in  its  beautiful  pale  blue 
hase,  %vhich  is  quite  away  from  almost  every  other 
\ariety.  A  flower  which  was  new  to  me  was 
Prima  Donna.  I  always  call  this  type  in  my  own 
mind  "  edgers."  Its  three  exterior  petals  have  a 
broad  flame  of  rich  rose  red,  which  is  edged  with 
warm  flesh  colour.  In  the  early  days  of  last 
century  there  was  a  certain  class  of  Tulips  called 
Baguets  (see  "  The  Florists'  Directory,"  by  James 


Maddock,  1792),  or  drum-stick  flowers.  Prima 
Dorma  would  have  qualified  for  one  of  these,  on 
account  of  its  stem,  which  is  exceedingly  rigid. 
I  spent  a  delightful  hour  or  two  on  one  of  the  morn- 
ings of  the  show  in  the  company  of  Mr.  P.  R.  Barr, 
going  into  the  similarities  and  differences  of  some 
of  the  rather-alike  varieties.  We  found  out, 
what  I  had  always  suspected,  that  Massenet  and 
The  Dove  were  one  and  the  same  thing.  We 
also  took  round  some  blooms  of  Pensfe  Am^re 
and  compared  them  with  those  of  La  Tristesse 
and  Remembrance.  While  there  is  more  red  in 
the  composition  of  the  former,  we  found  the  latter 
very  similar,  only  it  had  not  such  a  clean  look, 
owing  to  its  dull,  smoky  base  and  the  duller  edging 
of  the  petals.  These  are  three  of  the  silvery 
purples,  a  fourth  being  Ronald  Gunn,  a  truly 
magnificent  example  of  the  type.  With  the  men- 
tion of  Nauticus  my  Darwin  list  must  end.  Its 
first  merit  is  that  it  is  one  of  the  less  expensive 
kind ;  its  second  is  its  large  size  and  pleasing 
shape ;  its  third  is  its  colour,  which  is  rather  a 
nice  shade  of  rose.  It  attracted  my  attention 
when  I  was  over  in  Holland  this  spring,  and  I  was 
glad  to  see  it  staged  at  Chelsea.  It  should  be  more 
widely  grown.  It  lasts  well  and  is  particularly 
bright  when  first  open. 

Among  the  Cottage  section  I  would  call 
special  attention  to  Monument  (syn.  Panorama 
or  Friday).  It  is  a  fine  bold  flower  of  a  good 
shade  of  orange  red,  exceedingly  effective  when 
planted  near  a  good  yellow,  such  as  Mrs. 
Moon  or  Parisian  Yellow.  A  flower  of  much  the 
same  tone  of  red  is  Lucifer.  Here,  however,  the 
three  irmer  petals  are  far  more  orange  than  red. 
This,  as  it  always  does,  gives  it  a  lighter  look 
en  masse.  Its  yellow  base  also  tends  to  the  same 
end.  Gondvink  is  the  king  of  the  yellowy  brown 
shades.  Tall,  of  good  proportion,  free  flowering, 
it  commands  instant  attention,  and  few,  if  any, 
ever  go  round  my  garden  without  bestowing  a 
word  of  praise  upon  it.  It  is  the  largest,  tallest 
and  most  richly  coloured  of  all  the  browny  yellows. 
During  the  first  day  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons  dis- 
played their  beautiful  Cassandra.  It  is  an  exceed- 
ingly bright  rose  in  colour,  of  medium  size  and 
height,  and,  as  I  know  by  experience,  one  of  the  most 
lasting  of  Tulips.  It  flowers  on  the  early  side. 
I  also  saw  a  vase  of  Albion  (syn.  Ada).  It  is  a 
Tulip  whose  charms  do  not  develop  until  it  has 
come  to  a  certain  age.  But  from  that  time  onwards 
it  is  a  bloom  of  great  refinement,  pure  white,  with 
a  halo  of  pale  mauve  round  the  interior  of  the  base. 
In  a  room  it  must  be  placed  below  the  level  of  the 
eye  to  see  its  full  beauty.  Last  year,  when  I  was 
honoured  by  a  visit  from  the  head  of  Messrs.  Sutton 
and  Sons'  bulb  department,  that  gentleman  picked 
it  out  as  one  of  the  most  pleasing  in  all  my  collection. 

My  final  paragraph  must  be  devoted  to  the 
recrudescence  of  the  old  florist  breeder  in  Holland. 
.All  the  large  trade  gardens  there  have  a  quarter 
where  these  are  grown  in  collections.  With  some 
of  these  we  are  more  or  less  familiar — Goliath 
(syn.  Kingscourt  and  Cardinal  Manning)  is  fairly 
well  known,  and  appeared  under  one  name  or  the 
other  in  several  places.  It  is  a  curious  blend  of 
mauve  and  rose,  which  changes  to  an  almost  pure 
orange  at  the  extreme  edges  of  the  petals.  It 
is  a  tall  grower  and  an  attractive  flower.  A  goodly 
proportion  of  those  that  are  classed  as  Dutch  (?) 
breeders  are  purples  or  deep  mauves.  Some, 
such  as  Bacchus,  Mariana,  Fabius  and  De 
Zwyger,  are  very  fine  indeed  ;  but  there — I  am 
off  the  line  again.  They  were  not  at  Chelsea, 
and  I  must  not  describe  them.      Joseph  Jacob. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

INJURY    TO    PHLOXES    {I.    H.).— The    Phloxes    are 

attacked  by  the  stem  eelworra.  Tylenchus  devastatrix, 
and  it  is  this  which  is  causing  the  mischief  to  the  plants. 
It  would  be  well  to  remove  and  burn  the  affected  shoots, 
and  sive  the  soil  around  a  dressing  of  sulphate  of  potash 
It  is  a  difficult  pest  to  eradicate  when  oncft  it  has  gained 
a  footing,  and  we  fear  spraying  will  do  very  little  indeed 
in  this  direction. 

LILY  DISEASE  (A.  If .).— The  Lilies  are  attacked  by  the 
Lily  disease,  for  which  no  cure  is  known.  The  diseased 
shoots  should  be  removed,  for  that  will  lessen  the  danger 
of  the  bulbs  being  attacked,  and  at  the  same  time  we  would 
recommend  you  to  remove  the  top  layer  of  the  soil  to  the 
depth  of  3  inches  or  so,  replacing  with  fresh  soil  in  which 
some  old  mortar  nibble  has  been  mixed.  The  Lilies 
should  be  in  a  place  sheltered  from  winds,  and  as  free  as 
possible  from  late  frosts. 


FRUIT    GARDEN. 

BLACK  CURRANT  AND  GREEN  FLY  (£.  i».).— Tin 
Black  Currant  is  attacked  by  aphis  or  green  fly.  Spray 
with  Quassia  and  soft  soap  as  soon  as  you  possibly  can. 
and  in  the  evening. 

PEAR-LEAF  BLISTER  (R.  /I.).— The  Pears  are  attacked 
by  the  Pear-leaf  blister  mite,  but  if  they  are  all  as  bad  as 
this  wc  cannot  recommend  the  cutting  off  of  affected 
foliage,  as  we  should  do  if  the  attack  were  a  slight  one. 
Spraying  in  winter  with  a  lime  sulphur  salt  wash  is  the 
best  thing  to  do,  and  spraying  now  with  a  nicotine  prepara- 
tion may  do  some  good. 

PEACH-LEAF  BLISTER  (S.  O.).— The  Peach  foliage  is 
attacked  by  Peach  blister.  It  is  due,  in  the  first  place, 
to  the  presence  of  a  fungus  in  the  tissues.  This  fungus 
lives  through  the  winter  in  the  shoots  which  were  attacked 
in  the  previous  year,  and  it  is  therefore  necessary  to 
remove  these  as  soon  as  the  attack  is  seen  to  commence. 
At  the  same  time  the  trees  should  be  sprayed  with 
ammoniacal  copper  carbonate.  Cold  winds  and  damp 
situations  lay  the  plant  open  to  attack  more  seriously 
than  if  the  external  conditions  are  satisfactory.  Every 
care  should  be  taken  that  the  trees  are  protected  as 
thoroughly  as  possible  from  exposure  to  these  contributory 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

TOMATOES  DISEASED  {Salopian).~-The  Tomatoes  are 
attacked  by  the  fungus  Fusarium.  The  spores  of  this 
fungus  inliabit  the  soil,  and  to  avoid  its  attacks  the  best 
method  is  to  sterilise  the  soil  by  heat. 

LETTUCE  FOR  EXAMINATION  (f .  B.).— The  spots  on 
the  Lettuce  leaves  are  not  due  to  the  attack  of  any  insect 
or  fungus,  but  to  the  accumulation  of  the  reddish  cell 
sap,  which  you  will  see  is  distributed  all  over  the  leaves 
in  certain  spots  to  a  greater  extent  than  usual.  This  is 
probably  a  result  of  these  portions  of  the  leaves  being 
exposed  to  a  lower  temperature  through  winds  catching 
them,  or  something  of  that  kind,  than  were  the  other 
parts. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

LARVa:  TO  NAME  <E.  3/.).  —  Several  grut)S  had 
evidently  been  enclosed,  but  only  one  remained,  wit^  tne 
broken  parts  of  two  others.  The  living  one  had  killed  and 
eaten  the  others.  It  was  the  larva  of  a  ground  beetle 
(Carabus),  an  extremely  useful  insect,  as  it  devours  others 
that  are  noxious  to  plants. 

-  LARVffi  FOR  IDENTIFICATION  (A.  B.).— We  found 
only  one  of  the  grubs  you  mention  and  the  mangled 
remains  of  two  others.  These  were  all  the  larvie  of 
carnivorous  ground  beetles,  which  devour  many  foes  of 
garden  plants,  and  are  among  the  gardener's  best  friends. 
Nearly  all  carnivorous  insects  are  active  and  have  large 
jaws,  while  those  that  destroy  garden  plants  are  usually 
sluggish  and  have  small  jaws. 

""TO  ERADICATE  GARLIC  (S.  B.).— The  only  way  to 
clear  ground  of  Garlic  is  to  keep  the  Garlic  hoed  up  as  often 
as  it  appears,  never  allowing  the  leaves  or  the  flowers  to 
appear.  By  repeated  cutting  down  in  this  way  the  plants 
are  gradually  weakened  and  eventually ,  killed,  it, 
however,  the  leaves  are  allowed  to  develop,  the  bulbs  are 
fed,  and  there  is  the  greatest  difficulty  in  stamping  the 
weed  out.  It  will  probably  take  several  years  to  clean 
the  ground  thoroughly. 

"names    of    PLANTS.— Bo6in  Hood.— SmaU  flowers  of 

TiSpa  gesneriana   spathulata. A.  B.- 1,  Cupressus 

pisifera  squarrosa  ;  2,  C.  p.  plumosa  aurea  ;  3,  C.  'ayson- 
lana  ;  4,  C.  lawsoniana  variety ;  5,  C.  1.  erecta-vmdis  ;  b, 

Lithospermum    prostratum. W.   B.  O.—l.  baxitraga 

csspitosa;  2,  Silene  pendula ;  3,  Sedum  spurium.— - 
H.  L.  Crouch  End.— 1,  Pyrus  torminalis(  Wild  Service) ;  z. 

Sequoia  eigantea. i.  B.  W.,  Wells.— 1,  Saxifraga  mus- 

coides;  2,  S.  decipiens  Rhei  ;  3,  S.  Geum;  4,  b.  umbrosa 
punctata ;  5,  S.  Geum  crenatum ;  6,  S.  rotundlfolia  ;  7,  &. 

lindleyana;     8,  S.  Andrewsii a.  G.    O.—l,    Saxifraga 

trifurcata;  2,  S.  sponhemica  ,  3,  S.  coidifolia;  4,  i.itno. 
spermum  prostratum  ;  5.  Saxifraga  rofundiflioa ;  6, 
Veronica  Teucrium  dubia ;  7  and  8,  Phlox  subulata  variety 


296 


THE    GARDEN. 


[June  7,  1913. 


SOC  I  ET  I  ES. 


ROYAL     HORTICULTURAL     SOCIETY. 

There  was  a  tloral  display  of  unusual  brilliance  at  tlie 
fortnightly  meeting  of  tlie  above  society,  hold  at  Vincent 
Square.  Westminster,  on  Tuesday  last.  Hardy  flowers, 
such  as  Irises,  Pyrethrums.  Paeonies  and  Lupines,  created 
a  gorgeous  display  of  colour,  equalled  only  by  the  banks 
of  Sweet  Peas  and  Ubses  arransed  on  all  sides.  Greenhouse 
Howers  were  likewise  well  represented,  Pelargoniums, 
l''uchsias,  Schizanthuses  and  Orchids  being  among  the  most 
conspicuous. 

Orchid  Committee. 

Present :  J.  G.  Fowler.  Esq.  (chairman),  Sir  Harry  J. 
N'eitch,  Messrs.  J.  S.  Moss,  J.  W.  Potter,  Gurney  Wilson, 
K  A.  Uolfe,  F.  Sander,  S.  H.  Low,  F.  Menteith  Ogilvie, 
.J.  Charlesworth,  J.  Cypher,  W.  H.  Hatcher,  G.  Hunter. 
W.  H.  White,  W.  Bolton,  R.  B.  White,  de  B.  Crawshay, 
S.  W.  Flory,  A.  Dye,  J.  E.  Shill,  T.  Armstrong  and  C.  H. 
(.Curtis. 

Following  so  soon  after  the  great  Sprmg  Show,  one 
hardly  expected  to  see  such  an  extensive  display  of  Orchids. 

From  Mr.  H.  S.  Goodson,  Fairlawn,  Putney,  came  a 
comprehensive  collection  of  Cattleyas,  Odontoglossums. 
Miltonias  and  others  in  season.  Among  the  gerns  of  the 
collection  were  Odontoglossum  amabile  roseum.  O. 
lambeauianum  and  Cattleya  oanhamianse.  A  number  of 
Cymbidiums  and  Oncidiums  with  long,  arching  sprays 
of  blooms  were  shown  in  the  background.  It  was  a  highly 
creditable  group,  admirably  staged,  and  worthy  of  the 
society's  gold  medal  which  it  received. 

Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co.  showed  a  little  group 
of  choice  Orchids,  including  Miltonia  vexillaria  Empress 
Auguste  Victoria,  of  a  deep  rosy  pink  colour.  Silver 
Banksian  medal. 

Messrs.  J.  Cypher  and  Sons,  Cheltenham,  showed  the 
delicate  Oncidium  pulchellum,  with  Dendrobiums  and 
Miltonias  in  variety.     Silver  Banksian  medal. 

Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co.,  Bush  Hill  Park,  Middlesex, 
staged  an  admirable  collection  of  Cattleya  hybrids,  also 
Biilbophyllums.  Dendrobiums  and  Odontiodas.  Silver 
Banksian  medal. 

A  similar  award  was  made  to  Mr.  E.  H.  Davidson, 
Twyford,  for  Odontoglossums  and  Cattleyas.  A  grand 
plant  of  Odontoglossum  Aireworthii  Orchid  Dene  variety 
was  included,  and  trained  an  award  of  merit. 

Messrs.  Hassall  and  Co..  Southgate,  had  a  fine  array 
of  Oncidium  serratum,  together  with  such  interesting 
species  as  Odontoirlossum  Uro-Skinneri,  Aerides  crispilabia 
and  Trichopilia  backhousiana.     Silver  Banksian  medal. 

Messrs.  William  Baylor  Hartland  and  Sons,  Cork, 
sent  a  fine  lot  of  Odontoglossums  and  Cypripediums, 
which  looked  none  the  worse  for  their  journey  across  the 
Irish  Channel. 

A  number  of  Odontiodas,  including  the  beautiful 
Vuylstekeae  and  rosefleldense,  were  shown  by  Messrs. 
Armstrong  and  Brown,  Tunbridge  Wells.  Two  fine 
plants  of  the  green-floweriug  Ccelogyne  pandurata  and  a 
immber  of  Brasso-Cattleyas  were  also  shown.  Silver  Flora 
medal. 

Messrs.  Sander  and  Sons,  St.  Albans,  had  a  fine  lot  of 
Miltonias,  of  which  Empress  Auguste  Victoria,  with  very 
large  rose  pink  flowers,  was  conspicuous.  The  deep  yellow 
uf  Anguloa  Clowesii  lent  a  pleasing  tone  of  colour  among  a 
lirilliant  array  of  Cattleyas  and  Masdevallias.  Silver 
Flora  medal. 

Fruit  and  Vegetable  Committee. 

Present:  A.  H.  Pearson,  Esq.  (chairman),  and  Messrs. 
J.  Cheal,  E.  Beckett,  H.  Hooper,  P.  W.  Tuckett,  W. 
Divers,  C.  G.  A.  Nix,  J.  Davis,  A.  R.  Allan  and  A.  Bullock. 

The  only  exhibit  before  this  committee  was  tliat  of  a 
collection  of  Lettuce  from  Messrs.  Carter  and  Co.,  Kaynes 
Park,  S.W.  The  Lettuce  were  all  of  the  Cabbage  variety, 
and  arranged  in  beds  just  as  they  might  be  growing  in 
frames  or  a  border.  The  varieties  shown  were  Holborn 
Standard,  Continuity,  Victoria,  Harbinger,  Brown  Dutch, 
Marvel  and  Grand  Admiral.     Silver  Banksian  medal. 

Floral  Committee. 

Present :  H.  B.  May,  Esq.  (chairman),  and  Messrs.  C.  T. 
Druery,  J.  Green,  B.  Crisp.  T.  Stevenson,  C.  Blick,  W.  A. 
Bilney,  II.  C.  Notcutt,  J.  W.  Moorman,  II.  W.  Wallace, 
C.  R"  Fielder,  J.  W.  Barr,  E.  A.  Bowles,  F.  Page- 
Roberts,  J.  Dickson,  C.  Dixon,  J.  Jennings,  J.  T.  Bennett- 
Poe,  Charles  E.  Shea,  W.  Cuthbertson,  W.  P.  Thomson, 
E.  H.  Jenkins,  W.  J.  James,  E.  Mawley,  J.  F.  McLeod, 
G.  Paul,  A.  W.  Watkins,  W.  B.  Cranfield  and  R.  Hooper 
Pearson. 

Messrs.  Gunn  and  Sons,  Olton.  Warwick,  displayed  an 
admirable  lot  of  herbaceous  Phloxes  in  distinctive  colour 
shades,  showing  these  plants  to  perfection  so  far  as  this  is 
possible  in  the  forced  plant.  Mauve  Queen,  Flora  (white 
and  pale  mauve),  Frau  Antoine  Buchner  (white).  Elizabeth 
Campbell  (salmony  pink),  Le  Mahdi  (violet).  Beauty  of 
Arden  (lilac  pink).  G.  Strohlein  (fine  scarlet)  and  General 
Van  Hentz  (also  scarlet). 

Messrs.  W.  and  J.  Brown.  Peterborough,  had  a  small 
group  of  GalUardias,  Dianthus  Napoleon  III.,  Heucheras 
and  a^emi-double  Rose  of  considerable  promise. 

Mr.  C.  W.  Chantler,  St.  Mary  Cray.  Kent,  set  up  a  collec- 
tion of  Flag  and  other  Irises,  in  which  many  good  varieties 
were  seen. 

Messrs.  Artindale,  Sheffield,  had  a  sumptuous  group  of 
Poppies,  Pyrethrums,  Eremuri  and  Lupines,  the  first- 
named  being  particularly  good  and  in  variety. 

Baker's,  Wolverhampton,  showed  alpines  on  rockwork, 
Dianthus  Napoleon  III.,  D.  salmonea,  Wahlenbergia 
vincjeflora.  Primula  capitata  and  choice  Saxifrages  and 
shrubs  being  noted. 


Mr.  Charles  Blick,  Hayes,  Kent,  staged  border  Carna- 
tions in  excellent  form  ;  handsome  flowers  in  many  colours. 
Cecilia  (yellow,  very  fine).  Salome  (fancy  heliotrope 
variety,  perhaps  the  best  of  its  class).  Skirmisher  (buff 
ground  fancy),  Dora  Blick  (the  finest  butf  self  extant),  Mrs. 
Warton  (clear  apricot  self  of  distinct  shade)  and  Elizabeth 
Shittner  (pale  bulf  self)  were  among  the  best  in  a  grand  lot. 

Messrs.  Reams  bottom.  King's  County,  Ireland,  again 
exhibited  their  fine  strain  of  St.  Brigid  Anemones. 

Mr.  L.  R.  Russell,  Richmond,  had  a  small  group  of 
Ivies,  Acers,  Olearias,  Ceanothuses  and  other  plants. 
Nertera  depressa  was  very  charming. 

Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  Covent  "Garden,  had  a  group 
rich  in  Flag  Irises,  Lupines,  single  Paeonies,  Ranunculi, 
Spanish  Irises  and  other  showy  plants  of  the  moment. 
Lilium  colchicum  was  very  fine. 

Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co.,  Edinburgh,  displayed  Sweet 
Peas  and  Antirrhinums,  and  for  effect  and  garden  display 
the  latter  undoubtedly  took  the  lead.  Naturally,  the 
twain  had  been  grown  under  glass,  though  the  immediate 
result  of  this  is  to  show  what  is  possible  with  these  easily- 
grown,  easily-raised  plants  for  the  longest  possible  period. 
Tliere  is  gracefulness  and  charm  in  these  taller  spires 
of  the  Snapdragon  that  endow  them  with  great  decorative 
value,  and  as  the  idea  is  unpatented,  it  may  be  copied  by 
all.  White  Queen,  Yellow  Queen,  Defiance.  White 
Beauty,  Cottage  Maid,  Amber  Queen  and  Moonlight  were 
among  the  best, 

Messrs.  R.  H.  Bath,  Limited,  Wisbech,  had  a  pretty  dis- 
play of  Sweet  Peas,  together  with  a  larger,  showier  group  of 
late-flowering  Tulips  and  Paeonies. 

Messrs.  W.  J.  Godfrey  and  Sons,  Exmouth,  had  a  showy 
table  of  their  art  shades  of  Poppies  in  variety,  also  fancy 
and  Regal  Pelargoniums.  The  latter  are  not  frequently 
shown,  though  they  have  an  ornamental  value  of  their 
own  in  the  conservatory  at  this  season. 

Messrs.  Kelway.  Langport,  arranged  quite  a  feast 
of  Pyrethrums,  Paeonies,  Lupines  and  Larkspurs,  the  two 
former  largely  predominating.  Of  single  Pyrethrums, 
Ringdove  and  James  Kelway  were  good.  Of  doubles. 
Aphrodite  is  still  without  a  peer  among  the  whites,  and 
Lord  Rosebery  (crimson)  is  the  equal  of  any  we  have  seen 
of  this  shade. 

Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co.,  Enfield,  showed  Malmaison 
and  other  Carnations  in  capital  form,  Lady  Coventry, 
Princess  of  Wales,  Princess  Juliana,  Carola  and  Baroness 
de  Brienen  being  among  the  best. 

Me.ssrs.  J.  Cheal  and  Sons,  Crawley,  showed  cut  Rhodo- 
dendrons, Olearias  and  other  shrubs. 

Messrs.  G.  Jackman  and  Sons,  Woking,  staged  Irises, 
Lupines  and  other  plants,  their  finest  specimens  being 
Iris  pallida  Princess  Beatrice  and  I.  p.  Leonidas,  both 
noble  varieties. 

Messrs.  G.  and  A.  Clark,  Limited,  Dover,  displayed  some 
good  groups  of  herbaceous  things,  nothing  more  stately 
or  imposing  perhaps  that  Iris  Ricardii,  which  is  of  the 
pallida  set.  Thalictrura  Delavayi  was  very  charming, 
Geums  Mr.  J.  Bradshaw  and  Mrs.  Bradshaw  being  also 
well  shown. 

Messrs.  G.  Paul  and  Sons,  Cheshunt,  had  an  interesting 
gathering  of  single  Roses,  with  such  quaint  things  as 
viridiflora  and  others. 

Mr.  Amos  Perry,  Enfield,  had  an  extensive  exhibit  of 
Irises  and  Poppies,  together  with  Thalictrura  aquilegi- 
folium  album,  which  was  very  fine.  Of  the  Poppies, 
which  created  quite  a  blaze  of  colour.  Orange  Queen, 
Mrs.  Perry,  Perry's  Unique  (intense  scarlet  with  deeply- 
cut  petals),  Menelik  (deepest  crimson)  and  Crimped 
Beauty  were  excellent.  Ouosma  echioides  was  also  well 
displayed. 

With  arching  Fuchsias  overhead,  and  Irises.  Nemesias 
and  other  flowers  beneath.  Messrs.  James  Veitch  and 
Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea,  formed  a  perfect  avenue  of  flowers. 
The  Gloxinias  Veitch's  Giant  Strain  were  magnificent  in 
white,  violet,  blue  and  reds  of  many  shades,  spotted 
varieties  in  abundance  and  others  making  a  glorious  dis- 
play. The  plants  teemed  with  buds  as  well  as  with 
giant  flowers.  Irises,  Nemesias  in  variety,  the  pretty 
white  Gilia  dichotoma  and  other  plants  in  variety  made 
a  brilliant  show. 

Messrs.  B.  R.  Cant  and  Sons,  Colchester,  had  a  fine 
group  of  Rambler  Roses^ — Hiawatha,  Dorothy  Perkins, 
White  Dorothy,  American  Pillar,  Blush  Rambler.  Lady 
Godiva  (pink)  and  Sweet  Pea  (a  single  blush  white  variety 
not  yet  in  commerce). 

Messrs.  Piper,  Barnes,  showed  many  well-fiowered 
Wistarias  in  white  and  mauve,  a  few  plants  of  multijuga 
being  noted. 

Araucaria  excelsa  Silver  Star  was  well  displayed  in  a 
ground  group  by  Messrs.  Rochford,  Turuford  Hall 
Nurseries,  near  Broxbourne.  It  is  a  prettily -marked 
variety  with  white  tips. 

Mr.  James  Box,  Lindfield,  Sussex,  had  a  capital  show 
of  herbaceous  plants.  Poppies,  Pyrethrums,  double  white 
Rocket,  Anemone  sulphurea,  Columbines,  and  a  glorious 
lot  of  Paeonia  albiflora  grandiflora  (a  pure  wliite,  delight- 
fnlly  fragrant  flowered  plant  enriched  by  a  tuft  of  yellow 
anthers).  It  is  a  plant  for  everybody  who  gardens  in  the 
open  air. 

Messrs.  William  Fells  and  Son,  Hitchin,  had  an  arrange- 
ment of  alpines  on  table  rockwork.  Primula  cockburniana. 
Achillea  argentea.  Phlox  pilosa,  Primula  sikkimensis  and 
Onosraa  taurica  being  among  the  best.  Primula  bulleyana 
was  also  good. 

The  Misses  Hopkins,  Shepperton,  showed  many  alpines 
and  herbaceous  plants  on  tabling,  Achillea  Clavennae  and 
Primula  sikkimensis  being  noted. 

Messrs.  Whitelegg  and  Page,  Chislehurst,  had  good 
masses  of  Heucheras,  Geum  Mrs.  Bradshaw.  Wahlenbergia 
vincteflora,  together  with  plants  of  Habranthus  pratense. 
The  Heucheras  were  very  fine,  one  brilliant-flowered 
variety,  Scarlet  Seedling,  calling  for  special  remark. 


Mr.  Clarence  Elliott,  Stevenage,  had  one  or  two  fine 
masses  on  his  rockwork  exhibit.  The  finest  thing  was  a 
mantle  of  Campanula  Stevensii.  which  must  have  contained 
many  hundreds  of  flowers.  Myosotis  rupicola  and  Arnica 
montana.  the  latter  not  in  very  good  form,  were  also 
noted. 

Messrs.  Peed,  West  Norwood,  showed  Gloxinias  of  a  very 
good  strain. 

Carnations  and  Gladioli  were  well  displayed  by  Mr. 
J.  D.  Webster,  Chichester,  who  also  had  a  very  handsome 
vase  of  the  yellow  Calla  Pentlandii. 

Messrs.  T.  S.  Ware,  Limited.  Feltham,  displayed  a 
group  rich  in  Eremuri,  Pseony,  Iris,  Lupine  and  other 
showy  things,  while  such  pretty  free-growing  alpines  as 
Linaria  pallida,  Stachys  Corsica,  Aspemla  hirta,  Sedum 
piiosum  and  alpine  Phloxes  were  employed  with  con- 
siderable freedom. 

Baker's,  Wolverhampton,  had  finely-flowered  plants  of 
Primula  Lissadell  Hybrid.  P.  bulleyana  and  P.  sikkimensis. 

Messrs.  R.  W.  Wallace  and  Co.,  Colchester,  had  a  table 
largely  made  up  of  Irises,  of  which  Caterina,  Kashmir 
No.  1  and  pallida  dalmatica  were  three  of  the  finest. 
Eremuri,  Lilies.  Pentstemon  utahensis  (fine  blue),  Calo- 
chorti  and  many  other  plants  were  shown. 

Messrs.  Bunyard.  Maidstone,  had  a  particularly  showy 
exhibit  of  Paeonies,  Poppies,  Pyrethrums.  Lupines,  Lilie.*. 
Wahlenbergia  vincseflora  and  a  fine  grouping  of  Irises. 
A  whole  tableful  of  very  showy  plants. 

Messrs.  S.  Bide  and  Sons,  Farnham,  had  some  three 
dozen  vases  of  Sweet  Peas  in  the  leading  sorts,  such  varie- 
ties as  Edrom  Beauty,  Walter  P.  Wright  (mauve)  and 
Melba  showing  good  culture. 

Messrs.  Cutbush  and  Sons.  Highgate,  showed  a  fine  lot 
of  Carnations  and  Rambler  and  other  Roses,  Joan  of  Arc, 
a  new  white  Polyantha,  being  most  charming.  Lilies] 
Watsonias  and  hardy  Cypripediums  were  also  features  of 
a  good  group,  and  were  well  grown. 

Messrs.  H.  B.  May  and  Sons,  Edmonton,  displayed  a 
fine  table  of  Ferns  of  a  mixed  character,  Pteris,  Adiantum. 
Davallia,  Polypodium,  Gymnogrammes  and  the  like. 

Mr.  Maurice  Prichard,  Christchurch,  showed  Pteonies, 
Poppies.  Primula  bulleyana,  Wahlenbergia  vincseflora. 
and  good  masses  of  Androsace  lanuginosa  Leichtlini 
and  Incarvillea  grandiflora. 

Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea, 
displayed  a  magnificent  lot  of  standard  Fuchsia^,  admirably 
grown  and  flowered,  above  a  groundwork  of  Calceolaria 
Clibranii.  Pans  of  the  choicer  Primulas,  littoniana,  the 
new  Excelsior,  bulleyana.  capitata,  Mrs.  R.  V.  Berkeley 
and  sikkimensis  were  all  well  shown. 

Mr.  A.  G.  Waley,  Stone  House,  Reigate.  Surrey  (gardener. 
Mr.  M.  A.  Dobson),  displayed  a  pyramid  of  Schizanthus 
in  great  variety  in  admirably-grown  plants.  They  were 
magnificently  flowered  throughout. 

From  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons,  Reading,  came  a  superb 
collection  of  Aquilegias  of  the  long-spurred  strain.  The 
colours  included  rich  orange,  pink  and  blue  in  a  great 
range  of  colour  tones,  all  of  which  come  true  from  seed. 

H.  J.  Talbot,  Esq.,  Little  Gaddesden  House,  Berk- 
hamsted,  sent  a  group  of  Stock  Beauty  of  Nice,  a  pink- 
flowered  variety.  The  plants  shown  were  about  three 
feet  in  height  and  profusely  flowered. 

From  Messrs.  Carter  Page  and  Co.,  London  Wall,  came 
Violas,  Pelargoniums  and  Dahlias  in  great  variety. 

Messrs.  G.  and  W.  H.  Burch.  Peterborough,  showed  Roses 
in  variety.  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs,  a  new  sort,  was  shown  in 
great  form. 

Mr.  H.  Burnett,  Guernsey,  was  represented  by  a  mag- 
nificent collection  of  up-to-date  Carnations.  The  deep 
crimson  Carola  was  much  admired. 

Tuberous  Begonias,  Gloxinias  and  Aquilegias  were  the 
features  of  a  meritorious  group  staged  by  Mr.  A.  LI. 
Gwillim,  Sidcup,  Kent. 

A  blaze  of  colour  in  Roses.  Pelargoniums,  Calceolarias 
and  Cannas  was  created  by  the  display  from  Messrs 
Cannell,  Swanley,  Kent. 

Messrs.  Thompson  and  Cliarman,  11,  Adam  Street, 
.\delphi.  AV.C,  showed  Lupines,  Achillea  rupestris.  Cam- 
panula punctata,  and  Viola  gracilis  among  a  host  of 
hardy  flowers. 

The  greenhouse  annual  Statice  Suworowi  and  variety 
alba,  together  with  new  Azaleas,  were  shown  by  Messrs. 
R.  C.  Notcutt  of  Woodbridge. 

Mr.  G.  Reuthe,  Keston.  showed  a  collection  of  interesting 
hardy  plants,  among  which  we  observed  Irises  in  variety 
and  Primula  sikkimensis  in  quantity. 

Floral  Committee's  Awards. 

Silver-gilt  Flora  Medals. — To  Messrs.  Dobbie  for  Sweet 
Peas  and  Antirrhinums ;  and  Messis.  Veitch  for  Fuchsias. 
Gloxinias,  (tc. 

Silver-gilt  Banksian  Medal. — To  Messrs.  Canncl). 
Swanley,  for  Cannas  and  Pelargoniums. 

Silver  Flora  Medals. — To  Messrs.  Bunyard  for  herbaceous 
plants  ;  Mr.  Burnett  for  Carnations  ;  Messrs.  E.  R.  Cant 
for  pot  Roses  ;  Messrs.  Kelway  for  hardy  plants  ;  A.  G. 
Waley,  Esq.,  Reigate,  for  Schizanthus  ;  and  Mr.  Webster 
Chichester,  for  Carnations. 

Silver  Banksian  Medalt. — To  Messrs.  Bath  for  Tulip- 
and  Sweet  Peas  ;  Mr.  Box  for  herbaceous  plants  ;  Messrs. 
Burch,  Peterborough,  for  Roses  ;  Messrs.  Clark,  Dovei. 
for  herbaceous  plants ;  Messrs.  Cutbush  for  Roses ; 
Messrs.  Gunn  for  Phloxes  ;  Messrs.  Jackman  for  herbaceous 
plants  ;  Messrs.  Low  for  Carnations  ;  Messrs.  May  for 
choice  Ferns  ;  Mr.  Perry  for  Poppies  and  Irises  ;  Mr. 
Reuthe  for  hardy  plants  ;  Mr.  Russell  for  shrubs  ;  Messrs. 
Wallace  for  hardy  plants  ;    and  Mr.  Blick  for  Carnations. 

Bronze  Flora  Medals. — To  Messrs.  Barr  for  Irises  and 
Lupines  ;  Messrs.  Godfrey  for  Poppies,  »tc. ;  Mr.  Gwillim 
for  Gloxinias  ;  Messrs.  tPiper  for  Wistarias,  &c.  ;  Mr.  M. 
Prichard  for  hardy  plants  ;  Messrs.  Ware  for  alpines ; 
and  M.  Drummond.  Esq.,  Southampton,  for  Aquilegias. 


GARDEN. 


^, 


..r^^^&=^^ 


No.  2169.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


June  14,  1913. 


OONTBNTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week 
coreespondenoe 
Rose  Lady  Hilliog- 

don      

How  to  grow  Viola 

pedata 

Does  it  pay  to  spray 

Potatoes  ?  . .     . . 

Forthcoming  event* . . 

The    11ESI7LT  OE    OUK 

eook     g aed  en 

Competition  . . 
Rose  Oaeden 

Planting  out  Koses 
under  glass. . 

A     beautiful    new 

Rose 

Tbees  and  Shbcbs 

Some  good  woodland 
effects  

Rare  shrubs  and 
trees  at  Aldenham 
House 

A  beautiful  Austra- 
lian shrub  . . 
Flower  Garden 

Seasonable  notes  on 
Carnations  .. 

Notes   from    Wisley 

The  Snapdragon  and 
its  cultivation    .. 


299 
299 


299 
299 

300 

300 
301 


Rock  and  Water  Garden 
Mossy  Saxifragas  for 

massing 
Primula    p  s  e  u  d  o  - 

silckimensis 
Campanula    pumiia 

and    its  varieties 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


303 
303 


304 

New    and    Rare 
Plants 304 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
The  Pear  midge    . .     305 
Stove  plants  . .     . .     305 
Stmimer    treatment 
of  Raspberries   . .     305 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
l"or    Southern    gar- 
dens      306 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      306 

Greenhocse 
Repotting  Auriculas    307 
Sou  purification  in 

greenhouses       . .     307 
Propagating     Arau- 
caria  excelsa      . .     307 
ANSWERS  to  Corre- 
spondents 
flower  garden       . .     307 
Miscellaneous         . .     308 


Societies 


308 


II.I1UBT  RATIONS. 

A  superb  plant  of  Saxiiraga  longifolia  magnilica      . .  298 

A  beautiful  woodland  scene 300 

ElfBocarpus  reticulatos 301 

A  carpet  of  Mossy  Saxifrages       302 

Primula  pseudo-sikkimensis         303 

The  new  Pfeonia  arborea  L'Esperance         304 

The  Pear  midge       305 


BDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  description  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  icelcom^  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  he  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  toilt  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contribvtions. 


As  regards  photographs,  it  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  thai  the  price  reqtiired  for  reprodwAion  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  oumer  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  uAth. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  lUerary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistock  Street.  Covent  Garden.  W.C. 


The  Long-Spurred  Columbines. — Few  hardy 
flowers  are  capable  of  affording  so  much  pleasure 
as  a  well-grown  colony  of  these  beautiful  plants. 
Their  long  spurs,  graceful  poise  and  exquisite  art 
colour  shades  appeal  to  all,  and  if  cut  in  a  yoimg 
state  they  will  last  several  days  in  water.  Although 
it  is  generally  assumed  that  these  hybrid  Colum- 
bines are  short-lived,  this  is  not  always  so.  When 
visiting  Messrs.  Dobbie's  trial  grotmds  at  Mark's 
Tey  in  Essex  last  week,  we  were  interested  to  see 
a  large  bed  of  plants  that  had  been  undisturbed 
for  at  least  ten  years. 

Berberis   stenophylla   as   a    Hedge    Plant. — 

This  is  one  of  the  most  ornamental  of  our  hardy 
flowering  shrubs,  and  as  it  is  evergreen  it  is  a  valu- 
able plant,  even  when  it  is  not  in  bloom.  It  is 
of  garden  origin,  the  parents  being  Berberis 
empetrifolia  x  B.  Darwinii,  both  of  which  are 
natives  of  Chili,  .\part  from  its  value  as  a  shrub, 
it  is  an  excellent  subject  for  forming  a  hedge, 
either  as  a  boimdary  or  as  a  screen.  It  should 
be  cut  back  to  its  shape  as  soon  as  the  flowers  are 
over,  and  it  wUl  then  send  out  good,  strong  growths, 
which  will  give  a  wealth  of  blossom  the  following 
spring. 

A  New  Pedicularis. — The  marsh-loving  Louse- 
wort  (Pedicularis  palustris),  which  is  now  flowering 
profusely  in  many  damp  places  of  this  cotmtry, 
may  find  a  rival  in  the  new  species,  P.  siphonantha. 
This  species  has  been  collected  by  Mr.  F.  Kingdon 
Ward  in  South-Eastem  Thibet,  where  it  grows 
in  damp,  grassy  meadows  at  an  elevation  of 
11,000  feet.  It  has  curiously-shaped  flowers,  red  in 
colour  and  borne  close  to  the  ground.  It  was  one 
of  the  new  alpines  shown  in  the  Farrer  Cup  collection 
by  Messrs.  Bees,  Limited,  at  the  Chelsea  Show. 

A  Golden-leaved  Oak.— In  QuercuL  rubra 
aurea,  the  North  American  Golden  Oak,  we  possess 
a  valuable  tree  for  effective  planting  in  the  pleasure 
groimds  and  park.  Some  of  the  so-called  yellow- 
leaved  shrubs  are  little  better  than  an  unhealthy- 
looking  green-leaved  tree,  but  this  cannot  be 
said  of  the  subject  of  this  note.  It  is  a  rich 
golden  yellow  in  spring,  the  colour  being  most 
effective  with  a  backgrotmd  of  evergreens.  By 
the  side  of  the  Broad  Walk  at  Kew  a  tree,  about 
twenty  feet  high,  is  most  effectively  placed  with 
a  background  of  Corsican  Pines  (Pinus  Laricio), 
and  in  the  foreground  a  large  bed  of  Rhododendron 
Lord  Palmerston,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  named, 
Cynthia,   with   rosy   crimson   flowers. 

Roses  and  Green  Fly. — We  do  not  remember 
seeing  Roses  so  badly  infested  with  green  fly  or 
aphis  as  they  are  this  year,  and  judging  by  reports 
received,  the  trouble  is  very  widespread.  Un- 
doubtedly the  best  method  of  combating  this  pest 
before  the  flowers  are  actually  open  is  to  spray 
with  any  of  the  insecticides  advertised  in  our  pages. 
When  the  blooms  are  open,  however,  they  are  apt 
to  become  soiled  by  such  treatment,  thongh  even 


then  it  is  better  to  sacrifice  a  few  than  to  let  the 
pest  get  the  upper  hand.  Where  a  good  force  of 
water  is  available,  a  severe  hosing  will  dislodge 
larTe  numbers  of  insects,  and  if  repeated  two  or 
three  evenings  in  succession,  will  do  much  towards 
cleansing  the  plants  and  cause  no  injury  to  the 
open  flowers. 

When  to  Sow  Wallflowers.— Although  there  is 
considerable  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  best 
time  to  sow  Wallflowers,  we  think  that  for  Southern 
Counties  there  is  no  better  period  than  early  June. 
Earlier-sown  plants  get  too  large,  while  those 
raised  much  later  do  not  have  time  to  make  speci- 
mens sufficiently  sturdy  to  withstand  the  fogs  and 
frosts  of  winter. 

Cutting  Back  Aubrietias.— Now  that  the 
flowers  of  these  plants  are  going  over,  it  will  bi- 
found  advisable  to  cut  off  all  the  old  flowering 
shoots,  as  it  gives  the  plant  a  more  compact  habit 
and  also  encourages  a  quantity  of  new  growths,, 
which,  when  large  enough,  make  excellent  cuttings 
for  propagating.  They  should  be  placed  in  sandy 
soil  under  a  hand-light,  and  in  this  way  a  good 
stock  can  be  obtained,  %vhich  will  be  found  of  great 
value  next  spring,  either  for  massing  in  the  rockery 
or  as  a  carpet  for  bulbs  in  the  flower  garden. 
Another  good  method  is  to  work  some  fine  soil 
among  the  old  plants  ;  this  will  encourage  new 
roots,  and  the  plants  can  be  taken  up  in  the  autumn 
and  divided  into  good,  well-rooted  pieces. 

Gloxinias  for  a  Cool  Greenhouse. — There  is 
a  tendency  on  the  part  of  many  to  regard  Gloxinias 
as  stove  plants,  the  result  being  that  they  are 
grown  much  too  warmly,  and  have,  consequently. 
a  weak  and  drawn  appearance.  Added  to  this, 
they  are  under  such  conditions  more  liable  to 
be  attacked  by  insect  pests  than  when  they  are 
grown  cooler  and  in  a  more  robust  fashion.  How- 
ever fine  the  flowers  may  be,  they  lose  a  good  deal 
of  their  beauty  when  they  are  associated  with 
loosely-disposed,  thinly-textured  leaves.  So  care- 
fully is  seed  saved  nowadays  that  it  is  quite  the 
exception  to  increase  Gloxinias  in  any  other  way, 
though  not  so  very  many  years  ago  they  were 
largely  propagated  by  means  of  leaf-cuttings. 

The  Tunnan  Rhododendron. — The  wealth  of 
Rhododendrons  in  the  flora  of  China  is  yearly 
being  brought  more  prominently  before  us  as  the 
plants  raised  from  seeds  collected  by  Mr.  E.  H. 
Wilson  reach  the  flowering  stage.  R.  yunnanense 
was  first  introduced  to  this  cotmtry  in  1894.  This 
was  prior  to  Mr.  Wilson's  first  journey,  though 
seeds  of  this  species  and  the  allied  R.  ambiguum, 
R.  harrovianum,  R,  benthamianum,  R.  concinnum 
and  R.  siderophyllum  were  sent  home  by  him  from 
China.  The  Yunnan  Rhododendron  is  one  of  the 
small-leaved  evergreen  section,  freely  branched, 
and  covered  at  the  latter  half  of  May  mth  Azalea- 
like blossoms.  These  are  white,  with  just  a  tinge 
of  mauve  and  the  usual  spotting.  The  bushy  plants 
grow  to  3  feet  or  more  in  height,  forming  useful 
subjects  for  beds  or  groups  in  a  shrubbery  border. 


298 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  14,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The    Editor    is    1:0/    responsible   for   the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


How  to  Grow  Ourisia  COCCinea. — In  reference 
to  the  note  by  Mr.  Arnott  on  page  275  of  May  31 
issue,  I  have  some  two  year  old  plants  which  have 
thriven  and  spread,  and  have  given  a  great  number 
of  blooms  this  year.  They  are  planted  immediately 
over  the  ledge  of  what  forms  one  of  the  cemented 
divisions  of  my  bog  garden,  over  which  the  water 
flows  from  the  upper  to  the  lower  part.  The  soil 
consists  of  peat,  loam  and  leaf-mould,  and  is,  of 
course,  continuously  moist. — Frank  R,  Elgood, 
Norlhwood,  Middlesex. 

Grouping  for  Colour. — However  carefully  we 
may  intend  to  make  our  garden  colour-pictures, 
sometimes  the  plants  stray  away  and  do  it  still 
better  by  themselves.  Such  an  example  has 
just  occurred  in  the  case  of  a  piece  of  dry  walling 


room,  for  instance,  sweet-scented  flowers  cannot 
be  endured,  although  the  lovely  colours  and  forms 
can.  I  myself  speak  from  a  four  months'  ex- 
perience of  deliciously-scented  flowers  in  my  own 
room.  They  had  to  be  taken  out  from  time  to 
time.  I  do  agree  with  "  Anne  Amateur,"  however, 
that  those  kinds  of  flowers,  nattirally  sweet-scented, 
ought  always  to  retain  that  characteristic.  Fancy 
Mignonette  without  any  perfume  ! — B. 

Saxifraga  longifolia  magnifica. — Under  this 
name  Mr.  J.  Grandfield,  gardener  to  Sir  Everard 
Hambro,  K.C.V.O.,  Hayes  Place,  Hayes,  Kent, 
exhibited  on  June  3  one  of  the  noblest  examples 
of  the  Pyrenean  Rockfoil  seen  in  cultivation. 
The  specimen  had  been  pot-grown,  and  not  in  the 
whole  of  my  experience  have  I  seen  anything  so 
handsome  or  so  good.  The  great  pyramidal 
inflorescence  was  shapely  and  well  framed,  and, 
I  was  pleased  to  note,  had  been  permitted  its 
natural  bent.  The  flowers,  too,  were  almost  twice 
the   size   of  those   usually  seen,   pure   and   shapely 


A    SUPERB    PLANT    OF    SAXIFRAGA    LONGIFOLIA    MAGNIFICA    THAT    WAS    EXHIBITED    AT 
THE    ROYAL    HORTICULTURAL    SOCIETY  S    SHOW    LAST    WEEK. 


facing  nearly  north.  For  a  yard  or  two  the  spaces 
are  nearly  filled  with  Saxifraga  Cymbalaria.  In 
some  of  the  lower  joints  Corydalis  ochroleuca 
has  established  itself,  and  Meconopsis  cambrica  is 
in  the  lower  joints  and  at  the  foot.  It  is  true 
that  all  these  plants  are  in  the  same  garden  region, 
hut  nowhere  are  they  so  well  arranged  or  so  prettily 
brought  together  as  in  this  particular  place,  where 
they  have  come  of  their  own  will.  As  a  harmony 
of  full  and  tender  yellow  with  fresh  green  foliage 
it  could  hardly  be  better. — G.  Jekyll. 

A  Plea  for  Perfume. — On  page  275,  issue 
May  31,  "  Anne  Amateur  "  has  a  very  interesting 
note  on  perfume  in  flowers.  I  once  expressed  my 
regret  that  a  certain  flower  lacked  perfume.  "  If 
it  was  sweet-scented,"  I  said,  "  it  would  be  per- 
fect "  ;  this  to  a  brother-gardener.  I  was  much 
.istonished  to  find  that  he  did  not  agree  with  me. 
He  said,  "  If  all  flowers  were  sweet-scented,  many 
persons  would  have  to  discard  numbers  of  them, 
because  everyone  cannot  endure  the  sweet  scent — 
often    very   sickly — of   the   blossoms."     In   a   sick 


withal.  Obviously  the  plant  was  a  veteran,  as 
witness  its  giant  rosette  of  leaves  ;  and  though  a 
few  weeks  hence  the  Hayes  collection  will  know  it 
no  more,  seeds  will  be  presently  forthcoming, 
from  which  useful  stock  can  be  raised.  The 
measurements  of  this  fine  plant,  for  which  a  cultural 
commendation  was  given,  were  as  follows  :  Length 
of  inflorescence  from  the  top  of  the  rosette,  2  feet, 
its  basal  diameter  being  16  inches  at  the  same 
point.  The  rosette  of  leaves  had  a  diameter  of 
14  inches,  the  plant  being  grown  in  an  8-inch  pan. 
It  is  believed  to  be  about  fifteen  years  old. — 
E.  H.  Jenkins. 

Rose  Lady  Hilllngdon. — May  I  disagree  with 
your  footnote  on  page  287,  issue  June  7  ?  When 
this  Rose  was  first  distributed  I  was  of  your  opinion, 
but  I  now  think  it  is  the  best  yellow  Rose  we  have. 
I  have  a  bed  of  it  in  my  own  garden,  which  is 
rank  clay  (my  garden  was  a  pottery  two  years 
ago),  and  the  blooms  last  season  were  a  most 
perfect  colour,  many  of  them  being  practically 
upright.     My   opinion  is   that   failures   are   largely 


due  to  pruning.  It  is  a  Rose  which  should  be  cut 
back  very  hard  ;  it  then  makes  strong,  sturdy  wood. 
My  plants  were  seen  by  hundreds  of  people  last 
year,  and  they  all  agreed  that  it  was  one  of  the 
best  Roses  in  the  garden.  The  first  season  we  had 
them  in  the  open  in  the  ntursery,  X  told  Mr.  Mount, 
who  distributed  it,  it  was  no  use  ;  but  I  had  to 
alter  my  opinion  and  tell  him  last  autunm  that  I 
consider  it  far  and  away  the  best  yellow  Rose. — 
William  H.  Cutbush,  Highgate. 

In   your  issue   of   June   7,    page   287,   you 

say  :  "  The  drooping  habit  of  this  Rose  is  un- 
doubtedly a  great  drawback,  but  this  could  be 
tolerated  if  the  colour  were  good.  We  have  never 
seen  blooms  of  really  good  colour  from  outdoor 
bushes  in  a  fully-exposed  situation."  Had  you 
been  in  Duns  last  autumn  and  seen  the  Rose 
referred  to  blooming  in  the  open  and  in  a  fully- 
exposed  position,  you  could  never  have  truthfully 
penned  the  above,  as  Lady  Hillingdon  could  have 
been  seen  here  with  blooms  of  exquisite  colour. — 
James  D.  Lawrie,  Duns. 

Roses  with  Beautiful  Stems  and  Foliage.— I 

fully  agree  with  the  editorial  note  on  this  subject 
on  page  273  of  May  31  issue.  There  are  many 
varieties  of  Roses  which  possess  very  beautiful 
leaves  and  stems.  1  would  add  at  least  one  variety 
to  the  short  list  named,  and  that  is  Mme.  Berard. 
When  well  established  in  a  suitable  position,  this 
Rose  flowers  freely,  and  the  buds  and  full-grown 
blooms  are  very  lovely.  With  me,  however, 
the  plants  never  did  flower  well,  but  there  was 
some  compensation — the  leaves,  especially  the 
young  ones,  were  very  rich,  rivalling  the  autumn 
tints  of  foliage  of  various  kinds.  For  table  decora- 
tion the  young  tips  of  the  shoots  may  be  used  to 
great  advantage.  When  so  employed,  the  young 
shoots  must  be  cut  off  about  twelve  hours  pre- 
viously and  wholly  immersed  in  water  in  a  very 
cool  room  ;  also  wrap  them  in  damp  paper  while 
taking  them  to  the  show.  They  will  remain  fresh 
for  six  hours. — Shamrock. 

Aubrietias  :  What  is  a  Novelty  ?— Among  the 
novelties  we  are  to  expect  next  year,  I  note  a  new 
Aubrietia,  but  I  cannot  think  the  description 
of  its  colour  is  a  recommendation.  I  have  long 
maintained  that  the  dirty  colours  of  many  of  these 
most  valuable  rock  plants  render  it  almost  necessary 
to  have  a  separate  rock  garden  for  each  variety, 
and  the  annoimcement  that  the  new-comer  is 
described  as  a  "  curious  smoky  purple  "  is  most 
discouraging.  Why  not  try  the  effect  of  a  weak 
solution  of  weed-killer  ?  Sometimes  Nature 
allows  man  great  liberties  with  her  colour-box, 
but  he  has  abused  the  privilege  in  the  Aubrietias 
and  in  some  other  flowers.  I  look  in  vain  for 
good  clear  colours  or  really  pleasing  shades. 
Lavender  is  a  beauty ;  the  trio,  too  much  alike, 
Mrs.  Lloyd  Edwards,  Dr.  Mules  and  Prichard's 
At  are  lovely — but  one  has  to  be  careful  in  placing 
these  tmcertain  colours  ;  while  Fire  King,  Leicht- 
linii  and  a  number  of  similar  shades  are  impossible 
neighbours  to  almost  anything.  I  also  have  some 
seedlings  of  a  "  smoky  purple,"  but  to  my  mind 
they  are  "  rogues."  Of  course,  tastes  differ, 
but  there  seems  to  be  an  idea  that  any  colour 
variety  is  necessarily  a  "  novelty,"  whereas  a 
novelty  should  be  an  advance  in  most,  if  not  all, 
ways.  It  has  no  claim  simply  because  it  is  a  new 
shade,  and  a  dingy  shade  too.  Should  such 
very  doubtful  "  novelties "  be  encouraged,  and 
should  they '  receive  awards  from  those  in  a 
position  to  grant  them  ' — Ernest  Ballard, 
Colwall. 


June  i-t.  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


299 


How  to  Grow  Viola  pedata.— I"  reading  Mr. 
.Vrnott's  little  article  on  Viola  pedata  in  a 
recent  issue  of  The  Garden,  I  was  particularly 
interested  regarding  the  accepted  opinion  that 
its  successful  culture  is  exceptionally  rare.  I 
think  it  might  perhaps  interest  you  to  know  we 
have  Viola  pedata  growing  here  in  a  perfectly 
liealthy  and  vigorous  condition,  and  is  at  present 
showing  bloom.  Its  position  is  facing  north, 
between  two  buildings,  being  a  sort  of  passage 
where  nothing  in  the  way  of  shrubs  would  thrive. 
It  occurred  to  us  to  turn  the  place  into  a  rockery — 
which  we  did — planting,  among  other  things, 
roots  of  this  charming  Viola.  I  simply  put  them 
in  a  bed  of  leaf-soil,  loam  and  sand,  and  they  have 
been,  and  still  are,  a  splendid  success,  not  having 
lost  one  plant.  It  seems  rather  extraordinary  to 
find  them  growing  so  freely  and  easily,  for,  as  Mr. 
.\rnott  says,  it  is  "  a  notoriously  difficult 
alpine  to  cultivate." — J.  Stephenson,  Sutton  Hall, 
Chesterfield. 

Does  It  Pay  to  Spray  Potatoes  ? — In  reference 
to  the  note  on  page  225,  issue  May  10,  I 
imhesitatingly  say,  "  Yes,  it  does,  and  the  man 
who  does  not  spray  is  a  loser  in  crop,  soundness  of 
tuber  and  quahty."  In  this  neighbourhood  Potatoes 
are  largely  grown,  and  those  who  spray  twice 
and  sometimes  thrice  gain  as  much  as  five  tons 
per  acre  over  those  who  do  not  spray  at  all.  Apart 
from  preservuig  the  tubers  iu  a  somid  condition, 
the  haulm  is  kept  in  a  growing  state  so  much 
longer ;  hence  the  mcrease  in  crop.  So  few 
persons  who  do  not  spray  seem  to  grasp  the  advan- 
tage of  keeping  the  haulm  growing  for  two  months 
lunger  than  otherwise  would  be  the  case  when 
disease  seizes  it.  Last  year  I  started  on  one  side 
uf  my  six-acre  plot,  doing  one-third  of  it.  For 
some  reason  the  remainder  was  done  at  intervals. 
The  difference  in  the  sprayed  and  the  unsprayed 
portions  was  striking,  especially  from  stage  to 
stage  in  the  growth  of  the  haulm.  Spraying  should 
commence  when  the  haulm  is  6  inches  high  ;  in 
fact,  directly  earthing-up  is  complete,  and  should 
be  repeated  once  in  the  case  of  early  and  mid- 
season  sorts.  In  the  case  of  late  varieties,  three 
sprayings  should  be  done.  It  is  not  the  curing  of 
the  disease  that  is  attempted ;  it  is  the  prevention 
that  is  the  all-important  point  to  study.  When 
liquid  spraying  is  done,  plots  of  one  or  two  acres 
can  easily  be  done  with  a  knapsack  sprayer — 
Hartjen's  "  Holder "  Pneumatic,  for  example — 
as  with  the  ordinary  lances  and  nozzles  att.ichcd 
to  this  sprayer  the  work  can  be  effectively  done. 
The  under  surface  of  the  leaves  and  stems  especially 
are  the  all-important  parts  to  thoroughly  wet 
with  Strawsonite.  Dry  spraying  is  likely  to 
become  more  popular  than  liquid  spraying  where 
large  areas  have  to  be  done,  as  the  saving  in  labour 
— water-cart  and  mixing — is  considerable.  There 
is  one  drawback,  though,  in  this.  Dry  spraying 
can  only  be  done  during  a  limited  period,  when 
the  haulm  is  damp  from  dew  or  light  rain.  In  the 
case  of  the  former,  very  early  attention  is  neces- 
sary, a  start  having  to  be  made  as  early  as  3  a.m. 
— E.  M.,  Hants. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

June  17. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Meeting 
and  Gladiolus  Show.  Lecture  at  3  p.m.  by 
Professor  G.  Henslow  on  "  The  Evolution  of 
Plants  and  the  Directivity  of  Life  as  Shown  by 
Vegetative  Structures."  Oxfordshire  Kuyal  Hurti- 
cultural  Society's  Show. 

June  18. — Yorkshire  Gala  (three  days).  Ruyal 
Jersey  Horticultural  Show  (two  days). 


RESULT     OF     OUR      ROCK 
GARDEN    COMPETITION. 


No  fewer  than  seventy  sets  of  photographs  of  rock 
gardens  were  sent  in  for  this  competition,  and, 
after  careful  consideration,  the  judges  have  awarded 
the  first  prize  of  five  guineas,  or  a  silver  cup  of 
that   value,   to  : 

Mr.  W.  A.  Cook, 

The  Gardens,  Leonardslee, 

Horsham,  Sussex. 

Second  prize  of  two  guineas,  or  books  of  that 
value,  to : 

Mr.  T.  Matthews, 

Brockhiu'st  Gardens, 

East  Grinstead,  Sussex. 

Third  prize  of  one  guinea  to  : 

Mr.  A.  Weiss. 

Drynham,  Oatlands  Chase, 

Weybridge. 

The  rock  gardens  of  Mrs.  Green,  The  Curragh, 
County  Kildare,  Ireland ;  Mr.  W.  E.  Hawkins, 
Longfords  House  Gardens,  Minchinhampton, 
Gloucestershire ;  and  Mrs.  H.  Scott,  Cadeby, 
Market  Bosworth,  are  highly  commended. 

The  photographs  of  the  wiiming  gardens,  together 
with  descriptions  of  the  same,  will  appear  as  early 
as  can  be  arranged.  A  number  of  the  rock  gardens 
depicted  in  the  photographs  sent  in  showed  serious 
faults.  In  many  instances  they  were  arranged  in 
close  proximity  to  the  dwelling-house.while  in  others 
dense  trees  were  overhanging.  In  a  few,  rustic 
pergolas  had  been  introduced,  and  in  one,  at  least, 
weeping  standard  Brooms  were  planted.  All 
these  features  should  be  avoided  where  possible. 
The  placing  of  the  rock,  however,  seems  to  be  the 
greatest  stumbling-block,  many  of  the  examples 
being  minatural  and  quite  unsuitable  for  plant- 
life.  We  hope  in  the  autumn  to  publish  a  series 
of  articles  on  rock  garden  construction,  with 
diagrams  showing  how  the  rock  should  be  placed. 
Owing  to  a  clerical  error,  we  regret  that  many  of 
the  non-successful  photographs  were  returned 
without  the  intended  letter  of  thanks,  and  we  there- 
fore take  this  opportiuiity  of  thanking  all  those 
who  entered  the  competition. 


THE      ROSE      GARDEN. 


PLANTING     OUT     ROSES     UNDER 
GLASS. 

E.'^.CH  year  the  demand  for  early  Roses 
increases,  as  evidenced  by  the  huge 
structures  that  are  erected  by  some 
of  our  leading  commercial  florists. 
Now,  it  is  good  for  the  grower  that 
this  is  so,  and  doubtless  he  supplies 
thousands  of  people  with  blooms  who  have 
not  the  convenience  whereby  they  could  grow 
their  own.  But  yet  there  are  numbers  of 
establishments  in  the  country  where  it  would 
be  possible  to  devote  a  house  or  houses  to  the 
culture  of  indoor  Roses  ;  and  this  article  is 
penned  just  as  a  reminder  to  some  readers  that 
now  is  a  good  time  to  make  a  start.  First  of  all, 
place  your  order  for  young  pot-grown  plants 
growing  in  5-inch  pots.  These  should  be  of  the 
current  year's  grafting,  usually  worked  in  January. 
Preparing  the  Borders.— The  next  step  would 
be  to  prepare  the  borders  inside.  A  nice  light 
span-roofed  house  running  north  to  south  would 
be  best,  and  should  be  well  equipped  with  ventilating 


gear  on  both  the  east  and  west  sides  of  the  roof. 
Side  ventilation  will  also  be  advisable.  I  would 
prefer  a  house  having  a  movable  roof,  or,  better 
still,  one  of  the  movable  structures.  Of  course, 
this  cannot  be  arranged  under  such  short  notice, 
but  it  might  be  possible  for  another  year.  Good 
Rose  soil  is  essential ;  that  is,  a  nice  strong  loam, 
with  plenty  of  good,  well-rotted  farmyard  manure 
worked  into  the  subsoil.  Let  the  soil  be  trenched 
at  least  two  feet  deep,  and  some  basic  slag  placed 
in  the  lower  spit  at  the  rate  of  6oz.  to  the  square 
yard. 

Distance  Apart  to  Plant. — Having  prepared 
the  borders,  about  a  fortnight  should  be  given 
them  to  settle  down,  and  then  the  plants  which 
have  arrived  in  the  meantime  may  be  set  out 
3  feet  apart  each  way.  This  seems  a  lot  of  space 
for  a  small  plant  to  occupy,  but  in  a  year  or  so  it 
will  be  none  too  much.  I  have  seen  plants  of 
Niphetos,  Bridesmaid  and  similar  varieties  of 
about  ten  years  old  that  have  been  5  feet  high  and 
3  feet  to  4  feet  through. 

It  does  not  matter  if  the  house  is  a  lofty  one, 
as  many  growers  prefer  that  there  should  be  plenty 
of  air.  Cultural  details,  such  as  well  spraying 
in  the  mornings  and  afternoons  of  fine  days, 
together  with  careful  root  watering,  must  be  given 
attention,  and  a  look-out  kept  for  aphis  and 
mildew.  Auto  Shreds  are  one  of  the  easiest 
exterminators  of  green  fly,  and  there  £u:e  plenty 
of  remedies  for  mildew. 

Training  the  Plants. — Some  of  the  plants 
may  need  tying  out  to  sticks,  for  it  is  important 
that  each  leaf  obtains  all  the  sunlight  it  can  get. 
By  the  autumn  the  growth  made  will  be  amazing^ 
In  the  early  stages  of  growth — indeed,  until  autumn 
— the  buds  should  be  pinched  off.  If  the  soil  is 
lightly  covered  with  some  old  hot-bed  manure, 
this  will  prevent  too  rapid  evaporation  ;  conse- 
quently, less  water  will  be  needed  at  the  roots, 
but,  before  applying  it,  it  will  be  well  just  to  lightly 
loosen  the  surface.  Free  ventilation  may  be  given 
on  the  top  ventilators,  but  keep  the  sides  closed. 
A  moist,  humid  atmosphere  is  best  for  quick  growth. 
Some  good  varieties  to  begin  with  are  Sunburst, 
Mrs.  George  Shawyer,  Richmond,  Lady  Hillingdon, 
Liberty,  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay,  Souvenir  de  Gustave 
Prat,  MoUy  Sharman  Crawford,  Mrs.  Aaron  Ward, 
Lady  Pirrie,  Rose  Queen  and  My  Maryland.  In 
order  to  grow  the  long-stemmed,  big-flowered 
sorts,  such  as  Frau  Karl  Druschki,  Mrs.  John  Laing, 
Ulrich  Brunner,  Captain  Hayward  and  Caroline 
Testout,  I  would  suggest  a  separate  structure, 
and  in  their  case  it  would  be  best  to  put  in  open- 
ground  plants  in  the  autumn  and  build  a  structure 
over  them  after  they  have  been  established  a 
year. 


A     15EAUTIFUL    NEW    ROSE. 

One  of  the  most  charming  novelties  from  New- 
townards  is  Carine.  I  do  not  know  any  Rose 
that  has  pleased  me  more,  and  to  attempt  a  descrip- 
tion of  its  lovely  tints  is  all  that  I  can  do.  There 
are  present  orange  carmine,  blush  buff,  creamy 
fawn  and  coppery  salmon,  all  colours  that  attract 
the  eye  ;  but  when  the  coppery  salmon  hue  prevails, 
as  it  frequently  does,  it  is  most  delightful.  The 
form  of  bud  is  nearly  as  long  as  that  of  Mrs.  Alfred 
Tate;  it  is  altogether  a  fuller  Rose  than  this, 
and  will  make  a  most  cliarming  coat-flower.  The 
growth  is  vigorous,  erect  and  branching,  and  the 
flowers  are  produced  in  great  profusion.  I  con- 
gratulate Messrs.  Aiex.  Dickson  and  Sons  upon 
raising  this  really  delightful  Rose,  and  predict  a 
great  future  for  it.  Danecroft. 


300 


THE    GARDEN. 


[June  14,  1913. 


TREES     AND      SHRUBS. 


M 


SOME    GOOD    WOODLAND    EFFECTS. 

ANY  very  beautiful  and  pleasing  effects 
are  possible  in  the  woodland,  wild 
garden  and  pleasure  grounds  with 
annuals  and  biennials.  In  such 
places  we  must,  first  and  foremost, 
try  to  copy  or  imitate  Nature  as  far 
as  possible  by  sowing  or  planting  in  a  natural 
manner.  Formal  planting  will  set  up  a  jarring 
note  instead  of  appealing  to  the  taste  of  those  who 
love  the  artistic  and  natural. 

While  seeds  of  Forget-me-nots,  Fo.\gloves, 
Honesty  and  the  Giant  Balsam  flmpatiens  Roylei) 
may  be  scattered  freely  in  any  bare  place  where  the 
plants  are  likely  to  thrive,  the  positions  for  the 
boldest  groups  should  be  chosen  with  care.    Suitable 


suburban  garden  where  other  plants  which  require 
good  cultivation  will  not  thrive  satisfactorily. 
Tufts  of  Forget-me-not  or  Honesty  may  be  grown  in 
bare  places  between  shrubs,  or  associated  with  hardy 
Ferns,  which  later,  when  the  fronds  develop  fully, 
will  clothe  the  ground.  Jime  may  see  similar  places 
in  the  small  garden  gay  with  the  purple  and  white 
flowers  of  the  Foxglove  or  the  scarlet  and  black 
Poppy,  Papaver  commutatum  (P.  umbrosum), 
which  flowers  in  Jmie  from  self-sovm  seeds. 

Though  very  careful  cultivation  and  attention 
are  not  necessary  to  obtain  good  results,  a  certain 
amount  of  attention  is  desirable.  Foxgloves, 
Honesty,  Forget-me-nots,  Poppies,  Impatiens 
Roylei  and  Mimulus  luteus  all  shed  their  seeds 
and  come  up  freely  in  the  autumn  or  following 
spring  ;  but  weeds  also  grow  just  as  freely,  and 
must  be  kept  down  and  prevented  from  seeding. 
The   ground,   however,   neither  of  necessity  nor   to 


of  Foxglove  or  Myosotis  instead  of  grass,  and  then, 
after  a  year  or  two,  if  not  thought  desirable  to 
be  continued,  allowed  to  lapse  and  become  part  of 
the  woodland  grass. 

To  obtain  material  to  extend  this  style  of  garden- 
ing, seeds  may  be  sown  where  they  are  to  flower, 
or  there  is  usually  plenty  of  yoimg  plants  in  the 
existing  groups  which  may  be  transplanted  from 
autumn  to  spring.  In  forming  these  masses  or 
stretches  of  flowers,  avoid  any  formal  lines  and 
curves.  Let  them  naturally  coincide  with,  or  fit 
in  with,  the  surrounding  trees  and  shrubs  and  the 
he  of  the  ground,  taking  every  advantage  of  sloping 
or  hollow  ground.  A.  O. 


A    BEAUTIFUL    WOODLAND    SCENE  :      FORGET-ME-NOTS    WITH    A    BACKGROUND    OF    DARK    CONIFERS 


surroundings  are  essential,  and  another  very 
important  pomt  is  the  effect  at  a  distance.  The 
accompanying  illustration,  for  instance,  depicts 
the  beautiful  blue  Forget-me-not,  Myosotis  alpes- 
tris,  growing  on  the  side  of  a  slope  where  it  can  be 
seen  a  long  way  off.  Looking  out  from  the  upper 
windows  of  a  dwelling-house  and  seeing  an  effect 
such  as  this,  perhaps  some  distance  off,  across  the 
lawn  on  the  edge  of  the  woodland,  when  the  blinds 
are  drawn  up  on  a  May  morning,  must  command 
admiration. 

In  a  somewhat  similar  manner  masses  of  such 
things  appeal  to  most  visitors  to  public  parks 
and  gardens.  Though  such  effects  as  that  depicted 
in  the  illustration  are  only  possible  in  gardens  of 
considerable  size,  both  Foxgloves,  Honesty  and 
Forget-me-nots  can  be  effectively  used  in  the 
shrubbery  borders  and  other  comers  of  the  small 


destroy  the  natural  character  of  the  planting,  needs 
to  be  kept  as  rigidly  clean  and  free  from  weeds  as 
the  flower-beds  and  herbaceous  borders.  The 
young  plants,  in  many  instances,  may  come  up 
irregularly,  necessitating  thinning,  though  this 
should  not  be  done  too  rigidly  and  evenly,  or  the 
plants,  when  in  flower,  may  resemble  a  well-kept 
bed,  instead  of  apparently  a  stretch  of  natiural  wild 
flowers.  For  these  large  patches  it  is  as  well  to 
dig  over  the  groimd  and,  if  poor,  manure  it  in  the 
first  instance  previous  to  sowing.  It  is  also  worth 
while  every  third  or  fourth  year  lifting  the  seed- 
lings in  autumn,  digging  the  ground  and  replanting. 
In  addition  to  what  may  be  termed  the  large 
permanent  patches,  a  few  supplementary  patches 
crop  up  from  time  to  time.  For  instance,  when 
clearing  out  old  shrubs  or  cutting  down  trees  in 
the  woods,  the  bare  ground  may  be  sown  with  seeds 


RARE     SHRUBS    AND    TREES     AT 
ALDENHAM     HOUSE. 

In  a  recent  walk  round  the  gardens  at  Aldenham 
House  witJi  llie  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs  and  his  accom- 
plished head-gardener,  I  saw  several 
interesting  shrubs  in  full  beauty.  I 
was  particularly  struck  with  the  mag- 
nificent Cherry  (Prunus  Pseudo- 
cerasus)  Shirofugen,  which  was  per- 
fectly charming  with  its  long, 
horizontal  branches  laden  with  huge 
double,  blush-coloured  flowers.  This 
variety  blooms  more  freely,  if  any- 
thing, than  James  H.  Veitch,  and  the 
flowers  are  larger ;  the  colour  is 
several  tones  lighter. 

Another  magnificent  object  was 
that  glorious  Sycamore,  Acer  Pseudo- 
platanus  Prinz  Handjery,  a  young 
standard  tree  of  which  was  exquisite 
m  its  eai'ly  garb  of  bronzy  salmon, 
that  shone  with  a  burnished  lustre 
in  the  spring  sun.  Prunus  Rhexii 
llore  pleno,  laden  with  its  double 
white  rosettes,  was  very  beautiful. 
Kubus  deliciosus,  here  grown  as  an 
'jpen  bush  and  pruned  hard  after 
flowering,  has  large  pure  white  flowers, 
like  great  single  Roses,  and,  though 
common,  is  one  of  the  most  chastely 
beautiful  plants  in  the  whole  collec- 
tion. A  splendid  plant  of  Pittosporum 
tenuifolium,  much  at  home  on  the 
dense  clay,  is  an  object-lesson  to 
those  who  doubt  the  hardiness  of  the 
genus.  I  have  not  heard  of  this 
species  in  the  famous  collection  at 
Castlewellan.  The  small  flowers  are 
almost  black. 

Of  the  numerous  Japanese  Quinces, 
Pyrus  japonica  Simonii  and  Maulei 
perfecta  were  two  of  the  best ;  the 
former  has  magnificent  colour  —  a  rich  blood 
crimson.  The  Purple  Nut  (Corylus  maxima 
atropurpurea),  with  its  dense  mass  of  burnished 
purple  foliage,  is  a  splendid  foil  for  Acer  Negundo 
variegatum  and  other  light-leaved  subjects.  The 
Nut  is  cut  hard  down  every  three  years. 

The  names  of  interesting  things  beautiful  in 
flower  or  foliage  would  make  a  long  list.  Cotone- 
aster  Dammeri,  a  grand  rock  creeper  ;  C.  multi- 
flora  and  many  others;  Ribes  laurifolium,  R. 
speciosum,  R.  leptantha  (evergreen)  and  others  ; 
Stranvaesia  undulata,  a  host  of  Barberries,  the 
lovely  E.xochorda  Giraldii,  Spiraea  laevigata, 
resembling  the  Spurge  Laurel  ;  the  silvery  Pyrus 
salicifolia  pendula,  the  golden  P.  Aria  chryso- 
phylla,  the  large-leaved  Prunus  Avium  decumana, 
the  graceful  Prunus  Padus  Albertii,  with  long, 
white  lilac-like  spikes  ;    the  dwarf  pumila  and  the 


JiiN'i-   14.  I0I3-] 


THE     GARDEN. 


301 


variable  P.  Pissardii  Hessei ;  that  fine  Beech,  Fagus 
sylvatica  Sweet  Magnet ;  the  Chestnuts,  iCsculus 
planti^rensis,  indica  and  turbinata ;  Lonicera 
Heckrattii,  not  yet  in  bloom  ;  the  winged  Euony- 
mus,  E.  alatus,  which  is  rose-tinted  in  autumn  ; 
Drimys  Winteri,  with  its  large  oval  leaf  and  brown 
stem ;  Nothofagus  obliqua  (the  Chilian  Pine), 
Fraxinus  Mariesii,  which  Mr.  Vicary  Gibbs  con- 
siders to  be  the  best  of  the  Ornus  type ;  Robinias 
crispa  and  tortuosa,  varieties  of  Pseudacacia — 
all  these  were  well  represented.  Add  to  them  such 
uncommon  things  as  Stephanandra  Tanalice, 
Coriaria  japonica,  Ligustrums  Weidam,  tricolor 
and  coriaceum.  Viburnum  Carlesii,  Castanopis 
chrysophylla,  Shepherdia  argentea,  Broussonetia 
papyTifera  cucullata,  Syringa  Emodii,  Veronica 
canterburyana,  Corylus  avellana 
aurea,  Acer  campestre  Schwerini' 
Ilex  cornuta  and  I.  dipyTena. 
Bupleurum  fruticosum,  Baccharis 
patagonica  and  Crataego-mespilus 
Dardari  (a  graft  hybrid),  and  an 
idea  is  gained  of  the  interest, 
variety  and  beauty  of  the  collection. 
One  cannot  fail  to  be  struck 
by  the  splendid  culture  and  skilful 
grouping,  nor  by  the  complete 
mastery  which  the  Hon.  Vicary 
Gibbs  displays  of  his  many  acres 
of  beautiful  and  rare  shrubs  and 
trees.  W.   P.  W 


A    BEAUTIFUL    AUSTRA- 
LIAN    SHRUB. 

(ELjEOCARPUS  reticulatus.) 

It  is  well  over  a  hundred 
years  ago  since  Eteocarpus  reticu- 
latus was  introduced  from  Aus- 
tralia. It  was  then  known  as  E. 
cyaneus,  by  which  name  it  is  still 
often  referred  to.  At  the  time 
when  hard-wooded  plants  of 
.\ustralia  were  at  their  height  of 
popularity  in  this  coimtry,  E. 
reticulatus  was  one  of  the  most 
widely  cultivated.  To-day  it  is 
rarely  seen,  although  by  virtue 
of  its  delicately-fringed  white 
flowers  it  is  worthy  of  far  wider 
cultivation  as  a  greenhouse 
shrub.  If  given  sufficient  room, 
it  is  a  plant  that  will  attain  a 
height  of  from  12  feet  to  15 
feet,  but  it  is  a  simple  matter 
to  have  plants  in  full  flower 
although  only  as  many  inches 
in  height.  For  instance,  the 
illustration,      which       so      well 


THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE      NOTES     ON     CAR- 
NATIONS. 

HE  month  of  July  brings  a  plethora 
of  beauty  in  the  garden,  for  it  is 
then  that  the  Roses,  the  Carnations 
and  the  Sweet  Peas  reach  the 
summit  of  their  beauty,  and  it  is 
a  time  that  must  be  prepared  for 
in  advance.  To  secure  the  utmost  delight  from 
the  occupants  of  the  garden,  they  must  be 
so  well  managed  that  they  grow  to  perfection, 
and  no  plants  will  do  this  when  they  are  neglected 
or  if  it  is  thought  that  necessary  attention  can  be 


T 


EL.EOCARPUS    RETICULATUS,    AN    AUSTRALIAN    SHRUB    WITH    BEAUTI- 
FULLY   FRINGED    WHITE    FLOWERS. 


presence  is  generally  easily  discernible,  whereas  the 
thrips  hide  themselves  cleverly,  and  in  the  absence 
of  diligent  search  may  do  irreparable  injury. 
For  the  green  fly  there  are  many  excellent  washes 
advertised  in  The  Garden,  or  soft  soap  and 
Quassia  wash  may  be  prepared  at  home.  One 
dressing  may  not  suffice,  but  two  or  three  will 
put  things  straight.  For  thrips  Abol  is  reliable, 
prepared  according  to  the  makers'  clear  instruc- 
tions, but  the  enemy  should  also  be  sought  for 
and  immediately  killed. 

Hoeing  and  Mulching. — When  either  of  these 
operations  is  decided  upon,  the  grower  has  one 
chief  idea  in  his  mind — he  desires  to  keep  the  soil 
cool  and  moist.  By  hoeing  alone  the  moisture 
may  be  conserved  in  the  soil  to  a  pronoimced 
extent  ;  but  when  the  hoeing  is 
supplemented  by  mulching,  the 
end  in  view  is  attained,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  food  that  will 
undoubtedly  be  appreciated  is  pro- 
vided for  the  plants.  For  these 
reasons  hoeing  ought  to  be  done, 
and  afterwards  a  covering  of 
manure  should  be  spread  over  the 
whole  surface.  If  the  appearance 
of  it  is  strenuously  objected  tu, 
spread  above  it  a  thin  coating  of 
the  finest  mould,  but  for  preference 
leave  it  exposed  to  the  air. 

Disbudding.— Carnations  grown 
purely  and  simply  for  the  adorn- 
ment of  the  garden  and  for  cutting 
are  not  always  disbudded,  but  this 
can  only  be  regarded  as  an  error  ol 
judgment.  When  a  plant  is  pro- 
ducing so  many  blossom-buds  that 
it  is  impossible  for  any  of  them  to 
develop  in  perfection,  reduction 
must  be  the  rule,  because  a  flower 
that  is  not  perfect  cannot  ade- 
quately fulfil  its  mission.  It  is 
affirmed  by  some  people  that  dis- 
budding is  contrary  to  Nature,  and 
they  will  not  have  recourse  to  it  ; 
but  this  is  a  poor  argument,  since 
if  it  were  followed  out  to  its  logical 
conclusion  we  should  see  no  im- 
provements upon  Nature's  admir- 
able handiwork.  By  all  means  reduce 
the  number  of  buds  on  a  stem  ac- 
cording to  judgment  or  fancy,  and 
do  not  permit  all  to  remain  when  the 
plant  obviously  lacks  the  power  to 
finish  them.  For  individual  exhibi- 
tion blooms  the  reduction  is  carried 
to  the  crown  bud,  but  for  home  ser- 
vice two  or  three  buds  can  always 
be  desirably  retained,  and  the 
results  will  be  more  pleasing. 
Flower-Stems. — We     must     also     give     careful 


depicts     the    character    of     the 

fringed,  bell-like  flowers,  represents  an  entire  plant  given  at  any  time  or  any  moment.  The  successful 
that  has  been  knocked  out  of  a  3-inch  pot  for  the  ,  gardener  looks  far  ahead,  and  this  month  he  will  consideration  to  the  flower-stems,  which  are  not 
purpose  of  photographing.  The  value  of  these  be  laying  the  final  foimdation  for  the  glories  of  usually  strong  enough  to  carry  their  flowers  in  a 
little   plants — easily   procured  from   cuttings — can    July  among  the  flowers.  favourable  position.     Here  there  is  not  the  slightest 

hardly  be  over-estimated.  For  table  decoration  Insect  Enemies. — The  enthusiast  in  Carnation  doubt  that  Nature  must  be  followed,  and  the 
and  for  conservatory  work,  especially  where  small  culture  rests  happy  in  the  knowledge  that  his  method  of  placing  a  stick  in  each  pot  and  drawing 
plants  are  required  as  edgings  to  groups,  sucli  favourites  of  the  bed  and  border  are  not  particu-  •''I'  stems  in  a  mass  roimd  it  is  strongly  to  be 
plants  are  invaluable.  The  cuttings,  it  should  be  larly  prone  to  the  attacks  of  many  insect  pests,  condemned,  because  by  so  doing  the  attractive 
explained,  are  made  from  the  ripened  shoots  but  those  which  give  the  plants  attention  will  |  habit  of  the  plant  is  entirely  destroyed.  One 
with  leaves  intact,  and  placed  in  sandy  soil  with    quickly  do  harm  unless  they  are  suppressed.     A    stick,  one  plant,  is  by  no  means  a  bad  rule,  but  there 

persistent  look-out  ought  to  be  maintained  now  must  be  no  bunching  ;  on  the  contrary,  each  stem 
for  the  visitations  of  green  fly  and  thrips.  The  ,  shoidd  be  in  a  separate  strand  of  tying  inaterial 
first  named  increases  more  rapidly  than  the  second  j  in  such  a  manner  that  its  grace  may  be  appreciated 
named ;  but  it  is,  all  things  considered,  easier  to  '  and  its  flowers  seen.  Slender  green  sticks  of 
deal    with     and    more    readily    discoverable.     Its    sufficient  length  to  go  deeply  into  the  soil  and  so 


bottom-heat.  Propagation  may  also  be  effected 
from  seed  if  sown  in  a  hot-bed.  June  and  July 
are  the  usual  flowering  months,  and  the  beautifully- 
fringed  flowers  arc  followed  by  globose  blue  fruits, 
or  drupes  as  they  are  hotanicallv  termed. 


302 


THE    GARDEN. 


[Junk  14,  1913, 


secure  a  firm  grip  are  excellent,  while  there  are 
special  supports  on  the  market  for  these  plants. 
From  the  one  stick  green  bast  or  very  soft  green 
string  will  provide  ef&cient  support. 

NOTES     FROM     WISI.EV. 

One  can  never  visit  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Gardens  without  learning  some  useful 
lessons.  Just  now  in  the  wilder  part  there  are 
two  or  three  regions  of  special  beauty,  where 
masses  of  perennial  Lupines  and  Columbines  are 
happily  grouped  with  a  shrubby  background. 
Both  kinds  of  plants  are  in  many  tints  of  purple, 
pink,  and  white,  the  colours  blending  delightfully 
not  only  with  each  other,  but  with  those  of  the 
Lilacs  and  Rhododendrons  at  the  back.  Both 
the  Lupines  and  Columbines  seed  so  freely  that  a 
large  stock  can  easily  be  raised,  and  nothing  can 
be  better  for  the  decoration  of  any  rough  or  other- 
wise waste  place,  such  as  so  often  occurs  on  the 
outskirts  of  a  garden. 


Tree  Lupines  are  grown  as  standards  with 
large,  shapely  heads,  a  mass  of  bloom,  on  a  trunk 
about  four  feet  high.  With  careful  pruning 
these  standards  are  no  doubt  kept  in  good  order 
for  several  years,  the  pruning  much  prolonging 
the  life  of  this  usually  short-lived  plant.         G.   J. 


THE     SNAPDRAGON     AND 
CULTIVATION. 


ITS 


The  Antirrhmum,  popularly  known  as  the  Snap- 
dragon, is  one  of  the  few  flowers  which  vfiW  thrive 
under  almost  any  conditions,  and  often  under  the 
most  adverse.  It  will  blossom  in  profusion  on 
the  arid  heights  of  the  battlements  of  some  old 
castle  or  ruin,  and  will  equally  luxuriate  in  the 
herbaceous  border  of  a  well-kept  garden.  That 
such  an  accommodating  and  beautiful  flower 
should  have  evaded  the  notice  of  seedsmen  for 
so  long  is  surprising  ;  but  during  the  past  few  years 
several   of   our   leading   growers,    having   seen   its 


A  CARPET  OF  MOSSY  SAXIFRAGES  IN  THE  ROCK  GARDEN. 


Primula  japonica,  in  great  profusion  by  the 
water-side  and  in  cool,  damp  places  under  the 
shade  of  Oaks,  has  broken  into  a  number  of  tints, 
from  the  type  magenta  crimson  to  a  nearly  pure 
white.  The  type  colour  is  to  me,  and  to  many, 
an  unpleasant  one,  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  see  that 
in  some  of  the  later  crimson  seedlings  the  colour 
is  tending  to  a  much  better  kind  of  red,  such  as 
gives  a  hope  of  ultimate  arrival  at  a  good  scarlet 
crimson  or  blood  red. 

Rambler  Roses. — An  excellent  way  of  growing 
the  strong  rambling  Roses  is  practised  at  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  Gardens.  Three  stout 
Larch  poles,  about  eleven  feet  out  of  the  ground, 
are  placed  triangularly  about  two  feet  six  inches 
apart  at  the  butt,  and  are  brought  together 
at  the  top.  Outside  the  foot  of  each  pole  a 
Rose  is  planted.  The  three  of  the  same  kind 
meeting  above  form  a  large  and  handsome  Rose 
pillar. 


potentialities,  have  given  it  careful  attention, 
with  the  result  that  there  are  now  on  the  market 
some  of  the  most  magnificent  varieties.  This 
flower  is  deservedly  becoming  popular,  and  for  many 
years  to  come  will  be  in  the  forefront  of  the  hardy 
border  flowers.  Thanks,  too,  to  the  perfection 
with  which  the  several  growers  have  carried  out 
the  selecting  of  seed,  it  is  almost  needless  to  grow 
named  varieties,  except  for  special  purposes, 
as  the  seedlings  raised  year  by  year  are  equally  as 
good,  and  of  necessity  grow  more  vigorously  than 
plants  from  cuttings. 

Culture. — Antirrhinum  seed  should  be  sown  in 
cold  frames  or  outside  in  summer,  pricked  off, 
and  then  transplanted  into  permanent  quarters 
to  flower  the  following  season  from  May  onwards ; 
or  a  plan  the  writer  prefers  is  to  sow  seed  in  pans 
in  a  steady  heat  in  February,  transplant  into  frames 
in  April,  gradually  harden,  and  plant  out  into  good, 
rich  soil  in  clumps  i  foot  between  plant  and  plant 


about  the  end  of  May.  The  plants  are  in  blossom 
by  August,  often  earlier,  and  flower  away  right 
into  late  autumn.  Moreover,  the  Antirrhinum 
is  not  tender,  and  if  left  unpruned  it  will  withstand 
the  winter  and  break  into  new  growth  in  early 
spring,  carrying  large  masses  nf  flowers  in  May 
the  following  year.  In  the  hands  of  the  raiser 
it  has  proved  its  adaptability  to  various  heights-, 
and  we  have  the  same  colours  and  forms  in  the 
dwarf  (Tom  Thumb),  the  intermediate  (nanum) 
and  the  tall  (majus)  varieties.  Thus  the  Antir- 
rhinum lends  itself  to  all  manner  of  arrangement 
in  the  hands  of  an  artistic  grower,  and  some 
wonderful  colour  effects  can  be  obtained  by 
judicious  selection. 

As  a  Greenhouse  Plant. — For  indoor  work, 
the  greenhouse  and  conservatory  the  Antirrhinum 
is  equally  useful.  Given  cool  treatment  through- 
out and  careful  attention,  magnificent  spikes 
can  be  obtained.  It  is  absolutely  essential  that 
the  grower  keeps  the  conservatory  free  of  bees, 
which  would  prove  fatal  to  his 
flowers.  A  house  of  Antirrhinums 
thus  protected  will  retain  the  lower 
flowers    until     the    whole    spike     is 

■  xpanded.  A  few  days  ago  it 
was  the  writer's  good  fortune  to 
be  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Mark's 
Tey,  and  a  visit  was  paid  to  the 
seed  farm  of  Messrs.  Dobbie  and 
Co.  Naturally,  after  the  display 
of  Sweet  Peas  shown  at  Chelsea 
at  the  recent  show,  one  was 
interested  in  Sweet  Peas,  but  it 
is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  the 
Sweet  Peas  were  totally  eclipsed 
by  the  house  of  Antirrhinums, 
some  of  which  blossoms  were  to 
lie    shown     at     the     Royal     Horti- 

■  ultural  Society's  Show  on  Tues- 
ilay,  June  3.  Every  form  was 
there.  On  one  side  was  a  batch 
i>f  Tom  Thumb  Dobbie's  Brilliant, 
rach  in  a  4j-inch  pot,  carrying 
-IX  spikes  of  superb  flowers.  Next  to 
It  stood  a  batch  of  Dobbie's  White 
Beauty,  without  the  slightest  trace 
cif  yellow  in  it.  A  batch  of 
loccinea  was  a  dazzling  mass  of 
brightness,   and  the  striped  varieties 

'  gave    every  variation   that   the  most 

fastidious  could  wish,  while  Yellow 
Queen  was  unsurpassed.  Of  the 
majus  variety.  I  measured  plants 
bearing  three  spikes  with  twenty- 
eight  expanded  flowers  and  some  twenty  more 
unopened  to  each  spike,  and  the  plants  were  almost 
five  feet  in  height.  The  length  of  the  flowering  spikes 
varied  from  r8  inches  to  24  inches.  Cottage  Maid, 
Moonlight,  coccinea,  Crimson  King  and  White 
Queen  were  varieties  specially  strong  and  vigorous 
in  growth,  carrying  immense  spikes  of  finely- 
developed  flowers.  The  bees  had  been  rigidly 
excluded  from  the  house,  and,  although  the  lower 
flowers  were  paler  than  the  newly-opened  blossoms, 
yet  the  spikes  were  entire,  and  the  whole  display 
of  hundreds  of  pots  of  well-grown  plants  was  a 
grand  triumph  of  the  gardener's  skill.  Truly  the 
Snapdragon  is  a  most  accommodating  garden 
flower,  but  it  is  not  generally  known  to  what 
good  effect  the  Tom  Thumb  varieties  may 
grown  in  the  rock  garden.  The  Antirrhinum 
has  come  to  stay,  and  will  reign  as  one  of 
the  monarchs  of  free-flowering  hardy  plants  for 
n^anv  years  to  come,  S.  W, 


Junk  i^,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


303 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


MOSSY    SAMFRAGAS    FOR    MASSING. 

r   I    HOWARDS  the,  end  of  May  and  in  early 


beautiful    forms    have    been    obtained.      The    red 

colour  in  this  section  was  first  obtained  by  crossing 

this  and  other  kinds  with  S.  muscoides  variety  atro- 

I  purpurea.     Then     by     selection     and     continuous 

seeding,  such  beautiful  plants  as  S.  d.  variety  grandi- 

June  one  of  the  most  effective  features  |  flora,   S.   bathoniensis   and   S.   sanguinea  superba, 

in    a    well-furnished    rock    garden    ;ire    all  with  red  flowers,  have  been  obtained.     One  of 

the  masses  of  various  kinds  of  Mossy    the    first,    and   still    imsurpassed    for   neatness   of 


Saxifragas  covered  with  sheets  of  white 
and  rose  coloured  flowers.     During  the 

rest  of  the  year  they  form  carpets  and  mounds  of 

emerald    green    foliage    that    are    verj'    attractive, 

one  of  the  loveliest   features  in   the   rock   garden 

during    the    past    winter   being   a 

sloping  bank  of  the  Dovedale  Moss 

(S.    hypnoides),    forming    a    close 

and   compact   carpet.     For  a  cool 

and  partly-shaded  bank  there  is  no 

more  useful   plant   than  the  Mossy 

Saxifraga,  for  it  is  one  of  the  easiest 

plants  to  grow.    They  all  like  a  light 

rich    soil    and    a    position    where 

they  will  not  get  dry  and  be  bunit 

up  in  the  summer.     An  ideal  place 

is  on  a  northern  slope  that  is  not 

too  steep,  where  the  plants   them- 
selves  get    the  benefit    of  the  sun 

hut    the    ground    is    shaded    and 

cool.     The   Mossy   kinds    may   be 

propagated  by   dividing  the  plants 

after   they    have    done    flowering, 

taking  care    to    keep  some    roots 

with  each  piece.     They  should  then 

be   planted  in  some   shady  border 

where    they  can  be  well   watered 

for  a  time,   till   the    plants   begin 

to  form  new  roots.     In  the  autumn 

they  will  be  ready  for   planting  in 

their  permanent  quarters  for  flower- 
ing   in    spring.      To    obtain    large, 

unbroken  masses,  the  plants  should 

be  allowed    to  grow  together,  and 

then  remain  undisturbed.      Young 

plants  may  also  be  produced  from 

seeds  ;    but    as    the  Saxifragas  so 

freely    hybridise,    they    cannot    be 

relied   upon   to   come   true.      Cut- 
tings  during   the  summer  months 

is    another    method    of    increase. 

These  should  be  selected  from  the 

young  growths  that  are  made  after 

the    plant    has   finished    flowering, 

and  should    be  inserted   in    sandy 

soil  in  a  close  frame.     The  species 

of  Saxifragas  are  very  numerous, 

and  many  of  them  are  very  similar 

in  appearance.      Those  mentioned 

here    are    some  of   the   most   dis- 
tinct     and      useful      for      general 

purposes. 

S.  Cffispitosa  is  one  of  the  com- 
monest Mossy  kinds  foimd  in  our 
gardens,  where  it  is  grown  imder  many  names.  It 
is  foimd  on  some  of  our  highest  mountains,  and 
forms  tufts  of  bright  green  foliage.  It  is  a  very 
free  grower,  and  produces  its  large  white  flowers 
on  branching  stems  some   8  inches  or  so  high. 

S.  canaliculata,  a  native  of  Spain,  belongs  to 
the  dactyloides  group,  which  have  very  distinct 
divided  foliage.  It  quickly  grows  into  large  tufts, 
and  produces  its  white  flowers  freely. 

S.  decipiens. — This  is  very  closely  allied  to 
S.  caispitosa,  and  many  of  its  forms  cannot  be 
distinguished  from  that  plant.  Of  it  there  are 
numerous    varieties,   while,   by   hybridising,   many 


habit  and  brilliant  colouring,  is  Guildford  Seedling. 
It  forms  a  very  compact   carpet,   and  the  bright 
red  flowers  are  on  stalks  only  a  few  inches  high. 
S.    exarata. — On    page     302    a    group    of    this 


forms  a  fitting  and  charming  groundwork  for  early 
spring-flowering  bulbs  wlien  they  are  in  flower. 
On  a  cool,  shady  bank  it  will  form  a  close  carpet, 
covered  with  a  mass  of  snow  white  flowers  in  spring. 
p"or  spring  bedding  or  edgings  for  the  front  of  the 
herbaceous  border  it  is  excellent.  There  arc 
numerous  varieties  of  the  Dovedale  Moss,  of  which 
the  most  compact  are  the  varieties  gemmifera  and 
Kingii.  S.  h.  variegata  is  a  prettily-variegated  form. 
S.  maweana  is  one  of  the  largest  -  flowering 
kinds  in  this  section,  with  distinct  rosettes  of 
foliage.      In     some     places,    however,    this    plant 


may  he  seen  oa  the  right,  with  flowers  so  thicWy  '  does  not  stand  our  winters  well. 

S.  muscoides  is  a  pretty  dwarf 
carpeting  plant  with  yellowish 
flowers.  It  forms  a  turf-like  mass 
of  tiny  rosettes  that  make  a  very 
pleasing  object  in  the  winter.  One 
of  the  prettiest  forms,  and  the 
origin  of  all  the  colour  varieties 
that  we  have  in  our  gardens  be- 
longing to  this  section  is  S.  ni. 
atropurpurea,  a  verj'  dwarf,  moss- 
like plant,  with  rosy  purple 
flowers  on  stems  about  an  inch  or 
two  inches  high.  S.  m.  moschata 
is  a  larger  variety,  with  yellowish 
white  flowers. 

S.  pedemontana  is  one  of  the 

stronger  -  growing  kinds,  with 
rosettes  of  broader  foliage.  The 
three-lobed  leaves  are  very  distinct 
and  bright  green  in  colour,  while 
the  white  flowers  are  borne  in- 
freely-branched  corymbs. 

S.  sponbemica  is  closely  allied 
to  S.  caespitosa,  with  more  finely- 
dis'ided  leaves  in  smaller  rosettes. 
It  is  a  quick  grower,  and  seeds 
itself  freely  about  the  rock  garden. 
S.  trifurcata. — Probably  one  of 
the  most  distinct  kinds  belonging 
to  the  Mossy  section,  with  rosettes 
of  three-parted  leaves  and  white 
flowers  in  elegant  panicles.  The 
S  t  a  g '  s  -  h  o  r  n  Rcckfoil  (S.  t . 
ceratophylla)  has  rather  more 
divided  leaves,  much  stiffer  in 
texture,  and  forming  a  firm 
cushion  of  rather  glaucous  foliage. 
It  is  an  old  inhabitant  of  our 
gardens,  having  been  in  cultiva- 
tion for  over  a  century. 

S.  Wallace!. — This  garden  hybrid 
has  been  confused  with  the  Spanish 
S.  Camposii,  but  is  more  hairy  and 
of    freer    habit    than    that    plcuit. 
It  is    one    of    the    most    popular 
plants    for    spring    bedding,    with 
its     freely-produced,    large    white 
flowers,  which  possess  a  Hawthorn- 
like  scent.    Very   closely  allied  to 
this,    but  with  rather  smaller  flowers,  is  S.  glau- 
cescens,  which  is  shown  in  the  illustration  on  the 
left.     Both  are  excellent  growers,  easy  to  increase, 
and  of  compact  habit. 

During  the  past  few  years  many  hybrids  and  seed- 
lings of  varying  merit  have  been  brought  out.  Some, 
like  Lady  Deane,  have  very  large  flowers,  but  they 
lack  the  refinement  and  elegant  habit  of  many 
of  the  wild  types  and  selected  varieties.       W.  1. 


PRIMULA    PSEUDO-SIKKIMENSIS,    A    BOLD    PL.\NT    WITH    PALE 
YELLOW    FLOWERS. 


produced  that  they  form  a  solid  m;iss.  The  stems 
are  very  thickly  produced,  and  branch  so  freely 
that  there  are  several  layers  of  flowers,  one  on  the 
top  of  the  other.  Individually,  they  are  small  and 
white,  commencing  to  flower  early  in  May,  and 
continuing  well  through  the  month  of  Jime.  A 
square  yard  of  this  plant  in  flower  is  a  remarkable 
sight,  and,  like  all  the  others  during  the  rest  of 
the  year,  forms  a  cool  green  carpet  of  foliage. 

S.  hypnoides. — Of  all  the  Mossy  kinds,  perhaps 
the  Dovedale  Moss  is  the  most  popular.  It  may 
be  used  in  many  ways  and  for  many  purposes. 
Planted  in  small   tufts  some   few   inches   apart,  it 


PRIMULA    PSEUDO-SIKKIMENSIS. 

Probably  no  Primula  is  worthy  of  greater  admira- 
tion   than    the    graceful    P.    sikkimensis,    or    the 


304 


THE     GARDEN. 


[JuxF  14,  I0I3- 


Ilimal.iyau  Cdwslip  as  it  is  sometimes  aptly  called. 
II  Is  said  to  be  the  pride  of  all  the  Primulas  of 
the  mountains  of  India,  inhabiting  wet,  boggy 
localities  at  an  elevation  of  from  12,000  feet  to 
17,000  feet,  and  covering  acres  of  ground  with  its 
yellow,  drooping  flowers. 

There  is  in  the  rock  garden  at  Kew  at  the  present 
time  a  number  of  Primulas  flowering  so  freely  that 
they  cannot  fail  to  attract  the  attention  of  visitors. 
These  plants  bear  the  name  of  P.  pseudo-sikkira- 
ensis,  but  in  what  manner  this  plant  differs 
from  the  true  sikkimensis  it  is  not  easy  to  define, 
except  that  it  is  a  native  of  China,  stronger  in 
constitution  and  of  more  robust 
colour  and  form  of  the  flowers 
are  identical  with  those  of  P. 
sikkimensis.  The  new-comer  may 
therefore  be  regarded  as  the  Chinese 
representative  of  the  Himalayan 
Cowslip.  Probably  the  name 
pseudo-sikkimensis  will  never  be 
in  general  use.  The  two  forms 
are  so  much  alike  that  they  will 
doubtless  both  be  called  by  the 
same  name,  sikkimensis,  which, 
after  all,  seems  the  most  satis- 
factory plan,  for  without  doubt 
they  are  geographical  forms  of 
the  same  species.  It  goes  with- 
out saying  that  the  culture  for 
both  is  alike.  Both  are  hardy 
and  love  a  deep,  well-drained,  but 
moist  soil  and  a  shady  place. 
The  leaves  disappear  in  the  winter, 
and  during  the  time  that  the  plants 
remain  dormant  they  should  not 
be  molested  or  overlooked.  Pro- 
pagation is  effected  by  division 
in  spring  or  autumn,  or  by  seed 
sown  as  soon  as  it  is  ripe. 


of  C.  pumila  lack  depth  and  not  lightness  of 
colouring,  and  what  I  would  like  would  be  a 
real  dark  purple  blue,  one  of,  say,  the  shade 
of  C.  Hostii.  As  an  edging,  as  well  as  for  masses 
on  the  rockery,  C.  pumila  is  such  a  lovely  thing 
in  all  its  colours  that  we  can  hardly  have  too 
much  of  it.  S.  Arnott. 


NEW    AND    RARE    PLANTS. 

AWARDS     OP     MERIT. 

Papaver  Perry's  Unique. — A  plant  of  moderate 
habit.     The  '  growth     and     distinct.     The     colour     is     brilliant 


CAMPANULA     PUMILA 
AND  ITS  VARIETIES. 

To  the  general  cultivator  of  rock 
plants  the  differences  between  the 
plants  covered  by  such  names  as  C. 
pumila,  C.  pusilla,  C.  ca^spitosa,  C. 
cochliariaefolia  and  others  seems  to 
be  of  an  infinitesimal  character,  and 
most  of  us  are  content  to  take  the 
plants  as  simply  forms  of  C.  pumila 
or  pusilla.  With  all  deference  to 
authorities,  for  all  garden  purposes 
the  names  may  be  taken  as  the 
same.  There  are,  however,  differ- 
ences in  size  of  flower,  and  also  in 
shade  of  colour,  among  these  little 
flowers.  I  am  confident,  for  example, 
that  there  are  two  or  three  white 
forms,  differing  mainly  in  size  of 
flower,  better  form  of  the  bell,  or 
greater  substance  in  the  bloom.  At  one  time  one 
was  disposed  to  think  that  these  were  produced  by 
the  character  of  the  soil,  but  actual  experiment 
has  made  one  think  otherwise.  My  own  old  white 
one  has  been  in  my  possession  for  many  years, 
but  it  is  inferior  to  one  I  got  from  Mr.  Piatt's  garden 
at  Hyning,  and  I  came  across  another  superior 
form  in  a  local  garden  recently.  In  the  case  of 
the  blues  there  are  certainly  differences  in  the  size 
and  form  of  the  blooms,  as  well  as  in  the  colour. 
Opinions  seem  to  vary  as  regards  the  shade  of  the 
one  called  Miss  Willmott,  yet  it  appeals  to  some 
of  us.     But  the  gre.Tter  number  of  tlie  blue  varieties 


THE      NEW      PiEONIA      ARBOREA      L  ESPERANCK,      A      REMARKABLE 
YELLOW    FLOWERING    VARIETY   WITH    A    CRIMSON    BASE. 


crimson-scarlet,  the  black-blotched  petals  being 
lacerated  to  nearly  one-half  their  depth.  From 
Mr.  Amos  Perry,  Enfield. 

Stachys  Corsica.  —  A  pretty  green  carpeter  of 
the  soil,  preferably  in  cool  and  moist  places.  The 
half-inch-high  flowers  are  pure  white,  the  plants 
when  in  good  condition  being  freely  studded  with 
them.  From  Messrs.  R.  W.  Wallace  and  Co., 
Colchester. 

Paeonia  arborea  L'Esperance.^A  remarkable 

and  beautiful  addition  to  the  Tree  or  Moutan 
Paeonies,  and  a  variety,  when  plentiful,  destined 
for   great    popularity.     The   flower   is   semi-double 


and  coloured  a  soft  yellow,  with  a  suspicion  of  buff, 
the  bases  of  the  petals  crimson  ;  there  is  a  tuft 
of  golden  \-ellow  anthers.  We  regard  it  as  an 
acquisition.  It  gives  us  the  impression  of  a  semi- 
double  La  Lorraine,  which  gained  a  first-class 
certificate  on  May  14  last.  From  Messrs.  Kelway 
and  Sons,  Langport.     See  illustration. 

Primula  x  Excelsior  (P.  cockburniana  x  P. 
Unique). — The  fact  that  this  unique  hybrid  has 
already  proved  itself  both  a  true  perennial  and 
quite  hardy  starts  it  on  its  career  with  a  reputation 
of  its  own.  At  the  present  time  the  new-comer 
possesses  all  the  vigour  and  free-flowering  attributes 
of  a  glorified  P.  Unique,  and,  with  handsome 
flowers  of  a  brilliant  crimson- 
scarlet,  needs  little  further  to 
commend  it.  A  really  first-class 
plant  and  an  acquisition.  From 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons, 
Limited,  Chelsea. 

Salix  magniflca.— A  plant  as 
much  unlike  a  SaUx  as  it  were 
possible  to  be  from  the  leaves 
alone  was  shown  by  the  Hon. 
Vicary  Gibbs,  Elstree,  under  this 
name.  The  leaves  are  broadly 
ovate-acuminate,  and  are  some 
6  inches  or  8  inches  long  and 
3  inches  to  4  inches  broad.  It 
is  a  new  Chinese  species. 

Potentilla    Boule    de    Feu.— 

Said  to  have  been  raised  between 
P.  argyrophylla  and  P.  atro- 
sanguinea.  The  flowers,  which 
are  coloured  crimson-scarlet,  are 
about  an  inch  across.  The 
foliage  is  silvery,  after  the 
manner  of  the  first-named 
species.  From  Mr.  H.  Hemsley, 
Crawley. 

Iris  gracilipes.  —  The  flowers 
of  this  pretty  Japanese  kind 
are  of  palest  mauve,  with  an 
orange  blotch,  and  in  this  and 
their  fimbriated  character  may 
be  likened  to  a  miniature  I. 
tectorum.  The  grassy,  arching 
leaves  are  numerously  produced, 
though  the  plant  has  not  so  far 
proved  very  floriferous.  At  the 
same  time,  there  is  a  frail  and 
delicate  beauty  about  it  which 
all  lovers  of  the  genus  admire. 
From  the  Wargrave  Plant  Farm, 
Twyford. 

Delphinium  Mrs.  F.  Brewster. 

Only  a  solitary  spike  of  this 
was  shown,  and  that  not  of 
high  excellence.  The  clear  lilac 
mauve  flowers  are,  however,  dis- 
tinct, and  of  large  size.  Exhibited  by  Mr.  R.  C. 
Notcutt,  Woodbridge. 


NEW    ORCHIDS. 

Awards  of  merit  were  granted  to  three  new 
Odontoglossum  hybrids,  viz.,  O.  Aireworthii  Orchid 
Dene  variety  (crispum  blotched  form  x  lambeaui- 
anum),  from  Mr.  E.  H.  Davidson,  Twyford ;  O. 
Lairessei  (Edwardii  x  Cervantesii),  from  Sir  Trevor 
Lawrence  ;  and  O.  Neptune  (crispum  x  nebulosum), 
sent  by  M.  H.  Graire,  Amiens. 

The  foregoing  awards  were  made  by  ihe  Royal 
Horticultural   Society  on   June  3. 


June  :4,  19:3. 


THE     GARDEN. 


305 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 


THE    PEAR     MIDGE. 


THIS  is  one  of  the  most  troublesome  pests 
of  the  garden,  and  certainly  one  of  the 
most  difficult  to  stamp  out  when  once 
it  has  established  itself.  The  miscliief 
is  done  at  a  time  when  it  is  impossible 
to  spray  the  tree  with  any  hope  of 
destroying  the  insect  without  also  injury  to  the 
fruit  and  trees. 

It  is  necessary  to  understand  something  of  the 
life-history  of  this  pest  before  we  can  deal  cfiec- 
tively  with  it. 

The  female  insect  (Fig.  i)  is  a  minute  creature 
with  great  power  of  flight,  whicli  appears  just  as 
the  Pear  trees  are  about  to  open 
their  flower-buds  ;  she  pierces  a 
hole  through  the  petals  and  lays 
eggs  to  the  number  of  ten  or 
more.  I  have  frequently  counted 
twelve  grubs  in  a  fruit.  These 
grubs  (Fig.  2)  feed  on  the  small 
fruit,  causing  it  to  become 
deformed.  It  will  be  at  once 
understood  how  useless  it  is  to 
spray  trees  with  a  hope  of  killing 
these  grubs  without  at  the  same 
time  destroying  the  young  and 
tender  fruit  also.  Again,  winter 
ikessing  and  spraying  do  very 
little,  if  any,  good,  as  the  grubs 
bury  themselves  deeply  in  the 
ground  for  some  weeks  before  they 
form  a  cocoon,  in  which  state  they 
pass  the  winter.  It  was  a  long 
time  before  I  could  understand 
what  was  wrong  with  the  Pear 
trees  in  this  garden.  They  flowered 
and  set  fruit  abundantly ;  but 
each  year,  towards  the  middle  to 
the  end  of  June,  most  of  the  fruit 
invariably  fell  from  the  trees.  I 
noticed,  however,  that  these  small 
fruits  were  malformed,  as  in  Fig.  3, 
and  on  cutting  some  of  these  open 
I  discovered  a  quantity  of  small 
yellow  grubs,  which  had  entirely 
eaten  away  the  middle  of  each 
fruit,  causing  it  to  fall,  and  on 
examining  the  fruits  still  left  on 
the  trees  I  soon  discovered  those 
affected,  owing  to  the  malformation 
above  mentioned.  I  then  carefully  examined 
each  fruit,  and  any  which  showed  the  least 
deformity  I  at  once  gathered  and  buried. 
The  beginning  of  June  is  the  best  time  to  do  this. 
The  trees  affected  should  be  examined  each  day 
and  the  fruits  gathered ;  they  should  not  be 
allowed  to  fall  from  the  tree,  as  the  grubs  will 
leave  the  fruits  as  soon  as  they  fall  and  bury 
themselves  in  the  soil,  where  they  will  be  quite 
safe  from  birds  or  other  enemies. 

I  have  seen  spraying  recommended  as  soon  as 
the  flowering  period  is  past.  I  believe  this  to  be 
useless.  Several  years  I  persevered  with  this, 
using  many  kinds  of  insecticides,  with  no  good 
results.  Hand  picking  is  the  only  reliable  measure 
to  adopt,  and  this  should  be  persevered  with  daily 
if  this  scoinrge  is  to  be  got  rid  of  entirely.  From 
what  I  hear,  it  is  certainly  increasing  in  many  parts 


of  England,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most  difiicult 
insects  to  eradicate  I  ever  encountered.  I  believe 
some  good  may  be  done  in  winter  by  forking  the 
soil  about  the  stem  of  the  trees  to  a  depth  of 
8  inches ;  in  this  way  some  of  the  cocoons 
may  be  destroj-ed.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I 
had  no  difficulty  in  finding  material  from  which 
to  make  the  sketches.  It  would  also  seem  that 
certain  varieties  of  Pears  are  attacked  more  freely 
than  others;  Emile  d'Heyst,  Clapp's  Favourite 
and  Doyenne  du  Comice  seem  to  be  special 
favourites.  No  vegetation  should  be  allowed  to 
grow    near    the    trees,    as    this    affords    a    hiding 


cause  them  to  deteriorate  to  an  alarming  extent. 
The  Allamanda,  Stephanotis,  Dipladenia,  Clero- 
dendron  and  Bougainvillea  are  all  very  beautiful 
flowering  plants,  while  the  Crotou  and  Caladiura 
are  a  pair  of  most  beautiful,  fine-foliagcd 
kinds. 

Well-Rooted  Plants  may  be  fed  regularly  now, 
and  those  specimens  growing  in  rather  small  pots 
should  have  a  surface  mulch  of  good  fibrous  loam 
(first  soaking  it  for  twelve  hours  in  strong  manure- 
water),  a  small  quantity  of  leaf-soil  and  some  sharp 
sand.  This  mixture  may  also  be  applied  with 
great  benefit  to  plants  growing  in  borders.  All 
well-rooted  plants  must  be  fed 
freely  with  weak  and  frequent 
doses  of  manure-water,  and  that  in 
addition  to  any  surface  mulch  that 
may  be  put  on.  Clear  water  must 
be  given  twice,  and  in  very  hot 
weather  three  times  a  day,  to  pre- 
vent the  loss  of  foliage,  but  the 
cultivator  must  make  sure  that  the 
drainage  is  sound. 

Overcrowding  and  Tying. — The 
regular  tying  in  of  the  shoots  of 
climbers — especially  those  of  the 
Stephanotis — is  a  very  important 
matter.  The  very  weakly  ones  must 
be  cut  out,  and  the  others  trained 
thinly  to  the  wires. 

Shading    and    Ventilating.— If 

the  cultivator  is  experienced,  he 
will  not  do  much  shading,  but  the 
novice  should  shade  his  fine-foliaged 
plants  a  little  to  prevent  the  lovely 
leaves  being  scorched.  While  the 
weather  is  fine  admit  plenty  of  air 
from  early  in  the  morning  until  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  when 
closing  the  house  syringe  and  damp 
down  freely.  Sh.\mrock. 


THE    PE.\R   MIDGE   AT   VARIOUS    STAGES. 

1.  FuUy-developed  fly.      2.  Omb  taken  tram  a  truit.     3.  Deformed  Iruit. 
inside  the  fruit.      5.  A  perfect  fruit. 


place    for    the    grubs     after    leaving    the    fallen 
fruit.  .\.  T. 


STOVE     PLANTS. 

Many  young  gardeners  and  others  who  have 
had  no  opportunity  to  gain  experience  about 
the  management  of  stove  plants — those  grown 
in  a  rather  high  temperature  and  moist  atmo- 
sphere— are  suddenly  called  upon  to  undertake  a 
charge  including  a  number  of  such  plants.  In 
the  winter  they  are  not  very  difficult  to  manage 
if  the  requisite  heat  is  maintained  and  watering 
is  not  overdone.  At  the  present  time,  however, 
yoimg  shoots  are  growing  so  freely  and  flowers  i 
are  appearing  in  such  profusion,  while  the  richly- 
coloured  leaved  kinds  are  making  much  progress, 
that  any  neglect  in  regard  to  the  plants  may  soon 


4.  Grubs 


SUMMER  TREATMENT  OF 
RASPBERRIES. 

How  very  seldom  is  anythmg 
more  done  to  the  Raspberry 
plants  in  the  summer-time  except 
to  strip  them  of  their  luscious 
fruits  !  Generally,  these  plants  yield 
fruits  freely,  even  when  they  receive  very  ordinary 
treatment  ;  but  if  thfy  are  given  the  very 
best  treatment  the  fruits  are  finer  individually, 
of  better  flavour,  and  the  crop  is  heavier. 
At  the  present  time  the  cultivator  should 
examine  the  plants  and  duly  note  those  that  ai'e 
small  and  weak  and  not  likely  to  be  of  service 
next  year.  Remove  all  such  forthwith.  If  left 
they  only  cause  overcrowding,  blocking  out  both 
sunshine  and  air  from  the  stronger  canes 
which  will  be  retained.  Renew  the  half  littery 
mulch  of  manure  now,  and,  directly  the  fruit  is 
gathered,  do  the  final  thinning  out  of  surplus 
canes.  Too  much  stress  cannot  be  laid  upon 
the  importance  of  pruning  after  the  fruit  is 
gathered.  The  work  is  rarely  done  before  the 
autumn  or  winter,  and  it  is  a  very  harmful  and 
unnecessary  delay.  B. 


306 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  14,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Dahlias. — These  shuuld  now  be  planted,  and 
if  in  large  beds  on  the  lawn,  care  must  be  taken 
in  the  selection  of  varieties  and  their  various 
heights.  The  dwarfer,  stiff-stemmed  varieties 
are  much  the  best  for  beds,  and  certainly  many 
of  the  Pompon  and  named  singles  are  to  be  preferred 
to  the  pendulous-flowered  Cactus  varieties.  Staking 
is  very  essential  immediately  after  planting,  though 
for  a  week  or  two  it  may  not  be  necessary  to  put 
the  permanent  stakes  m,  especially  if  the  plants 
happen  to  be  in  a  prominent  position. 

Rhododendrons    and   Azaleas. — These  having 

passed  out  of  bloom,  the  seed-pods  should  be 
carefully  removed  to  concentrate  the  energy  of 
the  plants  on  the  yoiuig  growing  shoots  as  well 
as  for  the  sake  of  tidiness. 

Planting  Annuals. — A  showery  time  should, 
if  possiljle,  be  selected  for  getting  all  annuals 
planted  out  that  have  been  raised  in  frames  and 
boxes,  and  good  breadths  of  the  various  kinds  for 
cutting  may  with  advantage  be  planted  in  the 
kitchen  garden,  this  being  preferable  to  denuding 
the  borders  in  and  about  the  pleasure  grounds. 

Sweet  Peas. — These  from  early  sowings  are 
nicely  in  bloom,  and  a  little  assistance  may  be 
necessary  in  the  form  of  liquid  manure,  or  even 
artificial,  once  a  week  to  maintain  them  in  vigorous 
growth.  On  light  soils  a  mulching  of  short  manure 
and  leaf-soil  will  help  to  conserve  the  moisture, 
while  on '  soils  of  a  heavier  nature  the  hoe  is  one  of 
the  best  mediums.  Sweet  Peas  for  exhibition  must 
be  kept  regularly  tied,  and  if  the  plants  are  not 
so  strong  as  desired,  remove  the  flower-buds 
for  a  little  while,  but  not  if  they  are  intended 
for  early  July  shows,  as  it  takes  from  fourteen 
to  twenty-one  days  for  a  bud  to  open  after  its 
first  appearance.  Syringe  overhead  in  the  evenings 
after  very  hot  days. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Watering.— Should  the  weatlier  be  at  all  dry, 
a  copious  watering  or  two  with  liquid  manure 
will  now  greatly  help  Roses,  giving  the  surface  of 
the  soil  a  good  hoeing  over  as  soon  as  the  water 
has  nicely  soaked  in. 

Aphis  at  this  season  is  especially  troublesome, 
and  a  good  wash  overhead  with  the  hose  once  or 
twice  a  week  will  help  to  keep  it  down.  About 
this  date,  also,  the  plants  should  have  a  good 
spraying  with  an  insecticide,  for  as  soon  as 
the  flower-buds  commence  to  open  they  are  liable 
to  injury,  at  least  the  outer  petals  maybe  marked, 
so  an  effort  should  be  made  to  get  the  plants  clean 
before  they  become  too  forward. 

Maiden  Plants,  both  standards  and  dwarfs, 
must  be  regularly  tied  to  stakes  to  prevent  them 
being  blown  out,  there  being  more  danger  now 
that  the  foliage  is  gettmg  heavier. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Annuals  in  Pots. — There  arc  several  kinds  of 
aimuals,  such  as  Asters,  Stocks,  Salpiglossis, 
Larkspurs,  Coreopsis,  Statice,  Alonsoa  and  Chry- 
santhemums, that  are  very  useful  in  pots,  par- 
ticularly where  there  is  a  big  demand  for  pot  plants 
for  the  conservatory.  These  may  now  be  lifted 
from  the  beds  in  which  they  have  been  pricked 
out,  with  nice  balls  of  eoil,  and  potted  singly  in 
4j-inch  pots,  or  perhaps  three  in  a  6-inch  pot. 
If  placed  in  a  frame  and  given  a  little  shade 
for  a  few  days,  they  will  soon  get  over  the  check, 
and  with  very  little  trouble  other  than  watering 
they  will  make  a  nice  display. 

Salvias  may  now  be  potted  into  their  flowering 
pots  and  stood  out  on  a  nice  open  piece  of  ground. 
Keep  the  shoots  pinched  fairly  close  till  the  plants 
are  of  sufiicient  dimensions.  A  little  later  in  the 
season  the  pots  may  be  partly  plunged  in  ashes. 
This  will  lessen  the  watering  somewhat,  and  con- 
siderably increase  the  size  and  appearance  of  the 
plants. 

Hydrangeas. — Early  batches  of  Hydrangeas 
hat  have  been  flowered  in  4j-iuch  pots  should  be 
cut  down  to  within  3  inches  or  4  inches  of  the  tops 
of  the  pots  and  stood  in  an  open  position  m  frames 
or  other  places,  where  they  will  soon  break  freely, 
and  if  potted  on,  when  the  shoots  are  3  inches  or 
4  inches  long,  into   SJ-inch   pots   they  will   make 


good  plants  with  six  to  eight  heads  for  next  season, 
and  may  be  flowered  very  early. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Early  Celery  will  now  be  forward  enough  to 
phmt  in  the  trenches,  or,  in  the  case  of  that  which 
may  be  wanted  for  exhibition  purposes,  on  the 
flat  with  plenty  of  good  short  manure  underneath 
the  plants.  li  they  lift  with  good  balls  of  soil 
and  are  planted  firmly,  a  good  watering  will  be 
sufficient  to  keep  them  going,  though  if  the  growth 
flags  badly,  as  it  will  sometimes  if  it  is  soft  and 
attenuated,  a  syringing  or  two  for  a  few  days  may 
be  necessary  to  give  the  plants  a  good  start. 

Onions. — Keep  the  soil  well  moved  with  the 
hf'C,  and  autumn-sown  bulbs  that  are  swelling 
nicely  may  be  assisted  with  a  little  artificial  or  a 
good  watering  with  liquid  manure  about  every 
two  or  three  weeks.  Thin  the  spring-sown  Onions 
as  soon  as  large  enough  to  handle  properly,  having 
them  from  4  inches  to  S  inches  apart,  according 
ti,»  the  size  of  bulbs  required. 

Tomatoes. — if  not  already  planted,  these  should 
be  put  out  at  once,  and  if  the  plants  are  a  good  size 
the^'  will  soon  grow  away.  A  warm  position  is 
essential,  as  also  is  good  firm  planting. 

Brussels  Sprouts  and  other  Brassicas  should 
be  planted  out  as  opportunity  occurs,  choosing, 
if  possible,  a  showery  time,  when  the  plants  need 
a  good  deal  less  attention  afterwards. 

Chicory. — This  should  now  be  sown  on  a  fairly 
light  and  rich  piece  of  ground  in  drills  about 
eighteen  inches  apart,  thinning  the  plants  to  about 
eight  inches  or  ten  inches  apart  when  well  through 
the  gromid,  and,  should  the  weather  be  showery, 
while  the  plants  are  in  a  young  state  dust  fre- 
quently with  soot  to  prevent  the  ravages  of  slugs. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Ripe  Grapes. — The  houses  in  which  ripe  Grapes 
are  hanging  must  be  freely  ventilated,  and  only 
suflicient  moisture  used  in  the  houses  to  keep  down 
insect  pests.  To  preserve  the  colour  in  black 
Grapes  it  may  be  necessary  to  shade  sliglitly,  but 
this  only  in  the  event  of  very  hot  weather. 

Pot  Peaches  and  Nectarines  from  which  the 

fruit  has  been  gathered  should  be  stood  on  an 
ash-bed  out  of  doors,  giving  sufficient  room  between 
them  to  allow  the  free  use  of  the  syringe  or  garden 
engine.  A  little  straw  or  litter  may  be  placed 
among  the  pots  to  prevent  them  drying  out. 

Hardy  Fruits. 

Cherries. — A  sharp  look-out  must  be  kept  for  fly 
on  the  tips  of  the  young  growths,  and,  if  in  evidence, 
the  trees  must  be  carefully  sprayed.  This  opera- 
tion may  have  to  be  repeated  two  or  three  times, 
especially  if  the  trees  are  badly  infested,  and 
wherever  possible  give  them  a  good  wash  down 
with  the  liose  in  the  morning  after  applying  the 
insecticide. 

Pliuns  also  are  subject  to  green  fly,  and  the  above 
remarks  apply  equally  well.  Cordon  and  trained 
trees  may  have  the  points  of  the  growths  removed, 
thus  checking  the  fly  and  helping  the  fruit  at  the 
same  time.  Thomas  Stevenson. 

(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

IVoburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Cutting  Over. — Under  this  heading  I  would 
remind  readers  that  many  early-flowering  subjects 
have  now  ripened  their  foliage  or  flower-stems,  and 
these  shouid  be  cut  over,  as  tidiness  should  be  the 
order  of  the  day.  Such  subjects  include  Snow- 
drops, Crocuses,  Narcissi  in  variety,  Crown  Im- 
perials and  Doronicums. 

Watering. — Although  not  a  believer  in  a  too 
frequent  use  of  the  watering-can,  still,  it  has  to  be 
brought  into  use  at  times,  and  if  a  drought  sets  in, 
as  it  often  does  in  Jrme,  recently-planted  subjects 
especially  may  have  to  be  artificially  watered.  If 
necessary,  attend  to  the  work  in  the  late  afternoon, 
and  after  the  surface  soil  has  dried  sufficiently 
run  the  Dutch  hoe  through  it.  Of  spring-planted 
subjects,  Violas  and  Pansies  are  the  most  likely  to 
suffer  from  drought. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Propagating  Pinks. — The  fragrance  of  many 
species     and     varieties    of     the     genus    Dianthus 


justifies  the  appellation  of  Divine  Flower  given  to 
It  by  the  ancients,  and  some  of  the  gems  are  to 
be  found  in  the  rock  garden,  as  instance  D.  alpinus, 
D.  caisius  (Cheddar  Pink),  D,  deltoides,  D.  neglectus 
and  p.  superbus.  Some  can  be  raised  from  seed 
readily,  but  all  can  be  propagated  by  cuttings 
at  the  present  time.  Prepare  the  cuttings  or 
pipings  as  you  would  border  Pinks,  and  insert 
them  in  pots  of  sandy  soil,  packed  firmlv,  and  then 
water  through  a  fine  rose.  A  rather  shaded,  dwarf 
pit  or  frame  is  invaluable  to  the  owner  of  a  rock 
garden,  and  here  the  pots  should  be  placed,  keeping 
them  rather  close  and  shaded  until  roots  have  been 
formed,  when  the  plants  should  be  gradually 
inured  to  more  light  and  air  preparatory  to  their 
being  planted  in  September. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Herbaceous  Calceolarias. — I  like  to  sow  these 

about  the  longest  day,  although  some  growers  sow 
rather  later.  Make  sure  that  you  get  a  good  strain 
of  seed.  Some  firms  are  now  aiming  at  selfs  or 
bicolors  ^^•ith  large  flowers,  and  thev  are  verv 
effective  ;  but  the  spotted  type  should  not  be 
elbowed  out.  Sow  in  well-drained  pans  of  fine  soil 
that  has  been  watered  two  hours  previous  to  sow- 
ing. Mix  the  seed  carefully  with  some  sand  or  very 
fine  soil  to  ensure  uniform  dispersion  of  the  seed. 
Do  not  cover  the  seed,  or,  at  most,  only  give  a 
dusting  of  very  fine  soil.  Cover  with  a  pane  of 
glass,  shade  with  white  paper,  and  place  in  a 
cool  frame.  If  the  soil  becomes  at  all  dry,  moisten 
by  immersion.  Closely  watch  the  process  of 
germination,  and  gradually  admit  air  and  light, 
but  do  not  expose  to  draughts  or  to  full  sunlight. 

Cinerarias.— Prick  off  into  bo.xes  of  light,  rich 
soil  as  soon  as  the  first  rough  leaf  is  formed.  Keep 
rather  close  for  a  few  days  after  being  pricked  off, 
and  maintain  cool  and  moist  conditions. 

Perpetual  Carnations.— Plants  that  are  ready 
for  it  should  be  shifted  on  into  5-inch  pots,  using 
a  mixture  of  good  yellow  loam,  if  at  all  available, 
with  some  sand,  wood-ashes,  dried  sheep  or  cow 
manure  and  crushed  bones.  A  sprinkling  of  soot 
over  the  drainage  helps  to  keep  out  worms  and 
serves  as  a  welcome  fertiliser  to  the  plants. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Second  Thinning  of  Grapes. — Later  crops  will 
now  be  requiring  second  thinning.  Where  the 
first  thinning  has  been  well  done,  this  is  a  light 
operation  ;  still,  the  keenest  expert  cannot  always 
forecast  subsequent  developments,  and  so  second 
thinning  is  a  necessity.  Great  care  should  be 
taken  to  avoid  injuring  the  berries  with  the  points 
of  the  scissors.  Any  shoulders  requiring  tying  out 
should  receive  this  attention  before  second  thinning 
commences. 

Watering  Vines. — Moisture  on  the  surfacs  of 
the  border  is  no  criterion  as  to  its  condition  18  inches 
below  the  surface,  and  this  must  be  determmed 
from  time  to  time  by  a  soil-tester  or  common 
auger,  and  if  foimd  to  be  dry,  a  good  watering  must 
be  given,  and  advantage  may  be  taken  of  the 
operation  to  apply  some  fertiliser  to  assist  in  the 
process  of  swelling  the  crop. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Netting  Small  Fruit. — This  work  is  absolutely 
necessary  nowadays,  and  those  who  have  not  yet 
gone  to  the  expense  of  wire  netting  must  fall  back 
on  tanned  netting,  and  the  sooner  it  is  in  position 
the  better;  especially  is  this  the  case  with  Straw- 
berries. Strands  of  wire  across  the  break  either 
way  will  keep  the  nets  off  the  grotmd.  Make 
sure  that  all  is  secure  at  the  ground-line,  as  it  is 
there  where  the  birds  look  for  a  means  of  ingress. 
For  Loganberries  use  the  oldest  net,  as  it  will 
never  do  duty  again. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Peas. — If  not  already  done,  the  last  sowmg  for 
the  season  must  now  lie  made.  Stake  succession 
sowings  as  they  are  read)-.  Early  crops  in  pod 
should  have  a  dressing  of  nitrate  of  soda  or  soot  in 
showery  weather  if  possible. 

Exhibition  Leeks. — These  will  now  be  growing 
apace,  and  they  should  be  provided  with  card- 
board collars  to  assist  in  the  process  of  blanching. 
Draw  in  a  little  earth  from  time  to  time,  and  at 
each  earthing  slightly  raise  the  collar. 

Vegetable  Marrows. — ."Vs  growth  proceeds,  the 

leading  shoot  should  be  pegged  down    to    prevent 
injury  from  winds.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens.  Davi.hon's  Mains.  Midlothian. 


June  14.  1913. 


THE     GARDEN. 


307 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 


REPOTTING     AURICULAS. 

IT  has  been  the  general  practice  for  many- 
years  for  Auricula-growers  to  repot  their 
plants  annually.  This  practice  was  not 
always  looked  upon  favourably  by  growers 
a  hundred  or  more  years  ago.  Some  of 
them  advocated  the  leaving  of  full-sized 
plants  undisturbed  in  their  pots  for  a  second  year, 
giving  additional  top-dressings  in  summer  and 
spring,  instead  of  an  entire  change  of  soil  as  is  usual 
among  present-day  cultivators.  These  old  growers 
used  pots  for  their  full-sized  plants  much  deeper 
and  wider  than  are  used  now  ;  and  although  we 
adopt  a  different  practice  from  that  followed  by 
our  forbears,  we  must  pay  some  deference  to  their 
ideas,  for  these  were  bom  of  the  results  of  a  certain 
measure  of  trial  and  experiment.  Granted  the 
experiments  were  not  always  conducted  on  the 
lines  we  think  best,  these  old  enthusiasts  achieved 
results  that,  I  think,  would  not  in  any  way  do 
discredit  to  our  principal  present-day  exhibitors. 
They  fixed  a  high  standard  to  work  to,  and  at  their 
shows  in  London  and  district  their  plants  had  to 
have  at  least  seven  expanded  pips.  This  rule 
would  handicap  some  of  us  when  show-day  comes 
round  and  we  are  looking  for  plants  for  classes  of 
twelve,  eight,  six,  &c.  The  organisers  of  these 
old  Auricula  shows  did  not  attempt  the  bold  dis- 
plays we  see  at  our  exhibitions,  and  had  no  classes 
for  twelves  and  sixes  as  we  have,  but  showed  their 
edged  flowers  almost  exclusively  in  pairs.  Our 
bright  and  gloriously-coloured  alpines  were  then  non- 
existent. Competition  was  keen  at  these  shows,  and, 
as  I  have  already  said,  the  old  growers  fixed  a  high 
standard,  a  standard  we  have  not  seen  fit  to  alter. 
This  to  our  credit.  These  men  of  old  times  fixed 
the  ideals  of  perfection  and  set  us  on  the  way  to 
attain  it  ;  indeed,  they  got  so  far  on  the  way 
themselves  that  some  of  their  work  has  hardly 
been  excelled.  They  raised  the  immediate  prede- 
cessors of  George  Lightbody,  Richard  Headley 
and  Lancashire  Hero,  grey-edged  flowers  that 
grace  the  show-boards  of  our  exhibitions  to-day. 

I  have  wandered  considerably  from  what  I 
first  spoke  of;  but  allowing  that  these  old  growers 
knew  something  of  what  they  were  about,  is  it 
not  possible  that  we,  in  trying  to  remedy  some  of 
their  faults,  may  go  too  far  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion ?  I  do  not  think  it  is  necessary  to  be  quite 
so  severe  in  the  treatment  of  the  AurictUa  at  repot- 
ting-time  as  is  sometimes  the  case.  I  have  heard 
of  some  who  systematically  wash  off  all  soil  from 
the  roots  ;  this  appears  to  me  to  be  too  drastic 
a  proceeding  as  a  regular  practice.  Another 
point  as  regards  the  repotting  is  to  be  considered  ; 
At  what  time  of  the  year  is  it  best  to  repot — early 
or  late  ?  By  early  I  mean  May  to  the  middle  of 
June,  and  late,  during  August.  This  is  a  question 
often  asked  now,  and  was  much  discussed  in  the 
days  that  are  gone.  Personally,  I  prefer  to  pot 
early,  and,  if  I  could,  I  would  have  all  mine  com- 
pleted before  May  is  out. 

The  Best  Soil. — What  compost  should  be  used 
lo  grow  the  plants  in  ?  It  is  not  possible  to  say 
this  or  that  mixture  is  the  best.  Some  growers 
obtain  excellent  plants  and  blooms  in  one  mixture, 
others  in  another.  What  is  most  certain  is  that 
good  loam  full  of  fibre  is  the  sheet-anchor  of  all 
composts,  and  excellent  results  can  be  obtained 
in  that  alone  if  the  loam  is  not  too  heavy  and  the 
drainage  is  satisfactory.  I  myself  use  a  mixture 
of  foiu-  parts  fairly  heavy  loam,  as  full  of  fibre  as 


I   can  get,  and  not  stacked  more  than   about  six 
months,  one  part  decayed  leaves  (do  not  have  these 
from   near   manufacturing    towns,    but    get    sweet 
leaf-mould   from  the   country),   and  one   part   old 
hot-bed  manure.     1  do  not  use  sand  to  keep  the 
soil  open,   but   crushed  oyster-shell,   charcoal  and 
old  mortar  instead.     To  these  I  add  a  good  dusting 
of  bone-meal  and  soot.    It  is  well  to  prepare  this 
a  few  weeks  before  required  for  use,  and  to  have 
it   regularly   turned   over   to   get   the   compost   as 
sweet  as  possible.     This  latter  point  is  not  to  be 
lost  sight  of.     Whatever  mixture  is  used  as  a  pot- 
ting medium,  it  must  be,  above  all  else,  sweet  and 
fresh.     Now  take  the  plant  to  be  treated.     If  an 
old  one,  take  off  the  soil  sufficiently  to  enable  the 
main  root  to  be  examined  for  any  sign  of  decay. 
If   any  exists,   cut   clean   away  to  sound  growth, 
putting    dry    lime    on    the    wotmd.     Shorten    the 
main  root  if  long.     If  in  any  doubt  as  to  whether 
to  cut  a  piece  off  or  not,  it  is  a  safe  rule  to  always 
give  the  preference  to  the  knife,  for  it  is  the  upper 
portion  of  the  main  root  from  which  the  principal 
and  most   useful  root-fibres  will  come,   the  lower 
portion  gradually  becoming  of  less  use.     Take  off 
any  offsets  that  may  be   attached ;   these,  if  large, 
to  be  potted  singly  in  small  pots  ;    if  small,  to  be 
put  round  the  edge  of  a  4i-inch  pot.     If  the  plant 
is  in  a  small  pot,  it  can  be  transferred  to  a  larger 
one,  only  taking  a  little  of  the  soil  from  the  old 
ball.     Pots   of   4j   inches   in    diameter   need   very 
rarely    be    exceeded.     Quite   large    plants    can    be 
grown  in  this  size.     Take  care  to  work  the  new  soil 
well  among  the  root-fibres  of  the  plant.     Whenever 
a  plant  is  taken  from  a  pot,  the  root  aphis,  which 
is   nearly   always   in   evidence,   should   be   cleared 
away,  either  by  brushing  off  with  a  mediiim  stiff 
brush    or    by  applying  methylated  spirit.     If  the 
pots  used  have  been  soaked  in  water  prior  to  the 
plants  being  potted,  and  the  soil  used  is  in  a  properly 
moist  condition,  the  plants  will  not  require  watering 
for  two  or  three  days  if  they  are  placed  in  a  close 
frame  shaded  from  the  sun.     Beware  of  excessive 
watering  at    this  stage.     Decay  is  often  set  up  by 
too  liberal  applications  of  water,  especially  where  the 
roots  have  been   cut.     Keep   the  plants  close  for  a 
week  or  ten  days  after  repotting.     As  they  begin  to 
get  settled  in  the  new  soil,  give  air  gradually  until, 
at  the  end  of  a  few  weeks,  the  lights  can  be  removed 
altogether  ;   but  always  shade  from  bright  sunshine 
and  keep  as  cool  as  possible.     On  the  north  side 
of  a  wall  or  fence  is  a  good  place  for  the  frames 
during  the  summer.  G.  J.  S. 


seems  that  heat  is  applicable  to  Cucumbers, 
Tomatoes  in  pots  and  some  other  plants.  Chemicals 
must,  of  course,  be  soluble  and  harmless,  and  at 
the  same  time  potent  to  kill  very  low  forms  of  life, 
as  well  as  such  things  as  eelworms,  rotifers  and 
woodlice,  all  of  which  are  associated  with  glass- 
house sickness.  G. 


PROPAGATING       ARAUCARIA 
EXCELSA. 

Though  small  plants  of  Araucaria  excelsa  are  by 
some  regarded  as  of  too  symmetrica!  a  character, 
they  are  admired  by  many,  and  there  is  always  a 
considerable  demand  for  them.  In  order  to  keep 
up  the  supply,  great  numbers  are  raised  from  seeds, 
but  the  plants  obtained  in  this  way  are  not  nearly 
as  well  furnished  at  the  base  as  those  raised  from 
cuttings.  As  with  all  the  regular  growing  conifers, 
it  is,  of  course,  useless  to  take  cuttings  of  the  side 
branches,  as  this  branch-like  style  of  growth 
will  be  always  retained.  In  order  to  propagate 
these  Araucarias  from  cuttings,  the  first  thing  to 
do  is  to  obtain  cuttings  of  the  right  sort.  This  is 
done  by  taking  off  the  top  of  a  plant,  and  if  it  is 
not  too  strong  it  may  be  utilised  as  a  cutting. 
The  old  plant  will  after  this  often  push  up  two  or 
three  leaders  to  take  its  place,  and  when  these 
new  shoots  are  from  4  inches  to  6  inches  in  length, 
they  form  the  best  of  cuttings.  Put  into  small 
pots  of  sandy  soil  in  a  close  propagating-case  with 
a  gentle  heat,  they  will  soon  root  and  quickly  form 
neat,  well-furnished  specimens.  The  old  plants 
will  continue  to  push  up  new  leaders  time  after- 
time.  As  illustrating  the  finely  symmetrical 
plants  that  can  be  obtained  from  cuttings,  attention 
may  be  called  to  a  group  of  that  new  variety.  Silver 
Star,  which  formed  quite  a  feature  at  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Hall  on  Jime  3.  H.   P. 


SOIL 


IN    GREEN- 


PURIFICATION 
HOUSES. 

The  question  of  soil  purification  in  greenhouses 
now  seems  to  be  attaining  more  practical  shape, 
and  experiment  has  been  busy  with  sterilisation 
as  a  means  of  ridding  the  soil  of  the  unhealthy 
fungoid  and  other  undesirable  lower  forms  of  life 
which  undoubtedly  cause  much  trouble  to  all  who 
cultivate  under  glass.  Tomatoes  and  Cucumbers 
are  liable  to   many  scourges    when    grown  in 


TO 


ANSWERS 
CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES  FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  inlaids  lo 
make  THE  GARDEN  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assifti' 
ance,  no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  he,  and 
with  that  object  ivitl  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  EDITOR  0/  THE  Garden.  20,  Tavietock 
Street,  Coveni  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  hr 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  WA)re  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  ftowerinq 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
smalt  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PtTBLISHER. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 


SLUGS   AND  SWEET  PEAS  (M.  J".).— The  Sweet  Pea 
♦ujc  1  foliage  is  beins  damaged  by  slugs,  and  probably  the  best 
.    I  remedy  to  apply  will  be  soot  or  soot  and  lime,  dusted  on. 
way,   and  it  seems  likely  enough   that   the  soil   is  !  Spraying  the  plants  or  watering  them  with  an  ounce  of 
Recent  research  has    potassium  permanganate  dissolved  in  a  gallon   of  watrr 


largely  responsible  for  this, 
shown  that  sterilisation  can  effectively  deal  with 
the  matter,  and  results  similar  to  those  in  the  case 
of  sewage-sick  soils  have  been  obtained.  Many 
substances,  such  as  formaldehyde  and  toluene, 
have  been  tried,  and  it  seems  likely  that  a  number 
are  useful,  and  work  on  a  commercial  scale  has 
been  proved  to  be  practicable.  Heat  is  much  the 
best  remedy,  but  it  is  expensive — much  more  so 
than  are  chemicals,  the  alternative  method.  How- 
ever, at  IS.  or  IS.  6d.  per  ton  of  earth  purified,  it 


often  proves  a  good  remedy. 

INJURY  TO  IRISES  (G.  K.  M.). — The  Irises  are  attaeked 
by  the  bulb  mite  (Khizoglyphus  echinopus).  This  has 
destroyed  parts  of  the  bulbs  "and  the  roots,  and  the  injury 
to  the  foliage  follows  as  a  result.  It  would  be  well  to  dig 
up  all  the  bulbs  as  soon  as  the  foliage  dies  off,  and  pUiuge 
them  in  water  at  about  110°  for  a  short  while.  This  will 
probably  kill  most  of  the  mites  without  damage  to  the 
bulbs,  and  they  may  then  be  replanted  in  a  fresh  position. 

LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY  (H.  H.).— As  you  can  do 
nothing  to  the  bed  before  October,  you  might  send  ns 
a  sample  of  the  weed  which  you  say  is  choking  the  plants. 
It  may  be  of  a  very  Insidious  type,  requiring  the  most 
drastic  measures  to  get  rid  of  it.  You  may  discourage 
it  by  pulling  up  all  that  is  possible,  and  encourage  tlu" 


308 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  14,  1Q13. 


growth  of  the  Lilies  by  frequent  doses  of  liquid  maniure. 
In  sending  the  weed,  please  direct  our  attention  to  this 
reply,  when  we  vnU  furnish  full  particulars  as  to  what  is 
best  to  be  done. 

MYOSOTIS  (E.  B.  G.). — The  plant  is  Myosotis  alpestris 
Marie  Kaphael,  and  may  be  propagated  from  seeds  and 
cuttings.  The  seedlings  would,  however,  be  sure  to  vary, 
and  true  stock  could  only  be  depended  upon  from  cuttings. 
To  obtain  a  stock  by  these  means  it  would  be  necessary 
to  plant  a  reserve  batch  apart,  cutting  tliem  down  as  soon 
as  the  first  flush  of  flowers  was  past.  Then,  by  pricking 
up  the  soil  and  giving  a  mulching  of  fresh  material,  new 
growth  may  be  encouraged  by  watering  and  presently  put 
to  use  as  desired. 

"FIRE"  IN  TULIPS  (H.  T.  M.).— The  Tulips  are 
attacked  by  the  disease  called  "fire,"  to  which  reference 
has  been  made  frequently  of  late  in  our  columns.  We 
should  think  your  soil  must  be  affected  by  the  fungus, 
which  often  passes  the  summer  in  the  soil,  and  we  would 
suggest  that  Tulips  and  other  bulbous  plants  should  not 
be  planted  in  this  bed  for  three  or  four  years  to  come. 
There  is  no  cure  for  the  disease,  but  it  would  be  well  to 
remove  all  affected  foliage  as  soon  as  possible,  so  as  to 
prevent  tlie  disease  from  reaching  the  bulb  and  the  fungus 
from  forming  the  hard  resting  bodies  called  Sclerotia 
in  the  soil  or  in  the  bulb. 


TREES     AND    SHRUBS. 

CHANGE    IN    FORM    AND    COLOUR    OF    CLEMATIS 

(K.  M.)- — Are  you  absolutely  certain  no  mistake  has 
occurred  with  regard  to  the  Clematis  ?  The  change  of 
form  and  colour  over  a  whole  plant  is  extraordinary.  Is 
it  at  all  likely  that  the  stock  has  grown  up  in  place  of  the 
plant  you  had  ? 

PLANTING  CYTISUS  (Aiidreanus). — If  plants  of  Cytisus 
andrcanus  prostratus  are  obtained  in  pots,  they  may  be 
planted  at  once  ;  but  if  they  have  to  be  lifted  from  a  bed, 
the  planting  must  be  deferred  until  October.  It  is  always 
better  to  obtain  small  rather  than  large  plants,  as  they 
transplant  more  satisfactorily.  Plants  may  bo  obtained 
from  any  of  the  leading  nurserymen  for  Is.  or  Is.  6d.  each. 

GALLS  ON  AZALEA  (ff.  S.  N.). — The  Azalea  is  attacked 
by  the  fungus  Exobasidium  japonicum.  This  fungus  causes 
galls  which  should  be  picked  off  and  liurned  as  soon  as 
they'are  apparent.  It  is  too  late  to  avoid  all  danger  of 
spread  to  the  otlier  parts  of  the  plant  now,  as  the  gaUs  have 
turned  white,  showing  the  spores  are  developed,  ready  to 
spread  the  disease,  but  the  burning  of  them  will  minimise 
the  danger. 

GORSE  SEEDLINGS  (B.  A.  P.).— If  you  collect  quite 
small  plants  of  Gorse,  not  more  than  one  year  old,  there 
is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  establish  them  success- 
fully in  the  autumn.  At  the  same  time,  it  would  be  advis- 
able to  procure  seeds  this  year  and  keep  them  over  the 
winter ;  then,  if  any  of  the  plants  die,  a  few  seeds  could 
be  sowu  early  next  March  with  the  object  of  replacing  the 
dead  plants.  There  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not 
collect  sulBcient  seeds  for  this  purpose  ;  but  if  you  wish  to 
procure  them  elsewhere,  any  of  the  firms  of  nurserymen 
who  make  a  speciality  of  forest  trees  and  covert  plants, 
such  as  Dicksons  of  Chester,  Little  and  Ballantyne  of 
Carlisle,  or  Wiseman  and  Sons  of  Elgin,  would  be  able  to 
supply  tliem. 

PRUNING  SHRUBS  (Dion). — It  is  not  possible  to  treat 
all  flowering  shrubs  in  the  way  recommended  for  Prunus 
triloba  after  flowering.  Forsythia  suspensa,  Jasminum 
uudiflorum  and  Pliiladelphus  Lemoinei  are  other  subjects 
that  respond  to  the  treatment  recommended  for  P.  triloba. 
\  Lilac  which  is  becoming  leggy  may  be  cut  back  after 
flowering ;  but  it  is  not  advisable  to  prune  Lilacs  back 
retnilarly.  A  great  point  in  the  successful  culture  of 
Lilacs  is  to  restrict  the  growtli  of  young  slioots.  The 
inside  shoots  and  a  number  of  the  weaker  outside  ones 
should  be  removed  when  from  4  inches  to  6  inches  long, 
in  order  tliat  all  the  energy  of  the  plants  may  be  devoted 
to  perfecting  the  principargro\vths  on  which  the  best  flowers 
are  produced.  If  a  mass  of  weak  wood  is  allowed  to  grow, 
fewer  and  poorer  flowers  are  obtained.  Thorns  may  be 
shortened  somewhat  as  soon  as  the  flowers  are  over,  and 
it  the  centres  are  full  of  weak  branches,  a  few  may  be 
removed  bodily  in  order  to  admit  light  and  air  to  the 
remaining  branches.  It  is  not  possible  to  give  general 
instructions  for  pruning  flowering  trees  and  shrubs,  as 
almost  every  kind  requires  slightly  different  treatment. 
As  a  rule,  however,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  do  any  necessary 
pruning  after  the  flowers  fade,  and  to  keep  the  centres 
of  the  trees  fairly  open. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

INJURY  TO  VINE  LEAVES  (Ernestii).—The  damage 
lo  the  Vine  leaves  has  been  brought  about  by  keeping 
the  Vines  too  close  in  a  moist  house  with  too  high  a  tem- 
perature. 

INJURY  TO  LILIES  (i.  H'.).— So  far  as  the  specimens 
sent  go,  it  would  seem  tliat  the  plants  have  been  exposed 
to  cold  draughts.  They  may  have  been  suffering  from 
the  "  Lily  disease  "  last  year,  but  the  symptoms  of  that 
trouble  are  not  at  all  evident  yet. 

CARNATIONS  AND  GREEN  FLY  (.M.  0.  W.).—lt  is 
quite  possible  that  "the  blight"  referred  to  by  you, 
which  we  take  to  be  aphides  or  green  fly,  is  on  other 
plants  as  well  as  the  Carnations,  and,  consequently,  cleaning 
off  a  few  of  the  insects  will  have  no  effect.  By  far  the  better 
plan  will  be  to  vaporise  your  greenhouse  with  one  of  the 
many  nicotine  compounds  now  on  the  market,  such  as 
the  XL  All  Vaporiser.  If  this  is  done  two  or  three 
times  at  intervals  of  a  few  days,  the  pests  will  be  entirely 
got  rid  of, 


PALM  LEAVES  WITHERED  (IT.  £.).— The  two  speci- 
mens sent  are  too  meagre  to  enable  us  to  name  them  with 
certainty.  They  look  as  though  the  conditions  under 
which  they  are  growing  are  not  congenial,  and  the  Palm 
certainly  requires  more  heat  than  you  can  give  it  without 
Are  in  winter.  It  should  have  a  dry  temperature  of  about 
60°  at  least  in  winter,  and  not  below  45°  to  50°  at  night. 
The  Bamboo  will  probably  put  up  with  a  lower  temperature, 
but  attention  to  the  water  supply  is  most  important, 
and  you  will  probably  find  the  Bamboos  are  suffering 
more  from  this  than  from  anything  else. 

PELARGONIUMS  (R.  B.  B.). — Your  Pelargoniums  are 
attacked  by  a  fungus  which  seems  greatly  on  the  increase 
throughout  the  country.  Highly-fed  plants,  and  those 
that  have  had  an  excess  of  water  at  the  roots,  or  are  kept 
in  a  close,  stuffy  atmosphere,  are  far  more  liable  to  be 
attacked  than  those  grown  under  more  natural  condilions. 
With  regard  to  this  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  tliat  in  South 
Africa,  the  home  of  the  Pelargonium  family,  a  clear,  dry 
atmospiiere  largely  prevails.  To  combat  the  trouble,  give 
tlie  plants  plenty  of  air,  and  spray  occasionally  witlx  one 
of  the  many  fungicides  now  obtainable.  One  very  clean 
in  its  application  is  permanganate  of  potash,  the  crystals 
of  which  may  be  dissolved  in  water.  The  solution  should, 
when  ready,  be  of  a  pale  rose  colour. 

PERPETUAL  CARNATIONS  (R.  H.  B.).— As  your  plants 
of  Carnations  are  carrying  six  good  shoots,  they  will  not 
need  to  be  stopped  any  more.  For  flowering,  6-inch  pots 
would  have  been  preferable  to  6-inch  ;  but  if  they  do  well, 
the  strongest  may  be  shifted  into  larger  pots  in  July. 
When  the  roots  take  possession  of  the  new  soil,  the  plants 
will  be  much  better  stood  out  of  doors  than  in  a  close  and 
stuffy  atmosphere,  as  a  light,  buoyant  air  is  at  all  seasons 
very  essential  to  the  successful  culture  of  these  Carnations. 
When  out  of  doors  tliey  must  be  stood  on  a  well-drained 
place,  and  a  gentle  spraying  with  rain-water  on  the  evenings 
of  hot  days  will  be  beneficial.  They  must,  by  the  end  of 
August,  be  removed  into  the  greenhouse,  taking  care  that 
they  have  a  good  liglit  position,  with  plenty  of  air,  assigned 
them.  In  the  winter  the  thermometer  may  range  from 
45°  to  50°  at  night,  rising  10°  or  20°  during  the  day. 

ROSE     GARDEN. 

GREEN  CORE  IN  ROSES  (K.  J)f.).— Certain  Koses  are 
very  liable  to  the  production  of  this  green  core,  and  we 
think  it  usually  follows  a  check  to  growth,  such  as  might 
be  imposed  by  frost  or  a  dry  spell  of  weather  just  when 
growth  should  be  active. 

RAMBLER  ROSES  WITH  BLIGHTED  FOLIAGE 
(Perplexed). — If  you  persevere  with  the  Cyllin  Soft  Soap 
you  will  very  soon  check  the  green  fly.  When  possible, 
dip  the  shoots  in  a  bowl  of  the  liquid  for  a  few  seconds. 
The  bruised  appearance  of  leaves  is  caused  by  cold  winds, 
and  possibly  by  sliglit  frost.  Perhaps  the  plants  need  a 
good  sprinkling  at  the  roots.  Often  ramblers  suffer 
more  from  drought  than  we  generally  suppose,  especially 
if  planted  where  the  soil  is  not  often  hoed.  Cover  the 
soil  witli  short  manure,  then  give  each  tree  tliree  or  four 
bucketfuls  of  water,  and  repeat  this  twice  a  week. 

MANURES  FOR  EXHIBITION  BLOOMS  (Rosary).— 
As  you  desire  a  change  from  liquid  cow-manure,  we  should 
advise  either  Ichthemic  Guano  or  Clay's  Fertiliser,  both 
of  which  are  quick  acting  and  excellent  if  given  in  modera- 
tion. An  excellent  quick-acting  maniire  for  Roses  would 
be  an  ounce  of  nitrate  of  potash  or  an  ounce  of  phospiiate  of 
potash  in  a  gallon  of  water.  Of  course,  if  you  give  the  latter 
you  would  not  apply  the  former,  and  be  careful  to  water 
the  ground  well  previously  if  at  all  dry.  In  tlie  case  of  the 
guanoorClay'sFertilizer,  it  would  be  well  to  water  it  in,  so 
that  the  Roses  obtain  the  benefit  quickly.  We  should  be 
inclined  to  favour  the  liquid  manure  as  last  recommended, 
and  you  could  give  the  Roses  tlie  liquid  cow-manure 
a  week  afterwards  ;  then  repeat  the  potash  liquid  a  week 
after  tliat,  but  withhold  it  if  the  Roses  are  showing  colour. 

ROSA  SINICA  ANEMONE  WITH  DAMAGED  FLOWERS 
(U.  E.  B.). — We  think  the  deformed  petals  are  due  as 
much  to  the  season  as  anything.  We  have  had  the  same 
occurrence  on  the  earliest  blooms,  but  the  later  ones  are 
all  riglit.  Possibly  the  somewhat  unripened  condition 
of  the  wood  is  responsible  for  it.  We  cannot  recommend 
any  special  treatment  beyond  the  ordinary  system  of 
culture.  As  you  know,  Crimson  Rambler  produces  its 
best  clusters  upon  the  wood  of  the  previous  year,  so  that 
you  will  do  well  to  cut  away  as  much  of  the  old  wood 
as  can  well  be  spared.  In  the  case  of  sinica  anemone, 
this  should  also  have  old  wood  removed  to  some  extent 
after  it  has  ceased  to  fiower  this  season.  The  very  small 
specimen  you  send  us  suggests  that  the  plant  needs  atten- 
tion in  the  matter  of  manure.  It  would  be  well  to  give  it 
some  good  liquid  manure  to  encourage  a  more  vigorous 
growth  during  the  summer. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

PONDWEED  AND  COPPER  SULPHATE  (J.  T.).~li 
you  apply  copper  sulphate  to  tlic  water  in  your  ponds  at 
the  rate  of  cue  part  of  copper  sulphate  to  one  million  parts 
of  water,  it  is  not  likely  to  cause  harm  to  cattle  drinking 
the  water,  especially  if  a  few  hoiirs  are  allowed  to  elapse 
before  the  water  is  used  for  drinkin}2  purposes.  It  has  been 
amply  demonstrated  by  American  officials  that  copper 
sulphate  applied  at  the  above  strength  has  no  harmful 
effect  upon  human  beini^s  or  animals,  and  fish  live  in  water 
containing  a  much  higher  solution.  You  must  estimate  the 
cubical  contents  of  your  ponds,  and  reckon  each  cubic  foot 
of  water  as  weighing  about  sixty-two  and  one-third  pounds. 
Be  careful  that  the  copper  sulphate  is  distributed  equally 
through  the  water, 


SEAKALE  ROOTS  AFTER  FORCING  {A.  E.  H.).— 
Such  forced  roots  are  no  good,  Seakale  is  grown  from  root- 
cuttings  planted  in  March,  such  cuttings  making  strong 
roots  in  the  course  of  the  summer  and  autumn  following 
quite  good  enough  to  force  in  the  following  winter  and 
spring.  You  should  bear  this  in  mind,  and  secure  early 
cuttings  in  autumn  or  early  winter.  These  should  be 
planted  deeply  (in  trenches)  in  soil  where  the  position  is 
cool  until  they  are  wanted  in  spring  for  planting  in  their 
summer  quarters. 

FUNGUS  ON  WILLOW  AND  ALLIUM  (FT.  B.).— The 
Willow  j^hoots  sent  for  examinai  mii  Ii;i\l'  been  injured  by 
the  Willow  canker  fungus  (.Mtlaiiip^ura  alii-salicis  albse) 
Two  dilferent  stages  of  the  fungus  occur,  one  on  Willow, 
and  more  frequently  on  rods  grown  for  basket-making 
than  on  trees,  and  tlie  other  stage  on  Allium  ursinum. 
If  you  watch  the  Willows  carefully,  you  will  doubtless  find 
patches  of  bright  yellow  spores  on  the  leaves  and  bark 
during  summer,  which  result  in  the  dead  patches  of  which 
you  complain.  The  only  practical  way  to  etfect  a  remedy 
is  to  cut  otf  the  affected  branches  and  burn  them.  If 
any  wild  Allium  is  growing  in  the  vicinity,  dig  it  up  and 
burn  it  also.  A  description  of  this  disease  is  given  in 
"  The  Fungus  Diseases  of  Plants/'  by  G.  Massee. 

VARIOUS  QUESTIONS  (Ignatius).— The  shrub  sent 
Eorname  is  the  Mexican  Orange  Flower  (Choisyaternata). 
It  may  be  increased  by  means  of  cuttings  taken  any  time 
during  summer,  and  inserted  in  sandy  soil  in  a  close  frame 
or  in  pots  in  a  greenhouse.  It  may  also  be  propagated 
by  layering  the  lower  branches  in  spring.  Throughout 
the  milder  parts  of  the  British  Isles  it  thrives  quite  well 
in  the  open  ground,  forming  a  large,  shapely  bush  with 
little  attention  to  pruning.  In  colder  districts,  however, 
it  must  be  planted  against  a  wall  or  be  grown  in  a  green- 
house. Any  kind  of  fairly  good  garden  soil  suits  it. 
It  may  be  used  as  a  tub  plant  for  standing  on  terraces 
if  it  is  so  wished.  The  Smilax  is  a  perennial  plant,  and 
is  usually  grown  in  a  greenhouse  or  against  the  back  wall 
of  a  vinery.  It  thrives  well  in  a  compost  of  two  parts 
fibrous  loam  to  one  part  of  old  Mushroom-bed  manure 
or  leaf-mould  with  a  little  sand.  The  best  material  for 
potting  Geraniums  in  is  three  parts  good  loam  to  one  part 
of  old  hot-bed  or  Mushroom-bed  manure  with  a  little  sand. 
You  can  keep  the  foliage  good  by  attending  to  the  proper 
ventilation  of  the  house  and  the  proper  watering  of  the 
plants.  When  the  pots  are  well  filled  with  roots,  liquid 
manure  should  be  given  occasionally.  It  is  probable 
that  you  have  starved  your  plants  in  the  past.  Well- 
decayed  manure  is  better  than  fresh  manure  for  Potatoes. 
Either  well-decayed  farmyard  manure  or  chemical  manure 
rich  in  potash  may  be  used.  Do  not  manure  too  heavily, 
however,  or  the  Potatoes  will  form  too  much  haulm  and 
too  few  tubers. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS. — Mrs.  Cooke. — Alonsoaincisifolia; 

Begonia  fuchsioides. G.  B.  -Bmne^.—Pyrus  Aria  (White 

Beam).— — O.  B.— Rose    Flora. H.    V.    B.— Diervilla 

(Weigela)  Eva  Rathke. 


SOCIETIES. 


NATIONAL   HARDY    PLANT   SOCIETY'S   OUTING. 

On  Saturday  afternoon.  May  31,  members  and  friends 
of  the  National  Hardy  Plant  Society  to  the  number  of 
thirty-six  travelled  in  a  special  saloon  from  Marylebone 
to  Chorley  Wood  Station,  whence,  by  the  kindness 
of  .\deliuc'Duchess  of  Bedford,  conveyances  took  the  party 
to  Woodside,  Chenies,  where  they  were  received  by  Her 
Grace,  who  not  only  extended  her  visitors  a  cordial  wel- 
come, but  devoted  tlie  afternoon  to  tlieir  entertainment, 
personally  accompanying  the  party  round  the  delightful 
and  interesting  gardens  and  afterwards  presiding  at  tea. 
The  gardens  at  Woodside  are,  by  reason  of  their  owner's 
wide  knowledge  and  keen  appreciation  of  hardy  plants, 
full  of  charm  and  interest,  and  it  need  scarcely  be  remarked 
that  the  enthusiasts  who  constituted  the  party  on  Saturday 
spent  a  most  delightful  time  inspecting  the  extensive 
herbaceous  borders,  the  rockery  (recently  enlarged),  and 
the  sloping  banks  of  the  River  Chess,  which  runs  through 
the  grounds,  and  which  just  now  are  bedecked  with  far- 
reaching  masses  of  Myosotis,  Irises,  Helianthemums, 
and  a  host  of  other  free-flowering  plants  of  dwarf  stature, 
which  thrive  among  rocky  boulders  let  in  the  bank-sides. 
Large  masses  of  Primula  japonica  in  full  flower  were  very 
fine,  and  in  the  herbaceous  borders  Lupinus  polyphyllus, 
both  blue  and  pink,  and  the  flue  rose-coloured  flowers  of 
Agrostemma  coronaria  flore  pleno  were  prominent  features. 
Free  use  is  made  at  Woodside  of  Hesperis  matronalis, 
and  although  now  past,  the  faded  flower-heads  of  great 
drifts  of  Polyanthus  bore  witness  to  wliat  had  been  a 
glorious  show.  Diantlius  alpinus  on  the  rockery  was  just 
at  its  best,  and  many  choice  Saxifragas  were  flowering 
profusely.  The  hardy  plantsmen  were  unanimous  in 
their  high  appreciation  of  tlie  serviceable  collection  of 
hardy  plants  so  skilfully  disposed  and  well  grown,  and 
Mr.  John  Dickson,  the  head- gardener,  was  the  recipient 
of  many  congratulations.  To  go  into  details  of  the  gardens 
and  the  extensive  collection  of  plants  would  require  a 
large  amount  of  space,  but  for  the  present  it  must  suffice 
to  record  the  fact  that  the  outing  proved  to  be  most 
enjoyable,  well  organised,  and  a  happy  combination  of 
pleasurable  recreation  and  profitable  education  to  all 
who  participated.  Before  the  party  left,  the  chairman 
of  the  society,  Mr.  F.  Bouskell.  in  a  few  appropriate  words, 
voiced  the  gratitude  of  all  to  Her  Grace  tlie  Duchess  of 
Bedford  for  her  kindness  in  first  permitting  the  visit  to 
her  gardens,  and  for  so  graciously  honouring  tliem  with 
lier  presence  as  well  as  providing  such  hospitality. 


^fev_ 


\^/^i^j--4^_^/^^4^  ^" 


GARDEN.! 


-:««'■ 


^c^^mi 


No    2170.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


June  21,  1913. 


CONTEiNTS. 

Notes  of  the  Week 

309 

Rock  and  Water  Garden 

Correspondence 

The  Creeping  Sand- 

Paeony L'Esporanco 

310 

wort    

314 

The  gennination  of 

Primula  involucrata 

Peas  and  Beans. . 

310 

in  a  Scottish  rock 

Toads  in  the  garden 

310 

garden 

314 

Snake's-head  Fritil- 

Colodred  Plate 

lary  and    Forget- 

A  new  dwarf  yellow 

me-nots 

311 

Arum  Lily  . .      . . 

314 

Sbrabby  Pentstomons  311 

The    FoTget-me-iiot 

Eremuri  in  the  wild 

in    the     pleasure 
ground 

311 

garden 

.Some   useful   hardy 

316 

Forthcoming  events . . 

311 

plants 

Some  good  uncom- 

315 

Trees  and  Shkcbs 

mon  hardy  plants 

Sl.S 

Some  useful  shrubs 

Notes  on  Tulips    . . 

316 

for  the  wild  garden 

Propagating  Weige- 

las 

311 
311 

Gardeninq  for  Beginners 
How  to  layer  Straw- 
berries      317 

Rose  Garden 

Shading    the    green- 

The best  Roses  for 

house  

317 

house    decoration 

312 

Gardening  of  the  Week  I 

Do  Roses  deteriorate?  312 

For    Southern    gar- 

A good  new  Rose  . . 

312 

dens     

318 

KITCHEN  Garden 

For    Northern    gar- 

Seasonable notes  on 

dens     

318 

vegetables  . .     . . 

312 

Answers  to   Corke-| 

Rock  and  Water  Garden 

SPONDENTS 

Flower  garden 

31» 

months  after  con- 

Rose  garden   . . 

319 

313 

Greenhouse     . . 

319 

The  Variegated  Gar- 

Fruit  garden  . .      . . 

319 

313 

Kitchen  garden 

320 

Some     inteiestlng 

Miscellaneous 

32U 

aquatics 

314 

BOOKS 

320 

NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


IliliDSTRATIONS. 

.\  beautiful  colony  of  .Sun  Roses 310 

Rose  Mrs.  C.  Reed 312 

A  rock  garden  five  months  after  it  was  constructed . .  313 

The  Creeping  Sandwort 314 

A  new  dwarf  yellow  Arum  Lily Coloured  plate 

An  effective  grouping  of  Eremuri       315 

An  old-fashioned  Tulip  show  at  Wakefield       . .      . .  316 

How  to  layei  Strawberries 317 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
bui  he  vMl  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  unll  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  ivill  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contribtUions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  mil  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  vriil  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance . 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


The  Guelder  Rose. — Viburnum  plicatum  is 
very  attractive  just  now  with  its  snowball-like 
heads  of  flowers.  It  is  easy  to  manage  and  will 
thrive  in  any  ordinary  soil,  which  facts  should 
make  it  more  appreciated  by  suburban  and  town 
gardeners.  If  it  is  taken  up  and  replanted  every 
two  or  three  years,  a  check  will  be  put  on  any 
tendency  to  grossness,  thus  making  it  less  possible 
to  get  unwieldy  while  at  the  same  time  increasing 
its  flowering  value. 

Fruit  Prospects  lor  1913. — According  to  the 
monthly  report  just  published  by  the  Board  of 
Agriculture,  the  prospects  for  fruit  during  the 
present  year  are  of  a  variable  character.  Straw- 
berries, Raspberries  and  Currants  promise  to  be 
good  ;  but  Gooseberries,  though  good  in  some 
districts,  are  bad  in  others.  Pears,  especially  in 
the  south-eastern  districts,  are  below  the  average, 
while  Apples  promise  a  large  crop.  Plums  and 
Cherries  are  about  normal.  In  many  instances 
that  have  come  under  our  own  observation,  the 
last  two  fruits  named  failed  badly  in  stoning. 

A  Glorious  Garden  Pink. — Few  hardy  plants 
that  have  been  introduced  during  recent  years 
have  had  such  a  warm  reception  as  Pink  gloriosa. 
This  has  all  the  good  attributes  of  the  old  garden 
Pinks,  and  in  addition  gives  us  large,  bold  flowers 
of  bright  rose  pink  colour.  Moreover,  it  remains 
in  flower  for  several  weeks,  and  in  that  respect 
is  a  great  advance  over  old  varieties.  The  flowers 
are  as  large  as  those  of  Mrs.  Sinkins,  but  the  calyces 
do  not  split  as  they  do  in  that  well-known  variety, 
while,  owing  to  its  colour,  it  is  far  more  effective 
in  the  garden.  But  its  crowning  glory  is  its  scent, 
which  has  captivated  every  visitor  to  our  garden 
during  the  last  three  weeks. 

The  French  Honeysuclile. — Among  the  many 
plants  that  require  to  be  sown  now  should  be 
included  Hedysarum  coronarium,  or  the  French 
Honeysuckle  (a  name  that  seems  somewhat  out 
of  place,  as  the  plant  in  question  is  neither  a 
Honeysuckle  nor  a  native  of  France).  Its  spikes 
of  deep  red  flowers,  often  measuring  from  4  inches 
to  6  inches  on  stalks  from  2  feet  to  3  feet  high, 
are  very  effective  at  this  time  of  the  year.  Its 
sweet  scent  has  an  attraction  for  the  bees,  so  that 
it  should  be  a  useful  plant  to  grow  near  their 
hives.  There  is  a  white  form  which  is  very  seldom 
grown,  and  can  hardly  be  considered  equal  to  the 
type. 

The  Dwarf  Mock  Oranges. — Just  now  the 
several  dwarf  forms  of  Philadelphus,  or  Syrmgas 
as  they  are  often  erroneously  called,  are  flowering 
freely,  and  their  fragrant  blossoms  find  a  welcome 
in  many  schemes  of  house  decoration.  For  small 
gardens  they  are  ideal  shrubs,  because  they  give 
better  results  if  judiciously  cut  back  every  year. 
As  soon  as  flowering  is  over,  a  portion  at  least  of 
the    old   wood    ought    to    be    cut    away.     Usually 


I  strong  young  shoots  will  be  found  coming  out  from 
I  near  the  base,  and  if  the  old  wood  is  cut  down  to 
these,  much  better  results  will  be  obtained  next 
year.  If  left  alone,  these  miniature  Mock  Oranges, 
generally  referred  to  as  Lemoine's  hybrids,  are 
apt  to  get  rather  thin  and  imsightly. 

Scentless  Musk. — M  one  time  Musk  was  known 
by  its  fragrance,  but  for  some  unaccountable  reason 
it  appears  now  to  have  completely  lost  this  precious 
gift.  We  have  observed  Musk  in  many  gardens 
just  lately,  and  while  in  some  instances  the  owners 
have  not  been  acquainted  with  the  fact,  yet  in  no 
case  has  any  trace  of  fragrance  been  found.  No^v 
that  Musk  is  flowering  in  widely-separated  districts, 
it  would  be  interesting  to  hear  the  experience  ol 
others.  Sweet-scented  Musk  is  in  great  demand, 
and  there  is  a  good  future  in  store  for  anyone  lucky 
enough  to  possess  it. 

An  Interesting  Experiment  in  Destroying 
Lawn  Weeds. — Those  who  are  in  Southport 
during  the  next  week  or  two  should  make  a  point 
of  visiting  Hesketh  Park,  where  an  interesting 
demonstration  in  destroying  lawn  weeds  is  being 
conducted.  The  Boimdary  Chemical  Company 
ofiered  to  supply  the  authorities  free  with  sufficient 
Climax  Lawn  Sand  to  dress  the  lawns  in  the  flower 
gardens  there.  This  offer  has  been  accepted, 
and  the  lawn  sand  will  be  applied  in  two  operations. 
It  is  not  often  that  the  public  has  an  opportunity 
of  seeing  the  results  of  a  demonstration  of  this 
kind. 

The  Double  White-Flowered  Sweet  Rocket.— 
How  seldom  one  sees  this  fragrant  subject  doing 
really  well  in  the  gardens  of  to-day  !  The  single 
form  is  widely  grown,  but  the  double  variety  is  one 
of  those  plants  that  belong  to  the  gardens  of 
bygone  days.  We  were  reminded  of  the  value  of 
this  plant  (Hesperis  matronalis  alba  plena)  when 
visiting  the  gardens  of  J.  C.  Eno,  Esq.,  Wood  Hall, 
Dulwich.  The  fragrance  in  the  eventide  and  the 
masses  of  double  white  flowers  were  a  pleasure  to 
remember.  There  is  a  secret  in  its  cultivation, 
viz.,  to  replant  the  side  growths  annually,  other- 
wise the  old  clumps  are  inclined  to  rot  off  in  the 
centre. 

Cause  of  Silver-Leaf  Disease. — This  serious  and 
puzzling  disease  appears  to  be  more  prevalent  this 
year  than  ever.  For  several  years  past  one  school  of 
scientists  has  favoured  the  idea  that  it  was  caused  by 
one  stage  of  the  fungus  Stereum  purpureum,  others 
being  equally  certain  that  there  was  no  connection 
between  the  two  diseases,  and  that  the  fungus  only 
attacked  the  trees  after  they  had  been  killed  or 
seriously  injured  by  silver-leaf.  It  is  now  rumoured 
that  the  latter  theory  is  the  more  correct,  as  silver- 
leaf  is  said  to  have  appeared  among  batches  of  first 
year  seedlings,  the  seeds  having  been  sown  under 
conditions  which  rendered  it  imlikely  that  Stereum 
mycelium  was  present  in  the  soil.  Whatever  the 
source  of  the  disease,  it  is  a  most  serious  one 
and  we  trust  that  definite  information  as  to  its 
origin  and  cure  may  soon  be  forthcoming. 


310 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  21,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The  Editor    is    tiot    responsible    for    the  opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Primula  Leddy  Pilrig.— I  find  that  I  must 
have  made  a  mistake  in  my  letter  to  you  about 
Primula  Leddy  Pilrig,  which  you  reproduced  in  The 
Garden  for  June  7,  page  286.  My  gardener  tells 
me  that  P.  beesiana  is  the  pollen  parent  and  has 
perfume,  P.  buUeyana  being  the  seed  parent.  It 
{P.  buUeyana)  is  scentless.  I  am  sorry  to  have 
made  the  mistake,  as  I  said  P.  buUeyana  was 
responsible  for  the  perfume  and  was  the  pollen 
parent. — B.  Balfour-Melville. 

Lithospermum  prostratum  at  Comlongan, 
Dumfriesshire. — The  lovely  Prostrate  Gromwell 
is  cultivated  with  remarkable  success  in  the  beautiful 
garden  of  Mr.  A.  H.  Johnstone-Douglas  at  Comlon- 
gan Castle,  Dumfriesshire,  both  on  rockwork  edging 
in  the  flower  garden  and  in  the  rock  garden.  Big 
clumps  in  the  most  perfect  condition  are  to  be  seen, 
and  one  mass,  only  four  or  five  years  old,  measured 


Apart  from  the  flowers,   the  foliage  is  just  about 
the  same. — H.  P. 
The    Germination    of  Peas  and   Beans.— For 

some  reason  or  other  several  of  the  Marrowfat 
varieties  of  Peas  and  the  tall  and  dwarf  Rtmner 
Beans  have  not  germinated  very  satisfactorily  this 
season.  Scarlet  Runners  have  come  very  irregular, 
and  the  Dwarf  French  Beans  came  so  poor  as  to 
make  resowing  necessary,  a  task  I  have  not  had  to 
do  for  some  years.  A  gardener  at  an  institute 
told  me  the  other  day  that  out  of  five  or  six  quarts 
of  Peas  he  had  not  obtained  one  really  good  row. 
The  round  Pea — Pilot,  for  instance — has,  with  the 
writer,  come  well,  but  the  Marrowfats  are  more 
sparse  and  weakly  than  usual.  It  would  be  in- 
teresting to  hear  if  the  above  experience  is  shared 
by  others  or  peculiar  to  this  locality. — C.  T., 
Highgate.  [We  have  found  both  types  of  Peas 
germinate  well,  but  Beans  very  poorly. — Ed.] 

The  Sun  Roses. — The  various  kinds  of  Heli- 
anthemum  are  not  planted  half  so  freely  as  they 
ought  to  be,  for  they  thrive  under  conditions 
which  would  be  almijst  impossible  for  many  other 


A  BEAUTIFUL  COLONY  OF  SUN  ROSES. 

quite  6  feet  in  length  by  over  2  feet  across  on  an 
average.  This  was  on  a  rockwork  edging.  In 
the  rock  garden  it  is  also  very  fine,  though  none 
of  the  dimips  had  as  yet  attained  the  dimensions 
of  that  mentioned  now. — S.  Arnott. 

Paeony  L'Esperance. — This  Tree  Paeony,  which 
was  figured  in  The  Garden  for  June  14,  is,  as 
far  as  I  know,  the  first  hybrid  obtained  from  the 
yellow-flowered  Paeonia  lutea,  whose  introduction 
some  years  ago  aroused  a  deal  of  interest.  It  was 
raised  by  M.  Lemoine  of  Nancy,  who  has  also  given 
us  the  double-flowered  Gloire  de  Lorraine.  Whereas 
this  last  named  was,  however,  only  distributed 
in  1912,  the  variety  L'Esperance  was  sent  out  in  the 
autumn  of  igog,  its  price  nf  twenty-five  francs 
being  very  different  from  the  eightj'guineas  of 
La  Lorraine.  As  stated  in  your  description,  the 
general  appearance  of  the  two  woirld  suggest  that 
they  have  one  common  origin,  the  main  distinctive 
feature  being  that  the  flowers  of  L'Esperance  are 
only  semi-double,  whereas  those  of  La  Lorraine 
have     the     duplex     character     very     pronounced. 


THESE    THRIVE    WELL    IN    POOR,    DRV    SOIL, 

plants  to  succeed  under,  and  always  bloom  freely. 
Quite  recently  a  magnificent  lot  of  plants  were 
noted  growing  upon  the  summit  and  sides  of  a 
stone  and  earth  wall.  They  were  the  picture  of 
health,  and  the  glowing  masses  of  white,  yellow, 
pink,  red  and  purple  blossoms  presented  a  very 
attractive  pictmre.  Providing  the  precaution  is 
taken  of  planting  quite  small  plants  from  pots, 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  getting  them  to  establish 
themselves  either  on  a  wall  or  on  a  dry  bank  ; 
but  large  plants  cannot  be  transplanted  well. 
It  is  also  a  wise  plan  to  destroy  old  plants  which 
show  signs  of  deterioration  and  begin  again  with 
young  stock,  rather  than  try  to  rejuvenate  the 
old  ones. — D. 

Toads  in  the  Garden. — In  the  issue  of  The 
Garden  of  the  7th  inst.  a  correspondent  writes  that 
he  accidentally  killed  two  toads  with  an  insecticide 
powder.  Could  your  correspondent  give  me  the 
name  of  the  powder?  I  should  be  much  obliged, 
as  I  have  been  greatly  troubled  with  toads  round 
the  bee-hives  eating  my  bees,  and  nothing  seems 


to  have  any  effect  on  them.  Excellent  they  ma\- 
be  in  a  garden,  not  in  an  apiary.- — K.  T.  [We 
sent  a  copy  of  this  letter  to  an  expert  bee- 
keeper, and  publish  herewith  his  reply  :  "  The 
letter  re  toads  and  bees  brings  forward  an  interest- 
ing point.  Both  are  so  useful  in  a  garden  that  it 
seems  a  pity  they  cannot  live  together  amicably. 
I  have  only  once  before  heard  of  a  case  where  a 
toad  did  any  appreciable  harm  to  a  colony  of  bees. 
If  the  apiary  is  kept  free  from  all  vegetation  for 
some  distance  rovmd  the  hives,  and  the  ground 
strewn  with  fine  cinders,  I  do  not  think  the 
bees  would  be  much  molested.  The  alighting  board 
of  each  hive  should  be  kept  free  of  the  ground, 
and  a  little  slaked  lime  might  be  sprinkled  on  the 
groimd  around  the  hives.  The  bees  that  fall 
victims  to  the  toad  are  probably  the  old,  worn- 
out  ones.  The  hives  should  be  so  arranged  that 
It  is  impossible  for  a  toad  to  climb  up  on  to  the 
alighting  boards.  It  would  be  a  great  pity  to 
destroy  toads  in  a  garden.  I  import  numbers  into 
mine,  and  I  do  not  think  I  have  ever  lost  a  bee 
from  that  cause." — Ed.i 

SOVEREIGNTY. 

The  Snowdrop  came  like  infancy. 
Whose  coming  ever  must  assure 

A  dubious  world  that  life  may  be 
Divinely  fresh  and  pure. 

The  Crocus  wakened,  as  a  cbiM 
Awakes  to  marvel  at  the  day 

And  win  the  winds,  that  seem  so  wild. 
To  light  and  genial  play. 

A  romping  girl,  the  Dafiodil 

Wore  a  mock  dignity — soon  lost 

When,  grown  forgetful  to  be  still. 
Her  golden  head  she  tossed. 

The  Violet  was  a  gentle  maid       t^'g'''' 
Who,  having   seen  heaven's  dazzling 

Would  turn  aside,  as  though  afraid 
To  trust  her  questioning  sight. 

The  Lily  passed,  a  virgin  fair. 
So  stately  and  so  passionless. 

It  seemed  that  ev'n  the  very  air 
Might  venture  no  caress. 

The    Rose  ?     Ah,    welcome,    sorereign 
Rose  ! 
As  womanhood  serene,  complete. 

That  all  heaven's  influences  compose 
To  beauty  nobly  sweet. 

James  Cartwbichi. 
A  Useful  Greenhouse  Plant.— The  striking 
feature  that  Jacobinia  magnifica  camea  presents 
when  displayed  in  a  mass  or  clump  is  well  illustrated 
in  the  greenhouse  at  Kew,  where  there  is  a  large, 
semi-circular  group  in  full  flower.  It  is  an  old 
plant  in  gardens,  but  is  by  no  means  so  generally 
met  with  as  its  merits  entitle  it  to  be.  Like  many 
other  acanthaceous  plants,  it  must  not  be  con- 
tinually stopped  in  order  to  obtain  a  bushy  speci- 
men, as  stout,  vigorous  growth  is  necessary  for 
the  production  of  those  large,  massive  heads  of 
rosy  blossoms  upon  which  so  much  of  the  beauty 
of  the  plant  depends.  Its  propagation  and  cultural 
requirements  are  not  at  all  exacting,  as  cuttings 
strike  root  readily,  and  the  growing  plants  will 
thrive  in  ordinary  potting  compost.  During  the 
growing  season  these  Jacobinias  require  a  tempera- 
ture above  that  of  an  ordinary  greenhouse,  but 
at  the  same  time  the  plants  must  not  be  kept  too 
close  and  warm,  otherwise  they  will  run  up  tall 
and  weak.  In  some  gardens  the  Jacobinias  are 
included  in  the  genus  Justicia. — H.  P. 


June  21,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


311 


Snake 's-head  Fritillary  and  Forget-me-nots. 

It  may  interest  readers  to  know  that  I  have 
this  spring  obtained  very  pretty  effects  in  the  wild 
garden  with  Forget-me-nots  and  Fritillaria  Meleagris 
alba.  Large  masses  of  these  flowers  growing  wild 
in  the  grass  produce  an  effect  both  uncommon  and 
beautiful, — L.  B.  W.,  Somerset. 

Shrubby  Pentstemons. — The  award  of  merit 
recently  given  to  Pentstemon  Davidsonii  will  likely 
stimulate  interest  in  the  other  shrubby  Pentstemons, 
of  which  P.  Menziesii  (Scouleri)  may  be  taken 
as  the  type,  and  which  have  such  a  jumble  of 
names  and  synonyms  as  to  be  difficult  to  unravel. 
I  have  grown  P.  Menziesii  here  for  about  eight  years, 
and  have  had  fair  success  with  it.  This  year  is, 
however,  a  poor  one  with  me  ;  but  in  the  garden  of 
Mr.  Robinson  -  Douglas  of  Orchardton,  in  the 
Stewartry  of  Kirkcudbright,  I  was  delighted  to 
see  a  fiiie  plant  of  a  good  variety  of  P.  Menziesii 
with  charming  light  purple  flowers -in  great  plenty. 
It  does  one  good  to  see  such  a  fine  plant,  as,  apart 
from  the  pleasure  derived  at  the  time,  it  whets 
one's  desire  to  grow  it  even  better  than  before — a 
feeling  worth  encouraging  with  such  flowers  as 
this.  It  is  in  a  sunny  position  in  the  rock  garden 
at  Orchardton,  and  less  exposed  to  wind  than  my 
own  plant,  which  is  also  in  a  sunny  place.  At 
Orchardton  it  is  planted  among  the  stones,  and  is 
in  sandy  peat.  It  is  an  excellent  specimen, 
and  has  been  there  for  quite  a  number  of  years. — 
S.  Arnott,  Dumfries. 

The  Forget-me-not  in  the  Pleasure  Ground. — 

The  note  under  this  head,  on  page  273  of  your 
issue  for  May  31,  appeared  on  the  eve  of  my 
writing  to  draw  attention  to  the  use  of  this  pretty 
little  blue  flower  in  combination  with  others 
for  it  is  not  only  on  the  grand  scale  that  things 
are  carried  out  at  Kew  that  the  modest  little  flower 
can  be  made  effective,  but  even  on  a  small  bit  of 
rockery  bounding  some  garden  steps,  at  the  rear 
of  my  house,  some  very  pleasing  combinations 
have  occurred  by  the  accidental  mixture  of  the 
common  Forget-me-not  and  the  wild  Woodruff 
(Asperula  odorata),  which  I  introduced  from  a 
neighbouring  hedge  bank  a  year  or  two  ago ;  and 
even  another  pretty  effect  has  been  produced  by 
the  Woodruff  encircling  a  young  plant  of  the 
common  Bracken,  the  fresh  green  fronds  of  which, 
springing  from  the  centre  of  a  mass  of  the  white 
flowers,  forms  a  natural,  though  somewhat  gigantic 
bouquet,  which  scents  the  air  around  it.  The 
drawback  against  the  Woodruff  is,  of  course,  the 
difficulty  in  keeping  it  within  bounds  when  once 
it  has  taken  possession  of  the  ground. — -John  R. 
Jackson,  Claremont,  Lympstone,  Devon. 

The  reference  to  Myosotis  alpestris,  as  grown 

in  the  pleasure  grounds  at  Kew,  in  "  Notes  of  the 
Week,"  issue  May  3r,  should  induce  many  amateur 
cultivators  to  treat  this  lovely  plant  more  hardily 
than  they  generally  do.  I  have  found  that  in 
some  soils  (in  town  gardens  especially)  the  well- 
cared-for  young  plants  rot  badly  in  the  winter, 
the  centre  of  each  clump  decaying.  Self- 
sown  seeds  in  a  hard  surface  give  resultant  plants 
which  withstand  the  winter  splendidly.  Seeds 
should,  therefore,  be  sown  in  firm  ground. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

SOME     USEFUL     SHRUBS     FOR     THE 


D 


which  scarcely  attain  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
in  length,  and  bearing  during  late  May  and  early 
June  pretty  pale  lilac,  fragrant  flowers.  Another 
showy  kind  is  found  in  L.  pyrenaica.  This  native 
of  the  Pyrenees  is  of  less  vigorous  growth  than  many 
of  the  other  kinds.     Forming  a  bush   2J   feet  to 


USEFUL     SHRUBS     FOR 
WILD    GARDBN. 

THE     BUSH     HONEYSUCKLES. 

I'RING   the    months    of    January   and 

February  a  good  deal  is  heard  about    3  feet  high,  it  is  conspicuous  by  reason  of  its  rather 
two   species   of   bush   Honeysuckles,  '  '^■'8^  white,   pink-flushed  flowers,    and    at   a  later 

date   by  its   bright  red   fruits. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

June  25. — Norfolk  and  Norwich  Rose  Show 
(two  days).  Southampton  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Rose  and  Sweet  Pea  Show.  Flower 
Shows  at  Croydon,  Harrow  and  Richmond. 

June  z6. — Canterbury  Rose  Show. 

Jime  28. — Windsor  Rose  Show.  Reigate  Rose 
^nd  Sweet  Pea  Show. 


Lonicera    fragrantissima       and      L. 
Standishii,     but    later    in    the  year 
little   or  no  notice   is  taken  of    the 
many     other     species    belonging     to    the     same 
group,     although    when     seen     at    their     best     a 
number      of      them     are     very     beautiful.      The 
bush     Honeysuckles,     as    a    rule,    are    not     very 
popular,  probably  by  reason  of  their  requirements 
being    imperfectly    tmderstood,    for    it    is    freely 
admitted     that     they     sometimes     blossom     very 
indifferently.     The     reason     for     this,     however, 
appears  to   be   that   too  much   attention  is  given 
to  pruning,  for  bushes  which  are  pruned  each  year 
rarely   blossom   well,   whereas   quite   good   results 
are    obtained    from    those    which    are    allowed    to 
develop  freely  and  are  practically  left   tmpruned. 
To  allow  of  this  method  of  cultivation  being  carried 
out,  though,  abundance  of  room  must  be  allowed, 
for  some   of  the   species   form   very   large   plants, 
anything  between  8  feet   to  15   feet   in  height  and 
10  feet  to  15  feet  in  diameter.    .4s  a  rule,  good  loamy 
soil  is  the  most   satisfactory  rooting  medium,  and 
propagation  is  easily  effected  by  cuttings  or  seeds.. 
The  Best  Position  and  Soil. — Many  of  the  species 
form  shapely  isolated  specimens,  especially  if  given 
a    position    exposed    to    full    sun.     If    planted    in 
shrubberies,  they  must  be  so  placed  that  they  will 
not  overgrow  less   vigorous   plants,   and  for    this 
reason  they  are  better  suited  for  the  wild  garden 
where   each   plant   can    grow   alone,  or   a  number 
of  plants  of  one  species  can  be  grouped  together. 
Lonicera    tatarica    is    one    of    the    commonest 
species.     A  native  of  Siberia,  it  grows  into  a  large 
bush   at   least    10  feet  high,  and  bears  its  flowers 
in  pairs  from  the  leaf-axils  of  the  young  growths 
during  late  May  and  early  June.     The  flowers  are 
fragant     and     white     suffused     with     pink.     The 
varieties     pulcherrima,      punicea     and     speciosa, 
however,    have    reddish    or    pink    flowers.     Quite 
different    from    this    species    is    the    North-West 
.American  L.  involucrata.     Forming  a  bush  8  feet 
or  10  feet  high  and  as  much  in  diameter,  it  has 
dark    green,    oblong    leaves    and    showy    flowers. 
.\s  is  the  case  with  all  the  bush  kinds,  the  flowers 
appear  in  pairs  from  the  leaf-a.\ils  of  the  young 
shoots.     In   this   case   each   pair  of   blossoms   ter- 
minates a  slender  stalk  about  two  inches  long,  and 
about   their  base  are   two  large   dark  red   bracts, 
which  continue  after  the  fall  of  the  flowers  and  form 
a  protecting  covering  for    the    shiny  black  fruits. 
The  flowers  are  tubular,  reddish  brown  on  the  out- 
side and  orange  within.     L.  hispida  is  a  charming 
species    from    Central    Asia    and    Siberia.     As    its 
name    implies,  it  is  very  hairy,  the  young  shoots 
and  leaves  being  densely  covered  with  soft   hairs. 
The  leaves  are  broadly  ovate  with  a  cordate  base, 
the  upper  surface  being  green,  the  under  surface 
glaucous.     The    fragrant,   pale   yellow   flowers   are 
produced  from  a  few  of  the  leaf-axils  about  the  base 
of  the  current  year's  wood,  and  each  pair  is  enclosed 
by  two  large  green  bracts  which  form  a  cup-like 
receptacle.     The   flowers  are   upwards  of  an  inch 
in    length    and    about    three-quarters    of    an    inch 
across  the  mouth.     A  very  dainty  plant  is  found 
in    L.   syringantha,    a   native   of   China.     Growing 
to  a  height  of  5  feet  or  more,  it  is  made  up  of  many 
slender  branchlets,  clothed   with    tiny  oval  leaves 


L.  microphylla  is 
after  the  style  of  L.  syringantha,  but  the  flowers  are 
smaller.  It,  however,  has  a  similar  elegant  habit 
and  is  a  useful  shrub.  The  Chinese  and  Mand- 
shurian  L.  Maackii  has  created  some  considerable 
attention  during  the  last  few  years,  owing  to  Messrs. 
Veitch  having  exhibited  well-flowered  bushes  on 
several  occasions  among  their  new  Chinese  plants. 
It  is  a  vigorous-growing  plant,  attaining  a  height 
of  10  feet  or  12  feet,  and  producing  its  fra- 
grant, white  flowers  with  considerable  freedom. 
L.  Ferdinandi,  a  strong-growing,  wide-spreading 
plant,  is  peculiar  by  reason  of  large  ear-shaped 
stipules  which  clasp  the  stem  about  each  pair 
of  leaves.  The  yellow  flowers  appear  from  the  leaf- 
axils,  but  are  continued  to  the  points  of  the  shoots, 
thus  forming  terminal  inflorescences.  In  many 
other  cases  the  flowers  are  restricted  to  the  base 
or  centre  of  the  shoots.  L.  translucens  is  a  large, 
dense-growing  bush  with  cream-coloured  flowers. 
Its  fruits  are  whitish  when  ripe,  and  they  are  so 
transparent  that  the  black  seeds  are  easily  seen 
through  their  pulpy  covering. 

Quite  different  in  colour  from  the  rest  of  the 
species  are  the  flowers  of  L.  Maximowiczii,  a  tall- 
growing  plant  from  Amurland.  In  this  case  the 
flowers  are  purple.  L.  deflexicalyx  is  another 
large-growing,  spreading  species,  which  bears  yellow 
flowers  with  considerable  freedom.  It  forms  a 
good  specimen  plant,  but  must  have  abundance 
of  room.  L.  rupicola  is  distinct  from  other  kinds, 
for  although  its  long,  slender  branches  have  a 
somewhat  scandent  habit,  it  grows  into  a  shapely 
bush  5  feet  to  6  feet  high.  The  leaves  are  about 
an  inch  long,  ovate  and  dark  green,  and  the  flowers 
are  lilac  in  colour.  A  semi-evergreen  species 
is  noticed  in  the  Chinese  L.  pileata.  This  spreads 
rapidly,  but  does  not  increase  very  fast  in  height ; 
therefore  plants  may  be  3  feet  or  4  feet  across, 
but  not  more  than  r^  feet  high.  The  flowers  are 
greenish  white  and  fragrant.  L.  nitida  is  a  charm- 
ing little  plant  of  compact  habit,  with  tiny  oval 
leaves  of  an  evergreen  character.  L.  nigra  and 
L.  Xylosteum,  on  the  other  hand,  are  large,  vigorous 
plants  up  to  15  feet  high  and  as  far  across.  Both 
bear  whitish,  fragrant  flowers. 

The  two  winter-flowering  species  already  referred 
to  should,  of  course,  be  grown,  for  any  shrubs 
which  blossom  during  midwinter  are  valuable. 
Then  there  are  many  other  kinds  of  greater  or 
less  merit  available,  but  for  most  gardens  a  selection 
of  the  foregoing  species  will  be  found  sufficient  to 
include  among  other  shrubs.  D. 


PROPAGATING     WEIGELAS. 

These  useful  flowering  shrubs,  now  classed  by  the 
Kew  authorities  as  Diervillas,  may  be  easily  propa- 
gated during  the  next  few  weeks  by  means  of 
cuttings.  These  should  be  made  from  the  partly- 
ripened  side  shoots,  which  are  best  slipped  off  with 
a  heel  of  the  older  wood  attached.  If  this  is 
smoothed  over  with  a  sharp  knife  and  the  cuttings 
planted  in  well-drained  pots  of  sandy  soil,  and 
these  subsequently  plunged  in  Cocoanut  fibre  refuse 
and  covered  with  bell-glasses,  roots  will  quickly 
form.  When  well  rooted,  the  young  plants  must  be 
given  an  abundance  of  air  and  light.  H, 


312 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  21,  1913. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 

THE     BEST      ROSES     FOR    HOUSI' 
DECORATION. 

*    LTHOUGH     iindoiibtedly   there    are    some 

f\  Roses  better  than  others  for  lasting  well 

/    %         when  cut,  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that 

/        %        the    quality    of    the    blonms    and  the 

^  *■     time   at  which   they  are   cut  are  great 

factors    in     promoting    good     lasting 

conditions.     A    Rose    devoid    of    substance     and 

weak    m    stem    will    rarely    appear    well    in   the 

house,    whereas   the   same    variety    from     a    well- 


DO    ROSES    DETERIORATE? 

Yes  ;  to  a  certain  extent  I  think  a  few  of 
them  do,  and  I  will  endeavour  to  point  out 
a  cause  of  this  later  on.  But  undoubtedly 
the  chief  impression  of  deterioration  arises — 
paradoxical  as  it  may  seem — from  the  wonderful 
improvements  among  them  during  the  past  two  or 
three  decades.  Most  of  us  who  have  closeh' 
watched  the  behaviour  of  varieties  propagated  in 
a  reckless  manner — by  which  I  mean  minus  an>- 
care  or  thought  in  selection — ^will  agree  that  that 
variety  will  surely  deteriorate.  We  find  similar 
results  in  all  phases  of  existence,  no  matter  what 
position  in  the  world  they  may  hold. 


Scotch  Briars.  But  is  not  this  to  be  attributed  to 
position  and  culture  ?  Formerly  they,  with  a 
few  Bourbons  and  Damasks,  formed  the  chief  Rose 
display  in  our  gardens,  and  so  were  naturally 
accorded  more  favourable  situations  and  culture 
than  is  the  general  rule  now.  It  is  not  that  they 
have  deteriorated  so  much  as  the  fact  of  their 
relegation  to  some  odd  corner,  with  the  natural 
.consequence  of  less  care  and  attention. 

One  more  thought.  Do  we  not  often  find  a 
new  Rose  come  disappointingly  inferior  to  those 
blooms  exhibited  by  the  raiser  ?  In  the  first  place, 
he  had  the  advantage  of  a  large  stock  to  choose 
from,  and,  of  course,  showed  his  best.  But  a 
great  deal  of  this  inferiority  arises  from  the  use  of 
every  little  fraction  of  growth  in  the  desire  to 
increase  stock  for  sale,  all  but  the  owner  of  the 
stock  plants  having  little  choice  of  selection,  and 
using  good,  bad  and  indifferent  wood  to  get  as 
many  plants  as  possible  while  the  price  is  high.  1 
feel  certain  that  not  a  few  of  our  new  Roses  are 
injured,  as  a  family,  by  the  excessive  propagation 
of  all  growth,  even  to  the  extent  of  increase 
from  plants  that  are  already  a  mere  travesty  upon 
the  original.  A.  P. 


ROSE  MRS.   C.   REED,   A   NEW  SILVERY  PINK  HYBRID  TEA  THAT    IS  VERY   FRAGRANT. 


cultivated  plant  may  last  a  week.  Rose  blooms 
should  never  be  cut  in  the  heat  cf  the  day. 
Early  morning  or  late  evening  is  best,  and  they 
should  be  placed  in  deep  jars  of  water  im- 
mediately they  are  severed  from  the  plant. 
If  the  foliage  could  be  immersed,  so  much  the 
better,  and  I  prefer  to  keep  the  blooms  for  a  few 
hours  in  a  dark  cupboard  in  a  cool  shed  or  cellar 
before  placing  them  in  the  house. 

Roses  should  never  be  cut  full-blown.  Exhibitors 
know  this  only  too  well.  A  Rose  will  grow  in  water, 
so  that  if  cut  at  the  most  in  the  half-open  stage 
it  is  best.  A  few  good  "  stayers"  are  Frau  Karl 
Druschki,  Mrs.  John  Laing,  Ulrich  Brunner,  Mme. 
.\bel  Chatenay,  Prince  de  Bulgarie,  Sunburst, 
Souvenir  de  Gustave  Prat,  Liberty,  Antoine 
Rivoire,  Joseph  Hill,  Pharisaer,  Hugh  Dickson, 
Countess  of  Derby,  Walter  Speed,  Gloire  Lyonnaise, 
Jean  Note,  Joseph  Lowe.  Mrs.  George  Shawyer, 
Lady  Ashtown,  Laurent  Carle,  Melanie  Soupert, 
Mme.  Ravary.  Mme.  S'-gond  Weber.  Margaret, 
Melody,  Mrs.  Aaron  Ward,  Mrs.  David  McKee, 
White  Maman  Cochet,  Mme.  Hoste,  Lady  Roberts, 
Paula,  Molly  Sharman  Crawford  and  Mrs.  Foley 
Hobbs.  There  are  many  others,  but  this  is  a 
good  representative  list.  Danecroft. 


But  this  does  not  wholly  account  for  the  evident 
deterioration  of  that  old  favourite  yellow  climber 
Marechal  Niel.  Here  we  seem  to  have  gradually 
lost  the  charming  and  healthy  vigour  so  charac- 
teristic of  it  thirty  and  rnore  years  ago.  It  is 
much  the  same  with  Souvenir  d'Elise  Vardon  and 
Souvenir  d'un  Ami.  I  do  not  find  the  beauty  and 
size  in  these  now,  and  this  cannot  be  all  fancy 
when  one  refers  to  the  dimensions  recorded  of 
previous  flowers,  because  our  measurements  have 
not  decreased  in  any  way. 

Far  too  often  when  propagating,  one  is  some- 
what loth  to  make  use  of  the  most  superb  growth 
upon  the  plant,  and  this,  I  feel  certain,  works 
steadily  towards  deterioration  rather  than  not.  It 
is  not  alone  the  enthusiastic  amateur  who  fails  in 
this  way — most  trade  growers  are  chary  in  taking 
the  best  from  their  stock ;  and  even  when  plants 
are  set  on  one  side  solely  for  propagation,  the 
constant  hacking  away  of  the  fittest  wood  must 
tend  towards  a  more  or  less  weakened  constitution, 
and  thus  we  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  variety 
has  deteriorated. 

I  am  induced  to  give  these  few  notes  from  a 
remark  of  a  friend  the  other  day,  who  expressed 
deep  regret   at   the  falling  off  of  our  Mosses   and 


A     OOOD     NEW    ROSE. 

The  accompanying  illustration  represents  a  typical 
bloom  of  the  new  Hybrid  Tea  Rose  Mrs.  C.  Reed, 
said  to  be  a  sport  from  the  well-known  Frau  Karl 
Druschki.  When  shown  at  the  National  Rose 
Society's  exhibition  in  London  last  year,  this  new- 
comer received  a  silver-gilt  medal,  an  award  that, 
we  think,  was  fully  justified.  The  flowers  are  of 
silvery  pink  colour,  very  erect  and,  what  is  most 
valuable  of  all,  deliciously  fragrant.  The  growth 
is  robust,  somewhat  after  the  style  of  Baroness 
Rothschild,  and  the  plants  flower  wonderfully 
freely  over  a  long  period.  We  understand  that 
it  will  not  be  sent  out  before  next  year,  but  it  is 
a  Rose  to  note  for  inclusion  with  older  sorts  when 
it  is  obtainable.  We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Elisha  J. 
Hicks  of  Twyford,  Berks,  for  the  photograph 
reproduced  herewith.  Mr.  Hicks  exhibited  a 
number  of  flowers  of  this  Rose  at  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society's  meeting  on  the  3rd  inst.,  when 
their  fragrance  was  freely  commented  upon. 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE      NOTES      ON 
VEGETABLES. 

Brussels  Sprouts.^It  is  high  time  that  an 
extensive  quarter  of  this  indispensable  autumn 
and  winter  vegetable  was  planted,  and  those  who 
have  not  yet  made  a  start  must  put  the  work  in 
hand  forthwith.  That  deep,  friable,  fertile  soil  is 
essential  to  success  none  will  dispute,  but  there 
is  little  doubt  that  some  amateurs  and  cottagers 
use  more  natural  manure  than  is  really  necessary. 
However,  this  is  a  detail  of  management  which 
must  be  governed  by  the  individual  merits  of  a 
case,  and  must,  therefore,  be  left  to  the  discretion 
of  the  grower.  The  distance  between  the  rows 
and  the  plants  in  them  will  vary  with  the  habit 
of  the  variety  grown,  the  old-fashioned,  big  ones 
demanding  3  feet  in  all  directions,  whereas  more 
compact-growing  modern  varieties  will  be  ade- 
quately accommodated  when  the  rows  are  30  inches 
asunder  and  the  plants  are  allowed  24  inches  in 
them.  The  soil  of  the  seed  -  bed  should  be 
thoroughly  watered  the  evening  before  planting 
if  the  weather  is  dry,  and  similar  treatment  may 
be  meted  out   to  the  permanent  quarters,  though 


June  21,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


313 


in  this  case  it  is  often  only  possible  to  soak  the 
particular  positions  that  will  be  occupied  by  the 
plants.  It  is  wise  to  plant  firmly,  and  to  water  in 
directly  afterwards. 

Late  Peas. — We  must  have  Green  Peas  in  the 
garden  until  the  latest  possible  date,  and  every 
year  there  is  something  problematical  in  the  results 
which  will  be  achieved  irom  sowings  made  between 
the  present  date  and  the  middle  of  July.  It  is, 
HI  my  opinion,  always  worth  while  to  sow  a  variety 
such  as  Sutton's  Early  Giant  during  the  last  week 
of  this  month.  The  seeds  germinate  quickly  in 
the  warm  soil,  provided,  of  course,  that  it  contains 
enough  moisture,  the  plants  grow  rapidly,  and  in 
a  favourable  season  will  give  a  most  welcome  crop 
of  late  Peas  which  will  equal  in  flavour  any  of  their 
predecessors.  When  July  sowings  are  made,  it 
is  usually  of  a  hard-seeded  variety,  and  the  quality 
then  drops  considerably.  The  soil  must  be  deeply 
cultivated,  in  excellent  heart  and  firm. 

Asparagus. — With  the  present  date  the  cutting 
o(  Asparagus  ought  not  to  be  as  hard  as  it  has 
previously  been,  and  certainly  the  grower  must 
be  perfectly  sure  that  enough  "  grass  "  is  retained 
to  build  up  strength  in  the  crowns,  or  the  results 
ne.\t  season  will  be  the  reverse  of  satisfactory. 
Some  cultivators  have  a  rule  never  to  cut  the  first 
and  second  growths  that  push  through  the  soil, 
and  it  is  an  excellent  system  to 
adopt,  but  demands  more  self-control 
than  many  of  us  possess.  See  that 
no  weeds  are  permitted  to  grow,  or 
it  will  be  most  difficult,  perhaps 
impossible,  to  thoroughly  cleanse  the 
bed  before  the  tops  are  cut  off  in  the 
late  autumn.  With  the  advent  of 
July  all  cuttmg  must  cease  if  future 
results  are  to  be  really  good. 

Celery. — The  planting  of  Celery 
should  be  proceeded  with  apace,  and 
the  importance  of  closely  observing 
a  few  details  cannot  be  over- 
estimated. For  example,  suckers 
spring  from  the  rootstock,  which,  if 
permitted  to  remain,  will  ruin  the 
plants ;  while  if  the  leaf-miner 
works  unchecked,  debilitation  will 
be  so  severe  that  the  plants  can 
never  be  excellent.  The  remedy  for 
the  former  trouble  is  obvious — the 
suckers  are  cut  off ;  against  the 
leaf-miner  dust  the  plants  frequently 
when  they  are  damp  with  a 
mixture  of  old  soot  and  wood-ashes, 
and  there  will  be  little  about  which 
to  worry.  Then,  too,  the  roots  must 
go  into  fresh  soil,  and  not  in  the 
possibly  sour  under  soil  that  is 
exposed  in  forming  the  trenches. 
When  the  manure  has  been  dug  in, 
add  a  layer  of  3  inches  or  more  of  ex- 
cellent soil  to  accommodate  the  roots, 
and  see  that  they  never  suffer  from  the  want  of 
water. 

Outdoor  Tomatoes. — In  favoured  gardens  the 
Tomatoes  for  fruiting  out  of  doors  would  be  planted 
at  the  beginning  of  the  month,  but  in  cold  gardens 
where  the  soil  is  heavy  the  present  time  will  be 
wisely  chosen.  The  earUest  plants  should  be 
splendidly  established,  and  will  demand  regular 
attention  in  removing  the  axillary  shoots  to  concen- 
trate all  the  energy  in  the  one  stem.  If  the  first 
fruits  are  malformed,  as  so  commonly  occurs  on 
healthy,  vigorous  plants,  let  them  be  removed 
without  delay.  !■'.  R. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


A     ROCK      GARDEN     FIVE     MONTHS 
AFTER     CONSTRUCTION. 

ONLY  those  who  have  actually  carried 
1  out  the  work  of  constructing  a 
I  rock  garden,  or  have  watched  the 
work  from  the  commencement, 
know  how  quickly  it  can,  with 
judicious  care,  be  clothed  with 
growing  vegetation  and  made  to  appear  as  though 
it  had  been  in  situ  for  many  years.  On  a  genial 
day  towards  the  end  of  April  we  availed  oiKselves 
of  a  long-standing  invitation  to  see  Mr.  W.  A. 
Bilney's  garden  at  Weybridge,  and  although  it 
is  not  a  large  one  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word, 
we  found  it  packed  with  interesting  features  from 
end  to  end.  The  main  reason  for  this  is,  un- 
doubtedly, that  Mr.  Bilney  does  the  greater  part 
of  his  gardening  himself.  As  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Council  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society, 
we  naturally  expected  to  find  it  well  done,  and  in 
this  we  were  not  disappointed.  But  it  was  the 
charming  little  rock  garden  that  interested  us  most. 
Constructed  barely  five  months  previously  by 
Messrs.  Pulham  and  Son,  and  planted  entirely 
with   Mr.   Bilney's  own   hands,   i-    was  a  splendid 


better,  for  large  masses  of  it  were  ttmibling  about 
in  riotous  profusion,  and  each  and  all  were  gaily 
clothed  with  the  bright  red,  erect  flower:>.  Large 
plants  of  Sun  Roses,  or  Helianthemums,  were  full 
of  buds,  and  gave  promise  of  a  gorgeous  display 
later ;  wliile  such  gems  as  Iris  pumila,  Arenaria 
balearica  and  A.  montana,  Asia  Minor  Tulips, 
Veronica  repens,  Polemoniura  confertum  meUitimi, 
Cheiranthus  Allioni,  Corydalis  nobilis,  Pentstemon 
Scouleri,  Phlox  setacea  G.  F.  Wilson,  Viola  gracilis, 
dozens  of  encrusted  Saxifrages  and  many  other 
plants  abounded  on  every  hand.  We  think  for 
a  rock  garden  of  its  size  it  would  be  difficult  to 
beat  this  example,  both  in  construction  and  planting. 


THE      VARIEGATED     GARLAND 
FLOWER. 

(Daphne  Cneorum  variegatum.) 
Although  not  a  great  advocate  of  the  cultivation 
of  plants  with  variegated  leaves,  one  must  say  a 
word  or  two  in  favour  of  Daphne  Cneorum  varie- 
gatum. It  is  well  known  that  the  ordinary  Garland 
Flower  is  a  troublesome  plant  with  many,  and 
that  it  is  frequently  lost  in  a  number  of  gardens. 
It  is  asserted,  and,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes, 
with  truth,  that  the  variegated  form  is  hardier, 
or,  at  least,  more  easily  ctdtivated  for  many  years 
than  the  green-leaved   one.     If   this   is   the  ease — 


A    ROCK    GARDEN    tlVii    MONTHS    Al'TtR    IT    WAS    CONSTRUCTilU. 


example  of  what  loving  care  and  enthusiasm  can 
do  in  so  short  a  time ;  and  with  a  view  to  encouraging 
others  to  go  and  do  likewise  we  publish  an  illustra- 
tion of  part  of  it  herewith.  Unfortunately,  rock 
gardens  do  not  lend  themselves  well  to  photo- 
graphy, and  the  best  of  illustrations  only  convey 
a  rough  idea  of  the  general  outline  of  construction 
and  the  main  features. 

But  this  rock  garden  is  really  well  stocked  with 
more  or  less  choice  plants,  the  majority  of  which  ap- 
peared quite  at  home  and  might  have  bten  planted 
for  years.  We  have  never  seen  that  glorious 
red      Saxifrage,      Saxifraga     bathoniensis,       doing 


and  the  evidence  on  this  pomt  seems  pretty  Con- 
clusive— -the  variegated  variety  deserves  some 
attention  from  those  fond  of  these  choiming 
Daphnes.  The  variegation  is  not  at  all  obtrusive, 
and  is,  though  present,  not  noticeable  without 
a  closer  inspection  of  the  plant  than  is  necessary. 
The  grc.wth  and  habit  are  the  same  as  those  of  the 
ordinary  Garland  Flower,  but  it  is  a  free  and  happy 
grower  even  in  places  where  D.  Cneorum  itself 
dies  off.  I  have  here  a  good  plant  which  has  been 
in  this  garden  tor  seven  or  eight  years,  and  Mr. 
W.  J.  Maxwell,  Terregles  Banks,  Dumfries,  lias  a 
beautilul  specimen  in  full  health  on  his  rock  garden. 


314 


THE    GARDEN. 


[June  21,  1913. 


In  May  and  June  this  Garland  Flower  is  a  picture, 
with  its  charming  pink  or  rosy  lilac  flowers.  A 
peaty,  gritty  soil  is  the  best  for  it 

Dumfries.  S.   Arnott. 


SOME     INTERESTING     AQUATICS. 
The     Water     Hawthorn     (Aponogeton     dis- 

lachyon). — This  delightful  small-growing  aquatic 
has  been  flowering  for  some  time,  and  is  one 
of  the  very  best  subjects  that  could  be  included 
for  any  position  in  shallow  water  and  where  the 
stream  is  not  too  fast.  It  continues  to  flower 
more  or  less  from  now  onwards  through  the  summer 
and  autumn,  and  is  perfectly  hardy.  The  white 
flowers,  splashed  with  black  anthers,  float  on  the 
surface,  and  are  greatly  admired.  Especially 
is  this  so  when  the  plant  can  be  situated  close 
to    an    overlooking    bridge.     The    blooms    have    a 


not  far  away  from  the  edge  of  the  banks.  Unless 
suitable  pockets  are  made,  as  is  often  the  case  with 
artilicially-constructed  streams,  the  plants  should 
be  sunk  and  fastened  down  to  the  mud,  into  which 
they  will  soon  establish  themselves,  by  which  time 
their  temporary  receptacle,  such  as  a  wicker 
basket  or  punnet,  will  have  rotted  away. 

Pontaderia  cordata. — The  present  month  is 
one  of  the  best  tmies  for  planting  most  water- 
loving  subjects,  and  it  is  not  too  late  for  this 
summer-blooming  plant.  A  colony  near  to  the 
bank,  when  estabhshed,  forms  an  imposing  sight. 
Pontaderia  cordata  is  commonly  known  as  the 
Water  Plantain  of  Jamaica.  It  produces  large, 
handsome  foliage,  which  stands  out  of  the  water 
together  with  the  spikes  of  deep  blue  flowers, 
which  are  freely  produced.  P.  cordata  is 
unique  by  reason  of  its  colour,  and  is,  therefore, 
one  of  those  subjects  we  cannot  afford  to  be  without. 


PRFMULA       INVOLUCRATA       IN       A 
SCOTTISH     ROCK     GARDEN. 

I  HAVE  long  known  and  admired  the  charming 
Primula  involucrata,  and  have  seen  it  now  in  a 
goodly  number  of  gardens,  and  always  with  a 
growing  appreciation  of  its  beauty,  yet  it  was  only 
a  few  days  ago  that  I  ever  realised  its  absolute 
charm,  and  this  was  through  seeing  it  in  the  rock 
garden  of  Mr.  W.  J.  Maxwell  at  Terregles  Banks, 
Dumfries,  where,  in  addition  to  other  plants, 
there  is  a  nice  group  of  P.  involucrata  in  a  hollow 
formed  by  rockwork  capped  by  Mossy  Saxifrages 
and  other  alpines.  Looking  across  at  this  clump 
of  P.  involucrata,  one  saw  it  with  a  backgroimd 
of  one  of  the  larger  white  Mossy  Saxifrages,  and 
could  then  realise  the  purity  of  the  colour  of  the 
flowers  of  the  Primula.  One  would  hardly  expect 
!  a  white  Mossy  Saxifrage  to  form  a  good  background 
for  P.  involucrata,  but  it  did,  and 
the  effect  was  indescribably  beautiful. 
It  was  a  harmony,  yet  a  contrast. 
The  Primula  was  very  beautiful,  the 
stout  stems  carrying  a  number  ol 
perfect  flowers  of  purest  white,  re- 
deemed from  absolute  coldness  by  the 
yellow  eye.  In  Mr.  Maxwell's  garden 
the  drainage  is  absolutely  perfect,  and 
even  such  a  moisture-loving  Primula 
as  this  is  appreciates  the  free  run  for 
surplus  water.  S.  A. 


(KICHA 

A 


THE    CREEPING    SANDWORT    (ARENARIA    BALEARICA)    IN    THE    ROCK    GARDEN. 


delicious  fragrance,  resembling  Hawthorn,  though 
not  so  overpowering.  Aponogeton  distachyon  is 
also  a  splendid  subject  for  a  small  pool  or  basin  in 
any  house  or  conservatory  where  a  greenhouse 
temperature  not  too  warm  is  maintained. 

Golden  Club  (Orontium  aquaticum).— This  is 

another  aquatic  that  lovers  of  water  gardening 
should  not  fail  to  be  without.  Like  the  foregoing, 
when  once  established  there  is  no  difficulty  ex- 
perienced with  it  ;  but  if  taken  care  of,  innumer- 
able seedlings  will  in  time  be  found  round  the 
parent  plant.  Besides  being  particularly  attrac- 
tive when  in  bloom,  with  its  broad,  glaucous  foliage 
resting  on  the  water  and  surmounted  with  its 
spikes  of  rich  golden  yellow,  another  valuable 
characteristic  is  that  it  commences  to  bloom  con- 
siderably in  advance  of  any  of  the  Water  Lilies 
and  remains  fresh  for  a  long  time.  Orontium 
aquaticum  is  a  native  of  North  America,  and 
succeeds  best  when  planted  in  fairly  shallow  water 


It  will  quickly  establish  itself  near  to  the  bank 
so  long  as  the  roots  are  submerged. 

Aldenham  House.  Edwin  Beckett. 

THE     CREEPING     SANDWORT. 

(ARENARIA    BALEARICA.) 

This  is  an  indispensable  Sandwort  for  clothing 
bare  rocks  and  stones  on  the  shady  side  of  the  rock 
garden.  It  clings  closely  to  the  rocks,  forming 
a  carpet  of  green,  which,  in  early  summer,  is 
smothered  with  dainty  white  flowers.  So  long  as 
this  Sandwort  is  not  exposed  to  the  full  sun  it  will 
clothe  the  largest  rocks  with  its  clinging  foliage. 
It  needs  only  a  glance  at  the  accompanying 
illustration  to  get  an  idea  of  its  mode  of  growth 
and  freedom  of  flowering.  It  is  quite  a  good  subject 
for  clothing  the  rocks  in  association  with  hardy 
Ferns  or  other  shade-loving  plants.  It  is  a  native 
of  Corsica  and  was  introduced  as  far  back  as  1787. 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PLATE    1473. 

4     NEW     DWARF     YELLOW 
ARUM     LILY. 

RicHARDiA  Mrs.  Roosevelt.) 
T  one  time  the  only  Arum 
Lily  at  all  extensively 
grown  was  Richardia 
africana,  otherwise  known 
as  the  Lily  of  the  Nile  or 
white  Arum,  a  very  elegant 
and  still  a  deservedly  popular  plant. 
The  yellow  Arums  are  of  later  intro- 
duction ;  the  two  species  R.  elUottiana 
and  R.  Pentlandii,  the  latter  with  a 
deep  purple-brown  blotch  at  the  base 
of  the  spathe,  each  created  a  mild 
sensation  when  shown  for  the  first 
time.  In  the  variety  Mrs.  Roosevelt 
we  have  the  most  recent  introduction, 
and  it  is  claimed  to  be  the  only  yellow  Arum 
suitable  as  a  garden  plant.  The  light  yellow 
flowers  and  beautifully-spotted  foliage  make  it  an 
object  of  interest  and  beauty.  It  is  a  plant  that 
cannot  fail  to  arrest  attention,  and  when  seen 
in  a  group  it  creates  a  remarkably  fine  effect. 
It  is  quite  free-flowering,  and  does  well  in  almost 
any  garden,  more  especially  where  the  soil  is  rich 
and  supplied  with  plenty  of  moisture.  The 
growers  of  hardy  flowers  have  the  highest  opinion 
of  this  plant.  Not  only  is  it  easily  grown,  but  it 
continues  to  flower  for  eight  or  ten  weeks  during  the 
summer  months.  The  following  cultural  notes  will, 
it  is  hoped,  prove  helpful  to  those  who  contemplate 
the  inclusion  of  this  novelty  in  their  gardens. 
The  tubers  are  perfectly  hardy,  and  should  be 
planted  in  a  moist  situation,  hberal  supplies  of 
water  being  necessary  throughout  the  growing 
season.  When  dormant,  the  tubers  should  be 
covered  with   about   two  inches   of  soil,  to  which 


Supplement  to  THE  GARDEN,  J  urn  215/,   191 3 


The  New  Yellow  Arum  Lily 
Mrs.  T.  H.  Roosevelt. 


.  Ltd.,  Printers,  London.  S.E. 


June  21,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


315 


decayed  manure  should  be  added  from  time 
to  time  as  growth  advances.  By  following 
out  this  plan  the  roots  are  kept  both  warm 
and  moist,  and  provide  just  the  conditions 
for  growth  that  are  necessary  in  the  spring  of 
the  year. 

This  m-vv  .\rum,  as  its  name  implies,  originated 
in  America,  and  when  shown  at  St.  Louis  received 
a  gold  medal.  Since  then  the  Dutch  Bulb 
Growers'  Association  have  granted  it  a  first-class 
certificate.  A  number  of  nurserymen  in  this 
country,  and  also  on  the  Continent,  now 
hold  good  stocks  of  it,  for  which,  when  its 
merits  become  better  known,  we  think  there 
will  be  a  large  demand.  Un- 
fortunately, owing  to  the  large  sire 
of  the  foliage,  the  colomred 
plate  does  not  show  the  charac- 
teristic gracefulness  of  the  plant, 
which  needs  to  be  seen  grow- 
ing to  appreciate  its  beauty 
to  the  full. 


flower,  7  feet  to  8  feet  ;  and  E.  Olgae,  pink,  about 
three  feet  high.  The  plants  of  the  other  group 
have  flowers  of  yellow  or  yellowish  colour  and  are 
of  lower  stature.  The  most  useful  of  these  are 
E.  aurantiacus,  from  .Afghanistan ;  E.  Bungei,  a 
Persian  plant,  rather  tender  ;  and  the  quite  hardy 
E.  spectabilis.  None  of  these  exceed  a  height  of 
3  feet. 

The  strap-shaped  foliage  of  the  Eremuri  is  all 
radical,  and  does  not  in  itself  make  much  effect. 
It  is  well  to  group  near  them  plants  with  leafage 
of  a  different  class  md  of  bold  effect,  and  with 
flowers  whose  coloi ;  will  neither  clash  with  nor 
overpower  the  te  ider  colouring  of  the  giant  spikes. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 


T 


EREMURI    IN    THE    WILD 
GARDEN. 

I  HE  larger  of  the  Eremuri 
are  fine  plants  for  the 
outskirts  of  the  garden, 
or  preferably  for  well- 
sheltered,  sunny  places 
in  tliin  woodland  where 
tliis  adjoins  the  garden.  Their 
wliole  aspect  is  so  surprising  and 
the  height  of  the  giant  flower-stem 
so  great  that  they  are  out  of  scale 
with  ordinary  garden  plants ; 
moreover,  the  one  that  is  most 
generally  grown,  E.  robustus,  has 
large  roots  that  radiate  hori- 
zontally, much  like  a  cart-wheel 
without  the  tyre,  so  that  each 
plant  requires  an  uninvaded  root 
space  of  5  feet  diameter.  .Although 
so  large,  the  roots  are  of  a 
brittle  texture,  easily  broken ; 
they  are  impatient  of  any  dis- 
turbance and  need  careful  handling 
at  planting-time.  This  should 
be  when  the  plants  are  not  more 
than  three  years  old.  They  enjoy 
deep,  sandy  loam,  well  drained 
and  well  enriched,  and  are  thankful 
for  a  protective  winter  mulch.  The 
grouping  as  shown  in  the 
picture  is  a  little  scattered ;  it 
is  best,  whenever  possible,  so  to 
place  them  that  the  group  tells  more 
or  less  as  one  mass  from  the  spectator's  point 
of  view.  In  the  case  of  plants  such  as  these,  whose 
nature  of  root  prevents  their  being  planted  near 
together,  the  effect  of  good  grouping  can  be  obtained 
by  having  the  length  of  the  group  running  front 
and  back,  or,  better  still,  diagonally  to  the  path 
from  the  chief  point  of  sight,  rather  than  at  intervals 
along  both  sides  of  the  path. 

E.  robustus  rises  to  a  height  of  lo  feet.  There 
are  others  of  the  genus  that  can  also  be  grown 
anywhere  to  the  South  of  London.  For  garden 
grouping  and  good  colour  arrangement  they 
fall  into  two  groups,  viz.,  E.  robustus,  flowers 
pale  pink  ;     E.  himalaicus,  with  a  beautiful  white 


a  division  of  Lathyrus,  which  they  closely  resemble, 
differing,  however,  in  having  no  tendril  at  the  tip  of 
the  petiole.  Their  culture  is  easy  ;  any  good  soil 
and  a  fairly  sunny  position  fulfil  their  requirements. 
They  can  be  increased  by  division  in  spring. 

Some  of  the  best  varieties  are  :  O.  vemus,  with 
violet  and  blue  flowers  in  AprU  and  May,  grows 
about  one  foot  high.  O.  v.  roseus  also  flowers 
at  the  same  time  as  O.  vemus.  It  grows  about 
fifteen  inches  high  and  is  suited  for  the  front  of 
the  border,  where  a  good  clump  makes  a  pretty 
show  ;  it  is  one  of  the  nicest  spring-flowering  plants 
we  have.  O.  aurantiacus  is  of  spreading  growth, 
with  pale  green  fohage  and  orange  flowers  that  open 
in  June.  O.  varius  is  a  charming 
plant,  growing  about  eighteen 
inches  to  two  feet  high.  It  has 
long,  narrow,  glaucous  leaves,  and 
bears  spikes  of  sulphur  and  orange 
red  flowers,  an  uncommon  com- 
bination of  colour.  O.  lathyroides 
is  a  plant  that  should  be  in  every 
collection.  It  is  a  strong,  erect 
grower,  2  feet  to  3  feet  in  height, 
and  bears  spikes  of  lovely  deep 
blue  flowers  in  June  and  July. 
This  variety  is  easily  raised  from 
seed,  making  nice  plants  the 
second  season  ;  they  vary  sUghtly 
in  colour,  however. 

E.  G.  Davison. 
Westwick  Gardens,  Norwich, 


SOMU     GOOD     UNCOM- 
MON    HARDY     PLANTS. 

Sedum  amplexicaule. — A  very 
uncommon  and  most  interesting 
Sedum.  I  saw  it  for  the  first  time 
in  Mr.  Simpson  Hayward's  lovely 
rock  garden  near  Stow-on-the- 
Wold,  and  I  believe  he  was  the 
collector  of  this  gem.  It  is  a 
miniature  Sedum,  with  lovely 
glaucous  fohage  and  cle.ir  yellow 
Sowers ;  very  valuable  for  the 
moraine.  At  certain  periods  of  the 
year  it  curls  up  like  the  Rose  of 
Jericho  and  appears  quite  dead, 
and  in  spring  it  breaks  out 
again  and  thrives  beautifully 
Propagated  by  division.  Flowers 
in  June. 

Phlox    subulata  Lady  Tbisel- 

ton-Dyer. — Undoubtedly  the  gem 
of  subulata  Phloxes  after  Phlox 
Vivid,  from  which  it  is  quite 
distinct.  The  flowers  are  a  beauti- 
ful rose  pink,  with  a  distinct 
carmine  eye.  They  are  smaller 
than  those  of  P.  Vivid,  but 
Such  would  be  the  great  Heradetmis,  of  which  j  are  much  more  freely  produced.  Easily  propagated 
H.  mantegazziantmi  is  much  the  best,  and  the  1  by  cuttings  or  layers.  Flowers  in  May. 
ornamental  Rhubarbs.  These  should  be  at  the  j  Sedum  Willisii. — A  good  and  imcommon 
back,  and,  more  forward,  such  plants  as  the  larger  Sedum,  with  foliage  very  like  Sedum  obtusatum, 
of  the  hardy  Ferns,  Rodgersia  podophylla,  with  its  but  it  is  of  quite  prostrate  habit  and  has  clear 
handsome  red  bronze  leaves  of  Horse  Chestnut  yellow  flowers,  which  are  very  effective  upon  the 
shape,  and  the  bold  form  and  tender  pink  bloom  red-tinted  foliage.  Flowers  in  June.  Propagated 
of  Saxifraga  peltata,  with  a  background  to  all  of  by  division. 
trees  of  dark  foUage.  G.  Jekyll.  Dianthus   deltoides     x    csesius. — A   good    new 

Dianthus.     A   very   healthy   grower   and   showing 

SOME  USEFUL  HARDY  PLANTS,  distinctly  both  of  the  parents.  It  grows  about 
Many  species  of  the  genus  Orobus  should  be  nine  inches  high,  with  flowers  much  darker  than 
represented  in  those  gardens  where  herbaceous  D.  csesius  and  not  fimbriated.  Flowers  in  June 
plants  are  treasured.     They  are  classed  by  some  as    and  easily  propagated  by  cuttings. 


AN     EFFECTIVE     GROUPING     OF      EREMURI 
WILD    G.\RDEN'. 


IN     THE    WOODLAND      OR 


316 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  21,  1913. 


Antbemis  cupaniana. — For  a  bold  effect  on  a 
large  rockery  this  cannot  be  surpassed.  In  general 
appearance  it  resembles  a  bedding  Marguerite. 
It  has  a  prostrate  habit  and  nice  grey  foliage  ; 
very  free-growing.  Flowers  in  May,  when  the 
plant  is  covered  with  pure  white  blossoms. 
Propagated  by  cuttings. 

Antbemis  nobilis  flore  pleno. — A  plant  that 

will  rival,  if  not  surpass,  the  ordinary  Pearl  (Achillea 
Ptarmica  flore  pleno).  It  is  of  neat  habit  and 
suitable  for  the  rockery.  About  one  foot  in 
height  and  covered  with  double  Daisy-like  flowers 
about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  A 
very  continuous  flowerer  and  a  very  showy  plant. 
Flowers  in  June  and  July.  Propagated  easily  by 
cuttings. 

Epilobium  macropus  New  Zealand.— A  gem 
among  miniature  Epilobiums,  with  neat  foliage,  dark 
in  colour,  marbled  with  white.  The  flowers  are 
white,  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  very 
floriferous.     It     far    surpasses    in    every    way    E. 


of  flowers,  many  of  them  actually  grown  by 
those  champions  of  the  past — Hepworth,  Holmes, 
Mellor  and  Gill.  There  was  Hand  Drum  (Andro- 
meda), which  had  probably  been  covered  and 
uncovered  again  and  again  by  old  George  (Gill) 
as  he  sat  in  his  little  workshop  thinking  partly 
of  his  boots  and  partly  of  the  weather.  Every 
shower  of  rain  and  every  gleam  of  sun  the  plodding 
enthusiast  noted,  and  then  with  almost  electric 
swiftness  he  would  run  out  and  give  his  beloved 
blooms  the  exact  treatment  they  required. 

The  room  was  the  same.  The  flowers  were 
the  same.  Yet  perhaps  not  altogether.  Were 
there  any  breeders  there  in  the  days  of  long  ago  ? 
Even  now,  stern  old  James  Knowles  will  not 
countenance  them  in  his  garden.  This  ancient 
veteran  won  the  copper  kettle  (the  blue  ribbon 
of  Tulipdora)  in  i860  with  the  celebrated  Poly- 
phemus. With  him  as  it  was  then,  so  it  must  be 
now,  and  so  it  ever  will  be  ;  hence  I  rather  think 
the  advent  of  the  breeder  (or  self  colour)  in   such 


AN    OLD-FASHION'ED    TULIP    SHOW    AT    WAKEFIELD. 


nnmmularifohus  and  E.  Hectori.  It  loves  a  moist, 
shady  soil,  flowers  in  July,  and  is  easily  propagated 
by  division.  E.   C.   Bowell. 


NOTES     ON     TULIPS. 

1  HAVE  never  had  a  more  interesting  floral 
experience  than  that  which  it  was  my  good 
fortune  to  have  on  Monday,  the  second  day 
of  the  present  month  of  June.  I  then 
attended  as  an  honoured  guest  the  show 
of  the  Wakefield  Amateur  Tulip  Society.  For 
seventy-eight  years  without  a  single  break  this 
annual  show  has  been  one  of  the  more  or  less 
important  events  in  the  life  of  this  city,  or,  as  I 
would  prefer  to  call  it,  this  ancient  town.  Seventy- 
eight  years  prepares  us  for  something  old,  and  in 
very  truth  it  almost  seems,  looking  back  on  the  day, 
that  I  was  the  only  modern  thing  there.  There 
was  the  same  old  venue,  the  big  room  of  the 
Brunswick  Hotel.   There  were  the  same  old  varieties  ' 


nurnbors  as  the  present  schedule  provides  for  is 
one  of  those  modern  innovations  which  would 
make  many  now  dead  and  gone  turn  in  their  graves 
at  the  sad  falling  from  grace  of  their  spiritual 
descendants.  Yes  ;  the  same  old  room.  Almost 
the  same  old  flowers  ;  the  same  old  bottles.  One 
very  old  bottle,  it  is  interesting  to  observe,  was 
placed  in  front  of  one  of  the  "  pans  "  (the  technical 
word  in  Tulipise  for  stand,  probably  dating  back  to  a 
time  when  the  receptacles  for  showing  the  threes 
and  sixes  in  were  of  earthenware)  has  certainly 
been  in  existence  for  a  hundred  years,  probably 
many  more,  for  they  were  well  used  when  Abraham 
Holmes,  the  Parish  Clerk,  took  over  the  duties 
of  the  secretaryship  in  1835  and  dated  everything 
from  his  acceptance  of  oflice.  Even  the  modern 
octagonal  ones,  Jesse  Hardwick,  an  ex-secretary, 
told  me  had  known  thirty-five  shows. 

The  judging,   too,  was  a  relic.     Downstairs  sat 
the    secretary    (Mr.    Irving    Whitworth)    and     the 


competitors.     Up    above    Messrs.    Needham    and 
Netherwood  adjudicated,   and  as  the  prizes  were 
awarded,  down  the  successful   pan   or   bottle   was 
sent   for   their   approval   or   disapproval.     History 
does    not    relate  what    would    happen    if    it    was 
the  latter.     Were  they  all  James  Knowles's,  there 
would   be   something   "  strong  "   said,    I   am  siure, 
and    Mr.    Needham    would    have    got     it    worse. 
than    he    did  when    the  Peggs    (a   variety   caUedj 
Elizabeth    Pegg)    he    kindly    sent    as    a    present ' 
did  not    turn   out    all    that    they    were    expected 
to  do. 

The  single  bloom,  or  what  may  be  called  the 
bottle,  classes  are,  naturally,  judged  according 
to  Tulip  custom.  This  is  peculiar,  as  far  as  1 
know,  to  the  flower,  and  not  to  Wakefield.  Still, 
a  brief  explanation  may  be  interesting.  No  one 
may  take  more  than  two  prizes  in  any  one  class, 
but  he  may  enter  as  many  blooms  as  he  likes. 
Frequently  a  man  will  put  up  ten  or  a  dozen. 
What  happens  then  is  this  :  Each  lot  is  arranged 
in  rows,  as  may  be  seen  behind  the  front  row  of 
prize-winners  on  this  page.  The  judges  select 
from  everyone's  lot  the  best  two.  When  these 
are  all  picked  out,  the  best  four,  six,  or  eight, 
as  the  case  may  be,  are  picked  out  and  judged 
in  the  usual  way.  Naturally,  judging  is  a  long 
process.  This  particular  show  suffered,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  from  the  vagaries  of  our  changeable 
climate.  Fifteen  members  had  entered  and  duly 
paid  up  their  4s.  When  they  met  in  early  May, 
they  had  little  but  hard,  green  buds,  and  it  was 
settled  to  have  a  late  date.  A  short  spell  of  hot, 
bright,  dry  weather  came.  Everyone's  blooms 
were  hurried  out  in  a  half-grown  state.  Very 
many  were  entirely  spoiled,  and  so  only  nine 
out  of  the  fifteen  actually  staged. 

The  large  silver  medal  for  the  best  pan  of  six 
was  won  by  the  secretary  (Mr.  Irving  Whitworth). 
He  had  a  grand  example  of  Coningsby  Castle,  a 
feathered   byblcemen,    which   had   just    passed   its 
best,  or  it  would  have  won  the  silver  Rose  bowl 
for  the  best  flower  in  the  whole  show.     His  success 
would  have  been  popular.     He  is,   comparatively 
and  figuratively  speaking,  a  young  grower.     Thir- 
teen years  ago  he  only  looked  at   them  over  a  gate 
as   they   were   blooming   in  a  neighbour's   garden. 
With  true  missionary  zeal,  that  aforesaid  neighbour 
set  him  up  with  a  small  collection,  and  ever  since 
he   has   been   a   keen   cultivator,    while   six   years 
back  he  took  over  the  secretarial  office  from  Mr. 
Jesse   Hardwick,   who  had  to  relinquish  it   owing 
to   advancing   years,   but  who  was  still  hale   and 
hearty,  and  who  on  this  occasion  (June  2)  celebrated 
his  forty-fourth  time  of  exhibiting  by  winning  the 
prizes  for  the   best   flamed   and   the   best   breeder 
witli      magnificently-coloured     examples     of     Sir 
Josepli    Paxton,    grown    in    his    quarry    garden    at 
Normanton.     The    best    "  feather "    was    a    sweet 
little  example  of  William  Wilson,  a  lovely  bizarre, 
with    blackish   brown   markings   on   lemon    yellow. 
The  Tulip  Society  of  Wakefield  can  justly  boast 
of  its  ancient   lineage,   its  famous  names   (among 
which   that   of   Hepworth   is   still   one   to   conjure 
with)   and  its  strains.     The  Wakefield   Paxton  at 
its  best  is  simply  grand,  and  even  now  knows  no 
superior.     I  fully  appreciate  all  this  ;   but  regarding 
tile  society  with  the  practical  eye  of  matter-of-fact 
utility,  I  venture  to  think  that  by  no  means  the 
least   important   reason   which   justly   fills  it   with 
pardonable  pride  is  the  part  it  must  play  in  the 
lives  of  the  humble  toilers,  who  compose  95  per  cent, 
of  its  membership.     Long  life  to  the  society ;    a 
long  term  of  office  to  the  secretary ;    a  long  list  of 
keen  members  ;  many  imitators.    Joseph  Jacob. 


June  21,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


317 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

HOW     TO     LAYER     STRAWBERRIES. 


THE  successful  cultivator  of  these  plants, 
whether  in  pots  for  forcing  or  in  open 
borders  in  the  garden,  must  not  delay 
in  getting  a  well-rooted  stock  of 
young  plants.  Frequently  there  is  no 
attempt  made  to  layer  runners  until 
all  I  111  fruits  are  gathered  from  the  old  plants. 
Such  a  delay  is  disastrous,  because  it  is  not  possible 
to  secure  plants  that  are  sufficiently  well  rooted 
to  support  a  strong  crown  which  will  contain  in 
embryo  a  large  truss  of  flowers.  Plants  badly 
rooted  cannot  withstand  forcing,  and  those  in  open 
borders  cannot  develop  into  fine  specimens  by  the 
following  fruiting  season. 

The  Best  Time  to  conmience  the  work  of  layering 
is  directly  the  first  plants  on  the  runners  from  the 
parent  stock  are  large  enough.  Even  if  the  old 
plants  are  ripening  fruits,  no  damage  need  be 
done  to  the  latter  if  ordinary  care  be  taken. 
How  to   Prepare  for  Layering. — The  runners 

must  not  bf  touched  before  the  actual  day  of 
.  layering,  but  both  pots  and  compost  should  be 
got  ready.  Small  but  deep  pots  are  best  for 
both  purposes — layering  for  forcing  aud  also  for 
new  plantations — but  where  such  pots  are  very 
scarce,  small  squares  of  turf  which  have  been  cut 
about  three  months  are  very  serviceable.  The 
pots  must  be  quite  clean,  especially  the  insides  of 
them,  so  that  when  turned  out  in  due  course  the 
roots  will  not  adhere  to  the  sides  and  be  broken 
off.  The  best  compost  is  made  up  as  follows : 
Turfy  loam,  two  parts  ;  leaf-soil,  one  part  ;  horse- 
manure,  which  has  been  turned  over  daily  for  a 
week,  one  part.  Some  sand  may  be  added,  but 
it  is  not  really  necessary.  Clear  away  weeds 
from  around  the  parent  plants,  and  then  carefully 
draw  out  the  best  runners,  removing  every  young 
plant  from  each  runner  except  the  one  nearest  the 
parent  plant. 

Fig.  A. — No.  I  shows  the  parent  plant,  and 
Nos.  2,  2,  the  runners  made  ready  for  layering. 
No.  ^  depicts  how  each  yoimg  plant  must  be  made 
secure  in  a  small  pot,  either  by  pegging  down  or 


VARIOUS    METHODS    Ol-     LAYERING    STR.\WBERRIES. 


by  laying  a  fairlv  large,  flat  stone  on  it.  Stones 
help  to  maintain  moisture  in  the  soil  in  the  pots, 
and  thus  hasten  root  action.  It  is  best  to  bury 
the  pots  well  in  the  ground,  as  shown,  because,  if 
knocked  over,  the  runners  in  them  are  loosened 
and  delayed  in  forming  roots.  Water  regularly 
in  dry  weather  through  a  fine-rosed  watering-can. 
No.  4  shows  a  square  of  turf — about  four  inches 
square — and  No.  5  a  small  hole  in  the  centre. 
Into  this  hole  place  the  runner  plant,  and  cover 
with  fine  soil  and  a  stone.  No.  6  depicts  the  young 
plant  well  rooted  in  the  turf  and  ready  for  potting 
or  planting  out.  Nos.  7  and  8  illustrate  the 
deep  pots,  and  No.  9  the  runner  plant  severed 
from  the  parent  when  rooted,  as  shown  in  No.  8  pot. 
Fig.  B. — The  new  plantation  is  shown  at  No.  i, 
the  plants  being  put  otit  18  inches  apart  in  rows 
2  feet  asunder.  Trench  the  ground  24  inches 
deep   and  well   break   up   the   lumps  ;    if  poor  in 


A    NEW    STRAWBERRY    PLANTATION. 


quality,  add  a  liberal  quantity  of  rotted  manure, 
and  immediatelv  surface  mulch  with  half-rotted 
manure. 

Putting  Layered  Plants  in  Fruiting  Pots. — 

No.  2  shows  a  fruiting  pot  6^  inches  across. 
Very  careful  crocking  is  essential.  Many  crocks 
need  not  be  used,  but  those  put  in  should  be  carefully 
placed.  No.  3  depicts  the  ball  of  soil  of  a  young 
plant  laid  on  the  rougher  material  in  the  large  pot, 
and  No.  4  the  young  plant  as  it  appears  when  potted. 
Pot  firmlv,  leaving  a  space  of  ij  inches. 

Autumn  and  Winter  Positions. — Take  the 
plants  direct  from  the  potting-bench  to  the  sunniest 
position  available,  using  boards  to  place  the  pots 
on.  Give  clear  water  only,  but  never  neglect 
the  watering,  though  it  is  unwise  to  unduly  soak 
the  soil.  I  water  with  diluted  liquid  manure 
when  the  pots  are  well  filled  with  roots,  so  as  to 
get  the  central  crowns  well  plumped  up.  In  winter 
place  the  pots  close  together  in  blocks,  packing 
ashes,  leaves,  or  litter  round  them,  but  not  covering 
the  tops,  unless  severe  frosts  occur.  Boards 
fixed  on  edge,  as  shown  at  Nos.  5  and  6,  will  keep 
the  block  of  plants  and  materials  tidy.  The 
central  crown.  No.  7,  is  the  most  important.  All 
side  crowns,  Nos.  8,  8,  must  be  removed  while 
quite  small.  For  the  final  potting  use  good  loam 
and  horse-manure.  Solent. 


SHADING    THE     GREENHOUSE. 

Very  few  greenhouses  have  a  full  complement  of 
climbers  on  the  roofs.  It  is  not  wise  to  h.ive  a  too 
shady  structure  if  fine  pot  plants  are  to  be  grown 
on  the  stages.  The  house,  however,  which  has 
an  almost  bare  roof — one  devoid  of  climbers — is 
much  hotter  than  a  vinery,  or  even  a  plant  stove. 
I  strongly  advise  cultivators  to  lightly  shade  their 
bare-roofed  greenhouses  (except  where  Tomatoes 
are  grown)  and  help  the  plants  to  make  a  healthy 
growth.  There  are  many  suitable  compositions 
and  materials  advertised  in  The  Garden,  and  a 
good  home-made  shading  is  a  mixture  of  butter- 
milk and  whiting.  Never  use  lime,  as  it  destroys 
the  paint.  G.  G. 


318 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  21,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF     THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Watering. — In  the  event  of  hot,  dry  weather, 
the  recently-planted  subjects  will  need  a  good  deal 
of  attention  to  give  them  a  fair  start,  I  do  not 
favour  too  much  artificial  watering  where  it  can 
be  avoided,  but  one  must  not  allow  the  plants 
to  stand  still  or  go  back  for  the  sake  of  a  good 
soaking  or  two.  Soft-growing  subjects,  such  as 
Fuchsias  and  Coleus,  are  very  much  benefited 
by  a  spray  overhead  each  evening. 

The  Herbaceous  Borders. 
Paeonies  and  Aquilegias  that  are  going  out  of 

bloom  should  have  the  stale  flower-heads  removed, 
in  the  case  of  the  first-named  shortening  the  leaf- 
growth  back  a  little  to  give  the  other  occupants 
of  the  borders  more  space. 

Delphiniums  throwing  up  their  spikes  should 
be  neatly  staked,  and  as  these  are  fairly  gross 
feeders,  one  or  two  waterings  %vith  liquid  manure 
will  do  them  good,  or  even  on  very  light  soil  a 
mulching  of  short  manure  will  prolong  the  flower- 
ing season  considerably.  This  mulching  of  short 
manure  may  with  advantage  be  given  to  many 
subjects,  especially  where  the  plants  have  not 
been  shifted  for  a  year  or  two,  and  Phloxes,  Asters, 
Helianthuses  and  Rudbeckias  will  all  show  their 
appreciation  by  an  increased  vigour  in  their  growth 
and  a  longer  season  of  blooming, 

Violas. — To  maintain  a  show  of  bloom  through 
the  summer,  this  beautiful  subject  must  not  be 
neglected.  Dead  blooms  and  seed-pods  must  be 
removed  regularly,  going  over  the  plants  at  least 
once  a  week.  A  little  Clay's  Fertilizer  sprinkled 
among  the  plants  during  showery  weather  will 
do  much  to  help  them  maintain  the  deep  green  in 
their  foliage  which  is  such  a  grand  offset  or  contrast 
to  the  flowers,  no  matter  what  colour  these  are. 

Polyanthuses. — Many  people  sow  these  during 
February  and  March  in  boxes,  and  though  they  are 
somewhat  slow-growing  in  the  early  stages,  they 
should  be  quite  ready  for  pricking  out  in  beds  on 
the  border  by  this  time. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums. — If  not  already  done,  all 
plants  should  be  spaced  out  and  staked,  giving 
as  much  room  between  them  as  space  will  allow. 
Two  feet  should  be  the  minimum,  though  3  feet 
each  would  be  better,  and  in  the  case  of  decorative 
varieties  and  singles  this  would  ensure  them 
making  nice  shapely  plants  with  well-ripened 
wood. 

Stopping. — After  this  week  no  varieties  of 
decorative  and  singles  should  be  stopped,  unless 
it  is  one  or  two  of  the  dwarf-growing  varieties 
which  are  to  be  flowered  in  small  pots,  A  few  of 
the  Japanese  varieties,  such  as  J,  H.  Silsbury, 
Master  James,  White  Queen,  Queenie  Chandler 
and  others  that  are  very  early  on  crown-buds, 
if  stopped  now  will  give  good  flowers  from 
November  i  to  November  10. 

Malmaison  Carnations. — Plants  from  which 
the  flowers  have  been  cut  may  be  placed  in  a  cold 
frame  preparatory  to  layering,  giving  them  frequent 
syringings  to  clear  them  of  spider,  should  any  be  in 
evidence. 

Potting  On. — Plants  intended  for  potting  on 
should  also  be  cleaned,  and  if  space  is  available 
in  the  houses  or  frames,  they  may  be  potted  at 
once.  Nine-inch  pots  should  be  large  enough  to 
carry  them  through  the  second  season,  using  a 
moderately  open  compost,  which  should  be  well 
rammed  to  induce  a  very  stocky  growth.  After 
potting,  the  plants  should  be  lightly  syringed 
overhead  in  the  afternoon  of  very  hot  days,  while 
the  stages  and  paths  should  be  frequently  damped. 
Shade  also  must  be  given  during  the  heat  of  the 
day,  but  only  sufficient  to  keep  the  foliage  a  good 
colour  and  to  keep  the  soil  from  drying  out  too 
quickly. 

Tuberous  Begonias  that  are  well  rooted  and 
throwing  up  bloom  should  be  fairly  liberally 
fed  with  liquid  manure,  occasionally  giving  a  pinch 
of  guano  to  each  plant.  Give  plenty  of  air  and 
sufficient  moisture  to  keep  the  plants  in  good  health 
and  free  from  insect  pests.  If  thrips  appear, 
fumigate  lightly  on  two  or  three  successive  evenings, 
and  this  should  quite  rid  them  of  this  pest. 


The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Parsley. — A  sowing  should  now  be  made  to 
provide  a  supply  for  the  late  autumn  and  winter 
months.  Should  the  weather  be  very  dry,  mats 
may  be  put  over  the  seed-bed  after  watering  in. 
This  will  help  the  germination,  but  the  mats  must  be 
taken  off  as  soon  as  the  seedlings  appear. 

French  Beans. — Continue  to  make  sowings  of 
these  to  keep  up  the  supply  into  the  autumn. 
Those  coming  into  bearing  must  be  liberally 
supplied  with  water,  should  the  weather  be  hot 
and  dry,  or  the  crop  will  be  a  short  one. 

Runner  Beans. — Early-planted  batches  or  rows 
are  growing  freely,  and  mulching  with  long  litter 
will  help  to  conserve  the  moisture  ;  and  to  get  a 
good  and  early  set  of  pods  the  plants  must  not  be 
allowed  to  get  dry,  and  a  good  syringing  overhead 
will  help  them  considerably. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

The  Orchard-House. — .\pples.  Plums  and  Pears 
are  fast  swelling  their  fruit,  and  great  care  will 
be  needed  in  watering.  Liquid  manure  may  be 
given  freely,  alternating  this  with  an  occasional 
dressing  of  artificial  manure.  The  syringe  must  be 
freely  used  morning  and  evening  to  keep  down 
insect  pests,  giving  an  abundance  of  air  during 
the  day.  Unless  it  is  necessary  to  hurry  the 
trees,  it  is  not  advisable  to  shut  the  house  up  close 
either  day  or  night. 

Peaches  ripening  in  pots  may  with  advantage 
be  placed  on  the  shady  side  of  the  house,  a  steady 
ripening  process  often  resulting  in  better-flavoured 
fruit. 

Hardy  Fruits. 

Aphis. — Seldom  have  I  known  hardy  fruit  so 
badly  infested  with  fly  as  during  the  past  month, 
and  though  the  trees  have  been  syringed  several 
times,  they  are  still  badly  infested.  About  the 
only  way  of  keeping  it  under  is  to  frequently  give 
the  trees  good  washings  down  with  the  garden  hose. 

Strawberries. — Late  varieties,  such  as  Givon's 
Late  Prolific,  Laxton's  Latest  and  Waterloo, 
will  be  greatly  benefited  by  a  good  soaking  or  two 
of  liquid  manure.  The  former  variety  is  probably 
the  best  of  all  late  Strawberries,  for  though  it 
does  not  give  as  heavy  a  crop  at  one  time  as  do 
many  other  varieties,  its  continuity  of  fruiting 
makes  it  quite  indispensable. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Lifting  Narcissi. — The  foliage  of  the  earlier  varie- 
ties will  now  have  died  down,  and,  if  it  is  intended 
to  lift  any  of  them  for  the  purpose  of  division,  or 
in  order  to  give  them  a  change  of  soil,  the  sooner 
this  is  done  after  the  foliage  has  thoroughly  ripened 
the  better.  Spread  the  bulbs  out  in  the  sun, 
to  perfect  the  ripening  process,  and  then  separate 
the  offsets  of  varieties  which  it  is  intended  to  increase 
as  far  as  possible.  Keep  in  a  cool,  dry  place 
till  wanted  for  planting. 

Top-dressing  Phloxes. — The  herbaceous  Phloxes 
are  surface  rooters,  and  are  much  benefited  by 
receiving  a  top-dressing  during  the  course  of  the 
summer  ;  the  best  time  to  apply  it  is  just  when 
the  roots  begin  to  show  on  the  siu-face.  Good 
loam  forms  the  ideal  top-dressing  for  them,  but 
old  potting  soil,  slightly  enriched,  will  suit  them 
quite  well.  Phloxes  are  among  the  first  things  to 
suffer  for  the  lack  of  water  in  dry  weather. 

Sweet  Violets. — Where  young  plantations  of 
these  have  been  made,  they  will  now  be  growing 
freely.  While  I  would  recommend  it  for  all  and 
sundry,  it  is  imperative  in  the  case  of  plants  intended 
for  forcing  that  all  runners  be  pinched  out  at  an 
early  stage. 

The  Rock  Garden. 
Propagating     Cheiranthus.— What    one    may 

term  the  alpine  Wallflowers  are  highly  suitable 
for  the  rock  garden.  Those  well  known  to  me  are 
C.  Marshallii  (deep  orange),  C.  ochroleucus  (pale 
yellow),  and  C.  mutabilis,  with  its  now  improved 
form,  C.  m.  purpurea.  As  soon  as  cuttings  of 
these  are  obtainable,  they  should  be  taken,  prepared, 
inserted  in  pots  of  sandy  soil  and  stood  in  a  close 
frame  or  pit. 


The  Wall  Garden. 

Thinning  Seedlings. — Where  seed  was  sown 
in  the  spring  the  seedlings  will  require  thinning, 
and  the  extent  to  which  this  will  have  to  be  done 
will  depend  upon  the  character  of  the  subject 
in  hand  and  the  results  of  germination.  The  work 
should  be  done  during  showery  or  dull  weather, 
and  if  these  conditions  do  not  obtain,  water  both 
before  and  immediately  after  the  operation. 

Watering. — The  next  two  months  vn\l  be  the 
most  trying  period  of  the  year  for  the  wall  garden, 
and  unless  it  takes  the  form  of  a  retaining  wall, 
a  good  deal  of  artificial  watering  will  be  required 
if  the  weather  is  at  all  dry. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Staking  Chrysanthemums. — The  work  of  final 

potting  will  now  be  over,  and,  if  not  already  done, 
the  plants  should  be  placed  in  their  summer  quarters 
and  fully  staked.  Those  grown  for  large  blooms 
may  be  placed  in  a  line  or  lines  running  east  and 
west,  the  stakes  to  be  tied  to  a  strand  of  wire 
stretched  along  the  line.  If  a  board  on  edge  is  run 
along  in  front  of  the  pots,  it  will  save  much  watering 
and  keep  the  ball  of  soil  more  equable  both  as 
regards  moisture  and  temperature.  Bush  plants 
can  be  arranged  as  incUcated  above,  tying  two  oi 
the  stakes  to  the  strand  of  wire. 

Libonias. — L.  floribunda  and  L.  penrhosiensis, 
although  not  showy,  are  two  very  attractive 
greenhouse  sub--shrubs.  Plants  that  were  rooted 
early  in  spring  should  now  be  ready  for  a  shift  into 
5-inch  pots,  which  are  quite  large  enough  for  these 
plants  the  first  season.  Equal  parts  of  fibrous  loam 
and  good  flaky  leaf-mould  with  a  little  sand  and 
a  dash  of  bone-meal  will  form  a  suitable  compost 
for  them.  A  cold  frame  is  the  best  place  for  them 
until  the  middle  of  September. 

Salvia  Heerii. — This  Salvia  is  very  showy  in  the 
conservatory  in  the  spring.  Cuttings  rooted  in 
heat  in  spring  should  from  May  onwards  receive 
the  same  treatment  as  bush  Chrysanthemums. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Late  Melons. — if  vigorous  plants  are  in  readiness, 
a  second  batch  may  be  planted  to  succeed  the  early 
crop.  The  glass  and  woodwork  should  be 
thoroughly  cleaned  before  introducing  the  new 
soil  and  young  plants. 

Figs  in  Pots. — Unless  they  are  pinched,  Figs 
in  pots  are  apt  to  make  "too  gross  growth,  thus 
depriving  the  fruit  of  its  due  amount  of  nutriment. 
The  cultivator  must,  of  course,  be  guided  by  the 
vigour  of  the  shoots.  Continue  to  feed  moderately 
till  the  fruits  have  attained  their  full  size. 

The  Hardy  Fruit    Garden. 

Summer  Spraying. — Mr.  E.  Molyneux  has 
forestalled  me  on  this  subject  by  his  valuable 
contribution  on  page  272  of  the  issue  of  May  24. 
to  which  I  would  re-direct  the  attention  of  Apple- 
growers.  It  is  by  no  means  too  late  to  give  attention 
to  this  matter  in  Scotland,  but  no  time  should  be 
lost. 

Pinching. — Fruit  trees  often  exhibit  great 
irregularity  of  vigour.  When  this  is  the  case,  a 
judicious  system  of  pinching  should  be  adopted, 
as  by  this  means  not  only  is  much  waste  of  energy 
saved,  but  the  balance  of  growth  is  more  or  less 
maintained. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Planting  Broccoli. — if  not  already  done,  the 
ground  should  be  prepared  for  this  crop  and  the 
work  of  planting  proceeded  with.  Autumn  Broccoli 
may  be  richly  manured,  but  that  for  spring  use 
should  be  planted  in  only  moderately  enriched 
soil,  and  in  as  open  a  situation  as  possible.  Smear 
the  roots  with  a  mixture  of  soil,  cow-manure  and 
sulphur  ;  this  will  help  to  ward  off  the  attacks 
of  the  maggot. 

Celery  must  on  no  account  be  allowed  to  become 
dry  at  the  root,  and  if  the  foliage  is  dusted  with 
soot  from  time  to  time,  the  Celery  fly  will,  in  all 
probability,  be  kept  at  bay. 

Planting  Leeks. — The  main  crop  should  now 
be  ready  for  planting  out.  The  Leek  requires 
liberal  cultivation  and  is  partial  to  nitrogenous 
manures.  Length  of  blanch  is  the  thing  to  be  aimed 
at,  and  this  can  be  obtained  by  drawing  drUls 
as  for  Potatoes.  Then  plant  with  a  blunt  dibble  in 
the  bottom  of  the  drills,  make  deep  holes,  and  only 
fill  in  sufficient  soil  to  cover  the  roots. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


June  21,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


319 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES  FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 
QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
make  The  Gakden  helpjul  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, 7«)  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  ivriUen  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  ani/  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  thari  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letter^- 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PuPMSnER 


FLOWBR     GARDBN. 

SPOTS  ON  DELPHINIUM  LEAVES  (G.  R.  7.)-— The 
dark  spots  are  miuute  particles  of  soot.  The  foliage 
appears  to  have  been  damaged  by  water  containing 
poisonous  gases  in  solution,  such  as  is  very  frequently  the 
case  where  smelting  furnace  flames  escape  into  the  air. 

PYRETHRUMS  DAMAGED  {Ascot).— Vi^  suspect  an 
insect  is  laying  its  eggs  in  the  stems  of  the  Pyrethrums, 
but  they  are  in  too  dried  a  condition  to  enable  us  to  say 
with  certainty  what  the  cause  may  be.  Can  you  watch 
after  dark  and  send  iis  further  sppciraens,  packed  so  that 
they  will  not  dry  up  ? 

SWEET  PEAS  FOR  EXHIBITION  {8.  C.).— As  far  as 
exhibiting  is  concerned,  your  Sweet  Peas  are,  with  four 
exceptions,  hopelessly  out  of  date,  and  improvements 
might  easily  be  made  for  garden  decoration.  Since 
you  do  not  purpose  to  exhibit  until  next  year,  your  best 
plan  will  be  to  wait  until  the  end  of  August  and  write 
again.  The  experience  of  the  present  season  will  enable 
an  up-to-date  selection  to  be  given. 

VIOLETS  GONE  WRONG  {M.  H.  ^.).— The  Violets 
are  attacked  by  the  very  troublesome  fungus  Phyllosticta 
violae.  This  fungus  has  sticky  spores,  which  are  liable  to 
be  carried  on  cuttings  and  to  infest  frames  where  the  plants 
are  grown,  and  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  eradicate 
when  once  it  has  got  a  footing.  The  best  means  to  adopt 
is  probably  to  dig  up  and  burn  all  the  affected  plants 
and  start  afresh,  but  if  it  is  desired  to  try  to  keep  them 
going,  spraying  with  potassium  sulphide  (Iob.  to  three 
gallons  of  water)  will  probably  be  the  best  thing  to  do. 

DISEASE  IN  VIOLAS  (7;/ord).~VioIas  not  infrequently 
suffer  from  the  attack  of  a  fungus  belonging  to  the  genus 
Fusarium,  which  causes  the  sudden  wilting  and  death  of 
the  plant  in  the  way  you  describe.  Nothing  can  be  done 
when  once  a  plant  is  attacked,  for  the  (unpus  is  inside  the 
plant  and  quite  inaccessible.  Spraying  is  useless,  but 
the  fungus  gains  entrance  from  the  soil,  and  the  growth 
of  Violas  year  after  year  in  the  same  soil  is  very  liable 
to  bring  about  the  spread  of  the  trouble,  as  is  propagation 
in  old  soil.  This  points  the  way  to  prevention,  and  the 
use  of  lime  in  the  soil  will  also  be  an  aid. 


THE     GRBBNHOUSE. 

CHRYSANTHEMUM  FLY  (/i/ord).— The  plants  arc 
attacked  by  the  larvse  of  the  Chrysanthemum  fly  (Napto- 
myza  lateralis),  which  burrows  into  the  leaf.  The  fly  is 
a  small,  two-winged  one,  and  its  visits  may  be  checked,  to 
some  extent  at  least,  by  spraying  the  plant,  say,  in  April 
(at  end)  with  a  paraflQn  emiUsion.  Where  only  a  few  plants 
are  to  be  dealt  with,  pinching  the  affected  leaves  between 
the  fingers  and  thumb  will  kill  the  larvae,  and  it  is  said  that 
nicotine  washes  will  also  effect  the  same  result  by  acting 
through  the  epidermis. 

CHRYSANTHEMUMS  INFESTED  BY  THE  LEAF- 
MINING  MAGGOT  {W.  G.).— During  the  past  two  years 
the  leaf-mining  maggot  has  done  much  damage  to  Chrysan- 
themums in  different  parts  of  the  country.  Some  varieties 
are  more  liable  to  attack  than  others.  It  is  well  to  care- 
fully examine  the  leaves  weekly  from  their  cutting  stage, 
and  crush  any  maggots  found  ;  also  to  syringe  the  foliage 
^■very  fortnight  with  petroleum  emulsion  at  the  rate  of  a 
wineglassful  to  a  gallon  of  water.  The  oil  must  be  vigor- 
ously stirred  iu  the  water,  and  whea  applying  the  liquid, 
forcibly  return  two  syringefuls  to  the  vessel  to  every 
syringeful  sprayed  on  the  leaves.  The  best  time  for 
the  syringing  to  be  done  is  during  the  evening.  This 
mixture  should  be  applied  to  unaffected  as  well  as  to 
affected  plants. 

DISEASED  LEAVES  OF  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  (B. 
Worle). — The  leaves  which  you  send  for  our  inspection 
are  badly  attacked  by  "  rust."  All  leaves  that  are  in  a 
similar  condition  should  be  removed  and  burned  at  once, 
as  they  will,  if  left  on  the  stems,  soon  shrivel  up  and 
spread  the  disease  to  sound  leaves.  Procure  from  a 
chemist  an  ounce  of  sulphide  of  potassium.     Dissolve  half 


the  quantity  in  rain-water,  and  then  add  it  to  half  a  gallon 
of  rain-water,  syringing  the  solution  on  every  leaf  and 
portion  on  both  sides.  To  accomplish  this,  lay  the  plants 
on  tlieir  sides  on  a  mat,  turning  each  specimen  over  until 
all  parts  are  thoroughly  wetted.  The  remaining  half  an 
ounce  of  sulphide  stiould  also  be  dissolved  in  a  similar 
c|uantity  of  water  and  kept  in  an  earthenware  vessel, 
to  be  syringed  on  tiie  plants  fortnightly  as  they  stand  in 
the  rows.  This  will  tend  to  keep  the  leaves  free  from 
nist. 

ORCHIDS  FOR  A  COOL  GREENHOUSE  (Avon).— 
To  be  sufccessful  with  Orchids,  the  temperature  should  not 
fall  below  45*  or  50°  Falir.,  the  former  figures  only  being 
recorded  during  severe  weather,  when  no  harm  will  accrue 
if  the  atmosphere  is  fairly  dry.  Unless  you  can  command 
the  above  temperatures,  we  do  not  advise  you  to  begin 
growing  Orchids.  If  you  can,  you  might  begin  with  a 
small  quantity  of  Odontoglossum  crispum,  as  two  plants 
rarely  produce  flowers  exactly  alike  :  also  Odontogiossums 
luteo-purpureum.amabilctriumphans,  Pescatorei,nBevium, 
andersonianum,  gloriosum,  Hallii,  wilckeanum,  percultum 
and  ardentissimum,  while  others  could  be  bought  in  flower  ; 
Cypripedium  insigne  varieties,  Cymbidium  lowianum, 
Lycaste  Skinneri,  Masdevaliia,  coccinea  varieties;  Disa 
Luna,  D.  sagittalis,  Pleurothallis  Roezlii,  Odontioda 
Charlesworthi.  O.  Bradshawige.  O.  lambeaulanum,  Zygo- 
petalum  Mackayi,  Epidendnim  vitellinum  and  Cattleya 
citrina. 

RIPPEASTRUMS  (H.  C.  5.).— After  flowering,  Hippeas- 
trums  should  be  encouraged  to  grow  freely,  as  upon  this 
the  future  display  of  blossoms  depends.  They  must  be 
removed  into  a  structure  kept  warmer  than  an  ordinary 
greenhouse,  the  best  place  being  the  coolest  part  of  the 
stove  or  an  intermediate  house.  It  is  very  necessary  to  keep 
them  well  supplied  with  water,  but  an  excess  must,  of 
course,  be  avoided.  An  occasional  dose  of  liquid  manure, 
or  one  of  the  many  concentrated  plant  foods  now  so 
popular,  will  be  beneficial.  With  this  treatment  the  plants 
will  grow  freely  and  the  bulbs  increase  in  size.  By  the 
end  of  July  or  thereabouts  they  will  have  perfected  their 
gro^vth,  or  nearly  so,  when  they  may  be  removed  to  a 
frame  or  a  greenhouse.  As  they  will  have  been  shaded 
when  in  the  warmer  structure,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
continue  this  for  a  little  time  till  the  tissues  of  the  leaves 
get  firm.  Then  they  may  be  fully  exposed  to  the  sun, 
in  order  to  ripen  the  bulbs.  As  the  leaves  turn  yellow 
and  show  signs  of  going  to  rest,  the  water  supply  must  be 
lessened,  and  when  the  bulbs  are  absolutely  dormant  it 
may  be  discontinued  for  a  time.  They  should  be  kept 
during  the  winter  in  a  temperature  of  50*^  to  60",  and  about 
the  end  of  January  a  little  water  may  be  given,  to  be 
increased  as  the  plants  grow. 

DWARFED  JAPANESE  TREES  (£.  W.  R.  P.).— We 
do  not  know  of  any  book  dealing  witli  the  Japanese 
method  of  dwarfing  trees,  but  a  good  work  on  the  different 
species  of  Cactus  is  "  Cactus  Culture  for  Amateurs,"  by 
W.  Watson,  Curator  of  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Kew.  Briefly, 
the  Japanese  dwarf  trees  are  obtained  by  growing  them 
in  such  a  manner  that  they  only  receive  sufficient  nourish- 
ment to  keep  them  alive.  This  practice  is  followed  from 
the  earliest  stages,  and  commences,  in  the  case  of  many 
plants  raised  from  seed,  by  shortening  back  the  tap  root 
and  lea\ing  just  a  few  fibres  for  the  plant  to  obtain  its 
noiu'ishment  therefrom.  Potting  in  shallow  receptacles 
and  using  poor  soils  are  also  objects  towards  the  same 
end.  The  result  is  that  the  plant  falls,  as  it  were,  into  a 
moribund  condition,  and  though  enough  vitality  is  retained 
for  the  usual  seasons  of  growth  and  rest  to  be  followed, 
yet  it  is  so  far  stinted  as  to  be  quite  unable  to  shake  this 
off  and  resume  its  natural  style  of  growth.  The  Japanese, 
from  their  long  years  of  experience,  are  ver>  skilful  in 
the  production  of  these  dwarf  trees,  and  here  they  are 
admired  by  many  as  curiosities,  though  the  general  taste 
is  more  in  favour  of  naturally -grown  subjects.  These 
dwarf  trees,  when  grown  in  this  country,  should  be  well 
supplied  with  water  when  necessary,  but  stimulating 
maatucs  must  be  avoided. 


R06E    GARDEN. 

LEAF-CURL  {H.  Q.). — The  trouble  arises  from  the  action 
of  the  larvae  of  a  sawfiy,  and  it  is  done  by  them  when  imma- 
ture. Spraying  with  nicotine  has  been  found  to  kill  the  larvae, 
but  it  is  best  to  pick  off  the  curled  leaves  as  soon  as  detected. 
No  doubt  the  pest  is  first  imported  into  the  garden  from 
soil  adhering  to  roots  of  Roses  that  have  been  previously 
attacked.  It  is  a  troublesome  pest,  and  where  very 
prevalent  we  should  advise  replanting  in  the  autumn, 
taking  care  to  wash  off  the  soil  from  the  roots  and  remove 
to  quite  new  soil. 

ROSES  FAILING  {Lieutenant-Colonel  H.  F.  D.).—The 

shoots  sent  are  exceedingly  pithy,  and  should  certainly 
have  been  cut  hard  back  in  spring.  Probably,  being  so 
pithy,  they  suffered  from  winter  frosts,  which,  although 
not  severe,  were  quite  enough  to  damage  such  growths. 
This  pithiness  of  the  wood  would  naturally  affect  tlie 
buds,  for  they  cannot  receive  their  natural  food.  Whether 
this  state  of  things  is  owing  to  faulty  culture  we  cannot 
say,  but  it  looks  much  like  a  case  of  overdosing  with  some 
chemical  manure  that  encourages  this  sort  of  growth 
instead  of  a  growth  of  a  more  solid  nature.  Too  much 
nitrogenous  food  will  produce  this  sappy  wood,  and 
the  frequent  applications  of  insecticides  only  tend  to 
aggravate  matters,  for,  naturally,  the  liquid  finds  its 
way  down  to  the  roots.  We  should  advise  hard  cutting 
back  of  ail  such  wood,  and  probably  the  basal  eyes  will 
be  all  right  and  will  quickly  start,  so  that  you  will  have  a 
good  autumnal  display 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

LEAVES  OF  PEAR  TREE  FOR  INSPECTION  (M.  M.).— 

The  symptoms  point  to  the  trees  being  exposed  to  coM 
winds.  Shelter  is  an  important  thing  with  many  Pears,  not 
only  for  the  protection  of  the  foliage,  but  also  as  an  aid  t<i 
pollination,  since  bees  do  not  care  to  visit  flowers  in  windy 
weather. 

BIG-BUD  IN  BLACK  CURRANTS  (J.  A.  B.).— The 
Black  Currants  are  affected  with  "  big-bud."  Pick  off 
and  burn  all  the  affected  buds  in  winter,  so  as  to  remove 
as  many  of  the  mites  that  cause  the  trouble  as  possible, 
and  spray  the  plants  with  Quassia  and  soft  soap  three 
times  at  fortnightly  intervals,  beginning  at  the  end  of 
April  next.  The  Beech  leaves  have  been  injured  either 
by  draught  or  dry  or  cold  winds. 

GOOSEBERRIES  GONE  WRONG  {R.  R.  5.).— We  fin-t 
neither  fungu-i  nor  insect  on  the  plants  to  account 
for  the  trouble  of  which  you  complain.  They  appear 
to  us  to  be  suffering  from  lack  of  sufficient  water,  and  wi- 
would  suspect  tliey  have  insufficient  roots  to  supply  th*- 
demand  made  by  the  foliage  when  the  sun  becomes  hot 
upon  them.  They  have  apparently  grown  very  rapidly. 
Does  the  soil  ever  become  water-logged  ? 

GROWTHS  ON  VINE  LEAVES  {Black  Hambro').- 
The  curious  appearance  of  the  Vine  foliage  is  due  to  the 
growth  of  warts  upon  it,  produced  by  the  presence  of 
too  much  moisture  in  the  air.  This  checks  the  normal 
loss  of  water  from  the  leaves  and  brings  about  a  condition 
of  great  pressure  in  certain  of  the  cells,  resulting  in  their 
greatly  increased  growth  and  the  formation  of  wart?-. 
They  are  signs  of  improper  conditions,  and  point  the  way 
to  a  remedy. 

BARK  OF  APPLE  TREES  STRIPPED  BY  RABBITS 
OR  HARES  (/.  M.  C). — If  the  bark  has  been  completely 
stripped  from  round  the  stems  of  the  trees,  nothing  you 
can  do  will  avail  to  make  them  useful  and  satisfactory 
trees  afterwards,  although  they  may  perhaps  linger  on  foi 
some  years  as  wrecks.  But  if  tliere  is  a  part  of  the  bark 
remaining,  say,  up  one  or  two  sides,  they  will  liave  a  better 
chance  of  living,  as  new  bark  in  time  will  take  the  place  of 
the  old.  The  wisest  thing  to  do  in  the  case  of  badly- 
stripped  trees  like  yours  is  to  grub  them  up  and  replant 
in  autumn  with  healthy  trees. 

RASPBERRIES  AND  GOOSEBERRIES  DISEASED 
{M.  H.). — The  liaspberries  are  attacked  by  the  fungus 
Hendersonia  rubi,  as  you  may  see  by  the  pale  dead  spots 
on  the  canes  covered  with  the  tiny  black  fruit  of  the  fungus. 
All  affected  canes  .should  be  removed  and  burned,  and  tne 
remaining  plants  sprayed  with  Bordeaux  mixture.  The 
Gooseberries  are  affected  with  die  black,  a  disease  due  to 
a  fungus  which  does  not  fruit  until  it  has  killed  a  branch. 
All  dead  branches  should  be  immediately  removed  and 
burned.  Spraying  in  this  case  will  be  of  little  use.  The 
yellow-flowered  annual  is  Limnanthes  Douglasii,  a  good 
bee  flower 

MELONS  CRACKING  AND  BECOMING  SPOTTED 
{A.  W.). — The  Melon  is  one  of  the  easiest  of  all  fruits  to 
grow,  provided  the  grower  has  some  sound  knowledge 
and  experience  to  guide  him  in  the  work  ;  but  once  the 
fruit  goes  wrong  through  faulty  treatment,  it  seldom  does 
any  good  afterwards.  The  cause  of  cracking  in  Melons 
is  too  much  water  applied  to  the  roots  and  too  humid  and 
close  an  atmosphere.  Give  more  air  and  keep  the  soil 
moderately  dry  for  a  time,  and  notice  the  result.  If 
there  is  no  improvement,  it  ^vill  be  better  to  pull  up  the 
plants  and  start  again  with  fresh  ones.  If  you  decide  tu 
do  this  and  will  let  us  know,  we  will  try  to  help  you  with 
the  new  crop  by  giving  a  few  details  as  to  culture. 

CUSTARD  APPLE  SEED  (T.  J.  i.).— The  Custard  Apple 
is  the  fruit  of  Anoua  squamosa.  It  makes  a  bush-likr 
tree,  attaining  to  a  height  of  about  fifteen  feet.  The  tree 
will  take  at  least  three  years  to  grow  from  seed  before  any 
fruit  may  be  expected.  When  the  fruit  is  ripe  it  is  fleshy, 
the  pulp  being  yellow  and  so  soft  that  it  is  difficult  to  handle 
without  bruising.  The  flavour  of  the  fruit  lias  been 
likened  to  that  of  Raspberries  and  cream.  In  tropical 
countries  it  is  much  appreciated  and  consumed.  To  grow 
it  to  perfection  in  this  country  it  would  require  a  well- 
heated  greenhouse  to  itself ;  but  the  fruit  is  not  particu- 
larly cared  for  here,  and  certainly  not  deemed  of  sufficient 
importance  to  have  a  glasshouse  devoted  to  its  growth. 
The  way  to  grow  the  seedlings  is  to  pot  them  and  grow 
them  on  in  heat  during  the  summer,  with  cooler  treatment 
in  winter.  The  tree  is  well  branched  and  clothed  with 
leathery,  oblong  leaves,  in  the  axils  of  which  are  borne 
in  spring  greenish,  fleshy  flowers  about  one  inch  across. 
The  soil  that  suits  it  well  is  the  same  as  you  would  use 
for  growing  Peach  trees  in  pots. 

ESPALIER  PEAR  TREES  NOT  BEARING  (X.  M.  2).).— 
The  varieties  are  fairly  consistent  bearers,  and  therefore 
the  fault  is  not  to  be  looked  for  in  the  varieties.  The  Pears 
(or  most  of  the  varieties)  are  strong-growing  trees,  and  it 
often  happens  that  if  means  are  not  taken  in  good  time 
to  moderate  such  strong  growth,  it  will  so  contmue 
one  year  after  another,  the  tree  remaining  practically 
barren  all  the  time.  In  all  such  cases  root-prunmg  should 
be  resorted  to.  If  properly  carried  out  it  can  do  no  harm, 
and  in  ninety-nine  cases  out  of  a  hundred  it  proves 
effective  in  bringing  the  trees  into  a  fruitful  condition . 
With  reference  to  the  fruit  of  your  Magnate  Pear  tree 
shrivelling  and  dropping,  this  is  most  unusual,  for  this 
variety  isone  of  the  most  satisfactory  croppers  we  have. 
Can  it  be  that  the  roots  are  dry  at  any  time  ?  Give  the 
tree  a  real  good  soaking  now,  and  then  a  mulch  of  rotten 
manure  onthe  surface  3  inches  deep.  Water  it  again  a 
fortnight  hence  over  the  manure,  and  once  more  before  the 
fruit  shows  signs  of  ripening.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  give 
such  fruit  trees  a  thorough  irrigation  of  manure-water  m 


320 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  21,  1913. 


the  winter  as  soon  as  the  leaves  have  fallen.  It  fertilises 
the  soil  and  nourishes  the  roots. 

SCAB  ON  YOUNG  PEACH  FRUIT  (J.  R.  R.).— Judging 
by  the  sample  of  foliage  sent,  your  tree  is  in  a  feeble  state 
of  health,  but  the  cause  of  the  injury  to  the  fruit  is  "  scald- 
ing" (in  garden  parlance).  This  is  brought  about  by 
bright  gleams  of  sunshine  shining  on  the  fruit  while  it  is 
damp  from  late  spraying,  and  insufficient  ventilation. 
Do  not  try  to  force  the, tree's  growth,  but  let  it  come  as 
naturally  and  gradually  as  possible,  giving  plenty  of  air 
in  fine  weather,  day  and  night,  but,  of  course,  in  cold 
wi-ather  not  so  much.  In  this  way  we  hope  the  fruit 
which  is  left  and  which  is  healthy  may  develop  and  ripen 
all  right,  but  there  is  no  hope  for  that  which  is  diseased  like 
the  sample.  Syringe  the  trees  in  the  afternoon  of  fine 
days,  about  4  p.m.,  but  not  in  the  morning.  Water  with 
care.  Do  not  let  the  soil  be  waterlogged  or  too  dry  at 
any  time.  The  best  way  to  bring  your  tree  back  tojiealth 
will  be  by  lifting  it  bodily  and  replanting  at  the  end  of 
October  in  good,  fairly  heavy  maiden  turfy  loam,  adding 
a  gallon  of  lime  and  a  quart  of  bone-meal  to  each  barrow- 
ioad  of  the  loam.  Tread  the  soil  firmly  over  the  roots 
when  planting.  This  replanting,  if  carefully  done,  need  not 
prevent  the  tree  from  bearing  next  year.  Let  the  points 
of  all  the  roots  be  slightly  shortened  at  the  time  of 
replanting. 

TO  GROW  MELONS  IN  A  FRAME  (E.  C.).— The  Melon 
sliould  be  planted  and  grown  very  much  like  a  Cucumber, 
the  chief  difference  being  that  heavier  loam  should  be  used 
and  no  manure  mixed  with  the  soil.  The  soil,  after  plant- 
ing, should  also  be  pressed  down  more  firmly  round  the  roots 
than  is  advisable  for  the  Cucumber.  Two  plants  should 
be  planted  together  in  the  centre  of  a  one-light  frame 
(10  inches  from  the  glass).  When  each  young  plant  has 
formed  a  stem,  say,  of  4  inches  in  height,  let  the  top  of  the 
stem  be  stopped  by  pinching  otf  the  top  with  the  finger 
and  thumb.  The  result  of  doing  this  will  be  that  two  new 
shoots  will  emit  from  the  stem  lower  down.  These  will 
form  the  two  main  branches  of  the  plants,  and  be  the  ones 
which  will  bear  fruit.  These  branches  will  trail  on  the 
surface  of  the  soil.  As  soon  as  they  have  attained  a  length 
of  15  inches,  let  the  extreme  points  of  each  be  stopped,  as 
the  young  shoot  was  stopped  before.  The  result  of  this 
stopping  will  be  that  two  or  three  other  shoots  will  issue 
out  of  the  side  of  these  branches.  These  are  called  lateral 
shoots,  and  these  are  the  shoots  which  will  bear  the  fruit. 
By  the  time  these  side  shoots  are  7  inches  long,  each  one 
will  show  a  female  blossom.  This  is  distinguished  from 
the  male  blossom  by  having  a  swelling  at  the  bottom,  and 
is  easily  known.  As  soon  as  you  can  secure  two  or  three  of 
these  female  blossoms  expanded  on  these  laterals  at  the 
same  time,  then  is  the  time  to  fertilise  the  flowers  with  the 
pollen  of  the  male  blossom,  this  being  applied  to  the 
stigma  (the  centre  column  of  the  female  blossom).  This 
should  be  done  at  midday,  when  the  pollen  and  the  flowers 
are  quite  dry. 


cold,  with  syrup  made  by  dissolving  a  pound  of  sugar  in 
two  quarts  of  water.  Sterilise  as  advised.  Gooseberries 
may  be  treated  with  plain  water  or  syrup,  preferably  the 
latter.     Use  the  fruit  young. 

PONDWEED  (H.  S.  B.).— You  can  arrive  at  the 
approximate  cubical  contents  of  your  pond  by  taking  the 
average  depth  of  water  in  feet  and  multiplying  it  with  the 
square  of  the  surface.  As  the  pond  varies  in  depth,  you 
will  find  a  difficulty  in  getting  the  exact  cubical  contents 
of  water  ;  but  as  you  can  use  copper  sulphate  with  safety 
at  any  strength  between  1  in  760.000  and  1  in  1,000,000, 
there  is  a  wide  margin  for  any  inaccuracy.  Copper 
sulphate  is  even  effective  in  killing  scum  at  less  strength 
than  1  in  1,000,000,  though  it  is  advisable  to  keep  to  that 
strength,  or  as  near  as  possible. 

INJURY  TO  LEAVES  (5.  C.  fi.).— Your  soil  is  probably 
insufficiently  drained  and  cold  in  spring.  This  would 
fully  account  for  the  yellow  colour  of  the  rambler  Rose 
shoots.  Attention  should  be  paid  to  drainage  and  to 
lightening  the  soil.  If  you  can  make  it  a  little  darker 
by  the  addition  of  soot,  it  would  probably  help 
matters.  The  Plum  is  attacked  by  silver-leaf.  It  would 
be  well  to  cut  out  the  affected  parts  completely  and  burn 
them.  Affected  branches  very  rarely  recover  and  scarcely 
ever  fruit,  while  the  fungus  which  is  tlie  cause  of  the 
trouble  spreads  from  diseased  branches  after  they  are  dead. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— R.  E.  H.— Sitka  Spruce  (Picea 

sitchenais,  sometimes  called  Picea  Menziesii). M.  R.  P. — 

Collinsia    bicolor. Pamell,    Bournemouth.  —  Lonicera 

involucrata. G.  E.  C. — Pancratium  iUyiicum. The 

Lady  Kennedy. — Pyrus  Aria  (MTiite  Beam). R.  M. — 1, 

Red  flower^  Crinodendron  hookerianum  syn.  Tricuspidaria 

hexapetala ;  2,  Rhamnus  catharticus.- ./.  C,  Einloch- 

teven. — 1,  Galium  saxatile ;  2,  Trientalis  europtea :  3, 
Pedicularis  aylvatica ;  4,  Lysimachia  nemorum  ;  5,  Geum 

rivale  ;  6,  Euphorbia  species,  too  scrappy  to  identify. 

Q.  B.,  N.  Wales. — 1,  Ajuga  reptans ;  2,  Helianthemum 
vulgare  ;    3,  Polygala  vulgaris  ;  4,  Coronilla  cappadocica; 

5,  Forsytlua  species ;  6,  Symphoricarpus  racemosus. 

"Jim." — 1,  Davallia  mooreana  ;  2,  Adiantium  formosum  ; 
3,  Polypodium  aureum  ;  4,  Davallia  elegans  variety  ;  5, 
Gymnogramme  wettenhalliana ;  6,  Codiseum  variegatum 
variety;  7,  Gymnogramme  chrysophylla;  8,  Phyllanthus 
nivosus:  9,  Acalypha  macrostachys  (musiaca) ;  10, 
Dracffina  teirainalis  variety;  11,  Davallia  elegans 
Gymnogramme  pulchella. 


12. 


BOOKS. 


KITCHEN    GARDEN. 

WORMS  ATTACKING  VEGETABLES  (£.  R.).— The 
worms  are  mostly  white  worms  which  are  allied  to  earth- 
worms, but,  unlike  the  latter,  frequently  cause  consider- 
able damage  to  plant  roots.  We  think  a  dressing  of  lime 
to  the  soil  is  called  for ;  but  meantime  some  good  may 
lie  done  by  watering  the  plants  with  lime-water. 

ASPARAGUS  BITTER  (An  Outsider).— The  cause  of 
the  bitterness,  we  think,  is  undoubtedly  due  to  injury 
to  the  young  growth  by  frost.  While  there  is  danger  of 
frost  you  should  inspect  your  beds  every  morning  and  cut 
off  all  the  grass  which  is  at  to  cut,  and  that  which  is  too 
small  to  cut  you  should  cover  over  with  some  soil  from 
the  surface  of  the  bed  in  order  to  protect  it. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

CHANGING  THE  COLOUR  OF  FLOWERS  (A.  B.).— 
Many  aniline  dyes  may  be  used  for  giving  flowers  unnatural 
colours,  either  by  dipping  the  flowers  completely  in  or  by 
allowing  them  to  soak  up  the  dye. 

HARD  WATER  (If.  S.).— Your  water  is  probably  hard 
because  of  the  amount  of  chalk  it  holds  in  solution.  If 
this  is  so,  it  may  be  materially  softened  by  boiling,  or 
by  the  addition  of  a  small  quantity  of  quicidime  to  the 
tank  in  which  it  is  kept  before  use  in  the  house. 

ROSES  AND  IRISES  ATTACKED  BY  A  FUNGUS  (J.  S.). 
— The  Roses  and  the  Irises  are  attacked  by  the  same 
fungus,  Botrytis  cinerea.  This  fungus  usually  attacks 
plants  that  are  rather  unripe  in  their  growth,  or  that  have 
beeu  checked  by  a  frost.  Extra  liberal  manuring  or 
growing  the  plants  in  rich  soil,  which  encoiu-ages  sappy 
growth,  lays  the  plants  open  to  attack.  All  diseased  parts 
should  be  removed  and  burned. 

INJURY  TO  APPLE  BLOSSOM  (Apple).— The  Apple 
flowers  are  not  attacked  by  the  Apple- blossom  weevil, 
but  probably  by  the  Apple  Psylla.  This  pest  lays  its 
eggs  in  autumn  on  the  young  twigs,  and  it  is  very  likely 
to  be  carried  from  one  place  to  another  on  the  trees  in 
this  form.  No  Psyllas  were  present  when  the  clusters 
reached  us,  but  the  appearance  of  the  dead  flowers 
suggested  that  attack. 

BOTTLING  FRUITS  AND  VEGETABLES  (W.  H.  C.).— 
All  vegetables  and  fruits  should  be  gathered  dry.  Peas, 
young  and  freshly  gathered,  should  be  shelled  and  thrown 
into  boiling  water  with  a  little  suet  for  five  minutes. 
Fill  the  bottles  with  Peas,  filling  with  the  water  they  were 
boiled  in.  Put  in  the  steriliser  and  gradually  heat  to  boiling 
point.  Screw  the  cap  down  tightly  when  taken  out.  Treat 
.\sparagu-s  in  the  same  manner.  Cut  the  stalks  to  suit 
the  length  of  the  bottle.  Strawberries  should  be  rather 
under-ripe  and  packed  closely  in  the  bottles.     Fill,  when 


The  Genus  Iris.* — "  A  great  book,  a  great  evil," 
said  the  ancient  Greek,  and  the  little  that  I  can 
detect  of  evil  in  this  fine  addition  to  the  library 
of  the  botanist  and  the  gardener  is  chiefly  con- 
nected with  its  magnitude.  It  refuses  to  enter 
a  shelf  that  comfortably  accommodates  such  fine 
folios  as  Andrews'  "  Heaths "  and  a  tall  copy 
of  the  1768  edition  of  Miller's  "  Gardeners' 
Dictionary,"  being  a  head  taller  than  either.  Even 
where  extra  head  space  has  been  prepared  for 
the  "  Hortus  Elthamensis,"  the  width  of  these 
Iris  portraits  is  such  that  the  door  cannot  shut 
upon  them.  The  magnitude  of  price  exists  only 
so  long  as  the  book  is  regarded  from  its  outside. 
Once  open  its  pages  and  realise  the  labour,  research 
and  voyages  necessary  for  its  completeness  and 
original  authority,  taste  the  delight  of  its  exquisitely 
delicate  and  accurate  illustrations,  and  you  are 
like  the  swimmer  who,  braver  than  the  rest,  first 
plunges  into  the  stream  and  instantly  calls  to  the 
others  looking  at  the  apparently  cold  water, 
"  Come  on  ;  it's  just  lovely."  The  ample  pages 
when  open  provide  the  reader  with  the  possibility 
of  good  clear  type  and  division  under  headings, 
so  well  spaced  that  a  glance  is  sufiicient  to  give 
you  the  one  you  want.  Thus,  after  the  recognised 
name  of  each  species  we  get  references  to  its 
published  descriptions,  and  should  it  be  figured 
as  well,  an  asterisk  points  it  out.  Then  in  order 
follow  a  list  of  synonyms,  distribution,  Latin 
diagnosis,  description  in  English  and  a  final  division 
for  observations.  These  are  in  most  cases  delightful 
records  of  the  author's  personal  experience  in 
visits  to  the  plants'  native  homes,  or  efforts, 
successful  or  otherwise,  to  obtain  living  material ; 
but  especially  noteworthy  and  useful  are  the  many 
thorough  and  practical  notes  on  cultivation. 


net. 


'  The  Genus  Iris."  by  W.  R.  Dykes ;  price  S  guineas 
Cambridge  University  Press. 


These  are,  perhaps,  one  of  the  most  marked 
features  of  this  book.  It  is  so  rare  to  find  a  botanist 
who  can  produce  such  a  systematic  monograph 
and  also  has  the  true  gardener's  enthusiasm  for 
the  beauty  of  the  plant,  and  the  patience  and 
perseverance  that  lead  to  the  discovery  of  the 
individual  idiosyncrasies  of  the  wayward  when 
under  cultivation.  As  an  instance  of  this  I  may 
quote  the  following :  "  There  appear  to  be  two 
main  forms  of  I.  ruthenica  ;  one  has  almost  rigid 
leaves  and  flowers  freely,  while  the  other  has 
flimsy,  largely  prostrate,  foliage.  It  flowers  only 
exceedingly  rarely — at  any  rate  in  the  dry  hot 
soil  of  Surrey,  although  in  moister  and  richer  con- 
ditions, it  is  said  to  flower  well  and  even  to  produce 
a  second  crop  of  flowers  in  the  autumn."  Such  a 
simple  rule  should  banish  the  flaccid-leaved, 
barren  patches  from  all  but  the  gardens  of  the 
students  of  forms.  It  would  be  easy  to  instance 
further  rich  fruits  gathered  from  the  author's 
personal  observations  of  his  plants,  but  space 
will  admit  of  but  three.  By  raising  seedlings  he  has 
proved  that  many  forms  that  breed  true  from  seed 
should  be  regarded  as  Mendelian  recessives,  and  not 
as  subspecies.  He  instances  the  white  forms  of  I. 
tectorum,  I.  sibirica  and  I.  orientalis,  the  crimson  I. 
versicolor  kermesin a,  and  that  form  of  I.  Pseudacorus 
in  which  the  usual  brown  markings  are  absent. 

The  second  discovery  is  so  interesting  and 
useful  that  I  give  the  author's  own  words : 
"  Nature  has  provided  us  with  one  infallible  sign, 
which  will  show  us  whether  an  Iris  is  a  native 
of  a  dry  or  a  wet  soil.  This  vrill  be  seen  if  leaves 
of  I.  Pseudacorus  or  I.  versicolor  are  held  up  to 
the  light  side  by  side  with  a  leaf  of  a  Pogoniris, 
for  instance,  of  I.  germanica.  The  latter  will 
appear  of  a  uniform  green,  but  the  former  will 
show  a  number  of  minute  blackish  spots,  which 
on  microscopical  examination  prove  to  be  due  to 
the  fact  that  at  these  points  the  vertical  channels 
in  the  tissue  of  the  leaves  are  blocked  by  growths 
of  apparently  the  same  structure  as  that  which 
surromids  the  passages.  The  increased  thickness 
of  the  structure  at  these  points  produces  the 
appearance  of  the  black  spots." 

As  another  instance  of  the  value  of  this  book  to  the 
cultivator  of  Irises,  we  may  take  the  notes  on  the 
Califomian  group,  so  beautiful,  yet  so  rarely  seen. 
The  author  tells  us  two  causes  prevent  their  generally 
successful  cultivation — soil  that  is  strong  in  lime, 
and  the  paucity  of  their  root-fibres,  which  makes 
transplantation  uncertain — and  he  gives  most 
useful  hints,  drawn  from  experience,  as  to  the 
methods  by  which  he  has  successfully  raised  them 
from  seed  and  established  them  in  permanent 
quarters.  The  careful  study  of  this  book  would 
greatly  enlarge  the  views  and  collections  of  Iris 
growers.  Too  many  good  gardens  contain  few 
varieties  and  species  other  than  the  florists'  forms 
of  bearded  Irises  so  often  erroneously  classed  as 
"  German  "  Irises,  whose  main  display  is  confined 
to  late  May  and  early  June,  leaving  out  those  that 
would  furnish  blooms  from  the  late  autumn  (I 
always  expect  and  often  get  I.  unguicularis  blooms 
in  the  first  week  of  October)  to  the  middle  of  July, 
when  the  Japanese  Irises  close  the  normal  Iris 
season.  The  Iris  has  been  aptly  termed  the 
"  poor  man's  Orchid,"  but  no  one  who  gardens 
in  the  open  air  should  neglect  this  fine  plant,  and 
henceforward  none  should  be  content  with  less 
than  an  eight  months'  succession  of  Iris  flowers, 
who  can  give  space  and  attention  to  them  and  will 
put  in  practice  the  good  advice  so  richly  stored 
in  this  book,  which  is  beyond  doubt  a  great  one 
for  the  practical  gardener. 


■«>  ^fe^ 


GARDEN. 


^^ 


ZJste:# 


-^^=^*^7?3? 


.*^. 


No.  2171.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


June  28,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week    321 
Correspondence 
Birds     and     truit 

nets      322 

Atusk  without  scent     322 
Worms  on  lawns    . .     323 
Blue-flowered     Hy- 
drangeas    . .      . .     323 
Fortlicoming  events..     323 
ROSE  Garden 
Seasonable  notes  on 

Roses 323 

A   good    crimson 

Rose 323 

CuLTDRiL  Hints  os 
New  and  Bare 
Plants 324 

Flower  Garden 
Primula  cockbumi- 

ana  and  its  hybrids  324 
A  useful  and  liardy 

Pink 325 

Fkcit  Garden 
Seasonable  notes  on 

fruit 325 

(Gardens  op  To-Day 
A  notable  riverside 
garden :      Taplow 
Couit 325 


Greenhouse 
Cannas  in  the  green- 
house and  flower 

garden 327 

Orchid  Notes 

Cymbidiums  . .      . .     327 
New    and    Rare 
Plants 328 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
Chrysanthemums. — 

Practical  hints  on 

work  to  do  now  329 
Cutting    hedges    in 

summer-time  . .  329 
Potting  the  Chimney 

Bellflower  ..      ..     329 

Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      330 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      330 

Some  Good  Things  in 

A  Scottish  G.uiden  331 

Answers  to  Corre- 
spondents 

Flower  garden       . .  331 

Greenhouse     . .      . .  332 

Rose  garden   . .      . .  332 

Fruit  garden  . .      . .  332 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


ILiIiUSTRATIONS. 

A  tent  of  the  lackey  moth  caterpillar 322 

A  beautiful  new  Mock  Orange 323 

A  rock  garden  of  old-world  flowers     324 

South  front  of  Taplow  Court       325 

BoiUter's  Weir        326 

The  famous  Cedar  Walk,  Taplow  Court 326 

Early  summer  in  the  rock  garden  at  Taplow  Court . .  327 

The  new  Trollius  patulus  Bees'  variety      3^8 

Top-dressing  and  disbudding  Chrysanthemums       . .  329 


BDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  icilt  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 

As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  uiuferstood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  ivith. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  tvhich  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publicalion  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covenl  Uardeu,  W.C. 


Next    Year's    Daffodil    Show    in    London. — 

April  21  and  22  are  the  dates  fixed  by  the  Council 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  for  their  Daffodil 
show  next  year.  We  imderstand  that  the  schedule 
of  the  show  will  be  ready  shortly. 

Meconopsis  paniculata. — Like  M.  Wallichii, 
which  in  general  appearance  it  much  resembles, 
this  plant  is  worth  growing  for  its  foliage  alone  ; 
but  when  it  opens  its  pale  lemon  cup-shaped  flowers 
in  June  or  early  Jtily  it  is  doubly  captivating. 
It  is  not  too  late  to  sow  seed  of  it  in  a  cool  frame, 
where  the  plants  should  remain  till  spring. 

Forthcoming  Saxifrage  Conference. — The  Presi- 
dent and  Coimcil  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
have  decided  to  hold  a  Conference  on  Saxifrages 
in  the  spring  or  early  summer  of  1915.  Fuller 
particulars  will  be  issued  in  due  course,  but 
notice  is  given  thus  early  in  order  that  those 
interested  in  this  family  of  plants  may  have  time 
to  prepare  material.  The  Council  will  be  pleased 
to  hear  from  any  willing  to  contribute  a  paper 
at  the  Conference  or  to  take  part  in  any  way. 

A  Beautiful  New  Garden  Rose. — One  of  the 

best  garden  Roses  of  recent  introduction  that  we 
know  is  Lady  Alice  Stanley,  a  Hybrid  Tea  that 
emanated  from  the  Emerald  Isle  in  1909.  This 
Rose  makes  a  fine  spreading  bush,  and  its  glorious 
solitary  flowers  are  produced  on  stout,  erect  stems. 
The  blooms  are  of  silvery  pink  colour,  the  reverse 
of  the  petals  being  deep,  glowing  rose.  This  com- 
bination is  particularly  charming.  The  flowers 
are  large,  fragrant,  and  last  in  good  condition  for 
a  long  time  after  they  are  fully  expanded,  of  which 
stage  they  remind  us  of  refined  Paeonies. 

A  Good  Early  Pea.— One  of  the  best  early 
Peas  that  we  have  ever  grown  is  Early  Mom, 
a  wrinkle-seeded  variety  of  splendid  quality,  with 
excellent  cropping  powers.  Sown  in  the  open  on 
March  8,  the  plants  gave  a  splendid  lot  of  pods 
for  picking  on  the  21st  inst.  This  Pea  has  robust 
haulm  of  about  three  feet  in  height,  and  the  pods 
are  long  and  almost  straight,  the  average  number 
of  Peas  in  each  being  nine.  When  cooked  these 
are  of  a  beautiful  green  tint,  and  the  quality  is 
all  that  one  could  wish.  It  is  a  Pea  to  note  for 
sowing  next  year. 

A  Beautiful  Rock  Rose. — Cistus  Loretii  is  one  of 
the  hardiest  and  best  of  the  numerous  Rock  Roses, 
and  it  is  a  plant  to  include  among  subjects  for  dry, 
sunny  banks.  Of  hybrid  origin,  it  claims  as  parents 
two  showy  species  in  C.  ladaniferus  and  C.  mon- 
speliensis.  Mature  plants  attain  a  height  of  4  feet 
with  a  similar  diameter,  and  are  prominent  through- 
out the  year  by  reason  of  their  dark  green  leaves. 
It  is,  however,  during  early  June  that  they  are  most 
attractive,  for  at  that  time  they  are  covered  with 
showy  flowers.  Each  blossom  is  about  two  and 
a-half  inches  across,  white,  with  a  rich  reddish 
blotch  at  the  base  of  each  petal.     Cuttings  of  young 


shoots  root  readily  during  summer  if  placed  in 
sandy  soil  in  a  close  frame,  while  the  plant  thrives 
in  quite  poor  soil ;  in  fact,  it  is  a  mistake  to  make 
the  ground  very  rich  for  this  or  any  other  Cistus. 

Single   Roses   Flowering  Well.— The   freedom 

with  which  the  Dog  Rose  (Rosa  canina)  is  flower- 
ing in  the  hedgerows  of  our  country  lanes  is  truly 
wonderful.  We  recently  came  across  bushes  of 
this  Rose  smothered  with  bloom  on  a  lakeside 
with  Iris  sibirica  in  full  flower  on  either  side  of  it. 
The  association  of  these  plants  and  the  colours 
produced  were  pleasing  in  the  extreme.  The 
Burnet  or  Scotch  Rose  (R.  spinosissima)  is  likewise 
flowering  with  remarkable  freedom,  while  the 
less  hardy  Cherokee  Rose  (R.  sinica  Anemone)  is 
flowering  in  some  gardens  better  than  it  has  ever 
been  known  to  before. 

The  Prophet  Flower.— This  Oriental  plant  is 
often  met  with  under  the  name  of  .Arnebia  echioides, 
although  it  is  correctly  known  as  Macrotomia 
echioides.  It  belongs  to  the  Natural  Order" 
Boraginaces,  but  it  is  little  like  a  Borage.  The 
peculiarity  of  the  plant  is  seen  in  the  large,  bright 
yellow  flowers,  which  when  first  open  have  a  purple 
maroon  blotch  at  the  base  of  each  of  the  five 
petals.  The  remarkable  thing  is  that  the  blotches, 
which  are  very  conspicuous  in  the  young  flower, 
disappear  as  the  flower  matures.  This  is  a  subject 
worthy  of  a  position  in  the  rock  garden,  for  it  is 
both  attractive  and  interesting.  A  simny  position 
and  a  sandy  loamy  soil  suit  it  admirably. 

Creosote  Fumes  and  Plants. — Last  week  a 
correspondent  wrote  to  say  that  he  had  recently 
had  a  new  greenhouse  built,  and  that  the  wooden 
staging  had  been  treated  with  creosote.  Tomato 
plants  which  had  been  placed  in  the  house  had 
suffered  considerably,  the  leaves  having  curled  up 
in  an  alarming  manner.  .Apparently  it  is  not 
generally  known  that  the  fumes  of  creosote,  which 
are  very  penetrating,  are  injurious  to  plant-life, 
particularly  in  the  confined  atmosphere  of  a  green- 
house. Wood  that  has  been  recently  treated 
with  this  preservative  ought  to  be  kept  away  from 
plants  of  all  kinds,  though  after  several  months 
its  injurious  properties  appear  to  pass  away. 

Anchusa  italica  Dropmore  Variety. — One  of 
the  most  conspicuous  herbaceous  plants  in  flower 
at  Kew  early  in  Jime  was  this  beautiful  variety 
of  the  Italian  Alkanet.  It  was  planted  about  the 
grounds  in  large  groups  in  several  situations, 
notably  near  the  T  Range  and  Palm  House,  and 
beside  the  Lake  in  the  Arboretum.  Possibly 
it  was  seen  to  the  best  advantage  in  the  latter 
place,  for,  looking  across  the  lake,  in  addition  to 
the  mass  of  blue  on  the  bank  there  was  the  colour 
reflected  in  the  water  with  a  background  of  dark 
foliage  trees.  It  is  quite  an  easy  plant  to  cultivate, 
and  a  stock  of  plants  may  be  raised  quickly  by 
making  cuttings  of  the  stronger  roots  during  spring 
or  summer.  Good  loamy  soil  provides  a  suitable 
rooting  medium,  and  a  surface-dressing  of  manure 
in  spring  serves  to  keep  the  plants  in  good  health. 


322 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  28,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{Thf    Editor    is    not    responsible    for  the    opinions 
express'ed  by  correspondents.) 


Birds  and  Fruit-Nets. — Will  you  allow  me  to 
suggist  to  the  bird-lovers  among  your  readers 
that  during  the  summer  season  they  should  make 
a  point  of  periodically  visiting  their  fruit-nets  ? 
and  so  ensure  against  such  of  our  little  songsters 
who  may  have  been  caught  there  dying  a  slow 
death  by  hunger  and  thirst.  It  is  quite  a  common 
thing  to  find  the  dead  body  of  a  bird  entangled 
in  the  meshes  of  a  Strawberry-net,  and  one  does 
not  like  to  think  of  the  lingering  death  by  which 
the  little  thief  has  atoned  for  his  very  natural 
greediness. — Z. 

Gloxinias  for  a  Cool  Greenhouse. — The  writer 

of  a  note  on  this  subject  in  "  Notes  of  the  Week," 
issue  June  14,  is  quite  right  when  he  says  that 
the  tendency  is  to  regard  these  plants  as  stove 
subjects.  One  of  the  best  batches  of  plants  I 
ever  saw  was  grown  in  a  cold  frame  during  the 
summer  months,  in  fine  weather  being  fully  exposed, 
as  the  lights  were  removed,  and  only  taken  to  a  cool 
greenhouse  as  the  flowers  developed.  It  was  an 
experiment  growing  the  plants  so,  occasioned  by 
want  of  room,  but  quite  a  successful  one.  All  the 
flower-stems  were  strong  and  upright,  and  the 
leaves  thick  and  leathery,  whereas  many  flowers 
grown  on  plants  in  hot  stoves  have  to  be  supported. 
— G.  G. 

Musk  Without  Scent. — 1  read  in  a  note  in 
The  Garden  of  last  week  that  you  notice  how 
scentless  Musk  has  become.  I  believe  I  am  right 
in  saying  that  in  England  it  has  had  no  scent  for 
the  last  five  years  or  so.  I  have  noticed  this  lack 
of  scent  in  Devon,  Hants,  Worcestershire  and 
various  Midland  Counties,  and  have  been  told  of 
it  by  many  friends  living  elsewhere.  It  occurred 
to  me  that  perhaps  the  plant  has  acquired  the 
habit  of  self-fertilisation.  Should  this  be  the 
case,  its  protoplasts  would  naturally  leave  off 
producing  a  volatile  oil  to  attract  insects.  For 
the  last  three  years  I  have  watched  Musk  plants 
with  interest  in  the  counties  I  have  named,  and 
have  never  seen  them  visited  by  insects.  Can 
this  be  the  solution  ? — Victoria  Slade. 

The  Long-Spurred  Columbines. — I  can  very 
fully  bear  out  all  that  is  advanced  in  favour  of  these 
plants  in  "  Notes  of  the  Week,"  issue  June  14. 
For  more  than  ten  years  I  had  charge  of  a  garden 
in  which  the  Columbine  was  a  favourite  plant, 
and  during  that  period  there  was  a  large  border, 
about  ten  feet  wid«  and  sixty  feet  long,  filled  with 
them,  besides  clumps  growing  in  the  herbaceous 
borders.  For  many  years  previous  to  my  charge 
the  Columbines  had  been  growing  in  the  same 
border.  I  never  dug  up  the  clumps  nor  the  border 
soil,  all  the  attention  given  being  confined  to  an 
annual  surface  mulch  of  rotted  manure  and  loam 
in  equal  quantities,  mixed.  The  original  soil 
was  of  too  light  a  nature  to  admit  of  the  addition 
of  leaf-soil.  Every  year  seedlings  appeared  and, 
in  due  course,  produced  flowers  of  very  beautiful 
colours.  Perhaps  the  plants  deserved  better 
treatment,  but  they  did  remarkably  well.  The 
flowers  were  charming  in  vases. — G.  G. 

The  Lackey  Moth  Caterpillar.— If  one  looks  at 
the  Hawthorn  hedges  about  May  or  June  one  cannot 
fail  to  notice  cobweb-like  structures  which  cover 
many  of  the  shoots,  and  also  that  these  branches 
are  practically  destitute  of  leaves.  The  smaller 
of   these    tents    belong    to     the     caterpillar   of   the 


ernune  moth,  while  the  larger  kinds  belong  to  that 
of  the  lackey  moth.  Both  these,  especially  the 
latter,  are  also  troublesome  as  regards  Apple, 
Plum  and  other  fruit  trees.  The  illustration  shows 
a  typical,  well-developed  tent  of  the  caterpillar 
of  the  lackey  moth,  taken  from  an  Apple  tree.  It 
was  about  nine  inches  in  length  and  remarkably 
strong.  On  studying  the  life-history  of  this  pest 
we  find  that  the  moth  lays  its  eggs  on  the  young 
shoots  of  the  trees  in  autumn  in  rings,  and  the 
number  of  eggs  varies  from  forty  to  two  hundred. 
They  are  greyish  in  colour,  and  are  rather  difficult 
to  discern  against  the  brown  of  the  bark  unless 
the  tree  is  small.  These  eggs  withstand  all  the 
rigours  of  winter,  and  hatch  out  towards  the  end 
of  April.  The  young  caterpillars  are  black  with 
two  yellow  lines  down  the  back,  and  we  notice  that 
they  soon  commence  spinning  a  web  so  as  to  enclose 
a  few  leaves,  on  which  they  feed.  As  they  grow, 
so  the  tent  grows,  and  when  they  are  about  half 


A  TENT  01"  LACKEY  MOTH  CATERPILLARS. 
THESE  DO  CONSIDERABLE  DAMAGE  TO 
APPLE    AND    PLUM    TREES. 

an  inch  long  they  begin  to  spread  about  the  tree, 
devouring  the  leaves,  making  a  point,  however, 
of  always  returning  to  the  tent  in  the  evening. 
On  dull  and  wet  days  they  remain  in  the  tent. 
The  full-grown  caterpillar  is  about  one  and  a-half 
inches  long,  and  is  rather  gaudily  coloured,  having 
a  ground  colour  of  bluish  grey  with  red  and  yellow 
stripes.  About  the  middle  of  June  the  chrysalis 
is  formed  inside  a  silky  cocoon,  the  outside  of  which 
is  covered  with  a  yellow  powder.  This  cocoon  is 
either  suspended  from  a  leaf  or  enclosed  between  two 
leaves.  The  moth  usually  appears  in  July  and  August 
and  deposits  its  eggs,  and  so  the  trouble  goes  on. 
From  this  brief  study  of  the  life-history  we  see  that 
the  best  means  of  destroying  them  (always,  of  course, 
presuming  that  it  is  in  the  majority  of  cases  im- 
possible to  see  the  eggs)  is  to  remove  the  tents 
in  the  evening  or  on  a  showery  day,  as  at  these 
times  one  could  be  practically  certain  that  all  the 
caterpillars  would  be  caught. — H.  Buckton, 
Donington,  near  Spalding. 

The  Dwar{  Mock  Oranges. — I  was  pleased  to 
see  the  note  on  these  charming  shrubs  on  page  ^og 
of  last  week's  issue.     I  grow  them   near   the  doors 


and  windows  of  the  house,  whtre  the  large  kinds 
would  take  up  too  much  room,  and  their  fragrance 
is  delightful.  The  hint  to  cut  out  old  wood  after 
flowering  is  a  useful  one  that  I  hope  to  act  upon. 
— A.  B.  Essex. 

A  Glorious  Garden  Pink. — Referring  to  your 
paragraph  in  "  Notes  of  the  Week"  in  last  week's 
issue  of  The  Garden  regarding  Pink  Gloriosa, 
last  year  I  successfully  layered  about  five 
hundred  of  this,  as  you  truly  state,  glorious 
Pink  ;  but  my  experience  is  that  the  plant  un- 
doubtedly requires  protection  in  the  winter.  My 
plants  were  duly  planted  out  on  a  warm  border, 
and  had  last  winter  been  a  severe  one,  I  should 
certainly  have  lost  the  whole  of  my  stock.  At 
the  present  time  the  plants  are  just  recovering, 
and  have  flowered  fairly  freely,  but  mostly  with 
very  short  stems.  I  may  state  they  are  growing 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Richmond.  After  layering 
this  season  I  intend  planting  them  out  in  cold 
frames  for  the  winter,  and  then  plant  out  in  early 
spring.  I  should  be  glad  to  hear  other  growers' 
experiences  and  opinions  on  this  lovely  new  plant. — 
C.  A.  G.  [The  plants  we  have  are  growing  in  a 
warm  border  by  the  house,  but  facing  east.  This 
is  in  Essex.  They  have  withstood  two  winters 
without  protection. — Ed.] 

Silver-Leaf  Disease  in  Apple  Trees. — I  have 
noticed  the  increase  of  this  disease  in  fruit  trees 
more  than  ever  this  year.  Is  it  not  a  fact,  though, 
that  this  is  so  following  a  wet  season  ?  The 
disease,  unfortunately,  is  not  now  confined  to 
Plum  trees,  but  is  attacking  Apple  trees  also. 
Last  year  I  found  two  trees  of  Norfolk  Beauty 
which  had  been  grafted  on  to  Warner's  King  five 
years  previously,  affected.  Extra  strong  growth 
followed  the  grafting.  The  cause  of  this  disease 
attacking  these  particular  trees  is  very  puzzlmg, 
as  there  are  many  more  of  the  same  variety 
adjoining  which  are  at  present  quite  healthy, 
and  no  Plum  trees  anywhere  near.  I  notice, 
too,  that  more  Plum  trees  are  attacked  this  year 
than  is  common.  The  variety  Victoria,  as  is 
generally  known,  is  the  one  that  suffers  the 
most  from  this  disease.  In  one  large  fruit  garden 
not  far  away  it  is  no  imcommon  thing  for  the  pro- 
prietor to  be  compelled  to  replant  as  many  as 
200  trees  of  Victoria  alone  in  one  season  owing 
to  silver-leaf  disease.  This  is  a  serious  matter. 
In  a  cottager's  garden  near  here  I  note  a 
large  tree  of  Plum  Belle  de  Louvain,  which  bore 
a  huge  crop  last  year,  is  this  year  showing  signs 
of  silver-leaf  disease.  Has  the  weight  of  fruit  borne 
on  the  trees,  followed  by  a  wet  autumn  in  which 
maturation  cannot  be  so  perfect,  anything  to  do 
with  the  progress  and  increase  of  the  disease  ? 
In  connection  with  the  disease  of  the  two  Apple 
trees  alluded  to  previously,  I  have  treated 
one  of  the  trees  with  sulphate  of  iron  in  the  hope 
of  arresting  the  disease,  and  also  ridding 
the  trees  entirely  of  it.  We  are  continually 
being  told  that  there  is  no  cure  for  silver- 
leaf  ;  only  dig  up  and  burn  the  trees  I  From  the 
appearance  of  the  Apple  tree  thus  treated  I  am  in 
hopes  of  saving  it,  and  if  this  is  an  assured 
fact,  why  should  not  the  same  happen  to  Plum 
trees  so  affected  ?  I  herewith  send  portions  of 
the  two  trees,  one  showing  the  effect  of  treatment 
as  compared  with  the  untreated  tree.  —  E. 
MoLYNEUx,  Swanmore  Park,  Hants.  [The  point 
raised  by  our  correspondent  is  a  most  interesting 
one.  The  Apple  shoots  from  the  treated  tree  are 
robust  and  only  show  slight  traces  of  silver-leaf, 
while  those  from  the  untreated  tree  are  weak 
and  badly  infested. — Ed.] 


Iunl:  2S,  19I;;. 


THE    GARDEN. 


32ii 


Worms  on  Lawns. — 1  wus  nuich  interested  in 
A[r.  Eiigleheait's  comments  re  worms  in  your  issue 
111  June  7.  I  am  compelled  to  say  that  ^fter  a 
long  and  close  acquaintance  with  the  e^ect  ot 
unrms  on  the  soil  generally,  iuid  on  lawns  especially, 
I  was  not  a  little  dismayed  to  read  the  Editor's 
note  at  the  foot.  I  presume  the  good  influence  of 
worms  on  cultivated  soil  is  generally  acknowledged  ; 
it  certainly  ought  to  be  with  reference  to  lawns, 
liiigland,  1  lielicve,  the  world  over  is  noted  for 
licr  garden  lawns,  and  obviously  this  applies 
more  to  lawns  made  anytliing  from  fifty  to  two 
hundred  years  ago  than  to  those  of  the  last  ten 
years.  T  suggest  that  the  discerning  care  which 
made  these  fine  examples  did  not  include  methods 
for  the  destruction  of  the  worms  ;  also  that  the 
lawn  men  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  them 
\\ork(d  in  consonance  with  their  coadjutors,  the 
worms,  and  not  for  their  destruction.  This,  then, 
is  what  slionld  be  practised  in  these  (lays  where 
.1  line  lawn  is  desired,  even  for  games.  It  was  very 
i;ratifying  to  read  in  .Mr.  Kngleheart's  note  that  "  it 
IS  probably  an  impossibility  to  really  exterminate 
the  worms  on  a  grass  plot  of  any  size."  Would 
that  it  were  on  the  smallcif  ! — E.  J.  Platt. 
Blue-Flowered    Hydrangeas.  —  .-V 

query  that  crops  up  with  uniform 
regularity  is  how  to  induce  Hydrangeas 
to  give  blue  flowers.  Various  sugges- 
tions as  to  the  cause  thereof  have 
been  made,  it  being  usually  attributed 
to  the  presence  of  iron  in  the  soil.  By 
watering  with  alum  water,  or  by  mix- 
ing iron  in  some  shape  or  other  with 
the  potting  compost,  good  results  are 
sometimes  obtained,  but  failures  are 
by  no  means  infrequent.  There  are, 
however,  two  prepai^ations  now  on  the 
market,  bearing  the  "  bluey  "  names  ' 

of    Azure    and    Cyanol,   that   can   be 
relied   upon    to    produce    the    desired 
blue  tint.     Azure  is  brought  out   by 
Messrs.  William  Cutbush  and  Son  of 
Highgate,   and  their  exhibit    of    blue 
Hydrangeas    at     the     Chelsea    Show 
stood  out  as  an   undoubted   proof   of 
its  efficacy.     At  the  same  time  Messrs. 
Cutbush    said    that     some    varieties 
acquire    this     blue     tint    in    a    more 
pronounced      manner      than     others. 
Naturally,     it      is      of     a     bright      rose      colour, 
but    readily   changes    to    blue.       The    second    to 
mention,    Cyanol,    is,    I     believe,    a     Continental 
preparation,    but    which    can    be    obtained   from 
some    of     the     horticultural     sundriesraen.       The 
users  of  this  preparation  are  reminded  that  water 
and  soil  must  be  free  from  chalk,  that  rain-water 
is  preferable'  and  that   no   artificial  manure  must 
be  applied. — H.  P. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


A 


SEASONABLE     NOTES    ON     ROSES. 

S  I  write  we  have  been  experiencing  anotiier 
spellof  weather  that  is  quite  unsuitable 
to  Roses.  The  warmer  showers  of  a  few 
days  previous  were  very  useful  in 
cleansing  young  growths  from  the  very 
serious  attack  of  insect  foes  which  came 
on  during  the  prevalence  of  east  and  north-easterly 
winds  ;  but  now  (June  10)  it  is  quite  cold,  and  the 
growths  are  being  battered  and  bruised  by  a  half 
gale  from  the  south-west.  On  the  mornings  of  the 
8th  and  gfh  inst.  we  had  quite  sharp  white  frosts 
here — East  Sussex — and  not  a  few  of  the  more 
tender  varieties  already  show  the  effects  of  these, 
so  that,  taken  altogether,  our  prospects  are  not  so 
rosy  as  a  short  time  back.  The  sudden  and 
extreme  changes  have  had  a  disastrous  effect  upon 


is  drawn  up  to  the  stocks,  similar  to  the  earthing 
up  of  Potatoes,  we  shall  find  the  bark  in  a  desirable 
I  condition  when  the  earth  is  removed  just  previous 
to  inserting  the  bud.  Upon  standard  Briars  also 
the  number  of  shoulder  shoots  should  be  limited 
to  two  or  three,  leaving  these  at  the  most  desirable 
lieight.  If  these  breaks  can  be  left  at  a  triangle, 
or  almost  opposite  one  another  in  the  case  of  only 
two,  a  much  better  head  of  Rose  growth  is  likely 
to  be  secured.  The  full  operation  of  budding  may 
occupy  some  later  notes  at  a  more  seasonable  time  ; 
but  I  may  say  that  any  interference  with  growth 
at  the  time  of  budding  is  apt  to  check  the  flow  of 
sap  and  so  hhider  a  quick  junction.  A,    P. 


A     GOOD     CRIMSON     ROSE. 

During  the  present  season  I  have  had  some  remark- 
al>ly  line  blooms  of  Couunander  Jules  Gravereaux,  a 
Rose  that  has  escaped    the  notice  of  a  good  many 
many  wall  Knscs  here  (Uckfield)  that  were  rapidly  j  readers,  for  I  do  not  remenrber  seeing  it  mentioned. 


coming  into  full  flower  and  were  promising.  During 
the  spell  of  heat  ui  the  first  week  of  the  month 
great  help  was  afi'orded  our  wall  Roses  by  the  free 
use  of  the  syringe  and  water  minus  any  insecticide. 


Its  fine  glowing  scarlet-crimson  blooms  make  a 
splendid  show,  and,  unlike  many  of  the  Hybrid 
Perpetual  Roses,  its  growth  is  nicely  spreading. 
Tile    flowers    are    rather    semi-double ;     certamly 


A   BEAUTIFUL   NEW   MOCK   ORANGE,  PHILADELPHUS   NORMA.     {About  one-half  natural  size.     See  page  328,) 


FORTHCOMINCr     EVENTS. 

July  r. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Summer 
Sliow  at  Holland  House  (three  days).  Rose  Shows 
.11  Sutton  and  Epsom,  Scottisli  Horticultural 
.Association's  Meeting,  Royal  Agricultural  Society 
of  England  Show  at  Bristol  (five  da>'s), 

July  2, — Hanley  Floral  1-etc  (two  days).  Flower 
Sliows  at  Penarth,  King's  Lynn,  Gosport,  .Alver- 
slcike  and  Colchester, 

July  3, — Flower  Show  at  Ipswich. 

July  4, — National  Rose  Society's  Sliow  at 
Regent's  Park. 

July  5. — Flower  Show  at  Ihornton  Heath. 
Society  Frangaise  d'Horticulture  de  londres 
Meeting. 


This  was  applied  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  sun 
had  lost  its  burning  power,  and  again  a  little  before 
simset.  Where  this  slight  trouble  was  taken,  the 
difference  was  remarkable,  and  I  can  recommend 
it  during  spells  of  warm  weather.  It  acts 
as  a  cleanser,  and  is  also  a  grand  preventive 
of  severe  attacks  of  black  thrip  and  red  spider, 
so  injurious  to  Roses  when  upon  an  extra  dry  wall. 
The  winds  must  have  played  havoc  with 
maiden  Roses  not  properly  secured,  more  especially 
those  upon  standards.  Early  measures  in  this 
direction  give  us  a  number  of  sticks  that  are  very 
useful,  even  before  the  young  growths  are  sufficiently 
long  to  be  tied  the  second  time.  Our  own  were 
earthed  up  early,  and  the  varieties  more  susceptible 
to  breaking  out  struck  first.  Some  few  Roses  seem 
to  break  out  at  the  very  least  pressure,  while  others, 
making  a  better  union  with  the  stock  from  the  first, 
will  resist  quite  a  strong  wind  if  earthed  up  and 
headed. 


they  are  not  at  all  full,  and  the  huge  petals  are 
curiously  indented  at  the  edges,  which  remind  one 
of  a  big  almost  single  Paony.  This  Rose  would 
make  a  fine  bedder,  as  every  shoot  will  bloom. 
It  will  throw  up  very  rigid  growths  about  three 
feet  in  height,  and  these  are  crowned  with  flower- 
buds.  The  fragrance  is  very  sweet,  just  of  the 
old  Rose  scent  we  admire  so  much.  It  is  rather 
strange  that  this  is  so,  seeing  that  the  Rose  was 
raised  from  Frau  Karl  Druschki  crossed  with 
Cramoisie  Superieure,  both  scentless  kinds ;  but 
the  writer  has  a  seedling  of  Frau  Karl  Druschki 
deliciously  sweet.  In  this  case  a  fragrant  Hybrid 
Tea  was  employed  as  pollen  parent. 

I  am  certain  we  shall  soon  have  quite  a  number 
of  Frau  Karl  Druschki  seedlings,  and  if  they  are 
as  beautiful  as  Commander  Jules  Gravereaux 
and  Nathalie  Bottner,  the  so-called  yellow  Frau 
Karl  Druschki,  they  will  be  most  welcome.  I  had 
this  latter  growing  close  by  the  new  Alexander  Hill 


Next  month  should  find  us  busy  with  budding,  |  Gray,  and  some  visitors  thought  Nathalie  Bottner 
and  a  little  preparation  of  the  stocks  is  advisable.  I  the  more  beautiful  of  the  two,  as  the  flowers  were 
For  example,  it  will  be  found  a  great  help  in  lifting  i  produced  on  erect  growths  and  were  of  beautiful 
the  bark  of  dwarf  stocks  if  that  portion  of  the  stem  j  shape  and  fulness,  reminding  one  somewhat  of  a 
is  moist  and  soft.      If  some  of  the  surrounding  soil    very  fine  Mme,  Hoste.  Danecroft, 


324 


THE     GARDEN. 


I  June  zS,  itji^ 


CULTURAL    HINTS  ON    NEW 
AND   RARE   PLANTS. 


(Continued  from  page  2S8.) 
HARDY  PLANTS. 
Primula  littoniana. — Perhaps  ol  all  the  marvels 
of  the  modern  Primula  world  this  is  the  greatest — 
unique  in  design  and  in  effect.  Much  of  the  latter 
is  due  to  the  glowing  red  colour  of  the  bracts  and 
calyces,  in  contrast  with  the  purplish  colour  of  the 
flowers.  The  latter  are  closely  arranged  in 
cylindrical  spikes  of  2  feet  high,  and  from  the 
earliest  days  of  their  expanding  are  in  sharp  con- 
trast  with  the  rich  red  of  the   tips  of  the  spikes. 


a  plant  of  greater  freedom  of  flowering  and  finer 
stature  would  probably  have  become  the  most 
popular  of  its  race.  As  it  is,  it  is  indispensable 
for  its  colour.  It  is  of  easy  culture  in  moist  peat 
and  loam,  and  seeds  abundantly.  Seedlings 
should  be  raised  freely,  therefore,  and  planted 
in  sheltered  groups  in  the  rock  garden. 

TREES  AND  SHRUBS. 
Salix  magnifica. — This  is  perhaps  the  most 
remarkable  of  all  Willows,  for  it  bears  handsome 
oval  leaves  up  to  8  inches  in  length  and  4  inches 
across,  the  male  catkins  being  over  six  inches 
long  and  the  female  catkins  nearly  a  foot  in  length. 
A  native  of  China,  it  has  recently  been  introduced 


A     ROCK     GARDEN    OI'     OLD-WORLD    ILOWERb         {See  page  326.) 


This  remarkable  plant,  from  the  moimtains  of 
Western  China,  revels  in  rich,  moist  loam  and 
partial  shade.  Easily  raised  from  seeds.  Sow 
when  ripe. 

Saxifraga  Borisii. — Among  the  more  recent 
introductions,  this  handsome  yellow-flowered  hybrid 
— said  to  have  originated  from  the  crossing  of 
S.  marginata  with  S.  Ferdinand!  -  Coburgi  — 
is  full  of  promise.  The  habit  of  growth  and  fine 
vigour  are  strongly  reminiscent  of  S.  marginata, 
the  glistening  yellow  flowers  on  3-inch-high 
peduncles  (stems)  much  larger  than  in  either  parent. 
The  peduncles  are  usually  three  to  five  flowered. 
The  plant  delights  in  chalky  loam  and  compara- 
tively dry,  rather  sheltered  places  in  the  rock 
garden.  Increase  by  careful  division  immediately 
after  flowering. 

Saxifraga  decipiens  batlioniensis. — One  of  the 
best,  perhaps  the  best,  of  the  red  Mossy  Saxi- 
frages. There  are  some  who  have  a  strong  liking 
for  S.  Clibranii,  though  the  flowers  of  the  first 
named  are  larger.  In  cool  places  not  far  removed 
from  thin  shade,  the  crimson-red  colour  is  longer 
retained.  Increase  by  division  after  flowering. 
Seedlings  come  up  quite  freely  around  the  estab- 
lished plants.  All  these  red-flowered  sorts  make 
capital  plants  for  edgings. 

Primula  cocliburniana. — The  glorious  orange 
scarlet  uf  the  flowers  'jf  this  plant  is  unique,  and  in 


golden  flowers,  which  sometimes  exceed  lour  inches 
in  length.  It  is  adapted  for  planting  against  a 
trellis  or  summer-house,  but  appears  to  be  more 
suitable  for  a  moderately  damp  climate  than  for 
a  dry  situation.  Like  other  Honeysuckles,  it 
requires  good  loarny  soil  and  may  be  increased 
bv  meaiis  of  cuttings. 

Philadelphus    purpureo-maculatus.  —  -\bout 

hall-a-dozen  years  have  elapsed  smce  this  plant, 
which  is  of  hybrid  origin,  made  its  appearance . 
It  belongs  to  the  dwarf-growing  group  of  the  family, 
of  which  the  most  familiar  example  is  P.  Lemoinei. 
Purpureo-maculatus  differs  from  other  kinds  by 
reason  of  its  white,  fragrant  flowers  having  a  con- 
spicuous purple  blotch  at  the  base  of  each  petal 
It  must  be  given  good  loamy  soil,  and  after  the 
flowers  have  faded  all  the  old  flowering  wood 
should  be  cut  away,  leaving  as  many  vigorous 
yomig  shoots  as  p<jssible.  Cuttings  tif  young 
shoots  root  well  in  July. 

Hydrangea  Sargentii  created  considerable 
(urinsiiy  .Ll  till-  reitiit  Chelsea  Show,  and  an 
illustration  of  the  plant  appeared  in  the  Exhibition 
Number  of  The  Garden,  Its  chief  attraction  is 
centred  in  its  large  and  decorative  leaves,  which 
are  sometimes  a  foot  long  and  8  inches  or  more 
wide.  The  flowers  are  in  large  heads,  a  consider- 
able number  of  small,  fertile  blossoms  being 
accompanied  by  a  few  large,  sterile  blooms.  From 
what  can  be  ascertained  as  to  its  requirements 
up  to  the  present,  it  appears  more  suitable  for 
the  South  -  Western  Counties  than  for  general 
cultivation. 


to  this  country  via.  the  Arnold  Arboretum.  Like 
other  Willows,  it  thrives  in  moist  ground,  but  it 
is  probable  that  it  will  require  to  be  grown  in 
cultivated  ground  if  the  best  results  are  to  be 
obtained. 

Styrax  WilSOnii  is  a  worthy  addition  to  a  genus 
containing  a  number  of  choice  species.  Forming 
a  slender-branched  bush,  it  bears  drooping  white 
flowers  from  the  leaf-axils  during  June.  Like 
the  other  species,  it  thrives  in  well-drained,  loamy 
soil,  but  appreciates  a  little  peat  about  the  roots 
at  planting-time.  A  moderately  open  position 
is  desirable.  Propagation  may  be  effected  by 
seeds  or  layers. 

Fothergilla  major,  a  decorativ.-  shrub  aUied 
to  the  Hamamilis,  was  introduced  from  America 
about  a  dozen  years  ago.  Of  fairly  vigorous, 
upright  growth,  it  bears  large,  oval  leaves,  which 
turn  yellow  previous  to  falling,  and  conspicuous, 
upright  inflorescences  of  white  flowers.  The 
flowering-time  is  May.  The  best  rooting  medium 
is  light  loam  moderately  free  from  lime,  into  which 
a  little  peat  has  been  dug.  Moist  ground  and  a 
little  shade  are  preferable  t(j  a  dry  and  sunny 
position.  Cuttings  of  halt-ripe  wood  root  readily 
if  inserted  in  sandy  soil  iu  a  close  case  during 
July. 

Lonicera  tragophylla  is  a  climbing  Honey- 
snrklc  from  China,  remarkable  for  its  long,  tubular. 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PRIMULA   GOGKBURNIANA  AND   ITS 
HYBRIDS. 

THERE  has  been  an  interesting  discussion 
in  The  Garden  as  to  whether  this  good 
Primula  is  biennial  or  perennial  ;  but 
with  a  plant  that  seeds  so  freely  as  P. 
cockburniiina  I  think  this  point  is  not  so 
important  as  some  would  have  us  believe. 
The  most  important  point,  however,  is  the  part  it 
has  played  and  will  play  in  the  production  of  highly- 
coloured  hybrids,  and  it  would  be  useful  to  many 
readers  of  The  Garden  if  others  would  kindly  write 
and  say  what  they  have  attempted  and  the  results 
obtained.  It  crosses  freely  with  P.  pulverulenta, 
which  gave  P.  Unique  and  Lissadell  Hybrid,  the 
former,  according  to  the  laws  of  nomenclature, 
being  the  proper  name.  Now  we  have  another 
fine  acquisition  in  P.  Excelsior  (P.  Unique  x 
P.  cockburniana),  which  is  three  parts  of  the  latter 
and  one  part  of  P.  pulverulenta,  although  from  the 
Mendelian  standpoint  this  may  not  be  strictly 
correct.  It  is  a  brilliant  crimson-scarlet,  a  perennial 
and  hardy,  and  when  shown  before  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  on  June  3  last  received  a 
unanimous  award  of  merit.  P.  Excelsior  was 
raised  by  Mr.  T.  W.  Briscoe  at  Messrs.  Veitch's 
Langley  Nursery,  and  for  further  proof  regard- 
ing its  perennial  character  it  may  be  added 
that  all  the  stock  has  been  worked  up  from 
a  single  specimen.  The  flowers  are  thrum- 
eyed,  and  are  produced  in  tiers  or  whorls  as 
in  P.  pulverulenta.  Those  on  the  examples 
shown  averaged  between  four  and  six.  So 
far  as  colour  is  concerned,  P.  Excelsior  occupies 
a  high  position  among  hardy  Primulas,  and 
will,  no  doubt,  be  eagerly  sought  lor  by  hardy 
plantsmen. 


tfN'K    iS.   IQI. 


nil'     (,ARDEN. 


325 


A     USEFUL     AND     HARDY     PINK. 

Thlrf  arf  nianv  ainatpur>  whn  .ur  iin.iblr  to 
ernw  the  Carnation  and  PirolPC.  but  Pink-5, 
.specially  the  white  Mrs.  Sinkins,  readily  adapt 
themselves  to  almost  any  position  in  the  ordinary 
garden.  There  are  other  kinds  in  cultivation, 
hut  the  one  quoted  is  probably  the  best  for  general 
purposes.  It  is  white  and  delightfully  fragrant. 
I'inks  are  occasionally  employed  as  an  edging  to 
tlie  flower  border,  where  they  look  very  effective,  and 
1  few  clumps  dotted  here  and  there  among  other 
plants  are  also  appreciated,  while  for  cutting  pur- 
poses they  have  few  equals.  Soon  after  the  plants 
pass  the  flowering  stage  propagation  may  ci>mmence 
If  it  is  desired  to  increase  the  stock,  and  even  where 
this  is  not  necessary  it  is  advisable  to  work  up 
1  few  young  plants  at  intervals  of  two  or  three 
years,  because  from  these  the  finest  flowers  are 
procured. 

Propagation  is  effected  by  pipings,  which  are 
the  growths  at  the  base  of  the  old  flower-stems. 
These  are  slipped  off,  and  may  be  inserted  either 
in  the  open  ground  or  in  a  garden  frame  or  hand- 
light  ;  but  if  the  latter  method  is  chosen,  the  lights 
must  not  be  kept  too  close,  or  the  plants  will,  no 
doubt,  damp  off.  Before  beginning  operations  the 
..oil  should  be  made  fairly  fine,  when  the  pipings 
'  .111  be  inserted  with  the  linger,  pressed  firmly, 
and  watered  in  with  a  fine-rosed  water-pot.  Choose, 
if  possible,  a  dull,  cloudy  day,  and  if  not  placed 
in  their  permanent  quarters,  select  a  shady  part 
of  the  garden.  If  kept  moist  for  a  few  weeks, 
they  will  soon  emit  roots,  and  may  be  transplaTited 
to  any  position  in  October.  S. 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE     NOTES     ON     FRUIT. 

Strawberry  Propagation. — Those  who  desire 
to  produce  the  finest  crop.;  of  Strawberries,  irrespec- 
tive of  whether  the  plants  arc  to  be  fruited  in  pots 
or  in  the  open  garden,  make  it  a  rule  to  commence 
propagation  early.  .\nd  they  are  wise  in  their 
generation.  It  is  also  excellent  practice,  though 
It  cannot  always  be  adopted,  to  secure  runners 
from  plants  which  have  flowered  but  have  not  been 
permitted  to  carry  their  crops.  The  object  of 
this  is  to  ensure  the  finest  possible  runners  at  the 
earhest  possible  date.  Generally,  the  first  runner 
on  a  strig  is  the  best,  but  sometimes  the  second 
one  is  superior,  in  which  event  it  should  be 
selected,  but  it  is  not  desirable  that  more  than  one 
on  a  strig  shall  be  taken,  except  under  compulsion. 
When  pegging  down  is  done  in  the  alleys,  an 
abundance  of  refuse  manure  or  sweet  leaf-soil 
ought  to  be  incorporated  with  the  ordinary  soil, 
as  the  young  roots  will  cling  to  it  and  enable  the 
plants  to  be  moved  with  a  ball  when  the  crucial 
time  comes.  Preference  should,  however,  be 
"iven  to  layering  into  plunged  pots  or  squares  of 
turf  inserted  grass  side  downwards,  more  par- 
ticularly when  the  plants  are  wanted  for  culture 
in  pots.  It  will  be  necessary,  in  any  event,  to 
apply  water  in  dry  weather,  or  satisfactory  roots 
will  not  be  formed. 

Thinning. — The  thinning  of  crops  cannot  be 
put  in  hand  too  early  after  it  is  once  clearly  seen 
which  fruits  are  naturally  taking  the  lead  in  swell- 
ing. Neglect  of  thinning  spells  small  fruits, 
hut  it  has  the  still  more  disastrous  effect  of 
prejudicing  the  crop  in  the  succeeding  season  ; 
in  fact,  when  a  tree  is  overcropped  in  the  early 
stages,    it    is   often    thrown    into    that    abnormal  I 


condition  which  spells  a  crop  in  alternate  years, 
whereas,  when  rational  methods  prevail,  there  is 
fruit  in  all  seasons,  provided  that  nothing,  such  as 
bad  weather,  over  which  the  grower  has  no  control, 
comes  along. 

Pincliing   Gooseberries  and  Currants.— When 

these  valuable  Iruits  are  in  excellent  health,  they 
produce  an  immense  number  of  summer  shoots, 
and  it  behoves  the  cultivator  to  reduce  them  with 
a  free  hand.  They  deprive  the  swelling  crops 
of  the  light  and  air  which  they  demand  to  enable 
them  to  put  on  perfect  colour  and  develop  the 
finest  flavour,  and  they  rob  the  buds  at  the  base 
of  the  spurs  of  the  same  essentials  to  proper 
progress.  The  initial  pinching  is  generally  to  about 
six  leaves,  but  the  exact  number  must,  of  course, 
be  decided  by  the  condition  of  affairs  prevailing 
in  each  plant.  Later,  other  growths  will  start, 
and  these  must,  in  their  turn,  be  reduced  ;  the 
accepted  rule  is  to  two  buds.  This  treatment  is 
wise  with  all  forms  of  plants,  but  is  imperative 
in  the  case  of  the  popular  cordon. 

Wall  Trees. — In  addition  to  the  training  which 
has  to  proceed  in  wall  trees  throughout  the  whole 
of  the  growing  season,  it  is  most  important  that 
the  soil  shall  be  maintained  pleasantly  moist 
at  the  roots.  Immediately  there  comes  complete 
dryness  the  plants  lose  their  power  to  imbibe  food. 


doors  as  generally  as  they  might  be  to  advantage, 
but  one  has  doubts  upon  the  point  when  one  sees  the 
wretched  specimens  of  many  gar<lens.  The  Vines 
are  never  pruned,  the  bunches  are  never  thinned 
and  the  plants  are  never  watered,  with  the  inevitable 
result  that  the  crop  is  a  miserable  apology  for  what 
Grapes  ought  to  be.  At  this  stage  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  thoroughly  moisten  the  soil,  and  if  a  shortage 
of  food  is  suspected,  add  a  heavy  application  of 
liquid    manure.     See    that     the    laterals    bearing 

bunches  are  stopped  at  one  or  two  joints  be\ d 

the  fruit,  according  to  tlie  spare  availablf  for 
perfect  leaf  development. 


GARDENS    OF    TO-DAY. 

A     NOTABLE     RIVERSIDE     GARDEN; 
TAPLOW     COURT. 

THOSE  who  seek  pleasure  in  the  neighboui- 
ing  reaches  of  the  Thames  are    familiar 
with  the  site  of  Taplow  Court,  the  grounds 
of    which     extend  a   mile    and    a   half 
along     the     liver    above    Maidenhead. 
But  few  know  anything  of  the  intensclv 
interesting  associations  of  this  historic  spot.     The 
situation  is  a  prominent  one,  occupying  a  site  on  a 
spur  of  the  Chiltern  Hills  which  has  been  lived  on 


SOUTH    FRONT    OF    TAPLOW    COURT,    SHOWING    TUMULUS    OR  ANCIENT    BURIAL    PLACE. 


and  the  progress  of  the  crops  is  arrested  auto- 
matically. Wall  borders  are  never  as  moist  as 
the  soil  in  the  open  quarters  of  the  garden,  because 
some  rain  must  be  thrown  off,  while  if  the  walls 
are  of  bricks,  the  trouble  is  accentuated,  since 
the  bricks  themselves  absorb  much  moisture  from 
the  ground.  The  keen  grower  is  constantly  on 
the  watch,  and  when  the  soil  approaches  dryness 
he  gives  it  a  thorough  soaking,  and  perhaps  supple- 
ments it  with  weak  liquid  manure.  .\n  occasional 
heavy  hosing  also  does  an  appreciable  amount 
of  good. 

Outdoor  Grapes. — There  are  many  people  who 
hold  the  opiuion  thai  Grapes  are  not  grown  out  of 


continuously  from  time  immemorial.  At  the 
present  time  Taplow  Court  is  the  residence 
of  Lord  Desborough,  who  takes  his  name  from  the 
Hundred  of  Desborough,  which  includes  most  of  his 
old  constituency  of  South  Bucks  and  also  Marlow, 
which,  Lird  Desborough's  great-grandfather, 
Pascoe  Grenfell,  represented  in  Parliament  from 
i8o2  to  1820.  In  the  time  of  Alfred  the  Great, 
the  county  of  Bucks  was  divided  into  Hundreds. 

In  an  o!d  churchyard  on  the  south  front  of  Taplow 
Court  is  a  large,  grass-covered  mound  or  tumulus. 
This  was  the  burial-place  of  a  Viking,  who  probably 
came  up  the  river  and  was  killed  in  battle  on 
the   top  of  the  hill.      This  tumulus,   of  which  an 


•Vifi 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  28,  1913. 


boulter's  weir  as  seen  from  the  well-wooded 
grounds  at  taplow  court. 


trees  planted  by  His  Majesty  King 
(ieorge  V.  and  Queen  Mary.  Among 
other  notable  personages  who  have 
likewise  planted  trees  in  the  Cedar 
Walk  are  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 
Connaught,  the  Duchess  of  Saxe- 
Coburg,  Princess  Mary  of  Wales,  the 
Duke  of  Portland,  Prince  Arthur  of 
Connaught.  Princess  Patricia  of 
Connaught,  the  Crown  Prince  and 
Crown  Princess  of  Sweden.  Prince 
Christopher  of  Greece.  fYince  George 
I  if  (ireece.  Prince  Fushimi  of  Japan, 
Lord  Desborough,  Lord  Addington. 
the  Hon.  Monica  Grenfell,  the 
RifUt  Hi.n.  T.  I'  Halsey,  Pro. 
(iiand  Master  o(  England;  Sir 
Arthur  Godley,  K.C.B.  ;  the  Right 
Hon.  H.  H.  Asquith,  M.P.  ;  the 
Right  Hon.  A.  J.  Balfour,  M.P.  ; 
Earl  Grey,  Viscount  Milner,  the  Right 
Hiin.  J.  B.  Haldane,  M.P.  ;  the  Right 
Hun.  Alfred  Lyttelton,  M.P.  ;  and 
the  Right  Hon.  J.  Chamberlain,  M.P. 
A  great  variety  of  trees,  including 
Oak,  Elm.  Ash,  Beech,  Sycamore, 
Poplar,  Box  and  Yew,  flourish  in  the 
grounds,  which,  by  the  by,  are 
situated  over  chalk.  The  Spurge 
Laurel  or  Daphne  Laureola  grows 
freely  under  the  shade  of  trees, 
while  even  Rhododendrons,  which 
usually  do  not  grow  well  over  a 
chalkv 


beds  are  brilliant  with  Pelargoniums  Henry 
Jacoby,  ^dged  with  Flower  of  Spring. 

Among  the  much-prized  garden  ornaments  are 
three  stone  urns,  presented  by  Queen  Anne  to  the 
Earl  of  Orkney,  then  proprietor  of  Taplow  Court, 
who  commanded  the  right  wing  at  the  Battle  of 
Blenheim.  Two  recent  additions  to  the  garden 
take  the  form  of  handsome  Italian  gates  and  a 
fountain  with  mosaic  basin,  both  of  which  were 
presented  to  Lord  and  Lady  Desborough  on  the 
occasion  of  their  silver  wedding. 

Herbaceous  borders  and  the  Rose  garden  are  much 
admired,  and  add  to  the  beautv  of  this  delightful 
garden.  The  rock  garden — unlike  some  of  the 
modern  examples,  where  rocks  and  labels  form 
the  iiiust  prominent  features — is  freely  planted 
Willi  cild-vvorld  flowers,  forming  a  happy  blending 
of  a  wild  garden  with  that  of  a  rock  garden.  The 
two  illustrations  pages  324.  and  327  of  this  phase  of 
gardening  give  a  fair  idea  of  the  charming  effects 
now  to  be  seen.  The  tall  spikes  of  Foxgloves 
stand  out  in  the  background  from  a  wealth  of 
greenery  of  hardy  Ferns.  Clumps  of  Irises  here 
and  there  are  interspersed  with  London  Pride, 
while  C'  rydalis.  Periwinkle  and  .\rabis  each  does 
its  work  in  clothing  large  stones  and  rocks. 
The  rest  is  filled  in  with  large  patches  of  Cerastium 
and  such  easily-grown  subjects  as  Thrift,  Iberis. 
Rockfoils,     Stonecrops     and    dwarf     Campanulas. 

We  cannot  bring  these  notes  to  a  close  without 
paying  tribute  to  Lord  Desborough,  who  is  the  type 
of  Englishman  that  every  Britisher  admires. 
Hi^  whole-hearted  interest  in  manly  sports,  such  as 


illustration  appears  on  the  previous  page,  was  opened 
in  1883,  when  a  large  number  of  gold  and  silver  and 
glass  vessels  were  found,  together  with  the  remains  of 
the  warrior's  sword  and  spear,  and  these  have  been 
deposited  in  the  British  Museum.  The  tumulus, 
when  opened,  was  found  to  consist  largely  of  chipped 
flints,  showing  that  the  site  had  been  occupied 
for  some  time  by  the  people  of  the  Flint  Age.  There 
are  other  tumuli  in  the  woods  above  the  river  which 
have  not  been  opened,  notably  the  one  under  an 
iild  Oak  tree  which  is  reported  to  have  been  planted 
by  Queen  Elizabeth  during  her  imprisonment  at 
Taplow  Court  in  the  reign  of  her  sister  Mary  ;  the 
tree  is  thought,  however,  to  be  of  greater  age.  A 
pond  near  the  house — now,  by  the  way,  aglow 
with  Irises  and  Water  Lilies — is  knowii  as  Bapsey 
Pond,  and  is  claimed  to  have  been  used  as  a  pool 
for  baptisms  by  Early  Christians. 

The  Cedar  Walk. — From  an  arboricultural 
point  of  view  the  outstanding  feature  is  unquestion- 
ably seen  in  the  stately  and  majestic  Cedars  that 
have  been  planted  with  a  free  hand  in  these  exten- 
sive gardens.  One  veteran  Cedar  of  Lebanon, 
obviously  the  oldest  in  the  place,  is  considered  to 
be  one  of  the  finest  specimens  in  the  country.  The 
girth  of  this  tree,  taken  on  the  occasion  of  our 
visit,  was  found  to  be  16  feet,  measured  5  feet 
from  the  base.  Its  history  is  lost  in  obscurity,  but 
from  its  appearance  it  is  probably  one  of  the  oldest 
in  the  country.  It  is  worth  noting,  however,  that 
none  of  the  original  Cedars  of  Lebanon  introduced 
to  this  country  is  still  standing.  This  is  the  opinion 
of  our  best  authorities,  and  while  there  is  some 
doubt  concerning  the  date  of  introduction,  it  was 
probably  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury. A  magnificent  Cedar  Walk  is  one  of  the  fea- 
tures of  the  place.  Within  recent  years  this  has  been 
extended,  and  is  now  half  a  mile  long.  The  continua- 
tion was  started  by  trees  planted  by  the  late  King 
Edward  VII.  and  Queen  Alexandra,  and  is  finished  by 


soil, 
give  a  fairly  good  ac- 
count of  themselves. 

Among  a  number 
of  shrubs  from  New- 
Zealand  presented  by 
the  late  Right  Hon. 
Richard  Seddon  were 
observed  one  or  two 
fine  specimens  of 
Pittosporum  eugeni- 
oides,  which  were 
perfectly  happy  in 
the  garden  outside, 
even  though  it  is  a 
subject  usually  rele- 
gated to  the  green- 
house. 

The  Flower  Gar- 
den. —  The  formal 
garden  near  to  the 
house  is  well  designed 
with  bold  and  effec- 
tive beds.  Tulips  are 
extensively  used  for 
spring  effect.  Early 
and  late  varieties  are 
planted  alternately, 
and  these,  with  a 
grniindwork  of  pink 
and  blue  Mvosotis, 
keep  uj)  a  long 
displa\-  of  bloom. 
Standard  varieties  of 
Tulips,  such  as  Clara 
Butt,  Pink  Beauty, 
Inglesccunbc  Yellow, 
Pride  of  Haarlem 
and  White  Swan,  are 
much  in  favour.  At 
the  present   time  the 


THE     FAMOUS     CEDAR 


WALK,    TAPLOW     COURT,    WHICH      IS      HALF     A 
MILE    LONG. 


June  2S.  1913.] 


THE     Gx\RDEN. 


327 


swiiumiiig,  rowing,  fencing,  boxing,  &c.,  in  each 
nf  which  hp  has  achieved  great  success,  nee'ds 
no  further  comment  here.  As  Chairman  of  the 
Thames  Conservancy  it  is  fitting  that  the  riverside 
residence  of  Taplow  Court  should  be  in  the  pos- 
session of  one  who  cherishes  its  associations  in 
so  high  a  depree. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 

CANNAS  IN  THE  GREENHOUSE  AND 
FLOWER    GARDEN. 

IN  tilt  iiiii-.t-i  vmen's  catalogues  of  twenly-tive 
tti  thirty  years  ago  the  only  Canna  that 
was  recommended  for  the  sake  of  its 
flowers  was  Caima  iridiflora,  the  others 
being  regarded  solely  as  ornamental  foliage 
plants.  Now,  however,  all  this  is  changed, 
and  both  for  the  decoration  of  the  greenhouse 
and  the  embellishment  of  the  outdoor 
garden  Cannas  occupy  a  promineni 
position.  This  is  not  to  be  wondereil 
at,  as  the  flowers  of  many  of  them 
are  really  gorgeous,  and  a  succession 
is  kept  up  for  a  long  time,  added 
to  which  the  leafage  is  very  hand- 
some. For  the  present-day  race  of 
Cannas  we  are,  in  the  first  place, 
indebted  to  M.  Crozy,  then  of  Lyons, 
who  devoted  a  great  deal  of  time 
and  attention  to  their  improvement. 
The  result  of  this  was  first  manifest 
in  the  year  1888,  when  some  half- 
a-dozen  varieties  were  given  first- 
class  certificates  by  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society,  that  honour  being 
easier  to  gain  then  than  it  is  now. 
From  their  showy  character  these 
Cannas  made  quite  a  furore,  and  for 
trade  purposes  they  were  propagated 
as  rapidly  as  possible.  What  is 
more,  the  raising  of  new  varieties 
was  taken  up  by  others,  so  that 
each  year  saw  additions  thereto. 
Striking,  from  their  novelty,  as 
were  those  of  1888,  they  are  now 
quite  out  of  the  running,  the  more 
recent  varieties  being  in  all  respects 
superior  to  the  early  ones. 

For  the  embellishment  of  the 
greenhouse  these  Cannas  may  be 
grown  in  different  ways.  In  the 
first  place,  good  flowering  examples 
may  be  grown  in  6-inch  pots,  and, 
if  liberally  fed,  they  will  yield 
a  wealth  of  blossoms.  Larger  examples  can,  of 
course,  be  readily  obtained,  either  by  increasing 
the  size  of  the  pot  or  by  growing  them  in  tubs. 
In  this  way  they  are  ver.y  useful  for  the  decoration 
of  the  conservatory,  or  for  standing  out  during  the 
summer  on  lialconies,  terraces  and  similar  positions. 
Besides  this,  they  are  of  great  service  for  bedding 
out  during  the  summer  montlis,  that  is,  if  then- 
somewhat  hungry  nature  is  taken  into  account. 
This  fact  was  forcibly  brought  home  to  mc  during 
the  hot,  dry  summer  of  two  years  ago.  Having 
occasion  to  visit  two  different  gardens,  I  found  in 
one  some  beds  of  Cannas  which  should  liavc  been 
very  fine,  but  were  simply  struggling  for  exist- 
ence. The  beds  in  which  they  were  growing  had 
the  soil  heaped  up  above  the  siurounding  ground, 
as  is  so  often  seen,  the  result  being  that  it  was 
quite  impossible  to  keep  the  roots  supplied  witli 
an   adequate   amount   of   moisture.     In   the   other 


the  beds  were  finished  off  somcwliat  saucer  fashion, 
so  as  to  conserve  all  the  moisture,  and  the  condition 
of   the  plants  was  splendid. 

When  these  Cannas  are  grown  m  pots,  a  desirable 
feature  is  that  they  can  be  safely  wintered  almost 
anywhere  if  kept  free  from  frost.  Another  point 
is  the  readiness  with  which  they  can  be  increased, 
as  for  propagating  purposes  an  established  plant 
can  be  divided  up  into  as  many  pieces  as  there  are 
crowns  or  eyes ;  and,  placed  under  conditions 
favourable  to  growth,  each  will  form  a  flowering 
plant  in  a  short  space  of  time.  Cannas  need  a 
fairly  rich  soil,  such  as  two-thirds  good  loam  to 
one-third  well-decayed  manure,  while  a  sprinkling 
of  sand  will  serve  to  keep  all  open,  (iood  flowering 
examples  may  be  purchasi'd  at  this  season  at  a  com- 
paratively cheap  rate  ;  but,  owing  to  the  expense  of 
carriage,  many  prefer  to  note  the  best  when  in  flower, 
and  obtain  them  during  the  winter  in  a  dormant 
state.  At  that  time  the  rhizomes  can  be  sent  by  post. 


ORCHID     NOTES. 


CYMBIDIUMS. 

PROBABLY  no  group  of  Orchids  has 
attained  such  popularity  during  the 
last  few  years  as  the  Cymbidiums, 
and  this  is  undoubtedly  caused  by  the 
reintroduction  of  that  beautiful  species 
C.  insigne  (syn.  Sanderi).  It  was 
first  discovered  by  M.  G.  Bronkart  in  1900,  who 
found  it  growing  along  ravines  in  Annam.  Since 
then  M.  Micholitz  (Messrs.  Sander's  collector) 
has  sent  it  home  in  quantity,  and  now  there  is 
scarcely  a  collection  of  renown  that  does  not  con- 
tain this  fine  plant.  The  flowers  are  while,  tinged 
with  rose  pink,  while  the  lip  is  handsomely  marked 
with  rosy  crimson.  It  has  proved  a  magnificent 
parent,  and  among  the  progeny  already  shown  are 
C.  Pauweisii    (insigne   x   lowianum),  C.  Alexander) 


liARLY    SUMMER    IN    Till-:    ROCK    GARDEN    AT    TATLOW    COURT. 


As  tastes  differ  so  much,  a  selection  is  a  difiicult 
matter,  but  the  following  are  all  good  :  -Alphonse 
Bouvier  (rich  crimson),  A.  Ortmann  (velvety 
piurple).  Baron  de  Richter  (bright  apricot,  lighter 
edge  to  the  petals),  Black  Prince  (velvety  maroon). 
Dr.  Budingen  (crimson  scarlet),  Due  Ernst  (reddisli 
scarlet),  Elizabeth  Hoss  (yellow',  small  red  dots), 
Evolution  (yellow,  pink  centre),  Frau  E.  Kracht 
(rosy  salmon),  F'Urst  Weid  (deep  crimson), 
fiaekwar  of  Baroda  (yellow,  large  crimson  spots), 
J.  B.  Van  der  School  (lemon  yellow,  purple  spots), 
Jupiter  (scarlet,  edged  yellow),  King  Humbert 
(bright  reddish  orange),  Konigin  Charlotte  (dwarf, 
scarlet,  gold  edge),  Meteore  (orange  scarlet),  M.  do 
Raynal  (pink),  Niagara  (scarlet,  broad  yellow 
margin),  Ottawa  (rosy  cerise),  R.  Wallace  (canary 
yellow),  Stuttgartia  (scarlet  and  orange),  William 
Saunders  (rosy  crimson)  and  William  Watson 
(deep  salmon).  H.  P 


(insigne  ;<  eburneo-lowianum),  C.  gottianum 
(insigne  ■:  ebumeum)  and  the  pretty  C.  Doris 
(insigne  x  traceyanura).  Others  are  in  commerce, 
but  still  there  is  plenty  of  scope  for  new  raisers. 
As  amateurs'  Orchids,  Cymbidiums  occupy  a  leading 
position,  especially  the  easily-grown  C.  lowianum, 
also  traceyanum,  eburneo-lowianum,  low-griiunn, 
gigauteum,  eburneum  and  the  pendent  devoni- 
anum.  Cymbidiums  last  a  long  time  in  full  beauty, 
their  graceful,  arching  sprays  of  large  and  attrac- 
tive flowers  always  being  admired,  while  as  foliage 
plants  they  are  not  to  be  despised  in  the  Orchid- 
house. 

Cultural  Details. — .-V-n  ideal  temperature  is 
one  between  55°  and  65°  Fahr.,  the  latter  for  the 
summer  months  when  fire-heat  is  needed,  while 
during  the  winter  period  the  thermometer  may 
fall  5°  lower,  and  no  harm  will  accrue,  providing 
the  atmosphere  is  on  the  dry  side.     The  season  for 


328 


THE     GARDEN. 


[JUNR    2S,  IOI3. 


repotting   will   soon   be    at    hand    for   the   majority 

of  lioth  speeies  and  hyhrids,  if  ;  uch  an  operation 

is   deemed  necessary.     Annual  disturbance   is  not 

required,   and   as  a  general  rule  every  third  year 

will  be  sufficient  ;    but  it  is  best  to  give  attention 

to  a  few  plants  each  season,  rather  than  repot  the 

whole  collection  at  one  time.     A  suitable  rooting 

medium     consists     of     the      best      fibrous     loam 

one-half,       Osmunda       fibre      one  -  fourth,       and 

partly-decayed    Oak   leaves     one-fourth,     with     a 

free       admixture      of    finely  -  crushed     crocks      or 

charcoal,   well   mixing    the    whole    a    week    or    so 

liefore    it    is    required.      The    group    of 

Orchids  under  consideration  are  strong- 

nxitiiig    subjects,    and    top-dressing    is 

of  no  avail.      Healthy  examples  which 

have  filled  their  receptacles   with  roots 

may  be   moved   on    intact,    choosing    a 

pot   two  sizes  larger.     A  few  potsherds 

should     be     placed     in      the     bottom 

for     drainage     and     the     soil     pressed 

moderately    firm ;     but     it     ought     to 

be     just     below     the      rim      when      the 

operation     is     finished,    thus    allowing 

ample    space      for     watering,     for  "  at 

no    time     must    they    be    permitted    to 

become     dry     at     the      base.        If     any 

plants    are    in     a    bad     condition,     all 

the  old  soil    and   decayed  roots  should  ^ 

be    removed,   also   a  few  of    the    back 

pseudo-bulbs  where  they  are  numerous, 

when     in     all     probability    a    smaller 

pot   will   be   needed.      Careful  watering 

and    extra     shade     for    a    few     weeks 

will    then    soon    pull   them   round.      A 

moist,  buoyant   atmosphere  is  essential 

during     the     period     of     growth,     and 

shade  from    direct    sunlight  is  advised, 

or    the  plants  will   present  a  somewhat 

yellow     appearance.        A     light     spray 

overhead     with     tepid     water    will     be 

found   beneficial   on    bright,   hot    days, 

which    not     only     promotes     luxuriant 

growth,  but  tends  to   keep    insect    pests 

in     check,     particularly     if    the     under 

sides  of  the  leaves  are  sprayed.       Once 

a     year     the      plants      ought      to      be 

carefully    sponged    over    with    a    weak 

solution    of     some     reiialile    insecticide, 

and    at    any  time    if    scale   is   noticed, 

a  pointed   stick   being   the   best   article 

for    its    removal,    while    some    growers 

utilise     an     old     tooth-brush     for    this 

purpose. 

Raising    Seedlings.  —  So    much     in- 
terest   is   now    taken    in    raising   Orchid 
seedlings  that  a  few  words   on   the  sub- 
ject    may    be     welcome.       Cymbidium 
seed   may  be    sown    on   prepared    pots 
(as    illustrated     in    The     Garden     for 
January       11,      r9i3)      directly     it       is 
ripe,  or    around    the   base  of   an    estab- 
lished   plant,    selecting   one   that    does 
not    need    repotting,     and     free    from  moss    and 
lichen    growth.      The    chief    factor    towards    suc- 
cess in  this  intensely  interesting,  and  one  might  say 
fascinating,  work  is  that  the  pots  or  plants  are  never 
dry.       Even    if    this    should    happen    for    a    few 
hours     the     results    will    be    disastrous,    because 
the  seed  is  not   covered  in   any  way.     When   the 
first    tiny    leaf   is   made,    the    seedlings    may    be 
pricked    off    on     prepared    pots     and     grown     on 
in    a     temperature    of    60°     Fahr.,     keeping     the 
p'ants    sprayed   over   occasionally    and    free  from 
thrip.  Sentinel. 


NEW    AND     RARE     PLANTS. 

AWARDS     OF    MERIT. 

Carnation  Thomas  a  Becket. — A  very  beautiful 
fancy  liorder  (.  arnatiuii  of  excellent  size  and  form. 

Carnation  Scarlet  Gem. — Of  good  colour,  and 
shapely  withal.  These  were  exhibited  by  Mr.  C. 
Blick,  Warren  Nurseries.  Haves,  Kent 

Trollius  patulus  Bees'  variety.  —  The  plant 
is  9  inches  or  a  foot  high,  the  green  leafage 
marked  after  the  manner  of  these  plants.  The 
flowers  are  ricli  golden,  li  inches  across,  and  most 


r 


\ 


fVl» 


^^^ 


'^^ 


Xii. 


[I 


V 


) 


annual.  It  is  very  pretty  and  effective,  and  in 
dcci>ration,  wc  have  no  doubt,  will  be  mucli  sought 
after,  fixhibited  bv  Mr.  R.  C.  Notcutt,  Woodbridgc. 
Plliladelphus  Norma. — This  we  regard  as  the 
finest  of  the  .Muck  Oranges  to  date,  not  merely 
in  the  size  and  purity  of  its  flowers,  but  also  in 
the  way  they  are  traced  upon  the  branches.  The 
flowers,  which  are  single,  really  appear  to  occur  in 
long  racemes.  From  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.. 
Dorking  (gardener,  Mr.  W.  Bain).      (See  page  323) 

Paeonia   Gismonda. — The  colour  is  rosy  pink 

and  till-  flower  fully  double.  It  is.  of  course,  one 
of  the  herbaceous  section.  From  Messrs. 
R.    H.   Bath.  Limited,  Wisbech. 

Rose  Paul's  Lemon  Pillar  (Noisette). 

— The  flowers  are  of  large  size  and,  as 
shown,  of  a  creamy  white,  doubtless 
due  to  age.  It  appears  to  be  a  good 
and  usefiU  sort.  From  Messrs.  Paul  and 
Sim.   Llieshunt. 

Saxifraga  brunoniana. — The  flowers 
of  this  pretty  Himalayan  species  are 
yellow,  the  petals  acutely  pointed.  It 
is,  however,  welcome  for  the  rosy  crim- 
son colour  of  its  numerous  stolons,  as 
these,  when  seen  in  sunlight,  are  brilliant 
indeed.  It  is  a  moisture-loving  species, 
and,  given  tliis.  should  be  planted  in 
full  sun.  I-'ri)iii  Messrs.  William  F'ells 
and  Son.  Hitcliin. 

Spiraea  sargentiana.  —  A  bushy- 
habited  plant  with  numerous  white 
liowers  in  clusters.  It  is  very  free.  Fr.iin 
the  fh)ii.  X'icary  (iibbs,  Elstree,  Herts 

Astilbe  Britannia. — The  flowers  are 
bright  rosy  crimson,  arranged  in  plumes 
nearly  three  feet  high.  From  Mr. 
Profitthch. 

Rose  Mrs.  George  Norwood. — This  is 

a  pink-flowered  sort  of  the  Hybrid  Per- 
petual class.  The  colour  may  be  described 
as  a  pale  Mrs.  J.  Laing,  though  the 
flowers  are  longer  and  more  tapering. 
i;xliil)il,  a  1)\  Mr  Flisha  Hirivs,  Twyford. 

Blandfordia      Cunninghamii.  —  A 

genus  of  Liliaceous  plants,  the  members 
of  which  are  rarely  seen.  The  species 
now  mentioned  is  a  native  of  New 
Soutli  Wales,  and  has  long  been  known 
to  cultivators.  The  flowers  are  crimson 
red,  the  upper  part  yellow,  drooping, 
\  and  arranged  freely  in  a  scape  of  about 

tliree  feet  high.  Probably  a  scarce  plant 
m  cultivation  to-day.  From  Mr.  A. 
Worsley.  Isleworth. 

Gladiolus  Queen  of  the  Whites. — 

This  is  a  rather  good  wiiite  variety,  and 
the  only  one  to  which  an  award  was 
granted.  Exhibited  by  Mr.  R,  Hoogstra- 
tcn,  Sassenhcim. 


THE      NEW      TROLLTUS      PATULU.S     BEES 
(About  one-half  natural  sisc.) 


attractive.  The  plant  was  well  siiowu.  1-roni 
Bees,  Limited,  Lixcrpodl. 

Sweet  Pea  Frilled  Pink. — The  name  is  descrip- 
tive, both  as  to  colour  and  form.  It  is  an  interesting 
novelty  in  the  Sweet  Pea  world.  From  Messrs. 
Dobbie,  EdinVnirgli. 

Sweet  Pea  Edith  Taylor.— The  flowers  of  this 

are  bright  rose  pink  and  of  good  size.  Seen  in 
the  sunlight,  it  is  a  most  brilliant  flower.  Shown 
by  Mr.  Thomas  Stevenson,  .^ddlestone,  Surrey. 

Statice  Suworowii  alba. — Just  a  good  white 
variety — not     pure     white — of     this     well-known 


NEW     ORCHIDS. 

Two  charming  novelties,  both  gain- 
ing awards  of  merit,  were  shown  by  Baron 
Bruno  Schroder,  viz.,  Odontoglossura  crispura 
The  Baroness,  a  magnificent  variety  of  perfect 
form  with  violet  purple  blotches,  and  Cattleya 
gaskelliana  Fairy  Queen,  a  fragrant  and  well- 
coloured  variety.  Messrs.  Charlesworth  and 
Co.  were  given  an  award  of  merit  for  a 
remarkable  hybrid  of  brilliant  colouring,  Oncidioda 
Bella  (Oncidium  marshallianum  x  Cochlioda 
noetzliana). 

The  foregoing  awards  were  given  by  th<<   Royal 
Horticultural  Society  on  June  17. 


NK    2M,   I<>I.}.  1 


THE     GARDEN. 


•A2(.) 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

CHRYSANTHEMUMS.-  PRACmCAL    HINTS     ON     WORK     TO     DO     NOW. 


THK  caiiiest-roiited  batch  of  plants  will 
now  be  getting  established  in  their 
flowering  pots.  Although  the  heavy 
work  of  potting  and  placing  will  be 
over,  there  will  be  daily  attention 
needed,  and,  although  of  a  light  nature, 
it  is  of  vast  importance,  and  must  never  be  neglected. 
Fo!  some  time  after  the  final  potting  is  done  the 
plants  are  usually  kept  in  blocks — that  is,  in  several 
rows  abreast — but  they  mast  be  more  thinly  dis- 
posed in  good  time  before  they  get  drawn  up  and 
wi-akeiH(l    tlui'l'S' 

About  Top-Dressings.  -The  time  tor  tluse  to 
he  applied  wdl  depentl  upon  the  condition  of  tlie 
roots  of  the  plants.  Some  cultivators  keep  strictly 
to  a  rule,  and  do  not  top-dress  until  after  the  buds 
are  "  taken."  This  is  a  mistake,  as  the  plants  may 
suffer  in  the  meantime,  and  they  should  be  strong 
when  the  buds  form.  .-Vgain,  it  is  bad  management 
to  wait  and  then  apply  one  heavy  surface-dressing. 
Directly  roots  appear  on  the  surface,  put  on  a  thin 
sprinkling  of  rich  compost.  Fig.  i  shows  a  plant 
on  a  tile,  .^mple  space  is  left  for  top-dressings, 
and  these  must  be  applied  in  a  series,  putting  on 
a  thin  layer  each  time,  and  watering  always  with 
a  rosed  watering-can.  No.  2  shows  the  space 
for  the  top-dressings  ;  No.  3,  the  roots  from 
the  old  ball  of  soil  entering  the  new  compost, 
No.  4.  So  treated  the  plants  are  always  making 
progress,  and,  of  course,  liquid  mauiu'e  and 
other  stimulants  mav  be  given  in  addition  as 
required. 

The    Break    and    Resultant    Shoots. — No.    3 

shows  the  young  shoots  growing  after  the  first 
break ;  but  some  varieties  give  trouble  in  this 
matter,  as  I  will  explain.  On  the  main  stem, 
below  the  shoots  selected  to  grow  on,  shoots  will 
also  grow,  as  denoted  at  Nos.  6,  6  ;  all  such  must  be 
pinched  out,  as  shown  at  No.  7. 

Tying  and  Staking. — The  main  stem  will  have 
been  staked  at  an  early  stage,  but  the  yoimg  shoots 
— following  the  break — Nos.  8,  9  and  10,  will 
also  need  stakes,  and  when  the  varieties  are  tall- 
growing  they  must  be  fastened  to  the  wire  supports. 
Very  dwarf  varieties  onh-  require  one  strong  central 
stake. 

Premature  Bud-Formation. — Instead  of  a  free 
growth,  buds  form,  as  shown  at  No.  11.  In  a  few 
days'  time  a  new  shoot  will  grow  past  these  buds  ; 
but  they  in  tuni  also  bear  buds  when  about  two 
inches  long.  In  such  cases  it  is  advisable  to  pinch 
off  the  top  to  a  point  denoted  by  the  dark  lines 
as  shown  at  No.  12.  Very  often  a  free  growth  of 
shoots  is  obtained  by  this  treatment,  as  shown  in 
sketch  No,   13. 

Plants    in   Their   Summer   Quarters. — .\   few 

strong  stakes  driven  into  the  ground,  and  wires 
fastened  to  them,  as  shown  in  sketch  No.  14,  will 
save  the  cultivator  the  loss  of  many  valuable 
branches  and  buds  if  the  plants  are  made  fast  to 
the  wires  in  due  course.  The  rows  of  wires  should 
he  from  3  feet  to  5  feet  apart,  according  to  the 
height  of  tlie  plants,  and  about  eighteen  inches 
asunder  in  the  lines  from  pot  to  pcjf.  Bush  plants, 
especially  those  intended  for  specimens,  must  have 
more  room  siill,  and  be  set  out  as  shown  by  the 
circlos    No,    15       If    the    pots    are    held    firmly    in 


position,   tall  stakes    will    not    be    needed    for    the 
support   of  these   plants. 


CUTTING  HEDGES  IN  SUMMER-TIME. 

To  some  persons  it  may  seem  a  very  easy  task 
to  trim  a  growing  hedge.  The  experienced  fence- 
man  knows  exactly  how  to  do  the  work  so  as  to 
improve  a  bad  hedge  or  keep  a  good  one  in  first-rate 
condition.  Much  may  be  done  at  this  season  to 
remedy  defects,  such  as  hollow  places  at  the  top 
and  openings  near  tlie  bottom.  If  the  fence  be  a 
long,  straight  one,  the  novice  sliouid  fix  a  garden 
line  to  stakes  and  tiien  cut  tlie  top  siioots  back 
to  tlie  fixed  line.  If  this  be  done,  there  can 
be  no  great  error  iu  trimming  so  as  to  secure  an 
even    top   surface.     Passers-by   are    severe    critics 


hedge  must  be  cut  quite  Iiard  back  to  the  stumps 
of  last  year's  growth  ;  then  there  will  be  no 
danger  of  the  fence  getting  out  of  true  form.  Use 
stiarp,  well-oiled  shears.  Hedges  of  Laurel  must 
be  cut  with  a  knife,  removing  one  shoot  at  a  time. 
To  cut  through  leaves  indiscriminately  with  a 
large  pair  of  shears  would  quite  spoil  the  appearance 
of  a  hedge  of  this  kind.  B. 


POTTING     THE     CHIMNEY     BELL- 
FLOWER. 

CAMi'ANri-A  I'YKAMiuAi.is  is  a  splendid  subjei  t  lor 
growing  in  pots  for  the  furnishing  of  cold  green- 
houses and  conservatories  during  the  early  part 
of  the  summer.  One  sometimes  sees  splerulidh'- 
grown    specimens   not    only   in    the   greenhouse    i>f 


THE    METHOD    OF    TOP-DRESSING    AND    DISBUDDING    CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 


of  hedge-trimmers,  and  cause  should  not  be  given 
for  adverse  criticism. 

The  base  must  be  wider  than  the  top,  but  not 
out  of  all  proportion  ;  the  sides  should  slope  evenly 
from  a  given  point  at  the  bottom  to  one  at  the  top. 
A  hedge  2  feet  wide  at  its  base  should  be  about 
sixteen  inches  wide  at  the  top,  both  sides  tapering 
evenly  upwards.  One  often  sees  hedges  that  have 
been  unduly  hollowed  out  at  the  bottom.  Such 
never  present  a  pleasing  appearance,  and  they 
readily  permit  dogs  and  fowls  to  go  through.  In 
the  case  of  fowls,  they  often  scratch  up  the  soil 
and  do  their  toilet  under  the  sheltering  hedge,  and 
quickly  spoil  the  bank  and  the  general  appearance. 
Where  there  are  big  depressions  in  a  hedge  it  is 
not  advisaltle  to  leave  the  young  shoots  in  that 
part  too  long.  They  must  be  cut  back  to  about 
four  inches,  and  at  the  next  cutting  left  a  couple  of 
inches  longer,  and  so  on,  until  the  low  portion  has 
filled  in  a  solid  form  to  the  normal  level  of  the 
hedge.      The   young  shoots  on   a  perfectly-formed 


a  keen  amateur  cultivator,  but  also  in  groups  at 
shows — groups  of  miscellaneous  plants  arranged 
for  effect.  Much  care  is  needed  in  order  to  grow 
good  plants.  If  they  are  allowed  to  remain  for 
a  considerable  time  ni  boxes  or  seedling  beds 
before  being  placed  in  flower-pots,  great  difficulty 
will  be  experienced  in  getting  them  into  good  con- 
dition for  flowering.  These  plants,  even  in  a  verv 
young  state,  produce  long  tap-roots  and  few  of  a 
fibrous  nature,  so  that  it  is  advisable  to  place  them 
in  the  pots  at  as  early  a  stage  of  growth  as  possible. 
Where  convenient,  use  deep,  narrow  pots.  Do  not 
cut  off  any  portion  of  the  tap-root,  but  twist  it 
round  so  that  it  may  be  potted  whole.  Use  a 
medium  heavy  compost,  made  porous  by  the 
addition  of  sand,  and  then  plunge  the  pots  to  tlicir 
rims  in  ashes  in  a  cold  frame.  Between  the  pots 
leave  a  space  of  6  inches.  Repot  tlic  plants  directly 
they  require  more  rooting  space,  using  a  similar 
compost  with  the  addition  of  some  well-rotted 
manure.  .\von. 


m) 


THE    GARDEN. 


[June  28.  1913. 


GARDENING      OF     THE      WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Routine  Work.— I-nr  the  u.xi  lucntli  ur  twi 
mowing,  edging  and  ruUiiig  ul  patlis  will  be  Ihc 
principal  items  ol  work,  and  to  keep  things  in  good 
nrder,  nothing  must  be  allowed  to  get  behind. 
Even  nLowmg  if  left  over  for  one  week  makes  a 
donlile  amount  lor  the  following  week,  so  it  is  wise 
to  skim  the  lawns  over  with  a  light  machine  even 
if  there  is  not  a  heav3'  crop  of  grass. 

Shrubs. — Those  planted  early  in  the  season, 
or  even  last  autumn,  must  be  periodically  inspected, 
and.  on  the  slightest  sign  of  drought,  cop'imis  water- 
ings should  be  given.  Specimen  trees  may  even 
have  to  be  spraved  overhead  morning  and  evening 
to  ensure  them'  coming  through  a  trying  time  of 
dnuight.  Mulcliing  also  with  short  manure  or 
leaf-mould  is  a  distinct  advantage  in  such  cases, 
and  may  help  In  save  the  lives  of  many  valu.ible 
shrubs  iir  trees. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

lust  now  there  is  much  to  do  in  the  Rose  garden, 
as  not  only  must  the  young  shoots  be  kept  free  from 
fly  by  hosing  overhead  or  spraying,  but  the  plants 
must  be  kept  well  watered  if  a  full  measure  of 
success  is  to  be  attained  with  them.  Removal 
of  the  dead  blooms  must  also  be  attended  to, 
as  nothing  tends  more  to  make  the  garden  hjok 
untidy  than  numbers  of  dead  and  dying  petals 
lying  about. 

Mildew. — Wherever  this  is  noticed,  a  little  dry 
sulphur  should  be  sprinkled  over  the  foliage  early 
in  the  morning,  and,  \<'hen  the  sun  gets  up,  the  fumes 
will  in  all  probability  prevent  it  from  spreading. 
Where  the  attack  is  more  general,  spraymg  with  a 
fungicide  must  be  resorted  to,  and  this  may  have 
to  be  repeated  weekly  to  keep  it  in  check,  but  an 
endeavour  must  be  made  to  keep  it  off  the  opening 
flowers  as  much  as  possible. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Caladiums  that  are  well  r.)..ted  may  be  helped 
a  little  with  waterings  of  cow-manure  ;  but  these, 
being  very  soft-rooted  subjects,  must  not  be  given 
strong  doses  of  liquid  or  artificial  fertilisers. 
Specimen  plants  in  large  pots  should  be  carefully 
staked  out,  so  as  to  give  each  leaf  as  much  space 
as  possible  to  develop,  and  where  these  plants  are 
to  be  used  in  the  winter  garden  or  conservatory, 
they  tnust  be  inured  to  rather  more  air  than  is 
usual  under  the  ordinary  growing  conditions 
of  the  plant  stove. 

Achimenes  are  growing  freely  and  should  now 
be  staked,  using  a  very  small  twig  to  each  growth. 
Keep  the  plants  in  such  a  position  that  they  do 
not  become  attenuated,  though  a  little  shade  is 
quite  necessary  for  their  well-being.  -\s  they 
commence  to  bloom  give  them  bi-weekly  waterings 
with  liquid  manure,  with  a  little  Clay's  Fertilizer 
occasionally  as  an  extra  stimulant. 

Cyclamen  nicely  established  in  3-inch  or  4-inch 
pots  should  be  potted  on  into  their  flowering  pots 
at  once,  a  fairly  rich,  porous  compost  suiting  them 
best.  From  now  onwards  a  frame  with  a  cool  ash 
bottom  will  suit  them  well,  frequently  spraying  the 
plants  to  keep  insect  pests  in  check.  A  little  shade  on 
the  glass  during  bright  weather  is  also  essential. 

Medeola  asparagoides  also  should  be  potted 
on  and  placed  in  positions  where  the  plants  may  be 
trained  up  cotton  or  strings.  A  stove  is  not  at 
all  necessary  for  the  cultivation  of  this  useful 
plant,  as  more  hard  and  useful  sprays  are  obtained 
from  an  intermediate  or  cool  house.  A  further 
batch  of  seedlings  may  be  raised,  and  these,  if 
kept  growing  through  the  winter,  will  provide 
really  good  material  for  early  spring  decoration, 
a  time  when  it  is  very  much  in  demand. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Asparagus. — Now  that  there  are  plenty  of 
other  vegetables  to  be  had,  the  Asparagus-bed 
should  lie  left  severely  alone,  allowing  all  the  growths 
that  are  made  from  now  to  mature,  thus  building 
up  good  crowns  for  next  season.  On  light  soils  a 
mulching  of  short  manure,  well  watered  in,  will 
help  the  growth  considerably,  or  a  dressing  or 
two  of  an  approved  fertiliser  may  be  given.  Where 
a  mulching  is  not  given,  keep  the  beds  clear  of 
weeds  by  carefully  hoeing  or  hand  weeding,  as 
weeds  allowed  to  go  to  seed  prove  a  pest  for  years 
to  come. 


Brassicas. — Continue  to  plant  Brassicas  as  they 
become  fit  or  as  the  ground  becomes  vacant, 
choosing,  if  possible,  a  showery  time  for  the  purpose, 
late-sown  plants  often  proving  more  serviceable 
than  those  put  in  very  early. 

Coleworts. — A-  further  sowing  of  this  useful 
vegetable  should  be  made,  and  Christmas  Drum- 
head, a  very  hardy  little  Cabbage,  sown  at  this  date 
is  exceptionally  useful  for  cutting  during  the 
early  winter  months. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Inside  Vine  Borders  need  plenty  ni  w.iter 
at  this  season,  and  Vines  still  swelling  their  fruit 
may  be  carefully  fed,  though  it  is  not  advisable 
to  be  too  free  with  manure  while  they  are  in  the 
stoning  stage  ;  but  after  this  the  late  Vines 
will  be  ready  for  a  couple  of  good  dressings  two 
or  three  w'eeks  apart. 

Outside  Borders. — Where  these  are  rehed  upon 
lor  late  (irapes,  frequent  waterings  may  be  neces- 
sary, or,  if  experiencing  a  wet  time,  manure  should 
be  sprinkled  on  the  surface  tor  the  rain  to  wash  it 
in.  iVIuIching  is  not  really  necessary,  but  where 
the  border  is  very  light  or  dry,  a  light  mulching 
may  be  given,  though  1  am  inclined  to  think 
that  the  extra  warmth  in  an  nnmulched  border 
is  (onducive  to  better  quality  in  the  fruit. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Mulching    Fruit    Trees.— By    this    date    the 

majority  of  fruit  borders  will  have  got  pretty  warm, 
and  if  dry  weather  ensues,  it  may  be  an  advantage 
to  mulch  all  the  trees  carrying  a  good  crop  of  fruit, 
whether  it  be  Apples.  Pears,  Plums,  Peaches,  or 
Apricots,  giving  a  good  watering  immediately 
afterwards  to  settle  the  mulch  down  and  to  wash 
the  manuri.d  properties  into  the  soil  rather  th.an 
let  them  be  evaporated  intn  tlie  air. 

Summer  Pruning  and  Training.— Though  I 
touched  on  this  subject  a  week  or  tw'o  ago,  it  was 
rather  earlv  then  for  the  majority  of  trees  ;  but 
now  the  greater  portion  of  the  trained  trees  may  be 
gone  over,  reducing  the  growth  to  3  inches  or 
4  inches  or,  in  some  instances,  even  less.  When 
the  trees  have  not  developed  sufficiently  to  cover  the 
whole  of  the  space  they  are  to  occupy,  the  leading 
shoots  should  he  tied  in  carefully,  bearing  m  mind 
at  all  times  what  is  required  for  the  further  develop- 
ment or  furnishing  of  the  trees. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wobiini   Place  Gardens,  Addleslone,  Surrey. 

FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Staking  Hollyhocks. — Stakes  are  a  necessary 
evil,  and  should  obtrude  as  little  as  possible. 
.Although  Hollyhocks  require  tall  stakes,  they, 
happily,  unlike  Dahlias,  can  do  without  them 
for  a  considerable  time,  but  the  want  must  now 
be  supplied.  Stout  stakes  about  four  and  a-half 
inches  high  are  what  thev  want.  Tie  with  binder 
twine,  but  do  not  fix  a  tie  nearer  the  top  of  the 
plant  than  2  feet,  or  strangulation  will  result. 

Oriental  Poppies. — These  make  a  brave  show 
during  the  month  of  June  and  the  early  part  of 
July — too  gaudy  for  some  tastes  ;  but  in  addition 
to  the  flaunting  red  of  the  type,  there  are  now 
several  varieties  having  flowers  in  subdued  art 
shades.  It  is  late  enough  now  to  sow  these  ;  but 
if  sown  within  the  next  week  or  ten  days,  they  will 
make  nice  plants  for  planting  next  spring. 

Carnations  are  now  in  bud,  and  will  be  grateful 
for  a  little  stimulant  to  assist  in  swelling  the  buds. 
Soot,  fowl-manure,  nitrate  of  soda — any  of  these 
will  do  if  applied  sparingly*  If  nitrate  of  soda 
is  used,  care  should  be  taken  that  it  does  not  1  onie 
in  contact  with  the  foliage,  which  it  will  burn. 
.\ttend  to  tying  or  training,  according  to  the  type 
of  stake  used. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Tying  Climbers. — Climbing  Hoses  are  now 
making  rapid  growth,  which  should  be  regulated 
and  tied  in  as  growth  advances,  .-Ml  superfiucms 
main  shoots  should  be  cut  away,  so  that  those 
retained  may  get  as  much  light  and  air  as  p(.issible. 

Cultivating  the  Soil. — Nothing  contributes 
more  ti.  the  welfare  of  Roses  than  to  keep  the  soil 
reguUarly  stirred. 


Carpeting. — Opinions  differ  widely  regarding 
the  practice  of  carpethig  Rose  beds  and  borders. 
Where  exhibition  blooms  are  aimed  at,  carpeting 
is  out  of  the  question  ;  but  where  Roses  are  grown 
for  general  decorative  purposes,  the  system  has 
much  to  commend  it,  especiallv  where  a  bed  is 
planted  with  a  single  varietv  iuid  it  is  one  possessed 
of  considerable  vigour.  \'iolas  are  undoubtedly 
the  best  subjects  for  this  work,  and  whites,  pale 
maiives  and  pale  yellows  like  Primrose  Danre 
will,  generally  speaking,  prove  the  most  effective. 
Those  who  intend  adopting  the  system  should  be 
thinking  about  stock  for  autumn  propagation. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Veronica  saxatilis.  Ilic  bright  blue  flowers 
oi  this  prostrate  shrubby  \cronua  are  very  attrac- 
tive, holding  their  own  with  the  varieties  of  Litho- 
spermum  prostratum.  It  is  bv  no  means  particular 
as  to  soil. 

Potentillas. — Some  of  the  dwarfer  species  make 
excellent  subjects  for  the  rock  garden.  Specially 
to  be  commended  are  P.  alba  (white,  6  inches), 
P.  nitida  (pale  rose,  b  inches),  P.  nivalis  (white, 
with  silvery  foliage,  0  inches)  and  P.  Thurberi 
(reddish  brown,  0  inches).  None  of  the  Cinquefoils 
require  special  treatment,  except  th.it  they  enjoy  flie 
sunshhie. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Hydrangeas. — Autumn-stmck  plants  with  single 
trusses,  if  they  have  been  forwarded  in  heat,  will 
soon  be  getting  past  their  best,  and  should  have 
the  flower-heads  cut  away.  They  should  then 
be  placed  in  an  airy  frame  and  receive  some  feeding 
to  fit  them  either  for  producing  a  crop  of  bloom 
next  season  or  for  furnishing  vigorous  cuttings. 

Streptosolen  Jamesonii. — The  deep  orange 
flowers  lit  this  conservatory  climber  are  very 
telling.  Spring-struck  plants  should  be  fit  for  a 
shift  into  5-inch  pots.  Sandy  loam  suits  them, 
and  if  a  little  peat  is  added  they  will  appreciate  it. 
Shade  only  during  very  strong  sunshine,  and  after 
.\ugust  comes  in  gives  them  all  the  sunshine 
available. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Guavas. — Some  fauiilu-s  .ire  partial  to  this 
fruit,  which  is  generally  grown  on  the  back  wall 
of  a  vinery.  The  fruits  will  now  be  swelling, 
and  the  plants  should  be  assisted  by  occasional 
doses  of  liquid  manure. 

Tomatoes. — Plants  ripening  their  fruits  should 
get  all  the  light  possible,  and  while  overwatering 
should  be  guarded  against,  the  plants  should  never 
be  .dlowed  to  get  dry  at  the  root,  or  cracked  fruits 
will  be  the  result.  If  seed-saving  is  intended,  the 
first  fruits  on  a  plant  are  the  most  vigorous,  and 
should  be  selected  for  the  purpose.  Choose  fruits 
typical  of  the  variety  in  hand,  always  avoiding 
corrugated  fruits. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Taking  Strawberry  Runners. — This  work  may 
still  be  do.ie,  but  no  time  should  be  lost  if 
autumn  planting  is  the  object  in  view.  Layering 
in  pots  as  recommended  for  forcing  purposes  is 
the  best  plan,  but  very  good  results  can  be  obtained 
by  layering  on  small  squares  of  freshly-cut  turf 
laid  grass  side  downwards. 

Protecting  Strawberries.— U  not  already  done, 

nets  must  be  put  on  forthwith.  In  buying  nets  it 
is  well  to  remember  that  when  diamond  pattern 
nets  are  stretched  their  full  width,  they  shrink  by 
one-third  of  their  nominal  length,  so  that  when 
a  net  50  yards  in  length  as  per  list  is  stretched  to 
its  full  width.  It  will  prove  to  be  only  33  yards  in 
length.  As  mice  are  sure  to  make  their  appearance, 
a  few  traps  should  be  set  in  each  break. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Turnips.— Make  another  mowing  of  White 
Early  Milan  for  autumn  use  and  thin  siiccessional 
sowings.  Remove  plants  running  to  seed,  as  they 
roll  the  ground  in  the  effort  of  reproduction. 

Spinach. — It  is  next  to  impossible  to  get  a  supply 
of  Spinach  in  the  height  of  summer,  and  those  who 
pKanted  a  portion  of  a  south  border  with  New  Zea- 
land .Spinach  will  now  be  reaping  the  benefit.  It  is 
perhaps  not  generally  known  that  as  a  substitute 
for  real  Spinach  the  leaves  of  the  Silver  or  Seakale 
Beet   are  superior  to  the  so-called  Spinacli  Beet. 

Onions  must  continue  to  have  some  feeding 
material  of  a  nitrogenous  nature.  The  hoe  should 
also  be  kept  going  among  the  crop,  and  hand 
weeding  must  be  resorted  to  in  the  Hues. 

Charles  Comfort. 

Byoomfichi  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


JUNE    jN,   I9I3.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


SOME    GOOD    THINGS    IN    A 
SCOTTISH    GARDEN. 


1HAVE  always  contended  that  everyone  ought 
to  cultivate  the  very  best  strains  of  both 
flowers  and  vegetables,  as  the  labour 
entailed  is  identical,  while  the  results  are 
altogether  superior.  With  a  poor  strain 
of  anything  there  is  not  the  slightest  satis- 
faction to  be  derived  from  first-rate  culture,  only 
disappointment,  and  eventually  a  disposition  on 
the  part  of  the  grower  not  to  take  undue  trouble. 
How  different  it  is  when  we  know  that  the  plants 
we  tend  daily  will,  with  proper  attention,  produce 
crops  that  we  can  be  proud  of,  and  for  which  we 
have  had  no  extra  labour  or  trouble.  I  am  in  the 
happy  position  of  being  able  to  carry  out  my  ideas 
on  this  subject,  my  employers  delighting  in  having 
the  best  procurable  strains  of  everything.  A  few 
notes  on  some  of  the  finer  things  we  have  obtained 
(luring  the  last  dozen  years  may  be  of  interest 
li>  others  situated  in  a  cold,  late  district  such  as 
we  have  here.  I  will  take  flowers  first,  and  only 
mention  a  few  of  the  outstanding  kinds  that 
invariably  succeed  here. 

Myosotis. — At  the  present  moment  we  have  a 
very  lo\-ely  bed  of  Barr's  Alpine  Blue  Myosotis, 
which  has  been  greatly  admired.  I  am  safe  in  saying 
that  it  is  by  far  the  finest  Forget-me-not  we  have 
ever  tried.  It  comes  absolutely  true,  is  a  lovely- 
deep  blue  colour,  and  the  stems  are  nearly  a  foot 
long,  which  makes  it  admirable  for  cutting.  It 
is  very  hardy,  a  most  profuse  bloomer,  and 
is  earlier  by  a  week  or  ten  days  than  Sutton's 
Perfection.  It  may  still  be  sown  if  a  box  set  in  a 
greenhouse  is  used.     A  real  gem. 

Delphiniums. — These  thrive  remarkably  well. 
The  plants  in  a  large  bed  on  a  west  border  are 
never  less  than  to  feet  high,  the  spikes  of  large 
flowers  being  5  feet  long.  Grown  from  Barr's  seeds. 
Polyanthuses. — We  grow  two  very  beautiful 
strains,  both  being  very  fine  in  their  way. 
Storrie  and  Storrie's  Superb  Mixed  are  prominent, 
because  of  the  large  size  and  wonderfully  varied 
and  brilliant  colouring  of  the  flowers.  This  grand 
strain  also  retains  the  delightful  perfume  of  the  old 
English  Cowslips.  The  Munstead  strain  of  white 
and  yellow  shades  is  also  very  choice  and  showy, 
the  blooms  and  trusses  being  large  and  fine.  It 
is  well  to  raise  a  batch  each  year  of  these  fine  strains, 
as  there  is  a  tendency  to  deteriorate  after  the 
plants  have  bloomed  twice. 

Aqullegias. — The  Long-spurred  forms  are  \'ery 
beautiful  and  useful  for  table  decoration. 
Dobbie's  strain  of  this  fine  plant  is  the  best  I 
have  yet  come  across.  The  colours  are  not  only 
varied,  but  most  delicate  and  pleasing.  Seed 
should  be  sown  annually,  ,is  these  fine  hybrid  strains 
do  not  usually  live  long. 

Nemesias. — To  Messrs.  Sutton  we  are  indebted 
for  the  introduction  of  this,  our  finest  dwarf  annual 
plant.  Sutton's  strains  of  both  the  original 
large-flowered  type  and  the  dwarf  hybrid 
kind,  with  smaller  flowers,  are  still  the  finest 
we  have  yet  seen,  and  annually  give  a  gorgeous 
display.  Personally,  I  much  prefer  the  dwarf 
hybrid  type,  which  Messrs.  Sutton  have  of  late 
years  brought  to  great  perfection.  Few  plants 
give  a  more  delightful  range  of  beautiful  colours, 
while  the  free-growing  and  profuse-blooming 
qualities  of  the  plants  are  above  praise. 

Antirrhinums. — This  is  another  almost  indis- 
pensable plant  nowadays,  and  as  the  range  of  colours 


now  available  in  separate  packets  is  very  large, 
everyone's  taste  is  catered  for.  Here  we  prefer  the 
intermediate  type,  and  grow  quite  a  number  of 
colours  each  year.  The  best  are  usually  Barr's 
Queen  of  the  North,  Barr's  Yellow,  Sunset,  Sutton's 
Deep  Crimson  and  Sutton's  Orange  King.  Antir- 
rhinums seldom  come  entirely  true  from  seed. 

Pentstemons. — A  wonderful  improvement  has 
taken  place  in  these  noble  plants  of  late  years. 
Colours  are  now  much  brighter  and  varied  than 
formerly,  and  a  grand  display  can  be  had  by 
massing  in  colours,  or  by  having  large  mixed  beds 
or  borders.  Here  we  like  the  lovely  pink  Day- 
dream, raised  by  Mr.  Hay  while  at  Hopetoun,  and 
Preston  Hall  Seedling,  which  is  larger  and  deeper 
in  colour  than  Newbury  Gem,  from  which,  I  think, 
it  was  a  seedling.  Myddelton  Gem  is  also  very 
fine,  as  are  Lady  Mary  Hope  and  Lord  Charles 
Hope.  George  Holmes  and  White  Giant  are  grand, 
but  I  lost  both  through  drought  two  years  ago. 

Giant  Daisies. — Sutton's  strain  of  these  is 
superb,  the  blooms  when  well  grown  being  as 
large  as  bouquet  Asters.  The  flowers  are  borne 
on  long,  stifl  stems,  so  for  cut  flowers  they  are 
admirable. 

Sweet  Peas. — These  thrive  exceedingly  well.  We 
grow  about  thirty  good  named  sorts  each  year. 
Favourites  are  Edrom  Beauty,  Dobbie's  Sunproof 
Crimson,  Isobel  Malcolm,  John  Ingman,  Etta 
Dyke,  The  Marquis,  Red  Star,  Lady  Miller, 
Constance  Oliver,  W.  P.  Wright,  Asta  Ohn,  Helen 
Lewis,  Nubian,  Othello,  Apple  Blossom  Spencer, 
Vermilion  Brilliant  and  Hercules. 

Roses. — These  are  quite  a  speciality,  our  collec- 
tion comprising  at  least  150  varieties.  We  annually 
add  some  of  the  newer  introductions,  but  a  good 
many  of  these  have  had  to  be  dispensed  with 
for  various  reasons.  The  chief  favourites  grown 
in  quantity  are  General  Macarthur,  Mme.  Ravary, 
M.  Paul  Lede,  Mme.  Melanie  Soupert,  Lady  Ash- 
tomi,  Hugh  Dickson,  Mrs.  John  Laing,  Gustav 
Grunerwald,  Liberty,  Caroline  Testout,  Viscoimtess 
Folkestone,  Lyons  Rose  and  Mrs.  David  McKee. 

Herbaceous  and  Alpine  Plants.— Of  these 
we  cultivate  a  large  number  of  kinds,  but  space 
forbids  my  going  into  the  names  of  these.  I  may 
say,  however,  that  both  old  favourites  and  up-to- 
date  varieties  are  well  represented. 

Fruit. — This  is  not  a  fruit  district  in  a  general 
sense,  but  a  few  kinds  do  remarkably  well.  Of  Apples, 
Warner's  King  and  James  Grieve  are  the  best.  Pear 
Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey  is  the  only  one  that  does 
much  good.  Black  and  Red  Currants  are  always  very 
fine.  Raspberry  Superlative  is  always  grand, 
both  in  size  and  quantity.  Of  Strawberries, 
Laxton's  Leader  is  invariably  the  best,  carrying  a 
very  heavy  crop  of  large  fruits. 

Vegetables. — These  thrive  well,  for  the  most 
part,  on  our  rich,  heavy  soil.  Of  Peas  we  grow  a 
very  large  quantity,  the  following  varieties  being 
always  dependable  :  The  Pilot,  Early  Boimtiful, 
Senator  (a  grand  Pea),  Glory  of  Devon,  Carter's 
Daisy,  The  Lincoln,  Dreadnought,  Superlative, 
Royal  Salute  (the  best  late  Pea)  and  The  Gladstone. 
Cauliflower  is  always  good,  Sutton's  Magnum 
Bonum,  Sutton's  Favourite  and  Veitch's  Autumn 
Giant  being  the  best.  Sutton's  Favourite  is  the 
best  Cauliflower  I  know.  Brussels  Sprouts  are 
greatly  in  demand,  Dickson's  Newtomiards  Gem 
being  by  far  the  best.  Of  Cabbages,  Sutton's 
Flower  of  Spring  for  autumn  sowing'and  Sutton's 
Favourite  for  spring  sowing  are  imsm-passed. 
Lettuces  of  first-rate  quality  are  always  appreciated, 
and  after  many  trials  I  can  find  nothing  to  equal 


Carter's  Holborn  Standard  and  New  York  (;iant. 
The  former  for  earliest  sowing  is  superb,  and  stands 
a  very  long  time  before  bolting.  New  York  Giant 
is  a  grand  summer  Lettuce,  for,  notwithstanding 
its  huge  size,  it  has  never  the  least  sign  of  coarse- 
ness. Tomatoes  are  always  in  demand,  and  we 
endeavour  to  keep  up  supplies  for  as  long  a  season 
as  possible.  Laird's  Supreme  is  still  the  best  here, 
but  Freedom,  an  American  variety,  is  also  very 
fine.  Other  varieties  we  always  grow  and  which 
succeed  very  well  are  Stirling  Castle,  Carter's 
Simrise,  Sutton's  Earliest  and  Magnus.  The 
last  named  is  the  finest  flavoured  of  all  Tomatoes 
and  a  large,  handsome  fruit.  It  is  of  American 
origin. 

Indoor  Flowers. — Sutton's  Dwarf  Hybrid  Schi- 
zanthus  is  excellent,  the  colours  being  so  beautiful 
and  varied  and  the  flowers  of  such  a  fine  size. 
This  strain  is  a  most  profuse  bloomer.  Cyclamen 
Sutton's  Giant  and  Sutton's  Prize  are  always 
magnificent.  This  year  they  flowered  for  five 
months.  We  treat  these  as  biennials.  Primula 
obconica  gigantea  (Barr's  strain)  is  by  far  the 
finest  I  have  seen  anywhere.  Plants  that  started 
to  bloom  in  December  are  still  at  this  date  (June  3) 
wonderfully  fresh  and  bright.  Ware's  double  and 
single  tuberous-rooted  Begonias  are  grown  in 
quantity  and  are  always  greatly  admired.  Th(^ 
double  kinds  from  a  packet  of  seed  are  truly  superb. 
Space  forbids  mention  of  other  plants  grown  under 
glass. 

Preston  House,  Linlithgow.  C.  Blair. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES    FOR    CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
make  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
ivith  that  object  will  make  a  special  feaUire  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  arc  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  vsed  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
sm,all  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Pubiisher. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

SWEET  PEAS  DAMAGED  (R.  H.  S.).— The  specimens 
of  Sweet  Peas  sent  were  too  far  gone  to  enable  us  even 
to  guess  what  was  the  source  of  the  trouble  ;  but  we 
should  think  that,  in  all  probability,  slugs  are  to  blame, 
and  we  imagine  careful  search  with  a  lantern  after  dark 
would  be  likely  to  reveal  them.  Potassium  permanganate 
in  strong  solution  is  excellent  against  these  pests. 

PHLOX  AND  EELWORM  (Carlisle).— The  Phlox  is 
badly  attacked  by  the  stem  eelworm.  When  once  a  plant 
is  attacked  there  is  no  cure,  and  no  attacked  plants  should 
be  used  for  propagation  purposes.  It  would  be  better 
not  to  plant  Phlox  on  the  infested  ground,  nor  to  plant 
things  liable  to  attack,  such  as  bulbs  and  the  like.  The 
soil  should  have  a  dressing  of  sulphate  of  potash  (at  the 
rate  of  Icwt.  to  2cwt.  to  the  acre)  in  the  spring,  or  kainit 
(at  the  rate  of  4cwt.  to  6cwt.  to  the  acre)  in  the  autumn. 
Infested  parts  of  plants  should  be  removed  and  burnt. 

LILIES  DISEASED  (B.  £.). — We  can  only  say  of  your 
Lilies  that  it  is  one  of  the  worst  examples  of  the  Lily  fungus 
we  have  seen.  The  only  thing  to  do  is  to  gather  up  and 
burn  at  once  every  vestige  of  it.  Indeed,  it  would  be  better 
to  dig  up  and  burn  the  bulbs  also,  and  give  the  garden 
a  complete  rest  from  Lilies  in  general  for  two  or  three 
years.  The  Tulips  will  not  be  suffering  from  this  disease, 
but  from  another  peculiar  to  its  own  tribe.  In  their 
case  also  collect  and  burn  all  evidence  of  the  disease, 
and  later,  when  you  lift  the  bulbs  for  drying,  dust 
them  lightly  with  sulphur.  In  replanting,  give  them  a 
fresh  site  and,  if  possible,  fresh  soil  also. 


332 


THE     GARDEN. 


[June  28,  1913. 


IRIS  AND  NARCISSUS  BULBS  ATTACKED  [E.  F.  C.).— 
The  Iris  hullis  are  attacked  by  the  bulb  mite  (Ehizoslyphus 
Behinopus),  and  the  Narcissus  bulb  by  that  pest  and  the 
small  Narcissus  flv  in  addition.  Either  the  soil  is  badly 
infested  with  the  former  pest,  or  the  bulbs  were  already 
attacked  when  they  were  planted. 

LUPINES  AND  IRIS  (Bromsgrove  Reader).  —  Lupines 
are  often  attacked  in  the  way  you  describe,  and  sometimes 
a  sort  of  root-rot  occurs  that  produces  the  trouble.  In 
any  case,  the  cause  of  the  bud-dropping  lies  at  the  root 
of  the  plant.  It  may  be  drought  or  even  insects  attacking 
the  plant  there.  The  Iris  pallida  varieties  are  often 
dilatory  in  coming  into  flower.  Give  them  another  year. 
We  presume  they  are  in  full  sun,  with  the  rhizomes  on  the 
surface. 

VIOLET  RUST  lA.  IT.).— The  fungus  on  the  Viola  is 
Puccinia  viols!,  the  Violet  rust.  This  early,  cup-like 
Etage  is  followed  by  brown  spore  masses,  and  late  in  the 
autumn  by  black  spores  which  carry  the  disease  over  the 
winter.  The  fungus  very  commonly  attacks  the  wild 
Violet,  but  it  does  not  attack  other  plants  than  those 
belonging  to  the  genus  Viola.  If  it  is  only  in  a  small 
quantity,  root  it  out  and  destroy  it  immediately.  If 
there  is  much,  begin  with  a  fresh  stock  of  plants  in 
another  place  next  year. 

IS  LABURNUM  POISONOUS  TO  PLANTS?  (If.  W.  TF.). 
So  far  as  our  observation  goes,  we  liave  never  noticed  any 
more  serious  results  from  planting  beneath  Laburnum 
trees  than  from  planting  beneath  any  other  kinds  of  trees. 
As  a  rule,  plants  of  herbaceous  character  fail  to  do  them- 
selves iu.stice  when  planted  beneath  trees,  partly  by  reason 
of  the  tree  roots  impoverishing  the  soil,  partly  by  drought, 
and  partly  by  shade,  some  trees,  of  course,  having  a  more 
serious  effect  than  others  upon  the  undergrowth.  We 
imagine  that  it  can  only  be  a  case  for  further  experiments. 
Perhaps  there  is  something  wrong  with  the  working  of 
your  soil. 

ASTERS  FAILING  SUDDENLY  (-7.  H.).— The  sudden 
failin"  of  the  fiermau  Asters  has  been  attributed  to  many 
different  causes,  white  worms,  eelworms  and  fungi,  and 
no  doubt  all  of  them  are  responsible  at  different  times  for 
the  trouble,  but  it  is,  in  all  probability,  generally  duo  to 
the  attack  of  a  species  of  Fusarium.  This  fungus  rests 
in  the  soil,  and  attacks  first  the  root,  then  the  stem,  the 
water-vessels  of  which  it  fills  up  so  that  no  flow  of  water 
is  possible,  the  leaves  thus  rapidly  wilting.  There 
is  another  soil  fungus,  at  times  causing  root-rot,  responsible 
for  the  trouble,  and  in  both  cases  the  need  for  avoiding 
planting  in  places  where  the  disease  has  previously  been 
IS  one  to  be  borne  in  mind.  Probably  thorough  liming 
of  the  soil  and  the  sterilisation  by  steam  of  the  soil  used 
for  sowing  the  seed  in  would  reduce  the  attack  very 
considerably. 

FATSIA  JAPONICA  (Headingtey).—'i:he  name  of  the 
plant  of  which  a  leaf  was  enclosed  is  Fatsia  japonica,  often 
known  as  Aralia  Sieboldii.  It  is  sometimes,  but  quite 
erroneously,  termed  the  Castor  Oil  Plant,  the  true  Castor 
Oil  Plant  being  a  totally  different  subject.  Your  plant  is 
but  following  its  usual  habit,  that  is,  as  the  new  gro\vth 
develops,  the  mature  leaves  on  the  lower  part  of  the  stem 
drop  off.  You  can,  if  you  like,  cut  your  plant  back  to 
within  9  inches  or  a  foot  of  the  pot,  when  it  will  in  time 
break  out  again.  It  you  just  pinch  the  top  off,  you  will 
still  have  the  bare  stem,  as  it  will  push  out  from  the  upper 
portion.  There  is  yet  another  way  in  which  your  Fatsia 
may  be  dealt  with,  and  that,  provided  you  have  a  sheltered 
spot  in  the  garden,  will  perhaps  oive  you  as  much  satis- 
faction as  any.  This  is  to  plant  it  outside  and  obtain  a 
young  specimen  for  your  window.  In  the  neighbourhood 
of  London,  Fatsia  japonica  is  a  valuable  evergreen  shrub, 
and  as  hardy  as  the  common  Laurel.  Even  in  your  colder 
climate  it  should  succeed  if  planted  in  a  sheltered  spot. 
Once  established  out  of  doors,  it  will  push  out  shoots 
from  the  base  and  in  time  form  an  effective  specimen. 
Young  plants  suitable  for  your  window  can  be  purchased 
at  a  comparatively  cheap  rate. 

THE    GREENHOUSE. 

GESNERAS  (Lyndhurst). — As  your  Gesneras  are  good, 
sturdy  plants  and  only  2  inches  or  3  inches  high,  we  do 
not  consider  that  there  would  be  any  harm  in  dividing 
them  now  and  repotting  singly  into  4{-inch  pots.  Of 
course,  it  is  most  essential  that  the  roots  should  be  dis- 
•  turbed  as  little  as  possible,  and  the  plants  kept  rather 
closer  than  usual  and  well  shaded  till  the  roots  take 
possession  of  the  new  soil.  Some  Gesneras  are  much  more 
vigorous  than  others,  and  need  increased  root  room ; 
but,  generally  speaking,  6-inch  pots  should  be  large  enough 
to  allow  three  plants  to  give  of  their  best.  The  very 
strongest  may,  if  you  wish,  be  put  into  larger  pots  ;  but 
as  you  seem  inclined  to  divide,  we  should  not,  as  above 
stated,  dissuade  you  from  doing  so.  In  the  culture  of 
Gesneras,  as  in  many  of  their  allies,  it  should  be  borne 
in  mind  that  they  are  greatly  benefited  by  a  free  use  of 
vegetable  matter  in  the  compost,  and  this,  if  possible, 
should  be  in  the  form  of  good,  well-decayed  leaf-mould. 
A  mixture  of  two  parts  loam  to  one  part  leaf-mould  and 
a  liberal  sprinkling  of  silver  sand  is  very  suitable  for  this 
class  of  plants. 

ROSE     GARDEN. 

RAMBLERS  FOR  BUDDING  (J.  B.).— The  lateral 
shoots  would  do  very  well,  and,  if  strong,  would  make  no 
difference  to  the  future  growth  of  the  budded  plants,  but  we 
should  prefer  a  nice,  strong,  young  growth.  There  are 
better  white  ramblers  now  than  White  Dorothy,  for  it 
is  not  pure  white.     Try  Schnceball  or  Lady  Blanche. 


ROSES  WITH  GREEN  CENTRES  {UehiKhi,r,ili).~V\K 
hard,  green  centres  are  usually  ri:gardt'd  as  the  effect  of 
a  sutlUen  cheek  to  growtli  just  whi'n  ti.e  huds  arc  forming. 
No  preventive  measures,  bi-yond  planting  where  the  Ijushes 
are  screened  from  north  and  east  winds,  arc  known.  It 
is  impossible  to  name  Roses  from  malformed  specimens 
such  as  these. 

ROSES  FOR  BIG  BUSHES  IN  ABERDEENSHIRE 
(D.  D.  Z).).— You  would  Hud  tile  following  excfllent  for 
your  purpose  :  J.  B.  Clark,  Hugh  Dickson.  .Mrs.  Stewart 
Clark,  Zepherin  Drouhin,  Dr.  O'Donel  Browne.  Johanna 
Sebus,  Ueine  Marie  Henriette,  M.  Desir,  Conrad  F. 
Meyer,  Nova  Zembla,  Sarah  Bernhardt,  Cheshunt  Hybrid. 
Juliet,  Climbing  Lady  .\shtown,  Maharajah,  Ulricli 
Brunner,  Fran  Karl  Druschki,  Mrs.  John  Laing,  Paul 
Neyron  and  Boule  de  Neige.  All  these  should  be  hardy 
with  you. 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

SPOTS  ON  MELONS  {Oron). — There  is  no  fuiijius  preiseiit 
to  account  for  the  trouble  with  the  Melons.  Have  they 
been  knocked  or  damaged  while  youns  ?  The  bitter 
flavour  is  probably  due  to  imperfect  ripeniuq. 

A  PREVALENT  DISEASE  IN  APPLES  (.7.  C.).— The 
.\pples  seem  to  be  affected  with  the  brown  rot  funi^us 
Monilia  (or  Sclerotinia)  fructigena.  Ttis  disease  is  rather 
prevalent  this  season,  and  it  would  be  well  to  spray  with 
Bordeaux  mi.vture,  half  the  strengtii  usually  used  for 
spraying  Potatoes. 

FLIES  ON  PEAR  TREES  {E.  H,  5.)-— We  do  not  think 
tlie  insects  t-ent,  which  are  species  of  Psocidete,  are  likely 
tu  do  much,  if  any,  damage  to  the  trees.  They  feed  on 
dead  matter,  and  disliking  light  are  apt  to  travel  in  cracks 
in  the  bark.  It  appears  there  is  much  Pear  scab  on  your 
trees,  and  this  is  destroying  the  spurs.  Cut  out  all 
dead  and  dying  wood,  and  spray  with  Bordeaux  mixture. 

SIDE  SHOOTS  OF  PLUM  TREES  {In  Doubt).— Yes^,  in 
the  case  of  trees  growing  in  gardens  where  the  space  is 
more  or  less  restricted,  unless  a  shoot  is  required  to  fill  up 
a  gap  in  the  tree,  the  side  shoots  should  he  pinched  back. 
In  the  latter  case  they  should  be  allowed  to  grow  un- 
restricted during  the  summer,  pruning  tliem  back  to  half 
their  length  at  the  winter  pruning.  If  tlie  standard  trees 
are  growing  in  an  orchard  where  ample  space  is  provided, 
summer  pruning  is  not  necessary. 

MILDEW  ON  VINES  (J.  Broion  and  A  Lincolnshire 
Man). — On  the  first  appearance  of  the  white  patches  of 
mildew  on  the  upper  surface  of  the  leaves,  spray  every 
part  of  the  stem  and  leaves  with  a  solution  of  loz.  of 
potassium  sulphide  to  three  gallons  of  water.  Repeat 
this  frequently  while  the  Vine  is  still  affected.  As  a 
preventive  it  is  desirable  to  spray  before  the  mildew 
appears,  especially  if  it  has  been  prevalent  during  the 
previous  year.  To  ensure  the  destruction  of  the  hiber- 
nating mycelium  during  the  winter,  when  the  Vine  is 
resting,  the  trunk  and  branches  should  be  thoroughly 
washed  with  a  solution  of  lib.  of  sulphate  of  copper 
dissolved  in  twenty-five  gallons  of  water. 

NECTARINES  SHRIVELLING  (^rw;iows).— Please  see 
next  answer  to  "  H.  S.  O."  below  re  Peaches 
dropping.  If  we  were  you  we  would  give  the  old  trees 
another  chance,  especially  as  you  have  had  them  under 
your  care  for  so  short  a  time.  Old  trees,  even  very  old 
ones,  bear  grand  crops  when  well  looked  after,  and  the 
fruit  is  usually  of  better  flavour  and  quality  than  from 
younger  trees.  We  would  partly  lift  the  roots  this  autumn 
{not  merely  top-dressing),  and  then  give  them  a  new  body 
of  soil  to  root  into.  Let  the  trees  start  naturally  next 
year  without  any  forcing,  and  in  preparing  the  soil  for  the 
border  do  not  forget  to  apply  some  bone-meal,  say,  three 
pints  to  a  good  barrow-load  of  the  compost,  and  a  liberal 
sprinkling  of  lime. 

PEACHES  DROPPING  (H.  S.  0.).— The  cause  generally 
of  Peaches  dropping  when  the  size  of  Hazel  Nuts  is 
imperfect  fertilisation  of  the  blossom.  If  you  cut  a  fruit 
open  you  will  find  that  the  stone  is  diseased.  Imperfect 
fertilisation  may  be  brought  about  by  many  causes,  as 
follows :  Tlie  want  of  vigour  and  strength  in  the  trees,  and 
consequently  in  the  flowers ;  the  scarcity  of  pollen  in  the 
latter;  dull,  cold  weather,  and  a  damp,  close  atmosphere 
while  the  trees  are  in  bloom.  The  best  way  of  preventing 
this  in  future  is  to  add  new  turfy  soil  to  the  roots  of  the 
trees  in  autumn,  to  water  the  trees  several  times  in  the 
course  of  the  winter  and  autumn,  and  to  take  special  care 
that  the  trees  have  abundance  of  air  when  they  are  in 
bloom,  both  day  and  night,  while  the  weather  is  favour- 
able. The  flowers  should  also  be  artificially  fertilised 
on  dry,  warm  days  by  the  aid  of  a  rabbit's  tail,  drawing 
it  gently  over  the  pollen  on  the  stamens  of  the  flowers 
and  applying  to  the  stigma  or  centre  tiny  column  of  the 
flower.  This  is  a  simple  and  small  matter,  but  it  needs 
care  and  diligence  in  carrying  it  out. 

MILDEW  ON  VINES  (W.  B.).~lt  may  be  tliat  the  Vine 
border  and  the  general  system  of  culture  of  the  Vine  in 
the  past  is  at  fault,  and  therefore,  in  a  measure,  the  cause 
of  the  attack  of  mildew.  For,  without  good  and  proper 
soil  for  the  roots  to  flourish  in,  and  intelligent  culture  in 
the  way  of  generous  watering,  careful  ventilation  and  the 
provision  of  a  healthy  atmosphere  for  the  Vines  to  grow 
in,  they  soon  become  a  prey  to  this  and  other  diseases  by 
reason  of  the  weak  and  poor  gro^vth  they  make.  How- 
ever, if  this  is  so,  the  remedy  cannot  be  applied  in  the  case 
of  the  border  until  autumn,  but  the  careful  management 
of  the  Vine  in  other  ways  as  suggested  above  should  be 
seen  to  at  once.  The  best  thing  you  can  do  now  is  to  apply 
the  same  remedy  as  you  applied  before.  The  sulphur 
should  be  applied  to  the  hot-water  pipes  in  the  evening 


of  a  damp,  calm  day,  and  repeated  the  secoiul  evening 
if  the  first  application  is  not  effective.  Be  careful  to 
apply  front  air  sparingly  in  cold  weather,  because  cold 
draughts  are  often  the  cause  of  an  attack  of  mildew.  The 
Grapes  on  the  Vine  you  speak  of  (as  per  sample  sent)  are 
evidently  badly  affected.  We  should  cut  the  worst  of 
them  out,  and  give  the  others  a  better  chance  of  setting 
and  finishing  off. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

SEAKALE  (Miss  B.  C.).— You  can  do  no  good  by  tians- 
planting  your  Seakalo  now.  Leave  it  until  the  winter 
time,  then  dig  it  up,  keep  the  stronger  crowns  for  forcing, 
and  cut  up  the  rest  of  the  fleshy  roots  into  sections  i  inches 
to  5  inches  long,  taking  care  to  keep  the  upper  parts  in 
the  same  direction  for  convenience  of  planting.  Plant 
the  root  sections  in  good  deep  soil  which  has  been  well 
worked  and  afterwards  made  fairly  firm.  As  a  rule  the 
pieces  should  be  placed  in  rows  2  feet  apart,  and  1^  feet 
apart  in  the  rows.  One  year  should  suffice  to  form  crowns 
large  enough  for  forcing.  It  is  of  no  use,  however,  planting 
Seakale  in  poor  soil,  as  it  never  develops  satisfactorily. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

SAMPLE  OF  SOIL  {G.  W.  ft.).— We  f  jund  nothing  amiss 
with  the  soil,  and  could  see  nothing  of  the  black  substance 
of  which  you  speak.  It  is  quite  likely  to  be  a  jelly-like 
growtli  which  dries  up  and  practically  disappears  when 
dry ;  but  perhaps  you  couUi  send  us  a  little  of  the  substance 
itself. 

FLIES  FOR  IDENTIFICATION  (R.  S.  C.).— The  ■flies 
sent  are  allied  to  iMerodon  equestris,  but  do  not  belong 
to  that  species.  They  are  hover  flies,  called  Eristalis  tenax 
and  E.  arbustorum,  and  the  larvae  of  the  former  are  the 
well-known  rat-tailed  maggots  that  live  in  the  fllth  at 
the  bottom  of  the  gutters,  sewers  and  dirty  ditches. 
IMerodon  varies  greatly  in  colour,  but  is  usually  foxy  brown 
and  very  hairy.  The  shrill  notes  caused  by  its  flight 
and  its  darting  habit  make  it  readily  distinguishable 
when  on  the  wing. 

DESTROYING  THE  MOLE  CRICKET  (G.  T.).— 
Probably  the  best  method  of  destroying  mole  crickets 
is  to  inject  carbon  bisulphide  into  the  soil  in  which  they 
liv^,  at  the  rate  of  about  half  an  ounce  to  the  square  yard. 
Phospho  Nicotyl  has  been  found  useful  for  destroying 
these  Insects  in  Jersey  and  Guernsey.  Traps  in  the 
form  of  tubes  of  earthenware  or  wood,  baited  with 
some  substance  the  pest  likes  and  allowing  entrance 
but  not  exit,  may  be  buried  in  the  soil,  many  of  the  pests 
being  trapped  like  that  and  destroyed  by  dropping  them 
into  a  pail  containing  parafiSn. 

WASH  FOR  CONIFERS  (F.  R.  D.).~A  wash  which  has 
been  found  successful  for  the  treatment  of  Spruce  trees 
affected  by  the  Pine-apple  gall  is  made  by  mixing  six  pints 
of  paraffin,  1Mb.  of  soft  soap  and  thirty-six  gallons  of  water 
together,  and  using  it  in  the  form  of  a  spray.  It  is  essential 
that  the  soft  soap  and  paraffin  should  be  thoroughly  mixed, 
and  to  ensure  this  it  is  advisable  to  dissolve  the  soft  soap 
in  one  gallon  of  boiling  water.  While  this  is  warm,  add  the 
paraffin  and  keep  the  mixture  well  stirred  until  a  creamy 
liquid  is  formed ;  pour  into  the  remaining  water,  mix  well, 
and  use  either  through  a  self-mixing  spraying- machine  or 
a  syringe.  In  the  case  of  the  latter,  put  a  syringeful  back 
into  the  vessel  now  and  then  in  order  to  keep  the  wash  well 
agitated,  so  that  there  is  no  possibility  of  the  paraffin 
separating  from  the  soft  soap.  From  the  end  of  April  to 
the  end  of  June  is  the  most  eflacacious  period  for  the  use  of 
the  wash,  for  it  is  at  that  time  the  insects  are  most  active. 
It  is  a  good  plan  to  use  the  wash  about  once  every  ten  or 
fourteen  days  on  badly-affected  trees. 

NAMES     OF    PLANTS.  —  Rustic.  —  Rose   Thalia. 

A.  E.    T. — 1,   Comtesse  F.  Hamilton  ;     2,  Comtesse    de 

Breteuil;    3,    M    Desir. C.    F.  —  Commander    Jules 

Gravereaux., N-  M.  Roxby. — We  believe  the  white  is 

Bennett's  Seedling,   and  the  pink  an  old  variety  of  Rosa 

gallica  or  one  of  the  very  old  Damask  Roses. J.  B., 

Clapham  Common.— Centranthus  ruber  alba G.  B.  B. — 

Sisyrinchium  angustifolium. Mrs.  H.  E.  S.  U. — Cyno- 

glossum    Wallichii. Mrs.   F.   H.   Curtis.  —  Escallonia 

punctata. Mrs.  F.   A.    H. — White  Poplar   (Populus 

albus). K.  D.,  Scalby. — Pittosporum  tenuifolium. 

B.  N.,  Cheshire. — Abutilon  vitifolium  (shrub),  Cynoglossum 
furcatura    (perennial). G.    G. — Gllia    macrantha. 

C.  F, — 1,  Lilium  pyrenaicum  ;  2,  Gesnera  cardiualis. 


THE     EDITOR'S    TABLE. 


Sweet  Peas  from  Cambridgeshire. — Mr.  H.  W. 

Churchinaii,  Sawston,  lambs,  sends  flowers  of  two 
seedling  Sweet  Peas.  The  variety  Alfred  Challis 
is  a  pale  silvery  grey  flower  with  pale  blue  veinings, 
while  Connie  Ellis  Improved  is  a  dark  variety,  the 
standard  being  bluish  maroon  and  the  wings  almost 
purple.  Mr.  Churchman  writes  :  "  I  am  sending 
you  just  a  few  of  my  Sweet  Peas  as  growing  for 
seed  on  poor  soil.  The  marbled  one  is  Alfred 
Challis,  tlie  dark  one  Connie  Ellis  Improved.  I 
think  these  two  good  ones.  The  dark  one  requires 
shading  lightly  during  the  hottest  sim," 


■*'  ^fey- 


GARDEN.  I 


No.  2172.     Vol.   LXXVII. 


July  5.  1913. 


CONTBNTS. 


WOTES  OF  'IHK  \\'Kt:K 
CORRESPONDENCK 

I'm  ni  ng  Scot  <■  h 
Roses 

Dflphiniiim  Queen 
Mary 

l-'orcft -1110-1101 

i'orgft-me-not  and 
Litli08pcr  mum 
prostratuni. . 

Express  rockery 
planting 

l-'ortbcoming  event*.. 
I'l.owKK  Garden 

■J'  he  Lons- spurred 
t'olunibineand  its 
cultivation. . 

Sweet  Pea  notes    . . 

I'hc  Carnation:  Its 
history  and  culti- 
vation  

i'he  Japanese  Iris. . 

01  kFikstPrize  liOCK 
(."AKHKN 

Climbing   Plants  on 

KlTOHEN  (i  ARDBN 

Walls 


335 
335 


335 
335 


335 
335 


33fi 
337 


Trees  and  SHRuns 
The    Wistarias  and 
how  to  prow  them     33it 

KosE  Garden 

.Some  new  and  little- 
know^l  llambi  er 

Koses 340 

Rose  Beautfi  de  Lyon   340 
liosH       sinica 
Anemone     . .      . .      340 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
How   and   w)ien   to 

Lud  Roses  ..      ..      341 
LayerinK  Thyme   ..     341 

(iARDENING    OF    THE    WEEK 

Kor  Soutliern  gar- 
dens      34  2 

For  Northern  ;:ar- 
dens 342 

The  Upkeep  of  Lawns    343 

Kitchen  Garden 

When   and    how    to 

'  srow  Endive      . ,      34:! 

I 

I   answers     TO     CORRK- 

I        SPONPENTS       ..        .  .       343 

Societies   . .     ...     . .     314 


IliliUSTRATIONS. 

'J'hi-  flue  spi'cinien   uf    l'u\'a  rhilrnsis  now  floweriuu' 

in  the  Cambridge  Botanic  Garden-^ 334 

Miniature  waterfalls  in  a  rock  iiarden 336 

A  \iew  in  onr  first  prize  rock  garden 337 

Auotlier  view  in  our  fir«t  prize  rock  garden       . .      . .  338 
riiinbiug  plants  on  a  kitchen  garden  wall  . .     Swpplcment 

A  bt^utiful  plant  of  Wistaria  multijuga 339 

Rosa  sinica  Anemone      340 

How  and  when  to  bud  Roses        341 


EDITORIAL     NOTIGBS. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
hnt  he  rvill  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  reUirn.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  unll  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  toill  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contribidions . 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
nsks  thai  the  price  required  for  reproduction  he  plainly  siaied 
It  muft  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  mil  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  mil  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  u'kich  he  may  not  he  able  to  iise^  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  mil  alone 
he  recognised  as  acc^pUinci' 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


Offices  :  20.  Tavistock  Street,  Covetit  Oarden.  W.V. 


Cutting  Dead  Blooms  OW  Roses.~\Ve  would 
rt'iniiui  readers  that  <ill  blooms  as  soeii  as  they  have 
faded,  or  most  of  the  petals  have  dropped,  should 
he  cut  off  the  bushes.  We  prefer  to  cut  down 
close  to  the  first  plump  wood-bud.  This  assists 
in  the  formation  of  new  shoots,  on  which  we  rely 
for  our  autimin  flowers.  If  the  soil  can  be  given 
a  good  soakinp  with  water  and  subsequently 
mulched  with  some  short  manure,  the  bushes 
will  be  assisted  materially. 

MorellO  Cherries. — The  fruit  is  borne  on  the 
previous  season's  wood  much  in  the  same  way 
as  the  Peach,  and,  like  it,  a  sufficient  supply  of 
the  current  year's  shoots  should  be  laid  in  for 
supplying  the  crop  next  season.  Onlv  as  much 
of  the  young  wood  should  be  retained  as  can  be 
thoroughly  ripened  without  imduly  shading  the 
current  crop  and  foliage  borne  on  the  old  wood. 
Superfluous  shoots  should  be  cut  away  with  a 
\'ery  sharp  knife,  or  gumming  ma}'  ensue. 

Endowment   for   Education   in   Gardening.— 

The  outgouig  Master  cjf  the  Gardeners'  Company 
is  proposing,  as  an  additional  proof  of  his  great 
regard  for  the  Guild  and  for  the  interests  of  garden- 
ing, to  offer  a  substantial  sum  to  the  President  of 
the  Board  of  Agriculture  as  an  endowment  for  the 
cause  of  technical  education  in  gardening.  Certain 
conditions  will  be  attached,  the  chief  of  which  will 
Vie  that  the  name  of  the  Worshipful  Company  of 
Gardeners  should  be  for  ever  associated  with  the 
gift. 

Early  Forced  Figs. — Fig  trees  are  accommo- 
dating, in  that  they  produce  more  than  one  crop 
in  the  course  of  the  year.  At  this  season  early 
forced  Figs  are  swelling  their  second  crop,  and 
due  attention  must  be  paid  to  watering  and  feeding. 
If  in  pots,  they  will  need  looking  over  two  or  three 
times  a  day,  and  those  planted  out  will  probably 
need  a  good  soaking  once  a  week.  Very  little 
fire-heat  is  necessary  now,  but  damping  should 
be   curtailed   somewhat    towards   the  evening. 

Gooseberry  Branches  Diseased. — .^t  a  recent 

meeting  of  the  scientific  committee  of  the  Royal 
Horticulturai  Society  several  specimens  of  Goose- 
berry branches  were  shown.  They  had  died 
suddenly  after  starting  into  growth.  This  trouble 
with  Gooseberries  is  usually  due  to  the  attack 
of  the  fungus  Botryosph;eria  ribesii.  It  is  best 
to  remove  and  bum  the  affected  branches  as  soon 
as  they  are  discovered,  not  allowing  them  to  remain 
until  the  autumn.  The  branches  should  be  cut 
away  close  to  their  origin,  as  the  fungus  fruits 
near  to  the  base  of  the  .iffected  shoots. 

Roses  in  the  City  of  London. — It  was  with 
considerable  interest  that  we  visited  the  first 
exhibition  held  by  the  newly-formed  City  of  London 
Rose  Society  in  the  Cannon  Street  Hotel  on  the 
26th  ult.  Knowing  as  we  do  the  enthusiasm  for 
Roses  that  exists  among  City  workers,  we  expected 
to  see   a   good   show,    but    were   not    prepared    for  I 


the  magniliceut  display  that  Mr.  Prothero  and  hn 
committee  had  got  together.  The  blooms  were 
in  many  cases  superb,  and  they  were  there  in  tlieir 
thousands,  well  staged  and  well  arranged.  The 
societ>-,  which  thus  creates  friendly  rivalr\'  among 
City  workers,  deserves  every  encouragement, 
.^n  abridged  report  of  the  show,  which  was  opened 
by  the  Lord  Mayor,  who  is  president  of  the  society, 
will  be  foiuid  on  another  page. 

Stalling  Dahlias. --If  not  already  staked  and 
tied  Dahlias  should  be  attended  to  at  once. 
Those  intended  for  exhibition  should  have  the 
central  growth  pinched  out,  selecting  four  shoots 
from  the  resulting  breaks,  and  tying  each  to  a 
stake,  sloping  them  ra  an  outward  direction  so  as 
to  admit  as  much  light  and  air  as  possible  to  the 
centre  of  the  plants.  At  present  only  sufficient 
water  need  be  given  to  prevent  the  plants  from 
flagging,  but  when  coming  into  flower  they  should 
not  be  stinted  in  this  respect.  Traps  must  be 
set  for  earwigs,  looking  over  them  daily  so  as  to 
rid  the  plants  of  these  pests  as  quickly  as  possible 

An    Interesting    Flowering    Shrub.— Sophora 

vieiitolia  is  a  showy  and  interesting  Chinese  shrub 
which  blossoms  freely  during  the  latter  part  of 
May  or  early  June.  In  the  open  ground  it  grows 
quite  6  feet  high,  while  against  a  wall  that  height 
is  doubled.  The  dainty  green  leaves  are  made  up 
of  numerous  tiny  leaflets,  and  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves  the  short  racemes  of  white,  violet-tinged 
flowers  appear.  It  is  perfectly  hardy  and  thrives 
in  loamy  soil,  single  plants  growing  in  the  open 
assuming  a  diameter  of  8  feet  or'more.  Seeds  are 
produced  freely  and  form  a  certain  means  of  increase, 
although  cuttings  may  also  be  rooted.  It  is  oni 
of  those   plants  which    dislike   root   disturbance. 

Help   for   Aged   and   Infirm   Gardeners.— On 

another  p.ige  we  publish  particulars  of  the  annual 
festival  dinner  in  connection  with  the  Gardeners' 
Royal  Benevolent  Institution,  and  we  give  promi- 
nence t.)  it  here  because  of  the  excellent  work 
that  it  has  done  and  is  still  doing.  This  charity, 
which  has  been  founded  over  seventy  years, 
provides  pensions  for  aged  or  infirm  gardeners, 
or  the  widows  of  gardeners,  and  we  know  that  it 
is  run  on  the  most  economical  lines  and  that  every 
penny  subscribed  goes  to  the  relief  of  those  who. 
through  no  fault  of  their  own,  Iftive  fallen  on  evil 
days.  Our  British  gardens  art"  admi'''^dly  the 
finest  in  the  world,  and  now  that  they  are  .at  the 
height  of  their  summer  beauty  and  we  are  enjoying 
the  beautiful  flowers  and  luscious  fruits  that  they 
produce,  we  urgently  appeal  to  our  readers  to  spare 
a  little  thought  and  monev  to  those  who  have 
helped,  directly  or  indirectly,  to  make  our  gardens 
what  they  are.  \  sovereign  to  these  poor  old 
people  is  a  little  forttme — so  much  to  them  and  so 
little  to  many  of  our  readers.  Who  will  help  ? 
The  secretary  is  Mr.  O.  Ingram,  03,  Victoria  Street, 
Westminster,  and  all  subscriptions  should  be 
sent  to  him.  We  shall  be  glad  to  learn  that  our 
appeal  to  readers  has  not  been  in  vain. 


334 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  5,  iqi:. 


CORRESPON  DENCE. 

{The   Editor   is    not     responsible    lor    the    opinions 
expressed   by   correspondents.) 


Pruning  Scotch  Roses. — This  is  the  best  time 
to  prune  large,  thickly-furnished  bushes  of  these 
early  and  sweet  Roses.  The  pruning  consists  in 
cutting  out  the  oldest  of  the  shoots,  so  that  younger 
lines,  which  are  the  more  fioriferous,  may  have 
ample  space  during  the  rest  of  the  season.  Young 
plants  may  be  left  till  autumn  and  then  slightly 
pruned  in  a  similar  manner  ;  but  neither  young 
nor  old  plants  should  be  severely  thinned,  otherwise 
they  will  become  straggly,  ^nd  to  enable 
them  to  regain  their  former  stiffness  a 
number  offgrowths  have  to  be  cut  back. 
By  the  way,  how  badly  Banksia  Roses 
have  done  !  Where  we  had  long  trails 
by  the  dozen  last  year,  this  year  there 
have  not  been  a  dozen  blooms  in  all. — 
R.  P.  Brotherston. 

Puya  chilensis  Flowering  at  Cam- 
bridge.— This  interesting  plant  of  the 
Pineapple  family,  concerning  which  a 
note  was  published  in  these  columns 
on  March  r,  page  102,  when  mention 
was  made  of  it  coming  into  bloom,  is 
now  flowering  and  bearing  a  huge  spike 
about  six  feet  high,  with  an  inflorescence 

2  feet  5  inches  by  i  foot  2  inches 
wide,  in  the  form  of  a  dense,  rhomboid 
panicle,  with  racemose  branches,  which 
are  densely  crowded  with  flowers  of  a 
pale  greenish  yellow.  During  the  whole 
time,  the  spike  has  grown  on  an  average 

3  inches  per  week  until  it  reached  the 
above  height,  after  which  it  commenced 
to  open  its  flowers.  The  plant,  as  men- 
tioned in  a  previous  issue,  is  an  excep- 
tionally fine  specimen,  the  complete  plant 
now  measuring  g  feet  7  inches  in  height 
and  8  feet  2  inches  in  width.  The  side 
growths  are  developing  into  fine  rosettes, 
and  will  soon  form  a  huge  mass,  replacing 
the  main  crown,  which  will  undoubtedly 
die  when  the  flower  is  gone.  It  is  a 
native  of  the  Northern  Provinces  of 
Chili,  where  the  stem  is  used  for  corks 
and  bungs,  and  the  hard  hooks  on  the 
leaves  are  used  by  the  Indians  for  fish- 
hooks, being  well  adapted  for  that  pur- 
pose. An  excellent  life-size  painting  of 
this  plant  may  be  seen  in  the  North 
Gallery  in  the  Royal  Gardens,  Kew. — 
F.  G.  Preston. 

Scent  in  Flowers.  —  May  I  gently 
enquire  the  wherefore  of  your  charming 
correspondent  "  .-Vnne  Amateur's " 
aspersion  upon  American  garden- 
ing taste  as  set  forth  in  these  words 
in  her  vivacious  and  otherwise 
contribution  to  your  columns  on 
flowers,  page  275,  issue  May  31  :  "  The  American 
craze  for  mere  size  and  conspicuous  colours  '*  ? 
Will  "Anne  Amateru'"  be  kind  enough  to 
give  chapter  and  verse  for  this  accusation  ? 
It  may  be  that  when  her  words  met  my  eye 
I  was  in  an  over-sensitive  state  of  mind,  for 
I  recall  the  fact  that  at  that  very  moment  I  was 
engaged  in  comparing  the  delicious  odour  of  one 
of  the  commoner  garden  Pinks  with  that  of 
Dianthus  hybridus  Dr.  Mules.  Unlike  Lamb  and 
the  modem  florist,  I  own  to  the  possession  of  a 
nose  —  and     an      ear.     too,     "  Anne     .Amateur " 


may  think  ! — Louisa  Ki;>ig.  Orchard  House,  Alma, 
Michigan. 

A    Beautiful    Floral    Combination. — In    the 

course  of  some  changes  ni  the  garden  last  autumn, 
I  had  the  idea  to  plant  that  exquisite  Rose  Jersey 
Beauty  in  association  with  Spanish  Irises  of  a  good 
strain  which  I  had  seen  at  Mr.  Bull's  at  Ramsgate 
the  previous  June.  The  result  is  a  really  charmuig 
bed.  The  Rose,  as  many  of  your  readers  will 
know,  is  of  pronotmced  rambling  habit  and  of 
vigorous  growth.  The  flowers  are  huge  singles 
of  a  creamy  hue.  The  Irises,  spearing  up  between 
the  shoots  of  the  Roses,  form  some  delicious  blends 
of  colour.     Inasmuch  as  the  site  of  this  bed  had 


Ireland,  who,  alas  !  has,  with  many  other  good 
pioneers,  now  passed  away.  If  any  reader  of  this 
note  can  inform  me  where  this  rare  plant  is  to  he 
obtained,  I  shall  be  very  grateful.  I  always 
impress  on  those  to  whom  I  give  this  double  white 
the  imperative  necessity  of  cutting  down  close  to 
the  ground,  say,  ij  inches,  all  the  blooming  stems 
when  they  cease  to  be  decorative  ;  this  ensures  a 
good  growth  of  vigorous  young  shoots,  which,  when 
about  two  inches  long,  can  be  planted  by  digging 
up  and  separating  the  rootstock  with  them  attached, 
and  thereby  a  large  increase  effected.  Another 
increase  is  also  possible  in  planting  a  portion — 
the  lower  for  choice  —  of  these  blooming 
stems  when  cut  off ;  for  I  saw  last 
week,  in  the  excellent  garden  of  a 
relative  of  mine,  fine  young  plants  in 
bloom     which    last    summer    were    the 


cuttings 
(Captain 
Ireland. 


I    refer    to.  —  J.    Hill     Poe 
D.L.),      Riverston,      Nenngh, 


THIS      FINE     SPECIMEN      OF      PUYA     CHILENSIS     IS     NOW    ' 
FLOWERING    IN    THE    CAMBRIDGE    BOTANIC    GARDENS.  £ 


delight  fiil 
scent      in 


been    nothing    but    a    rough    chalk    bank    covered    this,   the 
with    coarse,    tussocky    turf,    1    may    perhaps    be  '  is, 
pardoned  when  I  say  that  I  view  the  transforma- 
tion with  pride.     I  may  add,  for  what  it  is  worth, 
that  the  plan  is  not  only  very  beautiful,  but  quite 
inexpensive. — W.  P.  W. 

The  Double  Sweet  Rockets. — To  supplement 

the  paragraph  in  The  G.\rden  of  June  21,  page  309, 
I  wish  to  draw  attention  to  the  fact  that  there  are 
two  different  whites,  one  much  more  free  than  the 
other,  and  much  more  loose  in  the  habit  of  the 
flowering  stems.  There  is  also  a  rich  purple 
variety,  which  I  once  possessed,  having  got  a  small 
plant   from  a  celebrated  gardener  in  the  North  of 


A       GARDEN. 

Not  alone  to  me  and  mine 

Raptures  in  my  garden  spring. 

Where  the  robes  of  Summer  shine. 
Rich  from  her  embroidering, 

.And  her  gentle  movement  frees 

Fragrance  to  invest  the  breeze. 

Not  on  Iniman  sense  alone 

From  the  garden  flows  delight  : 

Birds  their  gladness  clearly  own  ; 
Chant  the  bees  in  buoyant  flight  ; 

Butterflies  make  of  their  dance 

Pleasure's  perfect  utterance. 

Yet  in  yielding  thus,  to  these 

Visitants  of  airy  wing, 
Bliss  that  thrills  to  ecstasies, 

Joy  that  stirs  to  revelling, 
Wins  my  garden  all  their  glee 
For  an  added  charm  to  me. 

James  Cartwright. 


Pink  Gloriosa.  —  I  am  entirely  in 
agreement  with  the  writer  nf  the 
"Note  of  the  Week"  in  the  issue 
for  June  21  regarding  the  beauty 
of  this  Pink.  Unlike  your 
correspondent  "  C.  A.  G.,"  I  have, 
however,  had  no  cause  to  complain 
of  its  hardiness  during  the  two 
winters  it  has  been  in  my  garden. 
It  (the  garden)  is  situated  to  the 
South -West  of  London,  and  faces 
-outh-east.  The  soil  is  of  a  stiff, 
adhesive  nature,  and,  of  course,  cold 
during  the  winter  ;  but,  despite 
Pink    Gloriosa    has  done    well.      There 


however,      I      find, 


one  drawback  to  its 
successful  culture,  at  least  in  ray  garden, 
and  that  is  the  sparrows  are  fonder  fof  the 
leaves  of  that  variety  than  of  any  other 
Pink  or  border  Carnation.  Whether  this  is 
the  general  experience  I  cannot  say.  Of  course, 
by  a  judicious  use  of  black  thread  these  cheeky 
little  birds  may  be  kept  off ;  but  they  first 
found  out  the  tastiness  of  the  leaves  when 
I  was  confined  indoors  for  a  few  days,  and  on 
going  out  in  the  garden  the  damage  was  at 
once  app.arent,  when  I  immediately  took  steps  to 
prevent  it. — H.  P. 


July  5,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


335 


Delphinium  Queen  Mary. — When  in  Messrs. 
Bunyard's  nurseries  at  Maidstone  recently,  I  was 
strucli  with  a  new  perennial  Lariispur  named 
Queen  Mary.  It  is  a  beautiful  shade  of  peacock 
blue,  with  a  clear,  creamy  eye.  I  admired  particu- 
larly the  even  disposition  of  the  flowers  on  the 
stem,  the  whole  forming  a  splendid  Hyacinth-like 
truss, — W.  P. 

Forget-me-not. — There  is  a  note  about  this 
(page  311),  but  I  do  not  understand  what  is  meant 
by  "  common."  The  true  species  is  Myosotis 
palustris.  Here  we  have  masses  of  M.  sylvatica 
growing  in  grass,  which  are  very  pretty,  and  am(jng 
them  the  white  variety  is  not  at  all  unusual. — 
R.  P.  Brotherston,  Prestonkirk,  N.B. 

Forget-me-not  and  Lithospermum  prostratum. 

M>usutis  sylvatica,  the  couuuun  l-orget-me-not, 
is,  as  one  of  your  correspondents  writes  on  page  311, 
issue  June  21,  very  pretty  in  combination  with 
Woodruff  and  other  white  flowers,  but  it  is  sur- 
passed by  the  variety  dissitiflora,  which  is  dwarfer 
and  has  much  larger  flowers.  This  in  a  mild  spring 
comes  into  bloom  in  March,  and  though  liable 
to  be  blackened  at  that  time  by  frost,  as  it  was 
this  year,  it  soon  recovers  and  flowers  again.  It 
is  still  in  bloom  (June  22).  The  shelter  of  shrubs 
is  a  great  help  to  M.  dissitiflora.  Lithospermum 
prostratum  in  its  natiVe  home  in  the  Lower  Pyrenees, 
where  it  goes  by  the  name  of  the  Frontier  Flower, 
is  quite  the  equal  of  Gentiana  acaulis  in  colour. 
The  flowers  there  are  larger  than  the  annual 
blue  Lobelia,  and  have  the  two  advantages  over  the 
Gentian  in  continuing  to  open  all  day  in  cloud 
or  sunshine  and  in  blooming  for  several  months 
instead  of  weeks.  Unfortunately,  it  does  not 
succeed  well  with  me,  though  grown  with  peat 
moss,  granite  sand  and  leaf-mould,  our  natural 
soil — limestone — being  poison  to  it.  —  J.  H. 
Thomas. 

Express  Rockery  Planting. — As  one  who  has 
been  engaged  during  the  past  season  in  making 
rockeries,  I  was  deeply  interested  in  the  illustration 
of  Mr.  Bilney's  new  rockery  on  page  313  of  June  21 
issue.  Although  it  is  not  mentioned  in  the  notes, 
I  think  I  can  safely  say  that  the  two  most  important 
factors  in  Mr.  Bilney's  success  were  thorough  prepa- 
ration of  the  soil  and  the  planting  of  several  speci- 
mens of  each  kind.  In  rockery-making  it  is  a 
common  mistake  to  pay  a  great  deal  of  attention 
to,  and  spend  most  of  the  money  available  on, 
the  stones,  with  the  result  that  plants  are  skimped. 
I  am  often  tempted  to  think,  after  seeing  some 
specimens  of  rockwork,  that  the  best  way  of  going 
to  work  is  to  put  in  the  plants  before  a  single  stone 
is  laid.  It  sounds  ridiculous,  but  at  least  it  would 
prevent  many  such  miserable,  over-starved  examples 
as  we  now  see.  From  half-a-dozen  to  a  dozen 
plants  set  in  a  colony  soon  spread  out  into  a  glorious 
clump.— W.  P.  W. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

July  8. — Flower  Shows  at  Wolverhampton 
(three  days).  Royal  Scottish  Arboricultural  at 
Paisley  (four  days),  and  Baltic  Rose  and  Sweet 
Pea  Society  at  Merchants'  Hall,  E.G. 

July  9. — Flower  Shows  at  Saltaire,  Bath  (two 
days),  Beckenham.  Elstree,  Dover  and  Formby. 
East  Anglian  Horticultural  Club  Meeting. 

July  10. — Flower  Shows  at  Newmarket,  Malvern. 
Potter's  Bar,  Finchley,  Snaith,  Maidenhead  and 
.\ylesbury.  West  of  Scotland  Rosarians'  Society 
at  Helensburgh. 

July  II. — Manchester  Rose  and  Summer  Show. 

July  12. — -Flower  Shows  at  Wood  Green,  Trow- 
bridge and  Steeton. 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


THE     LONG-SPURRED    COLUMBINE 

AND    ITS    CULTIVATION. 

A  MONG  the  hardy  border  flowers  which 
/%  have  engrossed  the    careful  attention 

/    %         of  several  of  our  leading  growers  dur- 

/~^^  ing  the  past  few  years,  the  .Aquilegia 
^  *■     takes     a     prominent     place     and     is 

deservedly  becoming  popular,  and, 
together  with  the  Antirrhinum,  will  for  many 
years  to  come  reign  as  one  of  the  queens  of  the 
hardy  flower  border.  To  those  unacquainted 
with  the  vast  progress  made  by  the  hybridisers 
during  recent  years  in  converting  the  old-fashioned 
Columbine,  with  its  compact  flowers  of  sombre 
colour  and  little  variety,  into  the  gorgeous  varie- 
ties known  as  the  Long-spurred  Aquilegia,  the 
magnificent  collections  of  blossoms  shown  by  several 
firms  of  repute  at  the  recent  spring  shows  came 
as  a  startling  revelation.  Some  of  the  blossoms 
were  regal  in  form  and  colour,  and  no  praise  can 
be  too  high  for  this  elegant  genus  of  plants. 

They  are  all  hardy  perennials,  and  are  most 
accommodating,  growing  equally  well  in  the 
rockerj'  as  in  the  hardy  flower  border.  As  the 
result  of  careftd  selection  and  hybridising,  the 
Long-spurred  Aquilegia,  or  Columbine,  has  been 
raised  to  a  very  high  level  of  perfection,  and  con- 
tains some  charming  colours  in  almost  every  con- 
ceivable variety.  Some  magnificent  named 
sorts  are  on  the  market  ;  but,  except  for  a 
definite  purpose,  such  as  grouping  for  colour, 
it  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to  grow  them  for 
the  ordinary  border  display.  Plants  raised  from 
seed,  which  can  be  obtained  from  several  leading 
firms  who  have  specialised  in  this  genus  of  plants, 
will  supply  the  commoner  need,  besides  adding 
interest  to  the  grower  who  may  be  fortunate 
enough  to  raise  a  finer  variety  than  yet  exists. 
.At  any  rate,  the  various  and  delicately-tinted 
flowers  amply  repay  the  necessary  care  required 
in  raising  them. 

Cultivation. — Seed  shoidd  be  sown  very  thinly 
in  fine  sandy  soil  in  a  cool  house  or  frame  in  spring, 
and  when  large  enough  the  seedlings  should  be 
pricked  off  on  to  a  prepared  border  of  good  soil 
containing  a  large  percentage  of  sand.  In  the 
early  autumn  these  plants  can  be  transplanted  to 
their  permanent  quarters  ;  and  this  process  is  often 
the  cause  of  the  failure  of  some  of  the  plants  to 
weather  the  winter.  One  of  the  complaints  against 
the  Long-spurred  Aquilegia  is  that  it  will  not  stand 
our  winter.  As  above  stated,  the  Aquilegia  is 
a  hardy  perennial,  and  the  prime  causes  of  the  loss 
of  plants  are  lack  of  drainage  and  badly-prepared 
beds.  The  seedlings  have  had  liberal  treatment, 
bordering  perhaps  on  the  tender  side,  during  the 
pleasant  warmth  of  summer,  and  often  they  are 
transpla.nted  into  a  sour,  water-logged  border 
and  left  to  battle  against  the  adverse  conditions 
of  an  inclement  winter.  Little  wonder  that  the 
majority  of  the  plants  succumb !  Provide  well 
dug  and  drained  permanent  quarters  for  your 
plants,  transplant  them  from  the  bed  without 
unduly  injuring  the  root  ball,  give  them  the  neces- 
sary care  that  they  may  be  firmly  established 
before  the  winter  sets  in,  keep  the  surface  soil 
friable  and  free  from  weeds,  and  your  losses  will 
be  nil,  or  nearly  so.  In  the  following  May  and 
June  the  beds  will  repay  this  attention  with 
abundant  blossoms.  After  flowering,  the  plants 
should  be  pruned  of  their  dead  flower-stalks,  the 
soil  well  hoed,   and  new  growth  will  be  made,   as 


the  plants  improve  yearly  and  need  not  be  lifted 
for  many  years. 

One  of  the  most  magnificent  displays  of  blossoms 
the  writer  has  seen  this  spring  was  a  border  of 
■Aquilcgias  five  years  old,  which  had  received 
treatment  as  here  described.  Aquilegias  grown 
in  clumps  are  most  effective,  and  can  be  used 
advantageously  for  colour  effects  with  named 
varieties,  and,  given  the  right  surroundings,  are 
unsurpassed  in  elegance  and  beauty.  Recently 
the  writer  saw  an  arrangement  of  Aquilegias 
which  might  well  be  adopted  by  lovers  of  these 
plants.  Seen  under  the  rays  of  a  golden  setting 
sun,  the  sight  almost  baffled  description.  Two 
varieties,  cserulea  hybrida  and  superba,  were 
massed  in  opposite  beds  20  feet  by  6  feet  and 
flanking  a  sunken  lawn.  The  first-named  variety  is 
a  graceful  form,  bearing  large  flowers,  the  centre 
clear  yellow,  with  spurs  and  sepals  blue.  The 
latter — superba — is  a  specially  good  long-spurred 
variety,  with  centre  petals  bright  yellow,  and  spurs 
and  sepals  bright  orange  red.  Some  20  feet  of 
grass,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  a  small,  circular 
bed  of  Viola  White  Purity,  separated  two  similar 
beds,  also  filled  with  Aquilegias,  in  the  one  Skinneri, 
scarlet,  tipped  with  yellow,  and  in  the  other  a 
long-spurred  white  one  which  the  gardener  had 
raised  himself.  The  contrast  between  the  brilliance 
of  superba  and  the  elegance  of  the  white  variety, 
also  the  vivid  colouring  of  Skinneri  and  the  alluring 
delicacy  of  the  pale  blue  of  csenilea  hybrida,  had 
to  be  seen  to  be  fully  appreciated.  In  the  same 
garden  were  beds  of  seedlings  just  flowering,  and 
some  excellent  forms  were  to  be  seen  ;  six 
varieties  stood  out  as  quite  distinct. 

The  rockery,  though  small,  also  emphasised  the 
usefulness  of  the  Aquilegia  for  rockwork,  as  some 
fine  clumps,  three  years  old,  were  carrying  masses 
of  beautiful  blossoms,  all,  I  was  assured,  the 
choicest  of  former  years'  seedlings.  Truly,  then, 
does  the  Long-spurred  Aquilegia  vie  with  the 
Snapdragon  in  growing  popuharity,  and  should 
be  more  generally  grown  on  accoimt  of  its 
usefulness  in  the  rockery  and  the  border,  and  also 
for  the  fact  that  the  flowers  will  last  in  water 
several  days  when  cut.  S.  W. 


SWEET     PEA     NOTES. 

The  Trials. — If  gioups  of  trials  of  scores  of 
varieties  are  of  real  value  to  the  growers  of  the  world, 
the  benefits  this  year  ought  to  be  twice  as  valuable 
as  they  were  last  year,  since  the  National  Trials 
are  growing  on  the  strong  soil  at  Burbage  in  Leices- 
tershire, and  the  International  Trials  at  Reading, 
where  the  soil  is  decidedly  on  the  light  side.  If 
the  varieties  were  duplicated,  which,  I  am  led 
to  believe,  is  not  the  case,  some  curious  differences 
in  behaviour  would  be  apparent,  for  there  is  no 
question  that  they  vary  widely  with  the  ground 
and  to  some  degree  with  the  climate  in  which  they 
are  growing.  In  a  season  or  two,  perhaps,  we 
shall  see  these  two  fancied  rivals  in  association, 
with  sweetness  in  the  camp  if  not  in  the  perfume 
of  many  of  the  modern  flowers.  There  is  only 
room  for  one  authority  on  Sweet  Peas  in  this 
country,  and  the  court  should  be  the  National 
Sweet  Pea  Society  now,  as  it  has  been  for  a  dozen 
vears  or  more,  but  it  must  proceed  on  the  best  and 
cleanest  lines. 

The  Shows. — The  fights  have  started  in  many 
parts  of  the  country,  and  some  splendid  flowers 
have  been  staged ;  but  the  giants  will  not  join 
issue  for  a  further  fortnight,  when  they  will  gather 
at    Vincent    Square   and   later   at    Carlisle.     I    am 


336 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  5,  1913. 


wishful  that  some  of  the  younger  enthusiasts 
should  step  in  to  show  the  old  stagers  that  the 
world  is  not  wholly  theirs  ;  but  the  new-comers 
will  have  to  gird  up  their  loins  and  stage  quality. 
Speaking  of  quality  reminds  me  that  it  will  not 
be  out  of  place  to  urge  the  claims  of  the  real  Sweet 
Pea,  and  to  suggest  that  the  coarse  monstrosities 
should  go  to  the  wall.  Novices  are  warned  that 
flowers  cut  twenty-four  hours  before  they  are 
required,  and  placed  instantly  in  water  in  a  cool 
cellar  where  the  temperature  is  quite  steady,  will 
serve  them  better  than  those  cut  an  hour  or  so 
before  the  crucial  moment  ;  and,  further,  that 
when  they  are  packing,  it  is 
necessary  that  the  blooms 
shall  be  perfectly  dry. 

Watering  and  Feeding. — 

.Although  Sweet  Peas  are  good 
trenchermen,  it  is  not  simply 
possible  but  exceedingly  easy 
to  over-feed  them.  As  lar  as 
watermg  is  concerned,  no  ex- 
perienced grower  will  ever  do 
It  until  he  is  obliged ;  but  in 
the  case  of  feeding  there  is 
a  decided  tendency  towards 
over-generosity.  Loosening  of 
(he  surface  soil  and  mulching 
are  persisted  in  to  reduce  the 
uesessity  for  the  applications 
of  water,  and  wisely  so  ;  but 
the  same  judgment  and  dis- 
cretion ought  to  be  given  to 
the  use  of  liquid  manures. 
When  special  feeding  goes  so 
far  that  the  plants  become 
gross,  the  flowers  are  too 
widely  separated  on  the  stalk, 
and  usually  they  become  large 
at  the  expense  of  substance, 
with  the  result  that  they 
have  a  flabby  aspect.  Correct 
feeding  is  difficult.  It  is  an 
art  which  cannot  be  too  closely 
and  too  intelligently  studied. 
It  will  be  ascertained  quickly 
that  the  treatment  which 
suits  one  variety  will  not  suit 
another,  and  that  following 
identical  rules  in  different  soils 
and  localities  will  by  no  means 
bring  about  identical  results. 
In  any  event,  it  is  necessary 
to  adhere  strictly  to  the  rule 
never  to  apply  liquid  manure 
of  any  kind  when  the  soil  is 
dry,  and  also  to  consider 
the  wisdom  of  affording  as 
varied  a  diet  as  circumstances 
and  conditions  permit. 

Staging  Blooms.— The  im- 
portance of  arranging  the 
colours    carefully    cannot    be 

over-estimated.  It  is  very  clear  from  the  exhibits 
which  one  sees  at  many  shows  that  some  cultivators 
take  the  view  that  fine  blooms  are  all  that  is  required. 
When  the  competition  is  poor,  this  principle  may, 
and  usually  does,  work  out  all  right  ;  but  when  the 
rivalry  is  keen,  skilful  arrangement  tells  another 
story.  When  the  judgmg  is  done  on  what  may  be 
termed  general  impressions,  the  group  in  which 
the  varieties  are  so  disposed  that  each  aids  the  other 
is  bound  to  come  out  on  the  top  ;  while,  when 
pointing  has  to  be  done,  marks  will  be  given  without 
hesitation    to    the    artistically  -  arranged    e.xhibit 


which  the  carelessly-arranged  set  could  never  hope 
to  secure.  The  tyro  who  does  not  clearly  see  the 
force  of  this  ought  to  arrange  and  rearrange  a 
few  sets  of  twelve  until  he  fully  grasps  how  much 
the  judicious  association  of  colours  adds  to  the 
effect  of  a  set.  It  will  be  time  well  spent,  and  will 
mark  the  difference  between  success  and  failure, 
sooner  or  later.  H.  J.  W. 


THE      CARNATION:      ITS      HISTORY 
AND     CULTIVATION. 
Its  History. — The  fascination  of  the  Carnation 
is  very  great,  and  so  we  find  people  year  after  year 


MINIATURE    WATERFALLS    IN    THE    ROCK    GARDEN    AT    LEONARDSLEE. 


attempting  its  cultivation  with  a  success  in  the 
inverse  ratio  to  their  enthusiasm.  Its  very  history 
fascinates  the  searcher  after  flower-lore  of  the  past, 
and  quite  a  serious  accretion  of  fabulous  material 
has  gathered  round  its  name.  In  this  respect  it 
may  be  called  the  King  Arthur  of  the  vegetable 
kingdom.  Similarity  of  designation  to  other 
plants  has  been  responsible  for  a  good  deal  of  con- 
trovertible assertion  of  this  kind ;  but  there  is 
also  a  more  regrettable  readiness  to  give  to  it  names 
of  other  plants  as  synonyms  to  which  it  has  no 
right    whatever.      The     obscurity   which    envelops 


nearly  all  plant  history  up  to  the  middle  of  the 
sixteenth  century  veils  that  of  the  Carnation  in 
an  impenetrable  gloom,  and  we  do  not  know  when 
it  first  foimd  a  place  in  English  gardens.  Con- 
tinental authorities,  on  the  other  hand,  can  trace 
it  back  centuries  earlier,  and  they  have  also  to 
their  credit  cultural  treatises  long  in  advance  of 
any  of  ours.  Liebault,  in  the  sixteenth  century, 
shows  that  two  distinct  sections  were  cultivated 
in  France.  To  Clusius  we  are  indebted  for  the 
knowledge  that  a  wonderful  type  of  apricot- 
coloured  Carnations  was  common  in  Silesia. 
Monographs  appeared  in  France  in  the  seven- 
teenth century — "  Le  Jar- 
dinage  des  CEillets "  in  1647 
— which  fully  demonstrates 
the  great  hold  the  flower  had 
on  the  florists  of  that  country. 
Nothing  of  the  kind  appeared 
ill  England  till  a  century  and 
a-half  later,  and  it  is  a  re- 
markable fact  that  nearly  all 
our  writers — Gerard,  Parkin- 
son, Rea,  Laurence,  Maddock, 
Hogg — refer  to  the  mtroduc- 
tion  of  Continental  types 
which  were  seized  upon  by 
English  cultivators.  We  know 
that  our  present  border  Carna- 
tions are  derived  largely  from 
a  German  strain  imported  by 
the  late  Mr.  Martin  Smith, 
the  great  value  of  his  labours 
being  the  production  of  a 
stronger  plant  with  consider- 
ably more  vigour  than  the 
devitalised  English  type  which 
it  displaced. 

Its  Cultivation.  —  Would- 
be  cultivators,  in  spite  of  all 
that  has  been  said  to  the 
contrary,  must  recognise  in 
the  Carnation  a  difficult  plant 
to  manage.  Treated  as  a 
hardy  plant,  which  un- 
doubtedly it  is,  it  exhibits 
remarkable  peculiarities.  One 
year  we  find  it  thriving  like 
the  grass  of  the  field,  and  the 
next  dying  by  dozens,  and 
producing  insufficient  stock 
to  keep  up  a  succession  for 
the  next.  Varieties  exhibit 
these  failings  more  or  less 
intensely,  some  not  at  all ; 
and  the  only  way  many  of  us 
can  maintam  a  healthy  stock 
is  to  cultivate  a  portion 
under  glass  and  propagate 
from  that.  Understand,  it 
is  not  because  the  varieties 
are  not  hardy,  for  the  plants 
from  inside  layers  planted  in 
the  autunm  will  be  fomid  to  winter  equally  as  well 
as,  or  better  than,  those  from  layers  from  the  open, 
but  they  do  not  continue  healthy  if  grown  con- 
tinuously in  the  open.  Another  way  to  maintain  a 
healthy  stock  is  to  introduce  layers  from  a  different 
part  of  the  country,  and  a  warmer  one  if  possible. 
There  is  abundant  recompense  for  the  labour 
involved  in  cultivating  a  portion  of  the  plants  imder 
glass,  in  the  fine  blooms  they  produce  long  in 
advance  of  those  from  the  same  varieties  out  of  doors. 
I  have  for  some  time  been  cutting  beautiful  blooms 
from  border  Carnations  m  6-uich  pots,  but  to  have 


July  5.  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


337 


extra  strong  plants  it  is  to  be  preferred  that  two 
or  three  should  be  potted  up  in  7-inch  and  8-iiich 
pots.  It  is  usual  for  these  plants  to  yield  a  second 
crop  of  bloom  from  the  strongest  of  the  "  grass  " — 
the  voung  shoots  which  grow  from  the  base  of  each 
plant.  Hence  it  is  generally  late  before  pot-grown 
plants  can  be  layered,  but  to  make  up  for  that  the 
layers  root  in  less  time  than  those  on  border- 
grown  plants.  Cuttings  from  the  stems  strike  with 
facility  in  autumn  in  bottom-heat,  and  the  plants 
from  these  flower  a  little  later  than  the  others. 
They  display  a  different  habit  of  growth,  and,  as  I 
think,  produce  a  better  type  of  fjower. 

The  Best  Manure. — Apart  from  the  tendency  of 
some  varieties  to  "  wear  out,"  as  it  is  called,  plants 
during  the  summer  months  not  infrequently  suffer 
from  an  insufficiency  of-nourishment.  Carnations,  it 
is  true,  dislike  a  highly-manured  soil,  but  they 
have  no  dislike  to  manure  provided  it  is  presented 
in  the  form  of  a  surface-dressing.  Some  folks 
give  them  a  mulch,  but  a  mulch  in 
early  summer  is  not  enough,  and 
repeated  applications  of  soot,  super- 
phosphate or  one  of  the  special 
Carnation  manures  are  in  many 
soils  essential  to  the  health  of  the 
plants.  Autumn  planting  is,  as  a 
rule,  better  than  spring  planting ; 
but  where  it  is  incumbent  that  the 
latter  must  be  the  practice,  then  it 
should  not  be  delayed  till  spring 
has  given  place  to  summer.  Once 
into  February  and  the  soil  in 
proper  condition,  Carnations  succeed 
better  planted  then  than  if  delayed 
till  ,^pril  or  May. 

Layering  I  have  always  found 
to  be  a  much  simpler  operation 
than  it  is  made  to  appear  in 
books.  In  light  soils  layers  root 
perfectly  without  the  addition  of 
anything  to  further  the  operation, 
and  where  it  is  considered  im- 
portant to  apply  a  compost,  it 
should  be  seen  to  that  it  is  placed 
where  the  roots  will  get  into  it. 
For  it  is  usual  to  see  it  placed 
above  the  part  from  which  the  roots 
proceed,  and  therefore  of  no  use. 
When  the  shoots  to  be  layered 
are  too  far  up  the  stem  to  be 
brought  to  the  soil-level,  the  plant 
should   be   loosened    from   its    stakes  A    VIEW 

and  brought  down  so  that  the  layers 
are  close  to  the  soil.  To  keep  shoots  from  snapping 
off  they  should  be  twisted  round,  when  none  will 
be  broken.  On  taking  the  rooted  layer,  cut  the 
part  which  united  it  to  the  parent  plant  close  to 
the  stem  of  the  layer,  and  roots  will  be  produced 
from  the  cut  portion.  When  an  inch  or  2  inches  are 
left  of  the  old  stem,  it  is  not  only  unsightly,  but  may 
damage  the  young  plant.         R.  P.  Brotherston. 


OUR      FIRST      PRIZE      ROCK 
GARDEN. 


THE  rock  and  alpine  garden  at  Leonardslee 
affords  much  room  and  scope  for  plea- 
sure and  study,  as  a  good  number  of 
rare  and  half-hardy  plants  are  grown, 
many  of  botanical  mterest,  my  em- 
ployer being  especially  keen  and  en- 
thusiastic on  all  rare  plants.  We  are  year  by  year 
gradually  making  the  garden  anew  on  the  moraine 
principle,  using  very  little  soil.  The  ingredients  used 
were  eight  parts  sandstone,  crushed  from  3  inches 
or  4  inches  to  as  small  as  sand,  one  part  loam,  one 
part  leaf-soil,  one  part  granite  grit  and  one  part 
peat  ;  and  after  three  years  we  are  convinced  that 
the  plants  are  making  splendid  sturdy  growth, 
and  are.  therefore,  more  likely  to  stand  the  vagaries 
of    the    weather    than    when    sr.   mnch    soft     sappy 


freely.  Among  them  are  C.  spectabile,  C.  Mackayi, 
C.  Munroi,  C.  holosericea,  C.  hieracifolia,  C.  grandi- 
florum,  C.  macrocephala  and  C.  verbascifolia.  We 
have  several  of  the  New  Zealand  plants  of  Fagus 
fusca,  F.  Solanderi  and  F.  cliifordioides,  which 
are  growing  nicely  on  the  same  quarter.  Ranuncu- 
lus insignis  is  growing  freely  here  also,  and  it 
flowered  well  this  spring.  On  another  portion  we 
have,  doing  well  and  flowering  freely,  Lewisia 
Howellii,  L.  rediviva,  L.  Cotyledon  and  L.  oppositi- 
foha  ;  these,  we  consider,  are  charming  plants  for 
the  alpine  garden,  and  they  have  now  stood  out 
two  winters.  Then,  we  have  a  fairly  representative 
collection  of  Campanulas,  which  include  such  as 
C.  amabilis,  C.  carpatica  White  Star,  C.  cenisia, 
C.  alliariaefolia,  C.  Allionii,  C.  garganica  hirsuta 
alba,  C.  carpatica,  C.  morettiana,  C.  Raineri,  C. 
raddeana,  C.  thyrsoides,  C.  Zoysii,  C.  Hendersonii, 
C.  pumila  and  p.  alba,  and  C.  portenschlagiana, 
which  make  a  brave  show  at  various  seasons. 


IN    OUR    FIRST    PRIZE    ROCK    GARDEN    SHOWING    THE    NATURAL    SETTING    OF    THE    STONE. 


THE    JAPANESE     IRIS. 

Now  that  Iris  Ijevigata  (syn.  Kaeempferi)  is 
flowering  so  well  in  many  gardens,  it  may  not  be 
out  of  place  to  draw  attention  to  its  peculiarities 
in  regard  to  culture.  It  is  an  Iris  that  likes  to  be 
kept  fairly  dry  in  the  winter  and  wet  in  the  summer. 
In  Japan  it  is  extensively  grown  in  the  Rice  fields, 
which  are  heavily  manured  in  the  winter  when 
dry,  while  during  the  summer  the  fields  are  flooded 
by  irrigation,  when  the  Irises  are  about  two  inches 
under  water. 


growth  is  made.  As  far  as  possible  we  plant 
seedlings,  as  these  send  forth  a  long  tap-root, 
which  goes  down  deeper  to  find  moisture  and  gets 
in  behind  the  large  rocks,  where  it  is  safe  from  all 
extremes  of  weather. 

Large  masses  of  Dianthus  will  be  noticed,  and 
these  grow  with  great  freedom  and  make  a  good 
show  during  May  and  June.  Among  some  are 
D.  alpinus,  D.  arenarius,  D.  barbatus,  D.  caesius, 
D.  deltoides,  D.  fimbriatus,  D.  alpinus  albus, 
D.  fragrans.  D.  monspessulanus  (D.  alpestris), 
D.  neglectus,  D.  petrasus,  D.  plumarius,  D.  p. 
annulatus,  D.  Hookeri  and  D.  sylvestris.  We 
also  grow  about  fifty  species  and  varieties  of 
Saxifragas,  including  all  the  newer  varieties, 
which  do  very  well.  Then,  we  have  a  nice  collection 
of  Cytisuses,  which  include  all  the  up-to-date 
species  and  hybrids. 

A  collection  of  Celmisias,  which  are  planted  on 
a  portion  of  the  alpine  garden  on  the  north  side, 
are    doing    remarkably    well    and    flowering    most 


In  shrubs  we  have  a  good  collection  of  small 
Japanese  kinds,  comprising  many  Piceas  and 
Juniperus  ;  these  make  a  nice  show  all  through 
the  season  and  break  the  flatness  here  and  there. 
Others  are  some  of  the  newer  and  dwarf  varieties 
and  species  of  Berberis,  and  a  few  good  pieces  of 
B.  Thunbergii,  which  make  a  good  display  in  the 
spring  and  have  very  brilliant-coloured  foliage  in 
the  autumn.  Veronicas  also  play  a  part  in 
breaking  up  any  flatness,  such  as  Veronica  Arm- 
strongii,  V.  Hectori,  V.  lycopodioides,  V.  sali- 
cornioides,  V.  cupressoides  and  V.  saturioides, 
making  a  nice  display  when  in  flower,  and  they  also 
look  well  in  winter. 

In  the  illustration  showing  the  waterfalls  there 
are  planted  in  the  crevices  a  lot  of  Ramondias, 
Saxifraga  longifolia,  Arabis.  .'\ubrietias  in  variety 
.md  Omphalodes  cappadocia.  On  the  corners  of 
the  larger  rocks  and  on  either  side  are  large  plants 
of  Rhododendron  ferrugireum,  R.  f.  album,  R. 
ciliatum,   R.  racemosum,   R.   intricatum,   Sparaxis 


338 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  5,  1913. 


pulcherriraa,  plants  of  Muehlenbeckia,  Olcaria 
Gunnii,  Geranium  argenteum,  Saxifraga  granulata 
fl.-pl.,  Veronica  spicata,  Yucca  grandiflora  and 
Arctostaphylos  in  variety.  In  the  bottom,  partly 
in  water  and  the  others  in  bog,  there  are  nice 
plants  of  Philesia  buxifolia,  Mitraria  coccinea, 
Primula  sikkimensis,  P.  bulleyana,  P.  littoniana, 
Ranunculus  Lyallii,  Primula  capitata,  P.  cock- 
burniana,  P.  kewensis,  P.  rosea,  P.  japonica,  P. 
pulverulenta  and  Pinguiculas.  Cypripedium  acaule, 
C.  Calceolus,  C.  spectabile,  Astilbe  simplicifolia, 
Trillium  grandiflorum,  Sarracenia  purpurea,  Carex 
Grayii,  C.  longifolius,  Spiraeas  in  variety,  and  bulbs, 
such  as  Narcissus  minimus  and  other  dwarf  early 
species  and  varieties,  also  find  a  happy  home  there. 
There  is  also  a  portion  devoted  to  plants  which 
require  lime,  and  in  order  to  give  this  we  employ 
limestone  in  the  place  of  sandstone,  and  also  use 
a  portion  of  gypsum  in   the  soil   when  mixing  it. 


CLIMBING     PLANTS    ON 
KITCHEN    GARDEN    WALLS. 


I 


[See  Special  Supplement.] 

N  a  great  many  gardens  the  walls  of  the 
vegetable  department,  which  at  one  time 
were  extensively  used  for  the  cultivation 
of  fruit  trees,  have,  for  some  reason  or 
other,  been  utilised  for  some  at  least  of  the 
many  good  climbing  plants  that  are  now 
available  for  outdoor  cultivation.  Probably  land- 
scape alterations  of  a  more  or  less  extensive  character 
have  rendered  it  desirable  to  move  the  kitchen 
garden  further  away  from  the  mansion,  when, 
instead  of  puUing  down  the  walls,  they  have  been 
left  and  judiciously  clothed  with  vegetation,  thus 
affording  protection   to   the   climbers   and   also   to 


ANOTHER    VIEW    IN    OUR    FIRST    PRIZE    ROCK    G.\RDEN,    SHOWING    THE    JUDICIOUS    ARRANGEMENT    OF 
DWARF    CONIFERS    AND    OTHER    ALPINE    PLANTS. 


Several  of  the  Primulas  do  better  in  limestone, 
as  does  that  beautiful  plant  Phyteuma  comosum, 
which  is  now  flowering.  Then  there  are  many  oi 
the  Saxifrages,  Sedums,  Sempervivums,  Dianthuses, 
Cerastiums,  Dryas,  Gnaphaliums,  Hutchinsias, 
Achilleas,  Geraniums  and  Cyclamen  ;  of  this 
latter  we  have  several  nice  colonies,  which  flower 
and  do  well  under  some  of  the  low,  umbrella-shaped 
Piceas. 

As  many  of  the  alpine  plants  are  short-lived  and 
all  sorts  of  ravages  take  place  with  insects,  rodents, 
and  heat  and  cold,  a  special  set  of  frames  should  be 
set  apart  for  propagation,  and  the  necessary  assist- 
ance should  always  be  at  hand  for  shading,  water- 
ing and  all  other  work  which  alpine  gardening 
brings  in  its  trail.  W.  A.  Cook. 

(Head-gardener  to  Sir  Edmund  G.  Loder,  Bart.) 

Leonardslee  Gardens,  Horsham. 


the  flower  borders  which  they  enclose.  Another 
reason  that  may  have  had  some  influence  in  putting 
the  kitchen  garden  walls  to  beautiful,  if  less  utili- 
tarian, purposes  is  the  tendency  nowadays  to 
cultivate  flowers  by  the  pathways  in  the  vegetable 
garden.  Where  such  borders  are  formed,  they 
provide  an  abundance  of  flowers  for  cutting,  and 
impart  to  the  kitchen  garden  an  interest  that 
even  the  best-grown  vegetables  and  fruits  are 
scarcely  capable  of  doing.  Usually  these  flower- 
bordered  pathways  run  straight  from  the  entrance  to 
the  exit,  and,  where  such  is  the  case,  the  openings 
or  gateways  in  the  wall  afford  generous  support 
for  flowering  or  fine-foliaged  climbers,  even  though 
the  rest  of  the  wall  is  devoted  to  its  original 
purpose  of  forming  a  shelter  and  support  for 
choice  fruit  trees.  Indeed,  the  general  effect 
of    the    flower    borders    would    be    sadly    marred 


ii  fruit  trees  were  allowed  to  encroach  on 
the  view  that  the  careful  designer  of  flower 
borders  in  the  kitchen  garden  will  take  pains 
to  provide. 

The  Special  Supplement  presented  with  this 
issue  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  charming  effect 
that  is  obtained  by  clothing  these  openings  in  this 
way.  Here  we  see  a  well-proportioned  archway 
in  the  wall  of  the  old  kitchen  garden  at 
Harleyford,  Marlow,  where  Lady  Clayton  has 
designed  and  obtained  some  delightful  floral 
effects.  This  particular  archway  is  clothed 
with  the  Mountain  Clematis  (C.  montana). 
Wistaria  chinensis,  Vitis  purpurea  and  Vitis  or 
Ampelopsis  hederacea,  the  whole  forming  a 
pleasant  canopy  to  an  opening  through  which 
the  flower  borders  and  grass  walk  are  seen,  a 
similarly  clothed  arch  being  shown  at  the  other 
end  of  the  pathway.  Mr.  Tipping,  writing  of 
this  garden  in  Country  Life  a 
year-  or  two  ago  describes  it 
thus :  "  The  main  floral  display 
is  in  the  joyous  and  enticing 
pleasaunce  which  Lady  Clayton 
has  evolved  out  of  the  old  kitchen 
garden.  This  consists  of  three 
walled,  enclosures  opening  on  to 
the  river  on  the  south,  but  with 
tall  trees  forming  a  northern  bulwark 
and  backgrotmd.  Wide  arched 
openings  carry  the  visitor's  eye 
from  end  to  end  of  the  whole 
space  along  a  broad  path  which,  in 
the  middle  of  the  central  en 
closure,  widens  out  into  a  grass 
rotimda  set  with  a  boy's  figure 
can'ying  a  sundial  and  edged 
with  seats.  This  long  and  dignified 
way  is  framed  with  a  rich  pro- 
fusion of  perennials,  bulbs  and 
annuals,  of  which  the  selection, 
the  arrangement  and  the 
cultivation  are  all  that  can  be 
desired." 

In  some  instances  parts  of  old 
kitchen  gardens  have  been  made 
into  a  more  or  less  formal  Rose 
garden,  and  then  Rambler  Roses 
naturally  form  the  canopy  to  the 
wall  opening  or  gateway.  Such 
varieties  as  Alberic  Barbier,  Rosa 
sinica  Anemone,  Ards  Rover, 
splendens,  or,  indeed,  almost  any 
of  the  strong-growing  ramblers,  arc 
suitable  for  the  purpose,  though, 
where  the  walls  are  of  red  brick,  care 
must  be  taken  that  ramblers  with 
pink  or  red  flowers  are  not  used,  otherwise,  unless 
the  brickwork  is  fully  clothed,  there  will  be  a  clash- 
ing of  colours  that  will  offend  the  eye.  Of  climbing 
plants,  other  than  those  named  as  growing  on  the 
archway,  that  might  be  used  for  a  similar  purpose 
are  Wistaria  multijuga,  Japanese  and  European 
Honeysuckles,  .-^ristolochia  Sipho,  Polygonum 
baldschuanicum,  Akebia  lobata,  Ceanothus  veitchi- 
anus,  Escallonia  rubra,  most  of  the  free-growing 
Clematises,  Tecoma  radicans  and  Actinidia  chinensis. 
Before  planting,  the  ground  should  be  thoroughly 
and  deeply  dug  and  manured,  and  during  dry 
weather  the  climbers  must  be  given  copious 
supplies  of  water.  It  often  happens  that  plants 
which  are  growing  against  walls  suffer  from 
drought,  when  those  in  the  open  have  ample 
supplies  of  moisture,  a  point  that  must  not  be 
overlooked. 


Supplement  to  THE    GARDEN,  July  5.   1913. 


ROYAL    HORTICULTURAL    SOCIETY'S 

SUMMER  SHOW. 


FAVOURED  by  perfect  weather 
on  the  opening  day,  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  held  its 
Summer  Show  on  July  i,  2  and  3. 
The  exhibition  was  held  in  the 
spacious  grounds  of  Holland 
House,  Kensington,  by  kind  permission  of 
Mary  Countess  of  Ilchester,  and  by  a  general 
consensus  of  opinion  it  was  considered 
one  of  the  most  successful  in  the  annals  of 
the  society.  The  arrangement  of  the 
groups  shows  an  advance  on  previous 
years,  and  the  many  fine  examples  of 
wall,  water  and  rock  gardens  formed  a 
charming  feature  of  this  Summer  Show. 
Immediately  the  show  opened,  visitors 
poured  into  the  grounds  in  exceptional 
numbers.  To  the  Rev.  W.  Wilks  (Secre- 
tary), ]\Ir.  S.  T.  Wright  (Superintendent) 
ami  jNIr.  Frank  Reader  we  tender  our  best 
thanks  for  their  assistance,  without  which 
it  would  have  been  impossible  to  report 
this  comprehensive  exhibition. 


HARDY    PLANTS. 

It  i-  lii.:hly  probable-  that  at  no  previoiu^  exhibition 
held  witliin  the  historic;  grounds  of  Hollaud  House  hav(^ 
liiinly  plants  been  displayed  in  such  numbers  or  variety. 
'I'lu-y  wi-n-  there,  too,  in  such  profusion,  representative 
nf  ail  phases  of  ^'ardening  in  the  open  air.  whether  in  the 
border,  the  rook  and  water  garden,  or  what  you  will.  Tt 
is  true,  however,  that  some  of  the  more  sumptuous  or  eoni- 
prebeusive  t-vhibits — ^those  embracincr  rock  and  water 
gardening,  wall  and  water  garden  with  herbaceous  borders — 
were  not  to  be  found  on  so  vast  a  scale  as  on  former  occa- 
sions, a  fact  due  entirely  to  exi;:encies  of  space  and  the 
ever-inerea^^inix  volume  of  exliibitors  per\adini^  this 
particular  ti'Ki.  Henee  moderate-sized  exhibits  were  seen 
rather  than  dthers  of  huye  size. 

01"  th<-  bnlder  herbaceous  border  groups,  one  of  the  most 
telling:  perliaps  was  that  from  Messrs.  J.  Box  and  Sons. 
]jm;t-ti'-ld.  Ilayward's  Heath,  who  occupied  a  particularly 
uood  pu-.it  itm  at  the  end  of  Tent  Xo.  3.  From  a  bold 
central  Lzroup  of  Tlialictrum  ilavum  there  appeared  Phloxes 
and  Delpliiniums  in  the  highest  perfection,  while  Gladioli 
and  Astilbes  in  variety  were  very  effective.  Then  from  a 
central  pond  appeared  a  galaxy  of  Water  Lilies,  Iris 
Ksempferi  also  playing  an  excellent  part.  The  boldest 
plant  in  the  arrangement^ — an  excellent  subject  for  wild 
gardening — was   Salvia  turkestanica 

In  the  same  tent  Messrs.  W.  Cutbusli  and  Son.  High- 
gate.  N..  displayed  a  group  rich  in  Larkspurs.  Ercmuri, 
Wat'  r  Lilii  s  and  the  ever-welcome  Iris  Kaempferi.  It 
wa--  most  itlective. 

li'  I's,  Limited,  Liverpool,  had  some  rather  choice  plants 
on  a  table  group— Armeria  cephalotes  Bees'  Iluin . 
Trollius  patuhis  (type).  I,upinus  argenteus.  Trolliiis 
yunnanensis  (rich  golden),  Primvda  angustidens  (with 
iirh  l!n\vir-;  like  those  of  P.  bcesiana),  Campanula  pusilla 
Mi--^  \\illmritt  and  Cehnieia  speciosa  argentca.  A  most 
interrsfim:  lot, 

Mf^srs.  Fells  and  Son.  Hitcliin.  di-^flayc.l  a  ltouj)  rieb 
i!i  iJelphiniums,  Oaillardia-.  Canipaiiiil;i  [.'i-ilia  .Mi-;-; 
Willmott  (pah-  silky  blue),  I'rimnla  bulleyana  and  W 
capitata,  and  a  very  fine  mass  of  Thymus  Serpylhun 
coccineum. 

.Mary  Countess  of  Ilchester  {gardener.  Mr.  Dixon)  had 
an  unusual  display  of  well-grown  pans  of  Sempervivums 
(Houseleeks).  some  of  which  were  quite  rare.  Arach- 
noideum  rubrum,  cenophyUum.  murale,  tomentosum, 
minor,  and  I>aggeri  Housei  are  all  of  the  Cobweb  section, 
some  quite  distinct.  Others  noted  included  triste,  t. 
tricolor  and  rubicundum.  There  were  a  dozen  finely- 
fruited  pots  of  Nertera  depressa  in  the  j.Toup  and  a  few 
saxifrages. 

Mi.  Stewart  .>Laplc,  Stevenage,  had  a  brilliantly-flowered 
piepr  (.1  Scdiira  Lydiuni,  together  with  Campanula  pusilla 
Mis-  Willmutt  and  Coronilla  cappadocica,  full  of  golden 
yellow    tldwers. 

Mr.  H.  Newman.  Watford,  displayed  a  stand  of  a  new 
double-flowered  Pink  whichisalso  very  fragrant.  Unfortu- 
natelv.  like  most  of  its  race,  it  bursts  its  calvx.  It  is 
called  Challenger. 

Mr.  H.  Hemsley.  Crawley,  included  rockwork.  border 
plants  and  alpines  in  a  rather  extensive  exhibit.  Of 
i'articniar  interest   was  a  series  nf  hybrid   Aiitiniiinums 


raised  from  crossing  sempervirens  and  majus.  Some 
are  very  pretty,  and  numerous  coIoilt  shades  are  repre- 
sented. Inula  acaulis  (rich  yellow  and  only  2  inches 
liigh),  Wahlonbergia  vincaefiora,  Viola  hederacea,  Lysi- 
niachia  Henryii  and  the  pretty-flowered  Coris  monspelicnsis 
were  also  noted  in  an  interesting  group. 

Messi-s.  Pulham  and  Sons,  Elsenham,  had  some  pietty 
hybrid  Diantlu  of  the  taller  border  snrts,  such  as  Elsenham 
Seedling  and  hybrids  of  annulatus.  Escallonia  hmgli-y- 
ensis,  with  blood  red  flowers,  was  very  fine,  and  so, 
too,  were,  Andromeda  speeiosa  and  Campanula  Miss 
Willmott. 

In  the  open  Messrs.  Watkius  and  Simpson,  Tavistock 
Street,  W.C,  arranged  a  group  of  Nemesias  and  Antir- 
rhinums, all  biung  gro\m  in  pots.  Blue  Gem  and  Triumph 
weri!  the  best  of  the  Nemesias,  while  White  Queen 
auwng  the  Snapdragons  was  as  good  as  any.  IjObelia 
tenuior,  tall  of  habit  and  exceedingly  rich  in  colour, 
was  most  ett'cctive. 

Mr.  Amos  Perry.  Enfield,  had  a  great  display  of  Del- 
phniiums,  hardy  Ferns  and  other  plants.  Tiie  best  of 
the  Larkspurs  were  Eric  Kingscote  (a  fine  mauve),  perry's 
Favourite,  Moerlieimii  (white),  Carmen  and  gloriosa. 
Campanula  Bowles"  Hybrid  is  a  fine  bit  of  colour.  Hybrids 
of  Phlox  .VreiuUii  were  notable,  while  Salvia  lutea  is 
perhaps  the  only  yellow-flowered  species  of  its  genus  in 
the  herbaceous  section. 

Mr.  M.  Prichard.  Christcluueh,  hatl  a  partietdarly  bold 
display  of  rock  and  herbaceous  gardening,  in  which 
Larkspurs,  Spirsea  palmata,  Wahlenbergia  vincajflora. 
and  Lav.atera  Olbia  were  prominent  items.  Many  choice 
alpines  were  employed,  the  Lewisias  calling  for  special 
remark. 

Ml  ssrs.  Wallace  and  Co.,  Colchestei,  had  this  time 
to  hi;  e<uitent  with  a  smaller  space,  utilising  it  well. however, 
with  a  wall  and  water  garden  arraugemetit  and  a  telling 
bank  of  herbaceovis  flowers.  The  latter  was  rich  in 
Lilies,  also  Hcucheras  and  Eremuri.  Calochortus  Vesta 
made  a  great  show,  while  Brodiaea  eoccinea  was  excep- 
tionally brilliant  in  colour.  The  water  garden  portion 
was  vi^ry  naturally  disposed,  and  the  varieties  of  Iris 
Kffimpferi  that  were  boldly  grouped  by  its  margin  were 
very  fine,  partieulaily  Morning  Mist,  a  large  flower  with 
white  flushed  lavender  petals. 

Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons.  Limited,  Chelsea, 
had  a  great  gatheiing  of  Eremuri.  also  Astilbes,  the  pure 
white  A.  grandis  making  a  notable  plant  among  the  rest. 

Messrs.  Jaekman  and  Son.  M'oking,  staged  a  very  showy 
lot  of  herbaceuu--  thim4^.  Irises,  Delphiniums.  Campanulas, 
Gaillardias  and  other  seasonable  flowers.  Tunica  Saxifraga 
alba  was  very  pretty. 

Messrs.  G.  and  A.  Clark,  Limited,  Dover,  displayed 
Larkspurs,  Pentstemous,  early  Gladioli.  Liliums  of 
sorts,  Eremuri.  the  fine  violet  and  white  Delphinium 
Uev.  E.  Lascelles,  Salvia  turkestanica  and  the  like. 

Messrs.  Phillips  and  Taylor.  Bracknell,  had  a  particularly 
good  piece  of  water  gardening  in  conjunction  with  her- 
baceous border  groupins.  Such  Water  Lilies  as  Nymphaeas 
carnea,  gladstoneana  and  the  rich  red  William  Falconer 
were  very  good.  .Many  other  aijuatic  and  waterside 
gardening  plants  were  employed  with  good  effect. 

Messrs.  T.  S.  Ware.  Limited,  Feltham,  had  a  capital 
grouping  of  lierbaceous  flowers,  with  a  narrow  pool  for 
aquatics  and  allied  plants,  fronting  the  arrangement 
with  choice  alpines.  Astilbes  in  variety,  with  great  masses 
of  Iris  Kaempferi,  played  their  part  uncommonly  well. 

Messrs.  Carter  and  Co.,  Uaynes  Park,  in  the  open,  had 
a  fine  Japanese  garden,  with  pool,  paved  way.  walks  and 
wall  garden.  At  the  back  were  many  Hose  pyramids. 
white  around  the  pool  hundreds  of  Iris  laevigata  (Ksenip- 
feri)  showed  these  fine  plants  to  advantage.  The  Irises 
alone  were  quite  a  featm-e,  and  were  greatly  admired. 

Bailor's,  Wolverhampton,  had  a  partieularly  bold  ground 
group  of  herbaci'ous  flowers,  finishing  it  do^vn  to  the  edge 
witli  tile  more  mniule  growing  subjects.  Engiisli  frisis, 
1>(  Iphinium^.  (JaiUardias  and  all  the  bolder  things  in 
s.-.ivoii  w'-re  iii>t<-.i.  Dwarf  Campanulas  and  Tliymus 
St^rpyllum  coccineum  were  prominent  features  in  the 
foreground. 

Messrs.  Paul  and  Son,  The  Old  Nurseries,  Cheshunt. 
displayed  a  table  group  of  hardy  cut  flowers.  Heucheras, 
Eryngiums,  Verbaseums  and  Alstroemerias  being  noted 
among  the  bolder  masses  of  things. 

Messrs.  Blackmore  and  I.;iiig.lon.  Eatli,  had  a  group 
entirely  composed  of  l)tlphniiiim<  of  the  finest  quality. 
Statuaire  Rude.  Liiacina.  Mi"Theimii  (white).  Lord  Curzon 
and  llev.  E.  Lasc.lli's  were  perhaps  the  most  stiiknig 
of  all.    The  Larkspurs  were  particularly  well  shown. 

Mr,  G.  Ueuthe,  K'-ston,  Kent,  arranged  an  extensive 
exhibit  of  Lilies,  choice  shrubs  and  alpines.  Tlie  Eremuri 
were  very  telling,  and  some  fine  masses  of  Erica  cinerea 
told  their  owi\  tale. 

Messrs.  Lilley,  Guernsey,  arranged  a  mo.st  graceful 
exhibit  of  early  Gladioli,  Sparaxis  and  Ixias,  tJie  Sparaxis 
cr)nstituting  a  most  graceful  and  pIea:^ing  item,  and, 
moreover,  are  much  too  rarely  seen. 

The  extensive  group  of  hardy  herbaceous  fiowers  from 
Messrs.  G.  Bunyard  and  Co.  was  among  the  finest  of  the 
table    groups    the    .show    contained.     Masses    of    I.ilies. 


Eremuri,  Delphiniums,  Gaillardias,  Astilbes  and  Cam- 
panulas each  played  a  part  well.  The  group  was  most 
elfectively  arranged. 

Jlcssrs.  Bath,  Limited.  Wisbech,  had  a  group  of  tho 
choicest  Delphiniums,  Clara  Stubbs,  Lizzie,  Ceres,  and 
King  of  Delphiniums  being  all  distinct  and  good. 

Messrs.  Kelway  and  Sons,  Langport.  also  had  a  Group 
rich  in  tlie  Larkspurs  they  grow  so  well,  the  bold  and 
telling  spires  of  the  flowers  creating  a  fine  effect.  Beauty, 
Ladye  Fair,  Star  of  Langport,  Lovely,  Magnificent  and 
Lord  Wordell  were  among  the  more  striking.  Single 
Preonics  were  also  on  view  and  were  very  beautiful. 

Messrs.  Gunn  and  Sons,  Olton,  Birmingham,  staged 
herbaceous  Phloxes  in  their  accustomed  manner.  I''lora, 
America,  Elizabeth  Campbell,  G.  A.  Strtehlein.  Lady 
Stewart,  Ellen  Willmott  and  Mrs.  Oliver  were  ail  good 
and  distinct  This  Phlox  group  wr>s  one  of  the  most  telling^ 
in  the  show. 

The  Misses  Hopkins.  Shepperton-on-Thames,  had  a 
small,  prettily -arranged  group,  in  which  Campanulas, 
Viola  Hopkinsonii  and  other  choice  plants  were  seen. 

Messrs.  Whitelegg  and  Page,  Chislehurst.  displayed 
cflectively  Campanulas,  Potentilla  Miss  Willmott,  Astilbes, 
I,arkspu!-s  and   Irises. 

Mr.  F.  Smitii,  Woodbridge,  had  a  shnw.v  lot  of  Gail- 
lardias. Vertjascums.  Delphinium  Mrs.  Creighton  and  other 
plants. 

John  Forbes,  Hawick,  Limited,  arranged  in  the  open 
a  very  showy  lot  of  hybrid  Pentstemons.  Phloxes  and  other 
things,  the  whole  creating  a  fine  spectarie  near  the  entrance. 


ALPINES     AND     ROCK     GARDENS. 

.Mr.  Reginald  l-'ricliarrl.  West  Mo')r>.  Winibome.  iiiranui-d* 
a  small  table  group  of  alpines,  in  whieb  the  hnltiiint 
Potentilla  Miss  Willmott,  Campanula  garu'nniia  hir-iita. 
Scnt'-llaria  indica  japonica  and  Edraianthus  dalmatien- 
were  among  the  more  prominent  features. 

The  rock  garden  in  Tent  No,  1  arranged  by  Messrs. 
Piper  and  Sons,  Bayswater,  was  one  of  tho  great  features 
of  the  show,  the  finest  and  most  naturally  disposed  of  any 
rock  garden  this  firm  has  ever  attempted.  It  was,  if  we 
may  say  so,  a  possible  pieee  of  work,  one  that  if  transferred 
bodily  "to  the  open  garden  would  have  rendered  alpine 
plant-growing  a  quite  possible  thing.  Not  a  few  of  tlioso 
we  see  are  just  the  opposite,  more  of  the  plant  cemetery 
business  than  anything  else.  Cheddar  limestone  was  em- 
ployed, its  grey  colour  lending  itself  admirably  to  such 
work.  We  think  it  was  the  perfect  naturalness  and 
simplicity  of  the  arrangement  which  appealed  to  us  most 
strongly.  The  choicest  plants  were  employed,  and  those 
freer-flowering  subjects,  like  Thymus  Serpyllum  eoccineum, 
were  a  great  charm.  A  crevice  filled  with  Sempervivum 
arachnoideum  was  very  fine. 

Messrs.  Cheal  and  Sons,  Crawiey,  had  a  pretty  rock 
wall  and  rock  garden  arrangement  with  paved  walk  and 
the  like,  all  delightfully  planted,  and  presenting  a  type- 
which  is  of  much  service  in  the  garden.  Th.c  tilting  of 
crack  and  crevice  was  very  pleasingly  done. 

Mr.  Clarence  Elliott,  Stevenage,  had  a  table  rockwork 
arrangement  outside  Tent  No.  -.  Prominent  features 
were  Campanula  pusilla  Jtiss  Willmott,  a  very  deep  violet- 
coloured  form  of  C.  linifolia,  not  more  than  9  inches  high, 
with  C.  pulla,  Wahlenbergia  vincaefiora.  the  pretty 
Arborescent  Sedum,  S.  liebmannianum,  and  other 
plants. 

Jlessrs.  Piper,  Bayswater,  in  the  open,  had  a  wall  and 
terrace  garden  surroimded  by  clipped  trees,  in  conjunction 
with  a  water  pool  and  a  choice  assortment  of  Lilies  and  Rose 
trellis  at  the  back. 

The  Warirrave  Plant  Farm,  Twyford,  arranged  al]>ini's 
in  groups  on  a  table  spac^  in  the  open,  employ iim 
many  choice  and  useful  plants.  Sedum  cjeruleum  w-'.s 
very  beautiful,  while  colonies  of  Coronilla  cappadocica. 
Campanula  izariranica  in  variety  and  (*.  G.  F.  Wilson  were 
also  noted. 

Mr.  G.  Keutlie.  Keston,  Kent,  had  a  table  group  o! 
alpines  in  the  open,  replete  with  choice  plants.  Rhodo- 
dendrons daphnoides  and  hirsutum  were  good  among 
shrubs,  while  Umbilicus  chrysanthus.  Campanulas  in 
variety,  inclusive  of  the  rare  C.  raddeana.  Erica  cinerea 
pygmsea,  E.  c.  alba  and  E.  c,  rosea  gave  sheets  of  colour 
of  the  most  charming  kind.  Edelweiss.  Sedum  sul- 
phureum.  Umbilicus  Semenovi  and  Silcne  Elizabethse 
were  notable  among  other  things. 

Mr.  Charles  Kassell,  EarUs  Court  Eoad.  contributed  a 
small  enclosed  rock  garden,  with  paved  walk,  all  pleasingly 
planted  and  arranged  with  rock,  alpine  and  shrub.  It 
was  most  ettective. 

The  rockwork  which  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  Covent 
Garden,  set  up  in  Tent  No.  1  was  a  great  attraction, 
weathered  mountain  limestone  being  employed,  and, 
arranged  close  upon  the  ground,  gave  evidence  of  much 
thought  and  care.  Such  Campanulas  as  raddeana, 
C.  pusilla  Miss  Willmott,  C.  turbinata,  and  C.  rotundifolia 
Ditton  Gem  were  all  employed  in  free  colonies,  and  in 
conjunction  with  water  and  supported  by  the  best  herba- 
ceous plants  made  a  comprehensive  and  telling  feature. 


Supplement  to  THE    GARDEN,  July 


1913- 


MISCELLANEOUS     STOVE     AND 

GREENHOUSE     PLANTS. 

f^  Messrs-  Jamt*s  Veit<:h  and  Sons,  Limittd,  Chelsea,  put 
up  a  splendid  exhibit  of  the  choicer  greenhouse  flowers 
lor  which  they  are  noted.  These  were  arrani»ed  in  blocks 
of  each  kind,  so  that  their  prominent  characteristics  were 
very  noticeable.  Malmaison  Carnations  were  very  fine, 
as  'also  were  the  rich  Tyriau  iilue-tlowered  Exacum 
macranthum,  Sollya  Orummondii  (the  Uluc  Bell  Creeper 
of'>?AustraIia>,  Solanum  Wendlandii  (a  number  of  perfect 
examples),  Begonia  Luzerna  and  Cannas  in  variety.  These 
formed  such  a  gorgeous  feature  that  the  names  of  a  few 
of  the  best  are  lierewith  appended  ;  J.  B.  Van  der  Schoot 
(golden  yellow,  spotted  crimson),  rosea  sisantea  (deep 
rich  rose),  Niagara  fred,  margined  gold),  Duke  of  York 
(crimson,  gold  border),  Fran  E.  Kracht  (rosy  salmon), 
Stuttuartia  (scarlet  and  orange,  edged  liglit  yellow),  Duke 
Emst'(reddish  scarlet)  and  Fur.st  Weid  (deep  crimson). 

From  Messrs.  John  Peed  and  Son.  Norwood,  came  a 
fine  group  of  specimen  Caladiums,  all  bearing  evidence 
of  great  care  and  attention  in  their  cultivation,  Two  new 
varieties  stood  out  markedly,  namely,  lied  Indian  (rather 
small  leaves  of  a  brilliant  scarlet  red  with  a  narrow  green 
edge)  and  Crested  Wave  (a  transparent  white  leaf  with 
green  veins  and  edges).  Of  older  kinds  may  be  especially 
noted  Henry  Lovatt  (red,  freckled,  green  edge),  Mme. 
Mitjana  (intense  self  crimson),  Mrs.  Harry  Veitch  (dark 
red).  Sir  Henry  Irving  (creamy  wlute.  green  margin,  rose 
veins)  and  Her  Majesty  (bright  green  and  white,  tinged 
carmine).  The  tiloxinias  and  Streptocarpus  from  Messrs. 
Peed  were  also  particularly  tiood. 

Messrs.  Blackmore  and  Langdon,  Twerton  Hill  Nursery, 
Bath,  are  unsurpassed  in  the  culture  of  the  tuberous- 
rooted  Begonia.  Their  exhibit,  consisting  solely  of  double- 
flowered  varieties,  fully  upheld  the  great  reputation  they 
have  so  long  enjoyed.  Of  especial  note  were  Queen  Mary 
(light  rose  pink),  Lady  Tweedmouth  (salmon  pink),  Irene 
Tambling  (brilliant  orange),  Rose  Queen  (rich  rose), 
Princess  Victoria  Ijouise  (pale  flesh  pink).  Duchess  of 
Cornwall  (rich  crimson),  Mrs.  Bobcrt  Morton  (yellow,  with 
an  amber  sliade)  and  Empress  itarie  (pure  white).  Besides 
these  were  some  of  the  drooping  kinds  so  useful  for 
suspended  baskets,  namely,  Golden  Shower,  Mrs.  Bilkey, 
Ruby,  Rose  Cactus  and  Gladys. 

From  JNIessrs.  R.  and  G.  CMthbert,  Southgate,  came  a 
group  in  whicli  Humea  elegans  figured  largely.  Other 
subjects  which  were  also  freely  represented  included 
Streptosolen  Jamesonii,  Lilium  longillorum,  and  that 
exceedingly  showy  annual  knowni  as  Viscaria  oculata  and 
Lychnis  coeli  rosea. 

Mr.  L.  R.  Russell  of  Richmond  showed  a  fine  collection 
of  indoor  subjects,  mainly  consisting  of  fine  foliage  stove 
plants,  sucli  as  Crotons,  Dracaenas,  Alpinia  sc.nderiana, 
Anthurium  Veitchii,  Sonerillas,  Marantas,  ^tc.  Of  green- 
house subjects  there  were  large  batches  of  Salvia  Glory 
of  Richmond,  remarkable  for  its  bright -coloured  blossoms  ; 
Nertera  depressa,  which  Mr.  Russell  induces  to  fruit 
in  such  a  remarkable  manner ;  and  Abutilon  Sawitzii, 
whose  variegated  leave-s  are  so  much  appreciated  for 
various  decorative  purposes.  A  large  batch  of  the  un- 
common Nicotiana  coiossea  variegata.  with  immense 
soft  green  leaves  bordered  with  light  yellow,  formed  a 
verv  striking  feature. 

iir.  W.  H.  Page,  Tangley  Xuvseries,  Hampton-on- 
Thames,  showed  large  hemispherical  trroups  of  the  three 
varieties  of  Zonal  Pelargoniums  for  which  he  is  so  noted, 
mamely,  His  Mnjesty.  Fiscal  Reformer  and  Winter  Cheer. 
Besides  these,  i-maller  groups  of  the  following  desirable 
kinds  wern  shown  :  Barbara  Hope,  salmon  ;  Venus, 
white;    ami   li"T  :M:ije>ty.  viiy  briuht  -almon. 

.Messrs.  tiudtny  itii<i  Son,  rxnimilli,  I  levon.  contributed 
an  intereir^ting  eiille.tion  of  IN-largminuns,  in  which  all 
the  different  sections  were  represented.  Tlie  scented- 
leaved  varieties,  which  aie  again  becoming  popidar, 
were  well  shown.  Besides  tlie  Pelargoniums  a  promi- 
nent tViituic  ut  tills  group  was  a  number  of  dwarf  flowering 
plants  ut  Snliuiuni  \Vrndlaudii. 

An  unusual  exhibit  was  a  large  number  of  the  different 
varieties  of  Crassula  coccinea  from  J.ady  Nortliclitfe, 
Sutton  Place,  Guildford.  Besides  the  rich-coloured  forms 
there  were  several  of  softer  hues,  and  exceedingly  pleasing 
they  were.  Such  an  exhibit  of  this  good  old  plant  should 
lead  to  its  extended  cultivation,  as  for  greenhouse  decora- 
tion its  merits  rank  high. 

Messrs.  William  Cutbush  and  Son,  Highgate,  put  up 
a  large  collection  of  llowering  subjects.  Hydrangeas  in 
blue, "  white  and  pink  being  freely  represented.  Of 
these  a  new  variet\,  La  Perie,  with  large  white  flowers 
serrated  at  the  edges,  was  very  striking.  Another  variety 
with  huge  blossoms  was  Beaute  Vendomoise  whose  colour 
is  pale  mauve.  Besides  the  Hydranireas  there  were  also 
flowering  Cannas  in  great  variety,  the  iiee-.^rowing  Begonia 
corallina,  li.  Bertinii  (a  tuberous-rotjte-d  variety  in  great 
request  for  bedding)  and  Coleus  Cordelia  (which  as  a 
decorative  subject  has  become  exceetlingly  popular 
within  the  last  few  years). 

Bottle  Brush  Flowers  formed  the  predominant  feature 
of  a  collection  put  up  bv  Messrs.  Stuait  Low  and  Co., 
Bush  Hill  Park,  Enfield.  There  were  in  addition  Pelar- 
goniums of  diflerent  kinds,  the  whole  being  edged  with 
that  pretty  free-flowering  plant,  Heeria  elegans,  whose 
bright  rubV -coloured  blossoms  were  much  admired. 

Mr.  A.  LI.  GwiUim,  Cambria  Nursery,  Sidcup,  showed 
a. collection  of  tuberous-rooted  Begonias,  for  which  he  is 
justly  noted.  They  were  all  double-llowered  varieties, 
many  fine  kinds  being  represented.  Particularly  notice- 
able were  Sidcup  Beauty  (soft  pink,  mucli  fringed),  Miss 
Muriel  Edwardson  (light  salmon,  shaded  cream),  Sirs. 
Harris  (salmon  scarlet),  Pride  of  Elthani  (crimson), 
Margaret  Gwillim  (beautiful  yellow)  and  Avalanche 
(white). 


Messrs.  James  Veitch  (and  Sons,  [Chelsea,  put,  up  a 
group  of  Astilbes  and  Spiraas,  in  which  the  various 
coloured  kinds  were  freely  represented.  While  of  con- 
siderable value  in  themselves  from  a  decorative  point  of 
view,  these  Spirseas  also  served  as  a  desirable  groundwork 
for  a  display  of  a  number  of  cut  3pikos»;of  different  forms 
of  Eremuri. 

Messrs.  James  Carter  and  Co.,  Raynes  Park,  had  a 
small  tent  to  themselves  of  various  seedling  subjects, 
among  which  were  several  hardy  annuals,  and  in  addition 
a  good  collection  of  Streptocarpi  and  tuberous-rooted 
varieties  of  Begonia.         mk*^- 

An  exhibit  of  cut  flowers  of  Zonal  Pelargoniums  from 
Messrs.  H.  Canned  and  Sons,  Swanley,  was  put  up  in 
their  well-lcnown  style,  and  contained  a  choice  collection 
of  varieties. 

Messrs.  Jarman  and  Co.,  Chard,  Somerset,  contributed, 
in  addition  to  their  Centaureas  fand'f other  herbaceous 
plants,  a  number  of  cut  floweis  of  Zonal  Pelargoniums, 
which  were  exceedingly  bright  and  cheerfid. 

Pelargoniums  of  different  sections  were  also  shown  by 
Mr.  W.  Tieseder,  The  Nurseries.  Cardift",  many  of  the  show 
varieties  being  very  fine.  Among  them  was  the  exceed- 
ingly dark-coloured  variety.  Lord  Bute,  which  received 
an  award  fof  merit  two  years  ago  when  the  Summer  Show 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  was  held  at  Olympia. 

A  representative  collection  of  Fuchsias  was  shown  by 
Messrs.  J.  Piper  and  Sons,  Bishop's  Road,  W.  Dwarf 
plants,  tall  pyramids  and  lofty  standards  were  all  there 
in  considerable  numbers,  the  selection  of  varieties  being 
a  good  and  comprehensive  one.  Taken  altogether, 
tliis  was  a  decidedly  uncommon  exhibit.    ^  "     f  ^ 

Mr.  W.  A.  Mauda,  St.  Albans,  Herts,  put  up  a  group  of 
decidedly  uncommon  plants.  The  distinct  and  showy 
Fern  Polypodium  mandaianum  was  well  , represented, 
its  good  reputation  being  well  maintained.  Besides  this 
were  the  graceful-habited  Asparagus  elongatus,  which 
has  proved  of  considerable  value  for  decorative  purposes, 
and  Anthericum  mandaianum.  well  suited  for  growing 
in  suspended  baskets,  the  dark  green  recurving  leaves 
having  a  central  band  of  yellow.  The  curious  Alocasia 
lassalliana,  a  new  species  of  tall  and  stately  habit,  with 
leaves  considerably  cut,  was  also  noted  in  this  group. 
Besides  the  subjects  above  referred  to,  there  was  a  collec- 
tion of  hardy  North  American  Cacti. 

The  only  collection  of  exotic  Ferns  was  contributed 
by  Messrs.  H.  B.  May  and  Sons  of  Edmonton.  It  was  a 
very  charming  group,  and  well  upheld  the  reputation 
of  the  firm  for  the  culture  of  this  beautiful  class  of  plants. 
The  bidk  of  the  exhibit  was  made  up  of  good  representa- 
tive >i>eiimens  of  the  finest  decorative  Ferns.  Davallias, 
Polyi'olium-  and  Adiantums  were  freely  represented, 
but  in  sucli  an  extensive  collection  it  is  difficult  to  select 
any  for  special  mention.  A  very  fine  form  of  Adiantum 
trapeziforme  bearing  the  name  of  Queen  Mary  must  not, 
liowever.  be  passed  over,  it  being  in  every  way  very  fine. 
Many  of  the  smaller-growing  kinds  employed  as  an  edging 
were"  very  beautiful,  and  a  small  group  of  that  extremely 
mossy  variety  of  Nephrolepis  exaltata  was  the  admiration 
of  everyone.     The  Lygodiums,  too.  were  very  striking. 

Mr.  Amos  Perry  of  Enfield  showed  a  group  of  hardy 
Feins,  not  made  up  of  curious  or  depauperated  forms, 
but  consisting  of  fine,  bold-gi'owiug  kinds,  all  of  which 
are  of  i:reat  decorative  value.  They  were  so  attractive 
as  to  suggest  that  hardy  Ferns  are  very  likely  before  long 
to  regain  their  old-time  popularity. 


gigas  type,  with  banks  of  Laelio-Cattleya  Eudora  and 
Aphrodite  at  each  end.  Cattleya  Mossise  Wagneri, 
with  large  white  flowers,  tinted  yellow  on  the  lip,  was  shown 
in  perfect  form.  Miltonias  were  also  fine,  notably  the 
large  M.  vexillaria  Queen  Alexandra  and  M.  bleuana 
nobilior.  Odontiodas,  Disas  and  Phalsenopsids  all  con- 
tributed to  a  very  interesting  and  well-grown  collection. 

Mr,  Harry  Dixon,  Spencer  Park  Nursery,  Wandsworth 
Common,  had  a  nice  group,  in  which  Odontiodas,  Cattleya 
hybrids  and  Odoutoclo^sum  Pescatorei  were  represented. 

Mr.  S.  W.  Flory.  'Tracy's  Orchid  Nursery,  Twickenham, 
had  a  bank  of  Cattleyas,  mostly  of  the  Mossiae  section. 
Lielio-Cattleya  canhamiana  and  Miltonia  vexillaria  were 
well  shown. 

Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co.,  Bush  Hill  Park,  Enfield, 
had  an  extensive  and  well-arranged  LToup,  in  which  the 
white  sprays  of  Phalsnopsis  contrasted  with  the  intense 
scarlet  of  Renanthera  imscbootiana.  Among  the  gems 
of  the  collection  were  Cattleya  dupreana  Gorgeous, 
Laelio-Cattleya  Eudora  Crowborough  variety.  Phalsenopsis 
rimestadtiana  alba  (with  pm-e  white  flowers),  Cattleya 
Wagneri,  C.  Mendelii  La  Vifirge  and  C,  Mosti^t  Wagneri 
Princess  Mary  .Mertchersky.  Some  grand  forms  of 
Cattleya  gigas  were  on  view,  also  Dendrobium  thyrsoides 
with  immense  flower-spikes. 


ORCHIDS. 

As  in  former  years.  Orchids  attracted  a  deal  of  attention, 
and  the  massive  banks  of  Cattleyas,  Odontiodas,  Phalse- 
iiojisids  and  Miltonias  in  many  beautiful  colours  evoked 
great  admiration  from  the  constant  stream  of  visitors 
who  passed  by. 

Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co.,  Hayward's  fleath,  were 
there  with  a  wonderful  display  of  Odontoglossums  and 
their  choice  relatives,  Odontiodas.  A  remarkable  plant 
of  Cattleya  gottoiana  The  President,  with  trusses  of  large 
rosy  pink  flowers  with  deep  crimson  lips,  was  one  of  the 
gems  of  the  collection.  Epidendrum  vitellinum  majus, 
with  orange-tinted  flowers,  and  Dendrobium  Dcari. 
with  masses  of  white  flowers,  were  both  well  shown.  Of 
plants  of  botanical  interest  we  observed  the  Holy  Ghost 
or  Dove  Orchid,  otherwise  known  as  Peristeria  elata,  and 
Grammangis  Ellisii. 

Two  bold  groups  of  Cattleya  gigas,  with  immense  and 
highly-coloured  flowers,  shown  in  Messrs.  Sander  and 
Soil's  collection  from  St.  Albans,  were  really  one  of  the 
outstanding  features  of  the  Orchid  tent.  The  same  firm 
sliowed  Phalffiuopsids  in  suspended  baskets,  from  which 
the  arching  sprays  of  white  flowers  bung  down  in  wild 
profu-^io]i  over  a  groundwork  of  Miltonia  vexillaria  Empress 
Augu^^ta.  Many  choice  Odontiodas  were  shown  in  the 
foreground.  The  collection  was  staged  in  a  masterly 
and  effective  manner. 

From  Sir  Jeremiah  Colman,  Bart.,  Gatton  Park,  Surrey 
(gardener,  Mr.  J.  Collier),  came  a  very  interesting  collection, 
in  which  the  golden  yellow  Laelio-Cattleya  Phcebe  stood 
out  well  among  the  white  flowers  of  Phalaenopsis  rime- 
stadtiana.  Odontoglossum  Pescatorei  and  Odontioda  Brad- 
shawite  were  both  shown  in  superb  condition,  wliile  Miltonias 
bleuana.  lambeauianum  and  vexillaria  in  variety  were 
shown  to  perfection. 

Mr.  E.  V.  Low,  Vale  Bridiie,  Hayward's  Heath,  had  a 
group  of  choice  Orchids,  in  which  we  observe-!  the  curious 
Medusas  Head,  or  Nanodes  Meduss,  and  BullK>pliyilum 
barbiceron,  with  hinged  lips  that  sway  in  the  IiL'htest 
breeze.  Cattleya  Mbssi*  Wagneri  and  a  variety  of 
Cypripediums,  such  as  callosum  Sanderi,  >Liudi{c  and 
schofleldianum,  were  included. 

Messrs.  Mansell  and  Hatcher,  Limited,  Rawdon,  Vorks, 
had  a  magnificent   display   of   (.'attleyas,   niu-tly   of   the 


ROSES. 

In  the  group  staged  by  Mr.  C.  Turner  of  Slough  we 
noticed  some  very  fine  blooms,  Coronation,  a  new  rambler 
with  scarlet  flowers,  being  very  bright.  Ethel,  a  pink- 
flowered  rambler,  was  also  charming.  Mr.  Turner  also 
had  a  sport  from  Lyon  Rose,  this  being  a  semi-double 
variety  with  spreading  habit  and  bright  buff-coloured 
flowers.  Hugh  Dickson,  Lady  Hillingdon,  Rayon  d'Or, 
Duchess  of  Wellington  and  many  other  sorts  were  also 
well  shown. 

Messrs.  William  Paul  and  Son  of  Waltham  Cross  had  a 
magnificent  group  of  weeping  standard  and  cut  Roses, 
these  including  all  the  latest  and  best  varieties.  Beaut  6 
de  Lyon,  Arthur  R.  Goodwin,  Raycui  d'Or,  Mme.  Segond 
Weber,  Lyon,  Juliet,  Hugh  Dickson,  Marquise  de  Sinety, 
Hiawatha,  Tausendschon  and  W  hite  Dorothy  Perkins 
were  only  a  few  of  the  many  good  Rosen  to  be  seen  here. 
Hobbies,  Limited,  Dereham,  Norfolk,  had  a  large  group 
composed  of  weeping  standards  and  baskets  of  cut  blooms. 
Rayon  d'Or  was  specially  good,  and  Pink  Pearl  (a  large 
single),  Danae  (a  perpetual  yellow-flowered  rambler), 
Lyon,  Betty,  Mme.  Melanie  Soupert.,  Effective  (semi- 
double  crimson  with  large  flowers)  and  Lady  Hillingdon 
also  called  for  special  mention. 

Mr.  George  Paul  of  Cheshunt  had  a  magnificent  bank  of 
cut  blooms,  pillar  Roses  and  weeping  standards,  the  whole 
being  fresh  and  of  good  colour.  Sunburst,  Captain 
Hayward,  Lyon  Rose,  Excelsa,  Mrs.  Da\  id  McKee,  Jlme. 
Meianie  Soupert,  Beauts  de  Lyon,  Shower  of  Gold  (a  uew 
rambler  with  small  yellow  flowers)  and  George  C.  Waud 
were  a  few  of  those  that  called  for  special  mention. 

In  the  large  group  staged  by  Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co. 
of  Bush  Hill  Park.  Enfield,  we  noticed  many  very  good 
flowers,  such  varieties  as  Rayon  d'Or,  Sunburst,  Com- 
mander Jules  Gravereaux,  Leslie  Holland,  Arthur  B. 
Goodwin,  Chateau  de  Clos  Voui;;eot,  Lady  Pirrie,  Harry 
Kirk,  Duchess  of  Wellington,  Molly  Sharman  Crawford 
and  Pharisaer  being  particularly  fine. 

The  Rev.  L.  C.  Chalmers-Hunt,  Willian  Rectory,  Hitchin, 
had  a  small  but  interesting  exhibit  of  Roses,  these  includ- 
ing good  blooms  of  such  favourites  as  Mrs.  Jolui  Laing, 
Frau  Karl  Druschki,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant  and  Lyon  Rose. 

Messrs.  Frank  Cant  and  Co.,  Braiswick  Rose  Gardens, 
Colchester,  put  up  a  very  fine  bank  of  Roses,  these  including 
a  great  many  of  the  newer  sort.s.  Rouge  Angevine,  a 
Hyl-trid  Perpetual  with  large,  semi-double,  brilliant  scarlet 
crimson  flowers,  formed  a  good  centre  to  the  group,  and 
other  noticeable  sorts  were  Mme.  Melanie  Soupert,  Lyon 
Rose,  Rayon  d'Or,  Miss  Ada  Francis  (a  new  rambler,  with 
flowers  resembling  those  of  Goldfinch,  but  much  freer 
than  tliat  variety),  and  Braiswick  Chrome  (a  new 
wichuraiana  with  retiexed  flowers  of  yellow  hue). 

Messrs.  George  Jackman  and  Stms  of  Wokiug  used 
ramblers  as  a  background  to  their  group,  cut  blooms 
in  tall  vases  and  boxes  being  well  shown  in  front.  All 
were  clean  and  good,  Hugh  Dickstm.  Le  Progr6s,  Rayon 
d'Or,  Lady  Alice  Stanley  and  Lady  Ashtown  attracting 
much  attention. 

Messrs.  Benjamin  R.  Cant  and  Sou^,  Old  Rose  Gardens, 
Colchester,  put  up  a  very  large  and  attractive  group, 
ramblers  and  show  varieties  being  included  in  great  pro- 
fusion. .Mrs.  Alfred  Tate,  Lady  Hillingdon,  Molly 
Sharman  Crawford.  J.  B.  Clark,  Killarney,  Rayon  d'Or, 
Betty,  Warrior,  Anicrican  Pillar  and  Edward  Mawley 
were' a  few  among  many  specially  good  sorts. 

.Mr.  \V.  Ea^lea,  Danecroft  Rosery,  Eastwood,  Essex, 
had  a  charmintr  little  group  of  clean  and  well -coloured 
flowers,  ('herry  Page,  a  new  decorative  Hybrid  Tea, 
formed  a  line  eentv(\  the  semi-double  flowers  of  cherry  pink, 
shaded  yellow,  being  most  attractive.  Ethel,  a  new 
rambler  with  small  pink  flowers.  Marcjuise  de  Sinety, 
Cliateau  de  Clos  Vougeot,  Arthur  R.  Goodwin  and  Rayon 
d'Or  were  others  that  called  for  special  mention. 

Messrs.  Morse  Brothers,  Deben  Niirsery,  Woodbridge, 
had  a  good  group  of  cut  blooms,  Juliet,  Rayon  d'Or, 
Orleans  Rose  and  General  aiaearthnr  being  very  bright 
and  attractive. 

In  the  small  but  good  group  put  up  by  Mr.  Jolm  Mattock, 
New  Hcadington,  Oxford,  we  noticed  excellent  blooms  of 
Irish  Elegance,  .Marquise  de  Sinety,  Mrs.  T.  Roosevelt, 
Mme.  Segond  Weber  and  George  ''.  Waud,  the  colour  of 
all  being  exceptionally  good. 

Mr.  R.  C.  Nottoutt,  Woodbridge,  exhibited  a  lari^e 
and  comprehensive  group  of  cut  Roses,  among  them  being 
such  good  sorts  as  George  C.  Waud,  Mrs.  David  Jardine, 


an 

c 

2 

CJ 

3 

oa 

•a 

>-'" 

o 

< 

^ 

X 

C3 

u 

a: 

a 

< 

^ 

T3 

a 

C 
3 

< 

O 

J 

bC 

u 

o 

1 

a 

Qi 

J^ 

w 

u 

a. 

^ 

w 

w 

■~ 

cc 

C/5 

u 

u 

-a 

u 

< 

o 

CQ 

!/l 

3 

O 

1) 

u 

C3 

JO 

t- 

<u 

X 

Supplement  to  THE   GARDEN,  July  5,   1913. 


Mrs.  TVakefleld  Christie  Miller  and  Juliet,  the  whole  being 
put  up  in  good  condition. 

Mi'ssrs.  G.  Bolton  and  Son.  Buntinjrford,  Herts,  had  a 
■large  group  of  rambler  and  other  varieties,  including  such 
sorts  as  Hush  Dickson,  Sirs.  Aaron  \Yard,  Nita  Wcldon 
and  George  C.  Waud. 

The  large  bank  of  cut  blooms  stjiged  by  Messrs.  W.  and 
J.  Brown  of  Peterborough  was  very  attractive,  the  arch 
of  Lyon  Rose  that  formed  th«  centre  making  a  wonderful 
bit  of  colour.  Prince  de  Bulgarie,  Marquise  de  Sinety, 
Lady  Krrie,  Harr>'  Kirk,  Rayon  d'Or  and  Joseph  Hill 
were  others  that  added  to  the  charm  of  this  exhibit. 

Mr.  George  Prince's  group  from  his  Oxford  Nursery  was 
well  up  to  his  usual  high  standard,  being  well  arranged, 
clean  and  bright.  His  Lyon  Rose  was  a  wonderful  colour, 
and  Avoca.  was  superb.  Gardenia,  Lady  Pirrie,  iMme. 
Melanie  Soupert,  Rayon  d'Or,  Blush  Rambler  and  American 
Pillai  were  others  that  attracted  considerable  attention. 


SWEET     PEAS. 

These  were  a  great  feature  at  this  fine  show,  the 
flowers  being  in  remarkably  fine  condition  considering 
•the  season. 

A  capital  lot  of  this  fragrant  annual  was  shown  by  Mr. 
James  Box,  Lindfield  Nnrseries,  Hayward's  Heath.  Sussex. 
The  colour  was  good,  the  quality  all  that  one  could 
well  desire  and.  except  for  a  little  crowding,  this  exhibit 
was  highly  commendable.  Varietic-  worthy  of  special 
mention  were  Thomas  Stevenson.  .Maud  Holmes,  Rosa- 
belle,  Moneymaker,  R.  F.  Fclton,  Elfrida  Pearson,  Dobbie's 
Cream,  Mrs.  Gibbs  Box  (superb).  Orange  Perfection, 
Blue  Belle  (lovely),  Mrs.  llardcastle  Sykes,  Empress 
andtJamcs  Box  (gorueous). 

A  very  large  and  comprehensive  display  of  Sweet 
Peas  was  shown  by  Sir  Raudolf  Jlaker.  Bart..  ,M.P.. 
Ranston,  Blandford  (gardener.  Mr.  .\.  E.  Uslicr).  Superbly 
fine  were  the.  flower-  in  every  particular.  Colour,  form, 
freshness,  length  and  stoutness  of  stem*,  all  were  showii 
in  a  high  state  of  perfection,  and  the  setting  up  of  the 
flowers  in  the  vases  and  stands  showed  considerable  skill 
and  artistic  ability.  Specially  good  were  the  following 
varieties  :  Edrom  Beauty,  Anglian  Orange,  Lady  Miller, 
Princess  Victoria,  Barbara,  Mark's  Tey,  ilarjorie  Linzee, 
May  Campbell,  Audrey  Crier,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Unwin,  Lady 
Evelyn  Eyre,  Lavender  George  Herbert,  Dobbie's 
Creaiu.  Agrieola,  Senator  Spencer  and  Mrs.  Cuthbcrtson. 
There  must  have  been  nearly  one  Imndrcd  and  fifty  stands 
in  this  remarkable  exhibit. 

Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  Covent  Garden,  W.C.  had  a 
tew  bunches  of  Sweet  Peas  with  other  hardy  flowers, 
and  this  collection  included  several  popular  '^orts. 

Most  attractive  was  the  large  and  artistic  group  of  Sweet 
Pe^s  from  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons.  Reading.  In  all  there 
were  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  varieties,  duplicated 
in  several  instances,  so  that  the  display  was  a  very  large 
one.  The  background  was  adorned  with  huge  stfl.nds 
set  up  in  attractive  fashion,  and  what  was  most  note- 
worthy in  this  exhibit  was  the  colour  of  the  flowers. 
Each  colour  was  represented  at  its  best,  the  richer 
tones  being  most  gorgeous  We  must  not  omit  to 
mention  some  of  the  varieties  that  stood  out  distinctly 
for  tlieir  general  excellence.  They  were  the  following: 
Dorothy,  Airs.  Cuthbertson,  Rosabellc,  Scarlet  Emperor, 
James  Box.  Sunproof  Crimson,  Elfrida  Pearson,  Barbara 
^superb),  Earl  Spencer,  Lady  Evelyn  Eyre,  Hercules, 
Florence  Wright  Spencer,  Senator.  May  Campbell, 
Constance  Oliver,  Helen  Grosvenor,  Mrs.  Townsend, 
Mrs.  W.  J.  Unwin,  Scarlet  Emperor.  Queen  of  Norway, 
Bertie  Usher,  W.  P.  Wilght  and  Thomas  Stevenson. 

Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co.,  Edinburgh,  well  mamtained 
their  reputation  as  Sweet  Pea  experts,  the  flow'^is  in  a 
large  group  of  Sweet  Pea=i  set  up  in  vases  and  stands  being 
remarkable  for  their  superb  quality.  The  flowers  were  large, 
beautifully  fresh,  quite  in  character,  and  noteworthy  for 
their  colour  and  freshness — they  were  without  a  blemish. 
Especially  good  were  Inspector,  John  Tngman,  Dobbie's 
Cream,  Edna  Unwin  (glorious).  Elfrida  Pearson,  Melba, 
Dobbie's  Blue  Picotce,  "Mrs.  Hugh  Dickson.  Xew  Marquis 
<superb),  Alr.s.  C.  W.  Breadmore,  Elsie  Herbert.  Lavender 
G.  Herbert,  R,  F.  Felton.  Lady  Knox,  Sirs.  Cuthbertson 
and  Grey  Lavender. 

A  pretty  group  of  Sweet  Peas  was  set  up  by  Mr.  J.  D. 
Webster,  Chichester.  The  group  was  not  large  nor  very 
well  arranged,  but  it  included  a  number  of  the  newer 
and  more  popular  varieties. 

A  display  of  Sweet  Peas  was  set  up  by  the  Rev.  L.  C. 
Chalmers-Hunt  of  Wilhan  Rectory,  Hitchin.  There  were 
about  forty  vases,  and  for  an  amateur  thi'  display  was 
highly  creditable.  The  quality  of  the  flowers  was  generally 
good. 

A  bright  and  attractive  display  of  Sweet  Peas  was 
made  by  Messrs  John  K.  King  and  Sons,  Coggeshall, 
Essex.  There  were  in  -all  about  seventy-two  vases 
and  stands,  and  the  flowers  were  beautifully  fresh 
and  of  uood  colour.  Nettie  Jenkins,  3Irs.  Hoslington, 
Prince  Edward  of  Wales,  Mrs.  C.  W.  Breadmore, 
Mrs.  Cuthbertson,  Hercules,  Loyalty.  Prince  George, 
R.  F.  Felton.  King  Alfred.  Maud  Holmes,  Elfrida 
Pearson  Mark's  Tey  and  Isabel  Malcolm  were  all  good. 

Robert  Sydenham,  Limited,  Tenby  Street,  Birmingham, 
set  up  an  exhibit  of  Sweet  Peas,  with  dainty  Maidenhair 
Ferns  interspersed  between  the  vases.  Lady  Evelyn  Eyre, 
Maud  Holmes,  Edith  Taylor  and  other  good  -sorts  were  in 
evidence. 

A  pretty  display  of  Sweet  Peas  came  from  Messrs,  E.  W. 
King  and  Co.,  Coggeshall,  Essex,  whicli  lost  in  some 
measure  owing  to  the  formal  and  stiff  arrangement  of  the 
flowers.  They  were  bright  and  fresh,  and  includ-^d,  among 
other  varieties,  good  examples  of  HerculL-s,  Ro>^belle, 
Anglian  Orange,  Anglian  Lavender,  and  Anslian  Royalty 
(a  quite  unique  Petunia  shade),  very  distinct. 


A  dainty  exhibit  of  Sweet  Peas  came  from  Messrs. 
G.  Stark  and  Son,  Great  Ryburgh,  Norfolk.  Grasses,  Ac., 
were  added,  wliicli  is  now  very  unusual,  and  it  is  question- 
able whether  they  added  to' the  beauty  of  the  display. 
Hercules,  Improved  Olive  Rutfell,  Thomas  Stevenson, 
Lady  Northcliffe  (grown  under  glass),  Maggie  Stark.  Nell 
Gwj'une  Spencer  and  5lrs.  Cuthbertson  were  the  better 
varieties. 

A  capital  scries  of  stands  and  vases  of  Sweet  Peas 
was  set  up  by  Messrs.  S.  Bide  and  Sons,  Farnham, 
Surrey.  Although  not  one  of  the  largest  exhibits,  the 
display  was  liighly  creditable.  The  flowers  were  very 
large,  fre^h  and  clean,  and  represented  culture  of  the  l>est. 
Edna  Harland,  Clara  Curtis,  Edith  Taylor,  R.  F.  Felton, 
May  Campbell,  Dorothy,  Princess  5Iary  (Bide's),  Mrs. 
Cuthbertson  and  others  were  very  fine. 

In  a  specially-erected  tent  Messrs.  James  Carter  and 
Co.,  High  Holbom,  W.C,  displayed,  among  other  subjects, 
a  beautiful  collection  of  Sweet  Peas  in  large  and  handsome 
bunches  arranged  in  vases.  Among  the  good  things  to 
be  found  here  were  Helen  Lewis  (still  good),  Mrs.  C.  W. 
Breadmore,  Thomas  Stevenson.  Aimabel  Lee,  Earl 
Spencer,  Hercules,  Duplex  Spencer,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Un^^in, 
Florence  Nightingale,  Kathleen  and  Elfrida  Pearson. 


VIOLAS    AND     PANSIES. 

One  corner  of  No.  2  Tent  was  occupied  with  a  \ery 
large  and  comprehensive  group  of  bedding  Violas  and 
Violettas,  set  up  in  attractive  fashion  in  pans  of  silver 
sand  and  hardy  foliage.  Of  the  Violas,  conspicuous  sorts 
were  Kathleen,  May,  Cygnet  (a  good  white),  Swan, 
Mrs.  Sandifer,  3trs.  J*..  Eric  Smith.  Ro>al  Purple.  Royal 
Blue.  Mrs.  E.  A.  Cade,  Ethereal.  Reggie,  and  a  host  of 
other  good  tilings.  The  Violettas  were  really  very  charm- 
ing. Mr.  Howard  H.  Crane,  Wood  view,  Highgate,  N., 
who  made  this  exhibit,  has  specialised  in  these  beautiful 
rock  garden  plants,  and  they  are  destined  to  be  largely 
used  in  the  not  distant  future.  Jjpecially  noteworthy 
wcrci  the  following  sorts  :  liock  Lemon,  Rock  Orange, 
Rock  Vcllow.  Punty,  Eileen.  Chafliiirh.  Butterfly,  Primrose 
Beauty,  Forget-me-not,  Mollie.  Swi-.tness  and  Estelle. 

Fronting  the  group  of  l'<  iii.^icnuMis  and  Phloxes  from 
.John  Fnrbes.  Hawick.  JJinitfld.  were  quite  a  immber 
of  popular  Violas.  Noteworthy  sorts  were  James  Pilling, 
Campbell-Bannerman,  Mar>-  Buniie,  Snowflake,  Mrs.  C.  F. 
Gordon,  President,  .Mrs.  Chieliestei,  Duchess  of  Sutherland 
and  W.  H.  Woodgatc.  The  flowers  and  growths  on  which 
they  were  developed  gave  evidence  of  having  been  grown 
in  a  cool,  moist  climate. 

A  very  fresh  and  attractive  lot  of  Violas, set  up  in  pans, 
was  shown  by  Messrs.  Carter  Page  and  Co.,  London  Wall, 
E.C.  Considering  the  trying  weather  of  late,  the  flowers 
were  in  re.inarkably  good  form  and  rondition.  Noteworthy 
examples  of  these  useful  flowers  wiii:  G.  C.  Murray,  Uarr>' 
Bamber,  Ophelia,  Jessie  L.  Arbuckle,  Moseley  Perifection, 
Winchmore  Blut*,  Lizzie  Storer,  Purple  Bedder,  Kitty 
Bell  and  James  Pilling. 

.\  mass  of  Viola  cornuta  purpurea  and  au  interesting 
lot  of  Violas  were  showm  by  Jtessrs.  Rich  and  Co..  Bath. 
We  thought  we  had  seen  the  last  of  exhibits  of  Violas  in 
spray -like  form  in.  say,  half-a-dozen  blooms  of  each  variety. 
The  Viola-i  were  poor  and  shrivelled  in  many  instances. 
Quite  refreshing,  however,  was  the  purple  form  of  V, 
comuta. 

A  small  lot  of  Violas  and  the  Pvrenean  species  were 
shown  by  y\x.  G.  W.  .MiUer,  Wisbech.  Bridal  Morn, 
Swan  and  Moseley  Perfection  were  the  better  Violas. 


CARNATIONS. 

Messrs.  W.  Cutbush  and  Son.  Highgate,  N.,  and  P.amet, 
Herts,  occupied  one  corner  of  the  big  tent  with  a  group 
largely  made  up  of  Carnations  and  a  few  good  Pinks. 
Mounds  and  vases  were  most  tastefully  arranged 
with  Malmaison  and  Perpetual-flowering  Carnations, 
and  in  this  way  they  were  seen  at  their  best.  3Irs.  C.  W. 
Ward.  Enchantress,  White  Wonder,  May  Day  and  Florence 
McLeod  were  a  few  of  the  better  Perpetual-flowering 
sorts,  and  among  the  Malmaisons  we  noticed  Marmion, 
Lady  Coventry,  Maggie  Hodgson,  Baldwin,  Mercia, 
The  Queen.  Princess  of  Wales  and  Lady  Grimston.  This 
was  a  capital  exhibit,  and  did  the  firm  great  credit. 

A  beautiful  arrangement  of  Carnations  in  bold  vases, 
bowls  and  stands  was  set  up  by  Messrs.  Stuart  Low, 
Bush  Hill  Park.  Enfield,  Middlesex:,  in  their  exhibit.  Of 
the  Malmal-on  type,  Blush  JIalmaisou,  Princess  of  Wales, 
JIaggie  Hodgson,  Sir  Evchii  AVood,  Lady  Coventry, 
Lady  Arthur  Butler,  Jane  Seymour,  and  a  fine  eerise 
seedling  represented  these  handsome  flowers  in  fine  form 
and  condition.  There  were  many  representatives  of  the 
Perpetual-flowering  Carnations,  all  arranged  in  vases 
in  a  groundwork  of  beautiful  Ferns. 

S'ery  artistic  indeed  was  the  group  of  Malmaison  Carna- 
tions from  W.  "M.  Gott.  Esq.,  Trenython,  Par  Station, 
Cornwall.  .Vs  an  example  of  an  amateur's  exhibit  this 
was  very  good  indeed.  By  the  free  use  of  Smilax,  arranged 
on  strained  gauze,  and  a  groundwork  of  Ferns,  the  etfcct 
was  distinctly  dainty.  The  Carnations  were  arranged  in 
vases,  and  included,  among  others,  the  following  varieties  : 
Princess  of  Wales,  Mrs.  Trelawnej',  Mrs.  Torens,  Maggie 
Hodgson,  Improved  Duchess  of  Westminster,  Blush 
Malmaison.  Mrs.  Wilfrid  Gott  and  Kuig  Oscar. 

Malmaison  Carnations  from  Messrs.  James  Veitch  and 
Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea,  S.W.,  made  a  bright  table  group. 
The  flowers  were  very  fresh  and  in  capital  condition. 
Mercia,  Duchess  of  Westminster,  ^laggie  Hodgson,  The 
Colonel,  H.  J.  Jones,  Princess  of  Wales.  Souvenir  de  la 
Malmaison  and  Ivanhoe  were  all  noteworthy. 

From  Mr.  James  Douglas,  Edenside,  Great  Bookham, 
came  many  superb  border  Carnations,  for  whicIi  tJiis  raiser 


is  so  famous.  Virginia  (award  of  merit).  Renown,  The 
Baron  (award  of  merit).  Hercules.  Sam  Wellcr,  Greyhound, 
Eros,  Helen  Countess  of  Radnor.  Ellen  Douglas,  Cecelia, 
Bookham  White,  Innocence.  Mrs.  Andrew  Brothcrston 
(very  distinct)  and  Mrs.  Robert  Gordon  were  all  mo'-t 
charming,  and  provesd  conclusively  that  the  world  is 
indebted  to  this  firm  for  maintaining  interest  in  tlie 
beautiful  border  Carnations  that  are  so  much  admired. 

As  usual,  Mr  C.  Engelmanu,  SalTron  Walden,  Essex, 
set  up  a  noteworthy  exhibit.  Tall  Bamboo  stands  made  a 
background  to  many  large  and  small  vases  in  the  front, 
and  the  exhibit  was  set  up  on  the  ground.  The  flowers 
were  fresh,  clean  and  of  good  colour,  and  their  quality 
was  certainly  good.  Pioneer,  Lady  Northcliffe,  Harlequin, 
Carola,  Jlay  Day,  Gloriosa,  Sunstar,  Triumph,  White 
Wonder  and  Lucy  were  some  of  the  good  things  to  be  seeu 
in  this  attractive  display. 

From  Mr.  Bertie  E.  Bell,  Castel  Nmsery,  Guernsey, 
came  a  most  faseinatmg  exhibit  of  Caniations.  They  were 
set  up  in  vases  of  varying  description,  and  the  flowers 
themselves  left  notliing  to  be  desired.  The  quality, 
colour  and  freshness  were  quite  good.  Notable  sorts  were 
Rose  Dor*:-,  Winsor,  Enchantress,  Mrs.  C.  W.  Ward,  R.  F. 
Felton,  Britannia,  White  Wonder,  Coronation,  Carola  and 
Judith. 

That  well-known  grower,  .Mr.  H.  Burnett,  Guernsey, 
had  Carn,ations  in  grand  form  and  condition.  Splendid 
quality  characterised  the  flowers  in  the  whole  of  the  dis- 
play, specially  good  sorts  being  Mrs.  C.  F.  Raphael. 
.Marmion  and  La  Rayonnante  of  tiie  ^Malmaison  type  of 
this  flower.  Of  the  Perpetual-flowering  kinds,  5Iikado, 
Triumph,  Rosette,  Mrs.  H.  Burnett,  Shasta,  Mr'^. 
Crook.  Lad>  Northclirte,  White  Enchantress  and  May  Day 
were  very  beautiful.  This  exhibit  was  badly  placed,  and 
should  have  been  in  tlie  centre  of  the  tent,  where  the 
taller  vases  could  have  been  seen  to  advantage. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

Mr.  L.  R.  Russell  of  Richmond  ai  raug"-d  a  very  extensive 
group  at  the  outside  of  the  large  tent.  The  dominant 
feature  consisted  of  the  specimen  Ivies  for  which  he  is 
so  noted,  the  large  standards  of  the  golden-leaved  kinds 
being  particularly  attractive.  The  richest  coloured  of 
all  was  flavescens,  though  the  variety  palmata  auri-a 
ran  it  close.  Fine  specimens  of  Uedera  dentata  variegata 
were  also  very  conspicuous.  The  effectiveness  of  this 
group  was  heightened  by  the  choice  low-growing  kiuth 
employed  as  a  margin,  the  variety  Sheen  Silver  being 
one  of  the  very  best.  Besides  this  extensive  group  of 
evergreens,  Mr.  Russell  had  a  fine  and  comprehensive 
collection  of  hardy  Fuchsias,  represented  by  good  flowering 
plants.  The  weli-knowm  varieties,  such  as  gracilis  and 
corallina.  were  well  sho^vn.  and  besides  these  such  lesser- 
knowni  kinds  as  tricolour,  brightoniensis,  Thompsonii, 
Drame,  myrtifolia  minos,  Enfant  Prodigue,  globosa  and 
others. 

From  Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Chelsea,  came  a 
magnificent  collection  of  rare  Chinese  trees  and  shrubs. 
Comparatively  few  were  in  flower,  but  among  those  in 
that  condition  may  b«  especially  mentioned  the  striking 
JIagno'ia  Delavayii,  Spirsea  Vt^tejiji.  Viburnum  Henryii, 
and  the  golden-flowered  Berbeiis  brevipanicuJata.  Ml 
the  specimens  shown  were  handsome,  well-grown  plants, 
and  in  this  way  the  great  decorative  value  of  many  ('f 
them  could  be  well  seen.  It  is  impossible  to  give  au>'thiug 
approaching  a  list,  but  the  following  were  especially  note- 
worthy :  Cotoneasters  of  different  kinds.  Viburnum 
rhytidophyllum.  Viburnum  Da\idii.  Liriodendron  chinense, 
Osmanthns  armatus,  Lonicera  pileata.  Lonicera  nitida, 
Berberis  Wilsonw,  Larix  Potaniuii.  Acers  in  great  variety 
and  several  Vines.  Close  by  Messrs,  Veitch  arranged 
a  number  of  fine  specimen  Bays,  some  trained  as 
standards  and  others  a*  pyramids. 

Mr.  G.  Beuthe,  Keston.  Kent.  had.  as  usual,  a  large 
and  interesting  collection  of  difterent  plants,  among  which 
were  many  imcommon  shrubs.  The  singular  Rhodo- 
dendron camelliaflorum.  with  small  white  flowers  like 
tiny  single  Camellias,  was  noted,  as  also  were  Pin  us 
parviflora  bearing  cones,  Pittosporums  of  different  kinds, 
Freniontia  califomica  flowering  freely,  Psoralea  pinnrttit 
with  purple  Pea-shaped  flowers,  and  several  Rhododen- 
drons remarkable  for  their  handsome  leafage,  such  as 
R,  argenteum  or  grande,  R.  eximeum  and  R.  Falconer! . 

From  Messrs.  W.  Fromow  and  Sons.  Chiswick,  came  a 
grand  collection  of  Japanese  Acers,  which  they  growso  well. 
The  anangement  was  particularly  good,  a  judieiou-i 
use  of  variegated-leaved  Bamboos  serving  to  lighten  up 
the  purplish  tones  of  many  of  the  Maples.  Another 
notable  feature  was  the  way  in  which  comparatively  small 
plants  were  grouped  in  large  baskets,  one  variety  in  eacli 
basket.  In  this  way  their  collective  effect  could  be  well 
noted. 

Jlr.  Carlton-White  had  a  large  and  varied  collection 
of  clipped  Box  and  Vew  trees,  xvhieh,  artificial  as  tht-y 
are,  appeal  to  many.  Some  fine  standard  plants  of 
golden  Privet  also  formed  a  bright  and  attractive  feature 
of  this  exhibit. 

Messrs.  George  Jackman  and  Son,  whose  name  in 
the  culture  of  the  Clematis  is  quite  a  household  word, 
showed  a  group  of  well-flowered  examples.  Of  those 
with  large  blossoms,  which  appeal  to  so  many,  special 
mention  may  be  made  of  Mrs,  George  Jackman,  white  ; 
Mrs.  Hope,  "mauve  ;  Rubella,  dark  purplish  red  ;  and 
Star  of  India,  mauve  purple.  Small-flowered  kinds, 
whose  blossoms  are  borne  in  great  profusion,  were  repre- 
sented by  Clematis  Vitlcella  alba,  white  ;  C.  V.  kermesina, 
red :  and  C.  Flammula  rosea,  a  pink  form  of  the  well-known 
C.  Flammula. 

Clipped  trees  were  also  freely  shown  by  Messrs.  William 
Cutbush  and  Son,  Highgate.     This  firm  has  for  several 


Supplement  to   THE    GARDEN,  Jitly  5,    1913. 


years  exhibited  tbeni  frcoiy  and  done  a  «ood  deal  towards 
makijif^  tlieni  popular. 

Pigmy  trees  were  ]arg<-I.v  sliown  by  iMessrs.  Barr  and 
Sons.  KinK  Street,  Covent  Garden,  the  little  speei- 
raens'beino;  all  in  stood  health.  Many  different  subjecti^ 
were  rppresented,  but  the  bulk  of  the  collection  consisti^d 
of  Uctinosporas  and  the  Japanes^e  Larch. 

The  Yokohama  I^ursery  Company,  Limited.  Craven 
Hou-e,  Kin^sway,  also  showed  a  collection  of  dwarf 
trees.  These  were  in  many  ca^es  grouped  together  so 
as  to  form  miniature  gaiden'^,  with  the  many  strange 
accessoiics  dear  to  the  Japa?iese. 

FRUIT    AND    VEGETABLES. 

Messrs.  James  Veiteh  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea, 
showed  fruit  trees  in  pots  of  the  high  qualitv  and  excellence 
that  we  have  learnt  to  expect  from  ttiis  long-estatlished 
firm.  The  background  of  the  exhibit  was  filled  with  well- 
trained  Peach  and  Xectaritfe  trees,  all  heavily  cropped. 
iN^ectarine  Lord  Xapier  and  Pe:irlie^  Koyal  George  and 
H.ile's  Early  being  noticeable.  Th'.;  collection  comprised 
Pears  Souvenir  dii  Congr^s  and  Marguerite  Marillat, 
Apples  James  Grieve  and  Lady  Sudeicy  (both  in  capital 
form).  Plums  Early  Trnnspnrent  Gage.  OuUin's  Golden, 
Benniston's  Superb,  Brandv  Gage  and  Early  Green  Gage. 
Of  the  most  highly-coloured  fruits.  Peaches  Peregrine  and 
Apple  Lady  Sndeley  were  prominent. 

The  coll'^etion  of  vegetables  from  the  Hon.  Ticary 
Gibbs,  Aldenliam  House.  Elstree,  was  one  of  the  finest 
we  have  seen,  and  did  justice  to  that  able  gardener  and 
exhibitor  Mr.  Edwin  Beckett.  The  Cucumbers  Ideal, 
Model  and  Improved  Telegraph  were  shown  in  perfect 
cou'-Ution,  and  the  same  may  bn  said  of  the  fine  selection 
of  'J'omatoes,  including  Peach,  Duke  of  York.  Perfection, 
Sunrise  and  Large  Yellow.  Caulillowers  Forerunner  and 
Early  Emperor,  with  Cabbages  Ellam's  Early  and  Early 
Heartwell,  were  neatly  arranged  in  the  background.  Peas 
Quite  Content  and  Duke  of  Albany  were  perfectly  fresh, 
the  pods  large  and  well  filled.  Of  the  root  crops  the 
Turnips  and  Carrots  were  so  regular  in  outline  and  uniform 
that  they  might  have  been  turned  out  by  machine.  The 
Potatoes  Duke  of  York,  Royalty  and  Monarch  were  like- 
wise fine.  The  whole  exhibit  was  admirably  staged  and 
of  surpassingly  high  quality. 

Messrs.  Whitelegg  and  Page,  ChLslehurst,  Kent,  showed 
the  Newberry,  a  new  fruit,  the  result  of  crossing  the  well- 
known  Loganberry  and  Kaspberry  Superlative.  The 
fruits  are  unusually  large  and  of  Uaspbcrry  flavour.  Canes 
many  feet  in  length  showed  the  prolific  manner  in  which 
the  fruit  is  produced. 

jMcssrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co..  Bush  Hill  Park,  Middlesex, 
had  an  exhibit  of  Figs  in  pots,  all  hearing  heavy  crops. 
The  varieties  shown  included  St,  John's,  Marseilles,  Brown 
Turkey  and  White  Tschia. 

A  collection  of  about  two  dozen  Pineapples  was  sent  by 
Lord  Llaugattock,  The  Hendre,  Monmouth.  The  fruits 
were  uniform  in  size  and  beautifully  finished,  and  rellectrd 
credit  upon  Mr.  T.  Coomber,  the  gardener.  These  fruit.-^ 
are  now  so  little  grown  in  this  comitry  that  it  came  as  a 
pleasant  surprise  to  see  this  fine  collection. 

From  Laxton  Brothers,  Bedford,  came  a  superb  collec- 
tion of  Strawberries.  Of  tlie  varieties  shown  the  following 
were  remarkably  fine  :  Sir  J.  Paxton.  The  Bedford. 
Laxton's  Bedford  Champion  (of  exceptional  size  and 
colour),  Laxton's  Profit,  Laxton's  Keward,  lloyal  Sovereign, 
Laxton's  Epicure,  Maincrop,  President,  Givon*s  Late 
Prolific  and  Utility.  Two  new  varieties,  namely,  Th"' 
Earl  and  King  George,  were  shown,  the  former  an  improved 
*■  Vicomtesse  "  and  the  latter  a  fine  early  forcing  variety, 
the  result  of  crossing  Koyal  Sovereign  with  Louis  "Gauthie'r 

S.  Heilbut,  Esq.,  The  Lodge,  Holyport,  ilaideuhead 
(gardener,  Mr.  Camp),  sent  a  number  of  Plums  and 
Cherr.y  trees  in  pots,  all  bearing  heavy  crops.  A  large 
tree  of  the  Black  Cherry,  Bigarreau  Noir  de  Guben,  occu- 
pied the  centre.  Other  Cherries  that  were  freely  laden 
were  Bigarreau  Napoleon.  Emperor  Francis  and  Bigarreau 
?j'oir  de  Schmidt.  Of  the  Plums,  Mrs.  McLaughlin  Gage 
and  Early  Transparent  Gage  were  very  fine. 


SUNDRIES. 

Hortiniltilral  sundries,  ;is  usual,  played  a  very  important 
part  at  tliis  exhibition.  Tlie  larmier  displays  were  arranged 
at  intervals  in  the  open,  and  others  in  "the  special  tent 
reserved  for  this  inirpose. 

In  the  Test. 

A  large  and  varied  display  of  tlie  famous  Carlton 
insectii'ides  and  fertilisers  was  staged  by  Xlessrs.  Walter 
Voss  .and  Co.,  Limited,  Glengall  Road,  Jtillwall,  and  some 
notable  e.xamples  of  seedlings  grown  with  and  without 
partial  soil  sterilisation  by  Creol,  illustrating  the  liene- 
fivs  'leri\ed  from  adopting  this  method. 

Messrs.  H.Pattisson  and  Co. .Greyhound  Lano.Streatham, 
had  their  usual  display  of  liorse" boots  iu  various  sizes, 
and  several  useful  garden  tools  on  show. 

Aeme  labels,  exhibition  boxes  and  all  descriptions 
of  wire  trainers  and  frames  required  for  garden  use  were 
prominently  displayed  by  Mr.  John  Pinches,  Crown 
iJuilditii^s,  Camberwell,  who  had  a  most  interesting  stand. 

itessrs.  Abbott  Brothers,  Sonthall,  showed  the  Osterley 
table  tray,  cake  stand  and  honey  spoon. 

Lawn  sand  and  weed  destroyers  were  arranged  by  Messrs. 
A.  J.  Barbotir  and  Co.,  Upper  Fontaini'  Street,  Leeds. 

.Many  well-known  specialities  in  fertilisers,  insecticides, 
weed-killers,  itc,  were  arranged  by  Messrs.  Joseph  Bentley, 
Limited,  Barrow-on-Humber,  Hull. 

Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  King  .Street,  Covent  Garden, 
showed  a  very  interesting  and  varied  display  of  garden 
requisites,  including  fertilisers,  tools,  sprayers,  garden 
labels,  bulb  planter,  &c. 


^  eed-billers,  insecticides  and  fungicides,  together  with 
handy  spray  pumps,  were  shown  by  .^[essrs.  William  Cooper 
and  Xephews.  Berkhamsted,  in  great  varietv. 

X  useful  selection  of  garden  knives,  scissors'  and  trimmers 
was  staged  by  Mr.  A.  Cunliffe,  Kenyon,  Fulham,  S.W. 

The  Elsenham  ,Iam  Company,  Elsenham,  made  a  useful 
display  of  preserved  fruits,  jams  and  lavender  water. 

French  garden  requirements  of  every  description  were 
shown  by  the  French  Cloche  Company,  Caxton  House. 
\\  e.stminster,  S.W.,  who  have  long  made  the  equipment 
of  Ireuch  gardens  a  speciality. 

Garden  trugs  of  usefid  design  and  light  construction 
were  shomi  by  the  Garden  City  Trug  Company,  Norwich. 

Liquid  Gishurst  compound,  fibre,  beetleeute,  &c  were 
staged  by  Mr.  F.  Hickson,  Anerlcy  Hill,  Upper  Norwood. 

Jeyes  Sanitary  Compound  Company.  (i+.  Cannon 
street,  E.C.,  had  their  stand  of  well-linown  horticldtural 
preparations  and  sprayers. 

Mr.  .\.  Key,  Norwich,  displayed  the  result  of  fertilisers 
on  a  miniature  lawTi. 

The  Lamp  Pump,  a  very  ehe.-ip  and  ert'ective  means  of 
raismg  water  for  gardens  and  glasshouses,  was  shown  hy 
tlie  Lamp  Pump  Engineering  Coinpany.  Carey  Street, 
Westminster.  S.W.,  and  shoidd  commend  itself  to  anvone 
reciniring  an  easy  means  of  raising  water. 

.Mushrooms  and  mushroom  spawn  were  sho\fn  in  a  most 
interesting  manner  by  Messrs.  J.  Pither,  Limited,  Cowlev 
Koad,  Uxbridge. 

.\  motor  hoe,  driven  by  petrol,  which  should  prove  a 
useful  article  where  large  are.as  have  to  be  dealt  with,  was 
staged  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Polito,  Gracechurch  Street,  E.C. 

liustic  table  decorations,  in  many  interesting  and  varied 
designs,  were  shown  by  Mr.  Robert  .Sydenham,  Birmin<'- 
ham,  and  greatly  admired. 

Specimens  of  continuous  cloches  were  arranged  to 
advantage  by  the  Three  C.'s  Company,  Dale  Street,  Liver- 
pool, together  with  useful  garden  handlights. 

-Mr.  C.  J.  Wakefield,  Wilton  Road,  S.W.,  had  .1  useful 
exhibit  of  "  Floral  Aids,"  designed  to  assist  in  the  economic 
arrangement  of  cut  llowers. 

The  well-loiown  garden  fertiliser.  Hop  Manure,  was 
staged  by  Messrs.  Wakeley  Brothers  and  Co.,  Limited, 
Honduras  Wharf,  Bankside,  S.E.  This  is  a  m,.-i  -  n,,  live 
and  clean  manure,  which  is  the.  only  real  sul.-iihiir  tor 
stable  manure  upon  the  market.  Garden  vases  wme  also 
shown  bv  the  same  firm. 

-Mrs.  H.  E.  Webb,  Odstock.  Hanwcll,  showed  specimens 
of  bird-nesting  boxes  and  modern  feeding  appliances. 

*.'  Owing  to  pressure  on  our  s/mce  we  are  compelled  to 
hold  over  the  remninder  of  the  report  of  tlie  Sundries. 


OFFICIAL     LIST     OF    AWARDS. 

Gold  Medah.—T\K  Right  Hon.  Lord  Llaugattock  for 
Pineapples;  Sir  Randolf  Baker,  Bart.,  for  Sweet  Peas; 
the  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs  (gardener,  Mr.  E.  Beckett)  for 
vegetables  ;  Jlessrs.  Blaekmore  and  Langdon  for  Begonias  ; 
Messrs.  H.  B.  May  and  Sons  fol  exotic  Ferns ;  Messrs. 
Paul  and  Sons  tor  Roses  ;  Messrs.  William  Paul  and  Son, 
Waltham  Cross,  for  Roses ;  Messrs.  Sander  and  Sons 
tor  Oichids  ;  .Afessrs.  Sutton  and  Sons  for  Sweet  Peas  ; 
Messrs.  James  Veiteh  and  Sons,  Limited,  for  fruit  trees 
in  pots  ;  Messrs.  .Tames  Veiteh  and  Sons,  Limited,  for 
Chinese  plants  ;  .Messrs.  R.  Wallace  and  Co.  for  an  orna- 
mental water  garden  ;  Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co 
for  Orchids ;  and  Messi-s.  Dobbie  and  Co.  for  Sweet  Peas. 
Cttps. 
Coronation  Cup. — Jlessi's.  .Sander  and  Sons,  St.  .Albans, 
for  Orchids. 

iiilver-ailt  Cups. — Mr.  James  Box  for  a  water  garden. 
Sweet  Peas,  &c. ;  and  Mr.  L.  R.  Russell  for  stove  plants^ 
shrubs  and  Irises. 

Larqe  Silver  Cups. — Sir  Jeremiah  Colman,  Bart.,  for 
Orchids,  Carnations  and  Roses  ;  i\ressrs.  William  Cutbush 
and  Son  for  herbaceous  plants,  cut  trees  and  flowering 
plants  ;  Messi-s.  G.  Bunyard  and  Co.,  Limited,  for  Roses 
and  hardy  flowers  ;    and  Mr.  Charles  Turner  for  Roses. 

Silner  Cups. — Messrs.  Mansell  and  Hatcher,  Limited, 
for  Orchids ;  Mcssi-s.  Stuart  Low  and  Co.  for  Orchids' 
Roses.  Carnations,  New  Holland  Plants  and  fruit  ;  Messrs.' 
J  Piper  and  Son  for  a  formal  garden,  rock  and  water 
plants.  Fuchsias,  Japaiiese  trees,  (fee.  ;  Messrs.  J.  Carter 
and  Co.  for  a  water  garden  and  flowering  plants  ;  Messrs. 
J.  Veiteh  and  Sons,  Limited,  for  flowering  plants.  Bay 
trees.  Orchids,  itc.  ;  Mess.s.  Barr  and  Sons  for  flowering 
and  foliage  plants,  and  a  herbaceous  and  water  garden*; 
Messrs.  W.  and  J.  Brown  for  Roses  and  herbaceous  plants  ■ 
Jlr.  M.  Prichard  for  herhaeeous,  alpine  and  bog  plants  ; 
and  3Ir.  \.  Gwillim  tni  llrLMiilas  ;ind  herbaceous  plants! 
Standard  Caps. — .Mi'^s]-,  Stuart  Low  and  Co.  for 
Orchids  ;  Messrs.  Peed  and  Son  for  Caladiums  and  flower- 
ing plants  ;  Mr.  Amos  Perry  for  herbaceous  plants,  alpiues, 
Ferns,  ttc. ;  Messrs.  G.  Jackman  and  Son  for  Roses, 
herbaceous  plants  and  Clematis  ;  J.  S.  Arkwright.  Esq.. 
for  Lychnis  Arkwrightii ;  and  Messrs.  W,  Fromow  and 
Sous  for  Japanese  JIaples. 

Sileer-gilt  Hogg  Medal. — S.  Heilbut,  Esq.  (gardener, 
Mr,  Camp)  for  fruit  trees  in  pots. 

si/ver-'jilt  Knightian  Medal. — Messrs.  La.>:ton  Brothers 
for  Strawberries. 

.silrrr-./ili  Flora  Medals. — Mr.  S.  W.  Flory  for  Orchids ; 
Mes-r>.  ,1.  King  and  Sons  tor  Sweet  Peas  ;  Messrs.  G.  and  A. 
Clark.  Limited,  for  herbaceous  and  aquatic  plants  ;  Messrs. 
Baker's  for  herbaceous  and  alpine  plaids  ;  .Mr.  B.  E.  Bell 
for  Carnations:  Mr.  H.  Burnett  f^ir  Carnations;  .Mr.  C. 
Engelmann  for  Carnations  ;  Messrs.  F.  Cant  and  Co.  for 
Roses  ;  Messrs.  B,  Cant  and  Co.  for  Roses  ;  Hobbies, 
Limited,  for  Roses  ;  Wilfred  W.  Gott.  Esq.,  for  Carna- 
tions ;  and  Messrs.  J.  Cheat  and  Sons  for  an  ornamental 
garden. 


Silver-gilt  Banl'sian  Medals.— Uv.  G.  Reuthe  for 
herbaceous  and  alpine  plants  and  shrubs ;  Messrs  S 
Bide  and  Sons,  Limited,  for  Sweet  Peas  ;  Messrs  E  w' 
Kmg  and  Co.  tor  Sweet  Peas  ;  Messrs.  Gunn  and  Sons 
tor  Phloxes  ;  Messrs.  Harkness  and  Sons  for  herbaceous 
plants  and  Spanish  Irises ;  Mr.  G.  Prince  for  Roses  ■ 
Messi-s.  Fred  Smith  and  Co.  for  herbaceous  plants  and 
flowers ;  .Messrs.  6.  Stark  and  Son  for  Sweet  Peas  and 
Kniphohas  ;  Bees,  Limited,  for  alpines  and  hardv  plants  ■ 
the  Right  Hon.  Lord  Biirnham  (gardener,  Mr.  G.  Johnson) 
for  Carnations ;  John  Forbes,  Hawick,  Limited  for 
summer  -  flowering  plants  ;  Mr.  H.  S.  Jones  for  Phlox  and 
Canterbury  Bells;  Messrs.  Thomas  S.  Ware,  Limited 
for  Begonias  ;  and  Mary  Countess  of  Hchester  for  Semner- 
vivums  and  Sa>dfrages. 

Silver  Flora  J/«(fcffe.— Mr.  H.  nixon  for  Orchids: 
Messrs.  J  Veiteh  and  Sons.  Limited,  for  Orchids-  the 
Rev.  Chalmers-Hunt  for  Bose.i,  Sweet  Peas  and  vcetables  • 
Messrs.  Phillips  and  Taylor  for  water  garden  and  he"rbaceoiis 
plants  ;  Messrs.  Whitelegg  and  Page  for  alpines  ;  Robert 
Sydenham,  Limited,  tor  Sweet  Peas:  Messrs  R  and  G 
Cuthbcrt  for  Humea  elegans  and  Spiraea;  jMr.  James 
Douglas  for  border  Carnations ;  the  Guildford  Hardy 
Plant  Nursery  for  herbaceous  plants ;  Jlr.  T  R  Haves 
for  Heaths  and  alpines;  Mr.  H.  Hemsley  for  Antir- 
rhinums and  rock  garden ;  -Mi.  .Mattock  for  Roses  •  Mr 
Notcutt  for  Roses  ;  Mr.  Reginald  Prichard  for  herbaceous 
plants  ;   and  Jlr.  Frank  Lilley  for  Gladioli  and  Sparaxis 

Sihvr  Banksian  Medals.—Ur.  E.  V.  Low  for  Orchids- 
Jlr.  .Tames  MacDonald  for  exhibit  of  Grasses  •  Mr' 
Garlton-Wlute  for  clipped  trees  ;  Messrs.  Bath,  Limited' 
tor  Roses  and  herbaceous  plants  ;,  Mr.  Webster  for  Sweet 
Peas  ;  Jlessrs  Kelway  and  Son  for  Delphiniums,  Sweet 
Peas,  ,tc. ;  Lady  NorthcliH'e  (gardener,  Jlr.  J.  GoatJoy) 
for  Cra.ssuln  coccinea ;  Jlessrs.  Carter  Page  and  Co  for 
flowering  plants  ;  Messrs.  G.  Bolton  and  Sou  for  Roses  - 
-Mr.  Howard  Crane  for  Violas  and  Violettas ;  Mr  Waltei 
Easlea  for  Roses;  Mr.  Clarence  Elliott  for  alpines - 
Messrs.  G.  Gibson  and  Co.  for  herbaceous  plants  •  Mr 
G.  W.  Jliller  for  herbaceous  and  small  plants  -  Messrs' 
Morse  Brothers  for  Roses  ;  Jlr.  W.  H.  Page  forflowerme 
plants  ;  Jlessrs.  Watkins  and  Simpson  for  Antirrhinums  ■ 
Jlessrs.  W.  and  C.  Bull  for  herbaceous  flowers  -  the  War- 
grave  PLant  Farm.  Limited,  for  herbaceous  flowers  - 
and  Messrs.  Godfrey  and  Son  for  flowering  plants.  ' 

Certtftcale  of  .ipp-enation.—l^lT.  Hemsley  tor  work  in 
raising  new  Antirrhinums. 

AWAEDS   TO    HOETICDLTUIIAL   SCXDRIES. 

Silrer-iiilt  Banlcsian  Medals. — Jlessrs.  T.  Crowther  and 
Son  for  ornamental  stone  and  iron  work  ;  and  Jlessr? 
Gamagc  and  Co.  for  garden  tents,  i-c. 

Silver  Banksian  Medals.— ilemis.  Abbott  Brothers 
tor  Osterley  table  tray,  &c. :  .Messrs.  Benton  .and  Stone 
Lnmted,  tor  spraying  machines,  Ac.  ;  Messrs.  Castles 
for  garden  fiiniiture  :  and  Jlessrs.  Liberty  and  Co  for 
Japanese  garden  oinanients,  &c. 

Brome  Buutsiai,  .U  ed  a  Is. —Mess.rii.  Barr  and  Sons  for 
tools  and  implrnirnts  ;  Jlessrs.  J.  Bentley,  Limited  for 
horticultural  chemicals ;  Jlr.  John  Bradley  for  Bunty 
tea-house  ;  Miss  Edith  Fisher  for  water-colour  drawings  - 
Four  Oaks  Spraying  JIachine  Company  for  spravTn" 
machines  ;  Jfessrs.  Heathman  and  Co.  for  Ladders,  liose" 
&c.  ;  Jlr.  Robert  Hughes  for  water-colour  drawincs  •' 
Jliss  Jlitchell  tor  garden  baskets ;  Jlr.  John  Pinches  for 
labels,  exhibition  boxes,  *c. ;  Jlessrs.  W.  Voss  and  Co  , 
Limited,  for  insecticides ;  and  Jlessrs.  B.  A.  Wiite 
Limited,  for  insecticides,  sprayers,  iV'C.  ' 


from 


AWARDS     TO     NEW     PLANTS. 

Okchid  Committek. 

First-class  Certificates. — Jliltonia  Sanderw,  from  .Messrs 
Sander  and  Sous,St..A.lbaus  ;  Jliitonioda  Harwoodii  Fowler's 
variety,  from  J.  6.  Fowler,  Esq.,  South  Woodford  ;    and 
Odontioda   Brewii.   from  Messrs.   Charlesworth  and  Co 
Hayw-ard's  Heath. 

Awards  of  .1/f/ff.— Cattleya  Mosshie  Dreadnought, 
from  Jlessrs.  Sander  and  .Sons ;  Odontioda  Wilsonii 
Le  President,  from  Messrs.  Charlesworth ;  Cattleya. 
Serenata,  from  Jfessrs.  JlansoU  and  Hatcher  ;  and  Cattleva 
Jlossiai  Olympia,  from  Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co. 

FitniT  AND  Vegetaelk  Co.mmittee. 

Cultaral  Commendation. — JIusliroom  Bide's  JIarket 
from  Jl'-s^rs.  Pither,  Limited,  Uxbridge.  ' 

.\\vai(|s  r.  riiinmended  at  Wisiej ,  June  24,  and  approved 
by  the  louiicil  on  July  1  ; 

First-class    Cerlificale. — Strawberry    Connoisseur, 
Jlessrs.  I.axton. 

Awards  of  Merit. — Pea  King  of  tlie  Dwarfs,  from  Jlessrs 
Sutton  ;  Pea  Superb,  from  Jlessrs.  Lax-ton.  Bedford  • 
and  Pea  No.  a,S79.  from  Jlessrs.  Hurst,  Houndsditeh 

Higldi/  Commended.— Pea  Hundredfold  (award  of  merit 
1910),  from  Jlessrs.  Sutton  ;  and  Pea  Snowdrop  (award 
uf  merit,  1903),  from  Messrs.  Carter. 

Floral  Committi;!:. 

First-class  Certificates.— Ad'mntnm  traoeziforme  Queen 
Jlary,  from  Jlessrs.  JLay  ;  and  JIagnolia  Delavavi,  from 
Jlessrs.  Veiteh. 

Aaards  of  Merit. — .\diantum  siebertianum  and  Poly- 
podium  Mayi  cristatum.  from  .Messrs.  Jfay  ;  Rose  Ophelia 
from  .Messrs.  W.  Paul,  Waltham  Cross  ;  Nepenthes' 
Lewis  Bradbur.s-  .and  N.  atropurpurea.  from  Jlessrs. 
J.  \eitcli;  Iris  Kwmpferi  Jlorning  J.'.ist.  from  Jlessrs. 
Wallace  ;  border  Carnations  Virginia  and  The  Baron 
froni  Jlr.  J.  Douglas  ;  Roses  Ulster  .standard.  JIuriel 
Dickson  and  Jtrs.  Godfrev  Brown,  from  Jlessrs  Huoli 
Dickson,  Belf.ast  ;  and  Erigeron  hybrida  Pink  Pea>L 
from  Mr.  A..  Perry, 


July  5,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


339 


TREES 

THE 


AN  D 


SH  RUBS. 

TO 


WISTARIAS     AND       HOW 
GROW    THBM. 

A  LTHOUGH    the     species    ol     Wistaria     are 
/%  few  in  number,  they  are  perhaps  the 

/  %  most  generally  useful  of  all  oma- 
^"^^  mental  woody  climbers,  for  they  can 
•  *       be  put  to  many  uses  and  are  suitable 

for  planting  in  many  parts  of  the 
Hritish  Isles.  No  climber  is  seen  to  greater  advan- 
tage when  grown  over  a  pergola  than  either  of 
the  Wistarias,  the  long,  pendulous  racemes  of 
flnwvrs  borne  by  these  plants  peculiarly  fitting 
them  for  the  purpose;  while  they  are  equally 
desirable  for  planting  against  the  walls  of  houses, 
on  trellises,  or  against  medium-sized  trees. 

A  peculiarity  ol  the  various  kinds  of  Wistarias 
is  their  happy  manner  of  adapting  themselves 
to  widely  different  circumstances.  In  some  cases 
they  are  found  clothing  walls  30  feet 
high,  their  branches  extending  to  a 
length  of  100  feet  or  more,  whereas 
in  other  instances  they  appear  as 
quite  dwarf,  stunted  bushes  ;  but  in 
either  case  they  bloom  with  remark- 
able freedom.  This  versatile  character 
is  due  in  a  great  measure  to  their 
partiality  for  severe  pruning,  and  it 
has  often  been  noted  that  after  a 
stunted,  spur-like  condition  of  tl>e 
secondary  branches  has  been  produced 
by  constant  pruning,  the  tlowers  are 
borne  with  extraordinary  freedom.  In 
this  way  it  is  possible  to  cultivate  the 
Wistarias  on  quite  low  walls,  whereas 
it  they  disliked  severe  prmiuig  it 
would  only  be  possible  to  grow  them 
in  positions  where  there  was  abun- 
dance of  space.  Japanese  and  Chinese 
gardeners  have  taken  advantage  of 
their  indifference  regarding  .  severe 
priming,  and  have  for  many  years 
grown  them  as  quite  dwarf  bushes. 
Examples  of  this  method  of  culture 
wer<-  prominent  at  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society's  Exhibition  at  Chel- 
sea, for  a  group  of  well  -  flowered 
specimens  ranging  in  height  from 
2  feet  or  3  feet  to  8  feet  or  10  feet 
was  a  very  noticeable  feature.  Such 
plants  were  also  used  with  effect  in 
tlie  Japanese  Garden  which  was  such 
a  popular  adjunct  to  the  Japan- 
British  Exhibition  a  few  years  ago. 

During  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years  bush  Wistarias 
have  been  extensively  used  for  forcing  for  greenhouse 
decoration  in  spring,  and  for  that  work  they  pos- 
sess a  quality  which  is  shared  by  very  few  other 
kinds  of  shrubs,  viz.,  that  they  may  be  grown  in  the 
same  pots  for  a  number  of  years  without  serious 
signs  of  deterioration  and  contmue  to  bloom 
regularlv. 

Bush  Wistarias  are  sometimes  used  with  effect 
as  lawn  plants,  where,  even  if  they  are  not  kept 
rigidly  spurred  back,  very  ornamental  groups 
may  be  formed  by  placing  a  number  of  Oak  posts 
or  iron  rods  10  feet  or  12  feet  high  in  the  ground 
and  connecting  them  with  cross-bars.  The  shoots 
are  then  trained  over  the  supports  and  the  side 
shoots  spurred  in. 

When  planted  against  a  wall,  it  is  always  an 
advantage  if  an  arrangement  can  be  made  so  that 
the  branches  stand  clear  of  the  wall.  This  may  be 
accomplished  by  encouraging  a  spurred  system  of 


growth  on  the  secondary  branches,  or,  where  a 
verandah  occurs,  the  main  branches  may  be  trained 
along  the  edge.  Thus  arranged,  the  inflorescences 
hang  quite  clear  of  the  wall  and  produce  a  similar 
effect  to  that  depicted  in  the  accompanying 
illustration. 

The  Best  Soil. — The  Wistarias  make  most 
satisfactory  progress  when  planted  in  well-drained, 
loamy  soil.  They  may  be  propagated  by  layering 
the  branches  in  spring  or  by  grafting  upon  sections 
of  root.  Care  must  be  taken  during  the  early 
stages  of  growth  to  prevent  the  shoots  becoming 
twisted  together,  for,  once  they  become  badly 
entangled,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  separate 
them  without  injury.  Train  a  sufficient  number 
of  branches  into  position  to  cover  the  available 
space  ;    then  check  the  remaining  branches. 

How  and  When  to  Prune. — The  first  pruning 
may  lie  (  amid  out  early  in  July,  cutting  the 
secondarv  branches  back  to  witliin   titrte  or  four 


a  year  or  two  ago  a  few  miles  out  of  Exeter.  There 
the  station-master's  house,  waiting-rooms  and 
other  offices  on  a  country  station  were  quite  covered 
with   tliis  plant    in   full   flower. 

W.  multijuga. — This  also  is  a  Chinese  plant, 
but  it  has  been  grown  by  Japanese  gardeners 
for  a  very  long  period,  and  is  the  plant  which  is 
so  popular  with  Japanese  and  Chinese  artists, 
its  racemes  frequently  being  depicted  on  screens 
and  pottery.  The  accompanying  illustration  of 
a  plant  of  this  species  growing  upon  the 
residence  of  Mrs.  Godfrey  Pearse  at  Taplow, 
Bucks,  is  sufficient  evidence  of  its  ornamental 
character.  Its  great  difference  from  W.  chi- 
nensis  lies  in  the  fact  of  its  inflorescences 
being  very  much  longer.  As  a  rule,  they  are 
anything  between  2  feet  and  4  feet  in  length. 
When  grown  on  a  pergola,  the  full  beauty  of  the 
inflorescences  is  apparent.  The  type  has  somewhat 
deeper-coloured    flowers    than    W.    chinensis,    but 


A    BEAUTIl'UL    PLANT    Ol'    WISTARIA    MULTIJUGA    IN    MRS.    GOUFRliV    PEARSE  S    GARDEN    AT    HITCHAM 

LAND,    TAPLOW,    BUCKS. 


buds  of  the  base.  In  September,  shoots  which 
have  appeared  during  the  interval  may  be  pruned 
back  also.  Wistarias  are  long-lived  plants,  and 
there  are  numerous  specimens  in  the  coimtry 
which  are  upwards  of  fifty  years  old. 

Wistaria  chinensis  is  the  commonest  and  most 
widely-grown  species.  A  native  of  China,  it  is 
said  to  have  been  originally  brought  to  England 
by  Captain  Robert  Welbanke  in  May,  1816. 
The  plant  is  too  well  known  to  need  a  lengthy 
description,  for  its  pinnate  leaves  and  pendulous 
racemes,  8  inches  to  10  inches  long,  of  fragrant, 
mauve  flowers  are  well  known  to  everyone.  Its 
white  variety  is  also  an  excellent  plant,  but  flore 
pleno,  a  form  with  double  flowers,  is  less  desirable 
than  the  type.  There  is  also  a  form  with  varie- 
gated leaves,  which  is  of  no  special  interest. 
Throughout  the  country  numerous  very  large 
plants  are  to  be  met  with,  but  one  of  the  most 
effective  displays  the  writer  has  seen  was  noted 


there  arc  forms  with  purplish  and  white  blossoms. 
Of  these  the  white-flowered  variety  is  the  best, 
and  few  more  beautiful  objects  can  be  imagined 
than  a  well-flowered  group.  The  racemes  are 
shorter  than  those  of  the  type,  but  are  from  i  foot 
to  2  feet  long. 

W.  frutescens  is  a  species  from  the  United 
States.  Its  leaves  are  9  inches  or  more  long, 
and  the  lilac  purple  flowers  appear  in  racemes 
from  4  inches  to  8  inches  in  length.  It  was  intro- 
duced about  1724,  and  blossoms  later  than  the 
Chinese  plants.  The  variety  flore  albo  has  white 
flowers ;  albo  lilacina.  pale  lilac  blossoms ;  and 
purpurea  and  magnifica,  purplish  flowers. 

W.  braehybotrys,  a  native  of  Japan,  is  a 
weaker-growing  plant  than  the  others.  Its  bluish 
or  mauve  coloured  flowers  are  borne  in  short, 
rather  dense  racemes  later  than  those  of  the 
better-known  species.  White  and  rose  coloured 
varieties  of  this  species  may  be  obtained.     W.  D. 


340 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  5,  1913. 


THE  ROSE  GARDEN. 


SOME     NEW     AND     LITTLE'- KNOWN 
RAMBLER    ROSES. 

AS  novelties  of  these  delightful  Roses 
appear  annually  in  large  numbers, 
one  is  sensible  of  a  great  desire  for 
k  a  more  extended  garden,  so  that  space 
^  could  be  found  for  them.  One 
hesitates  to  discard  old  friends,  and 
yet  how  can  we  have  the  newer  varieties  ? 
It  is  fortunate  for  many  of  us  that  it  is  not 
essential  to  grow  these  Roses  solely  upon 
arches.  They  appear  equally  as  charming  grown 
as  pillars,  or  even  as  isolated  bushes.  In  my  rambles 
through  large  gardens,  I  frequently  see  many  posi- 
tions unoccupied  where  I  should  plant  them.  Given 
good,  prepared  holes  some  3  feet  in  depth  and 
2  feet  in  width,  they  thrive  admirably.  I  have  num- 
bers of  them  so  growing,  each  about  six  fi'et  apart, 


the    Hybrid    Tea    Simplicity    in    size,    and    with 

charming,  glossy  foliage.  It  must  be  grown  by  all 
who  admire  single  Roses  ;    and  who  does  not  ? 

Francois  Juranville,  although  not  exactly 
new,  is  one  of  the  loveliest  and  most  effective. 
The  buds  are  so  freely  produced,  and  the  rich  rose 
colouring  of  bud  and  open  bloom  combine  to  make  a 
grand  display.  It  flowers  in  early  June,  and  is  seen  to 
the  best  advantage  as  a  pillar  or  weeping  standard. 

Aviateur  Bleriot  is  as  yet  the  richest  orange 
yellow  we  have,  superior  to  Shower  of  Gold  and 
Klondyke  in  colour,  although  it  is  rather 
wanting  in  form.  Yet  in  the  mass  its  orange- 
coloured  buds  are  very  charming,  and  it 
deserves  to  be   widely  grown. 

Alexandre  Girault  is  a  colour  most  unique  in 
the  wirhuraiana  class,  a  deep  carmine  with  rich 
(irange  \-cllow  at  the  base. 

Mrs.  M.  H.  Walsh,  Lady  Blanche  and  Sander's 

White  are   all  really  gocid.      I  have  not   y^t   been 


i^..1.^4. 


shapely  of  all  and  quite  charming,  as  beautiful  as 
a  Tea  Rose. 

These,  then,  are  a  few  bf  the  best  of  recent  intro- 
ductions. At  present  we  are  deficient  in  good 
yellows  that  maintain  their  bud  colour.  Even 
Shower  of  Gold  will  change  to  nearly  white.  I 
want  to  see  a  golden  yellow  Dorothy  Perkins. 
Who  will  be  the  forttmate  raiser  of  it  ? 


ROSA    SINICA    ANEMONE    ON    A    i^ulMH    W.M.I,    IN    A    .SURREY    GARDEN. 


and  they  are  never  wanting   in   charm,  even  when 
bloom  has  ceased.     A  delightful  new  variety  is 
Grafin  Marie  Henriette  Chotek,  obtained  by 

crossing  the  Farquhar  Rose  with  Richmond,  and 
it  has  inherited  a  lot  of  the  colour  of  Richmond. 
With  me  plants  budded  last  summer  are  now 
(June  12)  a  mass  of  bloom,  the  blooms  being  very 
shapely  and  produced  in  large  bunches.  It  cannot 
fail  to  be  one  of  our  most  useful  ramblers.  This 
Rose  must  not  be  confused  with  another  named 
Grafin  Chotek.     Another  lovely  variety  is 

Fraulein  Octavia  Hesse.  It  is  a  wichuraiana 
with  all  the  beautiful  glossy  appearance  in  foliage 
of  Alberic  Barbier,  but  with  a  larger  and  more 
refined  bloom,  quite  waxy  in  texture,  and  of  the 
palest  creamy  white.  This  Rose.  I  believe,  will 
become  as  great  a  favourite  as  Alberic  Barbier. 
It  flowers  about  mid- June.  A  variety  that  has 
pleased  me  much  is 

Silver  Moon,  which  hails  from  America.  It  has 
immense  single  creamy  white  blossoms,  resembling 


able  to  compare  them  to  ascertain  which  is  best, 
but  I  rather  fancy  the  first  named  will  prove  to 
be  the  finest  trusses.  All  three  are  pure  white, 
so  that  White  Dorothy  will  soon  have  to  take  a 
lower  position. 

Eisenach  and  Sodenia  are  good  rich  colours, 
the  former  having  single  blooms  and  the  latter 
double,  and  both  will  be  very  welcome. 

Sylvia  will  certainly  be  wanted  in  every  garden. 
It  yields  huge  clusters  of  lemon  white,  double 
flowers,  is  very  fragrant  and  perpetual  flowering, 
and  a  true  wichuraiana  in  habit. 

Ethel  is  a  very  dainty  variety,  yielding  quanti- 
ties of  flesh  pink  blooms,  which  are  gracefully 
borne  upon  the  plant. 

Coronation,  with  its  flakes  of  white  on  a  scarlet 
ground,  is  most  showy,  and  as  it  comes  earlier  than 
Excelsa,  should  prove  very  valuable. 

Joseph  Liger  has  very  double  flowers  of  a  pale 
canary  colour,  tinted  pink.      It  is  one  of  the  most 


ROSE    BEAUTE     DE     LYON. 

How  can  one  describe  the  colour  of  this  glorious 
Rose !      The   raiser,    M.    Pernet-Ducher,   describes 
it    as   coral   red,   slightly   shaded   with   yellow.     I 
can  even  detect  more  shades  in  its  glorious  blooms 
than  the  raiser  has  done,  for  in  the  blooms  before 
me  there  is  a  rich  orange  shading,  with  just  a  dash 
of    pinkish    rose    on     the     outer    petals.      When 
fully   expanded  the    effect  is  remarkable.     How  I 
wish  it  were  perpetual.     It   belongs  to  that   group 
of  Pemetiana  Roses  more  nearly  resembling  Soleil 
d*Or    in     habit,   lusty    growths    with 
huge  prickles  and  foliage  of  a  lovely 
bright  green  colour ;    but  there  is  no 
perpetual  blooming  in  the  strict  mean- 
ing of  the  term,  although  we  obtain 
a  few  blooms  throughout  the  summer 
and    autumn.      The     Rose    has    the 
habit    of    producing    its    blooms    on 
sliort  stems  all  the  way  up  a  growth, 
_  ,^        and  the  top  buds  open  first,  although 
fast    followed    by    the    others,    thus 
making    from    one    plant    a    feast    of 
colour  much  wanting  in  our  gardens. 
Beaute  de  Lyon  opens  early.    With 
me  it  was  in  full  bloom  by  the    er.d 
of  May,  and    I    could    cut    hundreds 
I  if  the  charming  flowers  on  any  one 
morning.      I  am   not    surprised    the 
Irench   people  are   asking   much    for 
this  Rose,  and  I  predict  that  it   will 
he  very  popular  in   our  own  country 
for  planting  in  bold  beds  well  isolated. 
just  as  one  should  plant    that  other 
delightful      early     bloomer     Conrad 
F.     Meyer     and     its     white     sport 
Nova     Zembla ;     in     fact,    the    trio 
would   make   a  most  lovely  group  ni 
themselves.     Beaut6  de   Lyon  makes 
a  superb  standard,  and  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  imagine  the  effect  of  a 
five   year  old  tree  well   tied  out  so  as 
to  make  a  spreading  head.      I  should 
say  it  is  from  this  Rose  or  its  parents 
that  we  owe  the  wonderful  colour  in 
Mme.  Edouard  Herriot,  the  most  sensational    Rose 
of  modem  days.  Danecroft. 


ROSA     SINICA     ANEMONE. 

This  beautiful  single  Rose,  with  silvery  pink 
blooms  and  bright,  shiny  foliage,  is  flowering  with 
unusual  freedom  this  year  at  Clandon  Park  in 
Surrey,  where  it  thrives  amazingly  on  a  high  wall 
facing  due  south.  The  fine  example  illustrated  on 
this  page  was  planted  about  eight  years  ago,  and  at 
the  present  time  it  has  not  only  exceeded  the  heigh 
of  the  i2-feet  wall,  but  it  covers  a  space  32  feet 
in  length.  It  is  growing  in  a  well-prepared  border 
of  good  sandy  loam,  and  receives  no  special  treat- 
ment beyond  the  cutting  away  of  weak  and  dead 
wood  in  winter.  Not  only  is  this  Rose  suitable 
for  a  south  wall,  but  for  clothing  tree  stumps  in 
a  sheltered  position  it  is  invaluable.  This  variety 
is  sometimes  referred  to  as  the  Cherokee  Rose, 
but  it  is  not  the  only  Rose  that  lays  claim  to  this 
title. 


July  5,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


341 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 


THE  budding  of  Roses  upon  various 
stocks  is  simplicity  itself  as  an  opera- 
tion, but  somewfiat  difficult  to  describe. 
A  few  minutes  spent  in  closely 
watching  a  skilled  hand  will  go  much 
further  than  the  most  elaborate  paper 
upon   the  subject.     This  is  why  I  have    appended 


PREP.\RING    BUDS    FOR    INSERTION. 

a  few  rough  sketches  to  help  those  who  have 
not  the  opportunity  of  a  practical  lesson. 

Budding  is  one  of  the  most  important  pomts 
towards  successful  Rose-growing,  and  is  the  main 
method  of  propagating.  July  and  August  are 
the  most  suitable  months  for  the  operation,  but 
no  set  time  can  be  given,  seeing  so  much — in  fact, 
all — depends  upon  having  both  Rose  bud  and  the 
stock  in  a  suitable  condition  for  the  work. 

In  the  illustrations  I  have  dealt  with  stocks 
intended  for  standards,  which  are  usually  tall 
Briar  stems  collected  from  the  hedgerows.  But 
I  may  say  at  once  that  the  budding  of  dwarfs 
is  upon  the  same  principle,  and  that,  whatever 
the  stock  may  be,  it  is  essential  to  work  the  Rose 
buds  as  closely  to  the  base  of  dwarfs  on  the  one 
hand,  or  the  main  stem  of  standards  on  the  other, 
as  can  be  managed, 

Stlection  and  Preparation  of  the  Buds.— It 
is  of  vital  importance  that  the  bud  should  be  in 
the  right  condition,  i.e.,  about  half  ripened. 
\  good  general  guide  to  this  state  is  the  easy 
snapping  off  of  the  Rose  thorns.  Buds  from  below 
an  expanded  flower,  or  where  one  has  been  cut 
from,  are  generally  fit.  But  the  real  proof  of  fitness 
lies  in  the  way  the  small  piece  of  Rose  wood  can  be 
removed  from  the  bud  after  it  has  been  cut  away 
from  the  shoot  of  growth,  as  shown  in  Fig.  la. 
In    the  sketch   I  do  not  show     ;ae    longer  string 


HOW  AND  WHEN  TO  BUD  ROSES. 

of  bark  that  is  generally  removed  with  the  bud 
(see  Fig.  2a).  This  facilitates  the  removal  of  the 
Rose  wood  (Fig.  2b).  Now,  if  the  seat  or  heel 
of  the  bud  is  prominent  and  in  such  a  condition 
as  to  permit  of  its  lying  close  upon  the  exposed 
wood  of  the  stock,  which  we  shall  presently  come  to, 
it  is  fit  for  use.  Should  the  Rose  eye  or  bud  be 
too  forward  or  the  reverse,  the  root  or  seat  of  the 
bud  will  tear  out  and  leave  a  small  hollow  when  the 
small  portion  of  Rose  wood  is  removed.  Such  a 
bud  is  absolutely  useless.  The  leaves  sho\ild  be 
cut  off,  as  in  Fig.  xb,  directly  the  shoot  is  removed 
from  the  parent  Rose,  otherwise  there  is  much 
loss  of  sap,  which  dries  up  the  bud  and  prevents 
the  clean  removal  of  the  undesired  portion  of  Rose 
wood.  Always  keep  the  Rose  buds  moist,  but 
not  over-wet,  at  the  seat  when  extracted  and 
prepared  f'->r  insertion. 

Inserting  the  Bud.— In  Fig.  3a  we  find  a 
shoulder  of  a  standard  Briar  which  has  had  a  cut 
about  two  and  a-half  inches  long  made  lengthwise 
in  the  bark.  This  should  never  be  more  than 
just  through  the  bark,  any  injury  to  the  wood 
beneath  being  greatly  against  a  successful  "  take," 
and  often  quite  fatal  to  the  survival  of  the  Rose  bud. 
Lift  or  prise  up  the  bark  carefully  with  a  thin  piece 
of  ivory  or  metal,  generally  found  at  the  end  of  a 
handle  of  a  budding-knife.  If  you  do  not  possess 
such  a  knife,  a  piece  of  hard  and  thinly-shaven 
wood  may  be  used,  .\void,  as  far  as  possible,  any 
disturbance  of  the  glutinous  sap  lying  between 
the  bark  of  the  stock  and  its  wood.  The  Rose 
bud  (Fig.  2)  should  be  cut  off  at  the  dotted  lines, 
and  then  gently  inserted  beneath  the  sides  of  the 
raised  bark,  as  depicted  in  Fig.  3b.  Slip  the  bud 
well  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  cut  and  close  to  the 
main  stem  of  the  standard  stem.  In  Fig.  4  we  have 
a  dwarf  stock  with  the  bud  inserted,  which  should 
be  as  near  to  the  ground-line  and  base  of  the  stock — 
in  fact,  upon  the  crown  of  roots — as  possible.  It 
only  remains  to  tie  in  firmly,  without  constriction, 
as  in  Fig.  3c,  taking  great  care  to  have  the  seat  of 
the  bud  firmly  upon  the  wood  of  the  stock. 

So  far  as  the  budding  of  dwarf  stocks  is  con- 
cerned, it  is  advisable  to  draw  soil  around  these 
for  a  few  weeks  previous  to  operating.  This  con- 
duces to  a  softer  condition  of  the  bark  and  easier 
liftuig  of  the  same.  Should  the  bark  be  in  the 
least  obstinate  when  lifting,  do  not  upon  any 
account  force  it,  but  water  well  and  try  again  a 
week  or  so  later,  for  the  whole  of  the  operation  must 
go  smoothly  and  quickly,  without  any  semblance 
of  force  or  bruising.  You  will  find,  too,  that  any 
cutting  awuv  of  superfluous  growth  upon  the  stocks 
will  cause  a  check  of  sap  that  will  make  the  bark 
cling  for  about  a  week,  so  do  not  interfere  with  the 
growth  just  previous  to  or  at  the  time  of  budding. 

After-treatment. — When  the  bud  is  set,  which 
will  be  in  two  to  three  weeks,  keep  a  look-out  for 
any  imdue  constriction  caused  by  the  swelling  of 
the  stock.  Sometimes  this  is  very  rapid,  in  which 
case  the  tie  must  be  slightly  loosened,  if  not  entirely 
released.  Raffia  is  about  the  best  and  cheapest 
tying  material,  and  can  be  readily  freed  by  cutting 
through  with  the  point  of  a  knife  on  the  side  opposite 
to  the  Rose  bud.  Take  care  only  to  cut  through  the 
tying  materia! ;  any  cutting  of  the  bark  will  only 
mean  a  widening  gap  that  takes  time  and  sap  to 
heal  over.     By   three   weeks,   also,   you  should   be 


able  to  discover  whether  your  operation  is  a 
success  or  a  failure  ;  in  the  latter  case  the  buds  will 
have  turned  black,  and  the  same  stock  or  shoulder 
can  generally  be  tried  again  a  little  beyond  the  first 
attempt.  So  long  as  one  does  not  let  the  Rose 
bud  get  dried  up,  I  have  found  fine  weather  more 
successful  for  the  operation  than  showery  weather, 
and  it  is  never  advisable  to  have  water  in  the  wound 
made  to  receive  the  bud.  Have  a  sharp  and  clean 
knife,  do  the  work  with  as  little  force  and  bimgling 
as  possible,  and  you  should  be  successful  in  the 
majority  of  cases.  As  a  rule,  we  do  not  interfere 
with  the  growth  of  the  stock  imtil  the  winter  or 
early  spring  after  budding,  but  a  few  of  any 
straggling  growths  may  be  cut  away  after  the  bud 
is  well  set.  A.   P. 


LAYERING     THYME. 

From  a  few  clumps  of  old  plants  a  splendid  batch 
of  young  ones  may  soon  be  obtained  by  judicious 
layering.  The  tendency  of  old  plants  is  to  produce 
a  number  of  long,  bare  stems  with  young  branches 
and  leaves  at  the  extremities.  When  these  stems 
are  layered  with  plenty  of  roots  forined  on  them 
near  the  base  of  the  young  shoots,  many  quite 
bushy  plants  are  the  result.  Mix  together  loam, 
leaf-soil,  sand,  road  grit  or  old  potting  soils,  and, 
having  carefully  spread  out  the  clump  of  Thyme, 
place  a  shovelful  of  the  compost  in  the  centre. 
Then  with  one  hand  lift  up  the  fringe  of  growing 
Thyme,  and  put  some  compost  underneath  with 
the  other.  Finish  the  work  by  putting  more  soil  in 
the  centre  and  pressing  it  down  firmly.  All  that 
it  is  necessary  to  do  now  is  to  keep  birds  away 
and  the  new  compost  in  a  consistent  state  of 
moisture.  When  sufficiently  rooted,  the  layers 
must  be  cut  away  from  the  parent  plants  and 
planted  18  inches  apart  in  anew  bed.  This  distance 
will  allow  them  room  to  grow  in  without  over- 
crowding. Avon. 


METHOD  OF  BUDDING  ON  THE  SHOULDER 
OF  A  STANDARD  BRIAR. 


342 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  5,  1913. 


GARDENING     OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Flower-BedS. — Now  that  the  plants  in  the 
beds  are  nicely  established,  less  watering  will  be 
needed.  The  Fuchsias  and  a  few  other  free- 
growing  subjects  must  not  be  neglected.  Ivy- 
leaved  Pelargoniums,  Fuchsias,  Ricinus,  Perillas, 
Melianthus  and  other  quick-growing  plants  must 
be  staked  and  tied  as  they  require  it,  or  the  first 
heavy  storm  of  wind  and  rain  may  do  considerable 
damage. 

Liliums  and  Gladioli  that  are  throwing  up  their 
flower-stems  must  also  be  attended  to,  whether 
they  are  planted  in  borders  or  beds.  Stake  in 
as  unobtrusive  a  manner  as  possible.  One  or  two 
good  soakings  of  liquid  manure  (not  too  strong) 
while  the  plants  are  growing  will  add  materially  to 
the  quality  of  the  bloom. 

Narcissi  and  Darwin  Tulips  planted  in  beds  for 
cutting  purposes  should  now  have  ripened  off 
sufficiently  to  warrant  their  being  lifted.  Dry 
weather  is  the  best  time  to  choose  for  this  purpose, 
and,  after  lifting,  the  bulbs  should  be  exposed  to 
the  air  and  wind  for  a  few  days  to  become  per- 
fectly dry,  when  they  may  be  stored  away  in  a  dry, 
airy  shed,  preferably  in  trays  similar  to  those  used 
for  seed  Potatoes.  Here  they  may  remain  till  the 
time   for  planting. 

Wallflowers. — Early-sown  plants  will  soon  be 
forward  enough  for  planting  out,  although  if  the 
weather  happens  to  be  dry  it  is  best  to  leave  them 
till  there  is  a  likelihood  of  one  or  two  days'  rain  or 
dull  weather.  Keep  the  hoe  going  between  the 
rows  in  the  seed-bed,  and  this  advice  is  applicable 
in  all  cases  where  seedlings  are  being  raised. 

Myosotis. — Choose  a  day  after  rain  to  get  this 
seed  in,  sowing  it  broadcast  on  a  light  piece  of 
ground  which  has  been  nice.ly  broken  up  and 
levelled.  Though  not  difficult  to  raise,  much  seed 
is  often  wasted  by  burying  it  too  deeply,  and  I  prefer 
only  to  beat  it  into  the  soil  with  the  back  of  a  rake. 
There  are  many  varieties  used  for  bedding,  but 
Royal  Blue  is  perhaps  the  best  for  the  purpose. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Layering  Malmaisons. — Early-flowered  plants 
will  now  be  ready  for  layering.  Good,  healthy 
shoots  only  should  be  layered,  and  when  the  plants 
have  too  many  shoots  to  allow  of  plenty  of  room 
between  the  layers,  they  should  be  reduced,  or  as  the 
young  plants  make  root  they  will  become  attenu- 
ated; also,  there  is  more  difficulty  in  preserving 
the  roots  when  lifting.  Lightly  syringe  in  the 
morning  and  afternoon,  giving  a  little  shade  during 
the  hottest  part  of  the  day  ;  this  will  keep  the 
foliage  in  a  good,  healthy  condition  till  the  layers 
make  root.  Later  batches  may  be  layered  as  they 
go  out  of  bloom  ;  but  it  is  imperative,  to  obtain 
good  plants  for  early  blooming,  to  get  a  batch 
layered  as  early  as  possible. 

Perpetual-Flowering  Carnations. — Plants  nicely 

rooted  m  the  flowering  pots  and  intended  for 
autumn  blooming  should  now  be  gone  over  and 
stopped  for  the  last  time.  Plants  that  may  have 
been  propagated  late  to  increase  the  stock  of 
newer  varieties  should  be  given  their  final  potting 
at  once  ;  these,  if  stopped  towards  the  end  of  the 
month,  will  come  in  for  midwinter  and  early  spring 
blooming.  Syringe  frequently  to  keep  the  plants 
clean,  and  spray  regularly  with  an  insecticide  to 
keep  the  tips  free  from  fly.  Though  the  plants  may 
take  a  fair  quantity  of  water  just  now,  over-watering 
is  the  worst  possible  thing  for  them,  for  though 
big,  leathery-looking  foliage  may  look  well,  it  is 
not  at  all  an  essential  for  good  quality  flowers,  and 
is  certainly  more  liable  to  attacks  of  rust. 
Stove  and  Greenhouse  Climbers  must  be  kept 

regularly  tied,  and  plants  such  as  Bougainvilleas 
and  Allamandas  coming  into  flower  should  be 
kept  well  watered  and  fed. 

Propagation. — Small  decorative  subjects,  such 
as  Panicum,  Selaginellas,  Tradescantias  and 
Fittonias,  should  be  propagated  regularly,  these 
being  very  useful  for  surfacing  large  pots  in  the 
dwelling-house  and  as  edging  plants  in  the  houses. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Sweet  Corn. — Plants  of  this  should  be   growing 
freely  if  the  weather  keeps  warm,  and  liberal  water- 
ings should  be  givei^  ;    this  will  induce  the  cobs  to 


swell  up  quickly.  If  grown  slowly  they  are  apt  to 
become  tough  or  hard  before  the  cobs  attain  edible 
size. 

Marrows  and  Gourds  also  are  making  rapid 
growth  ;  in  each  instance  they  must  be  liberally 
supplied  witli  water  and  manure.  The  Marrows 
should  be  cut  in  a  young  state,  and  not  allowed 
to  remain  on  the  plants  till  they  get  old,  or  the 
further  fruiting  properties  v/ill  be  impaired. 
Gourds  that  are  being  trained  up  poles  or  pergolas 
must  be  regularly  tied,  and  thinned  if  necessary, 
using  a  fairly  strong,  soft  string  for  the  purpose. 
This  is  especially  necessary  where  the  plants  produce 
heavy  fruits. 

Leeks. — The  earliest  plants  may  have  a  little 
soil  drawn  up  to  them,  but  it  is  not  advisable  to 
cover  them  up  too  much  at  once  ;  also  provision 
must  be  made  to  keep  the  roots  supplied  with 
water,  as  they  take  a  great  deal  of  moisture  out  of 
the  soil,  without  which  it  is  impossible  to  obtain 
good  results. 

Onions. — This  is  a  crop  which  pays  for  a  little 
extra  attention,  and  during  dry  weather  the  bulbs 
should  be  watered  and  fed  fairly  liberally  ;  but  the 
autumn-sown  bulbs  may  not  require  much  after  this 
date,  as  they  will  soon  begin  to  mature,  and  too 
much  water  sometimes  induces  them  to  split. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Successional  and  Late  Peaches  must  be  kept 

regul.irly  tied,  and  where  these  are  coming  on  too 
fast,  a  little  whiting  or  some  other  shading  may 
be  put  on  the  glass,  and  so  steady  them  somewhat. 
This  shading  is  also  an  advantage  in  the  case  of 
Nectarines,  some  varieties  being  rather  apt  to 
burn  slightly  durmg  a  very  hot  spell,  though  to  get 
a  really  good  colour  in  the  Peaches  they  must  be 
exposed  as  much  as  possible  to  the  light. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Peaches. — Early  varieties,  such  as  .\rasden  Jinie 
and  Hale's  Early,  are  now  swelling  freely,  and  to 
ensure  good  flavour  and  texture  in  the  fruit,  liberal 
supplies  of  water  and  manure  should  be  given, 
keeping  the  trees  syringed  daily,  at  least  during 
hot  weather.  Keep  all  shoots  tied  or  nailed  in 
regularly,  and  expose  the  fruits  as  much  as  possible 
to  light  and  air — in  fact,  treat  them  as  though  they 
were  under  glass — and  in  a  favourable  situation 
the  fruits  will  be  nearly  as  good  in  quality,  if  not  so 
delicate  in  appearance,  as  those  under  cover. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  IVIocatta,  Esq. 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Sxtrrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS, 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Staking  Annuals. — Where  they  are  rather 
closely  surrounded  by  high  trees,  some  of  the  taller 
annuals,  such  as  the  Stock-flowered  Larkspurs  and 
Scabious,  will  be  all  the  better  for  staking  and  tying, 
as  a  high  wind  might  do  much  damage  were  this 
attention  omitted. 

Dahlias.  —  These  are  now  growing  freely  and 
require  close  attention  in  the  matter  of  tying, 
as  their  succulent  stems  are  easily  broken.  At 
the  risk  of  being  charged  with  reiteration,  1  must 
again  recommend  binder  twine,  as  for  all  strong- 
growing  plants  of  a  herbaceous  nature  it  is  so  much 
superior  to  tarred  twine  or  raffia,  as  it  combines 
strength  with  softness.  Where  old  tubers  were 
planted,  the  growths  will  require  thinning  out. 

Hoeing. — This  work  should  have  frequent 
attention.  Plants  refuse  to  thrive  where  the 
surface  of  the  soil  is  allowed  to  become  baked 
and  hard  ;  moreover,  weeds  at  this  season  are 
persistent   unless  kept  in  check. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Taking  Notes. — July  is  the  Rose  month  in  the 
North,  and  is  the  best  time  for  taking  notes  for 
future  use.  Special  attention  should  be  given  to 
new  introductions,  noting  their  merits  and  defects, 
bearing  in  mind  that  a  variety  should  not  be 
condemned  on  one  year's  experience  unless  it  has 
some  obvious  radical  defect. 

Feeding  Teas. — In  order  to  secure  a  good 
autumn  crop  of  bloom,  the  Teas  should  have  a  little 
feeding.  A  light  dressing  with  Thomson's  Plant 
Manure  will  do  all  that  is  wanted.     Run  the  hoe 


through    the    bed    or    border    after    applying    the 
fertiliser. 

The  Rock  Garden. 
Propagating  Phloxes.— The  alpine  Phloxes 
form  one  of  the  most  valuable  assets  the  owner 
of  a  rock  garden  possesses.  In  the  subulata  section 
there  is  great  choice,  from  the  pure  white  of  Stellaria 
and  The  Bride  to  the  deep  rose  of  Daisy  Hill 
and  Vivid.  Among  other  species,  amoena, 
canadensis  alba,  c.  Laphami  and  ovata  all  have 
much  to  recommend  them.  Cuttings  of  any  of 
the  foregomg  may  be  put  in  from  now  till  the 
beginning  of  September.  Five-inch  pots  filled 
with  sandy  loam  and  surfaced  with  clean  sand  will 
be  found  suitable.  Place  in  a  shaded  frame,  such 
as  that  recommended  for  Pinks  and  Cheiranthus. 

The  Wild  Garden. 

Funkias. — I  am  more  deeply  impressed  than 
ever  with  the  beauty  of  the  Funkias,  especially 
subcordata  and  undulata  foliis  variegata.  Dig 
a  pit  in  the  grass,  i8  inches  wide  and  the  same 
depth,  fill  it  with  rich  soil,  plant  a  strong  clump 
of  either  of  the  above  in  it,  keep  the  grass 
mown  round  it,  and  in  due  time  it  will  prove  an 
object  of  great  beauty. 

Oreocome  Candollei. — This  is  another  graceful 
plant,  with  finely-cut,  Fern-like  foliage.  It  should 
be  planted  as  recommended  for  Funldas.  Rabbits 
are  fond  of  its  tender  foliage,  but  if  the  garden  is 
not  rabbit-proof,  a  circle  of  dwarf  wire-netting 
should  be  placed  over  the  plant  in  the  early  part 
of  the  season. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Perpetual  Carnations. — Where  it  is  intended 
to  grow  on  last  season's  plants  which  have  finished 
flowering,  the  old  flower-stems  should  be  cut  well 
back.  Some  of  the  surface  soil  should  then  be 
carefully  removed,  and  the  plants  should  receive 
a  top-dressing  of,  say,  two  parts  loam,  one  part 
old  Mushroom  manure,  with  a  good  dash  of  bone- 
meal  and  wood-ashes.  Syringing  in  the  morning  and 
evening  in  hot  weather  will  prove  highly  beneficial 
to  the  whole  stock. 

Top  -  dressing  Calanthes.  —  The  deciduous 
Calanthes  are  gross  feeders,  and  will  be  much 
benefited  by  receiving  a  top-dressing  of  old  cow- 
manure  about  this  time. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Vines. — In  houses  where  the  crop  is  ripe,  dry 
conditions  must  obtain.  In  houses  where  the  fruit 
is  beginning  to  ripen,  the  border  should  be  examined, 
and  if  there  is  any  tendency  to  dryness,  it  should 
receive  a  good  watering,  as  water  must  not  again  be 
applied  until  the  crop  is  cut.  This  precaution 
and  the  sprinlding  of  the  pathways  daily  for 
some  weeks  yet  will  do  much  to  check  the  attacks 
of  red  spider. 

Figs  :  Second  Crop. — Where  Figs  were  ripened 
early,  a  good  second  crop  may  be  expected  on  the 
current  year's  wood.  After  from  four  to  six  fruits 
have  been  formed,  the  point  of  the  shoot  should 
be  pinched  out,  in  order  to  throw  the  vigour  of  the 
tree  into  the  swelling  fruits. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Loganberries. — Continue  to  train  the  young 
shoots  as  growth  advances,  and  remove  all  super- 
fluous shoots.  Make  sure  that  the  crop  is  protected 
from  the  birds. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Staking  Late  Peas. — This  work  must  receive 
attention.  If  stakes  are  scarce,  the  last  sowing 
may  have  a  few  twigs  supplied  to  the  plants  to  carry 
them  on  till  the  pods  from  the  first  sowing  have 
been  picked,  when  rhe  stakes  from  it  can  be  used 
again. 

Broccoli. — The  planting  of  this  crop  should 
be  finished  as  soon  as  possible  and  any  blanks 
in  those  previously  planted  be  filled  up. 

Vegetable  Marrows. — Watch  for  the  appearance 
of  female  blossoms  and  duly  pollinate  them,  as 
one  cannot  always  depend  upon  this  being  done 
by  natural  processes.  Thin  out  the  shoots  before 
those  which  are  superfluous  rob  those  that  are  to 
remain. 

Turnips. — Thin  succession  crops  and  make 
another  sowing  of  Early  Milan  for  autumn  use. 

Salading. — This     requires     constant     attention. 

Mustard  and  Cress  should  be  sown  weekly.  Radishes 

fortnightly,  and  Lettuces  every  three  weeks  or  so. 

Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


|ULV  5,  1913.J 


THE     GARDEN. 


343 


THE     UPKEEP     OF      LAWNS. 


^   S  a  constant  reader  of  The  Garden,  I  see 
/\  from  time  to  time  a  good  many  articles 

/    %         and    replies    to    correspondents    upon 
/       %        this     subject.       Most     of     them     are 
*  »      :idmirable,  but   there  are  one  or  two 

points  upon  which  I  venture  to  differ. 
I  .\m  old-fashioni'd  enough  to  think  that,  at  any 
rale  upon  strong  soil,  it  ]s  rather  a  mistake  to 
destroy  all  the  worms,  for  I  think  that  they  arc 
useful  in  draining  and  aerating  the  soil,  and  also 
that  Ihey  improve  the  soil.  One  of  your  corre- 
spondents suggests  that  they  only  bring  up  good 
-.oil  10  the  surface  which  had  better  have  been  left 
where  it  was,  but  I  take  it  that  a  certain  amount 
ot  soil  whieli  passes  through  the  worms  is  by  this 
operation  transformed  from  what  was  often  poor 
siil)Soil  into  a  valuable  mulch  for  the  roots  of  the 
grasses.  Of  course,  golfers  will  have  greens  free 
from  worm-casts,  and  I  am  not  so  sure  about  the 
value  of  worms  on  lighter  soils  ;  but  I  think  it 
is  a  mistake  to  destroy  them  in  la^vns  which  are 
formed  upon  clay  soil.  Incidentally,  I  hear  that 
in  consequence  of  the  increased  use  of  worm- 
destroyers  in  and  around  London,  a  very  large 
nimiber  of  thrushes  have  been  poisoned,  and  that 
this  fine  songster  is  in  danger  of  being  exterminated, 
leaving  the  less  welcome  blackbird  to  take  his 
place. 

Then  as  to  top-dressing  lawns,  1  see  decayed 
manure,  soil.  Sic,  recommended  to  be  applied  in 
thicknesses  varying  from  a  quarter  of  an  inch  to  an 
inch  !  I  wonder  if  the  writer  ever  dressed  a  lawn  to 
the  depth  of  an  inch.  He  woiild,  I  think,  be  siu-prised 
at  the  quantity  of  soil  which  would  be  required, 
and  I  should  be  surprised  if  many  of  the  finer 
grasses  in  the  lawn  ever  survived  the  treatment. 
One  very  frequently  sees  superphosphate  of  lime 
recommended  for  lawns ;  but  if  you  do  not  wish 
to  have  your  lawn  a  mass  of  white  Clover,  you 
must  not  apply  superphosphate. 

Sometimes  the  what  nnt-to-dos  are  as  instructive 
as  the  what-to-dos  ;  but  lest  I  should  be  told  it 
is  more  easy  to  criticise  than  to  advise,  I  will  say 
that  on  strong  soil  I  give  my  tennis  lawns  a  dressing 
of  sand  every  winter,  two  cartloads  to  each  lawn, 
spreading  this  as  evenly  as  possible.  In  the  early 
spring  this  is  swept  perfectly  level  and  practically 
disappears,  but  it  improves  the  grass  and  helps 
to  make  a  firmer  foothold  for  the  tennis  player. 
.\  little  later  in  the  spring  about  half  a  hundred- 
weight of  chemical  manure  fanti-Clover)  is  applied, 
which  dressing  is  repeated  in  the  autumn — the  end 
of  September,  or  October,  according  to  the  weather  : 
this  washes  in  with  the  first  shower.  For  brushing 
in  the  sand  we  use  a  homely  branch  of  an  Ehn  sucker 
about  eight  feet  or  nine  feet  long,  and  we  sweep 
the  lawns  with  this  to  spread  worm-casts  in  the 
early  part  of  the  season  (of  course,  an  extra  long 
Birch  broom  would  be  equally  effective).  We 
do  not  roll  much  after  March,  and  we  never  mow 
without  the  grass-box,  for  I  think  the  grass  cuttings, 
if  left  on  the  lawn  for  a  mulch,  do  more  harm  than 
good,  as  fine  grasses  do  not  like  much  mulching. 
1  almost  ruined  a  lawm  by  mulching  with  stable 
inaniire  one  season,  for  the  manure  killed  most 
of  the  finer  grasses  and  encouraged  the  coarser  ones. 

Then  as  to  weeds.  Everyone  who  cares  for  a 
good  lawn  knows  what  a  trouble  they  are,  especially 
on  new  lawns  and  impoverished  old  ones.  Some 
grumble  at  the  cost  of  lawn  sand,  which  is  very 
effective  if  used  properly  ;  and  more  of  us  who 
are  not  quite  so  young  as  we  were  grumble  at  the 
backache  which  ensues  from   applying  lawn  sand 


a  pinch  at  a  time.  For  this  class  I  liave  a  line 
remedy.  I  bought  the  other  day  a  thing  called 
Kilm,  a  tube  containing  some  chemically-treated 
sand  with  a  spike  at  the  end  of  the  tube  ;  this 
one  presses  into  the  crown  of  a  Plantain,  Dandelion, 
or  the  root  of  a  Buttercup,  and  a  small  quantity 
of  the  sand  is  released,  which  falls  on  the  plant 
and  burns  it  up.  Having  been  idle  through  a 
sprained  knee,  I  have  found  great  delight  in 
hobbling  round  my  lawns  and  destroying  a  few- 
weeds,  for  the  lawns  are  not  yet  perfect,  though 
I  think  Kilm  is  a  perfect  cure  for  weeds  and  back- 
ache, and  I  am  sure  that  any  lady  gardener  will 
be  pleased  with  it.  N.B. — Care  must  be  used, 
as  it  is  poisonous. 

Lowdham.  A.   H.    Pearson. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

WHEN  AND  HOW  TO  GROW 
ENDIVE. 

CULTIVATORS  who  have  had  some 
considerable  experience  with  this 
valuable  plant  know  how  very 
important  it  is  that  more  than  one 
sowing  of  seeds  should  be  made.  In 
some  seasons,  sowings  made  on 
certain  corresponding  dates  each  year  do  not  yield 
satisfactory'  crops  of  plants.  In  one  year  the 
latter  may  grow  and  form  grand  hearts  ;  in  another, 
they  will  prematurely  bolt,  or  run  to  seed,  and  be 
quite  useless.  This  will  happen  in  the  same  dis- 
trict. Of  course,  seeds  must  be  sown  about  ten 
days  earlier  in  northern  counties  than  in  southern 
ones.  In  both  cases  it  is  advisable  to  make  two 
sowings,  the  second  about  a  fortnight  after  the 
first.  If  the  resultant  plants  from  the  first  sowing 
are  too  early,  those  from  the  second  may  be  quite 
satisfactory. 

Sow  Broadcast  Thinly. — .\  cool  border  should 
be  selected  on  which  to  form  the  seed  bed.  Ground 
previously  cropped  with  early  Potatoes  is  generally 
the  most  suitable  for  both  raising  seedlings  in 
and  for  the  pleuits  when  finally  put  out.  It  will, 
in  such  cases,  not  be  at  all  necessary  to  dig  or  manure 
the  soil ;  simply  fork  it  up  and  break  the  large 
lumps  ;  then  tread  it  down  if  of  a  light  nature, 
but  do  not  tread  if  it  be  of  a  heavy,  retentive 
nature.  Rake  the  surface  with  a  wooden  rake, 
finally  drawing  the  rake  in  one  direction.  Sow 
the  seeds  broadcast  and  very  thinly  ;  some  of  them 
will  fall  into  the  shallow  furrows  left  by  the  rake  ; 
then  lightly  draw  the  same  tool  across  in  the 
opposite  direction,  and  the  seeds  will  be  sufficiently 
covered. 

Transplanting  the  Seedlings. — In  the  meantime 
a  larger  bed  must  be  prepared,  in  which  the  sturdiest 
of  the  seedlings  should  be  transplanted,  at  a  distance 
of  4  inches  apart  each  way.  Firmness,  again,  in 
the  case  of  light  soils,  is  essential. 

The  Final  Planting. — Where  the  cultivator 
can  command  several  positions  in  his  garden  he 
should  put  out  plants  in  each,  and  not  confine 
them  to  one.  In  every  instance  the  plantations 
made  should  be  compact,  so  that  it  will  be  con- 
venient to  cover  the  plants  during  frosty  weather. 
Many  are  lifted  by  cultivators  and  placed  in  cool 
frames  in  low-lying  districts,  to  prevent  injury  by 
frosts  and  excessive  moisture,  but  as  such  accommo- 
dation cannot  be  foimd  for  allfthe  plants,  some 
covering  material  must  be  put  on.  When 
covered  for  blanching  purposes  the  leaves  must 
be  perfectly  dry,  else  the  heart  portion  will 
decay.  Avon, 


RULES  FOR  JUDGING  (T.  T.).— The  Royal  Horti- 
(Miltural  Society,  Vincent  Square,  London,  S.W  .  issue.'! 
a  code  of  judKing  rules,  and  this  is  doubtless  the  book 
to  which  you  allude.  It  is  procuraWe  from  tlie  address 
gi\'en  for  Is.  (id.,  post  free,  to  judges,  exhibitors,  com- 
mittees and  officials.  It  is  a  publication  of  the  utmost 
vahie,  which  cannot  be  too  diligently  studied. 

LAWN  CLIPPINGS  (L.  X.).— Lawn  clippincs  decaycl 
are  u.scful  manure,  but  on  a  heavy  clay  soil  they  arc  liable 
to  add  to  the  amount  of  water  held,  and  render  the  soil 
wetter  and  colder.  They  would  be  less  bad  if  added 
comparatively  fresh,  provided  lime  is  present  in  the  soil 
A  stronK  brine  may  be  used  for  the  purpose  of  killins  weeds, 
and  it  is  innocuous  to  domestic  animals. 

TROUBLESOME  WEEVILS  (P.  T.).— The  insect  had 
disappeared  from  the  box.  but  from  your  description  we 
suspect  it  is  a  beetle  called  the  Vine  weevil  or  the  clay- 
coloured  weevil.  Your  best  plan  would  be  to  spread  a 
sheet  under  the  affected  plant  and  shake  off  the  beetles 
after  dark,  or  cause  them  to  fall  by  shining  a  brijrht  li'd  t, 
upon  them.  The  larvae  are  extremely  troublcliome^to 
roots  ot  Ferns,  Pelargoniums  and  other  greenliouse  plants 
and  it  would  be  avoiding  much  danger  of  "this  kind  to  catcli 
and  kill  the  beetles  now.  The  latter  may  be  done  quite 
easily  by  dropping  them  info  a  pail  containing  a  little 
paraffin. 

WOODLICE  IN  GARDEN  (E.  M.  0.).— It  is  unusual  for 
this  pest  to  do  much  mischief  in  the  garden,  unless 
encoura;:ed  by  rubbish  or  decaying  woody  stuff  lyin" 
about.  However,  as  the  insects  appear  to  have  done  some 
mischief,  you  had  better  place  dry  boards,  slates  or  even 
small  pieces  of  sacking,  with  cut  strips  of  Potato,  Carrot 
or  such-like  things  bencjjth,  for  them  to  feed  on.  E.saminc 
these  retreats  nightly,  and  with  the  assistance  of  a  kettle 
of  boiling  water  you  may  dispose  of  large  numbers.  These 
things  often  harbour  in  the  vicinity  of  garden  frames,  and 
if  you  have  any  such,  lay  other  traps"  near  them,  'ihis 
pest  in  large  numbers  is  very  destnictive  to  all  vegetable- 
life,  and  increases  with  great  rapidity.  Both  the  hedgehog 
and  the  toad  will  devour  large  numbers,  and  in  the  green- 
house more  particularly  we  encourage  the  latter  for  its 
serviceability  in  this  direction. 

ERADICATING  BISHOP'S  WEED  (A.  P.  F.  P.).— 
The  only  sure  way  of  eradicating  this  pest  is  by  forking 
it  out  and  burning  it.  No  weed-killer  could  possibly 
reach  it,  owing  to  the  underground  spread  of  its  roots, 
or,  if  it  killed  it,  the  roots  of  plants  near  would  suffer 
in  like  degree.  When  digging  cannot  be  done,  the  plant 
might  be  much  weakened  by  plucking  off  every  sign  of 
leaf  growth,  and  though  the  operation  is  a  tedious  one, 
some  of  the  most  insidious  of  the  weed  pests  of  the  garden 
have  been  killed  in  this  way.  This,  indeed,  is  the  only 
method  we  know  of  impairing  the  vitality  of  the  plant 
when  the  roots  have  been  entangled  with  shrub  roots. 
In  autumn  such  plants  could  be  lifted,  washed  clear  of 
all  soil,  and  the  weed  picked  out.  As  every  scrap,  even 
to  that  of  half  an  inch  long,  is  capable  of  making  a  plant, 
nothing  short  of  the  most  drastic  methods,  accompanied 
by  much  perseverance,  are  calculated  to  effect  a  clearance. 

TACSONIA  BUDS  DROPPING  (H.  B.).— The  Ta.-sonia, 
like  some  other  climbers,  is  liable  to  drop  its  buds  if  it  has 
unlimiteil  loot  loom,  even  if  there  is  a  prepared  border  for 
the  reception  of  the  roots.  They  will  often  run  away 
therefrom  into  unsuitable  soil,  and  then  the  buds  some- 
times drop.  1  he  same  result  might  ensue  if  the  roots  were 
in  a  conlined  space  and  allowed  to  suffer  from  the  want 
of  water.  If  the  plant  is  cut  back  hard  every  year,  it 
would  lead  to  the  production  of  strong,  soft  shoots,  from 
which  few  flowers  could  bo  anticipated.  1  he  greatest 
measure  of  success  in  flowering  the  Tacsonia  is  in  the 
autumn  to  thin  out  any  old  or  weaidy  shoots,  especially 
where  they  are  entangled  into  a  close  mass.  This  will 
allow  of  the  ripening  of  the  wood  under  the  influence 
of  light  and  sunshine.  If  the  plant  has  covered  its  allotted 
space,  the  more  vigorous  shoots  may  be  shortened  Itack 
to  keep  it  within  bounds  ;  if  not,  they  may  be  allowed 
to  remain  entire.  Providing  the  plant  is  in  good  con- 
dition, young  shoots  will  in  the  spring  be  freely  produced, 
and  in  the  ordinary  course  of  events  they  should  flower 
well. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— A/.  A.  B.— Rose  Charles  Lawson, 
a  Hybrid  Chinese.     The  Pink,  though  charming,  is  not  a 

named  variety. E.  Upfon. — Callirhoe  lineariloba.     Thi 

Lupine  appears  to  be  a  pretty  seedling  form  of  Lupinus 

polsrphyllus,    and    is    well    worth    growing. E.   A/., 

Parkitone. — The  Carnations  are :    1 ,  Rose  I)or6  :   2,  May 

Day:    3,   Defiance:    4,   Britannia. Adela    Box. — We 

believe  it  to  be  the  old  Noisette,  Soifaterre. Fred  Hobbs. 

— Carpenteria  californica. TT.  J.  H.,  Eigh  Wf/combe. — 

Saxifraga  tricuspidata  and  Oxyria  digyna. Devonian. — 

Cichorium  Intybus  (Chicory)  and  Brunfelsia  calycina. 

Winton. — 1,  Potamogeton  polygonifolius :  2,  L.riophorum 
angustifolium;  3,  Orchis  maciilata:  4.  Pedicularis  palus- 
tris;  5,  Drosera  rotundifolia :  6.  Polygala  vulgaris;  7,  Ver- 
bascum  phoeniceum  variety:  8,  V-  phlomoides;  9,  V. 
Chaixii. Bull,  Eereford — 1.  Sedum  roseum :  2  Cam- 
panula portenschlagiana  ;  3,  Veronica  Teucrium  dubia  ;  4, 
Saxifra'ja  trifurcata  ;  5,  S.  fursuta:  6,  Cenfaurea  montana : 
7,  Heuchera  micrantha  ;  8.  Omphalodcs  verna  alba ;  9, 
Campanula  latiloba ;  10,  Veronica  virginica ;  11,  Cam- 
panula persicifolia  alba:  12,  Hemerocallis  (lava:  13. 
Pentstemon,  garden  seedling ;  14,  No  specimen  ;  15, 
Pentsteraon,  garden  seedling  :  Ifi,  Saxifraga  cordifolia  ;  17, 
Linaria  purpurea  variety. 


344 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  5,  1913. 


SOC  I  ET  I  ES. 

CITY    OF    LONDON    ROSE    SOCIETY. 

THE  first  exhibition  held  in  connection  with  the  above 
society  was  opened  l>v  the  president,  the  Lord  Mayor, 
at  noon  on  Thursday,  the  26th  ult.  The  display  of  Roses 
was  particularly  good,  and  surpassed  even  the  most 
sanguine  expectations.  In  the  open  classes  some  of  the 
best  Rose  nurserymen  in  the  United  Kintidom  contested, 
but  it  was  the  classes  for  members  living  witliin  the  eight 
miles  radius  of  the  Roya!  Exchange  that  proved  most 
interesting,  inasmuch  as  they  demonstrated  how  well 
the  Queen  of  Flowers  can  be  grown  in  the  vicinity  of  a 
great  city.  Owing  to  the  demand  made  on  our  space 
by  so  many  other  shows,  we  regret  that  we  are  only  able 
to  publish  particulars  of  the  principal  classes. 

In  the  nurserymen's  section  Messrs.  .41ex.  Dickson 
and  Sons  of  Newto^vnards  were  first  out  of  ten  entries 
for  forty-eight  blooms,  distinct,  staging  some  superb 
examples.  Second  honours  went  to  Messrs.  B.  R.  Cant 
and  Sons,  Old  Rose  Gardens,  Colchester,  and  Messrs.  R. 
Harkness  and  Co.,  Hitchin.  were  third. 

For  twelve  distinct  varieties,  three  blooms  :,f  eacli, 
competition  was  equallv  strong,  first  honours  falling  to 
ATessrs.  G.  and  W  H.  Biu-ch  of  Peterborough,  who  had 
The  Lyon  Rose  and  Mrs.  T.  Roosevelt  in  superb  condition. 
The  second  prize  here  went  to  Mr.  George  Prince,  and  third 
to  Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  Ncwtownards. 

For  eighteen  Teas  or  Noisettes,  Mr.  G.  Prince  of  Oxford 
was  first  with  a  very  clean  lot  of  flowers,  his  bloom  of 
Molly  Sharman  Crawford  being  very  fine.  Messrs.  J. 
Burrell  and  Co.  were  second  and  Mr.  John  Mattock  third. 
For  eighteen  bunches  of  decorative  Roses,  to  be  staged 
as  naturally  as  possible,  there  was  ?ood  competition, 
first  prize  going  to  iMr.  .John  Mattock,  Headington. 
Oxford,  who  had'a  beautifully  clean  lot  of  flowers.  Duchess 
of  Wellington  and  A.  R  Goodwin  being  conspicuous. 
Messrs.  William  Spooner  and  Son?  of  Woking  were  second, 
liaving  .Mrs.  .\lfred  Tate  in  fine  form.  The  third  position 
was  filled  by  Messrs.  Frank  Cant  and  Co. 

Class  .5,  for  seven  baskets  of  cut  Roses,  was  well  con- 
tested, Messrs.  Chaplin  Brothers  of  Waltham  Cross  being 
first  with  good  Lady  Hillingdon  and  General  Macarthnr. 
Second  prize  went  to  .Messrs.  .Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
whose  Queen  Marv  and  Irisli  Fireflame  were  very  charming. 
Mr.  A.  R.  Hammond,  Burgess  Hill,  Sussex,  was  third. 
This  was  a  very  beautiful  class. 

For  twelve  blooms  of  new  Roses.  Messrs.  ."Uex.  Dickson 
and  Sons  were  first  with  the  following :  Mrs.  Amy 
Hammond,  Mrs.  G.  Preston,  Mrs.  Foley  Uobhs,  Edward 
Mawley,  .\lexander  Hill  Gray,  Duchess  of  Sutherland, 
Mrs  \rthur  E.  Coxliead,  Mabel  Drew,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Welch, 
Jfrs.  H.  Hawksworth,  Lady  Greenall  and  Lady  Barham. 
The  second  prize  went  to  Messrs.  B.  R.  Cant  and  Sons, 
and  third  to  Messrs.  .T.  Burrell  and  Co. 

In  the  open  amateurs'  section  competition  was  good, 
the  challenge  cup  offered  for  twenty-four  blooms,  distinct, 
being  won  bv  William  Onslow  Times.  Esq.,  Bedford  Road, 
Hitchin,  whose  flowers  were  large  but  rather  soiled.  Mr. 
Henry  Balfour.  Langlev  Lodge,  Headington  Hill,  Oxford, 
was  second,  and  E.  F.  Brown,  Esq.,  Lynton,  Sussex 
Place,  Slough,  third. 

For  twelve  blooms,  distinct,  E.  T.  Brown,  Esq.,  Lynton, 
Sussex  Place,  Slough,  was  first,  his  Dean  Hole  being  very 
fine  Courtenay  Page,  Esa.,  Broad  Street  Place,  E.C., 
was  second,  and  E.  Jackson,  Esq.,  Rochford,  Essex. 
third . 

In  the  members'  classes,  the  City  of  London  Challenge 
Pup,  for  twelve  blooms,  distinct,  went  to  H.  L.  Weltem, 
Esq.,  16,  Water  Lane,  B.C.,  for  a  superb  dozen,  the  best 
of  which  was  Yvonne  Vacherot,  which  gained  the  medal 
offered  for  the  best  bloom  in  Classes  9  to  17  These 
Roses  were  a  great  credit  to  the  exliibitor.  Lewis  S. 
Pawle,  Esq  ,  Stock  Exchange,  was  second,  and  John 
Hart.  Esq..  third. 

The  metropolitan  classes,  open  only  to  members  who 
grow  their  Roses  within  eight  miles  of  the  Royal  Exchange, 
were  most  interesting  and  well  contested.  The  challenge 
cup  for  twelve  blooms,  distinct,  went  to  E.  H.  Coxhead, 
Esq.,  of  Streatham,  who  had  a  lovely  bloom  of  William 
Shean.  The  second  prize  went  to  R.  de  Escofet,  Esq., 
Dulwich,  whose  box  contained  the  test  bloom  in  Classes  24 
to  29,  this  being  Mrs.  Myles  Kennedy.  Mr.  de  Escofet 
also  won  the  challenge  cup  offered  for  nine  exhibition 
Roses,  distinct,  with  a  fine  lot  of  flowers. 

\.  C.  Turner,  Esq.,  29.  Great  St.  Helens,  B.C.,  was 
the  winner  of  the  challenge  cup  offered  for  twelve  bunches 
of  decorative  Roses,  distinct.  Lady  Hillingdon  and 
Gardenia  being  very  flue.  The  second  prize  here  went 
to  H.  L.  Weltem,  Esq. 

The  best  bowl  of  cut  Roses  arranged  with  Rose  foliage 
was  shown  by  Mrs.  A.  C.  Robinson,  this  being  a  delightful 
arrangement  of  Rose  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay  and  foliage  of 
Rosa  rubrifolia. 

The  following  Roses  were  awarded  the  National  Rose 
Society's  silver  medals,  offered  for  the  best  blooms  in  the 
show  :  Classes  1  to  6 — H.  Hartmann,  a  new  Hybrid  Tea 
of  bright  scarlet  crimson  colour,  broad,  shell-like  petals 
and  deep  centre,  shown  by  Messrs.  B.  R.  Cant  and  Sons. 
Classes  9  to  17 — Yvonne  'Vacherot,  shown  by  H.  L. 
Weltern,  Esq.  Classes  18  to  23 — Avoca,  shown  by  A.  E. 
Stanger,  Esq.  Classes  24  to  29— Mrs.  Myles  Kennedy, 
shoivn  by  R.  de  Escofet,  Esq, 

ROSES    AND   SWEET    PEAS    AT    BOURNEMOUTH. 

Last  year  the  members  of  the  Bournemouth  Gardeners' 
Mutual  Improvement  .Association  held  a  small  show  for 
the  purpose  of  raising  funds  for  the  benefit  of  the  associa- 
tion. It  was  a  great  success.  The  competitive  classes 
were  open  only  to  the  members,  but  local  nurserymen  were 


cordially  invited  to  stage  non-competitive  exhibits, 
and  the  response  was  most  satisfactory.  This  year  the 
members  amalgamated  with  the  council  of  the  Bournemouth 
Horticultural  Society,  and  arranged  to  hold  a  mucli  larger 
exhibition  and  to  invite  nurserymen  from  a  distance  to 
sliow.  The  first  date  of  the  two  days  selected  was  June  ib, 
"  Alexandra  Day  "  proving  a  very  popular  choice,  as 
crowds  of  people  visited  the  show,  which  was,  in  every 
way,  most  successful.  Messrs.  Carter,  Raynes  Park ; 
Messrs.  Webb,  Stourbridge  ;  Messrs.  Dobbie,  Edinburgh  ; 
.Messrs.  Keynes,  Williams  and  Co.,  Salisbury :  Messrs. 
George  Cooling  and  Sons,  Bath  :  Messrs.  Watts  and  Sons, 
Limited,  Bournemouth :  Mr.  J.  Stevenson,  Wimborne, 
Dorset;  and  Mr.  Maurice  Prichard,  Christchurch,  were 
the  principal  nursery  firms  exliibiting.  The  sliow  was 
held  at  the  Winter  Gardens,  not  in  the  spacious  pavilion, 
but  in  tents  on  the  lovely  lawn,  which  is  surrounded  by 
stately  trees,  including  Pines,  and  charming  siu-ubs.  In 
one  tent  the  members  of  the  Bournemouth  Gardeners' 
Association  staged  their  competitive  exhibits,  and  in  the 
large  tent  the  various  nursery  firms  staged  theirs. 
The  Gardeners'  Tent. 

Mr.  W.  Shave,  Wimborne,  had  the  best  table  decoration 
of  Sweet  Peas,  Mr.  Heath  (gardener  to  O.  G.  Eussel, 
Esq.,  Bournemouth)  being  second.  The  last-named 
exhibitor  won  in  the  class  for  a  table  decoration  of  Roses  ; 
Mr.  Evans  (gardener  to  G.  J.  Fenwick,  Esq.,  Crag  Head, 
Bournemouth)  was  second.  Messrs.  Heath,  Weaver 
(gardener  to  .Major  'Tinker,  Christchurch)  and  Evans  won 
in  the  order  named  tor  a  basket  of  Roses.  Messrs.  Shave, 
C.  Pearce  (gardener  to  Mrs.  Ormond,  Bournemouth)  and 
W  E  Wilkins  (Bournemouth)  had  the  winning  bowls  of 
Hoses  respectively.  Mr.  Taylor  (gardener  to  Walter 
Child  Clark.  Esq.)  won  in  the  class  for  six  vases  of  Roses, 
stagina  grand  blooms  ;  he  was  followed  by  Messrs.  C. 
Pearce  and  W.  Webb.  Mr.  Heath  had  the  best  epergne 
of  Sweet  Peas.  .^fr.  Weaver  staged  very  fine  Sweet  Peas 
in  the  classes  for  nine  and  six  vases  respectively.  Messrs. 
G.  Cockman  and  C.  Pearce  following  in  these  classes. 
The  display  of  Sweet  Peas  on  a  given  space  of  tabling  was 
a  good  class,  but  only  two  members  competed,  namely, 
Messrs.  Shave  and  Weaver,  who  won  in  the  order  named. 
Mr^  C.  Humphries  staged  the  best  sincle  bloom  in  the  Rose 
classes,  winning  with  a  flue  specimen  of  Hugh  Dickson. 
Walter  Child  Clark,  Esq..  had  a  table  of  twenty-two  vases 
of  Roses,  chiefly  Lady  Waterlow.  gro-n'n  under  Pine  trees. 
The  blooms  we're  magnificent,  and  a  flrst-class  certificate 
was  awarded,  a  similar  award  going  to  R.  Chamberlain, 
Esq  the  chairman  of  the  council,  for  a  table  of  Roses, 
Carnations  and  Sweet  Peas.  Mr.  Weaver  liad  the  best 
three  vases  of  hardy  herbaceous  fiowers. 

Non-competitive  Exhibits. 

Messrs.  Watts  and  Sons,  Limited,  were  awarded  a 
gold  medal  for  a  fine  display  of  Roses  and  Carnations, 
beautifully  staged  ;  Messrs.  Webb  and  Sons,  a  gold  medal 
for  a  <»rand  lot  of  Sweet  Peas,  about  eighty  varieties, 
charmingly  staged;  Messrs.  Carter,  Raynes  Park,  a 
gold  medal  for  about  fifty  vases  of  Sweet  Peas  of  high 

Mr.  J.  Stevenson  was  given  a  silver  medal  for  fifty 
vases  of  Sweet  Peas,  arranged  in  his  well-known  stylo, 
light  and  graceful ;  Messrs.  Dobbie.  a  silver  medal  for  fifty 
vases,  beautiful  in  colour  of  fiower,  but  cut  rather  short 
in  the  stem ;  IWessrs.  Cooling  and  Sons,  a  silver  medal 
for  lovely  vases  of  climbing  and  Hybrid  Tea  Roses  ;  Mr. 
T  K.  Ingram,  a  silver  medal  for  standard  Roses  and 
I.iliums  ;  a  similar  award  to  Mr.  M.  Frichard  for  a  grand 
collection  of  hardy  herbaceous  fiowers. 

Certificates  were  awarded  as  follow  :  Messrs.  Keynes, 
Williams  and  Co..  for  Roses  :  Mr.  H.  M.  Elford,  for  border 
Carnations  on  plants  and  boards ;  The  Burton  Hardy 
Plant  Nursery  ;  Mr.  D.  Lorrimer,  for  a  display  of  Roses  ; 
Mr.  Percy  Sugden.  Wimborne,  for  Roses. 

NORFOLK    AND    NORWICH     HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY'S    SUMMER    SHOW. 

THIS  was  held  at  Norwich  on  June  25  and  26.  Owing 
to  the  sudden  death  a  few  weeks  ago  of  the  hon.  secretary, 
Mr  C.  E.  Pilling,  the  duties  were  kindly  undertaken 
iiv  Mr  J.  E.  T.  Pollard,  a  former  hon.  secretary.  There 
was  a  numerical  falling  off  in  the  entries,  though  the 
standard  of  exhibits  was  well  maintained  ;  in  fact,  in 
Boses  and  fruit  it  was  ahead  of  what  we  have  seen  at 
the  Norwich  Show  for  several  years  past.  Though  styled 
a  Rose  show,  the  exhibits  are  of  general  character.  The 
premier  prizes  for  the  open  Rose  classes  were  all  secured 
by  .Messrs.  J.  Burrell  and  Co.,  Cambridge.  The  show- 
had  evidentiv  suited  them  at  the  critical  moment,  for 
their  blooms'  had  just  that  freshness  and  perfection  of 
shape  so  much  desired  by  exhibitors.  Their  varieties 
were  right  up  to  date  as  well.  Messrs.  F.  Cant  and  Co. 
ran  them  second  in  every  case.  In  the  amateurs'  section 
the  executors  of  the  late  R.  Steward,  Saxlingham, 
lieat  all  comers,  even  the  Rev.  J.  A.  L.  Fellowes,  a  well- 
known  local  grower,  going  down  second  to  them.  In 
the  classes  generally,  one  could  but  notice  the  tendency 
toward  the  yellow-tinted  Hybrid  Teas.  This  fact  was 
specially  noticeable  in  the  small  classes.  Rambler  and 
-arden  'Roses  do  not  seem  to  display  their  charms  and 
beauties  when  bunched  up  in  stands,  and  as  a  consequence 
are  generally  passed  by  when  the  ordinary  visitor  goes 
his  rounds. 

Sweet  Peas  are  now  a  recognised  feature  at  any  summer 
show,  and  a  fine  display  was  made  at  Norwich.  In  the 
competitive  section  Mr.  F.  Wilby,  gardener  to  F.  A. 
Bainbridge,  Esq.,  Hethersett,  won  premier  position 
and  holds  a  ten-guinea  challenge  cup  presented  by  Messrs. 
Daniels  Brothers,  Limited,  Norwich. 

There  was  an  exceptionally  good  show  of  herbaceous 
flowers  For  fortv-eight  bunches,  distinct.  Mr.  W. 
Chettleburgh,  gardener  to  Colonel  iious,  'Worstead,  was 


a  wi'Il-deservcd  first.  His  collection  was  very  compre- 
hensive, and  the  bunches  bold,  yet  not  heavy.  Mr.  W. 
Hilson,  gardener  to  Sir  Frederic  Adair,  Flixton  Hall, 
was  first  for  thirty-six  bunches,  the  colouring  of  many 
of  his  subjects  being  most  vivid.  A  dozen  bunches  of 
choice  varieties  were  staged  by  Mr.  Frank  Neave,  Lingwood, 
with  which  he  secured  first  place  in  tliat  class. 

Carnations  for  competition  came  strongly  from  that 
veteran  exhibitor  Mr.  W.  -Allan,  Gunton  Hall  Gardens, 
easily  securing  him  premier  position. 

Exotic  and  greenhouse  flowers  were  best  by  far  from 
Mr.  Hilson  (Sir  F.  .Adair's  gardener).  There  weie  many 
smaller  classes  for  cut  flowers  in  addition  to  those 
referred  to. 

Fruit  was  a  prominent  feature,  and  more  especially 
does  this  remark  apply  to  the  classes  for  Strawberries. 
Mr.  W.  Hilson  was  first  for  a  collection  of  fruit.  Hie 
Grapes  had  a  delightful  finish.  Mr.  W,  P.  Wright, 
gardener  to  W.  J.  Birkbeck,  Esq.,  Stratton.  had  a  wonder- 
ful dish  of  Leader  Strawberries,  easily  first  in  their  class, 
Mr.  F.  J.  Eudersby,  gardener  to  J.  H.  Gurney,  Esq.. 
Keswick  Hall,  had  as  good  a  collection  of  four  varieties 
as  one  could  wish  to  see.  This  exhibitor  was  al.so  first 
for  a  scarlet-fleshed  Melon  with  a  new  seedling  of  his  own 
raising.  There  were  also  classes  for  Peaches.  Nectarines, 
Cherries  and  Raspberries,  and  in  each  class  good  examples 
were  staged. 

Jn  the  vegetable  section  Mr.  W.  Chettleburgh,  gardener 
to  Colonel  Rous,  scored  quite  a  phenomenal  success, 
winning  first  for  a  collection  and  the  same  position  in 
seven  other  classes  with  a  strong  competition.  The 
Cauliflowers  from  Mr.  Endersby  and  from  BIr.  W. 
Marjoram,  gardener  to  W.  T.  F.  Jarrold.  Esq.,  Thorpe, 
were  in  each  case  fine  examples  of  good  culture. 

The  trade  growers  made  a  display  unequalled  in  the 
annals  of  a  Norwich  summer  show.  Messrs.  Daniels 
Brothers.  Limited.  Town  Close  Nurseries,  Norwich,  had 
an  assorted  group  of  plants  and  cut  flowers  from  their  o^vn 
nursery.  These  were  very  nicely  arranged  and  educational 
from  a  gardening  standpoint,  and  reflected  credit  upon 
the  firm  for  their  high  culture. 

Messrs.  A.  J.  and  C.  .Allen,  Norwich,  exhibited  Roses 
of  all  types  and  in  all  ways — pot  plants,  groups  of  cut 
flowers  and  individually.  Needless  to  say,  they  comprised 
the  latest  and  best. 

Hobbies,  Limited,  Dereham,  had  a  stand  devoted 
entirely  to  Roses.  The  feature  of  it  was  the  display 
of  their  own  novelties  Pink  Pearl,  Effective  and  Lemon 
Queen.    There  were  others  as  well  in  profusion. 

Mr.  H.  Morse,  Westfleld  Nurseries,  Eaton,  and  Mr, 
E.  Morse,  Eaton  Dell,  Norwich,  both  made  interesting 
exhibits  of  Roses,  embodying  only  the  very  newest  and 
choice  sorts. 

Mr.  Robert  Holmes.  Tuckswood  Farm,  Norwich,  had 
Sweet  Peas  in  profusion.  Many  of  these,  we  noted, 
were  under  numbers,  and  for  one,  the  colour  of  which 
we  should  say  was  orange  red,  he  received  a  first-class 
certificate.  The  visitor  was  able,  too,  to  see  splendid 
examples  of  Editli  Taylor,  Lilian,  Queen  Blary  and  other 
of  his  novelties. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Unwin,  Histon.  made  a  display  of  Sweet 
Peas  that  opened  one's  eyes  in  wonder.  Boldness  of 
flower,  length  of  stem  and  every  other  desire  of  the 
exhibitor  were  as  they  should  be.  We  need  not  name  any. 
His  own  leading  sorts  were  well  to  the  fore,  as  well  as 
the  best  of  those  of  other  raisers. 

Messrs.  G.  Stark  and  Son,  Ryburgh,  also  had  a  display 
of  Sweet  Peas,  and  mention  of  two  must  be  made,  viz., 
Maggie  Stark  and  Deccrator.  These  are  worth,  a  place 
in  e\crv  collection. 

Mi.  G.  W.  Miller,  Wisbech,  had  Orchids  in  pots  and  a 
miscellaneous  group  of  herbaceous  flowers. 

Messrs.  Young  and  Co.,  Cheltenham,  displayed  such 
an  arrav  of  Carnations  as  one  rarely  sees  at  a  provincial 
show,  the  Quality  and  colours  being  superl). 


RICHMOND     FLOWER     SHOW. 

RCSES  were  the  leading  feature  at  Richmond  on  the 
occasion  of  the  annual  flower  show,  held  on  Jime  2.^i 
in  the  spacious  Old  Deer  Park. 

Keen  interest  was  displayed  in  the  large  class  for  forty- 
eight  Roses,  distinct,  three  blooms  of  each.  Messrs. 
R.  Harkness  and  Co.  were  first  with  a  grand  collection, 
of  good  quality  throughout.  Messrs.  B.  R.  Cant  and 
Sons  and  Messrs.  D.  Prior  and  Son  were  second  and  third 
respectively. 

Messrs.  W.  and  J.  Browii  were  first  for  twelve  Teas  of 
one  variety  with  that  lovely  Rose  Mme.  Jules  Gravereaux, 
Messrs.  Burch  and  Messrs.  Prior  both  following  with  the 
same  variety.  The  blooms  of  the  first-prize  stand  were, 
however,  somewhat  overdressed. 

Messrs.  W.  and  J.  Brown,  Peterborough,  were  flist  for 
twentv-four  Roses,  distinct,  three  blooms  of  each.  The 
best  blooms  were  Mme.  M.  Soupert,  J.  B.  Clark  and 
Caroline  Testout.  This  proved  a  well-contested  class, 
the  second  and  third  prizes  going  to  Messrs.  G.  and  W.  H. 
Burch,  Peterborough,  and  Messrs.  R,  Hark-ness  and 
Co.,  Hitchin. 

For  twelve  blooms  of  one  variety,  Messrs.  G.  and  W.  H. 
Burch  led  the  van  with  a  grand  box  of  Lyon  Rose,  followed 
by  Messrs.  R.  Harkness  and  Co.  with  Mrs  John  Laing, 
and  Messrs.  D.  Prior  and  Son  with  Bessie  Blown. 

The  Rev.  L.  E.  Chalmers  Hunt,  Letchworth,  was  fiist 
for  twenty-four  blooms,  distinct  (am.ateurs  only).  His 
blooms  of  J.  B.  Clark.  Avoca  and  Mildred  Grant  were 
perfect.  The  Rev.  J.  H.  Pemberton,  Havering-atte- 
Bower,  was  placed  second  with  a  heavier  set  of  blooms 
of  almost,  if  not  quite,  equal  quality. 

Messrs.  G.  Jackman  and  Son.  Woking,  also  had  a  fine 
group  of  Roses,  in  which  Mme.  Ravary.  Dean  Hole  and 
Le  Progrds  were  shown  in  great  form. 


i^fevi. 


mm"^- 


GARDEN. 


*M^ 


-7^^ 


3^.^^& 


No.  2173.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


July  12,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week    345 

Correspondence 
Ad    interesting    old 

Rose 

Silver-leaf  di^^ease  in 

Apple  trees . . 
Scentless  Musk 
Richardia     Mrs. 

Roosevelt  . . 
Where    to    grow 

Arenariabalearica 


346 


346 
347 


forthcoming  events . . 

Rose  Garden 
The  summer  pruning 

of  Roses 
Standard  Roses  and 

insect  pests. . 

In  the  Herb  Garden 

Flower  Garden 
The    blue  -  flowered 

Poppy 

Seasonable  notes  on 

Carnations  . , 
Some  good   summer 

flowers 

Watering  Sweet  Peas 

Trees  and  Shrubs 
The  Flowering  Bram- 
bles       


317 
347 


347 
347 


348 
348 


349 
349 


350 


GREENHOrSE 

Summer    treatment 

of    the  Amaryllis    350 
Libonia    floribunda    351 
Rock  and  Water  Garden 
The  Alpine  Poppy . .     35 1 
A  charming  associa- 
tion   of '  alpine 

flowers 351 

New    and    Rare 

PLANTS 352 

A  grand  wall  shrub  . .     352 
Gardening  for  Beginners 
How    to    propagate 
Roses  by  summer 
cuttings      . .      . .     353 
How  to  grow  good 
late  Turnips       . .     35:: 
Gardening  of  the  Weei; 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      354 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      354 

ANSWERS  TO  Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden 
Rose  garden   . . 
Greenhouse     . . 
Miscellaneous 

Societies  . . 


355 
355 
355 
355 
355 


IliLUSTRATIONS. 

U  use  Queen  Mary :I46 

The  blue-flowered  Poppy      348 

A  beautiful  grouping  of  Iris  Ksempferi  Morning  Mist  349 

Flowering  sprays  of  the  Thornless  Bramble       . .      . .  350 
PotentiUa  grandiflora  and  Erinus  alpinus  flowering 

in  the  rock  garden      351 

k  beautiful  new  hybrid  Orchid,  Mittonia  Sanderse..  352 

How  to  propagate  Roses  by  summer  cuttings  . .      . .  353 

Rose  Mrs.  Ambrose  Ricardo 355 


BDITORIAti    NOTICBS. 

.  Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes. 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  mill  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
a^ks  thai  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  icith. 


The  Editor  urill  not  he  responsible  far  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as\aeceptance. 


fees,:  20,  Tavi^eJe  Street,  CoverU  Garden,  If.O'. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 

Alteration  of  Date  of  London  Daffodil  Show. 

We  .Tre  utficiallv  informed  that  the  R"yal  Horti- 
cultural Society's  1914  Daffodil  Show  will  be  held 
on  Wednesday  and  Thursday,  .\pril  15  and  16. 
and  not  nn  .\pril  21  .and  22  as  previously  officially 
notified.  . 

Border  Pink  Nellie. — .\  good  companion  to 
Pink  Mrs.  Sinkins  will  be  found  in  the  variety 
Nellie,  the  deep  fringe  of  the  petals  being  white 
and  in  some  flowers  slightly  suffused  with  violet, 
the  central  portion  being  distinctly  blotched 
with  a  rich  purple  or  purple  maroon  colour.  The 
habit  of  the  plant  is  dwarf  and  compact.  It  is 
very  free-flowering  and  delightfully  fragrant. 

Propagating    Campanulas. — The    present    is    a 

good  time  to  propagate  by  cuttings  most  of  the 
alpine  Campanulas.  Some  of  them  bloom  so 
profusely  that  there  is  a  difficulty  in  getting  cut- 
tings from  them.  When  selecting  cuttings,  prefer- 
ence should  be  given  to  those  exposed  to  full  light. 
Use  pots  of  sandy  soil  and  place  in  a  close,  shaded 
frame  tUl  rooted.  The  following  are  all  desirable 
varieties :  Carpatica  Little  Gem,  c.  liiverslea, 
muralis,  turbinata,  with  its  varieties  Isabel,  grandi- 
flora and  alba ;  and  pusilla  and  its  varieties 
pallida  and  Miss  Willraott. 

The  Lyon  Rose. — Is  this  beautiful  though 
indescribable  Rose  improving  with  age  ?  We 
are  tempted  to  ask  this  question  after  seeing  the 
many  glorious  examples  of  it  last  week  at  the 
great  London  show,  and  also  in  many  gardens 
that  we  have  visited.  The  flowers  seem  to  be 
of  a  richer  coppery  shrimp  pink  colour  than  ever, 
while  in  form  they  also  appear  to  have  gained 
some  points.  If  only  it  would  hold  up  its  head 
better  in  the  garden  ana  give  us  flowers  as  good 
as  it  has  done  this  year,  this  Rose  would  claim  a 
first  place  in  our  estimation  .is  a  garden  variety. 

Pruning  Climbing  Roses.— A  few  of  the  earliest 
flowering  varieties  are  over,  and  those  that  are 
not  likely  to  produce  a  second  crop  of  bloom, 
such  as  Tea  Rambler,  Polyantha  simplex  and 
Carmine  Pillar,  may  have  the  old  flowering  wood 
cut  out,  thus  giving  the  young  growth  every  chance 
of  developing  properly.  This  early  pruning  may 
not  commend  itself  to  those  who  like  to  see  their 
arches  and  pillars  well  clothed  all  the  summer, 
but  the  results  obtained  from  such  treatment 
are  good  enough  to  warrant  it  being  done,  and 
it  is  really  astonishing  how  quickly  the  young 
growths  develop. 

Campanula  pusilla  Miss  Willmott. — Possibh 
no  indi\'idual  plant  attracted  more  attention  at 
the  recent  Holland  House  Show  than  this  charming 
Bellflower.  In  colour  the  flowers  are  of  a  beautiful 
silvery  blue,  and  are  home  in  wild  profusion. 
So  popular  has  this  Campanula  become  th.at  no 
rock  garden  can  be  considered  complete  without 
it.     A  specialist  in  alpines  was  recently  heard  to 


remark  that  this  distinct  variety  is  the  most  sale- 
able of  all  alpines,  and  yet  it  has  never  been  granted 
even  an  aw<ard  of  merit  by  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Sfjciety. 

A  Useful  Hardy  Flower  for  Cutting.— In  the 

modem  craze  for  novelties  the  merits  of  many  of 
our  older  garden  flowers  are  in  danger  of  being 
overlooked.  This  was  brought  vividly  to  mind 
a  few  days  ago  when  we  saw  some  old  Cornish 
pitchers  daintily  filled  with  the  Goat's  Rue,  Galega 
officinalis.  Few  hardy  flowers  could,  with  so 
little  trouble,  be  induced  to  give  such  a  charming 
effect,  the  clusters  of  sky  blue.  Pea-shaped  fl-owers, 
with  the  dainty  green  pinnate  foliage,  lending 
themselves  well  to  artistic  arrangemont.  This 
plant  is  very  easy  to  grow,  and  will  give  armfuls 
of  beautiful  flowers  and  foliage  for  a  slight  outlav 
of  trouble. 

A  Beautiful  Evening  Primrose. — .\mnug  her- 
baceous plants  which  are  flowering  at  the  present 
time,  few  are  more  attractive  than  the  charming 
little  Evening  Primrose  known  as  CEnothera 
fruticosa  Youngii.  It  makes  an  erect  and  neat 
plant  from  2J  feet  to  3  feet  high,  the  columnar 
stems  being  for  some  weeks  well  furnished  with 
brilliant  golden  yellow  blossoms.  The  buds  are 
enclosed  in  a  sheath  of  orange  scarlet  hue,  and 
this,  combined  with  the  bright  yellow  of  the  fully- 
opened  flowers,  adds  to  the  charm  of  the  plant. 
Unlike  the  common  Evening  Primrose,  CEnothera 
biennis,  the  flowers  of  Yotmgii  remain  open  all 
day.  It  is  a  perennial  plant,  and  one  worthy  of 
inclusion  in  any  garden. 

Mendel's  Law  and  Variation  in  Plant-Life. — 

Dr.  H.  F.  Osbom,  writing  in  the  current  issue  of 
the  Orchid  Review,  says  :  "  The  brilliant  progress 
in  heredity  of  the  last  nine  years,  beginning  in 
1903  with  the  rediscovery  of  Mendel's  law.  should 
not  blind  us  to  the  four  broad  inductions  from 
paleontology,  that  transformation  is  a  matter  of 
thousands  or  himdreds  of  thousands  of  years, 
that  to  the  living  observer  all  living  things  may 
be  delusively  stationary,  that  invisible  tides  of 
genetic  change  may  be  setting  in  one  direction  or 
another  observable  only  over  very  long  periods  of 
time,  that  discontinuous  mutations  or  saltations 
may  be  mere  ripples  on  the  surface  of  these  tides." 

The  Great  Rose  Show. — The  immense  strides 
that  have  been  made  in  the  evolution  of  the  Rose 
were  well  demonstrated  at  the  great  London  show 
held  imder  the  auspices  of  the  National  Rose 
Society  on  Friday  of  last  week.  Perhaps  it  is  in 
what  are  termed  garden  Roses  that  the  greatest 
advance  has  been  made,  and  it  speaks  volumes  for 
the  acumen  of  the  Council  in  providing  special  classes 
for  these  a  few  years  ago.  The  most  charming 
features  of  this  record  show  were  these  decorative 
Roses  in  baskets  and  in  vases,  though  to  the  ex- 
hibitor the  large  single  blooms  in  vases  naturally 
appealed  most  strongly.  A  report  of  the  show, 
I  together  with  a  description  of  the  new  Roses  that 
I  gained  awards,  will  be  foimd  on  another  page 


M6 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  12,  191; 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

ITfu'    Editor    !S    luj    responsible    for    the    upiiiioiis 
expressed  hy  correspnudents.) 


An  Interesting  Old  Rose. — I  am  sending  the 

cndoseLl  Rose  to  ask  if  you  can  tell  me  its  name. 
It  is  from  a  very  old  tree,  and  in  general  provvth 
and  appeanmce  resembles  the  common  Maiden's 
Blush,  but  when  fully  open  the  flowers  are  pure 
white.  It  is  locally  called  the  Ointment  Rose, 
as  its  peta's  are  used  for  that  purpose  by  country 
housewives  in  this  neighbourhood.  It  is  scarcely 
ever  attacked  by  any  insect  or  blight,  and  is  never 
either  pruned  or  manured.  It  flowers  profusely 
every  summer7(wet  or  fine),  and 
appears  to  me  to  be  vastly 
superior  to  the  majority  of  modem 
rambling  Roses. — Anne  Amateur, 
Lindfield,  Sussex.  [The  Rose  is 
one  of  the  varieties  of  Rosa  alba 
named  Blanche  Belgique.  It  is  a 
very  good  old  variety,  but  not 
much  grown  now. — Ed.] 

Rosa    sinica    Anemone. — The 

short  note  on  page  340  of  last 
week's  issue  by  no  means  over- 
praises this  beautiful  but  rather 
tender  Rose.  It  is  one  of  the 
earliest  to  open  and  thoroughly 
distinct  in  colour.  I  would  like  to 
call  attention  to  the  newer  hybrid 
of  this,  named  Mrs.  A.  Kingsmill. 
Unlike  the  type,  this  is  a  dwarf 
grower,  has  the  additional  merit  ot 
lieing  perpetual  blooming,  and 
is  particularly  good  during  late 
autumn.  Curiously  enough,  it  also 
differs  by  having  the  lovely  shad- 
ings of  the  type  reversed,  these 
being  on  the  upper  instead  of  the 
imder  surface  of  the  petals.  The 
raisers,  Messrs.  George  Paul  and 
Son,  note  that  the  exhausted 
flowers  of  this  variety  should  he 
prnniptly  removed  as  an  aid  to  its 
better  growth. — A.  P. 

Silver-Leaf  Disease  in  Apple 
Trees. — Your  correspondent  Mr. 
E.  Molyneux  on  page  322,  issue 
June  28,  gives  readers  some  in- 
formation about  the  silver-leaf 
disease  of  fruit  trees  which  is 
startling.  Both  Plums,  Peaches 
and  Nectarines  have  been  from 
time  to  time  affected  by  this  disease, 
but  I  have  never  heard  of  Apple 
trees  suffering  from  it.  If,  how- 
ever, Mr.  Molyneux's  remedy 
proves  quite  successful,  he  will 
have  rendered  a  good  service 
to  fruit-growers.  In  my  own  case  I 
Peaches  and  Nectarines  affected, 
remedies  applied  failed,  the  trees  being  finally 
uprooted,  as  fresh  branches  were  diseased  every 
year.  The  trees  were  grown  on  an  old  nursery 
site,  and  I  was  told  that  silver-leaf  was  more  pre- 
valent when  the  trees  were  grown  in  such  soil  than 
when  grown  in  newly-broken  ground.  I  have  never 
seen  the  whole  of  a  tree  diseased  in  one  season, 
only  odd  branches,  the  others  being  quite  sound 
and  healthy. — B. 

The  Japanese  Iris. — May  I  enter  a  protest 
against  the  note  on  "The  Japanese  Iris"  on 
P^g""    3.17   of   last    week's  issue?     Iris   laevigata  .is 


a  totally  distinct  species  from  I.  Ksempferi,  from 
which  all  the  so-called  Japanese  hybrids  have 
arisen.  Both  species  grow,  apparently  in  proximity, 
in  the  Amur  district  of  Manchuria,  but  they  are 
easily  differentiated  by  the  fact  that  Ihe  leaves 
ot  1.  Ktempferi  have  a  distinct  midrib,  while  those 
of  I.  Iffivigata  are  smooth.  The  capsules  and  seeds 
are  also  very  different.  I.  hfvigata  is  still  a  very 
rare  plant,  although  a  quasi-albino  form  of  it  has 
long  been  known  under  the  name  of  I.  albo-purpurea. 
The  typical  plant  has  an  unbranehed  stem  and  a 
head  of  three  or  four  flowers,  which  open  in  succes- 
sion. The  colour  is  an  intense  blue-purple,  and 
in  its  best  forms  this  Iris  is,  to  my  mind,  the  best 
of  all  blue-flowered  Irises.      I  have  this  year  had  a 


ROSE  QUEEN  MARY,  AWARDED  A  GOLD  MEDAL  AT  THE  NATIONAL 
ROSE  society's  EXHIBITION.  SHOWN  BY  MESSRS.  ALEX. 
DICKSON    AND    SONS,    LIMITED.       {See  page  V.) 


have 
and 


had 
all 


number  of  seedling  plants  in  flower,  which  siiowed 
very  little  variation  except  in  the  exact  shade 
of  blue.  Colour  alone  cannot,  of  course,  be  relied 
upon  as  a  specific  character  ;  but,  so  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  discover,  wild  1.  Ksmpferi  is  always 
of  a  red-purple  colour. — W.  R.  Dykes. 

Worms  in  Lawns, — With  further  reference 
to  the  subject  of  worms  in  lawns,  I  should  like  to 
give  you  a  few  particulars  of  my  experience  as 
an  ordinary  amateur  in  this  direction.  I  generally 
happened  to  have  lived  in  districts  where  the  soil 
is  heavy,  and  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
it  is  a  great  mistake  to  destroy  the  worms  and  also 
to  roll  a  lawn   frequently,   as  excessive  water  does 


not  drain  away  quickly  enough  and,  consequently 
the  lawn  remains  very  soft,  more  especially  if 
it  should  happen  to  be  a  slightly  sunk  one.  I 
have  experienced  very  little  trouble  with  the  casts 
since  I  have  used  sand  (obtained  from  the  road), 
which  I  sprinkle  over  the  lawn  very  thinly  at 
intervals  from  autumn  to  spring,  according  to  the 
wetness  of  the  weather.  This  prevents  the  casts 
sticking  and  they  are  more  easily  distributed, 
and  even  if  they  are  trodden  on,  the  grass  easily 
pushes  up  again,  as  the  sand  prevents  caking. 
I  have  discarded  the  use  of  all  artificials,  as  1  find 
I  get  better  results  in  the  long  run  by  using  a 
mixture  of  fine  loam,  rotted  manure  and  leaf-soil 
spread  over  very  thinly  in  the  autumn  and  agaui 
m  early  sprmg.  It  is  astonish- 
ing how  quickly  these  dressings  are 
absorbed  when  the  worms  are 
allowed  free  play,  and  when  the 
lawn  is  quite  clear  I  dust  it  over 
with  slaked  lime,  in  which  I  am, 
from  experience,  a  strong  believer, 
particularly  in  soil?  of  this  nature, 
although  I  am  told  it  encourages 
i.lover.  However,  I  am  not 
troubled  with  this,  possibly  on 
account  of  the  dressings  of  sand. 
1  have  also  found  that  the  grass 
keeps  in  better  condition  during  a 
period  of  drought  under  this 
treatment  — H    R    Whistler 

The  Parrot's  Bill  in  Scotland. 

Clianthus  puniceus,  the  Parrot's 
Bill,  is  one  of  the  shrubs  which 
are  but  seldom  found  in  the  open  in 
Scotland,  but  that  it  can  be  grown 
successfully  in  specially  favoured 
gardens  is  evident  by  the  good 
plant  which  is  on  one  of  the 
terrace  walls  of  Culzean  Castle, 
Ayrshire,  the  seat  of  the  Marquis 
of  Ailsa.  Here  it  stands  the  winter 
well  and  flowers  on  a  southern 
aspect.  It  covers  a  considerable 
space,  and  is  highly  decorative 
with  its  pretty  foliage  and  its 
racemes  of  brilliant  scarlet  flowers. 
At  Culzean  it  does  not  appear  to 
call  for  any  protection,  but  the 
position  is  a  very  sheltered  one 
and  its  proximity  to  the  sea  tempers 
the  winters  greatly. — S.   Arnott. 

A  Fine  Magnolia. — Till    within 

a  recent  period  the  only  hardy 
Magnolia  of  an  evergreen  character  ' 
in  our  gardens  was  Magnolia 
grandiflora,  from  the  Southern 
United  States  of  North  America. 
A  second  evergreen  species  has, 
however,  now  come  prominently  for- 
ward in  Magnolia  Delavayi,  which 
first-class  certificate  at  the  Holland 
House  Show  on  July  i.  Although  so  many  of  the 
Magnolias  now  in  our  gardens  are  of  Asiatic  origin, 
they  were  all  deciduous  until  the  advent  of  M. 
Delavayi.  This  species  was  named  in  compliment 
to  P^re  Delavay,  who  first  discovered  it  in  Central 
China.  It  was  afterwards  found  by  Dr.  Henry 
iind  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson,  the  last  named  of  whom 
introduced  it  to  cultivation  in  Messrs.  Veitch's 
nursery  at  Coombe  Wood.  It  forms  a  bold-growing 
specimen,  clothed  with  large,  leathery  leaves, 
supported  by  rather  long  stalks.  These  leaves  are 
deep  green  above  and  whitish  beneath.  The  flowers 
are  large,  egg-shaped  and  creamy  white. — H.  P. 


was  given 


July  12,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


347 


Scentless  Musk. — In  reference  to  your  note  on 
this  subject  in  The  Garden  for  June  21, 
I  beg  to  say  that  it  was  noticed  here  several  years 
ago  that  the  common  Musk  (Mimulus  moschatus) 
was  devoid  of  scent.  Since  that  fact  was  noticed 
I  fear  the  old-time  favourite  has  been  looked  upon 
as  a  negligible  quantity  here,  a  few  odd  clumps 
being  allowed  to  grow  at  their  own  sweet  will. 
On  reading  your  note  on  the  subject,  however, 
three  of  us  tried  the  powers  of  our  olfactory  nerye 
on  the  plants,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  I  have  just 
read  the  interesting  and  suggestive  letter  over 
the  signature  "  Victoria  Slade  "  in  June  28  issue, 
and  shall  hope  to  see  other  testimonies  on  the 
subject. — Charles  Comfort,  Broomfield,  Mid- 
lothian. 

Richardia    Mrs.    Roosevelt. — This    Richardia, 

which  f  irmca  the  subject  of  a  coloured  plate 
in  The  Garden  for  June  21,  can  at  the  present 
day  hardly  be  regarded  in  the  light  of  a  novelty, 
although  it  is  in  every  way  a  thoroughly  good 
garden  plant.  Undoubtedly  it  would  be  more 
popular  than  it  is  were  the  spathes  of  a  cleai. 
decided  yellow  colour.  It  was  shown  by  the  late 
Mr.  Amos  Perry  of  Enfield  (whose  recent  death 
we  all  deplore)  at  the  Holland  House  Show  of  ii)o6. 
when  an  award  of  merit  was  bestowed  upon  it 
by  the  floral  committee  of  the  Royal  Hortirultura) 
Society.  At  th.nt  time  it  was  said  to  be  the  result 
of  a  cross  between  Richardia  hastata  and  R.  albi>- 
maculata.  This  is  probably  correct,  though  the 
hybrid  form  is  more  vigorous  than  either  of  its 
parents. — H.   P. 

Where  to  Grow  Arenaria  balearica.  —  Some 
may  be  misled  by  the  remark  on  page  314,  issue 
June  21,  that  this  prettiest  of  very  dwarf  rock 
plants  is  best  grown  on  northern  exposures. 
It  grows  here  like  a  weed  on  the  face  of  brick  walls 
facing  due  south,  and  on  a  newly-made  rockery 
it  is  already  taking  possession  of  whinstone  and 
sandstone  alike.  To  show  how  climate  affects 
this  plant,  I  may  add  that  though  it  comes  up 
on  south-aspected  walls  in  a  manner  that  proves 
it  thoroughly  enjoys  these  places,  I  do  not  recollect 
an  instance  of  its  establishing,  or  even  trying  to 
establish,  itself  in  a  shaded  position  or  on  a  northern 
aspect.  It  may  not  be  known  that  it  forms  an 
admirable  carpeting  plant  for  bulbs  in  vases, 
and  I  constantly  make  use  of  it  for  that  purpose 
when  Hyacinths  and  Tulips  are  transferred  to  these 
in  spring.  It  is  an  exceedingly  happy-go-lucky 
plant,  and  never  resents  removal,  while  the  tiniest 
piece,  like  some  of  the  wee  Sedums,  takes  hold  and 
establishes  colonies  in  most  unexpected  positions. — 
R.  P.  Brotherston,  Prestonkirk,  N.B. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

July  14. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society  Meeting. 

July  15. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Exhi- 
bition. National  Rose  Society's  Show  at 
Gloucester.  Southampton  Carnation  and  Summer 
Show. 

July  16. — Flower  Shows  at  Caterham,  Uxbridge, 
Bishop's  Waltham,  Reigate,  and  Perry  Barr, 
Birmingham.  Nottinghamshire  Horticultural  and 
Botanical  Show  (two  days). 

July  17. — National  Sweet  Pea  Society's  Show  at 
Vincent  Square.  Dunfermline  Rose  Show  (two 
days).     Dulwich  Flower  Show. 

July  18. — National  Carnation  and  Picotee  Show 
at    Vincent   Square.     North   Lonsdale   Rose   Show. 
Birmingham  Floral  F^te  (two  days). 
July  IQ. — Blackbuni  Flower  Show. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


THE    SUMMER    PRUNING    OF    ROSES. 

BY  the  end  of  July  almost  the  whole  of 
our  ramblers  and  climbers  from  the 
Polyantha.  Ayrshire,  Boursault  and 
hybrid  wichuraiana  sections  will  have 
finished  flowering  ;  and  as  the  majority 
of  these  only  bloom  once,  and  then 
produce  their  best  display  from  the  ripened  wood 
of  the  previous  season,  more  particularly  upon 
those  long  maiden  shoots  so  characteristic  of  this 
class  of  Rose,  some  little  attention  is  necessary 
towards  securing  a  quantity  of  such  wood  in  the 
best  possible  condition ;  and  it  is  by  a  judicious 
use  of  the  pruning-knife  after  their  flowering  is 
over  that  this  desire  can  be  best  obtained.  Cut 
away  as  much  of  the  older  wood  as  possible, 
encouraging  long  growths  from  as  near  the  base 
of  the  plants  as  you  can.  Do  not  fear  to  thoroughly 
thin  out  the  centres  of  bushes  and  weeping  stan- 
dards, and  be  firm  in  the  removal  of  any  growths 
with  the  slightest  tendency  to  deterioration. 
This  last  is  of  more  importance  than  many 
apparently  imagine,  as  it  has  undoubtedly  a 
tendency  to  develop  that  peculiar  canker  and 
constriction  of  bark  so  often  found  upon  many  of 
our  strongest  growers.  A  less  quantity  of  young 
wood,  and  that  properly  developed,  will  always 
prove  more  serviceable  than  a  mass  of  inferior 
growth,  and  perhaps  never  more  so  than  when 
cultivating  this  class  of  Rose. 

Some  little  discretion  should  be  exercised  when 
dealing  with  our  climbers  and  ramblers  that  afford 
later  blooms  or  a  short  run  of  a  few  occasional 
flowers  after  their  first  glut.  I  would  leave  some 
of  the  best  laterals  upon  these  and  prune  theni 
away  during  the  general  pruning  of  next  spring  ; 
otherwise  one  sacrifices  a  number  of  useful  flowers 
from  varieties  of  '.he  William  Allen  Richardson, 
Reve  d'Or,  Climbing  Perle  des  Jardins,  L'Ideal 
and  Mine.  Pierre  Cochet  class.  There  are  also  a 
few  of  the  hybrid  wichuraianas  that  provide  quite 
a  useful  lot  of  autumn  flowers  upon  the  best  of 
their  late  summer  laterals.  Alberic  Barbier, 
Alice  Garnier,  Elsie  and  the  newer  variety  Sylvia 
are  examples,  while  the  beautiful  small  single 
white  wichuraiana  alba,  the  t\'pe  or  species  from 
which  this  section  of  ramblers  originated,  may 
be  left  entirely  free  of  the  knife,  merely  thinning 
out  the  spray  growths  that  have  flowered  when 
doing  the  usual  spring  trimming,  as  almost  all 
of  such  laterals  will  continue  to  carry  trusses 
of  flowers  and  highly-coloured  berries  until  long 
after  the  frosts  have  stopped  the  majority  of 
Rose  blooms. 

Some  of  our  vigorous  Hybrid  Perpetuals,  too, 
may  feel  the  knife  to  advantage  after  their  chief 
flowering  is  over.  I  am  alluding  to  such  as  Mme. 
Gabriel  Luizet  and  Margaret  Dickson,  which  seldom 
bear  more  than  one  good  crop  during  the  summer, 
and  this  upon  the  best-matured  rods  of  the  previous 
vear.  A.   P. 


STANDARD    ROSES    AND    INSECT 
PESTS. 

[/n  Reply  to  a  Correspondent.] 
We  think  there  is  a  great  deal  in  the  observation 
you  make  regarding  the  comparative  immunity  of 
blight  upon  standard  Roses  as  compared  with 
bushes,  and  it  would  be  interesting  to  hear  the 
experience  of  other  readers  on  the  subject.  One 
reason  for  this  immunity  is  that  the  elevation  from 
the  ground-line  prevents  the  insects  hibernating  in 


the  soil  to  a  great  extent,  and  another  that  birds 
during  their  nesting  season  can  more  readily  dear 
tlie  trees.  If  one  could  ascertain  the  number  of 
aphides  a  single  pair  of  sparrows  will  devour  in  a 
day,  we  should  not  be  so  ready  to  condemn  this 
little  despised  bird.  Our  correspondent  asks  for  tlie 
names  of  Roses  that  make  good  standards.  We 
cannot  publish  a  long  list,  but  name  the  following 
as  being  specially  suitable  for  this  form  of  growth  : 
Caroline  Testout,  Frau  Karl  Druschki,  Gustav 
Griinerwald,  Hugh  Dickson,  J.  B.  Clark,  Joseph 
Hill,  Killarney,  Lady  Ashtown,  Lyon  Rose, 
La  Tosca,  Mme.  Leon  Pain,  White  Maman  Cochet, 
Edward  Mawley,  James  Coey,  Countess  of  Shaftes- 
bury, Souvenir  de  Gustave  Prat,  Sunburst,  Mrs. 
Herbert  Stevens,  British  Queen,  Griiss  an  Teplitz, 
Lady  Roberts,  Mme.  .Antoine  Mari,  Mme.  Abel 
Chatenay,  Mme.  Jean  Dupuy,  Mme.  Ravary,  Prince 
de  Bulgarie.  William  Allen  Richardson,  Alister 
Stella  Gray,  Sar.ih  Bernhardt,  General  Macarthur, 
Gloire  de  Dijon,  Gustave  Regis,  Mrs.  George 
Shawyer,  La  France,  La  France  de  '8g,  Laurent 
Carle,  Mme.  Hoste,  Mme.  Isaac  Pereire,  Mme. 
Melanie  Soupert,  Mme.  Wagram.  Margaret  Dickson, 
Mrs.  John  Laing,  Mrs.  Stewart  Clark,  Paula, 
Peace,  Prince  C,  de  Rohan,  Richmond.  Souvenir 
do  S.  A.  Prince,  Ulrich  Brunner,  Viscountess 
Folkestone,  Mrs.  A.  Mimt,  Mrs.  H.  Brocklebank, 
Chateau  de  Clos  Vougeot,  Arthur  R  Goodwin, 
Juliet,  Betty,  Countess  of  Derby,  Florence  H. 
Veitch,  George  Dickson,  Lady  Pirrie,  Lady  Greenall, 
Melody,  Lieutenant  Chaure,  Marquise  de  Ganay, 
Mme.  Segond  Weber,  Countess  of  Ilchester. 
I'harisaer,  Walter  Speed,  Harry  Kirk  and  Molly 
Sharman    Crawford, 


IN     THE     HERB    GARDEN. 


COMPARED  with  people  who  grow 
Roses  or  Orchids  or  rock  plants  or 
Carnations,  how  few  there  are  who 
pay  any  attention  to  herbs  !  Yet 
no  plants  are  more  interesting  and 
nothing  can  be  more  dehghtful  than 
a  garden  of  herbs  when  properly  designed  and 
taken  care  of.  Unless  a  fairly  favourable  spot 
IS  given  up  to  them,  the  full  pleasure  of  such  a 
garden  cannot  be  tasted.  Wherever  circum- 
stances make  it  possible,  some  enclosure  separated 
liy  hedge  or  bank  or  fence  from  the  garden  proper 
should  be  set  apart.  In  it  will  be  found  a  sense 
of  rest  and  healing  elsewhere  unknown  besides  a 
sweetness  that  is  strangely  refreshing.  Unlike 
the  garden  flowers,  herbs  are  what  Sir  Francis 
Bacon  calls  "  fast  of  their  smells."  If  you  want 
to  savour  them,  you  must  ask  for  them.  Just  a 
touch  suffices  or  the  merest  brushing  of  the 
hem  of  one's  garment  as  one  passes — then  the 
Thymes,  the  Mints  and  all  the  other  herbs  will 
show  what  they  are  made  of. 

My  own  herb  garden,  though  I  would  not  be 
vain  about  it  and  I  confess  that  it  is  much  too 
small  to  please  me,  is  a  source  of  interest  not  only 
to  myself,  but  to  all  kinds  of  people.  And  why  ? 
Because  it  appeals  to  so  many  different  sorts  of 
tastes  and  fancies. 

First,  the  cooks.  I  put  them  first  because  in 
a  herb  garden  it  is  well  to  be  practical.  Why  do 
cooks  like  it  ?  That  is  soon  told.  Because  they 
find  in  it  so  much  that  improves  their  soups  and 
salads.  In  the  spring  and  early  summer  when 
the  herbs  are  fresh  they  are  at  their  very  best, 
and  it  is  such  a  pity  that  present-day  cooks  are 
accustomed  to  find  little  else  in  the  kitchen  garden 


348 


THE    GARDEN. 


[July  12,  1913. 


besides  Parsley,  Mint  and  Sage.  All  gardens 
have  these,  we  must  suppose ;  but  why  stop  there  ? 
Why  not  grow  Sweet  Marjoram,  Curled  Chervil, 
Tarragon,  Savory,  and  both  the  common  and  the 
Lemon  Thymes  ?  All  these  have  pleasant  and  useful 
flavours.  Winter  Savory  is  a  perennial,  and  the 
young  spring  shoots  are  beautifully  tender.  Later 
on  in  the  season,  however.  Summer  Savory  (an 
annual)  is  better,  as  it  is  less  woody.  Marjoram 
for  its  sweetness  and  the  Savories  for  their 
warm  spicy  taste  are  very  popular  in  the 
kitchen.  For  different  reasons  so  are  Chervil 
and  I  emon  Thyme.  Tarragon  and  Basil  are 
more  fnr  occasional  than  for  everyday  use. 

Church  people  —  indeed,  all 
Bible-lovers — seem  never  tired  ol 
seeing  such  herbs  as  Myrrh  and 
Hyssop,  known  so  well  to  them 
by  name.  Myrrhis  odorata,  also 
called  Sweet  Cicely,  has  umbels 
of  charming  white  flowers,  which 
bloom  profusely  in  the  month 
oi  May.  Hyssop  (blue-flowered, 
a  bushy,  handsome  plant)  is  still 
used  in  the  Roman  form  of  con- 
secration. Coriander  seeds,  per- 
fectly round,  with  a  hot,  sweet 
taste,  were  compared  in  appear- 
ance to  the  manna  rained  down 
from  Heaven  to  feed  the  Israelites. 
They  are  now  used  to  flavour  curries 
and  in  making  sugar  plums. 

Antiquarians  and  people  who 
delight  in  legendary  lore  cannot  be 
got  out  of  the  herb  garden  once 
they  are  in  it  !  What  with  old 
associations  and  magic,  there  is  no 
end  to  their  stories.  St.  John's 
Wort  is  one  of  the  amazing 
plants.  If  you  pull  a  sprig  of  it 
on  Midsummer  (St.  John's)  Eve, 
a  fairy  horse  will  spring  up  from 
the  ground  and  fly  round  the 
world  with  you  before  you  know 
where  you  are.  Vervain,  which 
grew  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross, 
was  never  gathered  by  the  faithful 
without  a  certain  prayer  being 
breathed  over  it.  The  plant  was 
full  of  virtue. 

Doctors,    of     course,    are    inter- 
ested   in    seeing    the    herbs    alive 
and    growing,    which,    as    a   rule, 
they    only    think     of     when     they 
write    prescriptions  —  Peppermint, 
for       instance,      and       Dill       for 
fractious  babies  :     Wormwood    for 
bitters ;       Mallow,      Mullein     and 
Elecampane  for  coughs  ,    Marigold         THE  BLUE- 
for  sprains  ;    Valerian  for  nerves  ; 
and    Chamomile    as    a   stomachic. 
"  A  trifle  of  the  herb    called   dandelion,"    it    may 
be  remembered,   gave    a  smartness  to  Betsy  Prig's 
famous   salad.     This    lierb    is    still    in    tlic    British 
Pharmacopoeia. 

The  day  for  home-made  scents  is  over,  so  there 
is  no  demand  now  for  Lavender,  Rosemary,  Bee 
Balm,  Bergamot,  or  Sweet  Woodruff  to  brew 
"  sweete  waters."  Most  of  us  like  to  have  these 
in  our  flower  gardens,  all  the  same,  to  enjoy  their 
Iragranre.  but  it  is  to  the  herb  garden  they  properly 
belong. 

Much  more  might  be  said  about  the  pleasantness 
and  usefulness  of  the  herb  garden,  but  this  is  enough 
at  one  time.  Frances  A.  Bardswell. 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


THE     BLUE  FLOWERED     POPPY. 

(Meconopsis  Wallichii.) 

THIS    is    undoubtedly    one    of    the    finest 
of     the      Poppyworts      in      cultivation. 
It     is    an     extremely    handsome    her- 
baceous   biennial,   and    is    remarkable 
as    being    one     of     the    few,     if     not 
the    only,    truly    blue-flowered     Poppy 
in    cultivation    at    the    present    time.     It    attains 
a    height    of    from    4    feet   to   7   feet,    and    forms 
a    perfect    pyramid.     It    is    exceedinglv    beautiful 


FLOWERED  POPPY,   MECONOPSIS    WALLICHII,   A 
PLANT    FOR    A    SHADY    CORNER. 

I  when  in  full  flower.  The  blossoms  are  about  three 
inches  in  diameter,  broadly  saucer-shaped,  pendent 
and  of  a  lovely  shade  of  blue.  The  blooms  always 
commence  to  open  first  at  the  summit  of  the  stem, 
then  gradually  from  day  to  day  expand  until  the 

!  lowest  and  last  bud  is  reached. 

'      Although,  as  a  rule,  not  more  than  about  twenty 

1  flowers  are  fully  open  at  one  time,  there  is  something 
particularly  attractive  about  M.  Wallichii  in  full 
bloom  that  fascinates  plant-lovers.  Its  curious, 
deeply-cut  leaves,  the  conspicuous,  long,  red, 
bristle-like  hairs  and  the  general  habit  all  tend  to 
mark  it  out  among  its  fellows  for  special  attention. 
It    was   first   discovered   in   Sikkim   by   Sir   J.    D. 


Hooker,  and  seeds  forwarded  to  Kew  bloomed 
there  in  the  summer  of  1852.  It  forms  a  rosette 
of  large  leaves  from  i  foot  to  18  inches  in  length, 
deeply  cut  and  very  brittle,  and  is  a  plant  that 
requires  a  specially-prepared  site  to  grow  well. 
In  a  peat  bed,  under  the  shade  of  a  large 
Bamboo,  as  near  an  imitation  of  its  natural  habitat 
is  obtained  as  is  possible  in  this  country.  It  requires 
shade,  and  seems  to  do  best  where  it  can  have  no 
chance  of  seeing  the  sun  at  all. 

It  is  unfortunate  that,  after  all  its  beauty  and 
interest,  the  plant  should  die  entirely  away  when 
the  flowering  is  over,  and  seed  should  therefore  be 
sown  every  year.  To  obtain  the  fullest  develop- 
ment in  these  plants,  seeds  should 
be  sown  early  in  the  year,  say  in 
February  or  March,  the  latter  date 
being  quite  early  enough  where 
warmth  can  be  had  for  the  seed- 
pan.  An  important  point  is  that 
of  growing  on  the  seedlings  briskly 
from  the  first,  as  a  check  at  any 
of  the  early  stages  prior  to  planting 
out  is  calculated  to  do  serious 
mischief.  From  the  seed-pan  the 
young  plants  should  be  potted 
into  equal  parts  of  loam  and  sandy 
peat  in  pots  4  inches  across, 
transferring  them  to  their  per- 
manent positions  as  soon  as  the 
roots  reach  the  side  of  the  pot. 
To  delay  planting  out  is  to  court 
failure,  as  the  pyramid  of  blossom 
in  the  year  ensuing  will  be  in  pro- 
portion to  the  development  of  the 
plant  in  the  first  year.  A  dozen 
to  twenty  plants  should  be  placed 
in  an  irregular  group  at  about 
eighteen  inches  apart.  These, 
when  in  full  flower,  will  provide 
a  glorious  sight.  There  is  a  good 
deal  of  difference  in  the  colour  of 
the  flowers,  and  a  good  strain 
should  be  selected.  The  varieties 
fusco-purpurea  and  purpurea  are 
not  so  desirable  as  the  type,  as  the 
blossoms  are  dull  in  colour. 

Wyndham  Fitzhereert. 

SEASONABLE    NOTES    ON 
CARNATIONS. 

Propagation.  —  There     are     no 

plants  easier  to  increase  than  these, 

and  the  result  can   be   achieved  by 

cuttings,     seeds,     or     layers.      Of 

the   three   the     last    named    is   by 

tar  the  most  generally  satisfactory, 

BEAUTIFUL         because      with       reasonable      c.ire 

failure  is   an  impossibility  and  one 

knows    that    the    variety   will     be 

perpetuated.      The   same    desirable    result   is,    of 

course,    secured    when   cuttings   are  rooted ;    hut, 

unless  a  man  is  exceptionally  fortunate  or  skilful,  it 

is  certain    that    the    proportion  of  losses    will    be 

considerable.     The    raising   of   seedlings   is    full    of 

interest,  and  should  be  done  in   all  gardens  each 

season,    since    plants    of    remarkable    vigour    and 

floriferousness   are    thus    procured,    and   now    and 

again  one  of  superb  quality  is  found  that  is  in  all 

respects  worthy  of  perpetuation  by  layering.     The 

disadvantage  of  seedlings  is  that  one  never  knows 

what  one  will  get,  and  amateurs,  as  a  rule,  do  not 

care  to  live  in  such  a  world  of  uncertainty.     Seeds 

can  be  sown  out  of  doors  now  on  a,  border  of  light 


July  12,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


349 


soil,    and   the   resultant    plants   will,    with    proper 
care,  iilooni  next  year. 

Layering. — However,  the  subject  of  the  moment 
is  how  best  to  proceed  in  layering.  Fortunately, 
the  details  are  simple,  and  well  within  the  reach 
of  every  amateur  in  the  country.  The  first  step 
is  to  erect  a  mound  of  soil  round  the  plant  to  be 
increased.  The  compost  should  comprise  leaf- 
soil  or  refuse  manure  and  sand  in  addition  to  the 
ordinary  soil  of  the  garden,  and  it  ought  to  be 
built  up  to  such  a  height  that  the  fixing  of  the 
layers  will  be  facilitated.  The  next  point  with 
which  to  deal  is  that  of  suitable  shoots.  This 
presents  no  difficulties,  since  any  growth  that 
shows  neither  signs  of  disease  nor  flower  answers 
admirably.  From  the  lower  portion  a  few  leaves 
must  be  stripped,  and  the  essential  cut  should  be 
made  with  a  very  sharp  knife.  Lift  the  growth 
carefully,  insert  the  knife  underneath,  and  draw 
it  upwards  and  outwards  through  at  least  one 
joint — usually  a  length  of  i  inch  will  suffice.  This 
done,  the  cut  should  be  so  pegged 
down  to  the  mound  prepared  that 
the  tongue  is  kept  wide  open.  To 
ensure  this,  many  people  insert  a 
small  stone  ;  but  this  is  not  really 
necessary,  as  the  soil  will  answer  the 
same  purpose  if  the  work  is  done 
correctly.  The  one  thing  further  that 
is  needed  to  encourage  rooting  is 
pleasant  and  equable  moistness,  and 
in  normal  seasons  this  is  easily 
secured  by  the  judicious  application 
of  water.  To  attach  the  layers  to 
the  mound,  pegs  of  any  convenient 
kind  can  be  utilised.  Those  of  Bracken 
Fern  are  excellent,  if  procurable,  and 
specially-made  pins  are  purchasable 
from  seed  merchants  and  nursery- 
men at  reasonable  prices.  It  may 
be  well  to  caution  the  tyro  against 
making  the  cut  so  low  down 
on  the  shoot  as  to  reach  the  woody 
portion,  as  this  usually  ends  in 
failure. 

Tying  and  Staking.  —  Witli  the 
plants  practically  at  their  best,  it 
is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  no 
detail  that  will  go  to  the  full  reward 
of  past  labours  shall  be  overlooked. 
If  the  flower-stems  are  allowed  to 
lie  about  in  all  directions,  the 
blooms  will  not  come  to  perfection, 
and  those  that  do  develop  to  a 
fair  state  of  beauty  will  not  show  off  their 
charms.  Therefore  careful  staking  and  tying 
are  imperative.  Avoid  the  use  of  heavy  sticks 
and  thick  strands  of  tying  material,  as  they 
are  unsightly  ;  but  attach  each  stem  in  a  ligature 
that  will  support  it  adequately  without  creating 
the  smallest  suspicion  of  stiffness.  As  with  pins 
for  layering,  so  with  supports.  Special  ones  are 
procurable  from  the  leading  dealers,  which  admir- 
ably answer  the  purpose  for  which  they  are 
intended. 

Watering  and  Hoeing. — The  glorious  uncer- 
tainty of  the  climate  of  our  beautiful  country 
makes  it  impossible  for  one  to  say  whether  it  will 
be  necessary  to  water  the  plants  or  not  ;  the 
decision  must  rest  with  the  cultivator.  If  the 
soil  is  dry,  give  water  to  maintain  it  in  a  state  of 
moistness  ;  if  it  is  wet,  leave  the  water-pot  alone. 
The  value  of  hoeing  is  undisputed.  Whenever 
the  surface  is  so  dry  that  the  blade  of  the  tool 
will  pass  freely  through  it,   use  the  hoe  ;    or  if  it 


is  feared  that  injury  will  be  done  with  that  tool, 
open  up  the  top  with  a  small  fork  or  a  bluntly- 
pointed  stick.  J.  H. 


SOME    GOOD    SUMMER     FLOWERS. 

A  CHARMING  gathering  of  flowers  lately  received 
from  Messrs.  Bunyard  of  the  Royal  Nurseries, 
Maidstone,  is  a  pleasant  reminder,  to  one  who  is 
now  only  rarely  able  to  visit  nurseries  and  private 
gardens,  of  the  advance  that  is  being  made  in  the 
varieties  of  some  of  our  best  summer  flowers. 
Of  these,  Irises  and  Delphiniums,  Heucheras, 
Poppies  and  Pinks  all  show  variations  in  some 
desirable  direction.  Among  those  received  the 
following  are  noteworthy  flowers  of  rare  beauty : 
Iris  Mrs.  Reuthe  is  a  large  and  lovely  flower  of  a 
pale  delicate  tint,  apparently  within  the  pallidas  ; 
Delphinium  Mrs.  Creighton,  a  very  striking  bloom, 
blending  blue  and  rosy  purple  in  a  strong  metallic 
sheen  ;  Persimmon,  a  flower  of  loveliest  pale  blue  ; 
Queen  Wilhelmina,  palest  blue,  flushed  with  light 


No  flowers  have  gained  more  of  late  years  than 
the  Oriental  Poppies.  It  must  have  been  twelve 
years  ago  when  I  first  saw  a  collection  of  blooms — 
I  think  from  Messrs.  Godfrey  of  Exmouth,  of 
orange  and  pink  colourings,  some  of  them  already 
inclining  to  a  salmon  tint.  More  recently  we  have 
had  the  admirable  Mrs.  Perry,  of  apricot  colouring, 
followed  by  the  still  more  beautiful  Jeannie  Mawson. 
Wlien  one  sees  a  well-bloomed  patch  of  this  wonder- 
ful flower,  one  thinks  that  beautiful  development 
of  the  Oriental  Poppy  can  go  no  further.  Now 
Messrs.  Bunyard  send  a  charming  little  flower 
named  Princess  Ena,  much  like  a  miniature  Jeannie 
Mawson,  also  a  splendid  scarlet,  Hesperia,  and  a 
very  dark  claret-coloured  bloom  called  Mahoney. 
For  amateurs  who  have  space  to  spare,  nothing 
is  easier  or  more  interesting  than  the  raising  of 
these  Poppies  from  seed.  Quite  twenty  years  ago  I 
sowed  the  seed  of  a  single  pod  of  Papaver  orientale 
bracteatura.  It  was  at  a  time  when  there  was 
some  discussion  in   the   horticultural    Press   as   to 


BE.^UTIKUL    GROUPING    OF    IRIS    K^MPFERI    MORNING    MIST    .ARRANGED    BY    MESSRS.   R.  WALLACE 
AND    CO.    AT    THE    HOLLAND    HOUSE    SHOW    LAST    WEEK.        {See  page  _S52.) 


rosy  lilac ;  Miranda,  palest  mauve  lavender ; 
Cymbeline,  brilliant  middle  blue ;  Lorenzo,  a 
massive  spike  of  darkest  blue.  These  flowers, 
all  of  the  solid  type,  with  well-filled  spike,  bring 
to  mind  other  good  Delphiniums,  of  which,  for 
ordinary  garden  use,  nothing  is  more  desirable 
than  those  so  easily  grown  from  seed  labelled 
Belladonna.  The  resulting  plants  are  not  exactly 
the  old  and  excellent  Belladonna,  with  its  wonder- 
fully pure,  rather  light  blue  colomring.  They 
have  lost  the  dwarf  stature  and  general  air  of 
distinction,  but  have  gained  in  constitution  and 
are  of  a  habit  intermediate  between  true  Belladonna 
and  the  taller  kinds.  They  have  the  Belladonna 
character  of  a  loose,  open  spike,  and  are  no  doubt 
near  relations  of  that  good  old  sort — precious 
plants  to  have  so  easily,  for  I  believe  the  true  old 
kind  rarely,  if  ever,  forms  seed. 

Of  the  Pyrethrums  from  Messrs.  Bunyard,  two, 
especially,  are  of  great  beauty — Queen  Mary  (flesh 
pink)  and  Ivonne  Cayeaux  {a  fine  white). 


the  identity  of  bracteatuni  with  the  ordinary 
orientale.  I  had  a  large  crop  of  seedlings,  many 
of  them  producing  flowers  of  great  size  and  beauty. 
They  varied  in  colour  from  a  very  deep  scarlet, 
like  that  of  the  usual  bracteatum.  to  a  bright, 
light  scarlet  of  the  colour  of  red-lead  paint.  But 
among  the  whole  lot  there  was  not  a  single  plant 
that  could  be  classed  as  bracteatum,  with  the 
dark,  distinct  foliage  and  stiii.  upright  flower- 
stem.  It  was  proof  enough  that  the  name 
bracteatum  has  no  botanical  value.      G.  Jekvll. 


WATERING    SWEET    PEAS. 

There  is  a  great  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the 
value  of  watering  Sweet  Peas  during  dry  weather, 
but  we  think  all  good  growers  are  agreed  that  a 
light  overhead  syringing  or  hosing  with  clear  water 
during  the  evenings  of  hot  days  is  beneficial  to  the 
plants.  This  not  only  washes  away  dust  and 
other  injurious  accumulations,  but  puts  a  decided 
check  to  the  ravages  of  insects. 


350 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  12,  1913. 


TREES     AND      SHRUBS. 

THE     FLOWERING     BRAMBLES. 

THE  genus  Rubiis  is  very  rich  in  the 
number  of  species,  but,  compara- 
tively speaking,  few  of  them  may  be 
described  as  good  garden  plants.  A 
list  of  the  best  twelve  would  about 
exhaust  the  number  of  those  worthy 
of  general  cultivation.  These  for  garden  pur- 
puses  may  be  readily  divided  into  three  groups, 
t'.g.,  those  worth  growing  for  the  flowers  ;  a 
few  with  ornamental  foliage,  including  two  or 
three  evergreens  ;  and  several  with 
attractive  stems,  which  are  seen 
at  their  best  in  winter  when  devoid 
of  leaves.  The  best  of  the  flower- 
ing Brambles  or  Raspberries  are 
three  North  American  species — 
Kubus  deliciosus  (illustrated),  R. 
odoratus  aitd  R.  nutkanus.  To 
these  may  be  added  two  double 
forms  of  t>ur  hedgerow  Brambles. 

Rubus    deliciosus. — This   is   a 

liardy  shrub  4  feet  to  6  feet,  occa- 
sionally  more,  in  height.     It   is   a 
native   of    the    Rocky   Mountains, 
and   was    introduced    by   the    late 
Mr.  Anderson  Henry  of  Edinburgh 
ill   1870,  though  it  was  known  and 
named  from   dried  specimens   fifty 
years    earlier.      The     leaves     and 
growth    of    the    bushes   suggest   a 
Currant      bush      rather      than     a 
Bramble,     and      it      has     neither 
spines  nor  thorns.      The  flowering 
season  is  May,  extending  into  June. 
The  blooms   are  white,  resembling 
a  single  Rose,  2  inches  or  more  in 
diameter.  There  are,  unfortunately, 
two  forms   in  commerce,  one  hav- 
ing    much    smaller     and     inferior 
flowers   than    the    one    illustrated. 
A  rich  sandy  loam  suits  the  plant 
best,  but  it  will  thrive  in  most  good 
garden  soils.     Though  a  perfectly 
liardy  shrub,    R.   deliciosus  should 
he.   given    a   warm,    sunny   spot   in 
the  garden  to  obtain  the  full  beautv 
of  the  bushes  ;   in  fact,  in  cold  dis- 
tricts it    is    worth    a    place    on    a 
svmny     south     wall.      The     usual 
method     of     propagation      is      by 
layering,   as    cuttings    do  not   root 
readily.     During  a  favourable  sum- 
mer the  plants  sometimes  produce 
fruits,  when  seeds  are  available  as 
a    second    means   of   propagation. 
The  name  "deliciosus"  was  given 
to  the  plant  presumably  to  describe 
the  flavour  of  the    fruit,    but    the 
traveller  when    he    discovered   the 
fruits    of    R.    deliciosus    must    have    been      very 
weary  and  thirsty  to  describe  them   as   delicious. 
The    fruits    of   our   hedgerow  Blackberries   are   far 
preferable. 

R.  odoratus. — This  is  a  very  old  introduction 
from  North  America,  and  is  figured  in  one  of  the 
earlier  volumes  of  the  Botanical  Magazine,  t.  323. 
It  is  vigorous  and  free  in  growth,  sending  up  strong 
canes  annually  to  a  height  of  6  feet  to  7  feet,  like 
the  garden  Raspberry.  The  suckers  spread  rapidly 
in  the  surrounding  ground  in  most  soils,  soon 
forming  large  clumps  or  groups.  The  flowering 
stems  should  be  cut  down  to  the  ground  in  autumn, 


leaving    only    the    yomig,    vigorous    shoots.     The     Bramble  is  R.  thyrsoideus  Sore  pleno,  the  nursery 
largest  of  the  handsome  leaves  measure  ro  niches    name    R.    (ruticosus    flore    albo    pleno.     The    most 


to  I  foot  acnjss.  The  rosy  purple  flowers  exceed 
two  inches  in  diameter,  and  are  borne  in  succession 
from  early  June  to  September.  The  Purple- 
flowering  Raspberry,  to  use  the  common  name, 
is  a  valuable  plant  for  shrubbery  borders  in  large 
and  small  gardens.  The  suckers,  which,  as  before 
mentioned,  push  up  freely,  form  a  ready  means 
of  increase,  and  the  plants  will  thrive  in  most 
soils  in  sun  and  shade. 

Pi.     nutkanus. — This    species,     from    the     fact 
that  it  was  first  discovered  growing  in  the  Nootka 


important  recommendation  possessed  by  both 
these  plants  is  that  they  do  not  flower  till  late 
summer  and  autumn,  when  most  of  our  hardy 
shrubs  are  over. 

Being  of  loose,  rambling  habit,  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  like  our  hedgerow  Brambles  except 
when  in  flower,  they  should  be  planted  in  the 
pleasure  grounds,  shrubbery  borders  and  wood- 
land ;  not  in  the  carefully-trimmed  beds  of  the 
formal  garden  and  terrace.  Here,  when  the  long, 
arching  growths  are  freely  clothed  with  blossoms, 
they  are  most  effective.  With  age 
it  becomes  necessary  to  cut  out  as 
many  of  the  old  dead  growths  as 
possible,  or  in  time  the  groups 
look  somewhat  dishevelled.  There 
are  few  soils  in  which  these  Brambles 
will  not  grow.  Layering  is  the 
usual  method  of  propagation,  while 
cuttings  will  also  root,  though  the 
percentage  of  successes  is  some- 
times not  very  encouraging. 


GREENHOUSE. 


1 1 

J 


FLOWERING         SPRAYS        OF       THE       THORNLESS        BRAMBLE,        RUBUS 
DELICIOSUS,  AN     INTERESTING    SHRUB    FOR    A    WARM    SITUATION. 


Sound  district,  is  sometimes  referred  to  as  the 
Nootka  Raspberry,  also  as  the  Salmon-berry. 
In  foliage  and  growth  it  closely  resembles  R. 
odoratus,  but  the  flowers  are  white. 

Double-Flowered   Brambles.— While  all  agree 

in  calling  them  double-flowering  Brambles,  we 
possess  in  gardens  a  double  pink  and  a  double 
white  Rubus,  to  which  botanists  and  nurserymen 
give  several  names.  In  the  "  Kew  Hand  List  " 
the  pink-flowered  form  is  named  R.  ulmifolius 
flore  pleno.  One  nursery  catalogue  gives  it  as 
R,  fruticosus  roseo  pleno,  and  a  second  R.  bellidi- 
florus.     The     Kew    name    for    the    double    white 


S.UMMER  TREATMENT  OF 
THE     AMARYLLIS. 

UDGING    from    what    one 
sees    in    even    good  gar- 
dens,    a     considerable 
amount       of      ignorance 
prevails     in     connection 
with  the  summer  culture 
of    this    showy    and   useful   stove 
bulb.     Plenty  of  growers  get  along 
all  right  with  freshly-bought  bulbs, 
but,  after   flowering  them  well  the 
first  season,  have  no  more  success. 
In    too    many  cases  the  reason  is 
not  at  all  difficult  to  discover.     As 
soon  as  the  flowers  fade,   the  pots 
are  placed  under  the  stage,  where 
they   either  get   too  much   or  too 
little  water  and  no  light  to  speak 
of.     This   is   entirely   wrong,    and 
the    finest      bulbs     in      existence 
would   fail    to    thrive    under    such 
conditions. 

The  proper  way  to  treat  the 
stove  Amaryllis  (Hippeastrum) 
after  flowering  is  to  place  the  pots 
in  a  warm  house,  say,  where  a  fairly 
steady  temperature  of  about  70'' 
can  be  maintained.  Should  any 
repotting  be  necessary,  attend  to 
this  before  placing  the  plants  in 
heat.  Personally,  I  see  no  necessity 
for  repotting  oftener  than  every 
three  to  five  years,  as  the 
Amaryllis  will  always  give  the  best  results  when 
rjramped  in  small  pots.  At  no  time  need  the  pots 
be  larger  than  the  7-inch  size,  and  very  fine  flowers 
are  grown  in  5-inch  pots.  Instead  of  repotting, 
it  is  therefore  best,  usually,  to  merely  top-dress 
with  rich  soil  to  which  has  been  added  a  fair  quan- 
tity of  Thomson's  Plant  Manure. 

By  the  beginning  of  June  with  the  early  batch, 
and  by  the  first  week  in  July  with  the  latest  plants, 
growth  should  be  complete.  It  is  then  that  the 
most  important  part  of  the  summer  treatment 
must  be  given.  Some  writers  advise  placing  the 
pots   in    cold   frames,    but    for   various   reasons    I 


July  12,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


351 


prefer  a  sunny  gri-enhouse  in  which  to  properly 
ripen  ort  the  bulbs.  An  open  lath  stage  is  the  best 
place  for  them,  and  they  must  recei\e  full  sunshine. 
Water  must  be  given  whenever  necessary,  and 
twice  a  week  liquid  manure,  or,  better  still. 
Ichthemic  Guano  in  water,  must  be  given  until 
the  foliage  begins  to  show  signs  of  turning  yellow. 
When  this  occurs,  drop  the  feeding,  but  do  not 
entirely  stop  watering.  Indeed,  the  soil  should  at 
no  time  be  allowed  to  get  dust  dry,  although  very 
little  water  will  be  necessary  after  the  foliage  dies 
down— just  enough  to  keep  the  roots  from  dying. 
This  is  most  important,  for,  naturally,  a  bulb 
which  retains  fresh,  healthy  roots  has  a  great 
advantage  over  one  that  has  been  enturely  dried  off, 
when  the  roots  have  to  start  into  growth  again. 
.As  soon  as  the  foliage  dies  down,  the  pots  may  be 
set  under  the  stage,  a  moderately  warm  greenhouse 
being  better  than  a  stove  for  storing  the  bulbs 
during  winter.  To  sum  up,  the 
Amaryllis  should,  during  summer,  be 
set  on  a  dry,  svmny  stage,  be  well 
attended  to  with  water,  and  fed  fre- 
quently with  weak  liquid  stimulants 
until  nearing  matiu-ity,  when  water 
only  should  be  given,  and  tliis  latterly 
in  great  moderation.  C.  Blair. 

Preiton  Gardens,  Linlithgow. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

THE     ALPINE    POPPY. 

WERE  it  not  that  one  knows  too 
well  the  troubles  that  await  the 
cultivator  of  Papaver  alpinum 
when  grown  in  the  ordinary  way, 
one  would  wonder  at  its  absence 
from  so  many  good  gardens.  It 
is  a  lovely  little  gem — a  vastly-refined  Iceland  Poppy 
— with  foliage  of  the  most  delicate  character,  both 
in  form  and  colouring,  and  a  picture  to  look  upon, 
either  in  or  out  of  flower.  A  charming  plant,  with 
leaves  as  if  carved  out  of  frosted  silver  or  made  of 
silvery  lacework,  it  bears  dainty  little  flowers  of 
varied  colours  lilted  gracefully  on  stems  some 
six  inches  high,  and  gives  a  succession  of  blossoms 
for  a  long  time.     They  are  of  many  lovely  sliades, 


among  the  chips  of  this  moraine,  the  plants  will 
stand  for  years,  and  will  give  a  long  period  of  lovely 
blooms,  seeding  themselves  in  favoured  places  and 
forming  dainty  groups  of  charming  foliage  and  even 
more  charming  flowers  S.  .Arnott. 


A    CHARMING    ASSOCIATION     OF 
ALPINE     FLOWERS. 

The  accompanying  illustration  shows  two  beautiful 
alpines  in  happy  association.  The  small-flowered 
plant  on  the  left  is  Erinus  alpinus,  native  of  the 
moimtains  of  Western  Europe,  but  natinalised 
here  and  there  in  Britain.  It  is  cherished  in  the 
rock  garden  by  virtue  of  the  fact  that  it  i»  one 
of  the  most  useful  crevice  plants  in  cultivation. 
Moreover,  it  is  an  admirable  wall  plant,  and  may 
easily  be  established  on  a  wall  by  sowing  seeds 
in  crevices  that  have  been  filled  in  with  stony  or 


LIBONIA     FLORIBUNDA. 

This  lovely  %varm-house  plant  is 
not  grown  as  extensively  as  it  ought 
to  be  by  amateur  cultivators.  It  is  a 
really  beautifm  plant  for  a  warm 
greenhouse,  and  flowers  during  the 
autumn  and  early  winter  months 
when  flowers  are  scarce.  Its  red  and 
yellow  blossoms,  gracefully  depending 
from  the  branches,  harmonise  agree- 
ably with  the  prevailing  colours  and 
autumn  tints.  Old  plants  are  often 
badly  infested  with  red  spider,  but 
these  minute  insects  can  be  kept 
away  if  the  plants  are  regularly 
syringed.  There  is,  however,  a 
better  way  of  growing  fine  plants, 
namely,  by  treating  them  as  annuals 
Irom  cuttings.  The  young  plants 
make  bushv  subjects,  and  the  floweis 
borne  on  them  are  large  and  highly 
coloured.  During  the  summer  months 
the  young  plants  may  be  grown  in  a 
cool  frame,  so  that  there  will  be 
no  need  to  sacrifice  space  in  the 
greenhouse   to  them  at   that  period. 

Take  off  strong  shoots   about   three   inches  long,    from  wiiite   through  roses  to  almost  scarlets  and 
insert    them  in   a  mixture   of  loam,   leaf-soil   and    yellows.     A  nice  variety  is  given  by  the  laciniatum 


POTENTILLA    GRANDIFLORA  ANLi    tkl.\Cb  ALl'I.NUS    1  LOWERING    SIDE    BY  SIDE    IN  THE  ROCK  GARDEN. 


sand  in  small  pots,  and  place  the  latter  in  a  pro- 
pagating-frame,  or  in  a  box  covered  with  glass, 
placed  on  the  hot-water  pipes.  When  sufficiently 
rooted,  pot  the  cuttings  separately  in  3-iuch  pots, 
using  a  similar  compost  with  the  addition  of  a 
small  quantity  of  old  mortar  rubbish  and  well- 
rotted  manure. 

Retain  the  plants  for  a  few  weeks  in  a  warm 
house  or  pit  where  a  moist  atmosphere  can  be 
maintained.  Repot  the  plants  as  they  require 
more  rooting  space,  using  the  compost  in  a  slightly 
rougher  state,  and  confine  them  to  a  frame  from 
the  early  part  of  June  to  the  early  part  of  Septem- 
ber ;  then  transfer  them  to  a  warm  greenhouse. 
Feed  the  plants  with  weak  soot-water  and  liquid 
manure  when  they  are  well  rooted.  It  would  be 
possible  to  buy  a  few  young  plants  now  to  grow  on 
lor  flowering  next  autumn  and  winter.        Avon. 


strain,  which  has  daintily- laciniated  petals.  The 
barrier  to  the  cultivation  of  Papaver  alpinum  lies 
in  the  fact  that  it  appears  to  suffer  badly  from  wet 
in  winter,  while  one  would  whisper  also  that  the 
slugs  are  not  innocent  of  the  destruction  of  many  of 
these  exquisite  little  alpine  Poppies.  They  can  be 
transplanted  in  showery  weather,  especially  when 
small ;  but  the  best  course  is  to  buy  a  packet  of 
seeds,  and  either  to  sow  very  thinly  in  sandy  soil 
where  they  are  to  bloom,  or  to  sow  them  as  thinly 
in  pots  of  sandy  soil,  just  covering  the  seeds  and 
pricking  out  the  seedlings  where  they  are  to  flower, 
or  into  2^inch  pots,  whence  they  can  be 
planted  out  with  the  ball  intact.  Given  a  very 
dry  position  in  extremely  light,  sandy  and  gritty 
soil,  they  may  stand  wonderfully  well ;  but  there 
can  be  no  manner  of  doubt  that  the  moraine  is  the 
place  par  excellence  for  the  alpine  Poppy.     Planted 


gritty  peat  and  loam.  The  flowers,  which  are 
profusely  borne  in  clusters  almost  clinging  to  the 
the  face  of  rocks,  are  variable  in  colour,  but  are 
generally  lilac  or  rosy  purple,  while  the  variety 
albais  a  white  counterpart,  and  flowers  with  almost, 
if  not  quite,  equal  freedom.  The  large-flowered  sub- 
ject of  the  illustration,  bearing  a  strong  resemblance 
to  a  Buttercup,  is  Potentilla  grandiflora.  This  is  a 
time-honoured  favourite  of  our  gardens,  having  been 
introduced  from  Southern  Europe  as  far  back  as 
1640.  Its  bright  golden  yellow  flowers  are  abimdantly 
produced  above  the  Strawberry-like  foliage.  The 
flowers  of  both  subjects  are  produced  in  early 
summer,  but,  like  many  of  the  pleasing  combi- 
nations among  alpine  flowers,  the  happy  effect 
here  produced  was  the  result  of  accidental  planting. 
It  is,  however,  an  effect  worth  noting,  and  those 
who  garden  for  early  summer  effect  should  certainly 
plant  these  subjects  in  close  proximity  to  one 
another. 


352 


THE    GARDEN. 


[July  12,  1913. 


NEW     AND     RARE     PLANTS. 


FIRST-CLASS     CERTIFICATES. 

Adiantum  trapeziforme  Queen  Mary.— A  very 
handsome  and  erect-growing  variety  of  this  well- 
known  species.  The  fronds  were  about  two  feet 
in  length,  the  pinnae  of  unusual  size.     From  Messrs. 


quite  freely.  Among  the  Erigerons  the  colour 
is  quite  unique  and  good.  Shown  by  IVIr.  Amos 
Perry  Enfield,  Middlesex. 

Rose  Muriel  Dickson. — A  Hybrid  Tea  of  deep 
glowmg  vermilion  scarlet  colour.  The  flowers 
are  of  good  size,  conical  form  and  fragrant. 

Rose   Mrs.   Godfrey   Brown. — This   also  is   a 

Hybrid  Tea,  the  flowers  behig  very  large  and  pale 


NEW     ORCHIDS. 

FIRST-CLASS  CERTIFICATES. 
Odontioda  Brewii. — A  new  hybrid,  quite 
distinct  from  .mything  yet  seen.  Parehtage : 
Odontioda  Charlesworthii  x  Odontoglossum  harry- 
anum.  In  colour  it  is  crimson  maroon,  and  it  is 
claimed  to  be  the  darkest  Odontioda  yet  raised. 
The  lip  is  large  with  a  golden  crest.     The  form  of 


H.  B.  May  and  Sons,  Edmonton. 

Magnolia   Delavayi. — By   reason    of   its   vigour  j  flesh  pink  in  colour.     Of  conical  shape,  very  full  '  the  flower  is  not  good,  but  by  virtue  of  its  remark 
as  a  young  plant,  this  remarkable  species  presents  |  and   slightly   fragrant.  i  able  colouring  it  is  likely  to  be  the  forerunner  of 


all  the  promise  of  tree-like  pro- 
portions when  fully  grown.  The 
flowers  are  of  creamy  hue,  deepen- 
ing into  pale  lemon  colour.  The 
handsome  leaves  are  9  inches  or 
so  in  length  and  4  inches  wide, 
ovate  -  acuminate  in  outline,  and 
with  slightly  undulated  margins. 
From  Messrs.  Veitch  and  Sons, 
Limited,  Chelsea, 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Adiantum    siebertianum.  —  A 

pretty  and  distinct  new  species, 
the  fronds  having  the  outline 
somewhat  of  A,  assimile,  though 
stiffer  and  more  erect-growing,  and 
of  a  crispate  character  through- 
out. In  youth  the  fronds  assume  a 
pretty  red  tint  that  is  most  pleasing. 

Polypodium  Mayi  cristatum. — 

This  is  practically  self-descrip- 
tive of  one  of  the  best  types 
of  greenhouse  Ferns.  P.  Mayi 
is  a  strong-growing  form  of  P. 
aureum,  the  cristate  character 
noted  in  the  present  variety 
adding  beauty  to  a  pleasing 
form.  Both  these  were  shown  by 
Messrs.  H.  B.  May  and  Sons, 
Edmonton. 

Nepenthes  atropurpurea. — Th.' 
pitchers  are  of  crimson  bruwii 
hue,  the  collar  beautifully  frilled. 
A  very  handsome  variety  of  con- 
siderable decorative  value. 

Nepenthes  Lewis  Bradbury. — 

In  this  the  pitchers  are  green 
and  brown,  somewhat  mottled 
or  freckled.  Like  the  fo?egoing, 
it  is  a  handsome  kind  and  of 
considerable  vigour.  These  were 
exhibited  by  Messrs,  J,  Veitch  and 
Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea, 
Iris  Kaempferi  Morning  Mist. — 

The  variety  is  certainly  a  very 
beautiful  and  effective  one,  the 
flowers  large  in  size,  the  white 
ground  covered  almost  by  a  shading 
of  blue,  which  renders  it  most 
attractive,  A  little  colony  of 
this  variety  is  illustrated  on 
page     349,  From     Messrs,     R, 

Wallace  and  Co,,  Colchester. 

Carnation  Virginia. — A  good  yellow-ground 
fancy,  streaked  and  flushed  cerise. 

Carnation  The  Baron. — Also  a  yellow-ground 
fancy,  marked  with  rose.  Both  are  excellent  in 
their  way.  Exhibited  by  Mr,  J,  Douglas,  Great 
Bookham,  Surrey, 

Erigeron  hybrida  Pinit  Pearl. — The  colour  is 
pinkish  buff,  with  perhaps  a  slight  shading  to 
deeper  pink  as  the  flower  ages.  The  plant  is 
about  fifteen  inches  high,  of  good  habit,  and  flowers 


A    BEAUTIFUL    NEW    HYBRID     ORCHID,    MILTONIA    SANDERS, 
AT    THE    HOLLAND    HOUSE    EXHIBITION    LAST    WEEK, 


Rose  Ulster  Standard, — A  very  deep  crimson 
single-flowered  variety.  Judging  by  the  sprays 
shown,  it  has  a  very  vigorous  habit,  and 
the  flowers  are  very  fragrant.  The  three 
foregoing  Roses  were  shown  by  Mr.  Hugh  Dickson, 
Belfast. 

Rose  Ophelia. — A  lovely  variety  with  pink 
centre  and  outer  petals  of  paler  hue.     Shown  in 


a  new  type.  Shown  by  Messrs. 
Charlesworth  and  Co.,  Hayward's 
Heath. 

Miltonia  Sanderae.  —  This  re- 
markable hybrid  is  illustrated  on 
this  page.  The  flowers  are  pale 
in  colour,  which  makes  the  dark 
maroon  eye  all  the  more  con- 
spicuous. It  was  raised  by  crossing 
M.  St.  Andre  with  M.  vexillaria 
G.  D.  Owen.  Shown  by  Messrs. 
Sander  and  Sons,  St,  Albans, 

Miltonioda  Harwoodii  Fowler's 
Variety.  —  The  new-comer  is  a 
great  improvement,  both  in  colour 
and  form,  on  this  bigeneric 
hybrid.  Shown  by  J,  G.  Fowler, 
Esq.,  South  Woodford. 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Three  new  Cattleyas  received 
awards  of  merit,  viz.,  C.  Mossiae 
Dreadnought,  a  bold  flower  with 
large  crimson  lip  with  golden  base, 
from  Messrs.  Sander  and  Sons  ;  C. 
Serenata,  a  bright  rosy  pink  of 
striking  colour,  from  Messrs. 
Mansell  and  Hatcher ;  and  C. 
Mossiae  Olympia,  a  beautiful  variety 
of  perfect  form  with  soft  mauve 
pink  flowers,  from  Messrs.  Charles- 
worth  and  Co.  Messrs.  Charles- 
worth  and  Co.,  Hayward's  Heath, 
also  gained  an  award  for  Odontioda 
Wilsonii  Le  President,  with 
peculiarly  mottled  rose  pink 
flowers  of  regular  outline  and  borne 
in  graceful  inflorescences. 

The  foregoing  plants  were  shown 
at  the  Holland  House  Show  last 
week  when  the  awards  were  made. 


A    GRAND  WALL    SHRUB. 

(ESCALLONIA    LANGLEYENSIS,) 

Though  now  fairly  well  distri- 
buted, the  merits  of  this  hybrid 
Escallonia  as  a  wall  shrub  are 
often  not  recognised  to  the 
extent  they  might  be.  It  was 
SHOWN  raised  in  Messrs.  Veitch'?  nursery 
at  Langley,  the  parents  being  the 
red-flowered  Escallonia  macrantha 
and  E.  philippiana,  whose  flowers  are  white. 
Generally  speaking,  it  is  about  midway  between 
the  two,  the  leaves  being  smaller  than  those 
of  macrantha,  while  it  inherits  a  good  deal 
of  the  spreading  gracefully,  arching  habit  of  the 
other  parent.  This  feature  is  most  pronounced 
when  the  principal  branches  are  secured  to  a  wall 
or  other  support,  and  the  minor  ones  allowed  to 


quantity   by  Messrs.  W.  Paul   and  Son,  Waltham  |  dispose  themselves  at  will,  which  they  will  do  in 
Cross.  i  a  pleasing   and   informal  manner.  H    P. 


July  12,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


353 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

HOW      TO      PROPAGATE      ROSES      BY      SUMMER     CUTTINGS. 


THK  amatfur  gardener,  and  partiriilarly 
the  beginner,  will  find  the  varying 
methods  of  propagating  or  increasing 
plants  one  of  the  most  interesting 
phases  of  gardening,  .^t  all  seasons 
of  the  year  there  is  little  or  much  work 
to  do  with  a  view  to  adding  to  one's  collection  or 
slock  of  phints.     It  may  be  seeds  to  sow,  inserting 


and  from  these  nodes,  when  inserted  in  the  soil, 
roots  may  be  expected  to  push  out.  In  taking  off 
the  bottom  leaf  be  careful  not  to  injure  the  bud 
in  the  axil,  as  later  on  any  of  such  buds  which  are 
below  the  surface  will  push  up  and  produce  those 
strong  basal  shoots  which  rosarians  delight  to  see 
pushing  through  the  soil.  Cuttings  4J  inches  to 
5  inches  long  when  made  ready  for  insertion,  with 
three  or  four  leaves,  are  a  good 
average  length.  Light,  sandy  soil  may 
be  used  for  filling  the  cutting-pots,  but 
a  larger  percentage  of  rooted  cuttings 
may  be  looked  for  if  sand  alone  is 
used.  Insert  four  or  five  cuttings 
in  4-inch  pots.  The  rooted  cutting 
illustrated  was  inserted  in  sand,  the 
photograph  being  taken  twenty-five 
days  after  it  was  put  in.  This  is 
ample  evidence  of  the  value  of 
sand  as  a  rooting  medium.  There 
is  also  much  less  liability  of  cut- 
tings damping  when  sand  is  used ; 
it  is  clean  to  handle,  and  when 
potting  off  the  rooted  cutting  the 
sand  falls  away  readily  from  the 
young  roots.  Should  a  few  of  the 
leaves  fall  off  the  cuttings  a  week 
or  more  after  insertion,  fears  of  non- 
success  need  not  be  entertained, 
provided  the  buds  in  the  axils  of 
the  leaves  remain  plump. 

The  provision  of  a  hand-light, 
frame,  or  propagating-case  is  the 
next  consideration.  The  quickest 
results    are    obtained    when   a    pro- 


aiong  a  lot,  and  by  April,  nine  months  from  inserting 
the  cuttings,  nice  plants  should  be  available 
to  plant  out  in  the  borders.  These  will  give 
a  few  nice  flowers  during  the  summer  and  a 
plentiful  supply  in  autumn  if  mulched,  watered 
and  carefully  tended. 


HOW    TO    GROW    GOOD    I. ATE 
TURNIPS. 

YotJNG,  succulent  Turnips  are  always  appreciated 
more  than  those  of  a  tough,  stringy  nature.  It  is  a 
difficult  matter  to  avoid  a  certain  amount  of  tough- 
ness in  roots  raised  during  the  hot  days  of  summer, 
however  careful  one  may  be  as  regards  cultivation. 
Where  the  summer-raised  roots  must  be  depended 
upon  for  use  in  the  early  part  of,  and  through, 
autumn  well  into  the  winter,  it  is  a  good  plan  to 
lift  some  of  them  while  still  in  a  tender  condition 
as  regards  flesh,  and  bury  them  in  the  ordinary  soil 
on  the  north  side  of  a  wall  or  fence.  The  tops 
must  be  cut  off,  of  course,  and  the  roots  buried, 
without  washing,  in  the  pit,  being  covered  by  quite 
six  inches  of  soil.  So  treated,  they  will  remain 
sound  for  many  months.  Where  it  is  possible  to 
raise  young  roots,  however,  these  should  be  pre- 
ferred. In  .\ugust  and  through  September  the 
young  roots  swell  rapidly. 

The  Soil  and  the  Sowing  of  the  Seeds.— Many 

persons  are  luider  the  impression  that  Turnips 
to  bulb  well  must  be  grown  in  hard  ground,  in 
soil  well  firmed  by  treading.  Even  in  naturally 
light  soils  it  is  not  necessary  to  firm  them  beyond 
the  ordinary  breaking  up,  drilling  and  raking 
afterwards.     In  heavy  loams  a  thorough  breaking 


I. ROSE    CUTTINGS    IF     TAKEN    NOW    AND     PLACED    IN 

A    1-RAME    WILL    ROOT     IN    A    FEW    WEEKS. 


up  is  very  desirable,  otherwise  it  is  inadvisable 
pagating-frame  with  a  little  bottom-  to  trample  on  them  any  more  than  can  be  helped, 
heat     is    available  ;      but     as     few    In  quite  clean  ground  a  pinch  of  seed  may  be  sown 

broadcast  and  raked  in  ;    but  where  small  weeds 
ate   troublesome,   sow   the  seeds  in  shallow  drills 
14  inches  apart,  and  hoe  frequently  between  the 
.*\.t    this    rows  of  yoimg  plants.  Shamrock. 


readers  possess  such  a  convenience, 
attention  must  be  directed  to  the 
value  of  the  garden  frame  or  hand- 


cuttings,  or  a  little  budding  and  grafting.  .-Vmong 
a  considerable  number  of  plants  which  are  popular 
with  the  amateur  grower,  the  Rose  undoubtedly 
holds  first  place.  While  most  of  the  Rose  bushes 
we  purchase  have  either  been  budded  or  grafted, 
most  sorts,  particularly  the  strong  growers,  give 
excellent  results  when  propagated  from  cuttings. 
Those  popular  Hybrid  Teas  Caroline  Testout, 
Mme.  .\bel  Chatenay,  Lady  Ashtown  and  Killarney, 
the  Hybrid  Perpetuals  Mrs.  John  Laing,  Ulrich 
Bruimer  and  Frau  Karl  Druschki,  and  the  Rambler 
Roses  Dorothy  Perkins,  American  Pillar  and  Mrs. 
F.  W.  Flight  are  just  a  few  of  the  popidar  sorts 
which  thrive  when  propagated  from  cuttings. 

There  is  no  better  time  than  July  and  .'August 
to  insert  Rose  cuttings.  The  usual  practice  is 
to  insert  cuttings  outside  diu-ing  October  and 
November,  leaving  the  young  plants  in  the  cutting- 
beds  till  the  following  October.  Practically  a 
year,  however,  may  be  gained  by  taking  cuttings 
now  and  inserting  them  in  pots  under  glass.  The 
best  growths  to  make  the  cuttings  are  the  shoots 
which  bear  the  flowers.  These  are  just  in  the  right 
condition  to  insert  when  the  blooms  shatter.  The 
shoots  may  be  anything  from  5  inches  upwards 
in  length.  They  will  be  better  inserted  with  just 
a  slight  heel  of  old  wood  attached  at  the  base,  as 
shown  in  the  illustration.  Failing  this,  cut  off 
the  stem  just  below  a  leaf  ;    this  is  termed  a  node. 


light  for  the  purpose 
season  of  the  year, 
when  we  look  for  hot,  sunny  weather, 
the  cutting-frame  is  preferable, 
situated  on  the  north  side  of  a  wall, 
hedge,  or  fence.  Here  the  cuttings 
will  get  ample  light  but  very  little 
sunlight  to  dry  up  the  moisture, 
which  is  so  necessary  to  prevent 
the  cuttings  from  withering.  A 
good  soaking  of  water  after  insert- 
ing the  cuttings  will  probably  suffice 
for  two  or  three  days  unless  the 
position  is  a  dry  one. 

In  from  three  to  four  weeks  exa- 
mine a  pot  or  two  of  the  cuttings, 
and  as  soon  as  the  cuttings  are  nicely 
rooted  similar  to  the  one  in  the 
centre  of  Fig.  2,  pot  each  one  off  into 
a  small  pot,  using  light,  sandy  soil. 
Return  the  cuttings  to  a  close  frame 
for  a  few  days,  and  whe:i  it  is  seen 
they  are  recovering  from  the  check 
of  removal,  air  should  be  admitted 
and  gradually  increased  as  growth 
proceeds.  The  next  point  worthy 
of  note  is  a  move  into  a  larger  pot. 
This  time  a  pot  5  inches  wide  may 
be  used.  Should  a  little  space  on 
a  stage  in  the  greenhouse  be  avail- 
able for  the  plants,  it  wdl  help  them 


-ROSE  CUTTINGS  A  FEW  WEEKS  AFTER  INSERTION. 
THE  CENTRE  CUTTING  IS  ROOTED  AND  READY 
FOR    POTTING    UP. 


354 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  12,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

With  the  first  crop  of  bloom  over,  many  of  the 
Hybrid  Teas  will  be  well  into  growth  again  ;  and 
to  encourage  this  second  crop  it  is  well  to  look 
after  the  watering  and  feeding.  Liquid  manure 
may  be  given  ad  lib.,  and,  if  the  plants  seem  to 
require  it,  a  dressing  of  artificial  manure  may  also 
be  given. 

Green  Fly  and  Mildew. — At  this  time,  while  the 
plants  are  fairlv  devoid  of  bloom,  it  is  advisable  to 
take  a  little  e.xtra  trouble  to  eradicate  green  fly, 
as,  after  about  this  date,  if  the  plants  are  thoroughly 
cleansed,  they  seem  to  keep  pretty  clean  for  the 
rest  of  the  season,  and  the  only  pest  to  combat  is 
mildew.  For  this  there  are  many  preparations 
on  the  market  which  will  keep  it  under,  providing 
the  plants  are  regularly  sprayed  and  the  roots 
kept  in  good  condition  as  regards  moisture. 

Budding. — Those  who  have  stocks  planted  for 
budding  should  lose  no  time  in  getting  the  work 
done.  If  the  weather  is  unduly  dry,  a  good  watering 
a  few  days  beforehand  will  ensure  the  bark  running 
nicely. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 
Watering  Grass. — Where  the  grass  is  apt  to 
turn  up  badly,  it  is  advisable  to  water  pretty  fre- 
quently. The  ordinary  sprinkler  is  a  very  good 
friend  where  there  is  not  much  ground  to  be  covered, 
but  where  the  lawns  are  extensive  it  pays  to  keep 
a  youth  at  work  with  the  hose.  In  this  way  a  good 
deal  of  ground  can  be  covered,  and  though  the 
water  may  not  penetrate  so  deeply,  suflicient  may 
be  given  to  keep  the  grass  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  house  in  a  fairly  fresh  condition. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Cannas  that  are  throwing  up  their  blooms  must 
be  liberally  treated,  especially  when  flowering  in 
small  pots.'  Those  that  are  showing  colour  should 
be  removed  from  the  main  batch,  as  they  will  not 
stand  the  svringe  when  in  bloom,  though  during 
the  growing  season  it  is  very  necessary  to  use  it 
regularly,  or  spider  will  quickly  make  its  appearance. 

Climbing  Roses  in  Pots.— Where  these  are  again 
required  for  flowering  under  glass  next  season, 
they  should  have  very  careful  attention.  After 
cutting  out  all  the  old  flowering  wood  and  tying 
in  the  growths  (say  three  or  four)  intended  to  flower, 
the  pots  should  be  partly  plunged  in  ashes,  or  in 
the  ground,  in  such  a  position  where  they  can 
be  well  looked  after,  both  as  regards  watering  and 
feeding,  as  the  pots,  being  very  full  of  roots,  will 
be  found  to  dry  rather  quickly. 

Salvia  splendens. — ^These  are  now  growing 
freely  in  their  flowering  pots,  and  to  preserve  a 
bushy  habit  the  shoots  should  be  topped  over  at 
every  second  or  third  pair  of  leaves.  Glory  of 
Zurich,  which  may  be  wanted  in  bloom  at  the 
end  of  August  or  early  September,  should  not  be 
pinched  after  the  end  of  this  month. 

Azalea  indica. — These  plants,  after  making 
their  growth  indoors,  should  be  removed  to  the 
open  air,  selecting  a  semi-shady  position  for  them. 
There  is  a  distinct  advantage  in  watering  with  rain- 
water whenever  it  can  be  obtained.  Lime  in  the 
water  or  in  any  form  is  distinctly  detrimental  to 
nearly  all  hard-wooded  plants. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

The  hot,  dry  weather  which  we  associate  with 
July  and  August  often  proves  a  very  trying  time 
in  the  kitchen  garden,  more  particularly  on  light 
soils,  but  much  good  results  from  a  system  of  mulch- 
ing and  watering,  providing  it  has  not  been  put 
off  too  long.  Peas,  Beans,  Cauliflowers,  Lettuces, 
Celerv  and  Onions — in  fact,  all  the  quick-growing 
subjects — are  greatly  benefited  by  a  good  soaking 
of  water  now  and  again,  while  a  hosing  overhead 
during  the  very  hot  weather  will  do  much  to 
preserve  a  fairly  healthy  and  clean  growth. 
Though  I  have  frequently  mentioned  the  matter  of 
hoeing  in  this  calendar,  I  cannot  too  strongly 
emphasise  the  good  to  be  derived  from  it,  and  when 
circumstances  do  not  allow  of  mulching  and  water- 
ing, this  is  the  next  best  thing. 

Eschalots  have  not  done  well  in  this  neighbour- 
hood, the  growth  being  poor  in  most  instances.   As 


soon  as  the  tops  have  died  down,  the  bulbs  should 
be  harvested.  Remove  them  from  the  soil  and 
lay  them  out  for  a  day  or  two  before  storing  them 
away  in  the  shed.  If  left  in  the  sun  too  long  after 
removing  from  the  soil  they  are  apt  to  shrivel. 

Late  Peas. — To  secure  a  good  crop  of  late  Peas 
it  is  necessary  to  give  the  plants  every  attention, 
and,  before  staking,  they  should  be  carefully  thinned, 
and  after  carefully  hoeing  between  them,  a  light 
mulching  of  well-rotted  manure  between  the  indi- 
vidual plants  will  do  much  to  keep  them  healthy. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Melons. —  For  very  late  crops  seed  should  now 
be  sown,  choosing  a' small,  quick-ripening  variety. 
I  have  tried  Bamet  Hill  Favourite  this  season, 
and  found  it  one  of  the  best  in  this  respect  ;  it  is 
of  excellent  flavour.  Fruit  may  be  kept  some  time 
if  removed  from  the  plant  before  it  gets  too  ripe 
and  placed  in  a  cool,  airy  fruit-room. 

Fruit  Trees,  either  in  houses  or  frames,  which 
are  bearing  swelling  fruits  must  be  kept  well 
supplied  with  moisture  at  the  roots.  In  the  latter 
case  the  fruit  trees  should  be  raised  up  on  pots  or 
blocks,  so  as  to  keep  the  fruits  dry.  and,  incidentally, 
to  give  them  as  much  light  arid  air  as  possible. 
Ventilate  freely  during  bright  weather  to  prevent 
scorching  of  the  foliage,  but  shut  up  the  frame 
early  enough  in  the  afternoon,  so  as  to  maintain 
as  much  heat  as  possible  during  the  night. 

Hardy  Fruits. 

Gooseberries  and  Currants  that  are  ripening 
should  be  netted  to  keep  off  birds,  and  where  it  is 
desired  to  keep  such  fruit  as  long  as  possible,  a 
piece  of  tiffany  strained  above  the  trees  will  retard 
the  ripening  process  and  preserve  the  fruit  for  a 
considerable  time. 

American  Blight. — When  the  Apple  trees  are 
affected  by  this  pest,  steps  should  be  taken  to 
keep  it  down,  and  I  have  found  nothing  better 
than  to  go  over  the  trees  carefully,  touching  the 
affected  parts  with  methvlated  spirit,  taking 
care  not  to  splash  the  foliage  or  fruit  during  the 
operation.  If  the  trees  are  gone  over  two  or  three 
times  during  the  next  few  weeks,  it  will  probably 
keep  them  clean  for  the  rest  of  the  season. 
Thomas  Stevenson, 
(Head-gardener  to  E.   Mocatta,   Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Sweet  Peas. — Attention  must  be  given  to  water- 
ing if  drought  sets  in,  and  if  the  operation  is  neces- 
sary, a  good  soaking  should  be  given,  after  which, 
when  the  surface  has  dried  somewhat,  it  should 
be  stirred  with  the  hoe.  On  light  soils  especially 
it  will  be  of  great  advantage  to  mulch  the  crop, 
and  grass  mowings  or  Hop  Manure  will  be  found 
suitable  for  the  purpose.  By  this  means  the  roots 
will  be  kept  cool  and  the  moisture  conserved. 

Auriculas    and    Polyanthuses. — This    is    the 

time  to  save  seed  of  these  popular  hardy  flowers. 
The  careful  cultivator  will  have  marked  any 
specially  good  variety;  but  with  the  strains  of 
seed  now  supplied  by  many  firms  one  can  hardly 
go  wrong  in  saving  seed  for  growing  in  masses. 
Select  dry  weather  for  the  work. 

Dividing  Heucheras.— If  these  plants  are 
divided  just  after  the  flowering  period,  they  will 
give  a  fairly  good  account  of  themselves  next 
season,  whereas,  if  the  operation  is  delayed  until 
the  autumn,  little  can  be  expected  of  them  next 
year.  The  long,  fleshy  roots  should  be  shortened 
with  a  sharp  knife,  and  they  should  be  planted 
deeply,  so  that  the  foliage  only  appears  above  the 
surface.  The  Heucheras  are  very  useful  for  dinner- 
table  and  other  indoor  decorations,  the  graciUimum 
section  being  specially  suitable  for  this  purpose. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Pests. — A  constant  watch  must  still  be  kept 
for  the  appearance  of  aphis  and  mildew,  but  in 
dealing  with  them  care  must  be  taken  of  the 
blooms.  In  the  event  of  mildew  appearing,  a 
dusting  of  flowers  of  sulphur  by  means  of  the 
puff  is  preferable  to  spraying. 

Spent  Blooms  should  be  removed  two  or  three 
times  a  week,  as  if  allowed  to  remain  they  become 
very  unsightly. 


The  Rock  Garden. 
Propagating  Aubrietias. — Where  an  increase 
of  the  stock  is  desired,  no  time  should  be  lost  in 
setting  about  the  work,  as  cuttings  are  difficult 
to  strike  after  the  young  growths  have  ripened. 
Under  favourable  conditions,  however,  Aubrietias 
root  quite  readily.  The  directions  given  in  the 
calendar  during  the  past  few  weeks  for  the  propa- 
gation of  Dianthuses  and  Cheiranthuses  are  quite 
suitable  for  Aubrietias.  Another  method  is  to 
work  in  some  sandy  loam  among  the  young  growths, 
attending  to  them  with  water  when  necessary, 
and  in  due  course  roots  will  be  emitted.  The  plants 
can  then  be  broken  up  in  the  autumn. 

The  Shrubbery. 

Lilacs. — See  that  the  decayed  flower-trusses 
are  promptly  removed,  as  they  are  unsightly, 
and  in  their  attempt  to  mature  seeds  the  plants 
are  weakened.     Suckers  should  be  spudded  out. 

Layering. — Many  of  our  finer  shrubs  are  best 
propagated  by  layering,  and  this  is  a  good  time 
for  attending  to  this  work.  There  are  several 
methods  of  layering.  One  is  that  of  simply  sinking 
the  bent-down  shoot  under  the  surface  of  the  soil, 
fixing  it  in  position  with  a  stout  peg.  A  second 
method  is  known  as  twisting,  meaning  that  the 
branch  receives  a  twist  in  order  to  stop  the  flow  of 
sap  and  thereby  encourage  the  emission  of  roots. 
Splitting  is  performed  by  making  an  incision 
through  the  centre  of  the  shoot  with  a  sharp  knife, 
and  tongueing  is  performed  in  the  same  way 
as  Carnations  are  prepared  for  layering.  In  each 
case  the  branch  is  sunk  below  the  surface  of  the 
soil  and  pegged  down. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Pelargoniums. — As  soon  as  these  have  done 
flowering  they  should  be  placed  out  of  doors  in 
a  sunnv  position.  All  the  old  flowers  should  be 
removed,  and  if  there  is  any  appearance  of  aphis, 
the  plants  should  be  thoroughly  syringed  with 
some  insecticide.  Gradually  diminish  the  supply 
of  water  at  the  roots. 

Late  Geraniums. — Plants  intended  for  late 
autumn  flowering  should  now  be  in  the  open, 
or  in  frames  with  the  lights  tilted  high  at  the  back 
and  front.  Keep  all  flower-trusses  picked  off,  and 
pinch  out  the  points  of  the  shoots  to  ensure  a  stubby 
habit. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Melons. — Where  these  are  swelling  their  fruits, 
abundance  of  chilled  water  must  be  supplied  to 
the  roots,  as  evaporation  is  now  very  rapid.  Do 
not  water  close  up  to  the  stems,  or  canker  may 
ensue.  Where  it  does  appear,  rub  the  affected 
parts  with  charcoal  dust  or  powdery  lime. 

Cucimibers. — Plants  which  have  been  be;iring 
for  some  time  should  receive  the  benefit  of  some 
fertiliser.  Thin  out  superfluous  shoots  and  pinch 
the  remaining  laterals  at  one  leaf  beyond  the  fruit. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Strawberry  Runners  which  were  layered  some 
weeks  ago  will  now  have  made  good  roots,  and 
should  be  detached  from  the  parent  plant  by 
cutting  the  runner  immediately  behind  the  rooted 
plant.  Plants  in  plantations  made  in  spring  should 
not  be  allowed  to  form  runners,  or  they  will  be 
weakened. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Spring  Cabbages. — Seed  of  these  should  be  sown 
during  the  next  week.  Only  quick-hearting  varie- 
ties should  be  sown.  There  are  a  good  many 
of  these.  We  have  had  a  succession  of  first-rate 
Cabbages  from  April  to  the  present  time  from 
sowings  of  EUam's  Early  and  McEwan's  Early 
Vanack  sown  at  this  date  last  year. 

Spinach. — Sowings  made  now  and  onwards 
for  a  few  weeks  will  give  better  results  than  sowings 
made  a  few  weeks  prior  to  this  date.  Spinach  never 
germinates  well  in  rough,  lumpy  soil.  Manure 
well. 

Parsley. — A  sowing  made  now  will  furnish  a 
winter  supply  if  covered  with  a  frame  later  on. 
If  the  ground  is  at  all  dry,  water  it  thoroughly 
after  sowing,  as  Parsley  requires  a  long  period  for 
germination. 

The  Brassica  Family.— Planting  of  greens. 
Savoys,  Cabbages,  Asparagus  Kale  and  Broccoli 
should  now  be  brought  to  a  close.  Water  after 
planting  if  dry  conditions  obtain. 

Charles  Comfort. 

BroomfieldGardms,  Davidson's  Mains.  Midlothian. 


July  12,  1913-] 


THE    GARDEN. 


355 


TO 


ANSWERS 
CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES    FOR    CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— T/i^-  Editor  intends  to 
make  'I'hk  Gakden  helpful  to  all  readers  wiio  desire  assist- 
ance, no  umtter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be.  and 
with  that  object  will  inake  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  ('orrespondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  ivritten  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only. 
and  addressed  to  tlie  Editor  of  The  Gakdkn,  20,  Tanstock 
Street,  Cuvent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  riame  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
i/uery  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  dearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  yrass  or  nioss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
sfioots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  stend 
small  scraps  tfiat  are  not  characteristic  of 
the  plant.  Letters  on  business  sJwuld  ht 
sent  to  the  Pubushek. 


Give  the  plant  a  watering  with  a  weak  solution  of  sulphate 
of  potash,  and  if  the  trouble  continues,  s;pray  with  paraffin 
(Mnulsion. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

LEAF-RUST  ON  TOMATOES  (/>.;.— The  Tomatot> 
arc  attacked  by  the  disease  often  called  leaf-nist,  dm- 
to  the  funuus  Cladosporium  fulvum.  They  should  be 
sprayed  with  Bordeaux  ntixtnre.  and  the  j:reatest  care 
cxeri-'ised  with  regard  to  the  ventilation  of  the  house. 
Tht'  disease  is  rarely  trouVIesonie  where  attention  is  paiii 
to  Iht'  maintenanceof  a  free  circulation  of  air  and  a  fairly 
hi'^h  temperature. 

THREADWORMS  (//.  C'.).~The  lon-^  white  thread- 
worms, n-achiii^'  -  itic-hes  or  :i  inches  or  more  in  leugtli, 
are  in  im  way  rfsponsihle  for  the  trouble  with  your  plants. 
They  an^  really  panisitic  in  tlie  intestines  of  beetles  ami 
other  large  insects,  leaving  theni  at  a  certain  stage,  whrii 
they  are  found  on  thr  Irjivrs  of  various  plants  and  so  on. 
The  sourer  of  tin-  troiibb-  of  which  you  complain  mu-t 
be  sought  i-Krwheri-. 

GOLD-FISH  OUT  OF  DOORS  (//.  FT.).— UoUl-ftsh  wilti- 
standjordinarylwinteis  in  uuidnor  ponds  in  the  Soutli  of 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

ARABIS    AND    AUBRIETIA  (X.) 

You  may  take  the  cutting.--  of  the  Arabis 
at  any  time.  Shoots  of  4  inches  or 
:>  inches  long,  divested  of  their  lower 
leaves  and  pricked  in  sandy  soil  in  a 
shady  place,  will  root  to  almost  cent, 
per  cent.  You  can  bed  out  the  result- 
ing plants  in  autumn  or  spring.  Scds 
of  Aubrietias  for  providing  suitabb 
plants  for  spring  carpet  bedding  sliouM 
have  been  sown  not  later  than  Alarcb 
last.  Seedlings,  however,  are  not  tin- 
Itest  for  this  work,  since  they  vary  in 
height,  habit  and  colour,  and  in  other 
ways.  The  only  really  good  way  to  get 
effective  masses  true  to  colour  is  b> 
raising  a  stork  from  cuttings  or  division 
CAMPANULA  (Mrs  T.).— From  your 
(li-scriptioM  the  Campanula  you  arr 
seekiiii:  is  rrrta'iiily  not  C.  muralis,  which 
is  of  tufted  growth,  ti  inches  or  so  high, 
ami  in  June  smothered  with  its  semi- 
enrl.  br!l-shaped  ttowers.  C  garganica 
in  all  its  forms  is  of  a  carpeting  nature. 
/.('..  Hat -growing  and  spreading,  the 
ratluT  small  flowers  star-shaped  and 
profiisidy  borne  from  July  to  September. 
I'here  are  pale  blue  and  white  varieties. 
Another  variety  with  woolly  leaves  is 
known  as  hirsuta.  'I'he  plant  would  be 
easily  obtained  from  any  good  hardy 
plant  nursery.  If  the  Lily  bulbs  are 
small  as  w-ell  as  weakly  rooted,  throw 
them  away  and  ^tart  with  a  fresh  stock, 
planting,  if  po>siblr,  in  August.  This  Lily 
(candidnm^  l)r^ins  re-rooting  soon  after 
the  tluwcr-sjiiUis  failc 


ROSE     GARDEN. 

WARTY  GROWTH  UPON  CRIMSON 
RAMBLER  iC'ipt.iin  A.  S.  /v.).— This 
iirowlli  l^  caused  by  Ilie  puncture  of  an 
insect,  and  although  we  do  not  .think 
t  here  is  an>  fear  of  infection,  we  should 
crrtainly  recommend  cutting  away  all 
_;iowths  atfcctcd.as  they  cannot  possibly 
lie  of  any  use. 

YELLOW  ROSE  FOR  SOUTH  WALL 
(Mrs.  2'.). --  Ueve  d'Or  would  lie  at. 
c\eellent  Ko^e  for  your  wall.  It  would 
be  quite  hardy  eiiouirb  for  a  sontii 
u.-<pect.  The  Kosc  is  nicely  Tea-scented 
and  blooms  perpctiia.lly  when  estab- 
lished. Bouquet  d'Or  would  bloom 
rarlier  than  K6ve  d'Or;  that  is  to  say, 
tlie  plant  would  bloom  the  second  year 
alter  planting.  It  is  also  rather  moie 
swerth  scentf'd. 

ROSE  SPORT  (J.  6'.).— Are  you  quite  sure  the  Rose  is 
i\  sport  ?  It  sometimes  happens  that  a  plant  has  had  two 
buds  of  two  diffeient  kinds  budded  into  the  root.  If 
von  look  carefullv  and  see  whether  the  growth  of  thr 
-port  springs  from  that  of  the  Rose  you  name.  then,  of 
rourse,  it  is  ail  right.  You  might  send  us  a  flower  with 
•I  p'cce  of  growth  ;  then  we  can  see  from  the  wood  if  it  is 
the  same. 


ROSE    MRS.  AMBROSE    RICARDO,  AWARDED    A   SILVER-GILT    MEDAL  AT 


THE     NATIONAL     ROSE     SOCIETY  S     EXHIBITION. 
MESSRS.    S.    MCGREDY    AND    SON.       {See  page  V.) 


INJURY 

iipprars  to 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 

TO  CYCLAMEN  (TTrifon)— The  Cydanu'll 
lir  drymu  oil,  and  will  probably  start  aaaiii 
into  growth.  Possibly  water  has  been  withheld.  The 
rause  of  the  appearance  is  some  cultural  treatment, 
and  not  a  fnnsus  or  insect  The  Rose  sent  is  Alberic 
Harl.il  T. 

CARNATION  SHOOTS  FOR  INSPECTION  (Wales).— 
livi.leiitlv  some  insert  has  bern  fpunrtnrinw  the  leaves 
anil  snekini!  out  tin'  saj.  of  tlie  Carnation  here  and  there. 


England,  but  we  have  had  no  experience  with  them 
out  of  doors  in  the  North.  Perhaps  it  would  be  as  well 
to  place  them  indoors  for  the  winter.  Some  people  feed 
th'-  flsh  with  a  little  bread  as  well  as  irith  ants'  cjjgs. 
It  is  difficnlt  to  say  how  often  they  require  feedins,  for 
that  depends  entirely  on  the  amount  of  food  material 
they  find  in  the  water.  It  would  perhaps  be  advisable 
to  give  them  quite  a  small  quantity  at  once  and  feed  them 
once  a  day. 

NAMES    OF    PLANTS.  —  IF.  J.    Hemp.  —  Thalictrum 

flavum  and  T.  minus. F.  ./.  H. — Spirsea  canescens. 

C.  L.  Cawk-ctl. — Campanula  carpatica  ;  Silene  pendula. 

A.    O — 1,   Cannot    name    varieties   of    English    Iris;    i, 

Dianthus  plumarius  variety  :    3.  D.  superbus. W .  (V. — 

I.  Scnccio  Doronicum ;  2.  Lathyrus  nitier ;  3,  Sedum 
rupestre ;   4,  S.  altissimum ;    5,  Erodium  Manescavi ;    6, 

Geranium    nodosum. P.   M.,    "  Deiibury."  —  Keiria 

japonica(tvpe);  Hedysarum  coron.arium  (French  Honey- 
suckle), best  raised  from  si^i'd  in  spring. Mnpli-dnne. — 

1,  Iris  flavescens  ;  2,  Ciimp:'Tiu!a  pusilla. 


SOCI  Ejri  ES. 

THE     NATIONAL    ROSE    SOCIETY'S 
SHOW. 

Tilt:  ammai  metropolitan  exhibition  in  connection  with 
the  above  society  was  held  in  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens. 
Rejrent's  Park,  on  Friday  of  last  week,  and  proved  a  sireat 
and  unqualified  success.  The  exhibitors  ntlinbered  neariv 
three  hundred,  a  record  number.  The  arrangements,  a> 
usual,  were  excellent,  and  reflected  the  ^'reatest  crcdi*  on 
the  courteous  secretary,  Mr.  E.  Ma\vley,  and  the  members 
of  the  council. 

NURSERYMEN'S  CLASSES. 
Both  iu  quantity  and  quality  the  Roses  displayed  iii 
the  nursc^rymcn's  classes  left  nottiing  to  be  desired,  pro- 
viding further  evidence,  if  such  were  lu'cded.  of  the  hiy, 
>tauilard  of  perfection  that  has  now  been  reached  in  tie. 
art  of  Rose-growing.  Tin'  classes  for  Roses  in  box<- 
and  groups  of  Roses  werii  alike  well  filled,  the  whole 
exhibit  being  one  of  unusual  splendour,  in  Class  1. 
for  seventy-two  blooms,  distinct,  there  were  fl\e  com- 
jietitors,  all  of  them  showing  blooms  in  flrst-rate  con- 
dition. The  lirst  prize  (trophv  and  gohl 
incvlal;  went  to  .Ue.^sr^.  Berijauiin  R. 
Cant  and  Sons.  Colchester,  for  perfect 
flowers  iu  clean  and  fresh  condition. 
Among  the  finest  blooms  were  a  uew 
red  seedling,  Augustus  Hartmann,  The 
Lyon  Rose,  J.  R.  Clark,  Frances  C. 
Seton,  Mrs.  Edward  Mawlcv  anil 
Edward  Mawley.  Second,  Messrs.  A. 
Dickson  and  Sons,  Limited,  with  won- 
derfully fine  blooms  of  Florence  Pem- 
Iwrton,  the  new  red  H.  V.  Machin. 
.Mrs.  Mackellar  and  Ulster;  third 
.Messrs.  Frank  Cant  and  Co.,  Colchester', 
whose  exhibit  contained  the  best  Hy- 
brid Tea  in  a  n.agnificont  bloom  of 
(ieorge  Dickson ;  fourth,  Messrs.  R. 
Ilarkness  and  Co..  Hitchin.  with  a  Hue 
lot.  including  Jtrs.  John  Laiiig  as  the 
best  Hybrid  Perpetual. 

Class  2,  for  forty  distinct  varieties, 
three  blooms  of  each,  was  won  by, 
.Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
Limited,  Hawlmark,  Newtownards, 
with  an  admirable  array  of  blooms 
in  which  we  noted  'Mme.  Jules 
Gravereaux,  H.  V.  Machin  (vivid 
crimson),  .Mabel  Drew,  the  new  dccji 
red  Mrs.  Conwav  Jones,  Mrs.  David 
.McKee  and  Mrs.  John  Laing,  the  last 
named  being  shown  in  tine  condition 
by  many  exhibitors.  'The  second  prize 
wasw^on  by  Messrs.  B.  Cant  and  Sous, 
Colchester,  who  showed  the  Lyon  Rose 
in  wonderful  colour:  third.  Messrs. 
Frank  Cant  and  Co.,  Colchester. 

Mr.  George  Prince,  Longworth,  gained 
the  first  prize  and  eballence  cup  for 
forty-eight  blooms,  distinct,  in  Classy. 
His  blooms  of  The  Lvon  Rose,  Mare- 
ehal  Xiel  and  Mme.  C.  Soupert  very 
much  enhanced  the  rich  colouring  of 
his  exhibit  :  second.  Messrs.  Perkins 
and  Sons,  Coventry  ;  third,  Messrs.  G. 
and   W.   H.  Burch.  Peterborough. 

For  twenty-tour  blooms,  distinct 
(Class  4),  Messrs.  Chaplin  Brothers. 
Limited.  Waltham  Cross,  were  first 
with   a   nice  lot.   including  good  solid 

I'l IS  of  Hugh   Dickson,  Her  .Majesty 

and  Kdiiigin  C'arola.  Second,  Mr.  W.  R, 
llaiiimond.  Burgess  Hill,  Sussex  ;  third, 
.Mr.  John  Mattock,  Headington, 
Oxford. 

There  was  keen  competition  for  six- 
teen varieties,  three  blooms  of  each, 
the  first  prize  going  to  the  King's 
Acre  Nursery  Company.  Hereford ; 
second,  Jlessrs.  G.  and  W.  U.  Burch. 
Peterborough;  third,  Mr.  \V.  H. 
i'  r  e  1 1  i  n  g  h  a  m ,  Beeston  Nurseries. 
Nottingham. 

For  twelve  white  and   twelve    crim- 
son   Roses    shown     together,      Messrs. 
Frank  Cant  and  Co.  were  first  with  the 
Karl   Drusciiki   and    Gloirc    de    Chedane 


SHOWN    BY 


variei  ies    Frau 
Guinoissean. 

Mr.  Walter  Bentley,  Beigrave.  Leicester,  was  first  for 
nine  varieties  of  decorative  Roses  in  vases  Particularly 
fine  were  Mme.  Soupert,  Duchess  of  Wellington  and  J  Hill. 
Second,  ilessrs.  Chaplin  Brothers,  Limited  ;  third,  Mr. 
E.  J.  Hicks,  Twyford. 

For  eighteen  decorative  Roses  in  vases,  the  first  prize 
was  secured  by  Mr.  J.  Mattock  for  an  excellent  collection, 
among  which  we  noted  Edward  Mawley  and  Lady  Ross- 
more.^  .Mr.  John  Pigg  of  Royston  was  second  for  a  superb 
collection,  among  which  we  observed  Rayon  d'Or,  Lady 
Hillingdon  and  Le  Progrte,  the  yellow  tones  prevailing. 

There  was  a  beautiful  class  for  twelve  varieties  to  lie 
shown  iu  vases  (Class  9).  This  was  won  by  Messrs.  D. 
Prior  and  Sons,  Colchester,  whose  vases  of  Leslie  Holland, 
I.adv  Ashtowii,  J.  Hill  and  Bessie  Brown  left  nothing  to 
be  desired.  Second,  Messrs.  A.  Dickson  and  Sons. 
Limited,  witli  an  almost  equally  fine  lot,  including  Duchess 
of  Portland,  G.  C.  Wand  and  Mildred  (tiant  in  the  best  of 


356 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  12,  1913. 


condition.  Third,  Mr.  G.  Prince,  who  showed  the  little- 
known  E.  V.  Hermanos  (apricot)  and  Mrs.  A.  E.  Coxhead 
(brisht  rosy  red).  ,  „    ^ , 

Mr.  Henry  Drew,  Longworth,  was  a  good  first  for  sixteen 
Teas  and  Noisettes,  his  best  blooms  being  Medea,  W.  R. 
Smith,  Mme.  Jules  Gravereaux  and  Mrs.  Myles  Kennedy. 
Second,  Mr.  G.  Prince  ;  third,  Mr.  J.  Mattock. 

For  twelve  Teas  and  Noisettes,  Mr.  John  Mattock  led 
the  way,  showing  beautiful  blooms  of  W.  E.  Smith  and 
Mrs  Foley  Hobbs.  Second,  Messrs.  J.  Burrell  and  Co., 
Cambridge  ;  third,  Mr.  E.  J.  Hicks.  W.  U.  Smith  was 
shown  well  by  most  competitors  in  this  class. 

D'ambrain  Cup. — Considerable  interest  was  centred  m 
the  class  for  the  D'ombrain  Cup,  awarded  to  the  best 
twenty-four  Teas  and  Noisettes.  This  was  again  won  by 
that  successful  exhibitor  Mr.  G.  Prince,  who  has  won  this 
cup  ever  since  it  was  first  ottered.  For  the  third  year 
Mr  Drew,  also  of  I.ongworth,  was  second.  Third,  Messrs, 
Benjamin  R.  Cant  and  Sons.  Among  the  most  beautiful 
Roses  of  this  class  were  Miss  Alice  de  Rothschild,  Alex- 
ander Hill  Gray,  Mme.  Constant  Soupert,  Maman  Cochet, 
Mrs.  Myles  Kennedy  and  MarSchal  Niel. 

For  thirty-six  vases  of  decorative  varieties,  Mr.  John 
Mattock  was  first,  winning  the  A.  G.  Turner  Cup  with  a 
"rand  lot,  includinir  the  single  Crimson  Damask,  Prince  rte 
Bul^arie  Cliateau  de  Clos  Vougeot,  Lady  Hillingdon  and 
General  Macarthur.  Second,  Messr.s.  Frank  Cant  and  Co., 
who  showed  Rouge  Angevine  in  great  form.  Third, 
Messrs    W   Spooner  and  Son,  Woking. 

Mr.  Henry  Drew  was  first  for  nine  Teas  and  Noisettes, 
seven  blooms  of  each,  shown  in  vases.  His  vises  of  Mrs. 
[I'oley  Hobbs,  Miss  Alice  de  Rothschild  and  Mrs.  Huberl 
Taylor  were  capital;  so  also  were  Harry  Kirk  and  White 
Maman  Cochet  shown  in  the  second  prize  collection  by 
Messrs.   D.  Prior  and  Sons.     Mr.  G.  Prince  was  third. 

Mr  E  J.  Hicks  was  first  for  a  group  of  eighteen  varieties 
of  decorative  Roses.  His  vases  of  American  Pillar  and 
Mme.  Ravary  were  much  admired.  Second,  Mr.  E.  Hicks, 
Wantage  Road,  Wallingford,  Berks,  who  showed  the 
singles  "Irish  Elegance  and  Irish  Glory  in  perfect  form. 

In  a  similar  class  for  eighteen  varieties  Messrs.  W. 
Spooner  and  Son  were  first  with  a  fine  lot  of  Ramblers, 
including  the  charming  Rosa  moschata  alba.  Second. 
Messrs.  Frank  Cant  and  Co.,  who  showed  Crimson 
Damask  in  wonderfully  good  form. 

Messrs.  Frank  Cant  and  Co.  led  the  way  for  twelve 
Polyantha  Roses.  Leonie  Lamesch,  after  the  colour  of 
■I'he  Lyon  Rose,  was  very  tolIin2.  Second,  Mr.  6.  Prince  ; 
third,  Messrs.  J.  Burrell  and  Co. 

Mr  E  J.  Hicks  was  first  for  twelve  wichuraianas. 
followed  by  Messrs.  Frank.  Cant  and  Co.  and  Mr.  J.  Pigg, 
the  last  named  showing  Diabnlo.  a  fine  single  crimson. 
Lady  Godiva  and  Alberic  Barbier  were  two  of  the  best 
varieties  in  the  class.  ,    »  r 

Messrs.  J.  Cocker  and  Sons,  Aberdeen,  were  first  for 
nine  blooms  of  any  new  Rose  with  the  superb  Mrs.  Andrew 
Carnegie,  of  pale  lemon  yellow  colour,  and  sweetly  scented. 
Messrs'  Hobbies,  Limited,  gained  first  prize  and  a  gold 
medal  for  a  group  of  Roses  occupying  250  square  feet. 
Weepin-T  standards  were  arranged  over  a  groundwork  of 
the  best  varieties  in  cultivation,  with  suspended  baskets 
of  such  good  varieties  as  Marquise  de  Sinety  and  Rayon 
d'Or  in  the  foreground.  Second,  Messrs.  Paul  and  Son, 
Cheshunt,  Herts,  for  an  extensive  and  beautifully- 
arranged  '  group,  in  which  ramblers  and  wichuraianas 
were  well  lepri'.sented.     Third.  Mr.  A.  J.  Allen. 

Mr.  G.  Prince  was  first  for  twelve  blooms  of  new  Roses, 
with  graiKl  blooms  of  Mrs.  A.  Hammond,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Cox- 
head and  Ethel  Malcolm.  Second,  Messrs.  Perkins  and 
Sons  Coventry,  who  showed  Lieutenant  Chaure  and  Mabel 
Drew  in  good' form.  Third.  Messrs.  A.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
Limited,  who  showed  Leslie  Holland  in  first-rate  condition. 
It  is  a  fine  ted  that  stands  out  well  in  the  exhibition  box. 

Messrs.  W.  and  J.  Brown,  Peterborough,  were  first  for  a 
"roup  of  cut  Roses  33  feet  bv  3  feet,  gaining  the  gold  medal 
For  the  fourth  time.  It  was  a  magnificent  group,  staged 
in  a  masterly  wav,  the  pillars  of  The  Lyon  Rose,  Marquise 
de  Sinety  and  Avoca  being  worthy  of  special  mention. 
Mr.  F.  M.  Bradley,  Peterborough,  was  a  good  second. 
These  two  groups  were  among  the  most  meritorious  in  the 

show.  „    .  ■  ...        ,        c 

Messrs  Jackman  and  Son  were  first  in  a  similar  class  for 
cut  blooms,  followed  by  Mr.  Karl  Therkildsen,  Old  South- 
gate,  N.  Third,  Messrs.  Morse  Brothers,  Deben  Nursery, 
Woodbridge.  .    ^     ,    .  •      «     ,  j 

Baskets  ol  Roses. — Roses  shovra  m  baskets  again  aftorded 
one  of  the  most  pleasing  features  of  the  exhibition.  Messrs. 
Paul  and  Son  were  first  for  nine  baskets,  distinct.  Lady 
Ashtown  stands  well,  and  made  one  of  the  best  baskets, 
while  Mme.  Chatenay  and  Harry  Kirk  were  also  very  fine. 
Mr  John  Mattock  was  a  good  second,  with  Mr.  Walter 
Ba=lea  third,  the  last-named  exhibitor  showing  a  superb 
basket  of  the  new  decorative  Hybrid  Tea  Cherry  Page,  of 
a  wonderful  cherry  pink  colour  suffused  with  yellow  at 
tihc  busc.  • 

For  five  baskets,  Messrs.  Chaplin  Brothers  were  first, 
showing  The  Lyon  Rose  and  Duchess  of  Wellington,  both 
in  first-rate  condition.  Second,  The  King's  Acre  Nuiserj- 
Company,  Hercfoid  ;  third,  Messrs.  R.  Harkness  and  Co., 
Hitchin.  ,,     „  „  . 

For  a  basket  of  Rayon  d'Or,  Mr.  George  Prmce  was  an 
easy  first,  his  blooms  being  of  exquisite  form  and  colour. 
He  was  also  first  for  a  basket  of  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs. 

A  basket  of  the  new  Mrs.  Andrew  Carnegie  gained  a  first 
prize  for  Messrs.  J.  Cockei  and  Sons. 

AMATEURS. 

In  the  amateurs'  trophy  class  for  thirty-six  blooms, 
distinct  varieties,  there  were  no  fewer  than  nine  entries, 
each  exhibitor,  without  exception,  showing  well. 

A  grand  lot  of  blooms  won  first  prize  for  Mr.  Franklin 
Dennison,  Cranford,  Leamington  Spa,  the  flowers  being 
even,  fresh  and  of  splendid  quality.     The  better  blooms 


in  this  superb  exhibit  were  Mrs.  James  Welch,  Oberhof- 
gartner  Terks,  Gloire  de  C.  Guinoisseau,  Lady  Barham, 
Mme.  Jules  Gravereaux,  Hugh  Dickson,  Mildred  Grant, 
Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant,  White  Maman  Cochet,  Horace  Vernet, 
William  Shean,  Queen  of  Spain,  J.  B.  Clark,  Bessie  Brown, 
Princess  Mary  Mertchersky,  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs,  Mrs.  John 
Bateman,  Mabel  Drew,  Frau  Karl  Druschki,  Mrs.  .John 
Laing,  Dean  Hole  and  Souvenir  de  Pierre  Notting.  A 
splendid  second  prize  series  of  blooms  was  shown  by  Dr. 
T.  E.  Pallett,  Earls  Colne,  Essex,  who  is  to  be  congratulated 
in  achieving  so  much.  His  best  blooms  were  Mrs.  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  Avoca,  Dr.  O'Donel  Browne,  Frau  Karl 
Druschki,  Mildred  Grant,  J.  B.  Clark,  Dean  Hole 
and  Mrs.  John  Laing.  Third  prize  was  secured  by  Mr. 
Bversfield,  Denne  Park,  Horsham.  Splendid  blooms 
of  J.  B.  Clark,  Mrs.  Arthur  Coxhead,  Frau  Karl  Druschki 
and  Mildred  Grant  were  very  noticeable  in  a  handsome 
series  of  blooms.  Fourth  prize  was  secured  by  the  Rev. 
L.  C.  Chalmers-Hunt,  Willian  Rectory,  Letchwortii,  Herts. 
A  grand  bloom  of  Mildred  Grant  was  especially  note- 
worthy in  this  fine  exhibit. 

The  six  exhibits  in  the  class  for  twenty-four  blooms, 
distinct  varieties,  made  a  brave  show,  good  quality  gener- 
ally characterising  the  whole  of  the  exliibits.  Mr.  Franidin 
Dennison  in  this  class  again  led  the  van  with  a  charming 
exhibit  of  attractive  flowers.  jMrs.  James  Welch,  Florence 
Pemberton.  Yvonne  Vacherot,  Mildred  Grant.  G.  C. 
Wand,  Horace  Vernet,  Mrs.  John  Bateman.  Mabel  Drew, 
Her  Majesty  and  Bessie  Brown  were  conspicuously  good. 
As  in  the  premier  class.  Dr.  Pallett  w.as  placed  second, 
securing  this  position  with  a  beautiful  lot  of  clean,  highly- 
coloured  blooms.  Lieutenant  Chaure.  J.  B.  Clark,  Mrs. 
A.  E.  Coxhead,  Dean  Hole,  Mrs.  John  Laing  and  Dr. 
O'Donel  Browne  were  all  good.  Third  prize  was  won  by 
Mr.  T.  Park,  Askew  Jlill,  Bedale,  who  had  some  excellent 
blooms  on  his  stand. 

No  fewer  than  seven  exhibits  were  forthcoming  in  the 
class  for  twelve  trebles.  This  is  always  a  most  interesting 
class,  and  the  competition  in  the  present  instance  was  very 
keen.  Again  Mr.  Franklin  Dennison  excelled,  leading 
the  van  with  a  grand  lot  of  blooms.  Those  especially 
worthy  of  note  were  Mildred  Grant,  Queen  of  Spain,  ittrs. 
John  Laing,  Florence  Pemberton,  Mme.  Jules  Gravereaux, 
Francois  Michelon.  Bessie  Browm,  Alice  Lindsell  and  Mrs. 
Theodore  Roosevelt.  A  less  even  lot  of  blooms  placed 
Mr.  Conway  Jones.  Hucclecote,  Glos,  second.  Those  de- 
serving of  mention  were  Lohengrin,  Dr.  O'Donel  Browne, 
Hugh  Dickson,  Dean  Hole,  J.  B.  Clark,  A.  K.  Williams 
and  William  Shean.  Third  prize  was  awarded  to  Mr. 
G.  A.  Hammond,  Woodlands,  Burgess  Hill,  who  had 
several  fine  trebles. 

Six  boxes  of  nine  blooms  of  any  Rose  except  Tea  or 
Noisette  represented  Class  40,  the  first  prize  in  this  class 
being  offered  by  Messrs.  Thomas  Rivers  and  Son,  Saw- 
bridgeworth.  In  this  case  Dr.  T.  E.  Pallett  secured 
premier  honours  with  superb  examples  of  Avoca,  the 
flowers  leaving  nothing  to  be  desired.  Second  prize  was 
awarded  to  Mr.  Alexander  Hill  Gray,  Beaulieu,  Bath,  with 
charming  examples  of  Florence  Pemberton ;  and  with  the 
same  variety  Mr.  Franklin  Dennison  was  placed  third. 
This  was  a  splendid  competition. 

The  Harkness  Cup,  offered  for  twelve  blooms,  distinct 
varieties,  open  to  all  amateurs,  was  secured  by  Dr.  C. 
Lamplough.  Kirkstall,  Hants,  who  staged  a  splendid  set 
including  Frau  Karl  Druschki,  White  Maman  Cochet 
Mildred  Grant  and  Avoca  ;  Dr.  T.  E.  Pallett,  Earls  Colne, 
Essex,  and  Mr.  G.  A.  Hammond,  Woodlands,  Burgess  Hill, 
following  in  order  of  merit. 

The  Hammond  Cup,  for  six  blooms  of  new  Roses,  distinct, 
open  to  all  amateurs  was  secured  by  Franklin  Dennison, 
Esq..  Cranford,  Leamington,  who  showed  Mrs.  Coxhead, 
Alexander  Gray,  James  Welch,  Mrs.  A.  Hammond,  Duke 
of  AVestminster  and  Mabel  Drew  in  excellent  form  and 
finish  ;  Mrs.  Bevill  Fortescue,  Maidenhead,  closely  following 
as  second,  and  H.  L.  Weltern,  Esq.,  Sanderstead,  Crovdon, 
third. 

The  Challenge  Trophy,  for  Tea  and  Noisette  Roses, 
value  25  guineas,  was  secured  by  Mr.  A.  Hill  Gray,  New- 
bridge, Bath.  Among  the  varieties  shown  were  White 
Maman  Cochet,  Muriel  Grahame,  Medea  and  L.  M.  Gray  ; 
Mr.  E.  E.  Everfield  secured  second  and  Mrs.  Bevill  For- 
tescue third. 

The  Prince  Memorial  Prize,  offered  for  eiglit  distinct 
varieties,  three  blooms  of  each,  was  also  secured  by  the  same 
exhibitors  in  the  following  order  of  merit :  First,  Mr. 
A.  Hill  Gray  ;  second,  Mr.  E.  E.  Eversfleld  ;  thild,  Mrs. 
Bevill  Fortescue.  The  varieties  shown  in  the  first  stand 
included  Maman  Cochet,  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs,  Souvenir  de 
Pierre  Notting  and  W.  R.  Smith. 

For  seven  distinct  varieties  of  exhibition  Roses,  five 
blooms  of  each,  to  be  staged  in  vases,  Mr.  E.  E.  Eversfield 
secured  first  with  Frau  Kart  Druschki,  Hugh  Dickson, 
A.  Coxhead,  J.  Laing,  Lyon,  Bessie  Brown  and  Dean  Hole. 
Mi.  J.  A.  Hammond  was  a  good  second,  and  Mr.  Conway 
Jones  third. 

PERPETUAL-FLOWERING  DECORATIVE   ROSES. 

For  three  baskets  of  cut  Roses  in  distmct  varieties  the 
Rev.  J.  H.  Pemberton  obtained  first  position,  Mrs. 
Wightman  taking  second  and  H.  V.  Macliin,  Esq.,  third. 

For  seven  distinct  varieties  in  separate  vases,  seven  stems 
in  each  vase,  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Pemberton  was  again  first, 
showing  Lyon,  lUyon  d'Or,  Uon  Pain,  Prince  de  Bulgarie, 
Lady  Ashtown,  J.  Hill  and  Gustav  Griinerwald. 

For  eighteen  decorative  Roses,  distinct  varieties,  not 
less  than  three  nor  more  than  twelve  stems  of  each  variety. 
Ml.  H.  V.  Macliln  took  the  leading  honours;  the  Rev. 
J.  H.  Pemberton  followed,  a  good  second. 

For  a  table  decoration  consisting  of  single  Roses  and 
Rose  foliage  only,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Burnett,  Westwood  Road, 
Southampton,  secured  the  highest  place  with  a  beautifully- 
arranged  table  of  Irish  Elegancd,   Mrs.  F.  P.  Wood  being 


second,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Smith  third  and  Miss  J.  B.  Langton 
fourth. 

For  a  table  decoration  of  Roses  (singles  excepted). 
Miss  M.  West  took  first  with  a  lovely-arranged  table  of 
Richmond  :  Mrs.  G.  C  Sawday,  second  ;  Mrs.  A.  Robinson, 
third  ;  and  Countess  Olga  Pontiatini,  fourth. 

SILVER  MEDALS  FOR  BEST  BLOOMS  IN  THE  SHOW. 

Nurserymen. — Best  Rose  other  than  Hybrid  Tea,  Tea 
or  Noisette  :  Messrs.  R.  Harkness  and  Co.,  for  Mrs.  John 
Laing. 

Best  Hybrid  Tea  :  Messrs.  Frank  Cant  and  Co.,  for 
George  Dickson. 

Best  Tea  or  Noisette  :  Mr.  G.  Prince,  for  Mrs.  Edward 
Mawley. 

Amateurs. — Best  Rose  other  than  Hybrid  Tea,  Tea  or 
Noisette  •   R.  Foley  Hobbs,  for  Horace  Vernet. 

Best  Hybrid  Tea  ;  Dr.  T.  E.  Pallett.  for  Avoca. 

Best  Tea  or  Noisette  :  C.  C.  Eversfield.  for  Mrs.  Foley 
Hobbs. 

OPEN  TO  Growers  op  Fewer  than  3,000  Plants. 
Twenty-four  blooms,  distinct,  tested  the  skill  of  growers 
in  the  leading  class  in  this  di\ision.  There  were  four 
excellent  exhibits.  First  prize  and  Hobbies  Cup  were  won 
by  Mr.  W.  Onslow  Times ;  second,  Mr.  W.  Boyes;  third, 
Mr.  H.  R.  Darlington. 

In  the  same  division  the  other  class  was  for  nine  blooms 
of  any  Rose  except  Tea  or  Noisette,  and  in  this  class  there 
were  five  entrants  for  honours.  In  this  contest  Mr.  W. 
Onslow  Times,  Hitchin,  was  placed  in  the  leading  position 
with  an  even  series  of  blooms.  Dean  Hole,  Mildred 
Grant,  The  Lyon.  Lady  Alice  Stanley  and  A.  K.  Williams 
were  his  best  blooms.  Second  prize  went  to  iVIr.  W. 
Boyes,  Middleton-on-the  Wolds,  East  Yorks,  a  splendid 
Edward  Mawley  standing  out  prominently.  Third  prize 
was  won  by  Mr.  H.  R.  Darlington,  Park  House,  Potter's 
Bax.  Marquise  Litta  and  Mrs.  Theodore  Roosevelt  were 
snlendid  in  this  exhibit. 

There  were  seven  entries  in  the  class  for  nine  blooms  of 
any  Rose  except  Tea  or  Noisette,  the  winner  being  found 
in  Mr.  Eversfleld,  Denne  Park,  Horsham,  who  had 
well-coloured  examples  of  Dean  Hole  in  good  condition. 
Second  prize  was  won  by  Mr.  F.  R..  Biggloston,  Jesmond, 
Puckle  Lane,  Canterbury,  who  had  beautiful  examples  of 
Frau  Karl  Druschki.  With  Mildred  Grant  Mr.  W.  Onslow 
Times  was  placed  third. 
Open  to  Growers  of  Fewer  than  2,000  Plants. 
The  leading  class  was  for  twenty-four  blooms,  distinct, 
and  there  were  four  entries,  all  in  superb  form.  This  was 
a  competition  for  a  piece  of  plate,  value  five  guineas, 
offered  by  Messrs.  B.  Cant  and  Sons,  Colchester.  Premier 
honours  rested  with  Captain  W.  Jarrett  Thorpe,  Grans- 
moor,  Hucclecote,  Gloucester,  who  staged  a  very  fresh, 
clean  exhibit.  Superb  examples  of  Mildred  Grant,  George 
Dickson,  Mil  Dudley  Cross,  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs,  G.  C.  Waud, 
Mrs.  James  Welch  and  Dean  Hole  were  conspicuously 
good.  A  good  exhibit  from  Mr.  H.  L.  Weltern,  Waratah, 
Sanderstead,  Croydon,  was  awarded  second  prize,  and  third 
prize  was  secured  by  Mr.  Gulliver  Speight,  Market  Har- 
borough. 

Class  44,  for  eighteen  blooms  distinct,  was  a  good  test 
of  cultural  skill,  and  there  were  again  four  entrants.  In 
this  instance  the  first  prize  was  won  by  Mrs.  E.  Croft 
Murray,  Perivale,  Ryde;  Isle  of  Wight,  who  had  a  rather 
uneven  series — Dean  Hole,  Avoca,  Colonel  R.  S.  William- 
son, William  Shean  and  Mrs.  John  Laing.  A  more  even 
lot  won  second  prize  for  Mr.  F.  A.  Govett,  Holiday  House, 
Sunningdale,  who  had  several  very  charming  specimen 
blooms — The  Lyon  Rose.  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant,  Dean  Hole  and 
Souvenir  de  Pierre  Notting.  Third  prize  was  awarded  to 
Mr.  John  Hart.,  Lochinvar,  Little  Heath,  Potter's  Bar, 
who  had  Hugh  Dickson  in  fine  condition. 

In  tlie  class  for  six  blooms  of  any  Rose  except  Tea 
or  Noisette  there  were  eleven  competitors,  and  the 
margin  of  difference  in  several  cases  was  very  narrow.  First 
prize  was  won  by  Rlr.  Lewis  S.  Pawle  with  fine  examples 
of  Dean  Hole.  Mr.  F.  Crawley,  Stockwood,  Luton,  was 
second  with  beautiful  blooms  of  Mme.  Melanio  Soupert, 
and  with  Hugh  Dickson,  Mr.  F.  H.  Cooke  was  adjudged 
third.     This  was  a  capital  competition. 

Open  to  Growers  of  Fewer  than  1,000  Plants. 
Eleven  entries  in  the  leading  class  for  twelve  blooms; 
distinct  varieties,  made  an  especially  fine  competition,  the 
quality  in  some  instances  being  exceptionally  good.  The 
first  prize  in  tliis  class  was  for  the  President's  Silver  Cup. 
value  five  guineas.  This  was  secured  by  Dr.  Charles 
Lamplough,  who,  as  usual,  had  a  grand,  even,  heavy  lot 
of  blooms.  They  were  as  follows  :  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs, 
Florence  Pemberton,  Mrs.  T.  Roosevelt,  William  Shean, 
Mildred  Grant,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant,  Frau  Karl  Druschki, 
J  B  Clark,  Mme.  Jules  Gravereaux,  White  Maman 
Cochet,  The  Lyon  and  another.  Mr.  Lewis  S.  Pawle, 
Beaconsfield,  Bucks,  was  second,  showing  excellently  well. 
Mrs.  Theodore  Roosevelt,  Mildred  Grant,  Dean  Hole  and 
Mme.  Constant  Soupert  were  aU  good.  Third  prize  was 
won  by  Mr.  F.  H.  Cooke,  Birch,  Colchester,  with  a  pretty 
series. 

Open  to  Growers  of  Fewer  than  750  Plants. 
Again  there  were  eleven  stands  in  competition,  and  tills 
in  the  leading  class  in  this  division  for  twelve  blooms, 
distinct  varieties.  First  prize  was  well  won  by  Mr.  Cumock 
Sawday,  Beechfleld,  Weybridge,  with  a  fresh,  even  lot  of 
blooms.  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs..  Mildred  Grant,  Mrs.  Jamee 
Welch,  William  Shean,  Gloire  de  C.  Guinoisseau,  Mrs.  J. 
Laing  and  Mrs.  Mylesl  Kennedy  were  his  best  flowers. 
Second  prize  was  won  by  Mr.  P.  J.  Davis,  North  Warners, 
Burgess  Hill,  good  blooms  of  Mildred  Grant  and  Mrs. 
Theodore  Roosevelt  being  noteworthy.  Third  prize  went 
to  Mr.  D.    Davics,  Witheridge,    Beaconsfield,    for    a  good 


GARDEN. 


-5^=^*i^>?3? 


y^ 


No.  2174.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


July  ig,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  np  toe  Week     357 

CORRESl'ONDKNCE 

Rose  I,adv  Hilling- 
don      .'.     ..      ..     358 

Statires     in      the 
Greenhouse        . .     358 

Lilinm  Bisanteum. .     358 

Blue-llowercd     Hy- 
drangeas    . .      . .     359 

Habranthus  pratensis 
in  Scotland         ..     359 

Dwarf  plants  of  So- 
lanum  Wendlandii    359 

Forthcoming  events. .     359 

KOSF,  Garpen 

About,  garden  Koscs     359 

Hose  Edward  Mawley  359 
KironES  Gaupen 

Seasonable  notes  on 
vegetables  . .      . .     359 
Rock  and  Water  Garpen 

Stone  edgings  in  the 
kitchen  garden  . .     3t:0 
Coloured  Plate 

Spring  Crocuses     ,.     361 

I'T.OWKR    GAItOEN 

A  handsome  border 
flower 311 1 


Flower  Garpen 
Iris  sibirica  and  its 

group 362 

Siberian    Irises     at 

Clandon  Park    . .     363 
Primulas  at  Monreith  364 
Greenhouse 
Show  and     decora- 
tive Pelargoniums     364 
Gardesino  for  Beginners 
Propagating  border 
Carnations     and 

Pinks 365 

To  destroy  weeds  on 

lawns 366 

Gardenino  of  the  Week 
For    Southf^rn    gar- 
dens          366 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens          366 

The  Impending   Re- 
tirement  OF  Sir 
HaKRY    J.    VEITCH     367 
Answers  to   Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden       . .     367 
Fruit  garden  . .      . .     367 
Miscellaneous         . .     368 
Societies 368 


IliliUSTRATIONS. 

I mvidia  flowering  at  Norwich      358 

stone  edgings  to  the  kitchen  garden  path  at   Alden- 

haiu  House,  Elstree 3B0 

Spring  Crocuses      Coloured  plate 

Ostrowskia  magnifica 361 

A  glimpse  of  the  Iris  garden  at  Clandon  Park,  Surrey  362 

Iris  siliirica  by  the  lakeside  at  Kew 363 

Iris  Snow  Queen 364 

A  promising  hybrid  Iris        364 

Propagating  border  Carnations  and  Pinks        . .      . .  365 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  retjards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated- 
It  mtist  be  diMincUy  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  GARDEN  ivitt  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


Offices: :  20.  Tai  istock  Street,  Covent  Gorrffn,  W.C. 


Cutting  Delphinium  Spikes.— Now  that  the 
flowers  of  this  valuable  decorative  plant  are  going 
over,  it  will  be  found  advisable  to  cut  off  the  old 
spikes  as  soon  as  they  have  faded.  By  doing  so 
it  will  encourage  a  second  crop,  which,  although 
not  so  fine  as  the  first,  will  be  found  of  great  value 
both  for  beautifying  the  garden  and  for  cutting. 
A  good  watering  at  intervals  during  dry  weather, 
and  occasionally  with  weak  liquid  manure,  will  be 
found  very  beneficial. 

A  Shortage  of  Plums  and  Pears.— According 
to  the  monthly  report  just  issued  by  the  Board  of 
Agriculture,  the  prospects  for  tree  fruit  have 
deteriorated  considerably  since  the  report  issued 
a  month  ago  was  published.  This  is  attributed  to 
drought,  which  caused  many  fruits  to  fall  prema- 
turely, and  to  attacks  by  aphides,  which  have  this 
year  been  particularly  bad.  Although  in  some 
places  there  are  good  crops  of  Apples,  the  yield 
as  a  whole  is  expected  to  be  poor,  while  Plums  and 
Pears  are  almost  a  failure. 

A  Charming  Hardy  Annual.- One  of  the  most 

beautiful  hardy  annuals  that  we  have  flowering 
just  now  is  Clarkia  elegans  Salmon  Queen.  This 
is  grown  as  a  broad  edging  to  the  kitchen  garden 
path  and  forms  almost  a  low  hedge,  the  plants 
being  about  eighteen  inches  high.  The  double 
flowers,  which  are  very  freely  produced,  are  a 
delightful  shade  of  salmon  pink.  Near  by  we  have 
Scarlet  Queen,  the  flowers  of  which  are  salmon 
scarlet  in  colour.  These  two  Clarkias  ought  to 
be  grown  wherever  hardy  flowers  are  appreciated. 

The  Spanish  Broom. — Each  year  as  this  season 
comes  round  we  are  reminded  of  the  glorious  effects 
that  are  made  by  the  judicious  planting  of  Spartium 
junceum,  or  the  Spanish  Broom.  The  flowers  are 
golden  yellow,  and  this  year  it  is  flowering  excep- 
tionally well.  It  is  not  in  the  least  fastidious 
in  regard  to  soil,  but  it  prefers  a  warm,  sandy 
medium  and  does  not  object  to  a  poor,  stony  one. 
In  the  early  stages  young  plants  should  be  stopped 
in  order  to  produce  bushy  specimens,  for  when 
once  the  plants  become  leggy  this  cannot  be 
rectified  by  pruning. 

A  New  Chinese  Lily. — Among  the  list  of  new 
garden  plants  just  published  in  the  Kew  Bulletin 
appears  a  new  species  named  Lilium  warleyense, 
a  handsome  plant  with  a  general  resemblance 
to  a  fine  form  of  L.  sutchuenenso.  The  stem  is 
about  four  feet  high,  without  bulbils.  The  flowers, 
twenty  or  more,  are  pendulous  on  slender  pedicels 
about  three  inches  across,  orange  red,  with  promi- 
nent chocolate  spots,  segments  recurved.  Without 
doubt  this  subject  will  prove  a  great  acquisition 
as  a  garden  plant,  although  we  fail  to  see  why 
a  new  Chinese  species  shoiild  take  its  specific 
name  after  an  English  garden.  With  garden 
varieties  or  hybrids  this  is  quite  another  matter, 
but  in  the  case  of  an  introduced  species  the  name 
becomes  misleading. 


A  Valuable  Decorative  Phlox. — Few  hardy 
plants  are  more  attractive  during  late  spring  and 
early  summer  than  the  pale  blue-flowered  Phlox 
div.aricata  Laphamii,  which  is  well  worthy  of  a 
place  in  every  garden.  Now  that  the  flowers  are 
over,  a  number  of  young  growths  will  be  found 
upon  the  old  flowering  shoots.  These  make 
excellent  cuttings,  and  should  now  be  taken  off 
and  placed  in  sandy  soil  under  a  hand-light,  when 
they  will  readily  root  and  make  good  plants  for 
putting  out  later.  An  excellent  subject  for  mixing 
with  them  will  be  found  in  Sedum  spectabile, 
which  will  come  into  flower  after  the   Phlo.\es. 

A  Beautiful  Flowering  Sage. — Few  herbaceous 

plants  blossom  for  a  longer  period  than  Salvia 
nemorosa,  and  few  plants  are  more  conspicuous 
in  a  mixed  border.  A  specimen  which  has  been 
limited  to  a  dozen  growths  branches  to  form  a 
plant  3  feet  or  more  in  diameter  by  the  time  the. 
first  flowers  open  in  early  June,  and  from  raid- 
June  to  mid-Augnst  it  bears  its  bright  bluish 
flowers  freely.  After  the  majority  of  the  flowers 
have  fallen  there  are  still  the  reddish  brown  calyx 
lobes  to  look  forward  to,  and  these  stand  out  well 
among  surrounding  flowers.  As  it  grows  in  ordinary 
garden  soil  and  is  easily  propagated  by  cuttings 
of  young  shoots  in  spring,  it  is  a  plant  for  everyone, 
and  few  people  will  be  likely  to  find  fault  with  it. 
Some  know  it  as  S.  virgata. 

The  Double  Opium  Poppy.— For  producing 
effective  m.isses  of  colour  in  the  pleasure  grounds 
with  a  sm.all  amount  of  trouble  it  is  doubtful 
if  there  is  any  annual  to  surpass  the  Poppy.  The 
Shirley  Poppy  (Papaver  Rha-as),  the  Sc.irlel  Poppy 
(P.  commutatum  or  P.  umbrosum),  and  the  Opium 
Poppy  (P.  somniferum)  each  has  its  respective 
admirers.  A  large  group  of  the  double  Opium 
Poppy  is  just  now  providing  a  brilliant  and  imposing 
mass  of  colour  .at  the  south  end  of  the  Temperate 
House  at  Kew.  Growing  about  three  feet  in  height- 
the  large  double  flowers,  in  numerous  rich  and 
varied  colours,  are  extremely  showy.  On  the 
other  side  of  the  Pagoda  vista,  near  the  Flagstaff, 
a  lirge  patch  of  P.  commutatum  or  P.  umbrosum, 
with  its  scarlet  and  black  flowers,  is  equally  effective 
A  Useful  Plant  for  Shady  Places.— The  common 
Tutsan,  or  Rose  of  Sharon  (Hypericum  caly  - 
cinum),  is  one  of  the  best  plants  for  growing 
beneath  the  shade  of  trees,  for,  although  it  grows 
quite  well  in  the  open,  it  succeeds  equally  well 
under  trees,  and  keeps  in  good  condition  right  to 
the  trunk.  Throughout  the  year  it  is  green,  and 
provides  a  good  carpet  ;  but  diuring  June  and 
July,  when  bearing  its  large  golden  blossoms 
freely,  it  is  specially  pleasing.  Providing  the 
ground  is  dug  over  previous  to  planting,  it  re- 
quires little  further  preparation.  The  plant;  may 
then  be  divided  and  planted  in  small  clumps 
9  inches  to  12  inches  apart,  autumn  or  early  spring 
being  a  good  season  for  the  work.  By  cutting  the 
plant  over  in  March,  plenty  of  vigorous  young 
shoots  may  be  obtained. 


358 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  19,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  Editor  is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Rose  Lady  Hillingdon. — I  am  quite  satisfied 
with  Rose  Lady  Hillingdon.  It  flowers  beauti- 
fully at  Fribourg  on  strong  and  erect  stems,  and 
is  of  the  finest  orange  apricot  hue.  Pharisaer  is 
also  an  excellent  Rose,  very  free-fiowering  and 
mildew-proof ;  the  colour  is  of  rather  a  salmon 
pink  shade.  —  Baronne  A.  de  Graffenried- 
ViLLARS,  Paris. 

Statices  in  the  Greenhouse.— The  various 
shrubby  species  of  Statice  from  the  Canary  Islands, 
and  the  garden  forms  emanating  therefrom,  have 
long  been  popular  greenhouse  plants,  their  pleasing 
blue  flowers  remaining  fresh  and  bright  for  a  long 
time.  Some  of  the  annual  kinds,  too,  are  very 
pretty,  one  of  these,  remarkable  for  its  distinctness 
and  beauty,  being  S.  Suworowii,  which  was  intro- 
duced from  Turkestan 
about  thirty  years  ago. 
The  manner  in  which 
the  spikes  are  disposed 
gives  it  a  decidedly  im- 
common  appearance.  In 
colour  the  blossoms  vary 
from  white  to  pinkish 
mauve  or  lilac.  The 
white  form  was  recently 
given  an  award  of  merit 
by  the  Royal  Horticul- 
tural Society.  This 
Statice  needs  to  be  sown 
early  in  the  year  and 
potted  on  as  the  young 
plants  require  it.  Good 
examples  may  be  grown 
m  5-inch  pots. — H.  P. 

Lilium  giganteum.— 
This  King  of  Lilies  does 
not,  I  fear,  receive  the 
attention  which  its 
merits  deserve,  so  that 
it  is  a  pleasure  to  come 
across  a  specimen  of  it, 
which  I  did  the  other 
day  in  the  garden  of  Mr. 
Charles  Campbell, 
Cloverlea,  C  r  a  m  o  n  d 
Bridge,  Midlothian.  Mr. 
Campbell,  who  is  a  keen 
amatetir,  picked  up  two 
bulbs  of  this  Lily  six 
years  ago  at  an  auction 
sale  for  a  few  pence, 
his  garden,  which  lies 
is    formed    of    deep    loam 


readily  got  rid  of,  owing  to  the  leaves  being  smooth. 
In  addition,  it  flowers  for  a  long  period,  namely, 
through  ths  summer  and  well  on  into  the  autumn. 
The  blossoms  of  this  Dipladenia  are  about  a  couple 
of  inches  in  length  and  as  much  across,  the  colour 
being  of  the  purest  white,  with  a  rich  orange 
yellow  throat,  the  contrast  being  very  marked. 
This  species,  which  was  introduced  by  Richard 
Pearce  of  tuberous  Begonia  fame,  first  flowered 
in  Messrs.  Veitch's  nursery  at  Chelsea  in  1868. 
Given  a  warm  greenhouse  or  intermediate  struc- 
ture. D.  holivit.nsis  can  be  well  grown. — H.  P. 

Hybrid  Primulas. — Under  the  title  "  Primula 
cockbumiana  and  Its  Hybrids"  appears  a- short 
article  in  The  Garden  for  June  28,  page  324, 
which  is  most  interesting,  as  it  touches  on 
a  race  of  plants  that  are  practically  in  their  infancy  ; 
nevertheless,  they  have  a  great  future  in  store. 
Here  we  have  been  crossing  them  since  their  intro- 
duction, and  have  planted  some  hundreds  of  crosses 
annually,   which  on   blooming  have   been  nothing 


A    FLOWERING    SPRAY    OF    DAVIDIA    INVOLUCRATA,   A    NEW    HARDY    TREE   FROM    CHINA 


He     planted    them    in 

on    a   sunny    slope    and 

For    five    successive 


seasons  the  plants  made  little  growth,  and 
hope  deferred  had  almost  made  the  heart  grow 
sick  when  to  his  surprise  Mr.  Campbell's  patience 
has  this  season  had  its  reward.  The  specimens 
are  not  very  large,  but  the  foliage  and  flowers 
are  about  the  normal  size.  The  larger  specimen, 
with  seven  good  blooms,  stands  6  feet  3  inches 
high. — Charles  Comfort. 

Dipladenia  boliviensis. — This  is  one  of  the 
smallest-flowered  of  the  Dipladenias,  but  in  many 
features  it  is  decidedly  one  of  the  best.  In  the 
first  place,  being  a  native  of  Bolivia,  it  will  succeed 
under  cooler  treatment  than  those  which  come 
from  warmer  regions  ;  next,  it  is  far  less  liable 
to  the  attacks  of  mealy  bug  than  they  are,  and 
even  if  the  pests  effect  a  lodgment,  they  are  more 


more  than  the  type,  and  it  is  out  experience  that 
these  Primulas  do  not  cross  freely.  Among 
several  good  hybrids  that  have  appeared  here, 
one  especially  bears  great  promise.  It  is  a  cross 
between  P.  buUeyana  and  P.  cockbumiana,  the 
first  named  being  the  seed-bearer.  The  colour 
is  a  shade  of  salmon,  toning  to  yellow  in  the  centre. 
The  plant,  blooming  for  the  first  time  this  season, 
has  borne  twenty-one  good  stems  of  blooms.  One 
stem  has  thrown  two  adventitious  stems  from  just 
below  the  bottom  whorl  of  bloom,  and  two  other 
stems  one  each.  These  side  stems  carried  two 
whorls  each,  and  the  main  stems  from  four  to  six 
each,  which  were  rather  closely  set  together  and 
gave  the  plant  an  extraordinarily  floriferous  appear- 
ance. It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  P.  x  Excelsior 
is  perennial,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  work  of 
evolution  may  have  a  great  bearing  in  this  dii'ec- 
tion. — D.  Lewis,  Totley  Hall  Gardens,  Sheffield. 


Rose  Mrs.  George  Norwood.— In  your  issue  of  List 
week,  under  "  New  Roses  "  at  the  National  Rose 
Society's  Show,  I  note  you  have  my  seedling,  Mrs. 
George  Norwood,  down  as  grown  under  glass.  It 
was  grown  outside,  and  it  was  no  fault  of  mine 
if    the'  cards    were    placed     wrong.  —  Elisha    J. 

HiCKS. 

Davidia  Flowering  at  Norwich. — I  think  your 
readers  may  be  interested  to  hear  that  a  Davidia 
here  has  borne  twenty-one  inflorescences ;  not 
enough  for  a  great  effect,  but  sufficient  to  give 
one  great  hopes  for  its  future  as  an  ornamental 
tree  in  this  country. — J.  A.  Christie,  The  Manor 
House,  Framingham  Pigot,  Norwich. 

Cypripedium  Calceolus. — The  English  Lady's 
Slipper  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  race  of  hardy 
Cypripediums,  and  I  saw  recently  an  illustration 
of  how  enduring  it  is  under  the  most  adverse  circum- 
stances. In  going  through  the  magnificent  gardens 
of  the  Marquis  of  Ailsa  at  Culzean  Castle,  Ayr- 
shire, the  other  day,  Mr.  R.  G.  Hepburn,  the 
gardener,  drew  my  atten- 
tion to  some  plants  of 
C.  Calceolus  in  flower  in 
an  opening  in  a  thicket 
of  one  of  the  taller  Poly- 
gonums. These  plants 
were  in  the  garden  when 
Mr.  Hepburn  took  over 
his  appointment  about 
two  years  ago,  but  were 
crowded  up  and  hidden 
by  the  growths  of  the 
tall  Polygonum.  Room 
was  made  for  them  by 
clearing  away  some  of 
these  and  opening  them 
up  to  the  light,  with  the 
result  that  they  are  doing 
well.  This  is  a  striking 
example  of  the  ease 
with  which  C.  Calceolus 
will  withstand  the  most 
adverse  conditions. — S. 
Arnott. 

A  Deteriorated  Duke 
ot  Edinburgh  Rose.— 
The  following  incident, 
which  I  have"  lately 
learned,  may  he  of  in- 
terest to  those  readers 
of  The  Garden  who  pay 
special  attention  to 
Roses.  A  gentleman 
living  near  here  bought 
and  had  planted  in  his 
garden  about  fifteen  years  ago  a  plant  of  the  above 
Rose.  It  flourished  and  for  many  years  yielded  its 
usual  bright  scarlet-coloured  flowers ;  but  in  course 
of  time  it  began  to  bear,  and  does  still,  flowers 
of  a  pink  shade,  the  centre  a  deeper  pink  than  the 
outside.  The  plant  is  about  six  feet  to  seven  feet 
in  height  and  four  feet  to  five  feet  across.  I  was 
told  it  had  never  been  pruned  during  the  fifteen 
years,  but  had  had  on  one  or  two  occasions  just  a 
piece  or  two  of  growth  cut  away.  This  item 
of  Rose  news  seems  to  me  so  out  of  the  ordinary 
that  I  venture  to  ask  three  questions,  which  perhaps 
some  Rose  authority  wiil  kindly  deal  with  :  (i) 
Was  pink  the  colour  of  either  or  both  of  the  parents 
of  the  above-mentioned  Rose  ?  (2)  Did  change 
and  deterioration  set  in  as  a  result  of  neglect 
of  pruning  ?  (3)  Is  it  common  for  deteriorating 
Roses  to  change  in  colour?  I  thought  they 
changed  only  in  quality  and  form. — C.  T.,  Highgate. 


July  19,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


359 


Blue-Flowered    Hydrangeas.~On    page    323. 

issue  June  28,  "  H.  P."  lias  a  very  interesting 
note  nn  these  popular  plants.  It  is  quite  true 
that  when  certain  preparations  are  applied  to  the 
soil,  blue  flowers  result.  I  have  had  some  con- 
siderable experience  with  blue-flowered  Hydrangeas, 
having  had  specimens  7  feet  through  bearing 
dozens  of  blue-flowered  heads,  a  few  of  the  largest 
measuring  nearly  eighteen  inches  across.  Un- 
doubtedly there  was  iron  in  the  soil,  but  the  water 
was  very  "  hard,"  and  was  conveyed  to  the  gardens 
through  pipes,  being  forced  up  to  tanks  from 
a  pond  which  was  filled  by  a  stream,  water 
trickling  into  it  from  bog  and  peat  land  on  both 
sides.  Stones  on  which  water  dripped  from  the 
pipe  taps  were  soon  coloured  red.  For  more  than 
ten  years  the  flowers  never  failed  to  open  blue, 
but  on  a  few  of  the  plants  pink  flowers  developed 
as  well  as  blue  ones,  and  cxmsistently  so  every 
vear.  I  cannot  understand  why  this  should  be.  The 
blue  flowers  were  as  deep  as  Cornflowers. — G.  G. 

Habranthus    pratensis    in    Scotland.— it    is 

pleasant  to  come  across  the  handsome  flowers  of 
Habranthus  pratensis  in  a  Scottish  garden  in  the 
open  border.  This  was  the  case  the  other  day, 
when  the  writer  observed  this  Habranthus  flower- 
ing bravely  in  one  of  the  borders  in  the  famous 
gardens  of  Culzean  Castle,  Ayrshire,  the  seat  of 
the  Marquis  of  Ailsa.  There  was  a  good  clump, 
which  has  been  established  for  several  years, 
and  another  one  was  present  in  another  border. 
There  were  a  considerable  number  of  bulbs, 
bearing  quite  freely  the  handsome,  trumpet-shaped, 
bright  scarlet,  Amaryllis-like  flowers.  This  plant 
has  acquired  considerable  prominence  of  late, 
largely  through  its  exhibition  at  some  of  the 
London  shows,  where  it  has  been  greatly  admired. 
Its  success  at  Culzean,  although  this  garden  is 
highly  favoured  in  the  matter  of  climate,  should 
encourage  its  cultivation.  It  is  splendidly  grown 
in  some  of  the  Eastern  and  Southern  Counties  of 
England,  and  as  a  hardy  bulb  it  is  worth  attempting 
in  the  warmer  parts  of  the  north  of  the  three 
kingdoms  as  well.  It  is  properly  called  Hippe- 
astrum  pratense,  but  Habranthus  pratensis  is 
still  its  best-known  appellation.  It  should  be 
planted  from  4  inches  to  6  inches  deep. — S.  Arnott. 
Dwarf  Plants  of  Solanum  Wendlandii. — Those 
who  know  this  Solanum  only  as  a  vigorous-growing 
climber  are  surprised  at  the  way  in  which  it  can  be 
successfully  grown  as  dwarf  plants,  each  carrying 
a  large  head  of  its  pretty  lilac-coloured  blossoms. 
A  number  of  splendid  examples  were  noted  at 
the  Holland  House  Show,  and  numerous  were  the 
enquiries  as  to  how  they  were  obtained.  Such 
plants  are  really  propagated  from  eyes  put  in  early 
in  February,  and  treated  just  as  Grape  Vines  are. 
They  are  inserted  singly  into  small  pots,  and  plunged 
in  a  gentle  bottom-heat.  Under  these  conditions 
they  soon  start  into  growth,  and  are  shifted  into 
larger  pots  when  necessary.  During  the  earlier 
stages  a  temperature  of  60°  to  70°  is  maintained, 
but  as  the  plants  make  headway  a  warm  green- 
house is  sufficient  for  them,  as  if  kept  in  too  high  a 
temperature  they  run  up  weakly.  Six-inch  pots  are 
large  enough  for  the  strongest  examples. — H.  P. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

Julv  23. — Flower  Shows  at  Cardiff  (two  days), 
Sevenoaks,  and  Leamington  (two  days). 

July  24. — Flower  Shows  at  Exning,  Roehampton 
and  Romsey. 

July  25. — Cheadle  and  Cheadle  Heath  Show 
(two  days). 

July  26. — Fife  and  Kinross  Show. 


I     THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 

ABOUT     GARDEN     ROSES. 

THERE  is  no  time  like  the  present 
for  discussing  the  merits  of  garden 
Roses.  One  thing  is  very  evident,  viz., 
that  the  Roses  we  cherish  as  our 
best  things  in  the  North  are  by 
no  means  as  satisfactory  in  the  South. 
The  stronger  soils  and  greater  moisture  in  the 
North  certainly  favour  many  Roses  that  are 
robust,  while  the  lighter  and  drier  Southern 
lands  are  favourable  to  weaker  constitutions. 
The  idea  of  the  Rose  General  Macarthur 
being  subject  to  mildew,  for  instance,  makes  us 
open  our  eyes  in  amazement,  such  a  thing  being 
unknown  in  moister  climates.  Then,  again, 
Lyon  Rose  is  with  us  so  specially  liable  to  that 
pest,  as  well  as  so  straggling  in  habit,  that  I  should 
never  admit  it  in  any  Rose  garden,  though  for  the 
sake  of  its  lovely  cut  blooms  I  might  grant  it  a 
lonely  corner  near  the  kitchen  garden. 

I  see  little  mention  of  the  brilliant  George  C. 
Waud,  which  is  such  a  welcome  addition,  as  is  also 
Commandant  Felix  Faure,  an  admirable  red  Rose 
that  never  seems  mentioned  as  one  of  the  specially 
desirable  Roses  to  plant.  The  dwarf  and  beautiful 
Chateau  de  Clos  Vougeot  has  hardly  yet  been  suffi- 
ciently tried  in  the  North,  while  in  the  South  its 
praises  are  sung  already.  More  important,  perhaps, 
in  the  North  than  in  the  South  is  the  freedom  of  the 
autumn  bloom,  and  that  is  a  factor  in  our  choice 
of  some  importance.  When  I  see  such  a  Rose  as 
Dr.  O'Donel  Browne  mentioned  as  a  desirable 
Rose,  I  feel  seized  with  a  wild  desire  to  see  that 
fairy  place  where  it  is  beautiful  as  well  as  vigorous. 
While  the  grand  old  Rose  Baronne  de  Pr6vost 
is  still  in  existence,  as  I  hope  and  believe  it  is, 
why  grow  such  a  coarse  and  inferior  copy  ?  I 
really  think  the  blooms  at  an  exhibition  are  so 
misleading  to  the  innocent  and  ignorant  amateur 
that  now  and  again  a  note  of  warning  is  needed. 

I  oftru  see  those  two  good  wichuraiana  hybrids 
Gardenia  and  Alberic  Barbier  mentioned  as  equally 
good.  In  the  hand  perhaps  they  may  be,  but 
Gardenia  flowers  only  once  and  grows  so  rampantly 
that  Alberic  Barbier,  with  less  excessive  vigour 
and  (with  me)  absolutely  continuous  blooming 
qualities,  never  gets  its  due  share  of  praise.  I 
think  there  is  a  little  secret  that  can  be  gained  by 
careful  observation  of  its  grovrth  and  in  the  way 
the  annual  thinning  out  of  the  weaker  shoots 
that  have  flowered  is  carried  out  ;  but  I  can  affirm 
that  not  in  one  or  two  gardens  only,  Alberic  Barbier 
flowers  continuously  from  May  to  the  end  of 
October,  the  only  Rose  of  that  breed  that  is  truly 
perpetual.  Indeed,  like  Dean  Hole,  who  said  that 
"  if  for  some  offence  I  were  only  allowed  to  grow 
one  Rose,  I  think  I  should  nowadays  choose  .Alberic 
Barbier"  rather  than  the  Gloire  de  Dijon,  which  he 
then  considered  the  most  perpetual  of  all  Roses. 

In  the  North  neither  Griiss  an  Teplitz  norMme. 
Alfred  Carrifere  flowers  with  the  same  certainty 
and  profusion  as  in  the  South,  while  it  seems  to  me 
that  Dorothy  Perkins  and  her  two  sports  Lady 
Godiva  and  White  Dorothy  have  found  the  secret 
of  constant  and  late  autumnal  blooming,  a  thing 
much  to  be  praised.  The  hardiness  and  vigour 
of  the  pernetiana  Rose  Juliet  have  been  an 
agreeable  surprise,  and  the  blooms  this  year 
are  even  beautiful  in  the  North,  so  we  hope  for 
useful  developments  in  this  strain. 

Of  the  single  Roses,  none,  it  seems  to  me,  can 
compare  with  Irish  Elegance,  both  as  a  bush  and 
for  cutting  purposes,  and  this  Rose  is  as  yet  too 


little  known  and  grown  in  the  North.  Some  day 
I  hope  to  hear  how  that  fine  Hybrid  Tea  Mciry 
Countess  of  Ilchester  behaves  in  English  gardens. 
In  the  South  of  France  it  has  proved  the  finest, 
sweetest  and  most  lasting  of  all  Roses,  so  that  if 
it  proves  ultimately  a  good  winter  bloomer  it  will 
be  a  great  addition  to  any  Rose  garden. 

Edward  H.  Woodall. 


ROSE     EDWARD    MAWLEY. 

The  present  season  has  particularly  suited  this 
grand  Rose.  With  me  it  has  been  by  far  the  best 
red  Hybrid  Tea  in  the  garden,  surpassing  even 
that  grand  variety  Leslie  Holland.  I  am 
particularly  glad  Edward  Mawley  is  turning 
out  so  fine,  for  it  bears  such  an  honoured  nam*- 
that  all  rosarians  wish  it  to  be  worthy  of  it.  I  am 
convinced  it  is  going  to  be  one  of  the  best  crimson 
garden  Roses,  and  will  be  speci.illy  beautiful  in  a 
cool  season  and  also  in  autumn.  It  is  almost 
certain  to  me  that  Mme.  Melanie  Soupert  was  the 
seed  parent  of  this  Rose,  crossed  possibly  with 
Etoile  de  France.  I  am  hoping  that  by  using 
a  more  double  flower,  such  as  George  Dickson, 
as  seed  parent  we  may  produce  a  good  double 
bright  scarlet  Hybrid  Tea,  a  colour  still  wanting 
among  this  class  of  really  good  exhibition  standard 
The  Portadown  Roses  are  proving  themselves 
to  be  valuable  acquisitions  ;  particularly  the  recent 
varieties.  I  cannot  get  myself  to  admire  His 
Majesty,  but  can  well  believe  in  Ireland  and  in 
some  other  parts  it  will  come  fine  at  times  ;  indeed, 
I  have  had  occasional  blooms  of  superb  form.  * 
I  hope  Messrs.  McGredy  and  Son  will  continue 
to  provide  us  with  novelties  of  the  high  standard 
they  are  now  doing,  and  I  am  looldng  forward 
keenly  to  the  quartet  they  are  putting  on  the 
market  this  year.  Danecroft. 


THE     KITCHEN     GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE    NOTES    ON    VEGE- 
TABLES. 
Cabbages    for    Spring.— Notwithstanding    the 

fact  that  we  are  fust  in  the  flush  of  the  Green  Pea 
season,  it  behoves  us  to  give  consideration  to  the 
Cabbages  which  will  assuredly  be  wanted  next  spring. 
The  Green  Peas  satisfy  us  now,  but  they  will 
not  do  so  then,  and  in  the  spring  months  there  is 
nothing  sweeter  than  a  freshly-cut  Cabbage,  and 
probably  nothing  healthier,  either.  At  least  two 
sowings  of  seeds  ought  to  be  made  in  every  garden, 
as  there  must  not  be  such  a  thing  as  failure.  The 
end  of  the  third  week  of  the  month  is  an  excellent 
time  in  most  seasons  ;  but  should  the  autunm  prove 
mild  and  particularly  favourable  to  progress,  there 
is  a  decided  chance  that  these  plants  will  be  too 
soft  to  stand  the  varied  weather  of  the  winter.  To 
be  on  the  safe  side,  sow  again  approximately  three 
weeks  later,  and  there  is  little  danger  that  the  result 
of  both  sowings  will  be  failure.  Thin  sowing, 
early  thinning  and  prompt  transplantation  are 
essential  to  success.  Although  it  has  been  in 
commerce  so  many  years,  I  have  yet  to  find  the 
variety  to  beat  Flower  of  Spring  in  any  season, 
soil  or  district. 

Winter  Greens. — The  planting  out  of  the 
different  members  of  the  Cabbage  family  to  produce 
fresh  green  vegetables  during  the  winter  months  i^ 
now  in  active  progress,  and  the  opportunity  of  a 
favourable  day  ought  never  to  be  missed.  One 
cannot,  of  course,  question  the  desirability  of  plant- 
ing  when    the   weather   is   showery    and   the   soil 


360 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  19,  1913. 


pleasantly  moist,  because  the  plants  do  not  then 
experience  the  smallest  check  ;  but  waiting  beyond 
a  reasonable  time  has  nothing  to  commend  it. 
Given  strong,  splendidly-rooted  plants,  there  is 
no  fear  of  loss,  even  though  the  conditions  are  not 
ideal.  When  it  is  decided  that  there  shall  be  no 
further  waiting,  water  the  ground,  or  the  stations, 
heavily  in  the  morning  and  plant  late  in  the  evening 
of  the  same  day,  soaking  afterwards  as  may  be 
needed. 

Potatoes. — The  early  Potatoes  are  coming  out 
most  satisfactorily  up  to  now,  and  those  who  have 
been  buying  imported  stuff  will  be  appreciating 
the  immense  superiority  of  tubers  dug  from  their 
own  gardens  and  cooked  within  a  couple  of  hours. 
The  final  earthing  of  the  main  crop  and  late  varie- 
ties is  imminent,  and  before  it  is  done  every  plot 
should  be  sprayed  with  Bordeau.x  or  Burgundy 
mi.\ture  as  a  preventive  of  the  disease.  Many 
people  still  labour  under  the  erroneous  impression 
that  spraying  does  not  pay.     In  a  year  like  igii, 


encourage  the  plants  to  continue  the  production 
of  flowers.  See  that  the  soil  is  maintained 
pleasantly  moist  at  the  roots,  loosen  the  surface 
with  hoe  or  fork,  and  spread  a"  thick  mulching  of 
manure  along  each  side  of  the  rows.  Water 
through  this,  and  do  not  forget  heavy  hosing  on 
the  evenings  of  hot,  dry  days. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


STONE    EDGINGS    IN   THE    KITCHEN 
GARDEN. 

THE  stone  edgings  to  the  walks  shown 
in  the  accompanying  illustration  took 
the  place,  some  eighteen  months  ago, 
of  grass  verges,  and  when  first  com- 
pleted and  before  the  planting  had 
time  to  be  effective,  varying  opinions 
existed  as  to  which  was  tlie  more  attractive. 
Now    that    the     various    plants    have    had    time 


STONE    EDGINGS    TO    THE    KITCHEN    GARDEiN    PATH    AT    ALDENHAM    HOUSE,    ELSTREE 


when  we  had  continuous  drought  until  well  on  in 
summer,  it  is  possible  that  there  is  a  waste  of  time 
and  material ;  but  we  never  know  what  the  weather 
is  going  to  be,  and  those  who  consistently  spray 
twice — once  at  the  middle  of  July  and  a  second 
time  three  or  so  weeks  later,  according  to  the 
weather — will  find  that,  taking  one  season  with 
another,  sprayuig  will  pay  splendidly.  A  spraying 
syringe  answers  admirably  where  the  area  to  be 
dressed  is  limited. 

Tomatoes. — The  plants  indoors  will  be  demand- 
ing al)undant  supplies  of  water,  and  probably  of 
liquid  manure,  and  any  neglect  will  be  paid  for  in 
loss  of  crop.  There  is  no  doubt  that  th^  smaller, 
within  reason,  the  receptacle  containing  the  roots, 
the  better.  The  thrifty  plant  is  short-jointed,  sets 
its  crop  splendidly,  and  when  the  necessity  for  it 
arises,  feeding  can  easily  be  done. 

Green  Peas. — it  is  imperative  that  the  pods  of 
these  shall  be   gathered  as  closely  as  possible,  to 


to  become  established  —  and  quite  a  host  of 
subjects  are  included — it  is  unanimously  declared 
to  be  a  fine  feature.  These  rock  edgings  to 
the  paths  may  be  constructed  at  very  little 
cost,  the  stone  being  the  greatest  item,  and 
if  economically  placed,  some  good,  large  spaces 
may  be  provided  for  the  stronger-growing  subjects, 
which  create  a  fine  effect  when  seen  in  masses ; 
and,  with  very  little  trouble,  the  natural  soil  and 
drainage,  if  not  altogether  suitable,  may  be 
improved.  The  stone  used  here  was  fairly  flatfish 
sandstone,  wliich  needs  to  be  firmly  embedded,  and, 
if  possible,  some  good  soil  added  to  provide  a  good 
rooting  medium  underneath  as  well  as  between 
the  crevices.  Pockets  may  be  formed  of  varying 
sizes,  some  on  a  level  with  the  walk,  others  slightly 
raised.  Generally,  we  used  two  tiers  of  stone, 
and  though  our  walks  are  perfectly  straight  and  the 
width  even  throughout,  the  broken-up  edging  of 
stone  seems  quite  in  order,  and  it  is  evident  that 


equally  as  good  an  effect  could  be  produced  with 
winding  or  curved  paths  and  of  irregular  widths. 
The  walks  in  the  kitchen  garden  here  run  north 
and  south,  east  and  west,  and  though  large  pieces 
of  rock  do  not  exist  to  form  shade,  positions  may 
be  found  to  suit  almost  all  plants,  and  the  taller 
herbaceous  plants,  with  the  pyramid  fruit  trees 
at  the  back,  assist  in  producing  shaded  positions. 
Where  it  is  desirable  to  include  rock  and  alpine 
plants,  and  a  rockery  proper  does  not  exist  or  a 
suitable  place  cannot  be  found  to  build  one,  then 
the  present  idea  is  worth  consideration,  as  the 
plants  are  always  easily  examined,  and  watering, 
damping,  cleaning  and  top-dressing  may  be  carried 
out  in  the  most  expeditious  manner. 

The  number  of  plants  that  may  be  utilised  is 
really  surprising,  also  the  quantity  needed  to 
plant  it.  The  first  season  the  commoner  subjects 
were  planted  lavishly  to  produce  an  immediate 
effect  ;  but  these  grew  generally  with  such  remark- 
able vigour  that  last  autumn  and  in  the  early  spring 
stringent  measures  had  to  be  taken  to 
reduce  them  and  substitute  better- 
class  plants.  Annuals  in  our  case 
are  left  out  entirely,  and  only  a 
few  of  the  dwarfest  and  best  rock 
shrubs  included,  the  Helianthemums 
ui  variety  making  fine  patches  of 
colour  in  the  sunniest  spots.  The 
smaller  plants  of  less  vigorous  habit 
are  grouped  together  in  small  colonies 
m  well-drained  soil,  so  that  they 
do  not  become  so  readily  neglected 
and  lost  as  they  might  be  if  iso- 
lated. The  names  of  a  few  subjects 
that  have  done  particularly  well 
with  us  may  not  be  out  of  place. 
I'he  following  are  in  flower  now  : 
Saponaria  ocymoides,  Achillea  rupes- 
tris,  A.  tomentosa,  Saxifraga  Coty- 
ledon, S.  pedatifolia,  S.  Aizoon  recta. 
Campanula  carpatica,  Veronica  pros- 
trata,  Armeria  maritima  alba,  A. 
laucheana,  Viola  gracihs,  V.  bosniaca, 
V.  Papilio,  Phlox  pilosa,  Dianthus 
Napoleon  III.,  D.  Duchess  of  Fife, 
D.  superbus,  D.  fragrans,  Primula 
japonica,  P.  pulverulenta,  Gypso- 
phila  repens  rosea,  G.  prostrata, 
.\chillea  serbica,  Dianthus  caesius 
l^randiflorus.  Geranium  lancastriense, 
lirinus  alpinus,  Aubrietia  tauricola, 
Potentilla  Miss  Willmott,  Hutchinsia 
alpina,  Linaria  alpina  rosea,  CEnothera 
ovata,  QJ.  taraxifolia  and  Campanula  G.  F.  Wilson. 
Other  subjects  that  have  been  particularly  fine 
are  Aubrietia  Lavender,  A.  Moerheimii,  A.  J.  S. 
Baker  (the  earliest  to  flower).  Erysimum  pul- 
chellum.  Ranunculus  montanus,  Saxifraga  bathoni- 
ensis,  S.  Stansfieldii,  S.  Camposii  and  Veronica 
repens.  The  foregoing  are  just  a  few  of  the  more 
vigorous  growing  and  those  that  have  established 
themselves  freely  and  flowered  profusely.  A 
few  of  the  choicer  plants  that  appear  to  be  doing 
well  are  Dianthus  neglectus,  D.  alpinus  magnificus. 
Campanula  muralis,  C.  Zoysii,  C.  Elatines,  C. 
Profusion,  Morisia  hypogoea,  Achillea  Kellereri, 
Oxalis  enneaphylla,  Potentilla  pygmaea.  Geranium 
argenteum,  Geum  montanum,  Gentiana  verna, 
Linaria  concolor,  Soldanella  minima  alba,  Wahlen- 
bergia  vincaflora,  Pentstemon  pygmsea.  Phlox 
Douglasii,  Viola  pedata  bicolor,  V.  glabella  and 
Asperula  suberosa.  E.  Beckett. 

Aldenimm  House  Gardens,  hlsttee^  Herts, 


Snf'ph'iuciit  lo   I' HE  GARDEN,  J idv  [i^th,   1913- 


THREE  BEAUTIFUL  CROCUSES. 

Yellow:   C.  chrysanthus  E.  A.  Bowles.        Mauve;  C.  Sieberi.         Purple  &  Buff:   C.  Imperati. 


Hudson  S-  Kearns,  Ltd..  Printers,  London.  S.B. 


Jui.v  19,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


361 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PliATE     1474. 


SPRING    CROCUSES. 

IHE  triumvirate  of  beautiful  Crocuses 
so  well  show-n  in  the  coloured  plate 
presented    with    this   issue    recall    one 


unfeathered  white  forms  appear  to  breed  true 
when  self-fertilised,  as  do  so  many  true  albinos, 
and  are  most  likely  Mendelian  recessives. 

C.  Sieberi  comes  from  Greece,  but  yet  is  a  hardy 
and  robust  species.  It  has  a  coarsely-reticulated 
corm  tunic,  and  does  not  seem  to  be  so  palatable 
to  mice  as  some  of  the  species  mth  thinner  coats. 


T 

■  of  this  season's  spring  shows  at  Vmcent    Its  colour  is  a  delightfully  cool  shade  of  lilac.     A 

A  Square,  when  these  flowers  were  shown    very  bright  orange  throat  and  rich  scarlet  stigmata 

by  Messrs.  Barr.  I  noted  at  the  time  greatly  add  to  its  beauty, 
how  delightfully  their  colourings  blended,  a.id  was  There  is  a  richly-coloured  form  of  C.  Sieberi 
delighted  when,  some  time  later,  I  was  shown  the  sometimes  sold  as  C.  atticus  and  also  as  C.  Sieberi 
clever  portraits  by  which  they  had  been  immorta-  purpureus,  but  the  gem  of  this  species  is  the  form 
lised.  Among  really  good  gardeners  by 
far  too  few  give  due  place  to  the  early- 
flowering  spring  species  of  Crocus.  -Any- 
thing that  will  flower  in  January  and 
February  in  our  climate  is  of  value  ;  but 
when  it  possesses  beauty  and  fragrance, 
as  well  as  precocity,  it  deserves  honour 
and  attention.  The  garden  cannot  be 
worth  digging  in  that  will  not  provide 
enough  sunny  nooks  fcir  a  dozen  or 
•-o  clumps  of  early  Crocuses,  for  not 
only  clioice  ledges  of  the  rock  garden 
backed  by  a  heat-radiating  stone,  but 
also  a  bare  spot  at  the  foot  of  some 
deciduous  shrub,  or  large-leaved  her- 
baceous plant  that  must  be  placed  well 
away  fpim  neiglibours,  is  admirably  suited 
for  spring  Crocuses.  I  find  the  mixed 
borders  are  wonderfully  brightened  at  tlie 
dull  time  of  the  yeior  if  groups  of  twenty 
to  fifty  Crocus  roots  are  planted  round 
such  plants,  especially  towards  the  back 
ot  the  beds,  where  I  notice  that  sparrows 
do  not  pull  them  to  bits  quite  so  badly  as 
wlien  they  are  closer  to  the  edge  of  the  bed. 

Two  of  the  species  shown  in  the  coloured 
plate  are  well  suited  for  this  maimer  nf 
planting  —  Imperati  ai:d  Sieberi  —  and 
both  of  them,  in  an  ordinary  season,  should 
be  bright  with  flowers  before  January  is 
over.  Being  inexpensive,  they  should  be 
planted  freely,  and  if  allowed  to  seed 
will  soon  spread.  The  form  of  Imperati 
shown  is  rather  exceptional  in  the  lack  of 
purple  featherings  on  the  buff  outside  of 
the  outer  segments,  and  is,  perhaps,  not 
so  beautiful  as  the  more  ordinary  form 
in  which  the  featherings  are  well  marked. 
C.  Imperati  varies  endlessly  in  this 
respect,  and  is  one  of  the  very  few- 
Crocuses  in  which  markings  change  from 
season  to  season.  I  raised  a  number  of 
seedlings  of  it  and  selected  some  very 
distinct  forms  and  grouped  them  in  the 
rock  garden,  but  the  next  season  I  was 
horribly  disappointed  to  find  my  patch 
of  self-coloured  buff  ones  were  as  striped, 
mottled  and  ring  -  straked  as  Jacob's 
variegated  flock  of  sheep,  while  one 
beauty  I  had  selected  for  its  wide 
featherings  was  scarcely  striped  at  all 
noticed  the  same  tendency  to  seasonal  variation 
in  seedlings  of  C.  versicolor,  but  am  thankful  to 
say  all  others  that  I  know  remain  constant. 

C.  Imperati  is  generally  collected  from  the 
neighbourhood  of  Naples,  and  varies  very  much, 
beautiful  white  forms  occurring  sparingly,  some 
without  external  feathering,  and  others  as  heavily 
marked  as  the  typical  form  with  lilac  ground 
colour.  From  this  latter  form  I  have  raised 
some  very  pretty  pale-coloured  seedlings,  which 
are   remarkably   robust    and   large   flowered.     The 


unless  the  Balkan  Question  can  be  speedily  settled 
and  Crete  become  a  more  law-abiding  country. 

The  last  of  these  Three  Graces  is  one  of  the  greatest 
acquisitions  to  our  list  of  spring-flowering  bulbs. 
It  is  one  of  a  set  of  seedlings  raised  at  Haarlem 
in  Messrs.  C.  G.  van  Tubergen's  Zwanenberg  nur- 
sery. Mr.  John  Hoog  of  that  firm  kindly  sent  me 
blooms  of  this  race  some  years  ago,  and  my  delight 
in  their  beauty  ended  in  his  generously  sending  me 
corms  of  them  and  naming  the  one  here  shown 
after  me.  They  are  a  remarkable  break  in  this 
very  variable  species,  being  quite  three  times  as 
large  as  wild  forms,  but  retaining  all  the  good 
characters  of  the  species.  As  may  easily 
be  seen  from  the  drawing,  the  Gourd 
shape  of  the  flowers  of  C.  chrysanthus  is 
not  spoiled  by  the  increase  of  size,  and  the 
soft  sulphur  yellow  of  its  mother  (the 
var.  pallidus  from  the  Bithynian  Olympus) 
has  been  inherited  by  the  babe,  with  the 
addition  of  a  richer  tone  of  brown  madder 
markings  at  the  throat.  I  wish  I  possessed 
the  vigour  and  good  temper  of  this  my 
namesake  !  I  know  no  other  Crocus  of 
the  annulate  section  that  looks  so  happy 
and  smiles  back  at  the  winter  sun  so 
radiantly.  Although  the  July  air  is  sweet 
with  Roses  and  Honeysuckle,  Lavender 
and  Lilies,  it  is  not  too  soon  for  me  to 
sound  a  note  of  warning  that  all  this  will 
pass  away  and  January  days  come  again, 
with  nothing  belter  for  the  nose  than  the 
wet  leaves  and  moss  in  the  woods,  and 
then  if  you  have  tucked  away  a  few 
plump  corms  of  these  early  Crocuses  in 
suitable  nooks,  not  later  than  September, 
1  know  you  will  bless  me  when  a  lew 
Ijlooms  brighten  the  brown  earth  or  a 
tightly-rolled  bud  is  brought  into  the 
warm  room  and,  bursting  open,  gives  out 
that  mixed  fragrance  of  Primroses,  honey 
.md  saffron  that  seems  to  epitomise  spring 
itself  and  may  always  be  found  in  a  young 
bloom  of  any  ot  these  three  forms  of 
Crocus.  E.  A.   Bowles. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 


(U< 

T 


0STROWSKI.\    M.\GNIFICA,    .\N    .\DMIRABLE    PL.\NT    FOR    A 
WARM    CORNER. 


special 
crimson 
I    have 


known  as  C.  Sieberi  versicolor.  It  comes  from 
Crete,  and  has  not  been  collected  for  some  years 
owing  to  the  disturbed  state  of  that  island  and  the 
evil  reputation  for  bandits  of  its  mountains.  In 
this  variety  the  ground  colour  is  a  glistening  white, 
the  orange  throat  and  scarlet  stigmata  being 
even  more  conspicuous  than  in  the  type  form ; 
but  its  chief  charm  lies  in  the  markings  of  the 
outer  segments,  which  vary  much  in  size  and  shape, 
and  are  of  a  rich  crimson  purple  which  contrasts 
vividly  with  the  whit  and  orange.  It  is  rather 
curious  that  although  the  stigmata  are  unusually 
large  in  these  forms,  they  are  very  shy  seeders,  and  so 
are  likely  to  remain  scarce  in  gardens  for  many  years 


HANDSOME     BORDER 
FLOWER. 

(OSTROWSKIA    MAG.NIFICA.) 

HIS  really  fine,  though  some- 
what tender  plant  is  seldom 
seen  as  a  border  flower,  owing 
ro  difficulties  in  its  culture. 
It  requires  very  sandy  soil 
in  full  sun,  and  it  is  worth 
noting  that  it  is  more  often  killed  by  damp 
than  by  hard  weather.  Now  and  then  one 
sees  cut  blooms  of  the  beautiful  Ostrowskia 
at  flower  shows.  Such  blooms  are  invariably  grown 
by  expert  plantsmen,  who  give  this  plant  special 
treatment.  The  tuberous  root  is  exceedingly  brittle, 
and  must  be  handled  with  care.  In  ordinary  soil  a 
hole  should  be  made  with  a  crowbar  at  least  2  feet 
deep  and  filled  with  sharp  silver  sand,  leaving  the 
crown  of  the  plant  3  inches  under  the  surface.  In 
winter,  protection  by  means  of  dry  litter  will  be 
found  beneficial.  The  flowers,  mauve  in  colour, 
resemble  those  of  a  huge  Campanula,  to  which  genus 
it  is  a  near  relative.  This  is  the  only  species  of 
Ostrowskia  known  to  science.  It  was  introduced 
from  Central  Asia  in  1887,  and  is  named  in  honour 
of  the  Russian  botanist  Ostrowski. 


362 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  19,  1913. 


IRIS    SIBIRICA    AND    ITS    GROUP. 

Iris  sibirica  is  a  moisture-loving  species,  and 
though  it  will  do  well  on  a  border,  it  is  never  so 
fine  as  when  grown  so  near  to  water  that  its 
roots  may  enter  therein.  There  are  many  forms 
of  this  species,  but  a  good  selection  of  the 
common  blue  is,  1  believe,  the  most  effective. 
Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons  have  a  kind  they  call 
Bhie   King,  and  this,  no  doubt,  is  good. 


A    GLIMPSE    OF    THE    IRIS    GARDEN    AT    CLANDON    PARK,    SURREY. 


The  cultivation  of  Iris  sibirica  presents  no  diffi- 
culty. It  divides  easily,  and  may  readily  be  raised 
from  seed.  Division  and  replanting  should  be 
effected  immediately  after  flowering.  The  re- 
cognised varieties  of  this  species  are  few,  and  are 
not  of  botanical  consequence.  A  narrow-leaved 
form  is  known  as  angustifolia,  a  form  with  stiffly 
erect,  sharp-pointed  leaves  and  pale  blue  and  white 


flowers  is  known  as  acuta,  and  another  with  white 
flowers,  the  segments  of  which  are  crisped,  is  the 
I.  flexuosa  of  the  Botanical  Magazine,  t.  1163. 
The  variety  orientalis,  which  is  botanically  distinct, 
Mr.  Rickatson  Dykes  has  constituted  a  distinct 
species,  and  I  have  no  doubt  he  is  right.  While 
the  pedicels  of  I.  sibirica  are  of  unequal  length,  and 
some  very  long,  the  capsules  short  and  globose, 
and  the  seeds  flat  and  D-shaped,  I.  orientalis  has 
the  pedicels  of  more  equal  length,  the  capsules 
longer  and  trigonal 
and  the  seeds  thick 
and  cubical.  There 
is  a  good  figure  in 
Mr.  Rickatson  Dykes' 
"  The  Genus  Iris." 
To  this  species  belongs 
the  ornamental  form 
known  as  Snow 
Queen. 

The  group  of  I. 
sibirica  is  beardless 
and  rhizomatous,  with 
linear  leaves,  and 
may  practically  be 
recognised  by  having 
a  hollow  stem.  Mr. 
Dykes,  however,  in- 
cludes two  with  solid 
stems — I.  Clarkei,  a 
handsome  ally  of  the 
hollow  -  stemmed  I. 
Delavayi,  with  purple- 
violet  flowers,  the 
falls  with  gold  at  the 
base  and  white  varie- 
gation just  above, 
which  has  been 
classed  with  the 
Pseud-evansias,  and 
tends  to  possess  a 
crest  and  rudimentary 
beard,  and  I.  pris- 
matica,  which  has  a 
reduced  or  nearly 
obsolete  perianth  and 
Siandards  only  one- 
sixth  <if  an  inch 
broad.  This  is  not 
oniamenta).  It  can 
be  confused  with  no 
other,  though,  by  its 
small  standards,  it 
recalls  I.  setosa  and 
I.  Hookeri.  Both 
these  differ  by  having 
sword-sliaped  leaves 
— in  the  case  of  the 
first  green,  and  in  the 
case  of  the  latter 
glaucescent.  Of  the 
remaining  five  species 
in  this  group  all  are 
new,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  I.  Delavayi, 
three  described  by  Mr. 
Dykes,  and  one,  I. 
Wilsoni,  by  Mr.  C.  Wright.  For  the  present  pur- 
pose we  may  note  them  as  follows,  according  to 
the  striking   feature  of  colour: 

I.  Delavayi  (Micheli).— This  has  falls  of  deep 
violet  blue  colour  with  white  streaks,  the  standards 
erect,  of  paler  violet  colour.  In  my  experience 
this  plant  has  been  disappointing  ;  it  has  not 
flowered   freely,   and  it  has  twice  died  out   in  the 


very  position  it  ought  to  have  liked.  It  has  a 
stout,  creepmg  root  stock,  with  leaves  2  feet 
to  2i  feet  long  by  half  an  inch  to  two-thirds  of 
an  inch  broad.  They  are  erect  and  strongly  ribbed. 
The  peduncle  is  longer  than  the  leaves,  the  spathes 
are  2  inches  to  2J  inches  long,  lanceolate,  green, 
with  scarious  tips,  ana  the  pedicels  are  of  the  same 
length.  The  flowers  are  2  inches  to  2J  inches 
across,  the  tube  half  an  inch  long.  The  fruit  is 
sharply  angled,  and  about  four  times  as  long  as 
broad.  A  figure  will  be  found  in  the  Botanical 
Magazine,  1899,  t.  7661.  It  is  native  of  the 
marshes   of   Yunnan. 

I.  Bulleyana  (Dykes). — This  is  an  ally  of  I. 
Clarkei,  with  standards  of  blue-purple,  and  falls 
mottled  with  the  same  colour  on  a  creamy  ground. 
From  I.  Clarkei  this  is  easily  distinguished  by  its 
hollow  stem  ;  the  rhizome  is  slender,  widely  creep- 
ing ;  leaves  ensiform,  shining  above,  glaucescent 
below  ;  stem  about  a  foot  high  ;  spathes  two- 
flowered  ;  valves  green,  acute.  This  is  native  of 
China,  and  probably  came  from  the  province  of 
Yunnan.  It  is,  so  far,  doing  well  in  the  Cambridge 
Botanic  Garden  in  a  moderately  moist  bed  of  the 
bog  garden. 

I.  Forrest!  (Dykes). — This  is  a  lovely  yellow- 
flowered  species,  and  it  is  distinguished  from  the 
older  I.  Wilsoni  by  having  pedicels  which  do  not  ex- 
ceed an  inch  in  length.  The  leaves,  too,  are  narrow 
and  grassy,  with  polislied  upper  surface  and  glau- 
cescent under  surface,  while  those  of  I.  Wilsoni  are 
more  Uke  those  of  the  Oriental  forms  of  I.  sibirica. 
It  is  distinctly  an  acquisition.  The  rhizome  is 
slender  ;  the  leaves  linear,  about  a  foot  long  and  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  broad  ;  the  stem  leafy,  and  about 
a  foot  high  ;  spathes  one  or  two  flowered,  green, 
acute,  and  2  inches  or  3  inches  long  ;  the  tube  is 
broad,  half  an  inch  long  ;  falls  oblong  cuneatc  ; 
the  blades  almost  vertical  and  of  very  obtuse 
aspect  in  the  Cambridge  plant  ;  the  claw  veined, 
with  brown  standards,  oblong  lanceolate  ;  crests 
quadrate.  This  was  found  in  open  mountain 
meadows  on  the  eastern  flank  of  the  Lichiang 
Range  in  North-West  Yunnan.  It  appears  to  do 
well  in  the  Cambridge  Botanic  Garden,  planted 
in  the  bog  garden  in  a  bed  that  is  moist  but  not 
wet. 

I.  Wilsoni  (C.  H.  Wright).— This  is  of  yellow 
ciilour,  the  falls  pale  yellow,  marked  on  the  lower 
half  with  purple  veins.  In  the  case  of  I.  Forresti 
flowered  at  Cambridge  marking  was  slight,  and 
consisted  of  dots  in  lines  rather  than  distinct  veins. 
The  rhizome  is  shortly  creeping  ;  leaves  linear 
acuminate,  about  two  feet  long  and  about  one- 
third  of  an  inch  wide,  flaccid  and  minutely  scabrid  ; 
the  scape  is  only  a  third  as  long  as  the  leaves  ; 
spathes  green,  broadly  lanceolate  acuminate, 
3  J  inches  long  ;  pedicels  2|  inches  to  4  inches  long  ; 
tube  green,  about  one-third  of  an  inch  long  ;  falls 
2  inches  long  and  three-quarters  of  an  mch  broad, 
pale  yellow,  marked  with  purple  veins  in  the  lower 
halt  ;  standards  erect,  oblong  lanceolate,  about 
one  and  a-half  inches  long  and  one-third  of 
an  inch  broad,  yellow  ;  filaments  yellow  ;  anthers 
white ;  style  branches  yellow ;  crests  obtuse, 
erosely  denticulate.  \  figure  of  the  type  is  given 
in  the  Botanical  Magazine,  1910,  t.  8340.  The 
variety  major  has  shorter  pedicels,  a  perianth  tube 
half  as  long  again,  longer  and  broader  falls, 
standards  of  the  same  length  but  narrower,  longer 
ovary,  purple-marked  filaments  and  with  style  arms 
pale  brown  at  the  midrib  and  towards  the  apex. 
This  species  was  discovered  by  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson 
in  Western  Hupeh,  growing  in  grasslands  near 
Fang  Hsien   at    about  seven    thousand  f^et  above 


July  19,  1913-] 


THE     GARDEN. 


363 


sea-level.      It    was    collected    for    Messrs.    James 
Veitch  and  Sons. 

I.  chrysographes  (Dykes). — The  flowers  of  this 
plant  are  of  the  richest  dark  red-purple,  velvety  in 
texture,  with  central  and  broken  flanking  lines  of 
gold.  It  is  undoubtedly  a  very  fine  plant,  and  was 
originally  raised  by  Miss  Willmott  in  her  garden  at 
Warley  Place,  Esse.x.  The  falls  are  3  inches  long, 
and  the  blades,  which  are  twice  as  long  as  the 
haft,  droop  almost  perpendicularly.  The  flanges  on 
each  side  of  the  haft  are  marked  with  gold  on  a  red- 
purple  ground.  The  standards  are  long  and  narrow, 
poised  at  an  angle  of  about  45°,  and  point  outwards 
as  in  Clarkei  and  Delavayi.  According  to  the  figure 
in  the  Botanical  Magazine,  i(ji2,  t.  8433,  they  are 


I.   Forresti  and  I.  chrysographes  strike   me    as 
very   valuable   new   plants.     The   particulars   here 
given  of  all  the  new  species  I  have  taken  chiefly 
from  the  original  descriptions. 
Botanic  Garden,  Cambridge.        R.  Irwin  Lynch. 


SIBERIAN    IRISES    AT    CLANDON 
PARK. 

Irises  in  varied  and  rich  tones  of  colour  form  the 
chief  feature  in  summer  in  the  Earl  of  Onslow's 
garden  at  Clandon  Park,  Surrey.  An  immense 
border,  stretching  along  the  lakeside,  is  filled  with 
Irises  from  end  to  end,  creating  a  scene  of  un- 
speakable splendour  at  flowering-time.      I.  sibirica 


are  about  eighteen  inches  higher  than  I.  Kaempferi, 
and  are  planted  in  heavy,  loamy  soil  approaching 
clay  ;  in  fact,  the  roots  penetrate  into  clay,  and  in 
this  they  thrive  and  flower  for  quite  a  long  period. 
It  is  most  essential  that  the  seed-pods  be  cut  off 
immediately  after  flowering,  or  the  plants  will 
suffer  and  not  be  as  strong  for  the  next  season's 
flowering.  I.  sibirica  alba  maxima  does  well 
here  ;  so  also  does  I.  sibirica  Snow  Queen.  These 
two,  to  ray  mind,  are  by  far  the  best  of  the  whites  ; 
th3  former  is  the  taller  of  the  two,  has  a  greater 
abundance  of  flowers,  and  is  more  graceful.  Snow 
Queen  is  much  the  larger  flower  and  a  more  pure 
white.  The  stems  of  this  variety  are  not  as  tall 
as  I.  sibirica  alba,  but    the  purity  and  size  of  the 


IRIS   SIBIRICA.    BY    THE    LAKESIDE    AT    KEW. 


narrowly  spoon-shaped.  The  stems  are  apparently 
one-headed,  from  15  inches  to  18  inches  long,  and 
bear  one  or  two  reduced  leaves.  They  are  less 
hollow  than  those  of  I.  sibirica.  The  leaves  are 
linear,  about  half  an  inch  or  less  in  width,  and 
15  inches  to  18  inches  long.  They  curve  grace- 
fully outwards,  so  that  the  flowers  rise  well  above 
them.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  of  Irises,  and  is 
very  floriferous.  With  Mr.  Dykes  plants  flowering 
for  the  first  time  produced  four  or  six  flower-stems. 
It  is  native  of  Western  Szechuan  in  China,  and  was 
found  by  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson  growing  in  thickets 
near  Kuan  Hsien  from  7,000  feet  to  11,000  feet 
above  sea-level. 


and  its  varieties  are  there  in  magnificent  clumps, 
and  in  writing  of  these  Mr.  H.  W.  Blake,  the  able 
head-gardener,  makes  the  following  observations  : 
"  These  are  perhaps  the  most  delicate  and  elegant 
of  all  the  small  flowering  Irises.  The  grassy 
foliage  and  long  stems,  with  flowers  varying  in 
colour  from  pure  white  to  the  darkest  blue,  make 
them  most  valuable  for  decorative  purposes,  and, 
above  all,  if  grown  in  large  masses  they  make  grand 
subjects  for  the  border.  They  will  grow  in  almost 
any  soil,  but  prefer  a  moist  situation  in  full  sun. 
Here  at  Clandon  they  are  grown  on  the  top  side  of 
the  border  of  a  large  lake,  while  on  the  lower  side,  in 
still  moister  soil,  are  I.  Kaempferi.      The  I.  sibiricas 


flower  far  surpass  I.  sibirica  alba  maxima. 
Several  other  varieties  are  grown  at  Clandon ; 
among  others,  I  may  mention  I.  sibirica  and  I. 
sibirica  orientalis,  both  splendid  varieties  of  the 
blue  or  purple  colour.  Unquestionably  the  best  of 
the  blue  varieties  is  the  result  of  a  cross  between 
I.  sibirica  and  I.  jibirica  orientalis  (see  illustration, 
page  364).  So  far  it  is  unnamed.  It  has  the 
habit  of  I.  sibirica,  while  the  flower  is  in  size 
and  shape  that  of  I.  sibirica  orientalis,  but 
of  a  much  darker  blue  than  that  variety ; 
the  stems  are  tall  and  the  foliage  grassy,  as  in 
I.  sibirica,  which  make  it  valuable  for  decorative 
purposes." 


364 


THE    GARDEN. 


[July  ig,  1913. 


PRIMULAS     AT     MONREITH. 

The  other  day  I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
Primulas  in  the  garden  of  Sir  Herbert  E.  Maxwell, 
Bart.,  at  Monreith,  Wigtownshire,  and  some 
interesting  points  were  observed.     P.  coc.kbumiana 


IRIS      SNOW      QUEEN,      THE      BEST      WHITE 
SIBERIAN    VARIETY.        {See  page  %6 J,.) 

proved  to  be  biennial  there,  P.  pulverulenta  all 
died,  while,  rather  curiously,  P.  Poissonii,  which 
by  most  is  found  more  tender  than  P.  pulverulenta, 
has  stood  the  winter  and  has  been  flowering 
splendidly.  P.  littoniana  stood  the  winter,  but 
did  not  flower  this  year,  although  looking  strong 
and  vigorous.  P.  bulleyana  has  again  proved  itself 
one  of  the  best  of  the  newer  Primulas ;  P. 
beesiana  has  done  well,  and,  associated  with 
P.  bulleyana,  is  much  prettier  than  many 
would  be  prepared  to  admit  did  they  see  it  with 
other  flowers,  the  colour  not  appealing  to  every- 
one. P.  Forrestii,  which  has  been  found  a  difiicult 
subject  in  many  places,  looks  as  if  it  would  succeed 
well,  planted  in  the  wall  garden  at  Monreith.  Unlike 
some  of  the  other  Primulas  from  China,  it  is  said 
to  do  best  in  a  dry  position,  and  this  it  is  receiving 
at   Monreith,  with  apparently  satisfactory  results. 


although  it  has  not  flowered  as  yet.  P.  Poissonii 
is  e.xtremely  fine,  and  has  sent  up  handsome  spikes 
in  the  border,  even  finer  than  I  have  seen  it  at 
Glasnevin,  where  it  used  to  grow  well  in  a  moist 
place  near  the  lake.  At  Monreith  it  is  very  hand- 
some, and  seeing  it  thus  makes  one  regret  the  lack 
of  success  with  it.  P.  Veitchii  does  very  well 
in  the  border  at  Monreith.  Of  those  mentioned 
now,  P.  coekbumiana,  P.  pulverulenta,  P.  bulleyana, 
P.  beesiana,  P.  Veitchii  and  P.  Poissonii  were  in 
tlie  ordinary  border.  P.  Forrestii  was  in  the  wall 
garden  in  several  places.  P.  luteola  and  P.  littoni- 
ana were  at  the  edge  of  a  bed  prepared  for  Lilies, 
and,  one  may  add,  a  fine  lot  of  P.  capitata  was 
growing  in  a  similar  position.  P.  japonica  is  very 
well  cultivated  at  Monreith,  and  a  specially  good 
Inrm  of  P.  rosea  is  thriving.  Saxatile  Primulas  are 
aliii  cultivated  with  success.  S.  Arnott. 

THE    GREENHOUSE. 


SHOW 


AND     DECORATIVE 
GONIUMS. 


PELAK 


THOUGH  some  sections  of  Pelargoniums 
are  fully  as  popular  as.  if  not  more  so 
than,  they  ever  were,  there  are  otiurs 
but  little  grown  nowadays.  Among 
these  last  must  be  included  the  slimv 
Pelargonium,  which  was  at  one  liiju' 
very  generally  met  witli.  True,  show  Pelargoniums 
are  often  referred  to,  but  most  of  the  dift'erent 
kinds  included  under  that  head  at  the  present  day 
do  not  at  all  conform  to  the  old  florists'  ideal  of 
tliat  flower.  The  main  characteristics  of  the 
^how  Pelargonium  of  old  were  a  flower  as  marly 
.qiproaching  a  circular  shape  as  possible,  with  the 
upper  segments  more  or  less  blotched,  in  many 
rases  sufficient  to  almost  cover  the  entire  petals, 
while  the  lower  ones  were  self-coloured  or  nearly  so. 
N')w,  many  of  the  so-called  show  Pelargoniums 
long  rightly  to  the  decorative  class  ;  that  is  to  say, 
that  in  which  the  shape  of  the  flower  and  markings 
are  quite  subordinate  to  a  sturdy  habit  and  pro- 
fusion of  bloom.  It  is  this  class  which  appeals  so 
strongly  to  the  market-grower,  with  whom  very  few 
of  the  true  show  Pelargoniums  were  at  all  popular. 
The  last  extensive  raiser  of  show  Pelargoniums 
was  the  late  Mr.  Foster  of  Clewtr  Manor,  near 
Windsor,  whose  new  varieties,  which  were  annually 
distributed  by  Mr.  Charles  Turner  of  Slough, 
used  thirty  years  or  so  ago  to  form  one  of  the 
■atures  of  the  season.  One  great  object  aimed  at 
y  Mr.  Foster  was  the  production  of  bright-coloured 
kinds,  in  which  he  succeeded  in  a  remarkable 
manner.  This  was,  however,  accomplished  by  so 
much  in  and  in  breeding  that  the  constitution  of 
the  plants  became  greatly  weakened,  the  habit 
being  thin  and  the  flower  clusters  small.  This 
led  to  other  raisers  working  on  different  lines  and 
the  increased  development  of  the  decorative  section, 
which  has  now  practically  taken  the  place  of  the 
show  Pelargoniums.  Another  class  that  has  almost 
disappeared  from  cultivation  is  the  once-popular 
fancy  Pelargoniums,  whose  flowers  are  borne 
in  the  greatest  profusion.  They  are,  however, 
too  small  for  present-day  ideas,  when  in  flowers 
of  all  kinds  size  seems  to  be  the  most  appreciated. 
Valuable  as  all  these  Pelargoniums  are  for  the 
embellishment  of  the  greenhouse,  they  are  now 
in  many  cases  getting  past  their  best,  and 
must  be  taken  in  hand  for  their  propagation  or 
culture  another  year.  When  the  plants  are  taken 
from  the  greenhouse,  a  good  plan  is  to  stand  thera 
out  of  doors  for  a  week  or  ten  days  in  a  spot  fully 
exposed  to  the  sun,  giving  them  at  the  same  time 


very  little  water.  Then  they  should  be  cut  back 
hard  and  laid  on  their  sides  for  a  time.  This  will 
encourage  the  formation  of  shoots,  and  as  soon  as 
these  make  their  appearance  the  plants  must  be 
stood  upright.  When  the  new  shoots  are  about 
half  an  inch  in  length  is  a  good  time  to  repot  the 
plants.  They  should  be  shaken  quite  clear  of  the 
old  soil,  have  any  straggling  roots  shortened 
back,  and  be  repotted  into  comparatively  small 
pots.  Then,  whether  placed  in  a  frame  or  green- 
house, plenty  of  air  should  be  given,  the  object 
being  to  encourage  as  short  and  sturdy  a  growth 
as  possible,  as  upon  this  depends  the  production 
of  leaves  as  close  to  the  pot  as  possible.  The 
earliest  of  the  plants  so  treated  may  be  shifted 
into  their  flowering  pots  in  the  autumn,  and  the 
others  in  early  spring.  A  compost  largely 
consisting    of     moderately    heavy    loam     is     very 


A      PROMISING      HYBRID      IRIS      BY      THE 
LAKESIDE,    CL.\NDON    PARK. 

suitable  for  Pelargoniums,  while  it  should  also 
he  pressed  down  firmly,  as  light  soil  and 
loose  potting  are  conducive  to  soft,  sappy 
growth.  Cuttings  may  be  selected  when  the 
plants  are  cut  down.  H.  P. 


July  19,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


365 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

PROPAGATING     BORDER     CARNATIONS    AND    PINKS. 


THESE  are  two  of  our  most  popular 
border  plants,  which  rarely  fail  to 
afford  a  lot  of  pleasure  to  the  culti- 
vator. The  condition  of  the  plants 
varies  in  different  parts  of  the  country 
and  soils.  It  is  a  fact  that  in  order 
ti)  maintain  a  quite  healthy  stock  of  plants,  fre- 
(liU'Ut  propagation  is  necessary.  In  some  light  soils 
tilt  plants  will  live  longer  than  in  others  of  a 
similar  nature,  but  in  a  different  part  of  the  country. 
Usually,  I  have  foimd  that  those  plants  established 
in  a  well-worked  medium  to  heavy  loam  last  the 
longest  in  prime  condition,  producing  "grass" 
of  exceptional  strength  and  large,  well-coloured 
blossoms.  In  all  instances,  however,  propagation 
is  needful  every  year,  in  order  to  reap  the 
very  best  results  these  plants  are  capable  of 
yielding. 

Layering  Carnations. — These  plants  are  readily 
increased  by  the  layering  of  available  side  growths — 
those  formed  near  the  outer  part  of  the  parent  plant 
and  convenient  for  placing  flat  on  the  border  near 
tliem.  The  work  may  be  extended  over  a  con- 
siderable period,  the  month  of  July  being  very 
suitable.  I  have  experimented  with  and  successfully 
layered  the  plants  as  late  as  September  in  a  light, 
sandy  soil ;  but,  of  course,  such  late  propagation 
is  not  advisable.  Those  I  layered  in  September 
were  not  detached  from  the  parent  plants  until 
tlic  following  spring.  A  nice  open  compost, 
SI  line  pegs  or  flat  stones,  and  a  sharp  knife  are 
till'  main  requisites  in  layering.  I^rocure  some  old 
In.iin  in  which  the  grass  has  died  about  two  months 
previously,  pass  it  through  an  inch-mesh  sieve, 
use  half  loam,  as  sifted,  and  half-rotted  leaf-soil. 
To  one  bushel  of  the  combined  parts  add  one  peck 
of  road  grit  or  a  7-inch  potful  of  coarse  silver 
'sand.     Mix  thoroughly  and  it  is  ready  for  use. 

In  Fie.  A,  at  No.  i,  the  older  stems  of  the  plants 
are  shown.  Nos.  2,  2,  2  represent  shoots  suitable 
fc5r  layering,  and  No.  3  one  layered  in  the  prepared 
compost,  No.  4.  By  raaldng  a  hollow,  as  shown, 
and  filling  it  with  the  compost,  a  more  regular 
state   of   moisture   is   secured,   and   this   conduces 


THIS    DIAGRAM    WILL    TEACH    THE    BlvGINNER    HOW    TO    L.\YER    CARNATIONS. 


to  early  root  formation.  TJie  basal  leaves  must 
be  removed  Ironi  the  layer,  as  shown  at  No.  3  ; 
then  make  a  slanting,  lengthwise  cut  through  a 
joint,  keeping  the  lip  open  by  inserting  grit  or  sand, 
and  make  the  layer  secure  by  inserting  a  peg  as 
shown,  or  laying  on  it  a  flat  stone  about  three  inches 
wide.  Cover  the  stem  well  with  the  new  compost, 
and  water  as  required  to  maintain  a  regular  state 
of  moisture.  If  the  peg  is  inserted  as  shown  at 
No.  5,  the  lip  will  be  kept  open  ;  if  driven  in  as 
shown  at  No.  6,  the  lip  will  be  closed,  and  then 
root  action  will  be  retarded.  Pegs  made  of  ordinary 
wood,  or  of  Bracken  Fern,  as  shown  at  No.  7, 
or  wire  pegs  as  shown  at  No.  8,  may  be  used. 
No.  9  shows  the  stone  recommended,  and  No.  10 
tile  new  roots  when  commencing  to  grow. 


Wlien  Sufficiently  Rooted  take  up  the  layers, 
cutting  off  the  stem  as  shown  in  Fig.  B  at  No.'i, 
and  when  replanting  or  potting  just  cover  the 
roots,  No.  2.  No.  3  depicts  a  layer  potted  in 
a  3-inch  pot  ;  No.  4,  a  badly-rooted  layer,  the 
result  of  cutting  the  stem  too  far  through  at  first 
and  negkrting  to  give  sufficient  water. 

Propagating  Pinlis. — Cuttings  or  pipings  are 
taken  and  inserted  in  a  cool  border  facing  north, 
if  one  is  available.  As  the  cuttings  are  removed 
from  the  plants,  place  them  in  a  vessel  of  water. 
When-  prepared  for  insertion  in  the  soil,  put 
them  in  another  vessel  of  water  ;  never  allow  them 
to  become  dry.  The  two  lower  leaves  must  be 
removed,  as  shown  by  the  dark  lines  No.  5,  and  the 
stem,  through  the  joint,  may  be  slit  open.  No.  6 
shows  a  cutting  rooting  nicely  when  so  treated, 
but  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to  slit  open  the 
stem.  No.  7  depicts  the  right  way  to  remove  the 
leaf  from  the  joint — by  pulling — and  No.  8  the 
wrong  way — by  cutting  it  off.  If  the  stem  is 
severed  midway  between  the  joints,  as  denoted  at 
No.  9,  roots  would  not  form  in  many  cases,  but 
the  stem  would  shrivel  and  decay,  as  shown  at 
No.  10.  Choice  varieties,  grown  in  low-lying 
districts,  should  be  wintered  in  frames.         G.G. 


AND    THIS    ONE    HOW    TO    MAKE    AND    ROOT    PINK    CUTTINGS. 


TO     DESTROY    WEEDS     ON     LAWNS. 

Whatever  method  of  destroying  lawn  weeds 
is  employed,  whether  it  be  hand  weeding  or  the 
application  of  some  chemical  substance,  it  is 
advisable  to  stretch  two  lines,  about  three  feet 
apart,  across  the  plot.  That  portion  of  turf 
enclosed  by  the  lines  should  be  treated,  then  one 
line  moved  to  a  similar  distance  beyond  the  other 
and  that  enclosed  portion  treated.  The  process 
is  repeated  until  the  whole  of  the  lawn  has  been 
done.  By  adopting  this  plan  there  is  no  danger 
of  any  portion  being  missed,  and  if  chemicals  are 
applied  a  more  even  distribution  is  ensured. 


366 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  19,  iqi3. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHtiRN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Early  Chrysanthemums. — These  have  made 
exceptionally  good  growth  so  far  this  season, 
notwithstanding  the  dry  time  during  June,  and 
as  the  lateral  growths  are  now  fairly  long,  they 
should  be  carefully  tied.  Aphis  is  still  somewhat 
troublesome,  so  the  tips  should  be  regularlj;  sprayed, 
or  the  buds,  which  will  soon  be  showing,  may 
become  deformed. 

Disbudding. — Good  quality  blooms  may  be 
obtained  bv  judicious  disbudding,  and  many  of 
the  early  varieties  may  be  so  treated  as  soon  as 
they  appear.  Alter  this  the  plants  must  not  be 
allowed  to  get  dry  at  the  roots,  and  a  regular 
system  of  feeding  should  be  adopted,  just  as  though 
they  were  in  pots,  using  a  little  artificial  manure 
during  wet  weather. 

Sweet  Peas. — These  ought  to  be  making  a  brave 
show,  even  those  sown  late  in  the  open  ground. 
To  preserve  a  good  continuation  of  bloom,  keep 
all  the  stale  blooms  picked  off  regularly,  and  never 
allow  the  plants  to  suffer  a  check  through  extreme 
drought  at  the  roots.  Feed  with  natural  or 
artificial  manure  at  least  once  a  week,  and,  pro- 
viding the  plants  are  not  suffering  from  streak, 
this  should  keep  them  growing  vigorously. 

Seed-Saving. — It  often  happens  that  certain 
plants  of  varieties  stand  out  from  their  fellows, 
both  as  regards  vigour  in  the  plants  and  colour 
in  the  bloom.  .Such  plants  are  worth  marking, 
and  if  it  is  desired  to  save  seed,  these  are  the  ones 
that  are  likely  to  give  the  best  results. 

Annuals  such  as  Asters,  Zinnias,  Coreopsis 
and  Salpiglossis  mav  require  staking  to  prevent 
them  being  damaged  by  wind  or  rain,  and  during 
hot,  dry  weather  a  good  watering  should  be  given 
occasionally.  If  liquid  manure  is  at  hand,  this 
should  be  used  in  preference  to  clear  water. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums.  —  Many  of  the  Japanese 
varieties  have  thrown  premature  buds  this  season, 
probably  owing  to  the  extreme  heat  during  the 
latter  part  of  Mav,  and  to  get  them  to  throw  buds 
again  as  earlv  as  possible,  after  the  end  of  this 
month  the  plants  must  be  kept  growing  well. 
Those  that  are  well  rooted  may  be  given  the  assist- 
ance of  a  little  soot  -ir  cow-manure  water,  not 
too  strong  at  first,  but  increasing  it  towards  the 
end  of  the  month. 

Syringing. — .Ml  the  plants  should  be  well 
svringed  every  hot  day,  either  once  or  twice,  as 
time'  permits,  and  strict  attention  must  be  given 
to  keeping  the  tips  of  the  shoots  free  from  aphis 
and  thrips.  These  latter  are  apt  to  be  trouble- 
some at  this  season.  Spraying  seems  the  only 
remedy,  and  if  thrips  are  noticed  it  is  best  to  spray 
at  once,  as  much  damage  is  done  even  if  left  only 
a  day  or  two. 

Browallia  speciosa,  if  potted  on  into  flowering 
pots  now,  will  give  a  good  show  of  bloom  during 
the  autumn  and  winter  months.  A  fairly  light 
compost  of  leaf-soil,  peat,  loam  and  sand  suits 
them  best.  If  the  plants  are  inclined  to  bloom, 
the  points  of  the  shoots  should  be  pinched  out. 
This  will  induce  a  more  bushy  habit  of  growth 
as  well  as  retard  the  flowering  period.  A  frame 
will  suit  them  well  for  a  time,  giving  a  little  shade 
during  the  very  bright  weather. 

Bouvardias  rooted  in  the  spring  and  grown  on 
should  also  be  ready  for  transferring  into  6-inch 
pots,  and  the  same  soil  and  treatment  as  advised 
above  will  suit  them  well,  at  least  till  they  are  well 
rooted,  when  they  will  stand  more  airy  treatment. 
Older  plants  that  mav  have  been  planted  out  in 
frames  should  be  liberallv  supphed  with  water 
at  the  roots,  and  anv  of  the  long  shoots  that  are 
growing  too  freely  should  be  pinched  back  so  as 
to  preserve  a  nicely-balanced  plant. 

Violets  have  not  had  quite  the  amount  of  ram 
that  they  like,  and  should  be  well  watered  at  least 
once  a  week,  giving  a  sprinkling  of  soot  between 
the  plants  before  watering.  This,  I  think,  is  a 
little  help  in  keeping  spider  under — a  pest  which 
is  very  apt  to  be  troublesome  during  dry  weather. 
Should  it  attack  the  plants  badly,  endeavour  to 
spray  the  under  part  of  the  foliage  with  a  mixture 
of  sulphur  and  soft  soap. 


The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Perennial  Spinach. — Where  this  is  in  demand, 
a  good  breadth  should  now  be  sown  in  rows  from 
1 8  inches  to  2  feet  apart,  eventually  thinning  the 
plants  to  about  a  foot  apart  in  the  rows.  Sown  at 
this  date,  the  plants  do  not  get  so  large  as  those 
sown  earlier  ;  but  the  growth,  I  thmk,  is  main- 
tained later  in  the  season,  and  the  resulting  leaves 
are  much  more  tender. 

Brussels  Sprouts. — Before  these  become  too  large 
the  soil  should  be  pulled  up  to  them  on  either  side 
to  maintain  the  plants  in  an  upright  position, 
and  if  the  soil  is  light,  there  is  no  harm  in  giving 
it  a  thorough  good  treading  all  round  the  plants 
when  in  a  damp  condition. 

Celery. —  Keep  all  Celery  well  supplied  with 
water,  both  early  and  late  planted.  For  very  early 
digging  one  or  two  rows  should  be  earthed  up  at 
once,  but  not  before  the  plants  have  had  a  thorough 
good  soaking  of  manure-water.  Add  the  soil  a 
little  at  a  time,  this  being  preferable  to  burying 
the  hearts  of  plants  at  one  operation. 

Turnips. — Make  a  sowing  or  two  of  Turnips 
during  the  next  few  days  for  autumn  use,  following 
this  lip  at  the  end  of'  the  month  for  later  use. 
Red  Globe  and  Golden  Ball  are  good  varieties  for 
late  use,  though  it  is  wise  to  sow  one  of  the  quick- 
growing  white  varieties  to  pull  while  the  other 
varieties  are  maturing. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Tomatoes. — Look  well  after  the  plants  that 
are  settmg  their  fruits,  as  these  will  come  in  well 
for  early  autumn  use.  Give  a  top-dressing  of  soil 
and  manure  to  the  pots  as  they  require  it.  For 
winter  fruiting  a  sowing  should  be  made  of  Winter 
Beauty,  Sunrise,  or  some  such  medium-sized 
variety.  Do  not  give  too  much  heat  during 
germination,  afterwards  treating  the  plants  as 
hardily  as  possible,  so  as  to  have  good,  stocky 
plants' with  a  set  or  two  of  fruit  on  ready  for  plant- 
ing or  potting  during  September  or  early  October. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  F..  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

IVoburn  Place  Gardens,   Addlfstoiie,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Transplanting   Biennials. — Wallflowers.   Sweet 

Williams  and  other  biennials  should  be  trans- 
planted before  they  g?t  weakened  through  over- 
crowding. No  manure  will  be  required,  but  the 
ground,  after  being  cleared  of  weeds,  should  be 
forked  over.  Generallv  speaking,  i  foot  should 
b;  allowed  between  the  rows  and  9  inches  between 
the  plants  in  the  rows. 

Spanish  and  English  Irises. — Where  beds  or 
clumps  of  these  have  been  sown  or  planted  with 
annuals  to  form  a  succession,  the  flower-stems  of 
the  Irises  should  be  promptly  cut  over  after  the 
plants  have  finished  flowering,  so  that  the  annuals 
may  enjoy  the  maximum  of  light  and  air. 

Geraniums. — The  Crane's-bills  are  not  so  often 
seen  in  gardens  as  their  merits  deserve,  and  I  would 
like  briefly  to  call  attention  to  them.  The  following 
are  well  worthy  of  a  place  in  anv  collection  of 
hardv  border  flowers :  G.  armenum,  purplish 
crimson,  2  feet  ;  G.  Fremontii,  pale  purple, 
li  feet  ;  G.  ib.?ricum,  purplish  blue,  large  flowers, 
i|  feet  ;    and  G.  phaum,  dark  purple,  ij  feet. 

Pansies  and  Violas.— Keep  the  spent  flowers 
regularly  picked  off,  except  where  it  is  intended 
to  save  seed.  Where  seed  is  required,  the  earliest 
available  should  be  taken  as  soon  as  ripe  ;  if  delayed, 
the  chances  are  that  the  seed-pods  will  burst 
and  the  seed  will  be  lost.  Cuttings  of  good  Pansies 
should  be  taken  whenever  they  are  available. 
Insert  the  cuttings  in  boxes  of  sandy  soil  and  stand 
them  behind  a  wall  or  hedge. 

Pentstemons. — Keep  the  hoe  going  among  the 
plants,  and  give  them  an  occasional  sprinkling  of 
soot  or  other  fertiliser  in  showery  weather. 

Propagating  Pinks. — It  is  quite  time  that  this 
work  was  attended  to.  Some  people  adopt  the 
rather  rough-and-ready  method  of  tearing  off  the 
side  branches  and  planting  them  deeply  in  the 
soil ;  but  propagation  by  cuttings,  or  pipings  as 
some  call  them,  is  the  correct  method.  Take  the 
cuttings  below  the  third  joint,  trim  off  the  lower 


pair  of  leaves,  and  cut  the  stem  cleanly  immediately 
below  the  joint ;  insert  in  boxes  and  place  in  a 
cold  frame.  Keep  rather  close  and  shade  from 
bright  sunshine  until  rooted :  then  gradually 
inure  to  air  and  light. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Pinching. — Go  over  the  plants  and  pinch  out 
the  points  of  all  shoots  showing  undue  grossness. 
The  term  "  gross  "  is,  of  course,  intended  to  be 
taken  relatively.  'What  would  be  a  gross  shoot 
on  a  Papa  Gontier  might  be  a  very  weak  shoot 
on  a  Hugh  Dickson.  The  thing  to  aim  at  is 
to  maintain  the  balance  of  growth  on  the  individual 
plant. 

Climbers. — Attention  should  be  given  to  tying 
in  the  young  growths  of  climbers  on  arches,  trellises, 
or  pillars;  those  on  walls  should  be  nailed  in.  If 
aphides  appear  on  the  succulent  points  of  the 
shoots,  a  puff  of  Tobacco  powder  will  kill  the 
insects. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums. — Attend    to    the    tying    of 

the  shoots  as  growth  advances.  A  watch  mil 
have  to  be  kept  for  earwigs,  and  if  they  appear 
they  can  be  trapped  by  placing  pieces  of  crumpled 
paper  among  the  shoots.  The  traps  should  be 
examined  every  morning. 

Francoas. — Only  in  very  mild  localities  can  the 
Francoas  be  considered  hardy,  but  they  are  very 
useful  for  conservatory  decoration.  As  the  flower- 
stems  develop  they  should  be  staked  and  tied. 
For  such  slender  stems  I  prefer  wire  stakes.  Spring- 
sown  seedlings  should  now  be  ready  for  potting 
up  into  4-inch  pots.  Cold-frame  treatment  is 
what  these  voung  plants  require.  F.  ramosa 
(white)  and  F.  souchifolia  are  both  worthy  of 
cultivation. 

Dendrobiums. — Those  which  have  finished  their 
growth  will  be  benefited  by  having  a  rather  lower 
temperature  and  slightly  drier  conditions,  both 
at  the  roots  and  in  the  atmosphere. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Peaches. — In  houses  where  the  fruit  has  been 
gathered,  the  border  should  be  examined,  and  if 
dry  a  moderate  watering  should  be  given.  Continue 
to  use  the  syringe  or  garden  engine  freely,  and  give 
abundance  of  air  night  and  day. 

Tomatoes. — Late  crops  in  pots  should  be  top- 
dressed  as  soon  as  roots  appear  freely  on  the  surface. 
All  laterals  should  be  promptly  pinched  out,  and 
tying  should  receive  prompt  attention. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Strawberries. — Plantations  which  are  to  remain 
another  season  should,  as  soon  as  the  crop  is  picked, 
be  cleared  of  weeds,  and  unless  the  runners  are 
wanted  for  spring  planting,  they  should  be  cut 
away.  It  will  also  tell  on  next  season's  crop  if 
the  plants  receive  a  dose  of  liquid  manure  or  a 
top-dressing  of  some  approved  fertiliser,  to  be 
applied  in  showery  weather.  The  two  correct 
periods  for  such  an  application  is  the  present,  in 
order  to  assist  in  the  formation  of  strong  crowns 
for  next  season's  effort,  or  just  after  the  fruit  has 
set,  to  assist  in  swelling  it. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Jerusalem  Artichokes. — On  rich,  heavy  soils 

this  crop  is  inclined  to  run  too  much  to  stem. 
Where  such  is  the  case,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  pinch 
the  plants  when  they  have  attained  a  height  of 
from  5  feet  to  6  feet.  Under  the  above  conditions 
they  are  also  apt  to  be  blown  over  by  the  autumn 
winds.  If  a  few  tall  stakes  are  driven  in  and  a 
line  of  twine  is  run  round  the  plantation,  it  will 
help  to  obviate  the  evil. 

Early  Celery. — I  am  not  a  behcver  in  earthing- 
up  Celery  at  a  very  early  stage,  as  it  tends  to  retard 
growth;  but  the  earliest  planting  should  now  be 
ready  for  a  first  earthing-up.  It  pays  to  tie  up 
the  plants  with  raffia  previous  to  earthing-up, 
cutting  it  awav  after  the  earth  has  had  a  few  days 
to  settle  about  'the  plants.  See  that  all  side  growths 
are  removed  before  commencing  to  earth-up  the 
crop. 

Clearing  Off  Early  Crops.— As  soon  as  early 
crops  of  Peas,  Cauliflowers,  or  Potatoes  have  been 
harvested,  the  haulm  and  stalks  should  be  cleared 
off  and  removed  to  the  refuse-heap,  or  dug  down 
if  the  ground  is  to  be  trenched  for  another  crop 
Chari.es  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


July  19,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


367 


IMPENDING       RETIREMENT 
OF  SIR   HARRY  J.  VEITCH. 


IT  is  wth  keen  regret  that  we  learn  of  the 
approaching  retirement  of  Sir  Harry  J. 
Veitch,  because  it  also  means  the  disposal 
i>f  the  Veitchian  Nurseries;  but  when  we 
rt-member  that  he  has  already  passed  the 
allotted  span  of  life,  we  can  fully  under- 
stand that  the  time  has  arrived  for  him  to  seek 
some  respite  from  the  strenuous  duties  connected 
\nth  the  directorship  of  such  a  large  firm  as  Messrs. 
J.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  of  Chelsea.  The 
lease  of  the  Coombe  Wood  Nursery  expires  on 
Lady  Day,  1915,  so  the  present  has  been  thought 
a  suitable  opportunity  to  decide  the  fate  of  this 
famous  establishment,  viz.,  to  offer  the  nurseries 
and  stock  for  sale  ;  but  some  time  will  probably 
elapse  before  they  are  finally  disposed  of. 

A  few  remarks  on  the  history  of  the  firm  will,  no 
doubt,  be  of  considerable  interest  to  the  majority  of 
our  readers.  Like  so  many  other  business  houses, 
it  had  a  small  beginning,  and  so  far  as  the  records 
show,  the  original  John  Veitch  came  from  Jedburgh 
in  Scotland  to  Devonshire,  and  occupied  a  small 
portion  of  land  at  Killerton  in  1808.  Eventually 
his  son,  Mr.  James  Veitch,  took  command,  and, 
to  enable  him  to  compete  with  other  nurserymen, 
he  purchased  some  land  at  Exeter  in  1832,  which 
was  known  as  the  Mount  Radford  Nursery.  In 
April,  1853,  'h6  old-established  business  of  Messrs. 
Knight  and  Perry  of  King's  Road,  Chelsea,  was 
purchased  by  Mr.  James  Veitch,  jun.,  at  that  time 
associated  with  his  father  at  the  Exeter  Nursery, 
and  was  destined  to  become  the  head-quarters 
of  a  firm  which  will  leave  an  indelible  mark 
upon  horticulture  in  all  its  aspects.  His  interest 
in  the  Exeter  firm  ceased  in  1864.  At  this  time 
the  outside  nursery  covered  about  twenty  acres. 
Fruit  trees  were  grown  on  ground  opposite  the 
Chelsea  Nursery,  which  were  later  transferred  to 
Southfields,  Fulham,  and  then  to  Langley  and 
Felthara. 

The  Coombe  Wood  Nursery  was  begun  in  1856, 
and  this  has  been  the  home  of  everything  choice 
and  rare  in  the  way  of  trees  and  shrubs.  The 
first  part  of  the  Langley  Nursery,  where  hardy 
fruits  are  cultivated  on  a  large  scale,  also  Roses, 
herbaceous  plants  and  special  crops  for  seed, 
was  purchased  in  1880.  At  Feltham  fruit  trees. 
Vines,  bulbs  and  greenhouse  plants  are  to  be  seen 
in  great  variety,  while  at  Chelsea  a  big  trade  is 
done  in  seeds  and  various  exotics. 

With  this  slight  digression  we  will  pursue  the 
family  tree.  In  1865  Mr.  J.  G.  Veitch  and  Mr. 
Harry  J.  Veitch  were  admitted  to  partnership, 
and  at  the  death  of  Mr.  Veitch,  sen.,  in  1869, 
the  business  was  carried  on  by  the  two  gentlemen 
just  named.  The  partnership  did  not,  however, 
last  long,  for  Mr.  J.  G.  Veitch  died,  at  a  compara- 
tively early  age,  in  August,  1870.  Mr.  Arthur 
Veitch  then  joined  his  brother  Harry,  but  he 
having  .nlso  died  in  1880,  for  thirty  years  Mr. 
Harry  J.  Veitch  was  solely  responsible,  and  it  is 
probably  due  to  his  enterprise  and  energy  that 
such  progress  was  made  during  this  period.  He 
was  succeeded  in  1900  by  his  nephew,  Mr.  James 
H.  Veitch,  who  died  on  November  20,  igo7  ;  but  a 
year  previous  Mr.  (now  Sir)  Harry  J.  Veitch  had 
again  assumed  the  managing  directorship  which 
he  is  about  to  finally  relinquish. 

Messrs.  Veitch  have  from  time  to  time  despatched 
travellers  to  various  parts  of  the  globe  in  search 
of  new  plants.     ."Vmong  the  first  were  the  brothers 


William  and  Thomas  Lobb,  the  former  collecting 
in  California  and  South  America,  and  the  latter 
in  India  and  Malaya,  who  introduced  the  first 
Nepenthes  and  the  blue  Vanda  caerulea.  Richard 
Pearce  tra\elled  in  Chile,  Peru  and  Bolivia;  John 
G.  Veitch  visited  Japan,  the  South  Sea  Islands 
and  Australia  ;  David  Burke  went  to  Brazil,  the 
East  Indies,  Burmah  and  Colombia ;  Henry 
Hutton  to  Java  and  the  Malay  .^chipelago ; 
Carl  Kramer  collected  in  Japan  and  Costa  Rica  ; 
Gottlieb  Zahn  in  Central  America ;  Walter 
Davis  in  Brazil  and  Peru  ;  George  Downton 
in  Central  and  South  America  and  the  islands  of 
Juan  Fernandez  ;  J.  Henry  Chesterton  in  South 
America ;  A.  R.  Endres  in  Costa  Rica  ;  Gustave 
Wallis  in  Brazil,  New  Granada  and  various  parts 
of  Tropical  South  America  ;  Peter  C.  M.  Veitch, 
Australia,  South  Sea  Islands  and  Borneo  ;  Guillermo 
Kalbreyer,  the  West  Coast  of  Africa  and  Colombia, 
South  America  ;  Christopher  Mudd,  South  Africa  ; 
F.  W.  Burbidge,  Borneo  ;  Charles  Maries,  Japan 
and  China  ;  Charles  Curtis,  Madagascar,  Borneo, 
Java,  Sumatra  and  the  Moluccas ;  J.  H.  Veitch 
travelled  through  India,  Malaysia,  Japan,  Korea, 
the  Australian  and  New  Zealand  colonies  ;  E.  H. 
Wilson,  Central  and  Western  China,  and  on  the 
Tibetan  frontier ;  while  W.  Purdom  has  only 
recently  returned  from  a  visit  to  China.  It  is 
impossible  to  enumerate  any  of  the  fine  plants  sent 
home  by  this  host  of  collectors ;  but  we  might  add 
that  Messrs.  Veitch  have  supplied  material  for 
upwards  of  four  hundred  plates  in  Curtis'  Botanical 
Magazine — surely  a  record  of  which  any  firm 
might  feel  justly  proud. 

Many  plants  will  still  keep  the  name  of  Veitch 
alive,  especially  Lilium  auratum  (the  Golden- 
rayed  Lily  of  Japan)  and  Ampelopsis  Veitchii, 
which  is  represented  upon  thousands  of  dwellings. 
Messrs.  Veitch  can  also  claim  to  be  the  pioneers 
of  hybridisation,  and  it  was  their  foreman,  John 
Dominy,  who  raised  the  first  hybrid  Orchid. 
Seden  continued  this  work,  and  John  Heal  devoted 
much  time  to  the  crossing  of  Hippeastrums, 
tuberous  Begonias,  Rhododendrons,  &c.,  and 
Nepenthes  and  hardy  fruits  have  received  attention. 

The  foregoing  is  only  a  brief  sketch  of  the  history 
of  the  Chelsea  firm,  and  in  conclusion  we  earnestly 
hope  that  Sir  Harry  J.  Veitch  will  be  spared  for 
some  years  to  enjoy  a  well-earned  rest.  No  man 
has  done  more  for  horticulture,  and  his  interest 
in  gardening  charities  is  well  known,  for  "  Large 
is  his  bounty,  and  his  soul  sincere." 


THE     EDITOR'S    TABLE. 


Hybrid   Primulas   from   Ireland. — Mr.   j.   a. 

Cooper,  the  Lissadell  Nursery,  Sligo,  sends  some 
beautiful  hybrid  Primulas  of  the  pulverulent  a 
and  cockbumiana  types.  Some  of  these  are 
extremely  pleasing,  particularly  No.  i,  which  has 
glowing  scarlet  flowers  of  large  size.  No.  2  has 
flowers  of  similar  colour  but  not  quite  so  good  form. 
No.  12  has  flowers  of  glowing  orange  scarlet,  but 
the  petals  are  too  wide  apart  ;  it  is,  however, 
worth  growing  for  its  wonderful  colour.  No.  7 
has  blooms  of  a  softer  orange  scarlet  hue,  and  No.  6 
is  of  deep  crimson  colour.  The  petals  of  this, 
like  those  of  No.  12,  are  too  far  apart,  a  fault  that 
will  no  doubt  be  remedied  in  time.  Mr.  Cooper 
writes  :  "  We  are  sending  you  by  parcel  post  to-day 
some  specimen  spikes  of  our  hybrid  Primulas, 
which  may  be  of  interest  to  you.  We  have 
labelled  them  under  numbers." 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES    FOR   CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS,— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
make  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  xcho  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  he,  and 
with  that  objed  will  make  a  spenal  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
dearly  and  concisely  toriUen  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  EDITOR  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  CovcrU  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  fie 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  Wheji  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  shoxdd  be  dearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  thai  are  not  charaderistic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  bttsiness  should  be  sent  to  the  Publisher. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

INJURY    TO    THE    LEAVES     OF    HARDY    PLANTS 

(fl.  B,  B.). — The  leaves  are  mined  by  tlie  larvjp  of  a  small 
two-wiQged  fly,  probably  the  Chrysanthemum  fly.  Spray- 
ing when  the  attack  is  first  seen  with  a  nicotine  wash 
is  the  best  thins;  to  do,  or,  if  the  leaves  are  sprayed  with 
paraffin  emulsion  early  in  the  season,  the  flies  may  be 
kept  from  laying  their  eggs. 

CANTERBURY  BELLS  NOT  DOING  WELL  {Dalbeattie). 
— Several  creatures  seem  to  be  attacking  the  lower  part 
of  the  Canterbury  Bell  sent  and  helping  to  its  destruction. 
Are  there  many  slugs  or  snails  about  ?  These  often  becin 
the  work  by  nibbling  the  part  near  the  root,  and  it  is 
continued  by  other  pests.  The  number  and  kind  of 
different  creatures  present  suggest  the  probability  that 
there  is  insufficient  lime  in  the  soil.  There  is  nothing  in 
the  Pinks  to  account  for  the  decay  of  the  flowers.  Their 
appearance  suggests  much  wet  as  the  cause  of  the  trouble.    . 

DOUBLE  WHITE  NARCISSUS  (J.  G.)— The  bulbs 
sent  are  very  small,  while  their  crowded  condition  in 
any  case  would  have  precluded  a  good  flowering.  This 
variety  is  virtually  a  sub-aquatic,  and,  failing  such  con- 
ditions, should  be  given  a  cool  place  and  the  soil  heavily 
dressed  with  cow-manure.  If  the  whole  of  your  bulbs 
are  in  the  same  condition  as  those  you  sent,  you  should 
lift  and  separate  them  at  once,  and  in  the  replanting 
arrange  the  bulb*  5  inches  or  6  inches  deep.  If  treated 
as  advised,  they  nxay  remain  undLsturbed  for  years.  In  any 
case  this  variety  should  never  be  subjected  to  annual 
liftiir.'  and  drying. 

IRIS  RETICULATA  {K.  £.).— This  is  a  bulbous-rooted 
speci's  tlow.-nng  in  the  open  in  February  and  March, 
and  growing,  according  to  the  strength  of  the  bulbs. 
6  inches  to  9  inches  high.  The  flower  is  coloured  deep 
purplish  violet,  each  of  the  lower  petals  (falls)  having 
a  golden  blotch  on  it.  The  species  is  quite  amenable  to 
pot  culture,  should  always  be  grown  in  very  sandy,  loamy 
soiU,  and  in  the  open  be  planted  about  three  inches  deep. 
If  the  Violas  are  infested  at  the  root  with  tiny  white 
grubs  and  white  mould,  the  cause  of  their  sickly  appear- 
ance is  obvious.  All  you  can  do  is  to  lift  tfcem,  and  having 
washed  away  all  the  soil,  replant  them  in  a  new  position. 
If  the  plants  are  very  poor,  you  had  better  discard  them 
and  start  with  a  fresh  stock.  The  old  position  should 
have  a  free  dressing  of  lime.  The  name  of  the  plant  is" 
Santolina  incana. 

HERBACEOUS  BORDER  (Z.).— Yon  cannot  do  better 
than  retain  the  poles  for  Rambler  and  other  Roses  through- 
out the  entire  length  of  the  border,  as  no  plants, 
rightly  treated,  are  capable  of  a  greater  summer 
display  than  these.  For  the  rest,  you  should  now 
layer  the  Carnations  and  so  obtain  a  largT  stock.  Lift 
the  Spanish  Irises  now,  so  that  the  border  may  be 
made  as  free  as  possible  for  digging  or  trenching.  Prior 
to  this  operation  a  good  dressing  of  lime  and  a  liberal  one 
of  manure  will  assist  materially.  With  the  trenching 
completed,  you  shouJd  obtain  selections  of  Pyrethmms, 
herbaceous  Phloxes,  Irises  (Flag  and  other  sorts,  also 
English  and  Spanish),  together  with  such  Lilies  as  candi- 
dum,  rroceum  and  umbellatum,  and  plant  in  free  groups 
throughout.  Then  in  spring  you  might  plant  the  hybrid 
Pentstemons,  which  from  July  to  September  make  a  gay 
show.  As  you  are  interested  in  making  the  border  a 
success,  you  should  obtain  from  this  office  a  copy  of  the 
"  HardyFlower  Book,"  by  E.  H.  Jenkins,  which  not 
only  contains  much  valuable  information,  but  includes 
plans  showing  how  the  plants  should  be  arranged.  Its 
price  is  2s.  9d.,  post  free. 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

DISEASE  IN  GOOSEBERRIES  {Reader). ~-T\iQ  Goose- 
berries appear  to  be  attacked  by  the  fungus  Botry- 
rophseria  ribis.  to  which  reference  was  made  in  our  issue 
of  July  5.  There  is  no  curative  treatment,  and  all  dead 
and  dying  branches  should  be  removed  as  completely 
as  possible  and  burned.  We  think  it  would  conduce  to 
the  health  of  the  bushes  to  spray  them  in  winter  with  a 
solution  of  21b.  of  caustic  soda  in  ten  gallons  of  water 


368 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  19,  1913; 


PEACH  TREE  DISEASED  (F.  T.).— The  Peach  is 
sutlerino  from  the  attack  of  the  funsus  Bxoascus  deformans, 
causing  Peach-curl  disease.  This  is  usually  more  abundant 
where  the  plants  have  been  exposed  to  winds  and  draughts. 
All  the  affected  parts  should  be  removed  and  burned, 
and  next  year  the  tree  should  be  sprayed  with  ammoniacal 
copper  carbonate  soon  after  the  buds  burst. 

INJURY  TO  RASPBERRIES  (B.  T.).— The  white  patches 
on  the  stems  of  the  Itespberries  sent  are  symptomatic 
of  the  disease  due  to  Hendersonia  rnbi,  but  you  do  not 
send  the  lower  part  of  the  stem,  where  the  disease  is 
probably  worse,  so  that  we  cannot  say  exactly  whether 
this  fungus  or  some  other  is  at  work.  Spraying  with 
Bordeaux  mixture  at  the  strength  used  for  spraying 
Potatoes  should  be  done,  but  not  within  three  W9eks  of 
picking  the  fruit.  The  old  canes  should  be  cut  out  as  soon 
as  possible,  and  the  young  ones  sprayed  with  the  Bordeaux 
mixture,  or  with  potassium  sulphide,  loz.  to  three  gallons 
of  water. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

CRESTED  LEAVES  ON  BRASSICAS  (IF.  L.  F.).— 
Tl-e  outgrowths  on  the  Brassica  are  very  curious,  and 
frequently  occur,  no  one  knows  whv.  They  are  associated 
with  a  derangement  of  the  internal  tissues  of  the  plant, 
and  occasionally  appear  to  be  associated  with  damage 
to  the  terminal  bud. 

NAMES    OF    PLANTS.— e.    S.    D.—\,    Mimldus    gluti- 

nosus;     2,    Rose    Tuscany. F.    W..    Kings    Lynn. — 

Rose    Alberic    Barbier. F.     M.,    Selly    Oai.— Hoses : 

1  Mme.  Hoste  ;  3,  Abel  Carriire  ;  4,  Nadia  ;  8,  Captain 
Christy;  12,  Anna  Olivier;  17,  Bev.  A.  Cheales ;  18, 
Viscountess  Folkestone  ;  19,  Lohengrin  ;  20,  Reliance  ; 
21,  Mme.  C.  Guinoisseau  ;  23,  Baron  de  Bonstetten.  Others 
had  fallen  or  wore  cut  too  small  to  be  able  to  distinguish. 

L.  B  C— Roses  :  1,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant ;  2,  M.  Desir  ; 

3  Prince  C.  de  Rohan  ;  4,  Ducher  ;  5,  Jean  Dueher ;  6,  F. 
Duhrieul;  7,  R6ve  d'Or;  8,  Mme.  G.  Luizet.  The 
flowers  were  poor  and  difficult  to  name  with  accuracy. 

A.  P.,  Sussex. — 1,  Colutea    species,    send   when   in 

flower  ;  2,  Lythrum  Salicaria  (Purple  Loosestrife) ;  3, 
Brigeron  speciosus  ;  4,  Coreopsis  species,  send  when  in 
flower. 


SOCIETIES. 


HANLET     FLOWER    SHOW. 

This  was  held  in  Hanley  Park  on  Wednesday,  July  2. 
under  happy  auspices,  in  pleasant  weather  and 
under  as  bright  skies  as  the  atmosphere  of  these  parts 
admit  of,  charged  as  it  is  tor  miles  round  with  a  haze 
or  mist  of  smoke  and  dust  arising  out  of  the  immense 
industry  associated  with  the  far-famed  Staffordshire 
Potteries.  If  the  sun  is,  unfortunately,  somewhat  obscured 
by  the  above  conditions,  a  stranger  has  not  long  to  remain 
in  the  Potteries  before  he  finds  out  the  fact  that  the  sun- 
shine which  is  born  of  the  love  of  flowers  and  gardening 
is  shining  its  brightest  at  Hanley  on  that  day.  The  park 
in  which  this  show,  the  seventeenth  of  the  series,  was  lield 
is  one  of  the  prettiest,  best  laid  out  and  planted  parks 
in  the  Midlands.  A  little  more  than  twenty  years  ago 
it  was  a  series  of  cinder-heaps  1  What  a  transformation 
wrought  by  the  enterprise  and  puljlic  spirit  of  the  govern- 
in"  authorities,  with  the  help  and  through  the  agency 
of  that  art,  the  art  of  gardening,  we  all  love  so  well ! 
The  committee  and  all  concerned  are  to  be  congratulated 
on  the  extent  and  high  quality  of  the  exhibits  throughout 
the  show.  ^    .      ,     ,  .  L  i,- 

The  groups  of  plants  arranged  for  effect,  of  which  there 
were  flve,  filled  the  centre  of  one  of  the  largest  tents. 
A  grand  and  effective  sight  they  presented  collectively, 
and,  considered  singly,  nearly  all  were  excellent.  Messrs. 
Cypher  and  Sons  were  a  good  first ;  second,  Mr.  W.  R. 
Manning,  Dudley;  third,  Mr.  W.  A.  Holmes,  Chester- 
field; fourth.  Mr.  W.  Howson,  Market  Draj'ton ;  fifth, 
Mr.  R.  Simpson,  Selby.  ...   ^         .  , 

The  classes  for  specimen  plants,  both  flowering  and 
foliace,  were  fairly  well  filled,  and  the  competition  was  in 
many  cases  keen,  Messrs.  Cypher  being  the  chief  first- 
prize  winners. 

The  class  for  twelve  table  plants  brought  out  some  ol 
the  daintiest  and  best-grown  plants  of  this  description 
we  have  seen  for  a  long  time.  First,  Mrs.  Meakin, 
Dorlaston  Hall ;  second,  Mr.  B.  Howson  ;  third,  Mr.  F. 
Winger,  Wolstanton. 

ROSES. 

Of  these  there  was  a  lovely  show,  a  whole  tent  being 
chiefly  devoted  to  them.  ■  ^  i 

In  the  class  for  seventy-two,  the  first  prize  went  to 
Messrs.  A.  Dickson  and  Sons,  Kewtownards ;  second, 
Messrs.  Harkness  and  Co.,  Hitchin  ;  third.  The  King's 
Acre  Nurseries,  Hereford;  fourth,  Mr.  W.  H.  Frettingham, 
Beeston  Nurseries,  Notts. 

In  the  class  for  forty-eight.  Mr.  Frettingham  was  flr.st ; 
second,  Messrs.  Harkness  and  Co. ;  third,  Messrs.  A, 
Dickson  and  Sons. 

In  the  class  for  thirtv-six  the  competition  was  keen, 
and  many  of  the  specimens  were  of  superb  quality.  Messrs. 
Harkness  were  first ;  second,  Mr.  W.  H.  Frettingham  ; 
third,  Messrs.  A.  Dickson  and  Sons  ;  fourth.  The  King's 
Acre  Nurseries.  ,.  ^.     ^    .  ^      , 

In  the  class  for  twelve  new  Roses,  distinct,  introduced 
since  and  including  1911,  Messrs.  Perkins  and  Sons  of 
Coventry  were  first;  second,  Messrs.  A.  Dickson  and  Sons ; 
third.  The  King's  Acre  Nurseries  ;  fourth,  Messrs.  Harkness 
and  Co.  .  .     ,   j- 

There  were  many  other  classes  tor  Roses,  including  one 
for  twenty-four  Hybrid  Teas.     Messrs.  Perkins  and  Sons 


were  first ;  second,  Messrs.  Harkness  and  Co. ;  third, 
Messrs.  A.  Dickson  and  Sons. 

Twenty-four  Teas  or  Noisettes :  First,  Mr.  W.  T. 
Mattock ;  second,  Mr.  W.  H.  Frettingham ;  third.  The 
King's  Acre  Nurseries. 

Twelve  white  Roses,  one  variety  :  First,  Mr.  W.  H. 
Frettingham  ;  second,  Mr.  W.  T.  Mattock  ;  third,  Burch 
Nurseries.  Peterborough. 

Twelve  vellow  Roses  :  First,  The  King's  Acre  Nurseries  ; 
second,  Messrs.  Perkins  and  Sons ;  third,  Mr.  W.  T. 
Mattock. 

Twelve  pink  Roses,  one  variety  only  :  First.  Messrs. 
A.  Dickson  and  Sons ;  second,  Messrs.  Harkness  and 
Co.  ;    third.  The  King's  Acre  Nurseries. 

Twelve  red  or  crimson  Roses,  one  variety  only  :  First, 
Messrs.  Perkins  and  Sons ;  second,  Burch  Nurseries ; 
third,  Messrs.  Harkness  and  Co. 

Table  Decorations. 

Not  the  least  beautiful  and  interesting  was  the  tent 
devoted  to  these  artistically-decorated  tables.  We  do 
not  know  to  whom  the  credit,  of  introducing  these  decorated 
tables  is  due.  but  we  do  know  the  vast  improvement 
which  has  taken  place  in  the  harmonious  blending  of 
colours,  and  in  the  light  and  artistic  way  in  whicli  the 
flowers  have  been  arranged,  [since  the  introduction  of 
these  classes. 

The  flr.5t  class  in  this  section  was  for  tables  decorated 
with  Roses  alone,  no  other  foliage  than  their  own  per- 
mitted. First  prize  went  to  Mr.  W.  T.  Mattock  ;  second, 
Mrs.  A.  J.  Blair;  third,  Mr.  R.  Sims,  Borrowash. 

The  second  class  in  this  section  was  for  tables  decorated 
with  other  flowers  than  Roses.  Mrs.  A.  J.  Blair  was 
flrst ;  second,  Messrs.  Jervis  and  Sprowson ;  third. 
Miss  Benvon. 

Collections  of  hardy  perennial  flowers,  no  annuals, 
duplicates,  or  mixed  bunches  of  flowers  allowed.  The 
magnitlcent  collections  of  these  which  are  always  forth- 
coming at  this  show  are  a  source  of  much  interest  to  the 
public.  Their  growth  may  be  enjoyed  by  all  alike  who 
may  have  a  large  or  small  garden,  and  on  this  account 
their  merits  appe.il  to  the  masses  in  particular.  Messrs. 
Harkness  and  Co.,  Bedalc.  were  first;  second,  Mr.  F. 
Bouskell,  Market  Bosworth  ;  third,  Messrs.  Gibson  and 
Co.,  Bedale. 

Sweet  Peas. 

For  a  collection  ol  twelve  varieties,  twenty-one  stems 
o£  eacli,  the  first  prize  went  tn  Mr.  F.  R.  Minshall,  Market 
Drayton.     No  other  award  was  made. 
FKiriT. 

Considering  the  earliness  of  the  season  for  many  fruits, 
such  as  .Muscat  Grapes,  Apples,  Pears,  and  Plums,  the 
exhibition  of  these  was  good. 

In  the  class  tor  a  dessert  table  decorated  with  flowers 
and  foliage,  the  exhibit  which  took  the  flrst  prize  con- 
sisted of  really  superb  fruits,  the  exhibitor  being  Mr. 
Doe  of  Ollerton.  His  Black  Hamburgh,  Madresflold 
Court  and  Muscat  Grapes  were  splendid  specimens  of 
the  Grape-grower's  skill,  judged  from  all  points.  Second, 
Lady  Beaumont ;   third,  Mr.  W.  T.  Mattock. 

Collection  of  twelve  dishes  of  fruit,  not  less  than  eight 
kinds  and  not  more  than  two  varieties  of  a  kind,  to  include 
black  and  white  Grapes,  two  bunches  of  each  variety  : 
First,  Lady  Beaumont,  Carlton  Tower=,  with  an  excellent 
collection  ;    second.  Mr.  S.  Sims,  Borrowash. 

In  the  class  for  six  distinct  dishes  of  fruit,  that  veteran 
fruit-grower  and  exhibitor,  Mr.  Bannerman  of  Blithofield, 
was  an  excellent  flrst ;   second,  Mr.  J.  Doe. 

In  the  class  for  four  bunches  of  Grapes,  two  black  and 
two  white,  Mr.  Doe  was  flrst.  Lady  Beaumont  second 
and  Mr.  Bannerman  third. 

The  minor  classes  for  frnit  were  generally  well  contested 
and  the  quality  good. 

Honorary  Trade  Exhibits. 

These  are  always  a  notable  feature  of  the  Hanley  Show, 
and  on  no  occasion  have  they  proved  more  attractive 
and  received  greater  appreciation  than  this  year.  Messrs. 
M.  Jenkinson  and  Son  of  Newcastle  were  awarded  a  silver 
challenge  cup  and  a  large  gold  medal  for  a  magnificent 
collection  of  Roses ;  Mr.  W.  Lowe,  Beeston,  Notts, 
large  gold  medal ;  Mr.  R.  Bolton,  Warton.  Carnforth, 
large  gold  medal  for  a  fine  collection  of  Sweet  Peas; 
and  Messrs.  Jervis  and  Sprowson,  gold  medal  for  an  artistic 
example  of  floral  room  decoration. 

Silver  medals  were  awarded  to  the  following  firms : 
Messrs.  Jarman  and  Co.,  Chard ;  Messrs.  Dicksons, 
Limited.  Chester ;  and  Messrs.  S.  R.  Compston  and  Sons, 
Macclesfield. 

THE  CHn,DKEN'S  SECTION. 

In  many  respects  the  large  tent  devoted  exclusively 
to  children's  exhibits  is  the  most  interesting  part  of  this 
excellent  show.  Started  in  an  unpretentious  way  a  few 
years  ago,  it  has  now  attained  to  great  proportions, 
upwards"  of  two  thousand  entries  being  received  in  the 
various  sections  in  which  the  children  are  interested, 
and  in  most  of  which  they  receive  instruction  at  school, 
Examples  of  children's  work  in  the  following  subjects 
were  on  view.  The  same  were  judged  by  ladies  and 
gentlemen  of  scholastic  and  artistic  standing  in  the  town, 
and  suitable  awards  made.  Plants  and  seeds  are  dis- 
tributed in  the  spring  among  the  children  unable  to  provide 
themselves  with  the  same ;  others  provide  their  own. 
All  start  growing  them  at  the  same  time,  and  under  similar 
conditions  as  regards  size  of  pots  and  so  on.  -A.11  the 
exhibits  were  creditable  to  the  children,  and  some  would 
have  stood  a  good  chance  for  a  prize  even  among  the 
exhibits  of  experts.  Another  strong  feature  is  the  water- 
colour  drawings  of  plants  from  Nature.  The  children 
range  in  ages,  we  believe,  from  seven  to  twelve,  and  their 
work  in  this  section  was  truly  most  praiseworthy,  the  plants 
in  most  cases  being  so  true  in  colour  and  outline  to  the 


original.  Dried  specimens  of  wild  and  cultivated  flowers 
were  another  most  interesting  aspect  of  this  children's 
show.  That  they  had  been  dried  and  pressed  with  the 
utmost  care  was  clear  by  the  colour  of  the  foliage  being  so 
well  preserved.  Each  example  was  correctly  labelled,  giving 
both  the  common  and  the  botanical  name.  There  were 
also  many  exhibits  of  plants  and  flowers  in  pastel  drawing, 
as  well  as  examples  of  trees  in  pencil  drawing.  Think 
of  the  innocent  pleasures  these  studies  afford  to  the 
plastic  and  easily-impressed  mind  of  the  child  I  Think, 
also,  of  the  pleasure  stored  up  for  future  enjoyment,  anu 
of  the  influence  for  good  1  Such  studies  cannot  help  but 
encourage  and  foster  the  love  of  flowers  among  those  who 
come  after  us.  All  honour,  we  say,  to  the  promoters  of 
the  Hanley  Show  for  the  lead  they  have  taken  in  so 
important  and  far-reaching  a  movement  for  good  among 
our  children. 


SOUTHAMPTON    ROSE    SHOW. 

By  permission  of  Ellen  Lady  Swaythling,  the  annual  Rose 
Show  was  held  in  the  beautiful  grounds  attached  to  South 
Stoneham  House  on  Jmie  25,  and  if  not  so  large  as  in  some 
years  past,  was  of  an  interesting  character.  The  Roses  were 
of  capital  quality,  fresh,  well  coloured  and  consisted  of  an 
extraordinary  number  of  newer  varieties,  so  much  so  that 
we  missed  an  unusual  number  of  old  favourites.  The 
Hybrid  Perpetual  section  was  almost  unrepresented,  so 
popular  have  the  many  Hybrid  Tea  varieties  become. 
The  arra.ngements  were,  as  they  always  are  here,  excellent, 
under  the  experienced  guidance  of  Mr.  C.  S.  Fuidge,  secre- 
tary,  and  the  chairman  of  committee,  Mr.  H.  E.  Molyneux. 
In  all,  twenty-seven  classes  were  provided  for  cut  blooms 
in  the  schedule,  ten  being  open  to  all.  The  principal  one 
was  for  forty-eight  distinct  varieties.  There  were  four 
competitors,  making  an  effective  display.  Mr.  G.  Prince, 
Longworth,  Faringdon,  was  easily  first  with  medium-sized 
high  quality  specimens.  'The  best  were  Jonkheer  J.  L. 
Mock,  Lyon  Rose,  Mme.  Jules  Gravereaux,  J.  B.  Clark, 
Bessie  Brown.  Edward  Mawley,  Ethel  Malcolm,  Lady 
Ashtown.  Mildred  Grant,  Oberhofgartner  Terks  (extra 
fine),  Mrs.  M.  Sinton,  Lady  Ursula,  Mrs.  G.  Shawyer, 
Marquise  de  Sinety,  Medea  (large),  Mrs.  A.  Coxhead,  Avoca 
(richly  coloured),  Mrs.  Myles  Kennedy,  Mrs.  Sam  Ross, 
Mme.  Melanie  Soupert  and  Mabel  Drew.  Messrs.  1).  Prior 
and  Sons,  Colchester,  were  second  with  larger  specimens, 
which,  however,  were  not  so  clear  or  well  coloured.  Lady 
Barham  was  so  fine  that  it  was  selected  as  the 
premier  bloom  in  the  open  classes.  Mrs.  J.  H.  Welch, 
Lady  Ashtown,  Marfiehal  Niel,  Victor  Hugo  and  Mrs. 
Arthur  Coxhead  were  also  noteworthy  blooms.  Mr.  J. 
Mattock,  Headmgton,  Oxford,  was  placed  third. 

Five  competed  for  twelve  Teas  or  Noisettes.  Mr.  Prince 
followed  up  his  previous  success  by  annexing  the  premier 
award  with  remarkable  blooms  of  Mme.  J.  Gravereaux, 
Mrs.  F.  Hobbs,  Comtesse  de  Nadaillae,  Mrs.  Myles  Kennedy, 
Mme.  Cusin,  Souvenir  de  S.  A.  Prince,  Mrs.  Herbert 
Stevens  (a  wonderful  blossom,  so  pure  in  coloui),  Mrs.  E. 
Mawley,  White  Maman  Cochet  and  Molly  Sharman  Craw- 
ford. Alexander  Hill  Gray,  Esq..  Beaulieu,  Newbridge, 
Bath,  was  second  with  a  good  set.  W.  R.  Smith.  Mrs.  F. 
Hobbs.  Nita  Weldon,  Maman  Cochet  and  its  white  counter- 
part were  deserving  of  note.  Mr.  H.  Drew,  Longworth, 
Berks,  was  third. 

Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs  won  for  Mr.  A.  Gray  the  leading  award 
for  six  any  yellow  or  white,  Messrs.  Prioi  and  Sons  depend- 
ing on  Bessie  Brown  for  second  place. 

For  a  representative  group  in  .^0  square  feet,  six  entered 
but  only  two  competed,  which,  when  withdrawn  at  the 
last  moment,  is  a  serious  loss  to  the  executive.  Mr.  J. 
Mattock  was  easily  flrst  with  a  capital  display  of  free- 
flowering  varieties,  effectively  arranged  in  tall  masses  of 
such  varieties  as  Lady  Curzon,  Irish  Eleg.anee,  Crimson 
Damask,  Marquise  de  Sinety,  Lady  Hillingdon,  Juliet, 
Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant,  Sunburst,  Goldfinch  and  A.  R.  Goodwin. 
Messrs.  W.  and  R.  Piogers  and  Sons,  Red  Lodge  Nurseries, 
Southampton,  were  second. 

Baskets  of  cut  Roses,  in  three  distinct  sorts,  made  a 
"ood  display.  Mr.  J.  Mattock  was  easily  flrst  %vith  Ethel 
Malcolm,  Lyon  Rose  (grandly  coloured)  and  General 
Maeaithur.  Messrs.  Prior  and  Sons  were  second  with 
good  blooms  not  so  well  displayed,  Mr.  Prince  following. 

Amatecrs. 

For  eighteen,  distinct,  four  entered.  Mr.  W.  Jarratt 
Thorpe.  Gransmoor,  Hurclecote,  Gloucester,  won  the 
premier  place  with  desirable  specimens — Mrs.  F.  Hobbs, 
Ulricli  Brunncr,  George  Dickson  (a  good  example  of  this 
new  Rose),  Jonkheer  J.  L.  Mock,  Bessie  Brown,  Francois 
Miehclon  and  Princesse  M.  Mertchersky.  Mr.  A.  Hill 
Gray  was  second  with  smaller  specimens,  and  Dr.  Seaton, 
Woodside  Cottage,  Lymington,  third. 

In  the  class  for  six  Roses,  three  of  each  variety,  flve  took 
part  Mr.  A.  Hill  Gray  won  with  a  good  set,  in  which 
Lyon.  Ulster  and  W.  R.  Smith  were  the  most  prominent, 
Mr  W.  J.  Thorpe  being  a  close  second. 

Mr.  A.  Hill  Gray  won  for  twelve  Teas  or  Noisettes  with  a 
grand  bloom  of  W.  R.  Smith  in  particular.  Dr.  Seaton 
was  second.  ,    .     ^  , 

Open  to  growers  of  less  than  flve  hundred  plants,  a  class 
for  twelve  blooms,  distinct,  was  made.  Dr.  J.  T.  Gillett, 
Andovor,  with  small,  neat  specimens,  was  first. 

Mr  J  A.  Fort.  The  College,  Winchester,  won  the  piece 
of  plate  for  twelve,  for  growers  of  less  than  three  hundred 
plants,  with  desirable  blooms.  ,.    .„  _ 

In  the  classes  confined  to  the  County  of  Hants.  Mr.  H.  L. 
Molyneux,  Brantwood.  Southampton,  won  the  Allan  Guini 
Cup  for  twelve  distinct  blooms,  among  six  entrants,  with 
an  interesting  set  composed  mainly  of  new  varieties — 
Mrs  T  H.  Vanderbilt,  Colleen,  Portia,  Laurent  Carle. 
Mrs.  Muir  Maekean  and  Mrs.  Amy  Hammond.  Mr 
R.  C.  W.  Dixon,  Glenville,  Hulse  Road.  Southampton, 
was  a  good  second-  I&  M  • 


iafe»- 


GARDEN. 


^3^^-in=^^^' 


No.  2175.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


July  26,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Lik 


XOTKS   OF   THK    Wl.KK 
1  MKRESrOKIiKSCF, 

Dip     \Vi]Io\v-lca\f(l 

Veronica 
\c  .-    Roses     [irowil 

underclass.. 
I'Hmpannla     (».    F. 

Wilson 
Scent,  in  Mdwofs 
Pruning     Uoso 

France 

KortliecHuin^  events. . 

CUl.TtJKAL    NOTBS    ON 

N  liW      OR      11  .\  R  K 

PLANTS     

(JREKNHoirsr 

Beautiful  plants  for 

hou>e    deeoi'ati.m 

tiassia  corynibosa  . . 

FRCIT   GAUriHN 

The  early  planting 
of  Strawlicrries. . 

Seasonable  notes  on 
fruit 

TRKKS    AXn    SHRl'DS 

I'll  e    lU  o  o  n  I  i  g  h  t 

Broom 

■Shrubs  tor  liry  soils 
I  In-     Vine-leaved 
AInitilun 


:!71 


:!71 
371 


371 
371 


371 

372 


37ti 


37« 


373 
373 


I'l.iiwKi;  i1.\1!1ii;n 

liafTodil  notes        ..     37.') 

U.ICK    AMI    WaTKK    (iAKDKX 

A  dainty   Hellflowcr     375 
tJeniian'a  verna    in 
grass    

Kitchen  (Iakdex 
Seasonable  notes  on 
vegetables  . . 

Oakdenini;  for  liEoiNNnris 
How  to  increase  the 
Siberian  Flag  (Iris 
sibiriea)       . .      . .      377 
How    to    propagate 

Hydrangeas       . .     377 
Spinacti  Beet..      ..      377 

CAKDENINO    of    THK    WEEK 

For  Southern  gar- 
dens      

For  northern  gar- 
dens      

X  F  W     A  X  1)      R  A  K  F 
PLANTg     

Obituary 

Robert  .Sydenham . . 

ANSWERS     TO    COKIIE- 
SPOSnENTS       .  . 


378 

378 

379 
379 


374  Societies 


380 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

I'lic  new  Uij-c  i:.  Amedee  Hamnionil 370 

A  lieautiful  specimen  plant  of  Schizantbns  pjnnatus  37-.; 

A  large  bed  of  the  Moonlight  Broom 373 

A  large  and  weU-Boweied  bash  of  the  Vine-leaved 

Abutilou      374 

Campanula  pusilla  Miss  Willmott       375 

The  new  Rose  Mrs.  F.  W.  Vandeibilt 376 

How  to  increase  the  Siberian  Flag  (Iris  sibiriea)      . .  377 


BDITORIAL     NOTICB8. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  irrtcow's  phcfogifJi/hs,  ttrticli's  atut  jwtfK, 
hut  he.  iviU  not  be  resp&ngifiie  tor  their  safe  return.  All 
reiisonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  wilt  endeamnr  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  ret/ards  p/iotoffraphs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
'ishs  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
'irnplier  or  oirner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  irith- 


'I'lie  Kdilor  a  it--  not  tte  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  citntrihutions  u-liich  he  may  not  be  able  to  use.  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  nnt  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
III  tide  is  aceepted.  I'liblication  in  'I'm:  C  auiifX  irilt  alone 
'!•■  recoitnisi'd  as  acceptance. 

Offices:  iO,  Tiieistoch  .Street,  Corenl  i;ardin.  II'.C. 


NOTES     OF    THE     WEEK. 

Destruction  of  Queen  Wasps. — one  ..i  the  most 
certain  methods  of  keeping  dowti  a  plague  of  wasps 
is  that  of  capturing  tlie  iiueciis.  .\n  interesting 
exhibit  in  connection  with  the  recent  Elstree  and 
Boreham  Wood  Horticultural  Society  was  the 
class  for  queen  wasps,  the  first  prize  being  awarded 
for  T,ys  specimens. 

Rose  Show  at  Gloucester. — In  responding  to 

the  toast,  "  The  National  Rose  Society."  at 
Gloucester  last  week,  Mr.  Mawley  said  this  was  the 
largest  provincial  show  ever  held  by  the  National 
Society,  the  next  largest  having  been  at  Saltaire, 
and  the  next  largest  at  Luton.  Not  only 
that,  but  he  thought  the  general  quality  of 
the  blooms  was  iv  in  excess  of  anything  they 
before.  .K  report  of  this  wonderful  display  of 
had  had  Roses  appears  on  another  page  of  this 
issue. 

Robert  Sydenham. — it  will  come  as  a  great 
shock  to  many  of  our  readers  to  leant  of  the  death 
of  Mr.  Robert  Sydenham,  which  occurred  suddenly 
at  his  offices,  Tenby  Street,  Birmingham,  on 
Saturday  mcrning  last.  So  recently  as  Thursday 
evening  of  last  week  he  was  present  at  the  dinner 
of  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society  in  London, 
and  appeared  to  be  in  his  usual  good  health.  His 
death  removes  from  the  gardening  world  a  genial 
and  generous  personality  that  will  be  greatly 
missed  by  a  large  circle  of  friends.  .'\  portrait 
of  the  deceased  gentleman,  with  a  brief  review  of 
his  career,  appears  on  page  370. 

A  BeautifulJuly-flowering  Broom.— in  Cytisus 

nigricans  we  possess  a  yellow -flowered  Broom  of 
considerable  value  in  gardens.  The  fact  that  the 
plants  continue  in  flower  practically  throughout 
the  month  of  July  should  not  be  lightly  overlooked, 
for  hardy  shrubs  which  flower  profusely  at  this 
season  are  not  over-abundant.  To  obtain  bushes 
of  Cytisus  nigricans  in  their  fullest  beauty  it  is 
necessary  to  cut  the  previous  season's  growth  fairly 
hard  back  in  February  or  March  each  year.  By 
this  means  vigorous  young  shoots  arc  induced  to 
develop,  almost  every  one  of  which  later 
terminates  in  a  long,  slender  raceme  of  yellow 
blossoms. 

Wart  Disease   of    Potatoes  in  Lancashire.— 

The  Board  of  Agriculture  and  Fisheries  desire 
to  inform  Potato-growers  that  cases  of  wart 
disease  of  Potatoes  (Synchitrium  endobioticum, 
Percival)  have  occurred  in  Lancashire,  and  to 
remind  them  that  by  Article  3  of  the  tVart 
Disease  of  Potatoes  Order  of  igta  they  are 
required  to  report  the  presence  of  this  disease 
on  their  premises  to  the  police  or  other  officers 
appointed  by  local  authorities  for  the  purpose, 
and  that  failure  to  report  is  punishable  by 
a  fine.  Notifications  may  he  sent  tt)  the  Board, 
who  will  forward  them  to  the  proper  quarter. 
.^  leaflet  describing  the  disease  and  giving  directions 


fur  dealing  with  it  can  be  obtained  from  the 
Secretary,    Board    of    .■Vgriculttu'c    and    Fisheries, 

4,  Whitehall  Place,  London,  S.W.,  gratis  and 
pr)st  free.  Letters  so  addressed  need  not  be 
stamped 

Propagating  Rock  Plants  by  Cuttings.— 1  he 
majority  of  rock  plants  that  have  now  finished 
flowering  can  be  readily  raised  from  cuttings. 
Select  the  young  growths  and  place  them  in  sand\' 
soil  under  a  hand-light,  and  keep  a  moist  atmo- 
sphere by  occasional  overhead  syringing  during 
bright  weather.  By  these  means  many  plants 
that  are  not  easily  raised  from  seed  can  be  readily 
increased.     When    rooted    they   should   be   potted 

05,  and  will  make  nice  plants  for  the  rock  garden 
the  following  spring. 

County  Classes  for  Sweet  Peas. — One  of  the 

most  interesting  features  of  the  National  Sweet 
Pea  Society's  Show,  held  in  London  last  week, 
and  a  report  of  which  appears  on  page  v.,  were 
the  classes  arranged  for  groups  of  counties,  these ' 
embracing  the  whole  of  the  United  Kingdom. 
We  are  pleased  to  announce  that  the  piece  of  plate 
presented  by  us  as  first  prize  in  the  Southern 
Counties  Class  was  won  by  Mrs.  Kensington,  Haver- 
brack,  Buxted,  Uckfield  (gardener,  Mr.  F.  C.  Beale). 
As  there  were  eight  entries,  this  Avas  exceedingly 
creditable,  and  we  congratulate  Mrs.  Kensington 
and  her  gardener  on  their  success. 

Are  Ten-Week  Stocks  Dying  Out?— During 

the  past  two  seasons  We  have  been  called  upon  at 
shows  to  judge  Ten-week  Stocks,  the  schedules 
rightly  stipulating  that  the  plants  should  be  showii 
as  grown.  In  nearly  every  instance  the  plants 
staged  have  been  those  of  the  intermediate  section, 
many  of  which  are  of  a  perennial  or  semi-perennial 
character.  These  are  naturally  much  larger  and 
more  branching  than  the  old  Ten-week  Stock, 
and  undoubtedly  better  plants  for  the  garden. 
In  judging  we  have  hesitated  to  disqualify  these 
exhibits,  but  it  would  be  well  if  framers  of  schedules 
would  ask  for  Stocks  raised  Irom  seed  sown  during 
Ihe  current  year,  and  thus  make  it  quite  legitimate 
for  exhibitors  to  stage  those  of  the  intermediate 
section. 

A  Beautiful  Rambler  Rose.— .^  well-grown 
plant  of  the  R.mibler  Rose  Excelsa  growing  over 
the  top  of  a  broad  gateway  moves  us  to  draw  the 
attention  of  readers  to  this  welcome  addition. 
In  our  opinion  it  will  before  long  oust  Crimson 
Rambler  from  most  gardens,  the  soft  yet  bright 
cherry  red  colour  of  the  flowers  being  far  more 
pleasing  than  those  of  the  old  variety.  When  we 
saw  pot-grown  plants  of  Excelsa  shown  two  years 
ago,  we  were  not  favourably  impressed  with  it, 
as  the  blooms  had  an  unpleasant  blue  tint  running 
through  them.  Outdoors,  however,  this  is  absent, 
and  at  a  distance  the  flowers  ;ire  practically  the 
same  shade  as  some  newly-opened  ones  of  Gr&s 
an  Teplitz  that  are  growing  near  it.  Excelsa  is 
a  wichuraiana  Rose,  has  a  vigorous  habit  similar 
to  th.''t    >f   Dorothv  Perkins,  and  flowers  freelv. 


370 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  26,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{Tilt    Editor    is    not    responsible  for   the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


The  Willow-Leaved  Veronica.— Although  the 

vaiietifs  i>f  Veronica  are  numerous,  the  Willow- 
leaved  species,  V.  saUcifolia,  is  quite  one  of  the 
best.  A  plant  here  put  out  five  years  ago  at  the 
loot  of  a  south  wall  in  quite  a  narrow  border  has 
succeeded  well ;  it  is  now  6  feet  across  and  4  feet 
high,  and  is  completely  smothered  with  its  pure 
white,  drooping  racemes  8  inches  long — a  glorious 
viglit  when  in  full  flower.  It  i?  a  pity  the  flowers 
do  not  last  longer.  They  are  short-lived,  a  fault 
with  all  .  the  Veronica  family. 
Nicholson  describes  this  variety  as 
bluish  purple  or  white.  In  my 
case  the  flowers  are  pure  white. 
Perhaps  this  is  a  superior  form. 

Phlomis  fruticosa.— The  Jeru- 
salem Sage,  as  this  hardy  shrub 
is  often  called,  although  a  com- 
mon plant,  introduced  as  far  back 
as  1596  from  the  Mediterranean 
region,  is  not  grown  nearly  as  much 
as  its  merits  deserve.  In  low-lying, 
damp  districts  the  plants  are  more 
easily  injured  by  frost  ;  hence  per- 
haps the  reason  for  their  scarcity. 
Here  on  a  hill,  in  well-drained  yet 
lieavy  soil,  the  specimen  I  have 
flourishes  amazingly,  producing  a 
full  crop  of  its  yellow  or  dusky 
yellow  whorls  of  blossom.  My 
plant  is  about  seven  feet  in  diameter 
■md  5  feet  high,  the  result  of  ten 
years'  growth.  Even  when  not  in 
flower  the  plant  is  desirable,  being 
evergreen,  with  an  under  surface 
of  white  wool.  —  E.  Molyneux, 
Sttianmore  Park,  Bishop's  Waltham, 
Hants. 

The   Lowberry  Fruiting  Well. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  some  of 
your  readers  to  know  that  this 
i-omparatively  new  berry  is  fruit- 
ing well  in  the  open  in  the  garden 
here.  When  shown  by  Messrs. 
Stuart  Low  and  Co.  about  three 
years  ago,  doubts  as  to  its  hardiness 
and  fruiting  properties  were  freely 
expressed.  It  produces  long,  jet 
black  fruits  in  clusters  similar  to 
those  of  the  Loganberry,  but  the 
flavour  more  closely  resembles 
that  of  the  Blackberry.  It  makes 
long,  stout  rods,  and  is  excellent 
for  covering  trellis-work.  I  should 
be  glad  to  hear  the  experiences  of 
other  readers  with  this  useful  berr\ . — J.  B.  S., 
Redhill,  Surrey.  [We  have  this  plant  fruiting  freely 
in  Essex  just  now,  and  it  appears  to  be  perfectly 
hardy.  The  fruits  are  sweeter  and  more  useful 
than  those  of  the  Loganberry. — Er>.] 

Three  Good  Astilbes. — For  moist  situations  in 
tlie  border,  and  especially  by  the  water-side,  the 
.\stilbes  are  a  family  whose  value  cannot  be  over- 
estimated. There  are  now  several  fine  varieties 
of  recent  introduction,  of  which  Cream  Pearl, 
PiTik  Pearl  and  Venus  are  among  the  best.  These 
were  raised  by  M.  Areuds,  and  are  known  as 
.■^stilbe  Arendsii.  All  three  are  sturdy,  erect 
growers.     Cream   Pear)  has,   as  its  name  implies. 


creamy  flowers,  freely  produced.  Pink  Pearl  is 
a  pleasing  shade  of  soft  pink.  Venus  is  a  grand 
plant  with  large  spikes  of  deep  pink  flowers.  To 
lovers  of  hardy  plants  on  the  look-out  for  good 
things,  these  should  be  especially  welcome. — 
E.  G.  D.^visoN.  Westwick  Gardens,  Norwich. 

Primula  Rusbyi. — It  is  but  seldom  that  we  meet 
with  Primula  Rusbyi  in  flower,  and  it  is  with 
pleasure  that  one  sees  a  nice  little  plant  photo- 
graphed in  the  garden  of  Dr.  John  MacWatt  at 
Morelands,  Duns.  It  is  one  of  the  Primulas  which, 
like  P.  suflrntesceus,  baffle  a  good  many  and  prove 
difficidt  in  many  ways.  Its  New  Mexican  origin 
rnav  account  for  a  good  deal  of  the  trouble  ex- 
perienced   with    it,    although    on    good    authority 


longish,    rather    spoon-shaped 
It  was  introduced  in   1S81. — 


THE  NEW  ROSE  G.  AMEDEE  HAMMOND,   EXHIBITED  BY   MESSRS.  ALEX 

DICKSON    AND    SONS    AT    THE    GLOUCESTER    SHOW    LAST    WEEK. 

{See  page  si.) 


we  are  told  that  it  is  a  hardy  rock  garden  species. 
It  has  not  turned  out  hardy  everywhere,  and  is 
really  most  satisfactory  in  a  pot,  in  a  frame,  or, 
better  still,  in  an  alpine-house.  A  soil  of  loam, 
peat  and  sand  in  equal  parts,  with  some  stones 
among  it,  or  with  leaf-soil  in  substitution  for  the 
peat,  1  found  answer  best  :  but  it  is  both  a  trouble- 
some and  shy-flowering  species  in  the  open.  The 
flowers,  which  are  sometimes  called  "  a  brown 
crimson,"  are  a  little  depreciated  by  this  descrip- 
tion, the  colour  bemg  a  nice  crimson-purple,  with 
a  yellow  eye  surrounded  by  a  deep  crimson 
shading.  The  beauty  of  the  flower  is  increased 
by  the  pretty  way  with  which  the  calyx  is  striped    expressed  to  me  by  growers. — A.  P. 


with    farina.     The 
le.ives  are  toothed. 
Alpinist. 
Good    Herbaceous    Borders    in    Scotland.^ 

Mr.  John  Wilkinson,  agent  for  Captain  Hope  ol 
St.  Mary's  Isle,  Kirkcudbright,  has  a  delightful 
garden  at  The  Grange,  Kirkcudbright.  Many 
things  are  well  done  there,  but  perhaps  the  most 
charming  feature  is  the  way  in  which  the  hardy 
border  flowers  are  cultivated  and  arranged.  This 
part  of  the  garden  is  cared  for  by  Mr.  Wilkinson 
himself,  and  the  plants,  their  cultivation  and  their 
arrangement  all  contribute  to  the  successful  results 
obtained.  The  borders  are  on  either  side  of  grass 
paths,  which  give  an  air  of  peacefulness  and  harmony 
with  the  flowers  often  wanting  in 
gardens  where  gravel  is  employed 
for  the  walks.  The  plants  are  in 
bold  groups  of  one  variety,  and  the 
effect  through  the  varying  seasons 
is  very  beautiful.  The  other  day, 
although  the  great  Oriental  Poppies, 
which  are  so  fine  at  The  Grange, 
and  other  earlier  flowers  were  over, 
the  effect  of  the  borders  was  charm- 
ing, especially  in  the  long  borders 
on  either  side  of  the  main  pathway. 
Great  Delphiniums,  clumps  of 
Alstroemerias,  Veronicas,  white  and 
red  Valerians,  Polemoniums. 
Violas  and  many  other  border 
flowers,  supplemented  by  such 
annuals  as  Alonsoas,  Dimorphotheca 
aurantiaca  and  others,  made  a 
wonderfully  beautiful  effect,  en- 
hanced greatly  by  the  surroundings 
of  trees  and  shrubs  and  the  absence 
of  walls, — S.  Arnott. 

Roses  that  Vary  in  Colour.— 

The  extreme   variations   in   colour 
of  some  Roses  have  more  than  once 
given  rise  to    the   impression   that 
the    vendor    has  sent   a   wrongly- 
named  plant.    In  the  newer  Hybrid 
Tea    Rose    Simburst    we    not    un- 
naturally  find    some    difference   ni 
opinion    as  to  its  sterling  qualities. 
.\  well-coloured  flower  is  really  a 
revelation    in    golden    orange    and 
cadmium    yellows  ;      but    so   often 
we  get  a  quantity  of  flowers  almost 
devoid    of    this    delightful    colour, 
and  then  it  is  by  no  means  so  great 
an  acquisition,  and  has  often  been 
decried  from  that  cause.     We  have 
another  notorious  example  in  Mrs. 
.\aron  Ward.    About  an  equal  num- 
ber of  the  blossoms  come   a  clear 
Indian  yellow  and  the  rest  almost  a 
creamy  white,  while  some  range  from 
creamy  white,  flushed  with  salmon 
rose,    up  to  various   shades  of   the    more  striking 
Indian  yellow.    William  Allen  Richardson  has  much 
the  same  undesirable  peculiarity.     But  it  does  not 
seem  possible  to  altogether  account  for  these  varia- 
tions.     Position,  soil,  also  whether  under  glass  or  in 
the  open  ;uid  whether  sunny  or  dull  weather  predo- 
minates, are  frequently  put  forward  as  causes.  Other 
varieties  that  change  greatly  are  Prince  dc  Bulgarie. 
Marie    van    Houtte,    Edu     Meyer,    Duke    of    York, 
Hugo   Roller,  Souvenir  de  Stella  Gray,   Rainbow, 
Theresa  and  Mme.   Lambard.     My  iibject  in   this 
note  is  to  help  to  clear  away  some  thoughts  of  dis- 
honest   trading    that    have    more    than    once    been 


July  26,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


37 1 


New  Roses  Grown  Under  Glass.  -Messrs. 
Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons  of  Newtownards  inform 
ns  tfiat  all  the  new  Roses  shown  by  them  at  the 
National  Rose  Society's  London  Show  on  July  i, 
and  described  in  our  issue  for  July  12,  were  grown 
in  the  open,  and  not  under  glass  as  stated  in  our 
report.  The  mistake  was  due  to  the  fact  that  there 
were  two  classes  for  seedling  Roses — one  for  those 
grown  in  the  open  and  the  other  for  those  grown 
under  glass — and  it  not  being  made  clear  in  which 
rlass  the  various  Roses  were  included. 

Campanula  G.  F.  Wilson. — I  have  seen  Cam- 
panula G.  F.  Wilson  in  many  places,  but  never 
ni  such  plenty  as  in  the  beautiful  gardens  of 
Captain  Hope,  R.N.,  at  St.  Mary's  Isle,  Kirkcud- 
bright, where  it  is  cultivated  most  extensively  in 
the  borders  and  rockery.  There  are  many  large 
clumps  of  great  beauty,  these  covering  themselves 
sii  freely  with  the  dark  blue  flowers  that  hardly 
a  leaf  is  to  be  seen.  The  clumps  in  the  front  of 
the  borders,  in  particular,  are  of  large  si.ce,  and  all 
are  the  produce  of  one  plant  which  was  in  the 
gardens  when  Mr.  James  Jeffrey,  the  gardener, 
took  charge  a  good  many  years  ago.  The  variety 
is  the  green-leaved  one. — S.  Arnott. 

Scent  In  Flowers.— in  reply  to  Mrs.  King's 
query  on  page  334,  issue  July  5,  concerning 
my  allusion  to  the  American  craze  for  size  and 
colour,  I  had  in  my  mind  when  writing  some  very 
large  and  showy  Peas  (miscalled  "  Sweet  ")  that 
came  from  an  American  soiurce,  which  I  saw  for 
the  first  time  in  a  friend's  garden  some  years  ago  ; 
but  when  I  tip-toed  up  to  smell  them,  I  discovered,  to 
my  dreadful  disappointment,  that  they  had  no  scent, 
and  though  so  gay,  would  never  laake  anosegay ! 
I  had  also  in  my  mind  the  large  and  showy  American 
.Apples  and  other  fruit  (so  often  seen  in  fruiterers' 
shops)  which  we  find  so  sadly  lacking  in  flavour. 
.\s  for  the  American  love  of  everything  large, 
that  charge  did  not  originate  with  me. — Anne 
.\mateur. 

Pruning  Rose  La  France. — No  doubt  some 
cultivators  of  this  lovely  Rose  will  think  it  is  quite 
unseasonable  to  talk  about  pruning  Roses,  but  I 
think  it  is  quite  seasonable,  and  a  subject  on  which 
readers  may  give  their  experience.  I  find  the 
best  results  follow  summer  pruning,  or,  rather, 
thinning  out  of  the  old  wood  at  this  time,  and  thus 
allow  the  younger  and  stronger  shoots  to  mature 
before  the  winter  comes.  Ordinary  cutting  back 
to  two,  three,  or  five  buds  in  March  has  not,  as 
far  as  ray  experience  goes,  resulted  in  the  best 
crop  of  flowers  being  grown.  Really  unripe  wood 
may  be  cut  back,  but  if  the  summer  priming  is 
well  done,  very  little  will  be  necessary  in  spring. 
General  thinning  out  of  shoots  now  and  a  little 
shortening  back  of  umripe  tips  of  shoots  in  March 
have  given  the  best  results  as  regards  flowering, 
and  in  a  few  years  the  plants  have  attained  to  a 
large  size,  bearing  dozens  of  blooms.  Perh^^s  oome 
other  cultivators  will  give  their  views. — G.  G. 


CULTURAL  NOTES  ON  NEW 
OR  RARE  PLANTS. 


FORTHCOMING  EVENTS. 

July  29. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Meeting 
and  Gladiolus  Show.  Masters  Memorial  Lecture 
at  3  p.m.  by  Professor  R.  H.  Bifien,  M.A.,  on 
"  Some  Factors  in  the  Prevention  of  Disease  in 
Plants." 

July  30.— Midland  Carnation  and  Picotee  Show 
at  Birmingham  (two  days).  Flower  Shows  at 
Chesterfield,  Whitchurch  and  Bishop's  Stortford. 

July  31. — County  Clare  Summer  Show.  Flower 
Shows  at  St.  Ives  (Hunts)  and  Northallerton. 

August  2. — Soci6t6  Fran<;aise  d'Horticulture  de 
Londres  Meeting. 


Saxifraga  bursiculata.— This  is  probably  one 
of  the  most  valuable  of  hybrid  Saxifrages  raised 
diu-ing  recent  years.  It  was  raised  from  a  cross 
between  S.  burseriana  major  (the  true  plant) 
and  S.  apiculata,  and,  while  embodying  not  a 
little  of  the  vigour  and  freedom  of  growth  of  the 
latter  plant  and  its  flustering  trusses  of  flowers, 
embraces  all  the  purity  of  colour  and  earlmess 
to  bloom  of  that  first  named.  It  is,  from  every 
point  of  view,  a  hybrid  alpine  to  which  the  term 
"  first  class  "  might  well  be  applied.  It  is  of  free 
growth,  though  doubtless  a  year  or  two  will 
elapse  before  it  becomes  either  plentiful  or  cheap. 
Meantime,  it  will  satisfy  those  who  consider  the 
best  of  everything  quite  good  enough.  By  reason 
of  its  vigour  it  grows  freely  in  gritty,  well-drained 
loam.  Its  earliness  to  flower — February-March — 
fits  it  for  the  alpine-house. 

Fritillaria  iniperialis  ohitralensis  is  a  plant 
so  distinct  and  dwarf-growjng  by  comparison  with 
others  of  the  "Imperial"  race  that  at  sight  it 
might  be  regarded  as  outside  its  scope.  Botanists, 
however,  have  declared  to  the  contrary,  and  as  the 
plant  is  an  early-flowering  one  of  the  bulbous  order, 
and  one  that,  to  ensure  complete  success,  should 
be  planted  in  late  summer  or  early  autumn,  note 
should  be  made  of  it  now.  It  is  a  foot  or  so  high, 
having  golden  yellow  flowers  of  bell-like  outline. 
It  is  a  refined  and  pretty  plant,  well  suited  to  very 
sandy  soils  and  a  warm  situation.  Flowers  March- 
April. 

OxaliS  ■denophylla.— Whether  this  pretty 
Chilian  species  will  prove  a  little  less  hardy  than 
the  varieties  of  O.  enneaphylla,  time  alone  will 
prove.  Meanwhile,  it  is  worthy  of  every  care 
and  the  studious  avoidance  of  risks.  In  the 
warmest  positions  of  the  rock  garden  it  may  be  safe 
enough,  and  in  the  drier  parts  of  the  moraine  may 
be  worth  experimenting  with  by  those  who  have 
enough  for  such  purposes  and  the  courage  to  use 
them.  Culturally,  it  appears  to  require  nothing 
different  to  the  better-kno%vn  plant.  The  glaucous, 
much-divided  leaves  form  a  tuft,  which  constitutes 
a  pretty  setting  to  the  pinky  red  flowers,  which 
appear  in  April  and  May.  In  the  alpine-house 
it  is  one  of  the  choicest  of  early  flowers. 

Anemone  sylvestris  grandiflora.— On  the  prin- 
ciple that  a  good  variety  of  any  plant  takes  up  no 
more  room  than  an  inferior  one,  and  sometimes 
not  quite  so  much,  it  is  suggested  that  all  interested 
in  the  Snowdrop  Windflower  should  secure  the 
variety  above  named.  Some  of  those  sent  out  as 
the  typical  kind  are  of  too  weedy  a  nature,  both  in 
habit  and  flower.  Occasionally  one  may  get  the 
grandiflora  form  when  ordering  the  other,  and  where 
this  is  so,  it  should  be  taken  care  of.  Of  quite  easy 
culture  in  light  or  medium  well-drained  loam,  its 
nodding  Snowdrop-like  buds  have  a  very  pretty 
appearance  before  the  fully-opened  flowers  appear 
in  May.  For  good  distinctive  varieties  of  such 
things,  the  best  method  of  increase  is  by  division. 

Dianthus  Pulhamii. — For  the  larger  rock  , 
garden  in  June,  this  fine  single-flowered,  deeply- 
fringed  Pink  is  particularly  good.  The  plant 
grows  I  foot  high  and  has  blush  pink,  crimson- 
based  flowers  of  ij  inches  across,  which,  backed 
by  a  neat  tuft  of  glaucous  leaves,  make  a  great 
show.  Like  all  its  tribe,  it  is  of  quite  easy  culture 
in  gritty  loam  and  old  mortar.  Pipings  in  July 
are  the  best  method  of  increase,  though  seedlings 
might  also  be  raised.  E.   H.  J. 


THE  GREENHOUSE. 


A  S    d 

A 


BEAUTIFUL    PLANTS     FOR     HOUSE 
DECORATION. 

(SCHIZANTHUSES.) 

decorative  subjects  during  the  spring 
and  early  summer  months  Schizan- 
thuses  are  difficult  to  beat,  as  with 
ordinary  cultivation  in  a  cool  green- 
house a  succession  of  bloom  can  be 
had  from  March  till  the  middle  or  end 
of  June  by  sowing  at  different  dates  in  the  autumn 
and  early  spring.  Though  autumn-sown  plants 
give  the  best  results,  both  for  size  and  floriferous- 
ness,  February  sowings  are  not  to  be  despised, 
as  really  excellent  plants  are  to  be  obtained  in 
4j-inch  and  6-inch  pots,  the  chief  essential  in  each 
instance  being  a  very  steady  growth  in  a  house 
with  plenty  of  light  and  air  at  all  times.  This  is 
especially  desirable  when  the  plants  are  coming  into 
flower,  for  if  given  shade  and  a  trifle  too  much  heat 
at  this  time,  the  flower-stems  become  attenuated 
and  are  apt  to  fall  about  in  a  very  ungainly  manner. 
As  decorative  plants  for  the  dwelling-house, 
winter  garden,  or  conservatory,  there  is  no  annual 
that  will  give  a  better  return  for  the  trouble  taken 
with  them,  and  as  the  varieties  are  so  distinct 
in  habit  and  colour,  they  seem  to  adapt  themselves 
to  any  and  every  decorative  scheme. 

In  my  early  days  of  gardening  I  can  only  remem- 
ber the  old  pinnatus  type  being  grown  to  any 
extent,  and  as  far  as  my  memory  serves  me,  th^y 
were  of  much  more  straggling  habit  than  the 
strains  we  get  now ;  but  having  a  very  large 
conservatory  to  furnish,  they  impressed  me  very 
much,  as  the  plants  were  grown  five  or  six  in  a 
i2-inch  pot  and  attained  a  height  of  about  six  feet. 
Even  now,  where  large  plants  are  wanted  for 
the  conservatory,  a  good  strain  of  pinnatus  and 
I  pinnatus  rosea  are  about  the  best.  It  is  true  that 
we  have  strains  of  large-flowered  varieties  which 
vary  greatly  in  colour  from  white  through  the 
various  shades  of  mauve  and  pink  to  a  dull  red  or 
magenta  ;  but  none  of  them  produce  the  same  beau- 
tiful  gauzy  effect  as  do  the  first-mentioned  varieties, 
and  some  of  the  strains,  to  be  seen  from  a  decora- 
tive point  of  view,  are  not  worth  perpetuating. 

The  plant  shown  on  page  372  is  of  the  type  men- 
tioned. It  was  pinched  about  twice  in  the  early 
spring  and  potted  finally  into  a  12-inch  pot,  and  when 
photographed  it  was  probably  6  feet  6  inches  in 
height,  2  feet  6  inches  to  3  feet  in  diameter,  and 
was  one  of  several  such  plants  which  were  used  for 
furnishing  the  winter  garden  here.  The  larger- 
flowering  hybrids,  as  they  are  called,  I  find  do  not 
make  such  large  plants,  8j-inch  pots  being  large 
enough  for  them  ;  but  these  also  are  very  useful 
for  house  and  conservatory  decoration,  especially 
it  the  colours  are  chosen  with  care. 

The  wisetonensis  type  is  quite  distinct,  both  iii 
the  habit  of  plant  and  colour  of  bloom,  and  where 
smaller  plants  are  required  of  compact  form 
these  are  excellent,  the  yellow  markings  in  many 
of  the  plants  making  them  especially  desirable 
foils  to  the  mauves  of  some  of  the  other  types. 
A  bright  rose  pink  form  of  this  type  sometimes 
met  with  should  be  developed,  and  if  it  could  be 
had  true,  I  am  sure  it  would  command  a  ready 
sale.  Amateurs  and  others  whose  greenhouse 
accommodation  is  limited  would  be  well  advised 
to  grow  only  the  wisetonensis  varieties,  as  a  good 
many  plants  can  be  grown  in  a  small  space. 

The  retusus  type  is  also  quite  distinct  from  the 
others.     The  orange  or  yellow  blotch  in  the  centre 


372 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  26,  1913. 


of  the  bloom  makes  it  quite  striking  in  colour, 
the  main  portion  of  the  bloom  varying  in  different 
varieties  from  pure  white  to  almost  a  carmine, 
and  for  grouping  purposes,  either  at  exhibitions 
or  in  the  conservatory,  they  are  eminently  suitable. 
Also  as  cut  flowers  these  varieties  stand  well, 
and  are  much  admired  for  table  decoration.  Un- 
fortunately, these  latter  are  not  quite  as  easy  of 
cultivation  as  are  most  of  the  others  ;  but  with 
fairly  careful  watering  during  the  winter  they 
should  present  no  serious  difficulties  to  the  ordinary 
gardener. 

Cultural  Hints. — To  be  really  successful  with  all 
or  any  of  the  varieties,  a  sowing  should  be  made  in 
September  or  October,  preferably  in 
small  pots,  four  or  five  seeds  in  a 
pot,  thinning  the  seedlings  to  one 
in  a  pot  when  large  enough  to 
handle.  Keep  them  during  the 
winter  on  a  shelf  in  a  quite  cool 
house,  potting  on  as  the  pots 
become  full  of  roots  until  the 
desired  size  of  pot  is  reached. 
Where  a  really  light  and  airy  span- 
roofed  house  can  be  requisitioned 
for  growing  them,  pinching  is  not 
necessary,  unless  it  is  to  retard  the 
flowering  period,  and  they  will 
make  quite  shapely  plants  without 
it  ;  but  when  grown  with  other 
plants  it  is  sometimes  advisable  to 
pinch  them  once  or  twice  to  make 
them  a  little  more  bushy. 

In  a  close,  stuffy  atmosphere,  or 
if  too  much  heat  is  given,  the 
growth  very  quickly  becomes 
attenuated  and  the  keeping  quali- 
ties of  the  blooms  are  much  im- 
paired. When  the  flowering  pots 
are  full  of  roots,  they  will  take 
liquid  manure  quite  freely  ;  but 
too  much  artificial  manure  is  not 
advisable.  At  no  time  during  their 
growth  will  they  stand  drought  at 
the  roots,  so,  in  addition  to  plenty  of 
light  and  air,  careful  watering  is  the 
one  other  detail  absolutely  essential 
to  success.      Thomas  Stevenson. 

Addlestone,  Surrey. 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


THE    EARLY    PLANTING   OF   STRAW 
BERRIES. 

HE    daily    gathering    and    consuming     of 
bounteous    dishes    of    luscious    Straw- 
berries   during    the    past    few    weeks 
lead  us  to  wonder  how  it  is   that  this 
fruit     receives    such     scant     attention 
from  the   average  amateur.     The  pro- 
fessional gardener  has  of  necessity  to  grow  it  well, 
and  keep  up  a  succession  over  as  long  a  period  as 
possible  ;     but   in    the   majority   of   comparatively 


T 


CASSIA    CORYMBOSA. 

This  lovely  shrub  is  in  full  flower 
during  the  month  of  July  when 
treated  as  a  cool  greenhouse  sub- 
ject, a  little  earlier  when  some 
heat  is  given,  and  during  the  latter 
half  of  July  and  the  first  part  of 
August  when  grown  in  a  sheltered 
corner  outside.  Half-ripened  shoots 
root  readily  if  inserted  in  a  sandy 
compost  in  heat,  and  harder  wood 
will  form  roots  if  placed  in  a  cool 
frame.  Plants  may  also  be  raised  from  seeds  sown 
m  April.  They  make  splendid  specimens  when 
grown  in  lo-inch  pots,  and  arc  most  useful 
to  amateurs  who  possess  unheated  or  only 
slightly-heated  glass  structiures.  In  the  Southern 
Counties  the  plants  will  succeed  against  a  south 
wall,  and  require  very  little  protection  in  the 
winter-time.  Fibrous  loam  two  parts,  peat  one 
part,  with  leaf-soil  and  sand  one  part,  form 
a  suitable  compost  both  for  plants  in  pots  and 
borders.  The  colour  of  the  flowers  is  a  rich  butter- 
cup yellow,  and  they  are  borne  in  clusters.         B. 


A    BEAUTIFUL    SPECIMEN    PLANT    OF    SCHIZANTHUS     PINNATUS 
SIX    FEET    IN    HEIGHT. 


small  gardens,  i.e.,  those  from  a  quarter  of  an  acre 
to  an  acre  in  extent,  and  where  much  of  the  work 
is  done  by  the  owner,  the  Strawberry-bed  is  too 
often  one  of  the  most  neglected  features.  We 
have  wondered,  too,  why  it  is  that  market-growers 
of  this  fruit  pin  their  faith  solely  to  one  variety, 
usually  Royal  Sovereign.  The  result  of  this  is 
th.at  for  about  a  fortnight,  especially  during  a  good 
season  like  the  present,  the  market  is  glutted  with 
fruit,  after  which  very  little  is  obtainable,  and  that 
at  a  greatly  enhanced  price.  The  late  Strawberries 
always  make   better  prices   than   midseason   ones. 


and  often  better  than  the  earliest ;  hence  it  would 
appear  to  be  a  good  investment  for  anyone  who 
would  take  up  their  cultivation  on  a  comprehensive 
scale. 

This  brings  us  to  the  heading  of  this  article, 
viz.,  the  value  of  early  planting.  The  bed  from 
which  we  have  been  enjoying  fruit  for  at  least 
four  weeks,  and  which  promises  to  give  us  a  good 
supply  for  nearly  another  three,  was  planted 
at  the  end  of  July  last  year,  and  therein  lies  its 
success.  Had  planting  been  postponed  until 
well  into  September,  as  is  too  often  the  case, 
fruit  would  have  been,  to  use  an  aphorism,  con- 
spicuous by  its  absence.  The  plot  had  been  pre- 
viously heavily  manured,  deeply 
trenched,  and  cropped  with 
Potatoes  Midlothian  Early,  which 
were  lifted  in  the  green  state  for 
immediate  use.  Then  the  ground 
was  forked  over,  all  lumps  broken 
up  well,  and  subsequently  allowed 
to  settle  for  a  week  or  so  before 
the  Strawberries  were  planted. 
These  were  put  in  rows  about  eigh- 
teen inches  apart  and  the  plants  a 
foot  asunder  in  the  row,  the  idea 
being  to  remove  every  other  plant 
and  row  after  the  fruit  is  all 
gathered  this  year.  The  plants 
were  well  watered  until  thoroughly 
istablished,  so  that  they  had  every 
opportunity  of  making  good  crowns 
last  autumn.  It  is  this  point  that 
needs  attention  if  a  crop  of  fruit 
IS  to  be  obtained  the  year  follow- 
mg  planting.  Care  must  also  be 
exercised  so  that  the  crowns  are 
not  buried  too  deeply,  and  the 
roots  should  be  spread  out  well 
in  the  soil,  which  needs  to  be  made 
firm  around  them.  The  point  of 
the  crowns  whence  the  roots  spring 
should  be  just  level  with  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil  after  the  operation 
ijf  planting  is  completed. 

We  have  already  indicated  that 
this  bed  has  given  us  fruits  for 
four  weeks,  and  promises  to  do  so 
for  at  least  three  more.  The  secret 
of  this  is  that  the  plot  was  divided 
into  three  equal  portions,  and  these 
were  planted  respectively  with 
Royal  Sovereign,  The  Bedford,  and 
Laxton's  Latest.  The  first  named 
was  the  first  to  ripen,  and  a  right 
royal  crop  did  it  yield.  Before  it 
had  finished.  The  Bedford  was 
giving  us  its  earliest  fruits  and,  if 
anything,  in  greater  abundance  than 
the  first  named.  At  the  time  of  wTit- 
ing  we  are  still  gathering  from  the 
plants,  and  Laxton's  Latest  has 
just  ripened  its  first  fruits.  Royal 
Sovereign  is  too  well  known  to  need  description. 
The  Bedford  is  an  excellent  variety,  with  rather 
rounded  fruits  and  white  flesh.  It  is  much  sweeter 
than  Royal  Sovereign  and  a  good  dessert  Strawberry. 
Laxton's  Latest  produces  enormous  fruits,  which,  in 
spite  of  their  size,  are  solid  and  of  good  brisk  Pine- 
apple flavour.  They  are  dull  crimson  in  colour,  but 
the  flesh  when  broken  is  bright  scarlet  crimson  and 
very  luscious.  There  are,  of  course,  many  other 
good  Strawberries,  but  for  the  average  garden 
these  three  would  suffice  and  keep  up  a  succession 
over  n  long  period.     Plants  of  them  are  obtainable 


OVER 


July  26,  1913.]' 


THE    GARDEN. 


3t3 


Irom  any  of  the  fruit  nurserymen  now  advertising 
in  our  pages,  and  no  time  should  be  lost  in  preparing 
a  bed  and  gettmg  the  young  plants  established. 


SEASONABLE     NOTES     ON     FRUIT. 

Strawberry-Beds. — Here  is  an  excellent  rule 
to  apply  to  the  Strawberry-bed :  Clean  it 
thoroughly  immediately  the  crop  is  harvested. 
It  is  too  common  for  this  task  to  be  deferred  until 
late  in  the  summer,  and  some  cultivators  even 
neglect  it  until  the  autumn.  Any  delay  results 
in  loss.  The  instant  the  fruit  is  finished  the  nets 
should  be  withdrawn,  every  weed  pulled  or  cut 
out,  all  runners  not  wanted  for  propagation  removed, 
all  leaves  that  show  the  slightest  mdications  of 
disease  picked  off,  and  the  bed  left  clean  and  tidy. 
One  thus  gives  light  and  fresh  air  the  chance 
to  find  their  way  to  the  crowns  of  the  old  plants 
as  well  as  to  the  runners  rooting  in  small  pots, 
squares  of  turf,  or  the  soil  between 
the  rows.  The  benefit  is  immediate 
as  far  as  the  runners  are  concerned, 
and  is  postponed  as  far  as  the 
crowns  are  concerned,  but  it  is 
there,  nevertheless. 

Layering  and  Planting. — In  con- 
nection with  the  formation  of  new 
plantations  of  Strawberries,  two  im- 
portant tasks  present  themselves  to 
the  grower,  and  both  are  of  con- 
siderable urgency.  By  fixing  down 
the  plantlets  or  rimners  we  secure 
fresh  stock  for  extensions,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  start  too  soon.  The 
present  is  well  on  the  late  side  ; 
but  if  stock  is  short,  go  ahead,  and 
finely-rooted  plants  will  be  at  com- 
mand for  planting  soon  after  th' 
middle  of  August.  Take  the  first 
or  second  runner  on  the  strig  and 
remove  all  beyond.  Attach  securely 
to  the  soil  in  small  pots  or  to  the 
soil  of  the  alleys,  see  that  it  never 
becomes  dry,  and  progress  will  be 
quickly  apparent.  The  important 
task  of  planting  ought  to  be  in 
full  swing.  Bear  in  mind  that  the 
life  of  a  Strawberry-bed  is  a  short 
one — it  rarely  exceeds  three  years, 
and  is  often  shorter  —  and  deter- 
mine that  it  shall  be  a  profitable 
one.  To  that  end  do  not  spare 
really  first-class  cultivation  of  the 
soil,  and  see  that  the  top  is 
beautifully  friable  as  a  result  of 
excellent   mechanical   culture. 

Budding. — The  majority  of  amateurs  restrict 
their  experiments  in  this  interesting  process  to  the 
Rose  garden,  but  they  should  also  have  a  try 
with  fruit  trees.  All  kinds  respond  perfectly, 
and  budded  trees  are  invariably  the  equals,  and 
oftentimes  the  superiors,  of  those  that  are  grafted. 
The  essential  points  to  be  observed  are  identical 
with  those  applicable  to  Roses,  and  need  not, 
therefore,  be  repeated  in  this  column.  It  is  certain 
that  the  amateur  who  has  successfully  budded  his 
own  fruits  will  be  a  proud  man. 

Watering  and  Feeding. — Although  it  is  cus- 
tomary to  restrict  the  watering  of  fruit  to  the  trees 
growing  on  walls,  it  pays  to  extend  the  operation 
to  the  trees  in  the  open  quarters  of  the  garden 
during  periods  of  drought.  When  these  come, 
spare  no  efforts  to  thoroughly  soak  the  soil  to  a 
depth   of  3   feet,   and  rest   perfectly  assured   that 


the  results  will  amply  justify  the  time  and  attention 
that  have  had  to  be  devoted  to  the  task.  As  a 
rule,  two  soakmgs  will  suffice,  but  a  third  must 
not  be  withheld  if  it  is  deemed  necessary.  It 
pays,  too,  to  supplement  the  clear  water  with 
liquid  manure  in  the  majority  of  instances,  and 
especially  so  with  the  trees  on  walls.  Whatever 
may  be  done  in  this  direction  must  follow  the 
water  and  not  precede  it,  since  there  is  always  an 
element  of  danger  in  the  application  of  liquid 
manure  to  dry  soil,  and  this  may  be  taken  as 
appUcable  throughout  all  departments  of  the 
garden 

Insect  Pests. — The  importance  of  maintaining 
a  sharp  watch  for  insect  attacks  cannot  possibly 
be  over-estim.ited.  Each  tree  ought  to  be  sub- 
jected to  a  close  scrutiny  at  least  once  a  week, 
and  preferably  more  frequently,  because  the  earlier 
an  infestation  is  observed  the  easier  will  eradication 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

THE     MOONLIGHT     BROOM. 

(CVTISUS    SCOPARIUS    SULPHUREUS.) 

OF  the  many  Brooijis  in  cultivation, 
V  none  is  more  worthy  of  a  place 
I  in  English  gardens  than  the  Moon- 
r  light  Broom,  and  one  fails  com- 
pletely to  understand  how  it  is 
that  it  is  seldom  seen  and  is  com- 
paratively little  liiiown,  save  to  the  few  who  are 
aware  of  its  great  beauty.  For  planting  in  open 
woodland  or  on  banks  of  light  soil  it  has  few  equals, 
the  sulphur  yellow  flowers  being  produced  in  such 
profusion  during  May  and  June  that  they  appear 
to  illuminate  the  surrounding  landscape.  Any 
place  where  the  conmion  Broom  or  Gorse  thrives 
will  suit  the  requirements  of  the  Moonlight  Broom. 
It  is  not  a  tall-growing  plant  of  leggy  habit,  such. 


A     LARGE 


BED     OF       THE     MOONLIGHT      BROOM,    CYTISUS     SCOPARIUS      SULPHUREUS,    A     BEAUTIFUL 

SHRUB    FOR    POOR   SOIL. 


prove  to  be.  Most  of  these  pests  multiply  with 
wonderful  rapidity,  and  neglect  of  inspection 
for  two  or  three  weeks  may  result  in  a  tree  or  trees 
becoming  absolutely  smothered  with  an  enemy 
which  will  suck  out  the  life  juices  and  thus  prejudice 
the  crop  of  this  year  as  well  as  that  of  the  future. 
Whenever  insects  are  found  the  shoots  ought 
to  be  well  syringed  with  some  insecticide, 
using  a  syringe  with  a  spraying  nozzle,  and 
preferably  one  that  has  a  bend  or  elbow  at 
the  end.  This  enables  the  operator  to  force 
the  liquid  well  on  to  the  under  sides  of  the 
leaves,  a  position  usually  selected  by  pests  for 
their  attacks.  Often  the  foliage  is  badly  curled 
and  it  is  no  easy  task  to  reach  the  insects, 
hence  more  than  ordinary  care  is  necessary 
if  a  complete  eradication  of  the  pests  is  to  be 
effected. 


alas  !  as  many  Brooms  are,  but  it  is  of  a  more  or 
less  drooping  nature,  flowering  from  the  uppermost 
branches  to  the  ground,  as  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying illustration.  The  Moonlight  Broom  is 
one  of  the  many  varieties  of  the  common  Broom, 
Cytisus  scoparius.  It  is  as  hardy  as  the  Gorse, 
and  so  exceedingly  beautiful  that  no  garden  can 
be  complete  without  it. 


SHRUBS     FOR     DRY     SOILS. 

The  Rock  Roses. 
The  Cistuses  or  Rock  Roses  are  excellent  plants  for 
clothing  dry,  sunny  banks,  for  they  are  usually  of 
compact  growth  and  cover  somewhat  unfavourable 
positions  with  greenery  for  nine  months  of  the  year, 
whereas  during  the  other  three  months  the  foliage 
is  in  some  cases  almost  hidden  by  flowers,  especially 
during  the  early  part  of  each  day.     The  doubtful 


374 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  26,  1913. 


hardiness  of  a  number  of  the  species  may  be  urged 
against  them  as  a  reason  why  their  culture  should 
not  be  general,  but  as  they  are  so  easily  propagated, 
both  by  seeds  and  cuttings,  this  need  not  be  accepted 
as  a  serious  argument,  for  if  a'  few  young  plants 
of  the  more  tender  kinds  are  reared  each  autumn 
in  anticipation  of  a  severe  winter,  they  take  up 
little  room  if  stored  in  a  cold  frame,  and  come  in 
to  fill  the  vacancies  caused  by  deaths  from  frost. 
I'ortunately,  young  plants  grow  rapidly  when 
planted  out ;  therefore  they  soon  become  large 
enough  to  furnish  gaps.  There  is  one  point  in 
their  culture  which  needs  con- 
sideration, that  being  the  provision 
of  permanent  positions  when  Ihey 
are  first  planted  out,  for  if  planted 
in  nursery  quarters  and  afterwards 
transferred  elsewhere  a  great  many 
will  die,  or  be  seriously  injured, 
however  carefully  the  work  is 
accomplished.  Therefore  if  the 
position  is  not  ready  for  the  plants 
when  they  require  planting,  place 
them  in  larger  pots  until  they 
can  be  put  in  their  permanent 
position.  When  plants  are  becom- 
ing crowded,  a  number  should  be 
cut  out  and  destroyed  rather 
than  try  to  transplant  them. 
Cuttings  of  many  kinds  taken 
during  summer  and  inserted  in 
sandy  soil  in  a  cold  frame  root 
quite  readily,  while  seeds  of  othei 
kinds,  collected  when  ripe  and 
stored  in  a  cool  room  until  Feb- 
ruary, germinate  in  a  few  days  if 
sown  in  pots  of  sandy  soil  in  a  little 
heat. 

Any  ordinary  garden  soil  is  suit- 
able for  Cistuses,  even  that  of  a 
light,  gravelly  character,  providing 
it  is  dug  deeply  previous  to  planting 
and  the  plants  are  kept  watered 
until  established.  In  fact,  rich 
soil  is  to  be  avoided,  for  it  en- 
courages rank  growth,  which  is 
more  liable  to  injury  in  winter 
than  that  of  a  sturdier  character. 
I'ractically  no  other  pruning  is 
required  than  the  removal  of  the 
flower-heads  as  soon  as  flowering 
is  over,  except  a  few  which  may 
be  required  for  seeds.  Where  a 
large  group  cannot  be  formed,  it  is 
usually  possible  to  find  room  for  a 
few  plants  ;  if  nowhere  else,  then 
on  the  rockery  or  wall,  for  they  are 
excellent  for  rockery  planting.  It 
is,  however,  when  seen  as  a  large 
mass  that  their  beauty  is  most 
apparent. 

Between     1825    and     1830     the  ^   LARGE 

botanist  Robert  Sweet  prepared  a 
work  on  the  Cistinea',  and  in 
that  book  full  descriptions  of  most  of  the  Cistuses 
grown  at  the  present  time  are  to  be  found,  in  addition 
to  descriptions  of  other  showy  kinds  which  appear 
to  have  been  lost  to  cultivation.  Of  the  numerous 
species  and  hybrids,  the  (oUowmg  are  specially 
worthy  of  note  : 

Cistus  albidus. — This  is  a  rather  tender  species 
from  South-West  Europe,  characterised  by  greyish, 
lance-shaped  leaves  and  bright  rose-coloured  flowers. 

C.  corbariensis  is  considered  to  be  a  hybrid 
between   C.   popufifolius  and  C.  salvifolius,   and  it 


is  one  of  the  hardiest  sorts.  Growing  about  two 
feet  high,  it  forms  a  compact  bush  bearing  ovate 
or  cordate  leaves  and  white  flowers.  The  latter 
are  about  one  and  a-half  inches  across,  and  from 
one  to  five  flowers  appear  together  from  the  points 
of  the  branches. 

C.  cypriUS. — This  is  a  native  of  Cyprus  and 
resembles  C.  iadaniferus  in  foliage  and  growth, 
but  there  is  a  difference  in  the  arrangemeht  of  the 
flowers.  It  forms  erect  branches  3  feet  to  4  feet 
high,  bearing  rather  narrow,  lance-shaped  leaves, 
which  are  dark  green  above  and  silvery  beneath. 


It  grows  upwards  of  si.^;  fee!;  high,  is  of  rather  loose 
habit  if  not  pruned  a  little  when  young,  and  is 
easily  recognised  by  its  ovate  leaves,  which  arc 
3  inches  or  more  long,  up  to  ij  inches  wide,  and 
dark  green  above  and  silvery  beneath.  The 
white  flowers  are  between  2  inches  and  3  inches 
across  and  are  borne  with  considerable  freedom. 

C.  Loretii  is  one  of  the  sturdiest  and  most 
beautiful  of  all.  Forming  a  bush  at  least  4  feet 
high  and  4  feet  through,  it  is  well  clothed  with 
rich  dark  green  leaves  and  bears  terminal  heads 
of  large  white  flowers,  each  petal  having  a  rich 
crimson  blotch  at  the  base.  It  is 
fairly  hardy  and  is  of  hybrid 
origin.  C.  Iadaniferus  is  said  to 
be  one  of  its  parents. 

C.  monspeliensis  is  another  hardy 
species  from  the  Mediterranean 
region.  Forming  a  bush  ij  feet  to 
2  feet  high  and  2  feet  to  3  feet 
across,  it  represents  a  perfect  globe 
of  white  flowers  during  early 
?ummer. 

C.  recognitus  is  a  hybrid 
between  C.  laurifolius  and  C. 
monspeliensis.  It  is  hardy  and  of 
vigorous  growth. 

Of  the  coloured  kinds  C.  villosus 
is  one  of  the  hardiest.  It  has  greyish 
leaves  and  rosy  purple  flov/ers. 
Several  varieties  of  this  species,  such 
as  creticus,  rotundifolius  ana  undu- 
latus,  are  known,  all  of  which  have 
rose  or  rosy  purple  flowers.  C. 
tauricusis  another  species  with  rose- 
coloured  flowers,  while  perhaps  the 
darkest  coloured  of  all  is  C.  pur- 
pureus.  In  this  case  the  flowers 
have  dark  blotches  at  the  bases  ol 
the  petals.  As  a  rule  the  species 
with  rose  or  purple  flowers  are 
less  hardy  than  the  white- flowered 
kinds ;  moreover,  they  arc  some- 
what more  difficult  to  raise  from 
cuttings ;  therefore  care  should  be 
taken  to  save  a  few  seeds  each 
autuimi.  D. 


AND     Wr.LL  -  FLOWERED     BUSH     OF    THE     VINE- LEAVED 
ABUTILON    IN    A   SOMERSET    GARDEN. 


The  flowers  are  from  3  inches  to  3i  inches  across, 
white,  with  a  rich  crimson  blotch  at  the  base  of 
each  petal,  several  flowers  being  bome  together 
in  each  inflorescence.  Branches,  leaves  and  flower- 
stems  are  rather  glutinous. 

C.  Iadaniferus,  a  native  of  South-West  F.urope, 
differs  from  the  last  named  by  its  flowers  appearing 
singly  instead  of  several  together.  In  other  respects 
they  are  much  alike. 

C.  laurifolius,  the  hardiest  of  all  tl\e  Cistuses, 
is   found   in   the   same   region  as  the  last  named. 


THE     VINE  -  LEAVED 
ABUTILON. 

Or  choice  flowering  shruljs,  the 
Vine  -  leaved  Abutilon,  A.  viti- 
foliura,  is  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting. A  native  of  Chili,  it  is 
not  hardy  in  very  cold  districts, 
but  in  many  parts  of  the  Southern 
Counties  it  can  be  successfully 
grown  and  flowered,  providing  it 
is  afforded  shelter  from  cold 
winds.  In  the  Western  and 
South  -  Western  Countiesit 
flourishes  quite  in  the  open,  and 
the  accompanying  illustration, 
from  a  photograph  kindly  sent  us  by  Colonel 
H.  Moore,  Higher  Woodcombe,  Minehead,  Somerset, 
serves  to  show  how  freely  it  grows  and  flowers 
there.  This  shrub  is  growing  between  a  fine  bush 
of  Pittosporum  and  a  tall  plant  of  Ceanothus 
azureus.  The  flowers  of  this  Abutilon  are  pale 
lavender  blue  in  colour,  and  the  leaves  resemble 
in  shape  those  of  the  Vine  ;  lience  its  specific  name. 
It  needs  warm,  well-drained  soil,  and,  as  already 
indicated,  protection  from  cold  winds  in  all  except 
the  most  favoured  districts. 


JULY    26.   1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


375 


_„  _      _|  fkUfBD      O  ARn^N  '^''"'  '  '■^^^^  "°  apology  for  heading  this  paragraph 

'  "^      ruVPYVEn      UMnbTEi'v.  ^^    j   j^^^^   ^^^^      ^^  ^^^^  ^j  exceedingly  sorry 

to  hear  of  her  illness,   and  her  enforced  absence 
UAhrOUlU     IN  (J  Its.  from  all  oui  spring  shows  made  a  gap  in  our  ranks  ; 

Lists. — Ever  since  the  season  began  we  have  had  but  we  hoped  she  would  soon  recover.  I  am  sorry 
tiiem  —  "  Oversea  List,"  "  Preliminary  List,"  to  say  her  recovery  is  but  slow,  and  much  to  my 
"  Foreign  and  Colonial  List,"  "  Surplus  List,"  regret  I  now  learn  that  she  is  compelled  to  entirely 
"  Abridged  List  "  and  so  on.  Many  of  us  have  give  up  her  business.  I  remember  Miss  Currey 
purchased  and  our  pockets  have  had  no  time  to  once  saying  to  me,  "  I  don't  think  I  have  made 
refill,  when,  lo  and  behold  '.  the  lists  begin  to  many  mistakes  in  the  stocks  I  have  bought."  I 
arrive.  I  read  in  the  papers  the  other  day  of  an  do  not  suppose  she  has,  for  I  always  look  upon  her 
American  millionaire  who  lamented  that  he  could  as  a  woman  with  great  critical  taste  and  business 
not  get  even  with  his  income.  All,  however,  acumen.  She  has  got  some  splendid  things  at 
that  he  seemed  to  be  doing  was  to  charter  such  The  Warren  Gardens,  Lismore,  and  her  inter- 
inexpensive  things  as  special  trains,  and  then  do  esting  sale  offers  will  well  repay  a  perusal.  I 
a  httle  journey  of  two  or  three  thousand  miles  in  should  like  both  amateurs  and  traders  to  rally 
a  few  days  under  the  scheduled  time  of  the  fastest  round  and  buy  up  her  remaining  bulbs.  There 
express.  Should  this  meet  his  eye,  might  I  suggest  is  something  in  her  collection  to  suit  everyone, 
his  becoming  a  Daffodil  enthusiast.  Judging  from  only  remember  "  first  come,  first  served."  I 
experience,  it  might  help  matters  very  considerably,  always  associate  the  name  of  Fanny  Currey  with 
I  do  not  think  I  have  ever  met  anyone 
who  has  been  able  to  buy  all  that 
tbey  wanted.  "  I  must  wait  until 
Croesus  drops  to  nine  potmds,"  or 
"When  Challenger  is  five  poimds  I 
intend  to  buy  a  bulb."  New  Daffodils 
soon  find  the  cupboard  bare.  Next 
week  I  intend  to  devote  the  whole 
of  my  notes  to  the  question  of  pur- 
chasing for  shows  and  show  matters 
generally.  August  is  the  last  month 
in  which  we  can  do  this,  for  if.  the 
bulbs  are  not  in  the  ground  before 
the  end  of  the  month,  one's  chances 
of  success  are  jeopardised.  I  am  glad 
to  think  that  would-be  exhibitors  will 
this  year  have  as  a  help  what  they 
have  never  had  before — the  "  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  Daffodil  Year 
Book"  (to  be  obtained  from  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Offices, 
Vincent  Square,  S.W.,  for  the  sum  of 
half-a-crown).  In  this  publication, 
among  other  things,  wUl  be  found  a 
detailed  list  of  all  the  prize-winning 
flowers  shown  in  London  and  at  Bir- 
iiiiugh.im  in  1913.  I  remember  from 
my  pantomime  days  the  refrain  of  a 
certain  topical  song  which  seems  to 
meet  the  case  here : 

"  What  could  you  wish  for  more,  my  boys  ? 
What  could  you  wish  for  more  ?  " 

The  best   practical   advice  that  I  can 

give  is,  "Buy  this  Year  Book,  andorder 

it  at  once."    I  hope  it  will  be  published 

very  early  in  August.     Then,  having 

got  it,  "  Study  the  lists  carefully." 
The  Merodon. — I  hear  complaints  from  various 

quarters  of  the  presence  of  this  unwelcome  visitor. 

That  hot  summer  of  191 1  appears  to  have  "done 

the  miscliief."     Ever  since  then   we  have  had  the 

merodons  in  considerable  numbers.      Mr.  Stocks  of 

Doncaster  has  been  "  on  to  them  "  again  this  year, 

and  I  fancy  before  long  he  is  going  to  give  us  his 
I  new  experiences  in  print.  Meanwhile  I  would  suggest 
t  soaking  the  bulbs  in  water  for  twenty-four  hours 
I  if  there  are  any  quantity  of  them  that  are  supposed 
!  to  be  affected. 

Fanny   Currey. — I    have   frequently   asked    resi- 
dents in  the  South  of  Ireland  if  they  knew  Miss 
!  Currey,    and    two    out    of    three    invariably   said, 

"Do    you    mean    Fanny    Cmrey  ?  "     This    usage 

of  the  Christian  name  among  men  denotes  a  good 

fellow  or  a  popular  chap.     Miss  Currey  is  one  of 

the    best,    and    accordingly,    now    m\'    meaning    is 


see  more  and  more  people  take  it  up.  The  choice 
of  parents  is  so  wide  and  the  potentiality  of  the 
Narcissus  family  is  so  great  that  all  its  possibilities 
will  not  be  exhausted  for  many  a  long  day.  There 
is  here  a  mine  of  quiet  enjoyment  capable  of  finding 
a  pleasant  occupation  for  any  number  of  willing 
worL.ers.  .'Vgain  may  I  say,  "  Get  the  Year 
Book."  Joseph  Jacob. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


A    DAINTY    BELLFLOWER. 

(Campanula    pusilla    Miss    Willmott.) 

ON  many  occasions  we  have  drawn  attention 
to  the  merits  of  this  charming  Campanula 
— i  dwarf  variety  with  flowers  of  the 
softest  silvery  blue  shade.  It  is  one  of  the 
most     beautiful      of      dwarl      Campanulas,      and 


CAMP.\NaL.\  PUSILL.V   MISS  WILLMOTT,  ONE  Ol   THE  MOST  POPULAR  VARILULS  1  OK  IllE  ROCK  GARDEN. 


those  delicate-looking,  refined,  pure  white  trumpets 
White  Knight,  Lady  of  the  Snows,  -Atalanta, 
Avalanche  and  Mrs.  Robert  Sydenham.  But  her 
taste  was  catholic,  and  among  her  other  purchases 
were  Challenger,  Michael,  Crcesus,  Firetail,  Warrior, 
and  more  recently  still  Crosfield's  lov.;!y  scarlet- 
eyed  Tara  Ranee.  I  have  said  enough.  It  only 
remains  for  me  to  assure  her  of  our  deep  sympathy 
with  her  in  her  enforced  retirement. 

Seeds. — ^The  seed  crop  has  not  been  a  very 
large  one.  Both  Mr.  Engleheart  and  Mr.  Walter 
Ware  report  large  pods  with  but  little  in  them. 
My  own  experience  coincides  with  theirs.  The 
latter  ended  up  one  of  his  letters  to  me  something 
like  this  :  "  However,  I  expect  there  will  be  quite 
as  many  as  I  shall  want."  The  truth  is,  it  is  a 
fairly  easy  matter  to  obtain  seed,  and  as  the  fasci- 
nation of    seedling-raising  is  very  great,  I  hope  to 


this  year  it  has  attracted  more  attention  than 
usual  at  the  summer  flower  shows,  where  it 
has  been  freely  planted  in  the  exhibits  of  alpine 
gardens.  It  is  a  profuse  bloomer,  producing 
masses  of  its  dainty  bells,  being  admirably  adapted 
for  growing  in  the  crevices  of  old  walls  and  between 
rocks  and  stones.  One  of  the  most  effective  ways 
of  growing  it  is  in  the  paved  garden,  where  it  will 
thrive  in  the  chinks  between  the  paving-stones. 
We  have  in  mind  a  paved  Lavender  walk  with  this 
Campanula  freely  used.  The  study  in  pleasing 
tones  of  blue  and  grey  is  one  not  readily  forgotten. 
In  the  cultivation  of  Campanulas  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  all  of  them,  more  especially  the 
alpines,  love  limestone.  It  is,  for  instance,  on  the 
grassy  downs  over  chalk  hills  that  the  common 
Hairbell,  Campanula  rotundifolia,  grows  so  freely 
and  flowers  in  wild  profusion. 


376 


THE    GARDEN. 


[July  26,  1913. 


1 


By  the  annual  sowings  the  stock  is  always  being 
replenished.  The  same  takes  place  in  Nature. 
No  doubt  many  tufts  perish  there  annually, 
and  yet  invariably,  in  every  spring,  meadows  and 
roadsides  are  replete  with  their  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  the  blue  stars  of  G.  verna. 

Planegg,  Bavaria.  E.  Heinrich. 


THE      KITCHEN      GARDEN. 

SEASONABLE     NOTES     ON 
VEGETABLES. 

So  far  the  season  has  not  been   an  ideal  one  for 
vegetables,   especially  in  cool   districts  and  where 


GENTIANA     VERNA    IN     GRASS. 

Gentiana  verna  in  the  majority  of  cases  s  a 
difficult  subject  in  the  rock  garden  wheu 
planted  in  loose,  open  soil.  The  tufts  will, 
as  a  rule,  commence  increasing  satisfactorily, 
but  they  soon  find  their  limit.  Continued 
wet  will  often  cause  black  patches  in  large 
tufts  ;  then  come  ants  and  other  vermin  to  work 
mischief  beneath  the  protecting  cover,  earth- 
worms pull  about  the  rootless  new  growths,  and 
in  a  short  time  a  proud  tuft  will  look  unsightly  or 
perish  altogether.  G.  verna  is  only  truly  enchanting 
when  growing  in  masses,  forming  large  colonies 
among  the  grass  with  hundreds  of  expanded  blossoms 
on  them  ;  but  how  is  this  to  be 
effected  in  the  garden  when  every 
fresh  effort  to  establish  it  satisfac- 
torily ends  in  the  same  failure  ? 

I  had  almost  given  up  its  culture 
as  a  bad  job  ;  but  how  can  we  do 
without  this  most  beautiful  gem  of 
early  spring  ?  No  rock  garden  would 
be  complete  without  it.  After 
racking  my  brains  lor  a  successful 
method  of  growing  the  plant,  I  hit 
upon  a  plan  which  I  thought  worth 
trying.  "  Back  to  Nature,"  I  said, 
and  as  in  summer  on  our  exces- 
sively dry  soil  a  good  close  lawnis, 
without  spending  a  great  deal  of 
labour  over  it,  not  to  be  obtained,  I 
resolved  to  beautify  my  shabby 
grass  plot — for  the  springtime  at 
least,  when  it  is  still  fairly  green — 
by  trying  to  establish  G.  verna 
thereon.  It  grows  and  flourishes  to 
perfection  on  meadows  and  along 
the  roadside  outside  my  garden  ; 
why  should  I  not  get  it  to  grow  on 
my  lawn  ?  Instead  of  challenging 
fresh  disappointments  by  trying  it 
over  and  over  again  in  the  rock 
garden,  I  consequentlystarted, three 
years  ago,  to  sow  seeds  all  over  the 
grass  in  ftbe  autumn,  and  repeated 
the  process  every  autumn  following. 
This  year  X  had  the  triumph  of  a 
first  result  in  twenty-eight  nice 
flowering  tufts,  and  on  a  close  search 
I  discovered,  to  my  intense  joy,  that 
the  whole  of  the  grass  was  studded 
with  young  seedlings,  so  that  I  feel 
justified  in  presuming  that  I  shall 
shortly  beat  Nature  outside  my 
garden  by  a  veritable  carpet  in  blue 
on  my  own  grounds.  G.  verna  re- 
quires a  fibrous  body  to  root  in  and 
a  clothed  surface  to  push  its  young 
growths  into,  both  of  which  can 
only  suitably  be  given  to  it  among 
a  fairly  loose  grass  sward. 

On  a  close,  velvety  lawn,  of  course,  success  the  soil  is  of  a  cold,  clayey  nature.  Even  in 
would  scarcely  follow.  One  should  therefore  medium  heavy  soils  I  learn  that  seeds  of  Carrots, 
keep  a  grass  plot  in  a  somewhat  starved  condition  Onions,  Beet  and  Peas  tailed  to  germinate.  The 
for  the  purpose.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  plants  from  later  sowings  are  healthy  and  very 
G.  verna  requires  a  rather  moist  or  even  a  wet  promising,  but  much  later  than  usual, 
position.  The  soil  here  is  excessively  dry,  and  Celery, — The  maincrop  plants  in  light  soils 
in  summer  sometimes  so  utterly  parched  that  he  are  now  growing  freely.  Those  in  clayey  ground 
might  be  considered — by  anyone  not  having  seen  are  just  beginning  to  produce  new  central  leaves  ; 
it  thrive  and  luxuriate  in  such  positions — a  bold  but,  fortunately,  these  new  leaves  and  stalks 
man  who  attempted  to  prepare  a  similar  plot  appear  to  be  very  strong.  I  have  seen  plants 
for  its  culture  in  his  rock  garden.  True,  the  plant  grown  in  a  cold,  clayey  soil  make  very  little  progress 
also  occurs  in  moist  and  even  in  wet  places,  but  in  cool  summers,  and  when  the  time  came  to  use 
never  there  to  such  perfection  nor  in  anything  them  the  sticks  were  very  small,  but  quite  solid, 
like  such   numbers.  However,    the    cultivator    wants    a    fair    bulk    in 


THli  MiW   RUbL  JlKb.    1  .   W.   V  Ai\  UiiKblLI,  .WV.VRUIlD  A  GOLD  MEDAL  AT 
THE  NATIONAL  ROSE  SOCIETY'S  PROVINCIAL  SHOW  AT  GLOUCESTER. 


addition  to  good  quality,  and  where  plants  inj 
heavy  soils  are  not  making  satisfactory  progress, 
the  cultivator  should  pass  some  well-decayed  leaf- 
soil  through  a  i-inch  mesh  sieve,  mix  a  small 
quantity  of  rotted  manure  and  road  scrapings  with 
it,  and  top-dress  the  Celery,  putting  the  mixture 
on  in  a  layer  about  one  inch  deep.  New  roots 
will  soon  permeate  the  compost,  and  then  the  top 
growth  will  be  much  freer.  When  the  roots  are 
numerous,  judicious  feeding  will  help  matters  con- 
siderably. 

Dwari  or  French  Beans.— A  late  sowing  of 
these  should  be  made  in  one  of  the  warmest  borders 
in  the  garden.  Drop  the  seeds  9  inches  apart 
m  shallow  drills  18  inches  asunder; 
single  rows  are  better  than  double 
ones.  If  the  soil  is  very  dry,  pour 
water  in  the  open  drills  before 
sowing  the  seeds  and  covering 
them ;  then  germination  will  be 
rapid.  By  adopting  this  plan  I 
have  had  some  of  the  best  crops 
of  the  season,  the  pods  being 
straight  and  axceptionally  tender. 
^-  Open-air  Tomatoes. — The  soil 
around  the  roots  must  be  main- 
tained in  an  even  state  as  regards 
moisture,  otherwise  many  fine  fruits 
may  be  lost  through  splitting;  when 
split,  decay  soon  sets  in.  No  feed- 
ing should  be  done  except  when  the 
soil  is  moist.  In  order  to  get  all 
the  fruits  ripened  which  are  now 
setting  on  the  plants,  cut  off  the 
tops  beyond  the  last-formed  truss 
of  fruits.  When  swelling,  feed  the 
plants  regularly,  and  all  the  fruit 
will  mature,  be  solid  and  heavy 
in  regard  to  size. 

Beet  and   Carrots.  —  The  first 

named  is  a  very  tender  root,  and 
when  the  workman  is  engaged  in 
hoeing  between  the  rows  he  should 
be  very  careful  to  avoid  stabbing 
the  crowns  with  his  hoe,  as  when 
bruised  in  any  way  the  root  bleeds 
considerably,  and  then  the  colour  is 
pale  instead  of  being  deep  and  rich 
when  boiled.  Carrots  should  be 
eased  up  in  the  soil  when  lifted  for 
use ;  if  forcibly  pulled  they  are 
jruised,  and  the  marks  show  pale 
in  colour  when  the  Carrots  are 
cooked  and  placed  on  the  table. 
Both  kinds  of  vegetables  grow  best 
when  the  surface  soil  is  kept  loose 
by  frequent  hoeing  and  free  from 
weeds,  also  when  the  plants  are 
exposed  to  all  winds  that  blow. 
Seakale  and  Rhubarb. — Flower- 
stems  are  more  numerous  on  these 
plants  in  some  seasons  than  in  others.  They  are 
not  plentiful  this  year,  but  the  cultivator 
should  cut  off  every  stem  he  can  find,  but 
not  too  low  down.  As  long  as  he  removes 
the  portion  bearing  flowers,  the  object  aimed 
at  will  be  gained. 

Asparagus. — The  rule  is  generally  observed  that 
when  Peas  are  plentiful  the  cutting  of  Asparagus 
ceases.  It  is  never  advisable  to  continue  the 
cutting  of  Asparagus  for  too  long  a  time,  how- 
ever fine  the  produce  may  be;  but  when  cutting 
does  stop,  the  beds  are  otten  neglected  and  weeds- 
grow  apace.  The  best  policy  ie  to  keep  the  bed* 
clean  all  the  year  round.  Avon. 


July-  26,  1913  J 


THE     GARDEN. 


377 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

HOW    TO     INCREASE     THE     SIBERIAN      FLAG      (IRIS      SIBIRICA) 


EVERYONE  should  make  an  eSort  to 
grow  this  plant,  for  there  are  few,  if 
any,  more  beautiful  yet  easily-grown 
members  of  the  Iris  family.  While 
Iris  sibirica  will  grow  in  most  soils  and 
positions,  those  to  avoid  are  dry  and 
shaded  spots  overhung  with  trees.  The  greatest 
success  may  be  looked  for  in  a  rich,  moist  soil  and 
one  where  plenty  of  sunshine  reaches  the  plants. 
Though  few  readers  may  be  able  to  find  it  in  their 
gardens,  perhaps  the  happiest  of  all  spots  for  this 
Iris  is  by  the  side  of  a  pond,  stream,  or  lake,  and 
we  refer  readers  to  the  illustrated  notes  which 
appeared  in  last  week's  issue  on  this  subject. 
In  association  with  water  the  Siberian  Flag  makes 
a  glorious  display  during  the  second  half  of  May  and 
in  early  June.  But  there  are  other  ways  of  attaining 
success  with  this  Iris.  It  may  find  a  place  in  the 
mixed  border,  the  pride  of  hundreds  of  town  and 
suburban  gardens.  Should  the  soil  be  rather  poor, 
or  the  season  a  dry  one,  mulch  the  plants  with  some 
old  rotten  manure,  and  water  liberally  during 
dry  periods. 

Propagation. — The  usual  method  of  increase  is 
to  lift  and  divide  the  clumps  or  tufts  during  July 
soon  after  floweriftg,  unless  it  is  desirable  to  save 
the  seeds,  in  which  case  propagation  must  be 
deferred  until  the  seeds  are  ripe.  Great  care  is 
necessary  when  dividing  the  clumps  not  to  break 


:. — THE 


the  roots,  or,  at  any  rate,   to  do  a~ 

little  damage  to    them    as   possible. 

A  spade  is  sometimes  used  to  chop 

a  clump  such  as  that  shown  in  Fig.  i 

in  pieces  ;   this  is  drastic  treatment, 

from     which    the    plants    will    not 

recover  for  a  couple  of  years.     The 

right  way   to  divide   clumps  of   the 

Siberian   Iris    is    shown    in  Fig.    2. 

A  couple  of    hand-forks  ar%   placed 

back  to    back  in  the  centre  of  the 

clump   and  pressed  outwards.     This 

will  divide  the  clump  in  two  ;    these 

are  again  divided  with    the   forks  in 

the    same    way    till    the    pieces    are 

considered  a   suitable  size  to  plant. 

It  naturally  follows  that  the  larger 

the  pieces  for  replanting,  the  quicker 

they    will    produce    a   good   display 

of   flowers.     Fifteen  inches   apart   is 

a    suitable    distance    to    plant    the 

divided    pieces,     but    it    may  vary 

from   I   foot   to   li    feet  at    the   discretion   of   the 

cultivator.     Water  several  times  a  week  after  plant- 
ing   till    established.     A   mulching    of   flaky   leaf- 

mo)ild    will    assist  in   keeping    the  ground  moist, 

and      damping     over     the     leaves     after    a    hot 

sunny  day  will  be  beneficial. 

Seeds  also  form  a  ready  means  of  propagation, 
and  should  be  sown  as  soon  as  ripe. 
It,  however,  takes  about  three  years 
to   flower  this  Iris  from  seeds  ;    con- 

.,  ■*'  sequently,    except   with   the  idea  of 

'  raising    new    varieties,    propagation 

by  division  of  the  tufts  is  preferred. 

The  Siberian  Flag  grows  2  feet 
to  3  feet  high,  forming  in  time 
large  clumps  or  tufts  of  tall,  slender 
growths  rather  suggestive  of  a 
vigorous  grass.  The  flower-spikes, 
which  push  up  during  May,  bear 
a  succession  of  showy  lilac  blue 
flowers,  which  are  prettily  veined. 
In  addition  to  the  type  there  are 
several  distinct  and  attractive  varie- 
ties. Perhaps  the  best  of  these 
are  orientalis,  with  larger,  deeper- 
coloured  flowers  ;  orientalis  Snow 
Queen,  a  large  ivory  white  variety 
of  exquisite  beauty  ;  alba,  a  useful 
white  variety  of  the  type  ;  Baxteri, 
blue  and  white  ;  Distinction,  violet 
and  white ;  George  Wallace,  light 
blue,  flaked  with  white ;  and 
superba,  a  tall  variety  \vith  violet 
blue  flowers. 


CORRECT    METHOD     OF     DIVISION    IS     BY     THE 
MD    OF    H.\ND    FORKS. 

such  the  cultivator  should  put  in  cuttings  of 
fairly  well-ripened  wood  at  once,  and  keep 
them  growing  to  one  stem.  Each  cutting  should 
be  about  six  inches  long  and  possess  at  least  two 
fully-developed  leaves.  The  leaves  from  the 
lowest  joint  must  be  cut  off,  also  the  stem 
immediately  below  that  joint  ;  then  the  cut- 
ting will  be  duly  prepared  for  insertion.  Put 
one  cutting  in  a  small,  deep  pot  in  a  loamy, 
gritty  compost,  making  the  soil  very  firm 
around  it  and  settling  the  soil  by  watering 
it  through  a  fine-rosed  watering-can.  The  best 
position  for  the  cuttings  to  root  in  is  a  cold 
frame  with  lightly-shaded  glass.  Keep  the  soil  in 
a  medium  state  of  moisture.  See  to  the  efficient 
drainage  of  each  pot.  Avon. 


I. —  A     CLUMP    OF 


THE    SIBERI.\N     FL.^G 
FOR    DIVISION. 


NOW      READY 


HOW  TO  PROPAGATE 
HYDRANGEAS. 

The  Hydrangea  is  not  a  difficult 
plant  to  grow  when  the  cuttings 
are  well  rooted,  but  rooting  them 
is  sometimes  a  task  not  easily 
accomplished.  For  greenhouses  and 
conservatories  the  dwarf  plants, 
bearing  one  truss  of  flowers,  are 
extremely      suitable.       To      obtain 


SPINACH     BEET. 

To  the  amateur  with  but  a  limited  garden  accom- 
modation and  the  desire  to  grow  a  few  vegetables, 
I  know  of  nothing  more  remunerative  than  a  crop 
of  Spinach  Beet,  which  will  yield  regular  pickings 
over  a  lengthened  period.  From  seed  sown  at  the 
end  of  April  I  have  been  picking  for  some  weeks, 
and  am  likely  to  continue  until  the  spring.  Of 
course,  as  the  season  advances,  the  production  of 
new  leaves  will  be  slower.  Where  there  is  a  space 
of  ground  available,  a  crop  of  this  Spinach  Beet 
may  now  be  sown,  and  it  will  then  come  into 
bearing  early  in  the  autumn,  or  even  before  summer 
has  really  left  us,  and  continue  till  the  spring. 
The  ground  should  be  deeply  dug,  and  must  be  in 
good  condition.  If  necessary,  some  manure  may 
be  incorporated  when  digging,  but  if  it  is  in  good 
tilth  no  fresh  manmre  will  be  needed.  The  seed 
should  be  sown  in  drills  from  i  foot  to  rs  inches 
apart,  and  when  large  enough  thin  out  the  seed- 
lings in  the  rows  to  within  3  inches  or  4  inches 
of  each  other.  Unlike  the  common  Beetroot,  this 
variety  devotes  its  energies  to  the  production  of 
leaves,  which  may,  when  large  enough,  be  picked 
off  and  cooked  exactly  like  the  common  Spinach. 
The  plants  must  not  be  picked  too  bare  at  any 
time,  and  they  will  then  continue  to  rapidly 
develop  new  leaves.  H.   P. 


378 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  26,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Watering. — Naturally,  freshly-planted  trees  aiid 
shrubs  are  the  most  likely  to  suffer  from  drought, 
and  wherever  possible,  in  addition  to  watering  at 
the  roots,  they  ought  to  be  syringed  overhead 
as  often  as  possible  in  the  evening.  Continual 
working  of  the  soil  will  do  much  to  conserve  the 
moisture  in  the  shrubberies;  but  where  shrubs 
and  trees  have  been  planted  a  long  time,  the  soil 
will  probably  have  become  very  hard  to  a  great 
depth  ;  hence  there  will  not  be  the  amount  of 
reserve  moisture  as  in  freshly-dug  or  trenched 
ground. 

Mulching. — This  ™ll  do  much  to  minimise  the 
effects  of  drought,  but  do  not  put  it  on  a  hard, 
dry  surface.  Break  the  surface  soil  and  give  a 
good  watering,  put  the  mulch  on  and  again 
water.  Such  treatment  will  probably  save  the  lives 
of  many  trees  and  shrubs  which  are  now  hanging 
in  the  balance. 

The   Rock  and  Water  Garden. 

Many  of  the  plants,  having  gone  out  of  flower, 
will  need  trimming  in  somewhat,  and  all  flower- 
stems  and  seed-pods  should  be  removed,  these 
latter  if  left  on  proving  a  great  tax  on  the  energies 
of  the  plants  at  this  season. 

Lily  Ponds  must  be  kept  quite  free  of  the  various 
weeds  which  are  apt  to  infest  them,  as  these  often 
grow  to  such  an  extent  that  they  quite  smother 
the  plants  which  one  wishes  to  see  do  well.  Small 
ponds  are  easily  kept  clean  by  the  use  of  the  drag 
or  rake,  but  larger  ponds  present  more  difficulties, 
and  an  old  flat-bottomed  boat  or  punt  may  have 
to  be  requisitioned  from  which  to  rake  out  the 
weeds. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Border  Carnations.— These  should  soon  be 
making  a  good  show,  and  if  they  are  not  already 
bursting  their  flower-buds,  a  good  syringing 
overhead  may  be  given  occasionally.  This  will 
keep  down  thrips,  which  are  often  troublesome 
during  a  dry  season ;  also  a  good  soaking  of 
manure-water  just  as  the  blooms  are  opening 
will  increase  the  quality  considerably. 

Edging  Plants  used  in  summer  bedding  may 
require  pinching  to  preserve  a  good  outline  to  the 
beds,  and  Pyrethrums,  Coleus,  Fuchsias  and 
Iresines  should  be  regularly  gone  over,  keeping 
them  "pinched  back  far  enough  from  the  edge 
of  the  bed  to  allow  the  machine  to  run  along 
without  damaging  it. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Cleaning. — If  the  syringing  will  not  keep  down 
insect  pests,  then  sponging  or  spraying  must  be 
resorted  to,  and  paraffin  emulsion'  and  XL  All 
are  both  excellent  insecticides  when  used  with  care. 

Palms  and  Selaginellas  must  also  be  kept  well 
supplied  with  water,  and,  what  is  very  important, 
they  must  be  kept  well  shaded,  as,  once  they  turn 
yellow  or  get  burnt  by  the  sim,  it  will  take  a  long 
time  to  restore  them  to  their  natural  condition 
again.  Clay's  Fertilizer  is  a  good  manure  for 
either  of  these  subjects. 

Cinerarias,  Primulas  and  Calceolarias  that 
may  have  been  raised  about  the  time  recommended 
in  the  calendar  and  subsequently  pricked  off  into 
pans  or  boxes  should  soon  be  ready  for  potting  off 
into  3-inch  pots.  Primulas  require  a  little  more 
warmth  in  the  early  stages  of  growth  than  the 
other  two  subjects,  but  the  soil  to  be  used  and 
treatment  generally  is  on  similar  lines.  After 
potting,  shading  in  each  instance  is  necessary, 
but  when  nicely  rooted  in  the  pots  both  Calceo- 
larias and  Cinerarias  may  have  the  lights  partially 
removed  on  fine,  dry  nights.  This  will  produce  a 
stockiness  in  growth  not  obtained  in  anv  other 
wav. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Spring  Cabbage. — Towards  the  end  of  the  week 
a  sowing  of  Cabbage  should  be  made,  to  be  followed 
fourteen  days  later  by  another  sowing  to  provide 
the  main  batch.  If  the  soil  is  dry,  the  drills  should 
be  watered  before  sowing.  This  will  facilitate 
germination,  and  is  much  better  than  having  to 
water  the  young  seedlings  as  soon  as  thev  are 
through  the  soil. 


Endive. — ^Take  the  earliest  opportimity  of 
planting  out  a  good  batch  of  this  salad  for  autumn 
and  winter  use,  and  if  the  beds  are  planted  about 
five  feet  to  six  feet  wide,  lights  may  be  placed  over 
them  as  desired.  Needless  to  add,  the  plants  will 
want  well  looking  after  as  regards  water  if  they 
are  not  planted  during  a  showery  time. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Early  Vines. — Vines  from  which  all  the  fruit 
has  been  cut  and  again  intended  for  early  forcing 
next  season  should,  as  far  as  possible,  be  allowed 
to  rest.  Though  the  roots  must  on  no  accoimt 
get  unduly  dry,  too  much  moisture  is  apt  to 
keep  the  Vines  growing  too  long.  For  this  reason 
also  all  syringing  overhead  should  be  stopped, 
though  an  eye  must  be  kept  on  the  foliage  to  see 
that  insect  pests  do  not  get  a  footing  ;  if  so,  an 
insecticide  must  be  used  to  check  them. 

Peaches  also  must  be  treated  in  much  the  same 
way,  but  here  any  neglect  of  water  at  the  root 
will  be  followed  by  serious  results.  During  exces- 
sively hot  weather  I  think  it  is  desirable  to  apply 
a  little  shading  to  the  glass,  as  Peaches  an3 
Nectarines,  especially  the  early  varieties,  are  apt 
to  get  over-ripe,  and  this  I  believe  to  be  one  of  the 
causes  of  bud  dropping  in  the  early  spring. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Strawberries. — Continue  layering  the  later  varie- 
ties of  Strawberries  till  sufificient  has  been  done 
to  cover  all  possible  requirements.  Givon's  Late 
Prolific  on  our  heavy  soil  is  the  best  cropper  we 
have.  It  does  not  give  all  its  fruit  at  one  time,  but 
covers  a  particularly  long  season.  Early  layers 
may  be  taken  off  as  they  become  sufficiently 
well  rooted,  and  if  stood  in  a  semi-shady  position 
for  a  few  days  there  will  be  no  tendency  to  flag. 

Old  Plants  that  have  served  their  purpose 
should  be  cleared  off  the  ground,  or,  if  there  are 
no  crops  near  by,  all  the  rubbish  may  be  burnt 
and  the  ashes  spread  over  the  siurface  again.  Plants 
that  are  being  grown  on  for  another  year  should 
also  be  trimmed  and  the  rubbish  cleared  away ;  but 
if  the  weather  is  dry,  it  is  not  advisable  to  take  the 
straw  off  for  a  time,  or  the  plants  may  suffer,  and 
it  is  a  good  plan  to  give  them  a  thorough  watering. 
This  will  revive  them  somewhat  after  carrying  a 
heavy  crop.  Thomas  Stevenson. 

{Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Stock  Lobelias. — The  best  way  to  raise  a  stock 
of  Lobelia  is  to  pot  up  a  certain  number  of  plants 
of  each  variety  at  planting-out-time.  These  stock 
plants  should  not  be  allowed  to  flower,  and  to 
prevent  this  the  tops  of  the  plants  should  be  cut 
over  two  or  three  times  during  the  growing  season. 

Chrysanthemums. — Attention  should  be  given 
to  tying  as  growth  proceeds.  Some  stimulant 
may  now  be  given  to  the  plants,  and  the  hoe  should 
be  kept  going  among  them. 

Herbaceous  Plants. — .A.ttention  must  still  be 
given  to  the  tying  of  Asters  and  other  autumn 
subjects,  care  being  always  taken  to  avoid  stiffness 
in  carrying  out  the  operation.  All  decayed  flower- 
stems  should  be  cut  away  as  the  various  subjects 
go  out  of  bloom.  This  is  a  good  time  for  relabelling, 
as  it  is  easy  just  now  to  verify  the  identity  of  any 
variety  of  which  one  may  have  been  in  doubt. 
This  reminds  me  that  in  the  calendar  some  months 
ago  I  was  bewailing  the  disappearance  of  the  Acme 
Label  Rest.  I  now  find  that  I  was  in  error,  and 
that  this  excellent  device  is  still  obtainable  in  three 
sizes  from  any  leading  Northern  nurseryman. 

Sweet  Peas. — From  now  onwards  is  the  period 
when  feeding  is  required.  This,  however,  is  often 
overdone,  proving  a  prolific  source  of  "  streak." 
"  Little  and  often "  is  a  safe  rule.  Those  who 
possess  soot  or  old  fowl-manure  require  nothing 
else.  For  the  rest  the  market  is  plentifully  supplied, 
as  witness  the  advertisements  in  The  Garden 
from  time  to  time.  Keep  all  spent  blooms  scrupu- 
lously picked  off  twice  a  week. 

The  Rose  Garden. 
Disbudding. — Those    who    have    been    catering 
for   late   blooms   by   planting   young   stock   or   by 


growing  in  rather  shaded  positions  must  practise 
disbudding  if  they  would  have  blooms  of  high 
excellence.  The  first  blooms  are  generally  the 
finest,  but  one  must  have  regard  to  the  time' when 
the  blooms  are  wanted.  This  specially  applies 
to  exhibition  blooms  wanted  for  a  particular  date. 
Of  course,  a  bloom  can  always  be  retarded  for  a 
week  or  more  by  means  of  shading. 

Budding.— This  work  is  rightly  mostly  relegated 
to  the  nursery  experts  in  these  days  of  specialising. 
Still,  many  private  growers,  especially  amateurs,  like 
to  try  their  hand  at  the  work,  and'there  is  no  reason 
why  they  should  not.  Stocks  and  buds  being  avail- 
able, all  that  is  wanted  is  a  good  eve  and  deft 
fingers.  T  budding  is  the  most  popular  system 
Care  should  be  taken  not  to  damage  the  cambium 
on  the  stock,  either  when  lifting  the  bark  or  insert- 
ing the  bud.  The  more  quickly  the  operation  is 
performed  the  better,  as  the  cambium  is  very 
delicate  and  exposure  to  the  air  soon  injures  it. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Layering     Mahnaison     Carnations.— Although 

now  put  somewhat  in  the  shade  by  the  Perpetuals, 
the  handsome  blooms  of  the  Malniaisons  stili 
find  many  admirers.  It  is  now  fully  time  that 
layering  was  proceeded  with,  and  a  cold  frame 
partly  filled  with  soil  is  the  best  place  for  the  work 
Turn  a  few  old  plants  c;U  of  their  pots  and  plunge 
them  in  a  reclining  position.  The  work  of  layering 
can  then  be  proceeded  with,  using  some  fibrous, 
sandy  loam  for  working  in  about  the  lavers.  Give 
a  good  watering  when  the  operation  is'  completed 
and  shade  lightly  during  bright  sunshine.  Keep 
the  frame  rather  close  till  roots  are  emitted. 

Cinerarias. — These  must  be  potted  on  as 
necessity  requires,  using  a  rich,  light  soil.  Unless 
the  frames  are  facing  north,  the  pots  should  be 
plunged  in  coal-ashes  or  other  cool,  porous  material. 
Shade  from  bright  sunshine,  and  if  the  leaf-mining 
maggot  appears,  spray  occasionally  with  Quassia 
extract. 

Primulas. — The  remarks  on  Cinerarias  apply 
generally  to  such  Primulas  as  sinensis,  obconic'a 
and  malacoides,  except  that  Primulas  enjoy  a 
rather  finer  medium  than  the  Cinerarias.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  some  persons  cannot 
operate  with  P.  obconica  barehanded  with  impunity. 

Propagating  Edging  Plants.— A  fresh  batch 
of  such  edging  plants  as  Panicum  variegatum, 
Tradescantias  and  the  trailing  Coleus  should  now 
be  rooted  to  keep  up  a  fresh  supply  during  the 
autumn  and  winter  months. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Shading  Black  Grapes.— it  is  now  a  generally 
accepted  truth  that  black  Grapes  are  frequently 
more  or  less  injured  by  being  exposed  to  the  full 
blaze  of  the  sun,  and  careful  cultivators  who  have 
had  such  an  experience  afford  the  crop  a  slight 
shading. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Peaches.  —  Earwigs  often  prove  troublesome 
at  this  season.  If  lengths  of  Beanstalks  are 
adjusted  among  the  shoots,  the 'enemy  will  take 
shelter  in  these  during  the  day.  Go  over  the 
traps  in  the  morning  with  a  bottle,  partially  filled 
with  water,  in  one  hand.  With  the  other  insert 
one  end  of  the  Beanstalk  in  the  mouth  of  the 
bottle  and  blow  smartly  into  the  other  end  of  the 
hollow  stalk.  This  will  dislodge  the  enemy  and 
drive  him  into  a  watery  grave. 

Morello  Cherries.— After  seeing  to  it  that  all 
the  requisite  wood  is  laid  in  and  the  remainder  cut 
out,  the  trees  should  be  netted. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Leeks. — If  the  hoe  is  run  lightly  in  between 
the  rows,  it  will  partly  earth-up  the  earlier  planting 
if  the  operation  was  carried  out  as  advised  in  the 
calendar  at  the  time.  Planting  may  still  be  done 
to  obtain  Leeks  for  spring  use  on  quarters  which  have 
been  occupied  by  early  crops. 

Vegetable  Marrows. — Continue  to  thin  out  and 
regulate  the  shoots,  and  pollinate  the  female  blooms 
as  they  appear.  The  fruits  should  be  cut  at  an 
early  stage,  else  they  deteriorate  in  quality  and 
rob  the  succession  fruits. 

Peas  have  so  far  done  splendidly  with  us.     If 

drought  sets  in,   however,   watering  must   be   the 

order  of  the  day.     Senator  is  still  greatly  prized 

here.  Charles  Coi«fort. 

Broomfield  Cuinleiis ,  Davidson's  Mains.  Midlothian. 


|ULV    2(),   1913. 


THE     GARDEN. 


379 


OBITUARY. 


ROBERT     SYDENHAM. 

Ir  IS  with  the  deepest  regret  that  we  have  to 
record  the  death  of  Mr.  Robert  Sydenham, 
head  of  the  firm  of  Robert  .Sydenham, 
Limited,  Tenby  Street,  Birmingham,  which 
ocenrred  suddenly  on  Saturday  morning 
last.  Mr.  Sydenham  attended  his  office 
Ml  the  usual  way  and  was  taken  ill  about  11  a.m., 
and  expired  almost  immediately.  It  was  only  on 
Thursday  of  last  week  that  we  had  the  pleasure 
■  •I  meeting  him  at  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Show, 
and  also  at  the  dinner  of  the  judges  and  committee 
held  at  the  Hotel  Windsor  in  the  evening,  when 
the  last  toast  proposed  was  that  of  Mr.  Sydenham. 
The  news  of  his  death  will  come  as  a  great  shock 
lo  horticulturists  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  as 
Ihere  were  few  phases  of  gardening  that  he  did 
not  take  an  interest  in. 

Born  at  Salisbury  in  1848,  his  career  in  the  horti- 
cultural world  has  been  a  most  remarkable  one.  Up 
to  the  year  i88i  he  was  actively  engaged  in  the 
wholesale  jewellery  business  of  Sydenham  Brothers, 
and  it  was  in  that  year  he  disposed  of  a  few 
surplus  bulbs  from  his  garden  among  his  friends, 
little  thinking  at  the  time  that  he  was  laying  the 
fotmdations  of  a  business  which  to-day  is  one  of 
the  foremost  in  the  country,  and  which  a  year  or 
two  ago  dealt  with  nearly  thirty-nine  thousand  bulb 
and  seed  orders  in  one  season.  A  year  or  two  ago 
Mr.  Sydenham  decided  to  turn  his  business  into  a 
private  company,  and  with  his  characteristic 
generosity  allotted  shares  to  his  employes,  his 
object  being  not  to  raise  additional  capital,  but 
to  give  a  direct  interest  in  the  business  to  those 
members  of  his  staff  who  had  been  with  him  for 
many  years.  Up  till  the  time  of  his  death  he, 
however,  still  retained  full  control  as  govem- 
iug  director.  The  active  interest  that  Mr. 
Sydenham  took  in  the  Midland  Daffodil  Society 
is  known  the  world  over,  and  to  his  personal  and 
generous  support  the  success  of  that  society  is 
largely  due.  It  was  his  custom  for  some  years  to 
entertain  the  judges  and  numerous  friends  at 
dinner  at  the  Grand  Hotel.  Birmingham,  on  the 
evening  of  the  first  day  of  the  Daffodil  Show,  and 
at  these  dinners  he  gathered  together  Daffodil 
experts  from  all  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom, 
tbe  Continent,  and  at  times  from  New  Zealand. 
Africa  and  other  parts  of  the  world. 

Sweet  Peas  were  a  favourite  flower  of  his,  and 
he  took  a  very  active  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the 
National  Sweet  Pea  Society,  occupying  the  presi- 
dential chair  last  year.  The  portrait  reproduced 
here  portrays  him  in  a  characteristic  attitude 
among  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society's  trials 
at  Sutton  Green.  His  little  book,  "  .All  .\bout 
Sweet  Peas,"  was  a  publication  that  he  took  very 
great  pains  to  keep  as  up-to-date  and  useful  as 
possible,  and  many  lovers  of  this  flower  have  foimd 
it  of  great  interest  and  value.  He  took  a  very 
keen  interest  in  the  Horticultural  Club,  and,  indeed, 
it  would  be  impossible  to  name  any  phase  of  garden- 
ing that  did  not,  at  some  time  or  other,  receive 
support  from  him.  It  would  be  difficult  to  mention 
any  man  who  enjoyed  a  wider  circle  of  friends 
in  the  horticultural  world.  His  genial  personality 
made  friends  of  all  who  came  into  contact  with 
him,  and  his  generositv  was  never  appealed  to  in 
vain.  As  an  indication  of  the  friendship  that 
existed  between  him  and  horticulturists  generally, 
we  may  mention  that  he  was  usually  referred  to 
as  ■'  Uncle  Robert."  We  numbered  him  among 
our  personal  friends,  .ind,  in  crimmon  with  many  of 


our  readers,  mourn  his  loss.  To  his  widow  and 
family  we  tender  our  deepest  sympathy  in  their  sad 
bereavement.  The  funeral  took  place  at  Lodge 
Hill  Cemetery,  Birmingham,  on  Tuesday,  the 
22nd  tnst..  amid  many  tokens  of  esteem,  a  large 
number  of  horticultural  friends  being  present  to 
pay  a  last  tribute  to  a  gre:it  and  generous  man. 


NEW     AND     RARE     PLANTS. 

FIRST-CLASS     CERTIFICATE. 

Oendrobium     Dearei     McBean's     Variety.— 

From  Messrs.  J.  .md  A.  McBean.  Oioksbridge, 
Sussex.  This  was  removed  before;  a  description 
could  be  secured. 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Odontioda    Thwaitesii     Purple    Emperor.  — 

The  name  is  descriptive  of  one  of  the  largest  of 
these     hybrids,     though     the     colour     will     not 


THE     L.\TE      MR.       ROBERT      SYDENHAM. 

appeal  to  all.      From  Mr.  E.  H.  Davidson,  Orchid 
Dene,  Twyford. 

Odontioda  Cooksonii  venustum. — A  brilliant 
ruby  crimson  having  a  white-margined  lip  and 
slight  yellow  crest.     From  Sir  George  Holford. 

Paphinia  cristata. — The  sepals  and  petals  are 
3  inches  to  4  inches  long,  acute  and  heavily  lined 
chocolate  on  a  white  ground.  From  Messrs. 
Charlesworth. 

Carnation  Firefly. — A  gloriously  brilliant  scarlet 
of  the  largest  size  and  nicely  perfumed. 

Carnation  Booldiam  White. — Handsome  creamy 
white  flowers  of  fine  form.  Both  from  Mr.  J. 
Douglas,  Great  Bookham,  Surrey. 

Delphinium  Mrs.  W.  J.  Sanderson. — A  siugk- 
flowered  variety  of  intense  blue  colomr  and  pure 
white  centre.  The  contrast  is  \'ery  fine.  From 
Mr.  J.  Sanderson,  Eastfield  Hall,  Warkworth. 

All  the  foregoing  were  shown  before  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  on  the  15th  inst.,  when  the 
awards  were  made. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 

FLOWER     GARDEN. 

SLUGS  AND  CANTERBURY  BELLS  (ColoneD.—Tiy 
watering;  thr  haunts  of  the  slufis  with  a  solution  of 
potassium  pennau^anati.'.  loz.  to  one  gallon  of  water . 
Trapping;  may  be  of  advantage. 

FUNGUS  ON  CAMPANULAS  {A.  S.  T.).— The  fuugu-^ 
i>n  Campanula  stenoeodoii  is  called  ( 'oleosporiuin  cam- 
panulae.  It  is  not  liable  to  attac-k  other  plants  than 
various  species  of  Campanula,  many  of  which  are  liable  to 
be  attacked,  as  are  species  of  Adenophora.  It  is  probably 
connected  with  a  fungus  which  occurs  on  Pines  early  in 
the  season,  and  passes  from  one  to  the  other  alternately. 
The  only  thin';  likely  to  hi-  of  much  avail  is  to  spray  thf 
plants  with  a  rose  red  solution  of  potassium, 

SWEET  WILLIAMS  AND  EELWORM  {Medmenham).— 
The  Sweet  Williams  arc  badly  attacked  by  the  stem 
eelworm  (Tylenchus  devastatrix).  When  once  the  plant, 
is  attacked,  nothing  is  likely  to  cure  it,  and  the  only  thinp 
to  be  done  Is  to  try  to  prevent  the  recurrence  of  the  trouble 
in  a  succeeding  year.  We  would  recommend  the  immediate 
destruction  of  the  affected  plants  by  fire,  so  as  to  check 
the  spread  of  the  pest  in  the  earth,  to  which  it  will  go  when 
the  plant  dies.  The  soil  in  the  affected  places  should  be 
treated  with  sulphate  of  potash  in  spring,  or  have  a  good 
dressing  of  kainit  in  autumn. 

CALCEOLARIAS  FAILING  (J.  J/.)-— We  recommend 
you  to  avoid  growing  Calceolarias  again  in  the  soil  in 
which  these  have  been  growing.  A  fungus  which  inhabits 
the  soil  gains  entrance  to  the  plants  through  the  roots, 
and  does  much  damage  where  these  plants  arc  grown 
repeatedly  on  the  same  soil.  There  are  other  plants  which 
may  be  used  to  give  yellow  effects,  such  as  Tagetes  signata 
pumila.  which  are  not  subject  to  this  disease,  and  can 
therefore  be  planted  for  a  few  years  until  the  soil  has 
become  free  from  the  fungus  again. 

WEED  IN  LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY  BED  (H.  fl.).— The 
weed  is  the  Dog's  Mercury  (Mercurialis  perennip),  and  you 
will  find  it  less  difficult  to  eradicate  than  such  as  the 
Bindweeds  or  Goutweed.  You  will  of  necessity  have  to 
exercise  vigilance  and  reduce  the  clumps  of  the  Lilies  to 
small  size  to  ensure  getting  out  all  the  roofs  of  the  weed. 
Having  done  this,  you  might  still  betroubled  with  seedlings, 
though  from  this  cause  alone  there  is  no  great  occasion 
for  worry.  Any  time  from  the  latter  half  of  September 
would  be  suitable  for  dealing  with  the  Lilies. 

CINERARIA  MARITIMA  AND  POTENTILLAS  (A'.  E.  L.)- 
—Cineraria  maritima  may  be  increased  by  cuttings  of 
young  shoots  inserted  in  sandy  soil  in  a  'lose  frame  in 
spring,  and  by  seeds  sown  in  a  warm  greenhouse  or  frame 
in  Ffbruary  or  early  March.  Plants  raised  from  seedf- 
in  February  form  useful  specimens  the  first  summer.  The 
shrubby  Potcntillas  do  not  require  any  regular  pruning. 
As  a  rule,  nothing  is  done  to  them  until  they  become  dense, 
then  a  little  of  the  older  wood  is  removed.  They  do  not 
flower  well  until  they  are  four  or  five  years  old.  Spring- 
flowering  Spirpeas  do  not  require  regular  pruning,  as  is 
necessary  with  those  which  bloom  during  summer  and 
autumn.  They  may  be  left  unpruned  for  several  years, 
then  be  lightly  thinned  or  cut  back  if^'outgrowing  their 
positions. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

ERADICATING  THE  STINKHORN  FUNGUS  {Header). 
— We  fear  it  is  impossible  to  destroy  the  Stinkhorn  fungus 
over  a  whole  garden.  We  recommend  you  to  thoroughI> 
water  the  parts  where  it  appears  with  a  solution  of  lUt, 
of  copper  sulphate  to  twenty-five  gallons  of  water,  but 
take  care  not  to  touch  the  plants. 

JUDGING  COTTAGE  GARDENS  U-  5.). -It  Is  im- 
possible accurately  to  judge  cottage  gardens  and  allot- 
ments, except  by  marks.  Your  best  course  -vnll  be  to 
allow  a  maximum  of  twenty  for  order,  neatness  and 
system  of  cropping  in  combination ;  of  twelve  each 
for  all  flowers  and  all  fruits  ;  and  of  six  each  for  every 
vegetable  crop  grown.  You  must  be  exceedingly  careful 
not  to  point  high  in  the  first  garden,  or  you  will  find 
trouble  later. 

COLD  FRAME  (Watford).— \\i  a  frame  6  feet  by  4  feet 
you  are  not  likely  to  grow  many  plants  suitable  for  honse 
decoration.  A  vast  number  of  subjects  may  be  grown 
in  a  cold  frame  during  the  summer  months ;  indeed, 
they  are  better  there  than  in  a  warmer  structure ;  but  a 
heated  house  is  necessary  for  them  in  winter.  This 
applies  particularly  to  Cyclamen,  concerning  which  you 
enquire,  but  tuberous  Begonias  may  be  g;rown  in  a  cold 
frame  providing  the  tubers  are  wintered  in  a  frost-proof 
spot.  Chrysanthemums  may  be  grown  out  of  doors 
and  protected  by  the  frame  when  the  nights  get  cold 
till  the  blossoms  expand,  but  for  this  purpose  the  frame 
would  have  to  be  of  considerable  depth  ;  in  fact,  too 
deep  for  other  plants  to  be  grown  successfully  tliereiu. 
As  the  season  is  so  far  advanced,  there  is  nothing  that 
we  can  recommend  for  present  sowing  likely  to  give 
satisfactory  floral  returns  before  winter.  The  Schi- 
zanthuses  are  just  now  very  popular  as  decorative  plants, 
and  seeds  of  these  may  be  sown  about  the  end  of  August. 
The  resultant  plants  may  be  potted  into  small  pots' and 
wintered  in  the  frame,  taking  care  that  they  are  covered 
during  severe  frost. 

NAMES  OF  FRUIT.— AKss  2>*o?n6rfli'ft.  —  Gooseberry, 
Lancer;  Currant,  White  Dutch. 

NAMES     OF    PLANTS.  —  T.    C.    Ashdovm.  —  Shrub, 

Deutzia    gracilis    flore     pleno.    Rose,     R6ve    d'Or. 

^Tr8.    M.   Mniiland   Gardner. — Rose  Paul's   Early   Blush. 


380 


THE     GARDEN. 


[July  26,  191: 


n.  11.  x.— 1,  Joan  Soapeit  ;    2.   Mrs.  W.  .7.  Ui-aiit  ; 

.1.  Mildred  Giant  ;  4,  Kaiseriii  Augusta  Victoria ;  5. 
Dean  Hole  ;   7,  Beauty  of  Walt  ham  ;  9,  Marie  van  Houtte. 

The  others  had  fallen. Mrs.    W.  L.  Harvey. — 1.  Louis 

van  Houtte ;  2,  Helen  Keller ;  3,  Lady  Waterlow ; 
4,  Baroness  Rothschild  ;   5.  George  C.  Waud  :   6,  Merveilli^ 

de     Lyon. M.      R.,      Torquay. — Medicago     scutcUata 

(snail-like)  ;    Medicago  echinus  (hairy  fruit). S.  H.  B. 

— Phacelia  tanacetifolia. E.  E.  jB.— Anemone  species. 

specimen    dried    up. E.    W.— 1,    Campanula    rotundi- 

folia :  2,  Sedum  spurium  ;  3,  Armeria  maritima  variety, 
probably  laucheana  ;  4,  Sedum  Telephium  ;  5,  Bocconia 
c-ordata':  6,  I'hragmites  eomrannis  variegatus  ;  7,  Poly- 
aonum  cuspidatum ;  8,  Fuchsia  macrostemma  variety  ; 
n  Rudbeckia  species,  specimen  too  scrappy  ;  10,  Achillea 
Ptarmica  The  Pearl ;  11,  Heleniuni  autumnale  pumiUim  ; 
13,  Mertensia  species,  send  when  in  flower  ;  13,  Bryngium 
"iganteum  ;  14,  C'hrysanthemum  maximum  :  l.'i,  Cam- 
pannla  persieifolia  alba ;  16,  Chrysanthemum  Partheuium 

fl.-pl.;    IT,   Spira-a   Filipendnla. C.  Lemesle  Adams. — 

Astilhe  species;  specimen  too  small  for  identificatiou. 

/.'.  £.—1,  Sedum  album ;  2,  Lyslmachia  vulgaris ;  3, 
Astrantia  major;  4,  .Sapina  prociimbens  ;  5,  Inula  orien- 
talis ;    6,  Arrhenatherum    bulbosum  variety  variegatum. 

H.  G.  0. — Hieracium  rubrum. John  Burn. — Habe- 

naria  bifolia. Miss    McMustree.—l.   Sedum  Lydium  ; 

2,  Saxifraga  trif urcata  ;  3,  S.  geianioidcs  ;  4and5,  S.  Geum 
variety ;  0,  S.  acanthifolia ;  7,  Centaurea  dealbaf  a  ;  8, 
Achillea  Ptarmica ;  9,  Lysimachia  punctata ;  10,  Malva 
moschata ;  11,  Sidaleea  malvseflora :  12,  Ins  flowers, 
decayed  ;  13,  Hcuchera.  garden  hybrid  ;  14,  Cephalaria 
alpiiia;  15,  Artemisia  panictilata ;  16,  A.  spieata ;  17, 
fialamintha  grandiflora  ;    18,    Origanum  species,   send   in 

flower. Hortus. — Tropaeolum   specinsnm. E.  S.  H. 

— HEeraanthns  tigrinus. 


SOCI  ETIES. 


ROYAL     HORTICULTURAL     SOCIETY. 

.Vt  the  fortnightly  meeting,  held  at  Vincent  Square  on 
Ihe  15th  inst.,  there  was  a  smaller  show  tlian  usual,  and 
visitors  were  by  no  means  plentiful.  Some  very  flue 
exhibits  were,  however,  staged,  and  special  mention  must 
be  made  of  the  beautiful  border  Carnations  from  Mr. 
James  Douglas  and  the  pot  fruit  trees  from  Messrs.  J. 
Veitch  and  Sons. 

Floral  Committee. 

Present:  H.  B.  May,  Esq.  (chairman),  and  Messrs. 
W.  J.  Bean,  B.  Crisp,  J.  Green.  G.  Reuthe,  C.  R.  Fielder, 
,1  W  Moorman,  G.  Gordon,  J.  Jennings,  J.  F.  McLeod, 
J  Dixon,  C.  Dixon,  A.  Turner,  C.  E.  Pearson,  W.  Cuth- 
bertson,  J.  T.  Benuett-Poe,  E.  H.  Jenkins.  W.  P.  Thomson, 
W.  J.  James,  W,  A.  Bilney,  E.  A.  Bowles.  G.  Paul  and 
T'.  Stevenson.  . 

Mr.  James  Box,  Lindflcld  Xurscnes,  Hayward  s  Heath, 
arranged  a  goroeous  bank  of  the  finest  herbaceous  plants, 
the  group  stretching  from  the  entrance  to  the  Orchid  Annexe. 
It  was  perhaps  cue  of  the  finest  groups  of  these  plants  ever 
staged  and,  being  arranged  on  the  floor,  had  a  most 
telling  eflect.  It  is  not  easy  to  particularise  when  all 
is  so  "good,  though  we  may  remark  upon  Pcntstemons, 
Phloxes,  Gladiolus  prineeps,  .Astilbcs,  Iris  Ksempferi, 
I'auther  Lilies  and  Water  Lilies  among  the  greater  host 
of  plants  now  in  flower.  The  arrangement  of  the  whole 
was  good,  the  effect  of  quite  an  imposing  character. 

Messrs.  Bunyard  and  Co.,  Maidstone,  had  a  particularly 
good  table  group  of  herbaceons  flowers,  Phloxes  of  the 
best  varieties,  llomneya  Ooulteri,  Heucheras,  Chrysanthe- 
mum maximum  in  variety,  the  old  scarlet  Lychnis  and  other 
good  plants.  There  were  some  fine  Gaillardias  In  the 
group,  the  blue  Scabiosa  cancasica  being  very  good  in 
colour.  .     , 

Mr.  Howard  H.  Craue,  Highgate,  N.,  had  a  charmiug 
set  of  Violas  and  Violettas,  the  latter  of  quite  fairy-like 
character  and  delightful  in  the  extreme.  Of  the  Violettas, 
Osyth  (vellow),  Lavinia  (mauve).  Purity,  Snlphurea, 
Kock  Lemon,  Mollie  (rich  golden),  Adeline  (violet  blue). 
Mauve  Gem,  Violetta  and  Vesta  (both  of  which  approxi- 
mate to  white)  were  shown.  For  massing  in  beds  these  are 
simplv  ideal. 

The  "roup  of  herbaceous  plants  from  Messrs.  1.  S. 
Ware,  Limited,  Feltham,  was  replete  with  good  and 
seasonable'  flowcrim;  subjects,  the  best  of  the  Phloxes. 
Campanulas.  Alstrcemerias,  Gaillardias,  Hollyhocks  and 
other  good  plants  being  noted. 

Messrs.  F.  Smith  and  Co..  Woodbridge,  had  a  weD- 
arran<ied  group  of  hardy  flowers,  white  and  blue  Scabious 
bein '  \  erv  fine.  Excellent  Phloxes  were  also  sliown. 
and  a  goodly  mass  of  Lathyrus  latifolius  T'hc  Pearl. 
Chrysanthemum  maximum  The  Speaker  is  perhaps  the 
largest  of  this  flue  race  of  flowers,  and  was  particularly 
well  shown.  Verbascums,  Gaillardias  and  .Alstrojmerias 
were  alike  good  and  well  represented. 

Colonel  the  Right  Hon.  Mark  Loekwood,  M.P.,  C.V.O., 
Romford,  showed  three  fine  fruiting  specimens  of  Thladi- 
antha  dubia,  the  scarlet  fruits  being  of  the  size  of  a  hen's 
egg  and  most  effective. 

Messrs.  G.  and  A.  Clark,  Limited,  Dover,  showed  a 
capital  collection  of  herbaceous  cut  flowers,  making  .1  flue 
central  group  of  the  pure  white  Carnation  Downer's  Pride. 
The  variety  has  not  the  merit  of  great  fragrance,  but  for 
purity  and  freedom  would,  we  think,  be  hard  to  beat. 
It  was  the  flnest  plant  in  a  goodly  group. 

Messrs.  U.  B.  May  and  Sons,  Edmonton,  displayed  ;i 
miscellaneous  group  of  greenhouse  Ferns,  such  genera 
as  Polvpodium^  Nephrolepis  and  GymnoKramme  being, 
among'    others,     well     represenlert.     Me^^rs.     .May     also 


exhibited  a  splendid  group  of  standard-grown  Fuchsia 
Corallie,  a  brilliantly-flowered  triphylla  hybri.l  of  inu<'h 
merit.  ,        . 

Messrs.  G.  Bolton  and  Sou,  Buntingford,  Herts,  staged  a 
•■ood  table  group  of  Roses,  such  as  Melody,  Lyon,  Mrs.  A. 
Munt  (cream).  Richmond,  Mrs.  Aaron  Ward  (very  pretty 
in  the  hud  state).  Hugh  Dickson  (very  fine).  Rayon  d'Or 
and  Avoca  (the  last  two  being  particularly  fine).  Mrs.  A. 
Tate  was  also  good. 

Messrs.  William  Cutbush  and  Sons,  Highgate,  N.. 
displayed  a  table  group  of  miscellaneous  greenhouse 
plants',  Justieia  carnea,  Hydrangeas.  I)rac»nas.  Caladnims 
and  Lilies  all  being  well  shown. 

.Messrs.  nohhie  and  Co.,  Edinburgh,  bad  a  very  Bne 
exhibit  of  new  Sweet  Peas,  novelties  chiefly  for  1915  IB. 
King  White,  Early  Cream.  Blue  Picotce,  New  Margin 
and  Knbv  Palmer  were  among  the  more  distinct,  though 
many  more,  equally  so,  were  only  under  numbers  nl 
present. 

The  Guildford  Hardy  Plant  .Nursery  had  a  mixed  group 
of  hardy  eat  flowers,  Erynsiums  and  Inulas  beinc  promi- 
nent. 

Hobbies,  Limited,  Dereham,  had  a  small  yet  choice 
group  of  Roses,  Dream,  Effective,  Pink  Pearl,  Rayon 
d'Or  and  Lemon  Queen  (a  nearly  pure  white  flower  of 
large  size)  being  among  the  more  important. 

.Mr.  G.  Reuthe,  Keston,  Kent,  had  a  mixed  group  of 
alpines  and  shrubs,  together  with  many  choice  Lilies,  a 
large  bush  of  Desfontainea  spinosa,  with  bell-shaped 
flowers  of  scarlet  and  gold,  claiming  immediate  attention. 
Veratrum  nigrum  and  Romneya  Coulteri  were  also  good 
outstanding  features. 

Messrs.  William  Pells  and  Son,  Hitchin,  had  a  roekwork 
exhibit  on  tabling,  Campanula  Stansfleldii  and  CKnothera 
eximea  being  among  the  more  prominent  subjects. 

Mr.  G.  W.  Miller,  Wisbech,  showed  a  general  collection 
of  cut  herbaceous  plants,  quite  a  number  of  seasonable 
flowers  being  included. 

Mr.  M.  Prichard,  Christ  church,  set  up  a  very  fine  group 
of  cut  herbaceous  flowers,  with  plants  of  Spirsea  palmata 
and  the  fluer  Astilbes.  Iris  Ksempferi.  Hemeroeallis 
citrina  Baronii  and  Sparaxis  pulcherrima  were  also  note- 
worthy in  the  group.  Herbaceous  Phloxes,  too,  were 
excellently  displayed. 

Messrs.  Stuart  Low  aud  Co.,  Enfield,  staged  an  excellent 
lot  of  Roses,  arranging  Rayon  d'Or,  Lyon,  Sunburst,  Lady 
Pirrie,  Mrs.  Alfred  Tate,  Pharisaer  and  Lady  Hillingdon 
in  huge  stands,  which  were  most  efliective.  A  small  yet 
resplendent  group  of  good  things. 

Messrs.  Carter  Page  and  Co.,  London  Wall,  had  a  most 
extensive  collection  of  Violas  arranged  in  pans.  Quite 
a  large  representative  gathering. 

Messrs.  Cannell  and  Sons,  Swanley,  showed  Hoses  aud 
Pelargoniums  in  great  variety. 

Mr.  L.  R.  Russell,  Richmond,  had  a  fine  lot  of  pans  of 
Xertera  depressa  in  fruit,  fronting  a  select  lot  of  hardy 
flowers. 

Mr.  J.  Douglas,  Great  Bookham,  had  a  superb  lot  of  Car- 
nations, Bookham  White.  Firefly  (both  of  which  received 
awards  of  merit),  Jean  Douglas  (rich  scarlet),  Mrs.  G.  A. 
Reynolds  (bright  orange  with  buff),  Elizabeth  Shitfner, 
Lirikman  (fancy)  and  Agnes  Sorrell  (crimson  maroon  with 
flue  perfume)  being  among  the  best  in  a  particularly  choice 
and  well-grown  collection. 

Fruit. 
Lady  Wernher,  Luton  Hoo.  Lutou  (gardcuier.  Mr.  A.  W. 
.Metcalfe),  showed  boxes  of  Strawberries  in  splendid  con- 
dition.    Givon's  Late  Prolific  and  Waterloo  were  the  two 
varieties  shown. 

.Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons.  Limited,  Chelsea, 
received  a  gold  medal  for  a  splendid  collection  of  fruit 
trees  in  pots,  the  collection  comprising  Apples,  Plums, 
Peaches  and  .Nectarines  in  the  flnest  condition.  Of 
Peaches,  Pereu'rine,  Early  Alfred,  Dymond,  Rivers' 
Early  York,  Crimson  Galande  and  Royal  George  :  of 
Nectarines,  Goldoni,  Pineapple,  Early  Rivers  and  Lord 
Napier  ;  and  of  Plums,  Early  Transparent  Gage,  Jeflerson's, 
Kirke's.  IJenniston's  Superb  and  Brandy  Gage  were  the 
best,  while  of  Apples,  Lady  Sudeley  and  James  Grieve 
were  L'ood. 

OucHins. 
Few  Orchids  were  iixliibited,  Messrs.  Sander  aud  Sons, 
St.  Albans,  showing  a  collection  of  Odontiodas,  Vanda 
cEerulea  (a   very  excellent  variety),    Dendrobium   Dearei 
and  others .  ,     ,_    , 

Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co..  Hayward  s  Heath,  had 
a  small  but  choice  lot  of  Orchids,  such  good  things  as 
Cycnoclies  ohlorochilon,  Lselio-Cattleya  Ceres,  .Anguloii 
Cliftonii,  Odontoglossnm  Othello  and  O.  Jlaudias. 

A  flue  imported  plant  of  Aerides  odoratum,  bearing  six 
racemes  of  flowers,  was  shown  by  .Mr.  A.  W.  D.  Oakes. 
Knoekwood,  Shortlands,  Kent. 

Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co.,  Enflelil,  also  contributed 
a  small  group. 

SOUTHAMPTON    SOCIETY'S    SUMMER    SHOW. 

The  summer  show,  held  on  July  1.')  aud  lii,  whieli  included 
the  Southern  Counties  Carnation  and  Sweet  Pea  section, 
was  a  very  beautiful  one,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  a 
few  classes  were  not  very  well  filled.  In  many  others, 
liowever,  the  competition  was  keen,  good  quality  being 
a  feature  throughout.  Mr.  EUwood's  (■ollections  of 
\e"e.tables,  Mr.  T.  Hall's  graud  Madresfleld  Court  Grapes, 
Jlcssrs.  Sutton  and  Son's  superb  exhibit  of  Sweet  Peas, 
.Mr.  Button's  Carnations,  Messrs.  W.  H.  Rogers  and 
Son's  old-world  Rose  garden,  Messrs.  Toogood  and 
Sou's  Sweet  Peas  and  vegetables.  Messrs.  P..  Ladhams' 
alpine  garden,  and  Messrs.  Hlllier  and  Son's  herbaceous 
flowers,  Carnations  and  Water  Lilies  were  all  outstanding 
features  of  the  show.     Mr.  I'liidcre,  the  courteous  secretary. 


had  a  plau  of  the  tents,  and  all  exhibits  were  neatly  staged 
under  his  experienced  supervision. 

CARNATIONS. 

In  Class  1,  for  twclvi^  vases  of  selfs,  fancies  and  vellow- 
ground  Pieotees,  Mr.  H.  Matbias,  Medstea<l.  was  flrsl. 
=*Aeing  Linknian,  Leslie,  Mrs.  R.  P-Tcy  Smith,  Margaret 
Thurston,  Maud  -\llen  and  a  seedling  in  2ood  eondi'Jon 
He  secured  nearly  all  the  first  prizes  in  Classes  2,  3,  6.  7 
8.  9  and  10  respectively  for  blooms  shown  in  vases  and 
on  boards.  Mr.  J.  J. "  Keen  and  Mr.  H.  M.  Mlford  of 
Winton,  Bournemouth,  wi^re  also  pruinincnt  prize-winners 
ill  these  classes.  The  last  named  is  a  new  exhiliitor  and 
an  expert  grower,  and  will,  no  doubt,  make  his  mark  in 
future  in  the  show  tents. 

In  the  classes  open  to  amateurs,  Mr.  J.  .-\.  Fort  was  the 
champion  prize-winner.  In  many  classes  he  did  not  ha\e 
much  competition,  but  his  blooms  were  so  good  that  first  - 
prize  cards  were  awarded. 

In  Class  30,  for  five  vases  of  Treeor  .VmerieanCaruations. 
Mr.  Usher,  gardener  to  Sir  Randolf  Baker.  Bart.,  wa^ 
first.  Scarlet  Glow,  White  W'onder  and  R.  F.  Feltoii  being 
very  fine  blooms. 

In  Class  31,  Mr.  Ellwood.  gardener  to  W.  H.  Myers, 
Esq.,  was  first  for  three  distinct  varieties  of  American 
Tree  Carnations.  Notable  premier  blooms  were  Viola  in 
Class  9,  shown  by  Mr.  Keen  :  Mrs.  G.  Marshall  in  Class  8. 
and  R.  Houlgrav'e  in  Class  6. 

Sweet  Peas. 
In   Class   40,  for  four  distinct    varieties,    Mr.    White, 
Eastleigh,  was  first. 

Mr.  Usher  was  premier  prize-winner  in  the  class  for  six 
bunches  in  six  varieties,  the  prizes  being  offered  by  Messrs. 
Sutton  and  Sons,  Reading.  Mr.  Bealing,  Bassett,  and 
Mr.  Clemson,  Milford-on-Sea,  were  second  and  third 
respectively. 

In  the  class  for  nine  distinct  varieties  (prizes  given  by 
Messrs.  Toogood  and  Sons,  Southampton),  a  second  prize 
only  was  awarded,  the  other  exhibits  being  disqualified,  as 
they  were  not  staged  according  to  schediUe. 

For  the  best  six  distinct  varieties,  Mr.  F.  Bealing  was 
first.  The  same  exhibitor  was  placed  first  for  eight 
bunches,  the  prizes  being  provided  by  Messrs.  Webb  and 
Sons.  He  again  was  successful  in  Class  46,  for  nine 
distinct  varieties,  winning  the  chief  prize  oftered  by 
Mr.  Robert  Sydenham,  Tenby  Street,  Birmingham. 

The  Sweet  Peas  in  the  competitive  classes  occupied 
tables  all  round  one  large  tent. 

Groups  and  Pot  Plants. 
For  a  group  of  miscellaneous  plants  arranged  for  eftect, 
Mr.  C.  Greenaway.  gardener  to  Mr.  C.  H.  Ashley.  Bassett, 
was  flrst.  He  made' good  use  of  Francoa  ramosa  and  well- 
coloured  Crotons.  Mr.  T.  Hall,  gardener  to  Ellen  Lady 
Swaythling,  was  a  very  close  second.  His  plants  were 
well  grown  and  choice,  but  rather  closely  arranged. 
Mr.  Hall  had  the  best  single  specimen  stove  or  green- 
house flowering  plant; — a  well  grown  and  flowered 
Stephanotis.  Mr.  Greenaway  had  the  best  single  speci- 
men foliage  plant.  Mr.  C.  Hosey  staged  six  giant  and 
freely-flowered  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  and  was  easily  first. 
He  had  also  the  premier  four  Ferns,  distinct,  and  six 
Gloxinias  respectively ;  and  Mr.  Hall  won  with  a  grand 
lot  of  Caladiums,  grown  as  one  frequently  saw  them  some 
twenty  years  ago. 

Mr.  Mattingley,  gardener  to  Admiral  Sir  J.  Hopkins, 
won  in  the  class  for  nine  vases  of  hardy  border  flowers, 
distinct,  Mr.  W.  Palmer,  Andover,  being  a  close  second. 
Table  Decorations. 
These  were  very  pretty,  being  low  and  lightly  arranged. 
In  one  class  Mrs.  B'ealing  scored.  Carnations  or  Pieotees 
or  both  were  to  be  used.  In  another  class,  Orchids  only 
being  excluded,  .Miss  Minnie  Snellgrove  won.  Sweet  Peas 
were  used,  and  the  etteet  was  charming.  EperL'iies. 
sprays  aud  other  floral  arrangements  were  equally 
beautiful. 

Fruit  and  Vkoet.^bles. 
.Ml.  'T.  Hall  won  in  Class  69  for  four  dishes  of  fruit, 
staging  Madresfleld  Court  Grapes,  Sutton's  Scarlet  .Alelon. 
Lord  Napier  Nectarines  and  Dymond  Peaches.  The 
same  exhibitor  won  in  the  class  for  two  bunclnis  of  black 
Grapes,  again  staging  superb  Madresfleld  Court.  Mr. 
Ellwood  was  second  with  fine,  even  clusters  of  Black 
Hamburgh.  Mi.  Hall  was  again  a  winner  in  the  class 
for  one  disli  of  Peaches.  Mr.  Usher  had  the  best  Melon. 
In  all  the  principal  classes  for  collections  of  vegetables 
^[r  Ellwood  won,  staging  grand  prnduei^  in  his  well- 
known  attractive  style.  The  prizes  were  ottered  by 
Messrs.  Toogood  and  Sons,  .Messrs.  James  Carter  aud 
Co.,  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons  aud  Messrs.  Webb  and  Sons 
respectively.  Mr.  Ellwood  also  had  the  best  dish  of 
Tomatoes. 

Non-competitive  Exhiuits. 
OoU  Medals.— A  large  gold  med.il  to  Messrs.  Sutton 
and  Sons  foi  Sweet  Peas  ;  a  gold  medal  to  Messis.  W.  H. 
Rogers  and  Son,  Limited,  for  an  old-world  Rose  garden  ; 
and  a  similar  award  to  Messrs.  B.  Ladhams,  Limited, 
for  an  alpine  garden  and  herbaceous  flowers. 

Silmr-gilt  Medals  to  Messrs.  Toogood  and  Sons  for 
Swi'et  Peas  and  vegctabli^s  ;  Messrs.  Hillicr  and  Sous  for 
herbaceous    flowers,   Carnatious  and    Water   Lilies ;     Mr. 

A.  F.  Dutton  for  Tree  Carnations; 
for  Sweet  Peas. 

Silver  Medals  to  Mr.  C.  Pay  for  Cainiitii 

B.  Wills  lor  stove  aud  greenhouse  plants. 
Awards  ni  Merit  to  Messrs.  Jarinaii  ami  Co.  fur  Rose- 

aiid  Carnations;    and  to  Mr.  F.  Onlliek  lor  a  lovely  lot 
of  Violas.  .  ,  „ 

Mr  J  A.  Medlaiid  had  some  charming  vases  of  flowci» 
firmly  fixed  in  his  patent  holders,  ,iud  also  some  wire 
Stl■awberr.^'  protectors. 


id  i\fr.  F.   Longstei 
aud  iMr. 


GARDEN. 


—^^~ 


^^^ 


No.  2176.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


August  2,  1913. 


CONTBNTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week 
corkesponpence 

Zonal  Pelargoniums 
without  pots 

Lilium  giganteum  . . 

Four    little  -  known 
Roses 

Rose  Mary  Countess 
of  Ilchester 

A  huge   Rhododen- 
dron      

The    future  of    the 

North  of  England 

Horticultural 

Society 

Forthcoraing  events.. 


381  t  A  Water  Gakden  in 
THE  Natdrai  Style   386 

FiowER  Garden 

382  The    Thrift    as   an 

382  edging 387 

A  little-known 

312  Calceolaria.. 

A  beautiful  Cinque- 

312  toil       

ROSE  GARDEN 

383  Seasonable      work 
among  Roses 

A  beautiful  new  Rose 
ooo    Gardening  for  Beginners 

The  propagation  of 
383  Heaths  by  cuttings    389 


387 
388 


388 
388 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


Rock  and  Water  Garden    gardening  of  the  Week 


Rock  garden  plants 
for  late  summer 
and  autumn       . .     383 

Sterilising  seeds  with 
hydrogen  peroxide    383 
Trees  and  Shrubs 

Shade  and  air  in  the 

garden 384 

Fruit  Garden 

The  Loganberry  as  a 
commercial    fruit    385 


For    Southern    gar- 
dens          390 

For    Northern    gai  - 

dens     390 

Daffodil  SHOW  Notes    391 

A  Sweet  Pea  Champion- 
ship Trophy   . .      . .     391 

Answers    to   Corre- 
spondents    . .     . .     392 
Societies 392 


IliLiDSTRATIONS. 

Lilium  giganteum  at  Chirk 382 

A  weeping  Beech  at  Weybridgc 384 

Another  form  of  Weeping  Beech        385 

The  Weeping  Scotch  Elm      385 

A  water  garden  in  the  natural  style  . .      . .       Supplement 

. .      . .  386 

. .      . .  387 

. .      . .  388 


A  broad  edging  of  Thrift  or  Sea  Pink 
A  little-known  shrubby  Calceolaria    . . 
New  seedling  Rose  Gorgeous 


The  propagation  of  HeAths  by  cuttings      389 


The  Championship  Sweet  Pea  trophy 


391 


BDITORIALr    NOTICBS. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  tlie  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomrs  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  lor  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
arc  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  jor  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  wilt  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  atle  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  PuMication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tanstock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


Transplanting  Bulbs  in  Grass.— Anyone  de- 
sirous of  transplanting  or  taking  up  spring- 
flowering  bulbs  in  grass  or  under  trees  should  not 
delay  doing  so,  for  although  the  tops  are  dormant 
and  will  remain  so  for  a  long  time,  the  roots 
will  soon  commence  to  get  active,  and  are  then 
best  left  undisturbed. 

Blackberries. — These  provide  a  very  useful 
crop  during  the  early  autumn,  and  the  plants  are 
greatly  benefited  by  one  or  two  good  soakings  of 
manure-water,  especially  during  the  time  the 
fruits  are  setting.  Green  fly  is  sometimes  trouble- 
some, more  particularly  about  the  time  the  plants 
are  in  bloom,  and  if  the  insects  are  noticed  the 
plants  should  be  sprayed  at  once,  or  the  fruit  may 
be  spoiled. 

Llliom  Brownii.— This  is  without  doubt  one 
of  the  most  satisfactory  of  all  garden  Lilies. 
Recently  a  beautiful  colony  of  this  Lily,  growing 
among  peat-loving  shrubs,  was  to  be  seen  in  the 
American  Garden  near  the  Palm  House,  Kew. 
It  has  been  grown  in  the  same  bed  for  at  least 
four  years,  and  the  fact  that  it  continues  to  flourish 
and  flower  profusely  is  proof  of  its  great  value 
as  a  garden  Lily. 

Work  Among  Border  Flowers. — To  preserve 
the  herbaceous  border  in  a  nice  condition  it  should 
be  gone  over  regularly,  cutting  down  the  plants 
that  have  bloomed,  and  thinning  out  and  staking 
those  that  are  coming  into  blcom,  not  forge'tinjj, 
to  give  those  plants  water  and  nourishment  that 
most  require  it.  The  autumn-blooming  plants 
are  now  making  rapid  growth,  and  such  plants  as 
Phloxes,  Asters,  Helianthus  and  Rudbeckias  will 
be  all  the  better  for  a  little  help  in  this  direction. 

The  Iceland  Poppy. — Few  plants  are  more 
valuable  for  the  garden  or  for  use  as  cut  flowers 
than  the  Iceland  Poppy,  Papaver  nudicaule. 
The  orange,  yellow  and  white  flowers  blend  well 
together,  and  are  equally  as  effective  when  grouped 
in  separate  colours.  Seeds  sown  now  will  produce 
plants  to  flower  next  spring,  when  they  will  be 
followed  by  the  spring-sown  ones.  Poppy  flowers 
will  be  found  to  last  longer  if  the  stalks  are  slightly 
burned  at  the  tips  before  they  are  put  into  water. 
A  Useful  Late-Flowering  Broom.— The  Mount 
Etna  or  Sicilian  Broom.  Genista  aetnensis,  is  a 
valuable  subject  for  the  pleasure  groimds  and 
shrubbery  borders,  being  one  of  the  last  members 
of  the  Broom  family  to  flower.  It  is  a  particularly 
graceful  shrub,  12  feet  to  15  feet  or  more  in  height. 
Old  specimens  develop  quite  a  thick,  woody  stem, 
with  numerous  main  branches,  from  which  hang 
the  green,  whip-like  shoots,  very  freely  dotted 
with  small,  yellow.  Pea-like  blossoms.  Seeds 
ripen  freely  in  this  country,  forming  a  ready  means 
of  propagation.  They  may  be  scattered  thinly 
where  it  is  desired  to  grow  them.     The  seedlings 


a  couple  of  years  in  pots  till  large  enough  to  safely 
estahliih  in  the  woodland,  pleasure  grounds,  or 
shrubbery  borders.  Single  specimens  are  efiective, 
but  the  Mount  Etna  Broom  is  seen  at  its  best 
planted  in  inform,;!  groups  of  six  ti^  a  dozen  plants. 
Rambler   Rose   Lady   Godiva.— Although   this 

sport  from  Dorothy  Perkins  was  obtained  by 
Messrs.  Paul  and  Son  five  years  ago,  it  is  seldom 
that  one  finds  it  growing  in  gardens.  Why  this 
is  so  is  difiicult  to  understand,  because  it  is  imlike 
any  other  variety.  The  flowers  are  pale  salmon 
pink,  resembling  closely  in  colour  that  charming 
Perpetual-flowering  Carnation  Mrs.  H.  Burnett. 
It  is  as  vigorous  and  free-flowering  as  Dorothy 
Perkins,  and  deserves  to  be  more  widely  known. 
A    Useful    Dwarf    Flowering    Shrub.— It    is 

difficult  to  understand  why  that  charming  little 
dwarf  shrub  Spirsa  japonica  Anthony  Waterer 
is  not  more  freely  planted.  For  filling  a  large 
lawn  bed  or  for  grouping  towards  the  front  of  the 
shrub  border  it  is  excellent,  and  has  the  merit  of 
doing  well  in  rather  poor  soil.  If  pruned  hard 
back  each  winter  or  spring,  as  it  should  be,  it 
only  grows  from  15  inches  to  18  inches  high,  and 
in  July  and  early  August  is  covered  with  its  large 
heads  of  deep  rose  red  flowers. 

Poplar  Leaves  Diseased. — At  a  recent  meeting 
of  the  scientific  committee  of  the  Royal  Horti- 
culturil  Society,  the  Ven.  Archdeacon  Meredith 
sent  leaves  of  a  Poplar  with  large  golden  yellow 
areas  upon  them,  occupying  in  some  cases  half 
the  leaf  surface,  and  due  to  Ascomyces  aureus,  a 
fungus  nearly  allied  to  the  one  producing  leal- 
curl  in  Peaches,  &c.  One  or  two  of  the  leaves 
showed  on  their  upper  surfaces  the  silvery  appear- 
ance characteristic  of  the  attack  of  Stereum 
purpureura  as  seen  in  Plums. 

Two  Silver  -  Leaved  Shrubs.— The  genus 
Elffiagnus  comprises  a  number  of  ornamental 
shrubs,  two  of  the  best  being  E.  argentea  and  E. 
macrophylla.  The  former  is  a  native  of  North 
America,  and  is  commonly  known  under  the  dainty 
name  of  Silver  Berry.  E.  macrophylla,  or  Fon 
Gumi,  native  of  Japan  and  Formosa,  has  beautiful 
silver  grey  foliage,  and  is  one  of  the  best  shrubs 
for  planting  in  isolated  beds  on  lawns  where  tall 
subjects  are  not  desirable.  The  bright  silver  foli- 
age of  these  shrubs  stands  out  in  pleasing  contrast 
to  the  sombre  appearance  of  coniferous  evergreensi 

Bed  of  Pale  Lilac  Shrubs. — A  very  charming 

bed  at  Kew  just  now  is  situated  in  front  of  the 
large  Temperate  House,  a  beautiful  pale  lilac  effect 
being  created  by  the  use  of  Ceanothus  Ceres. 
The  large  panicles  of  cloud-like  blossoms  are 
very  freely  produced  on  plants  not  more  than 
2  feet  high.  Judging  from  their  appearance, 
these  are  pruned  back  almost  to  the  ground-level 
each  winter  or  spring,  the  flowers  being  produced 
on  wood  made  this  year.  Near  by  is  a  bed,  not 
quite  so  well  filled,  of  the  beautiful  azure  blue 
flowered  variety  Gloire   de   Plantieres,   which  has 


can  be  raised  in  a  frame  and  the  plants  grown  for  I  evidently  been  treated  in  a  similar  manner, 


382 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  2,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The   Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the  opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Zonal    Pelargoniums    Without    Pots. — As    I 

required  a  flower-pot  many  months  ago  of  a  par- 
ticular size,  I  could  only  find  one  suitable  in  which 
a  nice  plant  was  then  growing.  However,  I 
turned  out  the  plant  and  simply  placed  it  in  a 
saucer,  minus  the  pot.  Occasionally  water  was 
poured  into  the  saucer,  but  very  often  the  ball 
of  soil  was  quite  dry  and  no  water  in  the  saucer. 
Finding,  however,  that  the  plant  was  thriving  in 
the  circumstances,  I  had  it  supplied 
with  water  as  required,  the  latter  being 
poured  into  the  saucer.  I  am  surprised 
to  see  how  well  this  plant  has  grown 
and  flowered  in  the  circumstances.  It 
was,  when  turned  out,  well  established 
in  a  6J-inch  pot,  and  the  ball  of  soil 
quickly  absorbed  the  water  from  the 
saucer.  Young  roots  stand  out  like 
bristles  from  the  ball  of  soil.  I  refer 
to  this  plant  as  I  firmly  believe  that 
we  give  too  much  water  to  Zonal 
Pelargoniums  generally  ;  hence  so  many 
yellow  leaves. — Shamrock. 

Lillum  giganteum.  —  Upon  reading 
the  paragraph  re  Lilium  giganteum  in 
The  Garden  of  July  19,  page  358,  it 
occurred  to  me  you  might  like  to  see 
the  enclosed  photograph,  taken  ten 
days  ago,  of  L.  giganteum,  which  has 
flowered  here  in  my  garden.  The  bulb 
was  planted  four  years  ago  in  a  shady 
place  ;  in  fact,  surrounded  by  shrubs, 
except  to  the  north,  as  I  find  this  Lily 
does  far  better  in  shade  than  in  sim. 
There  were  nine  spikes  of  bloom  in  all, 
bearing  seventy-three  blossoms  between 
them.  The  tallest  stem  was  9  feet 
high  with  a  head  of  thirteen  blossoms  ; 
the    next    two,    8   feet     2    inches    and 

8  feet,  with  thirteen  and  eleven  trumpets 
respectively.     Then  came  one  of  6  feet 

9  inches,  with  the  other  five  rather 
shorter  and  more  bunched  together. 
Lord  Trevor,  who  is  in  the  photograph,  is 
about  five  feet  eleven  inches  high.  I  have 
several  more  of  these  Lilies  in  the  garden 
in  simny  positions.  None  has  more 
than  one  stem,  and  that  not  over 
5  feet  high.  —  Rosamond  Trevor, 
Brynkinalt,  Chirk. 

Four  Little-Known  Roses. — There 
are  four  Roses  not  generally  found  in 
English  catalogues  which,  I  think,  many 
would  be  glad  to  know.  They  are  AngWe 
d'Arnix,  a  clear,  warm  pink  of  most  dis- 
tinct appearance,  large  size  and  upright  growth.  A 
good  garden  plant,  and  the  bloom  always  opens 
well.  Reine  M6re  d' Italic  is  certainly  among  the 
deepest  of  the  yellow-hued  Roses,  and  is  very 
striking.  Both  the  above  are  recent  introductions 
of  M.  Bemaix,  by  whom  they  were  kindly  sent 
me.  Marquise  de  Ganay  is  with  me  a  tremendous 
bloomer,  the  flowers  reminding  one  of  Gustav 
Grunerwald,  only  of  a  better  colour,  being  a  pure 
light  rose  shade  without  any  trace  of  magenta. 
What  a  splendid  garden  Rose  is  Leuchtfeuer  !  It 
is  a  most  brilliant  thing  and  ever-blooming ;  in  size 
and  fulness  it  is  equal  to  many  a  Hybrid  Tea, 
especially  in  the  early  part  of  the  season. — Ernest 
Prvson,  Yewtree  Cottage,  St.  Briavels,  GlQs. 


About  Garden  Roses. — I  was  interested  m 
reading  an  article  headed  "  About  Garden  Roses  " 
in  your  issue  of  July  19,  page  359,  signed  by  Edward 
H.  Woodall,  wherein  was  mentioned  that  the 
climbing  wichuraiana  hybrids  Gardenia  and  Alberic 
Barbier  were  both  equally  good.  I  planted  both 
these  Roses  only  last  November  in  different  parts 
of  my  garden.  Although  only  its  first  season, 
Gardenia  has  borne  a  profusion  of  blooms,  and 
Alberic  Barbier  has  supplied  me  with  cut  buds 
for  the  drawing-room  and  adorned  the  new  arch- 
wav  up  which  it  is  planted  in  a  manner  quite 
unexpected  for  so  young  a  plant.  Both  of  these 
Roses   are   very  highly  to  be  praised  on   account 


k^-     ^ 


*f*^'  ^^ 


I 


LILIUM     GIGANTEUM 


IN     LADY     TREVOR  S 
CHIRK. 


GARDEN    AT 


of  their  foliage  and  the  entire  absence  of  smother 
fly  or  mildew.  But  in  my  opinion  Aviateur 
Bl^riot  surpasses  either  of  these.  It  is  about  the 
same  size,  has  flowered  at  the  same  time, 
is  a  lovely  shade  of  orange  yellow,  highly 
perfumed,  a  vigorous  grower,  and  has  lovely 
foliage.  —  Honor  T.  Pitts,  The  Rectory, 
Loughborough. 

Rose  Mary  Countess  of  Ilchester. — I  see 
that  your  correspondent  Mr.  E.  H.  Woodall, 
page  359,  July  19  issue,  invites  accounts  of  the 
behaviour  of  this  Rose  in  English  gardens.  Soon 
after  this  variety  was  issued  I  put  it  on  both 
dwarf  and  standard  stocks.  The  latter  form, 
as  in  the  case  of  most  Hybrid  Teas  with  me,  seems 


to  suit  it  best.  Now,  while  the  other  Roses  are 
resting  temporarily  after  their  first  blooming. 
Lady  Ilchester  is  still  to  the  fore,  affording  me 
flowers  which,  in  the  bud  and  half-developed  stage, 
are  very  striking ;  but  the  flower  opens  too 
quickly  to  flat  form,  although  even  then  the  centre 
is  well  filled  and  the  bloom  of  good  lasting 
quality.  It  keeps  its  colour  in  sunshine  and 
stands  wet  well.  So  far  I  have  not  found  this 
Rose  a  very  good  autumnal  variety.  It  is  by 
no  means  the  latest  bloomer  among  the 
Hybrid  Teas  here.  In  growth,  on  dwarf  stocks, 
the  plants  are  inclined  to  be  leggy ;  in  other 
respects  the  growth  is  good.  I  find  that  this 
variety  likes  the  knife  no  better  than 
does  J.  B.  Clark.— R.  C.  W.  Dixon, 
Southamptoti. 

Grouping  Flowers  for  Colour.— 
Studies  and  experiments  in  this  delight- 
ful aspect  of  gardening  become  more 
and  more  interesting  and  attractive. 
There  is  a  fine  old  border  plant,  Salvia 
Sclaria,  that  seems  to  have  gone  out  of 
use  of  late,  but  that  is  well  worth  restor- 
ing to  favour.  It  throws  up  stems  4  feet 
high  that  bear  large,  loose,  thyrse- 
shaped  masses  of  bloom,  each  flowery 
top  being  2  feet  high  and  15  inches  wide. 
The  upper  lobes  of  the  bloom  are  of  a 
tender  lilac  colour,  with  a  lighter  lip  and 
a  warm  white  hanging  pouch.  The  large 
mauve  pink  bracts  combine  with  this  to 
form  a  wonderful  harmony  of  related 
colouring  when  seen  close  by,  and  a 
cloud  of  tender  tinting  when  viewed  from 
a  little  distance.  Grouped  with  it  is 
Salvia  virgata,  whose  bloom  is  a  strong 
purple  that  is  made  all  the  richer  by 
the  deep  red-brown  of  the  calyx.  The 
two  plants,  in  a  group  that  covers  several 
square  yards,  help  each  other  in  effect  in 
a  way  one  would  hardly  have  thought 
possible.  At  the  foot  are  pale  pink  Snap- 
dragons and  spreading  masses  of  the 
quiet  grey  of  Artemisia  stelleriana ; 
above,  a  little  distance  away,  comes  an 
arch  of  the  pink  bloom  of  Rose  Euphro- 
syne. — G.  Jekvll. 

A  Late  -  Flowering  Greenhouse 
Heath.  —  Comparatively  few  of  the 
greenhouse  Heaths  flower  at  this  season 
of  the  year,  but  of  the  limited  number 
Erica  cerinthoides  is  one.  It  is  also 
one  of  the  brightest-coloured  members 
of  the  genus,  and  belongs  to  what  is 
usually  termed  the  hard- wooded  Heaths, 
in  contradistinction  to  such  well- 
known  kinds  as  E.  hyemalis,  E. 
gracilis,  E.  spenceriana  and  E.  wilmore- 
ana,  which  are  known  as  soft-wooded 
kinds.  The  species  under  notice  forms  a  rather 
upright-growing  plant,  whose  flowers,  .  borne  a 
dozen  or  so  together  in  a  terminal  head,  are  tubular 
in  shape,  each  about  an  inch  long,  and  of  a  bright 
crimson-scarlet  colour.  As  with  many  other 
members  of  the  genus,  the  exterior  of  the  blossoms 
is  clothed  with  hairs  more  or  less  sticky.  From 
its  bright  and  distinct  appearance  a  group  of  this 
Heath  forms  a  pleasing  feature  in  the  greenhouse 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  summer,  while  it  also 
sometimes  extends  into  early  autumn.  Another 
species  somewhat  in  the  same  way  and  flowering 
at  much  the  same  time  is  E.  verticillata,  whose 
flowers  are  in  whorls  on  the  upper  parts  of  the 
main  shoots. — H.  P. 


August  2,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


383 


A  Huge  Rhododendron. — The  enormous  Rhodo- 
dendron m  the  gardens  of  the  Marquis  of  Ailsa  at 
Culzean  Castle,  Ayrshire,  has  often  attracted  the 
notice  of  visitors,  who  can  hardly,  however,  realise 
its  great  size.  The  tree  is  the  ordinary  R. 
ponticum,  is  no  less  than  21  feet  high,  and  is, 
according  to  the  measurements  taken  in  1912, 
266  feet  in  circumference.  It  is  understood  to 
be  one  of,  if  not  the  largest  specimen  in  the 
kingdom,  and  is  in  perfect  health  and  showing 
no   signs   of   decrepitude. — S.  A. 

The  Future  of  the  North  of  England  Horti- 
cultural Society. — Mh>K  nu-  as  ,1  pnv.itf  indi- 
vidual to  intimate  to  the  gardening  fraternity 
)n  general,  and  Northern  horticulturists  in  par- 
ticular, the  opportunities  that  exist  at  present 
for  development.  The  cards  have  been  dealt 
and  the  call  for  trumps  has  been  given.  Has  it 
been  noticed,  and  will  the  response  be  forth- 
loming  ?  There  are  two  grand  openings  lying 
right  in  front  of  the  North  of  England  Horticultural 
Society,  and  it  would  appear  that  too  much  caution 
may  prevent  an  advance  through  these  open  doors, 
(i)  Without  going  into  details,  which  are  being 
thoroughly  overhauled  by  legal  and  other  interested 
persons,  there  is  undoubtedly  a  crying  need  for  a 
Northern  School  of  Horticulture.  The  general 
idea  is  a  Government  Garden  Institute,  with  the 
North  of  England  Horticultural  Society  co- 
operating, with  the  object  of  training  horticulturists 
capable  of  developing  the  economic  resources 
of  the  soil  at  home  or  in  the  Colonies.  (2)  There 
is  another  clear  call — the  establishment  of  a  North 
of  England  Horticultural  Society's  Rock  Garden. 
Such  a  Mecca  for  lovers  of  rock  gardens  would 
be  popular  and  useful.  To  me  one  thing  is  certain. 
When  at  a  general  meeting,  to  be  called  shortly, 
the  music  is  faced,  the  tune  will  be  played,  for  it 
is  preposterous  to  think  that  the  many  enthusiasts 
who  have  sacrificed,  gladly  and  willingly,  their 
time  and  money  will  allow  this  Northern  move- 
ment to  end  in  failure.  It  is  not  as  if  cash  was 
not  forthcoming.  Ml  that  is  required  is  a  strong 
lead  and  similar  enthusiasm  such  as  was  displayed 
over  the  new  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Hall 
and  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Gardens. 
Notwithstanding  deaths  and  withdrawals,  the 
North  of  England  Horticultural  Society  still 
increases  its  membership.  A  seedling  cannot 
be  forced  without  harm  being  done.  .AJso  all 
progress  comes  through  and  by  suffering.  It  is 
disappointmg,  too,  to  note  that  three  Northern 
societies  outside  Yorkshire  have  accepted  from 
the  North  of  England  Horticultural  Society, 
which  has  tried  to  be  true  to  name,  free  judging, 
costly  medals,  or  other  practical  support,  and  then 
given  nothing  or  practically  nothing  in  return. — 
J.  Bernard  Hall,  Rawdon,  Leeds. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

.August  4. — Flower  Shows  at  Bletchley.  Ather- 
stone,  Epsom,  Thornton  Heath,  Eye,  Lichfield, 
.\shby-de-la-Zouch,  Marlow,  Sandway,  Stourport 
(two  days),  Mansfield,  Datchet  and  King's  Lynn. 

August  5. — Flower  Shows  at  Leicester  (two 
days),  Navan  and  Aberdare.  Scottish  Horticultural 
Association's  Meeting. 

August  6. — Flower  Shows  at  Cookhill  and 
Clevedon. 

August  7. — Flower  Shows  at  Madresfield  and 
Kenilworth.     Perthshire  Sweet  Pea  Show. 

August  8. — Flower  Show  at  Darwen  (two  days). 

August  9. — National  Carnation  and  Picotee 
Society's  Show  (Northern  Section).  Flower  Show 
at  Winshill. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

ROCK    GARDEN    PLANTS    FOR    LATE 
SUMMER    AND    AUTUMN. 

IT  is  a  common  complaint  that  the  rock  garden 
is  dull  and  uninteresting  in  late  summer 
and  autumn,  due  to  the  fact  that  the  vast 
majority  of  the  plants  we  call  alpines  bloom 
early  in  the  year.  The  complaint  is  doubt- 
less well  founded  ;  but  now  that  we  have  so 
many  plants  available  from  almost  all  parts  of 
the  world,  it  is  possible  to  render  the  rock  garden 
bright  with  at  least  a  certain  amount  of  bloom 
almost  all  the  year. 

.Apart  from  the  flowers  which  bloom  natiu'ally 
at  the  later  season,  it  is  possible  by  some  con- 
sideration to  plant  some  of  the  alpines  in  such 
positions  that  they  will  retain  their  beauty  long 
after  their  sisters  have  ceased  to  flower.  Many 
of  these  plants  will  bloom  as  well  in  shade  or  semi- 
shade  as  in  sun,  and,  by  keeping  this  in  view,  a 
fortnight  or  more  may  often  be  gained  in  the 
prolongation  of  the  flowering  period.  Another 
point  which  deserves  consideration  is  that  there 
are  some  alpines  which,  under  favourable  con- 
ditions, will  flower  for  a  second  time  in  autumn, 
though,  it  may  be,  more  sparsely  than  in  spring. 
To  ensure  the  full  beauty  of  the  rock  garden  in 
late  autumn,  it  is  highly  desirable  to  include  a 
number  of  the  autumn-flowering  Crocuses  and 
Colchicums,  as  these  are  simply  invaluable.  In 
suitable,  sunny,  sheltered  places  the  autumn 
Crocuses  and  Meadow  Saftrons  look  delightful. 
Crocuses  speciosus,  its  variety  Aitchisonii,  pul- 
chellus,  iridiflorus,  zonatus,  asturicus,  Salzmannii, 
longiflorus  and  nudiflorus  are  all  comparatively 
cheap,  and  others  will  be  found  from  the  lists 
of  the  dealers  for  those  who  can  afford  more  expen- 
sive plants.  Of  the  Meadow  Saffrons  the  best 
are  the  varieties  of  Colchicum  speciosum.  including 
the  grand  white  one,  the  double  varieties  of  C. 
autumnale,  C.  Bommuelleri,  C.  giganteum  and 
C.  variegatum.  Then  the  dainty  Cyclamen  neapoli- 
tanum  will  give  its  rose  or  white  flowers  in  Sep- 
tember. Leucojum  autumnale,  a  charming  thing, 
flowers  from  July  until  frost  in  warm,  sandy  soil. 
The  pretty  little  Oxalis  lobata  is  another  late- 
blooming  plant,  which,  with  Saxifraga  Fortune!, 
will  bloom  even  as  late  as  October  in  warm, 
sheltered  places.  . 

Of  other  plants  than  those  of  bulbous  or  semi- 
bulbous  character  we  find  the  Tunicas  really  indis- 
pensable. T.  Saxifraga  (rose)  is  best  known, 
but  T.  olympica  (white)  and  the  double  T.  Saxifraga 
flore  pleno  are  fine.  Then  Silenc  Schafta  is 
also  most  valuable,  as  it  will  bloom  from  July 
until  frost. 

A  gem  of  the  first  water  is  .'\ndrosacc  lanuginosa, 
which,  with  its  form  oculata,  will  bloom  all  the 
summer  through,  and  even  until  sharp  frost  inter- 
venes. But  for  its  foxy  smell,  Phuopsis  or 
Crucianella  stylosa  would  be  more  appreciated, 
but  it  blooms  for  months  at  a  stretch.  Some  of 
the  Helianthemums  are  grand  flowers  for  our 
purpose,  and  the  best  are  the  double  varieties 
of  H.  amabile.  The  red  one,  often  known  as  Mrs. 
Earle,  is  hardly  ever  out  of  flower,  and  its  yellow 
sport.  Jubilee,  and  the  one  called  Old  Gold  are 
equally  floriferous. 

Some  consideration  in  planting  in  cool  places 
will  prolong  the  flowering  of  the  dwarf  Campanulas 
till  the  end  of  July  in  most  seasons,  and  often 
later,  and  the  writer  will  have  some  of  these  until 
well  into  August  this  season.  The  varieties  of 
C.  carpatica  lend  themselves  well  to  this.     /Ethio- 


nemas.  beautiful  in  themselves,  give  a  few  valuable 
late  bloomers,  and  among  them  I  find  grandiflorum, 
coridifolium  and  cordatuni  perhaps  the  best. 

Dianthuses,  c.p.,  varieties  of  plumarius,  most 
of  the  Mule  Pinks,  and  a  few  species,  such  as 
deltoides,  neglectus  and  graniticus,  are  long 
flowcrers.  Hypericums  give  us  a  goodly  variety, 
all  with  yellow  flowers.  H.  reptans,  H.  Coris, 
H.  fragile  and  H.  verticillatum  are  among  the 
best  of  the  dwarfer  species.  Though  rather  tall 
and  coarse,  Alyssum  sinuatum,  about  a  foot  high, 
gives  masses  of  yellow  in  late  summer  and  autumn, 
and  is  useful  for  rough  rockwork.  Jasione  perennis, 
blue,  a  foot  high  ;  Globularia  nana,  also  blue,  3  inches 
or  4  inches ;  Achillea  tomentosa,  yellow,  6  inches  ; 
and  A.  rupestris,  a  white  trailer,  may  all  be  named. 

Erodiums  afford  us  a  useful  variety,  and  any 
of  these  may  be  chosen  with  confidence.  Gypsophila 
prostrata  is  fine,  and  Polygonum  vaccinifolium 
most  valuable.  Oxalis  corniculata  gives  tiny 
golden  stars ;  Corydalis  lutea,  though  a  little 
coarse,  is  good  on  a  rough  rockery.  Antirrhinum 
asarinum  will  give  blooms  for  some  time,  and 
Heuchcras  in  suitable  positions  bloom  well. 
Arenaria  montana  in  the  shadier,  moister  parts 
will  afford  some  bloom  ;  Geranium  lancastriense 
and  a  few  others  will  flower  for  a  long  stretch  ; 
and  Origanums  hybridum  and  Tournefortii  and 
Astrantias  minor  and  gracilis  may  be  used. 

The  autumnal  Heaths  and  the  Menziesias  are 
indispensable,  and  a  full  planting  of  these  should  be 
made,  not  forgetting  Erica  hybrida  for  still  later 
bloom.  With  these  and  a  few  of  the  dwarfest 
annuals,  such  as  lonopsidium  acaule  and  Sedum  • 
caeruleum,  the  rock  garden  may  be  made  delightful 
in  autumn,  if  not  so  full  of  colour  as  in  the  earlier 
months  of  the  year. 

Diimfria.  S.   .^rnott. 


STERILISING     SEEDS    WITH     HYDRO 
GEN    PEROXIDE. 

The  current  issue  of  the  Kew  Bulletin  contams 
a  most  interesting  article  by  Miss  Ivy  Massee  on 
the  sterilisation  of  seeds  with  a  view  to  destroying 
spores  of  injurious  fungi  that  might  be  present. 
A  great  many  kinds  of  seeds  have  been  experimented 
with,  and  we  cannot  do  better  than  quote  Miss 
Massee's  summary :  "  The  spores  of  fungi,  also 
some  kinds  of  bacteria,  are  as  a  rule  killed  by  an 
hour's  immersion  in  hydrogen  peroxide  ;  no  spores 
experimented  with  germinated  after  similar  treat- 
ment for  two  hours.  In  nearly  every  instance 
the  germination  of  seeds  immersed  in  hydrogen 
peroxide  was  retarded.  Seeds  immersed  for  four 
hours  were  on  an  average  one  to  two  days  later 
in  appearing  above  ground  than  untreated  seeds 
of  the  same  kind.  Seeds  treated  for  twenty-four 
hours  were  retarded  from  two  to  eight  days,  or 
in  most  instances  were  killed  outright.  The  period 
of  retardation  is  much  less  in  seeds  which  germinate 
quickly  than  in  the  case  of  seeds  whose  germination 
is  normally  slow.  After  treated  seeds  have  ger- 
minated growth  is  rapid,  and  in  a  short  time 
the  plants  are  equal  in  size  and  vigour  to  the  plants 
from  untreated  seeds  sown  at  the  same  time. 
In  some  cases  the  plants  from  treated  seeds  are 
distinctly  larger  than  those  from  untreated  seeds 
at  the  end  of  three  weeks.  For  all  practical 
purposes,  soaking  seed  in  hydrogen  peroxide  for 
three  hours  will  kill  all  superficial  fungus  spores 
and  the  seed  will  not  be  injured.  This  method 
is  to  be  recommended  as  a  substitute  for  fumigation, 
which,  as  a  rule,  does  not  kill  fungus  spores,  unless 
continued  for  such  a  time  as  to  damage  the  seed." 


384 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  2,  1913. 


TREES     AND      SHRUBS. 


SHADE    AND    AIR    IN    THE    GARDEN. 

The  Value  of  Weeping  Trees. 

SOME  trees  stand  out  prominently  in  tlie 
landscape  by  reason  of  their  habit  of 
growth,  their  distinct  foliage  and  flowers, 
or  possibly  some  other  peculiarity. 
Among    these    th^    most    distinct     are. 


of  the  tree.  Some  weeping  trees,  when  grafted 
on  a  high  stock,  make  fairly  regular  and  symmetrical 
growth,  e.g.,  the  Elms  and  the  Ash.  On  the  other 
hand,  some  are  most  erratic  in  growth  ;  take, 
as  an  example,  the  Weeping  Mountain  Ash,  Pyrus 
Aucuparia.  If  this  is  not  carefully  staked  and 
trained,  the  branches  will  be  sprawling  on  the 
groimd  instead  of  hanging  gracefully  in  streamers 
from  an  upright  leader.  We  find  it  necessary 
to  thin  out  the  growths  of  the  Weeping  Holly 
perhaps,  those  of  weeping  or  pendulous    and    the    Weeping    Thorn     fairly    liberally    about 

growth.      Very    picturesque    and    charming    effects  1  midsummer  in    alternate    years,    or    a    little    may 

can  be  made  with  them  in  large  or  small  gardens,  I  be    done    about    this    time   each    year,    otherwise 

owing  to  the  fact  that  they  form  a  pleasing  change  >  the    growths    soon    become    a    tangled    and    un- 

from  trees  of  normal  growth.     It  is  when  planted  '  balanced  mass  of  twigs  ind  branches. 

as  lawn  specimens,  with  their  grace- 
ful pendent  branches  just  reaching 

to  the  grass,  that  the  trees  show  off 

to  the  greatest  advantage.  Pen- 
dulous trees  should   stand   out    as 

specimens  quite  distinct  from  their 

neighbours.     It  is  no  use  huddling 

them  away  in    a   shrubbery  border 

with    other   trees    and  shrubs,    as 

this   at   once   destroys    or,   at   any 

rate,    partly    robs    them    of  their 

picturesque   character.     As  a  rule, 

trees    of    pendulous    growth  must 

be  confined  to  the  pleasure  grounds 

and  the    immediate    surroundings 

of   the   house.     When    planted    in 

the  park  it  is  necessary  to  surround 

them  with  a  fence  as  a  protection 

against    grazing    cattle  ;     this,    it 

will  be  readily  seen,  detracts  very 

much  from  their  beauty. 

Their  Value   for  Shade.— One 

of  the  best  and  most  valuable 
uses  of  a  good  weeping  tree,  par- 
ticularlj'  in  a  garden  of  moderate 
size,  is  as  an  arbour  or  retreat. 
While  the  pendulous  branches 
hang  down  like  a  curtain  and 
form  an  effective  screen  from  the 
sun  and  surroundings  to  a  large 
extent,  the  air  beneath  one  of 
these  weeping  trees  is  never  so 
close  and  oppressive  as  in  the  ordi- 
nary summer-house.  These  weeping 
trees  readily  respond  to  a  little 
pruning  and  training  with  the  idea 
of  forming  a  shapely  arbour. 

Propagation     is    Important.— 

One  of  the   most  important   items 
in     the     cultivation     of     weeping 
trees  is  their  propagation.     Graft- 
ing   on     the     different     types    of 
the  respective    trees   is    the   most 
satisfactory  and  only  reallyjfeasible 
method.     Seeds  of    some    can    be 
obtained,   but  the    majority  of  the  young  plants 
would      revert      to     the      type.         Layering     and 
propagation  by  cuttings  in  some  cases  are  possible, 
yet  they  are  seldom,  if  ever,  satisfactory,  and  in 
any  case  would  take  years  to  make  a  tree  of  any 
size.     Much  the  quickest  way  to  obtain  specimen 
weeping  trees  is  to  graft  them  high  up  on  stocks 
of  the  normal  trees,  6  feet  to  12  feet  or  even  more 
in  height. 

Early  Training.— The  training  of  the  leader 
of  weeping  trees  in  the  early  years  of  their  growth 
is  most  important,  always  endeavouring  to  make 
them  go  upwards  till  they  attain  a  good  height.  Too 
much  stress  cannot  be  laid  upon  this  early  training, 
for  on  it  depends,  to  a  very  great  extent,  the  future 


.\    WEEPING    BEECH    OVERHANGING    THE    CARRIAGE    DRIVE    IN 
MR.    W.    A.    BILNEY's    GARDEN    AT  ,  WEYBRIDGE. 


The  Best  Kinds. — The  trees  of  drooping  or 
pendent  habit  belong  to  widely  different  genera, 
and,  as  is  only  to  be  expected,  differ  considerably 
in  height,  habit,  and  other  characteristics.  One  of, 
if  not  the  tallest  weeping  tree  in  this  country  is  at 
Elvaston  Castle,  the  seat  of  the  Earl  of  Harrington. 
The  tree  is  98  feet  high,  and  one  of  the  longest 
streamers  hangs  down  to  within  20  feet  of  the 
ground.  An  illustration  of  this  famous  tree 
appeared  in  The  Garpen  for  December  23, 
1905,  page  400.  Among  specimens  covering  a 
large  area  of  ground,  the  Weeping  Beech  is 
one  of  the  most  noteworthy.  Two  of  the 
strongest-growing  and  most  favoured  pendulous 
trees   for  large   gardens   are   the   Weeping   Scotch 


Elm,  Ulmus  montana  pendula  (illustrated  on 
next  page),  and  the  Pendulous  Feathered  Elm, 
Ulmus  glabra  pendula.  Both  form  large,  trees, 
the  Weeping  Scotch  Elm  in  particular  being  in 
summer  a  luxurious  mass  of  dark  green  leaves. 
There  are  several  pendulous  forms  of  the  common 
Beech  (illustrated).  The  best  known  is  Fagus 
sylvatica  pendula,  which  is  often  represented  by 
large  specimens  covering  a  considerable  area  of 
ground.  The  trees  exhibit  great  variation 
in  the  disposition  of  the  branches.  Some  are 
fairly  regular  in  outline,  others  throw  out  a  stiff, 
vigorous  branch  on  one  side  of  the  tree  only,  or 
perhaps  at  irregular  intervals,  giving'  the  tree  a 
rough,  ragged  outhne.  The  leader  of  a  young 
Weeping  Beech  will  sometimes 
grow  out  almost  or  quite  at  right 
angles,  and  unless  noticed  in 
a  young  state,  cannot  be  tied  up 
straight,  being  too  stiff.  One  of 
two  alternatives  may  be  taken,  e.g., 
take  up  a  fresh  lead,  cutting  off 
the  end  of  the  old.  leader,  or 
allow  the  tree  to  grow  in  its 
own  erratic  way.  Two  distinct 
forms  which  originated  on  the 
Continent  are  bomyensis,  which 
has  an  erect  stem  and  pendulous 
branches,  and  remillyensis,  a 
Weeping  Beech  with  pendent 
branches  shaped  more  or  less  like 
an  umbrella.  There  is  a  very 
pretty  weeping  variety  of  the 
Copper  Beech  boasting  the  long 
name  of  Fagus  sylvatica  purpurea 
pendula.  There  are  also  several 
pendulous  forms  of  the  Ash.  The 
best  known  is  Fraxinus  excelsior 
pendula  var.  Wentworthii,  which 
forms  a  tall,  narrow  tree,  the 
leader  being  quite  upright,  with 
small  branches  disposed  regularly 
round  the  trunk.  F.  angustifolia 
pendula  is  an  elegant  tree  of  tall, 
columnar  outline. 

Two  Weeping    Aspens    should 

find  a  place  in  large  gardens — 
Populus  tremula  pendula  and  P. 
tremuloides  pendula.  Two  of  the 
most  graceful  weeping  trees  are 
Betula  alba  pendula  and  Youngii. 
The  former  is  tall  and  slender  in 
growth,  and  Youngii  broad  and 
spreading.  One  of  the  best-known 
weeping  trees  among  the  general 
public  is  Salix  babylonica,  the 
Weeping  Willow,  a  tree  unequalled 
for  effective  planting  by  the  lake- 
side, stream  and  swamp.  The 
species  in  this  case  is  a  weeping 
tree.  The  main  branches  are  more  or  less  upright, 
with  graceful,  pendulous,  leafy  twigs.  There  are 
weeping  varieties  of  the  common  Crab,  the  Siberian 
Crab  and  the  Mountain  Ash.  In  the  Prunus  family 
there  are  weeping  forms  of  the  Almond  and  Japanese 
.Apricot.  The  Gean,  a  lovely  tree  when  covered 
with  white  flowers  in  spring  and  suitable  for  small 
gardens,  is  catalogued  as  Prunus  Avium  var.  pendula. 
The  Rose-bud  Cherry,  Prunus  pendula,  from  Japan, 
is  a  charming  weeper,  with  dainty  pink  blossoms 
borne  on  slender  twigs  in  April.  The  best  of  all 
the  pendulous  Prunuses  for  large  gardens  is  the 
Weeping  St.  Lucie  Cherry,  P.  Mahaleb  var.  pendula, 
which  forms  a  glorious  sight  in  spring  when  covered 
with    blossoms.     Another    small-growing    tree    for 


Supplement  h  THE  GARDEN,  Ai/o/tsf  2iid,   1913. 


STEPPING   STONES  AND    POOL   IN    THE    NATURAL   GARDEN   AT   MOUNTON. 


Hudson  iS  I\eiiin^,  Ltd.,  Pi  infers,  London,  S.E. 


August  z,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


385 


ANOTHER 


FORM      OF      WEEPING      BEECH      THAT      MAKES 
ON    A    SUNNY    DAY. 


A      GOOD      RETREAT 


gardens  of  moderate  size  is  the  Weeping  Hawthorn, 
a  variety  of  Crataegus  Oxyacantha, 

Evergreen  Kinds. — Among  evergreens  the  most 
important  tree  with  pendulous  growths  is  the 
Weeping  Holly,  Ilex  Aquifolium  var.  pendula. 
There  are  also  two  very  useful  and  attractive 
variegated  Hollies,  argentea  pendula,  known  as 
Perry's  Weeping,  and  aurea  pendula,  Waterer's 
Gold  Weeping.  The  conifer  family  provides  us 
with  a  number  of  exceedingly  attractive  trees. 
A.  ievi  of  the  best  and  most  distinct  are  the  Weeping 
Lawson's  Cypress,  Cupressus  lawsoniaua,  C.  pisifera 
var.  iilifera,  C.  nootkatensis  var.  pendula.  Thuya 
occidentahs  pendula,  T.  pUcata  pendula,  Tsuga 
canadensis  var.  pendula,  and  the  Weeping  Douglas 
I-'ir,  Pseudotsuga  Douglasii.  The  foregoing  may 
appear  a  rather  lengthy  list,  but  it  by  no  means 
exhausts  the  number  of  pendulous  trees  grown  in  the 
collection  of  trees  and  shrubs  at  Kew.  Six  of  the 
best  weeping  trees  for  a  garden  of  moderate  size 
are  the  pendulous  forms  of  the  Green  Holly,  Perry's 
Holly,  Hawthorn,  common  Ash,  Young's  Birch 
and  Copper  Beech.  To  these  should  be  added 
to  cimiplete  a  list  of  twelve  for  extensive  pleasure 
grounds  Scotch  or  Wych  Elm,  Beech,  Lawson's 
Cypress,  St.  Lucie  Cherry,  Salix  babylonica  and 
Cupressus  pisifera  var.  filifera.  A.  O. 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 

THE     LOGANBERRY     AS     A     COM- 
MERCIAL  FRUIT. 

THERE  have  been  many  new  berry  hybrids 
of  the  Bramble  type  introduced  during 
the  past  fifteen  years,  all  claiming 
some  particular  merit  over  others 
already  in  cultivation.  Time  and 
experience  reveal  the  truth  or  other- 
wise of  these  claims.  Among  these  are  the  Mahdi  ; 
the  Hailshamberry,  since  proved  to  be  an  autumn 
Raspberry  ;  the  Lowberry,  said  to  be  excellent  when 
grown  under  glass,  but  no  good  when  grown  out  of 
doors — this  is  my  experience  of  it  ;    the  King's  Acre 


Berry,  of  which  I  have  had  no  e.vperience  ;  and  the 
Newberry,  which  promises  to  be  a  success.  It  has 
been  exhibited  at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
meetings  on  several  occasions.  The  branches  are 
heavily  laden  with  handsome  fruit,  which  appears 
to  be  coreless — a  considerable  advantage. 

Of  the  Loganberry  there  is  no  manner  of  doubt 
about  its  value  and  usefulness.  It  is  now  well 
kno\vn,  much  appreciated  and  sought  after  by  the 
common  people,  and  is  now  on  sale  at  every  green- 
grocer's shop,  fetching  here  about  4d.  to  6d.  per 
pound.     The  gentleman  first  to  find  and  practically 


to  point  out  the  merits  of  this  berry  was  Mr.  Crump 
of  Madresfield  Court,  .Among  Mr.  Crump's  varied 
activities  in  the  county  of  Worcester,  directing 
attention  to  the  value  of  horticulture  and  more 
particularly  fruit-growing  for  profit,  both  tor 
farmers  and  cottagers,  were,  and  are,  the  lectures 
he  delivers  for  the  Madresfield  Agricultural  Club. 
On  one  occasion  his  subject  was  the  Loganberry  ; 
this  is  a  good  many  years  back.  He  had  thoroughly 
tested  this  fruit,  and  was  absolutely  convinced 
of  its  great  value,  especially  its  commercial  value 
for  converting  into  jam  and  jellies,  and  therefore 
spoke  of  its  merits  with  force  bom  of  conviction. 
In  the  audience  was  a  gentleman  farmer  interested 
in  the  matter,  and  at  question-time,  to  test  the 
genuineness  of  Mr.  Crump's  conviction,  asked  him 
whether  he  would  be  prepared  to  share  the  loss 
with  him  if  he  planted  an  acre  and  it  failed. 
Sportsmanhke,  Mr.  Crump  said  he  would.  Result, 
three  parts  of  an  acre  planted  ;  returns,  /8o  the 
second  or  third  year  after  planting.  The  same 
gentleman  grows  tons  of  the  fruit  every  year  now, 
and  has  good  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  results. 
Mr.  Crump  made  a  mistake  in  not  stipulating  for 
half  the  profits  !  This  is  an  American  fruit,  and 
is  a  cross  between  a  Raspberry  and  a  Blackberry ; 
and  a  very  even  cross  it  is,  possessing,  as  the  plant 
does,  the  vigorous  growth  of  the  Bramble  and  its 
heavy  cropping  qualities  with,  partly,  the  shape, 
size  and  flavour  of  the  Raspberry,  with  a  distinct 
briskness  added  of  its  own,  which,  however, 
disappears  when  the  fruit  is  perfectly  ripe,  followed 
by  a  sweet  flavour  which  I  consider  refreshing,, 
not  unlike  the  flavour  of  a  dead  ripe,  well-grown 
Blackberry. 

I  have  already  drawn  attention  to  the  com- 
mercial value  of  its  fruit.  I  wish  also  to  as  emphati- 
cally recommend  its  growth  to  the  cottager. 
There  is  no  other  berry  plant  with  which  I  am 
acquainted  which  will  give  him  a  better  return 
for  the  little  labour  required  in  its  growth.  It 
seems  to  thrive  well  in  almost  any  position,  and  is 
not  particular  as  to  soil.  I  have  one  plant  growing 
and  thriving  well  near  the  roots  and  in  the  shade 


THE    WEEPING    SCOTCH      ELM, 


ULMUS     MONTANA    PENDULA. 
DARK    GREEN    LEAVES. 


A    HANDSOME    TREE    WITH 


386 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  2,  1913. 


of  a  Poplar  tree,  on  cold,  clay  soil ;  but,  of  course, 
it  would  grow  and  bear  fruit  much  better  in  the 
open  quarter. 

Culture  and  Propagation. — Like  all  the  Bramble 
tribe,  it  will  grow  freely  from  seed,  but  being  a 
hybrid  plant,  there  is  danger  of  its  reverting  to 
one  or  other  of  its  parents  under  this  mode  of 
propagation.  The  best  way  is  to  grow  it  from 
layers.  This  is  done  by  pegging  the  points  of 
the  long  shoots  to  the  ground  at  the  end  of  July, 
burying  the  part  pegged  with  soil  to  the  depth  of 
3  inches  or  4  inches.  Tread  the  soil  firmly  down, 
leaving  6  inches  or  7  inches  of  the  extreme  end 
of  the  shoot  to  grow  into  a  young  separate  plant 
in  the  autumn  after  it  has  rooted  and  been  cut 
away.  Such  rooted  layers  may 
then  be  planted  in  their  permanent 
quarters  9  feet  apart.  If  planted 
in  rows,  the  rows  should  be  g  feet 
apart.  The  growth  of  the  shoots 
in  one  year  is  phenomenal,  often 
attaining  a  length  of  from  r2  feet 
to  16  feet.  Whether  one  trains  the 
shoots  to  stakes  or  to  a  wire  fence, 
these  should  be  at  least  6  feet  high, 
and  the  shoots  should  be  trained 
in  a  horizontal,  not  vertical,  way. 
Another  method  of  training  to  which 
the  plant  lends  itself  well  is  to 
cover  arches,  arbours,  or  screens  to 
hide  ugly  corners  of  the  garden  in 
summer. 

Pruning. — it  should  be  pruned 
in  the  same  way  as  the  Raspberry, 
namely,  by  cutting  away  (down  to 
the  ground)  all  the  shoots  which 
have  borne  fruit,  and  that  as  soon 
as  the  fruit  has  been  gathered.  This 
will  generally  be  at  the  end  of  July. 
One's  attention  must  then  be 
directed  to  the  new  canes,  the 
growth  of  the  current  year,  as  it  is 
these  which  will  produce  the  fruit  of 
the  next  year.  They  should  be  tied 
loosely  to  the  stakes  or  whatever 
the  old  ones  have  been  trained  to. 
They  will  then  be  exposed  to  and 
have  the  advantage  of  all  sunshine 
and  air  possible  until  the  end  of 
the  autumn,  when  they  can  be 
secured  to  the  stakes  for  winter  and 
next  summer.  The  branches  must 
not  be  tied  too  closely  together. 
They  shoiJd  be  at  least  10  inches 
apart.  About  ten  inches  of  the 
tip  end  of  the  shoots  should  be 
cut  back  at  the  time  of  tying  in 
in  autumn  or  winter. 

Winter  and  Summer  Treat- 
ment.— In  summer  keep  clear  of 
weeds  by  hoeing  or  hand  weeding. 
Gather  the  fruit  closely  every  day  as  it  ripens, 
or  the  birds  will  have  it.  Feed  the  trees  when  in 
fruit  with  manure-water  if  possible.  It  will  pay 
one  well  to  do  so.  In  winter  hoe  the  ground 
clear  of  weeds,  and  then  fork  the  surface  soil 
about  two  inches  deep  without  disturbing  the  roots. 
Give  a  dressing,  3  inches  deep,  of  good  rotten 
manure  to  the  surface  of  the  soil  over  the  roots 
as  far  as  they  extend.  This  will  mean,  when  the 
plants  are  established,  that  all  of  the  ground 
between  the  rows  of  plants  will  have  to  be 
manured.  The  best  time  to  plant  is  early  in 
November  or  at  any  time  after  until  the  end  of 
February.  Owen  Thomas,  V.M.H. 


A    WATER   GARDEN    IN    THE 
NATURAL    STYLE. 


[See  Special  Supplement.] 

IT  is  a  little  difficult  foi  us  now  to  understand 
the  fury  of  the  battle  between  the  formalists 
and  the  naturalists  in  garden  matters 
which  raged  only  twenty  years  ago.  We 
now  know  that  these  are  not  opposing 
principles,  but  that  each  method  should  be 
used  in  its  own  sphere.  The  lay-out  of  a  garden 
is  right  or  wrong  according  as  the  limits  of  these 
two  spheres  have  been  thoroughly  understood. 
Each  case  needs  a  practised  eye  to  determine  those 


A    BROAD    EDGING    OF    THRIFT    OR    SEA    PINK,    A    USEFUL    PLANT    FOR 
POOR    SANDY    SOIL. 


limits  ;  but,  roughly  speaking,  it  may  be  laid  down 
that,  where  Nature  refuses  to  use  her  powers  of 
attraction,  the  formalist  can  have  sway,  but  that 
she  should  rule  wherever  she  has  given  herself  the 
trouble  to  assert  herself.  This  means  that  where 
natural  forms  are  decided,  varied  and  characteristic, 
the  lay-out  should  give  them  full  value  and  con- 
sideration, but  that  where  the  ground  lacks  dis- 
tinction and  feature,  architectural  and  geometrical 
treatment  may  be  resorted  to.  That  is  why 
gardeners  of  old,  who  were  wedded  to  formalism 
and  formalism  alone,  liked  flat  ground  to  work  on. 
"  The  most  graceful  ground  is  an  entire  level," 
wrote    John    Rea    in    r665  ;     "  hanging    gardens 


uncapable   to  be   cast  into  a   Level  seldom  make 
handsome   gardens."     If   this   were   true,    a   more 
liopeless   task   than   the   making    of   a   garden   at 
Mounton  could  not  have  been  imagined.     Luckily, 
I  we  now  not   only  recognise   the   great   beauty  of 
such  a  site,  but  we  have  sound  views  as  to  how  it 
should  be  treated.     We  are  convinced  that  when 
,  hill  and  rock  and  rushing  stream  arrest  attention 
by    their    prominence,    they    should    be    accepted 
as  the  chief  lines  of  a  lay-out,  that  artifice  should 
follow  in  their  train  and  not  oppose  them,  that  man 
I  should,   in  such  surroundings,   leave   the   compass 
j  and  the  spirit-level  and  study  Nature's  own  modes 
j  of    expression.     That    has    been    the    attempt    at 
Mounton,  and  the  results  are  to  be  judged  by  the 
accompanying    supplement.      The 
site    was  a  rocky  limestone  gorge, 
with  sheer    cliffs   alternating    with 
steep  tree-clad  hangers.     At   their 
foot    a    stream    wound    its    way, 
sometimes    surging   round  a  bluff, 
at    others    running    easily    in    the 
midst  of   a  narrow   meadow  com- 
posed  of    the   sandy   soil   brought 
there  by  the    water's  action   of   a 
million  years.     The  general  scheme 
of    the    grounds    comprised  a  high 
and    airy    tableland,    which    could 
adequately    accommodate    on    its 
comparatively  flat  surface  a  house 
and     its     terraces.       The      latter 
were    to    be    separated    by    some 
broken    rocky     ground    set     with 
Heaths  and  low  shrubs  from   the 
wooded     slopes     and     precipitous 
sides  of   the  limestone  formation, 
which     offered     great     scope     for 
picturesque  wild   gardens.       Path- 
ways   were  engineered    along    the 
sides   of    these    slopes,     and    they 
lead    to     the    level    bed    of     the 
stream    and   to    what   was  a  little 
meadow  that    lay  between  it    and 
the  iane.       There    was    no    hurry 
whatever      to      realise      all     this 
scheme.     It   was  begun   ten   years 
ago,  and  the   house  and   much  of 
the  formal  lay-out   on   the    upper 
flat    still    remain    unaccomplished. 
The     owner     lives     in     the     next 
parish,   and  this    is    the    work    of 
his  leisure   moments   and   for   the 
employment    of    available    labour 
in   the   winter  months.      The  pre- 
sent   purpose    is    not    to    describe 
the  whole    grounds,  but    only   the 
water    garden,    made    out    of    the 
stream  itself,  with  the  meadow  on 
one    side    of   it    and    the   edge    of 
the  slope  on  the  other.     It  was  at 
first   proposed   to  use  the  original 
stream-bed  and  its  banks  for  gardening  purposes ; 
but  when,  after  some  very  heavy  rains,  much  of  the 
new  planted  stuff  was  swept  away  down  stream  to 
Severn  Sea,  and  when  at  the  close  of  a  dry  summer 
that  which  had  not  been  swept  away  in  the  winter 
suffered  severely  from  drought,  owing  to  the  stream 
becoming  a  mere  rill,  it  was  realised  that  serious 
alteration   of  the  stream  was  necessary  and   that 
an   artificial   stream-bed   where   the   water   would 
be  under  command  was  essential. 

It  is  not  easy  to  get  the  ordinary  gardener  or 
labourer  to  imderstand  natural  forms.  He  can 
dig  you  a  ditdi  or  a  canal,  or  even  serpentine  you 
a   walk.      But    they   will    be   set   out    with   great 


August  2.  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


387 


precision  by  means  of  pegs  and  a  garden  line.  The 
making  of  the  new  stream-bed,  therefore,  needed 
close  supervision  and  even  the  direct  labour  of 
the  designer.  Just  before  the  original  stream-bed 
took  a  decided  turn  from  east  to  south  he  ordered 
a  trench  to  be  dug  about  twelve  feet  wide  and  five 
feet  deep.  This  lay  in  the  meadow,  started  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  stream  bank,  and  rejoined  the 
orieinal  stream  some  eighty  yards  lower  down. 
The  top  soil  was  wheeled  well  away,  in  order  that 
it  might  not  be  buried,  but  be  replaced  as  the  top 
soil  in  the  new  arrangement.  The  under  soil 
was  tossed  on  either  bank  as  unevenly  as  possible. 
.^11  this  preliminary  work  could  be  carried  out  by 


has  taken  up  half  the  width  of  what  was  meadow, 
but  the  other  half  is  used  as  lawn.  Next  to  the 
road  there  are  a  wall,  a  shrubbery  border  and  a 
path.  The  open  shed  that  served  for  the  animals 
that  pastured  in  the  meadow  is  used  as  a  tool- 
house,  but  its  eaves  are  brought  forward  so  as 
to  afford  a  sheltered  and  covered  seat,  from  which 
the  water  garden  and  the  great  cliff  can  be  enjoyed 
by  the  eye.  The  \avm  itself  is  no  longer  level  like 
the  meadow  was,  but  presents  the  appearance  of 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


THE     THRIFT    AS    AN     EDGING. 

JOO  often  in  these  days  of  new  plants 
the  merits  of  many  old  ones  are 
overlooked,  to  the  detriment  of  our 
gardens.  One  such  plant  is  the 
common  Thrift  or    Sea    Pink,  Armeria 


1  nc 

T 


vulgaris,  than  which  none  is  better 
an  unused  stream-bed  grassed  over.  The  effect  i  for  forming  a  neat  and  attractive  edgmg  to 
is  very  satisfactory,  but  the  plan  was  adopted  for  I  a  pathway,   particularly  where  the  soil    is  sandy 


purely  practical  reasons.     The  occasional  torrential 
rains  of  this  Welsh  borderland  bring  do\vn  such 


the  labourers  alone,  but  that  done,   the  constant  |  masses  of  water  that  injurious  floods  occur.     Their 
attention  of  the  designer  was  essential.     Uneven    destructive  action  can  only  be  obviated  by  getting 


rid  of  the  water  as  quickly  as  possible.  The  sharp 
bend  of  the  old  stream  tends  to  hold  it  back, 
and  so  a  flood-gate  is  introduced  at  the  head  of 


and  thus  unsuitable  for  many  kinds  of  plant- 
life.  The  Thrift  is  a  good-natured  subject, 
and  once  planted  will  take  care  of  itself,  except 
that  it  may  occasionally  be  necessary  to  curtail 
it  somewhat  when  it  encroaches  too  far  on  other 
domains.  The  illustration  on  page  386  depicts 
a  broad  edging  of  one  of  the  varieties  of  the  common 


the  lawn,  and  when  much  pressure  of  water  threatens    Thrift,    and   shows    how    effective    it    is    when    in 


side  bays  were  dug  out  on  each  side  of  the  trench, 
while  portions  of  the  heaped  soil  were  raked  back 
into  it.  The  accidental  unevennesses  produced  by 
this  process  were  used  as  a  basis  for  establisliing 
curves,  levels  and  contours  as 
closely  as  possible  resembling  those 
of  Nature.  At  the  bottom  of  the 
trench  a  small  waterway  was  en- 
gineered, its  windings  being  made 
reasonable  by  the  introduction  of 
realistic  bluffs,  and  the  differing 
widths  being  made  convincing  by 
the  placing  of  barrier  rocks.  The 
same  system  makes  all  the  zigzags 
and  ups  and  downs  of  the  pathways 
reasonable,  the  paths  themselves 
being  mostly  laid  with  rough  lime- 
stone paving  procured  from  a 
stratum  in  a  neighbouring  quarry, 
which  works  out  into  slabs  2  inches 
or  3  inches  thick  and  with  fairly 
flat  surfaces.  The  water  was  let 
in  from  the  natural  to  the  artificial 
stream-bed  through  a  pipe  in  the 
bank,  which  can  be  closed,  half 
opened  or  fully  opened  at  will. 
The  water  is  made  to  look,  at  its 
entry,  as  if  it  bubbled  up  amid 
great  stones  from  a  spring.  It 
then  dances  rapidly  doivn  over 
stones  and  round  corners  until  it 
reaches  a  wider  and  more  level 
portion  of  the  bed,  where  it 
lies  placidly,  and  is  crossed  by  the 
stepping-stones  that  form  the  fore- 
ground of  the  supplement.  There 
are  considerable  areas  of  much- 
broken  and  often  rocky  ground 
encompassing  both  stream-beds,  all 
of  which  is  planted.  Away  from 
streams  or  paths  flowering  shrubs 
of  some  size  are    set.      LUacs,   Japanese   Guelder    it  is  opened,  and  a  great  part  of  tlie  water  pours    flower.     The     blossoms    last    in 


A     LITTLE-KNOWN     SHRUBBY     CALCEOL.^RLA,      C.      INTEGRIFOLIA,      IN      A    SOUTHjTdEVON     GARDEN. 

THE    PLANTS    ARE    OVER    FOUR    FEET    HIGH. 


Roses,  Judas  -  trees,  Weigelas,  Deutzias  and 
Piiiladelphuses  represent  the  deciduous  section, 
wliile  for  evergreens  we  find  Choisyas  and 
Savins.  Tall  perennials  group  with  these  or 
stretch  out  beyond  them,  such  as  Rudbeckia 
laciniata.  Anemone  japonica  and  Pl^loxes.  Lower 
growths  at  first  intermingle  and  then  dominate  as 
the  path  is  approached.  Lavender  bushes,  pros- 
trate Junipers  and  Cotoneaster  horizontalis  are 
associated  with  Harebells,  Foam-flower,  dwarf 
Irises,  Stonecrops  and  their  like.  The  stream 
edge  is  set  with  water-loving  plants.  The  great 
leaves  of  Saxifraga  peltata  and  Rodgersia  podo- 
phylla  give  horizontal  lines,  while  New  Zealand 
Flax  and  Siberian  Irises  soar  aloft. 

The  whole  race  of  Astilbes  flourishes  amazingly 
and  reproduces  itself  by  seed.     This  planted  ground 


down  the  centre  of  the  lawn,  obviating  all  danger 
to  the  garden  and  to  the  low-lying  gardener's 
cottage. 

Despite  its  vagaries  of  wat'ir-Ievel,  a  good  deal 
of  gardening,  prudently  ordained,  takes  place 
on  the  banks  of  the  old  stream.  More  delicate 
planting  of  water  subjects  takes  place  along 
the  sides  of  the  artificial  stream.  Here  one 
of  the  greatest  successes  is  Primula  rosea. 
This  Himalayan  variety,  while  by  no  means 
so  particular  and  miffy  as  others  of  the 
family,  is  not  everywhere  at  home.  Here  it 
not  only  grows  luxuriantly,  but  sows  itself 
freely,  and  considerable  stretches  of  damp 
ground  on  either  side  of  the  stepping-stones  are 
studded  by  myTiads  of  bright  pink  blooms  in 
March.  H.  .Avray  Tipping. 


good     condition 


for  at  least  six  weeks,  but  even  when  they  are 
absent  the  neat  carpet  of  green  foliage  makes  a 
useful  and  not  unattractive  edging.  C. 


A    LITTLE-KNOWN    CALCEOLARIA. 

Calceolaria  integrifolia  is  apparently  a  rare 
plant,  as  when  I  sent  flowers  to  Kew  for  naming 
I  was  told  that  they  did  not  possess  it,  so  I  sent 
them  some  cuttings.  It  is  extremely  common 
in  the  gardens  near  the  mouth  of  the  River  Dart, 
where  it  attains  large  proportions,  and  is  one  of  the 
finest  of  summer-flowering  shrubs.  It  is  termed 
"  shrub  "  because  it  is  of  woody  growth,  and  a 
specimen  here  a  few  years  ago  was  6  feet  in  height 
and  7  feet  in  diameter.  This  would  have  consider- 
ably increased  in  size  if  it  had  not  been  cut  back. 


388 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  2,  1913, 


This  Calceolaria  has  been  growing  at  Kingswear 
for  over  forty  years,  but  it  is  impossible  to  discover 
the  source  from  which  the  plants  originated.  It 
has  now  spread  from  Kingswear  over  the  greater 
part  of  the  south-west  of  England,  and  has  appa- 
rently been  grown  merely  as  a  showy  subject  ot 
easy  culture,  rather  hardier  than  the  majority  of 
shrubby  Veronicas  so  much  in  evidence  along  the 
south-western  coast-line.  It  is  at  its  best  in  July, 
when  it  is  a  perfect  sheet  of  gold,  and  it  carries  a 
fair  amount  of  blossoms  until  well  on  into  October. 
It  is  to  be  found  in  cottage  and  farmhouse  gardens 
as  well  as  in  the  ground  surrounding  the  larger 
residences,  and  is  invaluable  for  its  masses  of 
glowing  colour.  Some  writers  on  the  Calceolaria 
have  stated  that  this  species  is  useless  for  outdoor 
culture  in  England ;  but  at  Kingswear  it  is  never 
harmed  by  the  frost,  which  is 
rarely  severe  in  that  locality,  as 
it  is  entirely  sheltered  from  the 
north  and  east,  while  the  steep 
slope  immediately  overlooks  the 
salt  water.  Old  bushes,  how- 
ever, have  a  way  of  becoming 
bare  in  their  lower  branches, 
when  they  are  usually  destroyed 
and  their  places  filled  with  younger 
plants.  In  the  severe  weather 
of  February,  1912,  some  plants 
on  the  borders  of  Dartmoor  ex- 
perienced 27°  of  frost,  but  though 
every  leaf  was  browned,  the 
shoots  broke  well  again  in  the 
spring  and  now  are  fine  plants, 
so  that  it  is  evidently  far  hardier 
than  has  been  imagined. 

The  plants  in  the  border  shown 
in  the  illustration  on  page  387 
average  over  four  feet  in  height, 
and,  as  will  be  seen,  are  well 
clothed  with  foliage  to  the  ground- 
level.  As  these  occupy  a  sheltered 
site,  they  will  in  all  probability 
retain  their  lower  leaves  for  a 
longer  time  than  e.\amples  stand- 
ing in  a  more  exposed  position. 
This  Calceolaria  has  the  advan- 
tage of  being  quite  indifferent 
to  soil.  In  rich  and  deep  ground 
it  forms  exceptionally  strong 
growth  and  flowers  profusely ; 
while  in  poor,  stony  and  shallow 
soil,  though  making  but  little 
growth,  it  blossoms  with  equal 
freedom.  At  Kingswear  a  line  of 
plants  is  growing  in  very  shallow, 
stony  soil  imnrediately  at  the 
top  of  a  dry  wall,  over  whicli 
Mesembryanthemums  hang  in 
sheets,  and  backed  at  a  distance 
of  18  inches  by  an  old  hedge  of  Laurustinus. 
This  site,  facing  due  south  and  entirely  un- 
shaded, is  dust  dry  during  the  summer  heat, 
owing  to  the  combined  action  of  the  burning 
sun  and  the  roots  of  the  Laurustinus,  but  the 
plants,  though  making  but  little  growth,  never  fail 
to  bloom  abundantly-     Wvndham  Fitzherbert. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


N 


SEASONABLE    WORK     AMONG 
ROSES. 

OW  that  our  first  show  of  Roses  is 
past,  it  is  well  to  do  all  we  possibly 
can  to  help  in  the  future  displays  ; 
and  much  can  be  accomplished  by 
cutting  away  any  crowding  and 
superfluous  wood.  The  large  trusses 
of  spent  blooms  might  often  be  cut  ofl  a  little  lower 
than  is  generally  practised.  In  fact,  the  removal 
of  stale  flowers  might  be  done  rigorously  enough 
to  form  a  sort  of  summer  pruning.  We  notice 
that  our  chief  growths  push  from  the  terminal 
eyes  of  the  shoots,   and  this  often    leaves  several 


A     BEAUTIFUL    CINQUEFOIL. 

A  CHARMING  plant  flowering  just  now  is  Potentilla 
nepalensis,  known  in  a  good  many  gardens  as  P. 
willniottiana.  It  somewhat  resembles  a  Geum  in 
habit,  the  prostrate,  spreading  branches  being 
freely  bedecked  with  flowers  of  good  size.  It  is  a 
useful  jilant  fur  either  the  border  or  the  roi  k  garden. 


NEW    SEEDLING    KObE   GORGEOUS,    AWARDED    A    GOLD    MEDAL    AT   THE 

NATIONAL    ROSE,   SOCIETY'S     PROVINCIAL    SHOW.        THE     COLOUR 

IS    SOFT    PINK,    SUFFUSED    ORANGE. 

dormant  ones  at  and  near  their  base.  By  more 
judicious  cutting  back  we  secure  a  lower  and  more 
bushy  break  of  young  growth,  thus  doing  away 
with  the  chief  cause  of  leggy  and  gaunt  specimens. 
At  the  same  time  we  should  carefully  avoid  any 
tendency  to  crowding  the  centres  of  our  plants. 
Much  of  this  summer  pruning  might  perhaps  be 
I  more  correctly  described  as  thinning,  for  our 
main  object  is  to  stop  badly-placed  growth  and 
overcrowding. 

After  flowering  so  unexpectedly  well  as  our 
Roses  have  done  this  season,  they  will,  naturally, 
need  some  support  in  the  way  of  mulchings,  if  not 
already  supplied  in  sufficient  quantity.  Now  is 
the  best  time  for  sprinkling  artificial  manures  over 


the  surface  soil,  and  if  it  can  be  done  previous  to 
a  shower,  so  much  the  better.  A  great  deal  of  the 
feeding  properties  of  our  artificials  is  lost  by  air 
evaporation,  and  I  strongly  advise  the  hoe 
being  used  directly  after  sowing.  This  mixes 
the  soil  and  manure,  covering  the  bulk  of  the 
latter  and  so  conserving  its  food,  which  will  be 
assimilated  all  the  sooner  by  rain  or  a  free  use 
of  the  water-can.  If  one  intends  to  water,  the 
majority  of  manures  might  well  be  used  in  the 
liquid,  and  will  not  only  be  quicker  in  their  effects, 
but  a  considerable  amount  of  waste  will  be  avoided. 
1  am  a  great  believer  in  the  hoe  upon  all  suitable 
occasions,  whether  weeds  are  present  or  not ; 
also  in  drawing  some  of  the  soil  well  up  to  all 
dwarfs.  You  cannot  do  wrong  by  a  persistent 
use  of  the  syringe  still,  for  it  is  more  often  than 
not  the  worst  time  for  mildew 
when  our  second  and  third  crops 
of  young  growths  appear,  and 
by  consistent  washing  we  prevent 
any  serious  settlement  of  this 
disease. 

A  great  deal  can  be  done  in 
the  way  of  summer  propagation 
independent  of  the  usual  bud- 
ding. Three  parts  ripened  wood 
can  be  rooted  freely  upon  a 
partially-shaded  border  of  sandy 
loam.  Younger  lateral  wood  will 
be  useful  if  rooted  in  boxes  of 
sandy  loam  and  leaf-soil,  or  in 
pots  of  similar  compost,  and 
kept  quite  close  for  a  few  weeks. 
But  there  are  always  interesting 
series  of  seasonable  articles  on 
propagating  that  by  their  clear 
illustrations  go  further  in  helping 
amateur  readers  than  any  mere 
words  of  my  own  can  do.  One 
point  I  have  not  yet  noticed, 
however,  is  the  easier  propaga- 
tion of  our  Moss,  Damask  and 
Cabbage  Roses.  These  do  not 
produce  any  great  number  of 
sucker  -  like  roots  suitable  for 
parting  from  the  parent  plant, 
and  may  be  made  more  plentiful 
if  a  few  good  shoots  are  layered 
into  prepared  soil  around  their 
base.  A  slight  cut  of  the  ordi- 
nary description  when  layering 
will  help  very  much,  and  if  left 
over  until  a  second  winter  they 
will  lift  with  really  good  balls 
of  root.  This  is  a  better  plan 
than  attempting  to  root  cuttings, 
and  I  advise  it  now,  even  if  one's 
young  plants  are  not  to  be  removed. 
It  helps  in  getting  more  vigorous 
liushes,  and  we  may  take  it  as  Nature's  own 
lesson  that  all  subjects  having  a  tendency  to  run 
suckers  out  for  fresh  soil  do  better  if  encouraged 
or  transplanted  frequently.  A.   P. 


I 


A     BEAUTIFUL     NEW     ROSE. 

Among  the  many  new  seedling  Roses  that  were 
shown  at  the  National  Rose  Society's  Provincial 
Show  at  Gloucester  was  one  named  Gorgeous, 
shown  by  Mr.  Hugh  Dickson  of  Belfast,  and  for 
which  he  received  a  gold  medal.  As  will  be  seen 
from  the  accompanying  illustration,  this  is  a  bold, 
full  flower,  and  the  colour  is  soft  pink,  suffused 
orange.  It  should  prove  a  good  Rose  for  both 
garden   and  exhibition   purposes. 


August  2.  iqi3.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


389 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

THE     PROPAGATION     OF     HEATHS     BY     CUTTINGS. 


THE  Heath  nr  Erica  family  is  a  fairly  large 
Diie,  and  consists  of  both  hardy  and 
greenhouse  plants.  They  differ  widely  in 
their  habit  of  growth,  ranging  in  height  from  about 
nnie  inrhcs  to  six  feet  or  more.     The  various  species 

"""is: 


the  side  shoots  growing  on  the  strong,  vigorous 
young  growths  will  be  found  to  ;mswer  this  descrip- 
tion, and  in  August  will  be  partially  ripened. 
Thin,  weak  cuttings,  though  they  will  root,  seldom 
grow  away  kindly  and  make  good,  sturdy  plants, 
while  many  of  the  thicker,  sappy  growths  would 
damp  if  inserted  as  cuttings.  An  inch  to  i  J  inches, 
not  longer,  is  a  good  average  length  for  a  Heath 
cutting.  Many  of  the  side  shoots  will  be  found 
about  this  length,  and  if  removed  carefully  with 
a  slight  downward  pull  will  come  away  Irom  the 
main  stem  readily  and  have  a  nice  heel  at  the 
base.  Failing  this,  the  shoots  must  be  cut  off  just 
below  the  leaves  at  a  joint.  The  bottom  leaves 
must  be  carefully  removed.  A  small,  thin-painted 
pair  of  scissors  are  useful  for  this  purpose. 

Planting  the  Cuttings. — The  cuttings  may  be 
inserted  moderately  close  together.  A  5-inch  pot 
(48  size),  as  shown  in  Fig.  i,  will  accommodate  from 
thirty  to  three  dozen  cuttings.      Place  a  layer  of 


I. — HEATH    CUTTINGS    PLANTED    IN    A    POT 
FILLED    WITH    FINE    PEAT    AND    SAND. 

and  varieties  blossom  at  dififerent  seasons,  no 
period  of  the  year  being  without  its  flowering  Heath. 
Many  amateurs  are  under  the  impression  that 
cuttings  of  both  greenhouse  and  hardy  Heaths 
are  difficult  to  root.  This,  however,  is  quite  a 
mistake  ;  the  cuttings  root  very  easily,  provided 
one  or  two  very  simple  rules  are  followed.  No 
season  of  the  whole  year  is  better  than  August 
and  early  September  to  insert  the  cuttings.  At 
this  time  there  are  plenty  of  half-ripened  young 
shoots  on  the  plants,  which  make  excellent  cuttings. 

Preparing  the  Pots. — As  comparatively  little 
depth  of  soil  is  necessary  for  Erica  cuttings,  the 
pots  should  be  filled  at  least  half  full  of  broken 
crocks  or  other  suitable  material  at  hand  for 
drainage.  Over  this  place  a  layer  of  rough  peat 
or  moss  to  prevent  the  fine  soil  trickling  down 
between  the  crocks  and  preventing  the  free  passage 
of  water.  A  suitable  compost  in  which  to  root 
the  cuttings  consists  of  two-thirds  peat,  passed 
through  a  quarter-inch  mesh  sieve,  and  one-third 
sand.  Fill  up  the  remaining  space  in  the  pots 
with  this  material,  press  firmly,  and  leave  the 
surface  of  the  soil  a  quarter  of  an  inch  below  the 
top  of  the  pot  to  permit  of  a  little  fine  sand  being 
sprinkled  over  the  surface  and  to  allow  space  for 
watering.  Water  each  pot  well  as  soon  as  filled  and 
leave  it  long  enough  to  drain  thoroughly  previous  to 
inserting  the  cuttings.  The  most  serviceable  sized 
pots  to  use  are  those  known  as  5-inch  or  48  size. 
These  are  convenient  to  handle,  and  are  just  wide 
enough  to  take  a  4-inch  bell-glass,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2. 

Taking  the  Cuttings. — The  largest  percentage 
of  successes  may  be  expected  when  cuttings  of 
medium  growth   are  inserted.     In  most  instances 


with  a  rose  on  the  watering-pot,  and  remove  any 
damp  or  yellow  leaves  if  present.  The  young 
cuttings  will  root  in  from  two  to  three  months, 
when  it  will  be  necessary  to  gradually  admit  air, 
this  being  done,  to  start  with,  by  tilting  the  bell- 
glasses  before  removing  them  entirely.  When 
growing  freely  the  tips  of  the  shoots  should  be 
removed,  to  induce  the  plants  to  make  several 
shoots  each  and  form  nice  little  bushy  plants  by 
ne.vt  May,  as  shown  in  Fig.  3.  These  young  plants, 
if  of  a  greenhouse  variety,  should  be  potted  off  singly 
in  small  pots,  or,  if  belonging  to  the  hardy  section, 
planted  out  4  inches  apart  on  a  prepared  border 
outside,  from  where,' in  the  following  autumn,  they 
can  be  transferred  to  the  positions  for  flowering. 

Hardy  Heaths. — By  growing  a  selection  of  a 
dozi-n  hiirdy  Heaths,  flowers  may  be  looked  for 
throughout  the  year.  In  November,  December 
and  January  E.  hybrida  is  the  most  noteworthy. 
It  is  a  dwarf  spreading  plant  with  pinkish  red 
flowers.  Following  this  closely  we  have  E. 
lusitanica  (codonodes),  a  tall-growing  white  Heath 
4  feet  to  fi  feet  or  more  in  height  ;  and  the  dwarf- 
growing  E.  camea,  reddish  purple,  and  the  white 
variety  alba,  all  of  which  make  a  beautiful  display 
for  the  first  three  months  of  the  year.  April  and 
May  sees  the  Mediterranean  Heath,  with  reddish 
pink  flowers,  bushes  4  feet  to  5  feet  in  height, 
covered  with  flowers,  and  the  smaller  dwarf  variety 
alba.  Then  in  summer  and  autumn  we  have 
E.  ciliaris,  E.  cinerea  and  E.  Tetralix,  three  dwarf- 
growing  Heaths  with  pinkish  red  blossoms,  the 
last  two  with  white  varieties.  In  autumn  we  have 
the  Cornish  Heath,  E.  vagans  and  the  white 
variety,  flowering  freely.  Propagated  in  a  similar 
way  and  requiring  identical  treatment  are  the 
numerous  beautiful  varieties  of  the  Ling  or  Calluna 
vulgaris,  and  the  Irish  Heath,  Daboecia  polifolia, 
both  of  which  flower  from  July  to  October.     A.  O. 


2. — COVERED    WITH    A    BELL-GLASS    TO 
ASSIST    ROOTING. 

fine  sand  over  the  surface  of  the  pot,  take  a  small 
pointed  stick  (dibber)  in  the  right  hand  and  a  cutting 
in  the  left.  Make  a  hole  with  the  dibber,  and 
as  it  is  drawn  out  insert  the  cutting,  and  allow  the 
sand  to  trickle  in  and  fill  up  the  hole.  Press  the 
cutting  in  firmly  with  the  other  (thick)  end  of 
the  dibber.  Water  the  cuttings  with  a  fine  rose 
on  the  spout  of  the  watering-can,  and  allow  the 
pot  to  drain  for  a  few  minutes  before  placing  on 
the  bell-glass,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2.  Should  a 
propagating-frame  with  just  a  little  bottom-heat  be 
available,  the  pots  may  be  plunged  in  this.  Failing 
this,  place  the  pots  under  a  hand-light  in  the  shadiest 
part  of  the  greenhouse  or  in  a  cold  frame.  Wherever 
they  are  placed,  shade  the  cuttings  from  sunlight. 
After-Treatment.— Every  morning  the  bell- 
glasses  should  be  removed  and  any  moisture 
collected  on  the  inside  wiped  ofi  with  a  chamois 
leather   or   cloth.     Water   the'cuttings   when   dry 


3. THE  YOUNG  PL.^NTS  READY  FOR 

POTTING  OFF. 


390 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  2,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Double  Arabis.-^To  ensure  a  good,  even  growth 
and  plenty  of  bloom,  propagation  should  be 
attended  to  now.  Where  the  soU  is  of  a  light 
nature,  cuttings  put  in  now  and  kept  sprayed 
will  make  quite  nice  plants  by  October  or  November, 
ready  for  removing  to  the  beds  ;  but  where  the 
natural  soil  of  the  garden  is  heavy,  it  is  just  as 
well  to  put  three  or  four  cuttings  in  a  3-inch 
pot,  and  these,  if  placed  in  a  frame  and  kept  shaded 
and  sprayed,  will  soon  pick  up  and  make  roots, 
when  the  lights  may  he  removed  and  the  plants 
treated  quite  hardily.  Though  a  little  more  trouble, 
the  results  are  infinitely  better. 

Violas  sown  in  June  should  now  be  ready  for 
transferring  from  the  seed-boxes  or  beds  to  any 
vacant  plot  in  the  kitchen  garden  that  may  be 
suitable.  iVIake  the  soil  fine,  and  after  trans- 
planting keep  them  well  supplied  with  water  for  a 
few  days  to  ensure  the  plants  growing  away  nicely. 

Named  Violas,  owing  to  the  drought,  have  in 
many  instances  gone  out  of  bloom  somewhat 
early.  If  the  plants  are  cleaned  over  and  partially 
cut  back,  it  should  ensure  getting  a  crop  of  good, 
sturdy  cuttings  for  propagating  in  September  or 
early  October. 

Biennials  and  Perennials  sown  in  June  will 

in  most  instances  lie  ready  for  transplanting 
into  nursery  beds.  As  in  the  case  of  the  Violas, 
it  is  essential  to  make  the  soil  very  fine.  This 
ensures  plenty  of  fine  roots,  so  that  the  young 
plants  lift  well,  either  in  the  autumn  or  spring, 
whenever  they  are  planted  in  the  quarters  in 
which  they  are  to  bloom. 

Early-Flowering  Chrysanthemums  in  beds  or 
borders  should  now  be  liberally  supplied  with 
manure-water,  though  if  dry  it  is  best  applied 
after  a  preliminary  watering  with  clear  water.  This 
should  be  given  every  few  days,  and  the  additional 
outlay  in  labour  will  be  well  repaid  by  the  extra 
size  and  colour  in  the  blooms. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Amaryllises  that  were  flowered  early  will  now 
be  losing  their  foMage.  Water  should  be  gradually 
withheld,  and  the  plants  given  full  exposure  to  sun 
and  air  for  a  time  before  storing  them  away.  Later 
batches  that  have  not  matured  so  much  should 
be  kept  watered  till  all  the  foliage  commences  to 
turn  yellow,  when  they  should  receive  the  treat- 
ment recommended  above.  Seedling  plants  must 
be  kept  growing  until  they  attain  flowering  size, 
and  those  that  are  not  already  in  pots  large  enough 
to  carry  them  through  the  winter  should  have  a 
shift  at  once,  so  that  they  may  get  a  good  hold  of 
the  soil  before  the  short  days.  Keep  a  fair  amount 
of  heat  and  moisture  in  the  pit  or  house  in  which 
they  are  being  grown,  but  sufficient  air  must  be 
given  to  ensure  the  foliage  keeping  strong  and 
hard. 

Hydrangeas. — The  present  is  a  good  time  for 
propagating  the  different  varieties  of  Hydrangea 
Hortensia.  They  will  root  quite  readily  in  a  cold 
frame.  Up  till  last  season  I  always  rooted 
them  singly  in  3-inch  pots,  but  I  then  found  they 
rooted  much  quicker  and  made  stronger  plants 
if  pricked  into  a  bed  of  sand  and  leaf-soil,  whence 
they  were  potted  straight  into  their  flowering  pots 
(4j-inch). 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Leeks  for  late  use  may  still  be  planted,  selecting 
a  piece  of  ground  that  is  not  likely  to  be  wanted 
till  quite  late  in  the  spring.  As  the  plants  may 
be  a  good  size  when  planting  out,  they  should 
be  well  watered  for  a  time  to  prevent  undue  flagging. 
Early-planted  Leeks  must  also  be  kept  well  watered 
if  good  specimens  are  desired,  those  for  exhibition 
having  a  little  more  soil  brought  up  to  them  about 
every  fourteen  days.  Keep  the  paper  collars, 
if  used,  just  above  the  soil. 

Runner  Beans. — To  keep  up  the  supply  this 
crop  must  not  be  stinted  for  water  or  manure, 
and  when  liquid  manure  is  not  available,  a  sprink- 
ling of  artificial  once  a  week  will  do  almost  as 
well. 

Cauliflower  is  another  vegetable  which  will 
not  thrive  except  under  moist  conditions,  and 
as  Peas  become  scarcer,  this  vegetable  will  be  more 
in  demand,  so  that  the  plants  should  be  watered 


at  least  twice  a  week  during  really  dry  and  hot 
weather. 

Tomatoes  are  doing  pretty  well  this  season, 
and  where  the  plants  were  got  out  early,  good 
crops  are  the  result.  Give  water  when  necessary, 
and  thin  the  foliage  somewhat  for  the  fruits  to 
secure  a  full  measure  of  sun.  To  get  real  deep- 
coloured  fruits,  gather  early,  just  as  they  are 
turning  from  yeilow  to  red,  and  store  in  light 
and  air-tight  boxes,  when  the  colour  will  be  equal 
to  the  very  best  fruits  from  under  glass. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Plums  that  are  nearing  the  ripening  stage 
must  not  be  subjected  to  too  much  water  over- 
head or  at  the  root,  or  cracking  may  result, 
especially  in  the  Gage  varieties.  A  moderately 
dry  and  buoyant  atmosphere,  with  just  a  suspicion 
of  heat  in  the  pipes  on  cold,  damp  nights,  is  the 
best  for  these  fruits,  and  under  such  conditions 
they  will  keep  for  quite  a  long  time. 

Pears  also  require  much  the  same  treatment. 
The  early  varieties,  such  as  Clapp's  Favourite, 
Williams'  Bon  Chretien  and  Marguerite  Marillat, 
are  fast  ripening,  and  if  not  already  placed  by 
themselves  away  from  the  later  ones,  they  should 
be  shifted  at  once,  as  these  latter  will  still  take  a 
fair  amount  of  syringing  and  feeding. 

Apples.  —  The  early  varieties  also  will  be 
ripening,  and  such  varieties  as  Lady  Sudeley 
must  not  be  kept  about  too  long,  or  they  are  very 
apt  to  go  so't  and  insipid  to  the  taste,  though  they 
might  look  well.  Later  varieties  that  are 
swelling  may  receive  a  fair  amount  of  syringing. 
This  is  essential,  as  colouring  in  Apples  is,  1  think, 
much  influenced  by  the  amount  of  moisture  in 
the  atmosphere. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Raspberries. — The  fruit  being  gathered,  all  old 
canes  should  be  cut  out  at  once,  thinning  the  young 
ones  also  so  that  they  receive  a  maximum  amount 
of  light  and  air.  Should  the  canes  not  have  made 
much  growth,  a  good  soaking  of  liquid  manure 
will  help  them  materially.  Autumn-fruiting  varie- 
ties may  also  be  the  better  for  a  good  feed,  and  if 
not  already  covered  with  fish-netting,  it  should 
be  put  on  before  any  of  the  fruits  ripen,  or  they 
will  quickly  be  depleted  by  the  birds. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta.  Efq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Layering  Carnations. — This  work  must  now 
be  completed  without  delay.  Acting  upon  a  hint 
thrown  out  in  The  Garden  a  few  years  ago,  I 
have  proved  that  it  is  unnecessary  to  form  a  tongue 
in  the  layer,  as  is  usually  done.  If  an  incision 
is  made  with  a  thin,  sharp  knife  at  the  base 
of  the  joint  and  carried  up  through  and  out 
again  just  above  the  joint,  other  matters  being 
properly  attended  to,  95  per  cent,  of  the  layers 
will  root  as  well  as  by  the  older  and  more  tedious 
method.  Give  the  layers  a  watering  when  the 
operation  is  finished,  and  see  that  they  are  not 
allowed  to  become  quite  dry  till  roots  are  emitted. 

Preparing  Daffodil  Quarters.— The  Daffodil 
takes  a  very  short  period  of  rest,  and  where  fresh 
plantations  are  to  be  made,  the  bulbs  should  be 
bought  as  soon  as  procurable.  Meanwhile,  the 
ground  should  be  got  ready. 

Staking  Gladioli. — These  showy  flowers  will 
soon  be  throwing  up  their  flower-spikes,  and  will 
require  support.  In  the  case  of  the  commoner 
varieties,  such  as  brenchleyensis,  Hollandia  and 
Childsii,  planted  in  lines,  all  that  is  needed  is 
to  drive  in  a  few  stout  stakes,  run  a  line  of 
twine  along,  and  then  tie  the  individual  flower- 
stems  to  the  stretched  line  of  twine.  Fine  named 
sorts,  planted  irregularly,  should  each  have  a 
Bamboo  stake,  care  being  taken  not  to  pierce 
the  bulb  when  inserting  the  stake  in  the  soil. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

The  Arenarias. — Although  belonging  to  the 
"  humbler  creation "  in  the  rock  garden,  the 
Arenarias  should  not  be  looked  upon  as  a  negligible 
quantity,  for  they  have  a  beauty  all  their  own. 
Especially  is  this  the  case  with  A.  balearica  when  | 


seen  clothing  the  surface  of  a  damp  stone.  A. 
cjespitosa,  A.  montana  and  A.  tetraquetra  are 
all  gems  in  their  way,  and  should  be  included 
even  in  small  collections. 

The  Shrubbery. 

Summer  Pruning.— By  this  date  it  will  be  found 
that  Laurels  and  other  strong-growing  shrubs 
have  developed  a  few  over-vigorous  shoots,  to 
the  detriment  of  the  surrounding  occupants. 
These  should  be  cut  away  at  once. 

Preparations  for  Transplanting.— Where  it  is 

intended  to  transplant  Hollies  or  other  evergreens 
in  the  autumn,  it  will  be  well  to  run  a  sharp 
spade  round  the  plants,  so  as  to  sever  the  roots 
at  a  distance  of  about  two  feet  from  the  stem, 
giving  the  plants  a  good  watering  afterwards  it 
the  weather  happens  to  be  dry.  By  doing  this 
now,  the  plants  will  receive  less  'check  when 
transplanted. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Training  Climbers.— if  this  work  is  not  regularly 
attended  to,  the  young  growth  becomes  entangled 
and  the  work  is  rendered  doubly  difficult.  Thin 
out  superfluous  shoots,  as  it  is  only  on  well-ripened 
shoots  that  a  full  crop  of  flowers  can  be  expected. 

Crassula  COCCinea. — We  grow  quite  a  large 
batch  of  this  old-fashioned  succulent,  and  the 
bright,  long-lasting  trusses  of  waxv  flowers  are 
much  admired.  This  is  a  good  time'  to  propagate 
plants.  One  cutting  can  be  inserted  in  a  2j-inch 
pot,  or  three  in  a  4-inch  pot.  Use  a  compost  of 
fibrous  loam,  sand  and  finely-pounded  potsherds. 
Stand  the  pots  in  an  airy  frame  and  keep  them 
rather  dry  after  the  first  watering. 

Sowing  Mignonette. — A  sowing  of  Mignonette 
should  now  be  made  for  spring  flowering.  If 
wanted  in  5-inch  pots,  Machet  is  the  best  variety, 
and  it  should  be  sown  in  the  pots  in  which  it  is  to 
flower.  Soimd  loam,  with  about  a  third  part 
of  well-rotted  cow-manure  and  some  sand  and  old 
mortar,  forms  an  excellent  compost.  Ram  the  soil 
fairly  firm,  scatter  a  few  seeds  equally  over  the 
surface,  and  cover  lightly  with  some  fine  soil. 
Water  prior  to  sowing,  of  course.  Stand  the  pots 
on  ashes  in  a  shallow  frame  and  cover  with  a  sheet 
of  newspaper  till  germination  takes  place.  For 
large  specimens  the  same  size  of  pot  may  be  used 
in  the  meantime,  and  some  of  the  giant-flowered 
varieties  should  be  sown  for  this  purpose. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Repotting    Strawberries. — Plants    must    now 

be  shifted  into  their  fruiting  pots,  which  should  be 
6  inches  in  diameter.  See  that  they  are  clean, 
dry  and  efficiently  drained,  with  a  sprinkling  of 
soot  over  the  drainage.  If  the  loam  is  rather 
heavy,  about  a  third  part  of  horse-manure  should 
be  used  with  some  wood-ashes.  If  the  loam  is 
inclined  to  be  light,  well-decayed  cow-manure 
should  be  used.  Pot  firmly,  and  stand  on  a  bed  of 
coal-ashes  of  at  least  6  inches  in  depth  to  ensure 
perfect  drainage. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Preparing  Strawberry  Quarters.— If  they  are 

expected  to  yield  a  full  crop  next  season.  Straw- 
berries should  be  planted  not  later  than  the  middle 
of  this  month.  The  ground  should  be  deeply 
trenched  ;  but,  generally  speaking,  bastard  trench- 
ing is  to  be  preferred.  Unless  the  groimd  is  very 
rich,  a  layer  of  manure  should  be  placed  below 
each  of  the  two  spits.  The  distance  at  which  the 
plants  should  be  planted  depends  upon  the  vigour 
of  the  variety,  but  from  2  feet  to  2^  feet  between 
the  rows  and  about  fifteen  inches  between  the 
plants  in  the  rows  will  be  found  suitable. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Winter  Onions. — These  should  be  sown  by  the 
middle  of  the  month,  and  the  ground  should 
now  be  prepared  for  their  reception.  Onions 
require  good  cultivation.  Trench  the  ground 
and  work  in  a  good  quantity  of  organic  manure. 
Nitrogenous  matter  can  be  given  in  the  spring. 
For  summer  use  White  Lisbon  is  excellent,  and  for 
a  keeping  variety  for  autumn  sowing  Trebons  is 
hard  to  beat.     Sow  in  drills  about  a  foot  apart. 

Lettuce. — A  sowing  should  be  made  now  for 
spring  use.  For  a  Cos,  Bath  is  good,  and  for  a 
Cabbage  variety  Sutton's  Standwell  can  be  highly 
recommended. 

Celery  will  be  benefited  by  a  sprinkling  of  soot 
on  a  dewy  morning.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian, 


August  2,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


391 


DAFFODIL    SHOW    NOTES. 


A  Beginning. — I  know  several  people,  among 
ollu-rs  a  clergyman,  a  country  squire,  a  doctor 
and  a  clergyman's  son,  who  are  sitting  on  a  gate 
wondering  if  they  will  come  down  on  the  show 
side  or  not.  There  must  be  others  there,  too, 
whom  I  do  not  know.  Let  me  assure  them  that 
they  need  not  hesitate.  Growing  for  show  is  a 
most  pleasant  occupation  and  Daffodil  folk  are 
pleasant  people.  If  there  is  no  local  show  near 
at  hand,  there  are  the  two  large  ones  at  London  and 
Birmingham,  where  every  inducement  is  held  out 
to  the  novice  to  make  a  start  by  the  provision 
of  classes  where  he  will  meet  only  exhibitors  of 
the  same  standing  as  himself.  The  beginners' 
section  has  been  a  huge  success  at  the  •'  Midland." 
1  would  advise,  if  it  is  not  too  late,  local  show 
committees  to  get  a  copy  of  that  schedule  and 
frame  theirs  on  similar  lines.  In  my  opinion, 
nearly  all  Daffodil  societies  might  do  a  good  deal 
more  than  they  do  in  tempering  the  wind  to  the 
hesitating  lamb,  even  if,  money  being  none  too 
plentiful,  there  has  to  be  a  curtailment  of  either 
prizes  or  classes  in  the  open  section.  I  should 
imagine  everyone  who  is  seriously  thinking  of 
joining  the  jolly  band  of  exhibitors  has  already  a 
collection  of  some  sort,  and  that  he  or  she — for  I 
am  always  glad  to  think  that  the  "  shes  "  take 
the  part  they  do  in  the  local  exhibitions — has  a 
more  or  less  embryonic  knowledge  of  suitable 
varieties.  They  want  to  extend  both.  I  venture 
to  suggest  that  they  should  at  once  order  from 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  Vincent  Square, 
Westminster,  the  new  Daffodil  Year  Book  at  the 
cost  of  IS.  6d.  In  it  will  be  found  a  detailed  list 
of  all  the  winning  flowers  shown  this  spring  at 
both  London  and  Birmingham.  A  careful  study 
of  these  two,  side  by  side  with  a  few  trade  cata- 
logues of  the  present  year,  will  be  of  the  greatest 
help  in  making  a  selection  of  the  varieties  that 
are  the  best  to  buy,  cither  as  a  beginning  or  as 
an  addition. 

Points  to  be  Remembered. — First,  early  plant- 
ing is  vital  for  the  production  of  prize  blooms. 
I  like  making  experiments,  and  this  autumn  I 
am  going  to  plant  a  row  of  the  same  variety  every 
week  from  now  until  the  end  of  November  and 
watch  the  result.  I  know,  of  course,  that  August- 
planted  bulbs  will  give  far  better  flowers  than 
late  November  ones,  but  I  am  not  sure  of  the  date 
when  palpable  retrogression  begins.  Without  this 
practical  test  I  would  fix  the  date  about  Sep- 
tember 21,  and  say  every  show  bulb  must  be  in 
the  ground  by  then  at  the  very  latest,  and  that 
from  now  onwards  the  earlier  the  better.  Secondly, 
good  cultivation  tells  most  decidedly.  I  speak 
from  my  own  personal  experience,  for  I  know  the 
difference  it  has  made  to  me  in  exhibiting  at 
Birmingham.  My  recent  successes  there  have 
been  largely  due  to  this.  Of  all  the  letters  that 
I  have  from  time  to  time  received  on  matters 
pertaining  to  the  show  stage,  none  has  given  me 
more  satisfaction  than  one  I  received  about  three 
years  since  from  Mr.  E.  M.  Crosfield  congratulating 
me  not  on  my  success,  but  on  my  good  and  improved 
cultivation.  The  two  words,  from  an  exhibition 
point  of  view,  are  practically  synonymous.  Those 
who  think  they  can  attain  the  first  without  the 
second  are  Daffodil — not  Middleton — moonlighters, 
expecting  what  they  will  never  get.  There  was  a 
good  concrete  example  of  this  at  Birmingham 
this  spring.  White  Knight,  which  I  consider  the 
acme  of  refinement,  even  throwing  in  Mrs.  Ernst 
H.  Krelage  and  White  Emperor,  was  staged  more 


than  once  in  the  single  bloom  class.  The  best — 
the  one  that  had  had  the  best  cultivation — won.  The 
other  was  not  among  the  first  five.  What  made 
so  much  difference  ?  Someone  may  ask  what 
do  I  mean  by  cultivation.  Shortly,  this:  (i) 
Preparation  of  the  soil  by  double  digging,  adding 
in  the  process  some  bone-meal.  (2)  Covering  the 
beds  with  a  light  covering,  such  as  fine  leaf-mould 
or  peat  moss  in  case  of  very  severe  weather,  unless 
the  soil  is  very  cold  and  damp  naturally,  when 
I  would  use  some  light  covering,  such  as  Heather. 
(3)  Systematic  hoeing  or  stirring  the  soil  between 
the  rows  every  two  weeks  from  the  time  the  leaves 
are  an  inch  high  until  the  blooms  are  nearly  ready 
to  expand,  and  then  two  or  three  times  before  the 
bulbs  are  lifted.  {4)  Being  "  easy  "  about  dividing 
up.  Over-division  is  a  huge  mistake  ;  it  weakens 
the  plants  so  much.     (5)  Early  planting. 

Some  Varieties  Suggested. — I  am  going  to 
confine  myself  to  some  of  the  moderate-priced  ones 
that  I  do  not  think  are  so  well  known  as  they  might 
be.     I  have  put  to  each  the  approximate  price. 

Trumpets. — Cornelia  (6d.),  Hamlet  {2s.  6d.), 
Leiden    Jar    (los.    6d.),    Cygnet    (5s.    6d,),    William 


The  Late  Robert  Sydenham. — I  cannot  close 
these  notes  without  a  reference  to  poor  "  Uncle 
Robert,"  whom  everyone  recognised  as  the  life 
and  soul  of  the  Midland  Daffodil  Society.  In 
the  midst  of  a  busy  morning  he  was  called  away, 
never  to  take  part  again  in  his  huge  business 
and  the  many  horticultural  activities  which  must 
have  been  to  him  life  itself.  He  was  a  keen  man 
of  business,  and  the  two  flowers  to  which  he  devoted 
especial  attention  in  this  connection  were  the 
Daffodil  and  the  Sweet  Pea.  By  his  efforts  these 
have  been  made  more  popular  than  otherwise 
they  would  have  been,  and  as  we  who  love  Daffodils 
are  the  gainers,  let  me  in  your  name  say  how 
grateful  we  are  for  what  he  has  accomplished. 
It  is  as  a  populariser  of  the  Daffodil  (and  the  Sweet 
Pea)  that  his  name  will  live  in  horticultural 
annals.  Joseph  Jacob. 


A     SWEET     PEA     CHAMPIONSHIP 
TROPHY. 

The  Boundary  Chemical  Company  of  Liverpool  are 
offering  an  International  Sweet  Pea  Championship 


THE    CH.\MPIONSHIP    CH.\LLENGE    TROPHY    FOR    SWEET    PEAS    TO    BE    COMPETED    FOR 
AT    THE    CARLISLE    SHOW    ON    THE    I3TH    AND    I4TH    INST. 


Baylor  Hartland  (los.  6d.),  Treasure  Trove  (los.), 
Loveliness  (12s.  6d.),  Mrs.  G.  H.  Barr  {21s.), 
Cleopatra  (20s.),  Rising  Sun  (2rs.)  and  Diogenes 
(20S.). 

Incomparables. — Northern  Light  (2s.),  Ursula 
(2S.),  Neptune  (21s.),  Steadfast  (2s.),  Warden 
(2S.  6d.),  Noble  (5s.  6d.)  and  Solfatare  (2s.  6d.). 

Barri. — Cossack  (12s.  6d.),  Ethelbert  (3s. \ 
The  President  (25s.),  Charles  (21s.),  Charm  (21s.), 
Occident  (2s.  6d.),  Red  Chief  (2s.  6d.),  Orestes 
(gd.).  Red  Eve  (los.).  Zenith  (3s.  6d.),  Coeur  de 
Lion  (25.  6d.),  Armorel  (gd.)  and  Red  Emperor 
{21S.). 

Leedsii. — Norah  Pearson  (15s.),  Kittiwake  (15s.), 
Thora  (21s.),  Countess  of  Southesk  (4s.),  Evange- 
line (2S.),  St.  Olaf  (i2S.  6d.),  White  Coimtess  (5s.) 
and  Venus  (21s.), 

Poets. — Millie  Price  (2s.  6d.),  Kingsley  (20s.), 
Matthew  Arnold  (15s.).  George  Herbert  (5s.), 
Acme  (20s.)  and  Orange  Ring  (2s.). 

Poetaz. — Admiration  (3s.),  Orient  (is.)  and 
Sunset  (is.). 


Challenge  Trophy,  to  be  competed  for  this  season 
at  the  Carlisle  and  Cumberland  Horticultural 
Society's  Show  at  Carlisle  on  August  13  and  14. 
The  chosen  representatives  are  :  England,  Mr.  A.  E. 
Usher ;  Scotland,  Mr.  J.  A.  Grigor  ;  Ireland, 
Mr.  E.  Cowdy  ;  and  Wales,  Mr.  T.  Jones.  The 
contest  is  the  outcome  of  a  wish  expressed 
by  Mr.  Walter  P.  Wright  that  the  champion 
growers  should  meet  together  each  year  at  a  given 
place  for  a  friendly  contest.  The  size  of  the  trophy 
is  24  inches  long  by  12  inches  high. 


A  Good  Dwarf  Shrub. — The  Dyers'  Green- 
wood (Genista  tinctoria)  is  a  very  attractive 
dwarf  shrub,  and  flowers  during  June  and  July. 
Growing  some  six  inches  to  nine  inches  high, 
the  spreading  plants  clothe  the  ground,  and 
during  June  and  July  produce  a  profusion  of 
yellow  blossoms.  There  is  no  need  to  fill  pockets 
in  the  rockery  with  rich  soil  for  the  Dyers' 
Greenwood  ;  in  fact,  the  plants  flower  more 
abundantly  in  poor,  sandy  soil. 


392 


THE    GARDEN. 


[August  2,  1913. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES    FOR    CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
make  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
unih  thai  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  0/  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London.  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  itsed  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  gross  or  inoss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  floivering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PuBLlsnER. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

BOUNDARY  WALL  (G?:;7i^s).— You  would  not  harm  the 
wall  in  any  way  by  doing  what  you  propose,  and  if  there 
is  an  opportunity  for  the  roots  of  the  plants  to  descend 
later  into  the  crevices  of  the  wall,  quite  a  number  of  the 
plants  would  thrive.  As  you  desire  to  add  to  the  height 
of  the  wall,  you  cannot  do  better  than  sow  seeds  of  rather 
tall -growing  Wallflowers,  Intermediate  Antirrhinums  in 
variety,  and  red  and  white  Valerian.  Papaver  nudicaule 
would  be  also  good  and  pretty,  both  in  effect  and  variety. 
The  present  is  not  a  pood  time  for  the  work,  and  late 
August  to  October  would  be  much  better.  The  Valerian 
in  such  circumstances  often  attains  a  height  of  2  feet, 
and  is  also  a  good  perennial.  The  Antirrhinums,  too,  are 
often  perennial  in  such  positions. 

IRIS  DISEASED  (A.  E.  T.).— The  Iris  is  affected  by  the 
Iris  leaf  blotch,  and  all  diseased  parts  should  be  collected 
and  burnt.  The  disease  has  been  less  prevalent  this 
year  because  of  the  extreme  dryness.  A  wet  season  always 
encourages  the  spread  of  such  things.  By  dusting  the 
soil  of  the  Iris  bed  with  lime,  the  ground  spores  of  the 
fungus  might  be  kept  in  check.  In  a  year  like  1912. 
however,  you  might  try  syringing  with  sulphide  of 
potassium,  2oz.  to  a  gallon  of  water,  with  soft  soap  freely 
added  ;  or  you  might,  when  the  plants  are  moist,  dust 
them  with  dry  Bordeaux  powder,  soil  and  all.  The  dusting 
should  take  place  in  April  or  May  to  act  as  a  preventive 
measure,  and  probably  no  other  will  be  needed.  To  wait 
till  the  plants  are  overwhelmed  by  disease  is  wrong. 
Isolate  the  weakly  plant  of  1.  orieutalis.  or,  better  still, 
dig  it  up  and  burn  it.  The  best  time  to  replant  the 
Hellebore,  when  it  should  also  be  divided  up  quite  freely, 
is  August. 

TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

RHODODENDRONS  (T.  W.  H.).--Yo\i  do  not  say 
whether  your  Himalayan  Rhododendrons  are  in  pots 
or  planted  in  borders.  H  in  the  former,  expose  the  plants 
from  now  to  the  end  of  the  year  to  plenty  of  sunshine,  and 
do  not  keep  them  too  wot  at  the  roots.  This  treatment 
will  conduce  to  the  well  ripening  of  the  wood  and  to  the 
formation  of  flower-buds.  If  they  are  planted  in  a  border, 
you  cannot  do  much  to  hasten  their  time  of  flowering  ; 
but  no  doubt  they  will  flower  in  due  time  and  will  repay 
vou  for  waiting  so  long.  Seedling  Rhododendrons  do 
not  flower  so  soon  as  grafted  ones. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

SECONDARY  BLOOMS  ON  PELARGONIUMS  (M.  L.). 
— Some  varieties  of  Zonal  Pelargoniums  are  far  more 
likely  to  produce  secondary  head«  of  blossom  than  others. 
You  do  not  say  whether  the  trouble  is  limited  to  one  kind, 
or  if  all  the  varieties  are  similarly  affected.  Plants  whose 
roots  are  in  a  poor  condition,  and  are,  consequently, 
growing  weakly,  are  more  prone  to  this  behaviour  than 
the  more  robust  ones.  Plenty  of  air,  good  healthy  roots 
and  a  reasonable  quantity  of  water  consistent  with  elTective 
drainage  are  the  more  effectual  methods  of  keeping  this 
in  check. 

FUCHSIAS  LOSING  THEIR  LEAVES  {R.  J.  C.).— As 
Fuchsia  plants  arc,  generally  speaking,  of  such  easy 
culture,  it  i^  difficult  to  assign  with  confidence  any  reason 
for  yours  behaving  in  the  way  they  have  done.  In  the 
first  place,  you  say  that  they  did  not  lose  their  old  leaves 
in  the  spring,  which  would  suggest  that  you  kept  them 
freely  watered  throughout  the  muter.  This  might  be 
answerable  for  some  of  the  trouble,  as  the  plants  naturally 
would  not  start  away  with  the  same  vigour  as  if  they  had 
passed  the  winter  in  a  fairly  dry  and  dormant  state.  Even 
then  they  should  not  have  behaved  so  badly  as  yours  have 
done.  Another  question  is  whether  any  deleterious 
matter  came  by  any  chance  to  be  mixed  with  the  potting 
compost.  You  do  not  say  whether  you  have  turned  out 
two  or  three  of  the  plants,  in  order  to  examine  the  state 
of  the  roots.  If  a  fair  amount  of  fresh,  healthy  roots 
can  be  seen  taking  possession  of  the  new  soil,  your  plants 
will  no  doubt  now  recover  and  flower  well  towards  the 
end  of  the  summer.    If  no  healthy  roots  are  to  be  seen. 


we  advise  you  to  repot  in  some  fresh  compost.  In 
any  case,  do  not  stand  the  plants  in  full  sun,  but  in  a 
partially-shaded  spot,  and  spray  them  over  with  the 
syringe  two  or  three  times  a  day,  as  atmospheric  moisture 
is  very  beneficial  to  Fuchsias  in  general. 

HYDRANGEA  NOT  FLOWERING  WELL  (i.  C.).~ 
The  specimen  of  Hydrangea  sent  is  not  the  common 
Hydrangea  (H.  Hortensia),  but  the  variety  Lindleyi. 
This  differs  markedly  from  the  common  kind,  inasmuch 
as  it  is  of  more  slender  growth  and  the  flower-heads  much 
smaller.  Another  important  item  is  that  in  this  variety 
the  large  sterile  blooms,  which  form  the  showiest  portion 
of  a  cluster  of  Hydrangea  flowers,  are  limited  to  a  few 
scattered  round  the  outside  of  the  cluster,  and  not,  as  in 
the  common  kind,  forming  one  closely-packed  head. 
The  sprays  sent  have  certainly  a  poor  and  unhappy  look, 
but  there  is  no  error  of  culture  answerable  for  the  paucity 
of  the  large,  sterile  blooms,  this  feature  being  simply 
characteristic  of  the  particular  variety.  We  should  advise 
you  to  obtain  some  good,  young,  vigorous  plants  from  a 
reliable  source,  and  if  they  are  liberally  treated,  your 
trouble  will,  we  think,  be  at  an  end.  One  thing  worthy 
of  note  is  that  the  variety  Lindleyi  is  hardier  than  the 
common  Hydrangea,  so  that  if  you  plant  out  yours,  they 
will  as  flowering  shrubs  probably  give  you  far  more  satis- 
faction than  they  have  done  in  pots. 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

TARRED  FELT  AND  APPLES  {T.  W.  H.).— Lime  is  the 
most  effective  deodoriser  we  have.  We  are  sorry  it  was  not 
powerful  enough  to  destroy  the  smell  of  the  tar.  A 
thin  layer  of  short  lawn  grass  would  be  useful  in  helping 
to  prevent  the  too  rapid  evaporation  of  moisture  from 
the  soil  in  which  your  Apple  trees  are  growing.  It  must 
not  be  applied  too  thickly,  or  it  will  heat  and  become 
mildewed  and  nasty,  and  prevent  air  and  rain  from 
penetrating  into  the  soil. 

RASPBERRIES  DISEASED  (fl.  T.).— The  white  patches 
on  the  stems  of  the  Raspberries  sent  are  symptomatic 
of  the  disease  due  to  Hendersonia  rubi ;  but  you  do  not 
send  the  lower  part  of  the  stem,  where  the  disease  is  pro- 
bably worse,  so  that  we  cannot  say  exactly  whether  this 
fungus  or  some  other  is  at  work.  For  spraying,  Bordeaux 
mixture,  at  the  strength  usual  for  spraying  Potatoes, 
should  be  used,  but  not  within  three  weeks  of  picking 
the  fruit.  The  old  canes  should  be  cut  out  completely 
as  soon  as  possible,  and  the  young  ones  sprayed  with  the 
Bordeaux  mixture  or  with  potassium  siiphide,  loz.  to 
three  gallons  of  water. 

PEACH  LEAVES  DAMAGED  (J.  fl.).— The  leaves 
are  thin,  with  no  substance  in  them,  showing  that  the 
trees  are  not  m  robust  health,  and  therefore  liable  to  an 
attack  of  disease  when  subjected  to  such  strong  bursts 
of  sunshine  as  we  have  had  lately.  The  damage  has  been 
caused  by  an  attack  of  what  is  termed  shot-hole  fungus. 
The  best  remedy  to  apply  is  to  scatter  sulphur  thickly 
over  and  under  the  leaves,  leaving  it  on  for  a  couple  of 
days,  shading  the  trees  in  the  meanwhile,  and  afterwards 
syringing  off  the  sulphur.  Give  the  trees  abundance  of 
air  night  and  day,  syringing  them  morning  and  evening 
to  encourage  new  and  healthy  growth. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

CLASS  AND  ENTRY  BOOKS  (TT.  J.  P.).— The  most 
serviceable  books  are  those  prepared  by  the  secretary. 
A  hook  with  quarto  pages,  ruled  feint,  "should  be  used, 
and  a  line  may  be  drawn  down  the  left  side  of  the  page 
1  inch  from  the  edge.  On  the  top  line  put  the  class 
number  and  its  contents.  To  the  left  of  the  marginal 
line  put  the  exhibitors*  numbers,  and  to  the  right  the 
exhibitors'  names,  but  not  their  addresses.  Thus  we  may 
have  a  headline  as  follows  :  "  Class  24,  four  dishes  hardy 
fruits,  distinct  kinds."  Beneath  we  may  read  :  "  1,  Chas. 
Jones  ;  5,  Harry  Wright  ;  6,  W.  J.  Parr  ;  10,  Tom 
Browne  ;  22,  R.  B.  Pearce  ;  24,  J.  Adams."  One  sees  at 
a  glance  who  is  in  the  class,  and  when  the  judges  have 
made  their  awards,  the  secretary  should  go  round  the  show 
and  inscribe  the  awards  in  this  book,  which  is  called  the 
Class  Book.  A  second  similar  book,  thumb  indexed,  is  called 
the  Entry  Book.  The  entries  are  placed  in  alphabetical 
order,  and  each  is  entered  thus  :  Entry  No.  24,  J.  Adams, 
complete  address,  and  beneath,  arranged  in  a  column, 
the  number  of  classes  in  which  he  is  competing.  And 
thus  one  proceeds  for  each  exhibitor.  When  the  judges' 
decisions  have  been  entered  in  the  Class  Book,  transfer 
to  the  Entry  Book,  and  it  will  be  seen  at  a  glance  to  how 
much  prize-money  each  exhibitor  is  entitled. 

NAMES    OF    PLANTS.— £.  S.   B— Hose  Mme.  Alfred 

Carri^re. Miss   K.   Denison. — The   Carnation   is  John 

Pope,  a  good  old  border  sort,  but  very  much  improved  on 

now. E.  D. — The  Roses  are:    2,  Daniel  Lacombe;    3, 

Mme.  .lean  Dupuy;    4,  Gloire  de  Exposition  de  Bruxelles. 

Hampshire  R. — Senecio  Jacobsea.     It  is  a  perennial, 

and  reproduces  itself  from  seed.     The  best  way  to  get  rid 

of  it  is  to  dig  it  up. Ignoramus. — 1,  The  Campanula  is 

a  seedling  form  of  C.  rotundifolia ;  2,  the  Viola  was  quite 
withered  up  when  it  reached  us.     Send  again  packed  in 

damp  moss. W.  Q. — 1,  Dianthus  deltnidcs  albus,  2,  I). 

plumarius  variety  ;  3,  D.  Waldsteinii  ;  4,  !►.  superbus ;  5, 

8edum    obtusatum ;    6,     S.     spathulifolium. G.     R., 

Somerset.  —  Acanthus    mollis. A.    B.    C. — 2,     Spirsea 

canescens ;  3,  Verbascum  nigrum ;  4,  Salisburia  adianti- 
folia    (Ginkgo    biloba),    Maiden-hair    Tree ,    5,     Sedum 

roseum. G.   Britnell.  —  1,    Euphrasia   officinalis;     2, 

Spiraea  Ulmaria  ;  3,  Teucrium  Scorodonia  ;  4,  Hypericum 
pulchrum;  5,  Galium  verum;  6,  Calamintha  Clinopodium; 
7,  Senecio  Jacobrea  ;  8,  Dactylis  glomerata  variegata ;  9, 
Centaurea  nigra  ;  10,  Potentilla  Tormentilla. 


SOC  I  ET  I  ES. 

NATIONAL    CARNATION    AND     PICOTEE    SOCIETY 
(SOUTHERN    SECTION). 

The  exhibition  of  this  society,  held  in  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Hall  on  July  18,  was  a  most  interesting  display 
for  lovers  of  the  border  Carnation  and  Picotee.  There 
was  a  good  number  of  entries,  and  the  flowers  shown 
were  of  exceptionally  good  quality,  there  being  a  fair 
attendance  during  the  afternoon. 

Division  I. — Flowers  Shown  on  Cards. 

The  first  prize  for  twelve  blooms,  bizarrea  and  flakes, 
dissimilar  varieties,  was  secured  by  Mr.  James  Douglas, 
Edenside,  Great  Bookham,  Surrey,  who  had  a  most 
effective  set,  consisting  of  Recorder,  Master  Fred,  Sarah 
Payne,  Supreme,  Gordon  Lewis,  J.  S.  Hedderley,  George 
Melville,  R.  Houlgrave  (the  premier  scarlet  bizarre), 
Kiobe,  Torchlight,  Meteor  and  Tomtit.  Messrs.  C.  Blick, 
A.  R.  Brown,  Limited,  and  H.  Mathias  followed  in  order 
of  merit. 

For  twelve  selfs,  dissimilar,  Mr.  J.  Douglas  again  led, 
the  winning  varieties  being  Bookham  White,  Blay  Day, 
Miss  Willmott,  Bookham  Yellow,  Cardinal,  Rlrs.  George 
Marshall,  Maud  Allen,  Mrs.  Guy  Sebright,  Basuto,  Miss 
Shiffner,  Robert  Bruce  and  Ruby.  Mr.  H.  Mathias 
followed  with  a  nice  clean  set  as  second,  Messrs.  A.  R. 
Brown,  Limited,  third,  and  Mr.  Charles  Blick  fourth. 

Mr.  Charles  Blick  secured  leading  honours  for  twelve 
fancies,  dissimilar,  Mr.  H.  Mathias  second,  Mecsrs.  A.  R. 
Brown  third,  and  Mr.  J.  Douglas  fourth,  the  latter  winning 
a  premier  with  Linkman. 

For  twelve  Picotee  blooms,  white  ground,  dissimilar, 
Mr.  J.  Douglas  took  first,  Mr.  C,  Blick  second  and  premier 
with  Merlit-a,  and  Mr.  H.  Mathias  third. 

For  twelve  Picotee  blooms,  yellow  ground,  dissimilar, 
Mr.  Charles  Blick  secured  fljst  and  premier  with  Her 
Majesty,  Mr.  James  Douglas  second,  and  Mr.  H.  Mathias 
third. 

Division  I. — Flowers  Shown  as  Grown. 

In  the  class  for  four  varieties  of  Carnation  blooms, 
selfs,  to  be  shown  in  vases,  three  blooms  of  each  variety, 
with  Carnation  foliage,  Mr.  J.  Douglas  secured  first, 
Mr.  C.  Blick  second.  Mr.  S.  J.  Payne  third,  and  Mr.  H. 
Lakeman  fourth. 

For  a  similar  number  of  fancies,  other  than  white 
ground,  Mr.  J.  Douglas  again  led.  Mr.  H,  Mathias  was 
second,  Mr.  C.  Blick  third,  and  Messrs.  A.  R.  Brown 
fourth. 

In  the  class  for  white-ground  fancies,  Mr.  J.  Douglas 
was  first,  Mr.  C.  Blick  second,  and  Mr.  S.  J.  Payne  third. 

For  four  varieties  of  Picotee  blooms,  yellow  ground, 
three  blooms  of  each  variety,  Mr.  J.  Douglas  came  first, 
Mr.  C.  Blick  second,  Mr.  S.  J.  Payne  third,  and  Mr.  H. 
Lakeman  fourth. 

Some  very  interesting  stands  were  provided  in  the 
class  for  nine  distinct  varieties,  including  selfs,  fancies 
and  yellow-ground  Picotees,  in  separate  vases,  three 
blooms  of  each  variety,  Mr.  J.  Douglas  coming  first, 
Mr.  H.  Mathias  second,  Mr.  H.  Lakeman  third,  and  Mr. 
C.  Blick  fourth.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  trade  growers 
can  only  show  in  Division  I. 

Division  II. — Flowers  Shown  on  Cards. 

For  six  Carnation  blooms,  bizarres  and  flakes,  dis- 
similar, Mr.  H.  R,  Taylor,  Cheam,  secured  the  leading 
award,  Mr.  J.  Fairlie,  Acton,  coming  second  and  securing 
a  premier  with  Gordon  Lewis. 

In  the  class  for  six  Carnation  bloom=,  selfs,  Mr.  H.  R. 
Taylor  was  again  flrst,  Mr.  C.  A.  Linzee,  Alresford,  takim^ 
second  and  premier  with  Mrs.  George  Marshall. 

For  six  Carnation  blooms,  fancies,  dissimilar,  Mr. 
H.  R.  Taylor  again  led,  Mr.  J.  A.  Font,  Winchester, 
coming  second. 

In  the  class  for  six  Picotee  bloom3,  white  ground,  dis- 
similar, Mr.  J.  J,  Keen  obtained  first  place,  and  Mr.  H.  K. 
Taylor  second  and  a  premier  with  the  var'ety  John  Smith. 

For  six  yellow-cround  Picotee  blooms,  dissimilar, 
Mr.  H.  R.  Taylor  was  awarded  flrst  and  a  premier  for 
Eclipse. 

Division  II. — Flowers  Shown  as  Grown. 

For  three  blooms,  one  variety,  pink  or  rose  selfs,  Mr. 
W.  H.  Parton  obtained  flrst.  Miss  E.  Shiffner  second, 
Mr.  R.  Morton  third,  and  Mr.  J.  A.  Font  fourth. 

For  three  blooms,  one  variety,  white  selfs,  Mr.  J.  Fairlie 
secured  first,  Mr.  R.  Morton  second,  and  Mr.  E.  J.  Price 
third. 

For  three  blooms,  dark  red  or  maroon  selfs,  Mr.  0.  A. 
Linzee  secured  flrst,  Mr.  W.  H.  Parton  second,  and  Mr. 
F.  Pitcher,  Maidenhead,  third. 

Miss  Shiffner  secured  the  leading  position  for  three 
blooms  of  yellow  selfs,  and  Mr.  H.  B.  Taylor  came  second. 

Mr.  R.  Morton,  Woodside  Park,  N.,  occupied  the 
premier  place  with  three  red  or  scarlet  selfs,  followed  by 
Miss  Shiffner. 

The  following  exhibitors  secured  first  prizes  for  the 
respective  classes  :  Mr.  R.  Morton  for  three  yellow-ground 
Picotees  ;  Mr.  H.  W.  Frostick  for  three  buff  or  terra- 
cotta selfs  ;  Mr.  J.  Fairlie  for  three  selfs  ;  Mr.  J.  A.  Font 
for  three  yellow  or  buff  ground  fancies ;  and  Mr.  H.  W. 
Frostick  for  three  fancies  other  than  yellow,  buff,  or 
white  ground. 

Open  to  Amateurs  Onlt. 

The  Martin  Smith  Memorial  Challenge  Cup  class  was 
strongly  contested,  Mr.  R.  Morton,  Woodside  Park,  N., 
again  winning  the  cup  with  a  splendid  set  of  blooms.  The 
varieties  shown  wore  Donald  McDonald,  Cardinal,  Santa 
Claus,  Basuto,  John  Ruskin.  Skirmisher.  Lord  Steyue, 
Linkman,  Onward,  Bookham  White.  Margaret  Lennox 
and  Miss  Willmott.  Mr.  W.  H.  Parton,  Moseley,  came 
second,  and  Mr.  J.  Fairlie,  Acton,  third. 


Jlfe*:. 


i%psr^- 


GARDEN. 


-3^»= 


^5^^^^ 


No.  2177.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


August  9,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week    393 

Correspondence 

Pruning  Hose  La 
France        ..      ..     394 

Rose  Gustave  Regis 
a?  a  large  bush  . .     394 

Are  Ten-week  Stocks 
dying  out?..      ..     394 

White  Rose  oint- 
ment         394 

Beautiful  floral  com- 
binations   . .     . .     394 

Musk  losing  it?  scent    395 

Some  good  Primulas  395 
Forthcoming  events..  395 
Greenhodse 

The  autumn  propa- 
gation of  Fuchsias    395 

Some  interesting 
plants    in    flower    395 

Dutch  Hyacinths  to 
flower  at  Christ- 
mas           396 

Hippeastrums  from 

seed     396 

Flower  OAunEN 

Intermediate,  East 
Lothian  and 
Bronipton  Stocks    397 

Raising  Pansies  from 
seeds 397 


Flower  G.\rden 

Clover  in  lawns     . .      397 
Gardens  of  to-Day 

Trcgothnan,  Cornwall  397 
Rock  and  Water  Garden 
The  Rosette  Mullein    399 
TREES  AND  Shrubs 

The   Mock   Oranges    399 
UosE  Garden 
Preparing     soil    for 

Rose  gardens     . .     400 
Rose  Cynthia  Forde     400 
Gakdenino  for  Beginners 
How  to  force  early 
bulbsin  pots,  pans 
and  boxes   . .     . .     401 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      402 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens          402 

New    and    Rare 

Plants 403 

Answers  to  Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden       . .     403 
Fruit  garden  . .  404 

Rose  garden   . .      . .     404 
Miscellaneous         , .     404 

Societies 404 


ILiIiUSTRATIONS. 

Rose  Gustave  Regis       394 

Specially-'reated  Dutch  Hyacinths      396 

A  beautiful  spring  border  at  Trcgothnan 398 

The  Broad  Walk  at  Tregothnan 398 

A  beautiful  colony  of  the  Rosette  Mullein       . .      . .  399 

Rose  Cynthia  Forde       400 

How  to  pot  bulbs  for  forcing       401 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  hoivever,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  refiards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  ivith. 


The  Editor  imll  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  u^lt  atone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Oftref  .    20.  Tavislc-k  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


NOTES     OF    THE     WEEK. 


Removing  Seed-Pods  from  Plants.— To  obtain 

as  much  bloom  as  possible  from  plants  it  is  very 
important  to  remove  all  seed-pods  as  soon  as  they 
appear.  By  doing  so  the  majority  of  plants, 
particularly  annuals,  will  continue  to  flower  for  a 
very  much  longer  period  than  they  would  if  allowed 
to  develop  their  seeds. 

Dividing  Paeonias. — As  soon  as  the  foUage  of 
the  plants  is  getting  drj',  it  will  be  a  suitable  time 
to  divide  them  where  necessary.  By  doing  so 
now  the  succulent  roots  will  suffer  less  than  if 
disturbed  in  the  autumn  or  spring.  It  is  advisable 
to  select  dull  weather  for  the  operation,  if  possible, 
although  this  is  not  absolutely  necessary,  but  an 
occasional  watering  will  be  found  very  beneficial. 

Honour     for    Viscountess    Wolseley.  —  The 

Honorary  Freedom  of  the  Gardeners'  Company 
was  presented  to  Viscountess  Wolseley  on  Monday 
of  last  week  as  an  appreciation  of  her  work  in 
the  interests  of  gardening.  The  presentation  was 
made  by  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  At  the 
dinner  held  afterwards,  the  Master  of  the  Gardeners' 
Company  stated  that  Lady  Wolseley  had  created 
a  new  profession  for  women. 

An  Interesting  Bellflower. — One  of  the  most 
interesting  of  the  Campanulas  or  Bellflowers 
just  now  is  C.  lanata,  a  plant  that  does  not  appear 
to  be  at  all  well  known.  The  lower  shoots  press 
closely  up  to  the  rockwork  against  which  it  is 
planted,  while  the  mam  shoot  grows  erect.  The 
flowers  are  large,  creamy  white  in  colour,  and  are 
now  open.  We  noticed  some  particularly  good 
plants  in  the  rock  garden  at  Kew  a  few  days  ago. 

Fruit  and  Potato  Crops  in  the  Bordeaux 
District. — We  are  informed  by  the  Board  of 
Agriculture  that  a  report  received  from  the 
Bordeaux  Consular  District  states  that  Plums  are 
not  likely  to  be  very  plentiful,  the  fruits  having 
dropped  badly  during  stoning.  Marbat  Walnuts 
are  expected  to  give  a  moderate  crop,  and  the 
Games  variety  a  medium  crop,  but  the  well-known 
Grenoble  Walnut  is  likely  to  be  short.  Potatoes 
are  likely  to  yield  well,  as,  up  to  the  present, 
disease  has  not  appeared. 

A  Pretty  New  Zealand  Shrub.— In  Piagianthus 
Lyallii  we  possess  a  valuable  deciduous  flowering 
shrub  belonging  to  the  Mallow  family.  Planted  in 
the  open  border,  it  forms  a  large  bush  7  feet  to 
8  feet  or  more  in  height.  The  flowers  are  freely 
produced  in  clusters  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves. 
They  are  ij  inches  or  more  across,  pure  white  and 
slightly  cup-shaped.  The  flowering  season  is  July. 
Coming  from  New  Zealand,  those  who  are  acquainted 
with  the  character  of  the  flora  know  that  sometimes, 
during  very  severe  winters,  trees  and  shrubs  suffer 
considerable  damage.  For  this  reason,  in  the  colder 
parts  of  the  country,  Piagianthus  Lyallii  is  planted 
against,  a  sunny  south  wall.  At  Kew  a  few  years 
ago  a  bush  growing  m   the  open  was  cut   to  the 


ground ;  the  following  year,  however,  vigorous 
young  shoots  pushed  up  from  the  base,  and  it  is 
now  a  large,  spreading  bush  8  feet  in  height  and 
flowering  profusely.  Layering  forms  the  readiest 
means   of   increase. 

The  Irish  Heath. — In  the  Heath  garden  just 
now  this  plant,  Daboecia  polifolia,  is  one  of  the 
most  conspicuous  features,  its  erect  shoots,  clothed 
with  dancing,  balloon-shaped  flowers,  attracting 
much  attention.  At  Kew  they  have  it  grouped 
in  good-sized  masses,  together  with  the  white- 
flowered  variety  appropriately  named  alba. 
Another  very  charming  variety  at  Kew  is  named 
D,  p.  erecta  atropurpurea.  This  is  rather  more  erect 
than  the  type,  and  has  large  flowers  of  rich  rosy 
purple  hue.  These  Irish  Heaths  are  amenable 
to  the  same  treatment  as  the  hardy  Heaths  proper. 

Transplanting  the  Madonna  Lily. — Anyone 
desirous  of  transplanting  the  beautiful  Madonna 
Lily,  Lilium  candidum,  will  find  the  present  time 
most  suitable.  Seldom  are  the  plants  seen  to  better 
advantage  than  in  a  cottage  garden  where  they  are 
left  undisturbed  for  years,  which  goes  to  prove 
that  they  should  only  be  taken  up  when  absolutely 
necessary  through  overcrowding.  Then  the  largest 
bulbs  should  be  replanted  and  the  smaller  ones 
grown  for  a  year  or  two  in  the  nursery.  If  the 
plants  are  suffering  from  the  disease  which  often 
attacks  them,  the  bulbs  ought  to  be  freely  dusted 
with  sulphur  before  they  are  replanted. 

Nemesias  for  Spring  Flowering. — These  lovely 
South  African  flowers  are  much  appreciated  in 
the  conservatory  or  greenhouse  in  springtime. 
The  plants  are  easily  grown  in  pots  from  seeds 
sovra  in  August.  Nemesia  strumosa  nana  com- 
pacta  and  N.  s.  Suttonii,  both  producing  mixed 
colours,  are  suitable  varieties  for  pot  culture. 
If  the  seeds  are  sown  in  boxes  or  pans,  the  resultant 
seedlings  must  be  transplanted  in  pots  while  quite 
small,  five  in  a  6J-inch  pot  being  sufficient ;  or 
they  may  be  sown  in  the  larger  pots  and  surplus 
plants  drawn  out,  the  after-treatment  being 
similar  to  that  given  to  pot  Mignonette. 

A  Perpetual  -  flowering  Veronica.  —  Because 
occasionally,  when  planted  in  exposed  positions, 
the  shrubby  New  Zealand  Veronicas  suffer  during 
severe  frosts,  many  horticulturists  neglect  them. 
Suitable  positions  can  be  found  for  them  in  most 
gardens. — a  shrubbery  border  with  a  south  or  west 
exposure,  or  similar  aspects  sheltered  by  a  wall  or 
fence.  Even  if  the  plants  are  occasionally  damaged 
or  killed  outright  when  growing  in  the  open,  they 
can  soon  be  replaced  by  yoimg  plants  grown  from 
cuttings,  which  are  as  easy  to  root  as  Fuchsias. 
One  variety  in  particular,  named  Autumn  Beauty, 
may  be  truly  described  as  a  perpetual-flowering 
Veronica,  for  it  is  seldom,  if  ever,  without  a  few 
flowers,  while  during  summer  and  autumn  the 
bushes  are  laden  with  blossoms,  gj  Growing  and 
flowering  freely  from  12  inches  in  height  upwards, 
the  plants  are  covered  with  small,  dense  racemes 
of  rich  purple  flowers  about  two  inches  in  length. 


394 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  g,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The    Editor   is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Are  Ten-Week  Stocks  Dying  Out  ?— In  "  Notes 
of  the  Week,"  issue  July  26,  the  reference  to  these 
Stocks  is  very  timely.  Everything  should  be 
done  to  encourage  cultivators  to  grow  them  slill 
more  than  they  have  been  in  the  past.  Un- 
doubtedly the  reasons  advanced  in  the  note  referred 
to  are  the  true  ones,  as  plants  of  the  Intermediate 
section  do  grow  larger  and  branch  more  freely. 
The  coarser  and  more  branching  specimens  of  the 
Ten-week  section  generally  bear  single  flowers, 
whereas  the  dwarfer  ones  bear  double  flowers 
and  usually  form  one  very  handsome  spike.  The 
time  needed  in  which  to  grow 
good  Ten  -  week  Stocks  is  not 
imduly  long.  Perhaps  committees 
of  horticultural  societies  will  note 
the  references  to  this  subject 
and  in  future  provide  two  classes, 
one  for  Ten-week  Stocks  only. — 
G.  G. 

Rose     Gustavo     Regis    as    a 

Large  Bush. — The  enclosed  photo- 
graph   of     Rose     Gustave     Regis 

growing    in     a    suburban     garden 

may  be    of    interest    to    some    of 

your  readers.      In  my  opinion    it 

is  the    best    of    the     old    garden 

Roses    for    suburban    districts,   in 

spite  of  the  fact  that  it   does  not 

flower     much     in     the     autumn. 

The  plant   illustrated  stands  over 

five    feet    high,   and  a  week   after 

the  photograph  was  taken  scarcely 

a  leaf  could   be  seen   for   flowers. 

In    the    bud    stage    the   colour    is 

soft    nankeen    yellow,   the   flowers 

opening    to    creamy    white.      The 

buds,    which  are  long  and  of  ex- 
quisite   shape,    are    excellent     for 

button-holes.    I  do  not  understand 

why  more  of  such  Roses  as  Griiss 

an  Teplitz,  Florence  Haswell  Veitch 

and  J.   B.   Clark    are    not    grown 

as    large,     free     bushes.  —  A.     B. 

Essex. 
Pruning   Rose    La   France.— I 

quite    agree    with    the     note     on 

this    subject    on    page    371,    issue 

July    26,   above   the    well  -  known 

initials    "  G.    G."       Several    years 

ago     a     number      of      correspon- 
dents wrote    calling    attention    to 

the     merits     of     unpruned     Rose        ROSE  GUST 

bushes.        At     that    time    a    note 

from   my   pen    described   a    speci- 
men   of    Rose     La    France    which    had    received 

no  pruning  for  years  and  carried  a  large  quantity 
of  splendid  flowers.  La  France  is  often  dis- 
appointing when  hard  pruned  in  spring.  Where 
this  is  so  I  would  advise  the  practice  of  thinning 
out  the  weak  shoots  now,  and  cutting  oft  the  soft 
tips  in  March.  Many  other  Roses  might  be  treated 
in  this  way  with  advantage.  There  is  a  row  of 
Rose  Perle  d'Or  not  far  from  where  I  am  writing, 
the  individual  bushes  of  which  are  from  4  feet  to 
5  feet  in  height,  and  they  have  been  covered  with 
bloom  and  present  a  fine  effect  in  the  garden. 
These  bushes  are  allowed  to  grow  at  will,  the  only 
pruning  they  receive  being  the  removal  of  dead 
wood    and    dead    flowers.     Where    space    permits 


(and  especially  in  the  wild  garden)  unpruned  or 
lightly-pruned  Roses  should  be  given  a  trial. 
Many  of  the  ramblers  would  be  more  satisfactory 
with  less  pruning  and  less  formal  training.  A 
word  of  caution,  however :  Do  not  neglect  to  give 
a  good  rooting  medium  for  Roses,  and  make  every 
attempt  to  keep  down  insect  pests. — Colin  Ruse, 
35,  West  Road,  Saffron  Walden.  Essex. 

White  Rose  Ointment. — In  reference  to  the 
making  of  ointment  from  Rose  Blanche  Belgique, 
mentioned  in  your  issue  for  July  12,  page  346, 
I  have  just  received  the  following  recipe,  which 
I  send  on  to  you :  "  The  Roses  Fettles  must  be 
dry  or  the  Ointment  will  go  Mieildew,  Homemade 
Lard  :  or  Frest  Butter  from  the  Chure  with  aut 
Salt  in  it  then  Simmer  in  an  Eaithen  Pipken 
(Miss  Anne  have  one)   Put   as  Meney  Rose  leeves 


:1V E    REGIS    AS    A    LARGE    BUSH. 
FIVE    FEET    HIGH. 


THIS    PI,.\NT 


in  as  you  can  and  simmer  Slawly  untill  it  begen 
to  tume  Brawn  Strain  thraugh  a  Peace  of  Muse- 
land.  I  shuld  think  Enamel  Sauspan  would  do 
as  well.  I  remember  the  Rose  leaves  use  to  be 
Cramed  In,  when  the  leaves  use  to  tume  Brawn 
it  was  read  to  be  Stram.  the  Ointment  use  to  be 
white."  The  ouitment  was  used  for  chapped 
faces  and  hands  in  winter,  and  on  further  enquiry 
I  found  that  a  little  Friar's  balsam  was  sometimes 
added  to  the  ointment,  and  was  told  "  the  dry 
Rose  petals  was  saved  till  we  killed  a  pig,"  and 
"  the  ointment  was  kep'  in  china  pots  with  china 
lids."  The  red  earthenware  pipkin  is  glazed 
inside  and  has  a  quaint  handle.  It  is  an  antique 
one   given   me   by   another  villager  "  because  she 


knew  Miss  Anne  liked  all  those  sort  of  old  things." 
I  did  not  know  its  particular  use  till  the  grey- 
haired  wT"iter  of  the  preceding  recipe  said,  "  I  see 
you've  got  an  old  ointment  pipkin.  Miss  Anne, 
like  my  mother  used  to  make  her  white  Rose  oint- 
ment in  years  a-gone,  and  you've  got  the  old 
ointment  Roses  in  your  garden  too.  I  ain't  seen 
any  of  them  since  I  was  a  child."  I  do  not  know 
where  the  Rose  is  now  to  be  obtained.  The  bushes 
in  my  garden  are  evidently  extremely  old,  and  I 
have  hitherto  failed  to  root  any  cuttings  from 
them,  although  I  have  often  tried  to  do  so,  as  all 
my  friends  who  see  and  smell  them  desire  to  have 
a  bush  of  them. — Anne  Amateur. 

Beautiful  Floral  Combinations. — I  think  it 
may  be  of  interest  to  those  of  your  readers  who  , 
are  constantly  on  the  look-out  for  new  colour- 1 
schemes  to  instance  the  following 
combinations  which  I  have  noticed 
with  especial  pleasure  in  my  garden 
during  the  present  season.  Masses 
of  Malva  moschata  alba  alternating 
with  great  drifts  of  Campanula 
rotundifolia  (or  one  of  its  varieties) 
afforded  a  spectacle  of  rare  and 
delicate  beauty.  The  pure  scarlet 
of  Lychnis  chalcedonica  is  a  perfect 
foil  for  the  equally  pure  white  of 
Lilium  candidum.  Lastly,  the,  to 
.  my  mind,  somewhat  acrid  pink  of 
Rose  Dorothy  Perkins  is  pleasingly 
relieved  by  breadths  of  Viola  com uta 
growing  beneath.  Too  often  the 
flowers  suggested  for  combination 
disappoint  us  by  their  failure  to 
blossom  at  the  same  time.  I  think 
no  difficulty  will  be  experienced  in 
the  case  of  those  which  I  mention. 
It  is,  in  my  view,  essential  to  the 
success  of  colour-schemes  that  con- 
siderable quantities  of  specimens  of 
one  species  should  be  used,  and  I 
have  purposely  refrained  from  in- 
stancing harmonies  afforded  by 
plants  which  from  their  rarity  can- 
not be  employed  so  lavishly  as  the 
nature  of  the  case  demands. — Ray- 
mond E.  Negus,  Walton-on-Thames. 

A  pretty  floral  combination 

I  saw  recently  was  produced  by 
Shirley  Poppies  and  blue  Corn- 
flowers mixed  together.  The 
Poppies,  unfortunately,  do  not  last, 
but  while  they  did,  the  mixture  was 
exceedingly  telling  and  produced 
at  an  expense  of  twopence  for  the 
seeds.  Another  equally  cheap  com- 
WAS  OVER  bination  is  produced  by  Asperula 
sctosa  and  Linaria  aureo-rcticulata 
or  L.  purpurea,  but  the  first  Linaria 
is  the  better  of  the  two.  An  annual  I  am  very  fond 
of,  but  scarcely  ever  to  be  seen,  is  that  loiown  as 
Lobel's  Catchfly,  the  botanist's  Silene  Armeria.  I 
have  an  Antirrhinum  exactly  the  same  shade  of 
colour  which  I  am  hoping  to  use  in  combination 
with  the  former,  its  squat  growth  calling  for  a 
spiral-growing  plant  to  get  the  most  out  of  it. 
While  on  the  question  of  combinations  I  may  men- 
tion one  formed  by  a  group  of  Crucianella  stylosa 
running  through  and  intermixing  with  one  of 
Nepeta  Mussinii  on  a  rockery.  The  first  impulse 
was  to  separate  them  ;  but,  dirty  as  the  Crucia- 
nella looks,  the  colour  blends  very  nicely  with 
the  Nepeta — another  instance  of  the  unexpected  in 
colour  combinations. — R.   P.  Brotherston. 


August  9,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


395 


Musk  Losing  Its  Scent. — Respecting  thie  loss 
r>f  scent  in  Musk,  to  vvliicli  there  liave  been  several 
references  lately,  I  dare  not  affirm  that  it  smells 
less  Musky  than  in  the  past,  because  I  do  not 
recollect  the  scent  ever  to  have  been  strong.  And 
it  is  well  to  remember  that  the  perfume  of  flowers 
varies  to  a  very  considerable  degree.  In  some 
conditions  of  the  atmosphere  scent  is  imperceptible, 
and  this  is  very  noticeable  with  Roses,  Sweet 
Briar  especially,  and  with  common  Primroses, 
ihi-  perfume  of  which  on  a  warm,  almost  sultry 
cl.iv  pervades  the  air  to  such  an  extent  that  we 
-1  era  to  draw  it  in  with  our  breath.  How  diverse 
HI  the  strength  of  its  perfume,  too,  is  a 
held  of  Beans  !  And  so  with  plants  which  smell 
badly.  Some  days  one  cannot  pass  a  clump  of 
Crown  Imperials  without  being  made  uncomfort- 
ably aware  of  its  presence  by  its  foxy  smell,  which 
under  other  atmospheric  conditions  is  not  apparent 
at  all.  Last  of  all,  we  cannot  leave  out  of  account 
the  state  of  the  individual's  organ  of  smell,  which 
mthout  a  doubt  alters  not  only  with  age,  but  with 
the  condition  of  one's  health.  On  the  whole  I 
should,  therefore,  be  chary  about  saying  Musk 
is  Musk  no  longer. 

Some  Good  Primulas. — I  recently  had  the 
pleasure  of  spi  uding  an  hour  or  two  along  with 
Dr.  McWatt  in  his  garden  at  Morclands,  Duns.  It 
was  too  late  for  Primulas  in  general,  but  I  saw 
the  old  and  fine  P.  sikkimensis  in  fine  condition, 
and  a  nice  hybrid  between  pulverulent  a  and 
cockburniana,  with  the  flowers  like  the  latter  and 
habit  and  pulverulence  of  the  former.  It  is  named 
Lissadell  Hybrid.  The  last  named,  it  may  be 
added,  is  perennial  in  the  Duns  locality.  Dr. 
McWatt  finds  a  difficulty  with  common  vulgaris 
in  its  double  forms,  a  difficulty  shared  with  others. 
AH  the  same,  a  large  border  is  occupied  by  a  full 
.  ollection  of  sorts  not  long  broken  up.  One  way 
the  difficulties  of  Primula  cultivation  are  lessened 
is  by  plunging  the  pots  in  sand  kept  wet  to  a  good 
depth.  There  is  space  in  the  garden  for  a  great 
variety  of  plants  other  than  Primulas,  at  the 
expense  perhaps  of  material  for  the  cook,  and 
flowers,  consequently,  are  everywhere.  Quite  a 
good  collection  of  flowering  and  other  shrubs  is 
also  cultivated,  a  huge  specimen  of  a  Phyllostachys 
demonstrating  the  hardiness  of  the  Bamboo  tribe 
in  this  cold  district.  A  new  rockery  is  in  course 
of  being  furnished,  and  here,  too,  the  ubiquitous 
Primulas  were  conspicuous.  But  Dr.  McWatt  is 
by  no  means  prejudiced  in  Iris  floral  tastes,  and 
works  on  Violas,  Foxgloves  and  Delphiniums 
with  the  prescience  of  the  cultured  and  observant 
amateur. — R.  P.  Brotherston. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

.August  II. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Meeting. 

.\ugust  12. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Exhi- 
bition.    Flower  Show  at  Clay  Cross. 

August  13. — Flower  Shows  at  CarUsle  (two 
days),  Exmouth  (two  days)  and  Capel.  East 
.\nglian  Horticultural  Club's  Meeting. 

August  14. — Flower  Shows  at  Tatmton  Deane, 
Merthyr  Tydvil,  .Abingdon  and  Oxford. 

.\ugust  16. — Shows  at  Ambergate,  Seascale  and 
Lake  District. 

August  18. — Shows  at  Warkworth  and  Pitsmoor 
(Sheffield). 

August  20. — Shows  at  Shrewsbury  (two  days) 
and  Wallingford.  Banffshire,  West  Cumberland 
and  Royal  Jersey  Horticultural  Society's  Shows. 

August  21. — Flower  Show  at  Aberdeen  (two 
days). 


THE     AUTUMN     PROPAGATION      OF 
FUCHSIAS. 

IF  cuttings  are  inserted  now.  nearly  a  whole 
year  is  gained  in  the  building  up  of  fine 
plants  suitable  for  pot  culture  or  for  the 
furnishing  of  the  flower  garden  in  the 
summer-time.  I  have  propagated  hundreds 
of  cuttings  at  this  season  of  the  year,  and 
they  have  grown  into  very  nice  plants  by  the 
following  spring.  Fuchsia  plants  are  generally 
gradually  dried  off  as  the  autumn  passes.  They 
are  then  stored  in  a  place  just  safe  from  frost 
until  the  early  part  of  the  following  spring,  when 
the  old  ball  of  soil  is  reduced  in  size,  the  branches 
are  pruned  back  as  required,  and  the  repotting  is 
done  in  smaller  pots.  In  dealing  with  the  autumn- 
struck  cuttings,  the  cultivator  must  keep  them 
growing  steadily  throughout  the  winter  months, 
simply  repotting  them  in  February  or  March 
as  they  need  more  rooting  space.  The  growth 
made  in  the  winter  will  not  be  great,  but  it  is  an 
advantage,  and  the  autumn-struck  plants  will 
be  one-third  larger  at  the  end  of  the  following 
summer  than  those  propagated  in  the  spring  of 
the  same  year. 

Select  strong  young  shoots  growing  near  the 
base  of  the  old  plant  ;  they  make  the  best  cuttings. 
If  there  arc  flower-buds  on  any  of  the  shoots, 
remove  them.  Very  few  will  appear  on  them 
afterwards  during  the  autumn  ;  any  that  form 
must  be  pinched  off.  Each  cutting  should  be 
about  four  inches  long.  Cut  off  the  two  lower 
leaves  and  sever  the  stem  just  below  a  joint.  Use 
a  light,  sandy  compost,  one  made  of  loam  and  leaf- 
soil  in  equal  proportions,  with  a  small  quantity 
of  old  mortar  and  pounded  brick  added,  and 
sufficient  coarse  sand  to  render  it  all  very  porous. 
This  complete  porosity  is  necessary,  as  the  plants 
will  need  occasional  watering  during  the  winter- 
time. Place  the  pots  in  a  frame  turned  towards 
the  north,  and  lightly  shade  the  glass  when  the 
sun  shines  brightly.  When  first  inserted,  give 
the  cuttings  a  good  watering,  afterwards  maintain- 
ing the  soil  in  a  medium  state  of  moisture.  Occa- 
sional syringings  on  fine  days  will  revive  the  foliage 
a  great  deal,  and  mil  do  more  good  than  a  watering 
of  the  soil  in  the  pots.  If  the  soil  is  kept  in  a  con- 
stantly saturated  condition,  the  cuttings  will  not 
thrive  well  in  it,  and  many  leaves  will  be  lost. 
If  the  cuttings  are  inserted  round  the  edges  of 
5-inch  and  61-inch  pots,  they  will  be  easily  wintered 
on  shelves  in  a  warm  greenhouse  or  in  a  heated 
frame.  Avon. 


SOME    INTERESTING    PLANTS    IN 
FLOWER. 

Where  they  have  not  been  growii  very  warmly, 
some  of  the  finest  gesneraoeous  plants,  such  as  the 
.Achimenes,  Gloxinias  and  Streptocarpuses,  will 
be  just  now  at  their  best.  There  is  a  great  tendency 
to  regard  these  different  subjects  as  fit  only  for  a 
warm  structure ;  indeed.  Gloxinias  are  often 
referred  to  as  stove  plants. 

Gloxinias. — Where  they  are  needed  early,  it  is 
necessary  to  subject  them  to  a  considerable  amount 
of  heat  ;  but  in  some  cases  at  least  their  blossoms 
will  be  more  appreciated  during  the  latter  part  of 
the  summer  than  earlier  in  the  season.  Given 
one  year  old  tubers.  Gloxinias  may  be  grown 
imder  much  the  same  conditions  as  Begonias  ; 
that  is  to  say,  they  may  be  started  in  the  spring 
in  a  gentle  heat,  and  by  the  end  of  May  artificial 


heat  can  be  readily  dispensed  with.  From  that 
time  a  cold  frame  is  the  best  place  for  the  plants, 
shifting  them  into  their  flowering  pots  as  they 
need  it.  Gloxinias  and,  in  fact,  all  gesneraceous 
plants  are  well  served  by  a  liberal  use  of  good 
leaf-mould  in  the  potting  compost.  Should  the 
weather  be  cold  after  the  plants  are  removed  to 
the  frame,  it  will  be  an  advantage  to  shut  the 
lights  up  early  in  order  to  husband  the  stm-heat. 
Grown  coolly  in  this  way,  the  leaves  arc  of  a  better 
substance  than  they  are  in  a  warm  and  much- 
shaded  structure,  while  insect  pests  give  scarcely 
any  trouble.  The  flower-stems,  too,  are  more 
sturdy,  so  that  less  support  is  needed.  Of  course, 
where  blossoms  are  required  early,  this  cool  treat- 
ment cannot  be  recommended  ;  but  for  the  produc- 
tion of  flowers  during  the  latter  part  of  July  and 
in  .\ugust  this  is  by  far  the  better  plan. 

Achimenes. — ^The  numerous  varieties  of  these 
also  form  a  charming  feature  in  the  green- 
house at  this  season,  showing  as  they  do  a 
wide  range  of  colour  and  a  great  profusion  of 
bloom.  Despite  their  desirable  qualities,  they 
can  scarcely  be  regarded  as  popular  plants  at 
the  present  time,  probably  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent owing  to  the  fact  that  they  are  of 
little  service  for  cutting,  a  standard  by  which 
A'Avering  plants  are  so  generally  judged  nowadays. 
Still,  for  hanging  baskets,  to  be  at  their  best  during 
the  summer,  there  are  very  few  classes  of  plants 
to  equal  the  Achimenes,  as  when  suspended  the 
branches  acquire  a  semi-pendulous  habit  of  growth, 
which  shows  off  the  butterfly-like  flowers  to  the 
greatest  advantage.  In  commencing  the  culture 
of  .Achimenes,  the  best  plan  is  early  in  the  year  to 
obtain  a  good  selection  of  the  dormant  tubercles, 
when  they  can  be  sent  by  post  for  a  few  pence. 
These  should  be  obtained  from  a  reliable  source, 
so  that  the  collection  may  be  as  varied  as  possible. 
The  tubercles  may  be  potted  three  in  a  small  pot, 
and  when  sufficiently  advanced  should,  without 
disturbing  the  roots,  be  shifted  into  larger  pots. 
Put  several  together  into  deep  pans  to  make  large 
specimens,  or  plant  in  baskets  for  hanging  up. 
Potted  about  the  beginning  of  March  and  placed 
in  a  temperature  of  50°  to  65°,  they  will  soon  grow 
.-.way  freel}'. 

Streptocarpuses. — While  Achimenes  have  de- 
clined in  popular  favoiur,  Streptocarpuses  have 
in  the  same  time  made  great  headway  ;  indeed, 
the  present  garden  forms  are  of  quite  recent  origin. 
This  class  of  plants  is  remarkable  for  its  com- 
paratively large,  showy  blossoms,  the  great  profusion 
in  which  they  are  borne,  and  for  the  wide  diversity 
in  colour  that  now  exists  among  them.  Few 
flowering  plants  are  the  equal  of  the  Strepto- 
carpuses for  growing  in  a  structiu'e  where  they 
get  a  good  deal  of  shade.  Streptocarpuses  may  be 
readily  increased  by  seed,  which,  sown  early  in 
the  year,  will  produce  plants  that  will  flower 
in  the  course  of  the  season.  Their  period  of  use- 
fulness is  then  by  some  considered  to  be  over, 
but  they  may  with  advantage  be  kept  and  grown 
on  for  another  year.  They  should  during  the 
winter  be  kept  in  a  temperature  of  50°  to  60% 
giving  just  enough  water  to  keep  the  roots  in  good 
condition,  as  the  Streptocarpus  does  not  form 
tubers  in  the  same  way  as  the  Gloxinia.  The 
plants  so  wintered  will,  if  shifted  into  5-inch  pots 
in  early  spring,  grow  away  freely  and  flower  well. 

Gesneras,  too,  are  lovely  flowers,  the  earliest 
of  which  are  now  open.  It  is  difficult  to  know, 
at  least  in  some  cases,  which  to  admire  the  most — 
the  beautiful  marbled  leaves  or  the  spikes  of 
drooping,    tubular-shaped    blossoms.     There    is    a 


396 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  9,  1913. 


wide  range  of  colour  in  the  flowers,  but  those  of 
an  orange  tint,  such  as  in  the  variety  Orange  King, 
which  was  given  an  award  of  merit  three  years 
ago,  gain,  as  a  rule,  the  most  admirers.        H.   P. 


DUTCH     HYACINTHS     TO     FLOWER 
AT     CHRISTMAS. 

An  Important  Discovery. 
Carnations  and  Lily  of  the  Valley  have  long 
since  "  looped  the  loop,"  or  done  the  equivalent 
acrobatic  performance  which  in  the  floral  world 
corresponds  to  it.  Now  Dutch  Hyacinths  are 
Irying  their  hand  to  see  what  they  can  do.  For 
the  last  year  or  two  there  has  been  a  great  shortage 
in  the  supply  of  Roman  Hyacinths  from  the  South 
of    France.     It   was  the  Dutchman's  opportunity. 


In  the  course  of  my  wanderings  in  Holland  (for 
to  me  Holland  is  a  word  confined  to  the  gorgeously- 
carpeted  land  where  bulbs  grow,  and  where,  in  the 
true  Dutch  fashion  of  things  being  contrary  to 
the  ordinary,  the  carpet  is  only  laid  down  in  spring 
and  cleaned  for  the  rest  of  the  year),  I  say,  in  the 
course  of  my  wanderings  I  found  myself  in  the 
ofiice  of  the  most  hospitable  firm  of  Messrs.  R.  Van 


I  hear  some  English  firms  are  taking  it  up.  For 
one,  I  believe  the  Busy  "  Bees"  of  Liverpool  are 
very  sweet  upon  this  process  and  want  to  make  it 
known  to  their  British  customers.  1  always 
have  had  a  warm  corner  in  my  heart  for  this  little 
people  (A.  K.  B.,  the  King  Bee,  must  be  6  feet 
or  over !)  ever  since  they  put  the  photograph 
'  of  an  exquisite  bowl  of  Feathered  Hyacinths,  which 


der  School  and  Sons  of  Hillegom.  Prefatory  in  the  flesh  had  done  duty  on  my  dining-room  table 
to  a  look  at  the  Tulips  I  was  shown  some  things  |  and  as  a  picture  in  the  pages  of  The  Garden, 
of  great  interest.  One  of  them  was  the  photograph  1  in  their  catalogue.  There  must  be  a  "  Bee  " 
which  is  reproduced  herewith.  "  Come,  come,"  \  everywhere,  in  Holland  as  well  as  in  China.  They 
I  said.  "  this  is  a  bit  of  good.     All  this  lot  in  bloom  !  gather  together  the  good  things  of  the  world,  and 


on  December  15.  Tell  that  to  Mr.  Jones"  (the 
aforesaid  bulb  representative  of  one  of  our  great 
horticultural  firms  was  with  me).  However,  I 
spoke   too  soon.     A  photograph  is  not   the  same 


then  dispense  them    from    Sealand    or    Mill  Street. 

Messrs.  Barr  also  have  some  bulbs. 

Now  for  the  practical  steps  to  be  taken   if  »>« 

want  these  advanced  Hyacinths  in  December : 
(i)  Buy  as  soon  as  possible  ; 
the  varieties  on  my  list  are 
good  ones  for  the  purpose. 
(2)  Be  sure  you  get  these 
specially-prepared  bulbs.  (3) 
Pot  before  September  10  at 
the  very  latest.  (4)  .Avoid 
like  poison,  at  any  period 
of  their  growth,  any  bottom- 
heat.  (5)  Start  in  the  dark 
as  usual,  but  in  a  comfort- 
able atmosphere.  (6)  Keep 
thera  nice  and  warm  when 
growing.  (7)  When  I  tried 
them  I  kept  them  too  cool, 
so  I  am  going  to  find  out 
more  about  the  exact  tem- 
perature they  like,  and  with 
the  Editor's  kind  permission 
a  note  will  appear  on  the 
subject  either  in  next 
week's  issue  or  the  one  follow- 
inp;.  Joseph  Jacob. 


,SPF.CIALI,Y-TREATED 


DUTCH     HYACINTHS     I'LOWERING    ON    DECEMBER      I5    OF    LAST    YEAR. 
PROBABLY    TAKE    THE    PLACE    OF    ROMAN    HYACINTHS." 


THESE    WILL 


Few  people  outside  the  Dutch  growersj^them- 
selves  realise  the  vast  importance  of  the  Hyacinth 
trade  to  the  capitalists  and  bulb-farmers  of  the 
country.  The  sales  for  a  long  time  have  not  been 
what  they  were  in  former  days.  The  Cinderella 
of  the  bulb  fields  of  a  generation  back  has  become 
the  Princess,  and  the  proud  sisters  of  old  (Hyacinths 
and  early  Tulips)  have  had  their  "  noses  put  out 
of  joint."  A  radical  operation,  or  rather  a  series 
of  smaller  operations,  was  necessary  to  try  to 
effect  a  cure — prizes  at  the  big  Royal  Horticul- 
tural Society's  Forced  Bulb  Show  ;  a  tardy 
acceptance  of  the  "  miniature  "  Hyacinth  ;  and 
lastly,  among  the  up-to-date  men,  such  as 
Tubergen  and  Van  der  Schoot,  the  "  advanced  " 
cure. 


as  a  newspaper.  What  it  contains  is  correct. 
All  these  were  in  flower  when  it  said.  Who  the 
inspired  genius  was  who  first  hit  upon  the  plan  of 
prematurely  lifting  and  then  artificially  drying  and 
baking  the  bulbs  I  do  not  know  (Was  it  Mr.  Dames 
of  Lisse  ?),  but  this  much  I  do  know.  Thanks  to 
some  man  and  his  followers.  Hyacinths  can  be  so 
prepared  or  advanced  that  with  ordinary  greenhouse 
treatment  they  can  be  had  in  bloom  in  December. 
Lady  Derby,  L'Innocence,  Yellow  Hammer, 
Schotel.  La  Tour  d'Auvergne,  Grand  Vedette, 
Grand  Monarque,  General  Pelissier,  Linnaeus, 
Grand  Vainquer.  Cornelia  and  Distinction  lend 
themselves  especially  to  this  treatment.  The 
gain  is  great ;  not  only  a  whiff  of  spring,  but  a  peep 
of  spring  in  December. 


HIPPEASTRUMS 
FROM     SEED. 

Where  it  is  desired  to  raise 
Hippeastrums  from  seed, 
those  that  flowered  at  about 
the  normal  season  will  by  now 
be  ripe  f>r  nearly  so.  The 
question  sometimes  arises 
whether  it  is  better  to  sow 
the  seed  at  once  or  to  keep 
it  until  the  spring.  My  experi- 
ence is  that,  providing  there 
is  a  structure  with  a  gentle 
heat  where  a  temperature 
of  50°  to  60°  can  be  main- 
tained during  the  winter, 
the  seed  had  better  be  sown 
with  as  little  delay  as 
possible.  Pans  about  two  inches  deep  are  very 
convenient  for  its  reception.  These  should  be 
clean  and  effectually  drained.  A  mixture  of  loam, 
leaf-mould  and  sand  passed  through  a  sieve  with  a 
one-third  of  an  inch  mesh  is  very  suitable  for  the 
seed,  some  of  the  roughest  portions  of  the  compost 
being  placed  immediately  over  the  crocks.  The 
surface  of  the  soil  being  pressed  down  moderately 
firm  and  made  level,  the  seed  snould  be  sown 
thereon  and  covered  with  about  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  of  soil.  Gently  watered,  the  seed  germi- 
nates quickly,  so  that  by  the  end  of  the  summer 
or  in  early  autumn  the  seedlings  may  be  potted 
singly  in  small  pots.  In  this  way  they  will  by 
February  be  ready  to  shift  into  pots  4  inches  in 
diameter.  H. 


August  9,  1913.J 


THE     GARDEN. 


397 


THE    FLOWER   GARDEN. 


INTERMEDIATE,    EAST    LOTHIAN 
AND    BROMPTON    STOCKS. 

THESE  are  useful  subjects  for  either 
beds,  borders  or  pots,  while  they  are 
highly  prized  as  cut  flowers,  both  for 
their  exquisite  coloius  and  pleasing 
fragrance.  The  Ten-week  Stock  is 
a  well-known  and  popular  plant,  and, 
where  occasional  sowings  are  made,  a  grand 
display  is  kept  up  tor  several  months.  It  is, 
however,  to  the  Intermediate,  East  Lothian 
and  Brompton  Stocks  that  I  would  call  particular 
attention  at  the  present  time.  They  may  be  had 
in  separate  colours,  such  as  crimson,  white,  scarlet 
and  purple,  or,  for  an  amateur,  a  good  mi.xed  strain 
would  give,  perhaps,  the  greater  satisfaction,  and, 
if  bought  from  a  reliable  firm,  a  large  percentage 
uf  doubles,  bright  in  colour,  would  be  secured. 

The  East  Lothians  are  dwarf  and  compact  in 
habit,  producing  immense  spikes  of  bloom  somewhat 
resembling  the  Hyacinth.  The  Intermediates  are 
very  tioriferous,  and  are  employed  on  a  large  scale 
for  pot  work,  quantities  being  sent  to  Covent 
Gardsn  and  other  markets  dm'ing  the  spring  months. 
The  Bromptons  form  huge  bushes  when  well 
grown,  and  possess  a  robust  constitution.  Although 
it  has  been  stated  that  the  plants  quoted  above 
thrive  best  m  the  cooler  parts  of  these  islands, 
good  results  can  be  obtained  in  the  warmer  regions, 
especially  if  a  full  south  aspect  is  not  chosen. 
Seeds  may  be  sown  either  in  June  and  July  or  m 
[■'ebruary,  the  former  for  flowering  the  following 
spruig  and  summer,  and  the  latter  for  autiuun 
flowering.  If  sown  in  Fvibruary,  a  little  heat  is 
necessary,  and  the  plants  will  require  a  gradual 
hardening  off  prior  to  planting  in  the  open  ground. 
The  usual  plan  is  to  sow  in  June,  July,  or  early 
."August  in  any  part  of  the  garden  which  happens 
lu  be  vacant,  but  the  soil  must  be  made  fine,  and, 
il  at  all  dry,  a  good  soakmg  with  water  is  advisable. 
When  they  have  made  three  or  four  leaves  they 
should  be  transplanted  into  a  cold  frame  or  in 
small  pots,  so  that  the  frost  can  be  excluded  during 
the  wmter  ;  and  in  March  they  may  be  removed 
to  their  permanent  quarters.  In  some  winters  they 
will  live  out  in  the  open  ground,  but  it  is  necessary 
lor  the  soil  to  be  well  drained,  for  I  think 
'r.xcessive  moisture  at  the  root  is  more  injurious 
than  frost,  providing  the  plants  are  fairly  dry  at 
the  base. 

Stocks  succeed  in  almost  any  garden,  but  they 
.ire  worth  taking  a  little  trouble  with,  and,  wherever 
possible,  the  ground  should  be  deeply  dug  and 
liberally  manured  the  previous  autumn.  Once 
planted,  further  attention  is  hardly  needed,  except 
keeping  the  surface  stirred  about  with  the  hoe  ; 
and  if  the  weather  should  prove  exceptionally 
dry,  an  occasional  watering  with  weak  liquid 
manure  will  prove  of  considerable  benefit.  S. 


RAISING     PANSIES    FROM     SEEDS. 

The  Pansy  is  a  grand  border  plant  for  the  amateur 
gardener  to  grow.  In  small  gardens,  where  large 
and  especially  tall-growing  subjects  are  out  of 
place,  or  seem  to  be,  dwarf  ones,  such  as  Pansies 
and  Violas,  look  very  charming  indeed.  These 
plants  are  equally  beautiful  ano  suitable  for  growing 
in  the  largest  flower  garden,  too.  They  are  much 
favoured  in  Northern  gardens,  but  I  have  seen  as 
fine  displays  in  Southern  gardens.  It  is  a  matter  of 
good  culture,  mainly.  In  one  case  whole  beds 
were  filled  with   Pansies  in   as  good  condition  as 


any  I  have  ever  seen,  both  as  regards  health  of 
plant,  quantity  and  quality  of  flower.  The  soil 
was  very  sandy.  Many  seeds  are  sown  in  shallow 
boxes.  I  certainly  do  not  favour  these,  as  the 
soil  in  them  so  soon  dries  up,  and,  in  order  to  main- 
tain it  in  a  moist  state,  very  frequent  watering  is 
necessary.  Only  in  exceptional  instances  should 
the  seedlings  be  raised  in  boxes.  It  is  much  better 
to  sow  the  seeds  in  the  open  border,  selecting  one 
in  a  cool  position.  There  is  ample  space  in  the 
open  border,  so  ths  seeds  should  be  sown  very 
thinly  indeed.  When  the  yoimg  seedlings  have 
plenty  of  space  to  develop,  the  seed  leaves  grow 
to  a  large  size,  roots  are  formed  freely  and  the  rough 
leaves  grow  strongly.  The  plants  are  thus  given  a 
good  chance  in  their  early  stages  of  growth,  and  it 
is  a  greater  pleasure  to  transplant  them  to  nursery 
beds  than  the  puny  specimens  grown  overcrowded 
in  a  small  box.  Whether  planted  in  their  flowering 
beds  in  the  autumn  or  retained  in  prepared  nursery 
beds  until  spring,  one  transplanting  in  a  young 
stage  will  be  sufficient.  Drawn-up,  weakly  plants 
bear  small  flowers  on  long,  slender  stems ;  the 
dwarf,  border-raised  seedlings  have  huge,  well- 
coloured  ones  on  short,  stout  stems.  Anyone  may 
raise  Pansy  plants  and  grow  them  fairly  well  with 
ordinary  care,  but  much  care  must  be  bestowed 
on  them  if  the  very  best  results  are  to  be  obtained. 
When  in  their  summer  quarters  surface  mulches 
must  be  put  on  and  faded  flowers  regularly  removed ; 
then  the  flowering  season  will  be  prolonged. 
Neglected  plant?  quickly  degenerate.  G.  G 


GLOVER    IN    LAWNS. 

I  HAVE  read  with  interest  the  references  in  recent 
numbers  of  your  paper  to  the  subject  of  Clover  in 
lawns,  and  I  venture  to  make  some  remarks  based 
on  the  experience  of  an  agriculturist  rather  than  that 
of  a  gardener.  Any  of  your  readers  who  chance  to 
follow  the  transactions  of  the  various  agricultural 
societies  and  colleges  doubtless  know  that  a  vast 
amoimt  of  experimental  work  is  done  to  discover  the 
best  means  of  renovating  pastures.  The  subject  is 
full  of  difficulty,  but,  broadly  speaking,  success 
or  failure  depends  on  whether  one  is  able  or  not 
to  produce  a  free  growth  of  white  Clover.  Now, 
no  gardener  under  any  circumstances  wishes 
Clover  on  a  tennis  lawn.  No  gardener,  again, 
who  has  a  first-class  lawn  wishes  Clover.  Neither 
does  any  gardener  who  has  a  tolerably  good  lawn, 
which  he  wishes  to  improve,  desire  Clover.  How 
to  obtain  that  end  is  well  known.  Every  spring 
give  a  light  dressing  of  nitrogenous  manure. 

But  there  are  many  gardeners  who  have 
thoroughly  bad  lawns  which  they  wish  to  improve. 
To  these  I  venture  to  commend  the  beneficial 
effect  of  white  Clover  as  a  slow,  but  as  the 
only  sure,  means  of  bringing  on  the  finer  grasses, 
which  in  a  lawn,  just  as  in  a  pasture,  constitute 
the  test  of  excellence.  If  nitrogenous  manures 
are  applied  right  away  to  a  poor  lawn,  the  coarse, 
healthy  grasses  will  benefit  at  once,  while  the 
finer  grasses,  on  account  of  their  starved,  imhealthy 
condition,  will  benefit  too  late  to  escape  being 
crowded  out. 

I  may  perhaps  be  allowed  to  indicate  the  best- 
known  methods  of  encouraging  Clover  as  well 
as  the  finer  grasses.  In  the  first  place,  those 
materials  must  be  supplied  which  are  essential 
to  both  Clover  and  grass.  These  are  lime  and 
phosphate.  Basic  slag  contains  both,  and  is  a 
truly  marvellous  manure.  Unfortunately,  it  is 
also  the  trickiest  of  all  fertilisers.  It  works  miracles 
on    some   soils,    while   on    others   it    is    absolutely 


worthless.  Unless  the  gardener  knows  that  slag 
suits  his  land,  he  should  not  waste  time  on  experi- 
ments, but  should  apply  lime  in  the  form  of  slaked 
lime-shells,  and  phosphate  in  the  form  of  the  most 
finely-ground  bone-flour  he  can  get.  The  standard 
dressing  of  bone-flour  which  is  considered  payable 
in  agriculture  is  half  a  ton  per  acre  {equal  to  a 
quarter  of  a  pound  per  square  yard).  This  will 
endiae  for  from  six  to  ten  years,  and  must  be  ap- 
plied in  autumn.  Of  lime,  double  the  above  dressing 
should  be  given,  also  in  autumn.  On  heavy  land 
this  may  endure  for  ten  years  ;  on  light  land  for 
very  much  less. 

In  the  second  place,  the  gardener  will  seek  to 
encourage  Clover.  Now,  Clover  hates  nitrogen 
and  loves  potash.  One  will,  therefore,  avoid  the 
former  and  give  potash.  Muriate  of  potash  is 
the  easiest  to  apply,  and  the  dressing  is  loz.  per 
yard,  which  is  enough  for  very  many  years.  All 
these  manures  (lime,  bone-flour  and  potash)  may  be 
mixed  and  applied  together,  and  all  can  be  bought 
in  small  quantities  from  a  first-class  firm  which 
caters  for  retail  trade.  I  may  warn  the  reader 
that  both  lime  and  bone-flour  are  very  powdery, 
and  that  the  work  of  application  is  not  exactly 
tidy.  There  is  this  to  be  said,  however,  that  the 
dressing  is  lasting,  in  contradistinction  to  nitro- 
genous applications,  which  endtire  for  one  season 
only.  Landowner. 


GARDENS    OF     TO  -  DAY. 


TREGOTHNAN,    CORNWALL. 

SITUATED  about  five  miles  from  the 
ancient  town  of  Truro,  and  not  far 
from  the  South  Coast,  is  Tregothuau, 
the  beautiful  seat  of  Lord  Falmouth, 
by  whose  kind  permission  we  are  enabled 
to  place  before  our  readers  a  few  par- 
ticulars of  the  interesting,  and  in  many  ways 
unique,  gardens  there.  It  was  during  the  early 
days  of  April  when  we  were  privileged  to  visit 
Tregothnan,  a  time  when  the  gardens  of  Cornwall 
are  usually  regarded  as  of  the  greatest  interest, 
because  the  feature  of  most,  and  Tregothnan  in 
particular,  is  the  rich  collection  of  choice  flowering 
and  coniferous  trees  and  shrubs,  which  in  less- 
favoured  parts  of  the  British  Isles  need  the  pro- 
tection of  a  glass-house  to  rear  them  successfully. 
In  writing  of  Cornish  gardens  it  is  necessary  to 
make  this  point  quite  clear. 

The  Rhododendrons  are  a  great  feature  in 
many  Cornish  gardens,  where  their  flowers  usually 
open  at  least  a  month  in  advance  of  those  of  the 
same  varieties  near  London.  At  Tregothnan 
several  of  the  walks,  and  also  the  main  carriage 
drive,  are  bordered  with  enormous  Rhododen- 
drons, the  massive  trunks  of  many  testifying  to 
their  great  age  and  the  genial  climate  of  the  district. 
In  one  part  of  the  grounds  is  a  superb  plant  of 
Rhododendron  Falconeri,  a  perfect  specimen  o£ 
its  kind,  standing  over  twenty  feet  high  and 
measuring  as  much  in  diameter,  the  brown  stems 
and  bold  leaves  creating  a  picture  of  rare  beauty 
even  though  flowers  were  absent.  Chinese  Rhodo- 
dendrons, including  most  of  the  newest  varieties, 
are  grown  on  an  extensive  scale  ;  and  we  were 
specially  interested  in  a  fine  plant  of  R.  Keysii, 
the  small,  coral  red  flowers  of  which  are  clustered 
together  much  in  the  same  way  as  are  those  of 
an  Aloe. 

The  House  Walls. — Naturally,  in  a  garden  such 
as  this,  one  expects  to  find  the  walls  of  the  mansion 


398 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  9,  1913. 


Choice    Shrubs 
and    Trees.  —  These 

abound  on  every 
hand  at  Tregothnan, 
and  in  an  article  of 
this  description  it  is 
impossible  to  mention 
anything  lilie  all  the 
interesting  and  beau- 
tiful plants  that  we 
saw.  In  the  shrub 
border  running  from 
the  east  side  of  the 
mansion  we  saw  a 
magnificent  plant, 
about  six  feet  high,  of 
the  crimson-fiowered 
Leptosp  erraum 
scoparium  NichoUii, 
a  species  which 
secured  the  cup 
offered  for  the  best 
new  plant  at  the  In- 
ternational Show  at 
Chelsea  last  year.  It 
will  be  news  to  many 
of  our  readers  to 
learn  that  a  plant  of 
such  size  exists  in 
this  country.  Keep- 
ing it  company  were 
.1  goodly  host  of  rare 
shrubs,  including 
Driniys  Winter!,  Em- 
bothrium  coccinenm, 
Buddleia  ColviUei, 
F  e  i  j  o  a  sellowiana, 
Crinodendro  n 
Hookeri  and  Clian- 
thus  puniceus.  In 
another  part  of  the 
gardens  we  found  a 
plant  of  Berberis 
Wilsonii,  5  feet  in 
diameter,  keeping 
put  to  good  use,  and  in  such  a  favourable  climate  company  with  large  trees  of  the  Blue  Gum,  Euca- 
to  find  many  rare  and  choice  thnigs  nestling  under  lyptus  globulus,  Pittosporums,  and  the  so-called 
the  shelter  that  the  walls  afford.  On  the  south  front  Mimosa,  Acacia  dealbata,  which  sends  up  suckers 
we  found  such  plants  as  Prostranthera  rotundifolia  yards  away  from  its  main  stem.  In  another 
fuUy  bejewelled  with  its  dainty 
little  blue  flowers,  Cytisus  fragrans. 
Clematis  indivisa  (a  plant  which  we 
also    found    scrambling    over  a    tall 

Oak  tree  in  another  part  of  the  gar- 
den),    Calceolaria     violacea,     Sollya 

heterophylla,    and    in    the    border    a 

plant    of    Aloe    serratifolia     in    full 

flower.     On  the  east  side  such  plants 

as    Acacia    riceana     and     Camellias 

thrive   amazingly,   imparting    to   the 

surroundings  quite  a  tropical  appear- 
ance.     Reverting  to  the  south  front, 

the    terrace    is   supported   by   a  low 

retaining  wall,  part  of  which  is  shown 

in     the    accompanying     illustration. 

Under     the    shelter     of     this     such 

plants  as  Acacia  verticillata,  Correas, 

Boronias    heterophylla     and     mega- 
stigma,  and  Coronilla   glauca  find   ,< 

happy  home,  while  in   front  of  it  w<- 

foimd    one    of    the    most    charmiiif^ 

spring    borders   that    we   have   ever 

been  privileged   to   see,  and   part    ul 

which  is  shown  m  the  accompanying 

illustration. 


\    BEAUTIFUL    SPRING    BORDER    AT    TREGOTHNAN.        PREP.\RATIONS 
FOR    A    BORDER    OF    THIS    KIND    MUST    SOON    BE    COMMENCED. 


direction  Cytisus  proliferus  was  flourishing,  its 
white  and  rose  coloured  flowers  being  produced 
freely. 

Palms,  Tree  Ferns  and  Dracaenas.— The 
hardy  Palm,  Trachycarpus  or  ChamiErops  excelsa, 
abomids  in  the  gardens  at  Tregothnan,  and  this, 
together  with  large,  tree-like  examples  of  Drac£ena 
indivisa  and,  in  some  of  the  woodland  glades, 
the  Tree  Fern,  Dicksonia  antarctica,  impart  to 
the  gardens  a  subtropical  appearance  that  is  quite 
characteristic  of  Cornish  gardens.  The  Palm 
mentioned  might  certainly  be  grown  in  many 
sheltered  gardens  in  the  London  district,  and  it 
is  possible  that  the  Dracaena  would  also  thrive 
if  protected  in  the  early  stages  of  its  career,  and 
we  hope  the  illustration  of  this,  which  shows  the 
plants  bordering  the  broad  walk  leading  from  a 
dainty  little  summer-house  that  faces  south,  will 
induce  some  at  least  of  our  readers  to  try  them.  The 
walk  shown  in  the  illustration  leads  down  towards 
the  water  garden,  through  a  spacious,  rolling  lawn, 
in  which  are  beds  filled  with  Azaleas  and,  at  the 
bottom,  two  of  the  finest  beds  of  a  distinct  variety 
of  the  Mediterranean  Heath,  Erica  mediterranea, 
that  we  have  ever  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing. 
The  head-gardener,  Mr.  Andrews,  told  us  that 
he  had  raised  all  the  plants  that  we  saw  in  the 
beds.  It  has  an  erect,  columnar  habit,  and  flowers 
with  almost  embarrassing  freedom.  From  these 
beds  one  could  have  cut  armfuls  of  flowering 
sprays  without  them  ever  being  missed,  and  the 
air  for  yards  around  was  permeated  with  a  perfume 
that  one  rarely  encounters  outside  a  highland 
moor.  The  view  from  the  summer-house,  at  the 
top  of  the  path  shown  in  the  accompanying  illus- 
tration, is  of  rare  beauty,  looking  as  it  does  over 
miles  of  undulating,  well-wooded  country. 

The  Water  Garden. — This  is  a  charming  feature 
at  Tregothnan,  and  one  that  its  owner  is  justly 
proud  of.  Situated  in  a  large,  natural  depression 
and  well  surrounded  by  tall  trees,  the  three  placid 
pools,  each  on  different  levels  and  all  connected 
by  miniature  cascades,  provide  a  peaceful  and 
delightful  home  for  all  kinds  of  aquatic  plants. 
Here  the  happy  visitor  may  enjoy,  to  the  music 
of  babbling  water  and  sighing  Bamboos,  such 
plants  as  Primulas  pulverulenta  and  kewensis, 
Water  Lilies  and  Cape  Pondweed,  Gunneras, 
the  young,  sword-like  foliage  of  many'Irises,  and, 


TUli    liKO-\l>    WALK     .\  1      IKI-.C.oi  ll.\  a: 


Willi     lALI.     I'LAM.-^    01      DK.AC.-LNA     INUIVI.SA     iii\     l-,A<.  H    ,>llil-,. 


August  9,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


399 


if  he  be  observant,  under  the  spray  of  the  largest 
cascade  that  gem  of  the  Filmy  Ferns,  Todea 
superba.  Even  so  early  in  the  year  this  water 
garden  was  a  peaceful  place  of  great  charm ; 
but  later  in  the  summer,  when  the  numerous  and 
rare  plants  have  fully  developed,  it  would  be 
even  more  beautiful  and  interesting. 
Primroses  in  the  Woodland. — The  counties  of 

Devon  and  Cornwall  are,  of  course,  famed  the 
whole  world  over  for  their  Primroses,  which  seem 
to  thrive  in  any  nook  or  comer  tliat  provides 
lodgment  for  a  square  inch  of  soil.  Even  in  the 
gullies  of  the  roadside  we  found  them  flowering 
happily,  but  it  was  in  the  woodland  glades  at 
Tregothnan  that  we  had  an  optical  feast  of  these 
beautiful  natives  which  will  live  long  and  pleasantly 
in  our  mind.  Broad  stretches  of  these,  flinging 
themselves  in  riotous  profusion  under  the  tall 
Beeches  that  stood  like  sentinels  over 
them,  seemed  as  though  Nature  her- 
self had  designed  it  all,  placing  there 
the  giants  of  the  vegetable  world  to 
give  shade  and  shelter  to  their  lowl>' 
brethren,  and  also  to  the  more 
brilliant,  though  none  the  less  pleas- 
ing, Bluebells  that  were  to  follow 
later. 

Camellias.  —  We  have  purposely 
deferred  mention  of  these  until  the 
last,  because  in  a  way  they  are  a 
special  feature  of  Tregothnan.  In 
many  parts  of  the  grounds  one  finds 
large  plants  of  robust  appearance, 
but  it  is  on  the  walls  of  the  stables 
where  the  most  wonderful  plants  m 
probably  the  whole  of  the  British 
Isles  are  to  be  found.  These  walls  are 
about  thirty  feet  high,  and  extend  for 
about  fifty  yards,  the  whole  surface 
being  completely  covered  by  Camel- 
lias, which  were  planted  many  years 
ago.  Last  year  all  these  plants 
flowered  with  considerable  freedom, 
and  the  sight  at  that  time  can  be  more 
easily  imagined  than  described.  Even 
when  not  in  flower  the  handsome, 
dark  green,  glossy  foliage  has  a  quiet 
beauty  of  its  own  that  Ivy,  or,  indeed, 
any  other  evergreen  suitable  for  the 
purpose,  does  not  possess.  Such,  then, 
are  the  gardens  at  Tregothnan  ;  a 
genial  home  for  all  that  is  good, 
beautiful  and  interesting  in  plant-life, 
and  much  of  which  might,  with  a 
little    perseverance,    be    grown    out- 


for  its  success,  but  it  is  now  generally  known 
that  it  can  be  grown  on  the  flat  surface  in  the 
open,  providing,  as  already  mentioned,  the  plant  is 
not  too  much  exposed.  Others  worthy  of  culti- 
vation are  alba  and  rosea,  two  beautiful  forms  of 
R.  pyrenaica,  and  R.  serbica  and  its  charming 
variety  Nathalice.  They  are  all  easily  raised  from 
seeds,  which  should  be  sown  in  pots  as  soon  as 
ripe,  or  by  the  leaves,  which  should  be  broken  off 
close  to  the  plant  and  the  footstalk  inserted  into 
raoist,  sandy  peat  and  kept  close.    F.  G.  Preston. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

THE     MOCK     ORANGES. 

The  various  kinds  of  Philadelphus  or  Mock  Orange 
form   a   vahiahle   group   of   Jniie-flowering  shrubs. 


Lemoinei  group,  require  regular  pruning.  This 
must  be  done  about  the  end  of  June,  or  as  soon 
as  the  flowers  fade,  and  pruning  should  consist 
of  the  removal  of  all  the  old  flowering  wood,  cutting 
it  back  close  to  the  ground  should  there  appear 
to  be  plenty  of  young  shoots  growing  from  the 
rootstock,  or,  if  young  shoots  are  scarce  there, 
to  the  strongest  shoot  appearing  from  the  flowering 
wood.  The  object  in  view  is  the  production  of 
long,  well-ripened  wood,  which  if  properly  matured 
will  blossom  from  end  to  end  during  the  following 
year. 

Propagation. — This  is  not  difficult,  for  if  cuttings 
of  young  shoots  3  inches  to  4  inches  long,  with  a 
slight  heel  of  old  wood,  are  taken  during  late 
June  or  early  July  and  inserted  in  sandy  soil  in 
a  close  and  slightly  warm  frame,  roots  are  formed 
in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks.     Some  people  insert 


A    BE.^UTIFUL    COLONY    OF   THE    ROSETTE    MULLEIN,    A    GOOD    PLANT    FOR    .\    SH.^DED    ROCK    GARDE.V. 


doors   in    sheltered    gardens    on    the 

West   Coast  of    England,   Southern    Scotland    and    the  majority  of  which  are  quite  suitable  for  general 


the  coast  of  Wales 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

THE 


T 


planting  throughout  the  country.  A  few  are 
tender,  but  their  exclusion  need  not  have  any 
serious  effect  upon  the  general  usefulness  of  the 
group,  for  the  perfectly  hardy  sorts  are  sufficiently 
numerous  and  varied  in  habit  to  offer  a  wide 
choice  to  the  most  fastidious  person.  Moreover, 
they  are  among  the  easiest  of  shrubs  to  cultivate. 


ROSETTE     MULLEIN. 

(Ramo.s-di.\  pyrenaica.) 
HIS    beautiful    Rosette  Mullein  has  been  j  and,    given    moderately   good   soil,    they   occasion 
quite  a  favourite  in  the  rockery  for  many  ■  little  fiu-ther  trouble  once  they  become  established, 
years,  and  at   the  present   time  a  rock  I  A  surface-dressing  of  well-decayed    manure,  how- 
garden  is  not  complete  without  it.     It  is    ever,  every  second  year  is  attended  by  good  results, 

this  being  particularly  necessary  in  the  instance 
of  the  dwarf  kinds,  which  are  hard  pruned  each 
spring. 

Pruning. — Large-growing  species  and  varieties 
require  very  little  pruning  other  than  an  occasional 
thinning  out  of  a  little  of  the  older  wood  ;  but  the 
dwarf   kinds,    more   especially   the   hybrids   of   the 


perfectly  hardy,  requiring  to  be  grown 
between  the  stones  in  a  light,  well- 
drained,  damp,  peaty  soil,  but  on  no  account 
exposed  to  full  sunshine,  which  is  detrimental, 
causing  the  plant  to  shrivel  and  die.  It  was 
thought  by  many  at  one  time  that  a  more  or  less 
vertical  wall  in  the  shade  was  absolutely  essential 


cuttings  of  fuily-niatured  wood,  9  inches  to 
12  inches  in  length,  in  outdoor  borders  during 
late  autumn  or  winter,  but  the  earlier  cuttings 
are  usually  the  more  satisfactory. 

.\bout  a  score  of  species  have  been  introduced, 
but  about  half-a-dozen,  in  addition  to  numerous 
hybrids,  only  are  generally  grown.  Some  of  them 
are  natives  of  the  United  States,  others  are  found 
in  China  and  Japan,  while  one  or  two  have  been 
collected  in  other  ."Asiatic  countries.  The  best 
for  general  purposes  are  the  following  : 

P.  coronarius,  the  common  Mock  Orange,  or 
Syringa,  is  a  widely-distributed  Asiatic  shrub. 
Under  normal  conditions  it  is  met  with  from 
8  feet  to  r5  feet  in  height,  with  a  considerable 
spread,  and  bears  large  white  or  creamy  coloured 
flowers  freely.  There  are  several  varieties,  but 
they  are,  as  a  whole,  inferior  to  the  type.  Dianthi- 
florus  plenus  and  flore  pleno  are  forms  with  double 


400 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  9,  1913. 


flowers ;  foliis  argenteo-variegatis  has  silver 
variegated  leaves  ;  foliis  aureis  bears  golden  leaves, 
which  are  pretty  in  the  early  stages,  but  lose  their 
colour  early  in  the  summer  ;  and  nanus  is  of  dwarf 
growth.  P.  tomentosus  is  sometimes  looked  upon 
as  a  distinct  species,  and  is  distinguished  from 
P.  coronarius  by  its  more  hairy  character. 

P.  grandiflorus  is  an  exceptionally  line  plant 
from  the  Southern  United  States.  Of  vigorous 
growth,  it  sometimes  exceeds  twenty  feet  in  height, 
while  it  often  has  a  very  wide  spread.  The  flowers 
are  white,  shapely  and  quite  2  inches  across, 
with  a  similar  fragrance  to  that  of  the  Asiatic 
species.  Two  well-marked  varieties  may  be 
procured — floribtindus,  which  blooms  with  remark- 
■  able  freedom,  and  laxus,  a  variety  of  somewhat 
looser  growth  than  the  others,  but  equally 
floriferous. 

P.  inodorus,  another  Southern 
shrub,  is  hardly  so  useful  as  the 
species  previously  referred  to,  but 
it  may  be  planted  in  gardens  where 
the  owner  objects  to  the  powerful 
scent  of  other  species,  for  its  flowers 
have  little,  if  any,  fragrance. 

P.  Lewisii  is  a  native  of  Western 
North  America,  and  it  forms  a 
large,  shapely  bush  12  feet  higli 
and  as  far  through.  At  its  best  ii 
is  very  showy,  for  the  clear  white 
flowers  appear  in  profusion  ;  but, 
unfortunately,  it  cannot  be  relied 
upon  to  blossom  well  each  year. 

P.  moxicanus  is  only  suitabl'-  for 
the  warmer  parts  of  the  country, 
for  it  is  somewhat  tender.  A  native 
of  Mexico,  it  forms  a  shrub  5  feet  or 
5  feet  high  and  bears  large  white 
flowers  of  exquisite  shape  and 
fragrance. 

P.  microphyllus  is  the  dwarf  of 
the  genus.  Mature  plants  are  about 
two  feet  in  height,  and  are  com- 
posed of  a  mass  of  slender,  wiry 
branches  bearing  small,  ovate, 
greyish  leaves.  The  white  flowers 
are  deliciously  fragrant,  and  are 
about  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
across.  It  is  as  a  parent,  however, 
that  its  value  has  been  most 
known,  for,  crossed  with  P.  coro- 
narius, it  was  the  means  of  P. 
Lemoinei  being  raised.  The  advent 
of  that  plant  saw  one  of  the  best 
flowering  shrubs  of  modern  times 
put  upon  the  market,  and  in 
any  collection  of  twelve  select 
flowering  shrubs  it  is  probable 
that  P.  Lemoinei  or  its  variety  erectus  would  find 
a  place.  Left  to  their  own  devices,  the  Lemoinei 
type  form  bushes  4  feet  high  ;  but  it  is  usual  to 
prune  them  hard  each  year  and  retain  only  young 
shoots.  By  this  means  plants  2^  feet  to  3  feet 
high  are  obtained,  which  blossom  profusely,  the 
flowers  having  the  delightful  fragrance  which  is 
characteristic  of  P.  microphyllus.  There  are 
several  of  these  dwarf  kinds,  some  having  single, 
others  double,  flowers.  Of  the  set,  perhaps  P. 
Lemoinei  erectus  is  the  most  useful ;  but  Avalanche, 
with  very  large  flowers ;  Boule  d' Argent,  with 
double  blossoms ;  Fantaisie,  with  large,  white, 
flattish  flowers,  with  a  shade  of  rose  in  the  centre  ; 
Gerbe  de  Neige,  Candelabre,  Mont  Blanc,  Pavilion 
Blanc,  Rosace,  a  variety  with  semi-double  flowers 
between  2  inches  and   3  inches  across  ;    Virginal, 


a  double-flowered  form  ;  and  purpureo-maculatus 
are  among  the  best.  The  last  named  is  conspicuous 
by  reason  of  its  white,  fragrant  flowers  having 
purplish  centres.  There  are  numerous  other 
forms  which  might  be  used,  but  those  mentioned 
will  be  found  sufficient  for  most  gardens.  D. 


THE     ROSE 


GARDEN. 

ROSE 


PREPARING     SOIL    FOR 
GARDENS. 

HE  time  for  laying  out  new  or  renovating 
old  Rose  gardens  is  fast  approaching, 
and  I  would  suggest  that  more  than 
usual  care  be  bestowed  upon  this  all- 
important  subject.  So  much  depends 
upon  the  preparation  of  ground  and 
United    States    the  proposed  forms  of  beds  and  borders,  also  more 


T 


that  Roses  are  as  much  grown  in  our  crowded 
suburbs  as  any  one  other  subject,  now  that  we  have 
such  an  improved  choice  to  select  from.  Not  only 
are  they  freer  in  blooming,  but  that  many  of 
our  very  choicest  can  be  grown  is  well  proved 
by  the  numerous  superb  stands  so  often  found  in 
the  local  classes,  both  in  the  metropolis  and  the 
largest  and  most  thickly-populated  provincial 
towns.  It  has  often  been  a  source  of  surprise  to 
me  to  find  such  grand  flowers  at  the  provincial 
exhibitions  of  the  National  Rose  Society  as  we 
almost  always  do.  The  classes  for  Roses  grown 
within  a  radius  of  six,  eight  and  ten  miles  of 
Charing  Cross  must  come  from  any  but  the  pure 
country  atmospheres  formerly  considered  indis- 
pensable. It  is  a  matter  of  preparation  and  a 
judicious  selection  of  varieties.  In  both  cases 
much  depends  upon  local  circumstances ;  nor  is 
there  need  for  so  much  expensive  labour  in  soil 
preparation  as  many  apparently 
think.  A  little  common  sense 
directed  towards  drainage  and  the 
thorough  overhauling  and  improve- 
ment of  one's  subsoil  will  go  far 
towards  success  —  may,  perhaps, 
make  all  the  difference  between 
success  and  failure.  So  often  the 
best  of  our  suburban  soils  have  been 
transferred  before  building  opera- 
tions take  place.  If  this  is  not  the 
case,  they  are  frequently  buried 
under  the  worst  possible  material  in 
the  matter  of  foundation  excava- 
tions, together  with  the  unconscion- 
able dumping  down  of  builders'  re- 
fuse in  the  shape  of  spare  cement, 
glass,  old  paint  refuse  and  heaps  of 
other  matter  detrimental  to  all  forms 
of  plant-life  ;  so  by  all  means  take 
the  first  opportunity  of  thoroughly 
overhauling  the  soil  to  a  depth  of 
3  feet  at  the  very  lowest,  should 
tliere  be  the  least  doubt  of  its  con- 
stituents. This  complete  moving 
will  do  much  good  in  itself,  and 
there  could  be  no  better  time  to 
ascertain  what  the  ground  is  defi- 
cient of  and  to  add  or  tak'.  away 
accordingly.  I  do  not  mean  to  say 
a  lot  upon  this  subject,  but  it  is  such 
a  pity  to  miss  the  opportunity  of  a 
more  favourable  start  than  many 
secure,  all  the  more  so  when  the 
veriest  tyro  must  realise  the  value  of 
a  properly-prepared  basis.     A.  P. 


ROSE    CYNTHI.\    FORDE,    A    BEAUTIFUL    FREE- FLOWERING    V.^RIETY 
FOR    GARDEN    DECOR.ATION. 


care  in  the  selection  of  varieties  that  are  best 
suited  to  each  spot  and  purpose,  that  one  may 
well  wonder  at  the  little  forethought  so  often  i 
displayed.  Let  us  bear  in  mind  that  we  shall 
never  have  a  better  time  for  thoroughly  preparing 
the  soil  by  deep  digging,  manuring  and  any  neces- 
sary drainage.  Such  a  grand  opportunity  cannot 
occur  again,  and  it  is  folly  not  to  take  full  advantage 
of  it. 

That  Roses  can  be  successfully  grown  in  a  large 
and  varied  number  of  places  and  soils  is  well  attested 
by  the  grand  blooms  invariably  seen  at  any  repre- 
sentative exhibition  of  our  national  flower,  for 
do  not  these  come  from  all  over  the  kingdom  ? 
Nor  is  it  so  absolutely  necessary  to  have  the  pure 
atmosphere  of  country  life,  as  was  thought  for  a 
long  time.     Indeed,  I  fancy  one  may  safely  state 


ROSE     CYNTHIA     FORDE. 

.Among  garden  Roses  of  com- 
paratively recent  introduction  this  variety  must 
take  a  prominent  position,  owing  to  the 
charming  colour  and  form  of  the  flowers, 
its  vigorous  branching  habit  and  freedom  of 
flowering.  Raised  by  Mr.  Hugh  Dickson  in 
rgog,  it  has  quickly  come  to  the  front  in  many 
gardens.  Although  the  blooms  are  rather  flat, 
they  are  of  exquisite  form,  as  will  be  seen  in  the 
accompanying  illustration.  The  plant  makes  a 
shapely,  branching  bush,  and  the  blooms,  which  are 
bright  rose  pink  in  colour,  are  borne  in  clusters. 
Notwithstanding  this,  they  are  of  largt  size,  and 
there  is  no  necessity  to  disbud,  as  many  are 
so  apt  to  do  indiscriminately.  At  shows  where 
vases  of  garden  Roses  are  asked  for,  this  variety 
would  make  a  very  telling  bunch,  as  its  long  stems 
would  enable  the  exhibitor  to  arrange  it  tastefully. 


August  9,  1013.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


401 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 


HOW     TO     FORCE     EARLY     BULBS     IN     POTS,     PANS     AND    BOXES. 


THE  forcing  of  plants  that  are  suitable 
for  the  purpose  is  always  very  interest- 
ing work,  but  the  forcing  of  bulbs  is 
fascinating  as  well,  particularly  to  the 
beginner.  In  a  very  short  time 
beautiful  leaves  and  lovely,  fragrant 
flowers  are  obtained  from  dry,  hard  bulbs  simply 
by  putting  them  in  soil  and  subjecting  them  to 
moisture  and  temperate  heat.  Some  who  would 
like  to  force  various  kinds  of  bulbs  arc  deterred 
from  doing  so  by  want  of  confidence  m  themselves, 
and  because  they  think  it  is  absolutely  necessary 
to  be  able  to  command  a  high  temperature. 

The  SoiL — An  old  compost  is  better  than  a  new 
one,  and  if  it  has  been  mixed  and  kept  in  an  open 
shed  for  two  months  prior  to  being  used,  it  will 
be  more  suitable  still.  Fibrous  turf,  which  has  been 
stacked  for  two  or  three  months,  and  sweet  leaf- 
soil,  a  little  more  than  half-rotted,  should  be  used 
in  equal  quantities.  To  a  bushel  of  the  combined 
parts  named  add  a  7-inch  potful  of  sand,  and  put 
a  handful  of  well-rotted  manure  in  the  bottom  of 
each  pot  on  the  rougher  portion  used  to  form  a 
part  of  the  drainage,  and  before  any  of  the  general 
compost  is  put  in.  The  roots  of  the  bulbs  \vill 
benefit  from  the  manure  in  due  course  ;  but  it  is 
not  wise  to  mix  the  manure  with  the  soil  generally. 
nor  to  so  place  it  that  the  bulbs  come  in  direct 
contact  with  it. 

Potting  and  Boxing  the  Bulbs.— It  is  bad 
policy  to  place  too  many  bulbs  in  a  pot.  Three 
Roman  Hyacinths  in  a  5-inch  and  four  in  a  6J-inch 
pot  will  be  quite  sufficient.  Bulbs  of  Narcissus 
Poeticus  and  N.  Paper  White  may  be  put  in  close 
enough  together  to  allow  of  the  fingers  being 
inserted  between  them.  Tulips  and  Frcesias 
should  be  potted  in  a  similar  way.  When  boxes 
less  than  five  inches  deep  are  used  for  Tulips  and 
Narcissi,  then  i  inch  more  space  between  the  bulbs 


HOW    TO    POT    BULBS    OF     D.\FFODILS,    TULIPS    AND    ROMAN    HYACINTHS    I-OR    FORCING. 


should  be  allowed.  All  pots  and  pans  must  be 
clean  and  dry,  especi.illy  the  insides.  Fig.  A : 
No.  I  shows  a  Narcissus  bulb  of  good  size,  and 
No.  2  how  the  bulbs  should  be  potted,  with  the 
crowns  aboiit  three  inches  below  the  surface  of  the 
soil.     No.  3  denotes  a  Tulip  bulb,  and  No.  4  the  right 


THE   BULBS    MAY    ALSO    BE    GROWN    IN    BOXES.       ALL    MUST    BE    PLUNGED    TN    ASHES    OR 
SAND    AFTER    POTTING    OR    BOXING. 


way  to  place  the  bulbs  in  a  pot  or  pan  with  the 
crowns  just  visible  above  the  soil.  Nos.  5  and  6 
show  a  Roman  Hyacinth  bulb  and  the  right  way  to 
pot  it  respectively.  With  regard  to  Freesias,  it  is 
very  important  that  the  largest  and  firmost  bulbs 
be  potted.  Small  specimens,  such  as  the  one  shown 
at  No.  7,  would  only  produce  amass  of  "  grass,"  but 
no  flowers.  The  one  shown  at  No.  8  is  the  right 
kind  to  pot,  as  95  per  cent,  of  bulbs  such  as  this  will 
bear  flower-stems.  In  every  case  pot  pretty  firmly, 
and  burj'  the  Freesia  bulbs  the  same  as  those  of 
the  Narcissi.  Fig.  B  :  At  No.  r  a  box  for  bulbs  is 
j  shown,  No.  2  a  Tulip  and  No.  3  a  Narcissus  bulb,  and 
I  the  right  way  to  box  each.  Bury  the  pots  or  boxes 
I  under  ashes — old  ones,  not  new  ones  fresh  from 
the  furnace — sand  or  common  soil.  No.  4  denotes 
the  pots  containing  the  bulbs,  and  No.  5  the  empty, 
inverted  pots  put  on  to  protect  the  new  growth 
from  the  pressure  of  the  covering  material. 
No.  6  shows  an  imcovered  bulb  pot.  The  position 
may  be  an  open  one  or  against  a  fence  or  wall, 
as  shown  at  No.  7.  When  the  new  growth  has 
advanced  as  much  as  shown  at  No.  8,  remove  the 
pots  from  the  ashes.  Sometimes  it  is  necessary 
to  transplant  the  growing  bulbs  from  boxes,  and 
make  up  pots  of  them  for  special  purposos.  The 
right  way  to  do  this  is  shown  at  No.  9.  No.  ro 
denotes  the  drainage  and  rough  compost,  No.  11 
the  finer  portion,  and  No.  12  the  way  to  place  the 
bulb  and  surround  it  with  soil.  No.  13  shows  how 
to  fix  the  stake  for  supporting  a  Hyacinth  spike 
without  damaging  the  bulb.  No.  14.  When  re- 
moved from  the  ashes  keep  the  bulbs  in  a  cool 
frame  for  a  short  time,  and  transfer  them  to  the 
greenhouse  as  required.  From  the  time  the  flower- 
stems  show  plainly,  give  water  more  freely  and  also 
feed  the  plants.  G.  G. 


402 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  9,  i()i3. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Violets. — Continue  to  keep  these  well  hoed 
and  watered  when  necessary,  keeping  an  eye 
on  the  under  side  of  the  foliage  so  that  spider  does 
not  get  a  footing.  All  runners  should  be  removed 
as  soon  as  they  appear,  as  if  these  are  allowed  to 
develop  they  will  considerably  weaken  the  parent 
plant. 

Annuals. — Some  of  the  early-blooming  annuals, 
such  as  Shirley  Poppies,  Clarkias,  Candytuft  and 
Viscarias,  will  be  going  out  of  flower,  and  rather 
than  leave  them  to  make  the  borders  look  untidy, 
they  should  be  cleared  out  at  once.  Sunflowers, 
both  large  and  small,  are  now  making  a  good  show, 
and  to  prevent  damage  by  wind,  a  stake  or  stakes 
should,  where  necessary,  be  put  to  them. 

Asters  generally  are  not  so  good  this  season, 
owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  serious  drought  we 
experienced  at  the  time  of  planting  out.  Ostrich 
Plume,  Comet  and  sinensis  are  all  varieties  that 
are  grand  for  cutting.  Sutton's  Fire  King  is 
exceptionally  good  as  an  edging  to  a  border,  while 
as  a  bedder  this  firm's  Pink  Beauty  is  hard  to 
beat,  it  being  quite  pyramidal  in  form  and  of  a 
pleasing  colour  ;    height  about  eighteen  inches. 

The  Rose  Garden. 
Climbing    Polyantha    Roses. — By    this    date 

most  of  the  Polyanthas  will  have  gone  out  of  bloom, 
and  shoidd  be  pruned  forthwith.  Where  the 
young  growths  are  likely  to  prove  of  sufficient 
length  to  cover  the  pillars  or  arches,  all  the  old 
wood  may  be  cut  out  right  to  the  base  where  the 
young  growths  spring  from  ;  but  where  a  greater 
length  is  desired,  two  or  three  of  the  best  two  year 
old  growths  must  be  retained  for  extension,  just 
cutting  the  flowering  growths  to  a  wood-bud. 
Electra,  Tea  Rambler  and  one  or  two  other  early- 
flowering  Roses  that  were  pruned  in  mid-July 
are  now  growing  strongly,  thus  giving  testimony 
to  the  good  of  early  pruning  or  thinning.  Many 
of  the  wichuraianas,  such  as  Alberic  Barbier, 
Leontine  Gervais,  Gardenia,  Sylvia,  Rta^  Andr6 
and  others,  should  not  be  pruned  just  now  on 
account  of  their  foliage,  which  will  continue  to 
look  bright  and  effective  till  the  autumn.  Dorothy 
Perkins  and  Hiawatha,  though  wichuraianas, 
are  not  so  showy  in  the  foliage  ;  hence  they  may 
be  pruned  as  soon  as  blooming  is  finished. 

Budded  Stocks. — Standards  and  early-budded 
dwarfs  should  have  the  ties  loosened,  or,  as  the 
stocks  swell,  the  matting  is  apt  to  cut  into  the 
wood. 

Mildew. — Where  this  is  troublesome,  the  plants 
should  be  syringed  weekly  with  sulphide  of  potas- 
sium, half  an  ounce  to  a  gallon  of  water,  or  the 
autumn  crop  of  bloum  will  not  be  of  much  use. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Roman  Hyacinths. — To  secure  early  blooms 
Roman  Hy.icniths  should  be  potted  up  at  once, 
or  at  least  as  soon  as  they  are  received  from  the 
nurseryman.  For  cutting  purposes  boxes  will 
do  as  well  as  pots,  though,  where  they  are  required 
as  pot  plants,  4i-nich  and  6-inch  pots  are  desirable. 

Paper-White  Narcissi. — These  also  should  be 

potted  up  as  soon  as  received,  it  being  quite  essential 
to  get  them  well  rooted  before  introducing  them 
to  heat. 

Freesia  refracta  alba. — Part  of  the  stock  of 
this  sweetly-scented  bulbous  plant  should  also  be 
potted,  reserving  the  others  for  late  batches. 
Four  and  a-half  inch  pots  are  the  most  useful, 
with  about  seven  or  eight  bulbs  in  each  pot.  A 
moderately  light,  rich  compost  suits  them  well, 
and  after  potting  and  watering  in  they  may  be 
placed  in  a  frame,  putting  the  lights  on  only  in 
the  event  of  very  wet  weather,  though  to  keep 
the  pots  from  drying  they  may  be  covered  with 
an  old  mat  or  two,  or  a  light  sprinkling  of  leaf- 
soil,  till  the  growths  begin  to  push,  when  they 
must  have  all  the  light  and  air  possible. 

Arum  Lilies. — If  wanted  for  decorative  pur- 
poses, the  best  of  the  tubers  should  be  potted  singly 
in  6-inch  pots,  while  for  cut  flowers  they  may  be 
potted  several  in  a  pot,  according  to  its  size. 
A  good,  rich  compost  should  be  used,  con- 
sisting   of    loam,    short,    well-rotted    manure    and 


sand.  Pot  firmly,  and  place  them  in  a  frame 
or  a  semi-sheltered  position  out  of  doors  where 
they  can  be  carefully  watered  till  growth  commences. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Late  Peas  that  may  be  developing  mildew 
should  be  sprayed  with  a  weak  solution  of  sulphide 
of  potassium  about  once  a  week,  and  if  the 
weather  continues  dry,  a  good  watering  should  be 
given.  A  good  douche  overhead  as  watering 
proceeds  will  also  tend  to  keep  them  growing 
freely. 

Celery. — After  a  really  good  watering  and  feeding, 
all  early  Celery  should  be  partially  earthed-up. 
Anv  decaying  leaves  and  side  growths  should  be 
taken  off  before  tying,  which  should  be  done 
before  the  soil  is  brought  up  to  the  plants,  cutting 
the  matting  again  as  the  soil  is  made  firm  around 
them,  the  ties,  if  left,  sometimes  tending  to  deform 
the  sticks. 

Silver-Skinned  Onions  should  be  moved  out  of 
tlie  soil  a  little  as  soon  as  the  tops  show  signs  of 
withering.  These  subjects  are  not  required  as 
large  as  one  can  get  them,  so  it  is  as  well  to  hasten 
their  ripening  as  much  as  possible. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Melons  that  are  now  setting  their  fruit  should 
be  carefully  looked  after,  and  wherever  possible 
three  or  four  fruits  should  be  set  on  each  plant. 
Where  only  one  or  two  fruits  are  set  on  these  late 
plants,  they  are  apt  to  get  unduly  large,  and  do 
not  ripen  so  well  or  get  so  good  a  flavour  as  the 
smaller  fruit.  From  now  onwards  there  is  not 
quite  the  vigour  in  the  plants  that  is  seen  in  the 
spring,  so  that  great  care  must  be  exercised  both 
in  the  watering  and  feeding. 

Strawberries. — Perpetual-fruiting  Strawberries 
intended  for  autumn  fruiting  under  glass  may 
now  be  allowed  to  develop  their  flower-trusses, 
and  if  a  good  airy  house  is  available,  they  may 
be  placed  in  this.  Well  spray  between  the 
plants  so  that  spider  does  not  develop,  or  the  crop 
will  be  ruined,  and  as  soon  as  the  fruits  are  nicely 
set.  a  dressing  of  Le  Fruitier  may  be  given  to 
swell  them.  Thomas  Stevenson. 

(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wohtirn  Place  Gardens,  Addlcslone.  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Daffodils. — Everyone  should  have  some  of  the 
older  and  cheaper  varieties,  such  as  the  following; 
Trumpets — Emperor,  Glory  of  Leiden,  Mme.  de 
Graaff,  Mme.  Plemp,  Weardale  Perfection,  with 
their  bicolor  varieties,  Empress,  Horsfieldii  and 
maximus  ;  Mock  Narcissus — Barri  conspicuus, 
Eggs  and  Bacon,  Sir  Watkin  and  Minnie  Hume  ; 
Poeticus — Burbidgei,  John  Bain  and  poetarum. 
-Among  more  recent  introductions  the  following 
moderate-priced  varieties  can  be  recommended : 
Trumpets — Fairv,  Golden  Bell,  Hamlet,  Lord 
Roberts,  Master"  of  Balliol  and  Monarch  ;  whites — 
."^lice  Knights  and  Lady  Audrey ;  bicolors — 
Glory  of  Noordwijk  and  Trewhiddle  Bicolor  ; 
Mock  Narcissus — Homespun,  Beacon,  Circlet,  Eye- 
bright,  Oriflamme  and  Seagull  ;  P.^eticus — Bar- 
carolle and  Virgil. 

Propagating  Pansies  and  Violas. — September 
is  probably  the  best  month  tor  propagating  bedding 
Violas,  biit  Pansies  and  exhibition  Violas  should 
be  propagated  this  month.  Cuttings  will  strike  quite 
well  in  the  open  behind  a  wall  or  hedge,  and  if 
a  frame  is  used  it  should  face  north.  For  these 
it  will  be  more  convenient  to  use  boxes. 

Propagating  Bedding  Plants. — A  few  varieties 
of  bedding  plants  should  be  propagated  this  month. 
These  include  Heliotropes,  Fuchsias,  Iresines, 
Verbenas  and  a  few  others.  A  mild  hot-bed  should 
be  prepared  and  allowed  to  cool  down  before  placing 
the  cuttings  on  it,  and  those  who  possess  a  spent 
hot-bed  from  the  spring  operations  would  do  well 
to  utilise  it.  Keep  close  during  the  day,  but 
admit  a  chink  of  air  overnight. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Pricking  Off  Seedlings.  —  Where  sowings  of 
Dianthuses,  Campanulas,  &c.,  wore  made  in  May  or 
June,  the  resulting  seedlings  will  now  be  ready  for 


pricking  off.  Sandy  loam  will  suit  the  majority, 
but  lovers  of  peat  or  lime  must  have  their  require- 
ments met.  In  all  cases  it  is  better  to  avoid  a 
rich  soil.  Boxes  or  pans  will  be  found  the  most 
convenient,  as  a  rule  ;  but  extra  valuable  plants 
had  better  be  potted  in  2i-inch  pots,  and  the  pots 
plunged  in  some  open  material,  such  as  Cocoanut 
fibre.  Keep  rather  close  for  a  week  after  the 
operation,  and  then  increase  the  ventilation  by 
degrees. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Pinching  Shoots.  —  This  requires  attention 
throughout  the  growing  season,  and  as  the  season 
advances  the  need  for  it  rather  increases,  as  at  this 
period  many  varieties,  especially  those  with  a 
vigorous  habit,  such  as  J.  B.  Clarji,  Hugh  Dickson 
and  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay,  are  apt  to  send  up  one 
or  two  extra  vigorous  shoots,  to  the  detriment  of 
the  others.  If  the  points  of  these  are  pinched  out. 
it  will  check  them  for  the  rest  of  the  season,  and 
thus  equalise  the  flow  of  sap. 

Mildew  is  often  persistent  during  this  month, 
and  must  be  checked  by  sulphur  in  some  form. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Cyclamens. — Young  plants  which  are  the  result 
of  seed  sown  last  August  will  now  be  ready  for  the 
final  potting,  and,  generally  speaking,  6-inch  pots 
will  be  suitable.  A  mixture  of  equal  parts  of 
turfy  loam,  good  leaf-mould  and  sand  will  be  found 
suitable  if  a  proportion  of  cow-manure  and  guano 
or  other  similar  fertiliser  is  added.  Use  the  com- 
post in  a  rather  rough  state  and  pot  rather  loosely. 
Replace  in  the  frame  and  continue  to  sprinkle 
overhead  twice  a  day  for  ten  days  or -so,  after 
which  this  attention  should  be  discontinued.  Give 
abundance  of  light,  but  shade  from  midday  sun 
(or  a  few  weeks  yet. 

Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine. — As  the  pots  get 

filled  with  roots,  mild  and  frequent  feeding  should 
commence.  Attend  to  staking  and  tying  as  growth 
adv;mces.  Vaporise  on  the  first  appearance  of 
thrip. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Figs. — Trees  on  which  a  second  crop  of  fruit  is 
swelling  must  have  the  assistance  of  some  fairly 
strong  liquid  manure,  and  care  must  be  taken 
that  they  are  not  allowed  to  suffer  for  lack  of 
water.  Maintain  a  moist  atmosphere  and  a  brisk 
temperature  until  the  fruits  begin  to  ripen,  when 
It  should  be  slightly  reduced  and  rather  more 
ventilation  given. 

Melons. — Where  the  crop  has  been  gathered 
Mid  no  second  crop  planted,  the  soil  should  be 
cleared  away  and  the  house  in  every  part 
he  thoroughly  cleansed  for  the  reception  of  such 
subjects  as  Salvia  splendens,  Begonia  Gloire  de 
Lorraine,  or  Cyclamens,  as  the  case  may  be. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Trapping  Wasps. — As  fruits  ripen,  wasps  will 
lie  ready  to  pounce  upon  them,  and  unless  they  are 
destroyed  they  will  work  much  harm.  I  saw  a 
very  ingenious  and  apparently  efficacious  wasp 
trap  this  season,  but  it  is  not  on  the  market  yet. 
Numbers,  however,  can  be  lured  to  their  doom 
by  placing  some  jam  and  sugar  with  a  proportion 
of  water  in  narrow-mouthed  jars,  which  should  be 
placed  near  the  fruit  trees.  A  look-out  should 
also  be  kept  for  nests,  and  when  found  they  should 
be  promptly  destroyed.  Hanging  nests  can  be 
demolished  by  means  of  a  torch  formed  of  "waste  " 
or  rag  tied  on  the  end  of  a  cane  and  saturated  with 
petroleum.  Those  in  the  ground  should  have  tar 
poured  into  them.  The  work  must  be  done  late 
in  the  evening. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Earthing-Up  Celery. — The  main  crop  will 
now  be  fit  for  a  first  earthing-up.  As  suggested 
in  the  calendar  a  few  weeks  ago,  it  is  worth  while 
tyingupth;  plants  with  raffia  first.  See  that  all  side 
growths  are  removed. 

Spinach. — Towards  the  end  of  next  week  a 
good  sowing  of  Spinach  should  be  made  on  a 
south  border  for  spring  use.  I  find  that  a  summer 
variety,  such  as  Victoria  Round,  succeeds  as  well 
as  the  Prickly  Spinach. 

Sowing  Cabbages. — Make  a  sowing  of  three 
tvpes  for  spring  planting,  say,  Ellam's  Early, 
Early  York  and  Winningstadt. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens.  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


Au(;usT  g,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


403 


NEW     AND     RARE     PLANTS. 


Carnation  Rosy  Morn. — This  is  one  of  the 
handsomest  border  Carnations  we  have  seen, 
though  deep  cerise,  we  think,  most  accurately 
describes  the  very  remarkable  tone  of  colouring. 
It  is  a  pure  self-coloured  flower,  with  thick  petals 
and  strong  supporting  stems.  From  Mr.  J. 
Douglas,  Great  Bookham. 

Sutton's  Red  Sunflower. — This  is  the  name 
by  which  it  is  hoped  to  popularise  what  is  un- 
doubtedly a  great  garden  annual.  The  predomi- 
nant colour  is  crimson  and  brown,  the  tips  of  the 
florets  golden.  The  flower-heads  are  6  inches  to 
8  inches  across.  From  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons, 
Reading. 

Rose  Annie  Crawford. — This  is  reputed  to  be 

a  seedling  from  C.iptain  Hayward  and  Mrs.  Sand- 
ford.  It  is  of  a  shade  of  pink  akin  to  Mrs.  J.  Laing, 
but  fully  twice  its  size.  It  is  really  a  giant.  From 
Mr.  R.  Hammond,  Grovi-lands,  Burgess  Hill, 
Sussex. 

Sweet  Pea  King  White.— A  very  handsome 
pure  wliite  varietv. 

Sweet  Pea  Debbie's   Lavender.— A  delightful 

tone  of  lavender.  Both  from  Messrs.  Dobbie 
and  Co,,  Edinburgh. 

DendromecoD  rigidum. — A  glorious  golden 
Poppywort  from  California,  not  new,  but  very 
choice.  In  sheltered  gardens  it  is  hardy,  but 
in  others  may  require  the  protection  of  a  wall 
or  even  cool  greenhouse.  From  Sir  Trevor 
Lawrence,  Bart. 

Nymphsea  Colossea. — The  name  is  suggestive 
of  a  giant  flower,  and  this  is  the  fact.  Indeed, 
we  believe  it  is  the  largest  variety  extant.  The 
colour  is  white,  the  base  of  the  flower  being  suffused 
with  a  delightful  shade  of  pink.  The  anthers  are 
golden. 

Nymphaea  Escarboncle.— The  colour  is  the 
deepest  crimson,  and  in  this  respect  surpasses 
all  comers.  These  were  shown  by  Mr.  Leopold 
de  Rothschild.  Gunnersbury  House  (gardener, 
Mr.  J.  Hudson). 

Spiraea  (Sorbaria)  arborea  grandis.  —  At  first 
sight  this  bears  resemblance  to  S.  lindleyana, 
though  the  creamy  plumes  of  flowers  are  stronger 
and  more  erect.  It  should  make  a  splendid  plant 
ui  isolation.  From  the  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs, 
Elstree. 

Clematis  tangutica  obtusiuscula. — A  pretty 
yellow-flowered  form.  The  flowers  are  drooping 
and  produced  solitary  on  the  branches.  From 
Mr.  F.  C.  Stem,  Goring-by-Sea. 

Gloxinia  Veitch's  Strain.— A  very  remarkable 
strain  of  these  popular  greenhouse  flowers,  from 
seeds  sown  in  January  last,  was  staged.  It  was 
representative  of  almost  every  shade  of  colour 
and  of  the  highest  merit.  From  Messrs.  James 
Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea. 

All  the  foregoing  were  shown  before  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  on  the  29th  ult.,  when  each 
received  an  award  of  merit. 


Hydrangea  arborescens  grandiflora  is  one  of 

the  comparatively  few  good  hardy  shrubs  that 
flower  freely  in  August.  It  makes  a  neat  bush 
some  three  feet  or  rather  more  high,  each  stout 
growth  being  surmounted  by  a  large  head  of 
creamy  white  flowers.  For  filUng  a  large  lawn 
bed  this  Hydrangea  would  be  excellent. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES    FOR    CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS— r/zc  Editor  intends  to 
make  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  vi.ll  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  he  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Publisher. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

ABOUT  IRISES  (W.  C.  ^.).— Yes,  the  Iris  is  attacked 
by  the  Iris  leaf-spot  disease,  dne  to  the  fuDgus  Hetero- 
sporium  tiracile.  Spraying  with  Bordeaux  mixtxire  or 
with  ammoniacal  copper  carbonate  acts  as  a  check  to 
the  spread  of  the  fungus,  but  we  find  the  best  thing  to  do 
is  to  apply  lime  liberally  to  the  soil  before  the  Irises  are 
planted.  A  very  good  time  to  transplant  or  to  propa- 
gate Irises  is  late  June  or  early  July,  just  as  the  new  roots 
are  being  formed  from  the  new  growths, 

FLOWER  BORDER  AND  YEW  HEDGE  {M.  E.  M.).— 
Tn  making  your  herbaceous  border  near  a  Yew  hedge 
it  will  not  be  advisable  to  place  the  plants  very  close 
to  the  hedge,  for  on  the  one  hand  the  root^  of  the  hedge 
will  interfere  with  the  herbaceous  plants, and  on  the  other 
hand  the  herbaceous  plants  will  injure  the  lower  part 
of  tl)C  hedge.  If  possible,  it  would  be  well  to  leave  a  space 
of  at  least  3  feet  between  the  foot  of  the  hedge  and  the 
herbaceous  plants.  Iberis  scmpervirens  will  continue  to 
grow  and  flower  for  many  years.  AW  the  attention  it 
requires  is  the  cutting  away  of  old  flower-heada  as  soon 
as  the  flowers  fade.  Cheiranthus  Dillonii  often  lasts 
two  or  three  years  in  f;:ood  condition,  but  it  is  advisable 
to  renew  it  frequently. 

SCABIOSA  CAUCASICA  FAILING  (E.  P.).  — iThe 
remedy  is  with  the  soil.  In  heavy  soils  this  fine  subject 
frequently  refuses  to  root  at  all,  but  ramifies  freely  in 
lighter  soils  and  prows  and  fiowers  abundantly.  In  your 
case,  if  you  desire  continued  success,  you  will  have  to 
lighten  and  improve  the  soil  and  raise  seedlings  periodically, 
planting  t  hem  out  in  spring.  Such  good  plants  are 
worth  much  to  make  them  a  success,  for  we  certainly 
have  not  too  much  of  blue  or  mauve  in  the  garden  at 
any  time.  In  addition  to  making  the  soil  lighter,  add 
lime  freely  to  the  soil  six  months  in  advance.  "When 
incorporated  with  the  soil,  the  lime  has  the  effect  of 
precipitating  the  superfluous  water  to  a  lower  level.  In 
this  way  it  is  warmed,  aerated  and  drained  as  by  a 
single  action.  In  any  case  yoo  should  go  on  till  yon 
succeed,  since  seeds  may  be  had  cheaply  and  we  know  of 
no  better  plant  to  experiment  with. 

PENTSTEMONS  FAILING  {E.  P,).— The  plants  should 
certainly  be  in  flower  now,  and  obviously  they  have  failed 
from  some  local  cause  of  which  we  have  no  information. 
To  secure  the  finest  results,  some  old  plants  should  be  cut 
down  in  August  to  about  half  their  height,  and  the  freshly- 
made  cuttings  taken  when  about  three  inches  long.  If  you 
can  make  a  cutting  on,  say,  6  inches  of  ashes,  and  above 
this  place  a  3-inch  layer  of  sand,  you  will  have  a  propagat- 
ing medium  of  the  very  best.  Water  thoroughly  and  keep 
moderately  close  for  about  a  month,  when  the  cuttings 
should  be  rooted  sufficiently  for  planting  in  3-inch  pots. 
Tf  you  cannot  do  this,  give  the  cuttings  more  room  at  the 
start  and  leave  them  in  the  frame,  protecting  only  in  the 
case  of  severe  frosts.  We  imagine  the  fault  to  be  with 
the  soil,  and  the  Pentstemon  prefers  a  rooting  medium 
midway  between  light  and  heavy.  Incorporate  leaf- 
mould  and  sand  with  the  soil,  adding  lime  freely  to  ensure 
more  perfect  drainage. 

SWAINSONAS  LOSING  THEIR  FOLIAGE  {A.  R.).~ 
Your  Swainsonas  must  have  received  some  decided  check 
to  cause  them  to  lose  their  foliage  now.  What  this  is 
we,  of  course,  cannot  say,  there  being  so  many  possibili- 
ties. They  may  have  been  allowed  to  get  too  dry,  or 
perhaps  too  wet,  while  a  change  from  a  warm  house  to 
a  cooler  structure  would  tend  to  bring  about  this  trouble. 
If  the  plants  have  been  grown  in  a  partially-shaded  green- 
house and  were  placed  out  of  doors  without  gradually 
hardening  them,  then  some  of  their  leaves  would  be  likely 
to  drop.  You  say  nothing  about  the  treatment  the  plants 
have  received,  and  this,  of  course,  handicaps  us  greatly 
in  replying  to  your  question.  At  all  events,  we  should 
not  advise  you  to  cut  down  your  plants  now,  as  Swain- 
sonas should  in  the  ordinary  course  of  events  flower 
throughout  the  summer.  If  in  pots,  the  bareness  at 
the  base  may  be  reheved  by  associating  them  with  other 
plants,  and,  in  fact,  the  same  will  apply  if  they  are  bedded 
out  during  the  summer,  for  which  purpose  Swainsonas 
are  often  used.  With  regard  to  their  culture,  it  should 
be  borne  in  mind  that  they  are  natives  of  Australia,  and 
therefore  in  this  country  they  require  the  temperature 
of  an  ordinary  greenhouse  plant. 


SWEET  PEAS  DROPPING  BUDS  (An  Enquirer).— 
Your  Sweet  Peas  have  probably  become  too  wet  at  the 
root,  or  are  in  some  way  suffering  from  trouble  there. 
This  is  the  usual  cause  of  bud-dropping.  Your  plants  are 
Spiraea  Ulmaria  fl.-pl.  and  Ceanothus  azureus,  so  far  as 
we  can  say  from  the  very  poor  specimens  sent. 

LILIES  DISEASED  (£.  TF.).— We  cannot  trace  any 
insect  boring,  but  find  the  Lily  is  attacked,  in  a  similar 
way  to  that  so  frequent  in  the  case  of  the  common 
white  Lily,  by  the  fungus  Botrjlis  cinerea.  We  recom- 
mend you  to  remove  all  the  diseased  and  dying  stems 
and  the  top  few  inches  of  soil  from  the  plants,  replacing 
the  soil  with  fresh  containing  as  little  organic  matter  as 
possible. 

LILIES  GOING  WRONG  (C.  P.).— Your  soil  is  evidently 
teeming  with  all  sorts  of  pests,  and  among  them  are 
millipedes  and  eclworras,  both  of  which  are  capable  of 
bringing  about  the  damage  shown  by  the  plants  you  send. 
We  recommend  you  to  lime  the  soil  thoroughly  and  do 
all  possible  to  admit  plenty  of  air  and  make  it  sweet. 
Vaporite  or  Apterite  may  h&  of  use  in  checking  the  pests, 
but  it  is  apparent  that  liming  is  particularly  called  for. 

DOUBLE  ROCKETS  {T.  Bay).— The  photographs  you 
send  show  excellent  residts  of  growing  one  of  the  finest 
of  so-called  old-fashioned  herbaceous  plants;  but  unfor- 
tunately they  are  not  suitable  for  reproduction.  We 
have  never  seen  any  red  or  crimson  variety,  and  doubt 
whether  such  exists  to-day  at  all.  At  one  period  the  Double 
Rocket  was  of  a  sportive  nature,  and  varieties  were  quickly 
made.  The  rubro  plena  of  Messrs.  Kollinson's  1875 
catalogue  was  of  a  pale  rose  colour,  and  never  merited  the 
term  "red."  At  that  time  onlya  few  small  plants  existed, 
and  in  1S77  or  187S  were  practically  non-existent. 

SAXIFRAGA  COTYLEDON  PYRAMIDALIS  {A.  Elsas). 
— This  is  the  name  of  the  plant  of  which  you  sent  a  photo- 
graph. The  flowering  spike  is  more  densely  crowded  than 
usual,  and  otherwise  is  good  of  its  kind.  The  rosette 
dies  after  flowering,  but  as  both  offsets  and  seeds  are 
produced,  you  will  i)e  able  to  increase  your  stock,  should 
you  so  desire.  S.  burseriana  grows  but  1  inch  or  2  inches 
high,  forming  a  spreading,  prostrate  tuft  of  leaves,  over 
which  in  its  best  forms  the  blossoms  of  pure  white,  the 
size  of  a  shilling,  are  scattered.  The  blossoms,  too,  are  pro- 
duced singly,  i.e.,  one  on  each  stem,  and  usually  appear 
in  February. 

DEEPLY-PLANTED  IRIS  GERMANICA  (T.  A.  S.).— 
If  too  deeply  planted,  this  should  be  remedied  at  once, 
otherwise  the  best  time  for  replanting  is  March  and  April. 
The  rhizomes  of  these  plants  should  be  practically  on  the 
surface,  and  during  the  operation  the  plants  had  best 
be  freely  divided  also.  The  single  sectional  part  of  the 
rhizome  (rootstock)  made  during  the  present  year  is  ample 
as  a  single  plant,  though  a  dozen  of  these  might  be  arranged 
at  intervals  of  a  few  inches  asunder  t  o  form  a  group.  These 
Irises  are  not  likely  to  flower  if  the  rootstock  is  buried  ; 
they  require  sun  to  ripen  them.  Gather  the  Lavender 
just  prior  to  the  flowers  fading,  and  expose  the  sprays  in 
trays  to  the  sun. 

ANNUAL  STOCK-FLOWERED  LARKSPUR  (M.  C.  L.). 
— There  is  not  the  least  doubt  that  your  cold  and  heavy 
soil  is  responsible  for  the  greater  part  of  the  failure  in 
these  plants,  and  soil  pests  the  remainder.  The  plants 
delighting  in  light  soils  and  root  warmth,  the  remedy  is 
with  the  soil.  Cannot  you  grow  them  in  a  bed  apart, 
making  the  soil  more  congenial  to  the  plants  by  the  free 
addition  of  sand,  leaf-soil  and  light  manure  ?  In  very 
light  and  sandy  soils  the  seeds  of  these  plants  may  be 
sown  in  the  open  ground  in  March,  but  in  the  case  of 
heavy  soils  they  would  be  best  sown  in  pots  and  subse- 
quently transferred  to  the  open  ground  ;  they  are  too 
sparse-rooting  to  succeed  after  transplanting  in  the  ordinary 
way.  If  none  of  these  .ippeals  to  you,  try  sowing  a  few 
seeds  in  pots  of  light  soil.  The  pots  should  not  be  less 
than  8  inches  in  diameter,  and  could  be  plunged  in  any 
position  you  choose. 

HARDY  PLANTS  FOR  MARSHY  GROUND  {K.).— 
In  such  a  position  you  might  make  good  use  of  many 
plants,  though  the  variety  will  depend  to  some  extent 
upon  the  exposed  condition  of  the  situation.  For  example, 
if  comparatively  sheltered,  Phyllostachys  nigra,  Bambusa 
palmata  and  other  Bamboos  would  do  quite  well ;  if  not, 
they  had  better  be  left  alone.  Of  undoubted  hardiness 
are  such  as  the  Royal  Fern  (Osmunda  regalis).  Spiraea 
gigantea,  S.  venusta,  8.  digitata,  Gunnera  scabra,  G. 
manicata,  Saxifraga  peltata,  Lilium  pardalinum,  Marsh 
Marigolds,  Ranunculus  Lingua,  the  Bulrush,  any  of  the 
tall-growing  Lysimachias,  Lythrum  roseum  superbum. 
Iris  sibirica  in  variety.  Narcissus  Emperor,  N.  Poeticus 
fl.-pl.,  Camassia  escuJenta  and  others.  Indeed,  it  is 
surprising  how  large  a  variety  of  plants  thrive  in  such 
places,  while  a  little  thoughtful  work  at  planting-time 
will  render  them  as  attractive  as  other  parts  of  the 
garden. 

WATER  LILY  POOL  {John  Gray).— We  presume  there 
is  too  much  sand  in  the  clay,  hence  it  is  not  impervious. 
In  the  circumstances  you  had  better  excavate  9  inches 
of  the  clay  and  discard  it,  replacing  it  by  a  6-inch-thick 
bed  of  concrete  of  about  four  to  one,  i.e.,  four  of  clean 
ballast  to  one  of  cement.  Over  this  place  an  inch-thick 
bed  of  washed  river  sand  and  cement  of  one  and  one 
strength,  i.e.,  equal  parts  of  each.  At  9  inches  from  the 
surface  reduce  the  thicker  layer  of  concrete  to  one-half 
this  thickness,  while,  if  the  position  admits,  you  may  turf 
the  upper  one  down  to  the  water  edge.  The  naturalness 
or  form  of  the  whole  is  in  your  own  hands,  and  a  natural 
pool  would  have  a  very  pretty  effect.  You  would  require 
a  water  depth  of  about  two  feet  and  a  soil  depth  of  about 
six  inches.  A  greater  naturalness  to  the  whole  would 
result  were  you  to  excavate  to  twice  the  above, given 
depth  and  by  a  slight  increase  of  the  water  depth,  only 
leave  at  the  bank-like  slope  to  the  pool  ample  room  to 


404 


THE     GARDEN, 


[August  9,  1913. 


plant    moisture-loving    subjects    here    and    there.    We 
know  of  no  book  that  will  help  you. 

MADONNA  LILY  BULBS  DISEASED  {M.  Barris).— 
The  Lily  has  apparently  been  attacked  by  the  disease 
induced  by  the  fungus  Botrytis  cinerea.  We  have  noticed 
that  Lilies  exposed  to  frost  and  cold  draughts  are  more 
liable  to  the  attack  than  are  those  In  more  sheltered 
situations.  Lime  in  the  soil  also  checks  the  trouble  to 
some  extent,  but  no  perfect  cure  is  known. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

CONIFERS     TO     PLANT     IN     A    CHESTNUT     WOOD 

(A.  H.  R.). — The  two  best  conifers  to  plant  in  the  Chestnut 
wood  referred  to  in  your  letter  are  Abies  pectinata  (the 
common  Silver  Fir)  and  Picea  excelsa  (the  common 
Spruce).  It  would,  however,  be  a  good  plan  to  plant  a  few 
Beech  trees  among  them.  As  rabbits  appear  to  be  present 
in  quantity,  considerable  care  will  be  required  in  fencing, 
otherwise  every  young  tree  \vill  be  ruined.  Better  results 
will  be  obtained  by  planting  trees  12  inches  to  18  inches 
in  height  than  by  planting  larger  ones,  more  especially 
in  the  case  of  the  Fir  and  Spruce.  Pit  planting  will  be 
preferable  to  notch  planting,  and  if  a  little  trouble  is 
taken  in  breaking  up  the  ground  for  a  space  of  3  feet  or 
so  about  the  roots,  the  plants  will  stand  a  better  chance 
of  success  than  if  the  soil  were  left  hard. 

PLEACHED  LIME  TREES  AS  A  SCREEN  (M.  M.  E.  C). 
— There  is  no  reason  why  you  should  not  form  a  screen 
by  the  use  of  pleached  Lime  trees  such  as  you  describe, 
for  it  would  not  be  likely  to  seriously  affect  your  herbaceous 
border,  although  the  Lime  roots  in  time  are  bound  to 
enter  the  border  and  thus  deprive  the  plants  of  some  of 
their  nourishment.  If  you  could  plant  them  5  feet  or 
6  feet  from  the  wall,  it  would  be  possible  to  dig  a  trench 
near  the  wall  every  few  years  and  cut  the  roots  through. 
That  would  not  injure  the  trees  much  and  would  save  the 
border.  The  fol!o^v^ng  kinds  of  Clematises  would  be 
likely  to  suit  your  purpose  :  C.  montana,  C.  m.  rubens, 
C.  lanuginosa,  C.  Beauty  of  Worcester,  C.  Enchantress, 
C.  Grand  Duchess,  C.  La  France,  C.  Lord  Nevill,  C. 
Marie  Lefebvre,  C.  Jackmanii,  C.  J.  alba,  C.  Mme.  Edouard 
Andr^,  C.  Mme.  Grange,  C.  Sensation  and  C.  cocclnea. 


ROSE     GARDEN. 

SPORT  OF  TAUSENDSCHON  (J.  G.  K.).—This  Rose 
will  often  throw  otf  pale,  nearly  white  blooms.  If  you 
can  send  us  a  flower,  we  shall  be  able  to  inform  you  if  it 
is  of  any  value.  Enclose  a  shoot,  so  that  we  may  see  if 
the  growth  is  true. 

ROSE  SPORT  (•/.  G.). — We  cannot  think  you  have  a 
sport,  llather  should  we  say  you  have  had  sent  you  the 
wrong  variety.  The  Rose  is  not  that  of  Molly  Sharman 
Crawford,  and  a  sport  rarely  varies  in  its  growth  (save 
climbing  sports)  from  the  parent  variety.  We  believe 
the  llosu  is  Mrs.  Arthur  Muut. 

STANDARD  ROSES  NOT  FLOWERING  (T.  W.).— 
If  the  trees  were  not  pruned  in  spring,  you  cannot  well 
do  so  now ;  but  if  pruned  and  they  have  made  the 
tiny  shoots  you  speak  of,  we  advise  you  to  tie  them 
over  umbrella  fashion.  If  it  does  not  make  them  bloom 
this  season,  it  will  assist  in  laying  the  foundation  for 
bloom  next  year. 

MANURING  WICHURAIANA  ROSES  (M.  S.  F.).— We 
think  a  dressing  of  basic  slag  applied  in  October  at  the 
rate  of  6oz.  to  a  square  yard  would  give  you  the  necessary 
lime,  and  at  the  same  time  supply  phosphate  to  improve 
the  blooms.  A  dressing  of  well-decayed  farmyard  manure 
could  follow,  and  both  should  be  dug  under  at  once  ;  then, 
in  spring,  give  a  dressing  of  bone-flour  at  the  rate  of  a  good 
handful  per  plant. 

OLD  CLIMBERS  BLIGHTED  {Dormans).—'We  think 
you  would  do  well  to  severely  prune  the  red  climbers  next 
autumn,  but  do  not  think  it  will  be  necessary  to 
grub  them  out.  We  advise  you  to  give  the  Roses  a 
good  dressing  of  commercial  formaldehyde  diluted  to  a 
strength  of  one  tablespoonful  of  the  40  per  cent,  article 
to  a  gallon  of  soft  water.  Double  this  strength  may  be 
used  in  winter.  It  should  be  applied  every  week  or 
ten  days,  and  although  it  is  now  very  late  to  begin,  we 
think,  if  you  persist  in  it,  the  blight  will  be  very  con- 
siderably checked. 

ROSES  DROOPING  {Miss  Beddington). — The  Roses 
you  send  are  mainly  Maman  Cochet,  and  this  is  one  of 
the  most  unsuitable  kinds  you  could  plant  as  a  bedding 
Rose.  Its  proper  place  is  against  a  south  wall,  where 
the  warmth  would  encourage  its  very  double  flowers  to 
develop.  It  is  a  Rose  that  "objects  to  too  much  manure  ; 
in  fact,  if  grown  in  quite  a  poor  soil  it  is  best  for  it.  Of 
course,  the  present  season  has  been  all  against  such  Roses, 
they  being  very  susceptible  to  wet,  which  causes  the  petals 
to  stick  together ;  then  the  whole  bloom  rots  away.  If 
the  outside  petals  could  be  released  before  decay  set  in. 
the  blooms  would  open  all  right.  We  advise  you  to  remove 
tlie  plants  to  a  warm  border  and  train  them  upon  a  wall 
or  fence,  replacing  with  good  kinds  of  the  Lady  Roberts 
type,  which  you  say  has  done  so  well. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

PELARGONIUMS  DAMAGED  (H.  J.).— The  rotting 
of  the  stem  of  the  Pelargonium  seems  to  be  due  to  the 
presence  of  myriads  of  baeteria  in  the  stems.  It  would 
be  well  to  discard  these  plants  entirely.  It  not  infre- 
quently happens  that  cuttings  fail  to  heal,  after  being 
put  into  the  soil  to  root,  rapidly  enough  to  prevent  the 
entrance  of  bacteria,  and  tliese  then  rapidly  work  great 
havoc.  Kindly  send  flowers  of  your  new  variety,  when 
we  can  better  advise  you  of  its  value. 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

AUTUMN-FRUITING  RASPBERRIES  (Grace  Oardener). 
—The  autumn  fruiting  of  your  Raspberry  canes  will 
practically  ruin  them  for  next  season.  Plenty  of  other 
excellent  growths  will  push  up  yet,  and  you  should  select 
five  or  six  of  these  for  retention. 

GREASE-BANDS  FOR  FRUIT  TREES  (Greystoke).— 
These  should  be  put  on  in  October  and  re-greased  once  a 
month  until  the  end  of  February.  This  is  an  excellent 
remedy  against  attacli  from  Codlin  and  winter  moth  and 
the  larviT  of  otiicr  species  which  eat  the  foliage  of  fruit 
trees  in  spring. 

PEAR-LEAF  BLISTER  (W.  H.).— The  variety  Thompson 
seems  to  have  had  its  foliage  exposed  to  cold  winds  or 
draughts,  and  the  others  are  suffering  from  an  attack 
of  the  Pear-leaf  blister  mite  (Eriophyes  pyri).  They 
should  be  sprayed  with  caustic  soda  (lib.  to  ten  gallons 
of  water)  during  winter,  or  with  paraflin  emulsion. 

INJURY  TO  MELON  FRUITS  (D.  U.  i.).— We  suspect 
cockroaches  to  be  eating  the  young  Melons,  though  perhaps 
crickets  are  the  culprits.  If  so,  they  should  be  trapped, 
using  a  jar  sunk  in  the  ground  and  having  a  little  beer 
at  the  bottom,  or  one  of  the  "  V.T.H."  slug  traps,  which 
wo  have  found  excellent  for  capturing  cockroaches.  You 
may  ascertain  which  the  culprits  are  by  examining  the 
plant  after  dark. 

SPOTS  ON  APPLE  LEAF  (A.  J.  £.).— The  brown 
spots  are  due  to  the  attack  of  the  fungus  Cladosporium 
herbarum  upon  the  Apple  leaves.  It  seems  more  usual 
for  this  fungus  to  attack  leaves  slightly  damaged  by 
fro.st  or  by  cold  winds  than  where  the  leaves  have  suffered 
no  check.  We  recommend  attention  to  the  provision  of 
shelter,  wherever  possible,  and  the  spraying  of  the  trees 
liable  to  attack  early  in  the  season  with  Bordeaux  mixture. 
MORELLO  CHERRIES  WITH  FORE-RIGHT  SHOOTS 
{R.  P.  H.). — Cut  all  the  fore-right  shoots  back  to  within 
four  buds  of  their  base  now,  and  at  the  winter  pruning 
cut  further  back  to  within  two  buds  of  their  base.  By  this 
treatment  fruit  spurs  and  blossom  buds  will  be  formed, 
and  fruit  borne  in  due  time.  You  must  not  let  your  trees 
get  too  dry  at  the  root  at  any  time.  This,  no  doubt,  is 
the  cause  of  the  fruit  dropping  this  year. 

PEACH  LEAVES  DROPPING  OFF  (Peach  Leaf).— 
Your  Peach  trees  under  glass  are  affected  by  what  is 
termed  shot-hole  fungus.  The  attack  is  usually  caused 
by  a  chili  through  admitting  too  much  front  air  when  the 
wind  is  cold  and  the  young  leaves  tender.  The  best 
remedy  you  can  apply  is  to  dredge  the  foliage  completely, 
both  under  and  over,  with  s\ilphur,  leaving  it  on  for  two 
days,  shading  the  house  in  the  meantime,  and  then 
syringing  it  off.  Burn  all  tlie  old  leaves  as  they  fall, 
give  abundance  of  air  day  and  night  (except  in  very 
rough  weather),  and  encourage  the  growth  by  syringing 
morning  and  afternoon  and  by  careful  watering. 

MILDEW  ON  BLACK  HAMBURGH  GRAPES  (F.  W.  R.). 
— The  most  common  cause  of  an  attack  of  mildew,  such 
as  your  Grapes  are  suffering  from,  is  from  opening  the 
front  ventilator  too  wide  in  the  cold  weather,  when  the 
vinery  is  warm  from  gleams  of  sunshine.  This  causes  a 
chill  to  the  Vines  and  at  once  invites  an  attack  of  mildew. 
The  best  thing  vou  can  do  is  to  heat  the  hot-water  pipes 
(not  too  hot),  and  then  paint  them  over  with  flowers  of 
sulphur  mixed  with  water  to  the  consistency  of  paint. 
It  should  be  done  in  the  evening  of  a  ealm,  damp  day. 
This  prevents  the  sulphur  fumes  caused  by  the  heat  of 
the  pipes  being  blown  away.  Repeat  the  heating 
of  the  pipes  and  resulphuring  the  second  evening.  The 
vinery  must  be  shut  up,  of  course. 

TRAINED  MULBERRY  TREES  NOT  FRUITING 
(.WfrerfifS).— .Mulberry  trees  are  always  a  long  time  in 
bearing  friiit  after  planting  (unless  their  roots  are  con- 
fined in  narrow  and  limite{l  borders),  cliefly  in  conse- 
quence of  the  too  robust  growth  of  branches  and  leaves 
they  make  wliile  the  trees  are  young.  This  is  borne  out 
by  tbe  specimens  kindly  sent.  The  treatment  to  adopt 
to  compel  them  to  bear  fruit  will  be  to  severely  root 
pnine  them  in  the  autumn  as  soon  as  the  leaves  have 
fallen.  This  will  result  in  the  trees  producing  branches 
of  shorter  growth  and  moderate  strength,  such  branches 
only  as  will  produce  flower- buds  and  fruit.  The  trees 
should  receive  no  manure  at  the  roots  until  they  have 
been  brought  into  a  condition  of  fruit-bearing. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

PEAS  DISEASED  (Pelils  Pnis).  —  Some  of  the 
symptoms  of  disease  shown  by  the  Peas  are  similar  to 
tliose  shown  by  plants  attacked  by  Thielavia  basicola 
at  tlie  root,  but  the  roots  sent  are  insufficient  in  quantity 
to  enable  us  to  say  definitely  the  cause  of  the  trouble. 

TOMATOES  DISEASED  (W.  B.). — The  Tomatoes  are 
attacked  by  the  fungus  Cladosporium  fulvum,  which 
is  usually  far  more  prevalent  in  houses  kept  too  close 
and  damp  than  wliere  there  is  ample  ventilation  and  a 
dry  atmosphere.  Spray  the  plants  either  with  Bordeaux 
mixture  or  with  potassium  sulphide,  loz.  to  three  gallons 
of  water. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

WIREWORMS  IN  SOIL  (ro(«f.?).— A  satisfactory  method 
of  preventing  wireworms  from  damaging  garden  crops 
is  to  cultivate  the  soil  thoroughly  and  frequently.  Hoeing 
is  especially  useful.  You  can  now  only  try  to  drive  them 
away  by  dusting  or  hoeing  in  one  or  other  of  the  soil 
fumigants,  such  as  Vaporite  or  Apterite.  The  sowing  and 
digging  in  of  mustard  is  often  a  useful  measure,  driving 
away  the  wireworms  and  at  the  same  time  adding  organic 
matter  to  the  soil. 


ORGANIC  MANURE  FOR  A  CLAY  SOIL  (Cartside).— 
We  think  you  would  obtain  better  results  on  a  heavy  clay 
soil  from  using  straw  litter  manure  than  from  peat  moss. 
The  former  will  not  only  be  less  liable  to  render  the  soil 
acid,  but  will  also  tend  to  "  open  "  the  «oil  more — an 
important  tiling. 

EPSOM  SALTS  AS  MANURE  (W.  B.).— Epsom  salts 
is  chemically  called  magnesium  sulphate.  Soil  is  rarely 
lacking  in  magnesia  in  sufficient  quantities  for  the  use 
of  plants :  but  if  you  desire  to  try  its  effects,  dissolve  loz. 
in  two  gallons  of  water,  and  water  the  plants  now  and 
again  about  three  weeks  hence. 

MELON  AND  TOMATO  DISEASE  {W.  H.).— Your 
Melon  is  apparently  attacked  by  the  Melon  and  Tomato 
canker  (Mycosphsemla).  This  disease  must  be  notified 
to  the  Board  of  Agriculture.  The  plants  not  affected 
should  be  sprayed  with  Bordeaux  mixture  or  with  sulphide 
of  potassium.  The  soil  should  not  be  again  used  for 
growing  Melons,  Chrcumbers,  or  Tomatoes  until  it  has 
been  sterilised  by  steam  heating. 

FUNGUS  ON  DOORPOSTS  (J.  .S.).— The  fungus  is  a 
Polyporus,  which  destroys  the  wood,  and  will,  no  doubt, 
spread  unless  the  conditions  are  made  unfavourable  for 
its  development.  The  tliorough  impregnation  of  the 
wood  with  carbolineum  or  with  copper  sulphate  would 
stop  its  progress,  but  merely  painting  the  surface  is 
unlikely  to  do  so.  The  main  thing  to  attend  to  is  the 
ventilation  of  the  surfaces,  and  that,  from  what  you  say, 
appears  to  be  completely  wanting. 

NAMES    OF    PLANTS.— IF.  H.  ./.,  Plaistow.—l,  (Eno- 

thera   Youngii :  2,    Jasione  perenne. -H.   Eiheridge, — 

Rose  Celeste,  a  variety  of  R.  alba. A.  B.  C. — Achillea 

Ptarmica  The  Pearl. 


SOCI  ETIES. 


CARDIFF    HORTICULTURAL    SHOW. 

The  twenty-fifth  annual  show  was  held  on  the  23rd  and 
24th  ult.  as  usual  in  the  Sophia  Gardens,  by  the  kind 
permission  of  the  Marquis  of  Bute,  and  was  quite  a  success. 
So  numerous  were  tlie  entries  that  an  extra  tent  was 
needed  for  trade  exhibits,  which  added  much  to  the 
excellence  of  the  display.  Plants  were  meritorious. 
Cut  flowers,  especially  Roses,  were  exceedingly  fine. 
Sweet  Peas  are  always  a  strong  feature  here  ;  this  year 
they  surpassed  any  seen  before.  Fruit  and  vegetables 
were  distinctly  of  a  high  order  of  merit.  Mr.  Maurice 
Bailey,  secretary,  had,  as  usual,  everything  well  in  hand. 
Plants  were  attractively  displayed.  Messrs.  J.  Cypher 
and  Sous,  Cheltenham,  with  one  of  their  characteristic 
exhibits  won  the  premier  place  for  a  group  of  miscellaneous 
plants  arranged  for  effect.  Palms,  Crotons,  Orchids  and 
a  choice  assortment  of  other  flowering  plants  were  all 
harmoniously  blended.  Mr.  D.  Maclntyre,  gardener  to 
Lady  Hill.  Itookwood,  was  a  good  second.  This  exhibitor 
staged  remarkable  Fuchsias,  pyramids  8  feet  high,  profusely 
flowered. 

Mr.  H.  J.  Pilcher,  Penarth,  was  first  for  tuberous 
Begonias  with  extremely  fine  blooms,  thickly  studded  on 
well-grown  plants. 

Cut  flowers  are  a  strong  feature  here.  Hoses  had  many 
classes  provided  for  them.  For  twelve  triplets  there 
were  flve  entries.  Mr.  J.  Mattock.  Headington,  Oxon. 
won  the  premier  place  with  high  quality  blooms  of  British 
Queen,  Mrs.  A.  Coxhead,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Rowe,  Mildred 
Grant,  J.  B.  Clark  and  Mrs.  T.  Roosevelt.  The  King's 
Acre  Nursery  Company,  Hereford,  were  a  close  second. 

In  the  class  for  twenty-four  single  blooms,  distinct, 
Mr.  S.  Treseder,  Ely  Nurseries,  Cardiff,  won  the  premier 
position  with  medium-sized,  highly-coloured  examples 
of  popular  varieties. 

The  King's  Acre  Nursery  Company  won  for  eighteen 
Tea  or  Noisette  varieties  with  typical  specimens  of  Mrs. 
Myles  Kennedy  and  Wliite  Mama'n  Cochet,  for  example. 

A  keen  competition  for  twelve  blooms,  any  one  variety 
of  other  than  Tea  or  Noisette,  resulted  in  Gloire  de 
Chedane  Guinoisseau  carrying  off  the  highest  position  for 
the  King's  Acre  Nursery  Company,  a  like  award  falling 
to  the  same  firm  for  a  similar  number  of  any  one  ^ea  or 
Noisette  mth  desirable  blooms  of  Mrs.  E.  Mawley. 

Groups  of  cut  Roses  occupying  a  space  of  9  feet  by  4  feet, 
with  the  use  of  Rose  foliage  only,  were  numerous  and 
attractive,  Mr.  J.  Mattock  arranged  a  distinctly 
meritorious  exhibit  and  worthily  secured  the  leading  award. 
Such  sorts  as  Ethel  Malcolm,  Lady  Pirrie,  Lady  Hillingdon 
and  Rayon  d'Or  were  shown  in  huee  masses  ;  these  and 
the  following  Ramblers  made  a  delightful  display,  which 
was  much  admired  by  visitors.  Dorothy  Perkins  and  its 
white  sport,  with  Philadelphia  Rambler,  were  con- 
spicuously good.  Mr.  John  Crossling,  Penarth  Nurseries, 
was  second.  Amateurs  in  smaller  classes  were  creditably 
represented. 

Carnations  were  much  in  evidence,  helping  to  make 
the  huge  tent  attractive.  Border  varieties  with  Picotecs 
receive  encouragement  here.  A  group  to  fill  a  space 
6  feet  by  3  feet  was  tlu-  leading  feature.  Mr.  H.  Lakeman, 
Thornton  Heath,  was  first  with  high  quality  blooms  ; 
if  not  so  numerous,  a  flne  mass  of  the  yellow  Cecilia  was 
admired.  Mr.  C.  Wall,  Bath,  a  noted  exhibitor,  was 
second  with  a  fuller  display  but  hardly  the  quality  of  the 
first  prize  group.  The  last  named  won  for  a  display  of 
Tree,  American  and  Malmaison  varieties,  showing  It.  F. 
Felton.  Carola  and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Ward  finely. 

Border  varieties  with  Picotees,  dressed  and  on  stands, 
were  numerous.  Mr.  Thomas  Melhoues  was  first  for  a 
dozen  highly-coloured,  shapely  blooms. 


^feVl. 


'mr^^- 


GARDEN. 


No.  2178.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


August  16,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


XOTKS   OK  THi;    WkKK 

A  wril-f  1  o  wcriid 
IMivllnr-actu^i       .. 

The  Lotiaribcrry    .  . 

Hanihlinu  Ilosos    . . 

spirffia  A  n  I  h  o  n  v 
WiitcriT       . .      .  . 

Krica  hybrid'i 

(iliixiiiias  froiusecdb 

Fortlntmiiiis  events.. 

Vines  in  August    . . 
Ci'LTiiRAL    Hints   on 

NKW       and        JlAKK 

Plants   

UOSK  Gakdrn 
The   bi"^t    Kosos  for 

I.fuls 

A  goDil  jranlt-n  Rnsi- 
Ari-  niiu'ieMs'  iiiiuns 

d  I' t  r  i  m  *■  ntal  to 

TLOWKr.    C.AKHKN 

I'ri  nulla   cockbnrni- 

ana  ii\'hriil> 
A   bi-iiiliful    garden 

I.ily      ..      ;.      .. 
W'nrk    ainonj;    t  h  c 

Dahlias 


4015 
J  OH 
406 

407 
407 
407 

407 
407 


40H 
40S 


4  OS 

409 
400 
400 


COLOiriu:i>  1M,AT1". 

Fouryond  Datfndils     410 
Oi'R   Skcond    Pkixk  Rock 
(Iakukn 
Brorkhnrst,      East 
(JrinsUNid    . . 
llunKNnorsK 

On    sctmti^d     Pular- 
iTOuiums 

(TMIDKNINO  KOK  itKOINNKKS 
Hnvv  to  "take" 
C  li  r  y-antbfinum 
)ni(l>  in  Ant^nst  and 
Srplenib'T  . . 
Placinf^  w  i  n  d  «  w 
plants  in  rain 

(JaUDKNINO    OF    TllK    WELK 

For    Southern    gar- 
dens       414 

For    Mortlicrn    par- 

dr[i> 414 

A  N  s  w  i:it  s   TO    f  o  i:  u  K- 
y  i'  ()  N  I)  l;  n  T  s 

Flower  garden         . .  tl5 

Tn'L's  utid  shrubs   . .  415 

Rose  cardrn    . .'     . .  4ir> 

Misoelluiu'ons         . .  415 
A     remarkable     new 

Sunflower        .  .  415 

SOCIKTIKS 4ifl 


410 


411 


41  :i 
4Vi 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


A  wrll-fl(twered  Phyllficaetus 
KdJ^e  Arthur  R.  Goodwin 
A  h(Mi  of  Liliuni  Brownii 
Four  good  DatTiKlils 


.  .     40(5 
408 

409 

.  .  Coloured  plate 
A  view  in  Mr.  Hanbury's  rock  garden  at  Brockhurst  410 
Another  view  in  the  natural  rock  garden  at  Brockhurst  411 
Large  boulders  used  witli  fine  effect  at  Brockhurst. .  411 
Scented  Pelargoniums  at  Gunnersbury  Houec,  Aeton  412 
Row  to  "  take  "  Chryaanlhemum  buds  in  August  and 

September 413 

Sutton's  new  Sunflower         415 


EDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


yVif  Editor  uplcomes  p/i  olographs,  art  ides  and  notes, 
bill  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  phofoijru/ths,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  lor  reproduction  be  plainlii  staten. 
It  must  he  i/isiinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
qrapher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  he  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  litcranj  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  vse,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  GARDEN  will  alone 
he  recoffirised  as  acceptanre. 


OSics  :  20.  TavisUwk  Street,  C'orcnt  Garden,  M  .f. 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 

Drying  Herbs.— All  kinds  of  herbs  should  now 
bo  gathered.  Tic  tlieiu  in  bunehcs  and  hang  them 
in  an  airy  place  to  dry.  When  qnite  dry  and  brittle, 
strip  (iff  the  leaves  and  nib  thcni  fine  with  the 
hands,  and  then  store  away  for  winter  use  in  well- 
corked  bottles.  Lavender  fl  nvers  onght  aHo  to 
be  gathered,  tied  in  small  bunclvs  and  placed 
somewhere  to  drw 

A  Useful  Creeping  British  Plant. — Onr  of 
the  most  attractive  of  onr  native  plants  that 
.idorn  some  yf  the  moist  places  in  our  country 
thronghont  the  summer  is  Lysimachia  Nummnlaria, 
eommoidy  known  as  Creeping  Jenny.  I'or  growing 
in  pots  or  window- bo .\es  in  towns  it  will  be  found 
to  be  most  valuable,  the  bright  yellow  flowers, 
'ike  myriads  ol  stars,  almost  covering  the  foliage, 
which  hangs  down  from  i8  inches  to  30  inches  in 
a  vi:ry  jirarc-ful  in:unn-i". 

A  Useful  August-Flowering  Shrub. — One  of 

the  best  hardy  shrubs  flowering  in  August  is 
Olearia  Haastii,  a  native  of  New  Zealand.  It  is  a 
particularly  useful  shrub  for  small  gardens,  as  it 
thrives  well  in  towns  and  has  the  additional  advan- 
tage of  being  evergreen.  Growing  3  feet  to  5  feet 
in  height,  O.  Haastii  has  comparatively  small 
Box-like  leaves,  greyish  green  in  colour,  and  during 
-A-Ugust  produces  a  profusion  of  small,  starry  white 
blossom?. 

A  Dainty  Hardy  Annual. — lonopsidium  acaide. 
or  the  Violet  Cress,  was  imported  from  Portugal 
iixty-eight  years  ago.  This  tiny  but  exquisitely 
beautiful  hardy  annual  has  never  become  a  popular 
favourite,  and  why  ?  Just  because  of  its  un- 
obtrusiveness.  Like  all  gems,  it  is  only  found 
when  searched  for.  It  only  grows  from  2  inches 
to  3  inches  high,  but  its  numerous  tiny  flowers 
of  lilac,  yellow  and  violet  are  very  attractive. 
Sown  in  the  crevices  of  the  paved  garden  or  on  the 
rockwork.  it  appears  to  be  quite  at  home. 

The  Purple  Loosestrife  by  the  Water-Side. — 
This  is  a  very  attractive  herbaceous  plant  to  use 
freely  by  the  side  of  water  and  in  damp,  moist 
positions.  Growing  about  three  feet  in  height, 
the  long,  slender  spikes  of  closely-packed  flowers 
last  in  good  condition  for  a  couple  of  months — 
July  and  August.  One  important  point  is  that 
no  harm  results  from  the  flooding  of  the  roots 
with  water  in  winter,  a  condition  which  proves 
fatal  to  many  plants.  Even  more  showy  and 
bright  than  the  species  is  the  rosy  red  variety, 
Lythrum  Salicaria  rosea. 

International  Horticultural  Exhibition — 
Financial  Statement. — The  long-awaited  financial 
statement  of  the  International  E.xhibition  held 
in  May,  1912,  is  now  issued.  It  is  satisfactory 
to  note  that  after  providing  for  all  liabilities,  a 
profit  has  been  made,  and  that  charities  have 
benefited.  The  Gardeners'  Royal  Benevolent 
[nstitutioTi  benefits  to  the  extent  of  £1,532  is,  7d., 


while  the  following  sums  have  also  been  allotted  ; 
Royal  Gardeners'  Orphan  Fund,  £766  os.  lod.  ; 
Irish  Gardeners'  Association  and  Benevolent 
Society,  £ioo  ;  donation  towards  republishing 
IMtz-l's  "  Botanical  Index,"  £250.  There  is 
also  a  balance  in  hand  for  contingencies  of  £20. 
A    Pretty    Effect    Made    by    Rose    DDrothy 

Perkins.— Visit. irs  lu  K.w  dnnnK  thr  lalln  h.ill 
of  July  and  the  early  lull  ul  .\unust  have 
been  charmed  by  this  pnlty  Rose  planted 
about  the  pond  near  the  Palm  House.  On 
the  Palm  House  side  of  the  pond,  and  for  a 
short  distance  along  two  other  sides,  the  banks 
are  held  up  by  a  wall,  which  stands  four  feet  or 
so  clear  of  the  water,  but  is  only  a  little  higher 
than  the  surrounding  ground.  I'or  a  distance 
of  about  twenty  yards  along  the  two  sides  the 
Hose  has  been  planted,  S3  that  the  branches  fall 
"ver  and  almost  touch  the  water.  Tiwse,  during 
the  time  mentioned,  are  perfect  sheets  of  flowers, 
which  contrasted  well  with  the  bright  green  leaves, 
and  were  reflected  in  the  water  belr>w. 

The  Panther  Lily. —  In  Liliuni  pan!  iliiiinn, 
the  Panther  Lily,  we  possess  a  particularly  useful 
tall-growing  Lily  which  flowers  from  the  middle 
ol  July  until  the  middle  of  August.  A  native  ol 
North  America,  the  usual  height  is  from  5  feet  to 
7  feet.  Both  leaves  and  flowers  are  arranged  in 
whorls  on  the  tall  stems,  giving  the  plants  a  distinct 
and  stately  character.  Each  stem  terminates  in 
a  loose  inflorescence  of  twelve  to  twenty  blooms, 
rich  orange  in  colour  and  freely  spotted.  It  is 
what  may  be  termed  a  good-natured  Lily,  for  the 
bulbs  appear  to  thrive  equally  well  in  peat  or 
moderately  light  loam.  L.  pardalinum  has  large, 
rhizomatous  bulbs,  which  increase  rapidly.  These 
should  be  planted  5  inches  to  6  inches  deep,  as 
this  is  a  stem-rooting  species.  One  of  the  best 
positions  for  this  Lily  is  in  beds  of  Rhodo- 
dendrons, where  the  stems  will  be  screened 
from  the  hot  sun. 

An  Orchid  Hybrid  Growing  Wild.— Sixteen 
years  ago  an  interesting  hybrid  between  Orchis 
maculata  and  Platanthera  bifolia  named  Orchi- 
platanthera  chevallieriana  was  recorded  as  British, 
it  having  been  found  on  a  large  moor  near  Perth 
among  a  profuse  growth  of  the  two  parent  species. 
It  has  now  been  found  in  a  hayfield,  close  to  the 
edge  of  a  copse,  about  two  miles  from  Shepton 
Mallett,  Somerset.  The  finder,  says  the  current 
issue  of  the  Orchid  Review,  was  Harry  Stacy, 
a  small  boy,  who  recognised  it  as  something  un- 
familiar to  him.  It  shows  an  unmistakable  combi- 
nation of  the  characters  of  Platanthera  bifolia  and 
Orchis  maculata,  which  are  said  to  grow  in  the 
same  field,  the  flowers  being  white  and  unspotted, 
but  with  two  ample  rounded  side  lobes  to  the 
lip,  an  elongated  front  lobe  and  the  spur  nearly 
as  short  as  in  O.  maculata,  which  it  also  approaches 
in  the  shape  of  the  spike.  It  is  an  interesting 
discovery,  and  might  encourage  further  search 
where  the  two  species  grow  together. 


406 


THE    GARDEN. 


[August  i6,  igi?,- 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The    Editor    is    not    responsible    for   the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


A  Well-Flowered  Phyllocactus.— I  am  sending 
you  a  photograph  of  one  of  mv  Phyllocactus  plants, 
which  is  now  in  full  bloom.  The  species  is  probably 
Cooperi.  I  have  two  plants,  and  have  had  seventy- 
two  blooms  on  them  this  year.  You  will  notice 
the  amount  of  nourishment  taken  out  of  the  lower 
leaves,  though  the  plant  has  been  continually 
fed  with  liquid  manure  and  Clay's  Fertilizer.  By 
careful  summer  treatment  I  hope  to  have  as  good 
a  result  next  year. — E.  W.  Dutton,  Noak  Hill 
School,  Romford. 

The  Loganberry. — I  read  with  interest  IVIr. 
Owen  Thomas'  article  on  "  The  Loganberry  as 
a  Commercial  Fruit  "  in  The  Garden  of  August  2, 
page  385,  where  he  rightly  emphasises  its  com- 
mercial value.  Allow  me  to  supplement  his 
remarks  on  the  training  of  this  plant  by  saying 
that  I  think  the  best  method  of  training 
is  by  means  of  a  double  wire  trellis.  By 
this  method  the  fruiting  canes  are 
(rained  up  one  side  and  the  succession 
cnes  on  the  other,  transposing  the 
order  annually,  of  course.  This  keeps 
things  tidy  and  gives  the  whole  the 
maximum  of  light  and  air.  One  set  of 
standards  is  sufficient,  with  cross  pieces 
a  foot  long,  furnished  with  an  eye  at 
either  end  to  run  the  wires  along. — C.  C. 

Scentless  Musk. — The  loss  of  scent 
in  the  common  Musk,  iMimulus  mos- 
chatus,  to  which  reference  has  recently 
been  made,  appears  to  be  now  so 
general  in  English  gardens  that  it 
would  be  of  interest  to  know  how  far 
this  curious  and  lamentable  condition 
has  extended,  or  whether  it  is  universal. 
May  I  be  allowed  to  request  readers  of 
The  Garden  in  Scotland,  Wales  and 
Ireland,  and  also  in  foreign  countries, 
to  say  whether  this  grievous  loss  of  one 
of  the  charms  of  this  good  old  plant 
also  prevails  with  them  ?  One  would 
also  like  to  ask  botanists  whether  any 
scientific  light  has  been  thrown  on  the 
matter.  I  do  not  know  how  long  it 
will  take  to  reconcile  me  to  this  new 
state  of  things,  but,  for  my  own  part, 
when  I  look  at  a  flowering  patch  of  Musk 
the  old  firm  faith  in  its  sweetness  is  so  persistent, 
so  impossible  to  dissociate  from  the  appearance 
of  the  plant,  that,  until  I  actually  take  a  piece 
and  smell  it,':'^!  cannot  believe  that  the  scent  is 
gone.— G.  J, 

^Rambling^.  Roses. — A  "  Note  of  the  Week  " 
in  The  Garden  for  August  2  on  the  beauty  of 
Rose  Lady  Godiva  encourages  still  further  witness 
to  the  merit  of  this  lovely  late-blooming  rambler. 
It  has  all  the  freedom  of  Dorothy  Perkins,  from 
which  it  is  a  sport,  but  the  lighter  and  more  refined 
colouring — a  tender  salmon  pink,  shading  from 
deeper  to  paler  as  the  flower  matures — makes  it  the 
loveliest  thing  in  the  garden  in  the  last  days  of 
July.  Another  beautiful  rambler  that  should  be 
more  widely  grown  is  Evangeline,  a  Rose  of 
American  origin.  It  is  a  single  Rose,  blooming 
in  large  clusters,  the  individual  flower  something 
like  a  Dog  Rose,  but  larger  and  of  firmer  texture. 
It  is  very  free,  both  of  growth  and  bloom,  and 
beautiful  alike  in  the  garden  and  in  half-wild  places. 
I  have  just  noted  how  excellent  this  Rose  would 


be  for  grouping  on  a  sunny  bank  with  the  wild 
Clematis  Vitalba.  Nothing  could  be  better,  planted 
in  some  quantity,  in  such  a  place  as  the  motmds 
and  banks  that  occur  at  the  edges  of  a  quarry,  or 
on  any  broken  or  tumbled  ground  that  there  may 
be  on  the  further  edges  of  garden  ground. — G. 
Jekyll. 

Open-Air  Tomatoes. — The  note  under  the 
above  heading  on  page  376,  July  26  issue, 
reminds  me  of  a  way  of  growing  Tomatoes  which 
I  saw — it  is  now  some  sixty  years  ago — in  the 
garden  of  an  uncle  of  mine,  who  brought  seeds  of 
the.  at  that  time  in  Germany,  wholly  unknown 
plant  from  America.  He  called  them  Paradise 
Apples  or  Love  Apples.  They  were  cultivated 
in  rows  much  like  we  grow  Potatoes,  but  instead 
of  being  planted  on  the  apex  of  the  ridges,  they 
stood  between  rather  high  ridges  in  the  valleys. 
Thus  protected  from  wind,  and  warmth  gathering 
around  them,  I  can  recollect  them  being  in  admir- 
able condition,  the  glowing  colour  of  the  hundreds 
of  fruits  having  made  a  deep  impression  on  my 


handsome.  One  of  my  plants,  against  a  6-foot  wall 
has  long  overtopped  the  wall,  and  is  some  9  feet 
high  at  present.  I  like  it  best  as  a  bush,  however, 
and  it  is  most  graceful  then.  Like  many  of  the 
Rose  species,  R.  altaica,  which  is,  by  the  way, 
classed  as  a  form  of  R.  spinosissima,  was  quite 
uninjured  by  the  frosts  which  committed  such 
havoc  with  the  wichuraianas  and  other  Rambler 
Roses  in  Scotland  last  winter. — S.  Arnott, 
Diutifries. 

Raising  Iris  Kaempferi  from  Seed. — I  think  the 
enclosed  photograph  should  be  interesting  as  show- 
ing the  extreme  beauty  of  the  single  form  of  Iris 
Kaempferi.     Some  three  years  ago  I  sowed  seeds 
gathered   as  soon   as   they  were   thoroughly  ripe. 
I  sowed  the  seeds  in  an  ordinary  6-inch  flower-pot, 
and  there  they  remained,  with  the  shelter  of  a  cold 
frame,  until  the  seedlings  were  large  enough  to  be 
planted  out.     They  were  thus  handled  once  only 
from  the  time  of  sowing  until  they  flowered.     From 
this  single  potful  of  seed  I  obtained  100  flowering 
clumps    in   the   third  season   from  sowing.     Their 
range     of     colour     is     wide,     varying 
from   white   to   dark   blue.      The   most 
beautiful    shade,   however,  is   lavender. 
All     of      the     flowers     are     beautifully 
veined    in    the  manner  so   well   known 
in  this   species.      The   particular  speci- 
men    illustrated     has     falls     of     pearl 
white,    veined    with     dark    blue,    with 
yellow    markings    in    the    throat,    and 
standards    of    pale     purple.       I    think 
if   Iris-lovers    realised    how    simple    is 
the    culture    of    this    queen    of    Irises, 
as  indicated   by   the    above   note.    Iris 
Kaempferi   would    be    far  more  largely 
grown   than   is   the   case   at    present. — 
Raymond   E.   Negus.      [Unfortunately, 
the  photograph,  which    showed    a  good 
flower,   was   not   suitable  for  reproduc- 
tion.— Ed.1 
A   Good    New    Thunbergia.— Thun- 

bergia  Gibsonii,  which  was  given  an 
award  of  merit  by  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society  on  May  14  and  was 
again  shown  on  July  15,  is  a  new 
plant  of  considerable  promise.  Botani- 
cally  it  may  perhaps  only  be  regarded 
as  a  form  of  the  well-known  Thun- 
bergia affinis,  but  from  a  garden 
point  of  view  it  is  very  distinct  and 
greatly  superior  to  it.  While  T.  affinis 
is  of  annual  duration,  T.  Gibsonii  is  a 
juvenile  mind.  I  am  sure  there  was  no  kind  of  ,  perennial,  and  can  be  readily  increased  either  by 
support  in  the  way  of  tying  up  given  them  ;  they  j  means  of  seeds  or  cuttings.  The  branches  naturally 
simply    rested    between    the    ridges.     As    I    have  !  lie  flat  on  the  ground,  though  in   all  probability 

it  could  be  trained  as  a  climber.  The  flowers, 
however,  form  the  dominant  feature,  being  larger 
than  those  of  T.  alata  and  of  an  intense  brilliant 


i  ELL-  FLOWERED 


PHYLLOCACTUS 
GARDEN. 


IN     A     reader's 


never    seen    this     mode    of     growing     Tomatoes 
since,    I  thought  perhaps    it  might    interest  your 
readers    to    know    of   it. — E.    Heinrich,    Plancgg, 
Bavaria. 
The  Altai  Rose  in  August. — One  of  my  plants 

of  a  favourite  single  Rose  of  mine,  Rosa  altaica, 
is  again  in  bloom,  and  one  is  delighted  to  see  its 
large  white  flowers  once  more.  It  frequently 
flowers  a  second  time  in  autumn,  and  probably 
the  other  plants  here  will  follow  the  example  of 
this  one  a  little  later,  especially  if  cooler  and 
moister  weather  conditions  should  prevail.  R. 
altaica  is  very  acceptable  as  one  of  the  earliest 
of  the  Rose  species  to  flower,  coming  in  May, 
when  it  gives  the  greatest  abundance  of  its  hand- 
some white  flowers.  Those  produced  in  autumn 
are  not  nearly  so  numerous.  It  is  surprising  to 
see  how  few  gardens  possess  this  fine  Rose,  which, 
either   against   a   wall   or    in    bush    form,   is  very 


orange  colour,  a  tint  difficult  to  describe.  When 
the  plant  is  flat  on  the  ground,  the  flowers  arc 
borne  upright,  or  nearly  so,  on  long,  firm  stems. 
They  are  attended  by  a  couple  of  large 
hairy  bracts,  in  colour  green,  striped  with 
purple,  from  one  side  of  which  the  flower 
protrudes.  Being  very  amenable  to  ordinary 
culture  and  so  readily  propagated,  there  is  little 
doubt  but  that  this  Thunbergia  will  before  long 
be  very  generally  distributed.  For  such  a  strik- 
ing plant  many  uses  will  be  found.  It  was 
introduced  from  British  East  Africa  by  W.  Van 
de  Weyer,  Esq.,  Corfe  Castle,  Dorset.  British 
East  Africa  is  the  home  of  many  plants  that  grace 
our  greenhouses  and  conservatories,  and  this 
Thunbergia  is  quite  an  acquisition. — H.  P. 


August  i6,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


407 


Spiraea    Anthony    Waterer.— This    delightful 

little  bright-coloured  shrub  well  merits  all  that  is 
said  in  its  favour  in  "  Notes  of  the  Week  "  in  The 
(lARDEN  for  August  2.  It  should  be,  as  there 
stated,  pruned  hard  back  in  early  spring,  while 
I  find  a  great  incentive  to  a  continued  display  of 
blossoms  is  to  keep  the  old  Howers  cut  off  as  soon 
as  they  get  shabby,  and  to  give  the  plants  an 
occasional  dose  of  liquid  manure.  Under  this 
treatment  they  will  bloom  throughout  the  entire 
simimer. 

Erica  hybrida. — Some  years  ago  attention  was 
direited  tu  a  lieautiful  winter-flowering  hardy 
Heath  which,  under  the  name  of  E.  mediterranea 
hybrida,  had  been  put  into  commerce  in  a  very 
quiet,  unobtrusive  way.  In  referring  to  this 
Heath  a  custom  lias  of  late  arisen  to  drop  the  name 
of  mediterranea,  and  siraply  call  it  E.  hybrida. 
An  instance  of  this  is  to  be  found  in  The  Garden 
for  August  2,  page  383.  Inordinately  long  names 
are  often  a  stnmbling-block,  but  in  referring  to 
this  Heath  as  K.  hybrida  confusion  may  ensue. 
It  seems  to  have  been  overlooked  that  there  is 
an  old  and  well-known  greenhouse  Heath  bearing 
this  name,  which,  if  priority  counts  for  anything, 
cannot  be  ousted  from  its  position.  This  Heath, 
with  bright  red  flowers,  is  referred  to  in  the 
"Dictionary  of  Gardening"  as  E.  hybrida.  ;uid 
over  forty  years  ago  it  was  grown  in  quantity  for 
Covent  Garden  Market.  Even  now  it  is  listed 
by  those  who  still  grow  the  greenhouse  Heaths. 
To  avoid  confusion  the  hardy  kind  should,  therefore, 
bear  its  full  title. 

Gloxinias  from  Seeds. — Time  was  when  it  was 

considi-rcd  necessary  to  propagate  the  better  forms 
of  Gloxinias  by  means  of  leaf-cuttings,  but  now 
so  carefully  is  the  seed  saved,  that  when  obtained 
from  a  reliable  source  the  very  finest  of  flowers 
can  be  depended  upon.  The  superior  flowers 
bonie  on'  plants  raised  from  seeds,  and  the  short 
time  necessary  to  obtain  them,  was  well  exemplified 
at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Hall  on  July  29,  when 
an  entire  table  was  filled  with  perfect  examples. 
The  seed  of  these  was  sown  only  in  January,  so 
that  the  plants  were  about  six  months  old,  yet 
the  size  of  the  flowers  and  the  number  of  buds 
still  to  develop  would  lead  one  to  think  that  they 
were  second  season's  plants.  The  leafage  of  the 
plants  was  also  sturdy  and  of  good  substance, 
there  being  none  of  that  floppy  appearance  so 
often  to  be  found  in  plants  that  have  been  grown 
too  warmly,  a  very  common  failing  with  many 
growers  of  Gloxiiiias.  Such  plants  as  those  shown 
could  be  depended  upon  to  keep  up  a  fine  display 
of  flowers  throughout  the  month  of  August,  at 
which  time  some  of  the  occupants  of  the  greenhouse 
will  be  getting  past  their  best.  Grown  coolly. 
Gloxinias  do  not  require  any  fire-heat  during  the 
summer,  but  it  is  very  essential  that  they  be 
shaded  from  the  sun's  rays. — H.  P. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

August  18. — Shows  at  Wiu-kworth  and  Pitsmoor 
(Sheffield). 

August  20. — Shows  at  Shrewsbury  (two  days) 
and  Wallingford.  Banffshire,  West  Cumberland 
and  Royal  Jersey  Horticultural  Society's  Shows. 

August  21. — Flower  Show  at  Aberdeen  (two  days). 

August  22. — Highland  Horticultural  Society's 
Show.  Flower  Show  at  Blairgowrie  and  Rattray 
(two  days). 

August  23. — Flower  Show  at  Burnley. 

August  26. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Exhi- 
bition. Royal  Horticultural  Society  of  Ireland 
Autumn  Show. 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


VINES      IN      AUGUST. 

Hints  on  Their  Treatment. 

THE  amateur  cultivator  who  grows  early 
and  late  ripening  Grapes  will  find  his 
Vines  in  a  very  interesting  stage  in 
August.  He  generally  wishes  to  grow, 
say.  Black  Hamburgh,  Foster's  Seed- 
ling, or  Buckland  Sweetwater  in  the 
same  structure  that  accommodates  Alicante, 
Gros  Colman,  Madresfield  Court  and  Muscat  of 
Alexandria.  Now,  in  order  that  each  variety 
may  be  grown  to  a  perfect  finish,  at  least  two  houses 
should  be  devoted  to  these  varieties,  so  if  the 
amateur  almost  attains  perfection  in  the  one  house, 
he  must  be  satisfied.  Bunches  that  are  ripe 
and  those  commencing  to  ripen  require  slightly 
different  treatment.  We  will  presume  that  there 
are  ripe  Black  Hamburgh  and  Foster's  Seedling 
in  a  house  where  Alicante,  Gros  Colman  and  Muscat 
of  Alexandria  are  just  beginning  to  ripen.  If 
the  ventilators  are  small  ones  and  can  be  worked 
separately,  those  nearest  the  ripe  Grapes  may 
be  opened  wider  than  those  nearer  to  the  late- 
keeping  varieties.  Except  when  the  weather 
is  very  warm,  a  less  quantity  of  water  must  be 
used  generally  in  the  damping  of  paths  and  borders  ; 
but  in  cases  to  which  we  now  refer  there  need 
be  no  damping  at  all  of  borders  immediately 
under  the  ripe  Grapes.  In  the  case  of  the  latter, 
which  are  of  the  black  varieties,  a  little  extra 
growth  of  laterals  may  be  allowed  ;  but  the  laterals 
on  the  white  varieties  should  not  be  retained 
in  great  numbers,  as  light  is  essential  to  good 
finish  and  helps  to  produce  that  amber  tint  we  all 
like  to  see.  Excessive  covering  created  by  the 
growth  of  lateral  and  sublateral  shoots  must 
not  be  permitted  in  the  case  of  early-ripening 
black  Grapes,  as  any  undue  shading  would  interfere 
with  the  proper  ripening  of  the  wood  and  basal 
buds  thereon.  A  light  shade  for  a  period  of  two 
or  three  weeks  will  materially  help  to  retain  the 
blue-black  colour  of  the  berries  ;  exposure  to  light 
gradually  lessens  it. 

Watering  the  Soil. — After  many  years'  ex- 
perience I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Vine 
borders  are  in  many  instances  oveirwatered.  On 
no  account  must  water  be  given  while  the  soil 
is  at  all  moist,  but  just  before  dryness  sets  in 
it  ought  to  be  well  soaked  through  and  any  stimu- 
lating foods  necessary  applied  immediately  after. 
Then  allow  the  soil  to  approach  the  dry  state  before 
watering  it  again.  Surface  sprinklings  make  the 
soil  sour  and  then  air  is  excluded,  and  as  the  roots 
of  Vines  must  have  air,  an  open,  porous  surface 
soil  is  of  great  importance.  No  manure  of 
any  kind  must  be  given  after  the  berries  are 
coloured. 

Fire-Heat. — Black  Grapes  always  "finish" 
better  when  not  subjected  to  a  great  artificial  heat. 
If  the  pipes  are  kept  very  hot  and  the  house  rather 
close,  black  berries  will  not  be  of  that  blue-black 
colour  so  desirable.  If  it  is  necessary  to  have  the 
pipes  rather  hot  for  the  benefit  of  Muscats,  ample 
ventilation  should  be  given,  and  where  there  are 
early-ripening  varieties  in  the  same  structure, 
place  mats  on  the  pipes  passing  under  them.  If 
subjected  to  much  heat  from  pipes.  Black  Ham- 
burghs,  after  full  maturity,  will  quickly  shrivel 
and  lose  flavour  as  the  pulp  dries.  In  the  case  of 
Muscats  less  flavour  is  lost  through  shrivelling. 
Judicious  firing  is  always  beneficial  to  late-ripening 
Grapes.  Avon. 


CULTURAL   HINTS  ON    NEW 
AWO   RARE    PLANTS. 

HARDY     PLANTS. 

Anemone  sulphurea. — This  is,  of  course,  neither 
new  nor  rare,  though  a  rich  yellow  form  of  it, 
brought  to  an  Inner  Temple  Show  from  Aberdeen 
by  Messrs.  Cocker  a  year  or  two  ago,  so  impressed 
me  by  its  superiority  that  I  had  hoped  to  test  it 
beside  my  own.  Soil  occasionally,  as  well  as 
climate  and  attitude,  play  important  parts  with 
such  things,  and  those  who  would  be  up-to-date 
must  be  ever  alert  if  they  would  garden  with  the 
best.  This  Anemone  grows  vigorously  in  clayey 
loam  ;  less  so  in  loams  of  lighter  texture,  though 
still  making  good  headway.     Seeds  and  division. 

Wahlenbergia  vincaeflora.— A  line  now  con- 
cerning this  fine  plant  may  cause  many  to  plant  it 
and  obtain  flowers  during  the  present  year.  A 
frail  and  graceful  subject  of  a  foot  or  so  high,  it  is  en- 
dowed with  flowers  of  the  purest  azure  blue — a  blue 
that  is  frequently  referred  to  as  "  gentian  blue."  not- 
withstanding that  some  Gentians  have  flowers 
approximating  to  deepest  violet  and  almost  imperial 
purple.  The  plant  is  so  profuse  in  its  flowering,  and 
so  inimitable  in  colour  among  summer-flowering 
alpines,  that  it  is  a  plant  for  all.  Loves  warmth, 
moisture  when  in  growth,  and  a  soil  of  peaty  loam. 
Cuttings  and  seeds. 

TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

Genista  dalmatica. — The  most  suitable  position 
for  this  dwarf  shrub  is  the  rockery,  for  when  planted 
near  coarse-growing  subjects  it  is  apt  to  become 
overgrown.  Mature  plants  are  from  3  inches  to 
6  inches  in  height,  and  except  in  stature  closely 
resemble  G.  hispanica,  the  same  spiny  branches, 
small  leaves  and  golden  flowers  being  in  evidence. 
It  blooms  very  freely,  and  at  its  best  is  a  mass  of 
gold.  Light,  warm  soil  is  necessarv  to  keep  it 
in  good  health. 

Pierasma  quassioides. — This  is  a  medium- 
sized  decorative  tree,  native  of  the  Himalaya, 
China  and  Japan.  Its  pinnate  leaves  are  from 
9  inches  to  12  inches  long,  and  are  peculiar  by 
reason  of  their  red  stalks.  The  flowers  are  small 
and  offer  no  special  attractions,  but  the  reddish 
bark  is  prettily  mottled  with  brown.  Its  proper 
place  is  in  a  sheltered  position  on  the  lawii  where 
the  soil  is  well  drained  and  of  a  rich,  loamy 
character.  Cuttings  of  ripened  wood  may  be 
rooted  out  of  doors. 

Rosa  Hugonis  is  the  earliest  of  the  species  to 
flower,  and  though  its  usual  flowering-time  is  early 
May,  it  sometimes  happens  that  blooms  are  to  be 
found  during  April.  It  is  a  vigorous  grower, 
attaining  a  height  of  8  feet  or  9  feet  ;  but  the 
branches  have  a  graceful  poise  and  are  clothed 
with  small,  elegant  leaves.  The  flowers  are  about 
two  inches  across  and  yellow  in  colour.  Similar 
cultural  conditions  are  required  to  those  given  to 
other  species.  No  regular  pruning  is  necessary, 
and  what  little  has  to  be  done  should  take  the  form 
of  thinning  during  summer. 

Fabiana  imbricata. — This  is  not  a  new  shrub, 
but  it  is  practically  unknown,  except  as  a  pot 
plant,  outside  the  South-West  Counties.  Although 
it  belongs  to  the  Solanum  family,  the  leaves  are 
more  suggestive  of  those  of  a  Heath,  for  they  are 
very  small  and  arranged  closely  together  on  the 
branches.  The  white  flowers  are  tubular,  nearly 
an  inch  long  and  borne  in  May.  It  succeeds  as  a 
bush  in  the  open  in  the  wanner  counties,  but  must  be 
planted  against  a  wall  elsewhere.  Peru  is  its  home, 
and  it  thrives  in  ordinary  garden  soil. 


408 


THE    GARDEN. 


[August  i6,  1913. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


THE  BEST  ROSES  FOR  BEDS. 

A    MONCr    the  many  recent   improvements  in 
/\  Roses,  there  has  been  a  most  decided 

/  %  advance  in  the  section  now  found  so 
/  %  useful  for  beds  or  for  massing  in  other 
*  »■     parts  of  the  grounds.     A  far  more  even 

and  uniform  habit  of  growth  has  been 
secured,  as  well  as  a  better  continuation  of  flowering  ; 
indeed,  so  greatly  have  we  advanced  in  the  last 
respect  that  we  now  have  many  varieties  almost 
as  free-blooming  as  the  majority  of  other  bedding- 
out  subjects.  Some  little  demur 
may,  perhaps,  be  made  about  the 
extra  labour  and  attention  needed 
to  keep  our  beds  of  Roses  per- 
fectly clean  and  healthy,  without 
which,  of  course,  any  other  sub- 
ject cannot  give  entire  satisfac- 
tion. Granted  that  there  is  some 
little  extra  work,  are  we  not 
fully  repaid  by  a  good  show  of 
Roses,  one  of  the  most  satisfying 
of  all  flowers  whenever  they  may 
come  ?  The  old  idea  of  mixed 
beds  is  dying  out  to  a  great 
extent,  and  rightly  so,  for  there 
was  not  much  harmony  in  growth 
and  bloom  when  so  many  varie- 
ties were  used  in  one  bed  or 
border.  Whatever  the  size  of 
bed  or  border,  two  or  three 
varieties  should  be  favoured  rather 
than  the  uneven  mixtures  of  former 
times,  when,  unless  very  careful 
selection  was  given,  the  varieties 
so  quickly  overbalanced  one 
another  in  vigour  and  form  ol 
growth.  This  should  not  be  with 
the  grand  selection,  from  all 
points  of  view,  that  exists  now. 
We  can  have  almost  any  colour, 
size,  or  form  that  may  be 
desired ;  also  plants  to  flower  at 
any  given  time  between  the  early 
June  months  and  often  later  than 
the  end  of  September. 

Perhaps  the  most  suitable 
bedders  are  those  of  rather  less 
than  average  height,  and  all  the 
more  so  when  we  avoid  those 
varieties  that  have  a  tendency 
to  produce  erratic  shoots  either 
in  the  form  of  an  occasional  long 
rod  or  some  side  breaks  that  go 
completely  away  from  the  body  of 
the  plants.  I  would  also  avoid, 
as  far  as  possible,  any  Roses  that 
have  a  tendency  to  carry  pendent 
l)looms.  I  allude  to  what  are  sometimes  styled 
the  Maman  Cochet  section.  Although  that 
beautiful  Rose  Lady  Ashtown  is  a  capital 
hedder  in  the  younger  stages  of  its  existence, 
when  the  flowers  come  more  upright  with  me, 
it  is  often  too  drooping  as  the  plants  gain 
strength  and  carry  blooms  of  greater  sub- 
stance. I  am  sorry  to  say  a  word  against 
this  and  some  other  Roses,  but  to  my  mind 
it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  all  bedding 
Roses  should  carry  themselves  boldly  erect,  all 
the  more  so  because  we  have  to  look  down  upon 
them,  and  a  drooping  posture  does  not  show  their 
chief  beauty.      It  is  somewhat  difierent  when  this 


class  ol  Rose  is  made  use  of  as  standards,  or  upon 
walls  and  fences. 

Another  point  I  would  like  to  bring  to  the  notice 
of  intending  planters  is  the  great  advantages  of 
using  those  varieties  with  upright  and  spreading 
trusses.  La  Tosca,  Lady  Battersea,  Peace,  Coral- 
lina  and  Mme.  Antoine  Marl  are  examples  of  what 
I  mean.  A  variety  that  is  not  too  double  is  also 
better  suited  for  the  purpose  than  any  that  are  a 
long  time  in  opening.  The  few  named  above 
produce  a  large  number  of  buds,  which  expand 
readily  and  afford  a  fresh  and  pleasing  show  of 
bloom  very  quickly  after  showers  and  bad  weather, 
and  thus  have   a  great   decorative  advantage  over 


but  all  may  be  found  in  any  Rose  catalogue  that 
is  fairly  up  to  date.  Deep  maroon  reds — Victor 
Hugo  and  Etoile  de  France.  Scarlets — Ecarlate, 
General  Macarthur,  Richmond  and  G.  C.  Waud 
Yellows — Mme.  Ravary,  Duchess  of  Wellington, 
Le  Progrte,  Alice  de  Rothschild,  James  Coey, 
Mrs.  Peter  Blair  and  Marie  van  Houtte.  Deep 
salmon  pinks — Caroline  Testout,  Mrs.  R.  G. 
Sharman  Crawford,  Pharisaer,  Killamey  and  Mrs. 
A.  R.  Waddell.  Salmony  copper — Dorothy  Rat- 
cliffe,  Edu  Meyer,  Duchess  of  Westminster,  Jacques 
Vincent.  Lady  Pirrie  and  Lyon  Rose.  Whites — 
Molly  Sharman  Crawford  and  Mrs.  W.  H. 
Stevens.  Blush  and  cream — La  Tosca,  Viscountess 
Folkestone,  Augustine  Guinoisseaii 
.md   British  Queen.  A.   P. 


A   GOOD   GARDEN    ROSE. 

Among  Roses  of  recent  introduc- 
tion, few  are  likely  to  give  more 
satisfaction  in  the  garden  than 
Arthur  R.  Goodwin.  Although  it 
was  only  put  into  commerce  in 
1910,  it  now  finds  a  home  in  .1 
great  many  gardens,  where  its 
earliness  and  freedom  of  flowering 
rightly  place  it  in  the  forefront  of 
l.iedding  Roses.  The  National  Rose 
Society's  official  description  of  its 
colour  is  coppery  orange,  passing 
to  salmon  pink ;  but  this  scarcely 
does  it  justice,  the  salmon  pink 
seldom  materialising,  the  fully- 
opened  flowers  being  more  of  a 
buff  yellow.  In  the  bud  and  half- 
opened  stage  they  are  very  charm- 
ing, and  when  full  blown  the  petals 
do  not  drop  for  some  days,  a 
lasting  character  that  is  also  found 
in  that  grand  crimson  Rose  ChSteau 
de  Clos  Vougeot.  The  accompany- 
ing illustration,  from  a  photograph 
taken  early  in  June,  shows  a  bush 
tliat  was  planted  last  year,  and  at 
the  time  of  writing,  i.e.,  August  7, 
it  is  again  flowering  equally  as 
freely.  As  will  be  seen,  it  makes 
a  compact  bush,  and  never  seems 
to  be  affected  by  mildew. 

A.  B.  Essex. 


ROSE    ARTHUR    R.    GOODWIN,    A    BEAUTIFUL   BEDDING    VARIETY    WITH 
ORANGE    AND    BUFF    FLOWERS. 


the  heavier  and  slower  openers.  Moreover,  very 
few  of  the  latter  are  sufficiently  free  in  blooming  to 
make  ideal  bedders.  Finally,  be  certain  to  ascer- 
tain the  habit  and  height  of  growth  each  variety 
adopts  before  you  plant  extensively.  There  is 
not  enough  consideration  given  to  this,  nor  to  the 
most  important  item  of  how  thickly  to  plant. 
This  must  depend  entirely  upon  the  habit  and 
character  of  growth,  and  I  feel  sure  a  little  care 
in  these  directions  will  be  well  repaid. 

As  some  guide  to  intending  planters,  they  will 
find  the  following  list  of  varieties  reliable.  The 
colours  in  many  cases  would  need  a  rather  lengthy 
description   because   of   their   charming    blendings. 


ARE    UNWIELDY    NAMES 
DETRIMENTAL    TO 

ROSES? 

This  matter  was  brought  rather 
pronxinently  to  my  notice  by  the 
remark  of  a  large  grower,  who 
said  that  the  name  of  a  certain  Rose 
"  absolutely  kills  the  variety,"  also 
that  he  did  not  believe  it  would 
ever  become  popular  under  the  circumstances. 
I  am  quite  averse  to  a  long,  tmgainly  name,  but 
I  imagine  if  a  Rose  possesses  real  merit,  its  name 
will  not  prevent  it  being  grown.  I  remember  when 
Frau  Karl  Druschki  came  out  there  was  a  cry  raised 
against  its  name,  but  it  is  now  in  almost  every 
garden  in  the  land,  and  familiarly  known  as  Frau 
Karl  or  in  the  trade  as  Druschki. 

1  remember  the  introduction  of  a  French  Rose 
named  Fian9ailles  de  la  Princesse  Stephanie  et 
de  I'Archduc  Rudolphe.  Of  course,  this  was 
difficult,  but  if  the  Rose  had  any  real  merit 
it  would  still  be  grown  to-day.  1  daresay 
to    foreign    ears    Mrs.    Wakefield    Christie    Miiicr 


August  i6,  1913] 


THE    GARDEN. 


409 


sounds  just  as  bad  as  manj-  of  the  Cierman  na.nes 
of  Roses  do  to  us. 

What   I  do  protest  against  is  dual  names.     We 
have    now    two   Geoffrey    Henslows.    which    must 
lead  to  confusion.     I  think,   also,  that  we  should 
protest   against   altering  a  name   from  that  given 
hy  the  raiser.     The  raiser  of  Mme.  Caroline  Testout 
would  never  think  that  his  Rose  would  be  known 
and  listed  as  Caroline  Testout,  or  M.  Joseph  Hill 
as   Joseph    Hill,    and    I    do   not   see   that    we   are 
warranted  in  so  doing.     The  whole  subject  is  one 
worthy    of    our    highest    authority,    the    National 
Rose    Society,    taking    in    hand    and    giving   rules 
for  our  guidance  ;   but  in  the  matter  of  deleting  the 
Madame   and  Monsieur  they  themselves  have  set 
a  bad  e.\ample.     We  want   something  definite  to 
go  upon.     Are  we  to  catalogue  a  Rose  under  the 
name  as  given  it  by  its  raiser,  or  are  we  justified 
ni     abbreviating    it  ?       Perhaps     some     of    your 
readers  will  kindly  give  the  benefit  of  their  views. 
I  hope  I  shall  not  be  misunderstood.     I  am  quite  in 
agreement  with  the   giving  of   short, 
euphonious   names,    and   would   wel- 
come the  rule  most  cordially ;    but  I 
do    not    consider    a    bad    name     is 
sufficient    excuse    for   driving,    as    it 
were,   a   good    Rose    from   our    lists, 
neither    do  I  think  it  will   have   this 
result    with    all    right-thinking    indi- 
viduals. Danecroft. 


and  one  can  but  assume  that  the  majority  of  the 
plants  of  this  hybrid  which  are  grown  are  really 
P.  Lissadell  Hybrid  and  not  P.  Unique.  This 
conclusion  is  not  so  improbable  as  it  seems  when 
one  considers  all  the  circumstances.  P.  Unique 
was  raised  by  Messrs.  Veitch  mider  conditions 
not  particularly  suitable  for  the  raising  of  moisture- 
loving  Primulas.  The  climatic  conditions  of  that 
part  of  the  South  of  England  in  which  the  nurseries 
are  situated  are  against  them.  On  the  other  hand, 
P.  Lissadell  Hybrid  was  raised  in  the  West  of  Ireland 
under  conditions  of  temperature  and  moisture 
almost  ideal  for  Primula  propagation  ;  consequently, 
it  increased  very  rapidly,  and  the  growers,  having 
a  very  large  stock,  were  able  to  put  it  on  the  market 
at  a  price  about  thirty-three  per  cent,  cheaper 
than  P.  Unique  ;  and  my  theory  is  that  nursery- 
men must  have  bought  it  up  largely  and  sent  it 
out  as  the  higher-priced  P.  Unique.  In  no  other 
way  can  I  account  for  the  preponderance  of  the 
stronger-growing     furni     which     obtains    in     most 


well  for  tfie  last  three  or  four  years,  during  which 
time  the  bed  has  been  undisturbed.  Like  other 
garden  Lilies,  it  is  well  adapted  for  growing  in 
beds  with  peat-loving  shrubs,  such  as  Azaleas  and 
Rhododendrons.  This  Lily  attains  a  height  of 
3  feet  or  4  feet.  The  flowers  are  white  within  the 
trumpet  and  of  a  brownish  purple  hue  outside, 
making  it  a  very  desirable  and  attractive  subject. 


WORK     AMONG    THE    DAHLIAS. 

Although  the  Dahlia  has  good-sized,  fleshy  tubers, 
as  a  rule,  few  plants  show  signs  of  distress  sooner 
in  dry  weather.  The  blooms  suffer  in  proportion, 
some  of  them  not  fully  developing  when  the  roots 
of  the  plants  are  very  dry — dry  enough  to  cause  tlic 
leaves  to  become  flabby  when  the  sun  shines  on 
them.  Water  must  be  given  in  sufficient  quantity 
to  maintain  the  soil  in  a  moist  state  as  deep  as  the 
roots  go.  Twice  every  week  apply  manure-water 
in  a  weak  state,  and  the  general  appearance  of 
the    plants    will    be    most    satisfactory.      On    the 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PRIMULA  COCKBURNIANA 
HYBRIDS. 

I  AM  much  interested  in  your 
note  on  the  above  in  The 
Garden  for  June  28,  page  324. 
and  especially  to  that  portion 
of  it  which  contains  the  state 
ment  that,  by  rights,  the 
name  of  the  P.  pulverulenta  x  cock- 
bumiana  hybrid  should  be  P.  Unique, 
and  the  name  P.  Lissadell  Hybrid 
should  go.  Your  writer  evidenth- 
assumes  that  the  plants  are  iden- 
tical ;  but  is  this  really  the  case  ?  1 
grow  no  fewer  than  four  forms  01 
the  hybrid :  (i)  Veitch's  Unique. 
(2)  P.  Lissadell  Hybrid,  (3)  a  hybrid  I 
raised  here,  (4)  a  chance  self-sown 
hybrid  from  the  garden  of  Colonel 
the  Hon.  Frederick  Shore  of  Thomas- 
town.  None  of  these  forms  is  absolutely  identical. 
Veitch's  Unique  seems  to  be  almost  intermediate 
between  its  parents  ;  P.  Lissadell  Hybrid  seems 
slightly  nearer  P.  pulverulenta.  P.  Unique  is 
possibly  a  shade  brighter,  but  P.  Lissadell  Hybrid 
makes  up  for  any  deficiency  in  colour  by  an  added 
strength  of  growth  and  constitution,  no  doubt 
acquired  from  its  slight  addition  of  pulverulenta 
blood.  My  own  hybrid  has  much  larger  flowers, 
but  they  are  rather  washy  in  tone,  and  Colonel 
Shore's  hybrid  is  by  far  the  best  I  have  seen, 
practically  identical  with  P.  pulverulenta  in 
growth  and  constitution,  while  retaining  the  bright- 
ness of  P.  Unique  and  P.  Lissadell  Hybrid. 

But  putting  these  two  latter  forms  aside  and 
returning  to  P.  Unique  and  P.  Lissadell  Hybrid, 
the  plants  I  saw  growing  at  Lissadell  all  possessed 
that  extra  vigour  of  growth  and  constitution 
so  noticeable  in  the  plants  they  sent  to  me,  and 
in  the  many  gardens  where  I  have  seen  the  hybrid 
growing,  this  stronger  form  is  the  most  prevalent. 


A    BED    OF    LiLIUM    BROWNII,    A.    BEAUTIFUL    DWARF    LILY    1  OR    THE    OUTDOOR    GARDEN. 


gardens.  I  see  the  difficulty  in  retaining  two 
names  for  plants  which  are  so  very  similar,  but 
it  seems  rather  hard  lines  on  Lissadell,  which  has 
given  us  a  plant  of  such  excellent  constitution, 
to  absorb  its  hybrid  absolutely.  All  I  can  suggest 
is  that  as  we  have  a  Dianthus  atrorubens  Carton 
variety,  so  at  least  let  us  have  a  P.  Unique  Lissadell 
variety. 
Knapiotiy  Abbey  Letx.         Murray  Hor.mbrook 


A     BEAUTIFUL    GARDEN     LILY. 

(LILIU.M  Brow  MI.) 
One  could  hardly  wish  for  a  more  glorious  sight 
than  that  of  a  group  of  Lilium  Brownii  on  a 
sunny  July  morning,  when  the  flowers  are  at  their 
best.  It  is  strange  that  this  fine  Lily  is  so  seldom 
seen,  except  perhaps  in  the  greenhouse  or  conserva- 
tory. It  is  certainly  worthy  of  extended  culti- 
vation as  a  garden  flower,  and  by  way  of  empha- 
sising this  fact  it  may  be  pointed  out  that  the 
bed  of  this  Lily  illustrated  on  this  page  has  flowered 


younger  shoots  that  bear  buds  the  resultant  flowers 
will  be  very  neat  and  refined,  and  the  supply  of 
bloom  will  be  maintained  well  into  the  autunm. 

Earwigs. — These  are  a  serious  pest  in  some 
districts,  and  in  few  gardens  more  so  than  those 
in  towns.  More  insect  pests  are  fomid  in  town 
gardens  than  in  coimtry  ones.  The  trapping  of 
earwigs  in  moss  and  hay  placed  in  empty  flower- 
pots and  between  two  dry  boards  placed  on  the 
ground  at  the  foot  of  the  walls  and  fences,  and 
also  under  the  plants,  and  the  use  of  short  lengths 
of  Beanstalks  are  all  useful  methods  of  lessening 
the  numbers  of  the  enemy,  but  I  am  a  firm  believer 
in  the  employment  of  the  fading  Dahlia  blooms 
for  the  same  purpose.  Take  off  the  blooms  and 
fix  them  between  the  stems  of  the  plants  about  a 
foot  above  the  ground,  and  more  earwigs  will  be 
found  in  them  every  morning  than  in  all  the  other 
traps.  Shake  out  the  insects,  destroy  them,  and 
replace  the  blooms  until  too  much  faded  to  be  ol 
real  use.  Avon. 


410 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  i6,  1913. 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PItATB    1475. 


FOUR     GOOD     DAFFODILS. 

FOUR  very  pretty  flowers  are  brought 
together  in  the  coloured  plate  which 
is  presented  with  this  issue  of  The 
C.ARDEN.  Two  of  them  are  compara- 
tively old,  and  two  of  them — the  two 
varieties  on  the  right-hand  side — are 
new.  I  am  unaware  what  the  price  of  Chamois 
is  likely  to  be,  but  none  of  the  other  three  is  so 
expensive  as  to  be  prohibitive  if  one  yearly  buys 
a  few  bulbs  of  a  value  of  from  ten  to  twenty 
shillings.     St.   Olaf  was  introduced  to  the   public 


centre  (whatever  name  we  give  it)  is  ij  inches. 
I  ara  most  anxious  to  see  its  behaviour  as  a  growing 
plant,  and  after  I  have  wintered  it  and  springed 
it  in  my  garden  I  will  doubtless  have  something 
more  to  say  about  its  behaviour  there.  I  may 
be  deceived,  but  I  cannot  help  thinking,  from 
its  general  appearance,  that  it  will  be  a  very  good 
variety. 

Chamois,  as  may  be  seen,  is  a  flower  of  a  different 
type.  Instead  of  rounded,  broadly  overlapping 
perianth  segments,  we  get  them  longer  and  more 
pointed,  while  the  cup  has  a  pronounced  rosy 
salmon  tone  in  its  colour.  As  I  can  find  no  record 
in  my  notes  about  it,  I  cannot  do  better  than 
quote  in  extenso  the  description  which  will  appear  in 
the  list  of  Messrs.  Barr  and  Son,  who  have  acquired 


Ibi:,  Acme,  The  Bride,  Algernon  Swinburne, 
Muriel,  Chaucer,  Virgil  and  Dresden,  I  used  to 
think  Horace  red-eyed,  but  it  is  not  so  now.  1 
am  doubtful,  too,  if  Virgil  should  be  in  the  list. 
Red  Emperor  is  one  of  those  flowers  which  have 
been  assigned  a  name  of  which  "  no  fellah  can 
understand "  the  why  and  the  wherefore  except 
on  the  principle  of  contrariety.  It  is  not  red  and 
it  is  not  an  Emperor.  If  ever  a  flower  can  be  said 
to  have  an  orange  eye,  this  one  can.  I  describe 
it  in  my  notes  "  pure  orange  flat  cup."  It 
is  this  pretty  colouring  which  so  much  appeals 
to  me,  as  getting  away  from  the  more 
usual  red  shades.  The  perianth  is  white 
and  reflexing.  A  measurement  taken  at  the 
same    time    that    I    made    the    above    note    says 


A    VIEW    IN    MR.    HANBURV'S    ROCK    GARDEN    AT    BROCKHURST,    E.\t>T    GRINSTEAD. 


by  its  raiser,  the  Rev.  G.  H.  Engleheart,  at  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Daffodil  Show  of 
last  spring.  Few  people,  however,  saw  it  on  his 
stand,  for  it  was  very  quickly  bought  by  Messrs. 
Barr  and  Sons,  who  displayed  it  for  the  rest  of  the 
two  days  in  their  choice  collection,  where  it  more 
than  held  its  own  as  an  attractive  and  satisfying 
flower.  Readers  may  remember  that  in  my 
account  of  the  show  I  recorded  the  high  opinion 
that  the  raiser  himself  had  formed  of  it.  It 
gave  him,  he  said,  more  pleasure  than  any 
other  there.  I  at  once  fell  a  victim  to  its  charms, 
and  it  was  not  very  long  before  I  secured  a  few 
for  my  own  collection.  The  flower,  as  may  be 
seen,  belongs  to  the  type  of  what  in  old-fashioned 
nomenclature  might  be  styled  an  Engleheartii 
Leedsii — that  is,  it  is  a  flat-cupped  or  saucer- 
crowned  bloom  with  the  pale  buff  colouring  indi- 
cative of  the  group.  The  diameter  of  the  perianth 
IS  34  mches,   and   that   of   the  flat  corona,  eye  or 


the  stock  from  the  raiser,  Mr.  Cave  :  "  Leedsii 
variety — a  very  elegant  and  beautiful  flower, 
measuring  3J  inches  across,  perianth  pure  white 
and  elegantly  twisted.  Crown  open  and  fluted, 
shaded  salmon  on  a  white  ground  with  a  pale  green 
centre.     Height  13  inches." 

Coming  now  to  the  two  older  varieties,  we  have 
in  Dresden  a  good  example  of  that  not  very  large 
class  of  Poets,  the  all-red  eyes.  The  perianth 
segments  are  round  and  overlapping,  and  the 
eye  is  very  flat  and  very  red.  The  whole  is  a  good 
circular  flower,  useful  either  for  showing  or  for 
cutting  for  vases,  as  the  stem  attains  the  respect- 
able length  of  16  inches  to  18  inches.  Two  years 
ago,  I  find,  I  began  to  make  a  list  of  the  varied 
eyes  which  are  found  among  the  Poets,  and  to 
assign  the  different  varieties  to  one  or  another 
of  the  types.  I  was  surprised  to  find  how  few 
could  be  said  to  be  all  red.  The  only  ones  I  then 
put   down  as  coming  under  this  description  were 


2|  inches  by  i  inch.     It   blooms  about   the  same 
time  as  Occident.  Joseph  Jacob. 


OUR  SECOND  PRIZE  ROCK 
GARDEN. 


BROCKHURST,     EAST    GRINSTEAD. 

PORTIONS  of  the  rock  garden  in  process 
of  construction  at  Brockhurst,  East 
Grinstead,  the  residence  of  Frederick 
J.  Hanbury,  Esq.,  form  the  subject  of 
these  illustrations.  Rock  was  dis- 
covered on  the  site  about  three  years 
ago  when  planting  Rhododendrons,  and  it  was  at 
once  decided  to  commence  a  new  rock  garden  in 
this  part  of  the  grounds.  Beguu  on  a  small  scale, 
the  scope  and  design  were  soon  altered  when  it 
was  found  that  the  stone  increased  both  in  quality 


Supplement  to  THE  GARDEN,  August  \6tli,   191 3. 


J 


\ 


FOUR    GOOD    DAFFODILS. 

I-   Dresden.        2.    St.  Olaf.        3.    Chamois.        4.    Red  Emperor. 


Hudson  <S  Kearns.  Ltd..  Printers.  London,  S.B. 


I 


August  i6,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


411 


Ma^i 


,-<*p%i>«- 


ANOTHER    VILW    IN    Till;    NATURAL    ROCK    GARDEN    AT    BROCKHURST. 


and  quantity  as  the  hillside  was  pierced.  Fortu- 
n.ilely,  the  quarry  where  the  best  stone  was  found 
was  marly  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  from  it  blocks 
of  five  Ions  and  downwards  were  taken  down  the 
l;ill  on  rollers  or  a  small  trolley,  and  were  used  in 
li.e  construction  of  the  parts  of  the  rock  garden 
bliown  in  the  illustrations. 

In  order  to  utilise  the  quarry  itself  as  a  part  of 
the  scheme,  a  winding  ravine  has  been  cut  through 
the  solid  rock  to  connect  it  with  the  lower  portions. 
Here  the  cliffs  are  some  thuty  feet  high,  and  the 
effect  is  enhanced  by  a  high  background  of  rock 
above  the  quarry,  so  that  stone  will  be  seen  against 
tlie  sky-line.  A  dripping-well  is 
another  feature  in  the  quarry  itself. 

The  mounds  ni  tlic  portion  shown 
m  the  illustrations  were  formed  by 
removing  the  top  spit  of  the  field, 
digging  out  paths,  and  utilising  the 
poorer  sandy  soil  to  form  the 
foundation  of  mounds.  Much  usefu' 
stone  was  also  found  near  the  surface. 
Owing  to  the  winding  nature  of  the 
paths,  every  aspect  is  provided  fvr 
the  plants.  There  are  rocky  pools 
and  a  bog  garden  by  the  main  walk 
which  is  an  eighth  of  a  mile  long. 

About  the  centre  of  the  rock  garden 
a  beautiful  effect  has  been  obtained 
by  simply  denuding  the  natural  rock 
of  the  soil  above,  and  on  this  portion 
a  considerable  collection  of  Semper- 
vivums  and  Sa.Kifrages  has  been 
planted.  At  the  base  of  this  portion, 
and  where  the  rock  dies  into  the 
ground,  a  moraine  is  now  being  con- 
structed, with  water  flowing  beneath. 

The  rock  is  a  pure  sandstone,  in 
which  there  are  large  natural  vents, 
and  the  surface  of  the  stone  in  these 
vents  is  not  only  pleasing  in  its  curves, 
but  often  beautifully  stained  with 
iron.  No  blasting  was  necessary 
for     getting     it     out.     The     general 


trend  of  the  rock  garden  is  towards  the  south- 
west, and  the  site  selected  is  fortunate  in  being 
surrounded  by  l*"irs  and  other  couifcrs  and  Birches, 
the  whole  commanding  a  beautiful  view  towards 
.■\shdown   Forest.  Thomas  Matihews. 

BruckhursI,   Eiisl  Gniislcad,  Sussex 


THE    GREEN  HOUSE. 

ON     SCRNTED     PELARGONIUMS. 


Some  ten  years 
a  certain  liolih\'. 


go.  in  ail  idle  iii<iineiit,  1  mounted 
allured  niaiiiK-  b\-  the    fact    of   it 


being  of  an  almost  forgotten  breed. 
On  that  delightful  mount  I  have 
ambled  for  many  a  happy  hour 
through  the  quiet  lanes  of  a  country 
life.  It  has  led  me  along  the  pleasiuit 
paths  of  many  new  friendships.  It 
lias  also  carried  me  more  than  once 
on  an  exciting  chase,  ending  some- 
times in  a  successful  capture,  some- 
times in  a  blank  day  and  bitter 
disappointment.  But  I  never 
imagined  when  I  started  riding  my 
hobby  that  I  should  be  landed  in 
front  of  this  extremely  big  and 
alarming  fence,  viz.,  giving  a  lecture 
before  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
on  the  subject.  However,  I  suppose 
the  only  thmg  to  do  is  to  screw  up 
my  courage,  throw  my  heart  over, 
and  hope  to  surmount  the  obstacle 
without  making  too  big  an  idiot  of 
myself,  while  craving  your  kind  in- 
dulgence for  a  very  amateurish  per- 
lormance,  for,  alas  !  I  am  no  scientist. 
Mr.  Wilks  has  asked  me  to  give  you 
my  experiences  on  scented  Pelar- 
goniums. That  sounds  rather  a  large 
order,  for  during  ten  years  and  more 
one  goes  through  many  and  varied 
experiences.  I  think  perhaps  the 
best  way  to  carry  out  his  orders  will 
be  to  divide  what  I  want  to  say  into  sections,  and 
1  will  try  to  be  concise  :  i.  History.  2.  Collecting, 
3.  Classification.    4.   Cultivation. 

History. — You  perhaps  all  know  how  Cape 
Pelargoniums  came  to  be  introduced  into  England. 
I  mentioned  the  facts,  as  far  as  I  know  them, 
in  my  article  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Journal,  Vol.  XXXVIl.  But  as  probably  few 
read  it,  forgive  me  if  I  briefly  recapitulate  them 
here. 

Scented  Pelarg(.iiiiums  seem  to  have  been  im- 
ported chiefly  from  Cape  Colony,  the  native  country 
of  most  of  the  species  known  to  us.     They  cam?  to 


LARGE    BOULDERS    USED    WITH    FINE    EFFECT    AT    BROCKHURST,    EAST    GRINSTEAD. 


412 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  i6,  1913. 


England,  presumably  m  the  case  of  the  earliest 
introduced  (1690)  specimens,  by  way  of  Hoil.md, 
the  Dutch  being  then  in  possession  of  the  Cape  ; 
in  or  after  1795,  probably  direct  to  this  country, 
the  English  fleet  having  been  sent  out  in  that 
year  to  support  the  Dutch  supremacy  at  the  Cape. 
Constant  intercourse  went  on  from  that  date 
between  the  two  countries,  until  in  1815  Cape 
Colony  was  finally  ceded  to  England. 

That,  I  think,  will  quite  account  for  the  following 
facts.  From  1815,  the  date  of  the  Cape  annexation, 
all  through  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  there  was  a  steady  supply  coming  direct 
into  England  of  rare  and  curious  species  of  Pelar- 
goniums and  their  near  relatives — Campylias, 
Ciconiums,  Dimacrias,  Erodiums,  Geraniums,  Gren- 
villeas,  Hoareas,  Isopetalums,  Jenkinsonias,  Mon- 
sonias,  Otidias.  Phymatanthuses  and  Seymourias. 
But  with  all  these  off-shoots,  if  I  may  so  call  them, 


a  whole  series  of  Geraniaceae,  the  Hoareas,  were 
named  ;  and,  finally,  the  Earl  of  Ilchester"s  at 
Melbury  House,  Dorset,  which  is  not  mentioned 
in  Sweet's  "  Geraniaceae,"  but  a  ropy  of  the  cata- 
logue of  which  I  possess,  comprising  in  varieties, 
dated  1817.  Now,  of  all  those  collections  in  houses 
of  which  I  know  something,  not  one  survives 
at  the  present  day,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  it 
is  the  same  in  other  parts  of  England.  Where 
have  all  those  rare  and  valuable  specimens  gone  ? 
My  theory  is  that  they  were  ousted  by  the  mid- 
Victorian  craze  for  Zonal  and  fancy  Pelargoniums, 
of  the  evolution  of  the  latter  of  which  I  shall  have 
something  to  say  under  the  head  of "  Classification." 
My  idea  is  that  the  existing  survivors  of  the  older 
and  far  more  interesting  Cape  and  scented  Pelar- 
goniums are  those  which  lingered  on  undisturbed 
in  out-of-the-way  and  old-fashioned  gardens,  such 
as  Mr.   Dorrien-Smith's  at  Tresco  Abbey,  Isles  of 


LARGE    TRAINED    PLANTS    OF    SCENTED    PELARGONIUMS    AT    GUNNERSBURY    HOUSE,    ACTON 


are  thought  essential  lor  producing  the  finest 
hybrids."  My  own  idea  is  that  there  are  many 
more  to  be  found  in  country  places  by  those  who 
keep  their  eyes  open.  Only  last  month  I  came 
across  two  beauties  in  my  own  village,  after  having, 
as  I  thought,  explored  every  garden  and  window 
in  the  place.  Still,  up  to  the  fifties  there  must 
have  been  people  who  were  interested  in  their 
cultivation,  for  those  years  saw  the  invention  of 
the  Shrubland  series — Shrubland  Pet,  Shrubland 
Rose,  Shottisham  Hero,  and  possibly  my  Lothario 
and  Touchstone.  They  were  the  productions  of 
the  well-known  horticulturist  David  Beaton, 
who  was,  I  believe,  gardener  to  Sir  William  Middle- 
ton,  Shrublauds,  Ipswich,  hence  the  name  of  the 
varieties.  So  much  for  the  history.  And  let  me 
sum  up  this  section  with  this  bit  of  advice  :  "  Keep 
your  eyes  open  wherever  you  go,  especially  when 
passing  cottage  windows." 

2.  Collecting.— The  first  step  ni 
starting  a  collection  is  to  follow 
the  classic  advice  of  Mrs.  Glass' 
cookery  book,  "  First  catch  your 
hare."  As  to  the  way  to  accom- 
plish this.  All  collectors  are  pro- 
verbially brazen,  and  I  myself  plead 
guilty  to  having  been  extremely — 
shall  we  say  metallic  ? — in  some  ol 
my  doings.  Harmless  old  ladies 
have  been  assailed  on  their  own 
hearthstones  and  blandished  into 
selling  treasured  plants.  Perfect 
strangers,  who  have  for  their  sins 
possessed  a  coveted  specimen,  have 
been  bombarded  with  begging  letters. 
Kind  friends  have  been  badgered 
till  they  must  have  been  sick  of 
the  sound  of  my  name.  And  all 
have  treated  me  with  consideration 
and  courtesy,  with  the  exception  of 
one  old  woman  in  a  Belgian  vUlage, 
who  drove  me  from  her  door  with 
contumely,  asking  if  I  thought  she 
was  going,  for  the  sake  of  my  dirty 
silver,  to  rob  "  Le  Bon  Dieu "  of 
a  plant — and  such  a  plant — which 
was  destined  to  figure  in  the  Corpus 
Christi  Festival  the  following  week. 
As  I  draw  the  line  at  committing 
sacrilege,  even  to  get  hold  of  a  new 
specimen,  I  departed  with  my  tail 
between  my  legs,  and  regret  harrow- 
ing my  soul.  So  perhaps  my  ex- 
perience   No.  2  may  be  summed   up 


I 


'^/iJ^^^-'a 


of  our  subject,  we  have  little  to  do,  though  one 
or  two  I  shall  have  to  mention  later  on.  From 
1820  onwards  nurserymen  and  private  collectors 
seem  to  have  rivalled  each  other  in  procuring  rare 
specimens  and  producing  new  and  beautiful 
hybrids,  imtil  at  last  from  these  charming  and 
elegant — I  use  the  last  adjective  advisedly — 
plants  were  evolved  the  series  we  know  as  show  or 
fancy  Pelargoniums.  If  you  look  through  Sweet's 
"  Geraniaceae,"  as  I  have  been  privileged  to  do 
lately  in  the  Lindley  Library,  you  will  be  astonished 
to  notice  the  number  of  fine  collections  that  existed 
in  English  comitry  houses  at  the  date  of  that 
standard  book,  viz.,  1820-28.  To  mention  a  few 
in  my  part  of  the  world  only,  the  West  Country. 
There  was  one  at  Longleat,  the  Marquis  of  Bath's  ; 
one  at  Haldon,  the  seat  of  the  Palk  family  ;  another 
at  Luscombe,  Devon ;  a  world-famous  one  at 
Stourhead,  formed  by  the  Wiltshire  antiquary 
and  scientist.  Sir  Richard  Colt  Hoarc,  utter  whom 


thus :  "  Don't  stick  at  trifles,  and 
Scilly,  the  only  place  I  know-  where  the  original  ,  don't  be  shy  of  asking."  For  up  tUl  now 
collection  is  in  situ — though  I  am  told  that  Lady    it      has      been      impossible      to      buy     specimens 


Scarborough's  collection  still  flourishes  in  the 
original  home  of  Pelargonium  Scarborovse  Countess 
of  Scarborough — or  which,  when  exiled  from  the 
fashionable  garden  of  the  day,  found  a  home  under 
humbler  roofs,  often  those  of  cottages.  Another 
possible  reason  for  the  disappearance  of  many 
beautiful  varieties  may  be  that,  being  hybrids, 
they  have  just  died  out  in  the  course  of  years,  or 
reverted  back  to  the  original  stock,  as  we  see 
so  many  modem  hybrids  do.  Still,  one  would 
think  that  cannot  have  happened  to  over  three 
hundred  varieties,  which  is  the  number,  roughly 
speaking,  of  those  of  which  I  can  so  far  find  no 
trace.  But  even  Sweet  in  1824  says  in  "  Gerani- 
aceas,"  Vol.  III.,  page  299,  a  propos  of  P.  x  odora- 
tissimum,    "  It    is    now     become     rather     scarce, 


from  nursery  gardeners ;  either  they  have 
not  got  them  or  those  they  have  are  named 
wrongly.  The  only  chance  hitherto  has  been 
the  courtesy  and  charity  of  fellow-collectors, 
which  I  have  always  found  to  be  unbounded, 
provided  one  asks  politely  and  personally.  I  have 
reasons  of  my  own  for  emphasising  this  last  point. 
[To  be  continued.) 
[The  article  of  which  the  foregoing  is  a  portion 
is  by  Miss  Troyte-Bullock,  and  is  reprinted 
from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Journal 
by  kind  permission  of  the  Council.  The 
illustration  on  this  page  represents  some  very 
large  trained  specimens  of  these  old-fashioned, 
sweet-scented  plants  in  front  of  Mr.  Leopold  dc 
Rothschild's  residence  at   Acton,  where  the  head- 


as  are  those  of  the  old  original  species,  none  of  them  1  gardener,  Mr.  James  Hudson,  V.M.H.,  grows  them 
being   now    much    cultivated,    except    a    few    that  '  to  perfection. — Ed.] 


August  iG.  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


413 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

HOW     TO     "TAKE        CHRYSANTHEMUM     BUDS     IN     AUGUST     AND     SEPTEMBER. 


THE  cultivator  of  Chrysanthemums  has 
a  really  busy  time  from  the  insertion 
of  the  cuttings  to  the  development  of 
the  blooms.  Each  stage  of  growth 
presents  its  interesting  features,  but 
none  is  more  absorbing  than  that 
of  the  development  of  the  buds  and  flowers.  For 
a  period  of  about  nine  months  an  effort  has  been 
made  by  the  cultivator  to  secure  strong,  well- 
inatured  stems  and  leaves.  If  the  slightest  mistake 
I"-  made  at  bud-taking  time,  a  whole  flower  or  a 
plant  may  be  lost. 

How  to  Take  Crown  Buds. — The  crown  bud  is 

one  whirh  is  surrounded  by  shoots,  and  if  the  crown 
buds  ot  late-flowering  varieties  show  during  the 
first  half  of  the  month  of  August,  the  flowers  resulting 
will  usually  develop  early  in  November  at  the  same 
time  as  those  of  earlier-flowering  varieties.  ■  If 
the  cultivator  fails  to  "take"  the  crown  bud  of 
the  late  varieties  in  August,  the  later-formed 
terminal  buds  will  be  useless  for  exhibition  purposes. 
In  the  case  of  the  incurved  and  also  of  thejsingle- 
flowered  varieties,  very  early-formed  buds  develop 
into  coarse  blooms,  so  that  it  will  be  advisable 
to  pinch  out  the  buds  of  these  that  form  during 
the  first  half  of  August,  and  depend  on  those  formed 
on  later-grown  shoots.  Fig.  A  at  No.  i  shows 
the  stem  of  a  shoot  bearing  a  crown  bud.  Side 
shoots  have  already  been  removed  from  the  axils 
of  the  leaves  at  No.  2,  and  it  now  remains  for  the 
cultivator  to  pinch  out  the  shoots  Nos.  3,  3,  just 
when  they  are  advanced  enough  to  be  quite  clear 
of  bud,  stem  and  main  leaf.  No.  4  shows  the  crown 
bud.  The  process  of  "  taking  "  should  extend  over 
about  six  days  ;  each  day  one  or  two  side  shoots 
must  be  pinched  off,  then  the  bud  wiU  continue  to 
grow  and  not  be  checked.  Nos.  5,  6  and  7  show 
the  gradual  swelling  of  a  healthy  bud.  It  is  not 
wise    to    remove    side    shoots    too    soon,    nor   is   it 


A    SERIES    OF    CROWN    BUDS. 


THE    M.\NNER 
DESCRIBED    IN 


IN    WHICH     THEY    SHOULD 
THE    TEXT. 


BE    TAKEN    IS 


advisable  to  allow  them  to  continue  growing  too 
long,  else  they  will  overpower  the  crown  bud, 
leaving  it  stunted  while  they  grow  on.  No.  8 
shows  side  shoots  left  on  the  stem  too  long,  and 
as  a  result  the  bud  shrivels,  as  shown  at  No.  9. 
No.  10  shows  the  swelling  stem.  No.  11  the  bud 
grown  to  its  fullest  extent,  and  No.  12  the  same  bud 
drying  up  while  the  main  leaves  increase  in  size 
quickly.  Thus  neglect  in  timely  taking  of  the 
bud  results  in  the  loss  of  ,1  bloom. 

How   to   Take   Buds   of   the  Single-flowered 
and  Terminals  Generally. — Very  early  buds  of 


MAKING    THE    MOST    OF    TERMINAL 'aND    DAMAGED    BUDS. 


single-flowered  Chrysanthemums  develop  into 
rather  coarse  blooms  on  short  stems,  with  flower 
petals  very  short,  too,  as  shown  at  No.  i  in  Fig.  B. 
Terminal  buds  and  those  taken  late,  in  the  case 
of  the  single-flowered  varieties,  develop  into  refined 
flowers,  possessing  long  petals  of  a  rich  colour,  as 
shown  in  No.  2.  At  No.  3  there  are  some  terminal 
buds  shown  ;  the  central  one — the  largest — No.  5, 
must  be  retained,  and  the  surrounding  ones,  Nos. 
6,  6,  pinched  off.  Nos.  4  and  7,  respectively,  show 
the  terminal  buds  swelling  up  freely.  Terminal 
buds  and  those  of  the  single-flowered  varieties 
are  usually  large  and  flat. 

Damaged  Buds. — If  the  side  buds  in  a  cluster 
of  terminals  are  torn  away,  bringing  with  them 
some  of  the  bark  of  the  main  stem,  as  shown  at 
No.  8,  one  side  of  the  central  bud  will  only  half 
develop.  If  insect  pests,  especially  earwigs, 
eat  out  the  centre  of  the  bud,  as  shown  at  No.  9, 
then  the  fully-developed  bloom  will  contain  a  number 
of  short  petals.  When  the  stem  is  eaten  just  below 
the  bud,  as  shown  at  No.  10,  the  resultant  flower 
will  be  uneven  in  form,  one  side  being  larger,  with 
stronger  petals,  than  the  other.  It  is  advisable 
to  stop  the  feeding  of  the  plants  for  about  a  week 
while  engaged  in  "taking"  the  buds. 


PLACING  WINDOW  PLANTS  IN  RAIN. 

One  frequently  sees  Ferns,  Aspidistras  and  Palms, 
also  other  kinds  of  plants,  put  outside  during 
rain  showers  so  that  the  leaves  may  be  washed 
clean.  It  is  a  very  good  plan  to  treat  the  plants 
in  this  way  when  they  are  placed  in  a  shaded 
position.  The  mistake  generally  made  is  to  expose 
the  plants  to  sudden  bursts  of  strong  sunshine  as 
well  as  to  the  rain,  with  the  result  that  many 
leaves  which  have  never  before  been  exposed  to 
the  Sim's  rays  get  badly  scalded.  There  would 
be  no  risk  if  the  plants  were  taken  indoors 
again  before  the  sim  shone,  or  if  they  were  put 
in  a  position  not  exposed  to  the  sunshine.     G.  G. 


414 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  i6,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

General  Work. — Owing  tu  stress  (jf  work  during 
thf  i.-arly  summer  montlis,  the  outlying  parts  of 
tlie  pleasure  grounds  are  sometimes  apt  to  get 
a  little  neglected,  but  every  effort  should  be  made 
to  lieep  up  with  the  work  Practically  the  whole 
of  the  evergreen  shrubs,  such  as  Hollies  and 
Laurels,  will  now  have  dropped  their  leaves,  and 
a  good  raking  through  all  the  shrubberies  should 
make  them  tidy  till  the  more  general  fall  of  the 
leaves  fruni  the  deciduous  trees. 

Pruning. — Though  I  am  not  in  layour  of  late 
summer  or  autumn  pruning,  some  of  the  more 
irregular-growing  shoots  may  be  pruned  to  keep 
the  plants  in  a  shapely  condition  ;  but  nothing 
like  a  general  cutting  should  be  given,  or  the 
subjects  so  treated  will  look  stiff  and  unsightly 
during  the  whole  of  the  winter. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Propagating  Zonal  Pelargoniums.— The  work 

of  propagating  /...iial  I'elargoniums  sliould  now 
be  I  oiniueuced  in  earnest,  and  as  the  plants  have 
made  very  good  growth  this  season,  there  should 
be  no  dearth  of  good  cuttings.  To  preserve  the 
beds  in  good  condition,  the  cuttings  should  be 
taken  off  carefully,  and  it  may  he  advisable  to  go 
over  the  beds  twice  at  intervals  of  a  fortnight,  rather 
than  to  take  off  too  many  cuttings  at  once.  Whether 
they  are  to  be  propagated  in  pots  or  boxes  must 
be  decided  by  the  individual,  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  accommodation  fur  them  during 
the  winter  months.  Pots,  I  think,  are  preferable, 
and  a  greater  percentage  of  good  plants  results 
front  this  method.  Paul  Crampel,  being  a  some- 
what strong  grower,  is  apt  to  become  drawn  if 
several  are  rooted  in  a  pot  or  in  boxes,  so  I  prefer 
to  strike  this  variety  singly  in  small  pots. 

The  Scented  Geranium  Lady  Plymouth  is  a 

first-class  bedder,  but  to  be  really  successful  with 
its  propagation  it  requires  a  little  heat  and  moisture, 
which  for  most  varieties  is  quite  unnecessary, 
though  it  is  wise  to  stand  the  cuttings  in  frames 
or  in  some  such  position  where  they  may  be  covered 
in  the  event  of  heavy  or  continued  rains. 

Melianthus  major  is  a  fine  glaucous-leaved 
plant  for  summer  bedding,  and,  to  obtain  good 
specimens  for  next  season,  seed  may  be  sown  at  any 
lime  now.  After  sowing,  place  iii  a  warm  frame, 
and  pot  off  singly  when  large  enough  to  handle. 

Eucalyptus  sown  now  also  makes  nice  plants 
front  3  feet  to  4  feet  high  for  next  season.  Treat 
as  advised  for  Melianthus,  and  in  neither  case  is 
much  heat  necessary  during  the  winter  months. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Pelargoniums    for   Winter   Blooming.— These 

are  now  thoroughly  well  established  in  their 
flowering  pots,  and  'though  they  do  not  require 
much  in  the  way  of  manure,  a  little  soot-water 
will  just  keep  them  active  and  the  fohage  a  good 
colour.  If  bloom  is  required  in  October,  the 
shoots  shoidd  not  be  stopped  after  about  this  date, 
though  it  is  advisable  to  go  over  the  plants  now 
and  stop  the  strongest  of  the  shoots. 

Regal,  Show  and   Fancy   Pelargoniums   that 

have  been  partially  dried  ofif  may  be  turned  over 
on  to  their  sides  to  complete  the  drj'ing  off,  ready 
for  pruning  the  first  or  second  week  in  September. 
Celosias. — The  late-flowering  batch  will  now 
be  producing  their  plimies.  If  in  moderately 
small  pots,  feed  them  regularly,  reducing  the 
amomit  of  atmospheric  moisture  as  the  plumes 
develop,  when  they  should  keep  in  good  condition 
for  a  considerable  period. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Winter  Onions.— During  the  next  few  days 
the  winter  Onions  should  be  sown,  and  where  the 
soil  is  heavy  it  is  wise  ,to  lighten  it  as  much  as 
possible  with  wood-ashes,  leaf-soil  and  light 
manure.  Needless  to  say,  it  should  be  well  pre- 
pared by  trenching  and  manuring,  breaking  it 
up  as  finely  as  possible  before  sowing.  For  early 
work  White  Leviathan  is  a  good  variety,  while  for 
later  crops  Ailsa  Craig,  Giant  Rocca  and  Cranston's 
Excelsior  are  all  excellent  varieties. 

Coleworts  and  Other  Greens.— The  ground 
tliiis   cleared   may   be   levelled   over   and    planted 


with  Coleworts,  late  Savoy  and  winter  Cabbages, 
as  one  generally  finds  that  they  do  not  get  too 
much  winter  greenstuff,  especially  where  the 
kitchen  garden  space  is  limited. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Summer-Pruning    Peaches.— Early    and   some 

of  the  midseason  Peach  trees  will  now  be  better 
for  having  most  of  the  old  fruiting  wood  taken  out. 
This  must  not  be  done  carelessly  or  by  an  inex- 
perienced person,  as  when  taking  this'  wood  out 
due  consideration  must  be  given  to  extending  the 
branches  where  the  trees  are  not  fining  all  the 
available  space.  Where  the  trees  are  full  grown, 
the  summer  pruning  is  a  much  easier  matter, 
and  nearly  all  the  fruiting  wood  may  be  taken  out, 
thus  giving  much  more  light  and  air  to  the  fruiting 
wood  of  next  year.  Very  early  forced  trees  are 
not  benefited  by  too  much  sunlight,  and  a  little 
shading  on  the  glass  during  very  hot  periods  may 
be  more  of  an  advantage  than  otherwise.  I 
have  noted  in  a  narrow  Peach-house,  where  Chry- 
santhemums are  placed  close  to  them  in  Sep- 
tember, thus  robbing  them  somewhat  of  light,  that 
the  flowers  have  been  much  more  abimdant  and 
stronger  the  following  spring. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Wasps. — Though  these  are  not  so  plentiful  as 
in  some  seasons,  steps  should  be  taken  to  destroy 
all  the  nests  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  garden'. 
In  addition  to  this  it  is  advisable  to  partly  fill 
bottles  or  gallipots  with  stale  beer,  treacle,'  &c., 
and  hang  them  on  the  walls  or  trees  where  fruit 
is  ripening,  thus  getting  rid  of  many  of  them 
before  they  do  much  damage  to  the  fruit. 

Preparation  of  the  Ground  for  Strawberries.— 

This  should  be  done  as  early  as  possible,  so  as  to 
allow  the  soil  to  consolidate  a  little  before  planting. 
If  a  piece  of  ground  that  has  been  well  trenched 
and  manured  for  Peas  is  chosen,  it  should  not  be 
necessary  to  more  than  single  dig  it,  first  giving  it  a 
good  dressing  of  wood-ashes,  bone-meal  and  soot. 
Heavy  ground  should  be  broken  up  as  finely  as 
possible  during  the  operation,  so  as  to  facilitate 
planting.  Thomas  Stevenson. 

(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 
Wohurn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestoiie,  Siirr^\ 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Propagating  Geraniums  or  Pelargoniums.— A 

start  should  now  be  made  with  the  propagation 
of  bedding  Geraniums.  With  the  exception  of 
variegated-leaved  sorts,  which  have  almost  gone 
out  of  cultivation,  they  should  be  placed  in  boxes 
of  sandy  soil  and  stood  in  a  sunny  position  in  the 
open  air.  In  selecting  the  cuttings,  give  prefer- 
ence to  those  which  have  been  well  ripened  by 
exposure  to  air  and  light.  Give  one  good  watering 
to  settle  the  soil  about  the  cuttings,  after  which 
keep  them  rather  dry. 

Colchicums. — This  is  the  best  time  to  plant 
these  beautiful  autumn  flowers.  The  following 
are  all  worthy  of  a  place  :  C.  autuimiale  flore  pleno 
alba,  C.  flore  pleno  roseo,  C.  Bommiilleri,  C. 
giganteum  and  C.  speciosum.  C.  autumnale 
(Meadow  Saffron)  is  suitable  for  planting  in  quantity 
about  the  shrubberies  or  the  wild  garden. 

Iceland  Poppies. — if  left  to  themselves,  these 
dainty  flowers  reproduce  plentifully.  The  careful 
cultivator,  however,  selects  his  seed  and  sows  it 
about  this  period  in  a  box,  pricking  ofi'  the  seedlings 
in  due  course.  By  this  system  the  orange  and 
newer  art  shades  will  be  increased,  also  the  doubles 
or  semi-doubles,  some  of  which  are  very  attractive. 

The  Wall  Garden. 

Watering  must  still  have  attention,  especially 
if  it  is  a  double-faced  wall.  The  water  should, 
however,  be  applied  through  a  fine  rose  or  sprav 
to  prevent  it  from  running. 

Tidying  Up.— The  bulk  of  the  subjects  here 
will  now  be  past  their  flowering  period,  so  the 
whole  should  be  overhauled  and  all  decayed 
flower-stems  cut  away. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Lawns. — If  coarse  weeds  such  as  Plantains 
reassert   themselves,   they  should  be  promptly  cut 


out  with  an  old  knife.  If  drought  occttrs,  watering 
must  still  be  resorted  to,  and  happy  are  those  who 
possess  one  or  two  standpipes,  with  a  good  length 
of  hose  and  an  abundant  supply  of  water. 

Woodlands. — In  places  of  any  size  there  is 
generally  some  amount  of  woodland  beyond  the 
lawns  where  the  scythe  is  applied  two  "or  three 
times  a  year.  If  this  is  gone  over  now,  it  will  not 
give  further  trouble  this  season,  and  the  benefit 
of  the  operation  will  be  fully  appreciated  when 
leaf-raking  commences. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Sowing  Annuals.— Sowings  of  Schizanthuses 
and  Clarkias  should  now  be  made  for  a  spring 
display.  Sow  thinly  in  pans  or  boxes  in  a  cold 
frame.  Water  before  sowing,  and  afterwards 
cover  the  receptacle  with  a  pane  of  glass  or  a  sheet 
of  paper  to  conserve  the  moisture  till  germination 
takes  place.  Till  then  shade  from  bright  sun- 
shine, after  which  gradually  inure  to  full  light. 
Clarkia  elegans  Firefly  and  C.  e.  Salmon  Queen 
both  deserve  attention. 

Hydrangeas. — Many  growers  propagate  in   July. 
I  prefer   .\ugust,   as  by  this  time  the  shoots  'have 
ripened  better  and  one  is  more  certain  of  securing     ■ 
the    latent    flower-bud,    without    which    a    season    ■ 
will    be    lost.     We    root    them    in    2-inch    pots    of    ^ 
sandy    soil    stood    in    a  big.    shallow  packing-case, 
covered    with    sheets    of    glass,  in    a    Melon-house 
from  which  the  plants  have  been  removed.     Main- 
tahi  a  fairly  brisk  temperature  .and  keep  close  and 
shaded    till  roots  are    formed.      H.   hortensis  takes 
some    beating    when    well  grown,   but  some  of   the 
newer  varieties  should  certainly  be  grown.     There 
are  now  a  number  of  these,  btit  I  can  confidently 
recommend  Radiant,  Mousseline,  Mme.  E.  MoulliJr'e 
and  La  Lorraine. 

Malmaison  Carnations. — As  soon  as  the  layers 

begin  to  show  signs  of  growth,  they  should  be 
sevi^red  from  the  parent  plant  and  potted  up  into 
4-inch  pots.  Good  substantial  loam  with  a  little 
sand  and  wood-ashes  will  be  found  a  suitable 
compost  at  this  stage.  Sprinkle  a  little  soot  over 
the  rough  material  covering  the  drainage. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Late  Peaches. — S<e  that  these  are  provided  with 
a  net  to  catch  the  fruits,  which  are  so  easily  damaged. 
In  pulling  these,  the  fruits  should  be  surrounded 
by  the  fingers  and  thumb,  and  unless  they  yield 
to  the  slightest  wrench,  they  are  not  fully  ripe. 

Orchard-House  Fruits. — Apples  and  Pears 
ripening  their  fruits  should  have  these  encased 
in  small  nets  to  prevent  damage  by  falling.  Remove 
any  leaves  which  obstruct  the  sun's  rays  from  the 
fruits.  The  trees  must  not  be  allowed  to  become 
dry  at  the  roots,  and  pot  trees  will  still  require 
close  attention,  as  water  may  sometimes  have  to 
be  applied  twice  daily. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Matting  Currants.— Where  it  is  desired  to 
maintain  a  supply  of  these  as  long  as  possible, 
part  of  the  crop  oil  a  north  wall  should  be  matted 
to  exclude  the  light.  By  this  means  the  crop 
may  be  maintained  in  good  condition  for  several 
weeks  yet. 

Planting  Strawberries. — Strawberries  may  still 
be  planted,  but  unless  the  work  is  carried  through 
during  the  ensuing  week,  there  is  no  hopi-  ..f  the 
plants  yielding  a  crop  next  season. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 
Vegetable    Marrows.  —  The    shoots    requiie 

judicious  thinning  and  stopping  to  concentrate 
the  energies  of  the  plants  on  the  fruits  to  be  retained. 
If  there  is  a  superabundance  of  fruits,  the  surplus 
can  be  used  as  a  preserve,  with  the  addition  of 
some  Apples  to  give  them  piquancy. 

Kidney  Beans. — At  this  period  there  is  often 
a  glut  of  these.  Where  this  is  so,  the  surplus  can 
be  preserved  between  layers  of  salt  in  a  stone  jar, 
where  they  will  keep  for  quite  six  weeks.  They 
can,  of  course,  be  preserved  for  an  indefinit'e 
]jeriod  by  the  modem  bottling  system. 

Pickling  Onions  should  now  be  harvested, 
and  none  but  sm.all,  well-ripened  bulbs  should 
be  retained  for  that  purpose. 

Onions  for  general  use,  if  inclined  to  grow  too 

persistently,  should  be  gone  over  and  the  foliage 

pressed  down  by  means  of  an  empty,  flat-bottomed 

vegetable  basket.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


August  i6,  1913.I 


THE     GARDEN. 


415 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES  FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
mahe  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
wUh  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Gakden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  nwre  than  one. 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  floivering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent. 
It  is  useless  to  send  umall  scraps  that  are 
not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters  ov 
business  should  be  sent  to  the  Ppdlisher. 


like  f  roqueut  disturbance.  Take  care,  too,  in  the  replanting 
that  the  plants  are  buried  fairly  deeply,  so  as  to  set  them 
upon  their  own  roots  as  early  as  possible.  Usually  these 
PiBonies  are  grafted,  and  if  not  buried  below  the  union 
between  stock  and  scion,  only  an  enfeebled  root  action 
is  likely  to  ensue. 


ROSE    GARDEN. 

CLIMBING  ROSES  {A.  H.).— Liberal  applications  of 
liquid  cow-manure  are  very  beneficial  to  Rambler  Roses 
at  this  season  of  the  year  when  making  their  growth. 
Alternate  this  with  nitrate  of  potash  and  phosphate  of 
potash  in  the  proportion  bf  loz.  to  a  gallon  of  water. 
Is  your  cable  a  wire  one  ?  If  so.  this  has  a  good  deal 
to  do  with  the  Roses  not  making  longer  shoots.  The  wire 
is  extremely  cold  in  winter,  and  the  wind  blowing  the 
shoots  against  the  wire  chafes  the  bark.  Can  you  enclose 
the  cable  wire  in  large  Bamboo  rods,  or  fasten  two  or  three 
small  thin  Banjhoo  rods  round  it  ? 

ROSE  EARL  OF  DUFFERIN  i^Lady  Franklin).— Th^ 
season  has  been  adverse  to  the  development  of  this  Rose. 
It  is  so  very  double  that,  unless  we  have  warm  weather 
and  absence  of  rain,  the  buds  cannot  unfold  their  petals. 


FLOWER  GARDEN. 

CARNATIONS  GOING  WRONG  (TFrt/es). 
— Tlie  plants  have  been  kept  in  too 
moist  an  atmosphere.  Carnations  suc- 
ceed best  when  the  atmosphere  is  kept 
dry  abo\it  them  and  the  soil  has  a  sufB- 
cient  deirrce  of  moisture.  Yes;  we  think 
you  will  find  a  weak  solution  of  sulphate 
of  potash  useful  for  use  on  your  pale- 
leaved  Carnations  (about  one"  ounce  to 
two  gallons  of  water,  used  once  a  week 
for  a  time).  Water  the  Roses  with  a 
weak  solution  of  sulphate  of  iron — about 
one  ounce  to  one  callon  of  water.  This 
will  probably  restore  their  sreen  colour. 

PROPAGATING  ANCHUSA  (il/.  ^.  fi.) 
—  I>ivi>i(iii  uf  tht'  rnntstork  in  carh 
spring  and  root  prni»a'_'alion  in  winter- 
time are  tlie  only  methods  of  increasing 
particular  varieties  of  the  above-named 
plant.  The  latter  consists  of  diggin-r 
up  the  plant,  divesting  it  of  some  of 
its  roots,  cutting  them  into  inch-long 
lengths  and  inserting  them  in  sandy 
soil  in  boxes  or  pots,  leaving  the  top  of 
the  cutting  just  visible  above  the  soil. 
You  should  obtain  '*  The  Hardy  Flower 
Book,"  by  E.  H.  Jenkins,  price  2s.  9d.. 
post  free,  from  this  office,  wherein  this 
and  other  methods  of  propagation  are 
treated  fidly, 

INULA  GLANDULOSA  AND  COLUM- 
BINES (Nort/iold.  R.  B.  A.).— The  Inula>. 
may  be  increased  by  di\ision  in  March 
or  April,  by  seeds  sown  soon  after 
ripening,  and  by  root  cuttincs  during 
winter.  The  two  former  usually  suffice 
for  all  ordinary  purposes.  Aquilecia 
^hrysantha  is  a  tall-growing,  yellow- 
flowered  species,  and  one  of  the  most 
graceful  of  early  summer  -  flowering 
herbaceous  plants.  There  are,  however. 
hybrid  strains  between  this  and  the 
other  species  which  are  also  highly  orna- 
mental and  may  be  freely  raised  from 
seeds.  The  popular  name  Columbine 
applies  to  the  whole  race. 


TREES    AND    SHRUBS. 

BOX  EDGING  TO  CUT  {T.  V.  n.\— 
Now  is  a  pond  time  to  cut  Box  edgina. 
There  will  thin  be  time  for  short  new 
growth  to  be  made  before  winter.  This 
will  appear  neat  and  bright  all  the 
winter.  Dc  not  cut  too  low.  or  the 
edging  will  be  made  brown  and  unsightly 
— only  an  inch,  more  or  less,  to  make 
it  appear  even  and  straieht. 

WISTARIA  LEAVES  MUTILATED  (E.  A.  P.).— 
The  Wistaria  leaves  appear  to  have  been  eaten  by  the 
leaf-cutting  bee.  This  bee  removes  circular  pieces  from 
the  leaves  of  various  plants  for  the  purpose  of  making 
its  nest.  Spraying  the  plant  with  arsenate  of  lead 
would,  no  doubt,  be  an  aid  in  preventing  its  attacks  : 
but  the  bees,  it  should  be  remembered,  are  quite  usefiU 
insects  on  the  whole,  and  unless  the  damage  done  is  really 
serious,  it  would  he  well  to  avoid  killing  them. 

TREE  P^EONIES  (S.  TV.). — We  advise  you  now,  or  in 
the  September  ensuinc,  to  lift  the  plants  and  sive  them 
a  sheltered  westerly  position.  In  this  the  ill-effects  of 
spring  frosts — about  the  only  drawback  to  a  good  flowering 
that  the  plants,  onre  they  "are  established,  sutler  from — 
would  be  less  felt,  the  sun  reaching  the  plants  too  late  in 
the  day.  In  the  easterly  position  you  now  have,  the 
.sun  is  upon  them  early;  hence  the  trouble.  Prepare  the 
new  position  well  by  using  sand  and  old  cow-manure 
to  a  depth  of  2.*  feet',  and  let  the  drainage  be  also  good. 
The    Tree    Pteony,   like   the   herbaceous   sorts,    does   not 


judge,  one  who  knows  his  business,  will  recognise  floral 
art  when  both  the  receptacles  and  the  flowers  arc  set  up 
in  simple  fashion.     Some  judges  foolishly  think  an  epergne 
is  an  indispensable  stand  for  th*^  centre'  of  the  table  :    we 
think  otherwise.     A  dainty  dish  or  bowl  of  clear  glass 
for  the  centre,  with  two  small  vases,  one  on  either  side  of 
this,  and  four  corner  glasses  or  small  bowls,  make  a  charm- 
ing decoration.     Do  not  use  too  many  flowers  ;    let  each 
flower  and  piece  of  foliage  speak  for  itself ;    and  avoid 
rotundity  of  outline  in  the  arrantreraent  of  the  flowers. 
I  We  have  judged  many  dinner-table  decorations,  and  the 
best,  prettiest  and  most  artistic  have  been  tliose  arranged 
I  on  the  simplest  possible  lines.     In  a  capital  competition 
■  a  few  days  ago  we  awarded  first  prize  to  a  table  decora- 
tion of  one  variety  of  Violas,  both  flowers  and  foliace  being 
useii   most  advantageously.     The  idea  was  simple  in  its 
conception  and  beaut ifnily  artistic.      You  should  procure 
I  Roses  of  one  colour,  or,  better,  of  one  variety,  Shirley 
Poppies,    Violas,    Carnations,    Sweet    Peas,    the   different 
'  forms  of  the  Sweet  Sultans,  Coreopsis — in  fact,  an  almost 
endless  list  of  subjects.     Remember,  in  selecting  colours, 
to  use  only  those  that  look  well  under  artificial  light,  for 
all  dinner-table  decorations  are  wanted  for  evening  use. 
I  Therefore  avoid  blue,  mauve  and  kindred  colours.      The 
hedgerow  will   often  provide    you  with 
lovely  leafage  to  associate  with"  subjects 
having  but  spare  foliage. 

NAMES  OF  PLAiiTS,~Mrs.  Dineley. 
— 1,  (Enothera  speciosa ;  2,  Erigeron 
glaucus  ;  1,  Campanula  carpatica;  2, 
C.  portenschlagiana  ;   3,  C.  pusilla  alba. 

L.  Barron. —    Omphalodes  linifolia 

(Venus'  Navel-wort). A.   Midglcy.— 

Alstroemeria  aurantiaca. M.  E.  W. — 

CampaniUa  carpatica  {broad  leaf)  ;  C. 
linifolia  (narrow  leaf)  ;  Sagina  procum- 
bens ;  Helichrysum  species,  cannot  name 

without  flowers. .4.    P.,  Silhscj:. — 1, 

Vitis  species,  too  scrappy  for  identifi- 
cation ;  2,  Stachys  lanata  ;  3,  Pteris 
cretica  albo-Iineata ;  4,  P.  c.  cristata ; 
5.  too  scrappy  for  identification  ;    6,  P. 

tremula;     7,  P.  serrulata  cristata. 

Alice  fiill.^l.  Impatiens  Roylcj  ;  2, 
Sedum  Sieboldii  ;   3,  Cerastium  tomcn- 

tosum.  J.     Higgs.  —  Roses:     ]^ 

Bouquet  d'Or  :    2,  Jules  Margottin. 

ir.  S.,  Hawick. — 1.  Rubus  .species, 
cannot  name  without  flowers  ;  2,  Thalic- 
trum  angustifolium  (Meadow  Rue)  ;  3. 
Centaurea  macrocephala ;  4,  Gentiana 
asclepiadea  (Willow-leaved  Oentian) ; 
.'>,  Epilobium  Dodonsei  ;  6,  Mertcnsia 
sibirica;  7,  Heleniuni  autumn  ale 
variety  ;  8,  Lysimachia  vulgaris  (Yellow 
Loosestrife);  9,  Lychnis  dioica  More 
pleuo ;  10,  Valeriana  Phu  ;  11,  Liatris 
spicata  .  12,  Allium  .=phaerocephaIum  ; 
13,  Astrantia  major ;  14.  Spirjea  Ulmaria 
(Meadow  -SweetJ ;    15,  Erigeron  specio- 

sum  ;    16,  Circsea  lutetiana. T.  C.  A., 

Sussex. — Erica     cinerea. H.   N. — a, 

Rudbeckia  speciosa ;  b,  Geranium 
pratensc  fiore  pleno  ;    c.   Geranium  En- 

dressi;  D,  Linaria  bipartita. N.   W., 

Alvpchurch.  —  Lilium     testaceum. 

R.  B. — Prunella  vulgaris  (Self  Heal). 
The  only  way  to  get  rid  of  this  plant 
from  the  lawn  is  to  hand-weed  it.  Lawn 
sand  will  hi^lp.     The  leaf  sent  is    not 

suflBcient  for  identification. Skene. — 

1  and  2,  Veronica  longifolia  varieties  ; 
3,  V.  1.  rosea ;  4,  Centaurea  atro- 
purpurea  ;  5,  Fuchsia  Riccartoni;  6, 
Achillea  species,  specimen  too  scrappy 
to  identify;  7,  Stachys  Betonica :  8, 
Erigeron  philadephicus ;  9,  Sedum 
album ;  10,  S.  rupestre  variety.  Wc 
fail  to  recognise  the  Roses.  Can  you 
send  better  blooms  ?  The  Verbas- 
cura  is  decidedly  interesting.  By  all 
means  grow  both  forms ;  one  is  a  sport 
of  the  other. 


SUTTON's    new    sunflower.       the    PREDOMINANT    COLOUR    IS 
CRIMSON    AND    BROWN. 


Doubtless  it  would  be  a  great  success  if  planted  against  a 
south  wall  or  in  a  south  border  at  the  foot  of  a  wall.  If 
crown  in  a  border  its  growths  shoidd  be  staked,  as  it 
possesses  a  sort  of  semi-clirabing  nature.  It  is  a  Rose 
we  do  not  recommend  for  the  garden,  its  chief  merit  being 
an  exhibitor's  Rose  only,  and  even  for  this  purpose  very 
uncertain.  We  advise  you  to  discard  the  variety,  and 
plant  instead  W.  E.  Lippiatt,  or,  better  still,  George 
Dickson,  varieties  much  superior,  the  latter  especially. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

TABLE  DECORATION  FOR  SHOW  {Mary  Sf.).—Yo\\ 
ask  what  points  vou  should  observe  in  decorating  a  dinner- 
table,  6  feet  by  3  feet,  for  a  show,  and  also  what  are 
the  best  flowers.  In  reply,  we  would  suggest  simplicity 
ia  design  and  character  as  essential  factors  to  success. 
All  too  frequently  dinner-table  decorations  at  shows  are 
too  ornate  and  excessively  overdone.  Much  depends  upon 
the  person  or  persons  who  judge  the  exhibits.  Many  so- 
called  judges  are  quite  incompetent  to  judge.     A  good 


A    REMARKABLE    NEW 
SUNFLOWER. 

The  accompanying  illustration 
is  of  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons* 
new  Sunfinwer,  which  was  referred  to  in  our 
issue  for  last  week.  It  is  a  very  striking 
flower,  witii  a  broad  band  of  chestnut  red  round 
the  base  uf  the  yellow  petals,  and  is  the  result 
of  a  cross  made  between  Helianthus  annuus  (the 
common  annual  yellow  Sunflower)  and  H.  lenti- 
cularis  (the  common  wild  Sunflower  of  North 
America)  by  Professor  Cockerell  of  Boulder 
University,  Colorado,  who  handed  over  his  stock 
to  Messrs.  Sutton  for  development,  and  they  are 
this  year  offering  seeds  for  the  first  time.  There 
has  been  no  previous  record  of  this  colour  in  the 
popular  H.  annuus,  which  is  such  a  well-known 
and  favourite  annual  in  English  gardens. 


416 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  i6,  1913: 


SOCI  ETIES. 


HESTON    HORTICULTURAL    SOCIETY. 

The  seventh  aunuat  exhibition  of  tlic  above  society  was 
held  in  the  Heston  Schools,  Middlesex,  on  August  6. 
Jleston  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  market-gardens,  so 
that  it  was  not  surprising  to  find  vcKctables  well  repre- 
sented. The  quality  of  the  produce  was  higher  than  that 
of  previous  years.  Autumn-sown  Onions  we're  remarkably 
fine,  while  Brassii'as  anil  root  eniifr,  particularly  Potatoes, 
were  slunvli  in  ciipiliil  firnii.  ilrs|iitr  an  iiiila  vourable  season. 

'till'  rresideufs  Cliall'-iiiii'  ('u|i  fi.r  the  most  meritorious 
exhibit  in  its  class  was  won  by  Mr.  tl.  Little  for  three 
dishes  of  Potatoes.  The  varieties  shown  were  Uukc  of 
York.  Lincoln  Early  Red  and  British  Queen,  the  tubers 
being  of  perfect  shape  and  uniform  in  size. 

One  of  the  chief  features  of  the  show  was  a  aold  medal 
collection  of  Sweet  Peas,  shown  by  Mr.  H.  D.  Tigwell, 
lireenford,  Middlesex.  Among  the  best  of  the  varieties 
staged  were  jMellia,  True  Lavender,  11.  F.  Fclton.  Hercules 
and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Breadinore. 

.Messrs.  Cragg,  Harrison  and  Cragg,  Merivale  Nurseries, 
Heston,  were  awarded  a  gold  medal  ?or  a  group  of  flowering 
and  foliage  plants,  incbuling  a  flrst-rate  collection  of 
I'rrpetual-flowcring  Carnations;    also  a  silver  medal  for 

t'eaell.'s. 

A  gold  medal  was  awarded  to  the  Earl  of  Jersey,  Osterley 
Park,  for  a  collection  of  foliage  plants,  chiefly  highly- 
enloiired  Crotons  and  Dracainas,  that  reflected  great 
eri'ilit  upon  Mr.  A.  J.  Hawkes,  tlic  able  head-gardener. 

.Mi'ssrs.  Spooner  and  Sons,  Hounslow,  were  awarded  a 
>ilver  medal  tor  an  extensive  collection  of  Roses,  in  which 
the  leading  varieties  in  cultivation  were  displayed. 

As  previously  nientioiied.  veg(!tables  formed  an  impor- 
tant feature  of  this  exhiliition,  the  collections,  both  by 
amateurs  and  niiuUet-gruwcTs,  being  worthy  of  the  highest 
praisi\  notalily  the  one  staged  in  a  masterly  way  by  Messrs. 
\V.  .t.  Lohjoit  and  Son  of  He.ston. 

riie  Stephens'  Cnp  for  four  dishes  of  cooked  Potatoes 
was  this  year  won  outright  by  Mr.  Hawkes,  in  keen 
conipi'tition. 

SCOTTISH    HORTICULTURAL    ASSOCIATION. 

I'llK  nsn.-il  miinllily  uiielmg  of  the  Seottisli  Ib.rti.iill  iiral 
.\ssneiation  was  held  iii  (lie  ball.  r>.  St.  .Vudrew  Square, 
Edinburgh,  cm  August  :,.  There  was  a  good  attendance, 
presided  over  by  the  president,  :\lr.  David  King,  Osborne 
.Nurserii's.  The  e\liil,its  enniiirised  l.iliumt  estaeeum, 
L.  Hiiniholdtii  niagnitleiiiii,  L.  elialeedonicuni  and  I,. 
ilialcTdnnieiiin  niaeiilatiini,  with  St.iiaiitliium  robnstuiii. 
I  lie  .Mi.iintaiii  lu'atlier  l.'l.'cce,  from  .'Messrs.  Dieksons  and 
I'd,,  Kdiiilmrgli.  Messrs.  John  llownie,  lOdiubiirgh.  also 
.xliiliiled  \^tilbe  Pink  Pearl.  ■J'hc  |i,i per  for  the  .■veiling 
WIS  ..'i\eii  by  Mr.  John  lligheate,  s-'-inlener  to  the  .Mar-piis 
'if  Liiditlijnw  -It  llo|ietoiin  House.  The  Mlbjeet  was  of 
special  interest  to  amateurs  as  well  as  to  gardeners,  it 
beiu.  "  Villa  liardening  ironi  the  Prr fe.ssiou.al  Gardener's 
.Standpoint."  It  showed  that  Mr.  Highgate  had  studied 
his  subject  thoroughly,  and  that  he  had  a  perfect  grasp 
of  the  principles  and  practice  which  should  dominate  the 
arrangement  and  planting  of  thi'  villa  garden.  .Mr.  Hii[li- 
gate  went  thoroughly  into  it,  dealing  with  the  lawn  and 
its  tn^atment,  and  trees  and  shrubs  (in  the  course  of  this 
part  condemning  the  use  of  sueli  large  trees  as  the  Lime, 
the  Elm,  and  such-like).  The  usefulness  of  climbing 
and  otiier  shrubs  was  pointed  out  ;  the  value  of  bedding 
ami  other  nowcring  plants  was  also  dealt  with,  and  promi- 
nence given  to  the  most  useful  plants  for  the  small  garden. 
-V  useful  note  was  the  portion  relating  to  fruit  trees  ;  and 
growiir!  .\pples.  Pears.  *e  ,  on  cordons  was  suggested 
in  view  of  tiic  lowncss  of  the  walls  generallv  built  in  con- 
nection with  villa  gardens.  Mr.  Highgate  reeciveil  a 
liearty  \ote  of  thanks. 


SHOW    OF    SWEET    PEAS    AT    DUMFRIES. 

In  eiiiineetioil  with  the  annual  sIioh  of  the  llumfries 
Agricultural  Society  on  .\ugTist  5,  a  capital  show  of  Sweet 
Peas  and  a  few  other  subjects  was  held.  A  cup  and  cash 
prize  otlered  for  twelve  varieties  of  Sweet  Peas  brought 
out  excellent  competition  and  magnificent  flowers.  Mr,  J. 
M'Gill,  Kirkconnel  Gardens,  was  first :  second,  Mr.  C. 
Murray.  Cowhill  Tower  Gardens  ;  third,  Mr.  R,  A.  Grigor, 
Dalswinton  Gardens  ;  fourth,  Mr.  J.  M'Gill :  v.h.c., 
Mr.  T.  Carruthers,  Cargenholm  Gardens.  In  the  amateurs' 
class  for  six  varieties  the  prize-winners  in  order  of  merit 
were  Mr.  G.  L.  Molfat.  Mayfleld,  Lockerbie,  and  .Mr.  J. 
Crosbie,  Dalswinton  Village.  In  the  open  classes  for 
Sweet  Peas,  for  six  varieties,  the  winners  were  :  First, 
Mr.  F.  France,  ICnockbrex  Gardens  ;  second,  Mr.  J.  M'Gill  ; 
third.  Mr.  C.  Murray. 


FIFE  AND    KINROSS   ROSE,  PANSY,  VIOLA   AND 
SWEET    PEA     SOCIETY. 

I'm-,  auiillal  nhow  n(  tin'  ali.ive  s..elety  was  held  on  Jldv  26 
ill  ll'c-  Xew  Hall,  I'ardeuden.  and  was  the  best  di.splay 
yei  made  by  the  members,  who  have  every  reason  to  be 
pleased  with  their  latest  elforts.  The  principal  winners 
in  the  Rose  section  were  Dr.  Bowman,  Messrs.  James 
Anderson,  L.  Black,  C.  Lindsay,  George  Thompson 
and  Thomas  Seath.  In  the  Pansy  and  Viola  classes  the 
successful  growers  were  Messrs.  Robert  Rutherford, 
J.  It.  Biggar,  Charles  Gray.  John  Hutt,  Daniel  .AIcGregor 
and  James  Campbell.  Swei't  Peas  wen^  an  outstanding 
feature,  and  Mr.  T.  Christie  was  thi-  leading  exhihitor. 
Other  winners  in  this  section  acre  Messrs.  J.  .\nderson. 
James  Honeynian,  John  lliitt  and  (iharles  Richardson. 
Mr.  L.  Black  wa^-  the  leadin"  grnwe.-  of  herbaceous  llou'ers 
Other  winners  of  the  mixed  clatses  were  Messrs.  Andrew 
Hutt,   J.   Anderson,   J.   Hutt  and   T.   Christie.     A   very 


interesting  exhibit  was  put  forward  for  the  opinion  of  the 
judges ;  this  was  six  plants  of  .4ntirrhinums.  Instead 
of  the  flowering  spikes,  however,  it  was  the  silvery  foliage 
of  the  plants  which  came  in  for  the  attention  of  all  the 
visitors,  and  this  exhibit  justly  deser\ed  the  certificate 
of  merit  awarded.  Splendid  exhibits  of  Roses  were 
staged  by  Messrs.  James  .Me.tra,  Rose  Growers,  C'rieff; 
and  Messrs.  James  Fairley  and  Co.,  Rose  Gardens,  Cairney- 
hill,  Fife. 


CAMBRIDGESHIRE    MAMMOTH    SHOW. 

'The  191:!  .'Mammoth  Show  of  tlii>,  abo\e  sociidy.  which 
was  held  (ui  Monday,  August  4  (August  Bank  Holiday), 
stands  out  as  the  finest  exhibition  during  the  decade  of 
its  existence.  From  every  point  of  view,  except  weather, 
the  show  was  brilliant.  There  were  l.ion  entries,  being 
200  more  than  last  year,  and,  consiileriug  the  trying 
conditions,  the  quality  of  the  exhibits  was  except  ioilally 
high.  The  open  competitions  included  exhibitors  froiii 
Peterborougli,  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  St.  Neots,  St.  I\'es 
and  Mildenhall.  Pot  plants  were  good.  Miss  Smitli, 
Cambridge  (gardener,  Mr.  F.  Allen),  was  one  of  tlie 
principal  winners,  being  first  for  Ferns,  Fuchsias,  (!oleus 
and  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  all  of  which  were  exceptionally 
good.  For  specimen  plants,  stove  and  greenhouse, 
P.  L.  Hudson,  Esq.,  Pampisford  Hall  (gardener.  Jlr. 
Kirkpatrick),  showed  some  exceptionally  fine  plants. 
For  a  group  of  tuberous-rooted  Begonias,  P.  J.  Hall. 
Esq.,  was  first.  Miss  Smith  being  second.  Groups  of 
plants  were  poorly  represented,  which  was  a  great  pity, 
as  such  a  class  greatly  improves  the  appearance  of  any 
show.  P.  L.  Hudson,  Esq.,  was  first  with  a  beautiful, 
well-arranged  group,  consisting  of  Palms,  Ferns,  Francoas, 
Clerodendron  fallax.  Begonias,  Caladiums  and  Crotons. 
The  exhibition  of  cut  flowers  was  remarkably  good.  The 
herbaceous  Phloxes  were  the  chief  feature,  these  hein" 
magnificent.  .Mr.  C.  Bright,  Cambridge,  was  flrst  witii 
splendid  groups  12  feet  by  :J  feet  and  6  feet  by  :i  feet, 
both  collections  consisting  of  well-grown  flowers'.  Pent- 
stemons  and  Antirrhinums  were  well  shown  by  Miss 
Smith,  who  was  flrst  for  both.  Stocks,  Sweet  Peas  and 
Roses  were  also  good.  Air.  C.  Bright,  Mr.  .P.  Hawkes 
and  .Mr.  J.  C.  Palmer  being  flrst  in  each  class  nsjiectividy, 
while  other  classes  were  equally  as  good.  I*erfee1  in 
detail  and  glorious  in  the  mass  were  the  exhibits  of  Roses, 
not  for  competition,  stiowu  liy  Messrs.  Pigg  of  Koystoii 
and  Messrs.  J.  Burrell  and  Co.  of  Cambridge,  and  attracted 
a  good  deal  of  attention.  Great  ereilit  is  iliie  to  .Mr.  W. 
Stearn  for  the  capable  way  he  discharged  the  duties  oi 
lion,  secretary  of  the  horticultural  section,  and  the  lion, 
secretaries  of  the  other  section  are  deserving  of  cquai 
praise. 


ROYAL     HORTICULTURAL     SOCIETY. 

I'HE  usual  fortnightly  meeting  of  the  above  society  was 
liehl  at  Vincent,  Square,  Westminster,  on  Tuesday  last. 
In  the  midst  of  the  holiday  season  it  is  not  surprising  to 
note  that  the  ball  was  far  less  crowded  than  usual.  Never- 
theless, there  were  some  fine  exhibits,  notably  of  hardy 
flowers.  Gladioli  were  shown  by  various  exhibitors, 
while  Delphiniums,  Phloxes  and  the  old-world  Hollyhocks 
each  contributed  to  the  brightness  of  the  lloral  display, 

FnuiT  .VND  Vegetable  Committee. 

Present  :  George  Bunyard,  Esq,  (chairman),  and 
Messrs.  W,  Bates,  W.  E.  Humphreys,  W.  Pope,  J.  G 
Weston,  A.  R,  .Allan,  J,  Willard,  Owen  Thomas,  C,  G.  A, 
.\ix,  A.  H.  Pearson,  J  .Jaques.  J.  Davis,  E.  Beck(dt  and 
A.  Grnbb. 

Messrs.  James  Teitch  and  Sous,  Limited,  Chelsea, 
were  awarded  a  silver-gilt  Knightian  medal  for  a  collec- 
tion of  fruit  trees  in  pots,  of  high  qualitv  and  stam-d  in 
the  manner  we  have  learnt  to  .associate  with  this  flrm. 
The  Peaches  were  remarkably  well  cropped,  notably  Sea 
Eagle  and  K  ruse's  Kent.  Pears  Souvenir  dii  Congrfc 
and  Trionipiie  de  Vienne,  and  a  variety  ot  Plums  and 
.Apples  were  shown,  also  a  new  Blackberrv-Raspln-rry 
hybrid  known  as  the  Veitch  Bcrrv,  with  a  deriiled  Black- 
berry flavour  and  of  exceptional  size 

Orchid  Committee, 

Present :  J,  G,  Fowler,  Esq,  (chairman).  Sir  Harry  J. 
Veitch,  and  Messrs.  James  O'Brien,  Gurney  Wilson, 
F.  J.  Hanhury,  W,  H,  Hatcher,  G.  Hunter,  A.  Dye,  J. 
Charlesworth,  A.  McEean,  W,  H,  White,  S.  W.  Plory 
W,  Bolton,  de  B,  Crawshay  and  R,  A,  Koife. 

'There  were  only  four  groups  of  Orchids  to  gain  awards. 
.Mr,  E.  H.  Davidson,  Orchid  Dene,  Twyford,  received  a 
silver  Flora  medal,  while  silver  Banksian  medals  were 
granted  to  Mr,  H.  T.  Pitt,  Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co,, 
llayward's  Heath,  and  Messrs.  J.  and  A.  McBean, 
l^ooksbridga. 

Flor.\l  Committee. 

Present :  H.  B.  May,  E.sq.  (chairman),  and  Messrs.  C.  'T. 
Druery,  E.  A.  Bowles,  T,  Stevenson,  G.  Reuthe,  J.  W. 
Barr,  li.  Hooper  Pearson,  J.  W.  Jloorman,  C.  R.  Fielder, 
J.  F,  .McLcod,  C.  Blick,  W.  Bain.  William  H,  Morter, 
J,  T.  Bennett-Poe,  A.  Turner,  Charles  E.  Pearson,  W.  P. 
Thomson,  E,  H.  Jenkins,  H.  J.  Jones,  G.  Paul,  B.  Crisp 
and  J.  Green. 

Mr,  .M.  Prichard,  Christchurch,  Hants,  had  a  particu- 
larly good  lot  of  the  best  herbaceous  plants — Crinums, 
Moutbretias,  Gladioli,  Delphiniums,  Phlo.xes  and  other 
showy  tlineis,  of  the  Phloxes,  Iris  of  the  bluc-tlowered 
set  was  (Hie  of  the  most  striking,  while  M.  A.  Bueliner, 
purest  wliite,  was  also  good.  Selnia,  pink,  with  crimson 
eye,  \v,as  also  distinct.  Gladioli  generally  were  verv  flne. 
though  to  our  thinking  the  most  charming  of  tliem  all 
were  the  liybrids  of  G,  primulinus,  which  have  the  attri- 
butes of  grace  and  anistic  beauty  combined.     Crinums, 


both  white  and  rose  coloured,  were  very  imposing,  while 
Coriaria  japonica  was  perhaps  one  of  the'  most  interettiu" 
plants  in  the  group. 

Mr,  L,  R,  Russell,  Richmond,  displayed  a  table  of  hardv 
Fuchsias  in  pots,  in  .some  dozen  or  so  of  the  bist  sorts 
toL'eflMi-  with  Ceanothus  and  the  best  of  the  hardv  Viie^s' 
as  \itis  Ciignetia;,  henryaua  and  others,  Diuinrii'hanthns 
manilslmricus  argenteo  variegala  was  also  well  repre- 
sented, a  similar  remark  applying  to  the  pretty  coral: 
berried  Nertera,  which  we  have  never  seen  better  fniitedi 
Jlessrs.  Dobbie  and  Co.,  Edinburgh,  had  a  remarkabU' 
display  of  Scabiosa  atropnrpurea  and  its  varieties,  whicl 
are  now  as  numerous  as  they  are  beautiful.  The  shades 
of  inailvc  from  palest  to  deepest  appealed  to  us  most 
strongly  as  lending  themselves  to  decoration  of  the  most 
artistic  temperament.  The  Collarette  Dahlias  wei 
particularly  flne,  Cnmbrae,  Frogmorc,  Meteor,  Queen 
Bess  (orange  and  red),  Y.dlow  Queen  and  Prince  de 
Venosa  (crimson  and  wliili'  iiimr  ilorets)  lieiii"  of  the  be^f 
Messrs,  William  Wells,  Limited,  .^b  r-tliam,  sta"ed 
some  excellent  Phlo.xes  in  the  cut  state-  in  bold  vases 
llerviehe  (bine).  Elizabctli  Campbell  (pink),  King  Edward 
(crimson).  Iris  (perhaps  tin-  finest  blue).  Diehard  Strau-s 
(violet),  I.e  Mahdi  (dci-p  Panna  Violet  sliadi)  and  \rlliur 
Kane  (very  fine  pink)  were  among  the  best. 

Messrs.  James  Vert  and  Sons.  Saffron  Walden.  sta-ied 
Hollyhocks,  both  in  the  n.atural  spike  as  grown  and 
on  boards  in  the  cut  state,  in  yellow,  white,  crimsnn 
pink,  coral  and  other  shades, 

Messrs,  A,  H.  Cole,  J,imited,  Swanley,  exhibited  a  capital 
collectiou  of  Zonal  Pelargoniums  in  some  thirty  or  more 
leading  commercial  varieties.  Crimson  Crampel,  Ian 
Maclaren,  Maxime  Kovali-vsky,  Barbara  Hope  (a  fliie 
salmon),  Venus  (purest  white)  and  Sir  1!.  Hall  (crimson- 
scarlet)  were  among  the  best.  Gloxinias  and  an  excellent 
strain  of  Peiitstemons  were  also  displayed. 

.Messrs,  T,  S,  Ware,  Limited,  Feltliam,  fliled  a  lal  le 
with  the  showier  herbaceous  plant.s — Phloxi-s,  Urigerons, 
,\gapaiithus  umbellatus  albus,  Delphiniiiiiis  aiiif  Gail- 
lardias.  Salvia  nemorosa  virgala  was  parlieiilarly  good 
and  showy,  as  were  also  white  and  i-oloured  c'riiinins 
and  Canipaiiula  grandillora,, 

,Messrs,  William  (iitlmsh  and  .Sons,  Highgate,  N., 
displayed  a  miscellaneous  table  of  stove  and  grecnbousi- 
plants — Caladiums,  Draea-iias.  I, ilium  aural iini,  L,  longi- 
floruni  in  variety  and  11( -goiiia  Pn-sident  {'ariiot.  Ilracauia 
Victoria-  and  Coleus  Cordelia  (a  flnely-eidouriHl  variety) 
were  liotli  handsomely  displayed  in  bold  groups, 

iMi-ssrs,  H.  B.  May  and  Sons,  Edmonton,  displayed 
grei-nliouse  I'erns  in  (\\eellent  condition,  staging  gro'ujis 
of  .\diaiitiiiii  farliyensi^  gloriosnm,  Davallia  tenuifolia 
Veitchii,  Adiantnni  peruvianum,  Polypodium  Mayi  and 
Nejihrolepis  ixaltata  superba,  .idia'ntum  Fatdkiieri  is 
one  of  the  most  delicate  and  pleasing  of  the  Maidenhair 
Ferns,  and  was  well  represented, 

A  small  iilaiit  of  Saxifraga  floruh-nta  in  flower  was 
shown  by  Mr.  B.  Crisp  on  behalf  ot  Mr.  A.  W.  Chaplin, 
Great  Airwell,  near  Ware.  It  is  a  rare  and  interesting 
species,  seldom  seen  in  llower  away  from  its  native 
habitat. 

Some  excellent  herbaceous  Phloxes  were  shown  by 
Mr.  W.  Wilkinson,  Elmhurst,  Bishop's  Stortford,  but  we 
did  not  notice  any  novelty  of  outstanding  merit  among 
them. 

Mr.  Charles  Blick,  Warren  Nurseries.  Hayes,  exhibited 
a  handsome  vase  of  the  dc^ep  apricot-coloufed  Carnation 
Mrs,  Wharton,  The  variety  gained  an  award  of  merit 
last  year. 

Mr.  A,  Worslcy,  Isleworlh.  exhibited  the  drooping, 
blue-flowered  Agapanthus  Weillcgii.  which  is  M-ry  beautiful 
and  distinct. 

Mr.  Amos  Perry.  Enfli-ld,  exhibiterl  elleetive  masses 
of  Delphiniums  and  .\ehilleas.  the  hybrids  of  1),  Belladonna 
making  quite  a  feature.  Of  these  we  noted  D,  semi-plena, 
D.  Mrs,  Brimton.  1),  Peisinimon,  D.  Lamartine  and  1). 
Mrs.  Thomson,  representing  deeji  and  light  shades  of  blue, 
Achillea  Perry's  While  was  very  flnetv  shown,  a  great 
mass  of  pure  white  that  was  exceedingly  effective. 

Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  sent  a  handsome  bunch  of 
Campanula  grandiflora  semi-plena,  a  variety  of  bold  stature 
and  very  rich  in  colour. 

A  collectiou  of  choice  and  rare  flowering  plants  was 
shown  by  Mr.  G.  Reuthe,  Hardy  Plant  Nursery,  Keston, 
Kent.  The  collection  included  Sedum  pulchellum  (the 
true  Bird's-foot  Stonecrop),  Stokesia  cyaiu-a  prsecox, 
Erinacca  pungens  and  Astilbe  simplicifolia. 

Show   of   Gi.amoii. 

There  was  keen  competition  for  the  President's  Cup 
for  twenty  vases  of  Gladioli,  The  English  competitors 
showed  excellent  spikes  of  blooms,  but  they  were  un- 
questionably beaten  by  Messrs,  G,  Zeestrateil  and  Sons, 
Oegstgeest,  Holland,  who  staged  an  exquisite  collection. 
Among  the  best  of  the  varieties  sho^vn  were  Badenia 
(blue),  Princeps  (light  red).  Pink  Perfection,  Baron  Joseph 
Hnlot  (violet,  but  not  over-\iL'or.>iis),  Keil  Emperor. 
Goli.ath  (crimson  purple)  and  .Mocniligjil  (soft  yellow), 

A  magnificent  display  of  Gladioli,  exti-iiding  the  whole 
length  of  the  hall  (not  for  competition),  was  -^ent  h\  Messrs, 
Kelway  and  Sou,  Langport,  who  have  so  loin;  bei-'ii  closely 
associated  with  this  flower.  Every  vase  in  this  extensive 
exhibit  contained  flowers  of  the  highest  iiertection.  We 
were  particularly  impressed  with  the  \ariefies  Lady 
Macfarlanc,  Lady  Muriel  Digby,  Colonel  ]\Iorgan.  Adelaide, 
Glory  of  Somerset,  Royalty  and  Princess  Victoria. 
Several  very  promising  seedlings  under  number  were  also 
noted, 

Messrs,  William  Cut  bush  and  Son.  Highgate.  London, 
N.,  showed  Gladifdi  in  varir-ty.  The  varieties  Peace, 
Halley.  Panama  and  ,-\nierica  were  shown  in  iiiiantity, 
while  the  centre  of  the  grouj)  was  fliled  with  the  bright 
purple  bine  iif  Baron  Joseph  Hiilot.  which  everyone 
admired. 


\ 


GARDEN. 


^^^^ 


No.  2179.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


August  23,  1913. 


CONTBNTS. 


.Votes  of  the  Week 
coeresposdence 

The     charm    of 
Clarklas 

Eucharii*    grand!- 
ttora     

Musk  losing   its 
scent    

A  late-flowerini; 
Horse  Chestnut . . 

Lilium  gigantcum. . 

Convolvul us 

Heavenly     Blue 

(Ipomoea     rubro- 

cserulea) 

Forthcoming  events.. 

FLOWER  Garden 

The  American  Cow- 
slips      

Hardy   annuals  for 
autumn  sowing  . . 
Trees  and  Smttjns 

The    August-flower- 
ing Clematises    . . 

A  1  i  1 1 1  e  -  k  n  o  w  n 
Chilian  shrub     . . 


417 

418 
418 
418 

419 

419 

419 

419 

419 
420 

420 
421 


Greenhouse 
On    scented    Pelar- 
goniums      .  .  422 
Daffodil  Notes     . .     423 
CUT  Flowers   . .     . .    424 
NEW   and   Rare 

Plants 424 

A  new  Chinese  shrub    424 
Gardening  for  Beginners 
How  to  grow  Arum 

Lilies  : 425 

Parsley  for  succession  425 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      426 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      426 

ANSWERS  TO  Corre- 
spondents 


Flower  garden 
Trees  and  shrubs 
Rose  garden   . . 
Greenhouse     . . 
Miscellaneous 
Societies   . . 


427 
427 
427 
427 
428 
428 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

A  ane  plant  of  Eucharis  grandifiorn 418 

American  Cowslips  or  Shooting  stars 419 

The  fragrant  Virgin"?  Bower 421 

Clematis  Viticella  alba 421 

Clematis  Pseudo-flammnla 421 

Eucryphia  pinnaf  ifolia  flowering  at  Kew 422 

A  flowering  spray  of  Eucryphia  pinnatifolia    . .      . .  423 

Spiraea  arborea  grandis         4-4 

How  to  grow  Arum  Lilies 425 


BDITORIAL.    NOTICKS. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  In  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  mil  not  he  responsible  lor  their  sate  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  tmll  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 

As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  lor  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
/.  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  o1  the  copyright  will  be  treated  ipith. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contribittions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use.  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  endence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  mil  alone 
be  recognisea  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistoelf  Street,  Covent  Garden.  W,C. 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 


Hydrangea  cinerea  sterilis. — This  woody 
Hydrangea  is  worthy  of  attention,  either  for  con- 
servatory decoration  or  for  planting  out  of  doors. 
The  corymbs  of  snow  white  flowers  are  not  so 
pyramidal  as  those  of  paniculata  grandifiora, 
nor  yet  so  flat  as  those  of  arborescens. 

Dividing  Spring  Bedding  Plants. — Such  plants 
as  Auriculas,  Daisies,  Primroses,  Polyanthuses, 
Saxifragas  and  many  others  that  are  required  for 
spring  bedding  should  now  be  divided.  Break 
them  up  into  pieces  with  roots  attached,  if  possible, 
and  plant  them  in  a  partially-shaded  place  in  good 
soil,  giving  an  occasional  watering  should  the 
weather  be  at  all  dry.  Wallflowers,  Canterbury 
Bells,  Sweet  Williams,  Foxgloves  and  other  biennials 
should  also  be  transplanted  to  get  good,  sturdy 
plants  for  planting  out  later. 

Salvia  Grahamii. — This  is  a  plant  which  deserves 
to  be  better  known.  It  is  of  shrubby  habit  if 
permitted,  but  may  be  cut  down  in  spring  if 
desired,  when  it  makes  a  nice,  bushy  plant.  Given 
good  soil  and  a  sunny  position,  it  will  attain  to 
3  feet  or  4  feet.  The  flowers  are  bright  crimson 
lake  in  colour,  and  are  produced  on  slender  growths 
clothed  with  small,  bright  green  leaves.  It  is 
reputed  to  be  rather  shy-flowering,  but  a  clump  in 
the  gardens  at  Westwick,  Norwich,  has  proved  quite 
the  opposite,  having  been  in  flower  all  the  summer. 

Seed-Sowing  in  Late  Summer. — Seeds  of  all 
bulbous  or  similar  plants  should  be  sown  now  as 
soon  as  ripe.  By  doing  so,  much  better  results 
are  obtained.  Seeds  of  Primulas  and  many  alpine 
plants  are  best  treated  in  the  same  way,  as  many 
of  them  lose  a  good  deal  of  their  vitality  through 
being  left  till  the  spring,  and,  consequently,  are 
much  slower  in  germinating.  As  seeds  of  many 
bulbous  plants  take  several  yeairs  before  they 
germinate,  it  is  very  important  to  be  sure  that 
the  seeds  which  have  been  sown  some  time  are 
quite  perished  before  disposing  of  the  soil  in 
which  they  are  placed. 

A  Charming  Californian  Plant. — Platystemon 

califomicu?  is  a  pretty  hardy  annual  not  very 
often  seen.  Hailing  from  California,  it  is  known 
as  the  Californian  Poppy,  a  title  which  Esch- 
scholtzia  califomica  has  also  arrogated  to  itself. 
Nicholson  describes  the  flowers  as  yellow,  but 
creamy  white  is  as  near  the  mark,  especially  in 
reference  to  the  tmder  side  of  the  petals,  which 
are  much  in  evidence,  as  the  flowers  close  up  early 
in  the  afternoon  and  remain  closed  on  dull 
days,  when  they  give  the  suggestion  of  creamy 
white  Snowdrops.  It  is  a  desirable  dwarf 
hardy    annual. 

ButterBies  and  Caterpillars. — During  the  past 
ten  days  or  so  there  have  been  great  numbers  of 
butterflies  about,  chiefly  the  large  wliite  Cabbage 
butterfly.  In  past  seasons  caterpillars  have,  in 
many  instances,  entirely  destroyed  Cabbages 
and   Cauliflowers   in   some   town   gardens,   leaving 


only  the  main  stem  and  ribs  of  the  leaves.  Culti- 
vators should,  where  they  possess  only  a  few 
plants,  carefully  examine  the  under  sides  of  the 
leaves  and  destroy  the  clusters  of  eggs  often  fotmd 
there.  Where  there  are  large  breadths  of  plants, 
vigorously  shake  the  leaves,  dislodge  the  eggs, 
scatter  a  small  quantity  of  dust-dry  lime  on  the 
soil,  and  then  rake  it  over  with  an  iron-toothed 
rake.  Both  eggs  and  early  caterpillars  will  thus 
be  destroyed  wholesale. 

The  Barberton  Daisy. — For  several  weeks  past 
a  long,  narrow  border  at  the  foot  of  the  Orchid 
houses  at  Kew  has  been  made  very  effective  by 
the  flowers  of  this  South  African  Composite.  Known 
under  the  name  of  Gerbera  Jamesonii,  the  species 
has  made  rapid  strides  in  public  favour  during  the 
last  twelve  or  fifteen  years,  for  twenty  years  ago 
it  was  scarcely  known  outside  botanic  gardens. 
The  warm,  sunny  position  in  which  the  above- 
mentioned  plants  are  growing  evidently  ensures  the 
exact  conditions  they  desire,  for  every  plant  is  a 
well-developed  specimen  bearing  a  profusion  of 
well-grown,  healthy  leaves,  and  a  large  number 
of  inflorescences  borne  upon  long,  sturdy  stalks. 
The  larger  inflorescences  are  upwards  of  three  inches 
across,  and  the  colour  is,  in  most  cases,  the  rich 
scarlet  peculiar  to  the  best  forms. 

A  New  Wild  Rose. — Lovers  of  the  beautiful 
single  Roses  will  welcome  the  advent  of  Rosa 
sertata,  a  new  variety  from  China.  We 
owe  its  introduction  to  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson,  who 
also  sent  home  two  other  recent  additions  to  our 
wild  Roses,  e.g.,  R.  Moyesii  and  R.  WiUmottise. 
R.  sertata  forms  an  attractive  bush  4  feet  to  5  feet 
high,  with  elegant,  glaucous  green  foliage.  From 
mid-June  onwards,  for  a  month  or  rather  more, 
appear  a  profusion  of  delicate  rose  pink  blooms 
2  inches  or  rather  more  in  diameter.  These  are 
followed  by  quantities  of  bright  red  fruits,  which 
hang  in  small  clusters,  two,  three,  or  more  together, 
from  the  long,  arching  growths.  The  fruits  are 
about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  long,  sub-globose 
or  urceolate.  R.  sertata  will  make  a  nice  Rose 
for  hedges,  being  well  furnished  to  the  base. 

A  Good  Californian  Lilac. — The  various  ever- 
green kinds  of  Ceanothus  form  excellent  wall  plants, 
but  possibly  none  is  better  than  C.  th>-rsiflorus 
griseus  so  far  as  free-flowering  qualities  go.  C. 
thyrsiflorus  is  knovm  as  the  Californian  Lilac, 
but  the  variety  tmder  notice  can,  perhaps,  lay 
better  claim  to  that  name,  for  the  flowers  of  the  type 
are  blue,  while  those  of  the  variety  are  pale  mauve 
in  colour  and  are  borne  in  larger  heads  than  those 
of  the  type.  C.  thyrsiflorus  is  one  of  the  hardiest 
of  the  spring-flowering  kinds,  and  grows  into  a 
large  bush  in  the  open  ground  at  Kew.  The  variety 
is,  however,  grown  on  walls,  and  few  objects  attract 
more  attention  during  late  May,  for  every  branchlet 
is  terminated  with  a  fine  inflorescence.  Anyone 
who  has  wall  space  to  spare,  whether  it  faces  east, 
south,  or  west,  might  give  this  and  other  Ceano- 
thuses  a  trial. 


418 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  23,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

[Tke  Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the  opinions 
expressed    by  correspondents.) 


Ornamental  Gourds  at  Edinburgh. — In  some 
of  the  beds  in  Princes  Street  Gardens,  Edinburgh, 
several  varieties  of  ornamental  Gourds  with  ripe 
fruit  have  been  used  as  dot  plants,  with  good  effect. 
The  only  drawback  in  connection  with  them  is 
the  innumerable  questions  asked  by  visitors, 
including  earnest  enquiries  as  to  how  they  should 
be  served  at  table. — Visitor. 

Anemone  japonica  Gracieuse. — I  am  not  sure 
whether  this  double  Japanese  Anemone  emanated 
from  Nancy  or  Paris,  but  it  is  a  most  desirable 
variety.  It  is  the  most  vigorous  of  all  the 
varieties  which  I  have  seen,  including  the  type. 
In  colour  it  does  not  vary  much  from  several 
other  varieties,  but  it  is  most  floriferous,  each 
stem  bearing  from  ten  to  fourteen  flowers. — C.  C. 


Olearias  and  Ceanothuses  in  our  best  cultivated 
borders,  but  more  a  subject  to  use  freely  in  the 
less  important  shrubbery  borders  and  grow  in 
masses  in  the  open  woodland  or  serai-wild  parts 
of  the  pleasure  grounds.  The  double  pink  blossoms 
are  borne  at  the  ends  of  the  shoots  in  long,  terminal 
panicles,  and  might  be  very  well  compared  to  a 
double  pink  Daisy,  so  numerous  and  closely  set 
are  the  petals.  Rubus  fruticosus  roseo  pleno 
and  R.  ulmifolius  flore  pleno  are  the  two  best- 
known  names  of  this  Bramble,  though  at  various 
times  it  has  had  at  least  two  more. — A.  B. 

Eucharis  grandiflora,  or,  as  it  is  more  often 
named,  E.  amazonica,  although  introduced  from 
New  Grenada  in  1854,  still  occupies  a  prominent 
position  in  any  collection  of  exotic  plants.  Its 
beautiful,  shining,  Aspidistra-like  foliage  gives 
it  a  charm  even  when  not  in  flower.  It  forms  at 
all  times  an  excellent  subject  for  the  stove,  where 
it  enjoys  during  active  growth  a  maximum  amount 


A    FINE    PLANT    OF    EUCHARIS    GRANDIFLORA    GROWN    BY   MR.  WEBSTER    AT    BECKENHAM. 


Huge  Rhododendrons. — "  S.  A."  has  an  inter- 
esting note  on  the  large  Rhododendron  in  the 
gardens  at  Culzeaii  Castle,  Ayrshire  (page  383). 
It  may  further  interest  your  readers  to  know  that 
there  is  a  Rhododendron  forest  on  the  estate  of 
the  Earl  of  Malmesbury  at  Heron  Court,  Hamp- 
shire. Lord  Malmesbury  very  kindly  opens  the 
forest  mentioned  to  visitors  when  the  plants  are 
in  flower.  These  Rhododendrons  form  long 
avenues,  meeting  overhead,  many  of  them  being 
of  vast  proportions.  They  cover  a  considerable 
space,  some  of  which  is  on  a  gentle  slope,  and  as 
the  surface  soil  has  been  washed  away,  thousands 
of  huge  roots,  forming  a  veritable  network,  are 
exposed.  The  plants  are  chiefly,  I  believe,  of  the 
ponticum  type. — G.  G. 

An  Attractive  Double  Pink  Bramble. — This 
is  one  of  the  showiest  of  the  flowering  Brambles, 
and  the  fact  that  it  blooms  during  August,  after 
the  majority  of  the  flowering  shrubs  are  past, 
adds  considerably  to  its  value.  It  is,  however, 
not  exactly  a  shrub  to  associate  with  Eucryphias, 


of  both  top  and  bottom  heat,  with  abundant 
moisture.  Unlike  most  plants,  it  can  be  flowered 
twice  or  even  three  times  a  year  by  varying  treat- 
ment. To  obtain  these  results,  immediately  after 
flowering  active  growth  should  be  encouraged 
by  abundant  heat  and  moisture,  aided  by  the 
application  of  weak  liquid  manures  (including 
soot-water)  until  the  new  foliage  is  perfectly 
developed,  a  gradual  reduction  then  taking  place 
until  the  foliage  becomes  sufiiciently  hardened  to 
allow  removal  of  the  plants  to  a  drier  and  cooler 
atmosphere,  to  remain  there  until  it  is  desirable  they 
should  bloom.  During  this  resting  and  ripening 
period  only  just  sufllcient  water  should  be  applied 
to  prevent  the  leaves  suffering.  Six  weeks  before 
the  blooms  are  required,  all  that  is  necessary  is  to 
place  the  plants  in  extra  heat.  Bottom-heat  at  this 
stage  is  a  great  factor  to  simultaneous  flowering. 
The  plant  illustrated  is  6  feet  in  diameter ;  it 
produced  thirty-six  spikes,  with  an  average  of 
five  blooms  to  each.  It  was  grown  on  from  a  small 
plant,    potted    in    loam    mixed    with    old    mortar 


sittings.  Some  years  ago  the  plant  was  badly 
attacked  by  Eucharis  mite,  showing  distinct  red 
streaks  above  and  below  the  soil  on  the  leaf-stalks. 
Repeated  applications  of  lime-water  gave  good 
results.  It  would  appear  almost  unnecessary,  * 
considering  the  large  quantity  of  water  required 
during  the  periods  of  active  growth,  to  say  that 
perfect  drainage  is  essential  to  success. — Mark 
Webster,  Kelsey  Park  Gardens.  Beckenham,  Kent. 

The  Charm  of  Clarkias. — Judging  from  notices 
in  The  Garden,  considerable  attention  is  being 
given  to  these  lovely  annuals  at  the  present  time, 
and  no  wonder,  for  some  of  the  newer  double 
varieties  are  great  improvements  on  the  old  single 
ones.  Three  particularly  beautiful  ones  which 
I  have  seen  this  summer  are  Orange  King,  Queen 
Mary  and  Purple  Prince.  The  last  is  of  that 
unfortunate  magtnta  shade  which  never  seems 
to  have  many  friends,  but  which  is  not  bad  when 
you  get  it  alone.  Queen  Mary  is  a  rich  deep  rose, 
very  bright  and  most  effective,  as  visitors  who  saw 
it  at  the  "  International  "  will  remember.  Orange 
King  is  a  rich  cerise  pink,  the  middle  of  the  flower 
being  the  darker.  As  pot  plants  for  conservatory, 
corridor,  hall,  or  large  drawing-room  decoration 
they  are  superb,  I  was  talking  to  Mr.  N.  F. 
Barnes  of  Eaton  Hall  Gardens  at  our  local  show 
not  long  since,  and  I  was  delighted  to  find  him 
equally  enthusiastic  over  the  merits  of  Clarkias 
generally  when  grown  in  pots.  He  said  how  well 
the  soft  pink  and  rose  shades  blend  with  the  mauves 
and  pale  heliotropes  of  Schizanthus.  Their  culture 
is  of  the  simplest,  and  they  seem  able  to  adapt 
themselves  to  different  sizes  of  pots  and  to  bloom 
freely  in  all  of  them — the  rule  being  the  larger 
the  pot  the  taller  the  plant,  and  vice  versa  in 
reason — the  minimum  size  that  I  would  advise 
being  a  si-inch. — Joseph  Jacob. 

Musk  Losing  Its  Scent. — I  see  it  is  suggested 
in  your  issue  for  August  9,  page  395,  that  Musk 
never  did  smell  stronger  than  it  does  to-day.  I 
cannot  say  that  I  ever  found  an  outdoor  specimen 
with  a  strong  scent,  but  years  ago  I  distinctly 
remember  a  sunny  greenhouse  fiUed  in  the  spring 
with  the  delightful  perfume  of  this  plant.  I  have 
lately  raised  plants  from  seed  and  obtained  them 
from  various  sources,  but  they  have  all  been 
nearly  scentless,  and  friends  have  remarked  on 
the  same  peculiarity.  The  scent  of  plants,  however, 
is  not  a  mere  freak  of  Nature,  but  is  produced  to 
attract  insects  to  the  blossoms,  as  was  pointed  out 
by  another  correspondent  some  weeks-  back.  For 
this  reason  the  scent  is  most  apparent  when  con- 
ditions of  atmosphere  favour  the  visits  of  the 
fertilising  insects.  Thus,  some  plants  smell  most 
strongly  after  rain  ;  others  when  the  air  is  sultry  ; 
others,  which  are  visited  by  night  insects,  only 
smell  after  sunset.  The  ordinary  little  yellow 
pot  Musk  is,  I  believe,  a  native  of  North-West 
America,  and  was  not  known  in  England  till 
after  1826.  It  brought  its  scent  with  it  when 
it  came  to  us,  but  it  is  not  improbable  that  the 
insects  which  fertilise  it  in  its  native  home  are  not 
known  in  our  island.  It  has,  therefore,  been 
obliged  to  fall  back  on  some  other  means  of  fertili- 
sation, and  its  scent,  being  no  longer  useful  to  it, 
has  gradually  disappeared,  vanishing  first  from 
those  plants  grown  in  the  open,  where  colder 
conditions  seemed  most  unfavourable  to  insect 
visitors.  It  was  not  until  the  scent  had  almost 
vanished  that  the  fact  was  brought  to  general 
notice.  I  give  this  suggestion  for  what  it  is  worth, 
but  it  would  be  interesting  to  know  whether  Musk 
still  smells  in  its  native  haunts  and  by  what  insects 
it  is  fertilised  there. — E.  A.  P. 


August  23,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


419 


A  Late-Flowering  Horse  Chestnut.— .■Gsculus 

parviflora,  tho  Shrubby  Buckeye,  is  an  August- 
flowering  shrub  of  considerable  value  for  the 
pleasure  grounds  and  shrubbery  borders.  A 
native  of  the  South-Easteni  United  States,  when 
growing  in  the  open  it  forms  a  large,  shapely  bush 
8  feet  or  more  in  height  and  sometimes  double 
as  much  through.  When  growing  in  suitable 
soil  and  surroundings,  suckers  push  up  freely. 
M.  parviflora  has  the  familiar  digitate  Chestnut 
leaf  and  a  long,  slender  inflorescence  of  white 
flowers  with  prominent  stamens.  Seeds  ripen  in 
this  country  during  a  favourable  autumn. — O. 
Lililim    giganteum. — The    illustration     of    the 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


THE     AMERICAN    COWSLIPS. 

HE  Dodecatheons,  American  Cowslips, 
or  Shooting  Stars  as  they  are  popularly 
known,  belong  to  the  Primula  family, 
though  quite  unlike  them  in  general 
appearance.  They  have,  however,  the 
refle.xing  petals  of  the  Cyclamen, 
which  also  belong  to  the  same  great  family  ;  nothing, 
however,  to  suggest  that  they  are  allied  to  the 
Primroses.  Both  botanically  and  horticulturally 
they  may  be  regarded  as  a  small  race,  yet,  when 


T 


Liliums  growing  in  Lady  Trevor's  garden  at  Chirk,  '  we  have  learnt  to  know  them  and  grow  them, 
which  appeared  on  page  382,  issue 
August  2,  shows  remarkably  fine 
specimens.  I  have  just  seen  a  plant 
in  a  sandy  border  in  a  towni  garden 
ill  Hampshire.  It  is  a  poor  plant, 
and  I  was  told  that  they — owner 
and  gardener — could  not  succeed  in 
growing  this  Lilium.  In  a  garden 
on  a  bill  not  far  away  there  has 
been  no  difficulty  experienced  in 
growing  grand  plants  in  a  partially- 
shaded  position,  which  bears  out 
Lady  Trevor's  contention  that  a 
shady  place  is  best. — B. 

Convolvulus     Heavenly     Blue 
(Ipomcea  rubro-caerulea).— It    is 

not  every  year  that  one  is  able 
to  speak  of  success  out  of  doors 
with  this  most  lovely  flower,  but 
just  now  it  is  a  sight  worth  seeing. 
On  two  patches  on  a  wall  facing 
south-west  there  were,  on  the 
morning  of  August  4,  thirty-three 
and  thirty-eight  open  blooms  re- 
spectively, the  plants  in  each  case 
growing  in  light,  warm  soil, 
covering  only  the  modest  space 
of  5  feet  high  by  3J  feet  wide. 
In  one  of  the  patches  fifteen 
blooms  were  so  closely  grouped 
together  that  they  all  touched  or 
overlapped.  The  sight  of  this 
comparatively  large  expanse  of 
this  most  perfect  blue  was  a  thing 
to  remember  with  thankfulness  for 
the  gift  of  such  astounding  beauty. 
The  flower  is  of  extreme  purity, 
both  of  form  and  texture,  the 
wonderful  blue  being  enhanced  by 
a  faint  suspicion  of  yellow  in  the 
tube.  It  is  a  matter  for  regret  that 
so  lovely  a  thing  should  be  so 
fugacious,  for  after  midday  the 
flower  loses  its  purity  and  by  the 
afternoon  has  turned  to  a  muddy 
pink.  It  is  only  fair  to  say  that 
the  plants  were  grown  from  Messrs.  Sutton's  seeds. 
It  is  well  to  know  that  so  good  a  strain  is  avail- 
able, for  in  former  years  the  best  one  could  obtain 
were  more  rank  in  growth  and  the  flowers  much 
fewer. — G.  Jekyll. 


AMERICAN     COWSLIPS 


OR     SHOOTING 
MEADIA). 


STARS         DODECATHEON 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

August  28. — Flower  Show?  at  Dundee  (three 
days)  and  Sandy. 

August  29. — Flower  Shows  at  Dunfermline 
(two  days),  Falkirk  and  Lymington. 

August  30. — Flower  Shows  at  East  Linton, 
Melrose,  Conway,  Penicuik  and  Whaley  Bridge. 
Co-partnership  Festival. 


they  have  quite  an  importance  of  their -own.  We 
say  this  much  advisedly,  because  of  the  too 
frequent  text-book  recommendations  that  these 
plants — and  not  thes.e  alone— are  particularly 
partial  to  "  light,  gritty  loam."  So  often  does 
one  meet  with  these  or  similar  words  to  indicate 
the  class  of  soil  in  which  a  plant  should  be 
grown  that  not  only  do  they  appear  in  the 
nature  of  a  stock  phrase,  from  which  apparently 
there  is  no  departing,  but  the  reader  comes  to 
regard  them  lightly  and  as  having  but  little 
importance.  In  "  The  Hardy  Flower  Book " 
(Jenkins)  we  are  told  that  they  "  love  cool  and 
shady    places     in     peat     and     loam,"    a    slight 


departure  from  everyday  recommendations,  and 
one  which,  in  the  briefest  of  sentences,  indicates 
the  position  these  plants  prefer  as  well  as  soil.  This 
to  the  amateur  or  beginner  who  knows  but  little  of 
the  requirements  of  his  plants,  we  regard  as 
important — educational  in  the  highest  degree.  Such 
information  prevents  a  cool  or  moisture-loving  plant 
being  placed  in  the  sunny  border  to  starve 
at  the  outset,  and  affords  encouragement  to 
the  planter  to  continue  his  work.  These 
American  Cowslips  blossom  in  our  gardens  in 
springtime,  though  for  the  most  part  in  May  and 
early  June.  It  cannot  be  said  of  any  of  them  that 
they  possess  great  vigour ;  D.  Jeffreyi  is  the  most 
vigorous  of  them  all.  Their  greater  attributes 
are  perfect  hardiness,  freedom  of 
flowering  when  well  suited,  and  a 
grace  and  charm  none  will  deny. 
They  are  of  the  true  deciduous 
perennial  class,  i.e.,  they  die 
completely  to  the  earth  each  year, 
losing  both  leaves  and  stems  in 
the  great  majority  of  instances. 
Whether  such  plants  are  more 
complete  in  their  hardiness  because 
of  the  fact  might  prove  a  moot 
point ;  in  any  case  they  lend 
themselves  to  liberal  mulchings 
of  soil  or  manure  in  a  way 
that  many  plants  do  not.  It 
will  be  seen,  too,  by  a  close 
observance  of  the  rootstock  that 
such  mulchings  are  essential, 
inasmuch  as  there  is  a  marked 
tendency  in  the  established 
examples  to  lift  themselves 
slightly  above  the  soil.  Hence 
an  inch-thick  mulch  of  rich 
soil — half  loam,  half  well-decayed 
manure  —  may  be  given  each 
year  in  early  autumn  with 
advantage.  So  graceful  and 
pretty  in  effect  are  these  plants 
that,  apart  from  a  general  re- 
commendation to  plant  in  cool 
and  shady  places,  they  may 
also  be  planted  in  cool  recesses  in 
the  rock  garden  where  sheltering 
bank  or  rock  exists  behind. 
Upon  more  than  one  occasion 
when  experimenting  with  hardy 
plants  we  have  given  them  posi- 
tions in  the  bog,  treating  them 
in  winter-time  to  free  appli- 
cations of  liquid  manure,  the 
result  convincing  us  that  the 
twain  were  quite  congenial  to 
their  well-being. 

Cultural  Hints.  —  Generally 
speaking,  the  plants  are  rather  slow 
to  establish ;  hence  should  not 
frequently  be  disturbed.  For  this  reason  a  deep 
bed  of  rich  soil  should  be  prepared,  and  yotmg 
plants,  preferably  strong  seedlings,  put  out  in 
plenty.  Where  divided  plants  are  employed, 
the  divisions  should  be  made  rather  small,  as  these, 
in  common  with  not  a  few  herbaceous  subjects, 
do  not  retake  kindly  to  the  soil  when  planted 
in  large  clumps.  The  best  methods  of  increase 
are  by  seeds,  which  should  be  sown  soon  after 
maturing,  and  by  root  cuttmgs,  which  is  perhaps 
the  most  expeditious  of  all.  In  the  case  of  any 
particularly  good  variety  it  is  without  an  equal, 
but  it  can  only  be  employed  advantageously 
when   the  plants  are  dormant-     As  there  is  not  a 


m 


THE    GARDEN. 


[August  23,  igi;-^. 


great  variety  of  colour  at  present  existing,  hybridis- 
ing may  be  found  of  interest  to  those  engaging 
in  the  improvement  of  hardy  plants  generally. 
The  best  planting  season  is  early  autumn, 
though  it  may  be  done  at  other  seasons  when 
youthful  plants  are  established  m  pots.  The 
followmg  are  some  of  the  leading  kinds  now  in 
cultivation  : 

D.  integrifolium. — A  rather  dwarf  plant  of 
not  more  than  6  inches  to  8  inches  high,  and, 
without  doubt,  the  richest  coloured  of  all. 
The  predominant  colour  is  deep  crimson,  the 
base  of  the  petals  white,  emerging  from  an  orange- 
coloured  cup.  Rocky  Mountains.  A  deeper- 
coloured  variety  of  this  plant  is  often  catalogued 
as  splendens. 

D.  Jeflreyi. — The  tallest  and  most  vigorous 
growing  of  the  race,  quite  distinct  in  these  respects 
and  in  habit  general,  while  resembling  a  rather 
deep-coloured  form  of  D.  Meadia  in  its  flowers. 
Quite  2  feet  in  height  in  the  ordinary  way,  the 
plant  reaches  its  fullest  development  in  moist 
clay.  It  succeeds  admirably,  however,  in  deep, 
rich  loam  with  abmidant  moisture.  A  little  of 
the  vigoiu:  of  this  fine  plant  in  the  dwarfer  and 
more  richly-coloured  varieties  would  be  very 
acceptable.  It  is  certainly  worthy  of  the  thought 
of  the  intelligent  hybridist. 

D.  Meadia  (see  illustration).^It  is  this  species 
Mid  its  varieties  that  are  best  known  to  cultivators. 
It  is  a  choice  and  elegant-growing  herbaceous 
plant  of  12  inches  or  15  inches  high,  more  slender 
or  graceful  of  stem  than  the  last  named,  and  bearing 
umbels  of  drooping  flowers,  as  shown  in  the  illus- 
tration. The  predominant  colour  of  the  petals 
is  purplish  ;  in  some  varieties  it  is  blush  or  lilac. 
There  is  also  a  white  variety,  D.  M.  alba.  Distinc- 
tive varieties  bearing  such  names  as  elegans, 
splendidum,  lilacinum  and  giganteum  also  occur 
in  the  catalogues  of  the  specialists,  and  these, 
planted  separately  in  colours  or  in  mixture,  are 
capable  of  providing  pretty  effects  either  in  the 
rock  or  bog  garden. 


HARDY      ANNUALS      FOR     AUTUMN 
SOWING. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  there  is  any  other  class  of 
plants  which  by  the  expenditure  of  a  few  shillings  in 
the  purchase  of  seeds  will  produce  such  a  variety 
and  brilliant  display  of  flowers  for  garden  decoration 
and  cutting.  Annuals  are  quite  as  valuable  in  the 
small  garden  as  in  the  large  one.  The  time  to  sow 
the  seeds  is  a  matter  requiring  consideration,  and  a 
subject  about  which  no  hard-and-fast  lines  can 
be  followed.  The  nature  of  the  soil  in  the  garden, 
whether  heavy  or  light,  the  locality  where  the 
garden  is  situated,  and  its  position,  whether  favour- 
ably placed  for  sun  and  screened  from  cold  winds, 
or  very  much  shut  in  and  enclosed,  making  it 
unsuitable  for  some  plants,  are  all  matters  that 
need  attention.  There  are  points  in  favour 
of  both  autumn  and  spring  sowing,  which  it 
will  be  just  as  well  to  survey  before  dealing  in 
detail  with  the  different  sorts  or  varieties  of 
annuals.  First  of  all,  let  it  be  clearly  understood 
that  if  full  advantage  is  to  be  taken  of  the  great 
value  of  hardy  annuals  in  the  garden,  both  autumn 
and  spring  sowing  of  the  seeds  in  some  way  or 
another  must  be  practised.  By  sowing  the  seeds 
at  different  times  and  under  several  conditions,  the 
flowering  season  is  considerably  prolonged  and  the 
varied  requirements  of  the  respective  annuals 
suited. 


Cultivation  on  Heavy  Soils. — Sowing  seeds  on 
soils  of  a  clayey  nature  which  are  heavy  and  wet 
is  not  a  profitable  business  in  autumn.  Failures 
and  losses  are  usually  considerable.  The  most 
notable  exception  are  Poppies,  which  survive  an 
ordinary  winter  on  heavy  gromid  very  well.  The 
best  method  of  procedure  for  annuals  on  sucli  soils 
is  to  set  apart  a  border  in  a  warm  and  sheltered  posi- 
tion, under  a  wall  or  fence  with  a  south  or  south- 
west exposure,  in  which  to  raise  the  seedlings. 
Thorough  drainage  of  the  seed-bed  in  winter 
being  of  the  utmost  importance,  6  inches  to  9  inches 
of  the  top  soil  should  be  removed  and  replaced 
with  a  similar  amount  of  clinkers  and  ashes.  A 
compost  of  light,  sandy  soil  to  the  depth  of  about 
six  inches  must  be  spread  over  this,  so  that  the 
seed-bed  is  raised  well  above  the  groimd-level, 
similar  to  an  Asparagus-bed,  for  instance.  In 
most  instances  this  will  be  sufficient  ;  but  if  more 
protection  is  required,  a  handy-man  with  a  few 
boards  and  several  odd  lights  will  soon  fix  up  a 
temporary  frame.  It  wUl  be  preferable  to  place 
the  boards  in  position  previous  to  sowing  the  seeds, 
but  the  lights  should  only  be  used  during  bad 
weather,  e.g.,  severe  frost,  heavy  rains,  or  snow. 
Always  remember  that,  however  much  care  and 
attention  we  devote  to  the  culture  of  autumn- 
sown  annuals,  they  are  hardy  plants,  and 
must  not  be  unduly  coddled,  simply  protecting 
them  against  the  extremes  of  our  variable  British 
climate. 

Sowing  in  Light  or  Sandy  Soil. — In  gardens 
where  the  soil  is  fairly  light  and  well  drained, 
the  most  satisfactory  results,  with  a  few  exceptions, 
are  obtained  by  sowing  the  seeds  where  it  is  intended 
the  plants  should  flower.  This,  however,  is  not 
always  possible,  for  the  ground  may  not  be  avail- 
able when  it  is  time  to  sow  the  seeds,  being  occupied 
with  other  plants  still  in  bloom.  Here,  again, 
the  reserve  border  will  be  useful  in  which  to  raise  the 
seedlmgs,  transferring  them  to  their  flowering 
quarters  a  couple  of  months  later,  or  in  late  March 
and  early  April,  whenever  the  ground  is  vacant. 
There  are  two  methods  of  sowing  the  seeds,  one  of 
which  is  broadcast,  that  is,  scattering  the  seeds 
thinly  and  evenly  all  over  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
afterwards  raking  it  thoroughly  to  bury  the  seeds. 
With  one  or  two  exceptions,  notably  Sweet  Peas, 
this  is  the  usual  procedure  when  sowing  the  seeds 
where  the  plants  are  to  flower.  Sowing  in  drills 
or  straight  lines  i  inch  to  ij  inches  deep, 
made  with  a  draw  hoe,  is  the  preferable 
method  when  transplanting  is  intended,  filling  in 
the  shallow  drills  by  carefully  raking  over  the 
surface  after  sowing.  Lifting  the  seedlings  is 
much  easier  for  transplanting  when  they  are  in 
straight  lines. 

The  ground  for  transplanted  seedlings  should,  if 
possible,  be  prepared  a  month  before  it  is  required, 
to  allow  it  to  settle  down  and  be  in  good  condition 
for  planting.  Too  much  emphasis  cannot  be 
laid  on  thm  sowing.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  waste 
of  seeds  to  sow  otherwise,  and  then  in  a  crowded 
seed-bed  the  seedlings  become  drawn  and  sickly, 
have  more  difficulty  in  surviving  the  winter, 
take  a  lot  more  looking  after  before  the  flowermg 
stage  is  reached,  perhaps  require  a  stake  for 
support,  and  certainly  do  not  flower  so  freely 
and  make  such  a  good  show  as  a  well-grown, 
sturdy  plant  from  birth.  When  a  quantity  of  fine 
seeds  have  to  be  sown,  it  considerably  facilitates 
the  operation  to  mix  the  seeds  with  sand.  In  this 
way  a  thin  and  even  distribution  of  the  seeds  is 
obtained  when  sowing  broadcast. 
{To  be  continued.) 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 


THE     AUGUST-FLOWERING 
CLEM  ATISES. 

BEAUTIFUL  at  whatever  season  ol  the 
year  they  flower,  those  Clematises 
wliich  blossom  in  August  are  particu- 
I  larly  valuable,  as  at  this  season 
there  are  comparatively  few  shrubs 
flowering  in  the  pleasure  grounds  and 
shrubbery  borders.  As  they  vary  in  height  from 
about  three  feet  to  fifteen  feet  or  more,  there  are 
a  variety  of  ways  in  which  tliey  may  be  effectively 
planted.  All  those  mentioned  in  these  notes 
require  support  of  some  kind,  varying  from  a  few 
short  Pea-sticks  in  the  case  of  the  shorter-growing 
ones  to  tall  rustic  poles.  These  August-flowering 
Clematises  should  be  freely  planted  in  town  and 
suburban  gardens,  being  admirably  adapted  for 
clothing  fences,  rustic  arches,  porches,  screens, 
trellis-work  and  arbours.  They  also  seem  to  succeed 
in  the  soils  of  such  gardens,  presumably  because 
the  builder  leaves  plenty  of  mortar  rubble  and 
broken  bricks  behind,  to  which  Clematis  plants 
are  partial. 

The  Lady's  Bower  (C.  Viticella  and  its  varieties) 
has  flowers  of  moderate  size,  and  succeeds  better 
in  most  gardens  than  the  larger-flowered  C.  Jack- 
manii  and  C.  lanuginosa  types,  not  being  liable  to 
collapse  suddenly.  Hardy  and  vigorous  in  growth, 
the  varieties  of  C.  Viticella  produce  long,  graceful 
growths,  which  may  be  looped  loosely  to  rustic 
arches,  fences  and  arbours,  with  pleasing  results. 
.\  good  range  of  colour  is  available,  there  being 
numerous  shades  of  blue,  red  and  pure  white. 
A  selection  of  the  best  sorts  should  include  alba, 
rubra,  atrorubens,  Ville  de  Lyon,  ascotensis,  and 
Viticella  the  type.  There  is  a  double  variety, 
flore  pleno,  but  the  flowers  are  not  so  attractive 
as  the  single  ones.  Three  rustic  poles  with  spurs 
fixed  tripod  fashion,  8  feet  to  10  feet  high,  look 
very  effective  in  a  shrubbery  border  clothed  with 
C.  Viticella. 

C.  Pseudo-flammula  is  a  delightful  small-flowered, 
upright-growing  species,  producing  a  wealth  ol 
creamy  white  blossoms  in  the  way  of  C.  recta. 
It  attains  about  five  feet  in  height,  requiring  only 
the  support  of  a  few  Pea-sticks.  A  native  of  the 
Caucasus,  C.  Pseudo-flammula  is  at  its  best  the 
first  week  in  August,  two  to  three  weeks  in  advance 
of  that  species.  It  is  also  not  nearly  so  tall  in 
growth,  not  perhaps,  strictly  speaking,  being  a 
climber.  The  flowers  are  deliciously  fragrant, 
suggesting  Vanilla. 

Quite  a  number  of  the  smaller-flowered  Clematises 
blossom  during  the  present  month.  Those  with 
the  elegant,  drooping,  bell-shaped  blossoms  prettily 
recurved  at  the  edges  deserve  attention,  being  very 
floriferous  and  easy  to  cultivate.  Supported  with 
a  few  short  Pea-sticks,  C.  integrifoha  (purple), 
varieties  rosea  and  alba  attain  a  height  of  3  feet  to 
5  feet  or  more.  C.  globosa  and  C.  intermedia  are 
evidently  hybrids  of  C.  integrifolia,  resembhng  that 
species  in  growth  and  shape  of  the  flowers,  but  the 
latter  are  a  little  larger  and  have  more  substance. 
Two  hybrids  (C.  Viticella  x  C.  integrifoha) 
named  C.  Hendersonii  and  C.  Clocheton,  both 
with  dark  purple  flowers,  are  very  free-flowering, 
and  attain  a  height  of  6  feet  in  the  case  of  C. 
Hendersonii,  but  C.  Clocheton,  though  not  so  tall, 
is  perhaps  a  little  sturdier  in  growth.  In  the 
graceful,  drooping  poise  of  the  flowers  the  influence 
of  C.  integrifolia  is  readily  seen.  C.  Durandii 
is  another  C.  integrifolia  hybrid,  but  in  this  case 


August  23,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


421 


the    large,    flat    flowers,    5    inches 

across,  take  after  tlie  large-flowered 

parent.      C.    Durandii   has    purple 

flowers,  while  another  ?ort  similar 

in     form    named    C.    pallida    has 

lighter-coloured  blossoms.   Both  are 

free    in    growth    and    adapted    for 

arches,    pillars    and    clothing    tall 

fences. 
C.  Flammula  rubro-marginata  is 

a    dainty,    small-flowered    variety 

with  white  blossoms  prettily  mar- 
gined    with     rosy    purple.       The 

slender,   trailing    growths  may  be 

utilised    for    clothing  porches,   ve- 
randahs. &c..,  where  the  deliciously 

fragrant   blossoms   will    be    appre- 
ciated. 

It    is    during   August    that   the 

Jackmanii  Clematises  are  at   their 

best.    Though  hundreds  are  planted 

every  year,   their  successful   culti- 
vation is  not  general.    Observations 

of  plants  in    a   thriving   condition 

suggest   that   they  do  not  like   the 

hot    sun    shining    on    the    stems. 

Deep  planting  is  another  fault,  and 

the      soil,     though      rich,     should 

be      well      drained     and     contain 

plenty    of     lime — mortar     rubble, 

for   instance.      There   are    several 

ways  in  which  the  sun  shining  on 

the   bark    of    the    stem     may   be 

prevented.     Plant  on  a  west  or  north-west  aspect    or  on   a   fence   with   shrubs  in   the   foreground   to 

against  a  porch,  verandah,  wall,  or  fence.    Associate    hide  the  lower  part   of  the  stem.     A  selection   of 

with   the    Clematis  a  white  Jessamine  or  Honey-    the  best   of  Jackman's  Clematises  are  Jackmanii, 

suckle,   and   plant   them  in   the  shrubbery  borders    violet  purple  ;    J.  superba,  very  dark  violet  purple  ; 

where  the  shrubs  are   4  feet   to  5   feet   in  height,    J.  Snow  White,  pure  white  ;   J.  rubra,  dark  velvety 

red  ;  Gipsy  Queen,  velvety 
purple  ;  and  Mme.  E.  .^ndre, 
bright  velvety  red. 

Though  flowering  for  some 
two  months  past,  there  are 
still  a  considerable  number  of 
the  showy  rich  yellow  flowers 
on  C.  orientalis  var.  tangutica. 
These  are  followed  by  flufTy 
balls  of  seeds,  which  add  con- 
siderably to  their  attraction. 
Rambling  over  a  few  rough 
sticks  placed  against  a  fence  or 
screen,  this  Clematis  may  be 
expected  to  thrive. 


THE      FRAGRANT    VIRGIN's     BOWER    (CLEMATIS    FLAMMULA)    GROWING 
OVER    RUSTIC    POLES. 


wall  where  the  soil  is  dry.  Ex- 
perience with  the  Eucryphias  at 
Kew  points  to  these  conditions 
being  unfavourable,  for  while  a 
little  protection  may  be  desir- 
able, moisture  and  shelter  from 
the  fiercest  rays  of  the  sun  are 
more  important. 

The  plant  illustrated,  gromng 
in  a  bed  of  the  Mediterranean 
Heath  2j  feet  to  3  feet  high, 
is  evidently  happy  in  its  sur- 
roundings. The  Heaths  keep  the 
ground  cool  and  shade  the  lower 
part  of  the  plant.  Shelter  from 
intense  sun-heat  is  afforded  by 
tall  trees  growing  at  a  distance, 
though  this  point  does  not  seem 
so  important  as  the  prevention 
nf  the  baking  of  the  surface 
soil. 

The  Kew  plants  are  growing 
in  sandy  loam,  with  a  little 
pest  and  leaf-mould  worked  in 
previous  to  planting.  An  occa- 
sional top  -  dressing  of  decayed 
leaves  is  beneficial.  The  largest 
bush  is  10  feet  high  and  clothed 
with  white  flowers  zj  inches  to 
3  inches  across,  not  unlike  a 
large  single  Rose,  with  a  tuft  of 
stamens  in  the  centre.  E.  pinnati- 
folia  is  an  evergreen,  and  may 
be  propagated  by  layering  or  cuttings  and  seeds, 
which  occasionally  ripen  in  this  country.  One 
I'loks  forward  to  the  time  when  this  rare  Chilian 
shrub  becomes  a  thing  of  beauty  in  most  gardens 
of  this  country.  A.  O. 


CLEMATIS    VITICELr,.\  ALBA,    A  VIGOROUS-GROWING 
VARIETY  SUITABLE    FOR    CLOTHING    LOW    TREES. 


A     LITTLE -KNOWN 
CHILIAN  SHRUB. 

(EUCRYPHIA    PINNATIFOLIA.) 

The  illustration  on  page  422 
shows  a  beautiful  bush  of  this 
comparatively  rare  Chilian  shrub 
flowering  at  Kew.  Although 
introduced  as  long  ago  as  1862. 
it  has  never  become  common  in 
gardens,  presumably  because 
many  of  the  bushes  have  not 
been  planted  in  positions  favour- 
able to  their  growth.  Naturally, 
when  planting  choice  treasures 
such  as  this  Eucryphia,  what 
are  supposed  to  be  the  most 
favourable  spots  are  chosen. 
Probably  in  most  instances 
this  shrtib  lias  been  planted 
at    the   foot   of    a   sunny   south 


CLEMATIS  PSEUDO  FLAMMULA.       THE  FLOWERS  ARE 
DELICIOUSLY    FRAGRANT    SUGGESTING  VANILLA. 


422 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  23,  1913. 


TH  E    GREENHOUSE. 


ON 


this  puzzle  for  us  amateurs  ;    and  also  the  other 
question  of  nomenclature,  on  which  I  touched  in 

SCENTED     PELARGONIUMS.         ^y  1°"^^'  f'<^\^-     I  l°«i^  '°  Wisley  to  take  these 

matters  m  hand,   for  I  consider  the  classification 

(Continued  from  page  412.)  ^^^j   proper   naming   of   specimens   the   two   main 

3.  Classification. — ^This    brings    me    to    one    of    stumbling-blocks  in   forming   a  collection.     Mean- 

the  great  difficulties  of  forming  a  collection.     There    while,  let  me  give  the  intending  collector  this  piece 

are  a  certain  nuraber  of  groups  of   Pelargoniums    of  advice  :    "  Never  discard  any  real  old  variety 


whose  parentage  and  antiquity  are  beyond  dispute. 
Of  these  the  cucullatums  head  the  list  with  P. 
cucullatum  of  the  date  1690,  which  a  lady  from 
the  Cape  told  me  at  the  Royal  International 
Horticultural  Exhibition  grows  all  over  Table 
Mountain.  This  I  believe  to  be  the  parent  of 
most  of  the  show  Pelargoniums.  The  next  oldest 
group  seem  to  be  the  capitatums, 
of  which  the  somewhat  rare  variety 
I  have  is,  I  believe,  the  ancestor, 
introduced  also  in  1690.  Roseum, 
graveolens  and  blandfordianum  are 
all  well  -  known  relatives,  with 
others  too  numerous  to  mention. 
Then  there  is  the  large  group  of 
citriodorums,  delightful,  every  one 
of  them,  to  sight  and  smell.  P. 
grossularioides,  introduced  1731, 
is  the  oldest  species  I  have  been 
able  so  far  to  unearth.  The 
quercifoliums  and  their  near  rela- 
tions the  denticulatums  (where 
does  one  end  and  the  other  begin  ?), 
with  quercifolium  minus,  a  true 
Cape  species,  introduced  1774,  and 
denticulatum  (1789),  at  the  head 
of  the  family  tree,  form  another 
large  and  well-defined  group.  And 
there  is  the  modern  group  of 
Shrubland  hybrids  I  have  already 
mentioned.  No  one  could  ever 
class  them  with  anything  but 
scented  Pelargoniums. 

These  groups  are  all  distinct 
from  each  other,  and  fairly  easy 
to  discriminate.  But  many  others 
are  difficult  to  place,  unless  their 
parentage  can  be  traced.  And 
even  so  it  is  not  a  light  task,  as, 
according  to  Sweet,  they  were 
hybridised  in  and  in.  But  it  is 
when  one  comes  to  try  to  draw 
the  line  between  the  tuberous- 
rooted  Cape  Pelargoniums  on  one 
end  of  the  scale  and  the  modern 
show  Pelargoniums  at  the  other, 
and  make  up  one's  mind  as  to  how 
many  and  which  are  to  be  included 
in  a  collection  of  scented  Pelar- 
goniums, that  the  fun  begins.  To 
start  with  the  Cape  Pelargoniums. 
They  are  undoubtedly  the  ori- 
ginal importations,  but  many  of 
them — bicolor,  ardens,  fulgidum, 
pulverulentum — are  absolutely  scentless.  Yet  if 
you  study  the  pedigree  of,  say,  pyrethrifolium 
(Scarlet  Pet),  you  will  find  that  one  parent  is 
fulgidum.  If  you  therefore  include  the  child, 
why  ostracise  the  parent  ? 

Again,  we  turn  to  the  other  end  of  the  story. 
Half  the  old  show  Pelargoniums  are  hybrids  from 
a  scented  Pelargonium  on  one  side  ;  and  P. 
cucullatum,  as  I  said  before,  is  responsible  for 
a  very  long  family.  So  where  one  ends  and  the 
other  begins  is  more  than  I  can  say,  and  wiser  heads 
than  mine  must  determine  the  limits  of  scented 
Pelargoniums   and   show   Pelargoniums,   and   solve 


of  Pelargonium  you  come  across.  It  may  not 
be  a  true  scented  Pelargordum,  but  it  may  help 
to  throw  light  on  the  pedigree  and  development 
of  some  hitherto  puzzling  specimen."  Before 
leaving  this  part  of  my  subject  I  should  like  to  call 
your  attention  to  those  specimens  of  the  allied 
types  of  Geraniaces,  which  I  alluded  to  just  now 


THE    BEAUTIFUL    EUCRYPHIA    PINNATIFOLIA    NOW    FLOWERING    IN 
THE    HEATH    GARDEN    AT    KEW.       [See  page  42I.) 


as  off-shoots  of  our  main  subject.  Some  of  them 
wUl  illustrate  what  I  meant  as  to  the  difficulty  of 
knowing  what  to  include  in  a  collection. 

(i)  P.  tetragonum.  I  find  this  is  given  in  Sweet 
as  a  Jenkinsonia — J.  tetragona,  date  1774.  Its 
leaves  are  undoubtedly  sweet-scented,  so  I  include 
it  in  my  collection. 

(2)  P.  camosum  (Kew)  is  Sweet's  Otidia  camosa. 
A  good  distinct  specimen  of  the  Otidias.  Sweet 
says  of  it,  Vol.  I.,  page  98  :  "  This  plant,  which 
is  so  very  different  from  any  we  have  yet  published, 
is  proposed  by  Mr.  Lindley  to  form  a  distinct  genus, 
which   we   have   adopted  ;    to    it    also   belong    P. 


dasycaule,  P.  ceratophyllum,  P.  altemans  (P. 
crithmifolium)  and  some  others."  Up  till  now 
I  have  acquired  no  specimens  of  the  Hoareas, 
Grevilleas,  &c. 

(3)  Ciconiums  are,  I  think,  undoubtedly  the 
forbears  of  our  modem  Zonals.  Ciconium  umbel- 
latum  is  interesting  as  being  a  curious  and,  I 
believe,  early  form,  but  I  have  no  idea  what  the 
date  of  introduction  is.  C.  crenatum  (1820  about) 
is  a  true  Cape  species,  of  which  I  possess  a  small 
plant,  but  unluckily  it  has  refused  to  flower  in  time 
for  to-day. 

(4)  P.  fulgidum,  which  also  refuses  to  flower 
when  I  want  it  to,  is  parent  of  several  of  the  showiest 
scented   Pelargoniums,   and  is  a  case  in  point   of 

what  I  was  saying  just  now  of 
the  difficulty  of  drawing  the  line 
between  scented  and  unscented. 
RoUison's  Unique,  Ardens  and 
Scarlet  Pet  are  all  its  progeny, 
crossed  with  some  other  varieties. 

(5)  P.  gibbosum,  the  P.  glaucum 
of  Kew,  is  another  I  include  as  a 
sweet-scented  variety,  for  it  is  very 
fragrant,  but  at  night  only.  It  is 
a  true  Cape  species  of  an  early 
date,  1712. 

(6)  P.  Godfrey's  Pet.  This  is 
the  most  interesting  modern  hybrid 
I  have  ever  come  across,  for  after 
careful  study  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  Messrs.  Godfrey  of 
Exmouth  have  happened  by  chance 
on  an  old  cross.  This  variety 
resembles  in  every  respect  the  P. 
obscurum  of  Sweet,  Vol.  I.,  page  89. 
(Parentage  unknown,  raised  from 
seed  by  Sir  R.  C.  Hoare  in  1821.) 

(7)  P.  Miss  Dorrien-Smith.  This 
is  interesting  as  one  of  the  old 
varieties  of  the  Unique  section. 
It  is  the  P.  breesianum  of  Sweet, 
Vol.  I.,  page  64,  and  a  hybrid 
between  P.  angustifolium  or  querci- 
folium and  one  of  the  round- 
leaved  varieties  unknown. 

4.  Cultivation. — Cuttings. — The 
best  months  to  take  cuttings  are 
February  and  August,  and  all 
the  citriodorums  strike  easiest  in 
February. 

Soil. — As  a  broad  general  rule, 
sandl  peat,  or  leaf-mould,  and 
turfy  loam  are  best.  Sweet's 
proportions  are  equal  parts  of 
sand,  pe^t  and  turfy  loam.  But 
we  find  bne  part  of  leaf-mould 
to  three  of  turfy  loam,  and  one 
shovelful  of  silver  sand  to  a 
barrow-load  of  this,  a  very  useful 
and  successful  mixture.  For  the 
real  tuberous-rooted  Capes  you 
want  more  sand,  and  to  pot  them  less  firmly. 
Bottom-heat  is  not  necessary.  We  always  strike 
ours  in  a  cool  greenhouse.  I  forgot  to  say,  under 
the  head  of  cuttings,  that  there  are  several  of  the 
Cape  species  which"  can  only  be  propagated  by 
tubers  ;  such  are  P.  triste,  P.  pulverulentum  and 
P.  ardens. 

Watering. — This  requires  great  care.  When  in 
full  growth,  water  may  be  given  fairly  freely  ;  but 
as  soon  as  the  plants  begin  to  rest,  err  on  the  dry 
side  ;  in  fact,  according  to  Sweet,  the  tuberous- 
rooted  varieties  only  require  watering  two  or  tlire;: 
times  during  the  whole  winter  ! 


August  23,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


423 


Draughts. — ^These  are  one  of  the  worst  enemies 
to  Pelargoniums,  and  must  be  carefully  guarded 
against.  Draughts  encourage  the  most  troublesome 
pest  there  is — aphis. 

Pesls. — .\phis  and  thrip.  For  the  former  we 
fumigate  with  nicotine  and  sjTinge  with  plain 
water  ;  (or  the  latter  we  sponge  the  leaves  with 
an  insecticide,  such  as  paraffin  solution. 

Since  delivering  the  foregoing  lecture,  Mr.  J. 
Hudson,  V.M.H.,  has  most  kindly  sent  me  the 
following  notes  on  the  cultivation  of  scented  and 
Cape  Pelargoniums,  the  result  of  his  long  experi- 
ence in  growing  this  class  of  plants  :  "  Miss  Troyte- 
Bullock's  remiirks  upon  the  soil  induce  me  to  say 
tliat  I  find  finely-granulated  lime  to  be  excellent  ; 
it  assists  in  keeping  the  soil  sweet  and  open.  Firm 
potting  is  most  essential  for  the  durability  and 
healthy  growth  of  the  plants.  In  the  winter  I 
find  it  much  better  to  keep  the  soil  quite  on  the 
dry  side  in  dealing  with  our  large  specimen  plants, 
and  small  plants  require  a  little  more  water  in 
proportion  ;  but  it  is  better  to  keep  them  resting 
during  the  dull  season  of  the  year.  It  is  a  pity  that 
no  records  are,  so  far  as  I  know,  available  as  to 
the  historj-  of  many  of  these  most  interesting, 
if  not  showy,  plants.  When  the  present  collec- 
tion at  Wisley  is  arranged  into  something  like 
order,  we  may  probably  get  to  know  more  about 
them — their  needs,  their  uses  and  their  varied 
characteristics." 


be  placed  in  frames  from  which  frost  can  be  excluded 
and  given  abundance  of  air  whenever  it  is  possible, 
«r  another  3  inches  or  4  inches  of  covering  material 
may  be  added  to  make  them  more  frost-proof 
if  they  are  to  remain  in  the  open.  As  I  am  now 
dealing  entirely  with  Daffodils  as  pot  plants,  I 
would  never  advise  anyone  to  try  to  get  them 
in  flower  very  early  ;  almost  invariably  they  are 
rather  drawn  and  weak  in  the  foliage,  and  need 
too  much  staking  to  look  really  well.  In  my 
opinion  the  third  or  fourth  week  in  January  is 
quite  soon  enough.  From  this  time  onwards 
there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  havTng  a  good 
succession  of  bloom. 

Making  suggestions  about  the  varieties  to  grow 
is  a  difficult  matter,  for  the  choice  is  very  great 
and  everyone  does  not  like  the  same  thing  equally 
well.  My  best  plan  is  to  indicate  some  of  the 
most  satisfactory  doers  that  I  had  myself  last 
year.  In  the  front  rank  I  always  place  W.  P. 
Milner,  which  is  a  dwarf,  slender  plant  of  the 
trumpet  section  and  which  under  glass  comes 
almost  white  ;  5-inch  or  sj-inch  pots  are  quite 
large  enough  to  grow  it  in.     .\s  a  contrast  I  mention 


DAFFODI  L     NOTES. 


Daffodils  in  Pots. — The  Editor  has  recently 
received  a  letter  from  a  reader  asking  if  I  grow 
my  choice  Daffodils  out  of  doors  or  in  pots  imder 
glass.  As  I  imderstand  the  writer,  he  seems 
surprised  that  I  adopt  the  first  method.  He 
obviously  thinks  the  second  way  preferable.  I 
cannot  agree  with  him.  The  strain  imposed  upon 
the  bulbs  when  they  are  grown  in  this  non-natural 
manner  is  great,  and,  even  with  the  greatest  care 
in  their  treatment  after  the  flowers  are  over,  there 
is  a  most  marked  difference  in  their  sire  and 
general  appearance  compared  with  those  grown 
in  the  natural  way.  I  would  advise  everj-one 
to  adopt  the  out-of-door  system  as  their  normal 
practice.  It  is  a  long  way  the  best  for  the  bulbs, 
and  after  one  has  given  a  big  price  for  an  expensive 
kind,  one  wishes  to  do  ever\-thing  that  can  be  done 
for  it.  I  have  somewhat  enlarged  upon  and 
emphasised  my  answer,  because  I  am  going  to 
write  of  Daffodils  in  pots  and  try  to  persuade  every- 
one who  has  not  already  done  so  to  grow  some 
of  the  better  varieties  in  this  way,  not  because  I 
consider  it  the  best  for  them,  but  because  of  the 
enjoyment  which  it  affords  us.  I  believe  there 
is  a  great  future  for  this  method  of  culture,  and 
that  it  mU  become  verj-  popular  when  once  its 
possibilities  are  realised  ;  but  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  even  with  the  very  best  treatment 
the  bulbs  suffer,  and  that  before  they  are  used  again 
they  must  have  at  least  one  year  in  the  open  ground. 
Daffodils  make  splendid  pot  plants,  and  they  are 
easier  to  manage  than  either  Hyacinths  or  Tulips. 
Two  essentials  for  success  are  (i)  early  potting 
and  (2)  choice  of  suitable  varieties. 

Bulbs  should  be  potted  as  soon  as  they  can  be 
had  from  the  dealers,  and  then  the  pots  should 
be  stood  on  a  hard  bottom  and  the  spaces  between 
them  filled  up  with  sand  or  fibre,  the  whole  being 
coN-ered  with  the  same  to  a  depth  of  about  three 
inches.  Later  on,  about  the  middle  of  November, 
when  hard  frosts  may  be  expected,  the  pots  may 


Jonson,  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  of  all  the 
older  Poet  introductions  of  Mr.  Engleheart. 
Another  group  which  has  great  value  for  pot 
culture  is  that  of  the  Leedsii.  Fairy  Queen  is 
now  becoming  better  known.  I  might  call  it  the 
"  Autocrat "  in  the  same  way  as  I  style  Countess  of 
Southesk  the  Frank  Miles  of  the  section.  Both 
are  excellent  and  mil  not  disappoint.  The 
"  giants  "  must  have  a  great  future.  I  look  forward 
to  the  time  when  we  shall  have  warm  apricots  like 
Thora ;  yellows  like  Evangeline,  Longfellow, 
Louise  L.  Linton,  and  several  of  larger  build  not 
yet  in  commerce,  but  whose  place  can  be  supplied 
now  by  Lady  Margaret  Boscawen  ;  and  ivory 
whites  or  very  pale  primroses,  such  as  Empire, 
White  Countess,  Potent  and  St.  Olaf.  These 
"  flowers  of  purest  ray  serene  "  are  now  carefully 
guarded,  and  need  a  golden  or  a  silver  key  to 
liberate  them.  Some  day  a  copper  one  will  free 
them,  and  then  they  will  be  everyone's  plants,  like 
Golden  Spur  and  Emperor.  Among  the  bicolor 
and  self  incomparabilises  and  Barriis  I  must  not 
omit  Autocrat,  Homespun,  Solfatare,  Seagull, 
Incognita   and   Leonie.       Before    I    conclude    this 


.\    FLOWERING    SPRAY    OF    EUCRYPHI.\    PINNATIFOLI.\. 


Olympia,  an  immense  yellow  Ajax,  not  perhaps 
as  sleek  and  smooth  as  a  judge  would  like  at  a  show, 
but  a  wonderfully  effective  and  striking  bloom. 
.Another  good  variety  of  the  same  type,  but  with 
paler  colouring  and  rather  more  of  a  show  style 
of  flower,  is  Stromboli.  This  variety  is  not  half 
as  much  known  as  it  shoidd  be.  Few  "  come  " 
so  easily  as  this  does  under  glass.  It  is  almost 
superfluous  to  sing  the  praises  of  Weardale  Perfec- 
tion in  pots.  It  is  one  of  the  very  best.  Coronet 
is  another  kind  that  should  have  more  recognition 
from  growers.  It,  too,  "  comes "  easily  and 
early.  It  is  a  medium-sized  bicolor  trumpet, 
with  the  yellow  of  a  peculiarly  deep  shade.  Fire- 
brand always  does  well.  Now  that  it  can  be 
bought  so  cheaply,  everyone  should  order  a  few 
for  trial.  The  red  does  not  bum  imder  glass,  or, 
if  it  does,  it  is  not  perceptible  for  a  considerable 
time.  In  this  category  I  include  such  varieties 
as  Blackwell,  Lucifer,  Crown  Prince,  Robert 
Browning,  Topaz,  Southern  Star,  Castile,  and  Ben 


list  I  must  put  in  a  special  plea  for  Queen  of  Spain. 
In  the  low  pots  that  I  am  so  fond  of,  nothing  looks 
better,  and  I  have  found  that  it  can  be  grown 
from  year  to  year  in  this  way  if  the  bulbs  are  well 
and  carefully  dried  off  and  then  repotted.  I  had 
almost  forgotten  to  mention  the  Tazettas  and 
Tazetta  hybrids,  or  Poetaz.  The  former  old-time 
favourites  are  not  nearly  so  much  grown  as  they 
were  twenty  years  and  more  ago.  They  are  very 
easy  to  manage,  but  they  must  be  procured  every 
year  from  Holland  for  the  best  results.  Bazelman 
Major,  Maestro  and  a  new  one.  Dr.  Holland,  that 
I  have  lately  unearthed  are  three  that  might  well 
be  given  a  trial.  Of  the  Poetaz  I  am  very  fond  of 
Irene,  Stuiset  and  Jaune  k  Merveille  as  yellows, 
and  of  Aspasia,  Orient  and  .Alsace  as  whites. 
The  latter,  on  account  of  its  earliness,  is  very 
valuable.  If  .Aspasia  is  grown,  Elvira  is  not  wanted. 
The  charm  of  Orient  is  the  delicate  red  edge  of  its 
cup,  which  is  always  very  noticeable  when  it  is 
grown  under  glass.  Joseph  Jacob. 


424 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  23,  1913. 


CUT       FLOWERS. 

Their    Value    in    the   House. 

«    N  authority  one  cannot  but  respect  thinks 
/%  it    dreadfully    barbarous,    not    to    say 

/    %         wicked,  to  pick  flowers.     This  is  what 

/— ^m       he  says,   or  rather  one  of  the  things 
*  *•     he  says  :    "  I  hold  that   a  flower  cut 

from  its  plant  and  placed  in  a  v:ise  is 
as  a  scalp  on  the  walls  of  a  wigwam."  He  goes  on 
to  say  even  worse  things;  I  say  "  worse  "  because 
Ihey  make  you  feel  uncomfortable.  "  The  cut 
flower,"  he  declares,  "  is  no  longer  part  of  a  mani- 
festation of  the  will  of  Nature  ;  rather  is  it  a 
slave — beautiful,  it  may  be,  but 
branded  and  sou'-destroyed."  But 
is  not  this  going  too  far  ?  If 
none  of  us  gathered  flowers  to 
enjoy  them  indoors  (perhaps  wear- 
mg  them  is  different),  a  large 
amount  of  innocent  pleasure  would 
be  lost.  It  is  not  as  if  it  hurt 
the  flowers  to  pick  them.  Judicious 
use  of  the  knife  and  scissors  helps 
a  plant  instead  of  hindering  it,  and 
some  flowers  seem  really  made  to 
be  picked.  Sweet  Peas,  for  instance, 
the  more  you  pick  them  the  faster 
they  grow.  And  did  not  a  poet 
say  of  Sweet  Peas  that  they  always 
seem  "  on  tip-toe,  ready  for  a 
flight"  ?  It  is  seldom  worth  while 
nowadays  to  save  seed ;  so  what  is 
to  be  gained  by  letting  each  dainty 
blossom  fade  away  upon  its  stem 
like  a  pretty  girl  unappreciated  ? 

A  word  of  excuse  is  said  by  our 
critic  for  those  users  of  cut  flowers, 
indoors  and  otherwise,  who  have 
the  misfortune  to  live  in  London. 
In  such  cases,  gathered  flowers,  he 
admits,  "  carry  the  mind  to  beau- 
tiful associations."  But  is  there 
nothing  to  be  said  for  cut  flowers 
in  the  case  of  country  houses  ? 
Sometimes  the  rooms  in  these  are 
dark  and  low-pitched,  and  want 
brightening  up  as  much  as  any 
London  ones  with  their  big  win- 
dows and  white  paint.  For  our 
own  parts  we  confess  without 
shame  that  we  even  plant  certain 
flowers  with  no  other  object  thaii 
that  of  gathering  the  blossoms 
they  give  us  to  adorn  such  rooms 
as  we  think  would  be  the  better 
for  them. 

In  one  or   two   rooms  we  fancy 
nothing    looks    so    well    as    pink. 
Accordingly  we  take  care  to  have 
plenty   of    Shirley    Poppies,    Monthly    Roses,    pink 
Sweet   Peas,   pink   Geraniums,   rosy   Mallows   and 
all  the  other  pretty  pink  flowers  we  can  think  of, 
always  ready  to  bring  in.     It  is  quite  an  art  worth 
studying,  that  of  growing  such  flowers  as  are  best 
for   indoor   use — the    bold   plants   that    belong   to 
hall  and  staircase,  such  as  Foxgloves,  giant  Poppies, 
tall    Lilies,    Lupines   and  so  on ;    the   bright   but 
scentless   flowers   that    are   most   suitable   for   the 
dinner-table ;     and    the    host    of   other    charming 
flowers  one  likes  to  have  in  living-rooms. 

The  delicate  shaded  pinks  and  rose  colours  of 
Shirley  Poppies  are  so  delightful  standing  in  moss 
on  dinner-tables,  or  indeed  anywhere,  that  we 
lesort  to  a  cunning  way  of  getting  them  before 


anyone  else  has  them.  How  ?  Well,  nothing 
simpler.  We  scatter  seed  on  a  fair-sized  plot 
about  the  middle  of  August.  By  the  following 
May  the  flowers  will  be  ready,  and  will  go  on 
blooming  till  July  or  longer.  The  flowers,  grown 
thus,  are  much  hardier  than  when  sown  in  spring 
for  summer  gathering ;  their  stems  are  thicker 
and  stronger,  and  the  petals  of  the  blossoms  do 
not  drop.  In  fact,  the  whole  character  of  the 
Poppy  seems  altered ;  no  doubt  it  pays  for 
bracmg  treatment.     How  human  ! 

Another  way  of  looking  at  the  subject  is  to 
remember  the  pleasure  given  us  by  the  cut  flowers 
sent     from    abroad.     Those     wicker    baskets    so 


NEW    AND     RARE     PLANTS. 


AWARDS  OF  MERIT. 
Gladiolus  Craig-a-Noor. — This  is  a  very  hand- 
some red-flowered  variety  whose  lower  petals 
are  marked  by  a  few  faint  white  lines.  The  size 
of  the  flower  and  its  form  suggest  influence  from 
G.  princeps.  The  spike  is  well  filled.  From 
Messrs.  Kelway  and  Son,  Langport. 

Dahlia  Dungeness  (Collarette).— The  florets  are 
coloured  a  rich  scarlet,  the  collarette  or  inner 
petals  surrounding  the  disc  yellow.  From  Messrs. 
Dobbie  aiid  Co.,  Edinburgh. 

Caladium  Mme.  Renee  Marot. — 
This  rather  striking  red  -  leaved 
variety  has  a  copious  spotting  ol 
white,  which  renders  it  attractive 
and  distinct.  From  Mr.  Hoffman, 
Tower  House,  Streatham. 

Lysinotus  warleyensis. — Anew 
Chinese  plant  of  evergreen,  shrubby 
habit.  The  exhibited  example  was 
not  more  than  9  inches  high,  the 
white,  Pentstemon-like  flowers  issu- 
ing from  the  axils  of  the  leaves  on 
slender  pedicels.  Internally  the 
flowers,  which  are  i  J  inches  long  or 
thereabouts,  are  marked  by  three 
purplish  lines.  Its  complete  hardi- 
ness has  yet  to  be  determined. 
From  Miss  Willmott,  Warley  Place. 
Agapanthus  Weilligii. — ^The  dis- 
tinctive features  of  this  rather  good 
African  Lily  are  that  the  flowers 
are  nearly  cylindrical,  being  slightly 
expanded  at  the  mouth,  and  droop- 
ing instead  of  erect  or  semi-erect  as 
in  the  typical  kind.  This  unusual 
feature  shows  the  rich  blue  flowers 
to  advantage.  A  distinct  and 
good  plant.  From  Mr.  A.  Worsley, 
Isleworth. 

The  foregoing  awards  were 
made  by  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  on  August  12  at  the  fort- 
nightly exhibition. 


ARBOREA    GRANDIS,    A    NEW    SHRUB    WITH    MASSES    OF 
CREAMY    WHITE    FLOWERS. 


carefully  packed  with  treasures  of  Mimosa,  Car- 
nation and  Anemone — what  messages  they  bring  us  ! 

The  plumed  Munosa,  of  Spring's  gifts  finest. 
With  a  golden  gleam  and  a  golden  voice, 
As  if  from  the  country  of  dreams  divinest. 
Cries  clear,  "  Rejoice.*' 

And  the  white  Narcissus  that  poets  hononr. 
With  red  gold  rimming  a  pearly  cup. 
And  a  silver  light,  as  of  stars  upon  her. 
Chimes  sweet,  "  Look  up  I  " 

To  those  who  suffer  from  over-sensitiveness  in 
the  matter  of  cut  flowers  (and  we  do  sympathise 
with  them  in  a  way)  may  we  suggest  that  if  the 
flowers  themselves  were  consulted,  we  are  con- 
vinced they  would  never  grudge  the  happiness 
they  give  us.  Frances  A.  Bakdswell. 


A  NEW  CHINESE  SHRUB. 

(SPIR^A    ARBOREA    GRANDIS.) 

This  is  a  very  strong-growing 
shrubby  Spirasa  belonging  to  the 
Sorbaria  section  of  the  genus.  S. 
arborea  is  a  variable  species,  and 
several  of  the  most  distinct  forms, 
in  addition  to  the  subject  of  this 
note,  have  been  given  varietal 
names.  They  are  closely  allied  to 
the  well-known  S.  Aifchisonii  from 
Afghanistan  and  the  Indian  S.  lindleyana.  Growing 
8  feet  or  more  in  height,  S.  arborea  grandis  has  large, 
attractive,  pinnate  leaves  and  small,  creamy  white 
flowers.  These  are  borne  in  large,  terminal  panicles, 
roughly  triangular  in  shape,  12  inches  to  15  inches 
long,  and  9  inches  to  12  inches  broad  at  the  base. 
The  flowers  are  closely  arranged  in  the  panicles. 
This  is  one  of  the  many  beautiful  shrubs  introduced 
from  China  by  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson.  Though  closely 
allied  to  S.  Aitchisonii  and  S.  lindleyana,  it  will 
be  an  addition  to  our  shrubs,  as  the  flowers  are 
borne  some  three  weeks  in  advance  of  these  two 
species.  S.  arborea  grandis  received  an  award  of 
merit  from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  when 
exhibited  by  the  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs  on  July  2T. 


AuousT  23,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


425 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

HOW     TO     GROW     ARUM     LILIES. 


THE  leaves  ol  these  plants  are  handsome, 
and  form  a  very  appropriate  setting 
(or  the  flowers.  Even  when  there 
are  no  blooms  out,  the  plants  help 
to  furnish  a  greenhouse  or  conservatory 
from  autumn-time  to  Easter,  and 
bometimes  even  later.  Strong  plants  will  bear 
three  or  four  flowers  during  that  period.  In 
exceptional  cases  they  bear  five  or  six.  Some 
cultivators  retain  the  plants  in  their  pots  through- 
out the  summer  months,  keeping  them  dry  at  the 
roots  all  the  time,  and  then  shake  away  the  soil 
■ind  repot  them,  dividing  some,  but  retaining  others 
intact,  .\gain,  there  are  cultivators  who  plant 
out  the  Arums  directly  they  have  finished  flowering, 
'rhere  is  a  great  difference  between  the  two  sets 
ol  plants.  Those  retained  in  flower- pots  make 
ilwarfer  growth  in  their  early  stages  than  those 
tliat  arc  planted  out.  This  difference  may  be 
noted  in  the  two  sets  of  sketches,  A  and  B  respec- 
tively. Without  going  into  the  merits  of  the  two 
methods  of  growing  the  plants  during  the  summer- 
time, I  will  only  say  here  that  it  is  advisable  to 
retain  a  few  plants  in  pots  every  year,  as  un- 
doubtedly those  in  the  pots  commeiu-c  to  flower 
earlier  than  the  others,  .uul  so  prolong  tlu'  supply 
of  blooms  considerably. 

The  Treatment  of  the  Plants  in  Pots.— In 
order  that  the  soil  may  be  kept  dry  aromid  the 
loots  while  the  plants  are  being  rested,  the  pots 
Hie  laid  on  their  sides.  About  ten  days  before 
they  are  turned  out,  put  the  pots  upright  and  water 
the  soil  to  induce  the  plants  to  make  a  little  new 
growth.  In  the  meantime  prepare  a  nimiber  of 
pots  varying  in  size,  as  shown  in  Fig.  A.  No.  i 
denotes  drainage,  and  No.  2  shows  the  depth 
of  the  potting  when  that  work  is  done.  Pots 
from  3j  inches  to  7J  inches  across  must  be  got 
ready.  No.  3  shows  the  ball  of  soil  and  the  new 
leaf-stalks.     In  reducing  tii<'  soil  around  the  roots 


I  >^f(^  \ 


^ 


DIVIDING    .\ND    RKPOTTING    THE    .\RUM    LILY. 


of  this  and  similar  clumps,  and  that  from  large 
clumps  lifted  from  the  open  grovmd,  use  a  stick 
as  shown  in  No.  4,  first  detaching  the  old  crocks, 
and  then  gradually  working  away  the  old  soil  and 
any  decayed  roots.  The  new,  fleshy  roots  must 
be  carefully  preser\'ed  from  injury.  If  potted 
intact,  with  only  a  portion  of  the  old  soil  removed, 
No.  5  shows  the  condition  of  the  plant  when  it 
has   been   duly   prepared.     After  dividing   a   fairly 


THE  LARGE   I'L.ANT   IN   THE  CENTRE,   IF 

SMALLER 


DIVIDED,      WILL     MAKE     MANY      USEFUL 
PLANTS. 


large  plant,  the  separate  portions  will  resemble 
Nos.  6,  7,  8  and  9,  No.  9  being  the  crown  of  the 
old  plant.  The  inexperienced  cultivator  will 
see  at  once  how  necessary  it  is  to  repot  the  various 
parts  in  pots  of  difierent  sizes.  I  may  say  that 
it  is  rarely  necessary  to  repot  Arum  Lilies 
durhig  the  winter  months.  If  potted  judiciously 
at  first,  they  will  grow  nicely  through  the  autumn, 
winter  and  early  spring  months,  as  they  are  good 
subjects  to  feed. 

Fig.  B  shows  how  large  plants  should  be  lifted 
from  the  open  border  and  divided.  The  best  time 
to  divide  the  plants  is  when  they  are  first  put  out ; 
but  if  the  work  is  not  done  then,  it  must  be  when 
they  are  lifted.  Drive  in  the  garden  fork  at  a 
suitable  distance  from  the  plant,  sc  as  to  preserve 
as  many  roots  as  possible.  The  different  parts 
of  such  a  large  plant  when  duly  divided  are  shown 
at  Nos.  2,  3,  4,  5  and  6.  If  the  big  plant.  No.  i, 
were  potted  whole  as  lifted,  its  flowering  strength 
would  quickly  diminish.  The  yotmg  plants  in 
smaller  pots  are  more  serviceable.  Nos.  7,  8, 
9  and  10  respectively  represent  the  different  parts 
forming  a  good  compost,  namely,  loam,  leaf-soil, 
rotted  manure  and  sand.  After  potting,  keep 
the  plants  in  a  cool  place  outside  ;  then  transfer 
them  to  a  frame  before  frost  comes  and,  in  due 
time,  to  the  greenhouse.  G.  G. 


PARSLEY    FOR    SUCCESSION. 

There  is  such  a  demand  for  Parsley  at  all  seasons 
that  too  great  care  cannot  be  taken  to  secure  a 
good  succession.  The  end  of  June  is  the  most 
difficult  time  to  cater  for  ;  but  August  sowing  ought 
to  provide  against  a  shortage  at  the  time  men- 
tioned, this  being  followed  by  a  very  early  spring 
sowing  in  boxes.  If  sown  now,  the  seedlings 
should  be  ready  for  thimiing  in  a  week  or  two. 


426 


THE    GARDEN. 


[August  23,  1913 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Fuchsias. — In  fairly  sheltered  positions  Fuchsias 
are  one  of  the  best  subjects  for  making  a  display 
during  the  summer  months.  Certainly  they  require 
a  fair  amount  of  moisture  all  through  the  season, 
but  given  this  and  a  sprinkling  of  artificial  manure 
every  two  or  three  weeks,  they  continue  to  make 
a  show  till  quite  late  in  the  summer. 

Propagation. — For  next  season's  display  the 
present  is  a  good  time  to  put  in  cuttings.  These 
should  be  from  the  young  growing  tips,  preferably 
shoots  that  are  not  blooming.  Very  light  sandy 
soil  is  essential,,  and  if  eight  or  ten  cuttings 
are  placed  in  a  4i-inch  pot  and  plunged  in  the 
propagating-frame,  they  should  make  root  quickly. 
Potting  off  into  small  pots  may  be  done  before 
the  winter,  when  the  young  plants  may  be  wintered 
on  a  shelf  in  the  intermediate  house.  With  such 
treatment  they  should  make  plants  quite  4  feet 
high  by  planting-out-timc  ne.xt  season,  and  these 
young  plants  bloom  much  more  continuously 
than  do  the  old  ones  that  may  have  been  dried 
off  during  the  winter. 

Montbretias. — These  continue  to  make  a  good 
show,  and  t'l  prolong  the  flowering  period  they 
must  not  be  allowed  to  get  dry.  A  good  soaking 
or  two  of  liquid  manure  will  do  much  towards 
keeping  them  going.  The  new  variety  Star  of 
the  East,  exhibited  so  well  last  year,  will  be  much 
sought  after,  and  it  will  be  a  welcome  addition 
to  this  already  beautiful  class  of  plants. 

Dahlias  are  now  blooming  freely,  and  to  keep 
up  the  show  give  regular  soakings  of  liquid  manure. 
In  some  varieties  the  shoots  will  require  a  certain 
amount  of  thinning  for  the  blooms  to  develop 
nicely,  and  all  must  be  kept  well  tied  to  the  stakes, 
or  much  damage  is  likely  to  be  done  by  the  gales 
of  wind  which  we  usually  get  during  September. 

Plants  in  Pots. 

Bulbs. — If  not  already  done,  the  list  of  forcing 
bulbs  should  be  made  out  and  the  order  despatched 
at  once.  If  early  bloom  is  wanted,  it  is  necessary 
that  the  bulbs  should  be  potted  as  soon  as  they 
can  be  procured  from  the  nurseryman.  Presuming 
that  at  least  part  of  the  Roman  Hyacinths  and 
Paper-White  Narcissi  are  potted  up,  the  next 
bulbs  to  pot  should  be  Tulips  Van  Thol,  Mon  Tresor, 
Yellow  Prince,  Prince  of  Austria  and  Rose  Gris- 
de-Lin ;  Narcissi  Golden  Spur,  Double  Van  Sion, 
princeps  and  Poeticus  oniatus. 

Chrysanthemums. — By  this  date  most  of  the 
buds  of  the  large-flowering  varieties  will  have 
been  taken,  and  the  plants  will  need  a  good  deal 
of  looking  after  in  respect  to  water  and  manure, 
the  latter  bemg  given  at  least  twice  a  week. 

Top-Dressing. — As  an  inducement  to  keep  the 
roots  active,  a  top-dressing  of  loam,  well-rotted 
manure  and  a  little  artificial  manure  should  be  given 
the  plants,  just  sprinkling  a  handful  or  two  over  the 
surface  of  each  pot  and  watering  it  in  with  a  coarse 
rose.  This  may  be  repeated  once  or  twice  before 
the  plants  are  placed  indoors,  and  helps  to  sustain 
them  in  no  uncertain  manner. 

Nerines. — Any  plants  that  require  potting 
may  be  done  now,  before  they  commence  to  throw 
up  their  flower-spikes,  and  these  plants  certainly 
look  best  when  one  or  two  bulbs  are  cultivated  in  a 
small  pot.  Loam  and  peat  in  about  equal  pro- 
portions, with  a  little  charcoal  and  sand,  seems 
to  suit  them  well.  After  watering  in,  very  little 
more  water  will  be  required  till  they  commence 
making  new  roots,  which  they  will  soon  do  if 
placed  in  a  house  not  too  dry. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Tomatoes. — Where  these  are  not  ripening  as 
fast  as  one  would  like,  the  foliage  may  be  partially 
removed  ;  but  if  this  is  done,  rio  more  water 
should  be  given,  or  it  may  tend  to  crack  the  ripening 
fruit.  To  avoid  this,  the  fruit  should  be  gathered 
as  soon  as  it  commences  to  show  colour,  and  if 
stored  as  advised  in  a  previous  calendar,  it  will 
be  found  to  colour  well. 

Marrows. — Many  of  the  earlier-planted  Marrows 
will  by  this  time  have  finished  fruiting.  Later 
plants    must    be    treated    liberally,    according    to 


the  weather  conditions,  so  that   the  crop  may  be 
prolonged  as  late  as  possible. 

Gourds  that  are  swelling  on  pergolas  must  be 
supported  by  soft  strifig,  or  the  heavier  ones 
by  webbing.  Keep  the  growing  points  tied  in 
regularly,  though  it  will  be  found  that  after  about 
this  date  growth  will  be  less  rapid  than  heretofore. 
Mildew  may  prove  a  trouble  to  the  plants,  and,  where 
it  appears,  either  dust  with  sulphur  or  spray  with 
one  or  other  of  the  advertised  fungicides. 

Celery. — The  earliest  rows  should  have  the 
e.irthing  completed,  as  in  most  establishments 
good,  crisp  Celery  is  in  demand  by  the  end  of 
September.  After  a  thorough  good  watering 
and  feeding  of  the  later  rows,  earthing  may  be 
commenced,  taking  every  care  to  get  all  decaying 
leaves  and  side  shoots  removed  before  pulling 
the  soil  up  to  the  plants ;  and  though  the  soil  must 
be  made  firm  at  the  base,  it  is  necessary  to  leave 
the  top  free,  so  that  the  centre  of  the  plant  may 
come  up  freely,  at  least  till  the  last  earthing  takes 
place. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Late  Grapes. — It  is  still  not  too  late  to  feed  very 
late  Grapes,  and  I  have  seen  excellent  results 
where  the  Vines  have  been  given  a  light  dressing 
or  two  of  nitrate  of  soda.  It  certainly  helps  them 
along  wonderfully,  though  the  danger  lies  in  giving 
them  an  overdose,  especially  if  the  skins  have 
been  allowed  to  get  tough  through  a  none  too 
generous  treatment. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Summer  Pruning. — Where,  through  stress  of 
work,  this  has  not  been  completed,  every  effort 
should  be  made  to  finish  it  off  at  once,  so  that 
the  fruit  may  have  the  full  benefit  of  light  and  sun 
during  the  few  remaining  weeks  the  fruit  is  on 
the  trees,  to  say  nothing  of  the  extra  size  attained 
bv  the  fruit  when  the  sap  has  been  diverted  from 
the  wood  to  it. 

Black  Currants. — After  the  fruit  is  gathered, 
the  bushes  may  have  the  whole  or  part  of  the  old 
fruiting  branches  removed  ;  this  will  let  light  and 
air  into  the  young  growths,  and  a  better  crop  of  fruit 
may  be  looked  forward  to  next  year  than  when  all 
of  the  wood  is  allowed  to  remain  till  the  winter 
or  spring.  Thomas  Stevenson. 

(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta.  Esq.) 

Wobiini  Place  Gardens,  Addlcstone,  Surrey. 


FOR  NORTHERN  GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 
Japanese  Irises. — These  are  never  happier 
than  when  treated  as  water-side  plants,  but  such 
treatment  is  not  absolutely  necessary.  In  common 
with  many  of  the  genus  having  rhizomes,  they 
enjoy  a  good  baking  towards  the  end  of  the  season, 
and  it  has  been  found  a  good  plan  to  go  over  the 
plants  about  this  time  and  with  a  fork  gently  raise 
the  roots  slightly  above  the  ground-level,  treading 
them  into  position  again  about  the  end  of  September. 

The  Bulb  Order. — As  the  bulb  lists  are  all  to 
hand,  there  is  nothing  to  be  gained,  but  rather 
the  risk  of  loss,  by  delay  in  placing  orders.  Every- 
one should  invest  in  some  Tulips.  Those  who  wish 
for  an  early  display  must  invest  in  the  early  section, 
in  which  the  following  can  be  recommended : 
Crimsons  and  scarlets — Belle  Alliance,  Carmine 
BriUiant,  Fireflame,  Scarlet  Pottebakker,  Prince 
of  Austria,  Rembrandt  and  Vermilion  Brilliant. 
Yellows — Canary  Bird,  Chrysolora,  Golden  Queen, 
Yellow  Pottebakker  and  Prince  de  Ligny.  Pinks — 
Couleur  Ponceau,  Proserpine.  Rose  Gris-de-Lin 
and  Wapen  Van  Leiden.  Odd  colours — Duchesse 
de  Parme,  Keizerskroon  and  Thomas  Moore. 
Whites  (which  are  not  much  wanted) — Potte- 
bakker White,  White  Pigeon  and  White  Swan. 
Good  May-flowering  or  Cottage  varieties  at  easy 
prices  are  Blushing  Bride  (Shandon  Bells),  Bouton 
d'Or,  gesneriana  major,  Golden  Crown,  macro- 
speila,  Picotee  and  The  Fawn.  For  richness  of 
colour  and  general  excellence,  however,  the 
Darwins  are  unequalled. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Cuttings. — With  the  exception  of  the  ramblers, 

few    Roses    are   now    grown    on    their   own   roots. 

The   Hybrid   Perpetuals,  ramblers  in  general  and 

what    are   generally  known   as   garden    Roses   can 


all  be  readily  propagated  by  cuttings  m  the  open 
border,  and  from  now  onwards  until  the  end  o( 
September  is  the  best  time  to  carry  out  the 
work.  The  cuttings  of  half-ripened  wood,  not 
too  gross,  should  be  made  about  nine  inches  long, 
and  should  be  taken  with  a  heel.  Prepare  in  the 
ordinary  way  with  a  sharp  knife,  and  insert  about 
six  inches  deep  in  sandy  soil,  pressed  firm.  Water 
well,  and  if  the  border  is  not  shady,  shade  for  a 
week  or  two. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Potting  on  Cuttings. — Cuttings  as  they  become 
rooted  should  be  potted  off  into  small  pots,  either 
to  be  planted  in  autumn  or  spring.  Keep  them 
iu  a  close  frame  till  they  take  to  their  pots,  after 
which  gradually  inure  to  the  open  air  when  the 
weather  is  at  all  good. 

Primula  littoniana. — Those  who  have  not  yet 
mcluded  tliis  lovely  Primula  among  their  collec- 
tion, I  would  advise  to  do  so.  I  saw  it  in  grand 
form  the  other  week  among  Mrs.  de  Pree's  fine 
collection  at  Saughton  House,  Corstorphine. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Hyacinths. — The  orders  for  these  must  now 
be  placed,  as  the  best  bulbs  are  not  usually  kept 
till  the  last.  The  following  are  a  few  trustworthy 
varieties :  Blues — Blue  Baron  Van  Tuyll,  Czar 
Peter,  Grand  Lilias,  Grand  Maitre  and  King  of  the 
Blues.  Reds  and  pinks — Amy,  General  Pelissier, 
Gertrude.  Lady  Derby,  Norma  and  Queen  Wilhel- 
mina.  Whites — Baron  Van  Tuyll,  La  Candeur, 
La  Grandesse,  Mr.  PlimsoU  and  Snowball. 

Tulips. — As  these  are  largely  grown  for  cutting, 
a  few  good  varieties  in  quantity  are  all  that  is 
required  for  the  purpose.  The  following  can  be 
recommended  :  Scarlets — Belle  Alliance  and  Carmine 
Brilliant.  Crimsons — Rembrandt  and  Crimson 
King.  Yellows — Chrysolora  and  Yellow  Prince. 
Pinks — Rose  Gris-de-Lin  and  Couleur  Ponceau. 
Miscellaneous — Prince  of  Austria,  Thomas  Moore 
and  Keizerskroon. 

Daffodils. — Whether  for  cutting  or  for  con- 
servatory decoration,  these  are  highly  decorative. 
As  with  the  other  classes  of  bulbs.  I  only  indicate 
varieties  which  are  within  the  reach  of  all.  Golden 
Spur,  for  a  first  batch  ;  Emperor,  Empress,  Mme. 
de  Graaff,  Mme.  Plemp,  Glory  of  Leiden,  princeps, 
Telamonius  Van  Sion,  Barrii  conspicuus.  Sir 
Watkin  and  Poeticus  ornatus.  The  Polyanthus 
Narcissus  and  Poetaz  hybrids  are  also  worthy  of 
attention. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Late  Tomatoes. — If  sufficient  fruits  are  set, 
stop  the  leading  shoots  and  also  all  laterals. 
Defoliation  is  not  to  be  recommended,  but  the  fruits 
should  have  all  the  available  light  possible. 

Late  Melons. — These  must  have  close  attention, 
and,  as  the  solar  heat  declines,  more  firing  will  be 
required,  especially  on  wet  or  dull  days.  Pinch 
away  all  superfluous  shoots,  but  expose  as  much 
foliage  to  the  full  light  as  possible,  or  the  swelling 
of  the  fruits  may  be  arrested.  Lack  of  sufficient 
water  at  the  root  means  imdersized,  inferior  fruit. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Storing  Nets. — .\s  nets  go  out  of  use  they 
should  be  bimdled  up  and  stored  for  the  winter, 
but  care  should  be  taken  that  they  are  thoroughly 
dry  before  being  stored. 

Strawberries. — If  the  weather  continues  dry 
for  any  length  of  time,  newly-planted  Strawberries 
should  be  well  watered,  as  their  roots  have  not 
yet  penetrated  far  into  the  soil.  Any  plantations 
of  old  plants  to  be  retained  for  another  year  should 
be  cleared  of  rimners  and  have  the  Dutch  hoe  rim 
through  them.  Take  runners  for  spring  planting 
and  plant  thickly  in  nursery  lines,  placing  some 
flaky  leaf-mould  among  the  roots. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Spring  Cabbages. — These  are  a  valuable  asset 
in  spring,  and  a  good  plantation  should  be  made 
in  the  first  week  of  September ;  meanwhile,  the 
quarter  should  be  prepared  for  them.  A  good 
plan  is  to  plant  after  early  Potatoes.  Good  farm- 
yard manure  suits  Cabbages  very  well,  but  it  is 
not  desirable  to  manure  the  crop  too  liberally  at 
this  season.  When  digging  for  the  crop,  one  spade 
deep  will  be  quite  suflicient. 

Leeks. — If  good  crops  are  expected.  Leeks  must 

receive   liberal   treatment,    and   a   dressing   of   old 

fowl-manure  or  soot  at  the  present  time  will  have 

a  magical  effect.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


August  23,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


427 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES  FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAc  Editor  intends  to 
make  Thk  tJAiiDEN  helpjul  to  all  readers  who  desire  asitist- 
anee,  no  matter  ivhat  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
xoith  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  AH  communicati/)ns  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden.  20,  TaHstock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  deMre  to  be  tised  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  Hnt  to  the  Publisher. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

PINCHING  SWEET  PEAS  {J.  C.).—H  the  seedling  Sweet 
Peas  do  not  break  naturally  from  the  base  before  they  are 
2  inches  hich,  pinch  out  the  point.  You  can  then  take  up 
one,  two  or  tliree  stems  at  discretion.  Your  soil  mixture 
is  excellent,  and  should  be  prepared  in  t^he  autumn. 

IRISES  DISEASED  {Mrs.  H.).— The  Irises  are  attacked 
by  the  Iris  leaf-spot  fungus  (Heteroeporium  firacile). 
Spraying  docs  little  to  check  the  disease,  but  the  best 
treatment  is  to  give  the  ground  about  the  plants  a  thorough 
dressing  of  lime  in  a\itumn  after  moving  all  the  dead  and 
affected  foliage. 

PAMPAS  GRASS  (FF.  E.  C.).— It  would  have  been  better 
had  you  mixed  about  one-half  of  light  loam,  together  with 
some  old  mortar  rubble,  with  the  soil  for  the  Pampas  Grass. 
It  is  pos.sible,  too,  that  the  plant  gets  much  too  dry  at 
the  roots  in  spite  of  your  waterings,  and  moisture  during 
growth  is  essential  tn  success.  You  might  also  try  frequent 
doses  of  liquid  manure. 

IRIS  STYLOSA  AND  AZALEA  MOLLIS  {Stoke  Flem- 
ming). — The  best  time  to  remove  and  replant  Iris  Rtylosa 
is  in  March  and  April,  when  the  plants  should  also  be 
divided.  A  sunny  and  well-drained  spot,  with  rather 
light  soil  freely  mixed  with  lime  nibble  or  the  like,  is  very 
desirable.  Firm  planting  without  burying  the  rhizome 
(rootstock)  is  essential.  The  Azalea  would  be  best  planted 
during  September  or  October. 

CLIMBING  PLANT  TO  COVER  WIRE-NETTING  {Devon). 
— The  most  likely  climbing  plant  to  succeed  in  the  position 
you  describe  is  the  common  wild  Clematis  (C.  Vitalba). 
Although  less  beautiful  than  many  of  the  garden  kinds,  it 
has  the  advantage  of  being  vigorous  and  forming  luxuriant 
growth.  There  is  little  doubt  but  that  this  plant  will 
succeed  and  give  slight  trouble  other  than  an  annual 
pruning  in  spring  to  keep  it  mthin  bounds. 

A  SWEET  PEA  SPORT  {G.  F.  F.).—We  do  not  like 
to  say  that  this  freak  Sweet  Pea  is  a  throw-back  to  "  early 
days,"  for  what  the  origin  of  the  Sweet  Pea  was  before 
the  wild  type,  Lathyrus  odoratus,  was  evolved  no  one 
knows.  The  Sweet  Pea  is  abnormal  in  several  ways, 
but  particularly  in  the  very  large  keel  and  in  the  divided 
standard,  which  also  bears  outgrowths,  called  by  tera- 
tologists  enations.  The  texture  is  similar  to  that  of  many 
other  Sweet  Peas  now  on  the  market. 

SALPIGLOSSIS  FAILING  {M.  J.  P.).— There  is  no  sign 
whatever  on  the  Salpiglossis  of  the  attack  of  any  fungus. 
It  seems  probable  that  your  soil  is  not  in  a  good  condition 
for  maintaining  a  proper  water  supply,  and  these  Salpi- 
glossis plants,  which,  at  the  best  of  times,  do  not  take  very 
kindly  to  transplanting,  are  suffering  mainly  from  this 
cause.  Lime  is  sure  to  improve  the  texture  of  your  soil, 
and  it  would  be  best  to  dig  in  powdered  quicklime  in 
autumn,  allowing  from  four  to  six  weeks  to  elapse  before 
planting  perennials  on  the  part  treated. 

"  STREAK  "  IN  SWEET  PEAS  (C.  M.  J.).— The  root 
of  the  Sweet  Pea  sent  is  affected  by  the  fungus  Thielavia 
basicola,  causing  root-rot,  and  the  stem  is  affected  by 
the  trouble  known  as  "'  streak."  The  "  streak  '*  in  the 
stem  hds  been  attributed  to  the  attack  of  bacteria,  but 
the  point  is  not  clearly  settled  whether  it  is  not  rather  the 
result  of  a  combination  of  attacks.  In  any  case  the  root-rot 
is  a  serious  trouble  and  is  usually  associated  with  wrong 
soil  conditions,  such  as  too  heavy  manuring,  over-watering 
and  the  like.  Did  the  roots  get  away  well  from  the  card- 
board pots  in  which  the  plants  were  planted  ? 

LILIES,  GENTIANS,  AND  OTHER  QUESTIONS 
{Ignoramiis). — The  solution  of  the  Lily  problem  is,  most 
probably,  that  one  bulb  has  made  plenty  of  both  new 
basal  and  stem  roots  and  that  the  other  has  not.  The 
Gentians  named  are  best  raised  from  seeds  sown  as  soon 
as  ripe.  The  Eucomis  will  flower  in  due  course  when  it 
has  gathered  strength.  Put  it  into  a  7-inch  pot.  You 
do  not  say  to  what  Zephyranthes  you  refer.  The  flowering 
is  usually  the  outcome  of  strength  of  bulb.  The  Linum 
generally  opens  its  flowers  towards  the  evening.  Gentiana 
cniciata  is  one  of  the  strongest  growers  of  this  remarkable 
family,  and  usually  succeeds  well  in  most  deep,  well- 
drained  soils.  Possibly  a  few  applications  of  water  would 
assist  the  development  of  the  spike  and  flower-buds, 
unless  the  latter  are  blind  owing  to  the  excessive  drought 


experienced  a  few  weeks  since.  If  this  be  so,  the  dried-up 
condition  of  the  buds  should  reveal  it  upon  close  examina- 
tion. 

SWEET  PEAS  FAILING  (Constant  Subscriber).— The 
use  of  superphosphate  and  potash  to  the  soil  \\111  do  much 
?ood.  provided  it  is  commenced  early  enough ;  but  if  the 
plants  are  attacked  already,  little  can  be  expected  from  that 
treatment.  There  is  a  fungus,  a  species  of  Fusariura,  at 
the  root  of  the  Pea,  bringing  about  root-rot,  and  this  is 
likely  to  attack  Peas  if  the  soil  has  been  used  for  growing 
Peas  in  before.  Instead  of  making  trenches,  have  the 
soil  in  which  the  Peas  arc  intended  to  be  grown  treated 
all  over  alike,  and  do  not  use  too  much  manure  nor  let  it 
be  put  in  layers.  Have  it  thoroughly  mixed  with  the  soil 
all  through. 

CHRISTMAS  ROSES  {S.  TT.).— The  essentials  to  the 
successfid  cultivation  of  the  Christmas  Rose  are  August 
or  September  planting,  a  prepared  soil  depth  of  at  least 
24  feet  accompanied  by  good  drainage,  and  healthy, 
vigorous  examples  of  three  to  five  crowns  with  equally 
\igorous  leafage.  So  far  as  position  is  concerned,  a 
partially-shaded  one  is  best,  one  backed  by  Hollies  at  a 
few  feet  distant  or  receiving  the  shelter  afforded  by  more 
distant  trees.  Big  clumps  of  these  plants  should  never 
be  planted,  while  equally  useless  are  leafless  examples 
which  are  but  feebly  rooted.  If  in  your  district  you  are 
close  upon  a  chalk  subsoil,  special  soil  provision  would 
have  to  be  made.  It  is  difficult  for  us  to  recommend  a 
place  to  pet  such  things,  though,  if  you  are  planting  largely, 
the  better  way  would  be  to  invite  samples  from  some  of 
the  leading  dealer*;  in  hardy  plants,  not  forgetting  the 
Scottish  growers,  whose  stocks  of  hardy  plants  are  usually 
of  a  good  type. 

KEEPING  VIOLAS  AND  PANSIES  (Af.  E.  TT.).— You 
might  certainly  lift  these  and  give  them  the  protection  of 
the  wall  you  refer  to,  planting  them,  if  possible,  in  rather 
light  soil.  A  month  prior  to  lifting  you  should  prune  the 
plants,  the  old  flowering  branches  more  particularly, 
to  within  2  inches  of  the  soil,  thus  giving  scope  for  the 
younger  shoots,  whicli  will  presently  appear  rather  freely 
at  the  centre  of  the  plants.  If,  when  planted,  you  filter 
in  some  light  soil  among  these  younger  shoots,  they  will, 
before  spring,  give  yon  excellent  material  for  replanting. 
It  is  just  possible  that  some  of  the  earliest-made  shoots 
may  require  stopping.  The  best  way  of  keeping  both 
these  is  to  root  cuttings  each  year  in  September  following 
the  cutting-down  process  already  given.  Any  improvised 
frame  would  do  for  the  purpose.  The  perennial  Mallow, 
Malva  moschata  and  its  variety  alba,  would  be  most  likely 
to  do  with  yon,  as  the  latter  is  one  of  the  most  desirable 
of  border  plants.     Plant  in  early  September. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

ABNORMAL  GROWTH  ON  WILLOW  {J.  fi.).— The 
abnormal  growth  on  Willow  sent  for  examination  is  due 
to  irritation  brought  about  by  a  minute  insect  known  as 
Eriophyes  triradiatus,  and  the  growth  may  be  compared 
in  character  to  the  so-called  Witches"  Brooms  frequently 
found  on  trees.  This  particular  type  of  growth  has  been 
very  prevalent  in  some  districts  during  the  last  few  years, 
particularly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Hampstead  Heath  in 
North  London.  It  cannot  be  said  to  have  serious  conse- 
quences on  the  trees  on  which  it  occurs,  although  it  is 
somewhat  of  an  eyesore. 

crat;egos  pyracantha  not  fruiting  {E.  a.  p.). 

— This  shrub  should  not  be  pruned  in  early  sprmg,  as 
any  growths  cut  out  then  would  most  probably  produce 
flowers.  Whatever  pruning  is  contemplated  should  be  taken 
in  hand  after  flowering ;  you  would  then  leave  all  branches 
bearing  fruits.  Being  only  about  six  feet  high,  your 
bushes  are  young  and  growing  freely.  They  will  bear 
fruit  more  freely  when  12  feet  to  20  feet  high.  Saxifraga 
hypnoides  forms  an  evergreen  carpet,  and  should  make 
a  very  serviceable  plant  for  the  purpose  you  mention. 

CLEMATISES  FAILING  {A.  H.).— Your  complaint  with 
respect  to  Clematis  plants  suddenly  collapsing  is,  unfor- 
tunately, a  common  failing.  Various  reasons  have  been 
put  forward  as  the  cause.  The  great  majority  of  Clematises 
are  grafted,  and  it  may  be  that  the  union  is  a  bad  one, 
though  apparently  satisfactory  for  some  years.  Clematis 
plants  with  the  lower  part'of  the  stem  exposed  to  the  .sun 
frequently  fail ;  apparently  the  sun  cracks  the  stem  and 
causes  death  above.  There  is  a  good  deal  to  be  said  for 
this  reason,  as  the  plants  often  push  out  quite  healthy 
growths  below  where  the  stem  is  affected.  The  remedy  is 
to  plant  the  varieties  of  Clematis  Jackmanii  and  others 
which  fail  in  this  way  among  shrubs  or  on  a  western  aspect 
where  the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun  cannot  reach  the  stems. 

SHRUBS  FOR  DRY  BORDER  (ilf.  ^.  M.).— Flowering 
shrubs  that  would  succeed  in  a  very  dry  border  are 
Berberis  vulgaris,  Caryopteris  Mastacanthus,  Cistuses 
of  sorts,  Coluteas  of  sorts,  Hedysarum  multijugum, 
Helianthemums  of  sorts,  Hibiscus  syriacus  in  variety, 
Hypericum  calycinum,  Lavandula  spica,  Ononis  frnticosa, 
Perowskia  atriplicifolia,  Phlomis  frnticosa,  Potentilla 
fruticosa,  P.  Veitchii.  Rubus  fruticosus  alba  plena, 
R.  f.  roseo  plena,  Spartium  junceum  and  Ulex  europaus 
flore  plena.  If  your  border  is  not  too  dry  for  the  subjects 
named  by  you,  there  are  others  that  may  be  safely  planted 
therein,  such  as  Abelia  rupestris,  Cydonia  japonic*, 
Desmodium  penduliflorum,  Deutzia  crenata  flore  plena, 
Fnchsi.i3  (hardy).  Genistas  of  sorts,  Indigofera  gerardiana, 
Louicera  Maackii,  Philadelphuses  of  sorts,  Rhodotypos 
kerrioides,  Rubus  deliciosus  and  Weigelas  in  variety. 

FUCHSIA  RICCARTONI  AND  LILY  (fl.  i).).— In  all 
probability  the  Fuchsia  has  occupieu  its  position  too  long 
and  the  soil  has  become  exhausted.  In  these  circumst-ances 
the  only  remedy  would  be  to  remove  the  plant  to  a  fresh 
site  in  the  spring  of  1914,  well  enriching  the  soil  and  dividing 
up  the  old  specimen  before  replanting.     It  may  be.  too, 


that  the  present  position  is  sufficiently  warm,  and  if  a 
summer  one  could  be  provided,  so  much  the  better.  We 
are  afraid  it  will  not  pay  you  for  your  trouble  to  attempt 
to  keep  the  Lilies,  as  they  rarely  do  much  in  the  way  of 
fiowering  the  second  year.  Moreover,  flowering  bulbs 
are  to  be  had  so  cheaply  in  the  early  months  of  the  year, 
or  even  during  the  ensuing  autumn.  If,  however,  you 
still  have  a  desire  to  try,  the  better  way  would  be  to  lift 
the  bulbs  from  the  soil  when  flowering  is  past,  and  to 
put  them  in  a  little  rather  dry  soil  or  Cocoanut  fibre  in  a 
box.  placing  them  in  a  cellar  for  the  winter  months. 


ROSE     GARDEN. 

ROSE  JULIET  WITH  DIVIDED  BLOOMS  {B.  G.  F.).~ 
It  is  characteristic  of  the  Rose.  You  must  feed  the  plant 
well,  prune  fairly  hard,  and  you  will  get  some  good  blooms. 

TRANSPLANTING  LARGE  RAMBLERS  {B.  M.  B.).— 
You  coidd  transplant  these  in  November,  but  you  need 
to  cut  them  back  severely,  and  we  doubt  if  they  would  be 
worth  the  trouble,  seeing  that  you  can  obtain  young  plants 
so  cheaply.  It  would  take  at  least  two  years  for  the  ramblers 
to  recover  from  the  transplanting,  and  by  that  time  young 
plants  would  have  made  almost  as  much  growth. 

CLIMBING  ROSE  {L.  M.  5.).— Hiawatha  is  quite  late, 
and  you  could  not  have  anything  of  this  class  much 
later.  Climbing  Mrs.  Cutbush  is  perpetual  flowering, 
and  also  Jean  Girin.  For  a  small  pergola  we  would 
suggest  Griiss  an  Teplitz,  Climbing  Cramoisie  Sup6rieure 
and  Florence  Haswell  Veitch.  These  are  perpetual 
flowering  and  should  meet  your  wishes.  A  late  vigorous 
purple  Clematis  is  C.  Jackroanii. 

BRIAR  HEDGE  (CAc.'*ter).— If  your  Sweet  Briar  hedge 
is  very  rough  and  untidy,  you  may  cut  it  back  a  little 
at  once,  but  it  would  be  better  to  leave  the  general  cutting 
back  until  the  end  of  March  next  year.  You  may  then 
cut  it  back  into  fairly  old  wood.  Remove  some  of  the 
soil  about  the  roots  during  the  winter,  and  replace  it  with 
a  mixture  of  well-rotted  manure  and  good  loam.  Then, 
towards  the  end  of  May  next  year,  give  the  ground  a 
surface-dressing  of  well-decayed  manure. 

CLIMBING  ROSES  AND  CLEMATISES  TO  COVER 
A  SOUTH  WALL  {Anthony).— 'Xha  following  Roses  are 
likely  to  succeed  and  give  good  results  :  Gloire  de  Dijon, 
William  Allen  Richardson,  Ards  Pillar,  Climbing  Souv. 
<le  la  Malmaison,  Longworth  Rambler,  Cheshunt  Hybrid, 
Griiss  an  Teplitz,  Climbing  Fran  Karl  Druschki,  Alberic 
Barbier,  Tea  Rambler,  I>yon  Rambler,  Florence  H. 
Veitch,  H61?ne  Granger  and  Eliso  Robichon.  The  following 
kinds  of  Clematis  are  well  worth  planting.  Some 
shade  should  be  afforded  for  the  roots.  C.  montana, 
C.  m.  rubens,  C.  Lady  Caroline  Nevill,  C.  La  France, 
C.  Mme.  Edouard  AndV^,  C.  Jackmanii  superba  and  C. 
lanuginosa. 

ROSE  NIPHETOS  FAILING  (./ffne).— The  plant  is 
evidently  in  a  weakly  condition,  owing,  doubtless,  to 
lack  of  nourishment.  Such  a  free-growing  Rose  as  this 
should  receive  liquid  manure  twice  a  week  from  the  time 
it  commences  to  show  its  buds.  This  not  only  assists  the 
buds,  but  also  the  subsequent  growth,  which  lays  the 
foundation  for  a  healthy  tree.  Fork  up  the  soil  now  if 
the  bush  is  planted  out,  and  give  some  liquid  cow-manure, 
pre%iously  watering  the  soil  with  plain  water.  If  in  a  pot, 
the  same  treatment  should  be  given.  The  curled  leaves 
are  due  to  a  form  of  mildew,  probably  arising  from  drought 
at  the  roots.  Cut  away  such  growth  now,  and  give  the 
plant  a  good  spraying  every  other  day  with  Jeyes'  Horti- 
cultural Wash. 

ROSES  THROWING  BLIND  WOOD  {Ardeen). —Thi?, 
defect  is  peculiar  to  some  varieties,  but  is  most  generally 
attributed  to  want  of  ripening  of  the  old  wood.  You 
would  do  well  to  repot  your  Roses  at  once,  and  stand  them 
outdoors  on  a  bed  of  ashes  in  full  sun.  Be  careful  not  to 
over-water  them,  and  keep  all  flower-buds  pinched  off.  In 
October  give  them  a  good  drying  off  by  laying  the  pots 
on  their  sides  for  about  two  weeks ;  then  remove  to  a  cold 
frame  until  you  wish  to  place  them  in  the  forcing-house. 
J.  B.  Clark  is  a  bad  Rose  lor  splitting.  It  must  be  well 
disbudded  and  its  shoots  well  thinned  out.  Possibly  you 
would  flnd  standards  to  yield  the  best  blooms  under  this 
treatment.  When  disbudding,  always  select  the  most 
perfect  bud  to  retain. 

ROSE  FOLIAGE  BLIGHTED  {B.  A.  D.  O.  F.).— The 
Roses  must  be  in  a  very  bad  condition.  They  have  the 
black  and  also  the  white  mildew.  You  had  better  have  a 
lot  of  the  very  worst  foliage  cut  away  and  burnt ;  then  give 
the  plants  a  thorough  good  spraying  with  a  solution  of 
carbolic  soap,  at  the  rate  of  about  four  ounces  to  a  gallon 
of  water.  Or  another  good  recipe  would  be  :  Half  a  pound 
of  lime,  lib.  of  sulphur,  and  half  a  pound  of  soft  soap, 
all  boiled  together  in  a  gallon  of  water.  Use  half  a  pint 
of  this  liquid  to  two  gallons  of  soft  water.  Unless  the 
tree  is  a  very  old  one,  we  advise  you  to  dig  it  up  and 
burn  it,  rather  than  waste  time  in  trying  to  cure  the  blight, 
as  it  has  obtained  such  a  strong  hold  of  the  foliage  and  may 
infect  the  healthy  trees.  Probably  this  particular  tree 
is  in  a  bad  state  at  the  roots,  which  has  checked  its  growth  ; 
and  when  growth  is  arrested,  then  is  the  time  that  blights 
obtain  a  strong  hold  of  the  plant. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

ORCHID  LEAVES  TURNING  BROWN  (C.  Mayhew).— 
You  do  not  give  us  sufficient  information  concerning  the 
treatment  given  to  theOrchids  of  whichleaves were  enclosed. 
However  willing  to  oblige  our  readers,  we  are  greatly 
handicapped  by  this  lack  of  knowledge  on  important 
points.  We  should  say  that  an  excess  of  atmospheric 
moisture,  combined  with  a  low  temperature,  is  at  the  root 
of  the  trouble ;   but  there  are  other  possible  causes. 


428 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  23,  1913. 


GLOXINIAS  (Mrs.  0.  F.  C.).— There  are  Beveral  possible 
reasons  for  the  unsatisfactory  condition  of  your  Gloxinias. 
In  the  first  place,  as  the  surfare  of  the  pots  is  rather 
moss-Rrown,  it  would  indicate  that  the  plants  are  potted  in 
unsTiitable  soil,  or  that  drainace  is  at  fault.  Next,  the 
small  hothouse  in  which  they  were  gro^vn  was  probably 
too  hot  for  them,  and  the  change  into  a  cooler  structure 
too  drastic.  Gloxinias  are  very  often  grown  in  too  much 
heat,  with  decidedly  unsatisfactory  results.  With  regard 
to  manure-water,  the  time  to  apply  it  will  depend  entirely 
upon  the  condition  of  the  plants.  It  must  only  be  used 
when  the  roots  arc  in  a  good,  healthy  state,  so  that  the 
plant  is  able  to  assimilate  the  food,  as,  if  it  ia  not  in  this 
condition,  stimulants  of  any  kind  will  do  far  more  harm 
than  good.  In  order  to  give  your  plants  the  best  chance 
for  another  season,  they  should  be  kept  in  the  greenhouse, 
where  they  are  shaded  from  the  full  rays  of  the  sun.  After 
the  flowers  are  past,  the  plants  should  be  watered  as 
before  till  they  show  signs  of  going  to  rest  by  the  leaves 
turning  yellow,  when  less  moisture  will  be  required. 
When  quite  dormant,  water  may  be  discontinued  alto- 
gether. They  may  be  wintered  in  the  pots  they  have 
grown  in,  keeping  them  quite  dry  in  a  temperature  of 
50°  to  60°.  In  spring  shake  them  clear  of  the  old  soil  and 
repot  in  a  mixtm'e  of  loam,  leaf-mould  and  sand,  where 
in  a  minimum  temperature  of  55"  they  will  soon  start 
into  growth  They  will  not  need  much  water  till  the 
leaves  appear. 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

NECTARINES  CRACKING  {W.  H.  T.).— Probably  the 
atmosphere  of  the  house  is  too  humid  and  moist.  Give 
abundance  of  air  day  and  night  while  the  weather  is  fine. 
Giving  the  tree  a  good  soaking  of  water  at  the  roots  a 
short  time  previously  would  also  cause  cracking.  In  watering 
your  trees  you  should  so  contrive  to  give  them  a  good 
soaking  before  the  second  swelling  is  too  far  advanced 
to  cause  this  cracking. 

GUMMING  IN  PEACH  TREES  (B.  A.  /.).— Allowing 
the  trees  to  make  gross  and  ill-ripened  shoots,  especially 
if  they  are  injured  by  bruising  the  bark,  in;  one  of  the  chief 
causes  of  gumming.  Check  the  growth  by  root-pruning, 
training  the  shoots  carefully.  Allowing  the  roots  to  run 
too  deeply  in  stiff  soil,  thus  preventing  maturity  of  growth, 
is  also  a  cause.  Lift  the  trees  in  bad  cases,  replanting 
nearer  the  surface.  Training  the  branches  thinly  is  an 
excellent  remedy. 

SILVER-LEAF  IN  FRUIT  TREES  (B.  A.  /.).— Sulphate 
of  iron  in  powdered  crystal  form  mixed  with  the  soil  in 
March  is  an  excellent  remedy  for  silver-leaf.  For  a  tree 
ten  years  old  use  61b.,  and  so  on  according  to  the  age. 
Take  out  a  trench,  1  foot  deep,  from  the  stem  of  the  tree, 
4  feet  wide  on  each  side  of  the  stem,  mix  the  sulphate 
evenly  among  the  soil  and  roots  as  the  digging  proceeds, 
and,  if  the  roots  are  not  found  at  that  depth,  go  deeper, 
bringing  them  nearer  the  surface. 

APPLE  TREES  INFESTED  WITH  INSECT  PESTS 
(Oreystoke). — Spray  your  trees  with  the  following  winter 
wash.  The  best  time  to  do  this  is  in  February,  after  the 
trees  have  been  pruned.  Iron  sulphate,  half  a  pound  ; 
lime,  quarter  of  a  pound  ;  caustic  soda,  21b. ;  paraffin, 
five  pints  ;  and  water,  ten  gallons.  Dissolve  the  copper 
sulphate  in  eight  or  nine  gallons  of  water.  Slake  the  lime 
in  water  and  add  to  the  dissolved  copper  sulphate,  running 
it  through  a  fine  sieve.  Add  the  paraffin  and  keep  it 
stirred,  and  then  add  the  caustic  soda  and  water  to  bring 
the  whole  up  to  ten  gallons.  Spray  your  trees  again  just 
before  the  flower-b\ids  burst  open  with  Abol,  a  preparation 
which  is  most  effective  in  clearing  fruit  trees  of  all  manner 
of  pests  and  blight,  and  which  can  do  no  harm  to  the  trees 
or  tenderest  flowers.  Abol  may  be  bought,  with  instruc- 
tions how  to  use  it,  from  any  nurserymen  or  seed  merchants 
advertising  with  us. 

GRAPES  MILDEWED  (J.  F.  B.,  iVor/oift).— Mildew 
always  seems  to  exist  in  the  air,  ready  and  waiting  for 
favourable  atmospheric  conditions  and  an  opportunity 
to  seize  its  victims,  the  Vine  under  glass  being  one  of 
its  favourites.  To  know  what  are  the  conditions  which 
invite  and  favour  its  attack  is  the  surest  way  of  frustrating 
its  intentions.  The  atmospheric  conditions  which  mostl> 
favour  an  attack  are  a  low,  damp  night  temperature  with 
a  sudden  rise  by  sun-heat  on  a  sunny  morning,  and  after- 
wards the  admittance  of  too  mucli  cold  air  to  bring  down 
tiiis  high  temperature.  The  foliage  of  the  Vine  is  very 
tender  at  this  time,  and  highly  sensitive  to  sudden  changes 
in  temperatures,  which  cause  a  chill  and  create  the  con- 
ditions which  favour  an  attack  by  this  pest.  The  remedy 
lies  in  continuing  to  have  a  gentle  iieat  in  the  pipes,  especially 
at  night,  until  the  Grapes  have  done  stoning.  The  foliage 
and  berries  will  tlien  have  become  riper  and  harder,  and 
better  able  to  protect  themselves  against  its  attack.  With 
slight  heat  in  the  pipes  at  night,  air  must  be  ^iven  in 
moderation,  both  front  and  back;  a  free  circulation  will 
then  be  secured  and  the  atmosphere  rendered  buoyant, 
fairly  warm  and  free  from  the  defects  noticed  above.  The 
vinery  having  air  on  all  night,  the  temperature  will  rise 
gradually  in  the  early  morning,  and  there  will  not  be  the 
necessity  to  open  the  ventilators  too  wide  at  any  one  time. 
Heat  in  the  pipes  will  not  be  so  necessary  during  the  day. 
unless  the  weather  is  cold  and  damp,  when  a  little  should 
always  be  applied  in  the  early  stages  of  the  Vine's  growth. 

KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

SPRAYING  POTATOES  {T.  V.  H.).— For  spraying  garden 
crops  of  Potatoes  the  Vermorel  Knap.sack  Pump  is  an 
effective,  easil>-worked  and  handy  machine.  It  is  not 
expensive,  and  may  be  had  from  any  horticultural  simdries- 
man  advertising  in  The  Garden. 

PEAS  GOING  WRONG  {E.  C.).— The  Peas  appear  to  be 
attacked  by  a  newly-described  bacterial  disease,  the  full 


history  of  which  is  at  present  unknown.    There  is  also 

some  suggestion  of  root-rot ;  but  as  the  disease  has  not 
yet  been  fully  worked  out,  it  is  impossible  to  give  any 
remedial  measures.  It  would  be  well  to  grow  the  plants 
next  season  on  soil  which  has  not  been  previously  used  for 
growing  Peas. 

CELERY  ATTACKED  BY  FUNGUS  (J.  P.).— It  would 
have  been  well  to  have  commenced  the  treatment  of  the 
Celery  plants  for  the  Septoria  attack  earlier  than  this, 
as  it  is  a  disease  which,  when  once  it  has  gained  a  hold, 
is  extremely  difficult  to  overtake.  It  would  be  well  to 
spray  with  Bordeaux  mixture  from  now  onwards  at  intervals 
of  three  weeks.  Bordeaux  mixture  is  made  by  dissolving 
in  separate  wooden  vessels,  in  soft  water,  61b.  of  copper 
sulphate  (98  per  cent,  purity)  and  slaking  41b.  of  best 
quick  (or  unslaked)  lime,  each  of  them  requiring  about 
five  gallons  of  water.  Wlien  the  copper  sulphate  is 
dissolved  and  the  lime  thoroughly  slaked  and  cold,  pour 
the  two  together  and  dilute  to  forty  gallons  with  water. 
Apply  as  a  very  fine  spray,  covering  the  plants  completely 
with  it. 

BEETROOT  DOING  BADLY  (^'e).— Seeing  that  you 
buy  your  seed  from  the  seed  merchants  mentioned, 
there  can  be  no  question  of  its  purity  and  power  of  g^o^vth. 
Land  should  not  be  freshly  manured  for  the  growth  of 
Beet;  instead  it  should  be  grown  in  soil  which  has  been 
liberally  manured  for  a  crop  the  previous  year,  say, 
Potatoes  or  Peas.  Dig  the  soil  deeply  in  early  spring 
and  prepare  for  sowing  on  May  1.  If  the  soil  is  heavy, 
place  a  layer,  half  an  inch  deep,  of  old,  fine  potting  soil 
at  the  bottom  of  the  drill ;  this  will  help  the  seed  to 
vegetate  quickly.  The  seedlings  come  up  quickly  at 
this  time,  and  the  little  plants  are  often  devoured 
by  slugs  or  minute  flies  before  they  are  seen  by  the  naked 
eye.  Soot  and  lime  in  equal  quantities  should  be  scattered 
lightly  over  the  rows  in  the  course  of  a  fine  day  after  the 
seed  is  sown,  and  every  eight  or  nine  days  afterwards 
until  the  young  plants  are  an  inch  or  so  out  of  the  ground 
and  free  from  further  attack. 

FEEDING  VEGETABLE  MARROWS  BY  ARTIFICIAL 
MEANS  (Barker). — Our  correspondent  says  :  "  I  have 
heard  it  is  possible  to  feed  Vegetable  Marrows  by,  I  think, 
piercing  the  stem  and  placing  through  it  a  horsehair  with 
its  ends  in  a  sugar  solution,  or  something  to  that  effect." 
Nature  is  so  long-suffering  that  she  will  bear  any  torture 
inflicted  upon  her.  seemingly,  with  meekness  and  resigna- 
tion ;  but  in  the  long  run  she  is  bound  to  have  her  revenge. 
And  so  it  would  be  in  this  case.  The  tearing  and  bruising 
of  the  tissues  of  the  stem  by  the  act  of  piercing  through 
it  could  only  result  in  destroying  many  of  the  sap-vessels 
whose  office  it  is  to  supply  the  plant  with  nutriment  for 
its  life  and  growth.  A  plant  can  only  feed  through  its 
roots  and  some  constituents  which  its  foliage  absorbs  from 
the  air.  For  the  grubs  infesting  Carrots,  Cauliflower  and 
even  eating  the  roots  of  the  Parsley,  try  what  watering 
with  lime  and  soot  water  will  do.  To  eight  gallons  of 
soft  water  add  half  a  gallon  of  fresh  lime  and  a  quart  of 
soot.  Well  mix  and  churn  with  the  water  at  the  time  the 
lime  and  soot  are  placed  in  the  water.  Let  the  mixture 
stand  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  water  with  clear  water 
only,  without  the  sediment.  If  this  does  not  answer, 
the  most  effectual  way  is  to  break  up  (with  a  hand-fork 
or  trowel)  the  surface  soil  round  the  collar  of  the  plant 
until  the  surface  roots  are  reached,  and  then  to  search 
for  the  grubs.  They  are  generally  found  near  the  surface, 
and  the  plants  are  often  saved  in  this  way. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

ANALYSING  WATER  (C.  BuUer).— Yon  should  get 
the  water  analysed  by  a  professional  analyst.  Probably 
it  could  be  done  at  the  East  Anglian  Institute  of  Agricul- 
ture at  Chelmsford  for  a  small  fee  for  the  purpose  mentioned. 
There  are  mineral  springs  in  your  neighbourhood,  and 
the  test  to  which  you  refer  would  not  reveal  any  impuri- 
ties injurious  to  plants,  though  it  would  be  an  indication 
of  suitability  or  otherwise  for  human  consumption. 

SLUGS  (Chefiter). — These  have  been  a  considerable 
source  of  trouble  in  some  districts  for  the  last  eighteen 
months  :  it  is  thought  by  reason  of  the  great  amount 
of  rain  experienced  last  year.  Some  people  trap  them 
by  placing  lines  of  bran  or  sawdust  about  the  ground, 
while  others  sow  lime  or  soot  over  the  ground.  On  any 
vacant  ground  it  would  be  a  good  plan  to  apply  a  good 
dressing  of  soot  and  unslaked  lime  before  digging  it  over. 
It  would  also  be  a  good  plan  to  surround  beds  of  annuals 
with  rings  of  soot,  sawdust,  or  bran.  Another  plan  for 
destroying  slugs  is  to  place  slices  of  Turnip  about  on 
the  ground.  The  slugs  shelter  beneath  these,  and  may 
then  be  caught.  They  may  also  be  searched  for  by  the 
aid  of  a  lantern  during  the  early  part  of  the  night.  The 
"  V.T.H.'*  Slug  Trap,  supplied  by  Mr.  Vernon  T.  Hill, 
Mendip  Nurseries,  Langford,  Somerset,  is  highly  to  be 
commended. 

NAMES  OF  FRUIT.— £.  C— 1,  Lord  Suffleld .  2, 
Ecklinvillc  Seedling;  3,  Cardinal;  4,  Keswick  Codlin; 
5,  Nelson's  Codlin  ;  6.  Tower  of  Glamis. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.  —  Interested.  —  1,  Eupatorium 
cannabinum  ;  2  and  4,  Apium  nodiflorum  ;  3,  Gnaphalium 
uliginosum ;  5,  Stachys  Betonica  ;  6,  Carduus  crispus  ;  7, 
C.  arvensis ;  8,   C.  la'nceolatus  ;  9,  Sencbiera   Coronopus  ; 

10,  Hypericum  perforatum;  11  and  12,  H.  hirsutum. 

T.  C.  G. — 1,  Sodum  Sieboldi  ;  2,  Othonna  camosa  ;  3, 
Sedum  sarmento?um  variegatum  ;  -i,  Tolmiea  Menziesii; 
5,  Ceratonia  Siliqua  (Carob  Tree);  6,  Aspidium  lepidum ; 

7,  Sedum  reflexum. Woodman, — Rhus  Cotinus  (Venetian 

Sumach)  and  Hedera  Helix  chrysophylla. D.  A. — 1,  Ver- 

bascum    phooniceum ;      2,    Linaria   dalmatica ;     3,    Pent- 

stemon  barbatus. J.  S.,  G mint i/  Durham. — 1,  Geranium 

pratense  ;  2,  Alonsoa  Warscewiczii. Medgerley. — Escal- 

lonia  rubra,  Rhamnus  Frangula  (Berry-bearing  Alder)  and 


Rhododendron   viscosa    variety. J.   s.,   Hants — Sisy- 

rinchium    striatum. A.    0.,    5u^oR-.  —  Centranthus 

macrosiphon.     It  is  an  annual,  native  of  Spain. J.B. 

—Roses:    1,  Captain  Hayward  ;  2,  White  Pet;  3,  Marquise 
de  Sinety ;  4,   Billiard  et  Barrfi  ;  5,  A.   K.   William^  ;  6. 

Baroness  Rothschild. Lieutenant-Colonel  H.  F.  D. — We 

believe  the  Rose  to  be  Mrs.  C.  Curtis  Harrison. B.  B., 

Birmingham. — Lychnis  oculata. 


SOCIETIES. 


PERTHSHIRE    SWEET    PEA    SOCIETY. 

The  Perthshire  Sweet  Pea  Society  held  its  fourth  annual 
show  in  the  City  Hall,  Perth,  on  August  9.  The  Very  Rev 
Provost  Smythe  opened  the  show,  the  Earl  and  Countess 
of  Kinnoul  and  Sir  John  and  Lady  Dewar  being  also 
on  the  platform.  The  show  was  the  finest  the  society 
has  ever  held,  and  both  quantity  and  quality  showed  an 
improvement  on  those  of  former  years.  A  gold  medal 
offered  by  the  society,  and  open  to  the  trade,  for  the 
best  table  of  Sweet  Peas  was  won  by  Messrs.  Thyne  and 
Son,  Dundee,  with  a  magnificent  display.  For  the  best 
twelve  bunches  of  Sweet  Peas,  for  which  Sir  John  Dewar 
offered  a  gold  medal,  Mr.  E.  Cowdy,  Belfast,  was  awarded 
the  prize  with  a  splendid  lot  of  blooms.  Another  very 
successful  competitor  was  Mr.  J.  Petrie,  Crathes  Castle, 
who  won  two  silver  medals,  offered  by  the  society  for 
six  bunches  and  for  the  same  number  of  new  Sweet  Peas, 
besides  a  special  for  the  most  points  won  at  the  show! 
In  the  division  for  growers  of  from  15  yards  to  20  yards, 
Mr.  R.  Duncan,  Kemnay,  Aberdeen,  won  the  society's 
challenge  cup  for  nine  bunches,  and  also  a  medal  for  six 
bunches.  The  National  Sweet  Pea  Society's  medal  for 
small  growers  was  won  by  .Mr.  Glover,  Colinton,  Edinburgh. 

SCOTTISH    HORTICULTURAL    ASSOCIATION. 

About  ninety  members  of  the  Scotti.sh  Horticultural 
Association  participated  in  the  excursion  to  Carberry 
Tower,  the  seat  of  Lord  Elphinstone,  who  had  kindly 
invited  the  association  to  visit  the  gardens.  On  arrival, 
the  members,  who  were  accompanied  by  the  president' 
Mr.  David  King,  Osborne  Nurseries,  Edinburgh,  were 
met  by  Mr.  D.  Kidd,  the  gardener,  and  bv  him  conducted 
through  the  gardens  and  grounds.  Much  was  observed  to 
admire,  and  the  party  were  highly  pleased  with  the  excellent 
order  in  which  they  found  everything,  both  under  glass 
and  outside.  Mr.  Kidd  is  well  known  as  one  of  the  ablest 
of  Scottish  gardeners,  and  Carberry  Tower  Gardens  were 
found  full  of  interest.  The  herbaceous  borders  were  very 
flne,  and  the  Dutch  garden,  an  old  and  striking  feature 
of  the  place,  was  much  admired  for  its  quainlhess  and 
beauty.  Hoses  were  very  fine  indeed.  The  company 
was  kindly  entertained  at  tea  by  Lord  and  Lady  Elphin- 
stone, to  whom,  on  the  motion  of  the  president,'  a  hearty 
vote  of  thanks  was  accorded.  A  similar  recognition  was 
made  of  the  courtesy  and  kindness  of  Mr.  Kidd. 

THE     BRITISH     PTERIDOLOGICAL     SOCIETY. 

THIS  society  as  usual,  held  its  annual  meeting  on 
August  Bank  Holiday,  this  time  on  the  4th.  at  Totnes, 
Devon,  after  a  preliminary  investigation  of  the  locality 
as  a  promising  Fern-hunting  region  by  the  hon.  secretary, 
Mr.  Charles  T.  Druery,  and  Mr.  W.  B.  Cranfleld,  the 
treasurer,  who  found  it  all  that  could  be  desired  as  regards 
abundance  of  Ferns  and  of  species.  At  the  business 
meeting  the  balance-sheet  and  the  membership  were 
found  to  be  highly  satisfactory,  no  fewer  than  160  members 
having  replaced  the  original  score  existing  at  the  time 
of  the,  so  to  speak,  reconstruction  of  the  society  and  the 
establishment  of  the  British  Fern  Gazette,  edited  by  Mr. 
Druery,  which  was  at  once  recognised  as  deserving  of 
the  support  of  all  lovers  of  British  Ferns  in  their  beautiful 
and  multiform  varietal  characters. 

The  Seven  Stars  Hotel  was  fixed  as  the  meeting-place,  and 
prior  to  and  after  the  mcc-ting  the  members  present 
organised  various  hunting  expeditions  to  Dartmoor  and  the 
surrounding  district  of  South  Devon,  with  very  satisfactory 
results,  although  a  two  months*  drought  had  played  havoc 
with  all  the  exposed  Ferns,  which  in  many  places  had  been 
killed  outright  and  in  most  presented  a  flaccid  and  shrivelled 
appearance,  which  militated  seriously  against  any  recog- 
nition of  varietal  features.  Notwithstanding,  however, 
this  handicap,  a  number  of  good  varieties  fcU  to  the  lot 
of  the  searchers,  showing  that  Nature  was  still  busy  in 
producing  sports,  although  one  might  imagine  that  the 
great  number  of  such  acquisitions  by  the  coterie  of  old 
pioneers,  with  their  sharp  eyes,  woiUd  have  practically 
exhausted  the  chances  of  fresh  discoveries.  A  number 
of  very  beautiful  forms  obtained  by  selective  sowing 
were  sent  by  absent  members  as  a  proof  that  in  this 
direction  also  much  had  been,  and  was  still  being,  done 
to  improve,  if  possible,  the  original  wild  varieties  through 
their  capacity  of  further  variation  by  their  spores.  From 
a  patriotic  point  of  view,  therefore,  the  society,  devoting 
itself  purely  to  our  native  Ferns,  has  proved  itself  to  be 
well  worthy  of  support,  and  it  is  hoped  that  its  member- 
ship will  continue  to  increase  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  quarterly  issue  of  the  British  Fern  Gazette,  under 
tlie  experienced  editorship  of  the  well-known  expert, 
Mr.  Charles  T.  Druery,  V.M.H.,  F.L.S.,  fully  repays  the 
expenditure  of  the  5s.  per  annum  <.\ugust  to  August), 
which  secures  its  receipt  and  constitutes  the  subscriber 
a  member  of  the  large  body  of  Fern  enthusiasts,  with 
which  it  brings  him  or  her  (for  many  members  are  ladies) 
into  more  or  less  direct  contact.  Mr.  Drtiery  is  also  the 
hon.  secretary.  His  address  is  11.  Shaa  Road,  Acton,  W., 
and  he  is  always  ready  to  send  a  specimen  number  of  the 
gazette  to  anyone  contemplating  membership. 


[%"5^^"«- 


garden! 


:=^^^^s^ 


If' 


No.  2180.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


August  30,  1913. 


CONTBNTS. 


Notes  of  the   Week    429 

courf-spondence 
Campanula  Zoysii, .     430 
Is  Kosc  Irish  Elegance 


free-flovveriuti  ? 
Outdoor     Tomatoes 
Scentless  Musk 
Salvia    turki^stanicji 
The  SI.  John's  Wort 
Zonal     l*ciiirgoniuni 

Maximo  Kovalcv- 

sky 


430 
430 
430 
431 
431 


4.;i 


Mother  o' 


\i\\ ium  chalccdon icu m  431 
Fortliconiine  events  . .     431 

Fr-OWEK    tiARDEN 

Hanly   annuals    for 
autumn  .-owiuK  .  .     431 

(ieranium    striatum    431 
TRKE'i  AND  Shrubs 

A    double  -  llowered 
Ceanothus   . .      .  .     432 

Spiraiii  Wilsonii     . .     432 

Choice  berry-bcarins 
trees   and   shrubs     432 

Rock  and  Water  GARi>i:N 
I'he  Campauulas  or 

Bcll-Howcrs         ..  433 

A  beautiful  Geranium  434 

Linuni  arboreum  . .  434 

Hekbaceous  Borders 

AT  Salisbury  close  434 


434 
435 


Sweet  Pea 

Pearl       . .      . . 

Daffodil  Notes 

Fruit  Garden 
Treatment  of  Rasp- 
berries   after 
fruiting       . .      . .     435 
Hints    on    ripening 
Melons         .  .      . .     430 

Greenhouse 
Erlangea  tomentosa     436 
Hydrangeas   in   the 
greenhouse. .      . .     436 

Gardesino  for  Beginners 
JIow  to  increase 

Violas 437 

Mignonette  for 

winter     floweriuK     437 

Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens          438 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens          43S 

Answers  to  Cork e- 
spondents 
Kosc  garden  .  .  . .  439 
Greenhouse  . .  . .  439 
Fruit  garden  .  .  .  .  439 
Miscellaneous  . .     439 

Societies 439 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Rose  Irish  Elegance  in  a  reader's  garden 430 

Ceanothus  albus  plenus 432 

Rpirsea  Wilsonii       432 

The  Wall  Harebell  (Campanula  portenschlagiana)  . .  433 

Geranium  lancastriense         434 

Herbaceous  borders  at  Salisbury  Close      . .      Supplement 

Linum  arboreum  in  Mr.  E.  A.  Bowles'  rock  garden. .  435 

Erlangea  tomentosa       436 

How  to  increase  Violas 437 


EDITORIAL.    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented In  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  vjelmmcs  plwtogmphs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  sale  return.  All 
reasnnable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  il  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
Oiks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  wilt  be  treated  loith. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  0;  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use.  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  7vill  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :   20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden.  W.C 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 


Cutting  Dead  Wood  from  Trees.— Now  will  be 
found  a  good  time  for  looking  around  trees  and 
shrubs  and  cutting  out  ail  dead  wood,  particularly 
from  deciduous  ones,  as  it  is  not  always  an  easy 
matter  to  detect  the  dead  wood  when  the  leaves  are 
off ;  certainly  not  so  easy  as  now.  It  is  very 
important  to  put  a  coating  of  tar  on  each  of  the 
cuts  afterwards  to  prevent  disease  getting  into 
the  wound. 

Sowing  Grass  Seed. — Bare  spots  on  the  lawns 
or  grass  paths  should  be  pricked  up  with  a  fork, 
and  grass  seed  sown.  If  preparation  has  been 
made  for  the  making  of  lawns,  the  seed  should  be 
sown  now,  as  much  time  is  saved  and  better  results 
are  obtained  than  if  left  till  the  spring.  Dull, 
showery  weather  is  preferable,  but  if  the  weather 
should  be  very  dry,  a  few  waterings  will  greatly 
assist  the  seed  to  gcnnin.ite  quickly. 

Root-Pruning  Fruit  Trees.— September  is  the 
best  month  for  this  operation,  which  generally 
throws  into  a  fruiting  state  fruit  trees  which  have 
either  rooted  into  an  uncongenial  subsoil  or  are 
growing  too  much  to  wood.  It  is  well  only  to  attack 
one-half  of  the  roots  in  a  season.  Keep  about 
three  feet  clear  of  the  stem,  and  be  sure  you  get 
right  under  the  tree.  Trim  all  cut,  bare  roots  with 
a  sharp  knife,  and  work  in  some  maiden  loam  among 
them. 

Sweet  Pea  Royal  Rose.— For  garden  decoration 
and  cutting,  this  is  a  delightful  Sweet  Pea.  It 
is  in  the  way  of  John  Ingman,  but  the  stock  is 
more  reliable,  coming  quite  true,  \vhich,  unfortu- 
nately, cannot  be  said  of  some  of  the  seeds  sold  as 
John  Ingman.  The  flowers  are  rich  rose  red, 
showing  no  trace  of  magenta,  and  nicely  frilled. 
The  plants  are  robust,  autumn-sown  seeds  growing 
10  feet  high  in  the  usual  soil  of  a  good  herbaceous 
border.  The  later  flowers  maintain  their  size, 
colour  and  length  of  stalk  better  than  many  sorts. 

Saxifraga  florulenta. — Considerable  interest  was 
displayed  in  tliis  curious  species  of  Saxifraga, 
shown  recently  before  the  scientific  committee 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  by  Mr.  Chaplin 
of  Great  Amwell,  Ware,  in  whose  garden  it  had 
flowered.  It  was  collected  by  him,  and  had  appa- 
rently been  growing  in  shade  in  cultivation,  though 
it  appears  to  grow  alike  in  sun  and  shade  in  its 
home  in  the  Maritime  .\lps,  where  it  occurs  at  high 
altitudes.  It  has,  perhaps,  only  once  before  flowered 
in  this  country,  when  it  received  a  first-class 
certificate  in  June,  1872,  being  shown  by  Mr.  Maw. 

Honeysuckles  as  Bushes. — In  a  garden  visited 
recently  we  noticed  several  extremely  fine  speci- 
mens of  Honeysuckle.  There  were  several  varie- 
ties, some  of  the  bushes  being  about  nine  feet 
high  and  more  in  diameter.  They  were  profusely 
flowered,  and,  as  the  positions  were  open  ones  on 
the  lawn,  the  plants  drew  the  attention  of  visitors 
both  on  account  of  their  size,  quantity  of  blossom 
and  delightful  fragrance.     It  is  not  at  all  a  difficult 


matter  to  establish  such  bushes  if  they  are  given 
the  support  of  a  strong  stake  during  the  first  three 
or  four  years. 

A  Blaze  of  Colour. — For  some  years  now  the 
flower-beds  in  the  front  of  Buckingham  Palace 
have  been  planted  entirely  with  the  rich-coloured 
Zonal  Pelargonium  Paul  Crampel,  and  this  season 
there  is  no  exception  to  the  rule.  The  flat,  un- 
broken surface  of  the  beds  is,  however,  relieved 
by  good-sized  specimens  of  the  same  variety. 
The  whole  of  the  plants  have  done  remarkably 
well  this  summer,  and  present  such  a  blaze  ol 
colour  as  one  rarely  sees.  It  may  be  questioned 
whether  this  is  the  most  suitable  arrangement 
for  the  position,  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
as  far  as  showiness  is  concerned  it  could  not  be 
surpassed. 

Valuable  Spring-flowering  Plants.— There  are 

several  varieties  of  the  will-known  Silene  pendula 
for  making  our  gardens  look  gay  in  the  late  spring, 
of  which  Silene  pendula  ruberrima  and  S.  p.  Snow 
King  are  two  of  the  best.  As  a  groundwork  for 
larger  plants,  an  edging,  or  for  massing  in  the  borders, 
they  are  most  valuable.  Seeds  should  be  sown 
now,  and  the  seedlings  will  make  good  plants  for 
putting  out  later.  As  the  majority  of  Silenes 
suffer  more  from  the  damp  during  the  winter  than 
they  do  from  the  cold,  it  will  be  found  advisable 
to  sow  them  in  sandy  soil,  and,  if  the  ground  is  of  a 
heavy  and  cold  nature,  to  delay  the  transplanting 
till  the  early  spring. 

Transplanting     the     Christmas     Rose.— Few 

flowers  are  more  appreciated  than  the  Christmas 
Roses  (Helleborus  niger),  blooming  as  they  do 
at  a  period  of  the  year  when  almost  all  flowers  are 
at  rest.  The  plants  thrive  in  almost  any  ordinary 
garden  soil,  but  prefer  a  rich  loam,  with  a  moist, 
rather  shady,  perfectly-drained  situation.  Now 
will  be  found  a  good  time  to  take  up  the  large 
clumps  and  divide  them.  If  this  operation  is  left 
till  later,  the  transplanting  will  check  the  blooming. 
They  are  excellent  for  growing  in  pots  in  the 
greenhouse  if  potted  up  now  and  placed  in  a  frame, 
but  they  should  not  by  any  means  be  forced. 

Early-Flowering      Chrysanthemums.  —  Those 

annuals  and  biennials  that  are  now  past  should 
be  removed  from  beds  or  borders  and  the  gaps 
filled  with  early-flowering  Chrysanthemums.  These 
are  not  used  to  the  extent  that  they  should  be 
for  such  a  purpose,  and  many  a  bare  spot  could 
be  made  to  look  gay  with  these  valuable  plants. 
They  can  be  grown  with  very  little  trouble  in  a 
piece  of  reserved  ground,  planting  them  out 
as  space  occurs.  If  care  is  taken,  they  can  be 
transplanted  without  suffering  in  the  least,  even 
when  in  bloom ;  but  it  will  be  found  advisable 
to  cut  round  the  plants  with  a  spade  about  five 
inches  or  six  inches  from  the  stem,  and  give  a  good 
watering  a  day  or  so  before  transplanting.  Should 
the  weather  be  dry,  the  plants  should  he  watered 
once  or  twice,  giving  an  occasional  syringing  over 
the  foliage. 


430 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  30,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The    Editor  is    not    responsible    for    the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Campanula  Zoysii. — By  way  of  experiment  I 
liave  this  year  tried  this  plant  both  in  sun  and  in 
semi-shade.  While  that  with  full  exposure  flowered 
earlier,  I  must  give  the  palm  to  the  plant  in  semi- 
shade,  as  it  produced  more  numerous  and  finer 
flowers  than  the  plant  facing  south-west.  It  is 
a  quaint  little  plant  which  always  interests  visitors. 
— B.,  Weybridge. 

Lilium    pardalinum. — I    bought    one    of   these 
Lilies  in   igio.     The  next   year   (igii)   there   was 
one  head  ;    this  year  (1913)  there  have  been  seven 
heads  from  4  feet    to  6  feet  high  with 
over  sixty  flowers.     It  is  planted  in   a 
hot,  damp  corner,  with  the  roots  shaded 
by  a  large    Rose    bush,    and    it    was    a 
grand  sight  to  see  these  brilliant  flowers, 
a   mass   of  scarlet    and   orange. — M.  VV. 
SuGDEN.  Wells,  Somerset. 

Erica  mediterranea  bybrida. — is  u 

not  yet  possible  to  give  this  fine  Heatli 
another  name  than  either  this  or  E. 
hybrida,  which,  as  you  remark  (issue 
August  16,  page  407),  may  can  sc 
confusion  ?  It  is  so  distinct  from  E. 
mediterranea  that  it  is  a  pity  to  attach 
the  name  of  the  latter  to  it  at  all.  I 
cannot  recollect  having  come  across  any 
authentic  account  of  its  origin.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  valuable  of  our  hardy 
Heaths,  and  far  and  away  more  generally 
useful  even  than  E.  mediterranea  itself. 
— S.  A. 

Is  Rose  Irish  Elegance  Free- 
Flowering  ? — During  the  present  year 
this  charming  single  Rose  has  been 
very  freely  used  for  table  decorations 
at  all  the  leading  shows,  and  in  most 
instances  has  secured  the  premier 
award.  In  djscussing  it  some  time  ago 
with  rosarian  friends,  I  was,  however, 
told  none  too  gently  that  it  was  not  a 
Rose  for  the  garden,  as  it  did  not 
flower  freely  and  its  blooms  were  ton 
fugacious.  The  latter  statement  one 
has,  unfortunately,  to  agree  with,  but 
I  think  the  accompanying  photograph 
proves  that  it  is  free-flowering  enough 
The  photograph  depicts  a  part  only  ot 
a  bush,  and  was  taken  early  in  August, 
to  that  the  flowers  shown  are  the  second 
crop.  It  would  be  interesting  if  other 
readers  would  give  their  opinions  of  the 
merit?  of  this  Rose  for  the  garden  — 
A.  B.  Essex, 

The  Creeping  Jenny. — In  addition  to 
the  suggestions  in  your  valuable  little  note  in  The 
Garden  of  August  16,  page  405,  one  may  mention 
1  hat  the  Creeping  Jenny  (Lysimachia  Numraularia) 
IS  very  useful  for  covering  the  margins  of  a  pond, 
where  it  thrives  splendidly.  It  is  excellent  for 
covering  the  surface  of  the  soil  occupied  by  early 
bulbs  which  love  some  moisture,  and  there  the 
Creeping  Jenny  is  much  finer  than  when  in  a  drier 
place.  It  is  as  good  in  sun  as  in  shade.  The 
golden-leaved  variety  looks  especially  bright, 
and  some  pieces  on  the  margin  of  a  little  Water 
Lily  pond  are  very  pleasing  from  June  onwards. — 
S.  Arnoit. 

Campanula    pusilla   Miranda. — Some   two    nr 

thi'cc  y<'ars  since  I  acquired  a  plant    of    tliis   frcjiu 


the  Craven  Nursery,  and  I  am  glad  that  I  did 
so,  as  I  think  it  the  daintiest  Campanula  I  have 
seen.  It  is  of  dwarf  habit,  only  occupying  a  small 
space,  with  sweet,  dome-shaped,  pendent  flowers  of 
a  grey  blue  colour,  so  produced  as  to  be  shown  to 
the  best  advantage,  and  not  crowded  together 
like  those  on  Campanula  pusilla  Miss  Willmott. 
Campanula  pusilla  Miranda  was,  I  believe,  found 
by  Mr.  Reginald  Farrer,  and  alpinists  owe  him  a 
debt  of  gratitude  for  it.  I  had  a  good  display  of 
bloom  on  my  plant  in  June,  and  now  it  is  kindly 
flowering  again. — W.  A.  Bilney. 

Outdoor  Tomatoes. — To  the  interesting  remarks 
made  by  a  correspondent  in  the  issue  dated 
August  16,  page  406,  I  should  like  to  say  a 
word  in  favour  of  the  variety  Sutton's  Early  Market 


ROSE  IRISH  ELEGANCE  IN  A  READER  S  GARDEN 

for  outdoor  culture.  It  is  especially  valuable 
for  the  purpose,  being  early  and  setting  its  fruits 
very  freely.  They  are  of  medium  size,  smooth, 
rich  red  in  colour,  and  six  to  twelve  or  more 
are  borne  in  a  cluster.  In  a  cold  frame,  on  a 
south  wall  and  in  the  open,  the  results  are  equally 
satisfactory. — A.  O. 

When    writing    my    last    note     un     these 

(The  Garden,  August  16)  I  quite  forgot  to 
mention  a  very  interesting  statement  which 
appeared  in  the  Miinchner  Neueste  Nachrichten 
at  the  end  of  the  hot  season  of  rgrr.  It 
was  there  stated  that  poor  people  were  regularly 
seen  to  carry  to  town  baskets  fiUl  of  ripe  Tomatoes, 
and  on  enquiry  it  was  found  that  these  were  being 


gathered  along  the  banks  of  the  River  Tsar,  where 
they  grew  of  their  own  accord.  How  this  happens 
it  was  explained — that  the  town  sewage  enters 
the  river  a  little  way  below  the  city,  and  as  at 
the  time  when  the  snow  melts  in  the  mountains 
the  river  carries  a  considerable  flood-tide  and  over- 
flows its  banks,  the  Tomato  seeds,  which  find  their 
way  into  the  river  through  the  sewage  canal,  are, 
when  the  waters  recede  to  the  river  bed,  deposited 
and  left  to  germinate  along  its  banks  and  ripen 
their  fruits  in  favourable  seasons. — E.  Heinrich. 

Wahlenbergia  vincaeflora. — It  is  gratifying  to 
see  your  appreciation  of  this  plant,  as  it  is,  in  my 
opinion,  one  of  the  best  recent  introductions 
in  the  way  of  an  alpine.  I  have  planted  it  in  a 
south-west  aspect,  and  it  has  been  full  of  flower 
for  several  weeks  past,  regardless  of 
the  drought  we  have  had  to  endure 
so  long.  All  flowers  (especially  Roses) 
are  much  smaller  this  summer  than 
usual  on  this  red-hot  sandy  soil. 
Possibly  in  a  normal  summer  the 
flowers  on  this  plant  would  be  larger 
than  now. — B.,  Weybridge. 

Scentless  Musk. — For  several  weeks 
past  I  have  read  with  interest  the  notes 
on  scentless  Musk.  I  have  three  pots 
of  Musk,  Mimulus  moschatus,  and  have 
had  them  by  me,  as  far  as  I  can 
remember,  nine  years,  and  potted  them 
up  every  year  in  the  spring.  These 
plants  retain  as  good  a  scent  now  as  they 
had  when  I  first  purchased  them.  The 
only  treatment  I  give  is  the  ordinary 
one.  I  keep  them  in  a  cool  greenhouse 
in  the  winter  months,  and  outside  on 
shelves  in  the  summer.  The  scent  is 
beautiful,  and  I  would  be  only  too  pleased 
to  send  a  cutting  to  readers  who  wish 
for  it. — F.  M.,  Surrey. 

For  some  years  past  my  small- 
flowered  yellow  Musk  has  been  quite 
scentless,  and  I  do  not  care  to  keep  it, 
but  it  continues  to  grow  in  a  pot  with 
a  Date  Palm,  and  if  it  is  nothing  else,  it 
looks  pretty  and  green. — M.  W.  S., 
Somerset. 

If  you  do  not  consider  the  sub- 
ject is  worn  out,  I  regretfully  add  my 
testimony  to  the  fact  that  Musk  has 
ceased  to  contribute  any  scent  at  all 
to  my  garden.  I  have  been  puzzling 
over  it  and  observing  with  interest  the 
remarks  on  this  subject  in  your  valuable 
paper. — M.  Sybil  Whitefoord,  East 
Brook,  Wokingham. 

1  asked  an  old  and  obser- 
vant jobbing  gardener  the  other  day  : 
"  Do  you  believe  that  Musk  has 
lost    its   smell  ?  "      The    answer    came, 

prompt  and  decisive  :  "  Noa,  I  dooan't  !  It'll 
smell  fast  enough  when  t'  weather's  soft  and  warm, 
but  niver  in  a  cold  north  wind  like  this  year." 
And  I  think,  in  the  main,  my  opinion  is  like  his. 
Musk  never  did  smell  late  on  in  the  season,  and  it 
needs  a  moist,  still  air,  not  too  cold,  to  give  off  its 
fullest  perfume  in  June,  just  when  the  first  flowers 
are  opening.  There  may,  of  course,  be  scentless 
seedling  forms  that  have  ousted  the  type  in  Southern 
gardens,  but  the  sweet-scented  Musk  is  still  to 
be  found  in  Yorkshire  (and  elsewhere,  too),  I 
have  no  doubt.  This  season,  with  its  cold,  drying, 
"  Polar-current  "  winds,  has  prevented  the  Musk 
from  giving  off  its  perfume,  and  now  it  is  too  late, 
for  this  year  at  any  rate. — Edward  H.  Woodalu. 


Siippleineiit  to   THE  GARDEN,  August  30//;,   1913. 


HERBACEOUS   BORDERS  IN  THE  NORTH  CANONRY  GARDEN, 

SALISBURY  CLOSE. 


Hudson  3-  Kcarnt.  JJd.,  Prii/fers,  Lottdnn.  S.E- 


August  30,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


431 


Salvia  turkestanica.— 1  saw  this  Salvia  for 
the  first  tunc  the  other  day  in  the  gardens  of  Mr. 
Alexander  Porter,  florist,  Davidson's  Mains,  Mid- 
lothian, and  was  struck  with  its  suitability  for 
the  wild  garden.  The  plants  had  not  been  very 
liberally  treated,  but  stood  about  three  and  a-half 
feet  high.  I  fancy  that  with  good  cultivation 
it  would  attain  a  height  of  5  feet.  The  flowers  are 
pure  white,  and  the  bracts  retain  their  whiteness 
long  after  the  flowers  are  over.  The  leaves  on  the 
plants  I  saw  were  about  six  inches  by  nine  inches. — 
Charles  Comfort. 

The  St.  John's  Wort. — Few  kiiids  of  plants  of 
low  growth  excel  this  as  a  dry  border  subject.  A 
steep  bank  not  more  than  100  yards  from  the 
sea  in  a  Southern  town  is  beautifully  covered 
with  the  St.  John's  Wort,  which  not  only  possesses 
luxuriant  foliage,  but  bears  flowers  profusely. 
In  another  garden  I  find  the  plant  equally  successful 
on  the  level  ground,  also  in  a  sandy  rooting  medium. 
As  undergrowth  to  tall  shrubs  and  trees  it  is  thriving, 
even  though  the  trees  rob  the  plants  of  much 
nourishment.  There  are  few  flowering  shrubs,  if 
any,  that  will  succeed  so  well  as  the  St.  John's 
Wort  under  the  shade  of  trees.  Readers  who 
experience  any  difficulty  in  getting  plants  estab- 
lished in  such  positions  may  make  a  note  of  the 
one  here  referred  to. — G.,  Bournemouth. 

Zonal    Pelargonium    Maxime    Kovalevsky.— 

This  Pelargonium,  which  has  been  before  now 
referred  to  in  The  Garden,  forms,  from  the  distinct 
tone  of  its  blossoms,  quite  an  uncommon  feature 
among  the  different  varieties  bedded  out  at 
Hampton  Court.  The  actual  colour,  a  kind  of 
soft  orange,  is  difficult  to  describe,  and  at  a  little 
distance  one  would  scarcely  take  it  to  be  a  Pelar- 
gonium. At  Hampton  Court  it  has  a  bed  to  itself, 
with  the  exception  of  an  edging  of  variegated 
Holcus  and  a  few  dot  plants  of  Leucophyta  Brownii. 
This  distinct  Pelargonium  was  raised  by  M.  Lemoine 
of  Nancy,  and  distributed  about  half-a-dozen 
years  ago. 

Lilium  chalcedonicum. — Many  good  examples 
of  this  delightful  Lily  were  noted  at  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Hall  recently.  It  is  a  member 
of  the  Turk's-cap  or  Martagon  section,  though 
the  leaves  are  not  arranged  in  whorls  as  in  the  true 
Martagons.  The  flowering  season  of  L.  chalce- 
donicum is,  as  a  rule,  towards  the  latter  part  of 
July  and  the  first  half  of  August,  though,  of  course, 
it  varies  somewhat  according  to  season  and  locality. 
It  grows  generally  from  3  feet  to  4  feet  in  height, 
the  rather  small  flowers  being  gracefully  recurved, 
of  a  thick,  wax-like  texture  and  a  sealing-wax  red 
colour.  From  their  substance  the  blooms  retain 
their  freshness  longer  than  those  of  many  other 
Lilies.  The  Scarlet  Martagon,  as  L.  chalcedoni- 
cum is  popularly  termed,  needs  a  fairly  hold- 
ing loam,  and  is  seen  at  its  best  when  fully 
established.  Apart  from  any  other  considera- 
tion, it  is  particularly  interesting  as  being 
one  of  the  supposed  parents  of  the  charming 
L.  testaceum. — H.  P. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

September  2. — Scottish  Horticultural  Associa- 
tion's Meeting.     Flower  Show  at  Bicester. 

September  3. — Flower  Shows  at  Glasgow  (two 
days),  Alnwick,  and  Preston  (three  days). 

September  4. — Flower  Shows  at  Peterborough 
and  Kilkenny. 

September  6. — Flower  Shows  at  Mauchline  and 
Kirkby  Stephen.  Societe  Fran^aise  d'Horti- 
culture  de  Londres  Meeting. 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

HARDY      ANNUALS     FOR     AUTUMN 
SOWING. 

{Continued  from  page  420.) 
Time  to  Sow. — This  is  a  subject  that  is  too 
often  passed  over  and  lightly  thought  of.  When 
the  right  time  for  sowing  comes  along,  the  ground 
is  not  ready  or  other  work  is  pressing.  The  proper 
time  for  sowing  is  from  raid-August  till  about  the 
third  week  in  September.  Occasionally  a  very  late 
sowing  is  successful  when  we  have  a  mild  November, 
or  even  until  Christmas  ;  but  it  is  not  worth  the 
risk.  Sow  early  and  get  good,  sturdy  plants, 
not  necessarily  tall,  which  will  stand  the  winter. 
If  the  flowering  position  is  not  ready,  sow  on  the 
reserve  border  at  the  right  time  and  transplant 
later.  Take  as  a  guide  in  this  matter  the  sturdy 
self-sown  seedlings  of  Larkspurs,  Poppies,  Esch- 
scholtzias  and  NigeUas.  Most  of  these  ripen  seeds 
in  August,  and  they  come  up  and  thrive  freely, 
becoming  sometimes  almost  as  bad  as  weeds. 
Rigorous  thinning  is  another  important  matter. 
It  is  no  use  expecting  three  or  four  plants  to  thrive 
in  a  space  suflScient  only  for  one  plant.  Thinning, 
however,  should  be  done  by  degrees.  At  least 
double  the  number  of  plants  which  are  to  remain 
to  flower  should  be  left  for  the  winter  in  case  of 
losses,  for  there  are  slugs  and  snails  to  consider 
as  well  as  the  weather  conditions.  The  final 
thinning  need  not  be  done  till  March  or  early 
April. 

Antirrbiniuns  and  Stocks  are  hardy,  but  in 
many  districts  the  protection  of  a  cold  frame 
is  worth  considering.  Some  of  the  Sweet  Peas, 
the  new  and  scarce  sorts  in  particular,  should  be 
sown  in  pots  and  kept  in  a  frame  during  the  winter. 
Statice  Suworowii  is  another  plant  deserving 
similar  consideration.  In  bleak  and  cold  gardens, 
also  those  situated  in  confined  areas,  where 
sparrows,  slugs  and  snails  are  pests  and  try  the 
grower's  patience,  the  garden  frame  will  be  foimd 
most  useful  in  %vinter  to  accommodate  Clarkias, 
Godetias,  Candytufts,  Sweet  Sultans,  Star  Chry- 
santhemums, Scabious,  Sweet  Alyssum  and  Corn- 
flowers. Shallow  trays  or  boxes  are  preferable 
to  pots.  Boxes  15  inches  by  9  inches,  and  2  inches 
deep,  will  hold  three  to  four  dozen  plants,  which 
are  sufficient  to  make  several  nice  clumps  in  the 
mixed  border  or  to  fill  a  small  bed.  An  occasional 
sprinkling  of  soot  and  lime  all  round  the  sides  of 
the  frame,  just  inside,  will  stop  slugs  and  snails, 
and  a  handy-man  will  soon  make  a  framework  of 
thin-meshed  wire  to  fit  on  the  top  of  the  frame, 
as  the  glass  lights  should  only  be  used  during 
unfavourable  weather. 

To  Sow  Outdoors. — The  following  annuals  do 
not  transplant  readily,  and  should  be  sown  where 
they  are  to  flo%ver  :  Poppies,  the  best  sorts  being 
the  Shirley  Poppy  ;  the  double  Opium  Poppy,  3  feet 
in  height,  with  greyish  green  foliage  and  immense 
double  flowers  ;  the  single  scarlet  and  black  Poppy, 
Papaver  commutatum  or  P.  umbrosum,  2  feet  to 
2  J  feet  high  ;  and  the  dainty  Iceland  Poppies 
in  yellow,  orange  and  white.  The  tall,  branching 
Larkspurs,  3  feet  in  height,  may  be  had  in  mixture 
or  separate  colours,  Sutton's  Rosy  Scarlet  being 
one  of  the  best  for  massing.  The  Dwarf  Rocket 
Larkspurs  are  a  foot  in  height,  with  dense,  closely- 
packed  spikes  of  flowers.  Wonderful  development 
during  recent  years  has  been  noticeable  in  the  Esch- 
scholtzias,  for,  in  addition  to  the  old  yellow  and 
orange  sort,  there  are  several  varieties  with  pretty 
pink   and  rosy  red   flowers.     The   Cornflower  blue 


flowers  of  Nigella  Miss  Jekyll  find  many  admirers, 
set  as  they  are  in  a  dainty  network  of  narrow 
foliage,  aptly  described  as  Love-in-a-mist.  The 
height  of  the  plants  varies  from  12  inches  to 
15  inches. 

The  next  group  we  may  consider  are  those  which 
may  be  transplanted,  but  are  preferably  sown 
where  they  are  to  flower.  Most  of  these  are 
suitable  for  small  groups  or  lines  along  the  front  of 
the  mixed  border,  as  they  range  from  6  inches  to 
12  inches  in  height :  Asperula  azurea  setosa, 
Linmanthes  Douglasii,  Collinsia  bicolor,  Phacelia 
campanularia,  Saponaria  calabrica,  Virguiian  Stock, 
Venus'  Looking-glass,  Gilia  tricolor  and  Gypsophila 
elegans. 

Clarkias  and  Godetias,  Candytufts,  the  pot 
Marigold,  Calendula  officinalis,  the  blue  Corn- 
flower, Scabious,  Sweet  Sultans,  Coreopsis  tinctoria 
and  annual  Chrysanthemums  are  all  of  easy  culti- 
vation, and  may  be  sown  where  they  are  to  flower, 
or  on  a  spare  border  and  transplanted.  So  much 
has  been  said  and  written  about  Sweet  Peas  that 
most  readers  will  be  familiar  with  their  cultivation. 
Experts  are  now  pretty  well  unanimous  that  for 
garden  decoration  and  show  purposes  autumn 
sowing  is  the  best,  spring  sowing  being  only 
necessary  to  provide  a  succession  of  blooms  for 
garden  decoration  and  cutting  in  August  and 
September. 

A  useful  dozen  annuals  for  cutting  are  Sweet 
Peas,  Star  Chrysanthemums,  Orange  King  Calen- 
dula (also  a  beautiful  plant  for  massing  in  the 
garden),  Coreopsis  tinctoria,  German  Scabious, 
Shirley  and  Iceland  Poppies,  arranged  with  Gypso- 
phila elegans,  double  Godetia,  Clarkia  Firefly, 
blue  Cornflower  and  Spiral  Candytuft. 


GERANIUM     STRIATUM. 

Now  and  again  we  come  upon  this  old-fashioned 
flower,  which  was  known  to,  and  was  described 
by,  Parkinson  more  than  250  years  ago,  but  which 
has  not  retained  the  hold  upon  the  affections  of 
gardeners  that  it  should  have  done.  Probably 
the  bedding  mania  drove  this  good  hardy  plant 
from  many  gardens,  and  it  has  been  well-nigh 
forgotten  by  the  compilers  of  catalogues  and 
writers  on  hardy  flowers.  Yet  it  has  lingered  in 
many  old  gardens,  and  in  one  of  these — a  true 
old-world  one — the  WTiter  saw,  not  so  very  long 
ago,  a  big  mass  of  this  striped  Crane's-bill,  with  its 
charming  flowers  with  a  groundwork  of  white, 
and  all  veined  with  a  lovely  red  veining,  so  delicate 
and  so  pretty  in  its  markings  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  credit  that  it  is  not  artificial,  did 
we  not  know  that  Dame  Nature  in  her  coloured 
tracery  far  excels  the  handiwork  of  the  most  skilful 
among  us.  This  mass  was  very  pretty,  but  it 
did  not  require  it  to  bring  home  to  the  writer  the 
true  charms  ot  Geranium  striatum,  for  he  has 
known  and  grown  it  for  a  good  many  years.  It 
is  a  favourite  which  he  always  likes  to  bring 
before  the  notice  of  the  garden  visitor  who  may 
not  have  been  acquainted  with  the  flower  and 
its  deUcate  pencilling,  which  gives  so  much  charm 
to  the  petals.  This  Crane's-bill  is  an  easy  plant  to 
grow,  doing  well  in  either  sun  or  shade,  but  growing 
more  vigorously  in  the  shade  than  in  the  sun, 
though  not,  I  think,  so  pretty  as  in  the  former. 
There  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  hardiness  of 
this  plant,  although  it  comes  to  us  from  Southern 
Europe,  where  it  has  a  warmer  clime  than  ours. 
It  adapts  itself  to  the  border  or  to  the  rockery,  and 
in  either  gives  us  high  and  lasting  pleasure  indeed. 
Dumlries.  S.   .^rnott. 


432 


THE    GARDEN. 


[August  30,  1913. 


TREES      AND      SHRUBS. 


A  DOUBLE-FLOWERED    CEANOTHUS. 

(C.    ALBUS    PLENUS.) 

There   are   only  comparatively  few  shrubs  which 
flower  during  late  ^summer  and  autumn.     Among 


CEANOTHUS  ALBUS  PLENUS. 

these  the  garden  varieties  of  Ceanothus  are 
exceedingly  pretty.  Most  of  the  spring-flowering 
section  are  what  may  be  termed  on  the  borderland 
of  hardmess,  and  thrive  best  when  planted  against 
a  wall,  e.xcept  in  mild  districts.  The  autumn- 
flowering  hybrids,  on  the  other  hand,  seldom  suffer 
when  growing  in  the  open,  except  in  the  very  coldest 
districts.  Compared  with  the  spring-flowering 
kinds  they  are  even  more  showy,  embrace  a  wider 
range  of  colours,  and  the  blossoms  last  longer  m 
good  condition  on  the  plants.  Flowering  on  the 
current  year's  shoots,  fairly  hard  pruning  should  be 
practised  m  February  or  March  to  induce  the  produc- 
tion of  vigorous  shoots.  The  plants,  as  a  rule,  are 
grown  as  bushes  in  borders  or  beds,  but  may  also  be 
trained  against  a  low  wall  or  fence.  In  the  latter 
case  a  few  shoots  must  be  left  nearly  full  length,  so 
that  in  a  year  or  two  the  space  allotted  is  covered. 

Ceanothuses  thrive  in  most  well-drained  garden 
soils,  but  a  heavy  clay  loam  should  be  avoided. 
Cuttings  root  freely  during  July  and  August  in 
a  close,  slightly-heated  propagatmg-frame.  Potted 
off  singly  when  rooted  in  autumn  and  kept  in  a 
heated  pit  during  the  winter,  good  bushy  plants 
can  be  obtamed  full  of  flowers  the  following  autumn. 
To  lay  a  gooa  foundation,  remove  the  tips  of  the 
young  shoots  once  or  twice  when  the  plants  are 
small.  One  of  the  secrets  of  success  with  the  garden 
varieties  of  Ceanothus,  which  are  hard  pruned  each 


spring,  is  to  raise  a  fresh  supply  of  young  plants 
from  cuttings  about  every  fourth  or  fifth  year. 

Shrubs  with  blue  flowers  are  not  numerous ; 
with  the  Ceanothuses  it  is  the  predominating 
colour.  The  following  list  comprises  a  representa- 
tive selection :  Albert  Pittet,  light  pink ;  albus 
plenus  (illustrated),  double  white,  changmg  to 
cream  ;  Ceres,  dwarf,  light  pink ;  Charles 
Detriche,  deep  blue  ;  Coquetterie,  rose  carmine  ; 
Croix  du  Sud,  dark  blue  ;  George  Simon,  carmine 
pink  ;  Gloire  de  Plantieres,  deep  azure  blue  ; 
Gloire  de  Versailles,  light  blue ;  Indigo,  indigo 
blue  ;  Marie  Simon,  pink  ;  Perle  Rose,  rich  deep 
rose  ;  Pinguet  Guindon,  deep  carmine ;  Sirius, 
metallic  blue  ;    and  Arnoldii,  greyish  blue. 


SPIRyEA    WILSONIL 

This  Spiraea,  introduced  a  few  years  ago  from 
China  by  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson  when  collecting  on 
liehalf  of  Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  is  proving 
lo  be  a  useful  addition  to  our  deciduous  flowering 
shrubs.  Robust  in  growth,  Spirjea  Wilsonii  forms 
a  large,  spreading  bush,  5  feet  to  6  feet  or  more  in 
height.  The  inflorescences  of  white  flowers  termi- 
nate short  axillary  shoots,  which  develop  from  the 
upper  two-thirds  of  last  year's  vigorous  shoots. 
As  these  bend  over  in  a  graceful,  arching  manner, 
a  bush  in  full  flower  presents  a  pleasing  picture. 
The  flowers  are  borne  in  flattened,  rather  compact, 
rounded  corymbs  about  the  middle  of  June.  The 
corymbs  are  li  inches  to  2^  inches  across,  the  indi- 
vidual flowers  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 
In  addition  to  S.  Wilsonii,  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilson  has 
introduced  three  other  closely  -  alhed  species, 
namely,  S.  Henryi,  S.  Veitchii  and  S.  sargentiana. 
These  four  Spiraeas  are  very  appropriately  named 
in  compliment  to  four  persons  who  have  spared 
no  eiiorts  to  enrich  our  gardens  with  plants  from 
Central  and  Western  China.  S.  Wilsonii  differs 
from  S.  Henryi  in  its  smaller,  more  compact 
inflorescences  and  the  slightly  shorter  and  rather 
narrower  leaves,  and  the  flowers  open  from  two 
to  three  weeks  earlier  than  that  species.  These 
Spiraeas  thrive  in  any  good  garden  soil,  and  are 
readily  propagated  from  seeds  or  cuttings.  The 
latter,  made  of  the  half-ripened  shoots,  root  freely 
during  August  or  September  in  pots  of  sandy  soil 
in  a  close  propagating-frame.  The  long,  arching 
branches  also  layer  readily.  Forming  a  shapely 
bush,  S.  Wilsonii  makes  a  nice  lawn  specimen  for 
small  or  large  gardens,  while  for  large  clumps  and 
shrubbery  borders  it  is  well  worth  consideration. 
An  occasional  thinning  out  of  the  older  branches 
immediately  after  flowering  is  desirable,  to  give 
the  young  shoots  space  to  develop  and  ripen 
their  growth. 


CHOICE     BERRY-BEARING     TREES 
AND    SHRUBS. 

There  are  not  wanting  signs  of  an  early  autumn, 
so  that  notes  on  berry-bearing  trees  and  strubs 
may  not  be  out  of  place  at  this  season. 

Everyone  is  aware  of  the  beauty  of  the  Pyra- 
cantha  or  Fire  Thorn,  for  it  makes  many 
a  wail  gay  for  several  months  of  the  year. 
Tlien  there  is  its  near  relative  Cotoneaster  angusti- 
folia,  or  Pyracantha  angustifolia  as  people  are 
now  beginning  to  call  it.  This  also  is  an  evergreen, 
but  the  fruits  are  orange  or  golden  in  colour.  Less 
hardy  than  the  ordinary  Pyracantha,  it  should 
always  be  placed  against  a  wall,  except  in  the  South 
or  South-West  Counties.  Light,  loamy  soil  suits 
both  plants.  The  different  kinds  of  Crataegus  or 
Thorn  are,  as  a  rule,   very  showy  when  in  fruit ; 


but  if  a  tew  kinds  only  are  wanted,  preference 
should  be  given  to  C.  mollis  and  C.  coccinea,  witii 
large,  bright  red  fruits  ;  C.  punctata,  with  dark 
red,  and  its  variety  xanthocarpa,  with  yellow, 
fruits ;  C.  cordata,  with  small,  orange  scarlet 
berries ;  C.  prunifoiia,  with  red  fruits  ;  and  C. 
Carrierei,  with  orange  and  red  haws.  These  are  all 
perfectly  hardy,  and  all  thrive  in  ordinary  garden 
soil.  They  do  not  require  any  special  pruning,  an 
occasional  thinning  being  all  that  is  necessary. 

Many  of  the  Cotoneasters  take  high  rank  among 
berry-bearing  plants.  For  many  years  we  have 
had  a  number  of  showy  kinds  from  the  Himalaya, 
while  recent  years  have  witnessed  the  introduction 
of  other  beautiful  sorts  from  China.  Even  at  the 
end  of  February  their  season  of  beauty  is  not  over, 
for  we  may  see  masses  of  C.  rotundifolia  covered 
with  bright  red  berries,  a  condition  which  has 
prevailed  since  the  early  days  of  September. 
For  some  reason  this  species  is  not  troubled  by  birds 
in  the  way  that  others  are,  and  the  birds  only 
take  the  berries  when  nothmg  else  can  be  obtained. 
This  particular  species  grows  about  four  feet  high, 
and  forms  a  good-sized  bush  of  open  habit.  C. 
horizontalis  is  another  useful  plant  which  thrives 
well  on  a  dry  bank  or  against  a  wall.  Its  berries 
are  scarlet.  C.  thymifolia  and  C.  microphylla  are 
two  evergreen  kinds  of  dwarf  habit  suitable  for 
growing   on   banks  or  rockeries.     The   berries  are 


SPIR.<EA   WILSONII 


AUGt'ST   30.   1913. 


THE     GARDEN. 


483 


10(1.  Although  naturally  dwarf-growing  kinds, 
they  are  excellent  for  walls,  and  readily  attain  a 
height  ol  15  feet  in  such  a  position.  C.  pannosa 
and  C.  Francbetii  are  Chinese  species  which  grow 
8  feet  or  10  feet  high,  with  a  free  branching  habit. 
The  scarlet  berries  are  freely  produced,  but  their 
effect  is  somewhat  marred  by  the  light  covering 
of  greyish  down  with  which  they  are  protected. 
Two  quite  new  species  of  exceptional  merit  are 
C.  bullata  and  C.  applanata.  Both  are  Chinese 
species  of  bushy  habit,  bearing  bright  red  fruit. 
In  the  case  of  the  former  they  appear  in  rather 
huge  bunches.  C.  acutifolia,  although  not  a  new 
plant,  has  been  brought  into  prominent  notice 
by  a  particularly  free-fruiting  form  which  has 
appeared  from  China.  Everyone  should  obtain  it 
who  is  fond  of  red-berried  shrubs.  The  old  C. 
Simonsii  has  been  a  friend  for  many  years.  Of 
upright  habit,  it  bears  yellow  and  red  berries 
with  great  freedom.  C.  frigida  is  perhaps  the  giant 
of  the  group,  and  may  sometimes  be  met  with 
between  20  feet  and  30  feet  high.  Its 
large  heads  of  bright  red  fruits  are 
particularly  showy  in  autumn. 

Pernettya  mucronata  is  a  dwarf, 
evergreen,  berry-bearing  shrub  belong- 
ing to  the  Heath  family.  Growing 
about  one  and  a-half  feet  to  two  feet 
high,  it  is  conspicuous  throughout 
autumn  by  reason  of  its  red  berries. 
There  are  varieties  with  light  and  dark 
red  fruits,  and  others  with  white  and 
purple  fruits.  Rather  moist  soil  should 
be  provided,  and  notice  must  be  taken 
of  its  dislike  for  lime.  Another  decora- 
tive fruiting  plant  belonging  to  the 
Krica  group  is  the  Strawberry  Tree 
(.\rbutus  Unedo).  This  forms  a  large 
liush  or  smill  tree  with  evergreen 
leaves,  rather  shoivy  flowers  and  round, 
orange  and  red  fruits,  which  are 
covered  with  short,  spmy  excrescences. 

The  Pyrus  family  contains  a  great 
many  ornamental  kinds.  The  Siberian 
Crab  and  its  varieties,  together  with 
its  close  ally  P.  prunifolia,  produce 
particularly  bright  -  coloured  fruits, 
while  the  various  forms  ol  P.  Malus, 
of  which  John  Downie,  Dartmouth  and 
Transcendant  Crab  are  worthy  ex- 
amples, are  all  useful.  The  Rowan 
(P.  Aucuparia),  and  its  varieties, 
together  with  the  American  Rowan 
(P.  americana),  are  general  favourites  ; 
but,  unfortunately,  the  berries  are 
often  taken  by  birds  as  soon  as  they 
are  ripe.  Pyrus  Aria  (the  White  Beam  Tree)  is  showy 
in  hedgerows  in  some  parts  of  the  country.  Its 
several  varieties,  however,  are  well  worth  a  place 
in  the  garden.  When  one  only  is  required,  the 
variety  majestica  should  be  chosen.  A  closely- 
allied  tree  is  P.  rotundifolia.  Like  the  Aria  varieties, 
it  bears  good-sized  heads  of  red  fruits.  P.  intermedia 
and  P.  pinnatifida  belong  to  the  same  set.  They 
also  arc  showy,  and  possess  the  advantage  of  being 
excellent  trees  for  planting  in  town  gardens. 

The  new  Berberis  Wilsonas  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  fruiting  kinds  among  the  newer  Bar- 
berries ;  its  fruits  are  red.  In  the  same  family 
there  are  many  kinds  of  decorative  value,  notably 
B.  dictyophylla,  B.  Lycium,  B.  aristata  and  the 
common  B.  vulgaris.  For  fragrance,  nothing  is 
more  prominent  than  the  dwarf-growing  Cydonia 
Maulei.  The  golden  fruits  are  an  inch  or  more 
in  diameter,  and  scent  the  air  for  a  considerable 


area  in  the  vicinity  of  a  bush.  Rosa  rugosa  is 
perhaps  the  most  showy  Rose  when  in  fruit,  but 
all  the  kinds  are  worthy  of  attention,  particularly 
R.  alpina  pyrenaica,  R.  macrophylla,  R.  canina 
and  R.  lucida.  Euonymuses  are  represented  by- 
many  showy  species,  notable  ones  being  E.  europaea, 
E.  latifolia,  E.  americana  and  E.  planipes. 

The  list  might  be  added  to  considerably,  but 
those  mentioned  serve  to  direct  attention  to  the 
best  for  general  purposes.  W.  D. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


THE     CAMPANULAS     OR    BELL 
FLOWERS. 

IT    is    difficult    to    conceive    a    more     valuable 
class  of    plants  for  the  outdoor  garden  than 
the    Campanulas   or    Bellflowers.      They   are 
most    diverse     in     their    habits    of    growth 
and   in    their  general   appearance.      They  present 


in  the  border.  For  example,  C.  carpatica  and  its 
forms,  with  C.  portenschlagiana  and  a  number  of 
others,  make  excellent  border  flowers  in  a 
moderately  light  soil.  So,  also,  the  owner  of 
a  large  rock  garden  may  utilise  some  of  the 
taller  species  mentioned  for  borders  for  the 
decoration  of  his  rockeries.  Some  of  these  are, 
indeed,  of  remarkably  telling  effect  in  certain  parts 
of  the  rock  garden,  where  their  impressive  appear- 
ance is  fully  appreciated. 

Campanulas  for  the  Rock  Garden.— The  wealth 
of  these  lovely  flowers  is  embarrassing  in  the 
extreme,  but  one  can  hardly  have  too  many, 
especially  as  they  are  so  valuable  after  early  alpines 
are  out  of  flower,  and  are  so  distinct  from  the  other 
plants  which  bloom  from  June  onwards.  A 
considerable  number  are  remarkably  easy  to 
cultivate,  and  call  for  little  attention  for  years, 
except  division,  when  they  grow  too  large,  and 
some  top-dressing  in  autumn  and  spring.  Others 
require  more  care,   and  these  will  be   referred  to 


THE    WALL    H.\REBELL    (C.AMP.^NUL.-V    PORTENSCHLAGL\N.\)    IN    THE    ROCK    GARDEN. 


US  %vith  species  suitable  for  the  choicest  rock 
garden  or  flower  border ;  they  supply  us  with 
plants  for  bedding  or  for  the  mixed  border  ;  while 
in  the  wild  garden  a  number  of  the  stronger 
growers  can  be  accommodated  with  advantage. 
As  they  differ  in  appearance,  so  do  they  vary  in 
their  cultural  requirements.  Some  are  extremely 
easy  to  cultivate  in  ordinary  soil,  while  others 
call  for  the  best  skill  and  care  of  the  cultivator 
in  giving  them  what  they  desire  in  the  way  of 
aspect,  soil,  or  moisture. 

In  discussing  the  Campanulas  it  is  difficult  to 
arrange  them  in  groups,  but  the  ^vriter  thinks  it 
advisable  to  divide  the  perennial  and  biennial 
species  and  their  varieties  into  two  sections,  not 
according  entirely  to  their  heights,  but  because  the 


under  their  names.  Generally  speaking,  they 
can  be  raised  from  seeds,  or  increased  by  division 
in  spring  or  autumn.  Seeds  may  be  sown  from 
February  to  June  under  glass,  or  as  soon  as  they 
are  ripe,  in  pots  or  pans  of  sandy  soil  slightly 
covered  with  fine  earth  and  placed  under  glass. 
Seedlings  should  have  air  as  soon  as  they  show 
above  the  ground,  ought  to  be  pricked  out  as  soon 
as  they  are  fit  to  handle,  and  be  planted  in  their 
permanent  positions  after  growing  on.  Some 
root  from  cuttings,  but  division  is  the  best  method 
to  adopt  with  many.  If  small  pieces  are  taken, 
they  should  be  potted  and  nursed  under  glass  for 
a  short  time  before  committing  them  to  the 
rockery.  The  writer  finds  that  partial  shade  is 
excellent    for   most    of   the    dwarfer   Campanulas, 


first  group  is,  as  a  whole,  better  suited  for  the  and  that  they  last  longer  in  bloom  there  than  in 
rock  garden  than  for  the  border.  Any  of  the  I  full  sun.  On  the  other  hand,  some  require  full 
best    alpine    Campanulas    will,    however,    succeed    sun.     A  sandy,  gritty  soil  is  best  for  most  of  these 


434 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  30,  1913, 


rock  garden  Bellflowers,  but  certain  species  either 
require  or  are  best  grown  in  the  moraine,  in  which 
most  of  them  will  thrive  admirably.  The  annual 
species  will  be  mentioned  briefly  at  the  close  of 
these  articles.  Synonyms  abound  among  the 
Campanulas,  and  there  are  grave  differences  among 
those  best  acquainted  with  them  as  to  their  true 
names.  No  claim  is  made  to  infallibility  on  this 
point,  but  the  best  authorities  are  followed,  unless 
for  reasons  which  appear  to  the  writer  to  be 
conclusive. 

Campanula  abietina. — A  well-known   rock  or 

border  plant,  growing  about  nine  inches  high, 
but  occasionally  exceeding  this,  and  bearing  upright, 
open  flowers  of  purple.  It  does  well  in  gritty  soil, 
but  should  be  divided  every  two  years,  or  it  will 
flower  sparsely  and  may  die  out. 
It  requires  a  good  deal  of  moisture 
during  the  growing  season.  A  South 
European  species,  liking  sun,  and 
flowering  in  June  and  July. 

C.  Adami. — See  belUdifolia. 

C.  Allioni. — One  of  the  trouble- 
some but  most  beautiful  of  the  rock 
garden  Campanulas.  It  has  rather 
hairy  leaves  and  big  blue  bells  in 
July,  and  is  only  2  inches  or 
3  inches  high.  Grow  in  very  sandy, 
gritty  soil  and  in  semi-shade.  It 
needs  top-dressing  in  spring  and 
autumn,  and  soakings  with  water  in 
spring  and  summer.  The  moraine 
is  the  best  place  for  it.  As  with 
many  others,  slugs  should  be 
guarded  against.  There  is  a  beau- 
tiful white  variety.  Lime  should  be 
kept  from  this  plant.  S.  Arnott. 
[To  be  continued.) 


portion  curving  into  a  kind  of  spring,  which 
enables  the  seed  to  be  thrown  to  a  considerable 
distance.  Reginald  A.  Malby. 


LFNUM    ARBOREUM. 

This  is,  to  my  mind,  the  best  of  the  yellow  forms 

of  Flax.     It  flowers  so  wonderfully  freely,  and  is 

of  such  a  delightful  clear  Daffodil  yellow,  lighter 

and  with  less  of  orange  in  it  than  in  Linum  flavum 

or   L.   capitatum ;   and   also,  when   out   of   flower, 

the  leaves  are  attractive  by  reason  of  their  colour, 

a  good  glaucous  green,  almost  steely  blue.     Here 

j  it  is  not   a  very  long-lived  plant,   three  year  old 

;  plants  often  perishing  in   winter  or  appearing  to 

I  flower   themselves   to   death  ;    but    as  it   is  easily 

'  struck  bv  cuttings    it  should  be  treated  as  one 


A      BEAUTIFUL 
GERANIUM. 

Geranivm  lancasiriense  origi- 
nating, I  believe,  in  the  Isle  of  Wal- 
ney,  is  a  variety  of  G.  sanguineum, 
and  not  only  has  it  at  one  leap 
altered  its  colour  from  magenta 
crimson  to  a  delicate  pink,  veined 
with  fine  purplish  red  lines,  but  the 
bushy,  sprawling  -hummock  of  its 
progenitor  has  given  place  to  a 
close- growing,  compact  habit,  which 
makes  it  an  ideal  plant  for  the 
smallest  rock  garden.  My  plants, 
which  are  growing  in  an  open, 
sunny  spot,  in  gritty,  though 
otherwise  ordinary  soil,  do  not 
e.xceed  2  inches  or  3  inches  in 
height,'  while  the  whole  carpet, 
composed  of  deeply-divided  leaveSj  is,  during 
June  and  early  July,  one  mass  of  blossom, 
which  latter,  owing  to  the  deeply-coloured  veins, 
has  the  appearance  of  a  much  richer  colour  than 
the  groundwork  of  the  petals  themselves.  The 
buds  nod  very  gracefully,  while  after  pollination 
the  long,  spear-like  fruits  are  held  quite  erect. 
The  texture  of  the  petals  suggests  crumpled  silk, 
while  the  stigma  and  filaments,  with  their  rich 
pink  coloration,  are  in  striking  contrast  to  the 
anthers,  which  are  yellowish  buff.  This  year  in 
particular  the  plants  have  set  a  considerable 
quantity  of  seed,  and  I  am  hoping  to  raise 
a  number  of  further  plants  therefrom.  It  is 
interesting  to  notice  on  a  dry  day,  when  the 
fruits     are     ripe,     how    the     carpels    split,    each 


HERBACEOUS  BORDERS  AT 
SALISBURY    CLOSE. 

(See  Special  Supplement.) 

THE  herbaceous  borders  of  the  North 
Canonry  Garden  in  the  Close  at  Salis- 
bury are  beautiful  not  only  in  them- 
selves, but  also  in  regard  to  their  sur- 
roundings. They  face  north  and  south, 
and  the  soft  green  turf  walk  that  divides 
them  is  115  yards  long.  Westwards,  one  looks  on 
to  the  Avon  and  its  green  water-meadows  beyond  ; 
eastwards,  on  the  old  canonical  house  and  the  great 
cathedral  spire  towering  behind  and  above  it. 
The  borders  are  12  feet  wide  and  always  full 
of  colour,  from  the  early  spring,  when  the  Crown 
Imperials  are  a  special  feature, 
through  the  summer  months  on  into 
the  autumn.  But  perhaps  their 
time  of  perfection  is  tlie  latter  half 
of  June  or  the  month  of  July.  Then, 
one  cannot  easily  forget  the  beauty 
of  the  climbing  Roses  (Crimson 
Rambler,  Hiawatha,  Lady  Gay, 
Captain  Christy,  Dorothy  Perkins, 
Olga  de  Wurtemburg  and  many 
others)  at  the  back  of  the  border,  of 
masses  of  Delphinium,  Anchusa, 
Spiraea,  Cimicifuga,  Pyrethrum  and 
Campanula  ;  and  in  the  foreground 
bush  Roses  and  Violas  of  every 
kind  and  description.  Their  season, 
however,  is  well-nigh  over,  in  this 
month  of  August,  but  their  places 
are  filled  by  more  autumnal  blos- 
soms. Phlox  and  Helianthus,  Eri- 
geron  and  Echinops,  Tritoma  and 
Antirrhinums  of  various  species,  and 
clumps  of  Gypsophila  and  Statice 
are  giving  a  wealth  of  colour  and 
beauty  to  tl^e  borders  now  that 
makes  one  cease  to  regret  their 
forefathers. 

Constance    Page-Roberts. 


GERANIUM    LANCASTRIENSE,    FLOWERS    DELICATE    PINK 


would  a  Cistus  and  keep  a  reserve  of  young  plants  to 
fill  up  gaps.  The  illustration  on  page  435  is  of  a  plant 
moved  to  its  present  position  last  auturrm  and  about 
two  years  old.  The  effect  of  its  brilliant  yellow 
flowers  against  the  grey  Kentish  Rag  rock  was  very 
delightful.  It  comes  from  the  Levant,  and  is  one  of 
the  many  good  things  introduced  by  Sibthorp,  the 
author  of  that  magnificent  book,  the  "  Flora  Graeca." 
In  his  day  it  was  grown  as  a  greenhouse  plant,  and 
is  said  to  form  bushes  several  feet  high  under  that 
treatment.  Here  in  the  open  I  have  never  known  it 
get  much  higher  than  a  foot  before  it  was  killed. 
Young  plants  are  certainly  hardier  than  older  and 
more  woody  specimens,  as  is  the  case  with  so  many 
of  the  more  tender  Cistuses. 

Wallham  Cross,  E.  A.  Bowles. 


SWEET    PEA    MOTHER 
O'    PEARL. 

In  a  very  mild  way  Mother  o'  Pearl 
has  had  the  interesting  experience 
of  waking  up  to  suddenly  find  itself 
famous.  I  am  surprised  at  the 
number  of  enquiries  I  have  had 
about  it,  and  all  because  I  said  it 
was  sweet.  It  is  clear  that  scent  is 
still  appreciated,  although  it  seems 
to  have  been  so  much  neglected  in 
the  evolution  of  the  much-belauded 
beauties  of  to-day  that  one  might 
well  think  it  were  otherwise.  Mother  o'  Pearl  was 
raised  by  Mr.  H.  Aldersev  of  Aldersey  Hall,  Chester, 
and  was  the  result  of  a  cross  made  in  1900  between 
Mrs.  Fitzgerald  and  Lady  Grisel  Hamilton.  It  was 
one  of  the  F^  seedlings  which  survived  the  wet  sum- 
mer of  1902,  and  it  was  fixed  by  the  old-fashioned 
pre-Mendelian  system  of  the  gradual  elimination  of 
the  rogues.  I  once  asked  Mrs.  Aldersey  which  was 
her  favourite  Sweet  Pea  among  all  that  her  husband 
had  raised.  Her  answer  was  unexpected  :  "  Mother 
o'  Pearl,  because  of  its  delicate  colour  and  sweet 
scent."  Mr.  Aldersey  tells  me  that  his  Moonstone 
and  Opal  are  the  result  of  a  Countess  Spencer  selec- 
tion crossed  with  Mother  o'  Pearl.  In  both  the 
delicious  fragrance  of  the  pollen  parent  has  to  a  very 
large  extent  been  retained.  Joseph  Jacob. 


August  30,  1913-] 


THE    GARDEN. 


435 


DAFFODIL     NOTES. 


Midland    Daffodil   Society's    Affairs. — In    the 

first  week  in  August,  Mr.  Herbert  Smith  (the  hon. 
secretary),  Mr.  C.  L.  Adams  and  myself  had  an 
informal  meeting  to  talk  over  the  affairs  of  the 
Midland  Daffodil  Society.  Mr.  Smith  said  that 
he  would  be  able  to  continue  to  act  as  secretary 
as  heretofore,  and  that  the  society  might  count 
on  the  same  clerical  help  from  the  staff  of  Robert 
Sydenham,  Limited,  as  has  been  so  tmsparingly 
given  in  the  past.  This  is  good  news  indeed, 
for  next  to  the  personality  of  our  late  treasurer 
I  look  upon  these  as  the  two  most  important 
factors  in  the  building  up  of  our  annual  show. 
They  are  the  sure  foundations  on  which  the  super- 
structure of  bloom  is  laid.  Another  point  that 
was  discussed  was  the  annual  dinner. 
It  was,  of  course,  the  private 
affair  of  Mr.  Sydenham,  but  it 
was  invariably  given  and  conducted 
in  such  a  way  that  it  seemed  to 
have  become  part  and  parcel  of 
the  show.  Several  expressions  of 
opinion  had  reached  us  as  to  the 
advisability  of  trying  to  continue 
it.  It  was  eventually  settled  that 
Mr.  Adams  should  soimd  certain 
members  to  see  if  enough  support 
could  be  obtained,  apart  altogether 
from  the  fimds  of  the  society,  to 
make  the  holding  of  an  annual 
dinner  a  possibility.  The  result  is 
to  be  reported  to  a  general  meet- 
mg,  which  it  is  proposed  to  hold 
in  the  early  part  of  December.  Until 
then,  too,  Mr.  Smith  will  act  as  hon. 
treasurer. 

The  Midland  Daffodil  Society's 
Report  and  1914  Schedule.— There 
is  but  little  to  comment  upon  in 
either.  In  the  latter  it  will  be 
noticed  that  the  seedling  and  new 
varieties  section  has  been  still  fur- 
ther extended  by  the  inclusion  of 
two  new  classes,  one  for  three  dis- 
tinct varieties  not  in  commerce,  ol 
which  nine  stems  of  each  must 
be  shown,  and  the  other  for  si.\ 
distinct  varieties  of  white  trumpet 
Daffodils  that  have  not  been  in 
commerce  more  than  fotir  years, 
in  which  whiteness  is  to  be  the 
supreme  test.  I  feel  sure  this 
policy  of  extension  is  sotmd  and 
wise.  Seedling-raising  has  spread, 
and  continues  to  spread,  among 
Daffodil-lovers,  and  every  society 
ought  to  provide  as  many  opportunities  as 
possible  for  its  members  to  display  their  achieve- 
ments m  friendly  rivalry. 

Royal  Horticultural  Society's  ClassiOed 
List  of  Daffodils.— I  am  glad  to  say  that  a 
new  edition  of  this  necessary  little  book  for 
show  men  will  be  issued  this  auttmm.  I  wonder 
how  many  hundred  names  will  be  in  it  1  Will 
it  be  possible  to  keep  it  up  to  date  now 
so  many  seedlings  are  coming  up  ?  The  task 
is  one  of  increasing  difficulty,  and  yet  its 
necessity  does  not  diminish,  as  Colonial  and 
Dutch  seedlings  must  be  now  reckoned  with. 
No  one  wants  Admiration  to  be  one  variety  in 
Holland,  another  in  New  Zealand,  and  a  third 
at  home. 


A    New    Zealand     Narcissus    Committee.— 1 

fear  I  am  very  ignorant  about  the  doings  of 
Australasian  Daffodillers.  I  knew  that  there 
were  fine  shows  down  in  those  distant  parts 
of  our  Empire,  and  that  the  names  of  Alistair 
Clarke  and  Thomas  were  household  words  as 
seedling-raisers ;  but  I  had  no  idea  until 
recently  that  events  had  sn  far  progressed  that 
a  Narcissus  committee  was  in  existence  in  the 
Canterbury  Horticultural  Society,  whose  head- 
quarters are  at  Christchurch.  A  most  interest- 
ing paper  will  appear  in  the  Bulb  Number  of 
The  Garden,  written  by  the  secretary  of  this 
conmiittee,  dealing  with  the  progress  of  the  flower 
in  New  Zealand. 
The    Royal   Horticultural   Society's    Daffodil 

Year    Book. — Before    these  notes   are  in  print  the 
puhlic.ition  of  the  Year  Book  will  be  an  accomplished 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


TREATMENT     OF    RASPBERRIES 
AFTER    FRUITING. 

IT  is  a  matter  of  much  importance,  especially 
if  the  crop  has  been  a  heavy  one,  to  cut 
out  all  the  old  fruiting  canes  immediately 
they  have  ceased  bearing,  and  also  the 
young,  useless  growths  not  required 
for  next  season's  crop.  Raspberries  are 
among  the  easiest  of  fruits  to  cultivate,  and  if 
given  reasonable  attention  produce  a  very  profit- 
able return.  They  delight  in  a  rather  moist,  well- 
drained,  fertile  soil,  and,  being  essentially  surface- 
rooting  plants,  require  all  the  fibrous  roots  to  be 
preserved  as  much  as  possible  and  liberally  fed  with 
liquid  manure  in  hot,  dry  weather,  together  with 
good  mulchings  of   thoroughly-decayed  manure. 


LINUM    ARBOREUM    IN    MR.    E.    A.    BOWLES'    ROCK    GARDEN.       (See  page  434.] 


fact.  I  would  like  to  take  this  opporttmity  of 
saying  that  I  hope  readers  will  remember  that  it 
is  a  "  first  attempt,"  and,  secondly,  that  I  was 
not  appointed  to  collect  material  until  it  was  too 
late  to  make  full  arrangements  about  getting 
reports  of  provincial  shows.  These,  I  trust,  will 
be  fuller  and  more  plentiful  another  year, 
should  there  be  sufficient  support  forthcoming  to 
warrant  a  second  attempt.  Naturally,  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  has  a  mercantile  side ;  or, 
to  put  it  plainly,  a  second  Year  Book  depends 
upon  the  number  of  copies  of  No.  i  that  are  sold. 
The  price  is  is.  6d.  (or  is.  gd.  post  free),  and  it 
may  be  had  from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Offices,  Vincent  Square,  Westminster.  Verb, 
sap.  Joseph  Jacob. 


Our  favourite  variety  here  is  Superlative,  and 
if  the  berries  are  not  as  sweet  as  some,  they  are 
most  abundantly  produced  in  the  majority  of 
seasons.  The  soil  at  'A'rotham  Park  is  rather  light, 
resting  on  gravel,  so  that  constant  attention  to 
liberal  feeding  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to 
maintain  healthy,  fruitful  canes. 

About  the  end  of  July  or  the  beginning  of  August 
all  the  old  canes  are  cut  down  to  the  ground,  taken 
away  and  bmrned,  and  the  strongest  of  the  young 
growths  which  have  been  made  this  season  are 
tied  rather  loosely  to  the  wires  about  six  inches 
apart,  so  that  both  light  and  air  may  circulate 
freely  among  them  to  encourage  firm,  well-matured 
canes.  If  it  is  intended  to  make  fresh  plantations 
when  the  proper  time  for  planting  arrives,  some 


4^6 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  30,  1913. 


of  the  small  canes  may  be  removed  carefully  with 
roots  attached  and  planted  temporarily  for  the 
time  bemg.  Having  gone  carefully  over  the  beds 
and  put  them  in  order,  we  usually  apply  a  good 
coating  of  manure  on  both  sides  of  the  rows,  and 
give  a  thorough  soaking  of  v;ater  if  the  weather 
proves  very  dry.  H.   Markham. 

Wrotham  Park  Gardens,  Bariiel. 


HINTS     ON     RIPENING     MELONS. 

In  hundreds  of  gardens  Melons  will  be  ripening 
during  August  and  September,  and  inexperienced 
cultivators  will  hesitate  as  to  whether  they  should 
water  as  usual  or  withhold  it.  During  a  rather 
long  experience  as  a  Melon-grower  I  do  not  remem- 
ber having  had  a  single  failure  owing  to  watering 
generally.  I  have  seen  many  plants  killed  prema- 
turely through  lack  of  moisture  at  the  roots  after 
the  fruits  began  to  colour  and  mature.  Of  course, 
the  plants  do  not  need  as  much  moisture  at  the  roots 
iin-  ill  the  air  at  the' stage  referred  to,  but  I  never 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 

ERLANGEA    TOMENTOSA. 

THIS  pretty  Composite,  which  is  closely 
allied  to  Vernonia,  is  so  useful  for 
conservatory  decoration  that  it  is 
worthy  of  more  general  cultivation. 
It  was  introduced  in  1907,  and  is  a 
widely-distributed  species  in  Tropical 
Africa,  ranging  from  British  East  Africa  to  the 
Zambesi.  Its  pretty  pale  mauve  flowers  are 
very  attractive,  having  a  resemblance  to 
a  Eupatorium.  It  is  easily  propagated  from 
cuttings  placed  in  a  warm  case.  From  cuttings 
rooted  early  in  March  large  plants  some  5  feet  high 
can  easily  be  grown  in  one  season,  stopping  them 
several  times  to  ensure  a  bushy  habit.  Such  plants 
require  to  be  potted  on  until  they  are  in  8-inch 
pots.  They  commence  flowering  early  in  the  New 
Year,  and  continue  in  good  condition  until  June. 


ERLANGEA    TOMENTOSA,    WITH    ATTRACTIVE    PALE    MAUVE    FLOWERS. 


favoured  the  drying-off  system.  The  withholding 
of  water  is  generally  adopted  with  the  idea  that 
the  fruits  will  be  richer  in  flavour.  If  carried  too 
far,  the  system  will  result  in  loss  of  flavour  instead 
of  an  increase.  It  is  a  fact  that  thousands  of 
plants  are  practically  dead  when  the  fruits  are 
gathered,  whereas  they  ought  to  be  in  a  condition 
to  bear  a  second  crop  on  extended  laterals  if  neces- 
sary. I  always  continued  the  supply  of  water 
up  to  the  time  the  fruits  were  ripe.  At  first, 
when  the  Melons  gave  off  a  slight  aroma, 
less  water  was  applied.  During  the  last  week 
sufficient  water  was  given  to  keep  the  leaves 
plump  and  in  a  fresh  condition  only.  The 
Melons  were  cut  directly  they  were  ripe  enough 
and  stored  in  a  cool  room  for  two  days  before  they 
were  cut  open,  and  very  few  approved  varieties 
failed  to  give  satisfaction.  Plenty  of  air  was 
admitted  during  the  ripening  period,  and  on  hot 
days  the  floor  was  freely  damped.  B. 


From  later-rooted  stock  nice  useful  plants 
in  4j-inch  pots  can  be  grown,  as  shown  in  the 
illustration.  In  its  earlier  stages  it  may  be  grown  in 
an  intermediate  temperature  ;  afterwards  ordinary 
greenhouse  temperature  is  all  that  is  necessary. 
There  are  two  forms  in  cultivation,  one  the  typical 
plant  with  grey,  tomentose  leaves.  The  other 
form  has  smaller  green  leaves,  and  is  not  such  a 
coarse-growing  plant.  On  this  account  it  is 
better  suited  for  growing  in  small  pots,  as  it  has  a 
stiffer  habit,  audits  flowers,  if  anything,  are  darker 
in  colour.  ]    S. 


HYDRANGEAS  IN  THE 
GREENHOUSE. 

In  the  more  favoured  parts  of  these  islands  the 
common  Hydrangea  (H.  Hortensia)  is  justly  valued 
as  one  of  the  finest  outdoor  shrubs.  Even  where 
it  cannot  be  depended  upon  to  prove  satisfactory 


out  of  doors.  It  IS  greatly  appreciated  tor  the 
embellishment  of  the  garden  in  many  ways.  Grown 
ill  large  pots  or  tubs  it  forms  a  notable  feature  on 
terraces,  balconies  or  similar  positions,  and  either 
as  bushy  specimens  or  as  comparatively  small 
plants  it  is  much  grown  for  the  decoration  of  the 
greenhouse  or  conservatory.  The  cause  of  the 
Hydrangea  changing  its  normal  pink  flowers  to 
some  shade  of  blue  has  aroused  a  considerable 
amount  of  interest.  It  is  usually  considered  to  be 
due  to  the  presence  of  iron  in  the  soil ;  but  absence 
of  lime  would  also  appear  to  play  a  part. 

Probably  in  no  other  way  does  the  Hydrangea 
appeal  so  much  to  the  general  public  as  when  grown 
in  comparatively  small  pots  and  confined  to  a  single 
stem,  each  plant  carrying  one  huge  head  of  blossoms. 
For  flowering  next  year  in  this  fashion  the  cuttings 
should  be  taken  at  once,  selecting  for  the  purpose 
shoots  that,  if  left  on  the  plant,  would,  as  far  as 
can  be  determined,  flower  next  year.  Put  in  sandy 
soil  and  placed  in  a  frame  kept  close  and  shaded, 
they  will  soon  root,  and  must  then  be  wintered  in 
a  cool  greenhouse  or  in  a  frame  safe  from  frost. 
The  cuttings  should  be  put  into  single  pots,  so  that 
they  may,  if  required,  stand  the  winter  without 
being  disturbed.  Some,  however,  for  the  sake  of 
succession,  prefer  to  shift  some  of  the  strongest 
plants  into  larger  pots  as  soon  as  they  are  sufficiently 
rooted. 

The  common  Hydrangea,  the  dark-stemmed 
variety  cyanoclada,  and  Thomas  Hogg,  with 
smallish  heads  of  white  flowers,  were  for  many 
years  the  principal  kinds  grown.  Then  came 
Mariesii,  with  very  large  sterile  blossoms,  but 
limited  only  to  a  few  around  the  outside  of  the 
cluster.  The  colour  of  this  is  pink,  but  there  is  a 
white  form  known  as  Veitchii.  Within  the  last  few 
years,  however,  a  great  number  of  new  garden 
varieties  of  H.  Hortensia  have  been  raised,  chiefly 
on  the  Continent.  Many  of  them  are  very  fine, 
and  one  at  least  may  be  said  to  have  bounded  into 
popularity,  namely,  Mme.  E.  MouUi^re,  which 
bears  enormous  heads  of  white  flowers.  This 
quickly  became  an  established  market  plant. 
.Another  new  kind  is  Lilie  MouUifere,  whose  flowers 
are  of  a  bright  rose  pink  with  a  light  centre. 
La  Perle  is  another  beautiful  pure  white  flower, 
remarkable  for  its  fringed  edges.  E.  G.  Fjlll,  said 
by  the  raiser — M.  Lemoine — to  be  the  result  of  a 
cross  between  H.  rosea  and  H.  Otaksa,  is  a  very 
fine  variety  with  soft  rose  flowers.  The  largest 
individual  blossoms,  but  they  are  not  very 
numerous,  are  those  of  Beaute  Vendoraoise,  of  a 
pale  mauve  tint.  A  variety  which  Messrs.  Cutbush 
of  Highgate,  who  grow  these  plants  so  well,  say, 
if  treated  with  their  preparation,  makes  the  finest 
blue  Hydrangea  bears  the  extremely  long  name 
of  GenSrale  Vicomtesse  de  Vibraye.  Another  ol 
the  newer  kinds  that  has  caught  on  in  this  country 
is  Mile,  Renee  Gaillard.  This  bears  huge  heads 
of  milk  white  flowers,  whose  edges  are  markedly 
toothed. 

While  all  the  above  are  forms  ot  H.  Hortensia, 
another  totally  different  species  is  largely  employed 
for  greenhouse  decoration.  This  is  Hydrangea 
paniculata  grandiflora,  which,  if  pruned  back 
hard  and  well  fed,  produces  huge  heads  of  creamy 
white  blossoms.  Out  of  doors  it  does  not,  as  a  rule, 
bloom  much  before  August,  but  brought  on  under 
glass  it  may  be  had  in  flower  a  good  deal  earlier. 
A  variety  of  the  North  American  H.  arborescens 
known  as  grandiflora,  with  rounded  heads  of  pure 
white  flowers,  something  like  those  of  the  Snowball 
Tree,  was  sent  here  from  America  a  few  years  ago, 
and  increases  in  popularity  each  season.       H.  P. 


Ai  i.UST  30,  lyij.j 


THE    GARDEN. 


437 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 


THEKK  are  few  gardens,  both  large  and 
small,  that  can  afford  to  dispense 
with  the  liedding  Violas  or  Tufted 
Pansies.  They  are  so  easy  to  grow, 
thriving  in  most  soils  and  situations, 
and  with  care  and  attention  will 
continue  in  flower  for  si.\  or  seven  months,  namely, 
fri>in    April    to    October.     And    when    in    bloom 


I. IHE     GROWTH    ON     THE     LEFl,    BEING    COARSE 

AND  HOLLOW  STEMMED,  IS  OF  NO  VALUE 
AS  A  CUTTING.  ON  THE  RIGHT  IS  SHOWN 
THE  BEST  FORM  OF  CUTTING,  BEING  OF 
RECENT  DEVELOPMENT  AND  ABOUT  2  INCHES 
IN    LENGTH. 

what  a  blaze  of  colour  they  make  !  and  there  is 
such  a  wide  range  of  colours  to  choose  from. 
August  and  early  September  are  the  best  months 
to  insert  cuttings.  There  are  on  most  of  the  plants 
at  this  time  plenty  of  young  shoots,  i  inch  to 
2  inches  long,  pushing  up  in  the  centres  of  the 
tufts  of  growths.  Try  to  pull  these  out  carefully, 
not  cut  them  with  a  knife,  and  if  a  few  roots  are 
already  attached  so  much  the  better.  Inserted 
now  while  the  nights  are  warm,  the  cuttings  will 
soon  develop  into  sturdy  young  plants,  quite 
able  to  stand  the  winter  in  the  open  if  the  protection 
of  a  cold  frame  is  not  available. 

A  good  position  to  root  the  cuttings  is  under  the 
shelter  of  a  north  or  west  wall,  where  plenty  of 
light  will  reach  them,  but  little  or  no  sun.  Should 
it  be  intended  to  insert  several  hundred  cuttings, 
a  bed  of  light  sandy  soil  may  be  made  up  on  the 
border  and  hand-lights  or  a  frame  placed  on  it. 
For  smaller  quantities  use  shallow  boxes,  a  con- 
venient size  to  handle  bemg  15  inches  by  9  inches, 
and  2  inches  deep.  A  suitable  compost  or  mixture 
of  soil  consists  of  two  parts  sandy  loam,  one  part 
flaky  leaf-mould,  and  one  part  road  grit  01  coarse 


HOW     TO     INCREASE     VIOLAS. 

sand.  Press  the  soil  fairly  hrm,  and  spread  over 
it  a  thin  layer  of  fine  sand  to  trickle  in  round  the 
cutting  as  each  hole  is  made  with  a  dibber  and  the 
cutting  inserted.  As  soon  as  each  hand-light  or 
box  is  completed,  water  the  cuttings  well  with  a 
fine  rose  on  the  watering-can.  A  box  of  the  size 
given  will  hold  fifty  cuttings.  Rather  more  space 
may  be  allowed  when  dibbling  them  in  a  frame 
on  a  prepared  border,  ij  mches  apart  and  2  inches 
between  the  rows  being  a  convenient  distance. 

A  selection  of  good  free-flowering  sorts  for 
beds  and  borders  is  as  follows :  White  Swan, 
Primrose  Dame,  Canary,  Moseley  Perfection 
(large  rich  yellow),  Maggie  Mott  (mauve).  Councillor 
Waters  (magenta  purple),  Bridal  Mom  (heliotrope 
blue),  Archie  Grant  (mdigo  blue),  J.  B.  Riding 
(rose  purple),  Kitty  Bell  (lilac).  Kingcup  (rich 
yellow),  Mrs.  H.  Pearce  (pure  white)  and  Peace 
(white,  edged  heliotrope). 

Those  readers  who  would  like  to  make  a  hobby 
of  choice  exhibition  Violas,  either  for  show  or  for 
the  pleasure  of  their  family,  will  find  their  culture 
full  of  mterest.  Quahty  of  the  flowers  rather  than 
quantity  in  this  case  is,  of  course,  the  primary 
consideration.  Those  who  have  used  Violas  for 
dinner-table  decoration  are  loud  hi  their  praises 
of  them.  Many  people  think  them  too  common, 
but  it  is  not  always  the  most  expensive  flowers 
which  produce  the  best  effects.  Try,  to  start 
with,  a  table  of  Maggie  Mott,  lightened  with  a  few 
pieces  of  the  pereimial  Gypsophila  paniculata. 
With  the  choice  exhibition  sorts  use  pots  for  the 
cuttings,  as  the  numbers  inserted  will  be  much 
less.  When  nicely  rooted,  plant  them  out  3  inches 
apart  on  a  prepared  bed  in  a  cold  frame  for  the 
winter.  Give  plenty  of  ventilation  durmg  the 
winter,  only  closing  the  lights  entirely  on  frosty 
nights  and  removing  them  altogether  on  warm, 
sunny  days.  April  is  a  good  time  to  plant  them 
out  where  they  are  to  flower. 

Twelve  choice  exhibition  sorts  are  George  C. 
Murray,  Goalkeeper,  Jessie  Baker,  Jeanie  Stirling, 
Jenny  Houston,  Kate  Cochrane,  Lady  Knox, 
Mrs.  Chichester,  Mary  Bumie,  Mrs.  H.  Pearce, 
William  Lockwood  and  Rose  Noble.  With  the 
choicer  sorts,  at  this  season  some  difficulty  may 
be  experienced  in  obtaining  cuttings.  To  encourage 
their  production  give  the  plants  at  once  a  liberal  top- 
dressing  of  rich  soil,  using,  mixed  with  it.  Clay's 
Fertilizer  or  guano.  We  have  used  flaky  leal- 
mould  and  Clay's  Fertilizer,  with  very  good  results. 
Following  several  good  soakings  with  water 
the  uicreased  vigour  of  the  plants  will  soon  be 
noticeable.  Other  measures  to  take  to  induce  the 
production  of  cuttings  is  to  cut  off  some  of  the 
oldest  growths  and  keep  all  seed-pods  picked  off. 

Raising  from  Seeds.— There  is  even  more 
interest  attached  to  the  raising  of  Violas  from  seeds 
than  there  is  in  rooting  cuttings,  for  on  the  one 
hand  the  colour  of  the  flowers  is  already  known, 
but  with  seedlings  their  flowering  is  awaited  with 
interest.  Recently,  when  on  a  visit  to  Messrs. 
.Sutton's  Trial  Grounds  at  Reading,  a  large  stretch 
of  mixed  seedling  bedding  Violas  was  noted  being 
grown  for  seed,  a  considerable  number  of  the 
flowers  being  equal  to  many  named  sorts.  Seeds 
sown  thinly  now  in  a  shallow  bos  and  placed  in 
a  cold  frame  will  give  good  plants  for  next  season's 
flowering.     In  addition  to  a  packet  of  mi.\ed  seeds. 


those  who  wish  it  can  purchase  seeds  in  separate 
colours,  these  including  white,  yellow,  primrose, 
black,  purple  and  mauve.  A.  O. 


MIGNONETTE      FOR      WINTER 
FLOWERING. 

A  FEW  pots  of  well-grown  Mignouette  make  a 
charmhig  feature  in  the  greenhouse  or  conservatory 
during  the  latter  part  of  winter  and  in  spring. 
If  carefully  grown,  splendid  specimens  will  result. 
I  remember  assisting  in  making  the  awards  at  a 
spring  flower  show,  and,  among  other  kinds  of 
plants,  there  were  pots  of  Mignonette.  The  size 
of  the  pots  was  restricted  to  6i  inches.  In  some 
pots  only  one  plant  was  grown,  in  others  two  and 
three  plants  respectively.  All  were  very  fine, 
but  the  pot  with  the  single  plant  was  the  best. 
The  plant  had  branched  out  wonderfully,  and 
appeared  of  greater  bulk  than  the  three  plants  in 
a  pot  ;   furthermore,  the  flower-spikes  were  larger. 

jSowing  the  Seeds. — It  is  not  advisable  to  sow 
seeds  too  early,  else  the  resultant  plants  will  flower 
prematurely,  however  much  the  cultivator  strives 
to  prevent  this,  and  they  should  be  kept  growing 
steadily.  Drop  three  seeds  in  a  3-inch  flower-pot 
filled  with  loam  and  leaf-soil  in  equal  proportions. 
To  one  bushel  of  the  combined  parts  add  a  7-iiich 
potful  of  rotted  manure  and  a  6-inch  potful  of 
coarse  sand.  If  procurable,  add  a  small  quantity 
of  road  scrapings.  Lightly  cover  the  seeds  and  then 
place  the  pots  in  a  cold  frame,  but  admit  plenty 
of  air,  as  it  is  necessary  to  prevent  the  resultant 
seedlings  becoming  drawn  and  weakly.  In  fine 
weather,  as  the  seedlmgs  gain  strength,  remove  the 
glass  lights  altogether  ;  also  draw  out  the  two 
weakest  plants,  leaving  only  one  plant  in  each  pot. 
Before  the  plant  gets  pot-bound,  repot  in  a  5-inch 
pot,  using  a  similar  compost.  When  the  plants  are 
about  four  inches  high,  pinch  off  the  tops,  and  thus 
cause  side  shoots  to  grow.  Sometimes  five  or  six 
strong  shoots  may  be  secured,  and  these  will  be 
sufficient  to  form  a  nice  specimen.  In  due  course 
one  more  repotting  may  take  place.  From  October 
to  the  flowering  stage  place  the  plants  on  a  shelf  in 
a  greenhouse,  and  always  water  carefully.  B. 


-THE     CUTTING     ON  THE     LEFT     IS     PREPARED 

FOR     INSERTION.  ON      THE    RIGHT    IS    SEEN 

A    GROWTH    WITH  A    FEW    ROOTS    ADHERING. 

SUCH      GROWTHS  ARE      MOST      USEFUL      FOR 
PROPAGATION. 


488 


THE    GARDEN. 


[August  30,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Early  -  Flowering      Chrysanthemums.  —  The 

earliest  varieties  are  already  making  a  good  show 
of  bloom,  and  to  prolong  the  flowering  period  they 
must  be  kept  fairly  moist  at  the  root.  Thrip  has 
been  somewhat  troublesome  this  season,  and 
wherever  this  pest  is  present,  the  plants  should  be 
sprayed  with  an  insecticide,  afterwards  giving  them 
a  good  wash  over  with  the  syringe  or  hose.  The 
plants  that  are  being  grown  for  cut  flowers  will, 
naturally,  be  cut  over  as  the  blooms  open,  but 
those  for  garden  decoration  should  have  the  stale 
blooms  removed  as  often  as  necessary. 

The  Herbaceous  Border. — There  is  always  a 
certain  amount  of  work  on  the  herbaceous  border, 
and  just  now,  when  many  of  the  summer-flowering 
plants  are  going  over,  there  is  much  to  do,  cutting 
down  and  making  tidy  so  that  the  dead  and  dying 
flowers  do  not  in  any  way  detract  from  the  beauty 
of  those  that  are  opening.  At  the  time  of  writing, 
herbaceous  plants  are  suffering  severely  for  want 
of  rain,  and  should  we  not  get  it  in  quantity  during 
the  next  week  or  two,  it  will  mean  the  weakening, 
if  not  the  loss,  of  many  of  the  more  tender  subjects, 
unless,  of  course,  they  have  been  systematically 
watered. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Mignonette. — The  present  is  a  very  suitable 
time  for  making  a  sowing  of  Mignonette  for  spring 
blooming.  I  prefer  to  sow  a  few  seeds  in  3-inch 
pots,  thinning  the  seedlings  to  four  or  five  when 
large  enough  to  handle,  and  potting  on  into  4j-inch 
pots  or  6-inch  pots  at  the  turn  of  the  year,  or  as 
soon  as  fit.  For  the  production  of  large  spikes 
of  bloom,  firm  potting  is  very  essential,  and  where 
sowing  direct  into  the  flowering  pots  is  practised, 
the  soil  should  be  well  rammed  ;  but  in  this  latter 
case  the  watering  must  be  carefully  done,  or  the 
larger  body  of  soil  soon  becomes  sour ;  hence  the 
advice  as  to  sowing  in  3-inch  pots. 

Schizanthuses. — These  may  also  be  sown  in  the 
manner  advised  for  Mignonette,  thiiming  to  one 
plant  in  a  pot  when  large  enough ;  or  they  may  be 
sown  in  pan<i,  pricking  off  before  the  seedlings 
become  too  large. 

Clarliias  call  for  similar  treatment ;  but  in  this 
case  they  should  be  sown  in  pans  or  boxes  and 
pricked  off.  Firefly,  Salmon  Queen,  Brilliant 
Princess  and  White  Prince  are  all  desirable  varieties. 
To  be  really  successful  with  these  annuals  they 
must  be  carefully  looked  after  diuring  the  dull 
days  of  late  autumn  and  winter,  careful  watering 
and  plenty  of  light  and  air  being  absolutely  essential, 
so  that  a  good,  airy  house  or  well-ventilated  frame 
should  be  devoted  to  them. 

Lachenalias. — A  batch  of  this  pretty  spring- 
flowering  bulbous  plant  should  be  potted  up  at 
once  into  4j-inch  pots,  this  being  the  most  useful 
sized  pot  for  the  subject.  A  fairly  rich  and  open 
compost  suits  them  well.  After  potting  and 
watering  in,  the  pots  should  be  stood  in  a  frame 
where  a  mat  can  be  put  over  them  to  prevent  them 
drying  out  too  much  till  growth  commences.  The 
variety  Nelsonii  is  perhaps  the  best,  while  L.  pendula, 
tricolor  and  quadricolor  are  distinct  and  pretty. 

Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine.— If  any  of  the 

plants  are  not  in  pots  sufficiently  large  for  their 
requirements,  no  time  should  be  lost  in  getting 
them  potted  on,  and  at  this  time  a  large  shift  should 
not  be  necessary.  Where  good  bushy  specimens 
are  required,  the  plants  should  be  staked  out  as 
soon  as  the  side  growths  are  sufficiently  long  to 
warrant  it,  and  it  these  are  staked  out  fairly  flat 
they  will  soon  make  breaks  and  so  fill  up  the 
centre  of  the  plants.  Plants  well  rooted  in  the 
flowering  pots  may  be  fairly  liberally  treated  as  to 
water  and  liquid  manure. 

Begonias  Gloire  de  Sceaux,  haageana,  &c.,  that 
are  being  grown  on  for  winter  and  spring  decora- 
tion, should  be  potted  on  as  soon  as  fit  into  6-inch 
pots  or  8J-inch  pots,  giving  them  a  good  rich 
compost,  so  that  with  plenty  of  room  they  may 
develop  their  rich  foliage  to  the  fullest  extent. 
Occasional  sprayings  overhead  are  necessary  to 
keep  the  foliage  clean,  but,  as  the  days  shorten, 
this  may  be  dropped  in  favour  of  frequent  spray- 
ings between  the  pots,  or  it  may  be  found  that  the 
foliage  will  get  rather  soft  and  the  edges  become 


marked.     To   keep   down  'mite   or   thrip,    a   light 
fumigation  should  be  given  now  and  again. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Cauliflower  Autumn  Giant  should  now  be  turn- 
ing in,  and  it  may  be  found  necessary  to  keep  the 
plants  frequently  watered  if  good  heads  are  required. 
If  pulled  up  when  quite  tight,  they  will  keep  for 
some  days  if  stored  in  a  cool  shed  or  cellar  and  the 
light  kept  from  them. 

Autumn  Broccoli  also  may  be  subjected  to  the 
same  treatment.  In  many  places  the  growth  made 
during  the  summer  has  been  somewhat  irregular  ; 
but  now  that  the  sun  is  losing  its  strength  some- 
what, one  or  two  good  waterings  might  materially 
help  them.    . 

Onions.  —  Autumn-sown  and  spring-planted 
Onions  from  boxes  are  now  ripening  fast.  This 
being  the  case,  they  may  be  eased  from  the  gromid 
a  little,  and  when  it  is  found  that  the  roots  have 
no  further  hold  of  the  soil,  they  should  be  taken  up 
and  placed  on  hurdles  or  mats  to  facilitate  the 
drying  process.  This  latter  should  be  carefully 
done,  as  these  large  Onions,  if  well  ripened  and 
dried,  will  keep  almost  as  long  as  the  smaller  ones_ 

Spinach. — A  good  sowing  of  Spinach  should  be 
made  during  the  next  few  days  to  stand  the  winter, 
and  if  the  soil  is  heavy,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  throw 
out  a  narrow  trench  on  each  side  of  a  bed  about  six 
feet  wide,  this  raising  the  soil  a  few  inches  and  at 
the  same  time  keeping  it  well  drained. 
Hardy  Fruits. 

Plums. — Many  varieties  are  now  ripening  fast, 
and  every  precaution  must  be  taken  against  wasps 
and  birds.  For  bottling  or  preserving  purposes  the 
fruits  should  not  be  allowed  to  remain  till  they  are 
dead  ripe,  or  the  skin  is  likely  to  be  damaged  in 
the  gathering.  This,  the  cooks  inform  us,  is  not 
at  all  desirable,  and  those  of  us  who  are  in  charge 
of  gardens  know  full  well  we  have  to  study  the 
chej  de  cuisine. 

Loganberries  that  have  finished  fruiting  should 
have  all  the  old  wood  taken  out,  tying  in  only 
those  growths  that  are  required  for  next  season's 
fruiting.  If  these  are  not  as  strong  as  one  would 
wish,  a  good  soaking  with  liquid  manure  will 
probably  have  the  desired  effect,  as  the  plants 
make  a  good  deal  of  growth  during  the  early 
autumn.  Thomas  Stevenson. 

(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wobtirn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Autumn  Propagation. — This  work  must  now 
be  prosecuted  with  vigour.  Calceolarias  need  not 
be  propagated  for  another  month  yet,  and  there 
is  no  hurry  for  bedding  Violas.  Among  plants 
which  should  now  be  propagated  are  Ageratums, 
Alyssums,  Petunias,  Fuchsias,  Phloxes,  Pent- 
stemons.  Antirrhinums,  Anthemis  Kelwayi,  &c. 
A  compost  of  loam,  leaf-mould  and  sharp  sand 
in  equal  parts  suits  the  purpose  admirably.  Shallow 
boxes  provided  with  openings  for  drainage  will 
be  found  the  most  suitable  kind  of  receptacle 
for  the  cuttings.  Pass  the  compost  through 
a  half-inch  wire  sieve  and  place  the  rough  portion 
in  the  bottom  of  the  boxes.  Press  the  soil  very 
firm,  and  it  is  an  advantage  to  finish  off  with  a 
little  clean  sand.  Insert  the  cuttings  somewhat 
thickly,  but  according  to  the  vigour  of  the  subjects, 
place  in  a  cold  frame,  and  give  a  good  watering 
through  a  fine  rose.  Keep  the  frame  close  and 
shaded  from  bright  simshine  till  roots  are  emitted. 

Miscellaneous  Bulbs. — Scillas  should  find  a 
place  in  every  garden.  S.  sibirica,  S.  bifolia  and 
S.  vema  are  all  worthy  of  inclusion.  Chionodoxas, 
too,  followmg  hard  on  the  Snowdrops,  should  be 
freely  grown.  C.  gigantea,  C.  Luciliae  (Glory  of 
the  Snow)  and  C.  sardensis  are  each  little  gems. 
Fritillarias  are  also  highly  decorative  sprmg  flowers. 
The  varieties  of  F.  imperialis  (Crown  Imperial) 
spring  up  as  if  by  magic,  followed  by  various  other 
species,  among  which  F.  Meleagris  (Snake's-head 
Fritillary)  is  specially  worthy  of  commendation. 
Then  there  are  the  Snowflakes  and  the  Dog's- 
tooth  Violets  (Erythronium  Dens-canis).  Among 
not  too  hardy  but  highly  desirable  things  are  the 
Camassias,  Anomatheca  cruenta,  Schizostylis 
coccinea  and  the  lovely  Ferrarias,  a  collection  of 


which  has  been  charming  us  here  from  day  to  day 
for  weeks. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Garden  Roses. — I  am  using  this  phrase  in  Its 
widest  sense,  including  Provence,  Damask,  Moss, 
Japanese,  Scotch  Briar  and  Sweet  Briar.  These 
old-fashioned  Roses  deserve  more  attention  than 
they  get  nowadays,  and  I  hope  some  readers  will 
remember  them  when  making  up  their  Rose  orders. 
A  portion  of  the  garden  might  be  devoted  to  them, 
or  they  will  be  grateful  for  odd  comers.  Some  of 
the  stronger-growing  species  make  a  fine  back- 
ground for  a  herbaceous  border.  Most  of  them 
can  be  increased  by  suckers,  and  all  by  layers  or 
cuttings. 

Budded  Stocks. — ^These  must  be  looked  over, 
and  if  the  ligatures  are  too  tight  they  should  be 
slackened. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Cutting  Back. — No  part  of  a  garden  will,  if 
left  alone,  give  quicker  evidence  that  the  law  of 
"  the  survival  of  the  fittest "  (e.g.,  strongest  and 
coarsest)  is  still  operating  than  the  rockwork ; 
hence  the  necessity  for  constant  vigilance.  Ceras- 
tiums,  Antennarias,  Thymes,  Arabises,  Aubrietias, 
Saxifrages  and  a  host  of  other  things  require  cutting 
back  from  time  to  time,  and  the  present  is  an  oppor- 
tune period  for  a  thorough  overhauling,  so  that  the 
more  compact  subjects  may  get  the  full  advantage 
of  the  declining  sunlight  and  have  a  free  circulation 
of  air  round  them  during  the  winter  months,  thus 
saving  many  of  them  from  damping  off. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Crinums. — As  these  go  out  of  flower,  water 
should  be  gradually  withheld  till  they  are  thoroughly 
dried  off. 

Pancratiums. — After  blooming,  these  should  have 
less  water,  but  they  do  not  require  an  entire  rest 
like  the  Crinums. 

Gloxinias. — Plants  that  flowered  during  the 
summer  will  now  have  gone  to  rest.  If  not  required, 
they  should  be  thrown  away  ;  but  if  to  be  retained 
for  another  season,  they  may  be  stored  away  for 
the  winter  where  the  temperature  does  not  fall 
below  50°  to  55'. 

Pelargoniums. — As  soon  as  the  plants  have 
started  into  growth  they  shoifld  be  repotted, 
stood  in  a  cool  pit  or  frame  and  kept  rather  close 
for  a  week  or  ten  days.  Use  pots  a  size  less  than 
those  which  the  plants  occupy  at  present.  Trim 
the  roots  with  a  sharp  knife.  Do  not  use  a  very 
rich  soil  ■.   pot  firmly. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Early  Vines. — These  must  now  be  induced  to 
go  naturally  to  rest  by  maintaining  dry  conditions, 
with  a  free  circulation  of  air.  Should  cold,  wet 
weather  occur,  however,  a  little  fire-heat  should 
still  be  applied  to  maintain  a  buoyant  atmosphere. 

Peaches. — As  these  begin  to  shed  their  leaves 
naturally,  the  process  of  defoliation  should  be 
accelerated  by  going  over  the  trees  lightly  with  a 
new  Birch  broom,  brushing  from  the  stem  towards 
the  extremities  of  the  tree. 

Wasps. — Traps  must  be  set  for  these  wherever 
there  is  ripe  fruit.  Bottles  partially  filled  wth 
sour  beer  and  sugar  and  hung  on  the  trellises 
prove  very  efficacious. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Late  Caulitlowers. — Cauliflowers  enjoy  moist 
conditions,  aird  if  dry  weather  occurs  it  may  be 
necessary  to  water  the  late  crops,  especially  on 
light  soils.  Sutton's  Mammoth,  when  liberally 
grown,  gives  grand  results  in  autumn. 

Late  Peas. — Peas  have  done  remarkably  well 
this  season  to  date,  but  it  is  during  the  next  six 
weeks  that  the  difference  between  liberal  and 
stingy  treatment  of  the  Pea  becomes  apparent, 
and  that  both  as  regards  yield  and  quality.  Where 
the  crop  has  received  but  little  attention,  the  loss 
can  still  be  retrieved  to  some  extent  by  applications 
of  liquid  manure. 

Harvesting  Herbs.— Mint,  Sage,  Thyme,  Mar- 
joram and  other  herbs  which  are  likely  to  be  asked 
for  during  the  winter  should  on  a  dry  day  be  cut, 
bunched  up  and  hung  in  an  open  shed  to  dry. 

Seed  Potatoes. — As  these  are  lifted  they  shoiild 
be  spread  out  for  a  week  or  so  to  "  green  "  prior 
to  being  stored  away  in  trays.  A  pit  is  possibly 
the  best  place  to  store  Potatoes  for  the  table, 
but  it  is  the  worst  wherein  to  store  them  for  seed. 
Charles  Comfort. 
Broom/icld  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


August  30,  1913-] 


THE    GARDEN. 


439 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES   FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— I'Ae  Editoj  intends  to 
mnke  THE  tJAKDEN  helpjut  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  urUl  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  shovld  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  onltj' 
and  addressed  to  the  EDITOR  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  in  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
qttery  is  sent,  each  sfiould  he  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  p-  ssible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  cfiaracteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Publishkr. 


ROSE     GARDEN. 

ROSE  RAYON  D'OR  FOR  BEDDING  (E.  B.)— Our 
experience  of  this  lovely  Rose  is  that  it  makes  a  splendid 
bedder,  providing  yood,  healthy,  British-jirown  plants 
are  obtained.  Its  blooms  are  carried  erect,  and  its  colour 
is  well  maintained.  The  very  oldest  blooms  pale,  but 
not  before  they  are  ready  for  removal,  and  there  are  always 
numerona  buds  to  take  their  place.  The  glistening  foliaize. 
so  wonderfully  free  from  pests  of  all  kinds,  is  a  specially 
aood  trait  of  these  pernetiana  Roses.  You  would  find 
the  variety  named  above,  also  Arthiu  R.  Goodwin,  Cissie 
Easlea  and  Louise  Catherine  Breslau  real  gems,  Rosps 
that  would  make  a  delightful  bed  of  themselves,  all  having 
a  similar  gro\vth  and  the  same  striking  foliage.  Yes  ; 
Silver  Moon  is  a  wichuraiana  climber,  but  it  could  be 
trained  horizontally  to  form  a  low  hedge.  We  should 
suggest,  however,  for  this  purpose  such  a  Rose  a?  Sim- 
plicity. Silver  Moon  is  quite  free  from  mildew,  as  far 
as  our  experience  go^s. 

ROSE  EARL  OF  WARWICK  BLIGHTED  (M.  G.  D.).— 
This  Rose  has  a  most  peculiar  habit  of  producing  wood 
such  as  you  send.  We  do  not  believe  it  is  caused  by  fungoid 
disease,  but  is  simply  a  peculiarity  of  this  variety.  In 
our  opinion  the  excessive  use  of  artificial  manures  has 
much  to  do  with  it,  also  in  the  production  of  blacK 
spot  and  other  diseases.  We  have  noticed  it  very  fre- 
quently upon  beds  that  have  been  heavily  manured.  We 
have  much  faith  in  the  formaldehyde  remedy,  if  followed 
strictly  upon  the  lines  advocated  by  Dr.  Waddell  in  the 
National  Rose  Society's  Annual.  We  would,  however, 
advise  you  to  replant  the  bushes,  taking  care  to  spray  the 
roots  and  wood  when  the  work  is  done  in  November.  See 
that  the  soil  is  of  a  good  loamy  nature,  and  add  some 
lime  if  necessary.  It  may  be  your  Rose-beds  would  benefit 
greatly  by  liming  in  October.  If  they  have  been  heavily 
manured  for  some  years,  this  is  all  the  more  necessary. 
A  writer  some  time  ago  gave  as  a  remedy  for  black 
spot  an  application  of  salt  every  two  weeks.  4oz.  of  salt  to 
three  gallons  of  water.  You  might  try  this  on  a  few  plants, 
spraying  them  thoroughly.  We  think  the  scorched  appear- 
ance of  the  foliage  may  be  caused  by  the  formaldehyde. 
All  these  sprayings  are  best  done  in  the  evenincr. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

BEGONIAS  GOING  WRONG  {W.  B.).—\\'e  find  no 
fungus  or  insect  on  the  Regonias  to  which  the  damage 
done  can  be  attributed.  We  are  inclined  to  think  your 
compost  may  be  too  rich  and  does  not  contain  sufficient 
sharp  sand  to  make  drainage  efficient.  Special  care  when 
watering  must  be  exercised,  and  no  doubt  the  plants 
will  to  some  extent  rctovt-r. 

FUCHSIA  LEAVES  CURLED  {R.  S.  il/.).— There  is  no 
doubt  that  the  iin^atisiaetory  condition  of  your  F\ichsias 
is  due  to  an  excess  of  stimulants,  for  you  have  been  far 
too  liberal  in  this  respect.  An  application  of  Clay's 
Fertilizer  once  a  fortnight  would  be  quite  sufficient  unless 
it  is  given  very  weak  indeed.  It  is  quite  probable  that 
the  mulching  of  manure  would  be  ample  without  using  Clay's 
Fertilizer  at  all.  We  certainly  advise  you  to  discon- 
tinue the  excessive  use  of  stimulants  ;  but  even  then  it 
is  possible  that  the  plants  mil  take  some  time  to  recover, 
as  very  likely  the  roots  are  in  a  poor  way.  The  condition 
of  the  leaves  on  the  pot  plant  grown  inside  points  to  an 
error  in  cultivation  of  some  kind,  but  what  that  is  we 
cannot  say.  You  did  quite  right  in  binding  up  the  wounded 
portion  of  the  stem  with  clay. 

SPIRiEAS  AFTER  FLOWERING  (Hants).— Xftev  the 
Spiraeas  had  finished  flowering,  the  old  spikes  should  have 
been  cut  off  and  every  encouragement  given  to  the  plants 
to  make  good  growth.  An  occasional  dose  of  liquid 
manure  would  then  have  been  of  great  service,  as  in  this 
way  the  plant  is  enabled  to  build  up  its  strength  and  form 
flower-buds  for  another  season.  By  drying  otf  prematurely 
the  constitution  of  the  plant  is  greatly  weakened,  and. 
howevei  treated  now,  you  are  not  likely  to  have  many 
flowers  next  year.  However,  you  may  even  now  feed 
the  plants  occasionally,  and  encourage  growth  till  they 
naturally  go  to  rest  in  the  autumn.  The  best  time  to 
pot  clumps  of  Spirtea  for  winter  flowering  is  early  in 
November,  but  in  a  cool  greenhouse  you  cannot  expect 
to  have  them  in  bloom  by  Christmas. 


FRUIT    GARDEN. 

MANURING  GOOSEBERRY  BUSHES  (Greystoke).— 
Yes  ;  Gooseberry  bushes  are  greatly  improved  by  a  liberal 
application  of  rotten  manure  to  the  soil  about  their  roots 
in  autumn.  The  crop  is  heavier  and  the  fruit  finer  as  a 
result.  You  arc  doing  quite  right  in  planting  your  Currant 
trees  in  the  open  (never  mind  your  neighbour  in  this  case). 
Dig  a  liberal  dressing  of  rotten  maniu-e  into  the  soil 
before  planting.  Your  Black  Currant  trees  are  suffering 
from  what  is  commonly  called  the  big  bud  ;  the  swelling 
is  caused  by  a  small  mite  or  insect.  The  best  cure  for  it 
is  to  pick  otf  the  diseased  buds  and  burn  them  and  the 
mites  together.  Your  trees  will  go  on  bearing  well,  in 
spite  of  the  disease,  for  many  years  if  tbey  are  well  looked 
after. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

HORSE-RADISH  FOR  SAUCE  (FT.  H.  C.).— The  early 
autumn,  when  it  is  seen  that  the  leaves  of  the  Horse- 
radish are  maturing,  would  be  the  best  time  to  lift  and 
store  the  roots  for  your  purpose. 

CARROT  GRUB  (Gardener). — The  simplest  and  most 
certain  way  is  by  burnins:  the  soil.  In  the  autumn,  in 
dry  weather,  make  a  strong  wood  fire  on  the  piece  of 
ground  yon  wish  to  grow  Carrots  on  next  year.  After 
it  is  well  lighted,  cover  it  over  a  foot  thick  with  soil.  Let 
this  soil  become  hot  enough  to  kill  all  things  which  have 
life  in  them.  You  will  soon  find  out  the  necessary  heat ; 
then  take  off  the  soil,  make  up  the  fire  anew,  and  rover 
with  soil  as  before.  Burn  all  the  soil  wanted  for  the 
Carrot  crops  a  foot  deep,  and  you  will  be  rid  of  (ill  grubs 
and  all  scftds  of  weeds  as  wt-ll. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

RENOVATING  A  LAWN  (IlaD.—Yon  can  do  a  little  good 
to  your  tennis  lawn  by  dressing  it  with  good  loam  and  bone- 
meal  m  October  :  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  grass  will 
become  really  good  for  a  number  of  years ;  and  although 
it  means  a  considerable  amount  of  work,  it  would  be  very 
much  better  and  cheaper  in  the  end  to  remove  some  of 
the  soil  and  make  up  with  better  material.  It  is  always  a 
mistake  to  remove  a  considerable  depth  of  surface  soil  and 
sow  seeds  or  plant  upon  ground  which  has  been  some 
distance  below  the  surface. 

NAMES     OF    PLANTS.  —  f/.    F.,    Somerset.  —  AiAuiia. 

sericofera. Scud. — Erigeron  canadensis. C.  R.,  Gray- 

shoit. — Sedura  sexangulare  variety. Rhagatt. — Digitalis 

lutea  and  Thuja  plicata. 2'.  C.  A. — Androsacc  lanu- 
ginosa.  Burton.  —  Rose  Lamarque. Enquirer. — The 

coppery  Rose  is  Jean  Ducher.  and  the  paler  one  G. 
Nabonuand. 


SOCIETIES. 


SHREWSBURY     SHOW. 

The  very  first  thing  that  every  observant  visitor  must 
have  said  to  himself  "  or  otherwise  '*  (to  copy  the  phrase- 
ology of  a  quaint  notice  affixed  in  the  firework  and  acro- 
batic part  of  the  grounds)  was  :  "  This  thirty-ninth  show 
is  larger,  better  and  more  varied  than  ever — a  regular 
■  Che!sea '  in  Sliropshire — even  to  the  rock  gardens." 
Then,  after  a  somewhat  cursory  "  run  round  "  (to  use  a 
most  inappropriate  expression  for  the  ordinary  being 
who  entered  with  the  crowd  of  subscribers  at  11.30),  he 
would  be  aware  of  a  quite  exceptional  display  of  Roses 
and  Sweet  Peas ;  of  magnificent  specimen  flowering 
plants  of  titanic  proportions ;  of  mimicking  Begonias 
which  nearly  out-rosed  the  Rose  and  quite  out-cameiliacd 
the  Camellia ;  of  Carnations  and  Gladioli  galore ;  of 
the  eternal  "  touch  the  button  and  I  will  do  the  rest  " 
sort  of  impossible  airy  and  light  decorated  tables  or  table 
decorations  ;  and  of  that  visitor-flattering  and  irradicable 
propexxsity  of  Shrewsbury  which  invariably  thinks  that 
every  pair  of  eyes  belongsto  a  mind  of  more  than  encyclo- 
paedic knowledge  of  genera,  species  and  varieties,  and 
cannot  understand  that  there  are  just  a  few  visitors  like 
Sir  Harry  Veitch  and  Mr.  E.  A.  Bowles  and  Mj.  Farrer  who 
do  not  know  quite  everything  when  they  see  it ;  and 
last,  but  not  least — to  end  this  little  digression  —  that 
the  society  has  been  fortunate  in  securing  in  the  person 
of  Mr.  W.  G.  Brazier  a  secretary  who  will  prove  himself 
to  be  a  worthy  follower  of  those  veteran  chiefs,  Messrs. 
Adnitt  and  Naunton,  who  have  now  retired  after  thirty- 
eight  years'  service,  and  who  were  in  the  course  of  the 
opening  day  so  signally  honoured  by  Horticulture.  In 
the  competitive  classes  on  the  floral  side  of  the  show  we 
noticed  that  the  usual  prize-winners  were  still  to  the  fore, 
and  that  the  different  classes  occupied  much  the  same 
positions  ;  so  it  will  be  convenient  to  deal  with  them  as 
far  as  possible  as  they  were  grouped  in  the  various  tents ; 
but  in  place  of  our  "more  usual  custom  of  dealing  with 
individual  exhibits,  we  propose  to  concentrate  on  what 
we  consider  their  more  prominent  features. 

LiRfiE  Tent, 
Here  there  were  the  usual  displays  of  groups  of  stove 
and  greenhouse  flowering  and  loliage  plants,  in  which 
Crotons,  Orchids,  Abutilons,  Palms  and  Bamboos  played 
a  leading  part.  There  was  a  wealth  of  costly  and  varied 
material  introduced  in  the  different  exhibits,  but  on  the 
whole  there  was  little  originality  or  breaking  away  from 
the  stereotyped  ideas  of  former  years.  In  the  open  class 
the  names  of  Messrs.  J.  Cypher  and  Sons,  Sir  G.  H.  Kenrick 
and  air.  W.  R.  Manning  of  Dudley  were  to  the  fore,  while 
in  that  confined  to  the  county  of  Salop  only,  Mr.  Bernard 
Howson  of  Market  Drayton,  Mr.  A.  M.  Barber  of  Wellington 


and  Mrs.  F.  Burd  of  Shrewsbury  occupied  the  chief  posi- 
tions. We  were  much  struck  with  Mr,  Barber's  arrange- 
ment of  simple  green  and  white,  with  just  a  splash  of 
orange  introduced  here  and  there  to  give  piquancy  to 
the  whole.  Although  it  was  only  awarded  a  second  prize, 
we  tliougbt  it  compared  very  favourably  with  the  more 
conventional  bizarre  group  of  the  winner. 

Class  4,  for  a  group  of  hardy  plants  and  aquatics,  pro- 
duced one  of  the  most  striking  features  of  the  whole  show 
in  the  first-prize  collection  of  Messrs.  Gunn  and  Sons  of 
Olton.  The  design  was  excellent.  It  consisted  of  a  small 
central  pool  of  water,  with  Water  Lilies  flanked  with  Ferns, 
and  a  single  group  of  blush  Spiraea  at  one  end ;  then,  in 
a  senai-circle  round  it,  suggesting  a  garden  path,  a  wide 
edging  of  Grass  to  a  slightly-raised  border  of  perennials, 
in  which  Hollyhocks,  Campanula  pyramidalis,  Hyacinthus 
candicans  and  Lythrum  Salicaria  Rose  Queen  were 
features,  but  which  cont-ained  many  other  pleasing  flowers, 
among  which  might  be  mentioned  Gladiolus  Primrose 
Queen. 

The  classes  for  large  and  small  specimens  are  peculiarly 
Shrewsbury's  own,  and  we  look  on  Messrs.  Cypher's  grand 
plants  as  friends  whom  we  would  sadly  miss  if  they  did 
not  occupy  their  accustomed  places  at  the  show.  Their 
examples  of  Statice  profusa,  Erica  aitoniana,  Erica 
e-wersiana,  Ixora  Duffii  and  Statice  Gilbertii  were  veritable 
triumphs  of  horticultural  skill.  In  the  10-inch  pot  class, 
AUamanda  Williamsii  and  Ixora  Regina  were  two  charming 
young  plants  that  doubtless  in  time  will  be  promoted  to 
the  larger  class. 

In  this  large  tent  Messrs.  Mair  and  Sons  provided  a 
rich  treat  to  Gladiolus  lovers  in  their  first-prize  collection 
of  twenty-four  varieties — Sphinx  (amaranth),  Sorcier 
(lurid  orange  red).  Mars  (red).  Snow  Wreath  (pure  white) 
and  Alexander  (pink)  stood  up  bravely  as  the  flring-line 
of  a  fine,  wjll-equipped  squad.  Here,  too.  were  what  we 
advisedly  called  the  mimicking  Begonias  of  Messrs.  Black- 
more  and  Langdon  of  Bath  and  Messrs.  Ware  of  Feltham. 
for  anything  more  like  Roses  and  Camellias  it  is  hard  to 
imagine.  Undoubtedly  the  tuberous  varieties  have 
reached  a  high  standard  of  perfection ;  such  sorts  as 
Princess  Victoria  Louise  (pink),  Mrs.  R.  Caulfleld  (shell 
pink).  Lady  Dorrington  (white),  Rosi;  Superbe  (rose), 
Marjorie  Donald  (waved  warm  flesh).  Mrs.  W.  L.  Ainslie 
(waved  yellow)  and  Mrs.  Robert  Morton  (lemon  and 
bronze  yellow)  were  some  that  caught  our  eye  in  the  Batli 
firm's  exhibit.  Begonia  martiana  grandiflora  reminded 
us  of  an  old-fashioned  Balsam  in  its  general  appearance, 
and  would  be  a  welcome  addition  to  the  conservatory  ; 
it  is  very  effective  as  a  bedding  plant.  Messrs.  Ware 
had  Prince  John,  Lord  Hopetoun,  Lady  Cromer  and 
King  George  V. — all  good  things  that  we  can  recomnund. 

Rose  Tent. 

The  whole  of  the  staging  in  the  centre  of  one  of  the 
tents  was  given  up  to  Roses,  which,  in  their  first  freshness, 
wore  exceedingly  lovely.  Great  pillars  and  arches  of  the 
best  ramblers,  with  solid  masses  of  one  variety,  were  the 
groundwork  of  almost  all  the  competitive  groups,  while, 
as  filling  up,  there  were  smaller  bunches,  baskets  or  vases 
of  a  bewildering  number  of  appealing  beauties. 

Messrs.  Gunn  and  Sons  won  the  £10  prize  and  silver 
Champion  Bowl  with  a  well-arranged  and  most  attractive 
collection,  in  which  were  good  examples  of  Hugh  Dickson, 
George  C.  Waud.  The  Lyon  Rose  and  Gottfried  Keller, 
the  beautiful  semi-double  Briar,  pale  yellow  centre,  with 
the  outer  half  of  the  petals  a  pale  warm  pink. 

Messrs.  Hugh  Dickson.  Limited,  staged  some  glorious 
blooms.  Among  those  that  appealed  to  us  were  William 
Cooper  (real  old  rose),  Charming  (warm  pink),  Ulster  Glow 
(a  large  pale  pink  single),  King  George  V.  (deep  dark  rose) 
and  Muriel  Dickson  (light  shade  of  cerise).  The  variety 
Beaut6  de  Lyon,  so  much  beloved  by  our  French  friends, 
and  awarded  by  them  such  signal  honours  when  they  saw 
it  growing  in  their  trial  grounds  at  Bagatelle,  was 
finely  shown  by  Messrs.  W.  and  J.  Brown,  and  many 
were  the  expressions  of  wonder  which  we  heard  at  its 
wonderful  shade  of  coppery  orange.  The  third  prize 
in  the  champion  class  went  to  Mr.  J.  Mattock  of  New 
Headington,  Oxford,  who  had  Duchess  of  Wellington 
(yellow).  Rayon  d'Or  and  Irish  Elegance  well  represented 
in  large  clumps  of  fine  blooms. 

Sweet  Pe.\s. 

When  Mr.  Thomas  Stevenson  says  that  Mr.  Thomas 
Jones  of  Bryn.  Pen-y-lan,  Ruabon,  never  staged  finer 
blooms  than  those  which  were  to  be  seen  in  No.  4  Tent, 
readers  will  know  that  this  exhibit  of  Sweet  Peas  was 
something  out  of  the  common.  Had  his  Mark's  Tey  been 
a  day  older,  the  exhibit  would  have  been  well-nigh  per- 
fection. Wales  may  be  worsted  at  football,  but  not  at 
Sweet  Pea  growing  as  long  as  the  redoubtable  "  Tommy  " 
enters  the  lists.  We  congratulate  him  on  what  was  one 
of  the  best  things  of  the  show.  Following  in  his  wake 
were  Mr.  J.  Haycocks  of  Wrexham  and  Mr.  G.  H.  Garnett 
Orme  of  Skipton. 

The  smaller  classes  for  twelves  and  sixes  were  well 
filled,  the  first  prize  winners  being  Mr.  Robinson  of  Kington 
and  Mr.  J.  Roberts  of  Gresford  in  their  respective  classes. 

Carnations. 
Bi;tween  the  competitive  and  non-competitive  groups 
the  Carnations  made  a  brave  display.  For  a  collection 
arranged  in  a  space  15  feet  by  4  feet  Mr.  C.  Wall  of  Bath 
was  placed  first.  We  greatly  admired  his  rosy  pink  Lady 
Fuller  and  white  picoteed  Princess,  not  only  on  account 
of  their  colour  and  form,  but  because  tiiey  have  the  true 
Old  Clove  scent.  Both  are  good  winter-blooming  varieties, 
and  not  too  large.  We  can  highly  recommend  them. 
Messrs.  Young  and  Co.  of  Cheltenham.  Mr.  C.  H.  Herbert 
of  Birmingham  and  Messrs.  A.  R.  Brown  and  Co.  of 
King's  Norton  were  also  prize-winners  in  the  Carnation 
classes. 


440 


THE     GARDEN. 


[August  30,  1913. 


Rockeries. 
These  were  a  novelty  for  Shrewsbury.  In  spite  of  the 
handsome  prizes  which  were  offered  (£50,  £30  and  £20) 
there  were  but  three  competitors.  One  of  these  had 
placed  a  certain  quantity  of  stone  among  the  flowers. 
Lilium  auratum  is  certainly  not  the  most  appropriate 
plant  to  introduce  into  such  compositions,  and  we  think 
the  judge  was  lenient  to  award  the  exhibit  any  prize 
at  all.  Messrs.  T.  R.  Hayes  and  Co.  of  Keswick  were 
placed  first,  and  Mr.  J.  Wood  of  Boston  Spa  second. 
The  latter  had  a  much  weaker  exhibit  than  we  have  been 
in  the  habit  of  associating  with  iiia  name.  Bare  patches 
of  oyster-shell-looking  stones,  a  too  symmetrical-shaped 
pool,  and  a  distinct  sparseness  of  r'aiits  in  certain  parts 
where,  we  think,  they  ought  to  have  been,  were  some  of  its 
obvious  defects.  The  prize-winners  had  a  more  pleasing 
and  better  furnished  exhibit. 

Various. 

Table  decorations,  bouquets  and  vases  were  present  in 
considerable  numbers,  but  there  was  nothing  of  special 
note  in  any  of  them.  There  were  a  few  exhibits  of  summer- 
flowering  Chrysanthemums.  That  of  Mr.  G.  Bowness 
contained  well-grown  flowers,  but  was  badly  staged. 
We  might  mention  Mrs.  W.  Svdenham  (rich  brown- 
maroon),  Mrs.  J.  Field  (golden  brown)  and  Cynthia  (pink) 
as  good. 

The  bunches  of  hardy  and  greenhouse  cut  flowers  were 
much  as  usual,  but  sadly  wanted  naming  in  many  instances. 
Dahlias  were  not  very  numerous,  but  there  were  some 
beautiful  Cactus  varieties  in  Messrs.  Bottamley  and 
Burton's  collection,  and  some  excellent  Pieony-flowered 
ones  were  in  that  of  Messr.s.  Keynes,  Williams  and  Co. 

Fruit. 
There  is  no  horticultural  exhibition  in  the  kingdom 
at  which  exotic  fruit  grown  under  glass  is  so  largely  or 
so  well  grown  as  at  Shrewsbury,  or  at  which  it  is  more 
attractively  displayed  for  the  enjoyment  and  appreciation 
of  the  vast  number  who  year  after  year  visit  this  great 
show.  The  quality  of  those  fruits,  and  especially  Grapes, 
is  more  or  less  dependent  on  the  conditions  of  weather 
the  season  presents.  The  conditions  this  year,  to  a  marked 
extent,  have  left  their  mark  on  Muscats  and  white  Grapes 
generally,  in  so  far  that  good  colour  and  finish  arc  lacking. 
This  was  made  patent  at  this  show,  and  it  may  also  be 
said  that  quality  thro\lghoiit  the  fruit  classes,  with  few 
exceptions,  compared  unfavourably  with  the  best  seen  at 
Shrewsbury  in  some  previous  years. 

Class  5S,  champion  decorated  fruit  tables  :  The  estab- 
lishment of  this  class,  where  fruit  and  flowers  are  com- 
bined in  the  arrangement  of  the  tables,  was  a  happy 
thought  on  tlie  part  of  the  committee  of  this  show,  and 
has  proved  to  be  most  popular.  There  is  not  a  more 
beautiful  or  attractive  class  in  the  show  than  this.  The 
conditions  which  govern  it  are  as  follows  :  The  tables 
are  10  feet  by  4  feet  3  inches,  and  covered  by  a  white 
cloth.  Thirty  dishes  of  fruit  are  demanded  in  not  less  than 
nine  distinct  kinds.  Not  more  than  fourteen  bunches 
of  Grapes  are  allowed,  and  in  not  fewer  than  four  varieties 
(including  black  and  white),  and  not  more  than  four 
varieties  of  any  other  kind  of  fruit,  or  more  than  two 
dishes  of  any  one  variety.  On  this  occasion  there  were 
three  exhibits  in  competition,  the  first  prize  (£25)  going 
to  the  Duke  of  Westminster  (gardener,  Mr.  Barnes)  ; 
second  (£20),  Lady  Henry  Somerset  (gardener,  Mr. 
MuUins) ;  third  (£17  10s.),  the  Earl  of  Harrington 
(gardener,  Mr.  Goodacre). 

The  next  fruit  class  in  importance.  Class  54,  was  that 
for  a  collection  of  Grapes,  twelve  bunches  in  four  or  more 
distinct  varieties,  but  not  more  than  four  bunches  of 
any  one  variety.  Point  judging  was  insisted  on  in  both  of 
these  collections,  and  cards  displayed  showed  the  points 
received  by  each  dish  exhibited,  .^.s  previously  mentioned, 
there  was  nothing  remarkable  in  the  high  quality  of  the 
Grapes  to  call  for  special  notice,  but  evidently  it  was 
quality  and  high  finish  rather  than  size  which  weighed 
with  the  judges  in  deciding  the  awards.  There  were  eight 
competitors  in  this  class,  collectively  a  grand  exhibition 
of  Grapes.  The  first  prize  (£20)  went  to  the  Duke  of 
Newcastle  (gardener,  Mr.  Barker) ;  second  (£16),  Lord 
Rowallan  (gardener,  Mr.  Dixon) ;  third  (£9),  the  Earl  of 
Harrington  (gardener,  Mr.  Goodacre) ;  fourth  (£6),  Lady 
Henry  Somerset  (gardener,  Mr.  Mullins). 

Class  55,  collection  of  twelve  dishes  of  fruit,  twelve 
distinct  varieties,  not  more  than  two  varieties  of  a  kind. 
Pine-apples  excluded  :  First  (£10),  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  ; 
second  (£6),  E.  Bewley,  Esq.,  Eathgar,  Dublin  (gardener, 
Mr.  Mcintosh). 

Class  56,  collection  of  nine  dishes  of  fruit,  nine  distinct 
varieties,  not  fewer  than  seven  kinds  and  not  more  than 
two  varieties  of  a  kind.  Pine-apples  excluded  (open  to 
the  county  of  Salop  only) :  First  (£5),  Captain  Heywood- 
Lonsdale ;  second  (£4),  Colonel  Mainwaring  Jacson ; 
third  (£S),  Mr.  A.  Heber  Percy  ;  fourth  (£2),  Major- 
General  Sir  Francis  Lloyd. 

Class  57,  four  bunches  of  Grapes,  two  bunches  of  black 
and  two  bunches  of  white  :  First  (£6),  Captain  Heywood- 
Lonsdale ;  second  (£4),  Colonel  H.  C.  Legh  ;  third  (£3), 
E.  Bewley,  Esq.,  Dublin. 

Class  58,  two  bunches  of  Black  Hamburgh  Grapes  : 
First,  the  Earl  of  Harrington  ;  second,  I-ord  Rowallan  ; 
third.  Lady  Henry  Somerset. 

Class  59,  single  bunch  of  Black  Hamburgh  Grapes  : 
First,  Lord  Rowallan  ;  second,  H.  St.  Maur,  Esq.  :  third, 
the  Duke  of  JVewcastle 

Class  60,  two  bunches  of  black  Grapes,  Muscat  variety  : 
First,  the  Earl  of  Harrington. 

Class  61,  two  bunches  of  Madresfield  Court  Grapes  ; 
First,  Colonel  H.  C.  Legh  :  second,  the  Earl  of  Harrington  ; 
third,  Mx.  J.  Brinton,  Stourport. 

Class  62,  two  bunches  of  Alicante  Grapes  :  First,  Lady 
Henry  Somerset ;  second,  Lord  Joicey, 


Class  63,  any  other  black  Grape  :  First,  Lord  Rowallan, 
with  Gros  Maroc ;  second.  Lady  Henry  Somerset,  with 
the  same  variety. 

Class  64,  two  bunches  of  white  Muscats  :  First,  Lord 
Seaforth,  Braham  Castle ;  second,  the  Duke  of  New- 
castle ;   third,  Hugh  Andrews,  Esq.,  Winchcombe. 

Class  65,  two  bunches  of  white  Grapes,  any  other 
variety  :  First,  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  •  second,  Mrs. 
F.  AJderson;  third,  Sir  Howell  Davies,  M.P.,  Stoke 
Bishop. 

Class  66,  two  bunches  of  black  Hamburgh  Grapes 
(open  to  the  county  of  Salop  only)  :  First,  Ladv  Mary 
Herbert,  JIarket  Drarton;  second.  Captain  Heywood- 
Lonsdale  ;   third,  .Mrs.  F.  Alderson. 

Class  67,  Madresfield  Court  Grape  (county  of  Salop 
only) :  First,  Captain  Hoywood-Lonsdale ;  second. 
Colonel  Mainwaring  Jacson. 

Class  68,  black  Grape,  any  other  variety  (Salop  only) : 
First,  Colonel  Mainwaring  Jacson ;  second,  Mrs.  F. 
Alderson. 

Class  69,  white  Muscats  (Salop  only)  :  First,  Captain 
Heywood-Lonsdale  ;   second.  Major  R.  A.  Nowill, 

Class  70  (Salop  only) :  First,  Mrs.  F.  Alderson  :  second, 
Captain  Heywood-Lonsdale;   third.  Colonel  M.  Jacson. 

SinnLE  Dishes  of  Fruit. 

Class  73,  Peaches,  a  dish  of  eight :  Here  there  was  a 
large  entry,  but  no  exhibit  calling  tor  special  remark  except 
the  first-prize  dish  from  the  Duke  of  Westminster,  the 
variety  being  Bellegarde.  This  was  exceptionally  fine. 
Second,  Lady  Henry  Somerset. 

Class  74,  Nectarines,  a  dish  of  eight :  First,  Egerton 
Leigh,  Esq.  ;  second,  the  Duke  of  Newcastle  ;  third,  the 
Earl  of  Harrington. 

Class  75,  Apricots  :  First,  A.  S.  Hughes,  Esq. ;  second, 
R.  A.  Nowill,  Esq. ;   third,  the  Earl  of  Harrington. 

Class  76,  green-fleshed  Melon  :  First,  Lady  Henry 
Somerset:  second.  Miss  Baird  ;  third,  Egerton  Leigh,  Esq. 

Class  77.  scarlet-fleshed  Melon  :  First,  Colonel  H.  C. 
Legh  ;  second.  Colonel  Mainwaring  Jacson  ;  third.  Miss 
Baird. 

Class  78,  Melon,  any  other  variety  (Salop  only) :  First, 
R.  L.  Kenyon  Pradoc,  Esq. 

Vegetables. 

Taking  into  consideration  the  great  drought  which 
the  country  generally  has  passed  through  this  summer, 
vegetables  made  a  bravo  and.  Indeed,  in  many  instances 
a  wonderfully  fine  show.  Competition  was'  imusuallv 
keen  in  many  of  the  classes,  point  judging  in  some  classes 
being  demanded.  This  is  a  mistake,  we  think.  It  should 
be  lift  optional  for  the  judges  to  resort  to  this  when 
the  competition  is  e.xtra  close. 

Class  .S8  (prizes  offered  by  Robert  Sydenham,  Limited, 
Birmingham),  collection  of  vegetables,  nine  distinct 
kinds  :  First  (£10),  F.  Barrett,  Esq. ;  second  (£5),  Lord 
North  ;  third  (£3),  E.  Deakin,  Esq.  ;  fourth  (£2),  W.  G. 
Robinson,  Esq.  ;    fifth  (£1),  J.  H.  Pugh,  Esq. 

Class  89  (prizes  offered  by  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons), 
collection  of  nine  distinct  kinds  :  First  (£8  8s.),  Captain 
Spenser  Clay,  M.P.  ;  second  (£6  6s.),  Lord  North ; 
third  (£4  4s.),  Hugh  Andrews,  Esq. 

Class  90  (prizes  offered  by  Messrs.  James  Carter  and 
Co.,  London),  collection  of  six  distinct  varieties  ;  First 
(£6),  Mr.  Barnett ;  second  (£4),  Mr.  E.  Deakin ;  third 
(£3),  Mr.  H.  Pugh  ;  fourth  (£2),  Mr.  W.  Robinson ; 
fifth  (30s.),  Colonel  Cornwallis-West. 

Class  91  (prizes  offered  by  Messrs.  Webb  and  Sons, 
Stourbridse),  collection  of  nine  distinct  kinds :  First 
(£7),  Mr.  E.  Winchester  ;  second  (£5),  Mr.  Hugh  Andrews  ; 
third  (£3),  Mr.  H.  Watson  Smith  ;  fourth  (£2),  .Mr.  A.  T. 
Ilainbow ;  fifth  (30s.),  Messrs.  Howell;  sixth  (£1),  Mr. 
W.  E.  Hyde. 

Class  92  (prizes  offered  by  Messrs.  Clibran,  Manchester), 
collection  of  nine  kinds  of  vegetables  ;  Fir.st  (£8),  the 
Mapquis  of  Northampton ;  second  (£4),  T.  Sanderson, 
Esq.  ;  third  i£3),  F.  R.  Dixon  Nuttall,  Esq.  :  fourth 
(£2),  Crawford  Logan.  Esq.  ;  fifth  (£1),  A.  E.  Humphrys 
Owen,  Esq. 

Class  93  (prizes  offered  by  Messrs.  Dickson  and  Robinson, 
Manchester),  collection  of  nine  distinct  vegetables  :  First 
(£8  8s.),  the  Marquis  of  Northampton  ;  second  (£6  6s.), 
Mr.  T.  Jones,  Rnahon  ;  third  (£4  4s.),  F.  R.  Owen,  Esq. ; 
fourth  (£3  33.),  Captain  H.  Lonsdale ;  fifth  (30s.),  Miss 
Longworth  ;   sixth  (£1),  Captain  H.  Spenser  Clay,  M.P. 

The  Society's  Open  Classes. 

Class  94,  twelve  distinct  kinds  :  First  (£7),  the  Hon. 
Vicary  Gibbs,  Aldenham  (gardener,  Mr.  Beckett),  a  superb 
exhibit ;  second  (£5),  Hugh  Andrews,  Esq. ;  third  (£3) 
T.  Sanderson,  Esq.;   fourth  (£1),  W.  E.  Hyde.  Esq. 

Class  95,  collection  of  vegetables,  nine  distinct  kinds 
(Salop  only)  ;  First  (£3),  Mr.  P.  Bibby  ;  second  (£2), 
Captain  H.  Lonsdale  ;  third  (£1),  Mr.  A.'s.  Heber  Percy. 

There  were  also  classes  for  the  following,  the  competi- 
tion in  nearly  all  being  keen  and  the  quality  generally 
excellent  :  Six  dishes  of  Potatoes,  six  Tomatoes,  brace 
of  Cucumbers,  dish  of  Peas,  French  Beans,  Runner  Beans, 
Cauliflowers,  Celery,  Parsnips,  Carrots,  Turnips  and 
Spring  Onions. 

Cottagers'  Classes. 

Many  of  these  were  provided  and  liberal  prizes  given. 
They  had  a  tent  to  themselves,  and  were  not  the  least 
interesting  section  of  the  show.  The  exhibits  here  formed 
an  excellent  object-lesson  of  what  cottagers  can  do  in 
the  way  of  producing  first-class  quality  vegetables  from 
their  small  plots  or  cottage  gardens. 

Non-compeiitive  Exhibits. 

The  Shrewsbury  committee  are  fortunate  in  being  able 
to  secure  year  after  year  such  valuable  support  from  the 


Beckett).  — 

among    one 

Large  gold 


trade.  This  year  these  exhibits  proved  more  numerous, 
important  and  beautiful  than  perhaps  ever  before.  This 
was  the  opinion  of  the  gentleman  who  made  the  awards 
in  this  section,  and  his  estimate  was  endorsed  by  all  we 
came  in  contact  with  who  spoke  on  the  subject  The 
exhibition  would  be  shorn  of  much  of  its  beauty  were 
these  grand  exhibits  absent. 

Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons'  collection  was  truly  a  rich 
and  wonderful  one  of  all  the  specialities  of  vegetables 
in  season  with  which  their  name  is  associated,  as  well 
as  many  fiowers  and  fruit,  all  magnificently  grovvn  and 
most  artistically  arranged.     Large  gold  medal.' 

Messrs.  J.  Webb  and  Sons  of  Stourbridge.  —  This 
collection,  which  consisted  of  many  flowers,  fruit  and 
vegetables,  contained  worthy  specimens  of  this  renowned 
great  Worcestershire  firm.  The  way  this  collection 
was  disposed  we  thought  was  excellent  and  artistic 
Large  gold  medal. 

The  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs  (gardener,  Mr. 
A  magnificent  collection  of  vegetables, 
of  the  best  Mr.  Beckett  has  ever  put  up. 
medal. 

The  King's  Acre  Nursery  Company,  Hereford. — Their 
exhibit  consisted  of  fruit  trees  in  pots,  mostly  loaded 
with  fruit.  Apples  and  Pears  we  have  seldom,  if  ever 
seen  bearing  heavier  crops  of  well-developed  fruit.  As' 
well  as  Apples  and  Pears,  the  collection  consisted  of 
Grapes,  Peaches,  Nectarines,  Plums  Figs,  and  also 
grand  examples  of  gathered  fruits  in  baskets.  Large 
gold  medal. 

Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea, 
London. — Of  their  grand  exhibit  of  superbly-grown  plants 
(and  especially  their  wonderful  specimen  Pitcher  Plants), 
which  filled  a  large  recess  in  one  of  the  principal  tentsi 
it  may  truly  be  said  that  seldom  have  lovers  or  growers 
of  plants  had  the  privilege  of  seeing  so  rich  a  collection 
as  that  presented.     Large  gold  medal. 

Messrs.  Wallace  and  Co.,  Colchester. — This  is  the  season 
of  blooming  of  that  most  charming  and  beautiful  flower 
the  Montbretia.  In  this  collection  we  were  favoured 
with  a  view  of  the  many  new  and  beautiful  varieties 
recently  introduced.  Star  of  the  East  being  perhaps 
the  most  beautiful.  Other  cut  flowers  included  in  this 
collection  were  Delphiniums,  Phloxes,  Tritomas  and 
Lilies.     Small  gold  medal. 

Messrs.  Pipers,  Bayswater. — This  firm  had  a  most 
interesting  exhibit  of  garden  border  fiowers,  artistically 
arranged,  for  which  a  small  gold  medal  was  awarded. 

Messrs.  John  Forbes,  Hawick,  Limited. — This  '  firm 
had  an  attractive  exhibit  of  their  specialities  in  the  way 
of  Pcntstemons,  Carnations,  Phloxes,  Gaillardias  and  Violas. 
Small  gold  medal. 

Messrs.  Dicksons  of  Chester. — This  firm  set  up  one  of 
the  handsomest  exhibits  of  herbaceous  border  fiowers 
and  Roses  we  have  seen  for  a  long  time.  The  arrangement 
in  grouping  was  excellent  and  the  whole  most  pleasing. 
Gold  medal. 

Messrs.  Dobbic  and  Co.,  Edinburgh. — This  exhibit 
consisted  chiefly  of  a  large  collection  of  Collarette  Dahlias, 
Sweet  Peas  and  Roses.  These  were  splendidly  grown, 
and  the  varieties  of  the  choicest  and  best.  The  arrange- 
ment and  setting  up  of  the  plants  were  excellent,  tlie 
whole  well  deserving  the  large  gold  medal  the  firm 
received. 

Messrs.  Dickson,  Brown  and  Robinson. — This  firm  is 
always  strongly  represented  at  Shrewsbury,  and  this 
year  they  excelled  themselves  in  the  splendid  collection 
of  fruit,  vegetables  and  flowers  they  set  up.  Large  gold 
medal. 

Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  Newtownards,  showed 
a  large  collection  of  beautifiU  and  choice  varieties  of 
cut  Roses,  the  climbing  sorts  arranged  on  arches  with 
a  base  of  show  varieties  supporting  them.  Large  gold 
medal. 

Messrs.  H.  B.  May  and  Sons,  Upper  Edmonton.— 
This  firm's  superbly-grown  and  choice  collection  of  Ferns 
was  much  admired,  and  amid  such  masses  of  brilliant 
colour  it  was  quite  a  relief  to  the  eye  to  turn  to  these  for 
rest.     Silver-gilt  medal. 

Mr.  Henry  Eckford,  Wem. — A  large,  well-grown 
collection  of  Sweet  Peas.     Small  gold  medal. 

Messrs.  Hobbies,  Limited,  Dereham. — Among  the 
most  attractive  groups  of  flowers  was  the  one  from  this 
firm.  It  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  one  of  the 
large  tents,  and  consisted  of  Collarette  and  other  Dahlias, 
also  many  of  their  beautiful  weeping  and  climbing 
wichuraiana  Roses.    Large  gold  medal. 

The  following,  among  others,  had  medals  awarded 
to  their  exhibits  : 

Messrs.  Isaac  House  had  Phloxes  and  alpine  plants. 
Small  gold  medal. 

Mr.  L.  R.  Russell,  Richmond,  had  a  collection  of 
Tree  Ivies.  These  were  grand,  the  finest  we  have  ever 
seen.     Small  gold  medal. 

Mr.  H.  N.  Ellison,  West  Bromwich,  had  a  select  and 
beautiful  collection  of  well-grown  greenhouse  Ferns. 
Silver  medal. 

Messrs.  Ker  and  Sons,  Liverpool,  were  awarded  a  silver 
medal  for  a  choice,  well-grown  collection  of  Crotons. 

Mr.  Jlaurice  Prichard,  Christchurch,  Hants,  received 
a  silver-gilt  medal  for  a  very  choice  and  beautiful  collection 
of  hardy  herbaceous  flowers. 

Messrs.  John  Peed  of  Norwood  showed  a  fine  collection 
of  Caladiums.     Silver-gilt  medal. 

Messrs.  Bakers  of  Wolverhampton  had  a  well  designed, 
arranged  and  planted  rock  and  water  garden.  This  flrni 
obtained  a  large  gold  medal. 

Mr.  Amos  Perry,  Enfield,  had  an  imposing  and  beautiful 
exhibition  of  hardy  fiowers  and  Water  Lilies.  This  was 
awarded  a  large  gold  medal. 

Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  Taplow,  Bucks,  staged  a  large 
and  excellent  collection  of  vegetables,  admirably  and 
attractively  set  up.     Silver-gilt  medal. 


c^cvp  ■■«-■»  iafe»- 


GARDEN. 


No.  2181.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


September  6,  1913. 


GONTBNTS. 


Notes  of  the  Week     441 
correspondence 
Rose  Irish  E!o«;;anre 
Best  Roso^  for  bods 
A    beautiful    hardy 

Lily      

Erira  darlryensis  . . 
Anemone     juponica 

Gracicuso    . . 
Fabianaitnbrieata. . 
Lilium  Brownii     . . 
Midland        Daffodil 

Society 
The  bestwjiitc?  Uoso 

for  bedding. . 
Fortlifomiir^  events.. 

XaTIONAL  IHPT.OMA  IN 
HORTICULTURE 

I'RuiT  Garden 
Seasonable  notes  on 
Peaches 


442 
442 

442 

44,2 

443 
44:} 
44:) 


44  :J 

443 


ckeenhouse 

S.^asonable  notes  on 

Chrysanthemums 

A    eharminfi     little 

greenhouse    plant 

Flower  (tAKDEN 

hutch  Crocuses     . . 

The  Campanulas  or 

Bellflowers 


444 

444 
444 
44-» 
44:> 


l{i>iK  AND  Water  Garden 
Convolvulus  mauri" 
tanicus         . .      . .     446 
Rose  Garden 

Work  among  indoor 

Roses 44fi 

Science   in    Relation   to 
Horticulture 
■'Sleeping  disease" 
in  Tomato  plants     447 
New    and    Rare 

Plants 44S 

Gardening  for  Beoinners 
How  to  grow  Violets 
for  winter  flower- 
ing            449 

Cucumbcr.s    in   cool 

frames 449 

Gardening  of  the  Week 
l-'or    Southern    gar- 
dens          450 

For    Northern    L'ar- 

dens 450 

A    cunning    Hand 
A  MONO        the 
Branches      . .      . .     451 
Arsenic    Compounds 

AS  Insecticides  ..     451 
Answers   to    Corre- 
spondents    . .      . .     452 


ILIjUSTRATIONS. 

Lilium  Sargentix 442 

New  dessert  Apple  Maidstone  Favourite 444 

The  nc\v  Scabiosa  caucasica  magniflca        445 

Convolvulus  mauritanicus 446 

A.  fine  variety  of  the  Carpathian  Hairbi-ll 447 

New  Gladiolus  Mrs.  Bromet 448 

Clirysanthcraum  Improved  Northern  Star 443 

How  to  grow  Violets  for  winter  floweriup         . .      . .  449 


EDITORIAL     NOTICB8. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  iretcomes  photographs,  articles  and  note^, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  unit  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
cnntribLiiotis, 


As  regards  photographs,  if  pa'inifnt  be  desired,  the  Editor 
auks  that  the  price  required  for  repniduction  be  plainly  stated^ 
It  must  be  disiinctlif  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  nn.ll  be  treated  mth. 

The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  fur  the  return  of  artistii 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  iise,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


O/Ttces  :  20,  Taristor\-  Street,  Coveni  Garden,  W.C 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


Our  Special  Bulb  Number.— Now  that  the 
season  for  planting  spring-flowering  bulbs  will 
soon  be  with  us,  we  propose  to  devote  our  next 
issue  mainly  to  articles  on  the  subject.  These 
will  be  of  more  than  usual  interest,  such  well-known 
authorities  as  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob,  Mr.  E.  A.  Bowles, 
Mr.  H.  J.  Elwes  and  Mr.  Duncan  Pearson  being 
among  the  contributors.  The  number  will  be 
considerably  enlarged  and  fully  illustrated,  and 
in  addition  will  contain  a  coloured  plate  of  five 
new  Narcissi.  The  price  will  be  one  penny,  as 
usual. 

Nepela  Mussini. — This  now  well-known  member 
of  thi-  Catmint  family  is  largely  employed  as  an 
edging  to  several  of  the  beds  in  the  Old  English 
Garden  at  Battersea  Park.  The  edgings  are  broad 
and  the  Nepeta  is  admirably  adapted  for  the 
purpose,  as  the  greyish  masses  of  leafage  and  the 
lavender  blue  spikes  of  flowers  tend  to  give  that 
feeling  of  rcstfulness  that  one  may  well  associate 
with  an  Old  English  garden. 

Preserving  Everlasting  Flowers.— Where  such 
plants  as  Helichrysums,  Helipterums,  Gna- 
phaliums,  .'^mmobiums.  Static.es  and  other  Ever- 
lasting Flowers  are  grown,  they  will  now  need  to 
be  watched  if  required  for  drying.  They  should 
be  cut  before  the  flowers  have  become  fully  ex- 
panded, tied  in  bunches  and  hung  head  downwards 
in  a  dry  place.  Grasses  and  the  well-known 
Physalis  (better  known,  perhaps,  as  Winter  Cherries 
or  Bladder  Herbs)  may  also  be  treated  in  the  same 
way. 

A    Beautiful   Campanula. — One   of   the   most 

showy  Campanulas  flowering  at  the  present  time, 
helping  to  extend  the  beauty  of  the  rock  garden, 
is  Campanula  haylodgensis,  a  hybrid  possibly 
between  C.  carpatica  and  C.  CTspitosa  (C.  pusilla). 
raised  some  years  ago  at  Haylodge,  Edinburgh. 
This  dwarf-growing  plant,  from  4  inches  to  5  inches 
high,  with  bells  of  a  lovely  silvery  blue,  should 
be  in  every  rock  garden.  There  is  a  double  variety 
of  it,  and  although  quite  as  showy  as  the  type, 
but  the  flowers  being  heavier,  it  does  not  stand 
up  so  gracefully. 

The  Syrian  or  Tree  Mallows. — Commencing 
to  flower  during  August,  the  numerous  varieties 
of  Hibiscus  syriacus  (Althaa  Frutex)  continue 
to  produce  a  bright  show  of  blooms  throughout 
September.  Although  by  no  means  difficult  to 
grow  successfully,  the  plants  thrive  best  in  a  well- 
drained  loam,  with,  during  a  summer  such  as 
that  of  1913,  a  mulching  of  old  manure  in  June 
and  several  thorough  soakings  of  water  at  intervals. 
A  few  plants  may  worthily  find  a  place  in  the 
shrubbery  of  a  small  garden,  for  the  Hibiscus  is 
quite  a  good  town  shrub.  In  cold  districts  they 
should  be  planted  on  a  warm  south  or  south-west 
border.  The  bushes,  which  are  deciduous,  vary 
from  4  feet  or  5  feet  in  height  to  upwards  of  20  feet 


or  more.  ,\mong  the  numerous  varieties,  which 
comprise  a  fairly  wide  selection  of  colours,  the 
following  are  noteworthy :  Cceleste,  single,  rich 
blue  ;  Hamabo,  single  pink,  dark  centre  ;  paeoni- 
florus,  double  rosy  red ;  alba,  single  white ; 
bicolor  hybrida,  double  white,  maroon  base  to 
petals  ;  limba  plena,  rich  rosy  red  ;  and  variegata, 
lilac  flowers  and  variegated  leaves. 

National  Rose  Society. — The  society's  exhi- 
bition of  autumn  Roses  will  be  held  in  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Hall,  Vincent  Square,  Westminster, 
on  Thursday  and  Friday,  September  ir  and  12. 
The  charges  for  admission  will  be  as  follow  :  On 
the  first  day,  from  i  p.m.  to  4  p.m.  2S.  6d.,  from 
4  p.m.  to  6  p.m.  IS  ,  and  from  6  p.m.  tog  p.m.  3d. 
On  the  second  day,  throughout  the  day  (10  a.m. 
to  6  p.m.)  the  charge  will  be  6d. 

A  Valuable  Autumn-Flowering  Rock  Plant.— 

One  of  the  most  charming  plants  for  the  rock 
garden  or  for  growing  on  old  walls  is  Erigeron  ' 
mucronatus,  a  native  of  Mexico.  It  is  very  seldom 
met  with,  and  yet  always  admired  when  seen. 
The  dainty  little  Daisy-like  flowers,  which  are 
borne  in  great  profusion,  are  of  a  reddish  tint, 
turning  to  pink  till  they  are  almost  white  by  the 
time  they  are  open.  It  is  easily  grown,  and  when 
once  established  seeds  itself  quite  freely.  If  seeds 
of  it  are  placed  as  soon  as  ripe  in  crevices  along 
an  old  wall,  it  will  quickly  establish  itself. 

Antirrhinum  Trials  at  Wisley.— Each  year 
trials  of  flowering  plants  are  made  in  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  Gardens  at  Wisley,  bst 
we  very  much  doubt  if  any  of  the  numerous  trials 
have  created  a  more  brilliant  colour  display  than 
the  Antirrhinums,  which  are  now  at  their  very 
best.  Speaking  generally,  the  seedlings,  which 
are  under  number,  are  very  true  to  colour.  Varie- 
ties of  dwarf  habit  predominate,  although  it  is 
pleasant  to  see  that  the  taller-growing  varieties, 
such  as  we  associate  with  old-world  gardens, 
are  not  left  out.  Orange,  yellow  and  pink  in 
delightful  art  shades  of  colour  are  much  in  evi- 
dence among  the  newer  varieties  ;  but  the  result 
of  the  trials  is  not  yet  made  known. 

Hardy     Annuals     for    Spring     Flowering. — 

Often  during  the  spring  there  is  a  gap  or  scarcity 
of  flowers  between  the  bulbous  flowering  plants 
and  the  summer  flowers.  It  is  at  this  period  of 
the  year  that  annuals  and  biennials,  sown  at 
the  present  time,  light  up  the  garden  with 
welcome  masses  of  fresh  and  vivid  colourings. 
At  one  time  it  was  not  recognised  to  any  great 
extent  to  sow  annuals  at  this  time  of  the  year, 
and  even  now  they  are  not  used  to  the  extent 
they  deserve.  There  are  many  quite  suitable — 
Cornflowers,  Collinsias,  Venus'  Looking  -  glass, 
Shirley  Poppies,  Limnanthes,  Virginian  Stocks, 
Eschscholtzias,  Larkspurs,  Nemophila,  Sweet  Peas 
and  many  others  ;  in  fact,  all  hardy  annuals  are 
worth  trying,  as  they  can  be  purchased  for  quite 
a  small  outlay. 


442 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  6,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  F.dilor  is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Rose  Irish  Elegance. — With  reference  to 
"  A.  B.  Essex's "  question  in  your  issue  of  last 
week,  "  Is  Rose  Irish  Elegance  free-flowering  ?  " 
I  can  assure  him  that  it  most  certainly  is  so.  I  was 
given  a  plant  two  or  three  years  ago,  and  it  has 
done  very  well  with  me.  Ever  since  May  I  have 
had  a  continuance  of  blooms,  and  my  plant  would 
quite  equal  his  picture  as  to  flowers.  The  plant 
just  now  is  covered  with  flowers  and  buds.  The 
Rose  is  particularly  suited  for 
button-holes  and  for  decoration  in 
the  early  opening  stage,  but,  alas! 
not  after.— H.  G.  B.,  Forest  Hill. 

Best    Roses    for   Beds. — I  am 

surprised  to  see  "  A.  P."  on 
page  408  recommending  Etoile 
de  France.  I  had  a  plant  when 
It  first  came  out,  and  I  have 
had  two  blooms  only  that  have 
opened  fairly  well.  I  thought 
it  was  acknowledged  on  all  hands 
that  it  was  no  good  for  ordinary 
purposes.  I  should  be  delighted 
if  "  A.  P."  can  teach  me  how- 
to  make  its  "hard-as-lead"  buds 
open  properly.  Victor  Hugo,  I 
think,  is  hardly  suitable  for  beds, 
as  it  is  not  a  thoroughly  good 
doer. — C.  Lf-MESLE  Ad.\ms. 

A  Beautiful   Hardy  Lily.— Wo 

think  you  may  be  interested  in 
the  enclosed  photograph  of  I. ilium 
Sargentia?.  It  is  one  of  the 
noblest  of  Wilson's  Chinese  col- 
lections, more  vigorous  than  L. 
regale  (or  myriophyllum  as  it  is 
better  known  in  gardens),  and 
flowering  two  or  three  weeks  later. 
It  seems  to  be  one  of  the  very 
liardiest  species,  and  has  a  con- 
stitution comparable  with  that  n( 
L.  Henryi.  The  flowers  are  milky 
white,  shaded  outsi.de  richly  with 
deep  reddish  brown  and  touched 
with  yellow  at  the  centre.  The 
spike  figured  was  5  feet  high  and 
carried  ten  perfect  flowers.  It  is 
an  miusually  beautiful  specimen. 
The  photograph  was  taken  on 
.\ugust  20. — R.  Wallace  and  Co. 
Late-blooming  Single  Roses. — 
The  illustration  and  interesting 
note  re  Irish  Elegance,  which 
appeared  on  page  430,  reminds 
me  that  we  now  have  quite  a 
number  of  single  Roses  that  flower  late  in  the 
season  as  well  as  through  the  early  summer 
months.  Those  who  say  that  Irish  Elegance  is 
a  poor  doer  and  bloomer  have  not  seen  this  grand 
Rose  in  anything  like  its  true  form.  It  is  almost 
always  in  flower  wherever  I  have  met  with  it — 
early,  midseason,  and  until  frost  stops  it  here. 
The  same  firm  (Messrs.  A.  Dickson  and  Sons  of 
Newtownards)  brought  out  a  single  white  of 
exceptional  merit  in  Irish  Beauty — immense 
trusses  of  pure  white  with  bright  golden  anthers. 
Irish  Harmony  (saffron  yellow)  and  Irish  Glory 
(silvery  pink)  are  others  of  great  beauty ;  but 
the  two  standing  above  all  are  Irish  Elegance  and 


Irish  Beauty.  At  the  time  of  writing  (August  29^ 
I  have  some  fine  standards  of  American  Pillar  and 
Delight  well  in  flower  on  the  eve  of  September, 
and  likely  to  continue  until  the  middle  of  that 
month.  Muriel  Jamieson,  Mrs.  A.  Kingsmill  and 
Mrs.  W.  T.  Massey,  three  newer  varieties,  are 
also  good  late  in  the  season.  Three  semi-doubles 
in  Maharajah,  Gottfried  Keller  and  Simplicity 
are  to  be  depended  upon  for  an  autumnal  display. 
A.  P.,  Uckfield. 

Erica  darleyensis. — With  reference,  to  the  note 
signed  "  S.  k."  on  page  430  of  The  Garden  for 
August  30  respecting  the  Heath  commonly 
called  Erica  mediterranea  hybrida  or  sometimes  E. 


LILIU.M  S.\RGENII.E,   A  BE.\UT1FUL  NEW   H.\RDY  SPECIES  FROM  CHINA 


hybrida,  I  may  perhaps  be  allowed  to  state  that 
I  have  ventured  to  give  it  the  above  name  in  a 
forthcoming  work  on  hardy  trees  and  shrubs 
now  in  course  of  being  printed.  Apart  from  the 
objection  of  making  a  hybrid  a  variety  of  one  of 
its  parents,  this  Heath  is  really  nearer  to  E.  carnea 
than  to  E.  mediterranea.  Erica  hybrida  is  a  garden 
name  that  has  long  been  used  for  the  Cape  Heath, 
E.  Massoni,  and  as  there  is  already  an  E.  smithiana, 
the  name  darleyensis  appears  to  be  the  most 
appropriate  one  to  connect  this  beautiful  and 
very  valuable  Heath  with  the  firm  to  whom  we 
owe  its  existence — Messrs.  Smith  of  Darley  Dale. — 
W.  J.  Bean, 


A  Pretty  Combination. — A  combination  of 
plants  which  is  rather  effective  here  and  may 
interest  others  is  a  bed  of  Hydrangea  hortensis 
with  a  margin  of  Funkia  lanceolata.  The  Funkia 
is  extremely  free-flowering,  and  the  slender  spikes 
of  lavender  flowers  blend  well  with  the  pink  of 
the  Hydrangeas.  The  effect  might  be  even  better 
perhaps  were  the  Funkias  planted  among  the 
Hydrangeas  as  well  as  the  edging, — E.  G.  Davison, 
Westwicli  Gardens,  Norwich. 

Rambler  Roses  and  the  Coming  Winter.— 
If  you  would  Open  your  columns  to  a  discussion 
on  the  best  way  of  saving  our  ramblers  from  being 
cut  off  by  frost,  the  lasting  praise  of  many  people- 
both  those  who  have  large  gardens 
and  others  who  can  grow  but  two 
or  three  of  these  lovely  Roses — 
would  be  due  to  you.  Early  last 
November  there  was  the  severest 
frost  of  the  winter  on  two  consecu- 
tive nights.  Result :  All  the  wichu- 
raiana  ramblers — Dorothy  Perkins, 
Lady  Gay,  I.euchtstem,  Trier,  Crim- 
son Rambler,  Hiawatha.  Gardenia 
and  other  favourites — were  killed 
down  to  the  ground.  I  believe  the 
same  thing  happened  all  over  Scot- 
land and  the  North  of  England,  ex- 
cept perhaps  in  a  few  warm  positions 
on  the  West  Coast.  Thus  the 
space  the  ramblers  used  to  cover 
was  left  bare.  The  growth  made 
during  this,  happily,  warm  sum- 
mer can  only  fill  parts  of  the 
vacant  places  and  afford  but  a 
few  samples  of  the  blooms  that 
should  have  beautified  them. 
This  is  not  the  first  time  the 
ramblers  have  been  cut  down  by 
frost.  In  the  winter  of  1910— 11 
a  similar  calamity  occurred.  Since 
then  I  have  protected  several  pot 
ramblers  by  covering  them  with 
Bracken,  but  these  suffered  last 
November  equally  with  the  unpro- 
tected ones.  Possibly  there  was  nol 
enough  Bracken.  The  most  wideh- 
accepted  theory  seems  to  be  that  the 
frosts  last  November  were  so  in- 
jurious because  they  came  before 
the  sap  had  retreated  to  the  roots. 
It  chanced  that  a  comparatively 
large  plant  of  a  rambler  had  to  be 
moved  at  the  end  of  October,  and  it 
was  not  injured  by  those  frosts.  It 
is  suggested  that  the  shock  of  re- 
moval had  sent  the  sap  back ;  hence 
the  immunity  to  frost.  But  in 
1910-11  the  frosts  were  not  specially 
early.  The  questions  that  might  be 
discussed  are  such  as  these  :  Would 
it  answer  to  lift  all  the  Rambler  Roses  at  the  begin- 
ning of  winter  ?  Has  this  ever  been  tried  on  a  large 
scale  as  a  preventive  of  injury  by  frost  ?  How  could 
large  plants  growing  on  pergola,  trellis,  &c.,  be 
lifted  ?  Would  it  do  to  simply  expose  their  roots 
for  a  day  or  two  ?  Is  the  common  practice  of 
lifting  Broccoli  intended  to  stand  the  winter 
really  analogous  ?  If,  on  the  other  hand,  some 
covering  would  be  a  more  effectual  protection, 
what  would  be  the  best  covering  and  how  should 
it  be  applied  ?  Is  there  any  other  and  better 
remedy  ?  Are  there  any  of  these  ramblers 
that  would  stand  20°  to  25°  of  frost  ? — 
Amateur. 


September  6,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


443 


Anemone  japonica  Gracieuse. — Fur  the  infor- 
mation of  your  correspondent  "  C.  C,"  page  418, 
issue  August  23,  I  may  mention  that  this 
desirable  variety  of  the  Japanese  Anemone 
emanated  from  Nancy,  it  being  distributed  by 
MM.  Lemoine  et  Fils  in  the  spring  of  1908.  Another 
variety  sent  out  at  the  same  time  was  Galathfe. — 
H.  P.' 

Fabiana  imbricata. — The  note  regarding  Fabian;: 
imbricata  on  page  407  is  one  which  is  quite  called 
for,  as  this  shrub  is  not  nearly  well  enough  known. 
As  stated.  "  it  succeeds  as  a  bush  in  the  warmer 
counties,  but  must  be  planted  against  a  wall 
elsewhere,"  In  common  with  quite  a  number 
of  plants  from  Peru  and  Chili,  it  does  very  well 
along  the  West  of  Scotland,  where  I  know  of 
several  good  plants,  mostly  against  walls.  There 
it  pulled  safely  through  the  past  winter — one  of 
the  most  disastrous  to  shrubs  for  many  years 
It  grows  and  fjowers  well  against  a  wall  in  Edin- 
burgh also,  but  the  West  of  Scotland  is  evidently 
better  suited  to  it  than  the  East. — S.  Arnott. 

Liliiun  Brownii. — This  beautiful  trumpet-shaped 
Lily,  so  well  illustrated  in  The  Garden  for 
August  16,  is  seen  to  better  advantage  when  in 
the  open  ground  than  it  is  if  grown  under  glass 
for  greenhouse  or  conservatory  decoration.  A  very 
prominent  feature  is  the  way  in  which  the  exterior 
of  the  blooms  and  the  imopened  buds  are  tinged 
with  chocolate.  This  is  far  more  pronounced 
when  the  plants  are  growing  outside,  fully  exposed 
to  light  and  air,  than  if  they  are  brought  on  under 
glass.  For  this  reason,  when  the  flowers  are  needed 
for  greenhouse  decoration,  a  good  plan  is  to  grow 
them  outside  till  the  blossoms  are  on  the  point 
of  expanding,  and  then  to  take  them  under  glass. 
This  has  its  advantages  in  more  ways  than  one, 
for  in  a  shaded  structure  the  flowers  last  longer 
than  they  do  in  full  sunshine,  while  out  of  doors, 
if  the  weather  is  showery,  the  spotless  interior 
of  the  blooms  is  often  sullied  by  the  coloured 
pollen,  which  does  not  happen  with  glass  protection. 
One  feature  concerning  Lilium  Brownii  is  alwaj-s 
a  puzzle  to  me.  We  are  told  by  the  various 
authorities  that  it  is  a  native  of  China,  which  it 
may  be,  for  closely- allied  kinds  come  from  that 
region ;  but  I  have  never  seen  Lilium  Bro\vnii 
as  grown  in  gardens  and  nurseries  tor  so  many 
years  among  any  Chinese  importations,  though  very 
large  numbers  have  come  under  my  notice.  This 
Lily  as  grown  by  the  Dutch  has  not  shown  the 
least  variation  during  almost  the  half  a  century 
that  I  have  been  acquainted  with  it.  Certainly, 
appearances  point  to  it  being  a  Chinese  kmd,  but 
the  fact  remains  that  it  is  difierent  from  any  recent 
importations. — H.  P. 

Midland     Daffodil    Society. — As    the     Royal 

Horticultural  Society  have  responded  to  so  large 
an  extent  to  the  wants  of  those  who  advocated  a 
National  Daffodil  Society,  and,  consequently, 
the  foimdation  of  such  a  society  is  likely  to  be 
postponed  sine  die,  may  I  urge  the  claims  of  the 
Midland  Daffodil  Society  to  the  support  ot  all 
lovers  of  Daffodils  and  the  advantages  that  such 
membership  confers  ?  First,  the  society  (owing 
greatly  to  the  energ\'  of  the  late  Mr.  Robert  Syden- 
ham), after  struggling  in  its  early  days,  now  holds 
the  premier  position  among  Daffodil  societies, 
and  its  shows  have  done  very  much  to  encourage 
and  popularise  the  love  of  the  Daffodil,  a  knowledge 
of  what  the  capabilities  of  the  flower  are.  Conse- 
quently, I  think  a  debt  of  gratitude  is  due  from  all 
lovers  of  the  flower,  and  especially  from  those  who 
are  hybridisers,  as  its  shows  have  been  the  means 
of  more  new  seedlings  being  shown   and  seen  than 


has  any  other  society's  show.  Secondly,  member- 
ship means  (i)  joining  the  leading  club  of  the 
Daffodil  world  and  bringing  a  member  uito  touch 
with  those  who  are  the  busiest  workers  among 
the  Daffodils;  and  (2)  the  right  to  attend  and 
exhibit  at  the  shows,  which  are  acknowledged 
to  be  the  pleasantest  gatherings  of  the  kind,  and 
where  the  leaders  in  the  cult  are  always  to  be  found 
with  the  latest  up-to-date  flowers.  The  subscrip- 
tion varies  from  5s.  to  £3  2s.,  and  the  number  of 
tickets  to  which  members  are  entitled  varies 
accordingly.  With  a  larger  membership  and  more 
funds  at  command,  more  could  be  done  by  the 
committee  on  the  lines  of  the  suggestions  by  those 
in  favour  of  a  National  Society.  I  would  ask 
all  lovers  of  the  Daffodil  who  are  not  already 
members  to  write  tiow  to  Mr.  Herbert  Smith, 
Secretary  of  the  Midland  Daffodil  Society,  Tenby 
Street,  Birmingham,  intimating  their  willingness 
ti->  j'tin  the  society. — C.  Lemesle  .Adams. 

The  Best  Wliite  Rose  for  Bedding.— A  friend 
wants  me  to  give  her  the  name  of  the  best  white 
Rose  for  bedding.  It  is  wanted  for  a  bed  (one  ot 
seven  in  a  smiken  Rose  garden,  each  taking 
about  twenty-five  plants),  and  is  to  replace  Fran 
Karl  Druschki,  which  is  being  discarded,  largely 
owing  to  its  too  vigorous  growth  and  ungainly 
habit,  being  out  of  harmony  with  the  occupants 
of  the  other  six  beds.  The  question,  although 
apparently  a  simple  one  to  answer,  is  really  not 
so.  Cream  and  flesh  tints  are  not  desired,  as  they 
are  represented  already,  and  that  rules  out  such 
Roses  as  Pharisaer,  Ethel  Malcolm,  La  Tosca, 
Mrs.  David  McKee  and  .Antoine  Rivoire,  even  if 
the  habit  of  the  first  three  named  is  not  too  vigorous. 
Fortunately,  Teas  do  exceptionally  well  in  her 
soil,  and  I  have  suggested  Molly  Sharman  Crawford 
or  Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens ;  they  are  certainly 
"  possibles."  Mrs.  H.  Hawksworth  and  British 
Queen  would  have  been  considered,  but  their  price 
forbids.  Lady  Quartus  Ewart,  Marjorie  Edelstein 
and  .\mateur  Teyssier  also  occurcd  to  me,  but  the 
mere  mention  of  their  names  in  coimection  with 
the  best  white  Rose  is  sufficient  to  rule  them  out. 
There  is  White  Killamey,  and  also  Simplicity  and 
Irish  Beauty  ;  but  the  last  two  are  not  desired, 
and  White  Killamey  is  too  subject  to  mildew. 
I  can  think  of  nothing  else  so  good  as  the  two  Teas 
Molly  Sharman  Crawford  and  Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens, 
but  my  friend  seems  to  think  there  should  be  some- 
thing better  than  either.  The  first  is  hardly  free 
enough,  and  the  second,  which  is  preferred,  does 
not  hold  its  flowers  erect.  Can  any  of  your 
numerous  readers  help  her  and  me  out  of  the 
difficulty,  or  can  you,  Mr.  Editor,  suggest  some- 
thing better  than  either  ?  Rugosas,  Chinas  and 
Polyanthas  are  barred.  Perhaps  "  Danecroft  " 
will  give  us  the  benefit  of  his  wide  experience.  A 
parson  friend  to  whom  1  put  the  query  suggested 
Sunburst  I     But    then    he    was  joking. — Herbert 

E.    MOLYNEUX. 


NATIONAL     DIPLOMA     IN 
HORTICULTURE. 


c 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

September  8. — United  Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident  Society's  Meeting.  National  Chrysan- 
themum Society's  Floral  Committee  Meeting. 

September     9. — Royal     Horticultural    Society's 
Meeting  and  Exhibition.    National  Dahlia  Society's 
Show  at  the  Crystal  Palace  (two  days). 
.    September     10. — Royal      Caledonian     Horticul- 
tural Society's  Show  (two  days). 

September  11. — National  Rose  Society's  Autumn 
Show  at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Hall  (two 
days).  Messrs.  Dickson  and  Robinson's  Vegetable 
Show  at  the  Manchester  Coal  Exchange  (two  days). 
Paisley  Horticultural  Society's  Show  (two  days). 


year    the    Council   of    the    Royal   Horti- 
cultural Society  approached    the  Board 
of   Agriculture   with     the    view    to   the 
founding  of  a  Diploma  of  Horticulture, 
a  proposal    that   the   Board  agreed  to, 
and     Government    authority   was   given 
for  the  title  "  National  "  to  be  used.     Those  who 
are  keenly  interested  in  horticulture  felt  that  this 
was  a  step,  even  though  a  small  one,  in  the  right 
direction,  and  awaited  with  interest  the  proposals 
for    the    examinations     that    should   enable     the 
Council    to   say    who    was    a    fit    person   to    hold 
such  a  diploma.     As  stated  in  our  last  issue,  these 
particulars     have     now    been     issued,    and    after 
carefully  perusing  them  we  do  not  think  they  will 
be    received    with    open    arms   by   the   gardening 
community. 

It  seems  to  us  that  the  conditions  laid  down  will 
preclude  most  of  the  best  gardeners  of  to-day  from 
obtaining  the  diploma,  even  if  they  desired  to  do 
so.  Under  paragraph  4,  b,  candidates  are  to  give 
some  documentary  evidence  of  the  sufficiency  of 
their  previous  general  education  ;  and  in  the  follow- 
ing paragraph  we  are  told  that  the  certificate  of 
the  College  of  Preceptors,  the  Oxford  and  Cam- 
bridge local  examination  boards,  matriculation  at 
any  British  University,  or  any  similar  certificate 
which  may  from  time  to  time  be  approved  by  the 
Coimcil  of  the  society  will  be  accepted  as  evidence. 
Failing  such  documentary  evidence,  candidates 
must  submit  themselves  to  (and  pass)  a  qualifying 
test  established  by  the  society  in  the  subjects 
mentioned  in  Syllabus  i.  Two  paragraphs  in  this 
syllabus  state  that  the  candidate  must  show  an 
acquaintance  with  arithmetic  up  to  and  including 
decimals  and  elementary  mensuration,  and  have  a 
general  elementary  knowledge  of  geography,  such 
as  the  relative  positions  of  the  principal  countries 
of  the  world,  with  some  knowledge  of  their  climates 
and  of  the  causes  which  determine  climate 
Knowledge  of  such  subjects  is,  of  course,  useful  in 
a  way  ;  but  we  wonder  how  many  of  our  best 
gardeners,  florists,  fruit-growers  and  seedsmen, 
or  members  of  the  society's  own  committees,  could 
pass  such  a  qualifying  test. 

However,  once  it  is  passed,  the  candidate  gets 
down  to  more  practical  topics,  and  has  to  pass  a 
preliminary  examination,    the   syllabus   for   which 
appears  to  have  been  well  thought  out.     We  are 
glad  to  see  that  it  is  to  be  mainly  of  a  practical 
character,   as,  in  our  opinion,  written   answers  to 
questions  are  no  real  test  of  a  person's  abilities  in 
gardening.      Having      passed      this      preliminary 
examination,   which  is  essential,  the  candidate  is 
not  entitled  to  a  diploma,  but  must  sit  for  a  final 
examination,   particulars  of  which   are  not   given. 
The  entrance  fees,  which  are  payable  in  advance, 
are    £1    for  the    preliminary  examination  and  £3 
for   the   final  examination.     These,  we   think,    are 
much  too  high,  and  will  prevent  many  for  whom 
the  examinations  are  professedly  to  be  held  from 
entering.     We  are  fully  alive  to  the  fact  that  the 
holding  of  such  examinations  will   entail  consider- 
able expense ;   but   surely   a    wealthy   body    such 
as  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  which  exists  for 
the    advancement    of    horticulture,    can    arrange 
better  terms  than  these  for  yoimg  gardeners.     To 
get  the  best  practical  men  to  sit  for  the  diploma  it 
will,  we  feel  certain,  be  necessary  to  modify  the 
qualifying   test    and    to    reduce    the    examination 
fees. 


444 


IHE     GARDEN. 


[September  6,  1913. 


THE    FRUIT    GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE    NOTES    ON    PEACHES. 

DURING  the  month  of  September 
k  amateur  cultivators  will  have  many 
I  fruits  ripening  on  open  walls  and 
"  in  unheated  houses.  If  there  are 
more  fruits  than  can  be  used  at 
home,  and  the  surplus  ones  are  sent 
to  market  or  to  friends  at  a  distance,  careful 
gathering  and  packing  are  very  essential  to 
success.  It  is  always  best  to  gather  the  fruits 
for  such  purposes  before  they  are  quite  ripe.  When 
gathering,  place  two  fingers  and  the  thumb  of  one 
hand  at  the  base  of  the  fruit  and  thus  remove  it 
from  the  branch.  Never  touch  the  sides  of  the 
fruits.  If  they  are  pressed  and  are,  at  the  time 
even,  unripe,  the  flesh  will  be  badly  discoloured 
when   ripened. 

Wooden  boxes,  3  inches  deep,  made  to  hold  six, 
twelve  or  twenty-four  fruits,  are  the  best  in  which  to 
pack  Peaches.  Half-inch  wood  is  strong  enough. 
Wood-wool    or    cotton-wool,   unbleached,   may  be 


— where  overcrowding  occurs — from  which  the 
fruits  have  been  removed  must  be  cut  out  now. 
Watering. — It  is  a  tact  that  many  Peach  trees 
are  sadly  neglected  after  the  fruit  has  been  gathered. 
If  the  soil  is  allowed  to  get  dust  dry,  the  buds  fall 
off  wholesale  in  spring  when  the  sap  once  more 
becomes  very  active.  Thoroughly  soak  the  border 
soil  several  times  this  autumn  before  it  becomes 
too  dry,  and  open  the  ventilators  and  doors  to 
admit  plenty  of  air.  G.  G. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


SEASONABLE      NOTES     ON      CHRY- 
SANTHEMUMS. 

PLANTS  growing  in  the  flower  garden 
will  now  be  well  studded  with  buds, 
and  if  fine  blooms  are  preferred  to 
sprays  of  small  flowers,  no  time  should 
be  lost  in  carrying  out  the  work  of 
disbudding  the  plants.  Some  varie- 
ties are  more  suitable  for  disbudding  than  others, 
and    certainly    many    sorts    look    better    bearing 


rather  small  pots,  and  neatly  staked.  If  some 
plants  of  the  same  variety  are  placed  in 
positions  facing  the  north,  or  on  the  north 
and  east  sides  of  walls,  the  season  of  flowering 
of  that  variety  will  be  prolonged  by  about  ten 
days. 

How   to   Retard   Exhibition  Blooms.— Nearly 

all  inexperienced  cultivators  defer  the  attempt 
to  retard  the  early  blooms  until  the  latter  are 
more  than  half  developed.  At  that  stage  it  is 
quite  possible  to  keep  them  back  a  week  without 
any  loss  of  colour  or  freshness  of  floret  ;  but  the 
best  time  to  retard  the  forward  varieties  is  before 
the  colour  of  the  flower  petals  can  be  seen.  By 
placing  the  plants  in  open  but  cool  positions  until  1 
housing-time  comes,  the  progress  of  the  buds 
will  be  considerably  arrested  ;  indeed,  to  the  extent 
of  a  fortnight.  Then,  if  the  blooms  are  kept  cool 
when  almost  fully  developed,  they  may  be  retarded 
nearly  another  week,  making  about  eighteen  days 
altogether.  There  is  another  advantage  in  retard- 
ing early  varieties  soon  after  the  buds  have  been 
"  taken,"  as  the  plants  are  kept  in  the  open  air 
and  light  reaches  every  part  from  bud  to  base, 
and  this  is  conducive  to  a  healthy 
condition  of  the  leaves.  Con- 
tinue the  judicious  feeding  of  all 
varieties  of  plants  in  pots,  especially 
those  that  are  intended  for  exhibi- 
tion in  November, 

Plants  Trained  on  Walls.— I  have 

seen  old  walls  beautifully  furnished 
with  tall,  medium  and  dwarf-growing 
varieties,  neatly  arranged.  Some  of 
the  early  November  flowering  varie- 
ties do  very  well  in  the  shelter 
afforded  by  the  walls.  At  the  present 
time  all  main  branches  should  be 
tied  in  and  all  surplus  side  shoots 
pinched  out.  The  tops  of  the  stems 
must  be  left  to  depend  gracefully 
from  the  wall ;  then  the  clusters 
cjf  fiowers  will  show  to  great 
advantage.  Avon. 


NEW   DESSERT   APPLE  MAIDSTONE   FAVOURITE.      (Five-sixths  natural  she.)     (See  page  448.) 


used,  but  where  plenty  of  ordinary  ground  moss 
can  be  obtained,  rake  it  up  with  an  iron-toothed 
rake,  dry  it  under  a  glass  light,  then  beat  out  the 
dust  with  the  aid  of  a  stick  and  use  it  for  packing 
purposes.  I  have  packed  many  thousands  of 
Peaches  in  it,  and  never  had  one  damaged.  First, 
put  a  thin  layer  of  the  moss  in  the  bottom  of  the 
box,  then  place  the  fruits,  each  one  wrapped  in 
white  tissue  paper,  on  the  moss  with  just  sufficient 
space  between  them  to  allow  of  the  fingers  being 
inserted.  Fill  up  all  such  space  with  moss,  and 
lay  enough  on  the  top  to  permit  the  lid  to  be  put 
on,  gently  pressing  down  the  moss.  A  number  of 
these  boxes,  all  of  similar  size,  of  course,  may  be 
tied  together  securely  with  strong  cord,  and  they 
will  withstand  a  railway  journey  from  one  end  of 
the  country  to  the  other.  Melons,  Nectarines  and 
choice  Pears  may  all  be  packed  in  moss,  as  the 
latter  is  soft,  and  does  not  contaminate  the  fruit 
with  any  scent. 

Summer    Pruning    of    the    Trees. — No    time 

should  be  lost  in  completing  the  work  of  summer 
pruning.  The  earlier  pruning  would  admit  more 
air  and  light  to  the  ripening  fruits,  and  the  branches 


sprays  of  blossoms  than  single  blooms  on  stiff 
stems.  Earwigs  do  a  lot  of  harm  to  the  blooms 
in  some  seasons.  The  pests  find  shelter  among 
the  faded,  curled  leaves  near  the  base  of  the  plant, 
and  the  wise  cultivator  will  be  careful  to  remove 
all  such  leaves,  and  with  them  many  earwigs,  too. 
Afterwards,  if  the  buds  and  opening  flowers  are 
examined  at  nine  o'clock  each  evening  with  the 
aid  of  a  lantern,  the  earwigs  left  may  be  greatly 
lessened  and  very  little  harm  to  the  fully-expanded 
blooms  will  occur, 

Manure-Water  in  a  diluted  condition  must 
be  freely  given  to  the  plants  in  borders  at  this 
season.  However  good  the  soil  may  be,  the 
plants  will  have  robbed  it  of  a  great  deal  of 
nourishment,  and  the  applications  of  manure- 
water  are  really  essential  to  the  full  development 
of  the  blooms  and  the  deep,  healthy  colour  of 
Ijic  leaves. 

Early-Flowering    Varieties    in    Pots. — These 

are  very  useful  to  the  amateur  cultivator  who 
possesses  no  glass  houses  in  which  later-flowering 
sorts  should  be  accommodated.  The  early 
ones    must    be    well    fed,    especially    if    grown    in 


A    CHARMING    LITTLE 
GREENHOUSE     CLIMBER. 

I.M  Moiiettia  bicolor  we  have  a 
delightful  climbing  plant  for  a  small 
structure,  as  though  free,  it  is  by 
no  means  a  strong  grower,  while  the  foliage  is 
neat  and  the  bright,  tubular-shaped  blossoms,  in 
colour  red  and  yellow,  are  borne  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  the  year.  It  is  a  native  of  South 
America,  where  several  other  species  occur ;  but 
though  some  have  at  different  times  been  intro- 
duced, this  is  the  only  one  that  can  be  generally 
obtained  from  nurseries,  and  as  far  as  I  know  it 
is  the  best  of  them  all.  It  is  also  known  as  M. 
inflata  and  M.  rubro-lutea.  Apart  from  its  beauty 
as  a  greenhouse  climber,  little  examples  grown  ui 
pots  and  trained  around  a  few  sticks  form  a  very 
pleasing  feature  in  that  structure  Larger  speci- 
mens treated  in  the  same  way  are  sometimes 
put  oui  of  doors  during  the  summer  in  the  mixed 
beds  of  flowering  subjects  which  are  now  so  often 
seen.  Under  these  conditions  they  flower  con- 
tinuously, and  fully  exposed  to  sun  and  air  the 
colour  of  the  blossoms  is  of  the  richest.  Before 
the  craze  for  size  became  so  universal,  a  spray  of 
this  Manettia  was  often  used  for  the  decoration 
of  the  button-hole.  It  can  be  readily  struck  (rora 
cuttings  in  the  spring,  and  will  thrive  in  ordinary 
potting  compost.  H.   P. 


September  6.  iC)i3] 


THE     GARDEN. 


445 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


1 


DUTCH     CROCUSES. 

">IlKOL'GH    ihr    kindness    nf    two    large 
Putch  tirms,  who  eacli  of  tliem  made 
me  a  present  of  a  collection  of  their 
now  varieties,  together  with  a  sprinlding 
of  the  best  of  some  of  the  older  ones, 
I   iiad  the  excitement   this  last  spring 
of  having  a  small  Crocus  trial  in  my  own  garden. 
1  must  go  off  at  a  tangent  here,  just  for  two  or 
three   lines,    to    advocate    such    collection-growing 
as  being   a  most   interesting    and   instructive   by- 
product   of    the    gardening    spirit,    whenever    and 
wherever  circumstances  and  money  allow  it  tii  be 
carried  out.     It   is   an  exploration 
into   an   unknown  land,  and   in  a 
mild  way  gives  us    the  same  sort 
of    expectant    wonder    as  variety 
after    variety    unfolds   its   blooms 
to   our   critical   eyes.      There    are 
lots  of  things  that  can  be  utilised 
for    this    purpose — annuals,  Sweet 
Peas,    Zonal    Pelargoniums,  Tulips 
(both    early   and    late).    Daffodils, 
Hyacinths,    Crocuses,   Montbretias, 
and,  in    fact,  almost  anything    at 
wliich  seedling  raisers  and  selectors 
ha\c  been  at   work.      One   of   my 
"  jciys,"  then,  this  last  spring  was 
watching  this  collection  of  Crocuses. 
It   was  my  Mecca  for  three  weeks. 
1  saw  it  in  sunshine  and  in  rain. 
I    looked    at    it    at    close   quarters 
and   at   a   distance.     I   wanted   to 
know  which  were  the  best  among 
the  whites,  the  purples,  the  mauves 
and  the  striped.      For  this  purpose 
1  took  no  account  of   the   dates  of 
opening,  nor  if  the  colours  matched. 
I   went   for   those  which  in   them- 
selves appealed  to  me  most.     Here 
s  a   richauffe  of  the  notes  I  then 
made.       There      were     numerous 
whites,  including  Kathleen  Parlow, 
which  the  floral  committee   of   the 
Royal  Horticultural   Society  some- 
what unaccountably  gave  an  award 
of  merit  to   in    the    middle  of  lasl 
Fehruary,  when  it  must  have  been 
grown  under    glass.      It    is  a  mag- 
nificent     variety,      but,     "  in     my 
foolish  opinion,"   not    to    be  com- 
pared to  White  Lady,  whose  bril- 
liant   anthers    out-saffroned     any 
that  I    have    ever    seen,    both    in 
colour  and  in  size.     The  individual 
flowers    were    large,    of    exquisite 
shape,     of     good    substance,     and 
freely  produced.      A    real  lady  in 
every     way.       All      these      large 
"blowers"     are     naturally     fair-weather     sorts. 
As,  however,  during    part    of    the    trial    time  we 
had  wet  and  stormy  weather,  I  found  myself  very 
frequently  "  coming  back  to  "  May,  a  rather  dwarf 
variety    with     small,     ideally-formed,     cup-shaped 
flowers.     It   has  been   a  great   favourite   of  mine 
for  some  time,  and  if  there  was  not  such  a  rage  for 
size   as   size^    it  w'ould  probably  be   the   white   of 
commerce. 

Among  the  purples  the  choice  w'as  very  large. 
I  find  I  put  the  well-known  piurpurea  grandiflora 
equal  first  with  Caesar.  This  last  is  a  much  redder 
purple  than  the  old  variety.     Both  are  very  line 


and  large  flowers,  and,  except  for  the  difference 
in  the  shade  of  colour,  it  is  almost  "  six  of  one 
and  half-a-dozen  of  the  other." 

Two  other  purples  that  I  have  down  are  Hero, 
a  late  variety  with  rich,  deep  purple,  shiny-looking 
flowers,  and  Black  Knight,  the  darkest  of  all  in 
the  trials,  and,  I  should  imagine,  one  of  the  darkest 
of  all  Crocuses.  It  has  a  fine  gloss  on  the  petals, 
like  shirt  fronts  and  collars  got  up  with  a  smoothing- 
iron. 

The  mauves  are  a  small  class.  The  best  was 
Dorothea,  a  very  pleasing  shade  of  lavender, 
quite  distinct  from  all  the  others  in  my  collection. 
It  is  a  long,  not  particularly  large  flower,  and  the 
corm  is  small.  I  have  always  found  it  to  be  one 
of   the   best   Crocuses   to   erow 


Edina  was  my  "  medium  "  ;  it  is  a  huge  flower 
with  mauve  stripes  on  a  white  ground,  which  are 
so  arranged  that  the  margins  of  the  petals  are  left 
without  any  colouring,  giving  them  a  very  distinct 
white  edge.  Pallas  is  another  very  fine  large 
variety,  with  the  three  exterior  segments  almost 
white  and  with  remarkably  showy  orange  anthers. 
As  the  best  example  of  the  third  I  placed  Fantasy. 
It  was  practically  "  Hobson's  choice."  I  cannot 
say  I  particularly  cared  for  the  combination.  My 
notes  say  :  Light  and  dark  purple  stripes,  edges 
white,  inside  of  petals  pale  purple.  It  was  very 
distinct,  undoubtedly,  but  somehow  it  was  the 
least  pleasing  of  all  my  selections. 

To  sum  up,  my  Crocus  trials  gave  me  an  immense 
pots  or   bowls.  I  amount    of    pleasure    and    mild    excitement    at    a 

time  when   I  had   nothing  else  in 
flower  outside. 

The  different  kinds  were  arranged 
in  solid  little  blocks  of  four  rows, 
I  each  witli  six  corms  in  a  row. 
Each  blocic  was  about  nine  inches 
from  its  neighbour,  and  the  whole 
was  arranged  in  two  rows  on  a 
long  bed  in  an  open  place  in  the 
garden.  Joseph  Jacob. 


OR 


THE    NEW    SCABIOSA    CAUCASICA    M.\GNIFICA. 
BLUE.      (See  page  4+8.) 


For  this  purpose  I  can  strongly  recommend  it, 
also  May.  Second  to  Dorothea  I  placed  Beauty 
or  Margot — for  both  names  mean  the  same  variety. 
This  is  a  large  Colchicum-looking  bloom,  with  the 
exterior  of  the  petals  a  different  tone  from  their 
interior  ;  the  list  says,  outside  pale  lilac,  inside 
blue.  I  described  it  as  lavender  and  heliotrope. 
Anyhow,  it  is  a  grand  plant. 

The  last  division  is  the  "  striped."  The  choice 
was  considerable.  In  the  end  I  decided  to  pick 
the  best  pale,  the  best  medium,  and  the  best  dark. 
Adeline  Patti  was  the  one  I  selected  for  the  first, 
although   I   find  the  list   describes  it   as  a  white. 


THE      CAMPANULAS 
BELLFLOWERS. 

(Continued  jyom  page  434.) 
C.  alpina.— Rather  a  difficult 
and  short-lived  species  with  some, 
this  is  a  handsome  plant  with  a 
spike  six  inches  high,  bearing 
in  July  large,  blue,  fringed  bells 
on  long  footstalks.  It  makes  a 
rosette  of  shining  leaves.  Divi- 
sion is  almost  impracticable.  It 
is  a  limestone  plant  for  a  sunny 
place  in  light  soil.  It  should  not 
be  confounded  with  a  pseudo 
alpina,  a  handsome  variety  of 
C.  rotuudifolia. 

C.  Aucheri.— This  is  a  rather 
new  plant  of  much  beauty,  re- 
sembling C.  tridentata  in  all  its 
parts,  but  is  more  vigorous.  It 
has  handsome  violet  flowers  in 
June  and  July,  and  should  have 
the  moraine  in  sun. 

C.  azurea.— See  C.  rhomboidalis. 
C.  balchiniana. — A  very  beauti- 
ful plant  of  the  isophylla  class,  with 
variegated  leaves  and  soft  pale  blue 
flowers  in  June  and  July.  It  is 
not  very  hardy,  and  is  a  favourite 
basket  plant  for  the  conservatory  or 
window.  It  can  be  grown  on  a  wall 
in  the  open  or  in  a  sunny  rockery, 
but  shonldhaveasheet  of  glass  over 
it  in  winter.  Division  or  cuttings. 
.A.  well-kiio\vn  and  very  beautiful 
plant  not  always  easy  to  grow.  It  is  about  a  foot 
high,  and  has  in  May  and  Jmie  large,  pale  blue, 
drooping  flowers  on.  erect  stems  dropping  over 
at  the  top.  The  beauty  of  the  flower  is  enhanced 
by  the  white  hairs  in  the  mouths  of  the  blooms. 
Apt  to  die  after  flowering,  and  should  be  in  dry, 
well-drained  soil  or  the  moraine.  Raise  from 
seeds.  Sun  or  shade.  The  white  variety  alba  is 
very  fine. 

C.  Barrelieri.— See  C.  fragiJis. 
C.  Baiimgartenii. — This  seems  only  a  form  of 
C.  rotuuchfolia. 


COLOUR,    LAVENDER 


C.  barbata.- 


446 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  6,  1913. 


C.  bavarica. — The  name  ot  this  plant  is  a  little 
doubtful,  and  the  one  sent  for  it  is  known  as 
tlie  Bavarian  variety  of  C.  portenschlagiana, 
which  see. 

C.  beauverdiana. — This  is  a  lovely  but  rare 
plant,  about  nine  inches  high,  and  giving  in  June 
a  host  of  delightfully  shaped  and  coloured  starry 
flowers.  A  rather  dry  rockery  or  the  moraine 
seems  to  suit  this  Caucasian  species. 

C.  bellidifolia, — A  handsome  Bellflower,  about 

six   inches   high,   with   large,   funnel-shaped   bells, 

one  on  the  top  of  each  stem,  in  July.     It  comes 

from  the  Caucasus,  and  is  described  in  the  "  Dic- 
tionary of  Gardening "    as    C.    Adami.     A  rather 

dry  soil  in  loam,  peat  and  grit,  or  the  moraine. 
C.    caespitosa. — For  all    garden 

purposes     C.     csespitosa     and    its 

forms,    with    C.    pumila    and    C. 

pusilla,    may    be    treated    as    one 

species.      The   "  Index   Kewensis  " 

and  the  "  Kew  Hand  List "  do  not 

seem   in    entire    agreement    about 

this.     A  study  of  the  forms  shows 

that     there      is     little     difference 

between  them,  although  C.  caespi- 
tosa is  certainly  smaller  and  closer 

in  its  habit.    The  white  one,  known 

as   C.  pumila  or  C.  pusilla  alba  in 

gardens,  will  serve  as  descriptive  of 

all.     The  type  is  blue.    Then  there 

is  a  beautiful  light  blue  one  called 

pallida,  and    Miss    Willmott    is    a 

charming  pale  or  silvery  blue  one. 

C.    tyrolensis    is    practically    a    C. 

cajspitosa,  and  one  called  cochleari- 

folia  is  of  taller  but  close  growth, 

and  with  deep  blue  flowers.    These 

are  easily-cultivated  plants  almost 

anywhere,  and  look  well  in  a  wall, 

moraine,  or  the  crevices  of  a  paved 

path  or  rockwork.    Easily  raised  by 

division  or  from   seeds.      Finer  in 

semi-shade    than    in    sun.      They 

flower  in  June  and  July. 

C.  carnica. — A  species  not  much 

grown,   but   after  the   style   of    C. 

rotundifolia,  with   narrow  flowers, 

almost  tube-like,  of  a  violet  purple 

and    about    nine     inches     or    ten 

inches  high.     Ordinary  rock  garden 

soil.     June  and  July. 
C.  carpatica. — One  of  the  best- 

knowrn   and   most  valuable    of    all 

rock  garden  or  border  Campanulas 

Some  include  with  this  the  lovely 
C.  turbinata,  but  there  is  room 
for  a  difference  of   opinion  about 

this,    as    the    true    turbinata    has 

more  pubescent  leaves  and  rarely 
more  than  one  flower  at  the  top 
of  each  stem.  Some  also  place  C. 
pelviformis  with  C.  carpatica.  There 
are  many  varieties  besides  the  type,  which  is  about 
a  foot  high,  and  has  open  flowers  of  a  pleasing 
blue.  There  are  such  forms  as  pallida,  light  blue  ; 
alba,  white  ;  Riverslea  and  Isabel,  handsome  flat, 
blue  varieties  ;  White  Star,  large  white  ;  China 
Cup,  pale  blue  ;  Little  Gem,  dwarf  blue  ;  Dirk- 
soni,  white ;  and  others,  besides  C.  turbinata 
and  a  white  variety  of  the  same  nature.  All 
are  of  easy  culture  in  sun  or  shade,  and  are  among 
the  latest  of  the  dwarf  Bellflowers,  coming  in 
July.  S.  Arnott. 

{To  be  continued.) 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


CONVOLVULUS     MAURITANICUS. 

This  is  often  miscalled  the  Blue  Convolvulus,  but  it 
is  no  bluer  than  some  Campanulas  and  many  other 
mauve  and  lilac  plants  that  are  frequently  spoken 
of  as  blue.  Purplish  blue  or,  better  still,  bluish 
purple  woifld  more  nearly  describe  the  colour. 
But,  any  way,  it  is  a  lovely  plant  for  a  warm,  well- 
drained  bank,  where  it  will  cover  a  large  space 
with  its  constant  succession  of  flowers  from  June 
till  the  frosts  come.  In  some  districts  it  is  hard 
to  keep  through  the  winter,  but  I  have  had  it 
outside  here  for  many  years,  fifteen  at  least,  and 
find  that   if   I   get   its  roots  partly  under  a  stone 


and  whiter.     So  far  its  blossoms  have  been  smaller 
than  my  older  form,  but  I  am  hoping  that  may  be 
altered  when  it  gets  more  fully  established. 
Waltham  Cross.  E.  A.  Bowles. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


CONVOLVULUS     MAURITANICUS,     A     USEI'UL     PLANT 
BANK    OR    ROCK    GARDEN. 


and  leave  its  own  dead  leaves  and  stems  on  until 
it  begins  to  shoot  from  the  base  in  spring,  it  can 
be  relied  upon  to  rapidly  reclothe  the  space 
allotted  to  it.  The  blossoms  open  widely  in  bright 
sunshine,  and  are  very  freely  produced.  The 
illustration  shows  a  year  old  plant  in  early  July, 
which  will  cover  twice  the  space  before  the  season 
ends.  It  is  a  native  of  Northern  Africa,  and  there- 
fore rejoices  in  hot  weather.  It  is  easily  propagated 
by  cuttings,  but  I  do  not  remember  ever  finding 
good  seed  on  my  plants.  I  have  a  deeper-coloured 
variety  here  now,  with  the  eye  rather  more  distinct 


WORK    AMONG    INDOOR    ROSES. 

ALTHOUGH  we  are  still  in  the  midst  of 
Roses  among  the  open-air  plants,  it 
is  a  very  important  time  with  us 
i  now  among  our  Roses  under  glass. 
^  With  the  majority  of  pot  Roses 
outside,  there  is  much  to  do  among 
those  plants  that  are  turned  out  into  borders  or  are 
remaining  in  large  tubs  or  pots.  I 
have  frequently  emphasised  the 
importance  of  a  clean  commence- 
ment in  all  phases  of  Rose  culture, 
and  it  is  more  than  ever  advisable 
when  dealing  with  these  plants 
under  glass.  Those  plants  that 
have  had  to  stay  under  cover 
are  likely  to  be  carrying  a  number 
of  semi-ripened  leaves  that  would 
have  fallen  in  the  open  by  the 
influence  of  wind  and  rain.  It 
often  happens  that  under  glass  such 
foliage  is  simply  infested  with  red 
spider  and  thrips.  Unless  this  is 
guarded  against,  it  stands  to  reason 
we  are  simply  harbouring  an  enor- 
mous number  of  enemies  tnat  will 
play  havoc  with  future  growth.  I 
would  make  a  practice  of  trrquently 
collecting  these  leaves  as  they  fall 
and  burning  them.  Do  not  wait 
for  one  final  cleai'ing  up  only.  The 
matured  leaves  that  are  affected 
may  as  well  be  cut  off  and  burnt 
also.  They  are  not  of  much  more 
service  upon  the  plant,  and  their 
absence  will  facilitate  the  more 
complete  cleansing  of  wall,  roof, 
and  Rose  wood,  which  I,  am  strongly 
in  favour  of  at  this  time  of  thi; 
year,  when  our  houses  are  the 
nearest  to  being  empty. 

'  I  have  often  met  with  mealy 
bug  upon  Roses,  and  scale  is 
quite  common.  Lessen  your 
foliage  as  much  as  the  condi- 
tion of  the  plants  will  allow,  also 
the  wood  ;  and  much  may  often 
be  cut  away  now,  so  that  our 
Roses  may  be  fairly  ripened  if 
they  are  to  serve  as  early  forcers. 
Where  possible,  and  in  all  cases 
where  many  insects  abomid,  I 
would  remove  the  growth  from 
the  supports  and  thoroughly  white- 
wash or  otherwise  cleanse  behind 
all  Rose  growth.  Fairly  strong  measures  may 
be  used  upon  partly-matured  wood,  and  such  an 
opportunity  as  the  present  seldom  occurs.  Look 
over  the  borders  closely  and  see  that  they  are 
uniform.  A  little  well-rotted  manure  may  be 
forked  in,  or  a  dressing  of  some  approved  artificial 
food  given.  But  I  would  not  do  much  of  the 
latter  while  Roses  are  in  a  dormant  state  of  growth. 
In  fact,  clean  up  and  get  well  prepared  for  the 
housing  and  starting  of  those  plants  intended  for 
midwinter  flowering,  which  will  soon  have  tc 
come  under  cover.  A.  P. 


FOR      A      SUNNY 


September  6,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


447 


SCIENCE    IN    RELATION    TO 
HORTICULTURE. 


"SLEEPING     DISEASE"    IN    TOMATO 
PLANTS. 

THE  Tomato  disease  commonly  known 
as  the  "  sleeping  disease  "  is  annually 
responsible  for  a  good  deal  of  dis- 
appointment and  loss  to  market- 
gardeners.  As  far  as  England  is 
concerned,  it  is  a  disease  of  compara- 
tively recent  introduction,  having  first  made  its 
appearance  in  Guernsey,  after  which  it  became 
troublesome  in  the  Isle  of  Wight  and  several  of 
the  Southern  Counties.  The  grower,  as  a  rule. 
Is  given  little  or  no  warning  of  the  danger.  The 
leaves  of  the  plant  will  suddenly  droop  in  a  wilted 
condition  and  completely  lose  the 
power  of  restoring  their  rigidity  or 
"  freshness,"  and  this  stage  will 
then  he  more  or  less  rapidly 
followed  by  the  collapse  of  the 
stem.  It  is  obviously  a  case  of 
failure  in  the  supply  of  water  to 
the  foliage.  Now,  it  is  well  known 
that  the  stiffness  of  a  leaf  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  tiny  cells 
composing  the  soft  green  tissue  in 
the  meshes  of  the  network  of  veins 
are  distended  and  made  firm  with 
water,  much  in  the  same  way  as 
a  pneumatic  tyre  is  made  firm  by 
inflating  it  with  air.  It  is  further 
known  that  the  leal  is  constantly 
losing  water  in  the  form  of  vapour, 
and  that  this  act  (loiown  as 
transpiration)  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary for  the  promotion  of  growth. 
In  a  healthy  plant,  however,  this 
continuous  loss  of  water  is  replaced 
by  fresh  supplies  taken  up  by  the 
root  system.  The  absorbed  water 
is  conducted  through  the  tubular 
woody  cylinder  of  the  stem,  and 
thence  into  the  veins  of  the  leaf. 
From  the  veins  the  green  tissue 
gets  its  watci  to  counterbalance 
the  transpiratory  loss.  In  order  to 
keep  the  leaves  fresh  and  healthy — 
seeing  that  transpiration  is  con- 
stant— there  must,  therefore,  be  a 
sufficiency  of  water  in  the  soil, 
healthy  roots,  and  unimpeded  water-  A 

tubes  through  the  stem  from  root 
to  foliage.  The  immediate  cause  of  the 
"  sleeping "  or  wilted  condition  of  a  Tomato 
plant  suSering  from  this  particular  disease  is  a 
blockage  in  the  water-conducting  system.  If  you 
take  one  of  the  diseased  plants  and  cut  through 
the  base  of  the  stem,  the  woody  ring  of  tissue  will 
be  seen  to  be  darkly  discoloured,  and  on  examina- 
tion with  a  microscope  it  will  be  discovered  that 
this  appearance  is  due  to  the  presence  of  densely- 
packed  fungoidal  threads,  choking  up  the  water- 
conducting  tubes.  This  being  so,  it  is  clear  that 
when  this  stage  is  reached  nothing  can  save  the 
crop,  because  it  is  impossible  to  scour  out  these 
slender,  microscopical  tubes  and  clear  a  passage 
for  the  ascending  water  current.  If  the  plants 
are  so  far  advanced  as  to  have  fully-formed  fruits, 
they  may  be  allowed  to  colour  off,  but  no  further 
growth  is  at  all  possible.  If  the  fruits  are  still 
young,  the  crop  may  as  well  be  cleared  off  at  once 
as   allowed   to   remain.     But   if   the    present   crop 


cannot  be  saved,  safeguards  can  be  taken  against 
future  loss.  There  is  one  thing  certain,  and  that 
is,  if,  after  the  removal  of  the  diseased  crop,  a 
second  crop  be  planted  in  the  same  soil  (unless  it 
is  specially  treated),  the  disease  will  break  out  again 
with  perhaps  increased  virulence.  This  is  because 
infection  comes  from  the  soil  through  the  root, 
and  not  from  the  air  through  the  leaves.  To 
understand  this  we  must  know  something 
about  the  life-history  of  the  fungus  that  chokes 
up  the  water-tubes  in  the  vascular  cylinder  of 
the  stem. 

The  name  by  which  the  fungus  is  known  to  science 
is  Fusarium  lycopersici,  and  it  seems  to  be  able  to 
exist  in  an  organically-manured  soil  (much  as  a 
Mushroom  can)  as  well  as  in  the  body  of  a  Tomato 
plant.  In  the  soil  it  forms  long,  slender,  thready 
growths,  along  which  arise  swellings  that  eventually 


by  such  treatment  of  the  soil  as  will  destroy  the 
spores  of  the  Fusarium,  and  thus  render  it  safe  for 
the  roots  of  the  young  Tomato  plants.  If  the  plants 
are  grown  under  glass,  of  course  one  method  of 
treatment  might  be  the  entire  removal  of  the 
infected  soil,  replacing  .it  with  fresh,  healthy  soil 
for  the  next  crop,  in  which  case  it  would  be  wise 
(i)  to  spray  the  house  after  the  removal  of  the  old 
soil  and  before  the  introduction  of  the  new  with 
a  one  in  twenty  solution  of  carbolic  acid,  and  (2)  to 
take  care  that  the  old  soil  is  so  isolated  that  it  cannot 
act  as  a  future  source  of  infection  for  Tomato 
plants. 

In  cases  where  it  is  desirable  that  the  old  soil 
should  be  used,  then  admixture  with  a  heavy  dress- 
ing of  quicklime  has  been  advocated.  But  the 
safest  plan  is  to  sterilise  the  soil  by  heat.  This 
can  only  be  done  in  anything  like  a  large  scale  by 


FINE    VARIETY    01^    THE    CARPATHIAN    HAIRBELL,    CAMPANULA    CARPATICA    PELVIFORMIS. 


ripen  into  resting  spores.  It  has  been  observed 
that  decayed  Tomato  stems  in  soil  provide  a  very 
favourable  food  medium  for  the  fungus  at  this 
stage  of  their  growth.  Infection  takes  place  from 
the  soil,  the  fungus  always  apparently  selecting 
the  youngest  roots.  After  entering  the  plant,  the 
fungal  hyph«  pass  into  the  water-tubes  of  the  woody 
cylinder  and  grow  up  through  them  into  the  stem. 
They  branch  freely,  some  of  the  branches  passing 
to  the  surface  of  the  lower  stem  close  to  the  ground, 
where  they  form  a  mouldy  covering  on  the  skin. 
Here,  about  three  weeks  after  infection,  spores  are 
freely  produced,  which  aid  in  spreading  the  disease. 
At  first  the  spores  are  simple  in  form,  but  after 
about  one  week's  sporulation  more  complicated 
spores  of  a  sickle-like  shape  are  formed  which  are 
of  a  pale  orange  colour,  and  possess  a  power  of 
very  quick  germination.  As  infection  never  takes 
place  by  way  of  the  stem,  but  always  through  the 
root,  it  follows  that  prevention  can  only  be  seciured 


the  use  of  a  special  sterilising  plant,  of  which  several 
forms  are  now  on  the  market. 

Tomato-growers  should  also  know  that  it  would 
be  extremely  unwise  to  use  seeds  obtained  from 
parent  plants  affected  with  sleeping  disease,  as  it 
is  an  admitted  fact  that  such  seeds  may  carry  the 
infection  to  the  next  generation.  Further,  as  a 
matter  of  precaution,  only  sturdy  plants  should  be 
selected  for  planting,  and  all  slim,  drawn-up 
seedlings  discarded.  Healthy  growth  should  be 
encouraged  by  giving  a  sufficiency  of  air,  light  and 
room  during  the  growing  season,  while  the  import- 
ance of  the  addition  of  lime  to  the  soil,  especially 
if  it  is  rich  in  organic  material,  will  be  obvious  to 
all  Tomato-growers.  D.  Houston. 

Royal  College  0/  Science  for  Ireland. 

[Messrs.  Marshall,  Sons  and  Co.,  Limited,  of 
Gainsborough,  send  us  particulars  of  boilers  and 
apparatus  that  they  now  let  out  on  hire  for 
sterilising  soil. — Ed.] 


448 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  6,  1913. 


NEW    AND     RARE     PLANTS. 


AWARDS      OF      MERIT. 

Gladiolus  Lady  Faire. — A  distinct  nuvclty  of 
remarkable     colour.       The .    flowers      are      white, 


NEW    (.;L.'\DI0LUS    MRS.    BROMET. 

brightly  marked  with  a  conspicuous  chestnut 
crimson  centre. 

Gladiolus  Lady  Northcote. — .\  very  pleasing 
variety,  with  flowers  soft  apricot  in  colour,  blended 
with  buff  yellow  ;  lip  of  chrome  yellow  hue.  From 
the  handsome  spike  that  was  shown  it  is  obviously 
a  robust  variety. 

Gladiolus  Mrs.  Bromet. — The  flowers  are  of  a 
pale  creamy  yellow  colour  and  borne  in  a  massive 
spike,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  above  illustration. 
These  three  were  shown  by  Messrs.  Kelway  and 
Son,  Langport. 

Rose   Mrs.    Andrew    Carnegie. — This   variety 

is  already  well  known  to  exhibitors  of  Roses.  It 
is  the  result  of  a  cross  between  Frau  Karl  Druschki 
and  Niphetos.  A  sweetly-scented  Rose  of  grand 
e.xhibition  form.  Described  and  figured  in  The 
Garden,  July  20,  1912,  page  365,  under  "  Gold 
Medal  Roses." 

Scabiosa    caucasica    magnifica.— .\    charming 

and  large-flowered  variety  of  this  well-known 
garden  plant.  The  flowers  (illustrated  on  page  445) 
are  deep  lavender  blue  and  delightfully  frilled  at 
the  margin.  These  two  were  shown  by  Messrs. 
Cocker,  Aberdeen. 


Montbretia    Queen    Adelaide. — Another    new 

seedling  Montbretia  that  bids  fair  for  popularity. 
The  flowers  are  over  three  inches  across,  well 
expauded,  and  of  deep  orange  colour.  In  the 
centre  of  the  flower  is  a  conspicuous  yellow  eye, 
with  a  small  blotch  of  red  on  each  segment.  Shown 
by  S.  Morris,  Esq.,  Earlham  Hall,  Norwich  (gar- 
dener, Mr.  Hciihy). 

Chrysanthemum   Improved   Northern  Star. — 

A  very  pretty  annual  Chrysanthemum  of  the  C. 
tricolor  section.  The  ray  florets  are  pure  white, 
with  a  yellow  band  at  the  base  surrounding  the 
purple  boss  or  disc  in  the  centre.  An  idea  of 
the  regularity  in  the  marking  of  the  flowers  is 
obtained  in  the  illustration  on  this  page.  For 
garden  decoration  and  cutting  purposes  it  will  prove 
an  acquisition.     Shown  by  Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co. 


NEW    DAHLIAS. 

Tlie  following  awards  to  Dahlias  were  made  by 
a  joint  committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  and  the  National  Dahlia  Society.  The 
latter  society  awarded  a  first-class  certificate,  and 
the  former  an  award  of  merit,  to  each  variety. 

Lily  Reed. — A  good  exhibition  variety  of  the 
Caclus-flowcred  type.  Colour,  lemon  yellow. 
Shown   li\-  Mr.  Shoesmith. 

Aphrodite.  —  An  attractive  Pa.ony  -  flowered 
variety,  white,  with  orange  centre,  brom  Mr.  C. 
Turner. 

Tusca. — One  of  the  most  striking  varieties  of 
till'  Collarette  section  we  liave  seen.  Crimson, 
wliite-ccntred. 

Prince  of  Orange. — Another  Collarette  variety. 
It   is  self-coloured,   of   a   pleasing   orange   salmon. 
These  two    were   shown   by    Messrs. 
Dobbie  and  Co. 

Regulus. — A  very  neat-flowered 
Pompon  of  a  rich  purple  red 
colour.  From  Messrs.  J.  Cheal  and 
Sons. 


NEW     ORCHIDS. 

FlRST-CLASS     CERTIFICATES. 

Brasso-Cat-Laelia  The  Baroness. 

— This  IS  a  beautiful  apricot  yellow 
hybrid,  obtained  by  intercrossing 
Leelio-Cattleya  Ophir  and  Brasso- 
Cattleya  Mrs.  J.  Leemann.  The 
flower  is  a  good  size,  and  the  lip  is 
prettily  fringed.  From  Baron  Bruno 
Schroder. 

Odontonia  Eileen. — This  is  the 
result  of  Miltonia  vexillaria  G.  D. 
Owen  being  crossed  with  Odonto- 
glossum  Edwardii.  The  flower  is  flat 
like  a  Miltonia,  but  in  colour, 
viz.,  violet  purple,  it  resembles  O. 
Edwardii.  From  J.  Gumey  Fowler, 
Esq. 

AWARDS      OF      MERIT. 

Leelio-Cattleya    Ettrick    (La;lio- 

Cattleya  bleti  hieyensis  x  Cattleya 
aurea). — A  bold  flower  with  rosy 
mauve  sepals  and  petals,  and  an 
almost  crimson  lip.  From  Messrs. 
J.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Chelsea. 

Lselio-Cattleya  Marquise  de 
Wavrin  Orchidhurst  variety.  — 
A  purplish  magenta  hybrid  with  a 
dark  crimson  lip.  Exhibited  by 
Messrs.  Armstrong  and  Brown, 
Tunbridge  Wells. 


Cattleya   hardyana  Mrs.   Waters    Butler   (C. 

Warsccwiczii  x  C  aurea). — This  is  a  pretty  form, 
somewhat  light  in  colour,  but  has  a  large  area  of 
yellow  in  the  throat  of  the  labellum.  From  Waters 
Butler,  Esq.,  Birmingham. 


NEW    VEGETABLES    AND    FRUIT. 

Potato  Irish  King. — A  white  kidney  variety, 
with  clear  skin  and  shallow  eyes.  From  Messrs. 
Barr  and  Sons,  Covent  Garden. 

Potato  Great  Scot. — A  white,  round  .ariety, 
witli  netted  skin  ,ind  rather  deep  eyes.  From 
Messrs.   K.  Vciti  h  and  Sons,  Exeter. 

Potato  Southern  Star.— A  white,  pebble-shaped 
Potato,  with  clear  but  slightly-netted  skin  and 
shallow  eyes.  From  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  and  Sons, 
Chelsea.  These  had  been  grown  in  the  Society's 
gardens  at  Wisley,  having  been  sent  there  by  the 
firms  named. 

Apple  Maidstone   Favourite. — This  is   a  new 

e;u:ly  dessert  variety  of  great  promise,  being  a 
seedling  from  Emperor  Alexander.  The  fruits 
are  very  aromatic,  of  good  size  and  highly  coloured, 
scarlet,  with  yellow  on  the  shaded  side.  A  yoimg 
tree  exhibited  possessed  an  excellent,  sturdy 
habit,  and  this  new-comer  should  prove  a  very 
welcome  addition  to  the  early  dessert  Apples, 
coming  as  it  does  just  at  a  time  when  no 
other  is  available.  (See  illustration  on  page  444). 
Shown  by  Messrs.  George  Bunyard  and  Co,- 
Maidstone. 

All  the  foregoing  flowers,  vegetables  and  fruit 
were  shown  before  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  on  the  26th  ult.,  when  the  awards 
were  made 


CHRYSANTHEMUM      IMPROVED      NORTHERN      STAR,      A 
BEAUTirUL    ANNUAL    SUITABLE    FOR    CUTTING. 


Septempf.r  6,  1913.I 


THE     GARDEN. 


449 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

HOW    TO     GROW    VIOLETS     FOR     WINTER     FLOWERING. 


THE  Violet,  tliinigh  so  insignificant  to 
look  at,  is  a  flower  that  finds  favour 
with,  I  may  say.  pveryone.  In  shel- 
tered positions  outside,  the  plants  bear 
flowers  almost  throughout  the  winter 
months,  but  when  given  the  protection 
of  a  frame  they  blossom  profusely.  Even  when 
ordinarily  grown  plants  are  carefully  lifted  .ind 
replanted  in  prepared  beds  under  glass,  they  prove 
very  satisfactory  ;  but  where  the  plants  have  been 
specially  treated  through  the  summer  with  a  view 
to  planting  in  a  frame  in  September,  the  results 
often  exceed  very  sanguine  e.xpectations. 

Planting  in  Frames. — Both  brick  and  wooden 
frames  are  suitable,  but  those  of  medium  depth 
are  the  best.  The  Violet  loves  the  light  and  air, 
and  there  is,  as  a  rule,  none  too  much  of  the  former 
in  winter-time.  .\11  frames  must  be  duly  prepared 
prior  to  the  lifting  of  the  plants,  as  when  this  work 
is  done  there  should  be  no  delay  in  getting 
the  lifted  plants  replanted.  If  a  deep  frame — one 
about  three  feet  six  inches  or  four  feet — be  used, 
it  will  be  advisable  to  put  in  a  hotbed  of  litter  and 
leaves,  but  not  to  allow  it  to  heat  violently.  If  there 
is  a  mild  bottom-heat  for  a  few  weeks,  the  Violet 
plants  will  be  benefited.  The  main  object  of  the  hot- 
bed is,  however,  the  raising  of  the  soil  so  that  the 
leaves  of  the  plants  will  only  be  a  few  inches  from 
the  glass  when  the  soil  has  settled  down.  If 
there  is  plenty  of  soil  and  no  litter,  then  the 
soil  may  be  used.  If  a  shallow  frame  be  used, 
there  will  be  no  need  to  do  more  than  put  in 
a  bed  of  good  compost  about  a  foot  deep.     Litter    tread  on  it  between  the  plants. 

beds  must  be  built  up  to  the  top  of  the  frame  and,  Lifting  the  Plants. — Fig.  A  shows  at  No.  i  a 
in  addition,  be  well  trodden  dorni.  The  litter  grand  plant  neatly  lifted  and  ready  for  replanting 
will  naturally  sink  down,  and  when  the  compost  j  jn  the  frame  ■;  No.  2,  a  brick  frame  with  a 
is  put  on,  the  sinking  will  be  greater  still.  hotbed    (No.    3)    made    in    it;     No.    4,    the    bed 

Compost. — A  good  friable  loam,  if  procurable,  1  of  compost  with  the  plants  duly  put  in.  No.  5 
should  form  the  bulk  of  the  compost.  One  bushel  depicts  a  wooden  frame  with  a  deep  bed  of  com- 
of  sweet  leaf-soil  to  three  bushels  of  loam  will  be  a    post    (No.    0)    in    it.       Here     the     plants    (No.    7) 


.    ^^-^--''^'j^ 


^^^^^ 


,^^^' 


A  /^777-r/m/777/7777777, 


Tins      IS     A     GOOD 


TIME     TO     LIFT    VIOLET    PLANTS     FROM    THE    OPEN    AND    TO    PLACE 
THEM    IN    FRAMES    FOR    WINTER    FLOWERING. 


proper  quantity  to  use.  Some  sand  or  road  grit  must 
be  added.  Make  the  soil  firm,  and  after  planting 
is  done  keep  the  surface  of  the  soil  loose,  but  only 
so   with   a   pointed   stick,   and   do   not   habitu.illy 


my7M//.v^/7//777y7'^  J 


B 


WHEN     FRAMES     ARE    NOT    AT     COMMAND,    VIOLETS     MAY     BE     GROWN 
BORDER    AND    PROTECTED    AS    DEPICTED    HERE. 


IN     THE    OPEN 


are  close  to  the  glass.  It  is  easy  to  admit  abund- 
ance of  air  by  tilting  the  lights  on  the  opposite 
side  to  that  on  which  the  wind  blows.  A  south 
aspect  is  the  best,  and  it  is  improved  if  there  is 
a  low  fence  or  other  protection  on  the  north  and 
east  sides. 

Protecting    Plants    in    Open    Borders.— All 

cultivators  are  not  able  t..  .illnrd  tranie  room 
for  their  plants,  but  nearly  all  can  give  them 
some  protection,  which  greatly  assists  the  flowering 
capacity  of  the  plants.  Fig.  B  shows  at  No.  i 
stakes  driven  into  the  gromid  a  few  feet  from  a 
low  wall.  Glass  lights  arc  placed  on  the  cross 
sticks  (No.  2)  and  protect  the  Violets  growing 
in  a  prepared  bed  (No.  3).  Even  a  border  similar 
to  No.  4  would  be  useful.  The  lifted  plants  and 
those  growing  permanently  in  beds,  as  shown  at 
No.  5,  must  be  relieved  of  all  runners  (No.  6). 
.\nother  simple  way  of  protecting  the  plants  in 
beds  is  shown  at  No.  7.  Iron  hoops  or  Hazel 
sticks  should  be  fixed  over  the  bed  of  plants,  as 
shown  at  No.  8,  and  mats  (No.  9)  placed  on  them 
in  bad  weather.  No.  10  shows  bricks  or  blocks 
of  wood  to  keep  down  the  mats.  Fully  ventilate 
all  plants  in  fine  weather.  q    q 

CUCUMBERS    IN    COOL    FRAMES. 

The  summer  has  not  been  an  ideal  one  for  the 
successful  cultivation  of  Cucumbers  in  frames. 
.■\t  the  same  time  it  is  not  economical  to 
attempt  to  renovate  hot-beds  where  the  plants 
now  possess,  mainly,  yellow  leaves  and  stunted 
fruits.  Such  should  be  cleared  out  without  delay. 
Where  the  plahts  are  younger,  however,  the  culti- 
vator may  greatly  assist  them  to  bear  well  until 
the  end  of  September,  or  even  to  the  middle  of 
October,  if  he  cuts  away  all  old  material  from  the 
bed  outside  the  frame  and  replaces  it  with  fresh, 
littery  manure  ;    the  heat  will  permeate  the  whole 


l>ed. 


Shamrock. 


450 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  6,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Bulb-Planting. — Although  full  early  yet  foi 
the  planting  (.)f  bulbs  in  beds  and  borders,  there 
is  no  reason  why  Scillas,  Crocuses  and  Narcissi 
should  not  be  planted  where  they  are  to  be 
naturalised  in  grass.  When  planting  under  trees, 
on  banks,  or  on  the  outskirts  of  woods  for 
natural  effect,  the  bulbs  must  not  be  planted 
in  an  orthodox  manner  or  the  clumps  be  of  one 
size  or  contour,  but  should  be  irregular  masses 
that  are  fairly  thick  in  the  centre,  gradually 
thinning  out  towards  the  outer  edges  till  they  merge 
almost  imperceptibly  into  the  surroundings. 
Too  thin  planting  can  never  be  effective,  for  it 
is  a  bold  mass  of  colour  that  strikes  one  at  a  fair 
distance  away  which  is  the  most  effective.  Those 
varieties  that  are  small  in  stature,  or  that  are  grown 
for  the  novelty  or  shape  of  the  blooms,  such  as 
'  N.  cyclamineus  and  N.  Bulbocodium,  are  far 
better  planted  in  small  clumps  on  or  near  the 
rockery,  where  they  can  be  examined  without  too 
much  stooping. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

General  Work. — Just  now  there  is  not  much 
bloom  in  the  rock  garden,  and  the  very  dry  summer 
has  tended  somewhat  to  shorten  the  season  of 
flowering.  To  keep  many  subjects  alive,  much 
artificial  watering  has  had  to  be  done,  but  even 
with  this  many  of  the  subjects  have  suffered  con- 
siderably, and  to  keep  the  rockery  even  tidy 
in  appearance  a  great  deal  of  picking  over  is  neces- 
sary. As  mentioned  tmder  the  heading  of  pleasure 
grounds,  bulb-planting  may  be  done  now,  and 
many  species  and  varieties  of  Tulips,  Narcissi, 
Snowdrops,  Scillas,  Fritillarias,  Muscari  and  Irises 
may  be  planted  to  give  a  very  pleasing  effect  during 
the  early  spring  months.  Where  the  natural 
soil  of  the  rock  garden  is  very  heavy,  it  may  be 
an  advantage  to  lighten  the  soil  somewhat  with 
leaf-soil  and  a  little  sand.  It  is  also  wise  to  mark 
where  each  clump  of  bulbs  is,  so  that  when  planting 
other  subjects  they  may  be  chosen  so  as  not  to  clash 
with  or  cover  the  bulbs  too  densely,  or  the  effect 
may  be  spoiled. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Pot  Roses. — Where  these  are  cultivated  for 
early  spring  forcing,  the  present  is  a  very  good 
time  to  go  through  them,  potting  those  that  require 
it  and  top-dressing  others.  A  fairly  holding 
and  rich  loam  is  best  for  Roses,  with  a  little  bone- 
meal  added  to  it.  After  potting,  to  encourage 
root  action,  the  pots  should  be  placed  fairly  closely 
together,  or  they  may  be  partially  plunged  in  ashes, 
or  old  litter  placed  between  them  will  answer 
the  same  purpose.  Precautions  should  be  taken 
against  worms  getting  into  the  pots,  or  they  will 
prove  troublesome  when  the  pots  are  taken  indoors. 
Spray  lightly  overhead  for  a  few  days  after  potting, 
should  the  weather  be  hot,  not  forgetting  the 
necessity  of  keeping  down  mildew  by  using  one 
or  other  of  the  fungicides. 

Climbing  Roses,  such  as  Crimson  Rambler, 
Dorothy  Perkins  and  Hiawatha,  should  be  potted 
every  season,  as  these  make  much  more  root 
than  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals  and  Hybrid  Teas, 
though,  unless  very  large  plants  are  required,  the 
balls  of  soil  may  be  reduced  somewhat  at  the  time 
of  potting,  so  that  they  may  be  rettimed  into  pots 
of  from  9  inches  to  12  inches  in  diameter. 

Cannas. — Where  these  are  grown  imder  names 
or  numbers,  they  should  be  gone  over  before  they 
go  out  of  flower  to  see  that  they  are  correctly  named, 
as  even  one  or  two  wrongly  named  this  season 
may  mean  a  fairly  general  mix  up  next  year 
after  the  plants  are  split  up.  This  remark  applies 
equally  well  to  any  collection  of  named  plants. 

Primulas. — The  latest  batches  will  now  be 
ready  for  their  flowering  pots,  and  there  is  no 
advantage  in  giving  too  big  a  shift  at  this  season. 
Rather  lighter  soil  may  be  used  now  as  an  induce- 
ment to  quick  rooting,  and  if  the  plants  are  at  all 
backward,  a  little  warmth  in  the  frames  or  house 
during  the  night  will  help  them  materially.  Earlier 
batches  should  be  given  more  space  as  they  require 
it,  so  that  they  may  develop  good,  strong  and 
liealthy  foliage  that  will  keep  through  the  winter. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Winter  Brassicas. —  in  this  neighbourhood, 
owing  to  the  drought,  many  of  the  early-planted 


Brassicas  have  not  done  as  well  as  one  would  like 
to  see  them,  and  it  may  be  wise,  even  at  this  late 
date,  to  plant  as  many  Christmas  Cabbages,  Cole- 
worts  and  Kales  as  can  be  got,  so  as  to  make  up  any 
deficiency.  It  is  not  necessary  to  plant  these  very 
far  apart ;  18  inches  between  the  rows  and  a  foot 
apart  in  the  rows  should  be  ample. 

Cucumbers  for  winter  use  must  be  planted  at 
once,  so  that  they  may  become  nicely  established 
before  the  really  short  days.  The  temperature 
at  night  must  be  kept  up  fairly  well  to  maintain 
a  steady  and  healthy  growth,  and  the  syringings 
must  not  be  so  heavy  as  earlier  in  the  season. 
Sufficient  moisture  must  be  given  to  ensure  them 
being  kept  free  from  spider  and  thrip.  Plants  that 
may  be  fruiting  in  frames  may  be  kept  going  some 
little  time  longer  by  giving  the  frames  a  good 
lining  of  fresh  manure  and,  if  necessary,  a  top- 
dressing  of  soil  or  manure  inside  the  frames. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Pot  Trees.^ — Early-forced  Peaches  and  Nectarines 
should  be  repotted  before  they  lose  their  foliage  ; 
hence  the  matter  should  be  taken  in  hand  at  once, 
doing  the  earliest  varieties  first  and  following  on 
with  the  others  as  they  become  fit.  Turfy  loam, 
lime  rubble,  wood-ashes  and  a  little  bone-meal 
make  a  suitable  compost.  Except  in  the  case 
of  very  young  trees  (which  may  be  given  a  size 
larger  pot),  most  of  the  trees  will  have  to  be  returned 
to  the  same-sized  pot,  so  that  the  old  ball  of  soil 
must  be  considerably  reduced.  This  should  be  done 
carefully  with  a  pointed  stick,  cutting  back  all 
the  large  roots  and  preserving  the  fine  ones  as 
much  as  possible. 

Careful  Crocking  is  very  necessary,  and  it  is 
best  to  err  on  the  side  of  overcrocking  rather  than 
under,  as  once  the  soil  becomes  water-logged 
the  fruit  is  boimd  to  suffer ;  so  cover  the  crocks 
'larefully  with  good  fibre  before  adding  fresh  soil, 
ramming  this  latter  very  evenly  all  round,  leaving 
sufficient  space,  wherever  possible,  for  a  top-dressing 
or  two  during  the  growing  season.  After  potting, 
water  thoroughly  and  keep  well  syringed  for  a 
few  days  until  the  leaves  show  signs  of  firmness 
again,  when  the  syringing  may  gradually  be  left 
off.  Plum  trees  also  should  be  potted  as  they 
become  fit,  the  same  details  applying  here  as  to  the 
Peaches  and  Nectarines. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
{Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  A  ddleslone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Dahlias. — These  showy  autumn  flowers  are 
now  at  their  best.  The  plants  should  be  carefully 
gone  over,  and  any  shoots  that  are  likely  to  be 
damaged  by  the  September  winds  should  be  looped 
loosely  in  with  binder  twine.  See  that  all  the  plants 
are  correctly  and  legibly  named,  as  it  is  much 
easier  to  identify  doubtful  varieties  now  than 
later  on. 

Gladioli. — See  that  none  of  the  plants  gets 
"  hanked "  on  accotmt  of  growth  being  made 
below  the  tie.  Cut  awav  any  decayed  flowers. 
I  can  strongly  recommend  America  as  a  vigorous 
flesh-coloured  variety  for  growing  in  quantity. 

Carnation  Layers. — These  should  mostly  be 
rooted  now,  and,  if  so,  should  be  severed  from  the 
parent  plant  and  either  planted  where  they  are 
to  bloom  next  season  or  planted  thickly  where 
they  can  have  the  protection  later  on  of  some 
sashes.  We  pot  them  up,  but  where  there  are 
large  quantities  grown,  this  is  not  always  practicable. 
Spring  planting  is  to  be  commended  on  clayey 
subsoils  such  as  we  have  to  deal  with  here. 

Chrysanthemums. — These  are  now  turning 
in,  and  will  form  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  the  cut 
flower  supply  for  some  time.  See  that  stakes 
and  ties  are  all  right,  or  much  damage  may  be 
done  by  the  autunan  winds  which  are  sure  to  come. 

Sweet  Peas  are  now  getting  past  their  best, 
but  should  stand  out  till  the  end  of  the  month 
if  the  weather  is  fine.  A  dressing  of  soot  or 
other  stimulant  will  help  to  keep  the  flower-stems 
from  shortening  too  rapidly. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Mildew. — If  present,  this  ubiquitous  fungus 
must   still  be   fought.     Sulphide  of   potassimn,  at 


the  rate  of  half    an    ounce  to  a  gallon  of   water, 
is  the  most  popular  mixture  for  spraying  with. 

Preparing  for  Planting. — In  two  months  hence 
the  plantmg  season  will  be  on,  and  where  planting 
is  proposed  and  the  ground  is  available,  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  soil  should  be  proceeded  with  as  soon 
as  possible.  No  plant  appreciates  the  benefit  of 
deep  cultivation  more  than  the  Rose,  and  the 
ground  should  be  trenched  not  less  than  2  feet 
deep.  A  fairly  heavy  soil  is  preferable  to  a  light 
one,  and  whatever  the  nature  of  the  soil,  happy 
are  those  who  can  incorporate  some  maiden  loam 
with  it.  A  dressing  of  lime  and  wood-ashes  will 
also  prove  beneficial.  For  the  benefit  of  beginners 
I  hope  to  say  something  about  varieties  next  week. 

The  Shrubbery. 

Rhus  Coriaria. — This  is  a  most  desirable  subject " 
for   the  shrubbery,   as  its  purplish   red   foliage  is 
very  telling  in  autumn. 

Planting  Rhododendrons. — Those  who  contem- 
plate planting  Rhododendrons  will  not  find  a  better 
time  for  the  operation  than  the  month  of  October. 
It  will  be  well  to  get  the  soil  ready  for  them  now. 
Although  peat  is  the  ideal  medium  for  Rhodo- 
dendrons to  root  in,  yet  for  most  of  the  popular 
varieties  peat  is  not  essential,  although  a  propor- 
tion of  it  is  desirable.  Silky  loam  and  sand  mixed 
with  peat,  moss  litter  from  the  stables,  or  half- 
decayed  Oak  or  Beech  leaves  will  grow  Rhodo- 
dendrons quite  well.  Beginners  should  note 
that  these  plants  hate  lime  in  every  form. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Housing. — This  work  must  now  be  proceeded 
with,  beginning  with  such  subjects  as  Azalea 
indica,  Camellias  and  Salvia  splendens.  The 
pots  should  first  be  thoroughly  washed,  and  any 
greasy  substance  cleaned  off  the  surface  of  the 
soil  with  a  thin  piece  of  wood.  Any  plants  requir- 
ing top-dressing  should  also  have  attention.  Any 
necessary  staking  or  tying  should  also  be  done 
now. 

Potting  Bulbs.— A  first  batch  of  bulbs  should 
now  be  potted  up  if  early  bloom  is  wanted. 
Hyacmths,  Tulips  and  Narcissi  are  ail  the  better 
for  being  plimged  in  ashes,  sand,  or  light  soil  for 
about  six  weeks  after  being  potted  or  boxed.  Give 
a  good  watering  after  potting  or  boxing. 

Framing  Sweet  Violets. — This  work  should 
be  taken  in  hand  now.  See  that  all  runners  are 
cut  away  before  lifting  the  plants.  Lift  with  good 
balls  of  soil,  and  plant  in  frames  near  the  glass 
in  about  a  foot  of  rich  loamy  soil.  Water  well 
when  finished  and  put  on  the  sashes,  but  keep 
them  well  tilted  up  night  and  day  for  the  present. 
Shade  may  be  afforded  in  the  middle  of  the  day 
for  a  week  if  bright  sunshine  occurs. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Manuring  Small  Fruit  Trees. — Most  authorities 
are  now  agreed  that  Gooseberries  and  Currants, 
especially  those  which  have  borne  heavy  crops 
of  fruit,  are  benefited  by  an  autumn  dressing  of 
some  readily  assimilated  manure,  natural  or 
artificial ;  this  assists  the  plumping  up  of  the 
buds,  in  which  much  of  the  energy  necessary  for 
next  season's  work  is  stored. 

Pinching. — This  is  a  good  time  to  go  over  the 
Apple  and  Pear  trees  and  pinch  the  growths  back 
to  about  three  inches  of  their  bases.  If  this  was 
done  earlier,  the  trees  are  apt  to  make  fresh  growth, 
but  done  at  this  period  it  assists  the  process  of 
energising  the  buds. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Storing  Onions. — Bulbs  which  have  been  pulled 
for  some  time  should  now  be  bunched  and  hmig 
up  in  an  open  shed.  The  remainder  of  the  crop 
had  better  be  lifted  now,  but  if  any  portion  of  it 
refuses  to  go  to  rest,  bend  the  tops  gently  over 
to  arrest  growth. 

Planting  Spring  Cabbages.— This  work  should 
now  be  carried  out.  The  small  varieties  used 
forthis  purpose  may  be  planted  thickly,  15  inches 
by  12  inches  being  quite  wide  enough.  If  pigeons 
are  about,  it  will  be  well  to  put  up  a  scarecrow. 

Hoeing. — Run  the  hoe  m  between  the  rows  ol 
recently-sowii  Onions  and  Spinach,  and  all  vacant 
groimd  should  be  kept  clean  and  tidy. 

Spring  Lettuces  which  were  sown  last   month 

will  now  be  ready  for  transplanting,  and  the  warmest 

part  of  a  south  border  should  be  selected  for  the 

crop.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


September  6,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


451 


A    CUNNING    HAND    AMONG 
THE    BRANCHES. 


THE  following  notes  on  the  bifurcation 
and  branching  of  trees,  copied  from 
Chambers'  Journal,  Vol.  VII.,  January 
to  June,  1857,  have  been  sent  us 
by  a  reader  :  "  Did  you  ever  notice 
that  sometimes  two  branches  of  a  tree 
produce  a  perfect  bifurcation  ;  that  is,  that  they 
separate  from  a  common  point  ?  If  you  examine 
closely,  you  will  find  that  such  branches  took  their 
departure  from  one  and  the  same  bud.  In  rarer 
instances,  you  may  see  five  or  six  branches  all 
starting  from  a  common  centre,  and  with  a  regularity 
that  surprises  when  contrasted  with  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  rest  of  the  tree.  These  effects  are 
now  and  then  produced  by  gemming  or  inoculating, 
and  not  seldom  by  the  vinassisted  handiwork 
of  Nature.  When  the  latter  is  the  case,  the 
bifurcation  is  caused  b>  the  bite  of  a  caterpillar 
or  some  other  voracious  insect.  An  insect  has 
but  to  gnaw  the  point  of  a  bud  to  make  it  grow 
double,  triple,  quadruple  and  so  forth,  to  trans- 
form itself,  indeed,  into  numerous  buds,  thereafter 
distinct  and  separate,  each  passing  singly  through 
all  the  phases  of  its  vegetation.  What  is  here 
said  applies  to  buds  that  produce  wood  ;  it  is 
equally  true  of  those  that  produce  fruit.  The 
insect  plies  its  mandibles  and  quite  unconsciously 
starts  a  new  order  of  developments.  After  all, 
however,  a  little  reflection  would  lead  us  to  believe 
that  buds  might  be  as  fecund  as  seeds.  If  one 
grain  of  Wheat  produces  many  grains,  why  not 
one  bud  many  buds,  if  we  can  only  get  it  mto  the 
right  condition  ?  What  this  condition  is  we 
learn  from  the  insect.  At  all  events,  it  has  been 
learned  by  M.  Millot-Brule  of  Rethel  (Ardennes), 
and  turned  to  gaod  account,  for  he  produces 
effects  at  pleasure  without  waiting  for  the  accident 
of  an  insect  :  With  the  point  of  a  penknife  or  a 
slip  of  sand-paper  he  makes  buds  produce  as  many 
branches  as  he  chooses.  The  notion  occurred  to 
him  in  1840,  and  he  at  once  made  experiments 
which  were  sjiccessful  ;  and,  repeating  these  year 
by  year,  he  has  now  produced  a  new  and  similarly 
interesting  process  of  arboriculture.  A  Commission 
appointed  by  the  Minister  of  Agriculture  and 
Public  Works  to  examine  into  it  reported  in  the 
following  terms  of  what  they  had  seen  in  M. 
Millot-Brule's  gardens  :  Several  Peach  stems  pre- 
sent a  multitude  of  branches  proceeding  from  the 
same  centre  with  mathematical  regularity  and 
symmetry.  By  skilful  disbudding,  by  incisions, 
and  nipping  of  the  buds  or  shoots  he  arranges  the 
trees  in  a  way  at  once  the  most  picturesque  and 
fantastique.  Under  his  fingers  the  obedient 
branches  assume  the  most  varied  and  elegant 
forms  :  he  increases  the  fructification,  and  develops 
the  formation  of  buds  according  to  his  wish. 
Thoroughly  to  illustrate  the  results,  diagrams 
would  be  necessary.  We  shall,  however,  endeavour 
to  explain  as  clearly  as  the  subject  will  admit  of. 
M.  Millot-Brule's  elementary  figure  consists  of  a 
straight  branch  which  from  one  common  centre 
separates  into  fifteen  branches,  resembling,  in  fact, 
a  sm.ill  tree  with  a  regularly  formed  head.  A 
second  represents  an  espalier  Peach  tree,  the 
branches  of  which  radiate  in  the  form  of  a  wheel, 
each  branch  terminating  in  an  oval  ring  of  smaller 
branches,  developed  at  regular  intervals.  From 
these  simple  forms  others  of  a  more  complex  nature 
;nay  be  produced  :  a  single  stem,  properly  managed, 
will  form  a  square,  a  parallelogram,  cr  a  series  of 


circles  so  elegant  in  design  that  if  copied  in  papier- 
mSchfi  they  would  be  prized  as  graceful  ornaments 
for  the  drawing-room.  The  buds  may  be  multi- 
plied and  the  branches  sent  off  entirely  at  the 
pleasure  of  the  cultivator.  Hence  there  is  no  limit  to 
the  forms  which  may  be  produced.  In  the  course  of 
his  experiments  he  discovered  one  of  the  interesting 
secrets  of  arboriculture — namely,  that  little  branches 
must  not  be  developed  immediately  opposite  each 
other  on  a  horizontal  branch  trained  against  3  wall, 
or  on  stakes  ;  and  the  reason  is,  that  the  branches 
which  rim  upwards  take  up  all  the  sap  at  the  expense 
of  those  running  downwards  ;  the  latter,  conse- 
quently, languish.  It  therefore  becomes  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  develop  the  small  branches 
alternately — each  lower  one  between  two  upper 
ones^on  all  horizontal  branches.  It  is  possible, 
moreover,  to  assist  the  lower  branches  by  bending 
the  upper  ones  upon  themselves,  making  them 
form  a  sort  of  knot,  but  always  with  the  precaution 
of  leaving  the  extreme  points  in  an  upward 
direction. 

"  The  process  in  its  simplest  form  appears  to 
be  to  decapitate  the  buds  with  a  penknife  as  soon 
as  the  sap  begins  to  circulate  in  the  spring.  In 
a  few  days  two  new  buds  appear  at  the  base  of  the 
bud  thus  operated  on,  and  the  vegetation  of  these 
is  easily  equalised  by  expert  trimming,  or  pinching 
off  when  necessary.  The  equilibrium  once  estab- 
lished, these  two  buds  may  be  similarly  treated, 
and  as  each  will  produce  two  more,  any  number 
of  branches  may  be  obtained,  and  a  thick,  full 
head  developed  on  the  top  of  a  single  stem.  To 
make  branches  shoot  in  different  directions,  the 
terminal  bud  of  the  main  branch  is  pinched  at 
one  side  or  the  other,  according  as  the  direction 
required  is  to  the  right  or  left  ;  and  the  new  buds 
being  pinched  in  turn,  perfect  control  is  established 
over  each  branch  from  its  very  earliest  growth." 


ARSENIC     COMPOUNDS    AS 
INSECTICIDES. 


VARIOUS  compounds  of  arsenic  are 
used  in  gardens  as  insecticides,  and 
quite  a  number  of  the  proprietary 
preparations  sold  for  a  similar  purpose 
have  that  substance  as  one  of  the 
active  ingredients.  All  these  prepara- 
tions are  deadly  poisons,  hence  they  must  be 
used  most  carefully  and  judiciously  ;  where  they 
are  employed  on  fruit  trees  and  bushes  or  on  plants 
which  will  be  taken  to  the  kitchen,  the  subjects 
treated  should  always  be  syringed  strongly  with 
tepid  water  the  next  day,  and  even  then  spraying 
should  cease  at  least  a  fortnight  before  the  products 
are  to  be  used.  When  the  plants  are  not  edible, 
nothing  can  excel  arsenic  as  a  thorough,  long- 
lasting  insecticide,  and  there  should  not  be  the 
slightest  hesitation  in  using  it  freely.  A  little 
experimenting  may  be  done  to  see  if  the  plants 
are  not  injured  by  the  mixtures  which  the  gardener 
expects  to  spray  in  the  garden,  and  this  will  prevent 
damage  being  done  by  scorching  of  the  foliage  ; 
otherwise  half-hardy  and  hardy  vegetation  of  all 
kinds  will  not  be  affected  in  the  least.  We  have 
never  used  any  of  the  substances  we  are  about 
to  mention  on  decorative  stove  plants  ;  perhaps 
the  Editor  may  allow  a  little  correspondence  from 
those  who  have.  [Certainly. — Ed.]  During  early 
summer  Rose  caterpillars  and  chafers.  Gooseberry 
caterpillars    and    all    foliage-eating    pests    will    be 


miknown  where  an  effective  arsenic  preparation 
is  employed. 

Paris  Green  is  the  substance  most  commonly 
in  use.  It  is  insoluble  in  water  and  apt  to  scorch 
plants  when  used  too  strongly.  The  presence  of 
lime  prevents  the  scorching  effect,  and  at  the  same 
time  holds  the  particles  longer  in  suspension  in 
the  water  or  liquid.  A  useful  strength  at  which 
this  substance  can  be  used  is  loz.  in  five  to  ten 
gallons  of  lime-water — surely  a  cheap  preparation 
when  the  Paris  green  can  be  had  for  2d.  an  ounce. 
Stir  the  Paris  green  into  some  water  until  a  thin, 
creamy  liquid  is  obtained ;  pour  this  into  the 
requisite  gallons  of  lime-water,  stir  well  up  and 
keep  stirring  all  the  time  during  spraying  ;  the 
substance  clings  fairly  well  to  the  foliage  ;  the 
mixture  keeps  indefinitely.  Spray  in  the  evening 
or  on  a  dull  day  when  there  is  no  strong  sun,  and 
see  that  the  under  sides  of  the  foliage  get  attention. 
No  great  force  is  necessary,  but  the  finer  the  sprav 
the  better  film  will  be  obtained  over  all  the  plants. 

Lead  Arsenate  is  more  diflScult  to  work  into  a 
thin  homogeneous  liquid,  but  once  a  fine  mixture 
is  obtained  it  lingers  much  longer  in  suspension, 
and  stirring  is  not  absolutely  necessary  if  the  mixture 
is  used  shortly  after  it  is  prepared.  This  substance 
is  much  more  adhesive  and  will  remain  on  the  foliage 
even  after  very  heavy  rains  ;  it  is  better  than 
Paris  green  in  wet  weather.  The  action  of  the 
lead  compound  is  slower  then  the  former,  but  where 
the  preparation  is  utilised  to  prevent  an  attack, 
rather  than  to  eradicate  a  virulent  pest,  it  will  be 
found  preferable.  Many  experiments  have  been 
carried  out   lately  with 

Arsenate  of  Iron,  and  these  seem  to  prove 
that  this  is  even  more  efficient  and  desirable  than 
any  of  the  others.  Each  of  the  three  is  made 
as  recommended  for  the  first.  Iron  arsenate 
adheres  well  to  the  foliage,  and  has  the  merit  of 
proclaiming  its  presence  by  the  dirty  green  film 
or  skin  over  all  the  subject  which  is  sprayed.  This 
preparation  is  advised  for  Vines,  and,  as  it  docs 
not  have  the  scorching  effect  of  Paris  green,  should 
be  made  use  of  when  delicate  plants  are  under 
treatment.  After  fruits  are  removed  from  plants 
or  bushes  which  have  been  attacked  by  caterpillars 
or  other  pests,  they  should  be  sprayed  with  the 
arsenic  mixture  immediately ;  even  in  mild 
attacks  or  as  a  preventive  its  use  is  justified. 
Birds  will  leave  buds  or  flowers  severely  alone 
if  arsenic  has  been  used,  and  practically  all  summer 
pests,  including  slugs,  are  non-existent  when  it 
is  freely  sprayed  over  the  plants. 

All  the  compounds  mentioned  are  cheap  and, 
in  small  quantities,  about  equal  in  price.  A  rlh. 
tin  of  the  dry  powder  or  paste  will  serve  a  long  time, 
and  for  cheapness,  combined  with  efficiency, 
cannot  be  surpassed.  H.  H.  A. 


THE     EDITOR'S    TABLE. 


A  Tall  GladioIUS.^Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons  of 
King  Street,  Covent  Garden,  send  a  Gladiolus 
plant,  the  flower-spike  of  which  attains  a  height 
of  8  feet.  Messrs.  Barr  write :  "  We  thought 
you  would  like  to  see  a  specimen  of  a  wonderfully 
tall  new  Gladiolus  called  Semaphore.  It  is  a  hybrid 
gandavensis,  and  has  been  grown  for  us  in  the 
trial  grounds  of  the  National  Gladiolus  Society 
at  Locksheath,  Southampton.  AH  the  plants 
reached  a  height  of  6  feet,  but  this,  you  will  see, 
is  still  taller.  At  Locksheath  it  towered  above 
all  other  varieties." 


452 


THE    GARDEN. 


[September  6,  1Q13. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES    FOR    CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  Mends  to 
rrnikc  THE  Gaiidkn  hflvHd  to  M  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  at  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  thai  object  mil  make  a  special  fenture  o/  the  -Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  commimications  shovld  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  0/  The  Gardkn,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  he  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  seevrely 
packed  in  damv  arass  or  nmss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  Jt  is  useless  to  send 
small  'scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  bu.mess  should  be  sent  to  the  Prr.LiSHER. 

FLOWER     GARDEN. 

STOCKS  DYING  (M.  T.}. — Wi'  failed  to  find  any  insect 
or  fungus  to  account  for  the  death  of  the  Stocks,  and  the 
onlv  thing  to  be  noticed  (apart  from  the  brown  and  yellow 
colourin-  they  showed)  was  the  poor  development  of  the 
root  as  'thontrh  wireworms  or  some  other  soil  pest,  which, 
however,  wr\s  not  present  in  the  specimens,  had  destroyed 
them. 

LILY  DISEASE  <R.  T.). — The  white  Lilies  are  attacked 
bv  the  ordinary  Lily  disease,  due  to  the  fungus  Botrylis 
oinerea  The  rinlv  thing  wo  can  suggest  is  to  see  there  is 
nlentv  of  lime  rubble  in  the  soil,  that  the  plants  are  pro- 
tected from  cold  winds,  and  to  remove  the  top  2  mches  or 
3  inches  of  soil  in  spring  and  replace  it  with  fresh  sterilised 
soil  It  must,  however,  be  confessed  that  these  measures 
are 'not  entirely  successful.  The  Liliura  auratums  are 
attacked  bj  the  fungus  Rhi/opus  in  the  bulbs,  and  as  no 
cure  is  known,  it  would  be  well  to  destroy  thorn. 

HONEYSUCKLE  AND  ROSE  (.Uws  £.  B.).— There  does 
not  appear  to  be  any  reason  why  your  Honeysuckle  and 
Rose  should  not  flower  under  the  conditions  you  name, 
■mless  you  have  over-pruned  them.  The  Honeysuckle 
mav^he  left  (luitc  unpruned  this  and  next  year,  when  yon 
wili  probablv  obtain  flowers.  As  a  rule.  Honeysuckles 
do  not  flowc!  so  well  when  young  as  they  do  later.  1  ry 
removing  the  weak  shoots  from  your  Rose  and  leaving  the 
more  vioorons  ones  unpruned.  It  may  then  blossom  next 
vear      The  positions  are  not  likely  to  be  at  fault. 

ABOUT  NARCISSI,  LILACS  AND  ZONAL  PELAR- 
GONIUMS (If  .S.I.— You  may  t.akc  up  the  Narcissi  bulbs 
■Tnd  replant  them  at  ouce.  The  lifting  of  t.he  bulbs  soon 
■ifter  tiie  flowers  had  faded  woiUd  give  them  a  greater 
check  than  lifting  them  now.  In  pruning  standard 
T  ilacs  it  is  only  necessary  to  remove  very  weakly  shoots 
that  w'ould  cause  overcrowding  as  soon  as  the  flowers  have 
faded  Newlv-potted  Zonal  Pelargoniums  will  lose  leaves 
if  the  soil  is  kept  too  dry  or  over-watered.  The  leaves 
Hrst  turn  yellow  and  then  fall  olT.  These  plants  may  be 
repotted  at  any  time  of  the  year,  except  in  the  depth  of 
winter,  when  the  artificial  heat  is  low.  Probably  your 
Lemon-scented  Verbena  plant  had  got  dry  at  the  roots. 
When  this  condition  obtains,  the  leaves  soon  become 
spotted  and  shrivel  up.  

TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

CLEMATIS    FAILING    (Dei'on).— Wc    regret     to  r 

that  Clematis  Vitalba  will  not  grow  in  your  neighb  ■ 
hood,  and  suggest  the  following  climbers  for  trial :  Loni  1:1 
iaponica  var.  halleana,  Celastrus  articulatns  and  A  i-  o- 
iochia  Sipho.  All  are  vigorous  growers,  and  it  is  pro  le 
that  they  will  prove  successful  with  you. 

DWARF  EVERGREENS  FOR  A  DRY  BANK  FACING 
SOUTH  \a.  B.). — The  following  shrubs  are  all  suitable 
for  your  purpose  :  Vinca  minor,  3  inches  to  4  inches, 
flowers  blue  ;  Hypericum  calycinum,  9  inches  to  12  inches, 
flowers  yellow ;"  Helianthemum  vulgare  and  varieties, 
6  inches  "to  9  inches,  flowers  yellow,  red,  rose  and  white  ; 
Cistus  monspeliensis  and  C.  corbariensis,  12  inches  to 
18  inches,  flowers  white  ;  and  Juniperus  Sabina  prostrata, 
6  inches.  .\ny  or  all  of  these  plants  are  likely  to  thrive 
and  provide  a  good  effect. 

LARCH  LEAVES  FOR  EXAMINATION  (M.  /.).— The 
Larch  is  attacked  by  the  insect  called  Chermes  Larieio. 
It  is  a  near  ally  of  the  aphides  or  green  flies  :  but  the  waxy 
threads  which  proceed  from  its  body  prevent  the  insecti- 
cides from  reaching  it  quite  as  easily  as  they  will  the 
ordinary  green  flies.  Another  thing  complicates  its  history, 
in  that  in  autumn,  from  now  onwards,  the  Chermes  leaves 
the  Larch  and  goes  to  the  Spruce,  on  which  it  passes  the 
winter,  tiie  insect  there  producing  curious,  rather  cone- 
like galls.  The  best  treatment  will  be  to  spray  the 
tiees^with  a  nicotine  wash  now,  so  as  to  kill  as  many  of 
the  insects  as  possible. 

THEfLARGEST  TULIP  TREES  (H.  fl.).— Two  of  the 
largest  specimens  of  the  Tulip  Tree  (Liriodendron  tulipi- 
fera)  growiug  in  the  British  Isles  are  to  be  found  in  the 
respective  gardens  of  Sir  E.  Loderat  Leonardsleo,  Horsham, 
Sussex,  and  Miss  Talbot,  Margam  Park,  Port  Talbot, 
South  Wales.  These  are  between  95  feet  and  105  feet 
high,  with  vcrv  large  trunks.    Wo  have  no  evidence  as 


to  where  and  when  the  flr.st  variegated-leaved  variety 
appeared.  A  great  deal  of  information  respecting  large 
trees  of  this  species  may  be  obtained  in  "  Trees  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland."  by  Messrs.  Elwes  and  Henry. 
TREATING  A  BANK  (31.  D ).— We  think  you  have  in 
the  plants  you  name — Rhododendron,  Azalea,  Buddleia 
and  Veronica — a  capital  set.  and  as  in  each  case  these 
are  to  be  had  in  considerable  variety,  we  should  feel 
inclined  to  make  the  most  of  them.  Double  Gorse  and 
some  of  the  hardy  Heaths,  varieties  of  Erica  vulgaris 
more  particularly,  might  also  be  added,  the  latter  being 
planted  in  irregular  groups  or  masses  along  the  lower 
portion  of  the  bank.  The  bank  would  of  necessity  require 
some  preparation,  digging  and  manuring,  and  the  former 
might  be  done  liberally.  The  Buddleias  might  be  planted 
at  intervals  of  a  dozen  feet  along  the  upper  part,  with 
groups  of  the  Portuguese  Heath  intervening  ;  then  might 
appear  Veronicas  and  Rhododendrons  in  the  order  named, 
or,  if  more  variety  was  desired,  the  yellow-flowered 
Forsythia  could  be  introduced  here  and  there. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

PERPETUAL-FLOWERING  CARNATIONS  (.7.  E.).— 
These  may  be  grown  on  a  second  year,  but,  of  course, 
a  great  deal  depends  upon  the  condition  the  plants  are 
in.  Furthermore,  some  varieties  lend  themselves  to  this 
treatment  much  more  readily  than  others.  As  you  speak 
of  your  plants  being  very  tall,  and.  presumably,  poorly 
furnished  at  the  base,  we  should  say  that  they  are,  in 
all  probability,  not  worth  persevering  with  for  another 
season. 

WATER  TANK  IN  GREENHOUSE  (M.  E.  G.).— 
Undoubtedly  the  large  tank  would  be  very  useful  in  the 
greenhouse,  and  the  water  in  it  would  be  very  nearly  as 
warm  as  the  temperature  of  the  structure.  You  may 
cover  the  top  of  the  tank  with  boards,  having  a  small 
hinged  door  in  a  convenient  place  for  the  withdrawal  of 
water  as  desired.  There  would  be  no  excessive  moisture 
from  the  co^'ered  tank — none  that  would  prove  harmful 
to  plants  ill  the  house. 

ARUM  MRS.  ROOSEVELT  GOING  WRONG  (Hards).— 
Too  much  water  is  the  main  cause  of  your  plants  of  Arum 
.Mrs.  Roosevelt  behaving  as  they  have  done.  Of  course,  we 
know  nothing  of  the  condition  of  the  bulbs  when  potted, 
but  standing  in  saucers  of  water  would  account  for  your 
non-success."  In  potting  the  bulbs,  the  pots  should  be 
ett'ectively  drained,  and  the  soil  watered  but  moderately 
till  growth  appears.  Then,  as  leaves  and  flower-spikes 
develop  and  the  pots  get  well  furnished  with  roots,  copious 
supplies  of  water  should  be  given,  but  at  the  same  time 
facilities  must  be  allowed  for  the  surplus  moisture  to 
drain  away.  After  flowering,  the  pots  may  be  stood  out 
in  the  open  till  the  leaves  die  down,  when  they  must  he 
kept  dry  in  the  greenhouse  during  the  winter,  and  in  early 
spring  shaken  quite  clear  of  the  old  soil  and  be  repotted. 
PRIMULA  OBCONICA  (J.  £.).— Presumably  your 
Primulas  have  been  flowering  for  some  time,  and  are 
now  past  their  best.  It  in  good  condition,  they  are 
certainly  worth  keeping,  providing  you  give  them  careful 
attention  with  as  little  delay  as  possible.  We  should 
advise  you  to  cut  off  all  flowers  and  flower-spikes  and 
any  old  and  exhausted  leaves ;  then  turn  the  plants 
out  of  their  pots  and  remove  as  much  of  the  old  soil  as 
can  be  done  without  unduly  distressing  the  roots.  .A.fter 
this,  repot  in  a  mixture  of  loam,  leaf-mould  and  sand, 
and  place  the  plants,  if  possible,  in  a  frame  where  they 
are  shaded  from  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun.  In  most 
cases  you  will  doubtless  find  that  after  the  superfluous 
soil  is  removed,  the  plants  will  not  require  pots  any  larger 
than  those  in  which  they  have  been  grown.  After  repot- 
ting, the  roots  will  soon  take  possession  of  the  new  soil 
and  fresh  blossoms  be  quickly  pushed  up. 

BLUE  AND  MAUVE  FLOWERS  (H.  .S.).— In  our 
opinion  you  are  set  an  impossible  task,  for  the  number  of 
blue  and  mauve  flowers  suitable  for  such  a  purpose  is  very 
limited.  Even  if  flowers  of  all  colours  were  allowed,  and 
vou  have  only  a  vinery  and  forcing  pit  in  which  to  grow 
them,  it  would  be  a  difficult  matter  to  keep  up  a  succession 
all  the  year  round.  By  eliminating  all  flowers  except 
those  that  are  blue  and  mauve  in  colour,  you  are  deprived 
of  most  subjects  generally  used  for  decorative  purposes. 
Hyacinths,  Crocuses  and  Scilla  sibirica.  if  potted  soon, 
may,  by  forcing,  be  had  in  bloom  early  in  the  year,  and 
Neinesia  Blue  Gem,  sown  in  the  autumn,  will  flower  in 
the  spring.  Cinerarias,  too,  may  be  had  in  various  shades 
of  blue,  and  Primulas  also  will  supply  the  required  tints. 
In  summer  you  may  depend  upon  such  subjects  as 
Campanulas,  Achimenes,  Gloxinias,  Statices  of  sorts, 
SoUya  Drummondii  (the  Bluebell  Creeper  of  Australia), 
Solanum  Wendlandli.  Streptoiarpuses,  Exacum  macran- 
thum,  Impatiens  Oliveri  a, id  rlumbago  capensis.  In 
late  summer  the  rich  pur|ili'.li  blue  flowers  of  Lasiandra 
macrantha  are  very  showy,  liut  in  late  autumn  and  winter 
the  choice  is  very  limited.  Colons  thyrsoideus,  a  beautiful 
rich  blue  flower,  is  very  fine  at  that  season,  but  it  is  delicate 
for  room  decoration,  while  two  mauves  are  Erlangea 
tomentosa  and  Erica  melaiitbera. 

FERNS  FROM  SPORES  (Han(«).— The  sports  should 
"erminate  in  about  a  month.  The  first  sign  0/  growth 
is  a  green  moss-like  substance,  which  covers  the  surface 
of  the  soil.  The  spores  of  most  Ferns  are  so  minute 
that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  sow  them  thinly  ;  hence 
dose  inspection  of  the  moss-like  matter  will  reveal  the 
fact  that  it  is  made  up  of  a  vast  number  of  tiny  scales. 
As  these  grow  crowded  together,  they  are  very  liable 
to  damp  off,  to  prevent  which  small  clumps  must  be 
carefully  lifted  and  pricked  off  into  prepared  pots  or  pans 
of  fine  soil.  A  small-pointed  stick  will  be  very  useful 
for  lifting  them  from  the  seed-pots  and  also  for  pricking 
them  off.     It  is,  of  course,  necessary  to  keep  them  shaded. 


Directly  the  young  fronds  commence  to  push  up,  they 
should  be  again  pricked  off,  in  order  to  allow  space  for 
their  development.  In  some  soils  a  tiny<  moss  will 
make  its  appearance  quite  as  soon  as  the  germinating 
spores,  and  will  choke  many  of  them.  To  prevent  this 
it  is  a  good  plan  to  bake  the  soil  before  the  spores  are  sowTl 
on  it,  as  this  destroys  both  vegetable  and  insect  pests. 

ROSE     GARDEN. 

SIZE  OF  SHOW  BOX  (jliyraAiie).— For  twelve  blooms 
the  box  must  be  2  feet  long,  and  all  boxes  are  18  inches 
wide  and  4  inches  high  in  front.  The  tubes  must  he 
5  Inches  apart  each  way,  measuring  from  the  centre  of  the 
tube. 

WICHURAIANA  ROSES  TO  DROOP  OVER  WALL 
(Brownie). — Hiawatha  would  do  well,  but  Leuchtstern 
would  be  too  stiff  in  growth.  Other  good,  bright  kinds 
would  he  Excelsa,  Sodenia,  Newport  Fairy  and  Troubadour, 
and  the  following,  although  not  reds,  would  be  excellent : 
Shower  of  Gold.  Frau  C.  Hesse,  Leontine  Gervaise, 
American  Pillar  and  Silver  Moon. 

ROSES  FOR  COLD  GREENHOUSE  (E.  hangman).— 
Vou  Would  flud  "  The  Century  Book  of  Gardening  "  very 
helpful  to  you,  as  it  gives  abundant  hints  in  greenhouse 
management.  It  is  published  at  these  offices.  "  Rose 
Growing  Made  Easy,"  alsofrom  the  same  offices,  gives  most 
useful  hints  on  the  greenlunisc  culture  of  Roses.  You 
could  grow  excellent  Roses  on  the  walls  marked  A  and  B. 
We  advise  some  climbers  on  .\,  such  as  Gustave  RegiSj 
Florence  H.  Veitch,  Mme,  Abel  Chatenay,  Billiard  et 
Barre,  Cliinliing  Ladv  Asht.iwn.  Climbing  Mrs.  W.  J. 
Grant,  Climliiiig  I.ihertv.  Clinibiim  Richmond,  Bouquet 
d'Or,  Carobii.'  i'lstout  and  Fran  Karl  Druscliki ;  for  Wall  B, 
Mrs.  H.  Stevens,  General  Macarthur,  Lyon  Rose,  .Mme. 
Ravar>,  Duchess  of  Wellington,  .Mrs.  Amy  Haramoud, 
Sunburst,  Joseph  Hill,  Prince  de  Bnlgarie,  .Mme.  Charles 
Lutand  and  Edward  Mawley.  Prepare  the  border  well, 
digging  it  :E  feet  deep,  and  add  some  good  manure  ai.d  basic 
slag  to  the  lower  soil.  Plant  in  October  or  November, 
and  prune  back  hard  the  first  season  about  February. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

PARSLEY  TURNING  PINK  (C.  a.).—\m  might, 
perhaps,  try  the  olfe.ct  of  watering  the  Parsley  with  a 
weak  solution  of  sulphate  of  potash  (half  an  ounce  to 
a  gallon  of  water).  It  may  be  owing  to  lack  of  potash 
that  the  plants  are  losing  their  green  colouring. 

ASPARAGUS  THREE  OR  FOUR  YEARS  OLD  (Miles).— 
The  bed  should  be  in  full  hearing  next  year.  Cut  all  the 
young  grass  next  season  which  appears  above  ground  until 
jiine~20.  Then  stop  cutting  for  good  for  that  season. 
The  small  grass,  if  cut  young,  is  excellent  for  s.iups.  For 
the  summer  treatment,  keep  ttie  bed  free  from  weeds ;  give 
a  good  soaking  of  manure-water  from  stable  or  cowyard  in 
.Tuly,  repeating  the  dose  a  month  later  and  again  about 
the' middle  of  September.  If  manure-water  is  not  avail- 
able, the  following  will  answer  the  purpose  as  well  :  To 
every  two  gallons  of  clean  water  apply  a  good  handful  of 
best  Canary  Guano,  well  dissolving  it  in  the  water  before 
applving.  For  the  autumn  and  winter  treatment,  as  soon 
as  the  grsss  is  ripe  and  yellow,  cut  otf  and  clear  it  away 
immediately  afterwards,  and  rake  off  the  loose  soil  or 
spent  manure  into  the  alley  or  path  beside  the  bed.  Then 
cover  the  bed  over  with  half-rotted  farmyard  manure, 
spreading  a  little  soil  from  the  alley  to  give  the  bed  a  neat 
appearance,  turning  over  the  surface  soil  of  the  alleys  at 
the  same  time  to  give  them  a  tidy  appearance  during 
winter.  For  the  spring  treatment,  at  the  end  of  March 
rake  off  the  loose  part  of  the  top-dressing  (manure  placed 
on  in  autumn)  into  the  alley,  then  dig  the  alley  up  by  the 
side  of  the  bed  (on  both  sides),  mixing  the  manure,  and 
well  water  the  soil.  Having  done  this,  cover  the  bed  over 
(4  inches  deep)  with  the  soil  from  the  alley.  The  young 
grass  will  be  partly  blanched  in  tbis  soil  as  it  grows,  and 
should  be  cut  close  to  the  crown  of  the  plant  with  a  proper 
Asparagus  knife  as  soon  as  it  is  2  inbhes  or  3  inches  above 
ground.  The  best  time  to  apply  salt  is  immediately  after 
the  bed  has  been  covered  with  soil  in  spring.  It  should 
be  applied  at  the  rate  of  a  pint  to  the  square  yard  of  ground. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

THE  BEST  BLACKBERRY  (Patch).— Via  think  the 
best  is  the  Parsley-leaved  English  Blackberry.  We  know 
of  a  plant  growing  on  woodwork  with  at  least  301b.  of 
fruit  on  it,  the  first  lot  of  fruit  being  picked  a  week  ago. 
This  is  an  old  and  well-known  variety,  and  any  nursery- 
man advertising  in  THE  G.\RDEN  will  supply  you. 

MUSSEL  SCALE  ON  PEARS  (IF.  W.  H.).— The  Pears 
are  badlv  attacked  by  the  mussel  scale.  Spraying  with 
caustic  soda  (21b.  to  ten  gallons  of  water)  while  the  trees  are 
dormant  is  the  best  winter  treatment,  for  it  loosens  and 
causes  to  fall  many  of  the  scales  made  by  the  female  under 
which  to  deposit  her  eggs.  Scrubbing  is  a  good  measure 
on  the  trunk.  If  this  treatment  is  insuflacient  (as  is  likely 
when  the  attack  is  so  very  bad),  spray  again  when  the 
young  scales  hatch  out  in  June  (or  sometimes  in  May) 
with  a  nicotine  wash. 

COX'S  ORANGE  APPLE  TREE  (K.  M.  j:.).— The 
blossom  with  wiiich  the  tree  is  now  furnished  is  the  result 
of  the  premature  ripening  of  a  few  of  the  fruit-buds,  which 
not  infrequently  happens  on  trees  recently  planted  or 
trees  which  have  been  root-pruned.  The  resulting  fruit, 
if  any,  will  bo  of  no  use,  so  the  blossom  had  better  be  picked 
off  "it  should  make  little  or  no  difl'eronce  to  the  tree 
fruiting  all  right  next  year.  Give  the  soil  a  good  liming 
this  autumn,  forking  it  into  the  soil  4  inches  deep,  and 
applying  it  at  the  rate  of  ouc  gallon  to  the  square  yard. 


«^   &uV- 


jm  GARDEN.! 


4^u^t^ 


No.  2182.--V0L.  LXXVIL 


September  13.  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


NOTES  OF  THE  Wp:i:k 

COKKESPONDENCE 
Tiie  best  white  bed- 

dinu  Rose    . . 
A  veti^'ran  Cvclami'ii 
I  lie  xMidland  Daffodil 

Society 
llo^e  Irish  Eleijance 

Beautiful  bul  ho  us 
greunhouse  plants  : 
The  Xeriiie^  . . 

Tulips  in  Krass  . . 

A.  charming  Crocus  for 
the  rock  garden    . . 

Bulb  lists 

.\Liy-flowering  Tulip•^ 
under  youns  Applr 
trees         

l*oetaz  Narcissi  . . 

The  Daffodil  tly 

A  dainty  Daffodil 

Weeding  out  weak- 
growing  Daffodils.. 

Narcissus  Brighteyc. . 

The  Crown  or  Poppy 
Aneniono 


4:..^ 


Naturalitfhig  Dalfodil> 
in  grass 461 

Coloured  Plate 
Some    good    new 
Daffodils     ..     ..     161 

What     is     a     florist's 
rtowcr  ? 462 

Narcissus  CoUeen      . .     46a 

A  gorgeous  Tulip      . .     463 

Daffodils    i]\    New 

Zealand 463 

Gardening  fok  Beginners 
Growing     bulbs    in 

fibre 465 

Potting  and  boxing 
Lobelia        . .      . .     465 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
Tor    Sout hern    ga r- 

dens      . .      , ,      . .      466 
For    Nort hern    ga r- 

dens 46G 

"The    Daffodil    Year- 
Book"      467 

Cossington  House      . .     467 
Registration    of     now 
plants      468 


IliliUSTRATIONS. 

Campanula  lanata ,      .  .  454 

A  beautiful  grouping  of  J[ay-tlowt'ring  Tulips  . .      ..  457 

Narcissus  Aspasia,  a  beautiful  Poetaz  variety  . .      . .  458 

Narcissus  triandrus  calathinus 459 

Narcissus  Brighteyc,  a  new  Poeticus  variety     , .      . .  460 

Daffodil*  naturalised  in  grass  in  Cumberland    .  .      ..  461 

Some  good  new  Daffodils       Coloured  plate 

A  woodland  scene  in  spring 462 

Narcissus  Colleen,  a  beautiful  new  variety        . .      . .  463 

A  beautiful  bowl  of  Tulip?  Prince  do  Ligne       . .      , .  464 

Growing  bulbs  in  fibre 465 

A  beautiful  group  of  Daffodils 467 

EDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  tcelcomes  photogniphe,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  vot  he  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  itill  be  taken,  and  tvhere  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  mil  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


NOTES     OF     THE     WEEK. 


As  rcjaids  jihotugtaphs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asl;s  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  icith. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  ickich  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
he  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tarislock  Street,  CorenI  Garden,  W.C. 


Musk  Without  Scent.— Will  "  F.  M.,  Surrey," 
wliose  note  on  tlif  aliove  subject  appeared  on 
page  430  of  August  30  issue,  please  send  us  his 
full  name  and  address.  We  liave  a  number  of 
letters  to  forward  to  him 

Collarette  Dahlia  H.  Farman. — This  is  one  of 

the  most  showy  members  of  a  comparatively 
new  race,  and  a  valuable  plant  for  the  outdoor 
garden  just  now.  Its  fiowers  stand  well  above 
the  foliage,  and  their  crimson  scarlet  and  deep 
primrose  colour  is  very  striking.  Although  not 
greatly  enamoured  with  Collarette  Dahlias,  we 
cannot  overlook  the  usefulness  of  the  variety 
under  notice  where  bold  masses  of  colour  are 
desired. 
The  Early-flowering  Cosmos. — For  some  weeks 

we  have  been  enjoying  the  dainty  blossoms  of  the 
early-flowering  Cosmos,  a  race  introduced  some 
few  years  ago  by  Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co.  We 
have  three  varieties,  viz.,  Crimson  King,  Rose 
Queen  and  White  Queen.  The  drawback  to  the 
old  Cosmos  bipinnatus  was  its  late  flowering, 
but  this  has  been  entirely  overcome  in  this  new 
race,  the  units  of  which  deserve  to  be  grow-n  in 
every  garden.  They  are  ver>-  dainty  for  cutting. 
The   Purple   Cone-flower. — One   of   the   most 

attracti\'e  plants  in  the  herbaceous  border  just  now 
is  the  Purple  Cone-flower,  Rudbeckia  atropiir- 
purea.  This  is  a  hardy  perennial  of  stately  mien, 
attaining  a  height  of  3  feet  or  more  in  good  soil. 
The  flowers,  which  resemble  in  shape  those  of  a 
perennial  Sunflower,  are  bright  rose  piu'ple  in 
colour,  aiid  the  plant  is  sometimes  erroneously 
referred  to  as  the  red  or  purple  Sunflower.  It 
seems  to  appreciate  well-enriched  soil  and  a  fairly 
open  position. 

A  Beautiful  Herbaceous  Lobelia. — One  often 
sees  and  reads  of  the  red  shades  of  Lobelias  of  the 
fulgens  and  cardinalis  type,  but  seldom  is  any 
mention  made  of  the  beautiful  Lobelia  Milleri,  with 
its  flowers  of  rich  purple.  It  is  a  hybrid  between 
the  well-known  L.  'fulgens  and  the  hardy  L. 
syphilitica,  and  is  quite  as  easy  to  grow  as  any  of 
the  others.  A  large  bed  of  any  of  the  ordinary 
bedding  yellow  Calceolarias  intermixed  with  this 
little-known  Lobelia  makes  a  very  effective  autumn 
combination. 

Fuchsias  lor  the  Outdoor  Garden. — .Anyone 
desirous  (tf  growing  nniamental  free-flowering 
plants  with  little  trouble  would  do  well  to  try  some 
of  the  hardy  Fuchsias  for  the  wild  garden,  the  front 
of  shrubberies,  or  in  a  large  bed  by  themselves. 
They  commence  to  flower  in  June  or  early  in  July, 
and  give  a  wealth  of  blossom  from  then  until  the 
frost  comes.  There  are  several  kinds,  but  Fuchsia 
gracilis  is  perhaps  the  better  known,  although 
F.  globosa,  F.  Riccartoni  and  F.  coccinea  are  equally 
as  good.  In  the  South-West  and  other  more 
favourable  parts  of  England  they  form  hedges,  but 
in  the  colder  regions  of  this  country  thev  are  best 


treated  as  herbaceous  plants,  cutting  them  down 
in  winter.  If  the  weather  is  very  severe  they 
should  have  a  layer  of  ashes  put  over  the  crowns  ; 
but  it  must  be  taken  off  as  soon  as  the  weather 
breaks.  They  may  be  increased  by  cuttings  now, 
or  by  divisions  in  the  spring. 

The  Lyre-flower  as  a  Pot  Plant. — The  beautifid 

Dicentr.i  spect.ili:lis  )s  !'■(.  well  known  to  need  any 
recommendation.  It  is  not,  however,  generally 
known  that  it  is  excellent  for  pot  culture.  Good 
strong  pieces  should  be  potted  up  now,  and  the 
pots  plunged  in  ashes  for  a  short  time,  similar  to 
the  treatment  given  to  bulbs  in  pots,  to  encourage 
root  growth.  Then  the  plants  may  be  gently 
forced,  and  will  come  into  bloom  early  in  the  New- 
Year,  or  thev  may  be  grown  under  cooler  condi- 
tions, criming  nil  later  before  the  outdoor  flowers. 

A    Charming    Combination   of    Pink. — h   few 

days  ago  we  noticed  a  rather  unique  but  effective 
combination  of  perennial  and  annual  flowers.  The 
bed  was  a  large,  circular  one  in  a  broad  expanse 
of  lawn.  In  this  the  Japanese  Anemone  known 
as  Queen  Charlotte  had  been  rather  sparsely 
planted,  and  between  the  plants  the  pink  Mallow, 
Lavatera  rosea  splendens,  had  been  sown.  Tlie 
soft  pink  of  the  .Mallows  harmonised  perfectly  with 
the  rose  pink  blooms  of  the  Anemone,  and  created 
a  study  in  these  shades  that  might  well  be  emulated 
in  other  places.  We  understand  that  the  Mallows 
were  sown  in  the  bed  early  in  .\pril. 

A  Good  Autumn  Rock  Plant. — One  of  the  most 
attraitive  rock  plants  of  recent  introduction  is 
Corydalis  Wilsonii.  This  beautiful  Fumitory, 
which  is  now  a  mass  of  flower,  was  discovered  in 
China  by  the  well-known  collector  after  whom  it 
is  named.  It  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  whole  genus, 
with  its  erect  racemes  of  large,  deep  canary  yellow 
flowers,  7  inches  to  8  inches  in  length,  standing 
above  the  elegantly-cut,  glaucous  green  foliage.  It 
commences  to  flower  early  in  the  summer  and 
continues  throughout  the  autumn  and  the  early 
part  of  the  winter,  providing  the  weather  remains 
mild.  It  appears  to  be  quite  hardy  as  regards  cold, 
but  should  be  planted  so  that  it  gets  some  shelter 
from  an  overhanging  rock. 

The    Destruction    of    Wasps'    Nests.  —  The 

following  note,  culled  from  a  dailj'  paper,  is  of 
interest  and  value  at  this  season,  as  it  gives  a  simple 
and  efficacious  means  of  reducing  the  wasp  pest : 
"  Having  been  connected  with  fruit  cultivation 
for  thirty-eight  years,  I  have  found  the  most  simple 
and  efficient  way  to  destroy  wasps'  nests  is  by 
using  the  following  method :  During  the  day 
locate  the  nest  and  no'te  if  there  is  more  than  one 
entrance  to  the  same.  Procure  an  ordinary  wine 
bottle  and  put  in  a  pint  or  more  of  paraffin  oil, 
and  as  soon  as  it  is  dusk  take  a  lantern,  find  the 
hole,  pour  in  the  oil,  and  push  the  neck  of  the 
bottle  into  the  hole  and  leave  it.  There  will  not 
be  a  wasp  alive  by  the  next  night,  all  being  destroyed 
by  the  fumes.  It  is  not  often  there  are  two 
entrances ;  if  there  are,  block  the  top  one  up 
securelv." 


454 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  13,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

The  Editor    is    not    responsible    tor    the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


The    Best   White    Bedding    Rose.— Like    Mi. 

H.  E.  Mulyneiix  (page  443),  I  shuuld  unhesitatingly- 
select  Molly  Sharman  Crawford  and  Mrs.  H. 
Stevens  as  the  best  white  bedders.  My  White 
Killameys  are  simply  bad  from  mildew,  and  I  am 
not  going  to  harbour  these,  Mme.  Jules  Grolez, 
Bessie  Brown,  and  a  few  other  notorious  mildewers 
among  my  main  body  of  plants  in  future.  I  must 
grow  some,  but  they  will  be  kept  in  a  distant  part 
bv  themselves,  and  probably  go  through  the 
"  kill  or  cure  "  test. — A.  P. 

Campanula  lanata  in  Ireland. — The  accompany- 
ing illustration,  from  a  photograph  kindly  sent 
us  by  Miss  Stokes  of  Baily,  Dublin,  represents  a 
fine  plant  of  the  comparatively  rare  Campanula 
lanata.  The  plant  is  2  feet  6  inches 
high  and  3  feet  i  inch  in  diameter. 
Miss  Stokes  says :  "  The  plant  was 
raised  from  seed  brought  from 
Bulgaria,  and  has  lived  two  years 
without  protection,  but  this  is  the 
first  year  it  has  bloomed.  Other 
plants  raised  from  the  same  stock 
of  seed  have  pale  pink  flowers." 

Musk  Losing  Its  Scent. — May 

I    add   another   mstance    of    Musk 

losing  its  scent    to    those    already 

sent    by    correspondents    of    The 

Garden  ?     This  is  an  old  garden, 

and   the   place    was    formerly    the 

residence  of  my  grandmother,  who 

died  in  the  early  eighties.     Before 

that  I  know  that  the  Musk  which 

grows  all    round   the    step   of   the 

greenhouse  had   a  delicious   scent. 

It  seeds  freely,  and  has  established 

itself  in   many  odd   corners  ;     but 

since  I  came  to  live  here  ten  years 

ago  it  has  never  had  any  scent   at 

all,  although   I   have  examined  it 

carefully     many     times.  —  M.     E. 

CuRLE,  Melrose. 
A  Veteran  Cyclamen.— ."^s  our 

July  corresponds  with  your  Janu- 
ary, I  have  just  been  reading  The 

Garden  for  January  18,  in   which 

you  mention  a  Cyclamen  plant,  the 

age  of  which  was  twenty-five  years. 

I  can  easily  beat  you,  for  my  friend, 

Mr.  John  Enys  of  Enys,  Cornwall, 

in  riding  over  the  Holy  Land, 
dismounted  to  take  up  a  plant  of 
Cyclamen.  He  afterwards  came  out  here,  where  he 
lived  many  years.  At  one  time,  on  leaving  to  pay  a 
visit  to  England,  he  gave  me  the  plant  to  take  care 
of,  saying  he  had  had  it  thirty  years.  I  put  it  in 
my  greenhouse,  where  it  bore  seventy-two  flowers 
at  once.  On  his  return  he  said  I  could  keep  it. 
but  it  only  lived  two  or  three  years  more. — Emma 
T,  Izard,  Whanaka,  Chrislclnirch,  New  Zealand. 

The  Midland  Daffodil  Society.— With  regard 
to  the  continuance  of  the  heretofore  annual  dinner 
of  this  society,  referred  to  by  Mr.  Adams  in  your 
last  issue,  kindly  allow  us  to  say  that,  although 
when  approached  we  agreed  to  subscribe  to  it,  on 
more  mature  consideration  we  are  strongly  of 
opinion  that  it  would  be  inopportune  to  hold  the 
dinner  in  1914,  while  the  calamity  of  our  host's 
death  is  still  so  fresh.  The  matter,  however,  is 
scarcely  suited  for  discussion  in  your  columns,  but 


must  be  decided  by  the  committee  of  the  society. — 
P.'  D.  Williams  (President,  Midland  Daffodil 
Society),  G.  H.  En'Gleheart  (ex- President). 

Roscoea    purpurea    Flowering    Outdoors    in 

Scotland. — One  does  not  often  see  the  distinct 
Roscoea  purpurea  in  the  open  in  Scottish  gardens, 
but  I  came  across  a  good  plant  in  bloom  the  other 
day  in  an  Ayrshire  garden.  One  cannot  well 
call  it  showy,  but  it  is  an  interesting  plant, 
and  one  of  the  few  of  its  class  to  be  met  with  in 
outdoor  gardens.  It  will  never  find  favour  with 
those  who  delight  only  in  showy  plants,  but  the 
formation  of  the  flowers  is  unlike  that  of  most 
border  subjects,  and  the  deep  purple  blooms 
among  the  lanceolate  leaves  are  attractive  in  their 
way.  I  can  count  the  Scottish  gardens  in  which 
I  have  met  with  it  as  a  hardy  flower  on  the  fingers 
of  one  hand,  although  one  has  seen  it  rather  more 
frequently  in  places  where  it  was  protected  in 
winter.     A  freely-drained,  rather  porous  and  sandy 


A    FINE    PLANT    OF    A    LITTLE-KNOWN    BELLFLOWER,    CAMPANULA 
LANATA,    IN    A    READER'S    GARDEN    IN    IRELAND. 

soil  apparently  suits  it  best,  but  it  must  not  suffer 
from  t<io  much  drought  in  suininer. — S.  Arnott. 

Prepared  Hyacinths  to  Flower  at  Christmas. — 

1  promised  in  my  article  of  August  9  to  find  out 
about  the  necessary  temperature  in  which  these 
must  be  grown  to  ensure  their  flowering  at  or  before 
Christmas.  When  I  tried  them  last  year  they  were 
from  a  week  to  ten  days  earlier  than  ordinary 
ones  of  the  same  variety  unprepared  ;  but  I  liad 
not  flowers  for  Christmas.  I  do  not  wonder  at  it 
now  I  Unow  that  they  must  have  a  temperature 
of  between  70°  to  80°  Fahr.  in  which  to  grow  and 
develop,  whereas  with  me  they  certainly  never  had 
over  65'^,  and,  as  a  rule,  only  between  50°  to  60°. 
Here,  then,  are  the  cultural  directions  in  a  nutshell  : 
Pot  as  early  as  possible — in  August  or  up  to  Sep- 
tember 15  at  the  latest.  Treat  as  ordinary 
Hvacinths,  plunging  them  outside  in  a  cool  place 


until  rooted.  Take  them  out  about  November  12 
to  15.  Put  them  at  once  in  a  dark,  moist  place 
in  a  greenhouse,  avoiding  any  bottom-heat,  and 
give  them  a  temperature  of  between  70°  and  So°. 
When  the  stems  have  grown  and  the  flower-buds 
are  plainly  visible  on  their  pedicels,  the  plants 
must  be  gradually  exposed  to  the  light.  The 
temperature  must  still  be  kept  at  from  70°  to  80°; 
in  fact,  it  must  not  be  altered  until  the  flowers 
are  expanded,  when  it  may  be  reduced  somewhat 
for  a  day  or  two  before  the  pots  are  brought  into 
the  dwelling-house  or  a  cool  conservatory. 
L'Innocence,  General  Pelissier,  Grande  Blanche, 
Gertrude  and  Marie  are  well  suited  for  this 
particular  culture.  The  last  two  require  a 
rather  longer  period  in  the  hothouse  before  they 
will  bloom  than  the  first  three. — Joseph  Jacob. 

A  Good  Dry-Soil  Rose. — That  splendid  variety 
Hugh  Dickson  has  done  remarkably  well  this 
year  in  a  very  light,  sandy  soil.  For  several  weeks 
during  July  a  large  bed  of  plants 
yielded  grand  blooms,  and  by  the 
second  week  in  August  commenced 
to  flower  on  young  shoots  which 
were  very  strong.  While  many  varie- 
ties  growing  near  them  are  now 
badly  mildew-ed,  the  plants  of  Hugh 
Dickson  referred  to  are  quite  free. 
I  have  seen  this  Rose  growing  up 
the  branches  of  large  shrubs  and 
trees  in  a  garden  just  the  same 
as  Hybrid  Teas  grow — unpruned 
except  for  the  thinning  out  of 
weakly  shoots.  The  flowers  were 
lovely,  and  there  were  plenty  of 
them. — G.  G. 

Rose  Irish  Elegance.— In  your 
issue  of  August  30  I  have  seen  that 
"  A.  B.  Essex  "  would  be  pleased  to 
know  the  opinions  of  other  readers 
on  Rose  Irish  Elegance.  I  had  one 
planted  in  December,  1910,  here,  on 
the  seaside,  against  a  wall  facing 
west.  Since  the  first  year  the  plant 
lias  given  me  entire  satisfaction,  and 
has  been  the  admiration  of  all  my 
friends.  Later  on  I  purchased  some 
more,  which  have  been  planted  in 
other  parts  of  my  garden,  and  every- 
where this  variety  has  proved  to  be 
a  free-blooming  Rose,  bearing  the 
flowers  since  the  beginning  of  .May 
until  almost  the  end  of  October.  It 
suft'ers  a  little  from  mildew,  but  with 
a  small  quantity  of  sulphur  it  again 
recovers  good  health.  It  seems  to 
me  to  be  a  good  pillar  Rose,  and 
my  first  plant  is  now  more  than  two  metres  high. 
— J.  Nesouita,  Praia  de  Granja. 

"  A.  B.  Essex,"  on  page  430,  asks   for   the 

opinions  of  your  readers  as  to  the  merits  of  this  Rose 
for  the  garden.  If  grown  intelligently,  there  can  only 
be  one  answer  to  that  question.  Admitted  that  the 
life  of  a  full-blown  flower  does  not  exceed  forty-eight 
hours,  yet  it  flowers  so  freely  that  my  plants  of  it  are 
rarely  without  a  bloom  from  May  to  November. 
As  a  matter  of  curiosity,  before  sitting  down  to 
write  this  note,  I  made  a  special  journey  to  inspect 
my  plants.  I  have  growing  here  the  original 
plant  (I  believe  the  first  one  to  be  planted  outside 
the  nursery  of  the  raisers).  It  is  nine  years  old, 
and  is  a  bush  6  feet  high  and  4  feet  through,  carrying 
at  the  moment  seventy-five  buds  and  flo^\■ers 
with  the  promise  of  very  many  more.  Of  course, 
that  is  an  exceptional  plant,  but   the  Rose  is  one 


Supplement  to  THE  GARDEN,  September  i^/i,  lyij 


i 


FIVE  GOOD  NEW 
NARCISSI— 

1.  Ethelbert. 

2.  Florence  Pearson 

3.  The  Doctor. 

4.  Utopia. 

5.  Dream. 


SEPTEMBER    I3,  I9I3.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


456 


that  will  do  well  in  almost  any  situation.  It 
shaded  from  the  smi  (mine  are  planted  mider  a 
6-foot  fence  and  face  due  west),  the  colour  will 
remain  in  the  flowers  till  the  petals  drop.  The 
contrast  of  the  buds  and  flowers  with  the  foliage, 
its  wonderful  vigour  of  growth,  its  usefulness  for 
table  decoration  and  the  individual  beauty  of 
its  blooms  all  go  to  make  it  one  of  those  Roses  that 
should  be  in  every  garden.  The  only  possible 
objection  to  it  is  that  it  is  "  only  a  single,"  and 
that,  I  know,  is  a  fatal  one  to  many.  For  myself 
I  am  inclined  rather  to  the  opposite  view  that  for 
pure  beauty  one  must  go  to  the  single  Rose  to 
find  it,  and  of  all  single  Roses  Irish  Elegance  is 
entitled  to  pride  of  place.  Whether  Irish  Fire- 
flame  will  presently  depose  it  or  not  remains  to 
be  seen.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  it  will  always 
be  difficult  (and  purely  a  matter  of  taste)  to  decide 
between  them,  and  the  only  solution  will  be  to 
grow  them  both. — Herbert  E.  Molyneux, 
Southampton. 

I   read  with  interest  the  note  by  "  A.    B. 

Essex  "  in  The  Garden  of  August  30  on  Rose 
Irish  Elegance.  It  has  flowered  freely  with  me, 
having  started  early  in  the  year,  and  is  still  in 
bloom  and  making  nice  growth.  Everyone  falls 
in  love  with  it.  As  my  garden  is  only  a  few  feet 
square,  the  soil  sandy  loam,  and  faces  north, 
I  think  this  speaks  well  for  it. — R.  F.  L.,  Surrey. 

In   your  issue   of   the   30th   ult.,    "  A.    B. 

Essex "  asks,  "  Is  Rose  Irish  Elegance  free- 
flowering  ? "  I  have  grown  this  Rose  for  four 
years  in  my  garden  in  Montgomeryshire  (600  feet 
above  sea-level),  and  my  answer  is  decidedly  in 
the  affirmative.  My  only  tree  is  very  vigorous, 
and  now  has  a  leading  shoot  of  this  year's  growth 
over  six  feet  in  height,  crowned  with  eight  buds 
and  two  open  flowers.  The  tree  has  at  present  about 
twenty  other  flowers  or  buds.  At  the  latter  end 
of  June  it  bore  at  least  as  many  as,  or  more  than, 
the  present  crop,  and  it  had  a  period  of  rest  lasting 
about  a  fortnight.  The  tree  stands  in  the  face 
of  the  south-west  gales,  which  are  very  strong  here, 
and  requires,  therefore,  to  be  well  staked.  This 
has  been  truly  a  wonderful  Rose  year.  There 
has  been  very  little  trouble  with  green  fly,  but 
the  recent  "  muggy  "  weather,  with  heavy  dews 
at  night,  has  brought  on  mildew,  and  I  have  had  a 
severe  struggle  to  keep  it  in  check.  With  so  many 
blooms  on  the  trees  it  is  impossible  to  syringe 
them,  and  I  have  been  obliged  to  resort  to  sponging 
the  leaves  with  a  weak  solution  of  formaldehyde, 
dusting  the  worst  affected  leaves  or  stems  with 
flowers  of  sulphur  afterwards.  The  Rambler 
Roses  have  been  particularly  prolific.  The  masses 
of  bloom  on  Dorothy  Perkins  have  been  wonder- 
ful.— Edward  R.  Picolmore. 

— ■ — •  Your  correspondent  "  A.  B.  Essex  " 
asks  in  your  issue  of  the  30th  ult.  the  opinion  of 
other  readers  as  to  the  merits  of  Rose  Irish 
Elegance,  especially  as  to  its  being  free-flowering 
or  the  reverse.  I  can  only  say  that  in  my  garden, 
and  still  more  in  that  of  a  neighbour,  where  the 
soil  is  better,  it  is  almost,  if  not  quite,  the  most 
free-flowering  Rose  I  know.  It  begins  with  the 
earliest  Roses,  goes  on  with  the  latest,  grows  into 
a  fine  bush,  and  is  generally  covered  with  bloom. 
Its  blooms  are  fugacious,  that  no  one  can  deny, 
but  the  extreme  beauty  of  the  buds,  especially  when 
half  open,  quite  makes  up  for  that,  I  think. 
Perhaps  "  A.  B.  Essex's  "  friends  may  have  made 
the  mistake  of  pruning  this  Rose,  which  should 
never  be  done  after  the  first  year.  Only  the  dead 
and  weak  wood  should  be  cut  out. — C.  E.  Logan 
Elmslie.  FarnJutm^  Surrey. 


BEAUTIFUL      BULBOUS 
GREENHOUSE    PLANTS. 


THE     NERINES. 

THOUGH  this  beautiful  genus  of 
.\marylhdae  has  been  cultivated  for 
more  than  a  century  and  is  remarkably 
free  from  many  of  the  diseases  and 
difficulties  which  attend  the  cultivation 
of  many  bulbous  plants,  it  has  received 
very  little  attention,  except  from  a  few  amateurs. 
As  I  have  made  rather  a  speciaUty  of  Nerines 
for  over  thirty  years,  and  have  been  able  to  improve 
them  to  a  very  great  extent  in  variety  of  colour, 
size  and  form  of  individual  flowers  and  of  the  truss, 
and  especially  in  their  freedom  and  regularity  of 
flowering,  in  which  the  old  Nerine  samiensis,  com- 
monly known  as  the  Guernsey  Lily,  is  so  deficient, 
I  am  able  to  give  some  hints  on  their  cultivation 
which  may  be  useful  to  others. 

The  wild  species  of  Nerine  are  all  natives  of 
South  Africa,  but  we  know  \^ery  little  of  their 
life-history  or  the  conditions  under  which  they 
grow  there.  Herbert,  in  his  admirable  monograph, 
describes  the  species  and  hybrids  known  seventy 
years  ago,  since  when  no  novelties  of  sterling  merit 
have  been  introduced,  and  it  seems  to  me  that 
unless  fresh  blood  can  be  discovered,  we  have  nearly 
reached  the  limit  of  possible  improvement.  A  great 
many  of  the  names  recognised  as  specific  are,  in 
ray  opinion,  quite  unworthy  of  such  rank,  and, 
as  all  the  species  hybridise  with  more  or  less  ease 
in  cultivation,  we  may  reasonably  suppose  that 
they  have  done  so  in  Nature  also.  From  time  to 
time  so-called  species  or  hybrids  have  been  selected, 
such  as  Planti,  coruscans,  atrosanguinea,  Meadow- 
banki,  which  were  superior  to  samiensis,  and 
probably  derive  their  improvement  in  a  great 
measure  from  Fothergilli,  which  remains  the  king 
of  the  true  species.  But  the  immense  variety  of 
colour  which  I  have  now  obtained  by  intercrossing 
hybrids,  ranging  from  crimson  through  all  shades 
of  mauve,  pink  and  red  to  pure  white,  is  so  great 
that  they  have  almost  attained  the  stage  of  florists' 
flowers,  and  many  of  the  seedlings  which  have  been 
named,  in  deference  to  the  rules  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  floral  committee,  are  so  near 
each  other  that  they  require  a  specialist  to  dis- 
tinguish and  judge  them,  just  as  much  as  Narcissi  do. 
What  is  a  Good  Nerine  ? — The  standards  of 
merit  which  I  reqxiire  in  a  Nerine  are,  first,  that  the 
six  segments  of  the  perianth  shall  be  regular  in  shape 
and  position,  as  in  Fothergilli,  and  not  irregular 
or  narrow  as  in  flexuosa  and  all  the  hybrids  derived 
from  it,  of  which  Manselli  is  one  of  the  best  and 
one  of  the  most  fioriferous.  For  this  reason  I  do 
not  look  on  Bowdeni,  a  recent  introduction 
which  is  superior  in  size  to  any  except  FothergiUi, 
as  a  desirable  parent  of  hybrids,  though  it  may  serve 
to  prolong  the  flowering  season,  which  is  an  impor- 
tjmt  element  in  a  collection  of  Nerines.  Formerly, 
September  and  October  were  the  season  of  flowering 
of  all  the  older  species,  but  now  the  latter  half 
of  October  is  the  time  at  which  in  normal  seasons 
I  have  the  greatest  show  in  my  Nerine  house. 
Secondly,  colour,  which,  whatever  its  shade, 
ought  to  be  clean,  pure  and  sparkling  with  the 
diamond-dust-like  particles  which  make  a  Nerine 
so  beautiful  in  sunshine.  All  shades  of  pink, 
cerise  and  scarlet  are  easy  enough  to  get,  but  very 
dark  and  very  pale  shades  are  not  so  common, 
for  though  the  crossing  of  pudica  has  produced 
many  of  them,  they  are  often  deficient  in  size  and 
form.     \  pure  white  Nerine  of  good  shape  has  long 


been  my  great  object,  for  though  I  have  heard  of 
white  forms  of  Nerine  in  South  .\frica,  the  only 
one  I  was  ever  able  to  get  until  I  raised  Snowflake 
was  flexuosa  alba.  The  delicate  waving  of  the 
edge  of  the  petals,  which  is  such  a  beautiful  featurs 
in  Mrs.  H.  Elwes,  Coimtess  Bathurst,  and  others 
of  my  raising,  is  a  matter  of  taste,  but  adds  much, 
in  my  opinion,  to  the  beauty.  But  no  Nerine  which 
does  not  flower  annually  imder  proper  treatment 
should  be  looked  on  as  perfect,  shy  flowering  being 
the  great  defect  of  many  of  the  older  imported 
forms,  which  often  produce  only  two  or  three 
spikes  from  a  pot  of  ten  or  twelve  full-sized  bulbs  ; 
whereas  all  my  best  hybrids  flower  annually 
and  sometimes  produce  two  spikes  on  a  bulb. 
One  of  the  finest  hybrids  raised  by  Mr.  Elliott 
was  Purple  Prince,  but  it  had  the  great  defect  of 
flowering  only  at  intervals  of  some  years,  though 
many  that  I  have  raised  from  it  as  the  male  parent 
are,  under  similar  treatment,  quite  free  bloomers. 
Leichtlin's  best  hybrid  Novelty  was  a  first-rate 
variety,  though  the  flowers  showed  too  much  of 
the  irregularity  of  flexuosa,  just  as  Manselli  and 
tardiflora  do.  Few,  if  any,  of  the  numerous  hybrids 
which  have  been  raised  and  named  at  Glasnevin 
come  up  to  ray  standard.  Mr.  Godman  is  now 
raising  some  nice  hybrids,  and  Mrs.  F.  D.  Godman, 
which  I  raised  ten  years  or  more  ago,  is  one  of 
the  best  colours  of  all.  Miss  Willmott  is  also  a 
beauty,  but  hardly  distinct  from  some  seedlings 
of  Meadowbanki. 

The  Cultivation  of  Nerines  is  simple  enough 
if  a  few  leading  points  are  attended  to.  First, 
they  require  a  position  near  the  glass  in  a 
cold,  unshaded  greenhouse,  with  plenty  of  air 
during  the  growing  season,  when  the  ther- 
mometer should  never  be  allowed  to  fall  to 
freezing-point  or  to  exceed  50"  to  60°  except 
in  full  sunshine.  Secondly,  they  must  have 
regular  and  liberal  watering  during  the  growing 
season,  the  object  being  to  develop  as  many  sturdy, 
fleshy  leaves  as  possible  on  a  hard,  firm  bulb. 
This  is  best  obtained  by  growing  them  in  moderate- 
sized,  well-drained  pots,  in  which  the  bulbs  are 
about  half  covered  with  good,  light,  but  not  too 
sandy  loam,  and  feeding  them  when  the  pots  are 
full  of  roots,  with  soot-water  or  weak  liquid  manure. 
As  soon  as  the  leaves  begin  to  turn  yellow,  in  April 
and  May,  water  must  be  discontinued,  and  as  soon 
as  the  leaves  have  quite  withered,  the  pots  may 
be  turned  out  into  a  cold  frame,  where  they  must 
be  kept  dry  till  the  spikes  begin  to  show  in  Sep- 
tember or  October.  It  is  well  to  stand  the  pot 
in  a  pan  of  water  when  growth  commences,  in  order 
to  moisten  the  dry  soil  thoroughly  from  below. 
Any  offsets  can  be  taken  off  when  repotting  is 
done  in  August,  and  though  the  bulbs  will  continue 
to  flower  for  many  years  without  repotting,  I 
find  it  best  to  do  so  about  once  in  three  years, 
as,  if  left  too  long,  the  offsets  low  down  in  the  pot 
force  the  older  bulbs  in  the  centre  right  out  of  the 
soil  and  do  not  flower  simultaneously  with  them. 

Seed  Should  be  Sown  when  ripe,  and  the  yoimg 
seedlings  kept  in  a  warmer  house  for  two  years  at 
least  without  resting  or  drying  them  off.  Under 
this  treatment  they  will  flower  in  much  less  time 
than  if  kept  in  the  same  house  and  ripened  off 
with  their  parents.  Mealy  bug  is  the  only  insect 
pest  which  has  ever  troubled  me,  and  when  its 
presence  is  detected  by  the  pale  spots  on  the  young 
leaves,  the  bulbs  must  be  thoroughly  cleaned 
with  some  insecticide,  as  in  the  resting  season 
these  insects  often  get  down  to  the  bottom  of  the 
pot  among  the  roots.     If  once  this  pest  is  allowed 


456 


THE    GARDEN. 


[September  13,  1913 


to  spread,  it  becomes  very  troublesome,  and  any 
plants  which  show  traces  of  it  should  be  kept  in 
quarantine  and  examined  carefully  at  short  inter- 
vals. If  any  bulbs  become  soft  or  rotten,  which 
may  be  due  to  overwatering  or  want  of  light  and 
air,  they  should  be  turned  out  of  the  pot  at  once 
and  destroyed ;  but  this  rarely  happens  unless 
they  are  grossly  neglected.  For  dinner-table 
decoration  in  the  autumn  I  know  of  few,  if  any, 
plants  which  surpass  Nerines,  because  their  colours 
show  up  so  well  under  a  strong  light,  and  a  variety 
of  different  shades  make  the  effect  much  better 
than  when  only  one  kmd  is  grown.  In  the  warmest 
parts  of  England  Nerines  may  be  grown  fairly 
well  in  a  cold  frame  all  the  year  round,  but 
in  my  experience  better  in  pots  than  planted 
out,  as  I  have  never  seen  them  in  perfection  so 
treated.  H.  J.  Elwes. 


TULIPS      IN      GRASS. 


M 


request  for  information  on  this  sub- 
ject, which  the  Editor  so  kindly 
inserted  in  the  issue  of  April  rg,  has 
brought  a  good  many  interest- 
ing replies,  including  two  from 
America  and  one  from  Germany. 
What  follows  is  a  sort  of  "  resurrection  pie  "  made 
from  their  ingredients. 

The  experiences  recounted  by  the  writers  are 
various.  From  them,  however,  one  or  two  facts 
may  be  gleaned.  First,  that  the  flowers  from  bulbs 
left  in  grass  are  much  smaller  than  those  from  lifted 
or  cultivated  ones.  Secondly,  that  the  continuation 
of  their  blooming  more  than  two,  or  possibly  three, 
years  depends  upon  the  soil.  Either  a  good  rich 
compost  must  be  made  and  introduced  under  the 
sod  to  plant  them  in,  or  an  annual  top-dressing 
must  be  given,  or  the  land  must  be  naturally 
suited  for  Tulips.  Thirdly,  that  if  there  is  a  con- 
tinuation of  blooming  at  all,  it  is  not  the  monopoly 
of  any  one  particular  type,  for  earlies  such  as 
Cottage  Maid  and  Thomas  Moore  seem  to  be  just 
as  amenable  to  this  method  of  growing  them  as 
are  gesneriana  spathulata,  retroflexa,  fulgens  and 
sylvestris,  neither  more  nor  less. 

The  majority  of  letters  reported  an  experience 
like  my  own.  Thri  blooms  become  smaller  and 
fewer,  and  after  the  second  year  there  are  none  at 
all.  An  American  lady  writes  :  "  My  experience  is 
precisely  yours.  I  cannot  get  more  than  one  crop 
from  Tulips  grown  in  grass,  though  they  are  magni- 
ficent in  beds,  and  I  have  given  up  in  despair.  .  .  . 
In  1911  I  planted  forty  bulbs  in  grass  just  to  see. 
I  saw  forty  single  leaves  yesterday." 

A  Scotch  writer  says  :  "I  have  not  tried  a  great 
number,  but  most  of  them  behave  as  stated  in  the 
note.  The  exception  with  me  has  been  T.  retro- 
flexa, which  still  gives  a  few  flowers  after  nine  or 
ten  years,  and  it  flowered  regularly  for  five  or  six 
years."  Mrs.  Francis  King  (America)  records  her 
experience  thus  :  "  I  have  had  for  years  a  pretty 
planting  of  Vermilion  Brilliant  under  Apple  trees, 
but  each  year  I  must  replant,  or  very  little  happens." 
A  gentleman  from  Henbury  planted  a  dozen 
large  clumps  three  and  a-half  years  ago,  and  "  they 
show  no  sign  of  going  off."  Then  came  the  post- 
script, "  /  ought  to  add  that  a  good  bed  was  made  to 
plant  the  Tulips  in.  If  planted  through  the  turf 
I  expect  there  would  be  failures." 

At  Lockinge  (Wantage)  much  the  same  prepara- 
tion was  made  two  years  ago,  but,  instead  of  being 
sodded,  "  the  beds  were  sown  with  grass  after  the 
Tulips   were    planted ;     in    fact,   when    they   were 


through  the  ground."  These  two  instances  seem  to 
prove  that  it  is  possible  to  have  a  brave  show  of 
Tulips  in  grass  for  a  certain  number  of  years  if 
pains  are  taken  to  give  the  bulbs  a  well-prepared 
and  fairly  rich  rooting  medium  at  the  time  they  are 
planted. 

A  most  interesting  communication  came  from 
Sir  A.  B.  Hepburn,  who  ten  to  thirteen  years  ago 
planted  in  his  park  at  Smeaton-Hepburn  in  East 
Lothian  "  a  lot  of  common  garden  Tulips  among 
the  grass  on  the  side  of  a  walk.  Most  (he  says) 
have,  I  think,  survived,  though  how  many  I  put 
in  originally  I  cannot  say.  Be  that  as  it  may,  there 
are  quite  a  lot,  and  they  come  up  regularly  every 
year — white,  red,  yellow — sadly  reduced  in  size, 
but  still  making  pleasing  dots  and  patches  of 
colour."  In  answer  to  my  query  about  soil,  the 
same  gentleman  was  kind  enough  to  send  me  a 
second  letter,  in  which  was  this  passage  :  "  As  to 
soils,  I  have  them  in  heavy  and  in  light  loam. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  felspar  in  the  soil.  The  sub- 
soil is  boulder  clay."  He  remarks  that  it  "  holds 
moisture  most  of  the  year." 

A  cutting  from  an  American  paper  records  how 
27,000  early  bedding  Tulips  were  planted  five 
years  ago  at  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  "  in  holes  made 
with  a  pointed  spade-handle  three  inches  under  the 
sod.  .  .  .  To-day  these  Tulips  are  flowering 
almost  as  good  as  they  did  the  first  year."  These 
and  some  similar  instances,  which  space  forbids 
me  to  quote,  seem  to  show  that  there  are  a  few 
lucky  people  who  have  soil  which  naturally  suits 
Tulips,  and  in  which,  if  the  leaves  are  left  to  die 
down  naturally,  they  continue  to  bloom  for  a  certain 
number  of  years. 

Of  more  than  ordinary  interest  is  the  example 
from  Dundalk  of  Tulips  in  grass  perfecting  their 
seeds  and  giving  rise  to  a  few  self-sown  seedlings. 
The  writer  states  :  "  Those  on  the  level  have  died 
out,  but  a  few  bloom  each  year  on  a  mound  about 
three  yards  high.  The  grass  on  this  is  very  poor. 
Some  have  appeared  from  seed  a  few  yards  away 
in  grass  under  small  trees."  I  wonder  what  the 
sod  is  like  in  those  centres  at  Aix,  Florence  and 
elsewhere,  from  which  new  neo-Tulips  (Mauriana, 
Billietiana,  Marjoletti,  &c.)  are  from  time  to  time 
collected.  Should  this  meet  the  eye  of  anyone 
who  personally  knows  those  spots,  it  would  be  nice 
of  them  if  they  would  tell  us  in  the  Correspondence 
columns  of  The  Garden  what  sort  of  herbage  is  to 
be  found  there.  Summing  all  up,  it  appears  that, 
under  normal  conditions,  TuUps,  when  planted  in 
grass,  get  beautifully  less  and  less  in  quantity 
and  smaller  and  smaller  in  size  ;  only  in  a  few 
favoured  spots  do  they  continue  to  bloom  for  any 
length  of  time.  It  is,  however,  possible  to  so 
ameliorate  the  rooting  medium  in  which  they  are 
placed  that  they  will  give  a  good  many  years  of 
bloom.  Possibly  species  or  varieties  immediately 
descended  from  species  "  do  "  rather  better  than 
other  kinds.  Joseph  Jacob. 


BULB     LISTS. 


A  CHARMING  CROCUS  FOR  THE 
ROCK  GARDEN. 

.\lthough  there  are  a  number  of  Crocus  species 
well  adapted  for  growing  in  the  rock  garden,  I 
have  not  found  one  to  surpass  in  beauty  and  interest 
that  known  as  Sieberi.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest 
to  flower  in  the  New  Year,  and  if  given  a  sunny 
nook  the  pale  lavender  blue  flowers  will  open  and 
reveal  the  beautiful  orange  scarlet  stigmata.  In 
common  with  other  Crocuses,  it  needs  planting 
in  groups  of  not  fewer  than  a  dozen  corms  if  a  good 
effect  is  to  be  obtained.  A    B,   Essex. 


bedtime    when    one    is    reading  a  good 
book  or  the  dressing-gong  on  a  summer's 
evening,   the  bulb  lists   catch  one  un- 
ready,  in   the   height   of   enjoyment   of 
well-filled     summer     borders.       Yet     if 
one  does  not  grapple  with  them  at  once 
and  send  off  the  resulting  orders  early,  two  evils 
are  sure  to  accrue — someone  who  is  more  prompt 
in  ordering  gets  the  best  bulbs,  and  even  the  fairly 
good  ones  we  do  get  later  on  are  not  improved 
by   having    been    kept    out   of    the    ground.     Yet, 
however  much  we  realise  all  that,  it  is  not  easy 
to  bring  on  an  attack  of  the  bulb-planting  fever 
when  one's  borders  look  so  full  and  it  is  hard  to 
think  out  space  for  planting.     I  have  tried  to  make 
a  stern  rule  for  myself  that  I  will  not  order  any 
plants  I  have  not  fixed  on  a  suitable  site  for  ;   but 
I  break  it  whenever  I  see  something  I  feel  I  cannot 
live  longer  without,  or  when  I  get  certain  of  the 
more    tempting   bulb   lists.     How    can   I   resist    a 
Darwin   Tulip   that   is   new   to   me   and  described 
as  glowing  salmon  or  tender  lilac  ?     It  is  enough 
to  make  one  hope  something   will   die  and  leave 
a  gap  to  be  filled, 

I  try  each  season  to  plant  a  fresh  colony  of  certain 
Snowdrops.     They  flower  so  early,  often  in  Decem- 
ber   if    one    gets    collected    bulbs    planted   before 
September    has    brought    death    to    a    partridge. 
Galanthus  byzantinus  is  one  of  my  favourites  for 
this  purpose,  and  any  of  the  forms  of  Elwesii  are 
worth     the     same     early-to-bed     treatment.     Not 
only  do  they  flower  before  their   relations  in  older 
plantings,     but     these    early-planted    ones    settle 
down  and  do  much  better  than  those  that  have 
been  kept  out  o'  the  ground.     I  believe  it  is  the 
secret  of  success  in  planting  Snowdrops,  Anemones 
of    the    nemorosa,    blanda    and    apennina    races. 
Winter   Aconite,    Crown    Imperials,    Erythroniums 
and,  of  course,  Narcissi,    to  order    them    as  early 
as   possible   ana   plant    them   at    once,   or   sooner 
if  possible,  as  the  Irishman  said,  after  their  arrival. 
Of  newer  plants  that  I  have  tried  lately  I  can 
fully  recommend  the  new  race  of  bulbous  Irises 
called  Dutch  Irises.     They  are  larger  and  earlier 
than  Spanish  Irises,  and  some   I  left  unlifted  for 
three  years  in  a  warm  south  border  have  increased 
wonderfully   and  flowered   well   each   year.     Some 
I  cut  rather  freely,  with  long  stems,  have  not  made 
such  good  bulbs  as  those  icft   uncut,  but  how   I 
did  enjoy  the  vases  fall  of  them  !     Some  of  them 
show  distinct  traces  of  I.   tingita'Da  as  a  parent, 
and  are  almost  as  lovely  as  that  wayward,  shy- 
flowering     beauty.     They  '  originated     in     Messrs. 
Van    Tubergen's    nursery    in    Haarlem,    but    will, 
I  expect,  soon  be  in  every  other.     I  was  greatly 
pleased,    too,    with    Cyclamen   repandum  roseum, 
from  the  same  firm,  a  free-flowering  spring  Cydamea 
of   a  soft   shade   of  rose.     Crocus   vernus   Margot 
is  another  thing  I  try  to  find  room  for  an  additional 
big  clump  of  each  year.     Its  soft  lilac  is  charming. 
Colchicum  speciosum  album  is  now  to  be  bought 
for  6d.,  and,  being  one  of  the  loveliest  of  all  bulbous 
plants,   should  be   in   every   garden  ;    but   if   you 
want  it  to  thrive,  catch  the  next  post  and  send  an 
order  to  Messrs.  Backhouse  for  it.     They  raised  it 
from  a  single  bulb  that  appeared  in  their  nursery, 
and  for  some  years  after  I  first  saw  it  there  it  was 
only  possible  for  millionaires  to  think  of  purchasing 
it.     I  find  it  one  of  the  consolations  for  growing 
old   that   sixpence   can   now   be   changed   for   this 
white  flower  of  the  autumn. 

Scilla  nutans  delicata,  a  wild  Hyacinth,  pearly 
white,  with  tender  blue  shading  and  a  long,  drooping 


September  13,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


457 


head  of  flowers,  is  worth  keeping  a  semi-shady 
corner  for  ;  and  if  you  can  find  two  such  comers, 
plant  a  clump  of  its  brother,  S.  n.  Robin  Hood,  a 
rosy,  coral-tipped  form,  in  the  second  one. 

If  you  do  not  know  those  two  grand  old  Tazettas, 
Polyanthus  Narcissus  Bazelman  major  and  Muzart 
orientalis,  you  should  try  them,  and  they  will 
give  you  a  thrill  I  promise  you,  planted  in  some 
warm  south  border.  Do  not  forget  Tulipa  Kauf- 
manniana  for  a  sunny  spot,  planted  at  least  6  inches 
deep,  if  you  want  to  be  reminded  of  Water  Lilies 
in  April,  or  T.  Sprengeri  if  you  wish  to  prolong 
your  Tulip  season  into  the  first  days  of  June. 
Its  brilliant  scarlet  is  only  ecUpsed  by  Habranthus 
pratensis,  which  you  must  also  order  if  you  have 
a  cosy  empty  corner  in  front  of  some  greenhouse 
where  the  pipes  inside  help  the  warmth-lovers  out- 
side.   Of  plants  not  bulbous  as  to  their  root  systems. 


is  very  distinct,  having  drooping  flowers  that 
remain  tubular.  There  is  also  a  white  form  of 
it  that  is  a  good  companion  to  the  other.  I  think 
the  plants  I  have  named  would  be  worth  adding 
to  any  collection.  The  bill  for  them  need  not 
be  a  ruinous  one,  and  as  they  should  all  settle 
down  and  improve  year  by  year,  it  would  be  money 
better  spent  than  on  the  one-year  show  to  be 
derived  from  many  of  the  early  Tulips  and  bedding 
Hyacinths,  beyond  which  the  minds  of  many 
gardeners  refuse  to  go  when  making  out  the  autumn 
bulb  list.  E.  .•\.   Bowles. 


MAY-FLOWERING     TULIPS     UNDER 
YOUNG    APPLE    TREES. 

The  accompanying  illustration  depicts  a  method 
of     growing     Darwin     and     other     May-flowering 


might  be  made  of  them  for  indoor  decoration. 
We  like  to  have  them  loosely  arranged  in  large, 
old-fashioned  bowls  or  vases  of  soft  colour,  and  so 
far  have  found  nothing  to  equal  those  made  in 
Cornwall  of  the  same  material  as  the  famous 
Cornish  pitchers.  Whether  planted  in  large  masses 
of  one  colour,  or  as  a  mixture,  these  May-flowering 
Tulips  never  appear  incongruous.  When  sending  us 
the  photograph,  Messrs.  Wallace  wrote  :  "  Ama- 
teurs would  be  surprised  at  the  beautiful 
effects  to  be  obtained  from  bold  plantings  of 
Tulips  under  orchard  trees,  as  shown  in  the 
accompanying  illustration.  The  bulbs  are  pro- 
tected to  a  considerable  degree  from  their  worst 
enemies,  late  frosts,  cutting  winds  and  heavy  rains, 
and  the  flowers  themselves  develop  more  steadily 
and  last  longer,  thanks  to  the  thin  shade  cast  by 
the  trees.     It  is  not  easy  to  produce  an  ugly  mixture 


A    BEAUTIFUL    GROUPING    OF    MAY-FLOWERING    TULIPS    UNDER    YOUNG    APPLE    TREES. 


but  for  autumn  ordering,  are  two  out-of-the-way 
things  that  add  interest  as  well  as  beauty  to  the 
garden.  First,  the  dazzling  scarlet  wild  Ranun- 
culus of  Palestine,  R.  asiaticus,  often  listed  as 
Single  Scarlet,  is  a  grand  thing.  I  think  it  prefers 
a  light  soil,  but  some  well-rotted  cowyard  manure 
dug  in  for  the  roots  to  go  dow'n  and  find,  and  the 
tubers  should  be  lifted  and  stored  away  dry  as  soon 
as  the  leaves  die  ofl. 

Agapanthus  intermedins  is  a  better  thing  in 
hardy  blue  African  Lilies  than  the  older  A.  minor 
mooreanus,  and  if  a  little  mound  of  ashes  is  placed 
over  the  clump  in  bad  winters,  should  prove 
quite  hardy  in  a  south  border.  A.  WeUighii  is 
also   hardy   enough    for    the   same    treatment,    and 


Tulips  that  has  a  great  deal  to  commend  it,  but 
which,  so  far,  has  not  been  extensively  adopted. 
In  the  gardens  at  HaUingbury,  near  Bishop's 
Stortford,  which  we  hope  to  illustrate  and  describe 
in  some  subsequent  issue,  large  quantities  are 
very  effectively  grouped  under  young  Apple  trees, 
the  flowers  of  which  are  open  at  the  same  time 
as  those  of  the  Tulips.  The  illustration  which  we 
publish  herewith  represents  Tulips  under  young 
Apple  trees  in  Messrs.  R.  Wallace  and  Co.'s  nursery 
at  Colchester,  and  gives  an  excellent  idea  of  what 
might  be  done  in  many  newly-planted  orchards. 
When  grown  m  this  way  there  is  always  an 
abundance  of  long-stemmed,  stately  flowers  for 
cutting,  and  as  these  last  well    in  water,  more   use 


of  Darwins,  and  sometimes  a  chance  planting 
gives  unexpected  pleasure  in  a  fine  contrast  or 
harmony  of  colour.  The  lavender  of  Remembrance, 
for  example,  is  very  fine  with  the  rose  pink  of 
Suzon.  The  soft  pinks  also  go  finely  with  the 
blackish  maroons  and  dark  purples,  although, 
of  course,  the  yellows  from  ViteUina  and  other 
May-flowering  varieties  give  stronger  contrasts 
with  these  blacks,  crimsons  and  purples.  Our 
beds  are  4  feet  wide,  and  each  variety  is  repre- 
sented by  several  hundred  bulbs.  Imagine  100 
or  200  varieties  representing  as  many  different 
shades  all  flowering  at  one  time,  and  your  readers 
can  appreciate  the  glorious  riot  of  colour  which  is 
created  in  April  and  May." 


458 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  13,  1913. 


POETAZ      NARCISSI. 


A' 


LTHOUGH  wonderful  progress  has  been 
made  in  the  world  of  Daffodils 
during  the  past  ten  or  fifteen 
years,  there  has  been  no  more  im- 
portant or,  far-reaching  break  than 
that  obtained  by  the  Rev.  G.  H. 
Engleheart  when  he  successfully  crossed  Poeticus 
ornatus  with  the  best  forms  of  Narcissus  Tazetta, 
of  which  Paper  White  and  Grand  Monarque 
are,  perhaps,  the  best-known  examples.  The 
result  of  this  cross  was  an  important  race  of  Narcissi 
with  the  hardiness  and  fragrance  of  ornatus  and 
the  free-flowering  properties  of  the  Tazetta  type. 
The  size  and  even  contour  of  ornatus  were  also 
transmitted  to  the  hybrids,  so  that  in  such  varieties 
as  Aspasia,  an  illustration  of  which  is  reproduced 
herewith,  we  get  a  number  of  flowers  almost  as 
large,  perfect  and  fragrant  as  those  of  ornatus 
on    one    stem.     The    effect    produced    by    a    well- 


THE     DAFFODIL     FLY. 

(Merodon  equestris.) 


S' 


INCE  writing  the  article  published  in 
The  Garden  of  April  26,  1913,  I  have 
continued  the  study  of  Merodon  equestris 
and  gained  considerably  in  knowledge 
and  experience  of  it.  It  has  appeared 
iu  greater  numbers  this  year,  and  I 
have  literally  been  "  surrounded  by  a  host  of 
foes." 

The  Larva. — We  are  apt  to  charge  the  fly  with 
aggressiveness,  whereas  it  is  the  larva  which  is 
so  destructive.  The  latter,  in  the  preparation  of 
its  domicile,  excavates  its  way  into  the  Daffodil 
bulb,  and  this  excavation  is  its  dining-room, 
drawing-room,  dormitory,  scullery,  &c.  There  in 
wanton  selfishness  it  devours  and  destroys  the 
very  fabric  in  which  it  dwells.  Its  gluttony  is 
insatiable;  it  is. a  recluse,  receiving  no  visitors 
and   holding  no  intercourse   with   its  relations   or 


k^*il&&l'^JrM^i' 


U^-~ 


f.2a:iM^ 


NARCISSUS    ASPASIA,    A    BEAUTIFUL    POETAZ    VARIETY,    IN    A    SURREY    GARDEN. 


grown  group  of  these  is  well  shown  in  the  illustra- 
tion, which  is  from  a  photograph  taken  in  Mr. 
W.  A.  Bilney's  garden  at  Weybridge.  In  addition 
to  their  value  for  garden  decoration,  these  Poetaz 
Narcissi,  as  the  race  is  appropriately  called,  are 
admirable  for  growing  in  pots  or  bowls  of  fibre, 
while .  for  cutting  they  are  ideal.  Fortunately, 
most  of  them  are  good  growers,  and  bulbs  of 
Aspasia  and  Elvira  can  be  obtained  for  about 
IS.  6d.  per  dozen.  A  newer  and  very  handsome 
variety  is  Jaune  a  Merveiile,  wliich  has  a  large, 
broad  perianth  of  soft  primrose  colour,  the  yellow 
cup  or  eye  being  thinly  edged  with  orange.  As 
yet  it  is  rather  expensive.  In  addition  to  Aspasia 
and  Elvira,  both  of  which  have  white  perianths 
and  yellow  cups,  there  are  Ideal,  white,  with  orange 
cup;  Irene,  pale  primrose  and  golden  yellow  cup  ; 
Klondyke,  yellow  perianth  and  eye  ;  and  Triumph, 
white,  with  yellow  cup.  For  the  amateur  who 
has  not  yet  tried  this  excellent  race,  Aspasia  and 
Elvira  are  excellent.  B.  A. 


neighbours.  To  it  time  is  a  meaningless  term,  and 
for  nearly  two  years  it  awaits  its  metamorphosis, 
filled  to  repletion.  In  the  article  referred  to  I 
mentioned  two  grubs  foimd,  one  in  April  and  one 
in  May.  I  collected  others  later  on  and  kept  a 
sort  of  menagerie,  repeatedly  examining  and 
inspecting  them  under  the  microscope.  They 
were  constantly  overhauled,  drawings  made  of 
them  in  repose,  travelling,  turning  over,  &c., 
and  in  this  manner  I  obtained  many  refreshing 
surprises  in  a  most  interesting  study.  The  organism 
of  Merodon  equestris  is  wonderfully  adapted  to 
its  peculiar  life.  I  discovered  that  the  larva 
has  two  eyes  ;  mandibles,  by  which  it  does  all  its 
excavating,  and  which  form  the  basis  of  its  powers 
of  locomotion  ;  and  a  very  flexible  top  lip,  at  the 
sides  of  which  are  a  pair  of  feelers,  which  it  runs 
over  the  surface  of  its  path.  The  fore  part  of  its 
body  is  very  mobile,  and  can  be  stretched  out 
to  a  great  extent.  With  its  mandibles  it  grips 
the  surface  on  which  it  lies  and  hauls  itself  forward  ; 


then  stretches  out  its  neck  again  for  a  fresh  grip. 
The  mandibles  are  used  in  the  same  way  as  a  sailor 
uses  a  kedge  to  warp  his  vessel  along. 

The  Chrysalis.— After  the  New  Year  has  made 
its  appearance,  the  more  mature  larvae  make  pre- 
paration for  their  change  to  the  chrysaUs  state. 
First  a  slight  discoloration  appears,  which  gradually 
spreads  over  the  whole  surface  of  the  body.  While 
this  is  taking  place,  the  grub  works  up  uato  the 
neck  of  the  bulb,  and  sometimes,  after  remaining 
in  this  position  a  short  time,  rises  into  the  soil 
above,  and  stays  there  until  its  change  is  com- 
pleted. The  outer  skin  now  hardens  and  a  homy 
case  is  formed,  and,  following  a  further  period  of 
waiting,  two  short  horns  rise  from  the  head.  I 
have  not  discovered  the  purpose  of  these  horns, 
but  they  have  the  appearance  of  projected  eyes. 
This  stage  of  transition  depends  in  a  great  measure 
upon  the  weather,  but  occupies  about  eight  weeks. 
The  Fly. — When  the  time  to  change  from  the 
chrysalis  state  arrives,  the  living  creature  bursts 
away  two  sections  of  its  outer  skin 
and  emerges  a  perfect  fly.  This  is 
Nature's  provision  for  the  propa- 
gation of  future  generations.  There 
remain  the  two  sections  of  the 
shell.  On  one  of  these  are  the  two 
horns,  in  the  other  the  cocoon,  which 
was  the  creature's  protection  against 
chills  during  its  metamorphosis.  The 
year  1911  was  very  warm,  and,  con- 
sequently, the  insect  world  was  most 
active  in  propagation.  As  the  year 
advanced,  having  found  the  two 
year  larval  period,  I  prophesied  that 
1913  would  be  a  revelation  in  fly 
increase,  and  this  proved  to  be  the 
case.  So  numerous  did  the  fly  be- 
come during  the  current  year  that 
it  attracted  the  notice  of  people  who 
had  previously  been  strangers  to  its 
existence,  and  I  had  enquiries 
from,  and  was  called  to  identify 
it  in,  places  where  it  had  never 
been  noticed  before.  Questions 
have  been  put  as  to  the  reasons  of 
its  visits  and  where  it  comes  from  ; 
but  it  is  a  perplexing  subject, 
and  I  am  compelled  to  admit  my 
inability  to  give  a  satisfactory 
answer.  I  myself  could  ask  a 
score  of  questions,  such  as,  Does 
it  migrate  when  the  locality  be- 
comes over-populated,  like  rats, 
mice  and  rabbits  ?  I  have  found  the  fly  this  year 
in  lanes,  feeding  on  wild  Hemlock ;  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  houses,  in  railway  stations,  in  fields,  on 
grass,  &c.  The  subject  is  engaging  the  attention 
of  members  of  Daffodil  societies  at  their  conven- 
tions ;  but  while  they  are  talking,  the  fly  is  propa- 
gating, bulbs  are  dyjig,  and  growers  are  suffering. 
Meanwhile  X  wage,  constant  war,  give  no  quarter, 
lose  no  opportuniiy  of  doing  what  I  can  for  its 
destruction,  and  rest  not  from  the  pursuit.  At 
the  same  time  I  am  extending  my  observations. 
Early  this  year  I  discovered  the  flies'  forage  ground. 
Their  needs  are  farina  and  nectar,  which  are  found 
in  flowers,  and  where  there  are  masses  of  flowers 
there  will  the  fly  be  found.  At  a  bed  of  yellow 
Marguerites,  while  they  continued  in  bloom,  I 
watched.  The  enemy  came,  but  never  returned 
after  I  invented  and  used  a  smaller  net  to  work 
inside  the  one  mentioned  in  my  previous  article. 
I  had  no  hunting,  no  chasing  ;  they  came  in  such 
numbers   that    I   killed   as  many  as  sixty-two   in 


September  13,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


459 


one  day  nf  three  hours'  work.  I  saw  one  on  a 
flower,  got  it  between  the  nets,  quickly  shut  them 
together,  and  the  fly  was  a  captive.  I  noticed 
that  prior  to  June  12  the  flies,  like  the  ante- 
diluvians, seemed  to  have  no  object  in  life  but  to 
play  at  "  catch  who  can,"  "  hide  and  seek,"  and 
"  eat  and  drink."  After  that  date  they  became 
amorous,  and  love  scenes  were  daily  witnessed. 
Scotch  law  was  prevalent,  and  before  two  or  more 
witnesses  the  ceremony  was  perfected,  while  the 
song  of  joy  and  the  hum  of  contentment  filled 
the  air.  Before  long  my  garden  was  literally  cleared 
of  them  ;  but  subsequently,  at  two  periods  with 
about  a  fortnight's  interval,  I  was  visited  by 
six  females,  each  seeking  a  home  for  their  expected 
families.  In  killing  these  I  was 
careful  to  find  out  whether  the 
eggs  were  matured.  Only  one  was 
ready  for  laying ;  in  the  others 
the  eggs  were  not  matured. 

The  marvellous  construction  of 
Merodon  equestris  is  evidence  of 
the  supreme  wisdom  of  the 
Omnipotent  Mind.  I  made  careful 
investigation  and  found  the  fly 
has  three  eyes,  or  ocelli,  in  a  tri- 
angle at  the  back  of  its  head, 
which  are  useful  in  cases  where 
.iTi  enemy  approaches  while  it  is 
III  a  flower.  Bees  have  these 
ocelli,  and  it  was  a  revelation  to 
me  to  find  them  in  the  Merodon. 
The  size  of  the  ocelli  varies  a 
little  in  the  se.xes,  those  of  the 
female  being  slightly  largei,  and 
dearer  from  short  hairs  as  a  rule. 
The  sexes  always  vary  in  size  and 
markings,  according  to  age.  The 
male  develops  more  of  a  foxy 
-ippearance,  while  the  female  ex- 
hibits more  grey  about  the  pos- 
terior. The  female,  too,  at  full 
maturity  is  one-eighth  of  an  inch 
longer  than  a  fuUy-matu'ed  male. 
I  found  a  difference  in  the  femur, 
or  thigh  portion,  of  their  hind 
legs.  That  of  the  male  has  three 
liorny  projections,  while  that  of 
the  female  is  quite  smooth,  and  if 
a  fly  is  held  in  the  hand  it  is 
possible  to  tell  the  sex  by  the 
way  it  irritates  the  skin.  Both 
male  and  female  have  a  homy- 
substance  on  the  back  at  the 
waist,  under  which  is  an  air- 
ihamber,  while  their  wings  are 
lengthened  at  the  base  by  a 
mechanical  arrangement,  the  edges 
of  which  are  fringed  with  black 
hairs  curving  gently  downwards 
and  inwards.  I  reason  from  this  that 
the  air  entermg  and  leaving  the  chamber  produces  1 
the  whistling,  humming  sound  one  hears  as  the 
fly  rushes  through  the  air,  and  that  its  purpose 
is  to  intimate  its  whereabouts  to  its  kind. 

I  have  spent  an  enormous  amount  of  time  on  my 
investigations  relative  to   Merodon  equestris,   and 
The   Garden  readers  have  now  almost   as  much  I 
information  of  it  as  I  myself  possess.     Read  my 
previous  article  in  conjunction  with  this,  and  we 
have   a  great   advance  in   our  knowledge.     It   is, 
of  course,  unnecessary  for  me  to  say  anything  in 
regard  to  the  destruction  of  the  larvae,  but  I  strongly  I 
press  the  necessity  of  the  destruction  of  the  fly.    We  | 
are  yearly  reminded  in  the  spring  of  the  desirability  ' 


of  killing  queen  wasps,  and  so  reducing  the  number 
of  nests  ;  but  to  Daffodil-growers  the  destruction 
of  Merodon  equestris  is  equally  important,  as  every 
female  fly  destroyed  prevents  the  deposit  of  from 
fifty  to  sixty  eggs,  which  would  ruin  a  similar 
number  of  bulbs ;  and  I  call  upon  every  grower 
to  act.  Remember  the  foe  is  at  the  gate,  and  can 
only  be  vanquished  by  prompt  and  earnest  attack. 
The  plan  I  recommend  is  the  use  of  two  nets  as 
mentioned  ;  this  is  a  wonderfully  successful  method 
of  catching  the  fly.  I  ask  any  reader  finding 
small  larvae  up  to  the  time  of  planting  to  send  me 
a  few.  May  I  remind  readers  that  this  is  the  time 
to  look  for  them.  Seasonable  precautions  just  now 
are  ;    Rake  over  your  beds,  leave  no  holes  for  the 


was  dead.  Has  any  reader  tested  this  cold  water 
bath  ?  In  the  case  I  refer  to,  the  bulbs  were  in 
water  forty-eight  hours.  The  larva  which  left  the 
bulb  subsequently  died,  but  the  other  two  show  no 
sign  of  suffering.  George  St.  Ox. 


A     DAINTY     DAFFODIL. 

(Narcissus  tria.vdrus  calathinus.) 
The  little  Daffodil  named  Angel's  Tears  is  widely 
known  by  virtue  of  its  grace  and  beauty,  but  its 
close  relation  which  forms  the  subject  of  this  note 
is  not  so  well  known  as  it  deserves.  It  grows  to 
a  height  of  about  seven  inches,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  little  Daffodils  in  existence.  It 
is  useful  alike  for  growing  in  pots 
or  for  filling  a  sheltered  pocket  in 
the  rock  garden.  A  well-drained, 
gritty  soil  and  a  half-shady  posi- 
tion seem  to  suit  it  best  ;  but 
if  the  bulbs  do  not  flower  the 
first  year  after  planting,  they 
should  be  left  undisturbed  to 
establish  themselves.  There  is  a 
touch  of  interest  concerning  the 
native  habitat  of  this  variety.  It 
was  found  on  one  of  the  Glenan 
Isles  some  years  ago  by  that, 
assiduous  collector  of  Daffodils,  the 
late  Mr.  Peter  Barr.  The  collect- 
ing, it  is  said,  was  attended  with 
a  good  deal  of  risk,  but  the  most 
unfortunate  part  is  that  this  gem 
is  no  longer  to  be  found  there,  the 
sea  having  washed  away  all  trace 
of  it.  Happily,  there  is  a  fair 
stock  in  cultivation,  and  it  may  be 
successfully  raised  from  seed. 


WEEDI  NG  OUT 
WEAK-GROWING 
DAFFODILS. 


N 


NARCISSUS 


TRIANDRUS     CALATHIXUb,    A      BliAUIIFUL     VARIETY      FOR 
POTS    OR    THE    ROCK    GARDEN. 


females  to  get  down  to  the  bulbs.  When  buying, 
press  your  thumb  against  each  bulb  and  refuse  all 
soft  ones.  On  Saturday,  August  9.  at  10  a.m., 
I  placed  five  suspicious  bulbs  in  water  as  a  test. 
They  remained  there  until  ro  a.m.  on  the  nth, 
when  I  took  them  out.  I  found  two  bulbs  good 
and  three  affected.  In  one  case  the  larva  had 
left  the  bulb  and  was  alive  at  the  bottom  of  the 
vessel ;  the  other  two  were  inside  the  bulbs, 
which  were  cut  open.  They  were  completely 
saturated,  alive,  and  no  worse  for  their  bath. 
I  put  all  three  into  a  small  jar  with  a  bulb,  and  at 
10  a.m.  on  .August  13th  one  had  worked  its  way 
partly  into   the  bulb,  one  was    quite  well,  and  one 


(IW    that    we  have  such 

an  enormous  number  of 

really  good  Daffodils,  I 

think    it    is   high    time 

that    a   good  many   of 

the     poor    doers     were 

dune  away  with.      I    do  not  object 

to  the  common  old  things  such  as 

Princeps,     Cynosure     and     many 

others  ;    no  doubt   they  have  long 

since  been  eclipsed  by  better  ones 

on  the  same  lines  ;   but,  after  all, 

they  are   good  in   their  way,   and 

are,  at  any  rate,  very  cheap. 

It  is  some  of  the  newer  and 
more  expensive  varieties  which, 
I  think,  shoidd  be  dropped ;  they  may  have 
pretty  flowers,  but  the  plants  are  so  weak 
in  constitution  that  not  one  in  a  dozen  growers 
can  do  them  well,  and  we  may  be  sure  that  any  good 
blooms  we  see  at  the  shows  have  been  culled  from 
among  a  large  number  of  poor,  deformed  or  under- 
sized flowers  which  were  not  good  enough  for  table 
decoration,  to  say  nothing  of  the  show  stand. 
Circlet,  Egret  and  Cresset  are  just  three  which 
come  to  my  mind.  All  these — and  there  are  heaps 
more,  one  might  add — bear  pretty  flowers  when 
really  well  grown  ;  but  they  have  very  poor  con- 
stitutions, never  make  half  enough  leafage,  and 
frequent  blanks  are  to  be  seen  in  the  rows. 


460 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  13,  1913. 


Of  Poets  there  are  legions  ;  but  how  many  make 
really  strong  growth  and  a  good  shapely  bulb  ? 
Six  or  eight  Poets  would  be  ample  for  garden  pur- 
poses if  one  could  be  sure  of  them  all  being  good 
doers.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  gradually 
weed  out  all  Daffodils  of  poor  constitution,  and  if 
all  growers  would  do  the  same,  it  would  really  be 
doing  good  work.  It  would  be  well  if  novelty- 
raisers  would  always  keep  in  mind  this  question 
of  constitution,  and  only  work  with  good, 
strong-growing  parents.  By  seeding  varieties  of 
weakly  habit  of  growth,  they  have  given 
us  in  the  past  many  beautiful  flowers,  but 
plants  which  only  one  man  in  ten  can  grow. 

Princess  Mary  has  given  num- 
bers of  good  exhibition  flowers, 
also  numbers  of  things  which 
will  have  to  go  to  the  rubbish 
heap  sooner  or  later,  because 
they  take  too  much  after  their 
mother  in  the  matter  of  poor 
health.  I  know  there  is  another 
side  to  the  question.  A  raiser 
may  produce  a  new  variety  which 
is  a  really  good  plant  on  his 
ground,  but  which  refuses  to 
grow  with  the  man  he  sells  it 
to.  That  is  no  fault  of  the 
raiser,  but  bad  luck  for  the 
buyer.  Still,  I  would  again  urge 
upon  hybridists  the  necessity 
for  choosing  healthy  varieties 
upon  which  to  make  their  crosses. 
With  the  great  array  of  really 
good  things  in  the  Daffodil  world 
already  in  existence,  it  is  a 
pity  to  add  anything  which  is 
not  good  all  round ;  flower, 
length  of  stalk  (some  of  my  olc 
friends  will  smile  here)  and 
habit  of  growth  should  all  be 
good,  or  the  new-comer  should 
be  relegated  to  the  bonfire  or 
the  wild  garden, 

J.  Duncan  Pearson. 

The  Nurseries.  Lowaham.  Noiix. 


THE    CROWN     OR     POPPY 
ANEMONE. 

.\nemone  coronaria.) 
ONE  of  the  many  Anemones,  or  Wind- 
flowers,  which  adorn  our  gardens  can 
hope  to  surpass  in  glorious  colouring 
or  in  true  value  the  beautiful  Crown 
or  Poppy  Anemones,  varieties  of  the 
Eastern  A.  coronaria.  It  has  long 
held  a  high  place  in  public  favour,  and  those  who 
are  acquainted  with  the  horticultural  literature  of 
the  middle  of  the  last  century  are  well  acquainted 
with  the  keen  pleasure  taken  by  the  old  florists  in 


N' 


NARCISSUS    BRIGHTEYE, 


NARCISSUS     BRIGHTEYE. 

This  beautiful  Narcissus,  which 
was  so  well  shown  by  Robert 
Sydenham,  Limited,  on  several 
occasions  last  year,  belongs  to 
the  Poeticus  section,  and,  as  its 
name  implies,  has  a  particularly 
bright  yellow  eye,  with  bright 
orange  edging.  The  petals  are 
broad  and  of  good  substance, 
overlapping  well,  so  as  to  form 
a  symmetrical  flower  of  great 
beauty.  It  measures  3^  inches 
m  diameter.  This  variety,  in  common  with  the  cultivation  of  their  named  double  varieties  of 
many  other  excellent  new  sorts,  was  raised  by  this  Crown  Anemone.  Nowadays,  though  these 
the  Rev.  G.  H.  Engleheart.  As  Mr.  Pearson  ,  are  still  obtainable,  the  popular  taste  lies  in  the 
pomts  out  in  the  foregoing  article,  there  seems  to  '  single  Anemones  or  in  the  semi-double  flowers,  so 
be  far  too  many  of  these  Poeticus  varieties,  some  grandly  represented  bv  the  St.  Brigid  varieties, 
of  which  are  too  much  ahke,  yet  it  is  difficult  to  which  in  brilliancy  and  in  intrinsic  worth  for  garden 
see  what  can  be  done  when  raisers  continue  decoration  or  for  cuttmg  are  not  surpassed.  Much 
to  give  us  so  many  good  ones.  Perhaps  Mr.  might  be  written  on  the  history  of  the  Crown 
who  has  done  yeoman  .Anemone  and  its  developments  ;  but  the  scope  of 
s  of  the  "  Poets,"  will  this  article  will  not  permit  of  this,  as  it  is  intended 
opinion   on    the    subject.      The    to    be  strictly  cultural,   so   as  to   afford  some   in- 


A    NEW     POETICUS    VARIETY    OF    GREAT 
PROMISE. 


F.    Herbert     Chapman, 

service    in     the   interest 

let    us   have   his 

illustration    depicts    a   fine   vase   of    Brighteye    as    formation  for"  the  beginner  in  its  culture 

shown     by     .Messrs.     Sydenham    in     London     last 

year. 


Raising   from  Seeds. — Raising  from  seeds  is  a 
cheap  and  pleasant  method  of  securing  a  stock  of 


Anemone  coronaria  tubers,  although  the  work  is  a 
little  troublesome.  It  is  not,  however,  slow,  as 
seeds  sown  in  summer,  as  soon  as  ripe,  will  give 
flowering  plants  next  summer,  and  those  sown  in 
early  spring  will  give  blooming  tubers  in  the  same 
autumn.  In  saving  seeds,  these  should  be  taken 
only  from  blooms  of  the  best  forms  and  colours 
these  being  marked  and  the  others  not  allowed  to 
seed.  The  beds  should  be  gone  over  daily,  as  if 
left  the  awned  seeds  will  be  scattered  by  the  wind. 
As  soon  as  the  seeds  can  be  detached  without  any 
pulling,  they  can  be  taken  and  spread  on  a  sheet 
of  paper  in  a  sunny  window  or  greenhouse  for  a 
day  or  two  before  sowing.  If  sown  in  the  open,  a 
bed  should  be  made  up  of  loam,  leaf- 
soil  and  sand  ;  but  loam  and  sand 
will  do.  It  must  be  light,  fine,  and 
well  drained.  Little  drills  about  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  deep  should  be 
drawn  and  the  seeds  sown  in  these. 
As  they  are  very  woolly  they  are 
difiicult  to  separate,  and  this  can 
best  be  done  by  mixing  them  and 
rubbing  them  with  dry  sand  or  fine 
loam,  sowing  them  thinly  in  the 
drills  and  covering  with  about  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  of  fine  soil.  If 
the  weather  is  dry,  the  bed  should 
be  watered  and  shaded  until  ger- 
mination takes  place,  which  will  be 
in  a  week  or  so.  When  the  plants 
have  made  a  pair  of  their  rough  or 
true  leaves,  they  should  be  pricked 
out  in  similar  soil  about  two  inches 
apart  and  grown  on.  Seeds  may 
also  be  sown  in  pots  or  boxes,  and 
the  seedlings  treated  in  a  similar 
way  to  those  in  the  open.  They 
may  either  be  allowed  to  flower 
where  they  stand  or  lifted  when 
they  go  to  rest  and  replanted  in 
their  flowering  quarters. 

The  Best  Positions. — If  the  best 

flowers  are  desired,  the  beds  should 
be  in  a  place  where  they  are  par- 
tially shaded,  and  the  finest  I  have 
ever  seen  were  partially  shaded  by 
Apple  trees.  The  soil  should  be  well 
dug  and  manured  with  old  manure, 
preferably  that  from  the  cowshed, 
this  being  put  beneath,  but  not 
touching  the  tubers,  which  may  be 
planted  2  inches  deep.  If  the  posi- 
tion is  not  ready  for  the  tubers  when 
they  are  dried  off,  they  may  be 
stored  in  paper  bags  in  a  cool  place 
beyond  the  reach  of  frost,  or  in 
dry  sand.  Tubers  which  have  been 
purchased  can  be  treated  in  the 
same  way.  Choice  varieties  can  be 
propagated  by  division  of  the 
tubers  when  at  rest,  but  seedlmgs  give  the  finest 
blooms,  as  a  rule. 

Time  to  Plant.— The  best  time  for  planting  is 
from  September  to  the  end  of  October  in  warm, 
light  soils ;  but  in  heavy,  damp  ones  it  is  wiser  to 
leave  this  until  February  or  March.  By  later 
plantings  the  season  may  be  considerably  pro- 
longed, and  by  sowing  seeds  in  early  spring  in  a 
frame  it  is  possible  to  have  flowers  throughout 
a  mild  winter  by  keeping  the  young  plants  under 
glass.  The  writer  has  sown  seeds  in  a  cold  frame  in 
March  and  has  had  flowers  from  October  onwards. 
The  St.  Brigid  varieties  are  the  best  for  this  purpose. 
A  rich  but  light   and  well-drained  soil  is  essential 


September  13,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


461 


to  really  successful  cultivation  of  the  Crown 
Anemone.  When  the  leaves  have  withered,  the 
tubers  are  best  lifted  and  stored  either  in  bags,  as 
previously  mentioned,  or  in  dry  sand,  which  is 
better.  Some  experience  difficulty  in  discerning 
the  top  of  the  tubers,  %vhich  should  be  placed 
uppermost.  These  are  generally  marked  by  little 
knobs  or  protuberances  whence  the  growths  spring, 
but  it  is  generally  easy  to  discover  a  few  of  the  old 
roots  which  have  remained  on  the  tubers,  and  this 
part  should  be  placed  downwards.  Where  there  is 
any  doubt,  however,  it  is  safer  to  plant  the  tubers 
sideways. 

The  double  varieties  are  not  now  much  in  request, 
and  they  are  neither  so  useful  for  garden  decora- 
tion nor  for  cutting,  although  very  handsome  with 


NATURALISING     DAFFODILS     IN 
GRASS. 

With  the  advent  of  autumn  rains  comes  the  season 
for  planting  Daffodils  in  grass.  This  is  beyond 
doubt  the  most  beautiful  way  of  growing  Daffodils, 
as  the  flowers  are  never  seen  to  greater  advantage 
than  when  planted  in  large  breaks  through  an 
open  woodland  or  in  drifts  on  grassy  slopes.  It 
is  necessary  that  the  groups  should  be  of  irregular 
outline,  with  a  few  scattered  here  and  there  to 
make  the  grouping  as  informal  and  as  natural  as 
possible.  The  illustration  on  this  page  gives  an 
excellent  idea  of  the  kind  of  grouping  that  is  de- 
sirable. The  best  effects  are  produced  by  planting 
one  variety  by  itself,  such,  for  instance,  as  the 
fine  display  of    Emperor  seen    in    the  illustration 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PLATE    1476. 

SOME     GOOD    NEW     DAFFODILS. 

WITH  the  exception  of  Utopia,  or, 
as  it  is  now  called.  Discus, 
these  flowers  were  all  exhibited 
at  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Forced  Bulb  Show  on 
March  i8  of  the  present  year. 
They  have  no  particular  connection  with  one 
another  beyond  the  fact  that  they  are  all  first-class 
flowers  in  their  respective  classes.  Dream,  which 
is  a  rather  small-sized  white  Ajax  (3i  inches  by 
I J  inches  bv  i  inch),  is  a  Dutch  seedling,  which 


D.\FFODILS     N.\TUR.\LISED     TN     GRASS     IN     AN      OLD     ORCHARD     IN     CUMBERLAND. 


their  almost  ball-like  heads  of  bloom.  More  valu- 
able are  the  double  Chrysanthemum-flowered 
varieties,  which  have  narrower  petals  and  are  more 
graceful.  The  ordinary  single  varieties  are  very 
pretty  with  their  cup-like  blooms  of  the  most 
varied  colouring  ;  but  the  most  valuable  of  all 
are  the  St.  Brigid  Anemones,  which  are  not 
only  very  robust,  but  are  of  the  most  glorious 
colours  and  are  generally  semi-double.  Some 
splendid  strains  of  the  St.  Brigid  Anemone  are  in 
cultivation.  It  only  remains  to  be  added  that  the 
colours  are  most  varied.  They  range  from  purest 
white,  through  blush,  rose,  pink  and  scarlet,  and 
from  almost  lilac  to  deep  blue.  For  bedding 
purposes,  separate  colours  can  be  procured. 
Dumfries.  S.  Arnott. 


on  page  462.  Although  some  varieties  mix  well 
together,  the  different  types  do  not  enter  into 
perfect  harmony  with  one.  another.  Thus  the 
Poets  and  the  trumpets,  or  the  Star  Narcissi 
and  Poets,  should  not  be  intermingled  at  planting- 
time.  Among  the  best  varieties  for  naturalising 
in  grassland  or  meadows  we  would  place  Emperor, 
Empress,  Golden  Spur  and  Horsfieldii  as  four  of 
the  very  best.  Henry  Irving.  Queen  of  Spain 
and  all  varieties  of  Poeticus  are  specially  suitable 
for  woodlands  and  orchards,  also  pallidus  praecox 
in  those  districts  where  it  is  known  to  succeed. 
Barri  conspicuus  and  the  old  Double  Yellow 
(Telamonius  plenus)  are  both  deserving  of  extended 
planting  in  parkland  and  meadows.  All  Daffodils, 
however,  may  be  planted  in  grass.  C.  H. 


I  imagine  was  "  spotted  "  as  a  "  good  thing  " 
by  Mr.  Leak  some  few  years  ago,  for  I  think  I  am 
right  in  saying  that  Messrs.  Bath  have  now  a  nice 
little  stock  of  it  and  are  ready  to  supply  any  orders 
they  may  get.  It  is  a  drooping  flower  with  a 
somewhat  straight  and  very  refined-looking  trumpet, 
and  should  make  an  excellent  pot  plant.  You 
know,  I  have  a  great  idea  of  the  value  of  Daffodils 
for  pots,  and  those  readers  who  buy  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  Year  Book  will  see  that 
my  opinion  is  there  supported  by  a  very  weighty 
authority,  who  shares  my  belief  that  for  this  purpose 
Daffodils  have  a  "  great  future  "  before  them.  In 
my  part  of  the  world  we  do  not  get  any  blooms 
in  the  open  until  April  is  well  in.  March,  however, 
is  no  longer  a  non-Daffodil  month,  for   I   have  a 


462 


THE    GARDEN. 


[September  13, 1913 


succession  of  choice  varieties  indoors,  coming  on 
one  after  the  other,  even  before  February  has  run 
its  course. 

Florence  Pearson  is  now  getting  fairly  well 
known.  I  call  my  friend  Duncan  Pearson  a  very 
lucky  mail.  I  wonder  if  any  of  us  raisers  have 
got  such  a  proportion  of  first-rate  varieties  from 
the  seed  he  has  sown  as  he  has ;  e.g.,  Lowdham 
Beauty,  Elfrida  Pearson,  Hon.  Mrs.  Francklin, 
&c.  Readers  know  my  views  about  the  future 
of  this  fine  plant  for  the  garden.  When  Florence 
Pearson  is  lower  in  price,  it  will  be  the 
Mme.  de  Graaff  of  to-day,  and  that  splendid 
variety  will  have  to  sufier  a  partial  if  not 
a  total  eclipse.  The  Doctor  is  one  of  my  own 
importations  from  the  Land  of  Bulbs.  It 
has  not  the  circular  perianth  which  many  of 
our  stricter  judges  still  swear  by,  for  the  segments 
take  ,  a   star-shaped   form.     Nevertheless,    it    is    a 


as  I  do  Ethelbert  with  Arthur  Goodwin.  "  Quite 
unknowns  to  himself,"  I  expect,  he  was  the  one 
who  first  introduced  me  to  its  quiet  beauty  by  a 
description  of  it  which  he  wrote  years  ago  for 
The  Garden.  Cartwright  and  Goodwin  still  give 
it  a  large  space  in  their  catalogue,  which  is,  I  take 
it,  the  analogous  expression  of  a  firm  to  the  indivi- 
dual one  of  a  warm  corner  in  one's  heart.  In 
prosaic  terms,  it  is  a  white-perianthed  Barrii, 
with  a  rather  undulating  perianth  and  a  flatfish 
eye  of  pale  citron,  margined  with  a  narrow  band  of 
reddish  orange  ;  breadth  of  flower,  about  2J  inches. 
Utopia,  which  now  appears  in  Mr.  Christopher 
Bourne's  list  as  Discus,  first  saw  the  light  of  day 
at  the  Birmingham  Show  of  this  year.  I  notice 
he  has  classed  it  as  a  Barrii  (3b),  whereas  in  my 
"  Midland  "  notes  I  have  got  it  down  as  a  flat -eyed 
Leedsii,  with  broad  and  overlapping  segments 
and  a  large  flat  eye,  green  in  the  centre,  but  other- 


WHAT 


IS     A     FLORIST'S 
FLOWER  P 


I 


.\    WOODLAND    SCENE    IN    SPRING.       NOW    IS    THE    TIME    TO    PLANT    THE    DAFFODIL   BULBS. 


good  show  flower,  for  there  is  no  "  quartering," 
and  the  texture  is  as  smooth  and  refined  as  anyone 
could  desire.  Mr.  C.  Bourne  had  a  fine  example 
of  it  on  his  stand.  In  the  open  it  is  decidedly 
on  the  late  side.  It  was  the  only  yellow  trumpet 
that  I  was  able  to  stage  at  Birmingham  in  the 
abnormal  season  of  1911.  Although  smooth  and 
refined,  it  is  a  large  flower.  The  measurement 
of  the  bloom  above  referred  to  was  4!  inches  by 
2  inches  by  2  inches — larger,  in  fact,  than  an  average 
Olympia,  which  is  given  in  Robert  Sydenham's 
book  as  4 J  inches  by  ij  inches  by  2  inches. 
Ethelbert  was  on  his  stand.  In  writing  of  its 
singular  charm,  it  makes  a  lump  come  in  my  throat 
to  think  that  he  will  never  see  the  sales  which  it 
certainly  deserves  to  have  ;  nor  yet  those  of  his 
Tinsel,  which  I  consider  in  many  ways  as  an 
improved  Ethelbert.  I  expect  I  will  always  asso- 
ciate this  lovely  variety  with  "  Uncle  Robert,"  just 


wise  of  a  beautiful  shade  of  buff.  It  makes  a  fine 
show  bloom,  but  1  would  like  to  raise  the  question  : 
What  is  a  Leedsii,  and  what  is  a  Barrii  ?  It  will 
be  interesting  to  see  where  Mr.  Rudolf  Barr  will 
place  his  St.  Olaf.  These  two  varieties  are  "  much 
of  a  muchness  "  in  general  appearance,  and  I  am 
certainly  inclined  to.  regard  both  as  Leedsiis,  of 
which  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Classifica- 
tion List  gives  this  definition  :  "  Perianth  white, 
and  cup  or  crown  white,  cream  or  citron  :  embracing 
all  sizes  as  found  in  the  Incomparabilis  and  Barrii 
classes."  The  italics  are  mine.  I  think  we  should 
always  bear  this  part  of  the  definition  in  mind 
in  pigeon-holing  our  purchases  or  our  own  seedlings. 
A  word  of  congratulation,  in  conclusion,  to  Miss 
West,  the  artist,  for  her  very  clever  grouping.  I 
have  only  seen  her  original  picture,  and  it  was 
charming.  I  hope  the  coloured  print  will  do  it 
justice.  Joseph  Jacob. 


HAVE  just  finished  reading  a  little  book, 
"  Daffodils,"  written  by  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob, 
a  name  sufficiently  familiar  to  those  who 
read  The  Garden.  It  is  not  a  very  recent 
book,  but  it  is  new  to  me,  and  has  set  me 
thinking.  Not  that  there  is  in  it  anything 
that  will  appear  novel  or  startling  to  experienced 
Daffodil-growers,  the  scope  of  the  worK  being  too 
limited  to  permit  of  very  exhaustive  or  original 
treatment.  What  there  is  of  it,  however,  is  on 
sovmd  lines,  sufficiently  so  to  lead  one  to  hope  that 
Mr.  Jacob  may  presently  see  his  way  to  try  his  hand 
on  a  larger  canvas,  and  te' '  us  all  that  there  is  to 
tell  about  the  flower.  At  the  same  time,  though  I 
agree  in  the  main  with  Mr.  Jacob's  ideals,  prefer- 
ences and  general  views  in  respect  of 
the  Daffodil,  I  do  not  invariably  find 
myself  in  accord  ;  and  my  object  in 
referring  to  the  lutle  work  is  not  so 
much  to  praise  it  as,  with  your  per- 
mission, to  touch  on  a  point  of  sub- 
sidiary importance  on  which  I  join 
issue  with  the  author. 

My  slight  and  friendly  cavil  concerns 
the  sixteenth  chapter  oT  Mr.  Jacob's 
book,  in  which  he  proposes  to  elevate 
the  Daffodil  to  the  rank  of  "  florist's 
flower  " — for  as  elevation  Mr.  Jacob 
would  evidently  regard  such  a  change 
of  status,  though  to  some  of  us  this 
kind  of  promotion  m?y  appear  rather 
in  the  nature  ot  a  '  kick.ng  upstairs." 
Mr.  Jacob  looks  for  the  coming  of  a 
latter-day  Glenn  y  to  teach  us  what  is, 
and  what  is  not,  desirable  in  the 
Daffodil.  No  doubt  the  instructions 
of  a  Daffodil  pope  might  relieve 
judges  at  shows  of  some  trouble  and 
responsibility  by  renderirg  their  duties 
as  nearly  as  possible  mechanical; 
but  most  lovers  of  the  fi'jwer  (lovers 
of  the  Daffodil  are  not  all  judges 
or  even  exhibitors)  will  prefer,  I 
should  think,  to  have  the  Nar- 
cissus left  outside  the  g-oup  called 
"  florist's  flowers,"  the  merits  of 
which  have  too  long  been  decided 
by  appeal  to  narrow  and  sometimes 
irrational  standards.  Not  that 
one  would  wish  to  belittle  the 
achievements  of  the  professional 
florist.  I  for  one  have  no  wish  to 
underrate  what  he  has  done  for  our  garden  flowers. 
To  that  very  striving  after  conventional  and 
arbitrary  standards  we  owe  very  largely  the  lovely 
varieties  of  Auricula,  Carnation,  Tulip  and  other 
flowers  which  beautify  oor  beds  and  borders  at 
the  present  moment.  To  be  sure,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  the  particular  features  which  the  florist 
has  insisted  upon  for  his  special  flower  have  always 
added  to  its  beauty.  A  poet  has  told  us  that 
beauty  and  truth  are  convertible  terms — "  Beauty 
is  truth,  truth  beauty — that  is  all  we  know 
and  all  we  need  to  know."  I  do  not  know 
about  that. 

When  we  come  to  plain  prose,  such  generalisations 
involve  a  certain  amount  of  juggling  with  words. 
Anyhow,  where  beauty  is  not  a  matter  of  truth,  it 
is  purely  a  matter  of  taste  ;  and,  as  we  all  know, 
there  is  no  disputing  about  matters  of  taste.  The 
point  is  that  the  florist,  having  his  own  notion  of 


\ 


September  i^,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


463 


beauty  (his  own  tastes,  in  short),  desires  to  impose 
them,  and  has  largely  succeeded  in  imposing  them, 
upon  other  people  ;  and  so  it  has  been  in  the  past 
that,  by  cast-iron  standards  contrived  to  this  end, 
the  professional  florist,  while  he  achieved  wonders 
in  certain  directions,  has  prevented  the  develop- 
ment of  flowers  from  moving  with  sufficient  freedom 
in  certain  other  directions  which  are  perhaps  even 
more  desirable. 

Mr.  Jacob,  like  other  people,  finds  definitions  to 
be  troublesome  things.  I  certainly  should  not  care 
to  attempt  the  definition  of  "  archdeacon,"  but 
I  am  not  so  shy  about  "  florist's  flower," 
which  is  a  much  less  elusive  subject. 
I  should  say  that  when  a  flower  lends 
itself  to  infinite  variation  In  the  hands 
of  the  hybridiser,  and,  further,  has  had 
its  standards  of  excellence  definitely 
determined  by  experts  and  generally  ac- 
cepted by  growers,  it  becomes  ipso  facto 
a  "  florist's  flower."  In  this  sense  the 
Auricula,  Tulip  and  Carnation  are  florist's 
flowers.  The  Lily  is  not  a  florist's 
flower,  because  neither  does  it  readily 
lend  itself  to  variation,  nor  has  it 
been  standardised  by  experts.  The 
Daffodil  is,  so  far,  not  a  florist's  flower, 
because,  though  it  is  the  most  plastic 
of  flowers  in  the  hands  of  the  breeder, 
it  has  not  yet  had  its  points  definitely 
fixed  by  authority.  The  Daflodil,  in 
other  words,  has  not  yet  had  its  Glenny, 
for  whose  coming,  however,  Mr.  Jacob 
is  not  entirely  without  hope  ;  and  when 
he  comes  we  shall  then  know  what  a 
Daffodil  ought  to  be,  and  can  determine 
for  ourselves  the  perfect  flower  by  rule 
and  plummet.  Somerset. 

(To  be  coiUinufil.) 


DAFFODILS     IN 
ZEALAND. 


NEW 


T 


HE  "  Dafiodil  Notes  "  and  correspond- 
ence contributed  from  time  to  time  to 
The  Garden  by  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Jacob  and  others  are  very  interesting 
to  us  who  are  follo\ving  the  c>ilt  of 
the  spring  favourite  here  at  your 
antipodes,  and  the  coming  of  them  tempts  me  to 
pen  a  few  notes  about  the  growing  and  showing  of 


NARCISSUS     COLLEEN. 

It  generally  happens  that  among  the 
multiplicity  of  new  varieties  of  Narcissi 
exhibited  at  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  meetings  each  spring,  one  or 
two  varieties  stand  out  from  all  the 
rest  for  their  distinct  character.  So  far 
as  my  memory  serves  me,  the  year  1910 
only  produced  one  such  variety,  viz.. 
Colleen.  It  was  shown  by  the  Rev.  G.  H. 
Engleheart  and  passed  into  the  hands 
of  Messrs.  Wallace  of  Colchester,  who 
placed  it  before  the  Narcissus  com- 
mittee, and  an  award  of  merit  was 
given.  The  flower  is  unique  in  colour, 
being  of  a  pure  Poeticus  white.  The  cup 
also  is  white,  with  a  pure,  bright  green 
centre  and  a  narrow  edge  of  green.  The 
whole  flower  is  of  great  substance, 
the  texture  of  the  perianth  partaking 
more  of  the  Barrii  type  than  the 
Poeticus ;  but  the  general  appearance  of  the 
flower  gives  one  the  idea  of  a  Poet  with  an 
enlarged  cup,  and  the  usual  red  colour  replaced 
by  green.  L.   W.   G, 


A     GORGEOUS     TULIP. 

Now  that  planting  time  is  here  I  would  advise 
readers  to  purchase  a  few  bulbs  of  Tulipa 
fosteriana.  If  planted  in  good  soil  in  a  warm 
spot  they  should  do  well,  and  produce  their  large, 
glowing  scarlet,  goblet-shaped  flowers  next  spring. 
It  is  one  of  the  largest  Tulips  I  know,  and 
is  always  greatly  admired  in  my  garden.  H. 


plain    and   swamp,    bush-clad    ranges    and   snow- 
capped moimtains,  over  which  is  spread  a  popula- 
tion of  just  over  one  million,  exclusive  of  the  native 
Maori.     The  climate   varies  from  semi-tropical  in 
the  North  to  conditions  approximating  to  those  of 
North  Britain  in  the  South,  where  the  winters  are 
frequently  severe,   with   plenty   of  snow   and  ice. 
The   country   generally  enjoys  an   ample   rainfall 
and  is  well  watered,  anything  in  the  way  of  drought 
being  very  unusual.     The  four  principal  centres — 
Auckland    and    Wellington     (North     Island)    and 
Christcliurch    and    Dunedin    (South    Island) — are 
widely    separated,    though     the    last    two 
are    comparatively    near    neighbours.      It 
so    happens  that,   although  the  Narcissus 
has  been  grown  out    here  for  well  over  a 
quarter    of     a     century,     and     has     now 
attained  a  strong  and  increasingly  popular 
position   in   public  estimation,   it    is   only 
in     the     principal    centres    that    Dafiodil 
shows    of    any  importance  are   held,    and 
little    or    no    interchange    or    competition 
takes    place    between    different    parts    of 
the  Dominion    (except    Christchurch     and 
Dunedin).     Thus    there    is    little     oppor- 
tunity    for      New      Zealand     growers     to 
compare    results     and     progress,     as    the 
Daffodil  votary,  especially  if  he  be  engaged 
raising     seedlings,      cannot,     during     the 
season,    spare  the  time  for  the   necessary 
travelling.     This  particularly  affects  -Auck- 
land,    the      "  farthest     North,"      as      the 
journey    from    here    to    Dunedin,   for  in- 
stance,    by    rail    and    steamer     occupies 
fully    two    days  of   continuous    travelling, 
while    the    trip  by  steamer  right   through 
occupies  five    days.      Another  obstacle  in 
the  way  of  inter-island  competition  is  that 
our  seasons  do  not  synchronise,  Auckland 
being  four  to  six  weeks  in  advance  of  the 
South,  and  by  the  time    Christchurch  and 
Dunedin      are      holding      their     Daffodil 
shows,   our  liorticulturists  are  concentrat- 
ing   their  attention   on    Roses,  Sweet  Peas 
and  Carnations  for  the  summer  exhibitions. 
Our  flower  shows  are  therefore  necessarily 
of    a    rather    parochial    nature,    and    the 
gathering     of    exhibits    and    the    friendly 
intercourse     and     rivalry    of     enthusiasts 
from   all    parts,    which   make    so    largely 
for    the    success  of    English    shows,    are 
denied  us  here. 

Having      said      so     much      on      general 
conditions,     I   will   now    try   to    deal   with 
Daffodils  in  this   (Auckland)  district,   and 
as  I  have  been  a  grower  of  them  for  over 
twenty    years,   and    have    been  an  active 
promoter     of     the     spring    show     of    the 
.Auckland  Horticultural  Society  for  a  large 
part   of   that    time,  I    am   fairly   well   ac- 
quainted with  the  subject.     The  Auckland 
district    offers    growers    a  large  choice    of 
the  "  Daff "  out  here,  in  the  hope  that  you  may    soils,    from    very    light    volcanic    (the    Auckland 
find  something   among   them   of  interest   to   your    isthmus  is  a  nest  of  extinct  volcanic  cones)  to  the 
readers  in  the  Homeland.  stiffest  clay,  and  also  varied  aspects,  and  the  climate, 

A  few  words  first  as  to  the  geographical  and  being  mUd,  with  ample  rainfall  during  winter  and 
climatic  conditions  in  New  Zealand  may  not  be  spring,  while  heavy  frosts  are  very  rare,  is  eminently 
out  of  place  ;  for  notwithstanding  the  way  this  suitable  for  the  cultivation  of  Daffodils.  At  the 
Dominion  has  of  late  years  been  "  boomed "  at  same  time,  these  conditions  necessitate  a  cease- 
home,  and  the  large  and  increasing  number  of  less  warfare  with  weeds,  slugs  and  snails  throughout 
English  people  who  annually  visit  us,  I  am  afraid  ,  the  season,  which  they  also  serve  to  lengthen 
that,  to  the  bulk  of  the  great  British  public,  we  are  ■  much  beyond  what,  I  understand,  you  are  accus- 
term  incognita  still.  New  Zealand  is  over  one  |  tomed  to.  It  is  not  unusual  to  have  the  Paper 
thousand  miles  long  from  North  to  South,  with  an  j  White  and  other  Polyanthus  kinds  in  flower  in 
area  of  over  one  hundred  thousand  square  miles  of  [  May,  early  trumpets  following  towards  the  end  of 


NARCISSUS     COLLEEN,      A      BEAUTIFUL      NEW      VARIETY 
WITH    A    LARGE    EYE    OR    CUP. 


464 


THE    GARDEN. 


[September  13,  1913. 


June  ;  from  then  onwards  they  come  in  increasing 
numbers  till  the  flush  of  the  season  in  September, 
after  which  time  they  gradually  thin  out,  though 
late  varieties  may  some  seasons  be  cut  up  to  the 
middle  of  November,  I  speak  here  of  outdoor 
culture  only,  as  practically  nothing  is  done  in  this 


these  be  grown  as  he  grows  them  (for  there  is  a  lot 
in  the  growing),  and  staged  at  Birmingham  or  other 
of  the  English  shows,  I  feel  satisfied  they  would 
not  lack  attention  and  appreciation  from  the 
connoisseurs.  Among  his  earlier  productions  are 
many  fine  yellow  trumpets  of  maximus  and  M.  J, 


district  in  the  way  of  forcing,  except  perhaps  when  :  Berkeley    type,    and     large,    tall-growing    incom- 

one   wishes   to   have   for  exhibition   some   variety  ;  parabilis  ;    but  among  his  later  seedlings  are  many 

which  usually  flowers  too  late  outside.  |  fine,   "  cool  "-looking  flowers,   both   trumpets   and 

Most  of  our  growers  regularly  import  the  newer  j  cups,     including     some      very     taking     Johnstoni 

varieties  from  English  firms  ;    but,  as  we  have  no  [  hybrids.     Among  the  latter  are  some  of  the  most 

wealthy  leisured  class,   we   have   to  wait   till   the  :  floriferous  plants  I  have  seen,  some  bulbs  sending 

prices  come  within  reasonable  limits,  though  some  [  up  as  many  as  four  or  five  stalks,  carrying  from 

varieties  priced  at  £io  a  bulb  and  over  have  been    two  to  five  large  flowers  like  fair-sized  trumpets, 

imported ;    and    several    devotees 

cultivate  collections    of    from  loo 

to     300    or    even    more    varieties. 

Our  principal   spring  show,  under 

the    auspices    of     the     Auckland 

Horticultural   Society,   is   held   in 

the    first      week     of     September, 

and    is    undoubtedly     the     most 

popular     show     of    the    year, 

coming    as    it     does     to    tell    us 

winter    is      past ;      for     even     in 

this    favoured    clime     flowers    are 

at  times   very   scarce    diuring    the 

winter    months.      Competition    is 

usually     good,     the     schedule 

providing  opportunity  for  all 

growers,     classes     ranging      from 

single   blooms   to   stands   of  forty 

varieties.       As    before    explained, 

the    exhibition     is     apt      to      be 

rather   local,    a   radius    of   fifteen 

miles     covering    all    exhibitors, 

with     one     or     two     exceptions. 

Recently     two     inland      towns — 

Hamilton     and      Cambridge      (80 

and  100  miles  South) — have  in- 
stituted    regular     spring     shows, 

and    some     exchange     with 

Auckland  has    taken    place,  while 

three     other    provincial      towns — 

Thames,  Rotorua  (celebrated  for 
its  thermal    wonders)    and    Cleve- 

don — also  made  a  move  last 
season.  The  fancy  is  as  yet  in 
its  infancy  in  these  places ;  but 
Cambridge  possesses  a  large 
grower  in  Mr.  W.  F.  Buckland, 
who  is  also  a  most  successful 
Clirysanthemum  man,  known 
beyond  New  Zealand  as  the 
raiser  of  some  sterling  new 
varieties  of  that  flower. 

In    the    matter     of     producing 
new  Daflodils,  Auckland  promises 
well.       Probably    our    oldest    and 
most    successful    grower    is     Pro- 
fessor A.  P.  W.   Thomas  of  Auck- 
land University,  and  in  the   fasci- 
nating hobby  of  raising  Daffodil  seedlings  he  is  tacile 
priiiceps.     He  was  the  first  to  take  up  the  Narcissus 
in  this  district,  and  was  quietly  worldng  away  at 
it  long  before  most  of  us  knew  anything  better  than 
Emperor  or  Empress.     Now,  his  beautiful  grounds 
with    walled    terraces,    flower-beds,    rockeries    and 
winding   paths   formed  with   much   labour   out   of 
the  rough  scoria  slopes  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Eden — 
an  extinct  volcanic  cone  in  the  suburbs — contain, 
besides    many    imported    Narcissus    aristocrats,    a 
very  large  number  of  beautiful  new  varieties,  the 
result  of  liis  systematic  and  careful  hybridising  and 
culture  for  many  years  past.     Could   the   pick   of 


A    BEAUTIFUL    BOWL    OF     TULIPS    PRINCE    DE    LIGNE.         THESE    HAVE 
BEEN    GROWN    IN    FIBRE    AS    DESCRIBED    ON    THE    OPPOSITE    PAGE. 


varying  from  pure  white  through  shades  of  yellow. 
Although  his  soil  is  the  light,  loose  material  of  the 
volcanic  parts,  a  very  noticeable  feature  is  the 
strong  growth  and  height  usually  attained,  many 
of  the  trumpets  and  medios  averaging  24  inches  to 
the  ovary,  some  varieties  measuring  as  much  as 
30  inches,  while  one  kind,  aptly  called  Flagstaff,, 
exceeds  that  height. 

Owing  largely  to  the  quality  of  his  own  seed- 
lings, Professor  Thomas  secured  first  place  at  our 
spring  shows  in  the  consecutive  seasons  of 
1909-10-11,  against  strong  competition  with  im- 
ported varieties,  in  the  largest  class  (forty  varieties 


of  Daffodils,  excluding  Polyanthus),  thereby  winning 
outright  the  society's  handsome  silver  vase.  Last 
season  he  showed  only  in  classes  for  single  blooms 
(winning  in  eight  out  of  nine  classes,  five  of  the 
blooms  being  his  own  productions)  and  for  seedlings. 
He  also  staged  for  exhibition  only  a  large  and  hand- 
some group,  nearly  all  of  his  own  raising,  and 
comprising,  among  others,  the  varieties  commented 
on  by  Mr.  F.  Herbert  Chapman  in  your  issue  of 
November  30  last. 

Another  enthusiast  is  the  Rev.  William  Beatty, 
Vicar  of  St.  Mark's,  Remuera  (a  suburb  of 
Auckland),  the  Daffodil  occupying  first  place  in 
his  affections.  Some  years  ago  he  initiated  the  "  St. 
Mark's  Daffodil  At  Home "  in 
his  Parish  Hall,  and  it  has 
become  a  successful  annual  fix- 
ture. It  takes  place  usually  two 
or  three  weeks  prior  to  our 
principal  show,  and  provides 
opportunity  for  a  display  of  the 
advance  guard  of  yellow  trum- 
pets, &c.^  Mr.  Beatty's  preference 
seems  to  be  for  the  "  first-early  " 
section,  and  these  largely  pre- 
ponderate in  the  Vicarage  garden. 
He  has  done  some  hybridising 
among  them,  directing  his  efforts 
to  obtaining  "  early  birds,"  and 
though  his  productions  might  not 
attract  much  attention  in  competi- 
tion with  modern  high-class 
show  blooms,  he  has  several 
very  early  yellow  trumpets  that 
will  be  of  value  in  the  cut- 
flower  industry  when  more 
plentiful. 

Aroused   to    emulation    by    the 
success      of      Professor     Thomas, 
several    other    growers    here    have 
from     time     to    time    taken    up 
seedling-raising,     and    some    half- 
dozen      uf      them     have      passed 
through    the    long   patience-trying 
initial  waiting,  and  there  is  every 
indication    that    before    long    we 
shall   have  competition  in   classes 
for    "  seedlings  raised   by   exhibi- 
tor,"    hitherto     monopolised     by 
Professor    Thomas.      This    aspect 
of     Daffodil     culture     largely     in- 
fluences   the     choice     when     im- 
porting,    and    varieties     with     a 
reputation    as    good    seeders     are 
preferred,    though    we    find    they 
do    not    always     bear    out     that 
character     when    acclimatised 
here.       I     suppose     the     change 
of   climate   and   environment    dis- 
t  u  r  b  s      their      constitutions     to 
some    extent.       In    the   Auckland 
district      the     seed     germi- 
nates   well     in    specially-prepared    beds    in     the 
open  air,  and  is  usually  sown  just  after  the  first 
autumn  rains,  about  the  end  of  March  and  through 
April.     I  notice  some  of  the  authorities  at  home 
recommend    sowing    the    seed    as    soon    as    ripe 
(that    would    be    October    and    November    here), 
but    those     who      have     tried     this     here     have 
found  no  special   advantage  to  accrue,  and  think 
the  seed  is    safer   kept   until   autumn   than   lying 
in      the    seed  -  bed      well      baked     by     our     hot 
summer  sun. 

Auckland,  New  Zealand.  A.  E.  Grindrod. 

{To  be  continued.) 


September  13,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


465 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

GROWING     BULBS     IN     FIBRE. 


AS  each  September  comes  round,  my 
thoughts  turn  unerringly  to  the  culture 
of  spring  bulbs  for  window  or  room 
,  decoration.  Hyacinths,  Narcissi, 
^  Tulips  and  Crocuses  are  my  favourites, 
and  I  grow  all  of  them  in  bowls  filled 
with  fibre ;  the  latter,  specially  prepared  for 
the  purpose  and  sold  as  carbonated  fibre,  may 
be  obtained  from  almost  any  firm  of  nursery- 
men, and  it  is  quite  inexpensive.  Moreover,  it  is 
clean  to  handle  and  is  not  offensive  indoors. 
.•Umost  any  bowl  that  will  accommodate  the  bulbs 
will  answer,  although  the  best  kind  I  know  is  the 
"  Oriental,"  supplied  by  Messrs.  Hunter  and  Gow, 
Limited,  56,  Thomas  Street,  Liverpool.  This  bowl 
contains  an  inner  bowl  with  holes  in  the  bottom. 


down  on  the  surface,  the 
growing  bulbs  may  be  unable 
to  thrust  their  way  through, 
with  the  result  that  the  whole 
of  the  top  fibre  may  be  lifted 
right  up  above  the  bowl.  Again, 
space  should  be  left  at  the  top 
of  the  bow! — about  half  an  inch 
or  so — to  allow  for  watering. 
The  very  rough  parts  of  the 
fibre  should  be  rubbed  out,  and 
a  few  pieces  of  charcoal  placed 
in  the  bottom  of  each  bowl. 

After  Potting,  very  httle  at- 
tention will  be  needed  for  at  least 
three  weeks.  The  fibre  should 
be  kept  just 
m  o  i  s  t — n  o  t 
sodden  on 
any  account, 
or  this  may 
lead  to  the 
early  decay  of 


BOWL  OF  ROMAV  HYACINTHS  IN  COURSE  OF  POTIING  UP.  THE 
BULBS  SHOULD  BE  ALMOST  COVERED  WITH  FIBRE,  THE  SURFACE 
OF  WHICH  SHOULD  BE  HALF  AN  INCH  OR  MORE  FROM  THE  TOP 
OF    THE    BOWL. 


the  bulbs. 
Keep  the 
bowls  in  an 
airy  cellar  or  room  ;  nothiiig  is 
worse  than  confining  them  in  a 
cupboard.  After  a  few  weeks, 
growth  will  commence,  and 
when  this  is  about  one  inch  high 
the  bowls  may  be  brought  to 
the  light.  From  this  period 
onwards  the  bulbs  require  more 
moisture  to  supply  the  growing 
tissues  of  the  plants.  When 
removed  to  the  Ught,  let  the 
bowls  be  placed  in  a  cool  green- 
house, frame  or  on  a  window- 
sill  ;  but  OQ  no  account  must 
frost  be  cillowed  to  reach  them. 
^Selection  of   Varieties.— Of 

Hyacinths  one 


.    FINE    BOWL    OF   YELLOW    CROCUSES.       THESE    ARE    AMONG    THE    MOST 
SATISFACTORY    OF    ALL   FLOWERS   FOR  GROWING   IN   BOWLS   OF   FIBRE. 


Daffodil  (one  of  the  first  to  flower).  Golden  Spur, 
Emperor,    Horsfieldii    or    Empress,    and    Poeticus  . 
ornatus.  Spartan. 


POTTING    AND    BOXING    LOBELIA. 

Cultivators  sometimes  lift  and  pot  whole  plants 
direct  from  the  flower  border.  Very  often  they  die 
before  Christmas.  Plants  that  were  duly  prepared 
by  cutting  back  'or  the  supply  of  cuttings  are  the 
best  to  lift  ard  pot  now  ;  but  every  plant  should 
be  carefully  divided,  the  parts  being  inserted 
round  the  s'des  of  6-.'nch  fower-pots  filled  with  a 
light  and  sandy  compost.  Whether  in  frames  or  in 
houses,  the  plants  must  not  be  subjected  to  a  dry 
heat,  but  be  very  care'ally  watered  and  guarded 
against  e.\cessive  atmospheric  moisture.  B. 


which  allows  water  to  drain  into  the  outer  bowl 
without  disturbing  the  bulbs.  However,  ordinary 
bowls  without  drainage  answer  very  well,  providing 
that  over-watering  is  guarded  against.  I  find  it 
best  to  grow  one  variety  only  in  a  bowl,  although 
there  is  nothing  to  prevent  one  mixing  varieties  or 
even  different  kinds,  such  as  Hyacinths  over  a 
groundwork  of  Crocuses.  When  one  variety  only 
is  used  to  a  bowl,  the  flowers  may  be  relied  upon 
to  throw  their  spikes  of  bloom  uniformly  and  at 
the  same  time  ;  but  this  is  not  so  when  they  are 
mixed. 

Above  all  it  is  necessary  to  purchase  bulbs  from 
a  reliable  source.  The  best  bulbs  only  should  be 
used,  and  the  writer  has  known  of  many  failures 
through  purchasing  cheap  bulbs  late  in  the  season. 
Small  bulbs  or  corms,  such  as  in  the  case  of  the 
Crocus,  should  be  covered  with  about  their  own 
depth  of  fibre,  but  large  bulbs,  such  as  Hyacinths 
and  Daffodils,  need  not  be  completely  covered. 
The  fibre  should  be  moist  at  the  time  of  potting 
up,  but  not  saturated.  It  should  be  pressed 
fairly  firm'y  around    the    bulbs.      If  pressed  hard 


c  anno  t!  do 
better  than 
grow  such  standard  varieties 
as  Grand  Maitre  (pale  blue), 
L' Innocence  (pure  white)  and 
Moreno  (pink).  Most  of  the 
Crocuses  can  be  relied  upon,  but 
I  have  found  purpurea  grandi- 
flora  (purple).  King  of  Whites 
and  Queen  of  Sheba  (yeUow)  a 
grand  trio.  Tulips  are  not  always 
a  success  with  me,  although 
Prince  de  Ligne  (yellow — see 
illustration  'on  opposite  page). 
Cottage  Maid  (pale  pink)  and 
Keizerskroon  (crimson  and  gold) 
are  among  the  most  satisfactory 
I  have  tried.  Mon  Tresor  is  a 
fine  early  yellow  Tulip,  and 
Scarlet  Van  Thol  is  certainly 
worth  growing,  as  it  is  extra 
early  and  of  very  light  colour. 
Of  Narcissi,  the  following  are  to 
be  relied  upon  for  growing  in 
fibre  :     N.  obvallaris,   the  Tenby 


HYACINTH    GRAND    MAITRE    PLACED    IN   A    BOWL    OF    FIBRE.       ONLY   1  Hit 
VERY    BEST    BULBS    SHOULD    BE    SELECTED    FOR    THIS    PURPOSE. 


466 


THE    GARDEN. 


[September  13,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Fuchsias. — These  should  be  propagated  now, 
selecting,  as  far  as  possible,  the  young  growing 
shoots  that  are  not  carrying  flower.  Put  seven  or 
eight  cuttings  round  the  side  of  a  4i-inch  pot, 
from  which  they  may  be  transferred  mto  single 
pots  as  soon  as  nicely  rooted. 

Propagation. — The  work  of  propagating  soft- 
wooded  bedding  plants  must  be  proceeded  with  at 
once,  and  if  suitable  accommodation  is  provided, 
such  plants  as  Coleus,  Iresine,  Altemanthera, 
Alyssum,'  Mesembryanthemum,  Heliotrope  and 
Ageratum  will  root  as  quickly  now  as  at  any  time. 
Where  plenty  of  propagatin'g-cases  with  bottom- 
heat  are  at  liberty,  these  may  be  utilised,  but,  failing 
these,  it  is  wise  to  make  up  a  moderately  good  hot- 
bed to  take  as  many  low  frames  as  may  be  required 
for  the  cuttings,  plunging  the  pots  to  the  rim  in 
Cocoanut  fibre. 

Abutilon  Thompsonii  should  be  treated  similarly 
to  Fuchsias,  but  should  be  given  a  size  larger 
pot  when  potting  off,  and  to  make  really  good 
specimens  must  be  kept  growing  gentlv  throughout 
the  winter. 

Flower-Beds. — These  must  be  kept  regularly 
picked  over,  so  that  they  present  a  tidy  appearance 
as  long  as  possible.  Any  beds  that  are  quite  gone 
over  should  be  filled  up,  where  the  convenience 
allows  of  it,  with  such  subjects  as  early-flowering 
Chrysanthemums,  Salvia  splendens,  or  even  dwarf- 
growing  Asters,  these,  of  course,  having  been 
specially  prepared.  If  in  pots  there  will  be  very 
little  trouble,  except  that  the  watering  must  be 
well  attended  to  ;  but  if  lifted  from  nursery  beds  or 
borders  the  syringe  will  need  to  be  kept  going 
should  the  weather  be  hot  and  dry  after  shifting. 
The  Lobelias  are  quite  over  in  some  districts,  and 
these  must  be  pulled  up.  If  the  other  occupants 
of  the  beds  have  grown  well,  they  will  not  be  much 
missed  at  this  season. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Coleus  should  now  be  propjgated  for  stock 
purposes,  and  if  put  in  single  pots  may  be  potted 
on  as  they  are,  and  so  form  nice  plants  quite  early. 
For  providing  cuttings  for  the  spring,  three  may 
be  put  in  a  3-inch  pot.  I  make  a  practice  of 
putting  in  more  than  is  actually  required  for  stock, 
the  surplus  being  used  in  the  autumn  for  edging 
small  groups,  or  as  groundwork,  with  small  Ferns, 
for  decorative  exhibits  of  Chrysanthemums. 

Small  Decorative  Subjects,  such  as  Selaginellas, 
Panicum,  Fittonias  and  Tradescantias,  should  also 
be  propagated  in  quantity,  sufficient  pots  being 
made  up  to  last  through  the  winter ;  and  where 
large  parties  are  given  during  the  shooting  season 
it  is  astonishing  how  many  pots  of  small  stuff 
are  required. 

Bouvardias  and  Solanums  that  may  have  been 
planted  in  the  open  ground  or  in  frames  should  be 
lifted  and  potted  at  once.  Considerable  care  will 
be  necessary  to  get  them  over  the  shift  without 
a  severe  check,  but  by  careful  syringing  and  shading 
for  a  few  days  and  keeping  the  house  or  frame  quite 
close  they  will  soon  begin  to  make  fresh  roots, 
when  they  may  be  given  more  air  and  light. 

Perpetual-flowering  Carnations.— If  the  house 
or  houses  are  not  already  prepared  for  the  re- 
ception of  these  plants,  they  should  be  cleaned  at 
once,  so  as  to  get  the  plants  in  without  delay. 
They  should  be  carefully  tied,  and  well  sprayed 
to  make  quite  sure  that  they  are  free  of  spider 
or  any  other  insect  pests  at  the  time  of  housing. 
1  find  sulphide  of  potassium  a  really  good  thing  to 
syringe  with,  but  the  plants  must  be  allowed  to 
dry  before  being  taken  in,  or  the  solution  is  apt 
to  mark  the  paint  where  it  comes  in  cont.act  with  it. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Spinach  sown  a  few  weeks  ago  should  now  be 
advanced  enough  for  thinning.  If  thinned  to 
about  three  inches  apart  now,  it  may  be  again 
thinned,  taking  out  every  alternate  plant  when  large 
enough  to  use,  and  the  remaining  plants  should 
stand  the  winter  well.  Sprinkle  the  ground  about 
them  well  with  soot  during  showery  weather ; 
this  will  keep  the  plants  healthy  as  well  as  keep 
down  slugs. 


Lettuce  should  now  be  sown  on  a  warm  border 
where  it  will  stand  the  winter.  Hardy  White  Cos 
and  Stanstead  Park  being  two  varieties  as  well 
suited  for  the  purpose  as  any. 

Endive. — The  latest  batches  of  this  should  be 
pricked  out,  choosing  a  warm  border  where  lights 
may  be  placed  over  the  plants  in  the  event  of  very 
wet  or  severe  weather  later  in  the  season.  Earlv 
batches  that  are  nearly  fit  for  use  should  be  tied 
up  for  blanching,  choosing  a  time  when  the  foliage 
IS  quite  dry,  or  they  may  be  inclined  to  damp 
or  rot  off. 

Cauliflowers  should  now  be  sown  for  spring 
planting,  choosing  a  position  on  a  warm  border 
where  the  soil  is  fairly  light  and  well  drained. 
In  some  locahties  they  may  stand  in  the  open  air, 
but  in  most  places  they  will  have  to  be  pricked  out 
in  frames  or  under  hand-lights  to  come  through 
the  winter  successfully.  Early  London  and 
Walcheren  are  the  two  varieties  that  do  best  in 
this  neighbourhood,  the  former,  if  anything,  being 
the  best  of  the  two. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Fruit  Gathering.— Owing  to  the  drought  I 
find  many  varieties  of  both  Apples  and  Pears 
maturing  earlier  than  usual,  so  that  a  sharp  look- 
out must  be  kept  on  the  trees  to  prevent  many 
of  the  fruits  fallmg.  The  different  varieties  should 
be  gone  over  once  or  twice  a  week,  gathering  those 
that  show  signs  of  falling  off,  and  storing  them  as 
thinly  as  possible  in  the  fruit-room.  Extra  good 
specimens  that  it  may  be  desirable  to  leave  on  the 
trees  should  have  bags  placed  over  them ;  but  I  have 
noticed  a  decided  tendency  on  the  part  of  Pears  that 
have  been  bagged  to  go  sleepy  much  more  quickly 
than  those  not  so  treated;  this,  no  doubt,  is  due  to 
the  want  of  air  to  the  fruits  during  the  maturing 
period. 

Strawberries.  —  Good,  firm  plantmg  is  quite 
necessary,  and  where  the  roots  have  become 
matted  in  the  balls  of  soil  they  should  be  eased 
out  somewhat.  In  the  event  of  continued  drought 
the  plants  must  be  kept  watered  until  they  show 
signs  of  ^having  got  a  good  hold  of  the  soil. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

IVoburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 

FOR     NORTHERN    GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Planting  Border  Pinks.— Cuttings  or  pipings 
inserted  in  the  summer  will  now  be  ready  for 
planting  out.  If  they  are  to  occupy  a  separate 
border  or  bed,  they  should  be  transferred  to  their 
flowering  quarters  forthwith.  It,  on  the  other 
hand,  they  are  to  be  planted  near  the  front  of 
mixed  beds  or  borders,  they  may  be  nm  oat  into 
nursery  lines  now,  and  transferred  to  their  flowering 
quarters  after  the  beds  and  borders  have  been 
dug  over  in  spring.  Pinks  succeed  best  in  a 
medium  or  light  soil,  and  no  rank  manure  should 
come  in  contact  with  their  roots.  Mrs.  Sinkins 
and  Her  Majesty  are  fine  for  edgings  or  growing 
in  masses.  The  old  laced  varieties  are  very  beauti- 
ful, and  Napoleon  III.  shoifld  not  be  overlooked. 
Many  of  the  single  seedlings  are  also  very  beautiful, 
both  in  form  and  colour. 

Herbaceous  Plants. — See  that  Asters,  Golden 
Rods,  tall  Helianthuses  and  such  like  are  proof 
against  the  autumn  winds.  Cut  over  the  flower- 
stems  of  all  plants  as  they  go  out  of  bloom,  and 
as  the  natural  beauty  begins  to  wane,  try  to  make 
the  garden  as  attractive  as  possible  by  keeping 
everything  trim  and  tidy. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Selections  for  Planting.— I  now  give  a  few 
names  for  the  benefit  of  beginners  who  may  con- 
template planting  this  November.  Where  a  mass 
of  bloom  is  the  chief  aim,  the  following  can  be 
heartily  recommended  :  Reds — Hugh  Dickson, 
J.  B.  Clark  (both  very  vigorous).  Captain  Hayward, 
General  Macarthur,  Richmond  and  the  old  Hybrid 
Perpetual  General  Jacqueminot.  Pinks — Caroline 
Testout  (a  vigorous  grower  and  perpetual  bloomer). 
La  France,  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay,  Mme.  Jules 
Grolez,  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant,  and  the  two  old  Hybrid 
Perpetuals  Merveille  de  Lyon  and  Mrs.  J.  Laing. 
Yellows — Mme.   Ravary,   Le    Progres    and  Gustave 


Regis.  Whites— Frau  Karl  Dnischki,  Augustine 
Guinoisseau  and  Amateur  Teyssier.  For  general 
purposes  the  following  are  all  excellent,  and  for 
descriptions  readers  should  consult  a  descriptive 
catalogue  :  Antome  Rivoire,  Avoca,  Betty,  Coral- 
lina,  Edu  Meyer,  Edward  Mawley,  Killamey, 
La  Tosca,  Lady  Battersea,  Laurent  Carle,  Liberty, 
Lieutenant  Chaure,  Lyon  Rose,  Mme.  Melanie 
Soupert,  Marquise  de  Sinety,  Pharisaer,  Prince 
de  Bulgarie,  Viscountess  Folkestone,  Juliet  and 
Lady  Hillingdon,  which  does  well  here.  The 
foregoing  I  know  well,  but  thev  are  only  a  few 
among  the  many. 

Pruning  Ramblers.— If  there  is  a  sufficiency 
of  young,  vigorous  shoots,  cut  away  all  the  old 
wood  ;  if  not,  retain  a  portion  of  it.  Of  course, 
more  of  the  old  wood  can  be  retained  on  screen 
fences  and  pergolas  than  on  arches  and  pillars. 

The  Wild  Garden. 
General  Work.— A  general  clean  up  should 
now  be  given  here.  The  grass,  if  gone  over  with 
the  scythe,  will  not  cause  trouble  again  this  season. 
Many  subjects  have  now  gone  out  of  bloom,  and 
their  flower-stems  should  be  cut  over.  Wichuraiana 
Roses,  too,  should  have  a  portion  of  the  old 
wood  thinned  out  to  enable  the  young  shoots  to 
ripen.  Rosa  rugosa  in  variety  is  showing  the 
brightness  of  its  heps,  and  the  Dogwood  leaves 
are  growing  beautiful  in  decay,  to  be  succeeded 
during  the  winter  by  the  beauty  of  their  bright 
bark.  Where  these  plants  are  absent,  they  should 
be  planted  before  another  season. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Lawns. — Grass  is  failing  more  quickly  than 
usual  this  season  owing  to  the  drought  ;  still,  the 
mower  should  be  kept  gomg  till  October  is 'well 
in,  as  a  few  tufts,  even  here  and  there,  if  left  cause 
the  whole  lawn  to  look  unsightly.  If  wormcasts 
appear,  the  Birch  broom  should' be  brought  into 
play,  followed  by  the  roller. 

Leaves. — These  are  now  causing  trouble,  and 
should  be  cleaned  up  once  a  week  or  oftener, 
according  to  circumstances.  If  skilfully  handled, 
nothing  equals  a  new  Birch  broom  for  this  work,' 
especially  on  grass  or  smooth  walks  and  drives. 

Pruning  Hedges.— If  not  already  done,  this 
work  should  be  carried  through  at  once,  for  two 
reasons,  viz.,  the  wood  is  so  much  softer  now  than 
later  on,  and  if  Privet  (evergreen)  is  cut  later  it 
remains  bare  all  the  winter. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums.— The  operation  of  takmg 
the  bud  will  now  be  well  over,  but  attention  must 
still  be  given  to  the  work  where  necessary.  Dis- 
budding the  terminals  will  now  claim  attention 
in  the  decorative  section.  The  extent  to  which 
the  process  should  be  carried  must  depend  upon 
the  natural  size  of  the  flowers.  Among  the  singles, 
for  instance,  varieties  like  Ladysmith  and  Kitty 
Bourne  require  no  disbudding,  whereas  the  Pagrams 
and  others  of  large  size  should  have  at  least  half 
of  the  buds  removed. 

Caladiums  as  they  go  to  rest  should  be  stored 
away  on  their  sides  where  the  temperature  does 
not  fall  below  60°  during  the  winter. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Pruning  Early  Vines.— As  soon  as  the  occupants 
of  the  early  house  have  shed  their  foliage,  they 
should  be  pruned.  A  sharp  knife  is  much  prefer- 
able to  the  secateurs  for  this  work.  Cut  well 
back,  as  only  one  bud  is  required  for  each  spur  ; 
and  while  it  is  true  that  surplus  buds  can  be  rubbed 
out  in  spring,  a  succession  of  long  spurs  soon 
handicaps  the  tree  in  the  production  of  good  fruit. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Earthing-Up  Leeks.— It  is  only  the  blanched 
part  of  a  Leek  that  counts  ;  therefore  the  more 
blanched  portion  the  better.  If  planted  in  trenches, 
earthing-up  is  done  in  the  same  way  as  Celery  is 
treated  ;  if  grown  in  lines,  the  Leeks  being  planted 
in  the  bottom  of  drills  as  I  advocated  at  planting- 
time,  the  ground  will  now  be  level  and  a  good  portion 
of  the  plants  blanched.  This  can  now  be  increased 
by  giving  the  plants  an  earth-up  with  the  draw 
hoe  in  the  same  way  as  Potatoes  are  treated. 

Brussels  Sprouts.— If  the  plants  have  all  the 
decayed  and  semi-decayed  leaves  removed,  the 
sprouts  will  develop  all  the  better. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


September  13,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


467 


"  THE      DAFFODIL      YEAR-         The  dry  but  quite  necessary  official  and  statistical 
_-,^-^|.   ,,  information    about    the    London    and    provincial 

Dafiodil   societies   and   shows,   with   their   awards, 

THIS  admirable  little  l)ook  is  a  landmark  \  the  standard  classification  of  Narcissi  for  exhi- 
in  the  history  of  the  Daffodil,  a  witness  j  bition,  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  schedule 
to  its  attainment  to  a  probably  per-  and  entry  form  for  1914,  &c.,  is  given  minutely  and 
manent  state  of  equilibrium  after  the  1  clearly,  and  is  enlivened  by  instructive  articles 
many  ups  and  downs  of  its  long  history.  '  o"  hybridising,  the  preservation  of  show  blooms. 
Old  John  Parkinson,  bom  in  1567,  is  I  tbe  novelties  of  1913  with  il'ustrations,  and  the 
usually  quoted  as  its  authentic  father  in  English  Pot  cultivation  of  Daftodils.  The  pages  on  some 
gardens— he  grew  or  knew  nearly  a  hundred  kinds—  of  the  "  Celebrities  of  Daffodildom  "  are  faced  by 
but  we  learn  from  Turner,  born  twenty  years  I  portraits  quite  surprisingly  well  reproduced, 
earlier,  that  before  Parkinson's  time  "  Narcissus  "  :  Those  who  had  the  privilege  of  knowing  Mr.  Peter 
was  "  of  diuerse  sortes,"  and  we  may  believe  j  Barr  will  see  the  man  himself  redivivus  in  this 
that  some  daffodil  or  another  was  to  be  found  in  |  aggressive-looking  but  most  characteristic  present- 
English  gardens  almost  from  their  first  beginning,  ment.  .Mr.  .\ndrew  Kingsmill's  face,  too,  recalls 
Gardening,  with  most  other  arts,  was  a  good  deal  |  the  earlier  daffodil  days.  .\las  !  the  fiower 
obscured  in  the  drab  stretch  of  the  eighteenth  cen-  '  endures,  but  its  votaries  pass, 
tury,  but  our  flower  reasserted  itself  strongly  from  There  is  place  for  little  adverse  criticism, 
about  1830  onwards,  and  thenceforward  the  stages  of  Possibly  the  tables  of  dates  of  opening  of  specified 
its  progress  are  visible  enough.-    Haworth  had  nearly    varieties  are  of  small   practical   value.     Localities 


are  concerned  with  its  subject.  They  "  have 
no  desire  to  make  profit  by  the  undertaking,  but 
they  consider  that  any  such  publication  devoted 
to  the  interests  of  one  particular  flower  should 
come  within  reasonable  distance  of  proving  self 
supporting."  Surely  such  support  will  be  abun- 
dantly given.  The  price  (is.  6d.)  is  almost  ridicu- 
lously small  for  such  a  book.    G.  H.  Englehe.4Rt. 


COSSINGTON 

THE 


HOUSE. 

THFIR 


CROSFIELDS      AND 
DAFFODILS. 

."^DIES  first,  please!  I  cannot  write  Cros- 
field  in  the  singular,  for  surely  no  lover 
and  exhibitor  of  flowers  has  ever  had 
a  wife  that  backed  him  up  better 
and  encouraged  him  more — not  only 
by  precept,  but  by  example — than 
Ernest     Crosfield.       The    good    man    is    busy    or 

completed   his   classification,  still   the   basis  of  our    have  each  their  own  climate,  and  seasons  vary  so  '  away  ;    she  is  his  eyes,  and  goes  carefully  round 

own,  at  the  last-mentioned  date,  and 

by  1 840  the  cross- breeders  had  broken 

into  a  new-  world.      Herbert,  Leeds, 

Backhouse  and  Barr  carry  us  link  by 

link   to   our    present    crowd   of    pro- 
ducers and  products. 

It  is    a    far    cry  from    the  "  white 

Daffodil  "  that    was    growing  "  pleii- 

teously    in    my    Lorde's    Gardine    in 

Syon "  in    1548    to    the  bewildering 

multiplicity    of    blossom    in   a    1913 

Vincent  Square  Show.      But    always 

throughout   these   centuries   the  Daf- 

lodil    has  been  a — we    may  perhaps 

say  the — distinctively  English  flower, 

cherished  and  developed  exclusively 

by  Enghsh  hearts,  brains  and  hands. 

-■\nd  its  permanence  is  witnessed   to 

by     the     book    now     under     notice. 

There  was  a  period  in   our  recollec- 
tion when  the  Daffodil  seemed  to  fall 

into    the   paraphernalia   of    the   new 

medieval     esthetes,    and    John    Bull 

was   inclined   to  laugh  at  its  "  cult  " 

as   a   transient    craze    of     poets    and 

parsons.     But   the   spring-hunger  for 

flowers  is  eternal,   and    this  flower's 

intrinsic    beauties    and     possibilities 

have     safeguarded     it     against   both 

petting     and     ridicule,     while,     best 

insurance  of   all,   our  flower-markets 

demonstrate  its  solid  commercial  posi- 
tion,    .'^d  a  flower  has  surely  come  to  stay  when, 

after  some  350    years  of   its   life,  the    Council  and 

President    of    the    world's    greatest    horticultural 

society  make  such  a  book  a  part  of  their  serious 

output,  and  can  speak  (page  80)  of  the  "  greatly 

increased     interest      taken     in      Daffodils."     The 

Daffodil  confraternity — a  phrase  now  out  of  date, 

for  it  is  fast  becoming  synonymous  with  the  flower- 
loving   public — should    be   grateful    to    the  Society 

for  such  a  helpful  publication,  and  to  its   Editor, 

the  Rev.  Joseph  Jacob,  who  has  made  it  a  labour 

of  love,  and  has  gathered  and  arranged  his  material 

with  great  skill. 

The  book  leaves  httle  to  be  desired,  either  out- 
wardly  or    inwardly.     Its   strong    canvas    binding 

of   quiet   daffodil   green  is  in   excellent   taste  ;     it 

lies   open   well — how   many   books   provoke   hasty 

language   by   the   contrary   defect  ! — and   has   the 

best  of  paper  and  type.     The  contents  have  been 

so  contrived  as  to  be  valuable  alike  to  the  most 

advanced  expert  and  to  the  most  tentative  beginner.  |  must  depend  upon  the  support  given  by  those  who 


THE    BE.\UTIKUL    GROUP    OF    DAFFODILS    EXHIBITED    BY    MESSRS.    J.\MES    CARTER    AND    CO.    AT    THE 

LONDON    SHOW    IN    APRIL    THIS    YE.\R. 


irregularly  that  it  would  take  a  century  to  establish 
that  somewhat  delusive  thing  an  average.  It 
may  be  pointed  out  that  black-and-white  illustra- 
tions of  yellow  flowers  are  not  at  all  informative 
to  the  eye.  Thus  the  entire  value  of  Jonquilla- 
hybrid  Marigold  (Fig.  2)  lies  in  its  peculiarly 
rich  quality  of  yellow,  whereas  the  figure  suggests 
nothing  but  a  rather  weak  white,  .\jax.  On  the 
contrary,  the  frontispiece,  in  colour,  of  the  two 
remarkable  red-perianthed  seedlings  is  a  faithful 
and  intelligible  portrait.  The  present  writer,  by 
the  way,  has  had  more  than  one  of  such  new- 
comers in  his  own  seedling-beds,  and  has  neither 
admiration  nor  use  for  them.  A.  chief  glory  of 
the  Daffodil  lies  in  its  classical  restraint  and  delicacy 
of  form  and  colour,  and  a  wholly  red  flower  would 
fall  outside  such  bounds. 

In  a  prefatory  not  ce  the  President  and  Council 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  explain  that 
the    annual    continuance    of    this    valuable    issue 


the  beds  marking  what  he  ought  to  see  when  he 
returns  or  is  free.  The  bustling  time  nf  putting 
the  blooms  into  their  travelling  boxes  has  arrived. 
She  is  always  packer-in-chief  at  home,  and  a  jolly 
good  one,  too,  for  "  E.  M."  wxites  "  as  far  as  I 
know  we  never  have  had  a  single  bloom  damaged." 
What  her  sister  and  herself  do  when  the  show 
rendezvous  is  reached,  every  exhibitor  and  com- 
petitor at  London  and  Birmingham  loiows  full 
well.  .\nd  what  of  191 1  ?  When  he  thought 
the  cupboard  bare  of  prize-winners,  did  not  she 
go  into  the  drawing-room  and  the  garden,  and 
"  on  her  own  "  get  together  a  fine  exhibit  which 
secured  her  a  place  on  the  honour  roll  of  winners 
of  the  Bourne  Cup  ?  Bravo !  .Mrs.  Crosfield 
May  your  sporting  example  never  be  forgotten  ! 
We  none  of  us  know  what  we  can  do  until 
we  try. 

Cossington  House  is  a  comfortable  country 
residence  about  foiur  miles  from  the  town  of  Bridg- 
water.    When  circumstances  necessitated  a  move 


468 


THE     GARDEN. 


[bEPTEMBEK    I3,  iqij. 


from  Little  Acton,  near  Wrexham,  in  igo8,  it 
was  very  largely  chosen  because  it  was  thought 
that  the  soil  would  be  particularly  suitable  for 
Daffodil  culture.  Imagine,  then,  Mr.  Crosfield's 
feelings  when  he  found  that  it  was  by  no  means 
the  ideal  ground  that  he  had  taken  it  to  be.  It 
was  a  crushing  blo^y,  and  some  men  might  have 
given  up  in  disgust.  Not  so  the  subject  of  my 
sketch.  With  that  dogged  determination  to 
succeed  which  has  placed  h'm  among  the  very 
best  shots  and  the  very  best  fishermen  of  his  day, 
he  began  to  look  about  to  see  what  could  be 
done.  He  was  fortunate  in  being  able  to  secure 
some  wonderfully  good  land  about  four  miles 
on  the  coast  side  of  Bridgwater.  And  then  to  make 
his  own  garden,,  in  part  at  any  rate,  suitable,  at 
immense  cost  he  carted  sand  and  some  of  this 
good  soil  to  Cossington,  so  that  as  this  operation 
is  more  or  less  a  yearly  one,  he  has  a  gradually 
enlarging  patch  to  which  he  feels  safe  in  com- 
mitting his  most  cherished  bulbs,  such  as  Gyr- 
falc.on,  Willonyx  and  Aladdin.  I  have  twice 
been  privileged  to  pay  a  visit  here  in  the  busy 
month  of  April.  I  call  it  to  myself  a  "  tuning  up." 
From  a  show  point  of  view  I  always  say  that  Mr. 
Crosfield's  judgment  is  "  concert  pitch."  Texture 
and  refinement  come  first  with  him — then  colour 
and  size.  This  is  why  he  thinks  so  much  of 
Willonyx,  a  very  smooth  and  very  refined  Giant 
Leedsii  (4  inches  by  ij  inches  by  i  inch),  and 
Aladdin,  an  exquisite  bicolor  incomparabihs, 
equally  chaste  (4  inches  by  li  inches  by  ij  inches). 
They  are,  he  tells  you,  precursors  of  a  new  type, 
which  in  time  is  destined  to  monopolise  the  show'- 
board.  Remembering  how  lengthy  has  been 
the  evolution  of  the  Tulip,  he  is  probably  right. 
Many  of  the  fiowers  of  to-day  will  be  to  the  flowers 
of  the  future  what  Crosfield's  exhibit  of  fifty  at 
Birmingham  in  igo2  is  to  his  winning  collection 
in  Class  i  in  London  in  1913. 

How  well  I  remember  that  time.  It  is  for  me 
an  oasis  in  the  past.  I  actually  beat  him  then. 
Jacob  was  placed  fourth  and  Crosfield  fifth.  When 
I  look  back  and  think  of  it,  I  feel  as  if  I  had  had 
the  distinction  of  bowling  Grace.  Since  then  how 
he  has  gone  ahead  !  Full  speed  !  His  first  Daffodil 
seeds  were  sown  in  1898,  when  he  lived  at  Lymm 
in  Cheshire.  There  were  127  in  all,  of  which 
ninety  were  Mme.  de  Graaff  and  Weardale,  crossed 
both  ways.  When  he  moved  to  Wrexham  in 
igoi,  these  were,  naturally,  taken  great  care  of, 
and  in  due  course  bloomed,  with  results  which 
must  have  surprised  him  at  the  time,  and  which 
probably  do  even  more  so  now  he  can  look  back 
on  them  with  accumulated  experience.  The 
very  first  to  bloom  was  the  beautiful  Countess 
of  Stamford,  to  be  followed  later  on  by  Banzai, 
Lolah,  Indamora,  Catriona,  Maid  Marian,  Mrs. 
Ernest  Crosfield  and  Herod,  a  truly  marvellous 
lot  to  come  from  a  first  attempt.  Times  have 
dianged  since  then.  In  the  fifteen  years  that 
have  elapsed,  Mr.  Crosfield  has  given  us  many 
magnificent  flowers. 

One  gets  to  know  what  the  public  likes  best, 
but  I  am  always  curious  to  know  what  a  raiser 
thinks  his  best.  Here,  then,  is  Mr.  Crosfield's 
list  :  Five  crosses — GvTfalcon,  a  splendid  Giant 
Leedsii,  having  height  of  stem,  size  and  regularity 
of  flower,  and  robustness  of  constitution  all  com- 
bined. The  white  of  the  perianth  has  a  distinctly 
green  tinge  when  compared  with  others.  Measure- 
ment, 4 J  inches  by  ij  inches  by  a  quarter  of  an 
inch.  Four  crosses — Premier,  Her  Ladyship  and 
Elite.  Had  I  been  the  raiser,  Premier  would  have 
changed   places  with   Gyrfalcon.     That   wonderful 


row  of  superli  giant  incomparabilises  acted  as  a 
loadstone  all  the  time  of  my  visit.  Again  and 
again  I  found  myself  there  looking  at  the  shapely 
vellow  blooms.  The  large  cup  is  a  deep  pure 
yellow,  and  the  perianth,  whicli  is  very  smooth 
and  overlapping,  of  a  paler  shade.  I  put  my  rule 
over  an  average-sized  flower,  and  found  it  was 
4j  inches  by  ij  inches  by  i|  inches.  Her  Ladyship 
is  a  Giant  Leedsii,  and  Elite  a  "  much  larger  and 
a  much  better  Susan."  Three  crosses — Empire, 
Challenger,  Touchstone,  Imperial,  Charles  Surface, 
Coquette,  Ring  Dove,  Mowgli  and  Orb.  I  cannot 
remember  having  seen  Coquette  exhibited,  but 
all  the  others,  w'ith  the  exception  of  Imperial, 
have  appeared  in  public.  Imperial  marks  Cros- 
field's high-water  mark  in  yellow  trumpets  ; 
4 J  inches  by  li  inches  by  if  inches.  At  its  best 
it  will  take  a  lot  of  beating.  Two  crosses — Pixie, 
Firetail,  Anchcmte  and  Phantasy.  While  I  am 
on  the  subject  of  records,  it  will  be  of  interest 
if  I  give  the  names  of  the  fifty  exhibited  at  Birming- 
ham in  1902,  which  date  and  occasion  mark  the 
entrance  of  my  good  friend  into  the  competitive 
life  of  the  Daffodil  fraternity — Emperor,  Katherine 
Spurrell,  Sir  Watkin,  Mme.  Plenip,  M.  J.  Berkeley, 
J.  B.  M.  Camm,  Horsfieldii,  Sampson,  Goliath, 
Minnie  Hume,  W.  Wilks,  Mme.  de  Graaff,  Glory 
of  Leiden,  Dorothy  Yorke,  Gem,  General  Murray, 
Mrs.  Walter  Ware,  Shakespeare,  Mrs.  J.  B.  M. 
Camm,  Almira,  Lucifer,  Nelsonii  major,  Weardale, 
Barri  conspicuus,  Beatrice,  John  Bain,  Sensation, 
Beatrice  Heseltine,  Princess  Mary,  Citron,  Crown 
Prince,  Commodore,  Mrs.  M.  Crosfield,  Flora 
Wilson,  Beauty,  William  Goldring,  Waterwitch, 
Frank  Miles,  J.  Davidson,  Peach,  Stella  superba, 
Victoria,  Nelsonii  aurantius,  Mrs.  Langtry,  Auto- 
crat, Princess  of  Wales,  C.  W.  Cowan,  W.  P.  Milner, 
Prince  George  and  Duchess  of  Westminster.  Good 
flowers  still  many  of  them,  but  not  one  quite  good 
enough  for  him  to  stage  now.  Tempus  edax 
reriim. 

Now  for  a  bit  about  the  internal  economy  of 
Cossington  at  Daffodil-time.  The  actual  work  of 
conveying  the  pollen  from  one  flower  to  another 
is  done  by  Tomlinson,  the  head-gardener.  He 
works  to  a  plan,  which  has  been  carefully  prepared 
bv  Mr.  Crosfield  the  previous  summer.  If  such 
a  list  were  not  made,  it  would  be  impossible  to 
know-  what  bulbs  of  late  varieties  to  pot  up  so 
as  to  have  the  pollen  ready  for  the  early-flowering 
seed  parents  ;  and,  secondly,  by  it  he  is  able  to 
avoid  repeating  altogether  the  crosses  of  one 
season  the  next.  The  cutting  for  show  is  always 
done  by  Mr.  Crosfield  himself.  From  that  moment 
until  they  are  safely  landed  on  the  show  stage 
he  watches  over  each  flower  with  unremitting 
attention.  The  Uttle  upstairs  room  in  the  outhouse 
is  constantly  visited,  the  light  is  adjusted  as 
frequently  as  circumstances  require  it,  and  the 
proper  degree  of  humidity  kept  up.  Every  now 
and  again  some  are  brought  into  the  drawing-room 
to  get  a  stronger  light  or  greater  warmth.  Once 
when  I  was  there  a  sudden  fall  in  the  temperature 
occurred.  "  In  a  jiffy "  every  one  of  us  was 
as  busv  as  a  bee  conveying  the  precious  vases 
to  the  genial  warmth  of  the  linen-room,  w*ere 
they  were  examined  in  detail  by  Mrs.  Crosfield 
and  her  sister  and  dealt  with  accordingly.  It 
showed  me  the  pains  that  are,  and  must  be,  taken 
to  get  together  a  good  collection  of  blooms  for  the 
show  day.  I  do  not  think  anyone  can  beat  "  E.  M." 
as  a  preparer  for  show.  He  seems  to  know 
instinctively  what  to  do  with  each  variety,  but  it 
is  really  the  knowledge  born  of  observation  and 
practice,    for    like    an    experienced    runner    who 


knows  himself,  and  never  slackens  until  the  tape 
is  breasted,  he  gets  all  he  c\n  out  of  each  indi- 
vidual flower.  A  last  reference  must  be  to  the 
drawing-room.  What  it  is  at  other  times  I  know 
not,  but  in  April  it  is  a  regular  Daffodil  bower. 
The  blooms  are  here,  there  and  everywhere.  Vases 
of  the  very  choicest  varieties  cheek  by  jowl 
with  more  ordinary  ones.  A  Tom  Tidler's 
ground,  whence  the  Bourne  Cup  blooms  of  1911 
came.  Such  a  wealth  of  flowers  that  no  Tulip 
feast  of  a  Turkish  Sultan  can  have  been  more 
glorious.  Plenty  to  look  at  for  hours  if  the  day 
should  be  wet.  It  is  a  reflection,  or  rather  an 
April  embodiment,  of  the  spirits  of  the  two  genii 
of  the  place  in  their  busy  spring  season,  for,  like 
the  drawing-room,  they  are  "  all  Daffodils  "  then, 
whatever  they  may  be  during  the  remaining  twelve 
months.  Joseph  Jacob. 


REGISTRATION     OF     NEW 
PLANTS. 


In  conformity  with  the  decisions  arrived  at  by  the 
International  Congress  of  the  International  Union 
of  Professional  Horticulturists,  which  met  at 
Luxemburg  in  1911,  in  London  in  1912  and  at 
Ghent  in  1913,  a  bureau  for  the  registration 
of  new  plants  has  been  formed,  to  commence 
in  the  summer  of  1913,  under  the  management  of 
the  general  secretary  of  the  Union.  This  bureau 
is  formed  for  the  purpose  of  making  an  official 
list  (origin,  classification  and  description)  of  new 
varieties  of  all  kinds  of  plants,  and  to  establish  a 
right  of  priority,  according  to  the  dates  of  demand 
for  registry  given  by  the  growers  themselves. 
The  raisers  of  new  varieties  of  plants  should 
therefore  address  the  list  of  their  novelties  for 
the  term  1913-14  to  M.  van  Lennep,  Secretaire 
Generel  de  'I' Union  Horticole  Professionel  Inter- 
nationele,  15  Molenstraat,  The  Hague,  Holland, 
who  will  acknowledge  reception  acco  ,iing  to  the 
order  of  their  arrival,  and  state  the  number  under 
which  the  new  varieties  are  entered  in  the  official 
register. 

In  order  to  make  the  descriptions  simple  and 
precise,  and  after  the  experience  gained  by  the 
attempt  of  last  year,  it  has  been  resolved  that 
the  descriptions  shall  not  exceed  three  lines.  The 
exact  name  of  the  species  to  which  the  novelty 
belongs  should  be  mentioned,  as  well  as  the  section 
of  the  species  in  which  it  is  to  be  found.  For 
example,  if  it  refers  to  a  Rose  tree,  give  (i)  the 
words  "  Rose  tree  "  ;  {2)  if  it  refers  to  a  hybrid  of  the 
Tea  Rose,  write  the  words  "Tea  Hybrid"  (or  a 
suitable  abbreviation)  before  the  name  of  the 
new  variety.  Proceed  in  the  same  way  with  all 
other  species.  If  possible,  give  the  description 
in  three  languages — French,  English  and  German- 
each  description  not  to  exceed  three  lines.  If 
the  grower  himself  does  not  give  the  trans- 
lations, the  general  secretary  will  not  be  obliged 
to  do  the  same.  For  this  first  year  a  registration 
fee  of  two  francs  only  has  been  fixed  for  each  new 
variety,  with  the  right  of  (1)  being  entered  in 
order  on  the  Register  ;  (2)  being  transcribed  on 
the  Bulletin  of  the  U.H.P.I.  ;  (3)  to  the  probable 
publication  by  the  professional  horticultural  organs 
belonging  to  affiliated  associations  after  their 
publication  in  the  Bulletin  of  the  Union.  For 
the  following  term  ol  1914-15  supplementary 
charges  will  be  fixed  for  the  work  occasioned  by 
the  last  two  reports  foUowuig  the  decision  that 
will  be  taken  by  the  next  Congress. 


fiW^- 


GARDEN. 


-^Br= 


S^^O^^'^ 


No.  2183.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


September  20,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  of  ihk  Wkkk    489 

CORRESI'OSnENCE 

Dutilour  FiK<  .  .      .  .      470 
JIiuip  ;i  I  li'iiiiiis  as  a 

h.-ilclMi;;  pNiiit  .  .  470 
.\  gixnl  I'cdUingllosc  470 
■]'hi^  Mu.-k  plant  . .  470 
iMatrirar!a      cxiniea 

Silvi-r  UaU,.  ..  471 
Unso     E  t  oi  I  c    do 

France  . .  . .  471 
Colour  combinations  471 
The    bc>t     beading 

Koscs 471 

Inllucncc    of     nrti- 

fli-i;il  manures  oil 

vegetables  ,  .      . .     471 
forthcoming  events..     471 

KOSE   liAKDES 

The  best  white  Kose 
for  hediiinq         . .     471 

.Some  t:oo(l  late- 
llowerins.  flark- 
coloured   lioses,.     471 

GR.\FTI.\(1   TUEES   ANli 

SHUUBS 472 

Flower  G.\rde.\' 
The  Campanulas  or 
Bclltlowers..      ..     473 
Rock  and  Water  Oaruen 
tihrnbs  for  the  rock 
garden         . .      . .     473 


Rock  asp  Water  caruen 
A    dwarf     Ox-eye 

Daisy 474 

Saxifrflga  burseriana    4f4 

Trees  and  Shrths 

A     beautiful     wall 

shrub 475 

Wh.\t  is  a  Florist's 

Flower  ?       . .     . .    475 
Kitchen  Garden 

The  outdoor  Mush- 
room-bed   . .     . .     476 
New   and    Kare 

Plants 470 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
Itooting  cuttings 
under  hand-lights     477 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      478 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      478 

Daffodil  Notes      . .     479 
Daffodils    in    New 

Zealand 479 

Trials     of     Antir- 
rhinums -«  Wisley    480 
.Answers   to   Corre- 
spond e  n  t  s 
Flower  garden        . .     480 
Trees  and  shrubs   ,.     4^0 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Rose  Lady  Alice  :>tanley  in  a  reader's  garden   . .      . .  470 

Grafting  trees  and  shrubs 472 

Campanula  jiananiea  hirsuta       473 

The  (lw:trf  but  long  lived  Ox-eye  Daisy 47J 

Ceanothus  thyrsiHorus  in  a  Buckinghamshire  garden  475 

The  new  A?ter  Fidthara  Bine       476 

Hooting  cuttings  uiuier  handlights 477 


HDITORIAIi    NOTICBS. 

Every  department  ot  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


Th^  Editor  urJcomeg  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
bnt  he  will  not  be  icsponsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  v:kere  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  uill  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


.is  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  dcxired,  the  Editor 
asks  tfiat  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainlu  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  ouner  of  the  c^tpyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  tic  responsible  for  the  return  of  aitistic 
or  literary  c,'}*Uributions  which  fie  may  not  be  able  to  use.  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  mu^t  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  I'ullication  in  THE  GARDEN  will  alone 
be  recognised  us  acceptance. 


Ojpces  :  20.  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


Potatoes  Free  From  Disease. — in  the  monthly 

repcirt  just  issued  by  the  Board  of  Agriculture, 
mention  is  made  of  the  fact  that  Potatoes  are 
remarkably  free  from  disease  this  year.  This  is 
no  doubt  due  to  the  dry  weather  that  was  ex- 
perienced during  July,  when  damp  conditions, 
occasioned  by  thundery  weather,  usually  prevail. 
Owing  to  the  drought,  the  tubers  generally  are 
small,  and  the  yield  is  likely  to  be  below  the 
average. 
The    Cornish    Heath    (Erica    vagans). — This 

deliHlitful  Heath,  almnd.'uit  on  the  moors  of 
Cornwall,  is  now  flowering  to  perfection  in  many 
gardens  where  Heaths  are  treasured.  It  forms  a 
neat  bush  less  than  a  foot  in  height,  which  at  this 
season  is  covered  with  purplish  red  flowers.  There 
is  a  white  form  of  the  Cornish  Heath  which  is 
quite  as  showy  as  the  type,  and  both  are  admirably 
suited  for  massing  in  those  gardens  where  Heather 
and  other  peat-loving  subjects  are  known  to 
thrive. 

Rudbeckias  or  Cone-Flowers.— .\t  the  present 

time  m.any  herbaceous  borders  are  gay  with  these 
flowers.  There  are  the  annual  ones  in  their  golden 
and  brown  hues,  of  which  Rudbeckia  amplexicaulis, 
R.  bicolor  superba,  R.  b.  Solfatara  and  R.  Drum- 
mondi  are  some  of  the  best.  Then,  among  the 
perennial  ones  we  have  R.  Newmanii,  R.  laciniatus 
flore  pleno  and  R.  Herbstsonne.  The  last  named 
is  without  doubt  the  best  of  them  all.  Its  large, 
bright  yellow  flowers  are  borne  on  stems  5  feet  to 
6  feet  high  above  the  dark  green  foliage,  and  it 
is  in  every  way  a  very  desirable  plant  for  the  flower 
garden. 

Rose  Aimee  Vibert. — There  are  not  many 
varieties  of  Roses  that  flower  more  freely  or  are 
more  serviceable  in  a  garden  than  this  one.  Plants 
look  well  on  arches  and  pillars,  as  well  as  on  walls. 
If  properly  trained  at  first,  it  sosn  forms  a  grand 
bush  in  the  open  parts  of  the  garden,  and  looks 
charming  when  pegged  dowTi  in  borders  near  paths. 
It  is  a  very  hardy  variety.  One  large  specimen 
we  know  withstood  very  severe  frosts  for  nearly 
twenty  years  in  the  North  Midlands  without  being 
damaged  and  without  any  protection  being 
afforded.  The  large  white  flowers,  very  pare, 
arc  borne  in  clusters,  and  are  shown  to  great  advan- 
tage by  their  setting  of  deep  green  leaves,  which 
remain  on  the  branches  a  long  time. 

Planting  Fritillaries. — Some  of  the  Fritillaries 
may  perhaps  be  classed  among  the  plants  that 
are  looked  upon  as  more  curious  than  beautiful. 
,\t  the  same  time,  the  well-known  Crown  Imperial 
(Fritillari  1  imperiaUs)  is  one  of  the  best  of  our  garden 
plants,  and  is  excellent  for  the  shrubbery  or  on 
the  margins  of  beds  of  shrubs.  The  dwarfer 
ones  from  Asia  Minor,  such  as  F.  citrina, 
F.  Whittallii,  F.  aurea,  F.  armena  and  others, 
are  excellent   for  the  rock  garden.     The   Snake's- 


head  (F.  Meleagris),  which  is  occasionally  found 
wild  in  this  country,  and  its  varieties  are  ideal 
subjects  for  naturalising  in  grass,  and  give  a 
very  charming  effect  with  their  mottled,  droop- 
ing flowers.  Bulbs  of  all  should  be  planted 
now. 

A  Valuable  Viola. — What  a  charming,  free- 
fliowcring  plant  is  Viola  Papilio,  bearing  in  great 
profusion  the  whole  summer  through  its  beautiful 
flowers,  which  are  of  various  shades  of  blue,  and 
look  like  so  many  butterflies  flitting  in  the  wind. 
It  is  often  called  a  variety  of  V.  comuta,  but  why 
it  is  rather  difficult  to  say,  for  it  certainly  bears 
no  resemblance  to  that  well-known  species  as 
far  as  the  appearance  of  the  flowers  is  concerned, 
and  that  is  undoubtedly  what  one  would  go  by  in 
this  case.  After  all,  it  is  immaterial  what  its  history 
maybe  ;  it  is  quite  a  gem  for  the  garden.  It  can 
be  readily  raised  from  seed,  and  if  sown  now  would 
produce  good  plants  that  would  flower  all  next 
summer,  or  it  may  be  sown  in  the  spring,  when  it 
would  commence  to  flower  later. 

Delphinium  grandiflorum  Cineraria. — The  type 

of  this  beautiful  plant  is  fairly  well  known,  and  is 
very  attractive  when  grown  in  masses  ;  but  where 
possible  the  variety  Cineraria  should  be  procured, 
for  its  intense  blue  spikes  are  most  conspicuous. 
It  is  unlike  many  Delphiniums  on  account  of  the 
flowers  being  upright,  and  entirely  devoid  of  the 
spur  which  is  characteristic  of  the  majority. 
The  spikes  are  produced  from  June  to  September, 
and  they  come  tolerably  true  from  seed,  although, 
as  most  growers  are  aware,  a  slight  variation  will 
be  evident  from  a  large  batch  of  seedlings.  They 
grow  from  18  inches  to  24  inches  high,  and  will 
thrive  in  any  ordinary  garden  soil.  We  recently 
saw  a  fine  batch  in  a  nursery,  and  were  impressed 
by  the  beautiful  effect  produced. 
Pretty  Floral  Combinations. — Some  uncommon, 

yet  at  the  same  time  extremely  pleasing,  floral 
combinations  arc  to  be  seen  in  Battersea  Park, 
whose  long-standing  reputation  for  the  excellence 
of  its  summer  bedding  is  this  season  well  upheld. 
Numerous  striking  effects  may  be  noted,  and  of 
them  the  following  appeal  strongly  to  many : 
.A  bed  of  splendid  examples  of  the  rich-coloured 
Lobelia  cardinalis  Queen  Victoria,  alternated  with 
standards  of  Veronica  .Andersonii  variegata.  Mixed 
throughout  the  bed  are  a  few  examples  of  the 
charming  blue  Salvia  patens,  the  whole  being 
edged  with  a  bright  blue  Lobelia.  An  extremely 
mixed  yet  charming  arrangement  is  a  bed  carpeted 
with  a  mauve-coloured  Viola  and  edged  with. 
Fuchsia  Golden  Treasure,  pegged  down.  Dotted 
over  the  Viola  are  standard  plants  of  Veronica 
Andersonii  variegata  and  fairly  tall  examples  of 
Heliotrope,  Gnaphalium  microphyllum  and  Fuchsia 
Andenkcn  an  Henrich  Henkel,  this  last  being  in 
better  condition  than  one  often  meets  with  it. 
As  a  contrast  to  these  mixtures  is  a  bed  solely  of 
Pelargonium  Galilee,  both  dwarf  plants  and  tall 
standards  being  used. 


470 


THE     GARDEN. 


iSeptember  20,  191?. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The    Editor    is    not  responsible   lor    the    opinions 
expressed  by  cirrcspondenls.) 


Outdoor  Figs. — To  grow  these  satisfactorily 
outside,  the  roots  must  be  restricted.  They  should 
be  first  potted  into  12-inch  pots  and  plunged  below 
the  rim  of  the  pot,  the  hole  in  the 'bottom  being 
previously  made  larger  for  the  roots  to  get  through. 
They  are  here  plunged  in  a  narrow  border  3  feet 
wide  and  18  inches  deep  and  trained  on  a  south- 
west wall,  and  the  sun  at  this  time 
of  the  year  does  not  reach  them  till 
noon.  They  are  now  ripening  a 
fine  crop  of  good-sized  fruit,  the 
variety  being  Brown  Turkey, 
planted  three  years  ago.  In  such 
a  dry  summer  as  this  they  take 
an  abundance  of  water.  Neither 
is  it  necessary  to  cover  them  up 
in  winter.  Excellent  fruit  may  be 
had  from  trees  on  an  east  wall  fully 
exposed  to  the  weather. — A.  B. 
Wadds,  EngleficldGardens,  Reading. 

A  Good  Bedding  Rose. — I  am 

greatly  indebted  to  those  readers 
who  have  so  kindly  given  their 
experiences  with  Rose  Irish  Ele- 
gance in  your  last  two  issues. 
I  am  now  sending  you  a  photo- 
graph of  what  I  consider  to  be 
the  finest  bedding  or  garden  Rose 
of  recent  introduction,  viz..  Lady 
Alice  Stanley.  The  photograph 
was  taken  about  the  middle  of 
August,  and  therefore  shows  a 
bush  bearing  its  second  crop  of 
flowers.  Ever  since  the  third 
week  in  June  this  bush  has  not 
been  without  blooms,  and  as  these 
are  large,  of  good  shape,  erect 
and  fragrant,  they  are  ,  always 
admired.  The  colour  is  -silvery 
pink,  with  the, reverse  of  the  petals 
glowing  soft  rose. ,  The  bush  has 
an  ideal,  compact  habit,  and  the 
large,  tough,  leathery  leaves  appear 
to  be  quite  mildew-proof.  Perhaps 
other  readers  will  kindly  relate 
their  experiences  with  this  Rose, 
andmarac  what  they  consider  to  be 
the  best  bedding  Rose  introduced 
during  the  last  six  years.^A.  B. 
Essex. 
Humea  elegans  as  a  Bedding 

Plant. — This  Australian  biennial  is 
now  frequently  used  for  bedding 
out  during  the  summer  months,  and 
well-grown  plants  are,  when  pro- 
perly grouped,  very  effective  in  the 
open  garden.  In  this  way,  when 
fully  exposed  to  light  and  air,  the 
numerous  feathery  inflorescences 
acquire  a  much  richer  tone  of  colour  than  when  they 
are  kept  in  a  greenhouse  or  conservatory.  At  Hamp- 
ton Court,  where  this  Humea  is  always  well  done,  a 
large  and  very  effective  bed  is  planted  with  Cannas, 
above  which  tower  a  number  of  good  examples  of  this 
Humea,  sufficiently  apart  from  each  other  to  display 
the  charms  of  each,  yet  near  enough  to  form  one 
harmonious  whole.  Seed  of  this  Humea  sown 
in  the  summer  will  furnish  plants  for  the  next 
year.  They  need  careful  watering,  especially  in 
the  winter.— H.  P. 


Growing  Spring-Flowering  Bulbs  in  Fibre. — 

There  arc  doubtless  a  large  number  of  your  readers 
who  take  great  interest  in  this  subject,  and  who, 
like  myself,  are  not  the  possessors  of  a  greenhouse 
and  have  to  rely  upon  a  sunny  window  to  produce 
their  flowers.  The  space  there  is  naturally  very 
limited,  and  will  not  permit  very  many  bowls  to 
be  placed  in  the  necessary  sunlight.  I  recognise 
that  growing  bulbs  in  fibre  gives  excellent  results 
for  one  year,  but  the  bulbs  are  practically  useless 
for  the  same  purpose  for  a  second  time  ;  therefore 
I  know  it  will  be  no  waste  to  spoil  a  bulb  grown 


.-^DY  ALICE  STANLEY  IN  A  READER  S  GARDEN 
PHOTOGRAPH  WAS  TAKEN  IN  AUGUST. 

in  this  manner  .ifter  the  flower  has  faded,  so,  to 
counteract  my  want  of  space,  I  get  two  crops 
out  of  each  bowl  each  season.  I  use  bowls  of 
rather  large  size,  and  plant  good  bulbs  in  the  usual 
way  as  early  as  possible.  My  favourite  combi- 
nation is  white  Hyacinths  La  Grandesse  and 
double  Tulips  Murillo.  I  plant  the  Hyacinths 
first,  near  the  edgel  and  in  between  the  Hyacinths, 
and  also  near  the  edge,  I  plant  a  Tulip.  I  also  plant 
two  or  three  Tulips  in  the  middle  of  the  bowl, 
but    am    careful    not    to     overcrowd    it.       I     grow 


them  in  the  usual  way,  and  in  due  time  the 
Hyacinths  come  into  bloom.  .As  soon  as  they 
are  past  their  best,  I  cut  their  stalks  off  level  with 
the  bulb,  and  level  the  fibre  again  to  prevent  them 
showing.  By  this  time  the  Tulips,  which  are  up 
to  then  slower  in  growth,  are  about  an  inch  above 
the  surface,  but  after  the  Hyacinths  are  cut  away 
they  develop  much  quicker,  and  in  a  few  weeks 
come  into  bloom.  I  have  grown  a  large  number 
of  flowers  in  this  way.  Tulips,  Hyacinths,  Narcissi, 
Daffodils,  Crocuses,  &c.,  but  to  my  taste  there 
is  none  to  approach  the  exquisite  beauty  of  a  bowl 
of  these  Murillo  Tulips,  with  their 
huge  white  and  pink  double  flower?, 
which  continue  in  bloom  for  quite 
a  long  time.  There  are  other  com- 
binations which  will  readily  occur 
to  your  readers,  such  as  early  Nar- 
cissi, Daffodils,  &c.,  used  in  connec- 
tion with  this  beautiful  Tulip,  but 
I  do  not  wish  to  get  a  better  one 
than  that  here  mentioned.  — 
Harrv  p.  Bovce,  Bristol. 

The    Musk    Plant.— While  tie 
present    expressions  of  opinion  are 
being  given  concerning  the  scent  of 
the  Musk  plant,  it  may  not  be  in- 
appropriate to  call  attention  to  a 
wider  use  of  this  beautiful  old  garden 
subject — I  mean  as  distinct  from  the 
usual  method  of  growing  it  in  pots. 
This  year  it  is  being  used  in  some 
of  the  parks  as  a  groundwork  for 
Clarkias,  and  about  eighteen  months 
or    so    back   I   recorded    in    The 
Garden  our  use  of  Musk  as  a  car- 
peting for  a  batch  of  Linum  rubrum, 
wliich    combination    gave   a   very 
pretty  effect.    Apart  from  these  two 
examples,  I    have  never   seen   nor 
heard  of  it  being  so  utilised.    Some- 
how or  other  the  method  of  culti- 
vating the  Musk  has  always  seemed 
to  belong  to  the  flower-pot  for  the 
greenhouse  or  the  window-sill.  But, 
I    am    bold   to  assert,    it    is   well 
adapted  for  a  larger  service  in  the 
outside  garden,  and  this  whether  it 
possesses   fragrance    or  not.     This 
year   we   have  a   length   of    Musk 
bordering  a  row  of  Sweet  Peas,  and 
some   between    a    few    plants     of 
Damask  Roses,   and  in  both  cases 
the  effect  has  been  pleasing.      Musk 
does  best  in  a  moist   or  partially- 
shaded   position,   and   where  such 
conditions  can  be  observed  it  would 
make    a    good   bordering    subject 
besides  its  use  as  a  carpeting  plant 
as    alluded   to   above.     It    further 
makes  a  suitable  plant  for  masking 
rough,  damp  corners   of   rockeries. 
.\  word   about  the  scent  of   Musk. 
What  we  have  growing  in  this  gar- 
den is  not  by  any  means   so  riclily  scented  as  was 
some  we  used  to  grow  in  a  West  of  England  garden 
a  number  of  years  ago.     But  what  we  have  is  faintly 
fragrant,  as  I  have  proved  to-day  (September  i> 
diu-ing  a  gentle  rainfall.     Is  it  not  possible  that 
there  has  got  abroad  a  spurious  type    of    Musk  ? 
I  have  little    doubt    but    what   the    genuine    old 
sweet   Musk    is    still    to    be    found    in    country 
cottage  gardens    or    in    the   windows,  where  it    is 
always  prized  and   tended  so   carefully. — Charles 
Turner,  Ken  View  Garden,  Highgate. 


September  20,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


471 


Matricaria  eximea  Silver  Ball. — This  attractive 

annual  is  a  very  t"ittnig  companion  to  M.  e.  Golden 
Ball.  It  possesses  the  floriferousness  and  compact 
habit  of  the  latter,  and  is  rather  taller.  With 
me  it  only  attains  a  height  of  about  nine  inches. 
I  have,  however,  seen  it  in  another  garden  this 
summer,  and  it  had  there  attained  a  height  of 
some  fifteen  inches.  This  is  all  the  more  curious 
as  the  seed  was  supplied  by  the  same  firm  (a  leading 
one),  and  my  neighbour's  plants  were  not  shaded 
in  any  way  ;  nor  were  they,  to  all  appearance, 
gro\vn  in  richer  soil  than  ours.  As  I  intend  to  use 
this  plant  in  a  colour-scheme  next  season,  I  would 
be  glad  if  some  of  your  readers  would  say  what 
height  the  plant  attains  with  them.  For  the  benefit 
nf  those  who  do  not  know  this  annual,  I  should 
say  that  its  colour  is  a  creamy  white. — Caledonia. 
Rose  Etoile  de  France. — In  reply  to  Mr.  C. 

Lemesle  Adams,  whose  query  appears  on  page  442. 
I  have  grown  Etoile  de  France  from  the  first,  and 
largely,  too.  It  has  always  come  good  here  late 
in  the  season,  and  I  invariably  write  and  speak 
as  I  find.  Looking  over  a  number  of  Rose  lists, 
I  find  none  which  complains  of  it  in  any  way.  It 
partakes  of  both  parents — Mme.  Abel  Chatenay 
and  Fisher  Holmes — and  although  rather  a  bad 
opener  in  very  wet  or  cold  weather,  we  have  many 
others  much  worse  in  that  respect.  Mine  are  upon 
the  Briar  stock,  and  in  an  ordinary  light  loam.  I 
find  it  best  when  not  overfed,  and  perhaps  your 
correspondent  might  do  better  if  he  follows  this  hint. 
He  is  the  first  and  only  Rose-grower  who  has  hinted 
to  me  that  Victor  Hugo  was  "  not  a  thoroughly 
good  doer."     What  say  others  ? — A.  P.,  Uckfield. 

Colour  Combinations. — Two  flowers  of  very 
different  orders  and  character  are  these  I  am  now 
thinking  of,  yet  they  formed  one  of  the  daintiest 
and  most  charming  combinations  it  is  possible  to 
imagine.  In  front  of  a  large  bed  of  dwarf  Lavender 
were  planted,  fairly  thickly,  pink  Rhodanthes,  these 
latter,  now  flowering,  not  being  quite  so  high  as 
the  Lavender.  As  one  walks  up  to  these  beds  from 
a  distance,  the  effect  is  simple  and  exquisite. 
The  soft  daintiness  of  the  rosy  pink  blends  admirably 
with  the  hazy  Lavender,  and  the  whole  seems 
I  arried  beyond  until  lost  in  misty  blue.  Such  is 
the  poetry  of  colour  ;  to  another  it  may  seem 
nothing  more  than  a  pinky  blue.  Yet  another, 
this  time  decidedly  more  pronounced,  the  colours 
more  vivid,  less  dainty,  but  not  less  charming,  an 
excellent  strain  of  Nemesia  strumosa,  with  all  the 
varied  colours  of  this  splendid  annual.  Planted  in 
early  June,  being  used  as  a  groundwork,  just  a  few 
seeds  of  Nigella  Miss  Jekyll  were  scattered  broad- 
cast after  the  planting.  These  have  now  opened  a 
few  flowers,  just  one  here  and  there,  and  nothing 
could  be  more  suitable  as  a  setting  to  the  blue, 
surrounded  by  the  Fennel-like  green,  than  the  golden 
variedness  of  the  Nemesia.  Last  year  I  saw  a 
beautiful  blending  of  Heliotrope  and  Musk.  The 
Musk  was  the  groundwork,  and  was  finely  flowered. 
Above  the  yellow  were  shapely  plants  of  the  common 
Heliotrope  dotted  over  the  whole  bed,  with  just 
sufficient  low  standard  Heliotropes  of  the  same 
variety  to  carry  the  whole  into  a  billow  of  perfect 
harmony. — H.  R. 

The  Best  Bedding  Roses. — I  agree  with  Mr. 
Adams  m  your  issue  of  September  6  regarding 
Etoile  de  France.  I  cannot  think  how  "  A.  P.  " 
could  recommend  such  a  Rose.  I  grant  at  times 
it  is  superb,  but  generally  it  "blues"  so  badly 
as  to  quite  ban  it  from  our  gardens,  at  least  in  any 
quantity.  A  far  better  variety  would  be  ChSteau 
de  Clos  Vougeot,  although  somewhat  erratic  in 
growth,  a  fault  that  could  be  remedied  in  a  few 


minutes  by  the  aid  of  some  imobtrusive  sticks. 
What  a  glorious  colour  it  is,  and  never  a  sign  of 
burning,  be  it  glaring  hot  for  days.  Another 
splendid  dark  Rose  is  Francois  Coppee,  a  Hybrid 
Perpetual,  but  very  free.  I  saw  this  very  fine  in 
the  Public  Rose  Garden  at  Lyons  last  May,  and 
M.  Pemet-Ducher  informs  me  it  was  one  of  the 
parents  of  Chateau  de  Clos  Vougeot.  Another 
fine  dark  Rose  will  be  Edward  Mawley  ;  although 
somewhat  inclined  to  "  blue,"  yet  it  opens  freely, 
and  one  can  readily  remove  the  oldest  flowers.  As 
regards  scarlets,  I  should  place  Mrs.  Edward  Powell 
or  Leuchtfeuer  far  in  front  of  George  C.  Waud, 
which  cannot  be  called  scarlet,  and,  moreover, 
its  growth  is  not  always  reliable.  I  have  no  fault 
to  find  with  the  yellows,  excepting  that  "  A.  P." 
has  omitted  four  of  the  best,  viz.,  Lady  Hillingdon, 
Jeaime  Philippe,  Melody  and  Paula.  Then,  again, 
who  will  want  Mrs.  Sharman  Crawford  with  its 
mildew  tendency,  when  they  can  have  such  glorious 
Roses  as  Lady  Alice  Stanley,  Margaret  and  Coimtess 
of  Shaftesbury  ?  Why  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay  was 
omitted  I  cannot  conceive.  By  judicious  pruning  and 
partially  pegging  domi  one  or  two  shoots  it  cannot 
be  surpassed  as  a  pink  bedder,  and  Mme.  Segond 
Weber  is  far  ahead  of  Killamey. — Danecroft, 
Influence  of  Artificial  Manures  on  Vegetables. 

Speaking  about  our  Celery  the  other  day,  my 
employer  remarked  that  a  friend  who  had  called 
a  few  days  previously  had  told  him  that  he  grew 
all  his  Celery  without  the  help  of  animal  manure, 
but  relied  entirely  on  artificials,  such  as  super- 
phosphate, c&c,  because  he  found  the  quality 
of  the  Celery  was  much  superior  when  the  animal 
manure  was  omitted  and  only  artificials  used. 
This  statement  quite  upset  all  our  previous  ideas 
on  this  matter,  it  having  always  been  our  opinion 
that  instead  of  improving  the  quality  of  vegetables, 
the  use  of  artificials  always  had  a  detrimental 
influence  on  their  quality.  We  are  quite  aware 
that  such  manures  very  considerably  increase 
the  size  and  bulk  of  many  crops,  but  that  is  an 
altogether  different  matter  from  the  quality. 
Further,  it  has  been  our  experience  that  the  use 
of  artificials  has  an  adverse  influence  on  the  keeping 
properties  of  many  vegetables,  especially  Onions, 
which  will  rarely  keep  till  February  if  they  have 
been  subjected  to  liberal  doses  of  artificial  manures 
during  their  period  of  growth.  In  agriculture, 
too,  we  are  all  familiar  with  the  baneful  influence 
on  the  quality  of  hay  which  has  been  treated  with 
nitrate  of  soda.  Potatoes  also  often  suffer  from 
the  same  cause,  and  we  are  afraid  many  garden 
vegetables  are  also  injuriously  affected  by  a  too 
generous  application  of  chemical  manures.  One 
great  danger  lies  in  the  ease  with  which  it  can  be 
applied,  as  a  few  handfuls  of  concentrated  manure 
can  so  easily  be  scattered,  whereas  a  similar  number 
of  barrow-loads  of  animal  manure  requires  more 
muscle  to  get  it  incorporated  with  the  soil.  However, 
we  would  be  glad  to  know  the  views  of  some  of 
your  experienced  correspondents  on  this  important 
point. — W.  L. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


FORTHCOMING     EVE  NT  S. 

September  22. — National  Chrysanthemum  So- 
ciety's Executive  and  Floral  Committees  Meeting. 

September  23. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Meeting  and  Vegetable  Show. 

September  24. — North  of  England  Horticultural 
Society's  Show  at  Kendal  (two  days). 

September  25. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Show  of  British-grown  Fruit  (two  days). 

September  26. — .'\nnual  Conference  of  Affiliated 
Mutual  Improvement  Societies  at  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  Hall,  Westminster. 


THE     BEST    WHITE    ROSE     FOR 
BEDDING. 

IN  reference  to  the  note  by  Mr.  H.  E.  Molyneux 
on  page  ^  i^,  have  those  of  your  readers 
who  have  hitherto  been  disappointed  with 
Frau  Karl  Druschki  as  a  bedder  ever 
tried  the  plan  of  annual  lifting  ?  With 
me  it  is  a  great  success,  and  I  still  think 
it  the  best  of  all  the  snow  white  Roses  for 
massing.  The  plants  should  be  lifted  early  in 
November,  their  roots  trimmed  back,  and  also  the 
growths  shortened  to  about  two  feet,  then  replanted 
in  the  same  position  or  in  a  new  place  if  preferred. 
Do  not  over-manure  this  Rose  and  there  will  be  a 
glorious  display  of  bloom  next  summer.  Of 
course,  it  is  best  to  do  this  lifting  right  from  the 
commencement ;  that  is  to  say,  after  plants  have 
been  established  twelve  months,  lift  them  again  ; 
but  it  may  be  carried  out  even  with  plants  estab- 
lished three  or  four  years.  Another  important 
point  is  to  secure  the  plants  on  the  seedling  Briar 
stock.  The  Manetti  is  a  hateful  stock,  for  it  and 
the  Briar  cutting  produce  the  growths  far  too  rank. 
Apart  from  Frau  Karl  Druschki  there  are  no 
pure  white  Roses  to  surpass  Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens 
and  Molly  Sharman  Crawford,  and  after  due  con- 
sideration I  give  my  preference  to  Mrs.  H.  Stevens. 
It  is  true  it  is  inclined  to  droop  ;  but  in  late  summer 
the  plants  send  up  grand  basal  shoots  that  are  fairly 
erect.  There  are  numbers  of  Roses  that  have  a 
white  effect  in  the  mass,  such  as  Mrs.  D.  McKee, 
but  they  are  not  pure  white,  and  there  is  still  room 
for  a  good  snow  white  bedder.  I  think  we  have  it 
in  Messrs.  S.  McGredy's  Florence  Forrester.  This 
is  a  grand  Rose  as  I  saw  it  at  Portadown  recently, 
and,  I  should  say,  far  superior  to  Mrs.  Andrew 
Carnegie  in  texture  of  petal.  In  spite  of  Mr. 
Molyneux's  remark  about  Simbmrst,  I  would  advise 
all  your  readers  to  have  it,  for  it  is  a  "  great  "  Rose, 
and  if  it  gives  some  whitish  flowers  early,  are  they 
not  of  exquisite  form  and  substance  ?  I  have  just 
cut  a  bloom  of  Sunburst  from  a  shot-out  bud  of  this 
year's  working  that  rivalled  any  golden  Rose  seen 
this  year,  and  this  not  of  my  own  opinion,  but  of 
many  experts  who  saw  the  bloom.  W.   E. 

SOME    GOOD     LATE -FLOWERING, 
DARK-COLOURED    ROSES. 

With  the  present  abundance  of  light-coloured 
Teas  and  Hybrid  Teas,  also  such  grand  autumnal 
pinks  from  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals  as  Mrs.  John 
Laing,  Mrs.  R.  G.  Sharman  Crawford  and  the 
invaluable  white  Frau  Karl  Druschki,  we  are  in 
need  of  a  few  extra  dark  flowers  as  a  complete 
contrast.  The  following  are  half-a-doren  varieties 
that  I  can  confidently  recommend  for  late  use, 
although  all  of  them  are  also  good  throughout  the 
season.  Victor  Hugo  will  take  a  lot  of  beating 
for  many  years  to  come  yet,  and  it  has  been  with 
us  almost  thirty  years  (1884).  A  very  glowing 
and  brilliant  crimson,  shaded  vrith  maroon  and 
pm-ple.  Always  of  good  form,  holds  its  foliage 
well  and  thoroughly  appreciates  liberal  treatment. 
This  is  quite  one  of  the  best  from  the  many  good 
Roses  M.  Schwartz  has  given  us.  Ben  Cant  favours 
this  variety  rather,  but  is  not  so  deep  and  clear 
in  its  maroon  shadings.  It  is,  however,  a  much 
stronger  grower  and  very  sweetly  scented,  also 
a  gold  medal  winner.  Fisher  Holmes  has  been  a 
prime  favourite  of  mine  for  many  years.  It  was 
given  to  us  as  long  ago  as  1865,  and  only  the  other 
day  one  of  the  greatest  Rose-growers  asked  me  what 


m 


THE    GARDEN. 


[September  20  1913. 


could  beat  it  as  an  all-round  dark  variety.  A 
very  beautifully-formed  flower,  both  early  and 
late,  sweet  scented,  a  capital  grower,  and  one  that 
lasts  well.  Mme.  Victor  Verdier  is  another  old 
friend  of  mine  (1863).  A  clear  crimson  of  beautiful 
form,  exquisite  perfume  and  always  a  good  autumnal 
sort  when  well  established.  These  four  belong  to 
the  Hybrid  Perpetual  section,  and  when  grown  upon 
the  Briar  stock  in  any  form  are  to  be  preferred 
as  late  bloomers  to  plants  upon  the  Manetti  or  on 
their  own  roots.  J.  B.  Clark,  a  gold  medal  Hybrid 
Tea,  comes  better  in  the  autumn  than  at  any  other 
time  with  me.  It  is  a  large,  well-formed  flower 
nf  the  deepest  scarlet,  shaded  with  blackish  crimson 
and  carrying  a  rich.  Plum-like  bloom  upon  the 
petals.  A  very  vigorous  grower  and  quite  distinct. 
Chateau  de  Clos  Vougeot  is  a  free  but  rather 
erratic  grower.  Flowers  a  deep  velvety  scarlet 
of  great  intensity,  shaded  with  a  clear,  fiery  red. 
As  the  bloom  ages  it  comes  a  dark  velvety  crimson 
and  maroon.  The  best  dark  Rose  to  stand  sun  that 
I  am  acquainted  with.     It  never  burns.       A.   P. 


GRAFTING    TREES    AND 
SHRUBS. 

WHILE  most  trees  and  shrubs  thrive 
on  their  own  roots,  and  may  be 
propagated  by  seeds,  cuttings  or 
layering,  there  are  a  few  which, 
for  various  reasons,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  bud  or  graft.  This  is 
particvilarly  the  case  with  varieties  which  do  not 
produce  seeds,  or  do  not  reproduce  themselves  true 
from  seeds  even  when  seed  ripens.  Waterer's  Scarlet 
Oak,  Quercus  coccinea  variety  splendens,  may  be 
cited  as  an  example.  This  also  will  not  root  from 
cuttings,  and  as  layering  requires  ample  materia!  to 
peg  the  layers  down,  the  usual  method  of  pro- 
pagating this  and  other  Oaks  is  by  grafting.  While 
every   gardener  should   he   thoroughly   conversant 


with  the  art  and  craft  of  grafting,  it  is  possible  to 
carry  the  practice  too  far,  e.g.,  to  graft  good  sorts 
of  Lilac,  using  the  Privet  as  a  stock,  when  layering 
forms  a  ready  means  of  increasing  them,  and  they 
will  also  root  from  cuttings.  In  Continental 
nurseries,  grafting  is  a  very  popular  method  of 
propagation,  it  being,  in  many  instances,  a  more 
rapid  method  of  increase  than  either  cuttings  or 
budding. 

In  large  tree  and  shrub  nurseries,  grafting  under 
glass  proceeds  almost  without  interruption  through- 
out the  year,  with,  of  course,  a  very  busy  season 
from  January  to  April.  This  is  not  surprising  when 
we  consider  the  vast  number  and  great  variety  of 
trees  and  shrubs  grown  in  a  representative  collection. 


AN  OAK  STOCK  ON  THE  LEFT.  WITH  THE  SAME  CUT  DOWN  READY  FOR 
CRAFTING  ON  THE  RIGHT.  THE  SCION  IN  THE  CENTRE  IS  PRE- 
PARED   READY    FOR    FIXING    TO    THE    STOCK. 


THE    RHODODENDRON    AND    OAK    GRAFTED    AND 
TIED    IN    POSITION. 


Under  glass  also  the  proper 
period  for  grafting  is  more  or 
less  elastic  within  a  reasonable 
time,  and  can  be  done  when 
sufficient  wood  is  available  for 
scions,  which  is  generally  the 
most  important  consideration 
with  new  trees  and  shrubs.  The 
month  of  September  and  early 
October  are  preferred  by  many 
growers  to  early  spring  for 
grafting  Oaks,  a  larger  per- 
centage of  successes  being  ob- 
tained. The  Oak  or  Quercus 
family  is  such  a  large  one  that 
no  one  kind  of  stock  can  be 
found  to  suit  them  all.  The 
common  Oak,  Quercus  peduncu- 
lata,  is,  naturally,  largely  used  ; 
but  for  the  American  Oaks,  the 
Red  Oak,  Q.  rubra,  is  more  suit- 
able. Then,  for  the  evergreen 
species  and  varieties,  the  Holm 
Oak,  Q.  Ilex,  or  the  Turkey 
Oak,  Q.  Cerris,  should  be 
used. 

A  few  Rhododendrons  graft 
more  satisfactorily  in  autumn 
than  spring,  notably  R. 
campylocarpum  and  its  hybrids 
or  varieties.     In  the  case  of  new 


A  RHODODENDRON  STOCK  PREP-\RED  FOR  GRAFT- 
ING IN  A  POT,  WITH  UNPREPARED  SCION 
ON  THE  LEFT  AND  PREPARED  SCION  ON 
THE    RIGHT. 

and  scarce  sorts,  some  of  the  young  growths  made 
during  the  past  summer  may  be  utilised,  and  a 
period  of  six  months  gamed.  The  common  purple 
Rhododendron,  R.  ponticum,  is  the  stock  usually 
favoured,  though,  if  available,  the  variety  Cunning- 
ham's White  may  be  employed.  For  the  more 
tender  indoor  sorts,  the  Himalayan  species, 
R.  arboreum,  is  used.  To  graft  a  large  percentage 
of  stocks  successfully  is  no  mean  undertaking. 
In  addition  to  a  sharp  knife,  a  suitable  stock  and 
scion,  it  requires  considerable  skill,  which  is  only 
obtained  by  practice,  to  cut  and  fit  the  stock  and 
scion  together  correctly,  afterwards  tying  them  in. 
For  grafting  under  glass,  the  stocks  should  have 
been  potted  up  some  time  previously,  and  be 
established  in  the  pots.  The  scions  should  only  be 
taken  from  healthy  trees.  There  are  several  styles 
or  methods  of  grafting,  two  of  the  most  important 
— splice  or  whip  grafting  and  side-grafting — being 
illustrated.  It  is  desirable  to  have  the  wood  ot 
the  stock  and  scion  about  the  same  size  ;  but  when 
this  cannot  be  secured,  the  scion  must  be  placed 
on  one  side  of  the  cut,  so  that  the  cambium  of  both 
stock  and  scion  comes  in  contact  on  one  side.  If 
a  small  scion  be  placed  in  the  centre  of  a  large 
stock,  no  union  can  take  place,  as  the  inner  woods 
never  unite.  In  the  large  illustration  an  Oak  stock 
is  shown  suitable  for  grafting,  and  a  second  with 
the  top  cut  off,  or  headed  down  (to  use  a  familiar 
phrase),  ready  for  splice-grafting.  The  style  of 
grafting  illustrated  in  the  case  of  the  Rhododen- 
dron is  known  as  side-grafting.  In  this  the  scion 
is  placed  on  the  side,  leaving  a  portion  of  the 
growth  of  the  stock  to  draw  up  the  sap.  This 
method  is  also  adopted  for  Oaks,  being  quite  as 
satisfactory  as  the  splice  or  whip  grafting,  and  is  even 
more  successful  when  the  scion  is  smaller  than  the 
stock.  After  fixing  in  position,  tie  the  stock  and 
scion  firmly  with  raffia  or  other  suitable  material. 
To  hold  the  scion  in  position  more  securely,  particu- 
larly when  it  is  smaller  than  the  stock,  a  little 
tongue  is  made  at  the  base  of  the  cut  on  the  stock, 
into  which  the  bottom  of  the  scion  will  fit.  Under 
glass,  in  a  close  frame,  it  is  not  necessary  to  use 
graftuig  wax  or  clay  to  exclude  air  from  the  union 


September  20, 


1913- 


THE     GARDEN. 


473 


and  prevent  loss  of  moisture.  It  is  very  desirable 
to  place  on  the  graft  as  soon  as  the  stock  is  cut,  and 
not  allow  the  sap  to  dry.  In  due  course  it  will  be 
noticed  that  a  "  callus  "  is  forming  round  the  edge 
of  the  scion  where  it  touches  the  stock.  The 
tying  material  must  then  be  removed  and  retied 
less  tightly.  A  considerable  number  of  conifers 
and  Yews  are  also  grafted  in  autumn,  the  general 
rule  being  to  use  the  common  and  easily-grown 
sptcies  of  the  genus  as  a  stock  for  the  rarer  species 
and  varieties. 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


THE     CAMPANULAS     OR    BELL- 
FLOWERS. 

{Continued  /roin  page  446.) 

C.  Caucasica. — According  to  the  late  Mr.  George 
Nicholson,  this  is  distinct  from  C.  sibirica,  to  which 
C.  caucasica  is  referred  by  the  "  Index  Kewensis." 
Probably  the  real  C.  caucasica  appears  in  a  recent 
catalogue  as  a  new  plant.  It  should  be  between  six 
inches  and  nine  inches  high,  and  have  blue,  droop- 
ing flowers  in  small  clusters  in  July.  Loam,  sand 
and  grit,  or  the  moraine  or  wall. 

C.  cenisia. — Everyone  who  has  tried  this  admits 
that  it  is  a  troublesome  species,  though  charming 
in  June  with  its  open  cups  of  brilliant  blue.  It 
comes  near  C.  Allioni,  and  is  a  plant  for  the 
moraine.  It  is  lovely  there,  as  those  who  have 
seen  Mr.  Reginald  Farrer's  plants  can  well  testify. 
C.  oollina. — One  of  the  best  of  its  class  and 
taking  after  C.  barbata,  but  differing  in  its  free 
growth  and  perennial  nature.  The  absence  of 
the  beard  makes  it  less  attractive  than  C.  barbata, 
but  in  other  respects  it  is  better.  The  large  bells, 
opening  in  May  or  June,  are  of  a  fine  violet  blue. 
It  is  about  a  foot  high,  and  can  be  grown  well 
even  in  the  border  in  ordinary  soil. 

C.  COlorata. — I  am  not  aware  that  this  Cam- 
panula is  in  commerce,  but  it  seems  to  matter 
little,  as  it  is  only  half-hardy.  It  comes  from  the 
Sikkim  Highlands,  and  has  its  blue  flowers  in 
terminal  and  axillary  racemes. 

C.  cristallocalyx. — This  is  practically  a  pooi 
form  of  C.  persicifolia,  only  included  among  the 
rock  species  because  it  is  often  offered  as  such. 
I  see  nothing  in  it  to  recommend.  The  flowers 
are  small  and  the  plant  not  worth  growing.  June 
and  July. 

C.  Cymbalaria. — A  scarce  and  neat  Jime- 
blooming  alpine  species  about  si.x  inches  high, 
with  pleasing  blue  flowers.  Suited  for  the  moraine 
or  the  dry  rock  garden.     Division  or  seeds. 

C.  dasycarpa. — Another  rare  little  Campanula 
some  four  inches  or  so  high,  and  with  pretty  blue 
flowers  in  Jime  and  July.  A  moraine  or  rock 
plant  for  leaf-soil  and  sand.     Seeds  or  division. 

C.  Elatines. — A  very  charming  little  Bell- 
flower,  some  six  inches  high,  with  branching  stems 
of  starry  blue  flowers  from  June  to  August.  Suimy 
crevices  or  the  moraine.     Division  or  seeds. 

C.  elatinoides. — -This  much  resembles  the  fore- 
going and  blooms  at  the  same  time,  but  is  taller. 
Both  are  very  attractive  to  slugs,  and  are  difficult 
subjects  save  on  the  moraine. 

C.  ErinUS. — Authorities  agree  that  the  true 
C.  Erinus  is  a  poor  annual,  but  the  plant  known 
in  gardens  as  such  is  a  dainty  little  June  and  July 
flowering,  dwarf  garganica-like  species,  but  infinitely 
more  refined.     It  has  pleasing  blue  fjowers.     There 


is  a  lovely  white  variety,  albus.  Division.  Best 
in  dry  rockeries,  moraine,  or  wall. 

C.  exolsa.— This  is  a  queer  little  dwarf  Bell- 
flower  only  a  few  inches  high,  and  having  little 
flowers,  opening  in  June,  which  look  as  if  a  bit 
had  been  eaten  out  of  each  segment.  It  is  a  trouble- 
some plant  except  in  the  moraine,  and  nowhere 
does  it  seem  to  thrive  so  well  as  at  Wemiington 
Hall,  where  Mrs.  Saunders  has  it  in  moraines 
with  good  soil  beneath.  Division  or  seeds.  It 
hates  lime. 

C.  fragilis. — This  is  one  of  the  same  class  as 
garganica,  grows  about  six  inches  high,  is  of  trail- 
ing habit,  and  has  pretty  light  blue  flowers  from 
June  onwards.  It  is  pleasing  in  the  rockery, 
moraine,  or  wall.  The  white  form,  alba,  is  very 
charming.     Division. 

C.  garganica. — Several  Campanulas,  all  bloom- 
ing  from   June  onwards,   might   well   be  included 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


SHRUBS  FOR  THE  ROCK  GARDEN. 

IN  submitting  the  following  list  of  shrubs 
suitable  for  growing  in  the  rock  garden, 
there  are  many  excellent  shrubs  omitted, 
as  well  as  some  included  which  may  not 
meet  with  the  approval  of  the  readers  ol 
The  Garden.  Possibly  others  will  send 
lists  or  state  their  views  regarding  the  most  suitable 
subjects  for  this  important  phase  of  rock  gardening, 
and  thereby  help  to  bring  before  the  gardening 
public  the  best  selection  of  plants  for  the  purpose 
under  notice.  Few  will  question  the  propriety 
of  associating  shrubs  with  alpines,  not  only  from 
a  spectacular  point  of  view,  but  also  for  the  bene- 
ficial influence  they  have  upon  the  alpines  them- 
selves.    They  afford  just   that   amount    of    shade 


C.\MP.\NULA    GARGA.MICA    HIRSUTA,    A    USEFUL,  VARIETY    FOR    THE    ROCK    GARDEN. 


among  the  forms  of  C.  garganica,  such  as  C.  Erinus 
of  gardens,  which  by  some  is  called  C.  g.  compacta. 
The  type  has  glossy,  crenated  leaves  and  blue 
flowers.  Alba  is  a  white  variety.  Hirsuta  and 
h.  alba  are  forms  with  pubescent  stems  and  leaves, 
and  less  troubled  by  slugs  than  the  others.  Dry 
rockeries  or  the  moraine  or  wall.  Division,  or 
seeds  in  the  case  of  the  type.  C.  fenestellata, 
pale  blue,  looks  like  a  form  of  C.  garganica. 

C.  G.  F.  Wilson.— This  hybrid,  between  C. 
carpatica  or  C.  turbinata  and  C.  puUoides,  is  repre- 
sented by  two  forms,  both  with  deep  blue  semi- 
pendent  flowers.  One  has  yellow  and  the  other, 
and  better  variety,  green  foliage,  and  they 
were  raised  in  the  same  garden.  They  are 
only  a  few  inches  high  and  like  a  gritty  soil 
in  the  border,  rock  garden,  or  the  moraine.  A 
little  bone-meal  is  beneficial.  Increased  by 
division.      June.  S.   Arnott. 

{To  be  continvfd.) 


so  necessary  to  the  welfare  of  many,  as  well  as 
providing  a  measure  of  protection  which  may 
sometimes  be  the  means  of  tiding  a  tender  subject 
safely  through  the  winter.  And  then  they  add 
very  considerably  to  the  general  appearance  of 
the  rock  garden,  imparting  a  finished  and  graceful 
look  to  what  might  otherwise  appear  naked  and 
bare.  Drip  is,  of  course,  inimical  to  the  welfare 
of  all  alphies ;  consequently  every  care  must  be 
taken  when  planting  shrubs  to  so  place  them  that 
they  will  not  overhang  the  rock  plants.  A  great  deal 
depends  on  the  size  of  the  rock  garden  in  making 
a  selection  of  shrubs,  as  many  that  are  suit- 
able for  a  large  rockery  would  look  quite  out  of 
place  in  one  of  smaller  dimensions.  This  can  to 
a  great  extent  be  obviated  by  a  judicious  use  of 
the  knife,  as  the  majority  of  the  shrubs  included 
in  this  list  bear  pruning  quite  well ;  in  fact,  are 
benefited  by  it.  Many  of  the  species  mentioned 
contain  numerous  beautiful  varieties,  which  space 


474 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  20,  1913. 


forbids  enumerating  in  detail.  The  original  list 
totalled  eighty-nine  species  and  varieties,  and 
as  this  had  to  be  reduced  to  fifty,  many  beauti- 
ful shrubs  necessarily  had  very  reluctantly  to 
be  scored  ofl.  Regarding  those  enumerated,  the 
greater  number  are  grown  for  the  beautiful  flowers 
they  produce,  while  a  limited  number  are  culti- 
vated exclusively  on  account  of  their  handsome 
foliage.  Among  the  latter  the  Acers  occupy  a 
prominent  place,  their  finely-cut  and  beautifully- 
tinted  leaves  making  them  indispensable,  while 
Enkianthus  japonicus,  Rhus  Cotinus  and  several 
others  produce  charming  leaf-colouring  in  autumn, 
I  have  endeavoured  to  include  in  the  list  of  fjowerinp 
shrubs  those  varieties  that  will,  as  far  as  possible, 
extend  the  flowering  period  throughout  the  greater 
part  of  the  year.  Such  precocious  species  as 
Andromeda  floribunda,  Daphne  blagayana,  Erica 
camea  and  Forsythia  suspensa  open  their  blossoms 
before  the  snows  of  winter  have  melted ;  while 
late  autumn  is  made  gay  with  the  handsome  snowy 
plumes  of   Hydrangea  paniculata   and  the   purple 


Lavandula  spica,  Ledum  Lyoni,  Linneea  borealis. 
Magnolia  grandiflora,  Muehlenbeckia  nana,  Olearia 
Haastii,  Philadelphus  (various),  Pemettya  mucro- 
natus,  Polygala  Chamaebuxus,  Rhus  Cotinus, 
Robinia  hispida,  Rosmarinus  oflicinalis,  Salix 
(various),  Santolina  incana,  Skimmia  japonica, 
Spartium  junceum.  Spiraea  (various).  Rhododen- 
dron (various),  Tamarix  hispida.  Thymus  (various), 
Vaccinium  Vitis-idsa,  Veronicas  (various)  and 
Weigela  (various). 

Twelve  Evergreen  Shrubs.— Cupressus  lawsoni- 
ana  filifera  glauca,  C.  nana,  Juniperus  chinensis 
aurea,  J.  hibemica,  J.  japonica  aurea,  J.  tamarisci- 
folia,  Retinospora  filifera  aurea,  R.  obtusa  alba, 
R.  o.  nana  aurea,  R.  plumosa  argentea,  Thuya 
Occident  alls  minima  and  T.  o.  pygmea. 

Ochilview,  Bridge  of  Earn.      William  Little. 


A     DWARF     OX-EYE    DAISY. 

Chrysanthemum  fallens. 
The  large  and  beautiful  forms  of  the  Great  Ox-eye 
Daisy,  C.  maximum,  are  well  known  in  every  garden 


THE    DWARF    BUT    LONG-LIVED    OX-EYE    DAISY,    CHRYSANTHEMUM    FALLENS. 


spikes  of  the  Buddleias,  such  as  Veitchii  and 
magnifica.  In  addition  to  the  flowering  shrubs, 
I  append  a  list  of  twelve  dwarf  evergreens, 
which  will  be  found  especially  interesting  during 
the  winter  months,  when  the  majority  of  the  others 
have  shed  their  foliage. 

Fifty  Suitable  Shrubs.  —  Acer  palmatum 
(various),  Andromeda  (various),  Arctostaphylos 
Uva-irrsi,  Azaleas  (various),  Berberis  (various), 
Bryanthus  empetriformis,  Buddleias  (various), 
Cistus  (various),  Comptonia  asplenifolia,  Cotoneaster 
(various),  Cytisus  (various),  Daboecia  polifolia, 
Daphne  (various),  Deutzia  (various),  Enkianthus 
japonicus,  Ephedra  distachya.  Erica  (various), 
Escallonia  langleyensis,  Eucryphia  pinnatifolia, 
Forsythia  suspensa,  Gaultheria  procumbens, 
Genista  (various),  Helianthemums  (various). 
Hydrangea  paniculata  grandiflora,  Hypericum 
(various),      Iberis     (various),      Kalraia      (various), 


on  account  of  their  value  as  border  plants  and  the 
beauty  and  elegance  of  their  flowers.  Chrysan- 
themum pallens,  the  plant  here  illustrated, 
belongs  to  the  same  group,  but  it  is  of  a 
more  perennial  character.  Unlike  C.  maxi- 
mum, which  is  a  short-lived  plant,  this  species, 
which  is  found  over  the  greater  part  of  Middle  { 
and  Southern  Europe,  comes  up  year  after  year 
and  flowers  freely.  It  has  been  in  the  same 
position  and  undisturbed  for  many  years.  Com-  j 
pared  with  the  other,  the  flowers  may  be  a  little  | 
smaller,  but  what  they  lack  in  size  is  made  up  for 
in  elegance  and  number.  It  is  quite  a  desirable 
plant  for  the  rock  garden,  especially  when  grown 
in  poor  soil  so  that  there  is  no  chance  of  it  growing 
too  luxuriantly.  It  is  of  erect  habit,  the  flowers 
being  held  up  well  on  stiff  stems,  a  great  advantage 
when  used  as  cut  flowers.  The  members  of  this 
large  family  are  mainly  border  plants,  few  of  them 


being  of  sufficiently  neat  and  attractive  habit  for 
the  rock  garden.  One  of  the  smallest  is  the 
Marguerite  of  the  Alps,  C,  alpinum,  a  dainty  little 
plant  with  a  cushion  of  foliage  and  pretty  white 
flowers  throughout  the  summer.  It  grows  well 
in  poor,  stony  soil  well  supplied  with  moisture, 
but  the  slug  is  its  greatest  enemy,  and  many  failures 
with  this  plant  are  due  to  its  ravages,  W,  I. 

SAXIFRAGA      BURSERIANA. 

Does  it  Need  Su.v  or  Shade  ? 
A  LONG  and  hearty  controversy  raged,  it  may  be 
remembered,  in  The  Garden  last  spring  over  the 
shade-loving  propensities  of  S.  burseriana.  From 
that  controversy  I  desisted,  after  a  long  letter  from 
Mr.  Clarence  Elliott  (to  whom  I  must,  it  seems, 
apologise  for  saymg  I  "  took  "  him  to  see  S.  bur- 
seriana ;  let  me  now,  then,  with  equal  truth  and 
greater  decency,  say  that  I  had  the  delightful 
honour  of  escorting  him).  I  desisted,  not  from 
any  lack  of  matter  for  reply,  but  because  I  am 
humble-minded  ;  and  where  that  great 
and  good  man  so  firmly  puts  down 
his  feet,  I  know  there  is  little  room 
for  humble  ones  to  tread.  None  the 
less,  I  nursed  a  belief  that  my  memory 
was  at  least  as  solid  on  the  point  as 
his.  Accordmgly,  I  lay  low  till  occa- 
sion offered,  and  then  returned  for  con- 
firmation to  the  Salurn  Klamm,  by 
the  very  same  train  which  took  me 
and  Mr.  Elliott  there. 

The  result  of  all  this,  then,  is  that 
I  am  able  serenely  to  repeat  my 
original  proposition.  After  a  certain 
amount  of  sun  in  the  morning,  the 
whole  of  the  Salurn  Klamm  is  in  the 
shade  of  its  great  walls  for  the  rest 
of  the  day.  The  sunshine  which  Mr, 
Elliott  remembers  was  evidently  (as 
he  so  sweetly  suggests)  only  that  due 
to  my  own  presence — a  most  pleasant 
testimony  to  my  photophoric  powers. 
On  the  further  point  of  the  soil  there 
inhabited  by  S.  burseriana,  Mr.  Elliott 
must  really  revise  his  notions  of 
"  scree,"  Let  him  return  to  culling 
Thlaspi  limosellaefolium  in  the  Haut 
Boreon  to  revive  his  memory  of  that 
delicious  compound.  S.  burseriana, 
in  the  Salurn  Klamm,  is  growing  in 
,1  dense  limestone  silt  (I  have  said 
this  before ;  I  now  say  it  again, 
because  it  is  so)  which  at  its  coarsest 
only  amounts  to  fine  gravel,  but  is 
usually  of  a  packed  consistency  and  minuteness, 
scattering  in  a  spray  of  whitish  particles  as  up 
comes  a  plant. 

Finally,  I  must  say,  for  my  own  part,  that 
S.  burseriana  itself,  in  my  garden,  declares  the  whole 
discussion  to  be  rather  idle.  Mr.  Homibrook 
(I  think  it  was)  so  rightly  protested  against  the 
vain  pedantry  of  trying  exactly  to  copy  natural 
circumstances  under  the  altered  conditions  of  the 
garden.  All  one  can  say — all,  at  least,  that  I  will 
positively  say — is  that  S.  burseriana  has  the  very 
strongest  objection  to  being  parched  or  frizzled. 
Apart  from  that,  if  the  plant  has  an  adequate 
supply  of  water,  overhead,  underground  and  in  the 
air,  I  do  not  here  find  the  slightest  difference, 
either  in  health  or  floriferousness,  between  speci- 
mens grown  in  shade  or  in  the  fullest  stm.  The 
shadow  of  a  great  rock  would,  no  doubt,  much  avail 
it  in  a  thirsty  land  ;    but  sound  drainage,  a  light. 


September  20,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


475 


limy  loam  (with  chips  and  rubble)  and  a  position 
securing  it  from  being  baked  beyond  endurance, 
should  surely  go  far  towards  ensuring  the  prosperity 
of  this  really  very  easy-going  and  happy-natured 
plant.  Indeed,  I  find  it  hard  to  understand  the 
halo  of  doubt  and  difficulty  that  seems  to  encompass 
S.  burseriana  in  the  minds  of  cultivators.  Can  it, 
perhaps,  arise  from  e.xcess  of  precaution — a  vicious 
circle,  care  begetting  failure,  and  failure  care  ? 
I  have  seen  so  many  sad  and  sickly  burserianas, 
cossetted  as  the  apple  of  a  one-eyed  gardener's 
eye,  yet  all  the  more  moribund  and  decrepit  in 
their  special  pocket  or  particular  fat,  hard  mixtrire 
of  soil.  But  I  believe,  from  watching  the  plant  and 
collecting  its  very  fine  roots,  that 
freedom  is  its  essential  want — a 
quite  light,  loose  mixture  of  loam 
and  lime  and  rubble,  with  perfect 
drainage  down  below  and  a  suffi- 
ciency of  water  for  its  roots.  Pro- 
cure it  these,  then  I  would  almost 
premise  that  in  most  parts  of  the 
country  S.  burseriana  could  boldly 
be  packed  into  any  sort  of  reason- 
able place  with  no  more  regard  or 
fuss  (and  all  the  better  without  it), 
and  there  stay  forgotten  until  its 
astonishing  eruption  of  white 
moons  recalls  the  plant  to  your 
memory  in  the  darkest  days  of  the 
year.  Reginald  Farrer. 


WHAT     IS    A     FLORIST'S 
FLOWER  P 

{Continued  from  page  463.) 


o 


NE    generally    forms    some    impression, 
right   or  wrong,  of  an   author  from 
his  book  ;  and  after  reading  "  Daffo- 
dils "    I   seem   to   gather   that    Mr. 
Jacob,     while     he    looks     for    the 
advent  of  a  dictator,  would  himself 
possibly    prove   a   restive   subject     to   the    poten- 
tate   he   sighs    for.      The  author  of   "Daffodils" 
has  himself,  I  fancy,  too  catholic  a  sense  of  beauty 


TREES   &  SHRUBS. 


A 


WALL 


L-tANOT 

c 


BEAUTIFUL 
SHRUB. 

Ceanothus  thyrsiflorus. 

EANOTHUSES       are 

becoming    more    and 

more  popular  among 

flowering   shrubs    for 

clothing    bare    walls. 

The  flowers  are  not 
large,  it  is  true,  but  this  is  more 
than  compensated  for  by  the 
great  profusion  of  inflorescences 
bearing  small  flowers.  There  is 
a  well-known  variety  of  Ceanothus 
azureus  known  as  Gloire  de  Ver- 
sailles. It  is  a  most  desirable 
wall  plant,  flowering  in  April  and 
May.  C.  thyrsiflorus  comes  into 
flower  a  little  later,  and  is  seen 
at  its  best  in  the  early  days  of 
June,  when  it  forms  a  suitable 
companion  to  Wistaria  multijuga 
for  a  wall  or  verandah,  the  two 
flowering  together  at  that  time. 
In  the  accompanying  illustration 
this    Ceanothus     is    seen    trained 

on  a  sunny  wall  in  Mrs.  Godfrey  Pearse's  ever  to  make  a  sound  florist  of  the  Glenny  school, 
garden  at  Taplow,  Bucks.  The  plant  illustrated  I  have  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Glenny  could  have  given 
is  some  25  feet  or  30  feet  in  height,  and  it  Mr.  Jacob  half-a-dozen  excellent  reasons  for  rele- 
continues    to    grow    and    flower     freely    in     this '  gating   Frank   Miles   to  the   refuse-heap  ;   but  one 

likes   to   thmk   that   Mr.  Jacob   could  (and  would) 


CEANOTHUS    THYRSIFLORUS    CLOTHING    A  WALL    IN    A    BUCKINGHAM 
SHIRE    GARDEN. 


warm  soil  and  sunny  position.  Most  of  the 
Ceanothuses  are  natives  of  warmer  climes  than 
our  own,  a  fact  that  should  not  be  overlooked 
at  planting  -  time,  although  they  often  give 
a  good  account  of  themselves  when  grown 
in  a  northern  aspect.  A  warm  soil  over  a 
well  -  drained  subsoil  is  necessary  for  the 
successful  cultivation  of  these  beautiful  wall 
shrubs. 


have  given  Mr.  Glenny  a  round  dozen  of  reasons 
for  allowing  that  Daffodil  to  remain  where  it  is  in 
his  border.  Still,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
Mr.  Jacob,  when  his  judgment  is  at  its  least 
robust,  has  decided  hankerings  after  the  flesh- 
pots.  "  Its  round  overlapping  perianth,"  he 
says,  speaking  of  Cossack,  "  and  its  beautiful 
deep  red  eye   are  just  what  judges  like  to  see  at 


shows,"  which  would  seem  to  imply  that  two 
standard  feattires  have  been  already  fixed,  and 
that,  unless  a  flower  shows  a  red  eye  and  overlapping 
segments,  capable  judges  will  rule  it  out  of  court. 
Of  course,  it  is  not  so,  and  let  us  hope  it  never  will 
be  so,  but  that  judges  when  they  enter  a  show- 
room will  keep  an  open  mind  and  allow  every  form 
of  beauty  its  proper  value.  I  myself  can,  I  hope, 
as  much  as  anyone  admire  broad,  overlapping 
segments  and  a  deep  red  eye  ;  but  I  am  not  sure 
that  the  Daffodils  I  admire  most  have  either  the 
one  feature  or  the  other ;  indeed,  I  am  pretty 
certain  they  have  not.  After  all,  what  is  there  so 
inherently  and  exclusively  beautiful  in  overlapping 
segments  ?  Is  it  not  conceivable 
that  a  star-shaped  flower,  in  which 
the  segments  meet  only  at  the 
base,  might  be  just  as  handsome 
in  its  own  way  as  Cossack  ?  As 
an*  instance  in  point  I  would 
name  that  good  old  variety,  Maxi- 
mus,  the  perianth  segments  of 
which  are  relatively  long,  narrow, 
tapering  and  twisted,  each  of  which 
characteristics,  so  far  from  being  a 
blemish,  is  a  beauty.  To  alter  any 
one  of  them  would  be  to  change 
the  flower  for  the  worse.  Maximus. 
of  course,  has  no  "  deep  red  eye," 
but  it  has  what  is  quite  as  good. 
I  will  cite  Mr.  Jacob  fifty  Daffodils 
the  redness  of  whose  eyes  leaves 
nothing  to  be  desired  if  he  will 
name  me  half-a-dozen  with  the 
rich  yellow  body-colour  of  Maxi- 
mus. I  know  only  one — Santa 
Maria,  a  poor  flower  in  all  respects 
<ither  than  colour,  and  not  in  the 
running  with  Maximus.  As  for  the 
much-prized  red  eye,  it  is  not  pro- 
fane, I  hope,  to  suggest  that  raisers 
are  possibly  overdoing  their  enthu- 
siasm for  the  red  eye.  Still,  I  too 
have  been  in  Arcadia,  and  know 
the  thrill  of  the  "  red  «ye."  I 
would  fain  hope,  nevertheless,  that 
no  redness  of  eye,  however  bril- 
liant, will  be  held  to  condone 
faults  of  form,  colour  and  consti- 
tution, as  in  the  case  of  that  once 
(and  possibly  still)  much-esteemed 
flower,  C.  J.  Backhouse,  which  has 
a  beautiful  red  cup,  but  is  other- 
wise worthless.  By  all  means  let 
judges  give  full  value  to  red  eyes 
and  overlapping  perianth  segments 
when  they  see  specimens  of  these 
that  please  them,  but  equally  let 
them  refrain  from  creating  cast- 
iron  regulations  as  to  the  form  of 
segments  or  the  colour  of  eyes  or 
other  features  in  which  the  Daffodil 
displays  such  an  infinite  variety.  Let  us  not,  in 
short,  kick  the  Daffodil  upstairs. 

But,  after  all,  am  I  not  vexmg  my  soul  without 
a  cause  ?  For  I  do  not  believe  there  are  any  florist's 
flowers  nowadays — not  as  Glenny  understood  the 
term.  Could  that  esteemed  gentleman  revisit  the 
showrooms  which  m  his  life  he  so  much  adorned, 
he  would  be  unpleasantly  nonplussed  and  dis- 
concerted to  see  how  little  is  made  nowadays  of 
the  flowers  for  which  he  drew  up  such  a  drastic 
code.  Auricula-growers  no  doubt  he  could  find, 
if  he  searched  them  out,  who  would  show  him 
flowers  which  he  could  recognise.     But  imagine  the 


476 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  20,  1913. 


consternation  of  the  poor  old  gentleman  could  he  have 
put  in  an  appearance  at  the  late  Chelsea  Show  and 
seen  the  Tulips— the  Cottage  Tulips,  the  Darwins, 
the  Parrots,  and  other  Tulip  profanities  !  "  Where," 
he  would  ask  in  his  obsolete  dialect,  "  are  the 
Bizarres  and  the  ByblcEmens  ?  "  And  nobody 
except  Mr.  Jacob  would  understand  him.  I  have 
no  doubt  Mr.  Jacob  would  understand  him  ;  and 
he  would  lead  the  venerable  shade  to  an  obscure 
annexe,  a  sort  of  side-show,  hidden  away  as  if 
it  were  ashamed  of  itself,  and  there  the  ghost  of 
the  old  florist  would  see  a  few,  a  very  few,  Tulips 
of  the  kind  he  used  to  know,  lovely  flowers,  too, 
streaked  and  flamed  and  feathered  according  to 
the  orthodox  patterns  approved  in  his  day  and 
generation.  Then  possibly  (no  doubt  to  Mr. 
Jacob's  sensible  relief)  the  spirit  would  ask  to  be 
taken  to  the  Carnations.  Peradventure,  though 
they  have  outraged  the  Tulip,  they  will  have  spared 
tlie    Carnation.     So    once    again    they    make    their 


scent  the  morning  air  ;  yet,  ere  I  hie  me  hence 
once  more  to  purging  fires,  one  thing  I'll  whisper 
in  your  ear  :  Florist's  flowers  you  no  longer  possess, 
nor  florists  either.  Better  things  you  may  have, 
only  not  these,  not  as  I  knew  them.  Adieu,  my 
friend,  adieu.  I'll  see  you  by  and  by,  when  you 
have  done  with  Daffodils  !  "  Somerset. 


THE    KITCHEN   GARDEN. 

THE  OUTDOOR   MUSHROOM-BED. 

THE  present  is  a  good  time  for  the 
making-up  of  a  Mushroom-bed  in  the 
open  air.  Many  amateur  gardeners 
think  it  is  really  necessary  to  have 
specially-constructed  houses  in  order  to 
be  successful  in  the  cultivation  of 
Mushrooms.  The  latter  may  be  easily  grown  in 
cellars  and  ordinary  sheds,   also    in    the    open    air. 


placed  thinly  on  the  floor  of  an  open  ^hed,  or  in 
the  open  air  altogether  if  the  weather  is  dry  and 
fine,  and  thrown  into  a  heap  for  two  days  prior 
to  being  laid  in  thin  layers  and  well  beaten  down  in 
the  bed  itself.  A  bed  of  useful  size  is  one  made  on 
a  foundation  3  feet  6  inches  wide  and  8  feet  long. 
The  height  will  be  governed  by  the  width,  and 
should  be  about  two  feet  six  inches  or  so.  Insert 
the  lumps  of  spawn  2  inches  deep  and  10  inches 
apart  every  way  all  over  the  bed  ;  then  cover  the 
latter  with  a  layer  of  sifted  maiden  loam  2  inches 
thick,  making  the  surface  smooth  with  the  back 
of  a  clean  spade.  Do  not  give  any  water,  as  the 
natural  steam  ni  the  bed  will  provide  sufiicient. 
Cover  with  clean  litter  neatly  put  on  a  foot  thick  ; 
then  thatch  the  whole  bed  with  straight  straw 
laid  on  2  inches  thick.  The  cultivation  of 
Mushrooms  is  interesting  work,  and  is  unlike 
the  culture  of  any  other  garden  crop.  Mushrooms 
should  appear  in  seven  to  eight  weeks  from 
the  date  of  spawning,  and  when 
gathered  in  open  weather  care  must 
he  taken  not  to  expose  much  of  the 
surface  of  the  bed  at  one  time. 
Later  on,  beds  may  be  made  wholly 
of  tree  leaves  where  they  are  very 
plentiful.  To  commence  with  fertile 
spawn  is  just  as  important  in  the 
successful  cultivation  of  Mushrooms 
as  good  seed  is  in  growing  flowering 
plants.  Spawn  should,  therefore,  only 
be  procured  from  a  reliable  source, 
for  after  a  while,  and  especially  if 
not  properly  stored,  the  spawn  loses 
its  vitality.  Shamrock. 


THE    NEW     ASTER    I'ELTHAM    BLUE.       A    USEFUL    VARIETY    FOR    THE    HERB.\CEOUS    BORDER 


way  through  the  perspiring  crowd,  the  subtle 
essence  of  the  Glenny  shadow  flitting  easily  by 
the  side  of  his  conductor's  substance,  until  they 
pause  before  the  monumental  display  of  Mr.  C. 
Engelmann.  Helplessly  the  perturbed  spectre 
eyes  the  wilderness  of  blossom.  These  massive, 
leggy  blooms  are  not  the  flowers  for  which  erstwhile 
he  formulated  laws.  Yet  even  the  ghost  of  Mr. 
Glenny  retains  some  spark  of  his  terrestrial  fire, 
and,  bewildered  as  he  is,  the  poor,  disoriented 
shade  can  scarce  forbear  to  clap  his  spectral  palms  : 
vases  of  Sunstar  and  Benora,  banks  of  White 
Wonder  and  Pioneer,  columns  of  Lady  Northcliffe, 
waterfalls  of  White  Enchantress  and  Electra ! 
"  Magnificent  !  "  he  mutters,  "  magnificent  !  But, 
you  know,  not  quite  according  to  Cocker  !  Where 
are  the  dapper  little  smooth-edged  flowers  on  discs 
of  white  paper — the  flakes  and  bizarres  that  once 
dehghted  Lord  and  Simonite  ?     A  glorious  sight 


provided  they  are  protected  from  the  excessive 
rains  and  severe  frosts  by  thick  coverings  of  clean 
litter  and  mats. 

A  Good  Position  may  be  found  on  the  north 
side  of  a  fence,  wail,  or  building.  If  the  latter  be 
high,  of  the  height  of  a  dwelling-house,  build  the 
bed  quite  12  feet  away  from  it  to  the  north.  Do 
not  build  directly  under  the  branches  of  trees, 
as  the  water  dripping  on  the  bed  will  tend  to 
chill  it. 

The  Material  and  Size  of  Bed. — It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  have  horse-manure  solely.  If  half  is  horse- 
manure  and  half  clean  tree  leaves,  material  of  a 
gently-heating  nature  will  be  obtained.  A  fair 
quantity  of  litter  should  be  left  with  the  manure,  as 
the  latter  is  liable  to  bum  through  overheating  if 
employed  alone.  The  inclusion  of  tree  leaves 
not  only  prevents  too  high  a  temperature,  but 
steadies  and  prolongs  it.     Before  the  ingredients 


my     friend,     though  —  but     soft !      methinks     I  I  are  put  together  to  form  the  bed,  they  must   be 


NEW    AND     RARE 
PLANTS. 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Aster  Feltham  Blue. — The  merits 

of  this  variety  as  a  border  flower  are 
already  recognised  (see  illustration). 
It  is  of  medium  height,  of  branching 
habit  and  profusely  flowered.  The 
flowers  are  of  a  pleasing  shade  of 
lavender  blue.  Shown  by  Messrs.  T.  S. 
Ware,  Limited. 

Salvia  uliginosa. — An  interesting 
species,  native  of  the  marshlands 
and  river  banks  of  Brazil.  Despite 
its  habitat,  it  is  said  to  be  a  hardy 
perennial  in  this  country.  The 
flowers,  somewhat  sparsely  borne 
in  branching  inflorescences,  are  of  a  clear  azure 
blue.     Shown  by  Mr.  C.  Turner,  Slough. 

Dahlia  Inchmarnock. — This  is  one  of  the  most 
pleasing  of  the  Collarette  Dahlias  we  have  yet 
seen.  The  ray  florets  are  salmon  scarlet,  and  the 
inner  florets  of  sulphur  yellow.  The  flowers  are 
small,  neat  and  freely  borne.  Shown  by  Messrs. 
Dobbie  and  Co.,  Edinburgh. 

Odontioda  Seymouriae  Orchidhurst  variety. — 

This  is  derived  from  the  intercrossing  of  Odontioda 
Charlesworthii  and  Odontioda  Bradshawise,  and 
may  be  described  as  a  fine  scarlet  form  of  the  first- 
named  parent,  of  excellent  shape  and  substance. 

Lselio-Cattleya  George  Woodhams.— A  fine 
hybrid  obtained  by  intercrossing  L.  purpurata 
and  C.  hardyana.  The  sepals  and  petals  are 
purplish  magenta,  and  the  large  lip  deep  crimson. 
Both  were  exhibited  by  Messrs.  .Armstrong  and 
Brown,  Tunbridge  Wells. 


September  20,  1913.^ 


The  garden. 


47? 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

ROOTING     CUTTINGS     UNDER     HAND-LIGHTS. 


HAND-LIGHTS  form  an  almost  indispens- 
,Me  adjunct  to  every  garden.  The 
beginner  will  find  them  most  useful 
to  root  cuttings  of  hardy  and  half- 
hardy  plants.  The  usual  sizes  of  the 
hand-lights  are  15  inches  and  18  inches 
square.  The  cloches  used  so  much  in  French 
gardening  may  also  be  used  for  rooting  cuttings  of 
Pentstemons,  Violas,  Calceolarias  and  other  similar 
plants,  but  they  are  not  so  handy  and  convenient 
as  hand-lights. 

The  first  item  to  consider  is  the  preparation  of  a 
bed  of  sandy  soil  in  which  to  insert  the  cuttings. 
Choose  a  warm,  sheltered  border  as  the  spot  on 
which  to  make  the  bed,  to  avoid  the  necessity 
of  providing  a  large  quantity  of  protection  for  the 
hand-lights  during  cold,  frosty  weather.  Make  the 
bed  of  sandy  soil  firm,  and  over  it  spread  a  thin 
layer  of  silver  sand.  Keep  this  dry,  so  that  when 
a  hole  is  made  with  a  dibber  and  the  cutting  inserted, 
the  sand  will  trickle  in  round  the  cutting  and  §11 
up  the  hole.  Mark  out  the  size  of  the  bottom  of 
the  hand-light  by  standing  the  frame  on  the  sand. 
The  cuttings  are  more  readily  inserted  before  the 
hand-light  is  finally  placed  in  position.  Some  hand- 
lights  are  made  in  two  parts,  a  bottom  and  a  top  ; 
these  cost  slightly  more  than  those  made  all  in  one, 
but  they  are  much  more  convenient.  Having 
inserted  the  cuttings,  stand  the  bottom  of  the  hand- 
light  over  them,  and  give  a  good  watering  with  a 
fine-rosed  watering-can  to  settle  the  sand  round  the 
cuttings  and  prevent  them  flagging.  Keep  the 
frame  close  till  the  cuttings  are  rooted,  shading 
whenever  the  sun  shows  signs  of  gaining  power. 
As  time  proceeds  the  cuttings  will  root,  and  then 
air  must  be  gradually  admitted  and  the  amomit 


CUTTINGS  OF  VIOLAS  AND  PENTSTEMONS  PLANTED  IN 
SANDY  SOIL  AND  COVERED  WITH  A  HAND-LIGHT. 
NOTE    THE    MOVABLE    TOP. 


of  shading  lessened, 
finally  dispensing 
with  it  entirely.  It 
is  not  necessary  to 
limit  each  hand- 
light  to  one  kind  of 
plant,  Pentstemons, 
for  instance.  These, 
with  cuttings  of 
hardy  Fuchsias  and 
Veronicas,  may  bo 
inserted  in  a  single 
hand-light.  Choose 
in  all  cases  short- 
jointed,  healthy 
shoots  for  cuttings. 
The  length  of  the 
cuttings  will  de- 
pend a  little  on 
the  kind  of  plant  ; 
cuttings  of  Violas, 
for  instance,  will 
not  be  so  long 
as  those  of  Pent- 
stemons. An  average  length  of  ji  inches  to 
3  inches  is  a  convenient  size.  The  distance  apart 
is  another  clastic  point  which  may  rest  largely 
with  the  grower  ;  2  inches  apart  in  the  rows  and 
3  inches  between  the  rows  of  cuttings  will  suffice, 
but  a  little  either  way  will  not  matter.  When  once 
inserted  and  covered  with  hand-lights,  the  cuttings 
will  not  require  much  attention  beyond  shading 
from  sun.  Examine  them  about  once  a  week  to 
see  if  water  is  required,  and  remove  all  dead  and 
decaying  leaves. 

Pentstemons. — The  Pentstemon  is  essentially  a 
plant  for  the  beginner  and  the 
small  grower  with  little  acconuno- 
dation.  It  is  easy  to  propagate, 
ajid  the  plants  thrive  and  flower 
freely  in  most  soils  and  situa- 
tions. Seeds  and  cuttings  are  the 
recognised  methods  of  increase,  the 
seeds  being  so^vn  in  a  heated 
greenhouse  during  February  or 
early  March,  and  in  a  cold  frame 
about  July.  Towards  the  end  of 
September  or  early  in  October  is  a 
good  time  to  insert  Pentstemon  cut- 
tings. The  race  of  Pentstemons  most 
largely  cultivated  in  gardens  are  hy- 
brids, and  comprise  a  considerable 
variety  of  colours.  Anyone  raising 
a  batch  of  seedlings  last  spring  will 
have  an  attractive  display  of  flowers 
at  the  present  time.  It  is  worth  while 
taking  cuttings  of  the  best  of  these, 
presuming  the  strain  is  a  good  one, 
for  as  a  rule  some  of  the  seedlings 
almost,  if  not  quite,  equal  the  named 
sorts.  Cuttings  should  also  be  in- 
serted of  the  named  varieties,  as  the 
old  plants  will  only  survive  the 
winter  outside  in  very  favoured 
localities.  A  list  of  named  sorts 
would  serve  no  useful  purpose 
here ;  they  are  so  numerous 
that  one  can  soon  make  a  selec- 
tion    from     a     florist's     catalogue. 


\    BED    01'    SANDY  SOIL,  WITH  SOME  CUTTINGS    PLANTED  AND    OTHERS 
READY    FOR    INSERTION. 


Three  sorts,  however,  call  for  special  nu'ution, 
and  should  be  in  every  collection.  They  arc 
Crimson  Gem,  a  very  large,  rich  crimson-scarlet 
flower ;  Southgate  Gem,  bright  scarlet  blooms 
of  medium  size,  produced  in  profusion,  a  hybrid 
between  Newbury  Gem  and  a  large-flnwering 
florist's  sort  ;  and  Newbury  Gem,  a  fine  old  Pent- 
stemon producing  an  abundance  of  small  red 
flowers.  It  is  also  known  as  P.  Hartwegii.  The 
making  of  the  cuttings  of  Pentstemons  and  their 
treatment  are  similar  to  that  afforded  to  Calceo- 
larias and  dealt  with  e.irlicr  in  these  notes. 

Bedding  Calceolarias. — For  summer  bedding 
tlie  yellow  and  dark  red  shrubby  Calceolarias 
are  imsurpassed  in  the  cottage  and  small  suburban 
garden.  Late  September  and  early  October  is 
the  season  to  insert  cuttings  to  obtain  plants  for 
next  summer's  display.  Dibbled  in  sandy  soil 
2  inches  apart  and  covered  with  a  hand-light, 
the  cuttings  will  root  and  not  require  much  attention 
till  the  end  of  February.  Look  over  the  cuttings 
once  a  week  to  remove  damp  and  decaying  leaves. 
Protect  from  frost  with  a  covering  of  litter.  Bracken, 
or  the  old  stems  of  Michaelmas  Daisies.  When 
rooted,  which  will  probably  be  in  about  six  weeks, 
air  must  be  gradually  admitted  by  turning  round 
the  top  of  the  haiid-light  a  little,  closing  it  up  again 
on  cold,  frosty  nights.  Plenty  of  side  growths 
suitable  for  cuttings  will  be  found  on  most  of  the 
Calceolaria  plants  at  the  present  time.  Take  off 
the  shoots  about  three  inches  long,  cut  through 
the  stem  just  below  a  pair  of  leaves  to  make  a 
base  for  the  cutting,  removing  two,  or  possibly 
four,  leaves.  As  soon  as  inserted,  water  in  and 
close  up  the  hand-light.  To  obtain  sturdy,  bushy 
plants,  the  points  or  growing  tips  of  the  young  plants 
should  be  removed  in  early  spring.  This  will 
induce  each  plant  to  make  two  shoots,  possibly 
more.  Half-a-dozen  of  the  best  sorts  are  Golden 
Gem,  rich  yellow  ;  Camden  Hero,  dark  red-brown  ; 
The  Sultan,  very  dark  reddish  crimson  ;  Prince 
of  Orange,  bronzy  yellow  ;  Cloth  of  Gold,  golden 
yellow  ;  and  Bijou,  bronzy  crimson.  Calceolarias 
delight  in  a  moist,  fairly  rich  soil,  and  a  half-shady 
border  is  preferable  to  one  in  full  sun. 


478 


THE    GARDEN. 


[September  20,  1913. 


GARDENING     OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

^Propagation. — This  is  an  operation  that  still  needs 
ittention,  and  ought,  not  to  be  deferred  too  long, 
or  some  of  the  subjects  may  get  touched  by  frost, 
when  a  good  strike  is  much  more  difficult  to  secure. 

Calceolarias. — The  shrubby  varieties,  for  bedding 
purposes,  should  be  propagated  from  the  soft 
growths  springing  from  the  base  of  the  stem  of 
flowering  plants,  and  the  softer  they  are,  within 
reason,  the  more  easily  will  they  strike.  They 
may  be  rooted  in  pots  or  boxes  ;  but  the  best 
system  is  to  prick  them  out,  2  inches  or  3  inches 
apart,  in  a  cold  frame,  using  a  light,  open  compost 
for  the  purpose,  afterwards  keeping  them  sprayed 
and  shaded  till  the  foliage  becomes  stiff  and  upright, 
when  they  may  be  treated  a  little  more  hardily  ; 
and  as  soon  as  well  rooted  they  may  be  given  plenty 
of  air  during  fine  weather. 

Veronica  Andersonii  variegata  and  Mar- 
guerites are  easily-grown  bedding  plants  that  may 
be  propagated  now,  practically  in  the  same  way  as 
advised  for  Calceolarias. 

Lantanas  are  used  a  good  deal  for  bedding  pur- 
poses, and  the  various  varieties  root  readily  if  nice 
soft  cuttings  are  secured  and  placed  singly  in 
2i-inch  pots,  using  a  very  light  compost.  A  little 
bottom-heat  is  necessary  during  the  rooting  period, 
and  if  fair-sized  plants  are  desired  for  next  season, 
the  shelf  of  an  intermediate  house  is  a  good  place  on 
which  to  winter  them. 

Chrysanthemums. — Many  of  the  early-flowering 
section  are  now  making  a  good  show,  and  in 
districts  which  are  low-lying  and  subject  to  early 
autumn  frosts,  some  provision  should  be  made  for 
covering  them.  Pit  lights,  of  course,  are  useful  if 
placed  well  above  the  flowers,  and  will  keep  them 
m  good  condition  for  a  long  time.  Tiffany  stretched 
over  them  at  night  is  also  effective,  but  as  this 
lets  the  wet  through,  the  lights  are  to  be  preferred  ; 
or  oiled  paper,  tacked  over  a  light  framework,  acts 
almost  equally  as  well.  Plants  that  are  to  be 
lifted  for  flowering  indoors  should  have  the  roots 
cut  roimd  at  a  reasonable  distance  from  the  stem, 
and  if  well  watered  afterwards  and  kept  sprayed 
it  will  prevent  them  flagging.  As  soon  as  the 
roots  commence  to  run  again  is  the  best  time  to  lift 
the  plants  and  take  them  indoors. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Violets. — Preparations  should  now  be  made  for 
lifting  and  plantuig  in  the  frames.  In  the  first 
place,  the  frames  should  be  filled  to  within  a  foot 
of  the  glass  with  a  compost  which  is  knowii  to  suit 
the  plants  in  the  particular  locality,  this  varying 
in  some  instances  from  pure  loam  to  pure  leaf- 
soil. 

Chrysanthemums. — By  this  date  many  of  the 
earlier  varieties  will  be  showing  colour,  and  if  of 
the  large-flowering  section  they  should  be  housed 
at  once,  but  not  before  all  the  foliage  has  been  care- 
ftflly  syruiged  with  a  solution  of  sulphide  of 
potassium  to  guard  against  mildew.  Decorative 
varieties,  such  as  Mary  Richardson,  Mrs.  Roots, 
Heston  Bronze  and  Soleil  de  Octobre,  should  also 
be  placed  under  cover  as  the  flowers  show  colour. 
By  placing  the  plants  indoors  rather  early,  they 
sometimes  fill  up  a  gap  after  the  outdoor  ones  are 
cut  down,  and,  where  used,  make  room  for  the  mid- 
season  juid  late  varieties. 

Browallia  speciosa. — Though  these  will  have 
done  well  up  till  now  in  a  cool  house,  they  are  better 
for  a  little  warmth  from  now  onwards,  an  inter- 
mediate temperature  suiting  them  well.  A  little 
weak  liquid  manure  may  be  given  to  plants  in 
bloom,  and  this  should  keep  them  going  till  well 
into  the  autumn. 

Euphorbia  pulcherrima  plants  are  now  well  esta- 
blished m  their  flowering  pots,  and  should  be  re- 
moved from  the  pit  in  which  they  have  been  grow- 
ing to  a  suitable  house  with  a  temperature  of  from 
55°  to  60°  at  night.  Keep  them  well  sprayed  on 
all  fine  days,  and  when  the  pots  are  well  filled  with 
roots,  feed  regularly  with  a  mild  manure,  such  as 
Clay's  Fertilizer  or  a  little  blood  manure,  both  of 
which  I  have  found  to  suit  them  well. 

Euphorbia  jacquinieeDora.— Plants  of  this  will 
take  rather  more  heat  than  the  preceding,  and  where 
they  can  be  trained  up  the  wires  of  a  Melon-house 


they   will  ripen   their   wood   well,    which   is   very 
essential  to  get  a  good  long  spray  of  blooms. 

Shading. — Much  of  the  shadmg  material  may 
be  left  ofi  now,  only  the  more  tender  subjects 
requiring  it  during  the  hottest  part  of  the  day  ; 
but  a  sharp  look-out  must  be  kept  if  the  sun  comes 
out  brightly  after  a  few  wet  or  sunless  days. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Turnips  sown  during  the  latter  part  of  August 
should  be  thinned  to  a  fair  distance  apart,  so  as 
to  allow  the  foliage  to  become  hard  and  not  so 
easily  damaged  by  frost.  After  thinning,  hoe  well, 
continumg  the  operation  as  often  as  necessary,  so 
as  to  facilitate  the  growth. 

Celery. — Continue  the  earthing  of  Celery  as  the 
weather  permits,  giving  a  good  watering  and  feeding 
to  the  latest  batch  a  day  or  so  before  commencing 
earthing.  The  midseason  rows  should  be  finished 
off  carefully,  so  as  to  throw  off  superfluous  moisture, 
especially  where  the  soil  is  heavy. 

Onions. — All  Onions  should  be  got  mider  cover 
as  soon  as  possible,  the  smaller  bulbs  being  put 
where  they  can  be  bunched  or  tied  in  strings 
during  wet  weather. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Strawberries. — Plants  that  are  well  rooted 
should  be  watered  occasionally  with  liquid  manure  ; 
but  there  is  no  need  to  try  to  get  extra-sized 
crowns,  as  those  that  are  of  moderate  size  and  well 
ripened,  I  find,  give  the  best  results.  Where 
there  is  a  tendency  for  the  foliage  to  become 
mildewed,  the  plants  should  be  sprayed  occasionally 
with  sulphide  of  potassium. 

Vineries. — Muscat  Grapes  that  are  quite  ripe 
and  still  have  to  be  kept  some  time  should  be 
shaded  from  very  bright  sunlight.  Air  must  be 
kept  on  at  all  times,  but  just  sufficient  heat  must 
be  kept  in  the  pipes  at  night  and  on  dull  days  to 
keep  the  air  dry  and  circulating. 

Very  Late  Grapes  that  are  ripening  should  be 
kept  a  trifle  drier,  especially  towards  the  evening, 
and  the  temperature  not  allowed  to  fall  below 
58°  to  60°,  though  when  quite  ripe  a  few  degrees 
lower  will  keep  them  in  good  condition. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR    NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Propagating  Calceolarias.— The  old  orange 
yellow  Calceolarias  of  the  aurea  floribunda  type 
are  seldom  seen  nowadays.  Lemon  shades  are 
still  popular,  however,  and  old  amplexicaulis, 
Lemon  Gem  and  Queen  Alexandra  are  all  well 
worth  growing.  A  start  should  be  made  with 
the  propagation  of  these  within  the  next  week  or 
so.  The  first  and  last  mentioned  of  the  fore- 
going trio  are  not  quite  so  hardy  as  some  of  the 
other  varieties,  so  that  if  the  frame  in  which  they 
are  to  be  wintered  is  not  capable  of  being  slightly 
heated  in  time  of  frost,  ample  protecting  material 
will  have  to  be  provided. 

Preparations  for  Bulb-Planting. — As  annuals 

go  out  of  bloom  they  should  be  cleared  away, 
and  the  ground  they  occupied  should  be  lightly 
dressed  with  decayed  vegetable  refuse  or  other 
manure,  and  then  dug  over  to  be  in  readiness 
for  the  reception  of  bulbs  and  other  spring-flowering 
plants. 

The  Rose  Garden. 
Selecting  Climbers. — We  now  have  such  a 
choice  of  high-class  Roses  in  the  Hybrid  Tea 
section  that  fewer  Roses  are  now  grown  on  walls  ; 
but  pergolas,  pillars,  arches  and  screen  fences 
clothed  with  Rambler  Roses  are  much  in  evidence, 
and  so  far  as  climbers  are  concerned,  the  ramblers 
fill  the  popular  imagination  at  the  present  time. 
I  will  therefore  confine  myself  to  these  at  present. 
For  pinks,  those  making  a  start  cannot  do  better 
than  plant  Dorothy  Perkins  and  Lady  Gay,  and 
for  a  white.  White  Dorothy  Perkins  is  unsurpassed. 
Of  red  shades  there  is  considerable  choice.  Among 
singles,  Hiawatha  is  an  easy  first,  but  for  an  early 
bloomer  Carmine  Pillar  is  excellent.  Among 
doubles,  Crimson  Rambler  and  Flower  of  Fairfield 
are  both  good.  Purple  East  is  an  attractive  semi- 
double  pillar  Rose.     Among  single  pinks  or  blush, 


Blush  Rambler  and  Euphrosyne  are  to  be  com- 
mended. Among  yellow  shades,  Alister  Stella 
Gray  is  tlie  most  accommodating. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Colchicums. — These  attractive  autumn  flowers 
are  admirably  adapted  for  the  lower  reaches  of 
the  rockwork,  and  those  who  possess  them  will 
be  enjoying  their  beauty  now  that  the  bulk  of 
the  occupants  are  assuming  a  rather  sombre 
aspect.  Bommuelleri,  speciosum,  speciosum  album, 
Parkinsonii,  autumnale  roseo  pleno  and  a.  albo 
pleno  are  all  worthy  of  inclusion. 

Autumn  Crocuses. — These,  too,  are  excellent 
for  brightening  up  the  lower  reaches  of  rock- 
work.  I  can  only  speak  of  a  few  of  them,  but 
can  recommend  loiigiflorus  (odorus),  speciosus 
and  zonatus.  Like  the  Colchicums,  August  is 
the  ideal  month  for  planting,  but  they  can  be 
planted  with  safety  immediately  after  flowering. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Lilium  longiflorum  Harrisii. — Both  this  variety 

and  the  type  are  excellent  for  conservatory  decora- 
tion, and  for  early  work  the  bulbs  should  be  pro- 
cured and  potted  up  as  soon  as  convenient.  Good 
results  can  only  be  had  from  strong  bulbs,  and  it 
IS  bad  policy  to  buy  small,  cheap  ones.  Loam, 
peat,  sand,  leaf-mould  and  rotten  manure  in  a 
rather  rough  state  form  an  excellent  compost  for 
Liliums. 

Freesias. — The  sooner  these  are  potted  up  the 
better.  Eight  or  ten  bulbs  in  a  5-inch  pot  make 
a  nice  display.  Use  light  soil  similar  to  that  recom- 
mended for  Liliums,  but  in  a  less  lumpy  condition. 
Stand  111  a  cold  frame  for  a  time. 

Perpetual-Flowering  Carnations. — Thrip  is  sure 
to  appear,  and  must  be  kept  in  check  by  weekly 
fumigation  until  the  flowers  begin  to  open.  Give 
abundance  of  air  during  the  day,  with  a  little  over- 
night unless  the  weather  is  very  cold. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Pruning  Early  Peaches. — If  the  trees  are 
completely  defoliated,  the  sooner  they  are  pruned 
the  better.  In  the  case  of  young,  partially- 
developed  trees,  the  first  consideration  should  be 
the  framework  of  the  tree  ;  but  in  the  case  of 
fully-developed  trees,  the  work  of  pruning  is  com- 
paratively simple,  and  consists  chiefly  of  cutting 
away  the  shoot  which  has  just  borne  fruit  and 
the  shortening  of  the  succession  shoot  which  has 
been  laid  in,  and  which  is  to  bear  next  season's 
crop.  Always  cut  back  to  a  wood-bud,  which  is 
less  plump  and  more  elongated  than  a  fruit-bud. 
The  distance  from  one  bearing  shoot  to  another 
should  be  about  a  foot. 

Late  Figs. — In  order  to  ripen  off  these  satis- 
factorily, a  night  temperature  of  60"  to  65°  will  be 
necessary. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Preparations  for  Planting. — Where  the  planting 
of  fruit  trees  is  contemplated,  some  suitable  soil 
should  be  got  in  readiness  in  which  to  give  the 
trees  a  start.  Nothing  equals  maiden  loam,  but 
it  is  often  a  scarce  commodity.  If,  however,  a 
quantity  of  it  is  procurable,  it  can  be  mixed  with 
an  equal  quantity  of  road  parings,  which  contain 
a  considerable  amount  of  fibrous  material. 

Late  Stone  Fruits. — In  the  event  of  frost 
occurring,  any  late,  unripe  Peaches  or  Plums 
must  be  protected  with  scrim  or  other  light  material. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Celery. — Continue  to  earth-up  Celery  as  neces- 
sary. Early  crops  that  are  receiving  their  final 
earthing-up  should  have  the  soil  brought  up  to 
an  apex,  and  it  should  be  beaten  with  the  back 
of  the  spade,  making  a  smooth  surface  to  run  the 
water  ofi. 

Turnip-Rooted  Beet  should  now  be  stored. 
Be  careful  not  to  break  the  roots,  or  bleeding  will 
ensue,  thus  greatly  spoiling  the  crop. 

Autumn-Sown  Onions. — The  young  seedlings 
are  now  well  up.  Run  the  Dutch  hoe  between 
the  rows  to  kill  the  seedling  weeds  and  aerate  the 
soil.  Weeds  growing  in  the  rows  must  be  pulled 
with  the  hand. 

Kidney  Beans. — Store  all  the  surplus  yield  in  salt, 
as  previously  directed,  before  they  become  tough 
or  get  injured  by  frost.  Steep  the  pods  thus  treated 
in  "fresh  water  for  twelve  hours  prior  to  cooking 
them.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


September  20,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


479 


DAFFODIL     NOTES. 


Poetaz  Varieties. — The  writer  of  the  article 
on  Poetaz  Narcissi  in  the  Bulb  Number  o{  The 
(lARDEN  is  not,  I  fear,  very  familiar  with  their 
history.  Every  variety  mentioned  in  it  was  raised 
by  Mr.  R.  van  der  Schoot.  He  has  told  me  about 
the  sudden  thought  that  came  to  him  as  he  was 
one  day  passing  by  some  ornatus  in  his  bulb-fields, 
and  how  he  at  once  acted  upon  it,  with  the  result 
that  all  those  varieties  mentioned,  and  some  others 
as  well,  first  saw  the  light  of  day — now  a  good 
many  years  ago — in  his  trial  grounds  at  Hillegom. 
Jaune  a  Merveille  is  no  newer  than  the  others. 
It  is  more  expensive,  like  Sunset,  another  very 
lovely  yellow  Poetaz,  because  it  is  such  a  slow 
increaser.  It  is  a  long  t  me  since  I  bought  my 
first  bulbs  of  this  new  race  from  Vilmorin  of 
Paris,  and  then  there  was  but  little  difference 
in  the  prices  of  any  of  them — I  suppose  because 
their  powers  of  increase  had  not  been  sufficiently 
tested.  Now  they  are  known,  and  prices  are 
fixed  accordingly,  .\lsace,  .\spasia,  Elvira,  Irene, 
Jaune  i  Merveille  and  Sunset  are,  in  my  opinion, 
the  best  half-dozen,  the  first  three  mentioned  having 
white  and  the  last  three  yellow  perianths.  Alsace 
is  the  best  for  early  forcing,  as  it  comes  so  easily 
and  well.  Irene  is  a  much  softer  shade  of  yellow 
than  either  of  the  other  two.  I  like  it  exceedingly 
as  a  pot  plant.  Jaune  a  Merveille,  Sunset  and 
Elvira  have  flatter  perianths  than  any  of  the  others, 
and  on  this  account  are  useful  for  showing. 
Aspasia  is  the  tallest  and  most  vigorous,  and  a 
real  everybody's  flower.  1  must  say,  however, 
that  in  its  native  soil  it  has  not  that  superiority 
in  vigour  and  height  which  it  has  with  me.  As 
far  as  I  know,  the  only  Poetaz  in  commerce  that 
has  been  raised  by  Mr.  Engleheart  is  my  favourite 
Orient,  which  has  an  undulating  white  perianth 
and  a  palish  yellow  cup  with  a  clear  red  edge. 
.AJl  that  I  have  mentioned  are  excellent  both  for 
pot  work  and  for  the  garden,  so  much  so  that  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  following  up  "  A.  B.'s  "  little 
notice  with  another  puff  of  this  important  race. 

Daffodils  to  be  Grown  in  Pots. — Gardeners, 
like  betting  people.  like  "tips,"  only  they  do  not 
get  them  quite  so  often  ;  but  when  they  do,  let 
us  hope  they  are  more  reliable.  I  quite  thought 
there  would  have  been  a  few  about  what  to  buy 
for  pots  in  the  Bulb  Number.  Directly  I  saw 
there  were  none,  I  wired  off  to  the  Editor  and  begged 
for  a  column  in  next  week's  edition.  The  time  is 
getting  on  now,  for  potting,  at  any  rate.  Before 
these  lines  are  read  and  the  bulbs  procured,  it  will 
be  high  time  they  were  in.  Last  year  I  believe  I 
"  tipped  "  Firebrand.  I  know  a  lady  who  has  bought 
some  this  autumn  on  my  recommendation.  If 
she  has  any  luck  at  all,  she  will  find  I  have  "  tipped  " 
a  winner.  I  have  had  it  for  the  last  three  years 
myself,  and  it  has  never  been  found  wanting. 
Blackwell  is  another  beautiful  variety  that  lends 
i;self  to  gentle  forcing  very  readily,  always  keeping 
a  good  shape  and  coming  with  a  fair  amount  of 
colour  in  the  cup.  Weardale  Perfection  is  more  at 
home  in  the  greenhouse  than  anywhere  else.  Now 
that  it  is  procurable  at  about  two  shillings  each, 
half  a  sovereign  for  a  potful  of  five  would  be  money 
well  invested,  and  would  bring  a  certain  return  in 
the  pleasure  it  would  give  anyone  who  likes  refined 
flowers.  I  could  say  almost  exactly  the  same  about 
Lady  Margaret  Boscawen,  only  it  is  just  a  little 
less  chic  and  gives  more  idea  of  massiveness.  Of 
King  Alfred  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  speak.  When 
Messrs.  James  Carter  and  Co.  got  hold  of  the  selling 
of  this  wonderful  flower,  they  knew  what  they  were 


doing.  In  pots  it  has  no  rival  among  the  big 
yellow  trumpets,  and  I  find  with  care  in  ripening 
under  glass  that  pot-grown  bulbs  do  not  do  so 
very  badly  a  second  year.  Orphee  is  seldom  seen 
in  any  list  nowadays.  I  hope  some  firms  still 
have  it,  for  I  consider  it  one  of  the  most  satisfactory 
pot  red  edgers  that  we  have  at  a  low  price.  Barrii 
conspicuus  is  not  in  it  when  flowers  are  wanted  in 
early  February.  Lucifer  is  a  good  lasting  plant 
under  glass,  and  the  colour  is  retained  pretty  well 
until  the  end.  I  strongly  advise  a  trial.  The 
Leedsiis,  as  a  whole,  seem  cut  out  for  the  purpose 
I  am  advocating.  Some  day  the  "  giants "  will 
be  possible  to  be  had  at  a  reasonable  figure, 
and  then  I  expect  no  one  will  be  without  a 
potful  or  two.  Meanwhile,  let  me  say  what  a 
dainty  bloom  Fairy  Queen  is.  Everj-one  must 
like  it.  Then,  it  is  so  free.  An  old-fashioned 
Tazetta  that  appealed  very  much  to  me  this  last 
spring  was  Dr.  Holland.  Mr.  Bowles  probably 
does  not  know  it,  or  it  might  have  been  coupled 
with  Bazelman  major  and  Muzart  orientalis ;  or 
it  may  be  he  was  writing  of  outside  flowers,  whereas 
I  am  strictly  now  an  inside  man.  Lastly,  let  me 
advise  Mr.  Duncan  Pearson,  and  anyone  else  who 
is  interested  in  the  Poet  type,  to  try,  as  a  good  every- 
day plant,  Ben  Jonson.  I  am  disposed  to  think 
it  has  been  peculiarly  well  named,  for  the  life- 
history  of  the  man  may  well  be  repeated  in  the 
flower ;  and  that  the  day  will  come  when  it  will 
enjoy  the  high  favour  of  its  patrons — the  Daffodil- 
loving  public.  Joseph  Jacob. 


DAFFODILS      IN      NEW 
Z  E  A  L  A  N  D  . 

{Continued     from     page     464.) 


THERE  are  several  large  growers  in 
the  South,  some  of  whom,  including 
Mr.  Charles  Goodson  of  Hawera 
(Taranaki),  Mr.  A.  E.  Lowe  of  Tai 
Tapu  and  Mr.  F.  Biggs  of  Christ- 
church  (Canterbury),  Mr.  A.  Miller 
and  Mr.  J.  Blair  of  Mornington,  Dunedin, 
Mr.  J.  J.  Woods,  Mr.  H.  Hart  and  Mr.  H. 
Darton  of  Lawrence,  and  Mr.  A.  B.  Haggitt  of 
Invercargill  (Otago),  have  been  for  some  years 
engaged  in  raising  seedlings,  with  considerable 
success.  There  are,  I  understand,  no  growers 
of  seedlings  in  our  capital  province  (Wellington), 
though  Mr.  Thomas  Mason  of  Lower  Hutt  (now 
deceased)  raised  some  good  things,  which  have, 
unfortunately,  gone  astray.  All  the  above- 
mentioned  growers  are,  I  believe,  amateurs,  with 
the  exception  of  Mr.  Lowe,  who  is  gardener  to  the 
Hon.  R.  Heaton  Rhodes  (Postmaster-General) 
of  Tai  Tapu,  Canterbury,  and  as  Mr.  Rhodes 
has  been  a  lavish  importer  of  the  best  things 
obtainable  in  England,  in  his  service  Mr.  Lowe 
had  exceptional  opportunities  for  hybridising, 
of  which  he  fully  availed  himself.  As  the  result 
he  has  a  very  fine  lot  of  seedlings,  some  of  which 
have  received  certificates,  and  he  considers  several 
of  his  raising  to  be  improvements  on  standard 
imported  varieties. 

We  have  not  seen  any  of  the  Southern  seedlings 
in  Auckland  yet,  but  we  hear  of  some  fine  trumpets 
from  both  pollen  and  seed  of  King  Alfred,  and 
also  some  fine  red  cups.  For  the  past  two 
seasons  we  have  had  the  services  of  Mr.  E.  A. 
Hamel  of  Dunedin  as  judge  at  our  spring  show, 
and  I  am  indebted  to  him  for  some  of  my  infor- 
mation with  regard  to  matters  in  the  South.     He 


informed  me,  among  other  things,  that  he  con- 
sidered they  grew  red  cups  better  in  the  South, 
getting  richer  colour  of  longer  standing  than  he 
observed  in  Auckland.  This  is  probably  attribu- 
table to  the  cooler  climate  of  Otago,  many  red- 
cupped  varieties  here  being  given  to  "  burning  " 
quickly  in  fine  weather.  I  must  not  omit  to  refer 
to  the  distinction  attained  by  Mr.  Biggs  of  Christ- 
church  of  being  the  first  New  Zealand  grower 
to  exhibit  a  seedling  in  England  and  merit  favourable 
comment  from  so  good  a  judge  as  the  Rev.  J. 
Jacob,  as  did  his  Hon.  R.  J.  Seddon  {vide  your 
issue  of  March  29  last). 

The  subject  of  nomenclature  is  now  causing 
some  trouble,  as,  with  so  many  new  varieties 
being  raised  in  Australia  and  New  Zealand,  it  is 
but  natural  that  duplication  of  names  should  occur. 
Several  names  appropriated  and  used  out  here 
during  the  past  few  years  are  now,  we  find  by 
perusing  recent  catalogues,  &c.,  borne  by  novelties 
recently  exhibited  or  put  into  commerce  at  home, 
and  unless  some  system  is  devised  to  regulate  the 
matter,  confusion  must  ensue  when  Antipodean 
novelties  now  being  introduced  into  commerce 
begin  to  be  distributed.  I  noticed  paragraphs 
recently  in  The  Garden  referring  to  the  probability 
of  a  Daffodil  Year  Book  being  published,  and  a 
movement  for  the  formation  of  a  National  Daffodil 
Society.  I  think  these  are  both  good  projects, 
and  that  they  will  receive  the  approbation  and 
support  of  New  Zealand  growers,  and  I  hope  one 
of  the  subjects  they  will  take  in  hand  and  deal 
with  will  be  this  same  matter  of  nomenclature. 

.\nother  matter  requiring  attention  here  is  the 
certificating  of  new  varieties.  I  do  not  know 
whether  the  Southern  societies  have  given  the 
matter  serious  attention,  but  in  the  .Auckland 
Horticultural  Society  it  has  come  up  on  two  or  ' 
three  occasions  for  discussion  ;  but  definite  action 
was  deferred,  there  being  a  feeling  that  an  award 
of  merit  conferred  by  a  society  such  as  our  local 
one  would  not  carry  much  weight  outside,  and 
that  a  Dominion  committee  or  committees  should 
be  constituted  for  the  purpose  of  adjudicating  on 
new  varieties,  not  only  of  Daffodils,  but  all  other 
classes  of  horticultural  products.  So  far  the 
difficulties  to  be  overcome  have  prevented  the 
consummation  of  so  desirable  an  object.  Our 
society,  however,  felt  that  some  recognition  of 
Professor  Thomas'  work  with  the  Narcissus 
should  not  be  longer  postponed,  and  at  our  1911 
and  iyi2  shows  instructed  the  judge  (from  Dunedin) 
to  consider  the  seedlings  exhibited  with  this 
object  in  view,  .■\ccordingly,  some  six  or  seven  of 
Professor  Thomas'  productions  then  in  bloom 
were  awarded  the  Auckland  Horticultural  Society's 
certificate  of  merit,  of  which,  I  think,  they  were 
well  worthy,  and  it  is  intended  to  send  particulars 
of  these  to  the  Editor  of  the  Daffodil  Year  Book. 

The  cut-flower  business  here,  which  a  few  years 
back  was  of  small  importance,  has  now  developed 
to  very  noticeable  proportions,  and  in  this  the 
Daffodil  takes  a  foremost  place.  The  flowers  are 
grown  for  sale  mostly  by  orchardists  and  nurserymen 
in  the  remoter  suburbs,  planted  between  the  rows 
of  fruit  trees,  and  are  found  to  pay  fairly  well 
as  a  side-line,  as  they  come  in  at  a  time  when  orchard 
work  is  somewhat  slack,  and  the  returns  from  them 
are  a  welcome  prelude  to  the  fruit  harvest.  Some 
of  the  larger  growers  pack  and  forward  a  large 
quantity  to  the  Southern  towns,  where  enhanced 
prices  are  obtained,  as  our  season  is  considerably 
earlier  than  theirs.  The  best  selling  kinds  are  the 
large  yellow  trumpets,  but  most  of  the  large, 
long-stalked  ones  find  a  ready  market. 


480 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  20,  igi; 


In  your  issue  of  December  14  last  appeared  a 
paragraph  (which  was  copied  by  our  New  Zealand 
Graphic)  referring  to  the  possibility  of  the  best 
and  newest  of  New  Zealand  raised  Daffodils  being 
grown  and  shown  in  England.  I  have  been  unable 
to  obtain  any  information  locally  as  to  this  scheme, 
so  I  assume  it  emanated  from  one  or  other  of 
the  large  Southern  growers.  We  hope  the  idea 
will  materialise  in  the  near  future,  and  that,  if  it 
does,  Auckland  will  be  well  represented.  Of 
course,  growers  may  not  care  to  send  away  their 
very  latest  productions,  of  which  the  number  of 
bulbs  would  be  very  limited,  and  the  New  Zealand 
•display  would  be  handicapped  by  the  lapse  of  time 
necessary  to  the  acclimatising  of  the  bulbs  at  home, 
and  possibly  they  may  not  at  first  take  kindly  to 
the  English  climate.  Still,  if  they  were  taken  in 
hand  by  one  or  more  of  your  many  expert  growers, 
and  not  staged  until  they  had,  time  to  settle  down 
and  become  "  at  home  "  in  their  new  environment, 
the  experiment  and  opportunity  of  comparison 
should  prove  very  interesting,  and  I  venture  to 
think  shou'.d  do  us  credit. 

Since  jotting  down  these  notes,  I  have  read 
your  reports  of  the  London  and  Midland  shows, 
and  the  accounts  of  the  latest  good  things  make  us 
pause  and  wonder  how  much  further  the  "  manu- 
facture "  of  such  wonderful  new  specimens  of  this 
flower  will  go  and  what  direction  the  next  break 
will  take.  One  wonders  what  would  be  the  emotions 
of  Dean  Herbert,  Leeds,  Backhouse  and  other 
pioneers  of  half  a  century  and  more  ago,  could  they 
visit  a  present-day  show  ;  for  surely  they  never 
could  have  imagined  that  the  work  begun  by  them 
with  such  meagre  material  would  develop  to  the 
extent  it  has  and  bring  forth  such  remarkable 
forms  as  are  now  coming  forward  each  year  in 
•  increasing  number  and  variety.  These  latest 
reports,  while  making  us  feel  diffident  as  to  how  our 
flowers  would  compare,  yet  make  us  more  anxious 
to  know  how  we  stand,  and  we  feel  every  confidence 
that  our  representatives  would  make  a  respectable 
showing,  especially  if  the  home  critics  bear  in  mind 
that  so  far  we  have  had  to  import  all  our  breeding 
stock,  and  we  are  therefore  of  necessity  some 
years  behind  in  this  important  respect. 

Auckland.  New  Zcmland.  A.  E.  Grindrod. 


TRIALS   OF  ANTIRRHINUMS 
AT    WISLEY. 


As  announced  in  our  issue  for  September  6,  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  have  held  trials  of 
Antirrhinums  at  Wisley  this  year.  These  were 
visited  by  the  floral  committee  on  the  29th  ult., 
and  the  following  awards  made  by  them  on  that 
occasion  were  confirmed  by  the  Council  on  the 
9th  inst.  : 

Awards  of  Merit. — To  Amber  Queen,  from 
iMessrs.  Barr,  Covent  Garden,  and  Messrs.  Watkins 
and  Simpson,  Covent  Garden  ;  Beacon,  from 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Chelsea  ;  Beauty, 
from  Messrs.  Barr,  Covent  Garden  ;  Bonfire,  from 
Messrs.  Simpson,  Birmingham,  and  Robert  Syden-v 
ham.  Limited,  Birmingham ;  Carmine  Queen, 
from  Messrs.  Watkins  and  Simpson,  Covent  Garden  ; 
Coccinea,  Crimson  Kmg  and  Daphne,  from  Messrs. 
Hurst,  Houndsditch  ;  Defiance  and  Fire  King, 
from  Messrs.  Bath,  Wisbech  ;  Golden  Mom,  from 
Messrs.  Watkins  and  Simpson,  Covent  Garden  ; 
Golden  Queen,  from  Messrs.  Bath,  Wisbech  ;  Maize 
Queen  and  Moonlight,  from  Messrs.  Dobbie,  Edin- 
burgh ;  Pink  and  Queen  Victoria,  from  Messrs. 
James   Veitch     and    Sons,    Chelsea ;     Rosy   Mom, 


from  Messrs.  Watkins  and  Simpson,  Covent  Garden  ; 
Salmon  Pink,  from  Messrs.  R.  Veitch,  Exeter ; 
Sunset,  from  Messrs.  Dickson  and  Robinson, 
Manchester ;  White  Beauty  and  White  Queen, 
from  Messrs.  Dobbie,  Edinburgh  ;  Yellow,  from 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Chelsea ;  Yellow 
King,  from  Messrs.  Barr,  Covent  Garden  ;  and 
Y'ellow  Queen,  from  Messrs.  Hurst,  Houndsditch. 

Highly  Commended. — To  Albino,  from  Mr. 
F.  C.  Heinemann,  Erfurt  ;  Brilliant,  from  Messrs. 
Barr,  Covent  Garden  ;  Brilliant  Rose,  from  Messrs. 
Bath,  Wisbech  ;  Buff  Queen,  from  Messrs.  Watkins 
and  Simpson,  Covent  Garden  ;  Coral  Red,  from 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons,  Chelsea  ;  Dainty, 
from  Messrs.  Dickson  and  Robinson,  Manchester  ; 
Dainty  Queen,  from  Robert  Sydenham,  Limited, 
Birmingham ;  Firelight,  from  Messrs.  Bath, 
Wisbech  ;  Galatea,  from  Messrs.  Barr,  Covent 
Garden  ;  Nobile,  from  Messrs.  Hurst,  Houndsditch  ; 
Pink  Beauty  and  Pink  Queen,  from  Messrs.  Watkins 
and  Simpson,  Covent  Garden ;  Roseum,  from 
Messrs.  Carter,  Raynes  Park ;  Scarlet  Carmine, 
from  Messrs.  Dickson  and  Robinson,  Manchester  ; 
and  White  Queen  and  Yellow  Prince,  from  Messrs. 
Hurst,  Houndsditch. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— 2V(C  Editor  ininids  to 
mnk'!  The  Cakdkn  helpful  to  nil  readers  ivho  desire  assist- 
ance, 110  matter  trhut  the  bramh  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
u'ith  that  object  will  make  a  special  fentwe  of  the  "Ansvjers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  J\  .C.  The  7iame  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  \\  he7i  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  ?noes,  not  cotton-u-ool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
smalt  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letteis 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PUBLISHER. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

WATER  LILIES  (Aiir iou ■'^).—T\ksc  will  succeed  much 
hetter  if  you  will  lay  a  circle  of  bricks  on  the  bottom  of 
the  tank  VJ  feet  in  diameter,  and  fill  np  the  space  with 
^'ood  soil  and  plunffe  the  baskets  in  it.  The  best  time 
to  plant  out  is  the  end  of  March  or  the  first  week  in  April ; 
but  as  you  have  the  plants  already  by  you,  put  them  in 
water  {in  baskets)  now  and  add  the  extra  soil  in  sprin:j. 

PLANTING  FOR  EFFECT  (Vori-).— A  mass  of  shrubs 
with  coloured  or  varie{:ated  leaves  would  answer  as  well 
as  anything  in  the  position  you  describe,  providing  such 
subjects  are  selected  as  may  be  expected  to  retain  their 
colour  throughout  the  summer.  For  late  winter  and 
early  spriu}^  an  effect  might  be  made  beneath  the  shrubs 
by  the  use  of  Snowdrops,  Crocuses,  Winter  Aconites, 
C^lionodDxae,  or  other  similar  plants.  The  followin':^ 
shrubs  are  likely  to  prove  suitable  :  Prunus  Pissardi, 
Purple-leaved  Nut,  Acer  palmatum  var.  atropurpureum, 
Cornus  alba  SpiHhii,  Acer  Negundo  ealifornica  aurea, 
C'atalpa  bignontoides  aurea,  Euonymus  japonicus  aureus, 
Cornus  alba  variegata.  C.  Mas  variegata,  Acer  Negundo 
\ariegata.  Cotton  Lavender,  Golden  and  Silver  leaved 
Uollies,  and  Golden  and  Silver  leaved  Tree  Ivies. 

TREATMENT  OF  BORDER  CARNATIONS  (H.  ^.  F.).— 
Under  the  conditions  named  we  should  advise  you  to 
pot  up  your  Carnations  during  the  winter  and  plant  them 
out  in  the  spring.  This  will  enable  you  to  thoroughly 
clean  the  place  and  prepare  the  soil  for  their  reception. 
Pots  from  '^\  inches  to  4  inchee  in  diameter  are  \<?Ty  suit- 
able for  the  cuttings,  and  these  pots  should  be  quite  clean 
an<i  effectually  drained  with  a  broken  crock  or  two  placed 
in  the  bottom.  In  potting,  instead  of  sifted  soil  from 
the  garden,  use  some  good  loam,  which  may  be  obtained 
from  an>  local  nurseryman.  It  should  be  well  broken 
up.  but  "not  sifted,  and,  in  potting,  a  few  of  the  rougher 
portions  may  be  placed  in  the  bottom  immediately  over 
the  crocks.  The  other  ingredients  can  remain  the  same. 
From  your  notr  we  gather  that  tWe  frame  is  not  large 
enough  to  accommodate  all  your  layers  when  potted 
singly,  and  if  this  is  the  case,  Ihe  belter  way  will  be  to 
gi^e  the  weaker  ones  the  protection  of  a  frame  and  (ilunge 


the  stronger  growers  out  of  doors  in  Cocoanut  refuse, 
ashes,  or  some  other  suitable  material.  The  pots  should 
be  plunged  to  the  rim^.  In  the  ca^e  of  thorc  in  the  frame, 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  pl-^nty  of  air  is  essential, 
the  main  use  of  the  frame  being  to  keep  off  heavy  rain-^ 
and  to  protect  from  severe  frost.  While  ^utBcient  water 
should  be  iriven  to  ke?p  the  soil  moderately  moist,  an 
(excess  must  Ije  strictly  guarded  against. 

MOULD  ON  SOIL  FOR  DAFfODILS  {//.  IT.  £.)•— 
The  mould  is  probably  caused  by  the  bones,  as  you  con- 
sider, but  we  do  not  think  that  it  is  likely  to  do  harm 
to  your  bulbs.  It  will  be  safer,  however,  to  examine 
one  or  two  of  the  plunged  pots  to  see  if  it  is  present  there 
also,  and,  if  so,  if  it  has  permeated  the  soil,  or  if  it  is  only 
on  the  surface.  If  it  has  permeated  the  whole  soil,  It 
will  be  necessary  to  repot  in  fresh  compost,  using  bones 
which  have  been  properly  steamed.  We  have  had  this 
mould  on  the  surface  of  pots  of  bulbs  occasionally  without 
any  dctrimeat  to  the  Daffodils,  but  when  it  was  discovered 
the  top  soil  was  removed  and  the  mould  did  not  reappear. 
Sterilising  the  bones  as  well  as  the  soil  would  reduce  their 
manurial  properties.  Wc  should  advise  you  to  keep 
a  careful  Wit<;h  on  the  soil  in  the  pots,  but  the  mould 
may  not  be  due  to  the  bones  so  much  as  to  the  place 
in  which  you  have  kept  the  unused  compost,  ai  it  sometimes 
arises  in  a  close  atmosphere.  Another  cause  which  we 
have  found  was  by  mixing  the  soil  when  it  was  too  wet. 
We  find  basic  slag  safer  than  bone-mciil  for  Daffodils, 
seeing  that  there  are  so  many  inferior  kinds  of  the  latter 
sold. 

PLAN  OF  HERBACEOUS  BORDER  (Ce>:tria)}).— 
Your  plan  is  well  emicrix cil,  ;iful  ■should  give  you  a  con- 
tinuous display  fiu  th-^  luriod  you  mention,  although, 
of  course,  som*^  of  the  plants  will  not  remain  in  flower 
the  whole  period.  You  do  not  siiy  what  Coreopsis  you 
intend  using,  but  if  the  Monarda  is  properly  grown  it 
stiould  overtop  the  former,  and  would,  therefore,  be 
better  behind  instead  of  in  front  of  the  Coreopsis.  C. 
urandiflora  is  the  best,  but  is  not  long-lived.  But  for  the 
fact  that  you  require  to  lighten  up  the  part  occupied 
by  the  Khododendrons  in  autumn,  both  the  Monarda 
and  Anemone  japonica  would  be  better  on  the  side  with 
slight  shade.  As  things  are,  they  will  be  better 
wliere  you  have  put  them,  but  they  should  be  liberally 
treated.  We  presume  you  will  use  a  white  variety  of 
A.  japonica.  If  you  mean  to  use  both  Heueh'ra  Walker's 
variety  and  H.  Rosamundc,  the  latter  is  the  tuller  nf  the 
two.  If  you  mean  Helenium  purailum  grandiilorum  or 
magnificnin  by  the  initials  *'  P.  G.,"  you  will  find  it  rather 
taller  than  the  perennial  Gaillardiaa  if  properly  grown. 
With  the  slight  alterations  indicated,  we  think  your 
border  should  give  a  good  effect,  although  much  will 
depend  upon  the  seasons. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

CLIMBERS  FOR  COVERING  THE  SOUTH  AND 
EAST  WALLS  OF  A  MANSION  QUICKLY  (llamish).— 
The  following  plants  will  be  likely  to  suit  your  piupose  : 
Wistaria  chinensis,  W.  multiiuga.  Clematis  montana, 
C.  m.  rubens,  Aristolochia  Sipho,  Hydrangea  petiolaris, 
Tecoma  grandiflora,  Vitis  henryana,  V.  Coignetia?,  Jas- 
minum  officinale,  J.  nudifiorum,  and,  though  not  climbers, 
Crataegus  Pyracantha  and  Maiinolia  grandiflora.  If  you 
do  not  mind  very  common  plants,  the  quickest-growing 
of  all  climbers  is  Ampelopsis  Veitchii,  while  the  large- 
leaved  Ivies  also  make  rapid  growth. 

CLIMBERS  FOR  A  WALL  (A'.  M  a  moa  ring). —The 
following  climbers,  Ac.  are  likely  to  give  satisfactory 
results  against  your  wails:  For  the  south  wall,  where 
you  wish  to  have  Roses,  use  William  A.  lliehardson. 
Gloire  de  Dijon,  Climbing  Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant,  Climbing' 
Souvenir  de  la  Jlalmaison,  Ards  Rover,  Belle  Lyonnaise, 
Bouquet  d'Or,  Cheshunt  Hybrid,  Ards  Pillar,  Aim6e 
Vibert  and  Ards  Kamblcr.  Against  the  west  wall  you 
mi*rht  plant  Wistaria  chinensis,  Ceanothus  rigidus,  Mag- 
nolia grandiflora  and  Clematis  montana.  On  the  south- 
east wall  Wistaria  multijuga,  Jusminum  nudifiorum, 
J.  officinale  and  Clematis  montana  rubens  would  do  well; 
while  the  north  wall  might  be  covered  with  Cratasgus 
Pyracantha,  Ampelopsis  Veitchii,  and  Clematis  Jackmanii 
and  \arieties.  Against  the  terrace  wall  the  following 
plants  would  thrive  :  Ceanothus  veitchianus,  Escallonia 
macrantha,  E.  langleyeusis,  Chimonanthus  fragrans 
grandiflora,  Garrya  eliiptica  (male  form),  Hydrangea 
petiolaris,  Corokea  Cotoneaster,  Myrtus  communis,  Prunus 
triloba  florc  pleno  and  Cydonia  japonica  var.  cardtnalis. 

TRANSPLANTING  A  MONKEY  PUZZLE  (5.  A.  M.).— 
Had  you  stated  the  size  of  the  tree  you  wish  to  move, 
it  would  be  easier  to  answer  the  question.  The  second 
half  of  September  is  a  very  good  timu  to  move  such  trees. 
A  tree  -1  feet  or  6  feet  in  height  may  be  safely  transplanted 
by  carefully  digging  it  out  with  a  fork,  saving  all  the 
fibrous  roots  possible.  Lift  the  roots  on  to  a  mat  or 
large  sack,  on  which  to  carry  the  tree  to  the  new 
position.  Water  the  tree  after  planting,  if  necessary. 
Larger  trees  are  more  safely  transplanted  with  a  large 
ball  of  soil.  A  trench  is  first  of  all  dug  round  the 
tree  at  a  convenient  distance  to  expose  the  ball  of 
soil,  2  feet  or  more  in  diameter,  according  to  the 
size  of  the  tree.  Next  bind  a  canvas  sheet  or  mats 
round  the  ball  of  soil  with  soft  cord.  At  a  convenient 
depth,  from  15  inches  to  18  inches,  work  the  soil  from 
under  the  ball  on  either  side  to  permit  two  boards  to  be 
placed  in  position  to  lift  the  tree.  When  too  large  to 
lift  out  of  the  hole  by  men,  a  transplanting  machine 
may  be  used,  or  a  sloping  trench  made  down  to  the  hole, 
up  which  the  ball  of  soil  may  be  dragged  on  rollers  and 
planks.  After  removal,  syringe  the  plant  for  a  month  on 
every  evening  following  a  dry,  sunny  day. 


GARDEN.  I 


-^^' 


^=^^r^S^h^ 


No.  2184.— Vol.  LXXVIL 


September  27,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


STOTES   OF   THF,    WEEK 
CORItESl'ONPENCE 

Scentless  Musk 
The  Orleans  Kosc  in 

Scotland 
A      beautiful     dark 

Rfsc 

Irii*     Kasinptori     in 

Japan 483 

Antirrhinum  rupestrt' 

in  an  Irish  garden 
Campanula     cenisia 

alba      

Forthcoming  events.. 
The  Campanulas     .. 

Flower  Garden 
The  Bugle  Lilies,  or 

Watsonias   . . 
A    Brazilian     Salvia 
Rose  Garden 

Gold  medal  Rosop  nt 
the  autumn  show 
Colocred  Plate 

iiybrid  Saxifrages. . 
KocK  AND  Water  Gai 
M  t  chauxi  a  Tchi- 
hatchcffii 
Friut  Garden 

The  Blackberry  as  a 
garden  fruit 


481 

I'luMT  Garden- 
How  to  cathiT  anil 

482 

store  Iiardy  fruits 
TiiEiis  AND  SHnrus 

486 

482 

A     nobli-    Howeriim 

siirub 

487 

483 

GREENHOUSE 

Seasonable  note*  on 

48^ 

Chrvsanthcmums 
Tlio    Daffodil    as  a 

487 

48:! 

pot  plant    . . 
The  Medusa's  Head 

487 

48» 

Orchid 

4*8 

4S3 

Lilium  spcciosum  . . 

488 

4*^3 

Gardening  for  Beginners 

How  to  lift  and  store 
Potatoi'S  and  other 

root  crops   . . 

48!) 

The    care   of  choice 

shrubs 

489 

Cardexino  of  the  \a 

KEK 

For    .Southern    gar- 

484 

dens     

For    Northern    gar- 

490 

4SJ 

dens     

490 

nuN 

Answers  to   Corre- 

spondents 

488 

Flower  parden 

491 

Trees  and  shrubs  . . 

491 

Miscellaneous 

491 

486 

Societies   

492 

lEiLUSTRATIONS. 

An  Iris  nursery  in  Japan       483 

The  pink  Bugle  Lily,  or  Watsonia  io>ea 484 

Salvia  uliginosa       484 

Hybrid  Saxifrages Coloured  plate 

The  new  Hose  EJgar  M.  Burnett         485 

A  stately  plant  of  the  Campanula  family.  Michiuxia 

Tchihtitcheffii      4S6 

Spiraea  lindleyana  in  a  bevonsliirc  garden         . .      . .  487 

The  Medusa's  Head  Orchid 438 

How  to  lift  and  store  Potatoes  and  other  root  crop>  4S9 


EDITORIAL     NOTICBS. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
ssnted  in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  vrlconifs  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  >cill  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
rensonabfe  rare,  hoivever,  uill  be  taken,  and  when'  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  trill  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 

As  regards  photogriphs.  if  paj/ment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  he  distinclh/  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
f/rnpher  or  owner  of  fJie  copyright  uHl  be  treated  uith. 


The  Editor  wHl^ot  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literari/  contributions  which  he  maij  not  be  able  to  vse.  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  i*  wcepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
^n'  recognised  as  acceptance. 


O/Tices  :   20.  Taiistncl:  Street.  Coient  Garden.  W.C. 


NOTES     OF    THE     WEEK. 

Our  Special   Rose   Number. — On  October   n 

we  shall  publish  a  bpecially-enlarged  number, 
which  will  contain  many  interesting  and  practical 
articles  on  the  raising  and  cultivation  of  Roses. 
The  numerous  illustrations  will  be  of  a  unique 
character,  and  as  the  date  coincides  with  the 
commencement  of  the  planting  season,  there  is 
certain  to  be  a  great  demand  for  that  issue.  We 
adv.se  readers  who  require  extra  copies  to  order 
them  in  advance. 
Japanese  Grasshoppers.— At  a  recent  meeting 

of  the  scientific  oinmittee  of  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society,  Mr.  Goodacre  of  Moulton  Pad- 
docks sent  a  number  of  Japanese  grasshoppers 
(Dicstrammena  marmorata),  and  observed  that 
the  insects  had  established  themselves  in  the  large 
conservatory  at  Moulton,  and  had  also  invaded 
the  mansion.  The  problem  now  was  to  extermi- 
nate them.  They  are  large,  handsome  insects  in 
the  lar\-a!  stage.  When  fully  matured  they  will 
be  very  formidable-looking  creatures. 

A  Beautiful  Plantain  Lily.— In  Funkia  tardi- 
flora,  as  the  name  suggests,  we  have  a  most  attrac- 
tive late-fiowering  Plantain  Lily,  at  its  best 
towards 'the  end  of  September  or  early  in  October. 
Choose  a  sheltered  spot  to  plant  the  roots,  as  an 
early  frost  in  October  would  spoil  the  flowers  in 
an  exposed  position.  As  an  edging  to  a  half- 
shady  border  or  a  sheltered  nook  in  the  rockery, 
Funkia  tardiflora  is  especially  effective.  The 
spikes  of  lilac-tinted  flowers  reach  about  a  foot  in 
height. 

Maw's  Heath. — Flowering  from  August  to 
October,  Erica  maweana  is  one  of  our  most  valuable 
and  attractive  autumn-flowering  Heaths.  Growing 
r  foot  to  i8  inches  high,  the  small  bushes  are 
freely  clothed  with  clusters  of  purplish  red  flowers. 
Its  origin  is  uncertain  ;  though  given  in  the  "  Kew 
Hand  List  of  Trees  and  Shrubs  "  as  a  variety  of 
E.  ciliaris,  it  is  probably  a  hybrid  between  that 
species  and  some  other  Heath.  In  addition  to  its 
value  for  planting  in  the  pleasure  grounds  and 
shrubbery  borders.  Maw's  Heath  is  worth  a  place 
in  the  rock  garden. 

Shirley  Poppies  and  Cornflowers. — During 
last  summer,  when  on  a  visit  to  the  gardens 
of  Mr.  H.  F.  Nicholl,  Bear  Place,  Twyford,  wc 
saw  a  pretty  bed  of  Shirley  Poppies  intermixed 
with  Cornflowers.  It  was  a  chance  shot,  as  they 
say,  but  it  will  be  repeated  again.  The  Shirley 
Poppies  are  showy  plants,  and  for  hardiness  and 
easy  cultivation  cannot  be  excelled  ;  while  among 
the  Cornflowers  will  be  found  various  shades  of 
blue,  a  colour  lacking  in  the  Poppies.  It  is  one  of 
the  loveliest  of  our  blue-flowered  annuals,  and  is 
extremely  useful  for  cutting  and  decorative  pur- 
poses. Seeds  of  the  above  may  be  sown  both  in 
the  autumn  and  spring,  the  former  time  being 
chosen  for  early  blooming  and  the  latter  for  a 
succession  or  later  supply. 


The   Japanese   Anemone, — The   rosy   carmine 

Anemone  japonica  is  well  known  at  this  season  of 
the  year  by  the  fine  display  it  makes  in  the  border 
or  bed.  There  is  also  a  white  variety  known  as 
alba,  which  produces  its  chaste  blossoms  freely 
from  August  to  November ;  but  the  best  white 
in  commerce  is  undoubtedly  that  which  goes  under 
the  name  of  Geante  des  Blanches.  The  silvery 
white  flowers  are  large  and  about  three  inches  or 
four  inches  in  diameter,  while  the  plants  grow 
from  i8  inches  to  30  inches  high.  These  Anemones 
are  among  the  handsomest  of  border  plants.  They 
will  thrive  in  almost  any  garden  or  position,  and 
may  be  readily  increased  by  division. 

Varieties   of   the   Common    Ling. — There   are 

numeritiis  forms  or  varieties  of  Calluna  or  Erica 
vulgaris  deserving  of  liberal  planting  in  the  pleasure 
grounds  and  woodland.  In  gardens  where  there 
is  little  or  no  lime  in  the  soil  we  ought  to  make 
much  greater  use  of  th»se  and  other  autumn- 
flowering  Heaths,  as  they  blossom  at  a  time  when 
there  are  few  trees  and  shrubs  in  flower  in  the 
pleasure  grounds  and  shrubbery  borders.  Half-a- 
dozen  of  the  most  distinct  varieties  are  Alportii, 
a  strong-growing,  crimson-flowered  form  ;  Serlei, 
stiff,  upright  growth,  white ;  rubra,  rosy  red  ; 
flore  pleno,  double  rose  ;  alba,  the  popular  white 
Heather  :  and  rosea,  rose. 
A    Free-Flowering    Pentstemon. — Though    of 

comparatively  recent  introduction,  Pentstemon 
Southgate  Gem  is  rapidly  increasing  in  popular 
favour.  A  hybrid  between  Hartwegii  (Newbury 
Gem)  and  one  of  the  large-flowered  sorts,  Southgate 
Gem  inherits  the  free-flowering  qualities  of  Hart- 
wegii, and  has  considerably  larger  bright  red 
flowers.  For  the  past  two  months  four  large 
beds  (containing  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
plants  in  each)  in  front  of  the  Palm  House  at  Kew 
have  been  admired  by  thousands  of  visitors,  and 
a  succession  of  flowers  seems  assured  for  some  time 
to  come,  judging  by  the  number  of  unopened 
buds. 

Stopping  Mealy  Bug  on  Grapes. — Every  gar- 
dener who  has  attempted  to  grow  Grapes  is  fully 
aware  of  the  loathsome  character  of  the  mealy 
bug,  an  insect  that  ensconces  itself  between  the 
berries  and  renders  the  fruit  almost  useless.  No 
matter  what  precautions  are  taken  to  eradicate  this 
pest  from  the  house,  a  few  insects  are  almost  certain 
to  escape.  Last  week,  when  visiting  some  well- 
known  nurseries  in  the  Midlands,  we  were  interested 
to  see  that  the  sticky  substance,  such  as  tanglefoot, 
used  for  grease-banding  fruit  trees,  had  been  used 
on  the  Vines.  A  very  small  quantity  had  been 
smeared  around  each  Vine  shoot  just  where  a  bunch 
had  emanated,  and  this,  the  owner  assured  us, 
had  effectively  prevented  the  insects  reaching  the 
fruit.  Certainly  we  failed  to  detect  their  presence 
in  any  of  the  bunches  the  stems  of  which  had  been 
so  treated,  and  we  record  the  method  for  the  benefit 
of  those  who  care  to  give  it  a  trial  another  year. 
The  sticky  substance  should  be  put  on  almost  as 
soon  as  the  bunches  are  formed. 


482 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  27,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The   Ediler  'is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Scentless  Muskirv^^The  old-fashioned,  small  Musk 
in  this  garden,  an<l'  at  Sudbrooke  Holme,  near  here, 
has  quite  lost  its  smell.  I  have  had  my  stock 
twenty-six  years. — (Mrs.)  E.  Sandars,  Scampton 
Jiouse,  near  Lincoln:'^     ' 

Pplyantha    Bose    Leonie    Lamesch. — I    have 

just  seen  this  lovely  Polyantha  lor  the  first  time, 
and  I  am  so  enamoured  of  it  that  I  cannot  refrain 
from  bringing  it  to  the  notice  of  the  readers 
of  The  Gardes,  so  that  any  of  them  who  may 
contemplate  planting  may  consider  its  claims  to  a 
place  in  their  collection.  It  is  rightly  described 
as  "  a  deep  coppery  red,  shaded  with  yellow  ;  an 
exceedingly  attractive  colour."  I  find  that  it 
was  introduced  so  far  back  as  1899. — Caledo.via. 
Rose    Augustine    Guinoisseau. — I    planted    a 

dwarf  uf  this  Rose  about  si.\  years  ago.  Hitherto 
it  has  borne  normal  blooms,  white,  tinted  blush. 
This  year  there  is  one  bloom  on  it  similar  to  La 
France  m  colour  and  shape.  If  the  Rose  was 
origin  all  V  a  sport  of  La  France,  as  its  alternative 
name  White  La  France  would  imply,  this  is  an 
interesting  case  of  reversion  after  several  years  of 
rutting  back.  I  should  be  glad  to  learn  whether 
any  of  your  readers  have  noticed  the  same  thing 
in  this  or  any  other  sport. — R.  F.  Cobbold, 
Beachampton  Rectory,  Stony  Stratford. 

Tropaeolum  canariense. — When  well  cultivated 
this  plant  has  few  rivals  in  the  matter  of  furnishing 
a  screen,  wall,  or  trellis  with  beautiful  foliage  and 
lovely  flowers.  While  passing  a  villa  residence 
recently  I  saw  a  very  fine  specimen,  the  largest 
and  best  I  have  noticed  in  any  garden,  quite  hiding 
a  portion  of  trellis  and  wall  measuring  about 
nine  feet  by  five  feet.  There  were  hundreds — 1 
may  say  thousands — of  yellow  blossoms  on  the 
plant,  which  was  shown  to  great  advantage  by 
the  luxuriant  and  bronzing  leaves  of  an  Ampelopsis 
near  them.  The  aspect  is  north-west,  and  only 
gets  sunshine  late  in  the  afternoon.  Splendid 
plants  may  be  raised  by  sowing  seeds  in  a  frame 
the  first  week  in  .^pril. — Avon. 

The  Orleans  Rose  In  Scotland. — One  of  the 
best  and  most  useful  of  the  many  good  Roses 
in  the  admirably-selected  collection  in  the  garden 
of  Mr.  C.  E.  Galbraith  at  Terregles,  Dumfries, 
is  the  Orleans  Rose,  a  fine  bed  of  which  has  been 
doing  very  well  this  season,  and  which  was  a  mass 
uf  bloom  in  the  beginning  of  September.  Raised 
by  Levavasseur  and  sent  out  in  1909,  it  has  rapidly 
acquired  great  favour,  and  at  Terregles  it  is  highly 
appreciated.  Of  vigorous  growth,  it  gives  an 
abundance  of  its  great  trusses  of  flowers,  which 
have  been  well  described  as  rosy  red  with  a  peach 
centre.  Roses  are  well  grown  at  Terregles  by 
Mr.  W.  Hutchinson,  the  gardener,  who  thinks 
highly  of  this  fine  Polyantha  variety. — S.  A. 

The  Late  Blooming  of  Wichuraiana  Roses. — 
During  last  winter  I  had  occasion  to  plant  a  long 
row — some  400  yards — of  standard  wichuraianas. 
The  plants  were  not  large-headed,  and  were 
pruned  back  about  half  way.  They  came  into 
flower  a  fortnight  later  than  the  general  run  of 
established  plants  upon  the  same  ground,  and 
early  in  September  were  very  fine.  A  lot  of  new 
growths  broke  after  the  trying  spring,  and  these 
flowered  freely.  Among  the  best  plants  are  Excelsa, 
Debutante,  Christian  Curie,  Delight,  Hiawatha, 
Minnehaha,  Dorothy  Dennison  and  the  white 
single     type,    wichuraiana     alba.     I     have     never 


noticed  them  so  full  of  flower  so  late,  and  wonder 
if  others  have  experienced,  the  same.  My  plants 
promise  to  last  through  the  best  part  of  the  present 
month.  American  Pillar  is  also  grand  under 
similar  conditions  now,  and  has  been  for  a  long 
time. — A.  P. 
Primula    littoniana    Hardy    in   Scotland. — it 

will  perhaps  be  interesting  to  many  readers  oi 
The  Garden  to  know  that  tliis  beautiful  species, 
from  the  mountains  of  Western  China,  has  proved 
perfectly  hardy  here.  In  the  rockery  I  have  a 
plant  in  perfect  health  and  carrying  four  fine 
spikes.  It  passed  through  last  winter's  frost 
unprotected,  and  our  sev€rest  frost  was  31°.  I 
should  also  like  to  mention  that  P.  cockburniana 
and  P.  bulleyana  have  proved  quite  hardy  here 
without  any  protection  whatever,  have  flowered 
exceedingly  well,  and  show  every  prospect  of 
ripening  a  good  crop  of  seed.  P.  cockburniana 
is  quite  perennial  with  us.  I  am  planting  a  good 
many  Primula  Forrestii  and  P.  Veitchii  for  next 
winter's  test.  We  plant  large,  bold  masses  of  each 
species,  and  thus  obtain  a  charming  effect. — 
WiLLi.\M  Hunt,  Saughton  House,  Midlothian. 
Annual  Larkspurs  and  Aster  diffusus. — May 

I  draw  the  attention  of  your  readers  to  an  easily- 
grown,  cheap  and  effective  combination  either  for 
a  single  bed  or  for  a  group  in  an  ordinary  border  ? 
I  refer  to  the  annual  Larkspur  and  the  small-leaved 
Aster  diffusus.  Plant  single  pieces,  not  clumps, 
of  the  Aster  in  April  from  2  feet  to  3  feet  apart 
and  grow  to  a  single  stem.  Sow  the  Larkspur 
between  them  and  thin  out  or  transplant,  so  that 
the  two  plants  are  evenly  distributed.  The  foliage 
of  the  Asters  supports  and  clothes  the  bare, 
straggling  branches  of  the  annual,  and  forms  an 
excellent  setting  to  the  flowers.  By  removing  the 
seed-poGS  the  Larkspurs  will  keep  on  flow-ering 
till  September,  when  they  may  be  pulled  up,  the 
bed  of  Aster  diffusus  remaining  for  the  rest  of  the 
autumn.  If  the  Asters  show  a  tendency  to  grow 
too  strong,  they  will  stand  any  araoimt  of  thinning. 
A  poor  soil  is  best. — Surrey. 

Salvia  involucrata  Bethellii. — May  I  ask  if 
any  readers  of  The  Garden  are  acquainted  with 
Salvia  involucrata  variety  Bethellii  ?•  It  has  proved 
a  great  success  with  me  as  a  plant  for  the  open 
border,  though  I  am  told  it  is  not  quite  hardy. 
I  had  it  in  a  cold  house  all  last  winter  and  planted 
it  out  in  May,  when  it  began  to  grow  quickly  and 
showed  flower-buds  in  July,  since  which  it  has 
gone  on  developing  spike  after  spike  of  brilliant 
rose  pink  flowers,  the  bush  being  now  3J  feet 
high  and  as  much  across.  The  leaves  are  a  beautiful 
shining  green  and  the  stems  reddish,  the  whole 
forming  an  extremely  handsome  plant.  The  side 
shoots  are  now  preparing  to  bloom,  so  that  if  mild 
weather  continues  it  will  be  even  more  showy  in 
a  few  weeks'  time  than  it  is  now.  It  seems  to  me 
a  plant  well  worth  growing,  even  if  I  cannot  keep 
it  out  of  doors  through  the  winter,  but  I  do  not 
feel  at  all  certain  that  this  is  the  case. — Selina 
Randolph,  Chaiiham,  Canterbiirv. 

Growing  Lilium  giganteum. — There  is  no  doubt 

that  a  partially-shaded  spot  is  best  for  this  noble 
Lily,  while  a  sandy  border  in  a  town  garden  referred 
to  on  page  419  is  as  undesirable  r  place  as  well 
could  be.  In  any  attempt  to  grow  it  in  poor, 
sandy  soil,  a  large  hole  should  be  taken  out  and 
filled  with  some  good  compost,  in  which,  however, 
crude  manure  plays  no  part.  Another  important 
feature  is  that,  though  large  bulbs  are  often  offered 
during  the  winter  months,  they  rarely,  if  ever,  give 
satisfaction,  as  they  already  contain  the  flowers 
in  embryo,  and  have  not  time  to  become  established 


before  the  stem  is  pushed  up.  The  blossoms  are 
therefore  mainly  dependent  for  tjieir  development 
upon  the  substance  of  the  bul-b,  and  consequently 
the  stem  is  puny  and  the  flowers  the  same.  The 
bulbs  should  he, planted' when  small,  so  that  there 
is  ample  time  for  tjiem  to  become  established  before 
the  strain  of  flowering  come?  round. — H.  P. 

About  Two  Old  Roses. — We  have  two  beautiful 
old  varieties  growing  en  a  fence  that  are  scarcely 
ever  referred  to,  namely.  Rose  Ophirie  and  the 
Yellow  Banksian  Rose.  But  what  a  vast  differ- 
ence in  their  behaviour  we  experience  !  Both 
grow  splendidly,  and  there  the  latter  stops,  while 
Ophirie  never  fails  to  flower.  It  was,  the  first 
week  in  August,  covered  with  some  very  fine 
flowers,  which  are  of  a  salmon  and  coppery  hue. 
As  the  flowers  expand  they  have  a  flatfish  appear- 
ance, not  unlike  those  of  Gloire  de  Dijon.  The 
colour  of  Rose  Ophirie  makes  a  very  pleasing 
contrast  from  the  many  shades  of  reds  and  pinks 
of  the  rambler  section.  Our  plant  is  growing  on  a 
south-west  fence.  Growing  next  to  it,  some  of  their 
growths  being  interlaced,  is  the  Yellow  Banlisian 
Ross,  and  I. can  honestly  write  it  has  not  yielded 
one  handful  of  flowers  during  the  last  ten  years — 
the  time  it  has  been  planted.  It  is  a  most  healthy 
plant,  with  fine,  clean  growths  and  glossv  foliage. 
The  latter  is  one  of  its  good  features,  and  being 
thornless  is  another  ;  but  all  leaves  and  no  flowers 
for  ten  years  is  a  bit  too  "  barefaced."  And  so 
it  is  quite  possible  that  the  year  1913  will  ring 
its  death  knell.  —  C.  T..  Ken  View  Garden, 
Highgate. 

Protecting  Rambler  Roses. —  "  Amateur  "  on 
page  442  mentions  the  tenderHess  of  ramblers 
during  winter.  The  idea  of  lifting  as  a  means 
of  checking  the  late  sap  so  prevalent  with 
this  class  of  vigorous  grower  is  good,  and  I 
have  found  some  live  a  little  better  through 
it.  But  one  cannot  lift  old,  well-wooded  speci- 
mens, nor  will  the  bulk  of  last  season's  growth 
be  of  much  service  for  future  blooming,  unless  it  ■ 
can  be  brought  through  the  winter  and  still  remain  I 
upon  more  or  less  established  roots.  "  Amateur  "  ■ 
does  not  state  where  he  lives,  but  I  can  confirm  the 
havoc  done  by  the  severe  early  frosts  in  the  North  ; 
and  upon  more  than  one  occasion  ramblers  have 
suffered  sadly  in  the  colder  districts,  especially  if 
accompanied  by  keen  winds.  A  slight  lifting 
or  root  pruning  with  the  spade  as  the  plants  stand 
would  probably  check  sap  a  little  ;  but  if  the  ground 
is  warm,  new  roots  would  at  once  spring  out  and 
afford  an  even  later  supply  until  frost  came.  Much 
might  be  done  towards  securing  better  and  more 
finished  growth  if  the  shoots  were  kept  thinned 
to  allow  of  ample  light  and  air  among  the  wood. 
In  a  bleak  and  exposed  position  any  Rose  will 
suffer  from  sharp  frost,  and  the  fact  of  our 
ramblers  growing  so  late  during  the  moister  days 
of  autumn  makes  them  far  more  liable  to  attack 
than  Roses  which  naturally  mature  earlier.  A 
little  protection  in  the  way  of  large,  feathered 
branches  of  Hazel,  Spruce  or  Gorse,  placed  at  a 
little  distance  and  upon  the  weafher  side  of  the 
plants,  has  been  tried,  with  excellent  results  ;  but 
I  do  not  quite  like  the  idea  of  wrapping  the  growths 
in  Bracken  or  straw.  Some  of  our  ramblers 
and  some  of  the  newer  Hybrid  Wichuraianas  are 
more  tender  than  others.  I  have  found  .American 
Pillar,  Framjois  Crousse,  Gloire  de  Dijon,  Helene, 
Longworth  Rambler,  Mme.  .Alfred  Carriere,  Poly- 
antha grandiflora,  Reve  d'Or,  Trier,  Felicite 
Perpetue,  Dawn,  and  the  weeping  form  of  Rosa 
rugosa  (R.  r.  repens  alba)  about  the  hardiest  of 
all  pillar  or  rambling  Roses. — .\.  P. 


SEPTEMBETv    27,    I913. 


THE     GARDEN. 


483 


A  Beautiful  Dark  Rose. — I  should  like  to  call 

atli'iitiiMi  t.i  Ki'Si-  Chateau  <lc  Clus  V'ougeot.  It 
is  one  111  tlie  best,  if  not  the  best,  black  maroon 
Koses  which  we  have  for  bedding.  Its  colour 
may  he  best  described  as  blackish  maroon  shaded 
with  fiery  red  and  velvety  crimson.  So  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  judge,  it  is  better  on  the  Briar  stock 
than  on  the  Manetti.  On  good  land  the  growth 
is  fairly  vigorous,  but  it  is  advisable  for  bedding 
puqioses  to  plant  rather  thickly,  18  inches  apart 
being  a  suitable  distance  from  plant  to  plant. 
It  is  a  good  autumn  Rose,  good  flowers  being  pro- 
duced at  the  date  of  writing  (September  ig).  So 
far  our  plants  are  quite  free  from  mildew,  although 
I'ther  varieties  of  Roses  near  by  are  affected. — 
toMN  Ruse,  Siiltiamsteatl. 
Iris  Kaempferi   in  Japan. — The   accompanying 

illustration  shows  a  portion  <•{  the  Iris  grounds  of  the 
Yokohama  Nursery  Company  in 
Japan.  This  delightful  spot  is 
situated  a  few  miles  from  the  head 
nursery  in  Yokohama,  and  is  reached 
by  tram  and  traiti.  When  the 
flowers  are  at  their  best,  the  gardens 
are  extensively  advertised  through- 
out Japan,  and  thousands  of  visitors 
go  there  annually.  It  is  un- 
doubtedly the  largest  Iris  Ksmpferi 
nursery  in  the  world,  covering  many 
acres  in  extent.  The  exports  of  this 
popular  plant  are  made  in  mid- 
winter, when  the  clumps  are  quite 
dormant.  They  are  usually  packed 
in  small  cases,  and  travel  most 
successfully  to  all  parts  of  the 
world.  Judging  from  the  large, 
well-flowered  groups  of  this  plant 
exhibited  at  recent  exhibitions  in 
England,  its  cultivation  has  evidently 
much  improved  in  this  country. 

Antirrtiinum  rupestre  in  an  Irish 
Garden. — This  phmt  differs  so  mucli 
from  the  erect-growing  kinds  th.at  a 
few  remarks  as  to  its  qualities  and 
habit  of  growth  may  not  be  out  o( 
place.  As  a  rock  plant  it  has  few 
rivals.  Its  sulphur  and  yellow  flowers 
contrast  well  with  the  scarlet  Lotus 
peliorhyncus.  Both  plants  are  of  a 
trailing  habit,  and  will  creep  over 
rocks  in  a  most  wonderful  fashion. 
.\.  rupestre  should  be  planted  in 
sandy  soil,  always  choosing  a  sheltered 
position.  It  is  quite  hardy  here, 
and  will  live  out  of  doors  all  the 
year  round  and  continue  in  blof)m  imtil  late 
in  the  autmnn.  It  may  be  also  seen  here  in  company 
with  that  beautiful  scarlet  Tropxohmi  speciosum, 
which  annually  makes  its  way  through  a  closely- 
ilipped  Privet  hedge  fidly  4  feet  in  height,  on  the 
top  of  which  it  wanders  carelessly,  bearing  its 
racemes  of  brilliant  scarlet  flowers  and  forming  a 
picture  of  beauty  more  easily  imagined  than 
described.  Peeping  here  and  there  through  the 
Privet  hedge  may  be  seen  healthy  sprays  of  A. 
rupestre,  which  has  travelled  from  the  bottom, 
the  flowers  and  foliage  of  which  differ  so  much 
from  the  other  subjects  as  to  give  a  most  pleasmg 
effect.  A.  rupestre  may  be  propagated  by  cut- 
tings in  the  autumn  or  by  seed  sown  in  gentle 
heat  in  early  spring.  I  consider  the  latter  method 
of  propagation  the  best,  as  the  plants  come  stronger 
and  furnish  better. — S.  Bryan,  Fortlula  House, 
Terenure.  Counly  Dublin. 


Campanula  cenisia  alba.  —  This  really  very 
lovely  plant  is  now  ui  full  flower  for  the  second 
time  this  summer.  I  owe  it  to  the  kindness  of  .1 
fellow-entliusiast,  Mr.  Tucker  of  Oxford ;  but 
tlie  remoter  history  of  the  form  I  do  not  know, 
though  I  remember  that  an  albino  was  once  dis- 
covered by  Mme.  Correvon.  Often  though  I 
have  found  the  species  myself,  I  do  not  think  I 
have  ever  seen  anything  more  marked  in  the  way 
of  variation  than_  a  delicate  silver  pale  form ; 
certainly  no  albino.  And  wonderful  as  is  the 
subtle  grey-blue  charm  of  C.  cenisia,  type,  huddled 
in  dense  masses  of  blossom  tight  among  the  dark 
stones  of  the  highest  moraines,  it  must  undoubtedly 
yield  to  the  beauty  of  this  albino,  which  is  as  generous 
of  blossom  as  its  original,  but  with  large  flowers 
of  the  richest  creamy  whiteness,  most  fascinating 
to  behold.     It  is  growing  robustly  in  a  mixture  of 


THE    CAMPANULAS. 


WITH  reference  to  the  excellent 
series  of  papers  on  Campanula 
now  running  through  The 
(iARDEN,  may  I  point  out  that 
C.  alpestris,  All.  1755,  is  the 
prior,  and  therefore  the  only 
proper  name  for  C.  Allionii,  Vill.  1779.  Let  all 
gardeners  and  catalogues  promptly  take  note. 
No  obscurity  is  involved  ;  the  point  is  absolutely 
plain  and  certain.  The  oldest  name,  like  tnith, 
must  in  all  cases  ultimately  prevail,  although, 
like  truth's,  the  battle  may  often  be  doubtful 
and  long.  Well  do  I  know  the  bitterness  of  thus 
having  to  change  names  and  revise  conceptions, 
yet  nowadays  it  is  of  the  most  vital  importance, 
alike  to  buyers  and  fellers,  that  we  should  all  make 


.\N    IRIS    NURSERY    l.V    JAPAN. 


peat,  leaf-mould  and  very  rough  sand  in  a  bed 
where  watep  is  perpetually  percolating  from  a 
pierced  pipe  some  t2  inches  below  the  surface. 
This  will,  of  course,  he  turned  off  in  the  winter, 
and  in  the  meantime  this  rather  difficult  and 
exacting  species  so  wholly  appreciates  its  treatment 
that  not  only  is  it  thriving  heartily  itself,  but  has 
also  deposited  already  at  least  three  prosperous 
seedlings — a  freedom  of  which  I  have  never  yet 
known  C.  cenisia  to  be  guilty  of  in  the  garden 
before.  And  such  care,  so  rewarded,  is  well  deserved 
by  a  species  so  delicately  lovely  as  C.  cenisia 
with  its  albino. — Reginald   Farrer. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

October  r. — National  Chrysanthemum  Society's 
Show  at  the  Crystal  Palace  (two  days).  County 
Clare  Horticultural  Society's  Fruit  and  Farm 
Produce  Show. 


a  great  effort  to  secure  uniformity  and  accuracy 
in  our  nomenclature,  for  even  bitterer  than  learn- 
ing a  right  name  instead  of  a  wrong  is  the  bitter- 
ness of  buying  some  expensive  novelty  imder 
half-a-dozen  different  names,  and  then,  at  the  end, 
discovering  that  it  is  really  some  quite  ordinary 
plant  that  you  had  all  along  possessed  under 
another. 

Yet  more  conspicuous,  however,  is  the  fearful 
confusion  that  now  rages  in  gardening  books  as 
well  as  in  The  Garden,  in  all  catalogues  and 
all  gardens  alike,  over  C.  pusilla  and  C.  c-espitosa. 
To  this  confusion  I  myself  have  also  added  no 
longer  ago  than  last  year.  Let  me  now  make 
amends  by  an  attempt  to  unveil  truth.  First 
of  all,  the  plant  universally  prevailing  in  our 
gardens  under  various  names  and  in  varying  forms 
is  everywhere  and  always  C.  pusilla,  Haenke 
(C.    modesta    and    C.    pumila    are    nomina   nuda\ 


484 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  27  1913 


THE    PINK    BUGLE    LILY    OR    VVATSONIA 
ROSEA. 

To  C.  pusilla  belong  all  the  named  forms,  such  as 
C.  p.  Miss  Willmott  and  the  very  glorious  C.  p. 
Miranda,  on  which  a  note  has  already  appeared 
prematurely  in  The  Garden — prematurely  in  that 
C.  Miranda  dare  not  face  popular  enthusiasm 
for  some  time  yet  to  come.  No  description  is 
necessary  of  C.  pusilla;  no  garden  is  without  it. 
On  the  other  hand,  C.  caspitosa.  Scop.,  is  a  perfectly 
distinct  and  sound  species,  almost,  if  not  wholly, 
unknown  in  cultivation,  although  of  the  most 
remarkable  beauty  and  the  most  easy-going 
constitution.  It  may  be  recognised  at  once  by 
its  characteristics — one  dense  caespitose  tuft  from 
a  single  tap-root,  never  ramifying  after  the  fashion 
of  C.  pusilla  ;  the  barren  shoots  very  densely  packed 
with  stiff,  lanceolate,  shining  little  leaves,  which 
are  also  crowded  at  the  base  of  the  fiower-stems 
(I  see  no  diagnostic  of  difference  between  the  two 
species  in  the  form  of  leaf  itself).  These  are  much 
taller  and  slenderer  than  in  C.  pusilla,  attaining 
often  to  15  inches  to  i8  inches,  whereas  C.  pusilla 
seldom,  if  ever,  exceeds  6  inches.  The  flowers  are 
more  numerous  along  the  upper  part  of  the  stem, 
delicately  pendulous  at  intervals.  They  are  of  a 
rich  soft  blue,  longitudinally  ribbed  in  a  marked 
and  most  attractive  way,  and  slightly  constricted 
towards  the  mouth  so  as  to  have  the  effect  of  a 
little  swinging  Japanese  lantern.  This  most 
delightful  of  Campanulas  belongs  to  the  Eastern 
ranges.  The  most  westerly  record  of  my  own 
is  in  the  Ampezzothal  between  Toblach  and 
Cortina,  where  it  occurs  rather  sparsely  and  out 
of  character;  whereas  in  the  Karawanken  it  comes 
to  its  full  delicacy  of  glory,  waving  blue  carillons 
over  all  the  roadside  banks  and  gravelly  cuttings 
with  the  wiry,  airy  grace  of  Dierama  pulcherrimum. 


(Is  it  possible  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Journal  should  allow  this  to  be  spoken  of  as 
Dierama  pulcherri»i3  ?  Oh!  that  fatally  feminine- 
looking  Greek  neuter  termiTiation  in  "ma";  yet 
.Kthioneraa  gets  its  right  gender  n.}wadays.) 
C.  ca;spitosa  is  a  more  lowland  plant  than  C.  pnsilla, 
which  seemed  to  me  curiously  rare  and  alpine 
ni  the  Karawanken.  I  only  happened  on  it  once 
liigh  up,  when  the  botanist  who  accompanied  me 
called  it  C.  Scheuchzeri — a  fact  which  sheds  a 
lurid  light  on  the  confusions  that  arise  in  gardens 
among  plants  purchased  from  "  collectors."  C. 
casspitosa  never,  I  think,  ascends  to  the  usual 
altitudes  of  C.  pufeilla,  but  in  its  own  ranges  replaces 
C.  pusilla  in  sandy,  gravelly  places,  banks,  road- 
sides, field,  margins  and  cuttings.  These  con- 
ditions, or,  indeed,  any  others,  suit  it  admirably 
in  cultivation,  where  it  is  not  a  whit  less  hearty 
and  satisfactory  than  C.  pusilla,  setting  up,  too, 
to  claim  our  affection  with  a  beauty  wholly  distinct 
from  that  of  its  rival,  a  beauty  sparkling  and  gracious 
and  full  of  an  airy  charm  beyond  the  reach  or  aim 
of  the  lower-growing,  stumpier  and  more  invasive 
little  harebells  of  C.  pusilla.     Reginald  Farrer. 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 


THE  BUGLE    LILIES,  OR  WATSONIAS. 

THE  Bugle  Lilies,  or  Watsoniai,  are  at  trac- 
ti\  e  and  interesting  plants,  hailing  from 
South  Africa.  There  are  only  two 
species  which  are  at  present  popular 
in  gardens,  viz.,  Watsonia  alba,  otlier- 
w.se  known  as  W.  Ardemei,  and  W. 
rosea,  and  as  they  are  now  procurable  at  a 
cheap  rate  and  of  easy  culture,  there  is 
no  possible  reason  why  they  should  not  become 
more  popular  still,  as  they  are  admirably  adapted 
for  general  garden  decoration  as  well  as  for 
pot  culture.  For  growing  in  the  border,  suc- 
cessional  plantings  during  spring  will  result  in  a 
flowering  period  extending  from  July  to  October. 
When  planted  on  heavy  soil,  it  is  perhaps  advisable 
to  lift  after  flowering,  drying  well,  and  storing 
as  in  the  case  of  choice  Gladioli,  replanting  them 
the  following  spring ;  but  in  certain  cases  on  light 
soils  they  can  remain  out  during  the  winter  if  a 
light  covering  of  Bracken  or  other  light  material 
is  pro\ided. 

Watsonia  rosea,  the  subject  of  the  illustration, 
is  a  time-honoured  favourite  in  our  gardens,  having 
been  introduced  from  South  Africa  so  long  ago  as 
1803.  It  has  recently  been  shown  in  quantity,  of 
surpassing  beauty,  by  Mr.  James  Box  of  Hayward's 
Heath.  By  some  botanical  authorities  it  has  been 
described  and  figured  under  the  name  of  Gladiolus 
pyramidatus.  ."Mthough  not  so  often  seen  in  gardens 
as  Watsonia  alba,  it  is,  nevertheless,  a  pretty  species, 
growing  over  four  feet  in  height,  with  bright  rose 
flowers,  freely  disposed,  on  long  branching  spikes, 
and  long,  broad  green  leaves.  Other  species  ol 
this  family  occasionally  met  with,  such  as  Watsonia 
angusta  (with  small  scarlet  flowers),  W.  coccinea 
( flowers  bright  crimson),  and  W.  densiflora,  are  among 
the  best  of  ttiis  small  family  of  bulbous  plants. 


A     BRAZILIAN     SALVIA. 

(S.     ri.IGINOSA.) 

Considerable  interest  is  being  displayed  in  this 
Salvia,  which  hails  from  Brazil  and  is  described 
in  last  week's  issue  (page  476)  under  the  heading 
of  "  New  and  Rare  Plants."  This  species  has 
recently  received  an  award  of  merit  from  the  Royal 


Horticultural  Society.  In  many  ways  it  is  less 
attractive  than  other  species  well  known  to  culti- 
vation, but  Mr.  Turner  of  Slough,  who  exhibited 
the  plant  on  the  occasion  referred  to,  describes  it 
as  a  hardy  herbaceous  perennial.  It  is  unques- 
tionably a  near  ally  of  Salvia  azurea  and  S. 
Pitcheri,  both  well-known  greenhouse  plants  ; 
but  there  is  reason  to  hope  that  the  new-comer 
will  prove  hardier  than  either  of  these.  S.  uliginosa 
is  a  vigorous  grower,  reaching  4  feet  to  6  feet  in 
height,  and  the  flowers,  produced  in  dense  termi- 
nating spikes,  supply  a  clear  shade  of  azure  blue 
that  is  almost  certain  to  be  greatly  prized  in  the 
gardens  of  this  countrv. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


GOLD      MEDAL     ROSES      AT      THE 
AUTUMN     SHOW. 

THERE  was  much  speculation  as  to  what 
Ireland  would  send  in  the  matter  of 
new  Roses,  for  it  is  well  known  that 
the  three  eminent  raisers  in  the 
Emerald  Isle  have  a  wealth  of  novelties 
of  a  quality  never  yet  attained  before. 
However,  the  weather  has  been  against  them,  as 
it  has  been  for  us  in  England,  and  this  was  reflected 
in  the  novelties  staged,  some  of  which  were,  no 
doubt,  excellent,  but  scarcely  up  to  the  standard 
necessary    for    a    gold    medal.     The    awarding    of 


SALVIA  uliginosa,    NATIVE    Ol    THE    MARSH 
LANDS    AND    RIVER    BANKS    Ol'    BRAZIL 


Stippleiiicnt  lo  THE  GARDEN,  September  27 th,   1913. 


^      -^ 


i 


V- 


SOME    NEW    HYBRID    SAXIFRAGAS. 

1.  Comet.  3.  Rose  Beauty. 

2.  Oculata  rosea.  4.  Sanguinea  superba. 


Hiiilson  &  A'etii/ii,  Ltd..  niiiU-rs.  LviuUni,  S.E. 


Sll'TEMBKK    27,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


485 


(jDld  medals  is  liecuiiiiiig  nuitc  a  fan  c.  When  one 
lit  these  coveted  mortals  is  awaidcd,  as  it  was  on 
this  occasion,  to  a  Rose  like 

Moonlight  (the  Rev.  J.  H.  I'emberton),  it  seems 
\\\f  lififihl  of  absurdity.  If  the  award  had  gone  to 
Uanae,  I  should  not  have  been  surprised,  because 
this  Rose  is  a  great  advance  in  colour  in  this  new 
section  of  Hybrid  Multifloras  ;  but  to  give  it  to 
Moonlight,  whxh  can  only  claim  being  "  pretty," 
is  an  error  of  judgment.  I  believe  the  award 
was  only  given  by  a  bare  majority.     Now  in 

Muriel  Dickson  (Hugh  Dickson,  Limited)  we 
h.ivo  one  nl  the  most  striking  novelties.  Perhaps 
the  casual  onlooker  would  not  see  anything  great 
about  it  ;  but  the  writer,  who  has  seen  it  in  Ireland, 
can  give  it  unciualified  praise.  The 
colour  is  a  wonderful  shade  of 
cerise,  with  quite  an  orange 
glow  about  it.  This  latter  colour 
comes  from  its  relationship  to  the 
wonderful  Penietiana  group,  a 
relationship  that  is  manifest  in 
its  growth  as  well  as  in  its  bloom. 
The  flower  is  of  a  fine  bold  type  that 
will  ensure  it  a  great  popularity. 

Edward  Bohane  (Ale.\.  Dickson 

.Old  Sinis)  IS  .ilso  a  "great"  Rose, 
of  the  wonderful  colour  of  a  very 
good  George  C.  Waud,  with  a  more 
massive  petal.  Tliis  variety  was 
illustrated  in  Tnii  (iARDen  of 
October  12,  I'liz,  page  51.1.  Tin- 
growth  is  splendid  and  the  foliage 
superb.  I  have  seen  this  at  Ncw- 
townards,  and  have  no  hesitation 
in  saying  it  is  worthy  to  be  termed 
a  genuine  "  Hawlmark  "  variety- 
Edgar  M.  Burnett  (S,  McClrcdy 
aiul  Sou)  IS  .1  giant  anuiug  blush 
pink  Roses,  and  will  be  a  most 
useful  variety  for  the  show-bo.\ 
and  for  the  garden.  See  illustra- 
tion. Its  colour  seems  to 
come  midway  between  La  Tosca 
and  Lady  Mary  Fitzwilliam,  and 
it  has  immense  petals,  perfectly 
arranged.  I'Yom  the  plant  cx- 
hiliited  it  is  evidently  a  luie  garden 
Rose  a'so. 

Red  Letter  Day  (.Uex.  Dak- 
sun  .tnd  S"i;s)  ol)tained  the 
coveted  gold  medal,  and,  1 
think,  quite  worthily,  for  al- 
tliough  only  a  semi-double  flower, 
it  is  of  such  a  glorious  rich 
blackish  crimson  colour  and  so  pro- 
fuse in  its  blooming  that  it  will 
be  a  really  splendid  addition  to 
garden  Roses  and  a  formidable 
rival  to  Irish  Fireflame  and  Irish 
Elegance.  Red  Letter  Day  is  a  splendid  grower, 
one  that  can  be  used  for  a  5-feet  or  6-feet  hedge, 
or  even  more,  and  is  constantly  in  bloom.  When  I 
saw  it  in  its  home  at  Newtownards  recently  it 
caught  the  eye  immediately,  and  I  was  much 
impressed  by  its  gorgeous  colour  and  effect  on  the  ' 
plants.  It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  all  three 
of  the  Irish  raisers  are  paying  attention  to  these 
garden  Roses  as  well  as  to  those  of  the  exhibition 
type,  and  I  especially  welcome  such  sorts  as  Muriel 
Dickson  and  Edward  Bohane,  which  may  be  used  ! 
for  both  purposes,  for  this  is  what  we  want 
nowadays — Roses  that  are  splendid  in  the 
garden,  yielding  blooms  of  quality  in  rxh 
profusion.  Danecroft. 


COLOURED     PLATE, 

PLATE    1477, 


HYBRID     SAXIFRAGES. 

THE    great    rise    iu    popularity    of    rock 
gardening    has    been    accompanied    by 
a    corresponding   improvement    among 
Ihose    flowers    which    are    essential    to 
the  alpine  garden.     At   no   time   have 
the   Mossy  Saxifrages   been   in  greater 
than    they   are    to-day.     Among    those    to 
wc    arc    indebted    for    improved    varieties 
sliould  be  mentioned  Mrs.  Lloyd  Edwards,  whose 
exhibits    of    these    cliarming    flowers,    notably    at 


favour 
whom 


THE    NEW    ROSE    EDGAR    M.    BURNETT.       AWARDED    THE    NATIONAL 
ROSE    society's    GOLD    MED.\L. 


the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  meetings,  have 
aroused  much  interest  from  an  admiring  public. 
In  the  matter  of  the  hybridisation  of  the  Mossy 
Saxifrages,  Mrs.  Lloyd  Edwards'  experience  is  here 
related  in  her  own  words  : 

"  A  few  years  ago  the  only  Mossy  Saxifrages 
with  coloured  flowers  of  any  size  were  S.  Rhei 
superba  and  S.  Guildford  Seedling,  the  former 
with  pale  rose  flowers  of  good  form,  and  the  latter 
with  rather  small,  bright  red  flowers,  not  very  free- 
flowering  or  particularly  vigorous  in  growth.  One 
spring  a  self-sown  seedling  Mossy  Saxifrage  appeared 
in  my  little  rock  garden.  It  was  probably  a 
cross  between  S.  Rhei  superba  and  a  cream-coloured, 
hairy  variety   called,    I    think,   S.   hirta,   as  it   had 


some  characteristics  of  each  ;  but  it  was  a  great 
improvement  on '  both  in  every  way.  This  I 
I  named  .'\pple  Blossom,  and  it  gave  me  the  idea 
1  of  trying  to  produce  some  large-flowered,  bright- 
coloured  varieties  by  hybridising.  I  had  already 
had  great  success  in  trying  to  get  a  free-flowering 
race  of  Heucheras  by  this  means.  I  used  the 
I  new  seedling  S.  Apple  Blossom,  S.  Rhei  superba 
'  and  S.  Guildford  Seedling,  and  soon  got  some 
very  beautiful  large-flowered  Mossies  of  different 
shades  of  colour  and  vigorous  growth.  About 
this  time  Messrs.  Thompson  and  Morgan  of  Ipswich 
advertised  among  their  seed  novelties  S.  decipiens 
hybrida  grandiflora.  I  bought  a  packet  and  crossed 
some  of  the  resulting  seedlings  with  my  own, 
to  their  mutual  improvement.  A 
line  red  seedling  I  named  Ruby. 
This  flowered  twice  in  its  first  sea- 
son, and  was  purchased  by  Messrs. 
Clibran's  representative  for  a  small 
sum.  He  saw  it  in  flower  in  the 
autumn  and  was  much  struck  by  if. 
.\s  S.  C'libranii  it  has  ga'ned  a  con- 
siderable reputation.  T  continued 
selecting  and  cross-fertilising  ULy 
best  seedlings  and  produced  Red 
.\dmiral,  an  improvement  on  Cli- 
l)ranii  in  size  and  colour.  I  wanted 
a  really  blood  red  Saxifrage,  free- 
flowering  and  of  compact  growth, 
and  in  time  got  S.  sanguinfa 
superba.  It  shows  in  its  neat,  finely- 
cut  foliage  that  S.  Guildford  Seed- 
ling was  anmng  its  ancestors,  and, 
as  far  as  colouring  is  concerned,  1 
lliink  uo  redder  Saxifrage  can  be 
pKiduiriL  In  the  processof  obtain- 
ing it  1  got  many  beautiful  rose 
coloured  and  shaded  Saxifrages, 
notably  S.  rosea  superba,  a  very 
fine,  free  -  flowering  early  variety 
with  dark  stems  and  red  buds  ;  and 
S.  Rose  Beauty,  with  beautifully- 
shaped  flowers  with  small  centres, 
which  flowers  very  late.  There  was 
an  idea  that  S.  decipiens  hybrida 
grandiflora  of  .Messrs.  Thonipsot: 
and  Morgan  liad  been  partly  pro- 
duced from  S.  granulata  ;  but  none 
that  I  raised  showed  any  trace  of 
such  parentage.  I,  however,  experi- 
mented in  this  direction  and  effected 
a  cross  between  one  of  my  finest  red 
Mossies  and  a  wild  S.  granulata. 
and  from  this  raised  Comet,  White 
Queen,  &c.  These  show  their  deriva- 
tion very  plainly  in  their  partly 
granulated  roots,  leafy  tufted 
growth,  and  in  partially  or 
wholly  losing  their  leaves  for  a 
longer  or  shorter  time.  Nearly  all  the  seedlings 
were  white ;  some  had  pink  buds  ;  but,  so  far, 
I  have  not  raised  a  red  granulata  hybrid.  All 
are  extraordinarily  floriferous.  The  second  genera- 
tion of  this  cross  produced  some  very  beautiful 
large  Mossy  Saxifrages,  such  as  Mrs.  J.  F.  Totten- 
ham and  S.  oculata  rosea,  which,  with  S.  sanguinea 
superba,  S.  Rose  Beauty  and  S.  Comet,  is  shown 
in  the  coloured  plate. 

"  I  referred  above  to  my  first  attempt  at  im- 
proving plants  by  hybridisation.  That  well- 
known  amateur  gardener,  the  late  Rev.  C.  Wolley- 
Dod,  gave  me  a  dingy  pink  hybrid  Heuchera 
from  which  I  succeeded  in  getting  many  charming 
varieties  by  crossing  it  with  H.  sanguinea." 


486 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  27,  191;: 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

MICHAUXIA     TCHIHATCHEFFir. 

THIS  stately  plant,  belonging  to  the 
Order  Canipanulace«,  is  a  native  of 
Asia  Minor,  and  in  our  gardens  grows 
IjL'st  in  a  very  sunny,  well-drained 
border  or  against  a  south  wall,  its 
largo,  fleshy  and  brittle  roots  requiring 
a  thorough  rest  and  no  standing  water  from 
September  to  April.  The  growing  season  of  this 
plant  is  surprisingly  short,  as  directly  after  ripen- 
ing its  seed  in  .August  the  stems  and  leaves  die 
completely  down.  The  root  "  throws  up  " 
again  in  March  and  .April,  and  it  will  attain 
great  age  when  planted  in  a  suitable  posi- 
tion. Unless  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  a 
plant  once  suited  should  on  no  accoun 
be  shifted,  as  it  intensely  dislikes  removal. 
The  most  satisfactory  way  of  propagating 
is  by  seed,  which  germinates  readily,  but 
takes  four  years  to  reach  the  fiowering 
stage.  Th-s  Michau.xia  produces  branch- 
ing spikes  3  feet  to  4  feet  high,  covered  in 
June  and  July  with  very  pale  blue,  almost 
white,  flowers,  somewhat  resembling  Pas- 
sion Flowers,  the  petals  of  which  are 
turned  back,  while  the  stigma  is  very  large 
and  conspicuous.  The  foliage  is  of  a 
glaucous  colour  and  very  hirsute.  The 
flowers  of  Michauxia  Tcliihatcheffii  never 
vary  much  in  colour,  though  another 
species,  M.  cauipauuloides,  of  easier 
culture,  has  rose  to  white  flowers. 

Reginald  A.  Malbv. 


many  thousands  of  houses  similarly  situated  in 
London  and  other  towns.  To  those  who  care  for 
tlie  Blackberry  and  who  may  have  places  such  as 
I  have  described  which  they  wish  to  have  screened, 
I  very  strongly  recommend  them  to  plant  the 
humble  Blackberry.  One  of  the  best  sorts  to 
plant  is  the  variety  named  Parsley-leaved. 

A  word  as  to  the  culture  adopted.  This  is 
simple,  and  entails  but  little  trouble  and  practically 
no  cost.  The  corner  of  the  garden  in  which  the 
plant  was  planted  was  trenched  and  liberally 
manured  four  years  ago.  During  the  summer 
months  thejborder  is  mulched  witli  rotten  stable 


THE 

THE 


FRUIT     GARDF.N. 


BLACKBERRY    AS    A 
GARDEN    FRUIT. 

AS  tliis  is  the  season  of  the  Black- 
berry, perhaps  a  word  in  its 
favour  as  showing  its  useful- 
.  uess  and  value  under  culti- 
^  vation,  in  contradistinctioii 
to  its  value  as  a  hedgerow 
fruit,  may  be  useful  to  town  as  well  as 
to  comitry  readers  of  The  Garden.  Four 
years  ago  I  had  a  few  young  plants  sent 
me  of  a  variety  which  was  said  to  be 
par  excellence  a  good  sort.  I  had  been 
for  some  time  looking  out  for  a  useful 
climbing  plant  for  the  purpose  of 
making  a  screen  from  one  portion  of 
the  garden,  and  also  to  afford  some  shade 
to  the  kitchen  window  from  the  midday 
sun.  I  concluded  that  these  would  be 
useful  for  the  purpose,  and  planted  two 
of  them,  erecting  a  rough  trellis  of  poles 
for  the  plants  to  ramble  over.  One  of 
the  plants  took  the  lead  over  the  other, 
and  is  now  practically  responsible  for  the  fruit  since 
gathered,  and  also  for  forming  an  effective  screen. 
The  result  is  that  the  year  before  last  we  gathered 
7lb.  of  fruit ;  last  year  we  gathered  i61b. ;  and  this 
year,  up  to  date  (September  8),  we  have  gathered 
241b.,  with  a  promise  of  from  61b.  to  lolb.  more  to 
come.  The  fruit  is  large — half  as  large  again  as 
the  hedgerow  Blackberry — an  intense  black  colour. 


STATELY     PLANT      OF      THE      CAMPANULA 
MICHAUXIA    TCHIHATCHEFFII. 


FAMILY, 


manure,  and,  during  the  whole  tinu'  the  fruit  is 
swelling,  the  border  receives  heavy  occasional 
waterings,  averaging  about  once  a  fortnight. 
The  border  is  5  feet  by  5  feet. 

The  shoots  the  plant  is  making  this  year  are  most 
vigorous,  many  of  them  being  20  feet  long.  These 
will  produce  the  best  fruits  next  year.  These 
shoots  are  permitted  to  grow  freely,  as  they  will. 


and  sweet.  It  has  proved  most  useful.  Mixed  until  all  the  fruit  has  been  gathered.  Then  the 
with  Apples,  it  is  excellent  for  tarts  and  puddings,  '  branches  which  have  borne  fruit  are  overhauled, 
and  for  jelly,  either  alone  or  mixed  with  Apples.  \  and  all  the  weakest  of  them  cut  out  down  to  their 
The  plant  I  am  speaking  of  is  growing  in  a  London  base  to  make  room  for  the  young  branches  spoken 
suburban    garden   under   the   same    conditions    as    of  above.  O.  T. 


HOW      TO       GATHER      AND       STORE 
HARDY     FRUITS. 

Apples  and  Pears  must  receive  first  attention, 
as  they  are  the  most  important  of  our  hardy 
fruits  for  long  storage.  Medlars,  Quinces  and 
Nuts  also  deserve  great  care  in  the  matter  of 
storing.  There  is  no  need  to  pay  particular  atten- 
tion to  the  storing  of  the  earliest  Apples  and 
Pears,  as  these  are  quickly  used  up ;  but  the 
varieties  that  are  wanted  for  use  throughout 
the  winter  and  spring  should  have,  and  deserve, 
great  care  bestowed  on  them,  as  there  are  few 
other  kinds  of  fruits  to  take  their  place. 

Gathering  and  Grading. — Many  culti- 
vators in  this  ruuutry  entirely  neglect  to 
pay  special  attention  to  the  gathering  and 
grading  of  the  fruits,  and  consequently, 
through  this  carelessness,  much  loss 
results.  Wherever  possible,  steps  should 
be  used  instead  of  ladders,  as  the  latter 
must  be  supported  by  the  branches,  and 
when  the  weight  of  the  person  gathering 
is  added  to  it,  the  pressure  often  causes 
much  bruising  of  fruits.  Steps  stand 
clear  of  the  branches,  and,  when  firmly 
fixed,  are  safer  than  ladders,  which  are 
supported,  in  many  instances,  by  slender 
branches  only,  Very  often  the  gatherer 
phues  the  fruits  in  an  apron  pocket,  an 
apron  tied  up,  or  in  a  bag.  The  fruits 
roll  to  and  fro  with  every  movement  of 
the  workman,  and  so  the  first  bruises  are 
made.  They  are  also  placed  in  baskets, 
trugs  or  boxes  without  any  soft  lining  of 
moss  or  wood-wool  being  put  in,  and 
frequently  rolled  out  of  all  such  receptacles 
on  to  a  bench  or  shelf,  and  the  second 
lot  of  bruises  are  made,  b'ruits  so  treated 
will  not  keep  in  a  sound  condition  through- 
out tlie  winter  months.  The  proper  way 
to  gatlier  .Apples  and  Pears  is  to  grasp 
each  specimen  firmly  with  the  fingers, 
raise  it  to  a  horizontal  position,  when, 
if  ripe  enough,  it  will  readily  part  from 
the  branch,  and  place  it  gently  on  a  layer 
of  soft  material  in  a  flat  basket  or  box. 
Several  baskets  should  be  in  use  at  the 
same  time,  and,  when  filled  as  suggested, 
carried  to  the  store-room,  and  the  fruits 
removed  to  the  shelves  separately.  If 
the  grading  cannot  be  conveniently  done 
when  the  fruit  is  being  gathered,  it  can 
when  it  is  placed  on  the  shelves.  Give 
the  finest  fruits  the  best  positions  in  the 
store-room,  the  seconds  in  the  next  best 
position,  and  the  small  ones  in  heaps  or 
on  shelves  by  themselves,  As  they  should 
be  used  first.  Apples  do  best  in  the  coolest 
part  of  a  room.  Shelves  made  of  clean, 
unpainted  battens  are  the  best.  Do  not 
use  straw  on  which  to  place  the  fruits, 
and  put  them  down. in  single  layers. 
Ventilation  is  a  very  important  matter.  Sliding 
ventilators  should  be  fi.xed  in  the  walls  near  the 
bottom,  and  also  near  the  eaves,  and  the  openings 
covered  with  perforated  zinc  sheets.  The  most 
suitable  store-rooiu  is  one  on  the  north  side  of  a 
high  wall  or  other  building.  Thatched  sheds  are 
very  suitable,  because  the  fluctuation  of  the  internal 
temperature  is  less  than  in  sheds  tiled  or  slated. 
Medlars  must  be  placed  in  single  layers  on 
shelves  covered  with  sand.  Nuts  keep  very  well 
if  stored  in  stone  jars,  and  either  buried  in  dry 
ground  or  covered  with  soil  on  the  floor  of  a  quite 
cold  shed.  G.  ti 


Sei'tembek  27,  191. 


THE    GARDEN. 


487 


TREES 

A 


AND      SHRUBS. 


s 


NOBLE     FLOWERING     SHRUB. 

I'lK.-EA  I.INDLEVANA,  llie  noblest  of  all 
the  shrubby  Spiraeas,  is  a  native  of  the 
Himalayas,  and  sometimes,  under  favour- 
able circumstances,  attains  a  height  of 
15  feet.  This  is  the  height  of  the  specimen 
shown  in  the  accompanying  illustration. 
Us  diameter  being  i8  feet.  A  large  example  in 
a  well-chosen  situation,  backed  by  evergreens  at 
some  little  distance,  is,  when  producing  its  spread- 
ing panicl:-s  of  ivory  white  flowers,  an  exceedingly 
handsome  object.  It  possesses  an  additional 
charm  in  its  graceful,  pinnate  leaves,  which  lend 
to  tlie  shrub,  even  when  not  in  bloom,  a  highly 
decorative  effect.  It  should  never  bcj^rclegated, 
as,  unfortunately,  is  too 
'Urn  the  case,  to  the 
u'lwded  collection  of 
heterogeneous  subjects 
too  often  dignified  by  the 
name  of  "  shrubbery," 
wliere  its  roots  are  robbed 
ol  moisture  by  its  hungry 
neighbours  and  crowded 
branches  deny  it  the 
power  to  express  its  grace- 
ful symmetry. 

When  growing  in  pro.x- 
iniity  to  water,  as  is  the 
subject  of  the  illustration, 
it  exhibits  exceeding 
vigour  and  speedily 
reaches  a  large  size.  It  is 
towards  tlie  close  of  July, 
when  its  great  wliite 
flower  panicles  are  in 
perfection,  that  it  attains 
the  zenith  of  its  loveli- 
ness. Then  almost  every 
fresh  green  spray  is  ter- 
minated by  a  spreadiuf,' 
white  plume  from 
18  inches  to  2  feet  in 
length,  and  a  delightful 
picture  is  presented  such 
as  few  inmates  of  the 
garden  can  rival.  Indis- 
criminate pruning,  which 
is  too  often  indulged  ui, 
should  be  avoided.  Many 
specimens  which  would 
otherwise  reveal  them- 
selves in  their  true  form 
are    prevented    from    so 

doing  by  being  cut  hard  back  yearly.  .■\!1 
that  is  necessary  is  to  cut  out  the  wealdy  shoots 
and  to  shorten  back  old  flowering  wood  to  a  strong 
bud.  Beautiful  as  is  the  picture  of  this  Spiraea 
in  full  bloom,  it  has,  unfortunately,  the  demerit 
of  being  a  fleeting  one,  and  in  this  respect  com- 
pares unfavourably  with  the  blossoms  of  its  American 
relative,  Spireea  arisfolia  or  discolor,  which  retain 
their  purity  for  a  considerably  longer  period. 

The  subject  of  this  note,  with  S.  arisfolia  and  S. 
flagelliformis,  also  known  under  the  names  of 
S.  canescens  and  S.  hypericifolia,  are  three  fine 
shrubby  Spiraeas  that  are  well  worthy  of  choice 
positions  in  the  garden.  Though  delighting  in 
leep  and  moist  soil  and  never  so  happy  as 
when  growing  by  the  water-side.  S.  lindleyana 
often  seeds  freely,  and  in  many  cases  large 
specimens  may  be  found  surrounded  by  young 
self-sown  seedlings.         Wv.n'dham  Fitzherbert. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


1 


T 


SEASONABLE      NOTES     ON      CHRY- 
SANTHEMUMS. 

will  be  advisable  to  earelully  examine  for- 
ward buds  at  least  twice  every  day,  and  so 
watch  for  the  showing  of  the  colour  of  the 
flower-petals.  Directly  they  show  colour, 
or  even  if  the  scale  in  the  centre  bursts  and 
exposes  to  view  the  points  of  the  petals, 
the  plants  must  be  placed  in  the  greenhouse, 
I'each-housc  or  vinery,  whichever  is  most  con- 
venient. The  first  plants  to  house  will  be  those 
naturally  late  flowering,  the  buds  on  which  will  be 
quite  forward  now  if  taken  early  in  August,  and 
a  few  of  the  naturally  early  flowering  sorts,  which, 


SPIR^A    HNDLEV.\NA    IN    A    DEVO.\SHIRE    GARDEN 


despite  the  careful  manipulation  of  the  shoots  by 
the  cultivator,  will  have  home  buds  somewhat 
early.  It  is  worse  than  useless  to  leave  such  buds 
exposed  to  rains  and  night  dews,  as  they  would 
quickly  decay.  Small  buds  containing  only  a 
few  fiower-petals  would  not  be  damaged  by  such 
exposure,  but  the  large,  fat  buds  would  retain  the 
collected  moisture  near  the  base  of  the  petals,  and 
early  decay  would  set  in  there. 

The  House  Facing  North. — Of  course,  amateur 
cultivators  do  n(.)t  always  possess  glass  structures 
from  which  a  selection  may  be  made  suitable  for 
the  accommodation  of  these  plants.  If,  however, 
there  is  a  house  facing  the  north  and  not  unduly 
overshadowed  by  trees  or  buildings,  it  will  be  a 
capital  one  in  which  to  place  the  plants,  as  the 
latter  require  shelter  but  plenty  of  light  and  air 
without  exposure  to  strong  simshine.  In  an 
early  vinery  where  the  Vines  have  been  partially 


pruned  back,  or  a  Peach-house,  the  plants  may  be 
placed  in  single  rows.  Probably  there  will  be  room 
for  them  on  both  sides  of  the  path.  In  a  lean-to 
house  the  tall  plants  might  be  arranged  in  a  row 
near  the  back  wall,  with  a  row  of  dwarf-growing 
plants  in  front.  In  such  cases  three  rows  of  plants 
can  be  arranged,  and  they  generally  do  remark- 
ably well.  In  the  case  of  a  very  small  house, 
only  the  very  best  plants  should  be  put  in.  A 
temporary  shelter  can  be  put  up  against  a  wall 
for  the  protection  of  the  remainder,  as  cultivators 
often  grow  more  plants  than  they  can  find  room 
for  under  glass  in  the  autumn.  A  current  of  air 
passing  through  the  house  will  not  be  harmful,  but 
beneficial,  during  the  week  or  ten  days  following 
the  placing  of  the  plants  under  cover.  At  the  end  of 
this  period  ventilation  must  be  ample,  without  cold 
draughts  blowing  directly 
on  to  the  foliage,  else  the 
latter  will  soon  become 
l)adly  mildewed. 

'  Timing    Blooms.— 

Many  inexperienced  cul- 
tivators would  like  to 
know  how  long  a  bud 
takes  to  develop  into  a 
lull -centred  flower.  A 
naturally  late  -  flowering 
sort  belonging  to  the 
Japanese  section  requires 
a  little  more  than  six 
weeks  from  the  date  when 
the  points  of  the  petals 
can  be  clearly  seen.  If 
we  take  Frances  Jolliile 
<is  an  example  of  a 
medium  early-flowering 
Viiriety,  five  weeks  are 
required.  In  order  to 
get  well-built,  full-centred 
blooms  of  late  sorts  of 
the  uicurved  section,  six 
weeks  must  be  allowed. 
The  very  early  ones  will 
open  in  about  four 
weeks,  and  some  of  the 
;>ingle-flowered  sorts  in 
rather  less  time  still. 
During  the  first  stages  of 
I  he  development  of  the 
i>loonr,  progress  seems 
slow,  and,  indeed,  it  is 
I  ompared  to  the  progress 
made  after  the  flower  is 
half  open.  It  is  better 
to  give  every  bud  proper 
time,  rather  than  be  obliged  to,  force  backward 
blooms  just  prior  to  the  date  of  the  show.     .\von. 


THE    DAFFODIL    AS  A    POT     PLANT. 

Beautiful  and  useful  as  are  Tulips  and  Hyacinths, 
I  think  that  when  well  grown  the  Daffodil  even 
eclipses  these  favourites  as  a  pot  plant.  Forcing, 
as  it  is  generally  understood,  the  Daffodil  will 
not  stand,  especially  in  the  earlier  stages  of  growth  ; 
but  by  the  exercise  of  a  little  care  very  fine  flowers 
may  be  had  several  weeks  before  they  appear  out 
of  doors.  When  required  for  pot  culture,  the 
very  best  selected  bulbs  should  be  purchased. 
These  are  a  few  shillings  per  hundred  dearer  than 
ordinary  stock,  but  will  produce  25  per  cent,  to 
50  per  cent,  more  flowers,  and  these  of  very  fine 
quality.  The  bulbs  may  be  potted  up  at  any  time 
from  August  to  October — the  earlier  the  better, 
as  a  rule.     Select  clean  6-inch  and  7-inch  pots,  and 


488 


THE    GARDEN. 


[September  27,  1913. 


allow  a  fair  quantity  nl  drainage.  Thi'  soil  should 
be  of  f;ood  quality,  liut  nut  over-rich.  .\  good 
medium  is  best  fibrous  turf,  three  parts ;  leaf- 
mould,  two  parts  ;  sharp  sand,  one  part.  No 
manure  should  be  used,  but  a  6-inch  potful  of 
bone-meal  to  each  barrow-load  of  compost  is  very 
beneficial. 

In  potting,  try, to  leave  the  compost  rather 
loose  under  the  bulbs,  but  quite  firm  on  the 
surface.  The  tops  of  the  bulbs  should  not  be 
quite  covered  with  the  potting  soil.  After  potting, 
water  well  ;  then  stand  the  pots  closely  together 
on  a  hard  bottom  out  of  doors  and  plunge  in  sand, 
or  even  old  cutting  soil.  Ashes,  unless  they  have 
lain  exposed  for  a  couple  of  years,  should  not  be 
used,  for  the  sulphur  present  in  fresh  ashes  is  very 
harmful  to  young  vegetation.  Daffodils  should  be 
left  in  the  plunging  material  for  quite  three  months. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  they  should  be  placed  in  a 
cold  frame  with  the  sashes  well  matted  for  a  week 
or  ten  days.  Afterwards  admit  plenty  of  light 
and   air,    and    at    the   end   of   three   or   four  weeks 


the  appearance  of  a  head  with  very  long,  dis- 
hevelled hair,  which  induced  the  late  Dr.  Lindley 
to  call  the  plant  the  Medusa's  Head  Orchid.  It 
is  a  native  of  Singapore,  and  is  sometimes  known 
as  Cirrhopetalum  Medusa,  being  first  introduced 
by  Messrs.  Loddiges  of  Hackney  in  1841.  Bulbo- 
phyllums  are  for  the  most  part  more  interesting 
to  the  botanist  than  to  the  Orchid  fancier,  but 
the  one  named  and  B.  barbigerum  never  fail 
to  attract  attention.  Their  dwarf  habit  and 
preference  for  a  light  and  airy  position  render  them 
suitable  subjects  for  Teak-wood  baskets,  so  that 
they  can  be  suspended  froni  the  roof  of  the  warm 
house.  A  suitable  compost  consists  of  Osmimda 
fibre  and  sphagnum  moss.  During  active  growth 
a  humid  and  warm  atmosphere  is  essential,  but 
while  at  rest  cooler  surroundings  are  preferable.     S. 


LILIUM     SPECIOSUM. 

The    practice   of    retarding    Lily   bulbs   winch    is 
at   the    present    time    so    extensively   carried   out 


THE    MEDUSA  b    HEAD.       AN    ORCHID    OF    SINISTER    APPEARANCE. 


remove  to  a  cool  greenhouse.  Use  no  more  fire- 
heat  than  just  enough  to  repel  frost.  When 
flower-buds  show  a  little,  more  warmth  will  do  no 
harm  ;  but  at  no  time  attempt  forcing.  When  in 
full  growth,  a  mild  stimulant  should  be  given  twice 
a  week.  While  quite  a  number  of  Daffodils  succeed 
well  in  pots,  the  following  are  always  reliable  ; 
Victoria,  Emperor,  Golden  Spur,  Henry  Irving, 
Sir  Watkin  and  Mme.  de  Graaff.  C.   Blair. 

Ficslon  House  Ganhns,  Linlithgow. 


THE     MEDUSA'S    HEAD     ORCHID. 

(BULBOPHVLLUM    MeDUS.«.) 

This  curious  plant  was  exhibited  at  a  recent 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  by 
E.  de  L.  Quincey,  Esq.,  Oakhurst,  Chislehurst, 
when  he  received  a  cultural  commendation  for  a 
specimen  with  seventeen  heads  of  its  quaint  flowers. 
These  are  small,  but  numerous,  and  are  produced 
in  a  dense  cluster  at  the  apex  of  the  scape.  The 
lateral  sepals  are  lengthened  so  as  to  give  the  spike 


enables  one  to  obtain  flowering  examples  of  this 
Lily  at  any  season  of  the  year.  It  is  for  re- 
tarding purposes  one  of  the  best,  as  the  bulbs 
are  rarely  affected  by  this  mode  of  treatment,  and 
will  start  away  freely  as  soon  as  placed  under  con- 
ditions favourable  to  growth.  Bulbs  that  have 
been  retarded  are,  however,  more  expensive  than 
those  purchased  as  they  arrive  from  Japan,  say, 
during  the  three  winter  months.  What  is  more, 
if  potted  and  allowed  to  come  on  in  a  natural  manner 
Ihey  bloom  at  a  time  when  many  of  the  summer- 
flowering  occupants  of  the  greenhouse  and  con- 
servatory are  over  or,  at  all  events,  on  the  wane, 
and  good  examples  of  this  Lily  therefore  furnish  a 
pleasing  variety.  Lilimn  speciosum  was  first  intro- 
duced into  Europe  from  Japan  about  eighty  years 
ago,  and  soon  became  generally  distributed.  It 
was  taken  in  hand  by  the  Dutch  cultivators  of 
bulbs,  and  has  been  largely  grown  by  them  ever 
since  ;  indeed,  until  the  Japanese  took  to  sending 
bulbs  of  it  to  this  country,  the  whole  of  our  stock 
of   Lilium  speciosum  was  imported  from   Holland. 


Now,  immense  numbers  reach  us  from  Japan,  ami, 
as  a  rule,  in  very  fine  condition.  The  state  of  these 
Japanese  bulbs  shows  that  they  have  been  grown 
under  very  congenial  surroundings,  and  they  can 
be  depended  upon  to  yield  most  satisfactory 
results  the  first  season  after  planting  or  potting. 
The  variety  among  them,  too,  is  numerous,  some  of 
the  coloured  kinds  being  particularly  rich.  One  of 
the  brightest  of  all  is  Melpomene,  whose  flowers 
are  of  a  bright  carmine  crimson  colour,  with  a  white 
margin. 

The  bulbs  of  the  best  coloured  forms  are,  as  a 
rule,  irregular  in  shape,  and  have  a  tendency 
to  produce  many  stems.  So  marked  is  this  feature 
that  in  sorting  over  large  quantities  of  bulbs  1  have 
never  had  any  difficulty  in  selecting  most  of  those 
that  would  give  the  richest- coloured  flowers.  There 
are  some  whose  blossoms  are  of  a  rose  tint,  corre- 
sponding with  the  roseum  and  rubrum  of  the 
Dutch  ;  but,  generally  speaking,  the  bulbs  from 
Japan  represent  a  deeper-tinted  class  of  flower 
than  those  from  Holland.  The  Japanese  variety 
Kraslzeri,  which,  by  the  way,  is  often  sent  here 
under  the  name  of  album,  is  widely  removed  from 
the  album  which  has  been  grown  in  Europe  from 
I  the  first.  In  the  album  of  old,  and  still  grown  by 
the  Dutch,  the  bulbs  ai'e  of  a  dark  chestnut  colour, 
and  the  stems,  leaf-stalks  and  unopened  buds 
I  tinged  with  chocolate.  The  interior  of  the  flower 
is  white,  with  occasionally  a  very  slight  pinkish 
suffusion.  On  the  other  hand,  the  bulbs  of 
Kr£etzeri  are  yellowish,  with  st<ms  and  leaf- 
stalks green,  the  unopened  buds,  too,  being  of  the 
same  tint.  The  flowers  are  large,  far  more  regu- 
larly reflexcd  than  those  of  album,  and  with  a 
greenish  star  at  the  base  of  the  interior.  The 
anthers  of  both  of  these  varieties  are  chocolate. 
One,  which  reaches  us  in  a  limited  number  from 
Japan,  has  bright  yellow  anthers.  This,  which 
bears  the  name  of  album  novum,  is,  except  for  the 
disthiguishing  anthers.^much  in  the  way  of  Kraet- 
zeri.  Fasciated  forms,  in  which  the  flowers  are 
borne  in  a  large  head  or  cluster,  are  not  much  grown 
now,  though  at  one  time  they  were  sent  here  from 
Holland  in  considerable  numbers.  However,  their 
absence  is  no  loss. 

In  order  to  have  flowers  of  Lilium  speciosum  i<n 
tlie  greenhouse  or  conservatory  in  August  or  Sep- 
tember, the  bulbs  should  be  potted  about  Februarv, 
giving  them  but  little  water  till  the  roots  are  active. 
When  potted  they  may  be  stood  in  a  frame  from 
which  frost  is  just  excluded,  or  they  can  be  placed 
out  of  doors  and  have  one  or  two  mats  thrown  over 
them  in  the  event  of  sharp  frost.  In  this  way  they 
will  grow  sturdy  and  not  come  into  flower  before 
their  normal  period,  two,  in  a  general  way,  very 
important  matters.  In  potting,  a  good-sized  bulb 
will  need  a  pot  from  6  inches  to  7  inches  in  diameter, 
while  large  clumps  or  masses  can  be  formed  by 
putting  several  bulbs  in  a  large  pot  or  tub.  In 
potting  Lilium  speciosum  it  should  be  borne  in 
mind  that  it  is  one  of  those  Lilies  that  develop  a 
great  number  of  roots  from  the  base  of  the  flower- 
stem  and  just  above  the  bulb.  For  this  reason 
space  must  be  left  when  potting  for  a  liberal  top- 
dressing  as  soon  as  these  roots  are  sufficiently 
advanced  to  enable  them  to  obtain  nourishment 
therefrom.  During  the  growing  season,  all  that 
-these  Lilies  need  is  to  keep  them  well  supplied 
with  water  and  to  give  an  occasional  stimulant  as 
the  pots  get  furnished  with  roots.  Unlike  L. 
longiflorum,  aphides  or  green  fly  rarely  trouble 
L.  speciosum  to  any  extent.  The  plants  may  be 
left  out  of  doors  till  the  flowers  are  on  the  point 
of  expanding.  H.    P, 


I 


Si'PTEMBEK    27,   IQI3. 


THE     GARDEN. 


489 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

HOW    TO     LIFT     AND    STORE     POTATOES     AND     OTHER    ROOT     CROPS. 


A    1  TER      bestowing     every      care      on      the 

/\  growing  crops  throughout  the  season, 

/    %         it   would  be  very  unwise  on  the  part 

^~~^       of  the  cultivator  to  neglect  them  when 

^  ^      matured    or    in     a    fit     condition    for 

harvesting.      Not  only  must  the  roots 

he  lifted  at  the  proper  time,  but  stored  also  in  the 
right  way  ;  then  they  will  keep  sound  until  all 
are  used  in  the  ordinary  wav. 

Potatoes. — These  luidmibtedly  form  the  chief 
crop,  being  used  in  summer,  autumn  and  winter  — 
practically  the  whole  year  round.  The  real  work 
of  storing  commences  when  the  main  crops  art 
lifted  in  September  and  October.  There  are  several 
ways  of  storing  the  tubers  ;  I  will  explain  two, 
which  will  meet  the  requirements  of  the  majority 
of  cultivators.  It  is  not  always  convenient  to 
store  all  the  tubers  in  buildings,  so  clamps  are 
formed  as  shown  in  Fig.  A  at  Nos.  i  and  2.  In 
different  parts  of  the  country  different  names  are 
given,  such  as  Potato  bogs,  camps  and  pits.  Only 
tubers  intended  for  eating  purposes  should  be 
stored  in  dark  places.  Select  a  dry  position,  one 
on  raised  ground,  lay  down  some  dry  straw,  tlien 
the  tubers  on  it,  building  them  up,  as  shown  in 
the  sketch,  to  a  ridge.  The  base  will  be  alxjut  four 
feet  wide  and  the  height  three  feet.  Put  on  a  layer 
of  straw,  then  one  of  soil,  about  one  foot  thick, 
finally  covering  all  with  straw  in  thatch  fashion. 
At  distances  of  6  feet  apart,  insert  wisps  of  straw  in 
the  ridge,  as  shown  ;  these  will  ensure  ventilation 
and  prevent  sweating  and  decay.  The  soil  tised 
for  covering  wi'l,  if  tiiken  from  the  foot  of  the 
clamp,  leave  a  channel,  with  the  tubers  above  on 
a  dry  base.  In  buildings  ami  sheds  the  tubers 
may  be  stored  as  shown  at  No.  3,  with  a  padding 
of  straw  next  to  the  wall  and  a  simple  covering  of 
straw. 

Storing  Seed  Tubers.— These  should  be  exposed 
to  tile  hfihl  .iiid  .ill,  the  cluiice  ones  in  single  layers 


W////Y/////////////////////////m 


■/y77/777//777/7/777yy7Pm7 


METHODS    FOR    STORING    POT.XTOF.S    FOR    V.\RIOUS    PtIRPOSF.S. 


on  shelves,  as  shown  at  No.  .\,  and  those  for  main 
crops  in  double  layers,  as  shown  at  No.  5. 
Nos.  6,  6,  6  show  the  right  tubers  to  select  for 
seed  purposes,  Nos.  7,  7,  7,  7  being  the  best  ones 
for  kitchen  use.  The  smallest  tubers  are  good 
for  pigs  and  poultry,  and  must  be  stored  separately. 
With  these  place  all  bruised  tnliers  similar  to  the 
one  shown  at  No.  8. 

Other  Kinds  of  Roots. — .A.II  roots  must  be  lifted 

witliinit  undue  luuisiiig.  h'ig.  B,  at  No.  i,  shows 
a  Beet  lifted,  and  at  No.  2,  trimmed  ready  for 
storing.     This  is  done  by  sim|)ly  twisting  ofif  the 


_^^_iJ 


ONIONS,   CARROT.S,   TURNITS  AND    BEET    SHOULD    BE    STORED  AS     DESCRIBED    IN    TEXT. 


tops — the  leaves.  No.  3  represents  a  Carrol 
trimmed  ready  for  storing,  and  Nos.  4  and  5  Onions 
in  a  fit  condition  to  "  rope "  or  bunch.  No.  6 
shows  a  useless  bulb.  No.  7  depicts  a  short  stick 
which  may  be  used  for  "  roping,"  and  No.  8  the 
"  rope  "  complete  and  ready  for  suspending  from 
the  roof  of  a  shed.  The  smaller  bulbs  are  first 
tied  to  the  stick,  then  the  larger  ones.  Strong 
strands  of  straw,  twisted,  may  be  used  instead  o| 
sticks  on  which  to  tie  the  bulbs. 

Storing  in  Clamps. — Carrots  and  Beet  may  be 
stored  in  open-air  (lamps  in  much  the  same  way  as 
Potatoes.  No.  9  shows  the  covering  of  straw  on 
the  layer  of  soil.  No.  10,  no  inner  layer  of  straw 
being  necessary.  Turnips  will  remain  quite  fresh 
for  a  long  time  if  simply  buried  in  the  ground,  as 
shown  at  No.  11.  Pickling  Onions,  No.  12,  will 
keep  well  on  shelves  in  sheds  safe  from  frosts.  The 
shelf,  No.  13,  may  be  constructed  of  strong  laths 
or  half-inch  mesh  wire-netting.  The  Onions, 
No.  14,  being  in  layers  about  six  inches  deep,  will 
keep,  as  air  can  pass  through  the  wire-netting  to 
them.  G.   G. 


THE  CARE  OF  CHOICE  SHRUBS. 

Hollies,  Evergreen  Oaks,  Laurels  and  several 
other  kinds  of  trees  and  shrubs  cast  their  leaves 
during  the  summer  months,  and  if  the  leaves  are 
left  among  the  grass,  the  latter  soon  becomes  thin 
and  coarse.  Furthermore,  the  shrubs  seem  to 
suffer  through  over-dryniess  at  the  roots  in  the  case 
of  young  specimens  rooting  in  a  limited  area.  At 
the  present  time  all  tall  grasses  must  be  cut  and 
cleared  away  where  they  have  reached  the  lower 
branches  of  the  shrubs.  We  carefully  feed  our 
pot  plants  and  many  of  those  growing  in  borders, 
but  often  neglect  to  even  water  the  shrubs,  much 
less  feed  them.  If  they  were  fed  and  watered 
regularly  when  the  soil  approached  a  dry  state, 
they  would  grow  and  form  fine  specimens  in  about 
leu   years.  Suamrock. 


490 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  27,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR 


SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 


Border  Carnations  layered  early  in  August 
shiuikl  now  be  in  a  lit  condition  for  lifting  and 
p.-ttin;;.  Pot  firmly  and  place  in  a  frame  with 
a  good  a-ih  liottoin. 

Planting  in  Beds. — Where  the  soil  is  naturally 
light  and  dry,  the  voung  rooted  layers  may  be 
planted  in  beds.  The  addition  of  a  proportion 
of  fresh  loam,  old  mortar  rnbble  and  wood-ashes  is 
a  distinct  advantage.  Firm  planting  is  necessary, 
and  a  sprinkling  of  soot  or  lime  should  be  given  to 
ward  off  slugs,  not  forgetting  during  the  winter 
that  sparrows  pav  the  plants  much  attention,  so 
that   cotton  should  be  placed   over  the  plants  as  a 

Jireventivr\ 

PentStemons. — These  are  largely  used  for  beds 
and  borders,  and  should  be  propagated  on  similar 
lines  to  the  Calceolaria,  as  advised  in  last  week's 
calendar. 

Antirrhinums  also  may  be  propagated  now ; 
but  except  where  an  absolutely  true  stock  is 
wanted,  propagation  by  cuttings  is  not  necessary, 
as  manv  of  the  varieties  re  me  well — over  go  per 
cent,  true — from  seed 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 
Lawns. — The  past  dry  summer  will  in  many 
instances  have  severely  tried  the  grass,  and  it  may 
be  necessary,  where  it  has  been  severely  burnt,  to 
break  up  the  ground  and  resow.  Where  trees  are 
not  overhanging  and  it  is  not  necessary  to  sweep 
two  or  three  times  a  week,  the  present  is  a  really 
good  time  to  sow  grass  seed.  Where  only  small 
patches  need  renovating,  the  surface  may  be  well 
scratched  with  a  rake  or  fork,  adding  a  little  fresh 
soil ;  but  if  large  stretches  have  to  be  dealt  with, 
more  elaborate  methods  of  working  the  ground 
must  be  employed.  The  old  turf  should  be  skimmed 
off,  and  a  good  dressing  of  manure  given  to  the 
ground  as  it  is  being  forked  over.  Careful  treading 
and  levelling  are  quite  necessary,  as  also  is  a  very 
fine  surface  f<ir  sowing  if  the  best  results  are  t>. 
be  obtained 


Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums. — No  time  should  now  be 
lost  in  getting  the  whole  of  the  large-flowering 
section  under  cover.  Those  that  were  placed 
inside  as  the  buds  showed  colour  should  be  nicely 
arranged  in  a  cool  house  where  they  can  be  sh.adetl 
Those  that  are  only  fairly  forward  should  be  placed 
all  together  in  another  house,  and  the  late  ones 
also  by  themselves.  In  this  way  they  can  be 
advanced  or  retarded  tTi  suit  the  requirements 
of  the  establishment.  Such  an  arrangement  is 
even  more  uecessarv  if  they  are  being  grown  for 
exhibition.  As  the  plants  are  housed  they  should 
lie  sprayed  with  sulphide  of  potassium  as  a  pre- 
ventive'  against  mildew;  also  all  pots  should  be 
scrubbed.  Manv  of  th"  later-flowering  decorative 
varieties  mav  be  left  out  for  a  little  time  longer, 
but  some  afr.angement  should  be  made  so  that 
tln-v  can  be  covered  in  the  event  of  frost. 

Caladiums  that  have  partially  dried  do%vn  may 
be  removed  from  the  stove  to  a  warm  pit  to  com- 
plete the  drying  off  process,  when  they  should 
be  stored  under 'the  stages  of  the  stove,  or  at  least 
in  a  place  where  the  temperature  does  not  fall 
below  60°  to  65°.  There  are  more  losses  from 
storing  in  too  hiw  a  temperature  than  from  any- 
tliing  else. 

Sweet  Peas. — A  sowing  should  now  be  madp 
for  early  flowering  under  glass.  Sow  two  or  three 
seeds  in  a  3-inch  pot  in  a  fairly  holding  though 
porous  soil,  placing  the  pots  in  a  cold  frame  where 
they  may  be  covered  in  the  event  of  very  wet 
sveather 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Late  Peas. — Despite  the  dry  summer,  late 
Peas  still  look  well  in  some  localities,  and  though 
these  may  not  be  expected  to  last  much  longer, 
every  encouragement  should  be  given  to  the  plants 
to  fill  those  pods  that  are  already  set.  If  the 
weather  is  still  dry,  give  a  good  soaking  of  manure- 
water  and  pinch  liiit  the  points  of  the  shoots;  this 
should  help  them  considerably. 

Dwarf  Beans. — These  are  always  in  demand, 
and  the  crops  coming  into  bearing  in  the  frames 


should  be  treated  as  liberally  as  the  weather 
permits,  it  being  of  no  use  to  feed  the  plants  if 
the  weather  is  such  that  they  are  not  growing 
fairly  freelv.  Climbing  Dwarf  Beans  may  be 
planted  now  in  Melon  or  Cucumber  houses  from 
which  the  crops  have  been  cleared,  and  with  careful 
attention  will  give  better  crops  and  over  a  much 
longer  season  than  the  dwarf  varieties.  Late- 
sown  batches  out  of  doors  that  are  still  cropping 
nicelv  should  be  covered  at  night  in  the  event  of 
frosti  as  we  often  get  one  or  two  slight  frosts  at 
the  end  of  September  or  early  in  October,  and  no 
more,  perhaps,  for  two  or  three  weeks. 

LeellS. — This  is  a  crop  that  needs  a  good  deal 
of  feeding,  and  the  later  batches  should  have  one 
'  ir  two  good  soakings  of  manure-water  or  a  sprink- 
ling of  artificial  manure  when  it  is  raining.  Specimen 
Leeks  for  November  exhibition  should  receive  their 
final  earthing,  just  keeping  the  cardboai-d  collars 
above  the  soil. 

Fruits  Undsr  Glass. 

Figs  in  Pots  which  have  ripened  their  second 
crop  of  fruit  should  be  relegated  to  the  cooler 
houses,  or  even  to  a  temporary  shelter  out  of 
doors,  where  they  may  remain  till  the  advent  of 
severe  frost  necessitates  their  removal  to  a  frost- 
proof house.  Trained  trees  that  are  ripening 
their  fruit  must  be  kept  moist  enough  at  the 
root  to  prevent  the  foliage  and  fruit  ripening 
prematurely,  which  they  are  apt  to  do  at  this 
season  if  allowed  to  get"  too  dry.  Fire-heat  must 
be  turned  on  towards  the  evening,  and  at  all  times 
when  the  weather  is  dull  and  wet,  till  all  the  fruit 
is  gathered,  when  the  trees  should  be  gradually 
inured  to  plenty  of  air. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Gathering  Fruit. — Tins  should  be  continuen 
IS  fast  as  the  varieties  become  fit,  but  the  late 
varieties  of  both  Apples  and  Pears  should  be  left 
on  the  trees  as  long  as  they  will  hang,  or  shrivelling 
will  result.  l'"riiit  put  inside  a  week  or  two  ago 
should  be  carefully  looked  over,  as  those  fruits 
that  were  only  just  touched  by  tits  or  wasps 
will  be  found  decaying,  and  if  left  are  apt  not  only 
to  contaminate  those  all  round  them,  but  those 
underneath  upon  which  thev  may  happen  to  drip. 
Thomas  Stkvenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wnbiirn  Place  Gatdens,  A<ldle-toin\  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 


Single  Rockets. — These  sweet-scented  plants, 
treated  as  liiennials,  are  very  telling  when  planted 
in  masses.  They  are  also  very  useful  in  the  cut 
state  for  filling  large  vases  in  early  summer.  They 
vary  a  good  deal  in  colour,  and  this  year  I  saw  a 
batch  of  a  lovely  rich  purple  shade.  The  present 
is  a  good  time  to  plant  them  where  they  are  to 
flower. 

Planting  Bearded  Irises. — The  present  is  a 
suitable  time  for  planting  this  interesting  arid 
easily-cultivated  class  of  Irises.  Here  we  devote 
a  border  to  them,  with  a  few  dot  plants  of  such 
things  as  Tritomas,  and  Hyacinthus  candicans  to 
keep  up  a  bit  of  colour  after  the  Irises  have  finished 
flowering.  They  are  not  very  particular  as  to 
soil,  provided  the  ground  has  been  previously 
deeply  dug  and  has  received  a  moderate  dressing 
■  if  manure.  Plant  small  pieces,  as  they  soon 
increase,  and  do  not  plant  deeply  ;  the  fleshy 
rhizomes  should  not  be  quite  buried.  A  few  plants 
of  different  varieties  of  I.  sibirica  at  the  back 
and  some  of  the  dwarf  Bearded  Irises  at  the  front 
will  redeem  the  border  from  monotony. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Bengal  Roses. — These  are  also  known  as  China 
a-id  Monthly  Roses.  They  are,  generally  speaking, 
weakly  growers,  especially  on  cold,  heavy  soils. 
On  this  account  we  have  discarded  many  varieties, 
and  now  only  grow  the  following  two  beautiful 
sorts,  each  with  sufficient  vigour.  They  are 
Mme.  Laurette  Messimy  and  Antoinette  Guillerat. 
Queen  Mab  and  the  did  China  Blush  have  both 
plenty  of  vigour,  but  compared  with  the  other 
two  varieties  indicated  they  are  as  silver  to  gold. 


Baby    Ramblers,    or    Polyantha    Roses,    are 

exrelh-nt    fur  beds.     White   P't  is  to.,  well  known-, 
to     require     commendation.     Jessie     and     Orleans 
Rose  are  two  good  reds,  and  Mme.  N.  Levavasseur 
is   a  good   third,  in   the  wav  cif  Crimson    Rambler. 

The  Shrubbery. 

Hypericums. — Willi  the  exception  of  H.  caly- 
cinuni  (Rose  of  Sharon)  and  H.  perforatum  (St. 
John's  Wort),  the  Hypericums  do  not  seem  to  be 
much  taken  advantage  of  for  furnishing  the  shrub- 
berv.  The  two  indicated  are  good  second-row  and 
front-row  plants  respectively,  but  for  th»  centre 
of  a  border  the  three  following  are  excellent; 
H.  androssemum,  H.  Ascyron  and  H.  kalmianum. 
H.  pyramidatum  and  H.  patuhim  are  also  two 
good  species  suitable  for  the  shrubberv. 

Preparatory    to   Transplanting. — Where   it   is 

intended  to  move  established  subjects  either  during 
autumn  or  in  the  following  spring,  the  operation 
will  be  performed  more  successfully  if  the  roots 
are  severed  all  round  with  a  sharp  spade  at  about 
eighteen  inches  from  the  stem. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Housing  Chrysanthemums.— Plants  grown  for 

big  blooms  had  better  be  got  under  glass  without 
much  further  delay.  The  whole  stock  should, 
however,  be  sprayed  as  a  preventive  against 
mildew  previous  to  being  housed.  Molyneux's 
antidote  is  unexcelled  for  efficacy.  It  is  as  follows  : 
Place  2lb.  of  sulphur  and  2lb.  of  unslaked  lime 
in  ten  quarts  of  water  and  boil  for  twenty  minutes. 
When  spraving,  use  two  wine-glassfuls  of  the 
mixture  to  four  gallotis  of  clean  cold  water.  A 
solution  of  sulphide  of  potassium  can  be  used  it 
preferred.  Give  the  newly-housed  plants  abundance 
•if  air  day  and  night  for  a  time. 

Overhauling  the  Heating  Apparatus. — As 
frost  m.w  tircur  at  any  time  now.  the  whole  of  the 
hr'ating  apparatus  should  lie  inspected  to  see  that 
all  is  in  good  order  for  the  criming  winter. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Tomatoes    in    Frames. — Tomatoes    in    frames 

or  other  unheated  structures,  if  not  ripe  now,  will 
do  little  good  whore  they  are.  The  remainder 
'if  the  crop  should  be  picked  and  placed  in  a 
dry,  heated  structure,  and  those  who  can  do  no 
better  can  easily  I'ipen  them  off  on  a  kitchen  shelf. 

Winter  Cucumbers. — Recently-planted  stock 
for  winter  supply  must  have  a  brisk  temperature, 
say,  65^'  rnMHinum.  Less  moisture  will  now  be 
required,  but  actual  dryness  must  be  guarded 
against,  both  in  the  soil  and  the  atmosphere.  As 
the  female  flowers  appear,  thev  should  be  artificiallv 
liollin.iled. 

Decaying  Grapes. — Wherever  these  occur,  Ihey 
should  be  promptly  removed  by  means  of  the 
("Irape  scissors. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Harvesting. — This  w^rk  will  imw  be  nearly 
completed,  but  unripe  fruit  should  lie  left  as  long 
as  the  state  of  the  weather  will  permit. 

Storing  Plums. — Plums  have  been  r.ither  a 
poor  croi>  this  season,  but  wherever  it  is  desired 
to  retain  the  Iruit  as  long  as  possible,  this  can  be 
done  with  the  Coe's  Golden  Drop  type  by  the 
following  means :  After  keeping  the  fruits  in  a 
thoroughly  dry  place  for  a  few  days,  wrap  them  in 
tissue-paper  separatelv  and  keep  in  a  dry  place. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Framing  Cauliflowers. — ^onng  plants,  the  result 
of  the  August  sowing,  should  now  be  lifted  and 
planted  a  few  inches  apart  in  a  cold  frame.  Do 
not  use  rich  soil.  Nothing  equals  pure  fibrous 
loam  for  this  purpose.  Pricked  into  this,  the  plants 
will  lift  with  good  balls  of  roots  in  spring.  Close 
the  frame  for  a  few  davs  and  shade,  and  then  keep 
the  lights  off  whenever  tlie  temperature  is  .ibove 
freezing  point. 

Storing  Marrows. — Marrows  will  not  do  much 
more  good  now.  ,\nv  frnit'^  on  the  plants,  howes'er, 
if  cut  iiiiw  and  placed  in  a  cool,  dry  pantry,  will 
keep  for  .1  long  timf-. 

Lifting  Potatoes. — The  bulk  of  the  Potato 
crop  will  now  be  ready  for  lifting.  Tubers  intended 
for  seed  should  be  stored  in  trays  in  a  cool,  airy  shed. 
Tubers  intended  for  cooking  should  be  placed  in  a 
pit,  but  the  top  of  the  pit  should  not  be  covered 
with  earth  for  a  week  or  two  till  the  surplus 
moisture  has  evaporated.  Charles  Comfort. 
tirnomfield  Gardens,  Davidson'^  Mains,  Midlothian. 


September  27,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


491 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— 77,.'  tUUtor  intends  to 
vutke  Thk  Garden  helpful  to  alt  readfis  n'ho  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  irhat  the  branch  of  gardeninti  majf  be,  and 
ivi*h  that  objeit  irill  male  a  special  feature  of  the  "Ansa-ers 
t»  Correspondents  "  roluinns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  conciseli/  arittcn  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Gakdf.k.  20.  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  (Uirden,  London,  W.C.  llie  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designHtiim  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  tfian  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  namin<j  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
parked  in  damp  ffrass  or  m-jss,  tiot  cotton-ieool,  and  flou'erin<j 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  he  sent.  It  is  useless  to  sejid 
sniail  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Pitbt.ishek. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

NARCISSUS       ATTACKED       BY      STEM       EELWORM 

(./.  L.  H.).-  I'hc  ,\uici.--f'Us  I'ulli  is  att;uk«-d  liy  ttiu  stem 
ci'lworm  (Tylonchns  dovastatrix),  3'his  pojJt  is  very 
troublcsomi?  thi-i  yi'ar.  and  is  liahln  to  attack  other  bulbs 
which  are  jMantod  in  proximity  to  (iiyi-:i;;i'd  om-s. 

LILIES  OF  THE  VALLEY  NOT  FLOWERING  (Chaltmtt 
St.  Peter).  -'l'\iv  nasoii  .it"  vmir  lilio-  nf  tin-  Valley  nnt 
tlowrriivj  this  y.'ar  is  in  all  pr')lial)ility  that  they  wtro 
not  !:;ufflcirntly  fstayiHshcd  ior  them  t(»  ptTti'ct  their 
frowns  for  this  year's  blooniin','.  If  thr  soil  is  cood  and 
they  have  been  well  supplied  with  water  durini'  this 
abnormally  dry  season,  you  may  reasonably  anticipate 
a  jiood  display  of  bloom  ni-\t  season.  The  eonchfion  of 
the  leafa^ze  will,  however.  j;ive  you  a  ;;ood  t^uidi-  a?  to  thi.s, 
for  if  the  foliaye  is  pooranrl  scanty,  you  cannot  expect  a 
^ood  crop  of  blossoms.  If  the  leaves  show  any  signs 
of  starvation,  a  ^ood  plan  will  lie  to  j:ive  the  bed  a  top 
dressim;  of  some  fairly  rich  compn^t,  say,  t'qual  part.s  of 
loam  and  well-decayed  manure  passed  throiitxh  a  sieve 
with  half  an  inch  mesh.  This  mi.'Ctnre  niay  be  put  on  to 
a  depth  of  half  an  inch  to  an  inch,  accordini;  to  the  present 
position  ot  the  erowns. 

PINK  AND  YELLOW  PERENNIALS  FOR  JUNE  AND 
EARLY  JULY  (.l/f.;x  .1.  (M.  'Hie  Hower  sent  for  namint: 
is  A->trantiii  majoi .  tlie  Greater  Ma^terwort.  Good. 
bri'.;ht  pink  and  yellow  Howers  of  the  height  you  desire 
are  rather  scarce  dririm:  the  months  of  June  "and  early 
July,  but  the  followin<:  may  be  helpful  to  you:  Pink  - 
Altha'a  cannabina.  5  feet  to  0  feet  ;  Astrantia  hclle- 
borifolia,  dull  pink.  'J,  foct  ;  Centaurea  dealbata.  2  feet  ; 
<-'.  mnntana  rosea.  "2  feet  ;  Incarvillea  Olute  (not  very 
hardy).  :i  fei-t  to  4  feet  ;  T^thyrus  rotund.ifoUus,  climbing, 
4  feet  to  i*  feet  ;  .Spir;ea  palnmta  \enusta  :  with  some 
of  the  Arendsii  hyhrid  Astilbes.  such  as  Vesta,  Ceres, 
with  Queen  Alexandra  and  Peach  Itlossom,  which,  it 
well  grown,  will  reach  over  two  feet.  Some  of  the  pink 
herbaceous  Pa-onies  to  be  found  in  nurserymen's  cata- 
loirues  will  aiiswr  well,  and  Pyrethrnms  will  come  in 
useful  early  in  tin'  period.  Keally  good  pinks  are  scarec. 
thouuh  there  are  identy  of  scarlets  and  crimsons.  The 
following  yellows  are  sugi-ested  :  Achillea  Eupatorium. 
4  feet  to  5  feet  :  Al--tniMneria  aurea,  2  feet  to  4  feet; 
Aquilci-'ia  clirysantha,  2  feet  to  :?  feet;  Centaurea  macro- 
ecphala.  4  feet  to  -"»  feet  :  Coreopsis  L'randillora,  2  feet 
to  4  feet  :  C.  lanceolata,  2  feet  ;  Doronieum  plantagineum 
excelsum  (keepthis  back  by  t.aking  off  spring  flowers),  2  feet 
to  4  feet  :  Hemerocallises.  almost  any.  omitting  H.  fuha 
and  varieties  and  H.  aurantiaea  m.ijor ;  Iris  Jlonnieri, 
:i  feet  to  4  feet ;  J.  aurea.  2  feet  to  4  feet ;  J.inaria  dal- 
matica.  3  feet  to  4  fi-ct  ;  (Enotbera  ^'oungii.  2  feet  to 
:J  feet  ;  Potentill:w.  yellow  hybrid  varieties,  such  as 
Gold  Kngel,  Mo7it  d'Or,  Pho-bus  and  Vased'Or;  and  Thcr- 
niopsis  montana.  2  feet.  Some  <iood  i)inks  will  be  found 
among  the  early  section  of  Phloxes.  Chanu-leon,  Isaac 
House  and  The  Queen  may  be  named.  Wc  prefer 
Impatiens  Sultanii.  which  is  a  perennial  and  is  propagated 
by  cuttings  of  -trong  shoots  put  singly  in  small  pots 
and  placed  in  a  pvopagsling-framr-.  Dry  sand  is  the 
best  me^ns  of  storing  the  roots  of  Salvia  patens  and 
Commclina  cneiestis  for  the  winter. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

WISTARIA    AND   SECOND    CROP   OF   FLOWERS   (Sir 

Francis  AHley-Citdiett). —U  is  not  unusual  for  a  Wistaria 
to  produce  a,  second  crop  of  flowers  during  late  summer, 
although  your  plant  appears  to  be  blossoming  more  freely 
than  most  plants  do  at  this  period.  The  dry  weather 
experienced  durinu*  the  last  few  months  may  account  to 
some  i-\tent  for  the  quantity  of  inflorescences. 

CLIMBERS  FOR  POLES  {Rahm).—T:hc  two  Roses 
named  would  be  very  suitable  :  also  the  following  sorts — 
.\imee  Vibeit,  Alister  Stella  Gray,  Bouquet  d'Or,  Celine 
Forestier,  Climbing  Devoniensis,  L'Ideal,  R€ve  d'Or, 
Keine  Marie  Henrictte.  Mme.  Alfred  Carri^re  and  Marfchal 
Niel — should  do  well  in  your  garden.  Other  suitable 
climbers  are  Vitis  {\mpelopsis)  Heuryii,  Clematis  Viticella 
and  varieties  alba  and  rubra,  C.  Jackmannii  and  varieties 
Snow  White  and  superba.  l^orsythia  suspensa.  Jasminunis 
nudifiorum,      officinale,      primulinum     and      revolutuni  ; 


Passiflora  cirrulea.  and  Wistaria  chinensis  and  variety 
alba.  Any  of  the  foregoing  which  grow  too  vigorously 
can  be  kept  within  bounds  by  using  the  knife  freely. 
The  Crataegus  and  Berberis  are  not  suitable.  Pyn'is 
(Cydonia)  japonica  would  clothe  the  pole,  but  is  not  suitatle 
to  train  along  wires. 

SHRUBS  FOR  NAME  AND  TREATMENT  (Bird).— 
Tht'  spceimeTis  ^.  iit  for  determinatiuu  are  as  follow: 
1,  Ceanothiis  (Vre^  ;  j.  Spiraea  japoiiira  var.  Anthony 
Watcrer ;  :i.  Spiriea  japonica  var.  alba.  All  mav  be 
propagated  by  means  of  cuttings  of  half-ripe  shoots 
inserted  in  sandy  soil  in  a  close,  shaded  frame  during 
July  and  August.  Cuttings  inserted  at  the  pre.scnt  time 
may  take  root,  but  as  a  rule  they  prove  more  satisfactory 
at  the  earlier  date. 

BLACK  BLIGHT  ON  TREES  (G.  M.  r,'.).-^The  black  blight 
of  which  you  eoini.lain  i-  the  result  of  the  lcavo<»  being 
infested  with  aphides  earlier  in  the  year.  The  insects 
deposit  a  sticky  excrement  on  the  leaves,  which  are  after- 
wards in  a  condition  to  collect  and  retain  dust  and  other 
impurities  of  the  atmosphere.  The  fact  of  shrubs  covering 
the  ground  beneath  atfccted  trees  accounts  largely  for 
so  many  varieties  bciiig  infested.  Probably,  had  some 
of  the  subjects  been  growing  in  the  open  garden,  they 
would  have  escaped.  Evergreens  may  be  cleaned,  to 
some  extent  by  lightly  syringing  the  leaves  and  branches 
with  strong  soft  soapy  water :  then,  before  they  have  time 
to  dry,  hosing  th^-m  with  a  strong  force  of  clear  v.ater. 
It  is  better,  howeVor.  that  such  work  shouhl  be  done 
earlier  in  the  year,  before  "the  covering  has  become  so 
dense. 


FRUIT     GARDEN. 

SPOTS  ON  ALICANTE  GRAPES  (/.  //.).— Your  Grap<^ 
are  sutfering  from  a  disease  which  in  L'arden  parlance 
is  termed  "  scald."  It  is  caused  by  too  cold  a  t<'mperature 
and  too  danlp  an  atmosphere.  To  cure  it,  add  brisk  heat 
to  the  hot-water  pipe-;,  give  air  freely  all  day,  and  some 
at  night,  loo.  wbi-n  the  weather  is  fa\ourable,  T>o  not 
have  the  vinery  quite  closed  up  at  any  time  in  any  weather. 
Free  ventilatioh,  with  a  fair  degi-ce'of  h^at  in  the  pipes, 
should  stop  the  *iprcad  of  the  discAs';  and  help  to  ripen 
your  Grapes  in  due  time. 

FIGS  NOT  RIPENING  iE.  .V.I.— Vou  do  not  say  ^yhetlier 
your  I'vj.  tree  is  urowiu'i  against  a  wall  or  not  Fig^i  in 
the  open  ground  round  I'aling  will  not  ripen  satisfactorily 
except  in  very  |iot  summers.  It  your  tree  is  growing 
against  a  south  wall,  there  is  no  reason  whv  the  fruit 
should  nnt  ripen  if  the  tree  is  properly  looked  after. 
Your  fruit,  which  yo!i  say  is  at  present  dry.  may  yet  ripen 
in  the  course  of  next  pionth.  Outdoor  Figs  are  not  yet 
ripe.  Expose  the  fruit  to  more  li-jht  and  air  by  tying 
the  brancln-s  and  fiiliaue  on  one  side. 

VINE  LEAVES  FALLING  PREMATURELY  (.lH.no».«;).— 
The  case  you  state  is  an  uncommon  ont-.  but  we  have 
occasionally  experienced  the  same  thing.  It  i<  due, 
M'o  think,  to  conditions  of  weather  and  growth  rather 
than  to  any  disease,  and  we  think  you  will  find  that  the 
Vines  next  year  will  suffer  practically  no  ill-elfcct  from 
the  occurrence,  especially  if  you  will  try  to  encourage 
a  free  lateral  growtn  from  what  there  is  left  of  the  summer 
growth,  in  order  to  properly  develop  and  plump  up  the 
fruit-buds.  The  summer,  on  the  whnle,  has  been  wantin-^ 
in  sunshine,  and  the  growth,  especially  of  young  Vines, 
has  been  robust,  soft  and  sappy,  with  often  a  lot  of 
moisture  hanging  about  them.  This,  we  think,  must 
have  been  so  in  your  case,  and  occasional  intensely  hot 
alcams  of  sun  stiikin.t:  on  the  folin-'c  at  the  lime  when  the 
Vines  were  in  this  condition  was  too  m'jch  for  them. 

PEACH  STONES  DECAYING  (In  Afnivcr  to  yamero,u 
Enqaii-ers).— Thr  real  cause  of  ston''  splitting  and  conse- 
quent decay  of  the  stone  is  a  subject  on  which,  as  far  as 
we  know,  no  specific  or  definite  information  is  available. 
The  disease  seems  to  have  a  partiality  for  some  varieties 
over  others,  notably  late  varieties  of  large  size,  such  as 
Lord  Palmerston,  Princess  of  Wales,  Sea  Eagle  and  some- 
times Noblesse.  The  disease  also,  aecordiuL'  to  our 
experience,  appears  to  attack  the  fruit  more  frequently 
in  unheated  Peach-honses  than  in  heated  ones  or 
out  of  doors.  We  believe  the  cause  to  be  due  to  some 
imperfection  or  fault  in  fertilisation,  which  ultimately 
develops  into  this  disease.  We  arc  fortified  in  this  opinion 
by  the  faet  that  we  practically  got  rid  of  it  on  one  occasion 
by  addiu'^  hot-water  pipes  to  the  house,  thereby  creating 
a  warmer,  drier  and  more  favourable  atmosphere  for 
settin-j  the  fruit  w^hile  the  trees  were  in  bloom.  Wo 
believe,  al-o.  that  the  trouble  may,  partially  at  any  rate, 
be  got  over  by  taking  special  care  to  have  abundanct^  of 
air  admitted  to  the  house  night  and  day  while  the  trees 
are  in  bloom  in  favourable  weather,  and  to  protect  from 
hard  frost  (glass  alone  is  not  always  enough  for  this), 
aided  by  artificial  fertilisation.  Some  growers  think 
that  tlie  trouble  is  due  to  insect  pests,  such  as  ants  or 
earwigs.  These  insects  are  i^enerally  attracted  to  these 
fruits  when  affected  by  this  disease,  penetrating  into 
them  through  an  orifice  in  the  flesh  at  the  base  of  the 
stalk,  which  usually  accompanies  this  disease.  We  do 
ngt  think  the  insects  have  anything  to  do  with  the  cause 
of  it. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

MARROWS  UNSATISFACTORY  (O.  I.  C.).— Imperfect 
fertilisation  of  tlie  Islooms  is  the  cause  of  the  young  Marrows 
rottinu  at  the  point  as  you  describe.  Watch  for  the  female 
blossoms  as  they  appear,  and  expose  to  more  light  and 
air  (until  the  Marrow  is  set)  by  pushing  on  one  side  a  few 
of  the  grosser  leaves  until  this  process  is  over.  Marrows 
do  not  like  too  much  wet  about  their  foliage  or  roots. 


At  the  same  time,  they  must  always  be  kept  moderately 
damp  at  the  roots.  There  are  many  complaints  of 
.Marrows  doing  badly  this  year. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

A  NEW  AZALEA  DISEASE  (C  hath  i  1 1). —The  Azalea 
is  attacked  by  the  fungus  called  Fxob-isidium  japonicum, 
which  proiluees  trails  on  haves  and  buils  of  Azalea  indica. 
It  is  of  recent  introduction  into  this  country,  and  spreads 
by  means  of  spores,  which  form  the  whitish  powder  on 
the  surface  of  the  t-alls.  They  should  be  picked  off  and 
burned  a^  soon  as  they  are  noticed. 

HOW  TO  MAKE  LIQUID  MANURE  (If/noramus).~ 
Various  quantities  of  mamire  may  be  immersed  in  water. 
One  peck  of  cow  or  two  pecks  of  horse  nianure  may  be 
;.laced  in  a  ba-j;  and  the  whole  immersed  in  twenty  gallons 
nf  clerr  water  in  a  tub  or  other  vessel.  It,  should  be  left 
(o  s^vik  tiiere  for  three  days,  being  moved  to  and  fro 
a  little  twice  every  day.  Use  one  pint  of  the  liquid  to  a 
■gallon  nf  cle?r  water,  and  a  similar  quantity  e.f  the  cow- 
hoii-e  liquid  to  a  gallon  of  clear  water.  Both  soot-wotor 
and  liquid  manure  should  be  applied  aftei-  rain  or  a  watering 
of  clear  water  from  the  wafi'nh^-ean. 

MAGNOLIA  AND  PELARGONIUMS  (Sieanflr  Lnnflmflrt).— 
Y(eir  M;ignnl;a  is  itppanntly  th-'  evergieen  species,  M. 
grandifloi-a.  and  you'  nii^y  carry  out  the  Tiecessary  amount 
of  pruning  at  once.  Cut  th--  braneli  -tif  ciintidly  so  that 
the  bark  on  the  adjoluiuL^  part  uf  the  tre.-  is  iiot  injured  ; 
then  pare  the  nhz'-^  id"  th«'  wounil.with  a.shtirp  knife, 
and  covi-r  the'  woiunli  d  -mrface  \vith  coal-tar  without 
delav. '■  Your  t^elaigdtiiums.  which  arc"  infei^ted  with 
nif^jily  tx'ig.  may  be  <Kaned  with  a  wash  made  of  ^oft 
s'oap  and  parUffin  at  the  rate  of  lialf  a  pound  of  soft  soap 
and  half  a  pint  of  parafliu  to  three  gallons  of  wat*r. 
keeping  ttie  mixture  well  stirred  while  it»  use  ;  or  with  any 
of  the  insielieides  supplied  by  nurserymen.  Keep  the 
plants  i--oIatrd  for  a  couple  of  months,  and  clean  them 
at  It'-isJ  once  a  fortnight  (hiring  that  time.  The  mealy 
bug  Vmglib  to  halve  disappep.red"  entirely  before  the  end 
of  the  two  months. 

.'SLUGS  IN  A  MORAINE  (//.  E.  T.).— It  is  most  unusual 
for.  plants  in  a  moraine  to  be  devoured  by  slugs,  and  we 
kiunv  se\eral  u'ardens  in  which  there  are  a  good  number 
of  slugs  about  the  ruckeries,  but  none  trouble  the  plants 
in  the  moraine.  It  is  possible  that  they  may  have  come 
with  the  material  for  the  moraine,  and  as  hand-picking, 
which  is  the  mbst  effectual  way  of  destroyitii:  th-in  in 
I  most  cases,  cannot  well  be  adopti'd.  we  suggest  oci^asional 
i  dustinj^s  with  freshly->lakec1  lime  in  the  evenings  ;ifter 
dark  when"  they  are  about.  This  should  be  repeated 
several  times,  with  but  a  sliort  time  betwePn  the  appli- 
cations." A  solution  of  ammonia  is  also  suggested  by 
some  to  destroy  slugs,  but  it  f:hould  not  he  strong.  Yoii 
might  tty  bA'tt  in  the  form  of  bran,  or  Lettuces  or  f:abbage 
leaves,  examining  these  after  dark  and  destroying  the 
sluus  found  on  them. 

NOTES  ON  THE  ORDER  VERBENACE£  (.1.  L., 
Orleans).— Thv  Order  \'erbenaceie  derives  its  name  from 
one  of  the  principal  genera  (Verbena)  included  therein. 
The  chief  members  of  it  arc  of  wide  geographical  distri- 
bution over  the  surface  of  the  globe,  and  vary  from  humble 
herbaceous  plants  to  tall  fprest  trees.  To  give  the 
history,  species  and  culture  thereof  would  occupy  far 
more  space  than  we  have  available,  but  at  the  same  time 
we  will  endeavour  to  comply  with  your  request  as  far 
as  possible.  The  garden  varieties  of  Verbena,  that  is  to 
say,  those  that  are  chiefly  employed  for  summer  bedding, 
have  originated  from  some  South  American  kinds  which 
were  introduced  during  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  These  are  very  readily  increased  by  seeds  or 
cuttings.  Lippia  citriodora  is  the  well-known  Lemon- 
scented  Verbena,  and  is  also  known  as  Aloysia  citriodora. 
The  principal  species  of  Yitex  is  V.  .\gnus-castus,  a  native 
of  Southern  Europe  and  known  popularly  as  the  Chaste 
Tree.  This  is  derived  from  the  fact  that  it  was  largely 
used  by  the  Roman  maidens  for  the  embellishment  of 
their  apartments,  it  being  regarded  as  a  sign  of  their 
chastity.  It  thrives  best  in  this  country  trained  to  a 
wall,  where  it  forms  a  loose-growing  shrub, "which,  towards 
the-  end  of  the  summer,  bears  spikes  of  very  pale  mauve, 
almos*  white,  blossoms.  Prominent  among  other  genera 
that  arc  includeil  in  the  Order  Verbenaccie  are  :  Clero- 
dendron.  an  extensive  class  of  warm-house  plants,  some 
of  them  being  shrubby,  while  others  are  of  a  climbing 
character — the  flowers  of  most  of  them  are  showy ; 
Callicarpa,  the  best-known  species  of  which  is  C.  purpurea, 
a  grecniiouse  plant  which  bears  a  great  pr&fusion  of  small 
purple  licrries  in  autumn;  Petr'^a.  one  member  of  which 
(P.  vohibilis)  requires  the  temperature  of  a  stove  and 
has  long,  drooping  racemes  of  lilac-coloured  blossoms ; 
Lantanas.  pretty  free-flowering  greenhouse  plants,  very 
popular  now  for  bedding  purposes  ;  and  Caryopteris  Masta- 
canthus.  a  liardv  slirnb  that  thrives  best  in  a  warm  soil. 
Its  spikes  of  |jretty  blue  flowers  are  freely  borne  in  early 
autumn.  From  an  economic  standpoint  the  most  valuable 
of  all  verbenaceous  plants  is  the  'I'cak  (Tectona  grandJs). 
a  deciduous  tree  attaining  a  height  of  120  feet  to  l.^O  feet, 
with  a  girth  of  20  feet  to  25  feet.  It  is  a  native  of  India. 
Burmaii  and  the  Malay  Archipelago.  The  timber  is 
extensively  employed  for  ship-building,  and  is  also  put 
to  a  variety  of  other  uses. 

NAMES    OF    PLANTS.  —  .^.    W.,   Forsj/M.— Saponaria 

officinalis  flore  pleno. T.  Bay. — The  variety  is  not  Tea 

Rambler  but  Tausendschon. 

NAMES    OF    FRUIT.— fi.  ./. /J.— 1.  Maigil ;   2,  King  of 

the  Pippins  ;  3,  Yellow  Ingestre  ;  4,  Tower  of  Glamis. 

E.  B.,  Old  Southgate. — 2,  Reinette  du  Canada:  5.  Haw- 
tlioinden;  8,  Altriston  ;  13,  Ribston  Pippin.  All  the  other 
labels  were  detached.  Each  fruit  snould  be  wrapped 
separately  in  paper  with  number  enclosed. 


492 


THE     GARDEN. 


[September  27,  1913. 


M0S3  ON  PATHS  (.1.  H.  /?.).— The  moss  on  your  walks 
is  cvidi-iitlv  caustd  bv  want  of  dra.m»i.'i'.  If  you  could 
put  a  drain  b'low,  you  would  iirobably  Ki't  rid  of  It  ;  but. 
as  you  may  not  wish  to  do  this,  you  can  try  a  top-dn'ssim; 
of  lirai'.  or  of  soot  and  salt,  or  lime  and  sidphur.  Some 
also  trv  a  solution  of  ammouia  sulphate  in  the  proportion 
of  half  a  pound  to  a  '.lallon  of  water.  Th'  only  other 
thin;  we  can  suggest  is  to  keej)  the  surface  constantly 
loose:  but  this  is  not  pleasant  for  a  walk.  Drainage  is 
reallv  the  best  cure. 

PRUNUS  AND  COLD-FISH  {Captain  K.  F.  O.).— 
Prunus  serndata  Pore  plcno  is  stocked  by  Messrs.  Veitcii, 
Kind's  Road,  Chelsea,  and  is  priced  at  from  Is.  6d.  to 
2s.  ad.  a  plant.  Thev.  however,  call  it  Ccrasus  serrulata. 
It  is  not  likely  that'  fold-flsh  would  survive  the  winter 
in  an  outdoor  tank  of  the  dimensions  you  describe.  They 
couli,  however,  he  placed  in  it  for  the  summer.  A  Water 
Lilv  placed  in  the  tank  would  bo  an  advantage.  Charcoal 
assists  in  kei'pinu  water  sweet,  but  its  presence  does  not 
do  awav  with  the  necessity  of  a  frequent  chanQO  of  water. 

PARAFFIN  TO  KILL  INSECTS  ON  MANURE  iN.  E.  L.). 
—Tile  amount  of  harm  dnni'  by  the  parattln  poured  on 
tlie  man, ire  to  the  plants  snbsequentlv  to  b  ■  ^'rown  would 
not  be  likely  to  be  very  great  if  some  time  elapsed  between 
the  treatment  and  the  use  of  the  manure ;  but  it  would 
be  likely  to  interfere  with  the  proper  decay  of  the  manure 
in  the  neap.  Why  not  cover  the  heap  with  a  layer  of 
garden  soil  ?  Sulphate  of  ammonia  for  the  treatment 
of  a  lawn  should  be  used  at  the  rate  of  IJcwt.  to  the  acre. 
l''or  a  lawn  100  feet  by  30  feet,  181b.  to  201b.  would  be 
suttieieiit  ;    more  should  not  be  used. 

LEAF-MOULD  FOR  HEAVY  SOIL  (.17'ir).  -In  our 
opinion  you  may  safely  use  the  leaf-mould  for  lightening 
vour  very  heavy  soil,"  but  at  the  same  time  we  should 
reject  any  of  the  Pine  leaves  that  you  possibly  can.  This 
docs  not' mean  that  you  are  to  take  extraordinary  pre- 
cautions to  sort  them'  out,  but  rather  to  give  preference 
to  the  leaf-mould  Irom  spots  where  the  Pine  leaves  arc 
least  numerous.  As  clayey  soil  is  greatly  benefited 
by  breaking  up  and  turning,  we  should  advise  that  the 
le'af-mould  be  applied  this  autumn  and  well  dug  in  ; 
then  in  the  spring,  before  planting,  it  should  be  again 
turned  over  and  well  broken  up.  The  name  of  the  Orange 
Lily  is  IJlium  croceum,  a  very  fine  border  Lily,  at  its  best, 
as  a  rule,  during  the  latter  part  of  June  and  the  first  half 
of  .luly. 

LETTUCE  FOR  WINTER  IN  FRAMES  (J.  R.).— The 
best  varieties  to  grow  for  this  purpose  are  the  Stanstead 
Park  Cabbage  Lettuce  and  the  Black-seeded  Bath  Cos. 
The  seeds  should  be  sown  at  once  (it  would  have  been 
better  had  they  been  sown  a  fortnight  ago)  in  a  cold  frame 
in  fine,  light,  triable  soil,  keeping  the  lights  off  the  frame 
as  long  as  the  weather  is  tine.  As  soon  as  the  young  plants 
are  2  inches  high,  transplant  into  other  frames  (previously 
prepared  as  to  soil  like  the  other)  8  inches  apart  each  way. 
Let  the  plants  be  exposed  to  the  weather  day  and  night 
while  it  is  favourable,  as  the  hardier  the  plants  are  grown 
the  better  they  will  stand  the  winter.  The  seedling 
plants  in  the  frame  should  be  thinned  out  to  8  inches 
apart.  Should  there  be  any  plants  left  over  after  planting 
the  frames,  let  these  be  planted  in  the  open  quarters  of 
the  garden  at  the  same  distance  apart  as  in  the  frames. 
These  will  survive  the  winter,  unless  it  should  prove  to 
be  very  severe,  and  turn  in  early  and  useful  in  spring. 
During"  severe  weather  in  winter  those  which  arc  in  frames 
must  be  protected  with  mats  or  some  other  covering 
material  at  night ;  but  they  must  have  fresh  air  every 
day  if  possible^  or  they  will  damp  and  rot  away. 


SOC  I  ET  I  ES. 


ROYAL    HORTICULTURAL    SOCIETY. 

In  addition  to  tin-  ii^iitil  furtni^litly  rxliibition,  there 
were  compi'titivo  classes  for  vc-jftables  and  DahliHB 
at  Vincent  Square,  Westminster,  on  Tuesday  last.  The 
hall  was  filled  throughout,  the  vegetabU'  classes  beinji 
well  contested,  while  massive  banks  of  Dahlias  and 
Michaelmas  Daisies  created  hrisht  autumnal  colour 
scenes.  It,  wa- pleasing  to  see  Mr.  John  Heal  back  again 
after  his  long  illness. 

Floral  Committee. 

Present  :  H.  B.  May.  Esq.  (chairman),  and  Messrs.  G. 
Rcuthc,  \V.  l».  Thomson,  J.  W.  Moorman,  C.  T.  Druery, 
\V.  J.  James,  C.  E.  Pearson,  fl.  Gordon,  J.  Green,  E.  A. 
Bowles,  H.  J.  Jones.  A.  Turner,  T.  Stevenson,  J.  'J'. 
Bennett-Poe,  K.  Hooper  Pearson,  W.  Howe,  W.  tuth- 
bertson,  l-'.  Pa^'C-Koberts.  W.  G.  Baker.  J.  W.  Barr, 
B.  Crisp.  J.  Jcniungs.  U,  C.  Xotcntt  and  C.  l>ixon. 

Mr.  l.-;rnest  Ballard.  The  Court.  C^olwall.  Herefordshire, 
staged  a  flue  lot  of  secdlin't  Asters,  all  raised  at  Col  wall. 
Nnnv^rous  double-fiowenn'^  varieties  were  shown,  of 
whicM  Cloudy  Blue.  Nancy  Ballard,  Glory  of  Colwall 
and  Beauty  of  Colwall  were  all  grand.  Some  of  the  fiaest 
seedlm-js  were  unnamed. 

Another  j:rand  exhibit  of  Asters  came  from  the  Wariirave 
Plant  Farm.  Limited.  The  Arcade,  Liverpool  Street. 
E.C.  This  exhibit  contained  such  fine  varieties  as  Amelhis, 
Stella,  aTJs,  Beauty  r.f  rolwatl  and  Saturn,  while  the 
small-tlowercd  erieoides.  Clio,  cordifnlins.  Ideal  and  Vir^iin 
Queen  were  shown  in  tne  height  of  perfection. 

Mc'^srs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co..  Bush  Hill  Park,  Middlesex, 
showed  their  new  Salmon  Kin^i  Carnation,  ot  ^ood  form 
and  deli.rhtfnlly  fra-rant.  tojether  wim  Enc-nantress. 
Supreme.  Empire  Day  and  other  well-known  varieties. 

The  Uev.  J.  H.  Pemberton,  Haver, u^.  Essck,  showed 
his  n^nv  s(M;dlmn  Roses.  Duna '  and  MDonli!:n^  boMi  fif 
which  have  often  been  referred  to  in  our  pa,.;e-. 


From  Herbert  Chapman,  liimitoil.  Bye,  came  a  lovely 
seedling  Nerine  named  Botherside,  with  fine  orange  red 
flowers^ 

Me.ssr.^.  William  Cutbush  and  Son.  Hiffhgate.  N".,  put 
up  a  first-rate  collection  of  Pent^temons,  of  which  Mauve 
Queen,  Mrs.  Baird  and  Pink  Pi'arl  were  the  pick. 

From  Mr.  James  Box,  Lindfleld.  came  the  beautiful 
Lilium  sulphureum  and  L.  nepalense,  also  CimieifU'-^a 
snnple.v  and  Crinum  PovvcIUi,  making  a  very  interesting 
thouiih  small  exhibit. 

Ptiloxes  were  sliown  in  creat  profusion  by  Messrs. 
W.  Wells  and  Co.,  Limited,  Merstham,  Surrey.  The  most 
conspicuou-i  varieties  were  Elizabeth  t'ampbcll,  Eclaireur, 
Le  Mahdi  and  Aurora. 

Messrs.  Allwood  Brothers,  Hayward's  Heath,  showed 
Carnations  in  bright  and  perfect  condition.  T'he  varictj 
Mary  Allwood  was  especially  good,  while  the  novelties 
Yellowstcme,  Fairmount,  Enchantress,  Supreme  and 
Rosette  arc  certain  indications  of  tne  immense  improve- 
ment among  these  flowers  in  recent  times. 
Dahlia-. 
In  Cle,ss  A,  for  amateurs,  a  group  of  decorative  garden 
Dahliasof  all  or  any  sections,  12  feet  by  3  feet,  was  required, 
and  there  were  three  entrants.  The  first  prize  of  the 
Koyal  Horticultural  Society's  silver  cup  and  the  Veiteh 
Memorial  Medal  was  won  by  the  Bev.  Arthur  Bridge, 
Worth  Rectory,  Three  Bridges,  Sussex,  who  put  up  a 
grand  display.  A  few  of  his  best  blooms  were  Uwen 
Thoma^:,  Leslie  Scale  and  Rosebank  Scarlet,  all  Collarettes  ; 
while  a  fine  reddish  Caetns  variety  was  named  Mary  Furrier. 
A  second  prize  was  awarded  to  Sir  Randolf  Baker,  Bart.. 
Blandford.  for  a  meritorious  exhibit ;  and  the  J>uchess 
of  Albany  was  the  other  exhibitor. 

In  Class  B,  a  group  of  decorative  garden  Dahlias  of  all 
or  any  sections,  25  feet  by  3  feet,  was  required.  th«  prize 
being  the  75-guinea  challenge  cup  presented  to  the  Royal 
Horticulturar  Society  by  Reginald  Cory,  Esq.  Here 
competition  was  very  keen,  there  being  eleven  entrants.  The 
first  prize  was,  however,  awarded  to  Messrs.  Carter  Page 
and  Co..  London  Wall,  E.C.  for  a  superb  display,  in  which 
all  sections  were  well  represented.  The  following  were 
noteworthy  :  Collarettes — Negro  and  Union  Jack  ; 
Cactus — Mrs.  1).  Fleming,  .Australian  and  Amos  Perry  ; 
Decorative — D61ice,  a  beautiful  rosy  pink,  and  Mnu'. 
Lami^re  ;  P»ony-ftowered — Bayard;  and  Pompon^Red 
Indian  and  Chieftain.  Following  very  closely  were 
.Messrs.  J.  Cheal.  Crawley,  who  presented  a  splendid 
lot,  one  named  Victoria  being  exceptionally  good.  Other 
entrants  were  Messrs.  Dobbie  and  Co.,  Edinburgh  ;  Mr.  J. 
Emberson.  Walthamstow  :  Messrs.  Treseder.  Cardiff ; 
Messrs.  Warnaar  and  Co.,  Sassenheim,  Holland  :  Messrs. 
Keynes.  Williams  and  Co.,  Salisbury  ;  Mr.  J.  T.  West, 
Brentwood  ;  Messrs.  T.  S.  Ware,  Feltham  ;  Mr.  C. 
Turner.  Slough;     and  M.  V.  Seale,  Scvenoaks. 

Non-competitive  groups  were  few,  and  the  best  exhibit 
came  from  Messrs.  Dobbie.  Edinburgh,  whose  stand 
contained  Collarettes  only.  They  were  in  the  pink  of 
condition,  and  Goltlstern.  Queen  Anne,  Balmoral,  Negro, 
Great  Orme  and  Diadem  were  especially  good. 

Mr.  J.  B.  Ridiu'i.  Chingfnrd.  put  up  a  nice  lot  of  blooms. 

M.  Capron.  Mont  Rose.  Negro  and  Weber  being  conspicuous. 

Messrs.  J.  Burrell  and  Co.,  Cambridge,  had  eignt  vase- 

of  Cactus  varieries,  the  one  named  Moreno  standing  out 

conspicuously. 

Orchid  Committee. 
Present  :  J.  G.  Fowler.  Esq.  (chairman),  Sir  Harry  J. 
Veiteh,  Sir  Jeremiah  Colman,  Bart..  Messrs.  James  O'Brien, 
J.  W.  Potter,  R.  G.  Thwaites,  F.  J.  Hanbury,  A.  Me  Bean, 
T.  Armstrong.  C.  H.  Curtis.  W.  Cobb.  J.  Charle.sworth, 
\\  H  Hatcher.  .1.  Cypher.  W.  P.  Bound,  J.  E.  Shill.  H.  G. 
Alexander.  A.  Dye,  W.  H.  White.  W.  Flory.  R.  A.  Rolfe, 
W.  Bolton,  Guriiey  Wilson  and  C.  J.  Tineas. 

In  the  pretty  group  set  up  by  Messrs.  Cypher  of  Chelten- 
ham we  saw  several  fine  Cypripedinms  for  which  the  firm 
is  famous.  They  included  Gaston  Bnltel,  Bcdvcrs  Buller. 
Niobc.  Corona,  and  tritimphans.  Cattleya  Iris  was  good, 
and  a  conspicuous  plant  was  Oncidium  incurvum  album. 

Messrs.  Armstrong  and  Brown.  Tunbridge  Wells,  were 
rei)resented  by  Cattleyas  and  Odontiodas,  the  former 
embracing  several  fine  varieties  of  Iris,  and  a  few  good 
Lselio-Cattleyas.  of  which  their  George  Woodhams  was 
specially  noteworthy. 

Messrs  Sand  t  and  Sons,  St.  AUians,  displayed  a  varied 
exhibit  which  was  rich  in  Cattleyas  and  Lfelio-Cattlcyas, 
also  the  choice  Crelogyne  luooreana,  Vanda  caerulea  and 
Phaloenopsis  Esmeralda. 

From  Messrs.  Charlesworth  came  a  few  well-grown 
examples,  such  as  LEPlio-Cattleya  eallistoglossa.  with  seven 
nice  riowers;  Oncidium  incurvum,  with  an  aggregate  of 
eight  (graceful  scapes;  Odontoglossum  xanthotes  and  other 
good  things. 

Messrs.  Hassall  and  Co.,  Southgate,  had  a  nice  lot  of 
Cattleyas,  their  varieties  of  Adula  and  Iris  being  very 
effective. 

H.  S.  Goodson,  Esq..  Putney,  sent  a  large  exhibit,  very 
tastefully  arranged.  It  consisted  of  good  Lieiio-Cattloyas. 
such  as  "Myra.  also  Cattleya  pittiana  and  C.  Iris,  wnile 
Odontoglossum  grande  was  displayed  along  the  front. 
Fruit  and  Vegetable  Committee. 
Present  :  A.  H.  Pearson,  Esq.  (chairman),  and  Messrs. 
J.  Cheal.  W.  Bates,  J.  Basham,  J.  Willard.  Edwin  Beckett. 
\V.  Humphreys,  A.  Grubb,  A.  R.  Allan,  William  J. 
Jeffries,  J.  Davis,  W.  Pope,  F.  G.  Treseder,  A.  Barlock, 
G.  Reynolds,  P.  A.  Tucker,  P.  C.  M.  Veiteh,  J.  Harrison 
and  vC'.  Ponpart. 

In  addition  to  the  well-flllcd  competitive  classes,  there 
were  a  great  many  exhibits  of  more  than  usual  interest 
not  for  eompea.ifjn.  Seldom,  ii  ever,  have  we  seen  a 
finer  lo^  of  vegetahies  than  tne  comprehensive  enllection 
staged  by  Mes'-rs.  Sutton  and  Sons.  KeadiuL-.  To  this 
ma'mificejit  display  th^  society's  gold  medal  was  de.ser\  eiUy 


awarded.  Almost  every  conceivable  kind  of  vegetable 
was  represented.  Roots  such  as  Onions,  Carrots  and 
Parsnips  stood  out  conspicuously,  while  Cucumbers  and 
Tomatoes  in  great  variety  were  shown  in  the  same  heiiifc''. 
of  perfection,  and  the  foliage  of  Kale  and  Beet  added 
mattrially  to  the  general  effect  of  the  collection,  whicii 
was  staged  with  a  masterly  hand. 

The  Right  Hon.  Colonel  Mark  Loekwood.  M.P.,  RomEonl, 
sent  a  most  interesting  exhibit  of  Egg  Plants,  or  Auber- 
gines. The.se  were  shown  in  pots,  the  plants  bcmg  heavily 
laden  with  white,  purple  and  yellow  fruits.  A  cultural 
commendation  was  grantt^d  to  the  collection,  together 
with  the  society's  silver  Kiiightian  medal. 

IMessrs.  Dickson  and  UoiHuson  were  awarded  a  silver 
Knightian  medal  for  a  meritorious  exhibit  of  their  well- 
known  Premier  Onion.  The  bulbs  were  of  fine  size,  even. 
uniform  and  quite  firm. 

A  silver  Banksian  medal  was  awarded  to  the  Marquis 
of  Ripon  for  a  good  collection  of  Appl-'s. 

A  bronze  Knightian  medal  was  awarded  to  Mr.  J.  H. 
Potter.  Maiden,  Surrey,  for  six  dishes  of  Apples. 

A  creditable  collection  of  vegetables  from  the  Church 
Army  received  the  society's  silver  Banksian  medal. 

In  Class  1,  for  twelve  distinct  kinds,  the  Hon.  Vicarv 
Gibbs  was  first  with  splendidly-grown  e.xamples.  the 
Potatoes  Superlative  and  Peas  Centenary  being  excellent. 
Mr.  T.  Jones,  Ruabon,  came  second  ;  Mr.  F.  J.  Barrett 
third  ;  and  Mr.  H.  Keep,  Readin-j.  fourth. 

In  Class  2  the  judges  did  not  sonsider  that  the  conditions 
set  forth  in  the  schedule,  i.e.,  that  the  vegetables  should 
be  in  daily  use,  and  possess  the  qualities  u^ost  valued  for 
table  use  by  cooks,  were  complied  with,  so  no  award  was 
made.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  the  attitude  of  the 
judges,  a.s,  with  the  exception  of  the  Carrots  in  each  class, 
the  produce  was  quite  suitable  for  cooking.  The  tiishes  of 
Gladstone  Peas  were  speiidid,  and  although  the  Beans  and 
Onions  were  large,  they  were  of  excellent  quality. 

In  Class  3,  Brodie  Henderson,  Esq.,  Little  Berkhamstcd, 
led  the  way  with  clean  and  well-grown  examples.  F. 
Bibby,  Esq.,  Shrewsbury,  was  second  ;  the  Right  Hon.  T.  F. 
Halsey  third  ;     and  Mrs.  Trevor  Golf,  Basingstoke,  fourth. 

In  Class  4,  the  Rev.  T.  .McMurdie,  Wey bridge,  secured 
first  place  ;     Mrs.  Denison,  Berkham^ted,  second. 

In  Class  5,  Mr.  G.  Thorn,  .Xslifonl.  Kent,  was  first  ;  and 
Mr.  H.  W.  Henderson,  Kind's  L;tM.:ley,  came  second. 

In  Class  6,  Mrs.  Jenner,  Carditt,  was  awarded  first 
prize,  exhibiting  Excelsior  Onion,  ttc.  in  good  condition  ; 
the  Hon.  .Vicary  Gibbs  was  second  ;  and  W.  H.  Myer?, 
Esq.,  Bishop's  Waltham,  third. 

Classes  7  and  >'•,  for  salads,  attracted  attention  from 
visitors,  and  in  the  former  the  Hon.  Vieary  Gibbs  led  the 
way,  followed  by  Mr.  Jone^,  Ruabon;  and  in  the  latter 
W.  H.  Myers,  Esq.,  came  first  ;  Brodie  Henderson,  E.-q., 
Litile  Berkhamsteti,  was  second;  and  Lord  North  third. 
The  Endive  and  Lettuce  were  very  good. 

Class  0  was  most  interesting,  and  the  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs 
gained  premier  position  with  dishes  of  Sahify  Giant, 
Capsicum  (iolden  Dawn.  Scorzonera.  Kohl  Itabi,  the 
Egg  Plant  and  Turnip-rooted  Celeria  .  Lord  North  was 
second,  and  W.  H.  Myers.  Esq.,  Bishop's  W.'llham,  third. 

There  was  a  good  display  of  Runner  Beans  (single  dishes) 
Beetroot,  Brussils  Spmiits,  Cabbage,  Savoys,  a  few 
Cauliflower  and  lirnecnli  and  Celcriac. 

C»dery  was  well  rt'presented,  the  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs 
gainmg  first  prize  for  white.  ,\lrs.  Lewis  Davis  comm: 
second,  and  Mr.  Barrett  third  in  the  >arae  clas.s.  Fur 
■■ed  the  Hon.  Vicary  (Jibbs  was  again  to  the  front,  ftlr. 
H.  Keep  second,  and  W.  H.  Myers,  Esq.,  thiril. 

Several  brace  of  Cucumbers,  Marrows,  Leeks,  Parsnips, 
Carrots,  Turnips  and  Potatoes  completed  a  most  interesting 
competitive  exnibition. 

Orchid  Committee's  Awards. 

Silver  Flora  Medals. — .Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co.. 
Hayward's  Heath,  for  a  group  of  Orchids  ;  Messrs.  Arm- 
strong and  Brown,  Sandhurst  Park,  Tunbridge  Wells, 
for  a  group  of  Orchids;  Mr.  Goodson,  Fairlawn.  Putney, 
S.W.,  for  a  group  of  Orchids;  and  Messrs.  Sander  and 
Sons.  St.  Albans,  for  a  group  of  Orchids. 

Silrer  Banksian  Mcl'ils. — Messrs.  Hassall  and  C'o.. 
Southgate.  for  a  group  of  Orchids  ;  Messrs.  James  Cypher 
and  Son.  t^u:'en's  Road.  Cheltenham,  for  a  group  or 
Orchid--^  :  and  Mr.  R.  O.  Thw.;ites,  Streatham,  S.W.,  for 
a  group  of  Orchids. 

Floral  Committee's  .Awards. 

Silver  Flora  J/ erfa/. ^Messrs.  Dobbie,  Edinburgh,  for 
Dahlias. 

Silrer  Banksian  Medals. — Mr.  Ballard  for  Asters  ; 
and  Messrs.  Wells  for  Phloxes  and  Chrysanthemums. 

Bronze  Flora  Mednh. — Alcssrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co. 
for  Carnations  ;  Mr.  J.  B.  Riding  for  Dahlias  ;  ftlessrs. 
Treseder  lor  two  Dahlia  bouquets  ;  The  ^Vargraye  P. ant 
Farm  tor  Asters  :    and  Mr.  J.  Box  for  Liliums. 

The  awartls  to  Dahlias  were  made  by  a  joint  committee 
of  the  National  Dahlia  Society  and  tlie  Boyai  Hoiiiciiliurtil 
Society's  floral  committee, 

WATFORD     HORTICULTURAL     SOCIETY. 

The  fifty-seventh  mmithly  ineethig  nf  the  above  .society 
was  held  on  the  12th  inst.  at  the  Churcli  Koad  Schools. 
Mr.  J.  Stirton  presiding.  A  paper  on  "  Gathering  and 
Storing  of  Fruit  '  was  to  have  ueen  given  by  .Mr.  G.  Dyke, 
who  wrote  regretting  his  inability  to  attend.  Mr.  1'. 
Newman,  as  ne  has  done  on  previous  occasions,  kindly 
acted  as  deputy  and  gave  the  meeting  some  very  useful 
and  valuable  hints  on  the  subject,  answering  a  uu.uui-r 
of  questions  at  the  completion  of  his  paper.  Mr.  \\ . 
Henley  read  a  very  interesting  paper  he  nad  prepared 
on  the  subject  of  "'  Stove  and  Greenhouse  Planis,"  and 
this  was  also  followed  by  a  discu.^sion.  N'otes  of  ihaiiKs 
having  been  accorded  lothe  lecturers  and  the  chairman,  the 
meeting  concluded.  A  flue  spe:'iniea  of  Ldiu.-n  sulpnurcu;n 
was  shown  bv  Mr.  W.  U.  Kettle. 


GARDEN. 


^^- 


No.  2185.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


October  4,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


KOTtS   OK   THE    W'V.EK 
COllREPPONDRSCK 

Saxifraga  burscriana ; 

l>oes  it   nct'd  sun 

or  shade  ?    . . 
Artificial      manures 

and  Vfgotablfs  . . 
Foitlicoiiiing  events.. 
Flowfk  Oakden 
Annuals    (or    tilling 

llowcr-borders     . . 
Best   Sweet   Peas  in 

a  Scottish  garden 
The  Campanulas  or 

BellHowcrs  . . 
Greenhocse 

ilai  si  ng  Fuchsias 

from  seed     .  . 
Winter-  f  1  ow  e  rin  g 

plants  for  the  warm 

IXveenhnUse  .  . 


Orr.    Third    Peizk     Rock 
Garden 
lirvnham,   Oatlands 
Chase.  Weybridi?e     498 


TREES   AND   SHKCUS 

Late-flowering  shrubs 
for  shaded  places     499 
rose  Garden 

494  Simultaneous  sports 

among  Roses       . .     500 

495  New    and    Rare 

495         PLANTS 500 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
The    cultivation    of 

495  i  the    U  ropmore 
Alkanet        . .      . .     501 

49fi         Prunina  Gooseberries 

and  ked  Currants     501 

496  Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 

den^: 502 

JQ7         For    Nort  hern    gar- 
dens       502 

Answers  to  Corre- 

497  spondents 
Flower  garden        . .  503 
Greenhouse     . .      . .  503 
Ali  see  lla  neons         . .  504 

Societies 504 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

A  beautiful  autinnn-Howering  >hrub 494 

The  new  Perpetual-flowering  Carnation  Fairmount . .  49fi 

The  new  Primula  vincaeflora         497 

The  rock  garden  at  Drynham.  Weybridge 49S 

General  view  of  the  rock  garden 498 

Continuation  of  the  rock  garden 499 

A  beautiful  water-side  grouping  of  the  Alkanet        .  .  oOO 

The  cultivation  of  the  Dropmore  Alkanet         . .      .  .  -"iOI 


EDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  ivelconies  photographs,  articlts  and  notes, 
but  he  mil  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  vnll  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  vnll  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  le'jards  phMogiaphs.  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproductian  be  }>lainlf/  dated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  leith. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  leturn  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  trill  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistock  Street.  Covent  Garden,  W.C 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 

An  Effective  Combination. — Anyone  growing 
tho  beautiful  Belladonna  Lily  can  obtain  a  very 
charming  effect  by  planting  Commelina  coelestis 
with  it,  the  beautiful  sky  blue  flowers  of  the 
latter  blending  with  the  flowers  of  the  Lily.  These 
vary  from  white  to  a  reddish  or  purplish  hue,  and 
the  combination  is  very  pleasing  at  this  time  of 
the  year.  Both  are  easily  grown,  providing  they 
are  planted  at  the  base  of  a  warm,  south  wall. 

A    Charming    Perennial   SunHower.— A   very 

beautiful  plant  is  Helianthus  sparsifolia,  said  to 
be  a  hybrid  raised  by  crossing  H.  rigidus  with 
H.  califomicus,  a  double  variety.  Certainly  it  is 
a  grand  acquisition,  with  large,  deep  yellow  flowers 
from  5  inches  to  6  inches  across,  which  are  carried 
upon  long  stems,  thereby  rendering  it  a  fine  subject 
for  cutting  and  decorative  purposes.  It  is  a  late- 
flowering  kind,  and  produces  a  good  display  during 
September  and  October.  It  attains  a  height  of 
6  feet. 

An  Attractive  Bed  for  the  Autimin.— The 
Italian  Starwort  (Aster  Amellus)  is  a  very  valuable 
plant  for  decorative  purposes  at  this  season  of 
the  year,  either  as  cut  flowers  or  in  the  garden, 
and  a  bed  of  it  or  any  of  its  beautiful  varieties, 
such  as  bessarabicus,  Riverslea  and  latifolia, 
intermixed  with  the  beautiful  Japanese  Anemone 
Whirlwind  or  any  of  the  other  varieties  gives  a 
charming  effect  with  very  little  trouble.  Spanish 
Irises  planted  between  the  perennials  would  give 
a  good  display  early  next  summer. 

Our   Special    Rose    Number. — .\s    announced 

in  our  last  issue,  we  shall  publish  next  week  a 
special  enlarged  number  that  will  be  of  more  than 
usual  interest  to  lovers  of  Roses.  Among  the 
contributors  will  be  such  well-known  experts  as 
Miss  Jekyll,  Dr.  O'Donel  Browne,  H.  R.  Darlington, 
W.  Easlea,  E.  Mawley,  E.  Molyneux,  H.  E.  Moly- 
neux  and  George  Laing  Paul.  The  half-tone  illus- 
trations will  be  of  a  unique  character,  and  in  addition 
there  will  be  a  coloured  plate  of  two  new  Roses 
that  have  created  quite  a  sensation  this  year. 
The  price  will,  as  usual,  be  one  penny. 

Beautiful    Late-Flowering   Clematises.— 

.\lthough  the  majority  ui  the  Clematises  are  over, 
there  are  still  one  or  two  flowering  that  are  of 
great  decorative  value.  Clematis  jouiniana,  a 
beautiful  hybrid  between  C.  Vitalba  and  C.  davidi- 
ana,  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best  of  them.  The 
flowers,  which  are  white,  slightly  tinged  on  the 
outside  with  lilac,  are  borne  the  full  extent  of  the 
strong,  vigorous  shoots  of  this  year,  being  very 
showy  with  the  deep  green  leaves.  This  plant  is 
often  listed  in  this  country  under  the  name  of 
C.  grata.  Then  we  have  the  free-flowering  C. 
Flammula,  the  fragrant  Virgin's  Bower.  This 
old  but  beautiful  species  is  also  of  great  value 
at  this  time  of  the  year,  with  its  sprays  of  fragrant, 
pure  white,  but  rather  small  flowers,  which  are 
borne   in   great   profusion.      It   is   an  elegant   plant 


for  covering  arbours,  walls,  or  large  tree  stumps. 
Another  sweet-scented  species  is  C.  paniculata, 
from  Japan.  It  is  very  like  C.  Flammula,  but  the 
flowers  are  a  little  larger,  and  the  leaves  much 
coarser  and  more  heart-shaped.  All  should  be 
in  a  garden  where  autumn  flowers  are  valued. 

An  Effective  Bed  for  Next  Year. — A  very 
attractive  bed  for  next  summer  can  be  obtained 
by  mixing  the  graceful  Iceland  Poppy  (Papaver 
nudicaule)  with  the  beautiful  Spanish  Iris  (I. 
.Xiphium).  These  can  be  purchased  for  a  very 
small  outlay,  and  should  be  planted  now.  The 
seedling  Poppies  which  were  sown  a  little  time 
ago  can  be  pricked  out  into  the  bed  after  the 
bulbs  are  in.  If  English  Irises  (I.  xiphioides)  are 
also  mixed  in  the  bed  with  the  Spanish  Irises,  a 
longer  display  of  blooms  is  obtained. 

Are   New   Pentstemons  Too   Large  ?— In   the 

course  of  a  recent  lecture  given  by  Mr.  Bernard 
Crisp  on  autumn  border  plants  before  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society,  the  lecturer  expressed  the 
opinion  that  the  large-flowered  Pentstemon  of  to-day 
is  less  beautiful  than  the  older  type.  We  agree 
with  Mr.  Crisp  that  some  of  the  alleged  improve- 
ments of  the  Pentstemon  are  far  too  coarse  and 
unwieldy.  They  are  lacking  in  the  delicate  grace 
and  outline  we  thought  so  beautiful  in  years 
gone  by. 

The  Charm  of  Michaelmas  Daisies. — On  looking 
over  the  hardy  plants  in  our  garden  last  Sunday, 
after  the  absence  of  a  week  or  so,  we  were  rather 
abruptly  reminded  that  winter  is  rapidly  approach- 
ing, the  Michaelmas  Daisies,  which  are  certain 
heralds,  proclaiming  the  fact  with  a  riotous  pro- 
fusion pf  flowers  such  as  we  do  not  remember 
seeing  before.  Even  though  they  warn  us  of 
leaden  skies  and  sodden  soil,  we  must  admit  their 
charm.  Early  flowers  of  that  giant  lilac  named 
Climax  are  vieing  with  the  tiny  white  flowers  of 
Perfection,  while,  near  by.  Grey  Dawn,  with  tiny 
mist-coloured  flowers,  keeps  company  with  the 
rose-coloured  but  larger  St.  Egwin.  Truly  they  are 
a  goodly  host  that  the  cultivator  of  hardy  plants 
should  make  more  use  of. 

A  Plague  of  Caterpillars. — In  many  parts  of 
the  country  there  has  been  quite  a  plague  of  cater- 
pillars on  Cabbages  and  other  members  of  the 
Brassica  family  this  aUtumn,  and  many  plants 
that  were  the  pride  of  their  owners  a  few  weeks 
ago  have  been  reduced  to  ribs  as  bare  and  gaimt 
as  those  of  a  weather-beaten  hulk.  The  cater- 
pillars are  mostly  those  of  the  white  Cabbage 
butterfly,  which  lays  its  eggs  usually  on  the  tmdet 
surface  of  the  leaves.  When  these  hatch,  the 
young  caterpillars  develop  a  particularly  voracious 
appetite  and  gorge  until  full  grown,  after  which 
they  make  for  the  eaves  of  buildings  or  the  under 
surface  of  railings,  where  they  change  into  chrysa- 
lids,  in  which  state  they  remain  for  the  winter. 
Hand-picking  and  dropping  the  caterpillars  into 
strong  insecticide  or  neat  petroleum  is  the  only 
real  remedv. 


494 


THE    GARDEN. 


[October  4, 19131 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  Editor   is    not    responsible    for    the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Pear  Tree  with  Four  Crops  in  One  Season. — 

During  the  week  ending  September  20  I  saw  in 
a  cottage  garden  at  Bawtry,  Yorks,  a  Pear  tree 
which,  so  I  was  informed,  has  exhibited  a  character- 
istic probably  unknown  in  the  annals  of  British 
fruit-growing.  For  the  last  four  years,  the  time  the 
occupant  had  been  in  the  cottage,  I  was  assured 
the  tree  had  borne  three  crops  and  attempted  the 
fourth  each  season.  On  the  day  of  my  visit  the 
tree  had  a  moderate  sprinkling  of  its  third  crop 
this  season,  while  on  about  half-a-dozen  or  more 
growths  were  trusses  just  at  their  setting  stage,  the 
actual  petals  having  been  knocked 
ofi  two  days  before  by  the  heavy 
thunderstorm  experienced  over  that 
district,  which  storm  also  brought 
down  the  first  and  second  crops.  1 
saw  all  the  fruits,  and  there  is  a 
distinct  difierence  in  the  stage  of 
maturity  between  each  lot  of  fruit. 
Those  on  the  tree  were  about  the 
size  of  a  small  Walnut,  the  second 
crop  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg,  and  the 
first  lot  about  half  as  large  again,  or 
a  little  larger,  and  these  were  ap- 
proaching a  yellowish  tinge  of  ripe- 
ness. The  tree  was  a  standard  and 
perhaps  some  20  feet  high.  Of 
course,  neither  of  the  following 
crops  attains  the  size  of  the  first, 
and  are  not  of  very  good  flavour. 
The  name  of  the  variety  was  not 
known.  It  might  be  added  that  the 
tree  has  not  been  pruned  since  the 
present  owner  has  known  it,  also 
that  the  crop  now  setting  never 
gets  much  further  because  of  the 
advanced  state  of  the  season. — C.  T. 

A  Beautiful  Autumn-Flower- 
ing Slirub. — 1  have  been  mucli 
interested  in  the  notes  and  articles 
on  different  plants  and  shrubs 
that  flower  in  autumn  which 
have  appeared  recently  in  The 
Garden,  and  am  therefore  sending 
a  photograph  of  what  I  consider 
to  be  the  most  beautiful  of  hardy 
autumn  -  flowering  shrubs.  This 
is  Tamarix  Pallasii  rosea,  or  T. 
hispida  aestivaUs  as  listed  by  most 
nurserymen.  The  Kew  authorities 
now,  I  believe,  name  it  T.  pentan- 
dra.  But  this  confusion  of  names 
does  not  detract  in  the  least  from  the  charm  and 
usefulness  of  the  shrub.  As  will  be  seen,  the  young, 
erect  shoots  have  the  same  feathery  and  graceful 
appearance  as  those  of  the  ordinary  Tamarisk, 
and  in  August  these  are  surmounted  by  large 
plumes  of  rose  pink  flowers,  resembling  at  a  little 
distance  those  of  Spiraea  or  Astilbe  Queen 
Alexandra.  The  shrub  illustrated  is  over  five  feet 
high,  and  at  the  time  the  photograph  was  taken 
created  a  great  deal  of  interest.  The  flower-sprays 
are  ideal  for  cutting.  I  believe  at  Kew  the  plants 
are  pruned  back  almost  to  the  ground-level  each 
year,  whereby  flowering  is  delayed  for  a  fortnight  ; 
but  to  get  large  bushes  it  is  only  necessary  to  cut 
away  a  little  of  the  unripe  wood  in  spring.  Any 
good  garden  soil  appears  to  suit  this  shrub. — 
E.  G.   G. 


Saxifraga  burseriana  :  Does  It  Need  Sun 
or  Shade  ? — ^The  controversy  over  this  question 
arose,  I  believe,  through  Mr.  Farrer  having  recom- 
mended in  one  of  his  books  that  Saxifraga  burseriana 
should  be  grown  in  shade.  In  one  of  his  letters 
to  The  Garden  he  asked  me  to  bear  him  out 
in  his  statement  that  the  Salum  Klamm  is  a  sunless 
gorge,  and  that  S.  burseriana  there  grows  in  silt. 
1  felt  that  it  was  unfortunate  that  I  should  be 
drawn  into  a  controversy  with  a  fellow-alpinist 
and  be  compelled  to  contradict  him.  I  replied 
that  as  far  as  I  remembered  there  was  a  consider- 
able amount  of  sun  in  the  gorge,  and  that  the 
plant  grew  in  scree  rather  than  silt.  If  in  this 
innocent  pursuit  of  the  truth  my  feet  came  heavily 
upon  Mr.  Farrer,  it  was  the  exact  reverse  of  their 
intention,   and   I   apologise   for  the  blunder.     Mr. 


TAMARIX 


"  scree."  Scree  is  dibris  of  rocks,  shingle,  loo^ 
stones.  Silt  is  a  deposit  of  mud  or  fine  soil  fron 
running  or  standing  water,  fine  earthy  sediment. 
The  material  in  which  we  found  S.  burseriana 
was  dibris  from  those  very  cliffs  which  failed  to 
make  the  gorge  entirely  sunless,  and  its  "  coarse- 
ness of  fine  gravel "  disqualified  it  as  silt.  I 
fully  agree  with  Mr.  Homibrook  and  Mr.  Farrer 
that  it  is  vain  pedantry  trying  exactly  to  copy 
natural  circumstances  under  the  altered  conditions 
of  the  garden.  In  fact,  I  was  surprised  when 
Mr.  Farrer  instanced  the  alleged  sunlessness  of 
the  Salum  Klamm  to  justify  his  recommendation 
of  shade  in  the  garden.  He  invited  my  corrobora- 
tion, which  I  was  unable  to  give.  If  he  suffered 
under  my  tread,  my  anguish  at  the  point  of  his 
pen  has  been  no  less  acute.  Our  agonies  bemg 
mutual,  let  us  agree  to  court  the 
lovely  Gloria,  each  in  his  own  way. 
— Clarence  Elliott,  Stevenage. 

The     conclusions    of     Mr. 

Farrer  anent  this  fine  alpine  as 
given  on  page  474  interest  and 
please  me  greatly,  and  I  am  in 
full  accord  with  the  idleness  of 
"  trying  exactly  to  copy  natural 
circumstances*'  for  this  or  any 
other  alpine.  Indeed,  the  thing 
is  impossible,  seeing  that  should 
the  cultivator  be  so  clever  as  to 
closely  imitate  the  soil  and  position 
in  which  this  or  any  other  alpine 
occurs,  he  still  leaves  behind  the 
mountain  with  its  altitude,  its 
pure,  rarefied  air  and  the  snow — at 
once  a  great  coverlet  in  winter  and 
a  gigantic  water  supply  in  summer 
— none  of  which  is  possible  of 
imitation.  Hence,  in  a  more  or  less 
slavish  attempt  to  imitate  soil  and 
position,  the  cultivator  would  suc- 
ceed in  but  minor  degree  at  the 
utmost,  and,  were  the  other  condi- 
tions essential,  gardeners  would  be 
hopelessly  handicapped  at  the  out- 
set. It  was  my  realisation  to  the 
contrary  that  caused  me  some 
thirty  or  more  years  ago,  when  a 
great  controversy  raged  in  The 
Garden  concerning  alpine  plants 
and  soils,  to  write  of  the  indifference 
with  which  alpine  plants  regarded 
certain  soils,  an  indifference  only 
equalled  by  that  for  altitude 
and  other  things.  Were  it  other- 
wise, the  cultivation  of  alpine 
plants  in  lowland  gardens  would 
be  an  impossible  thing.  As  it  is, 
Farrer  has  since  revisited  the  spot,  and  is  now  1  the  mountain,  the  altitude  and  the  snow  would 
able    "  serenely   to   return   to   his   original   propo-  !  appear    no    more    an    essential    to    the    successful 


PALLASII     ROSEA,      A     BEAUTIFUL      HARDY     SHRUB     THAT 
FLOWERS    IN    AUGUST. 


sition "  (see  page  474).  His  origuial  proposition 
was  that  it  was  a  "  sunless  gorge."  It  now  is 
that  "  after  a  certain  amount  of  sun  in  the  morning, 
the  whole  of  Salum  Klamm  is  in  the  shade  of  its 
great  walls  for  the  rest  of  the  day."  This  summer 
I  also  passed  in  the  train  within  half  a  mile  of 
the  Salum  Klamm,  and  saw  the  midday  sun 
streaming  into  the  mouth  of  the  gorge.  Not  only 
was  there  a  certain  amount,  but  there  was  a  con- 
siderable amount.  Mr.  Farrer  has  said  that  the 
soil  in  which  S.  burseriana  grows  in  the  Salum 
Klamm  is  silt.  He  has  even  said  this  twice,  and 
that  because  it  is  so.  Why  is  it  so  ?  Because 
Mr.  Farrer  has  said  so — and  repeated  it  ?  And 
he  says  that  I   must  really  revise  my  notions  of 


cultivation  of  alpine  vegetation  than  is  the  forest 
jungle  to  an  epiphytal  Orchid  or  Table  Mountain 
to  the  "  Flower  of  the  Gods."  Indeed,  I  believe 
I  have  in  the  past  gone  so  far  as  to  state  that 
vegetable-life  in  Nature  is  very  much  a  creature 
of  circumstance  planted  by  Dame  Nature's  hand, 
the  plants  doing  their  best  to  grow  and  increase 
after  their  kind,  and  presently  becoming  estab- 
lished there  to  the  exclusion  of  all  besides.  In 
lowland  gardens  the  conditions  under  which 
alpines  are  cultivated  are  so  entirely  opposed 
to  those  of  their  native  hatmts  that  we  can  arrive 
at  no  other  conclusion  than  that  the  latter  mean 
but  \ery  little  to  the  plants  at  all.  In  any  case, 
so  large  a  number  so  promptly  adapt  themselves 


October  4,  191 3.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


4f)5 


to  tlirir  now  environment  tliat  it  rtiight  be  inter- 
preted tlius  with  little  fear  of  contradiction.  And 
so  witli  tlie  unique  Saxifrage,  wfiicli  has  given 
rise  to  a  controversy  which  cannot  but  be  for  good 
when  all  is  said  and  done.  Indeed,  it  cannot  but 
be  helpful  to  beginners  when  so  good  an  authority 
a^  Mr.  Farrer  says  that,  given  an  adequate  supply  of 
moisture,  he  finds  no  difference,  *'  either  in  health 
or  tloriferousness,  between  specimens  grown  in 
shade  or  in  the  fullest  sun."  I  most  cordially 
agree.  Indeed,  the  whole  of  my  experience  is  a 
complete  endorsement  of  the  statement,  not  only 
so  far  as  concerns  the  subject  of  this  note,  but  with 
many  Primulas  and  such  proverbially  shade-loving 
plants  as  Ramondia  and  Haberlea,  which,  given 
an  adequate  supply  of  water,  arc  as  perfectly  happy 
in  fullest  sunlight  as  it  is  possible  for  plants  ti> 
be.  Such  things  are  almost  invariably  planted 
in  shade,  however,  because  of  our  slavish  imitation 
of  each  other's  work.  When,  however,  the  culti- 
vator has  learnt  the  lesson  that  moisture  within 
reach  of  the  root-fibres  is  more  than  the  equivalent 
of  shade,  he  may  then  be  tempted  to  bring 
supposed  shade-loving  subjects  out  into  the 
open,  there  to  provide  a  feature  that  was  un- 
known before,  and  thereby  also  to  add  increased 
interest  to  some  particular  phase  of  gardening. 
A  closing  word  as  to  soil.  .\11  the  burseriana 
Saxifrages — and  many  others — have  an  abundance 
of  fine  threadlike,  almost  silken  root-fibres.  Root 
a  batch  of  cuttings  in  June,  and  in  August  you 
will  find  root-fibres  in  plenty,  8  inches  or  so  long, 
attached  to  a  solitary  rosette  of  half  an  inch  high. 
Their  numbers  and  their  fine  silken  texture  many 
years  ago  made  me  decide  to  give  the  plants  a 
very  sandy,  linely-sifted  soil,  and  the  way  the 
roots  will  ramify  in  such  material  is  perhaps  the 
best  proof  of  its  suitability  to  these  plants. — 
E.  H.  Jenkins. 

Artiflcial  Manures  and  Vegetables.— This  sub- 
ject is  of  great  interest,  bntli  t..  the  exhibitor 
who  requires  size,  quality  and  rapidity  of  growth, 
and  to  the  commercial  grower  who  must  consider 
cost  of  production  and  subsequent  market  value. 
I  cannot  agree  with  "  W.  L."  (page  471)  that 
artificials  have  a  detrimental  effect  on  the  quality, 
providing  that  a  properly-balanced  ration  of 
potash,  phosphates  and  nitrogen  are  used  according 
to  the  requirements  of  the  individual  plant  and 
the  character  of  the  soil.  With  regard  to  Celery, 
naturally  a  bog  plant,  my  experience  is  that  even 
on  a  heavy  soil  a  fair  amount  of  humus  is  necessary 
to  retain  moisture.  Last  year  was  undoubtedly 
a  favourable  period  for  Celery.  For  exhibition 
purposes  I  dug  a  trench  as  for  Sweet  Peas,  2  feet 
6  inches  deep,  with  a  fair  amoimt  of  animal  manure 
incorporated,  also  a  small  portion  of  charcoal. 
The  plants  were  put  in  the  trenches  on  May  10, 
fed  with  equal  parts  of  sulphate  of  ammonia 
and  high-grade  phosphate  of  potash.  On  August  4 
the  average  weight  was  lolb.  a  brace.  The  foliage 
was  bright  and  of  a  leathery  texture.  The  plant 
as  a  whole  was  exceptionally  solid,  and  did  not  turn 
flabby  even  when  left  in  the  open  for  several  days  ; 
the  quality  was  grand.  Occasional  waterings 
with  lime-water  were  also  given  to  liberate  the 
potash  lying  dormant.  I  also  found  that  when 
Celery  was  grown  with  the  usual  amount  of  ajiinial 
manure  in  conjunction  with  nitrate  of  soda  only, 
the  bulk  was  increased  rapidly,  with  a  correspond- 
ing decrease  in  quality,  the  growth  being  flabby 
and  the  plant  drooping  badly  in  the  high  tempera- 
ture of  the  show  tent.  How  frequently  we  see 
soapsuds  being  used  in  the  Celery  trenches  !  It 
is  difficult  to  make  an  old  gardener  believe  there 


is  no  manurial  value  there,  the  only  advantage 
being  derived  from  the  water.  The  only  alkali 
present  in  a  hard  soap  is  soda,  often  in  the  form 
of  both  caustic,  carbonate  and  silicate,  in  conjunc- 
tion with  fatty  acids  and  resin  acids,  which  are  a 
bugbear  in  the  soil.  As  to  the  excessive  use  of 
artificials,  I  do  think  that  certain  vegetables 
will  lose  their  keeping  qualities,  which  I  presume 
must  be  owing  to  the  rapid  growth  and  premature 
ripeness  causing  an  early  decay.  I  noticed  Celery, 
especially  white,  also  Onions,  affected  the  most  ; 
but  large  Leeks  were  in  good  condition  as  late  as 
April.  Undoubtedly  highly-concentrated  chemicals 
in  inexperienced  hands  are  a  positive  source  of 
danger  ;  but  to  obtain  size  and  quality,  my  choice 
is  animal  manure  in  conjunction  with  suitable 
artificials  and  plenty  of  lime. — Fred  W.  Wait, 
Lowdham,  Notts. 

In  answer  to  "  W.  L.,"  I  can  quite  under- 
stand that  Celery  when  grown  with  artificial 
manures  (used  discriminately)  and  without  animal 
manures  may  be  better  in  quality  and,  in 
fact,  may  be  better  in  every  respect  than  when 
grown  entirely  by  the  aid  of  animal  manures. 
"  W,  L."  writes  freely  about  chemical  and  artificial 
manures  (a  vague  term),  but  I  find  only  two  men- 
tioned by  name.  Also,  I  can  quite  understand 
Onions  and  other  crops  being  affected  adversely 
as  regards  their  keeping  properties  by  the  misuse 
of  nitrates  in  any  form  ;  but  when  used  judiciously 
in  conjmiction  with  other  artificials  I  have  never 
experienced  any  trouble  in  keeping  crops.  In 
agriculture,  as  "  W.  L."  suggests,  harmful  effects 
have  been  experienced  by  many  who  have  used 
nitrate  of  soda  for  hay  crops  ;  but  I  know  that 
in  many  instances  if  the  owner  had  known  or 
had  taken  the  trouble  to  find  out  beforehand  the 
quantities  of  soluble  and  insoluble  plant  foods  con- 
tained in  the  soil,  and  then  to  have  endeavoured  to 
have  made  up  any  deficiency  by  applyuig  chemical 
manures,  any  harmful  effects  would  have  been 
avoided,  for  I  have  invariably  found  that  where 
failure  or  injury,  partial  or  otherwise,  has  followed 
the  use  of  artificials,  the  fault  has  not  been  with  the 
manures,  but  with  the  users.  Nitrate  of  soda  applied 
alone  to  any  plant  in  liberal  quantities  would 
tend  to  overbalance  the  plant's  energies  into  making 
gross  and  sappy  leaf  and  stem  growth,  to  the 
detriment  of  the  health  of  that  plant.  Again,  I 
should  expect  to  find  on  any  typical  loam  that 
indiscreet  applications  of  nitrates  in  any  form 
would  injure  the  quality  of  Potatoes ;  but  on 
soils  deficient  in  nitrates,  soluble  or  insoluble, 
the  application  of  nitrates  in  a  prudent  manner 
could  only  tend  to  be  beneficial,  I  admit  that  the 
ease  with  which  they  can  be  applied  tends  to  make 
artificial  manures  dangerous  in  unskilled  hands, 
yet  the  ease  with  which  they  are  applied  is  one 
of  the  weightiest  recommendations  for  their 
extended  use ;  for  whereas  organic  manures  generally 
entail  the  expenditure  of  a  large  amount  of  labour 
and  time,  any  chemical  manure  can  be  applied 
in  a  few  minutes,  and  where  labour  is  scarce  and 
the  saving  of  time  in  any  department  is  an  absolute 
necessity,  this  cin  only  result  in  the  general  im- 
provement of  all  parts.  This  is,  I  consider,  a 
great  incitement  to  the  more  extended  •  use  of 
artificial  manures, — W.  C.  C. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

October  7. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Exhi- 
bition at  Vincent  Square,  Westminster.  Scottish 
Horticultural  Association's  Meeting. 

October  8. — East  Anglian  Horticultural  Club's 
Meeting. 


THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 

ANNUALS      FOR    FILLING     FLOWER 
BORDERS. 

WHEN  flower- borders  are  newly 
arranged  and  the  plants  placed 
so  as  to  be  right  when  they 
have  come  to  their  strength, 
there  will  be  gaps  between  for 
the  first  year.  Some  may  like 
to  crowd  the  border  full  at  once,  but  the  other  way 
is  the  better  one,  allowing  space  for  gradual  root 
growth  and  securing  the  best  form  of  grouping. 
This  spacing  offers  an  opportunity  for  a  good  use 
of  annual  plants.  In  order  to  preserve  any  scheme 
of  colour  that  may  be  intended,  the  hardy  annuals 
that  are  sown  in  September  or  March,  and  the 
half-hardy  kinds  that  are  put  out  in  May  or  June, 
should  be  of  the  same  colom'  as  the  permanent 
plants.  The  following  lists  give  the  names  of 
some  of  the  most  useful  and  most  easily  grown,  in 
separate  colours,  the  words  "  back,"  "  middle " 
and  "  front "  indicating  their  place  in  the 
border. 

White. — Back:  Hollyhock,  Poppy  (double  tall), 
Nicotiana  affinis,  N.  sylvestris,  Impatiens  Roylei, 
variegated  Maize.  Middle :  Sweet  Sultan,  China 
Aster  Mammoth  and  any  tall  kinds.  Chrysanthe- 
mum coronarium,  Polygonum  Sutton's  Gem, 
Snapdragon  (tall),  Godetia.  Front  :  Snapdragon 
Intermediate,  Clarkia,  Gypsophila  elegans,  Jacobaea, 
Alyssum  maritiraum. 

Yellow. — Back  :  Hollyhock,  primrose  annual 
Sunflower,  Tropajolum  canariense.  Snapdragon 
(tall),  CEnothera  lamarckiana.  Middle  :  Snap- 
dragon Intermediate,  primrose  African  Marigold, 
Sweet  Sultan,  Gaillardia  Double  Yellow.  Front  : 
Mignonette,  dwarf  Tropa;olum,  French  Marigold 
Miniature  Lemon,  African  Marigold  Dwarf  Lemon, 
Feverfew  Golden  Feather,  Platystemon  califomi- 
cum,  Limnanthes  Douglasii.  ► 

Orange. — Back  :  Annual  Sunflower,  French 
Marigold  (tall).  Coreopsis  Drummondi,  C.  tinctoria. 
Middle  :  Gaillardia  picta.  Calendula  Orange  King, 
Eschscholtziacalifomica,  Front:  African  Marigold 
(dwarf),  French  Marigold  Dwarf  and  Miniature 
Orange,  dwarf  Tropceolum, 

Pink. — Back  :  Hollyhock,  Lavatera  trimestris. 
Snapdragon  (tall),  Impatiens  glandulifera.  Middle  : 
Godetia  Double  Rose,  Scabious,  Clarkia,  Snap- 
dragon Intermediate,  Front  :  Phlox  Drummondi, 
Hieraceum,  Indian  Pmk,  Snapdragon  (short). 

Red. — Back  :  Hollyhock,  tall  Poppy,  Ricinus 
sanguineus,  R.  Gibsoni,  Snapdragon  (tall),  .A.triplex 
hortensis.  Middle  :  Malope  grandiflora.  Snap- 
dragon Intermediate,  Linum  grandiflorum, 
Alonsoa.  Front  :  Phlox  Drummondi,  dwarf 
Tropaeolum,  Collomia,  Snapdragon,  Indian  Pink. 

Lilac  and  purple, — Back  :  Tall  Poppy,  Salvia 
farinacea.  Scabious,  Middle  :  China  Asters  (tall), 
Ageratum  mexicanum.  Front  :  Collinsia  bicolor, 
Ageratum  (dwarf). 

Blue, — Back  :  Convolvulus  major.  Cornflower, 
Lupine  (tall).  Middle:  Nigella,  Convolvulus  minor, 
Lupiuus  Hartwegii,  Front :  Nemesia,  Nemophila, 
Lobelia,  Pliacelia  campanularia. 

It  will  be  understood  that  in  the  case  of  annuals 
that  are  of  many  colours,  such  as  China  Asters, 
Snapdragons  and  Tropjeoluras,  the  colour  meant 
is  that  at  the  head  of  each  list  of  plants 
of  the  three  heights.  Good  cultivation  is,  of 
course,  in  every  case  essential,  although  this 
must  not  be  taken  to  mean  such  heavy 
manuring  as  will  tend  to  make  the  plants  grow 
coarse,  G,  Jekvll. 


496 


THE    GARDEN. 


[October  4, 1913. 


V 

J* 


BEST    SWEET    PEAS    IN    A    SCOTTISH 
GARDEN. 

While  at     no     time    growing   for   exhibition,  we 
still   like    to    have     good     flowers      for      cutting 
and    for   garden  adornment.     We  do  not  pretend 
to     grow    all    the  novelties,     but    rather   content 
ourselves  with  a  selection  from  the  best  of  the  older 
proved    varieties,    with    an    occasional    new    sort 
that  takes  our  fancy  at  exhibitions.     This  has  been 
«ur  best  season,  for  although  buds  dropped  rather 
badly   during   June    and    early   July,    the   plants 
were  at    the   middle   of   September  over   ten    feet 
high  and   covered   with    richly-coloured   flowers  of 
good    size    and    with    fairly   long 
stems.         "  Fours "      have      been 
quite     plentiful.       It      may    now 
be    of    some    little    interest    if    I 
compare     some    of     the    varieties 
as    grown    here     under    identical 
conditions    as    to    soil,    manuring 
and       exposure.       If       anything, 
Helen   Grosveuor  has   been  better 
than     Edrom     Beauty,     although 
both    are    well    worth    a    place  in 
any    garden.     Maud    Holmes    has 
grown    taller   and    flowered    more 
abundantly    than    Dobbie's    Sun- 
proof   Crimson,    but     the     latter 
gives    more     "  fours."       Early    in 
the    season    Isobel     Malcolm    was 
better  than    Dobbie's    Cream,  but 
latterly    tlie    positions    have   been 
reversed.     The   former  gave  most 
"  fours." 

Barbara    is     much    larger    and 
a     better     grower     than     Stirling 
Stent,  but  not  so   deep   in   colour. 
Scarlet    Emperor    has    been   very 
fine    indeed,     and     so     has     Red 
Star.      The    latter    is    the    more 
brilliant  in  the  bunch.     Asta   Ohn 
was    better    than     Frank     Dolby. 
I    am    sorry   I    missed    Rosabelle 
this     year   when    selecting,     as    I 
saw  it   very  fine    in    Fife.      John 
Tngman   (Dobbie's  stock)  has  been 
finer    than     ever    before.       Lady 
Miller    is    very    beautiful    and    a 
shade    deeper     than    Mrs. 
Routzahn.      The   latter  has   been 
very   fine   indeed.      Norah   Unwin 
has    been    the    best    white,    both 
larger  and  purer  than  Etta  Dyke. 
Nubian  has  outdistanced   Othello, 
producing    a    large    percentage    of 
"  fours."       Mrs.     H.     Sykes     has 
been    much  more  floriferous   than 
Elfrida  Pearson,  but    the  blooms 
are    much    smaller   in   size.      The     ,  THE 
largest     flowers     were     borne    by 
Hercules.      This   is   a   magnificent 
Sweet  Pea,  the  finest  pink  I  have  seen  this  season. 
W.    P.    Wright   has   been   most    disappointing.     I 
was  so  taken  with  this  last  year  that  I  purchased 
three  packets  of  seed,  and  out  of  these  obtained  only 
about  six  plants  true  to  name.     Even  these  did  but 
little   good,   the   flowers   being   small   and   with   a 
green    tinge    in    them.     Constance    Oliver,  Apple 
Blossom  Spencer  and  the  old  Dorothy  Eckford  have 
been  very  good.     I   hop»  those  who  have  to  grow 
Sweet    Peas    under    similar     conditions    to    those 
experienced  here  will  fixid  the  above  particulars  of 
some  use.  C.  Blair. 

Preston  House  Gardens,  Linlilhgow. 


THE 


OR    BELL- 


CAMPANULAS 
FLOWERS. 

(Continued  from  page  473.) 

C.  haylodgensis. — This  is  a  hybrid  raised  at 
Hay  Lodge,  Edinburgh,  and  is  a  charming  plant, 
like  the  yellowish-leaved  form  of  C.  Profusion 
raised  by  Mr.  E.  H.  Jenkins.  It  is  of  trailing 
growth,  and  has  large,  light  blue  flowers  in  June. 
Sometimes  a  little  tender.  Increased  by  division 
or  cuttings. 

C.  hederacea. — This  is  really  Wahlenbergia 
hederacea,  and  a  lover  of  moisture,  such  as  wet 
ditches.     A    charming   native,    raised    by    division 


NEW    PERPETUAL-KLOWERING    CARNATION     FAIRMOUNT 
reduced.)      [See  page  500). 

or    from    seeds.      'Blue    flowers     in     July 
August. 

C.  imeritiana. — About  a  foot  high,  with  a  spike 
of  purple  blue  flowers  in  June.  Apparently  short- 
lived in  gardens.     Rockery,  in  light  soil. 

C.  isophylla. — A  charming,  well-known  basket 
or  window  plant,  flowering  in  June,  July  and  August, 
and  often  grown  in  gardens  with  grand  effect, 
where  it  is  hardy.  Lovely  on  a  wall  iu  either  the 
blue  or  white  varieties,  but  suffering  from  wet  in 
winter  and  requiring  a  sheet  of  glass  overhead 
in  many  places.  C.  floribunda  is  apparently  a 
form  of  this  Bellflower. 


C.  laciniata^ — About  a  foot  high,  this  would 
be  better  appreciated  were  it  not  a  biennial.  It 
has  rather  handsome  blue,  open  flowers  in  loose 
panicles  in  July.  A  hot,  dry  place  suits  this  best. 
Division  or  seeds. 

C.  lanata. — I  believe  that  this  is  the  plant 
known  as  C.  velutina  at  the  present  time,  but 
C.  mollis  is  said  to  be  the  same  as  C.  velutina. 
It  has  been  coming  to  the  front  lately,  and  it  will 
probably  do  well  if  young  plants  are  secured  and 
planted  in  hot,  sunny  crevices,  or  in  the  moraine 
or  wall  garden.  It  has  roundish,  woolly  leaves 
and  graceful,  light  saffron  blooms  in  July  on 
arching  stems.  It  is  said  to  be  a  biennial,  but 
this  is  doubtful.  C.  1.  alba  is  very 
pretty. 

C.  Iangsdor£Qana. — A  synonym 
of  C.  Parryi  and  after  the  fashion 
of  C.  rotundifolia,  with  blue  flowers 
in  July.  It  is  being  offered  as  C. 
Parryi  at  the  present  time. 

C.  libanotica. — I  only  know  this 
plant  by  sight,  and  am  not  pre- 
pared to  say  much  about  it.  It 
ought,  from  its  habitats,  to  be 
hardy  in  dry  rock  gardens  or  in 
the  moraine.  It  is  a  miniature  C. 
persicifolia,  about  a  foot  high,  and 
blooms  in  June  and  July. 

C.  longistyla. — Unfortunately, 
this  is  a  biennial,  but  it  has  hand- 
some blue  flowers  in  good  spikes 
in  July,  and  with  projecting  styles, 
which  add  to  its  effect.  Seeds. 
A  dry  soil  in  winter.  About  a  foot 
high. 

C.  macrorrhiza. — A  charming, 
rare  species,  with  pretty  tufts  of 
leaves  and  lilac  blue  rotundifolia- 
like  bells  on  slender  branches  in 
autumn.  Capital  for  the  rock 
garden,  on  large  moraine,  or  wall 
garden.     Seeds  or  cuttings. 

C.  Mayi. — A  well-known  basket 
plant  and  excellent  for  warm 
walls,  especially  where  it  can  be 
shielded  from  ram  in  winter  by  a 
sheet  of  glass.  One  of  the  C. 
isophylla  class,  and  raised  by  divi- 
sion or  cuttings.     July.  • 

C.  mirabilis.  —  A  plant  which 
excited  a  good  deal  of  attention 
some  years  ago.  It  has  large, 
blue  bells  on  stout  stems  in  August 
and  September,  is  about  a  foot 
high,  is  only  a  biennial,  and  must 
be  raised  from  seeds  sown  in  May 
or  June.  A  pleasing  plant,  but 
lessened  in  value  by  its  biennial 
[Much        habit. 

C.  mollis. — There  is  a  good  deal 

of  confusion  about  this  plant.     C. 

and    molUs,   as   I  knew  it  years    ago,    was   simply    C. 

portenschlagiana    bavarica,    but    the   present-day 

plant  is  after  the  garganica  fashion,  with  thickly 

wool-covered  leaves  and   blue  flovyers,  liking  dry, 

sunny  places.    Division  or  cuttings.    June  and  July. 

C.  muralis. — See  C.  portenschlagiana. 

C.   morettiana. — A   plant   after   the   fashion   of 

a  miniature  C.  portenschlagiana,  likmg  cool,  shady 

limestone    rocks    and    difiictflt    to    establish.     The 

flowers  are  lighter  than  those  of  C.  portenschlagiana. 

Seeds,  division,  or  cuttings.     June  and  July. 

C.  nitida  or  planiflora. — A  charming  little 
miniature  with  erect  stems  6  inches  tog  inches  high, 


OcTOnER    4,  IQI.l-] 


THE     GARDEN. 


497 


aiid  rather  large,  flat,  open  flowers  in  July.  There 
are  four  forms,  wliich  are  growing  scarce.  The 
type  is  single  blue,  alba  is  single  white,  and  there 
are  double  forms  of  each.  Grows  on  flat  spots 
(■11  the  rockery  or  border,  and  likfs  some  shade 
OivisiOM. 

C.  pelviformis. — SeeC.  carpatirH.      S.  .\RNori. 
( fo  be  continued.) 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


RAISING     FUCHSIAS     FROM     SEED. 

*    S    Fuchsias   are  so  readily  increased  from 
/%  luttings,  there  is  no  reason   to   resort 

/  %  to  sowing  seeds  for  the  propagation  of 
^"■^^  any  particular  varieties,  but  at  (he 
*  ^      same  lime  the  raising  of  Fuchsias  from 

seeds  is  very  interesting.  As  a  raiser 
of  some  of  the  varieties  that  are  now  in 
general  cultivation,  I  have  for  many  years 
paid  great  attention  to  the  subject,  and 
while  meeting  with  some  successes,  have 
had  many  failures.  Some  of  the  Fuchsias, 
which  if  left  alone  will  bear  a  great  profusion 
of  Cherry-like  fruits,  cannot  be  depended 
upon  to  produce  a  single  fertile  seed,  wh'le 
others  whose  fruits  are  of  a  more  unpromis- 
ing nature  may  be  far  more  prolific  in  this 
respect. 

I  was  first  led  to  take  up  the  raising  of 
seedling  Fuchsias  by  the  late  Mr.  Thomas 
Todman,  who  a  generation  and  more  ago 
used  to  raise  not  only  new  Fuchsias,  but 
Azaleas,  Pelargoniums,  Verbenas  and  other 
plants.  He  pointed  out  that,  as  far  as  his 
experience  extended,  having  once  found  a 
good  and  reliable  seed-bearer,  it  should  be 
retained  for  the  purpose,  and  indicated  as 
one  of  the  most  useful  plants  he  had  a  speci- 
men bearing  comparatively  poor,  semi-double 
flowers  with  a  rosy  white  corolla.  From 
this,  though  it  was  not  worth  keeping  for 
its  own  intrinsic  merit,  he  obtained  many 
fine  varieties  by  fertilising  the  flowers  with 
the  pollen  of  different  kinds.  Some  of  the 
progeny  produced  (juite  dark-coloured  blos- 
soms. I  have  endeavoured  to  find  out 
whether  the  influence  of  the  male  or  female 
parent  exercises  the  greatest  effect  on  the 
blossoms,  but  cannot  say  that  I  cai  settle 
anything  to  my  own  satisfaction. 

."Vt  one  time  it  was  considered  difficult 
to  cross  a  variety  having  a  white  corolla 
with  a  dark  one,  but  this  proved  with 
me  one  of  the  easiest  of  all,  the  progeny 
bearing  corollas  of  different  shades  of  pink 
or  rose.  In  habit  the  seedlings  varied  consider- 
ably, the  union  of  two  vigorous-growing  kinds 
often  resulting  in  some  comparative  dwarfs, 
and  vice  versa.  Among  seedlings  raised  from 
ordinary  green-leaved  forms  a  bright  golden- 
foliaged  variety  made  its  appearance,  while  from 
large-flowered  kinds  I  raised  almost  a  counterpart 
of  the  compact-growing,  free-flowering  variety 
Alice  Hoffmann.  One  singular  feature  seems 
worthy  of  being  recorded.  A  fertilised  pod  yielded 
only  two  good  seeds,  both  of  which  germinated. 
In  foliage,  habit  and  flower  the  two  plants  resembled 
each  other  so  closely  that  everyone  would  look 
upon  them  as  identical,  yet,  strange  to  say, 
the  cuttings  from  one  of  them  took  twice  as 
long  to  strike  as  did  cuttings  from  the  other. 
Time  after  time  the  correctness  of  this  was 
verified. 


In  order  to  save  the  seed  we  are  sometimes 
recommended  to  rub  the  berries  up  with  dry  silver 
sand,  but  I  prefer  quite  a  different  mode  of  pro- 
cedure. When  the  berries  are  fully  ripe,  if  they 
are  then  cut  open  it  is  quite  easy    to    detect    the 


months,  when  bright-coloured  blossoms  <'ir(-  appre- 
ciated more  than  at  any  other  season.  lu  the  case 
of  some  species  the  flowers  are  borne  in  a  terminal 
head  or  cluster.  These  are,  as  a  rule,  <jf  upright 
growth,  and  it   is  useless  to  expect  them  to  form 


fertile  seeds,  which  may  amount  only  to  two  or  ,  bushy  plants,  as  if  the  top  is  pinched  out  in  order 
three,  or  even  none  at  all.  These  can  be  readily  j  to  encourage  the  production  of  side  shoots,  the 
picked  off  with  the  point  of  a  penknife  and  trans-  j  plant  does  not  readily  break  into  growth,  and, 
ferred  to  a  piece  of  blotting-paper  ;  they  will  what  is  more,  the  weak  shoots  fail  to  flower  in  a 
soon  dry.  Although  this  may  appear  a  some-  '•  satisfactory  manner.  .As  a  rule,  the  winter- 
what  troublesome  process,  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  I  flowering  members  of  this  section,  such  as  I. 
takes  much  less  time  than  when  the  berries  are  '  chrysostephana  and  J.  coccinea,  are  seen  at  their 
squeezed  to  a  pulp  and  mixed  with  sand.  best  when  grown  in  pots  5   inches  to  6  inches  in 

The  seed  may  be  sown  as  soon  as  ripe,  but  I  I  diameter  and  each  carrying  three  good  heads  of 
prefer  to  keep  it  till  the  end  of  February,  when  blossoms.  They  ma\'  then  be  had  well  furnished 
il   is  sown  in  some  well-drained  pots  filled  with  a 


mixture  of  loam,  leaf-mould  and  sand.  These 
pots  are  then  placed  in  a  gentle  heat  of  50°  to  65°, 
under  which  conditions  the  seeds  will  soon  germi- 


Mi 


■:i\-\' 


THE  NEW  PRIMUL.\  VINCjEFLORA  SHOWN  AT  THE 
LAST  MEETING  OF  THE  ROYAL  HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY    (Twn-thirdx  naturat  size).      {See  page  ^oo). 


nate,  and  with  care  the  young  plants  grow  away 
freely  afterwards.  Many  of  them  will  flower  the 
first  season,  but  it  is  only  in  the  second  year  that 
one  can  form  a  reliable  opinion  of  their  merits. 
Seedlings  raised  from  the  pretty  variegated- 
leaved  variety  Sunray  have  invariably  come  green, 
wh'le  tlie  same  results  followed  its  use  as  a  pollen- 
bearer. 

WINTER-FLOWERING     PLANTS     FOR 
THE    WARM     GREENHOUSE. 

The  Jacobinias. 
Several  of  the  plants  now  included  in  the 
genus  Jacobinia  have  at  one  time  or  another 
been  referred  to  other  genera.  Matters  have,  how- 
ever, been  simplified  by  bringing  them  all  under 
one  head.  Some  of  them  are  particularly  valuable 
from  the  fact  that  they  flower  during  the  winter 


with  leaves,  which  is  not  the  case  if    large  speci- 
mens are   aimed  at.     The   propagation   of  all   the 
Jacobinias  is  an   easy   matter,   as  cuttings  of  the 
young  growing  shoots  taken  as  early  in  the  spring 
as  possible  will  strike  root  without  difficulty 
if   put  into  pots  of  sandy  soil  and  placed  in 
a   frame    where    there    is  a    gentle    bottom- 
heat.      They   need    to    be    shifted    on    into 
larger  pots  when  required,    and  throughout 
the  summer  the  best  place  for  them  is  a  frame 
where   a  fair  amomit   of  air   can   be    given, 
shutting   up    the   lights    somewhat   early   in 
order  to  husband  the  sun-heat. 

Of  the  Jacobinias  that  flower  during  the 
winter  months,  especial  mention  may  be 
made  of  J.  chrysostephana,  a  native  of 
Mexico,  which  was  first  distributed  about 
forty  years  ago  under  the  name  of 
Cyrtanthera  chrysostephana.  In  this  species 
^  the  flowers  are  of  a  curved,  tubular  shape, 
and  so  disposed  in  a  terminal  head  as  to 
form  a  cruwn-Iike  cluster.  They  are  of  a 
bright  orange  colour,  .ind  a  group  of  this 
species  in  full  bloom  forms  a  very  striking 
feature  during  a  dull  winter's  day. 

J.  coccinea  is  in  habit  and  cultural 
requirements  much  like  the  preceding,  but 
the  flowers  are  bright  scarlet  in  colour.  It  is 
a  native  of  Brazil. 

J.  ghiesbreghtiana  was  formerly  known 
by  the  generic  name  of  Sericographis.  In 
this  the  deep  scarlet  flowers  are  produced 
in  loose  panicles,  instead  of  crowded  heads 
as  in  the  two  preceding  species.  The  ovate- 
lanceolate  leaves  are  quite  smooth  and  ol  a 
very  rich  green  tint. 

J.  pauciflora,  under  the  name  of  Libonia 
fioribunda,  has  been  extensively  grown  for 
many  years.  It  forms  a  freely-branched, 
bushy  specimen,  clothed  with  small,  oblong 
leaves,  and  the  flowers,  which  in  a  good 
example  are  exceedingly  numerous,  are 
about  an  inch  long,  tubular  in  shape,  and  in 
colour  scarlet,  tipped  with  gold.  It  requires  careful 
treatment,  otherwise  the  leaves  are  apt  to  acquire 
a  yellowish  tinge,  when  much  of  the  beauty  of  the 
plant  is  lost.  In  order  to  keep  the  leaves  in  good 
condition,  an  occasional  dose  of  soot-water  is  very 
helpful  when  the  pots  are  well  furnished  with  roots. 
J.  penrhosiensis  is  reported  to  be  a  garden  hybrid 
between  J.  pauciflora  and  J.  ghiesbreghtiana,  and 
the  general  appearance  of  the  plant  would  suggest 
that  such  is  its  origni.  It  shows  more  of  a  leaning 
towards  J.  pauciflora,  but  the  flowers  have  more 
crimson  in  their  colouring,  and  the  leaves,  which, 
are  more  pointed,  are  of  a  deeper  shade  of  green. 

Of  the  other  species,  J.  magnifica,  represented 
by  several  varieties,  is  a  very  striking  plant,  but 
its  usual  se.ison  of  blooming  is  during  the  summer 
months,      .  H.   R 


498 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  4,  1913 


OUR    THIRD     PRIZE 
ROCK    GARDEN. 


DRYNHAM,     OATLANDS 
CHASE,    WEYBRIDGE. 

THE  gardens  ]  at  Diyuiiam 
were  laid  out  some  four 
or  five  years  ago  by  Mr. 
William  Barr,  of  Messrs. 
Barr  and  Sons  of  Thames 
Ditton,  and  present  many 
pliasing  features  of  really  natural 
gardening.  The  rock  garden  is  a 
much  more  recent  addition ;  in  fact, 
a  year  ago  it  was  not  completed,  it 
being  purchased  at  the  Royal  Inter- 
national Exhibition  of  1912,  whence 
it  was  removed  and  reconstructed 
by  Mr.  J.  Wood  of  Boston  Spa. 
Naturally,  on  removing  it  to  another 
site,  the  design  had  to  be  amended 
or  altered  to  suit  the  new  position, 
and  considerable  extensions  were 
made  along  the  banks  of  the  already 
existing  pond  or  pool,  which,  in 
the  estimation  of  the  designer  and 
the  owner,  have  added  much  to  its 
beauty  and  effectiveness. 

At  the  time  of  photographing,  it 
could  not  be  said  to  have  attained 
its  full  beauty,  as  many  of  the  more 
showy  subjects  were  not  in  bloom,  it 
being  planted  to  provide,  as  far  as 
possible,  a  continuous  display  as  far  as 
it  is  consistent  with  the  natural  scheme 
of  construction.  The  first  illustration 
shows  the  water  inlet  ;  this,  by  the  way,  is  artificial 
but    it^  flows    in    naturallv   over   a   shelving   rock 


I. THE    ROCK    G.\RDEN    AT    DRYNH.\M,    WEYBRIDGE,    SHOWING    WATER    INLET    WITH    ARENARIA 

.  .    •■BALEARICA    AND    OTHER    PLANTS    ON    SHELVING    ROCKS. 


I  whence   it 
I  ra\'ino  or 


falls   with  one   or   two    breaks    into    a 
gorge,   thence  into  a   pool   in   the   forc- 


,  ground, 
pool,  sc 


3. GENERAL  VIEW   OF  THE  ROCK   GARDEN,  WITH  WATER 

POOL    BELOW. 


TLOWING    THROUGH     GORGE    INTO 


winch  again  overflows  into  the  lar,'  t 
1!  in  the  third  illustration.  One  or  two 
of  the  most  noticeable  subjects  are 
Fcstuca  glauca  (Blue  Grass),  Tiarella 
tordifolia  (Foam  Flower),  Giant  Thrift, 
.Arenaria  balearica,  Saxifragas  in 
variety  (S.  Cotyledon  and  S.  longi- 
lolius  just  throwine  up  their  flower- 
spikes),  Ramondia  pyrcnaica  and 
Sedum  sarmentosum.  Convolvulus 
Cneorum,  though  not  quite  hardy, 
had  come  tlirough  the  winter  well 
and  was  sliowing  flower,  while  Veronica 
repens,  planted  almost  on  the  water- 
level,  was  a  mass  of  white  blossoms 
The  second  illustration  is  a  more  com- 
prehensive view  of  the  rockery,  as  it 
really  includes  the  first  illustration, 
but  it  gives  a  slight  idea  of  the  gorge 
or  ravine  vrith  the  stream  running  into 
the  pool  in  the  foreground  and  the 
shelving  rocks  on  either  side.  These 
are  planted  with  an  infinite  variety 
of  small  and  interesting  subjects. 
Sempervivums  and  Sedums  in  variety 
are  installed  with  many  of  the  first- 
mentioned  plants  in  niches  on  either 
side  of  the  ravine,  while  on  the  more 
exposed  parts  of  the  rockery  are  four 
patches  or  groups  of  Lithospermum 
prostratum,  Incarvillea  grandifiora, 
Iberis  gibraltarica,  and  Helianthemums 
in  variety,  Lysimachia  aurea  (yellow 
Jenny  Creeper)  showing  up  well 
against  the  intense  blue  of  the 
Lithospermum.  Primula  sikkimensis 
and  P.  cockburniana  were  flower- 
ing  well,    as    also    was     GnapJialium 


i 


OCTOBFR   4,   IOI3O 


THE    GARDEN. 


499 


I.eontopodiiim,    this   {jrowiii^    in    fiiu-    masses    and  | 
be'Ug  covered  witli  hlnom.  ; 

Ou  the  moraine  or  riglit-liaud  side  of  the  iUustra- 
tion  are  many  minnte  and  inlercstins;  snbjects,  such 
as  Knirusled  Saxifrages,  Lychnis  alpina,  Polentilla 
pyrenaica,  Dondia  cpipactis,  Sanguinaria  canadensis, 
Sokianolla  montana,  S.  alpina,  Ranunculus 
crenatus,  R.  amplexicaulis  and  R.  bilobus,  Salix 
p\-renaica,  Bellis  caerulescens,  and  Cardamine 
irifoliata. 

The  third  illustration,  looking  cast,  is  a  continua- 
tion of  tlip  rockery  running  down  to  and  by  the  side 
of  the  pool.  Here  some  of  the  larger  masses  of 
the  stone  are  already  getting  well  covered  with 
Saxifragas,  Thymus,  Erodiums,  &c.,  while  Primula 
japonica.  Spiraeas,  Iris  and  other  moisture-loving 
subjects  are  planted  by  the  water-side.  On  the  banks 
extending  beyond  and  bacldng  up  the  rockery 
are  planted  such  subjects  as  shrubby  Veronicas, 
Cytisuses  in  variety,  Rosa  rugosa, 
Weigela,  .■\butilon  vitifolium,  Lupinus, 
&c.,  the  pool  itself  being  planted  witli 
various  aquatics,  including  a  t^ood 
collection  of  N'ymph.ci,. 


quite  halfway  and  removing  many  of  the  weaker 
branches  right  to  the  base.  In  the  case  of  H.  caly- 
cinum  the  plants  may  be  cut  over  to  the  ground- 
line,  and  in  this  instance  the  work  iMiy  be  reserved 
tor  Mardi.  Tl\e  stronger-growing  kinds  arc  bene- 
fited by  a  surface-dressing  of  well-decayed  manure 
in  March  or  April  every  second  year,  especially 
if  the  soil  is  not  very  good.  They  do  not  often 
suffer  seriously  from  drought,  although,  as  is  the 
case  with  other  shrubs,  they  appreciate  a  good 
watering  now  and  then  in  very  dry  weather.  Of 
the  many  kinds  which  may  be  obtained,  a  selection 
is  appended  of  those  which  arc  suitable  for  general 
planting. 

H.  androsaemum  is  a  European  species  which 
is  known  under  the  common  name  of  Tutsan. 
It  grows  from  ij  feet  to  3  feet  high,  and  forms  a 
shapely,  wide-spreading  bush  with  broadly  ovate 
or  almost  elliptical  leaves  and  large  heads  of  small 


foimd  wild  in  the  British  Isles,  where  it  grows 
from  12  inches  to  15  inches  high,  bearing  rich  golden 
flowers  3  inches  or  more  across. 

H.  densiflorum,  H.  kaluiianum,  H.  galioides  and  H. 
proliticuui  are  North  .American  species  which  grow 
about  two  Icet  high,  forming  rather  dense  bushes 
made  up  of  numerous  twiggy  branches  clothed 
with  small,  narrow  leaves,  and  bearing  pretty 
golden  flowers  in  large  heads.  The  botanical 
differences  which  separate  the  species  are  small, 
and  there  is  little  to  choose  between  them  for 
beauty. 

H.  elatum  is  a  vigorous-growing  plant  from  the 
Canary  Islands.  Attaining  a  height  of  from  3  feet 
to  4  feet,  it  blossoms  freely  when  planted  in  full 
sun,  but  when  planted  in  shady  places  it  often  fails 
to  do  itself  justice. 

H.  hookerianum  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  taller- 
growing  kinds.     It   is   a  native  of  the   Himalaya, 


TREES  AND  SHRUBS 


LATE  FLOWERING     SHRUBS 
FOR   SHADED    PLACES. 

The   Shkibev   St.   Joh.s's  Wokts. 

THE  shrubby  species  of  Hy- 
pericum or  St.  John's  Wort 
form  an  important  group, 
for  they  blossom  during 
summer  and  early  autumn, 
a  time  when  flowering 
shrubs  are  becoming  scarce  ;  and  some 
of  them  are  well  adapted  for  planting 
in  semi-shade,  for  they  thrive  even 
when  planted  close  up  to  the  trunks 
of  large  trees,  such  as  Limes  and  Oaks. 
One  point  may  be  urged  against  them, 
viz.,  the  lack  of  variety  in  the  coloiu" 
of  the  flowers,  for  all  are  yellow, 
though  there  is  some  difference  in 
shade.  There  is,  however,  considerable 
variation  in  the  size  of  the  bloom-- 
and  the  manner  in  which  they  arc 
produced,  while  a  wide  difference  exists 
betw-een  the  habit  and  stature  of  the 
various  species. 

Propagation. — Taken  as  a  whole, 
their  cultivation  offers  no  difficulty, 
for,  providing  moderately  good  loamy 
soil  is  given,  they  grow  and  flower 
freely,  while  a  few  give  quite  good  results  when 
planted  in  sandy  ground.  It  is  a  mistake  to  keep 
the  plants  too  long,  however,  and  as  soon  as  signs 
of  deterioration  appear  they  should  be  destroyed 
and  a  fresh  start  made  with  young  stock.  Young 
plants  are  easily  raised,  for  seeds  collected  in 
autumn  and  sown  in  sandy  soil  indoors  during  early 
spring  vegetate  quickly,  and  nice  plants  are  pro- 
duced in  the  course  of  the  succeeding  summer. 
Many  of  the  kinds  may  also  be  increased  by  means 
of  cuttings  of  half-ripe  wood  inserted  in  pots  of 
sandy  soil  in  a  close  frame  in  July,  and  such  species 
as  H.  calycinimi  are  easily  increased  by  division 
in  spring. 

Pruning. — One  point  to  be  observed  in  the 
cultivation  of  these  plants  is  the  necessity  for  an 
annual  pruning  during  late  winter  or  early  spring. 
February  is  a  very  good  time  for  the  work,  and  it 
should  consist  of  cutting  last   year's  shoots  back 


3. CONTINU.\TION    OF    THE    ROCK    G.\RDEN    BY    M.'VRGIN    OF    THE    POOL. 


vellow  flowers,  which  are  succeeded  by  showy 
black  fruits. 

H.  aegyptiacum,  H.  balearicum  and  H.  olympicum 
are  three  dwarf  showy  species  from  the  Medi- 
terranean region  and  .Asia  Minor  which  are  suitable 
for  the  rockery.  .As  they  are  inclined  to  be  tender, 
they  should  be  given  a  sheltered  but  sunny  position. 
The  last  named  is  specially  worthy  of  note,  for 
it  is  very  floriferous,  and  the  flowers  are  large  and 
showy. 

H.  aureum,  a  native  of  the  Southern  United 
States,  grows  2  feet  or  so  high  and  blossoms  freely  ; 
while  H.  Buckleyi,  a  dwarf-growing  kind  from  the 
mountains  of  the  same  country,  shoidd  find  a  place 
on  the  rockery. 

H.  calycinum  is  perhaps  the  most  useful  of  all 
the  Hypericums,  for  it  succeeds  in  sun  and  shade, 
and  is  an  excellent  plant  for  carpeting  ground 
beneath  trees.     A  native  of  the  Orient,  it  is  also 


and  grows  from  2  feet  to  2^  feet  high.  The  oval 
leaves  are  somewhat  glaucous  in  colour,  and  the 
shapely  golden  flowers  are  upwards  of  2  inches  across. 

H.  patulum,  a  native  of  India  and  China,  is  an 
elegant  little  bush,  bearing  large  golden  flowers, 
but  it  is  rather  tender  and  delicate,  and  for  general 
usefulness  has  to  give  place  to  its  more  vigorous 
variety  Henryi,  This  grows  into  a  good-sized 
spreading  bush,  and  bears  its  large  golden  blossoms 
freely. 

H.  moserianum  is  a  charming  hybrid  between 
calycinum  and  patulum,  and  it  inherits  the  good 
qualities  of  both,  while  it  is  much  hardier  than  H. 
patulum.  It  grows  about  a  foot  high,  spreads 
freely  into  a  plant  ij  feet  or  2  feet  across,  and 
blossoms  with  remarkable  freedom,  the  flowers 
being  large  and  of  a  rich  golden  hue.  It  is  an 
excellent  subject  for  specimen  beds  or  groups 
in  the  front  of  a  shrubbery.  W.  D. 


500 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  4,  1913. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 

SIMULTANEOUS      SPORTS       AMONG 
ROSES. 

THERE  have  been  i|iiili  a  uuiuber 
ijf  instances  where  a  ceitain  variety 
of  Rose  has  sported  in  exactly 
the  same  way  on  different  plants 
in  widely-separated  districts.  Doubt- 
less this  has  been  the  cause  of 
some  duplicates  or  symonyms,  and  it  becomes 
almost  necessary  to  enquire  if  others  have 
the  same  sport  before  distributing  your  own 
to  the  public,  and  so  having  the  same  variety- 
mider  more  than  one  name.  A  few  examples  of 
tliis  occur  to  me,  but  we  also  have  the  same  fact 
among  Chrysanthemums,  Pelargoniums  and  other 
florists'  flowers  that  are  largely  propagated  by 
cuttings  or  grafts.  I  think  it  was  in  the  year 
1892  that    the  Rev.  G.  H.  Engleheart  explained  his 


older  plants  simultaneously  to  its  discovery  at 
Reigate.  Dorothy  Perkins  has  produced  quite  a 
number  of  sports  remarkably  alike,  and  all  the 
more  so  if  we  take  into  consideration  how  variable 
the  sports  themselves  are.  I  have  frequently 
found  a  stray  flower  or  two  of  the  true  Dorothy 
Perkins  in  the  midst  of  White  Dorothy,  and  also 
in  those  beautiful  blush  pink  trusses  of  Dorothy 
Dennison  and  Christian  Curie.  Lately  there 
has  been  considerable  discussion  re  the  number  of 
duplicates,  which  are  all  too  frequent  ;  but  those 
emanating  from  sports  may  often  have  been 
genuine  and  distributed  with  all  honesty  as  being 
distinct,  so  far  as  the  raiser  was  aware.         A.   P. 


NEW    AND     RARE     PLANTS. 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 
Primula  vincseflora. — This  remarkable  species  (see 
illustration  c.)n  p.  497)  was  sent  by  Professor  Bayley 


Carnation  Fairmount.— This  is  a  grand  perpetual- 
flowering  variety,  after  the  colour  of  Mikado 
(bluish  lilac),  but  an  improvement  in  many  ways. 
In  colour  it  is  almost  fascinating,  while  the  flowers 
are  large,  full  and  fragrant.  Shown  by  Messrs. 
.Mlwood  Brothers. 

Chrysanthemum  Olive.-  .\  fine,  early-floiverhig 
border  variety  of  chestnut  crimson  colour  and 
bronze  reverse.     From  Messrs.  W.  Wells  and  Co. 

Rose  iHoonlight. — This  variety  recently  received 
the  gold  medal  of  the  National  Rose  Society.  It 
was  showii  in  lovely  form  in  large  trusses  of  ex- 
panded flowers.  Shown  by  the  Rev.  J.  H. 
Pemberton. 

Aster  Beauty  of  Ronsdorf. — This  in  time  will 

prove  a  \'ery  popular  variety.  It  is  a  form  of 
Aster  Amellus,  witli  Ijlooms  measuring  3  inches 
in  diameter.  It  is  heliotrope  in  colour  and  less 
than  two  feet  in  height. 

Aster  Mrs.  Frank  Penn. — This  is  a  variety  of 
A.  Novi-Belgii.     Its  attraction  lies  in  its  wonderful 

colour,   which   is   bright   rosy   purple. 

Shown  by  Messrs.  H.  J.  Jones,  Limited. 


NEW     DAHLIAS. 

Awards  of  merit  were  given  to  the 
following  by  a  joint  committee  ol 
the  National  Dahlia  Society  and  the 
floral  committee  :  Rupert,  from  Mr. 
Shoesmith,  Woking  ;  Homere,  from 
Messrs.  J.  Burrell  and  Co.  ;  Dorothy 
Havves,  from  Messrs.  Stredwick  and  Son, 
St.  Leonards-on-Sea ;  Reginald  Cory 
and  Ruby,  from  Messrs.  Cheal,  Crawley ; 
Mrs.  J.  C.  Vaughan  and  Herzogin 
von  Braunschweig,  from  Messrs. 
Wamaar  and  Co.,  Holland. 


A    BEAUTIFUL     W.\TER-SIDE     GROUPING    OF     THE    ALKANET,    ANCHUSA    ITALICA    DROPMORE    VARIETY 
HOW    TO    INCREASE    THIS    PLANT    IS    FULLY    DESCRIBED    ON    THE    OPPOSITE    PAGE. 


theory  of  the  matter  to  me,  and  it  was  very  striking. 
That  gentleman's  explanation  was  that  a  special 
variety  so  propagated  was  really  one  and  the 
same  plant  as  if  they — or  the  piece  of  growth 
removed — were  upon  the  original,  and  that  upon 
arriving  at  a  certain  stage  or  age  they  all  developed 
the  same  peculiarity.  He  gave  a  further  illustra- 
tion by  saymg  that  where  a  disease  or  singularity  cf 
mind  or  body  was  inherent  in  a  family,  it  .commonly 
appeared  among  the  members  at  precisely  the 
same  time  of  life. 

I  have  known  of  several  instances  of  what  were 
undoubtedly  simultaneous  sports.  There  are  the 
cases  of  Mrs.  Harkness  and  Paul's  Early  Blush 
sporting  from  Heinrich  Schultheis,  also  Souvenir 
de  S.  A.  Prince  and  The  Queen  from  Souvenir 
d'un  Ami.  The  same  variety  tlirew  a  white 
sport  near  here  at  the  same  time,  as  nearly  as  I 
can  discover.  The  sport  from  Catherine  Mermet — 
Muriel  Grahame — also  appeared  upon  one  ol  our 


Balfour  from  the  Botanic  Garden,  Edinburgh, 
where  it  has  this  year  flowered  for  the  first  time. 
The  flat,  expanded  flower  is  pale  violet  in  colour, 
deepening  in  shade  in  the  centre  of  the  flower. 
It  was  collected  by  Forrest  in  1905  in  the  Lichiang 
Mountains  of  Yunnan,  and  introduced  through 
Messrs.  Bees,  Limited. 

Berberis  aggregata. — This  new  Chinese  species 
was  shown  by 'the  Hon.  Vicary  Gibbs  (gardener, 
Mr.  E.  Beckett).  It  is  one  of  many  ornamental 
shrubs  sent  home  by  Wilson  from  China.  It  was 
shown  as  a  richly-berried  shrub  of  spreading  habit 
less  than  two  feet  in  height.  The  beiries  are  of  a 
creamy  hue,  rosy  on  the  sunny  side,  and  produced 
in  immense  clusters. 

Carnation  Sahnon  King. — An  efiective  and 
beautiful  variety  with  bright  salmon  rose  flowers. 
It  is  perpetual  -  flowering,  fragrant  and  very 
free.  Shown  by  the  raisers,  Messrs.  Stuart  Low 
and  Co. 


NEW     ORCHIDS. 

Lselio-Cattleya  Armada. — This  is 
,1  disthict  hybrid  from  L.-C.  lumi- 
iiosa  and  C.  fulvescens.  It  has 
yellowish  sepals  and  petals,  and 
purplish  crimson  lip.  Exhibited  by 
Sir  G.  Holford. 

Cattleya    Cybele    Davidson 's 

Variety.  —  A  fine  Cattleya  derived 
from  the  intercrossing  of  C.  gas- 
kelliana  alba  and  C.  luddemanniana. 
The  sepals  and  petals  are  almost  white, 
and  the  lip  has  a  yellow  throat,  then 
a  purplish  crimson  area,  nicely  mar- 
gined with  white.  From  E.  H.  David- 
son, Esq.,  Orchid  Dene,  Twyford. 
The    foregoing    were    shown    before    the    Royal 

Horticultural  Society  on  September  23.  when  the 

awards  were  made. 


NEW    FRurr. 

Damson  Merryweather. — It  is  seldom  that  a 
new  Damson  is  put  before  the  fruit  committee. 
This  variety,  however,  is  of  such  surpassing  quality 
that  it  was  unanimously  given  the  high  award  of 
a  first-class  certificate.  A  coloured  plate  of  this 
variety  appeared  in  The  Garden,  October  22y 
1911.  The  trees  of  this  Damson  are  as  vigorous 
as  a  Victoria  Plum,  and  the  fruits  much  larger  than 
the  largest  Damson  hitherto  known.  It  has  a 
fine  Damson  flavour,  and  even  in  the  yoimg  state 
the  trees  crop  heavily.  Shown  by  Messrs.  Merry- 
weather  and  Sons.  This  variety  was  shown  at 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Fruit  Show 
on  September  25. 


October  4,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


501 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

THE    CULTIVATION     OF    THE     DROPMORE     ALKANET     (ANGHUSA     ITALICA    DROPMORE     VARIETY). 


E 


ROOT     CUTTINGS     OI' 


other 


VERYONE  with  a  fairly  wide  flower 
border  should  grow  the  delightful  blue- 
flowered  Dropmore  Anchusa.  It  rivals 
the  Delphinium  as  the  best  tali-growiiig 
blue-flowered  per- 
ennial. Were  the 
plants  only  in  flower  for  a 
fortnight  or  three  weeks,  this 
.\lkanet  would  be  worth  grow- 
ing ;  but  as  a  succession  of 
flowers  is  maintained  for 
something  like  three,  or  even 
four  months,  it  is  of  in- 
estimable value  for  borders 
and  beds.  Commencing  to 
flower  towards  the  end  of  May 
when  about  two  feet  high, 
the  plants  in  good  soil  will 
grow  6  feet  or  more  in  height, 
producing  a  profusion  of  blos- 
soms throughout  the  summer. 
If  the  shoots  which  have 
flowered  are  cut  out  in 
August,  side  growths  will 
push  up  and  flower  in  autumn. 
Unlike  many  tall  herbaceous 
plants  which  produce  flowers 
only  near  the  tops  of  the 
growths,  the  Dropmore 
Anchusa  has  flowers  prac- 
tically from  the  bottom 
to  the  top  when  not  crowded  roiuid  with 
plants.     (See  illustration  on  opposite  page). 

Root  Cuttings  form  the  readiest  means  of 
propagation.  At  this  season  of  the  year  one  or  two 
plants  may  be  lifted  to  obtain  a  supply  of  the  thick, 
fleshy  roots.  These  should  be  cut 
mto  pieces  2  inches  to  3  inches  ;  some 
may  be  thicker  than  one's  thumb,  while 
others  will  not  be  thicker  than,  or 
even  as  thick  as,  a  pencil.  Under 
favourable  conditions  almost  every  piece 
of  root  will  produce  a  young  plant.  It 
is  important  when  cutting  up  the  roots 
to  have  the  cut  surface  at  the  top 
straight  across  and  the  bottom  slanting  ; 
otherwise,  when  planting  the  pieces  of 
root  which  are  the  same  thickness  all 
the  way  along,  it  will  be  difficult  to 
decide  which  is  the  bottom  and  which 
the  top.  For  safety,  especially  when 
the  garden  soil  is  heavy,  some  growers 
lay  the  roots  2  inches  apart  in  boxes 
of  very  sandy  soil  for  the  winter. 
Placed  in  a  cold  frame,  these  will  start 
into  growth  m  early  spring,  and  shotild 
then,  during  favourable  weather,  be 
planted  out  where  they  are  to  flower. 
Another  method  is  to  lay  the  roots  in 
soil  at  the  foot  of  a  warm  south  wall 
for  the  winter,  planting  them  out  as 
before  recommended  in  early  spring. 

Thougli  a  hardy  perennial,  in 
heavy,  wet  soils  the  Anchusa  roots 
often  rot  off  in  wmter.  In  such 
gardens  a  supply  of  roots  should  be 
obtained  from  the  old  plants  which 
have  flowered,   and   placed    in    a    cold 


frame  annually  in  autumn.  .^s  a  contrast  to  who  do  not  already  grow  the  Dropmore  .Mkaiiet, 
this,  in  light,  sandy  soils,  when  the  border  has  and  anyone  interested  in  obtaining  variation  ui 
been  dug  over,  pieces  of  the  root  will  grow  and  push  colour,  may  sow  seeds  under  glass  in  a  heated 
up  all  over  the  surface  of  the  ground.     The  old  ,  greenhouse  duruig  February,  or  in   a  cold   frame 

from  April  to  June.  The 
paler  variety  named  Opal, 
which  is  grown  in  some  gar- 
dens, was  obtained  in  this  way. 
To  aid  in  securing  the 
succession  of  flowers  which  is 
such  a  desirable  feature  of 
this  beautiful  blue-flowered 
perennial,  the  plants  should 
be  liberally  mulched  with  old 
decayed  manure  towards  the 
end  of  May.  Staking  the 
leading  shoots  is  desirable 
during  Jime  ;  otherwise,  later 
in  the  season  the  growths  will 
fall  about  and  tying  will  then 
be  much  more  difficult.  Cut 
sprays  are  useful  for  room 
decoration,  being  particularly 
effective  with  a  few  pieces  of 
liypsophila  interspersed. 


THE     DROP.MORE    .\LKANET     READY 
COLD    IRAME    I  OR   THE   WINTER. 


FOR    PLACING    IN    A 


PRUNING  GOOSE- 
BERRIES AND  RED 
CURRANTS. 

I.s  districts  where  birds  are  not 
troublesome,  the  early  pruning 
roots  or  clumps  do  not  divide  satisfactorily,  and  of  Gooseberries  and  Currants  is  advisable.  A  num- 
this  method  of  increase  is  not  worth  considering,  ber  of  years  ago  I  primed  a  Gooseberry  bush  in  a 
The  plants  produce  seeds,  but  as  a  good  many  of  large  plantation,  just  one  bush,  at  an  early  date, 
the  seedlings  do  not  come  true,  propagation  by  leaving  the  remainder  to  be  pruned  the  followmg 
root     cuttings     is     preferable.     Those,     however,    spring.     The  new    shoots    on   the   autumn-pruned 

bush  grew  very  strongly  and  early,  and, 
of  course,  the  berries  were  large. 

If  the  Gooseberries  are  intended  for 
exhibition,  the  pruning  of  the  branches 
must  be  rather  more  severe  than  in  in- 
stances where  the  crop  is  intended  solely 
for  home  consumption.  In  the  first  case 
leave  the  branches  quite  6  inches  apart  ; 
prime  the  side  shoots  back  to  two  buds 
from  the  base  if  these  branches  grow  from 
spurs,  and  to  three  buds  if  they  grow 
from  main  stems.  The  leading  shoots 
must  be  cut  back  to  half  their  length. 
The  same  system  may  be  applied  when 
pruning  Red  and  White  Currants. 

If  prunmg  be  done  to  form  bushes, 
for  bearing  general  crops  of  fruits,  then 
the  main  branches  should  be  left  about 
four  inches  apart  ;  but  the  side  shoots 
must  be  cut  back  as  advised  in  the  case 
of  pruning  for  exhibition  fruit.  The 
leading  shoots,  however,  need  not  be  cut 
back  more  than  one-third  their  length. 
I  refer,  of  course,  to  shoots  made  during 
the  current  year.  Always  prune  to  a 
liud  pointing  outwards  and  upwards  ; 
then  ths  new  shoots,  especially  the 
leading  ones,  grow  in  an  upward  direc- 
tion, and  so  improve  the  form  of  the 
bush  and  keep  the  branches  from  being 
weighed  down  by  the  quantity  of 
frmt.  B. 


^fsitfmm 

^^^"fl 

1 

%> 

VW/ 

^^^^         K    fl 

•<^'=.ji 

0^' 

1^ 

ISS'^^r 

M^ 

1  ^Wi^ 

Hpi^^-t.. 

f 

^^^■i 

I 

V 

-iSSSi. 

ROOTED  CUTTINGS,  SHOWING  HOW  THE  NEW  GROWTHS  ARE 
PRODUCED.   THESE  QUICKLY  MAKE  LARGE  PLANTS. 


502 


THE    GARDEN. 


[OcTOBEfi    4,  1913* 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Rose  Garden. 

Planting  Fresh  Beds. — Readers  whu  intend 
planting  Iresh  beds  this  season  would  be  well 
advised  to  get  the  ground  or  beds  prepared  as 
early  as  possible,  as  early  planting,  I  feel  assured, 
is  a  great  factor  towards  the  ultimate  success 
of  the  plants. 

Preparation  of  the  Soil. — Fairly  deep  trenching 
and  plenty  of  manure  well  below  the  surface  are 
quite  essential,  witli  a  sprinkling  of  bone-meal 
in  the  top  spit,  while  the  addition  of  some  clay 
or  very  heavy  loam  to  the  lighter  soils  is  a  distinct 
advantage.  But  with  present-day  varieties  the 
necessity  of  heavy  soil  to  ensure  success  is  not  so 
marked,  as  even  on  very  light  soils,  well  manured, 
excellent  results  can  he  obtained. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Stocll  Plants  of  tender  subjects  should  be  lilted 
as  soon  as  there  is  danger  from  frost,  and  after 
potting  should  be  well  watered  in.  Though  it  may 
not  be  necessary  to  place  them  in  the  houses  at 
once,  they  should  be  placed  in  the  frames  or  under 
a  temporary  shelter,  removing  them  to  the  houses 
as  soon  as  the  more  particular  occupants  have  been 
allotted  their  various  positions  for  the  winter. 

Clearing  the  Beds. — Presuming  that  the  weather 
conditions  are  such  that  it  is  not  advisable  to  leave 
the  occupants  of  the  beds  out  any  longer,  a  com- 
mencement should  be  made  to  clear  them,  and, 
where  spring  bedding  is  practised,  the  sooner 
the  better,  as  bulbs  and  other  plants  employed 
do  all  the  better  if  they  are  planted  fairly  early. 
This  double  planting  (for  a  spring  and  a  summer 
show)  takes  a  great  deal  out  of  the  soil,  and  I  find 
it  best  to  maniu'^'  in  the  .lutumu  rather  than  the 
spring. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Salvia  splendens. — This  showy  subject  should 
be  housed  at  imee,  giving  the  plants  as  much  room 
as  possible  between  them,  or  they  are  apt  to  draw 
up  rather  quickly.  The  latest  batch  which  may 
have  had  the  points  of  the  shoots  removed  recently 
might  still  be  left  out  under  a  temporary  shelter, 
but  as  they  are  easily  damaged  by  frost,  no  undue 
risks  should  be  taken.  Plenty  of  water  will  be 
required  after  housing,  and  one  or  two  feedings  of 
artificial  manure  will,  or  should,  ensure  good 
flower-sp'ikes. 

Zonal  Pelargoniums. — If  not  already  housed, 
these  shoukl  be  put  inside  at  once.  Shelves  or  stages 
near  the  glass  are  the  best  places  for  these  plants. 
The  foliage  this  season  is  fairly  hard  or  ripe, 
and  it  may  be  advisable  to  spray  between  the  pots 
for  a  few 'days  after  housing,  or  a  loss  of  foliage 
may  result  from  the  drier  atmospheric  concUtions. 
.Ml  the  light  and  air  possible  should  be  given  these 
plants,  giving  no  fire-heat  till  frosts  or  extra  cold 
weather  makes  it  a  necessity,  or  until  the  presence 
of  the  bloom  makes  it  necessary  to  maintain  a 
drier  atmosphere. 

Azalea  indica. — Those  plants  that  may  have 
been  removed  outside  to  mature  their  wood  should 
be  placed  under  cover  again,  giving  the  plants  a 
spraying  with  an  insecticide  to  ensure  they  are  free 
of  thrip.  Careful  watering  is  necessary  during 
the  winter,  and  though  they  do  not  like  an  excess 
of  water,  if  once  they  become  dry  it  will  possibly 
'residt  in  a  great  loss  of  foliage. 

Primulas  that  may  have  been  growing  in  cold 
frames  should  be  removed  to  pits  or  houses  where 
a  little  heat  may  be  turned  on  during  bad  weather 
or  cold  nights.  The  species  P.  nialacoides  may  still 
be  kept  in  a  cold  frame  providing  the  weather 
keeps  dry,  but  too  moist  an  atmosphere  often 
causes  damping  of  the  foliage,  especially  in  large 
plants. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Late  Potatoes  that  may  still  be  in  the  ground 
should  be  lifted  at  once,  choosing  a  dry  day  for 
the  operation.  Leave  the  tubers  to  dry  as  long  .as 
possible  before  storing.  Where  shed-rooui  is 
.available,  they  are  best  stored  under  cover,  where 
they  can  be  picked  over  during  bad  weather. 
Failing  this,  they  should  be  pitted  in  as  dry  a 
position  as  possible.  In  this  latter  case  they  must 
be  very  carefully  picked  over  in  case  of  disease, 
as  they  often  rot  wholesale  if  pitted  without 
very  careful  attention  in  this  respect. 


Spring  Cabbage.— This  is  a  very  important 
crop,  and  planting  should  be  done  at  once,  selecting 
a  piece  of  ground  that  has  been  well  manured  for 
a  previous  crop.  Light  soil  should  be  made 
fairly  firm  before  planting,  or  the  soft  growth  made 
on  such  soil  may  easily  be  damaged  by  frost  later 
in  the  season.  The  very  early  varieties  need  not 
be  planted  too  far  apart,  but  rather  mom  space 
should  be  allowed  for  the  later  varieties. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Root-Pruning. — As  the  bulk  of  the  fruit  is 
gathered,  attention  should  be  paid  to  those  trees 
that  are  not  fruiting  satisfactorily,  owing  probabh' 
to  over-rampant  growth.  It  is  not  of  much  use 
pruning  such  trees,  as  the  more  one  prunes,  the 
more  rampant  is  the  growth  the  following  year  ; 
hence  the  necessity  for  root-pruning. 

Large  Trees  should  be  taken  in  hand  first  ; 
and  though  one  often  sees  it  advised  to  do  one 
side  or  half  round  the  tree  one  season  and  the 
other  half  the  next,  I  do  not  believe  in  it.  I 
would  rather  sacrifice  a  crop  ffir  one  year  if  it  is 
to  ultimately  result  in  good  crops  of  fruit.  The 
only  reason  for  doing  it  is  because  the  tree  is 
not  making  sufficient  fruiting  wood,  so  there  is 
very  little  sacrifice,  if  any.  By  doing  this  early 
and  by  getting  well  round  and  tmder  the  trees, 
afterwards  placing  some  good  soil  in  close  proximity 
to  the  pruned  roots  and  preserving  as  many  of 
the  young  fibrous  roots  as  possible,  the  trees  have 
a  chance  of  making  quite  a  lot  of  yomtg  roots 
before  the  depth  of  winter,  and  so  very  little  check 
restUts  except  that  less  growth  is  made  the  following 
season,  which  is  the  one  object  aimed  at.  Such 
large  trees  sometimes  need  attention  as  regards 
watering  and  mulching  if  a  dry  spring  follows  the 
pruning,  but  otherwise  I  have  always  foimd  them 
to  come  through  all  right . 

Smaller  Trees  and  Cordons  are  very  easily 
manipulated,  and  in  the  case  of  the  latter,  young, 
fast-growing  trees  should  be  taken  out  and  replanted 
every  two  or  three  years,  and  if  this  is  done  it  will 
be  fotmd  that  the  roots  are  almost  as  much  under 
control  as  those  of  pot  trees. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 
Woburn  Place  Gafdcns,  Addhstonc,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Planting  Bulbs. — It  is  rather  early  yet  to 
remove  bedding  pUmts  and  commence  what  is 
popidarly  known  as  spring  bedduig  ;  but  wherever 
bulbs  are  to  be  planted  elsewhere,  they  should  be 
got  in  as  soon  as  convenient.  Cottage  Tulips, 
Danvm  Tulips,  and  Spanish  and  English  Irises 
should  all  find  a  place  in  considerable  quantity. 
These  should  all  be  planted  about  three  inches 
deep,  and  they  may  all  be  planted  at  from  6  inches 
to  9  inches  apart.  Where  the  soil  is  at  all  heavy, 
it  is  worth  while  placing  a  trowelful  of  clean  sand 
round  the  bulbs  of  dear  varieties. 

Note-Taking. — Before  the  impressions  of  the 
closing  season  fade  from  the  memory,  notes  should 
be  taken  of  successes  and  failures,  both  as  regards 
varieties  and  their  arrangement ;  and  however  much 
it  may  eventually  be  modified,  a  draft  arrangement 
for  next  season  should  be  made.  In  the  herbaceous 
quarters,  too,  plants  to  be  subsequently  discarded 
or  shifted  shotild  be  marked. 

Protecting  Dahlias. — In  certain  localities  early 
frosts,  succeeded  by  a  spell  of  mild  weather,  often 
occur  and  destroy  the  Dahlias.  If  a  piece  of  scrim 
or  other  light  material  were  thrown  over  them 
when  frost  occurred,  the  blooming  period  might 
be  prolonged  for  several  weeks  yet. 

Late  Carnation  Layers. — These  should  now  be 

severed  from  tlie  parent  plants  and  placed  in  their 
winter  quarters.  It  afforded  the  shelter  of  a  light 
to  ward  off  soaking  rains,  it  will  be  a  gre.U  advan- 
tage. I  favour  potting  them  up,  but  if  this  is  not 
done,  they  should  have  some  nice  fibrous  loam  to 
root  into.     Tins  will  tell  at  planting-time. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Autumn  Planting.  —  Any  autumn  planting 
should  nil  longer  be  delayed.  Evaporation  is 
slow  noiv,  aiul  there  is  just  time  for  the  plants  to 
get  rooted  before  winter  sets  in. 


Preparations  for  Building. — Where  it  is  intendfed 

cither  to  extend  the  rock  garden  or  to  form  a  new 
one,  preparations  must  be  made  beforehand.  The 
procuring  of  stones  is  the  first  consideration,  and 
in  dealing  with  this  aspect  of  the  work  the  welfare 
of  the  plants  should  have  precedence  to  mere 
spectacular  effect.  Sandston*  and  limestone  will 
be  found  to  be  generally  most  suitable,  but 
sometimes  one  must  build  with  the  stones  they 
have.  I  recently  utilised  some  disused  concrete, 
thickly  studded  with  small  stones,  with  good  effect. 
Soil  is  the  next  consideration,  and  medium  loam 
will  suit  the  bulk  of  the  plants,  but  peat  and  rotten 
rock  are  also  necessary  where  a  varied  collection 
is  to  be  grown. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemimis. — Feeding  must  still  go  on, 
being  required  more  than  ever  now.  Disbudding 
must  also  be  carried  on  as  the  buds  are  fit  for 
handlmg,  that  is,  when  they  are  about  the  size 
of  Peas.  Any  late  varieties  which  have  not  set 
their  buds  should  not  be  housed  till  they  do  so, 
or  they  will  most  likely  "  go  blind."  Shoidd  sharp 
frost  occur,  lay  the  plants  on  their  sides  over- 
night. They  will  stand  several  degrees  of  frost 
in  that  position. 

Salvia  Heeri. — Those  who  possess  a  batch  of 
this  attractive  spring-flowering  scarlet  Salvia 
should  give  it  a  light,  airy  position  in  the  green- 
house and  continue  to  give  it  liquid  manure  twice 
a  week  throughout  the  winter. 

Bulbs  for  Forcing. — Batches  of  these  should 
be  potted  or  boxed  up,  after  which  they  should  be 
plunged  in  sand  or  ashes  in  a  sheltered  corner. 

Shrubs  for  Forcing. — As  soon  as  they  come  to 
hand,  these  should  be  potted  up  and  placed  in  a 
cool  structure.  Place  them  in  as  small  pots  as 
possible. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Strawberries. — Some  growers  lay  the  pots  on 
their  sides  at  this  season  to  protect  the  plants 
from  heavy  rains,  while  others  house  them  in  cool 
structures.  Those,  however,  who  have  experi- 
mented in  the  matter  have  found  that,  other  things 
being  equal,  the  best  results  have  been  obtained 
from  plants  which  have  been  plunged  in  the  open 
air  in  an  upright  position,  and  covered  with  lights 
only  during  heavy  rains. 

Bottling  Grapes. — This  has  no  reference  to  the 
modern  system  of  bottling  fruit  by  the  sterilising 
process.  Where  the  house  is  wanted  for  plants, 
the  bunches  can  be  cut  with  a  piece  of  the  branch 
attached.  This  piece  of  branch  should  then  be 
inserted  into  the  mouth  of  a  bottle  of  water,  a 
nodule  of  charcoal  having  been  placed  in  the  water, 
and  the  bottle  adjusted  on  a  shelf  in  a  dry,  cool 
room  at  an  angle  so  that  the  fruit  will  hang  clear. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Root-Pruning. — This  work,  which  was  referred 
to  some  weeks  ago,  should  now  be  completed 
without  delay,  so  that  young,  fibrous  roots  may  be 
formed  before  winter  sets  in. 

Purchasing. — Those  about  to  plant  will  now 
be  selecting  varieties — a  very  important  step. 
Growers  of  experience  need  no  advice,  and  beginners 
would  do  well  to  consult  successful  growers  in 
their  own  locality,  as  so  much  depends  upon  soil 
and  situation.  For  cooking  Apples,  however, 
one  cannot  go  far  wrong  with  such  varieties  as 
Early  Rivers,  Ecklinville,  Lord  Derby,  Stirling 
Casiie,  Warner's  King,  Bramley's  Seedling  and 
Lane's  Prince  Albert.  For  dessert  purposes  the 
following  are  very  reliable :  James  Grieve, 
Worcester  Pearmain,  Allington  Pippin  and  Cox's 
Orange  Pippin. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Asparagus. — See  that  the  beds  are  thoroughly 
cleared  of  weeds,  but  do  not  cut  over  the  plants 
till  they  die  down. 

Brussels  Sprouts. — Remove  all  decayed  and 
decaying  leaves,  so  that  the  sprouts  may  enjoy 
all  the  available  air  and  light.  Endeavour  to  utilise 
the  sprouts  before  they  lose  their  solidity,  which 
the  more  precocious  ones  often  do  rather  quickly. 

Clearing  Off  Crops. — All  sunmier  crops  should 
be  cleared  away  as  soon  as  they  are  harvested. 

Late  Cauliflowers. — Varieties  like  Vcitdi's 
Aulunm  Giant  and  Sutton's  Mammoth  will  be 
proving  useful.  As  they  develop,  break  the  leaves 
over  the  curd  to  preserve  its  whiteness  and  to 
protect  it  from  frost.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


October  4,  191 3] 


THE     GARDEN. 


503 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
mudi"  THE  Uakues  Jn'Iplid  In  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  wfi'it  tin-  hranch  rtf  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  mil  make  a  special  leature  ol  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
etearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editou  of  The  Gakiies,  20,  TavUtock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a,  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  dearly  numbered  and  securely 
packeil  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
^rnall  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PDlfLISIIEU. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

NARCISSUS  FLY  (C.  M.  D.). — The  t,Tubs  attacking  the 
Narcissi  are  those  of  the  Narcissus  fly  (Merodon  equestris). 
You  will  flud  a  aood  deal  of  interestiUK  and  valuable  infor- 
tnation  about  this  worst  pest  of  the  Narcissus  in  some 
of  our  recent  issues.  If  you  can  dig  up  and  examine 
the  bulbs  immediately,  that  will  be  the  best  measure  to 
pursue,  destroyina  all  those  affected.  The  lly  appears 
iu  May,  and  may  be  cauaht  in  the  manner  described  in 
the  articles  referred  to.  You  should  notify  the  occurrence 
of  the  pest  to  the  Board  of  ACTiculture,  WHlitehaU,  S.W.. 
AS  this  is  one  of  the  scheduled  pests,  and  failure  to  notify 
renders  one  liable  to  a  penalty.  ^    *^  .*■     '.^^i 

TWELVE  SWEET  PEAS  FOR  EXHIBITION  (F.  C.).— 
It  is  really  a  ditJicult  matter  to  five  the  names  of  the  best 
twelve  varieties  of  Sweet  I'eas,  as  these  vary  in  different 
localities  and  under  varying  weather  conditions,  but 
the  following  list  should  supply  your  needs  :  Margaret 
Atlee,  Thomas  Stevenson,  King  Edward  Spencer,  Walter 
P.  Wright,  R.  F.  Felton.  King  Manoel,  Edrom  Beauty. 
Elsie  Herbert,  Evelyn  Hemus,  John  lugman,  Elfrida 
Pearson  and  Hercules.  Others  almost  equally  good 
are  Mrs.  Cuthbertson,  Sr.iriet  Emperor,  Princess  Mary, 
Mrs.  Hardcastlo  Sykes.  r  lich  Taylor,  Queen  of  Norway. 
Prince  George,  i'lore' t  e  Wright  Spencer,  Rosabelle, 
Barbara,  Clara  Curti  and  Lavender  George  Herbert. 
Edrom  Beauty  and  Barbara  need  shading  to  e-vhibit 
in  the  best  condition. 

VIOLAS  AND  DAFFODILS  IN  ROSE-BED  (Bedder).— 
You  may  plant  \'ittl;is  hcnrath  your  bush  and  standard 
Reses  for  the  suiniiier  iimnths,  but  it  is  advisable  to 
remove  tkein  in  the  autumn,  in  order  that  the  soil  may 
■be  rested  during  the  winter.  When  a  surface  plant  is 
■used  in  this  way,  care  must  be  taken  to  add  new  soil  or 
manure  to  the  beds  during  the  winter,  in  order  that  the 
soil  shall  not  lie  unduly  impoverished.  We  do  not  advocate 
planting  Daffodils  in  Rose-beds.  They  are  deep-rooting 
and  rank-feeding  subjects,  and  impoverish  the  ground 
to  some  considerable  extent.  In  the  event  of  bulbotis 
plants  being  required.  Snowdrops  or  Chionodoxas  should 
be  chosen  ;  but  if  Violas  are  to  be  used  in  the  summer, 
it  would  be  better  to  confine  your  efforts  to  them.  If 
too  much  ;s  attempted,  the  Roses  will  be  sure  to  suffer 
in  the  end. 

SCENTED  STOCKS  (H.  fl.l.^These  sweet  and  popular 
flowers  may  be  divided  into  two  types,  winter  and  summer. 
The  former  should  be  sown  in  late  July,  and  planted  out 
in  autumn  to  flower  the  fo}lowing  summer.  These  go 
by  the  name  of  Brompton  or  Intermediate  Stocks,  and 
liometimes  East  Lothian.  The  other  type  is  the  summer 
Stock,  commonly  called  the  Ten-week  Stock,  meaning 
that  it  will  flower  within  this  time  from  the  date  of  sowing 
the  seed.  The  seed  of  this  should  be  sown  early  in  April 
in  a  frame  on  a  fermented  hot-bed  with  very  slight  heat, 
transplanting  as  soon  as  large  enough  to  handle  into  a 
cold  frame  in  light  soil,  4  inches  apart.  Plant  in  their 
summer  -  flowering  quarters  about  the  middle  of  May. 
If  you  have  not  the  convenience  for  sowing  the  seeds, 
you  can  buy  the  plants  of  the  coloius  you  prefer  by 
advertising  in  THE  GARDEN. 

PLANTS  FOR  SOUTH  BORDER  (Bosa).— Of  the 
subjects  you  have  hitherto  tried  for  the  border,  the  Phloxes 
and  Gladioli  were  the  least  likely  to  give  good  results, 
the  former  being  of  a  moisture-loving  nature,  the  latter 
also  requiring  rather  generous  treatment.  Even  the 
speciosum  Lilies  would  have  been  happier  in  some  shady 
*pot ;  hence  the  selection  was  rather  at  fault.  You 
might,  however,  try  Liliuni  candidum,  the  well-known 
Madonna  Lily,  which  delights  in  a  warm  position.  As 
it  is  so  cheap  and  good,  you  might  plant  it  throughout 
the  whole  length  of  the  border  near  the  base  of  the  wall 
and  in  unmanured  ground.  It  is  a  good  time  to  plant  it, 
and  if  you  secure  the  best  bulbs,  a  flowering  would  be 
assured  in  the  coming  year.  Other  Lilies  not  averse 
to  sun  and  warmth  are  testaceum,  croceum  and  the  sturdy 
forms  of  umbellatum,  any  or  all  of  which  could  be  planted 
freely  in  clumps  of  a  dozen  or  more.  For  spring  effect 
you  might  iilant  some  of  the  more  plentiful  of  the  Daffodils, 
as  Emperor,  Golden  Spxu",  Sir  Watkin.  Empress  and 
ornatus,  and,  to  follow  these,  masses  or  groups  of  Spanish 
Irises,  which  are  very  cheap  by  the  hundred  or  thousand. 


These  would  carry  you  into  July,  and  if  the  border  were 
well  dug  and  manured,  save  for  the  Madonna  Lilies  first 
nieiitiniied,  you  might  add  hybrid  Columbines,  Del- 
phiniums, Gaillardias,  Heleniums  of  sorts.  Aster  .\mellus 
in  \ariely,  .\.  acris,  Scduin  spectabile  atropurpurea  and 
other  flowering  plants  that  would  continue  the  display 
well  into  the  autumn  months.  Y'ou  might  also  invest 
in  "  The  Hardy  Flower  Book "  (Jenkins),  whicli  gives 
selections  of  plants  for  many  positions.  Such-  a  book 
would  afford  you  much  reliable  information.  It  may  be 
had  from  these  offices,  post  free,  for  is.  lOd. 

DESMODIUM  AND  GDNNERA  (./.  W.  il/.).— The 
Desmodiuiii — provided  the  plant  is  not  too  large  or  old — 
might  be  moved  at  any  time  within  the  next  few  weeks, 
or  be  left  until  spring.  Y'outhful  specimens  are  not 
difficult  to  re-establish,  though  older  ones  take  less  kindly 
to  the  soil  because  of  a  sparsity  of  root-fibres.  If  you 
have  no  special  desire  for  disturbing  the  Gunncra,  it 
might  be  deeplv  mulched  in  its  present  position.  There 
is  no  need  for  disturbing  the  undug  ground,  as  the  roots 
will  quicklv  ramify  into  the  new  soil  and  afford  support 
to  the  plant.  The  mulching  could  be  done  without 
in  the  least  damaging  the  roots  of  the  plant,  whereas  to 
dig  among  them  would  cause  much  mutilation.  In 
your  district  lifting  and  dividing  might  be  done  at  once, 
while  in  colder  parts  of  the  country  these  operations  are 
best  deferred  till  spring.  As  the  plant  appears  to  be  doing 
uncommonly  well,  it  is  advisable,  we  think,  to  let  well 
alone. 


of  the  soil  for  the  purpose.  This  is  very  poisonous,  cvil- 
smelling  and  explosive  ;  but  the  plants  will  not  be  likely 
to  bo  injured  unless  the  liquid  comes  into  actual  contact 
with  a  root,  when  that  will  suffer. 

FIXING  A  CHRYSANTHEMUM  SPORT  (J.  J.).— 
Cuttings  should  be  encouraged,  or  the  shoot  which  has 
produced  the  yellow  flowers,  by  pinching  off  further  buds, 
if  any,  and  by  keeping  the  plant  in  a  favourable  position 
in  the  greenhouse.  The  resultant  shoots  from  the  upper 
part  of  the  plant  should  then  be  large  enough  to  be  taken 
off  as  cuttings.  In  all  probability  each  shoot  will  have  a 
tiny  bud,  which  should  be  pinched  off  before  the  cutting 
is  inserted.  It  is  impossible  to  say  whether  the  suckers 
from  the  plant  will  reproduce  the  sport,  but  it  will  cer- 
tainly be  worth  your  while  to  put  them  in  and  keep  the 
plants  separate  from  the  others. 


TREES    AND     SHRUBS. 

CLEMATIS  FOR  NAME  AND  TREATMENT  (TT.  D.).— 
The  siieeiiiieii  No.  9  sent  for  name  is  Clematis  Viticella. 
The  growths  made  tins  vear  should  be  cut  hard  back  in 
February.  Ju.st  how  hard  back  will  depend  on  whether 
you  wish  the  plant  to  increase  in  size  and  cover  more  space, 
in  which  case  you  need  only  cut  back  the  young  growths 
to  hard,  firm  stems. 

EVERGREEN  SHRUBS  FOR  A  SHADY  PLACE 
(Bedder). — It  is  of  little  use  planting  shrubs  beneath 
the  branches  of  a  Beech  tree,  as  the  shade  is  too  dense 
to  allow  of  anything  thriving  satisfactorily  in  such  a 
position,  .ibout  the  outskirts  of  a  tree  however,  the 
following  evergreens  are  likely  to  give  satisfactory  results  : 
Common  Hollv,  .\ucuba  japonica,  common  lAiirel. 
Berberis  Aquifo'lium,  Tree  Ivies  and  Berberis  stcnophylla. 
The  ground  should  be  well  worked  and  the  Beech  roots 
cut  back  beyond  the  edge  of  the  area  to  be  dealt  with, 
in  order  that  the  shrubs  may  have  every  possible  assist- 
ance towards  establishing  themselves  quickly. 

TREATMENT  OF  HEDGE  (Broadgates). — Your  Thorn 
hedge  could  be  improved  by  layering,  that  is,  chopping 
the  branches  more  than  halfway  through  near  the  base 
and  bending  them  over  almost  horizontally,  securing 
them  in  position  by  means  of  strong  stakes.  This  method 
of  dealing  with  old  hedges  is  more  frequently  practised 
in  some  counties  than  in  others,  and  is  very  popular  in 
Worcestershire.  Not  only  do  the  layered  branches 
grow  again,  but  a  good  deal  of  young  wood  is  made  from 
below  the  cuts,  which  results,  in  about  two  years'  time, 
in  a  strong  hedge.  When  layering  is  practised,  the  branch 
system  is  reduced  considerably  at  the  same  time,  both 
for  appearance  and  so  that  there  shall  not  be  too  great 
a  strain  upon  the  partly-severed  branches.  A  Holly 
hedge  would  be  preferable  to  Laurel  in  the  position  you 
mention,  but  Laurel  wotUd  grow  into  a  hedge  in  about 
one-fourth  the  time  which  the  Holly  would  take.  Provid- 
ing the  work  is  done  at  once,  either  Holly  or  Laurel  could 
be  planted  ;  otherwise,  should  Holly  be  selected,  the  work 
had  better  remain  until  the  iruddle  of  next  ,\pril.  Laurels 
may,  however,  be  planted  at  any  time  when  the  weather 
is  open  throughout  the  winter.  Do  not  select  very  large 
plants.  You  will  find  that  the  smaller  plants  establish 
themselves  more  quickly  than  large  ones,  and  form  a  better 
hedge  in  the  end. 

THE     GREENHOUSE. 

ANTS  IN  GREENHOUSE  (R.  B.  C.).— Trace  the  ants 
to  their  nests  and  pour  boiling  water  upon  them.  Cflrbon 
bisulphide  may  also  be  used  with  advantage. 

PELARGONIUMS  (Ignoramus). — The  Pelargoniums  have 
been  attacked  by  some  .sucking  insect,  probably  mealy  bug. 
They  will  most  likely  produce  healthy  young  growths  now  ; 
but  if  not,  spray  with  Quassia  and  soft  soap. 

NERINES  NOT  FLOWERING  (A.  S.).— -According  to 
your  report  of  the  treatment  given  the  plants,  they  should 
have  flowered  well.  The  roots  may  possibly  be  at  fault, 
in  which  case  shake  out  the  plants  and  repot  at  once, 
following  in  this  and  consequent  respects  the  advice 
given  by  Jlr.  Elwes. 

CARNATIONS  IN  WINTER  {Frcstbury).—\n  order  to 
flower  Perpetual-flowering  Carnations  in  winter,  a  mini- 
mum temperature  of  45°  to  50%  with  a  light,  buoyant 
atmosphere,  must  be  maintained.  They  may,  however, 
pass  the  winter  safely  in  your  pit,  provided  the  weather 
is  not  too  severe  and  that  "the  watering  is  earefiUly  done  ; 
but  under  these  conditions  you  cannot  expect  flowers 
till  the  advent  of  more  genial  weather. 

CYCLAMENS  INJURED  {Dun.f).— The  maggots  attack- 
ing the  roots  of  the  Cvclamen  are  no  doubt  those  of  the 
Vine  weevil  (Otiorbynchus  siilcatus).  The  beetles  which 
lay  the  eggs  are  common  in  early  summer,  and  a  consider- 
able variety  of  greenhouse  plants  are  subject  to  the  attacks 
of  the  pest.  We  think  the  best  plan  would  be  to  shake 
the  plants  out  and  pick  out  the  grubs  ;  but  if  it  is  desired 
to  treat  them  in  the  pots,  then  the  only  thing  likely  to 
do  any  good  will  be  to  pour  a  few  drops  of  carbon  bi- 
sulphide into  the  pots,  making  a  hole  about  half  the  depth 


ROSE    GARDEN, 

ROSE  DOROTHY  PERKINS  CANKERED  (E.     P. 

Campbell). — There  is  no  known  remedy  save  cutting  away 
the  atfected  growths.  If  you  discard  the  old  wood  pretty 
freely,  you  will  not  be  troubled  much  with  the  disease. 
You  might  give  the  soil  a  dressing  of  lime  in  the  winter. 

ROSES  FOR  EXPOSED  POSITION  (Mi.s.s  McN.).— 
If  you  wish  for  a  very  strong  grower,  we  suggest  Conrad 
F.  Meyer  or  Nova  Zembla.  These  are  Hybrid  Rugoaa 
Roses,  and  are  very  beautiful.  Others  of  the  same  race, 
rather  less  vigorous,  but  yet  quite  suitable  for  your 
purpose,  arc  Blanc  Double  de  Coubert,  Rose  ii  parfum 
de  THav  and  Mrs.  A.  Waterer.  Other  fine  Roses  would 
be  Lady  Waterlow,  Sarah  Bernhardt,  Mme.  Wagram 
and  Florence  H.  Veitch. 

ROSES  AND  CLEMATISES  (BeiJder).— You  will  probably 
And  Irish  Glory  the  most  suiUble  Rose  to  match  Irish 
Elegance  and  Irish  Beauty.  Its  colour  is  hardly  what 
you  desire,  however,  the  description  being  "  silvery  pink, 
flamed  on  the  back  of  the  petals  with  crimson,"  rather 
than  deep  crimson.  It  is  very  like  Irish  Elegance  in  shape 
and  free-flowering  qualities.  Good  kinds  of  Clematis 
to  suit  your  purpose  are  C.  Jackmanii  superba,  purple  ; 
C.  Ville  de  Lyon,  ■  armine-crimson  ;  C.  Queen  Alexandra, 
mauve;   and'C,  Jackmanii  alba,  white. 

PREPARING  A  BED  FOR  ROSES  (Pan).— You  could 
not  do  better  than  add  a  good  dressing  of  lime  or 
powdered  chalk.  This  wii'  -wceten  the  soil  and  at  the 
same  time  drive  out  the  slags.  Dig  the  soil  3  feet  deep, 
working  in  plenty  of  good  manure  and  lime,  the  latter 
at  the  rate  of  8oz.  per  square  yard,  or,  if  you  can  obtain 
chalk  easier,  this  at  the  rate  of  31b.  to  a  square  yard. 
If  you  use  lime,  it  should  be  slaked,  then  evenly  distributed 
and  well  incorporated  with  the  soil.  By  preparing  the 
bed  at  once  it  would  be  ready  for  planting  the  Roses  in 
November,  which  is  a  much  better  time  than  the  spring. 

RUST  ON  ROSE  LEAVES  (H.  IF.  S.).— The  Roses 
arc  attacked  by  the  Rose  rust  fungus  (Phragmidium 
Bubcorticatum).  We  doubt  whether  spraying  at  this 
season  of  the  year  will  do  much  good,  or  whether  the 
attack  now  will  do  much  barm,  but  as  the  fungus  over- 
winters on  the  fallen  foliage,  it  would  be  a  means  of  pre- 
vention of  damage  to  the  shoots  to  collect  and  burn  the 
leaves  as  they  fall.  This  may  be  supplemented  by  spraying 
with  a  rose  red  solution  of  potassium  permanganate  in 
the  spring  if  the  rust  should  reappear.  As  it  so  frequently 
attacks  wild  Roses,  it  is  practically  impossible  to  get 
rid  of  it  entirely. 

THE  BEST  NOVELTIES  INTRODUCED  IN  1912  (Trent 
Bridge). — We  are  glad  to  know  that  the  information 
we  gave  you  last  vear  has  proved  satisfactory  to  you. 
The  following  we  can  thoroughly  recommend  as  being 
good  all-round  Roses  :  British  Queen,  Comtesse  F.  Hoyos, 
C.  W.  Cowan,  Duchess  of  Sutherland,  Earl  of  Gosford, 
Frau  Ob.  Piecq,  General  Superior  ^  Janssen,  George 
Dickson,  Geoffrey  Hcnslow  (Hybrid  Perpetual),  Geoffrey 
Henslow  (Hybrid  Tea),  Louise  C.  Breslau,  King  George  V., 
Mme.  C.  Lutand,  Mme,  C,  Charabard,  Mme,  E.  Rostand, 
Maman  Turbat,  Mrs.  U.  Baillic,  Jlrs.  Frank  Bray,  Mrs. 
Gordon  Sloane,  Mrs.  H.  Hawksworth,  Mrs.  Sam  Ross, 
Mrs.  Wallace  H,  Howe,  Ophelia,  St,  Helena,  Sunburst, 
Sodenia,  Tito  Uekckyan  and  Verna  McKay, 

SELECTION  OF  ROSES  (C,  A.  J.  D.). — As  you  have 
such  a  good  collection,  you  caimot  do  better  than  add 
the  following  :  Reds— George  Dickson,  President  Vignet, 
Earl  of  Gosford,  Edward  Mawley,  Mrs,  Walter  Easlea 
and  Prince  C.  d'Arenberg.  Yellows — Sunburst,  Mme 
C.  Lutand,  Lady  Greenall,  Paula,  Alice  de  Rothschild 
and  Cis.sie  Easlea.  Other  colours — British  Queen,  Mrs.  W. 
Christie  ittiller,  Mrs.  Charles  E,  .Allan,  Jlrs,  WaU,ace  H.  Rowe, 
Countess  of  Shaftesbury  and  Willowmere,  Add  some 
good  top  soil  from  a  meadow  and  bury  the  turf,  A  good 
supply  of  spent  Hops  would  be  useful,  and  give  a  handful 
of  bone-flour  to  each  plant  as  you  plant  it.  Feed  lu 
summer  with  fish  guano,  very  moderately,  until  the  plants 
are  established,  but  liberally  to  the  older  plants. 

ROSE  BABY  DOROTHY  (H.  /,),— We  believe  there 
is  no  relationship  between  this  Rose  and  Dorothy  Perkins, 
Its  correct  name  is  .Maman  Levavasseur,  and  was  a  seed- 
ling from  Mme,  N.  Levavasseur,  we  think.  It  has  been 
superseded  now  by  such  Roses  as  Orleans,  The  Dwarf 
Polyantha  Roses  originated  by  crossing  Rosa  Polyantha 
simplex  with  a  Tea  Rose,  the  first  variety  raised  being 
Ma  Paquerette,  Now,  of  course,  novelties  are  raised 
by  crossing  the  various  kinds  together,  although  some 
were  raised  by  crossing  the  Climbing  Multifloras  with 
other  climbing  Roses,  For  instance,  Eugenie  Lamesch 
originated  from  Aglaia  crossed  with  William  Allen  Richard- 
son and  Mme,  Norbert  Levavasseur,  from  which  such 
as  Mrs,  Cutljush  and  Orleans  Rose  have  originated,  was 
produced  by  crossing  Crimson  Rambler  with  the  Dwarf 
Polyantha  Gloire  des  Polyantha. 


504 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  4,  1913. 


SELECTION  OF  ROSES  {A,  W.  F-).—Wc  gladly  comply 
with  your  request,  and  from  a  decorative  point  of  view, 
or,  rather,  as  parden  Roses,  we  should  place  the  varieties 
yoti  name  in  the  followina  order  of  merit :  Chateau  de 
Clos  Vougeot,  Edward  Mawley,  Lady  Pirrie.  Lieutenant 
Chaure,  George  C.  Waud,  Kayon  d'Or,  Molly  Sharman 
Crawf.-Td,  Mrs.  D.  .Tardine,  Beaut(^  tie  Lyon,  Enrl  of 
Warwick.  Princer.s^  Mertchersky,  Souvenir  de  M.  de 
Znyao,  Lcc^lie  Holland,  General  Sohablikine  and  Mme. 
C.  Soupcrt.  George  Dickson  is  a  grand  Rose,  but  we 
take  it  this  magnificent  variety  will  bo  more  in  demand 
ns  a  sliow  flower.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  everyone 
will  want  to  possess  it.  A  few  first-class  recent  Rose? 
are  Lady  Greenall,  Melody,  May  Miller,  Countess  of 
Shaftesbirry,  Ro^e  Queen.  Mayflower,  Nathalie  Bottner, 
Mr?.  George  Shawyer,  l<'!nrence  HasweU  Veitcli,  Cissie 
Easlea,  Willowmere,  Ophelia,  Louise  Catherine  Breslau, 
British  Queen,  Bertha  Gaulais  and  Sunburst.  This  latter 
has  been  splendid  lately.  It  is  a  "great  "  Rose  in  spite  of 
its  tendency  to  produce  pale  blooms  at  times.  The 
botanical  name  of  the  Christmas  Tree  or  common  Spruce 
Fir  is  Abies  excelsa. 


FRUIT    GARDEN. 

SILVER-LEAF  ON  PLUM  TREE  {Whiteho use). —The 
leaves  of  the  Plum  sent  are  attacked  by  the  silver-leaf 
disease.  The  shoot  on  which  these  leaves  occur  should 
be  cut  out  and  burned,  but  it  may  be  well  to  leave  it 
till  next  year  to  see  whether  it  recovers,  as  it  has  been 
bearing  well  this  season.  If  not ,  destroy  it  at  once.  No  cer- 
tain cure  is  known  for  this  disease,  which  is  of  fungus  origin. 

SCALE  ON  PEACH  LEAVES  (Peach  Tree).— The  Peach 
foliage  has  been  very  badly  attacked  by  the  Peach  scale 
insect  and  by  red  spider.  Spray  the  trees  now  with 
a  solution  of  potassium  sulpliide.  ioz.  to  three  gallons  of 
water,  or,  if  in  a  house  or  case,  fumigate  twice  at  an 
interval  of  three  days.  In  winter  thoroughly  cleanse 
the  trees  and  the  walls,  removing  all  the  scale  insects 
completely. 

PLUM  RUST  (M.  R.  P.).— The  Plum  tree  is  attacked 
by  the  Plum  rust  fungus.  Pnccinia  pruni.  This  fundus, 
like  many  of  the  otlier  rust  fungi,  passes  part  of  its  life- 
history  on  Plums,  part,  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  on 
Anemone?.  It  forms  little  cups  on  the  foliage  of  the 
latter,  scattered  in  close  groups  and  filled  with  spores. 
These  spores  spread  the  disease  to  the  Plum.  The  removal 
of  all  Anemones  from  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Plums 
would  probably  reduce  the  trouble.  If  this  cannot  be 
done,  it  would  he  well  to  spray  the  trees  with  amraoniacal 
copper  carbonate  at  fortnightly  intervals,  beginning  at 
the  end  of  May. 

ORCHARD  TREES  NOT  DOING  WELL  (Hortus).— 
What  you  propose  to  do  is  on  sound  lines  and  excellent. 
The  trenching  and  clearing  of  the  surface  of  the  ground 
of  the  turf  over  the  roots  of  the  trees  alone  must  greatly 
benefit  them.  The  following  formula  of  artificial  manures 
for  apples.  Plums  and  Pears  is  by  Mr.  Edmund  Tonks, 
and  is,  we  believe,  scientifically  correct  and  excellent  ; 
Superphosphate  of  lime,  121b. ;  nitrate  of  potash,  101b. ; 
chloride  of  soda,  41b.  ;  sulphate  of  magnesia,  21b.  ; 
sulphate  of  iron.  lib. ;  and  sulphate  of  lime,  81b.  This 
should  be  well  mixed  together  and  applied  at  the  rate 
of  a  quarter  of  a  pound  to  the  square  yard.  We  presume 
you  wish  to  have  an  artificial  manure  more  particularly 
to  mix  with  the  soil  while  trenching  proceeds.  Perhaps 
the  following  would  suit  you  better  (it  is  effective,  we 
know),  reserving  the  other  formula  for  annual  top- 
dressings  :  X21b.  of  superphosphate  of  lime  and  121b. 
of  kainlt.  Add  4oz.  to  each  square  yard,  mixing  it  with 
th'?  soil  as  trenching  proceeds. 

APPLES  TRAINED  ON  WIRE  TRELLIS  {WirsweU).— 
In  the  first  place,  the  varieties  of  Apples,  of  which  you 
sent  us  such  fioor  samples,  are  more  subject  to  attacks 
from  red  spider  than  are  most  other  sorts.  The  foliage, 
W'^  find,  is  badly  infested  with  red  spider  and  American 
blight.  In  the  second  place,  red  spider  is  very  prevalent 
this  year,  on  Apples  especially,  on  account  of  the  long 
drought  from  which  we  have  suffered.  You  do  not  say 
how  near  the  trellis  is  to  the  boarding.  Jf  it  is,  say, 
within  3  inches  or  4  inches,  then  we  think  there  is  some 
truth  in  what  you  say  as  to  the  boards  having  something 
to  do  with  the  failure,  not  because  they  are  creosoteA 
particularly,  but  because  there  is  not  a  sufficiently  free 
circulation  of  air  among  the  branches,  causing  the  air 
to  become  too  hot.  Apples  never  succeed  well  when 
trained  against  walls  or  fences.  The  position  is  too  hot 
and  the  circulation  of  air  too  restricted  for  them.  The 
trellis  should  be  at  least  6  inches  or  7  iiiehes  from  the 
fence  for  Apples.  Pears  and  Plums  will  stand  the  heat 
and  confinement  better.  The  Apples,  we  think,  would 
do  better  without  the  fence,  leaving  only  the  wire  fence, 
converting  it  into  an  espalier  tre]li=.  Other  causes  may  be 
responsible,  such  as  the  soil  being  too  poor  or  light, 
the  border  too  dry,  or  the  croppinii  too  heavy.  You 
can  do  nothing  to  the  trees  now  to  rid  them  of  spider 
and  the  blight  except  to  burn  all  the  affected  leaves 
as  they  fall,  and  towards  the  end  of  November  or  early 
in  December,  after  the  trees  are  pruned  (burn  the  prunings), 
they  should  be  sprayed  with  the  following  mixture  (called 
the"  Woburn  Winter  Wash):  Soft  soap,  half  a  pound; 
paraffin,  5  pints ;  caustic  soda,  21b. ;  and  water, 
91  gallons.  This  wash  will  thoroughly  cleanse  the  trees 
of  ail  pests  or  growth  of  any  kind  with  which  they  may 
be  infested.  The  way  to  prepare  it  is  to  dissolve  the 
soap  in  warm  water,  churn  the  paraffin  into  it,  and  then 
shake  in  the  caustic  soda,  mixing  the  whole  well  together 
and  applying  it  with  a  syringe  or  garden  engine.  The 
hands  and  clothes  must  be  protected  at  the  time  of  using 
it,  as  it  is  of  a  burning  nature.  The  mixture  must  be  kept 
churned  while  it  is  being  applied,  to  keep  the  paraffin  in 
solution. 


PEACH  TREE  UNSATISFACTORY  (Anxious).— It 
difficult  to  understand  the  cause  of  failure  in  the 
cropping  of  your  Peach  tree.  Your  inside  border  is 
narrow.  Are  you  quite  satisfied  that  the  roots  have 
not  suffered  from  the  want  of  water  at  any  time  ?  The 
trouble,  we  feel  sm-e,  arises  from  the  tree  having  received 
a  check  of  some  sort,  which  atfected  adversely  the  functions 
of  the  fruit-buds  and  flowers,  ending  in  imperfect  fertili- 
sation of  the  flowers  ;  hence  failure  in  proper  fruit-setting. 
Never  let  your  tree  approach  to  dryness  at  the  roots, 
winter  or  summer.  Take  a  lesson  from  trees  growing 
outside,  which  are  often  sodden  in  many  winters  and 
are  certainly  never  dry.  These  seldom  or  ever  drop 
their  fruit.  Are  you  careful  to  keep  your  tree  as  cool 
as  possible  during  the  winter,  or  is  the  house  subject  to 
fluctuations  of  temperature  y  This  will  often  accoimt 
for  such  failures.  Keep  your  tree  as  cool  as  possible, 
with  plenty  of  air  on  the  house  day  and  night  in  favour- 
able weather,  and  let  the  tree  come  into  bloom  naturally 
without  any  forcing  or  excitement.  Widen  your  inside 
border  by  18  inches.  Examine  the  roots  in  front  of  the 
border  when  they  are  exposed,  and  shorten  the  ends  of 
each.  If  there  are  any  long,  fibreless  ones,  cut  them 
well  back  to  within  3  feet  of  their  base.  Peach  trees  are 
often  much  benefited  by  root-pruning.  We  should 
certainly  not  destroy  the  tree.  It  should  go  on  improving 
for  another  twenty  years.  The  following  is  a  good  Peach 
soil  :  To  one  barrow-load  of  good  fibrous  loam  inclining 
to  be  of  a  heavy  nature  add  21b.  of  Thomson's  or  some 
other  approved  artificial  manure,  a  gallon  of  lime,  a  peck 
of  brick-ends,  broken  small  (size  of  a  hen's  egg),  and  the 
same  of  mortar  rubble,  broken  small.  The  loam  should 
be  broken  up  with  the  hands  into  pieces  the  size  of  one's 
fist,  and  all  mixed  well  together. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

MANURE  FOR  CABBAGES  (R.  E.  C.).— Use  farmyard 
manure  in  preparing  the  ground.  When  fear  of  serious 
frost  is  past  and  the  Cabliages  begin  their  spring  growth, 
apply  nitrate  of  soda  at  the  rate  of  Ioz.  to  the  square 
yard. 

INJURY  TO  LETTUCE  (A.  P.).— The  Lettuce  is  attacked 
by  the  root  aphis,  which  is  often  abundant  on  this  plant, 
especially  in  dry  seasons.  Watering  with  soot-water 
may  do  some  good,  or  you  might  fork  in  a  little  Apterite 
or  "Vaporite  or  some  other  naphthalene  preparation  to 
drive  away  the  insects. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

STANDARDS  AND  HALF-STANDARDS  IN  FOLKE- 
STONE (./.  E.). — You  do  not  say  whether  youmeanKosesor 
fruit  trees.  If  the  sod  is  very  sandy  where  you  are. 
neither  would  do  well  unless  good  loam  were  carted  for 
them.  Apart  from  soil,  and  possibly  wind,  we  do  not 
see  why  standards  of  either  Roses  or  fruit  trees  should 
not  do  in  the  district. 

CREEPER  FOR  LOW  BRICK  WALL  (A.  H.  R.).— 
Eseallonia  niacrantha  is  as  pretty  as  anything  for  a  wall 
such  as  yours,  and  it  can  be  kept  to  any  height  required 
by  clipping  or  cutting  it  back.  E.  exoniensis  or  E. 
philippiana  is  also  pood.  C'eanothus  Gloire  de  Versailles 
kept  to  the  height  desired  is  also  pretty.  If  you  care  to 
form  pockets  on  tlie  face  of  the  wall,  you  might  have 
some  of  the  trailing  alpines,  such  as  Dianthuses,  Helianthe- 
mums.  Campanulas,  Arenarias  and  Androsace  lanuginosa, 

SIBERIAN  CRAB  AND  OTHER  QUESTIONS  (F.  B.).— 
You  may  move  your  Siberian  Crab  tree  as  soon  as  the 
leaves  have  fallen.  Providing  the  work  is  carried  out 
carefully,  the  tree  will  not  suffer.  Y'our  Carnations  are 
evidently  suffering  from  a  fungous  disease,  but  it  was 
impossible  to  judge  satisfactorily  from  the  specimen  sent. 
The  shoots  have  probably  been  injured  by  wireworms. 
These  may  be  trapped  by  burying  Potatoes  in  the  soil 
to  a  depth  of  3  inches  and  examining  them  every  second 
day.  The  only  way  to  eradicate  earwigs  is  to  trap  them. 
This  may  often  be  done  by  placing  a  little  hay  in  fiower- 
pots  and  inverting  the  pots  on  stakes  from  2  feet  to  4  feet 
high .  The  Rose  sent  for  determination  is  apparent  ly 
Auguste  Barbier.  We  are  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the 
flowers  becoming  deformed.  As  you  suggest,  the  cold 
spring  may  have  had  something  to  do  with  it. 

NAMES  OF  FRUIT.— To((/e.—Mank's  Codiin. A.  R. 

Strickland. — 2  and  3.  Hawthornden  ;  4.  5  and  11,  Welling- 
ton ;  6,  Braddick's  Nonpareil  ;  7,  Ribston  Pippin  ; 
H,  Bismarck  ;    9.  rotten  when  received  ;    10.  Cox's  Orange 

Pippin. W.    B. — 1.    Tower    of    Glamis ;     2,    Adam's 

Pearmain  ;     3.    Fearn's    Pippin  ;     4,    Cellini    Pippin. 

E.  P. — 1,  Cox's  Pomona  ;  2,  Lane's  Prince  Albert  :  3, 
King  of  the  Pippins  ;  4,  Cellini  Pippin  ;  5.  Lady  Sudeley  ; 
6,  Reinette  du  Canada  ;  7,  Hawthornden :  8.  Cox's  Orange 
Pippin  ;  9,  Wellington, 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.  —  Enquirer,  Stamford.  —  1, 
Teucrium  montanuni  ;  2,  Dianthus  sinensis  variety. 
J.  G.  iV. — 1,  Polygonum  amplexicaule  ;  2,  Cam- 
panula punctata ;  3,  Hibiscus  syriacus ;  4.  Linaria 
purpurea.— — -S.    M.,    Southburn. — Pentstemon    barbata  ; 

Rosa  Polyantha  variety. Rev.  H.  J.  De  6'.— Cupressus 

macrocarpa. W.  Datvson. — 1,  Sutherlandia  frutescens  ; 

2.  Gotoneaster  microphylla  ;  3,  Pernettya  mucronata  ; 
4,  Berheris  stenophylla  ;  5,  Eseallonia  species ;  6, 
Cotoneaster  horizontaiis  ;    7,  Olearia  Haastii  ;    8,  Aucuba 

japonica. H.    N. — a,    Lilium    auratum  ;     B    and    C, 

varieties  of  Lilium  speciosum  ;    D,  too  poor  to  identify. 

K.  J.,  Balham. — The  peculiar  growths  on  the  Juniper 

branch  are  abnormal  fruits.  The  shrub  sent  for  determi- 
nation  is   Ledum   palustre. M.    R.   H.    .4//(?n.— Azara 

microphylla. Moss. — Azolla      caroliniana. Ida     H. 

Jackson. — a,  Festuca  ovina  vivipara  ;  B,  Lycopodium 
alpinum. Parley. — Senecio  tunguticns. 


SOC  I  ETI  ES. 

ROYAL    HORTICULTURAL    SOCIETY'S    FRUIT    SHOW. 

TUE  nineteenth  autumn  show  of  British  -  grown  fruits 
was  held  on  September  25  and  26  at  Vincent  Square, 
Westminster.  The  exhibition  was  notable  for  the  high 
standard  of  quality  among  the  Apples,  which,  although 
not  so  highly  coloured  as  in  some  years,  were  clean  and  well 
finished.  Pears,  however,  were  somewhat  scarce,  but  this 
was  in  some  measure  compensated  for  by  the  keen  com- 
petition in  the  Apple  classes.  The  indoor  fruit  was  of 
very  high  quality,  the  Grapes  in  particular  being  fine  and 
well  finished. 

Division  I. — Frcits  Grown  Under  Glass  or 
Otherwise. 
Open  to  Gardeners  and  Amateurs  Only. 
The  first  prize  silver  cup  for  a  collection  of  nine  dishes- 
of  ripe  dessert  fruit  was  secured  by  the  Duke  of  Newcastle 
(gardener.  Mr.  G.  Barker),  Clumber,  Worksop,  with  a  weil- 
finished  collection  of  ripe  and  highly-coloured  fruit,  consist- 
ing of  two  bunches  of  Grapes  Muscat  of  Alexandria  and  the 
same  of  Madresfield  Court.  Pears  were  well  represented 
by  splendid  dishes  of  Pitmaston  Duchess  and  Durondeau  ; 
Melon  by  Emerald  Gem,  Apples  by  Cox's  Orange  Pippin  and 
King  of  Tompkins'  County,  and  two  excellent  di?hes  of 
Peaches  by  Barrington  and  Nectarine  Peach.  Second,  Lady 
Henry  Somerset  (gardener,  Mr.  G.  Mxdlins).  Eastnor 
Castle.  Ledbury,  who  also  staged  a  most  creditable  display,, 
the  Black  Hamburgh  Grapes  being  large  in  both  bunch 
and  berry  and  perfect  in  colour.  The  other  varietie? 
shown  were  Apples  Cox's  Orange  Pippin  and  Rival, 
Pears  Mamuerite  Marillat  and  Doyenn6  du  Cornice. 
Peach  Devonia  and  Melon  Countess.  Third  ,  the  Earl  of 
Harrington  (gardener.  Mr.  J  H.  Goodacre).  Elvaston  Court,, 
who  also  staged  a  very  choice  collection,  including  a  dish 
of  Pineapple  Nectarine. 

Lord  Hillingdon  (gardener.  Mr.  J.  Sheiton)  Sevenoaks^ 
Eent,  succeeded  in  taking  the  first  prize  and  silver 
cup  for  a  collection  of  six  dishes  of  ripe  dessert  fruit. 
The  Grapes  were  of  the  highest  quality,  and  all  other 
kinds  well  grown  and  highly-coloured  specimens,  the- 
varieties  being  Grapes  Muscat  of  Alexandria  and  Muscat 
Hamburgh,  Peach  Lady  Palmerston,  Apple  Cox's  Orange 
Pippin.  Fig  Negro  Largo,  and  a  seedling  Melon.  Lord 
Bclper  (gardener,  Mr.  W.  H.  Cooke),  Kingston  Hall, 
Derby,  was  a  good  second,  the  varieties  staged  consisting 
of  Grapes  Gros  C^olmar  and  Muscat,  of  Alexandria,  Melon 
Hero,  Peach  Sea  Eagle,  Apple  Cox's  Orange  Pippin,  and 
Pear  Louise  Bonne  Jersey.  C.  A.  Cain,  Esq..  J. P. 
(gardener,  Mr.  T.  Pateman)  Welwyn,  was  awarded  third 
in  thi^  class. 

The  class  for  six  varieties  of  G.^apes.  two  bunches  of  each, 
probably  created  the  greatest  int  .-est  of  the  whole  show,  as^ 
thegroup  which  won  the  first  prize  and  silver  cup  (see  illus- 
tration) for  the  Duke  of  Newcastle,  contained  two  mag- 
nificent bunches  of  Gros  Guillaume,  which  received  the 
admiration  and  highest  praise  from  every  visitor  to  the  show. 
The  bunches  were  not  only  large  in  point  of  size,  but  also 
in  berry,  the  whole  being  beautifully  coloured  and  well 
finished.  The  other  varieties  shown  in  this  exhibit 
were  Black  Hamburgh.  Madresfield  Court,  Gros  Colmar,. 
Muscat  of  Alexandria  and  Buckland  Sweetwater,  all  of 
splendid  quality  and  finish.  The  Earl  of  Hairington  came 
second  with  some  smaller  but  well-finished  bunches  of 
Muscat  of  Alexandria  and  Golden  Queen,  representing  the- 
white  Grapes;  and  Madresfield  Court,  Gros  Maroc,  Muscat 
Hamburgh  and  Black  Hamburgh.  The  third  prize  in 
this  class  was  won  by  C.  Bayer.  Esq.  (gardener.  Mr.  E.  C. 
Wickens).  Tewkesbury  Lodge.  Forest  Hill,  S.E..  who- 
showed  a  most  worthy  collection. 

In  the  class  provided  for  two  bunches  of  Grape  Black 
Hamburgh,  the  first  prize  was  awarded  to  Lord  Hillingdon 
for  two  well-finished  bunches :  second.  Lady  Henry 
Somerset ;     third,    the    Duke   of    Newcastle. 

H.  St.  Maur.  Esq.  (gardener,  Mr.  G.  Richardson),  Newton 
Abbot,  was  successful  in  gaining  first  prize  for  two  splen- 
did bunches  of  Mrs.  Pince,  the  second  prize  falling  to  Lady 
Henry  Somerset,  who  also  obtained  flist  for  two  large 
and  well-finished  bunches  of  Black  Alicante,  the  Marquis 
of  Salisbury  (gardener,  Mr.  H.  Prime).  Hatfield  House, 
comiuff  second  with  some  good  bunches,  and  W.  G.  Raphael, 
Esq.  (gardener,  Mr.  H.  H.  Brown),  Castle  Hill.  Engle- 
field  (Jreen,  tliird. 

The  Duke  of  Newcastle  gained  the  leading  honours  for 
two  bunches  of  lUatlresfleld  Court,  the  second  and  third 
prizes  going  to  the  Earl  of  Harrington  and  Lord  Hillingdoa 
in  their  respective  order  of  merit. 

The  first  prize  for  two  bunches  of  Grape  Prince  of  Wales 
was  won  by  Sir  Walpole  Greenwell.  Bart,  (gardener, 
Mr.  W.  Lintott).  Marden  Park,  C'aterham,  this  being  the 
only  prize  awarded  in  this  class. 

For  two  bunches  of  any  other  black  Grape,  Lady  Henry 
Somerset  took  the  premier  position  with  Gros  Maroc,. 
the  second  being  awarded  to  Colonel  the  Hon.  C.  Harbord 
(gardener,  Mr.  W.  Allan).  Gunton  Park,  Norwich,  with 
the  same  variety,  and  third  to  the  Marquis  of  Salisbury 
with  Appley  Towers. 

Sir  Edward  Durning-Lawrence,  Bart,  (gardener,  Mr.  W. 
Lane).  King's  Ride.  Ascot,  secured  the  first  prize  and  silver 
Knightian  medal  for  two  bunches  of  Muscat  of  Alexandria, 
Colonel  the  Hon.  C.  Harbord  coming  .second,  and  G. 
Miller,  Esq.  (gardener,  Mr.  J.  Kidd),  Newberrics,  Radlett, 
Herts,  third. 

In  the  class  for  two  bunches  of  any  other  white  Grape, 
the  Duke  of  Wellington,  K.G.  (gardener.  Mr.  A.  G.  Nicholls), 
Stratfleldsaye.  won  first  place  with  the  second  largest 
bunches  in  the  show,  which  were  well  finished  and  of  good 
quality,  the  varietv  being  Calabrian  Raisin.  C.  A.  Cain, 
Esq.,  'J.P.,  followed  with  Lady  Hutt ;  and  H.  W. 
Henderson,  Esq.  (gardener,  Mr.  F.  L.  Pike),  King's 
Langley,  third  with  Foster's  Seedling. 


,g^ag,^€^ 


inw^ 


GARDEN. 


-y^- 


fS\}^ 


No.  2186.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


October  ii,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


NOTKS    OF   THK    W'EKK 
CORFF.SPONDENCK 

Rnse  Irish  Elefianee 
in  Scotland  . .     . . 

Gypsophila  liolitfjokii 

Outdoor  Fij^s  . . 

Campanula    fragilii^ 

Rose-buds  dropping 

off        

Foithcoming  events , . 
The    improvement    of 

garden  Roses . . 
Designing  a  Rose  gar- 
den   

A     suburban      Rose 

garden     

Rose  Fortune's  Yellow 

at  Locking)'    . . 
Rose   species   or   wild 

Roses  ;  Their  use  in 

the  garden 
Hints      on     standard 

Roses      

CoioBRED  Plate 

Single     and     semi- 
double  Roses 


507 
507 
507 
507 

SQ7 
307 

.'i07 

.508 

509 

510 

510 

512 

512 


Rose   Bennett's  Seed- 
ling   5i;! 

On  scented  Roses       ..      514 

Rose  Cherrj'  Page     . .     514 

Roses  for  liedding     . .     515 

Roses  to  grow  as  large 
shrubs     515 

The    best    Roses    for 
pergolas 516 

In  u  Hampshire  gar- 
den    517 

New  Rose  Mrs.  James 
Lynas(H.T,)         ..     518 

The    best    Roses    for 
pegging  down         . .     518 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
Pergolas,      trellises 
and     archi's      for 

Roses 519 

How   to   retain  soil 

moisture      .  .      .  .      519 

GARDKNlNa    OF    THE    WEEK 

For  Southern  gar- 
dens    .  .      ....     .5-20 

For  ^orthern  gar- 
d''us     520 


ILiIiUSTRATIONS. 

Rose-growers  of  bj'gone  days       

Plan  of  a  Rose  garden  with  Lily  pool  in  the  centre. . 
The  Rose  garden  at  The  Lodge,  Surbiton  Hill,  Surrey 
A  cluster  of  white  blooms  of  Rosa  Dupontii.  . 

The  Ayrshire  Rose  (Rosa  arvensis) 

Rosa  tomentosa,  a  British  species  with  pink  flowers. . 

The  Musk  Rose  (Rosa  moschata)        

Rosa  soulieana,  from  China 

A  bed  of  standards  of  Rose  Florence  Pemberton 

Single  and  semi-double  Roses       Coloured 

Rose  Bennett's  Seedling  at  Berkhamsted 

A  basket  of  Rose  Cherry  Page 

A  bed  of  La  France  and  Caroline  Xestout  Ro.ses 
Borders  of  light-coloured  Roses  at  r-ulwieh 
The  new  gold  medal  Rose  .Mrs.  James  Lynas    .  . 

Part  of  a  bed  of  Rose  Lady  Waterlow      

■A  rustic  Rose  arch  of  good  proportions     


506 
508 
509 
510 
510 
511 
511 
511 
512 

plate 
51:i 
514 

.  515 
515 
516 
518 
519 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  iirticfes  and  notes, 
but  he  tinll  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
cotiXributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
ftsks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  oumer  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  trill  not  be  responsiblr  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  reeeipt  ol  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :   20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 


October  Roses. — .-Kpart  fn.ni  such  Polyantha 
Roses  as  Jessie,  Orleans  and  Katherine  Zeimet, 
which  are  always  good  in  autumn,  many  of  the 
Hybrid  Teas  and  peimetianas  are  this  year  flower- 
ing well  later  than  usual.  Marquise  de  Sinety, 
Duchess  of  Wellington,  Mme.  Leon  Pain,  Pharisaer, 
Gloire  de  Dijon,  Mrs.  A.  Munt,  Mme.  Ravary, 
Betty.  Konigin  Carola,  Souvenir  de  Stella  Gray, 
Rayon  d'Or  and  Mrae.  Abel  Chatenay  are  a  few 
that  have  particularly  good  flowers  on  them  as 
we  are  going  to  press. 

A  Handsome  Knotweed. — This  fam.ily  of  plants 

oontaius  mans-  he;uititul  species,  from  dwarf  alpine 
ones,  3  inches  to  4  inches  high,  to  the  tall  Poly- 
gonum sachalinense  and  the  climbing  V.  haldschu- 
anicum,  12  feet  to  20  feet  high  ;  but  the  most 
ornamental  one  flowering  now  is  the  many-spiked 
Knotweed,  P.  polystachyum,  with  its  panicles  of 
pinkish  white  flowers.  Either  in  a  mass  by  itself, 
where  it  makes  a  very  bold  display,  or  in  the 
herbaceous  border  it  is  a  ver\'  ornamental  subject, 
and  it  will  give  an  annual  display  with  little 
attention. 
Protecting    Christmas    Roses. — The    original 

Christmas  Rose  (Helleborus  niger)  does  not  bloom 
till  the  Christmas  season,  but  H.  n.  altifolius, 
also  known  as  maximus  and  major,  a  variety  in 
every  way  superior  to  the  type,  often  begins  to 
flower  early  in  October,  and  goes  on  for  a  long 
period.  Although  quite  hardy,  the  blooms  come 
a  purer  white  and  are  immune  from  dirt  if  pro- 
tected by  a  light  frame,  .\bundance  of  air  should 
be  admitted,  however,  and  a  good  plan  is  to  tilt 
up  the  frame  by  placing  a  brick  under  it  at  each 
corner. 

Flower    Garden    Combinations. — Those    who 

seek  to  produce  great  flower  contrasts  in  the  garden 
should  make  note  of  two  plants  which  by  reason 
of  habit  and  the  merit  of  profuse  as  well  as  abundant 
flowering  would  appear  well  suited  for  purposes 
of  display.  The  plants  we  have  in  mind  are  the 
brilliant  scarlet  Salvia  Glor\'  of  Zurich  and  the 
pure  white  Anemone-flowered  Marguerite,  better 
known  perhaps  as  Chrysanthemum  Mrs.  Sander. 
For  effective  work  it  may  not  be  necc-sary  to  mix 
the  two  or  even  to  border  the  one  with  the  other, 
a  better  way  being,  perhaps,  to  plant  a  bed  of 
each  in  near  proximity,  and  so  mirror  into  greater 
purity  or  brilliance  the  finer  attributes  of  these 
unique  subjects. 
A     Pretty     October-Flowering    Shrub. — The 

fine  mild  weather  of  the  last  fortnight  has  been 
very  favourable  for  the  late-flowering  Lespedeza 
Sieboldii.  At  its  best,  with  tall,  slender  stems 
4  feet  to  5  feet  long,  each  terminating  in  a  large 
inflorescence,  it  is  particularly  attractive,  for  there 
are  very  few  shrubs  flowering  in  October.  L. 
Sieboldii  is  a  native  of  North  China  and  Japan. 
During  most  winters  the  young  growths  are  killed 


to  the  ground,  but,  even  if  only  the  ends  ae." 
damaged,  it  is  worth  while  cutting  the  stems  down 
to  obtain  the  vigorous  young  growths  which  push 
up  from  the  base.  The  leaves  are  trifoliate,  the 
flowers,  which  are  very  freely  produced,  being 
rosy  purple,  borne  on  long-branched  terminal 
panicles.  Unfortunately,  this  plant  has  several 
ssmonyms,  a  favourite  nurserj'  name  being  Lespedeza 
bicolor.  while  another  is  Desmodium  pendiilifloriun 

Increasing    the    Double-Flowering    Arabis. — 

The  double-flowering  Arabis  is  too  well  known 
to  need  any  recommendation  for  spring  bedding, 
but  many  people  annually  go  to  the  trouble  of 
propagating  it  from  cuttings.  This  is  quite  un- 
necessary, for  pieces  taken  from  the  old  plants 
now  and  dibbled  in  the  beds  or  borders  where 
they  are  required  to  bloom  will  be  found  to  make 
good  plants  and  flower  much  freer  than  those 
raised  fnun  cuttings, 

A  Late-Flowering  Shrub  (or  a  Sheltered 
Corner. — One  of  the  most  showy  of  late-flowering 
shrubs  is  Clerodendron  foetidum,  or  C.  Biuigei 
as  it  is  sometimes  callerl  and  although  it  is  not  a 
hardy  shrub — for  seld'>ra  in  the  open  does  it  stand 
the  winter  without  dying  back  like  a  herbaceous 
plant — yet,  if  it  is  given  the  protection  of  a  wall, 
or,  better  still,  the  comer  of  two  walls,  it  will  make 
a  fine,  handsome  specimen.  It  is  not  essential 
for  it  to  have  a  south  wall.  The  plant  we  have 
in  mind  is  growing  in  a  corner  with  a  north-east 
aspect,  and  is  10  feet  high.  It  quite  fills  up  the 
space,  being  5  feet  through,  and  is  now  laden 
with  dense  terminal  corymbs  of  rosy  pink  flowers. 
It  is  well  worth  a  place  outside  in  such  a  position. 
Other  handsome,  nearly  hardy  Clerodendrons  are 
C.  trichotomum,  with  white  flowers  which  are 
a  great  contrast  to  the  red  inflated  calyx,  and  its 
variety  Fargesii,  which  is  more  compact. 

Ornamental    Fruits  in   the    Garden. — Certain 

hardy  trees  and  shrubs  are  this  autumn  bearing 
an  unusually  heavy  crop  of  fruits.  Both  as  large 
bushes  in  the  open  and  as  a  climber  trained  to  a 
wall  the  branches  of  Pyracantha  (Crataegus) 
coccinea  are  laden  with  orange  red  berries.  Unless, 
however,  the  bushes  are  covered  with  nets,  the 
birds  will  secure  most  of  the  fruits  by  the  end  of 
October.  The  Sea  Buckthorn,  Hippophae  rham- 
noides,  with  its  grey.  Willow-like  leaves  and  orange- 
coloured  fruits  weigh  down  the  branches.  Among 
numerous  attractive  bushes  of  Cotoneasters,  C. 
frigida  is  the  most  conspicuous,  with  quantities 
of  red  fruits.  The  Spindle  Tree,  Euonymus 
europaeus,  witli  coral  red  fruits  ;  Berberis  vulgaris, 
the  Common  Barberry ;  the  waxy  white  fruits 
of  Symphoricarpus  racemosus,  the  Snowberry  ; 
Pyrus  Ringo,  with  golden  yellow  Crab-like  fruits  ; 
the  heavily-laden  bushes  of  the  Dog  Rose,  Rosa 
canina,  the  large,  scarlet  red  fruits  of  R.  canina 
subcristata  in  particular  ;  and  the  Cockspur  Thorn, 
Crataegus  Crus-galli,  with  scarlet  fruits  and  orange- 
tinted  foliage,  each  and  all  add  to  the  interest 
and  attractive  character  of  the  garden  in  autumn. 


506 


THE     GARDEN. 


[OrxnnFR  ii,  iriio 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{Thi'    Editor    Is    not    responsible    for    the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Crocus  caspius. — This  is  in  flower  here  now 
(October  2)  in  a  spot  where  it  is  established. 
Corms  transplanted  this  summer  will  not  be  out 
just  yet.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  of 
the  autumn-flowering  species,  pure  white  inside, 
(he  exterior  of  the  petals  pale  mauve.  Here  we 
find  it  a  very  free  seeder,  and  I  raise  a  number  of 
seedlings  every  year,  which,  however,  do  not  flower 
till  three  years  old.  Recently  I  have  used  the 
pollen  of  C.  hyemalis  Foxii  and  one  or  two  other 
species  on  it,  and  am  now  awaiting  with  interest 


exliibiticin  fi-om  the  leading  exhibitors  of  the 
country. — Henry  Merryweather,  Southwell,  Notts. 
Saxifraga  burseriana. — Really,  since  we  are 
all  agreed  as  to  how  we  each  prefer  to  grow  or  not 
to  grow  Saxifraga  burseriana,  it  may  well  seem 
waste  labour  to  go  on  exchanging  facts  about 
the  plant  against  contradictions,  no  matter  how 
emphatic.  At  the  same  time,  I  cannot  feel  it 
would  be  good  for  anybody  if  I  acquiesced  silently 
in  being  given  the  lie  with  quite  the  candour 
affected  by  Mr.  Elliott.  This  great  and  earnest 
man,  in  the  ardour  of  dispute,  has  been  misled  by 
analogy,  that  perilous  charmer.  He  has  seen 
(from  the  train)  sunlight  streaming  into  the  mouth 
of  the  Salurn  Klamm  ;  yes,  indeed,  so  have  I — 
and  felt  it,  too  !     Now  if  drink  streams    into    mv 


aiesr"' 


Stamliwj.  lift  to  ri'jiil  :    Mr 


UttU'i-,  Mr.  H.  JMfnywcatkpr,  Mr.  Itlvi'in  ;    it'hcr  tim  ittjl  Iniumt.      .sitliH'/l:  Mr 
Mr.  Ci;nr/cs  Galer,  Mr.  B.  II.  Cant,  Mr.  Nevaril. 


the  flowering  of  what  I  trust  will  turn  out  to  be 
hybrids. — F.  Herbert  Chapman,  Rye. 

Rose-Growers  of  Bygone  Days. — in  the  eariy 

seventies — a  time  when  great  advance  was  made 
in  the  introduction  of  new  varieties  of  Roses — 
Mr.  Quilter  of  Aston  Park,  Binuingham,  promoted 
and  held  some  first-class  Rose  shows,  and  one 
condition  was  a  £10  penalty  if  a  grower  entered 
and  did  not  exhibit.  On  one  of  those  particular 
occasions  I  well  remember  having  a  very  enjoy- 
able luncheon,  when  our  old  and  esteemed  friend, 
the  late  Benjamin  Cant,  took  the  chair,  and  some- 
one proposed  that  we  should  have  our  photograph 
taken  in  a  group,  a  copy  of  which  may  be  of  some 
interest  to  your  readers.  I  well  remember  we  had 
p  fine  meeting  of  all  Rose-growers  and  a  splendid 


mouth  or  Mr.  Elliott's,  it  streams  into  him  or 
me  c.t  hypothesi  unless  we  reject  it.  But  sun, 
streaming  into  the  mouth  of  a  gorge,  by  no  means 
necessarily  streams  into  the  gorge  itself.  And 
whereas  the  mouth  of  the  Salurn  Klamm  can 
indeed  be  seen  from  trains,  and  felt  by  closer  inspec- 
tion to  be  one  of  the  hottest  and  most  sun-flogged 
places  that  an  alpine  afternoon  or  midday  can 
discover,  the  interior  of  the  Klamm  rejoices  in 
wholly  different  conditions,  and  may  fairly  be 
described  as  a  sunless  gorge — not  sunless,  indeed, 
as  a  cavern  measureless  to  man,  but  sunless  in  only 
having  a  brief  and  inconsiderable  daily  share 
in  that  luminary.  And  it  is  significant  that  only 
when  you  arrive  at  the  Klause  does  the  Saxifrage 
begin  to  occur,  quite  refusing  the  more  open  and 


torrid  stretches  at  the  mouth  of  the  gorge  ;  not 
only  for  this  reason  perhaps,  but  also  because 
that  mouth  is  occupied  by  true,  coarse  scree. 
With  regard  to  the  geological  lecture  administered 
by  Mr.  Elliott,  in  the  first  place  I  think  a  closer 
acquaintance  with  the  fine  silty  ridges  in  the 
shadowed  interior  of  the  Klamm  would  cause 
Mr.  Elliott  to  be  less  certain  as  to  the  origin  ol 
those  banks  ;  in  the  second,  whether  washed 
down  by  water  or  up  by  water,  the  soil  there  is 
so  unlike  any  other  detritus — utterly  different 
from  any — and  so  utterly  alien  from  the  coarse 
composition  of  scree  that  it  is  only,  and  precisely, 
comparable  to  the  fine  silts  that  lie  in  waving 
ripples  over  the  Forcella  Limgieres  or  the  Passo 
delle  Selle.  Therefore  in  describing  such  for  the 
liorticultural  benefit  of  those  who  have 
not  seen,  or  for  those  who  have,  but 
forget,  it  is  certainly  allowable  to  paint 
it  as  silt,  even  as  even  Mr.  Elliott  him- 
self, I  imagine,  applies  the  word 
"moraine"  to  a  horticultural  com- 
pound which  in  reality  has  no  relation 
to  the  rounded,  water-worn  desolations 
whose  convenient  name  it  bears,  but  is 
in  relation  to  the  conditions  of  quite  ,1 
different  deposit,  the  sharp  and  fertile 
accumulations  of  fallen  shingles  on  tlif 
highest  slopes  and  hollows  (if  I  may  be 
allowed  to  use  the  word  shingle  with- 
nut  being  told  that  it  is  only  admissible 
of  Brighton  Beach).  Mr.  Elliott,  how^ 
ever,  mistakes  the  reason  why  S.  bur- 
seriana grows  in  the  fine  silt  of  the 
Salurn  Klamm.  It  does  not  do  so 
because  I  say  it,  not  even  because  1 
have  said  it  twice  ;  but  because  I  have 
twice  very  carefully  noticed  and  col- 
lected it  there  so  growing,  and  duly 
record  the  fact  for  the  interest  of  such 
people  as  lay  greater  weight  on  re- 
peated observation  than  on  even  the 
most  aquiline  of  glances  cast  from  an 
express  train  proceeding  in  full  career 
perhaps  half  a  mile  from  even  the  en- 
trance of  the  gorge  (for  such,  I  may 
suppose,  was  the  train  that  took  Mr. 
EUiott,  or  rather,  as  I  had  better  say. 
conveyed  him).  However,  these  are 
unprofitable  matters.  Mr.  Elliott  re- 
grets that  he  was  unable  to  give  me  his 
corroboration.  Even  had  my  records 
stood  in  need  of  it,  the  blow  of  this 
denial  would  still  be  softened  to  me  by 
Mr.  Elliott's  proper  admission  that  his 
remarks  have  to  be  conditioned  by  the 
considerable  qualification  "  as  far  as  I 
remember."  Now,  however  far  "  I 
remember  "  may  go,  such  a  recollec- 
tion, dim  I"'  clear,  of  two  or  three  seasons  since 
cannot  well  enter  into  competition  with  the  actual 
observation  of  the  current  year,  deliberately 
sought  with  an  eye  to  getting  the  facts  correct. 
Therefore,  for  what  the  information  may  be  worth 
to  the  cultivator  in  the  way  of  interest,  it  may 
be  taken  that  S.  burseriana,  in  Nature,  certainly 
luxuriates  in  at  least  one  famous  station  in  fine 
limy  silt  and  in  a  shady  gorge.  In  the  Schlern 
Klamm,  "  as  far  as  I  remember,"  the  plant  tends 
to  be  more  saxatile,  as  the  gorge  is  wider,  and 
therefore  less  overshadowed  by  its  walls  ;  while 
on  the  Hoch  Obir  the  minor  form  grows  in  enormous  j 
masses,  on  the  under  side  principally,  of  turfy  ' 
laps  along  the  neck  of  the  mountain, — Reginald 
Farrer, 


Bull, 


October  ii,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


507 


Rose  Irish  Elegance  in  Scotland. — In  common 
with  many  uthiT-:,  I  have  read  with  keen  interest 
the  correspondence  in  the  columns  of  The  Garden 
regarding  this  Rose,  which  I  had  not  seen.  It 
was.  therefore,  with  pleasure  that  I  came  across 
several  plants  of  it  the  other  day  in  the  gardens 
of  Lady  Cathcart  at  Cluny  Castle,  Aberdeenshire, 
while  spending  a  holiday  in  that  district.  The 
plants  showed  great  vigour,  and  Mr.  McLeod,  the 
head-gardener,  told  me  that  they  had  bloomed 
very  freely.  There  was  sufficient  bloom  left  to 
show  the  true  character  of  this  beautiful  Rose. — 
Caledonia. 

Gypsophila  Rokejekii. — This  is  a  tall,  lax- 
habited  species  well  worth  introducing  into  mixed 
borders.  The  flowers  are  about  the  same  size 
as  those  of  G.  Stevenii,  and  pink.  The  lank  stems, 
if  left  to  themselves,  shoot  up  to  proportions 
far  beyond  what  the  amenities  of  present-day 
gardening  admits,  and  it  is  therefore  essentia] 
to  cut  each  one  as  it  attains  the  desired  height, 
which,  as  well  as  checking  growth,  causes  the 
laterals  to  spring  out  and  form  a  somewhat  bushy 
plant.  It  flowers  from  the  end  of  August  till 
the  end  of  the  floral  season,  and  is  easy  to  propagate 
by  seed— R.  P.  B. 

Outdoor  Figs. — With  reference  to  the  note  in 
The  Garden  of  September  20,  page  470,  respecting 
the  above,  it  may  interest  some  readers  to  know 
that  here  on  the  southern  border  of  Yorkshire  we 
have  trees  of  Figs  Brown  Turkey  and  White  Mar- 
seilles growing  on  a  south-east  wall  and  yielding 
good  fruit.  The  soil  in  which  the  trees  are  growing 
is  of  a  sandy  nature,  and  although  this  season 
(and  noticeably  this  district)  has  been  excep- 
tionally dry,  no  watering  has  been  done.  During 
the  winter  the  roots  are  heavily  mulched  and 
the  branches  protected  by  mats  ;  but,  apart  from 
this,  no  special  treatment  has  been  deemed  neces- 
sary. I  may  mention  that  the  tree  of  Brown  Turkey 
is  about  twelve  feet  high  and  has  a  spread  of 
about  twenty-five  feet. — H.  Turner,  Serlby  Hall 
Gardens,  Bawiry,  Yorks. 

Campanula  Iragilis. — Mr.  Amott  writes  of  this 
well-marked  species  on  page  473  as  being  "  ot 
the  same  class  as  garganica,"  from  which,  of 
course,  it  is  most  distinct.  Indeed,  the  two  plants 
have  nothing  in  common.  C.  garganica  is  of 
almost  mat  like  density,  and  provides  an  innumer- 
able host  of  small,  very  starry  flowers,  while  C. 
fragilis  is  a  comparatively  sparse-growing  plant, 
the  much  larger  flowers  of  saucer-like  outline 
totally  unlike  those  of  the  other  species  named. 
Hence  one  is  a  little  puzzled  by  the  remark.  The 
true  C.  fragilis  is  quite  one  of  the  most  "  touchy  " 
of  its  race,  so  much  so  that  attempts  to  divide  it 
must  be  undertaken  with  care.  A  "  white  form  " 
is  also  referred  to  in  the  paragraph,  which  I  do 
not  appear  to  recall.  If  good  and  pure,  it  would 
certainly  be  very  charming. — E.  H.  Jenkins. 

Rose-Buds  Dropping  OH. — We  have  lost  so 
many  buds  this  year,  especially  during  their 
formation  for  the  second  flowering,  that  I  would 
like  to  ask,  if  space  can  be  spared,  whether  other 
readers  of  The  Garden  have  shared  a  similar 
fate  ?  Sometimes  the  buds  have  been  almost  black, 
at  other  times  yellowish,  and  of  sizes  varying  from 
a  pin's  head  to  an  ordinary  Sweet  Pea  seed.  We 
have  never  been  able  to  track  Jiny  insect  in  the 
act  of  damaging  them,  and  the  plants  have  been 
regularly  syringed  with  one  solution  or  other, 
besides  which  the  plants  are  normally  healthy. 
In  some  cases  the  buds  would  be  quite  right  one 
day,  then  in  another  day  or  so  gone,  or  would  fall 
immediately   if   the   bush    or  shoot    was   handled, 


and  frequently  the  loss  would  be  from  a  clean  and 
strong  growth.  Our  final  supposition  was  that 
the  falling  off  must  be  due  in  some  way  to  cUmatic 
conditions.  Can  anyone  offer  any  better  explana- 
tion ?  I  ought  to  add  that  the  plants  have  been 
regularly  watered,  so  there  is  no  fear  of  drought. — 
C.  T.,  Highgale. 

Rose  President  Vignet. — This  new  Hybrid 
Tea,  from  Pemet-Ducher  in  1911,  has  been  extra 
good  with  me  of  late  ;  in  fact,  it  is  one  of  the  very 
best  reds  at  this  season  ;  a  capital  grower  and 
bloomer,  flowers  large  and  solid,  also  possessed 
of  an  especially  sweet  perfume.  Carmine,  shaded 
with  poppy  red,  is  the  best  description  I  can  give, 
and  as  it  was  good  last  autumn  as  well  as  this, 
it  will  probably  take  a  high  position  as  a  good  late 
red  bloomer. — A.   P. 

Salvia  uliginosa  as  a  Hardy  Plant. — In  reference 

to  your  illustration  and  note  in  The  Garden  for 
September  27,  page  484,  it  may  interest  readers 
to  know  that  this  plant  has  been  growing  now  for 
several  years  in  the  herbaceous  ground  at  the 
Botanic  Gardens,  Cambridge,  without  being  in 
any  way  affected,  either  in  the  winter  or  early 
spring,  by  frosts.  Although  the  individual  flowers 
are  of  a  pleasing  blue,  the  plant  itselfisof  asomewhat 
straggling  habit,  from  5  feet  to  6  feet  high,  and 
hardly  to  be  compared  with  some  of  the  other 
members  of  the  Sage  family. — F.  G  Preston, 
Botanic  Gardens,  Cambridge. 

Musk  Losing  Its  Scent. — In  your  issue  of 
.•\ugust  23,  page  418,  "  E.  A.  P."  enquires  if  Musk 
still  retains  its  scent  in  its  native  haunts.  I 
enclose  seeds  of  a  variety  growing  on  Vancouver 
Island.  This  resembles  Mimulus  moschatus,  and 
grows  luxiuriantly  in  moist  places,  but  is  not  scented. 
I  have  never  found  a  scented  variety  here. — 
T.  Sheward.  HiUbank,  Vancouver  Island,  British 
Columbia, 

In   your   issue    for   August   23,    page  418, 

there  was  a  very  interesting  article  on 
"  Musk  Losing  its  Scent,"  by  "  E.  A.  P.,"  who 
says  he  would  like  to  know  whether  it  is  still 
fragrant  in  its  native  haunts  and  by  what  insects 
it  is  fertilised  there.  In  my  garden  here  there  are 
quantities  of  wild  Musk,  which  I  often  pull  up  by 
handfuls,  for  it  grows  so  quickly  that  it  smothers 
the  other  plants.  It  flowers  so  freely  and  looks 
so  pretty  that  I  leave  a  patch  here  and  there, 
but,  alas  !  it  is  quite  scentless.  I  am  no  botanist, 
so  cannot  say  anything  about  the  variety,  but  to 
all  appearances  it  is  just  the  same  plant  we  used 
to  grow  m  pots  at  home  in  the  Old  Country,  and 
no  doubt  "  E.  A.  P."  will  be  considerably  amused 
to  learn  that  a  week  or  two  before  reading  his 
article  in  The  Garden  I  purchased  a  tiny  pot 
plant  from  a  local  nurseryman,  who  assured  me 
that  it  was  "  real  English  Musk,"  grown  from  seed 
sent  to  him  direct.  This  certainly  had  a  slight 
perfume  when  I  bought  it,  but  I  regret  to  say  the 
plant  was  neglected  and  has  died  down.  With 
reference  to  the  insects  that  fertilise  it  here,  I  should 
say  it  must  be  the  mosquitoes  which  perform  that 
duty,  as  they  abound  and  are  most  plentiful  where 
the  Musk  plant  thrives  best. — C.  R.  Thurston, 
Vancouver,  British  Columbia. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS.  " 
October  13. — United    Horticultural  Benefit  and 
Provident   Society's    Meeting.     National   Chrysan- 
themum   Society's    Floral   Committee    Meeting    at 
Essex  Hall,  Strand,  London. 

October  16. — Royal  Jersey  Fruit  Show.  North 
of  England  Horticultural  Society's  Show  at  Leeds 
(two  days). 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  OF 
GARDEN  ROSES. 

WHAT  does  the  amateur  rosarian 
want  from  the  raisers  of  new 
Roses,  and  on  what  lines  ought 
he  to  press  for  improvement  ? 
In  the  abstract  the  questions 
seem  easy  enough  to  answer. 
A  visit  to  any  of  our  big  shows  would  indicate 
that  we  already  possess  flowers  of  great  beauty 
and  variety,  both  in  form  and  colour,  so  that  we 
might  be  tempted  to  say,  as  Rivers  did  sixty  years 
ago,  that  it  seems  difficult  to  expect  anything  more 
beautiful ;  while  the  florists'  shops  sho%v  us  that 
we  may  now  have  Roses  of  great  beauty  nearly 
all  the  year  through.  Yet,  when  we  come  to 
examine  our  own  and  our  friends'  gardens,  we 
become  conscious  that  there  is  considerable  possi- 
bility of  improvement  in  our  garden  Roses.  At 
the  same  time,  we  can  only  in  reason  hope  to 
proceed  by  steps,  and  these  steps  must  be  practical 
ones  ;  that  is  to  say,  if  we  hope  to  get  some  special 
quality  impressed  on  our  Roses,  we  must  look  for 
it,  or  for  some  indication  of  it,  in  the  plants  we 
already  possess. 

Now  the  first  quality  to  which  I  would  ask  our 
hybridisers  to  devote  their  attention  is  continuity  in 
flowering.  No  one  can  deny  that  great  steps  have 
already  been  made  in  this  direction.  It  is  only  neces- 
sary to  go  into  an  old-fashioned  Rose  garden,  as  I 
did  in  the  month  of  September,  where  the  plants  are 
those  of  twenty  or  thirty  years  ago,  that  is,  mostly 
Hybrid  Perpetuals,  and  see  them  all  looking 
very  green  and  healthy,  with  great,  long  shoots, 
but  scarcely  a  flower  worth  looking  at  among  them, 
and  then  compare  this  with  a  Rose  garden  of  modem 
plants  gay  with  a  profusion  of  flowers  and  colour. 
The  gain  is  considerable,  but  it  might  be  extended. 
All  the  Hybrid  Teas,  even  the  best  of  them,  have 
a  flowerless  period,  often  of  some  weeks,  succeed- 
ing each  burst  of  bloom.  Liberty,  Mme.  Ravary, 
Lady  Ashtown,  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay,  Caroline 
Testout,  Joseph  Hill,  Mrs.  E.  G.  Hill  and  Mme. 
Leon  Pain  all  cease  flowering  for  a  time  while  the 
buds  for  the  next  crop  of  flowers  are  growing. 
My  special  affection  for  Richmond  is,  1  think, 
largely  founded  on  the  fact  that  in  its  case  this 
flowerless  period  is  less  than  with  most  other 
varieties.  Even  the  Teas,  like  Mme.  Lambard 
and  Mme.  Antoine  Mari,  possess  the  like  defect, 
though  Molly  Shamian  Crawford  perhaps  shows 
it  less  than  most  of  them. 

I  decline,  however,  altogether  to  think  that 
this  condition  is  a  necessary  one.  We  do  now 
possess  in  our  gardens  three  Roses  in  which  there 
is  actually  no  cessation  of  flowering.  My  beds  of 
Jessie,  Mrs.  Cutbush  and  Orleans  Rose  have  been 
ftill  of  flower  without  a  break  ever  since  the  plants 
came  into  bloom  towards  the  end  of  June.  If 
these  charming  little  plants  only  possessed  beauty 
of  form  in  the  flower  as  well  as  continuity,  we 
should  be  a  great  step  in  advance  ;  but,  unfortu- 
nately, they  do  not,  and  we  still  wait  for  a  Hybrid 
Tea  of  fine  shape  and  colom:  to  equal  them  in  con- 
tinuity. Of  course,  in  order  to  secure  this  con- 
tinuity in  the  varieties  I  have  named,  cultivation 
must  be  attended  to.  They  must  be  planted  in 
really  well-made  beds,  and  have  their  flowers  care- 
fully removed  as  they  go  over.  Also,  if  a  period 
of  drought  supervenes,  as  has  happened  this 
summer,  they  must  have  occasionally  a  thoroughly 
good  soaking  of  water.  If  planted  in  badly-made 
beds,  or  if  neglected,  they  will  have  their  flowerless 


508 


THE    GARDEN. 


[October  ii,  1913, 


periods  like  other  Roses.  Possibly  Mr.  Pember- 
ton's  beautiful  new  seedlings  Danae  and  Moonlight 
may  help  us  in  the  desired  direction  ;  but  down 
to  the  present  I  have  not  tried  them. 

Disease-Resisting  Roses  Wanted. — Another 
direction  in  which  we  may  look  and  hope  for  im- 
provement is  in  that  of  freedom  from  disease. 
No  one  but  the  rosarian  knows  how  much  time  and 
trouble  is  lost  in  the  attempt  to  keep  down  mildew, 
and  how  hopeless  and  disreputable  a  Rose  garden 
looks  where  the  attempt  has  failed  and  the  fimgus 
is  disfiguring  the  foliage.  Now  we  already  possess 
several  Roses  which  are  practically  immune  from 
this  disease.  For  instance,  Lady  Waterlow, 
Rayon  d'Or  and  the  old  Rose  Mrs.  George  Dickson 
appear  to  be  unaffected  by  mildew,  though  they 
may  fall  a  prey  to  black  spot.  Some  Roses  are 
great  offenders  in  their  liability  to  mildew.  If 
we  could  find  a  Killamey,  an  Irish  Elegance  or  a 
Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens  that  was 
immune  from  this  pest,  how  great 
would  be  the  advance,  for  each 
of  these  in  its  way  has  a  form 
of  great  beauty !  In  its  effect  on 
the  constitution  of  the  plant  in 
future  years,  black  spot  appears 
to  be  a  more  serious  enemy  of 
our  Roses  even  than  mildew, 
and,  moreover,  it  is  far  less  easily 
dealt  with.  Few,  if  any,^  Roses 
appear  to  be  immune  from  this 
trouble,  but  some  are  much  more 
subject  to  it  than  others.  The 
Lyon  Rose  in  my  garden  has 
been  a  great  offender  in  this 
respect,  and  White  Maman  Cochet 
and  Dawn  are  easily  affected 
by  it. 

There  is  a  third  direction  in 
which  we  may  look  for  improve- 
ment in  our  Roses  of  to-day,  and 
that  is  in  the  development  of 
plants  that  will  readily  and  under 
moderate  conditions  of  culture 
yield  us  flowers  of  good  form  and 
decided  colour  throughout  the 
season,  be  it  wet  or  fine,  when 
grown  as  cut-backs.  There  are 
many  Roses  which  more  or  less 
frequently  give  fine  flowers  on 
maiden  plants  which  are  nearly 
useless  as  cut-backs.  These  the 
wise  man  will  turn  out  of  his 
garden  so  soon  as  he  has  been 
able  to  give  them  a  fair  trial, 
and  they  die  a  natural  death 
before  many  years  are  past  after 
duct  ion.  But  there  are  many 
among    them    some    of    our    best 


if  it  be  wet  and  they  are  improtected.  I  can  think 
of  few  Roses  which  meet  my  requirements  in  this 
respect  better  than  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay.  It 
almost  always  produces  well-shaped  flowers,  and 
though  no  doubt  its  colour  is  sometimes  better 
than  at  others,  it  is  seldom  a  poor  colour,  and  it 
is  no  doubt  to  these  virtues  that  its  immense 
popularity  is  due.  It  has  other  defects,  it  is  true, 
but  in  the  qualities  I  have  named,  perhaps  it  is  as 
yet  tmsurpassed. 

Now  how  are  we  to  secure  the  production  of 
Roses  with  these  desirable  qualities — continuity 
of  flowering,  freedom  from  disease,  and  the  easy 
production  of  good  flowers  throughout  the  season  ? 
Clearly  we  shall  get  no  assistance  from  the  shows, 
where  none  will  display  any  but  the  most  perfect 
flowers  that  he  can  produce  ;  nor  from  the  descrip- 
tions given  by  the  raisers,  who  commonly  predicate 
all  these  qualities  of  their  seedlings,  and  I  am  willing 


DESIGNING     A     ROSE 
GARDEN. 


PLAN    OF    A    ROSE    GARDEN    WITH    LILY    POOL    IN    THE    CENTRE 


their  intro- 
others,  and 
Roses,  which 
are  by  no  means  good  throughout  the  season. 
Richmond  is  lovely  in  its  first  bloom  and  good 
again  in  autumn  ;  but  the  summer  flowers,  par- 
ticularly in  a  year  of  summer  drought  like  the 
present,  are  often  of  poor  quality  and  colour, 
and  though  they  may  look  well  in  the  distance, 
will  stand  no  close  inspection.  Mme.  Ravary, 
again,  and  several  varieties  of  similar  colouring, 
including  the  beautiful  Prince  de  Bulgarie,  when 
the  autumn  rains  and  cold  nights  begin  to  arrive, 
seem  to  get  all  the  colour  washed  out  of  them 
and  lose  character  altogether ;  while  there  are 
others,  like  Duchess  of  Wellington,  Mme.  Edmee 
Metz,  Mme.  Segond  Weber  and  many  of  the  Teas, 
with  petals  of  thin  substance  which  are  most 
beautiful  when  the  weather  is  fine,   but   hopeles^ 


to  believe  that  the  raiser's  description  may  often  have, 
been  justified  by  his  experience  of  the  maiden  plants 
of  the  new  variety  in  his  own  garden.  But  the 
amateur  knows  only  too  well  that  when  the  plant 
is  transferred  to  his  own  garden,  the  description 
but  too  frequently  differs  materially  from  his  own 
observation  of  the  new  Rose. 

It  seems  that  as  matters  are  now  arranged  it 
is  to  the  amateurs  chiefly  and  finally  that  we  must 
look  to  secure  the  results  we  desire.  By  vigorous 
criticism  and  elimination  of  the  undesirables  they 
will  get  what  they  want,  if  only  they  will  be  guided 
by  patient  observation  in  their  own  and  their 
friends'  gardens  throughout  the  year,  rather  than 
by  occasional  enthusiasm  at  a  flower  show  or  the 
credulous  study  of  a  catalogue.  The  improvement 
of  the  Rose  as  an  exhibition  flower  is  effected 
automatically ;  its  improvement  as  a  garden  plant 
lies  with  the  gardener.  White  Rose. 


AROSE  garden  may  often  be  made  much 
more  delightful  by  having  some  one 
point  of  interest  besides  the  Roses, 
for  nothing  is  more  usual  than  to 
^  find  that,  except  in  the  few  weeks 
of  its  fullest  bloom,  the  Rose  garden 
is  rather  a  dull  place.  There  are  several  ways  in 
which  such  an  object  of  interest  may  be  secured  • 
either  by  a  sundial  or  fountam,  or  a  raised  stone 
flower-bed,  or  a  piece  of  ornamental  sculpture  in 
stone  or  lead,  whether  central  or  defining  certain 
points  of  the  circumference  in  prepared  niches 
in  the  bounding  hedge.  In  the  case  of  the  garden 
shown,  ttis  variation  of  interest  is  given  by  a  tank 
for  Water  Lilies  20  feet  across,  giving  good  space 
for  at  least  three  kinds  of  beau- 
tiful Water  Lilies.  The  low, 
flat  kerb,  which  in  an  unbroken 
circle  of  this  size  would  be  a 
trifle  monotonous,  is  varied  on 
the  four  sides  opposite  the  paths 
by  a  square  projection,  which 
gives  width  enough  for  the  placing 
of  four  pots  or  small  tubs  of 
flowers  in  pairs.  The  four  beds 
nearest  the  tank  are  also  treated 
with  a  certain  symmetry,  and 
are  planted  with  Lavender  and 
China  Rose,  thus  securing  some 
permanence  of  effect  and  good 
clothing  for  all  seasons,  and  so 
also  joining  in  with  the  enduring 
and  unaltering  stonework  of  the 
tank.  The  small  circles  in  the 
four  diagonal  angles  are  trained 
weeping  Roses,  of  such  a  kind 
as  the  pretty  pale  pink  Lady 
Godiva. 

The  large  clumps  have  a  middle 
mass  of  five  plants  of  the  fine 
rugosa  hybrid  Blanc  Double  de 
Coubert.  This  is  chosen  because 
of  its  handsome  dark  green  foliage 
and  for  its  way  of  forming  a 
dense,  bushy  mass  of  solid  charac- 
ter, quite  different  to  the  thinner 
habit  of  most  Roses.  The  coloured 
Roses  will  come  well  in  groups 
as  shown,  using  four  kinds  in 
each  clump.  The  names  of  the 
actual  kinds  are  not  given,  because 
the  choice  will  depend  both  on 
the  character  of  the  soil  and  climate  and  on 
the  taste  of  the  owner.  But  as  a  general  sugges- 
tion as  to  colour  arrangement,  it  would  be  well 
to  have  in  the  space  B  some  good  Rose  of  a  deep 
pink  or  a  clear  rosy  red  such  as  Zephyrine  Drouhin, 
in  C  a  bright  red,  in  D  a  white,  and  in  E  and  F 
a  light  pink.  The  whole  garden  is  much  beautified 
by  a  complete  edging  of  Stachys  lanata.  The 
flower-stems  are  cut  out  when  half  developed ; 
then  the  plant  at  once  spreads  at  the  root 
and  forms  a  silvery  carpet.  It  is  kept  fairly 
even  on  the  side  next  the  turf,  but  runs 
freely  into  the  bed  where  there  is  space  between 
the  Roses.  This  edging  is  not  only  most 
becoming  to  the  Roses,  but  serves  a  useful 
purpose  by  defining  the  form  of  the  design. 
Thorough  preparation  of  the  soil  is,  of  course, 
essential  for  success,  but  this  is  dealt  with  fully 
elsewhere.  .  G.  Jekvii.. 


6cT0BKR   il,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


509 


A     SUBURBAN     ROSE 
GARDEN. 


DURING  recent  years  the  cultivation  of 
Roses  in  gardens  situated  in  tlie  suburbs 
of  London  has  received  a  great  im- 
petus, and  one  of  the  most  charming 
instances  that 
have  come  to  our 
notice  is  at  The 
Lodge,  Surbiton 
Hill.  Here  Mr. 
William  Hudson, 
the  owner,  has, 
in  an  area  of  less 
than  an  acre, 
formed  a  Rose 
garden  of  con- 
siderable beauty 
and  interest.  Un- 
til a  few  years 
ago  the  ground 
now  occupied  by 
Roses  was  a 
wilderness 
of  overgrown 
fruit  bushes, 
which  have  been 
disestablished  in 
favour  of  the  pre- 
sent inhabitants. 
The  beds  have 
been  laid  out  with 
only  so  much 
formality    as     is 

given  by  their 
regular  shapes 
and  balanced  dis- 
position.     There 

are   no    brick    or 

stone  paths,   but 

the  Roses  make 
little      oases      of 

colour    in     their 

setting   of    green 

turf.    Well-grown 

trees    form    a 

strong      back- 

groimd,    and     in 

front  of  these  the 

boimdary    fences 

have  hidden  their 

bareness     behind 

a    wealth    o  i 

climbers     of      all 

sorts.     In    the 

borders   in    front 

of  these  climbers 

many  choice  her- 
baceous     plants, 

particularly  well- 

grown  Delphi- 
niums,     Phloxes, 

Hollyhocks     and 

tall    Evening 

Primroses,  luxu- 
riate   in     bold 

masses,  the  whole 

forming  a  charm- 
ing    setting     for 

the   Rose  garden 

proper. 

In  planting  the 

Rose  -  beds     the 


owner  has  wisely  used  only  one  variety  in  a 
bed,  so  that  a  beautiful  mass  of  one  colour, 
instead  of  the  too  often  bizarre  effect,  is  obtained. 
For  the  purpose  of  providing  flowers  at  those 
times  when  the  Roses  are  more  or  less 
resting,  the  beds  have  been  carpeted  with 
Violas  or  Tufted  Pansies,  and  in  some  instances 
Carnations  are  intermixed  with  the   Rose  bushes. 


A    VIEW    IN    THE    ROSE    GARDEN    AT    THE    LODGE,    SURBITON    HILL,    SURREY. 


1  the  latter  giving  a  wealth  of  fragrant  flowers  for 
cutting  that  is  only  surpassed  by  the  Roses  them- 
selves. Well  over  two  himdred  different  varieties 
are  grown,  these  being  selected  principally  for  their 
freedom  of  flowering,  good,  distinct  colours  and 
even  contour.  Those  large-flowered  kinds  which 
naturally  produce  their  blooms  in  clusters  are 
vigorously    disbudded,    so    that    only    the    most 

promising  bud  is 
left  on  each  stem. 
The  result  of  this 
disbudding  is  that 
only  large  flowers 
of  perfect  contour 
are  developed. 
Some  of  the  best 
dwarf  or  semi- 
dwarf  varieties  in 
the  beds  are 
Duchess  of 
Wellington  (soft 
yellow),  Lady 
Hillingdon  (a  pale 
shade  of  orange 
and  buff), General 
Macarthur  (crim- 
son),  M  m  e  . 
R  a  v  a  r  y  (soft 
buff),  Camoens 
(glowing  rose, 
with  yellow  base), 
Caroline  Testout 
(pink),  Earl  of 
Warwick  (flesh 
pink  and  rose), 
F  r  a  u  Karl 
Druschki  (white), 
Griiss  an  Teplitz 
(bright  crimson), 
Gustave  Regis 
(nankeen  yellow, 
fading  to  cream), 
J.  B.  Clark  (crim- 
son scarlet),  Lady 
Ashtown  (rose 
pink),  La  Tosca 
(pale  cream, 
rose),  Lyons  Rose 
(coral  red,  tinted 
orange),  M  m  e  . 
Abel  C  hat  en  ay 
(pink,  suffused 
salmon),  M  m  e  . 
Leon  Pain 
(silvery  white, 
rose  pink  centre), 
Mrs.  W.  J.  Grant 
(bright  rose 
pink),  Paul  Lede 
(apricot,  shaded 
rose),  Richmond 
(glowing  c  r  i  m  - 
son),  Sulphurea 
(bright  sulphur 
yellow),  Rayon 
d'Or  (rich  canary 
yellow),  Pharisaer 
(similar  to  Mme. 
Leon  Pain),  Mme. 
Melanie  Soupert 
(pale  yellow,  suf- 
fused amethyst), 
Antoine  Rivoire 
(pale  cream), 
Mrs.  .\aron  Ward 


510 


THE    GARDEN. 


[October  ii,  1913, 


ROSE    FORTUNE'S   YELLOW 
AT   LOCKINGE. 


A    CLUSTER    OF    WHITE    BLOOJdS    OF    ROSA 
DUPONTII. 

(Indian  yellow,  edged  white),  Mrs.  George 
Shawyer  (pale  rose)  and  Prince  de  Bulgarie 
(pale  rose,  shaded  apricot).  At  one  side  of  the 
Rose  garden  is  a  large  bed  filled  with  that  beautiful, 
but  too  often  disappointing,  variety,  Juliet.  This 
is  a  very  vigorous-growing  Rose,  and  Mr.  Hudson 
has  wisely  allowed  the  long  shoots  to  remain 
nearly  their  full  length,  pegging  the  tip  of  each 
to  the  ground.  Nearly  every  lateral  shoot  pro- 
duced from  these  is  terminated  by  a  large  and 
fragrant  bloom  of  bright  rose  colour,  shaded  old 
gold  on  the  under  side  or  reverse  of  the  petals. 
This  seems  to  be  the  best  way  to  treat  this  variety 
for  garden  purposes. 

When  the  fruit  bushes  were  cleared  away  to 
make  room  for  the  Roses,  a  few  old  Apple  trees 
were  allowed  to  remain,  and  these  now  make 
excellent  supports  for  many  beautiful  rambler 
and  pillar  Roses,  such  as  Conrad  F.  Meyer,  Blush 
Rambler,  Lady  Gay,  Hiawatha,  American  Pillar, 
Tea  Rambler  and  Dorothy  Perkins.  There  must 
be  many  gardens  where  old  Apple,  Pear  or  Plum 
trees,  no  longer  of  value  for  their  fruit,  might  be 
put  to  similar  use.  The  Roses  must,  however, 
be  planted  well  away  from  the  roots  of  the 
trees,  and  the  long  shoots  trained  up  among  the 
branches. 

In  addition  to  these  natural  supports,  a  few  rough 
Larch  posts  with  portions  of  the  lateral  branches 
remaining  have  been  let  into  the  ground,  and 
these  support  a  number  of  good  pillar  Roses  that 
are  allowed  to  throw  their  vigorous  shoots  almost 
where  they  will,  instead  of,  as  is  too  often  the  case, 
being  tied  tightly  to  a  plain,  unbranched  post. 
It  is  really  surprising  that  rustic  poles,  old  tree 
stumps,  and  rough  Larch  posts  are  not  more 
often  used  for  supporting  Roses  of  rambling  habit. 
Conrad  F.  Meyer  has  been  especially  good  grown 
in  this  free  and  pleasing  manner.  In  front  of  the 
house  several  fine  weeping  standard  Roses  have 
been  planted,  two  of  the  best  being  Minnehaha 
and  Jean  Guichard.  The  illustration  on  the 
previous  page  represents  a  view  in  this 
garden  at  Surbiton,  and  gives  some  idea  of 
the  beautiful  effect  obtained  by  massing  one 
variety  in  a  bed,  with  pillars  of  ramblers 
forming  a  sort  of  open  but  harmonious  back- 
ground. 


ALTHOUGH  this  beautiful  Rose  has  been 
in  cultivation  for  a  great  many  years, 
it  has  not  become  so  popular  as  its 
merits  deserve.  When  well  grown  it 
^  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  as  well 
as  the  most  useful,  Roses  in  culti- 
vation. Although  it  may  be  grown  quite  success- 
fully outdoors  in  a  sheltered  situation,  it  is  perhaps 
more  at  home  and  of  much  greater  value  when 
grown  in  a  cool  house.  My  predecessor,  the  late 
Mr.  W.  Fyfe,  established  it  in  three  different 
structures  in  these  gardens,  and  from  these  we  cul 
large  quantities  of  flowers  all  through  the  spring 
months.  The  earliest  blooms  are  cut  from  two 
trees  planted  on  either  side  of  a  rather  low  span- 
roofed  house.  The  main  stems  are  trained  along 
the  bottom  of  the  rafters  much  in  the  same  manner 
as  a  Vine.  From  these  branches  the  young  wood 
grows  over  the  trellis  and  is  trained  about  a  foot 
apart. 

It  is  while  the  growth  of  this  wood  is  in  progress 
that   the  strictest   attention   must   be    devoted   to 
the   general   requirements   of   the   plants,    for   the 
better  this  young  growth  is  developed,  the  better 
will  be  the  flowers,  both  in  colour  and  substance. 
In  passing  I  must  say  a  word  about  the  colour  of 
this  lovely   Rose,   as  when  seen  at  its  best  there 
are  few   Roses  that  can  equal  it  in  this  respect. 
At  Lockinge  it  assumes  a  beautiful  apricot  colour, 
which  is  more  pronounced  when  the  yomig  flowering 
wood    becomes    thoroughly    matured ;      therefore 
it  follows  that  everything  possible  must  be  done 
to   assist   the   perfect   development   of   the   young 
growths.     The  nature  of  the  soil,  too,  undoubtedly 
has  a  deal  to  do  with  the  colour  of  the  flower, 
and  as  the  natural  soil  here  is  very  chalky,  it  would 
seem  that  this  constituent  is  essential  in  bringmg 
out  the  best  colour  in  this  particular  Rose.     The 
tjees   in    this   house   are   planted   in    a   somewhat 
restricted,    well-drained    border,    and    during    the 
growing  season  the  roots  receive  copious  supplies 
of  water.     The  feeding  takes  the  form  of  diluted 
drainings  from  the  farmyard,   and,   as  mentioned 
before,    it    is    given    principally   when    the    young 
flowering    growth    is    in    course   of    development, 
and  agam  while  the  flower-buds  are  developing.    At 
the  present  time  this  growth  is  nearing  completion, 
and  for  the  next  two  or  three  months  the  trees 
must  be  induced  to  remain  in  a  dormant  condition. 
This  is  best  brought  about  by  keeping  the  house 
as   cool   as  possible  ;   therefore,  when  choosing  the 
structure   in   which  to   grow   them,    one   must   be 
selected  in  which  the   temperature  can  be  kept  at 
about  40°  during  the  time  the   Roses  are  resting. 
The  flowering-time  can,  of  course,  be  regulated  by 
extending  or  shortening  the  season  of  rest  ;    but, 
needless  to  say,  the  flowers  which  we  get  from  the 
earliest  house  are  not  nearly  so  fine  as  those  grown 
in  the  latest  one. 

We  commence  cutting  the  first  blooms  at  the 
end  of  February  from  the  first  house  ;  the  second 
crop  we  get  from  a  plant  growing  over  the  rool 
of  a  lofty  conservatory  ;  and  the  third  and  main 
crop  from  two  large  plants  growing  in  a  large, 
lofty  house  in  which  are  stored  specimen  bedding 
plants  during  the  winter.  After  flowering,  the 
trees  are  pruned,  which  consists  of  cutting  hard 
back  all  the  old  flowering  wood.  The  young  growths 
are  very  soon  active,  and  from  these  the  most 
promising  are  selected  and  trained  over  the  trellis. 
During  the  growing  season  the  trees  must  be  gone 
over   several    times   to   remove    superfluous   weak 


growth.  After  pruning,  2  inches  or  3  inches  of 
the  surface  soil  is  removed  and  replaced  with 
fresh  loam,  old  lime  rubble  and  crushed  bones, 
and  later  on,  when  the  surface  of  the  border  is 
full  of  roots,  a  good  top-dressing  of  well-decomposed 
farmyard  manure  is  given,  and  this  is  thoroughly 
washed  into  the  borders  at  once.  The  worst 
enemy  of  this  Rose  is  mildew,  which  will  quickly 
appear  if  the  roots  are  allowed  to  become  dry. 
During  the  growing  season  the  trees  are  thoroughly 
syringed  with  clear  water  daily.  All  the  trees 
here  are  growing  on  their  own  roots. 

Lockinge  Gardens,  Wantage.  E.   Harriss. 


ROSB  SPECIES  OR 
ROSES. 


WILD 


THEIR     USE     IN    THE     GARDEN. 

THE  beauty  and  consequent  popularity 
of  the  large  family  of  garden  Roses 
is  no  doubt  responsible  for  the  rather 
meagre  attention  given  to  the  species 
and  botanical  varieties.  Though  so 
neglected  in  our  gardens  fo-day, 
quite  a  number  of  them  are  deserving  of  attention, 
even  in  small  gardens.  It  may  be  for  their  pretty, 
daintily-coloured  single  flowers,  their  elegant 
foliage,  attractive  fruits  in  autumn  and  early 
winter,  or  their  coloured  stems  and  the  striking 
character  of  the  thorns.  The  Rose  garden  proper 
is  not,  of  course,  the  place  for  the  wild  Roses, 
unless  it  be  as  a  hedge  to  surround  the  garden, 
and  possibly,  if  the  environment  is  suitable,  a  few 
informal  groups  on  the  outskirts  or  approach  to 
the  garden.  It  is  in  the  less  formal  parts  of  the 
pleasure  grounds,  the  wild  garden  and  open  breaks 
in  the  woodland  that  they  are  seen  and  appreciated 
in  their  greatest  beauty. 

A  considerable  number  of  these  bushes  are  self- 
supporting.  Others,  which  include  Rosa  arvensis, 
the  Ayrshire  Rose,  and  R.  wichuraiana,  are  best 
when  clothing  a  more  or  less  steep  bank,  or  scramb- 
ling over  and  perhaps  hiding  an  unsightly  fence. 
Yet    another    section,    represented    by    the    very 


THE    AYRSHIRF.    ROSE    (ROSA    ARVENSIS). 


October  ii,  iqi3. 


THE     GARDEN. 


511 


KO^A    XOMt.NTOSA,    A    BRITISH    SPECIES 
WITH    PINK    1-LOWERS. 

vigorous  R.  nioschata,  will,  with  a  little  encouragi  • 
ment  in  the  early  stages,  scramble  up  trees  to  a 
height  of  25  feet  or  more,  and  make  a  most  effectiv.' 
picture  when  in  flower.  A  few  of  the  most  useful 
for  prominent  beds  in  the  pleasure  grounds 
are  R.  Hugonis,  R.  lutea,  R.  indica,  the 
Scotch  Rose,  R.  spinosissima  and  varieties.  R 
Moycsii,  R,  rugosa,  R.  nitida  and  R.  sericea 
ptcracantha. 

The  wild  Roses  will  thrive  in  most  soils;  but  il 
poor  and  sandy,  incorporate  plenty  of  old  decayed 
manure,  cow-raanure  for  preference,  previous  t<. 
planting,  an  occasional  mulching  with  manure 
being  also  very  beneficial.  Seeds  and  cuttings 
form  ready  and  easy  methods  of  propagation. 
As,  however,  the  single  Roses  hybridise  ver>' 
readily  unless  the  fruits  are  collected  from  isolated 
bushes,  it  is  safer  to  propagate  by  means  ol 
cuttings.  No  priming  of  the  Rose  species  is  neces- 
sary, but  an  occasional  thinning  of  the  shoots  is 
desirable  after  flowering,  the  older  wood  being 
cut  out,  if  possible,  in  some  instances  down  to  the 
ground,  which  will  generally  have  the  effect  of 
inducing  vigorous  yoimg  shoots  to  push  up  from 
the  base.  There  are  probably  about  a  hundred 
distinct  species,  and  an  equal  number  or  more 
botanical  varieties.  To  contain  anything  like  a 
representative  collection  of  these  beautiful  single 
Roses,  the  garden  must  obviously  be  a  large  one. 
There  are,  however,  few  gardens  in  which  space 
cannot  be  found  for  some  of  the  best,  a  selection 
of  these  being  given. 

Rosa  acicularis. — This  Siberian  Rose  forms  a 
shapely  bush  6  feet  to  7  feet  in  height.  The  bright 
rosy  pink  flowers  appear  towards  the  end  of  May, 
and  are  followed  in  autumn  by  shiny,  Pear-shaped, 
waxy  red  fruits.  The  foliage  is  attractive  in 
summer,  and  in  winter  the  reddish  colour  of  the 
twigs  is  noticeable. 

R.  alpina. — The  single,  rosy  red  flowers  of  the 
Alpine  Rose  are  welcome  in  May,  as  also  are  the 
red  hips  in  autumn.  It  is  an  European  species, 
and  varies  considerably  in  height,  a  dwarf,  free- 
fruiting    variety    being    very    useful    in    the    rock 


garden.  R.  pyrenaica  is  a  dwarf  form  with  long, 
flask-shaped  fruits,  which  ripen  in  August. 

R.  arvensis. — This  is  a  British  species  readily 
recognised  by  its  long,  slender,  trailing  stems. 
Popularly  known  as  the  Ayrshire  Rose,  the  habit 
of  the  plant  makes  it  very  suitable  for  clothing 
banks  and  scrambling  over  old  tree  stumps.  The 
white  flowers,  with  a  pretty  tuft  of  yellow  stamens 
m  the  centre,  e.xpand  during  June  and  July.  The 
small,  oval  fruits  are  orange  red  in  colour.  Its 
elegant,  graceful  habit  is  noticeable  in  the  illus- 
tration on  page  510. 

R.  bracteata. — To  grow  the  Macartney  Rose 
successfully  in  all  but  the  warmer  parts  of  the 
country,  the  shelter  of  a  wall  is  desirable.  It  is  a 
native  of  China,  and  the  large  white  flowers  are 
delightfully  fragrant  and  effectively  displayed 
by  the  rich  shining  green  leaves. 

R.  Carolina. — ^The  Swamp  Rose  of  North 
.America,  this  species  may  be  grown  successfully 
in  damp  situations  by  the  lakeside  and  stream. 
It  forms  a  large  bush  some  6  feet  in  height,  with 


dainty  dwarf-growing  variety  named  sanguinea 
has  semi-double,  rich  crimson  flowers  and  reddish 
leaves.  The  latter  is  a  gem  for  the  rock  garden. 
Viridiflora  or  monstrosa,  the  green-flowered  Rose, 
is  grown  by  some  as  a  novelty. 

R.  laevigata,  the  Cherokee  Rose,  should  be 
planted  at  the  foot  of  a  warm  south  wall.  The 
large  white,  single  blooms,  with  a  setting  of  the 
shining  green  foliage,  cannot  fail  to  appeal  to 
lovers  of  Nature.  A  variety.  Anemone,  with 
silvery  pink  flowers,  is  delightful  towards  the 
end  of  May. 

R.  lutea,  the  Austrian  Briar,  flowers  in  May. 
The  type  has  single,  yellow  flowers,  and  a  form 
with  attractive  reddish  brown  flowers  is  named 
Austrian  Copper.  Perhaps  the  most  useful  and 
attractive  of  all  is  Harrisoni,  a  serai-double  yellow 
variety  which  makes  a  splendid  hedge  or  specimen 
bed  4  feet  to  5  feet  high. 

R.  macrantha  is  a  delightful  single  Rose  with 
large  blush  white  or  flesh-tinted  petals.  It  is 
supposed  to  be  a  hybrid  between  R.  canina  and  R. 
gallica,  and  makes  a  nice  bushy  specimen. 

R.  moschata,  the  Musk  Rose,  is  very  vigorous 
in  habit,  climbmg  up  lofty  trees  and  hanging  in 
festoons  from  the  branches,  clothing  arbours  or 
scrambling  over  old  outbuildings.  The  large 
panicles  of  fragrant  white  blooms  are  at  their  best 
at  the  end  of  June  and  during  July-  The  variety 
Brimonii  is  a  glaucous-leaved  variety,  and  Pissardii 
is  a  semi-double,  perpetual-flowering  variety  not 
so  tall  and  vigorous  in  growth. 

R.  rubiginosa,  the  Sweet  Briar,  is  well  known 
by  reason  of  its  fragrant  leaves.  It  makes  a 
splendid  hedge  Rose,  and  is  attractive  when  in 
flower  and  laden  with  fruits  in  autumn.  As 
the  parent  of  the  Penzance  Briars,  it  has  resulted 
in  the  introduction  of  numerous  delightful  additions 
to  our  strong- growing  single  Roses. 

R.  rugosa,  the  Japanese  Rose,  makes  a  splendid 
hedge  or  large  bed  in  the  pleasure  grounds.  The 
large  rosy  red  blooms  and  handsome  red  fruits 
are  freely  produced.     There  are  numerous  varieties 


THE    MUSK    ROSE    (ROSA    MOSCHATA;, 

clusters  of  pretty  pink  flowers  produced  from  June 
to  .August. 

R.  einnamomea. — This  is  a  pink  May-flowering 
Rose  native  of  Europe  and  North  Asia.  It  forms 
a  large  bush  7  feet  to  8  feet  high,  with  conspicuous 
dark  red,  round  fruits  in  autumn. 

R.  Dupontii. — A  pretty  bush  4  feet  to  6  feet 
high,  with  clusters  of  blooms,  well  shown  in  the 
illustration.  The  long,  flask-shaped  fruits  are 
orange  red  in  colour. 

R.  Hugonis. — This  species  is  of  comparatively 
recent  introduction  from  China.  Growing  6  feet 
or  more  in  height,  the  rich  yellow  blooms,  2  inches 
across,  are  freely  borne  during  May  and  early  June. 
When  not  in  flower,  the  elegant.  Fern-like  foliage 
attracts  attention.  R.  Hugonis  is  adapted  for 
a  bed  in  the  pleasure  groimds  or  for  massing 
in  the  shrubbery  border. 

R.  indica,  the  Monthly  Rose,  seems  never  out 
of  flower  from  early  summer  till  spoilt  by  frosts 
in  late  autumn.  It  is  perhaps  best  known  as  the 
parent  of  the  dwarf  free-flowering  Tea  and  China 
Roses.     The   type   has  rosy  red   blooms    while   a 


ROSA    SOULIEANA,    FROM    CHINA. 


512 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  ii,  1913. 


or  hybrids  of  the  rugosa  Rose  in  cultivation 
with  single  and  semi-double  blooms,  notably  the 
large  white-flowered  Blanche  Double  de  Coubert  and 
the  fragrant,  though  qiute  double,  Conrad  F.  Meyer. 

R.  sericea  is  one  of  the  most  distinct  single 
Roses  with  its  four-petalled,  pure  white  flowers. 
It  is  an  excellent  Rose  to  plant  as  a  specimen  bush, 
growing  6  feet  to  8  feet  high  and  as  much  through, 
with  elegant,  Fern-like  foliage.  The  variety 
pteracantha  is  a  most  distinct  plant,  with  huge  red 
thorns  thickly  clothing  the  branches. 

R.  SOUlieana  is  a  tall,  vigorous-growing  bush 
with  very  beautiful  glaucous  foliage,  spiny  shoots 
and  long  sprays  of  white  flowers,  followed  in  the 
autumn  with  orange  red  fruits.     A  native  of  China. 

R.  spinosissima,  the  Scotch 
Rose,  grows  from  2  feet  to  3  feet 
high.  There  are  numerous  varieties 
with  white,  yellow,  pink  and  blush 
single  and  semi  -  double  flowers. 
Altaica  is  a  tall-growing  variety 
3  feet  'to  4  feet  high,  with  white 
flowers. 

R,  tomentosa  is  a  European 
species  including  Britain.  The  rose 
pink  flowers  are  borne  on  bushes 
some  5  feet  to  6  feet  high  during 
June  and  July.  In  autumn  the 
round,  red,  bottle-necked  fruits  are 
prominent.  , 

R.  Wichuraiana. — The  introduc- 
tion of  this  late-flowering  Japanese 
Rose  has  caused  quite  a  revolution 
among  climbing  or  rambling  Roses, 
and  it  begins  to  make  one  wonder 
what  our  gardens  looked  like  before 
the  coming  of  Dorothy  Perkins, 
Hiawatha,  American  Pillar  and 
numerous  others.  Being  an  ever- 
green species,  R.  wichuraiana  is 
very  useful  for  clothing  bare  banks 
and  tree  stumps.  The  dainty 
white  blooms,  with  a  tuft  of 
yellow  stamens  in  the  centre,  are 
at  their  best  during  August  and 
September.  A.   O. 


majority  practically  useless,  from  chops  and  other 
injuries,  but  a  third  of  the  whole  were  not  Rose 
stocks,  but  Blackberries  !  "  Of  course,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  collect  Briars  from  the  hedgerows, 
as  these  may  be  raised  in  any  garden  or,  better 
still,  purchased  already  worked  and  made  into 
standard  Roses  from  the  nurseryman,  and  this  is 
unquestionably  the  best  course  for  the  beginner 
to  pursue. 

Standard  Roses  are  sometimes  injured  by  wind  and 
frosts,  and,  where  possible,  they  should  be  sheltered 
from  the  north  and  east.  Shelter  is  also  advisable 
from  the  south-west,  as  it  is  from  this  quarter  that 
our  strong  winds  blow,  which  may  cause  the  stakes 
to  break  off  near  to  the  soil-level.     In  such   cases 


HINTS      ON 
STANDARD   ROSES. 


IN  order  to  have  first-rate 
standard  Roses  it  is  neces- 
sary to  commence  with  good 
Briar  stocks.  I  prefer  to 
collect  my  own  Briars  from 
the  hedgerows  in  the  autumn, 
but,  needless  to  say,  it  is  not 
everyone  who  would  care  to  take 
up  this  pursuit.  Where  choice 
is  possible,  I  prefer  two  year  old  shoots  for 
stocks,  and,  failing  them,  three  year  old  shoots, 
but  growths  in  the  first  year  are  generally  to  be 
avoided,  as  the  Xvood  is  often  soft  and  pithy.  Stocks 
without  roots  at  all  will  grow  if  grubbed  out  below 
the  surface  of  the  soil,  but  these  should  only  be 
used  when  short.  That  there  is  an  element  of 
risk  in  leaving  the  collecting  of  Briars  to  the 
uninitiated  is  seen  by  the  amusing  incident  related 
by  the  late  Rev.  A.  Foster-Melliar,  Rector  of 
Sproughton,  Suffolk  :  "  When  I  was  ill  one  winter 
I  tvas  pleased  to  hear  that  a  parishioner  had  brought 
me  a  nice  lot  of  stocks  at  a  reasonable  price.  One 
of  the  fir=t  acts  of  my  convalescence  was  to  inspect 
their    quality.     And    alas !      not    only    were    the 


The  photograph  from  which  the  illustration  was 
prepared  was  taken  in  mid-June,  although  at  the 
time  of  writmg  (October  2)  there  is  even  a  greater 
abundance  of  bloom  to  be  seen  on  the  same  trees. 
It  is  a  much-debated  pomt  as  to  whether  other 
plants  should  be  allowed  a  place  in  the  Rose  garden. 
But  for  standard  Roses,  at  least,  a  low  carpet  of 
some  other  flowermg  plant  will  do  much  towards 
hiding  the  surface  soil  and  the  bare  legs  of  the 
standards.  For  this  purpose  nothing  is  better 
than  the  Viola,  although  Mignonette  is  likewise 
very  suitable.  If  Violas  are  used,  then  whites 
or  pale  yellows  such  as  White  Swan  and  Primrose 
Dame  will  be  more  in  keeping  with  the  Rose  garden  ; 
the  mauve  and  purple  shades  should  be  excluded. 
Weeping  standards  are  much  in 
favour  now,  and  deservedly  so,  for 
it  would  be  hard  to  conceive  a 
more  lovely  object  on  a  lawn  than, 
say,  a  weeping  standard  of  Delight, 
with  drooping  sprays  wreathed  in 
bloom  down  to  the  level  of  the 
lawn.  Many  varieties,  notably 
•liberie  Barbier,  Hiawatha,  and 
Shower  of  Gold,  may  be  grown  in 
this  way,  while  Blush  Rambler, 
Dorothy  Perkins,  Lady  Gay, 
Helene,  Griiss  an  Teplitz  and  Mme. 
A,  Carrierc  are  just  a  few  of  the  free- 
headed  standards  that  look  well  in 
isolated  positions  on  lawns.       C. 


u  ^  \j  t 


A  BED   OF  STANDARDS   OF   ROSE   FLORENCE   PEMBERTON,   WITH  VIOLA 
WHITE    SWAN    AS    A    CARPET. 


the  old  Stumps  should  be  drawn  from  the  earth  and 
the  stakes  renewed  without  delay.  Buildings 
form  the  best  shelter,  and  that  is  one  reason  why 
standard  Roses  are  often  a  great  success  near 
the  approach  to  the  house. 

Generally  speaking.  Hybrid  Teas  make  the  best 
standards.  The  Hybrid  Perpetuals  are  often  too 
vigorous,  and  are  seen  at  their  best  when  pegged 
down  in  beds.  Teas,  however,  make  good  standards 
and  often  produce  the  finest  exhibition  blooms. 
The  varieties  Hugh  Dickson,  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay, 
Lady  Ashtown  and  A.  R.  Goodwin  make  admirable 
standards,  but  a  variety  that  has  excelled  itself 
for  profusion  of  bloom  this  year  is  imdoubtedly 
Florence  Pemberton,  the  subject  of  the  illustration. 


COLOURED  PLATE. 

PLATE     1478. 

SINGLE     AND     SEMI- 
DOUBLE     ROSES. 

UBTLESS   many  living 
rosarians    can    recall 
the  time  when  single 
and      semi  -   double 
Roses   were    held    in 
very  poor  esteem,  and 
to  have  awarded  them  gold  medals 
would    have    brought    down    upon 
the   heads  of  the  judges  consider- 
able   disapproval.      This    has    all 
been  changed,  and  to-day  we  find 
a  growing  regard  for  the  exquisite 
single     and     semi-double     Roses, 
especially  those    of    almost    ever- 
bloommg    quality,   that    we    trust 
will  long  remain. 

It  was  thought  when  Messrs. 
Alexander  Dickson  and  Sons  gave 
us  Irish  Elegance  in  1905  that  the 
climax  of  beautiful  colouring  had 
been  attained  ;  but  this  celebrated 
firm  have  now  produced  Irish 
Fireflame,  one  of  the  subjects  of  our  coloured 
plate,  which,  we  venture  to  say,  will  soon  be  in 
every  garden  in  the  land.  One  could  obtain  some 
idea  of  its  beauty  when  it  was  staged  for  the  gold 
medal  and  secured  it  at  Southampton  last  year, 
but  to  see  it  growing  in  its  home  at  Newtownards, 
as  we  have  done,  has  made  our  task  of  writing 
about  its  charms  one  of  real  pleasure.  At  New- 
townards we  saw  row  after  row  of  it  growing  in 
the  greatest  luxuriance,  appealing  to  us  not  alone 
by  its  wonderful  colour,  but  also  by  the  beauty 
of  growth,  foliage  and  habit. 

There  has  been  some  correspondence  in  our 
columns  regarding  the  free  blooming  of  Irish 
Elegance.     We  may  say  here  that  this  grand  Rose 


Stipplciiiiii 


t  to   11  IE  GARDEN,   October  will,   hjIj- 


TWO  NEW   ROSES— 

Single:    Irish    Fireflame. 
Double :    Queen   Mary. 


Hudson  &  Keanis,  Ltd.,  rrintcrs,  London,  S.B. 


October  ii,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


513 


is  always  in  bloom  with  us  upon  practically  un- 
pruned  bushes,  some  as  much  as  4  feet  through, 
others  7  feet  to  8  feet  high  on  east  walls,  all  treated 
alike,  that  is,  a  sparing  of  the  pruning-knife.  Irish 
Fireflame,  growing  like  this,  will  be  one  of  our  very 
best  garden  Roses,  and  will  doubtless  be  planted 
in  quantities  ;  for  where  is  there  any  more 
exquisite  or  elegant  Rose  for  decorating  a 
table  ? 

We  shall  always  retain  a  vivid  recollection  of  the 
first  time  Messrs.  Dickson  exhibited  Queen  Mary, 
the  second  subject  of  our  coloured  plate.  This 
was  at  the  Festival  of  Empire,  Crystal  Palace, 
on  which  occasion  it  was  awarded  the  silver  cup 
as  the  best  seedling  Rose  shown.     This  was  soon 


perpetual-flowering  quality,  and  here  they  score 
largely  over  the  single  and  semi-double  species 
that  are  not  perpetual.  We  feel  sure  there  is 
a  great  future  for  such  Roses,  and  many  of  the 
novelties  not  yet  in  commerce,  which  we  saw  at 
Newtownards,  Belmont  and  Portadown  during  a 
recent  visit  to  Ireland,  displayed  such  a 
remarkable  shrub-like  habit  that  we  thought 
then  what  perfect-flowering  shrubs  they  wll  make 
and  how  our  gardens  will  be  enriched  by  their 
introduction. 

Our  advice  to  raisers  is  to  strive  after  the  glowing 
tints  that  are  absent  among  flowering  shrubs, 
and  also  for  the  hardiness  and  the  true  perpetual- 
blooming  of  the  old  common  Monthly  Rose,  and 


vigorous  and  free-flowering.  It  is,  moreover, 
perfectly  hardy.  The  flowers  are  pure  white, 
well  formed  and  very  fragrant.  I  myself  can 
claim  no  credit  for  the  surprising  growth  this 
variety  has  made  here,  for  beyond,  every  few  years, 
cutting  out  some  of  the  dead  wood  at  the  back 
and  nailing  up  the  more  rampant  shoots,  it  has 
received  no  cultural  care  whatever.     The  original 

1  plant,  which  covers  two-thirds  of  the  space  on 
the  front  of  the  house  and  a  large  space  at  the  side 

!  as  well — which  is  not  seen  in  the  illustration — 
I  found  growing  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  porch 
when  I  first  came  to  Rosebank  twenty-eight  years 
ago.  Judging  by  the  size  of  the  stems  then,  I 
should  sav  it   must  have  been   there  from  fifteen 


ROSE    BENNETT  S    SEEDLING    ON    THE    FRONT    OF    ROSEB.\NK.    BERKH.MMSTED,    THE    RESIDENCE    OF    MR. 

OF   THE    N.\TIONAL    ROSE    SOCIETY. 


E.    MAWLEY,    SECRETARY 


after  the  advent  of  Juliet,  and  we  could  not  help 
remarking  that  there  was  in  its  wonderful  colouring 
something  that  recalled  that  wonderful  Rose. 
The  remarkable  colouring  of  canar\'  yellow  and 
carmine,  the  latter  shade  being  crayoned  upon 
the  yellow  and  not  infused,  makes  this  Rose  a  gem 
of  rare  beauty,  and  Messrs.  Dickson  could  not  have 
chosen  a  more  lovely  Rose  to  bear  the  name  of 
our  gracious  Queen.  The  growth  is  vigorous,  and, 
as  we  saw  it  growing,  its  habit  and  bronzed  apple 
green  wood  gave  one  the  impression  that  we  had 
here  a  Rose  of  real  merit,  and  one  of  which  there 
could  be  no  ca\-illing  as  to  the  correct  estimation 
it  has  obtained  at  the  hands  of  the  National  Rose 
Society  when  they  awarded  it  the  gold  medal  in 
July  last. 

The  great  merit  of  the  two  Roses  named  above, 
apart  from  their  colouring,  is  in  their  practically 


we  can  accord  them  in  the  name  of   our   readers 
a  very  generous  welcome. 


ROSE 


BENNETT'S 
LING. 


SEED- 


THE  Rose  growing  over  the  north-west 
front  of  my  house  at  Berkhamsted  is 
an  old  Ayrshire  Rose  known  as 
Bennett's  Seedling,  and  was  so-called 
after  the  gardener  who  raised  it.  It 
is  also  known  as  thoresbyana.  because 
it  first  saw  the  light  in  the  gardens  of  Thoresby 
Hall,  Lincolnshire.  Even  at  the  present  day  it 
would  be  difiicult  to  find  any  climbing  Rose 
possessing  so  many  good  qualities.  As  will  be 
seen  by  the   illustration    above,    it   is   remarkably 


to  twenty  years.  The  plant  on  the  right-haiia 
side  of  the  porch  was  put  in  by  me  about  twelve 
years  ago,  and,  considering  the  time  it  has  been 
there,  has  done  equally  well.  This  part  of  the 
front  was  covered  with  a  Wistaria  when  I  came 
to  Rosebank,  but  as  it  flowered,  as  a  rule,  so  sparsely, 
the  Rose  on  that  side  was  allowed  to  do  its  worst, 
and,  as  will  be  seen,  has  at  last  succeeded  in  com- 
pletely smothering  the  Wistaria. 

I  can  truly  say  I  have  no  other  Rose  in  my 
garden  which  behaves  itself  so  consistently  well, 
or  gives  so  little  trouble  or  so  much  pleasure. 
It  is,  as  I  said  before,  perfectly  hardy  ;  in  fact, 
whatever  the  previous  winter,  spring  or  early 
summer  may  have  been,  it  year  after  year  without 
fail  presents  the  same  sheet  of  pure  white  blooms 
when  in  flower.  It  is  never  troubled  with  any 
insect  or  fungoid  pest,  and  notwithstanding  drought. 


514 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  ii,  1913. 


frost,  cold  winds  or  other  enemies,  which  every 
now  and  then  so  seriously  affect  the  well-being 
of  other  Roses,  always  comes  up  smiling  at  the 
flowering-time. 

But  there  is  a  reverse  side  to  every  picture, 
however  lovely.  In  this  case  there  is  the 
sad  fact  which  I  have  intentionally  left  till 
the  last,  and  that  is  it  only  flowers  once 
in  the  year,  and  then  only  for  a  few  weeks, 
which  in  these  days  of  continuous-flowering 
Roses  will,  no  doubt,  be  regarded  as  a 
drawback.  Still,  Bennett's  Seedling  is  a  climb- 
ing Rose  well  worth  growing  for  many  reasons, 
and  there  will,  no  doubt,  occur  to  your  readers 
many  positions  where  such  an  adaptable  variety 
would    prove    invaluable.      If    not    ever-flowering 


Wagram.     To    some    the    perfume    is    delightful  ; 
to  others  the  odour  is  not  nice. 

Then,  again,  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere 
has  a  good  deal  to  do  with  the  value  of  the  perfume- 
giving  quality  that  any  particular  iiower  gives  off. 
If  a  census  of  opinions  the  world  over  was  taken  as 
to  the  most  delicately-perfumed  Rose,  surely  that 
old  variety.  La  France,  would  win  easily — and  in 
my  humble  opinion  there  is  no  Rose  that  can  equal 
this  variety.  [We  prefer  Mrs.  John  Laing. — Ed.] 
Why  do  the  dark  red  Roses  easily  outshine  any 
others  in  perfume  ?  This  is  answered  :  Because 
most  of  them  have  coursing  through  their  veins 
the  blood  of  the  Old  Damask.  Why,  then,  is  it 
that  certain  Roses,  new  productions  due  to  the 
hybridiser    (who,    maybe,    has    used    a   dark    Rose 


A  BASKET  OF  KOSE  CHERRY 


PAGE,  A  NEW  DECORATIVE  VARIETY  OF 
AND  FRAGANCE. 


RARE  BEAUTY 


in  the  summer  and  autumn,  it  is  in  most,  winters 
evergreen.  Edward  Mawley. 


ON     SCENTED     ROSES. 

WHY  is  the  Rose  always  considered 
the  premier  flower  ?  Surely  the 
answer  is  because  it  has  more 
good  qualities  than  any  other 
variety,  and  of  these  good 
qualities  that  of  perfume  must 
rank  pre-eminent.  To  my  mind  there  are  other 
flowers  whose  perfumes  are  delicious  in  moderation, 
but  when  cut  and  left  in  a  room  one  soon  experiences 
a  sense  of  heavmess  and  a  tendency  to  headache. 
The  Rose  cannot  be  accused  of  this  habit.  In 
a  Rose  there  is  a  subtle  blending  of  odours  such 
as  you  do  not  get  in  any  other  flower,  and  this  is 
well  exemplified  when  different  people  are  asked 
their   opinions    upon   a   certain  flower,   e.g.,   Mme. 


in  his  cult),  have  no  perfume  ?  There  I  leave  you. 
He,  in  his  endeavours  to  cross  one  variety  with 
another,  has  transgressed  some  law  which  Nature 
alone  knows.  This  last  remark  may  seem  strange 
to  some,  but  it  is  an  undoubted  fact  that  most 
of  the  modem  Roses  are  sadly  deficient  in  perfume. 
Frau  Karl  Druschki,  William  Shean,  Mrs.  Theodore 
Roosevelt  and  MUdred  Grant  are  practically 
scentless,  yet,  withal,  they  are  glorious  flowers. 

Now,  if  we  turn  our  minds  to  those  sweetly- 
scented  varieties,  we  shall  find  that  the  list  is  a 
very  large  one,  and  we  can  find  nearly  every  colour 
thereui  in  flowers  to  suit  our  eyes  as  well  as  our 
olfactory  lobes.  Of  the  pink  varieties  we  have  Mrs. 
John  Laing,  Countess  of  Caledon,  Gustav  Gruner- 
wald,  Dr.  O'Donel  Browne,  Mme.  Gabriel  Luizet 
and  Gladys  Harkness  —  all  perfectly-perfumed 
Roses  and  all  good,  honest  growers.  The  variety 
named  after  myself,  I  consider,  has  a  grand  perfume, 
and  is  a  good  doer  in  every  way.  Sometimes  I 
wish  I  were  the  flower  !     Of  crimsons  we  have  a 


great  list  ;  indeed,  they  are  nearly  all  sweet- 
scented.  Who  can  find  better  Roses  than  Alfred 
Colomb,  Hugh  Dickson,  W,  E,  Lippiatt,  Marie 
Baumann,  Senateur  Vaisse,  Ulrich  Brunner,  George 
Dickson  and  Laurent  Carle  ? 

Should  the  reader  require  a  different  perfumed 
Rose  to  any  I  have  mentioned,  he  must  turn  to 
the  pure  Teas,  Why  are  they  called  Teas  ?  Is 
it  because  they  are  scented  like  Tea,  or  is  it  because 
their  first  parents  came  from  China  ?  The  scent 
of  Tea  Roses  is,  in  my  opinion,  an  accfuired  one  ; 
it  grows  on  one  like  tobacco.  Marie  van  Houtte, 
Mme.  Hoste,  Marechal  Niel,  Mrs.  Edward  Mawley 
and  Alexander  Hill  Gray  are  a  few  of  those  which 
possess  the  highest  degree  of  Tea  Rose  perfume. 
Among  climbing  Roses,  one  has  but  to  think  of 
Franijois  Juranville,  Gerbe  Rose,  Bennett's  Seedling, 
and  many  others  that  are  a  great  acquisition  over 
a  summer-house.  Then,  again,  one  must  not 
forget  the  Hybrid  Sweet  Briars  which  the  late  Lord 
Penzance  has  bound  inseparably  with  his  name. 
These  plants  are  at  their  best  during  an  early  summer 
evening  after  a  shower  of  rain.  There  can  be  no 
gainsaying  the  fact  that  there  are  a  great  many 
people  who,  unless  a  Rose  has  a  definite  perfume, 
will  have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  This  is  not  fair. 
Indeed,  they  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  it  should  have 
been  "  drowned  when  a  pup."  Do  they  realise 
that  this  same  Rose,  scentless  I  grant  you,  may 
some  day  be  the  parent  of  a  flower  outrivalling 
even  La  France  ?  Where  would  Frau  Karl 
Druschki  stand  if  it  could  emit  the  odours  of 
Horace  Vernet  or  Charles  Lefebvre  ?  No ;  let 
us  be  thankful  that  we  have  Roses  both  scented 
and  unscented.  The  one  enhances  the  other,  and 
makes  us  all  the  more  consider  their  merits. 

O'DoNEL  Browne,  M.D. 

Gorlnagrcna,  Naas,  County  Kildare, 


ROSE    CHERRY     PAGE. 


THERE  was  a  basket  of  Roses  exhibited 
at  the  National  Rose  Show  in  July 
last  which  attracted  considerable  atten- 
tion, and  we  have  the  pleasure  to 
illustrate  this  basket  in  our  present 
issue.  The  variety  was  named  Cherry 
Page,  after  the  daughter  of  our  able  correspondent, 
Mr.  Courtenay  J.  Page,  who  is  also  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Council  of  the  National  Rose  Society. 
The  Rose  belongs  to  the  decorative  section  of  the 
Hybrid  Teas.  Perhaps  we  should  be  correct  in 
saying  that  this  variety  is  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able coloured  Hybrid  Teas  we  have  met  with 
for  a  long  time,  and  it  is  a  most  difhcult  task 
to  define  its  true  colouring.  Mr.  Walter  Easlea, 
its  raiser,  informs  us  that  there  is  no  variety  among 
his  large  collection  of  Roses  at  Eastwood  that 
calls  forth  so  much  admiration,  especially  from  lady 
visitors,  as  Cherry  Page,  and  we  are  pleased  to 
know  he  is  placing  it  on  the  market  next  spring. 
The  colour  is  a  glowing  orange  cerise,  with  shading 
of  vermilion  towards  the  edges  of  the  petals,  and 
the  base  of  the  petals  is  a  beautiful  daffodil  yellow. 
The  growth  is  very  strong  and  erect,  sending  up 
fine,  rich  ruby  coloured  shoots  and  foliage  that 
blend  so  well  with  the  lovely  flowers.  The  Rose 
is  semi-double,  with  huge  petals,  and  during  very 
sunny  weather  the  flowers  expand  to  a  width  of 
5  inches,  revealing  the  golden  centre  and  a  wealth 
of  golden  stamens.  For  table  decoration  we 
believe  Cherry  Page  has  a  great  future,  and  feel 
sure  it  will  take  a  leading  place  among  Roses 
planted  for  massing  and  general  garden  decoration. 


i 


October  ii,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


515 


ROSES 
FOR     BEDDING. 


THE  best  varieties  of  Roses 
for  exhibition  are  not 
always  the  best  for  garden 
decoration.  The  former 
concentrate  all  their 
energies  on  producing  a 
1' w  (sometimes  very  few)  choice, 
well-ftnished  flowers,  while  the  varie- 
ties suitable  for  the  latter  purpose  are 
those  which  produce  a  quantity  of 
bloom  throughout  the  season,  that 
is,  from  June  to  the  end  of  October, 
and,  when  the  season  is  favourable, 
right  up  to  Christmas.  For  instance, 
we  would  never  think  of  planting 
such  varieties  as  Dean  Hole,  William 
Shcan,  Bessie  Brown,  Mildred  Grant, 
Albatross,  Maman  Cochet  and  Mrs.  J. 
Laing  for  producing  quantities  of 
bloom,  but  rather  such  varieties 
as  Caroline  Testout,  La  France 
and  its  sports,  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay, 
Prince  de  Bulgarie,  Joseph  Hill,  General 
Macarthur  (probably  the  best  red  Hybrid  Tea 
we  have).  Lieutenant  Chaure,  Richmond,  Liberty, 
Duchess  of  Wellington,  .Antoine  Rivoire,  Griiss 
an  Teplitz  and  Frau  Karl  Druschki. 

In  small  beds  one  variety  only  should  be 
planted,  but  in  beds  that  will  take  from  two  dozen 
upwards,  two  or  three  varieties,  preferably  of  one 
colour,  should  be  used.  In  this  way  a  more  con- 
tinuous display  may  be  looked  for,  as  the  chances 
are  that  one  or  other  of  the  varieties  will  produce 
blooms  right  through  the  season.  The  above 
illustration  shows  a  bed  planted  in  this  way ; 
Caroline  Testout  and  La  France  planted  alternately 
with  ramblers  dowTi  the  centre,  and  bordered  with 
White    Pet.     The  other  illustration  depicts  borders 


LA    I  R,\NCE    AND    CAROLINE    TESTOUT    PLANTED    ALTERNATELY    WITH    RAMBLERS    INTERVENING. 


of  light-coloured  varieties,  which  bloom  con- 
tinuously right  away  through  the  season  and  were 
producing  last  November  tirst-class  blooms. 

The  dainty  little  China  Roses,  too,  lend  them- 
selves admirably  for  the  purpose  of  producing 
a  continuous  and  pleasing  effect,  and  a  mixtiu'e  of 
Comtesse  du  Cayla,  Chin  Chin  China,  Mme.  Eugfene 
Rcsal  and  Laurette  Messimy  (the  last  two  in 
the  centre  of  the  bed),  carpeted  with  some  pale, 
contrasting  coloured  Viola,  will  delight  the  eye 
for  months  for  a  fraction  of  the  trouble  necessary 
to  keep  ordinary  bedding  plants  in  good  trim, 
and  the  wonder  is  that  we  still  continue  to  use 
the  latter  as  we  do  when  we  can  get  such  a  variety 
of  pleasing  combinations  with  the  sweet-smelling 
and  varied  coloured  Roses. 


.  The  colours  of  many  of  our  hardy  herbaceous 
plants  associate  well  with  those  of  Roses,  but 
care  must  be  taken  that  no  "  self-assertive  "  colours, 
but  only  the  quiet  soft  ones  are  used.  Scarlet,  or 
bright  red  especially,  should  never  be  planted 
where  they  can  be  seen  at  the  same  time  as  the 
Roses. 

The  distance  apart  for  planting  must  be  regulated 
with  an  eye  to  the  future,  the  weaker-growing  ones 
(especially  if  no  "  carpet  '  is  intended)  being  placed 
rather  closely  together,  only  allowing  sufficient 
space  for  the  hoe  to  be  worked,  while  the 
stronger  varieties  should  be  allowed  more  room 
and  pruned  rather  sparingly.  J.  B.  Clark  requires 
quite  9  square  feet  for  each  plant,  Griiss  an  Teplitz 
(one  of  our  sweetest  Roses)  the  same,  and  neither 
of  them  should  be  pruned  beyond 
taking  out  the  old  wood  and  slightly 
shortening  back  the  young.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  most  of  the  strong, 
vigorous  varieties.  R,  B.  L. 


BOkULkS    Ol-     LlGHl-COLOUKLU    KUbLb    Al    VVUOU    HALL,    DULWICH. 


ROSES  TO  GROW  AS 
LARGE  SHRUBS. 

IN  the  search  for  fresh  el^ccts  in 
the  Rose  garden,  the  use  of 
the  larger  bush  or  shrub  Roses 
must  not  be  overlooked.  We 
know  how  in  the  last  few  years 
the  introduction  of  ramblers  as 
weeping  standards  has  changed  the 
aspect  of  Rose  gardening.  Similarly,  by 
the  use  of  the  larger  shrub  Roses  we 
may  obtain  effects  of  a  wider  colour 
range  and  more  varied  habit.  Even 
some  of  the  wichuraiana  Roses  used 
as  standards  are  perhaps  more  success- 
ful if  used  as  bushes.  Kinds  such  as 
Paul  Transon,  Ariel,  Robert  Craig  and 
others  with  their  upright  growth  make 
big,  bold  pillars  ;  and  Gcrbe  Rose  is, 
with  its  glossy  foliage,  an  almost  ideal 
bush,  often  blooming  again  in  autumn. 
It  is  to  the  perpetual-flowering  kinds  we 
must  look  most,  for  the  older  kinds, 
such  asAndersonijthe  Damasks  and  the 
Austrian  Briars,  pretty  in  their  way, 
arc  not  things  of  beauty  in  the  autumn. 


516 


THE    GARDEN. 


[OCTOBfiR    II,  1913, 


being  only  summer-flowering.  Tlie  Austrians, 
however,  have  recently  given  us  autumn-flowering 
hybrids  which  are  well  suited  for  this  pur- 
pose. Through  Soleil  d'Or  have  been  obtained 
Juliet,  the  beautiful  and  distinct  Beaute  de  Lyon, 
and  Louis  Barbier,  and  doubtless  there  are  others 
to  follow.  A  tall-growing  Rayon  d'Or  would  be 
an  achievement  indeed.  The  rugosas,  too,  are 
autumn-blooming.  Conrad  F.  Meyer  is  an  almost 
perfect  Rose  grown  in  this  way,  and  Blanc 
Double  de  Coubert  and  atropurpurea  are  hardly 
less  suitable. 

By  entering  into  the  large  and  comprehensive 
class  of  Hybrid  Teas  we  also  find  some  which  are 
shrub  kinds.  Griiss  an  Teplitz  with 
its  cascades  of  flower,  its  offspring 
Hugh  Dickson,  and  J.  B.  Clark 
form  a  trio  of  similar  foliage  and 
habit.  There  is  a  Rose,  Mme. 
Wagram  C.  de  Turenne,  included 
in  this  class  which  is  essentially 
a  Bourbon,  derived  from  Souvenir 
de  la  Malmaison  and  crossed, 
it  is  said,  with  a  Dijon  Tea — let  us 
hope  with  the  old  Gloire  de  Dijon, 
for  it  would  be  pleasant  to  know  of 
the  successful  marriage  of  two  such 
old  favourites.  It  is  most  distinct 
in  foliage  and  general  appearance, 
and  flowers  well  into  the  autunm. 
.illusion  to  the  Dijons  reminds  us 
of  Bouquet  d'Or  and  Mme.  B&ard, 
both  making  big  bushes;  and 
the' same  may  be  said  of  William 
Allen  Richardson. 

It  is  to  the  Noisettes  and  other 
Musk  hybrids,  in  fact,  that  we  must 
look  in  the  future,  for  it  is  among 
these  that  the  desired  qualities 
lie.  The  white  and  pink  forms 
of  Pissardii  are  both  shrub  Roses, 
and  so  are  Aimee  Vibert  and 
Alister  Stella  Gray.  All  these, 
however,  are  well  known,  but 
there  are  some  later  introductions 
which  can  be  instanced  as  distinct 
advances  in  this  direction.  Trier, 
the  first  of  these,  was  followed  by 
Adrian  Riverschon,  with  large 
trusses  of  single  flowers,  rose,  with 
white  eye,  now  (on  September  12) 
in  fiillest  bloom  and  about  four  feet 
high.  It  is  a  new  colour  in  the 
Musks,  and  well  worthy  of  culti- 
vation in  the  bush  form. 

Much  praise  must  be  given 
to  Mr.  Pemberton's  beautiful 
novelties  Daphne,  Danae  and 
Moonlight,  which  received  such 
high  awards  from  the  National 
Rose  Society.  The  last  two, 
so  well  exhibited  at  the  recent 
autumn  Rose  show,  are  destined 
to  a  prominent  place  in  the  Rose  garden,  and 
I  think  their  true  place  is  here  among  the  shrub 
Roses. 

I  will  conclude  the  list  by  naming  Zephyrine 
Drouhin  as  distinct  and  beautiful  grown  in  this 
way.  Standing  smgly  upon  lawns  and  extended  into 
shrubberies,  these  Roses  have  a  charm  peculiarly 
their  own,  while  planted  in  the  wild  garden  they, 
with  their  masses  of  bloom,  and  in  some  cases 
berries,  enliven  and  enhance  the  scene,  especially 
when  in  proximity  to  autumn  foliage  and 
surroundings.  G.  L.   Paul. 


THE  BEST  ROSES 
PERGOLAS. 


FOR 


IN  making  a  selection  of  the  most  suitable 
Roses  for  a  pergola,  I  would  like  to  confine 
the  list  to  varieties  of  the  wichuraiana 
type,  because  they  possess  all  the  attributes 
that  go  to  make  a  successful  pergola  display. 
The  objection  to  this  method  of  classification 
is  that  this  section  does  not  flower  until  the  middle 
of  July,  and  oftentimes  later,  whereas  some  of  the 
varieties  in  other  sections  open  their  blossoms  quite 
early  in  the  season — for    example,  Carmine    Pillar 


THE      NEW 
MESSRS. 


GOLD    TMEDAI,     ROSE     MRS.      JAMES     LYNAS,     RAISED     BY 
HUGH    DICKSON,   LIMITED.       COLOUR,    RICH    BLUSH    PINK. 


in  June — and  thus  we  get  a  longer  and  more  mter- 
esting  flowering  period.  With  the  object,  then, 
of  catering  for  all  periods  of  flowering,  I  make 
the  selection  more  of  a  general  character.  Although 
Roses  have  increased  enormously  of  late,  we  are 
still  without  a  good  yellow  climber  after  Aglaia  and 
Claii-e  Jacquier  are  over.  I  am  often  asked  to 
name  a  yellow  to  flower  at  the  same  time  as  Dorothy 
Perkins.  I  confess  I  do  not  know  of  one  that  I 
can  recommend.  Of  white-flowered  varieties, 
too,  there  is  a  dearth  at  the  same  period.  If  it 
were  not  for  White  Dorothy,  we  should  be  quite 


without  a  late-flowering  variety.  I  will,  then, 
as  briefly  as  possible,  enumerate  two  dozen  of  the 
most  suitable,  leaving  planters  to  make  their  own 
selection  of  a  few  or  many,  giving  the  points  of 
excellence  of  each  as  they  open  in  order. 

Carmine  Pillar  (Paul  and  Son,  1896)  produces 
its  large,  single  flowers  in  profusion  ;  rosy  carmine. 
Brunonis,  the  Himalayan  Briar,  has  pure  white, 
single  flowers  with  yellow  stamens,  produced  m 
the  greatest  profusion  quite  early,  giving  a  most 
pleasing  perfume. 

Aglaia  (Lambert  and  Reiter,  rSge)  is  often 
called  the  Yellow.  Rambler.  In  colour  it  is  pale 
yellow,  with  a  strong  Tea' perfume.  Its  shell- 
shaped  petals  last  a  long  time. 
This  Rose  does  not  come  readily 
into  flower  in  quantity  until  it 
becomes  established,  and  often, 
owing  to  mistakes  in  pruning,  it 
has  been  condemned  as  a  shy- 
flowering  variety ;  but  I  can 
assure  my  readers  it  is  not  so 
when  properly  treated,  allowing  the 
long,  -vigorous  shoots  to  remain 
unpruned. 

Claire  Jacquier  (Bemaix,  r888), 

nankeen  yellow,  very  free,  sweetly 
perfumed     and     with     deep    green 

foliage. 

Mme.  Alfred  Cafriere  (Schwartz, 
1879). —  The  buds  are  delicate 
pink,  the  fully-expanded  blooms 
pure  white. 

Crimson  Rambler  (Turner, 
1893)  is  still  unequalled  for 
brilliancy  of  colouring  and  freedom 
of  flowering ;  but,  unfortunately, 
it  is  so  susceptible  to  mildew, 
except  when  great  care  is  exer- 
cised in  Its  cultivation. 

Mrs.  F.  W.  Flight  (Flight, 
1905),  rose  pink  with  white 
centre  ;  semi-double.  The  trusses 
are  produced  in  huge  clusters. 
This  Rose  probably  lasts  longer 
in  flower  than  any  other ;  it  is 
of  sturdy  growth. 

Tea  Rambler  (Paul  and  Son, 
1902),  coppery  pink,  with  a  salmon 
flush. 

Blush  Rambler  (B.  R.  Cant  and 
Sons,  1903)  is  of  extra  strong 
growth,  producing  its  huge  trusses 
of  rich  blush,  white-centred  flowers 
freely. 

American  Pillar  (Conrad,  igog). 
— If  it  were  possible  to  say  which 
is  the  most  showy  Rose  in  the 
whole  section  of  climbing  varieties, 
I  should  name  this.  In  growth  it  is 
very  vigorous,  single  shoots  running 
up  as  much  as  16  feet  in  one  season, 
which  the  following  year  give  huge 
crops  ot  bloom,  as  many  as  twenty  flowers  in  a 
cluster.  In  coluur  crimson,  with  a  pure  white  eye. 
Paul's  Single  White  (G.  Paul  and  Son)  is  a 
vigorous-grov/ing,  free-flowering  variety,  giving 
its  pure  white,  single  flowers  in  abundance. 

Flame  (Turner,  igrs),  bright  salmon  pink, 
produced  in  huge  clusters ;  strong,  vigorous 
growth. 

Debutante  (Walsh,  r903)  produces  its  long 
racemes  of  rosy  pink  blooms  freely,  and  owing  to 
the  manner  m  which  they  droop,  are  specially 
suited  for  a  pergola. 


October  ii,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


517 


Evangeline  (Walsh,  1907)  i?  a  hybrid  wichu- 
raiana,  growing  freely  and  giving  huge 
quantities  of  its  white-centred,  pink-tipped  single 
flowers. 

Francois  Juranville  (Barbier,  1906)  gives  large 
flowers  often  singly  as  well  as  in  clusters,  and  is 
continuous  in  flowering ;  bright  salmon  pink 
with  an  orange  base. 

Sweetlieart  (M.  H.  Walsh,  1903)  is  quite  the 
best  of  white  climbers  of  the  wichuraiana  type. 
In  bud  the  colour  is  pale  pink,  changing  to  pure 
white  as  the  flowers  expand.  The  blooms  are  quite 
double  and  sweetly  perfumed. 

Minneliaha  {Walsh,  1905),  dark  rose,  quite 
double,  sweetly  scented.  The  blooms  are  some- 
what widely  set  apart,  which  gives  the  plant  a 
distinct  character. 

Dorothy  Perkins  (Perkins,  1902)  is  still  one 
of  the  most  suitable  for  pergolas,  givmg  its  soft 
light  pink  flowers  in  great  abimdance. 

Lady  Gay  (Walsh,  1903)  is  so  often  confused  with 
Dorothy  Perkins  that  many  people  have  come  to 

L      regard  them  as  being  identical,  which  they  are  not. 

I  Lady  Gay  has  cherry  pink  flowers  much  larger 
than  Dorothy  Perkins,  while  the  trusses,  too, 
are  larger  and  the  flowers  more  widely  set 
apart. 

f  Dorothy  Dennison  (Dennison,  igog)  is  identical 

with  Christian  Curie  and  Lady  Godiva.  It  is  a 
shell  pink  sport  from  Dorothy  Perkins,  having  all 
the  desirable  characteristics  of  its  parent  in  growth 
and  freedom  ol  flower. 

Excelsa  (Walsh,  1909)  is  best  described  as  a 
scarlet  Dorothy  Perkins.  In  colour  it  is  the  most 
brilliant  of  all,  growing  freely  and  blooming  in 
the  same  manner. 

I  Hiawatha   (Walsh,    1905)    is    a   brilliant   scarlet, 

f  single-flowered  variety,  producing  its  lasting 
flowers  in  freedom. 

Coronation  (Turner,  1912),  bright  crimson, 
shaded  scarlet,  splashed  with  small  white  streaks  ; 
of  free  growth  and  flowering. 

White  Dorothy  (Paul  and  Son  and  B.  R.  Cant, 
igo8)  is  a  white  sport  from  Dorothy  Perkins. 
Unfortunately,  the  colour  is  not  pure,  having 
here  and  there  splashes  of  pink.  In  any  case  it 
is  desirable,  flowering  as  it  does  quite  late  in  the 
season. 

The  remarks  on  cultivation  will  be  necessarily 
brief.  Deeply-trenched,  heavily-manured,  stiff  soil 
fully  a  month  before  planting  to  allow  the  soil  to 
settle  dovn\  to  near  its  natural  level  is  all  that  is 
required  in  preparation.  Planting  is  best  done  at 
the  end    of   October,   as  fresh   roots   will  then   be 

I  made  in  the  autumn,  thus  giving  the  plants  a 
good  start  in  the  spring. 

Pruning  the  first  year  is  important.  Planters 
like  to  have  a  full  crop  of  flowers  the  first  season. 
This,  or  a  partial  crop,  can  be  secured  from  some 
varieties  ;  but  it  is  not  wise  to  allow  the  plants 
to  do  so,  as  the  growth  made  then  is  not  so  strong 
as  is  desirable  to  cover  the  pergola  quickly,  which 
is  the  object  to  aim  at.  It  is  wise,  then,  under 
these  conditions  to  cut  the  plants  down  in  the 
spring  to  within  a  foot  or  so  of  the  soil,  to  induce 
the  growth  of  strong  basal  shoots,  which  will  give 
a  full  flower  crop  the  next  year.  Another  plan  to 
treat  plants  with  several  shoots  is  to  cut  half  of 
them  severely  and  allow  the  remainder  to  give 
flowers  at  once,  simply  removing  the  top  of  each 
shoot  so  retained.  The  second  year  and  after- 
wards cut  away  all  small  growth  that  has  given 
a  flower  crop,  if  abundance  of  new  shoots  from  the 

'       base  has  been  made.     This  pruning  is  best   done 


directly  the  flowers  have  faded,  thus  giving  more 
light  and  air  to  the  remaining  shoots. 

Feeding  the  plants  to  maintain  vigorous  growth 
is  important.  Sometimes  manure  cannot  easily 
be  added  to  the  soil.  In  that  case  liquid  manure 
applied  freely  during  the  growmg  season  is  bene- 
ficial, and  so  are  sprinklings  of  soot  applied  to  the 
surface  during  showery  weather,  or  any  of  the 
artificial  manures  advertised  applied  judiciously. 
Green  fly  is  quite  the  greatest  pest  Roses  have 
to  contend  with  in  the  spring.  If  the  plants  become 
infested  with  this  aphis,  the  growth  is  checked 
and  the  season's  flower  crop  spoilt.  Prompt 
measures  should  be  taken  directly  the  first  fly 
appears.  I  have  found  nothing  better  than 
McDougall's  "  Katakilla,"  which  is  so  simple  of 
application  and  effective. 

In  forming  a  pergola,  so  many  persons  make  the 
mistake  of  having  it  too  low  ;  7  feet  I  recently 
saw  one.  This  height  does  not  allow  of  the  flower- 
sprays  hanging  dowii  in  comfort,  which  is  the 
charm  of  all  pergolas  and  the  natural  tendency 
of  climbing  Roses,  especially  of  the  wichuraiana 
type.  No  pergola  to  be  satisfactory  should  be  less 
than  8  feet  high,  the  same  width,  and  that  distance 
from  post  to  post. 

Swanmore.  E.  Molyneu.x. 


IN   A    HAMPSHIRE   GARDEN. 


SOME     OF     THE     NEWER    ROSES. 

THE  year  1913  will  not  go  down  to  posterity 
as  an  annus  mirabilis  in  Rose  annals, 
for  the  Clerk  of  the  Weather,  that 
presiding  genius  of  the  feast,  has  not 
been  too  kind,  and  has  distributed 
his  favours  with  somewhat  too  partial 
a  hand  to  please  all  or  even  the  majority  of  us  ; 
and  while  some  of  my  friends  have  called  it  a  dry 
summer,  others  complain  that  there  has  not  been 
enough  sun,  and  that  mildew  has  been  very  preva- 
lent ;  but  the  more  favoured  ones  have  not  had 
much  cause  to  complain,  and  the  South  and  East 
of  England  have  had  a  good  Rose  year.  At  any 
rate,  in  this  neighbourhood  we  have  had,  and  are 
still  having,  one  of  the  finest  summers  I  remember. 
There  have  been  no  extremes  of  heat.  On  the 
contrary,  though  fine,  it  has  been  a  cool  summer, 
and  Roses  have  benefited  accordingly.  As  I 
write,  in  the  last  days  of  September,  not  ordy  are 
there  plenty  of  flowers,  but  the  promise  of  many 
more  to  come  is  even  more  apparent,  and  only 
Jack  Frost  is  likely  to  prevent  their  coming  to 
bloom  and  brighten  the  November  and  December 
days. 

This  is,  after  all,  the  feature  of  the  newer 
Roses.  Much  as  the  hybridist  has  improved 
colour,  form  and  scent,  his  greatest  advance  has 
been  in  evolving  a  type  of  Rose  that  combines 
all  these  three  most  desirable  attributes  with  an 
enhanced  length  of  flowering  period,  almost  in 
some  cases  continuous,  so  that  the  plant  carries 
flowers  all  the  time  from  May  until  December. 
Although  I  have  headed  this  article  "  In  a  Hamp- 
shire Garden,"  I  shall  not  absolutely  confine 
myself  to  only  those  Roses  that  are  growing  therein  ; 
for  new  Roses  are  now  so  numerous  that  even 
our  largest  trade  growers  are  hard  put  to  it  to 
find  room  for  them,  and  it  is  obvious  my  small 
garden,  of  less  than  half  an  acre,  cannot  contain 
more  than  a  selection  of  the  best,  so  that  I  shall 
find  myself  referring  in  these  notes  to  Roses  seen 
in    the    tented    field,    the    lofty    hall,    the    nursery 


grounds  of  our  great  Rose-growers,  and  where, 
I  venture  to  think,  they  are  at  their  best — in  the 
gardens  of  those  who  love  them.  Still,  I  am  firmly 
convinced  that  it  is  but  little  one  can  know  of 
Roses  if  you  have  not  grown  them,  and  I  shall 
always  indicate  this  absence  of  the  soundest  basis 
on  my  part  Another  reason  why  X  have  headed 
these  notes  "  In  a  Hampshire  Garden  "  is  that  1 
do  not  want  them  to  be  misleading,  and  if  I  am 
led  to  recommend  a  Rose  because  of  its  behaviour 
with  me,  it  does  not  necessarily  follow  it  will 
behave  in  the  same  fashion  in  the  North  of  England. 
It  is  only  another  illustration  of  the  truth  of  the 
saying  that  the  best  knowledge  is  that  gained 
by  one's  own  experience.  The  great  secret  of  all 
successful  gardening  is  to  find  out  what  you  can 
grow,  and  grow  it.  We  are  all  constituted  much 
on  the  same  plan,  but  our  elevations  are  varied  ; 
and  while  one  garden  enthusiast  seems  to  turn 
his  garden  into  a  kind  of  hospital  where  all  the 
inmates  are  patients,  each  undergoing  a  course 
of  treatment  and  mostly  barely  existing,  another, 
equally  enthusiastic,  will  not  have  anything  to 
do  with  a  delicate  subject.  If  it  is  not  robust 
and  enjoying  its  life  to  the  full,  seemingly  making 
the  very  best  of  what  the  gods  provide,  out  it  comes, 
to  make  room  for  something  that  will.  In  my  own 
case,  if  I  have  any  leanmgs,  it  is  towards  the  latter 
of  these  two,  and  where  one's  space  is  limited  it 
seems  to  me  that  one  gets  more  satisfaction  ; 
but  it  is  not  so  with  everyone.  They  prefer  a 
tender  plant  that  must  be  coddled  and  protected 
to  one  that  will  look  after  itself  and  cause  no 
anxiety.  That  is,  perhaps,  one  reason  why  I ' 
grew  but  few  Tea  Roses  till  I  came  South.  Here 
they  can  take  care  of  themselves  and  get  very 
little  different  treatment  from  the  rest  of  the 
Roses  ;  but  a  Tea  Rose  that  is  healthy  and  robust 
and  strong  down  here  is  a  very  different  subject 
further  North. 

Perhaps  before  settuig  down  in  detail  the  descrip- 
tions of  the  newer  Roses,  it  might  be  advisable 
to  take  a  general  survey  of  the  Roses  of  the  year 
and  just  mention  a  few  that  have  seemed  to  stand 
out  partly  from  their  own  intrinsic  merits,  or  from 
the  climatic  conditions  at  the  moment  having 
suited  them.  It  is  not  necessary  to  divide  them 
into  classes.  I  will  mention  them  as  they  occur 
to  me.  It  is  a  very  long  time  since  a  Rose  dis- 
tributed one  year  proceeds  in  the  next  season 
to  occupy  such  a  prominent  position  as  George 
Dickson  has  this  year.  It  is  undoubtedly  entitled 
to  be  called  the  finest  exhibition  Rose  of  its  colour, 
and  among  exhibitors  that  are  keen,  few  would 
care  to  be  without  it.  Not  only  the  raisers,  Messrs. 
Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons  of  Newtownards,  but  at 
one  time  or  another  all  the  big  growers  seem  to 
have  been  able  to  produce  iine  flowers  of  this 
variety,  and  those  amateurs  who  were  fortunate 
enough  to  secure  plants  or  buds  of  it  last  season 
have  been  able  to  show  very  fine  flowers  throughout 
the  year.  Most  of  the  flowers  shown  have  actually 
come  from  maidens,  but  it  has  been  quite  good  with 
me  on  cut-backs  ;  it  is  a  good  grower,  with  fine 
constitution,  and  not  subject  to  mildew.  I  do  not 
mean  to  say  it  is  mildew-proof,  but  it  has  been 
practically  free  from  mildew  with  me.  It  has 
stood  out,  so  that  if  1913  could  be  labelled,  as 
Rose  years  sometimes  are  labelled,  with  the  name 
of  any  particular  Rose,  I  think  it  might  fairly  be 
described  as  a  "  George  Dickson  year." 

Among  other  Hybrid  Teas  that  have  been 
particularly  good  on  the  show-bench,  one  would 
name  Avoca,  Dean  Hole,  J.  L.  Mock,  Mrs.  Com- 
wallis-West,    Lady    Alice     Stanley,    Mabel    Drew, 


518 


THE    GARDEN. 


[October  ii,  1913. 


Mrs.  A.  E.  Coxhead  and  Mrs.  J.  H.  Welch,  and  we 
have  seen  more  of  John  Ruskin,  William  Shean, 
Dr.  O'Donel  Browne  and  Yvonne  Vacherot  than 
usual. 

Hybrid  Perpetuals  have  been  very  iine  in  colour  ; 
the  cool  weather  has  suited  them.  Messrs.  B.  R. 
Cant's  second-prize  stand  in  the  trophy  class  at 
Gloucester  stood  out  in  this  respect.  Gloire  de 
Chedane  Guinoisseau,  Hugh  Dickson,  Horace 
Vernet  and  Victor  Hugo  have  all  been  good ; 
but  some  of  the  older  favourites  that  used  to  be 
in  every  box  were  missing  this  year.  Roses  like 
Ulrich  Brunner,  Mrs.  R.  G.  Sharman  Crawford 
and  Captain  Hayward  were  seldom  seen,  and  that 
old  stand-by,  Mrs.  John  Laing,  has  been  con- 
spicuous only  by  its  absence,  and  very  few  silver 
medals  have  fallen  to  its  lot.  Speaking  generally. 
Teas  throughout  the  country  have  not  been  good 
or  up  to  the  usual  standard.  The  two  Cochets, 
Mrs.  Edward  Mawley  and  Souv.  de  Pierre  Notting 


THE     BEST     ROSES     FOR 
PEGGING    DOWN. 


P 


ERHAPS  before  giving  a  list  of  the  best 
Roses  for  pegging  down,  I  may  just 
say  a  word  or  two  upon  the  system 
and  its  advantages.  Some  reader 
may  ask  the  question :  "  Why  do 
you  peg  down  Roses,  seeing  there 
are  such  a  number  of  good  varieties  of  compact 
habit  that  will  grow  quite  evenly  without  this 
artificial  aid  ?  "  and  my  reply  to  this  would  be  that 
we  should  be  forced  to  exclude  certain  kinds  that 
one  would  much  desire  to  have,  only  that  their 
exuberant  growth  bars  them  from  being  associated 
with  ordinary  bedding  Roses.  Talie,  for  instance, 
a  bed  of  William  Allen  Richardson.  It  provides 
us  with  a  glorious  rich  orange  colour,  as  a  rule, 
but  imless  pegged  down  it  is  very  apt  to  appear 


PART    OF    A    BED    OF    ROSE    LADY    VVATERLOW,    THE   SHOOTS    OF    WHICH    HAVE    BEEN    PEGGED    DOWN 


have  almost  tailed  us.  I  should  say  Mrs.  Foley 
Hobbs  is  entitled  to  be  called  the  best  Tea  of  the 
year.  Mme.  Constant  Soupert  has  been  more 
frequently  exhibited  than  usual.  W.  R.  Smith, 
A.  Hill  Gray,  Molly  Sharman  Crawford  and  Mrs. 
Herbert  Taylor  have  all  been  good.  Mrs.  Myles 
Kennedy  has  been  often  conspicuous ;  but  it  has 
not  been  a  good  Tea  year. 

Southampton.  Herbert  E.  Molyneux. 

{To  be  continued.) 


NEW  ROSE  MRS.  JAMES  LYNAS  (H.T.). 

Os  page  516  appears  an  illustration  of  this  new 
Rose,  shown  by  Messrs.  Hugh  Dickson,  Limited, 
Belfast,  at  the  National  Rose  Society's  Loudon 
Show  in  July  last.  It  is  a  beautiful  Hybrid  Tea, 
of  erect  habit,  the  colour  of  the  blooms  being  rich 
blush  pink  overlying  silvery  white.  It  is  one  of 
the  best  of  the  gold  medal  Roses  of  the  season. 


ungainly.  Another  splendid  and  almost  indispens- 
able variety  is  Frau  Karl  Druschki.  Here,  again, 
its  vigour  is  too  often  quite  embarrassing,  and 
unless  annually  lifted  it  must  be  pegged  down. 
Alister  Stella  Gray  is  seen  to  great  advantage  when 
pegged  down,  and  there  are  several  strong  yellow 
Roses,  usually  classed  as  climbers,  that  are  verj- 
effective  when  pegged  down,  producing  shades  of 
colour  much  needed  among  bedding  varieties. 

Good  crimson  Roses,  too,  are  still  scarce  for 
massing,  and  if  we  can  employ  such  as  Hugh 
Dickson,  Sarah  Bernhardt,  Griiss  an  Teplitz  and 
Florence  Haswell  Veitch  for  this  purpose,  they 
would  be  warmly  welcomed  ;  but  to  use  such  Roses 
as  bedders  without  pegging  them  down  would 
make  them  quite  out  of  harmony  with  other 
bedders. 

Generally  speaking,  it  is  the  strong  young  growths 
that   are   the   best    for  pegging  down.     Supposing 


one  intended  pegging  down  a  bed  of  Frau  Karl 
Druschki,  the  plants  would  be  pruned  hard  in  the 
spring,  similar  to  ordinary  Hybrid  Perpetuals. 
The  young,  vigorous  growths  as  they  appear  and 
are  long  enough  are  just  bent  over  almost  horizon- 
tally about  a  foot  from  the  soil,  attaching  them  to 
unobtrusive  wood  or  zinc  pegs  placed  at  convenient 
positions.  The  quantity  of  bloom  from  this  Rose 
when  pegged  down  is  easily  trebled.  As  regards  the 
Climbing  Teas,  Hybrid  Teas  and  Noisettes,  I  would 
suggest  that  one  or  two  good  ripened  young  growths 
of  the  previous  year  be  retained  about  three  feet  to 
four  feet  long  at  pruning-time,  and  as  soon  as 
all  danger  from  May  frosts  has  gone,  bend  the 
shoots  down  as  advised  above.  As  the  young 
growths  appear  from  the  base  of  the  plants,  peg 
these  down  also,  unless  they  show  flower-buds, 
in  which  case  allow  them  to  grow  erect.  William 
Allen  Richardson,  Bouquet  d'Or,  Mme.  Pierre 
Cochet  and  Celine  Forestier  will  usually  send  up 
growths  in  late  summer  from  their 
base  that  are  crowned  with  buds 
when  but  2  feet  or  3  feet  high. 
This  is  when  the  plants  have 
been  previously  pegged  down  in 
spring.  It  is  advisable  to  pinch 
out  the  ends  of  the  new  growths 
when  they  have  grown  about  a 
yard,  in  order  to  ripen  them  and 
to  encourage  bloom.  Roses  of  the 
somewhat  erratic  growth  of  Mme. 
Abel  Chatenay  and  Joseph  Hill  may 
be  partially  pegged  down  ;  that 
IS  to  say,  those  shoots  that  start 
growing  so  vigorously  in  a  slanting 
position.  Just  bend  them  down 
almost  horizontally.  They  will  not 
only  break  into  new  growth  them- 
selves, but  basal  eyes  are  encouraged 
to  start  out  also. 

Polyantha  Roses  of  the  Orleans 
and  Jessie  type  often  grow  too  tall 
for  their  positions.  A  simple  remedy 
for  this  IS  to  peg  down  the  young 
growths.  Each  year  in  late  autumn 
some  of  the  pegged-down  growths 
may  be  cut  away  when  all  flowers 
are  over,  or  the  work  can  be 
deferred  until  spring  ;  but  our  object 
should  always  be  to  encourage 
young  basal  growth,  and  thus  keep 
the  plant  in  a  juvenile  condi- 
tion. For  the  same  reason  that  we 
peg  down  bush  Roses,  standards 
may  have  their  growths  tied  over 
umbrella  fashion,  and  the  result  will 
be  far  more  bloom,  although  this  is  sometimes 
deferred  until  the  second  year.  The  illustra- 
tion on  this  page  depicts  a  large  bed  of  that 
charming  variety  Lady  Waterlow,  which  is 
so  well  suited  for  pegging  down.  Good  varieties 
for  this  purpose,  in  addition  ^to  those  already 
named,  are  Boule  de  Neige,  Billiard  et  Barre, 
Crepuscule,  Gustave  Regis,  Climbing  Mrs.  W.  J. 
Grant,  Francois  Crousse,  Conrad  F.  Meyer, 
Nova  Zembla,  J.  B.  Clark,  Juliet,  Beaute 
de  Lyon,  Ulrich  Brunner,  Tom  Wood,  General 
Jacqueminot,  Paul  Neyron,  Charles  Lefebvre, 
George  Dickson,  Johanna  Sebus,  King  George  V., 
Mrs.  Comwalhs-West,  Mme.  Wagram,  Lyon 
Rose,  Zephyrine  Drouhin,  Aimfe  Vibert  k 
iieurs  jaune,  Bardou  Job,  Avoca,  Fairy,  Lina 
Schmidt-Michel,  Mme.  H.  Leuilliot,  Belle  Lyon- 
naise,      Papillon      and     Rosette      de     la     Legion 


d'Honneur. 


Danecroft. 


OrroBFR   II,  1013.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


519 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 


PERGOLAS,     TRELLISES     AND     ARCHES     FOR     ROSES. 


LIMBING  Roses,  however  strong- 
•irowing  some  of  the  varieties  may 
he,  require  substantial  supports  on 
which  to  train  tlie  branches  if  they 
are  to  prove  satisfactory.  Although 
substantial  supports  are  needed,  it 
.Lies  not  fellow  that  they  must  be  clumsy  in  appear- 
irue.     Strength   may   be  secured  by   using  really 


excellent  designs  in  ironwork  are  now  offered  by 
one  or  two  firms  which  make  a  speciality  of  this 
kind  'if  wink. 

Mistakes  to  Avoid.  —The  greatest  mistake  to 
I  avoid,  after  duly  preparing  the  posts  and  other 
1  necessary  tinrber,  is  that   of  fixing  the  posts   too 


CLIMBING      Roses,      however     strong-  .  purchased  from   ads-ertisers   in   The   Garden,  but 
growing  some   of  the   varieties  may    readers  will  do  well  to  avoid  cheap,  flimsy  structures 
be,    require    substantial   supports   on    that  .nv  nffered  by  dealers  i.f  liad  reputation, 
which  to  train  the  branches  if  they       Good    Positions   for   Pergolas,    Trellises   and 
,u-e   to   iirove  satisfactory.    Although  |  Arches. — Th<-  pergola  should  be  straight  and  run 

at  rigiit  angles  from  some  central  point  or  building. 

Branching  portions  of  the  pergola  should  also  be  ]  close   together   and   too   low.     The    width    of   th- 
at right  angles.     Trellises  must  be  erected  to  form    pergola  or  arch  should  be  at  least  6  feet  6  inches  ; 
lif;ht  limbers  if  the  latter  are  properly  prepared  and    an  ornamental  screen  or  shelter  to  some  quarter    but  if  there  is  ample  space,  make  it  7  feet  6  inches 
iiected  in  a  manner  to  form  a  neat-looking  structure,    of  the  g,irden — a  screen'  for  the  protection  of  other    or  even  8  feet,  and  quite  7  feet  high,  because  the 

Suitable     versus     Unsuitable     Wood.— Rustic    kinds  of  plants  than   Roses,  or  for  beds  of  dwarf    branches  of  the  Roses,  wlien  the  latter  zr. 
trellises  and  other  kinds  ni   strn.  lures  are  erected  i  or  standard     Roses,  or  to  secure    privacy    for  the    lished,    will   require   much   space   to 
in  gardens  in   vast   numbers   now,  and   for 


a  time  —  usually  about  three  years  — 
these  erections  look  very  well ;  then 
they  sinrply  tumble  down  when  a  strong 
f;,de  blows.  Green  wood,  chiefly  Birch 
,uid  Beech,  is  used.  The  Birch  rots, 
niwardly  first,  and  then  crumbles  away  ; 
the  Beech  becomes  useless  through  fungus 
growing  on  it  and  through  decay.  Such 
timber,  even  when  of  great  initial 
strength,  is  useless  for  our  purpose. 
Indeed,  it  is  very  annoying  to  find  the 
structure  falling  down  just  when  the 
branches  of  the  plants  have  covered  it, 
,is  it  is  such  a  difficult  matter  to  erect 
another   under    the    branches.       Oak,    Ash 

irid  Hazel  are  the  best  kinds  to  use 
iiir  arches,  pergolas,  &c.  These  timbers 
l.ist  a  long  time,  especially  when  nicely 
siasoned  and  prepared.  Then  squared 
l».sts     with     caps    on     and     planed     laths 

1  just  medium  strength  find  much  favour 
in  these  days  for  formal  trellises  and 
pergolas.  Here,  again,  strength  may  be 
-rrured  if  the  posts  arc  well  prepared 
■  lud  the  whole  of  the  wood  well  saturatid 
with    rroos'ite. 

How  the  Timber  Should  be  Prepared.— 

It  is  bad  policy  to  use  green  wood  full 
of  sap,  or  to  creosote  timber  saturated 
with  water.  Give  the  laths  and  plaiud 
posts  two  coats  of  creosote.  The  liquid 
will  go  right  through  the  laths,  and  the 
portion  above  the  ground,  being  exposed 
to  the  drying  winds  as  well  as  rains, 
lasts  in  good  condition  for  many  years, 
because  it  dries  up  soon  after  rain  has 
fallen.  It  is  far  more  important  to  pre- 
pare the  part  of  each  post  that  is  buried  in 
the  soil.  Some  are  content  to  creosote 
portion,  others  to  char  it.  The  charring  is  the 
most  effectual,  as  simply  crcosoting  will  not  do. 
The  best  plan  is  to  first  char  and  then  apply  three 
coats  of  creosote.  The  charring  dries  up  all 
internal  moisture  as  well  as  rendering  the  outside 
part  proof  against  decay.  Much  mischief  results 
when  there  is  internal  moisture,  as  no  matter 
how  well  the  outer  crust  is  preserved,  the  inner 
portion  will  continue  to  decay.  While  in  a  dry 
state  the  creosote  penetrates  right  through  an 
ordinary-sized  post.  Both  the  charring  and 
creosoting  should  be  done  several  weeks  prior 
to  the  fixing  of  the  posts  in  the  soil.  .\lso,  char 
each  post  several  inches  above  the  groimd-level, 
as  very  often  posts  rot  off  there  while  the  portion 
helow  remains  sound.  Some  good  ready-made 
rnstic     arches    or     trellis     fences     can     now     be 


■jstab- 
row  m,  and 
persons  should  be  able  to  pass  through  the 
pergola  or  arch  without  the  slightest 
inconvenience.  Moreover,  they  ought  to  be 
able  to  enjoy  to  the  full  the  manifold 
beauties  of  each  variety  of  Rose  grown. 


.\ 


RUSTIC  ROSE  .\RCH  OT  GOOD  PKOPOKTIOXS.  THE 
POSTS  ARE  4  FEET  6  INCHES  .\P.\RT  E.\CII  \V.\Y, 
AND    THE    HEIGHT    OVER    ALL    S    FEET. 


that 


owner.  Arches  ought  to  be  built  in  positions 
to  denote  a  path  leading  to  scmte  other  part  of  the 
garden,  to  break  up  a  line  of  trellis,  to  span  paths 
where  they  meet,  or  to  form  a  series  of  arches 
over  a  long  path  where  it  would  not  be  advisable 
to  erect  a  more  close-fitting  structure  such  as  a 
pergola.  They  must  always  be  of  broad  dimensions 
and  lofty.  Umbrella-shaped  erections  look  really 
charming  in  a  Rose  garden  or  as  isolated  features 
on  a  lawn.  There  are  many  quick-growing  varie- 
ties of  Roses  that  will  soon  cover  such  a  structure, 
and  then  a  feature  is  secured  quite  distinct  from 
others  in  the  same  garden.  .Although  iron  trellises 
and  pergolas  are  often  condemned,  they  are  very 
useful  in  Southern  Counties  where  very  severe 
frost  is  not  experienced.  At  Kew  the  Roses 
flourish  on  iron  posts  and  chains,  which  have  the 
advantage    of    being    almost    imperishable.     Some 


HOW     TO     RETAIN     SOIL 
MOISTURE. 

Soil  moisture  is  the  most  important  fea- 
ture of  all  in  gardening,  because  the 
power  of  imparting  moisture  to  the 
plant  is  indispensable.  Vet  tlie  ele- 
mentary laws  which  govern  it  seem 
to  be  much  misunderstood  by  amateurs, 
or,  at  any  rate,  often  neglected.  .Much 
more  is  now  known  about  the  physics, 
of  the  soil  than  was  formerly  the  case, 
and  the  fineness  or  coarseness  of  the  soil 
particles  and  their  composition  is  found 
10  Vie  intimately  connected  with  this  most 
important  subject.  This  part  of  the  busi- 
ness is  where  so  many  people  fail.  Sur- 
face mulching  is  now  well  understood  as 
.1  means  of  keeping  in  moisture ;  but 
the  ground  work  is  even  more  impor- 
lant,  because  on  it  depends  whether  a 
soil  will  store  and  hold  water  or  not,  and 
there  is  an  enormous  difference  between 
^oils  in  this  respect. 

It  may  surprise  some  growers  to  learn 
that  the  wettest  soil  does  not  always 
supply  the  most  moisture  to  a  crop. 
It  is  not  merely  the  water  content  of 
the  soil  which  has  to  be  considered,  but 
its  power  of  giving  this  up  to  plants 
which  is  so  important.  We  know  that 
the  saturation  power  cf  the  soil  depends 
partly  upon  the  spaces  left  between 
the  soil  particles,  but  more  especially  in  their 
size,  and  that  in  an  ordinary  soil  these  amount 
to  as  much  as  about  forty  per  cent,  of  the  whole. 
But  this  can  be  much  increased  if  chalk  or  vege- 
table matter  or  good  loam  forms  a  certain  portion 
of  the  soil. 

What  the  cultivator  wants  is  a  soil  that  will  give 
up  its  water  as  well  as  retain  a  good  quantity,  a 
happy  medium  between  clay  or  peat  and  sand,  and 
this  he  should  strive  to  make  if  it  does  not  exist 
naturally.  Manure  or  vegetable  matter  is  the  most 
serviceable  stuff  to  use,  generally  speaking,  and  some 
powdered  chalk  is  useful  if  deficient  in  the  soil. 
A  fine  soil  should  be  aimed  at,  and  drainage 
is  all-important,  because,  after  all,  soils  are  most 
fertile  when  they  are  only  about  half  saturated, 
or  rather  more,  and  air  and  heat  can  then 
get  in.  Gerv.mse  Turnbull,  F.L,S. 


520 


THE     GARDEN. 


[OCTOKKR    IT,   TOT 3 


GARDENING     OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Planting  Beds: — When  beds  are  to  be  planted 
with  bulbs  as  well  as  with  a  covering  plant,  such 
as  Myosotis,  Arabis  and  Violas,  it  is  wise  to  plant 
the  bulbs  first. 

Covering  Plants,  such  as  mentioned  above,  should 
not  be  planted  too  thickly,  or  the  bulbs  as  they  come 
through  may  be  spindly  in  growth.  Many  subjects 
may  be  used,  such  as  Primroses,  Polyanthuses, 
Wallflowers,  Aubrietias.  Arabis  flora  plena  and 
the  variegated  form.  Viola  seedlings,  1  find, 
are  more  hardy,  and  make  the  best  show  early 
in  the  season  ;  but,  whatever  is  used,  due  con- 
sideration must  be  given  so  that  the  plants  when 
in  flower  either  harmonise  or  pleasantly  contrast 
with  the  bulbs. 

Double  Planting  is  sometimes  practised  to 
secure  a  longer  season  of  flower,  and  where  the 
varieties  are  carefully  selected,  the  results  are  indeed 
pleasing.  Thus  early-flowering,  Darwin,  or  May- 
flowering  Tulips  may  be  planted  alternately,  and  in 
the  same  way  Hyacinths  and  a  late  variety  of 
Narcissus.  I  have  also  seen  Crocuses,  Hyacinths 
and  late-flowering  TuUps  form  a  succession  which 
proved  very  effective.  Crocus  Maximilian  (a 
delicate  shade  of  lavender)  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  subjects  for  the  early  spring  garden. 

Tlie  Herbaceous  Border. — There  still  remain  a 
few  subjects  in  bloom,  but  in  most  cases  the 
plants  are  now  in  a  fit  condition  for  cutting  down  ; 
in  fact,  the  border  should  now  be  thoroughly  gone 
over,  pulling  up  all  the  annuals,  cutting  down 
all  matured  foliage  and  growth  of  the  herbaceous 
plants,  and  lifting  anything  that  it  is  desirable 
to  keep  from  getting  frozen.  Some  of  the  more 
tender  subjects  are  best  given  a  little  protection 
over  the  crowns,  and  dry  ashes  and  leaf-soil  are 
both  useful  for  the  purpose. 

Replanting.  —  There  is  a  great  diversity  of 
opinujn  as  to  the  best  time  to  transplant  the 
ViU'ious  subjects  in  the  herbaceous  border,  though 
we  are  all  agreed  that  borders  do  better  when  lifted 
every  second  or  third  season,  and  many  subjects 
may  be  lifted  and  split  up  every  year  with  advan- 
tage. The  nature  of  the  soil,  I  think,  should 
govern  the  time  when  it  may  be  done.  On  light 
soils  it  may  be  done  at  any  time  from  October 
to  March,  preference  being  given  to  the  autumn 
months,  as  then  the  plants  get  well  established 
again  and  are  better  able  to  withstand  drought. 
On  heavier  and  colder  soils  the  early  spring,  1 
think,  is  better,  as  many  subjects  if  split  up  and 
replanted  in  the  autumn  will  die  during  the  winter, 
there  not  being  the  same  tendency  to  make  roots 
quickly  in  the  cold,  heavy  soil ;  while  if  a  fairly 
dry  period  in  late  b'ebruary  or  March  is  selected  in 
which  to  do  the  work,  the  chances  are  that  the  plants 
will  make  root  and  grow  away  fairly  quickly.  At 
whatever  season  the  work  is  done,  good,  deep 
trenching  should  be  practised  and  a  liberal  dressing 
of  well-rotted  manure  given  to  the  borders  ;  this 
will  greatly  modify  the  need  for  watering  during 
the  summer  months. 

Sweet  Peas  should  be  sown  at  once  for  the 
ordinarv  summer  flowering  out  of  doors.  Pots 
or  boxes  mav  be  used  at  the  discretion  of  the 
grower,  placiiig  them  in  a  cold  frame  after  sowing. 
This  should  be  kept  well  ventilated  as  soon  as 
the  seedlings  are  through  the  soil. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Stove  Plants  generally  will  not  now  require  so 
much  moisture  either  at  the  root  or  overhead, 
Dracasnas  especially  not  caring  for  this  latter  during 
the  winter  months ';  but  as  the  necessity  arises  for 
more  fire-heat,  the  need  for  damping  the  stages, 
beds  and  floors  will  also  increase,  this  to  mamtain 
the  necessary  atmospheric  moisture  to  keep  down 
insect  pests. 

Acalypbas  that  may  have  become  unsightly 
through  using  them  in  the  conservatory  or  the  house 
should  be  cut  down,  retaining  sufficient  of  the 
cut-down  plants  to  furnish  a  supply  of  cuttings 
for  the  spring. 

Cinerarias. — These  are  making  rapid  growth, 
and  should  be  spaced  out  in  the  houses  or  pits 
as  they  require  it.  If  it  is  desired  to  make  really 
large  specimen  plants,  a  few  of  the  strongest 
mav  be  potted  on  again  ;  but  g-inch  pots  are 
large  enough  for  any  purpose. 


The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Preparing  the  Ground. — After  this  date  there 
will  be  no  further  planting  to  do,  and  as  the  various 
plots  of  ground  are  cleared  they  may  be  prepared 
for  digging  or  trenching,  the  latter  for  preference. 
The  rubbish-yard,  where  there  has  been  a  fire 
off  and  on  all  the  season,  will  no  doubt  yield 
a  good  supply  of  wood-ashes  and  bunit  earth, 
and  if  this  is  wheeled  on  while  the  weather  is  dry, 
trenching  may  be  commenced  as  soon  as  the  men 
are  freed  from  other  work. 

Old  Hot-Bed  Manure  may  also  be  wheeled  on 
to  the  ground,  or  may  be  stored  under  an  old  shed, 
where  it  may  be  turned  and  mixed  with  soil  during 
bad  weather,  when  it  will  be  ready  for  the  making 
np  of  frames  for  early  crops  or  for  the  hundred-and- 
one  purposes  for  which  A  good,  rich  compost  is 
so  jiecessary. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Peach-Houses  and  Vineries. — In  many  estab- 
lishments these  will  be  filled  with  such  plants 
as  Chrysanthemums,  and,  providing  proper  care 
is  taken,  much  harm  may  not  result  ;  but  at  all 
times  a  close,  moist  atmosphere  must  be  avoided, 
also  undue  heating  of  the  hot-water  pipes  must  be 
guarded  against.  A  small  amoiuit  of  heat  in  tin- 
pipes  will  be  beneficial  rather  than  detrimental, 
providing  a  full  measure  of  air  is  admitted  at  the 
sides  as  well  as  at  the  tops  of  the  houses.  A 
temperature  high  enough  to  raise  the  sap  in  the 
Vines  or  Peach  trees  before  the  proper  time  is 
what  must  be  guarded  against,  or  the  growth  in 
the  early  stages  next  season  will  not  be  all  that  is 
desired. 

Tomatoes  that  are  setting  their  fruit  must  be 
carefully  gone  over  each  day  with  a  camel-hair 
brush  or  rabbit's  tail.  At'  this  season  over- 
watering  must  be  strictly  avoided,  or  sappy  growth 
will  result.  The  temperature  of  the  house  also 
must  be  kept  fairly  even  ;  55°  to  60°  at  night, 
with  a  crack  of  air  on,  should  be  about  right, 
allowing  a  moderate  rise  during  the  day  when  the 
sun  is  shining,  giving  as  much  air  as  is  consistent 
with  the  existing  weather  conditions. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wobiiin  Place  Gardens,  Addleslone,  Surrey. 

FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Lifting  Gladioli. — (iladioli  flowered  earlier  than 
usual  this  season  and  are  now  past.  Cut  away 
all  flower-stems,  lift  the  plants  carefully,  and  store 
them  in  boxes  in  a  shed,  covering  the  bulbs  with 
sand  or  some  light  soil  till  the  stems  die  down  by  ,i 
natural  process. 

Lifting  Montbretias. — Equally  successful  culti- 
vators differ  m  their  methods  with  these  fine  autumn 
flowers.  Some  lift  them  and  run  them  out  close 
in  nurserv  lines  in  a  sheltered  spot,  working  in 
a  little  light  soil  among  the  bulbs  as  the  work 
proceeds  ;  while  others  box  them  up  in  propagating- 
boxes  among  flaky  soil  and  winter  them  in  a  shed 
or  a  cold  frame.  The  following  is  my  method  : 
I  pot  them  up  into  6-inch  pots  in  light,  flaky  soil, 
about  five  bulbs  to  a  pot,  and  winter  them  in  a  cold 
frame  ;  they  are  hardened  off  in  early  spring 
after  growth'  commences,  and  are  planted  about 
the  middle  of  April.  This  means  a  little  extra 
trouble,  but  the  results  amply  justify  the  means. 

Lifting  Tender  Subjects. — In  addition  to  those 

indicated,  all  tender  or  half-hardy  subjects  should 
either  be  lifted  or  protected  where  they  are.  Such 
things  as  Heliotropes  and  Salvias,  if  sufficient 
stock  has  not  been  propagated  successfully,  should 
have  a  portion  of  the  plants  cut  over  and  potted  up 
to  furnish  cuttings  for  spring  propagation. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Hoeing. — Rmi  the  Dutch  hoe  through  the  beds 
and  borders  to  rid  them  of  any  weeds  and  to  keep 
the  soil  aerated.  Beds  or  borders  which  have 
had  a  groundwork  of  Violas  should  now  have  these 
removed,  and  the  soil  be  rather  deeply  stirred  with 
the  hoe. 

Late  Blooms. — Free-flowering  varieties,  such  as 
Caroline  Testout,  often  furnish  a  good  deal  of  bloom 
right  up  to  November.  Any  decaying  blooms  coming 
in  contact  with  those  unopened  should  be  promptly 
removed,  or  the  latter  will  be  damaged. 


Gruss  an  TeplitZ.— This  is  the  time  when  this 
fine  autumn  Rose  shows  its  superiority. 

the  Shrubbery. 
Planting  Evergreens.— This  work  should  be 
done  as  soon  as  possible,  so  that  the  plants 
may  get  a  hold  before  winter.  If  drying  vrinds 
should  occur,  newly-planted  subjects  will  be  bene- 
fited by  being  sprayed  over  during  the  early  after- 
noon. The  less  hardy  subjects  should  receive  a 
mulching  ;  this  will  help  to  maintain  more  equable 
conditions  at  the  root,  both  as  regards  moisture 
and  temperature,  and  it  is  a  necessity  where  keen 
frosts  occurs. 

Propagating  Evergreens. — This  is  a  good  time 

to  propagate  evergreen  shrubs,  and  a  suitable  place 
in  which  to  put  the  cuttings  is  a  cold  frame  behind  a 
wall,  in  which  a  layer  of  sandy  soil  has  been  placed 
and  made  firm.     Finish  with  a  thin  layer  of  sand. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums. — If  green  fly  appears,  vaporise 
at  once.  Stop  feeding  when  the  blooms  are  half 
opened.  Where  exhibiting  is  contemplated,  any 
too  precocious  blooms  should  be  shaded  with  tissue- 
paper  during  bright  sunshine. 

Cinerarias. — Those  intended  for  a  spring  display 
will  now  be  ready  for  the  final  shift.  The  siz'e 
of  pot  will  have  been  determined  at  previous  pot- 
tings.  Cinerarias  prefer  a  rather  light,  rich  soil. 
A  cool  house,  near  the  glass,  will  be  the  best  position 
for  them  now.  If  the  leaf-miner  appears,  spray 
with  Quassia  Chips  Extract,  which  makes  the  leaf 
distasteful  to  the  miner. 

Sponging. — This  is  an  important  operation 
among  foliage  plants,  as  it  not  oidy  improves  their 
appearance,  but  rids  the  foliage  of  dust  and  dirt, 
thereby  enabling  it  the  better  to  perform  its  func- 
tions as  the  respiratory  organs  of  the  plant.  Plants 
having  this  attention  now  will  lonk  fresh  and  bright 
during  the  dull  days  of  winter. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Late  Peaches. — Trees  that  have  not  yet  ripened 
their  wood  should  have  the  benefit  of  a  little  fire- 
heat  with  a  good  deal  of  ventilation  day  and  night, 
the  object  being  not  to  excite  growth,  but  simply 
to  ripen  the  wood.  Maintain  dry  atmospheric 
conditions. 

Pruning  Vines. — Whenever  the  Vines  become 
defoliated,  they  should  be  pruned  without  delay. 
As  already  advised,  a  sharp  knife  is  preferable  to 
the  secateurs  for  this  work.  One  or  two  eyes  are 
sufficient  tf)  leave,  therefore  avoid  leaving  long  snags. 

Painting. — Any  of  the  early  houses  requiring 
the  woodwork  painted  should  have  that  attention 
as  soon  as  pruning  has  been  finished.  Later  on 
it  is  more  difficult  to  get  the  woodwork  quite  dry, 
a  condition  essential  to  the  work  being  efficiently 
done. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Propagating  Gooseberries. — These  and  Currants 
may  now  be  propagated.  Select  fairly  vigorous 
but  well-ripened  shoots,  and  take  them  off  with  a 
heel,  cut  aw'av  a  few  inches  of  the  immature 
wood  at  the  point,  rub  out  a  few  of  the  lower  buds, 
and  trim  the  base  of  the  cutting  with  a  sharp 
knife.  The  cuttings  should  then  be  inserted  i)' 
sandy  soil,  m.'de  firm,  on  the  open  border,  ai:d 
receive  a  good  watering  to  ensure  the  exclusion 
of  air,  a  condition  which  will  accelerate  the  process 
of  rooting. 

Planting  Loganberries. — Where  a  planting  of 

these  is  to  take  place,  the  ground  should  be  manured 
and  trenched,  and  a  trellis  erected  on  which  to  train 
the  plants.  I  recommend  a  double  trellis  about 
a  foot  wide,  the  fruiting  canes  being  trained  up 
one  side  and  the  succession  canes  up  the  other, 
these  being  transposed  annually,  of  course. 
Recently,  however,  I  heard  of  a  double  trellis, 
V-shaped,  the  fruiting  canes  being  trained  up  each 
side,  the  succession  canes  growing  up  the  centre. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Storing  Root  Crops. — Carrots  and  Beet  should 
now  be  stored  withiiut  much  further  delay,  as 
described  in  The  Garden,  September  27,  page  489. 

Digging  and  Trenching.  —  This  work  should 

be  carried  out  as  opportunity  offers.  Autumn 
manuring  is  preferable  to  spring  manuring,  and  the 
character  and  amount  must  depend  upon  the  crop 
for  which  it  is  intended,  .\void  rank  manure  where 
tap- rooted  crops  are  to  be  grown.  Bastard-trenching, 
by  which  the  top  spit  is  left  in  position,  is  preferable 
to  regular  trenching.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian, 


m^' 


GARDEN. 


**?=:Z- 


No.  2187.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


October  18,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  op  the  Week 
i'orkespondence 
An  interesting  New 

Zealand  garden . . 
Virgilia  lutca  . . 
The    hardiness      of 

Nicotiana  afBnis. . 
Pruning      K  o  s  e 

Dorothy    Perkins 
The  Nerines    , , 
The  failure  of  Pears     „_„ 
A  noble  border  plant    523 
Verbena    venosa: 

What  is  its  eolour  ? 
Fortlicoming  events.. 

GREENHOrsE 

seasoimble  notes  on 
Chrys.anthemu  m  s 

THE    CiMl-ANOI.AS     OR 

BELLFLOWERS  .  .       524 

Rook  and  Water  Garden 
Autumn  in  the  rock 

garden  .  .  . .  524 
Kock  [larden  plants 

in  October  .  ,      . .     525 

Hose  Garden 
In     a     Hampshire 

garden 525 

Roses    of     recent 
introduction       . .     528 


521 


523 
523 


523 
523 


523 
523 


523 


Flower  Garden 
Dahlias  for    garden 

effect 526 

Trees  and  Shrubs 
A    beautiful    Snow- 
berry  527 

Twelve  useful  shrubs 
for  walls      . .      . .     527 
New    and    Rare 

Plants 628 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
How  to  plant  bush 
fruits  and  Apples 
and  Pears   . .      . .     529 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens          630 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      530 

Nursery  Notes 
WMU  Tobacco  pay  in 

England  1    ..     ..     53) 
Messrs.    H.    Merry- 
weather  and  Sons    53] 

ANSWERS    TOCORBE- 

SPONDfiNTS 

Greenhouse     . .  . .  532 

Fruit  garden  . .  . .  532 

Miscellaneous  .  .  532 

E3)iT0K's  Table  . .  532 


IliliUSTRATIONS. 

View  in  a  reader's  garden  at  Dunedin,  New  Zealand  522 

Campanula  rotundifolia  alpina 524 

Campanula  portenschlagiana  bavarica  . .  525 

The  decorative  Dahlia  Kaiserin  .\ugusta  Victoria  . .  526 

-\  beautiful  Snowberry 527 

The  new  Apple  Guelph 528 

How  to  plant  bush  fruits  and  .\pples  and  Pears      . .  529 

Tobacco-growing  under  glass       531 


BDITORIAL     NOTIGB8. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  ivelcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  toill  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  r'iturn.  All 
reasonable  care,  hotcever,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  li  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated 
It  7nust  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photn- 
qrapher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  unll  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  cojitribittions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  arui 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  ?nust  rwt  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Piiblication  in  The  Garden  wili  alone 
he  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices:  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W  C. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


Treatment  of  Hardy  Ferns.— Where  hardy 
Fems  are  grown,  one  often  finds  the  fronds  cut 
off  as  they  get  brown,  the  idea  being  to  make  them 
tidy.  This  is  a  great  mistake  as  far  as  the  plants 
are  concerned,  as  they  act  as  a  natural  protection 
to  the  crowns  during  the  winter.  In  addition, 
there  is  a  certain  amount  of  beauty  in  fronds  that 
have  lost  their  bright  green  tints,  as  may  be 
seen   in   our  woods  in  winter  and  early  spring. 

Edging  for  Planting  Under  Trees.— Few 
plants  are  more  suitable  as  an  edging  under  trees 
than  the  Ivy,  and  even  in  the  open  it  is  excellent 
for  an  edging  for  the  shrubbery  or  similar  positions. 
It  gives  little  trouble  after  it  is  planted,  apart 
from  being  cut  once  or  twice  during  spring  and 
early  summer.  It  should  be  planted  now,  and 
if  it  has  long  trails,  so  much  the  better.  These 
should  be  pegged  down  to  keep  them  in  their  place. 

Dwarf  Scillas  for  Planting  in  the  Grass.— 
The  value  of  planting  bulbs  in  the  grass  is  being 
realised  more  and  more  every  year,  and  among 
the  early-flowering  ones  few  are  more  charming 
than  the  dwarf  Squills,  Scilla  bifolia  and  S 
sibirica.  Either  by  themselves  or  planted  among 
Snowdrops,  they  give  a  very  pleasing  effect.  They 
are  not  particular  as  to  position,  whether  in 
full  Sim  or  partial  shade  ;  but  if  planted  in  the 
last  named,  they  will  be  found  to  last  much  longer 
in  flower.  Bulbs  can  be  purchased  quite  cheaply, 
and  should  be  planted  now  without  delay. 

The  Thornless  Rose. — A  few  autumn  blooms 

of  the  Thornless  Rose,  Zephyrine  Drouhin,  remind 
us  that  this  charming  variety  is  not  grown  nearly 
so  much  as  it  ought  to  be.  Considering  that  it 
was  raised  so  long  ago  as  1873,  it  is  difficult  to 
imderstand  why  it  is  not  foimd  in  more  gardens. 
The  flowers  are  bright,  glowing  carmine  pink  in 
colour  and  deliciously  fragrant,  inheriting  this 
latter  desirable  feature  from  the  Bourbon  Roses, 
of  which  it  is  a  hybrid.  It  is  very  vigorous,  and 
consequently  makes  an  excellent  pillar  Rose, 
or  it  may  be  used  as  a  low  garden  hedge,  where 
light  pruning  only  will  be  required.  The  stems 
are  thornless  ;  hence  its  popular  name. 

A  Remarkable  Graft  Hybrid. — Commenting  upon 
the  peculiarities  of  the  graft  hybrid  Crataego- 
mespilus  Dardari,  the  current  issue  of  the  Kew 
Bulletin  says  :  "  This  graft  hybrid  shows  a  phe- 
nomenon, unique  so  far  as  we  are  aware,  of  one 
kind  of  tree  (not  as  yet.  however,  one  individual) 
producing  four  types  of  growth,  two  of  which  are 
distinct  species  and  two  of  a  hybrid  or  intermediate 
nature,  viz.  :  (i)  Crata;gus  monogyna  and  (2)  Mes- 
pilus  germanica,  the  parent  species  ;  (3)  Crat.^go- 
mespilus  D'Asnieresii,  hybrid  approaching  No.  i  ; 
(4)  CratEego-mespilus  Dardari,  hybrid  approaching 
No.  2.  Laburnum  Adami  has  not  been  known  to 
produce  more  than  one  hybrid  type  of  flower 
besides  those  of  its  two  parent  species  (Laburnum 
vulgare  and  Cytisus  purpureus),  three  in  all." 


National  Sweet  Pea  Society.— The  annual 
general  meeting  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea  Society 
will  be  held  at  the  Hotel  Windsor,  Victoria  Street, 
Westminster,  London,  S.W.,  on  Monday  next, 
October  20th,  commencing  at  2.30  p.m.  A 
conference  will  be  held  at  the  Hotel  Windsor  at 
7  p.m.  on  the  same  day,  when  Mr.  J.  S.  Brunton 
will  give  a  lecture,  entitled  "The  Sweet  Pea 
Industry." 

Mint  for  Winter  Use.— This  useful  garden  herb 
is  often  ni  demand  during  the  winter,  and  although 
a  good  supply  of  dried  Mint  may  be  at  hand,  green 
leaves  are  always  preferred.  As  forcing  is  a  very 
easy  matter,  there  is  no  reason  why  fresh  Mint 
should  not  be  obtained.  Insert  a  quantity  of 
roots  in  a  box  at  the  present  time  and  put  them  in 
a  warm  place,  keeping  them  watered.  A  succession 
may  be  kept  up  by  the  introduction  at  intervals 
of   an    additional   supply  of  roots. 

A  Beautiful  Water  Lily. — Several  plants  of 
the  beautiful  Australian  Water  Lily,'  Nymphaea 
gigantea,  have  been  very  attractive  in  the  Victoria 
Regia  House  at  Kew  for  several  months,  and  are 
still  (mid-October)  bearing  numerous  fine  flowers. 
The  plant  may  be  described  as  a  glorified  N.  stellata, 
both  leaves  and  flowers  being  finer  than  in  that 
species.  The  flowers,  which  range  from  6  inches 
to  8  inches  across,  are  produced  on  stout  stalks 
12  inches  or  18  inches  above  the  water,  and  are 
made  up  of  numerous  shapely,  bright  blue  petals, 
which  enclose  a  central  mass  of  rich  golden 
stamens. 

A    Beautiful   Late-Flowering   Torch    Lily.— 

Most  of  the  Torch  Lilies  are  at  their  best  from 
July  to  September,  but  there  is  one,  Kniphofia 
aloides  maxima,  which  makes  a  delightful  show 
in  October.  Varieties  such  as  this,  which  help 
to  prolong  the  flowering  season  and  brighten  up 
the  borders  in  late  autumn  with  the  Michaelmas 
Daisy,  are  worth  encouraging.  Growing  5  feet 
to  6  feet  in  height,  the  stout  stems  are  carrying 
quantities  of  small,  tubular  flowers.  These,  when 
open,  have  a  yellow  effect  ;  but  by  far  the  most 
telling  colour  is  the  coral  red  of  the  flower-buds, 
of  which  in  early  October  there  are  a  great  number 
crowning  the  spikes. 

Apple  Blenheim  Orange  Fruiting  on  Young 

Trees. — This  excellent  .Apple  is  often  passed  over 
at  planting-time,  as  it  is  reputed  to  be  very  slow 
in  coming  into  bearing.  Instances  have  been  cited 
where  trees  have  not  borne  fruit  until  attaining 
the  age  of  twenty  years.  While  this  may  be  true 
of  standard  trees  grown  upon  Crab  stock,  it  cannot 
apply  to  bush  trees  grown  upon  Paradise  stock 
and  annually  transplanted.  Some  exceptionally 
fine  examples  of  the  latter  were  shown  at  the  last 
meeting  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  by 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons.  The  trees  in. 
question,  lifted  from  the  open,  were  less  thani 
4  feel  in  height,  and  carried  an  average  of  twelve 
handsome  fruits  per  tree,  while  the  age  of  the  trees 
was  only  four  years  ! 


522 


THE    GARDEN. 


[October  i8,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The  Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 

Rose    Augustine    Guinoisseau.— I    had    the 

same  experience  last  year  that  Mr.  Cobbold  has 
had  this  (see  page  482).  One  of  the  Augustine 
Guinoisseau  bushes  threw  a  growth  bearing  two 
typical  La  France  Roses.  I  have  been  looking  out 
for  the  same  irregularity  this  year,  but  it  has  not 
occurred.  The  wood  was  week  and  was  pruned 
away  this  spring,  and  I  regret  now  I  did  not  bud 
some  stocks  from  it  to  see  what  would  come. — 
W.  P.  Panckridge,  Petersfield. 
Androsace  lanuginosa  for  tlie  Rock  Garden. — 

This  is  one  among  the  many  beautiful  varieties 
of  Androsace  that  should  be  largely  grown  for  the 
rock  garden,  especially  where  the  more  tender  or 
difficult  species  fail  to  grow.     It  has  been  in  bloom 


the  position  I  describe,  I  have  never  known  them  to 
fail  to  flower  abundantly.  Covering  a  large  portion 
of  a  wall  60  feet  high  on  a  dwelling-house  outside 
of  Cromer  in  Norfolk  is  a  plant  of  this  Rose  with  a 
stem  5  inches  in  diameter,  which  must  have  been 
planted  quite  early ;  the  variety  was  introduced 
by  Damper  in  1823.  Even  this  plant  never  fails 
to  give  a  crop  of  flowers. — E.  M. 

The  War  on  Wasps. — I  was  very  interested 
in  the  war  on  wasps  mentioned  in  your  issue  of 
October  4.  I  thought  you  might  be  interested 
to  know  what  I  have  done  in  destroying  these 
pests.  In  1910  our  kitchen  garden  wall  was 
repaired  and  300  queen  wasps  were  killed  in  the 
month  of  November.  In  1911  I  destroyed  245 
nests,  in  igra  50  nests,  and  this  season  I  have 
taken  267  nests.  I  have  never  seen  so  many 
wasps  as  we  have  had  here  this  year.  I  have 
killed    5r    queen    wasps    and   one   hornet    this   last 


A    VIEW    IN    A    READER  S    GARDEN    AT    DUNEDIN,    NEW    ZEALAND.       IT    WAS    HERE    THAT    THE    LATE 
CAPTAIN    SCOTT    STAYED    BEFORE    STARTING    ON    HIS    LAST    VOYAGE    TO    THE    SOUTH    POLE. 


since  May  and  is  still  flowering,  and  will  continue 
to  do  so  till  the  cold  weather  sets  in,  when  it 
requires  a  little  shelter  in  the  winter.  Before 
planting  this  the  ground  (stiff  clay)  was  taken  out 
18  inches  deep  and  filled  in  with  suitable  compost, 
as  given  by  Mr.  Clarence  Elliott  for  the  moraine 
garden.  Not  only  this  species,  but  several  others 
have  been  quite  a  success,  especially  through 
the  past  dry  summer,  when  otherwise  they  would 
have  been  all  scorched  up. — A.  B.  Wadds, 
Englefiehi  Gardens^  Reading. 

Yellow  Banksian  Rose. — If  "  C.  T,"  page  482, 
will  remove  his  plant  of  Yellow  Banksian  Rose 
to  a  south  wall  and  give  it  generous  treatment, 
he  will  be.  rewarded  annually  with  a  full  crop  of 
its  beautiful  yellow  blooms.  A  fence  does  not 
provide  the  necessary  warmth  needed  to  prepare 
the  cunent  season's  growth,  with  the  flower  crop  to 
follow  the  next  year.     Where  plants  are  growing  in 


month  that  were  seeking  their  home  for  the  winter 
in  our  stokehole.  I  have  destroyed  the  nests 
with  cyanide  of  potassium  in  the  dry  powder, 
and  if  trodden  in  the  next  morning  I  have  found 
it  most  satisfactory. — W.  W.  Richardson,  Marks 
Hall  Gardens,  Coggeshall,  Essex. 
Fungus  Name  Wanted. — Will  any  mycologist 

kindly  tell  nie  the  name  and  anything  that  is 
known  of  the  properties  of  a  large  fungus  that 
appears  nearly  every  year  at  this  season  in  and 
near  the  north  side  of  a  hedgebank  of  peaty, 
sandy  soil  imder  Scotch  Firs  ?  In  appearance  it 
is  exactly  like  a  large  bath  sponge,  only  slightly 
lighter  and  livelier  in  colour.  One  mass  is  nearly  a 
foot  wide  and  6  inches  to  7  inches  deep  ;  another 
is  smaller,  but  perhaps  not  full  grown.  The 
texture  is  tender  and  easily  breaks  up.  The  appear- 
ance suggests  some  affinity  to  Morel,  but  I  can 
'find  no  mention  of  it   either  under  Morel  or  else- 


where in  the  only  books  I  have  on  fungi,  namely, 
Cooke's  "  British  Fungi  "  and  Badham's  "  Esculent 
Fungi  of  England." — G.  Jekvll. 

Abnormal   Growth   in   Plants.— I   thought   it 

might  interest  the  readers  of  The  Garden  were  I 

to  draw  attention  to  two  cases  of  what  I  consider 

abnormal  growth  in  the  gardens  here.     The  first 

is  that  of  two  Hollyhocks  among  a  batch  of  seedlings. 

The   rest   of   the   batch,    although   fairly   tall,   are 

nothing  out   of   the   ordinary,   but   the   respective 

heights  of  the   two  in   question   are   12   feet   and 

II  feet  II  inches.     They  both  have  double  flowers 

of  the  same  shade,  a  deep  rose  pink.     The  second 

case  is  that  of  a  plant  of  Cobaea  scandens  which 

was  planted  in  an  unheated  verandah  last  April. 

Since  that  date  till  early  October  one  of  the  leading 

shoots  has  made  39  feet  of  growth,  and  three  other 

shoots  have  made  over  thirty-six  feet  of  growth. 

Coba-a    scandens    is    well    known    as    a    rampant 

grower,  but  for    a    plant    out    of    a 

5-inch  pot  the  growth  seems  to  me  to 

be  phenomenal. — Charles  Comfort, 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson' s  Mains, 

Midlothian. 

An  Interesting  New  Zealand  Gar- 
den.— Seeing  the  results  of  the  Rock 
Garden  Competition  in  The  Garden 
for  June  14,  I  think  you  may  care  to 
reproduce  some  of  the  photographs 
which  I  am  sending  you.  These  were 
taken  by  my  father  (Mr.  Kinsey)  quite 
recently.  As  the  New  Zealand  Graphic 
asked  permission  to  reproduce  some,  I 
think  the  letterpress  they  give  describes 
the  gardens.  My  father  and  I  have 
always  been  keen  amateur  gardeners. 
During  the  last  thirteen  years  my  own 
garden  m  Dunedin  has  become  full  of 
interest.  A  clump  of  Ranimculus 
Lyallii  has  bloomed  and  flourished  well 
since  I  planted  it  several  years  ago. — 
May  Moore.  [The  letterpress  kindly 
sent  us  by  our  correspondent  describes 
in  detail  the  gardens  of  Mr.  Kinsey,  a 
view  in  which  is  reproduced  herewith. 
The  outlook  is  superb,  stretching  from 
the  cliffs  near  the  entrance  to  Lyttleton 
Harbour,  to  the  distant  Kaikouras  and 
Mount  Hutt.  The  name  of  this  week- 
end residence  of  Mr.  Kinsey  is  Te  Hau 
O  Te  Atua.  Here  the  late  Captain 
Scott  stayed  with  Lady  Scott  before 
proceeding  on  his  last  and  fateful 
journey  to  the  South  Pole. — Ed.] 

Aster  Beauty  of  Colwall. — It  might 
be  said  with  but  little  fear  of  contra- 
diction that  not  only  is  this  the  finest  Michaelmas 
Daisy  extant,  but  the  greatest  addition  to  autumn- 
flowering  herbaceous  plants  that  has  yet  seen  the 
liglit  of  day.  It  is  also  an  acquisition.  Indeed,  no 
plant  of  my  acquaintance  is  possessed  of  the  illumi- 
nating power  of  this  Aster  when  seen  in  well-culti- 
vated groups.  Good  cultivation,  however,  is  required, 
and  will  be  repaid  a  thousandfold  when  the  hand- 
some pyramids  of  rich  violet  blue  flowers  stand  out 
in  luirivalled  splendour  in  late  September  daj'S. 
This  year,  by  reason  of  the  exceptional  spell  of 
sunshme  that  has  been  experienced,  the  great 
groups  of  it  have  assumed  an  unusual  brilliance, 
and  those  who  plant  for  effect — those  who  can 
garden  with  hundreds  of  such  plints — can  surely 
have  no  finer  subject  than  this.  It  should,  however, 
be  cultivated  and  given  room  for  development  if  all 
the  sumptuous  beauty  of  which  it  is  capable  is  to 
be  realised  in  its  fullest  measure. — E.  H.  Jenkins. 


October  i8,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


523 


Virgilia  lutea. — This  fabaccuu:;  dwarf  true  is 
at  iin^ciit   at  its  host,  the  foliage  having  assumed 

[  its  autniniial  chrome  yellow  colouring.  It  has 
iicvor  flowered  here,  but  the  effect  it  produces 
ill  autumn  compensates  for  all  other  failings. — 
K.   P.  B.,   Tyniiigluime,  Preslonkirk.  A'.JS 

I  The  Hardiness  of  Nicotiana  aflinis. — The 
fragrant  and  beautilul  NIcutiaiia  affiiiis  is  hardy 
ni  some  gardens  I  have  visited,  but  it  was 
quite  an  unexpected  thing  for  me  to  see  a  few 
old  plants  in  Tollcross  Park,  Glasgow,  the  other 
day.  They  were  growing  at  the  end  of  one  of  the 
greenhouses  in  the  enclosed  ground  at  the  back, 
and  had  been  there  for  several  years  unsheltered. 
Mr.  Wilson,  who  has  charge  of  Tollcross  Park, 
under  Mr.  James  Whitton,  informed  me  that  the 
plants  liad  proved  quite  hardy.  N.  affinis  is  not 
usually  hardy  in  gardens  so  far  North  as  Glasgow 
and  in  a  climate  such  as  is  to  be  met  with  there. — 
S.  Arnott. 
Pruning  Rose  Dorothy  Perkins. — The  orthodo.x 

'  metliud  of  pruning  tliis  and  utlier  climbing  Roses 
is  to  remove  the  whole  of  the  last  season's  wood 
that  gave  flower  this  year,  to  make  space  for  the 
I  nrrent  year's  growth,  which  is  intended  to  give 
I  he  ne.xt  year's  flower  crop.  While  not  saying  one 
word  against  this  method,  I  do  not  think  it  is 
necessary  to  cut  away  the  whole  of  last  year's 
shoots  ;  if  the  strongest  of  those  are  allowed  to 
remain,  they  will  give  quantities  of  flower  next  year 
and  will  aid  in  making  a  much  thicker  screen 
where  such  is  necessary.  I  have  a  hedge  of 
this  Rose,  lo  feet  high,  which  has  scarcely  been 
pruned  at  all  during  the  last  six  years,  and  how  it 
blossoms  yearly  in  such  profusion  surprises  many 
people. — S.  H. 

The  Nerines. — I  was  greatly  interested  in  the 
article  on  theselovely  bulbous  plants  which  appeared 
in  the  issue  for  September  13,  because  it  recalled 
to  my  memory  a  very  fine  batch  that  used  to  be 
in  Blenheim  Gardens,  Woodstock.  They  may 
still  be  grown  there  ;  but  my  reference  is  to  ten 
years  ago,  at  which  time  they  were  in  splendid 
condition,  flowering  most  freely.  To  the  best  of 
my  recollection  they  were  in  7-inch  to  g-inch  pots, 
and  full  of  bulbs,  even  to  overcrowding,  which 
state  evidently  betokened  their  havmg  been  midis- 
turbed  for  many  years.  As  they  passed  out  of 
flower  they  used  to  be  stood  on  shelves  in  a  dry 
liouse,  where  the  sun  could  play  upon  them  con- 
tinuously until  they  began  to  throw  up  spikes  again. 
The  variety  was  known  as  Fothergilli  major. 
Incidentally,  the  Nerine  does  not  seem  to  be  largely 
grown,  for  it  is  seldom  one  can  see  it  when 
looking  romid  a  garden,  big  or  small. — C.  Turner, 
Ilighgalc. 

The  Failure  of  Pears. — In  the  present  extreme 
shortage  of  Pears  it  may  be  worth  while  to  preserve 
a  record  of  the  doings  of  various  sorts,  in  order  to 
establish,  if  possible,  some  general  principle. 
My  garden,  I  should  mention,  is  well  protected 
by  downs  on  the  north  and  east,  and  largely  by 
the  church  on  the  west.  It  is  somewhat  exposed 
to  south-west  winds  straight  off  the  sea.  I  have 
hardly  any  wall.  My  record  is :  Beurre  Lebrun 
and  Prince  Imperial,  fair  crop,  less  than  usual  ; 
Doyenne  du  Cumice,  two  on  wall,  twelve  each 
(one  of  these,  a  noble  tree  figured  in  The  Garden 
some  years  ago,  has  had  r88)  ;  three  in  open 
garden,  none  ;  Marguerite  Marillat,  ten  ;  Magnate, 
four  ;  Alexandrine  Douillard,  two  ;  Le  Lectier  and 
Durondeau  (both  on  wall),  one  each  ;  about  twenty- 
five  others,  all  of  the  best  sorts,  none.  My  impression 
is  that  in  the  long  spell  of  bad  weather  this  spring, 
those   which  were   early  enough   to   have   set   the 


bloom  before  it,  and  those  which  were  not  then 
out  at  all,  partially  escaped,  but  I  cannot  altogether 
fit  my  list  to  this  theory.  Perhaps  some  other 
growers  will  give  yon  their  experience. — G.  E. 
Jeans,  Shorwell  Vicinage,  Isle  0/  Wight. 

A  Noble  Border  Plant.— Phytolacca  dccandra, 
perhaps  better  known  as  the  Red  Ink  Plant,  though 
easily  cultivated  and  quite  hardy,  is  rarely  met 
with  in  our  Irish  gardens.  When  planted  in  a 
favourable  position,  it  attams  a  height  of  from 
8  feet  to  10  feet.  A  plant  established  in  the 
herbaceous  borders  here  annually  makes  a  fine 
display  in  the  autumn,  when  the  long,  summer 
flower-spikes  are  loaded  with  dark  purple  berries. 
When  established,  P.  decandra  needs  very  little 
attention  unless  planted  in  an  exposed  position, 
when  a  stake  will  help  it  to  withstand  the  autunui 
winds.  Propagation  is  best  effected  by  seed,  as 
the  large,  fleshy,  poisonous  roots  do  not  take  kindly 
to  dividing.  Usually  a  few  seedlings  may  be 
picked  up  in  spring  from  the  borders  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  parent  plant,  and  if  carefully  transplanted 
they  will  make  nice  plants  the  first  season.  If 
better  known,  this  plant  would  undoubtedly 
find  a  corner  ui  every  garden. — T.  Leggett, 
Woodlawii,  County  Galuiay. 

Verbena  venosa  :  What  is  Its  Colour  ? — A 
large  bed  planted  with  pillar-trained,  rose-coloured, 
Stock-flowered  Larkspurs,  with  the  interspaces 
filled  mth  Verbena  venosa  and  a  broad  edging 
of  dwarf  Ageratum,  has  attracted  some  attention 
this  season,  and  in  one  instance  the  colour  of  the 
Verbena  gave  rise  to  not  a  little  discussion,  violet, 
purple  and  heliotrope  being  by  different  persons 
assumed  to  be  the  correct  colour  description. 
The  colour  is,  of  course,  one  by  itself,  and  on 
turning  up  a  few  books  I  find  it  noted  as  rosy 
violet,  and  purple.  I  myself  have  always  looked 
upon  it  as  giving  on  the  whole  a  violet  effect,  and 
for  certain  purposes  s  an  indispensable  colour  in  the 
flower  garden.  I  wonder  what  some  of  your  readers 
who  are  acquainted  with  colours  would  describe  it 
— not  so  much  the  colour  of  an  individual  flower- 
head  as  the  effect  in  a  grouped  mass.  This  species 
is  not  nearly  so  much  grown  as  it  deserves  to  be, 
and  is  not  often  seen  in  gardens  at  the  present 
time,  though  forty  years  ago  it  was  used  in  the 
bedding  designs  of  that  period,  with  much  effect. 
It  is  a  South  American  plant,  not  everywhere 
hardy,  but  in  the  milder  districts  it  is  distinctly 
hardy  herbaceous,  though  the  best  results  are 
obtained  by  annual  propagation.  This  may  be 
done  in  three  ways.  One  is  to  sow  seeds  in 
heat  very  early  in  the  year,  taking  the  precaution 
to  steep  the  seeds  in  water  for  a  couple  of  days 
before  sowuig  and  never  allowing  them  to  feel 
tlie  effects  of  dryness.  At  the  best  the  seeds 
germinate  rather  erratically.  The  underground 
stems  provide  another  method  of  increase.  These 
are  cut  into  short  pieces,  and,  being  covered  w^ith 
light  soil,  produce  growths  from  each  eye,  and 
after  roots  are  formed  they  are  transplanted  into 
ordinary  cutting-boxes  or  pots.  Another  way  is 
to  strike  the  shoots  which  are  forced  into  growth 
from  the  stems,  and  by  this  means  a  larger  increase 
is  possible.  To  those  who  are  unacquauited  w^th 
the  plant  it  may  be  explained  that  it  grows  from 
6  inches  to  2  feet  in  height,  the  latter  in  soil  well 
cultivated. — R.  P.  Brotherston. 


TH  E    GREEN  HOUSE. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

October     21.  —  Royal     Horticultural     Society's 
Exhibition. 

^^October    22. — Hereford    Fruit    and    Chrysanthe- 
mum Show  (two  days). 


SEASONABLE      NOTES     ON      CHRY- 
SANTHEMUMS. 

DURING  the  early  part  of  October 
i  all  the  plants  now  grown  for  the 
I  production  of  exhibition  blooms  will 
'  be  placed  under  glass.  As  amateur 
cultivators  generally  have  more 
garden  space  for  the  plants  during 
the  summer-time  than  greenhouse  room  for  them 
in  the  autunm,  a  close  selection  should  be  made 
so  as  to  make  sure  that  the  best  plants  with  the 
most  promising  buds  have  the  most  favourable 
positions.  Overcrowding,  to  a  considerable  extent, 
may  thus  be  avoided.  It  is  not  a  difficult  matter 
to  decide  which  plants  will  prove  the  least  satis- 
factory, and,  of  course,  their  entire  exclusion  would 
make  a  great  difference  to  those  bearmg  fine  buds. 
.Although  the  lower  leaves  have  really  done  their 
part  in  the  building  up  of  the  plants,  it  is  better 
to  try  to  retain  them  as  long  as  possible  now  by 
affording  the  plants  ample  light  and  air. 

Dressing  the  Blooms. — Twenty  years  ago  the 
dressing  of  the  blotuns  was  a  very  important 
matter,  when  incurved  varieties  were  largely  grown. 
Many  varieties  of  the  incurved  section  have  Japanese 
blood  in  them,  and  some  dressmg  is  necessary  to 
avoid  coarseness.  The  dressing  that  I  recommend 
now  takes  the  form  of  the  simple  removal  ot  short, 
twisted  or  otherwise  malformed  petals,  which, 
if  left  in,  would  interfere  with  the  proper  develop- 
ment of  the  good,  soimd  petals.  The  timely 
removal  of  bad  petals  is  more  effective  than  leaving 
all  such  to  be  taken  out  at  one  time — when  the 
bloom  is  really  fully  developed. 

Night  Work. — If  all  faded  leaves  are  picked  off 
the  plants  when  the  latter  are  put  under  glass,  the. 
natural  harbour  for  earwigs,  and  many  of  these 
pests,  too,  will  be  got  rid  of ;  but  there  will,  no 
doubt,  be  plenty  more  to  destroy.  It  is  not  diffi- 
cult to  catch  them  on  unde\'eloped  buds  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening  by  the  aid  of  a  good  light 
suddenly  thrown  on  them,  b.ut  much  more  so  when 
the  blooms  are  half  open,  and  later  still.  Cater- 
pillars that  are  usually  found  on  the  leaves  of  Zonal 
Pelargoniums  at  this  season  also  do  much  damage  to 
Chrysanthemums  blooms,  eating  away  half  a  bud 
in  one  night.  If  any  excrescence  be  found  on  the 
leaves,  look  carefully  under  them  in  the  daylight, 
and,  failing  to  find  the  caterp.Uar,  e.Kamuie  the 
opening  buds  at  night.  Mildew  may  also  spread 
on  the  leaves.  Early  in  the  morning,  while  the 
leaves  are  rather  moist,  throw  some  flowers  of 
sulphur  on  them  and  underneath.  The  powder 
will  adhere  and  soon  check  the  spread  of  mildew. 
I  much  prefer  to  use  dry  sulphur  in  this  way  than 
a  solution  of  any  kind  after  the  plants  are  housed. 
It  is  advisable  to  group  the  plants,  forming  three 
groups,  after  they  are  housed,  namely,  the  earliest 
or  most  forward,  the  medium  early,  and  the  latest. 
I  refer,  of  course,  to  the  state  of  the  opening  flowers, 
and  not  to  the  late,  medium,  and  early  varieties. 
So  placed,  it  will  be  found  very  easy  to  attend  to 
the  daily  requirements  of  the  plants.  Lightly 
shade  the  more  forward  blooms,  especially  those 
of  the  chestnut  and  bronze  varieties.  Yellow  and 
white  flowered  varieties  must  be  kept  away  from  the 
top  ventilators  if  there  is  a  direct  draught  on  them, 
as  the  purity  of  the  petals  will  be  marred  by  damp 
spots.  Thin  scrim  or  tiffany  suspended  between 
the  blooms  and  the  ventilators  will  keep  away 
much  moisture.  Gradually  lessen  the  feeding  of 
all  plants  bearing  half-open  blooms,  and  give  clear 
water  only  when  three  parts  developed,      Avon. 


524 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  i8,  1913. 


THE    CAMPANULAS    OR 
BELLFLOWERS. 


(Continued  from  page  497.) 
C.  petraea. — A  plant  which  seems  more  prized 
for  its  colour  than  for  anything  else,  but  in  reality 
it  is  a  poor  subject.  It  is  upwards  of  a  foot  high, 
with  large  heads  of  dull  yellow  in  July,  and  is  a 
doubtful  perennial ;  in  fact,  a  biennial  with  almost 
everyone.     Sun  and  a  dry  place.     Seeds. 

C.  portenschlagiana. — A  valuable  plant  for 
sun  or  shade,  rockery,  wall,  or  large  moraine. 
It  forms  a  trailing  mass  of  pretty  leaves  and  hand- 
some, purpi'sh  blue  flowers  in  June,  July,  and  even 
later.  Thi  best  form  is  C.  p.  bavarica,  or  major. 
E.xcellent  fi  r  .my  place  in  the  garden. 

C.  pseudo-Raineri. — This  is  now  very  scarce, 
and  was  for  long  sold  as  one  of  the  forms  of  C. 
G.  F.  Wilson,  but  is  a  much  finer  plant  than  either 
that    hyl)rid    or    C.    Raineri    itself.      It    has   large, 


and  very  handsome  with  its  large,  drooping  cups 
of  exquisite  blue  in  Jmie  and  July.     Division. 

C.  pumila  and  C.  pusilla. — For  garden  purposes 
these    are    pr.ictically    the    same    as    C.    caispitosa. 

C.  raddeana. — A  handsome,  graceful,  easily- 
grown  comparative  novelty.  In  gritty  soil  in 
sun  it  is  about  a  foot  high,  and  has  fine  deep  green 
foliage  and  dark  blue  flowers  borne  in  plenty  in 
July.  The  flat  parts  of  the  rockery  or  front  of 
the  border.  Sun  or  shade.  Seeds  or  division, 
increasing  rapidly  at  the  roots. 

C.  Raineri. — A  delightful  plant,  beloved  of 
slugs  and  difficult  to  keep.  It  loves  the  moraine 
or  a  sunny  chink,  where  it  gives  its  large,  blue, 
erect,  open  flowers  on  2-inch  or  3-inch  stems. 
Division  or  seeds.     June. 

C.  rliomboidalis. — A  lovely  little  Bellflower 
of  the  rotundilolia  character,  with  prettily-formed, 
deep  blue  flowers  about  ten  inches  or  twelve  inches 
high.  The  level  rockery  or  front  of  the  border. 
Seeds  or  division.     June  or  July. 


THE     ROCK    AND    WATER 
GARDEN. 


AUTUMN    IN 


M 


CAMPANULA    ROTUNDH'OLIA    ALPINA,    A    CHARMING    BELLFLOWER    I'OR    THE    ROCK    GAR 


purplish,  open  bells  in  June  on  a  low,  rather  trailing 
plant.      ,\n  open  place  in  light  soil  suits  it  best. 

C.  Profusion. — There  are  two  forms  of  this 
lovely  hybrid  Campanula,  which  comes  very  near 
C.  haylodgensis.  One  has  more  yellow  leaves 
and  one  lighter  blue  flowers  than  the  otlier.  E.xcel- 
lent  for  a  dry  rockery,  wall,  or  moraine.  Division 
or  cutthigs.     June  and  July. 

C.  punctata. — A  handsome  plant,  with  long, 
drooping,  whitish  bells,  spotted  like  those  of  a 
Foxglove,  in  June.  Not  very  long-lived,  but  easily 
raised  from  seeds,  and  looking  best  on  a  rockery. 
It  is  9  inches  or  a  foot  high.     Partial  shade. 

C.  pulla. — A  lovely  gem,  which  often  dies  out 
in  gardens,  cither  from  winter  wet  or  from  slugs. 
It  hates  lime,  and  loves  a  peaty,  rather  moist  place. 
Charming  drooping  bells  of  deepest  blue  on  6-inch 
or  g-inch  stems  in  June  and  July.  Seeds  or  division. 
The  moraine  suits  it  well. 

C.  pulloides. — A  lovely  hybrid,  found  by  some 
easier  to  grow  than  C.  pulla,  which  is  one  of  its 
parents      Good  for  tlic  same  positions  as  C.  pulla, 


C.  rotundifolia. — Under  this,  our  native  Harebell, 
we  may  group  a  number  of  forms.  C.  linitolia 
and  C.  alaskana,  though  said  by  some  to  be  distinct, 
may  well  be  included.  C.  Hostii  is  one  of  the 
best  forms.  C.  r.  alpuia,  deep  blue,  is  very  fine. 
There  are  various  shades  of  blue  and  of  white 
among  the  varieties.  The  single  form  of  C.  r. 
soldanellajflora  is  not  worth  growing,  but  the  double 
one  is  interesting.  Any  soil  or  position  will  suit 
these.  Seeds  or  division.  C.  linifolia  valdensis 
is  very  good.  All  the  forms  will  grow  almost 
anywhere,  and  flower  from  June. 

C.  rupestris. — A  beautiful  little  plant  with 
large,  pale  blue  flowers  and  rather  silvery-looking 
leaves.  Moraine,  or  dry,  sunny  rockwork,  and 
resembling  C.  fragilis  in  its  general  aspect.  Division 
or  seeds.     July. 

C.  sarmatica. — A  good  rock  and  border  plant, 
about  a  foot  high,  after  the  fashion  of  C.  barbata, 
with  pleasing  light  blue  flowers  in  July.  Any 
soil,  and  excellent  in  every  way.  S.  Arnott. 

(To  he  continued.) 


THE     ROCK     GARDEN. 

OST  owners  of  rock  gardens  are  apt 
to  think  that  after  June,  or,  at  latest. 
July,  the  charm  of  that  part  of  their 
garden  is  gone.  To  a  certain  extent 
this  is  true.  Those  who  know 
Switzerland  will  realise  that  the 
spring  and  early  summer  are  certainly  the  times 
when  alpine  plants  are  at  their  best.  But  this  all 
makes  the  problem  of  how  to  avoid  a  bare  autumn 
rockery  all  the  more  interesting.  Just  now  quite 
a  respectable  number  of  plants  may  be  had  in 
bloom  by  those  who  arrange  their  plans  well.  It 
is  considered  rather  bad  management  if  the  flower- 
borders  are  quite  bare  at  one  period  of  the  season, 
unless,  of  course,  they  are  plamicd  for  a  special 
month.  Why  should  not  this  apply 
to  the  rock  garden  ?  1  will  enu- 
merate some  of  the  plants  that 
will  flower  just  now.  It  is  a 
great  help  if  plants  of  small  growth 
and  quite  suitable  to  such  a  position 
are  grown,  even  if  they  are  not  alpiues, 
and  use  is  even  made  of  annuals  to 
fill  up  gaps.  Of  small  carpeting 
plants,  Fraukeuia,  witli  pretty  grey 
foliage  and  a  small  pink  flower,  and 
lonopsidium  acaule,  an  annual  with 
pinkish  mauve  flowers,  are  both  good. 
The  latter  is  particularly  suitable  for 
an  edgu  g.  Linaria  alpina  is  a  grace- 
ful, feathery  little  plant.  Of  the 
Heaths,  Erica  Searlii  and  E.  vagans 
alba  are  both  in  flower  just  now, 
and  make  a  very  satisfactory  mass 
of  dark  green,  studded  with  white. 
Vittadenia  triloba  is  a  small  and  most 
useful  plant,  not  often  seen.  It  has  a 
Daisy-like,  pinkish  white  flower,  and 
is  covered  with  blossom  most  of  the 
year.  It  deserves  the  very  highest 
recommendation.  Both      Corydalis 

dicentra  and  C.  lutea  are  out.  Though 
neither  is  a  showy  plant,  their  foliage 
makes  a  pretty  soft-looking  mass, 
and  their  flowers  are  not  to  be 
DEN.  despised.      The  latter    grows    well    in 

a  wall.  Stray  flowers  may  be 
found  on  many  plants  which  have  really 
done  their  flowering  season.  Hypericum  reptans 
and  H.  Coris  will  make  a  welcome  patch  of 
yellow.  Potentilla  Miss  Willmott  flowered  early 
in  the  summer,  and  is  now  a  mass  of  silvery  pink 
blossoms.  In  a  damp  spot  a  red  Mimulus  makes  a 
handsome  patch  of  colour.  It  is  worth  noting  that 
though  it  does  best  by  the  side  of  water,  it  will 
also  grow  in  quite  a  dry  situation.  Tunica  Saxi- 
fraga  and  Androsace  coronopifolia  (rather  similar 
in  appearance)  are  both  out. 

To  sum  up  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  are  ou 
the  look-out  for  autumn-flowering  plants,  the  follow- 
ing may  give  useful  ideas  :  Gentiana  asdepiadea, 
Commeluia,  Mimulus,  Corydalis  dicentra  and  C< 
lutea,  Frankinia,  Iberis  gibraltarica,  (Enothera 
macrocarpa.  Thrift,  Linaria  alpina.  Tunica  Saxi- 
fraga,  Androsace  coronopifijlia.  Ericas,  Hypericum 
reptans  and  H.  Coris,  and  Veronica.  I'or  foliage, 
Sedums  of  sorts.  For  a  few  stray  flowers,  Geranium 
lancastriense.  Campanula  turbinata  and  C.  t. 
pallida,  and  Violas.        M.   B.   RadcufI'E  Cooke. 


October  i8,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


525 


I  ROCK     GARDEN     PLANTS     IN 

OCTOBER. 

Those  who  so  f)ften  bemoan  the  fact  that  our  lork 
gardens  are  devoid  of  interest  during  tlie  autumn 
should  give  more  attention  to  the  plants  which 
flower  at  that  season.  On  more  than  one  occasion 
we  have  printed  lists  of  suitable  kinds,  and  readers 
have  kindly  supplied  the  names  of  others  that  can 
he  relied  upon  to  produce  flowers  when  the  davs 
are  waning.  This  year  a  great  many  alpine  plants 
have  been  flowering  late,  and  on  the  2nd  inst. 
we  received  from  Mr.  Maurice  Prichard.  West 
Moors,  Dorset,  a  very  line  collcclion.  In 
writing,  Mr.  Prichard  says :  "  I  have  pleasure  in 
pcisting  you  a  box  of  cut  alpines  flowering  on 
October  I  in  the  open.  The  variety  is  so  great 
for  this  time  of  the  year  that   I  was  tempted  to 


V.  Jackanapes,  lower  petals  yellow,  upper  velvety 
brown  :  V.  olympica,  deep  sky  blue  ;  Vittadenia 
triloba,  white,  Daisy-like  flowers  ;  and  Wahlcn- 
bergia  vinca>flora,  periwinkle  blue. 


THE 

IN 


ROSE      GARDEN 


•^(■nd  a  few  samples  for  your  table." 
1-1  one  of  more  than  usual  interest, 
we  publish  herewith  the  names  of 
all  the  kinds  sent  :  .Achillea  tomen- 
i"<a,  yellow;  A.  Kellereri,  white  ; 
.\  .\izoon,  white  ;  .\ntirrhinunis 
glulinosuni  Copper  King  and  Crim- 
son King  ;  A.  gibraltaricum,  rose 
purple  ;  .Aster  Mrs.  Berkeley  (white 
Michaelmas  Daisy)  ;  A.  hybridus 
roseum,  pale  rose ;  A.  sericeus, 
mauve  ;  .\steriscus  maritima,  yel- 
low ;  Bunninghausenia  albiflora, 
white,  with  Kue-likc  foliage  ;  C^alan- 
drinia  umbi'llata,  deep  purple  ; 
Campanula  pnsdla,  deep  blue  ;  C. 
rotundifolia  alba  ;  Calceolaria  alba  ; 
Cheiranthus  Marshallii.  pale  orange; 
Ch,enostoma  lespida,  pale  blush  ; 
t  oreopsis  nisea.  pale  rose  ;  Coronill.i 
albo-roseum,  rtjse  and  wliite  ;  Con- 
volvulus mauritanicusatroca^rulens, 
blue  ;  Dianthus  deltoides  Brilliant, 
brilliant  rose  pink  ;  D.  Prichardii 
Brilliant,  a»3y  pink  ;  Erodium 
hybridum  ;  Felicia  abyssinica,  pale 
mauve  ;  Lysimachia  Henryii,  yel- 
low ;  Heeria  elegans,  rose  purple  ; 
Hypericum  polyphyllum,  H.a'gypti- 
cum,  H.  olympicum,  H.  orientale 
and  H.  empetrifolium,  all  yellow  ; 
Linaria  antii'aria,  pale  yellow,  with 
bronze  lip  ;  L.  alpina,  mauve  blue, 
with  orange  scarlet  lip  ;  L.  multi- 
punctata,  orange  yellow  ;  L.  rosea 
concolor,  pale  rose  ;  L.  repens  alba, 
white  ;  Meconopsis  cambrica  plena, 
yellow ;  M.  c.  aurantiaca  plena, 
orange  scarlet ;  Moringia  muscosa, 
white,  very  tufted  ;  Myosotis  azo- 
ricus,  violet ;  CEnothera  riparia,  dull  orange  scarlet ; 
CE.  me,\icana  rosea,  rose  ;  CE.  taraxacifolia,  canary 
yellow;  Nepeta  Mussinii,  deep  lavender  ;  Origanum 
dictamnus,  dull  rose  ;  Pentstemon  canipanulatus, 
dull  crimson ;  Phyteuma  lobelioides  gracilis, 
deep  blue.  Campanula-like  flowers ;  Primula 
Munroi,  white  ;  P.  capitata,  deep  blue  ;  P.  bulley- 
ana,  orange  ;  P.  Poissonii,  rose  purple  ;  Polygonum 
vaccinifolium,  rose  pink ;  P.  capitatum.  rose 
pink  ;  Saxifraga  cortusafolia,  white  ;  Scutellaria 
indica  japonica,  lavender  blue  ;  S.  hastata,  blue  ; 
Silene  hiciniata,  scarlet  ;  Solidago  brachyphylla, 
yellow ;  Stachys  coccinea,  dull  orange  scarlet  ; 
S.  Corsica,  pale  blush  ;  Verbena  venosa,  purple  ; 
V.  Teneri  .Mahonettii,  purple,  edged  wliite ;  V. 
ratEcans,  deep  mauve  ;  Veronica  Bidwellii  (Miss 
Willmott's    hybrid),    pale    blue  ;     Viola    CEtholica  ; 


A    HAMPSHIRE    GARDEN. 

Some  of  the   Xewer    Roses. 
ONTINUINfi    the    general    review,    I 
come  now  to  the  most  "  important  " 
class    of    all — I    mean     the    garden 
Roses.     What  heresy  this  must  sound 
to    some !     What    would    the     Rev. 
I'oster-Melliar    have  said  to    such   a 
statement  ?     And  yet  it  is  true.     The  most  impor- 
tant by  reason  of  its  numbers,  variety  and  general 
.'\s  the  subject  '  interest.     Why,    for  every  exhibition    Rose   grown 


c 


CAMPANULA    PORTENSCHLAGIA.VA    BAVARICA    GROWING    IN    A    DRV 

WALL. 


Rose  world !  And  then  I  passed  on  down  the 
garden  and  stood  before  a  bush  of  Irish  Beauty, 
with  a  spray  of  its  bloom  just  opening,  the  centre 
or  crown  bud  fully  out  ;  of  the  others  some  were 
thinking  about  it,  while  some  were  still  tight  buds, 
hardly  showing  colour.  Naturally,  it  was  the  centre 
flower  that  attracted  my  attention,  and  it  was  larger 
than  usual.  The  first  flowers  are  nearly  always  the 
biggest  and  this  one  was  at  the  stage  of  its  highest 
possible  beauty,  and  I,  with  all  the  magnificence  of 
the  other  Rose  still  before  me,  found  myself  exclaim- 
ing, "  No  ;  this  is  the  most  beautiful,  after  all ! 
The  simple  white  flower — only  a  single  !  " 

I  think  possibly  the  best  way  to  deal  with  the 
garden  Roses  will  be  to  divide  them  into  colours, 
dealing  with  them  as  bedding  Roses  that  have 
been  particularly  good  this  year.  One  starts 
with  pink  (all  shades)  :  Miss  Cynthia  Forde,  Mme. 
Segond  Weber,  Mme.  Leou  Pain,  Bertha  Claulis 
and  Lady  Alice  Stanley.  I  think 
I  must  confine  myself  to  five  of 
each  colour  ;  three  plants  of  each 
would  make  a  fine  bed  for  anyone 
who  "  must  "  grow  mixed  Roses. 
They  are,  I  am  afraid,  in  the 
majority,  and  all  these  five  would, 
as  it  happens,  mix  well.  Flesh 
tints :  Mrs.  Amy  Hammond  (a 
delightful  Rose  this),  Pharisaer, 
Crace  Molyneux,  La  Tosca  and 
Lady  Ursula,  all  good,  strong 
growers  that  would  be  called  tall 
in  comparison  with  the  set  of  five 
pinks.  Cream  and  pale  yellow : 
Mme.  Melanie  Soupert,  Lady 
Greenall,  Melody,  Verna  Mackay 
and  Mrs.  Harold  Brocklebank. 
Melody  is  probably  the  least 
vigorous  of  these  five,  but  cannot 
be  left  out,  although  the  question 
of  habit  of  growth  is  of  much 
more  importance  in  the  case  of 
mixed  beds.  Reds :  A  real  good 
bedding  red  is  still  to  seek.  (I 
consider,  despite  its  growth,  Hugh 
Dickson  is  still  the  most  satisfac- 
tory, but  that  is  hardly  new.) 
Mrs.  Muir  McKean,  Lieutenant 
Chaure,  Mrs.  E.  Powell,  Leslie 
Holland  and  Richmond  are  all 
good  growers.  Yellows :  Lady 
Hillingdon  (the  best  yellow  garden 
Rose),  Miss  .-Uice  de  Rothschild, 
Duchess  of  Wellington,  Harry 
Kirk  and  Mrs.  L  Pelrie.  While 
(I  shall  not  be  able  to  find  five 
in  this  colour)  :  Mrs.  Herbert 
Stevens,  Molly  Sharman  Crawford, 
British  Queen  and  Simplicity  Then  that  vast 
host  that  one  cannot  label  with  one  colour  name — 


in  the  coimtry  there  are  a  hundred  garden  Roses, 

and   yet    I   suppose   that    without    the   exhibition 

Rose  and  all  that  it  means,  the  garden  Rose  as  we    rather  whose  colours  have  no  name  :    Queen  Mary 

know  it  to-day  would  have  been  non  est,   and  so    (a  really  lovely  Rose),  Carine,  Lady  Pirrie,  Theresa, 

may   they  long  continue.     The   one   is   a   comple-    Mrs.  Herbert  Straker,  Old  Gold.  Mrs.  F.  W.  Vander- 


ment  of  the  other,  and  there  is  plenty  of  room  for 
both,  not  only  in  our  gardens,  but  in  our  hearts. 
I  remember  a  certain  morning  this  last  June 
I  found  myself  confronted  with  the  old  problem, 
"  Which  is  the  most  beautiful  Rose  ?  "  brought 
back  for  reconsideration  and  a  fresh  judgment  by  a 
particularly  beautiful  flower  of  Mrs.  F'oley  Hobbs. 
It  had  been  coming  slowly  to  perfection  for  a  week, 
and  here  it  was  "  at  its  best,"  as  near  perfect  as 


hilt,  Margaret  Molyneux,  Simbeam,  Florence 
Edith  Coulthwaite,  Mme.  C.  Lutand  and  Irish 
Fireflame.  And  from  the  bedders  one  passes  to 
the  semi-climbers  and  climbing  varieties.  Would 
there  were  a  few  more  perpetual-flowering  Roses 
among  them !  They  are  coming,  no  doubt,  but 
very  slowly.  One  welcomed  this  year  Danae 
and  Moonlight  ;  but  they  are  not  climbers,  hardly 
semi-climbers.     They  have  the  continuous-flowering 


one  can  expect,  a  four-point  bloom  meet  to  compete  habit,  for  their  raiser  has  shown  them  consistently 
for  the  medal  for  the  best  bloom  at  any  show.  '  throughout  the  season,  and  never  better  than 
There  can  be  nothing  much  more  beautifid  in  the    at  the  autumn  show,  where  I  was  very  glad  to  see 


526 


THE    GARDEN. 


[October  i8,  1913. 


Mfioiilight  obtained  a  gold  medal ;  but  I  must 
rrtiini  to  my  subject,  .^moug  the  wiehiiraianas, 
Diabolo,  Franrois  Jiiranville,  Dr.  Van  i'leet,  Gerbe 
Rose  and  Shower  of  Cold  have  been  better  this  yem 
than  I  ever  remember  to  have  before  seen  them.  Of 
the  ramblers  or  stronger  growers  :  American  Pillar, 
Blush  Rambler.  Evangeline,  Goldfinch  (particu- 
larly good)  and  Tausendschon.  This  latter '  has 
made  15-feet  to  20-feet  shoots  with  me,  and  the 
tints  of  the  young  foliage  add  a  charm  to  the  plants. 
The  flowers  last  a  very  long  time,  although  it  really 
only  flowers  once.  The  semi-climbers  or  pillar 
Roses  :  Nothing  very  new  has  been  brought  to 
my  notice,  but  Sarah  Bernhardt,  Johanna  Sebas, 
and  Crepuscule  have  been  very  fine,  and  Lady 
Waterlow  and  Trier  are  two  indispensables.  Of 
the  climbing  sports,  Souvenir  de 
Pierre  Notting  has  been  mag- 
nificent, is  still  full  of  flower, 
and  far  and  away  -the  best 
yellow  climber  we  have.  The 
flowers  have  lost  a  lof  of  the 
rough  outer  petals  that  spoil  the 
dwarf  form,  and  have  been  the 
colour  of  Marechal  Niel.  Climbing 
Richmond  has  also  come  to  stay, 
and  Climbing  White  Maman  Cochet 
promises  to  be  very  good  and 
Hseful. 

Herbert    E.   Moi.vneu.\. 
Snulhamploii. 


fauied  Waltham  Cross,  surely  one  of  Messrs. 
William  Paul  and  Sons'  very  finest  creations ; 
the  cxquisitely-thited  Duchess  of  Sutherland, 
a  variety  from  Newtownards  well  worthv  of  its 
name  ;  Alice  de  Rothschild,  a  hybrid  Marechal 
Niel,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  richly  fragrant 
yellow  Roses  in  cultivation  ;  and  such  distinguished 
varieties  from  Portadown  in  Ireland  as  Countess 
of  Gosford,  Miss  Amy  Hammond,  Ethel  Malcolm, 
Evelyn  Dauntesey  (after  the  style  of  the  incom- 
parable La  France),  Mrs.  Alfred  Tate  (of  quite 
imique  colour,  one  of  whose  derivatives  is  probably 
Old  Gold),  the  highly  distinctive  Dorothy  Ratclif?e 
and,  above  all,  Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens  (one  of  the 
most  perfectly-formed  and  refinedly-textured  pure 
white  Roses   that  ever  were   raised),   have  proved 


ROSES     OF     RECENT 

INTRODUCTION. 

While  the  Rose  season,  which 
is  now  only  too  manifestly 
on  the  decline,  was  —  chiefly 
through  lack  of  moisture  —  not 
too  favourable  for  what  may  be 
termed  a  profusion  of  Roses,  it 
was,  on  the  other  hand,  in 
Southern  Scotland  at  least,  crea- 
tive of  quality  in  an  eminent 
degree.  This  was  chiefly  owing 
to  the  abundant  sunshine,  ol 
which,  I  believe,  we  had  more 
in  Scotland  than  even  in  the 
southernmost  English  counties. 
The  varieties  that  were  finest  in 
our  Scottish  gardens  were  un- 
doubtedly the  Teas  and  Hybrid 
Teas.  I  have  never  seen  Anna 
Olivier,  for  example,  with  such 
a  depth  of  colour  as  it  had 
this  year.  It  was  quite  as  rich 
an  apricot  in  my  own  garden 
as   its   derivative    (Lady   Roberts)  ~^'^^   DECO 

at  its  finest,  and  that  is  saying 
much.  I  have  for  many  years 
regarded  the  latter  beautiful  Rose  as  best  adapted 
for  the  conservatory  ;  it  is  not  too  reliable  in  our 
variable  climate  when  grown  in  the  open  air. 
But  the  loveliest  Roses  I  had  this  season  were, 
for  the  most  part,  of  quite  recent  introduction. 
I  had  not,  unfortunately,  the  privilege  of  seeing 
British  Queen,  for  this  was  one  of  the  very  few 
varieties  of  any  reputation  that  during  last  winter 
succumbed  to  the  frost.  I  presume  that  I  had 
assigned  it  too  exposed  a  situation  ;  but  it  was 
from  the  first  anything  but  a  vigorous  or  reliable 
specimen,  and  I  hope  to  obtain  a  stronger  repre- 
sentative of  this  phenomenal  Rose  from  its  raiser 
this  year.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  such  truly 
superb    Roses    as   Mrs.    Charles   Hunter,    Ironi    far- 


RATIVE    nAHLIA    KAISERIN    AUGUSTA    VICTORIA 
FOR    EFFECT. 

during  the  past  season  so  memorable  for  the 
marvellous  beauty  of  their  flowers — mvaluable 
acquisitions.  Lady  Hillingdon,  though  exquisite 
at  the  nurseries  of  Messrs.  Thomas  Smith  and 
Sons  in  this  county,  accomplished  nothing  during 
the  summer  in  my  garden  ;  but  towards  the  end  of 
the  season  it  made  a  visible  effort  in  the  direction 
of  floral  production,  though  its  flowers  are  lament- 
ably lacking  in  size.  Meanwhile  I  am  looking 
forward  to  the  first  appearance  here  next  season 
of  three  Hybrid  Teas  of  the  greatest  fascination, 
viz.,  George  Dickson,  British  Queen  and  King 
George  V.  David  R.  Wii.i.i.\mson. 

Mcinsr  0/    Kirkmciulen,  by  Drummnre, 
Wigtownshire. 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

DAHLIAS     FOR     GARDEN     EFFECT. 

IN  years  gone  by  the  Dahlia  was  looked  upon 
as  an  almost  indispensable  autumn  flower, 
but  now  we  often  hear  the  opinion  expressed 
that  Dahlias  are  almost  useless  for  colour 
effect  in  the  garden.  The  reason  is  not 
far  to  seek,  for  the  older  varieties  of 
the  decorative  class  hold  their  heads  of  bloom 
on  stout  stems  well  above  the  foliage,  whereas 
most  of  the  modern  varieties  introduced  under 
the  name  and  disguise  of  improved  sorts 
possess  the  unpardonable  fault  of  weakened  stems, 
hiding  their  heads  of  bloom  beneath  a  dense  green 
mass  of  growth  and  foliage. 
Happily,  some  of  the  older  varie- 
ties good  for  garden  colour-schemes 
are  still  to  be  obtained,  while  the 
new  Pajony-flowered  race  bids  fair 
when  better  known  to  outrival  the 
old  show  Dahlia  for  massing 
Readers  should  be  wary  of  the 
alleged  improved  varieties  as  seen 
at  exhibitions.  More  often  than 
not  these  flowers  are  either  dis- 
played in  show  bo.xes  or  with  stems 
stiffened  by  wires.  Such  varieties 
may  be  utterly  useless  from  a 
garden  point  of  view,  however 
excellent  they  may  be  for  exhibi- 
tion. Now,  by  thoughtfully  choos- 
ing the  right  varieties,  it  is 
possible  to  create  truly  wonderful 
autumn  colour  -  schemes  with 
Dahlias.  It  needs  only  a  glance 
at  the  accompanying  illustration 
to  make  this  point  clear.  Here  is 
seen  a  bed  of  the  variety  Kaisenn 
.Augusta  Victoria,  in  which  the 
flower  -  heads  are  borne  on  stout 
stems  well  above  the  foliage.  This 
bed  is  situated  near  the  lake  at  Kew, 
and  from  all  directions  the  white 
flowers  show  up  clearly,  and  make 
a  bright  and  telling  spot  upon  an 
autumn  landscape.  It  is  true  that 
many  of  the  flowers  are  semi- 
double,  and  from  a  florist's  point  of 
view  they  may  be  lacking  in  form, 
but  for  producing  a  mass  of  bloom 
this  variety  has  few  equals.  It  is 
unfortunate  that  there  are  two 
varieties  bearing  the  name 
Kaiserin  .Augusta  Victoria,  and  the 
one  here  referred  to  is  not  the 
PLANTED  Pffiony-flowered     variety,     but     a 

pure  white  decorative  Dahlia  that 
grows  from  2  feet  to  3  feet  in  height. 
.Another  decorative  variety,  and  one  which  is 
becoming  very  popular  for  colour  effect,  is  D61ice, 
a  sturdy  grower  with  delightfully  fresh  pink 
flowers.  It  has  this  year  been  seen  in  many  gardens, 
and,  having  rendered  a  good  account  of  itself, 
it  has  doubtless  come  to  stay.  Loveliness  is  another 
charming  variety.  It  is  now  flowering  to  perfec- 
tion in  a  border  of  autumn  flowers  at  Gunnersbury. 
It  goes  without  saying  that  self  colours  give  the 
most  pleasing  effect,  particularly  when  massed 
in  great  numbers. 

The  single  and  Pompon  Dahlias  look  very  dainty 
in  the  garden,  and  are  deserving  of  more  attention. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  little-known  bedding 
varieties,     of     which     b'lora     Maedonald     (yellow). 


October  i8,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


527 


Kisin;;  Sun  (scarlet)  and  King  of  tlio  Dwarfs 
(purpli)  ari^  among  the  best.  These  varieties 
-rldnm  exrerd  2  feet  in  heiglit,  and  are  very  nsefnl 
iTi  gardens  of  limited  space.  Of  the  Cactus  varie- 
ties, Amos  Perry  (scarlet)  and  Garden  Yellow 
ire  two  of  the  very  best.  Nor  must  we  omit 
Mauve  Queen,  Conquest  (crimson)  and  the  dark 
lorm  of  the  old  favourite  J.  H.  Jackson. 


TWELVE 


USEFUL    SHRUBS 
WALLS. 


FOR 


hardy  in  Cornwall,  requires  the  shelter  frf  a  wall 
round  London.  The  small,  oval  leaves  stamp  it 
as  distinct  from  the  other  species,  T.  lanceolata 
or  hexapetala  (which  is  sometimes  also  called 
Crinodendron  hookerianum),  while  its  white, 
fringed  flowers  are  also  very  different  from  those 
It  gives  the  best  results  in  a 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 


The     selection    of    suitable    shrubs     for    covering 
walls    is    often    a    perplexing  business    to   persons 
who    are   not    intimately    acquainted    with  shrub- 
life,       more      particularly       when       neat-growing    of  the  other  plant, 
plants     are    required    rather    than    the  more   free    sunny  position. 

and  rampant  climbers.  With  this  in  view,  the  Escallonia  macrantha. — Although  this  is  per- 
following  twelve  kinds  have  been  selected  as  ,  fectly  hardy  in  the  smithern  maritime  counties, 
a  guide   to   intending  planters.     Plants  of  strictly    it  requires  wall  culture  in  most  parts  of  the  country, 

climbing  habit  have  been  avoided  in  most  instances,    and   is   an   excellent    plant    for   the   purpose.     Its 

A     BEAUTIFUL     SNOWBERRi.  |  and  preference  has  been  given  to  those  which  are    dark,  evergreen  leaves  are  interesting  at  all  seasons, 

UNDER  the  name  of  Symphoricarpus  ;  not  generally  hardy,  or  which  give  better  results  while  its  deep  rose  or  light  red  flowers  make  it 
ni.illis  and  S.  occidentalis  a  large  i  against  a  wall  than  when  planted  in  the  open,  particularly  showy  in  summer.  It  thrives  in  a 
fruiting  Snowberry  has  been  fairly  As  a  rule,  any  of  the  plants  mentioned  succeed  i  variety  of  soils  and  situations, 
frequentlv  exhibited  at  the  fon-  i  quite  well  with  no  further  attention  than  an  annual  j  Myrtus  communis. — This,  the  common  Myrtle, 
nightly  shows  of  the  Royal  Horn-  pruning  as  soon  as  the  flowers  are  over  and  is  always  a  popular  plant  in  gardens,  but  many 
cultural      Society      in      autumn     for    occasionally  nailing  the  branches  into  position.  people  neglect  it  by  reason  of  its  liability  to  injury 

tliree  or  four  years  past.  On  Octo- 
ber II,  igro,  as  S.  mollis,  it  was 
given  an  award  of  merit,  and  on 
Tuesday  of  last  week  a  first- 
class  certificate.     Considerablf  ditler- 

■  ine     of    opinion    exists    as   to    the 

■  I  irrectness  of  the  nomenclature. 
It  has  been  conclusively  proved 
to  be  neither  of  the  species 
named,  but  a  large-fruited  form 
of  the  common  Snowberry  (S.  race- 
mosus).  Raisers  of  new  and  im- 
proved varieties  of  plants  can 
readily  understand  how  this  large- 
fruited  form  has  been  obtained — by 
raising  se-dlings  from  the  largest 
fruits  through  several  generations 
and  growing  the  bushes  in  rich  soil. 
Both  species,  S.  mollis  and  S. 
1.1  ( identalis,  are  now  in  cultivation 
.It  Kew ;  but  neither  can  in  any 
way  compare  with  the  specinun 
illustrated,  this  being  an  infinitely 
better  plant  in  every  way  for 
garden  decoration.  The  name  Sym- 
phoricarpus racemosus  macrocarpa 
has  been  suggested  for  the  plant, 
but  no  doubt  the  name  S.  occi- 
dentalis will  cling  to  it  for  some 
years  in  nurseries.  Present  appear- 
ances suggest  that  neither  S.  mollis 
nor  S.  occidentalis  are  sufficiently 
ornamental  to  warrant  their  general 
culture  outside  botanic  gardens.  S. 
r.icemosus  macrocarpa  is  a  free- 
gi'owing  bush  up  to  6  feet  in 
height,  with  large,  pure  snow  white 
berries  borne  in  terminal  and  axillary 
clusters  at  the  ends  of  the  shoots, 
those  of  vigorous  growth.  These  panicles  are  so 
heavily  clothed  with  fruits  that  their  weight 
causes  the  shoots  to  arch  over,  giving  the  bushes 
a  very  graceful  appearance.  Shown  from  the 
famous  collection  of  trees  at  .\ldenham  it  has 
aroused  great  interest  and  admiration. 

The  Snowberries  thrive  in  most  soils,  and  are  of 
great  value  for  shrubbery  borders.  In  addition 
to  increase  by  seeds,  the  bushes  produce  suckers 
freely,  so  that  division  of  the  clumps  is  possible 
every  few  years,  or  pieces  may  be  taken  off  the 
sides  without  lifting  the  whole  specimen.  A 
second  useful  species,  popularly  known  as  the 
Coral  Berry  (S.  orbiculatus),  is  in  cultivation.  Of 
this  there  is  a  very  pretty  variegated  form  named 
foliis  variegatis.  The  SyInphoricarpus?s  are 
natives  of  North  -America.  A.  O. 


A    BEAUTH-UL    SNOWBERRY, 


SYMPHORICARPUS    R.4CEMOSUS    MACROC.^RP.-i, 
S.    OCCIDENTALIS    AND    S.    MOLLIS. 


ALSO    KNOWN    Art 


particularly 


PlagianthUS  Lyallii. — This  is  a  New  Zealand 
shrub  belonging  to  the  Hibiscus  family.  It  attains 
a  height  of  quite  12  feet,  and  may  be  relied  upon 
to  cover  a  considerable  area.  It  produces  clusters 
of  pendulous,  white  flowers  from  the  leaf-a.\ils 
in  July,  and  is  a  general  favourite  with  all  who 
see  it.  South,  west  or  east  aspects  are  suitable, 
and  warm,  loamy  soil  is  required. 

Sophora  viciifolia,  a  spiny-branched  shrub 
tnmi  China,  is  quite  hardy  in  the  South,  but  flowers 
most  satisfactorily  when  planted  against  a  wall 
in  the  colder  parts  of  the  coimtr)-.  The  deciduous, 
pinnate  leaves  are  composed  of  tiny,  delicate 
leaflets,  and  the  white,  violet-marked.  Pea-shaped 
flowers  are  borne  freely  in  short  racemes  from 
axillarv'  growths. 

Tricuspidaria  dependens. — This  is  an  inter- 
esting  and  decorative  evergreen,  which,   although 


in  winter.  Planted  against  a  wall,  however,  it 
escapes  injury,  and  the  full  value  of  its  rich  green, 
fragrant  foliage  is  apparent  throughout  the  year, 
while  its  white  flowers  are  an  additional  attrac- 
tion towards  the  end  of  the  summer,  .\fter  a 
warm  summer  a  good  crop  of  black  fruits  may  be 
expected. 
Cotoneaster  horizontalis  is  an  excellent  plant 

fi.'r  a  (nriicr.  Althougli  wlien  growing  in  the  open 
ground  it  rarely  exceeds  18  inches  in  height,  it 
grows  quite  10  feet  high  against  a  wall,  and  requires 
no  nailing  after  it  has  once  obtained  a  start.  Its 
bright  scarlet  fruits  are  very  attractive,  while 
the  leaves  colour  brilliantly  before  they  fall  in  the 
autumn. 

Ceanothus  veitchianus. — This  Califonuan  ever- 
green is  rssentialK-  a  pl.iiit  for  a  wall.  Of  vigorous 
growth,  it  must  be  planted  in  a  permanent  posit i<iii 


528 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  i8,  1913. 


when  quite  small,  and  if  possible  from  a  pot,  for 
it  transplants  badly.  The  small,  evergreen  leaves 
make  it  attractive  when  n(}t  in  flower,  while  the 
blue  flowers  are  borne  in  surh  profusion  in  May 
as  to  hide  the  leaves, 

CeanothUS  rigidus  makes  an  excellent  com- 
panion plant  for  the  last  named.  It  is  a  native 
of  the  same  country,  and  is  distinguished  by  its 
more  rigid  branches  and  deeper-coloured  blossoms. 
Like  the  previous  plant,  it  blossoms  with  the 
greatest  freedom.  Both  kinds  thrive  in  well- 
drained,  light,  loamy  soil,  and  give  the  best 
results  when  exposed  to  full  sun.  They  must 
not  be  given  very  rich  soil,  or  the  flowering  will 
suffer. 

Pyracantha  angUStifolia.— This  Chinese  plant 
was  originally  called  Cotoneaster  angustifolia, 
liut  is  now  included  in  Pyracantha.  Its  long, 
narrow  leaves  resemble  those  of  the  common 
Pyracantha  in  shape,  but  have  a  greyish  hue. 
The  fruits  are  orange-coloured,  and  ripen  during 
the  autumn.  A  sunny  position  and  light,  loamy 
soil  are  essential  to  success. 

Corokea  Cotoneaster,  a  New  Zealand  shrub 
lii'longing  to  the  Cornus  family,  though  rarely  met 


NEW     AND     RARE     P1.ANTS. 


FIRST-CLASS     CERTIFICATE. 

Symphoricarpus   racemosus  macrocarpa. — See 

illustration  and  note  on  p.igc  =,27. 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Helianthus    speciosus    (Tithonia). — This  was 

In-  far  the  most  remarkable  novelty  exhibited  at 
the  last  meeting,  and  as  such  excited  much  admira- 
tion. Strictly  speaking,  however,  it  is  not  a 
novelty  at  all,  the  plant  having  been  introduced 
from  Mexico  so  long  ago  as  1833,  and  is  figured 
in  the  Botanical  Magazine,  t.  3295.  The  flower- 
heads  are  about  fmir  inches  across,  the  florets 
colinired  a  crimson-scarlet  on  the  upper  surface 
and  chrome  yellow  below  ;  peduncles  single-headed. 
Of  annual  duration  only,  and  probably  easily  raised 
from  seeds.     From  Mr.  W.  Batchelor,  Towcester. 

Nerine  Giantess. — This  fine  variety  is  said  to 
have  licen  obtained  by  crossing  N.  Bowdenii  and 
N.  coruscans,  and  there  are  abundant  evidences 
to  this  end.  The  tall  scapes  and  large  open  flowers 
are  very  suggestive  of  the  first  named,  the  latter 
being  revealed  in  the  form  of  the  sepals  and  colo'jr. 
It  is  of  rose  cerise  colouring. 


THii    NliW    AIJPLJ-,    t.UliLPH     (MUlH     kliUULbtl),     WHICH    UAINttJ     IHt     kO\AL     1 1  OK  1  II.  Li  1.- 
TURAL    society's    FIRST-CLASS    CERTIFICATE    RECENTLY. 


with  in  gardens,  is  a  decidedly  handsome  plant 
when  grown  against  a  south  or  west  wall.  Its 
tiny,  dark  bronzy  green  leaves,  with  a  grey  reverse, 
remain  in  good  condition  throughout  the  year, 
while  in  June  its  golden,  star-shaped  flowers 
are  a  great  attraction.  Light,  loamy  soil  is 
suitable. 

Hydrangea  petiolaris  is  strictly  a  climbing 
plant,  its  branches  ascending  and  clinging  to  their 
support  by  means  of  aerial  roots,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  Ivy.  It  is  an  excellent  plant  for  almost  any 
position  where  an  evergreen  is  not  necessary. 
The  flowers  appear  in  large  heads,  many  fertile 
flowers  being  accompanied  by  a  few  sterile  blooms. 
The  blossoming-time  is  summer.  It  is  a  native  of 
Japan. 

Cydonia    japonica   cardinalis   is   a  very   rich 

coloured  form  of  the  common  Cydonia,  or  Pyrus, 
japonica.  Of  vigorous  habit,  it  will  grow  ig  feet 
or  i8  feet  high  if  allowed.  By  keeping  the 
breast-wood  cut  back,  a  spur-like  condition  of  the 
branches  is  encouraged,  from  which  the  maximum 
number  of  flowers  may  be  expected.  A  sunny 
position  is  desirable.  D. 


Nerine  Glory  of    Sarmia. — A  very  handsome 

variety  with  flowers  of  crimson-scarlet.  These 
two  came  from  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons,  Covent 
Garden,  W.C. 

Nerine  Salmon  Queen. — The  name  is  descriptive. 

The  variety  is  an  exceedingly  handsome  one,  tall 
and  imposing  in  stature,  and  bearing  a  fine  head 
of  flowers. 

Tricyrtis  stolonifera.  —  The  Toad  Lilies  are 
remarkable  for  their  quaintly  -  coloured  flowers, 
and  this  is  no  exception  to  the  rule.  The  above 
appears  to  be  possessed  of  a  more  branching  habit 
than  some,  the  copiously-spotted  flowers  more 
bell-shaped  in  outline.  These  two  came  from  Mr. 
H.  J.  Klwes,  Colesborne. 

Paulownia   tomentosa  lanata. — This  handsome 

foliage  plant  was  wel'  shown  by  the  Hon.  Vicary 
Gibbs,  Elstree,  and  for  its  leaf-growth  is  well 
worthy  of  cultivation.  The  flowers  of  the  new- 
comer are  said  to  be  coloured  violet. 

Carnation  Yellow  Stone. — The  flowers  are  of 
good  size,  pale  yellow  in  colour,  with  occasional 
touches  of  palest  primrose.  From  Messrs.  AUwood 
Brothers,  Havward's  Heath. 


Carnation  Queen  Alexandra. — A  fine  pink- 
flowered  sport  from  Scarlet  Glow,  the  flowers 
of  shapely  form  and  supported  on  strong  stems. 
The  variety  possesses  a  pleasing,  if  not  powerful, 
fragrance.      From  Mr.  Clarke,  March. 

Dahlia  General  de  Sonis  (Collarette). — Florets 
rich  scarlet,  the  few  inner  florets  being  coloured 
yellow. 

Dahlia  Carl  Bechstadt  (Collarette).— A  very 
showy  variety  of  scarlet  and  yellow  colouring. 

Dahlia  Oilenbach  (Decorative), — A  fine  yellow 
self  of  much  merit.  These  three  were  exhibited 
by  Mr,  J,  B.  Riding,  Chingford, 

Dahlia  The  Quaker  (Cactus).— The  florets  are 
finely'  incurved,  and  coloured  for  the  most  part  a 
pinky  white.  From  Messrs.  J.  Stredwick  and  Sons, 
St.  Leonards-on-Sea. 

The  above-named  Dahlias,  having  been  adjudi- 
cated upon  by  a  joint  committee  of  the  National 
Dahlia  Society  and  the  floral  committee  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Societv,  carry  the  first-class  certificate 
of  the  former  and  the  award  of  merit  of  the 
latter. 


I^TEW     ORCHIDS. 

FIRST-CLASS      CERTIFICATE. 

Cattleya  Adula  Glebe  Variety  (C  bicoior  ,x  c. 
hardyana), — This  is  an  exceptionally  fine  form,  with 
deep  rose  sepals  and  petals  tinged  with  red,  while 
the  broad  lip  is  purplish  crimson.  Shown  by 
G.  C,  Phillips,  Esq.,  Sevenoaks. 

AWARDS  OF  MERIT. 
Brasso-Cattleya  Iris  (C,  Iris  x  B.C.  Thorntonii). 
— .-X  charming  acquisition  to  this  class  of  Orchid, 
with  rosy  purple  sepals  and  petals,  while  the  large 
round  fimbriated  lip  is  crimson-purple  with  a 
yellow  throat.  F'rom  Messrs,  J,  and  A,  McBean, 
Cookslifidge,  Sussex, 

Cattleya   Fabia  Prince  of  Wales  (C  aurea  x 

C,  labiata), — One  of  the  best  forms  seen.  It  has 
purplish  sepals  and  petals  and  a  ruby  crimson 
lip,  with  yellow  lines  in  the  throat.  Exhibited 
by  Messrs.  Sander  and  Sons,  St.  .Albans. 

Odontoglossum   crawshayanum  superbum  (O. 

Hallii  X  O.  harryaiuiin), — This  variety  has  yellow 
sepals  and  petals  with  dark  chocolate-coloured 
markings,  while  the  large  open  lip  is  white,  with 
purple  spots  at  the  base  around  the  yellow  crest. 

NEW     APPLES. 

FIRST-CLASS     CERTIFICATE. 

Guelph.  —  A  very  handsome,  highly-coloured 
and  richly-flavoured  variety.  Parentage  :  Charles 
Ross  X  Rival.  The  fruits  resemble  the  former 
parent  in  colour  and  flavour,  but  are  larger  in 
size.  A  deputation  of  the  fruit  committee  were 
very  favourably  impressed  with  this  Apple  as  seen 
upon  the  tree  at  Newbury.  See  illustration. 
AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Peacemaker. — In  colour,  form  and  size  this 
variety  closely  resembles  the  former,  but  its  fruits 
ripen  quite  a  fortnight  earlier.  Parentage  :  Houblon 
X  Rival.  These  two  varieties  were  raised  by  that 
successful  and  veteran  raiser  Mr.  Charles  Ross, 
and  were  shown  by  Mr.  W.  Pope,  Welford  Park, 
Newbury. 

Cliveden  Prolific.— This  variety,  of  medium 
size,  possesses  excellent  cooking  qualities  ;  more- 
over, it  is  a  very  heavy  cropper.  It  is  claimed  to 
he  a  poor  man's  Apple,  as  it  crops  heavily  in  good 
and  bad  seasons  ahke.  Shown  by  Mr,  W,  Camm, 
Cliveden  Gardens,  Taplow. 

The  foregoing  were  all  shown  before  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  on  October  7,  when  the 
awards  were  made. 


October  i8,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


629 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS 


HOW     TO    PLANT     BUSH     FRUITS     AND     APPLES     AND     PEARS. 


IN  small  gardens  use  must  be  made  of  every 
square  foot  of  ground.  Some  cultivators 
utilise  every  square  inch,  practically  reaping 
good  crops  of  various  kinds  and,  also,  a 
lot  of  enjoyment  out  of  the  necessary  work. 
Not  very  long  ago  we  were  accustomed  to 
see  one  or  two  very  large  Apple,  Pear  or  Cherry 
trees  in  a  small  garden.  Few  such  specimens 
remain  ;  they  had  to  give  place  to  smaller  ones 
representing  several  varieties  in  the  same  space, 
and  in  the  modern  garden  the  small  tree  has  been, 
and  rightly  so,  the  first  consideration  of  the  culti- 
vator.    I  am  now  dealing  with  such  trees. 

The  Rooting  Medium. — This  is  a  very  important 
m.ittcr,  and  must  receive  first  attention.  Unlike 
an  annual  or  a  plant  in  a  pot,  the  fruit  tree  must 
lemain  in  the  same  position  for  a  number  of  j'ears, 
and  so  we  must  thoroughly  prepare  the  soil. 
Trench  it  2  feet  6  inches  deep  at  least.  The 
subsoil  nmst  be  well  broken,  but  left  below  ; 
all  top  soil — which  is  the  best — should  be 
left  there.  Where  the  trees  or  bushes  arc 
planted  in  rows,  side  by  side,  covering  any 
considerable  area,  the  whole  of  the  ground  must 
be  trenched.  I'or  a  single  row  of  them,  trench 
a  space  7  feet  6  inches  wide.  For  a  standard 
or  one  bush  or  pyramid,  trench  a  space  8  feet 
across.  For  bush  fruits,  only  half  the  spaces 
denoted  above  will  suffice. 

Position. — Then,  of  course,  there  is  the  position 
to  be  c<tnsidered,  not  only  for  the  fruit  trees,  but 
also  for  ordinary  vegetables  and  flowers.  Fruit 
trees  certainly  need  some  shelter  from  north-east 
and  south-west  winds.  Low  sheltering  fences  or 
walls,  which  break  the  force  of  the  wind  without 
unduly  obstructing  air  and  light,  are  the  best. 
Then,  it  follows  that  the  fruit  trees  must  have  a 
position     to    their    advantage    without     any    dis- 


IIOVV    TO     PLANT     BUSH     FRUITS.       THE 


DI.\GRAMS 
TK.XT. 


advantage  to  other  crops.  Rows  of  tall-growing 
trees  should  always  be  planted  on  the  south  side 
of  a  broad  path,  as  then  the  shadow  they  cast 
falls    on    the   path,   and   not   on    the   crops  on   the 


Ai;r,      l-ULLY    E.XPLAINED     IN    THE 


Black     Currants     do 


'^/f777/7r:////77/?^f^777?/S^^ 


o 


-^-mi:_^^ 


PLANTING   STANDARD,    BUSH   AND   CORDON    APPLES   AND   PEARS. 


other     sid<'. 
cool  ([ii.irlcr. 

How  to  Plant  the  Trees  and  Buslies.— I  will 

first  deal  with  Black,  Red  and  White  Currants, 
and  Raspberries  and  Gooseberries.  Fig.  .\  shows 
at  No.  I  a  young  Black  Currant ;  No.  2,  a  Goose- 
berry, the  two  thin,  lower  shoots  of  which  must 
be  removed ;  No.  3,  a  Red  or  White  Currant. 
No.  4  shows  a  rooted  Black  Currant  cutting ; 
the  buds,  «,  a,  must  be  retaijied.  No.  5  shows  a 
Red  Currant  cutting  ;  the  basal  or  stem  buds,  6,  6, 
must  be  picked  out,  also  any  showing  on  the 
stems  of  White  Currants  or  Gooseberries.  No.  6 
shows  a  weakly  Raspberry  cane,  and  No.  7  a 
strong  one  ;  after  cutting  off  the  tiny  sucker,  a, 
plant  such  a  cane.  These  few  hints  will  be  useful  as 
regards  the  preparation  of  bush  fruits  for  planting. 
The  distance  apart  from  bush  to  bush  when  forming 
plantations  is  shown  at  No.  8.  Raspberries — single 
plants — must  be  18  inches  apart  ;  and  if  planted 
to  form  clumps  of  three  or  five  canes,  in  rows  4  feet 
6  inches  asimder,  as  shown  respectively  at  No.  g. 
Apples  and  Pears.— Fig.  B  at  No.  i  shows  how 
to  plant  and  stake  a  standard  tree,  and  No.  2 
how  to  fix  the  tying  material.  Nos.  3  and  4 
show  a  bush  .\pple  and  a  pyramid  Pear  respectively 
after  planting.  No.  5  depicts  how  to  fix  a  wire  trellis 
for  espalier  trees  ;  No.  6  how  to  train  single  cordons 
on  low  walls  ;  and  No.  7  how  to  train  the  branches 
of  a  fan-shaped  specimen  on  a  wall.  No.  8  repre- 
sents a  cordon  trained  on  low  wires  near  a  path, 
and  No.  9  a  double,  upright  cordon.  The  latter 
furnishes  wall  pillars  very  nice'y.  Plant  firmly  while 
the  soil  is  pretty  dry,  and  ijake  the  latter  firm 
around  the  roots  Q.  q. 


530 


THE    GARDEN. 


[October  i8,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Gladioli. — As  tlic  ioliage  becoiups  matured, 
lliisf  should  be  lifted,  spreading  them  out  in  a 
frame,  sfied,  or  some  other  dry  place  till  they  can 
be  cleaned  off,  afterwards  storing  them  in  a  cool, 
dry  place  for  the  winter. 

Montbretias. — In  some  localities  these  will 
stand  the  winter  quite  well  in  the  borders  ;  but  in 
cold,  damp  situations  it  is  wise  to  lift  and  treat 
them  much  in  the  same  way  as  Gladioli;  but, 
tlie  bulbs  being  smaller,  they  will  not  stand  the 
same  amount  of  drying. 

Begonias  that  were  lifted  from  the  beds  should 
now  be  m  a  dry  enough  condition  to  warrant  their 
being  cleaned  over,  removing  the  old  shoots  care- 
fully and  all  loose  soil,  when  they  also  should  be 
stored  in  boxes  or  trays  in  a  dry  shed  that  is  not 
ti)o  warm. 

Cannas  I  have  found  grow  best  if  they  are  not 
allowed  to  get  too  dry  during  the  winter.  Remove 
all  the  decaying  foliage  from  the  plants  that  have 
been  lifted,  when  they  may  be  stored  in  a  cool, 
dry  house  with  a  little  light  soil  or  leaves  among 
the  roots.  I  have  also  brought  them  through 
the  winter  very  successfully  in  an  ordinary  cold 
frame  well  protected  with  dry  leaves. 

Tlie  Pleasure  Grounds. 
Good,    Deep     Trenching    is    most    essential 

where  shrubs  are  to  be  planted,  as  rarely  can  the 
soil  be  moved  much  afterwards..  Very  poor 
soils  should  be  enriched  with  some  good  loam, 
peat,  leaf-soil,  or  manure,  according  to  "the  nature 
of  the  shrubs  that  are  to  occupy  the  ground, 
though  fairly  good  and  holding  loam  rarely  needs 
much  enriching  for  ordinary  shrubs. 

Planting.— It  is  full  early  for  planting,  but 
there  is  no  need  to  delay  it  after  the  soil  has  got 
wet  enough  to  allow  the  plants  to  come  up  with 
good  balls  of  soil,  early-planted  shrubs  having  by 
far  the  best  chance  of  going  through  the  following 
summer  without  ill-effects. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Specimen  Plants,  such  as  Bougainvilleas, 
Clerodendrous  and  Allamandas,  may  be  removed 
for  the  winter  months  to  a  cool  house  :  in  fact, 
a  resting  fruit-house  is  a  very  good  place  in  which 
to  winter  them. 

Roof  Climbers,  wherever  possible,  should  be 
shortened  back  or  tied  in,  so  as  to  admit  as  much 
light  as  possible  to  the  plants  underneath,  and  in 
many  instances  water  need  only  be  given  now  in 
very  sparing  quantities,  so  as  to  rest  the  plants 
as  far  as  possible. 

Fuchsias.— Old  plants  that  are  to  be  kept  over 
for  another  season  should  now  be  in  a  fit  conditnm 
for  storing,  and  if  there  is  not  room  to  store  them 
in  a  cool,  dry  greeidiouse,  any  old  shed  w-here  frost 
can  be  entirely  excluded  will  do  for  them,  dry 
straw  placed  among  the  pots  and  among  the  wood 
often  making  them  quite  secure,  where,  if  not 
covered,  they  might  get  the  frost  during  a  very 
severe  spell. 

Young  Plants  that  may  be  growing  on  through 
llic  winter  to  make  specimens  should  be  very 
carefully  watered,  or,  if  the  temperature  happens 
to  be  rather  high,  the  growth  will  become  soft  and 
attenuated,  and  this  is  not  desirable. 

Freesias.  — The  early-potted  plants  are  now 
growing  freely,  and  if  they  are  wanted  in  flower 
by  Christmas,  they  must  be  given  just  a  little 
heat  A  very  light  and  warm  frame  will  suit  them 
well  but  a  shelf  in  a  rather  warm  greenhouse  will 
probably  keep  the  foliage  a  little  harder  and 
stronger.  Stake  as  soon  as  required,  for  once 
the  grcvth  goes  down,  distorted  flower-spikes  are 
the  result. 

Chrysanthemums  will  need  a  fair  amount  of 
attention  just  now,  and  all  damped  petals  must 
be  removed  before  they  affect  others  near  them, 
hire-heat  now  is  quite  essential  at  night,  and  where 
the  blooms  are  near  the  ventilators,  tiffany  stretched 
above  them  will  possibly  prevent  a  good  deal 
of  trouble  from  damping.  Avoid  draiiglits  thnaigli 
the  house  as  much  as  possible,  as  I  believe  more 
blooms  are  lost  from  this  cause  than  from  any  other, 
so  restrict  the  front  ventilation  during  damp  or 
foggy  weather. 


The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Carrots. — Growing  crops  in  frames  should  have 
the  lights  put  on  at  night  now,  as  a  sharp  frost 
would  practically  stop  their  growth,  and  pro- 
viding there  is  the  faintest  suspicion  of  warmth 
in  the  bed,  they  will  continue  growing  for 
some  little  time  yet.  Matured  roots  should 
be  kept  drier,  as  even  small  Carrots  will  be  found 
to  split  if  given  too  much  water  after  their  growth 
is  practically  finished. 

Mint  that  may  have  been  grown  on  in  boxes 
as  advised  in  an  early  calendar  may  now  be  intro- 
ducea  into  heat  in  sufficient  quantity  to  keep  up  a 
supply,  and  if  it  has  been  allowed  to  get  rather  dry, 
I  find  it  comes  along  fairly  quickly  after  a  soaking 
or  two  of  water,  and  once  it  gets  a  start,  liquid 
manure-water  is  a  distinct  advantage. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

In  every  garden  where  a  quantity  of  fruit  is 
grown  there  is  each  season  a  proportion  of  the  trees 
that  would  be  benefited  by  a  change  of  position. 
Certain  varieties  may  not  do  well  in  the  position 
they  are  in,  which,  if  shifted,  say,  on  to  liigher 
ground  or,  maybe,  on  to  lighter  soil,  might  prove 
highly  remunerative,  so  that  wherever  trees  are 
found  to  be  doing  badly  and  which  have  been  root- 
pruned  with  a  view  to  improving  their  cropping 
qualities,  they  might  well  be  given  another  chance. 

Trees  Planted  in  Heavy,  Wet  Soils  often  do 

very  badly,  particularly  Pears,  and  in  one  instance 
I  noted,  after  they  were  lifted  bodily  and  planted 
from  9  inches  to  a  foot  higher  out  of  the  ground, 
the  trees  commenced  to  give  good,  clean  crops, 
and  the  inference  drawn  from  this  is  that  under 
such  conditions  trees  cannot  w'ell  be  planted  too 
near  the  surface. 

Preparation   of    Ground   tor   Planting. — Here 

again  1  would  emphasise  the  necessity  of  thoroughly 
preparing    the    ground   before    planting,    either   by 
trenching  deeply  the  wliole  of  the  ground  in  the 
case  of  planting  in  the  garden,  or,  if  for  orchard 
culture,  breaking  up  really  good  stations  for  them, 
in  no  case  less  than  from  8  feet  to  lO  feet  across. 
It   may   not   tie   necessary   to   add   manure   to   the 
soil ;   rather   add    old  mortar   rubble,   leaf-soil,   or 
anything  of  a  light'ehing  nature  on  close,  retentive 
soil,  and  good  loam  or  a-  proportion  of  clay,  W'cll 
incorporated,  into  soils  that  are  too  light. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
{Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta.  Esq.) 
Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 
Lifting   and   Storing    Dahlias. — These    showy 

autumn  flowers  cannot  be  expected  to  do  dut>' 
much  longer,  and  must  soou  be  lifted  and  stored. 
A  dry  day  should  be  selected  for  the  work.  Cut 
the  plants  down  to  within  5  inches  of  the  ground 
and  lilt  carefully  with  a  digging  fork. 

Spring  Bedding. — There  is  nothing  to  be  gained, 
but  rather  the  contrary,  by  delaying  this  work 
longer.  Clear  away  the  summer  bedders  and 
give  the  beds  or  borders  a  dressing  of  half-decayed 
manure.  Dig  deeply,  leaving  a  nice  smooth  surface. 
Last  year,  in  a  geometrical  design  of  twenty  beds 
here,  fourteen  of  them  were  planted  with  Royal 
Blue  Forget-me-not,  and  the  remainder  (fairly 
large  beds)  were  filled  with  three  varieties  of 
Wallflower,  and  so  pleasing  was  the  effect  that 
we  are  going  to  repeat  the  arrangement  this  year. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Firming  Plants. — The  more  vigorous  varie- 
ties of  Roses  are  often  a  good  deal  knocked  about 
by  the  autumn  winds,  and  upon  close  examination 
it  will  be  found  that  they  have  been  loosened  at 
the  neck.  The  whole  stock  should  be  gone  over, 
and  anv  plants  which  have  thus  suffered  should 
be  firnied  with  the  foot,  the  plant  being  held 
in  position  by  one  hand  meanwhile. 
The  Rock  Garden. 

Building. — Unless  one  is  deahng  with  a  natural 
slope  furnished  with  loamy  soil,  the  surface  should, 
before  building  commences,  be  covered  with  from 
6  inches  to  12  niches  of  soil  of  the  nature  indicated. 
Where  height  is  desired  and  anatural  slope  does  not 
exist,  part  of  the  desired  heigRt  should  be  obtained 
by  means  of  excavation,   the  excavated  soil  being 


thrown  up  some  distance  above  the  ground-level 
on  either  side.  By  this  means  moisture  will  be 
largely    conserved     and     less     watering     required. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Sanding  Lawns. — Of  the  utility  of  this  operation 
there  can  be  no  doubt,  more  especially  on  heavy 
soils.  It  furnishes  a  free  root-run  for  the  finer 
grasses,  checks  the  growth  of  moss,  and  makes  it 
more  easy  to  maintain  a  perfectly  smooth  surface. 
The  sand  should  be  scattered  over  the  surface  as 
evenly  as  possible  by  the  hand,  and  the  lawn  should 
afterwards  be  gone  over  with  a  new  Birch  broom 
to  further  ensure  the  proper  dispersal  of  the  sand. 

Gravelling  Walks. — Walks  requiring  fresh  gravel 
should  have  attention  in  the  autumn  in  preference 
to  spring,  for  several  reasons  :  Work  is  not  so 
pressing  at  this  season,  everything  should  be  done 
to  make  things  look  fresh  and  bright  during  the 
dull  days  of  winter,  and,  bv  attending  to  the  work 
now,  the  walks  will  be  cleaner  and  drier  during 
wet  winter  weather. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Deciduous  Calanthes. — These  beautiful  terres- 
trial Orchids  will  now  be  showing  colour,  and 
should  enjoy  a  fairly  warm  temperature  with  rather 
dry  conditions  both  at  the  root  and  in  the  atmo- 
sphere, otherwise  damping  is  sure  to  take  place. 
These  flowers  always  seem  to  look  their  best  when 
associated  with  Ferns. 

Perpetual-Flowering    Carnations.  —  Whenever 

the  temperature  falls  below  -ts'.  a  little  fire-heat 
should  be  applied.  Air  should  be  given  when  the 
weather  is  at  all  fine,  but  not  during  fog.  as  it 
tends  to  curl  up  the  bli.toms.  If  good  blooms  are 
expected,  disbudding  must  be  attended  to  as 
these  develop. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Guavas. — Although  not  fit  to  be  classed  among 
first-class  fruits,  still,  these  West  Indian  fruits 
commend  themselves  to  some  tastes.  Where  the 
Vines  are  allowed  ample  room,  Guavas  succeed 
very  well  on  the  back  wall  of  a  vinery.  They 
must  have  a  thoroughly  well-drained  soil,  which 
should  chiefly  consist  of  sandy  fibrous  loam  with 
an  admixture  of  leaf-mould  and  dried  cow-manure. 

Pot  Fruits. — Any  of  these  which  have  not 
yet  gone  to  rest  will  be  benefited  by  an  application 
of  weak  liquid  manure  to  assist  in  the  process  of 
swelling  the  buds.  As  the  trees  naturally  go  to 
rest,  however,  water  should  be  more  sparingly 
applied. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Replanting. — Tlie  trouble  generally,  with  Apples 
and  Pears  especially,  is  not  so  much  to  get  them 
to  grow  as  to  throw  them  into  and  maintain  them 
m  a  fruiting  condition  ;  in  other  words,  to  induce 
the  trees  to  produce  fewer  wood-buds  and  more 
fruit-buds.  A  fortnight  ago  I  referred  to  root- 
pruiling  as  one  means  of  attaining  the  desired 
end.  .Another  means  is  that  of  lifting  the  trees 
and  replanUpg  them.  The  check  to  the  trees 
consequent  upon  this  operation  generally  has  the 
desired  effect,  and  marvellous  results  have  some- 
times been  obtained  by  this  means  with  trees 
which  have  been  barren  for  years.  Some  culti- 
vators invariably  lift  and  replant  their  young 
trees  after  tliey  h.ive  made  their  first  year's  growth. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Cauliflowers. — in  many  districts  sharp  frosts 
air  often  experienced  about  this  season.  When 
such  is  tlie  case,  all  Cauliflowers  fit  for  use  should 
be  lifted  and  stored  in  a  cellar.  They  can  either  be 
laid  in  among  soil  or  hung  up  head  downwards. 
I  heard  the  other  day  of  the  latter  method  succeed- 
ing well  in  a  disused'  ice-house. 

Celery. — Continue  to  earth-up  the  crop  as 
necessary,  and  when  the  final  earthing  is  given, 
finish  off  with  a  smooth,  sloping  surface,  so  as  to 
carry  off  the  winter  rains  as  far  as  possible. 

Asparagus. — As  soon  as  the  grass  has  died 
down,  cut  it  over  and  clear  it  away,  remembering 
that  It  forms  a  good  protection  for  beds  of  bulbous 
plants  which  are  barely  hardy.  ."Mter  removing 
any  remaining  weeds,  give  a  liberal  dressing  of 
haif-rotted  farmyard  manure  and  fork  it  in  with 
the  digging  fork. 

Lifting    Rhubarb    Stools.— It    is    found    that 

Rhubarb  responds  more  readily  to  forcing  when 
tlie  stools  have  been  lifted  for  some  time  and 
exposed  to  the  clemency  of  the  weather. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broom  field  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


October  i8,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


531 


NURSERY      NOTES. 


WILL   TOBACCO  PAY    IN    ENGLAND? 

IT  is  quite  within  the  bounds  of  possibiUty  tliat 
Tobacco-growing  will  develop  into  a  large 
industry  in  this  country  within  a  few  years. 
Experiments  of  a  very  satisfactory  natiu'e  have 
been  carried  out  in  Hampshire,  Surrey,  Norfolk, 
Suffolk,  Lincolnshire  and  Worcestersliire.  About 
one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  have  this  year  .been 
laid  down  by  the  Tobacco  Growers'  Society — a  non- 
profit-making co-operative  association  affiliated  to 
the  .Agricultural  Organisation  Society  and  assisted 
by  grants  from  tlie  Development  Commission.  Speak- 
ing generally,  the  crops  in  the  various  counties  have 
exceeded  expectations ;  but  as  the  subject  is  yet  in 
its  infancy,  it  is  of  little  use  going  into  elaborate 
calculations  on  yields  and  averages  at  this  stage. 
It  is  suggested  that  Tobacco  will  prove  to  be  a  poor 
soil  crop.  There  is  a  difference  of 
opinion  on  this  point  at  present,  but 
the  plea  is  that  Tobacco  is  going 
to  do  well  on  the  poor  light  land 
in  Norfolk,  Hampshire  and  Dorset,  which 
at  present  is  of  little  more  than 
sporting  value.  Be  tliis  as  it  may, 
we  are  undoubtedly  handicapped  in  the 
question  of  climatic  conditions.  It  may 
not  be  generally  known  that  Tobacco 
owes  its  flavour  in  no  small  degree 
to  the  gum  or  sticky  secretion  upon  tlie 
leaf.  As  tliis  is  formed  on  the  upper 
side  of  the  leaf,  it  is  only  too  readily 
removed  by  heavy  rains.  Moreover, 
the  leaves  are  liable  to  damage  by 
wind  as  well  as  rain.  Now,  these  adverse 
conditions  may  be  overcome  by  the 
'modem  invention  of  movable  glasshouses. 
The  system  has  reached  a  high  standard 
of  perfection,  and  by  its  use  the 
inventor,  Mr.  Pullen  Bury,  Sompting, 
near  Worthing,  claims  to  have  solved 
the  problems  of  Tobacco-growing  m 
this  cotmtry.  The  system  of  movable 
glasshouses  is  the  outcome  of  experi- 
ments extending  over  many  years,  and 
so  admirably  has  the  principle  been  per- 
fected that  the  pipes,  boiler,  wires, 
ventilating  gear,  &c.,  are  all  moved  in 
one  simple  operation  by  turning  a  handle. 
Such  structiu'es  are  being  very  profit- 
ably used  for  the  purpose  of  growing 
Asparagus  and  French  garden  crops,  and 
they  afford  just  the  necessarj*  protection  to 
bring  the  Tobacco  leaf  to  a  state  of  perfec- 
tion. Otu'  illustration  depicts  a  movable  house  tilled 
with  Tobacco.  Mr.  Pullen  Bury  (the  figure  on  the  left 
of  the  illustration)  is  seen  holding  some  Tobacco 
leaves  of  good  but  average  size.  These  leaves,  it 
should  be  noted,  have  small  midribs — an  important 
point  in  their  favour ;  but  the  blades  of  the  leaves  are 
well  expanded.  This  is  the  result  of  quick  growth, 
brought  on  under  glass,  and  such  leaves  are  said  to 
give  quality  and  mildness  to  the  Tobacco  produced. 
At  the  time  of  our  visit  to  Worthing,  Tobacco  leaves 
were  seen  hanging  from  the  wires  inside  the  hothouse 
to  wilt  while  the  hothouse  is  fulfilling  the  function  of 
forcing.  As  already  stated,  it  is  as  yet  too  early 
to  say,  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  that  Tobacco- 
growing  can  be  made  a  paying  industry  in  this 
country.  That  it  can  be  induced  to  flourish  there 
can  be  no  doubt,  and  if  only  a  tithe  of  the  Tobacco 
sold  in  this  country  could  likewise  be  grown  here, 
it  would  provide  a  vast  industry. 


MESSRS.     H.     MERRYWEATHER     AND 

SONS. 

There  are  few  better-known  nurseries  in  the 
Midland  Counties  of  England  than  those  of 
Messrs.  H.  Merryweather  and  Sons,  a  firm  that 
has  been  established  for  many  years  at  the 
historical  little  cathedral  town  of  Southwell, 
some  twenty  miles  from  the  city  of  Nottingham. 
For    gardeners    generally,     and    fruit-growers    in 


acres  planted  with  standard  trees  of  this  .\pple 
a  few  years  ago,  the  work  being  entrusted  to 
Messrs.  Merryweather,  and  it  is  one  of  the  finest 
examples  of  orchard  planting  that  we  have  ever 
seen.  If  the  Development  Commissioners  desire 
a  lesson  in  orchard  planting,  they  should  visit 
Southwell  and  see  this  orchard,  which  is  rapidly 
growing  into  a  most  valuable  asset.  In  addition 
to  the  ordinary  Bramley's  Seedling,  Messrs.  Merry- 
weather now  have   a  form  of  it  with  red  fruits. 


particular,  these  nurseries  have  a  peculiar  interest,    which  ought  to  prove  particularly  useful  for  market. 


inasmuch  as  it  was  from  them  that  the  well-known 
culinary  Apple  Bramley's  Seedling  was  first  put 
into  commerce.  For  many  years  Mr.  Merry- 
weather, who  is  the  senior  partner  of  the  firm, 
endeavoured,  though  in  many  instances  unsuccess- 
fully, to  induce  fruit-growers  in  many  parts  of 
the  country  to  plant  this  Apple  on  a  large  scale. 
Meanwhile,  knowing  that  he  had  a  variety  of 
sterling  merit,  he  was  busy  planting  all  the  spare 


The   Merryweather  Damson,  of  which   we   pub- 
lished a  coloured  plate  in  our  issue  of  October  22, 
igio,  is  a  fruit  that  ought  to  be  in  every  garden. 
We  were  privileged  to  see  the  original  tree  in  the 
nurseries   at   Southwell,   and  it  was  simply  laden 
with  rich-coloured  fruits,  many  of  which  were  as 
large  as  Orleans  Plum.     When  we  say  that  it  has 
the  true  Damson  flavour  and  that  the  trees  fruit 
well  in   quite  a  young  state,  we  think  it  will  be 
admitted    that    our    statement    that    it 
ought    to    be    in  every  garden  is  fully 
justified.     Another  good  fruit    that  this 
firm   has  raised    is    Red    Currant     The 
Southwell.     It  has  a  particularly  robust 
habit,    flowers    late,    so    as    to    escape 
damage     by    frost,    and    bears    heavy 
crops  of   deep    red    berries,  the   flavour 
of  which   leaves  nothing   to   be  desired. 
In  addition  to  the  above,  the  firm  has 
splendid  stocks  of   all  kinds    of    hardy 
fruits,    including    cordon    Gooseberries, 
espalier  Apples  and    Pears,   fan-shaped 
Plums  and    Peaches,   Loganberries,   the 
newer  Lowberry,  Blackberries  and  Nuts, 
and  all,  at  the  time  of  our  visit,  were 
in  the  very  pink  of  condition,   sturdy, 
well-ripened    wood     auguring    well    for 
their  success  when  the  trees  and  bushes 
are  planted  in  their  permanent  quarters. 
Equally   as    important    a    branch    of 
Messrs.  Merryweather's  business  is  that 
devoted  to  Roses.     This  year  they  have 
over  two   hundred  thousand   bushes  to 
dispose  of,  these  embracing  large  quanti- 
ties of   all   the   best   standard   sorts   as 
well  as  the  cream  of  recent  introductions. 
When  growing  Roses  in  our  gardens,  we 
ought  not  to  forget  that  it  was  this  firm 
that  first  gave  us  those  two  gems  of  the 
Dwarf    Polyantha    section,   Jessie    and 
Phyllis.      When  we  were  at   Southwell 
these  were   creating   a  wonderful  sight, 
rows    about    two    htmdred    yards   long 
being  a  perfect  glow  of  colour.    Jessie  has 
flowers  of  rich,  warm  crimson  hue,  while 
land  that  he  had,  and  the  result  to-day  is  that  he    those  of  Phyllis  are  bright  rosy  pink.     Having  grown 


TOBACCO-GROWING  UNDER  GLASS.  MR.  PULLEN  BURY,  THE 
INVENTOR  OF  THE  MOVABLE  HOTHOUSE  SYSTEM,  IS 
SEEN    ON    THE    LEFT    OF    THE    ILLUSTRATION. 


has  orchards  of  large  dimensions  filled  with  beautiful 
trees  that  are  capable  of  bearing  from  ten  to  twelve 
bushels  of  fruit  each.  During  recent  years  fruit- 
growers and  salesmen  have  awakened  to  the 
possibilities  of  this  Apple,  which  is  in  season  from 
Christmas  until  April,  with  the  result  that  the 
demand  for  trees  and  fruit  all  over  the  cotmtry  is 
far  in  excess  of  the  supply. 

On  a  simny  day  in  September  we  had  the  pleasure 
of  spending  some  time  in  the  nurseries  and  orchards 
belonging  to  the  firm,  and  the  trees  of  this 
Apple,  ranging  from  five  to  thirty  years  of  age, 
were  a  sight  worth  going  many  miles  to  see.  In 
the  gardens  in  the  district  one  also  meets  with 
trees  on  every  hand,  one  and  all  bearing  enormous 
crops  of  fruit  second  to  none  for  culinary  pur- 
poses.    Not     far   from    the   firm's    nurseries,    Mr. 


them  for  several  years,  we  have  no  hesitation  in 
saying  that  they  are  the  best  of  the  whole  section, 
for  they  are  never  out  of  flower  from  early  July 
until  October  or  November  frosts  call  a  halt. 
Another  point  in  their  favour  is  that  they  do  not 
lose  their  colour  in  the  strongest  sunshine.  We 
would  like  to  see  large  lawn  beds  of  these  Roses. 
A  circular  one  some  ten  yards  in  diameter,  planted 
fairly  thickly  in  the  centre  with  Jessie  and  a  yard- 
wide  edging  of  the  white-flowered  Kathcrine 
Zeimet,  would  be  most  effective,  and  far  better 
and  much  more  lasting  than  the  bizarre  and  expen- 
sive effects  so  often  obtained  by  the  use  of  Zonal 
Pelargoniums  and  other  plants  still  so  dear  to  the 
heart  of  many  gardeners.  Phyllis,  intermixed 
with  Lavender  in  the  proportion  of  two  Rose 
bushes     to     one     of      Lavender,     would     give     a 


Starkey,    the    local    M.P.,    had    a    field    of    forty '  charming   and   uncommon  effect    that   would,   we 


I 


532 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  i8,  1913, 


feel  sure,  be  much  appreciated  by  all  who  saw  it. 
Among  Roses  of  recent  introduction  we  were 
interested  to  see  good  stocks  of  British  Queen,  a 
large,  pure  white-flowered  variety  ;  Rayon  d'Or, 
deep  canary  yellow  and  quite  mildew-proof  ; 
Sunburst,  cadmium  yellow  and  perfect  in  shape  ; 
Florence  Haswell  Veitch,  rich  crimson,  very 
fragrant  ;  and  Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens,  pure  white 
and  \ery  useful  for  florists.  Of  rather  older  sorts, 
but  as  yet  new  to  many  of  our  readers,  mention 
must  be  made  of  ChSteau  de  Clos  Vougeot,  deep 
i,rimson  maroon  ;  Lieutenant  Chaure,  large  crimson, 
very  fragrant  ;  Leslie  Holland  and  Edward  Mawley, 
both  crimson  ;  Lady  Alice  Stanley,  pink,  shaded 
glowing  rose  ;  and  Marquise  de  Sinety,  a  deep- 
coloured  Mme.  Ravary.  Among  the  Rambler 
Roses,  of  which  Messrs.  Merryweather  have  a 
very  extensive  stock,  mention  must  be  made  of 
Excelsa,  glowing  crimson  ;  Shower  of  Gold,  yellow 
and  very  hardy  ;  Lady  Godiva,  a  salmon  pink 
sport  from  Dorothy  Perkins ;  White  Dorothy 
Perkins,  American  Pillar  and  Hiawatha. 

In  addition  to  Roses  and  fruit  trees,  the  firm  has 
a  very  fine  stock  of  English  and  Irish  Yews, 
Cypresses  and  other  conifers.  Rhododendrons, 
all  sorts  of  hardy  deciduous  shrubs,  herbaceous 
plants  and,  indeed,  everything  that  one  would 
expect  to  find  in  well-equipped  nurseries  of  such 
large  dimensions.  The  healthy  condition  of  this 
stock  and  the  firm's  up-to-date  method  of  business 
have  brought  them  repeat  orders  from  every 
comer  of  the  British  Isles,  as  well  as  from  many 
more  distant  parts  of  the  globe. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

RULES  FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 
QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— T/it;  Editor  mtends  to 
make  The  Garden  helpjul  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardeniiig  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  ivill  make  a  special  ieatnre  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communiiations  thould  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  EDITOR  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  TTAcn  wore  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  platit.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Publisher. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 

BLUE  HYDRANGEA  FLOWERS  {Mrs.  N.  W.).—A 
shade  of  blue  in  Hjdrangea  flowers  such  as  those  sent 
is  not  uncommon.  In  soils  containing  plentj  of  iron  sonic 
of  the  blooms,  if  not  all,  invariably  develop  the  blue  tint. 
It  is  possible  to  produce  the  colour  in  plants  b>  giving  them 
water  in  which  alum  has  been  dissolved.  Another  method 
which  is  sometimes  successful  is  to  mix  a  few  iron  filings  in 
the  potting  soil. 

DRYING  OFF  HIPPEASTRUMS  (Dorset).— Bo  not  dry 
off  your  Hippeastrums  till  the  leaves  turn  yellow,  but  give 
them  plenty  of  air  and  sunshine.  Then,  when  the  plants 
show  signs  of  going  to  rest,  less  water  should  be  given,  and 
when  they  are  quite  dormant  it  must  be  discontinued 
altogether.  During  winter  keep  them  dry  in  a  temperature 
of  50"  to  60°. 

LILIUM  LONGIFLORUM  HARRISII  {C.  B.  ^.).— In 
order  to  have  these  in  flower  at  Christma'i,  the  mo^t 
satisfactory  way  will  be  to  obtain  retarded  bulbs,  which 
in  a  temperature  of  55"  to  65°  will  flower  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  months  from  the  time  of  potting.  Single  bulbs, 
according  to  their  size,  may  be  grown  in  5-inch  or  6-inch 
pots,  while  three  can  be  put  in  a  pot  6  inches  to  7  inches 
in  diameter.  When  crowing  they  should  have  a  good 
light  position  assigned  to  them,  and  care  mu.st  be  taken 
that  aphides  or  green  fly  do  not  eft'ect  a  lodgment  in  the 
young  leaves,  as  they  soon  injure  the  growing  buds.  The 
Bermuda-tirown  bulbs  of  Lilium  Harrisii  will,  if  potted 
now.  flower  during  the  month  of  January  or  later.  There 
is  no  need  to  start  the  bulbs  in  the  dark  ;  just  pot  them 
and  place  them  in  the  greenhouse. 


TREATMENT  OF  CCELOGYNE  CRISTATA  (Dorset).  — 
In  tlie  spring,  as  soon  as  the  flowers  are  over,  the  plants 
should  be  given  a  short  rest  by  lessening  the  supply  of  water, 
but  not  sufficient  to  cause  the  pseudo-bulbs  to  shrivel. 
When  young  grovrth  recommences,  repotting,  if  necessary, 
may  be  done,  but  the  plants  take  a  long  time  to  recover 
from  the  shock.  For  this  reason,  should  the  roots  be  in 
good  condition,  top-dressing  is  generally  preferred  to 
repotting.  Deep  pans  are  preferable  to  pots,  and  a  very 
suitable  compost,,  either  for  repotting  or  top-dressing,  may 
he  made  of  equal  parts  of  sphagnum  moss  and  fibrous  peat 
or  Osmunda  flltre.  with  a  sprinkling  of  smnll  broken  crocks 
and  rough  silver  sand.  After  this  an  excess  of  moisture 
must  be  guarded  against,  though  atmospheric  moisture 
set  up  by  occasional  spraying,  with  the  damping  of  the 
stages  and  surroundings,  will  be  beneficial.  During  the 
winter  the  roots  must  tie  kept  moderately  moist.  At  that 
season  a  temperatiu-e  of  50°  to  60°  will  suit  it  well. 


FRUIT    GARDEN. 

TOMATO  DISEASE  (JT.).— The  Tomato  is  badly 
nourished.  Sulphate  of  potash  should  be  added  to  the 
soil  :  this  will  tend  to  the  equal  ripening  of  all  parts  of 
the  fruit. 

PEAR  FOR  INSPECTION  (Reader).  —  The  Pear  is 
overripe  and  has  been  attacked  by  the  Pear  scab  fungus. 
Prune  out  during  the  winter  all  dead  and  dying  shoots, 
and  spray  the  tree  just  as  tlxe  buds  burst,  and  again  after 
the  petals  fall,  witli  BonUaux  mixture. 

APPLE  EMPEROR  ALEXANDER  GOING  BAD  (H. 
Taylor). — 'i'lils  JiMc-litnkiirj  Appl''  should  be  ripe  at  the 
end  of  Sopti'iiil.iT,  ami  is  tliereforp  an  attraction  to 
wasps  and  blowflies.  We  can  only  suggest  that  the  fruit 
has  been  injured  by  these  pests,  the  injury  spreading 
in  the  further  decay  of  those  parts.  The  fruit  should 
have  been  gathered  as  soon  as  the  decay  was  noticed. 
W^e  could  have  given  you  a  better  answer,  perhaps,  had 
you  sent  us  a  sample  of  the  bad  Apples. 

TO  MAKE  WALL  TREES  BEAR  FRUIT  (L.  A.).~ 
In  the  first  place,  we  would  have  the  wall  pointed  so  as 
to  do  away  with  the  harbour  the  deep  creWces  in  it  afford 
to  insect  pests.  In  the  next  place,  we  should  lift  the 
trees  and  replant,  after  cutting  all  the  strong  roots  back 
by  one-third  their  length,  and  shortening  also  all  the 
smaller  roots  by  3  inches  or  4  inches.  This  will  prevent 
the  trees  growing  too  luxuriantly,  and  should  compel 
them  to  bear  fruit.  In  replanting,  use  the  following  soil 
compost :  To  one  cartload  of  turfy  loam  add  two  bushels 
of  old  mortar  rubble,  two  bushels  of  lime  and  a  peck  of 
bone-meal,  mixing  all  well  together.  Let  the  work  be 
done  in  dry  weather,  and  give  the  trees  a  good  watering 
when  planting  is  finished.  Fertilise  the  blossoms  on 
sunny  days  when  the  pollen  is  dry.  Take  down  the  close 
netting  every  day  while  the  weather  is  favourable,  and 
put  it  up  again  in  the  evening  when  danger  from  frost 
is  feared. 

KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

CELERY  (J.  C.  S.  C.).— The  Celery  is  badly  attacked 
hy  the  funcus  Septoria  petroselini  Apii.  causing  the 
disease  known  as  Celery  leaf-spot.  This  funjnis  is  exceed- 
ingly common,  we  fear,  now,  and  is  undoubtedly  carried 
in  tlie  seed.  Spraying,  to  be  effective,  must  be  commenced 
in  May  and  carried  on  through  the  season,  Bordeau.x 
mi.Kture  being  the  best  thing  to  use.  All  dead  pieces  and 
refuse  from  Celery  plants  shoidd  be  bnrned,  and  not  dug 
into  the  ground,  and  next  season  a  fresh  piece  of  ground 
should  be  chosen  upon  which  to  plant.  The  seed  should 
be  obtained  from  a  clean  source. 


Elm  and  Plane  trees,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  get  plants 
having  screen-like  habits  to  succeed  in  their  proximity 
Then,  in  place  of  the  single  line  of  Roses,  which,  by  the  way' 
are  arranged  too  closely  together  at  the  edge  of  the  lawn' 
a  bed  or  border  across  its  western  end  would  have  been 
better,  and  in  full  view  from  the  tent.  Good  Roses  for 
the  pergola  would  be  Lady  Gay,  Griiss  an  Teplitz.  Sylvia 
Tausendschan,  Shower  of  Gold.  Celine  Forestier'  and' 
Bordeaux.  Free-flowering  Ro.ses  for  the  garden  should 
include  Caroline  Testout,  Mme.  Abel  Cliatenay,  La  France 
Marquise  de  Sinety,  General  Jacqueminot,  Prince  CamiUe 
de  Rohan.  Chateau  de  Clos  Vougeot,  General  Macarthur 
and  Duchess  of  Albany.  Standards  arc  usually  avail.ahle 
of  most  of  those  named,  thougn  we  think  bush  plants  would 
be  more  suitable  in  your  case.  The  Moss  and  Cabbage 
Roses  may  be  had  from  any  Rose-grower.  It  is  rather 
difficult  to  recommend  plants  for  the  herbaceous  borders 
and  if  they  are  intended  to  grow  under  the  Elm  and  Plane' 
we  do  not  hold  out  much  hope  of  success.  Good  plants 
for  the  season  indicated  would  include  Phloxes.  Pent- 
stemons.  Hollyhocks.  Sunflowers  (single  and  double). 
Aster  acris,  A.  Amellus,  Michaelmas  Daisies  in  variety^ 
GaiUardias,  Statice  latifolia,  any  of  the  Japanese  Anemones' 
Selenium  purailura.  H.  p.  magniflcum  and  H.  cupreum.  ' 
NAMES  OF  FRUIT.— Mril.  C.  P.  B.—l,  Wellington; 
a,  Braralcy's  Seedling  ;    3,  AUington  ;   4,  Lord  Grosvenor  ; 

5,  Lord  Sufficld  ;  6,  Ribston  Pippin  ;  7,  Blenheim  Orange  ; 
8.  Cox's  Orange  Pippin  ;  10,  Cobham  Pippin  ;  11,  Warner's 
King ;  12,  Cellini ;  14,  Hawthomden ;  22,  Emperor 
Alexander  ;  23,  King  of  the  Pippins  ;  20,  Hall  Door ; 
21,  .Ellington  ;  24,  Queen  Caroline  ;  25,  Gloria  Mundi ; 
15,   Mank's  Codlin ;     16,   Bismarck;     17,   Alfriston ;    26, 

Cellini ;     19,   Lane's   Prince   Albert. Constant    Reader. 

Perthshire. — 1,  Lord  Derby  ;  2.  Queen  Caroline  ;  3  and  1. 
Ki-dleston  Pippin. 

NAMES  OF   PLANTS.— HaroM  Os«ere.— Laurent  Carle. 

D.  B.  D. — We  believe  the  Rose  is  Mme.  Pol  Varin 

Bcrnier;    certainly  it  is    not  Alice   Grahame. LietU.- 

Colonel  U.  F.  Bent. — We  believe  the  Rose  is  correctly 
named.     Roses  vary  greatly  at  this   season  of  the  year. 

A.  K..  Burnshanijie. — All  seedling  forms  of  Aster  Novi- 

Belgii. Mrs.  B.,  Sutherland. — Rhacomitriura  canescens. 

It  may   be  grown  on    damp    rocks. P.   C.  B.— The 

Clematis  may  be  C.  Flammula,  but  we  cannot  be  certain 

without  seeing  flowers. Mus  H.  B. — CoUinsia  bicolor. 

Matthew. — 1,   Carex  brunnea   variegata  ;     2,   Begonia 

metalliea  ;  3,  B,  fuchsioides;  4,  Aloe  species;  6,  Adion- 
tnm  pidverulentum ;  6,  Nephrolepis  Piersonii  variety; 
7,  Adiantum  formosum ;  8,  Selacinella  Braunii ;  9, 
Nephrodium  moUe  ;  10  and  11,  No  specimen;  12.  Poly- 
podium  aureum  ;  16,  .\spleniura  species. A.  P.,  Sussex. 

— 1,  Aster  ericoides  variety  ;  2,  Chrysanthemum  lUigi- 
nosum  ;    3,  Linaria  Cymbalaria  ;   4,  Colutea  arborcscens 

(Bladder  Senna) ;    5,  Cannot  name  without   flowers. 

J.  E.  L. — 1,  Crinum  species  probably  (cannot  name  with- 
out flowers) ;  2,  Hieracium  aurantiacum  ;  3,  Colchicum 
speciosum  ;  4,  Cattleya  bicolor  ;    5,  Escallonia  macrantha  ;■ 

6,  Osmanthus  Aquifolium ;    7,  Phillyrea  media. R.  T.  H. 

— 1,  Helxine  Solierolii ;  2  and  3,  cannot  name  without 
flowers. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

SUBSTITUTE  FOR  NATURAL  MANURE  (S.  P.).— 
Wakeley's  Hop  Manure  is  the  best  substitute  that  we 
know  for  natural  manure,  although,  of  course,  natural 
manure  is  the  best  where  it  can  be  obtained. 

GROWTH  ON  BEECH  LEAVES  (Hortis).~-T\ie  curious 
growth  on  the  Beech  leaf  is  the  work  of  a  minute  insect, 
Hormomyia  betulina,  which  sets  up  irritation  in  the  leaf 
and  causes  it  to  produce  this  curiously-shaped  gall.  It 
is  rather  common  on  Beech  trees  in  some  districts. 

CATERPILLAR  OF  THE  VAPOURER  MOTH  (R.  C.).— 
The  caterpillar  is  that  of  the  vapourer  moth.  When 
abundant  these  caterpillars  do  a  good  deal  of  damage, 
but  are  rarely  so  numerous  that  spraying  has  to  be  resorted 
to.  If  they  are  found  in  any  great  numbers,  spray  the 
trees  with  lead  arsenate. 

CATERPILLARS  (E.  E.  /.).— The  caterpillars  are  thosr 
of  the  type  known  as  surface  grubs,  which  feed  on  a  variety 
of  plants  during  the  night,  hiding  during  the  day  in  the 
earth,  where,  from  their  colour,  they  are  well  concealed. 
Hand-picking  is  the  best  remedy,  but  heaps  of  bran, 
poisoned  by  moistening  with  Paris  green  or  lead  arsenate, 
placed  near  the  plants  might  prove  attractive  to  them, 
to  their  undoing. 

REMAKING  GRAVEL  PATHS  (5cof).— There  is  nothing 
to  ((lual  jiood,  yellow,  binding  gravel  for  the  surface  of 
thr  paths  which" are  to  be  kept  smooth  by  rolling,  and  we 
niiret  to  say  that  we  are  unable  to  recommend  any  otlier 
material  ofa  like  character  which  may  be  procured  in 
Scotland.  Perhaps  a  local  builder  may  be  able  to  suggest 
something,  or  be  able  to  advise  yo\i  as  to  the  nearest  point 
at  which  bindiiiL'  LTavcl  may  be  obtained. 

HOLIDAY  COTTAGE  GARDEN  (F.  M.  IT.).— The  general 
outline  of  the  plan  will  do  very  well.  It  does  not  indicate, 
however,  where  you  are  likely  to  be  overlooked  and  sub- 
jected to  the  objection  of  which  you  complain.  This  is 
important,  since  on  the  northern  and  eastern  boundaries 
yon   have  either  existing,  or  you   intend   planting,  both 


THE     EDITOR'S    TABLE. 


Pentstemons  from  Scotland. — The  arrival  of  a 
box  containing  numerous  spikes  of  Pentstemon 
blooms  serves  to  remijid  us  of  the  great  value  of 
these  showy  flowers  even  late  in  the  season.  The 
flowers  came  from  Messrs.  John  Forbes  of  Hawick, 
who  have  long  specialised  in  Pentstemons  and 
various  other  border  plants.  Of  the  varieties  sent 
we  were  much  impressed  by  those  of  dark  crimson 
shades,  of  which  Grigor,  Mendel  and  Colonel 
Seely  may  be  cited  as  examples.  Of  the  scarlet 
varieties  Professor  Pozzi  stood  out  conspicuously, 
while  Lady  Hamilton  and  Comte  Zeppelin  were 
notable  for  their  plum  red  hues  and  very  strong 
growth.  The  more  delicate  tints  of  Mrs.  Oliver, 
Jessie  Forbes,  Sir  William  Carrington  and  others 
are  particularly  pleasing  when  used  as  cut  flowers 
for  room  decoration. 

Gladioli  from  Dorset. — Very  fine  indeed  were 
the  massive  spikes  of  Gladioli  which  arrived  with 
the  following  note  from  Mr.  F.  Lansdell  of  Ingle- 
wood  Nursery,  West  Moors,  Dorset ;  "  I  am 
sending  you  a  few  blooms  of  Gladioli  for  your  table. 
Princeps  (the  crimson  one)  is  a  glorious  sight 
when  planted  in  clumps  of  eight  to  twelve  corms. 
It  is  not  so  well  known  as  the  pink  one  (America), 
but  is  far  more  effective  for  border  work  than  that 
variety.  White  America  seems  the  favourite 
for  shop  work.  Another  sterling  variety  is  Halley, 
as  large  in  bloom  and  spike  as  princeps,  but  of  a 
salmon  colour.  Unfortunately,  this  is  over,  and 
I  was  unable  to  send  you  a  spike." 


^^^M^^ 


GARDEN. 


^^^iS^ 


No.  2188.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


October  25,  1913. 


CONTBNTS. 


Notes  of  the  Weer 
Correspondence 

Rock  garden  plant- 
in  October  . . 

Rose     Mrs.    Jaine» 
Lynas  

Lilac    flowerinii    in 
October       ..      .. 

An  unusual  flower- 
bed  arrangement 

Are  new  Pentstemons 
too  large  ?   . . 

The     charm     of 
Michai'linas  Daisies 

Rose  Fort  line's 
Yellow 
OCTOBER  IN   Garden 

AND  Woodland    .. 

l-'orthcominj;  events.. 

The  Campanulas  or 

Bellflowers 
Greenhouse 

The  Persian  Cycla- 
men as  a  biennial 
Flower  Garden 

Tulip  notes     . . 

A  littU-known  Torch 
Lily     

Eiiiilish  Irises 

Hybrid  Lilies 
C'OLouRKD  Plate 

A  new  culinary  Ajiiile 


533 

534 
535 
535 
535 
535 
535 
535 

535 
535 


536 
537 

538 
538 
538 


Trees  asi>  Shrubs 
Some  uood  autumn* 

flowering    shrubs     538 
Climbins  plants  on 
a  garden  pillar  . .     539 
Rose  Garden 
In  a  Hampshire  • 

garden         . .      . .     539 
Roses     in     church- 
yards    540 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
Rooting  cuttings 

under  bell-glasses     541 
Hints  on  wintering 
greenhouse   bul b.-     541 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens          542 

For    Korthcrii    gar- 
dens       542 

KJTonEN  Gardes 
Some     uncommon 

vegetables  . .      . .     543 
The  culture  of  Pota- 
toes       543 

TRIALS  AT    WlSLET   IN 

1914-15 543 

ANSWERS  to  Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden  . .  54-1 
Trees  and  shrubs  .  .  544 
Rose  gnrden  . .  . .  544 
Miscellancnns         . .     544 


IIiLUSTRATIONS. 

Au  Octobcr-rtowcriiiL;  iilpim- :   Aibillca  Krllereri      ..  534 

Campanula  thyrsoidca 536 

Campanula  Stansfleldi 537 

A  handsome  Torch  Lily  or  Red-hot  Poker         . .      . .  538 

A  new  culinary  Apple Coloured  plate 

Clematis  montana  and  Solanum  crispum 539 

An  old  bush  of  Rose  Gloite  de  Dijon 540 

Another  veteran  Rose  bush  at  South  Weald      . .      . .  540 

Rooting  cuttings  under  bell-glasses      541 


EDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


T/ie  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notet:. 
bi(t  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  hoivever,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainli/  stated. 
It  jmist  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  rAnm  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributiotis  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  ax  eridenre  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Ofices  :   20,  Tavistock  Street,  Corent  Garden,  W'.f. 


NOTES     OF    THE     WEEK. 

The  National  Sweet  Pea  Society. — The  anmial 
general  niet-Uiig  nf  the  members  ol  this  society 
was  held  at  the  Hotel  Windsor,  Victoria  Street, 
Westminster,  on  Monday  afternoon  last.  A  report 
of  the  proceedings,  which  were  of  an  animated 
character,  appears  on  another  page. 

Orders  for  Rose  and  Fruit  Trees. — Owing  t> 

the  exceptionally  mild  weather,  Roses  and  fruit 
trees  are  still  growing  freely,  and  in  many  nurseries 
it  is  impossible  to  start  lifting  them.  Under  the 
circumstances,  we  hope  that  those  of  our  readers 
who  have  placed  orders  with  ad\-ertisers  will  not 
press  for  early  deli\'ery. 

Lifting  Begonias. — The  first  touch  of  frost 
will  finish  "ft  these  tender  plants  for  the  season. 
Lift  them  carefully  and  store  them  away  in  a  cool 
place  where  they  will  be  immune  frotn  frost.  It 
is  a  good  plan  to  place  a  little  dry  soil  in  the  bottoms 
of  shallow  boxes  and  place  the  tubers  in  these 
thickly,  one  deep,  with  the  crown  upwards. 
Trea  ed  thus,  the  percentage  of  loss  is  very  small. 

A  Graceful   Knotweed   (Polygonum   equiseti- 

fortnCl. — Tlll^  little-kuowli  Knotweed  is  speeiallv 
noteworthy  as  an  autuirm-fiowering  subject  fi,>r 
the  rock  garden.  The  plant  is  of  Broom-like 
appearance,  of  low,  branching  habit.  The  dark 
green  stems  are  dotted  with  small  white  starry 
flowers,  which  are  both  showy  and  welcome  in 
October.  This  Polygonum  is  well  adapted  for  plant- 
ing among  high  rocks,  so  that  the  low,  arching  sprays 
may  hang  down  and  partly  clothe  the  boulders. 

An  October-flowering  Saxifrage. — In  a  sheltered 

nook  in  the  rork  garden  or  along  the  front  of  a 
shrubbery  border  the  panicles  of  white  flowers 
of  Saxifraga  Fortunei  are  delightful  in  late  autunrn. 
This  year,  if  anything,  the  plants  are  flowering 
better  than  usual,  the  mild  weather  and  warm 
rains  being,  no  doubt,  responsible  for  this.  The 
panicles  of  flowers  rise  out  of  tufts  of  dark  green, 
rounded  leaves  to  a  height  of  from  15  inches  to 
18  inches.  The  white  flowers  are  ven,-  freely  borne 
on  the  comparatively  large  spreading  panicles.  An 
interesting  botaiiical  character  is  the  unequal  size  of 
the  petals.   Fortune's  Saxifrage  is  a  native  of  Japan. 

Planting  Lily  of  the  Valley.— The  Lily  of  the 
\'allev  is  quite  a  universal  favourite,  and  few 
gardens  exist  where  this  well-known  plant  does 
not  find  a  home  ;  but  to  keep  up  a  good  supply 
of  first-rate  blooms  a  new  bed  should  be  formed 
every  three  or  four  years,  either  by  freshly  planting 
an  old  bed  or  by  new  plants  obtained.  The  present 
time  will  be  found  the  most  suitable  for  the  opera- 
tion, selecting  a  half-shady,  moist  place  in  not 
too  prominent  a  position,  for  the  ground  is  bare 
a  good  deal  of  the  year.  Should  the  soil  be  too 
light,  some  good  loam  with  decayed  manure  should 
be  worked  into  the  soil  ;  but  if,  on  the  other  hand, 
it  should  be  too  heavy  and  damp,  dig  it  out  to  a 
depth  of  2  feet,  putting  in  5  inches  of  drainage.  On 
tl'.e  top  of  this  lay  some  peat  sods  or  turfy  loam. 


then  replace  some  of  the  soil  after  mixing  with 
it  some  leaf-soil  and  dry  cow-manure.  Put  the 
roots  in  2  inches  deep  and  4  inches  apart,  and  a 
good  mulching  afterwards  will  be  fomid  very 
beneficial. 

An   Interesting   Tropical   Fruit. — -A  plant   of 

Eugenia  alb.i  growing  in  a  pot  on  one  of  the  side 
stages  in  the  Palm  House  at  Kew  is  causing  con- 
siderable interest  among  the  visitors  by  reason  of 
its  uncommon-looking  fruits.  Perhaps  the  easiest 
way  to  describe  these  fruits  is  to  liken  them  to  the 
white  sugar  Pears  hung  on  a  Christmas  tree.  They 
are  home  in  clusters,  generally  of  three  to  five, 
at  the  ends  of  the  branches.  The  waxy  white 
fruits  are  ij  inches  long  and  i  inch  wide.  The 
Eugenias  in  general  habit  and  flowers  resemble 
the  Myrtles,  the  popular  Myrtus  Luma  being  some- 
times cultivated  as  Eugenia  Luma.  notably  in 
Ireland.     E.  alba  is  a  native  of  India. 

Mexican  Tree  Flowering  at  Kew. — The  beauty 

of  the  Mexican  flora  !>  well  illustrated  by  a  tree 
ot  Pachira  macrocarpa  flowering  in  the  great 
Palm  House  at  Kew.  The  tree  has  been  at  Kew 
since  1877,  and  evidently  delights  in  the  moist 
tropical  conditions  of  the  house,  as  it  is  about 
sixty  feet  in  height,  reaching  to  the  centra!  dome. 
A  very  handsome  and  attractive  malvaceous 
tree,  the  leaves  resemble  those  of  the  Horse  Chestnut, 
being  digitate,  w-ith  usually  nine  leaflets.  The 
flowers  are  large,  with  ver\-  long  white,  reflexed 
petals,  in  the  centre  of  whch  are  a  mass  of  stamens 
of  a  reddish  hue  and  as  long  as  the  petals.  The 
tree  is  said  to  have  been  first  introduced  from  Mexico 
in  1840,  and  is  figured  in  the  Botanical  Magazine, 
t.  4549- 

"Sporting"  of  Lilies. — .\t  a  recent  meeting 
of  tlie  scientific  committee  of  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Society,  Mr.  C.  R.  Scrase-Dickins  showed 
a  most  interesting  series  of  spec'mens  of  Lilium 
Sargentia?.  A  bulb  had  last  year  produced  a  stem, 
part  of  which  carried  the  foliage  of  L.  Sargentia?, 
part  foliage  similar  to  that  of  L.  myriophyllum.  This 
plant  was  grown  from  a  bulbil,  not  from  seed.  This 
season  offsets  from  it  bore  respectively  foliage 
similar  to  that  of  L.  Sargentiae,  L.  myriophyllum, 
and  partly  of  the  one,  partly  of  the  other.  The 
flowers  were  indistinguishable.  It  would  seem  that 
Mr.  Scrase-Dickins  had  seen  the  passage  of  one 
species  of  Lily  into  another,  or  that  the  breadth 
of  foliage  which  is  constantly  used  as  a  distinguishing 
feature  of  these  plants  is  a  character  oi  less  import- 
ance than  it  is  usually  considered.  Mr.  Elwes 
drew  attention  to  the  remarkable  variation  to  be 
seen  between  Lilies  as  one  passes  up  the  Formosar. 
Mountains,  as,  though  one  species  had  produced 
forms  adapted  to  the  conditions  under  which 
they  were  growing  and  regarded  by  botanists 
who  had  seen  only  collected  plants  as  specifically 
distinct,  other  characters  in  plants  which  had 
been  used  bv  herbarium  botanists  as  a  basis  of 
classification  were  frequently  variations  of  adapta- 
tion as  seen  in  the  field. 


534 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  25  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The    Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the  opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


The  Campanulas. — It  will  probably  be  more 
convenient  for  me  to  deal  with  the  different  points 
raised  in  correspondence  about  the  Campanulas 
when  the  articles  are  concluded,  rather  than  to 
discuss  them  in  a  desultory  fashion.  I  am  glad 
to  see  the  remarks  of  Mr.  Farrer  and  Mr.  Jenkins 
on  different  species.  They  will  help  to  elucidate  ques- 
tions which  arise  in  connection  with  several  of  the 
smaller  and  also  the  larger  BelUowers. — S.  Arnott. 

Rose  Peace  for  Cool  Conservatories. — I  possess 
a  small  plant  of  this,  a  rooted  cutting  from  a  very 
fine  specimen  growing  in  a  cool  structure  some- 
what shaded  by  Fir  and  other  kinds  of  trees.  My 
plant,  about  one  foot  high,  nicely  branched 
already,  has  borne  one  nice  bloom  and  now  carries 
another  bud.  The  parent  tree  covers  a  roof 
space  of  about  one  hundred  square  feet.     Another 


by  Mr.  Hugh  Dickson,  who  received  a  gold  medal 
for  it.— E.  M. 

Name  of  Fungus. — In  last  week's  issue  of  The 
Garden  Miss  Jekyll  asks  for  the  name  of  a  fungus 
growing  under  Scotch  Firs.  From  her  descrip- 
tion I  have  little  doubt  that  it  is  one  of  the  two 
species  of  Sparassis.  They  both  bear  a  consider- 
able resemblance  to  a  large  bath  sponge,  and  are 
very  brittle  in  texture.  Sparassis  crispa  is  not 
uncommon  on  sandy  soil  in  the  South  of  England, 
usually  under  Firs  or  among  Heather.  S.  laminosa 
occurs  more  rarely  in  similar  situations,  but  is  a 
looser-growing  plant  altogether.  It  was  first 
recorded  in  Britain  in  1905,  when  it  was  found  in 
WoDlmer  Forest,  and  a  very  fine  specimen  was 
found  there  this  autumn  on  the  occasion  of  the 
British  Mycological  Society's  visit  to  that  district. 
Both  species  are  well  figured  in  "  Fimgi  and  How 
to  Know  Them,"  by  E.  W.  Swanton.  Although 
superficially  bearing  a  slight  resemblance  to  a 
morel,  Sparassis  belongs  to  a  totally  different 
group  01  fungi,  i.e.,  the  Clavariaceae,  of  which  the 


AN    OCTOBER-FLOWERING    ALPINE  :      .ACHILLEA    KELLERERI. 


recently-rooted  cutting  has  made  much  growth  and 
now  forms  a  fine  bush  in  a  pot,  bearing  flowers  on 
ninety  per  cent,  of  its  shoots.  The  old  plant  has 
flowers  on  it  nearly  the  whole  year  round.  The 
blooms  are  of  medium  size,  soft  yellow  in  colour, 
and  borne  on  stiff  stems.  They  look  charming 
in  vases.  Amateur  cultivators  should  have  a  plant 
in  their  greenhouse  or  conservatory,  as  it  is  such 
a  lovely  and  satisfactory  variety  to  grow. — G.  G. 

Rose  Lady  Pirrie. — If  I  were  confined  co  one 
dwarf  Rose  in  the  garden,  I  think  I  should  choose 
the  above,  for  it  possesses  all  the  attributes  found 
in  any  variety.  In  growth  it  is  vigorous,  having 
stiff,  erect  stems,  with  handsome  dark  leaves, 
which  continue  to  give  blossoms  all  the  summer 
and  well  into  the  autumn.  The  peduncle  is  stiff, 
thus  holding  up  its  flowers  quite  erect,  which  is  a 
distinct  point  when  employing  them  for  vases. 
Its  colour  is  deep  coppery  reddish  salmon,  the  inside 
of  the  petals  apricot  yellow,  flushed  fawn  and 
copper.  It  is  an  ideal  variety  for  massing,  also 
has  a  delicious  perfume.     It  was  sent  out  in  1910 


pretty  little  white  and  yellow  fairy-clubs  are  the 
most  familiar  examples.  The  spores  are  produced  ex- 
posed to  the  air  from  the  first,  whereas  m  the  morels 
and  allied  fungi  the  spores  are  enclosed  in  flask-like 
sacs,  only  opening  at  the  apex  at  maturity. — Norman 
G.  Hadden.  St.  Audreys,  Priory  Road,  Malvern. 

The  War  on  Wasps. — I  was  much  interested 
to  read  W.  W.  Richardson's  remarks  on  the  war 
on  wasps  in  your  issue  of  the  i8th  inst.,  especially 
as  a  recent  correspondent  in  d  contemporary  stated 
he  had  frequently  caught  lots  of  queen  wasps 
in  the  ordinary  wasp  bottles,  both  in  the  spring 
and  autumn.  Do  you  think.  Sir,  that  some  orga- 
nised plan  or  method  could  be  put  forward  for 
the  destruction  of  these  pests  ?  Would  you 
encourage  readers  of  your  paper  to  write  and  tell 
something  of  their  methods  as  to  catching  queen 
wasps,  both  in  the  spring  and  autumn  ?  (i)  How- 
to  successfully  organise  a  prize  for  the  greatest 
number  caught  locally.  (2)  Do  queen  wasps 
really  enter  the  ordinary  wasp  bottles,  as  the 
writer  has  set  them  both  in  the  spring,  summer 


and  autumn  and  not  caught  queens  ?  (3)  ia\y 
other  successful  traps  ?  (4)  How  to  manipulate 
your  conservatory  or  your  stoke-hole,  i.e.,  after 
W.  W.  Richardson,  so  as  to  find  a  lot  ready  to  be 
killed  at  each  visit. — W.  F.  M.  Copeland.  [We 
shall  be  pleased  to  publish  particulars  dealing 
with  the  points  raised  by  our  correspondent  if 
readers  will  kindly  send  them. — Ed.] 

Rock  Garden  Plants  in  October.— The  very 
interesting  note  on  this  subject  which  appeared 
in  last  week's  issue,  page  525,  will  be,  read  with 
appreciation  by  lovers  of  alpine  flowers,  as 
it  serves  to  show  that  the  rock  garden  may  be 
made  beautiful  with  flowers  at  this  season  as  well 
as  in  the  spring  and  summer.  I  was  pleased  to 
note  the  prominence  given  to  that  rare  Milfoil 
or  Yarrow,  Achillea  Kellereri,  which  induces  me 
to  send  a  photograph  of  it  as  it  now,  appears  in  a 
Surrey  garden.  It  is  a  delightful  little  plant,  with 
heads  of  white  flowers  freely  disposed  over  its  silvery 
grey  foliage.  This  plant  is  named  in  honour  of  Herr 
Kellerer,  a  lynx-eyed  collector  of  mountain  flowers, 
who  has  charge  of  the  King  of 
Bulgaria's  garden  at  Sofia. — C.  Q. 

Nerines.  —  The  article  on  Nerines 
by  Mr.  H.  J.  Elwes  in  your  issue  of 
September  13  was  such  an  important 
floricultural  event  that  I  trust  it 
attracted  the  attention  to  which  it 
was  certainly  entitled.  As  a  pains- 
taking student  of  Nerines  for  some 
years,  I  acknowledge  that  it  was 
most  useful  and  helpful  to  me, 
especially  as  it  cleared  up  several 
points  as  to  which  I  have  been  in 
doubt.  Like  Mr.  Elwes,  I  am  much 
puzzled  to  know  why  the  Neriiie  is 
not  in  more  general  cultivation.  Its 
flowers  are  so  charming,  the  colours 
"^  £iB  *"  beautiful  and  sparkling  under  arti- 
at>...^aB  ficial  light,  and  its  requirements  so 
few,  that  it  would  be  well  if  some  of 
the  amateurs  who  now  devote  the 
whole  of  their  glasshouses  in  autiunn 
til  Chrysanthemums  could  be  induced 
to  take  it  up,  or  at  any  rate  let  them 
devote  part  of  their  Chrysanthemum 
space  to  it.  Its  only  enemy  is  mealy 
bug,  which  Mr.  Elwes  explains  how 
to  combat,  and  in  other  respects 
it  is  probably  one  of  the  most 
easily- cultivated  under -glass  bulbs 
that  one  grows,  especially  as  it 
only  needs  repotting  once  in  three  years  at  the 
most.  I  agree  in  the  main  with  Mr.  Elwes'  stan- 
dards of  a  good  Nerine,  but  I  think  he  should  have 
given  a  good  spike  more  consideration.  In  looking 
round  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Show  at 
Vmcent  Square  on  October  7  I  noticed  a  number  of 
what  I  call  loose-panicled  flowers.  I  like  to  see  a 
spike  that  stands  erect,  its  pips  evenly  distributed 
and  a  look  of  solid  substance  about  it,  such  as 
was  evidenced  in  Mr.  Elwes'  Salmon  Queen,  which 
gained  an  award  of  merit.  Snowflake,  of  which 
Mr.  Elwes  speaks  in  his  article,  was,  as  shown  by  him 
on  the  above  date,  a  distinct  disappointment 
to  me.  It  was  decidedly  tinted  pale  flesh  colour, 
and  not  at  all  one's  idea  of  what  a  pure  white 
Nerine  should  be.  Speakmg  agam  of  Salmon 
Queen,  it  seemed,  as  I  saw  it,  to  bear  a  most  remark- 
able resemblance  to  Rotherside,  of  which  I  put 
five  fine  plants  before  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  floral  committee  a  month  ago.  I  believe 
the  two  varieties  to  be  identical. — F.  Herbert 
Chapman,  Rotherside  Gardens,  Rye. 


October  25,  1913] 


THE     GARDEN. 


535 


Rose  Mrs.  James  Lynas. — The  illustration  on 
page  516,  October  ii  issue,  of  this  new  Rose 
portrays  the  variety  to  perfection.  I  have  three 
plants  of  it  and  all  have  given  me  numerous  flowers  ; 
in  fact,  it  is  the  best  new  Rose  of  the  year  with  me. 
Every  bloom,  no  matter  how  small,  has  been  of 
perfect  shape.  The  petals  are  especially  massive 
without  being  coarse  or  ill-shapen,  which  gives 
the  blooms  such  a  handsome  appearance.  I 
expect  to  see  this  Rose  universally  grown  before 
long. — E.  M. 

Lilac  Flowering  in  October.— It  would  be 
interesting  to  know  if  any  of  your  readers  have 
seen  a  Lilac  in  blossom  in  October.  The  enclosed 
flower  is  off  a  good-sized  tree  of  the  ordinary  kind 
growing  in  a  garden  here.  It  is  not  in  a  sheltered 
position.  There  are  quite  a  number  of  blossoms 
out  and  plenty  of  buds,  which,  if  the  frost  keeps 
ofi  and  the  weather  continues  mild,  will  no  doubt 
open.  The  flowers  smell  as  sweetly  as  they  do 
in  the  spring. — Ruth  B.  Cannon,  Painswick, 
Gloucester  shifc. 

An  Unusual  Flower-Bed  Arrangement.— 
Walking  along  a  neighbouring  road  the  other  day, 
I  happened  to  notice  some  flower-beds  in  front 
of  a  house,  the  hedge  next  the  road  being  rather 
low.  Among  them  was  one  bed  somewhat  unique, 
I  venture  to  think,  for  its  colours  puzzled  me  for 
the  moment  until  I  had  a  closer  look.  The  plants 
then  turned  out  to  be  a  Heliotrope  of  a  deep  blue 
colour  and  Diplacus  or  Mimulus  glutinosus.  The 
blue  flowers  of  the  former  mingling  among  the 
coppery  shade  of  the  latter  was  most  arresting  and 
pleasing.  I  have  never  seen  the  blending  of  these 
plants  in  any  other  garden  or  park,  though  it  is 
well  worthy  of  being  copied,  I  am  convinced. — 
C.  T.,  Highgate. 

Are  New  Pentstemons  Too  Large  ? — I  note 
the  paragraph  on  page  494,  and  do  not  agree  with 
Mr.  Bernard  Crisp.  If  Mr.  Crisp  is  wedded  to  such 
forms  as  Newbury  Gem  (syn.  Hartwegii),  then 
I  do  not  wonder  at  his  dislike  of  the  newer  florists' 
varieties,  for  which  Mr.  Forbes  of  Hawick  has 
long  been  noted.  I  have  grown  the  new  varieties 
sent  out  by  Mr.  Forbes  annually  for  the  last  ten 
years,  and  it  was  but  last  week  I  remarked  "  I  have 
not  seen  any  increase  in  the  size  of  the  flowers  for 
several  years  now.  Pentstemons  have  evidently 
reached  their  limit  in  size."  For  the  embellish- 
ment of  the  garden  in  bed,  border,  or  in  lines  of 
one  sort,  I  think  the  superior  forms  of  newer  sorts 
have  a  distinct  and  increasing  future  before  them. 
Take,  for  example,  the  variety  George  Home, 
bright  scarlet,  with  a  pure  white  throat,  or  some 
of  the  more  recently  improved  forms  of  this  raised 
by  Mr.  E.  Beckett  at  Aldenham,  and  what  more 
impressive  sight  of  colour  could  we  have  in  the 
garden  ?  Flowers  of  this  type  have  reasonably 
large  bells,  which  expose  the  two  colours,  scarlet 
and  white,  to  perfection ;  whereas  in  the  case  of 
P.  Newbury  Gem  and  its  varieties  they  are  lacking 
in  colour  and  decision. — M.  E. 
The    Charm   of   Michaelmas    Daisies. — Those 

who  grow  these  flowers  only  among  the  ordinary 
herbaceous  plants  can  have  no  conception  of 
their  beauty  and  individuality  when  seen  growing 
together  in  a  mass,  each  variety  given  sufficient 
space  for  perfect  development,  as  upon  this  so  much 
depends  to  show  each  variety  off  to  its  fullest 
extent.  Take  the  variety  the  Hon.  Edith  Gibbs,  for 
example,  which  is  a  seedling  from  Aster  ericoides 
elegans  crossed  with  Robert  Parker,  a  form  of 
Novi-Belgii.  This  grows  5  feet  high,  throwing  out 
side  shoots  within  a  foot  of  the  ground.  Each  of 
these  shoots  right   up   to   the   point  is  smothered 


with  its  pale  blue  blossoms,  making  a  perfectly- 
formed,  drooping  specimen  right  to  the  ground. 
When  such  varieties  as  these  are  huddled  together 
with  the  ordinary  herbaceous  plant,  no  conception  is 
possible  of  the  natural  beauty  of  the  finest  of 
Michaelmas  Daisies.  In  years  gone  by,  when 
we  had  no  other  forms  but  those  of  Nova&- 
Anglise,  like  pulcbellus,  for  instance,  with  its  trusses 
of  flower  quite  at  the  top  of  6-feet  shoots,  there 
was  no  harm  in  crowding  such  at  the  back  of  the 
herbaceous  border,  if  it  were  only  to  hide  their 
gaunt-looking  stems.  Just  one  more  mention 
of  another  sort,  St.  Egwin.  When  well  grown  this 
runs  up  a  yard  high  and  is  almost  as  much  through, 
a  full,  rounded  head  of  rich  rose  colour  that  seems 
to  require  space  to  show  off  its  richness  and  beauty 
which  it  undoubtedly  possesses. — M.  S. 

Rose  Fortune's  Yellow. — I  was  much  interested 
in    Mr.    Harriss'    article    on    that    most    beautiful 
and  desirable  Rose,  Fortune's  Yellow,  as  grown  at 
Lockinge,  and  am  reminded  of  a  very  interesting 
discussion   on   the   same   subject   which    appeared 
in   the  pages  of  The   Garden   a  few   years   ago. 
My  knowledge  of  this  Rose  extends  now  for  nearly 
two  decades,  and  I  am  at  one  with  Mr.  Harriss 
in   nearly   all   he   says   respecting   its   cultivation, 
differing  only   slightly  in   detail.     A   tree   here   is 
restricted  to  the  long  span  of  a  hip-spanned  green- 
house 24  feet  by    12    feet,  and    the    pruning  and 
training  is  similar   to   that  practised  at    Lockinge. 
Here  are  the  differences  in  detail :   Whereas  the  trees 
at   Lockinge  are  planted  inside,   the  tree  referred 
to  here  is  planted  outside  and  trained  through  the 
wall,  much  the  same  as  one  would  train  a  Vine, 
and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  this  is  the  ideal  way 
to  grow  Fortune's  Yellow  Rose.     Permit  me  to  add 
weight  to  this  statement.     Let  us  take  growth  first. 
I  have  referred   to  the  tree   here    being   restricted 
to  the  long  span  of  the  hip-spanned  structmre.     So 
exuberant  is  the  growth  that  it  would  in  one  season 
cover   all   the   roof   space   if   permitted   to   do   so. 
This  state  of  affairs  is  entirely  free  from  any  extra 
attention   on   our   part,    as   feeding   and   watering 
is  not   practised   during   the   growing  season,    the 
rampant  growth  being  sufficient  to  hold  our  hands 
in  this  respect.     One  more  item — we  are  entirely 
immune  from  mildew,  and  why  we  are  so  appears 
very   obvious.     Next   comes   colour.     Mr.    Harriss 
gives    the    blooms    at    Lockinge    as    a    "  beautiful 
apricot."     Describing   the   colour  here,    I   will   do 
it  this  way  :   Let  your  readers  refer  to  the  coloured 
plate   in    your   special    and   most    excellent    Rose 
issue,  take  the  two  half-expanded  blooms  of  Irish 
Fireflame,   add   a  dash   of  the   carmine   of   Queen 
Mary,   and  the  colour  of  most  of  the   blooms  as 
produced  here  is  given   to   a  nicety.     It   may  be 
of  some  interest  to  mention  that   this  particular 
tree   is  some   thirty  years  old,  and   2,000   blooms 
have  been  cut  from  it  in  one  season.      It  is  on  its 
own    roots,    and   the    circumference   of    the    stem 
a  foot  from  the  groimd-level  is  iij  inches.     The 
rooting  medium  may  be  described  as  being  neither 
light  nor  heavy,  and  chalk  enters  into  the  compo- 
sition, but   not   largely.     Feeding  commences  only 
so  soon  as  the  flower-buds  begin  to  show,  and  con- 
tinues   throughout    the    flowering    period.     There 
is  really  nothing  better  as  food  than  that  recom- 
mended by  Mr.   Harriss — liquid  manure  from  the 
farmyard.        Reverting     to     the     colour     of     the 
blooms  of  Fortune's  Yellow,  so  intense  have  these 
been,    and    yellow    appearing    such    a    misnomer, 
that   we  feel  constrained  to  refer  to  the   Rose   as 
Fortune's  Rose,  or  its  synonym.  Beauty  of  Glazen- 
wood. — J.    McCallum,    Biirkham    Gardens,    Alton, 
Hants. 


OCTOBER    IN    GARDEN   AND 
WOODLAND. 


O' 


CTOBER — the     Poet's    Month— replete 

with  charm  and  beauty — the  beauty 

of  peace  and  restfulness,  the  charm 

of  unexpected  surprises,  cold  nights 

succeeded    by    warm,    balmy    days 

with   bmrsts   of   hot   sunshine,    that 

make    the    flowers   think   that    summer   may    yet 

come  back    again — that    fills  the  bees  with  work, 

that  brings  the  Mushrooms  up,  and  swells  the  later 

Blackberries,  that  hang  so  large  and  plentifully  this 

year  upon  the  tops  of  the  hedges  like  bunches  of 

wild  Grapes  : 

*'.     .     .     there  Is  a  harmony 
In  autumn,  and  a  lustre  in  its  sky. 
Which  thro*  the  summer  is  not  heard  or  seen. 
As  if  it  could  not  be,  as  if  it  had  not  been  I  " 

Looking  across  the  great  weald  the  Oaks  have 
hardly  changed — only  the  quivering  Birch  trees 
on  the  hilltops  stand  here  imd  there,  flinging 
from  them  golden  spray.  The  ripe  Wahiuts, 
the  orchards  full  of  fruit,  all  express  "  Autumn's 
ripe  maturity."  There  is  a  calm  on  all  lifeless 
things — the  calm  of  decay,  the  silence  of  farewell, 

"  The  moist  rich  smell  of  rotting  leaves," 
and  a  wann,  grey  mist  that  connects  "  the  landscape 
with  the  quiet  of  the  sky." 

In  the  garden  the  stillness  and  silent  mystery 
of  October  is  only  broken  by  the  Chestnuts  pattering 
to  the  groimd,  the  hum  of  the  threshmg-machines 
at  work  close  by,  and  occasional  outbursts  ot  the 
robin's  song.  One  day  we  wake  to  find  the  world 
completely  shrouded  in  a  thick  white  pall,  through 
which  we  can  only  just  descry  "  the  favourite 
hcmilet  famt  and  pale."  Nature  likes  to  draw 
a  semi-lucent  covering  about  her  handiwork — 
without  rush  or  hurry  in  a  beautiful  quiet  routine 
she  fvilfils  her  will. 

Birth,  the  rapturous  awakening  of  love,  death,  and 
the  strange  movement  of  spring  in'  every  twig  and 
hedgerow  flower,  the  return  of  the  swallows,  the 
cuckoo's  note  upon  its  rightful  day,  the  fields  that 
are  suddenly  filled  with  the  bleatings  of  lambs  ;  at 
a  certain  date  the  Spanish  Irises  are  all  ui  bloom, 
the  Cowslips  awaken  in  the  field,  rich  blossomings 
quite  suddenly  fill  our  Rose  gardens  and  summer 
beds,  the  song  of  the  watched-for  nightingale 
at  the  self-same  dale  ;  we  know  that  Nature  will 
tell  the  wild  white  Cherry  to  loosen  its  mass  ot 
trembling  flowers — such  mysteries  are  not  for  us. 

As  the  mist  rolls  gradually  away  and  the  low 
sunshine  throws  long  shadows  across  the  lawns, 
and  on  "  the  silvery  dews  that  drench  the  Furze," 
we  hear 

"  The  autumn  leaves  like  light  footfalls  of  spirits  passing," 
and  we  feel  a  presence  has  passed  tmseen,  unheard, 
along  the  garden  path.  The  Vine  has  changed  to  a 
lovely  primrose  yellow,  the  monstrous  Pseony  Dahlias 
droop  their  heads,  and  the  Heliotrope  says  good-bye. 
So  sweet,  so  calm,  should  death  be  to  all — not 
death,  but  a  passing,  through  strange  mysteries, 
to  another  life.  The  flowers  are  not  dead — but  after 
the  "  slumber  of  the  year "  will  awaken  to  fresh 
life  with  the  first  touch  of  sprmg.  M.  C.  S. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

October  28. — Southampton  Autumn  Show  (two 
days). 

October  29. — Kent  County  Chrysanthemum 
Show  (two  days).  Borough  of  Croydon  Show 
(two  days). 

October  30. — Torquay  Flower  Show.  Maiden- 
head Chrysanthemum  and  Fruit  Show. 


536 


THE    GARDEN. 


[October  25, 1913. 


THE    CAMPANULAS 
BELLFLOWERS. 


OR 


{Continued  from  page  524.) 
C.    Saxifraga.  -^  C.     tridentata     Saxifraga    of 
gardens,  and  mentioned  under  C.  tridentata. 

C.  Scheuchzeri. — Practically  a  form  of  C.  rotundi- 
folia  wlien  in  gardens,  but  with  woolly  leaves  and 
blue  flowers  in  June  and  July  ;  white  in  the  variety 
alba.     Any  soil. 

C.  Scouleri. — A  North-West  American  species, 
a  foot  high,  and  with  panicles  of  pale  blue  flowers 
in  late  summer.  Level  rockwork.  Not,  I  think, 
in  commerce. 

C.  speciosa. — A  bieimial  limestone  plant,  a  foot 
high,  with  a  spike  of  large,  bell-shaped  flowers 
of  pale  purple.  Ordinary  soil.  Seeds.  June  or  July. 
C.  StansDeldi. — A  gem  among  the  hybrids. 
From  a  close  tuft  of  yellowish  leaves  rise  big 
lilac  blue  and  half-pendulous  blooms  in  July. 
An  easy  plant  for  the  moraine,  wall,  or  flat 
terrace  in  the  rock  garden.  Spreads  well. 
Division. 

C.  stenocodon. — Scarce  and  rather  difficult. 
After  the  style  of  C.  pusilla,  but  with  narrow, 
deep  -blue  bells.  Should  be  tried  in  the 
moraine,  but  not  yet  fully  tested.     July. 

C.  Steveni. — Becoming  very  popular  on 
account  of  its  dwarf  variety  nana,  this  Bell- 
flower  has  a  future  before  it.  It  has  narrow, 
glossy  leaves  in  a  carpet,  and  nodding  blue 
bells  in  June  and  July.  Alba  is  white,  and 
nana  is  a  lovely  6-inch-high  blue  variety. 
Division  or  seeds.  Avoid  wet  at  the  neck 
of  the  plants  in  winter. 

C.   thyrsoidea.  —  An     old,    yellow-flowered 

biennial,  loving  a  dry  place  in  sun.     Rather 

,  coarse  in  its  way,  with  its  big  head  of  flowers. 

Sow  in  June  and  grow  on.     Flowers  in  June 

and  July. 

C.  tommasiniana. — A  scarce  little  bushy 
plant  adorned  in  July  with  narrow  bells  of 
light  purple  or  blue.  Slugs  are  troublesome. 
Moraine  or  gritty  soil  in  the  rock  garden. 
Seeds  or  division. 

C.  trichopoda. — A  dwarf  species  with   pale 
blue  flowers  and  about  six  inches  or  nine  inches 
high.  Moraineordry  parts  of  the  rockery.  Divi 
sion  or  seeds,  but  rare  and  expensive.     June. 

C.  tridentata. — This  is  a  gem  with  a  charm- 
ing tufted  growth  and  large  flowers  of  violet 
blue  or  purple.  It  is  closely  akin  to  C.  Saxi- 
fraga, if  not  the  same..  Moraine  or  ordinary 
rock  garden  light  soil  with  grit.  Seeds  or 
division.     June. 

C.  triflora. — Hardly,  if  at  all,  distinguishable 
from  C.   portenschlagiana,  this    requires    the 
same  treatment.     Increased    by  division  and   seed 
where  obtainable. 

C.  turbinata. — Referred  to  under  C.  carpatica. 

C.  tyrolensis  or  tirolensis. — This  comes  near 
tci  C.  (.espitiisa,  and  needs  the  same  treatment. 

C.  uniflora. — A  scarce  and  dif&cult  plant,  like 
C.  excisa  in  its  aspect  and  best  in  the  moraine. 
Division.     June  and  July  until  August. 

C.  valdensis. — There  are  two  forms  of  C.  valdensis 
in  cultivation,  one  with  downy  leaves  and  blue  bells 
after  the  type  of  C.  rotundifolia,  but  narrow ;  the 
other  with  the  flowers  constricted  like  a  soda- 
water' bottle,  lighter  blue  than  those  of  the  above, 
and  the  plant  of  dwarfer  habit,  between  C.  rotundi- 
folia and  C.  caispitosa.  Crevices  of  the  stones 
or  the  moraine.     Division  or  seeds.     July. 

C.  velutina. — See  C.  lanata. 


C.  waldsteiniana. — A  gem  for  the  moraine  or 
rock  garden  in  gritty  soil.  Only  a  few  inches 
high,  with  dainty,  starry  flowers  of  pale  blue  in 
June.  Crevices  or  level  parts  of  rockwork  or  the 
moraine.     Seeds  or  division.     Sim. 

C.  Zoysii. — But  for  slugs  this  would  be  a  favourite 
everywhere.  It  is  of  elegant,  rather  trailing  growth, 
and  in  June  produces  charmingly-shaped,  light 
blue  flowers  above  tufted  foUage.  Gritty  soil  or 
the  moraine.  S.  Aknott. 

{To   be  continued.) 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 

THE     PERSIAN      CYCLAMEN  AS     A 
BIENNIAL. 

After    numerous    experiments    during  the    last 

twenty-five    years,    I    have    proved,    to  my   ovm 


C.\MPANULA     THYRSOIDEA,     AN      OLD     BIENNIA 
SPECIES    THAT    IS    NOT    WELL    KNOWN. 

satisfaction  at  all  events,  that  by  far  the  best  results 
with  this  grand  plant  are  to  be  had  by  treating 
it  as  a  biennial.  I  am  aware  that  numbers  of 
good  gardeners  disagree  with  this,  holding  that  it  i? 
impossible  to  have  really  fine  plants  by  this  method. 
I  am  satisfied  in  my  own  mind,  however,  that  with 
proper  treatment  quite  large  plants  can  be  had 
in  beautiful  bloom  fifteen  or  sixteen  months  after 
the  seeds  are  sown.  These  easily  beat  the  best 
old  plants  for  size  and  substance  of  flower,  while 
they  also  bloom  for  a  longer  period.  Being  very 
successful  with  this  almost  indispensable  winter  and 
spring  flowering  plant,  perhaps  a  few  notes  on  how  I 
manage  to  obtain  these  satisfactory  results  may  be  of 
interest  to  others  who  admire  the  Persian  Cyclamen. 
Sowing  the  Seed. — In  most  cases  seeds  are  sown 
at   too   lati-   .1  date.     Niunbers  of  seed  catalogues 


say  that  from  October  to  March  is  the  proper 
time.  This  may  be  well  enough  where  a  house 
can  be  devoted  entirely  to  this  plant,  but  for 
ordinary  mixed  culture  it  is  much  too  late.  I 
have  always  had  the  best  results  by  sowing  from 
August  9  to  15. 

How  to  Sow. — Select  fairly  deep  and  perfectly 
clean' seed-pans,  those  about  nine  inches  in  diameter 
being  very  handy.  Crock  with  great  care,  and  place 
some  of  the  rough  riddlings  from  the  soil  over 
the  drainage.  The  soil  should  be  a  nice  light, 
but  fairly  substantial  mixture  of  three  parts 
fibrous  loam,  one  part  flaky  peat,  one  and  a-half 
parts  sweet  leaf-mould,  and  one  part  rather  coarse, 
sharp  sand.  The  addition  of  about  half  a  part 
of  crushed  charcoal  is  a  great  help,  as  it  keeps 
the  compost  sweet.  Pass  all  through  a  half-inch 
riddle  and  mix  thoroughly.  Fill  the  pans  to  within 
about  an  inch  of  the  tops,  and  make  moderately 
firm  and  quite  level.  Scatter  the  seeds  very 
thinly  and  evenly,  and  press  down  gently  with 
a  fflat  piece  of  board.  Sieve  a  little  of  the  . 
soil  and  cover  to  a  depth  of  about  an  eighth 
of  an  inch.  'Water  carefully  either  by  plunging 
in  a  bucket  of  tepid  water  or  by  using  a  very 
fine  rose  on  the  watering-can.  Cover  each  pan 
with  a  sheet  of  sl'^iss,  and  the  glass  with  thick 
brown  paper  or  damp  moss.  Place  in  an 
intermediate  temperature,  and  in  about  three 
weeks'  time  the  first  of  the  seedlings  will  be 
peeping  through. 

Winter  Treatment. — As  soon  as  growth 
appears,  remove  the  paper,  but  shade  carefully 
from  all  sunshine.  After  all  the  seeds  have 
germinated,  gradually  remove  the  glass  and 
get  the  pans  set  up  on  a  shelf  quite  close  to 
the  roof  glass.  Here  they  should  be  kept  all 
the  winter,  attending  to  them  very  carefully 
with  water,  but  also  taking  care  not  to  sour 
the  soil  by  too  frequent  applications. 

Pricking  Off. — It  is  a  mistake  to  attempt 
this  too  soon.  Experience  has  shown  me  that 
February  is  early  enough,  and  by  then  each 
little  plant  should  have  four  leaves.  Two-inch 
pots  should  be  used,  and  these  should  be 
crocked  with  three  or  four  small  pieces  of 
charcoal.  A  mixture  similar  to  that  advised 
for  seed-sowing  is  suitable.  Pot  lightly  and 
leave  half  of  the  little  bulb  above  the  surface, 
water,  and  return  to  the  same  temperature, 
shading  carefully.  Sprinkle  gently  overhead 
twice  daily  from  the  time  of  pricking  off 
until  September. 

Spring   Treatment. — As   growth  starts  in 

earnest.  remo\'e   to  a  slightly  lower    tempera- 
ture, and  when  the  little  pots  are  fairly  well 
filled   with    roots    (they    must    not    be    pot- 
bound),   shift    into    larger    pots.      The   very 
strongest     may     be     allowed     the     4-inch     size, 
the     others     3-inch     or    3i-inch,      according     to 
strength.       Use    much    the    same    compost,  only 
a  little   more   peat   may   be   given,   also   a   5-inch 
potful   of   bone-meal   and  the  same   of   Ichthemic 
Guano    to    the  barrow-load    of    soil.     Again    pot 
lightly. 

Subsequent  Treatment. — As  the  weather  im- 
proves, admit  air  in  increased  volume  and  pay 
great  attention  to  watering.  Shade  from  all 
sunshine  is  imperative,  as  is  the  sprinkling  over- 
head. Some  good  growers  advise  removing  the 
plants  to  a  cold  frame  during  the  sunmier  ;  but, 
personally,  I  prefer  a  greenhouse  stage.  Tomatoes 
on  the  roof,  not  too  thickly  planted,  afford  the 
proper  shade,  and  under  these  conditions  the  plants 
are  always  under  the  eye  and  thrive  beautifully. 


October  25,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


537 


The  Final  Potting.— For  the  strongest  plants 
provide  perfectly  clean  6-inch  pots.  For  the 
medium  specimens  the  5j-inch  size,  and  for  the 
weaker  ones  5-inch  pots  are  best.  The  soil  should 
consist  of  three  parts  best  fibrous  loam,  two  parts 
best  fibrous  brown  peat,  one  and  a-half  parts  of 
sweet,  flaky  leaf-mould,  and  sufftcicnt  coarse  sand 
to  keep  all  sweet.  Crushed  charcoal  may  with 
advantage  be  added,  while  a  6-inch  potful  of  bone- 
meal  and  a  5-inch  potfvil  of  Thomson's  Plant 
Manure  or  Ichthemic  Guano  must  be  allowed 
to  each  barrow-load  of  the  other  ingredients. 
Use  in  a  fairly  rough  state,  as  the  idea  is  to  provide 
a  nice  "  springy "  compost.  Crock  the  pots 
with  extra  care  and  again  pot  lightly,  keeping  the 
bulbs  half  their  depth  out  of  the  soil.  Water 
carefully  and  keep  rather  close  for  a  few  days. 
As  soon  as  the  pots  are  well  filled  with  roots,  feed 
about  twice  a  week  with  weak  liquid  manure  and 
soot-water.  A  tablespoonful  of  Ichthemic  Guano 
in  a  gallon  of  water  is  one  of  the  best 
stimulants  it  is  possible  to  have  for 
the  Cyclamen.  Vaporise  with  XL  All 
Insecticide  occasionally  to  keep  down 
green  fly  and  thrip,  and  in  due  course 
a  fine  display  will  be  the  reward  for 
any  little  trouble  incurred.  Grow  a 
first-rate  strain  like  Sutton's  Giant  or 
Sutton's  Prize.  C.  Blair. 

Preston  Gardens,  Linlithgow. 


of  the  Cottage  Maid  type  of  colouring,  but  not 
so  dumpy  in  habit  or  of  such  a  pronounced  pink. 
I  like  its  pale  shade  very  much  indeed,  and  I  rather 
think  that  in  my  pink  and  white  trials  this  year 
it  will  be  very  near  the  top  when  the  class  list  is 
made  out  next  spring. 

Tulip  Trials  at  Wisley. — Before  these  notes 
are  in  print  the  Tulip-lovers  of  Britain  and  Holland 
will  have  been,  I  hope,  gratified  by  seeing  the 
annoimcement  in  the  gardening  papers  that  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  are  going  to  tackle 
the  question  of  nomenclature.  I  trust  that  some- 
thing will  now  be  done  to  settle  the  question  of 
ST.Tionyms,  and  that,  when  once  these  are 
sorted  out  and  classified  under  the  different 
varieties  to  which  they  belong,  amateurs  and 
dealers  will  accept  the  result  as  an  ex  cathedra 
pronouncement,  promulgated  indeed  by  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society,  but  virtually  threshed  out 
and    settled    (if    it    is    as    it    is    intended)    by    a 


A.  Dickson  and  Sons),  and  to  all  others,  as  they 
say,  whom  it  may  concern,  to  weigh  carefully  the 
propriety  or  otherwise  of  giving  new  fancy  names 
to  the  broken  Darwins  or  to  the  broken  anything 
else.  Let  me  put  the  case  in  a  concrete  form. 
A,  B,  C  and  D  each  has  a  bed  of  Mr.  Famcombe 
Sanders.  In  each  one  a  certain  number  "  break  " — 
that  is,  take  on  their  final  (?)  striped  appearance. 
As  things  are  at  present  among  these  garden  flowers, 
there  is  nothing  to  prevent  A  calling  his  "  break  " 
Mary,  B  calling  his  Jane,  C  calling  his  Betsy,  and 
D  calling  his  Anne.  If  these  A,  B,  C  and  D  were 
all  traders  and  went  in  for  increasing  their  stock 
until  they  could  offer  it  to  the  public,  it  is  quite 
possible  to  have  the  very  same  thing  on  the  market 
under  all  these  different  names.  Not  so  with  the 
show  Tulip.  Once  a  Sir  Joseph  Paxton,  always  and 
for  ever  a  "  Paxton."  The  breeder  form  may  be 
grown  in  fifty  beds,  and  in  fifty  beds  it  may  break, 
but  no  real  Tulip  man  ever  thinks  of  it  as  anything 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 


TULIP     NOTES. 
Some  Early  Varieties  for  Pots.— 

,A  prnd  Irnni  the  liditor  h.is  made  me 
once  more  put  pen  to  paper  to  fulfil, 
before  it  is  too  late,  my  promise  of  a 
few  "  tips  "  for  the  great  Tulip-time  of 
1914.  For  those  who  like  to  have  a 
few  "  choiceities "  and  "  out-of-the- 
wayities,"  let  me  suggest  the  purchase 
of  Enchantress,  a  sort  of  pale  ruby  red 
with  a  blush  edge  ;  and  Hector,  a  mas- 
sive orange  and  yellow  bloom  with  a 
strange  dullness  all  over  it,  which  at 
one  time  attracts  and  at  another  makes 
one  wonder  if  one  does  like  it  or  not. 
Then  there  is  Jenny — among  Tulips 
what  Mother  n'  Pearl  is  anrong 
Sweet  Peas— the  sweetest,  brightest, 
cheeriest  little  mortal  that  anyone 
could  wish  for  as  a  companion,  so  chic 
in  shape  and  of  such  a  taking  shade 
of  cherry  red  in  colour.  De  Wet  1 
remember  seeing  at  the  Jubilee  Exhibition  at 
Haarlem  as  a  new  thing.  Ever  since  1  have  been 
wondering  when  it  would  be  obtainable.  I  believe  it 
can  be  procured  now,  for  I  know  it  is  in  the  whole- 
sale list  of  M.  van  Waveren  and  Sons  of  Hillegom, 
and  if  so,  then  the  probability  is  that  some  retail 
firms  are  cataloguing  it  but  I  am  unable  to  say 
who  they  are.  I  have  an  idea  that  it  is  a  sport 
from  Prince  of  Austria,  as  it  resembles  that  variety 
in  everything  but  colour,  which  under  glass  is  a 
real  orange  stade.  In  the  open  the  colour  breaks 
into  its  constituents  and  it  is  a  mass  of  red  suffused 
with  yellow,  which  is  wonderfully  effective  for 
room  decoration,  for,  although  I  have  not  as  yet 
grown  it  myself,  I  saw  what  an  admirable  cut 
flower  it  made  at  the  "  Woman's  Work "  Exhi- 
bition this  year  at  Amsterdam,  where  on  the  day 
I  visited  the  show  it  was  used  to  decorate  one 
of  the  furniture  exhibits.     Rose  Tendre  is  a  flower 


CAMPANULA    STANSFIELDI,    A    BEAUTIFUL    HYBRID    WITH    LILAC    BLUE    FLOWERS. 


congregation  of  the  combined  wisdom  of  the  Nether- 
lands and  the  British  Isles.  After  then,  should 
any  firm,  small  or  great,  or  any  private  person, 
known  or  unknown,  lay  down  a  false  scent,  "  let 
them  or  him  be  anathema."  It  is  atrocious  to 
go  and  renamS  any  variety  for  no  reason  except, 
presumably,  that  of  selling  both  it  and  its  pur- 
chaser. I  have  been  told  that  once  upon  a  time 
Bishop  Magee  of  Peterborough  had  some  sauce 
spilt  on  his  episcopal  coat  at  a  dinner-party.  He 
looked  up  and  down  the  table  with  a  bland  but 
imploring  look,  and  said :  "  Will  some  layman 
make  an  appropriate  remark  ?  "  How  often  have 
I — how  often  have  those  who  read  these  lines — 
planted  some  newly-found  treasure,  only  at  flower- 
ing-time to  wish  that  that  layman  was  at  our  side  ? 
One  thing  I  would  like  to  see  done,  and  I  appeal 
to  my  friends  Mr.  Krelage,  Mr.  Leak  (of  Messrs. 
R,    H.    Bath),    Mr.    Hugh    Dickson     (of     Messrs. 


but  Sir  Joseph  Paxton  ;  he  simply  calls  it  "  Sir 
Joseph  Paxton  flamed  "  or  "  Sir  Joseph  Paxton 
feathered,"  or  he  could  equally  correctly  say  "  Sir 
Joseph  Paxton  broken."  The  old  Tulip  men 
went  through  all  the  bitter  and  provoking  time 
of  a  haphazard  and  lawless  nomenclature  sixty  and 
more  years  ago,  and  the  principle  now  universally 
adopted  among  the  show  growers  of  to-day  is 
one  born  of  a  long-drawn-out  experience  as  being 
at  once  truthful,  simple  and  speaking.  I  sincerely 
hope  this  question  of  naming  "  breaks "  will 
occupy  the  attention  of  those  who  are  called  upon 
to  form  the  nomenclature  committee,  and  that 
the  very  much  threatened  tangle  of  names  of  the 
beautiful  striped  varieties  will  not  be  allowed  to 
maiure.  Joseph  Jacob. 

[We  should  be  pleased  to  hear  the  views  of 
Messrs.  Krelage,  Leak  and  Hugh  Dickson  on  the 
nammg  of  Tuiip  breaks. — Ed] 


538 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  25,  1913. 


A    LITTLE-KNOWN    TORCH    LILY. 

(Kniphofia  Tysonii.) 

This  handsome  South  African  plant  does  not  seem 
to  differ  in  any  way  from  Kniphofia  caulescens, 
except  that  it  flowers  at  a  different  time,  the  latter 
flowering  during  Jime,  whereas  the  subject  of 
this  note  flowers  during  August  and  September. 
Apart  from  its  flowers,  which  are  orange  red, 
fading  to  pale  yellow,  its  handsome,  glaucous 
blue  foliage  would  merit  it  a  place  in  the  garden, 
and,  as  the  illustration  shows,  it  is  a  handsome 
subject  for  a  lawn  bed.  A  large  group  of  it,  suit- 
ably placed,  is  very  effertive  in  a  large  rock  garden, 
and  on  a  sloping  bank  it  is  likely  to  get  the  right 
conditions  to  come  through  the  winter  safely, 
while  damp  and  stagnant  moisture  often  prove 
fatal  during  winter. 

Although  K.  Tysonii  likes  dry  conditions 
during  winter,  care  must  be  taken  that  it 
does  not  suffer  from  drought  during  the  summer, 
as,    in     common    with    other    members    of    this 


lavender,  with  rose  flakes  ;  Blondin,  pale  blue  ; 
Cassandra,  pale  lavender  blue  ;  Lilacina,  pale 
blue,  shaded  lilac ;  Mme.  de  Beauhamais,  rich 
dark  blue  ;  Mont  Blanc,  pure  white ;  Surprise 
and  Zulu,  rich  purplish  red  ;  and  Miss  Barclay, 
white,  with  violet  markings. 

Westwick  Gardens,  Norwich.       E.   G.  Davison. 


HYBRID     LILIES. 

Owing  to  the  prominent  position  of  their  floral 
organs,  it  might  be  thought  that  hybrid  Lilies  would 
be  plentiful.  Such,  however,  is  not  the  case,  for 
there  seems  a  strange  fatality  about  some  of  the 
best-marked  kinds ;  for  instance,  that  gorgeous 
hybrid  raised  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic 
between  Lilium  auratum  and  L.  speciosum,  and 
known  as  L.  Parkmannii,  has  quite  disappeared. 
It  was  given  a  first-class  certificate  by  our  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  in  1880,  and  was  shown 
occasionally  for  some  years  afterwards,  but  it 
is  now  no  longer  to  be  found.     Its  first  appearance 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PLATE    1479. 

A     NEW    CULINARY     APPLE. 

IT  is  not  often  that  a  new  culinary  Apple 
shown  before  the  fruit  and  vegetable  com- 
mittee of  I  he  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
possesses  sufficiently  good  features  to  secure 
an  award  of  merit  ;  hence  it  is  worth  placing 
on  lecord  any  that  do  gain  this  coveted 
distinction.  The  variety  of  which  a  coloured  plate 
is  given  with  this  issue  is  named  Padnall  Seedling, 
and  was  raised  by  Mr.  Roberts  of  Padnall  Hall 
Chadwell  Heath,  Essex.  When  shown  by  him 
last  year  at  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
meeting  at  the  end  of  August,  it  received  an  award 
of  merit,  a  deputation  from  the  society  having 
previously  visited  the  trees  and  reported  upon 
them  to  the  committee.  Subsequently  we  visited 
Mr.  Roberts,  who  kindly  showed  us  the  original 
tree  and  also  a  number  of  young  ones  that  had  been 
recently  grafted.  The  habit  of  the 
tree  is  robust,  and  the  foliage  very  large 
and  tough,  reminding  one  greatly  in 
that  respect  of  Peasgood's  Nonsuch, 
but  the  fruits  themselves  more  re- 
semble Warner's  King.  They  are  large 
and  crisp,  of  good  flavour,  and  in  sea- 
son from  early  July  until  mid- Septem- 
ber. We  regard  this  as  a  good  and 
useful  addition  to  the  early  culinary 
Apples,  and  as  the  young  trees,  when 
grafted  on  Paradise  stock,  fruit  well 
in  their  early  stages,  it  should  prove 
a  useful  variety  for  planting  in  private 
gardens  where  space  is  limited. 


TREES     &     SHRUBS. 


hLOV 

A    MO 

A 


A    HANDSOME    TORCH    LILY    OR    RED-HOT    POKER  :    KNIPHOFLA    TYSONII. 


genus,  it  enjoys  copious  supplies  of  water  at 
the  root  during  the  growing  and  flowering  season. 
As  with  most  Kniphofias,  this  plant  is  not 
likely  to  prove  over  -  hardy  in  cold  districts, 
but  a  little  dry  litter  placed  round  the  plants  should 
bring  them  safely  through  most  winters.        J.  C. 


ENGLISH     IRISES. 

This  section  of  a  large  family  is  a  most  useful  one, 
providing  us  with  flowers  in  July,  and  by  planting 
good  bulbs  a  fine  display  of  flowers  can  be  relied 
upon.  They  succeed  in  any  good  soil,  and  are 
quite  hardy.  The  flowers  are  large,  and  the  colours 
rich  and  striking.  The  bulbs  should  be  planted 
in  autumn.  September  is  a  good  time,  although 
planting  may  be  deferred  till  December.  They 
may  be  planted  in  clumps  in  the  herbaceous 
borders,  or  a  border  may  be  whoUy  planted  with 
them.  There  are  many  fine  varieties  to  choose 
from.     The    following    are    good    forms  :     Anton, 


in  this  country  created  quite  a  furore.  That  pretty 
and  interesting  cross  raised  at  Kew  some  dozen 
years  or  so  ago  between  L.  Henryi  and  L.  Brownii 
Chloraster,  and  known  as  L.  kewense,  seems  to 
have  shared  the  same  fate.  Crosses  between  the 
Chinese  L.  Hansonii  and  cUfferent  Martagons 
have  good  constitutions,  and  are  likely  to  prove 
reliable  garden  Lilies. 

There  are  several  hybrids  between  the  upright - 
flowered  Lilies,  such  as  L.  croceum,  L.  davuri- 
cum  and  L.  elegans,  and  also  among  the 
North  American  species  of  the  Martagon  section. 
These  American-raised  forms  were  distributed 
as  L.  Burbankii,  but  they  are  a  mixed  race. 
One  Lily,  which,  by  the  way,  is  only  a 
supposed  hybrid,  is  the  grandest  of  all.  This  is 
the  Nankeen  Lily  (L.  testaceum),  which  is  one 
of  the  finest  outdoor  Lilies  we  have.  It  is  an 
assumed  hybrid  between  L.  candidum  and  L. 
chalcedonicum,  but  its  origin  seems  to  be 
unknown. 


SOME     GOOD     AUTUMN- 
FLOWERING    SHRUBS. 

MONG  the  numerous  shrubby 
species  of  Veronica,  that 
known  as  V.  speciosa  has 
appealed  most  widely  to 
the  horticulturist,  and  in 
his  hands  numerous  varie- 
ties have  appeared  which  exhibit  an 
extensive  range  of  colour  and  in  many 
instances  bear  larger  inflorescences 
than  the  type.  Being  a  native  of  New 
Zealand,  it  is  not  very  hardy  in  the 
British  Isles,  but  gives  excellent  results 
in  the  South  and  West  maritime  counties  and  in  Ire- 
land. In  those  counties  it  is  foimd  as  a  large  bush, 
2  feet  to  4  feet  high  and  sometimes  6  feet  in  dia- 
meter, at  all  times  a  good  evergreen,  and  during 
autumn  and  winter  an  excellent  flowering  shrub. 
The  kind  and  quahty  of  the  soil  is  not  of  wtal  im- 
portance ;  providing  climatic  conditions  are  suitable, 
there  are  tew  places  where  it  will  not  thrive.  In  more 
northerly  counties  the  various  forms  are  often 
grown  as  pot  plants  for  conservatory  decoration, 
and  large  specimens  are  cultivated  in  tubs  for 
terraces  and  corridors.  About  London  and  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  other  cities  and  towns  they  are 
grown  in  large  quantities  by  nurserymen  and  sold 
for  planting  ui  window-boxes  or  for  flowering  in 
dwelling-rooms,  and  they  are  familiar  objects  on  the 
stalls  and  carts  of  itinerant  plant  and  flower  vendors. 
I>ropagation  is  easily  effected  by  means  of  cuttings 
of  young  shoots  inserted  in  sandy  soil  in  a  close 
frame  durmg  spring  or  summer.  The  yoimg 
plants,  if  placed  in  a  nursery  border  and  stopped 


ys 


'^' 


O 
z 

Q 

LU 

tu 

-J 
J 
< 

z 

a 
< 

J 
a, 

< 


Z 


October  25,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


539 


once  or  twice,  develop  into  shapely  little  bushes 
by  the  end  of  the  first  year  and  usually  produce 
a  fair  number  of  inflorescences,  but  it  is  not  until 
they  are  three  or  four  years  old  that  they  really 
do  themselves  full  justice.  It  usually  happens, 
if  attention  is  paid  tn  pruning  during  early  life, 
that  little  is  required  afterwards,  that  little  being 
the  removal  of  the  old  flower-heads  as  soon  as  the 
flowers  are  over,  so  that  the  production  of  seeds 
is  prevented.  Should  the  old  flowers  be  left,  the 
seed-vessels  are  somewhat  unsightly  as  they  die 
off.  In  some  parts  of  Devonshire  and  Cornwall 
small   plants   are   inserted   in   the   stone   and   soU 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


I 


IN     A     HAMPSHIRE    GARDEN. 

Some  of  the  Newer  Roses. 
{Continued  from  page  526.) 
MUST  now  pass  on  to  deal  with  individual 
Roses,  and,  taking  the  exhibition  varieties 
first  of  all,  one  comes  to  the  Hybrid  Per- 
petuals.  They  have  had  one,  and  only 
one,  addition  to  their  ranks  this  year,  and 
that  is 


Coronation  (Hugh  Dickson,  1913),  a  huge  flower 
walls  which  are  so  popular  in  those  counties.  I  that  reminds  one  of  the  old  Her  Majesty,  but 
The  plants  appear  to  enjoy 
the  position  and  grow  into  fine 
specimens,  which  bloom  profusely. 
Whether  used  in  that  way  or  in  the 
shrubbery,  they  are  equally  desir- 
able, while  some  people  use  them 
very  effectively  for  informal  hedges. 
The  type  is  well  known  by  reason 
of  its  bluish  or  purplish  flowers, 
which  appear  in  dense  racemes 
2  inches  to  3  inches  long.  Of  the 
varieties  the  following  are  all  very 
beautiful,  and  well  worth  attention 
either  for  outdoor  or  pot  culture. 
Blue  Gem,  a  vigorous  shrub  of 
dense,  compact  habit,  with  large 
and  conspicuous  leaves.  The  blue 
flowers  are  at  their  best  during 
autumn,  though  a  few  continue  to 
open  during  winter.  Autumn  Glory 
is  another  blue-flowered  kind.  Of 
fairly  compact  growth,  it  is  dwarfer 
than  many  varieties,  and  can  be 
used  where  a  large-growing  bush 
would  be  out  of  place.  Gatintletti. 
— This  is  an  exceptionally  fine 
variety,  producing  spikes,  5  inches 
or  6  inches  long,  of  pretty  pinkish 
flowers.  The  foliage  is  large  and 
richly  coloured.  Mmc.  Chretien. — 
In  this  variety  the  flower-spikes  are 
4  inches  to  5  inches  long,  and  are 
made  up  of  rich  purple  flowers.  La 
Seduisante  is  also  a  vigorous  kind  ; 
its  flowers  are  reddish  purple.  Manx 
Queen  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  red- 
flowered  kinds,  while  another  one, 
which  was  distributed  by  Mr. 
Gauntlett  a  few  years  ago  tmdet 
the  name  of  Redruth,  also  bears 
rich  red  blossoms.  Then  there 
are  other  varieties,  such  as  Vulcan 
(dark  reddish  purple),  Snowflake 
(white).  Purple  Queen  (a  dwarf, 
purple-flowered  kind),  Mme.  Santin 
(blush),  Monte  Rose  (rose),  and  Le  Merveilleux  (rosy 
purple),  which  are  all  very  pretty. 


CLEMATIS    MONTANA    AND    SOLANUM     CRISPUM 
ON    A    GARDEN    PILLAR. 


CLIMBING    PLANTS    ON    A    GARDEN 
PILLAR. 

It  often  happens  that  the  most  pleasing  instances 
of  colour  associations  are  the  result  of  accidental 
planting,  and  such  is  the  case  depicted  in  the  above 
illustration,  taken  in  Colonel  H.  Moore's  garden 
at  Higher  Woodcombe,  Minehead,  Somerset. 
Colonel  Moore  sends  the  following  note  :  "  The 
garden  pillar  was  formerly  clothed  with  Clematis 
montana.  Solanum  crispmn  has  uivaded  it  from 
the  adjoining  wall,  and  as  the  pale  lilac  and 
white  flowers  make  a  pretty  contrast,  I  have  allowed 
them  to  fight  it  out  together." 


slightly  L.righter  in  its  shade  of  pink.  It  promises 
to  give  us  one  of  the  largest  of  exhibition  flowers. 
It  is  very  vigorous  in  growth,  tall  and  erect,  and 
I  remember  noticing  that  the  wood  was  much 
smoother  than  the  old  Hybrid  Perpetual,  and  very 
free-flowering  for  one  of  this  class,  when  I  saw 
several  rows  of  it  at  Belmont.  It  was  staged  more 
than  once  before  it  obtained  the  gold  medal  at 
Belfast,  the  National  Rose  Society's  Provincial 
Show  of  1912,  and  where,  I  suppose,  the  keenest 
competition  I  ever  remember  in  the  class  of  new 
seedlings  was  seen,  for  many  Roses  staged  in 
magnificent  form  at  this  show  were  passed  over, 
only  to  receive  the  gold  medal  later,  notably, 
British  Queen,  Colleen  and  Mrs.  James  Lynas, 
to     mention     only     three      that     occur     to     me. 


Coronation  is  reminiscent  of  Frau  Karl  Druschki  in 
its  method  of  growth,  but  is  much  more  globular 
in  shape,  after  the  style  of  Mrs.  Comwallis-West 
in  its  flowers.  Its  size  will  be  bound  to  make  it 
popular  with  exhibitors.  It  is  the  first  Hybrid 
Perpetual  to  receive  the  gold  medal  since  Hugh 
Dickson  was  awarded  it  at  the  Glasgow  Show  in 
r903,  ten  years  ago.  I  well  remember  the  sensation 
it  caused,  but  it  seems  longer  ago  than  ten  years 
somehow.  I  wonder  whether  we  shall  have  to 
wait  another  ten  years  for  the  next  Hybrid  Per- 
petual. I  rather  expect  before  then  that  Hybrid 
Perpetuals,  Hybrid  Teas  and  such-like  distinctions 
will  be  things  of  the  past.  Having  mentioned  Her 
Majesty  in  connection  with  Corona- 
tion— the  two  names  are  more  or 
less  inseparable — I  ought  to  add 
that  Coronation  is  not  so  subject  to 
mildew  as  Her  Majesty,  if  at  all. 

George  Arends  (Hinner,  1910)  is 
one  of  the  so-called  pink  Druschkis. 
It  is  scented,  but  that  is  the  most 
one  can  say  for  it,  and  I  am  dis- 
carding it  this  year,  as  it  is  not 
much  good  for  exhibition  and  we 
can  do  without      in  the  garden. 

Geoffrey  Henslow  (Tumet, 
1912),  a  dark-coloured  crimson  that 
will  be  confoimded,  I  am  afraid, 
with  the  Rose  ot  the  same  name, 
a  Hybrid  Tea.  Of  the  .wo  I  prefer 
the  latter,  as  it  is  undoubtedly  a 
better  colour  and  does  not  "  blue  " 
so  badlv. 

Gloire  de  Cbedane  Guinoisseau 
(Guinoisseau,  1907). — I  think  this 
Rose  has  enhanced  its  reputation. 
It  has  been  in  nearly  every  winning 
twenty-four,  and  has  undoubtedly 
come  to  stay.  Every  exhibitor 
should  have  it.  It  is  hardly  a  new 
Rose,  but  being  raised  on  the  Con- 
tinent is  a  severe  handicap,  and  it 
has  taken  some  time  for  its  merits 
to  be  recognised.  It  is  a  full  flower, 
well  and  perfectly  formed,  of  a 
bright  shade  of  crimson,  a  good 
grower,  and  of  the  easiest  culture. 
The  buds  are  produced  in  a  cluster 
of  four  or  five  as  a  rule,  and  must 
be  disbudded  accordingly. 

I  can  think  of  no  more  Hybrid 
Perpetuals  that  can  be  called  ex- 
hibition varieties,  and  so  we  come 
to  the  Hybrid  Teas,  the  class  that 
seems  to  rake  in  all  varieties,  where 
we  find  Roses  so  tmlike  in  character 
as  Irish  Fireflame,  Mrs.  Andrew 
Carnegie,  Queen  Mary,  Old  Gold  and 
Moonlight  all  labelled  Hybrid  Teas.  Something  will 
have  to  be  done,  and  that  soon,  to  remedy  this  state 
of  confusion.  Naturally,  everyone  is  looking  to  the 
National  Rose  Society  to  suggest  a  remedy  and  apply 
it.  Here  is  a  great  chance  for  fame  for  someone  to 
go  down  to  posterity  as  the  man  who  revised  our 
Rose  classification. 

HYBRID  TEAS. 
Alice  Lemon  (Hill  and  Co.,  rgii). — This  stands 
much  where  it  did,  and  although  I  have  seen  a 
few  flowers  of  it,  it  evidently  has  not  got  into 
general  cultivation.  It  is  a  vigorous  grower ; 
colour,  flesh,  deeper  salmon  centre ;  flowers  of 
good  pointed  shape  ;   not  subject  to  mildew. 

Britisll  Queen  (S.   McGredy  and  Son,   roij). — 
I  have  grown  this  Rose  for  two  years  now,  so  can 


GROWING     TOGETHER 


540 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  25,  1913. 


speak  more  definitely  of  it.  At  its  best  it  is  the 
most  beautiful  white  Rose  that  we  have,  and  a 
well-grown  flower  will  always  tell  in  the  exhibition 
box.  At  the  same  time  there  is  more  Tea  blood 
in  its  veins,  and  it  is  a  long  distance  away  from  a 
scented  Frau  Karl  Druschki.  The  petals  are 
shorter  than  that  Rose,  but  it  keeps  its  beautiful 
shape  for  a  long  time  and  has  a  great  number  ol 
petals,  though  some  of  them  are  small.  In  a  word, 
it  is  quite  distinct,  fragrant,  very  free-flowering 
and  very  beautiful.  It  has  a  fault — what  Rose 
has  not  ? — and  that  is  in  its  method  of  growth. 
The  laterals  or  side  shoots  are  produced  hori- 
zontally to  the  ground,  and  consequently  the 
flowers  are  not  held  upright,  somewhat  after  the 
style  of  Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens  ;  in  fact,  I  have 
little  doubt  the  two  are  close  relatives.  For  a 
Rose  that  was  expensive  last  year  it  has  been 
frequently  shown,  both  in  twelves  and  in 
trebles,  especially  by  the  trade.  A  very  good 
basket  of  it  was  shown  by  the  raiser  at  the  autumn 
show  of  the  National  Rose  Society,  and  it  actually 
had  the  audacity  to  beat  George  Dickson  in  the 
same  class.  One  would  not  expect  it  to  do  that 
often.  It  is  a  fine  garden  Rose,  very  free-flowering, 
and  I  can  strongly  recommend  it.  It  makes  a 
very  charming  button-hole. 

Southampton.  Herbert  E.  Molyneu.x. 


ROSES     IN     CHURCHYARDS. 

The  surface  of  the  churchyard  is  the  freehold  of  the 
incumbent,  whether  rector  or  vicar,  so  the  grass 
belongs  to  him  ;  he  can  make  hay  of  it  if  he  chooses 
to  do  so.  In  days  happily  gone  by,  sheep  grazed  in 
the  churchyard  to  keep  down  the  grass,  and  even  now 
in  some  few  cases  the  state  of  the  churchyard  is 
deplorable  ;   long,  rank  grass,  clumps  of  nettles  and 


AN    OLD    BUSH    OF    ROSE    GLOIRE 


DE    DIJON,    WITH 
CHURCHYARD, 


IRISH    YEWS,    IN    SOUTH    WEALD 


bowed  tombstones.  But  for  the  most  part  times  have 
changed,  opinions  have  changed,  and  with  them  a 
change  has  come  over  the  churchyard.  Let  us 
see  the  reason.  God's  Acre  should  not  only  be 
kept  trim  and  neat  because  it  is  the  threshold 
of  God's  House,  but  more  so  because  it  is,  the  resting- 


< 

^^^9^V^lHf9HWM£^^^iF^^^^n^^^^^^^l 

W 

%#■• 

^^^^ 

^W^^ 

* 

m 

^HP^^^T^W 

^^:aw 

■  ^       ^"^^p 

^m^JB. 

^^^^^D                                              1SSL              "^^T!^ 

'I^L^-. 

mm 

ANOTHER    VETERAN    ROSE    BUSH    AT    SOUTH    WEALD.       THE    DIAMETER    OF    THIS    IS 
ABOUT    8    FEET,    AND    THE    BUSH    HAS    BEEN    PLANTED    OVER    THIRTY    YEARS. 


place  of  the  bodies  of  tliose  "  called  to  be  saints 
and  of  the  household  of  God  "  ;  the  bodies  of  our 
dear  departed  ones.  And  because  there  has  been, 
and  still  is,  a  growing  appreciation  of  that  Article 
of  the  Catholic  Faith,  "  I  believe  in  the  Communion 
of  Saints,"  the  memory  of  the  Blessed  Dead  extends 
from  the  altar  to  the  churchyard.  The  grass  is 
kept  close  cut  like  a  lawn,  and  flowers  are  planted 
in  every  available  space,  especially  Roses. 

There  are  several  churchyards  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  writer  wherein  Roses  grow  and  flourish, 
one  of  these  being  the  beautiful  churchyard  of 
St.  Peter's,  South  Weald,  The  red-tiled  roof  of 
the  handsome  lych-gate  is  covered  from  top  to 
bottom  with  Crimson  Rambler ;  the  paved  way 
leading  to  the  main  entrance  to  the  church,  a 
noted  Norman  arch  and  doorway,  is  flanked  on 
either  side  by  standard  Rose  trees,  of  which  some 
have  from  time  to  time  been  replaced ;  but  the 
majority,  together  with  the  rambler  over  the  gate, 
are  at  least  twenty-eight  years  old.  Pillar  Roses 
and  standards  are  dotted  here  and  there  about  the 
church,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  illustrations,  and 
dwarf  bushes  shelter  themselves  by  the  buttresses 
of  the  church  walls.  In  addition  to  Roses,  bulbs 
in  spring,  Geraniums  and  others  make  God's  Acre 
beautiful. 

And  it  has  all  come  to  pass  in  this  wise.  When, 
in  1895,  Mr.  Christopher  J.  H.  Tower  of  Weald 
Hall  was  invited  to  become  the  parson's  church- 
warden, the  churchyard  was  in  a  more  or  less 
neglected  condition.  Mr.  Tower  accepted,  pro- 
vided that  he  should  be  allowed  a  free  hand  in 
the  upkeep  of  the  churchyard,  and  from  that  day 
to  this  he  has  had  charge  of  it.  A  man  is  specially 
employed  four  days  a  week  ;  the  sexton  has  no 
hand  in  it.  The  whole  of  the  financial  expense  is 
borne  by  Mr.  Tower  with  the  help  of  his  neighbours. 
Surely  all  who  help  in  this  labour  of  love  must 
be  glad  to  see  how  well  the  plants  and  flowers 
respond  to  the  care  bestowed,  and  the  parishioners 
proud  to  know  that  their  o^vn  churchyard  is 
now  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  the  county  of 
Essex.  J.  H.   Pemberton. 


October  25,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


541 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

ROOTING     CUTTINGS     UNDER     BELL-GLASSES. 


COMPARATIVELY  speaking,  there  are 
very  few  hardy  shrubs  which  cannot 
be  multiplied  by  means  of  cuttings. 
It  is  not  surprising,  however,  con- 
sidering the  great  variety  of  shrubs 
cultivated  in  our  gardens,  that 
several  different  methods  are  necessary.  Quite 
soft  cuttings  made  of  the  young  shoots  of  some 
shrubs  will  root  during  July  in  a  propagating- 
frame  with  plenty  of  artificial  heat.  During  August 
and  early  September  cuttings  made  of  the  half- 
ripened  wood  do  admirably  in  a  close  frame,  prefer- 
ably with  a  little  bottom-heat.  A  third  and  very 
easy  means  of  increasing  many  of  our  most  popular 
shrubs  is  the  method  illustrated.  October  is 
about  the  best  time  to  insert  cuttings  under  bell- 
glasses,  as  at  this  season  the  shoots  made  during 
the  previous  summer  are  fairly  hard  or  ripe,  and 
will  make  the  best  plants. 

Position  for  the  Bell-Glasses. — Choose  a 
sheltered  position  under  a  fence  or  hedge,  protected 
from  the  sun  during  the  middle  of  the  day,  yet 
one  where  the  young  plants  as  soon  as  rooted  obtain 
plenty  of  light.  The  soil  should  be  well  drained, 
light  and  sandy  ;  if  at  all  heavy,  a  raised  bed  oi 
soil,  kept  in  position  with  boards  as  sho^vn  in  the 
illustration,  may  be  prepared.  Place  in  the  bottom 
3  inches  or  rather  more  of  rubble  or  clinkers  for 
drainage  ;  then  fill  up  with  4  inches  to  5  inches 
ot  light,  prepared  soil  consisting  of  two  parts  sandy 
loam,  one  part  peat,  one  part  leaf-mould  and  one 
part  coarse  sand.  Make  the  whole  firm  and  level 
the  surface,  spreading  over  it  a  thin  layer  of  silver 
sand,  which  will  trickle  in  the  holes  round  the 
cuttings  as  they  are  inserted.  For  convenience 
of  inspection  and  attention  the  prepared  bed 
should  not  be  too  wide  ;  a  sufficient  width  to  take 
three  rows  of  bell-glasses  is  ample.  The  bell- 
glasses  vary  in  size  from  a  diameter  at  the  bottom 
of  4  inches  to  a  foot.  The  size  of  the  cuttings 
must  of  necessity  vary  in  length  and  thickness 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  shrub,  whether 
slender  or  stout  in  growth.  An  average  length 
will  be  from  3  inches  to  6  inches,  inserting  about 
one-third  of  this  length  in  the 
soil.  Whenever  possible,  the 
cuttings  should  be  made  with 
a  fragment  of  the  old  wood 
attached  to  the  base  ;  this  is 
familiarly  termed  a  "  heel." 
In  most  cases  it  is  desirable 
to  cut  off  I  inch  or  2  inches 
at  the  top  of  the  shoot,  the 
growth  being  tender  or  soft 
and  liable  to  damp  off  in 
winter.  With  evergreen 
shrubs  this  is  not  so  impor- 
tant, the  leaves  tending  to 
keep  the  shoots  fresh.  Before 
dibbling  in  the  cuttings,  the 
bell-glass  should  be  placed  on 
the  prepared  bed  and  pressed 
in  the  sand  to  mark  the 
outside  of  the  patch  of  cut- 
tings. This  is  plainly  shown  in 
the  illustration.  The  number 
of  cuttings  inserted  under  a 
bell-glass  will  depend    on  the 


CUTTINGS  OF  OLEARI.\  H.\A3Tn  JUST  IN- 
SERTED AND  READY  TO  BE  COVERED 
BY    THE    BELL-GLASS. 

size  of  the  cuttings  and  the  amount  of  groimd 
covered  by  the  bell-glass.  Under  a  bell-glass  4  inches 
to  5  inches  across  it  is  possible  to  insert  forty  to 
fifty  Erica  cuttings,  as  these  are  only  i  inch  to 
ri  inches  long.  A  bell-glass  a  foot  across  will 
cover  fifty  cuttings  of  Tea  Roses.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  limit  each  bell-glass  to  one  kind  of  cutting. 
Choose  those  which  are  similar  in  size  and  which 
take  about  the  same  time  to  root.     Label  each  one 


carefully,  and  put  the  date  when  inserted  on  the 
label  for  reference.  To  prevent  the  cuttings  flagging, 
roll  them  in  a  wet  cloth  as  soon  as  they  are  cut  ofj 
the  parent  bush  ;  this  will  be  found  more  con- 
venient than  placing  them  in  water.  The  cloches 
used  so  much  in  French  gardening  will  answer 
the  same  purpose  as  the  bell-glasses  ;  hand-lights 
may  also  be  used.  As  it  will  be  desirable  to  afford 
a  little  protection  to  the  cuttings  during  severe 
frosts,  the  bell-glasses  should  be  conveniently 
placed  so  that  they  may  be  covered  with  Bracken 
or  the  old,  dry  tops  of  Michaelmas  Daisies.  The 
cuttings  should  be  well  watered  as  soon  as  inserted 
with  a  fine-rosed  watering-pot  to  settle  the  sand 
round  the  cuttings.  Further  watering  will  probably 
not  be  necessary  more  than  once  a  month  till  the 
end  of  Januan,'. 

Cuttings  of  Shrubs  to  Insert  Now.— Olearia 
Haastii  (the  Daisy  Bush),  shown  in  the  first  illus- 
tration— this  is  one  of  the  best  flowering  shrubs 
for  the  small  town  and  suburban  garden  ;  Berberis 
stenophylla  (the  Hybrid  Barberry)  ;  B.  Darwinii, 
a  Chilian  species  with  orange-coloured  flowers ; 
Laurustinus  or  Viburnum  Tinus,  Veronica  Traversii, 
the  double  Furze  or  Gorse,  the  Rosemary-  (Rosma- 
rinus officinalis).  Lavender,  Cotton  Lavender  (Santo- 
lina  Chamaecyparissus),  hardy  Heaths,  the  several 
varieties  of  Cypress,  Lawson's  Cypress,  Yews,  Tea 
Roses,  Brooms,  Box  and  Escallonias. 


CUTTINGS    OF    VARIOUS    SHRUBS    IN     SPECIALLY-PREPARED    SOIL 

UNDER    BELL-GLASSES. 


HUNTS     ON    WINTERING     GREEN- 
HOUSE    BULBS. 

The  greenhouse  bulbs  that  I  am  now  particularly 
referring  to  are  Achimenes,  tuberous  Begonias 
and  Gloxinias.  In  many  instances  the  bulbs 
and  tubers  are  left  in  the  pots  and  pans  in  odd 
places  on  the  stages  or  shelves  until  the  latter  part 
of  the  year  before  any  attempt  is  made  to  store 
them.  Curiously  enough,  the  haphazard  way  of 
treating  them  up  to  this  point  has  been  quite 
satisfactory,  as  they  have  been  so  gradually  rested. 
.Afterwards,  however,  owing  to  mistakes  in  storing, 
the  tubers  and  bulbs  have  rotted. 

It  is  wrong  to  place  the  bulbs  under  stages 
close  to  the  hot-water  pipes. 
They  may  be  stored  under 
staging  if  kept  2  feet  away 
from  the  pipes,  and  also  if  a 
board  is  placed  between  them 
and  the  pipes  ;  furthermore, 
if  drip  can  be  avoided.  A 
comer  position  on  the  stage 
itself  is  a  very  good  one  in 
which  to  winter  the  plants, 
bulbs  and  tubers.  Very  few 
will  be  lost.  Owing  to  lack 
of  space  the  tubers  are  often 
taken  out  of  the  soil  and 
stored  close  together  in  boxes. 
This  plan  answers  if  shallow- 
boxes  and  sand  in  which  to 
store  the  tubers  are  used. 
Achimenes  should  be  left  in 
their  own  soil  imtil  next 
February,  when  it  will  be 
advisable  to  take  them  out 
AND    PLACED  ^"'1     ""epot     or    repan     them 

again.  Shamrock. 


542 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  25,  1913. 


GARDENING     OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Flower-Beds. — By  this  date  all  flower-beds 
should  be  filled  with  their  occupants  for  making 
a  spring  show,  and  all  surplus  and  small  bulbs  may 
be  planted  either  in  the  borders  or  in  the  wild 
garden,  as  may  be  deemed  desirable. 

Chrysanthemums. — Many  of  the  old  border 
Pompon  varieties  are  much  more  hardy  than  the 
newer  types,  and  may  be  left  out  in  the  ground  all 
the  winter,  at  least  in  most  situations,  but  the 
latter,  to  make  quite  sure  of  them,  should  be  lifted 
and  placed  in  a  frame  to  ensure  good  stock  in  the 
spring.  No  heat  is  necessary,  but  just  sufficient 
covering  to  keep  them  moderately  dry,  when 
■  they  are  less  liable  to  injury  by  frost.  Needless 
to  add,  they  should  not  be  lifted  till  the  flowering 
period  is  over,  and  even  then  they  ought  not  to  be 
cut  down  too  low  for  a  time,  or  the  stock  is  much 
weakened  by  bleeding. 

Fuchsias. — The  different  varieties  of  hardy 
Fuchsias  should  be  protected  by  giving  them  a 
covering  of  very  light  soil,  leaf-mould  or  ashes  over 
the  crowns  of  the  plants. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Acer  californica  aurea. — This  is  one  of  the 
most  effective  golden  foliage  plants  in  a  bed  that 
I  know.  Though  not  such  a  robust-growing  plant 
as  the  Silver  Acer,  it  is  much  more  effective,  especi- 
ally where  there  are  many  dark  green  trees.  If  cut 
back  fairly  hard  in  the  spring,  it  retains  its  colour 
(golden  yellow)  till  quite  late  in  the  season. 

Tamarix  hispida  aestivalis  makes  a  fine  bed, 
and  when  established  throws  up  grand  spikes  or 
stems  of  flower,  which  remind  one  somewhat  of 
Pampas  Grass,  except  that  the  colour  is  a  delicate 
mauve.  To  get  the  best  results  this  plant  also  wants 
cutting  hard  back  early  in  the  spring,  when  it  will 
flower  well  during  July,     August  and  September. 

Berberis  Darwinii  and  B.  stenophylla  are  two 
plants  which  are  hard  to  beat  for  a  spring  effect. 
Single  plants  in  the  borders  are  very  fine,  but  large 
beds  that  may  be  seen  from  a  distance  are  even 
better.  The  latter  variety,  with  its  long,  arching 
racemes  of  bloom,  is  probably  the  best  of  the  two. 

Viburnum  plicatum  and  V.  Opulus  are  two 
very  useful  flowering  shrubs,  and  can  hardly  be 
placed  in  a  wrong  position.  The  latter  needs  careful 
pruning  (after  blooming)  to  keep  it  in  bounds, 
and  both  of  them  add  a  certain  amount  of  colbur 
to  the  shrubberies  during  the  autumn  when  the 
leaves  are  turning  colour. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Begonia  Gloire   de   Lorraine  and  its  various 

types  that  are  well  advanced  in  bloom  should  be 
placed  in  a  somewhat  drier  house  with  a  temperature 
of  50°  to  55°  at  night.  Keep  them  moving  by 
giving  weak  liquid  manure,  and  they  will  keep  in 
good  condition  for  months.  Give  more  space  to 
the  later  plants  as  they  require  it,  and  practically 
the  whole  of  them  may  be  allowed  to  flower  now. 
They  should  be  in  real  good  form  before  Christmas. 

Bouvardias  developing  their  flower-buds  must 
be  given  a  nice,  even  temperature  of  about  fifty- 
five  to  sixty  degrees,  with  just  a  suspicion  of 
moisture  in  the  atmosphere.  Under  such  treatment 
young  plants  should  go  on  blooming  throughout 
the  winter,  and  provide  plenty  of  flowers  for  the 
table  and  button-holes.  This  is  a  plant  that  has 
had  to  give  way  in  many  places  to  the  winter- 
blooming  Carnation,  but  even  now  it  is  well  worth 
looking  after. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Celery. — Even  the  latest  rows  of  Celery  should 
be  finished  earthing  by  now,  or  the  frost  will  injure 
the  leaves.  Make  the  banks  very  steep  where  the 
soil  is  heavy,  so  as  to  throw  off  the  water  as  much 
as  possible.  When  digging  Celery  for  the  house,  be 
sure  to  burn  all  outside  leaves  and  roots,  so  as  to 
counteract  as  much  as  possible  the  depredations 
of  the  mining  maggot  during  the  coming  season  ; 
also,  the  soil  should  be  carefully  levelled  as  digging 
proceeds,  so  as  to  leave  the  ground  in  a  tidy 
condition. 

Artichol^es  that  have  died  down  may  be  lifted, 
sorting  over  the  tubers  and  storing  those  together 
that  are  of  serviceable  size,  reserving  the  medium- 
sized  ones  for  seed,  while  the  small  ones  may  be 


given  to  the  pigs.  In  some  localities  these  are  very 
late  in  dying  down,  and  lifting  should  be  delayed 
till  frost  kills  the  tops. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Strawberries  for  Forcing. — If  not  already  under 
cover,  the  early  batches  should  be  placed  in  frames 
at  once,  preferably  with  ashes  between  the  pots, 
thus  preventing  them  getting  cracked  by  frost. 
Plenty  of  air  should  be  given  on  all  occasions,  it 
being  only  necessary  to  keep  the  heavy  rains  from 
them.  When  frames  are  not  available,  the  plants 
may  be  laid  on  their  sides  under  a  wall,  placing 
ashes  or  leaves  between  the  layers  of  pots  to  keep 
them  in  position  and  to  prevent  cracking  of  the 
pots,  as  advised  for  the  frames. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Fruit  Trees  :  Selection  of  Varieties  for  Plant- 
ing.— Before  planting  any  number  of  trees  in  a 
district  where  one  has  not  had  much  experience, 
it  is  advisable  to  make  enquiries  as  to  the  varieties 
which  do  best,  and  plant  these  in  sufficient  quantities 
to  secure  a  crop,  adding  others  more  or  less  for 
trial  purposes.  There  are,  however,  some  varieties 
that  are  fairly  good  croppers  in  nearly  all  districts, 
and  in  planting  Apples  for  cooking  purposes  one 
cannot,  or  should  not,  overlook  the  merits  of  Ecklin- 
ville.  New  Hawthomden,  Lord  Suffield,  Warner's 
King,  Beauty  of  Kent,  Blenheim  Orange,  Bramley's 
Seedling,  Lane's  Prince  Albert,  Northern  Greening 
and  Newton  Wonder,  while  the  old  variety,  Tom 
Putt,  is  one  of  the  best  croppers  with  me,  and  is 
not  at  all  a  bad-flavoured  variety  for  use  just  now, 
Lane's  Prince  Albert  being  perhaps  the  heaviest 
cropper  year  in  and  year  out. 

Dessert  Apples  are  always  in  demand,  and 
though  in  the  early  part  of  the  season  we  get  some 
good-coloured  fruits,  the  quality  and  flavour  in 
some  of  them  are  not  all  we  desire.  James  Grieve 
is  splendid,  but  it  must  not  be  left  too  long,  or  it 
will  be  found  soft  and  insipid.  Benonii  is  one  of 
the  best  early  Apples,  and  deserves  to  be  very 
widely  known ;  it  comes  in  during  September. 
King  Harry  is  also  good.  Rival  proves  itself  to 
be  of  good  colour,  flavour  and  keeping  quality, 
and  is  not  a  bad  cropper  on  cordons.  Duchess' 
Favourite  and  King  of  the  Pippins  are  the  two  most 
consistent  croppers  in  this  district,  while  Cox's 
Orange,  Cox's  Pomona,  Ribston  Pippin.  Worcester 
Pearmain  and  Charles  Ross  can  be  relied  upon  to 
give  a  fair  sprinkling  of  fruit  each  season. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR    NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Bulb-Planting. — This  work  should  now  be 
finished  without  delay,  more  especially  bulbous 
Irises,  as  they  often  decay  if  left  out  of  the  groimd 
after  October. 

Lifting  Chrysanthemum  Stools. — Chrysanthe- 
mums have  flow'ered  extra  well  this  autumn.  They 
are,  however,  pretty  well  over  now,  and  stools 
for  stock  should  be  secured.  Cut  the  plants 
down  to  within  6  inches  of  the  ground,  lift  with 
a  digging  fork  and  box  them  up,  working  some 
light,  rich  soil  in  among  the  roots.  Give  the  boxes 
a  good  watering,  and  after  the  water  has  settled 
give  the  whole  a  good  sprinkling  with  soot  to  ward 
off  the  attacks  of  slugs.  Place  the  boxes  in  a  cool 
frame  or  pit,  and  give  plenty  of  air  on  all  favour- 
able occasions.  Our  stock  here  (all  of  which  I 
can  recommend)  consists  of  the  following  varieties  : 
All  the  members  of  the  Mass6  family,  Lady  Mary 
Hope,  Polly,  Carrie,  Beacon,  Dainty,  Lily,  Mrs. 
A.  Thomson,  J.  C.  Grieve,  Abercom  Beauty, 
George  Wermig,  Goacher's  Crimson,  White  St. 
Croutts,  Little  Bob  and  Rosie. 

Herbaceous  Plants. — This  is  probably  the 
best  season  of  the  year  either  for  making  new 
plantations  or  for  making  alterations  among 
existing  stock.  In  the  case  of  new  plantations, 
the  beds  or  borders  should  first  be  trenched  at 
least  two  spades  deep,  and  a  good  dressing  of 
manure  should  be  dug  in. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Building. — One  should  always  keep  in  mind 
that    what   is   wanted   is  not    a   display   ot   stones. 


but  a  suitable  environment  for  a  particular  class 
of  plants.  While  all  appearance  of  stiffness  and 
uniformity  should  be  avoided,  yet  certain  guiding 
principles  must  cijnstantly  be  kept  in  view. 
The  first  of  these  is  to  form  pockets  (as  diverse 
in  form  as  possible)  that  will  hold  a  sufficiency  of 
soil,  and  that  will  catch  and  hold  the  moisture 
supplied  to  the  plant,  whether  by  natural  or 
artificial  means.  There  is  something  radically 
wrong  with  the  building  of  rockwork  which  requires 
sprinklers  playing  on  it  most  of  the  summer.  The 
bigger  stones  should  mostly  be  placed  in  the  back- 
ground, but  a  few  of  these  should  be  mixed  with 
the  smaller  stones  to  break  the  monotony.  Embed 
the  stones  so  firmly  in  the  ground  that  one  can 
stand  upon  them  for  purposes  of  planting,  top- 
dressing,  weeding  and  admiring. 

The  Rose  Garden. 
Mulching. — Most  experts  now  condemn  the 
old  practice  of  giving  Roses  a  winter  mulching  vrith 
solid  manure,  as  it  keeps  the  roots  in  a  cold,  wet 
condition.  A  common  practice  now  is  to  draw 
a  little  dry  earth  up  to  the  necks  of  the  plants,  so 
as  to  run  off  the  winter  rains,  and  then  to  give 
a  dressing  of  well-rotted  manure  in  spring.  My 
own  practice,  which  produces  excellent  results, 
is  to  mulch  with  half-decayed  leaves.  The  rougher 
part  of  these  is  removed  in  spring,  when  the  beds 
generally  get  a  dressing  of  bone-meal,  soot  and 
ground  lime  previous  to  their  being  forked  over. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Late  Bulbs. — if  any  bulbs  remain  unpolled, 
they  should  be  potted  up  at  once  and  placed  in 
the  plmige.  Remove  earlier  batches  from  the 
plunging  material  after  they  have  been  in  it  about 
six  weeks,  and  place  them  in  a  cool  frame  or  pit. 

Lily  of  the  Valley. — This  is  always  accept- 
able, especially  in  the  dull  days  of  winter.  Strong, 
retarded  crowns  give  the  best  results.  Pol  them 
up  rather  thickly  in  5-inch  pots,  the  crovms  just 
showing  above  the  ground.  Keep  them  in  a  cool 
pit,  and  bring  them  into  the  forcing-house  in 
batches  as  required.  Plimge  the  pots  in  a  brisk 
bottom-heat,  and  keep  each  pot  covered  with  an 
inverted  pot  of  the  same  size  till  the  plants  have 
made  about  two  inches  of  growth.  Never  allow 
them  to  lack  for  water  at  the  root,  and  spray  with 
tepid  water  twice  daily.  They  should  be  fit  for 
use  in  from  twenty  to  thirty  days  if  treated  thus. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Late  Grapes. — Few  things  tax  the  Grape- 
grower's  skill  more  than  the  maintaining  of  his 
late  Grapes  in  really  good  condition  throughout 
the  dull,  damp  autumn  days.  To  maintain  a  dry, 
buoyant  atmosphere  at  a  comparatively  low 
temperature  is  the  crux  of  the  matter,  and  nothing 
but  close  observation  and  attention  will  secure 
the  desired  end  ;  but  biuiches  laid  on  the  table 
with  symmetry  of  bunch  and  bloom  of  berry 
unimpaired  will  repav  all  the  trouble. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Planting  Fruit  Trees. — it  is  now  universally 
admitted  that,  except  in  the  case  of  a  very  few 
highly-favoured  localities,  the  cultivator's  constant 
aim  should  be  to  keep  the  roots  of  his  trees  near 
the  surface,  where  light,  air  and  heat  will  have  a 
beneficial  influence  upon  them.  It  is  when  the 
roots  are  allowed  to  penetrate  into  the  cold,  wet, 
or,  it  may  be,  actually  poisonous  subsoil  that 
canker  and  other  diseases  attack  the  trees.  Most 
good  cultivators  now  plant  the  trees  on  the  original 
surface  and  cover  the  roots  with  about  six  inches 
of  fresh  loam,  mulching  the  surface  with  half- 
decayed  farmyard  manure  immediately  after 
planting.  If  shallow  pits  are  dug  out  for  the  trees, 
they  should  be  made  quite  flat,  and  some  fresh 
loam  be  worked  in  among  the  roots.  Tread 
the  ground  firm  and  mulch  as  indicated.  Stake 
and  tie  standards,  and  nail  wall  trees  promptly. 
A  piece  of  coarse  cloth  should  be  placed  round 
the  stem  of  the  tree  to  prevent  the  ligature  from 
damaging  the  bark  through  friction. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Rhubarb. — Where  an  early  supply  of  Rhubarb 
is  wanted,  a  few  crowns  should  be  placed  in  heat 
now . 

Manuring. — Advantage  should  be  taken  of 
dry  weather  or  frosty  mornings  to  wheel  manure 
on  to  vacant  quarters  which  are  to  be  dug,  and 
digging  and  trenching  should  be  pushed  forward, 
especially  in  districts  where  the  winters  are  usually 
severe  and  long.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


October  25,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


543 


THE    KITCHEN   GARDEN. 


SOME     UNCOMMON     VEGETABLES. 

Hints  on  Cooking   an'd  Serving. 

THE  consen^atism  of  the  average  Briton 
in  matters  of  food  is  notorious,  and 
my  object  in  writing  these  few  notes 
is  to  stir  him  up  to  the  fact  that  there 
are  certain  vegetables  of  which  he 
might  make  more  use,  and,  incidentally, 
that  there  are  a  good  many  that  might  be  more  satis- 
factorily cooked  and  served  than  they  are.  I  am 
ii.it  a  vegetarian,  but  I  possess  a  keen  appreciation 
I'l  the  properties  of  good  vegetables,  both  from 
the  pohits  of  view  of  palate  and  stomach,  and  I 
am  une  of  those  who  consider  the  vegetable  course 
that  one  gets  in  the  best  hotels  and  restaurants 
a  blessed  institution. 

..\n  often  overlooked  point,  too,  is  that  a  good 
number  of  \egetables  are  by  no  means  ill  eating 
when  cold,  some  of  them  making  an  excellent 
salad  6er\-ed  with  cold  meat.  In  this  category  come 
r.  .IS,  Broad  Beans  (young).  Globe  ..\rtichokes  and 
-ing  early  Carrots,  the  last  delicious.  There 
]-  11(1  reason  why  any  of  those  I  have  named  should 
be  wasted  after  having  been  served  at  a  hot  meal. 
In  a  recent  conversation  with  a  large  hotel-keeper, 
he  was  telling  me  he  could  not  get  his  guests  to 
eat  Globe  Artichokes,  and  he  was  not  surprised, 
.i-,  in  his  opinion,  there  was  hardly  any  food  in 
tlif-m.  Now,  Globe  Artichokes  are  a  specially 
Mvi.urite  vegetable  of  mine,  and  those  who  grow 
them  well  will  know  that  there  is  plenty  to  "  bite 
at  "  in  them  if  devoured  in  a  sensible  way,  and 
for  flavour  they  are  very  hard  to  beat. 

A  vegetable  that  I  seldom  come  across,  save 
at  my  ovm  table,  is  the  little  green-seeded  French 
Haricot,  sold  by  Sutton  and  Sons  under  the  name 
of  Green  Gem.  These  Haricots,  when  shelled  out 
while  young  and  cooked  with  a  small  Onion,  make  a 
most  appetising  dish,  and  everyone  who  tastes 
them  here  seems  to  like  them.  These  also  should 
come  luider  my  little  list  of  things  that  are  good 
when  cold.  Celeriac,  or  Turnip-rooted  Celery,  is 
seldom  seen,  but  here  we  find  it  good  both  hot  and 
cold ;  the  flavour  to  me  is  reminiscent  of  both 
Celery  and  Parsnip,  and,  as  it  is  so  easily  cultivated 
and  does  not  require  the  labour  and  space  of  ordinary 
Celery^  I  do  not  understand  why  it  is  not  more 
g^u^\^l  and  eaten. 
The  Cooking  and  Serving  of  a  number  of  our 

vegetables  in  this  country  leave  much  to  be 
desired.  For  instance,  when  I  go  into  the  garden 
and  cut  a  dainty,  snow  white  little  Cauliflower, 
I  strongly  object  to  havmg  it  ser\'ed  up  with  a 
smothering  dose  of  sickly  and  insipid  melted  butter  ; 
and  I  should  like  to  know  why  the  average  ccok,  as 
soon  as  she  (or  he)  has  cooked  a  few  nice  young  Beet- 
roots, at  once  slices  them  and  plunges  them  into 
vinegar,  making  a  pickle  of  what  ought  to  be  a 
dainty  dish  with  a  refreshing  and  appetising  flavour 
quite  its  own.  I  prefer  to  slice  my  Beetroot  myself, 
and  eat  it  without  vinegar  or  any  such  futile 
adjimct  ;  but,  of  course,  it  must  be  quite  fresh, 
and  is  of  no  use  the  second  day,  while  the  vinegar- 
preserved  article  may  be  kept  going  for  a  week  or 
more — but  in  any  case,  none  of  it  for  me. 

Then  there  is  the  Custard  Marrow,  most  delicately 
flavoured  of  its  race  ;  it  should  be  cut  yoimg  and 
small,  and  cooked  whole  with  the  rind  on,  the 
latter  being  removed  after  cooking.  I  wonder  if 
anyone  has  tried  it  thus,  dressed  with  a  little  cream. 
It  is  a  dish  fit  for  an  epicure,  and  should  be  tried 
as   a   vegetable   course,    alone.     Harking  back   to 


Beetroot,  there  is  a  dish  known  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Atlantic  as  "  Beets  "  ;  this  is  simply  the 
small  round  or  Turnip-rooted  variety  cooked  young, 
in  quantity,  and  ser\'ed  hot,  and  in  this  form  it 
is  by  no  means  to  be  despised.  A  pretty  good  test 
of  a  cook  is  the  way  a  Cabbage  is  cooked  and  served. 
Notwithstanding  all  oral  and  written  instruction, 
I  regret  to  say  that  a  large  proportion  of  cooks 
will  send  a  Cabbage  to  table  a  shapeless  mass  of 
hotch-potch  ;  your  well-regulated  cook  will  care- 
fully tie  it  before  it  goes  into  the  saucepan,  and, 
after  it  is  done  just  to  a  turn,  will  serve  it  up  whole 
and  imdishevelled,  a  delight  both  to  the  eye  and 
the  palate. 

Rye.  F.  Herbert  Chapman. 


THE     CULTURE     OF     POTATOES 

.\t  the  recent  ?'ruit  Congress  held  at  Kendal, 
Mr.  G.  P.  Berry  lectured  on  "  The  Cultivation  of 
Potatoes."  Mr.  Berry  said  that  the  want  of  lime 
in  garden  and  other  soils  was  disastrous  to  Potato- 
growing.  The  Potato  was  a  plant  which  loved 
Sim  and  air.  Nothing  enabled  the  gardener 
and  allotment-holder  to  resist  ,-ittacks  of  disease 
in  Potatoes  so  much  as  wide  planting.  He  recom- 
mended growers  to  have  the  quality  of  their  soil 
chemically  tested.  In  manuring,  burnt  clay 
applied  to  some  soils,  and  wood-ash  to  others, 
were  desirable.  .\s  manure  for  early  Potatoes 
(recommended  by  Professor  Wallace),  Mr.  Berry 
gave  the  following  :  Eighteen  to  twenty  tons  of 
ordinary  farmyard  manure  and  chemical  materials 
at  the  following  rate — 6cwt.  wf  sulphate  of  ammonia, 
6cwt.  of  superphosphate  (25  per  cent,  soluble), 
2cwt.  of  potash  salts  (35  per  cent,  solution),  icwt. 
of  guano  containing  6  per  cent,  ammonia  and 
40  per  cent,  of  phosphate.  This  should  be  applied 
at  the  rate  T.f  lacwt.  per  acre.  In  planting,  care 
should  be  exercised.  Very  small  Potatoes  should 
not  be  used  as  seed,  and  a  Potato  had  a  tendency 
to  reproduce  the  characteristics  of  its  parent  plant. 
Having  selected  the  Potato,  whether  first  early 
or  second  early,  it  was  found  advantageous  to  box 
the  seed  Potatoes.  It  appeared  that  certain  buds 
on  the  Potato  tuber  were  in  more  direct  contact 
with  the  stored-up  material  within  than  others. 
Better  results  were  got  where  a  Potato  produced 
two  or  three  good  strong  stems  than  when  it  pro- 
duced seven  or  eight  weaker  stems.  To  f.Tcilitate  the 
decay  of  each  tuber,  a  small  piece  should  be  cut 
off  the  base  end  of  the  tuber.  In  gardens  and  in 
allotments  it  paid  better  in  almost  every  instance 
to  plant  Potatoes  whole.  During  the  season  the 
ground  should  be  kept  as  loose  and  porous  as 
possible  ;  and,  in  market  -  gardening  especially, 
the  heavier  the  soil  the  higher  should  the  stitches 
be  made.  As  to  storing  Potatoes,  it  was  best 
done  in  sheds  and  boxes,  in  which  the  early  varie- 
ties did  not  rim  the  risk  of  heating.  Mr.  Seaton 
of  Leeds,  who  was  asked  to  speak,  said  that  from 
the  agriculturist's  point  of  view  the  question  of 
bulk  was  made  the  great  consideration  ;  the  farmer 
did  not  concern  himself  much  with  quality.  In 
Vorkshire  they  did  not  grow  Potatoes  of  the  same 
eating  quality  as  those  grown  on  the  Dunbar 
soils.  He  knew  of  a  tavern  in  London  where  he 
could  always  get  good  Potatoes  at  the  table — 
Potatoes  with  a  peculiar  close,  starchy  look  out- 
side ;  a  Potato  which  was  firm  and  dry,  with  a 
flavour  which  would  satisfy  an  epicure.  He  could 
not  ascertain  whether  that  excellence  lay  in  the 
cooking  or  in  the  variety  ;  it  might  be  in  soil  con- 
ditions or  in  climatic  conditions.  Many  important 
points  in  connection  with  Potatoes  were  awaiting 
solution.     The    question    of   liming,    for   example, 


was  in  its  infancy,  and,  as  Mr.  Berry  had  said, 
was  being  revolutionised.  He  would,  however, 
warn  his  hearers  that  lime  seemed  to  have  a  tendency 
to  produce  scab.  .\s  to  the  use  of  muriate  of 
potash,  it  had  been  condemned  as  producing  waxy 
Potatoes  ;  but  he  suggested  that  that  was  when  a 
low-grade  muriate  of  potash  was  used,  because  it 
contained  a  large  proportinn  of  common  salt. 


TRIALS     AT     WISLEY     IN 
1914-15. 


The  Royal  Horticultural  Society  have  arranged 
for  the  foUowmg  trials  to  be  held  at  Wisley. 
Everything  sent  for  trial  must  be  named,  and  the 
name  and  address  of  the  sender  attached,  together 
with  the  name  of  the  raiser  and  introducer  as 
far  as  known. 

IWelons. — Ten  seeds  of  each  \-ariety  to  be  sent 
in  February-. 

Herbaceous  Phloxes.— Three  plants  of  each 
to  be  --ent  in  February. 

Early-Flowering  Outdoor  Chrysanthemums.— 

Three  plants  cil  each  t<.  be  sent  in  March. 

Pentstemons. — Three  plants  of  each  to  be  sent 
in  Man  h. 

Perennial   Sunflowers    'including    Heleniums 

and  Rudbeckias:. — Three  plants  .if  each  to  be 
sent  111  February. 

Asters  (French,  German,  or  China). — Seed  to 
be  sent  in  February. 

Broccoli. — One  packet  of  seed  of  each  to  be 
sent  Ml  February. 

French  Beans  (Outdoor). — One  pint  of  seed  of 

each  to  be  sent  in  March. 

Tulips. — In  view  of  the  confusion  existing  in 
the  nomenclature  of  Tulips,  the  Coimcil  of  the 
Roval  Horticultural  Society  have  been  requested 
to  draw  up  a  list  of  synonyms,  and  have  consented 
to  do  so  with  the  co-operation  of  the  Dutch  growers. 
It  is  accordingly  proposed  to  plant  this  autumn 
at  Wisley  (where  Tulips  do  so  well)  as  representa- 
tive a  collection  of  all  classes  and  descriptions 
of  Tulips  as  can  be  got  together.  Growers  in 
Holland  are  asked  to  send  over  their  bulbs  to  be 
gro«ii  side  by  side  with  those  from  English  growers. 
Five  bulbs  of  each  variety  should  be  sent  during 
this  October.  When  they  are  in  bloom,  a  joint 
committee  of  Dutch  and  English  Tulip  specialists 
will  be  invited  to  meet  at  Wisley  to  determine  the 
correct  nomenclature.  A  synonymic  list  will 
then  be  prepared  and  issued.  It  is  important 
that  all  bulbs  sent  should  bear  the  name  imder 
which  they  are  known  or  sent  out  by  the  sender, 
and  also  an  indication  of  their  type,  as  early,  late, 
Darwin,  Parrot,  bizarres,  bybloemens,  roses,  &c. 
If  sent  by  post,  they  should  be  addressed  to  The 
Superintendent,  Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Gardens,  Wisley,  Ripley,  Surrey  ;  if  sent  by  rail, 
to  The  Superintendent,  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Gardens,  Wisley,  Horsley  Station  (London 
and  South  Western  Railway),  with  advice  by  post 
to  the  Superintendent. 

Horticultural  Sundries. — The  CouncU  will  con- 
tmue  their  trial  of  horticultural  sundries  in  1914 
under  the  scheme  introduced  in  October,  1912. 
The  system  then  adopted  has  proved  admirable 
after  twelve  months'  practical  test,  and  sundries- 
men  are  again  invited  to  send  their  specialities 
(not  more  than  three  articles  in  any  one  year). 
Full  particulars,  with  entry  form,  can  be  obtained 
from  the  Secretary',  Royal  Horticultural  Society, 
Vincent  Square,  S.W.,  upon  receipt  of_  a  stamped 
addressed  envelope. 


544 


THE     GARDEN. 


[October  25, 1913. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— 27/f  Eddvr  intends  to 
vitd-e.  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  '*  columns.  All  communications  should  he 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garde v,  2n,  Tui-istock 
.S(rc?^  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  se-tt,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Playits  for  naminq  should  be  clearly  Slumbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  .grass  or  moss,  nr^t  cotton-wool,  and  ftoweriny 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Pttbusher. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

OLD-FASHIONED  ANNUALS  FOR  AN    EAST  BORDER 

(Sunfiuweri. — Ttir  foUowiiii:  kiiub  nt'  annual  will  thrive 
wfU  in  the  east  border,  namely.  Mit,'iionette,  Stocks, 
Asters,  Phlox  DrumiiioiKlii,  Mariyokls,  Caudytxiit,  Lupines. 
Larkspurs,  Clarkias,  Linum  rubruiii.  Coreopsis,  Vir{iinian 
Stock  and  Sweet  Peas.  Seeds  of  the  Stocks  and  Asters 
must  he  sown  in  a  frame  and  the  resultant  plants  put  out 
in  May.  Seeds  of  the  other  kinds  sliouUl  be  sown  in  the 
open  borders  early  in  May.  The  Virtiiuian  Stock  makes 
a  nice  ed^intr.  and  the  Mignonette  looks  well  if  grown  in 
clumps  behind  it. 

FLOWERS  FOR  AN  ISLAND  GARDEN  (M.  L.  W.).^ 
Till'  followiu!:!  kinds  of  climbing  Itoses  are  likely  to  thrive 
on  the  island  you  describe  :  Dorothy  Perkins.  Crimson 
Kambler,  Aii^uste  Barbier  and  Rosa  arvensis  flore  pleno. 
You  nii<!ht  also  secure  a  good  effect  by  plantiuc  a  group 
of  the  Japanese  Rose,  Rosa  rugosa.  Both  L'olden  and 
red  stemmed  Willows  will  give  satisfactory  results,  and 
will  probably  be  more  successful  than  the  red-stemmed 
r>ui!wood.  A  few  other  shrubs  for  decorative  effect 
are  double-flowered  Gorse,  common  Broom,  Berberis 
stenophylla  and  Hypericum  calycinum,  the  latter  fur 
the  banks  or  margins.  Another  showy  shrub  of  rambling 
habit  is  the  double-flowered  Blackberry,  Rubus  ulmifolius 
flore  pleno.  The  common  double  Daffodil  will  be  suitable 
for  planting  as  you  describe,  while  Emperor  will  also 
^row  oil  heavy  soil. 

IRIS  K/EMPFERI  (L.  B.).— The  best  of  all  times  in 
tin-  year  for  transplanting  this  Iris  is  just  prior  to  the 
eoniinencement  of  its  new  growth,  say.  raid- March  to 
niid-April.  As  tlie  new  quarters  are  not  yet  ready,  leave 
the  plants  where  they  are  for  the  winter,  unless  the  old 
position  is  flooded  with  water,  and  divide  and  replant 
in  spring.  It  is  a  mistake  to  transplant  big  clumi)s  of 
this  or  any  Iris  intact,  and  not  a  few  failures  result  there- 
from. Hence,  in  conjunction  with  transplanting,  there 
should  always  be  a  division  of  the  rootstock.  Moisture 
within  reach  of  the  root-flbres  or  semi-saturatioLi  in  .-uuinier- 
time  or  during  growth  is  quite  good  for  th«-  plant--,  while 
those  plants  that  are  wholly  or  partially'  suluiR-rged  in 
whiter  are  calculated  sooner  or  later  to  perish  as  the  result. 
Conversely,  a  condition  of  much  dryness  in  winter-time 
would  appear  abhorrent  to  the  plants.  In  some  instances 
it  iiiiuht  prove  fatal ;   in  all,  decidedly  weakening  in  effect. 

HERBACEOUS  BORDER  (J.  W.  M.).—lt  would  have 
iir'Htly  a-sisted  matters  had  you  stated  the  nature  of 
the  soil.  Generally  speaking,  however.  Hop  Manure  is 
regarded  as  a  good  substitute  for  organic  manures,  though 
in  your  case  it  might  require  a  liberal  application.  You 
should  in  conjunction  with  it  employ  a  good  dressing  of 
lime,  say,  two  bushels  per  rod  of  ground,  to  be  forked  in 
as  the  trenching  of  the  border  proceeds.  The  burnt  ash 
should  also  be  well  incorporated  with  the  soil.  Assuming 
that  the  Desmodium  is  a  comparatively  youthful  plant, 
it  may  be  transplanted  as  soon  as  the  flowermg  is  over, 
and  in  your  district  would  soon  re-establish  itself.  Spring, 
witli  returning  growth,  would,  however,  be  a  better  time 
for  older  examples,  and  particularly  so  where  a  clay  soil 
exists.  March,  or  with  the  first  signs  of  returning  growth, 
woiUd  he  the  best  time  to  divide  the  Guunera,  for  which 
a  bed,  '2  feet  or  3  feet  in  depth,  of  rich  loamy  soil  should 
be  prepared.  In  replanting,  your  best  guide*  will  be  the 
buried  depth  of  the  old  plant,  though  it  is  not  advisable 
tn  place  the  crown  nnich  below  the  surface  of  the  soil. 

PERENNIAL  BORDER  (Watford).— Yom  idea  of 
"  tn-nching  as  you  \i.o."  and.  we  presume,  of  planting,  too, 
i--^  wron^,  and  will  not  lead  to  good  results,  more  particu- 
larly since  you  now  have  a  desire  to  arrange  the  border  for 
"  effect."  That  being  so,  we  should  advise  that  you  clear 
the  border  of  its  present  occupants — a  three  years'  tenure 
of  the  soil  is  not  a  bad  one— heel  them  in  in  any  convenient 
spot,  and  then  thoroughly  trench  and  manure  the  ground  in 
readiness  for  planting  later  on.  Then,  if  you  prepare  a 
working  plan,  marking  on  it  the  position  of  each  plant 
group,  you  would  in  all  probability  obtain  the  effect  which 
>ou  desire.  In  this  connection  it  woidd  help  you  con- 
siderably if  you  obtained  "  The  Hardy  Flower  Book," 
by  E.  H.  Jenkins,  and  study  the  plans  therein  given, 
toiiether  with  the  chapters  on  plantinL;  for  effect.  In 
such  case  the  planting  might  be  deferred  till  March,  the 
liordor  having  in  the  meantime  been  trenched,  rested,  and 


also  refreshed  and  aerated  by  frost,  sun  and  rain.  By 
those  means  the  seedlings  might  be  protected  in  pits  or 
frames  till  required  for  use.  It  is  highly  probable,  too, 
that  the  Chrysanthemums  in  flower  and  Pentstcmon 
seedlings  if  put  out  in  October  would  suffer  from  frost, 
and,  of  the  former,  in  any  case  you  .should  hold  plants  in 
reserve  in  a  frame,  since"  they  are  not  only  unreliable  in 
severe  winters,  but  young  plants  invariably  give  the  better 
results.  The  Gladioli  and  Hyacinthus  candicans  should  be 
lifted  at  once,  gradually  dried  off,  and  stored  in  a  frost- 
proof place  till  March,  when  they  may  be  replanted.  The 
bulbs  of  these  plants  may  continue  to  give  good  results  for 
years  if  treated  anntially  as  advised.  You  need  have  no 
misgivings  about  the  manure.  Sink  a  shallow  pit  in  some 
out-of-the-way  corner  and  place  it  therein.  By  covering 
it  with  the  excavated  soil— a  most  effectual  deodoriser  in 
such  cases — all  objectionable  smell  would  be  prevented. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

PYRACANTHA  LALANDI  NOT  FRUITING  {E.  A.  P.).— 
It  is  impio-^ible  to  liive  a  reasnu  for  your  plant  of  Pyra- 
cantha  Lalamli  failing  fu  fruit.  If  it  is  growing  freely, 
there  is  no  reason  to  give  it  manure;  but  if  the  shoots 
appear  to  be  weak  and  the  foliage  thin  and  pale  in  colour, 
manure  may  do  eood.  Do  not  overprune  it  for  a  time, 
and  perhaps,  as  the  wood  gets  older,  fruit  will  be  borne. 
There  is  a  possibility  that  your  plant  was  raised  from  seed 
and  the  fruiting  plants  of  which  you  speak  from  layers, 
which  woiUd  account  for  the  earlier  flowering  and  fruiting 
of  the  smaller  plants. 

LOPPING  ELMS  (3/.  P.  S.).— There  is  no  test  by  which 
you  may  ascertain  when  old  Elm  trees  require  lopping  ; 
but  if  you  obser\e  decayed  places  about  the  branches,  you 
may  safely  regard  them  as  needing  attention.  Branches 
which  are  quite  sound,  however,  have  an  unaccountable 
way  of  breaking  olf  not  only  during  wind,  but  on  quite 
calm  days  :  and  when  old  Elms  occur  near  houses,  or  in 
places  where  people  are  in  the  habit  of  congregating,  it  is 
much  the  safest  plan  to  lighten  all  the  heavy  branches. 
Trees  which  have  dead  tops  may  often  be  rejuvenated  by 
removing  the  dead  portions  to  places  where  the  wood  is 
quite  sound,  new  shoots  succeeding  the  operation. 

PRUNING  CLEMATISES  (J.  W. ./.).— The  large-flowered 
Clematis  is  Ville  de  Lyon,  and  the  small-flowered  one  is 
Viticella.  Both  kinds  may  be  cut  back  to  within  two  or 
three  buds  of  the  base  of  the  previous  year's  shoots  in 
i'ebruary  each  year.  If  cut  back  less  severely,  the  plants 
are  apt  to  become  bare  at  the  bottom,  owing  to  the  upper 
luids  breaking  away  and  the  lower  ones  rciuaiuiug  dormant . 
Should  you  wish  to  extend  the  plaut-^.  hdwiver.  you  may 
leave  eight  or  nine  of  the  lower  bud-  and  bi.ud  the  plants 
into  a  horizontal  position,  which  will  induce  more  buds  to 
break  into  growih.  Should  such  a  course  be  adopted, 
care  must  be  taken  to  prevent  the  shoots  becoming 
entangled. 

HEATH  FOR  NAME  AND  TREATMENT  (Constant 
Reader),— The  specini'-n  st'ut  for  name  i-  a  riclily-coloured 
variety  of  the  common  Ling  (CaMuna  vuliaris  rubra). 
We  are  afraid  little  can  be  done  to  inipinvr  Un-  old  plant. 
A  much  better  plan  will  be  to  propa'^-at'-  a  stuck  of  younu 
plants  from  the  old  one  by  inserting  cuttings  now.  Make 
the  cuttings  three-quarters  of  an  inch  to  1  inch  long,  and 
insert  fairly  thickly,  in  pots  of  light,  sandy  soil  made  up  of 
two  parts  peat  and  one  part  sand.  Place  in  a  close  frame, 
in  a  hanfllieht  or  under  a  hell-^lrtss,  till  rooted.  They 
should  make  nice  plants,  which  will  flower  the  second  year 
from  cuttings.  The  common  Laurel  may  be  clipped  at 
any  time  frum  April  to  August. 

TREES  TO  MAKE  A  QUICK-GROWING  SHELTER 
(Scot). — You  cannot  do  better  than  plant  Poplars  in  the 
position  you  describe.  The  oue  grow^l  ip.  the  nurseries 
as  the  Black  Italian  Poplar  is  the  most  suitable  one  for 
tin-  purpose.  These  can  be  procured  up  to  15  feet  in  height, 
but  possibly  those  8  feet  to  10  feet  high  will  be  more 
suitable  for  your  windswept  land.  Purchase  plants  with 
strong,  sturdy  trunks  which  are  capable  of'supporting 
their  own  weight,  rather  than  those  with  slender  trunks, 
which  will  continually  need  attention.  It  is  possible 
that,  quite  strong  trees  will  require  staking  until  they  are 
well  established,  and  it  will  l>e  advisable  wiien  planting 
to  allow  tiie  heads  to  fall  slightly  towards  tin-  wind. 
Early  planting  will  be  advantageous. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

VINES  IN  GREENHOUSE  (.s.  M.  /.).— Keep  the  green- 
hoit'ie  as  cool  and  airy  as  yuu  can  during  the  winter 
consistent  with  the  welfare  of  the  Geraniums.  Let  the 
Vines  break  naturally  into  growth  in  the  spring  without 
any  forcing  and  applying  extra  heat.  Do  not  overcrowd 
the  Vines  with  folia^i-  during  the  summer.  The  branches 
of  the  Vines  on  which  the  bunches  of  Grapes  appear 
(and  which  are  tt-rni'-d  spurs)  should  not  be  nearer  together 
than  15  inches  (we  mean  15  inches  between  the  spurs* 
on  either  side).  As  soon  as  each  spur  in  sprim:  has  made  a 
tzrowth  of  three  small  leaves  beyond  the  leaf  opposite 
to  which  the  bunch  is  situated,  let  the  spur  be  sto])ped 
by  pinching  it  off  with  the  finger  and  thumb  imni-diat.  iy 
above  the  third  small  leaf  higher  than  that  opposite 
tn  wiiich  the  bunch  is  on.  Subsequent  young  growths 
will  issue  from  each  spur  in  the  course  of  the  summer. 
Let  each  of  these,  no  matter  where  situated,  be  pinched 
back  at  the  top  of  the  third  young  leaf  as  soon  as  it  is 
formed.  This  eftVctively  prevents  overcrowding  of  the 
foliage  of  the  Vines  during  the  summer,  giving  the  spurs 
a  chance  to  develop  and  ripen  their  growth  for  the  pro- 
duction of  a  good  crop  the  following  year.  Do  not  give 
any  front  air  to  your  Vines  before  the  middle  of  April. 
The  temperature  "up  till  then  may  be  regulated  by  top 
or  hack  ventilation.    As  the  heat  of  the  sunmier  advances, 


more  air  must  be  givt-u  to  the  front  and  back.  With 
regard  to  the  border,  it  must  always  be  kept  free  from 
weeds.  Fork  into  the  border  now,  l  inches  deep,  bon.-- 
meal  and  lime  at  the  rate  of  one  quart  of  each  to  the  square 
yard,  .^'over  over  your  border  at  the  end  of  this  month 
with  littery  straw  to  the  depth  of  4  inches.  Take  this 
covering  off  at  the  end  of  April,  give  the  border  a  good 
soaking  of  manure-water  at  the  same  time,  and  cover 
over  a  few  days  afterwards  with  a  layer,  4  inches  deep, 
of  well-decomposed  farmyard  or  stable  manure  as  a  mulch 
for  the  summer.  Water'as  you  ha-\e  done  before.  Good 
results  should  follow  this  treatment. 

ROSE     GARDEN. 

ROSES  DESTROYED  BY  CATERPILLARS  (A  Sub- 
scriber).— We  think  if  \ou  were  to  well  spray  the  Koses 
with  Carlton  Arsenate  of  Lead  Paste  you  would  check  the 
trouble.  It  is  obtainable  from  Messrs.  W.  Voss  and  Cti., 
Millwall.  London.  E.  Dip  the  roots  in  the  solution,  and, 
when  planted,  well  spray  the  branches  and  continue  the 
spraying  throughout  the  summer  at  intervals  of  ten  or 
twelve  days. 

ROSES  FOR  FLORISTS'  WORK  (G.  ,S'.).— Jlrs.  Herbert 
Stevens  would  be  a  valuable  white,  and  you  should  also 
plant  some  Vian  Karl  Druschki,  also  Y'vonne  Rabier  for 
sprays.  A  dozen  good  kinds  to  plant  in  quantity  for  your 
business  would  be  Lady  Hillingdon.  Lady  Pirrie,  Mme. 
Abel  Chatenay.  Mrs.  Alfred  Tate,  Duchess  of  Wellington, 
General  Macarthur,  Lady  Roberts,  Mme.  Ravary,  Sun- 
burst, Florence  H.  Veitch,  Chateau  de  Clos  Vougeot  and 
Lady  Ashtown.  Have  them  all  on  the  seedling  Briar 
stock. 

BUDDING  BRIARS  IN  TUBS  (Reader).— While  we 
do  not  say  tin-  operation  would  be  impossible,  we  strongly 
advise  you  not  to  al  tempt  it  The  standard  Briar  requires 
a  deal  of  lonkinc  after  when  potted  up  or  planted  in  tubs. 
It  would  be  much  better  for  yon  to  plant  them  in  the 
garden  in  rows  3  feet  apart  and  about  a  foot  apart  in  the 
rows.  Fifteen  good  varieties  for  exhibition  would  be 
Mrs.  John  Laing,  Frau  Karl  Druschki,  Dean  Hole,  Lyon 
Rose,  Caroline  Testout,  J.  B.  Clark,  Hugh  Dickson, 
Margaret,  J.ady  Ashtown,  JIme.  Melanie  Soupert,  Jlrs. 
George  Shawyer.  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs,  Suzanne  M.  Rodo- 
canachi.  Mrs,  W.  J.  Grant  and  Mayflower.  None  of  the 
kinds  you  name  is  really  good  as  an  exhibition  flower. 

ROSES  FOR  BEDDING  IN  A  SEMI-SHADY  POSITION 
(W.J.  B.). — We  ai''  very  pleased  to  help  yon  in  makins 
a  selection.  To  havr  Roses  in  bloom  in  August  and 
September  they  must  be  varieties  that  also  bloom  in  June 
and  July  ;  but  as  you  are  not  in  residence  during  thi'-i 
latter  months,  you  could  instruct  your  gardeuer  to  reTiiip\i 
the  earlier  buds,  as  by  doing  so  you  would  considerably 
help  the  second  crop  to  bloom.  Good  varieties  of  tlie 
colours  you  name  and  avoiding  those  you  have  would 
be:  Pinks — Mme.  Leon  Pain.  Gustav  Grnnerwald  and 
Lady  Ashtown.  Reds — Lady  Battersea,  General  Mac- 
arthur and  Lieutenant  Chaure.  White  or  blush — 
Augustine  Guinoisseau.  La  Tosca  and  Molly  Sharman 
Crawford.  Yellows — ilme.  Ravary,  Marie  van  Hontte 
and  Mrs.  Aaron  Ward. 

ROSES  WITH  SUBSTANTIAL  BLOOMS  FOR  EXHI- 
BITION (Vio!-i). — We  quite  see  your  ditftcuity,  and  tliiuk 
that  the  list  niven  below  will  meet  your  requirements. 
Hybrid  Perpetuals. — ^Alfred  Colomb,  Charles  Lefebvre. 
Comte  de  Raimbaud,  Dr.  Andry,  Geoffrey  Henslow . 
Hugh  Dickson.  Louis  van  Houtte.  Mrs.  John  Laing 
and  Suzanne  M.  Rodocanachi.  Hybrid  Teas. — Alice 
Lemon.  Cidond  Leclerc.  Countess  of  Caledon,  Countess 
of  Shaftesbury.  Dean  Hole,  Dr.  O'Donel  Browne,  Duchess 
of  Normandy,  Duchess  of  Westminster,  Earl  of  Warwick, 
Entente  Cordiale,  Ferniehurst,  Florence  Pemberton, 
Frau  Ober.  Piecq,  F.  R.  Patzer,  George  C.  Waud,  Geoffrey 
Henslow.  George  Dickson,  J.  B.  Clark,  Jonklu^er  J.  L. 
Mock.  Lady  Barham,  Mabel  Drew,  Mme.  Jules  Bouche, 
Margaret.  Mayflower.  Mrs.  C.  West,  Mrs.  George  Shawyer, 
Mrs.  Wallace  H.  Rowe,  Oberhdfgartner  Terks,  Papa 
Lambert,  Queen  of  Spain,  St.  Helena  and  Sunburst. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— Bo?//«r(7/('.— Hose  Eugene  Furst. 

W.    C.    County    Antrim. — Leycesteria    formosa. 

O.  IT'.,  Wantage. — Phygeliuscapensis.  or  Cape  Figwort. 

A.  R..  Jersey. — Sollya  heterophylla.  Erica  arborea,  Elaeag- 

nus   orientalis,   Paliurus    australis   (Christ's   Thorn). 

A.    A.    B.,    Swindon. — Lilium    speciosum. Forfar. — 

Cannot  name  from  leaves  only. Ignoramus.- — Swainsona 

tzalegifolia.    Should  no(  be  ciit  dowTi.  but  allowed  to  grow\ 

It  is  an  Australian  plant  and  has  red  flowers. Mrs.  C, 

Salisbury. — 1.   Aster   cordifolius ;    2,    A.  multiflorus ;    3, 

A.  Novie-.\n<iIia;  variety ;   4,  A.  Amellus  variety, 
NAMES     OF     FRUIT.  —  .Major     K.  —  \.      Bismarck  : 

B,  Northern  Greening. G'.    TC.    irrtw^«f/c.— Apples  too 

poor  to  name.     Pear,  Marie  Guise. W.  if.— Rambour 

Fioue. D.  T.,  Wolrerton. — 1,  Stoke  Pippin  ;    2,  Lady 

Heunikcr. A.   T.    C.   Reigate.—l,   Blenheim  Orange; 

2.    Sandringham  ;      o.    Bianiley's    Seedling ;      4,    Royal 

Nonsuch  :    5.   Haeon's  Incomparable. Mrs.  C.  B.  P., 

Dorset.— 1.  decayed,  probably  Lord  Suflield  ;  4,  Norfolk 
Beefing ;    tj.    MankV   Codliu  ;"  7,    decayed  ;    l>,    Victoria  ; 

10,  Lamb  Abbev  Pearmain  :  11,  Wellington:  12,  John 
Apple;  15,  Lord"  Suflield:    17,    Court    Pendu    Plat;     19, 

Stubbard.  ^ ~  W.  M.  R. — -1.  Cox's  Pomona;  2,  Warner's 

King;  3.  Striped  Beefing  :  4,  Bramley's  Seedling;  5,  Lord 
Derby  ;  6.  Tower  of  Glamis  :  7,  Warner's  King  ;  8,  Peas- 
good's  Nonsuch  :  9,  Flanders  Pippin;    10,  Fearn's  Pippin; 

11.  Blenheim  Orange :    12.    John   Apple;    15,    Old    Haw- 

thornden. F.  G..    Clayqate. — 1,    Christmas    Pearmain  ; 

2.  Hoary  Morning  :  3.  Newton  Wonder ;  4.  Roundway 
Magnum  Bonum  ;   5,  Sugarloaf ;  6,  Schoolmaster, 


^^m-^- 


GARDEN.  , 


No.  2189.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


November  i,  1913. 


GONTBMTS. 


Notes  op  the  Week.  .     545 
corrkspondenoe 

Th'"  Apennine  Wind- 

Hower 546 

Failure  of  Pears  . .  546 
Autumn-f  ruili  ng 

Raspberries  . .  547 
Solidago     Golden 

sheaf 547 

Saxifraga  burseriaiia 

in  Scotland. .  .  .  547 
Lilium  gicanteum  in 

Yorkshire  . .  . .  547 
liip  Daffodil  in  Xcw 

Zealand        . .      . .     547 

A  ^HW    PLANT  FERTI- 

USER  547 

Forthcoming  events  . .     547 
Rook  and  Watkr   Gaiu>en 
Some  interesting  facts 
abont  G  e  n  t  i  a  n  a 

verna 548 

Rose  Garden 
In  a  n  a  mp  sh  i  r  f 
'jardcn         . .  548 

Trees  and  Shri'rs 
A    showy     Clematis 
for    the    flower 
border         . .      . .     549 
The    best    trees    for 
avenues       . .      . .     549 


Flower  Garden 
The  Campanulas  or 

Bellflowers  ..      ..     650 
The  Siberian  Iris  . .     551 
Tulip  notes     . .      . .     551 
New    and    Rare 

Plants 552 

Gardening  for  Beginners 

Rooting  cuttings  of 

Curr  an  ts    and 

Gooseberries       . .     563 

How  to  treat  sreen- 

house  cl  i  mbing 

plants 563 

Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens       554 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens       654 

Seasonable  Xotks  on 

Chrysanthemusis.  .     555 
Fruit  Garden 

Renovating    old 

Vines 556 

NPRSERT  Notes 
Messrs.    Seabrook 
and  Sons     . .      . .      556 
Answers  to  Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden        . .     55f) 
Greenhouse      . .      . .     556 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Anemone  apenniua  in  a  read'^r's  garden      540 

Gentiana  verna        54S 

Clematis  jubata        549 

A  handsome  border  Campanula 550 

The  Siberian  Iris  by  the  water-side 551 

The  new  Chrysanthemum  William  Vert 552 

Rooting  cuttings  of  Currant;  and  Gooseberries       , .  553 


EDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
seated  in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  pftotographs,  articles  and  notes, 
bid  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  zviU  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  etuUoscd,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-acrepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  oumer  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  wiU  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  unll  alone 
be  retoijnised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tainstock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 


Shrubs  with  Good  Autumn  Foliage. — Among 

the  many  plants  that  give  us  such  beautiful  tints 
with  their  foliage,  several  species  of  the  Rhus 
family  should  be  noted.  At  the  present  time 
such  as  Rhus  typhina,  R.  Cotinits  and  R.  cotinoides 
are  among  the  most  gorgeously-coloured  foliage 
in  the  gardens,  and  if  backed  with  golden  varieties 
of  Populus,  such  as  a  bed  we  have  in  mind,  the 
colouring  is  still  more  beautiful. 

An  Attractive  Rock  Plant. — Of  the  several 
New  Zealand  Burrs  that  we  now  have,  Acjena 
microphylla,  the  Small-leaved  Burr,  is  one  of  the 
best  for  the  rock  garden  with  its  crimson,  globular 
heads  of  spine-formed  calyces,  which  are  a  very 
conspicuous  and  ornamental  feature  of  the  plant 
at  this  time  of  the  year.  These  look  like  so  many 
crimson  stars,  2  inches  or  3  inches  high,  upon  a 
cushion  of  small,  green,  pinnate  leaves.  It  is  a 
worthy  plant  for  all  rock  gardens,  as  it  will  do  in 
almost  any  soil  or  situation. 

A  Late  Sunflower. — Though  not  so  free- 
flowering  and  sliowy  as  some  of  the  September- 
flowering  perennial  Sunflowers,  Helianthus  doroni- 
coides  must  be  considered  quite  as  valuable,  for 
the  blooms  are  at  their  best  in  mid-October. 
Growing  about  eight  feet  in  height,  the  flowers 
are  rich  yellow  and  about  two  inches  across.  Such 
late-flowering  plants  are  ver\'  useful  to  brighten 
up  the  shrubbery  borders,  and  also  provide  useful 
material  to  cut  for  indoor  decoration.  H.  doroni- 
coides  ii  a  North  .\meriran  species. 

Two  Good  Autumn  Roses. — Two  of  the  best 
Roses,  apart  from  the  Dwarf  Polyantha  varieties, 
in  our  garden  on  Monday  last,  the  27th  ult.,  were 
Mrs.  Arthur  Mimt  and  General  Macarthur.  Both 
were  in  full  flower,  and  the  blooms  were  almost 
as  full  and  fresh  as  those  we  had  in  July.  Mrs. 
Arthur  Munt,  owing  to  the  erect  flowers  being 
borne  on  long,  stout  stems,  is  ideal  for  cutting, 
and  nearly  every  bloom  is  of  exquisite  shape. 
The  colour  is  ivory  white,  with  a  very  faint  blush 
showing  through  the  petals.  General  Macarthur 
we  look  upon  as  one  of  the  best  red  garden  Roses, 
and  it  is  deliciously  fragrant. 

A   Beautiful   but   Old   Michaelmas   Daisy. — 

In  these  days,  when  we  have  so  many  beautiful 
varieties  of  Michaelmas  Daisies,  we  are  apt  to 
overlook  some  of  the  old  but  beautiful  species, 
of  which  Aster  Tradescantii  is  one  of  the  best. 
It  is  said  to  be  the  first  of  the  many  North  American 
species  cultivated  in  Europe,  being  introduced 
about  the  year  1633  by  John  Tradescant,  who  was 
gardener  to  Charles  I.  In  a  border  among  many 
of  the  varieties  of  recent  introduction,  A.  Trades- 
cantii, with  its  long,  elegant  sprays  of  pure  white 
flowers,  which  are  borne  in  great  profusion,  is 
as  conspicuous  as  any  of  them.  This  makes  us 
think  that  the  old  kinds  of  flowers  are  not  always 
deserving  of  the  neglect  they  get. 


A  Late-Flowering  Wall  Shrub. — Ax  this  time 
of  the  year  the  number  of  shrubs  flowering  out  of 
doors,  either  in  the  open  or  against  a  wall,  are 
somewhat  limited,  so  where  it  is  possible  a  place 
against  a  warm  south  wall  should  be  found  for 
.^butilon  megapotamicum,  sometimes  known  as 
A.  vexillarium.  .\Ithough  it  is  not  hardy,  it 
succeeds  perfectly  well  against  a  warm  wall,  and 
will  give  a  profusion  of  blooms — the  sepals  of  which 
are  of  a  rich  dark  red,  the  petals  pale  yellow — 
from  early  summer  till  the  frost  comes. 

A  Hint  for  Planters. — Last  .May.  when  the 
crimson  and  pink  Thorns  were  flowering,  we  saw 
several  instances  where  these  charming  trees 
were  in  particularly  bad  positions  ;  hence  a  word 
of  warning  seems  called  for  now  that  the  planting 
season  is  here.  The  trees  in  question  were  placed 
so  that  the  dwelling-house  of  glaring  red  bricks 
formed  a  background,  and  anything  more  incon- 
gruous it  would  be  difficult  to  imagine,  the  different 
shades  of  red  clashing  horribly.  Crataegus  Pyra- 
cantha,  with  its  orange  red  berries,  looks  almost 
as  bad  at  this  season  when  nailed  tightly  to  a  red 
brick  \\\i\].     Til'-  ntnr.il  ^^  i)b\ious. 

An  October-flowering  Plum. — The  present  speii 
3f  mild  weather  is  proving  very  favourable  to  hardy 
trees  and  plants  which  flower  in  late  autuimi. 
Among  these,  the  uncommon  Prunus  miqueliana 
is  very  prominent.  It  is  flowering  well  this  year. 
The  semi-double  white  blossoms  are  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter  and  fragrant. 
Flowering  naturally  at  this  season,  Prunus  miqueli- 
ana should  prove  a  useful  shrub  to  grow  in  pots 
for  indoor  decoration,  as  at  this  season  we  may 
any    day    have    a    frost    and    spoil    the    flowers. 

Autumn  -  Flowering  Sage  for  the  Green- 
house.— Salvia  involucrata  Bethellii  is  a  plant  that 
is  not  grown  so  much  now  as  it  was  at  one  time. 
This  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  there  are  so  many 
other  beautiful  plants  for  decorating  the  con- 
ser\'atory  during  the  autumn,  although  that  is 
hardly  a  good  enough  excuse  for  leaving  this  attrac- 
tive plant  out.  It  is  a  handsome  variety,  with 
whorled  spikes  of  bright  rosy  carmine  flowers 
borne  at  the  end  of  the  branches.  As  it  is  easily 
raised  and  requires  little  attention,  it  should  be 
used  for  greenhouse  decoration  in  the  autimin. 

Late-Flowering    Saxifrages.  —  Although     the 

majority  of  Rockfoils  hlocjiu  in  sprijig  and  summer, 
there  are  one  or  two  that  are  \-aluable  for  their 
late-flowering  character.  One  of  the  best  of  these 
is  Saxifraga  Fortimei,  a  beautiful  Chinese  species 
with  erect  panicles  of  white  flowers  standing  well 
above  the  leaves,  which  are  reniforme,  cordate 
and  of  a  glossy,  dark  green  colour,  .\nother  species 
very  similar  to  S.  Fortimei,  flowering  at  the  same 
time,  is  S.  cortusioides,  a  plant  of  more  recent 
introduction,  with  less  hain.-  stem,  and  the  petals 
are  entire.  Both  are  quite  hardy  and  succeed  best 
in  a  partially-shaded  position  in  gritty,  rich,  well- 
dramed  soil,  or  are  excellent  for  growing  in  pots 
for  a  cool  greenhouse. 


546 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  i,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  Editor  is  not  responsible  /or  the  opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


The  Apennine  Windflower. — This  charming 
Wmdflower,  Anemone  apennina,  is  quite  at  home 
in  a  shady  corner  of  the  rock  garden  at  LUford 
Hall,  Barnwell,  Oundle,  where  it  gets  little  sun. 
It  is  planted  ih  loam,  leaf-sod  and  grit,  with  plenty 
of  broken  stones  mixed  with  the  soil.  Six  plants 
were  the  beginning  of  the  group  ;  but  now,  by 
spreading  and  seeding,  they  have  formed  a  patch 
6  feet  square,  with  flowers  varying  in  colour  from 
deep  blue  to  almost  white.  We  give  them  a  surface- 
dressing  each  autumn  of  loam,  leaf-soil  and  grit, 
and  the  illustration  shows  the  result. — E.  Wilson. 

Failure  of  Pears. — Referring  to  the  Rev.  C.  E. 
Jeans'  note  on  page  523,  I  am  of  his  opinion  that 
the  cause  was  the  long  spell  of  cold  nights  at  the 
critical  period  in  spring.  I  am  further  North,  but 
well  protected   on   the   north-east  and   south-west. 


Rose  Aglaia. — In  your  admirable  Rose  Number 
uf  October  11,  reference  was  made  to  the  climbing 
Rose  Aglaia.  With  me,  in  an  old  garden  possessing 
a  very  light  but  fairly  deep  soil,  it  has  succeeded 
beyond  expectatioi^,  indeed,  I  cannot  say  too 
much  for  it.  The  beautiful  glossy,  dark  green 
foliage  is  always  proof:  against  mildew,  and  the 
green  fly  and  the  maggot  prefer  to  go  elsewhere. 
It  is  most  generous  in  blooms,  producing  the 
exquisite  yellow  buds  in  great  profusion  during 
the  entire  season.  As  a  covering  for,  say,  a  summer- 
house,  I  can  conceive  nothing  better,  as  the  branches 
want  to  fall  all  round  like  a  Weeping  WiUow.  Of 
course,  the  pruning-knife  was  not  made  for 
.■Aglaia.  May  I  take  this  opportunity  to  say 
how  much  indebted  I  feel  for  the  many  helpful 
hmts  which  have  come  to  me  from  The 
Garden.  I  grow,  in  a  small  way,  chiefly 
Hybrid  Perpetuals,  which  flourish  like  weeds 
and  bloom  magnificently ;  but  the  Hybrid 
Teas  (all  dwarf),  for    some    reason    or    other    best 


ANEMONE  APENNINA    FLOWERING    FREELY    IN    A    READER'S    GARDEN. 


My  record  is  :  Doyennfe  du  Cornice,  fourteen  trees, 
three  on  wall,  six  Pears ;  Williams',  five  trees, 
half  a  bushel  ;  Conference,  six  trees,  two  on  wall, 
half  a  dozen ;  Pitmaston  Duchess,  five  trees, 
six  Pears ;  Gansel's  Bergamot,  large  tree,  one 
peck ;  Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey,  four  trees,  one 
dozen  ;  Chaumontel,  heavy  crop  ;  one  Bergamot 
Esperen,  also  heavy  crop  ;  Durondeau,  two  trees, 
four  Pears  ;  Bergamot,  never  fails,  one  tree,  one 
bushel ;  Catillac,  one  tree,  ten  Pears  ;  Marguerite 
Marillat,  three  trees,  none  ;  Uvedale's  St.  Germain, 
one  large  tree,  one  dozen  ;  Beurre  d'Amanlis, 
three  trees,  none  ;  and  about  ten  other  varieties, 
none  ;  thirty  varieties.  Pliuns  Pond's  Seedling 
and  Orleans,  fair  crops  ;  Victoria  and  Prince  of 
Wales,  a  few  ;  others  none.  Apples,  95  per  cent.  ; 
fifty  varieties  heavy  crops,  notably  Blenheim 
Orange,  Wellington,  Newton  Wonder  and  Bram- 
ley's  Seedling.  —  Hugh  Jones,  Tudor  House, 
Monkcn  Hadiey,  New  Barnet,  Herts. 


known  to  themselves,  are  sulky  and  make  a 
poor  show. — J.  W.  Cooper,  Alberta  Lodge,  Dalkey, 
County  Dublin. 

Verbena  venosa. — I  had  not  grown  this 
plant  mitil  this  summer,  so  was  particularly 
interested  in  Mr.  Brotherston's  note  on  page  523. 
As  I  write  I  have  it  in  a  big  bowl  in  the  hall, 
and  it  is  glorious,  and  certainly  most  uncom- 
mon in  colourmg.  Mr.  Brotherston  asks  a 
"  poser  "  when  he  enquires  about  its  colour.  To 
begin  with,  what  is  violet  ?  Interrogate  five 
different  people  and  I  expect  you  would  get  five 
different  replies.  To  me  purple  and  violet  are 
something  like  a  Daffodil  and  a  Narcissus.  Every 
Daffodil  is  a  Narcissus,  but  every  Narcissus  is  not 
a  Daffodil.  Every  violet  is  a  purple,  but  every 
purple  is  not  a  violet.  After  this  Delphic  definition, 
I  ask  myself,  what  is  heliotrope  ?  I  reply,  the 
shade  of  the  old  Cherry-pie  that  used  to  grow 
in  my  father's  greenhouse  long  before  the  advent 


of  the  deep  shades  into  practical  politics.  Hence, 
so  defined,  V.  venosa  is  not  a  heliotrope  ;  nor  is 
it  a  violet  or  purple  pure  and  simple.  Under 
any  light  it  is  not  that  balanced  shade  which  could 
be  said  to  be  neither  reddish  nor  bluish.  The  see- 
saw is  down  on  the  red  side  always.  Summing  up, 
my  answer  is  that  it  is  a  rich  reddish  purple  in  a 
mass. — Joseph    Jacob. 

Lime-Hating  Campanulas. — In  The  Garden 
of  October  18  I  observe  that  Mr.  Amott,  in 
his  interesting  article  on  Campanulas,  describes 
C.  pulla  as  a  "  lime-hater,"  This  is  contrary  to 
my  experience  of  the  plant  ;  but  I  have  so  often 
seen  it  so  described,  and  by  such  eminent  authori- 
ties, that  it  would  be  interesting  to  learn  how  the 
legend  originated.  Mr.  Robinson  advises  its 
cultivation  in  peat  and  sand ;  so  also  does  Mr. 
Heath  of  Cheltenham.  Both  of  these  mstructions 
were  published  some  years  ago.  Mr.  Farrer  also, 
a  few  years  later,  in  "  My  Rock  Garden,"  stated 
that  C  pulla  "  positively  dislikes  lime "  ;  but 
I  presume  that  he  has  since  learnt 
the  contrary  from  experience,  as  in 
"  The  Rock  Garden  "  (a  later  work)  he 
states  that  it  grows  "  amongst  lime- 
stone blocks  in  Nature."  The  most 
recent  work  I  have — Harold  Thomp- 
son's "  Alpine  Plants  of  Europe  " — 
also  states  that  this  Campanula  comes 
from  the  calcareous  Alps.  If  Mr.  Farrer 
and  Mr.  Thompson  have  correctly 
given  its  habitat  in  Nature,  one  won- 
ders how  Mr.  Robinson,  Mr.  Farrer  (in 
his  earlier  work)  and  Mr.  Amott  came 
to  describe  it  as  a  "  lime-hater."  Were 
they  restating  a  tradition,  or  was  the 
description  the  outcome  of  their  ex- 
perience ?  When  I  first  obtained  the 
Campanula  I  planted  it  in  accordance 
with  the  directions  of  the  authorities 
— in  a  pocket  containing  sandy  peat. 
There  it  remained  comfortably  for 
two  seasons  without  displaying  much 
•  nthusiasm,  but  in  its  third  season  it 
suddenly  appeared  in  the  adjoining 
space  on  the  rockwork — a  large  tract 
composed  of  loam  and  limestone  chips, 
and  limestone  chips  in  plenty  on 
the  surface  and  devoted  to  alpine 
Primulas.  Here  C.  pulla  ran  amok, 
and  before  the  summer  was  over 
I  had,  in  desperation,  to  remove  all 
the  Primulas  before  they  were  choked 
to  death  and  leave  C.  pulla  in 
possession.  It  has  availed  itself 
of  the  permission,  and  now  occupies  not  only  this 
tract,  but  is  also  endeavouring  to  spread  from 
it  in  every  direction  through  the  limestone,  and 
unnoticed  bits  evidently  accompanied  the  Primulas 
to  their  new  home,  as  I  see  the  Campanula  appear^ 
ing  there  already.  So  far  the  only  Campanula 
I  have  found  to  dislike  my  limestone  soil  is  C; 
excisa,  but  as  this  never  reappears  with  me,  no 
matter  where  it  may  be  planted,  I  have  not  been 
able  to  ascertain  its  "  likes."  Even  C.  Allioni — 
since  I  followed  Mr.  Farrer's  prescription  and 
planted  it  in  moraine — lives  and  flowers  in  lime- 
stone, but  it  seems  slow  to  increase.  Returning, 
however,  to  C.  pulla,  there  is  not  the  slightest 
doubt  that  here,  at  all  events,  it  rejoices  in  lime, 
and  I  should  be  much  interested  to  learn  whether 
its  failure — for  it  is  not  everywhere  an  easy  plant — 
can  anywhere  be  traced  to  the  presence  of  lime 
in  the  sMl. — Murray  Hornibrook,  Knapton, 
Queen's  County,  Ireland. 


November  i,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


547 


Autumn-Fruiting  Raspberries.— I  am  sending 

tun  spr.ivs  nf  Raspberries  for  your  inspection. 
I  thought  perhaps  it  might  interest  readers  to 
know  tliat  I  have  been  gathering  Raspberries 
all  through  September  and  October,  and  have  a 
good  lot  now.  You  will  see  by  the  enclosed  that 
the  fruits  are  large  and  well  worth  growing,  and  I 
have  plenty  of  them  to  gather  every  day. — 
H.  Curtis,  The  Gardens,  Harptree  Court,  East 
Harptree,  near  Bristol.  [The  fruiting  sprays  sent 
b\-  our  et)rrespondent  were  very  good. — Ed.] 

Solidago  Golden  Sheaf. — Being  attracted  by 
this  variety  of  ("loldeu  Rod  as  exhibited  at  the 
Royal  Caledonian  Society's  Show  in  September, 
igir,  I  bought  a  root  of  it,  which  was  planted  in 
the  spring  of  last  year.  It  failed  to  open  its 
flowers  last  autumn,  but  I  attributed  this  to  the 
result  of  the  cold,  sunless  season  and  the  late  plant- 
ing. This  year  I  looked  for  its  golden  heads  some 
time  in  September.  I  regret  to  say,  however, 
that  it  is  only  now,  in  mid-October,  beginning  to 
show  colour,  too  late  to  be  of  any  service.  I  should 
be  glad  to  hear  what  the  experience  of  others 
has  been  with  this  plant,  either  north  or  south  of 

the  Tweed. — CaI.I-OON  l.A. 

Saxifraga  burseriana  in  Scotland. — My  ex- 
perience with  S.  burseriana  may  be  of  interest 
to  those  who  are  perplexed  by  the  accounts  of  its 
habitat  in  a  Swiss  gorge  and  who  may  fear  to  try 
it  at  home.  It  appears  to  be  not  at  all  a  difficult 
plant,  either  as  regards  soil  or  situation.  Many 
years  ago  1  planted  a  large  clump  from  a  6-inch 
pot  into  a  border  along  with  other  hardy  flowers, 
and  there  it  remained  with  the  aid  of  an  occasional 
dusting  of  fine  soil  till  a  year  ago,  when  it  was 
transferred  to  a  rockery  at  that  time  reconstructed. 
It  was  placed  where  the  sun  shone  on  it  from  early 
morning  till  two  or  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  is  certainly  none  the  worse-looking  for  being 
shifted.  It  is  growing  in  ordinary  loam,  and  a 
few  weeks  ago,  with  other  Saxifrages  and  dwarf 
plants,  was  dressed  with  the  usual  fine  soil  I  am 
in  the  habit  of  applying  periodically  to  these 
plants.  l''rom  tht*  way  they  respond  I  have  come 
to  regard  these  dressings  as  a  very  important 
item  in  the  cultural  treatment  of  low,  close-growing 
alpines,  and  have  for  long  made  it  a  routine  practice. 
— R.  P.  Brothkrston.  Tyninghame,  Prestonkirk, 
N.R. 

Lilium  giganteum  in  Yorkshire. — A  native  of 
the  momitainous  regions  of  Northern  India,  this 
handsome  Lily  reaches  a  high  standard  of  excellence 
in  favoured  places  in  this  country.  We  have  had 
fine  specimens  in  flower  this  summer  growing  in 
a  spot  almost  surroimded  by  large  trees,  two  Yews 
on  one  side  making  an  admirable  foil.  Several 
spikes  of  about  eight  feet  in  height,  containing  from 
eight  to  twelve  large  blooms,  Were  to  be  seen 
flowering  towards  the  end  of  July  and  lasting  for 
about  three  weeks,  filling  the  air  with  their  fragrance 
for  some  considerable  distance.  The  bulbs  were 
planted  three  years  ago  in  a  prepared  bed  of  loam, 
&c.,  have  not  since  been  disturbed,  and  this  is  the 
first  time  of  flowering.  Each  season  good,  healthy 
growth  has  been  forthcoming.  During  the  dry 
spell  this  summer  the  bed  received  a  few  good 
soakings  of  water,  and  a  liberal  mulching  of  farm- 
yard manure  was  also  applied.  No  one  who  has 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Lilium  giganteum  in 
its  full  beauty  can  fail  to  give  it  a  trialj  for  its 
noble  grandeur  adds  distinction  to  any  garden. 
In  choosing  a  position,  one  should  be  selected, 
if  possible,  sheltered  from  the  north,  and  anythmg 
approaching  a  stagnant  soil  should  be  avoided. — 
H.  TtiRNKR,  Sfrlby  Hall  Gardens,  Bawtry,  Vorft.<. 


The  Daffodil  in  New  Zealand. — A  correspondent 

has  just  sent  me  a  cutting  from  the  New  Zealand 
Herald  of  August  last,  giving  an  account  of  the 
Auckland  Daffodil  Show,  which  appears  to  have 
been  a  very  successful  function.  It  quotes  a 
speech  made  by  the  judge  (whose  name  is  not 
given).  I  quote  from  it.  "  The  seedlings,"  he 
remarks,  "  have  some  very  good  blooms  among 
them,  and  to-day's  display  in  this  section  makes 
one  extremely  dubious  about  buying  plants  from 
Home."  This  is  a  little  unkind  to  Messrs.  Barr, 
who  were  given  a  cup  at  the  show.  He  proceeds, 
"  Although  Home  nurserymen  may  produce  a 
few  seedlings  of  better  quality  than  those  grown 
in  the  Dominion,  I  think  the  New  Zealand  average 
seedling  is  better  than  the  Home  plant."  .\\\ 
this  makes  very  sad  reading  for  the  Old  Country. 
Sic  transit  (iloria  Mundi,  sic  transit  Bernardino 
and  all  the  good  things  we  have  prided  ourselves 
on  ;  and  no  doubt  after  this  Mr.  Engleheart, 
Mr.  Crosfield  and  humble  followers  of  them  like 
myself  and  others  will  give  up  any  further  work 
and  leave  otT  wasting  our  time. — F.  H.  C. 


A  NEW  PLANT    FERTILISER. 


DURING  recent  years,  owing  mainly 
k  to  the  increasing  difficulty  ex- 
I  perieneed  in  obtaining  natural 
f  manure,  scientists  have  devoted 
considerable  time  and  thought  to 
the  question  of  fixing  the  free 
nitrogen  present  in  the  air  so  as  to  render  it  avail- 
able for  use  by  green-leaved  plants.  As  any 
student  of  botany  is  aware,  many  plants  belonging 
to  the  Pea  family,  such  as  Beans,  Peas  and  Clover, 
have  on  their  roots  little  swellings,  technically 
known  as  nodules,  which  contain  bacteria  that  are 
capable  of  extracting  this  free  nitrogen  from  the 
air  and  so  converting  it  that  the  plants,  and  also 
those  that  follow  them,  are  able  to  make  use  of  it. 
It  was  argued  some  years  ago  that  if  these  bacteria 
could  be  artificially  added  to  the  soil  in  sufficiently 
large  quantities,  and  induced  to  carry  on  their  work, 
plant-life  generally  would  be  considerably  bene- 
fited thereby.  Then  came  Professor  Bottomley 
of  King's  College,  London,  with  a  culture  that 
he  called  nitro-bacterme,  and  for  which  he  claimed 
that  it  would,  if  properly  treated,  inoculate  the 
soil  with  sufficient  bacteria  to  render  the  application 
of  artificial  nitrogen  unnecessary.  Time  has  proved 
that  this  did  not,  under  practical  conditions,  do 
what  was  claimed  for  it.  Now,  Professor  Bottorrdey 
comes  forward  with  inoculated  peat.  At  the 
Horticultural  Club  on  Tuesday  of  las{  week  the 
Professor  gave  an  exceedingly  interesting  lecture 
on  the  subject  and  proved  beyond  all  doubt  that, 
whatever  may  be  the  reason,  the  application  of 
this  prepared  peat  has  a  very  marked  effect  on 
vegetation.  Briefly,  the  peat  is  treated  with 
aerobic  bacteria  to  destroy  the  injurious  humic  acid 
that  it  contains.  Next  it  is  sterilised  by  steam, 
and  finally  inoculated  with  a  pure  culture  of 
nitrogen-fixing  bacteria. 

Experiments  have  been  conducted  in  various 
parts  of  the  coimtry  with  this  inoculated  peat, 
but  two  instances  will  suffice  for  our  purpose  at 
present.  One  experiment — and  the  most  important 
to  horticulturists — has  been  conducted  at  Kew. 
Here  the  curator,  Mr.  W.  Watson,  has  per- 
sonally supervised  the  work,  and  those  who  are 
privileged  to  know  him  are  fully  aware  that 
he  has  little  faith  in  scientists  of  any  kind, 
and  would  be  only  too  glad  to  be  able  to  condemn 


their  theories.  Two  each  of  plants  of  widely 
diverse  characters,  such,  for  instance,  as  Abutilons, 
Fuchsias,  Salvias,  Hippeastrums,  Asparagus  plu- 
mosus  and  Maidenhair  Ferns,  were  selected,  one 
of  each  being  grown  in  ordinary  potting  soil  and 
the  other  in  potting  soil  to  which  the  prepared 
peat  had  been  added,  in  proportions  of  one  part 
peat  to  two  of  soil,  one  part  peat  to  four  of  soil, 
and  one  part  peat  to  eight  of  soil.  The  plants 
had  been  brought  from  Kew  for  members  of  the 
Club  to  see,  and  in  every  instance  both  root  and 
stem  growth  of  those  growing  in  the  peat-charged 
soil  was  very  much  better  than  that  of  those  grown 
in  ordinary  soil.  Mr.  Watson,  who  addressed  the 
meeting  at  the  conclusion  of  the  lecture,  stated 
that  he  had  no  doubt  whatever  that  the  prepared 
peat,  when  added  to  the  soil,  had  a  highly  beneficial 
effect  on  the  plants.  He  also  stated  that  when 
used  at  its  greatest  strength,  i.e.,  one  part  of  peat 
to  two  of  soil,  it  had  no  injurious  effect  on  vegetation, 
yet  the  one  part  of  peat  to  eight  of  soil  mixture 
gave  just  as  good  results. 

The  other  experiment  has  been  conducted  by 
Mr.  Peter  Lees,  the  well-known  authority  on  golf 
greens.  Unfortimately,  this  was  not  made  known 
until  the  close  of  the  meeting,  when  many  members 
had  left.  .Apparently  Mr.  Lees  has  been  using 
this  prepared  peat  at  the  rate  of  30Z.  per  square 
yard  as  a  top-dressing  to  badly  worn  or  thin  greens, 
with  a  result  that  is  little  short  of  marvellous. 
Not  only  was  new  top  growth  made  in  abundance, 
but  roots  also  of  a  fibrous  and  far-reaching  character 
were  formed.  If  this  were  all,  it  would  seem  that 
we  have  a  panacea  for  all  the  troubles  that  beset 
the  grower  of  plants.  But  Dr.  Voelcker  rather 
put  a  wet  blanket  on  the  enthusiasm  of  those  present 
when  he  asked  the  pertinent  question  whether  the 
benefit  was  due  to  the  nitrogen-fixing  bacteria 
or  to  the  plant  food  that  peat  naturally  contains, 
and  which  would  be  rendered  available  by  elimi- 
nating humic  acid  and  by  sterilisation,  and  to  the 
mechanical  effect  that  peat  would  have  upon  soil 
used  in  the  proportions  named.  Dr.  Keeble, 
who  also  had  something  to  say  on  the  subject, 
supported  Dr.  Voelcker's  statement  that  probably 
sterilisation  of  peat  by  steam  would  have  a  greater 
beneficial  action  upon  it  than  the  inoculation 
with  nitrtjgen-fixing  bacteria. 

The  question  of  cost  in  producing  this  prepared 
peat  was  raised  by  several  members,  but  on  this 
important  point  Professor  Bottomley  would  not  ex- 
press an  opinion.  If  it  can  be  produced  cheaply — 
which  we  very  much  doubt — it  will  certainly  prove 
a  boon  to  the  gardener,  no  matter  whether  its 
beneficial  action  arises  from  the  natural  manurial 
substances  that  peat  contains  or  from  the  nitrogen- 
fixing  organisms.    Meanwhile,  we  must  wait  and  see. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

November  4. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Exhibition  at  Vincent  Square,  Westminster. 
Sevenoaks  and  West  Kent  Chrysanthemmn  Show 
(two  days).     Plymouth  Show  (two  days). 

November  5. — National  Chrysanthemum  Society's 
Show  at  the  Crystal  Palace  (three  days).  Autumn 
shows  at  Stoke  Newington,  Undercliffe,  Guildford, 
Barry,  Bromley,  Northampton,  Bideford,  Totten- 
ham {two  days),  and  Highgate  (two  days). 

November  6. — Devon  and  Exeter  Show  (two 
days).  Shows  at  Weston-super-Mare,  Newport 
(Monmouth),  and  Bury. 

November  7. — Shows  at  the  Corn  Exchange, 
London ;  Hinckley,  Eccles,  and  Kirkcaldy  (two 
days). 

November  8. — Shows  at  Loughborough,  Wood 
Green  and  Formliy. 


548 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  i,  1913. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


SOME    INTERESTING    FACTS    ABOUT 
GENTIANA    VERNA. 

FEW  of  the  alpine  flowers  which  decorate 
our  gardens  during  April  and  May 
have  such  a  charm,  both  for  daintiness 
of  outline  and  intensity  of  colouring, 
as  the  Vernal  Gentian.  '  While  seeming 
to  revel  in  the  moist  atmospheric 
conditions  prevailing  in  many  parts  of  Ireland, 
it  is  not  often  that  Gentiana  vema  is  seen  at  its 
best  in  the  Eastern  Counties  of  England,  where, 
during  the  early  spring,  we  frequently  experience 
dry,  cutting  winds  from  the  north-east.  These 
arid  conditions,  which  so  rapidly  cause  our  Ramon- 
dias  to  turn  brown  and  curl  inwards,  are,  I  believe, 
responsible  for  much  of  the  difficulty  we  experience 
with  some  of  our  mountain  plants,  especially  as  the 
sodden  condition  of  our  normal  winters 
induces  the  plants  ti)  be  constantly 
active,  instead  of  being  at  rest  during 
the  chill  time  of  the  year. 

So  many  plants  are  "hardy"  while 
dormant,  and,  again,  many  more  arc 
immune  from  the  frost  so  lung  as  they 
are  comparatively  dry  ;  but  when  wet 
and  cold  jointly  act  upon  them,  the 
result  is  often  fatal,  or  at  least  con- 
siderably reduces  their  vitality. 

It  occurred  to  me  some  years  ago 
that  these  unbappy  conditions  could  U* 
a  large  extent  be  modified  by  inducing 
the  plcjits  to  go  to  rest  at  the  end  of 
the  autumn,  and  a  sheet  of  glass  some- 
what larger  than  the  patch  or  tuft, 
placed  above  it  and  supported  upon 
three  or  four  bent  wires,  formed  a 
ready  means  of  throwing  off  all  rain, 
while  a  slight  tilt  to  one  side  allows  the 
water  to  drip  off  on  to  seme  pre- 
arranged stone,  thus  avoiding  any 
damage  to  neighbouring  plants.  This 
sleep-inducing  system  proved  so  far 
successful  that  I  have  for  several 
years  past,  despite  the  smoky  condition 
of  my  neighbourhood,  been  favoured 
with  a  pleasing  display  of  the  "  blue 
stars  "  of  G.  vema,  among  other  alpine 
subjects,  which  I  treated  in  this  way. 

To  illustrate   as   certainly  as  possible 
and    so    check    off    the    value    of    this 
"  dodge,"   I  made  the  following  experi- 
ment,  commencing    in    the    spring    of 
1912  by  planting   two   small  patches  of 
G.  vema  in  as  nearly  similar   positions 
as  possible,  and   both   in    a   ccmpost  of 
loam,    leaf-mould,    chips,  sand  and   old  mortar  in 
roughly    equal   proportions,   the  aspect   being  full 
south,    and    both    kept    copiously  moist  from  the 
end  of  March  to  September 

In  November,  1912,  I  placed  a  roof  glass  over 
Patch  A,  while  I  allowed  Patch  B  to  go  unpro- 
tected. With  the  exception  of  occasionally  clean- 
ing the  glass,  no  further  attention  was  given  to 
either.  In  early  March  the  glass  was  removed 
from  A,  which  then  looked  dry,  close  in  habit 
and  healthy,  though  no  flower-buds  were  showing, 
the  whole  plant  appearing  dormant.  At  the  same 
date  (early  March)  Plant  B  was  well  "  on  the 
nvive,"  looking  fresh  and  much  more  pleasing 
than  its  competitor  A,  and  not  appreciably  harmed 
by  the  wet  winter,  so  far  as  growth  was  concerned, 
while   four  or  five  of  the   points  were  "  bronzing 


up,"  as  the  flowering  crowns  do  as  the  buds  form. 
On  March  30  Plant  A  was  rapidly  developing, 
and  all  the  points  looked  as  if  about  to  "  push  " 
into  flower-buds,  while  fifty  of  such  buds  were 
actually  showing.  Plant  B  at  that  date  was  swell- 
ing its  twelve  flower-buds  almost  to  bursting 
point.  On  April  16  Plant  B  opened  its  first  flower 
and  had  increased  its  buds  to  eighteen.  On  April  18 
Plant  A  opened  its  first  flower,  showing  how  rapidly 
it  had  developed  after  its  more  complete  rest, 
catching  up  Plant  B  to  within  two  days.  The 
fifty  buds  of  March  30  had  increased  to  i-io.  On 
April  20  Plant  A  exhibited  a  number  of  opened 
flowers  of  dazzling  blue,  while  the  total  number 
of  blossoms  and  buds  stood  at  195.  On  April  27 
Plant  B  had  all  its  eighteen  flowers  open,  and  this 
was  the  limit  of  its  production. 

On  the  same  date  I  made  the  last  count  on 
Plant  A,  a  difficult  matter  where  the  buds  were 
set    so   thickly   as   almost    to   touch    one    another. 


THE      ROSE      GARDEN. 


IN    A    HAMPSHIRE    GARDEN. 

Notes  on  Newer  Roses. 
(Continued  from  page  540.) 
Claudius  (B.  R.  Cant  and  Sons,  1910). — A 
Hybrid  Perpetual-Uke  Hybrid  Tea  with  most  of 
the  characteristics  of  the  first-named  class,  includ- 
ing a  marked  cessation  of  flowering  between  the 
seasons  ;  but  it  comes  good  again  in  the  autumn, 
and  is  fragrant.  It  was  at  the  autumn  show  of 
1909  that  it  secured  the  gold  medal.  Those  who 
do  not  grow  it  might  give  it  a  trial.  At  its  best 
it  is  quite  up  to  exhibition  standard,  and  is  at 
normal  prices. 

Countess    of    Shaftesbury     (Hugh     Dickson, 

iqii). — A  Rose  of  delightful  colour  and  shape, 
but  on  the  thin  side,  and  oidy  tiie  "  first  "  flowers 
arf  up  to  exhibition  standard.  Silvery  carmine 
and  shell  pink  describes  its  colour.  Its 
growth  is  moderately  vigorous.  A  very 
beautiful  Rose  that  must  have  the  best 
of  cultivation  to  get  substance  into  it. 
Colleen  (S.  McGredy  and  Son,  1914). — 
I  was  hoping  this  Rose  would  be  distri- 
buted this  autumn,  but  we  shall  have 
to  wait  until  ne.xt  year  for  it.  Awarded 
the  silver-gilt  medal  at  Belfast,  and  the 
gold  medal  this  year  at  Gloucester. 
Its  great  shield  petal  is  very  fine. 
Colour,  flesh  pink  on  a  cream  ground. 
A  good  grower  and  very  free-flowering, 
and  the  flowers  always  come  a  good 
shape.  What  a  great  boon  this  is  to 
the  exhibitor,  only  one  who  has  exhi- 
bited knows.  How  many  a  fine  bud  is 
nursed  and  tended,  protected  and 
shielded  from  sun  and  rain,  only  to 
prove  that  when  it  opens  it  is  of  no 
use,  with  a  great  split  that  spoils  its 
beauty  alike  for  the  exhibitor  and 
the  exhibition.  And  it  is  Roses  like 
Colleen,  which  seldom  develop  such  a 
fault,  that  are  so  useful  to  the  small 
exhibitor  in  particular  whose  space  is 
limited.  Colleen  has  done  well  in  my 
garden  here,  and  is  a  very  great  ad- 
vance on  Killamey,  to  which  some 
critics  liken  it.  The  raiser  is  very 
proud  of  it,  and  considers  it  one  of  his 
best  introductions.  While  it  is  not 
mildew-proof,  it  does  not  suffer  like 
many  other  Irish  Roses  from  this  dis- 
figurement. It  is  a  fine,  vigorous 
grower   of  good  constitution. 

Duchess  of  Normandy  (Philip  le 
Coniu,  1912). — This  has  been  par- 
ticularly good  with  me  this  year.  It  is  quite 
as  good  a  grower  and  doer  as  its  parent,  Dean 
Hole,  and  the  early  season  flowers  were  first-rate 
in  every  respect,  especially  in  colour.  The 
autumn  flowers  missed  the  sun,  perhaps,  and 
this  feature  was  not  so  marked  ;  but  it  is  very 
free-flowering,  and  my  plants  are  now,  in  mid- 
October,  full  of  bud  and  bloom.  It  has  the  fault  of 
From  the  foregoing  I  think  it  must  be  admitted  its  parent  that  it  is  impatient  of  wet  ;  but  that  has 
that  the  roof  glass  appears  to  increase  the  propor-  no  terrors  for  the  keen  exhibitor.  I  can  recom- 
tion  of  flower  and  the  general  health  of  the  plant,  mend  it  to  all  who  have  not  got  it,  and  I  do  so  all 
not  merely  with  this  test  subject,  G.  vema,  but  j  the  more  because  I  do  not  think  that  our  cool 
with  very  many  of  our  choicer  alpine  plants,  '  season  has  altogether  suited  it.  It  will  be  at  its 
while  if,  as  some  of  my  critics  may  suggest,  the  best  in  a  hotter  and  drier  season  than  the  last, 
beautiful  cUsplay  was  unconnected  with  the  treat-  1  Duchess  of  Sutherland  (."^lex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
ment.  the  glass  protection  does  not  greatly  harm  I  Limited,  iyi2). — This  is  a  well-bnilt-up  flower 
the  plant  R.  A.  Mahjv.      I  of  fine  shape  and  nice  clear  colour — rose  pink  of 


GENTIANA     VERNA     1  LOWERING      I  REELY     AITER      HAVING 
BEEN    COVERED    WITH    CLASS    IN    TKE    WINTER. 


By  placing  pieces  of  string  across  the  patch  (which 
was  some  10  inches  square)  it  was  easily  cut  up 
into  sections,  and  each  section  counted  accurately, 
the  total  numbering  206.  When  first  planted  in 
1912  the  Patches  A  and  B  were  appro.ximately 
the  same  size.  By  the  summer  of  1913  A  had 
doubled  B,  suggesting  that  it  was  more  vigor(Jus 
in  growth  as  well  as  in  flower  production. 


November  i,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


549 


an  unusual  shade.  It  is  a  fine,  vigorous  grower, 
almost  mildew-proof,  and  generally  of  good  habit. 
The  blooms  are  large,  but  at  the  same  time  conical 
in  shape,  and  this  shape  is  never  lost,  its  centre 
being  retained  until  the  petals  drop.  This  Rose 
has  a  strong  Sweet  Briar  perfume  that  is  very 
noticeable. 
Duchess  of  Westminster  (.Alex.  Dickson  and 

^"ns.  1911). — Thi^  R'ise  appeals  by  reason  of  its 
somewhat  unusual  outline,  and  when  you  dissect 
to  find  the  reason,  you  notice  that  the  petals  are 
very  much  cut  away  at  the  base.  The  result  is 
c2uite  unique.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  perhaps 
not  everyone's  fancy  as  an  exhibition  variety, 
as  it  lacks  that  look  of  "  weight  "  that  counts  so 
much  with  some  judges.  It  has,  however,  an 
excellent  point — with  me  quite  a  good  grower, 
though  I  see  some  catalogues  call  it  moderate, 
(iood  foliage,  delicious  perfume,  and  lasts  well 
when  cut.  Colour,  rose  madder  pink. 
The  buds  sometimes  come  rougli,  hut 
lln'\-  open  into  ^ood-shaped  flowers. 

Earl  of  Gosford  (S.  Mc(;rrdy  and 
Sou,  iyi2). — A  strong,  vigorous  grower 
this,  that  has  been  much  freer-bloom- 
ing as  a  cut-back.  The  flowers  are  a 
wonderful  coh)nr  —  dark  crimson, 
^cveral  shades  darker  than  Hugh 
Dickson — and  they  keep  their  colour 
111  the  last.  There  is  none  of  that 
nasty  blue  tint  which  spoils  so  many 
dark  crimsons.  Strongly  perfumed 
and  of  good  shape,  cupped  rather  than 
reHexed.  Must  be  disbudded  to  get 
to  exhibition  size.  Particularly  good 
in  the  autunni. 

Edward  Mawley  (S.  McGrcdy  &  Son. 
iijii). — This  Kobe  has  improved  this 
year,  and  has  distinctly  enhanced  ils 
reputation  A  good  many  blooms 
have  found  tlieir  way  to  the  exhibition 
tents  and  were  staged.  The  previous 
year  they  were  mostly  left  in  tlie  spare 
boxes.  Its  colour  will  always  make 
us  stage  it,  if  we  can.  It  lias  not  ton 
many  petals,  and  directly  the  outside 
row  or  two  arc  opened,  the  Rose  goes, 
so  it  must  be  cut  and  staged  young. 
Highly  perfumed  and  with  a  good 
habit  of  growth.  It  evidently  prefers 
a  cool  season.  Everyone  was  glad  t" 
sec  it  doing  better,  if  only  for  the 
sake  of  the  name  it  bears. 

Elizabeth  (B.  R.  Cant  and  Sons, 
iijii). — A  genuine  pink  Druschki  this, 
with  more  petals  and,  consequently,  a 
harder  centre.  It  produces  a  fine  pointed  flower, 
its  only  fault  being  that  the  outside  petals  are  not 
quite  big  enough.  Very  free-flowering  and  reliable. 
Must  be  heavily  disbudded,  and  is  strongly  recom- 
mended to  the  exhibitor. 

Ethel  Malcolm  (S.  McGredy  and  Son,  191O). — ■ 
This  Rose  is  almost  too  free-flowering  to  produce 
exhibition  flowers,  except  in  the  early  part  of  the 
season  from  cut-backs ;  from  maidens  it  is  a 
different  matter.  It  is  flesh  colour,  almost  maiden 
blush  tint,  sweetly  scented  and  a  good  grower,  not 
too  vigorous,  and  therefore  makes  a  very  tine 
bedding  Rose.  It  was  to  be  seen  at  most  of  the 
early  shows,  but  not  afterwards,  which,  being 
interpreted,  means  that  it  should  be  useful  to  our 
Midland  friends  and  the  Northern  growers  who 
want  early  Roses. 

Southampton.  Herbkrt  E.   Molyneux. 

[I'u  be  continued.) 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

A    SHOWY    CLEMATIS     FOR     THE 
FLOWER   BORDER. 

(C.    JUBATA.) 

THi;  accompanying  illustration  of  this 
plant  directs  attention  to  a  decorative 
group  of  herbaceous  species  which  are 
typified  by  the  Southern  European  C. 
recta.  C.  jubata  resembles  the  better- 
known  species  very  closely  in  habit  and 
general  appearance,  although  rather  stronger,  with 
larger  flowers.  Growing  to  a  height  of  zi  feet  or 
3  feet,  it  bears  long  leaves  divided  into  seven  or  less 
ovate  or  heart-shaped  leaflets,  which  are  glaucous 
when  young.  The  white  or  cream  coloured  flowers 
are  borne  in  large  terminal  panicles  during  June, 
their  presence  being  noticeable  from  a  consider- 
able distance  by  reason  of  their  fragrance,    .'\lthough 


THE     BEST     TREES     FOR     AVFNUES. 

The  selection  of  trees  for  avenue  planting  is  a  sub- 
ject which  cannot  be  dealt  with  lightly,  for  it  must 
be  remembered  that  such  an  avenue  may  exist  for 
two  or  three  centuries,  and  every  possible  con- 
tingency must  be  considered  before  finally  deciding 
upon  the  kind  of  tree  to  plant.  The  character  of 
the  soil,  the  room  which  can  be  allowed,  atmospheric 
conditions,  proximity  to  towns  and  climate  are  all 
subjects  which  demand  attention,  for  the  neglect 
of  any  one  may  lead  to  failure. 

Unless  the  avenue  is  to  be  a  short  one,  entailing 
comparatively  little  work  and  expense,  it  is  unwise 
to  select  a  tree  about  which  little  is  known,  simply 
because  it  is  new  or  rare.  About  the  middle  of 
last  century  many  avenues  were  formed  of  new  or 
rare  coniferous  trees,  and  comparatively  few  of 
them  have  developed  satisfactorily.  As  a  rule 
it    is    wise    to    note    whether    a    particular    tree 


CLliMAXlb    JUBA1.\,    A    BEAUlllUL    SPECIEb    WliH    DWARL-,    BUSHV    HABIT    AND    WHITE    I  LOWERS. 


described  as  long  ago  as  1849,  there  is  a  mystery 
as  to  its  origin,  for  its  native  habitat  is  unknown, 
.-^s  C.  recta  is  a  variable  plant,  it  is  probable  that 
it- is- little  more  than  a  strong-growing  form  of  that 
species.  Whatever  its  affinities,  it  is  a  very  decora- 
tive plant,  and  is  well  worth  attention  from  those 
people  who  wish  for  showy,  hardy  plants  for  her- 
baceous borders.  Given  ordinary  deep  garden 
soil  it  grows  freely,  and  never  fails  to  flower  well. 
Division  of  the  clumps  during  winter  forms  a  ready 
means  of  increase,  while  young  plants  may  also 
be  raised  from  seeds.  As  will  be  seen  from  the 
illustration,  growth  is  very  dense,  and  it  is 
sometimes  an  advantage  to  cut  out  the 
weakest  shoots  during  the  growing  period, 
thus  admitting  light  and  air  to  the  stronger 
ones  that  are  left.  Although  not  a  climbing 
species,  this  Clematis  appreciates  the  support  of  a 
few  short  Pea-sticks  thrust  well  into  the  soil. 


thrives  well  in  a  certain  district  before  it  is 
selected  for  an  avenue :  but,  at  any  rate,  it 
should  be  ascertained  whether  the  local  con- 
ditions are  likely  to  suit  the  tree.  For  instance, 
it  would  be  unwise  to  plant  conifers  near  a  smoky 
town;  on  a  very  dry  soil,  or  in  a  district  where 
atmospheric  conditions  are  decidedly  on  the  dry 
side.  On  the  other  hand,  coniferous  trees  would 
be  more  suitable  than  broad-leaved  trees  for  the 
moist  climatic  conditions  and  moist  ground  which 
are  so  often  in  evidence  in  the  South  and  West  of 
England,  many  parts  of  Scotland  and  in  Ireland. 

Another  point  which  deserves  more  attention 
than  is  often  paid  it  is  the  spacing  of  the  trees, 
not  only  in  the  rows,  but  between  the  rows.  When 
laying  out  the  ground,  the  trees  must  be  considered 
as  mature  specimens,  not  as  young  plants,  and 
arrangements  made  accordingly.  Many  an  avenue 
has  been  spoilt  by  being  made  too  narrow,  thus 


550 


THE    GARDEN. 


[November  i,  1913. 


allowing  no  space  for  the  proper  development  of 
the  trees.  The  space  between  the  trees  in  the 
rows  is  less  important  than  the  space  between  the 
rows,  for  it  is  always  possible  to  thin  them  out, 
by  removing  every  other  tree,  if  they  become  too 
thick.  With  wide-headed  trees  a  rough  guide  as 
to  the  distance  between  the  rows  may  be  ascer- 
tained bv  measuring  off  the  space  required  for  the 
heads  of  two  perfectly-developed  trees,  or  the 
average  height  of  one  well-grown  tree,  as  the 
centre  of  the  avenue  ;  then  on  each  side  measure 
back  half  the  diameter  of  the  mature  head  to  find 
the  positions  for  the  trees.  Between  the  trees  in 
the  rows,  when  fully  developed,  there  should  be 
a  space  of  at  least  half  the  width 
of  the  head  of  a  tree.  In  the  event 
of  a  double  row  of  trees  being 
planted  along  each  side,- the  trees 
must  be  further  apart  in  tlie  rows, 
and  those  in  the  two  rows  should 
be  alternated. 

If  the  soil  is  poor,  holes  at  least 
8  feet  in  diameter  and  2  feet  deep 
must  be  taken  out,  and  either  filled 
with  new  soil  or  have  better  soil 
mixed  with  the  best  of  the  natural 
soil.  This  work  should  be  done  and 
the  holes  filled  in  at  least  two 
months  before  planting-time,  for 
if  the  trees  are  planted  on  the 
loose  soil,  there  will  be  considerable 
sinkage  and  the  lower  parts  of  the 
trunks  may  become  buried.  Keep- 
ing the  top  roots  quite  close  to  the 
surface  of  the  soil  is  a  very  necessary 
item,  for  if  the  trunk  is  buried  even 
to  a  depth  of  3  inches  or  4  inches, 
the  tree  rarely  succeeds  so  well  as 
one  which  is  planted  properly. 

SELECTION    OF    TREES    FOR    WIDE 
AVENUES. 

The  Horse  Chestnut  (/lisculus 
Hippocastanum)  is  one  of  the  best 
avenue  trees  for  places  which  are 
not  seriously  affected  by  smoke,  for 
its  massive  head,  clothed  with 
large,  ornamental  leaves,  coupled 
with  its  fine  inflorescences  of 
showy  flowers,  makes  it  a  general 
favourite.  It  is  not  very  fastidious 
regarding  soil,  but  prefers  a  fairly 
deep  loam.  The  double-flowered 
form  is  preferred  by  some  people, 
as  it  does  not  produce  fruit. 

The  Elms  (Ulmus  montana,  U. 
glabra  and  U.  campestris)  are  all 
worth  attention,  and  are  very  im- 
posing when  mature.  Their  only 
drawback  lies  -in  the  fact  that  old 
trees  are  very  brittle,  and  large, 
perfectly  healthy  branches  are 
liable  to  fall  without  warning, 
even  on  a  calm  day.  Where 
space  is  limited,  the  narrow-headed,  upright- 
growing  Cornish  and  Hertfordsliire  Elms  should 
be  chosen. 

The  common  Lime  (Tilia  vulgaris)  is  often 
chosen  as  an  avenue  tree,  but  in  most  cases  it 
would  be  wiser  to  select  T.  dasystyla  or  T.  petiolaris, 
for  they  are  more  handsome  trees  and  the  leaves  do 
not  turn  yellow  so  early  in  autumn.  The  mistake  of 
allowing  the  trees  to  branch  too  near  the  ground 
is  often  noticeable  in  the  Lime. 


only  be  used  in  places  where  there  is  a  good  depth 
of  rich,  loamy  soil ;  otherwise  it  will  fail  to  do 
itself  justice.  The  Durmast  Oak  (Q.  sessihflora) 
may  also  be  used,  and  such  kinds  as  Q.  coccinea, 
Q.  palustris,  Q.  rubra,  Q.  conferta  and  Q.  Mirbeckii 
are  also  worthy  of  consideration. 

The  common  Beech  (Fagus  sylvatica)  may  be 
relied  on  to  form  an  imposing  avenue,  but 
it  is  unwise  to  use  it  in  very  exposed  positions, 
for  if  subjected  to  rough  and  cold  winds  its  full 
proportions  are  not  attained.  For  special  positions 
the  purple  and  copper  leaved  kinds  may  be  tried. 

The  Sycamore  (Acer  Pseudoplatanus)  is  worth 
planting  in  districts  where   the   tree  grows  to  its 


nigra  (the  Black  Walnut)  and  Platanus  orientalis 
(the  Oriental  Plane)  are  other  broad-leaved  trees 
which  may  be  used  from  the  Midlands  southwards. 
The  Maidenhair  Tree  (Ginkgo  biloba),  although 
not  used  except  as  an  isolated  specimen,  is  likely' 
to  give  good  results  as  an  avenue  tree  in  places 
where  conifers  thrive.  Could  an  avenue  of  this 
be  established,  it  would  form  both  an  uncommon 
and  interesting  feature. 

Other  conifers  which  are  worth  attention  are 
Scots  Pine  (Pinus  sylvestris),  Douglas  Fir  (Pseudo- 
tsuga  Douglasii),  Cedrus  atlantica  and  its  glaucous 
variety,  Cupressus  lawsoniana  and  Tsuga  raertensi- 
ana.  Where  space  is  limited,  smaller  trees,  such  as 
Prunus  Avium  flore  pleno,  double- 
flowered  Thorns,  Pyrus  Aucuparia, 
Fraxinus  Ornus  and  ^sculus 
carnea,  may  be  planted.  K. 


FLOWER 

THE 


GARDEN. 


OR 


BORDER   C 

w 


A    HANDSOME    BORDER    CAMPANULA     (C.    LATIFOLIA    ALBA 


largest  size ;  but  where  it  only  attains  medium 
proportions,  some  other  subject  is  more  desirable. 

The  common  Tulip  Tree  (Liriodendron  tulipi- 
fera)  might  be  used  in  the  Midlands  and  Southern 
Counties  where  the  soil  is  good,  for  it  grows  freely 
in  most  gardens,  is  an  imposing,  tree  and  uncommon 
for  the  purpose. 

The  Holm  Oak  (Quercus  Ilex)  thrives  well  in 
many  parts  of  the  country,  and  may  be  used  for 
avenues  in  the  South  and  West.     A  iine  avenue 


The  common  Oak  (Quercus  pedunculata)  forms    of   this    tree    occurs   at   Tregothnan    in    Cornwall, 
a  handsome  tree  for  avenue  planting,  but  it  should    Ailantus  glandulosa  (the  Tree  of  Heaven),  Juglans 


CAMPANULAS 
BELLFLOWERS. 

{CoiiliiniCil  from  page  .s.^h. ) 
BORDER   CAMPANULAS. 

KILE    the  gems  of 

the    race    belong 

to    the    C  a  m  - 

panulas       most 

suitable    for    the 

rock     garden,    a 

considerable  number  of  the  border 

species   are  of    commanding  value 

for  the  garden.    As  a  rule,  they  can 

be   successfully   cultivated   in    the 

ordinary  border  of  common  loam, 

but  the    greater    number    are   the 

better  for  good  soil  and  supplies  of 

manure    at    intervals.      They   are 

easily  raised  from  seeds  sown   in 

spring   in    the   usual    manner   for 

hardy   perennials,    and     the     vast 

majority    may     be     increased     by 

division  in  spring  or  autumn. 

C.     alliariaefolia.  —  Although 

rather  coarse  in  its  way,  C.  alliaris- 
iolia  is  a  good  border  plant,  with 
rather  cordate  leaves,  pilose  on  the 
surface.  The  drooping  white  flowers 
are  in  neat  spikes.  It  is  occasion- 
ally grown  as  C.  lamifolia,  C.  cor- 
data  and  C.  cordifolia,  and  from 
some  nurseries  a  variety  of  C.  lati- 
folia  alba  is  sometimes  sold  as  C. 
alliariaefoUa.  About  a  foot  high. 
June  and  July. 

C.     amabilis. — A    pretty    Cam- 
panula with  a  tuft  of  glossy  leaves 
near  the  level  of  the  soil,  and  spikes 
from  12  inches  to  36  inches  high  of 
pleasing   blue  flowers  in  July.      I 
have  found  this  difficult  to  ret.iin, 
as  it  often  flowers  itself  to  death,  but  this  is  not 
the   universal  experience.     Seeds  or  division.      C. 
phytidocalyx  resembles  this, 

C.  americana. — This  is  not  a  very  desirable 
subject,  being  either  biennial  or  annual,  usually 
the  former,  and  coarse  in  its  way.  It  likes  partial 
shade  and  moisture,  and  grows  from  2  feet  to  6  feet 
high.  It  has  spikes  of  blue  or  .ilraost  white  flowers 
in  July.     Seeds. 

C.  bODoniensis. — About  a  foot  high,  this  is  a 
useful  July-blooming,  starry-flowered  blue  Cam- 
panula, but  one  which  wants  frequent  propagation 


I 


November  i,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


551 


( 


to  keep,  as  it  seems  to  exhaust  itself.  Seeds  or 
division.     Common  soil.     Alba  is  a  white  variety. 

C.  Burghaltii. — A  handsome  hybrid  12  inches 
to  18  inches  high,  with  very  large,  drooping  bells 
of  light  purple  in  July.  Easy  to  grow  in  any 
border,  and  also  pretty  on  large  rockwork.  Division. 
It  is  rather  lighter  than  C.  van  Houttei. 

C.  elegans. — The  plant  the  writer  has  grown  as 
this  is  from  zi  feet  to  3  feet  high,  and  has  rather 
toothed  leaves  and  spikes  of  pendent  blue  flowers 
in  July.  It  was  troublesome,  ruiniing  at  the 
roots,  and  was  discarded.  Seeds  or  division, 
and  flowers  in  July. 

C.  FergUSoni. — A  handsome  hybrid  2^  feet 
high,  with  p.ile  blue,  cup-shaped  flowers.  Ci)mmon 
soil.      Division.     July. 

C.  glomerata. — The  Clustered  RcDflowor  is  a 
valuable  l)order  species,  well  known  for  its  clustered 


C.  Henderson!. — A  hybrid  of  much  beauty, 
after  the  fashion  of  a  small  Canterbury  Bell,  but 
perennial.  Neat  growth,  about  a  foot  high,  and 
with  nice  blue  bells  on  short  spikes  in  July. 
Division. 

C.  lactiflora. — This  is  a  truly  handsome  plant 
for  large  borders  of  good  soil,  and  grows  from 
3  feet  to  6  feet  or  7  feet  high.  It  has  rather 
flat  heads  of  flower,  varying  from  purple  to  white, 
and  there  is  a  variety  with  very  starry  flowers. 
Poor  in  dry  soil.  Seeds  or  division.  The  same 
as  C.  celtidilolia  of  gardens.    June,  July  and  August. 

C.  latifolia. — This  handsome  Jmie  and  July 
flowermg  native  plant,  3  feet  to  6  feet  high,  should 
be  represented  in  gardens  by  C.  I.  macrantha  and 
C.  1.  m.  alba,  two  superior  forms  with  larger  bells, 
and  the  first  more  richly  coloured  than  our  blue 
C.  latifolia.     The  flowers  are  a  rich  purpl".     (!ood 


margin  of  the  lake  ^at  Kew.  The  remarkable 
thing  is  that  this  Iris  is  not  more  widely  grown. 
Frequently  one  sees  a  pool  or  lake  the  margins 
of  which  could  be  made  far  more  beautiful  if 
fringed  with  the  Siberian  Iris. 


TULIP     NOTES. 

Bedding  Suggestions. — In  all  bedding  arrange- 
ments we  want  to  "  eat  our  cake  and  have  it  ** 
as  much  as  possible  ;  in  other  words,  we  are 
greedy  for  a  long  display  on  the  same  piece  of 
ground.  We  want  it  now  and  we  want  it  again. 
There  are  two  simple  ways  of  doing  this  with 
Tulips.  One  is  to  place  Daffodils  and  late-flowering 
Tulips  alternately  in  a  row  in  a  rectangular,  <u' 
ill  a  circle  on  a  round,  bed.  This  last  spring  I 
had  Mme.  de  Ctraaff  and  Ellen  Willmott  thus 
jil.intcd.     On    a    former    occasion    I    had    Seagull 


THE    SIBERIAN    IRIS    BY    THE    WATERSIDE. 


heads  of  upright  fllowers.  It  varies  from  blue 
and  purple  to  white,  and  is  from  6  inches  to 
18  inches  high.  C.  g.  acaulis  is  a  curiously  pretty 
little  plant  for  the  front  of  the  border  or  the  rockery. 
C.  g.  dahurica  is  one  of  the  best,  and  there  is  a 
double  variety.  Common  soil.  Seeds  or  division. 
June  onwards. 

C.  grandis. — Another  of  the  best  border  plants, 
making  tall  spikes  from  12  inches  to  36  inches 
high,  with  saucer-shaped  flowers  of  blue  or  white 
in  good  spikes.  Sometimes  makes  too  much 
foliage  and  requires  division.  A  capital  border 
plant.  It  is  now  known  as  C.  latiloba.  Jime 
to  July. 

C.  Grosseki. — .A.  tail  plant  aj  feet  to  3  feet, 
with  coarse  leaves  and  spikes  of  blue  flowers. 
Not  a  choice  species.     Seeds  or  division.     July. 


soU,  and  partial  shade  is  preferable.  Seeds  or 
division.  C.  eriocarpa  is  a  rather  woolly  form  of 
this.  S.  Arnott. 

{To  be  continued.) 


THE     SIBERIAN     IRIS. 

Iris  sibirica  is  one  of  the  most  graceful  of  the 
numerous  water-side  plants  that  flower  in  June. 
Although  a  moisture-loving  plant,  it  prefers  not 
to  be  planted  in  water,  but  rather  on  the  margin 
of  a  stream  or  lake.  It  is  a  sun-loving  plant, 
but  is  not  in  the  least  fastidious  about  soil.  Some- 
times it  may  be  seen  flourishing  over  a  light, 
gravelly  soil,  and  at  other  times  over  a  clayey 
loam,  but  it  always  does  best  with  its  roots  near 
the  water's  edge.  The  illustration  shows  clearly 
the   charming   effect   created   by   this   Iris   on   the 


and  Mrs.  W.  O.  Wolseley,  but  there  is  no  need  to 
say  more,  for  any  Daffodil  and  any  late  Tulip 
will  do  equally  well.  In  this  arrangement  the  one 
thing  to  remember  is  to  cut  ofif  the  stalks  of  the 
faded  Daffodil  blooms  within  a  few  inches  of  the 
ground.  Just  pulling  the  heads  off  is  the  "  any- 
thing-will-do  "  way.  What  I  have  said  ought  to 
be  done  is  the  satisfactory  plan.  The  rigid  stems 
which  the  lightning  executioner  leaves  behind 
are  a  jarring  note  when  the  Tulips  bloom,  even  to 
an  untrained  eye. 

The  second  way  to  make  the  same  bit  of  ground 
do  for  both  is  to  plant  a  cheap  early  Tulip  alternately 
with  a  late  one,  and  then,  when  the  former  have 
finished  blooming,  to  cut  them  all  off  at  the  ground- 
level,  so  as  to  allow  the  taller  and  later  flowerers 
more  room  to  shake  themselves  out  and  to  avoid 


552 


THE    GARDEN. 


[November  i,  191 3. 


the  squashed-up  appearance  that  otherwise  the 
leaves  would  have.  It  is  a  curious  thing,  but 
this  last  most  obvious  plan  is  not  my  own  at  all. 
A  lady  visitor  to  my  garden  told  me  about  it  and 
assured  me  that  it  worked  splendidly. 

From  another  visitor  I  picked  up  last  spring 
the  idea  of  an  uneven  bed — deliberately  planned 
and  planted  to  come  up  as  such.  Yet  what 
is  this  but  that  which  the  Branching  Tulip  of 
M.    Bony    gives    us.     I    had    a    most    satisfactory 


dwarf  plant,  long,  delicate-looking  bloom  of  a 
lovely  pale  mauve),  Bleu  Aimable  (striking  open 
shape,  much  blue  in  the  mauve  shade  ;  to  me  very 
beautiful),  Euterpe  (tall  and  stately,  a  veritable 
queen  among  the  paler  mauves  or  lilacs ;  in  tlie 
full-blown  flower  the  lavender  edges  of  the  petals 
curl  in,  which  gives  it  a  distinct  and  pleasing 
appearance).  Browns :  Clio  (tall  grower,  im- 
mense flower  of  the  colour  of  a  nicely-baked  biscuit), 
Toison   d'Or   (medium  height,   rich   golden   bronze 


round   bed   in   my   garden   last   spring.     So   many    and   browny   orange ;  richness   personified),    Jaune 

were  the  nice  things  said  about  it  that  it  blushed  '  d'CEuf  (a  round  flower  with  a  lemon  yellow  ground 

and  blushed  and  blushed,  until  what  once  was  an  '  and     browny     orange     shading),     Gondvink     (the 

ivory    white    became    almost    all   rose,    for,  unlike    counterpart  of  Clio    in    tortoiseshell   and  orange ; 

humanity,  the  old  hardened  sinners  were  the  blushers  .  a  truly  magnificent  flower).     One  word  to  conclude  : 

here,    while    the    younger  did  not 

appear  to  be  affected  for  a  consider-  , 

able  time    by    what    they  heard. 

Think,    then,    of    the    idea    of    an 

uneven       bed.        It       has      many 

possibilities. 

The  Rage  for  Purples  and 
Mauves. — If  to  the  above  sub- 
lieaduig  I  were  to  add  rich  browns 
and  browny  yellows,  I  think  1 
would  hit  off  the  popular  taste  of 
iyi3.  Once  it  was  all  Clara  Butt  ; 
now  it  is  The  Bishop,  Velvet  King, 
I'.iust,  Zulu,  Viking,  Jubilee,  Viola, 
La  Tristesse,  Bleu  Aimable,  Moralis, 
lUiterpe,  Rev.  H.  Ewbank,  Ergustc, 
Uleu  Celeste,  Gudin,  Crepusculc, 
Tlierese  Schwartze,  Frans  Hals  and 
such  like  ;  while  among  the  browns 
and  browny  oranges  and  yellows  it 
is  Clio  (Bronze  Queen),  Gondvink, 
Toison  d'Or,  .Apricot  and  Jaune 
d'CEuf.  Every  one  of  these  that  I 
have  jotted  down  is  a  grand  varicly, 
and  there  are  other  good  ones  too, 
lor  1  liave  by  no  means  e.Khaustiil 
lite  list.  Some  that  I  have  men- 
tioned are  "  excessively,"  as  the  old 
book-lists  say,  scarce.  The  Bishop 
(lilue-purple)  and  Gondvink  (tor- 
toiseshell and  orange),  for  ex- 
.unple,  are  probably  uitw  unbuy- 
.ilile.  Excluding  such  as  these, 
1  am  going  to  end  these  notes 
with  a  list  of  a  few  that  probably 
will  please  nine  out  of  every  ten 
p<M>plc  who  buy  them.  Not  all,  for 
the  principle  of  one  man's  meat 
being  another  man's  poison  is  both 
objectively  and  subjectively  true. 
Everyone  does  not  like  the  same 
thing.  So  here  goes.  Very  deep 
rich  plum  purples :  Zulu  (extra 
tall)  and  Moralis  (covered,  as 
it  were,  with  "  bloom ").  Red 
purple  :  Frans  Hals  (magnificent, 
in  two  shades),  Ascanio 
(open  Bleu  Aimable  shape,  but  with  a  rosy  flush  i  The  foregoing  selections  exhaust  my  space  but  not 


to  boot.  The  colour  is  of  intense  crimson,  the 
velvety  sheen  upon  the  petals  adding  lustre 
to  a  very  fine  flower.  The  reverse  of  the  petals 
is  light  golden.  A  notable  quality  is  the  crispness 
or  firmness  of  the  petals,  that  type  of  hardness 
which  the  cultivator  knows  will  make  it  endure. 
In  other  words,  it  will  prove  a  good  keeper.  From 
Messrs.  Wells,  Limited,  Merstham.  See  illustration. 
Chrysanthemum   Amy    Poulton. — A   Japanese 

of  the  drooping  type  of  exhibition  flower.  The 
predominant  shade  of  colour  is  pale  pink,  with  a 
certain  degree  of  yellowing  or  creaminess  iu  the 
centre,      h'rom  Mr.  H.  Poulton,  Ware,  Herts. 

Carnation  Cinderella. — .\  rather  bright-looking 
and  attractive  variety,  best  described  perhaps  as 
an  heliotrope  fancy,  if  such  a  class  or 
.  '  section  exists,  which  we  very  much 
doubt.  This  is  suggested  rather  by 
the  mingling  of  heliotrope  and 
scarlet,  the  latter  being  responsible 
for  the  greater  attraction  of  the 
flower.  I'rom  Messrs.  G.  Fairbairn 
.uul  Sons,  Carlisle. 

Cattleya  Empress  Frederick 
Variety  A.  Clifton  (C.  MossiaD  x  C. 

aurea). — This  is  a  distinct  form, 
with  white  sepals  and  petals,  and  a 
creamy  lip  which  is  marked  with 
gold  and  purple.  From  P.  Ralli, 
Esq.,  Ashtead  Park. 

Cattleya  graniris  (C.  Iris  x  C. 
granulosa).  —  A  grand  acquisition, 
with  chestnut-coloured  sepals  and 
petals,  and  a  crimson  lip  which  is 
well  displayed.  F'rom  C.  J.  Phillips, 
Esq.,  Sevenoaks,  Kent. 

Oncidium   varieosum  Weston- 

birt  Variety  .—This  is  a  mm  h  larger 
(orm  and  bright  yellow  in  colour. 
Ironi  Sir  G.  Holford,   K.C.V.O. 

Sophro  -  Cat  -  Laelia     Laconia 

(l.a'lni-C.ittleya  callistoglossa  x 
Sophro  -  Lailia  heatoneuse).  —  A 
dwarf  plant  with  two  scapes  of  rosy 
red  flowers  and  a  little  more  crimson 
in  the  lip.  From  Messrs.  Charles- 
wurth  .uid  Co.,  H.iyw.ud's  Heath. 

Cypripedium  Queen  Alexandra 

(C.  lathamianum  x  C.  Charles- 
worthii). — A  large,  but  not  a  very 
attractive  flower.  The  dorsal  sepal 
is  white  at  the  apex,  and  the  lower 
part  is  green  and  rose.  Exhibited 
by  W.  R.  Lee,  Esq.,  Heywood. 
Odontoglossum    Vivien. — Very 

similar  to  a  good  O.  crispuin,  tlio 
segments  being  almost  white,  with 
red  blotches  and  markings.  From 
Sir  G.  Holford,  K.C.V.O. 


THE    NEW    CHRYSANTHEMUM    WILLIAM    VERT, 

COLOUR. 


OF   INTENSE    CRIMSON 


all  over  the  flower ;  "  grand  in  sun  "  is  my  private 
note).  Real  purple :  Viking  (very  much  after 
The  Bishop.  My  head  man  thinks  it  the  best. 
1  liardly  go  so  far  as  that,  but  in  my  note-book 
it  has  got  a  "  v.g.,"  and  I  am  desperately  chary 
of  these  letters,  I  can  tell  you).  Jubilee  (very  dark 
rich  purple,  long-shaped  flower  ;  against  the  sun 
the  dark  petals  seem  tipped  with  dark  rubies). 
Smoky  heliotrope  or  pale  purple  :  Ronald  Gunn 
(deep  smoky  purple,  broadly  edged  lavender, 
very  tall),  La  Tristesse  (somewhat  similar).  Mauve 
and  pale  heliotrope  :     Rev.  H.  Ewbank  (heliotrope, 


my    "  fancy.' 


Joseph    Jacob. 


NEW     AND     RARE     PLANTS. 


AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Chrysanthemum  Mrs.  R.  C.  Pulling.— .\  large 
and  handsome  Japanese  incurved  variety  which 
also  possesses  the  good  attribute  of  refinement. 
It  is  said  to  be  an  easy  doer.  The  colour  is  rich 
buttercup  yellow.  From  Messrs.  H.  J.  Jones, 
Limited,  Lewisham,  S.E. 


Chrysanthemum   William    Vert. — .\   Japanese 
with  paler  margins  to  the  petals),  Erguste  (a  rather    ol  the  refle.xmg  type,  and  ol  good  exhibition  size 


NEW     FRUIT. 

Apple   S.    T.   Wright.— 

A  large,  bright,  culinary  Apple  of  excellent 
cookmg  qualities.  The  tree  is  of  good  habit 
and  a  heavy  cropper.  Season :  October  and 
November.  The  fruit  is  somewhat  flat,  with  a 
broad  base,  and  the  stalk  set  in  a  deep  cavity. 
On  the  sunny  side  the  fruits  are  highly  coloured, 
with  yellow  and  carmine  splashes.  Flesh,  cream 
coloured  and  soft  ;  core  small.  Small  fruits  are 
quite  pleasing  for  dessert.  Parentage  :  Bismarck 
X  Peasgood's  Nonsuch.  An  award  of  merit, 
now  confirmed,  was  recommended  at  the  previous 
meeting,!  subject  to  the  cooking  qualities  of  this- 
Apple.  Sliown  by  Messrs.  James  Veitch  and 
Soiis,  Limited. 


November  i,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


553 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

ROOTING     CUTTINGS     OF     CURRANTS     AND     GOOSEBERRIES. 


o 


prt-ftTfiii 
a    jiMiit. 


CTOBER  and  November  are  the  best 
iiKintlis  for  taking  cuttings  of 
C'looseberries  and  Currants.  Select 
well-ripened  young  growths.  The 
cuttings  when  made  should  be 
from  f)  inches  to  a  foot  long.  I'or 
take  off  the  cutting  immediately  below 
In    the    case    nf    the    Ciooseberries    and 


r.OOSEBERRY  CUTTINGS  READY  FOR  INSER- 
TION. IN  THE  CENTRE  IS  A  SUITABLE 
CUTTING    UNPREPARED. 

Red  and  White  Currants,  remove  all  the  buds  in 
the  axils  of  the  leaves  except  three  to  five  at  the 
top  of  the  cutting.  Take  out  narrow  trenches 
a  foot  apart  .and  6  inches  deep,  as  illustrated. 
In  the  bottom  of  these  place  a  little  leaf-mould 
and  sand,  and  insert  the  cuttings  in  this  6  inches 
apart  and  about  four  inches  deep.  Tread  the 
soil  firmly  round  the  cuttings,  and  spread  over 
the  cutting-bed  a  layer  of  half-decayed  leaves, 
some  3  inches  deep,  as  a  protection  against  frost 
in  winter.  The  buds  need  not  be  removed  from 
the  cuttings  of  Black  Currants,  as  young  basal 
growths  from  time  to  time  are  very  useful  to  take 
the  place  of  old  shoots  which  it  is  desirable  to  cut 
out.  Late  October  and  the  first  half  of  November 
is  the  best  time  to  plant  the  young  trees,  though 
the  work  may  be  done  during  open  weather  until 
the  end  of  March. 

Selection  of  Varieties. — The  growing  of  named 
sorts  of  Currants  and  Gooseberries  is  by  no  means 
a  common  practice.  This  is  apparently  due  to 
the  fact  that  the  old  bushes  fruit  satisfactorily,  so 
why  worry  ;  and  when  young  plants  are  required, 
cuttings  are  taken  off  the  old  bushes.  .Ajiyone, 
however,  who  has  seen  an  up-to-date  collection 
of  named  Gooseberries  will  not  be  satisfied  if  his 
own  selection  of  sorts  has  been  neglected. 

(iooseberries. — Whinham's  Industrj'  is  one  of, 
if  not  the  best  of  all  the  red  sorts,  being  a  prolific 


Dutch, 
..1(1  late 


White 


Giant 


bearer  of  good-sized  berries,  .\nother  good  red 
is  Crown  Bob,  while  among  the  red  sorts  for  flavour 
Red  Warrington  should  be  chosen.  Langley 
Beauty  is  one  of  the  best  yellow  sorts,  free-cropping 
and  of  good  flavour.  Leveller  has  verj'  large  yellow 
berries,  crops  freely  and  ripens  early.  Gunner  is 
another  useful  yellow  variety.  Keepsake  leads 
the  way  as  a  large-fruiting  green  Gooseberry, 
cropping  heavily.  For  size  Green  London  may 
be  grown,  and  for  early  ripening  Berry's  Karly 
Kent.  Langley  Gage  must  be  regarded  as  one 
iif  the  best  white  (iooseberries,  for  it  not  only  crops 
freely,  but  is  of  excellent  flavour.  Whitesmith 
is  another  white  sort  notable  for  flavour  .uul  general 
good  qu.ilities.  Careless  is  another  useful  sort 
witli  wliite  fruits. 

Kiel     Currants. — I'ay's      Prolific,      Red 
Rabv  Castle,  and  La  Const.'uite;  a  ver\-  gr 
sort  for  a  north  fence. 

White     Currants. — White     Dutch      and 
Versailles. 

Black     Currants. — Baldwin's,      Boskoi.p 
(very  large  berries)  and  Lee's  Prolific  (good  flavour). 

Currants  and  Gooseberries  will  grow  and  fruit  well 
in  most  soils  if  the  soil  is  thoroughly  trenched  before 
planting.  The  best  soil  is  a  deep,  medium  loam. 
Heavy  soils  may  be  improved  by  working  in, 
when  trenching,  plenty  of  old  mortar  rubble, 
leaf-mould  and  wood-ashes.  If  very  heavy  and 
wet,  it  is  worth  while  removing  the  soil  to  a  depth 
of  2  feet,  putting  in  4  inches  to  6  inches  of  brick 
rubble  for  drainage  and  filling  up  with  18  inches 
of  prepared  soil,  say,  about  two-thirds  of  the 
natural  soil  and  one-third  of  material  to  lighten  it. 
Light  soils  are  improved  by 
deep  cultivation  and  manuring, 
using  cow-manure  for  pre- 
ference ;  also,  if  available, 
adding  a  few  barrow-loads  il 
good  top-spit  fairly  heav\ 
loam. 

Positions     and     Shape     of 

Trees.  —  What  are  known  as 
bush  trees  are  those  in  general 
favour.  In  small  gardens,  how- 
ever, where  space  is  limited, 
the  trees  may  be  planted  against 
a  fence  or  wall  with  distinct 
advantage,  for  not  only  are 
the  fruits  easier  to  protect, 
but  it  is  more  convenient,  and 
they  are,  as  a  rule,  larger  and 
better  in  quality.  The  aspect 
of  the  wall  or  fence  does  not 
matter,  except  that  if  two 
aspects  can  be  chosen,  includ- 
ing one  facing  north  or  north- 
west, the  season  of  ripening 
is  considerably  prolonged.  To 
plant  against  a  wall  or  fence, 
nurserymen  train  special  trees 
limited  to  one,  two  or  three 
upright  growths ;  these  are 
known  as,  cordons.  Goose- 
berries and  Red  and  White 
Currants  are  trained  in  this 
form ;  but  Black  Currants, 
which  fruit  on  the  young 
wood   of    the     previous    season. 


if   plauted    against    a   fence,    must    have    a    liberal 
supply  of  these  young  shoots  left. 


HOW     TO    TREAT     GREENHOUSE 
CLIMBING     PLANTS. 

In  the  autumn,  greenhouse  and  conservatory 
climbing  plants  need  very  careful  attention,  as 
they  often  grow  rapidly.  They  cover  the  roofs, 
and,  owing  to  the  declining  light  and  sunshine, 
it  is  necessary  to  reduce  the  mass  of  growth  for 
the  benefit  of  plants  growing  on  stages  under  the 
climbers  as  well  as  for  the  welfare  of  the  climbers 
themselves.  The  climbers  that  are  chiefly  referred 
to  liere  are  Passion  Flowers,  Tacsonias,  Bougain- 
villeas,  Plumbagoes,  Fuchsias  and  Heliotrope. 
Indiscriminate  pruning  of  the  branches  of  these 
plants  would  result  in  damage  to  them  next  year. 
The  Passion  Flowers  and  Tacsonias  must  be 
thinned  out  pretty  freely.  The  shoots  of  the  other 
kinds  must  be  pruned  back  one-third  of  their  length 
now.  In  Dectmber  one-third  more  must  be  cut 
off,  and  in  February  the  final  pruning  should  be 
done.  The  last  pruning  will  be  close,  similar  to 
that  done  when  Grape  Vines  are  finally  pruned. 
At  the  time  when  the  first  pruning  takes  place, 
a  gradual  reduction  in  the  supply  of  water  is  neces- 
sary. As  Cliristmas  comes,  very  little  water  will 
b,"  needed.  In  February  the  soil  must  receive  a 
tcorough  soaking  of  clear  water.  Top-dressings 
and  manure-water  will  be  needed  as  the  new 
shoots  make  progress.  If  hard  pruning  was 
resorted  to  in  the  autumn,  new  shoots  would  grow 
prematurely,  and  the  display  of  blossom  next 
summer  woidd  suffer  in   consequence.  _  B. 


CUTTINGS  ARE  PLACED  IN  TRENCHES    6    INCHES  DEEP  WITH 
LEAF-MOULD    AND    SAND    AT    THE    BOTTOM. 


554 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  i,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Mowing -Machines. — Presuming  that  the  season's 
mowing  is  over,  all  machines  should  be  overhauled 
and  thoroughly  cleaned,  afterwards  oiling  or 
greasing  them  well  and  storing  where  they  are 
not  likely  to  be  in  the  way  during  the  winter. 

TurQng. — When  patching  has  to  be  done,  it 
is  as  well  to  get  on  with  the  work  while  the  weather 
is  open  and  where  the  new  grass  has  a  chance 
to  get  well  hold  of  the  soil.  If  left  over  till  the 
spring,  it  often  shows  the  patch  the  whole  summer 
through,  and  this  is  hardly  necessary. 

Grass  Verges. — in  many  instances  these  have 
to  be  renewed,  and  where  they  have  been  cut  back 
with  the  edging-irun  a  few  times,  the  paths  will 
have  gradually  got  wider,  and  probably  are  some 
2  inches  or  3  inches  back  from  the  water  traps. 
In  such  cases  it  is  as  well  to  make  up  the  soil 
I  inch  or  2  inches  wider  than  is  required,  after- 
wards cutting  the  turf  a  foot  back  from  the  verge  ; 
and  if  this  is  brought  bodily  forward,  it  will  make 
a  very  much  better  job  than  putting  new  turf 
on  the  outside,  the  new  turf  being  put  in  at  the 
back  to  fill  up  the  gap.  Such  work  takes  a  good 
deal  of  time  ;  but  if  a  careful  and  neat  workman 
is  put  on  to  it,  it  well  repa\-s  lt_ir  the  labour. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Planting. — For  bedding  purposes  the  following 
are  p.articularly  good  :  Carine,  Lady  Pirrie,  A.  R. 
ftoodwin,  Mme.  ,\bel  Chatenay,  Betty,  General 
Macarthur,  Laurent  Carle,  Gustave  Regis,  Harry 
Kirk,  Ladv  Hillingdon,  Mme.  Melanie  Soupert, 
Marquise  de  Sinety,  Mrs.  Peter  Blair,  Pharisaer, 
Prince  de  Bulgarie,  Viscountess  Folkestone  and 
Richmond.  Though  all  the  above  are  most 
beautiful  as  cut  flowers,  a  few  of  the  singles  mav 
be  planted,  especiallv  for  table  decoration,  and 
these  include  Old  Gold,  Irish  Fireflame,  Irish 
Elegance  and  Red-letter  Day.  Another  good 
Rose,  though  not  quite  a  single,  fl^r  this  purpose 
is  Margaret  Molvneu.x. 

Dwarf  Polyantha  Varieties. — A  few  of  these 

are  especially  useful  for  bedding  purposes,  and 
as  they  bloym  practically  the  whole  season  through, 
they  deserve  more  than  passing  consideration. 
Orleans  Rose  I  look  upon  as  far  and  away  the 
best  in  its  class,  it  being  most  vigorous  in  growth  ; 
it  is  free-blooming,  keeps  a  good  colour  in  all 
weathers,  and  flowers  from  May  to  December. 
Jessie,  Schneewittchen,  Aennchen  Miiller  and 
Katherine  Zeimet  are  all  good.  Before  planting, 
the  roots  of  all  Roses  should  be  carefully  pruned, 
partially  cutting  back  all  very  coarse  roots,  pre- 
serving the  fibrous  roots  as  much  as  possible. 
Loose  and  too  deep  planting  often  residts  in  failure, 
and  providing  the  soil  is  not  too  vet,  the  plants 
should  be  well  trod  in. 

Established  Roses,  whether  standards  or 
dwarfs,  might  well  have  some  of  the  top  growths 
reduced  a  little  to  prevent  them  being  blown  abi:)Ut 
by  the  wind,  and  after  a  storm  it  is  wise  to  go  round 
the  plants,  treading  the  soil  up  to  them  wherever 
necessary. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Coleus  thyrsoideus. — This  beautiful  blue-flower- 
ing plant  should  be  given  a  fair  amount  of 
room  as  well  as  plenty  of  light  and  air,  or  the 
growth  and  flower-spikes  will  become  weak,  the 
plant  being  of  rather  a  soft  nature.  A  little  manure 
should  be  given  as  the  flower-spikes  appear,  the 
pots  by  this  time  being  usually  very  full  of  roots. 

Roman  Hyacinths  that  were  potted  early 
should  now  be  rooted  sufficiently  to  take  out  ol 
the  ashes.  They  should  not  be  given  too  much 
light  and  air  for  a  time,  but  kept  shaded  ;  this 
should  induce  the  growth  to  lengthen  somewhat. 
After  a  few  days  they  may  be  given  a  little  heat 
if  the  flowers  are  required  as  soon  as  possible. 

Paper-White  Narcissi  may  be  treated  similarly, 
and  on  no  account  must  they  be  allowed  to  get 
dry  at  the  root,  or  they  may  become  blind. 

Liliums. — Batches  of  Lilium  lancifolium  and  I . 
longiflorum  that  may  be  growing  on  for  Christmas 
and  the  New  Year  must  be  carefully  treated, 
a  nice  even  temperature  of  55"  by  day  and  50° 
at  night  suiting  them  well.  Any  undue  forcing 
is   apt    to   upset    the   flower-buds   at    this  season. 


On  bright  days  a  slight  dewijig  over  the  foliage  will 
not  hurt  them  ;  but  it  must  be  done  early  in  the  day, 
sufficient  moisture  being  generally  maintained 
by  damping  the  paths  and  other  places. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Lettuce  in  frames  will  need  careful  treatment 
now,  and  though  the  plants  enjoy  plenty  of  air 
during  bright  weather,  cold  draughts  must  be 
avoided.  Sulphur  should  be  used  on  the  under 
sides  of  the  leaves  when  there  is  a  tendency  to 
mildew.  Keep  the  soil  lightly  moved  between 
the  plants  as  often  as  necessary. 

Asparagus. — Three  year  old  crowns  may  now 
be  lifted  for  forcing  purposes.  Too  much  heat 
must  be  avoided  at  the  commencement,  or  the 
partially-rested  crowns  will  only  throw  up  very 
weak  shoots.  Batches  should  be  introduced 
into  the  forcing- frames  every  two  or  three  weeks, 
according  to  the  demand. 

Seakale. — As  soon  as  the  leaves  have  all  died 
off,  the  crowns  should  be  lifted  and  trimmed, 
reserving  the  strongest  of  the  thongs  for  next 
year's  planting.  Store  the  crowns  that  are  fit  for 
forcing  where  they  are  easily  got  at  as  required. 
A  week  or  two  should  elapse  before  placing  any 
in  heat,  after  which  it  should  become  a  weekly 
operation. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Vines  for  Early  Forcing  should  now  be  in  a 

fit  condition  for  pruning,  after  which  the  annual 
cleaning  should  take  place.  This  must  not  be 
done  in  a  haphazard  manner,  but  everything 
possible  should  be  done  that  is  conducive  to 
cleanliness.  Woodwork,  glass,  walls,  pipes  and 
trenches  should  all  have  a  thorough  washing 
down,  the  walls  being  relimed  and  the  pipes  painted. 
The  Vines  themselves  must  also  be  thoroughly 
cleaned,  and  have  a  dressing  with  an  insecticide, 
this  being  even  more  carefully  done  where  they  may 
have  been  infested  with  any  kind  of  insect  pest. 
After  cleaning,  the  borders  should  receive  whatever 
attention  they  may  require  in  the  way  of  reno- 
vation or  top-dressing.  This  is  an  important 
factor  in  the  ultimate  success,  as  in  most  early 
vineries  the  borders  are  all  inside  and  fairly  shallow. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 
Woburu   Place  Gardens^  Adilhslotif,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Planting  Lily  of  the  Valley. — When  allowed 
to  get  very  thick  in  the  beds,  the  flower-spikes 
become  very  small.  Wherever  it  is  necessary  to 
replant,  the  present  is  a  suitable  time  for  the 
operation.  Trench  the  ground  deeply,  wcjrking  in 
a  good  deal  of  well-rotted  farmyard  manure,  and, 
if  the  soil  is  inclined  to  be  heavy,  incorporate  some 
sand  with  it.  For  convenience  in  picking  the 
flowers,  beds  4  feet  wide  are  very  suitable.  Select 
the  strongest  available  crowns  and  plant  them 
about  six  inches  apart,  so  that  the  base  of  the 
crowns  will  just  be  under  the  surface. 

Planting    Herbaceous    Flowers. — The    border 

being  in  readiness,  planting  is  the  next  step.  It 
is  more  effective  to  plant  in  clumps  of  not  less  than 
three,  than  to  plant  single  specimens. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Planting. — Generally  speaking,  associate  the 
taller  subjects  with  the  bigger  stones,  find  out  the 
moisture-loving  plants,  and  plant  them  at  the 
base,  placing  suitable  subjects  higher  up.  F'ind 
out  the  requirements  of  the  various  subjects  as 
to  soil,  and  fill  up  the  pockets  they  are  to  occupy- 
accordingly.  Aspect  must  also  be  studied,  and  one 
should  keep  in  mind  thar,  speaking  broadly,  the 
gems  are  the  most  exacting  in  their  requirements. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Planting. — We  have  now  entered  upon  the 
ideal  month  for  Rose  planting,  and  those  who 
intend  planting  should  not  defer  the"  operation 
too  long.  Prior  to  being  planted,  the  roots  of 
the  plants  should  be  gone  over,  and  all  damaged 
roots  be  cut  back  to  healthy  wood  with  a 
sharp  knife.  Long,  bare  roots  should  also  be 
well  shortened  ;    it  is  the  fibrous  roots  which  are 


essential  to  the  well-being  of  the  plant.  See  that 
the  bottom  of  the  pit  is  either  convex  or  flat ;  never 
leave  the  bottom  concave.  When  adjusting  the 
plant,  see  that  it  is  at  least  as  deep,  or  very  slightly 
deeper,  in  the  soil  as  it  was  previously.  Firm 
the  soil  well  right  up  to  the  base  of  the  stem.  A 
miJching  of  light,  open  material  will  facilitate 
the  rooting  process,  and  will  ward  off  severe  frosts 
from  the  roots.  See  that  the  plants,  clumps  or 
beds  are  correctly  named,  for  even  peers  of  the 
realm  sometimes  suffer  from  loss  of  "  face 
memory." 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Poinsettias. — Few  plants  brighten  up  a  house 
during  the  dull  days  more  than  these  showy  plants. 
A  temperature  of  60°  or  a  little  over  by  night 
suits  them  very  well.  They  last  long  in  a  cut 
state,  but  when  so  used  they  should  be  placed  in 
a  somewhat  cooler  house  for  a  week  or  ten  days 
prior  to  being  cut. 

Mosehosma  riparium. — This  member  of  the 
Sage  family,  although  not  particularly  showy, 
is  very  useful  as  a  winter-flowering  plant.  See 
that  the  plants  are  not  neglected  for  the  want  of 
water,  or  they  will  lose  their  foliage  quickly.  Con- 
tinue to  give  them  bi-weekly  supplies  of  liquid 
manure.      Do  not  crowd  the  plants. 

Calceolarias. — As  these  plants  are  in  active 
growth  during  the  winter  months,  attention  must 
be  given  to  repotting  ;  3-inch.  5-inch  and  7-incli 
pots  are  the  usual  shifts.  They  will  generally 
require  shifting  into  5-inch  pots  about  this  time. 
Fibrous  loam  should  form  one-half  of  the  compost  ; 
the  <)ther  half  should  be  mostly  good  Beech  fjr 
Oak  leaf-mould,  with  a  little  dry  cow-manure 
and  sharp  sand.  Vaporise  on  the  first  appearance 
of  aphis.      Keep  the  plants  cool. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Early  Vinery. — Where  ripe  Grapes  are  expected 
in  the  beginning  of  May,  a  start  should  now  be 
made.  Shut  up  the  house  and  commence  with  a 
night  temperature  of  from  45°  to  50°,  with  a  rise 
of  5°  during  the  day. 

Figs.  —  As  soon  as  Figs  in  pots  become 
defoliated,  they  should  be  examined,  and,  if  neces- 
sary, be  repotted  ;  if  not,  some  of  the  surface 
soil  should  be  loosened  and  removed  by  the  aid 
of  a  pointed  stick,  after  which  the  plants  should 
be  top-dressed  with  good  loam  and  bone-meal 
or  dry  cow-manure.  The  plants  can  then  be 
accommodated  in  a  Peach-house  or  even  in  a  shed, 
where  they  should  be  kept  rather  dry  at  the  root, 
but  not  be  allowed  to  become  dust-drv. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Purchasing     Gooseberries    and     Currants. — 

Those  who  intend  planting  Gooseberries  or  Currants 
should  lose  no  time  in  purchasing.  It  may  not  be 
amiss  here  to  indicate  a  few  reliable  varieties  for 
the  benefit  of  the  uninitiated.  Taking  Gooseberries 
first,  Langley  Gage,  White  Champagne  and  White- 
smith are  reliable  white  varieties.  Among  yellows, 
Early  Sulphur,  Golden  Lion  and  Yellow  Warrington 
can  be  recommended.  Green  Gascoigne  and 
Langley  Green  are  two  good  green  varieties  ; 
and  two  good  reds  are  to  be  found  in  Red  Cham- 
pagne and  Wonderful.  Whinham's  Industry, 
being  an  extra  heavy  cropper,  is  the  general  favourite 
for  picking  green  for  tarts.  Fertility  and  Red 
Grape  are  two  good  varieties  of  Red  Currant, 
and  Versaillaise  White  is  a  good  White.  Three 
good  Black  Currants  are  Boskoop  Giant,  Victoria, 
and  Black  Naples  ;  but  make  sure  that  they  are 
free  from  big-bud  or  the  mite. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Seakale.  —  The  foliage  having  died  down,  it 
should  be  cleared  away,  the  ground  cleared  of 
weeds,  and,  if  available,  a  dressing  of  seaweed 
be  given  to  the  crop.  A  portion  of  the  crop 
intended  for  forcing  should  be  lifted  and  planted 
in  rather  light  soil  in  a  packing-case  or  bed 
where  it  can  be  covered  over  to  exclude  the 
light.  Keep  rather  on  the  dry  side,  with  a  tem- 
perature of  about  50°. 

Swedes. — These  should  now  be  lifted  and 
pitted  or  stored  in  a  cool  cellar  among  sand. 

Protecting  Celery. — Sharp  frosts  may  occur  now 
at  any  time,  and  Celery,  if  not  protected,  is  sure 
to  suffer.  I  find  ncjfhing  better  for  the  purpose 
than  Wheat  straw  laid  on  lengthwise,  and  moved 
down  to  the  base  of  the  trench  when  the  frost 
yields.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


November  i,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


555 


SEASONABLE    NOTES    ON 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 


HINTS     FOR     EXHIBITORS. 

DURING  the  first  part  of  November 
I  the  principal  shows  will  be  held 
I  m  the  Midland  and  Southern 
r  Counties.  Further  North,  the  other 
important  exhibitions  will  follow 
closely,  so  that  in  the  course  of 
ali'iut  three  weeks  dozens  of  magnificent  displays 
will  gladden  the  eyes  of  thousands  of  the  general 
public  and  cause  much  joy  in  the  hearts  of  enthu- 
siastic growers.  The  latter  include  a  big  per- 
c  Mtage  of  amateur  cultivators,  who  have,  in  late 
\'  cirs,  growit  some  remarkably  fine  flowers.  One 
.iiiiateur,  who  lives  close  to  the  writer,  is  now 
flowering  his  second  collection  of  plants.  He  has 
oiilv  given  his  attention  to  them  for  three  years 
altogether,  and  I  have  never  seen  any  plants  grown 
bv  a  professional  that  bore  finer  blooms,  nor  speci- 
mens that  were  cleaner  or  healthier.  He  is  a  very 
intelligent  cultivator,  loves  his  plants,  and  spares 
uci  trouble  in  order  to  get  them  as  perfect  as 
possible. 

No  doubt  there  will  be  many  readers  of  The 
Garden  who  are  showing  for  the  first  time  this 
autumn.  If  they  are  content  to  enter  in  a  few 
classes  only,  and  so  make  them  as  strong  as  possible, 
they  will  be  more  successftil  than  if  they  weakened 
the  collections  of  blooms  by  entering  many  classes 
and  being  obliged  to  fill  them.  Very  popular  classes 
are  those  providing  for  six  cut  blooms  on  long  stems, 
to  be  staged  in  vases,  six  of  a  yellow  or  a  like 
number  of  a  white  variety  being  specified.  Owing 
to  the  number  of  one  variety  being  six,  few  growers 
are  able  to  stage  that  number,  so  that  an  amateur 
will  have  a  good  chance  of  securing  a  prize  if  he 
stages  nice  blooms,  even  in  size,  fresh,  and  of  rich 
colour.  The  most  telling  varieties  for  vases  are 
yellow,  white,  rich  crimson,  yellow  and  bronze, 
and  pink  and  white.  Dull  chestnuts,  faded  reddish 
bronze  and  badly- coloured  specimens  of  amaranth 
and  purple  should  not  be  staged  unless  in  everj'  case 
blooms  of  these  are  available  at  their  best.  Single- 
flowered  varieties  seem  very  easy  to  stage  in  vases, 
and  they  are  more  adaptable  than  the  heavy 
blooms  of  the  Japanese  section  ;  but  the  cultivator 
should  avoid  placing  them  so  that  they  look 
straggly.  On  the  other  hand,  spread  out  the  flowers 
just  enough  to  show  ofi  each  one  to  the  very  best 
advantage.  Take  wedge-shaped  blocks  of  wood  to 
the  show,  so  that  trained  specimen  plants  can  be 
tilted  forward  a  little ;  then  both  judges  and 
public  have  a  better  view  of  them.  Two  blocks  to 
each  pot  are  required. 

There  is  a  tendency  of  late  to  build  up  groups  of 
Chrysanthemums  on  tall  erections  such  as  drain- 
pipes, tripods,  even  boxes,  and  big  flower-pots. 
The  inside  portion  of  such  groups,  when  closely 
examined,  looks  very  ugly.  Amateur  exhibitors 
should  do  their  best  to  be  original,  and  stage  low 
groups  ;  they  are  much  more  effective  than  the 
tall  ones,  when  the  full  beauty  of  the  highest  and 
back  blooms  cannot  be  exammed. 
Groups  of  Single-Flowered  Varieties  look  quite 

charming  when  neatly  arranged.  It  is  only  during 
very  recent  years  that  classes  have  been  provided 
for  this  section  in  generous  numbers.  The  first 
groups  the  writer  saw  were  entirely  spoiled  through 
overcrowding.  They  contained  lovely  plants,  a 
single  specimen  of  which  would  have  had  a  better 
appearance  than  the  whole  group.  The  flowers  in 
the    groups    were    simply    crushed    together.     This 


autumn  exhibitors  should  avoid  overcrowding, 
and  employ  only  their  very  best  plants.  Never 
mind  about  producing  a  formal  group,  nice  and  even 
from  centre  to  edge  ;  have  lightnees  of  arrangement 
and  harmony  of  colour  with  a  neat  finish  ;  then  a 
success  will  be  scored.  Avon, 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


RENOVATING     OLD    VINES. 

[In  Answer  to  a  Correspondent.] 

»    S  this  is  the  season  of  the  year  for  dealing 

/%  with   the  roots   and  borders  of  Vines 

/    %         which    are    in    a    poor    condition    of 

/       %       health,   whether   the  Vines^be   young 

*  ^      or  old,    and   as  the   information   how 

best   to   deal   with   such  Vines   would 

be  likely  to  be  useful  to  many  readers,  I  propose, 

with  the  Editor's  permission,  to  go  into  the  subject 

in  greater  detail  than  would  be  possible  in  reply 

to  a  question. 

I  am  a  firm  believer  in  the  strong  recuperative 
powers  of  old  Vines  when  given  a  chance  by  generous 
treatment  in  the  way  of  pruning  their  roots  and 
replanting  in  the  best  possible  Vine  soil,  coupled 
with  rest  in  spring  and  light  cropping  the  first  year 

j  afterwards.  There  are  many  Vine  -  growers, 
amateurs  especially,  who  consider  no  labour  too 

i  great,  and  will  spare  no  pains  in  affording  all 
possible  help  to  their  Vines  in  the  way  of  attending 
to  their  foliage  and  fruit,  and  in  ventilating, 
watering,  &c.,  but  who  practically  forget  the 
existence  of  roots,  or  the  want  of  them,  and  then 
wonder  how  it  is  that  their  Vines  so  often  fail  to 
produce  satisfactory  crops.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
lay  stress  on  or  to  emphasise  the  fact  that  success 
in  Grape-growing  depends  in  the  first  place  on 
the  quantity,  health  and  strength  of  the  roots  of 
the  Vines.  Without  such  roots  it  is  quite  impossible 
to  produce  satisfactory  crops,  and  the  cause  of 
failure  in  certainly  seven  cases  out  of  ten  will  be 
found  to  be  due  to  this  cause.  A  successful  Grape- 
grower  ought  to  know,  and  does  know,  as  much, 
or  more,  about  the  condition  of  the  roots  of  his 
Vines  than  he  does  about  the  Vines  themselves. 

Your  correspondent's  Vines  are  old,  and  he  finds 
out  that  the  roots  are  deeply  buried  (a  matter  of 
about  three  feet,  he  thinks),  and  this  has  been 
done  bv  annual  top-dressings  over  a  series  of  years 
without  taking  little  or  any  of  the  old  top-dressings 
off  before  adding  the  new.  A  gardener  friend  advises 
him  to  root  out  the  old  Vines  and  plant  new  ones. 
There  are  certain  objections  to  this,  and  I  do  not 
think  it  is  necessary.  One  is  that  the  owner 
is  only  tenant  for  life.  Other  reasons  are  the 
extra  expense  entailed  and  the  loss  of  a  full  crop 
for  at  least  three  or  four  years  ;  moreover,  there 
is  a  certain  loss  of  quality  in  the  flavour  of  the 
Grapes,  as  it  is  well  knowii  that  old  Vines  produce 
Grapes  of  much  richer  quality  and  flavour  than 
do  young  ones,  and  this  cotmts  for  much  with 
those  who  value  quality  of  flavour  more  than  mere 
size  of  bunch  and  berry. 

The  treatment  I  recommend  your  correspondent 
to  adopt  is  the  following,  and  I  am  confident  he 
will  not  regret  doing  so  provided  the  work  is  well 
and  carefully  carried  out.  Before  anything  is 
done  to  the  border,  let  the  new  Vine  compost 
in  which  the  roots  are  to  be  replanted  be  got 
ready,  so  that  there  will  be  no  imdue  exposure  of 
the  roots  while  the  work  is  in  progress.  This 
compost  should  consist  of  the  following  items, 
and  there  should  be  as  much  of  it  prepared  as  will 
give   a  dressing  over  all  the  roots  to  the  depth  of 


5  inches,  not  including  that  under  the  roots.  The 
size  of  the  border  to  dress  will  determine  the 
quantity  of  soil  required.  To  one  cartload  of 
turfy  loam  from  an  old  pasture  field  (cutting  off 
the  grass  as  close  as  possible — the  turves  should 
not  be  cut  deeper  than  4  inches)  add  two  barrow- 
loads  of  old  brick  ends  broken  to  the  size  of  hens' 
eggs.  Add  the  same  quantity  of  old  mortar  rubble, 
broken  in  the  same  way,  also  a  bushel  of  quarter- 
inch  bones,  half  a  bushel  of  bone-meal,  one  bushel 
of  lime  and  half  a  bushel  of  soot.  Mix  up  well 
together,  and  lay  by  in  a  heap  in  a  dry  place  ready 
for  the  time  when  it  is  wanted.  The  chief  essential 
necessary  in  such  a  compost  is  the  provision  of 
conditions  favourable  for  the  formation  of  abund- 
ance of  new  roots — ^not  so  much  rich  soil  for 
nourishing  the  roots.  This  can  be  added  after- 
wards in  the  way  of  liquid  manures. 

Treatment  of  the  Border. — Clear  away  all  the 

surfai  e  soil  nl  the  border  (no  matter  how  much 
of  it  there  may  be)  until  a  good  body  of  roots  is 
come  to.  Expose  all  these  to  within,  say,  4  feet 
of  the  stems  of  the  Vines.  E.xamine  every  root. 
.^11  those  which  are  found  diseased  or  cankered 
should  be  cut  back  to  a  healthy  part.  AH  long 
and  tibreless  roots  should  be  shortened  to  within 
5  feet  of  the  base  of  the  Vine  stem,  and  all  the  tip 
ends  of  the  smaller  roots  also  should  be  cut  back. 
Clear  away  the  old  soil  from  under  these  roots 
to  the  foimdation  and  drainage  of  the  border. 
This  latter  must  be  efficient,  and  probably  is. 
(If  the  subsoil  is  gravel  or  some  other  open 
material  through  which  water  passes  freely,  no 
concrete  or  other  material  is  wanted  for  the  bottom 
of  the  border.)  Put  down  a  layer  of  the  roughest 
parts  of  the  compost  under  the  roots  with  some 
small  on  top,  and  bed  the  roots  (after  they  have 
been  pruned)  in  the  compost,  adding  more  until 
the  roots  have  been  buried  5  inches  deep.  Tread 
the  compost  down  firmly.  The  surface  of  the  border 
from  top  to  bottom  should  have  a  fall  of  4  inches. 

I  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  that  the  roots  of 
the  Vines  should  not  be  disturbed  within  4  feet 
of  the  stem  of  the  Vines  ;  but  that  is  not  to  say 
that  the  old  top  soil  down  to  a  body  of  roots  should 
not  be  removed.  It  should  be,  and  a  layer  of  the 
new  compost  laid  over  these  roots  to  the  depth 
of  5  inches  ;  but  the  roots  themselves  in  this  part 
should  not  be  disturbed.  In  your  correspondent's 
case  the  roots  are  practically  all  inside,  and  he 
need  not  trouble  about  the  recently  added  outside 
border  this  year ;  but  in  a  couple  of  years'  time 
it  will  pay  him  to  serve  this  in  the  same  way. 

.\s  soon  as  the  top-dressing  is  finished,  the  border 
should  have  a  good  .watering  with  clear  water 
to  settle  the  soil  over  the  Vine  roots.  The  border 
should  at  the  same  time  be  covered  over  with 
fresh  leaves  to  the  depth  of  6  inches.  Clean,  dry 
straw  will  do  if  leaves  are  not  available.  Let  this 
remain  on  imtil  the  end  of  April,  when  it  should 
be  removed  and  a  mulchuig  of  short,  well-decayed 
manure  substituted  for  it.  The  border  should  also 
at  this  time  have  its  first  soaking  of  water.  Towards 
June  he  will  find  the  new  soil  will  be  filling  with 
young  roots.  These  may  then  be  fed  with  liquid 
manure,  applied  once  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks, 
according  to  whether  the  weather  is  dr>'  or  the 
reverse. 

A  Word  as  to  the  Treatment  of  the  Vines. — 

Do  not  force  them  into  growth  in  spring,  but  let 
growth  come  on  slowly  and  in  a  natural  way, 
without  any  artificial  heat  to  speak  of  in  the  day- 
time, but  a  little  must  be  provided  at  night.  Let 
the  Vines  carry  a  light  crop  for  the  first  year. 
They  will  carry  a  full  crop  the  second  year.     O.  T. 


556 


THE    GARDEN. 


November  i,  1913. 


NURSERY     NOTES. 


MESSRS.    W.    SEABROOK    AND    SONS. 

IT  was  a  great  pleasure  for  us  to  visit  the 
nurseries  of  Messrs.  W.  Seabrook  and  Sons 
at  Chelmsford  on  a  gloriously  sunny  day 
early  in  October,  after  a  lapse  of  some 
fourteen  years.  Naturally,  we  were  pre- 
pared to  see  some  changes,  but  hardly 
anticipated  the  wonderful  strides  that  the  firm 
has  made  during  that  time.  The  nurseries  as 
we  used  to  know  them  comprised  about  twenty 
acres  ;  but  so  rapid  has  been  the  increase  of  business 
that  now  well-nigh  a  himdred  acres  are  needed  to 
meet  the  demands  of  the  firm's  customers,  and 
several  other  large  fields  of  good  virgin  soil  are 
ear-marked  for  future  developments  that  are  certain 
to  accrue  so  long  as  the  business  is  conducted  on 
tlie  same  up-to-date  lines  that  now  prevail. 

The  senior  partner  of  the  firm,  Mr.  W.  Seabrook, 
who  is  well  over  sixty  years  of  age,  has  devoted 
a  strenuous  life  to  the  study  of  fruit-growing  and 
the  raising  of  fruit  trees,  and  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
ef  the  cordon  system,  planting  large  plots  with 
this  class  of  tree  before  other  market-growers  had 
scarcely  heard  of  them.  Bush  trees  on  dwarfing 
stocks,  too,  he  long  ago  saw  the  possibilities  of, 
but  he  also  realised  that  to  secure  the  best  results 
from  them,  and  to  induce  them  to  crop  at  an 
early  age,  particularly  such  varieties  of  Apples  as 
Cox's  Orange  Pippin  and  Blenheim  Orange,  more 
than  usual  care  was  necessary  in  the  selection  of 
the  stocks  on  which  they  were  budded  or  grafted. 
With  this  end  in  view  he  started  experimenting, 
and  the  result  is  that  nowhere  hardly  in  the  country 
is  Cox's  Orange  Pippin  gro%vn  better  than  it  is 
here.  At  the  Boreham  nurseries,  some  three  miles 
out  of  Chelmsford  and  alongside  the  ancient 
Roman  road  from  London  to  Colchester,  both 
market  fruit  and  young  fruit  trees  for  stocking 
orchards  and  gardens  are  grown,  so  that  the 
wi.iuld-be  purchaser  can  see  how  the  young  trees 
thrive  and  crop  on  the  stocks  which  the  firm  uses, 
and  which  have  been  selected  as  a  result  of  many 
years'  experience.  In  one  field  we  were  particu- 
larly interested  in  some  ten  acres  of  five  year  old 
bush  trees  of  Cox's  Orange  Pippin.  Every  tree 
was  carrj'ing  a  really  wonderful  crop  of  fruit,  in 
some  instances  as  much  as  half  a  bushel,  and 
when  we  remember  that  the  market  value  of 
these  is  just  now  about  £i  a  bushel,  the  value  of 
trees  on  the  proper  stock  will  be  patent  to  all. 
Every  other  kind  of  Apple.  Pear  and  Plum  for 
which  there  is  a  demand  is  worked  on  stocks  that 
have  been  found  most  suitable,  hence  customers 
may  rely  on  getting  trees  from  this  source  that 
will  do  well  when  planted,  and  give  quick  and 
bounteous  returns- in  the  way  of  truit.  To  give 
readers  some  idea  of  the  demand  that  there  is  for 
these  trees,  we  may  mention  that  we  saw  no  fewer 
than  250,000  Apple  stocks  that  had  been  either 
budded  or  grafted  this  year,  and  these  will  be 
trained  into  cordons,  espaliers,  bush,  pyramid, 
standard  or  half-standard  trees,  according  to  their 
suitability  and  the  demand  that  arises  for  them. 
Planted  in  long  rows  of  ample  width,  it  is  a  com- 
paratively easy  matter  to  keep  the  soil  well  tilled 
with  horse-drawn  implements,  and  scarcely  a 
weed  could  be  found  among  any  of  the  nursery 
stock.  What  was  of  even  greater  moment  to 
prospective  purchasers,  however,  was  the  entire 
absence  of  disease  and  American  blight.  We  were 
careful  to  keep  a  sharp  look-out  for  serious  pests  of 
this  kind,  but  thev  were  not  to  be  found. 


In  another  large  field  we  were  particularly  in- 
terested in  some  twenty  thousand  Black  Currant 
bushes  that  have  been  planted  out  as  a  permanent 
crop.  As  most  of  our  readers  are  aware,  the  curse  of 
Black  Currants  in  late  years  has  been  the  big-bud 
mite,  a  pest  that  has  caused  many  thousands  of 
poimds'  worth  of  damage  to  fruit  plantations  in  all 
parts  of  the  country.  The  variety  which  Messrs. 
Seabrook  have  planted  so  extensively  is  named  Sea- 
brook's  Black.  Although  cultivated  by  the  firm 
for  market  purposes  for  at  least  thirty  years, 
bushes  have  not,  previous  to  this  year,  been  offered 
for  sale.  During  the  whole  of  that  thirty  years 
Messrs.  Seabrook  had  never  knovra  it  to  be  attacked 
by  big-bud  mite,  possibly  due,  they  thought,  to  the 
fact  that  they  had  not  grown  any  other  variety 
attacked  by  the  pest  near  it.  However,  seven 
years  ago  it  was  suggested  to  them  that  it  might 
prove  immune,  and  to  test  it  the  firm  arranged  for 
a  good  number  of  bushes  to  be  planted  in  another 
grower's  field,  between  mite-infested  bushes  and  in 
the  very  soil  whence  Baldwin's,  badly  attacked 
by  the  pest,  had  been  grubbed.  Each  year  a  report 
has  been  made,  and  each  year  it  has  been  to  the 
effect  that  Seabrook's  Black  is  quite  free  of  the 
pest.  Certainly  there  was  not  a  trace  of  it  when 
we  saw  the  bushes  and  nursery  stock,  and  as  it 
is  a  vigorous  grower,  free  cropper  and  of  good 
quality,  it  should  prove  of  great  value  to  amateurs, 
professional  gardeners  and  market-growers  alike. 

In  addition  to  all  kinds  of  fruit  trees,  the  firm  has, 
in  recent  years,  taken  up^the  raising  of  Roses, 
and  this  branch  of  the  business  is  increasing  as 
rapidly  as  the  fruit  tree  section.  At  the  time  of  our 
visit  we  noticed  good  healthy  stocks  of  all  the  best 
bush,  Polyantha,  standard,  weeping  standard  and 
Rambler  varieties,  and,  were  space  at  our  disposal, 
much  might  be  said  about  these.  We  left  the 
nurseries,  after  a  most  enjoyable  and  interesting 
day,  convinced  that  those  of  our  readers  who  require 
fruit  trees  or  Roses  can  with  every  confidence  place 
their  orders  with  this  business-like  and  up-to-date 
firm. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR     CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— rA<?  Editor  intend}^  to 
make  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist, 
ance,  no  matter  iihat  the  hranck  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
tifith  that  object  will  make  a  special  feMure  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communicatiojis  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  ivritten  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only^ 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Corent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required-  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  Wlien  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  PUBLISHER. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

ROMNEYA  AND  CARNATION  ( /.  C.  H.).—1d  your 
locality  you  might  lilt  and  divide  the  Komueya  at  once, 
detaching  any  of  the  long  or  extending  roots,  and,  cutting 
them  into  sections  an  inch  or  more  long,  start  them  to 
grow  in  the  greenhouse.  If  the  soil  of  your  Carnation 
border  is  infested  by  eelwoim,  it  is  highly  probable  that 
the  plants  also  are  infested,  in  which  case  new  stock  would 
be  required.  Had  you  sent  us  some  of  the  failing  plants, 
we  could  have  decided  the  point  for  you.  Are  you  sure 
the  soil  is  free  of  wireworm — the  worst  of  all  soil  pests 
to  the  Carnation  ?  Apterite  and  Soilfume  are  two 
of  the  soil  fumigants  that  may  be  applied  according  to 
instructions.  These  destroy  many  of  the  pests  common 
to  garden  soils.     In  your  case  the  addition  of  linu'  or  lias 


clay  to  the  border  would  be  of  the  utmost  value,  since 
the  Carnation  is  not  usually  a  permanent  success  in  very 
sandy  soils. 

HARDY  BORDER  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  {E.  L.  C.  F.).^ 
The  cultural  details  required  for  the  above  are  simple 
enough,  and,  aa  a  rule,  a  bed  of  moderately  rich  loamy 
soil  deeply  worked  and  manured  suffices.  In  many  dis- 
tricts the  plants  perish  in  winter-time,  not  because  lacking 
hardiness  generally,  but  because  they  are  kept  soft  and. 
evergreen  and  in  a  growing  state  far  into  the  winter  months, 
when  they  should  be  resting.  In  these  circumstances  it 
ia  best  to  root  cuttings  afresh,  February  and  March 
being  a  good  time,  planting  them  out  in  April  or 
early  May.  For  this  purpose  lift  a  plant  of  each  variety 
in  November,  and  protect  in  a  frame  till  required.  When 
the  fresh  young  shoots  are  about  two  inches  long,  these  may 
be  used  as  cuttings.  The  following  are  useful  and  free- 
flowering  :  Carrie  and  Horace  Martin,  yellow ;  Crimson 
Polly  and  Goacher^  Crimson,  crimson  ;  Crimson  Marie 
Massfi,  bronze  crimson ;  Nina  Blick,  reddish  bronze  ; 
Caledonia  and  White  Mass^,  whites  ;  Perle  Rose  ;  Im- 
proved Mass6,  rosy  lilac ;  Hector,  mauve  and  pink ; 
Flora,  yellow  ;  Mme.  E.  Lefort,  orange  ;  and  La  Luxem- 
bourg, bronze.  The  last  three  named  are  free-flowering 
Pompons,  and  these  are  usually  of  the  hardiest  class. 

SLUG-PROOF  PLANTS  {R.  0.).~By  your  request 
for  herbaceous  plants  quite  immune  from  the  attacks  of 
slugs  you  have  set  us  rather  a  formidable  task.  It  is 
true  that  this  pest  may  have  a  special  fondness  for  certain 
groups  of  plants,  but  with  a  garden  free  of  these  it  is  more 
than  likely  that  attention  might  be  directed  to  other 
plants  previously  ignored.  You  appear  to  realise  that 
the  adjacent  hedges  are  infested  by  the  pest,  though 
you  are  adopting  no  measure  to  trap  him  there.  We 
think,  however,  were  you  to  lay  down  slates,  boards, 
or  damp  sacks  near  the  hedges  and  examine  them  twice 
a  week,  you  would  get  some  surprising  hauls.  Or  you 
might  heavily  dust  the  base  of  the  hedgerows  with  lime 
or  treat  it  with  Vaporite,  and,  having  by  these  means 
ridded  your  garden  of  the  pest,  set  out  to  enjoy  not  what 
the  sluiis  rejected,  but  all  the  best  a  garden  should'con- 
tain.  In  the  meantime  you  might  experiment  by  trying 
such  things  as  Hepaticas,  Christmas  Hoses,  a  large  number 
of  Flag  Irises,  PotentiUas,  the  rather  important  race  of 
white  aiarguerites,  Chrysanthemum  maximum  and 
varieties,  herbaceous  Phloxes,  Pentstemon  barbatus, 
Oriental  and  other  Poppies,  Aconitums,  Heleniums 
generally,  Helianthus  or  Sunflower,  Achillea  Ptarmica 
and  its  varieties,  Lenten  Roses,  Anchusa  Dropmore 
variety.  Columbines  and  Michaelmas  Daisies.  The  young 
shoots  of  such  plants  as  Campanula,  Delphinium.  Pyre- 
thrum  and  all  the  Pink  tribe  are  greedily  devoured, bv 
the  shig,  while  not  infrequently  the  flowers  of  many 
plants  whose  leaves  are  unattackcd  are  cleared  off  whole- 
sale. Hence  it  would  appear  Miat  in  a  land  of  plenty, 
only  tlie  choicest  morsels  are  selected,  though  with  any 
signs  of  scarceness  it  takes  what  it  can  get.  Plants 
containing  i)olson,  or  otheis  whos*^  juices  arc  of  a  decidedly 
acid  ji:Lturi',  iiia\'  In-  objected  to  for  these  reasons. 

HERBACEOUS  PLANTS  FOR  TOWN  GARDEN  (In- 
terested).— There  is  such  a  weulth  of  subjects  flowering  in  July 
and  August  that  we  think  quite  the  best  thiniz  for  you  to  do 
would  be  to  purchase  "  The  Hardy  Flower  Book,"  by 
E.  n.  Jenkins,  to  be  had,  post  free,  from  our  Publishing 
Department,  for  2s.  lOd.  This  invaluable  book  gives 
rather  complete  lists  of  all  the  best  herbaceous  plants, 
together  with  their  height,  colour,  time  of  flowering 
and  otlier  things,  with  much  other  information  of  supreme 
importance  to  those  who  garden  chiefly  in  the  open  air. 
T»  have  a  border  effective  over  a  long'.period,  plantings 
of  Irises  to  flower  in  May,  June  and  July  should  be  made. 
to  be  followed  by  Pyreth'rums.  single  and  double  in  variety, 
hybrid  Columbines,  Achilleas,  a  good  selection  of  Del- 
phiniums, Gaillardias,  Pseonies,  Oriental  Poppies  in 
variety,  Heucheras  of  sorts,  Monarda,  Lychnis  chalcedonica, 
and  siich  like.  For  July  and  August  the  best  things  would 
be  herbaceous  Phloxes,  Sunflowers,  Campanida  c-arpatica 
in  half-a-dozen  sorts,  Scabiosa  caucasica,  Eryngium, 
Echinops,  Ked-hot  Pokers,  Aster  Amellus  in  variety, 
A.  ericoides,  and  a  good  set  of  Michaelmas  Daisies.  Such 
good  and  useful  Lilies  as  umbellatimi,  croceum,  excelsum,. 
candidum,  and  the  forms  of  speciosum  should  also  find 
place,  also  Montbretias,  which  are  so  effective  and  graceful 
when  in  flower.  For  borders  6  feet  wide  it  would  be  a 
good  plan  to  arrange  the  plants  in  groups,  say,  not  less 
than  three  plants  to  a  group,  three  lines  of  groups  alter- 
nately disposed  being  sufficient  for  the  width  named. 
The  list  of  flowering  shrubs  to  wliich  you  refer  is  of  a 
somewhat  mixed  character,  some  plants  being  quite 
unsuitable  to  the  border.  If,  however,  you  send  us  particu- 
lars of  the  width  and  length  of  the  border,  we  will  give 
you  a  suitable  list  of  shrubs  for  it.  With  suitable  shrubs 
might  be  associated  Lilies,  Irises,  Daffodils  and  other 
plants  to  flower  at  varying  seasons  of  the  year. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

TREATMENT  OF  DRACvENA  AUSTRALIS  {Old 
Reader). — Vour  plant  of  Draca-na  australis,  whose  correct 
name,  by  the  way,  is  Cordyline  australis,  is  not  likely  to 
survive  the  winter  in  the  open  ground.  By  far  the  better 
way  will  be  to  winter  it  in  a  cool  room  where  it  is  safe  from 
frost . 

FERN  FRONDS  DISFIGURED  (Old  Reader). —There 
ATI'.  Ixith  thrips  and  scale  on  the  Fern  fronds  sent.  Thrips 
can  be  readily  kept  under  by  vaporising  with  om- 
of  the  nicotine  compounds,  but  for  the  scale  the  fronds 
must  be  sponged  with  a  solution  of  soft  soap  and  water, 
at  the  same  time  loosening  the  largest  of  the  scales  with 
a  pointed  stick.  In  carrying  this  out,  care  must  be  taken 
not  to  injure  the  fronds. 


i^fe^ 


^^r^— 


GARDEN. 


■"^©3=:^" 


No.  2190.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


November  8,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


notus  of  the  week 
Correspondence 

Prizes  for  front  gar- 
dens      

Mildew  on  Roses   . . 

The  war  on  wasps.  . 

A  good  Bprins  bed . . 
Forthcoming  events.. 

How  TO  Treat  Grass 

Banks     

Trees  and  SHRrBs 

Clerodendron  f  O'tidum 

A  rare  Chines^r  Horn- 
beam     

Spirsea  Aitchisonii . . 
Rose  Garden 

Rosc-<rrowipj»  in  town 
tzardens 

Roses  in  the  wild 
garden 

In  a  Hampshire  par- 
den       

Flower  Garden 

Flower  borders  at 
Arapney  Park, 
Cirencester  . . 

The  Campanulas  or 
Belltlowers  . .      . . 


j  Coloured  Plate 

I       Hardy   brrder    Car- 

I  nations         . .      . .     563 

Greenhouse 
Early  Tulips  in  pots     563 
The  amateur's  green- 

.      house   in   autumn     564 
Primula  La  Lorraine     564 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
How  to  force  Lily  of 
the  Valley    and 
flower  roots         . .     565 

Gardening  op  the  Week 
For    Southein    gar- 
dens       566 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens          5'i6 


560 
561 
561 

56:: 

562 


Kitchen  Garden 
Seasonable  notes  on 

vegetables  . .      . .  567 
Answers    to    Corre- 
spondents 

Flower  garden        ..  56T 

Trees  and  shrubs  . .  567 

Fruit  garden  . .      . .  567 

Miscellaneous          . .  567 

Societies 568 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Nerine  Bowdeni  flowering  at  Gunnersbury        .  .      . .  55S 

Clerodendron  foetidum 560 

Spirsea  Aitchisonii 560 

An  informal  bank  of  Rose  Alberic  Barbier        . .      . .  561 

Borders  of  hardy  fowers  in  a  Gloucestershire  garden  562 

Hardy  border  Carnations      Coloured  plate 

A     delightful    BellHower :     Campanula    persicifolia 

humosa 563 

The  new  Primula  La  Lorraine 564 

How  to  force  Lily  of  the  Valley  and  flower  roots..  565 


BDITORIAIi     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  I'^elcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  u-ill  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  hoivever,  tcill  be  taken,  and  tvhere  Harnps 
are  enclosed,  he  )vill  ejidea'-otir  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  ax:tual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  uil!  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  wiU  not  be  responsible  lor  the  return  of  artistiv 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use.  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidejice  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  ■   20.  Tavistock  Street.  Corcnt  (iard''n.  W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


To  Our  Readers. — It  is  with  ple£isiue  that  we 
are  able  to  announce  that  Mr.  George  Dillistone, 
the  talented  landscape  gardener  on  the  staff  of 
Messrs.  R.  Wallace  and  Co.,  has  kindly  con- 
sented to  write  us  a  series  of  articles  on  the 
construction  of  rock  gardens.  These  will  be 
illustrated  by  sketch  plans  of  rock  gardens 
actually  constructed  under  Mr.  Dillistone's  super- 
vision, and  photographs  showing  the  work  when 
completed.  To  those  interested  in  rock  gardens 
these  articles  will  prove  of  more  than  usual  interest, 
and  we  trust  our  readers  will  make  them  as  widely 
known  as  possible.  We  hope  to  publish  the  first 
in  our  ne.\t  issue. 

Preparation  for  Spring  Bedding. — Although  in 

some  places  the  summer  bedding  is  still  looking 
little  the  worse  for  wear,  such  beds  or  borders 
should  now  be  cleared  if  it  is  intended  to  fill  them 
with  spring  bedding  plants.  It  is  important  that 
Wallflowers,  Forget-me-nots,  Alyssums,  Primulas 
and  similar  plants  should  be  put  out  before  the 
ground  gets  cold,  so  that  they  may  become  estab- 
lished, as  it  greatly  assists  them  to  stand  the  winter. 

Bananas  Fruiting  at  Kew. — When  at  Kew 
Gardens  most  visitors  make  a  point  of  seeing  the 
Bananas  growing  in  the  great  Palm  House.  These 
are  of  more  than  usual  interest  at  present,  as  three 
of  the  plants  are  maturing  large  bunches  of  fruits 
and  two  other  plants  are  in  flower.  The  largest 
bimches  are  forms  or  varieties  of  Musa  sapientum, 
Gros  Michel  and  Lacatan.  Growing  to  about 
thirty  feet  high,  the  foliage  of  the  Bananas  is 
always  an  imposing  feature  of  the  Palm  House. 

Cutting  Winter  Cherry  for  Decoration. — 
Where  the  Winter  Cherry,  or  Physalis,  is 
grown  for  winter  decoration  for  vases,  it  should 
now  be  cut,  if  this  has  not  already  been  done, 
as  the  bladders  will  commence  to  perish  if  left 
out  in  the  open  much  longer.  Cut  the  shoots, 
tie  them  in  small  bimches,  and  hang  them  in  i  dry 
place,  where  the  leaves  which  are  now  ripe  will 
soon  drop  off,  leaving  the  stems  of  bright-coloured 
bladders,  which  are  so  valuable  either  alone  or 
mixed  with  other  dried  flowers. 

A  Beautiful  Greenhouse  Plant. — A  plant  that 

has  recently  come  to  the  front,  although  by  no 
means  new,  is  Lindenbergia  grandiflora.  It  is  a 
most  valuable  plant  for  the  greenhouse  with  its 
bright  yellow.  Musk-shaped  flowers,  which  are  borne 
in  profusion,  and  last  in  bloom  for  about  three 
months.  A  well-grown  batch  of  this  desirable 
plant,  mixed  with  the  beautiful  Salvia  azurea,  is 
one  of  the  chief  features  of  the  conservator)'  at 
the  Botanic  Gardens,  Cambridge.  ?.t  the  present 
time,  where  it  is  greatly  admired.  It  is  of  easy 
cultivation  under  greenhouse  treatment,  but 
requires  a  little  shade  during  the  summer.  The 
sprays  last  for  a  considerable  time  when  cut  and 
placed  in  water,  but  the  colour  does  not  show  up 
to  advantage  imder  artificial  light. 


Blue  Salvias  Flowering  Late. — These  plants 
have  been  a  great  success  in  the  garden  this  year. 
The  season  has  evidently  been  such  as  to  induce 
healthy  growth  of  medium  strength  ;  the  plants 
are,  in  most  instances,  dwarf  and  very  freely 
flowered  In  several  gardens  we  have  lately  noticed 
grand  displays  of  blossom,  and  it  seemed  a  pity 
to  disturb  the  plants,  yet  it  was  becoming  neces- 
sary work,  as  nearly  all  the  other  kinds  of  bedding- 
out  subjects  had  lost  their  freshness,  and  all  must 
give  place  to  the  spring-flowering  ones. 

Autumn-Flowering  Bulbs. — Few  plants  are 
more  valuable  than  the  Stembergias.  Whether  it 
is  in  the  rockery,  borders,  or  on  the  edge  of  shrub- 
beries, they  brighten  it  up  with  their  beautiful 
yellow,  Crocus-like  flowers  at  this  season.  Stem- 
bergia  lutea  and  its  variety  angustifolia  are 
two  of  the  best,  being  very  free-flowering  and  soon 
establishing  themselves  ;  but  S.  macrantha,  with  its 
larger  flowers,  which  are  a  beautiful  golden  yellow, 
should  on  no  accoimt  be  left  out.  Most  of  the 
Stembergias  are  very  suitable  for  conservatory 
decoration  when  grown  in  deep  pans  or  pots. 

Mr.  Hugh  Dickson. — On  the  next  page  we  have 
pleasure  in  publishing  a  portrait  of  Mr.  Hugh 
Dickson,  president  of  the  National  Sweet  Pea 
Society  for  1913-14.  Mr.  Dickson  is  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Messrs.  .Alexander  Dickson  and  Sons 
of  Newtownards,  managing  with  considerable  skill 
their  seed  and  bulb  business  at  Belfast.  He  is 
one  of  the  best-known  men  in  the  horticultural 
trade,  and  his  quiet,  unobtrusive  manner  has 
endeared  him  to  all  who  have  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  him.  The  National  Sweet  Pea  Society  is 
to  be  congratulated  on  its  selection  of  Mr.  Dickson 
as  president. 

Strawberries  in  November. — We  were  much 
interested  a  few  days  ago  when  visiting  a  Dulwich 
garden  to  observe  a  bed  of  Strawberries  still  carrying 
a  presentable  crop  of  ripening  fruits.  The  variety 
was  St.  .^ntoine  de  Padoue,  one  of  the  best  of  the 
hybrid  autunmal  Strawberries.  The  flower-buds 
had  been  removed  from  the  plants  until  early  in 
September,  when  the  fruits  were  allowed  to  mature. 
The  berries  are  globular  and  of  bright  red  colour, 
while  the  plants  are  as  vigorous  as  the  summer- 
fruiting  varieties.  The  bed  in  question  is  in  a 
sheltered  spot  on  a  warm  border,  and  the  plants 
each  autumn  bear  freely  until  the  frosts  set  in. 

Storing    Lobelias    for    the    Winter. — Lobelia 

fulgens,  L.  cardinalis  and  others  of  that  type 
cannot  always  be  relied  upon  to  stand  the  wijiter 
outside.  They  should  now  be  lifted,  placed  in 
boxes  in  sandy  soil,  and  stored  in  a  fairly  dry 
place,  not  necessarily  a  greenhouse,  but  a  certain 
amount  of  light  is  preferable  to  a  dark  shed. 
Although  it  is  important  that  they  should  be  kept 
from  excessive  wet,  it  is  also  important  that  they 
should  not  be  allowed  to  get  too  dry.  They  can 
be  easily  increased  by  dividing  the  plants  in  the 
spring,  or  seed  sown  now  will  make  better  plants 
for  putting  out  next  summer  than  those  raised 
from  seed  next  spring. 


558 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  8,  1913. 


iThe 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

Editor  is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Prizes  for  Front  Gardens.— The  village  in 
which  I  live  is  not  at  all  beautiful,  and  most  of 
the  gardens  arc  neglected  or  unattractive.  By 
way  of  encouraging  the  inhabitants  to  interest 
themselves  in  beautifying  the  village,  I  think  of 
oflermg  three  prizes  for  the  gardens  and  house 
fronts  which  are  kept  most  satisfactorily  all  the 
year  round.  Some  of  your  contributors  must 
have  sympathy  with,  and  practical  experience  in, 
such  a  scheme,  and  I  shall  be  most  grateful  if 
I  may  be  allowed  to  benefit  by  that  sympathy 
and  experience  in  the  framing  of  rules  which 
will  give  all  the  competitors  a  fair  chance.— 
Marguerite. 

Is  the  Almond  Hardy  in  Scotland?— At  a 
meeting  of  the  Scottish  Horticultural  Association, 
held  some  months  ago,  when  the  merits  of  orna- 
mental trees  and  shrubs  suited  for  villa  gardens 
were  being  discussed,  several  members  testified 
that  the  Almond  is  not  hardy  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Edinburgh.  As  the  Almond  is  such  a  desirable 
subject,  both  on  account  of  its  beauty  and  its 
early  flowering,  it  would  be  mteresting  and 
instructive  if  readers  of  The  Garden  North 
of  the  Tweed  who  have  grown,  or  attempted 
to  grow,  it  would  give  their  fellow-readers  the 
benefit  of  their  experience,  indicating  the  dis- 
trict where  such  experience  has  been  gained. — 
Caledonia. 

Gentiana  verna  Flowering  Late.— I  have 
been  much  interested  by  Mr.  Malby's  notes  on 
Gentiana  verna  in  last  week's  issue,  page  548. 
I  should  be  glad  to  hear  from  him  or  any  of  your 
readers  whether  it  is  common  for  this  plant  to 
bloom  twice  in  the  year.  Durhig  September  and 
October  of  this  year  I  have  had  eight  flowers  on 
a  small  patch  of  the  Gentian,  which  bloomed 
fairly  freely  in  the  spring,  and  there  is  a  flower 
just  opening  on  a  plant  which  I  bought  as  G. 
angulosa,  though  I  can  detect  little  or  no  differ- 
ence between  it  and  G.  verna.  One  regards  this 
Gentian  as  so  essentially  a  spring-flowering  plant 
that  it  is  surprising  to  find  it  in  bloom  so  late 
in  the  year.  G.  verna  is  growing  m  sandy 
loam  in  a  rather  shady,  moist  place,  while  G. 
angulosa  is  in  sandstone  moraine  fully  open  to 
the  sun. — A.  E.  Backhouse,  Darlington. 

Alpines  Flowering  in  October.— Reading  your 
list  of  alpine  and  rockery  plants  in  bloom  on 
October  i  in  your  issue  for  October  18,  page  525, 
tempts  me  to  send  you  a  list  of  plants  from  a  small 
garden  200  feet  by  30  feet  in  the  North-West,  all  in 
the  open :  Alyssimx  sinuatum,  yellow  ;  Antirrhinum 
gibraltaricum,  reddish  ;  Arabis  albida  flore  pleno, 
white ;  Astrantia  gracilis,  white ;  Borago  laxi- 
flora,  pale  blue ;  Campanula  Burghaltii,  blue- 
white  ;  C.  carpatica,  blue ;  C.  garganica,  pale 
blue  ;  C.  glomerata  hybrid,  deep  blue  ;  C.  muralis, 
blue  ;  C.  rotimdifolia,  blue  and  white  ;  Cardamine 
rotundifolia,  white ;  Chrysogonum  virginiatum, 
yellow ;  Cimicifuga  simplex,  white ;  Corydalis 
lutea  alba,  whitish  yellow ;  Colchicums,  Crocuses, 
Cyclamen  ;  Dianthus,  various  ;  Erica  Serlei,  white  ; 
E.  stricta,  pink ;  E.  vagans,  white ;  Erigeron 
glauca,  lavender ;  Erodium  Manescavi,  red-mauve  ; 
Erysimum  pulchellum,  yellow ;  Geranium  Endressii, 
pink ;  G.  sanguineum,  red ;  G.  striatum,  pink 
veined ;  Geum  rivale  Leonard's  variety,  red ; 
G.     r.      Orange,      Gypsophila      Steveni,      white ; 


Helianthemums  (various),  pink-yellow ;  Hyperi- 
cum olympicum  and  H.  empetrifolium,  yellow ', 
Linaria  aequitriloba,  purple ;  L.  alpina  rosea, 
rosy  ;  L.  anticaria,  white  and  yellow  ;  L.  pilosa, 
purple  ;  Linum,  blue  ;  Lysimachia  Henryi,  yellow  ; 
Menziesia  polifolia,  rosy  white  ;  Nepeta  Mussinii 
(two  forms),  lavender  and  bluish ;  Origanum 
hybridum,  pinkish ;  Oxalis  floribunda,  pink ; 
O.  f.  alba,  white  ;  Potentilla  alpina,  white  ;  P. 
hopwoodiana,  P.  Miss  Willmott,  P.  minima; 
Perowskia  atriplexifolia,  lavender ;  Plumbago 
Larpent2B,  slaty  blue ;  Polygala  Chamabuxus 
purpurea ;  Polygonum  affine,  reddish  ;  Santolina 
Chamsecyparissus,  yellow ;  S.  pinnata,  creamy 
wliite ;  Saxifraga  Fortunei,  white  ;  Scabiosa 
pterocephala,  pale  lavender ;  Sedum  calabricum, 
pinkish  ;  S.  Ewersii,  pinkish  ;  S.  pulchellum, 
pinkish  ;    S.    spectabile,    pink    and    deep 


MR.  HUGH  DICKSON,  PRESIDENT  OF  THE 
NATIONAL  SWEET  PEA  SOCIETY 
FOR    1913-I4.      {See  previous  page.) 


Teucrium  Chameedrys,  reddish ;  Tunica  Saxi- 
fraga, pink ;  T.  S.  alba ;  Veronica  corymbosa, 
deep  blue  ;  V.  spicata  alba,  Vinca  Double  Blue  ; 
Violas  Bowles'  Black,  Mrs.  Bowles  and  bosniaca  ; 
and  Zauschneria,  red.  Of  those  mentioned  I  would 
specially  draw  your  attention  to  the  following  : 
Alyssum  sinuatum,  yellow,  which  has  been  in 
bloom  since  June.  Astrantia  gracilis,  white, 
similar  to,  but  much  fijier  than,  A.  minor.  Carda- 
mine rotundifolia,  white,  an  old  plant,  but  very 
fine  in  early  spring.  Corydalis  lutea,  the  pale  form, 
is  in  flower  almost  all  the  year  round.  Plumbago 
Larpentae,  blue.  This  plant  is  fine  with  the  crimson 
foliage  in  autumn,  grown  in  the  warmest  possible 
position.  Veronica  corymbosa,  deep  blue,  so  named 
by  Mr.  S.  Arnott,  is  only  6  inches  high,  and  a  choice 
gem     for     late     flowering.     Viola     Mrs.     Bowles, 


lavender  blue,  a  most  continuous  flowerer.  The 
flowers  stand  up  well  clear  of  the  foliage.  Zausch- 
neria.—I  have  two  forms.  The  early-blooming 
one  is  not  so  woolly  as  the  other. — T.  O.  Walker, 
Carnforth. 

The  Persian  Cyclamen  as  a  Biennial. — Mr. 
Blair's  experience  with  two  years  old  Cyclamen  (see 
page  536,  October  23  issue)  differs  in  several  respects 
so  much  from  my  experience,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
also  from  that  of  other  growers,  that  in  fairness  to 
those  whose  knowledge  of  the  plant  is  slight,  some- 
thing should  be  put  forward  in  favour  of  these.  The 
treatment  of  second- year  plants  varies  so  consider- 
ably, and  yet  may  result  in  each  case  in  success,  that 
one  is  forced  to  conclude  that  the  treatment  given 
by  your  correspondent  has  in  some  particulars  been 
incorrect,  the  more  so  if  the  plants  are  "  easily 
beaten  "  by  young  plants.  Ours  receive  no  special 
culture  as  regards  soil  and  manure  from  that  given 
to  the  usual  run  of  soft-wooded  plants,  only  being 
treated  to  a  warm  temperature  while  growing,  and 
the  difference  is  all  in  their  favour.  I  have  just 
measured  a  few  of  the  largest  specimens,  which  are 
each  2  feet  3  inches  across,  and  from  each  I  enclose 
a  leaf  for  your  inspection.  The  flowers  are  not  yet 
out,  but  I  expect  them  to  be  quite  as  large  as  those 
produced  by  the  younger  plants,  one  of  which  gave 
us  last  year's  flowers  up  to  6  inches  in  diameter,  and 
another,  a  ragged  double,  almost  as  large.  I  may 
add  that  Cyclamens  succeed  best  here  grown  on  as 
stove  plants,  in  a  low  pit,  along  with  table  Crotons 
and  Dracaenas.  In  the  autumn  they  are  transferred 
to  a  cooler  pit  along  with  Primulas  and  Geraniums 
to  flower.  I  differ  only  in  these  respects  from  Mr. 
Blair,  and  concur  with  him  in  advising  the  more 
general  cultivation  of  these  charming  flowers,  so 
very  useful  for  cutting,  and  the  plants  for  massing 
in  the  house. — R.  P.  Brotherston,  Preston- 
kirk,  N.B. 

I  quite  agree  with  Mr.  Blair  that  it  is  best 

to  grow  the  Cyclamen  as  a  biennial.  We  grow  it 
here  on  that  principle,  with  very  good  results,  and 
never  think  of  saving  any  old  corms.  We  sow 
our  seeds  about  the  third  week  in  July,  placmg  them 
straight  away  in  a  cold  frame.  About  the  first 
week  in  September  we  place  them  in  a  temperature 
of  50°,  and  by  the  second  week  in  October  prick 
them  off  into  2-inch  pots.  We  believe  in  pricking 
off  early,  as  we  find  we  get  much  larger  plants.  Of 
course,  extra  care  is  required  in  watering  to  keep  the 
soil  from  becoming  sour.  We  then  place  them  in  a 
temperature  of  60°,  keeping  them  close  to  the  glass. 
In  this  position  we  keep  them  until  about  the  first 
week  in  February,  when  they  will  be  found  to  have 
filled  their  pots  with  roots  and  made  about  eight 
or  nine  leaves.  We  then  pot  them  into  4-inch  and 
4i-inch  pots,  according  to  strength,  keeping  them 
still  in  a  temperature  of  60°.  About  the  first  week 
in  June  we  pot  them  into  6-inch  pots,  placing  them 
straight  into  a  cold  frame.  They  remain  there 
until  the  first  week  in  September ;  then  we  house 
them,  as  it  is  desirable  for  us  to  have  a  numOer  of 
them  in  bloom  by  the  first  week  in  November. 
They  continue  to  bloom  until  the  end  of  Apiil. 
What  more  does  one  want  than  to  have  them  in 
bloom  for  six  months  ?  In  February  of  this  year 
we  had  one  plant  carrying  seventy-one  fully- 
expanded  blooms,  and  still  showing  more  buds. 
Some  of  the  blooms  had  six  and  seven  petals,  and 
measured  6  inches  from  tip  to  tip.  We  had  several 
plants  with  forty,  fiity,  sixty  and  sixty-five  blooms  ; 
so  who  says  it  is  impossible  to  have  fine  plants  by 
this  method  ?  We  have  them  now  carrying  fourteen 
to  eighteen  blooms. — F.  C.  Willie,  The  Gardens, 
Great  Walstead,  Lindfield.  Sussex 


November  8,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


559 


kRose  Peace. — I  wundcr  if  "  G.  G."  (on  page  534) 
alluding  tu  the  Tea-scented  variety  ?  I  assume 
is,  as  I  am  not  aware  that  there  are  two  varie- 
s  of  the  same  name.  I  find  this  an  excellent 
Rose  for  outdoors,  plants  of  dwarf  growth  flowering 
•iliimdantly,  with  huge  petals  of  a  pale  citron 
■  I  Jour,  whieh  imder  glass  would  be  paler  in  tint. — 

Mildew     on     Roses. — Many    complaints     have 

reached  me  this  year  as  to  the  extent  Roses  have 

lieen   attacked  by  mildew.     Even  whole  localities 

have  been  vigorously  infested,  after  much  washing 

of    the    plants    with    sulphide    of    potassium    had 

been    done,   with  no   effect    of   value.     .■Vs    a   rule, 

,     in  other  years  this  chemical  has  been  efficacious  ; 

this  year  in  many  gardens  it  has  been  quite  useless. 

I   have   at   last   come  across  a  distinctly  effective 

remedy  for  this   troublesome  fungus,  viz..    Serum, 

prepared    and   sent    out    by   Messrs.    Gleeson   and 

j     Co.,  Watford.     Whatever  it  contains,  it  is  wonder- 

j     fully    effective.     Early    in    October    many    of    my 

I     plants     were      badly     attacked     by     mildew.       I 

I  applied  Serum  as  directed,  20Z.  to  a  gallon  of 
cold  soft  water,  well  stirred,  thoroughly  drenching 
the  plants.  The  result  was  marvellous.  New  leaves 
commenced  to  grow  from  the  points  of  badly- 
infested  shoots  within  two  days,  and  the  plants 
have  continued  quite  free  from  fungus.  Such  a 
remedy  is  indeed  a  boon  to  Rose-growers. — E.  M. 

The  War  on  Wasps. — In  your  issue  of  October  25, 
page  >;,14.  y""""  correspondent  Mr.  Copeland  seeks 
information  from  fellow-readers  of  The  Garden 
of  their  methods  in  catching  queen  wasps.  My  own 
method  is  to  watch  the  Gooseberry  bushes  in  the 
spring  when  they  are  in  bloom,  for,  on  the  queens 
waking  up  from  their  winter's  sleep,  they  seem 
attracted  to  the  Gooseberry  bloom  to  feed  before 
commencing  nest-building.  If  while  walking  past 
the  bushes  queens  are  seen,  keep  an  eye  on  them  till 
they  settle  on  a  bloom,  when  they  may  generally 
be  knocked  down  and  killed  ;  or  by  pulling  a  piece 
of  elastic  tight  and  letting  one  end  go  with  a  slash 
at  them  it  will  often  kill  them  while  they  are  busy 
getting  nectar  from  a  flower.  In  this  way,  if  the 
bushes,  are  often  looked  at,  great  numbers  may 
be  killed  where  they  are  plentiful.  Also  in  the 
autumn  keep  a  sharp  look-out  in  all  kinds  o' 
buildings,  outhouses,  or  even  dwelling-houses, 
f»r  the  queens  get  in  all  sorts  of  places  under  cover 
for  their  winter's  sleep. — S.   K. 

In  response  to  your  invitation  on  page  534. 

issue  October  25,  I  enclose  the  following,  for  the 
damage  done  to  fruit  by  these  pests,  especially 
during  a  dry  season  like  the  past  summer  has 
been,  certainly  calls  for  some  really  well-organised 
plan  of  destruction.  We  have  destroyed  con- 
siderably over  a  hundred  nests  with  cyanide 
in  and  around  the  garden  here,  and  in  many  were 
quantities  of  young  queens  ;  but,  notwithstanding 
that,  great  damage  has  been  done.  In  reply  to 
questions  asked  by  Mr.  Copeland,  (i)  I  would 
suggest  that  in  large  fruit-growing  areas  the  growers 
themselves  combine  and  award  a  substantial 
prize  for  the  greatest  number  of  queen  wasps  sent 
in  by  a  certain  date  (e.g.,  early  in  June)  ;  and 
in  places  where  fruit  is  not  grown  on  such  a  large 
scale,  the  local  horticultural  societies  might  adopt 
the  same  plan.  The  latter  is  already  carried  out 
in  some  places,  and  though  only  on  a  very  moderate 
scale,  the  results  must  indeed  be  a  gain  in  those 
particular  districts.  In  gardens  (private  or  other- 
wise) remuneration  should  be  given  for  all  queen 
wasps  killed  by  members  of  the  staff,  for  money 
so  spent  would  unquestionably  be  well  laid  out. 
With  the  growing  popularity  in  school  gardening. 


managers  or  local  authorities  could  perhaps  b" 
persuaded  to  award  prizes  to  the  children  for  the 
greatest  number  of  these  pests  caught.  A  case 
in  which  the  children  figured  in  this  way  came 
under  the  writer's  notice  some  time  ago.  A 
horticultural  society  in  Berkshire  offered  a  small 
prize  for  the  greatest  number  of  queen  wasps 
sent  in  by  a  certain  date  by  any  child  in  the  district. 
The  winner  of  the  first  prize  had  captured  between 
five  and  six  hundred,  to  say  nothing  of  the  other 
entrants  !  Such  results  as  these  surely  speak  for 
themselves.  (2)  As  regards  queen  wasps  entering 
bottles,  very  few  indeed  were  caught  here  during 
the  summer,  either  in  bottles  or  other  traps.  The 
spring  and  autumn,  of  course,  are  the  best  times 
to  capture  queens,  i.e.,  when  they  are  searching 
for  places  or  material  for  nesting,  or  when  they 
are  preparing  to  hibernate,  such  presumably 
being  the  case  when  so  many  were  recently  caught 
in  a  stokehole,  for  such  places  as  potting-sheds 
and  stokeholes  are  ideal  for  the  purpose.  (3)  .'V 
good  trap  can  be  made  by  the  use  of  two  hand- 
lights,  one  resting  on  the  other,  the  lower  one 
raised  from  the  ground  on  bricks  and  having 
holes  in  the  lid  to  enable  the  wasps  to  pass  through 
to  the  upper  light  (which  must  be  hole-proof). 
To  entice  the  pests  to  enter,  portions  of  fruit  are 
placed  under  the  lower  light,  and  more  is  put 
in  the  upper  one,  to  which  they  will  naturally 
ascend.  To  destroy  the  insects  when  a  large 
number  are  captured,  sulphur  is  placed  below 
and  set  alight,  the  fumes  rising  and  having  the 
desired  effect.  Several  such  traps  have  been  used 
here  this  summer,  with  great  success. — H.  Turner, 
Serlby  Gardens.  Bawtry. 

A  Good  Spring  Bed. — One  of  the  most  simple, 
and  at  the  same  tune  one  of  the  most  pleasing, 
spring  beds  which  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  plant 
was  composed  of  the  following  subjects  :  Golden 
Polyanthuses  were  used  to  form  a  thick  carpet, 
the  plants  being  placed  thickly  so  that  the  outer 
leaves  completely  covered  the  soil.  Between  the 
Polyanthus  roots  the  scarlet  Tulip  Artus  was 
used.  The  bulbs  of  this  Tulip  always  come  to 
hand  in  excellent  condition,  and  it  is  an  ideal 
variety  for  bedding  purposes.  The  great  thing 
in  planting  bulbs  is  to  make  sure  that  they  are 
resting  on  the  soil  at  the  bottom  of  the  hole,  and 
also  that  they  are  planted  at  an  even  depth,  thereby 
ensuring  an  even  display  of  flowers.  The  Poly- 
anthuses can  be  raised  from  seed  sown  in  pans  in 
May,  and  afterwards  transplanted  in  a  shady  position 
until  the  beds  are  ready.'  They  may  also  be 
increased  by  division.  A  fresh  stock  from  seed  is, 
however,  preferable  in  most  cases. — Colin  Ruse, 
SuUuimstead. 


HOW  TO  TREAT  GRASS 
BANKS. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

Novemb?r  10. — United  Horticultural  Benefit 
and  Provident  Society's  Meeting. 

November  11. — Shows  at  Belfast  (two  days) 
and  Biimingham  (three  days). 

November  12. — East  Anglian  Horticultural  Club's 
Meeting.  Shows  at  Buxton,  Gainsborough  (two 
days),  Faversham  (two  days)  and  Dulwich  (two 
days). 

November  13. — Shows  at  Nottingham  (three 
days),  Sheffield  (three  days),  Romford,  Newport 
(Monmouth),  and  Scottish  Horticultural  Associa- 
tion's Show  (three  days). 

November  14. — Leeds  Paxton  Show  (two  days). 
Shows  at  Rochdale  (two  days),  Huddersfield  (two 
days)  and  Bradford  (two  days). 

November  15. — Sliows  at  Burton-on-Trent  and 
Batley. 


IT  is  well  within  the  memory  of  all  who  garden 
for  pleasure  that  in  their  heyday  grass 
banks  formed  a  notable  feature  in  garden 
design.  These  were  usually  introduced 
where  a  transition  in  level  occurred,  and 
were  probably  considered  the  most  satis- 
factory method  of  dealing  with  an  awkward  situa- 
tion. Many  objections  might  be  taken  to  these, 
but  it  will  suffice  for  the  present  to  mention  their 
lack  of  interest  and  their  difficulty  of  upkeep, 
which,  even  under  the  most  favourable  conditions, 
can  never  rival  a  level  lawn  of  close-cut  turf. 
With  the  present  rage  for  hardy  plants  it  must 
inevitably  follow  that  the  space  usurped  by  grass 
banks  will  be  coveted  for  something  choicer,  and 
in  reviewing  the  various  methods  for  beautifying 
such  a  position,  the  grass  bank  appears  in  its  true 
light  and  is,  after  all,  only  a  makeshift.  Were 
such  a  bank  placed  at  some  distance  from  the 
house,  as  when  it  occurs  as  part  of  the  boundary, 
a  semi-wild  treatment  would  undoubtedly  appeal, 
and  if  massed  with  Rambler  Roses  of  the  wichurai- 
ana  type  and  with  some  regard  to  the  harmonious 
arrangement  of  the  colours,  such  a  bank  would 
become  an  impressive  feature  and  call  for  con- 
siderably less  attention  than  the  weekly  ordeal 
of  mowing  grass.  If  the  space  is  too  restricted 
for  Roses  of  this  class,  the  bank  may  still  be 
rendered  more  interesting  by  introducing  hardy 
bulbs — Daffodils,  Muscari  Heavenly  Blue,  Anemone 
apennina,  Chionodo.xas,  Scillas — and  with  .\utumn 
Crocuses  and  Colchicums  a  moderately  long  season 
of  flowers  would  result.  The  grass  can  be  mown 
at  least  once  in  the  interval  between  the  flowering 
of  the  spring  and  autumn  bulbs. 

When  banks  arise  close  to  the  house,  it  is 
often  more  feasible  to  support  them  with 
walls,  and  so  throw  the  groimd  into  well- 
ordered  terraces.  A  scheme  of  this  character 
offers  great  inducement  to  the  ardent  horticul- 
turist, tor  with  the  wall  built  in  mortar,  either 
with  or  without  the  accessory  balustrade, 
opportunity  is  presented  for  clothing  the  same 
with  the  finest  types  of  Roses,  climbing  plants 
and  half-hardy  shrubs.  Such  a  wall  will  foster 
only  subjects  that  we  have  difficulty  in  cultivating 
in  the  open,  or  whose  beauty  can  only  be  seen 
to  advantage  when  given  the  support  and  shelter 
of  a  wall.  Walls  of  this  character  can  also  be 
profitably  utilised  by  the  addition  of  a  narrow 
border  at  the  foot  wherein  to  plant  subjects  ol 
doubtful  hardihood,  including  Crinuras,  Watsonia, 
Romneya,  Roscoea,  Gerbera,  Agapanthus  moore- 
anus.  Cushion  Iris  and  Iris  stylosa,  Tricyrtis  hirta 
and  Antholyza. 

It  is  frequently  found  desirable  to  afford  a 
thorough  change  in  the  garden  scheme,  and  in 
converting  such  a  bank  into  a  home  for  hardy 
subjects  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  the  picturesque 
effect  of  a  wall  planned  and  planted  on  the  dry- 
wall  principle.  Nearly  any  kind  of  stone  answers 
this  purpose.  Soil  is  used  as  the  binding  material, 
and  into  the  wall  interstices  alpine  plants  are 
introduced  as  the  work  proceeds,  so  that  where 
the  wall  is  built  on  principles  that  have  the  welfare 
of  the  plants  at  heart,  a  riot  of  alpine  life  and  beauty 
bursts  from  the  wall  face  and  instinctively  a  feature 
of  perennial  interest  is  opened  up,  and  the  charm 
and  beauty  of  the  garden  gain  immeasurably  by 
its  presence.  Thomas  Smith. 

Coombs  Court  Gardens,  KingstoH-on-Thames. 


560 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  8,  1913 


TREES      AND      SHRUBS. 

CLERODENDRON     FOtTIDUM. 

WHILE  most  of  the  members  of 
the  Clerodendron  family  require 
tropical  or  warm  greenhouse 
treatment,  there  are  three  species, 
all  natives  of  the  Far  East, 
which  are  fairly  hardy  in  this 
country.  These  are  C.  trichotomum  (the  Kusagi  of 
China  and  Japan),  C.  Fargesii  (a  native  of  China) 


CLERODENDRON    FCETIDUM. 

and  the  subject  of  this  note,  also  from  China.  In 
the  milder  parts  of  the  country  C.  fcetidum  forms 
a  shrub  and  flowers  freely  in  the  open.  In  the 
London  district  the  stems  are  cut  down  to  the 
ground  during  most  winters,  but  this  only  seems 
to  induce  the  plants  to  throw  up  more  vigorous 
growths.  These  are  often  3  feet  to  4  feet  in  height, 
very  sturdy,  with  large,  deep  green,  glossy  leaves 
and  a  terminal  head  of  closely-packed  blossoms 
4  inches  to  5  inches  across.  The  colour  of  tlie 
flowers  is  bright  rosy  red.  The  name  fcetidum 
is  very  misleading,  for  the  flowers  emit  a  pleasing 
fragrance,  and  it  is  only  when  the  stems  are  cut 
or  the  leaves  bruised  that  the  unpleasant  smell, 
denoted  by  the  name,  is  perceptible.  C.  Bungei 
is  a  name  by  which  the  plant  is  sometimes  known. 
Propagation  is  readily  effected  by  pieces  of  the  root. 
Last  winter,  when  forking  through  the  shrubbery 
border  where  the  plants  are  growing,  some  of  the 
roots  were  broken,  and  now  the  surrounding 
ground  is  freely  sprinkled  with  young  plants. 
The  flowers  of  this  shrub  are  often  sent  for 
naming,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  fact  that  the 
plant  readily  establishes  itself  and  throws  up  many 
suckers  from  the  roots.  The  fragrance  of  the 
flowers  has  been  likened  to  that  of  Honeysuckle.     ' 


A     RARE     CHINESE     HORNBEAM. 

(CaRPI.nJUS     POI.\\EirRA.) 

Among  the  numerous  trees  which  exploration 
in  China  has  brought  to  light  during  the  last 
twenty-five  years,  few  are  more  interesting  to  the 
arboriculturist  than  Carpinus  polyneura.  We  are 
indebted  to  Mr.  .\ugustine  Henry  for  its  intro- 
duction, he  having  sent  home  seeds  from  Central 
China  in  1889.  It  is  a  rare  tree,  about  thirty  feet 
in  height,  growing  on  the  mountains  of  Eastern 
Szechuan  and  Western  Hupeh.  Only  one  raised 
from  this  sending  of  seeds  is  now  in  cultivation 
at  Kew.  It  is  now  about  seventeen  feet  in  height. 
The  tree  flowers  and  produces  fruits  almost  every 
year,  but  until  the  autumn  of  1912  no  mature 
seeds  were  found.  .Ajnong  a  quantity  of  seeds 
collected  last  autumn  and  sown  in  October  as 
soon  as  ripe,  several  have  germinated.  Though 
there  are  no  fruits  on  the  tree  this  year,  we 
may  reasonably  hope  that  as  the  specimen 
grows,  having  once  produced  seeds,  the  same 
thing  may  be  expected  again  during  a  favourable 
season. 

The  Chinese  Hornbeam  is  distinguished  from 
other  species  of  the  genus  by  the  comparatively 
small  and  smooth,  flat  leaves,  the  Hornbeams 
generally  being  distinguished  by  the  plicate  leaves. 
The  leaves  of  Carpinus  polvneura  are  not  more 
than  2i  inches  long  by  an  inch  wide,  the  only  other 
species  with  as  small  or  smaller  leaves  being  C. 
orientalis,  a  native  of  South-Eastern  Europe  and 
Western  .\sia. 

SPIR.^A    AITCHISONII. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  tall-growing  shrubby 
Spiraeas  or  Meadow-sweets.  It  is  a  native  of 
Afghanistan,  and  grows  about  ten  feet  in  height. 
The  plants  make  long,  arching 
growths,  which  in  summer  are 
clothed  with  handsome  pinnate 
leaves  up  to  a  foot  in  length. 
The  flowering  season  is  July  and 
.August,  when  the  large  bushes 
are  a  pleasing  sight  with  the 
large  terminal  panicles,  '  ij  feet 
to  2  feet  long,  consisting  of 
quantities  of  small,  white  flowers. 
This  Spiriea  makes  a  good  lawn 
specimen,  and  is  also  very  effec- 
tive when  massed  in  large  beds 
or  in  the  shrubbery  border. 

Seeds,  which  ripen  freely  on 
the  bushes,  form  a  ready  means 
of  propagation.  The  plants  delight 
in  a  deep,  loamy  soil,  with  an 
annual  mulching  of  old  decayed 
manure.  By  annual  pruning  in 
February  or  March,  the  grower 
can,  to  a  considerable  extent, 
restrict  the  size  or  otherwise  of 
the  bushes.  The  growths  made 
the  previous  year  should  be  cut 
back  to  within  2  inches  or 
3  inches  of  the  old  wood,  unless 
it  is  desired  to  increase  the  size 
of  the  bushes,  when  correspond- 
ingly longer  growths  must  be 
left.  Usually,  each  year  one  or 
two  vigorous  growths  push  up 
from  the  base  ;  these  should  be 
merely  topped,  cutting  out  one  or 
two  of  the  old  stems  as  they 
become  exhausted  from  constant 
hard  pruning.  A.  O. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


ROSE-GROWING  IN  TOWN  GARDENS. 

IT  is  unnecessary  to  point  out  that,  in  Rose- 
growing,  the  town  gardener  is  handicapped 
beyond  his  country  cousin.  He  finds  this  out 
for  himself  with  the  first  Crimson  Rambler 
he  buys.  His  season  begins  with  the  aphis 
and  ends  with  the  mildew,  and  all  too 
frequently  he  lets  it  go  at  that.  Now,  aphis  may 
be  readily  overcome,  and  even  mildew  yields  to 
treatment  ;  therefore,  if  he  be  a  true  enthusiast,  he 
will  rise  superior  to  these  difficulties,  though,  in 
order  to  do  so,  he  may  have  to  "  stoop  to  conquer  " 
in  a  rather  too  literal  sense.  The  situation  of  his 
Rose  beds  is  an  all-important  matter  to  the 
suburban  grower.  Roses  delight  in  an  abundance 
of  air  and  sunshine,  and,  if  his  garden  offers  many 
places  whence  these  can  be  obtained,  he  is  excep- 
tionally fortunate.  In  any  case  the  best  position 
for  the  beds  will  be  towards  the  north-west  corner 
of  the  garden,  as  far  away  from  the  house  and  walls 
or  fences  as  space  will  permit.  Here  the  plants 
will  get  the  fullest  benefit  from  the  early  morning 
sun,  and  will  be  sheltered  from  the  north  winds. 

Soil  is,  of  course,  one  of  the  first  considerations. 
It  is  generally  known  that  the  best  rooting  medium 
for  Roses  is  a  heavy  maiden  loam,  with  a  liberal 
admixture  of  decayed  manure.  This  is  the  ideal ; 
in  actual  practice  most  Roses  have  to  put  up  with 
much  less.  In  making  up  the  beds,  however,  one 
must  always  bear  in  mind  that  the  main  require- 
ments of  the  roots  are  free  drainage,  aeration  and 
a  constant  supply  of  moisture.  The  first  two  are 
obtained  by  thoroughly  trenching  the  ground,  the 
last  by  adding  clay  where  the  soil  is  hght.  The  town 
Rose-grower   should    import    clay  when    necessary. 


SPIR/EA    AJTCHISONIl. 


November  S,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


561 


even  before  manure,  yet  few  seem  to  trouble  ! 
about  doing  so.  Instead  of  spending  all  the  money 
on  his  plants,  it  would  pay  the  gardener  much  better, 
and  give  infinitely  more  satisfaction,  if  he  were  to 
lay  out  half  of  it  in  preparing  the  ground  for 
them. 

One  of  the  most  important  elemeiUs  of  the  soil 
is  lime,  and  this  is  frequently  deficient  in  town 
gardens.  Roses  require  an  ample  supply  of  it,  and, 
where  necessary,  it  should  be  added  when  the  beds 
are  made  up.  For  heavy  soils  slaked  lime  is  best, 
and  should  be  dug  in  at  the  rate  of  half  a  pound  to 
the  square  yard.  To  light  soils  add  pulverised 
chalk  in  the  proportion  of  2lb.  to  the  square  yard. 
Of  course,  where  the  subsoil  is  chalk,  no  addition  o( 
lime  will  be  required.  The  earth  with  which  the 
iDwn  gardener  has  to  cope,  often  enough,  consists 
of  old  worn-out  soil,  which  previous  occupants 
have  thoughtfully  enriched  with  cinder  ashes.  The 
only  way  to  deal  with  this  is  to  entirely  remove  the 
top  spit,  and  after  the  remainder  has  been  dug  up 
and  liberaJly  dressed  with  horse  or  cow  manure 
(according  to  whether  it  is  heavy  or  light),  fresh 
loam  must  be  brought  in  to  replace  the  soil 
that    was    taken    away. 

Thoroughly  trenching; 
and  manuring  the  ground 
is  an  actual  necessity  if 
Roses  are  to  be  grown 
successfully,  and  it  is  far 
better  to  make  but  one 
Rose  bed  properly  than 
to  have  several  which  are 
only  forked  over.  The 
manure  used  should 
always  be  in  a  well- 
rotted  condition,  and  it 
must  be  free  from  shav- 
ings or  other  objection- 
•  ible  material.  Horse 
manure  from  tarred  roads 
should  on  no  account  be 
used,  nor  any  manure  to 
which  disinfectants  have 
been  added. 

Of  artilicial  manures, 
bone-meal  is  one  of  the 
most  useful.  It  should  be 
applied,  when  the  ground 
is  trenched,  at  the  rate  of 
lib.  to  every  three  yards, 

and  subsequently  used  as  an  autumn  dressing 
combined  vrith  sulphate  of  potash.  Take  three  parts 
of  the  bone-meal  to  one  part  of  potash,  sprinkle 
a  small  handful  around  each  tree  and  fork  in  lightly. 
For  early  spring  a  good  manure,  and  one  which  is 
lasting  in  its  effects,  is  made  up  as  follows  ;  Super- 
phosphate of  lime,  izlb.  ;  kainit,  lolb.  ;  Epsom 
salts,  alb.  ;  sulphate  of  iron,  lib.  ;  and  plaster  of 
Paris,  81b.  Mix  well  together  and  apply  a  small  hand- 
ful to  each  square  yard  during  February  or  March. 

For  summer  feeding  nothing  is  better  than  cow- 
manure  water,  well  diluted.  Soot  water  is 
frequently  recommended,  but  its  manurial  value  is 
derived  only  from  a  small  and  varying  percentage 
of  sulphate  of  ammonia.  Since  the  latter  may  be 
purchased  very  cheaply,  and  is  cleaner  and  easier 
to  handle,  it  is  in  every  way  to  be  preferred.  Half 
an  oimce  to  a  gallon  of  water  is  a  safe  proportion, 
and  used  thus  it  is  an  invaluable  stimulant  for  an 
exliibitor,  as  it  adds  materially  to  the  size  and  colour 
of  the  blooms  ;  but  it  should  only  be  applied  when 
plants  are  in  bud,  allowing  an  interval  of  a  week 
or  more  between  the  applications.  In  feeding 
Roses   it    must     be    remembered     that    stimulants 


should  be  used  only  on  established  plants  that  are 
growing  freely,  and  that  the  ground  should  always 
be  in  a  moist  condition  before  the  fertihser  is  applied. 
.Another  important  point  is  to  vary  the  diet  as 
much  as  possible,  and  apply  it  only  in  a  weak 
solution.  In  my  next  article  I  will  deal  with  the 
principal  pests  of  the  town  Rose  garden. 

Thornlon  Heiilh.  P.   L.  CIoudard. 


ROSES     IN     THE     WILD    GARDEN. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  in  favour  of  what 
is  termed  "  wild  gardening."  In  some  large 
private  gardens  a  portion  of  the  grounds,  generally 
a  considerable  distance  from  the  mansion  or  from 
the  formal  garden,  is  set  aside  for  "  natural " 
gardening.  There  are  a  large  number  of  subjects 
suitable  for  this  work,  but  none  so  effective  as 
Roses  when  allowed  to  ramble  at  will.  The 
common  Dog  Rose,  with  its  shoots  laden  with 
flowers,  also  gives  a  colour  effect  with  its  hips 
in  the  autumn.  There  are  many  varieties  of  the 
wichuraiana  and  other  types  that  may  be  used. 
Big  clumps  of  one  kind  should  be  planted.  Rosa 
rugosa  is  especially  suitable  wliere  cover  is  wanted 


AN    IMOK.M.VL    BANK    OU    KOSL    ALBtKlC    BAKBIliU 


for  birds,  as  both  pheasants  and  partridges  are 
fond  of  the  pulp  of  the  fruit. 

Of  the  early-flowering  set  we  have  Alberic 
Barbier,  Pink  Roamer,  Jersey  Beauty,  Leuchtstern 
and  Blush  Rambler,  to  mention  a  few.  Perhaps 
the  Austrian  Copper  and  Austrian  Yellow  are 
worthy  of  special  mention,  the  colouring  when 
ill  bold  masses  being  charming.  The  Japanese 
Roses  (Rosa  rugosa)  also  give  a  variety  of  colour. 
The  following  are  of  vigorous  growth  :  Atro- 
purpurea,  alba,  fimbriata,  rubra  and  repens  alba. 
The  latter  is  of  a  more  graceful  habit.  Pink 
wichuraiana,  white  wichuraiana,  wichuraiana  rubra. 
Crimson  Rambler  and  Dorothy  Perkins  are  a  lew 
that  give  a  successive  display. 

In  small  gardens  there  are  generally  odd  corners 
or  a  tree  stump  which  Roses  may  be  made  to  trail 
over.  A  few  varieties  that  do  well  anywhere 
are  Dimdee  Rambler,  Virginia  Rambler,  Felicit6 
Perpetue,  Flora,  Longworth  Rambler  and  Thalia. 
For  forming  hedges  or  covering  unsightly  hedges 
nothing  equals  the  Penzance  Briars,  of  which  there 
are  several  good  varieties.  The  flowers  are  followed 
by  large  quantities  of  scarlet  hips.  A.   J.   H. 


IN     A     HAMPSHIRE    GARDEN. 

SO.ME     OF   THE     NEWER     RoSES. 

{Conlinucd  from  page  549.) 
Evelyn  Dauntesey  (S.  McGredy  and  Son, 
rgii). — A.  striking  Rose  of  good  habit  and  form  ; 
colour,  soft  salmon  pink,  and  outer  petals  carmine 
rose  with  a  deeper  centre.  ."Vfter  the  style  of 
the  old  Danmark,  a  sport  from  La  France,  but 
much  deeper  in  colour  and  stronger  in  growth. 
Should  make  a  good  exhibition  Rose.  I  remember 
seeing  some  very  good  specimens  at  Newport 
(Isle  of  Wight)  Show  this  last  season,  exhibited 
by  the  Locksheath  Nurseries.  Their  Rose  manager 
thought  a  great  deal  of  the  Rose,  and  strongly 
recommended  it  to  me.  I  have  not  grown  it, 
but  shall  do  so  next  season. 
Frau    Margrethe    Moller    (Poulsen,    1912).— 

.\iiothir  Rose  that  I  have  not  grown,  but  that 
I  am  told  by  more  than  one  grower  is  going  to 
be  useful.  Messrs.  Frank  Cant  had  some  fine 
flowers  at  the  "  National."  Colour,  a  good  deep 
pink>  with  a  lighter  edge  to  the  petal,  fragrant 
and  a  good  grower.  It  was  described  as  one 
of  the  best  of  the 
Continental  Roses  of 
1912. 
Fernieburst  (Alex. 

Dickson  and  Sons, 
Limited,  191 1). — A  beau- 
tiful Rose  this  when  you 
can  get  it,  but  it  has 
not  been  very  free- 
flowering  with  me.  Per- 
haps its  very  upright 
liabit  is  against  the  free- 
flowering  character, 
("olour,  pale  fawn,  with 
a  suggestion  of  pink.  A 
good  flower  is  very  well 
finished,  a  model  in  its 
way,  that  has  the 
appearance  of  being 
carved  out  of  wax.  Its 
foliage  is  very  fine,  large 
and  leathery,  and  a  good 
bronze  green.  The  flower 
is  slightly  scented  rather 
than  strongly  perfumed. 
The  flowers  are  quite  full 
size. 
George  Dickson  (.Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
191 2). — I  have  already  referred  to  this  Rose  at 
some  length  in  my  general  review.  I  only  now 
mention  it  to  say  it  is  the  finest  exhibition  Rose 
of  its  colour,  and  every  fxhibitor  must  have  it 
unless  he  wishes  to  be  severely  handicapped. 

George  Reimers  (Soupert  et  Notting,  1910). — 

I  am  afraid  after  two  years'  trial  this  Rose  must 
be  said  to  be  of  no  use  for  e.xhibition.  It  is  a  good 
red  for  the  garden,  but  that  is  the  most  that  can 
be  said  of  it  here.  Further  North,  where  it  could 
grow  more  slowly,  it  might  occasionally  be  useful. 

Geoffrey  HenslOW  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
Limited,  191 2). — This  is  a  very  fine  piece  of  colour, 
a  much  deeper  shade  than  G.  C.  Waud,  but  of  the 
same  brilliancy,  which  is  called  orange  crimson. 
The  flowers  are  globular,  imbricated  and  of  good 
substance.  A  fine  exhibition  flower,  a  good 
grower,  erect,  fairly  free-flowering  and  deliciously 
scented.  Will  be  confused  with  the  Hybrid 
Perpetual  of  the  same  name,  but  this,  the  Hybrid 
Tea,  is  to  be  preferred  of  the  two. 

James  Ferguson  (Ferguson,  1911). — .A  silvery 
pink   sport    from   Caroline   Testout,   with   which  it 


562 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  8,  1913 


is  identical  in  every  other  respect.  I  have  had 
some  beautiful  tlowers  ot  it  from  my  two 
plants,  and  it  is  worth  making  a  note  of.  It 
is  probably  the  best  of  the  many  Caroline  Testout 
sports. 

Jonkheer  J.  L.  Mock  (Leenders,  igio). — A 
fine  exhibition  Rose,  a  very  deep  pink  bicolor,  of 
good  shape  and  with  a  great  deal  of  substance.  A 
fine  grower,  frequently  exhibited,  with  good,  largo 
flowers  that  are  very  fragrant.  It  has,  I  think, 
come  to  stay,  and  those  who  have  not  grown  it 
should  try  it.  In  a  list  of  twenty  new  Hybrid 
Teas  that  Mr.  Mawley  asked  the  leading  growers 
and  amateurs  in  the  kingdom  to  place  in  order  of 
merit  last  autumn  for  the  purposes  of  his  Rose 
.Analysis,  this  Rose  took  the  high  place  of  fifth 
in  the  table,  the  trade  placing  it  even  higher, 
namely,    third.     It   was   very   good   with   me   last 


in  plenty.  It  is  a  robust  rather  than  a  vigorous 
grower,  and  produces  one  flower  at  the  end  of 
each  shoot  that  grows  very  slowly.  From  its 
perfume  one  would  judge  there  is  a  good  deal  of 
Tea  blood,  possibly  Maman  Cochet,  in  its  veins. 
The  wood  is  stiff  enough  to  hold  the  flowers  erect, 
and  they  do  not  require  staking  ;  but  it  would 
require  protection  in  a  wet  season.  Quite  a 
reliable  Rose  for  an  exhibition,  but  useless  for  any 
other  purpose. 

Lady  Greenall  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1911). — 
One  of  the  most  beautiful  Roses  I  know,  but 
hardly  large  enough  for  the  exhibition  boxes, 
and  I  will  refer  to  it  under  the  garden  Roses 
later. 

La  Galissiere  (Schwartz,  1909). — A  large, 
rather  loosely-formed  flower,  a  bicolor,  bright 
silvery    rose,    reverse    carmine.     I    have    seen    it 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

FLOWER    BORDERS     AT     AMPNEY 
PARK,    CIRENCESTER. 

I  SHALL  be  very  pleased  if  you  think  this 
photograph  of  my  borders  is  suitable  for 
The  Garden,  They  have  been  full  of 
colour  this  summer  and  much  admired. 
The  hedge  at  the  back  is  a  mass  of  red 
Dahlias  of  different  shades.  The  tall  plants 
are  Michaelmas  Daisies  ot  different  sorts,  with 
large  groups  of  Anemone  japonica  (white).  Del- 
phiniums (some  of  which  are  flowering  for  the 
second  time),  Spirjea  Aruncus,  Paeonies,  &c.  We 
fill  up  spaces  with  annuals,  and  this  year  have 
large  patches  of  Pentstemon  Southgate  Gem, 
Coreopsis,  Cosmea,  Alonsoa,  Browallia,  Zinnia, 
Salvia  Bluebeard,  S.  farinacea,  &c. 
Cirencester.  A.  Cripps. 


and 


BORDERS    OF    HARDY    FLOWERS    IN    A    GLOUCESTERSHIRE    GARDEN. 


season  (1912),  and  has,  I  think,  been  even  better 
this. 

King  George  V.  (Hugh  Dickson  and  Son,  1912). 
— A  rather  large  flower,  deep  velvety  plum  colour, 
that  is  only  at  its  best  for  a  short  period.  Unlike 
most  of  these  dark-coloured  Roses, it  opens  freely,and 
I  have  seen  some  fine  flowers  of  it  ;  but,  personally, 
the  colour  is  not  one  that  appeals  to  me.  A  good 
grower  and  strongly  scented. 

Lady  Barham  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1911). — 
A  Rose  after  the  exhibitor's  lieart.  He  knows 
when  he  puts  it  in  his  box  that  it,  at  any  rate, 
will  stand.  Very  large  flowers  of  globular  shape  ; 
colour,  flesh,  dull  rather  than  briglit,  an  enormous 
number  of  petals  packed  so  tightly  that  many  of 
them  can  never  see  the  light.  It  has  been  good 
this  year.  A  very  fine  flower  took  the  silver  medal 
for  the  best  Hybrid  Tea  for  Messrs.  Prior  at 
Southampton.     Weight     and    substance    are    here 


exhibited  lighter  in  shade   than   J.    L.    Mock,   but 
it  is  a  similar  stamp  of  flower. 

Leslie  Holland  (Hugh  Dickson  and  Son,  1911). 
— A  wonderful  colour,  very  free-flowering,  sweetly 
scented,  but  very  little  good  for  exhibition.  Down 
here  in  Hampshire  it  opens  too  quickly  to  stand 
the  strain  of  a  joiurney  in  a  box.  In  a  cooler  clime 
it  would,  no  doubt,  behave  differently.  Here 
I  must  call  it  only  a  garden  Rose,  but  probably 
the  very  best  of  its  colour,  growth,  habit  and  free- 
flowering  being  all  prominently  good.  A  cool 
season  will  probably  suit  it  better,  and  it  will 
then  be  exhibited  for  its  colour,  which  is  brilliant. 
It  has  been  shown  in  wonderful  form,  with 
large  flowers  of  great  substance,  by  the  raisers. 
Moreover,  it  has  been  awarded  the  gold  medal 
of  the  National  Rose  Society. 

Southampton.  Herbert  E.  Molyneux. 

{To  be  continued.) 


THE    CAMPANULAS    OR 
BELLFLOWBRS. 

(Continued  from  page  551.) 
C.  latiloba. — See  C.  grandis. 

C.  Leutweini. — A  foot  high, 
making  a  tuft  of  neat  blue  flowers  in 
June.  A  Greek  species,  liking  a  rather 
drv  soil. 

C.  Medium. — The  well-known  Can- 
terbury Bell  requires  no  mention 
•urther.  With  its  calycanthema  varie- 
ties it  is  one  of  our  most  valuable 
border  biennials.  Sow  early  to  have 
good  plants  the  following  vear. 

C.  michauxioides.  —  A  handsome 
species,  but  practically  biennial,  and 
giving  in  July  tall  spikes  of  loosely- 
arranged,  open,  light  blue  flowers. 
Seeds  sown  in  May  or  June. 

C.  nobilis. — This  seems  closely  akin 
to  C.  punctata,  and  has  red-violet  or 
u-hite  flowers.  It  does  not  appear  to 
be  very  perennial,  and  should  be 
propagated  by  seeds  or  division. 
Twelve  inches  to  18  inches  high.  June 
and  July. 

C.  patula. — A  rather  coarse  native, 
about  two  feet  high,  with  panicles 
of  purplish  blue  flowers.  Division  or 
seeds.     Partial  shade.     July. 

C.  persicifolia. — The  most  valuable 
of  the  taller  Campanulas,  C.  persici 
folia  is  now  most  varied  in  appear- 
ance and  in  colouring.      It  grows  from 

2  feet  to  6  feet  or  more  in  height  (we  have 
seen  Moerheimi  about  seven  feet),  is  from  white  to 
deep  blue,  and  the  flowers,  opening  in  June  and 
July,  vary  greatly  in  form.  Some  are  broad  and 
flat,  others  are  longer,  while  some  are  of  the  caly- 
canthema or  "  cup-and-saucer "  type,  the  calyx 
being  of  the  same  colour  as  the  corollas.  The 
double  varieties  are  very  handsome,  and  the  old 
C.  p.  fl.-pl.  has  been  superseded  by  newer  varieties. 
Moerheimi  is  one  of  the  finest  double  whites, 
humosa  being  a  charming  blue  one,  but  there  are 
many  other  good  varieties.  Division  or  seeds. 
Plant  in  good  soil. 

C.  primulaefolia. — This  was  a  biennial  with  the 
writer,  and  is  not  of  much  value.     From  i  foot  to 

3  feet  high,  with  a  spike  of  purple  flowers.  Seeds.  July. 

C.  pulcherrima. — Very  like  C.  elegans. 
C.    pyramidalis. — A  well-known   pot   or   border 
plant,    known    as    the    Chimney    Campanula.      It 


>itpf>Uiiunt  to  THE  GARDEN,  November  Htli,  1913. 


\ 


SOME   GOOD 

BORDER  CARNATIONS: 

1.  Firefly.  3.  Mrs.  H.  Brotherstone. 

I  Goldilocks.         4.  Daisy  Walker. 
5.     Queen  Eleanor. 


Hudson  3  Kearns.  Ltd..  Printers,  London.  S.E. 


November  8,  191 3.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


563 


IS  unnecessary  ti)  say  anything  regarding  it,  except 
that  it  is  not  often  long-lived  in  the  border,  and  is 
best  treated  as  a  biennial.  Flowers  in  the  open 
in  July.     Sow  in  May. 

C.  rapiinculoides. — .•^  rather  coarse  native 
species,  with  spikes  of  drooping  blue  flowers. 
Inclined  to  run  at  the  roots,  though  not  so  much 
so  as  C.  Rapunculus.     Division  or  seeds.     July. 

C.  Rapunculus. — This  should  be  banned  from 
every  yard™,  so  troublesome  does  it  become. 
It  grows  from  t   foot  to  4  feet  high,  and  is  blue. 

July. 

C.  sibirica. — From  12  inches  to  18  inches  high 
and  with  panicles  of  drooping  violet  flowers,  C. 
sibirica  sufiers  from  being  only 
a  biennial.  The  form  divergens 
is  pleasing,  while  C.  s.  eximea  is 
a  choicer  plant  in  every  way, 
with  violet  flowers  also.  Seeds. 
C.  Hohenackeri  is  practically  a 
form  of  this,  with  violet  flowers, 
Jime  and  Julv. 

C.   Trachelium  or   C.  urticae- 

folia.  —  The  Nettle- leaved  Bell- 
flower  is  a  rather  coarse  but 
useful  plant  for  the  border. 
The  flowers  are  blue  or  white, 
and  are  in  good  spikes.  The 
double  form,  C.  Trachelium  fl.-pl., 
.md  its  white  variety  alba  were 
at  one  time  much  cultivated,  but 
they  are  now  less  frequently 
^een.  Comes  freely  from  seeds 
.ind  grows  anywhere.  Height 
from  I  foot  to  4  feet.  June  and 
July. 

C.  Tymonsi. — A  pretty  hybrid 
about  a  foot  high,  with  spikes 
of  light  blue  flowers.  Said  to 
be  of  the  same  parentage  as  C. 
Hendersoni.  Division  or  cuttings. 
June. 

C.  van  Houttei. — A  handsome 
hybrid  for  the  border  or  rock 
garden,  and  with  good  purple 
flowers.     Common  soil.     June   and 

July. 

C.  versicolor. — There  are  three 
versicolors  in  the  trade,  one  a 
poor  biennial,  3  feet  or  so  high, 
with  small  blue  flowers ;  another, 
a  pleasing  pale  blue  subject  about 
a  foot  high,  but  a  shy  bloomer ; 
and  a  third  about  a  foot  high  with 
blue  and  white  flowers.     July. 

C.  Vidali. — A  lovely  shrubby 
species  with  succulent,  glossy 
foliage  and  charming  pale  blue 
flowers  in  July  and  August,  but 
only  of  value  in  the  warmest 
parts  of  England  and  Ireland.  Seeds  or  cuttings. 
One  foot  to  2  feet  high. 

ANNUAL    CAMPANULAS. 

These  call  for  little  notice,  and  the  prettiest  are 
C.  drabaefolia  or  attica,  a  charming  dwarf  hardy 
annual  only  a  few  inches  high.  C.  Loreyi  or 
ramosissima,  6  inches  to  12  inches  high,  blue ; 
and  the  handsome  C.  raacrostyla,  purple,  with 
ornamental  projecting  styles,  are  good  border 
plants.  C.  dichotoma,  C.  Loefilingii,  C  phrygia 
and  C.  strigosa  have  all  been  in  cultivation,  though 
it  is  not  easy  to  procure  seeds  of  these.  Sow  in 
the  same  manner  as  other  hardy  or  half-hardy 
annuals.  S.   .\rnott. 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PLATE   1480. 

HARDY     BORDER     CARNATIONS. 

A    I'TER      dealing    so    frequently     with     the 

/%  Tree     or     Perpetual-flowering    Cama- 

/    %         tions,  it  is  a  pleasant  change  to  place 

/       %       before    our    readers    some    up-to-date 

^  ^     varieties      of     these      hardy      border 

favourites,    blooming    as    they    do   in 

great   profusion   froiii   June   until   November,   and 

bred   to   endure   the   most'  rigorous  winter.      The 

five   varieties  of  which   a  coloured   plate   is   given 


]  Clove-scented  variety  that  has  proved  the  most 
popular  of  the  year,  .\ward  of  meri^  of  the  Royal 
llnrtii  iihural  Society,  July,  igrj. 

Queen  Eleanor.— This  fancy  .Mr.  Douglas 
considers  his  best  introduction  to  this  class.  A 
lovely  apricot  ground,  edged  and  suffused  with 
fiery  scarlet,  fading  to  blood  red.  One  of  the  most 
frequently  exhibited  flowers  of  the  past  two  years. 
Goldilocks  is  a  self  of  the  true  apricot  shade 
and  ut  pc  rfert  form,  and,  owing  to  its  robust  con- 
stitution, is  a  valuable  addition  to  this  popular 
colour. 

Daisy  Walker. — This  is  the  white-ground  fancy 
that  u'aiiicrl  the  coveted  distinction  of  a  first-class 
certificate  of  the  National  Car- 
nation Society  last  July,  and 
won  for  its  raiser  the  challenge 
trophy.  It  is,  no  doubt,  the  last 
word  in  this  increasingly  popular 
type,  its  ground  a  pure  white, 
barred  and  pencilled  a  rosy  scarlet, 
and  by  unanimous  opinion  judged 
to  be  the  best-shaped  white- 
ground  variety  extant.  The  stock 
of  this  is  to  be  distributed  in  I9r4, 
and  is  held  by  Mr.  J.  Douglas, 
Edenside,  Great  Bookham,  to  whom 
we  are  indebted  for  the  flowers  of 
all  the  five  varieties  from  which  our 
coloured  plate  was  prepared. 


THE  GREENHOUSE. 


CAUL  I 

T 


A    DELIGHTFUL    BELLFLOWER  :      CAMP.\NUL.\    PERSICIFOLIA    HUiMOSA 


with  this  issue  were  raised  and  distributed  by 
Mr.  James  Douglas  of  Great  Bookham,  who  for 
a  quarter  of  a  century  has  been  engaged  in  improving 
this  type. 

Firefly,  a  bright  scarlet  of  perfect  shape  and 
ideal  border  habit,  was  exhibited  at  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society's  meeting  -in  July  last,  and 
received  a  unanimous  award  of  merit. 

Mrs.  Andrew  Brotherstone. — No  painting  can 
do  justice  to  the  quaint  beauty  of  this  remarkable 
flower,  its  petal  being  perfect  and  the  outline  of 
the  flower  rivalling  the  Gardenia  in  shape,  the 
colour  a  mole  carmine,  curiously  and  beautifully 
spotted      with      white      markings.     A      powerfu'.ly 


EARLY    TULIPS   HV    POTS. 

WO  or  three  "  things  th 
know,"  culled  from  my 
own  experience,  may 
happen  to  be  useful  to 
some  who  are  growing 
these  early  varieties. 
(i)  I  find  that  I  am  more  suc- 
cessful with  them  when  I  place 
the  pots  in  a  cold  frame  with 
a  dark  covering  over  the  lights 
than  if  I  "  plimge  "  them  in  any- 
thing.. I  am  able  to  so  manage 
things  that  air  can  be,  and  is, 
given,  except  in  very  severe  weather, 
all  day  and  night.  This  is  very 
necessary.  (2)  I  believe  that  a  con- 
siderable time  may  be  gained  if  the 
newly-potted  bulbs  are  placed  in 
darkness  under  the  staging  or 
elsewhere  in  a  warm  greenhouse 
where  the  temperature  can  be  kept 
about  50^.  They  come  on  very 
quickly  in  such  positions,  and  as 
it  also  draws  up  the  foliage,  they 
can  remain  there  a  certain  time 
after  top  growth  has  conmienced. 
L'nfortunately,  during  this  period  green  fly  is 
apt  to  be  extra  troublesome,  and  a  constant 
watch  has  to  be  kept  for  its  imwelcome  appear- 
ance, when  prompt  steps  must  at  once  be  taken  to 
send  the  little  pests  about  other  business. 
(3)  People  frequently  complain  of  some  of  their 
Tulips  flow-ering  low  down  close  to  the  soil  without 
any  length  of  stem.  This  often  arises  from  dry- 
ness at  the  roots  at  some  period  of  their  growth, 
for  no  plants  are  more  susceptible  to  a  want  of 
adequate  moisture  than  Tulips.  It  may  be, 
however,  their  innate  habit  which  requires  correct- 
ing by  a  course  of  dark  confinement  in  the  earlier 
stages  of  growth.     Some,  such  as  Prince  de  Ligny 


564 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  8,  1913. 


and  Prince  of  Austria,  do  not  want ,  it  ;  others, 
for  example,  Proserpine  and  Yellow  Prince,  do. 
(4)  There  is  no  doubt  that  size  of  bloom  and  size 
of  pot  are  almost  interchangeable  terms.  By  the 
.application  of  manurial  aids  extra  size  can  be 
obtained  when  the  plants  are  overcrowded,  but  it 
is  at  the  expense  of  their  habit.  I  like  to  see  well- 
developed  leaves  just  as  much  as  fine  flowers,  and 
that  is  why  I  am  always  preaching  against  over- 
crowding. Long,  delicate-looking,  weakly  leaves 
are  unnatural,  and  any  treatment  that  tends  to 
produce  such  must  be  dealt  with  as  one  proverbially 
does  with  poison.  For  example,  Van  Gooyen, 
one  of  the  cheapest  of  all  the  early 
varieties,  is  remarkable  for  its  hand- 
some foliage — broad,  large  and  very 
silvery.  The  flower  is  like  a  medium- 
sized  pale  Cottage  Maid,  borne  on 
long,  sturdy  stems.  Overcrowding 
would  entirely  alter  its  character, 
and  a  lovely  plant  would  be 
spoilt.  Joseph  Jacob. 


attention  in  this  respect.  The  various  subjects 
that  go  wholly  or  partially  to  rest  naturally  require 
much  less  water  at  this  season,  but  those  of  an 
evergreen  nature  must  always  be  kept  moist. 
To  this  section  belong  such  subjects  as  Azaleas 
and  Heaths,  as  well  as  the  different  plants  in 
flower.  Chrysanthemums  whose  blooms  are  ex- 
panded or  rapidly  approaching  that  stage  are 
very  liable  to  decay  if  there  is  a  spell  of  damp 
weather  and  too  much  atmospheric  moisture  in 
the  structure.  In  this  case  a  good  plan  is,  even  if 
the  weather  is  fairly  warm,  to  use  a  little  fire-heat, 
and  this,  combined  with   a  liberal  amount  of  air, 


THE   AMATEUR'S  GREEN- 
HOUSE    IN    AUTUMN. 

By  now  all  tender  subjects  that  it 
is  desired  to  keep  throughout  the 
winter  should  be  imder  cover,  as 
sharp  frosts  may  set  in  at  any  time. 
With  so  many  plants  for  which  to 
provide  accommodation,  there  is  a 
great  tendency  to  overcrowd  the 
greenhouse,  and  if  this  is  carried  to 
the  extreme,  failure  in  many  cases 
must  be  anticipated.  Plants  that 
have  been  outside  for  some  time  will 
otten  have  a  few  destructive  insects 
or  slugs  thereon,  and  for  this  reason 
every  one  should  be  carefully  exa- 
mined before  they  are  taken  indoors. 
Even  then  some  may  be  overlooked, 
and  such  as  aphides  or  green  fly 
readily  increase  when  subjected  to 
warmer  conditions.  Should  there  be 
the  least  sign  of  these  pests,  a  very 
good  plan  is  to  vaporise  with  one  of 
the  nicotiBe  preparations  that  are 
now  to  be  obtained,  as  vaporising 
is  much  safer  and  gives  less  trouble 
than  when  fumigating  is  resorted  to. 
Another  point  to  bear  promi- 
nently in  mind  is  that  the  plants 
which  have  been  out  of  doors,  per- 
haps for  months,  have  been  fully 
exposed  to  the  air,  so  that,  when 
they  are  taken  into  the  greenhouse, 
that  structure  should  not  be  kept 
too  close,  otherwise  many  subjects 
may  be  injuriously  affected.  If  this 
is  not  attended  to,  some  even  of 
the  evergreen  subjects  will  lose  a  good  many  of 
their  leaves.  It  is,  therefore,  evident  that  a  reason- 
able amount  of  air  must  be  left  at  all  times  on 
the  greenhouse,  provided  there  is  no  actual  frost, 
though  direct  draughts  must,  as  far  as  possible, 
be  avoided.  Watering,  too,  is  also  another  impor- 
tant consideration,  for  whereas  in  the  height  of 
summer  it  is  best  done^in  the  evening,  so  that  the 
plants  may  imbibe  moisture  during  the  night, 
it  should  now  be  carried  out  in  the  morning,  in 
order  that  the  superabimdant  moisture  may  be 
quickly  dried  up.  At  this  season  of  the  year, 
too,  plants  dry  much  less  rapidly  than  in  the 
summer,  and  consequently  will  not  need  so  much 


season,  the  temperature  may  without  risk  descend 
to  45°  at  night,  rising  during  the  daytime. 

Fuchsias  lose  their  leaves  during  the  winter, 
and  when  dormant  they  require  very  little  water, 
only  just  sufficient  to  prevent  them  being  parched 
up.  They  will  also  do  with  a  moderate  amount 
of  light,  on  which  account  they  are,  in  order  to 
economise  room,  often  wintered  underneath  the 
stage  of  the  greenhouse.  This  has  one  marked 
drawback,  inasmuch  as  they  get  the  drip  from  the 
stage  when  the  plants  thereon  are  watered. 

Pelargoniums  of  the  Zonal  and  Ivy-leaved 
sections  that  have  been  bedded  out  during  the 
summer  should  be  lifted,  shortened 
back,  the  long,  straggling  roots  cut 
off,  and  be  potted  in  comparatively 
small  pots  or  laid  thickly  in  shallow 
boxes.  If  they  are  given  a  good 
watering  when  first  potted,  no  more 
will  be  required  for  some  time,  as 
these  Pelargoniums  need  but  little 
water  during  the  winter  months,  for 
they  are  better  if  kept  dry  and  in 
a  partially  dormant  condition.  This, 
of  course,  does  not  apply  to  those 
that  are  to  flower  in  the  winter,  as 
for  them  increased  heat  and  water 
are  very  necessary.  In  any  case, 
Pelargoniums  should  have  as  light  a 
position  as  possible,  a  remark  that 
also  applies  to  Heliotrope  and  Ver- 
bena. For  those  that  are  more  or 
less  dormant,  such  as  Lantanas, 
Cannas,  Agapanthus  and  Hippe^ 
astrums,  light  is  not  so  essential.  It 
is  a  great  advantage  to  frequently 
shift  the  plants  about,  as  by  passing 
them  through  the  hand  any  signs  of 
decay  or  other  troubles  may  be 
detected,  and  as  far  as  possible 
remedied.  Above  all,  never  leave 
decaying  foliage  on  the  plants  or 
lying  about  in  the  house.       H.  P. 


THE    NEW    PRIM\_'LA    LA    LORl^AINE. 

will  serve  to  dissipate  the  excess  of  moisture. 
At  the  same  time,  too  dry  an  atmosphere  must 
be  avoided,  as  it  is  decidedly  injurious  to  plants 
in  general.  Should  frost  penetrate  into  the  green- 
house, do  not  on  any  account  rush  up  the  tempera- 
ttire  by  means  of  fire-heat,  but  cover  up  the  struc- 
ture so  that  the  plants  are  in  the  dark,  and  allow 
them  to  thaw  gradually.  The  different  flowering 
subjects,  such  as  Carnations,  Zonal  Pelargoniums 
and  Primulas,  need  a  light,  buoyant  atmosphere 
and  a  temperature  of  50°  to  60°.  Where  the 
greenhouse,  however,  is  not  regarded  so  much  for 
the  production  of  blossoms  in  winter  as  a  structure 
for    keeping    tender    plants    safely    through     that 


PRIMULA    LA   LORRAINE. 

This  new  hybrid  will  be  welcomed 
by  those  who  cherish  the  un- 
common and  beautiful  forms  of 
the  genus  Primula.  The  new- 
comer is  of  Continental  origin,  and 
is  said  to  have  originated  from 
the  crossing  of  P.  Veitchii  and 
P.  cortusoides  amoena.  The  two 
parents  resemble  one  another 
fairly  closely,  so  that  it  is  not 
surprising  to  learn  that  the  cross 
has  been  effected.  Incidentally, 
it  might  be  mentioned  that 
frequent  attempts  have  been  made 
to  cross  P.  cortusoides  with  the 
well-known  P.  obconica,  but  so  far  without  success  ; 
indeed,  it  is  doubtful  if  any  species  has  been  crossed 
with  P.  obconica.  The  leaves  of  the  hybrid  under 
notice  are  soft  and  woolly,  and  the  flowers  are  of 
the  pure  Rose  du  Barri  colour.  The  plant  seen 
in  the  accompanying  illustration  was  shown  by 
Mr.  M.  Prichard,  Christchurch,  before  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  in  the  spring  of  this  year, 
when  it  received  an  award  of  merit.  It  is  a  variety 
of  great  promise,  by  virtue  of  its  exceptional 
colour,  neat  habit  and  freedom  of  flowering.  Only 
this  one  plant  was  shown,  but,  should  its  seed 
prove  fertile,  there  is  little  doubt  that  this  acquisi- 
tion will  soon  be  in  the  hands  of  maiiv  cultivators. 


NOVEMBEK    8,  I913.] 


THE  .GARDEN. 


565 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 


HOW  TO  FORCE  LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY  AND  FLOWER  ROOTS. 


THE  work  of  forcing  flowering  plants 
IS  very  fascinating,  and  claims  the 
attention  of  cultivators  throughout 
the  winter  months.  Heat  and  moisture 
and  a  somewhat  confined  atmosphere 
are  essential  to  success.  The  heat 
must  be  artificial,  secured  from  fires  and  hot- 
water  pipes,  or  from  hot-beds,  or  both.  Moisture 
is  easily  obtained,  and  it  must  not  be  excessive, 
unless  the  heat  is  also  high.  The  confined  atmo- 
sphere is  secured  in  a  deep  frame,  pit  or  low  house. 
Lilies  of  tlie  Valley. — These  are  forced  by  plac- 
ing plump  (Towns  in  pots,  or  clumps  containing  a 
number  of  good  cro%vns.  The  best  are  Berlin 
crowns  or  the  strongest  selected  English-grown 
ones.  Although  few  new  roots  are  made  during 
the  forcing  process,  it  is  very  detrimental  to  allow 
the  crowns  and  roots  to  get  dry  at  any  time.  While 
in  a  dormant  condition  the  crowns  will  not  be 
injured  by  exposure  to  frost,  but  they  must  not 
be  lifted  from  the  groimd  nor  placed  in  a  warm 
temperature  while  in  a  frozen  state.  Wait  until 
all  frost  has  disappeared  naturally.  A  light, 
sandy  compost  is  best  for  Lily  of  the  Valley  when 
potting  up  the  crowns  or  clumps.  No.  i.  Fig.  A, 
shows  a  strong  crown,  and  No.  2  the  same  one 
with  a  portion  of  the  roots  cut  off  to  enable  the 
workman  to  place  the  roots  properly  in  a  flower- 
pot. No.  3  represents  a  useless  crown.  A  few 
of  these  are  generally  found  in  the  clumps,  but 
they  must  not  be  removed,  as  they  do  no  harm, 
and  provide  leaves  for  cutting  purposes  when  the 
flower-spikes  are  placed  in  vases.  No.  4  shows  a 
good  clump.  Few  roots  are  too  long  for  potting 
conveniently  when  pots  are  used  large  enough 
to  permit  of  the  fingers  being  inserted  between 
the  clump  and  the  sides.  A  nice  sandy  soil  can 
easily    be    worked    in    among    the    roots.     Single 


SELECTING    AND    POTTING    UP    LILY    OF    THE   VALLEY    CROWNS. 


crowns  must  be  potted  as  shown  at  No.  5.  Twelve 
or  more  crowns  may  be  placed  in  a  6J-inch  pot. 
When  the  space.  No.  5,  has  also  been  filled  witli 
crowns  and  some  of  the  compost,  strike  the  pot 
sharply  on  the  bench,  keeping  the  fingers  on  the 
crowns  to  steady  them.  This  will  have  the  effect 
of  firming  the  soil  around  the  roots,  and  any  open 
space  can  then  be  filled  at  the  top.     No.  7  shows 


'.  ^        "ne*       ri^        V.71         Vi-^       I 


DIVIDING     THE     ROOTS     OF     SPIR.^AS,      DIELYTRAS     AND     SOLOMON'S     SEAL     BEFORE 

POTTING    UP. 


the  stage  of  growth  when  the  plants  can  be  taken 
from  the  covering  material,  No.  8.  No.  9  depicts 
the  pots  in  a  frame  before  being  covered  with  moss 
or  Cocoanut  fibre.  No.  10  shows  a  strong  crown 
and  flower-spike.  At  this  stage  full  light  must  be 
admitted  to  them. 

Fig.  B  represents  flower  roots,  such  as  Spiraeas, 
Dielytras  and  Solomon's  Seal.  Roots  of  moderate 
sire  may  be  potted  whole  ;  large  ones  should  be 
divided.  It  is  not  necessary-  to  put  a  great  bulk  of 
soil  round  these  roots  when  they  are  potted.  From 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  to  an  inch  of  compost 
will  be  sufficient.  Thorough  drainage  and  fimmess 
of  soil  are  necessary.  Directly  the  roots  are  potted, 
give  them  a  good  watering.  No.  i  shows  a  cliunp 
that  is  of  suitable  size  to  pot  singly.  No.  2  repre- 
sents a  large  root  that  should  be  divided  as  denoted 
by  the  dark  line  across  it.  No.  3  shows  half 
of  a  divided  clump  placed  in  a  pot,  and  No.  4  the 
space  to  be  filled  with  the  prepared  soil.  No.  5 
also  gives  a  top  view  of  the  same  root  as  placed 
in  the  pot,  and  No.  6  represents  a  whole,  but 
smaller,  root  as  potted.  No.  7  shows  a  root  of 
Dielytra  spectabilis,  and  No.  8  one  of  Solomon's 
Seal.  The  large  roots  in  each  case  must  be  care- 
fully preserved  in  the  pot.  Until  the  time  comes 
for  placing  the  roots  in  a  warm  house,  keep  them 
in  a  cold  frame  as  shown  at  No.  9.  The  latest 
batch  of  plants  will  commence  to  grow  in  such  a 
frame.  When  the  flower-spikes  become  prominent 
and  new  roots  plentiful,  put  the  pots  in  saucers 
as  showqi  at  No.  10. 

Feeding  and  Watering. — Spira;as,  Dielytras 
and  Solomon's  Seal  may  be  both  fed  and  watered 
through  the  medium  of  saucers.  All  the  forced 
plants  must  be  gradually  subjected  to  a  cooler 
or  greenhouse  temperature  after  being  kept  in  a 
high  one  for  a  time  ;  then  the  leaves  and  flowers 
last  longer  in  a  fresh  condition.  G.  G. 


566 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  8,  191 3. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

The  Herbaceous  Border. — By  this  date  practi- 
cally all  the  late-flowering  plants  will  have  gone 
out  o{  bloom  or  been  cut  down  by  the  frost  ;  hence 
the  need  to  go  over  the  border,  cutting  down  what 
is  necessary  and  making  the  whole  quite  tidy  for 
the  winter.  Where  no  replanting  or  digging  is 
to  be  done  before  the  spring,  a  light  pricking 
over  of  the  surface  will  improve  the  appearance 
of  the  border. 

Biennials. — It  is  not  too  late,  providing  the 
weather  is  open,  to  put  various  biennials  and 
perennials  in  their  flowering  positions  ;  in  fact, 
some  plants  stand  the  winter  better  after  being 
shifted  than  when  left  where  they  have  originally 
been  pricked  out ;  so  that  Sweet  Williams,  Anchusas 
and  Canterbury  Bells  mav  still  be  planted  in  the 
borders  or  beds.  I  find  these  subjects  have  made 
an  unusual  amount  of  growth  this  autumn,  and 
may  be  the  better  for  the  check. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Additions  and  Alterations. — The  next  month 
or  so  is,  I  think,  the  best  time  to  make  additions 
and  alterations  in  the  rock  garden.  By  making 
the  alterations  at  this  season,  the  rocks  and  soil 
have  time  to  settle  into  what  will  eventually  prove 
their  normal  position  before  planting  is  done, 
probably  in  early  March. 

The  Position  of  the  rock  garden  has  a  very 
great  deal  to  do  with  the  ultimate  success  of  the 
plants.  It  is  useless  to  expect  alpine  plants  to 
flourish  in  a  position  where  even  grass  will  not 
grow,  and  it  is  often  in  such  a  place  that  a  heap  of 
soil  is  put  and  stones  dumped  on  to  it,  with  a  few 
Ferns  put  in,  this  being  called  a  rock  garden. 
To  succeed  in  the  cultivation  of  alpine  plants 
generally,  the  position  cannot  be  too  open,  the 
natural  formation  of  the  garden  and  the  grouping 
of  the  stones  providing  the  shade  that  is  so  neces- 
sary for  the  cultivation  of  certain  subjects  ;  and  in 
an  open  position  it  is  quite  easy  to  have  a  bank 
facing  each  of  the  different  points  of  the  compass. 
Do  not  try  to  make  a  rock  garden  under  trees, 
nor  partially  so. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums. — By  th\s  date  many  (if 
the  early-blo(jming  Japanese  varieties  will  be 
over.  These  should  be  got  rid  of  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  so  make  room  for  other  subjects.  Many  of 
the  stools  may  be  thrown  away  at  once,  reserving 
only  those  that  are  required  for  stock  purposes, 
thus  saving  a  good  deal  of  labour  in  shifting  them 
about  from  place  t(.i  place.  A  good  light  position 
is  the  best  for  stock  plants,  and  a  frame  where 
frost  can  be  excluded  by  turning  on  a  little  heat 
is  very  suitable.  The  latest  batches  of  decorative 
varieties  should  be  spaced  out  as  much  as  possible, 
disbudding  some  of  them  to  one  bloom  to  each 
shoot,  Mrs.  J.  Thomson,  the  Victoria  family, 
J-  W.  Crossley,  Winter  Cheer  and  Heston  White 
all  giving  better  results  when  treated  in  this  way. 

Salvias  and  Eupatoriums  for  spring  flowering 

must  be  given  plenty  i;)f  space  between  them  just 
now,  or  the  growth  is  likely  to  become  attenuated. 
Careful  feeding  is  necessary  to  maintain  them  in 
a  healthy  condition  without  unduly  softening 
the  growth.  In  each  instance  plenty  of  water 
is  required,  these  being  very  free-rooting  subjects. 

Perpetual-Flowering  Carnations. — The  plants 

at  this  season  must  be  kept  very  steady.  Any 
endeavour  to  force  them  either  with  heat  or  manure 
is  bound  to  end  disastrously,  at  least  so  far  as 
the  ultimate  success  is  concerned.  A  dry  atmo- 
sphere is  essential,  as  also  is  a  moderately  dry 
condition  of  the  roots.  In  the  event  of  much  fire- 
heat  being  required  to  keep  the  temperature 
from  45°  to  50°,  spider  may  make  its  appearance, 
hut  a  careful  spraying  now  and  again  should  keep 
it  under. 

Arum  Lilies  tliat  may  have  been  kept  in  the 
frame?  till  now  should  be  removed  to  a  house, 
and  if  the  flowers  are  required  about  Christmas- 
time, an  intermediate  temperature  will  suit  them 
well.  If  late  bloom  only  is  required,  tlu-y  will 
do  equally  well  in  a  cold  resting  fruit-house. 

Plumbago  rosea.— To  get  the  best  returns 
from  this  beautiful  plant,  it  should  be  kept  growing 


right  through  the  winter,  and  must,  therefore, 
be  kept  in  the  cool  end  of  the  stove  ;  or  if  an  empty 
Cucumber  or  Melon  house  is  available,  it  can  have 
exactly  the  treatment  it  requires.  Naturally, 
as  the  plants  come  into  flower,  too  much  atmo- 
spheric moisture  should  not  be  maintained,  though 
a  damping  between  the  pots  should  be  given  on  all 
fine  mornings.  This  is  necessary  to  keep  the 
plants  growing,  and  so  maintain  a  succession  of 
bloom. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Broccoli. — .\  sharp  eye  must  be  kept  on  these, 
so  as  to  cover  them  up  or  lift  them  as  soon  as  they 
are  fit  for  use,  or  the  first  sharp  frost  will  spoil 
them.  A  good  way  to  treat  a  batch  just  coming  in 
is  to  put  the  fork  underneath  them  and  give  the 
plants  a  good  heel  over.  In  this  way  it  takes  a 
threat  deal  more  frost  to  injure  them  than  when 
standing  upright. 

Globe  Artichokes  will  be  the  better  for  a  little 
protection  from  severe  frost.  Good,  dry  leaves 
placed  around  each  clump,  finishing  off  with  some 
long,  strawy  manure,  will  keep  them  in  good  order; 
but  care  must  be  taken  not  to  cover  the  clumps 
enlirely,  or  rotting  will  take  place. 

Hardy  Fruit. 

Pears. — A.  few  early  varieties  that  do  con- 
sistently well  in  this  neighbourhood  are  Citron 
des  Carmes  (very  small) ,  Clapp's  Favourite,  .Souvenir 
du  Congr^s,  Beurr^  GiiTard,  Dr.  Jules  Guyot  and 
Williams'  Bon  Chretien.  These  are  well  worth 
planting,  all  of  them  giving  fair  crops  practically 
every  season,  Clapp's  Favourite  and  Dr.  Jules 
Guyot  being  perhaps  the  most  consistent.  Doyenne 
Boussoch,  though  not  first-rate  in  flavour,  is  a 
heavy  cropper  every  year,  and  is  w^ell  worth  growing 
for  early  stewing.  Pitmaston  Duchess  always 
gives  a  fair  crop  of  good  clean  fruit,  as  also  do 
Beurre  Diel,  Marguerite  Marillat  and  Beurr^  de 
MortUlet.  Marie  Louise  and  Doyenne  du  Cornice  are 
not  so  consistent,  but  the  fruits  are  usually  clean 
and  of  good  flavour.  Thompson's,  when  estab- 
lished, crops  very  freely,  and  is  one  of  the  best 
Pears  we  have  for  flavour.  Good  late  varieties  are 
Charles  Ernest,  Marie  Benoist,  Nouvelle  Fulvie  and 
Le  Lectier,  the  latter  always  giving  a  fair  crop  of 
clean  fruit  which  keeps  and  ripens  well. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wobnrn  Place  Gardens.  Addlcstonc.  Survey. 

FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Protecting  Tritomas. — These  showy  autumn 
flowers  can  only  be  looked  upon  as  hardy  in  very 
favoured  localities,  and  I  fear  they  often  suffer 
more  or  less  for  lack  of  a  little  attention  at  this 
time.  Some  dry.  open  litter  or  coal-ashes  should 
be  placed  round  them,  and  the  operation  had  better 
be  performed  by  two  persons,  one  to  gather  up 
the  long  leaves  and  hold  them  up,  while  the  other 
manipulates  the  protecting  material. 

Old  Violas. — While  second  year  plants  cannot 
be  relied  on  to  go  through  the  summer,  yet  they 
yield  large  quantities  of  bloom  throughout  the 
spring  months  before  young  stock  begins  to  make 
much  of  a  show.  It  is  well,  therefore,  to  make 
use  of  some  portion  of  the  old  plants  for  this 
purpose.  When  they  must  be  moved  from  their 
present  quarters,  they  can  be  lifted  and  replanted 
in  grotmd  which  is  to  be  used  for  half-hardy  annuals 
next  season.  The  varieties  of  V.  comuta,  if  cut 
down  now,  can  be  relied  on  to  go  on  flowering 
throughout  the  whole  of  next  summer. 

Viola  gracilis. — This  little  gem  should  be  freely 
used.  It  r  an  either  be  propagated  by  cuttings 
or  by  di\'isii:)n. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Planting. — This  work  must  be  prosecuted  with 
vigour,  in  order  to  enable  the  plants  to  get  somewhat 
rooted  before  severe  weather  sets  in.  Roses 
suffered  sadly  during  November  last  year. 

Replanting. — Notwithstanding  every  attention, 
Roses  (on  clay  subsoils  especially)  often  flower 
less  freely  after  they  have  been  planted  for  a 
few  years.  When  such  is  the  case,  it  is  .id\'isable 
to  lift  the  entire  bed  or  border,  cut  back  the  long, 
bare  roots,  and  lay  them  in  the  ground  temporarUy 
in   a  convenient  spot   until  the  bed  or  border  has 


been  prepared  for  their  reception  again.  If  some 
fresh  loam  can  be  procured,  it  will  be  a  valuable 
asset.  Dress  with  some  well-rotted  farmyard 
manure,  adding  some  bone-meal,  wood-ashes 
and  lime.  Bastard-trench  the  ground,  and,  after 
it  has  been  allowed  to  settle  for  a  few  days,  replant 
the  Roses,  making  any  desired  modifications 
as  to  the  varieties  and  their  arrangement.  Give 
the  whole  a  mulching  of  some  light,  open  material. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 
Gravel  Walks.— Old  walks  that  have  been 
frequently  gravelled  and  have  become  rather 
unsightly  can  be  improved  without  much  expense 
by  the  following  means  :  Begin  at  an  end  and 
slacken  the  surface  with  a  pick  to  the  depth  of 
3  inches  or  4  inches  ;  then  pass  the  loose  material 
through  a  sieve  with  a  quarter  of  an  inch  or  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch  mesh  into  a  wheel-barrow,  and 
wheel  away  the  earthy  siftings.  Level  the  remain- 
ing material,  which  will  soon  be  made  clean  and 
fresh  by  the  winter  rains. 

Mulching    Rhododendrons. — Large    specimens 

will  be  much  benefited  by  receiving  a  good  mulch- 
ing of  half-rotted  farmyard  manure.  Not  only 
will  they  assimilate  its  fertilising  properties,  but 
it  will  assist  in  maintaining  those  cool  conditions 
at  the  root  during  the  ensuing  summer  which  they 
so  much  enjov. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums. — The  .\utumn  Queen  now 
reigns  supreme,  the  admired  of  all  admirers,  and 
cultivators  are  reaping  their  reward.  Now  is  the 
time  for  note-taking,  both  at  home  and  by  the 
exhibition  table.  The  big  blooms  are  being  slowly 
ousted  by  the  decoratives  and  the  singles.  It 
is  some  consolation  to  know,  however,  that  with 
such  varieties  as  Felton's  Favourite,  David 
Ingamells.  Mrs.  A.  T.  Miller,  Nelly  Pockett,  Soleil 
d'Octobre  and  Market  Red  one  may  secure  a 
large  number  of  good-sized  blooms  on  a  plant. 

Sweet  Violets. — These  will  now  require  careful 
handling,  damp  being  the  great  enemy.  To  dispel 
it,  the  plants  must  be  ventilated  freely  on  all 
favourable  occasions,  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
they  must  be  carefully  protected  from  frost. 
Pinch  all  runners  as  soon  as  they  appear. 

Orchids. — Dendrobiums,  Coelogynes,  Cattleyas 
and  many  other  species  of  Orchids  which  naturally 
go  to  rest  at  this  season  should  have  the  tempera- 
ture considerably  lowered,  and  they  should  enjoy 
rather  dry  conditions  both  at  the  root  and  in  the 
atmosphere. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Forming  Vine  Borders. — Where  Vines  are  to 
be  planted  next  spring,  a  start  should  be  made 
with  the  border  as  soon  as  possible.  For  early 
work  it  is  better  to  have  the  border  inside  only, 
but  for  general  purposes  it  is  advisable  to  have 
the  border  partly  inside  and  partly  outside. 

Tomatoes. — Where  winter  Tomatoes  are  grown, 
a  temperature  of  about  60°,  with  a  rather  dry 
atmosphere,  should  be  maintained,  and  the  flowers 
be  artificially  pollinated  as  they  open. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Pruning  Currants. — The  work  of  pruning 
Currants  should  now  be  proceeded  with.  Red 
Currants  should  be  pruned  on  the  spurring  syst»m. 
Black  Currants  bear  on  the  previous  season's 
wood ;  therefore  some  portion  of  the  old  branches 
should  be  cut  away  annually  to  make  room  for 
young  wood.  The  yoimg  shoots  should  only  be 
slightly  shortened. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Potatoes. — Potato  pits  which  were  left  open 
on  top  to  allow  evaporation  to  proceed  shovild 
now  be  finished  off.  and  some  protecting  material 
should  either  be  placed  on  the  pits  or  be  at  hand 
in  the  event  of  severe  frost  occurring. 

Laying  Savoys. — Much  of  this  useful  winter 
crop  is  often  lost  on  accoimt  of  the  rains  and 
melting  snow  percolating  down  among  the 
leaves  and  lodging  in  the  axils.  This  evil  can 
be  largely  obviated  by  lifting  the  crop  and  laying 
it  in  by  the  heels,  laying  the  plants  well  over  on 
their  sides  so  that  they  can  throw  off  the  water. 

New  Zealand  Spinach  can  generally  be  kept 

in    icinditiiHi    throughout    November    by    covering 

a  portii f   the   1  nip   with   a  frame,   or  even   by 

ni.atting  it  on  frosty  nights. 

Charles  Comfort 
Brooinfit'hl  Ciardens,  Davidson* s  Mains,  Midlothian. 


November  8,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


567 


THE    KITCHEN   GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE     NOTES    ON 
VEGETABLES. 

Cabbages. — No  time  should  be  lost  in  putting 
out  the  last  batch  of  plants  to  come  in  lor  use  in 
June.  Such  varieties  as  Flower  of  Spring,  Daniels' 
Defiance,  Wheeler's  Imperial  and  Sutton's  Im- 
perial are  all  suitable,  .'^t  this  season  slugs  are 
especially  troublesome  during  showery  weather, 
and  if  not  checked  will  quickly  spoil  the  whole 
plantation.  Lime  and  soot  is  of  little  use,  as  the 
lust  shower  destroys  its  power.  A  much  better 
K-raedy  is  to  cover  the  ground  within  6  inches  of 
the  plant,  and  close  up  to  the  stem,  with  finely- 
silted  coal-ashes.  Over  this  slugs  cannot  crawl. 
AH  established  plants  should  have  the  soil  fre- 
<queatly  stirred  with  a  Dutch  hoe,  or.  in  the  case 
•  >f  stiff  soil,  fork  it  lightly  over  in  dry  weather. 
Frequent  stirring  of  the  soil  is  also  a  check  to  slug 
depredations. 

Onions. — Those  who  wish  to  produce  large 
exhibition  bulbs  next  year  would  do  well  to  make 
a  start  in  preparing  the  land  on  which  they  are  to 
grow.  In  the  growth  of  Onions  of  the  .Ajlsa  Craig 
type  deep  cultivation  is  an  absolute  necessity. 
An  open  site,  away  from  o\-erhanging  trees,  should 
be  selected,  and  the  land  trenched  quite  3  feet 
[  deep.  If  the  soil  is  of  a  stiff,  retentive  character, 
with  a  hard  pan-like  subsoil,  into  which  the  roots 
cannot  enter,  but  which  withholds  superfluous 
moisture  from  heavy  rains  which  are  not  beneficial 
t(i  the  growth  of  the  Onion,  thoroughly  break  up 
the  bottom  trench  and  add  a  layer  of  manure  to 
every  spit  of  soil,  using  that  which  is  long  at  the 
bottom  ;  this  assists  in  maintaining  porosity  of 
the  soil.  The  shorter  manure  should  come  near 
the  surface.  If  there  is  a  possibility  of  the 
ground  being  trenched  again  next  year,  I  would 
advise  that  the  soil  from  the  bottom  of  the  trench 
be  brought  to  the  top  ;  if  not,  arrange  to  have  the 
surface  soil  in  the  same  position  when  the  trench- 
ing is  completed.  Leave  the  surface  as  rough  as 
possible.  The  winter  frosts  will  disintegrate  the 
clods  and  render  the  soil  in  good  working  con- 
dition. Choose  dry  weather  for  the  work,  or  the 
soil  will  knead  too  much. 

Tripoli  Onions. — The  plants  resulting  from  seed 
sown  in  August  will  now  be  2  inches  or  3  inches 
high.  Keep  them  free  from  weeds  by  constantly 
hoeing  during  dry  weather.  First  give  a  good 
dressing  of  soot  or  wood-ashes,  which  will,  when 
hoeing,  be  gradually  worked  into  the  soil,  and  will 
in  due  course  be  beneficial  to  the  plants  in  their 
subsequent  growth. 

Globe  Artichokes. — Remove  the  lower  leaves 
preparatory  to  placing  around  each  a  thick  mulch 
of  long,  strawy  manure  as  a  winter  protection  from 
frost.  In  low-lying  districts  where  the  plants 
sutier  from  frost  and  fog,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  take 
off  and  pot  up  sucker-like  growths,  entering  them 
in  a  frame  with  their  pots  plunged  in  ashes.  Keep 
the  lights  open  during  fine  weather  to  induce  a 
stocky  growth.  Such  plants  will  be  useful  in 
making  a  new  plantation  or  for  filling  up  gaps. 

Endive  should  be  transferred  to  frames  as  fast 
as  they  become  empty  to  keep  up  a  succession  of 
blanched  heads.  Well  ventUate  the  frames  to  prevent 
the  rotting  of  the  outside  leaves.  Blanching  may 
still  be  done  by  tying  up  the  largest  plants  of  the 
Bata\-ian  kind  out  of  doors.  The  Moss-curled 
should  be  blanched  by  the  aid  of  an  inverted 
flower-pot,  covering  the  drainage  hole  at  the  same 
time  so  that   all  the  light  is  excluded.     Three  or 


four  weeks  are  required  to  blanch  Endive  properly. 
As  the  days  become  colder,  the  most  satisfactorv 
way  is  to  lift  a  few  plants  every  week  and  place 
them  in  the  Mushroom  house,  shed  or  cellar. 

Celery. — The  final  e.irthing  should  not  be 
delayed  after  this  date.  As  the  work  proceeds, 
carefully  tie  the  leaves  close  to  the  stem  to  prevent 
the  soil  getting  into  the  heart  of  the  plant,  which 
makes  crooked  sticks  and  cripples  the  growth 
generally.  Well  break  up  the  soil,  making  it  quite 
fine  before  placing  it  around  the  plants.  If  it  is 
put  together  in  rough  lumps,  that  also,  by  imdue 
presstire,  creates  a  crooked  growth.  After  the  soil 
is  chopped  down  from  the  sides  of  the  trenches, 
and  before  it  is  put  around  the  plants,  soot  should 
be  liberally  sprinkled  on  the  soil  as  a  check  to  slugs 
disfiguring  the  Celery.  For  earliest  use,  blanch- 
ing with  bro\vn  paper  is  the  more  simple  way 
and  quite  as  eflScient.  Where  this  is  employed, 
and  the  weather  at  all  dry,  the  plants  should  receive 
another,  and  last,  soaking  of  water.  Aftenvards 
apply  the  last  rings  of  papr  •,  making  them  all 
secure. 

Cucumbers  f'lr  winter  use  must  have  close 
attention  in  their  growth  requirements.  Abund- 
ance of  heat  is  an  absolute  necessity,  never  allowing 
the  thermometer  to  fall  below  70°.  The  plants 
will  not  need  syringing,  but  moisture  must  be 
maintaitied  by  damping  the  walls  and  beds  occa- 
sionally. Remove  any  leaves  showing  the  slightest 
tendency  to  red  spider  or  mildew.  Keep  the  growth 
thin  on  the  trellis,  stopping  the  shoots  at  the  second 
joint,  and  by  no  means  crop  the  plants  heavily, 
or  they  will  qtiickly  collapse  ;  if  not  quite  that, 
the  fruit  will  decay  at  the  point,  become  crooked, 
I  or  refuse  to  grow  altogether.  Never  allow  more 
than  one  fruit  to  remain  from  any  cluster  of  flowers. 
Coxer  any  roots  with  warm  soil  as  fast  as  they 
appear  on  the  hillocks,  and  always  use  tepid  water 
when  moistening  the  roots. 

Swanmore  Park,  Hants.  E.  Molyneu-x. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


;  FLOWER     GARDEN. 

TULIPS  FOR  MAY  (Manners).— The  best  Tulips  for  your 
piupose  will  be  varieties  of  the  Cottage  or  May-flowering 
j  sorts  and  those  known  as  Darwins.  The  last  named  are 
!  the  tallest  and  most  handsome,  though  some  of  the  shades 
of  colour  you  require  are  not  found  in  this  group. 
Those  most  likely  to  suit  you  are  Clara  Butt  and  Ingles- 
combe  Pink,  which  really  constitute  the  best  pinks, 
with  Inglescombe  Yellow,  Mrs.  Moon  and  Leghorn  Bonnet, 
yellow.  Bouton  d'Or  is  late  flowering  and  very  rich  in 
colour.  If  you  keep  the  bulbs  of  these  in  a  cool,  dry 
cellar  or  similar  place  until  mid-December  before  planting 
them,  a  lat«r  flowering  would  be  assured.  Spanish  Irises 
should  follow  the  Tulips  for  early  Jxme.  These  should 
be  planted  at  once.  We  think  such  Roses  as  Aglaia, 
,  American  Pillar,  Hiawatha  and  Tausendschon  would 
be  most  suitable.  The  earliest-flowering  Gladioli  among 
large-flowered  sorts  are  those  known  as  July-flowering. 

They  are  a  varied  and  doliizlithil  class. 

"  DAFF0blLS~ANirPiE0"NIES   (A/.  ^.).— Dafiodils  are 
chiefly  increased   by   means  of  offsets,   i.e.,  side  shoots 
'  which  appear  on  the  parent  bulbs.     These,  when  large 
enough,   may   be    detached,  and  replanted  either  with 
the  parent  plant  -or  in  a  place  apart.    Daffodils  are  also 
,  freely  raised  from  seeds ;    but  as  the  seedlings  take  from 
i  four  to  a  dozen  years  before  flowering,  and  a  very  con- 
siderable   proportion    of   them  '"may    be   inferior   to   the 
original,  this  phase  of  the  subject  will  be  hardly  worth 
your   while.     You  ask   whether  the   herbaceous   Pseony 
is  long-lived,  and  the  answer  is  that, we    believe  it  will, 
with  cultivation,  continue  indefinitely.     Indeed,  we  have 
1  to-day  plants  of  a  variety  which  grew  in  the  home  garden 
I  in  established  clxunps  fifty.,  years  ago,  and  the  day  of 
i  deteriorating    is    not    yet.    It    should    be    remembered, 
however,  that  the  plants  have  been  cultivated  meanwhile, 
and,  this  done,  they  may  remain  good  for  years.     Good 
cultivation    includes    lifting,    dividing    and    replanting 
every  few  years,  say,  six  to  ten,  according  to  the  circum- 
stances.    The    Pfeony    is    a    deep-rooting,    gross-feeding 
subject  ;   hence  deeply-trenched,  well-manured  soils  should 
always    be    given    it.     The    best    planting     season     is 
September  and   October.     Large   clumps  of  the   Paony 


should  never  be  transplanted  intact,  free  division  of  tlu' 
roots  being  as  essential  to  the  future  success  of  the  plant- 
as  the  other  things  mentioned.  In  soils  that  are  botli 
light  and  shallow,  six  years  would  be  ample  to  leave  thent 
without  division ;  while  in  deep,  rich  loams  they  may 
remain  for  twice  as  long  and  still  fiurnish  good  flowers. 


TREES    AND    SHRUBS. 

PRUNING   BUDDLEIA   VARIABILIS   AND    TAMARIX 

(J/rs.  F.  Browne).— the  Buddleia  should  be  cut  back 
fairlv  hard,  preferably  early  in  the  spring.  The  Tamarix 
may'  be  cut  back  at  the  same  time  if  it  is  desired  to  keep 
it  within  bounds  ;  but,  if  a  big  bush  is  required,  it  would 
need  no  pruning  at  all,  except  to  remove  weak  shoots 
that  might  be  killed  by  the  frost. 

TREES  AND  SHRUBS  FOR  EAST  COAST  TO  GROW 
IN  SAND  (Dolphin).— The  following  subjects  may  be 
expected  to  thrive  under  the  conditions  ynu  describe  : 
Pinus  Laricio  and  its  variety  nigricans,  the  Corsican  and 
.\ustrian  Pines  respectively,  Scots  Pine  (Pinus  sylvestris). 
Goat  Willow  (Salix  Caprea),  S.  cinerea,  S.  repens,  Hippo- 
pliae  rhamnoides,  Tamarix  in  'variety,  common  Birch 
and  Picea  sitchensis.  All  the  plants  must  be  inserted 
while  quite  small,  and  the  Pines  will  establish  themselves 
most  successfully  if  planted  when  from  0  inches  to 
12  inches  in  height.  Tor  shelter  there  is  nothing  better 
than  .\ustrian  Pine. 

TO  PRUNE  POLYGONUM  BALDSCHUANICUM 
(A.  D.  H.). — This  plant  may  be  cut  back  to  within  a 
few  buds  of  the  main  branches,  and  have  a  number  of 
the  latter  cut  awav  if  there  are  too  many  any  time  during 
winter  or  early  spring,  preferably  during  February  or 
March.  It  is  usual  at  the  present  time  to  go  over  plant,* 
and  remove  anv  growth  which  is  likely  to  cause  in- 
convenience during  the  winter,  reserving  the  main  pruning 
for  the  spring. 

FRUIT    GARDEN. 

NEGLECTED  FRUIT  TREES  (Bo)io).~The  best  way 
will  be  to  go  over  the  trees  at  once.  In  the  first  place, 
cut  out  all  the  dead  branches  and  twigs  (these,  of  course, 
can  be  of  no  good).  Then  start  again  and  cut  out  the 
weakest  of  the  branches  where  the  tree  appears  over- 
crowded with  them.  That  will  be  all  you  need  to  do  now  ; 
but  some  time  in  January  go  over  the  trees  agaui  and 
thin  out  more  of  the  weakest  and  most  worn-out  lookmg 
branches ;  that  is  to  aav,  if  you  think  the  trees  are  still 
over-congested  with  branches.  There  is  no  other  pruning 
necessary  except  this  thinning  out,  and  this  should 
be  seen  to  every  winter.  The  middle  of  November 
transplant  the  Easpberry  canes  from  where  they  are  not 
wanted  into  rows  where  they  are  wanted.  You  will 
be  disappointed  if  you  leave  the  Rhubarb  in  the  cellar 
for  another  year.  Take  it  out  and  replant  it  in  the  garden, 
ailing  its  place  in  due  time  with  fresh  roots  from  outside. 

ABOUT  APPLES  (H.  0.).— The  Apples  are  badly  at- 
tacked by  the  scab  fungus.  During  the  winter  thoroughly 
prune  out  all  the  shoots  (spurs  and  weak  shoots  are 
both  liable  to  attack)  showing  cracks  in  the  bark.  Spray 
the  trees  while  dormant  with  a  wash  of  lib.  of  copper 
sulphate  to  25  gallons  of  water.  Just  before  the  buds  burst, 
and  again  after  the  petals  fall,  spray  with  Bordeaux  mixture 
of  half  the  strength  used  for  spraying  Potatoes.  Almost 
any  Apples  except  the  most  vigorous-growing  varieties 
will  succeed  as  cordons.  They  should,  of  course,  be  on 
Paradise  stocks.  Worcester  Pearmain,  Colonel  Vaughan, 
Emperor  Alexander,  King  of  the  Pippins,  Cox's  Orange 
Pippin,  AUington,  Golden  Reinette,  Baumann  s  Remelte, 
Feam's  Pippin  and  Sturmer  Pippin  for  dessert  purposes  ; 
and  Duchess  of  Oldenburg,  Potts'  Seedling,  Grenadier, 
Stirling  Castle,  Golden  Spire.  Lord  Derby  and  Bismarck 
among  kitchen  varietie,  swould  probably  prove  satisfactory. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

TO  REMOVE  CLOVER  FROM  TENNIS  LAWN  (O.  0.). 
— Give  the  laNvn  a  dressing  of  sulphate  of  ammonia  in 
spring  at  the  rate  of  IJcwt.  to  the  acre.  Basic  slag  would 
greatly  increase  the  tendency  to  grow  Clover. 

PLANT  FOR  NAME  AND  TREATMENT  (Miss  R.  S.  L.).— 
The  specimen  sent  for  determination  is  the  Variegated 
Tree  Mallow  (Lavatera  arborea  variegata).  It  is  a  biennial, 
and  is  propagated  by  seeds,  which  may  be  procured  from 
most  of  the  best  firms  of  seedsmen  at  about  one  shilling  a 
packet.  It  is  not  usual  for  every  plant  to  come  true  from 
seed,  although  a  good  percentage  have  variegated  leaves. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS. — A.  K.  B.,  Surrey. — Clerodendron 

foetidum     (a    Chinese    shiub). Fife. — 1,   Aster  Novai- 

Anglife  pulchellus ;  2,  A.  N.-A.  ruber  ;    3,  A.  lindleyanus  ; 

4,  A.  Novi-Belgii  Robert  Parker ;  6,  Zebrina  pendula ; 
6,   PhcBnix  reclinata ;    7,   8,  9  and  10,    garden  forms  of 

Clematis  Jackmanii ;  11,  Aster  Novse  Angliae  variety. 

Szmo — The  Dahlias  are  as  follows:  1,  Henry  Patrick; 
2,  A.  D    Stoop  ;    3,   Rev.  A.  Hall ;    4,   Mrs.  J.  Goddard  ; 

5,  Mrs.  Macmillan  ;  6,  Crescent ;   7,  too  poor  to  recognise. 
NAMES  OF  FRUIT. — T.  C. — 1,  Withington  Fillbasket; 

2.  Kedleston  Pippin  ;    3,  Ecklinville  Seedling ;    4,  Haw- 

thomden  ;  5,   Betty  Geeson. Dinnet. — Wyken  Pippin. 

J.  A.  W.—l,  Tibbett's  Pearmain  ;  2,  Feam's  Pippin  ; 

3,  Pearson's  Plate;  4,  JIargil ;  5,  Bess  Pool ;  6,  Peasgood's 

Nonsuch. A.  R.  T. — 1,  Keswick  Codlin;    2,  King  0' 

the  Pippins  ;  3,  Hollandbury  ;  4,  Warner's  King  ;  5,  Potts' 
Seedling ;  6,    Lord  Derby ;   7,  Pennington's  Seedling ;  8, 

Miller's  Seedling  ;  9,  Hoary  Morning. J.  E.  P. — 1,  New 

Hawthomden  ;  2,  Frogmore  Proliflc  ;  3,  Cox's  Orange 
Pippin;  4,  Cellini ;  5,  Royal  Nonsuch:  6,  Allen's  Ever- 
lasting ;    7,  Beauty  of  Hants ;  8,  9  and  10,  King  of    the 

Pippins;  11,  Stamford  Pippin. 


568 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  8,  1913. 


SOCIETIES. 


THE    KENT    COMMERCIAL    FRUIT    SHOW. 

The  third  annual  exhibition  of  comnn^rcial  fruit,  orpaniscfl 
by  the  Kent  Commercial  Fruit  Show  Association,  was  held 
in  the  Corn  Exchange.  Maidstone,  on  Tuesday  and  Wednes- 
day, October  28  and  29.  The  number  of  entries  were  will 
in  advance  of  those  in  previous  years,  and  although  thr 
fruit  was  not  so  well  coloured,  in  "most  instances  it  was  of 
excellent  quality.  This  show  has  rishtly  come  to  be 
regarded  as  a  centre  for  the  exhibition  of  the  best  examples 
of  British-?rown  Apples  and  Pears,  and,  by  bringing  to 
the  notice  of  consumers,  growers  and  salesmen  the  merits 
of  good  grading  and  packing  and  the  production  of  clean, 
sound  fruit,  those  responsible  for  the  display  are  doing 
good  work.  The  exhibition  and  luncheon  were  attended 
by  a  great  many  people,  among  them  being  the  Agent- 
General  for  Victoria,  Australia,  who  stated  that  he  had 
never  seen  such  good  fruit  in  the  country  that  he  represented. 
We  do  not  here  propose  to  give  details  of  prize-winners 
in  the  various  classes,  as  these  are  of  interest  only  to  those 
connected  with  the  trade,  but  it  may  be  of  value  to  give 
a  brief  review  of  a  few  of  the  more  outstanding  features. 
It  was  interesting  to  note  that  in  the  culinary  Apples 
Bramley's  Seedling  and  Newton  Wonder  were  the  most 
extensively  shown.  The  classes  for  these  were  particularly 
well  filled,  and  some  extremely  fine  examples  of  these 
fruits  were  on  view,  both  in  boxes  and  barrels.  The 
boxes  used  had  to  be  of  the  following  size,  inside  measure- 
ment:  Federation  standard,  20  inches  long  by  11  inches 
wide  by  10  inches  deep;  Federation  half-box,  20  inches 
long  by  11  inches  wide  by  5  inches  deep.  Exhibitors 
were  also  advised  to  tise  boxes  made  to  the  following 
specification  :  Heads  in  one  piece,  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  thick  ;  sides  in  one  or  two  pieces,  three-eighths  of  an 
inch  thick ;  tops  and  bottoms  in  two  pieces,  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  thick  :  and  cleats  for  tops  and  bottoms  about 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick  by  1  inch  wide  by  11  inches  long. 
Gtood  grading  and  packing  had  to  be  taken  into  considera- 
tion by  the  judges,  and  a  class  was  specially  set  apart 
for  the  best  packed  boxes  in  the  show.  In  the  dessert 
Apples  there  were  some  very  flue  displays  of  Cox's  Orange 
Pippin,  AUington  Pippin  and  Blenheim  Orange,  the  latter, 
in  many  instances,  being  particularly  well  coloured,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  Apples,  generally,  are  of  a  very  dull 
hue  this  year.  In  the  class  for  a  new  dessert  Apple, 
introduced  since  1900  and  in  season  after  December  1, 
Rival  was  about  the  only  variety  of  import  shown,  the 
special  cup  offered  in  this  class  being  awarded  to  Messrs. 
Gaskain  and  Whiting  for  a  magnificent  box  of  that  variety. 
Evidently  it  is  to  be  one  of  the  leading  dessert  Apples 
of  the  future. 

The  barrels  of  culinary  Apples,  such  as  Bramley's  Seed- 
ling. Newton  Wonder  and  Lane's  Prince  Albert,  were 
exceptionally  good,  those  holding  about  three  bushels 
being  favoured.  Here,  in  some  instances,  notably  in 
Bramley's  Seedling,  fruits  of  two  grades  or  sizes  were 
shown,  and  the  packing  was  plain  evidence  that  some  at 
least  of  our  home  growers  have  little  to  learn  from  those 
in  the  Colonies. 

The  Coupe  Challenge  Cup  and  the  silver-gilt  medal 
presented  by  the  Worshipful  Company  of  Fruiterers, 
offered  for  the  best  exhibit  in  Classes  1,  2,  3  and  4,  respec- 
tively, devoted  to  Bramley's  Seedling.  Newton  W^onder. 
Lane's  Prince  Albert  and  Blenheim  Orange,  grown  in 
Kent,  Surrey  or  Sussex,  were  won  by  Mr.  S.  Skelton,  West 
Farleigh,  Maidstone,  for  a  wonderfully  good  display  of 
Bramley's  Seedling.  The  George  Mence  Smith  Champion 
Cup,  offered  for  the  best  box  shown  in  Classes  1  to  15, 
was  won  by  Messrs.  Gaskain  and  ^Vhiting,  Faversham, 
with  a  superb  box  of  Cox's  Orange  Pippin,  this  box  being 
sold  by  auction  for  three  guineas.  The  silver  medal 
presented  by  the  Worshipful  Company  of  Fruiterers  for 
the  best  box  shown  in  Classes  13, 14  and  15  went  to  Messrs. 
P.  and  E.  Le  Feaver.  Marden,  Kent,  for  a  splendid  box 
of  Lane's  Prince  Albert. 

Two  fine  non-competitive  groups  of  fruit  were  showm. 
One  of  these  was  from  Messrs.  George  Bunyard  and  Co., 
whose  head-quarters  are  at  Maidstone,  and  who  have  a 
world-wide  reputation  for  fruit  trees.  Tliis  comprised  all  the 
leading  %arieties  of  Ai)jiles  in  the  pink  of  condition,  and 
staged  in  tlie  lirni's  lust  manner.  The  other  came  from 
Messrs.  Seabrook  and  Sous  of  Chelmsford,  and  was  also 
of  particularly  attractive  appearance,  fine,  well-finished 
fruits,  particularly  the  Cox's  Orange  Pippin,  being  arranged 
to  the  best  advantage.  Grading  machines  and  sprayinir 
apparatus  of  many  and  up-to-date  kinds  were  well  shown 
by  Messrs.  Drake  and  Fletcher  of  Maidstone,  and  it  is 
evident  that  the  commercial  grower  is  much  better  catered 
for  in  this  direction  than  he  was  some  years  ago.  Tin- 
Digit  Grading  Machine  was  also  shown  at  work  by  Messrs. 
W.  Weeks  and  Sons,  Limited,  of  Maidstone,  who  also 
showed  large  spraying  machines. 

Messrs.  E.  and  A'.  White,  Limited,  Paddock  Wood, 
Kent,  had  a  fine  display  of  their  famous  "  Abol  "  insecti- 
cides, fungicides  and  washes,  as  well  as  spraying  apparatus 
of  many  and  particularly  effective  kinds.  Their  new 
non-poisonous  worm-killer  was  also  on  view. 

Ttie  Four  Oak*;*  Spraying  Machine  Company,  Sutton 
Coldfleld,  had  a  very  wide  assortment  of  their  spraying 
machines  and  apparatus,  suitable  for  both  large  and  small 
iirowers,  and  it  would  be  difficidt  tn  name  anything  of  the 
kind  that  they  could  not  supply.  Messrs.  Voss  and  Co.  of 
MiUwall,  London,  made  an  attractive  display  of  chemicals 
for  spraying  purpose.s,  and  also  included  samples  of  their 
well-known  Fertilisers. 

A  deputation  of  the  Royal  Horticultiu-al  Society,  con- 
sisting of  Mr.  James  Hudson,  V.M.H.,  Mr.  W.  Poupart,  Mr. 
A.  H.  Pearson  and  Mr.  C.  G.  A.  Wix,  visited  the  show  on  the 
first  day  and  made  the  following  awards  to  the  exhibitors  on 
behalf  of  the  society  :    Gold  medal  to  .Messrs.  Gaskain  and 


Whiting  for  their  collective  display  of  Apples  and  Pears  ; 
silver-gilt  Knightian  medal  to  Messrs.  George  r.unyard 
and  Co.  and  to  Mr.  Miskin  ;  silver-gilt  Banksian  medals  to 
Messrs.  W.  Seabrook  and  Sons,  Mr.  S.  Skelton  and  .Messrs. 
Spooner  and  Co.,  the  latter  being  for  maiden  trees  ;  silver 
Banksian  medals  to  Messrs.  W.  Kay  and  Sons  for  maiden 
trees  ;  Messrs.  H.  Cobb  for  three  boxes  of  AUington 
Pippin  ;  Mr.  G.  E.  Champion,  Mr.  F.  Smith  and  Messrs. 
Skinner  and  Sons.  With  such  an  important  exhibition 
as  this  being  held  annually,  we  would  suggest  to  the  com- 
mittee of  management  that  invitations  be  extended 
another  year  to  representatives  of  the  horticultural  Press. 


READING     GARDENERS'    ASSOCIATION. 

The  usual  fortnightly  meeting  was  held  in  the  Abbey 
Hall,  by  kind  permission  of  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons, 
on  Mondav,  October  27,  when,  owing  to  the  enforced 
absence  oif  the  president  through  indisposition,  and 
of  the  chairman  {Mr.  Powell)  in  consequence  of  the 
serious  illness  of  Mrs.  Noble,  Mr.  J.  T.  Tubb  (vice-chair- 
man) presided  over  a  good  attendance  of  members.  The 
lecturer  for  the  evening  was  A.  Harrison.  Esq.,  of  Watford 
'late  of  Oneglia.  Italy),  and  his  subject  "  Orchids."  The 
lecturer  first  pointed  out  by  the  aid  of  lantern-slides  the 
structural  peculiarities  of  the  flowers  of  Orchids  and  tlieir 
resemblance  to  many  insects,  such  as  moths  and  hnllerflii's. 
Theextraordinary  form  of  the  fructifying  orgaii-^,  tin  means 
whereby  insects  were  attracted  and  used  for  the  purposes 
of  pollination  and  intercrossing,  were  also  shown  by  slides 
of  Coryanthps,  Stanhopeas,  &c.  Mr.  Harrison  then  went 
on  with  plates  and  descriptions  together,  giving  cultural 
details  of  the  most  useful  species,  such  as  might  be  grown 
successfully  in  warm,  intermediate  or  cool  greenhouses 
in  the  company  of  ordinary  plants  usually  found  in  such 
structures,  provided  a  few  essential  details  were  observed. 
He  emphasised  the  importance  of  the  use  of  rain-water 
only,  as  well  as  of  careful  ventilation,  stating  tliat  while 
movement  of  air  was  absolutely  necessary,  nearly  all  the 
species  objected  to  draughts.  Most  of  the  air  admitted 
should  come  through  ventilators  below  the  stages,  and 
not  at  the  stage  level.  It  was  pointed  out  how  excess  of 
ventilation  at  the  apex  of  a  house  dissipated  the  moisture 
and  unduly  dried  the  atmosphere,  to  the  detriment  of 
the  plants".  Among  the  species  for  warmer  lionses  of 
which  slides  were  sliovm,  Mr.  Harrison  included  Cattleyas 
Mendelii.  Triana?.  labiata  gaskelliana.  gigas,  hardyana 
and  aurea ;  Ltelia  purpurata ;  Dendrobiums  nobile, 
crassinode  and  wardianum;  Cypripediums  leeanum.  Charles- 
worthii,  bellatulum.fairieanum,  callosnm  Sanderse  and  Cur- 
tisii.  Plates  were  also  shown  of  some  of  the  newer  beautiful 
compound  hybrids  of  Lselio-Cattleya.  Odontioda,  Brasso- 
Cattleya  and  Brasso-L»lia,  and  the  lecturer  stated  that 
the  great  vigour  of  many  of  these  hybrids  made  them  more 
amenable  to  cultivation  than  a  number  of  the  species, 
but  added  that  the  prices  of  many  were  prohibitive. 
Among  species  needing  cool  treatment,  plates  of 
Odontoglossura  crispura,  in  many  varieties,  were  shown— 
O.  Hallii,  O.  harryannm.  as  well  as  many  hybrid  Odonto- 
glossums  and  Cypripedium  insigne.  Seedling  Cypri- 
pediums were  also  showni  growing  on  the  compost  of  an 
established  plant,  and  the  various  methods  of  raising 
Orchid  seedlings  were  described.  At  the  conclusion  of 
his  remarks  Mr.  Harrison  answered  numerous  questions 
put  to  him  by  members  of  the  audience,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  meeting  was  accorded  a  most  hearty  vote  of  thanks. 
The  hall  presented  an  exceedingly  bright  and  gay 
appearance,  as.  apart  from  specimens  of  Orchids  brought 
by  the  lecturer,  there  were  no  fewer  than  eight  exhibits. 
^i^.  G.  Tovey.  The  Gardens,  Leighton  Park  School,  staged 
eighteen  dishes  of  fine  Apples,  which  were  awarded  a 
certificate  of  cultural  merit  and  were  also  judged  for  the 
Points  Competition.  For  the  latter  three  fine  collections 
of  Chrvsanthemums  were  put  up  by  Mr.  J.  T.  Tubb.  The 
Gardens,  Bearwood ;  Mr.  H.  Reeves,  The  Gardens, 
Blandford  Lodge  ;  and  Mr.  H.  G.  Cox.  Mr.  E.  Blackwell, 
head-gardener  to  the  Lord  Chief  Justice,  staged  a  collection 
of  well-grown  Apples;  and  filr.  H.  Goodger,  The  Gardens, 
Stoncham  House,  three  baskets  of  fine  Sutton's  Ailsa 
Craig  Onions,  which  secured  almost  the  maximum  number 
of  points.  From  the  University  College  Gardens  Mr. 
Drew  sent  beautiful  cut  Chrysanthemums,  and  Mr.  W.  Lees 
exhibited  a  group  of  seedling  Fuchsias.  Two  new  members 
were  elected.  The  hon.  secretary  acknowledges  with 
sincere  thanks  the  receipt  from  **  Onlooker "  of  two 
five-pound  notes,  to  be  devoted  to  special  objects.  The 
committee  will  consider  and  endeavour  to  carry  out  the 
donor's  wishes. 


Queen  Mary,  Alice  Lemon,  Master  James  (highly  coloured), 
Kara  Dow,  Frances  Jolliffe  and  Lady  Talbot.  Mr.  Usher 
was  second,  his  blooms  of  Bob  Pulling,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Roope, 
F.  S.  Vallis.  W.  Turner  and  I).  B.  Crane  being  very  fine 
Third  honours  went  to  Mi-.  B.  Dacre,  gardener  to  Mr. 
W.  Dickinson.  Taunton.  Master  James  and  Pockett's 
Crimson  were  his  best  blooms. 

Mr.  Usher  had  the  best  Japanese  incurved  blooms. 
H.  E.  Converse,  W.  Turner  and  Mrs.  A.  E.  Roope  being 
the  best.  Messrs.  Dacre  and  Tooley  were  secpnd  and 
third  respectively. 

That  flue  cultivator  Mr.  H.  Woolman  of  Shirley,  Bir- 
mingham, won  in  the  class  for  nine  vases  of  blooms  on 
long  stems,  distinct,  three  blooms  in  a  vase.  His  blooms  of 
C.  H.  Totty  were  very  fine.  He  had  also  in  good  form  Thomas 
Lunt.  Miss  Gladys  Herbert,  Lady  Talbot,  Lady  Crisp 
and  Kara  Dow.  Second  honours  went  to  Mr.  J.  Stevenson, 
Wimborne,  who  staged  very  nice  blooms,  Mr.  Tooley 
was  placed  third. 

In  the  class  for  two  vases,  nine  blooms  in  each,  two 
varieties.  Mr.  E.  G.  Cox,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Duberley, 
was  placed  first  with  F.  S.  Vallis  and  Mrs.  Marsham. 
Mr.  Kitclier.  gardener  to  Major  Wyndham  Pain,  was 
second  with  W.  Turner  and  Mrs.  Marsham.  and  had  the 
best  blooms.  His  blooms  of  W.  Tiu^ner  were  the  finest  in 
the  show. 

For  six  vases,  Mr.  Galpin.  gardener  to  Mrs.  Telfer. 
was  the  winner.  He  had  the  best  single  vase  of  Japanese 
yellow,  six  blooms  in  a  vase,  Mr.  Cox  having  the  best 
six  white  Japanese. 

Singles  were  well  shown,  Mr.  Honey,  gardener  to  Mr." 
J.  G.  Rayner,  winning  in  the  class  for  six  vases.  Mr. 
Barge,  gardener  to  the  Rev.  C.  H.  Burrows,  was  successful 
in  a  similar  class  in  another  division. 

Mr.  Usher  won  in  the  class  for  winter-flowering  Car- 
nations, and  Mr.  Short  won  the  cup  in  the  class  for  Begonias 
and  winter-flowering  plants. 

Messrs.   G.   H.   Heath,   Webb  and  Weaver  staged  the 
best    Zonal    Pelargoniums    in    the    order    named.     These 
made  a  brilliant  display  near  the  centre  of  the  hall. 
Fruit  and  Vegetables. 

The  Grapes.  Apples  and  Pears  filled  one  long  table, 
the  quality  throughout  being  very  good.  The  Muscat 
of  Alexandria  Grapes  were  of  the  highest  quality  and 
grandly  coloured.  Mr.  Hall  of  Embley  Park,  Romsey, 
Mr.  Hill  of  Kingston  Lacey,  and  Mr.  Tooley  of  Winch- 
conibo.  also  Mr.  Barrett  of  Bournemouth,  were  the  chief 
prize-winners. 

Messrs.  Cope  of  Wimborne,  Hill,  Dacre  and  Usher 
were  the  principal  winners  in  the  classes  for  Apples  and 
Pears,  and  Mr.  Usher  had  matters  all  his  own  way  in  the 
vegetable  classes,  winning  the  first  prizes  offered  for 
collections  by  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons,  Messrs.  Webb 
and  Sons,  and  Messrs.  Toogood  and  Sons. 
Non-competitive  Exhibits. 

Gold  Medals. — To  Messrs.  John  Waterer  and  Sons 
for  shrubs  and  climbers ;  Messrs.  G.  Watts  and  Sons  for 
Chrysanthemums,  hardy  shrubs  and  floral  designs ; 
Messrs.  Stuart  Low  for  Orchids  and  Carnations ;  and 
Messrs.  James  Carter  and  Co.  for  vegetables. 

Silver  Medals.~To  Mr.  J.  J.  Kettle  for  Violets  ;  Messrs. 
Toogood  and  Sons  for  vegetables ;  and  Mr.  Robert 
Chamberlain  for  floral  designs. 

WARGRAVE     GARDENERS'    ASSOCIATION. 

A  LAKGKLY-ATTESDED  meeting  of  the  above  society 
took  place  on  Wednesday  evening,  October  22,  when 
•■  ten-minute  papers  "  were  given  by  Mr.  Baker  on  "  The 
Propagation  of  Stove  and  Greenhouse  Plants,"  Mr. 
Batchelor  on  "  Tomato  Culture,"  Mr.  Irvin  on  "  Large- 
flowering  Cinerarias,"  and  Mr.  Gray  on  "  Violet  Culture." 
Each  subject  was  treated  in  a  very  practical  manner, 
full  cultural  directions  being  given,  and  a  capital  discussion 
ensued  after  each  paper.  Votes  of  thanks  were  carried 
with  acclamation  at  the  close.  Three  new  members 
were  elected.  The  Wargrave  Plant  Farm,  Limited,, 
staged  a  splendid  lot  of  outdoor  Chrysanthemums,  and 
the  judges  awarded  a  cultural  certificate.  Mr,  Pope 
showed  a  group  of  Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine,  Mr.  Mac- 
kenzie a  vase  of  Dahlias,  and  Mr.  Stephens  a  vase  ot 
Carnations,  and  all  three  were  highly  commended. 


BOURNEMOUTH     HORTICULTURAL     SOCIETY. 

The  Council  of  the  Bournemouth  Horticultural  Society 
held  a  most  successful  exhibition  of  fruits,  flowers  and 
vegetables  in  the  Westover  Palace  Skating  Kink  on 
Tuesday  and  Wednesday.  October  28  and  29.  The  groups, 
cut  flowers  of  Clu-ysanthemums  on  boards  and  in  vases, 
the  fruit  and  vegetables,  and  the  non-competitive  exliibits 
made  the  chief  features  of  the  exhibition.  The  children's 
section  was  also  an  extensive,  beautiful  and  instructive  one. 
Groups  of  Miscellaneous  Plants  and  Cut  Floweus. 

Mr.  Usher,  gardener  tP  Sir  Randolf  Baker,  Bart., 
was  the  winner  in  the  big  group  class.  His  Crotons 
and  Orchids  were  very  effective.  Messrs.  G.  Watts  and 
Sons.  Limited,  Bournemouth,  were  close  second  prize 
winners,  staging  lovely  Begonias,  Crotons,  Palms  and 
Ferns.  Mr.  J.  Stevenson,  Wimborne,  had  a  lovely  group 
of  plants  and  Chrysanthemums,  and  won  third  honours. 

Mr.    Charles   Pearce,    gardener   to    .Mrs.    Ormond.    won 
the  cup  offered  for  a  group  of  Japanese  and  single-flowered 
Chrysanthemums.     His  group  was  charmingly  arranged. 
Cut  Blooms  on  Boards  and  in  Vases. 

For  twentv-four  Japanese  in  not  fewer  tlian  eighteen 
varieties.  Mr.' J.  H.  Tooley,  gardener  to  Mr.  Hugh  Andrews, 
Winchcombe,  won,  having  fine  examples  of  His  .Majesty, 


ELSTREE    AND    BOREHAM  WOOD    HORTICULTURAL. 

ASSOCIATION. 

There  was  a  large  gathering  of  members  of  this  society 
in  the  Parish  Room  on  the  evening  of  Thursday,  the 
16th  ult.,  the  occasion  being  that  of  a  presentation  to  Mr.. 
W.  J.  Pritchard,  the  hon.  secretary  of  the  society.  The 
chair  was  occupied  by  the  Rev.  A.  R.  T.  Eales,  who  said 
that  it  was  one  of  those  happy  occasions  when  every- 
body was  of  one  mind.  They  had  met  there  to  show 
their  appreciation  of  the  splendid  work  which  their  hon. 
secretary  had  rendered  their  society.  Mr.  F.  Jones,, 
who  was  secretary  to  the  Testimonial  Fund,  said  that 
101  members  had  contributed  to  the  fund,  and  spoke  of 
his  esteem  of  Mr.  Pritchard.  Mr.  Harmau  Moore  and 
Mr.  T.  Eames  also  spoke  in  glowiug  terms  of  the  excellent 
work  which  Mr.  Pritchard  had  done,  and  his  keen  interest 
in  the  affairs  of  the  village.  The  presentation,  which 
took  the  form  of  a  magnificent  roller-top  desk,  was  formally 
presented  by  the  Rev.  A.  R.  T.  Eales,  who  fully  endorsed 
all  that  had  been  said  of  Mr.  Pritchard.  Also  at  the  same 
time  Mrs.  Pritchard  was  presented  with  a  handsome 
gold  guard  chain.  In  thanking  the  chairman  and  members, 
Mr.  Pritchard,  speaking  with  emotion,  said  that  his  work 
as  hon.  secretary  had  been  very  largely  a  labour  of  love, 
and  he  certainly  did  not  look  for  any  acknowledgment. 
The  ]ir''srntation  was  followed  by  a  musical  programme, 
kindly  arr  uiiuimI  by  thr  chairman  and  some  of  tin-  miiihIums. 
the  evriiiiiL'  bi'inLi  brought  to  a  clofe  by  accordiii;^  iiiu^ical 
honours  to  Mt.  Pritchard. 


^fe^ 


GARDEN. 


No.  2191.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


November  15,  1913. 


CONTBNTS. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


\  i[i:s  OF  THE   \Vei:k     569 

«     .IIUFISPON'DENCE 

I  he  Almond  in 
scotlaDd      . .      . .      570 

I't  imiila  Poissoni  at 

Clandon  Park     . .      570 

l{o-;<i  Cnatcau  dc 
Clos  Vouiieot      . .      571 

\  Wallflower  for 
Ijoddiup        . .      . .     571 

1  lie  best  white  Rose 
for  beddint!         . .     571 
!  iirthcoming  events,.     571 
I  HE   Silver-leaf  Dis:ease 
OF  Fkuit  Trees 

Its    cause  and  pre- 
vention       ..      ..     571 
KiMK  AND  Water  Garden 

The  designing,  con- 
struction  and 
planting  of  rock 
tj.'irdens        . .      . .     572 

Litbospermum  pros- 
tratum    flowering 

late       572 

A    Qtjaint    and   In- 
expensive     S  U  N  - 

DIAL 573 

Hose  Garden 
In  a  Hampshire  par- 
den       573 


574 


Flower  Garden 
Foliam-    plants    for 
the  water-side    . . 
The   uaminnof 

Tulips 574 

Chrysanthemums  in 

tubs 575 

Trees  and  Shrubs 
The  winter  prunin? 
of  trees  and  shrubs    575 
New   and   Rare 

Plants 576 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
The    winter    treat- 
ment    of     flower 
borders        ..      ..      577 
Tender      plants    in 
cold  frames         . ,     577 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      

New  rules  for  entering 
UalTodils  for  awards 
Answers  to   Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden        . .     579 
Greenhouse     ..      ..     579 
Miscellaneous          . .     579 
SoriF.TiEs 580 


578 
578 
579 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Coprinus  comatus,  a  fungus  that  secreles  a  ferment 

ii^ed  as  a  cure  for  silver-leaf  disease       571 

Ntrreum  purpureum  on  stem  of  Apple      571 

The  beginning  of  a  rock  carden        572 

Plan  of  sundial  pedestal  and  bed  for  olJ-world  flower'^  573 

F'>liage  plants  in  a  Surrey  garden 574 

rhrysanthemums  in  tubs  in  the  pleasure  grounds    . .  575 

The  new  Cypripedium  Olympus 576 

A  border  of  hardy  flowers 577 


BDITORIAL     NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notesj 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endearouT  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photograplts,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  6'!  distinctly  understood  that  onUj  the  actual  photo- 
tjrnpher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  imll  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
iirticte  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
/"  recognised  as  acceptance. 

Offices  :   20,  Tacistocl:  Street,  Coient  Garden.  W.C. 


A  Brilliant  Torch  Lily. — The  variety  Nelsoni 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  dwarf-growing 
varieties  of  Kniphofias.  It  is  not  more  than  2  feet 
high,  very  floriferous,  and  has  elegant  grassy  foliage, 
against  which  the  bright  flame-coloured  blossoms 
contrast  admirably. 

Useful  Flower  for  Cutting. — Heliopsis  scabra 
excelsa  is  a  dwarf-growing  form  of  this  autumn- 
flowering  subject,  much  in  advance  of  the  ordinary 
type.  The  blossoms  are  quite  circular,  thoroughly 
imbricated,  and  of  a  rich  orange  yellow  colour. 
Early  in  June  the  flowers  open,  and  they  last  quite 
fresh  imtil  the  end  of  September — a  remarkably 
long  period.  In  a  cut  state  flowers  of  this  variety 
have  been  known  to  last  six  weeks  in  a  fresh 
condition. 

Rolling  Lawns. — There  is  a  tendency  at  this 
season  to  overlook  the  immense  value  of  rolling 
lawns.  This  is  really  very  essential ;  and  now 
that  the  lawns  are  not  being  mown,  the  heavy 
roller  should  be  used  as  often  as  possible,  more 
especially  while  the  weather  is  open.  A  loose- 
surfaced  lawn  is  productive  only  of  soft  and  easily- 
damaged  grass,  while  a  lawn  that  is  kept  quite 
solid  by  regular  rolling  produces  finer  grass,  which 
will  stand  much  more  wear. 

Potentilla  Gibson's  Scarlet. — For  its  colour 
alone  this  remarkable  plant  should  be  grown  by 
all,  the  dazzling  or  brilliant  scarlet  of  its  flowers 
being  probably  imique.  The  plant,  too,  is  a  great 
bloomer,  of  ideal  hardiness,  not  given  to  fastidious- 
ness, and,  being  comparatively  dwarf-growing, 
is  useful  in  the  small  or  the  large  border.  At  no 
time  is  the  herbaceous  flower  border  overdone 
with  scarlet  ;  hence  so  good  a  plant  is  doubly 
welcome.      Increased  by  division  or  by  seeds. 

A  Chinese  Shrub  with  Black  Fruits. — So  many 

of  our  ornamental  fruiting  trees  and  shrubs  have  red, 
orange  or  yellow  fruits  that  those  with  fruits  of 
some  other  colour  should  receive  consideration. 
Though  of  little  or  no  value  as  a  flowering  shrub, 
Eleutherococcus  (Acanthopanax)  Henryii  has  very 
ornamental  black  fruits  in  autumn.  Growing  about 
five  feet  in  height,  the  bushes  are  very  attractive 
in  autumn  when  laden  with  closely-packed  heads 
of  jet  black  fruits.  There  are  also  two  other 
species  with  ornamental  black  fruits,  natives  of 
China,  viz.,  E.  leucorrhizus  and  E.  sessiliflorum. 
A  shrubbery  border  containing  these  and  other 
fruiting  shrubs  has  many  admirers. 

The  Strawberry  Tree  (Arbutus  Unedo).— This 
subject  surpasses  many  other  shrubs  {rom  an 
ornamental  point  of  view.  It  flowers  at  a  time 
when  the  majority  of  other  shrubs  have  long 
passed.  It  is  interesting  as  one  of  the  very  few 
plants  that  bloom  at  the  same  time  as  they  bear 
the  fruit  of  the  previous  year.  At  this  time  of  the 
year  it  is  laden  with  its  terminal,  racemose  panicles 
of  white  flowers  and  its  Strawberry  -  shaped 
scarlet   fruits,  both  of  which  are  very  handsome. 


Its  variety  rubra,  generally  known  as  .Arbutus 
Croomii,  is  an  even  more  desirable  plant,  with 
much  larger  flowers  of  a  beautiful  rosy  carmine 
colour  ,ind  larger,  dark  green  foliage. 

A    Beautiful    Late-Flowering    Monkshood. — 

A  plant  worthy  of  a  place  in  the  herbaceous-border 
is  Aconitum  Autumn  Glory,  a  beautiful  late- 
flowering  variety  of  the  well-known  A.  chinensis. 
The  flowers  are  not  only  later,  but  larger  and  of 
a  lighter  blue.  A  colony  of  this  plant  flowering 
at  the  present  time  is  verv  inleresling. 

Protecting  Dwarf  Roses. — In  gardens  near 
the  coast,  dwarf  Roses  do  not  often  suffer  from 
the  effects  of  frost,  but  in  many  localities  it  is  an 
annual  struggle  to  bring  many  varieties  of  Teas 
and  Hybrid  Teas  safely  through  the  winter ;  and 
as  severe  frost  may  now  occur  at  any  time,  it  is 
well  to  be  prepared.  The  aim  should  be  to  break 
the  current  of  cold  air  and  still  afford  the  plants 
a  certain  amount  of  air  and  light.  For  this  double 
purpose  Bracken  or  Wheat  straw  littered  loosely 
in  among  the  plants  will  be  found  very  suitable. 

Winter-Blooming  Wallflowers. — Plants  of  the 
Early  Paris  Wallflower  raised  from  seed  sown  last 
May  are  now  giving  their  fragrant  flowers.  But 
it  will  be  found  advisable  to  cut  the  first  spikes, 
as  it  encourages  the  plants  to  send  out  side  growths, 
which  will  soon  produce  flowers  and  continue 
throughout  the  winter,  providing  the  weather  is  not 
severe  and  the  plants  are  given  a  warm,  sheltered 
comer.  These  plants,  if  lifted  carefully  now 
and  put  in  pots,  will  make  valuable  subjects  for 
decorating  the  conservatory  or  cold  greenhouse 

Sea  Holly  with  Tall  Stems.— The  Sea  Hollies, 
or  Eryngiums,  are  quite  an  interesting  family 
of  plants,  many  of  them  being  of  an  ornamental 
character.  One  of  the  most  conspicuous  at  the 
present  time  is  Eryngium  pandanifolium.  It 
might  well  be  called  a  hardy  Pandanus,  or  Screw 
Pine,  which  it  very  much  resembles  with  its  hand- 
some rosettes  of  glaucous  leaves.  At  the  present 
time  it  is  bearing  its  tall  panicles  of  flowers,  which 
are  arranged  in  globose  heads  of  a  purplish  colour, 
and  often  attain  a  height  of  from  10  feet  to 
13  feet. 

A  Spir2ea  for  the  Rock  Garden. — There  are 
not  many  Spiraeas — herbaceous  or  shrubby — 
that  one  would  care  to  recommend  for  cultivation 
in  the  rock  garden,  though  in  the  case  of  S.  digi- 
tata  nana — provided  the  true  plant  is  obtained — it 
may  be  done  with  absolute  confidence.  In  other 
words,  this  very  channing  plant,  of  not  more  than 
9  inches  high,  is  in  the  nature  of  an  alpine,  and 
because  of  its  dwarfness  and  effective  appearance 
is  well  suited  to  associate  with  alpine  vegetation. 
The  true  plant  is  probably  still  quite  scarce,  and 
spurious  forms  have  been  distributed.  No  one, 
however,  having  once  seen  this  pretty  variety, 
endowed  with  dainty  flowers  of  soft  rosy  pink, 
would  ever  forget  its  elegant  beauty.  The  plant 
should  be  given  a  position  of  uniform  coolness 
or  moisture.     Best  increased  by  division  in  spring. 


570 


THE    GARDEN. 


[November  15,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  Editor    is    not    responsibU    for    the  opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 

The   Almond   in  Scotland.— Referring  to  the 

note  by  "  Caledonia"  on  page  558  of  November  8 
issue,  the  common  Almond  is  quite  hardy  in  tliis 
district,  and  there  have  been  trees  in  the  locality 
for  many  years.  ■  I  grow  the  double  variety  in 
this  garden,  where  it  has  been  for  more  than  .eight 
years.  The  dwarf  Almond  is  also  hardy,  and  I 
have  cultivated  both  it  and  the  variety  besseriana 
for  a  long  time. — S.  Arxott.  Sunnymead,  Dumfries. 
Treatment  of  Dracaena  australis. — As  an  experi- 
ment, I  planted  out  in  the  open  garden  a  Dracaena 
last  year.  The  soil  here  is  a  very  heavy,  cold  clay, 
and  I  was  rather  afraid  the  Dracaena  would  suffer 
and  probably  rot  off  at  the  roots.  The  only  pro- 
tection it  had  was  some  straw  at  the  base  and  some 
old  sacking  wrapped  fairly  tightly  round  the  plant. 
On  April  20  of  this  year  I  took  off  its  "  winter 
coat,"  and  it  has  thrown  some  splendid  new  spikes. 
True,  last  winter  was  a  mild  one,  with  no  prolonged 
spell  of  frost.  Perhaps  this  accounts  for  its 
survival.— T.  C.  F.  M.,  West  Horsliam. 


ago  iu  Gunnersbury  House  Gardens,  .A.cton,  where 
Nerine  Bowdenii  thrives  in  company  with  the 
Belladonna  Lily  under  a  sunny  greenhouse  wall  and 
makes  a  most  interesting  featiure. — C.  Q. 

Bracken  as  a  Vegetable. — On  reading  in  the 
Times  of  November  3  about  the  destruction  of 
Bracken,  I  thought  what  a  great  pity  it  is  (especially 
in  these  "  vegetarian  craze  "  days)  that  the  value 
of  young  Bracken  fronds  when  3  inches  to  6  inches 
high  is  not  more  generally  known  here  as  it  is 
in  India  and  Japan,  for,  instead  of  wasting  and 
destroying  the  plants,  it  would  be  sent  to  market 
bundled  as  Asparagus  is,  and  would  furnish  a 
welcome  addition  to  our  springtime  vegetables. 
I  append  the  method  of  cooking,  which  I  have 
tried  and  proved  to  be  successful.  Take  young, 
closely-curled  Bracken  fronds  when  about  three 
inches  to  six  inches  high  (or  a  httle  more),  choosing 
the  thickest  and  most  green  and  tender  ones. 
Stand  the  freshly-cut  ends  for  about  two  hours 
in  water  in  which  a  little  ordinary  kitchen  soda 
has  been  dissolved.  This  draws  out  any  slight 
occasional  bitterness  and  generally  improves  the 
flavour.  Rinse  the  stems  in  fresh  water.  Tifl 
lightly  in  bundles,  and  proceed  to  cook  and  serve 


NERINE    BOWDENII    FLOWERING    IN    THE    OPEN    AT    GUNNERSBURY. 


Nerine  Bowdenii  Flowering  Out  of   Doors.— 

There  appears  to  be  a  general  impression  that 
Nerines  are  tender  subjects,  only  to  be  grown  under 
glass,  and  the  recent  observations  in  the  columns 
of  The  Garden  all  tend  to  support  this  view. 
For  instance,  Mr.  F.  Herbert  Chapman  writes  on 
page  534,  October  25  issue:  "it  would  be  well  if  some 
of  the  amateurs  who  now  devote  the  whole  of  their 
glasshouses  in  autumn  to  Chrysanthemums  could 
be  induced  to  take  up  Nerines,"  and  he  overlooks 
the  fact  that  at  least  some  ot  the  Nerines  may  be 
grown  entirely  out  of  doors.  Mr.  Elwes,  in  his 
widely-appreciated  article  which  appeared  in  your 
issue  for  September  r3,  says:  "In  the  warmest 
parts  of  England  Nerines  may  be  grown  fairly  well 
in  a  cold  frame  all  the  year  round,  but  in  my 
experience  better  in  pots  than  planted  out,  as  I 
have  never  seen  them  in  perfectiop  so  treated." 
One  is  led  to  wonder  if  Mr.  Elwes  has  planted  out 
of  doors  the  comparatively  new  but  very  charming 
Nerine  Bowdenii,  which,  by  the  way,  he  does  not 
consider  a  desirable  parent  of  hybrids  owing  to  the 
irregular  shape  of  the  perianth  segments.  That 
this  species  will  not  only  grow,  but  will  flower 
profusely  out  of  doors  is  clearly  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying illustration.     This  was  taken  a  few  weeks 


exactly  like  Asparagus,  which  it  greatly  resembles. 
— -Anne  Amateur. 
Primula     Poissoni    at     Clandon     Park. — On 

November  9  we  were  privileged  to  see  Primula 
Poissoni  flowering  in  great  profusion  in  the  Primula 
Dell  at  Clandon  Park.  This  recent  introduction 
from  Chma  is  evidently  a  vigorous  grower,  but  its 
great  value  is  seen  in  the  masses  of  lilac  purple 
flowers  that  are  produced  over  a  long  season. 
Mr,  Blake,  the  able  gardener  of  Clandon  Park, 
who  takes  the  greatest  pride  in  the  hardy  Primulas 
grown  there,  writes  :  "  I  am  sending  you  a  few 
flower -spikes  of  Primula  Poissoni.  Now,  these 
have  been  in  flower  continuously  since  April  ;  in 
fact,  the  flower-spikes  were  cut  down  by  the  last 
frost  we  had  late  in  April.  The  spikes  were  then 
about  a  foot  high.  Since  that  time  they  have  con- 
tinually thrown  up  spikes  ot  bloom,  and  never  has 
the  bloom  been  finer  than  at  the  present  time. 
Moreover,  the  colour  is  deeper  than  at  any  time 
during  the  summer.  What  to  me  is  the  most 
wonderful  of  all  is  that  new  flower-spikes  continue 
to  be  thrown  up  in  all  stages.  Of  course,  the  first 
stiff  frost  will  settle  matters  effectually  ;  but,  so 
far  as  my  experience  goes,  there  is  no  Primula  that 
flowers  as  freely  and  continuously  as  does  this  one. 


I  wonder  if  otlier  readers  of  your  widely-read  paper 
have  had  the  same  experience.  The  plants  are  two 
years  old  from  the  date  of  sowing.  It  has  never 
been  out  of  bloom,  but  certainly  has  been  improving. 
It  takes  along  time  to  ripen  its  seed,  and  yesterday 
was  the  first  time  I  was  able  to  gather  any." 

Lime-hating  Campanulas. — Yes  ;  the  history 
of  my  relations  with  Campanula  pulla  is  precisely 
as  Mr.  Murray  HomibroolcJias  guessed  (see  page  346, 
November  i  issue).  I  followed  blindly  and  faith- 
fully the  authority  of  Mr.  Robinson,  doing  absolute 
reverence  to  his  word  in  default  of  any  correcting 
experience  of  my  own.  And  the  reward  of  my 
piety  was  long  and  sedulous  failure,  broken  .only 
by  brief  and  partial  gleams  of  success.  I  still  did 
not  dare  to  trace  these  tragedies  to  any  source  of 
error  at  the  foimtam  head,  nor  did  the  various 
floras  that  include  C.  pulla  give  any  enlightening 
indication.  But  in  1911  I  went  East  into  the 
Styrian  limestones  for  Dianthus  alpinus  and 
Primula  clusiana.  The  first  bonus  that  that 
astounding  mountam  yielded  me  in  the  first  five 
minutes  was  Campanula  alpina ;  the  second, 
Viola  alpma  ;  and  the  third  was  Campanula  pulla, 
growing  along  the  fallen  limestone  blocks  in  the 
black  humus  of  a  little  gully.  I  came  home 
enlightened  ;  from  that  moment  C.  pulla  throve 
with  me  in  a  mixture  of  peat  with  my  ordinary 
loam.  But  the  next  year  I  again  returned  to 
Styria,  and  this  time,  higher  up  the  mountain, 
I  found  C.  pulla  in  wide  mats  in  the  limestone 
screes  below  the  summit  ridge,  luxuriating  here 
in  a  stiff  and  heavy  yellow  loam  devoid  of  any 
element  of  peat.  So  now  I  take  no  further  thought 
at  all  for  C.  pulla.  It  goes  straight  into  my 
orduiary  rock  garden  soil,  in  any  cool  ledge  desired, 
and  there  it  straightway  increases  and  rims  riot 
like  a  happy  weed.  With  regard  to  C.  excisa,  I 
am  not  at  all  sure  that  this  plant  is  not  really 
a  much  more  intractable  lime-hater  than  C.  alpestris 
(Allionii).  It  grows  best  in  absolutely  pure  granitic 
sand  among  river  boulders  high  up  on  the  northern 
and  the  southern  slopes  of  Monte  Rosa.  In 
cultivation,  Mr.  Bowles  has  made  it  an  irrepressible 
weed  in  a  bed  of  beautiful  spongy,  loose  soil — two 
parts  coarse  sand  and  one  part  of  riddled  leaf- 
mould — with  water  flowing  beneath.  With  me, 
however,  this  treatment  has  not  yet  answered,  and 
my  best  patch  gives  me  the  lie  at  present  by  sprout- 
ing voluminously  in  a  part  of  the  bed  devoted  to 
lime,  in  chips  and  rubble,  for  the  benefit  of  Saxi- 
fraga  burseriana  and  C.  Zoysii.  With  regard  to  Mr. 
Amott's  series  of  notes  on  Campanula,  it  is 
ungracious  to  look  so  charming  a  gift-horse  in  the 
mouth  ;  but  in  the  interests  of  those  lov«ly  plants 
themselves  and  their  worshippers,  I  must  really 
be  allowed  to  askfor  fuller  descriptions  if  these  are 
to  be  of  general  help,  and  also  to  suggest  that  too 
faithful  and  unconsidered  a  followmg  of  catalogue 
names,  when  the  original  authorities  lie  so  ready 
to  hand,  is  not  the  best  way,  perhaps,  of  rescuing 
us  from  that  sea  of  confusion  m  which  catalogues 
have  plunged  us.  For  some  instances,  in  one  page  : 
C.  stenocodon  has  no  reference  to  C.  pusiUa,  but  is 
a  variety  or  subspecies  of  C.  rotundifolia ; 
C.  tridentata  is  specifically  different  from  C.  Saxi- 
fraga,  and  easily  recognisable ;  C.  valdensis  is 
another  subspecies  of  C.  rotundifolia — this  is  the 
downy  plant,  with  big  purple  bells.  But  Mr.  Amott's 
account  of  its  second  "  form "  looks  very 
suspiciously  like  the  genuine  C.  caespitosa  (Scop.), 
which  Mr.  Amott  has  so  cruelly  wronged  by 
obliterating  it  into  the  name  of  the  wholly  different 
C.  pusilla  (Haenke)  ;  and,  finally,  I  shall  be 
mterested  to  lear.i  how  the  true  C.  uniflora 
resembles  C.  excisa, — Reginald  Farrer, 


NOVEMKEK    15,  I9I3. 


THE     GARDEN. 


571 


COPRINUS  COMATUS,  A  FUNGUS  THAT 
SECRETES  A  FERMENT  USF.D  AS  A  CURE 
FOR    SILVER-LEAF    DISEASE. 


Rose    Chateau    de    Clos    Vougeot. — This    fine 

Hybrid  Tea  Rose  was  very  good  in  tlie  second  week 
in  October  in  a  Dumfriesshire  garden  high  up  among 
the  moors  and  hills,  and.  apart  from  its  beauty, 
it  has  the  possession  of  fragrance  in  a  degree  not 
often  to  be  found  among  the  newer  Roses.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  fragrant  of  Roses,  and  one  of 
the  most  delightful  of  the  dark  varieties  of  its 
class.  It  may  be  too  deep  in  colour  for  the  taste 
of  many  who  prefer  light-coloured  Roses,  but  it 
is  such  a  good  Rose  that  it  deserves  consideration. 
It  is  well  described  as  velvety  scarlet,  shading  to 
fiery  scarlet  and  changing  to  dark  crimson.  It 
is  a  capital  bedding  Rose,  and  flowers  freely  and 
long,  and  is  such  a  favourite  in  the  garden  referred 
to,  where  good  Roses  are  appreciated,  that  it  is 
to  be  more  largely  grown.  It  was  sent  out  in 
1908. — S.  Arnott. 

War  on  Wasps. — Regarding  the  plague  of  wasps 
and  the  remedy,  we  have  found  it  very  successful 
to  offer  prizes  at  our  local  flower  show  for  the 
greatest  number  of  queen  wasps  and  the  greatest 
number  of  nests.  If  the  prizes  are  fairly  good, 
there  are  plenty  of  entries.  In  the  case  of  the 
wasp  nests,  they  were  not  exhibited  at  the  show, 
but  brought  in  as  found  to  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittee, who  credited  the  bringer  with  the  number 
and  burnt  the  nests.  Over  fifty  were  taken  round 
this  house,  with  the  result  that,  as  far  as  we  were 
concerned,  we  had  no  plague,  although  a  mile  away 
it  was  the  worst  year  on  record. — Edward  M. 
Hadow,  Uffington  Vicarage,  Berks. 

In    reference    to    Mr.    Copeland's  question. 

No.  3,  under  the  above  heading,  page  534,  the 
following  note  may  be  of  interest  to  him  :  We 
had  matted  some  Currant  bushes  to  preserve  the 
fruit.  On  uncovering  one  of  them  rather  late 
in  the  year,  I  found  a  large  number  of  queen 
wasps  in  the  folds  of  the  mat.     It  is  a  good  many 


years  since,  and  I  cannot  now  say  with  certainty 
how  many  there  were.  Being  in  a  semi-torpid 
state,  they  were  easily  disposed  of.  It  is  well 
known  that  queen  wasps  often  take  shelter  during 
the  winter  in  any  warm,  dry  article  that  happens 
to  be  hanging  undisturbed  for  a  time,  so  it  might 
be  worth  while  to  loosely  fold  pieces  of  garden 
matting  or  sacking  and  place  them  where  they  can 
be  kept  dry.  If  the  experiment  does  not  succeed 
as  regards  wasps,  there  will  certainly  be  some 
earwigs. — Thomas  Smith,   Wislbury-on-Trym. 

A  Wallflower  for  Bedding. — To  those  on  the 
look-out  for  a  first-class  plant  for  bedding  or 
massing,  and  one  out  of  the  ordinary,  I  can  strongly 
recommend  Cheiranthus  .Mlionii.  It  commences 
to  bloom  in  May,  and,  providing  it  is  kept  from 
seeding,  will  continue  to  give  masses  of  its  sweet- 
scented  orange  blooms  the  whole  summer  long. 
Although  a  perennial,  I  always  treat  it  as  a  biennial, 
planting  out  strong  seedlings  each  autumn  i  foot 
apart.  It  is  a  plant  that  requires  a  fair  amount 
of  manure,  with  an  occasional  dusting  of  a  good 
artificial  during  the  summer.  Treated  thus,  the 
blooms  will  be  twice  the  size  of  those  one  generally 
sees  on  plants  growing  on  rockeries.  For  massing 
in  front  of  borders  it  is  fine,  its  beautiful  orange 
colour  blending  well  with  all  its  neighbours,  and  its 
agreeably  sweet  scent  invades  the  whole  garden. 
We  grow  a  variety  called  C.  superbus,  a  much  im- 
proved form  sent  out  by  Messrs.  Barr. — !•".  Woods, 
Hal  field  Park 

The  Best  White  Rose  for  Bedding.— I  have 
just  received  my  September  6  edition  of  The 
Garden.  I  notice  Mr.  Molyneu.x  asks  for  ideas 
as  to  which  is  the  best  white  Rose  for  bedding. 
After  considering  the  notes  made  by  Mr.  Molyneux, 
may  I  place  my  choice  as  follows  :  Elaine,  The 
Bride,  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs  and  Molly  Sharman 
Crawford  ?  The  first-named  Rose  does  well  with 
me,  and  I  have  a  nice  bed  of  it.  The  plants  are 
ver>'  floriferous  ;  the  blooms  come  a  lovely  shape. 
They  are  not  such  a  pure  white  as  the  other  three 
mentioned,  being  very  slightly  tinted  cream, 
but  the  plants  make  a  fine  bed.  The  Bride  is 
grown  out  here  very  extensively  on  its  own  roots, 
and  a  bed  of  it  in  February — our  best  flowering 
month — is  a  sight.  Kept  low  it  is  splendid,  but 
it  is  inclined  to  make  rather  a  big  bush  with  us. 
The  last  two  mentioned  I  have  only  had  for  two 
seasons,  but  I  should  say  they  would  be  very  good 
white  bedding  Roses  in  the  United  Kingdom. 
They  make  nice  beds  with  me,  and  I  have  had 
some  fine  blooms  from  both.  White  Maman 
Cochet  we  all  know,  but  the  drooping  habit  of  the 
flower  debars  it  from  being  a  good  Rose.  My 
Roses  are  grown  in  a  temperature  varying  from 
60°  to  88°  Fahr.  and  within  20  yards  of  the  sea. 
.^s  to  the  last  statement  I  am  well  aware,  for  on 
Saptember  18  a  typhoon  swept  away  over  two 
hundred  of  my  favourites. — R.  A.  Nicholson, 
Hong  Kong. 

FORTHCOMING      EVENTS. 

November  18. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Exhibition.     Chrysanthemum  Show  at  Wokingham. 

November  19. — Jubilee  Show  at  Bristol  (two 
days).  Shows  at  Newcastle  (two  days),  Woolton, 
and  Hull  (two  days). 

November  20. — Norfolk  and  Norwich  Chry- 
santhemum Show  (three  days).  Shows  at  Bamsley 
(two  days)  and  Paisley. 

November  21. — Shows  at  Dundee,  Blackburn, 
Bolton,  Dunfermline,  Stockport  (all  two  days)  and 
Kilmarnock. 


THE   SILVER-LEAF  DISEASE 
OF    FRUIT    TREES. 


ITS     CAUSE     AND     PREVENTION. 

THIS  disease,  well  known  to  attack  and 
even  to  destroy  the  Plum,  especially 
in  the  case  of  certain  varieties  like 
the  Victoria  and  Czar,  is  easily  recog- 
nised by  a  silvering  of  the  upper 
surface  of  the  leaf,  from  which  it  takes 
its  name.  It  is  a  condition  which  may  be  due  to 
different  causes,  but  which,  in  probably  99  per 
cent,  of  cases  that  occur  among  fruit  trees,  is  due 
to  a  common  fungus,  known  as  Stereura  purpureum. 
The  spores  of  this  fungus  are  able  to  grow  wherever 
they  find  a  wound ;  they  soon  germinate,  and 
give  rise  to  a  mycelium  or  spawn,  strictly  the  same 
as  the  spawn  of  Mushroom,  which  travels  through 
the  wood  and  in  a  short  time  affects  the  leaves. 
It  does  not  follow  that  the  spawn  itself  has  reached 
the  leaves,  for  the  effect,  in  the  case  of  a  Victoria 
Plum,  has  been  produced  at  a  considerable  distance 
beyond  the  region  attained  by  the  spawn  or  myce- 
lium. In  the  case  of  one  experiment,  out  of  fifteen 
inoculations  made  in  February,  twelve  resulted 
in  silvering  by  the  middle  of  May.  An  inoculation  of 
a  Victoria  Plum  in  August,  1912,  resulted  in  silvering 
five  weeks  later.  This  common  cause  of  silvering 
— indeed,  quite  the  commonest — was  made  known 
by  Percival  in  igo2.  (See  Journal  of  the  Linnean 
Society,  Vol,  XXXV.,  page  390.)  Since  then 
other  experiments  have  been  made,  particularly 
by  Mr.  F.  T.  Brooks,  M.A„  of  the  School  of  Botany 
at  Cambridge,  and  it  is  one  of  his  remarkable 
demonstrations  in  the  Cambridge  Botanic  Garden 
that  leads  to  this  note.  In  a  group  of  young  trees 
the  sih^ered  branches  are  easily  picked  out  from 
among  others  that  bear  only  green,  healthy  leaves, 
and,  by  following  the  shoot  down,  there  is  invariably 
found  the  label  whicli  records  inoculation. 


STEREUM  PURPUREUM  ON  STEM  OF  APPLE.  THIS 
IS  THE  FUNGUS  THAT  CAUSES  SILVER-LEAF 
DISEASE, 


I 


572 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  15,  1913. 


Silver-leaf  a  Comparatively  Recent  Disease.— 

It  15  remarkable  that  until  recent  years  little 
notice  appears  to  have  been  taken  of  this  disease. 
I  find  no  remark  about  it  in  works  I  have  on  fruit 
cultivation  ;  indeed,  in  Thompson's  "  Assistant  " 
it  is  said  that  the  Plum  is  liable  only  to  gumming. 
The  true  cause  at  first  does  not  seem  to  have  been 
accepted.  It  was  pointed  out  in  1902.  In  1906 
Dr.  Cook,  in  "  Fungoid  Pests  of  Cultivated  Plants," 
page  135,  says:  "We  must  still  regard  ourselves 
as  sceptical  as  to  whether  Stereum  is  the  cause 
of  silver-leaf  "  ;  and  Mr.  Massee,  in  the  same  year, 
says :  "  I  know  absolutely  nothing  about  sUver- 
leaf."  In  1908,  in  Messrs.  Bunyard's  Nursery,  I 
believe  by  Mr.  Bunyard,  jun.,  I  was  informed  that 
silver-leaf  was  due  to  injury.  This  was  near  the 
mark,  but  mechanical  injury  by  itself  is  unlikely 
to  produce  such  a  result,  and  only  an  agent 
like  Stereum  was  required  to  complete  an 
explanation. 

Other  Causes  of  Silver-leaf.  —  It  may  be 
said  now  that  this  cause  has  been  proved  for 
Plums,  and  that  no  other  is  known, 
though  cases  have  occurred  which  do 
require  another  explanation.  Mr. 
Brooks  mentions  the  silvering  of 
seedling  Plums  which  could  not  be 
attributed  to  the  action  of  Stereum, 
and  it  is  unlikely  to  cause  silvering 
in  the  case  of  the  White  Dead  Nettle. 
It  has  been  known,  too,  in  the  case  of 
Apple  shoots  which  have  been  cut 
from  healthy  trees  and  kept  in  the 
air  for  a  short  time.  While  not  the 
cause  in  these  instances,  it  may  reason- 
ably be  regarded  as  the  cause  in  the 
case  of  certain  trees  and  shrubs  that 
are  not  allied  to  the  Plum,  as,  for 
instance.  Red  Currant  and  Laburnum, 
upon  which  the  sporophores  or  fructifi- 
cations of  Stereum  were  found.  La- 
burnum, indeed,  has  been  silvereu 
by  infection  from  the  Plum,  and  a 
Whinham's  Industry  Gooseberry  bush, 
inoculated  during  igii,  became 
silvered  during  1912.  Stereum  may 
thus  affect  a  variety  of  trees — Por- 
tugal Laurel  I  remember  to  have 
suffered  in  this  garden  —  and  it  is 
important  to  mention  that  although 
Mr.  Brooks  has  seen  few  adult  Apple 
trees  showing  silver-leaf,  he  has  fre- 
quently found  scions  of  regrafted 
trees  that  are  silvered.  He  describes 
a  group  of  Blenheim  Orange  Apple  trees  that 
were  regrafted  with  scions  of  either  the  Grena- 
dier or  Jubilee  variety  three  years  ago.  The 
grafts  grew  until  the  spring  of  1912,  when  those 
on  twelve  of  the  trees  rapidly  died.  When 
the  trees  were  examined  in  August,  1912,  each 
stock  showed  innumerable  sporophores  or  fructifica- 
tions of  Stereum  purpureum  growing  from  the 
bark.  It  should  be  remembered  that  while  silver- 
leaf  in  a  fruit  tree  may  be  held  almost  with  absolute 
certainty  to  indicate  the  presence  of  Stereum,  it 
does  not  follow  that  that  Stereum  necessarily 
produces  silver-leaf.  Mr.  Brooks  beheves  that  the 
manifestation  depends  partly  upon  leaf  structure, 
and  in  cases  mentioned  silver-leaf  did  not  result, 
though  Stereum  had  made  considerable  progress 
in  the  tissues.  Apple  and  Beech  trees  that  were 
probably  killed  by  Stereum  did  not  show  the 
phenomenon.  R.  Irwin   Lynch. 

Botanic  Garden,   Cambridge. 

[To  be  continued.) 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


I 


THE    DESIGNING,    CONSTRUCTION 
AND  PLANTING  OF  ROCK  GARDENS. 

F  there  is  one  subject  that  has,  more  than 
others,  received  too  much  attention  from 
a  journalistic  point  of  view,  one  would 
think  it  is  that  of  the  rock  garden  and  its 
kindred  associations.  Volume  on  volume, 
article  on  article,  have  been  poured  forth 
in  season  and  out  of  season,  all  professing  to  deal 
with  one  phase  or  another.  Where  there  is  such 
an  unlimited  supply  of  literature  on  one  subject, 
it  is  possible,  even  probable,  that  some  of  it  gets 
read.  I  do  not  propose  to  apologise  for  adding 
to  the  pile,  because,  although  one  may  choose  to 
write,  it  is  by  no  means  a  guarantee  that  there 
are  those  who  will  choose  to  read.  Those  who 
do  not  will  need  no  apology.  Those  who  do 
have  it  in  their  power  to  curtail  the  perusal  of 
these   articles   at   the   exact   point    at   which   they 


THE    BEGINNING    OF    A    ROCK    GARDEN. 

This  Stone,  weighing  779  tons,  and  conlainin^  9,720  cubic  feet,  was 
the  result  of  blasting  out  slone  for  rock  gardens  at  the  Stancliffe 
Qtiairies,  near  Darley  Dale.  Derbyshire. 


cease  to  interest  them.  May  I  say  definitely  here 
what  I  believe  to  be  the  real  and  most  important 
faculty  that  is  necessary  for  the  successful  arrange- 
ment of  not  only  rock  and  water  gardens,  but 
every  other  form  of  landscape  treatment.  It  is 
a  sense  of,  and  power  of,  composition — the  power 
to  judge  of  the  sympathetic  and  harmonious  rela- 
tion of  one  feature  to  another,  whether  it  be  masses 
of  rock,  grouping  of  shrubs  and  trees,  combination 
of  colour,  or  the  association  of  other  suitable 
vegetation.  However,  despite  the  fact  that  this 
sense  is  lacking  in  many  of  us,  there  are,  'I  believe, 
some  simple  rules  that,  carefully  followed,  render 
it  quite  possible  for  most  of  us  to  construct  a  success- 
ful rock  garden,  that  may  possess  many  faults, 
it  is  true,  but  that  mil  not  only  provide  many  happy 
hours,  but  also  (but  not  by  any  means  the  least 
of  the  uses  of  a  rock  garden,  but  one  that  is,  tm- 
fortunately,  often  overlooked)  a  happy  home  for 
the  innumerable  species  and  varieties  of  alpine 
plants  now  in  cultivation.     It  is  my  intention  to 


take  the  reader  through  the  elementary  processes 
of  preparing  such  a  garden  in  the  sequence  in  which 
they  would  arise  in  the  progress  of  the  work, 
viz.,  (i)  Selection  of  site  and  design  ;  (2)  Selection 
of  stone  ;  (3)  Arrangement  of  stone  ;  and  (4)  Soils 
and  planting. 

Choice  of  Site. — Mr.  William  Robinson  has 
given  it  as  an  axiom  that  the  rock  garden  should 
be  "  as  far  removed  as  possible  from  the  house," 
and  I  remember  he  took  particular  care  to  impress 
this  on  me  during  a  brief  conversation  I  had 
with  him  at  the  International  Show  at  Chelsea 
last  year.  Now  let  me  say  at  once  that  there  is 
no  man  living  (perhaps  few  dead)  to  whom,  in  my 
opinion,  the  horticultural  world  owes  greater 
respect,  admiration  and  gratitude  than  to  Mr. 
Robinson,  and  none  shares  more  ardently  in  the 
general  tribute  paid  to  his  work  than  I  do  ;  but  I 
think  this  particular  assertion  of  his  is  calculated 
to  be  a  little  misleading.  The  rock  garden  should 
be  in  the  most  suitable  position,  even  though  the 
drawing-room  window  looks  straight  upon  it, 
and  the  most  suitable  position  is  deter- 
mined not  by  the  proximity  to  the 
house,  but  by  the  application  of  a  har- 
monious design  to  an  applicable  site. 
True,  it  frequently  happens  that  the  most 
suitable  site  occurs  at  a  point  that  is  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  house, 
because,  generally  speaking,  the  further 
one  gets  from  the  domicile  the  nearer  one 
gets  to  natural  conditions,  and,  conse- 
quently, the  more  at  home  seems  the 
rock  garden  ;  but  it  is  not  imperative 
that  natural  conditions  should  in  every 
case  be  driven  to  the  furthest  extremity 
of  the  grounds,  whether  it  be  of  man- 
sion, villa  or  cottage.  I  have  recently 
come  across  charming  dells  and  sloping 
banks  in  quite  close  proximity  to  the 
residence  of  the  owner  that  were  ideal 
situations  for  the  introduction  of  rock 
outcrop  among  masses  of  low-growing 
shrubs  and  other  plants.  It  is  quite 
impossible  to  enumerate  all  the  sites 
that  are  suitable,  so  it  will  be  better 
to  look  at  some  of  them  in  combination 
with  the  question  of  design.  There  is 
(and  reference  to  the  best-known  autho- 
rities will  verify  this)  a  particular  style 
of  formation  that  is  so  eminently  suit- 
able for  any  given  site  that  in  nine 
cases  out  of  ten  the  environment  itself 
determines  the  ultimate  design,  and  the 
only  satisfactory  method  of  illustrating  this  will  be 
to  take  actual  conditions  with  which  I  have  person- 
ally come  in  contact,  and  by  description  and  a  few 
simple  sketches  place  before  readers  the  best  method 
of  achieving  the  most  successful  results  under  those 
conditions. 

Colchester.  George   Dillistone. 

(To   he  continued.) 


LITHOSPERMUM     PROSTRATUM 
FLOWERING    LATE. 

This  lovely  rock  plant  is  still  blooming  away, 
unharmed  in  its  flowers  by  frosts,  which  have  cut. 
down  the  Dahlias  and  have  injured  some  of  the 
Chrysanthemums.  Other  rock  plants  in  bloom 
are  few  and  far  between,  but  L.  prostratum  is 
quite  happy,  and  is  giving  quite  a  number  of  its 
fine  blue  flowers.  It  is  so  frequently  mentioned 
that  one  need  do  little  piore  than  call  attention  to 
its  late  flowering, 

Dumfries.  S.  Arnott. 


Xdvember  15,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


573 


A   QUAINT   AND 
INEXPENSIVE    SUNDIAL. 

THERE  was  a  time  when  the  sundial 
was  introduced  into  the  garden  for 
the  purpose  of  measuring  the  time. 
To-day  it  has  become  merely  a  garden 
ornament,  a  centre  from  which  diverg- 
ing paths  radiate,  or  the  central  axis 
of  a  formal  design.  It  introduces  into  the  garden 
a  more  or  less  romantic  note  of  association  with 
the  past,  and  appeals  to  the  same  sense  of  apprecia- 
tion as  old  buildings,  old  furniture,  and  everything 
else  that  has  come  to  us  from  bygone  days.  The 
sight  of  one  calls  up  memories  of  the  sweet  old- 
world  flowers  of  Chaucer  and  Shakespeare  :  the 
Sweet  Brier,  Pinks,  Gilliflowers,  Lavender,  Rose- 
mary, Columbine,  and  "  Roses  damask  and  red  " 
of  Bacon. 

The  design  for  a  sundial  pedestal  in  the  accom- 
panyinK  illustration  is  not   meant  for  the  garden 


Ou  O  QUICK. 


attractive.  The 
same  idea  can  be 
successfully  adopted 
to  create  pedestals 
for  small  lead 
figures,  and  can 
easily  be  worked 
into  circular,  hexa- 
gonal or  octagonal 
shapes.  Old  bricks 
and  tiles  are  recom- 
mended, not  be- 
cause  they  are 
cheapest,  but  be- 
cause the  discolora- 
tion of  age  on  them 
gives  the  best  re- 
sults. A  sundial  plate  can  be  obtained  for  a 
few  shillings,  and  even  though  it  was  made  in 
Birmingham  last  week  and  will  probably  bear  a 
date  about  1647,  no  one  will  mind  the  date 
being  false  ;  in  fact,  if  a  genuine  old  dial  were 
obtained,  who  would  believe  in  its 
antiquity  ?  G.   D. 


.-  Rx 


THE   ROSE   GARDEN. 


SECTIONAL    DIAGRAM    OF    SUNDIAL    PEDESTAL. 


productions  of  its  raisers.  It  is  not  easy  to 
find  a  fault  with  it.  A  good  grower,  flowers 
of  excellent  shape  and  refined  character,  deep 
cream  in  colour  and  fragrant.  Hardly  subject  to 
mildew.  Very  strongly  recommended  to  the 
exhibitor. 

Margaret  (William  Paul  and  Son,  1909). — 
Little,  but  good.  A  pretty  Rose  that  comes 
easily,  frequently  and  well.  Not  quite  large  enough, 
perhaps,  to  be  a  very  useful  Rose  to  the  exhibitor. 
A  Killamey-like  Rose  with  rather  more  petals, 
not  quite  so  vigorous  a  grower,  and  not  so  subject 
to  mildew.  It  has  been  flowering  all  the  season 
with  me,  and  its  plants  are  still  carrying  blooms, 
November  though  it  is. 

Marquise  de  Ganay  (P.  Guillot,  1910). — A  large 
flower,  silvery  rose  in  colour,  that  has  been  fre- 
quently exhibited.  It  is  a  good  grower,  very 
free,  and  should  be  made  a  note  of  as  one 
of  the  most  promising  of  the  Continental-raised 
Roses. 

May  Kenyon  Slaney  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
1910). — To  those  who  like  variety  in  shape  m  their 
blooms,  so  that  the  whole  box  is  not  of  the  pointed 
persuasion,  this  Rose  can  be  recommended.  I 
had  a  fine  large  flower  of  it  in  a  box  of  twelve  at 
Southampton   in   June  last.     It  is  globular  rather 


PL  (AN 


IN  A  HAMPSHIRE   GARDEN. 

Notes    on     Newer    Roses. 

[Continued  from  page  562.) 

HYBRID    TEAS    FOR    EXHIBITION. 

Lieutenant  Chaure  (PeriKt-Ducher, 

1910).  —  Another   possible — hardly    a 

probable — Rose    to    figure    often     in 

the    exhibition  box,  and   then  only  as 

a  tront-row    flower.      It   did   find  its 

way  into  one   or   two    boxes    at    the 

■'  National,"  but  it  was  in  the  seventy- 
two  and  forty-eight  classes,  and  rt  will 

very  seldom   be  large  enough   to   get 

into  the  twelves.     It  is  a  good  colour, 

rather    brighter    than    either    of    its 

parents,    reported    to    be    Etoile    de 

France  and  Liberty.     A  believer  in  the    than  pointed,  pale  blush  pink  on  a  cream  ground 

hereditary    tendency    is    not    likely,    'h^'  deepens  with  age,  and  in  the  autumn  is  very 

much  deeper  in  colour.  A  good  grower,  not 
subject     to     mildew,      and     very      free  -  flowering. 


therefore,  to  expect  much  from  Lieu- 
tenant Chaure,  but  it  was  one  of  the 
twenty  new  Hybrid  Teas  selected  by  ;  Fragrant. 


PLAN    OF    SUNDIAL    PEDESTAL    AND    BED    FOR    OLD 
WORLD    FLOWERS. 


of  noble  proportions  or  for  the  embellishment  of 
palatial  surroundings,  but  is  simply  a  quaint  and 
pretty  idea  that  can  be  introduced  into  the  tiniest 
cottage  garden  at  little  expense  and  with  certain 
success.  It  is  meant  for  those  who  love  their 
gardens  so  much  that  they  like  to  do  things  them- 
selves, and  as  such  is  purely  a  "  gardener's " 
sundial  rather  than  a  pretentious  work  of  masonry 
("  sculpture  "  is,  I  believe,  the  word  generally  used). 
Just  a  few  old  bricks  and  thin  roofing  tiles,  a  short 
piece  of  iron  pipe,  two  or  three  pieces  of  paving, 
and  a  little  cement  darkened  by  the  addition 
of  a  little  lampblack  are  all  that  is  necessary  ;  the 
joints  should  be  quite  dark.  Round  the  centre  plant 
a  mixture  of  old-world  plants,  such  as  a  pink 
Monthly  Rose,  two  or  three  plants  of  Lavender,  some 
Catmint,  Thyme,  and  any  old-fashioned  odds  and 
ends  there  is  room  for.  If  the  sundial  forms 
the  terminal  of  a  path  between  two  borders, 
brick,  on  edge,  paths  are  comfortable  and  dry, 
and  when  the  joints  are  green  with  moss,  grass, 
a    dwarf    Sedum,    or    creeping    Thyme,   are    very 


Mr.  Mawley  to  be  placed  in  order  of 
merit.  I  believe  I  placed  it  at  the 
bottom,  or  very  near  it,  so  that  it  is 
evident  I  do  not  think  very  highly  of  it 

for  this  purpose.  It  is  a  good  garden  Rose,  however. 
Mabel  Drew  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,   iqii). — 

This    Rose    was   also 

included  in  that  list, 

but    figured    at 

the    other    end ;    in 

fact,  I  placed  Mabel 

Drew  second,  George 

Dickson  only  beating 

it,    and    1    shall    be 

very  much  surprised 

if    that    is    not    the 

general  opinion.    It  is 

a  gold   medal   Rose, 

won    at   Salisbury  ui 

1910,    and    has   won 

for   itself    already   a 

reputation  that  cer- 
tainly entitles  one  to 

call  it  one  of  the  best 

of     the    new    Roses 

and  one  of   the   best 


Mrs.  Amy  Hammond  (S.  McGredy  and  Son, 
1911). — One  of  the  very  best  all-round  Roses  of 
recent  introduction.  Grown  for  exhibition,  it 
produces  a  magnificent  flower  ;  grown  for  garden 
decoration,  it  has  all  the  points  necessary  for  that 
purpose.     Large  flowers,  borne  on  long  footstalks, 


i^LEVATIDlN 

DIAGRAM    SHOWING    ELEVATION    OF    SUNDIAL    PEDESTAL. 
{Scale  of  each  illustration :    Half  an  inch  :=  one  foot.) 


574 


THE    GARDEN. 


[NOVKMBER    15,  1913. 


very  freely  produced,  in  flower  here  from  May  to 
November.  I  do  not  know  what  place  it  will 
take  in  Mr.  Mawley's  Analysis,  but  I  place  it  easily 
in  the  iirst  half-dozen  of  the  newer  Roses.  Those 
who  have  not  got  it  should  get  it.  A  larger  and 
fuller  Pharisaer  with  a  peach  (the  rosarian's 
tint)  flush  that  is  not  easy  to  describe.  One  cannot 
speak  too  highly  of  it.  Vigorous,  branching  habit, 
very  free-flowering  and  sweetly  scented,  it  stands 
all  weathers,  and  is  as  beautiful  now  in  November 
as  were  its  flowers  in  June.  Messrs.  McGredy 
have  given  us  many  beautiful  Roses,  and  this 
is  entitled  to  be  called  one  of  the  best.  It  should 
be  in  every  garden  ;  certainly  i" 
every  Rose  garden. 
Mrs.    Arthur    E.    Coxhead 

(S.   McGredy   and    Sons,    1910). —  . 

No    Rose    of    recent    introduction 
has  found  its   way  into   so   many 

gardens     as    this     one,    and    the 

reason  is  not  far  to  seek.     I  have 
never    yet    seen    a   split  flower  of 

Mrs.  A.  E.   Coxhead.      It    always 

comes    good.       Notwithstanding 

the    severe    handicap    of    its    bad 

colour,    I    expect    to    find    it    very 

high     up    in     Mr.    Mawley's    list. 

I    placed    it    third     in     order    of 

merit.      Those   who   say  the   new 

Roses   have   no   scent    should  try 

Mrs.   A.     E.    Coxhead,     and    then 

hang     their     heads     with    shame. 

It    is    particularly     good     in    the 

autumn,    too,    and    is    a    reliable 

Rose      all     through     the     season. 

If  only   the    colour    had    been    a 

little   more   pleasing  !     The  raisers 

call    it    claret  red,    but    there    is 

no  claret   and  very  little    red.      I 

should    call    it    a    deep    magenta 

puce,   and    the    only  time   it    has 

any   pretence    to    good    colour   is 

under  electric  light.     It  bears  the 

name  of    the  wife    of    one    of    the 

keenest  amateur  rosarians  that    it 

has    been     my    good   fortune     to 

meet,  who,   unfortunately,  has    to 

grow  his  Roses  within  the  five- 
mile     radius     of     Charing     Cross, 

but   whose    garden    is   a  triumph 

over   difficulties   too   numerous   to 

mention. 

Mrs.  Andrew  Carnegie  (Cocker, 

^913). — I  have  not  grown  this 
Rose,  so  can  say  nothing  as  to 
its  behaviour ;  but  I  have  had  a 
great  number  of  enquiries,  to 
all  of  which  I  have  given  the 
same  answer.  I  do  not  think  an 
outdoor-grown  flower  has  been 
staged  in  the  South. 

Mrs.  Arthur  Munt  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
1909). — An  ivory  tinted  white  flower  of  excellent 
shape,  but  not  often  large  enough  to  stage.  It 
is  reliable,  free-flowering,  a  fine  autumnal  variety, 
mildew-proof  and  scented,  of  Tea-like  appearance 
and  growth. 

Mrs.  Charles  Custis  Harrison  (Alex.  Dickson 
and  Sons,  1910). — I  mention  this  for  its  colou: 
alone,  a  very  warm,  deep,  almost  crimson  pink 
that  lights  up  the  spot  it  grows  on  in  a  wonderful 
fashion,  and  is  very  telling  in  the  box  if  you  can 
get  it  big  enough.  It  is  free-flowering,  fragrant 
and  a  good  grower,  and  a  note  should  be  made 
of  It  by  those  who  like  strong  colours. 


Mrs.    Charles    E.    Allen    (Hugh    Dickson  and 

Sons,  1911). — A  very  beautiful  Rose,  but  not, 
I  am  afraid,  large  enough. 

Mrs.   Charles    E.    Pearson    (S.   McGredy  and 

Sons,  1913).  —  To  this  I  must  say  the  same. 
I  will  refer  to  both  of  these  varieties  under  the 
decorative  Roses. 

Mrs.  CornwalllS-West  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
1911). — This  is  quite  another  matter.  Here  we 
have  a  magnificent  exhibition  variety.  Easy  to 
grow,  easy  to  show  and  a  very  beautiful  Rose, 
although  it  is  not  of  the  orthodox  pointed  shape 
with  guard  petals,  but  is  globular,  almost  round. 


THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 


FOLIAGE    PLANTS^  FOR  THE  WATER- 
SIDE. 

THE  accompanying  illustration  should, 
I  think,  serve  to  impress  upon  readers 
fhe  beauty  of  certain  well-known 
plants  from  the  point  of  view  of  foliage. 
The  Water  Lily  is  Nymphaea  Marliacea 
alba.  Although  no  flowers  happen  to 
appear  in  the  illustration,  this  Water  Lily  is,  in  my 
opinion,  quite  one  of  the  best  for  all-round  effect. 
It  gives  each  year  during  a  lengthy 
period  a  great  number  of  large 
and  perfect  blossoms,  hard  to 
excel  for  lustre  and  purity.  It  is 
often  urged  that  this  Water  Lily 
is  too  large  for  small  ponds.  The 
remedy  is  simple.  If  the  outer 
leaves  are  cut  off,  the  crowded 
inner  leaves  will  quickly  fall  flat 
to  take  their  place.  In  the  fore- 
ground of  the  illustration  on  the 
left  is  the  common  wild  yellow 
Flag,  Iris  Pseudacorus.  It  will  be 
noticed  what  a  magnificent  foliage 
plant  this  Iris  makes  when  grown 
actually  in  the  water.  In  the 
background  are  Iris  sibirica  and  its 
variety  Snow  Queen.  The  Primula 
growing  upon  the  edge  of  the 
water  is  P.  japonica,  and  is  of  a 
naming  vermilion  colour.  The 
tree  in  the  background  is  Prunus 
Pissardii,  W'hich  I  consider  a  fault- 
less subject  from  every  point  of 
view — growth,  foliage  and  flower. 
It  would  scarcely  be  believed  at 
first  sight  that  the  pond  is  an 
artificial  one,  but  such  is  the  fact. 
Surelv  this  method  of  construction 
is  more  beautiful  than  the  un- 
natural arrangement  which  one 
commonly  sees  in  gardens. 

Raymond  E.   Negus. 
Witlton-nii'Thames. 


FOLIAGE    PLANTS    PROPLKLV    .\KK.^NGED    BV    AN    AKTIIH. 
IN    A    SURREY    GARDEN. 


The  petals  are  of  great  substance.  The  colour  is 
delicate  ivory  white,  with  a  maiden's  blush  in 
the  centre  of  the  flower.  Wants  to  be  cut  yoimg 
before  it  shows  the  centre.  It  is  a  good  grower,  with 
free  and  branching  habit,  lovely  foliage,  not 
subject  to  mildew,  very  often  with  seven  leaves 
instead  of  five.  It  has  been  well  exhibited  all 
through  the  season,  and  all  exhibitors  should 
get  it  if  they  have  not  tried  it.  It  received 
the  gold  medal  at  Salisbury  in  1910.  Ought 
not  this  Rose  to  be  named  Lady  Randolph 
Churchill  ? 

Southampton.  Herbert  E.  Molvnkux. 

{To   be  cnntinufd.) 


I  HE  NAMING  OF  TULIPS. 

It  has  required  Mr.  Jacob's 
"  prod,"  as  well  as  that  of  the 
Editor,  to  cause  me  to  put  pen  to 
paper  ye  the  naming  of  Tulips,  not 
because  it  was  of  no  interest  to 
me — it  is  of  very  great  interest, 
as  it  must  be  to  every  large 
grower  of  TuUps.  I  do  not  think 
Mr.  Jacob  has  any  idea  of  the  ex- 
i.\i,   POOL  tent  to  which  Tulips  break  in  our 

soU,  and  the  cause  of  the  breaking 
is  quite  unknown  to  us.  One 
large  grower  told  me  that  he  attributes  it  to  poor 
cultivation ;  but  we  are  quite  sure  that  that  is 
not  the  cause  in  our  case.  We  have  put  eighty 
tons  of  raw  cow-manure  to  the  acre  on  Tulip  land, 
and  that  cannot  by  any  means  be  called  poor 
culture  ;  but  the  fact  remains  that  nearly  every 
variety  of  Cottage  and  Darwin  Tulip  that  we 
cultivate  has  broken  more  or  less.  Sometimes 
the  breaks  do  not  amount  to  more  than  one  or 
two  bulbs  per  thousand,  and  in  some  seasons  not 
that  ;  but  the  season  of  1912  gave  us  breaks 
in  some  varieties  amounting  to  30  per  cent.,  and 
that  is  a  serious  matter  to  a  market-grower,  as 
the  flowers  of  the  broken  forms  have  little  market 


November  15,  191.- 


THE    GARDEN. 


575 


\alue  as  cut  flowers,  however  much  they  may  be 
admired  in  the  private  garden.  Many  breaks  are 
too  ugly  to  be  of  any  value  at  all,  and  are  only 
lit  to  be  thrown  on  the  dust-heap,  and  that  means 
a  depletion  of  stock  without  any  return.  Many 
breaks  are,  however,  in  my  estimation  very  beauti- 
ful, and  bound  to  meet  with  favour  as  they  become 
known.  The  process  of  propagation  is  slow, 
and  it  takes  several  years  to  make  sufficient  stock 
for  sale. 

Mr.  Jacob  speaks  of  the  "  break  "  as  "  the  taking- 
on  their  final  striped  appearance  "  ;  but  the  stripe 
is  not  "  the  final  take-on,"  as  the  stripes  occasionally 
revert  to  selfs  again,  and  it  reqiiires  several  years' 
selection  to  gain  fixity.  Again,  the  same  variety 
frequently  breaks  into  two  distinct  forms,  and 
that  seems  to  preclude  Mr.  Jacob's  suggestion 
that  a  break  should  carry  the  name  of  the  variety 
from  which  it  comes.  Clara  Butt,  for  instance, 
gives  two  quite  distinct  breaks,  and  over  twenty 
other  Darwins  have  given  two.  Mr.  Jacob  surely 
would  not  like  to  see  in  a  catalogue 
"  Clara  Butt  Broken  No.  i,"  "  Clara 
Butt  Broken  No.  z "  !  It  is  the 
amateur,  however,  who  has  to  be 
considered  first  in  the  matter  of 
nomenclature,  and  to  the  uninitiated 
I  think  that  to  name  all  the  breaks 
after  the  parent  would  lead  to  endless 
trouble  and  confusion  ;  the  fact  of 
one  name  being  connected  with  two 
varieties  would  mislead  very  many. 
If  the  name  only  applied  to  one  or 
two  sorts,  it  would  not  matter  much  ; 
but  the  repetition  of  so  many  names 
would  leaa  to  confusion. 

I  agree  with  Mr.  Jacob  that  growers 
should  come  to  an  agreement  as  to 
the  naming  of  breaks,  and  if  the 
trials  at  Wisley  lead  to  uniformity  of 
nomenclature,  we  shall  be  glad  to 
have  them.  I  think,  however,  it  will 
be  found  that  Krelage's  breaks  are 
totally  distinct  from  those  that  have 
occurred  in  England.  We  have  grown 
nearly  all  the  Rembrandts  that 
Krelage  catalogues,  but  have  not 
found  one  of  them  identical  with  our 
own  breaks.  It  is  unfortunate  that  the 
announcement  of  the  trials  at  Wisley 
was  made  so  late  in  the  season,  as 
all  our  stocks  of  breaks  were 
already  planted.  I  am,  however, 
informed  that  the  trials  will  be 
continued  over  a  period  of  two  or 
three  years,  and  there  will  thus  be  an  opportunity 
of  arriving  at  some  definite  conclusions  in  due 
course,  if  all  the  growers  are  willing  to  send  bulbs, 
which  I  urgently  request  them  to  do. 

Wiibech.  G.  W.   Leak. 


white  variety  Parisiana  are  seen.  Good  cultiva- 
tion is,  of  course,  necessary  to  produce  profusely- 
flowered  specimen  tubs.  Three  or  four  plants  will 
suffice  to  fill  out  quite  a  large  tub.  The  training 
of  the  plants  requires  much  attention,  and  it  is 
important  that  the  lower  branches  should  be  trained 
at  right  angles  to  the  tub,  so  that  the  blooms  are 
produced  uniformly  almost  to  the  ground-level. 
The  value  of  Chrysanthemums  in  tubs  in  the 
pleasure  grounds  can  hardly  be  over-estimated, 
producing  as  they  do  bright  floral  eiiects  in  the  dull 
days  of  autumn,  when  deciduous  tfees  are  almost 
bare  of  leaves. 


TREES    AND     SHRUBS. 


THE    WINTER     PRUNING     OF    TREES 
AND    SHRUBS. 

Although   a   good   deal  of   the  pruning  required 
by    trees    and    shrubs   is    carried    on    during    the 


only  likely  to  break   prematurely  into  growth  on 
those   parts   which   will   be   cut   away   eventually 
in  the  ordinary  course. 
Overgrown  Shrubberies. — Winter  is  the  time 

to  take  such  places  m  hand.  Where  a  shrubbery 
has  been  planted  fairly  thickly  to  create  an  imme- 
diate effect,  it  is  necessary  to  pay  particular  atten- 
tion to  pruning  and  thinning  as  soon  as  the  plants 
touch  each  other,  else,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years, 
the  majority  will  be  spoiled.  The  best  plan  to 
adopt  is  to  go  carefully  through  the  shrubbery 
and  mark  any  plants  that  require  moving  bodily. 
Then  decide  whether  all  are  worth  keeping.  In 
the  event  of  a  number  being  unsuitable  for  trans- 
planting, cut  them  out  and  burn  them  at  once. 
Then  remove  the  remainder.  The  permanent 
plants  may  then  receive  attention,  and  a  certain 
amount  of  regulating  and  thinning  will  be  neces- 
sary. Whenever  possible,  branches  should  be 
removed  bodily  instead  of  being  shortened,  and 
on  no  account  shorten  branches  in  such  a  manner 


CHRYSANTHEMUMS    IX    TUBS    PLACED    WITH    GOOD    EFFECT    IX    THE    PLEASURE    GROUNDS. 


CHRYSANTHEMUMS     IN     TUBS. 

We  are  so  accustomed  to  the  cultivation  of  Chrysan- 
themums in  pots  for  greenhouse  and  conservatory 
use  that  we  are  apt  to  overlook  the  value  of  early 
decorative  varieties  in  the  flower  garden.  A  method 
which  has  much  to  commend  it  is  that  of  growing 
Chrysanthemums  in  tubs,  and  when  in  flower  to 
stand  them  out  in  the  pleasure  grounds  and  flower 
garden.  It  is  surprising  to  see  how  one  or  two  tubs 
laden  with  blooms  will  brighten  up  the  surround- 
ing landscape  if  suitably  placed.  In  Gimnersbury 
House  Gardens,  Chrysanthemums  in  tubs  are  used 
with  telling  effect,  as  depicted  in  the  accompanying 
illustration,   in   which   two   admirable  tubs  of  the 


spring  or  summer,  a  certain  amount  may  be 
done  with  profit  during  the  winter  months, 
especially  when  it  applies  to  overgrown  shrub- 
beries and  l;u:ge  -  growing  trees.  The  pruner 
must,  of  course,  use  his  discretion  when  dealing 
with  flowering  trees  and  shrubs,  for  it  would 
be  out  of  the  question  to  prime  those  during 
winter  which  blossom  from  the  old  wood,  unless 
the  pruning  consisted  of  a  little  thinning  of  crowded 
branches  ;  but  those  shrubs  which  bloom  on  the 
current  year's  wood,  such  as  the  summer-flowering 
Spirjeas,  Hypericums,  Tamarix  pentandra  and 
Hydrangea  paniculata.  may  be  pruned  towards 
the  close  of  winter.  Some  people  even  prune 
these  subjects  before  the  end  of  the  year,  but  it 
is  not  a  good  plan,  for  if  a  spell  of  very  mild  weather 
is  experienced  after  the  pruning,  the  buds  begin 
to  burst  and  the  young  shoots  fall  a  prey  to  the 
first  frost  ;  whereas,  in  the  event  of  the  plants  being 
left   unpruned   until   February,   young   shoots   arc 


as  to  leave  an  unnatural,  globular  outline  to  the 
shrubs.  Such  pruning  is  often  noticeable  in 
suburban  gardens  during  late  autumn  and  early 
winter.  A  sudden  mania  arises  for  cleaning  up 
and  pruning,  and  pruning  frequently  takes  the 
form  of  clipping  all  loose  growths  of  small  trees 
and  shrubs,  so  that  they  have  a  heavy,  compact 
appearance.  The  writer  has  seen  Thorns,  Bar- 
berries, DierviUas,  Privets,  Mock  Oranges  and 
other  subjects  all  treated  in  this  way.  Needless 
to  say,  there  were  no  flowers  the  following  year, 
and  the  owners  of  the  plants  wondered  why. 
Evergreens  which  are  to  be  transplanted  may  be 
pruned  at  this  time,  though  any  general  pruning 
required  by  evergreens  should  be  left  until  the 
spring. 

Old  Trees. — But  it  is  large-growing  trees  rather 
than  shrubs  that  offer  work  to  the  pruner  at  this 
time  of  the  year.  On  every  large  estate  and  in 
almost  every  garden  there  are  trees  which  contain 


576 


THE    GARDEN. 


[November  15,  IQ13. 


dead  branches  or  show  signs  of  decay,  and  such 
trees  may  well  be  taken  in  hand  during  the  winter. 
Nothing  detracts  from  the  appearance  of  a  garden 
so  much  as  dead  and  dying  branches  about  the 
trees,  and  numerous  gardens  which  are  otherwise 
well  kept  offer  this  defect.  A  couple  of  men  with 
the  necessary  tools  can  make  a  considerable  differ- 
ence to  the  average  garden  in  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks.  One  man,  however,  must  be  a  good 
climber,  for  it  is  impossible  to  prune  large  trees 
from  ladders.  When  such  trees  as  Oaks,  Elms 
and  Sweet  Chestnuts  have  become  "  stag-headed," 
or,  in  other  words,  their  upper  branches  have 
died,  they  may  often  be  rejuvenated  by  removing 
the  dead  parts  to  the  highest  living  branchlets. 
Care  must  be  taken,  however,  to 
preserve  the  natural  outline  of 
the  tree  during  the  work,  and  in 
some  cases  it  may  be  necessary 
to  remove  a  branch  much  lower 
than  the  highest  living  branchlet. 
Where  there  is  danger  of  injuring 
anything  beneath  the  tree  by  the 
fall  of  the  branches,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  sling  the  dead  parts. 
This  is  done  by  securing  a  rope 
round  the  portion  to  be  removed, 
and  fastening  the  other  end  round 
the  base  of  the  trunk  in  such  a 
manner  that  when  the  branch  is 
cut  away  it  will  remain  supported 
by  the  tightened  rope  resting  in  a 
fork  between  two  of  the  upper 
branches.  It  may  then  be  lowered 
to  the  ground  without  danger. 
Branches  about  other  parts  of  the 
trees  may  be  removed  in  a  like 
manner,  but  they  must  be  cut 
away  eventually  quite  close  to  the 
bark.  Very  heavy  branches  may 
have  to  be  removed  in  several 
pieces.  All  wounds  so  made  must 
be  dressed  with  coal-tar  before  leav- 
ing, otherwise  they  will  form  a  rest- 
ing-place for  the  spores  of  parasitic 
fungi. 

Holes    in     trees    may    also    be 
stopped  during  the  winter.    Scrape 
out  as  much  of    the  dead  wood  as 
possible  and  cut  away  the  margins 
of   the   holes  until  living  wood  is 
found.     Paint    the   decayed   parts 
with  a  strong  solution  of  carbolic 
acid  ;  then  give  a  coat  of  tar  and  fill 
the  holes  with  cement,  or,  if  they 
are  large,  with  deep  cavities,  with 
a   mi.xture  of   bricks   and  cement. 
In    some    cases    it    may   even    be 
desirable    to  build  up  the  cavities        THE    NEW 
with  a  brick    wall.      In   any  case 
the    work    should    be   finished  by 
a    smooth    cap    of     cement,    which,     when    dry, 
may    be    tarred    over    or    otherwise    coloured    to 
render   it   less   conspicuous.     Decayed   patches   of 
bark   should    be    cut  away    to    where  living  bark 
is  found.     The  wood  beneath  should  be  scraped 
quite   clean,    and   then   be   painted   with   carbolic 
acid,    finishing    off    with   a  coat  of    tjur.     Fungous 
growths  which  appear  on  trees  should  be  collected 
and  burned  as  soon  as  they  appear,  for  they  are 
a   source   of   danger   to   other   trees.     Trees   from 
twenty  to  forty  years  old  which  are  planted  in  the 
open   often  require   a  little   attention,   which   can 
be    given    conveniently    during    the    winter.     The 
branch    system    often    becomes    too    dense    and 


interferes  with  the  upward  development  of  the 
trees,  or  a  number  of  leading  shoots  may  appear 
to  each  tree  instead  of  one  vigorous  leader.  In 
such  cases  branches  may  be  removed  bodily  close 
to  the  trunk,  and  rival  leaders  may  either  be  cut 
clean  out  or  be  shortened.  Lower  branches  of 
trees  which  are  interfering  with  the  free  uses  of 
lawns  may  be  removed  at  this  time  also ;  but  in 
carrying  out  this  work  care  must  be  taken  to  leave 
the  branches  of  different  trees  at  varying  distances 
from  the  ground,  for,  if  all  are  removed  to  a  general 
height,  the  effect  will  be  anything  but  pleasing. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  any  spare  time  which 
may  occur  during  the  winter  may  be  profitably 
spent  in  work  which  will  result  in  prolonging  the 


Chrysanthemum  Daily  Mail.— .\  handsome, 
woU-built — even  if  a  little  informal — incurvmg 
Japanese  vaCriety,  The  florets  are  less  formally 
imbricated  than  in  some  ;  hence  the  new-comer 
does  not  please  those  who  would  have  every  floret 
"  so."  Notwithstanding,  it  found  many  admirers, 
and  gained  its  award  of  merit  by  an  almost  unani- 
mous vote.     The  colour  is  rich  yellow. 

Chrysanthemum    Golden    Mensa.— The    name 

is  fully  descriptive.  Mensa,  the  pure  white  variety, 
represents,  without  doubt,  the  highest  excellence 
to  which  the  single-flowered  Chrysanthemum 
has  as  yet  attained.  The  one  above  named  is  a 
counterpart  of  the  type,  differing  only  in  colour, 
which  is  of  richest  golden.  It  cannot  fail  to  please. 
Carnation  Champion. — A  very 
fine  scarlet-flowered  self,  which,  if 
not  of  the  highest  excellence  and 
finish,  is  still  a  grand  Carnation  in 
some  respects,  particularly  of 
colour  and  fragrance.  The  latter 
alone  should  make  it  popular.  This 
and  the  three  foregoing  Chry- 
santhemums were  exhibited  by 
Messrs.  W.  Wells,  Limited,  Merst- 
ham,  Surrey. 

Carnation   Gorgeous.— This  fine 

American-raised  sort  promises  to 
surpass  all  others  of  the  Perpetual- 
flowering  Carnations  of  the  cerise- 
coloured  set.  In  colour  it  is  best 
described  as  a  glowing  cerise,  with 
much  less  of  the  blue  pigment  than 
is  seen  in  some.  Its  lighting-up 
attributes  are  remarkable.  We 
know  of  no  Carnation  so  distinctly 
brilliant  and  effective  when  under 
artificial  light.  From  Messrs.  Stuart 
Low  and  Co.,  Enfield. 

Iris    Vartani    White    Pearl. — 

A  delightful  and  nearly  pure  white 
form  of  this  early-flowering  species. 
The  pretty  flowers  are  4  inches  to 
5  inches  high,  and  arise  amid 
pointed  leafage  of  nearly  twice  that 
height.  The  species  is  most 
probably  closely  allied  to  I.  reticu- 
lata, and  with  the  white  form 
here  given  is  well  suited  to  the 
alpine-house.  From  Messrs.  R.  W. 
Wallace  and  Co.,  Colchester. 


CYPRIPEDIUM     OLYMPUS.       THE     FLAT     WHITE 
3j    INCHES    ACROSS. 

life  and  increasing  the  beauty  of  trees,  in  addition 
to  assisting  in  beautifying  the  garden.  K. 


NEW     AND     RARE     PLANTS. 


AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Chrysanthemum  Pink  Pearl. — A  very  beauti- 
ful decorative  variety  with  reflexing  petals,  and  of 
a  delightful  pearl  pink  shade.  A  quite  charming 
and  useful  addition  by  reason  of  colour  alone. 
From  Messrs.  H.  J.  Jones,  Limited,  Lewisham. 

Chrysanthemum  Mme.  Theresa  Morel. — Large 
exhibition  variety  of  the  drooping  type  of  Japanese. 
The  colour  is  pale  yellow. 


NEW     ORCHIDS. 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Foremost  among  the  new 
Orchids  was  Cypripedium 
DORSAL  IS  Olympus,  from  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Sir  George  Holford's 
wonderful  collection  at  Tetbury, 
Gloucestershire.  This  is  a  massive  flower  of 
bold  form,  having  a  well-expanded  white  dorsal 
(see  illustration)  with  a  green  base.  From  the  same 
collection  came  the  Westonbirt  variety  of  Odonto- 
glossum  crispum  Xanthotes.  Other  novelties  to 
gain  distinction  were  Cypripedium  Stella,  from 
Messrs.  Sander  and  Sons  ;  L£Elio-CattIeya  Olenus 
Blenheim  Variety,  sent  by  His  Grace  the  Duke 
of  Marlborough  ;  Sophro-Laelio-Cattleya  Niobe, 
from  Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co.  ;  and  Cattleya 
andreana  McBean's  Variety,  from  Messrs.  McBean 
and  Co. 

The    foregoing    novelties    were    granted    awards 
by  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  on  November  4. 


November  15,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


577 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

THE    WINTER    TREATMENT    OF    FLOWER    BORDERS. 


DURINT,  the  early  autumn  months 
L  there  is  much  work  ot  a  seasonable 
I  character  among  herbaceous  border 
'  plants  that  is  better  done  at  that 
time  than  at  any  other  period  of 
the  year.  This  is  true  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  quite  a  large  number  of  herbaceous 
plants  are  of  a  long-suffering  nature,  and  submit 
to  division  and  replanting  at  almost  any  time 
with  impunity.  In  the  autumn,  however,  when 
flowering  has  ceased,  there  is  a  general  desire 
for  tidying  up,  and  at  such  times  much  useful 
work  may  be  done.  The  cutting  down  of  all 
plants  may  be  proceeded  with  at  once,  taking 
ire  that  in  so  doing  labels  are  not  disturbed, 
■  r  even  lost  altogether.  We  grow  these  and  other 
^.irden  flowers  chiefly  for  ornament  or  for  their 
usefulness  in  a  cut  state. 

Renovating    the    Border   Soil. — 

With  the  cutting  down  ot  the  plants 
completed,  it  must  be  decided  whether 
forking,  digging,  or  manuring  is  neces- 
sary. Needless  to  say,  the  first  and 
last  of  these  will  benefit  both  the 
border  and  the  plants  it  contains. 
The  addition  of  manure  by  its  bulk 
alone  lifts,  lightens  and  aerates  the 
soil,  and  in  so  doing  performs  impor- 
tant work  quite  apart  from  its  enrich- 
ing effects.  The  best  manure  to 
employ  is  that  of  a  short,  well-decayed 
nature.  Failing  this.  Hop  Manure  is 
very  desirable,  and  is  capable  of 
similarly  good  work.  At  such  times, 
too,  a  free  addition  of  lime  may  with 
decided  gain  be  given  to  all  soils  of 
a  heavy  or  water-holding  nature. 
Overgrown  Plants. — Not  a  few  of 

the  best  border  plants  are  of  so  robust 
a  nature  that  they  quickly  fonn  mats 
of  growth,  which  if  lelt  undisturbed 
will  prove  their  own  imdoing  in  the 
near  future.  The  digging  up,  dividing 
and  replanting  of  such  as  these  is, 
therefore,  of  importance  at  this  time. 
The  white  perennial  Marguerites 
(Chrysanthemum  maximum  and  its  varieties), 
Michaelmas  Daisies,  Rudbeckias,  Heleniums,  Heli- 
anthus  rigidus  in  variety  and  Achillea  Ptarmica 
are  some  of  those  that  benefit  by  being  divided 
and  replanted  each  year.  The  varieties  of  the 
two  groups  first  named  quickly  e.xhaust  the  soil, 
and  manure  shotild  be  added  freely  in  such 
cases. 

Change  of  Station. — One  of  the  greatest  aids 
to  success  in  the  case  of  soil-robbing  or  soil-exhaust- 
ing subjects  is  to  give  a  complete  change  of  station 
or  position.  The  one  need  be  but  a  yard  or  two 
yards  removed  from  the  old  position,  there  to  find  all 
the  advantages  which  a  change  of  soil  brings  in 
its  train.  The  idea  is  simple  in  the  extreme  and 
its  importance  infinite,  despite  which  it  is  rarely 
done.  A  much  more  frequent  way  is  to  lift  a 
plant  and,  having  dug  and  manured  the  groimd, 
replant  it  in  the  old  position.  By  these  means  a 
partial  change  of  soil  only  is  secured,  while  in  that 
suggested  above  it  is  complete  and  entire. 
^Plant  Selection  and  Discarding. — In  the  cas? 
ot  the  more  robust-growing,  mat-forming  subjects, 


a  considerable  amount  of  plant  material  will  have 
to  be  discarded.  With  not  a  few  amateurs  or 
beginners  this  goes  very  much  against  the  grain, 
yet  it  has  to  be  done  if  good  results  are  to  be 
obtained.  The  replanting  of  big  clumps  of  things — 
Trollius,  Pyrethrum,  Flag  Iris  or  Michaelmas 
Daisy — is  a  fallacy  ;  the  youthful  plant  is  capable 
of  much  better  work,  and  is  commended  to  all. 
When  replanting  such  as  the  white  Marguerites 
or  Michaelmas  Daisies,  only  the  strongest,  outer- 
most portions  of  the  clumps — those  that  have 
developed  with  light  and  air  all  aroimd — should  be 
retained.  The  superiority  of  these  compared 
with  the  iimermost  shoots  of  a  plant  will  be  obvious 
at  a  glance.  Single  growths,  if  well  rooted,  are 
the  best,  and,  of  these,  six  or  a  dozen  arranged 
a   few  inches   apart   will  not  only  form  a  goodly 


covered  with  ashes  (not  too  fine)  or  some  similar 
material.  Then,  when  the  plants  are  placed 
in  their  winter  quarters,  they  should  be  kept  as 
dry  as  possible,  consistent  with  safety.  Until 
the  frosty  weather  comes,  air  should  be  given  night 
and  day,  so  that  the  plants  are  kept  in  as  dormant 
and  hardy  a  state  as  possible.  The  lights,  of  course, 
should  not  be  left  off  during  rains  ;  but  when  air 
is  desirable,  they  may  be  tilted  during  the  night. 
This  will  keep  the  plants  in  as  good  a  condition 
as  possible  to  withstand  severe  weather.  When 
the  time  comes  round  in  which  frosts  may  reason- 
ably be  expected,  the  exposed  sides  of  the  frame 
should  be  banked  up  with  some  frost-resisting 
material,  such  as  litter.  Bracken,  leaves,  or  any- 
thing in  that  way.  It  should  be  as  dry  as  possible 
when  put  into  its  place,  as  dry  material  of  an  v  kind 


A     BORUiiK     Oh      HARUY      1-LOWEKS. 


MUCH    WORK     CAN     NOW    BE     DONE     TOWARDS    OBTAINING    A 
DISPLAY    NEXT    SUMMER. 


group,  but  provide  a  display  of  the  finest  flowers 
in  due  season. 

Plants  Slow  to  Establish  themselves,  as,  e.g., 
Paeonies,  Japanese  .Anemones,  Day  Lilies,  Cimici- 
fuga,  Christmas  Roses  and  others,  dislike — some 
even  abhor — frequent  root  interference.  Such  as 
these  should  have  the  soil  carefully  forked  about 
them,  keeping  at  a  respectful  distance  mean- 
while, and  a  dressing  of  manure  given.  The 
Japanese  Anemones  may  remain  good  for  years 
with  an  annual  mulching.  Delphiniums  or  Lark- 
spurs are  good  for  three  years  without  cUsturbance, 
a  similar  remark  applying  to  the  herbaceous 
Phloxes.  E.  J. 


TENDER  PLANTS    IN    COLD  FRAMES. 

A  GREAT  many  tender  plants  are  safely  wintered 
in  cold  frames,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  a  good 
many  perish  therein.  The  greatest  enemy  to 
contend  with  is  damp,  and  therefore  precautions 
should  be  taken  to  combat  it  as  far  as  possible. 
In  the  first  place,  the  bottom  of  the  frame  should 
be  above  the  surrounding  ground,  and  the  bottom 


resists  frost  much  better  than  when  it  is  wet.  In  the 
event  of  severe  and  long-continued  frost,  the  occu- 
pants of  the  frame  may  become  frozen,  despite  the 
covering  of  litter.  In  this  case  nothing  can  be 
done,  and  the  least  harm  will  accrue  if  the  plants 
are  allowed  to  remain  undisturbed.  When  the 
thaw  comes  is  a  very  critical  time,  but  with  a  little 
care  the  risk  of  injury  may  be  greatly  minimised. 
However  pronounced  the  thaw,  the  frames  should 
be  allowed  to  remain  shut  up  for  twenty-four 
hours  and  the  plants  kept  in  absolute  darkness. 
Then,  at  the  expiration  of  that  time,  the  lights 
must  be  tilted  a  little  at  the  back,  which  is  the 
highest  part,  in  order  to  allow  the  moisture  to 
escape,  but  not  enough  to  admit  daylight.  They 
may  be  left  in  this  way  for  two  or  three  days, 
and  after  this  the  plants  inured  gradually  to  the 
light.  Then,  as  soon  as  possible,  the  frame  should 
be  examined  to  ascertain  the  condition  of  its 
occupants,  and  also  for  the  removal  of  any  decaying 
leaves.  In  this  way  many  tender  plants  may 
often  be  brought  safely  through  a  period  of  severe 
frost.  H.  P. 


578 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  15,  1913. 


GARDENING      OF      THE      WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Care  of  Plants  in  Frames. — Stock  Geraniums 
that  were  lifted  and  potted  when  clearing  the 
beds  will  have  lost  a  good  deal  of  foliage,  and 
will  be  greatly  benefited  by  a  good  pick  over, 
cutting  back  any  decaying  shoots  into  the  older 
wood.  A  little  heat  must  be  maintained  to  keep 
the  plants  growing  quietly.  By  so  doing,  nice 
stocky  cuttings  should  be  ready  for  propagating 
early  in  the  New  Year. 

Autumn-Rooted  Cuttings  of  Zonal  Pelar- 
goniums will  also  be  all  the  better  for  a  good  pick 
over,  at  the  same  time  spacing  the  plants  a  little 
so  that  they  keep  in  a  stocky  condition. 

Marguerites  that  were  put  in  during  September 
or  October  have  made  considerable  progress 
owing  to  the  mild  weather,  and  potting  off  should 
be  done  at  once  rather  than  let  them  become 
leggy  through  overcrowding.  These  may  be 
kept  in  the  cold  frame,  but  water  should  be  sparingly 
given,  or  the  plants  may  suffer  in  the  event  of 
very  severe  frost. 

Calceolarias,    Veronicas    and    Antirrhinums 

are  all  rooted  bv  now,  anil  plenty  of  air  should  be 
admitted  to  the  frames  when  the  weather  is  at 
all  open.  Keep  all  decaying  leaves  picked  off 
and  the  soil  only  moderately  moist. 

Echeverias     and    Sempervivums    planted    in 

frames  must  alstt  be  kept  dry  overhead,  or  there 
may  be  considerable  decay  of  the  under  leaves. 
If  this  is  noticed,  a  careful  picking  over  will  probably 
stop  it,  and  if  done  now  they  should  go  through 
the  winter  niceh'. 

Coleus,  Alternanthera,  Iresine  and  Heliotrope 

must  all  be  given  a  fair  amount  •<{  heat  to  keep 
the  roots  .active  and  the  plants  growing  healthily 
during  the  dull  davs  of  winter  ;  and  to  keep  the 
plants  stocky,  give  as  much  rocmi  between  the 
pots  as  circumstances  will  allow. 

Sweet  Peas  sown  in  the  open  air  should  now 
be  I  inch  or  2  inches  through  the  ground,  and 
protection  will  be  needed  against  birds  and  slugs. 
Netting  and  soat  should  prove  effective.  In  exposed 
positions  a  few  twigs  on  the  windward  side  of 
the  rows  or  rlumps  should  protect  them  from 
wind  and  frost. 

Seeds  Sown  in  Pots  the  middle  of  October  will 
also  need  attention,  and  now  that  the  seedliags  are 
nicely  through  the  soil,  all  the  air  possible  must 
be  given  to  the  frames.  No  half-hearted  methods 
are  admissible  here.  Take  the  lights  right  off 
during  fine  weather,  and  if  mild  and  wet.  put 
a  6-inch  pot  under  each  comer  of  the  lights  and 
thus  admit  all  the  air  possible.  Keep  the  soil 
in  the  pots  as  dry  as  possible,  especially  so  in  the 
case  of  the  white  and  mauve  varieties,  which 
are  acknowledged  to  be  rather  weaker  than  the 
other  colours.  With  this  kind  of  treatment  it  takes 
a  good  deal  of  f.-ost  to  injure  them,  though  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  is  the  sun  after  the 
frost  that  is  more  often  the  source  of  trouble. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Cinerarias. — The  earliest  batch  may  now  be 
running  up  to  flower,  and  should  be  given  a  small 
dressing  or  two  of  Clay's  Fertilizer  or  some  such 
mild  manure.  If  they  are  required  shortly,  a 
little  extra  heat  may  be  given,  but  it  is  inadvisable 
to  overdo  them  in  this  respect.  Later  batches 
must  be  given  more  room  as  they  require  it,  so 
as  to  keep  the  plants  shapely  and  the  foliage  in 
a  hardy  condition.  Fumigate  occasionally  to 
keep  down  green  fly  ;  this  is  much  easier  and 
cleaner  than  spraying. 

Primulas. — Early  batches  are  now  making  a 
bright  show,  and  to  preserve  the  flowers  in  a  good 
condition,  a  moderately  dry  atmosphere  must 
be  preserved.  The  Primulas  like  a  damp  bottom 
to  stand  on  rather  than  a  dry  lattice  staging. 
These,  too,  may  be  helped  with  a  little  manure  ; 
but  it  must  be  noted  that  plants  at  this  season 
do  not  require  as  much  feeding  as  pl.ants  growing 
freely  in  the  summer  months.  Watering  being  less 
frequent,  it  does  not  get  washed  through  the  pots 
so  quickly. 

Lily  of  the  Valley. — if  bloom  is  wanted  for 
Christmas,  Berlin  crowns  must  be  put  into  heat 
at  once  ;  but  the  better  practice  is  to  secure  retarded 


crowns  for  blooming  up  to  the  end  of  January, 
when  the  non-retarded  Dutch  and  Berlin  crowns 
will  force  with  much  more  certainty  of  getting 
good  results.  A  few  pots  put  in  heat  once  a  week 
should  ensure  a  succession  of  flowers,  and  those 
wh<>  have  not  had  experience  of  retarded  crowns 
should  note  that  a  temperature  of  55°  to  60°  is 
better  than  one  much  higher,  the  blooms  being  of 
better  substance  and  lasting  longer. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Hot-Bed  Material. — For  very  early  Carrots 
and  Lettuce,  S'owings  should  be  made  early  in 
December  or  as  soon  after  as  possible,  so  that 
material  for  hot-beds  should  be  prepared  at  once. 
Good,  strawy  litter,  with  a  certain  proportion  of 
leaves,  is  the  best  for  the  purpose,  and  if  it  can 
be  prepared  by  turning  a  few  times  under  cover, 
so  much  the  better.  If  too  wet  when  it  is  finally 
made  up  into  hot-beds  and  trodden  well,  it  some- 
times fails  to  heat,  and  the  name  is  somewhat 
of  an  anomaly  :  and  if  too  fresh,  the  heat  rises 
very  quickly  and  fails  to  last.  So  what  should 
be  aimed  at  is  a  bed  that  will  give  a  fair  amount 
of  warmth  over  a  long  period,  this  being  especially 
necessary  at  this  season  of  the  year,  though,  of 
course,  a  lining  of  fresh  manure  can  be  given  to 
the  frames  when  the  heat  is  subsiding  a  little. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 
Sulphide   of   Potassium   for    Peach   Trees.— 

During  a  conversation  with  a  large  grower  of 
Peaches  for  market,  I  was  somewhat  struck  to 
find  that  the  said  grower  rarely,  if  ever,  syringed 
his  trees  during  the  growing  season.  I  naturally 
asked  how  he  kept  down  spider.  "  Quite  easily," 
he  said  ;  "I  dress  or  sprav  the  trees  two  or  three 
times  during  the  winter  and  spring  before  they 
bloom  with  sulphide  of  potassium  [I  presume  at 
about  half  an  ounce  to  the  gallon  of  waterj,  and 
this  keeps  them  entirely  free."  I  have  no  actual 
experience  of  this  method  of  keeping  down  spider  ; 
but  as  the  grower  is  a  good  man  and  not  likely 
to  make  many  mistakes,  those  who  are  troubled 
in  this  way  might  do  worse  than  try  what  a  dressing 
or  two  of  sulphide  would  do  if  carefully  applied 
during  the  winter  months.  I  have  used  this  for 
many  subjects,  and  have  never  found  it  to  injure 
them  if  carefully  applied. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardenerto  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 
Wnhurn  Place  Gardens,  Addleslone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Mice  Attacking  Bulbs. — Spanish  irises.  Tulips 
and  Crocuses  (especially  the  yellows)  are  very  apt 
to  be  attacked  by  mice  during  the  winter  months, 
so  a  close  watch  should  be  kept  on  these  marauders. 
I  find  Rodine  a  very  effectual  poison  ;  it  can 
be  spread  over  pieces  of  buttered  bread  and  placed 
under  an  inverted  flower-pot  slightly  tilted  up. 
so  as  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  cats  and  dogs.  Small 
spring  traps  of  the  "  Gert "  type  also  answer 
very  well  ;  these  should  be  set  about  dusk  and 
lifted  early  in  the  morning,  or  robins  instead  of 
mice  are  apt  to  be  caught. 

Sweet  Pea  Stakes. — There  are  now  several 
types  of  these  on  the  market,  including  wire 
columns,  wire  hurdles  and  collapsible  hoop-and-net 
trainers.  These  are  all  excellent  in  their  way, 
but  for  those  who  can  procure  them  on  their  own 
property  nothing  is  better  than,  nor.  perhaps,  quite 
so  good  as,  natural  stakes  of  Beech,  Elm  or  Hazel 
branches.  Now  that  the  sap  has  gone  down, 
these  may  be  secured  at  any  time,  and  be  trimmed 
and  pointed  with  a  hedge  bill. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

Cleaning  Up  Leaves. — The  trees  are  now  pretty 
well  defoliated,  and  in  many  gardens,  through 
the  influence  of  the  wind,  many  nooks  and  crannies 
of  the  rock  garden  have  got  a  plentiful  supply 
of  them.  In  some  cases,  a  few  leaves  around  a 
subject  of  doubtful  hardiness  might  do  good. 
As  a  rule,  however,  the  effect  is  detrimental  ; 
therefore  they  should  be  carefully  cleaned  away. 

Stock  in  Frames. — Seedlings  or  rooted  cuttings 
in  frames  should  be  frequently  examined,  to  see 
that  they  are  not  suffering  from  lack  of  water.dainp, 


or  the  attacks  of  rats  and  mice.     Give  them  abun- 
dance of  air,  but  protect  from  the  winter  rains. 

The  Rose  Garden. 
Protecting  Climbers. — As  a  result  of  the  heavy 
losses  among  climbers  last  winter,  suggestions 
have  been  made  as  to  the  means  (tf  preventing  a 
recurrence  of  such  heavy  losses.  Some  of  these 
suggestions  (such  as  that  of  annual  transplanting) 
are,  I  fear,  impracticable.  In  the  colder  districts, 
however,  something  could  be  done.  A  light  pro- 
tection of  Heather,  Bracken,  or  Spruce  or  Yew 
twigs  would  in  many  cases  carry  the  plants  safely 
through  the  winter.  In  certain  pt.)sitions  it  might 
be  well  to  untie  all  the  shoots,  then  tie  them  loosely 
together  in  small  bundles,  lay  them  down  on  light 
supports,  giving  them  a  little  protection  with  some 
of  the  materials  indicated  above  ;  Broom  or  Wheat 
straw  might  also  be  used.  Whatever  system  is 
pursued,  however,  air  should  be  freely  admitted 
among  the  shoots. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums. — Although  too  early  to  com- 
mence propagation  in  earnest,  yet,  in  the  event 
of  a  scarce  or  shy  variety  showing  a  good  cutting 
or  two,  they  should  be  taken  without  hesitation. 

Forcing  Bulbs. — Hyacinths  that  are  wanted 
in  bloom  at  Christmas  must  now  be  afforded  a 
temperature  of  from  55°  to  60°,  care  being  taken 
that  they  are  not  allowed  to  suffer  for  lack  of  water. 
Succession  batches  of  bulbs  should  be  brought 
on  in  a  cool  structure  in  rotation  ;  better  results 
are  always  obtained  by  gradual  forcing  than  by 
forcing  hard.  What  are  being  sold  by  some  firms 
this  season  for  the  first  time  as  "  Prepared  Hya- 
cinths "  are  said  to  flower  a  month  earlier  than 
ordinary  bulbs,  the  subtequent  culture  being  the 
same. 

Primula  malacoides. — This  attractive  Primula 
is  apt  to  give  trouble  through  the  flowers  damping 
off.  While  it  will  not  stand  coddling,  it  should 
have  a  night  temperature  of  from  45°  to  50",  with 
a  free  circulation  of  air  on  all  favourable  occasions. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Peaches. — The  work  of  pruning,  even  in  late 
houses,  should  n<)w  be  brought  to  a  close  as  soon 
as  convenient.  The  trees  should  be  as  fully  exposed 
to  the  air  as  circumstances  will  perihit.  The 
glass  and  woodwork  should  be  thoroughly 
cleaned,  mixing  a  little  petroleum  with  the  water 
used  in  washing.  The  trellises  should  then  have 
a  cloth  steeped  in  neat  petroleum  drawn  along 
them.  The  walls  should  be  washed  with  hot  lime 
and  the  trees  be  painted  with  Gishurst  Com- 
pound or  XL  All  Insecticide,  after  which  they 
should  be  tied  into  position. 

Early  Vinery. — In  a  house  where  forcing  was 
commenced  at  the  beginning  of  the  month,  the 
night  temperature  should  now  be  from  50°  to  52°, 
with  a  rise  of  5°  during  the  day.  The  rods  should 
be  sprayed  not  later  than  2  p.m. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Pruning  Apples.  —  Where  summer  pinching 
has  been  done  and  the  trees  have  been  attended 
to  in  past  years,  with  any  necessary  root-pruning 
or  replanting,  the  work  of  pruning  will  be  a  com- 
paratively easy  matter,  as  fruit-buds  will  pre- 
dominate. Still,  the  trees  must  be  carefully  gone 
over  when  there  is  no  frost  present,  and  the  pinched 
shoots  must  be  cut  in  to  within  an  inch  of  the  base. 
Old  spurs  which  have  become  too  long  should 
also  be  cut  in  to  one  or  two  buds,  and  in  training 
young  trees,  spurs  should  not  be  allowed  to  form 
nearer  than  6  inches  to   each  other. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Rhubarb. — Where  a  dish  of  Rhubarb  is  wanted 
at  Christmas,  a  few  stools  should  now  be  introduced 
to  heat.  A  temperature  of  55°  by  night  will 
be  found  suitable.  Keep  the  stools  dark  and  free 
from  currents. 

Seakale. — This  crop  can  be  mildly  forced  by 
the  following  method :  Drive  in  stout  wooden 
stakes,  30  inches  high,  at  intervals  along  the  rows; 
then  run  a  light  rail  along  the  top  of  the  stakes. 
Now  cut  a  number  of  rough  slabs  of  wo  3d  the 
requisite'  lengths,  and  lay  them  against  the  rail 
in  a  sloping  position,  forming  an  inverted  V-shaped 
covering  over  the  plants.  When  the  requisite 
number  of  rows  have  been  thus  treated,  fill  up 
the  intervening  spaces  with  freshly-collected  leaves. 
Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


November  15,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


579 


NEW  RULES  FOR  ENTERING 
DAFFODILS  FOR  AWARDS. 


\  1  the  meeting  uf  the  Royal  Hi)i'ticultural  Society 
i.ii  the  4th  inst,,  the  President  and  Council  adopted 
tlie  following  new  rules  submitted  by  the  Narcissus 
and  Tulip  committee  of  the  society.  The  rules 
will  take  effect  frotu  January  i,  1914. 

1.  It  must  be  clearly  stated  on  the  entrance 
toim   of   any   variety   which    is   submitted   to   the 

I  ommittee  for  an  award  under  which  of  the  fol- 
lowing heads  the  sender  wishes  it  to  be  judged  : 
1(a)  as  a  show  flower,  or  "  show  "  ;  (6)  as  suitable 
for  garden  decoration,  or  "  garden "  ;  (c)  for 
growing  and  flowering  in  pots,  or  "  pots  "  ;  (d) 
for  cutting  or  market  purposes,  or  "  cutting "  ; 
■(«)  as  a  plant  for  rockwork,  or  "  rockery."      N.B. — 

\iiy  one  variety  may  be  entered  imder  more  than 
lie  head. 

2.  The  following  conditions  must  be  complied 
with  in  all  cases  :  If  submitted  mider  (a),  five 
-tems  with  bloom  are  necessary  for  an  award  of 
merit,  and  twelve  stems  for  a  first-class  certificate. 

II  submitted  under  (6)  and  (rf),  for  either  award 
■of  merit  or  first-class  certificate  twenty-five  stems 
must  be  submitted  in  two  vases  ;  twelve  must 
be  bunched  and  thirteen  be  loose.  If  submitted 
under  (c)  and  {e).  two  pots  or  pans  must  be  shown, 
e,u  h  containing  not  less  than  three  bulbs,  for  an 
award  of  merit.  Four  pots  or  pans,  each  con- 
taining not  less  than  three  bulbs,  for  a  first-class 
•certificate. 

3.  Official  entrance  forms  will  be  provided, 
and  mav  be  obtained  from  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Offices.  One  of  these  forms  must  be 
properly  filled  up  by  the  exhibitor  for  each  variety 
before  it  can  be  placed  before  the  committee. 

4.  The  words  "  show,"  "  garden,"  "  pots," 
■"  cutting"  or  "rockery"  will  in  future  be  added 
.to  the  usual  award  of  merit  or  first-class  certificate. 


TO 


ANSWERS 
CORRESPONDENTS. 

RULES    FOR    CORRESPONDENTS. 


QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— 27u?  Editor  intends  to 
•make  THE  GARDEN  help/ut  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Ansivers 
•to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only^ 
and  addressed  to  the  Editor  of  The  Garden,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
■of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
•query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper, 
J^lauts  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  ttseless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Publisher. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

PLANTING  WATER  LILIES  (C.  L.  S.).— If  you  so  wish, 
you  may  plant  ynur  Water  Lilies  either  iu  tubs  or  pots, 
wiHi  every  possibility  ol  siRcess.  It  is,  however,  necessary 
to  turn  them  out  of  their  receptacles  every  February, 
clean  the  pots  or  tubs  well,  and  replant  in  new  soil.  Pro- 
viding the  tubs  or  pots  were  from  12  inches  to  15  inches 
across  and  the  same  in  depth,  they  would  contain  plenty 
of  food  material  to  keep  the  plants  coins:  for  a  year. 
Baskets  will  answer  the  same  purpose,  but  there  is  danger 
•of  their  rotting  and  allowing  the  soil  to  escape  into  the 
water. 

TWELVE  HERBACEOUS  PLANTS  (E.  C.).— Had  you 
■given  us  the  size  of  the  border,  we  should  have  been  in  a 
far  better  position  to  advise  you  satisfactorily.  However, 
here  are  some  good  things  which  should  not  be  absent 
from  any  garden  :  Aster  Amellus,  A.  Beauty  of  Colwall, 
Aqullegia  chrysantha.  Campanula  persicifolia  alba  grandi- 
flora.  Chelone  barbata  Torreyi,  Delphinium  Rev.  E. 
Lascelles,      Erigeron      speciosus      superbus,      Eryngium 


amcthystinum,  Oeum  Mrs.  J.  Bradshavv,  fiaillardia  Lady 
RoUeston,  lucarvillea  Delavavi,  Iiia  pallida  dalmatica, 
Phlox  Mrs.  E.  H.  Jenkins,  P.  Ba'ron  Van  Dedem,  Pvrethrnm 
Hamlet,  P,  Aphrodite  and  P,  Ne  Phis  Ultra, 

TREATMENT  OF  BULBILS  OF  LILIUM  SULPHUREUM 
(G.  W.). — It  would  be  a  good  plan  to  repot  your  bulbils 
of  Lilium  .suliihuicum  now,  as  thev  would  then  root 
steadily  throughout  the  winter.  .\  mixture  of  loam,  leaf- 
mould  or  peat  will  make  a  suitable  compost  for  them. 
The  loam  should  form  two-thirds  of  the  whole.  During 
the  winter  they  must  be  kept  in  a  greenhouse  or  frame 
where  they  are  safe  from  frost,  and  enough  water  should 
be  given  to  keep  the  soil  slightly  moist,  as' in  this  way  the 
roots  are  kept  active.  \Vith  the  retm-n  of  spring  and 
increased  groivth,  more  water  will,  of  course,  be  needed. 
In  preparing  the  pots  for  the  reception  of  the  bulbils, 
effective  drainage  is  very  necessary. 

FLOWERS  FOR  CUTTING  (17.  B.  .4.).— The  following 
plants  will  produce  white  flowers  suitable  for  cutting.  All 
may  be  planted  now  :  Phloxes  Harry  Veitch,  Mrs.  Forbes, 
Tapis  Blanc  and  Sylphide ;  Lupinus  arboreus  Snow 
Queen,  Hesperis  matronalis  {white  variety),  Christmas 
Ilose  (Helleborus  niger),  Chrysanthemum  Parthenium 
flore  pleno,  Achillea  The  Pearl,  Anemone  japonica,  Snovv-- 
drops.  Narcissi,  such  as  the  Poeticus  and  Tazetta  varieties, 
also  the  newer  Poetaz  forms  ;  Tulips  in  variety.  Hyacinths', 
Lilium  specioaum  album  and  L.  lougiflorum  varieties. 
Although  not  white-flowered,  the  Spanish  and  English 
Irises  are  very  useful  for  cutting.  You  might  also  make 
sowings  of  Sweet  Peas,  and  plant  a  few  clumps  of  the  red 
and  white  varieties  of  the  Everlasting  Pea  (Lathyrus  lati- 
folius).  These  flowers  will  answer  for  church  decoration. 
TREATMENT  OF  GAZANIAS  (G.  IT.).— You  are  some- 
what late  in  interesting  yourself  in  the  wintering  of 
Gazanias,  as  this  is  a  matter  that  should  have  been  taken 
in  hand  before  now.  Cuttings  taken  in  August  and  placed 
in  sandy  soil  in  a  close  and  shaded  frame  will  root  without 
any  difficulty,  and  if,  when  potted  off,  they  are  kept  in  a 
light  and  airy  structure,  no  trouble  will  be' experienced  in 
keeping  them  through  the  winter.  Even  now,  provided 
you  have  a  snug  little  structure  kept  at  a  temperature 
of  50°  to  60°,  a  fair  percentage  of  cuttings  may  be  struck. 
They  should  be  shaded  from  the  brightest  sun,  and  care 
must  be  taken  not  to  overwater  them.  The  old  plants  may 
also  be  lifted  and  potted  or  laid  in  boxes  and  placed  in  a 
good,  light  position  in  the  greenhouse.  Before  potting, 
straggling  roots  and  shoots  should  be  shortened  back  in 
order  to  economise  space,  leaving  as  many  as  possible  of 
tlie  shoots  near  the  centre  of  the  plant.    " 

PLANTING  EREMURUS  (il.  .4.). —You  will  find  that 
the  species  of  Eremurus  will  pro\e  more  satisfactory  if 
grown  in  a  border  with  other  plants  than  if  planted  on  a 
lawn,  for,  e.xcept  when  in  bloom,  the  various  kinds  are 
not  very  ornamental,  and  the  leaves  become  decidedly 
untidy  towards  the  middle  of  summer.  At  the  same  time, 
they  must  not  be  planted  in  places  where  the  roots  are 
likely  to  be  damaged  by  digging  holes  for  other  plants. 
They  usually  give  satisfactory  results  when  planted  among 
low  shrubs  where  sufficient  space  has  been  left  between 
the  shrubs  to  allow  of  the  proper  development  of  the 
leaves.  Do  not  plant  entirely  in  leaf-mould.  Provide 
good  loamy  soil  and  dig  some  leaf-mould  among  it.  The 
soil  should  be  at  least  12  inches  to  15  inches  deep.  If  a 
clump  of  Eremurus  plants  is  formed.  Lilies  may  be  planted 
between,  providing  the  former  are  not  very  close  together. 
Thf  evergreen  shrub  is  Coronilla  glauca. 

BEE  FLOWERS  {W.  B.  -1.).— The  flowering  shrub  to 
wliich  you  refer  is  apparently  Buddleia  globosa,  although 
we  have  not  previously  heard  it  called  by  the  name  of 
the  "  Honey  Ball  Tree."  It  is  a  great  favourite  with  bees. 
The  following  plants  are  all  appreciated  by  bees  :  Arabis 
albida.  Wallflower,  Heather,  Clover,  Lime,  Lavender, 
Buddleia  variabilis  varieties  veitchiana  and  magniflca,  and 
-Michaelmas  Daisies.  The  Arabis  is  excellent  for  planting 
near  hives  on  account  of  its  early  flowers  in  spring.  Bees 
collect  a  great  deal  of  pollen  from  its  flowers.  Likewise 
the  Michaelmas  Daisies  are  valuable  for  autumn.  Your 
garden  soil  may  be  improved  by  trenching  it  2  feet  to 
2J  feet  deep,  and  adding  grit,  long  horse-manure  and  burnt 
clay  to  the  subsoil.  When  trenching,  be  careful  that  you 
do  not  bury  the  surface  soil.  Keep  that  to  the  top  all  the 
while,  but  thoroughly  loosen  the  lower  soil  and  incorporate 
the  manure  and  other  materials  with  it.  Well-rotted 
manure  should  be  used  for  the  surface  soil.  If  the  soil  is 
deflcient  in  lime,  the  shortage  may  be  made  good  while 
the  work  is  in  progress.  The  following  evergreen  trees  and 
shrubs  are  likely  to  serve  your  purpose;  Pinus  insignis, 
P.  Pinaster,  Cupressus  macrocarpa,  C.  lawsoniana. 
Thuya  plieata  and  Quercus  Hex  among  trees  ;  and  Berberis 
stenophylla,  B.  Darwinii,  Escallonia  macrantha.  Rhodo- 
dendrons in  variety, Elfeagnus  pun'„'ens  variegata,  E.  macro-  | 
phylla  and  Choisya  temata  among  =hrube. 


entrance  to  it.  In  such  case  trellis  off  at  the  back  a  space 
of  12  feet,  arranging  a  border  3  feet  or  4  feet  wide  in 
front  of  the  trellis,  to  be  presently  planted  with  Roses, 
Carnations,  or  what  you  will.  The  trellis  also  should  be 
planted  with  climbing  Roses.  In  front  of  the  border  a 
path  4  feet  mde  should  be  made.  On  either  side,  borders 
3  feet  wide  for  hardy  herbaceous  plants  should  be  formed, 
with  paths  not  less  than  3  feet  wide  in  front.  The  central 
portion,  to  about  half  the  length  of  the  ground,  might  be 
laid  down  in  grass,  with  flower-beds  at  the  four  corners  ; 
beyond  this,  a  vegetable  garden  plot — it  mav  be  made  large 
or  small,  as  befits  your  requirements — to  be  shut  out  from 
view  by  a  lattice  wood  screen  or  by  a  hedge  of  Yew,  Holly 
or  Privet.  If  you  are  fond  of  fruit,  four  bush  pyramid 
Apples — one  at  each  corner — should  be  planted.  The 
paths  in  this  section  need  not  be  quite  so  spacious  as  those 
in  the  flower  garden  portion,  but  for  convenience  should 
encompass  the  plot  after  the  fashion  of  the  flower  garden. 
In  sftch  case  the  side  borders  could  be  devoted  to  the  raising 
of  Lettuce,  Radish,  Spinach.  Carrots,  Shallots,  Onions, 
together  with  Mint,  Thyme,  Parslev  and  other  useful 
things,  while  the  larger  central  plot  could  be  devoted  to 
bolder-growing  subjects.  Needless  to  say,  the  soil  of  a 
garden  so  long  neglected  will  require  deep  cultivation, 
with  heavy  manuring  in  all  parts  save  that  set  aside  for 
the  lawn.  You  say  nothing  of  the  character  of  the  soil, 
so  that  we  cannot  help  you  more  definitely.  Dry  paths 
in  all  gardens  are  very  desirable ;  hence  you  had  better 
e.xcavate  the  soil  to  about  a  foot  deep,  filling  in  first  with 
clinkers  and  rough  ashes,  and  finally  with  fine  ashe- 
or  gravel  for  the  surface.  The  excavated  soil  from  the 
pathways  should  be  turned  on  the  border  portions  to 
increase  their  depth  and  save  labour  in  carting  elsewhere. 
When  this  is  done,  the  rough  clinkers  may  be  introduced, 
leaving  the  surface  covering  for  the  paths  till  the  last, 
.•is  you  say  you  know  nothing  of  the  work,  it  would  be 
advisable  to  obtain  the  assistance  of  a  practical  gardener. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

OLEA  FRAGRANS  {U.  E.  5.).— The  plaot  concerning 
which  you  enquire  is  undoul>tcdly  Olea  Iragrans,  a  native 
of  China,  whence  it  was  introduced  as  Ions  ago  as  1771. 
The  flowers,  though  snaall,  are  deliciously  fragrant.  It  is 
fairly  hardy  in  the  South  of  England,  and  should  prove  quitr 
?o  with  the  protection  of  a  wall.  At  one  time  it  was  more 
grown  as  a  conservatory  or  greenhouse  plant  than  it  is 
now,  its  ornamental  leafage  and  sweet-scented  flowers  being 
its  greatest  recommendation.  So  fragrant  are  the  blossoms 
that  a  single  plant  will  make  its  presence  known  in  a 
good-sized  structure.  Besides  the  ordinary  form  with 
white  llowers  there  is  one  sometime?  met  with  in  Italian 
gardens,  in  which  the  blossoms  are  of  a  yellowish  buff 
tint. 

ARUM  LILIES  FLOWERING  TOO  SOON  (T.  5.).— 
You  can  do  nothing  to  prevent  your  Arum  Lilies  from 
flowering  now,  as  the  scape.-,  are  quite  ready  for  pushing 
up  and  will  naturally  do  so.  You  could  not  do  more 
than  you  have  done  to  keep  them  back.  The  best  thing 
to  do  will  be  to  cut  the  flowers  off  now  as  they  appear, 
and  keep  them  in  a  comparatively  quiet  state  till  after 
Christmas.  Then  encourage  them  to  grow  by  a  little 
additional  warmth,  and  an  occasional  stimulant  if  the  pots 
are  well  furnished  with  roots.  By  this  means  you  will 
have  flowers  at  Easter,  but,  of  course,  forethought  must 
be  exercised  in  that  respect,  as  the  development  of  the 
blossoms  largely  depends  upon  the  weather  and  other 
particulars  which  it  is  impossible  to  foresee.  Thus,  as 
Easter  approaches,  if  the  flowers  are  likely  to  be  too  early, 
keep  them  cooler,  while,  if  backward,  give  them  a  little 
additional  heat. 

TO  TURN  HYDRANGEAS  BLUE  (/.  ^.).— Various  pre- 
scriptions for  turning  Hydrangeas  blue  have  at  one  time 
or  another  been  published,  birt  invariably  with  succes;^. 
The  most  effective  that  have  come  under  our  notice  are 
two  preparations  the  composition  of  which  is  kept  secret, 
namely,  Azure  and  Cyanol.  The  first  named  (Azure)  is  a 
speciality  of  Messrs.  William  Cutbush  and  Son,  Highgate. 
They  have,  during  the  present  season,  shown  numerous 
examples  of  Hydrangeas  whose  flowers  had  been  changed 
to  blue  by  the  use  of  Azure,  notably  a  fine  lot  at  the  spring 
show  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  at  Chelsea.  The 
other  preparation  (Cyanol)  is,  we  believe,  from  the  Conti- 
nent, It  can  l>e  obtained  from  Messrs.  William  Wood  and 
Sons,  horticultural  sundriesmen,  Wood  Green,  London,  N. 
Our  experience  is  that  the  presence  of  lime  in  the  soil  is 
greatly  against  the  production  of  blue  flowers,  and  this  is 
borne  out  by  the  instructions  for  the  use  of  Cyanol,  viz., 
the  water  and  soil  must  be  free  from  chalk.  Rain-water 
is  preferable.     No  artificial  manure  must  be  applied. 


LAYING  OUT  A  GARDEN  {Amateur). ~T\iQ  first  thing 
to  do  with  a  garden  as  long  neglected  as  the  one  you 
refer  to  is  to  rid  it  of  all  superfluous  material — weeds, 
useless,  overgro\vn  or  decaying  shrubs — and  make  a  bonfire 
of  them  on  the  spot.  If  the  grass  with  which  you  say 
the  garden  is  overrun  is  one  of  the  common  meadow 
grasses,  it  will  be  easily  got  rid  of  by  cutting  down  and 
burning  the  tops,  and  by  subsequently  trenching  in  the 
roots.  If,  however,  it  should  prove  to  be  the  Couch 
Grass,  with  long,  whitish  roots  spreading  undercround, 
nothing  short  of  forking  the  whole  area  and  picking  it 
out  will  suffice.  This  work  needs  to  be  carefully  done, 
since  every  scrap  of  root  is  capable  of  making  a  new  plant. 
With  a  clearance  thus  made  you  will  be  able  to  discover 
any  pathways,  should  such  exist,  since  the  garden  may 
be  made  to  conform  to  them  in  some  measure.  If  no  paths 
exist  and  you  have  a  clear  course  before  you,  we  suggest 
you  lay  the  garden  out  as  follows  :  We  will  assume  that 
the  house  is  at  its  southern  end,  and  that  there  is  a  side 


MISCELLANEOUS. 
THE  HICKORY  BEETLE  {W.  G.).— The 


insects  found 
in  the  Hickory  wood  are  the  larvae  of  the  Hickory  beetle, 
an  insect  which  sometimes  causes  a  good  deal  of  annoy- 
ance in  the  United  States.  It  is  not  a  native  of  the  British 
Isles,  but  there  are  other  beetles  here  which  act  in  a  similar 
way.  The  dark-coloured  excavation  is  not  likely  to  have 
been  caused  by  the  goat  moth,  but  it  is  not  possible  to 
suggest  which  insect  has  made  it. 

TREATMENT  OF  LAWNS  {W.  R.  C.).— The  most  satis- 
factory way  to  clear  a  lawn  of  weeds  is  to  encourage  the 
grass  to  outgrow  thtm  ;  for  after  a  lawn  has  once  become 
thoroughly  weedy,  it  is  a  hopeless  matter  to  try  to  eradi- 
cate the  weeds  unless  the  grass  is  made  to  assist  by  feed- 
ing it  liberally.  Where  coarse  grasses  exist,  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  provide  a  dressing  of  sea  sand  at  the  rate  of  two  - 
cubic  yards  to  the  acre  ;  but  where  the  grasses  are  fairly 
fine  but  patchy,  it  is  better  to  apply  good  soil  free  from 
weed  seeds,  well-rotted  farmyard  manure  or  bone-meal. 
Soil  may  be  applied  to  a  depth  of  half  an  inch,  keeping  it 


I 


580 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  15,  1913. 


rakiid  about  well  until  it  disappears.  Farmyard  manure 
may  be  used  at  the  rate  of  four  or  live  tons  to  the 
acre,  according  to  the  condition  of  the  grass,  and  bone-meal 
may  be  given  at  the  rate  of  half  a  ton  to  two  acres.  Good 
works  on  lawn  grasses  are  published  by  Messrs.  James 
Carter,  Kaynes  Park,  S.W.,  and  Messrs.  Sutton  and  Sons, 
seedsmen,  Reading.  If  you  wish  to  remake  your  Yarrow 
lawn,  it  is  possible  to  procure  Yarrow  seed  in  quantity 
from  various  firms  of  seedsmen. 

FLANNEL  WEED  IN  PONDS  (C.  B.).— The  material 
recommended  for  destroying  Flannel  Weed  in  ponds 
was  copper  sulphate  used  in  the  proportion  of  one  part 
of  copper  sulphate  to  750,000  to  1,000,000  parts  of  water. 
The  chemical  should  be  placed  in  a  canvas  bag  and  be 
drawn  through  the  water  until  dissolved.  It  is  usually 
necessary  to  apply  the  copper  sulphate  two  or  three  times 
between  April  and  October. 

FUNGUS  MYCELIUM  IN  GROUND  (Arminius).— 
The  fungus  mycelium  in  your  garden  can  be  destroyed 
by  digging  a  trench  round  the  affected  area  deeper  than 
the  mycelium  penetrates ;  then  digging  unslaked  lime 
into  the  affected  ground.  A  little  fungus  may  appear 
again  next  year,  but  a  second  application  of  lime  should 
prove  effective.  Fungus  mycelium  may  also  be  killed 
by  soaking  the  gi;ound  with  a  strong  solution  of  sulphate 
of  iron. 

NAMES  OF  FRUIT.  —  R.  Y. — Boston  Russet  and  Marie 

Liuise  d'Uccle. J.   Y.  N. — 1,  Potts"  Seedling  ;  2,  King 

of  tlic  Pippins;    3,  Hawthornden  ;  4,   Stirling  Castle:  5, 

Lady  Henniker. Sunflower. — Large  fruit,  King  Harry; 

smail.    Winter   Peach. Miss   S..    Lines. — 1,  American 

Mother ;  2,  John  Apple ;  3,   Ribston   Pippin ;  4,  Adam's 

Pearmain  ;    5,    Cellini    Pippin. W.  H.   JIT.— Ribston 

Pippin. 

NAMES    OF    PLANTS.— .K.  M.  fl.— Probably  a    dyed 

flower  of  Anaphalis  margaritacea. H.  P.  E- — Aselepias 

curassavica  ;    2,    Etoagnus    pungens  aurea. Purley. — 

Poterium  tenuifolium. Enquirer. — 1,  Oxalis  acetosella; 

2,  Sedum  nipestre ;  3,  Saxifraga  Aizoon ;  4,  Potentilla 
species,  cannot  name  without  flowers ;  5,  Polemonium 
caeruleum  variegatum  ;  0,  Lychnis  Viscaria  ;  V,  Semper- 
vivum  Funckii ;  8,  Saxifraga  Hostii ;  9,  Veronica  speciosa 

variety  ;  10,  Saxifraga  Aizoon  variety. Tf .  P.,  Taunton. 

— 1,  Nephrolepis  cordifolia  ;  2,  Chrysanthemum,  garden 
seedling  ;  3.  Abutilon  species,  cannot  name  without  flowers. 


SOCIETIES. 


SCOTTISH    HORTICULTURAL    ASSOCIATION. 

The  monthly  meeting  of  the  Scottish  HorticiUtviral 
A-isociation  was  held  in  the  Hall,  5.  St.  Andrew  Square, 
Edinburfih.  on  the  evening  of  November  4.  Mr.  David 
King,  Osborne  Nurseries,  president  of  the  association, 
occupied  the  chair.  The  exhibits  before  the  meeting  were 
of  some  interest,  and  coujisted  mainly  of  Chrysanthemums, 
Mr.  \V.  G.  Pirie,  gardener  to  C.  W.  Cowan,  Esq.,  Dalhousie 
Castle,  exhibiting  four  single  varieties,  for  which  a  cultural 
certificate  was  awarded.  These  were  Miss  H.  M.  Cowan, 
Miss  Callender,  Weston  Gem  and  Ceddie  White.  Mr. 
R.  H.  Cockburn,  gardener  to  Sir  C.  W.  Cayzer,  Gartmore 
House,  Perthshire,  exhibited  a  new  single  Chrysantlie- 
mum,  Lady  Cayzer.  Potato  Irish  Gem.  from  Mr.  W.  H. 
Sands,  Hillsborough,  County  Down.  Ireland,  was  awarded 
a  cultural  certificate,  and  a  new  wasp  and  fly  trap,  invented 
by  Mr.  Thomas  Reid,  Eildon  Hall  Gardens,  lioxburghshire, 
was  recognised  by  the  inventor  being  highly  commended 
for  the  trap.  The  lecture  of  the  evening  was  given  by 
Dr.  "W.  G.  Smith  of  the  Edinburgh  and  East  of  Scotland 
College  of  Agriculture,  and  proved  one  of  deep  interest 
and  high  value.  It  was  well  illustrated  with  limelight 
ilUistrations.  The  subject  was  "  The  Influence  of  Drought 
on  Plant  Form."  Dr.  Smith  made  an  exceedingly  able 
presentment  of  his  subject,  discussmg  it  with  a  wealth 
of  illustration  and  giving  many  examples  to  support  the 
position  maintained.  The  influences  of  various  soils,  Ac, 
formed  an  interesting  section,  while  the  effect  of  experi- 
ments on  plants  cultivated  away  from  their  usual  conditions 
was  also  shown.  The  whole  lecture  was  full  of  value 
for  the  student  of  plant -life  and  for  horticulturists  in 
counection  with  their  work.  Dr.  Smith  was  heartily 
thanked. 


BIRMINGHAM   AND   DISTRICT   GARDENERS'    MUTUAL 
IMPROVEMENT     ASSOCIATION. 

A  SHORT,  concise,  but  practical  and  comprehensive  paper 
on  '■  The  Winter  Dressing  of  Fruit  Trees  *'  was  read  to  an 
assembly  of  the  members  of  the  above  society  by  Mr.  R.  T. 
Parker,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Lacey,  Westbourne  Road, 
Edgbaston,  on  the  3rd  inst.  When  introducing  the  subject 
in  so  short  a  paper,  he  stated  that  it  was  his  idea  to  stimulate 
a  discussion  that  evening  which  he  hoped  would  result 
in  practical  future  application.  Primarily,  uncleanliness 
was  the  reason  why  so  many  fruit  trees  and  bushes  afforded 
a  refuge  for  insect  pests  and  other  germs  that  are  the  origin 
of  so  many  disastrous  diseases  in  the  majority  of  fruits. 
Therefore,  if  the  grower  wished  to  ensure  himself  against 
the  loss  of  valuable  fruit,  the  most  effective  course  was  for 
him  to  adopt  a  systematic  annual  cleansing  of  his  trees. 
In  the  snug  seclusion  of  the  crevices  of  the  bark  around 
the  trees,  the  insects  and  their  larvae  are  secreted,  and  it  is 
only  by  persistent  application  of  the  respective  washes 
that  it  is  possible  to  prevent  them  from  attaining  maturity. 
The  lecturer  clearly  demonstrated  this  in  his  allusion 
to  the  American  blight  (or  aphis),  which  he  had  abolished 
from  his  trees  by  the  use  of  a  wash  compounded  from 
carbonate  potash,  caustic  soda  and  soft  soap,  dissolved 
ill  water.     As  this  solution  is  liable  to  burn  the  skin  of  the 


applicant's  hands,  if  any  falls  upon  them,  he  usually  wears 
a  pair  of  rubber  gloves  for  protection,  and  applies  it  with 
a  knapsack  sprayer.  Different  insects,  he  said,  required  dif- 
ferent treatment  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  are  two  classes 
of  insect  pests — the  sucking  and  the  biting.  Occasionally 
the  biting  insects  would  survive  a  wash  which,  if  used 
too  strongly,  might  permanently  injure  the  particular 
tree.  For  the  former  class  of  pests,  Paris  green,  a  poison, 
dissolved  in  water,  would  be  found  to  be  of  advantage 
if  used  discreetly.  Also  London  purple,  a  waste  material 
from  dyeworks,  furnished  an  economic  destroyer  of  the 
winter  moth  caterpillar.  Arseiiate  of  lead,  too,  made  a 
good  spray  for  the  biting  pests  and  fungi.  Much,  he  urged, 
could  be  done  to  forward  the  growth  of  trees  by  the  use  of 
chemical  manures,  such  as  a  dressing  of  basic  slag  or 
potash  for  Black',  Red  or  White  Currant  trees,  while  nothing 
assisted  trees  of  ten  to  twenty  years'  standiuLi  Uttrr  than 
animal  manure — especially  that  obtained  from  the  poultry 
farm.  Although  the  ensuing  discussion  was  not  at  first 
as  keen  as  it  might  have  been,  several  important  points 
were  eventually  raised,  and  these  the  lecturer  replied  to 
in  a  manner  which  proved  that  he  was  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  his  subject.  After  the  usual  vote  of  thanks 
the  meeting  terminated. 

CHRYSANTHEMUM    CONGRESS    AT    GHENT. 

The  members  of  the  French  Chrysanthemum  Society 
held  their  1913  Congress  at  Ghent  in  connection  with  the 
Autumn  Show  held  there  from  the  2.Sth  to  the  28th  ult.  The 
programme  was  a  full  one  and  included,  besides  the  meeting 
of  the  congress,  several  days'  festivities,  which  were  much 
enjoyed.  At  the  congress  meeting  M.  Viger  presided. 
He  was  supported  on  the  platform  by  a  bureau  composed 
of  the  following'  mai  limcn-  M.  Vernieuwe  (the  representa- 
tive of  the  liclgiau  G,iveriiiii'  nt).  if.  F.  Couillard,  M.  Rible. 
M.  Ph.  Rivoire  (socretarv),  M.  Fimini  dr  Smet,  M.  Kozain- 
Boucharlat.M.  A.Callier(presideijt  of  tlir  (ilunt  Society),  M. 
Dubreuihand  Mr.  Harman  Payne  (ripresmtmgthe  National 
Chrysanthemum  Society).  A  paper  was  read  by  Dr. 
Chifflot  of  Lyons  on  insect  pests,  after  which  a  discussion 
ensved,  in  which  M.  H.  Crepin,  M.  Clement  and  the  president 
joined,  and  it  was  resolved  that  a  new  edition  of  the  work 
published  by  the  society  some  years  ago  on  insect  pests 
and  diseases  of  the  Chrysanthemum  should  be  issued 
shortly.  Another  paper  by  M.  Godde  on  the  influence  of 
magnesia  salts  on  Chrysanthemums  was  read  and  discussed. 
M.  Couillard  dealt  with  the  question  of  a  revised  classi- 
fication. Another  oh-iniciil  question  was  also  considered, 
viz.,  the  effect  of  sulphur  and  sulphur  compounds  on  the 
vegetation  of  the  Chrysantliemum.  The  congress  medal 
annually  awarded  was  unanimously  voted  to  Dr.  Cl)itflot ; 
M.  Couillard  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Officier  du 
M6rite  Agricole;  and  M.  Firmin  de  Smet  was  awarded  the 
gold  medal  of  the  society  in  recognition  of  his  hospitalit\ 
in  receiving  the  society.  It  was  arranged  that  the  next 
congress  should  be  held  at  Melun  in  1914. 

On  the  Sunday  evening  the  members  were  entertained  by 
the  Royal  Agricultural  and  Botanical  Society  of  Ghent 
at  a  reception  held  in  tlie  Casino.  They  were  also  provided 
with  special  tickets  to  view  the  closing  ceremony  and 
distribution  of  prizes  by  the  Ring  of  the  Belgians.  They 
were  likewise  invited  to  a  day's  outing  at  Bruges  to  see 
the  sights  of  the  town  and  the  large  nursery  of  Messrs. 
Sander  and  Sons  there,  and  also  to  a  luncheon  given  by 
M.  Firmin  de  Smet.  Quite  a  large  party,  including  all 
the  English  visitors,  accepted.  M.  Couillard  returned 
thanks  on  behalf  of  the  French  Chrysanthemum  Society, 
and  Mr.  Harman  Payne,  opening  his  speech  with  a 
humorous  quotation  from  Molifirc,  which  delighted  his 
audience,  replied  for  the  English  visitors. 


CHELMSFORD  GARDENERS'   ASSOCIATION. 

The  tliird  meeting  of  tlie  winter  session  was  held  on 
the  31st  ult.  at  the  County  Laboratories.  Mr.  C.  Wakely 
presided  over  about  fifty  members.  Mr.  Jackson  of 
Braxted  Park  gave  an  interesting  and  practical  lecture 
on  "  Begonias."  The  lecturer  commenced  by  pointing 
out  the  value  of  Begonias  for  decoration,  especially 
the  winter -flowering  ones.  Mr.  Jackson  divided  his 
lecture  into  several  parts,  and  dealt  with  the  varieties 
of  Begonias  in  the  order  named — Begonia  Gloire  de 
Lorraine,  winter-flowering  Begonias,  tuberous- rooted 
Begonias  and  flbrous-rootcd  Begonias.  Each  variety 
was  dealt  with  in  turn,  and  the  cultivation  and  propa- 
gation explained  in  a  very  practical  manner.  Other 
subjects,  such  as  staking,  watering,  potting  and  insect 
pests,  were  also  dealt  with.  A  vote  of  thanks  was  accorded 
Mr.  Jackson  at  the  close. 


ROMFORD      HORTICULTURAL       AND       CHRYSAN- 
THEMUM   SOCIETY. 

The  annual  exhibition  in  connection  with  the  above 
old-established  society  was  held  in  the  Corn  Exchange, 
Romford,  on  Thursday,  the  6th  inst.  There  was  a  very 
fine  display  of  Chrysanthemums  and  other  flowers,  and, 
owing  to  the  committee  having  largely  substituted  vases 
for  the  old-fashioned  boards,  the  eft'ect  was  very  cliarming. 
Sir  Montague  Turner,  president  for  the  current  year,  was 
a  very  successful  exhibitor,  his  gardener,  JVIr.  Humphreys, 
staging  some  particularly  good  cut  blooms  and  specimen 
plants.  Among  the  former  was  the  best  bloom  shown  in 
the  open  section,  the  best  in  the  amateur's  division  being 
sho\vn  by  Mr.  Bishop  of  Brentwood.  The  Rev.  E.  M. 
Bell  (gardener.  Mr.  Gilbert)  also  showed  some  very  fine  cut 
blooms  and  a  particularly  good  specimen  plant.  Other 
successful  exhibitors  of  Chrysanthemums  were  Messrs. 
Sewell  and  Page.  Fruit  was  surprisingly  good,  dessert 
Apples  being  shown  in  large  quantities.  Vegetable 
exhibits,  though  not  so  numerous  as  usual,  were  of  fine 
quality  and  well  displayed. 


NATIONAL     CHRYSANTHEMUM     SOCIETY. 

Seldom,  if  ever,  have  Ctirysanthemunis  of  better  quality 
been  shoAvn  than  those  at  "the  Crystal  Palace  on  Novem- 
ber 5,  6  and  7.  The  Japanese  varieties  were  quite  up  to 
the  high  standard  of  previous  years,  and  it  was  particu- 
larly pleasing  to  notice  the  unusual  number  of  incurved 
varieties  that  were  given  a  prominent  position  in  many 
groups,  in  addition  to  the  dressed  blooms  showTiin  boxes. 
Probably  no  section  has  made  more  rapid  strides  than 
the  singles,  and,  incidentally,  it  might  be  mentioned  that 
some  of  the  leading  iudges'  are  a  little  hazy  as  to  what 
constitutes  a  single.  That  there  should  be  no  misunder- 
standing in  the  near  future,  it  is  imperative  that  the 
National  Chrysanthemum  Society  should  lay  down  a  j 
very  clear  and  definite  rule  upon  this  point.  The  wonderful 
improvement  that  has  been  wrought  among  decorative 
varieties  is  also  noteworthy,  and  the  large  group  of 
market,  decorative  and  single  varieties  staged  by  Messrs. 
Cragg,  Harrison  and  Cragg  of  Heston,  near  Hounslow, 
was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  features  of  the  show, 
more  particularly  as  most  of  the  varieties  were  of  this 
firm's  raising.  The  magnificent  groups  by  Mr.  Norman. 
Davis  and  Messrs.  W.  Wells  and  Co.  were  deserving  of 
the  highest  praise,  and  the  large  gold  medal  offered  by 
Messrs.  Clay  and  Son  for  the  best  miscellaneous  exhibit 
in  the  show  was  awarded  to  the  former.  The  leading 
prize-winners  were  as  follow  : 

Competitive  Classes. 
The  class  for  a  floral  display  of  Chrysanthemums  and 
suitable  foliage  plants  in  pots  (trade  excluded)  was  won 
by  J.  C.  Eno,  Esq.,  Wood  Hall.  Dulwich,  with  a  large 
circular  group  that  did  full  justice  to  Mr.  R.  B.  Leech, 
the  able  head-gardener.  The  arrangement  was  very 
artistic.  Exhibition,  decorative,  single  and  Pompon 
varieties  were  pleasingly  associated  with  the  ornamental 
foliage  of  Crotons,  Dracsnas  and  Asparagus.  Moreover, 
the  quality  of  the  blooms  left  little  to  be  desired.  Bob 
Pulling  was  shown  in  great  form,  while  Mensa,  the  choicest 
of  all  singles,  was  seen  in  the  height  of  perfection.  Lady 
Tate,  Park  Hill.  Streatham  Common  (gardener.  Mr.  W. 
Howe),  was  second.  This  exhibit  contained  blooms 
and  foliage  plants  of  good  quality,  but  we  could  not  help 
thinking  that  the  exhibit  suffered  from  overcrowding. 

There  was  strong  competition  in  the  class  for  twelve 
vases  of  Japanese  bloom^;,  the  first  prize  going  to  Mr.  A. 
Chandler,  gardener  to  Arthur  James,  Esq.,  Rucrby. 
Among  the  best  blooms  were  W.  Turner.  Reginald  Vallis. 
His  Majesty  (a  rich  crimson,  shown  in  nmarkably  good 
form).  Thomas  Lunt  and  Mrs.  Gilbert  Drabble.  Second, 
the  Marquis  of  Bute  :    third,  Mr.  Philip  Ladds. 

In  the  class  for  cut  blooms,  open  to  affiliated  societies, 
the  cliallenge  trophy  was  awarded  to  the  Finchley  Chry- 
santhemum Society  for  an  exhibit  which  commanded 
gi.'iieriil  jiduiiration.  f 

Ciiiisiderai>lo  interest  was  centred  in  Class  5,  for  forty- 
eight  Japanese  bloonis.  The  first  prize,  including  the 
Holmes  Memorial  Challenge  Cup,  fell  to  the  lot  of  Mr. 
A.  Chandler,  gardener  to  Arthur  James,  Esq.,  Coton 
House  Rugby.  It  was  a  grand  collection,  slightly  under- 
sized, but  of  good  quality  and  very  refined.  Of  the  blooms 
shown,  the  following  were  remarkably  good  :  Lady  Talbot, 
W.  Turner,  Marie  Loomes.  His  Majesty.  Mrs.  Drabble, 
Thomas  Lunt  and  Mrs.  F.  C.  Stoop.  iVIr.  Stevenson, 
gardener  to  E.  G.  Mocatta,  Ksq.,  Woburn  Place,  Addle- 
stone,  Surrey,  was  second  with  a  weighty  set  of  blooms 
which  were  a  shade  too  coarse  ;  third,  Mr.  G.  Hunt,, 
gardener  to  Pautia  Italli,  Esq.,  Ashtead  Park,  Epsom. 

It  was  pleasant  to  see  four  really  fine  exhibits  iu  the 
class  for  thirty-six  incurved  blooms.  The  first  prize 
and  challenge  cup  were  won  by  Mr.  G.  Hunt  with  a  faultless 
set.  His  best  blooms  included  Clara  Wells,  Mrs.  P.  N. 
Wiseman,  Pantia  Ralli,  Duchess  of  Fife  and  Mrs.  F. 
Judson.  Mr.  H.  R.  Farmer,  gardener  to  the  Marquis 
of  Bute,  was  a  capital  second,  followed  by  Mr.  F.  J.  Brown,, 
gardener  to  Miss  Langworthy,  Gays  House,  Holyport. 

Mr.  H.  R.  Farmer^  Cardilf,  was  successful  in  the  class 
for  twelve  incurved  blooms.  His  best  blooms  included 
G.  F.  Evans,  Clara  Wells  and  Mrs.  F.  Judson.  Second, 
Pantia  Ralli,  Esq.  ;    third.  Miss  Langworthy. 

Sir  Albert  RoUit  (president)  offered  a  cup  for  twenty- 
four  Japanese  blooms,  and  this  was  ^von  by  Lord  Foley 
(gardener.  Mr.  H.  C.  Gardener).  There  was  excellent 
competition,  there  being  ten  first-rate  exhibits,  which 
created  a  wonderful  display  of  colour.  The  somewhat 
uncommon  shades  of  colo\ir  in  varieties  such  as  Rose 
Pockett,  Amber  Queen,  Francis  Jolliffe  and  Master  James 
contained  on  the  wmning  board  call  for  special  mention. 
Miscellaneous  Exhibits. 
As  usual,  these  were  of  exceptional  interest,  and,  together 
with  the  displays  in  the  competitive  classes,  made  up  an 
exhibition  that  reminded  us  of  the  days  when  the  Chrysan- 
themum was  at  the  zenith  of  its  popularity. 

Mr.  Norman  Davis.  Framfield,  Sussex,  set  up  a  large 
and  beautiful  exhibit  of  great  artistic  merit,  representing 
Japanese,  incurved  and  single  Chrysanthemums  in  superb 
form  and  condition.  Vases  and  stands  were  utilised  io- 
display  the  flowers,  and  by  the  aid  of  choice  foliage  plants 
a  noteworthy  display  was  made,  that  won  a  large  gold 
medal,  and  Messrs.  Clay  and  Son's  gold  medal  for  the  best 
miscellaneous  exhibit  in  the  show.  This  exhibit  was 
set  up  in  front  of  the  Royal  Box  in  the  Central  Transept . 
and  occupied  the  whole  front. 

Messrs.  W.  Weils  and  Co,  Limited,  Merstham,  Surrey, 
also  won  a  large  gold  medal  for  a  very  large  and  com- 
prehensive group  of  cut  Chrysanthemums,  set  up  in  most 
attractive  fashion,  and  which  was  admired  by  crowds  of 
sightseers.  Masses  of  Japanese  Queen  Mary,  Mrs. 
Gilbert  Drabble,  Daily  Mail  and  other  new,  and  choice 
Japanese  varieties,  and  a  host  of  beautiful  singles  and 
decorative  sorts,  made  a  beautiful  display  of  a  compre- 
hensive  character. 


^^ 


GARDEN. 


i^^^vS^^^^^—^"-^^ 


-r=^= 


^^^ 


No.  2192.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


November  22,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


Notes  op  the  Week     581 

Correspondence 

Rose  Peace  . .     562 

Prizes  for  front  gar- 
dens          582 

Longevity  of  Char- 
lock seed     . .      . .     582 

Clematis  CEerulea  ou 
warm  walls . .      . .     583 

Uelianthna  speciosus    533 

Suitable  wood  for 
pergolas  and  pillars  583 

Potting  Dielytra 
spectabills  for  forc- 
ing             583 

Fortbcoming  events..     583 
GiRDENiNQ  Acrostics   583 

A   good   tree   for    the 
pleasure  grounds   , .     583 

Rock  and  Water  Garden 
The  designing,  con- 
struction and  plant- 
ing of  rock  gardens    583 
Rose  Garden 
In  a  Hampshire  gar- 
den            585 


Coloured  Plaie 
Three   good   garden 

Roses 586 

FiowER  Garden 
DaSodil  notes..      ..     587 
Two  white  Knipho- 

flas        587 

Sweet   Peaa :    Some 
reflections      and 

hints 588 

Gardeninc.  for  Beoinnees 
How  to  plant  Roses     589 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens          590 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens          590 

WiSLEY's  Need  op  a 

Collector  591 

Nursery  Notes 
Messrs.  William  Cut- 
bush  and  Son     . .     591 
Answers   to  Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden       . .     592 
Greenhouse     . .  592 

.Miscellaneous         . .     592 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 


IIiI<DSTRATIONS. 

llose  Irish  Fireflame  eight  weeks  after  budding  . .  582 
The    designing,    construction  and  planting  of  rock 

gardens 584,  585 

An  eflective  grouping  of  perennial  Candytuft,  Thrift 

and  Saxifrages  in  a  London  garden 586 

Three  good  garden  Roses       Coloured  plate 

A  November  flower  (Kniphofla  multifloral 587 

Kniphofla  modesta 588 

How  to  plant  Roses         5*9 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
hat  he  wiU  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  mill  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  nan-accepted 
contributions. 

As  regards  photographs,  if  payTjient  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
iirapher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  ablet?  use  .and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  ttHcen  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :   20,  Tavistock  Street,  Couent  Garden,  W.C. 


The  Scarlet  Oak. — During  the  past  few  weeks 
the  Scarlet  Oak  has  been  very  beautiful.  Its 
large  leaves  assumed  a  brilliancy  of  colour  not 
found  in  those  of  any  other  kind  of  tree  growing 
to  as  large  a  size.  The  first  specimen  that  attracted 
our  attention  was  growing  near  the  bottom  of  a 
high  railway  embankment,  where  the  roots  had  a 
deep,  friable  loam  to  grow  in. 

Protecting  Early  -  Flowering  Chrysanthe- 
mums.— Now  that  these  plants  are  over,  they 
should  be  trimmed  up,  and  those  varieties  which 
are  required  for  cuttings  li*ted  and  placed  in  a 
cold  frame,  bedding  them  in  leaf-soil,  as  only  a 
few  of  the  hardiest  can  be  relied  upon  to  stand 
the  winter  outside  without  some  protection.  By 
protecting  them  as  advised,  much  better  cuttings 
can   be   obtained. 

Protecting  Ferns  with  Leaves. — When  the 
leaves  are  being  collected,  it  will  be  found  a  good 
plan  to  place  some  among  the  outdoor  Ferns. 
It  acts  as  a  protection  for  the  choicer  and  more 
tender  kinds,  as  well  as  a  mulching,  from  which 
the  Ferns,  bulbs  and  other  plants  growing  among 
them  wiU  benefit.  The  leaves  should  be  carefully 
worked  among  the  plants  with  the  hands,  when 
they  will  soon  get  settled  down  and  be  quite  hidden 
by  the  new  fronds  in  the  spring. 

Rosemary  and  Carnations. — A  few  days  ago 
we  were  short  of  foliage  to  arrange  with  some 
perpetual  or  winter  flowering  Carnations,  and 
toll  was  taken  of  the  Rosemary  bush  that  nestles 
by  the  front  door.  Two  or  three  good,  erect 
shoots  were  thrust  carelessly  into  the  centre  of 
an  old  Cornish  pitcher  that  had  been  loosely  filled 
with  Carnations,  and  the  effect  was  as  pleasing 
as  the  combination  was  fragrant.  No  doubt 
sprays  of  Rosemarj'  might  be  effectively  arranged 
with  other  kinds  of  flowers  at  this  season. 

Transplanting  Montbretias. — Where  these  have 
become  too  thick,  they  should  be  taken  up  now 
and  divided,  selecting  the  strongest  bulbs  for 
replantmg.  When  they  are  to  occupy  the  same 
ground,  it  should  be  well  trenched  and  manured. 
This  useful  ornamental  plant  is  often  neglected 
and  allowed  to  become  overcrowded,  which  results 
in  weak  growths  and  few  flowers.  If  the  plants 
are  not  lifted,  it  is  not  wise  to  remove  the  dead 
foliage,  as  this  protects  the  young,  tender  shoots, 
which  are  so  easily  damaged  by  the  cold  winds. 

Proposed]^  Plant  Collector  for  Wisley. — On 
another  page  we  reprint  a  long  letter  that  appeared 
in  Country  Life  of  last  week.  The  writer  of  the 
letter,  who  is  an  enthusiastic  Fellow  of  the  society, 
suggests,  among  other  things,  that  the  Council 
should  appoint  a  plant  collector,  whose  duty  it 
would  be  to  visit  foreign  cotmtries  for  the  purpose 
of  collecting  new  or  rare  plants  which  could  be 
grown  at  Wisley.  We  have  reason  to  believe  that 
some    members   of    the     Coimcil    have    had    the 


subject  under  consideration  for  some  time.     There 

is  a  good  deal  to  be  said  for  and  against  the  idea, 
but  it  would  seem  that  a  wealthy  society  such  as 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  now  is  could  with 
advantage  devote  some  of  its  surplus  fimds  to  such 
a  purpose. 

Austrian  Heir-Apparent  at  Kew. — ^Those 
who  have  heard  of  the  Archduke  Francis,  Ferdi- 
nand's interest  in  horticulture  mil  not  be  surprised 
to  know  that  on  Sunday  last,  the  day  after  his 
arrival  in  London,  a  visit  was  paid  to  our  national 
garden  at  Kew.  In  private  life  the  Archduke 
takes  a  keen  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  his 
own  garden.  He  is  said  to  have  largely  super 
intended  the  laying  out  and  planting  of  th' 
grounds  surrounding  Konopischt,  his  residence  in 
Bohemia. 

Lettuces  for  Winter  Use. — Plants  growniK 
in  the  open  at  this  time  of  the  year  are  more  tender 
and  more  easily  damaged  than  in  the  summer, 
owing,  undoubtedly,  to  the  dull  weather  and  shnK 
days.  If  a  frame-light  can  be  placed  over  them, 
it  will  be  found  of  great  advantage  ;  or  plants 
may  be  lifted  carefully  and  placed  m  a  frame, 
taking  care  not  to  damage  the  leaves.  Seeds  of 
the  Cos  varieties  may  be  sown  thinly  at  intervals 
in  boxes  or  pans  and  placed  m  a  temperature 
of  about  55°  or  60°.  The  plants  will  be  very 
valuable  for  salad  during  the  winter  when  cut  in 
a  young  state. 

Mid-November  Roses. — On  looking  over  the 
Roses  on  Monday  la=t.  the  17th  inst.,  we  were 
surprised  to  find  qii;te  a  number  in  full  bloom. 
The  following  list  of  varieties  that  were  carrying 
really  good  flowers  may  be  of  interest :  La  France, 
Lady  Battersea.  Lady  Pirrie,  Frances  Charteris 
Seton,  Griiss  an  Teplitz,  Gloire  de  Dijon,  Miss 
Cynthia  Forde,  Betty,  Nita  Weldon,  Mme.  Ravary 
Rayon  d'Or,  Pharisaer,  Margaret  Molyneux,  Mrs. 
Alfred  Tate  Richmond,  Lady  Alice  Stanley, 
Mrs.  A.  Mun-,  Sunburst,  Earl  of  Warwick,  Konigin 
Carola,  Gustav  Grunerwald,  Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens, 
Orleans,  J'.'ssie  and  Hiawatha.  The  last  named 
is  a  weeping  standard  budded  on  Rugosa  stock, 
and  has  bcfn  continually  flowering  since  the  end 
of  July.  Jessie  is  as  bright  and  full  of  bloom 
as  in  the  summer,  and  Orleans  is  nearly  as  good. 

Guelder  Rose  and  Traveller's  Joy. — These 
two  native  plants  are  very  beautiful  objects  of 
the  cotmtry-side  at  this  season.  The  former, 
by  virtue  of  its  autumnal  tints,  serves  to  brighten 
up  many  a  hedgerow  and  copse  with  its  brightly- 
coloured  leafage.  Everyone  is  familiar  with  the 
Traveller's  Joy  (Clematis  Vitalba),  which  at  this 
season  is  especially  noticeable  on  accoimt  of  its 
feathery  fruits,  which  have  earned  for  it  the  name  of 
Old  Man's  Beard.  This  subject  is  often  seen 
clothing  trees  or  rambling  over  farm  buildings. 
It  is  singular  that  it  is  usually  found  near  to,  or 
associated  with,  places  of  habitation,  often  marking 
the  approach  to  a  village,  and  this  possibly  explains 
the  meaning  of  its  name  T.-.iveller's  Joy. 


582 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  22,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


The  Almond  in  Scotland. — The  Almond  is 
hardy  enough  to  grow,  to  flower  and  to  fruit  in 
at  least  the  milder  districts  of  Scotland.  The 
tree  succeeds  here  and  occasionally  bears  abundant 
crops. — R.  P.  Brotherston,  Tyninghame,  Preston- 
kirk. 

Rose  Peace. — in  reply  to  "  Pax,"  page  559, 
issue  November  8,  I  beg  to  say  that  I  do  refer  to 
the  Tea-scented  variety.  It  has  long,  pointed  buds, 
the  petals  being  of  a  pale  lemon  colour  under  glass, 
deeper  in  the  open.  I  have  foimd  this  variety 
very  impatient  of  drip  from  trees  and  from  buildings  ; 
it  does  not  thrive  well  in  very  moist  soil.  Under 
glass,  either  in  pots  or  borders,  the  plants  succeed 
and  blossom  over  a  long  period. 

Prizes  for  Front  Gardens.  —  I  am 
quite  sure  that  "  Marguerite,"  page  558, 
issue  November  8,  will  soon  see  a  change 
for  the  better  if  she  offers  prizes  for 
the  best  front  gardens  in  the  village 
in  which  she  lives.  I  have  had  some 
considerable  experience  in  the  matter 
of  framing  rules  in  such  circumstances 
and  in  judging  the  gardens.  I  do  not 
intend  to  go  into  detail  here,  but  would 
suggest  that  "  Marguerite  "  takes  into 
consideration  the  sizes  of  the  gardens, 
as,  if  there  is  a  wide  margin,  it  would 
be  more  satisfactory  to  divide  them,  say, 
gardens  of  so  many  square  yards  and 
over,  and  gardens  under  tlie  size  decided 
upon.  Then  the  owners  of  the  two 
classes  would  compete  against  each 
other  respectively.  The  largest  gardens 
are  not  always  the  most  beautiful,  but 
it  is  a  fact  that  the  owners  of  such 
have  a  better  opportunity  of  making 
them  more  beautiful.  From  experience 
I  have  found  it  was  never  satisfactor>- 
to  class  small  gardens  with  large  ones. 
— G.  G. 

Rose  Irish  Fireflame.— The  accom- 
panying illustration  is  interesting.  It 
represents  two  maiden  plants  of  Irish 
Fireflame  whose  life-history  is  briefly  as 
follows  :  Rather  than  obtain  buds  in 
the  usual  way,  two  pot  plants  of  Irish 
Fireflame  were  purchased  from  Messrs. 
Alexander  Dickson  and  Sons  of  New- 
townards  towards  the  end  of  July  last 


of  doors,  obtained  in  no  more  than  eight  weeks 
from  the  insertion  of  the  bud,  is  unusual ;  it 
undoubtedly  speaks  well  for  the  vigour  and  growth 
of  Irish  Fireflame,  and  at  any  rate  demonstrates 
its  very  free-flowering  character,  both  of  which 
points  have,  I  think,  been  challenged  in  your 
columns.  The  plants  are  growing  in  the  garden  of 
Mr.  E.  M.  Burnett  in  this  town  ;  they  were  budded 
by  himself,  and  have  not  been  fed  or  forced  in 
any  way.  The  other  plant  shown  in  the  illustra- 
tion is  a  stock  budded  with  Mrs.  J  H.  Welch, 
and  the  growth  of  the  sprung  bud  is  again  very 
vigorous,  but  is  more  normal  in  character.  It 
also  was  budded  at  a  somewhat  earlier  date  than 
the  stocks  bearing  the  Irish  Fireflames. — Herbert 
E.  MoLVNEux,  Southampton. 

Nerines  Flowering  Outdoors. — Your  corre- 
spondent "  C.  Q,"  in  your  issue  of  November  15, 
page  570,   sends   an  interesting  picture  of  Nerine 


TWO    PLANTS    OF     ROSE     IRISH     FIREFLAME     EIGHT     WEEKS 
AFTER    THE    BUDS    WERE    INSERTED    IN    THE    STOCKS. 


The   Roses  obviously  had    been  grown 

under  glass,  and  although  the  wood  was  well  |  Bowdenii'  flowering  in  the  open,  and  goes  on  to 
ripened,  it  was  thin,  and,  consequently,  some  of 
the  buds  were  very  small,  certainly  no  larger 
than  the  ordinary  pin's  head,  so  that  it  was  found 
impracticable,  if  the  bark  and  bud  were  not  to  be 
injured,  to  remove  the  "  wood  "  behind  the  bud, 
and  the  buds  were  put  in  with  the  wood  on,  just 
as  they  were  cut  from  the  parent  plant.  The 
two  stocks  shown  in  the  illustration  were  budded 
on  August  2,  and  the  buds  immediately  started 
growing.  The  photograph  was  taken  on  October  13, 
but  before  that  date  several  of  the  crown-buds 
had  flowered  and  had  been  removed.  On  the  day 
the  photograph  was  taken,  one  plant  had  thirty- 
four  buds  on  and  the  other  thirty-three,  a  good 
many  of  which  have  since  flowered.  The  growth 
is  strong  and  over  four  feet  in  height,  and  is  nearly 
double  as  thick  at  its  base  as  the  ordinary  Bamboo 
cane  to  which  it  is  tied.     I  think  this  result  out 


hint  that,  in  common  with  other  correspondents 
of  yours,  I  am  unaware  of  the  hardy  qualities 
of  certain  of  the  Nerines.  So  far  as  N.  Bowdenii 
is  concerned,  I  may  say  that  I  have  seen  flowers 
of  it  cut  from  the  open  in  the  South-West  of 
England,  and  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright  of  the  Wisley 
Gardens  has  assured  me  of  its  hardiness  there ; 
but  at  present  I  have  no  authentic  evidence  ol 
the  hardihood  of  any  of  the  other  species.  But 
all  this  is  rather  beside  the  point.  I  am  very  much 
disposed  to  think,  from  what  evidence  I  can 
gather  at  present,  that  the  Nerine  will  never  be 
so  charmmg  a  plant,  and  will  never  exhibit  its 
beauties  to  such  perfection,  in  this  climate  when 
grown  outside  as  when  given  pot  cultivation 
and  the  nrotect.on  afforded  by  glass  ;  and  for  this 
reason  J  may  perhaps  be  pardoned  for  reiterating 
my    advice    to   those    who    regularly    house    some 


Cljrj'S.-mthemums  (also,  as  I  am  aware,  hardy 
plants  !)  to  devote  some  of  their  glass  to  the  Nerine. 
—  F    Herbert  Chapman. 

Autumn  Planting. — One  often  sees  reference 
to  the  importance  of  early  planting,  without 
any  regard  to  the  condition  of  the  soil 
being  emphasised  by  writers  when  dealing  with 
this  subject,  that  a  gentle  warning  may  not  be 
out  of  place.  Early  planting  is  all  very  well, 
but  just  now  in  most  districts  the  soil  is  not  in 
good  condition  on  account  of  the  heavy  rains, 
so  that  those  who  have  work  of  this  kind  to  do 
need  not  be  anxious  or  impatient. — Laurence  J. 
Cook. 

Longevity  of  Charlock  Seed. — I  have  quite 
recently  had  a  plot  of  grassy  ground  trenched  about 
twenty  inches  deep.  On  the  surface  of  the  soil 
young  Charlock  seedlings  are  now  growing  in  great 
numbers.  Of  course,  they  will  be  destroyed  before 
they  attain  a  large  size,  but  I  am  pre- 
pared to  see  thousands  of  seedlings  during 
next  year  if  I  am  alive.  Not  a  single 
plant  has  grown  in  the  grass  surface  for 
a  long  time,  but  in  years  gone  by  the 
Charlock  plants  had  evidently  been 
plentiful  and  seeded  freely,  the  seeds 
remaining  dormant  in  the  meantime  well 
below  the  surface.  I  have  heard  that 
seeds  brought  to  the  surface  aftev  very 
many  years  have  germinated,  but  1  have 
forgotten  how  long.  Perhaps  some 
readers  of  The  Garden  may  have  had 
some  experience  in  this  matter  and  will 
state  it  in  these  pages. — G.  G.  [The  point 
raised  by  our  correspondent  is  an  in- 
terestmg  one.  We  know  of  a  field 
where,  about  thirty  years  ago,  some  of 
the  old  Strap-leaved  Turnip  was  grown 
for  seed.  Although  none  of  that  variety 
has  been  allowed  to  seed  there  since  and 
none  has  been  sown,  a  few  used  to  come 
up  annually  imtil  five  or  six  years  ago, 
when  we  lost  sight  of  the  field. — Ed.] 

The  Colour  of  Oxalis  enneaphylla. — 

Will  some  of  your  readers  or  correspon- 
dents kindly  shed  some  light  on  the 
colour  of  Oxalis  enneaphylla  ?  I  have 
received  plants  from  two  sources,  and 
in  both  cases  the  flowers  are  pure  white, 
with  a  greenish  tinge  at  the  base  of  the 
petals.  I  wrote  to  the  nursery  where  I 
got  one  plant,  saying  it  was  pure  white, 
and  that  I  imderstood  the  normal  form 
had  a  purple  stam  at  the  base  of  each 
petal.  The  firm  replied  they  never  heard 
of  Oxalis  enneaphylla  excepting  all  white. 
I  turned  up  The  Garden  for  July  10,  1909,  and  at 
page  339,  above  the  name  T.  Smith,  I  find  a  long 
description  of  the  plant,  and  the  flowers  are 
described  thus  :  "  The  flowers  are  white,  with  a 
deep  purple  stain  at  the  base  of  each  petal,  and  are 
carried  on  slender  stems.  .  .  .  The  illustra- 
tion [a  very  fine  photograph]  represents  a  speci- 
men that  flowered  this  year  {1909)  in  the  garden 
of  F.  W.  Bennett,  Esq.,  Elmhurst,  Louth,  Lmcoln- 
shire.  When  at  its  best  the  clump  ceuried  over 
three  dozen  flowers."  It  would  be  interesting 
to  know  if  Mr.  Bennett's  plant  is  imique. — West 
Medina.  [The  typical  species  is  immistakably, 
and  to  all  intents  and  purposes  pure  white,  though 
there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  there  are  variations 
of  the  type.  Occasionally,  as  the  flower  ages,  a 
slight  discoloration  may  be  seen  low  down,  but 
in  no  instance  have  we  seen  a  variety  with  a  deep 
purple  stain  at  the  base  of  the  flower. — Ed.] 


] 


November  22,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


583 


Clematis    cserulea    on    Warm   Walls.  —  One 

occasionally  sees  a  pliint  of  this  Clematis  growing 
on  open  walls,  but  I  have  never  seen  one  to  surpass 
a  specimen  growing  in  a  cottage  garden  in  Hamp- 
shire and  trained  on  the  end  wall  of  the  house 
itself.  I  suppose  the  owner  has  not  troubled  to 
train  the  shoots  closely  to  the  wall  in  a  formal 
manner  ;  indeed,  they  seem  to  be  supported  by 
cross  wires,  and  the  general  effect  is  most  pleasing, 
as  the  branches,  well  laden  with  flowers,  depend 
so  gracefully  from  the  wall.  Loam,  mortar 
rubble  and  leaf-soil  suit  these  plants  very  well, 
and  they  form  a  distinct  contrast  to  other  climbing 
and  wall  plants  in  the  same  garden. — .-Vvon. 

Helianthus  speciosus. — I  see  in  your  issue  for 
October  18,  page  528,  that  an  award  of  merit 
was  given  to  Helianthus  speciosus  (Tithonia), 
and  you  remark  that  it  is  probably  easily  raised 
from  seeds.  I  have  it  now  in  my  garden  raised 
from  seed  so\ni  last  spring  and  obtained  from 
Heinemann  of  Erfurt.  It  has  not  been  flowering 
long,  and  should  probably  have  been  sown  earlier. 
It  makes  a  huge  plant  8  feet  high,  and  but  for 
the  imcommon  and  not  very  beautiful  colour  of 
its  flowers  would,  in  my  opinion,  be  hardly  worth 
growing.  I  should  think  it  would  be  best  on  poor 
soil,  when  it  might  give  more  flowers  and  be  less 
vigorous. — G.  Stapleto.v,  Rothcrwick,  Hants. 
Suitable   Wood    for   Pergolas   and   Pillars.— 

May  I  add  a  word  to  the  able  .irticle  on  this  subject 
in  the  Special  Rose  Number  of  October  ii  ?  In 
addition  to  the  woods  mentioned,  viz.,  Oak,  Ash 
and  Hazel,  we  have  proven  by  a  number  of  years' 
usage  that  Hornbeam  and  Larch,  when  well  seasoned 
and  their  ground  ends  tarred,  are  well  fitted  to  be 
used  in  pergola  work  or  as  single  pillars.  The 
Larch,  moreover,  can  generally  be  obtained 
with  small  branches  attaching  to  the  trunk, 
which  fact  makes  it  infinitely  more  artistic-looking, 
whether  used  in  a  pergola  or  as  a  pillar.  These 
projecting  branchlets,  which,  of  course,  are  retained 
at  whatsoever  length  one  ^vills,  are  most  useful  when 
tying  up  the  growths,  because  they  provide  a  larger 
and  more  irregular  surface,  thus  giving  the  Roses  a 
less  bunched-up  appearance. — C.  T.,  Highgate.  N. 

Potting  Dielytra  spectabilis  for  Forcing.— 
In  The  Garden  for  November  8  there  appears 
on  the  "  Gardening  for  Beginners  "  page  instruc- 
tions how  to  pot  certain  plants.  Such  a  piece 
of  Dielytra  spectabilis  as  is  there  represented  can 
be  easily  potted  ;  but  if  the  plants  are  purchased 
from  dealers — and  in  nearly  every  case  they  are 
Dutch-grown — the  beginner  will  find  himself  faced 
by  quite  a  different  problem.  It  will  be  found 
that  in  nearly  all  cases  each  plant  possesses  but 
a  few  long,  fang-like  roots  that  are  so  brittle  as 
to  at  once  snap  if  any  attempt  is  made  to  bend 
them  in  order  to  get  them  into  a  pot  of  reasonable 
size.  The  novice  is  then  completely  at  a  loss, 
and  puts  this  Dielytra  either  in  too  large  a  pot 
or  does  not  bury  it  sufficiently  deep,  for  the  long, 
fleshy  roots  refuse  to  be  bent.  The  first  time 
I  experienced  this  difficulty  I  scarcely  knew  how 
to  proceed;  but,  taking  the  bull  by  the  horns,  I 
cut  off  as  much  of  the  thick,  fleshy  roots  as  pre- 
vented the  clumps  from  being  properly  potted.  The 
results  were  in  every  way  satisfactory,  and  I  have 
followed  it  ever  since,  being  fully  convinced  that 
there  is  no  need  to  put  Dielytras  in  pots  unduly  large 
for  fear  of  cutting  away  some  of  the  roots. — H.  P. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 
November       24.  —  National       Chrysanthemum 
Society's  Floral  Committee  Meeting, 

November  38. — Show  at  Hawick  (two  days). 


GARDENING     ACROSTICS. 

WE  have  arranged  for  a  series 
of  acrostics  during  the  coming 
months  on  the  lines  of  those 
of  last  winter,  but  there  will 
be  two  important  differences, 
wliich  it  is  hoped  will  commend 
themselves  to  our  readers.  First,  the  acrostics 
will  not  be  so  difficult ;  and,  secondly,  the  marking 
will  be,  as  we  said  in  our  issue  of  March  22,  on 
different  lines,  which  will  be  fairer  and  more 
encouraging  to  all.  Instead  of  each  acrostic 
counting  one  if  the  whole  and  each  indi\'idual 
light  was  right  and  nothing  if  any  one  was  wrong, 
in  this  second  series  each  light  correctly  guessed 
will  count  one,  and  also  each  "  first  "  and  each 
"  last."  Thus,  supposing  the  whole  is  China 
(firsts),  Aster  (lasts),  the  full  marks  will  be  seven — • 
one  for  China,  one  for  Aster,  and  one  for  each  of  the 
five  lights  C  .  .  .  A,  H  .  .  .  S,  I  .  .  .  T,  N  .  .  .  E 
and  A  .  .  .  R.  Hence,  suppose  a  competitor 
got  everything  right  but  the  light  I  ...  T,  he 
would  count  six,  and  it  would  not  matter  if  he 
attempted  to  solve  that  particular  light  or  not. 

Our  first  acrostic  will  appear  in  our  issue  dated 
December  6,  and  we  propose  to  have  a  series  of 
eight,  which  will  bring  them  to  January  24. 
Those  entering  for  the  acrostics  must  observe  the 
following  conditions  : 

(i.)  Solutions  must  be  addressed  to  The  Editor 
at  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden, 
W.C,  and  bear  the  word  "  Acrostic  "  on 
the  left-hand  top  corner  of  the  envelope. 
(2.)  If  a  nom  de  plume  is  used,  competitors  must 
at  the  same  time  enclose  their  own  name 
and  address,  not,  of  course,  for  publication. 
(3.)  Solutions  must  reach  the  Editor  within  a 
week  of  the  date  of  issue  in  which  the 
acrostic  appears.  Thus,  solutions  of 
Acrostic  No.  i  published  in  The  Garden 
dated  December  6  must  arrive  at  the 
office  before  or  by  the  first  post  on 
December  13. 
(4.)  A  list  of  those  who  have  sent  in  solutions, 
with  the  number  of  marks  that  each  one 
has  obtained,  will  be  published  in  the  next 
issue.  Thus,  that  of  those  who  compete  in 
Acrostic  No.  i  will  appear  in  the  issue 
dated  December  20. 
(5.)  We  propose  to  divide  the  series  of  eight 
into  two  of  four  each,  and  to  award  two 
prizes  at  the  end  of  the  fourth,  and  two 
more  at  the  end  of  the  eighth  and  last. 
The  first  prize  in  each  case  will  be  two 
guineas,  or  books  of  that  value,  and  the 
second,  one  guinea.  In  order  to  give  as 
many  as  possible  a  chance  of  a  prize,  the 
winner  or  winners  of  the  first  prize  in  the 
first  four  will  be  penalised  twelve  points, 
and,  similarly,  the  winner  or  winners  of 
the  second,  eight  points  if  they  enter  for 
the  second  four. 
(6.)   In  case  of  any  dispute,  the  Editor's  decision 

must  be  accepted  as  final. 
(7.)  No  solution  can  be  accepted  as  correct 
unless  it  is  the  one  that  the  framer  of  the 
acrostic  has  sent  us  as  his  solution,  and 
which  we  shall  publish  in  due  course.  It 
is  impossible  for  it  to  be  otherwise,  as  it 
would  lead  to  much  confusion,  and  it  would 
place  upon  [us  [a  responsibility  which  we 
could  not  assume. 


(8.)   In  the   event   of  two   or   more  competitors 
obtaining  an  equal   number  of  marks  for 
first  prize,  '.he  first   and  second  prizes  will 
be  added  together  and  divided  among  them. 
Solutions,    with  explanatory  notes,  will  be  pub- 
lished as  they  were  last  season,  only  this  time  we 
will  endeavour  to  give   the  list  of  the  competitors 
for   any  one   acrostic   and   its   correct   solution   in 
the  same  issue. 


A  GOOD   TREE    FOR   THE   PLEASURE 
GROUNDS. 

(SOPHORA    JAPONICA.) 

Few  deciduous  trees  are  more  attractive  in  habit 
and  foliage  than  this  Chinese  leguminous  tree. 
Though  formerly,  as  the  name  Sophora  japonica 
suggests,  considered  to  be  also  a  native  of 
Japan,  it  has  since  been  fairly  conclusively  proved 
that  the  Japanese  trees,  though  very  numerous, 
are  all  cultivated  specimens.  The  year  1763  is 
given  as  the  probable  date  of  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  tree  to  Britain.  It  is  readily 
recognised  by  its  dark  shining  green,  pinnate 
leaves,  which  retain  their  colour  and  hang  on 
the  trees  long  after  most  deciduous  kinds  have 
shed  their  foliage.  As  a  rule,  the  tree  branches 
at  no  great  height  from  the  ground  and  forms  a  large, 
spreading  specimen  rather  than  a  tree  of  great 
height,  though  there  is  a  tree  at  Kew,  not  far  from 
the  Chinese  Pagoda,  70  feet  high,  with  a  clean 
trunk  for  a  considerable  height  from  the  groimd. 
This  Sophora  is  the  last  of  the  large  trees  to  flower 
in  the  pleasure  grounds,  being  at  its  best  in  Sep- 
tember. The  large  branched  terminal  panicles 
are  composed  of  numbers  of  small,  Pea-like, 
creamy  white  flowers.  Flowering  so  late  in  the 
season,  the  trees  seldom  mature  fruits.  A.  O. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


THE  DESIGNING,  CONSTRUCTION 
AND  PLANTING  OF  ROCK  GARDENS. 

(Continued  from  page  572.) 

THE  first  site  I  will  consider  is  one  to 
which  I  was  called  some  little  time 
ago,  and  I  may  add  that  the  par- 
ticulars I  give  here  contain  essenti- 
ally the  advice  given  to  the  client, 
with  a  certain  elaboration  of  detail 
for  illustrative  purposes.  The  sketch  plan  A 
shows  the  existing  conditions.  To  those  not 
acquainted  with  the  method  of  showing  exist- 
ing levels,  I  must  explain  that  the  surface  of 
water  in  the  existing  pond  is  taken  as  10  feet 
above  an  imaginary  datum,  and  that  subtracting 
ten  from  any  other  level  given  on  the  plan  leaves 
as  a  result  the  heiglit  of  that  particular  spot  above 
the  surface  of  the  water.  This  site  happens  to  be 
illustrative  of  what  I  should  consider  almost  ideal 
conditions  for  a  certain  type  of  rock  garden.  In 
the  first  place,  all  the  straight  lines  that  surround 
it  are  in  such  a  position  that  they  can  be  com- 
pletely obliterated  by  judicious  plantings  ;  then, 
it  is  so  situated  as  to  be  approached  through 
the  more  formal  portions  of  the  garden,  and  thence 
by  walks  that  at  every  step  get  further  from 
formality  and  nearer  to  Nature,  until,  at  the 
bottom  of  the  stretch  of  sloping,  or,  rather, 
undulating  ground,  one  arrives  at  a  more  abrupt 
slope  still,  with  a  small,  natural  pond  in  the  hollow 
at  its  base.  The  inclination  of  the  slope  is  from 
north  to  south,  with  a  slight  fall  across  from  east 
to  west.     The  object  is  to  obtain  the  best  possible 


584 


THE    GARDEN. 


[November  22,  1913. 


V.MTf*      aUTTLY 


Q:r-- 


-  or    onourtn 


SKETCH    A,    PLAN    SHOWING    SITE    BEFORE    TREATMENT, 


effect  in  tlie  least  possible  area,  and  to  create 
suitable  positions  for  some  alpines,  but  more  marsh 
plants  and  aquatics.  The  water  supply  is  a  natural 
one,  coming  from  a  higher  level,  and  in  case  this 
should  in  abnormally  dry  seasons  fail,  an  arti- 
ficial supply  is  laid  on.  It  will  be  seen  from  the 
plan  that  the  banks  slope  steeply  towards  the  water- 
level,  the  pond  lying  in  a  sort  of  valley.  Now 
the  first  question  to  ask  ourselves  is,  "  Assuming 
that  rock  were  already  in  existence  here,  in  what 
formation  would  it  be  found?"  The  vallty  ilself 
is  to  all  appearance  a  "  wash-out"  ;  the  contour 
of  the  banks  gives  the  impression  of  their  being 
gradually  worn  away  by  successive  torrents  of 
water  passing  that  way  during  abnormally  wet 
seasons.  Had  there  been  underlying  rock  here, 
and  a  fault  in  the  stratification  occurred,  what  is 
more  natural  to  suppose  than  that  in  the  course 
of  time  the  mass  had  become  disintegrated  by  the 
action  of  the  water,  and  particles  washed  away, 
leaving  the  more  or  less  jagged  edges  exposed  at 


some  points,  while  at  others  the  subsidence  of  the 
soil  from  above  had  created  long  sloping  banks. 
Here,  then,  is  the 
formation  that 
Nature,  given  one 
more  elementary 
condition,  would 
have  produced  in  this 
position — long  slop- 
ing banks,  broken 
with  rock  outcrop, 
the  lines  of  which 
show  not  only  more 
or  less  stratification, 
but  also  the  wearing 
action  of  the  water 
has  scarified  and 
worn     distinct 

crannies  and  crevices.  Certain  portions  of  the  dis- 
integrated masses  have  fallen  at  irregular  intervals 
from   the   main   outcrop   and  lie   helter-skelter    at 


various  points  along  the  banks  and  in  the  water. 
Some  of  these  become  half  buried  as  the  upper  soil 
crumbles  down  between  them,  or  as  weeds  ger- 
minate, grow,  die  and  decay  among  them,  thus  filling 
the  interstices  and  forming  rich  beds  for  future 
generations  of  the  vegetable  world  to  thrive  in. 

There  is,  I  know,  a  school  of  rockery  constructors 
who  adhere  rigidly  to  lines  of  stratification,  and  are 
inclined  to  ignore  the  accidents  of  Nature,  with  the 
result  that  their  productions  sometimes  become 
a  series  of  more  or  less  pronounced  lines  that  fail  to 
adequately  resemble  the  work  of  Nature,  inasmuch 
that  they  look  too  trim  and  tidy — too  deliberately 
"  arranged."  Nature  is  rather  a  slut  in  her  work  ; 
she  delights  to  drop  untidy  masses  of  all  sorts  of 
things  about,  and  then  redeems  her  character  by 
covering  them  up  picturesquely  ;  and  it  is  by  taking 
full  cognisance  of  the  careless  distribution  she  makes 
of  her  rocks,  when  she  separates  them  from  the  main 
mass,  that  the  really  successful  rock  garden  is 
brought  into  being. 

Here,  then,  is  the  ideal  she  sets  before  us  ;  now 
to  proceed  to  develop  it.  An  artist  about  to  paint 
a  picture  prepares  a  few  studies  in  proportion 
to  the  work  contemplated  ;  an  architect  prepares 
plans  and  designs  to  scale  and  tests  the  effects  of 


•/I 


H  /^^'''JfrrT7~lifif ///> 


ILH,jsti;atiu.\'  siiowjNt:,  ultimate 


DEVELOPMENT 
AND    B. 


OF    SITE    SHOWN    IN    SKETCHES    A 


C. TRANSVERSE    SECTION    ACROSS    PLAN    B. 


his  aspirations  on  paper ;  and  the  successful  rock 
garden  is  the  one  that  is  carefully  thought  out  and 
plaimed  previous  to  its  commencement,  although 
it  is  quite  impossible  to  accurately  forecast  all  the 
details  of  the  effects  to  be  obtained. 

In  the  sketch  plan  B  will  be  seen  my  sug- 
gestion for  dealing  with  the  site.  C  is  a  trans- 
verse section  through  the  same.  By  comparing 
these  with  the  plan  A  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
pond  is  to  be  somewhat  enlarged.  Advantage 
is  to  be  taken  of  the  difference  in  levels  of  some 
8  feet  or  9  feet  between  the  water  supply  and  the 
level  of  the  water  in  the  pond,  to  create  two  smaller 
rocky  pools  at  different  levels  in  the  hillside,  the 
water  finding  its  way  to  the  pond  through  water- 
worn  crevices  in  the  stone,  forming  in  effect 
miniature  cascades  (see  Section  A  B).  The  general 
lines  upon  which  the  stone  is  to  be  arranged  are 
shown  in  the  plan,  also  the  position  and  direction 
of  the  paths.  In  fixing  the  positions  for  the 
various  masses,  their  relation  to  every  other  mass 
must  be  carefully  considered,  and  sufficient  provision 
must  be  made  for  planting  positions.  The  results 
of  the  ultimate  development  of  this  design 
are  seen  in  two  photographs  taken  after  the 
stone  was  placed,  but  before  planting.  It  must, 
however,  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  use  of  the  plan 
is  rather  to  get  a  general  idea  of  the  scheme  fixed  in 
our  mind,  as  the  shape  of  the  stone  used  will,  to  a 
very  great  extent,  modify  any  preconceived  notions 
when  it  comes  to  the  actual  placmg  of  the  stone, 

Colckester.  George   Du,listons. 

(To  bi'  continued.] 


November  ti,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


585 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 


IN     A     HAMPSHIRE    GARDEN. 

Notes  on  Some  Newer   Roses, 
HYBRID    TEAS     FOR    EXHIBITION. 

(Continued  from  page  574.) 
Mrs.  F.  W.  Vanderbilt  (S.  McGredy  and  Son, 
1913)- — A  very  beautiful  Rose  this,  the  finest 
product  of  all  the  crosses  that  have  been  made 
with  Lyon  Rose.  It  is  a  more  vigorous  grower 
than  the  majority  of  the  Roses  that  have  this 
blood  in  their  veins,  and,  fortunately,  too,  does 
not  seem  to  have  the  habit  of  "  dying  on  ye," 
as  the  Irish  say,  that  so  far  all  the  pemetiana  Roses 
have  got  very  badly.  I  am  hoping  that  as  they  get 
further  away  from  the  original  parent,  so  will  this 
very  bad  fault  be  eradicated.  I  am  very  much 
afraid  for  this  reason,  if  for  no  other,  that  Rayon 
d'Or  will  never  make  a  satisfactory  bed  or  ever 
be  much  good  as  a  cut-back.  Mrs.  F.  W.  Vander- 
bilt is  a  gold  medal  Rose,  and  although  not  a  very 
big  flower,  is  a  very  beautiful  one,  both  in  colour 
and  shape — pale  orange,  shaded  deep  apricot, 
almost  copper  colour,  very  free-flowering,  and 
will  make  a  magnificent  splash  of  colour  in  a  bed 
of  a  kind  that  is  not  conamon  in  our  gardens. 
Asked  if  it  is  any  good  for  exhibition,  I  should  say 
sometimes,  if  you  are  lucky,  you  will  get  an  early 
flower  big  enough.  The  shape  is  there,  but  it  is 
on  the  small  side  for  the  extiibition  box.     Fragrant. 


ANOTHER    ILLUSTRATION    TAKEN    Al^TER     THE     ROCKVVOKK     WAS     COMPLETED. 


know  one  would  expect  plenty  of  petals,  as  a  matter 
of  fact  there  are  frequently  not  more  than  three  or 


^.KtTCH       SS.CTIOM 
OM     UIHE     "AB" . 


ARRANGEMENT  OV    POOLS  AND  SMALL  CASCADES  AT  NORTHERN  END  OF  PLAN  B. 


four  rows.  I  had  a  really  magnificent  flower  ul 
great  size  and  apparent  substanc/  that  stood  for 
days  on  the  plant,  and  I  out  ( f 
curiosity  subsequently  cou:ited  the 
petals,  to  find  fifteen  only.  A 
normal  Rose  would  have  at  least 
sixty,  Bessie  Brown  120  or  nxorr. 
Its  petals,  if  few  in  number,  are  the 
largest  of  any  Rose  that  I  have 
come  across.  It  keeps  its  shape  in 
a  truly  wonderful  fashion,  and  can 
be  strongly  recommended  to  the 
exhibitor.  This  has  been  the  third 
season  I  have  giown  it,  and  it  stood 
almost  as  well  in  the  hot  season  ol 


Mrs.  Forde  (.\Iexander  Dickson  and 
Sons,  1913). — This  is  the  only  Rose 
out  of  the  six  new  varieties  that  Messrs. 
A.  Dickson  and  Sons  are  sending  out 
this  year  that  they  call  an  exhibitor's 
Rose — the  other  five  are  labelled 
decorative — and  a  very  fine  exhibition 
Rose  Mrs.  Forde  will  make.  Beautiful 
spiral  shape,  of  good  size  and  sub- 
stance. The  colour  is  delicate  pink 
flushed  rose,  a  delightful  combination. 
The  petals  are  almost  circular,  and 
have  the  usual  yellow  base  that  one 
connects  with  Tea  blood.  Distinctly 
fragrant,  with  a  scent  all  its  own,  of  a 
fruity  kuid  that  the  raisers  call 
tangerine ;  but  I  cannot  say  that  I 
should  quite  call  it  that.  Altogether 
a  beautiful  Rose  that  will  be  welcome 
in  our  gardens.  I  see  I  marked  it  as 
one  of  the  best  of  the  new  seedlings 
that  I  saw  at  Newtownards  last  year. 
It  is  a  good  strong  grower,  and  I  shall 
look  forward  to  flowering  it  next  year 
with  a  good  deal  of  pleasure. 

Mrs.  J.  H.  Welch  (S.  McGredy  and 
Son,  191 1). — This  is  one  of  the  curiosi- 
ties among  Roses.  It  is  a  veritable 
balloon,  for  though  it  is,  as  shown,  of 
the  orthodox  shape,  and  if  one  did  not 


n 


SKETCH    B. PLAN    OF    ROCK    AND    WATER    GARDEN    FOR    SITE    SHOWN    IN    PLAN    A. 


586 


THE    GARDEN. 


[November  22,  1913. 


1911  as  it  has  done  these  last  two  years.  It  occa- 
sionally comes  a  particularly  brilliant  colour,  as 
striking  as  anything  I  know  in  pinks,  bat  its  normal 
colour  is  quite  good.  It  is  a  tall  and  whippy,  but 
not  particularly  vigorous  grower.  The  buds  have  a 
very  large  caly.x  ;  imusually  so.  It  has  been  well 
shown  by  the  trade  and  amateurs  alike  throughout 
the  season,  and  has  come  to  stay,  notwithstanding 
its  peculiarities.  It  is  slightly  fragrant,  and  even 
when  fully  open  with  flowers  as  large  as  saucers 
it  is  beautiful.  It  figured  in  Mr.  Mawley's  selected 
twenty,  and  I  see  occupies  quite  a  high  place, 
as  I  should  have  expected,  in  his  Analysis  of 
exhibition  Roses.     It  is  a  gold  medal  Rose. 

Mrs.  Muir  MacKean  (S.  McGredy  and  Son, 
1912). — This  Rose  can  be  best  described  as  an 
improved  Mrs.  A.  E.  Coxhead.  The  colour  is 
deeper  and  more  of  a  crimson  carmine.  It  is 
also  a  good  shape,  the  petals  perhaps  not  quite 
so  large   as   Mrs.   A.   E.   Coxhead,   but   very   free- 


in  the  nurseries.  I  think  it  will  quickly  take  a 
prominent  place,  as  the  flowers  seemed  so  uniformly 
good. 

Mrs.  Wallace  H.  Rowe  (S.  McGredy  and  Son, 
I9r2). — A  Hybrid  Perpetual  like  growth,  but  a 
very  fine  flower  severely  handicapped  by  its  colour 
description.  In  all  catalogues  it  is  called  Sweet 
Pea  mauve — enough  to  prevent  anyone  buying  it. 
It  is  really  a  good  carmine  pink,  quite  a  pleasant 
shade.  It  is  robust  rather  than  vigorous.  The 
flowers  are  of  good  substance  and  finish,  and  in- 
variably come  a  good  shape ;  the  colour  lasts  and 
does  not  fade. 

St.  Helena  (B.  R.  Cant  and  Sons,  1912). — 
This  Rose  has  been  frequently  exhibited  during 
the  season,  but  I  cannot  say  much  about  it  from 
my  own  experience,  as  something  went  wrong 
with  my  plants.  It  is  a  beautiful  shape,  with  a 
good  spiral  centre  reminiscent  of  Joseph  Hill, 
both  in  colour  and  form.     Of  the  twenty  new  Roses 


THREE 


W 


AN    EFFECTIVE    GROUPING    OF    PERENNIAL    CANDYTUFT,    THRIFT    AND    SAXIFKAObb    IN    A    LONDON 

GARDEN. 


flowering  and  deliciously  fragrant.  A  good  grower 
and  not  subject  to  mildew,  very  reliable  ^jid  always 
in  flower. 

Mrs.  Sam  Ross  (Hugh  Dickson,  Limited,  1912). — 
A  beautiful  Rose  this,  useful  for  both  purposes, 
a  light  yellow,  shading  to  a  deeper  colour,  with  a 
flush  of  buff  on  the  outside  of  the  petals.  It  has 
not  yet  had  time  to  get  known,  but  it  will  be  wanted 
when  it  is.  A  refined  Rose,  very  free-flowering, 
a  good  grower  and  sweetly  fragrant.  1  think  it  is 
the  best  of  this  firm's  1912  set.  Gold  medal  at 
the  Royal  Botanic  Show,  1911. 

Mrs.  R.  D.  M'Clure  (Hugh  Dickson,  1913).— 
This  is  a  beautiful-shaped  variety  of  a  clear  salmon 
pink  self ;  good  pointed  flowers.  A  fine,  strong, 
vigorous  grower,  free-flowering,  that  holds  its 
flowers  well  erect.  I  was  very  much  taken  with  it 
at  the  Belfast  Show  last  year,  where  it  received 
the  gold  medal,  and  my  impressions  were  subse- 
quently more  than  confirmed  when  I  saw  it  growing 


it  found  its  way  into  the  first  half-dozen  as  a  result 
of  the  combined  voting  of  the  trade  and  amateurs, 
so  there  is  not  much  fault  to  find  with  it.  The 
raisers  have  been  able  to  show  it  consistently 
throughout  the  season.  It  was  awarded  the  gold 
medal  of  the  National  Rose  Society  at  the  South- 
ampton 1912  Show. 

This  concludes  my  notes  on  the  Hybrid  Teas 
that  might  be  useful  to  exhibitors.  Next  week  I 
will  deal  with  the  Teas  for  exhibition,  and  then 
start  on  the  decorative  or  garden  Roses,  which  are 
a  popular  class. 

Soutliampton.  Herbert  E.  Molyneu.x. 

{To  be  continued.) 

[We  take  this  opportunity  of  thanking  the 
many  readers  who  have  sent  us  letters  of  apprecia- 
tion respecting  Mr.  Molyneux's  notes.  Some  of 
these  have  come  from  Hong-Kong,  New  Zealand, 
and  other  distant  countries,  where  Rose  cultivation 
is  evidently  making  great  progress. — Ed.] 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PLATE   1481, 

GOOD    GARDEN    ROSES. 

E  are  frequently  asked  to  name 
Roses  that  can  be  relied  upon 
to  give  a  good  display  over  a 
long  period,  and  which  are,  in 
other  respects,  well  adapted  for 
massing  and  thus  creating  good 
effects  in  the  garden.  Fortunately,  there  is  now 
a  good  host  to  select  from,  and  the  three  shown  in 
the  coloured  plate  presented  with  this  issue  ought 
to  be  grown  wherever  good  Roses  are  appreci^ited. 
All  are  of  comparatively  recent  introduction, 
and  all  can  be  obtained  from  any  good  Rose 
nurseryman  at  nominal  prices.  If  we  had  to  select 
the  best  of  the  three,  our  choice  would  be' 

Arthur  R.  Goodwin.  This  is  pmrely  a  garden 
Rose,  and  of  no  use  for  e.xhibition  except  in  those 
classes  specially  provided  for  Roses  of 
this  kind.  It  makes  a  very  compact 
and  neat  bush,  never  mildews,  flowers 
from  June  until  well  into  October,  and 
the  blooms  present  several  difierent 
phases  of  colouring.  The  half-opened 
buds  are  very  charming  indeed,  the 
colour  at  that  stage  being  a  sort  of 
vivid  coppery  orange,  with  a  suspicion 
of  scarlet  on  the  outside.  Two  other 
stages  of  development  and  colouring  are 
well  portrayed  in  the  coloured  plate. 
Unlike  most  other  Roses,  the  petals 
hang  on  a  long  time  after  the  flowers 
are  full  blown,  a  feature  that  is  desir- 
able in  a  garden  Rose,  as  the  display 
is  thereby  prolonged.  Arthur  R. 
Goodwin  was  put  into  commerce  in 
1910  by  M.  Pernet-Ducher,  and  is 
classed  as  an  Austrian  Hybrid.  The 
next  in  ord'^r  ci'  merit  is 

Lady  Alice  Stanley.  This  Hybrid 
Tea  really  ought  to  be  bracketed  with 
Arthur  R.  Goodwin  it  it  behaves  as 
well  with  everyone  as  it  has  done 
with  us.  It  resembles  Mrs.  Wakefield 
Christie-Miller  in  colour,  but  the  flowers 
are  of  much  better  shape,  and  some 
that  we  have  had  this  year  have  been 
([uite  up  to  exhibition  standard.  The 
bush  is  vigorous,  yet  neat,  and  the  large 
leaves  of  leathery  texture,  so  that  they 
withstand  mildew  effectively.  The 
blooms  are  borne  on  stout,  erect  stems, 
and  the  depth  ot  colouring  to  be  seen 
in  them  as  they  unfold  is  marvellous.  On  the 
8th  inst.  we  cut  two  beautiful  flowers  of  this  from 
one  bush,  and  we  owe  a  great  debt  of  gratitude  to 
Messrs.  McGredy  and  Sons  for  sending  it  out  in  1909. 
George  C.  Waud  we  approach  with  some  diffi- 
dence. It  is  decidedly  below  the  two  others  as 
a  garden  Rose,  yet  it  must  be  grown  for  its  colour- 
ing, which  is  quite  unlike  that  of  any  other  variety. 
The  official  description  of  it  is  rose  suffused  orange 
and  scarlet,  but  that  scarcely  conveys  to  the  mind 
the  vivid,  fire-like  intensity  that  one  sees  in  the 
garden.  But,  alas  !  it  is  not  mildew-proof,  although 
not  nearly  so  badly  addicted  to  it  as  some  varieties. 
Then,  the  flowers  often  come  with  rather  badly- 
shaped  centres.  But  it  is  vigorous,  free  and  sweetly 
scented.  It  was  sent  out  in  1908  by  Messrs. 
Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  and  is  classed  as  a  Hybrid 
Tea.  We  are  ijidebted  to  Messrs.  H.  Merryweather 
and  Sons  of  Southwell,  Notts,  for  the  flowers  from 
which  the  coloured  plate  was  prepared. 


Supf>it'iiicni  to  THE  GARDEN,  November  22nd,  1913. 


THREE   GOOD   GARDEN    ROSES— 

Yellow  :    Arthur  R.  Goodwin. 
Pink  :    Lady  Alice  Stanley 
Red  :  George  C.  Waud. 


Httdson  &  Kearns,  Ltd.,  Printers.  London.  S.E 


November  22,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


587 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN 


DAFFODIL     NOTES. 


/ 


may  surprise  some  readers  to  know  that  there 
are  at  least  four  centres  in  the  two  islands  where 
special  shows  are  held  this  season — Auckland,  end  of 
August  ;  Christchurch,  September  12  and  13,  and 
New    Zealand    Jottings. — I    was    interested    to  1  a  second  on  September  24  and  25  ;    North  Otago, 

Had    the    cutting    of    the    Auckland    1913    Show,    September   25  ;     and   Dunedin,   October   i    and   2. 

sent     by     Mr.     Chapman,     in    The     Garden    of    There   may   be   more ;     if   so,    I   hope   some   New 

November  i.     I  can  supplement  that  by  an  extract  ,  Zealander  will  kindly  supply  the  omission. 

from  the  LyUeUon  Times  of  the  Canterbury  Show,        Narcissus   Beethoven. — Some   readers   may   re- 

where,  too,  a  large  number  of  seedlings  were  shown  :    member  that  I  once  sang  the  praises  of  a  Van  der 

"  Special  interest  at  this  show  centres  in  the  seedling  I  Schoot  variety  called  Astra.     I  feel  I  owe  everyone 

exhibits,  and   these   were   on    this 

occasion  represented  by  a  very  fine 

array  of  blooms.      Four  of  these, 

shown   by  the   Hon.  R.  H.  Rhodes 

(Tai     Tapu),    were     awarded     the 

society's    certificate.      They    com- 
prised Sea  Swallow,   a  sport   from 

Seagull ;    Otahuna,  a  large  cream- 
coloured    trumpet     with    a    white 

perianth ;       Mararoa,      a      white- 

perianthed     incomparabilis ;     antl 

Minaret,    a    pale    canary-coloured 

trumpet    with    a    white    perianth 

-Ml    these    blooms    were    of    largr 

size  and   great    beauty,  and  soni' 

were  considered  superior  to  the  best 

English   seedlings   of   the    kind  (■! 

which   there   is   record 

Mr.  Biggs  showed  a  quaint  uovelty 

in    the     form     of     an     e.xtremeU- 

attenuated    and     slender     yellow 

bloom,  a  seedling  from  cyclamineus 

and  a  trumpet." 

It   is  pleasant   to  know  that  our 

New  Zealand  brethren  are  just  as 

busy    as    we    are    with     seedling- 
raising,  and  that   their  money  has 

not  been  spent  in  vain,  for  many 

are  the  golden  sovereigns  that  they 

have  sent    to  the  Old  Country  for 

"  good    things,"  and    it    would    be 

discouraging    to  a  degree    if    there 

were  no    results    to    reward    their 

courage  and  their  pains.    I  do  not, 

however,  think    it    is    Sic    transit 

*'  everything  here  "  just  yet. 

Sporting  in  Daffodils. — Up    to 

now  authentic  cases  of  permanent 
sporting     have     been     very     few. 
Barbara   Holmes   is   said   to  ha\c 
come  from  Barri  conspicuus.     This 
and  a  sport  of  my  own  from  Seagull 
are  the  only  ones  I  can  recall  at  th<' 
moment.     Tlie   appearance  of  Sea 
Swallow  is  most  interesting.     It  at 
once  suggests  the  thoughts  :    "  Has 
the  time  of  life  come  when  Seagull 
will  give  sports  ?  "  and  "  Will  other 
\arieties    have    this    tendency  ?  " 
I   imagine    that    such    things   are 
possible.     For  a  good  many  years 
I  held   the  entire   stock   of   China 
Ware,   which    I    bought    from    the 
late  Mr.  Haydon.      Every  spring  I 
have    invariably  found  several   liowers    m    which 
there    was    a  considerable    amount    of    a    deeper 
yellow    than     the    normal    pale    citrony    shade. 
Latterly    I    have    used    such    flowers    in    "  cross- 
ing,"   in    the   hope   that    their   unstable    tendency 
may  produce  something  novel  in   their  offspring. 
I  have  never  noticed  any  other  variety  so  sportive. 
Are  there  others,  and  are  any  of  them  permanent  ? 
New  Zealand  Shows.— From  a  private  letter 
I    am   able   to   compile    an    approximate   list.     It 


this  particular  time  to  do  so  because  I  see,  in   The 
Garden  for  November  i,  a  good  illustration  of  it 
in  Bees'  advertisement,  and,  as  they  say  so  truly, 
"  lest  you  [that  is,  I]  forget."     It  is  a  most  attrac- 
tive garden  plant,  and  it  is  "  not  so  dusty  "  in  pots 
under  glass.     It  has  these  qualities  to  recommend 
it :    (i)  Colour — a  sunshiny  yellow,  almost  exactly 
the  shade  of  the  lovely  Autocrat  ;    (2)  earliness — 
a   real   good  doer   to   come    in    early   is   wanted ; 
{3)  fjoriferousness — it  is  "  very  free  "  ;   (4)  constitu- 
tion— most  robust  ;    (5)  rapid  increaser  ;    (6)  good 
in  pots  ;    (7)    distinct    shape — the 
curious,  roughly  jagged  trumpet  is 
striking.     Points  against  it  :   None 
that  I  know  of,  except  it  be  length 
of  stem,  which  might  be  a  bit  longer 
from  a  cut  flower  point  of  view  ;  or 
its  shape,  which   I   think   pleasing 
^  and  graceful  when   I  am   an  ordi- 

nary mortal  and  not  one  of  the 
modem  "  curious  " — a  judge  at  a 
show.  I  recently  took  part  in  the 
letter-writing  in  a  very  lengthy 
discussion  re  the  judgment  of 
the  chefs  at  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society's  Vegetable  Show.  I  said 
a  vegetable  for  show  is  one  thing 
and  a  vegetable  for  use  is  another. 
(If  a  good  cook  does  not  know 
what  he  wants  for  cooking,  why 
should  a  gardener  ?)  So  with 
Daffodils.  "  Show  "  and  "  garden  " 
varieties  may  be  the  same,  but  more 
often,  perhaps,  they  are  not.  It  is' 
the  garden  award  that  I  pin  on 
Beethoven's  breast.  Having  just 
said  all  this,  may  I  here  be  allowed 
to  say  I  read  the  two  articles  by 
"  Somerset  "  with  great  interest  ? 
My  reply  is  simmering. 

Joseph  Jacob. 
P.S. — Since  writuig  the  foregoing 
I  have  been  told  by  a  grower  of  cut 
flowers  for  market,  who  had  some 
of  my  Beethoven  in  his  garden 
last  spring,  that  he  found  it  to  be 
a  great  favourite  and  that  it  com- 
manded a  ready  sale. — J.  J. 


A    NOVEMBEK    FLOWER    (kNiPHOFIA   MULXIlLOU.^).       THIS   HANDSOME 
SPECIES  IS  WORTHY   OF  A  SHELTERED   NOOK  IN  SOUTHERN  GARDENS. 


an  apology  for  doing  so.  It  is  a  lovely,  uncommon 
shade  of  pale  yellow,  and  for  several  years  did 
splendidly.  But  iii  the  very  nest  season  after  my 
remarks  appeared  "  something  happened,"  and 
now  I  would  be  glad  to  take  sixpence  a  hundred 
for  all  I  have.  Once  bitten,  twice  shy.  I  have 
waited  patiently  before  I  "  passed  my  opinion  "  on 
another  of  Messrs.  Van  der  Schoot's  bantlings — 
Beethoven.  I  am  making  no  mistake  in  writing 
this  down  as  a  first-class  variety,  and  I  have  chosen 


TWO  WHITE  KNIPHOFIAS. 

I  HAVE  for  many  years  rather 
prided  myself  on  the  possession  of  a 
sort  of  second  sight  that  comes  to 
my  aid  when  I  am  asked  to  name  a 
plant  from  an  imperfect  description. 
Of  course,  when  I  am  questioned  as 
to  a  puzzling  tree,  I  ask,  "  Can  it  be 
a  Hornbeam  ?  "  and  in  ninety-nine 
cases  out  of  a  hundred  it  is  ;  but 
I  mean  more  than  that,  and  the 
puzzling  plant  that  has  roots — well, 
just  ordinary  roots — in  the  ground, 
you  know,  and  a  stem  grooving 
straight  up  and  green  leaves  of 
some  forgotten  shape  and  a  pink  flower  at  the 
top  of  the  stem,  don't  you  know,  &c.,  is  often 
revealed  lo  me  by  a  process  that  I  claim  no  credit 
for,  as  it  must  be  more  intuitive  than  deductive. 
But  a  few  questions  like  those  one  uses  in  playing 
the  good  old  game  of  "  clumps  "  :  "  Are  its  leaves 
simple  like  a  Violet's  ?  "  "  No."  "  Then  perhaps 
finely  cut  like  Fennel  ?  "  "  Yes."  "  Is  it  a 
Cosmos  ?  "  "  Ah,  yes,  I  remember  now  that 
s  what  Mrs.  Brown  called  it."     And  there  we  are; 


588 


THE    GARDEN. 


[NovfiMfetR  ■I'i,  19*3. 


but  I  felt  at  the  beginning  it  was  a  Cosmos,  and 
goodness  alone  knows  how  or  why.  There  are 
two  Kniphofias,  though,  that,  unless  I  had  just 
seen  one  of  them,  would,  I  feel  almost  certain, 
never  come  into  my  head  even  it  fairly  well  de- 
scribed. One's  idea  of  a  Kniphofia  is  that  it  should 
be  a  Red  Hot  Poker,  and  a  white  heat  is  not 
expected  of  it.  Yet  there  are  two,  not  often-seen 
species,  in  which  the  flowers  are  unusually  small 
and  white  or  slightly  greenish,  and  are  produced 
on  spikes  unusually  long  and  slender  in  build  for 
this  genus.  K.  modesta  was  discovered  by  Mr. 
Tyson  in  Griqualand  East  in  1884,  6,000  feet 
above  sea-level,  and  later  by  Mr.  Medley  Wood 
in  Natal,  whence  plants  were  sent  to  Kew.  It 
is  a  charming  and  dainty  plant,  but,  unfortunately, 
none  too  robust,  and  in  spite  of  my  care  I  could 
not  make  it  happy  here  in  the  open  air,  and  it 
died  after  a  short  illness. 

The  other,  K.  multiflora,  is  a  much  more  robust 
plant,  also  from  Natal,  and  makes  a  fine  specimen 
plant  in  favoured  climates,  such  as  those  of  Cornwall 
and  Southern  Ireland.  Its  long,  channelled 
leaves  are  of  a  pleasingly  rich  green,  and  have  an 
air  of  distinction  that  produces  a  sub-tropical 
effect.  The  flower-spikes  are  narrow,  but  densely 
furnished  for  a  great  length  with  the  small,  tubular, 
greenish  white  flowers,  and  have  something  of  the 
general  appearance  of  some  species  of  Eremurus. 
Unfortunately,  they  seldom  attempt  to  open  before 
late  October  or  even  November,  and  so  in  all  but 
the  warmest  gardens  of  our  islands  they  are  in 
most  seasons  so  severely  snubbed  by  Jack  Frost 
that  they  fail  to  get  over  his  cruelty.  This  season 
has  been  wonderfully  favourable  to  such  late- 
flowering  plants,  and  a  bed  of  this  Kniphofia  in 
front  of  the  Orchid  Houses  at  Kew  has  flowered 
splendidly,  producing  over  sixty  spikes.  Some 
good  specimens  were  exhibited  at  the  last  meeting 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  also.  It  is 
a  plant  quite  worthy  of  a  sheltered  nook  and  a 
little  protection,  such  as  a  mat  will  afford,  on 
nights  when  frost  threatens  in  mid-October ; 
and  then  in  some  seasons  it  will  make  a  fine  display 
just  when  most  of  the  outdoor  plants  have  ceased 
flowering,  and  is  perhaps  all  the  more  welcome 
on  this  account. 

Waltham  Cross.  E.  A.   Bowles. 


SWEET    PBAS:     SOME    REFLECTIONS 
AND    HINTS. 

The  season  now  closing  has  not  been  kind  to 
the  Sweet  Pea.  From  the  time  of  planting 
right  through  its  growing  period  it  has  had 
to  withstand  the  most  inclement  weather.  A 
period  of  cold,  damp  days  immediately  followed 
planting  out,  and  little  or  no  growth  was  possible  ; 
then  in  May  came  a  sudden  spell  of  almost  semi- 
tropical  sun-heat,  with  drying  winds  and  cold 
nights,  and  later  on,  when  the  sun  would  have 
been  beneficial,  it  kept  itself  hidden  in  a  sky 
of  hodden  grey.  Could  anything  be  happy  under 
such  conditions  ?  Yet  if  a  brief  on  behalf  of  the 
culture  of  the  Sweet  Pea  were  needed,  the  very 
inclemency  of  the  weather  would  support  it,  for 
at  all  the  prominent  shows  some  wonderful  exhibits 
of  Sweet  Peas  were  staged,  showing  that,  despite 
the  prevailing  imcongenial  conditions,  the  Sweet 
Pea  had  flourished,  amply  repaying  the  grower  for 
the  labour  bestowed  on  it  with  its  wealth  of  fragrant 
flowers.  A  survey  of  the  season  reveals  an  increasing 
interest  by  the  public  in  this  lovely  flower.  At 
the  principal  London  and  provmcial  shows  the 
biggest  crowds  were  generally  round  the  Sweet 
Pea  exhibits,  and  although  no  startlmgly  striking 


novelty  has  attracted  attention,  yet  among  this 
year's  novelties  are  several  of  sterling  worth  which 
will  replace  some  of  the  older  varieties,  as  they 
supersede  them  both  in  size  and  colour.  A  pleasing 
and  gratifying  fact  frequently  noticed  was  that 
Countess  Spencer,  Constance  Oliver,  Dorothy 
Eckford,  Etta  Dyke,  John  Ingman,  Mrs.  Hugh 
Dickson,  Tom  Bolton  and  several  other  old  friends 
still  hold  a  prominent  position  among  the  exhibits, 
showing  that  they  retain  the  admiration  they  imme- 
diately gained  on  their  introduction  several  years  ago, 
and  are  fulfilling  all  that  was  predicted  of  thera. 


KIPNHOFIA    MODESTA,    A   DAINTY    SPECIES 
WITH    SMALL    WHITE    FLOWERS. 

The  most  disquieting  fact  recorded  this  summer, 
and  one  which  is  more  fatal  to  the  progress  of 
Sweet  Pea  culture  than  either  streak,  mildew,  or 
any  other  disease,  is  the  awful  "  mixture  "  which 
resulted  from  growing  seed  sent  out  by  some  seeds- 
men. Deplorable  examples  of  impure  seed  were 
seen  again  and  again,  and  this  flooding  of  tlic  market 
with  imreliable  seed  is  more  venomous  tliau  any 
fungi  attack  and  more  invidious.  "Sporting"  will 
always  occur  more  or  less,  and  some  varieties  are 
very  prone  to  it  ;  but  the  majority  of  our  leading 
firms  have  the  welfare  of  the  Sweet  Pea  at  heart, 
and  pay  the  most  scrupulous  care  in  "  rogueing  " 
that  their  stocks  can   be   thoroughly  relied  upon, 


and  it  is  false  economy  to  buy  seed  from  other 
than  the  best  raisers.  Of  course,  one  has  heard 
the  inevitable  complaints  of  disease  (streak,  leaf 
spot  and  mildew),  and  some  sorry  wrecks  have 
been  seen.  However,  the  conclusion  arrived  at 
is  that  the  cause  of  the  majority  of  failures  is 
ignorance — culpable  ignorance,  one  might  say,  in 
many  instances.  One  grower  complained  of  all 
the  buds  dropping,  and  why  ?  A  glance  upon 
the  surface  of  the  soil  revealed  sufficient  chemical 
for  a  row  fifty  times  the  length,  and  an  extraordinary 
amount  of  manure  also  had  been  trenched  into 
the  groimd  previously  to  planting.  Numerous 
complaints  of  leaves  turning  yellow  and  plants 
refusing  to  grow  have  resulted,  in  most  cases,  upon 
examination  to  be  the  result  of  "  digging  a  grave  " 
for  the  Sweet  Peas.  A  veritable  reservoir  of  putrid 
mud  and  manure  was  what  the  Sweet  Peas  were 
expected  to  delight  in.  The  word  "  trenching  " 
has  many  deaths  laid  at  its  door.  Several 
not  failing  in  cultural  detail  were  sadly  disappointed, 
and  one  in  particular  had  given  his  Sweet  Peas 
almost  perfect  culture,  and  yet  not  a  bloom  was 
the  colour  he  saw  at  the  National  Sweet  Pea 
Society's  show.  How  could  that  be  ?  I  give  his 
list  of  excellent  varieties :  Thomas  Stevenson, 
Afterglow,  Lady  Miller,  Charles  Foster,  Flora 
Norton  Spencer  and  Barbara.  "  Protection  from 
the  elements  "  was  suggested,  and  although  much 
surprised,  he  followed  the  advice  and  in  a  few  days 
beheld  blossoms  equal  to  those  which  had  capti- 
vated him  at  the  show.  Thus  it  is  that  through 
ignorance  of  cultural  details,  or  of  the  habit  and 
nature  of  the  variety  selected,  many  have  met  with 
disappointment  and  have  been  deprived  of  the  joy 
and  beauty  which  is  peculiar  to  the  Sweet  Pea  alone. 
Much  has  been  written  about  the  Sweet  Pea, 
but  many  people  do  not  yet  know  its  ease  of  culti- 
vation and  are  often  oblivious  to  its  history.  The 
purpose  of  this  and  future  articles  is  to  place  a 
simple,  concise  statement  of  fact  before  the  reader, 
dealing  with  every  phase  of  Sweet  Pea  life,  and, 
if  possible,  to  remove  the  ignorance  which  is  the 
cause  of  most  of  the  failures  so  often  attributed 
to  either  the  seedsman  or  the  Sweet  Pea.  A 
word  of  warning  must  be  added  against  a  too  literal 
adhesion  to  the  hints  set  forth  in  any  one  paper. 
It  is  impossible  to  generalise  for  the  whole  country  ; 
but  the  suggestions  made  will  be  such  that,  with 
the  combination  of  common  sense  and  knowledge 
(■f  the  particular  district  concerned,  will  prove  to 
give  the  desired  successful  Sweet  Peas.  The  first 
consideration,  as  it  is  autumn,  is  the  stork.  As  has 
already  been  mentioned,  certain  growers  have  either 
wittingly  or  unwittingly  sent  out  unfixed  and  untrue 
stocks,  and  such  seed  has  been,  and  is,  a  source  of 
much  vexation.  Every  grower  of  Sweet  Peas 
should  therefore  procure  his  seed  from  a  reputable 
firm,  and  preferably  from  one  recognised  as  a  raiser 
of  first-class  varieties.  The  advertisement  columns 
of  The  Garden  will  provide  the  names  of  several 
leading  firms  who  grow  their  seed  under  their  own 
supervision,  scrupulously  rogueing  it,  thereby 
guaranteeing  it  true  to  name  and  of  excellent  quality. 
Having  obtained  a  catalogue,  buy  the  seed  as  early 
as  possible  in  the  autumn,  and  so  be  assured 
of  gettmg  the  varieties  you  require. 

Selection  of  Varieties. — The  selection  of  suit- 
able varieties  is  by  no  nreans  the  task  of  a 
novice,  but  requires  well-considered  discernment 
between  the  many  names  that  meet  the  eye  in 
every  list.  As  the  subject  is  so  important,  it  will 
receive  full  treatment  in  a  future  article,  together 
with  criticisms  of  some  of  the  novelties  offered 
this  autumn  and  a  list  ol  the  best.  S.  M.  C. 


November  22,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


586 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

HOW    TO     PLANT    ROSES. 


THE  increasing  love  of  Roses  every  year 
leads  amateur  cultivators  and  others 
to  plant  the  trees  in  great  numbers 
each  autUEan,  and,  indeed,  as  late  as 
March  in  the  following  spring.  Unless 
unavoidable,  late  planting  should  not 
be  the  rule.  It  may,  and  does,  result  in  retarding 
the  new  growths  in  the  spring,  and  thus  they  escape 
injury  by  late  frosts ;  but  the  plants  sometimes 
suffer  afterwards  when  long  spells  of  dry  weather 
come.  Autumn  planting  is  best.  Before  any 
Rose  trees  are  put  in,  the  different  positions  for 
them  should  be  selected,  so  as  to  plant  those 
varieties  in  each  section  that  will  answer  the 
pxirpose  best,  as  Roses  are  valuable  plants  for 
pergolas,  arches,  arbours,  pillars,  walls  and  trellises, 
as  well  as  for  lawn  and  other  beds. 

The  Soil. — This,  the  rooting  medium,  is  a 
very  important  item  in  connection  with  Rose- 
growing.  It  varies  considerably  in  different  parts 
of  the  country,  and  where  poor  or  gravelly  must 
be  improved.  A  good  friable  loam  of  a  retentive 
nature  is  the  best,  and,  where  such  obtains,  very 
little  need  be  done  to  it  beyond  breaking  it  up  to 
a  depth  of  at  least  i8  inches.  The  top  portion 
must  be  kept  there,  the  bottom  being  broken  up, 
but  retained  below.  Poor  soils  must  be  treated 
in  the  same  way,  and,  when  possible,  some  soil 
of  a  heavier  nature  added.  The  actual  manuring 
of  the  ground  should  not  be  done  before  growth  is 
free  early  in  May. 

Grassy  Ground. — In  new  gardens  and  where 
fresh  land  is  dealt  with,  it  often  means  that  the 
cultivator  must  deal  with  grassy  gromid.  Now, 
such  land  needs  special  attention,  and  if  well  treated 
the    Roses   will   do   remarkably   well   in   it.     There 


HOW    TO    PLANT    ROSES    IN    THE    OPEN    GARDEN. 


is  no  opportunity  to  trench  the  ground,  but  it 
may  be  treated  in  an  almost  like  manner,  the 
Roses  being  planted  at  the  same  time.  The  ground 
must  be  deeply  dug  and  the  subsoil  well  broken. 
The  positions  for  the  Roses  should  be  marked 
as  the  work  proceeds,  taking  care  to  chop  up  and 


B 


rrrrJ'^^^'^' 


METHODS     OF     PLANTING     ROSES     UNDER     GLASS,     AND     FOR     PEGCING     DOWN 

OUTDOORS. 


bury  the  grass  portion  a  little  deeper  than  between 
the  positions  marked  for  the  plants. 

How  to  Plant  the  Roses. — When  received 
from  the  nursery,  if  the  weather  is  open,  impack  the 
bundles  at  once  and  soak  the  roots  in  water,  and 
then  get  the  Roses  planted  as  soon  as  possible. 
In  Fig.  A,  No.  I  shows  a  medium  strong  Tea 
Rose,  and  No.  2  a  strong  Hybrid  Perpetual.  All 
badly-damaged  roots,  as  shown  at  No.  3,  must  be 
cut  off.  Make  holes — before  the  trees  are  received 
— as  shown  at  No.  4,  having  them  large  enough  to 
accommodate  the  roots  without  undue  cramping. 
The  crosses  in  No.  5  show  how  to  dispose  the 
Roses.  An  edging  of  London  Pride  or  Cerastium 
tomentosum  is  very  effective.  No.  6  shows  how 
to  plant  a  Rose  so  that  its  roots  will  be  clear  of 
the  post.  No.  7.  Roses  near  garden  paths  may  be 
planted  and  trained  on  wires  as  shown  at  No.  8. 
Painted  iron  rods  should  support  the  wires,  every 
third  bar  being  a  little  stronger  than  the  others. 

How  to  Plant  Roses  Under  Glass. — The  principle 
of  plantmg  Roses  in  brick  pits  under  the  stages, 
as  shown  at  No.  i,  Fig.  B,  is  much  better  than 
planting  them  in  the  sour  soil  beneath,  as  shown  at 
No.  2.  The  plants  in  pits  are  stronger.  When 
planting  against  outside  walls,  the  Roses  should 
be  so  put  in  that  their  roots  are  quite  clear  of  the 
foundation  portion  of  the  wall,  as  denoted  in  No.  3. 
Plant  standards  in  just  the  same  way  as  dwarfs, 
but  keep  the  stake  clear  of  the  stem,  as  shown 
at  No.  4,  and  have  the  stake  long  enough  to  allow 
of  the  head  being  secured  to  it,  as  shown  at  No.  5. 
Roses  planted  for  pegging-down  purposes  must 
be  in  well-prepared  ground,  as  it  will  prove  difficult 
to  attend  to  their  roots  afterwards.  Peg  down 
the  shoots  as  shovra  at  No.  6,  placing  the  branches 
as  evenly  apart  as  possible.  No.  7  shows  how  the 
surface  mulch  must  be  laid  on  to  protect  the  roots 
and  not  unduly  bury  the  stem.  G.  G. 


590 


THE     GARDEN. 


November  22,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE    WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Lawns. — To  keep  these  in  really  good  con- 
dition they  should  be  periodically  weeded,  and  at 
no  season  do  the  weeds  come  out  easier  than  at 
present.  Though  there  are  several  weed  eradi- 
cators  to  be  had,  I  have  not  yet  found  one  to  beat 
the  old  two-pronged  Daisy  grubber. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Where  the  Rose  garden  is  in  close  proximity 
to  large  trees,  considerable  difficulty  will  be  found 
in  keeping  the  roots  of  the  latter  from  robbing 
the  Roses,  and  it  is  astonishing  how  quickly  the 
good  soil  of  the  Rose-beds  gets  monopolised  by 
the  tree  roots  unless'  precautions  are  observed. 
In  some  instances  I  have  seen  galvanised  iron 
put  round  the  beds  on  the  side  from  which  the 
roots  come  ;  but,  in  addition  to  being  expensive, 
the  roots  soon  find  their  wav  either  under  or  over 
this.  The  best  plan,  I  think,  is  to  take  out  a  narrow 
trench  around  the  tree  or  trees  at  a  distance  that 
is  not  likely  to  permanently  injure  them,  cutting 
all  the  roots  and  filling  in  again  ;  and  if  this 
happens  to  be  a  few  feet  from  the  Rose-beds, 
it  should  prove  effective  for  at  least  two  or  three 
years. 

Rose  Planting  must  be  pushed  forward  as  much 
as  possible.  The  late  growth  of  the  Roses  has 
prevented  them  being  lifted  very  early ;  but  if 
the  long  growths  are  shortened  back  when  the 
plants  are  lifted,  and  not  allowed  to  remain  out 
of  the  groimd  too  long,  the  plants  should  be  in  a 
better  condition  to  stand  the  winter  than  those 
not  shifted.  1  have  frequently  noticed  that 
replanted  Roses  have  suffered  much  less  from  frost 
than  others  not  so  treated. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Sweet  Peas  for  flowering  under  glass  should 
be  making  a  nice  sturdv  growth,  and  though  it 
is  not  imperative  that  "they  should  be  removed 
from  the  cold  frame,  a  stage  or  shelf  in  a  quite  cool 
house  will  suit  their  requirements  well.  If  the 
plants  are  in  quite  small  pots,  give  a  shift  on 
as  soon  .as  the  roots  appear  to  require  it  ;  if  in 
single  pots,  4j-iuch  will  be  large  enough  ;  if  several 
plants  in  a  4|-inch  pot,  then  a  6-inch  or  8J-inch 
should  serve  them  till  they  are  placed  in  their 
flowering  pots  early  in  the  year. 

Poinsettias  that  may  have  been  used  for  the 
conservatory  or  been  used  for  the  decoration  of 
the  house  should  be  placed  in  a  cool  house  and 
gradually  dried  off.  Late  batches  must  be  care- 
fully treated  to  keep  the  bracts  in  good  condition, 
careful  watering  and  a  moderately  dry  atmosphere 
being  quite  essential  now  they  have  attained  full 
size. 

Euphorhiajacquiniaeflora  should  still  be  growing, 

and  a  little  we.ik  liquid  manure  may  be  employed 
to  help  them  to  push  their  flower-buds.  As  this 
flower  lasts  well,  it  is  advisable  to  keep  it  in  reserve, 
as  good,  bright'subjects  are  not  so  plentiful  after 
Christmas  as  they  are  at  present. 

Zonal  Pelargoniums.— These  are  now  making 
a  brave  show,  or  should  be,  and  to  preserve  the 
flowers  in  good  condition  a  dry  atmosphere  must 
be  maintained,  with  plenty  of  air  during  the  day. 
Fog  is  perhaps  the  worst  enemy  of  Zonal  Pelar- 
goniums during  the  winter,  so  during  foggy  weather 
the  ventilators  must  be  kept  practically  closed, 
or  the  whole  of  the  opened  petals  will  drop.  Young 
plants  rooted  in  the  autumn  and  intended  for  an 
early  summer  display  must  be  kept  growing  steadily 
in  a  moderately  warm  house  or  frame  near  the 
glass,  stopping  the  young  plants  when  a  few  inches 
high  to  induce  a  bushy  habit  of  growth. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Broad  Beans  sown  early  in  the  month  will, 
owmg  to  the  unusuallv  mild  weather,  be  quickly 
through  the  ground,  and  it  may  be  advisable  to 
pull  a  little  soil  over  the  young  plants  if  sharp 
frosts  are  expected.  If  the  soil  is  in  a  good,  work- 
able condition,  it  might  be  wise  to  make  another 
sowing,  as  the  frost  is  much  more  likely  to  injure 
large  than  small  plants  during  the  months  of 
January  and  February. 

Peas  should  be  sooted  as  they  come  through 
the  soil,  to  prevent  the  ravages  of  slugs.     Also  it 


is  advisable  to  place  black  cotton  over  the  rows  or 
cover  them  with  Pea  protectors  to  keep  off  the 
birds. 

Celery. — in  the  event  of  severe  frost,  a  cover- 
ing of  dry  straw  should  be  given  to  the  rows  to 
protect  tlie  hearts,  removing  it  as  soon  as  the 
spell  of  frost  is  over.  On  heavy  land  it  is  some- 
times advisable  to  place  ridge-shaped  boards  over 
the  rows  to  keep  the  water  off ;  but  it  is  only  neces- 
sary where  the  soil  is  of  such  a  nature  as  to  rot 
the  hearts  during  wet  weather. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Early  Vineries. — in  most  establishments  where 
there  are  two  or  more  vineries,  the  end  of  November 
or  early  December  is  a  very  suitable  lime  for 
starting  the  early  house.  The'  first  few  days  after 
closing  the  house  the  temperature  should  not 
be  raised  too  high,  even  by  sim-heat,  and 
no  artificial  heat  should  be  required.  If  the 
weather  is  fine,  a  light  spraying  over  the  floor, 
walls  and  rods  during  the  early  part  of  the  day 
should  ensure  sufficient  moisture  in  the  atmosphere 
of  the  house,  which  may  be  slightly  increased  where 
fire-heat  is  employed. 

Early  Peach-House. — The  same  remarks  apply 
here,  and  an  even  more  strictly  moderate  tempera 
tnre  must  be  employed  at  the  commencement. 
Early  Peach  trees  have  a  tendency  to  drop  their 
buds' ;  hence  the  necessity  of  a  very  gradual  rise 
of  the  sap.  If  very  light  syringings  are  employed 
and  the  roots  are  in  a  nice  moderately  moist  con- 
dition, the  chances  are  they  will  come  away  well ; 
but  no  attempt  at  hurrj-ing'the  trees  must  be  made 
till  the  fruits  are  set. 

Pot  Vines  and  Peaches  should  also  be  started, 
observing  the  same  cultural  conditions,  but  it 
will  be  noted  that  these  will  come  away  quicker 
than  the  trees  and  Vines  established  in  the  borders, 
as  the  pots  will  get  warmed  through  very  quickly. 
Watering  must  be  carefully  done,  and  though  the 
plants  do  not  require  much  water  at  this  season, 
thev  must  on  no  account  be  allowed  to  get  dry. 
Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Trenching. — The  past  summer  has  supplied 
an  object-lesson  as  to  the  advantages  of  deep  culti- 
vation. It  is  to  be  commended  for  almost  every 
class  of  plants  :  but  for  such  subjects  as  Sweet 
Peas,  Dahlias,  Hollyhocks  and  other  gross  feeders 
it  is  imperative  if  good  results  are  to  be  obtained. 
Bastard-trenching,  or  double  digging  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  is  preferable  to  trenching  proper. 
By  the  former  method  the  top  and  bottom  spits 
are  left  in  their  respective  positions ;  whereas  by 
the  latter  method  the  cold,  inert  soil  is  brought 
to  the  surface. 

Protecting   Christmas    Roses. — These   will   be 

improved  in  qnalitv  bv  having  the  protection  of 
a  frame  with  abundance  of  air.  Should  severe 
frost  occur,  however,  the  lights  should  be  closed, 
and  a  mat  be  thrown  over  each  light,  or  the 
blooms  will  suffer  to  some  extent. 

Cleaning  Gladioli.— if  the  stock  was  placed 
in  boxes  among  sand  or  light  soil  and  stored  in  a 
shed,  the  foliage  will  have  ripened  by  now.  The 
plants  should  be  gone  over  on  a  wet  day,  the  foliage 
removed,  and  the  corms  cleaned  and  stored  away 
in  a  cool,  dry  place  until  wanted  in  spring. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Supports  for  Climbers.  —  Attention  should  be 
given  to  the  condition  of  the  various  kinds  of  sup- 
ports to  which  climbers  are  trained — trellises,  poles, 
arches,  pergolas,  &c.^and  where  any  repairs  are 
necessary,  thev  should  be  carried  through  during  the 
dormant"  season.  The  painting  of  any  of  those 
subjects  requiring  it  should  also  have  attention 
if  the  weather  is  favourable. 

The  Shrubbery. 
Pruning    Deciduous    Shrubs.— With     a    few 

e.'iceptions  this  work  should  be  proceeded  with 
when  frost  is  absent.  Exceptions  are  Forsythias 
and  varieties  of  Pyrus  japonica,  which  should  both 


be  pruned  immediately  after  the  plants  have 
flowered.  The  Forsythias  are  generally  grown  as 
climbers,  but  they  make  excellent  bush  plants  for 
the  shrubbery. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Autumn  -  Sown  Annuals.  —  Schizanthuses, 
Mignonette  and  varieties  of  Clarkia  elegans  require 
close  attention  during  the  winter  months.  Pinching 
must  be  resorted  to,  Schizanthuses  requiring  the 
operation  to  be  performed  several  times  to  induce 
a  bushy  habit.  Mignonette  and  Clarkia  require 
careful  watering.  The  latter  should  be  kept 
rather  dry,  or  damping  is  sure  to  ensue. 

Pruning  Climbers. — Attention  should  be  given 
to  this  work.  Ivy-leaved  Pelargoniums  and 
Fuchsias  should  be  cut  well  back  to  the  old  wood, 
and  a  good  general  rule  is  never  to  retain  more 
shoots  than  can  have  their  foliage  fully  exposed 
to  the  light. 

Vitis  benryana. — This  beautifully-variegated 
Vine  deserves  to  be  more  widely  known.  I  have 
seen  it  recommended  for  the  open  wall,  but  for 
Scotland  generally  I  fear  it  must  be  regarded  ai- 
a  conservatory  climber. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Pot  Fruits. — If  not  already  attended  to,  any 
trees  requiring  repotting  should  have  attention 
forthwith.  The  aim  of  the  cultivator,  however, 
should  be  to  retain  the  plants  in  their  present 
pots  as  long  as  possible,  consistent  with  their 
being  maintained  in  a  healthy  and  fruitful  state. 
These  conditions  can  often  be  maintained  for  a 
number  of  years  by  judicious  top-dressing  and 
feeding.  After  attention  has  been  given  to  re- 
potting and  top-dressing,  the  pots  should  be 
plunged  in  some  loose  material,  such  as  spent 
Hops  or  Cocoanut  fibre,  to  protect  the  roots  from 
frost. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Pruning  Wall  Fruit  Trees. — This  work  should 
be  pushed  forward  when  the  weather  is  dry  and 
frost  does  not  occur.  The  work  of  pruning  Pears 
is  much  the  same  as  that  of  pruning  Apples,  referred 
to  last  week.  The  Apricot  bears  its  fruit  partly 
on  wood  of  the  previous  year's  growth  and  partly 
on  spurs  two  or  three  years  old.  -Ml  older  spurs 
should  be  periodically  cut  away.  Young  shoots 
should  be  laid  in  about  ten  inches  or  twelve  inches 
apart  and  be  shortened  to  about  a  foot  in  length. 
The  Peach  bears  on  the  previous  year's  wood, 
and  young  wood  should  in  summer  be  laid  in  as 
advised  for  the  .Apricot.  The  shoots  which  have 
borne  fruit  during  the  past  season  should  now  be 
cut  away. 

Protecting  Figs. — Where  Figs  are  grown  on 
the  open  wall,  they  should  be  protected  during 
frosty  weather  bv  a  screen  of  Broom,  Heather, 
Bracken  or  Wheat  straw. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

The  Rubbish-Heap. — if  the  full  value  of  the 
rubbish-heap  is  to  be  obtained,  it  should  not  be 
allowed  to  lie  until  by  natural  processes  it  again 
becomes  a  mass  of  earth,  but  should  at  the  end 
of  the  season  be  fumed  over  and  a  considerable 
quantity  of  quicklime  incorporated  with  it.  The 
lime  will  accelerate  the  process  of  decomposition 
and  render  the  mass  available  for  the  vegetable 
crops  to  assimilate  its  fcrtiHsing  properties  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment  after  it  has  been  dug  into 
the  soil  previous  to  cropping  in  the  spring. 

Herbs. — All  herbs  which  have  not  already  been 
cut  down  should  now  be  cut  over.  The  ground 
should  be  cleared  of  any  remaining  weeds  and 
then  be  dug  over. 

Horse-Radish. — This  is  often  a  much-neglected 
crop.  On  .iccount  of  its  tenacity  of  life  it  is  a 
popular  fallacy  that  it  may  be  allowed  to  take 
care  of  itself.  '  On  the  contrary,  if  thick,  succulent 
thongs  (the  only  kind  worth'  having)  are  to  be 
produced,  the  crop  must  be  very  liberally  culti- 
vated. Now  is  the  time  to  prepare  for  spring 
planting.  Dig  a  trench  from  2|  feet  to  3  feet 
deep  and  fill  it  with  decayed  vegetable  matter, 
leaf-mould  and  stable  manure  ;  then  it  will  be 
ready  for  the  reception  of  the  crop  in  the  early 
spring. 

Cauliflower  Plants. — Young  plants  in  frames 
or  plant  protectors  must  not  be  allowed  to  suffer 
for  the  want  of  water,  and,  while  they  must  be  pro- 
tected from  severe  frost,  they  should  be  fully 
exposed  in  mild  weather.         CuARrES  Co.mfokt. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midiothiun. 


November  22,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


591 


WISLEY'S      NEED     OF 
COLLECTOR. 


THE  following  letter,  which  ^appeared  in 
last  week's  issue  of  Country  Life,  is 
of  more  than  ordinary  interest  to 
Fellows  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  and  to  flower-lovers  generally  ; 
"  Among  your  many  readers  there 
are  doubtless  a  large  proportion  of  those 
pi  rsons  whose  names  may  be  found  in  that 
li^tinguished  list  of  13,000  who  are  Fellows  of 
till-  Ruyal  Horticultural  Society,  and  I  therefoe 
venture  to  hope  that  you  will  kindly  ask  for 
thi-  views  of  those  among  them  who  are  pre- 
-iiinably  not  only  interested  in  gardening,  but 
.11  r  also  loyal  friends  of  that  fine  and  important 
society,  on  the  following  criticisms,  which  are  made 
in  the  spirit  of  the  lover  who  cannot  bear  imperfec- 
tions in  the  beloved.  There  has  never  been  a  time, 
1  imagine,  like  the  present  when  so  many  new 
and  exciting  plants  and  shrubs  have  been  sent  to 
this  country  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  when 
there  is  hardly  a  nurseryman  of  repute  who  does 
not  send  someone  to  the  mountain  fastnesses 
of  Spain,  Italy  or  China  armed  with  enthusiasm 
and  a  trowel.  Mr.  Wilson  and  Mr.  Forrest,  both 
sent  out  by  the  enterprise  of  two  ^f  our  biggest 
nursery-gardeners,  are  doing  splendid  work  of  this 
kind,  and  a  special  tribute  to  the  admirable  and 
scientific  methods  of  Mr.  Forrest  was  pa  d  by 
Professor  Bayley  Balfour  at  the  Primul.i  Confc  rence 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  .\pril  01  this 
year.  And  yet — the  rock  garden  at  Wisiey  is 
dependent  on  the  generosity  of  those  Fellows 
who  may  choose  to  furnish  it  with  thiir  gifts  of 
ch.arity  and  superfluity.  Surely  the  time  has  come 
when  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  should 
have  a  collector  of  their  own.  Ought  it  to  be  a 
fact  that  we  owe  practically  every  new  introduction 
of  recent  years,  not  to  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society,  but  to  private  individuals,  or  the  enter- 
prise of  nursery-gardeners  ?  I  am  not  expert 
enough  in  figures  to  make  any  deduction  from  tlie 
balance-sheet  of  the  Royal  Horticultiu-al  Soc  tiy, 
published  in  the  August  Journal,  but  if  the 
Society  cannot  afford  a  collector,  surely  among 
that  13,000  there  are,  at  least,  1,000  who  would 
gladly  give  a  guinea  a  year  towards  this  object 
for  the  honour  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  and  in  the  interests  of  horticulture. 
I  am  told  that  the  objection  to  this  would 
be  that  such  subscribers  would  demand  their 
annual  pound  of  fiesh  in  return  in  the  shape 
of  new  plants  ;  but,  personally,  I  do  not  believe 
this  would  be  so.  I  feel  sure  that  they  would 
willingly  wait  until  such  time  as  the  plants  had  been 
proved  and  propagated  at  Wisiey,  when,  possibly, 
a  priority,  according  to  the  amount  subscribed, 
might  be  arranged  at  the  time  when  we  all  of  us 
receive  that  exciting  and  unexpected  little  box 
of  plantlets  from  Wisiey.  Again,  it  may  be  lu'ged 
that  there  is  a  danger  in  all  the  indiscriminate 
collecting  that  is  now  going  on  of  certain  rare 
species  being  exterminated  by  the  zeal  .and  ignor- 
ance of  the  amateur  rock  gardener,  but  this  is 
I  really  no  argument,  as  anyone  who  has  visited 
even  the  smallest  comer  of  the  European  Alps 
knows  that  '  rarity  '  means  '  locality,'  and  that 
in  their  own  habitat  these  things  grow  in  such 
countless  miUions  that  all  the  nurserymen  in 
England  could  not  exterminate  them.  By  all 
means  let  the  Swiss  protect  their  Edelweiss,  if 
they  think  it  worth  doing.  We  do  not  want  it  ; 
and,   if   we   do,    there   are   lawns   where   it   grows 


in  the  short  alpine  turf  like  English  Daisies — 
just  as  there  are  other  places  where  you  may  sit 
and  munch  your  unappetising  hotel  sandwiches 
on  an  acre-wide  carpet  of  Eritrichium  nanum. 
Again,  it  may  be  said  that  this  work  should  be 
done  by  Kew,  but  the  gardens  at  Kew  are  not  only 
more  bmited  in  space,  but  are  hampered  by  their 
proximity  to  London  smoke  and  fog.  Wisiey 
gives  up  a  large  amount  of  ground  and  labour 
to  the  trials  of  such  things  as  Violas  and  Dahlias, 
not  to  mention  such  utilitarians  as  Green  Peas  and 
Potatoes,  which  is  work,  I  would  humbly  suggest, 
that  might  be  equally  well  done  by  any  nursery- 
man ;  but  if  lack  of  space  is  any  argument  against 
an  extensive  trial  of  new  trees,  plants,  shrubs,  or 
alpine  plants,  surely  much  useful  work  might  be 
undertaken  by  wealthy  Fellows  with  large  gardens 
and  expensive  troops  of  highly-trained  gardeners, 
and  it  would  also  be  done  more  usefully  in  different 
parts  of  England,  under  more  varied  climatic 
conditions — and  it  woiJd  not  be  a  difficult 
matter,  one  would  think,  to  arrange  for  an  annual 
report  from  these  Fellows,  or  an  inspector  from  the 
Wisiey  Gardens.  There  is  one  more  point  I  would 
like  to  urge.  Referring  to  parasraph  14  of  '  Notes 
to  Fellows '  in  the  last  iiumbc.  of  the  Journal, 
I  find  the  following  :  '  In  a  Ruyal  Horticultural 
Society  '  garden  every  single  detail '  should  teach 
something,'  etc.  This  is  an  admirable  maxim, 
but  I  should  like  to  mention  (in  a  low  voice)  that 
many  of  the  labels  in  the  rock  garden  at  Wisiey 
teach  things  which  were  better  untaught.  Now, 
I  do  seriously  think,  Mr.  Editor,  that  the  gardens 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  ought  to  be 
above  reproach  in  this  matter.  It  is  not  an  easy 
thing  to  name  Saxifrages,  for  instance,  but  there 
are  people  who  can  do  it,  and  I  maintain  that  it 
is  a  comparatively  easy  thing  to  avoid  such  mistakes 
as  labelhng  a  very  common  and  well-known  Linaria 
as  *  requitriloba ' — which  is  neither  Latin  nor 
anylliing  else — to  mention  only  one  instance. 
No  doubt  many  of  tliese  misfortunes  arise  from 
hellows  sending  plants  with  illegibly  written 
labels  (I  would  not  like  to  say  with  falsely  written 
ones),  and  one  does  not  expect  the  best  rock  fore- 
man in  the  world  to  know  everything  ;  but  there 
are  plenty  of  experts,  and  why  should  not  someone 
be  asked  to  see  that,  at  any  rate,  the  labelling  is 
correct  ?  I  do  not  ask  for  such  subtleties  as 
learned  distinctions  between  Edraianthus  and 
Wahlenbergia,  or  between  Androsace,  Aretia,  or 
Douglasia,  for  the  powers  that  be  are  not  long 
together  of  one  mind  with  regard  to  these  high 
matters  ;  but  might  we  not  have,  at  least,  the 
last  name  but  one  ?  I  trust  that  these  remarks 
may  be  taken  as  written  in  no  unfriendly  spirit, 
for,  on  the  contrary,  they  are  wTitten  by  one  who  has 
the  honour  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  very 
closely  at  heart  and  owes  it  much.      No.  3986." 


An  Official  Catalogue  of  Roses. — The  official 

descriptive  list  of  Roses,  1914  edition,  just  pubhshed 
by  the  National  Rose  Society  ought  to  be  in  the 
hands  of  everyone  who  loves  the  Queen  of  Flowers. 
What  "  Whitaker "  is  to  the  business  man,  this 
catalogue  is  to  the  Rose-grower,  for  within  its 
pages  he  can  find  a  full  and  accurate  description 
of  every  Rose  worth  growing,  together  with  any 
little  peculiarities  that  it  may  possess.  Then 
the  lists  of  Roses  for  various  purposes,  such  as 
exhibition,  bedding,  pergolas  and  pillars,  are  in- 
valuable, and  quite  worth  the  half-a-crown  charged 
to  non-members  of  the  society  for  the  handbook. 
Copies  can  be  obtained  from  the  hon.  secretary, 
Mr.  E.  Mawley,  Rosebank,  Berkhamsted. 


NURSERY      NOTES. 


MESSRS.    WILLIAM      CUTBUSH      AND 
SON. 

THIS  old-established  and  well-known 
firm  have  for  many  years  been  regarded 
by  gardeners  as  one  of  the  best  in  th; 
cotmtry,  and  it  used  to  be,  and  still 
is,  said  that  everything  uecessiry  foi 
the  garden  can  be  obtained  from 
them.  For  many  years  associated  with  the 
northern  heights  of  London,  to  wit  Highgate, 
not  far  away  from  Hampstead  Heath,  they  have 
conducted  a  nursery  business  that  is  second  to 
none  in  the  country,  and  at  the  time  of  our  visit 
in  early  October  it  was  evident  that  it  was  not 
their  intention  to  be  left  behind  in  the  race  for 
up-to-date  methods  that  is  now  taking  place  on 
every  hand.  For  that  reason  an  entirely  new- 
nursery  has  been  made  at  Highgate,  where  the 
head-quarters  are  situated,  and  this,  with  the 
extensive  areas  at  Finchley  and  Bamet,  comprise 
altogether  well  over  two  hundred  acres.  The 
Highgate  nursery  is  to  form  a  sort  of  show-place 
for  the  many  kinds  of  plants  raised  at  the  other 
nurseries,  though  in  the  extensive  glass-houses 
there  a  great  many  plants  are  raised  and  grown 
on  to  perfection.  The  extensive  seed  and  bulb 
business  is  also  conducted  here  under  the  personal 
supervision  of  Mr.  Leonard  Cutbush.  .  Outdoors 
we  foimd  representative  collections  of  Ivies  (some 
18  feet  high).  Clematises,  Jasmines,  Ampelopsis, 
variegated  Elms  and  other  trees.  Wistarias  in 
pots  (both  the  ordinary  sinensis  and  the  newer, 
long-racemed  multijuga),  some  fine  plants  of  Crino- 
dendron  Hookeri,  and  a  fine  collection  of  weeping 
standard  and  other  Roses.  In  addition,  there 
was  a  wonderful  lot  of  clipped  Boxes  and  Yews  and 
Bay  trees  in  tubs,  for  which  the  firm  have  long 
been  famed  and  for  which  they  find  there  is  an 
increasing  demand,  this  seeming  to  indicate  that 
there  is  a  tendency  to  revert,  to  some  extent  at 
least,  to  the  formal  gardening  of  bygone  days. 

In  the  glass-houses  we  were  particularly  inter- 
ested in  the  winter-flowering  Begonias  that  were 
just  beginning  to  flower.  The  value  of  these  plants 
in  the  conservatory  during  the  winter  months  is 
not  yet  properly  appreciated  in  many  private 
gardens,  though  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how 
anyone  can  afford  to  be  without  them.  In  addition 
to  those  of  the  Gloire  de  Lorraine  type,  a  fine 
example  of  which  is  Lady  Waterlow,  with  large, 
ivory  white  flowers,  Messrs.  Cutbush  had  a  very- 
good  stock  of  the  new-er  winter-flowering  tuberous- 
rooted  kinds,  of  which  Winter  Cheer  is  perhaps 
the  best-known  example.  For  a  comparatively 
small  outlay  on  these  flowering  plants  a  conserva- 
tory could  be  transformed  into  a  delightful  retreat 
of  soft  colour  harmonies  that  could  not  fail  to 
dispel  the  gloom  of  winter  in  the  most  benighted 
districts.  Bedding  plants  of  all  kinds,  including 
a  fine  new  Ivy-leaved  Geranium  named  Radiance, 
with  vivid  scarlet  flowers ;  standard  and  bush 
Heliijtropes,  Hydrangeas  by  the  thousand,  retarded 
lilies,  Spirsas,  Lily  of  the  Valley,  Azalea  mollis 
and  Lilacs,  and  the  variegated  Bougainvillea 
F.  K.  Harris,  which  has  beautifully  vaiirgaied 
foliage  but  flowers  like  the  ord,:iary  kmds,  were 
a  few  of  the  many  good  things  that  we  noticed. 
In  addition,  there  were  =everal  large  houses  devoted 
to  Palms,  and  we  were  iiterp^ted  to  see  a  splen  lid 
lot  of  PhcEnix  Roebelinu,  which  is  about  the  bfc;t 
Pahn  of  aU  for  growing  in  an  ordinary  dwelling- 
house.  As  all  the  Palms  and  Aspidistras  at 
Highgate   are   grown   under  as   cool   conditions   a^ 


592 


THE     CxARDEN. 


[November  22,  1913. 


possible,  they  are  very  hardy,  and  therefore  more 
useful  for  decorating  and  house  furnishing. 

The  glass-houses  at  the  Finchley  nurseries  are 
mostly  devoted  to  Perpetual-flowering  Carnations, 
and  on  the  occasion  of  our  visit  many  beautiful 
varieties  were  in  full  flower  and  the  plants  in  perfect 
health.  A  number  of  good  new  varieties  have 
been  raised  here,  one  of  the  best  being  Mrs.  Lucy 
McKinnon,  a  large-flowered  and  fragrant  scarlet 
variety  and  the  most  brilliant  of  its  colour  that 
we  have  seen.  Lady  Ingestre,  deep  salmon  pink, 
for  which  Messrs.  Cutbush  obtained  an  award 
of  merit  from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
a  year  or  two  ago  ;  Countess  of  Bradford,  yellow, 
with  rose  markings  ;  Countess  of  Onslow,  helio- 
trope, with  rose  flakes ;  Jessica,  white,  with 
scarlet  stripes,  very  fragrant  ;  Marchioness  of 
Tweeddale,  deep  pink ;  William  H.  Cutbush, 
scarlet  ;  and  White  City,  a  good  white,  are  others 
that  have  been  raised  at  Finchley.  In  addition, 
the  firm  have  all  the  other  good  standard  varieties 
and  novelties.  Perpetual-flowering  Malmaison  Car- 
nations have  also  come  in  for  attention,  and  several 
good  ones  have  been  raised,  notably  King  George, 
scarlet  ;  Lady  Miller,  flesh  pink  ;  and  Viscountess 
Goschen,  dark  rose.  These  have  flowers  resembling 
in  size  and  form  those  of  the  true  Malmaisons, 
with  the  perpetual-flowering  properties  of  the 
smaller-flowered  perpetual  or  winter-flowering 
kinds  ;  hence  they  are  a  particularly  useful  and 
much-appreciated  race.  Of  border  Carnations 
we  noticed  some  particularly  strong  young  plants, 
many  of  which  were  ready  for  despatching  to 
customers  in  all  parts  of  Europe.  Herbaceous 
plants  of  all  kinds,  including  some  very  fine 
Michaelmas  Daisies  and  Paeonies,  and  an  extensive 
stock  of  all  the  best  alpines  find  a  happy  home 
at  these  Finchley  nurseries,  until  repeated  orders 
have  exhausted  those  available  for  customers. 

At  the  very  extensive  Bamet  nurseries,  where 
Mr.  William  Cutbush  keeps  a  personal  eye  on  them, 
Roses,  ornamental  evergreen  and  deciduous  shrubs 
and  trees,  and  fruit  trees  form  the  main  features, 
though  there  are  many  what  one  might  term  side- 
lines of  considerable  interest.  For  instance, 
Violas  are  propagated  here  by  the  thousand,  and 
Mr.  Cutbush  has  for  some  years  been  personally 
working  up  particularly  good  strains  of  Pent- 
stemons  and  Antirrhinums,  flowers  which  he  confi- 
deatly  believes  will  before  long  occupy  much  more 
prominent  positions  in  our  gardens  than  they  do 
at  ]^esent.  Then  there  are  Sweet  Violets  galore, 
while  in  the  glass-houses  we  were  particularly 
pleased  to  find  some  thousands  of  well-grown 
Ericas  or  Heaths  for  conservatory  decoration. 
Pot  Roses,  too,  were  there  in  abundance,  and  for 
ten  months  in  a  year  the  firm  are  prepared  to 
supply  flowering  Roses  in  pots.  Outdoors  we 
were  much  interested  in  some  particularly  fine 
Rambler  Roses  in  pots  ready  for  forcing.  Many 
of  these  had  sturdy  rods  over  twenty  feet  long, 
which  augured  well  for  the  display  of  flowers 
when  the  plants  have  been  subjected  to  the  proper 
temperature.  Of  ordinary  bush  and  standard 
Roses  in  the  nurseries  the  firm  have  some  230,000, 
these  embracing  all  the  best  and  most  up-to-date 
varieties,  including  some  particularly  fine  Dwarf 
Polyanthas.  Fruit  trees  were  there  in  enormous 
quantities,  trained  examples  of  all  kinds  calling 
for  special  comment.  Lack  of  space  will  not 
allow  us  to  go  into  details  of  these,  but  we  may 
say  in  passing  that  all  were  in  perfect  health  and 
well  ripened,  so  that  they  should  do  well  >  hen 
transferred  to  their  permanent  quarters.  This 
also  applies  to  the  ornamental  trees   and  shrubs^ 


of  which,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  nursery 
stock,.  Messrs.  Cutbush  have  some  extra  fine 
specimens  that  would  be  ideal  where  an  immediate 
effect  was  desired. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

PERENNIAL  ASTERS  (Arundel).~mcha.filma.A  Daisies 
may  be  planted  now  or  at  any  time  while  the  weather  is 
open  up  to  the  middle  of  December,  or  in  raid-February  to 
the  end  of  March,  without  danger  of  loss.  Climax  is 
one  of  the  largest-flowered  forms.  Mrs.  Rayner,  Ryecroft 
Purple  and  Ryecroft  Pink,  Moonlight,  and  Amellus 
varieties  would  all  probably  suit  your  purpose. 

BORDER  CARNATIONS  {Southern  ScoUand).~-Jn  these 
high  positions  of  Scotland,  especially  where  the  soil  is 
good,  the  best  layers  to  obtain  are  those  that  have  been 
specially  hardened,  that  is  to  say,  grown  in  a  highly- 
ventilated  house.  When  layered,  and  after  rooting 
moved  from  a  cold  frame  to  the  open  air,  they  seem  to 
grow  with  remarkable  vigour  after  this  treatment  in  any 
part  of  Scotland.  One  Southern  grower  who  makes 
a  speciality  of  this  method  is  Mr.  James  Douglas,  Car- 
nation specialist,  Great  Bookham,  Surrey.  A  list  of 
those  varieties  that  have  proved  the  best  for  Scotland 
is  appended  :  Mrs.  Andrew  Brotherstone,  mole  carmine, 
spotted  white  ;  Mrs.  Eliot  Douglas,  yellow  self  ;  Montrose, 
white,  marked  scarlet ;  Robert  Bruce,  apricot ;  Renown, 
buff  ground,  suffused  scarlet ;  Kate  Nickleby,  white 
self  ;  Annie  Laurie,  blush  pink  ;  Basuto,  crimson  ;  Rosy 
Morn,  rose  pink  ;  Bookham  White,  white  self ;  E. 
SchitTner,  orange  self ;  and  The  Bride,  white,  marked 
rosy  scarlet.  .-Vll  of  these  have  received  flrst-class  certifi- 
cates from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society,  and  all  have 
been  tested  for  some  years  and  found  to  be  the  hardiest 
of  their  race. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

CHRYSANTHEMUMS:  SYSTEM  OF  POINTING 
BLOOMS  (B.  C). — ^There  is  no  rule  as  regards  pointing 
large  show  blooms  at  the  National  Chrysaiitlicnmiii 
Society's  shows.  To  the  best  of  our  knowledge  and 
belief,  boards  of  blooms  are  pointed  only  when  the  difference 
between  certain  exhibits  cannot  be  determmed  by  a 
superficial  inspection  of  the  blooms.  Generally  speaking, 
four  or  six  points  is  the  maximum  obtainable  for  any 
one  bloom,  and  the  points  couaidered  are  size,  colour, 
form  and  freshness.  As  regards  size,  both  depth  and 
breadth  are  taken  into  consideration.  Blooms  having 
these  points  well  represented  are  sure  to  score. 

LARGE  SPECIMENS  OF  VARIEGATED  ALOES 
(C  G.  O.  B.).^Your  variegated  Aloes,  or  Agaves  as  they 
are  correctly  named,  doubtless  require  repotting.  Such 
plants  often  do  quite  well  in  the  same  pots  for  a  period 
of  from  five  to  ten  years.  The  older  the  plants  are,  the 
longer  they  may  be  left  in  the  same  pots,  that  is,  pro- 
viding they  are  fed  regularly  with  manure-water.  The 
repotting  may  be  attended  to  in  February,  using  a  com- 
post of  good,  turfy  loam,  broken  up  into  good-sized  pieces, 
with  a  fair  addition  of  small  pieces  of  sandstone  or  old 
mortar  rubble  and  sand.  A  pound  or  so  of  half-inch 
bones  may  also  be  added  to  the  soil.  Drain  the  new 
pots  or  tubs  well,  and  work  the  new  soil  firmly  about 
the  old  balls.  The  second  growth  of  which  you  speak 
should  be  removed  if  it  can  be  done  without  injuring  the 
plant  to  which  it  is  attached.  That  and  any  suckers 
may  be  potted  and  treated  as  young  plants. 

FRUIT     GARDEN. 

SILVER-LEAF  ON  PLUM  TREE  {Arundel)  .~T\\^ 
Victoria  Phim  is  affected  with  silver-leaf  disease.  This 
disease  is  due  to  a  fungus  (Stereum  purpureum),  which 
gets  into  the  plant  by  a  wound.  Trees  affected  rarely 
recover,  and  we  recommend  you  to  remove  the  tree  at 
once  and  replant  this  autumn  with  a  healthy  tree. 

SMALL  RED  EGGS  ON  FRUIT  TREES  {T.  C.  C.).— 
The  eggs  are  those  of  the  mite  Oribata  lapidaria.  These 
mites,  which  are  little  larger  than  their  eggs  and  of  a 
slightly  darker  red,  are  very  common  on  Apple  trees. 
They  are  quite  harmless,  and  are,  indeed,  likely  to  be 
beneficial,  for  they  eat  the  spores  of  lichens  and  fungi. 

BITTER-PIT  IN  APPLES  (./.  it.).— The  fruit  is  attacked 
by  bitter-pit,  a  fungoid  pest  that  is  very  troublesome 
over  most  parts  of  the  country.  We  would  suggest 
spraying  the  trees  while  dormant  with  half  an  ounce 
of  sulphide  of  potassium  dissolved  in  a  gallon  of  water, 
and  next  year,  when  the  fruit  is  half-grown,  with  a  quarter 
of  an  uuncn  of  sulpliide  of  potassium  to  a  gallon  of  water. 

SUMMER  AND  AUTUMN  FRUITING  RASPBERRIES 
{Silly  Gardener). — It  is  quite  right  to  say  tliat  ordinary 
summer-fruiting  Raspberries,  if  cut  down  to  the  ground 
in  winter,  will  bear  a  crop  of  fruit  in  the  autumn  on  the 
canes  of  next  year's  growth  ;  but  they  will  not  produce 
such  heavy  or  satisfactory  crops  as  will  the  autumn- 
bearing  Raspberries  proper.  Where,  then,  does  the  advan- 
tage come  in  of  pruning  them  in  this  way  ?  If  you  do 
not  want  summer  Raspberries,  then  plant  autumn-bearing 
varieties  only.  There  are  some  grand  varieties  of  these 
to  be  had  now. 


MOULDY  SPOTS  ON  GRAPES  {A.  J.  R)._The  Grapes 
are  dead  ripe  and  the  spots  indicate  natural  decay  Thev 
also  show  that  the  air  of  the  house  is  too  cold  and  moist 
Apply  a  little  heat  to  the  pipes  and  keep  the  house  per- 
f.ctly  dry.  Give  air  freely  on  fine  days  and  a  little  at 
i.mht  as  well.  There  will  appear  no  more  spots  then 
and  the  Grapes  will  keep  in  good  condition  for  another 
month  or  six  weeks.  "wi'wci 

TO  STORE  WALNUTS  FOR  WINTER  USE  (Twwed- 
.?ide).— We  have  tried  many  ways,  and  found  the  foUowing 
to  be  the  best  :  Put  down  a  layer  of  slightly-moistened 
sand  half  an  inch  deep  on  the  bottom  of  a  box  packing- 
case,  or  anything  of  the  sort  available,  place  on  this  a 
layer  of  Walnuts  and  then  a  layer  of  sand  and  so  on 
until  the  box  is  full.  We  have  found  the  Walnuts  to  remain 
in  a  good  condition  longer  when  the  boxes  are  kept  iii 
a  fairly  dry  room  and  not  too  cold. 

PEACH  FOLIAGE  GOING  WRONG  (J.  D.,  Devon)  — 
The  Peach  foliage  is  damaged  by  the  black  thrips.  Fumi- 
gate the  house  on  two  occasions,  with  an  interval  of  about 
three  days  between,  with  one  of  the  nicotine  fumigants 
taking  care  that  the  work  is  done  after  dark.  The  fumi- 
gation may  spot  the  Grapes  unless  their  skin  is  quite  hard 
and  the  fumes  may  prove  harmful  to  persons  eating  the 
Grapes  if  they  are  used  soon  after.  It  would,  therefore 
be  well  to  remove  them  before  the  fumigation  is  done' 
The  Cherry  is  attacked  by  the  boring  moth  larva,  called 
Semasia  woeberiana.  This  is  a  dilficult  pest  to  deal  with 
but  you  will  find  that  smearing  the  trees  in  May  with  a 
mixture  of  clay  and  lime  will  tend  to  prevent  the  moths 
laying  their  eggs. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

CELERY  DISEASED  {E.  C.).— The  Celery  is  attacked 
by  the  leaf-spot  fuugus,  Septoria  Petroselini  Apii.  It 
is  too  late  to  effect  a  cure.  The  disease  is  carried  in  the 
seed,  and  is  to  be  found  on  the  plants  from  May  onwards, 
when  spraying  with  Bordeaux  mixture  should  begin. 

WIREWORMS  (IF.  B.).— No  measure  is  so  effective 
as  constant  cultivation  in  ridding  the  soil  of  wireworms. 
Your  experience  with  the  soil  fumigant  is  similar  to  that 
of  many  others,  and  if  you  cannot  for  any  reason  hoe 
frequently  and  dig  often,  we  recommend  you  to  trap  the 
pests  by  burying  pieces  of  Potato  or  Carrot  near  their 
haunts,  marking  the  position  of  the  pieces  and  examining 
them  frequently. 

CARNATION  SPOT  FUNGUS  (Anxious).— TYiQ  Car- 
nut  ions  iiie  attacked  by  the  Carnation  spot  fungus, 
lleterusporium  echinulatum.  This  fungus  is  always 
more  prevalent  when  the  air  is  damp,  and  wc  recommend 
you  to  plant  the  Carnations  in  a  place  where  the  air  has 
free  circulation,  and  to  spray  them,  after  removing  the 
damaged  leaves,  with  a  solution  of  potassium  sulphide, 
loz.  to  tliree  gallons  of  water. 

TREATMENT  FOR  OLD  LAWNS  {H.  K.).~Yow.  may 
apply  a  dressing  of  well-decayed  stable  manure  to  your 
lawn  at  once,  with  good  results,  and  in  spring  a  dressing 
of  bone-meal  would  do  good.  The  manure  should  be 
worked  about  well  in  order  that  the  grass  may  grow 
through  it  easily,  and  the  bone-meal  should  be  applied 
during  damp  weather.  Soot  and  wood-ashes  are  also 
useful,  but  the  latter  encourages  the  growth  of  Clover. 

CATERPILLARS  TO  NAME  {CoUingham).—Th^  grub 
sent  is  the  larva  of  the  garden  swift  moth.  The  grubs  feed 
on  fleshy  roots  of  all  kinds,  and  are  very  partial  to  bulbs 
and  Preonies.  Birds  eat  them  greedily  when  they  are 
turned  out  from  the  soil,  otherwise  they  are  difficult  to 
deal  with.  Carbon  bisulphide  may  be  injected  into  the 
soil,  poured  into  holes  near  the  hiding-places,  half  an  ounce 
in  each  hole,  made  by  a  stick  to  a  deptli  of  about  nine 
inches.  The  moths  flit  over  the  beds  at  dusk  in  June, 
and  may  be  captured  by  means  of  a  butterfly  net. 

GRUBS  IN  GARDEN  SOIL  {E.  E.  £.).— The  grub 
sent  is  the  larva  of  the  cockchafer.  We  recommend  you 
to  turn  the  ground  up  well  and  expose  the  grubs,  which 
will  be  eagerly  devoured  by  the  larger  birds.  Rooks  and 
gulls  are  very  fond  of  them,  and  starlings  \vill  eat  them. 
The  ground  in  which  plants  are  growing  may  be  treated 
by  injecting  half  an  ounce  of  carbon  bisulphide  to  the 
square  yard.  The  fumes  of  this  substance  are  deadly 
to  animal-life  (it  is  an  excellent  thing  to  use  in  killing 
wasps  before  digging  out  the  nests),  and  does  not  injure 
the  roots  of  plants. 

VASES  AND  BOWLS  FOR  TABLE  DECORATION 
{M.  C.  B.). — There  is  no  golden  rule  as  to  the  kind  of 
vase  or  bowl  that  should  be  used  In  a  table  decoration, 
and  we  are  not  aware  of  there  being  anything  new  iu 
receptacles  of  late.  A  bowl  of  glass  or  silverware  of 
medium  size  should  answer  well  for  the  centre  of  the  table, 
and  four  small  vases — one  at  each  corner  of  the  table — 
will  be  quite  sufficient  for  a  table  of  the  dimensions  you 
give.  A  tall  glass  bowl  would  be  too  big  for  a  small  table. 
Epergnes  have  gone  out  of  fashion  with  those  who  have 
a  true  artistic  temperament.  Chrysanthemums  of  yellow 
and  rich  orange,  with  just  a  light  dusting  of  bright  crimson, 
are  always  most  effective  by  day  and  night.  Use  iu 
association  autumnal  and  light  green  greenhouse  foliage. 
Avoid  crowding,  and  let  each  flower  speak  for  itself. 

NAMES  OF  FRUIT.— G.  IF.— Christmas  Pearmain. 

Q.  C— 1  and  2,  Alfriston ;  3,  Waltham  Abbey  Seedling; 
4.  Wellington  ;  5.  New  Hawthoruden  ;  6,  Hoary  Morning. 
M.  W.  M.  B. — 1,  Queen  Caroline;    2,  Warner's  King. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— 7.  E.  L.— Aster  diffusus  horizon- 

talis  and  Polygonum  \accinifolium. D.  K.  S. — 1,  Cornus 

sanguinea  variegata  ;  2,  Cassine  fulvida ;  3,  Olearia  macro- 
donta  ;    4,    Cotoneaster  frigida  ;    5,   Arbutus  Unedo ;   6 
Garrya  elliptica 


GARDEN. 


-^=^^ 


/p. 


No.  2193.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


November  29, 1913. 


CONTENTS. 


593 


594 


595 


595 

595 


Notes  of  the  Week 
Correspondence 

Autumn-f  r  ui  ti  n  g 
Raspberries 

The  mild  autumn  in 
Ro^S'-^hire    . . 

Cyplamen    ibericum 

Heliotrope  Mme.  de 
Blouay 

Chrysanthemum  Ele 
{lauce 

A  little-known  Rx:)se 

Hybrids  from  Primula 
obconica      . .      . .     595 

Hints  about  Cam- 
panula piitula    . .     595 

Forthcoming  events . .     595 

Fruit  Garden 

The  best  Cherries 
and  their  cultiva- 
tion           595 

Flower  Garden 
The  naming  of  Tulip 
breaks 595 

Rock  and  Water  Garden 
The  designing,  con- 
struction       and 
planting   of    rock 
gardens       . .      . .     596 


597 


598 


000 


600 


Rose  Garden 
In  a  Hampsliire  gar- 
den        

Gardens  op  To-Day 
Hallingbury    Place, 
Bishop's  Stortford 
Gas  boilers  for  green- 
house healing 
New    and    Rare 

Plants   

Gardening  for  Beginners 
Flowering  shrubs  for 
small  gardens     . .     601 
Gajidening  of  the  AVeek 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      602 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      602 

THE  Silter-Leaf  Disease 
of  Pruit  Trees  : 
Its   cause   and   pre- 
vention       .,      ..     603 
Answers   to   Corre- 
spondents 
Flower  garden        . .     603 
Greenhouse     . .      . .     604 
Fruit  garden  . .      .  .     604 
Miscellaneous          .  .     604 
Societies 604 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Dasylirion  gracilis  flowering  outdoors         594 

The  designing,    construction  and   planting  of   rock 

garden? ..  596 

Rose  Mrs.  E.  J.  Holland        597 

Part  of  the  sunk  garden  at  Hallingbury  Placit . .      . .  598 

Peigola  in  the  Rose  garden 598 

May-floweriiig  Tulips  in  Mrs.  Lockett  Agnew's  gardens  599 

The  brilliantly-coloured  Columuca  oerstediana          . .  600 

Viburnum  Tinus  or  Laurustinus 601 


BDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  vfill  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actua  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  uill  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :   20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


The    Cape    Gooseberry    in    Scotland.— Fruits 

of  the  Cape  Gooseberry,  Physalis  edulis,  have  been 
offered  in  the  Edinburgh  Market  and  have  met 
with  a  ready  sale. 

Draining  Gardens. — Very  fortunate  is  anyone 
who  has  a  garden  well  drained,  and  at  the  same 
time  possesses  sufficient  depth  of  soil  to  suit  his 
crops.  Any  drains  that  require  renewing  or  repair- 
ing should  be  commenced  now,  as  it  gives  the 
disturbed  soil  time  to  settle  again  before  the  spring  ; 
3  feet  6  inches  deep  should  be  a  minimum,  as 
gardens,  particularly  those  for  vegetables,  are 
cultivated  tc  a  good  depth. 

The  Use  of  Fallen  Leaves. — It  is  very  important 
that  as  many  leaves  as  possible  should  be  collected, 
particularly  those  of  Oak  and  Beech,  taking  care 
to  pick  out  sticks,  stones  and  weeds.  Stack  them 
in  low  heaps  where  only  moderate  fermentation 
win  take  place.  These  leaves  are  excellent 
material  for  making  hot-beds,  and  also  for  potting 
purposes  next  season,  as  leaf-mould  is  an  important 
ingredient  in  most  potting  composts  for  the  en- 
couragement of  root  action,  besides  possessing 
considerable  nutritive  value. 

The  Value  of  Sweet  Briars.— The  Sweet  Briar  is 
receiving  much  more  attention  than  it  did  at  one 
time,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  many  beautiful  forms  of 
Lord  Penzance's  hybrids  from  which  to  select.  For 
hedges,  particularly  where  space  permits  them  to 
more  or  less  ramble  at  leisure,  they  have  a  very 
attractive  and  natural  appearance,  and  might  well 
replace  some  of  the  old,  rough  hedges  that  often 
exist  near  gardens.  Apart  from  their  beautiful 
flowers  and  fragrant  scent,  their  bright  heps,  which 
are  generally  borne  in  great  profusion,  are  a  source 
of  beauty  the  whole  winter  through,  particiJarly 
in  such  places  as  the  wild  garden. 

Lily  of  the  Valley. — This  is  the  month  when 
permanent  beds  should  be  thoroughly  cleaned 
over  and  a  light  dressing  of  leaf-soil  and  manure 
given,  just  sufficient  to  cover  the  surface  of  the  soil. 
Old  climips  may  with  advantage  be  lifted  and 
replanted,  and,  if  necessary,  a  good  many  of  the 
best  crowns  be  selected  for  forcing.  The  ground, 
where  fresh  beds  are  to  be  made,  should  be 
deeply  dug  and  richly  manured,  and  if  it  is  in  partial 
shade,  so  much  the  better.  Plant  the  crowns 
just  under  the  surface  in  rows  4  inches  to  6  inches 
apart,  making  the  beds  about  fom:  feet  wide. 
In  this  way  the  flowers  are  easy  to  gather. 

A  Rare  Indian  Lily. — Having  been  apparently 
lost  to  cultivation  for  some  few  years,  it  is  interesting 
to  record  the  flowering  of  Lilium  wallichianum 
in  the  greenhouse  at  Kew.  It  has  a  fairly  long 
fimnel-shaped  flower,  white  inside,  with  dark 
purple  markings  on  the  exterior.  In  a  wild  state 
Wallich's  Lily  is  said  to  be  vigorous  in  growth, 
but  in  this  country  plants  2  feet  to  3  feet  high, 
bearing  one  flower,  are  the  rule  rather  than  the 
exception.     Though  fotmd  at  fairly  high  elevations 


ui  the  Himalayas,  except  in  a  few  favoured  spots  in 
the  South  and  West  this  Lily  is  only  suitable  for 
cultivation  mider  glass,  either  in  pots  or  planted 
out  in  a  border  with  L.  sulphureum. 

The  Christmas  Daisy. — This  beautiful  plant, 
Aster  grandiflorus,  is  practically  the  last  of  the 
family,  and,  unfortimately,  it  only  comes  to  per- 
fection outside  during  mild  autumns.  It  is  one 
of  the  best,  and  is  well  worth  growing.  Coming 
as  it  does  after  all  the  others  are  over  renders  it  all 
the  more  valuable,  as  may  be  reaUsed  this  year 
in  those  places  where  it  has  been  able  to  bloom 
in  all  its  loveliness.  It  makes  a  very  useful  pot 
plant  ;  in  fact,  it  is  the  most  reliable  way  of 
obtaining  its  blooms.  The  blue  flowers  look  very 
effective  when  mixed  with  Chrysanthemimis. 

Nerine  flexuosa  alba. — All  the  Nerines  are 
useful  subjects  for  the  cool  greenhouse,  but  none 
of  them  is  more  attractive  than  the  white  Zigzag 
Nerine  (Nerine  flexuosa  alba),  with  its  snowy  white 
flowers,  the  petals  of  which  are  elegantly  imdulated 
and  recurved.  A  batch  of  this  choice,  free- 
flowering  plant  intermixed  with  other  Nerines, 
particularly  the  large  rosy  pink  N.  Bowdenii 
or  similar  plants,  will  add  greatly  to  the  beauty 
of  the  greenhouse.  Like  all  others  of  the  genus, 
it  must  be  well  ripened  in  the  summer  by  placing 
the  plants  in  a  dry  place  in  full  sim  and  with- 
holding water  from  the  time  the  leaves  die  till 
the  flower-scapes  appear,  when  they  may  be 
repotted  or  top-dressed. 

The  South  African  Kaffir  Lily. — Though  perhaps 
more  frequently  grown  in  pots  for  the  decora- 
tion of  the  cool  greenhouse,  the  Kaffir  Lily 
(Schizostylis  coccinea)  grows  and  flowers  more 
freely  on  a  warm  border  outside.  A  sunny  south 
border  at  the  foot  of  a  wall  or  greenhouse,  such  a 
place  as  one  chooses  for  the  Belladonna  Lily, 
just  suits  it.  If  not  well  dramed,  15  inches  of 
the  soil  should  be  taken  out,  and  some  broken 
bricks  or  clinkers  put  in  for  drainage.  In  a  soil 
consisting  of  fibrous  loam,  leaf-mould  and  coarse 
sand,  the  bulbs  grow  and  flower  freely.  Flowering 
in  October  and  November,  it  is  particularly 
valuable,  more  especially  from  the  fact  that  when 
cut  the  blooms  last  well  in  water. 

Erica  gracilis  for  the  Greenhouse.— This 
pretty  South  African  Heath  is  one  of  the  few 
species  which  remain  to  remind  us  of  a  class  ot 
greenhouse  plants  which  were  in  our  grandfathers' 
days  considered  to  be  among  the. .most  decorative 
of  indoor  plants,  and  the  supreme  test  of  a  gardener's 
skill  to  produce  them  in  good  condition.  It  is 
usually  grown  in  large  quantities  in  a  few  market 
establishments,  and  from  those  places  the  general 
trade  is  supplied.  The  plants  as  we  usually  see 
them  are  grown  in  5-inch  pots,  and  they  form 
charming  little  bushes  9  inches  to  15  inches  high, 
made  up  of  eight  or  nuie  main  and  nimierous  side 
branches,  which,  from  early  autumn  until  Christmas 
or  later,  are  covered  with  small,  bell-shaped,  pink 
or  white  blossoms,  according  to  the  variety. 


694 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  29,  1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

The    Editor  is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 

Autumn-Fruiting  Raspberries.— These  are  still 
bearing  fruit  here.  We  have  had  a  grand  crop 
throughout  the  past  three  months,  the  fruits 
being  remarkably  large  and  of  good  flavour.  The 
canes  are  cut  down  in  the  early  spring  to  within  .a 
few  inches  of  the  ground,  fruit  being  borne  on  the 
current  year's  growth. — Eleanor  G.  Shellev, 
Avington  Park,  Alresford,  Hants. 

The  Mild  Autumn  in  Ross-shire.— From  the 
beginning  of  July  we  have  been  favoured  with  one 
of  the  best  seasons  known  here  for  years.  Bed- 
ding plants  did  wonderfully  well,  and  it  may 
interest  readers  to  know  that  Begonias  were  in 
full  bloom  up  till  October  28,  some  even  flowering 
on  November  8.  Dahlias,  too,  have  given  us  their 
full  share,  and  early  Chrysanthemums  are  still 
to  be  obtained  out  of  doors. — .\lexander  Ross, 
Courthill,  Lochc.arron. 

Cyclamen  ibericum.— This  plant  has  been  grown 
here  for  a  good  number  of  years,  and  last  year  was 
the  arst  time  that  we  recorded  it  as  being  in  flower 
before  Christmas,  stray  flowers  appearing  here 
and  there  before  that  date.  This  year  its  precocity 
is  even  more  striking,  quite  a  number  of  the  plants 
being  in  full  and  luxuriant  bloom  at  this  date 
(November  19),  while  C.  neapolitanum  has  still 
a  flower  or  two  left.  I  should  think  it  is  unusual 
tor  the  flowering  periods  of  the  two  species  named 
thus  to  overlap. — F.  H.  C,  Rye. 

Hardiness  of  Dracaena  australis. — The  notes 
by  "  T.  C.  F.  M.,"  page  570  of  The  Garden  for 
November  15,  on  the  above  plant  are  interesting. 
Here  it  is  quite  hardy,  and  receives  no  protection 
in  winter  whatever.  Aralia  Sieboldii,  Hydrangea 
Hortensis,  Camellias  of  sorts,  Fuchsias  and  Azalea 
indica  also  stand  the  winter  unprotected.  The 
last  named  make  fine  plants  and  are  studded  with 
bloom.  At  Penrhyn  Gardens  Lapagerias  and 
Oleanders  are  growing  outside  on  walls,  and 
stand  the  winters  well. — J.  S.  Higgins,  Glynllivon 
Gardens.  Carnarvon. 

Dasylirion  Flowering  Outdoors. — I  am  sending 
you  a  photograph  of  Dasylirion  gracilis  growing 
in  the  gardens  of  The  Cottage,  Porlock  Weir, 
a  residence  of  Mr.  G.  W.  W.  Blathwayt.  It  wa? 
planted  in  November,  igo6,  and  last  summer 
threw  up  a  very  fine  flower-spike  12  feet  high. 
The  bushes  at  the  back  are  fine  examples  of  the 
small-leaved  Myrtle.  It  may  interest  your  readers 
to  know  that  in  this  favoiured  spot,  on  the  coast 
adjoining  North  Devon,  this  greenhouse  ever- 
green is  thriving  so  well  out  of  doors,  as  also 
are  a  great  many  choice  and  tender  flowering 
shrubs  and  plants. — R.  H.  Legg,  Melksham  House 
Gardens,  Wilts. 

Primula  Poissoni  Flowering  Late.  —  I  can 
fully  corroborate  every  word  that  Mr.  Blake  of 
Clandon  Park  says  on  page  570  of  November  15 
issue  concerning  the  merits  of  Primula  Poissoni. 
It  is  still  in  full  flower  with  me,  and,  though  of  a 
colour  which  not  even  an  enthusiast  could  avoid 
associating  with  magenta,  does  not  suffer  in  conse- 
quence thereof  by  reason  of  its  late-flowering 
propensity,  which  enables  it  to  escape  the  risk 
of  clashing  with  other  subjects.  May  I  further 
suggest,  in  reference  to  an  enquiry  as  to  a  suitable 
plant  for  massing  under  trees,  that  Saxifraga 
umbrosa,  or  London  Pride,  is  infinitely  preferable 
to  Ground  Ivy,  which  was  put  forward  in  answer 
to  the  query.     There  are  few  things  to  excel  the 


delicate   pink,   foamy   masses   of   the   blossoms   of 
the  Saxifrage  when  planted  in  large  groups  or  as 
a  continuous  edging. — Raymond    E.   Negus,    The 
Lawn,  Walton-on-Thames. 
The  Persian  Cyclamen  as  a  Biennial. — I  am 

obliged  by  the  courteous  letters  of  Mr.  Brotherston 
and  Mr.  Willie  {see  page  558)  relating  to  a  previous 
article  of  mine  on  this  subject.  Like  Mr.  Brother- 
ston, I  am  aware  that  very  good  results  are  to  be 
had  with  old  bulbs  by  some  growers,  and  many 
and  varied  are  the  methods  of  culture  advocated 
by  successful  cultivators.  While  I  am  quite  willing 
t  1  admit  that  my  treatment  of  these  two  year  old 
bulbs  may  in  some  respects  be  incorrect,  I  could 
easily  retort  that  Mr.  Brotherston's  treatment 
of  the  plants  the  first  year  cannot  be  altogether 
right  when  the  older  bulbs  give  the  finer  flowers. 
The   fact  is,  no  one  seems  to  be  able  to  exactly 


DASYLIRION    GRACILIS  FLOWERING  IN  THE 
OPEN  AT  THE  COTTAGE,   PORTLOCK  WEIR. 

State  what  the  correct  treatment  should  be  to 
ensure  first-rate  results.  Some  mouths  ago  a 
correspondent  of  The  Garden  advanced  what 
was  to  me  the  most  original  idea  on  the  subject, 
so  that  I  determined  to  give  it  a  trial.  Briefly, 
his  advice  was  to  shake  the  bulbs  quite  free  of 
soil  immediately  they  had  finished  flowering, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  pull  off  the  entire  foliage 
and  repot,  using  as  small  pots  as  it  was  possible  to 
get  the  roots  into.  I  was  so  struck  with  the  ide  1 
that  I  experimented  with  a  dozen  good  bulbs, 
and  with  very  fair  results.  With  a  few  other 
plants  I  somewhat  modified  the  treatment,  merely 
pulling  off  the  foliage  and  then  top-dressing  with 
fresh,  rich  soil.  The  results  here  are  particularly 
promising,  the  foliage  beuig  very  large  and  healthy, 
while  the  crowiis  are  fairly  bristling  with  flower- 
buds.  Talking  of  old  Cyclamen  bulbs,  I  may 
say    that    the    late    James    Walker,    gardener    at 


Rivals  Green,  Linlithgow,  grew  the  largest  and 
most  profusely-bloomed  plants  I  have  ever  seen. 
In  many  cases  they  were  at  least  2J  feet  across, 
and  carried  quite  200  flowers.  The  blooms  were 
small,  but  very  finely  coloured.  These  bulbs  were 
at  least  ten  years  old.  Mr.  Walker,  a  very  able, 
all-round  gardener,  could  make  nothmg  of  seed- 
lings, and  yet  he  never  failed  with  the  old  plants. 
Who  can  explain  this  ?  How  do  Mr.  Willie  and 
Mr.  Brotherston  measure  a  Cyclamen  flower  ? 
To  me  a  flower  6  inches  across  seems  enormous, 
and,  incidentally,  undesirable,  unless  they  measure 
by  stretching  the  bloom  flat.  I  do  not  admire 
the  "  spidery  "  type. — C.  Blair,  Preston  House, 
Linlithgow. 

Gentiana  verna. — We  are  all,  I  thuik,  indebted 
to  Mr.  R.  A.  Malby  for  his  interesting  experiments 
with  Gentiana  verna  (page  548,  issue  November  i), 
and  his  record  of  the  results  obtained  by  plants 
under  and  without  a  glass  covering  will  be  helpful 
to  many  who  are  struggling  with  this  charming 
Gentian,  but  who  have  hitherto  failed.  This 
question  of  winter  covering  is  a  most  important 
one,  and  it  is  only  by  such  experiments  as  those 
of  Mr.  Malby,  when  conducted  over  a  series  of  years, 
that  several  pomts  regarding  the  cultivation  of 
certam  flowers  can  be  elucidated.  I  hope  Mr. 
Malby  is  continuing  the  treatment  of  G.  verna 
adopted  last  season,  and  I  would  suggest  that  this 
winter  he  should  cover  the  plant  left  uncovered 
last  winter,  and  leave  the  other  without  the  glass 
for  this  season.  The  longer  ones  grows  alpines, 
the  less  inclined  is  one  to  generalise  and  dogmatise. 
Campanula  puUa  (of  which  I  shall  have  more  to 
say  at  another  time)  is  a  case  in  point.  To  return 
to  Gentiana  verna,  Mr.  Malby  is  to  be  congratulated 
on  his  success,  and  it  would  help  us  to  understand 
it  better  if  he  could  give  us  the  size  of  the  plants 
when  planted  and  that  they  have  now  attained. 
His  success  is  very  great,  and  many  will  almost 
envy  him  the  charming  display  his  plants  must  have 
presented  last  spring.  I  do  not  think,  however, 
the  main  trouble  with  G.  verna  is  its  shy  flowering, 
but  its  difficulty  of  cultivation,  as  in  many  gardens 
it  is  diflScult  to  establish,  and  requires  some  attention 
to  mduce  it  to  grow.  We  are,  I  think,  often  too 
generous  in  our  treatment  of  this  plant.  It  does 
not  always  do  well  in  a  rich  soil,  and  I  find  that  one 
of  a  somewhat  stony  character  suits  it  best, 
especially  when  it  is  thinly  "  mulched"  with  small 
stones  or  gravel.  This  mulching  has  been  found 
I  if  great  benefit  in  gardens  where  G.  verna  could 
not  be  grown  when  attempted  without  it.  The 
glass  covering  is,  it  is  probable,  highly  beneficial 
to  the  flowering  of  this  lovely  plant,  and  if  Mr. 
Malby  will  only  continue  his  experiments,  I  am 
confident  that  he  will  deserve  well  of  other  alpinists. 
We  know  that  certain  other  plants,  such  as  the 
Soldanellas,  for  example,  flower  best  if  they  have 
been  covered  with  glass  during  winter.  We  know, 
however,  that  a  foot  or  2  feet  of  position  may  cause 
one  plant  to  bloom  better  than  another,  and  I 
have  two  little  clumps  of  G.  verna  about  three  feet 
from  each  other  which  behave  quite  differently, 
although  there  is  nothing  about  the  respective  plants 
or  their  positions  to  suggest  why  this  is.  I  shall 
at  once  endeavour  to  test  Mr.  Malby's  suggestions 
by  covering  with  glass  the  shyer-flowering  of  the 
two  plants.  Should  it  bloom  more  freely,  I  shall 
be  ever  grateful  to  your  correspondent  for  his  note. 
I  may  add  that  both  plants  are  from  the  same 
parent — a  free-flowering  specimen  in  a  garden  where 
it  had  done  well  for  years.  Other  plants  in  the 
garden  .might  be  tested,  but  these  two  will  afford  a 
better  means  of  comparison. — S.  Arnott,  Dumfries. 


November  29,  1913-] 


THE     GARDEN. 


595 


Heliotrope   Mme.   de   Blouay.— Although   this 

Heliotrope  cannot  vie  with  such  a  variety  as  Lord 
Roberts  in  respect  of  brightness,  being  e\on  rather 
paler  then  the  common  Heliotrope,  Heliotropium 
peruvianum,  it  has  much  to  recommend  it  for 
massing.  It  is  the  dwarfest  variety  I  have  seen, 
and  the  trusses,  which  are  borne  in  great  profusion, 
are  quite  three  times  the  size  of  the  common 
Heliotrope,  and  it  possesses  in  full  measure  the 
delightful  aroma  of  the  Cherry  Pie. 

Chrysanthemum  Elegance.— I   have  not  seen 

this  variety  in  any  price-list,  so  I  do  not  know  how 
the  vendor  classes  it,  but  it  is  an  October  crimson 
single,  although  not  of  the  Mary  Anderson  type, 
I  saw  a  batch  of  it  in  October,  and  was  much  struck 
with  its  fioriferous  character  and  its  rich  crimson 
colour  ;  it  is  of  medium  height.  I  think,  with  an 
autumn  even  approximating  to  the  one  just  closing, 
it  might  do  quite  well  out  ot  doors,  even  in  Scotland. 
— Caledonia 

A  Little-Known  Rose.— I  have  never  seen  in 
any  of  your  lists  of  Roses  one  called  Donarte  de 
Elvira.  I  chose  it  by  chance  out  of  a  list  years 
ago,  and  everyone  who  sees  it  wants  it.  It  is  a 
salmony  pink,  growing  in  long  sprays,  with  lovely 
foliage,  and  is  constantly  blooming.  I  am  picking 
it  every  day  now.  I  have  grown  it  over  "  banis- 
ters," made  of  twisted  twigs,  up  each  side  of  some 
stone  steps  leading  to  the  garden,  and,  of  course, 
now  one  sees  no  foundation — nothing  but  Roses. 
It  is  a  Rose  that,  if  better  kjiomi,  would  be  growii  by 
everyone. — Marion  Dlnell,  East  Marling,  Norjolk. 

Hybrids  from  Primula  obconica. — Regarding 
the  remarks  in  The  Garden  for  November  8, 
page  564,  in  connection  with  P.  obconica,  there 
is  not,  so  tar  as  I  am  aware,  any  hybrid  in  which 
that  species  figures  as  one  parent.  I  have  tried  to 
cross  it  with  P.  cockbumiana,  P.  pulverulenta, 
P.  cortusoides,  P.  capitata,  P.  Forbesii,  P.  frondosa, 
P.  marginata,  P.  rosea,  P.  vulgaris,  P.  Veitchii 
and  P.  megasesefolia.  I  have  raised  seedlings  from 
the  latter  which  was  fertilised  with  P.  obconica, 
but  no  sign  of  hybridity  could  be  detected.  These 
were  "  selfed,"  and  the  result  was  still  P.  megasese- 
folia.  I  once  heard  that  a  plant  had  been  raised 
from  these  two  species  which  was  fairly  intermediate 
between  the  parents,  but  I  did  not  see  the  plant 
and  cannot  vouch  for  its  accuracy.  Perhaps  other 
readers  may  have  been  more  successful. — T.  W. 
Briscoe. 

Hints  about  Campanula  patula.— May  I  take 
exception  to  Mr.  Amott's  note  on  Campanula 
patula  in  your  issue  of  November  8,  page  562  ? 
This  Campanula  is  never  coarse,  but  extremely 
elegant  and  graceful.  It  is  beyond  all  question 
a  biennial.  Division  as  a  method  of  increasing 
(as  ordinarily  understood)  is  quite  impossible. 
It  seeds  itself  freely  in  damp,  shady  situations. 
Its  only  fault  (besides  that  of  being  biennial)  is 
that  its  long,  wiry  stalks  are  not  always  strong 
enough  to  support  the  flowers  ;  but  this  occurs 
because  we  move  it  from  its  natural  habitat  of 
the  undergrowth  and  bushes,  where  it  can  be  seen 
in  some  of  our  Herefordshire  woods  in  wild  pro- 
fusion. Did  I  not  know  the  plant  well  in  its  wild 
and  cultivated  state,  I  would  not  dare  to  take 
exception  to  such  an  authority  as  Mr.  Amott. — 
Ernest  Ballard,  Colwall. 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


FORTHCOMING  EVENTS. 
December  2. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Exhibition.  Perpetual  -  flowering  Carnation 
Society's  Exhibition  at  Vincent  Square,  West- 
minster (two  days).  Scottish  Horticultural 
Association's  Meeting. 


THE     BEST     CHERRIES     AND     THEIR 
CULTIVATION. 

FROM  the  days  when  Henry  VIII.  scoured 
the  Continent  for  new  fruits  and  the  re- 
sulting finds  were  planted  at  Teynham, 
Kent  has  been  famed  for  its  Cherries. 
But  even  in  this  county  their  culture  is 
localised  to  a  large  extent,  and  the  reason 
for  this  will  be  found  to  be — chalk.  Where  there  is 
an  abundance  of  this  mineral,  there  arc  Cherries 
flourishing.  On  the  granite  soils,  such  as  are  foimd, 
for  example,  in  the  West  of  England,  it  steadfastly 
refuses  to  grow.  The  lesson  is  obvious.  This 
fruit  is  somewhat  impatient  of  the  knife,  and 
therefore  restricted  forms  such  as  espaliers  are 
not  advisable.  Even  the  more  natural  fan-trained 
forms  on  walls  should  not  be  too  strictly  dealt 
with  in  regard  to  priming.  The  best  wall  fruits  I 
have  seen  were  grown  on  trees  the  tortuous 
branches  of  which  would  shock  those  whose  eye 
for  symmetry  is  well  developed,  but  at  the  same 
time  please  those  who  consider  that  the  first  duty 
of  a  fruit  tree  is  to  fruit.  The  pyramid  form  is 
suitable,  if  not  pruned  too  hard,  and  especially 
for  varieties  of  the  Duke  race,  whose  neat,  upright 
habit  takes  them  halfway  to  this  form.  Cordons 
also  do  well  on  walls  if  not  too  much  encoiuraged 
with  nitrogenous  manure,  and  this  advice,  indeed, 
applies  to  all  forms.  In  the  early  stages  of  growth 
stable  manure  should  be  strictly  avoided,  and 
potash  and  phosphatic  manure  should  only  be 
given,  with,  of  course,  lime,  if  this  is  not  present 
in  the  soil,  in  fair  quantity.  The  culture  of  this  fruit 
under  glass  is  not  undertaken  so  often  as  it  should 
hi.  To  defeat  spring  frosts  and,  incidentally, 
the  feathered  tribes,  this  method  is  very  desirable, 
and  for  those  who  have  not  eaten  "  under  glass  " 
fruit  a  revelation  awaits  them.  As  the  rooking 
Plum  is  to  the  Green  Gage,  so  are  outdoor  Cherries 
to  the  indoor  ones. 

The  soft-fleshed  Bigarreaus,  so  unfit  for  the 
untender  mercies  of  Covent  Garden,  only  require 
to  be  better  known  to  those  whose  idea  of  a  Cherry 
is  the  indigestible,  if  profitable.  Napoleon  ;  and 
the  black  varieties,  such  as  the  Tartarian  or 
Circassian,  are  found  in  the  highest  perfection 
under  orchard-house  culture.  The  varieties  that 
can  be  recommended  for  quality  are,  in  the  yellow, 
Bigarreaus,  Frogmore,  Elton  and  Governor  Wood  ; 
in  black  varieties  of  this  race,  the  Tartarian  above- 
mentioned.  Early  Rivers  and  Waterloo  ;  and  the 
old  St.  Margaret's  or  Tradescant's  Black  Heart, 
a  name  which  takes  us  back  to  the  Duke  race, 
whose  refreshing  acid  flavour  is  acceptable  to  many 
palates,  and  are  best  represented  by  May  Duke, 
Royal  Duke  and  Archduke. 

The  Morello  Cherry  needs  no  recommendation. 
Its  preference  for  a  cool  wall  and  its  never- failing 
cropping  qualities  have  won  it  a  place  in  all  gar- 
dener's hearts.  Of  similar  flavour  is  the  Kentish 
Red,  a  very  distinct  variety,  which  for  cooking  is 
quite  unequalled.  Cherry  jam  made  of  this  variety 
will  be  the  first  sort  to  disappear  from  the  pantry. 
Use  half  a  pound  of  sugar  to  ilb.  of  fruit,  and  vou 
have  a  preserve  fit  for  the  proverbial  king.  To 
sum  up,  the  secret  of  Cherry-growing  is  to  forget 
the  knife  and  the  manure-barrow,  and  remember 
the  lime.  It  seems  a  pity  that  these  fruits  are  not 
more  extensively  grown  in  manv  gardens  where 
the  soil  and  situation  are  well  adapted  for  them. 
If  the  hints  given  above  are  acted  upon,  the  trees 
ought  not  to  give  much  trouble.     E.  A.  Bunvard. 


THE     FLOWER    GARDEN. 


THE    NAMING    OF    TULIP    BREAKS. 

THIS  is  doubtless  a  most  important 
question  which  needs  definite  settle- 
ment, and  the  Tulip  trials  organised 
for  the  next  flowering  season  will 
afford  a  splendid  opportunity  for  it. 
The  Editor  and  Mr.  Jacob  are  kind 
enough  to  honour  me  by  asking  my  opinion, 
but  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  do  not  think  I  have 
yet  found  the  philosopher's  stone.  I  trust  Mr. 
Leak  and  Mr.  Hugh  Dickson  have  been  more 
fortunate. 

Let  me  first  state  that  the  system  of  naming 
a  broken  Tulip  with  the  same  name  as  the  breeder 
cannot  be  maintained,  either  for  the  Rembrandts 
originated  from  the  Darwhis  or  for  any  other  class 
of  flowers.  It  would  lead  to  hopeless  confusion, 
because  the  addition  "  feathered "  or  "  varie- 
gated "  or  "  broken "  would  not  be  generally 
used  for  the  broken  form.  Several  examples  of 
trade  varieties  of  early  and  Cottage  Tulips  prove 
the  necessity  of  changuig  such  names,  e.g.,  a  yellow 
and  buff  colour  break  from  Cottage  Maid  was 
originally  called  Cottage  Maid  broken,  but  when 
it  became  more  generally  known  and  appreciated 
it  was  called  Cottage  Boy ;  the  white  colour  break 
of  Joost  van  Vondel,  formerly  known  as  Joost 
\-an  Vondel  white,  has  since  been  dedicated  to 
Lady  Boreel  ;  the  feathered  form  of  La  Merveille 
has  got  the  name  of  L'Hermite. 

The  second  point  to  consider  is  that,  if  a  breeder 
breaks,  it  does  not  always  do  so  in  absolutely  the 
same  style.  It  is  quite  possible  that  Mr.  Fam- 
combe  Sanders  breaks  into  a  boldly-flamed  form 
in  A's  garden,  into  a  feathered  form  with  B,  and 
into  perhaps  still  a  third  style  in  C's  nursery, 
or  even  in  more  than  one  form  in  the  same  garden. 
In  such  cases  .\,  B  and  C  are  certainly  each  entitled 
to  give  distinct  names  to  their  breaks.  The 
difliculty  only  arises  if  such  breaks  are  absolutely 
the  same,  and  in  such  cases  only  a  nomenclature 
committee  would  be  able  to  settle  things  satis- 
factorily. 

If  the  break  is  of  reil  merit,  it  will  soon  be 
shown  before  the  Tulip  committee,  and  become 
known  under  a  well-established  name.  If 
others  are  fortunate  enough  to  have  got  the 
same  break,  they  will  be  glad  to  adopt  this  name. 
Breaks  of  inferior  quality  which  originate  in  more 
places  at  the  same  time  will  not  be  propagated 
or  will  soon  have  to  disappear.  Even  if  they  had 
got  several  names,  the  confusion  would  not  be  very 
serious. 

I  do  not  see  a  way  to  express  the  origin  of  the 
broken  Tulip  in  its  name.  Some  names  may 
afford  a  chance  of  suggesting  the  relation  between 
breeder  and  break,  such  as  Cottage  Maid  and 
Cottage  Boy  among  existing  varieties,  and  Emperor 
and  Empress,  Castor  and  Pollux,  Hera  and  Leander, 
&c.,  may  do  for  coming  varieties.  But  there  is 
a  limit  to  such  names,  and  most  of  the  breeders, 
and  especially  the  Darwins,  have  already  names 
which  are  not  fit  to  choose  appropriate  names 
in  this  style  for  the  breaks.  In  most  cases 
the  breaks  will,  therefore,  have  names  entirely 
independent  from  the  breeders.  This  is  a 
drawback,  but  the  only  way  to  avoid  con- 
fusion. No  name  must  be  used  for  more  than 
one  variety,  and  the  confusion  will  only  be 
definitely  settled  when  the  same  name  is  not 
foimd  among  early  Tulips  and  Darwins,  or  any 
other  section.  Ernst  H.   Krelace. 


596 


THE    GARDEN. 


[November  29,  1913. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


THE    DESIGNING,    CONSTRUCTION 
AND  PLANTING  OF  ROCK  GARDENS. 

^Continued  from  page  584.) 
A  S  I  shall  deal   later   with   the  arrangement 
/%  of  stone  and  planting,  it  is  superfluous 

/  %  to  go  further  into  the  development  of 
^"^^  the  site  here.  I  will,  therefore,  consider 
^  ^     another  site,   quite   distinct   in  many 

features,  and  one  that  is  very  common. 
Sketch  plan  D  shows  a  piece  of  waste  land  that  has, 
in  the  development  of  other  portions  of  the  garden, 
been  left  over,  more  or  less  as  a  remnant.  The 
land  here  is  perfectly  flat.  As  a  termination  to  the 
series  of  gardens  and  lawns,  a  belt  of  shrubs 
has  been  planted,  principally  with  a  view  to  giving 
rather  more  seclusion  to  the  gardens  than  is  afforded 
by  the  woodland  on  the  west.  It  was  really  a 
corner  of  a  field  used  as  a  paddock,  and  as  such 
was  fenced  in  on  both  siUes.  One  or  two  fine  old 
Scots  Pines  suggested  rock  {Scots  Pines  always 
do,  I  think),  and  it  was  decided  to  turn  it  into  a 
sort  of  rock  garden.  Further  than  this  the  ground 
offered  no  assistance  towards  design.  No  water 
could  be  introduced  conveniently,  and  the  sur- 
roundings were  such  that  it  would  hardly  have 
looked  happy  even  had  it  been  used.  No  one  need 
be  reminded  of  the  picturesque  association  of  Pines 
and  rock.  Some  of  our  best  artists,  notably  Leader 
and  MacWhirter,  have  familiarised  us  with  the 
scenes  depicted  by  Scott  in  the  following  words  : 

Cast  anchor  in  the  rifted  rock 
And  higher  yet  the  Pine-tree  hunc — 
His  shattered  trunk,  and  frequent  flung 
Where  seemed  the  clitfs  to  meet  on  high 
His  boughs  athwart  the  narrow'd  sky. 

As   in   the   previous   instance   I   have   given,   here 

also   the   first  thing  to   ask  ourselves  is  :    "  What 

arrangement    does    the    site    suggest  ?     What    are 

the  links  that   will  connect   the  scheme  with  the 

other    portions    of    the    garden    without    allowing 

the  one  feature  to  spoil  the  other  by  inharmonious 


SKETCH    E.- 


-SCOTS    PINES,    ROCK    AND    HEATHER,    SHOWING    THE    TREATMENT    OF 
A    PORTION    OF    PLAN    D. 


association,  and,  again,  for  what   class  of  planting 
shall  we  arrange  ?  " 

With  reference  to  the  arrangement  or  design, 
we  have  two  controlling  factors,  viz.,  there  are  no 
natural  banks  or  slopes  to  help  us,  and  there  are 
three  points  (the  three  groups  of  Pines),  and  the 
surrounding  margins  of  the  site  are  fixed  by  the 
position  of  trees.  My  idea  for  this  is  to  treat 
it  rather  as  a  bit  of  Heather  moorland  than  as  an 
alpine  garden.  Glacial  deposits  of  stone  in  the 
forgotten  ages  will  account  for  a  considerable 
amount  of  a  sort  of  "  boulder  "  outcrop — scoriated 
and  broken  masses  that  rise  here  and  there  without 
anything  of  order  or  method  in  their  positions. 
I  have  seen  such  in  the  open  fields  in  parts  of 
Oxfordshire  ;     on  the  Purbeck  Hills  in  the  neigh- 


. r<^i,j,--t<i,t>^  vo^ f^  ^cfii^t-■,y  . 


PLAN    D. 


SHOWING    TREATMENT    OF    A    PIECE    OF    WASTE    LAND    THAT    CONTAINED    SCOTS    PINES 

AND    JUTTING    ROCKS 


bourhood  of  Swanage,  and  elsewhere.  A  slight 
undulating  effect  can  be  produced  by  creating 
depressions  and  mounds,  not  too  pronounced, 
but  all  with  some  continuity  of  arrangement,  so 
that  shallow  "  valley  "  effects  are  produced. 

The  pathways  should  be  the  most  emphasised 
of  these  valleys,  givmg  the  impression  of  being 
footpaths  worn  by  the  tread  of  ages,  and  should 
be  so  arranged  that  they  create  decided  depressions 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Pines,  as  illustrated 
in  sketch  E.  At  the  north  and  south  ends  any 
surplus  earth  may  be  deposited  and  planted  with 
shrubs,  so  as  to  give  a  sense  of  enclosure,  although 
sufficient  openings  should  be  left  so  that  the  view 
travels  on  naturally  to  any  attractive  features 
in  the  surrounding  country.  Semi-seclusion  with- 
out any  feeUng  of  contraction  should 
-^,     ■,  be  the  aim. 

By  comparing  the  two  drawings  D 
and  E,  a  very  fair  idea  of  the  scheme 
can  be  obtained.  It  will  be  seen  that 
facile  connection  is  made  through  the 
shrubs  by  introducing  the  pathways  to 
and  from  the  rock  garden  at  the 
points  where  the  access  is  easiest  and 
nearest.  In  plan  D,  either  in  the 
original  drawing  or  in  reproduction, 
the  path  has  become  much  too  obtru- 
sive ;  this  must  not  occur  on  the  land 
Always  remember  that  pathways 
should  be  subservient  to,  and  not 
dominate,  the  general  scheme.  In 
connecting  up  the  paths,  due  regard 
should  be  paid  to  the  fact  that  it  is 
unpleasant  to  be  brought  up  short 
by  a  sudden  twist  or  bend  (a  point 
not  too  carefully  studied  by  many 
English  landscape  gardeners).  The 
transition  from  one  path  to  another 
should  be  easy.  In  France  they 
have  a  useful  expression  that  in- 
stantly conveys  my  meaning  If  a 
proper  connection  of  paths  is  made, 
they  say  it  "  goes."  If  the  turn 
from  one  to  another  is  abrupt  or 
tortuous,  it  does  not  '*  go." 
Colchester.  George  Dillistonb. 
(To  be  continued.) 


November  29,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


597 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 

IN     A    HAMPSHIRE     GARDEN. 

Some  of  the  Newer  Roses. 

{Continued  from  page  586.) 

TEAS      FOR       EXHIBITION. 

ONE  would  like,  before  referring  in 
i  detail  to  exhibition  Teas,  to  put 
I  in  a  plea  for  their  more  e.\tended 
'  cultivation.  They  are,  taken  as 
a  class,  undoubtedly  the  freest 
flowering,  extending  over  a  longer 
period  than  any  other  section  of  the  Rose.  To-day 
(November  16)  I  cut  over  a  hundred  Roses  for 
the  house.  A  very  large  proportion  of  them 
were  Teas.  In  no  other  class  are  the  colours  so 
exquisite  and  refined.  They  are  admittedly  a 
little  tenderer  and  more  susceptible  to  frosts  than 
their  cousins  the  Hybrid  Teas 
and  the  Hybrid  Perpetuals,  but  I 
believe  they  could  be  grown  with 
ease  in  any  garden  south  of  the 
Thames  ;  yet  in  how  many  gardens 
are  they  almost  entirely  neglected. 
Some  of  the  finest  garden  and 
bedding  Roses  we  have  are  Teas, 
notably,  Mme.  Antoine  Mari.  A 
bed  of  this  variety  here  has  never 
been  without  flowers  since  May, 
and  is  now  quite  full  of  flower 
and  bud,  good  in  all  its  forms,  in 
the  half-open  bud  stage  an  ideal 
button-hole,  growth  and  contrast 
rif  foliage  with  flower  are  excellent. 
Lady  Hillingdon  is  tlie  best  yellow 
Rose  for  the  same  purpose  ;  Mrs, 
Herbert  Stevens,  the  best  white. 
It  is  only  when  we  come  to  pinks 
and  reds  that  the  Teas  fail  us. 
perhaps ;  but  I  am  wandering 
away  from  Teas  for  exhibition 
purposes,  to  which  I  must  return. 
Exhibition  Teas  are  not  many  in 
number,  but  they  make  up  in 
quahty  what  they  lack  in  quan- 
tity, and  newer  exhibition  Teas 
are  scarcer  still.  The  last  half- 
dozen  years  have  not  produced  a 
doren  varieties,  so  my  tale  will 
soon  be  told.  In  alphabetical  order 
one  starts  with  a  real  good  one  in 
Alexander  Hill  Gray   (Messrs. 

.\lex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1911). 
— Named  after  the  veteran  Tea 
Rose  grower  and  exhibitor.  I 
consider  this  the  finest  yellow  Tea 
in  commerce  at  the  present  time. 
It  was  awarded  the  gold  medal  of  the  National  Rose 
Society  as  far  back  as  1908  at  the  autumn  show, 
when  the  raisers  had  but  a  small  stock  of  it,  and 
we  had  to  wait  until  1911  before  it  was  put  on 
the  market,  so  that  it  has  only  had  two  seasons 
in  which  to  become  known  and  grown.  Despite 
this  fact,  it  was  more  frequently  exhibited  at  the 
National  Rose  Society's  Show  this  year  at  the  Royal 
Botanic  Gardens  than  such  old  favourites  as  The 
Bride,  Catherine  Mermet,  Souv.  d'Elise  Vardon, 
Cleopatra,  Mme.  Hoste  and  Mme.  Cusin,  to  name 
half-a-dozen  of  the  old  stand-bys.  Its  colour  may 
be  described  as  deep  lemon  yellow,  which  intensifies 
as  the  flower  ages ;  of  good  size  and  beautiful 
formation,  with  a  high,  pointed  centre.  It  is 
almost  at  its  best  in  the  autumn,  is  fragrant,  and 
was  placed  fourth  in  order  of  merit  in  Mr.  Mawley's 


.Analysis  of  the  new  Teas.  I  venture  to  think  it 
will  quickly  displace  one,  if  not  two,  of  those  now 
in  front  of  it  ;  in  fact,  the  trade  growers  did  so 
place  it,  and  they  would  know  more  about  its 
qualities. 

Miss  Alice  de  Rothschild  (Messrs.  .Mex.  Dickson 
and  Sons,  1910). — .\  very  beautiful  Rose,  but  not 
often  large  enough  to  find  its  way  into  an  exhibition 
box.  .\  good  colour,  very  strong  perfume,  which  is 
distinctly  Marechal  Niel  like,  very  free  and  con- 
tinuous flowerer,  and  a  good  grower.  Not  subject 
to  mildew. 

Molly  Shannan  Crawford  (Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson 
and  Sons,  1908). — The  finest  exhibition  white 
Tea  (both  Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs  and  White  Maman 
Cochet  are  tinted)  that  we  have,  and  also  a  most 
excellent  bedding  Rose,  sharing  the  honours 
in  this  latter  respect  only  with  Mrs.  Herbert  Stevens. 
Delicate  eau  de  nil  white,  which  in  the  fully-expanded 


ROSE  MRS.  E.  J.  HOLLAND,   A   HYBRID.TEA  WITH  DEEP  PINK  FLOWERS 
SUITABLE    FOR    GARDEN    AND    EXHIBITION    PURPOSES. 


flower  becomes  pure  white.  The  flowers  are  of 
large  size,  well  formed  and  held  erect  ;  sweetly 
scented.  A  very  marked  feature  is  the  length 
of  time  a  bloom  will  last  on  the  plant,  and  also 
when  cut.  I  have  always  had  a  great  regard  for 
this  Rose  since  the  first  time  I  saw  it  in  1904  at 
Newtownards,  and  was  very  disappointed  when 
it  failed  to  obtain  the  gold  medal.  Its  subsequent 
career  has  proved  that  it  fully  deserved  it.  I  should 
put  it  in  the  first  half-dozen  exhibition  Teas.  It 
was  more  frequently  exhibited,  I  see,  than  Maman 
Cochet  at  the  "  National "  this  year. 

Mrs.  Foley  Hobbs  (Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson  and 
Sons,  1910). — If  Molly  Sharman  Crawford  can 
count  on  being  in  the  first  half-dozen,  I  am  inclined 
to  place  this  Rose  at  the  head  of  the  list  as  the  most 
reliable   (seldom   does   the   split    appear   until   the 


flower  is  too  old  to  exhibit)  Tea  for  exhibition 
purposes  in  commerce.  It,  too,  had  more  than 
one  try  before  it  secured  the  gold  medal.  I  think 
it  was  staged  three  times.  It  secured  the  silver- 
gilt  medal  at  the  National  Rose  Society's 
Royal  Botanic  Gardens  Show  in  1910,  was 
exhibited  at  the  Salisbury  Show  in  the  same  year, 
but  the  award  was  not  increased,  and  secured  the 
gold  medal  at  the  autumn  show,  mainly  with  the 
help  of  some  smaller  flowers,  separately  staged, 
that  were  cut  from  that  year's  grafts  grown  under 
glass.  The  colour  is  delicate  ivory  white,  with  a 
faintly  picoteed  edge  to  the  petals,  of  a  clear, 
bright  pink,  and  a  young  flower  is  a  very  beautiful 
Rose  in  consequence.  A  good  grower,  fine  consti- 
tution, producing  many  fine  flowers  on  a  single 
plant  at  the  same  time  ;  sweetly  scented.  What 
more  can  one  say  ?  What  one  can  do  is  another 
matter.  I  suggest  to  those  who  have  not  got  it. 
Order  it  at  once  from  the  raisers. 
Mrs.  Herbert  Hawksworth 
(Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
1912). — Too  new  to  have  yet  been 
seen  much  on  the  show- bench  ex- 
cept in  the  exhibits  of  the  raisers. 
There  it  has  been  frequently  shown 
in  fine  form  throughout  the  season. 
I  remember  an  exceptionally  beau- 
tiful bloom  of  it  at  the  Gloucester 
Show.  Its  massive,  yet  smooth, 
shell-like  petals  form  a  large, 
globular-shaped  flower  of  great 
depth.  It  is  almost  a  pure  white 
that  I  am  sure  has  a  great  future 
in  front  of  it.  It  is  the  only  Tea 
of  last  year's  introduction  that  is 
likely  to  be  of  service  to  the 
exhibitor,  and  this  year,  so  far 
as  I  am  aware,  the  record  will  be 
a  blank.  It  will  be  noted  that  all 
of  these  new  Roses  I  have  named 
are  produced  by  Messrs.  Alex. 
Dickson  and  Sons,  and  the  lovers 
of  Tea  Roses  owe  them  a  great 
debt  of  gratitude.  When  one  re- 
members that  with  the  exception 
of  Mme.  Constant  Soupert  we  have 
not  had  an  exhibition  Tea  from 
the  Continent  for  more  than  ten 
years,  it  almost  looks  as  if,  without 
them.  Tea  Roses  for  exhibition 
purposes  would  cease  to  exist. 

Mrs.  Hubert  Taylor  (Messrs. 
-Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1909). — 
A  fine,  strong,  healthy  constitu- 
tion, with  very  vigorous  growth. 
A  suggestion  of  pale  pink  on  its 
petals  is  one  of  its  distinctions. 
A  beautiful  Rose,  very  free-flowering  and,  if 
disbudded,  of  exhibition  standard.  Supposed 
to  be  a  Mme.  Cusin  seedling.  It  received  the  gold 
medal  of  the  National  Rose  Society  at  the  Luton 
Show  in  1908,  very  much  to  the  delight  of  Mr. 
Mawley  I  remember,  after  whose  niece  it  is  named. 
Nita  Weldon  (Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
r909). — Another  white  Tea  with  a  delicate  flush. 
Sent  out  by  the  raisers  as  a  decorative  variety 
only,  it  has  during  the  last  two  years  been  fre- 
quently exhibited,  and  was  well  represented  at  the 
"  National "  this  year.  It  is  a  dehghtful  Rose, 
round  -  shaped  rather  than  pointed,  very  free- 
flowering  and  delicately  perfumed.  A  good  grower. 
Climbing  Souv.  de  Pierre  Netting  (Messrs. 
Frank  Cant  and  Co.,  1912). — ^All  Tea  exhibitors 
know  how  useful  the  type  bearing  this  name  is. 


598 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  29,  1913. 


I'AKl      01       1111: 


,AKDhN    AND    LILY    PONIJ    Al     ilAL  I  IXGULK  V    PL  ACi; 


I  suggest  they  will  find  this  form  of  it  much  more 
so.  It  bears  larger  flowers,  of  a  better  colour  and 
shape,  with  less  of  the  outer  short,  ragged  petal 
that  so  often  disfigures  the  type.  A  plant  I  had 
from  the  raisers  last  year  has  been  very  fine,  and 
is  now  flowering  from  the  laterals  of  the  early  wood 
of  this  year's  growth.  It  is  a  rampant  grower, 
and  I  can  strongly  recommend  it,  not  only  to 
exhibitors,  but  to  garden  lovers,  as  the 
best  yellow  climber  in  commerce. 

Herbert    E.  Molyneu.x. 
Snulhampton.  i^ 

{To   be  continued.) 


an  unobtrusive  but  elegantly  wrought  iron  gate, 
cunningly  inserted  between  two  tall  English  Yews, 
to  a  path  bordered  by  tall  Yew  hedges.  At  about 
halfway  along  this  path,  at  a  point  where  it  turns 
sharply  to  the  right,  the  stranger  involuntarily 
pauses  in  surprised  admiration  of  the  picture  that 
breaks  on  his  or  her  view.  Stretching  out  at  their 
feet  is  a  long,  formal  Lily  pond  bespangled  with 


the  cliuicest  Nymphaias  m  white,  crim- 
son, pink  and   cream  varieties.      The 
pond    itself  broadens  out  in  the  fore- 
ground into  a  square   pool,   and   was 
designed   specially  with     a    view    to 
obtaining  the  best  possible  perspective 
effect.     On  either  side  of  the  square 
pool  rise  two    simple    jets    of    water 
that,  rising  well   above  the  eye-level, 
meet   in   a  sort  of  arch  of  water  that 
focusses  the  view  down  the  long  canal. 
The   bed  design  is  very  simple,  being 
merely    rectangular    borders    running 
close  up  to    the  coping  of  the    pond 
on  either  side,  but  by  a  skilful  arrange- 
ment of  the  planting  the  most  exquisite 
colour    effects    are     obtained.       This 
varies  somewhat   from  season  to  sea- 
son,  that   for   1913  being  as  follows  : 
Three  sides  of  the  beds  are  edged  with 
Xepeta  Mussinii  and  Cerastium  tomen- 
tosum.     The   fourth    (or  pond)  side  is 
grouped  with   pale    blue   Linum  nar- 
bonense,     Iris     sibirica,    and    a    few 
grassy      plants,     such      as      Eulalia 
japonica    gracillima,    &c.      Each    bed 
also   contains   two  masses  of   a  dwarf 
Rosemary,  the  remainder  being  filled  in 
with  Ivy-leaved   Pelargonium  Gahlee. 
By  this  combination  a  delicious  laven- 
der and  pink  effect  is  obtained.     Even 
if  this  were  all  there  was  to  note  about  this  garden, 
the  effect  would  be  charming  enough  ;    but  it   is 
not.     The   designer  conceived    the   happy  idea   of 
sinking  the  whole  some  2   feet   and  retaining  the 
banks,  with  a  dry  wall  so  arranged  that  a  magnifi- 
cent collection  of  alpines  and  trailing  plants  could 
be   introduced,    and   at   the   same   time   providing 
a  sort  of  panoramic  view  of  the  gardens  as  seen 


GARDENS  OF  TO-DAY 


HALLINGBURY     PLACE, 
BISHOP'S    STORTFORD. 

THE  scries  of  gardens  at 
Hallingbury  Place  are  par- 
ticularly fine  examples  of 
what  can  be  done  in  a  com- 
paratively short  time,  pro- 
viding natural  facilities, 
such  as  are  to  be  found  there,  exist. 
When  about  three  years  ago  Mrs. 
Locket  t  Agnew,  whose  charming  home 
this  is,  decided  to  remodel  the  whole 
place,  few  of  the  beautiful  features 
to  be  found  there  now  were  in  exist- 
ence ;  yet  at  the  time  of  our  visit, 
during  the  closing  days  of  May,  the 
whole  were  so  well  furnished  as  to 
give  one  the  impression  that  they  had 
been  there  for  quite  a  long  period. 
As  already  indicated,  the  surroundings 
of  Hallingbury  Place  consist  of  a 
unique  series  of  gardens,  each  com- 
plete in  itself,  but  each  leading 
naturally  and  connectedly  to  the  next. 

The  Sunk  Garden  and  Lily  Pond.-^ 

Tuniiug  lo  the  left,  one  enters  through 


PERGOLA    IN    THE    ROSE    GARDEN,    WITH    MADONNA    LILIES,    AND    A    BED    OF    NEPETA    MUSSINII    IN 

THE    DISTANCE. 


November  29,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


599 


Irom  tlie  approach.  At  the  base  of  the  wall 
garden  runs  a  path  surrounding  the  four  sides, 
approached  at  either  end  down  steps  through 
the  wall.  Between  this  path  and  the  beds  a  just 
proportion  of  grassy  lawn  is  introduced,  while 
surrounding  the  whole  garden  are  broad  grass 
walks  that  provide  just  that  note  of  peace  and 
rest  so  desirable  in  any  garden,  and  so  frequently 
missing  when  any  attempt  at  formal  lines  is  intro- 
duced. The  whole  effect  of  the  sunk  garden 
is  to  lead  the  eye  towards  the  woodland,  and 
attract  the  stranger  on  and  through  it  to  see 
what  lies  beyond.  In  passing,  however,  one  is 
compelled  to  notice  the  fine  groupings  of  Fox- 
gloves, Mulleins  and  other  flowering  hardy  plants, 
grouped  with  real  natural  chapn  in  the  shadows. 
There  is  one  other  feature  in  the  woodland  that 
demands  notice — a  magnificent  pair  of  giant  Cedars  ; 
two  of  the  finest  we  have  ever  seen,  indeed.  It 
is  said  of  these  two  that  some 
450  years  ago  one  of  the  ancestors  of 
the  present  owners  of  the  estate 
brought  two  cones  from  the  Holy 
Land  and  planted  them  in  this  posi- 
tion, and  that  these  trees  are  the 
result. 
May-Flowering  Tulips  Massed  for 

Colour  Effect. — Passing  on  to  the 
left,  along  a  slightly-curved  path, 
the  visitor  (if  he  happens  to  be  there 
at  the  right  season)  opens  a  small 
wicket-gate,  takes  a  few  steps  for- 
ward, and  receives  surprise  No.  2. 
On  the  right,  stretching  away  in 
every  direction  among  the  trees,  arc 
gorgeous  masses  of  May-flowering  and 
Darwin  Tulips.  The  trees  have  been 
so  thinned  as  to  create  long  vistas, 
luige  beds  made  in  the  grass,  and 
the  varieties  so  arranged  that  from 
all  the  principal  points  of  view  the 
colours  form  distinct  and  pleasing 
gradations  or  combinations.  In  the 
foreground  are  massed  the  stronger 
colours,  such  as  Pride  of  Haarlem 
and  Professor  Rawenhofi,  while  in 
the  e.\treme  distance  the  paler 
lavender  and  lilac  shades,  such  as 
Melicette  and    Erguste,  are  used. 

The     Rose    Garden.— Continuins 

the  walk,  one  passes  through  Yew 
hedges  into  the  Rose  garden.  Every- 
thing on  the  estate,  the  house,  walls 
and  buildings,  is  of  brick — brick  that 
has  taken  on  the  tone  of  age,  and 
that  looks  warm  and  rich  in  the 
Herts  atmosphere.  The  pergola 
that  extends  the  whole  length  of  the  Rose 
garden  was  therefore  constructed  of  old  brick, 
relieved  with  tile  creasing  at  about  every  four 
courses.  This  has  the  effect  of  somewhat 
lightening  the  appearance  of  the  pillars,  and  gives 
a  sensation  of  design  that,  whde  looking  in  no 
way  "  fussy,"  certainly  achieves  the  result  of 
destroying  the  monotony  of  plain  pillars.  All  the 
walks  are  paved  just  sufficiently  wide  to  ensure 
dry  walking  during  wet  weather.  One  of  the  most 
charmmg  features  in  the  Rose  garden  is  a  long, 
straight  walk,  paved  and  bordered  with  Lavender. 
Rising  above  the  Lavender  are  stout  Fir  poles 
about  five  feet  high,  on  which  climbing  Roses 
are  festooned  from  one  to  the  other.  Coloiur 
effects  here,  as  everywhere  else,  have  been  carefully 
studied.  Pale  lavender  blue  Clematises  mingle  with 
pink  Ruses  on  the  walls  ;     pretty  combinations  of 


pink  and  cream  are  used  elsewhere,  while  here  and 
there  a  mass  of  rich  dark  purple  Clematis  is  mixed 
with    just     the    right    shade    of    crimson    Roses. 


boulders  rise  from  masses  of  every  known  variety 
of  alpine  and  rock  plant,  and  every  crevice  and 
cranny  is  rich   with   some  choice  gem,   while  the 


One  could  linger  here  and  find  much  of  interest  for  |  stream  and  its  banks  become  in  the  summer- 
a  considerable  time,  but  there  is  much  else  that  1  time  a  miniature  wilderness  of  aquatic  and  semi- 
caUs  for  attention.  Stretching  along  the  whole  front  ,  aquatic  life.  Here,  again,  the  art  of  concealment 
line  of  the  Rose  garden  are  tennis  and  croquet  has  been  so  carefully  utilised  that  it  is  quite  im- 
lawns,  approached  by  broad  picturesque  steps,  possible  to  realise  the  existence  of  the  rock  garden 
Before  the  gardens,  teimis  courts,  &c.,  were  made,  until  it  actually  breaks  on  the  view.  Returning  by 
there  was  a  simk  fence  that  extended  right  rormd  1  the  opposite   side   of   the   pond,  the  visitor  arrives 


the  gardens,  over  half  a  mUe  in  length.  At  this 
point  the  land  has  been  sloped  back  to  an  easy 
gradient  from  the   base  of  the   wall   and  planted 


again    at    the   entrance  to   the  Rose   garden  ;   but 
there  is  no  need  to  go  back  that  way. 
The   Wild    Garden. — Straight    on   is   a   broad 


thickly  with  wichiuraiana  and  other  free-growing  pathway,  "u  the  right  of  which  is  the  wild  spring 
Roses.  Crevices  have  been  made  in  the  brickwork  garden.  As,  however,  at  the  time  of  our  visit 
and  filled  with  Antirrhinimis,  Aubrietias,  Alyssums,  this  was  past  its  best,  we  cannot  speak  authorita- 
Achilleas,  Campanulas  and  numerous  other  plants  tively  as  to  its  effect,  but  the  arrangement  of  its 
suitable  for  wall  culture,  with  an  artistic  effect  undulating  walks,  grassy  banks  and  the  rejnains 
that  it  is  impossible  to  adequately  describe.  1  of   innumerable    spring-flowering     plants    lead    us 


M.W-lLOWliRIXG    lULIPS    GKOUPUD    iOR    COLOUR    lil  1 ECI    UNDER 

AGNEW'S    GARDENS. 


APPLE    TREES    IN    MRS.    LOCKETT 


The  Ornamental  Pond  and  Rock  Garden. — 

Leavmg  the  Rose  garden,  through  a  very  beautiful 
iron  gate,  one  instinctively  turns  to  the  right,  where 
a  fine  stretch  of  water  meets  the  gaze.  This  is 
the  "  Morley  "  pond,  believed  to  have  been  an  old 
fish  pond,  and  round  which  clings  the  romance 
of  a  ghost  story.  By  the  removal  of  some 
thousands  of  tons  of  earth,  creating  long,  sloping 
valleys  between  giant  Oaks  right  down  to  the 
water's  edge,  what  was  once  a  rectangular  pond, 
bounded  by  gravel  paths,  has  been  transformed  into 
a  beautiful  natural  water  garden,  just  sufficiently 
planted  to  give  pleasing  effects  without  over- 
crowding. Some  irregular  stepping-stones  tempt 
the  stranger  on  until,  having  traversed  the  length 
of  the  pond,  one  arrives  at  the  rock  garden. 
The  overflow  from  the  pond  is  taken  through 
the  rock  garden  in  a  sort  of  rocky  stream.     Great 


to  think  that  it  possesses,  when  in  flower,  a  charm 
all  its  own.  Hastening  on,  one  reaches  a  superb 
herbaceous  border,  and,  pausing  here  and  there  to 
admire  various  effects  therein,  suddenly  emerges 
into  what  is  called  the  wild  garden,  where  Art  and 
Nature  have  combined  to  achieve  one  of  the 
simplest,  and  yet  most  exquisite,  garden  pictures 
imaginable.  Involuntarily,  as  one  enters  between 
the  trees  and  catches  glimpses  of  the  riot  of  growth 
and  flower  in  every  direction,  the  words  of  Gold- 
smith's  "Deserted   Village"    enter   the   mind: 

Near  yonder  copse  where  once  a  garden  smiled. 
And  still  where  many  a  garden  flower  grows  wild. 

Poppies,  Pseonies,  Liliums,  Broom,  Lupines,  Rose- 
mary, flowering  shrubs  of  all  descriptions.  Azaleas, 
Briars,  anything  and  everything  have  been  pressed 
into  service  ;  nothing  has  been  considered  too  good 
or  too  common  if  it  was  only  beautiful  and  could 


600 


THE    GARDEN. 


[November  29,  1913, 


be  made  to  grow.  And  we  must  here  pay  a  tribute 
to  the  talented  head-gardener,  Mr.  Heath,  who 
by  some  e,\traordinary  magical  influence  manages 
so  to  organise  these  delightful  gardens  that  failures 
seem  to  be  non-existent.  We  do  not  remember 
through  the  whole  course  of  a  pleasant  day  seeing 
one  plant  that  did  not  speak  eloquently  of  the 
care  and  attention  bestowed,  and  yet  the  whole  is 
maintained  in  its  proper  character. 

Would  space  permit,  there  are  a  great  many 
other  interesting  features  at  Hallingbury  Place 
that  we  could  write  about,  such  as  the  beautiful 
Cedar  avenue,  the  kitchen  garden  and  glass-houses, 
and  the  old  Mulberry  tree  planted  in  the  titae  of 
James  I.  in  obedience  to  the 
Royal  Command  to  plant  Mul- 
berries for  silkworms.  The  series 
of  gardens,  of  which  we  give  a 
few  typical  illustrations,  have  been 
designed  and  carried  out  by  Messrs. 
R.  Wallace  and  Co.,  under  the  super- 
vision of  Mr.  George  Dillistone, 
whose  articles  on  rock  garden 
construction  we  are  now  publishing. 
Mrs.  Lockett  Agnew,  who  is  an 
ardent  admirer  of  all  that  is 
beautiful  in  Nature,  and  particu- 
larly in  gardening,  has  taken  an 
enthusiastic  interest  in  the  makine 
of  these  gardens. 


the  side  of  the  greenhouse.  A  small  iron  hutch 
measuring  about  twenty  inches  square  fits  over 
the  boiler,  and  so  keeps  it  protected  from  the 
weather,  but  at  the  same  time  lets  the  fumes 
escape  through  a  number  of  ventilation  holes 
round  its  sides.  The  pipes,  which  are  4  inches 
in  diameter,  heat  up  in  about  an  hour 
from  the  time  the  gas  is  turned  on,  and, 
when  the  desired  heat  is  obtained,  the  gas 
can  be  turned  down  to  a  small  peep  just 
sufficient  to  keep  the  heat  in  the  pipes.  It 
will  thus  be  seen  that  a  very  small  quantity 
of  gas  is  consumed,  and,  as  gas  is  now  so  cheap 
everywhere,  the  cost  is  not  great. 


the  weather  become  suddenly  cold,  the  heat  can 
be  turned  on  in  a  second.  On  dull,  wet  days 
it  can  be  most  successfully  used  to  dry  the  atmo- 
sphere by  turning  on  the  gas  for  an  hour  or  so. 
These  boilers  are  sure  to  give  satisfaction  if  kept 
in  good  condition,  and  the  time  and  labour  they 
save  make  them  a  boon  to  the  amateur.       G.  B. 


NEW    AND     RARE     PLANTS. 


GAS   BOILERS   FOR 
GREENHOUSE  HEATING. 


I  DARESAY  that  many  am -i- 
teurs  who,  like  myself,  are 
away  all  day  at  business 
have  avoided  getting  a 
greenhouse,  or,  if  they  have 
one,  it  is  a  cold  house  with 
no  heating  apparatus,  owing  to  the 
trouble  of  attending  to  the  fire. 
This  is  a  very  reasonable  excuse, 
as  it  is  no  joke  to  come  home  after 
a  long  day  at  the  office  and  go 
straight  out  to  stoke  a  fire,  nor 
is  it  the  kind  of  work  that  one  likes 
to  ask  those  at  home  to  do.  I 
was  in  this  predicament  myself 
for  some  time,  when  I  noticed  a 
gas  boiler  advertised  for  heating 
a  garage,  and  on  making  enquiries 
I  found  that  there  were  several 
on  the  market  suitable  for  heat- 
ing greenhouses.  I  made  up  my 
mind  then  to  get  a  greenhouse 
and  try  heating  it  with  gas.  I 
got  a  local  man  to  build  me  a 
small  greenhouse,  and  I  then 
ordered  the  boiler  and  a  suitable 
length  of  pipes,  which  arrived 
in  due  course.  All  were  easily  fitted  together 
and  a  pipe  connected  with  the  meter  in  the  house. 
On  this  pipe  there  are  two  cocks,  one  at  the  boiler 
and  the  other  at  the  meter.  The  advantage  of 
having  the  one  at  the  meter  is  that  during  the 
summer,  and  when  the  heat  is  not  wanted,  the 
gas  can  be  turned  off  here,  and  so  prevent  any 
possible  waste  by  an  escape  in  the  pipe  out  to  the 
boiler. 

With  the  apparatus  that  I  have,  no  fumes  can 
possibly  reach  the  plants,  as  the  boiler  is  outside 
of  the  greenhouse,  and  is  connected  to  the  main 
pipes  inside  by  two  small  pipes  which  pass  through 


FIRST-CLASS  CERTIFICATE. 
Columnea  oerstediana. — A  remarkably  beauti- 
ful gesneraceous  plant  from  Costa  Rica.  The 
species  is  of  shrubby  growth, 
the  prostrate  or  trailing  branches 
thickly  set  with  small,  ovate, 
shining  leaves,  from  whose  axils, 
on  short  footstalks,  the  2-inch- 
long,  tubular  flowers  issue.  These 
latter  are  of  the  most  bril- 
liant colouring,  almost  orange 
scarlet,  save  fur  a  touch  of 
yellow  colouring  near  the  throat. 
The  well-flowered  example,  illus- 
trated on  this  page,  was  a  great 
attraction.  From  Sir  Trevor 
Lawrence,  Bart.,  Dorking  (gar- 
dener, Mr.  Bain). 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Begonia  Syros  (B.  socotrana 
Trussed  with  a  tuberous-rooted 
variety). — Quite  a  charming  addi- 
tion to  winter-flowering  Begonias, 
the  compact  habit  and  abundant 
flowering  rendering  it  most  at- 
tractive. The  predominant  colour 
shade  is  pink,  with  a  suspicion 
of  white  at  the  edges.  From 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons, 
Chelsea. 

Chrysanthemum  Mary  Morris. 
— A  well-grown  plant,  some  4  feet 
liigh,  of  this  single  -  flowered 
variety  was  shown,  and  a  few 
such  would  be  welcome  in  any 
conservatory  at  this  season.  The 
colour  is  deep  terra-cotta,  with 
reddish  bronze.  It  is  a  very 
showy  variety.  From  Mr.  T. 
Stevenson,  gardener  to  E. 
Mocatta,  Esq.,  Addlestone, 
Surrey. 


NEW    ORCHIDS. 
AWARDS     OF    MERIT. 

The    species    and     varieties     to 
gain    awards     were     of     a    varied 
nature.       Lieutenant  -  Colonel    Sir 
George  Holford,  K.C.V.O.,  showed 
Any     amateurs    who    have    hitherto     debarred  1  a  handsome  Cypripedium  named  Cyclops.     Messrs. 
themselves   the   pleasures  of   a   greenhouse,   owing  ,  Charlesworth     and     Co.     gained     awards     for     a 


THE  BRILLIANTLY  COLOURED  COLUMNE.\  CERSTEDIANA  FROM  COSTA 
RICA.  IT  WAS  DISCOVERED  IN  1861,  BUT  LOST  TO  CULTIVATION 
UNTIL    RECENTLY. 


to  the  time  and  trouble  spent  with  the  ordinary 
coke  fire,  should  write  to  the  makers  of  any  of 
the  advertised  boilers  and  ask  them  for  particulars. 
My   own   is   a   "  Garajo,"    and   I   can   confidently 


grand  variety  of  Laelio  -  Cattleya  Feronia  and 
for  Angraecum  recurvum,  the  latter  an  in- 
teresting species  with  comparatively  small  white 
flowers.       Messrs.     Flory    and     Black    of    Slough 


recommend  this  to  anyone,  as  I  have  never  had  showed    Dendrobium    leeanum    Langley    Variety, 

the  slightest  trouble  with  it,  and  the  only  attention  while     from      Messrs.      Armstrong      and      Brown 

it   needs  is   an   occasional   brush   over   to   remove  came  MUtonioda  Harwoodii  The  Shrubbery  Variety 

any   particles   of   dirt    which    the   gas   discharges,  and   Cypripedium    Kentore,  the   latter   an   attrac- 

I   have  found  it   very  economical,  because  if  the  tive    variety    possessing     some     of     the     charac- 

nights  are  mild  there  is  no  necessity  to  have  any  teristics    of    C.     fairreanum,     from     which     it    is 

artificial  heat  in  the  greenhouse  at  all,  and  should  descended. 


November  29,  igi^-] 


THE     GARDEN. 


601 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

FLOWERING     SHRUBS     FOR     SMALL    GARDENS. 


HERE  are  now  so  many  shrubs  avail-  large,  flattened  heads  of  bright  red  flowers  freely 
able  for  the  outdoor  garden  that  those  |  over  a  period  of  several  weeks  during  July  and 
who    have    little     knowledge     on    the  i  August.     The  best  results  are  obtained  by  pruning 


T 

■  subject       experience     a     difiiculty     in 

^  making  up  their  minds  which  to  choose  ; 

therefore  the  following  list  of  twelve 
really  good  and  showy  kinds  has  been  com- 
piled as  an  aid  to  beginners  who  are  about  to  make 
a  selection  for  present  planting.  The  peculiarities 
of  each  kind  are  dealt  with  briefly 
in  the  accompanying  notes. 

Hamamelis  mollis. — This  is  the 
best  of  the  Witch  Hazels.  It  is 
a  native  of  China,  and  is  recog- 
nised by  its  large,  broadly  oval, 
hairy  leaves  and  fragrant,  golden 
flowers,  which  appear  during 
December  or  January.  The  petals 
difier  from  those  of  other  Witch 
Hazels  by  being  flat  with  hooked 
ends,  instead  of  twisted,  as  is  usual 
in  other  kinds.  It  thrives  in  light, 
well-drained,  loamy  soil,  to  which 
a  little  peat  has  been  added,  and 
requires  a  light  and  open  position. 
No  other  pruning  is  necessary  ex- 
cept what  is  required  to  keep  the 
plant  in  shape. 

Ribes  sanguineum  atrorubens 
is  a  very  rich  coloured  form  of 
the  ordinary  Flowering  Currant. 
When  planted  in  good  loamy  soil 
it  grows  into  a  bush  4  feet  or 
3  feet  high  and  as  far  across, 
and  bears  its  rich  red  flowers 
Ireely  during  .^pril.  No  regular 
priming  need  be  given,  but  if 
vigorous  young  shoots  appear 
from  about  the  base,  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  encourage  them  by  re- 
moving one  or  two  of  the  older 
branches. 

Daphne  Mezereiun. — No  plant 
is  more  popular  than  this  when 
it  is  covered  with  its  fragrant, 
red  flowers  in  February.  It  is 
often  met  with  as  a  shapely  bush 
2  feet  to  2j  feet  high.  Cool, 
loamy  soil  containing  a  little 
lime  suits  it  well.  Towards  the 
middle  of  the  summer  it  is 
again  showy  by  reason  of  it; 
rich  red  fruits.  It  does  not 
require  pruning. 


the  younger  branches  about  halfway  back  each 
spring,  and  removing  at  the  same  time  some  of 
the  older  wood  right  to  the  base.  Give  rich,  loamy 
soil  and  a  sunny  position. 

Magnolia   stellata. — Though   this  is  one  of   the 
nuist   bcciulilul  of  all   flowering  shrubs,  it  is  only 


\\>ii' 


■.Vil-'\.-*." 


VIBURNUM     TINUS     OR      LAURUSTINUS,     A     BEAUTIFUL     WINTER 
FLOWERING    SHRUB    FOR    SMALL    AND    LARGE    GARDENS. 


themselves  on  any  object  within  reach,  and  the 
secondary  branchlets  hang  m  graceful  fashion 
round  about.  A  somewhat  similar  effect  is  produced 
when  it  is  planted  against  a  pillar  or  trellis,  but 
when  planted  in  a  bed  in  the  open  ground  and  cut 
hard  back  to  within  a  couple  of  feet  of  the  soil 
each  year  after  flowering,  it  forms  strong,  erect 
shoots  3  feet  to  4  feet  long,  which  blossom  from 
base  to  summit.  .\ny  good  garden  soil  is  suitable. 
Prunus     japonica    flore    albo 

pleno. — This  IS  a  double  white 
flowered  form  of  a  dwarf  Cherry 
from  China  and  Japan.  It  forms 
long,  slender  branches,  which  bear 
blossoms  from  almost  every  leaf- 
axil  during  .\pril  or  May.  Good, 
loamy  soil  must  be  provided,  and 
some  of  the  older  wood  be  re- 
moved every  second  year  to  make 
way  for  young  growth,  for  the 
more  vigorous  the  young  wood  is,' 
the  greater  is  the  number  of  flowers. 

Diervilla  Eva  Rathke  is  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  the  many 
charming  garden  forms  of  the 
genus.  Its  rich  crimson  flowers 
are  borne  freely  during  the  greater 
part  of  the  summer.  Plant  in 
rich,  loamy  soil  and  remove  a  little 
of  the  older  wood  each  year,  allow- 
ing the  young  wood  to  remain  its 
lull  length. 

Viburnum   tomentosum   plica 

tum.  —  Few  shrubs  are  more 
beautiful  than  this  during  June 
or  early  July,  for  at  that  period  il 
is  a  mass  of  round  flower-heads, 
the  flowers  being  sterile  and 
made  up  of  large  white  bracts  after 
the  manner  of  our  common  Snow- 
ball Tree.  It  is  a  native  of 
China,  grows  5  feet  high  in  loamy 
soil,  and  requires  no  pruning.  A 
light  and  sunny  position  is  desirable. 
Viburnum  Tinus.— This  is  the 
Laurustinus  of  Southern  Europe 
and  our  gardens.  Many  people  will 
doubtless  be  familiar  with  it,  and 
those  who  do  not  already  know  it 
may  gain  a  good  idea  of  its  beauty 
from  the  accompanying  illustra- 
tion. Its  dark,  evergreen  leaves 
provide  an  excellent  background 
for  its  waxy  white  flowers,  which 


Spiraea     arguta    is,   perhaps,   the    best    of    the  I  suitable  for  the  milder  parts  of  the  country,  for    open    at     intervals    from    November    to    March, 
early-flowering  Spiraeas.     It  is  of  hybrid  origin  and  [  its    glistening    white,    star-shaped   flowers   expand  |  Ordinary    garden  soil   suits    it,    but    it    must    not 


at  its  best  during  April.  At  that  time  every 
branch  is  laden  with  pure  white  blossoms.  Wlien 
planted  in  loamy  soil  it  may  be  expected  to  grow 
at  least  4  feet  high,  with  a  wide  spread.  The 
branchlets  are  slender  and  have  a  graceful  poise. 
Diiring  the  summer  they  carry  dainty,  light  green 
leaves.  It  is  only  necessary  to  prune  when  the 
bushes  are  outgrowing  their  positions.  The 
branches  may  then  be  cut  back  well  as  soon  as  the 
flowers  fade. 

Spiraea  japonica  Anthony  Waterer  belongs  to 
the  summer-flowering  Spiraeas.  Growing  about 
two  feet  high,  it  forms  a  shapely  bush,  and  produces 


during  early  April  and  are  sometimes  injured  by  |  be  transplanted  when  large.  No  regular  pruning 
late  frosts.     Under  favourable  conditions  it  forms    is  necessary. 

a  shapely  bush  6  feet  to  iz  feet  high,  and  the  Cytisus  scoparius  andreanus  is  a  variety  of 
branches  are  hidden  beneath  its  wealth  of  flowers,  the  common  Broom  which  differs  from  the  type 
Well-diained  loamy  soil  with  a  little  peat  suits  it  i  by    having   rich   reddish    brown    mng   petals.     It 


well.     It  does  not  require  pruning. 

Forsythia  suspensa  is  easily  one  of  the  best 
twelve  flowering  shrubs.  A  native  of  China,  it 
forms  a  rather  loose,  graceful  shrul)  S  feet  to 
15  feet  high,  and  bears  a  profusion  of  golden, 
bell-shaped  flowers  during  April.  Its  character 
is  altered  according  to  the  way  in  which  it  is  grown. 
If  allowed  to  grow  freely,  its  main  branches  support 


may  be  grown  almost  anywhere,  even  in  com- 
paratively poor  soil.  Pruning  must  be  practised 
each  year  as  soon  as  the  flowers  fade,  but  the 
branches  must  not  be  cut  back  into  wood  which 
is  older  than  one  year.  The  blossoms  appear  in 
May. 

In   a  future   article  I  will  name   another   dozen 
for  those  who  require  a  wider  selection.  D. 


602 


THE    GARDEN. 


[November  29,  1913. 


GARDENING     OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Helleborus  niger. — This  beautiful  midwinter 
flowering  plant  is  in  a  forward  condition  this  year, 
and  to  ensure  having  the  blooms  as  free  from 
marks  and  stains  as  possible,  steps  should  be  taken 
to  cover  them  with  lights.  Before  doing  so  all 
dead  and  decaying  leaves  should  be  cleared  off 
the  plants,  and  a  good  soaking  of  liquid  manure 
may  be  given.  The  lights  should  be  raised  above  the 
plants  some  2  feet  or  3  feet,  so  as  to  allow  a  current 
of  air  to  pass  over  the  plants,  and  thus  keep  them 
as  dry  as  possible  at  this  season.  The  practice  of 
lifting  the  roots  and  placing  them  indoors  is  not 
to  be  recommended,  as,  by  covering  as  advised,  the 
flowers  may  be  had  quite  as  clean,  and,  further, 
there  is  no  check  to  the  plants.  If  lifted,  they  take 
at  least  two  seasons  to  get  over  the  check. 

Solomon's  Seal.  —  This  ever-popular  plant  is 
very  useful  in  the  spring  for  cutting,  and  where 
grown  in  quantity,  lifted  clumps  make  good 
decorative  subjects  for  the  conservatory.  To 
increase  the  stock,  clumps  should  be  lifted,  replant- 
ing the  individual  crowns  from  6  inches  to  9  inches 
apart  in  rows. 

Spiraeas  may  now  be  lifted  for  forcing  purposes, 
splitting  up  a  portion  of  the  plants  and  replanting 
for  stock.  These  like  a  fairly  sandy  soil,  and  it 
should  be  liberally  dressed  with  short  manure. 
In  planting,  sufficient  space  should  be  allowed  the 
plants  to  develop  their  foliage,  without  which  it 
is  impossible  to  secure  good  crowns. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Bulbs. — The  several  varieties  of  Due  van  Thol 
Tulips  should  now  be  ready  for  introducing  into 
heat ;  and  after  seeing  with  what  success  such  sub- 
lects  are  handled  by  our  market-growers,  I  am  led  to 
think  that  the  majority  of  private  gardeners  give 
them  too  much  light  and  not  sufficient  heat.  The 
house  or  frame  should  be  covered  either  with  mats 
or  tiffany  till  the  flowers  are  well  in  evidence,  when 
the  plants  should  be  given  a  little  more  light  and 
air.  A  temperature  of  from  60°  to  70°  is  necessary 
to  get  them  fairly  long  in  the  stems,  and  at  no  time 
should  they  be  allowed  to  become  dry  at  the  root. 
Frequent  dampings  overhead  are  essential. 

Narcissi  Van  Sion  and  Golden  Spur  may  also 

be  brought  in,  but  these  will  not  stand  quite  so 
much  heat  as  the  Tulips.  Other  details  of  culti- 
vation are  similar. 

Roman  Hyacinths  are  now  making  a  good 
show,  and  for  use  as  pot  plants  they  should  be 
carefully  staked.  The  later  batches  may  be 
brought  out  of  the  cold  frames,  as  if  left  there 
much  longer  tlie  blooms  will  be  inclined  to  damp. 

Italian  Hyacinths  may  be  brought  forward 
to  succeed  the  Roman  Hyacinths.  These  are 
particularly  useful  in  January  and  February,  both 
as  pot  plants  and  for  cut  flowers.  The  large- 
flowering  varieties  of  Hyacinths  generally  are  not 
ready  for  bringing  forward,  but  the  variety  La 
Tour  de  Auvergne  forces  well,  and  I  have  frequently 
had  it  in  good  condition  by  Christmas  and  the 
New  Year.  Most  of  the  early  bulbs  under  ashes 
should  be  gone  over,  and  those  that  have  rooted 
well  and  made  2  inches  or  3  inches  of  top  growth 
may  be  removed  to  the  cold  frame,  where  they 
should  be  covered  with  mats  for  a  few  days  to 
exclude  the  light,  and  ample  protection  must  be 
provided  against  frost. 

Cyclamen  that  are  throwing  up  flowers  must  be 
well  looked  after  in  the  way  of  water  and  manure, 
as  just  at  this  stage  there  is  a  great  strain  on  the 
plants.  I  noted  a  very  fine  batch  of  these  plants 
at  the  Paris  Show,  the  foliage  covering  a  space 
of  at  least  18  inches,  while  the  flowers  were  equally 
good.  The  grower  told  me  they  were  only  one 
year  old,  and  were  grown  in  a  moderately  warm 
house  all  through.  The  difference  between  these 
and  part  of  the  Semie  batch  grown  in  frames 
was  particularly  noticeable  ;  hence  the  deduction 
that  the  plants  like  a  little  warmth  at  the  root, 
especially  where  early  plants  are  desired. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 
Seakale. — By  this  date  Seakale  should  force 
fairly  well,  and  batches  should  be  introduced  into 
the  forcing-house  or  frame  at  intervals,  according 
to  the  requirements  of  the  establishment,  though 
where  limited  quantities   are  to  hand  it   may  be 


advisable  to  reserve  them  somewhat  until  the 
supply  of  outdoor  vegetables  is  less  plentiful. 

Asparagus. — Further  batches  should  be  placed  in 
the  frames  as  required.  A  good  batch  put  in  now 
should  be  ready  for  use  about  Christmas  or  the 
New  Year,  a  time  when  choice  vegetables  are  in 
great  demand. 

Mint  should  now  be  introduced  into  heat,  and 
if  this  has  been  grown  in  boxes  as  advised  in  a 
calendar  early  in  the  year,  it  will  be  found  to  force 
much  more  quickly  than  roots  freshly  lifted  from 
the  open  ground. 

French  Beans. — The  supply  of  French  Beans 
is  about  over  in  the  cold  frames,  though  where  the 
pits  are  heated  the  plants  may  remain  for  a  week 
or  two  longer.  Batches  that  are  coming  along 
in  pots  must  receive  careful  attention.  They  must 
not  be  allowed  to  get  dry  at  the  root,  and  frequent 
dampings  between  the  pots  should  arrest  any 
attacks  from  spider. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Transplanting  Fruit  Trees. — The  weather  up 

to  now  has  kept  very  open,  and  the  major  portion 
of  transplanting  fruit  trees  should  be  com- 
pleted. Where  it  is  not  finished,  I  would  advise 
pushing  the  matter  forward  at  once. 

Bush  Fruits. — Any  contemplated  additions  in 
this  department  should  also  be  put  in  hand.  Well- 
trenched,  though  not  heavily-manured  groimd  is 
the  best  for  bush  fruits,  and  quite  young  bushes 
are  preferable  to  those  that  may  have  been  cut 
back  three  or  four  times. 

The  Cordon  system  of  training  Red  and  White 
Currants  and  Gooseberries  is  to  be  preferred  to 
growing  on  the  bush  system.  By  this  method 
excellent  crops  are  obtained,  and  the  ease  with 
which  they  can  be  gathered  should  be  a  sufficient 
recommendation.  I  quite  believe  that  a  heavier 
crop  can  be  obtained  from  a  given  area  of  groimd  by 
planting  the  rows  of  trees  from  3  feet  to  4  feet  apart. 
In  the  case  of  Gooseberries  for  dessert  purposes,  it 
is  infinitely  better,  the  fruits  being  of  a  uniform 
quality,  while  those  on  bush  trees  are  of  varying 
degrees  of  quality,  according  to  the  light  and  air 
obtainable.  Thomas  Stevenson. 

(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wobiirn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Bedding  Plants. — The  stock  of  these  will  require 
careful  attention  for  the  next  few  weeks.  Damp 
is  the  worst  enemy  at  this  season.  Geraniums 
should  be  kept  fairly  dry,  and,  when  watered,  it 
ought  to  be  done  without  a  rose,  so  that  no  water 
may  touch  the  foliage. 

Flower-Stakes. — The  stock  of  these  should  be 
overhauled  during  bad  weather.  In  many  cases 
where  a  stake  is  decayed  at  the  base,  a  portion  can 
be  cut  away  and  the  stake  repointed,  when  it  will 
be  fit  for  another  class  of  plant.  The  ubiquitous 
Bamboo  has  well-nigh  ousted  all  others,  but  those 
who  have  them  at  command  should  utilise  Hazel 
and  Elm  suckers.  Again,  those  who  can  on  their 
own  estate  procure  tops  or  thinnings  of  Larch  or 
Spruce  will  find  them,  when  dressed,  very  suitable 
for  Dahlia  and  Hollyhock  stakes,  and  when  partially 
trimmed  they  are  excellent  for  Sweet  Pea  clumps_ 

The  Wall  Garden. 
Building. — The  most  natural  and  generally 
the  most  successful  wall  garden  is  that  of  the 
retaining  wall  style,  the  mass  of  soil  behind 
conserving  the  moisture  for  the  use  of  the  occupants. 
Build  the  wall  with  a  good  deal  of  "batter"; 
in  other  words,  the  wall  should  not  be  perpendicu- 
lar, but  slope  backwards.  As  the  operation  proceeds, 
work  in  some  loamv  soil  behind  and  between  the 
stones.  Where  plaiits  are  available,  it  will  be 
foimd  a  good  plan  to  plant  them  as  the  work  pro- 
ceeds, a  proportion  of  the  available  spaces  being 
left  for  subsequent  planting  or  sowing.  Another 
important  point  is  that  the  individual  stones, 
when  being  placed  in  position,  should  slope  a  little 
backwards,  so  that  the  rain  falling  on  them  will 
trickle  towards  the  roots  of  the  plants. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Turflng. — Any  necessary  turfing  should  be 
carried  through  during  fine' weather.     Rough  tufts 


of  grass  often  assert  themselves  on  lawns,  and  some- 
times there  are  spots  where  the  rabbits  frequently 
congregate.  These  should  be  cut  out  and  some 
good  turf  substituted.  Again,  depressions  occur 
in  lawns  from  time  to  time.  In  such  cases  the 
turf  should  be  cut  into  convenient  breadths, 
rolled  back,  the  depression  made  up  with  soil  not 
richer  than  the  mass  below  the  lawn,  and  the  turf 
rolled  back  and  beaten  firm  and  smooth. 

Pruning  Ornamental  Trees. — I  am  not  here 

referring  to  a  general  pruning,  but  Purple  Beeches, 
Thorns,  Laburnums,  &c.,  often  lose  their  contour 
for  lack  of  a  little  timely  attention  in  the  way  of 
pruning  back  any  over-vigorous  branches. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

PlimibagO  rosea. — This  is  one  of  our  most 
useful  winter-flowering  plants.  Those  in  5-inch 
pots  will  be  benefited  by  bi-weekly  mild  doses  of 
liqmd  manure.  A  temperature  of  60°  to  65°  suits 
them  admirably. 

Coleus  thyrsoideus. — This  plant  will  soon  be 
showing  its  bright  blue  flowers.  Meanwhile  it 
should  be  pretty  liberally  fed.  A  warm  greenhouse 
is  all  it  wants  in  the  way  of  temperature. 

Lily  0!  the  Valley. — This  is  such  a  general 
favourite  and  is  so  easily  manipiflated  that  a  batch 
of  it  should  be  introduced  from  time  to  time. 
Good  retarded  crowns  are  the  most  satisfacton,'. 
Plimge  in  some  light  material,  which  should  never 
be  allowed  to  become  dry.  Cover  the  pots  with 
an  inverted  pot  of  the  same  size  till  the  flower- 
spikes  are  quite  2  inches  high.  In  a  temperature 
of  from  60°  to  65°  they  will  be  ready  in  about 
three  weeks. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Sowing  Early  Tomatoes. — Where  an  early  crop 
is  desired,  seed  should  be  sown  without  delay. 
For  this  sowing  some  of  the  smaller,  free-setting 
varieties,  such  as  Stirling  Castle  or  Lister's  Prolific, 
will  be  found  most  suitable. 

Starting  the  Early  Peach-House. — Where  there 

are  two  or  more  houses,  one  may  now  be  started. 
Previous  directions  having  been  carried  out,  all 
that  is  required  at  present  is  to  shut  up  the  house, 
and,  if  frost  occurs,  do  not  let  the  night  tempera- 
ture fall  below  40°,  nor  allow  it  to  rise  above  45°. 
Early  Vinery. — As  the  buds  begin  to  swell,  the 
night  temperature  may  be  raised  to  from  53° 
to  55°,  with  a  corresponding  rise  in  the  day  tempera- 
ture. Spray  the  rods  in  the  morning  and  early 
afternoon. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Nailing  Wall  Trees. — This  work  can  be  carried 
on  in  frosty  weather  ;  but  while  a  touch  of  frost 
makes  conditions  quite  comfortable,  it  is  a  shame 
to  keep  men  at  this  operation  under  Arctic 
conditions.  Nails  will  not  rust  if  heated  well 
and  then  dropped  into  linseed  oil.  In  training 
young  trees,  leading  shoots,  if  over-vigorous, 
should  be  bent  downwards  somewhat  to  check 
the  flow  of  sap  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  weakly 
shoots  should  be  inclined  upwards  to  encourage 
the  more  rapid  flow  of  sap. 

Heading   Back  for  Grafting. — Where   grafting 

is  contemplated  oil  old  Apple  or  Pear  trees,  they 
shotild  be  headed  back  with  a  saw,  care  being 
taken  not  to  splinter  the  stock  during  the  opera- 
tion. Young  stocks  should  also  be  headed  back 
with  a  sharp  knife  to  near  the  point  where  it  is 
intended  to  operate.  For  dwarfs  this  shotfld  be 
about  nine  inches  from  the  ground.  In  the  case 
of  standards,  the  height  at  which  the  stock  should 
be  cut  depends  upon  the  variety  to  be  worked 
upon  it.  If  a  fairly  vigorous  variety,  cut  also  at 
9  inches  from  the  ground,  and  form  the  rest  of  the 
stem  with  the  scion. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Repairing  Box  Edgings. — Any  blanks  in  the  Box 
edgings  should  be  made  up  during  fine  weather. 
If  there  is  no  spare  Box,  a  stretch  should  be  relaid 
and  the  surplus  used  for  "  beating  up." 

Repairing  Walks. — Now  is  the  time  to  attend 
to  this  work.  Happy  are  those  who  have  access 
to  good  gravel  without  paying  a  ransom  for  it. 
If  the  vegetable  garden  does  not  occupy  a  very 
prominent  position  and  is  mostly  regarded  from 
the  utilitarian  point  of  view,  rough  ashes  will  form 
quite  comfortable  pathways  at  Uttle  or  no  cost. 
A  walk  when  finished  should  be  slightly  convex 
in  form.  Charles  Comfort. 

Broomfield  Gardewi,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


November  2q,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


603 


THE    SILVER-LEAF  DISEASE 
OF    FRUIT    TREES. 


ITS     CAUSE     AND     PREVENTION. 

{Continued  from   page   57;.) 

How  the  Silvering  of    Foliage   is   Caused.— 

Although  in  the  recognition  of  silver-leaf  there  is 
no  difficulty,  it  should  still  be  explained  how  the 
appearance  conies  about.  It  is  primarily  due, 
Mr.  Brooks  says,  to  the  accumulation  of  air,  either 
below  the  epidermal  cells  or  in  the  cavities  of  their 
walls,  the  presence  of  air  in  these  places  interfering 
with  the  normal  reflection  of  light  from  the  surface 
of  the  leaf.  The  upper  epidermis  is  more  or  less 
loose  from  the  palisade  cells.  There  is  a  marked 
tendency  for  the  mesophyll  cells  to  fall  asunder 
when  sections  of  the  leaf  are  cut,  and  so  pronounced 
is  this  that  it  is  sometimes  impossible  to  obtain 
sections  of  silvered  leaves  which  will  hold  together. 
Prevention  and  Remedy.— In  the  treatment  of 
plantations  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  cause 
of  this  disease,  like  many  other  fungi,  is  a  wound 
parasite,  i.e.,  it  attacks  the  tree  only  through  its 
wounds.  It  is,  therefore,  correct  to  protect  the 
wounds  of  a  healthy  tree  by  means  of  tar,  and  this 
ought  not  to  be  neglected.  The  sanitation  of  the 
district  by  destroying  the  Stereum  itself,  upon 
whatever  it  may  grow,  is  highly  important.  Mr. 
Brooks  says :  "  It  cannot  be  too  strongly  urged 
that  all  tissues  upon  which  the  sporophores  of 
this  fungus  appear  in  fruit  plantations  should  be 
destroyed.  Experiments  indicate  that  Stereum 
purpureum  taken  from  material  such  as  a  dead 
Birch  stump  is  equally  as  efiective  in  causing  silver- 
leaf  as  Steremn  purpureum  taken  from  a  Plum 
tree  ;  hence  no  quarter  should  be  extended  to 
the  fungus  in  fruit  plantations,  on  whatever  sub- 
stratum it  may  be  found."  Experience  has  shown, 
Mr.  Brooks  says,  that  benefit  is  derived  by  cutting 
out  affected  branches.  The  recovery  of  slightly- 
infected  trees  is  not  infrequent,  but  no  reason 
has  been  found  to  alter  his  suggestion  that  Plum 
trees  badly  silvered  and  beginning  to  die  back 
should  be  destroyed.  Grease-banding,  improperly 
carried  out,  by  application  of  grease  to  the  bark 
itself,  is  believed  to  favour  the  development  of 
silver-leaf  disease.  It  causes  death  of  the  bark, 
and  therefore  provides  a  place  for  attack.  Grease- 
banding  should  always  be  done  by  means  of  bands, 
so  that  the  grease  cannot  penetrate  to  the  bark. 

Ferrous  Sulphate  as  a  Cure. — For  the  purpose 

of  cure  it  has  been  suggested  by  fruit-growers  in 
the  case  of  Plum  trees  that  ferrous  sulphate  should 
be  applied  to  the  roots  ;  but  this  method  of  treat- 
ment was  tried  by  Mr.  Spencer  Pickering  on  a 
considerable  scale  at  the  Woburn  Experimental 
Fruit  Farm  a  few  years  ago,  without  success. 
A  similar  method,  by  means  of  heavy  dressings  of 
ferrous  sulphate  with  farmyard  or  artificial  manure, 
has,  apparently,  been  tried  with  success.  The 
trees  showed  great   improvement,  and  one  became 

'  free  from  disease.  Experiments  after  another 
manner  have    been  observed  by  Mr.  Brooks,  that 

.    were  carried  out  by  Mr.  E.  Neaverson  near  Wisbech. 

,.■  Forty-nine  silvered  Victoria  Plmn  trees  about 
twenty  years  of  age  had  a  hole  drilled  in  the  trunk 
ih'iut  three  feet  from  the  ground  ;  about  an  ounce  of 
•  1 1  lus  sulphate  was  inserted  in  each  hole,  which 
^it.rwards  was  closed  with  a  cork  bung.  This 
\\ MS  done  in  igio,  and  examination  two  years  later 
-linwed  that  of  all  the  trees  25  per  cent,  had 
I  rovered,  while  34  per  cent,  of  those  only  slightly 
ollected  had  been  restored  to  health.  But  these 
results,   apparently,   must  be  taken  with  caution. 


for  though  ferrous  sulphate  is  certainly  poisonous  to 
the  mycelium  or  spawn,  it  is  doubtful  whether  its 
influence  would  be  extensive.  Such  a  remedy, 
however,  is  worth  trying,  for  certainly  I  remembtr 
having  seen  wood  sections  which  had  been  coloured 
by  the  application  of  the  salt  of  a  metal,  dissolved 
in  water,  to  the  roots.  Someone  had  conceived 
the  idea  of  staining  the  wood  in  bulk  while  ye* 
alive,  and  to  a  certain  extent  had  succeeded,  a 
blue  colour  being  quite  evident.  The  wood,  I 
believe,  was  Botch. 

Fungus  Juice  as  a  Remedy. — .^n  interesting 
method  of  cure  suggested  by  Miss  Baker  in  the 
"  Annals  of  Botany "  for  1913  and  quoted  by 
Mr.  Brooks,  also  by  Professor  Houston  in 
The  Gardes  for  May  3,  page  215,  must 
further  be  mentioned.  It  appears  that  a  well- 
known  and  not  uncommon  fungus,  Coprinus 
comatus,  which  may  be  found  in  meadows  and 
gardens  in  the  autumn,  has  the  power  of  secreting 
a  kind  of  digestive  fluid  by  which  it  is  itself  digested. 
The  fungus,  by  means  of  its  digestive  fluid,  is 
rapidly  deliquescent,  and  where  it  grew  there 
presently  remains  nothing  but  a  black  fluid  resem- 
bling ink.  It  is  proposed,  then,  to  use  an  aqueous 
extract  of  the  fungus,  both  internally  and  exter- 
nally, for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the  Stereum 
in  the  way  that  the  Coprinus  itself  is  destroyed. 
It  has  been  tried  on  a  Victoria  Plum,  and  two 
years  later  the  silvered  branch  became  almost 
free  from  silver-leaf.  The  well-known  phenomenon 
of  auto  or  self  digestion,  shown  by  the  fruit  bodies 
of  most  species  of  Coprinus,  forms  the  theoretical 
basis  for  this  treatment,  and  it  is  even  suggested 
that  the  separation  of  the  cells  of  the  leaf,  to  which 
the  appearance  of  silver-leaf  is  due,  may  be  brought 
about  by  an  oxydase  or  enzyme  which  is  secreted 
by  the  Stereum.  This  was  suggested  by  Percival, 
and,  I  believe,  is  suggested  by  Miss  Baker,  but  Mr. 
Brooks  has  not  been  able  to  confirm  it.  Coprinus 
comatus  is  easily  recognised  by  its  nearly  cylindrical 
cap  with  peeling  skin,  which  bears  a  fancied  resem- 
blance to  a  wig  on  a  barber's  block.  It  is  edible, 
but  is  not  so  good  as  Mushroom.  Stereum  pur- 
pureum is  a  fungus  of  leathery  consistence,  pro- 
jecting in  scales,  irregular  in  form,  more  or  less 
imbricate  and  refle.\ed.  tomentose  or  velvety 
and  whitish  or  pallid  above,  but  zoned  with  darker 
marking  ;  smooth,  even  and  of  pale  clear  purple 
below. 

Warning  and  Conclusion. — In  order  that  too 
much  may  not  be  understood  or  expected  from 
what  I  have  said  about  remedies,  it  cannot  be  too 
emphatically  stated  that  no  one  has  produced 
any  reliable  evidence  of  cure.  Experiments  tried 
with  one  or  two  trees  are  verj-  far  from  conclusive, 
and  should  not  be  relied  on.  Numbers  are  neces- 
sary and  "  controls  "  essential.  The  trees,  indeed, 
sometimes  cure  themselves,  and  the  factor  of 
self-cure  in  these  cases  is  quite  unknown.  Mr. 
Brooks,  in  conversation,  has  kindly  informed  me 
that  his  extensive  experiments  in  the  use  of  ferrous 
sulphate  have  this  year  shown  no  good  result, 
and  this  experience,  it  will  be  noticed  above, 
agrees  with  that  recorded  by  Mr.  Spencer  Pickering. 
In  the  case  of  Miss  Baker's  experiment,  only  one 
tree  was  tried,  and  I  imderstand  that  evidence  is 
not  altogether  promising.  In  this  warning  I  desire 
to  be  emphatic,  because  I  hear  of  a  fine  orchard 
of  Plums  now  nearly  destroyed  which  the  owner 
might  have  saved  by  removing  the  first  badly- 
infected  trees.  I  have  during  the  past  summer 
visited  Cornwall  and  Scilly,  and  have  everywhere 
found  the  disease.  It  is,  indeed,  remarkable  that 
although  it  must   always  have  been  extant,  little 


has  been  heard  of  it  until  recent  years.  For  this, 
however,  there  are  reasons.  It  has  extended, 
no  doubt,  with  the  development  of  fruit  culture, 
and  formerly  the  loss  of  a  tree  would  hardly  have 
been  remarked.  .\  new  tree  would  be  planted 
and,  being  sound,  it  would  be  some  years  before 
it  could  be  attacked.  Experiments  must  continue  ; 
but  with  regard  to  the  use  of  ferrous  sulphate  I 
should  like  to  quote  Griffiths'  "  A  Treatise  on 
Manures"  (second  edition,  page  306).  The  author 
writes  :  "  Iron  sulphate  in  excess  is  a  plant  poison. 
It  is  well  kno\^i  that  an  excess  of  iron  in  a  soil 
may  cause  a  soil  to  become  barren."  The  illus- 
tration on  page  571  of  November  15  issue  repre- 
sents Stereum  purpureum,  which  I  learn  from 
Mr.  Brooks  is  the  only  species  that  can  cause 
the  disease.  An  ally,  S.  hirsutum,  yellow  and 
not  purple  below,  is  therefore  not  to  be  feared. 
It  is  growing  on  the  stem  of  an  Apple  Royal 
Snow,  which  had  been  cut  down  for  grafting  upon  ; 
hence  the  disease.  This  case  certainly  suggests 
precautions  when  grafting  is  done.  In  taking  the 
photograph,  size  has  been  reduced  to  slightly  less 
than  one-half.  For  further  information,  especially 
of  the  convincmg  methods  of  Mr.  "Brooks'  experi- 
ments, I  must  refer  one  to  his  papers  in  the  "  Journal 
of  Agricultural  Science,"  Vol.  IV.,  Part  2,  October, 
191 1,  and  Vol.  V.,  Part  3,  June,  1913,  page  288, 
which  has  been  recently  published. 
Botanic  Garden,  Cambridge.      R.  Irwin  Lynch. 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES     FOR    CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.~rAe  EdiUir  intends  to 
make  THE  Garden  helpful  to  alt  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  what  the  branch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  malce  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  communications  should  be 
clearly  ami  concisely  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  EDITOR  of  THE  Gardbn,  20,  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W .C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  dejiignation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  ttian  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  flowering 
sfioots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Publisher. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 

PLANTING  SWEET  WOODRUFF  (C.  M.j.^Xhc  Sweet 
Woodrutf  (Aspirula  ucloiata)  is  Ijy  no  means  a  fastidious 
subject,  and  may  bf  planted  at  any  time  in  open  weather. 
The  plant  revels  in  light  soils  and  does  not  object  to 
heavier  soils  over  chalk,  but  is  less  rampant  on  clay  soils. 
If  you  secure  established  examples,  there  need  be  little 
fear  of  their  not  doing  well ;  it  is  different,  however,  when 
only  single-rooted  shoots  are  planted.  You  do  not  say 
the  purpose  for  which  you  intend  the  plants,  but  we  would 
warn  you  not  to  plant  on  the  rockery  where  choice  plants 
abound.  They  are  apt  to  get  into  every  crevice  and  presently 
become-  a  nuisance. 

HERBACEOUS  BORDER  PLANTS  (G.  B.).— You 
canntit  do  better,  wc  think,  than  arrange  the  border  in 
groups.  Starting  at  the  front  you  might  have  Aster 
sub-cserulcus  ;  alpine  Pliloxes,  as  setacea.  Vivid,  Nelsouii, 
atropurpurea,  .Model  and  amoena ,  the  newer  Mossy 
Saxifragas,  as  C'librani,  bathoniensis,  sanguinea  superba 
and  Miss  Willmott :  Arnebia  echioides,  Polygonum 
affine.  Orobus  vernus,  Adonis  vernahs.  Lychnis  Viscaria 
splendens  plena.  Lithospermum  prostratum.  Iris  pumila 
carulea.  Iberis  sempcrvireus,  Gentiana  acaidis,  .\ubrietias 
and  the  like.  These  would  look  best  if  set  among  sandstone 
rocks  in  yard  wide  masses.  Behind  these  another  informal 
set  of  groups  might  be  made  up  of  Inula  glandulosa. 
Helenium  pumilum.  Heuchera  sanguinea  and  its  many 
varieties  of  hybrids.  Phlox  canadensis,  Geum  Mrs.  Brad- 
shaw,  Potentilla  Gibson's  Scarlet,  Aster  .\mcllus,  A.  A. 
Riverslea,  single  and  double  Pyrethrums,  Erigeron  speciosus 
superbus.  Delphmium  Belladonna.  Campanula  pcrsici- 
foHa  Moerheimi,  C.  oarpatica  Uiverslea,  C.  van  Houttei, 
Aster  acris.  Aquilegia  chrysantha,  Thahctrum  aquilegi- 
folium  and  T.  a.  afropurpurcum ;  and  in  the  hack  row 
herbaceous   Pseonies,   Phloxes  white  and  scarlet.   Asters 


604 


THE     GARDEN. 


[November  29,  1913. 


ericoides  Desire,  Feltham  Blue,  Beauty  of  Colwall  and  cordl- 
folius  Ideal,  Helianthus  multiflorus,  H.  m.  flore  pleuo.  Iris 
pallida  dalmatica  and  such  Delphiniums  as  King  of 
Delphiniums,  Rev.  E.  Laseelles,  Amos  Perry,  La  France 
and  Duchess  of  Connausht.  These  should  have  not  less 
than  three,  and  better  if  five,  to  each  proup  or  colony. 
The  wider  end  might  have  a  big  flanking  group  of  the  white 
and  pink  Japanese  Anemones  stretching  halfway  across 
the  border,  and  near  to  Aster  Beauty  of  Colwall  in  like 
proportion.  You  would  obtain  many  good  hints  about 
planting  and  grouping  were  you  to  consult  "  The  Hardy 
Flower  Book."  by  E.  H.  Jenkins,  price  2s.  lOd.  post  free 
from  our  Publishing  Department.  It  is  rich  in  lists  and 
suggestions. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

PRUNING  CEANOTHUS  (A.  R.).—Yom  Ceanothus 
Gloire  de  Versailles  may  be  left  unpruued  until  February, 
when  you  may  cut  the  present  year's  shoots  back  about 
halfway.  This  pruning  should  be  repeated  annually, 
but  if  a  number  of  very  weak  shoots  are  formed,  some 
should  be  cut  clean  out  and  others  pruned  to  within  a  bud 
or  two  of  the  base.  There  is  no  reason  why  you  should 
not  save  seed  of  your  Primula,  providing  you  resort  to 
hand  pollination.  Place  the  plant  in  the  sunniest  position 
you  can. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

CARNATION  RUST  (ietccstei).  —  The  Carnation  is 
badly  attacked  by  the  Carnation  rust.  The  main  thing 
to  do  is  to  keep  the  atmosphere  dry  and  buoyant,  and  the 
temperature  sufficiently  high — this  does  not  mean  avoid 
watering  the  plants.  Pick  off  tlie  alfected  foliage  and  bum 
it,  and  spray  the  plants  with  a  rose  red  solution  of  potas- 
sium sulphide.  ■-'tii'*'>' 

BEGONIA  LEAVES  TURNING  BROWN  (F.  C,  Suffolk).— 
The  Begonias  are  badly  attacked  bv  the  leaf  eelworm, 
Aphelenchus  olesistus.  This  pest  a'ttacks  many  kinds 
of  greenhouse  plants,  including  Ferns,  and  usually  dipping 
the  plants  in  a  wash  containing  nicotine  is  beneficial ; 
spraying  with  the  same  might  have  a  good  effect.  Fumiga- 
tion is,  in  all  probability,  useless.  The  pest  gains  entrance 
into  the  plants  through  the  stomata  and  comes  from  the  soil. 
It  is  only  when  the  plants  are  kept  moist  that  the  pest 
can  travel  to  the, stomal  openings.  It  would  be  well 
another  year  to  discard  the  whole  of  the  soil  in  which 
the  plants  are  growing,  and  to  clean  the  pots  thoroughlv 
before  beginning  to  get  a  new  stock.  The  stock  must, 
of  course,  be  a  clean  one,  and  it  should  be  remembered 
that  the  dust  on  the  potting-bench  might  be  a  source  of 
infection. 


FRUIT    GARDEN. 

PEACH  TREE  UNSATISFACTORY  (C.  C.).— The 
variety  is  subject  to  this  complaint ;  but  if  certain  cultural 
precautions  are  taken,  among  them  those  which  you 
suggest,  there  is  no  reason  why  the  difficulty  should  not 
be  got  over.  Most  Peach-growers  make  a  mistake  in 
keeping  their  trees  too  dry  at  the  roots  while  the  trees 
are  dormant.  Give  your  tree  a  good  soaking  of  weak 
manure-water  at  once,  and  again  at  intervals  of  three 
weeks  or  so  through  the  winter  and  spring.  Keep  your 
trees  as  cool  as  possible,  with  plenty  of  air  on  in  favourable 
weather  all  through  the  winter.  Fertilise  the  blossom 
at  midday  on  fine  days  with  the  stronger  pollen  of  other 
varieties  in  bloom  at  the  same  time.  Give  the  tree  a 
top-dressing  of  the  following  compost,  4  inches  deep, 
after  exposing  the  surface  roots  first  :  To  one  barrow- 
load  of  fibrous  loam  add  half  a  gallon  of  bone-meal,  the 
same  of  kainit,  a  gallon  of  brick-ends,  broken  small,  the 
same  of  old  mortar  rubble,  also  broken  small,  and  a  gallon 
of  lime.  Mix  well  together  and  tread  firmly  down  when 
applying. 

HOW  TO  PLANT  A  VINE  (IF.  ./.  JV.).— Any  time  next 
month  will  be  a  good  time  to  plant  your  Vine.  The  size 
of  your  border  should  he  8  feet  by  4  feet,  by  3  feet  deep. 
A  border  of  this  size  will  be  large  enough  for  the  first  three 
years,  after  which  time  i  feet  should  be  added  to  its  width 
and  length.  For  drainage  you  must  lay  down  all  over 
the  bottom  of  the  border  a  layer  of  broken  brick-ends 
to  the  depth  of  5  inches.  A  drain  (3-inch)  must  also  be 
laid  down  at  the  bottom  side  of  the  border  for  its  whole 
length  and  carried  out  to  an  outlet,  where  a  fall  of  at 
least  5  inches  can  be  secured,  for  surplus  water  to  pass 
away  from  the  border  (a  slight  tall  must  be  given  to  the 
bottom  of  the  border  towards  the  drain).  Place  turves 
of  fibrous  loam,  grass  side  downwards  (with  the  grass 
cut  off),  over  the  drainage  close  together  and  tread  hard 
doivn.  On  the  fop  of  this  fill  the  border  with  the  following 
soil  compost  :  To  one  barrow-load  of  turfy  fibrous  loam 
add  a  gallon  of  half-inch  bones,  one  quart  of  bone-meal, 
one  peck  of  brick-ends,  broken  small,  the  same  quantity 
of  old  mortar  rubble,  also  broken  small,  and  one  peck 
of  lime.  Mix  well  together  before  placing  it  in  the  border. 
In  planting,  turn  the  Vine  out  of  its  pot,  shake  away  the 
soil  from  among  its  roots,  cut  off  about  an  inch  of  the 
tip  end  of  the  roots,  spread  out  the  roots  evenly  about 
ten  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  border,  and  cover  over 
with  soil,  pressing  it  down  firmly.  Plant  on  a  dry  day, 
and  the  soil  should  be  fairly  dry  at  planting-time.  Water 
the  roots  as  soon  as  planting  is  finished,  and  then  cover 
over  the  surface  of  the  border  with  straw  to  the  depth 
of  5  inches.  Leave  the  straw  in  until  the  last  week  in 
March  ;  then  remove  it  and  replace  with  a  top-dressing 
of  well-decayed  manure.  4  inches  deep.  After  planting, 
ctit  the  young  Vine  ba^k  to  within  three  buds  of  its  base. 
Get  a  copy  of  "Fruit  Growing  for  Beginners,"  price 
Is.  3d.  post  free  from  our  PubUshing  Department. 


KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

INJURY  TO  CELERY  (B.  L.  B.).— The  Celery  is  attacked 
by  the  ftmgus  Septoria  Petroselini  Apii,and  very  badly. 
It  is  now  too  late  to  do  much  in  the  way  of  checking  it, 
except  to  remove  the  alfected  foliage  as  completely 
as  possible  (no  good  can  come  from  allowing  it  to  remain). 
The  disease  is  often  carried  in  the  seed,  and  we  recom- 
mend the  spraying  of  the  young  plants  from  early  in 
June,  or  even  in  mid-May,  onwards  with  Bordeaux 
mixture  as  a  preventive  measure. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

CLIMBING  ROSES  TO  GROW  FREELY  (F.  fT.).— Climb- 
incc  Caroline  Testout  would  be  a  sood  piuk  variety,  and 
Heine  Olga  de  Wurtemburs  a  good  red. 

VIOLETS  AND  RED  SPIDER  {Constant  Reader).— 
Tlie  Violet  leaves  are  badly  attacked  by  red  spider.  The 
plants  are  probably  rather  dry  at  the  root,  and  spraying 
with  water,  so  Ions  as  the  under  side  of  the  leaves  is 
sprayed,  will  do  much  to  rid  the  plants  of  the  insects. 
Spraying  with  potassium  sulphide,  loz.  to  three  gallons  of 
water,  is  also  a  useful  measure. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS. — Be /-/.-s  Aire.— Hae  man  thus  Baurii. 

Rushetts. — 1,    Abelia    grandiflora  ;    2,   Psoralea   bitu- 

minosa ;     3,    Lactuca    chondrilliflora ;     4,     Helichrysum 

serotiuum. P.  C. — 1,    Chrysanthemum  segetum  ;    2, 

Lychnis  coronaria ;  3,  Tradescantia  crassifoha. M.  TV.  G. 

— 1,  Centaurea  Cineraria  ;  2,  Spiraea  lindleyana  ;  3.  Dactylis 
glomerata  variegata  probably,  but  cannot  tell  without 
flowers. 

MAMES  OF  FRUIT.— ^.fl.  5.— 10, 14  and  15,  Blenheim 
Orange;  11,  Tower  of  Glamis  ;  12,  Round  Winter  Non- 
such ;  13,  Alfriston ;  15,  Sandringham ,  17,  Pearson's 
Plate ;    IS,  Brandy  Apple ;    20.  Wealthy ;    21,    Stamford 

Pippin;  22,  Gloria    Mundi. T.J.C. — Beurr6  d'Anjou  ; 

season,  November  and  December. Gosden. — 1,  Norfolk 

Beefins:  2,  Wellington  ;  3,  Eibston  Pippin  ;  4,  Bess  Pool ; 
5.  Ashmead's  Kernel ;  6  and  9.  Annie  Elizabeth  ;  7,  Colonel 
Vaughan  ;  8,  Bramley's  Seedling. 


SOCI  ETIES. 


AUTUMN     SHOW     AT     HERTFORD. 

The  twenty-second  annual  sliow  of  Clirysanthemums, 
autumn  flowers,  fruit  and  vegetables  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Hertford  Horticidtural  Society  was  held  in  the 
Corn  Exchange  and  Market  on  November  5  and  6.  The 
opening  ceremony  was  performed  by  Lady  Longmore. 
The  society  has  established  such  a  high  standard  of  merit 
at  its  previous  shows  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  maintain 
it,  and  certainly  more  difficult  to  surpass  ;  but  it  is  gratify- 
ing to  know  that  this  year's  show  was  well  up  to  any 
of  its  predecessors  in  point  of  excellence.  The  silver 
cup  given  by  Mr.  R.  W.  Partridge  of  Hertingfordbury 
Park  for  the  best  group  of  Chrysanthemums  was  won  by 
Mr.  W.  Stephenson,  gardener  to  Mr.  Ernest  Pearson 
of  Brickendonbury,  and  as  he  has  now  won  the  trophy 
three  times,  it  becomes  his  own  property.  There  were 
some  very  fine  blooms  in  his  group,  the  chief  of  which 
were  Gilbert  Drabble.  Rose  Bouquet,  Mrs.  R.  Luxford^ 
Mrs.  R.  C.  Pullen,  Evelyn  Mason,  Marjory  Lloyd,  W. 
Buckingham  and  Sylvia  Slade.  In  the  class  for  groups 
of  miscellaneous  plants  there  were  only  two  competitors, 
although  Mr.  H.  Smith,  gardener  to  Mr.  Brodie  Henderson, 
generously  stood  down  to  give  other  exhibitors  a  chance, 
as  he  had  won  the  first  prize  four  years  in  succession. 
The  flist  prize  was  taken  by  Mr.  0.  Catling,  gardener 
to  Mr.  H.  W.  Clinton  Baker  of  Bayfordbury,  with  a  very 
tasteful  arrangement  of  Cattleyas,  Begonia  Gloire  de 
Lorraine,  Bouvardias,  Salvias,  Crotons  and  Palms.  Mr. 
W.  Stephenson,  gardener  to  Mr.  Ernest  Pearson  of 
Brickendonbury,  was  second  ;  but,  though  he  had  some 
good  quality  material,  there  was  too  much  of  it.  The 
class  for  twenty-four  cut  Chrysanthemum  blooms  was  a 
very  strong  one.  Premier  honours  were  taken  by  Mr. 
A.  Haynes,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Browning  of  Bramfleld 
House,  who  has  obtained  first  place  in  this  class  five  times 
during  the  last  seven  years.  His  chief  blooms  were  Miss  A.  E. 
Koope,  a  brilliant  buttercup  yellow  (which  secured  him 
the  prize  for  the  best  bloom  in  tlie  show),  F.  S.  Vallis, 
Hon.  Mrs.  Lopes,  William  Turner  and  Mrs.  G.  E.  Whitty. 
The  show  was  admirably  managed  by  the  members  of 
the  committee  of  the  society,  and  the  new  secretary, 
Mr.  W.  Reynolds,  is  to  be  congratulated  upon  the  ready 
manner  in  which  he  grasped  his  duties  and  performed 
them  so  ably. 


LIVERPOOL    HORTICULTURAL    ASSOCIATION. 

This  association  may  be  justly  proud  of  the  thirty-fourth 
autumn  exhibition,  for  not  only  did  it  prove  the  most 
extensive,  at  any  rate,  of  recent  years,  but  the  quality  was 
distinctly  above  the  average.  The  show  was  held  in  the 
well-lighted  Corn  Exchange  on  the  12th  and  13th  inst., 
and  the  entries  wei-e  above  the  normal.  The  cut  flowers  still 
occupy  the  premier  position  in  popular  favour,  as  was 
clearly  seen  by  the  crowd  that  hovered  roxmd  the  principal 
class  of  thirty-six  blooms,  eighteen  incurved  and  eighteen 
Japanese,  in'  which  last  year's  winner  upheld  his  high 
position,  and  so  secures  the  coveted  silver  challenge  vase 
as  liis  own  personal  property.  Four  entries  were  made 
and  four  prizes  were  awarded,  as  follows  :  Mr.  C.  Goves. 
gardener  to  Sir  Gilbert  Grcenall.  Bart.  :  Mr.  G.  Haigh, 
gardener  to   Sir   W.    H.   Tate,   Bart.  ;     Mr.    H.    Osborne, 


gardener  to  Thomas  Woodsend,  Esq. ;  and  Mr.  John 
George,  gardener  to  Thomas  Hinshaw,  Esq,  The  first 
prize  set  was  well  in  advance  in  size,  but  the  honour  of 
colour  fell  to  the  second  prize  lot.  The  principal  flowrs 
in  the  winning  stand  were  :  Incurved — G.  F.  Evans  (which 
secured  the  National  Clirysanthemum  Society's  certificate 
as  the  best  bloom  in  this  section  of  the  show),  Embleme 
Poitevine,  Godfrey's  Eclipse,  Doris  Rayner,  Pantia 
Ralli,  Mrs.  P.  Wiseman  and  others;  Japanese — W. 
Turner  (which  was  awarded  the  National  Chrysanthemum 
Society's  certificate  as  the  best  incurved  in  the  exhibition), 
W.  Mease,  F.  S.  Vallis,  Robert  Pulling,  President  Viger. 
Mrs.  G.  Drabble,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Roope,  ^Fred  Green.  Alice 
Lemon  and  Francis  JoUiffe.  Other  classes  of  these  two 
sections  were  well  filled,  the  leading  winners  being,  in 
addition  to  those  already  named,  Mr.  J.  Young,  gardener 
to  W.  E.  Willink,  Esq.  ;  Mr.  J.  Copple,  gardener  to 
H.  Belk,  Esq.,  who  won  three  prizes  ;  Mr.  J.  Williams, 
gardener  to  C.  J.  Procter,  Esq. ;  and  Miss  Newsham. 

Single  Chrysanthemums  found  great  favour,  and  un- 
doubtedly would  have  held  their  own  in  any  part  of  the 
country.  The  most  prominent  exhibitors  were  :  ftlr.  P. 
Cannce,  gardener  to  G.  Nicholson,  Esq.,  and  Mr.  L.Thomson, 
an  enthusiastic  amateur.  The  names  of  Mr.  Caunce's 
half-dozen  were  Mrs.  William  Street,  Miss  Annie  Street, 
Edith  Pagram,  Miss  K.  Wells,  Ruby  and  Mrs.  H.  Herbert. 
These  were  fully  6  inches  in  diameter,  and  lovely  in  colour. 

Turning  to  the  plants,  which  to  many  are  more  delightful 
than  the  giants  on  the  boards,  for  Liverpool  growers  are 
noted  for  their  success  in  trained  plants,  iVL-.  W.  Wilson, 
gardener  to  W.  Cunningham,  Esq.,  and  Mr.  T.  Hitchman. 
gardener  to  Arthur  Earle,  Esq.,  are  past-masters  in  this 
line.  Miss  Annie  Shaw,  a  single-flowered  variety,  and 
William,  both  staged  by  Mr.  Wilson,  were  wonderful 
creations.  Mr.  F.  C.  Keightley.  gardener  to  Mrs.  Duii<-;ui, 
is  an  excellent  grower  of  the  more  natural  grown  or  staUi  rl 
plants.  In  the  miscellaneous  plants,  Mr.  Hurd,  gardener  to 
L.  G.  Pilkington,  Esq.,  and  Mr,  H,  Osborne  were  to  the  fore 
in  the  aristocratic  domain  of  Orchid  culture,  the  latter 
staging  a  superb  Cattleya  Portia  with  eight  spikes  ami 
thirty-seven  blooms. 

In  the  fruit  section.  Mr.  T,  Elsworthy,  gardener  to  W.  E. 
Gladstone,  Esq.,  had  the  finest  collection,  and  Mr,  J. 
Wright,  gardener  to  E.  Lord.  Esq.,  excelled  in  four  bunches 
of  Grapes,  while  JMr.  W.  Wilson  claimed  two  flrsts  for  pairs 
of  bunches,  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Faulkner,  gardener  to  A.  P, 
Eccles,  Esq.,  was  first  in  one  class.  Messrs.  John  Lee,  J. 
Bott.  F.  C.  Keightley,  J.  Macfarlane  and  W.  Mackerall 
divided  the  prizes  in  the  Apple  and  Pear  classes. 

The  trade  exhibits  deserve  more  than  a  passing  notice  ; 
but  space  is  the  only  excuse  for  this  brief  reference.  Gold 
medals  were  awarded  to  Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co., 
Messrs,  Fishlock  Brothers  and  Messrs.  ManscUand  Hatcher. 
The  exhibits  may  be  briefly  summarised  as  follows  :  Messrs. 
Mansell  and  Hatcher,  the  Liverpool  Orchid  Company, 
J.  Le  Doux,  Esq.,  and  Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co., 
Orchids ;  Messrs.  Fishlock  Brothers,  floral  designs ; 
Messrs.  Stuart  Low  and  Co.,  Messrs.  Young  and  Co.,  and 
Mr.  C.  A.  Young,  Carnations  ;  Messrs.  R.  P.  Ker  and  Son, 
Cyclamen;  Messrs.  W.  Wells  and  Co.,  Messrs.  Dicksons, 
Messrs.  Clibrans  and  Messrs.  W.  Rowlands  and  Co., 
Chrysanthemums ;  Mr.  H.  Middlehurst,  vegetables ; 
and  Messrs.  Thomas  Davies  and  Co.,  winter-flowering 
Heaths,  filr.  A.  Calderbank  received  a  certiflcate  of  merit 
for  single  Chrysanthemum  Dr.  Hodgson,  and  Messrs. 
Stuart  Low  and  Co.  for  Carnation  Gorgeous. 

The  committee  deserve  every  credit  for  their  efforts  to 
please  both  the  exhibitor  and  visitor. 


BOURNEMOUTH    GARDENERS'    ASSOCIATION. 

On  Tuesday,  November  18,  a  very  able  and  mteresting 
lecture  was  given  by  Mr.  G.  H.  Heath  of  Glenfallock 
Gardens  on  "  Zonal  Pelargoniums  for  Summer  and  Winter 
Flowering."  Mr.  Heath  grows  these  plants  remarkably 
well,  and  has  won  the  principal  prize  for  them  in  the  classes 
at  the  Bournemouth  shows  for  eiglit  years  consecutively 
in  very  keen  competition.  He  recommends  cultivators 
to  propagate  cuttings  for  summer  flowering  in  July  and 
for  winter  flowering  in  August,  As  a  general  compost 
he  advises  leaf -soil  one  part,  turfy  loam  three  parts, 
with  a  small  quantity  of  bone-meal  and  a  sprinkling  of 
old  lime.  Firm  potting  was  essential  to  success.  When 
grown  for  exhibition,  the  plants  should  be  topped  soon 
after  they  were  first  potted,  and  again  when  finally  potted. 
A  small  quantity  of  sulphate  of  atumonia  intensified  the 
colour  of  the  flowers.  Nitrogen  caused  the  leaves  to 
grow  very  large,  but  did  not  induce  flowers  to  form. 
He  relied  on  potash  and  phosphates.  Many  questions 
were  asked  and  ably  answered,  the  discussion  being  free 
and  instructive. 

In  the  *'  Points  "  Competition  Mr.  Heath  had  three  flue 
vases  of  single- flowered  Zonals,  namely,  Phyllis,  Princess 
of  Wales  and  Sir  T.  Hanbury.  Mr.  Smith,  gardener  to 
the  Dowager  Lady  de  Tablcy,  staged  Cypripediums ; 
and  Mr.  Pearce,  gardener  to  Sirs.  Ormond,  Crotons, 
Ferns,  and  a  fine  Pandanus  Veitchii.  Messrs.  George 
Bunyard  and  Co.,  Limited,  Maidstone,  sent  twenty-four 
dishes  of  beautiful  Apples.  The  following  were  the  varieties : 
Lane's  Prince  Albert,  Bramley's  Seedling,  Gascoyne's 
Scarlet  Seedling,  Hambling's  Seedling,  Newton  Wonder, 
Norfolk  Beauty,  Lord  Derby,  Blenheim  Orange,  Allington 
Pippin,  King  of  the  Pippins,  Mere  du  JMenage,  Sanspareil, 
Cox's  Orange  Pippin,  .Mother,  Bismarck,  King  Edward  VII., 
Tower  of  Glamis,  Waltham  Abbey  Seedling,  Peasgood's 
Nonsuch,  Baumann's  Red  Reinette,  Alfriston,  lloyal 
Jubilee,  King  of  Tompkins'  County,  and  Stirling  Castle. 
At  the  close  of  the  lecture  the  Apples  were  sold  to  the 
members,  the  money  being  given  to  the  Iloyal  Gardeners' 
Orphan  Fund.  Messrs.  Bunyard,  the  lecturer,  and  Mr. 
Garner,  who  presided,  were  accorded  hearty  votes  of 
thanks 


j^fey-. 


i><."^^-^'- 


GARDEN. 


No.  2194.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


December  6,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


NOTKS    OF   TllK    WKKK       «05 
C'ORRESPONDENCF. 

ttcutiana  vcrua      . .     OUti 
Rose    Mmc.    Abel 

ClKitenay    . .      . .     6117 
Early  Peas  in  pots 

and  boxes   . .      . .     (luT 
Th'-  roek  garden  in 
autumn     and 

winter 607 

Forthcoming  events..     607 
Gardexino  .\crostics    607 
llocK  Aso  Water  Gabden 
The    designing,  con- 
s  t  r  n  c  1 1  o  n    and 
planting   of    rock 
gardens       . .      . .     607 
Flower  Garden 
The    naming   o  t" 

Tulips 608 

A   *Usease    of    Nar- 
cissus bulbs         . .      609 
Frhit  Garden 
Hints     on    plantini: 
Peaches  and  Nec- 
tarine.-   609 


G.\ItDESS    OF   TO-DaV 

Chatsworth     ..      ..     610 

t'OLOUllED    PUTK 

The  Leptospermums    612 

Abutilon     Boule      d  e 
Neigc       612 

Gardeniso  for  Beoikners 
Lilies     for    outdoor 
borders        ..      ..     613 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      614 

For    Northern    gar- 
dens      614 

Rose  Gardes 
In  a  Hampshire  gar- 
den        615 

Nursery  Notes 
Messrs.  William  .■\rtin- 
dale  and  J^on       . .     615 

ANSWERS     TO     CORRE- 
SPONDENTS 

Flower  garden        . .     616 
Greenhouse     . .  616 

Trees  and  shrubs  . .     616 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

•  Aster  Perle  Rose      606 

Sir.  F.  Jennings,  the  head-gardener  at  Ciiat^worth  . .  607 
The   designing,  construction  and   planting  of  roek 

gardens          608 

A  diseased  DaflodU  bulb       608 

Chatsworth       610 

The  conservatory  at  Chatsworth 611 

A  view  In  the  gardens  at  Chatswortli 611 

The  Leptospermums      Coloured  plate 

The  white-flowered  Abutilon  Buule  de  Neigi'    . .      . .  612 

Lilies  for  outdoor  borders      613 

Viola-beds  at  Messrs.  Artindale's  Nurseries       . .      . .  616 


KDITORIAL    NOTICBS. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  plioto/fraph^.  artistes  tind  notes, 
but  he  triU  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  AU 
reasonable  care,  however,  u-ill  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  wilt  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


A.<  reijards  pholograplis,  if  payment  be  desired,  tlie  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
ijrapher  or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publicatioti  in  The  Garden  will  alone 
he  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices 


20,  Tavi.'-tock  ijtreet.  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


Official  Guide  at  Kew. — .\s  wc  aimounced 
some  time  ago,  an  official  guide  to  conduct  parties 
of  visitors  round  the  famous  gardens  at  Kew 
was  appointed.  The  charges  for  the  services 
rendered  by  the  guide  have  now  been  reduced 
from  2s.  6d.  to  6d.  each  person  in  the  morning, 
and  from  is.  to  3d.  during  the  afternoon.  Full 
particulars  concerning  the  guide  can  be  obtained 
on  apphration  to  the  Director,  Royal  Gardens, 
Kew. 

The  Flagstaff  at  Kew.— The  wood  of  the 
Douglas  spar  has  decayed  so  much  during  the 
last  few  years  that  it  has  been  foimd  necessary 
to  take  it  down  for  repairs.  This  was  safely 
accomplished  on  Monday,  November  24.  The 
flagstaff,  which  is  a  splendid  example  of  the  Douglas 
Fir,  Pseudotsuga  Douglasii,  was  presented  to  the 
gardens  by  Mr.  Edward  Stamp  in  1861,  It  was 
obtained  from  British  Columbia.  The  pole  is 
159  feet  high  and  20  inches  in  diameter. 

Banding  Laburnums. — Laburnums  have  a 
habit  ')!  spliltiiig  at  the  lowest  fork  in  the  tree. 
Where  signs  of  this  are  seen,  the  tree  should  have 
an  iron  band  placed  roimd  it  just  below  the  fork. 
The  two  ends  of  the  band  should  be  turned  back 
to  a  right  angle,  each  projecting  end  having  a 
hole  pierced  through  it,  one  of  which  should  be 
square.  Through  these  a  bolt  with  a  square 
shoulder  and  fitted  with  a  thread  and  nut  should 
be  thrust,  and  the  nut  should  then  be  screwed  up 
till  the  band  clasps  the  trunk  firmly.  Give  the 
band  two  coats  of  olive  green  paint. 

Pruning  Gooseberry  and  Currant  Bushes. — 

In  many  parts  of  the  country  bulltiiicht-s  and 
tits  are  very  destructive  to  the  buds  of  Goose- 
berries and  Red  and  White  Currants,  during  the 
winter  and  early  Opting.  If,  after  the  pruning  is 
done,  tlie  bushes  are  given  a  good  sjTinging  of 
petroleum  emulsion  to  make  the  buds  distasteful, 
the  work  may  be  done  now  with  safety  and  thus 
save  time  in  the  spring. 

Pruning  Large  Trees. — Where  cutting  or 
pruning  is  required  among  large  trees,  the  work 
should  not  be  delayed,  for  it  may  be  noticed  that 
the  sap  of  many  of  them,  particularly  those  with 
large  leaves,  such  as  Horse  Chestnut,  Walnuts 
and  Sycamores,  commences  to  flow  early  in  the  New 
Year.  Any  cutting  that  is  required  to  members 
of  the  conifer  family  should  also  be  done  now, 
and  not  left  till  the  spring. 

Wart  Disease  of  Potatoes  in  Ayrshir^j^— The 

Board  of  Agriculture  and  Fisheries  desire  to  inform, 
all  Potato  growers  and  dealers  that  in  consequence 
of  an  outbreak  of  wart  disease  in  Potatoes  in  North 
.AvTshire  they  have  passed  an  Order  prohibiting 
the  introduction  of  Potatoes  from  that  district 
into  England  and  Wales.  .All  persons  who  have 
already  received  seed  Potatoes  from  that  district 
should   carefuUv  examine   the   tubers,   and  if  any 


sign  of  disease  is  apparent,  the  Board  shoiUd  be 
informed.  Dealers  and  growers  are  reminded  that 
it  is  illegal  to  plant  or  sell  for  planting  any  Potatoes 
attacked  by  this  disease,  under  a  penalty  of  ten 
pounds. 

Rose  Hedges. — These  are  suitable  for  almost 
ain-  part  of  the  garden  where  a  hedge  or  screen 
is  wanted,  but  they  are  specially  adapted  for 
enclosing  or  dividing  the  Rose  garden.  At  least 
four  classes  of  Roses  are  suitable  for  this  purpose, 
viz..  Chinas,  Austrian  Briars,  rugosas  and  Penzance 
Briars.  For  a  dwarf  hedge  the  Chinas,  especially 
the  Old  Blush  or  Monthly  Rose,  Mme.  Bosanquet, 
Fellenberg  and  Laurette  Messimy,  are  suitable. 
For  hedges  of  moderate  height  the  .\ustrian  Copper 
and  Austrian  Yellow  are  good ;  while  the 
varieties  of  Rosa  rugosa  and  of  the  Penzance 
Briar  will  be  foimd  the  most  suitable  for  taller 
hedges.  In  addition  to  their  flowers,  the  rugosas 
and  the  Briars  have  their  decorative  value  enhanced 
by  their  bright  red  heps. 

The    Winter   Jessamine. — The    mild    weather 

this  year  has  been  very  favourable  for  the 
development  of  the  flowers  on  this  delightful 
climber.  Flowering  in  midwinter,  the  blooms 
are  liable  to  damage  by  frost,  yet  Jasminum 
nudicaule  is  worth  a  place  in  every  garden,  on  a 
fence  or  wall,  where  it  is  able  to  make  such  a  pleasing 
display  with  its  thousands  of  bright  yellow  blossoms, 
as  is  the  case  this  year.  The  aspect  of  the  fence 
or  wall  against  which  the  Winter  Jessamine  is 
planted  appears  to  make  no  difference  to  the 
free-flowering  qualities  of  the  plant.  The  specimen 
which  suggested  this  note  is  on  a  west  wall.  The 
sprays  are  delightful  to  cut  for  indoor  decoration, 
being  particularly  effective  arranged  with  sprays 
of  Ivy  in  small  vases  on  the  dining-room  table. 
A  Good  Ash  Tree  for  the  Lawn. — Fraxinus 

Mariesii  is  a  very  suitable  tree  for  planting  as  a 
lawn  specimen,  for  it  is  of  considerable  decorative 
merit  and  rare.  It  belongs  to  the  group  of  the 
genus  which  is  characterised  by  showy  flowers, 
and  is  closely  related  to  the  Manna  Ash,  F.  Omus, 
a  European  species  which  is  fairly  common  in  the 
British  Isles.  F.  Mariesii  is  a  native  of  China, 
and  was  discovered  by  Maries  in  the  Lushan 
Moiuitains  near  Kiukiang.  He  sent  seeds  to 
Messrs.  Veitch  in  1879,  and  the  first  plant  flowered 
in  the  Coombe  Wood  Nurserv*  in  1882.  It  grows 
into  a  small,  rotmd-headed  tree  with  purplish 
branchlets.  The  pinnate  leaves  are  made  up  of 
five  oval,  acimiinate  or  acute  leaflets,  which  are 
up  to  3  inches  in  length,  but  show  some  consider- 
able variation  in  size.  The  creamy  white  flowers 
appear  in  large,  upright  panicles  during  Jime  or 
early  July,  and  are  succeeded  by  the  familiar 
winged  seeds  peculiar  to  the  Ash.  In  this  case 
they  are  purplish  in  colour.  Like  other  Ashes, 
it  succeeds  best  in  good,  loamy  soil  of  a  moist, 
yet  well-drained  character.  Growth  is  rather 
slow,  and  for  that  reason  it  is  well  fitted  for  a 
position  where  space  is  somewhat  restricteil. 


606 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  6,  191 3 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The  Editor  is    not    responsible    for    the    opinions 
'      expressed  by  correspondents.) 


known  even  a  young  plant  to  be  killed.  Tlie  soil  here  j  mum  shows.     Perhaps  some  of  our  expert  f;rowers 


Pears  Flowering  at  the  End  of  November.— 

At  the  present  time  there  are  three  Pear  trees 
{variety,  Beurre  de  Amanlis)  in  full  blossom  here, 
which  shows  the  wonderfully  mild  autumn  we  have 
■experienced.  I  enclose  a  photograph  of  one  of 
the  trees,  also  a  branch  of  the  blossom. — 
D.  Watt,  Vice-regal  Lodge  Gardens,  Dublin. 
[Unfortunately,  the  photograph  was  not  quite 
sharp  enough  for  reproduction. — Ed.] 

Perennial  Aster  Perle  Rose.— In  .general 
appearance  this  variety  resembles  the  blue  Italian 
Starwort  (Aster  Amellus  bessara- 
bicus),  but  the  flowers  are  of  a 
beautiful  rosy  pink  colour.  It  is 
unquestionably  a  worthy  subject 
for  the  rock  garden  in  autumn, 
although  it  appears  to  be  very 
little  known,  for  I  have  looked 
in  vain  for  a  mention  of  it  in 
numerous  catalogues.  The  illus- 
tration depicts  this  variety  as 
seen  in  October  last  in  a  shady 
corner  of  the  rock  garden  at 
Copped  Hall,  Epping.  Here  it  is 
used  with  good  effect  under  the 
shade  of  trees  and  in  association 
with  hardy  Ferns,  where  few  other 
flowering  plants  could  be  expected 
(o  thrive. — C.  Q. 

Gentiana  verna. — Mr.  Malby's 
note,  page  54£,  issue  Novem- 
ber I,  was  of  particular  in- 
terest to  me,  for  the  value  of  glass 
covering  for  Gentiana  verna  was 
proved  here  last  winter,  a  much 
better  display  of  flowers  being 
produced  on  protected  plants  than 
on  those  left  unprotected.  Mr. 
Arnott's  method  of  "  mulching  " 
with  small  stones  or  similar  material 
has  been  found  of  great  advantage, 
especially  in  cold  and  low-lying 
districts.  Such  treatment,  given  to 
several  of  the  weaker  alpines  here, 
has  produced  good  results.  For 
myself  I  feel  sure  that,  provided 
with  a  fairly  porous  compost,  a 
sunny  position  and  protection  from 
winter  rains,  G.  verna  will  give  but 
little  more  trouble  than  its  more 
robust  companion  G.  acaulis.  In 
addition  to  G.  verna,  we  make  it 
a  rule  to  protect  several  of  the 
choicer  alpines  which  are  at  all 
weakly  by  a  glass  covering,  and. 
in  all  cases  it  has  proved  beneficial 
Serlbv  Gardens,  York.  -'";  ": 


is  a  deep  black  loam,  with  good  drainage,  which 
seems  to  suit  them  very  well.  Young  plants  from 
3  feet  to  8  feet  will  put  on  2  feet  of  growth  in  a 
season.  They  also  seem  well  adapted  to  plant  hi  a 
windy  situation;  at  least,  we  have  never  had  one 
blown  over  in  this  wind-swept  district. — Galawa. 
Dahlias    at    Chrysanthemum    Shows. — After 

twenty-five  years'  experience  serving  on  councils 
and  committees  of  horticultural  societies,  I  quite 
realise  the  difficulties  that  beset  many  such  coimcils 
in  providing  classes  that  will  be  an  additional 
attraction  to  cultivators  and  the  public.  Orchids, 
Carnations,  Zonal  Pelargoniums  and  winter- 
flowering  Begonias  find  a  place  in  the  schedules 
of  the   majority  of  shows,  in   addition,  of  course, 


ASTER    ROSE    PERLE    IN    THE    GARDENS    AT    COPPED    H.»iLL,    EPPING. 


H.  Turner, 


to  the  Chrysanthemums,  fruits  and  vegetables.     The 
last  week  in  October  and  the  first  week  in  November 
Cordyline  australis. — Referring  to  a  note  on  page  I  is  rather  late  in  the  season  for  staging  Dahlias,  but 
570  of  your  issue  of  The  Garde.n  for  November  15    there  have   been  thousands  of  fine  flowers  as  late 

this  autumn,   and    I    feel  sure  that  if   classes  are 
provided  for  these  flowers  in  futiure  years,  the  latter 


on  the  above  Club  Palm,  it  may  interest 
"  T.  C.  F.  M."  to  know  that  this  plant  succeeds 
remarkably  well  in  the  open  garden  in  the  South- 
West  of  Scotland  ;  in  fact,  we  look  upon  this  as 
the  hardiest  of  the  many  tender  plants  growing 
in  the  open  here.  There  are  plants  in  all  sizes, 
from  a  two  year  old  seedling  to  the  parent  plant 
over  twenty  feet  high.  The  older  plants  receive 
no  protection  during  the  winter,  and  on  various 
occasions  they  have  been  exposed  to  18°  and  20' 


will  be  seen  well  staged.  Cultivators  will  find  a 
means  of  protecting  their  blooms  in  adverse  weather. 
To  begin  with,  societies  might  provide  an  open 
class  for  a  display  of  Dahlias  in  a  given  space  ; 
other  open  classes  may  be  listed  for  the  Cactus,  single 
and  Pompon  sections.  The  local  classes  must 
also  be  remembered.  I  think  the  inclusion  of 
Dahlias  would  prove   a  great   attraction   and  win 


will  give  their  opinion. — George  Garner. 

Disbudded  v.  Undisbudded  Roses.— What  a 
difference  there  is  m  blooms  of  nearly  all  Roses 
that  are  the  result  of  disbudding  directly  the  buds 
are  large  enough  to  handle,  compared  with  the 
flowers  of  the  same  variety  from  plants  that  are 
allowed  to  develop  all  their  buds  into  blooms 
in  clusters.  Flowers  from  the  latter  method 
are  often  not  discernible  as  being  typical  of  certain 
sorts.  For  instance,  note  the  difference  in  blooms 
of  Edward  Mawley,  Mrs.  Comwallis-West,  Mrs. 
E.  Powell,  or  Gloire  de  Chedane  Guinoisseau.  In 
size  of  petal,  richness  of  colour,  or  general  form 
there  is  no  comparison.  For  purely  garden  decora- 
tion the  undisbudded  plants  may  be  interesting 
as  giving  a  mass  of  flower,  but 
where  Roses  are  prized  for  cutting 
and  the  individual  merits  of  the 
different  varieties  are  to  be  main- 
tained, then  disbudding  is  an 
advantage.  I  do  not  mean  to 
reduce  the  number  of  shoots  upon 
a  plant  to  obtain  one  or  two  huge 
blooms  for  exhibition,  but  I  prefer 
to  allow  all  shoots  to  grow  and 
confine  the  buds  to  one  on  each 
shoot.  By  this  method  stouter, 
stiff  shoots  are  obtained,  with  a 
representative  bloom  of  each  variety 
well  supported  with  foliage,  which 
for  vase  decoration  plays  an  impor- 
tant part,  as  no  other  foliage 
tends  to  show  off  Rose  blooms  so 
well  as  their  own. — E.  M. 

Culinary  and  Dessert  Apples 
lor  Suburban  Gardens. — In  choos- 
ing varieties  of  Apples,  or,  indeed, 
any  other  fruits,  one  of  the  chief 
objects  should  be  to  secure  those 
varieties  which  will  prolong  the 
season.  In  large  gardens  this  is 
usually  so  ordered,  though  now 
and  again  one  comes  across  an 
establishment  where  the  succes- 
sional  arrangement  might  with 
advantage  be  improved  upon.  But 
I  write  for  the  smaller  garden,  of 
one  to  three  acres,  say,  of  which 
there  ar^  an  ever-increasing  num- 
ber springing  up  on  the  outskirts 
of  this  and  every  other  city.  The 
methods  of  preparing  the  positions 
and  planting  the  trees  are  so  fre- 
quently touched  upon  by  authori- 
tative writers  that  I  pass  on  at 
once  to  enumerate  a  few  reliable 
sorts  for  the  twofold  purposes,  culi- 
nary and  dessert.  Early  Victoria, 
Potts'  Seedling,  Stirling  Castle, 
Warner's  King  and  Bramley's  Seedlmg  will  carry 
the  kitchen  supply  in  the  order  given  to  Christmas, 
after  which  Beauty  of  Kent  and  Lane's  Prince 
Albert  would  make  provision  until  the  end  of 
March — certainly  a  very  satisfactory  period  for 
such  an  acreage  of  ground.  For  a  supply  of 
dessert  or  table  fruits  extending  over  a  similar 
period,  we  have  found  the  following  highly  service- 
able :  Beauty  of  Bath  or  Irish  Peach,  James 
Grieve,  Cox's  Orange  Pippm,  and  Lord  Hindlip 
or  King's  Acre  Pippin.  It  will  be  found  much 
more  advantageous  to  grow  several  trees  of  a 
limited  number  of  varieties  than  a  host  of  sorts 
all    ripening    one    upon    the    other. — C.    Turner, 


of  frost   (ground  temperature),  but   I   ha\-e  never  1  a  lot  of  extra  support  for  our  many  Chrysantlie-  ;  Ken  View  Garden,  Highgale,  N. 


December  6,  1913.] 


TTTE     GARDEN. 


607 


Rose  Mme.  Abel  Chatenay.— For  several  years 
I  have  had  a  very  strong  liking  for  this  Rose. 
.\s  a  town  garden  variety  it  is  a  great  success. 
It  possesses  so  many  good  points.  In  my  garden 
it  has  continued  to  flower  since  last  June,  and  now 
bears  clean  buds.  While  some  Roses  near  it 
are  mildev/ed,  this  one  is  free.  The  coloiu'  is  so 
very  pleasing  and  effective  when  the  blooms  are 
arranged  in  baskets  or  vases.  Quite  small  buds, 
if  cut  and  placed  in  water  in  vases  in  the  dwelling- 
house,  open  fully,  retain  their  colour  and  remain 
fresh  for  nearly  a  week.  All  who  grow  tliis 
variety  appreciate  its  many  good  points.  Those 
who  do  not  possess  any  plants  should  add  several 
to  their  collection  this  autumn. — Avon. 

Early  Peas  in  Pots  and  Boxes. — .\  sowmg  of 

early  Peas  made  now  m  turf  and  placed  on  a  shelf 
near  the  glass  will  be  just  right  for  potting  up  in  the 
New  Year  in  the  Chrysanthemum  pots.  Suitable 
varieties  are  numerous,  but  we  find  that  Sutton's 
Excelsior  and  World's  Record  surpass  anything 
in  Peas  we  have  ever  tried.  Both  finish  with  full 
pods.  The  former  is  dwarf  and  the  latter  medium 
m  height,  and  both  suit  various  houses.  World's 
Record  is  also  suitable  for  borders  and  raised  beds. 
Our  soil  being  very  heavy,  we  pass  it  through  a 
coarse  sieve,  mix  some  approved  fertiliser  with  it, 
crock  the  pots  in  the  usual  way,  and  three  parts 
fill  them  with  the  soil  and  firm  down.  Place 
the  turf  and  Peas  on  this,  stake  them  with  a  short 
stick,  and  place  them  in  a  cool  house  near  the 
glass.  As  the  days  lengthen  they  will  grow  faster, 
and  need  a  house  to  themselves  if  a  quantity  is 
required.  Repeat  the  sowing  every  fourteen  days 
for  a  continual  supply.  Continue  potting  as  above. 
Both  the  sowings  and  pots  have  given  as  good 
results  as  those  grown  outside,  and  the  seeds 
germinated  without  a  break  in  a  house  30  yards 
long. — T.  G.  J.,  Shaftesbury,  Dorset. 

The  Rock  Garden  in  Autumn  and  Winter.— 
.\t  all  times  of  the  year  the  ruck  garden  can 
be  made  to  possess  some  charm  and  interest, 
although  I  must  admit  that  in  late  summer, 
autumn  and  winter  the  beauty  is  somewhat 
limited  as  far  as  flowering  plants  are  concerned. 
Nevertheless,  much  can  be  done  to  increase 
the  attractiveness  at  that  time,  when  flowers 
are  not  so  plentiful,  by  the  more  liberal 
use  of  many  of  those  plants  with  ornamental 
foliage.  The  beautiful  silvery  appearance  of 
many  of  the  Achilleas,  Ageratums,  Artemisias 
and  similar  plants,  with  the  beautiful  tints  obtained 
from  many  of  the  Sedums  and  Sempervivums, 
which  these  plants  give  us  from  late  summer  onwards, 
from  beautiful  crimson,  pink,  yellow,  and  many 
shades  of  greens,  all  blend  in  harmony  with  their 
surroundings,  whatever  they  may  be.  Yellow 
is  perhaps  a  limited  colour  in  foliage,  although 
there  are  a  few  yellow-foliaged  varieties  of  plants, 
such  as  the  golden  Sagina,  the  yellow  variegated 
-Arabis,  the  golden  variety  of  Sedum  acre  and  a 
few  others,  which  are  worthy  of  a  place.  By  using 
such  plants  more  freely  than  is  generally  the  case 
for  the  value  of  their  foliage,  we  may  greatly  assist 
to  link  together  with  touches  of  beauty  one  season 
of  flower  to  another. — F.  Preston. 


GARDENING    ACROSTICS. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 

December  8. — United  Horticultural  Provident 
;uid  Benefi;  Society's  Committee  Meeting. 

December  10. — East  Anglian  Horticultural  Club's 
Meeting.  North  of  England  Horticultural  Society's 
Meeting  and  Lecture  at  Leeds.  National  Chry- 
santhemum Society's  Exhibition  at  Essex  Hall, 
Strand.     Conference  in  the  evening. 


4   S  announced  in  our  issue  for  last  week,  we 

/%  are  publishing  eight  gardening  acrostics, 

/    %         to  be  divided    into   two   sets    of   lour 

A"~"^       each.       Each    light    correctly  guessed 

*  ^      will  comit  one,  and  also  each  "  first  " 

and  each     "  last."     Thus,     supposing 

the    whole   is     China     (firsts),    .^ster    (lasts),    the 

full    marks    will    be    seven — one    for    China,    one 

for     .\stei-,     and     one     for     each      of     the      five 

lujhts    C  .   .   .   A,    H  .   .   .  S,    I   .  .   .  T,    N  .   .   .   E 

and     A  .  .   .   R.     Hence,    suppose    a    competitor 

got   everything  right    but   the  light    I  ...  T,   he 

would  comit  six,   and  it  would  not   matter  if  he 

attempted  to  solve  that  particular  light  or  not. 

Those   entering    for  the    acrostics  must  observe 
the  following  conditions  ; 

(i)  Solutions  must  be  addressed  to  The  Editor 
at  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden, 
W.C,  and  bear  the  word  "  Acrostic "  in 
the  top  left-hand  comer  of  the  envelope. 
{3)  If  a  nom  de  plume  is  used,  competitors  must 
at  the  same  time  enclose  their  own  name 
and  address,  not,  of  course,  for  publication. 


.MK.    F.    JENNINGS,    THE    HEAD-GARDENER 
AT   CHATSWORTH.      {See  page  610.) 

(3)  S<:lutions   must   reach    the   Editor   within    a 

week  of  the  date  of  issue  in  which  the 
acrostic  appears.  Thus,  solutions  of 
Acrostic  No.  i  published  in  The  Garden 
to-day  must  arrive  at  the  of&ce  before 
or  by  the  first  post  on  December  13. 

(4)  A  list  of  those  who  have  sent  in  solutions, 

with  the  number  of  marks  that  each  one 
has  obtained,  will  be  published  in  the  next 
issue.  Thus,  that  of  those  who  compete  in 
,\crostic  No.  I  will  appear  in  the  issue 
dated  December  20. 

(5)  We    propose    to   divide    the    series   ot   eight 

into  two  of  four  each,  and  to  award  two 
prizes  at  the  end  of  the  fourth,  and  two 
more  at  the  end  of  the  eighth  and  last. 
The  first  prize  in  each  case  will  be  two 
guineas,  or  books  of  that  value,  and  the 
second,  one  guinea.  In  order  to  give  as 
many  as  possible  a  chance  of  a  prize,  the 
winner  or  winners  of  the  first  prize  in  the 
first  four  will  be  penalised  twelve  points, 
and,  similarly,  the  winner  or  winners  of 
the  second,  eight  points  if  they  enter  lor 
the  second  four. 


(6)  In  case  of  any  dispute,  the  Editor's  derision 

must  be  accepted  as  final. 

(7)  No    solution    can     be     accepted    as    correct 

unless  it  is  the  one  that  the  framer  of  the 
acrostic  has  sent  us  as  his  solution,  and 
which  we  shall  publish  in  due  course.  It 
is  impossible  for  it  to  be  otherwise,  as  it 
would  lead  to  much  confusion,  and  it  would 
place  upon  us  a  responsibility  which  we 
could  not  assume. 

(8)  In   the   event   of   two   or   more   competitors 

obtaining  an  equal  number  of  marks  for 
first  prize,  the  first  and  second  prizes  will 
be  added  together  and  divided  among  them. 


UOURLH     ACROSTIC     No.     1. 

Firsts — .\  Vine. 

Lasts — A  most  useful  part  of  my  "'  firsts." 

1.  60  "  3  inch." 

2.  A   vegetable— purple   when   eaten  in    ancient 

Rome  ;  green  or  blanched  when  consumed 
in  modern  London. 

3.  An  almost  hardy  bulb  with  a  flower  not  unlike 

what  a  blue  Freesia  might  be. 

4.  The   author   of   a   beautiful   gardening   book. 

"  Nothing  approaches  it  for  instructive- 
ness  in  herbaceous  plants  till  we  get  to 
Robinson's  '  English   Flower  Garden.'  " 

5.  Our  greatest  and  oldest  living  botanist. 

6.  A  Georgian  Tulip.     One  of  the  best  doers  of 

all  the  large-flowered,  brilliant-hued  species. 

7.  A  dainty  pea  of  Tusser's  day. 

Solutions  of  the  above  must  be  sent  so  as  to  reach 
the  Editor  at  20,  Tavistock  Streets  Covent  Garden' 
London,  W.C,  not  later  than  the  first  post  on 
Saturday,  December  13.  Mark  the  envelope 
"Acrostic  "  in  the  Inp  left-hand  corner. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


THE  DESIGNING,  CONSTRUCTION 
AND  PLANTING  OF  ROCK  GARDEN^'. 

{Continued  from  page  596.) 

A  THIRD  site  that  one  is  sometimes  called 
on  to  consider  is  a  dry  hollow  in  a  hill- 
side. Earth,  gravel  or  other  material 
has  been  removed  for  use  elsewhere, 
and  left  more  or  less  abrupt  banks  ;  it 
is  a  veritable  sun-trap,  and  sheltered 
withal.  The  introduction  of  water  may,  or  may  not, 
be  out  of  the  question,  and  if  it  is  introduced  will 
somewhat  effect  a  modification  in  the  design. 
Here  we  will  consider  it  without  water,  as  it  may 
be  convenient  at  a  later  stage  to  point  out  how  the 
scheme  should  be  altered  to  admit  of  its  use.  This 
is  a  spot  where  the  sun-loving  alpines  will  revel, 
while,  by  judicious  arrangement,  sufficient  shady 
positions  can  be  introduced  to  permit  of  the  success- 
ful culture  of  many  of  those  that  prefer  cooler 
conditions.  The  best  method  of  dealing  with  this 
site  will  be,  I  think,  to  treat  it  as  a  natural  cliff 
formation,  from  which  broken  boulders  and  crum- 
bling fragments  have  become  detached  and  fallen 
in  all  directions.  I  have  already  described  the 
processes  by  which  in  Nature  the  crevices  between 
these  fallen  masses  become  filled  with  particles  of 
earth  that  are  washed  down  from  above,  and  by 
the  growth  and  decay  of  the  lower  vegetable  forms, 
thus  rendering  them  suitable  receptacles  for  the 
culture  of  alpine  plants,  which,  indeed,  find  their 
natural  homes  prepared  by  the  same  processes. 
Paths  and  steps  will  be  required,  but  should  be  as 
rudimentary    as    is    consistent    with    comfortable 


()08 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  6,  1913. 


FLOWER     GARDEN. 


inc.     l-Nrt 

H 


growers 
varieties 


DO-m-D     I  int      3HOW3 
COH  TOUR       OF      SJ-^Tlon 


SKETCH    V.    SHOWING    SF.CTIONAL  TREATMENT   OF    SITE, 


transit ;  in  some  cases  tliey  may  be  barely  possible, 
althongh  every  foothold  should  be  made  absolutely 
secure.  Sketch  V  shows  in  section  the  treatment 
of  this  site. 

If  time  and  space  permitted,  I  could  go  on  multi- 
plying descriptions  of  varying  sites  ;  but  there  must 
be  an  end  to  all  things,  and  I  think  I  have  said 
enough  to  illustrate  the  fact  that  every  position 
demands  separate  consideration,  and,  generally 
speaking,  possesses  in  itself  a  potential  design  all 
its  own.  There  are,  however,  certain  sites  much 
more  suitable  than  others,  and  some,  indeed,  that 
should  be  avoided.  If  the  intention  (and  I  want 
to  lay  particular  stress  on  this  distinction)  be  purely 
for  the  cultivation  of  a  collection  of  alpines,  then 
the  question  of  design  hardly  enters  into  the  matter. 
If  the  rock  is  to  be  used  primarily  for  the  production 
of  picturesque  effects,  then  it  should  be  used  in 
positions  that  offer  some  natural  advantages  and 
are  removed  somewhat  from  the  more  formal 
portions  of  the  garden. 

There  are  some  people  who  seem  to  think 
that  a  successful  rock  garden  can  be  made  in 
the  comer  formed  by  two  walls  in  the  kitchen 
garden  ;  others,  that  an  admirably  suitable 
place  is  under  trees  "  where  nothing  else  will 
grow,  you  know  "  ;  and  yet  others  who  imagine 
that  by  making  a  little  hole  in  an  odd  comer, 
filling  it  with  water  and  surrounding  it  with  frag- 
ments of  stone  selected  from  the  debris  of  some 
decayed  building,  they  are  creating  a  rock  garden. 
Broadly  speaking,  the  most  favourable  positions 
are  light,  airy,  open  spots  on  sloping  ground.  The 
only  trees  permissible  are  such  as  Abies,  Pines, 
and  others  that  associate  naturally  with  bold 
masses  of  rock,  and  these  only  when  the  contour 
is  rugged  and  weather-beaten  in  appearance  and 
when  they  are  some  distance  removed  from  the 
iK^tn.i]  positions  in  which  it  is  desired  to  cultivate 
alpine  plants.  Silver  Birches  are  permissible,  and, 
where  the  work  is  hold  and  free  enough  in  character, 
even  desirable  ;  but  they  must  be  in  such  positions 
that  they  will  not  overshadow  the  other  inhabitants 
or  send  their  fibrous  roots  to  rob  their  weaker 
associates  of  sustenance. 

Next  week  I  hope  to  deal  with  the  selection 
and  arrangement  of  the  stone,  two  items  that 
are  of  considerable  importance  in  the  construction 
ot  ro  'li  gardens. 

Colchester.  George    Dillistone. 

{Tn  be  continued.) 


THE  NAMING  OF  TULIPS. 

OW      eiu'ious     SOUK'      oi 

oiu-    old    lovers    and 
growers  of  the  Tulip 
of     fifty     years     ago 
would  be  could  they 
read  of  a  place  where 
had     breaks     "  in     some 
amounting     to     30     per 
cent.,"  as  Mr.  G.  W.  Leak   reports 
of  his    collection    at    Wisbech    on 
page  574  of  November  15  issue.      In 
those  times,  of  course.  Tulip  lovers 
desired  the  rectified  or  final  stage 
of  the  Tulip ;    the  self  or  breeder 
stage  was  merely  of   value    in  the 
promise  that  it  gave  of  some  future 
break,  of  a  fine  feathered  bloom  or 
a  noble  flamed   flower.      Now,  the 
desire  would  seem  to  be,  in  the  case 
of  the  Darwin,  to  keep  to  the  pre- 
f  ent  beautiful  self  shade.    .■Xs  to  how 
to  keep  them  in  the  self  stage  or  how  to  cause  them 
to  break,  no  one  knows.     When  growers  were  very 
plentiful,   say,    fifty    years   ago   down    to   twenty- 
five  years    ago,  all   sorts   of   experi- 
ments  were   made   in    the   direction 
of    getting    Tulips    to    break,   with 
little    success.        Some     men    could 
break    Tulips;     others    could    not. 
Again,  in  some  years  very  few  would 
break;  as  Mr.  Leak  says,  such  a  small 
percentage    as    two     per    thousand 
Another   season    almost   all    of    one 
variety  might  break.      Last    year  I 
had  about  a  dozen   bulbs  of   a  trea- 
sured   breeder    or    self.    Beauty    of 
Litchurch,    lovely    light    lilac,     and 
from      which      I      was      trying     to 
work   up   a    stock.       At    blooming, 
however,  every  one   of   them   broke 
very     badly,     though     I      had     not 
had    a    break  in  the  previous  fifteen 
years. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that 
all  Tulips  will  break,  or,  perhaps, 
I  had  better  say,  are  liable  to 
break,  sooner  or  later.  The  self 
or  breeder  condition  of  the  bloom 
is  simply  a  stage;  the  rectification 
will  follow.  We  shall  have  good 
breaks  and  bad  breaks — some  "  only 
fit  to  be  thrown  on  the  dustheap," 
as  Mr.  Leak  says,  others  worthy 
of  admiration.  Again,  it  is  quite 
likely  there  will  be  two  kinds  of 
breaks,  but  time  will  show  whether 
there  is  any  need  to  distinguish 
between  them,  just  as  in  the  case 
of  our  florist  varieties  some  break 
in  a  feathered  state,  some  in  a 
flamed  state,  others  in  such  a 
muddled  way  and  so  indistinct  as 
to  be  considered  worthless  and, 
consequently,  are  discarded.  In  like 
manner  other  types  of  Tulip 
varieties  break. 

However  a  Tulip  breaks,  it  should 
still  be  called  by  the  same  name, 
presuming  that  it  has  already 
been  named  in  the  self  state. 
Clara  Butt  is  always  Clara  Butt, 
whether   in  the  self  state  or  in  the 


rectified  condition.  It  is  still  Clara  Butt,  whether 
it  is  wearing  its  morning  or  its  evening  gown. 
Again,  in  the  rectified  state  you  may  have  Krelage's 
break  or  Leak's  break.  It  is  quite  possible  that  we 
may  have  two  kinds  of  breaks.  It  will  doubtless 
be  within  the  capability  of  the  Tulip  Society  to 
distinguish  between  them. 

Reverting  to  the  remarks  made  by  Mr.  Jacob 
in  yoiur  issue  of  October  25  ;  in  the  case  of  Sir  Joseph 
Paxton  we  had  Mellor's  break.  Lea's  strain  and 
Barlow's  strain,  and  one  also  heard  of  the 
Wakefield  Paxton.  All  these  mean  that  Mellor 
had  broken  a  first-rate  Paxton,  that  Lea  had 
a  first-rate  Flamed  Paxton,  and  that  Barlow 
had  a  celebrated  Premier  Flamed  Paxton.  Melkir 
was  residing  in  Wakefield ;  hence  the  term 
"  Wakefield  Paxton."  Probably  very  little  lies  in  the 
distinction,  each  man  doubtless  proclaiming  the 
excellence  of  his  strain.  After  a  few  years  all  these 
questions  of  strauis  quietened  down,  and  Sir 
Joseph  Paxton  would  be  described  by  just  the 
stage  it  happened  to  be  shown  in  or,  as  one  may 
say,  by  the  dress  it  was  wearing  at  the  time, 
self  or  breeder,  feathered  or  flamed.  I  have 
"  broken  "  Paxtons  myself  111  recent  years  equal 
to  any  of  the  "strains"  of  the  earlier  growers. 
Though  I  have  said  Tulips  will  rectify  or  change, 
it  is  also  true  th'^y  are  not  constant  in  their  markings. 


A   DISEASED   DAFFODIL   BULB.      (See  text.) 


December  6,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


609 


and  in  this  department  lies  the  principal  charm 
of  Tulip  culture.  What  we  describe  as  Clara  Butt 
is  a  Tulip  of  a  certain  shape,  a  certain  form,  quite 
distmct,  and  capable  of  being  described  and  dis- 
tinguished from  everj-  other  Tulip.  The  mere 
fact  that  to-day  it  is  in  a  self  state,  and  that  ne.xt 
year's  bulb  throws  a  bloom  that  is  rectified, 
striped  or  flamed,  does  not  justify  us  in  saying 
the  rectified  type  is  a  different  variety;  it  is 
merely  a  different  condition  of  the  same  variety. 

It  is  a  practice  of  the  Tulip  Society  not  even 
to  allow  two  sister  seedlings  to  be  called  by  different 
names  unless  they  can  be  brought  on  the  table 
before  the  judges  and  shown  to  be  distinct.  The 
difference  must  nut  be  accidental  phases  of  growth, 
such  as  one  seedling  being  rat  her  dwarfed  and  another 
\iTy  tall ;  the  blooms  themselves  must  be  so  dis- 
tinguishable  from  each  other  that  one  would  say 
tliey  were  distinct.  Why,  then,  should  it  be 
desirable  to  have  one  variety  called  by  different 
names  because  in  one  case  we  have  a  self,  in  another 
case  we  have  the  same  thing  rectified,  a  very  de- 
sirable break,  a  very  worthy  bloom,  and  in  another 
case  the  same  variety  broken  badly  and  "  worthy 
of  the  dustheap "  ?  A  careful  grower  discards 
Ireely  if  need  be,  and  by  the  process  of  selection 
ubtauis  the  best  strains  which  go  to  make  up  a  good 
collection.  The  Royal  National  Tulip  Society 
arc  to  co-operate  with  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society  in  their  endeavour  to  cirrect  Tulip  names 
when  blooming-time  comes. 

Hale,  Cheshire.  Charles  W.  Needham. 


A     DISEASE     OF     NARCISSUS    BULBS. 

Thk  following  article  by  Mr.  George  .Massee, 
I'.L.S.,  is  reprinted  from  the  Kcw  Bulletin,  No.  8, 
11)13,  by  special  permission  of  the  Controller  of 
His  Majesty's  Stationery  Office,  These  Bulletins, 
wliich  are  published  at  frequent  intervals,  arc 
useful  to  those  interested  in  gardening,  and  can 
lie  obtained  through  any  bookseller  from  Messrs. 
Wyman  and  Sons,  Fetter  Lane,  E,C.,  or  direct 
from  His  Majesty's  Stationery  Office,  Westminster, 
price  4d. 

"  .\bout  three  years  ago  a  disease  of  an  unusual 
nature  was  met  with  on  various  kinds  of  Narcissus 
bulbs.  During  the  present  season  the  disease 
lias  increased  to  such  a  serious  extent  that,  accord- 
ing to  the  statement  of  growers  on  a  large  scale, 
entire  plots  of  bulbs  have  been  completely  destroyed. 
The  injury  is  due  to  the  presence  of  a  parasitic 
liingus  called  Fusarium  bnlbigenum,  Cooke  and 
Mass.,  first  described  in  i88;,  the  host  being  given 
as  a  Narcissus  bulb.  At  that  time  it  was  not 
recognised  as  a  parasite. 

As  a  rule  the  presence  of  the  parasite  is  first 
indicated  by  the  appearance  of  small,  yellowish 
spots  on  the  leaves.  These  spots  gradually  increase 
in  size,  become  brown  and  dry,  and  become  more 
or  less  covered  with  pale  salmon-coloured  specks, 
which  are  at  first  more  or  less  gelatinous,  but  soon 
become  dry  and  homy  when  exposed  to  the  air. 
These  coloured  patches  are  masses  of  Fusarium 
spores,  which  are  dispersed  by  various  means  and 
infect  neighbouring  plants.  The  mycelium  present 
in  the  leaf  can  be  traced  passing  downwards  info 
the  bulb,  where  it  grows  vigorously  and  spreads 
rapidly  in  the  fleshy  bulb-scales.  During  the 
early  stage  of  infection  of  the  bulb,  the  tips  of  the 
scales  only  are  injured,  as  indicated  by  the  brown 
colour.  The  injury,  however,  gradually  extends 
to  the  base  and  enters  the  "  cushion,"  whence 
it  spreads  rapidly,  and  very  soon  the  entire  bulb 
is  of  a  uniform  brown  colour.  When  this  stage  is 
reached,  the  fungus  fonns  delicate,  whitish  sheets 


between  the  bulb-scales,  and  numerous  chlamy- 
dospores  or  resting-spores  are  produced  on  the 
mycelium  present  in  the  substance  of  the  scales. 
These  spores  are  globose,  colourless,  with  a  thick 
cell-wall,  and  are  produced  at  the  tips  of  branches, 
or  occur  in  chains  in  the  length  of  the  mycelium. 
They  vary  from  lo — 14^  in  diameter.  The  Fusa- 
rium spores  are  borne  in  clusters  at  the  tips  of 
short  branches,  and  in  the  mass  are  tinged  salmon 
colour,  but  are  colourless  under  the  microscope. 
They  are  three-septate,  tips  pointed  and  slightly 
curved.     In  size  they  vary  from  40 — 50  x  5 — 6fi. 

When  a  bulb  becomes  brown,  it  soon  commences 
to  decay,  and  its  complete  destruction  is  hastened 
by  the  attacks  of  various  kinds  of  saprophytic 
fungi,  Penicillium,  &c.,  and  by  saprophytic  eel- 
worms,  such  as  species  of  Rhabdites.  When  bulbs 
decay  in  this  manner  before  lifting,  as  frequently 
happens,  the  soil  becomes  infected  by  the  liberation 
of  the  chlamydospores,  which  infect  future  crops. 
The  germinating  chlamydospores  emit  one  or  two 
short,  slender  branches,  which  bear  a  few  short 
chains  of  minute,  colourless,  elliptical  secondary 
spores,  m'"asiiring  about  3  x  Zfj,.  These  minute 
spores  are  the  first  to  infect  Narcissus  leaves  in 
the  spring,  after  which  the  disease  is  continued 
throughout  the  season  l)y  means  of  tlie  Inisarium 
form  of  spore. 

The  young  leaves  of  a  Narcissus  abmit  an  inch 
long  were  infected  with  l''iisarium  spores,  and  in 
six  days  yellowish  spots  appeared  at  the  points  of 
infection,  and  as  the  leaves  continued  to  increase  in 
length,  other  diseased  spots  appeared  lower  down 
the  leaf,  mycelium  in  all  instances  being  present  in 
abundance  in  the  tissues  a  week  after  the  infection 
period.  It  is  highly  probable  that  the  first  infec- 
tion, by  means  of  the  minute  secondary-spores 
produced  by  the  chlamydospores,  occurs  when  the 
leaves  are  quite  young,  and  that  the  disease 
gradually  descends  to  the  base  of  the  leaf  and  into 
the  bulb  by  a  series  of  subsequent  infections  lower 
and  lower  down  the  leaf,  due  to  independent 
infections  by  spores  washed  from  diseased  patches 
higher  up  the  leaf.  Chlamydospores  are  present 
in  abundance  in  the  tissues  of  the  leaves. 

The  continuance  of  this  disease  may  be  due  to 
two  independent  causes  : 

1,  Slightly-diseased  bulbs,  containing  the  Fusa- 
rium spores  or  chlamydospores.  Such  bulbs  are 
not  readily  detected  when  the  injury  is  slight  ;  how- 
ever, when  cut  in  two  the  presence  of  disease  is 
readily  indicated  by  the  browning  of  the  scales  near 
the  neck  of  the  bulb.  It  is  very  doubtful  whether 
soaking  slightly-diseased  bulbs  in  a  fungicide  would 
kill  the  mycelium  present.  It  certainly  would  not 
kill  thick-walled  chlamydospores  or  resting-spores, 

2,  Infected  soil.  Whenever  a  crop  of  diseased 
bulbs  has  occurred,  it  may  be  concluded  with 
certainty  that  the  soil  is  infected,  due  to  the  decay 
of  bulbs  before  lifting,  and  to  fallen  diseased  leaves, 
both  of  which  contain  chlamydospores  in  their 
tissues.  So  far  as  is  known  at  present,  the  fungus 
has  only  been  met  with  on  Narcissus  bulbs,  but 
most  probably  in  course  of  time  it  will  extend  its 
ravages  to  other  bulbous  plants.  Under  the 
circumstances,  the  safest  course  would  be  to  avoid 
planting  bulbs  for  two  or  three  years  on  land  that 
had  produced  a  diseased  crop.  No  kind  of  dressing 
would  be  likely  to  destroy  the  chlamydospores 
directly,  but  during  the  spring,  when  they  are 
germinating  and  producing  secondary-spores,  the 
latter  would  be  killed  by  a  dressing  of  kainit,  or 
of  sulphate  of  potash,  lightly  worked  into  the  soil. 

The  disease  is  known  in  Holland,  from  where, 
quite   miintentionally,    the   disease   may   often   be 


reintroduced  into  this  country  by  means  of  slightly- 
infected  bulbs. 

Description  of  the  Figures.— i.  Section  of 
Narcissus  bulb,  showing  early  stage  of  disease. 
Natural  size.  2.  Branched  mycelium  bearing 
clusters  of  Fusarium  spores,  x  400.  3.  Chlamy- 
dospores or  resting-spores.  x  400.  4.  Chlamydo- 
spores germinating  and  producing  secondary- 
spores.    X    400." 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 

HINTS    ON      PLANTING      PEACHES 
AND     NECTARINES. 

THERE  arc  many  warm  positions  on  walls 
in   gardens    where    Peaches    and    Nec- 
tarines will  thrive  and  be  fruitful  if  pro- 
perly planted  and  judiciously  managed 
afterwards.      The   proper  management 
of     these     trees     does    not    involve    a 
great   deal  more  labour  than  is   necessary  in   the 
case  of  Pears,  for  instance,  and  they  are  well  worth 
the  extra  trouble. 

Planting. — Trees  with  very  strong  young  shoots 
are  not  the  best  to  plant,  for  if  planted  in  a  deep, 
loose,  rich  soil,  they  may  not  bear  fruits  for  several 
years.  I  Imow  of  a  case  in  point  where  the 
trees  did  not  bear  for  seven  years  after  being 
planted,  notwithstanding  all  efforts  to  induce  them 
to  do  so  by  lifting,  root-pruning  and  the  with- 
holding of  manure.  Those  young  trees  possessing 
rather  small  twigs  which  are  wiry  and  short- 
jointed  and  well  studded  with  flower-buds  arc  the 
right  ones  to  plant.  They  are,  really,  in  a  fruit - 
bearing  state,  and  should  be  retained  in  it.  To 
this  end  they  must  be  planted  in  a  very  firm 
rooting  medium.  The  soil  should  be  broken  up 
to  a  depth  of  30  inches.  No  manure  must  be 
put  in,  and  it  should  be  made  very  firm  again 
prior  to  the  planting  of  the  trees.  There  is  no 
better  time  for  dealing  with  the  soil  than  while 
it  is  in  a  really  dry  condition.  It  can  then  be 
firmed,  and  when  the  roots  are  covered  the  finer 
soil  can  be  well  placed  around  the  smaller  roots. 
Rather  than  plant  in  a  rich,  loose  soil,  I  would 
place  the  roots  on  the  surface  of  unbroken  soil 
and  earth  them  over,  as  the  trees  would  make 
more  satisfactory  growth  afterwards.  South, 
south-east  and  south-west  aspects  are  the  best 
for  Peaches  and  Nectarines.  The  south  and  south- 
west are  the  best  two  to  select.  Keep  the  roots 
near  the  surface  covered  with  3  inches  or  4  inches 
of  soil,  and  the  main  stem  9  inches  from  the  wall. 
Any  very  strong,  straight  tap-roots  may  be  cut 
off ;  but  small  ones  should  be  bent  forward  and  a 
large  slate  placed  under  the  whole  of  the  roots, 
as  this  will  prevent  them  growing  directly  down- 
wards at  first. 

Varieties  to  Grow. — Hale's  Early,  Royal  George, 
.\lexander.  Crimson  Galande,  Dymond  and 
Noblesse.  For  growing  on  walls  in  the  open  air 
select  Hale's  Early,  Crimson  Galande  and  Royal 
George.  The  latter  is  subject  to  mildew  in  some 
seasons,  but  if  protected  from  cold  winds  in  the 
early  stages  of  growth,  mildew  ivill  not  be  trouble- 
some, and  the  variety  is  such  a  grand  one  that  all 
amateur  fruit-growers  should  possess  it.  Of 
Nectarines  grow  the  following  :  EIruge,  Early 
Rivers,  Humboldt,  Pineapple,  Violette  Hative 
and  Balgowan.  For  outside  walls  plant  the 
latter,  Violette  HStive  and  EIruge.  Immediately 
the  trees  are  planted,  put  on  a  surface  mulch  of 
half-rotted  manure.  Leave  all  tying  up  to  be 
done  in  the  spring  ;  then  the  roots  can  settle  firmly 
in  the  soil.  G.  G, 


(^io 


The   garden. 


[December  6,  1913. 


GARDENS    OF     TO  -  DAY. 


CHATSWORTH. 

CHATSWORTH,  the  Derbyshire  seat 
of  His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Devonshire, 
which  the  King  and  Queen  are  next 
week  honouring  with  their  presence, 
has,  on  more  than  one  occasion, 
not  inappropriately  been  termed  the 
Palace  of  the  Peak.  Situated  as  it  is  in  the  beautiful 
undulating  country  of  tlie  Peak  district,  with  the 
River  Derwent  gaily  swinging  its  way  through  the 
broad  acres  that  comprise  the  Park,  Chatsworth 
possesses  more  interest  for  those  who  study  and 
appreciate  gardening  than  perhaps  any  other  place 
in  the  United  Kingdom.  Its  historical  associations 
are  too  well  kno^vn  to  need  repetition  at  this  juncture  ; 


rain  in  the  district  of  the  Peaks,  we  were  able, 
under  the  courteous  guidance  of  Mr.  Jennings, 
the  head-gardener,  to  see  something  of  what  are 
undoubtedly  the  most  noble,  if  not  the  most 
pleasingly-designed,  gardens  in  Great  Britain. 
We  must,  however,  first  mention  that  the 
mansion  and  grounds  are  open  to  visitors 
three  days  a  week  from  May  till  August. 
To  many  who  have  spent  pleasant  hours  there 
it  will  come,  perhaps,  as  a  surprise  to  know 
that  the  pools  in  the  famous  Water  Lily  House 
have  been  filled  in  and  the  house  converted 
into  an  orchard-house,  and  for  protecting  Chry- 
santhemums in  the  autumn.  A  notable  feature  is 
an  avenue  of  closely  pruned  Tulip  Trees  that  leads 
to  the  main  entrance,  the  green  foliage  of  these 
making  a  fine  background  for  tall  pyramids  of 
scarlet    Pelargonium    Viscount    Kitchener.      These 


CHATSWORTH,    WHERE    Till;    KING    AND    QUEEN    ARE    TO    STAY    NEXT    WEEK. 


but  it  may,  perhaps,  be  necessary  to  remind  the 
younger  generation  of  our  readers  that  it  was  here 
that  Sir  Joseph  (then  Mr.)  Paxton  exercised  his 
art  of  landscape  gardening,  and  the  general  lay-out 
of  the  gardens  to-day  is  much  as  it  was  in  his  time. 
The  design  for  the  Crystal  Palace,  of  which  so  much 
has  been  heard  recently,  was  supposed  to  have 
been  suggested  by  the  Lily  House  that  he 
designed  at  Chatsworth,  and  a  comparison  of  the 
architecture  of  the  two  certainly  appears  to  lend 
some  colour  to  this  theory. 

We  do  not,  however,  propose  to  enter  into 
useless  discussions  as  to  the  correctness  or  otherwise 
of  this  supposition,  nor  to  dwell  at  length  on  the 
work  of  Paxton,  but  rather  to  give  a  necessarily 
brief  description  of  a  few  features  of  the  gardens 
and  pleasure  grounds  as  we  saw  them  one  day  in 
September.     Although    it    rained    as   it    can    only 


plants,  which  are  giown  in  large  tubs,  are  about 
ten  feet  high,  and  create  a  really  wonderful 
and  pleasing  effect. 

The  Italian  and  French  gardens  at  Chatsworth 
are  both  good  examples  of  their  kind,  the  former 
being  planned  on  particularly  bold  lines.  Here 
Irish  Yews  stand  like  sentinels  on  guard,  with  large 
beds  filled  with  ornamental  foliage  and  flowering 
shrubs  as  companions,  broad  walks  leading  to  other 
and  more  remote  parts  of  the  gardens,  branching 
off  in  several  directions.  In  the  French  Garden, 
which  is  on  a  much  smaller  scale,  the  pillars  sup- 
porting the  statuary  are  wreathed  with  Rambler 
Roses,  and  the  beds  planted  with  white,  purple, 
violet  and  pale  blue  Violas,  the  whole  being  so 
arranged  as  to  provide  a  perfect  harmony  of  quiet 
colours.  Leading  from  the  French  Garden  to  the 
broad   expanse    of    water    beyond    is    the    famous 


Solomon's  Walk,  a  broad  pathway,  skirting,  as  it 
were,  the  large  expanse  of  lawn  that  lies  at  the 
south  front  of  the  mansion,  the  grass  bank  im- 
mediately below  the  walk  having  beds  cut  in  its 
face  to  form  a  bold  chain,  with  pendants  at  intervals 
of  about  twenty  yards.  At  the  time  of  our  visit 
this  chain  was  planted  with  yellow  and  white  Violas, 
and  the  pendants  with  those  of  violet  and  lavender 
hues.  To  fill  these  and  other  beds  no  fewer  than 
20,000  Viola  plants  are  required  annually,  these 
being  obtained  by  means  of  cuttings  planted  early 
in  the  autumn. 

Fountains,   cascades   and  statues  abound  in   the 

pleasure    grounds,    while    ornamental   ponds,    filled 

with    Water  Lilies  and  other  aquatics,    meet    the 

visitor  at  almost  every  turn.     The  water  is  obtained 

from  the  lake  situated  some  400  feet  above  the  level 

of  the  gardens  and  right  on  the  side  of  the  towering 

hill,  whence  flows  the  wonderful  cascade 

shown  in   the  illustration    on   page    611. 

Then  from    the    Wellington    Rock,    high 

up  on  the  cliff  side,  wa.ter  tumbles  over 

jutting  rocks  to  the   pool   below,  thence 

wending    a   more    peaceful    way  to    the 

lake  in   the   dell  or  natural  garden  near 

by,   where   Bulrushes,   hardy   Ferns   and 

other  native  plants  find  a  happy  home. 

Further  up  on  the  hillside,  and  stretch- 
ing away  from  the  mansion  for  a  con- 
siderable distance,  is  the  Arboretum, 
which  includes  many  good  and  well- 
grown  trees.  Among  these  are  the  three 
Royal  trees.  One,  an  Oak,  was  planted 
by  the  late  Queen  Victoria,  then  Princess 
Victoria,  in  1832.  Planter  and  tree 
would  be  about  the  same  age  ;  the  Oak 
is  still  in  its  youth,  but  the  planter  has, 
alas  !  been  called  to  the  Great  Beyond. 
It  is  only  by  a  comparison  such  as  this 
that  we  realise  how  fleeting  is  the  life  of 
man.  Another  tree  is  a  Spanish  Chest- 
nut, planted  at  the  same  time  by  the 
Duchess  of  Kent ;  and  the  third  is  a 
Sycamore,  planted  eleven  years  later 
by  Prince  Albert,  who  had  then  been 
Prince  Consort  for  two  years.  Bor- 
dering the  pathway  that  takes  the 
visitor  through  the  Arborettmi  is  a 
babbling  stream  of  crystal  water  some 
half  a  mile  long,  in  which  trout  may 
at  times  be  seen  disporting  them- 
selves. Rhododendrons  and  other  suit- 
able shrubs  and  low-growing  trees 
are  effectively  grouped  by  the  margins 
of  the  stream.  This  bountiful  and 
natural  supply  of  water  is  of  the 
greatest  value  to  Chatsworth,  and  in 
the  Temple  of  Venus,  near  where  the  rill  loses 
itself  in  the  ground,  the  following  descriptive 
poem  is  carved  in  stone  : 

Won  from  the  brow  of  yonder  licadlons  Hill, 
Through  grassy  channels,  see,  thu  sparkling  rill 
O'er  the  chafed  pebbles,  in  its  murmuring  How 
rihi'ds  freshness  on  the  thirsty  vale  below. 
Quick'uina  the  ground  till  trees  of  every  zone. 
In  Chatsworth's  soil,  and  clime,  forgot  their  own. 

To  the  keen  lover  of  plants  the  indoor  gardens 
at  Chatsworth  are  almost  as  interesting  as  the 
noble  terraces  and  broad,  carpet-like  lawns  that 
form  such  a  feature  of  the  outdoor  gardens. 
Stretching  up  from  the  French  Garden  is  the 
Portland  Walk,  which  is  a  sort  of  corridor  with 
glass  roof  and  front.  Here  many  interesting  plants 
find  a  congenial  homo,  among  them  being  some 
fine  old  specimens  of  Camellia  reticulata.  Fuchsias, 
Acacias    and    other    hard-woodid    kinds.      In    the 


1)ECKMBER    B,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


THE    CONSERVATORY    AT    CHATSWOKTH,    PKcMAI 


IHE    LARGEST    Ol      ITS    KIND    IN"    THIS    COUNTRV 


plant-houses  near  by,  Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine, 
Scented-leaved  Pelargoniums,  Carnations,  Helio- 
tropes, Hydrangeas  and  Chrysantheinums  are  grown 
in  very  large  quantities,  and  at  the  time  of  our 
visit  these  were  in  particularly  food  condition. 
Special  mention  must  be  made  of  the  Carnations, 
which  are  the  favourite  flowers  of  Her  Grace  the 
Duchess  of  Devonshire.  Perpetual-flowering  and 
Malmaison  kinds  are  grown  by  the  thousand,  and 
we  have  never  seen  a  finer  lot  of  plants. 

One  of  the  principal  features  of 
Chatsworth  is,  of  course,  the  large 
conservatory  or  winter  garden,  an 
illustration  of  which  is  reproduced 
above.  This  is  probably  the 
largest  of  its  kind  in  any  private 
establishment  in  this  country, 
and  the  broad  gravel  path  that 
runs  through  the  centre  is  suffi- 
ciently large  to  enable  carriages 
to  be  driven  through  with  perfect 
freedom.  Owing  to  the  character 
of  the  plants  in  this  house,  the 
temperature  has,  of  necessity,  to 
be  maintained  much  higher  than 
is  usual  in  conservatories.  At 
each  end  of  the  house  bold  masses 
of  frockwork  have  been  skilfully 
arranged,  with  small  pools  nestling 
at  their  bases,  the  latter  forming 
congenial  homes  for  choice  Water 
Lilies,  the  Cape  Pondweed  and 
many  other  kinds  of  aquatic 
plants.  The  rockwork  itself  is 
almost  concealed  by  Ferns,  Sela- 
ginellas  and  other  dwarf  forms  ol 
plant-life.  In  the  broad  borders 
on  either  side  of  the  main  path- 
way such  plants  as  Monster. 1 
deliciosa,  Musa  Cavendishii  (n 
Banana  that  fruits  splendidly  here), 
Poivrea  coccinea  (with  racemes  ol 
small,  bright  scarlet  flowers),  Hedy- 
chiums  and  many  other  unusual 
kinds  are  grown  in  quantity  ;    hence 


the  visitor  might  well  imaaine  himself  to  be 
in  a  semi-tropical  country  instead  of  in  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  counties  of  England. 

The  fruit-houses  are,  naturally,  of  a  very  exten- 
sive character,  and  such  kinds  as  Peaches,  Figs, 
Muscat  Grapes  and  choice  dessert  Cherries  are 
very  largely  grown.  We  have  seldom  seen  Peach 
trees  in  better  condition  than  those  at  Chatsworth, 
and  the  Muscat  Grape  Vines  were  carrying  very 
heavy  crops  of  fruit,  which  reflected  the  greatest 


611 


credit  on  those  responsible 
for  their  cultivation.  In 
one  of  the  Peach-houses 
we  were  interested  to  see 
a  very  fine  plant  of  the 
Persimmon  (Diospyros  Kaki 
Pashomarii)  that  was  bear- 
ing a  very  heavy  crop 
of  its  pale  orange  coloured 
fruits.  Unfortunately,  owing 
to  the  proximity  of  the  fruit- 
houses  to  the  River  Derwent, 
it  is  no  luicomraon  occur- 
rence for  the  stokeholes  and 
floors  to  be  flooded.  This 
is,  of  course,  a  very  severe 
handicap  in  the  production 
of  first-class  fruit. 

There  are,  of  course, 
many  other  interesting  fea- 
tures in  the  gardens  at 
Chatsworth,  but  lack  of 
space  will  not  allow  us  to 
deal  with  them  here.  Thi- 
average  visitor  will  find  it 
difiicult  indeed  to  get  a 
full  grasp  of  the  noble 
and  beautiful  effects  that 
abound  so  freely  in  these 
gardens,  which  have, 
through  the  kindness  of  the  Duke  of  Devonshire, 
come  to  be  regarded  more  in  the  light  of  a  national 
asset  than  the  private  property  of  one  of  our  oldest 
English  families. 

There  are  many  I'-ssoiis  to  learn  at  Chatsworth, 
and  the  student  of  English  gardening  could, 
with  advantage,  spend  many  days  in  this  de- 
lectable place,  where  garden  and  woodland 
and  water  are  successfully  blended  to  make  one 
harmonious  whole. 


VIF.W     IN     THE      GARDIiNS     AT     CHATSWORTH,     WITH     THE     LARGE     CASCADE     IN     THE 

BACKGROUND. 


612 


THE    GARDEN. 


[December  6,  1913. 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PLATE  1482. 


no  doubt,  be  interesting.  On  the  authority  of 
Captain  A.  A.  Dorrien  -  Smith,  this  remarkable 
variety  originated  on  the  sandhills  a  little  north 
of  Christchurch,  New  Zealand,  and  was  apparently 
derived  from  the  white-flowered  forms  which  alone 
occur  in  its  immediate  neighbourhood.  It  was 
taken  in  hand  by  Messrs.  Nairn  and  Sons,  nursery- 
men, Christchurch,  and  by  1908  a  fair  stock  had 
been  obtained.  Apart  from  the  rich  colour  of  its 
blossoms,  the  leaves  are  also  very  deeply  tinted. 
This  variety  is  stiffer  in  habit  than  the  typical 
L.  scoparium,  while  another,  of  even  more  upright 
growth,  was  shown  at  the  same  time  and  given 
an  award  of  merit.     This  was  Chapniannii,  whose 


THE     LEPTOSPERMUMS. 

THE     Leptospermums     are     a    genus     of 
shrubs  belonging  to  the  Myrtle  family, 
natives  of  Australia  and  New  Zealand. 
Some  members  have  been  long  grown 
in  gardens,  where  they  are  remarkable 
for  their  great   profusion  of  blossoms, 
which,  until  the  introduction  of  some  of  the  newer 
forms  of  Leptospermum  scoparium,  were  in  most 
cases    white,    or   nearly   so.     While    the    different 
kinds    must    be.  looked    upon    as 
greenhouse  or  conservatory  plants 
over    the    greater     part     of     this 
country,  they  form  handsome  out- 
door bushes  in  the  favoured  parts 
of  these    islands,  such    as    in    the 
South-West    of   England    and    the 
corresponding  portion  of  Scotland. 
In   parts  of    the   Sister     Isle,    too, 
they    are    equally    at    home,    and 
justly    valued    for    their     beauty 
when  in  bloom. 

The  oldest  and  best  -  known 
inembcr  of  the  genus  is  Lepto- 
spermum scoparium,  which  occurs 
in  great  profusion  in  a  wild  state 
both  in  Australia  and  New  Zea- 
land. One  of  its  popular  names 
is  Captain  Cook's  Tea  Plant, 
owing  to  the  leaves  having  been 
used  for  tea  by  that  intrepid 
navigator  during  his  voyage  round 
the  world.  Another  name  by 
which  it  is  known  in  its  New 
Zealand  home  is  Manuka,  con- 
cerning which  the  late  Mr.  John 
Gould  Veitch,  in  his  "  Traveller's 
Notes,"  writes  :  "  For  many  miles 
we  drove  through  a  dense  growth 
of  Manuka  (Leptospermum  scopa- 
rium), described  as  the  most 
common  plant  in  the  Colony.  It 
covers  hundreds  of  acres,  ranging 
from  half  a  foot  to  30  feet  in 
height,  and  is  said  to  be  very 
effective  from  November  till 
January,  when  it  flowers  in  grea- 
profusion  ;  at  other  times  the 
acres  of  peculiar  grey  green  are 
apt  to  weary  the  eye."  Of  L. 
scoparium  the  variety  grandi- 
florum  has  been  known  for  over 
a  century.  This  has  larger  flowers 
than  the  type,  and  they  have,  in 
addition,  a  rosy  tinge.  It  is  not 
much  grown  ;  indeed,  the  extreme 
variability  to  be  found  among  the 
different  forms  of  L.  scoparium, 
as  shown  last  year  at  the  International  Horticul- 
tural Exhibition  held  at  Chelsea,  took  a  great 
many  by  surprise. 

At  that  time  the  variety  NichoUii,  of  which  a 
coloured  plate  is  given  with  this  issue,  made  what 
must  be  regarded  as  its  first  public  appearance, 
and  from  its  distinct  character  and  great  beauty 
it  created  quite  a  furore.  Not  only  did  it  attract 
the  attention  of  the  general  public,  but  it  was 
.iwarded  a  hr?it-class  certificate  by  the  floral  com- 
mittee, and,  furthermore,  gained  the  cup  for  the  [  that  these  three  beautiful  and  distinct  varieties 
best  new  plant  in  the  show.  As  it  is  such  a  real  j  were  then  shown  by  the  Rev.  .\.  T.  Boscawen, 
good  thing,  some  account  of  its  early  history  will,  1  Long  Rock,  Cornwall. 


THE    WHITE    FLOWERED    ABUTILON    BOULE    DE    NF.IGE. 


flowers  have  not  the  richness  of  colouring  of  those 
of  NichoUii,  but  are  more  of  a  deep  rose  or  rosy 
red  tint.  It  was  discovered  as  an  individual 
plant  in  the  South  Island  of  New  Zealand  some 
years  before  NichoUii  was  found.  A  third  variety, 
and  an  exceedingly  graceful  one,  was  shown  at 
Chelsea  at  the  same  time  as  the  others.  This  was 
Boscawenii,  whose  flowers  are  unusually  large, 
and  white  with  a  reddish  centre.  The  unopened 
buds    are    brightly    coloured.     It    may    be    noted 


Since  L.  s.  NichoUii  gained  such  high  honours 
it  has  been  much  sought  after  and  now  finds  a 
suitable  home  in  a  few  favoured  gardens.  It  is 
said  to  come  reasonably  true  from  seed,  and,  as 
with  the  other  members  of  the  genus,  cuttings  are 
not  at  all  difficult  to  root. 

Of  the  other  species  of  Leptospermums,  perhaps 
the  best  known  is  L.  buUatum,  a  free-growing, 
compact,  little  bush.  Good  flowering  examples  of 
this  may  be  grown  in  pots  5  inches  or  6  inches  in 
diameter,  and  in  this  way  thev  form  useful  decora- 
tive plants  for  even  the  small  greenhouse.  This 
by  no  means  exhausts  the  list,  but  the  following 
are  very  rarely  met  with  :   L.  ericoides,  L.  flavescens, 

L.   Iffivigatum,    L.   myrtifoliuni,  L. 

pubescens  and  I.,  stellatum. 

Propagation  and  Culture. — As 

above  mentioned,  Leptospermums 
are  not  at  all  difficult  to  increase 
by  means  of  cuttings.  These 
should  be  formed  in  early  summer 
of  the  half-ripened  shoots,  which, 
if  dibbled  into  pots  of  sandy 
soil  and  placed  in  a  close  propa- 
gating-case  kept  rather  warmer 
than  the  temperature  in  whicli 
they  have  been  grown,  will  soon 
root.  A  mixture  ;oi  loam,  peat 
and  sand  wUl  suit  them  well. 
Potted  off  singly  when  sufficiently 
rooted,  they  must  be  stopped 
two  or  three  times  during  their 
earlier  stages  in  order  to  ensure 
a  bushy  habit  of  growth.  Besides 
cuttings,  seeds  often  ripen,  and 
from  these  young  plants  can  be 
raised  in  quantity,  as  each 
capsule  contains,  generally  speak- 
ing, a  considerable  number  of 
seeds.  Established  plants  employed 
for  the  decoration  of  the  green- 
house or  conservatory  should, 
after  flowering,  have  the  shoots 
shortened  back  if  necessary,  and 
any  old  and  exhausted  wood 
in  the  middle  of  the  specimen 
thinned  out.  If  repotting  is 
needed,  it  must  be  done  as  soon 
as  the  young  shoots  are  about 
half  an  inch  in  length.  The  com- 
post of  loam,  peat  and  sand  should 
be  fairly  rough  and  pressed  down 
firmly.  If  the  plant  or  plants  do 
not  require  repotting,  an  occasional 
stimulant  will  be  very  beneficial  dur- 
ing tht  growing  season.  Through- 
out the  summer  the  plants  may  be 
stood  out  of  doors,  taking  care 
that  they  are  well  supplied  with 
water.  H,    P. 

[The    coloured    plate    was    pre- 
pared from  a  spray  kindly  sent  us 

by   Mr.   James  Coey,  Donard  Nursery,  Newcastle, 

County  Down.   Ireland. — Ed.] 


ABUTILON     BOULE     DE     NEIGE. 

Although  an  old  variety,  this  is  stiU  one  of  the 
best  white  Abutilons  as  a  greenhouse  climber.  It 
is  seen  to  best  advantage  when  trained  tu  roof 
rafters  or  when  tied  loosely  to  greenhouse  pillars. 
Throughout  winter  it  provides  a  succession  of  flowers, 
borne  gracefully  on  slender  stems.  The  white  petals 
,ire  delicately  veined  or  netted,  to  which  the  golden 
authersof  cxpaadid  fl'  iwcrs  form  a  pleasing  contrast. 


Stipp/ciiiciit  to   THE  GARDEN,  December  6ili.   191 3. 


\ 


NEW   FLOWERING    SHRUB 

"  Leptospermum  Nicholii." 


Hudson   &   Kearns,  Ktd..  Londun,  S.E. 


December  6,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


613 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 

LILIES     FOR     OUTDOOR     BORDERS. 


IN  all  we  have  about  sixty  species  of  Liliums, 
or  l.ilje^;,  cultivated  in  our  gardens.  Some 
twelve  to  twenty  of  these  will  grow  in  the 
soil  one  meets  with  in  the  borders  of  most 
gardens,  flowering  freely  in  the  broad, 
extensive  borders  of  a  large  country  garden, 
iir  the  narrow  border  of  the  town  and  suburban 
garden.  Lilies  may  be  associated  with  herbaceous 
.md  other  plants  in  the  perennial  or  mixed  borders, 
while  they  will  be  found  to  thrive  equally  well 
in  the  shrubbery  border.  A  few  groups  planted 
between  the  shrubs  where  space  permits  give  added 
interest  to  the  border,  and  brighten  it  up  consider- 
:ibly  when  the  Lilies  are  in  flower.  From  these  few 
remarks  it  will  be  gathered  that  the  beginner  need 
have  no  hesitation  in  taking  up  Lily  culture.  It  will 
be  found  a  most  interesting  subject,  both  on  account 
■  if  the  different  kiuds  being  so  varied  in  habit,  the 
lolour  and  size  of  the  flowers,  and  from  the  fact  that 
outside  in  the  border  a  dozen  kinds  will  provide  a 
succession  of  bloom  from  the  end  of  May  to  October. 
The  most  general  method  of  increasing  Lilies 
IS  by  means  of  offsets,  the  bulbs  with  age  dividing 
up  and  producing  several  growths.  These  may  be 
carefully  separated  when  the  stems  die  down 
in  the  autumn  or  winter  when  the  weather  is  open. 
Several  Lilies,  notably  the  Tiger  Lily,  produce 
bulbils  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  These,  if  care- 
fully removetl   when   mature   and   placed  ii-    boxes 


I. THE  STEM-ROOTING   LILY    ON    THE    LEIT   SHOULD   BE 

PLANTED    DEEPER    THAN    THE    NON-STEM-ROOTING 
LILY    ON    THE    RIGHT. 


of  sandy  soil,  or  dibbled  in  a 
sheltered  border  outside,  will  flower 
in  two  or  three  years.  Raising  Lilies 
from  seeds  is  a  rather  fascinating 
occupation,  which  may  be  quite 
satisfactorily  carried  on  with  only 
the  help  of  a  cold  frame.  The 
plants  flower  in  from  two  to  four 
years,  only  the  Giant  Himalayan 
Lily,  Lilium  giganteura,  taking,  as  a 
rule,  longer  than  this. 

Planting  Lily  Bulbs.— The  depth 
to  plant  the  bulbs  of  Lilies  depends 
on  their  size  and  whether  roots  are 
produced  on  the  base  of  the  stems 
immediately  above  the  bulbs  as  well 
as  below,  or  only  from  below  the 
bulbs.  Examples  of  a  stem-rooting 
Lily,  L.  speciosum,  and  L.  parda- 
linum,  a  non-stem-rooting  Lily,  are 
illustrated.  These  serve  to  show 
quite  well  how  necessary  it  is  to  plant 
the  bulbs  of  the  stem-rooting  Lilies  much  deeper 
in  the  ground.  A  selection  of  Lilies  suitable  for 
the  beginner,  which  may  be  expected  to  thrive 
and  flower  freely  in  most  gardens,  is  as  follows  : 
Stem-rooting — L.  croceum,  L.  elegans,  L.  Hansonii, 
L.  Henryi,  L.  longiflorum,  L.  speciosum,  L.  tigrinum 
and  L.  umbellatuni.  Non-stem-rooting — L. candidum, 
L.  chalccdonicum,  L.  Martagon,  L. 
monadelphum,  L.  pardalinum,  L. 
pomponium,  L.  pyrenaicum  and  L. 
testaceum.  Large  bulbs,  such  as  L. 
Henryi,  which  produce  quantities 
of  stem-roots,  should  be  covered 
with  8  inches  of  soil  ;  bulbs  of 
moderate  size,  L.  tigrinum,  6  inches  ; 
and  small  bulbs,  L.  elegans,  4  inches. 
Large  bulbs  with  no  stem-roots,  L. 
pardalinum,  3  inches  to  4  inches  of 
soil  ;  small  bulbs,  an  inch  less.  In 
cottage  gardens  we  sometimes  see 
the  Madonna  Lily,  L.  candidum, 
with  its  bulbs  growing  on  the  surface, 
in  excellent  condition,  apparently 
iinharmed  by  frost  or  any  other 
weather  conditions. 

The  second  illustration  depicts 
the  method  of  planting  Lilies  in 
groups  or  clumps.  The  six  bulbs 
are  those  of  L.  umbellatum.  The 
liole  is  2  feet  across  and  8  inches 
deep,  so  that  when  the  bulbs 
are  placed  on  the  bottom  they 
mav  be  covered  with  6  inches  of 
soil.  In  planting  Lilies,  particu- 
larly if  the  soil  is  heavy,  it  is  an 
excellent  plan  to  surround  the 
bulbs  with  coarse  sand,  placing  a 
layer  in  the  bottom'  of  the  hole 
previous  to  putting  in  the  bulbs,  and 
another  on  the  top  before  covering 
in  with  soil.  This  assists  drainage 
immediately  around  the  bulbs.  The 
roots  of  Lilies  will  he  found  to  revel 
in  flaky  leaf-mould,  a  little  of  which 
may  with  advantage  be  incorporated 
with  the  soil  when  planting.    With  the 


2. LILY    BULBS    PLACED    IN    POSITION    AND    READY    TO 

BE    COVERED    WITH    SOIL. 


exception  of  L.  candidum  and  L.  testaceum,  which 
should  be  planted  in  August ,  all  the  Lilies  named  may 
be  planted  at  the  present  time.  It  is  also  safer  to 
pot  up  the  bulbs  of  L.  speciosum  and  L.  longiflorum 
if  newlv-miported  Japanese  bulbs  are  purchased. 

L.  Chalcedonicum,  the  Scarlet  Turk's  -  cap 
Lily,  3  feet  to  4  feet  high  ;  flowers  in  July  ;  best  in 
sunny  herbaceous  border  ;    rich  loamy  soil. 

L.  croceum,  the  Orange  Lily,  3  feet  to  4  feet  ; 
flowers  June  and  July  ;  loamy  soil,  in  herbaceous 
border. 

L.  elegans,  also  known  as  thunbergianum, 
flowers  during  .May  and  June  ;  i  foot  to  2  feet 
high  ;  several  sorts  with  yellow,  orange,  apricot 
and  crimson  flowers.  Plant  along  the  front  of  a 
shrubbery  border  where  the  plants  will  get  a  little 
shade  about  midday.  .Add  a  little  peat  to  the 
soil  when  planting. 

Ii.  Hansonii,  yellow,  drooping,  spotted  flowers, 
3  feet  to  4  feet  high  ;  flowers  in  June  ;  herbaceous 
or  shrubberv  border. 

L.  Martagon,  light  purple  spotted  flowers, 
3  feet  to  4  feet  high  ;  flowers  June  and  July  ; 
delightful  in  the  borders  and  wild  garden.  The 
white  variety,  alba,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of 
all  our  garden  Lilies,  producing  stems  4  feet  high, 
with  twenty  or  mure  waxy  white  flowers. 

L.  monadelphum,  also  known  as  szovitzianum 
and  colchicum,  rich  straw  yellow  flowers,  4  feet 
to  5  feet  high  :  flowers  in  July  ;  a  good  Lily  for 
the  herbaceous  and  mixed  border. 

L.  pardalinimi,  orange  spotted  flowers,  5  feet 
to  7  feet  high  :  flowers  during  July  and  .\ugust  ; 
plant  in  shrubbery  border,  using  a  little  peat. 

L.  pyrenaicum,  yellow,  spotted  black,  2J  feet 
to  3  feet  ;  flowers  .May  and  June ;  shrubbery 
border  and  wild  garden  or  herbaceous  border  ,  the 
first  Lily  to  flowi-r  outside. 

L.  tigrinum,  the  Tiger  Lily,  orange  spotted 
flowers,  4  feet  high  ;  flowers  in  .August  ;  Fortune! 
giganteum  flowers  in  September  and  October ; 
grows  5  feet  to  6  feet  high  ;   herbaceous  border. 

L.  umbellatum. — There  are  several  varieties 
with  orange,  red,  or  crimson  flowers,  2  feet  to 
2j  feet  high  ;  flowers  in  June  and  July  ;  plant  in 
herbaceous  or  shrubbery  border.  a.  O. 


614 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  6,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR    SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Plants  in  Frames. — These  must  be  regularly 
picked  over,  as,  wherever  a  decayed  leaf  comes  in 
contact  with  a  sound  one,  the  latter  is  sure  to 
become  contaminated  owing  to  the  great  amount 
nf  moisture  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

Fuchsias. — Where  spring-struck  plants  are  relied 
upon  for  filling  vases  in  the  flower  garden  and 
for  bedding-out  purposes,  an  early  start  is  necessary. 
A  few  stock  plants  should  be  partly  cut  over  and 
placed  in  a  moderately  warm  house  where  they 
may  be  lightly  sprayed  over.  Here  they  will 
soon  break  nicely,  and  if  kept  in  a  light  position, 
good,  sturdy  cuttings  should  be  ready  for  rooting 
early  in  the  year,  and  quite  good  plants  are  thus 
obtained  by  the  time  they  are  required. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 
Hypericum  perforatum. — The  common  St. 
John's  Wort  is  a  very  useful  plant  about  the 
pleasure  grounds,  as  it  may  be  utilised  in  a  number 
of  positions  where  other  plants  will  hardly  grow, 
much  less  thrive.  On  borders  under  trees,  once 
it  becomes  established,  it  will  form  a  fine  green 
groundwork,  which  looks  very  much  nicer  than 
the  bare  soil.  Under  large,  isolated  trees,  where 
grass  will  not  grow,  this  plant  will  do  well,  and 
if  small  plants  or  offsets  are  planted  about  nine 
inches  apart  any  time  during  the  winter,  they 
will  quickly  establish  themselves,  and  though 
they  may  not  flower  so  freely  as  in  a  more  open 
position,  they  will  at  least  look  green  the  whole 
season  through.  By  cutting  down  early  in  the 
spring  and  giving  the  ground  a  slight  dressing  of 
manure,  growth  is  accentuated.  For  edging  large 
beds  of  shrubs  it  is  also  useful,  while  steep  banks 
may  be  furnished  with  it  after  many  other  subjects 
have  failed  to  grow  at  all. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Chrysanthemums. — By  this  date  cuttings  should 
be  in  a  good  condition  for  propagation,  and  though 
I  am  convinced  that  very  early  propagation  is  not 
actually  necessary,  it  is  quite  wise  to  make  a  start 
with  those  varieties  that  require  a  long  season 
of  growth.  Bob  Pulling,  Queen  Mary,  Hon.  Mrs. 
Lopes,  Amber  Queen,  Mme.  P.  Radaelli  and  its 
sports,  Edith  Jameson  and  its  sports,  Mrs.  R.  C. 
Pulling,  Fred  Chandler,  Fred  Green  and  Miss 
A.  E.  Roope  are  best  on  first-crown  buds,  and 
in  each  instance  these  have  to  be  secured  fairly 
early. 

Decorative  and  Single  Varieties  as  they  are 
cut  down  may  be  put  in  cold  frames,  as  these 
need  not  be  propagated  before  the  month  of 
February. 

Forcing  Plants,  such  as  Azalea  mollis,  Lilacs, 
Prunuses,  Laljumums  and  Viburnums,  may  now 
with  advantage  be  brought  indoors,  and  though 
it  is  not  advisable  to  give  too  much  heat  to  com- 
mence with,  a  temperature  of  50°  at  night,  running 
it  up  mth  sun-heat  during  the  day,  will  soon  put 
them  into  growth,  when  a  little  more  heat  may  be 
employed.  In  medium-sized  establishments  it  is 
not  convenient  to  devote  a  house  entirely  to  these 
forcing  plants,  but  they  will  be  found  to  do  quite 
well  in  a  vinery  or  Peach-house  that  has  been  shut 
up,  removing  them  eventually  to  the  flowering 
house  or  conservatory. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Seed  Potatoes  that  may  be  required  for  very 
early  work  in  pots  or  heated  frames  may  with 
advantage  be  stood  in  boxes  and  placed  in  a  light 
position,  when  sprouting  will  commence.  At 
this  season  they  do  not  push  so  quickly  ;  hence 
the  necessity  of  preparing  them  some  time 
beforehand. 

Hot-beds. — These  are  best  made  up  in  brick 
pits  at  this  season,  and  should  be  well  trodden 
down.  A  good  proportion  of  leaves  will  tend  to 
increase  the  lasting  qualities  of  the  hot-bed. 
Carrots  are  the  first  crop  that  should  be  sovm, 
and  for  these  from  6  inches  to  9  inches  of  soil 
should  be  placed  on  the  fermenting  material. 
If  the  soil  comes  to  within  i  inch  or  2  inches  of 
the  glass,  so  much  the  better,  as  it  is  sure  to  sink 
considerably  before  the  crop  attains  any  great 
height.  Sow  as  soon  as  the  soil  is  in  condition, 
and  keep  the  frames  fairly  close  till  the  seedlings 


appear  through  the  soil.  The  frames  must  be 
covered  in  severe  weather,  though  nothing  short 
of  frost  will  actually  hurt  the  Carrots. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Pot  Figs. — Where  these  are  utilised  for  very 
early  crops,  the  trees  should  now  be  thoroughly 
cleaned,  afterwards  giving  them  a  good  dressing 
of  Gishurst  or  some  other  insecticide.  This  is 
especially  necessary  where  the  trees  are  infested 
with  scale.  The  house  in  which  the  trees  are 
to  be  grown  should  also  be  thoroughly  cleansed 
before  starting  the  Figs.  A  steady  temperature 
of  between  50°  to  60°  should  be  maintained  till 
the  leaves  commence  to  push,  when  the  tempera- 
ture may  be  raised  from  5°  to  10°.  Bottom-heat 
is  not  absolutely  essential  for  pot  Figs,  but  for  early 
work  it  is  certainly  beneficial.  Too  much  water 
at  the  roots  should  be  avoided,  though  at  no  time 
should  the  roots  become  at  all  dry  after  the  plants 
are  started,  and  a  fairly  humid  atmosphere  must 
be  kept  up  by  lightly  spraying  and  damping, 
reducing  it  somewhat  in  the  event  of  very  frosty 
weather. 

Hardy  Fruits. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  small  fruits,  such  as 
Black,  Red  and  White  Currants,  Gooseberries, 
Blackberries  and  Loganberries  are  fruits  that 
are  well  worth  more  consideration  than  they 
often  get.  It  may  be  urged  that  Blackberries 
are  very  easily  secured  in  the  wild  state  right  out 
in  the  country  ;  but  there  are  many  gardens  where 
this  does  not  apply,  and  I  know  of  no  fruit  which 
is  more  appreciated  and,  I  might  add,  remunerative 
than  the  Parsley-leaved  Blackberry.  Once  estab- 
lished, it  will  go  on  fruiting  for  years  ;  but,  like 
everything  else,  it  must  be  given  a  fair  amount 
of  manure  either  in  the  winter  or,  preferably,  when 
the  fruit  is  set  in  the  autmxm.  The  Loganberry 
also  is  very  useful,  and  as  it  goes  on  cropping 
after  the  bulk  of  the  Raspberries  are  over,  it  should 
be  cultivated  in  every  garden.  I  find  it  soon 
gets  tired  of  one  position  in  the  garden,  so  young 
plants  should  be  put  in  fresh  positions  every  four 
or  five  years.  The  present  is  a  good  time  to  plant 
both  of  these  subjects,  and,  providing  the  soil 
has  been  well  worked,  practically  any  position  in 
the  garden  will  suit  them. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Wheeling  Manure.  —  Any  necessary  wheeling 
of  manure  or  soil,  either  for  improvements  or 
routine  work,  should  be  done  during  frosty  weather 
if  convenient,  and  where  this  is  not  possible,  planks 
should  be  laid  for  wheeling  beyond  the  walks. 

Carnations. — Where  these  have  the  benefit 
of  a  frame,  they  should  be  kept  rather  dry  and 
a  sharp  look-out  be  kept  for  mice  ;  and,  if  they 
appear,  they  must  at  once  be  trapped  or  treated 
to  a  little  Rodiue  on  the  top  of  buttered  bread. 

Herbaceous  Flowers.  —  Materials  for  top- 
dressing  should  be  got  ready  for  application  in 
the  spring.  Decayed  leaves,  old  potting  soil  and 
vegetable  mould  are  all  suitable,  and  if  they  are 
mixed  now  and  formed  into  a  conical  heap,  they 
will  be  in  good  condition  when  wanted. 

The  Smaller  Gladioli. — These  are  now  to 
hand,  and  if  the  ground  is  ready  or  is  in  working 
order,  it  is  as  well  to  plant  them  now  and  afford 
them  some  protection,  as  February  is  often  a 
wintry  month  in  Scotland,  and  if  planting  is  delayed 
beyond  that,  a  proportion  of  the  corms  often 
perish.  The  following  are  desirable  varieties  : 
Ackermannii,  Blushing  Bride,  Colvillei  alba,  C. 
rosea,  Ne  Plus  Ultra  and  Peach  Blossom. 

The  Rose  Garden. 
Planting  Rose  Hedges. — The  gromid  should 
be  well  trenched,  and  the  plants  be  put 
zigzag  in  a  double  line  at  about  two  and  a-half 
feet  apart  in  the  line.  After  being  planted 
they  should  be  headed  down  to  from  a  foot  to 
2  feet,  according  to  the  class.  Afterwards  they 
will  require  little  attention  beyond  keeping  them 
free  from  weeds  and  any  extra  vigorous  shoots 
in  check. 


The  Reck  Garden. 

Mice. — It  is  no  uncoirmion  thing  for  mice  to 
ensconce  themselves  in  the  cosy  comers  of  the 
rock  garden  during  the  cold,  wet  winter  weather, 
and  when  wintry  conditions  obtain  they  are  nothing 
loth  to  nibble  at  some  favourite  plant  and  make 
short  work  of  it.  One  cannot,  therefore,  be  wrong 
in  keeping  one  or  two  "  Gert  "  traps,  baited  with  a 
little  piece  of  cheese,  in  those  same  cosy  comers. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Propagating  Chrysanthemums. — The  work  of 
propagating  the  large-flowered  Japanese  varieties 
luust  now  be  proceeded  with.  The  cuttings  should 
either  be  taken  from  suckers  or  from  as  near  the 
base  of  the  stem  as  possible.  Few  growers  strike 
them  singly  in  2j-inch  pots  nowadays,  but  dibble 
them  in  rather  thmly  in  pots  4  inches  or  5  inches  in 
diameter.  .\  suitable  compost  to  use  is  equal  parts 
of  loam,  good  leaf-mould  and  sharp  sand,  finishing 
with  a  thin  layer  of  sand.  The  pots  should,  of 
course,  be  very  thoroughly  drained.  Stand  the  pots 
in  a  propagating-frame,  and,  although  opinions 
differ,  I  think  it  is  better  not  to  cover  with  glass, 
but  leave  them  exposed.  I  admit  that  by  doing 
so  they  will  take  rather  longer  to  root,  but  one 
will  probably  not  lose  a  cutting  through  damping, 
and  the  young  plants  will  be  sturdy  from  the 
start.  Place  them  in  a  greenhouse  temperature  and 
give  just  sufficient  water  to  keep  the  soil  from 
becoming  actually  dry. 

Cyclamens. — These  attractive  flowers  are  at 
present  a  valuable  asset,  both  for  conservatory 
decoration  and  for  filling  small  vases.  When 
picking  the  blooms,  they  should  not  be  cut,  but 
pulled  out  by  means  of  a  twist  or  wrench.  They 
last  a  long  time  in  the  cut  state. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Pruning  Late  Vines. — As  soon  as  Gros  Colman, 
Black  Alicante  and  Lady  Downe's  hava  shed  their 
leaves,  they  should  be  pruned.  Where  long  spurs 
have  been  allowed  to  form  on  the  rods,  each  alter- 
nate one  should  be  cut  back  with  a  fine  saw,  and 
the  cut  afterwards  dressed  with  a  sharp  knife. 
In  pruning,  only  one  or  two  eyes  should  be  left, 
as  only  one  can  ultimately  be  retained. 

Pot  Vines. — Before  starting  these  see  that  the 
drainage  is  all  right,  and  if  the  presence  of  worms 
is  suspected,  give  a  watering  with  clear  lime-water. 
Remove  a  little  of  the  surface  soil  by  means  of  a 
pointed  stick,  and  give  the  plants  a  good  top- 
dressing  with  turfy  loam  and  Thomson's  Vine 
Manure,  after  which  give  a  good  watering.  It  is 
an  excellent  plan  to  stand  the  pots  on  an  inverted 
turf,  but  there  is  no  need  to  do  this  till  the 
roots  become  active.  If  placed  under  too  soon,  the 
turf  is  apt  to  become  sodden  before  the  roots  are 
ready  to  lay  hold  of  it. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Loganberries. — if  the  double  trellis  system  is 
pursued,  the  succession  canes  will  have  been  tied 
in  position  as  growth  has  proceeded  ;  still,  it 
is  necessary  to  overhaul  the  plants  after  they  have 
become  defoliated.  Head  back  any  shoots  which 
have  gone  beyond  the  desired  limit,  cutting  away 
all  laterals,  after  which  examine  the  shoots  and 
finish  any  tying  of  them  that  is  necessary. 

Raspberries. — If  these  are  trained  to  stakes, 
they  should  be  examined,  and  any  which  have 
become  decayed  should  be  replaced  by  new  ones, 
after  which  any  superfluous  canes  inadvertently 
left  should  be  cut  away.  Five  canes  are  quite 
enough  to  leave  at  a  stool.  When  subsequently 
tying  in  the  shoots,  do  not  tie  them  hard  to  the 
stake. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Protection  from  Frost. — It  should  be  home  in 
mind  that  while  Jerusalem  Artichokes,  Parsnips 
and  Leeks  are  quite  hardy,  they  cannot  be  dug 
up  during  severe  frost  unless  a  portion  of  the  crop 
has  been  covered  with  some  loose  litter  as  soon 
as  such  a  condition  threatens.  The  alternative 
plan  is  to  lift  a  portion  of  the  crop  and  store  it  in 
a  cellar  or  shed  among  sand.  Celery  must,  of 
course,  be  protected  from  frost,  or  serious  damage 
to  the  crop  will  result. 

Brussels  Sprouts. — This  crop  is  a  valuable 
asset  during  the  winter,  but  if  a  portion  of  the 
crop  is  allowed  to  remain  after  picking  is  finished, 
the  growing  tops  will  prove  very  useful  in  spring 
before  early  Cabbages  tuni  in. 

Ch.VRI-IS    CoMhORr 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mams,  Midlothian, 


December  6,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


615 


I     THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 
IN     A     HAMPSHIRE    GARDEN. 
Some  of  the  Newer  Decorative  Roses. 
{Continued  from  page  598.) 

WHAT  is  a  decorative  Ruse  ?  In 
the  old  days,  say  twenty  years 
back,  anything  in  the  shape 
'if  a  Rose  that  was  not  up  to 
exhibition  standard  was  termed  a 
L  "  decorative  "  or  "  garden  "  Rose, 

'  ;ind  that  to  a  certain,  although  undoubtedly  to 
less,  extent  is  still  true.  But  the  time  surely 
II. 1:-  come  when  a  standard  as  stringent — I  would 
almost  write  more  stringent — should  be  set  up 
'  for  our  garden  or  decorative  Roses.  With  the 
rsliibition  Rose  much  may  be,  and  is,  forgiven 
11  the  flower  conforms  to  a  certain  orthodox 
i.uidard.  It  may  be  lacking  in  scent,  it  may  be 
.  ii  weak  or  deficient  constitution,  very  shy-flowering, 
of  bad  habit  of  growth,  even  be  of  a  bad  colour, 
and  yet  still  be  a  good  exhibition  variety.  Now, 
iH.ne  of  these  various  defects  can  be  allowed  in 
.1  s;ood  garden  Rose.  It  must  have  perfume, 
be  of  strong  and  vigorous  constitution,  of  free- 
flowering  nature  spread  over  a  long  period,  of  a 
good  habit  of  growth,  and,  lastly,  must  be  of  a 
fine  and  pleasing  colour.  The  almost  only 
characteristic  that  it  need  not  have  is  a  uniform 
or  symmetrical  shape.  Which  standard  is  the 
more  difficult  to  obtain  ?  Undoubtedly  that 
suggested  as  the  one  to  adopt  for  the  garden  Rose, 
A  standard  is  necessary.  Perhaps  the  National 
Ruse  Society  will  look  into  the  matter  at  the 
same  time  as  they  tackle  the  question  of  classifi- 
cation. The  two  are  very  much  alike  ;  in  fact, 
a  solution  of  the  one  will  almost  solve  the  other. 
We  do  not  want  a  Rose  that  is  neither  the  one  nor 
the  other,  not  good  enough  shape  for  exhibition 
purposes,  and  lacking  fragrance  or  some  equally 
important  feature,  and  so  making  it  undesirable 
icir  decorative  purposes.  I  am  sure  if  the  National 
Rose  Society  would  only  tackle  the  question 
boldly,  they  would  earn  the  grateful  thanks  of  all 
concerned,  trade  grower  and  Rose  purchaser  alike. 
Something  will  have  to  be  done,  for  the  number 
.1  varieties  is  getting  legion.  .\s  long  as  the  public 
,i^k  for  the  old  varieties  that  have  been  superseded 
by  better  varieties,  the  nurserymen  will  grow 
them.  I  am  glad  to  see  that  Messrs.  Alex.  Dickson 
and  Sons  are  doing  something  to  meet  the  diffi- 
culty. .\fter  a  detailed  list  of  Hybrid  Perpetuals 
■  covering  three  pages,  they  give  a  further  list  of 
names,  stating  the  following  can  be  supplied ; 
but  in  my  opinion  much  better  varieties  are  to  be 
found  in  the  preceding  pages.  I  think  these  can 
very  well  be  done  without,  and  I  presume  in  due 
course  they  will  not  be  grown.  I  should  like  the 
National  Rose  Society  to  draw  up  a  list  of  Roses 
'■  we  can  do  without,"  and  I  am  afraid  among  them 
would  have  to  be  included  nrany  new  as  well  as 
inanv  old  varieties. 

In  dealing  with  the  newer  Roses  in  a  kind  of 
general  review,  I  mentioned  certain  varieties  as 
the  best  of  their  colour,  and  I  do  not,  therefore, 
propose  to  refer  to  these  again  unless  they  call, 
as  some  few  of  them  will,  for  special  comment. 
I  do  not  think  there  are  any  Hybrid  Perpetual 
Roses  either  new  enough  or  good  enough  to  be 
referred  to.  Rouge  Angevine  is  a  verj'  fine  coloiu:, 
but  has  an  awkward  habit  of  growth,  and  is  scent- 
less; this  in  a  red  Rose  is  unforgivable.  With  regard 
to  the  Hybrid  Teas,  the  story  is  very  different. 
I  will  try  to  keep  them  in  alphabetical  order. 


Bertha  Gaulis  (P.  Bemaix,  1910)  has  proved 
very  Iree-flowering  and  a  good  grower  here.  Colour, 
deep  china  rose  ;  good  shaped  flowers,  and  not 
subject  to  mildew.     Nice  long  bud. 

British  Queen  (S.  McGredy  and  Son,  1912)  I 
ha\c  already  referred  to.  The  flowers  last  a  very 
long  time,  both  on  the  plant  and  when  cut.  Of 
very  similar  habit  of  growth  to  Mrs.  Herbert 
Stevens  ;  in  fact,  it  might  have  been  sent  out  as 
a  Tea  without  anyone  grumbling. 

Carine  {.\lex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1911). — One 
of  the  favourites  in  my  garden  here.  The  long  and 
elegant  shaped  buds  are  all  the  colours  almost  of 
the  rainbow,  make  delightful  button-holes,  and  a 
most  beautiful  table  decoration  ;  but  it  is  at  its 
best  in  the  garden.  .A.  plant  of  it  with  buds  and 
flowers  in  all  stages  of  growth  is  a  glorious  picture. 
One  of  these  days  I  hope  to  have  a  bed  of  it.  .An 
excellent  grower,  carrj'ing  its  flowers  erect  on  long 
footstalks.  Strongly  perfiuned,  with  fine  foliage. 
It  is  altogether  a  delightful  Rose.  I  have  not 
named  its  colour,  because  I  cannot.  No  two 
flowers,  unless  they  are  of  the  same  age,  are  alike, 
and  one  gets  shades  of  cream,  fawn,  orange  with 
carmine  markings,  blush  and  pale  salmon  pink 
all  on  the  plant  at  once.  A  decided  and  distinct 
acquisition  to  our  garden  Roses. 

Dorothy  Ratclifle  (S.  McGredy  and  Son,  1911). — 
Medium-sized  flowers,  probably  a  Lyon  cross,  yellow 
and  fawn,  shaded  coral.  A  beautiful  Rose,  but 
surpassed  by  the  raisers'  newer  varieties  Mrs. 
C.  H.  Pearson  and  Mrs.  F.  W.  Vanderbilt.  It 
makes  a  good  bedding  variety. 

Duchess  of  Wellington  (Alex.  Dickson  and 
Sons,  1909). — .\  tall  grower,  after  the  style  of 
Killamey,  free-flowering,  deep  saffron  yellow  in 
colour,  flowers  fairly  full,  delightful  fragrance. 
.A  good  variety. 

Edith  Part  (S.  McGredy  and  Son,  1913). — I 
see  the,  National  Rose  Society's  new  catalogue 
(1914  edition)  calls  the  colour  of  this  Rose  honej' 
yellow.  This  is  a  mistake.  The  flower  is  really 
a  bicolor,  rich  brick  red  almost,  on  the  outer 
petal  a  colour  that  nearly  comes  through  the 
flesh  or  pink  of  the  inside  of  the  petal.  A  particu- 
larly striking  Rose,  flowers  medium  size,  but  very 
freely  produced,  a  good  grower,  mildew-proof, 
deliciously  scented,  of  fine  habit.  Really  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  same  colour-scheme  that  runs 
through  Grand  Due  de  Luxembourg,  Mrs.  E.  G. 
Hill,  Lady  .\lice  Stanley  and  similar  Roses,  only 
in  this  case  very  much  intensified.  I  have  never 
seen  any  yellow,  honey  or  otherwise,  in  this  flower, 
and  I  have  grown  it  now  for  two  seasons  and  saw 
it  in  full  flower  at  Portadown  in  1912. 

Entente  Cordiale  (Pernet-Ducher,  r909). — This 
is  quite  a  good  Rose,  of  a  creamy  white,  shaded 
yellow  at  the  base  of  the  petal,  an  excellent  shape 
and  a  free-flowerer.  It  should  make  a  good  bedding 
Rose.  Unforttmately,  another  Rose  has  a  similar 
name,  but  that  other  Rose  is  little  better  than  a 
weed,  and  certainly  not  worth  growing. 

Florence  Haswell  Veitch  (William  Paul  and 
Son,  1911). — .Almost  a  pillar  Rose,  at  any  rate  a 
pretty  vigorous  dwarf.  Very  fine  colour,  brilliant 
scarlet,  very  fragrant  and  fairly  free-flowering. 
Not  very  large,  but  of  good  shape. 

H.  E.  Richardson  (Hugh  Dickson,  1913). — .A 
gold  medal  Rose,  awarded  at  Belfast  last  year. 
A  miniature  Victor  Hugo,  beautiful  shape,  very 
fine  colour,  vigorous  free  growth,  and  I  hope  will 
make  a  fine  bedding  Rose.  .As  sho^vn  by  the 
raisers  a  very  beautiful  variety. 

Southampton.  Herbert  E.  Molvseu.x. 

[To  be  continued.) 


NURSERY      NOTES. 


MESSRS.  WILLIAM    ARTINDALE    AND 
SON. 

IT  is  not  uncommon  to  find  that  people  who 
dwell  in  the  metropolis,  its  nearer  suburbs 
and  the  Home  Counties  think  the  area 
covered  and  with  which  they  are  more  or 
less  familiar  represents  the  universe.  They 
pride  themselves  upon  the  impurities  of 
the  atmosphere  and  upon  the  delightful  scenery 
of  many  places  within  the  sound  of  Bow  Bells. 
They  rest  assured  in  their  own  minds  that  the 
ntirserymen  who  shine  in  the  limelight  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  count,  while  those 
who  seldom  come  to  the  "  Hall  "  are  lesser  lumi- 
naries of  another  and  a  poorer  world.  They  are 
WTong  on  many  points.  The  prevailing  conditions 
of  the  atmosphere  of  Birmingham,  Manchester, 
Sheffield  and  other  of  our  great  provincial  cities 
would  do  credit  to  the  best  London  particular 
that  can  be  remembered  by  living  man,  and  the 
environs  of  these  places  are  at  once  a  som-ce  of 
pleasure  and  wonder  to  the  visitor  who  has  become 
imbued  with  orthodox  metropolitan  notions.  It 
is  quickly  found,  too,  that  some  of  the  provincial 
nurserymen  who  do  not  honomr  the  Hall  fre- 
quently have  establishments  equipped  and  stocked 
in  a  manner  that  would  do  credit  to  the  finest  of 
those  who  always  contribute  exhibits,  but  they 
do  not  come  regularly  because  they  cannot  justify 
the  enormous  expense  entailed. 

.Among  such  as  these  rank  Messrs.  William 
.Artindale  and  Son  of  Sheffield.  The  address  may, 
at  first  glance,  appear  rather  vague.  The  firm  has 
depots  and  warehoused  in  several  parts  of  the 
city,  and  at  the  moment  it  is  purposed  to  direct 
attention  to  one  only — the  nursery  at  Nether 
Green,  beyond  question  one  of  the  most  charming 
suburbs  of  which  any  town  or  city  in  England  can 
boast. 

When  in  Shefiield  in  the  late  summer  to  see  a 
local  show,  a  few  spare  hours  were  promptly  devoted 
to  a  visit  to  Nether  Green  in  the  anticipation  of 
seeing  a  small,  provincial  nursery.  The  realisa- 
tion was,  however,  quite  different  from  the  antici- 
pation, since  the  place  proved  to  be  splendidly 
maintained,  and  stocked  with  such  a  comprehen- 
sive collection  of  hardy  plants  as  would  furnish 
ready  and  excellent  material  for  fmrnisliing  com- 
pletely a  garden  of  exceptional  extent.  The 
ground  stands  on  the  higher  slopes  of  a  hill,  and  is 
divided  into  many  quarters  of  varying  sizes  to 
afford  proper  accommodation  for  the  many  scores 
of  plants  demanding  different  requirements.  Tall 
hedges  separate  the  quarters  or  drifts,  and 
within  them  the  featinres  at  the  particular 
moment  of  this  visit  were  the  Sweet  Peas  and  the 
Violas. 

Of  the  first  named  there  were  dozens  of  magnifi- 
cent rows  in  full  bloom  at  a  time  when  our  own  in 
the  South  were  fast  assuming  the  sere  and  yellow. 
-All  the  finest  new  varieties  were  seen  in  splendid 
form,  and  those  old  ones  that  must  still  rank 
among  the  best  were  also  grown  in  bulk.  They 
were  8  feet  to  10  feet  high  under  ordinary  culture, 
which  says  much  for  the  excellence  of  the  soil 
and  the  cleverness  of  the  management  to  which 
they  are  subjected.  The  primary  object  was  the 
production  of  bushels  of  blooms  for  sale  in  the 
firm's  shops  in  the  city,  but  they  had  also  yielded 
hundreds  of  superb  bunches  for  exhibition  at  shows 
all  over  the  provinces. 

The  feature  of  the  time  was,  however,  the  Viola 
garden,  which  presented  a  picture  the  equal  of  which 


616 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  6-,  igi^ 


could  not  easily  be  found  anywhere  in  the  world, 
and  assuredly  could  not  be  excelled.  Great  beds, 
each  filled  with  one  variety,  were  carpets  of  hand- 
some blossoms,  embracing  all  the  hues  and  shades 
now  found  in  these  beautiful  plants.  Some  varie- 
ties were  more  fioriferous  than  others  ;  some 
plants  grew  more  vigorously  than  others ;  but 
the  comprehensive  display  was  perfect.  There 
are  some  five  hundred  thousand  plants  grown  here, 
and  sixteen  medals  have  been  awarded  them  at 
various  shows  this  season.  To  mention  only 
a  few,  and  these  not  necessarily  novelties,  there 
were  :  Mrs.  William  Artindale,  bronzy  purple 
centre,  shading  mauve  and  splashed  violet  ;  J.  H. 
Watson,  reddish  purple,  striped  magenta  and 
wliite  ;  Ajax,  pinkish  white,  very  large  ;  Crimson 
Bedder,  deep  pink ;  A.  J.  Bastock,  purple  rose, 
striped  light  rose,  large  ;  Charles  B.  Murray,  bright 
purple,  streaked  rose,  large  and  handsome  ;  .\gnes 
Kay,  white  centre,  almost  rayless,  edged  helio- 
trope ;    Edina,  dark  blue  ;    G.  C.  Murray,  bottom 


seen  even  in  big  establishments,  would  have  to 
be  named,  and  the  notes  would  consequently  resolve 
themselves  more  or  less  into  the  form  of  a  catalogue. 
Space  is  too  valuable  in  The  Garden  for  that. 
SufiBce  it,  therefore,  to  say  that  any  plant  worth 
a  place  in  the  choicest  collection  can  be  procured 
from  Artindale  of  Sheffield. 

We  noticed  a  very  large  collection  of  alpine 
plants — not  miniature  roots,  but  thousands 
of  good  clumps,  which,  we  were  assured, 
were  the  ordinary  size  they  supply.  Large 
plots  were  also  devoted  to  herbaceous  plants, 
and  the  fii'm  rightly  boasts  of  a  fine  collection  of 
Phloxes,  PiEonies,  Pyrethrums,  Primulas,  &c.  ; 
while  there  were  large  plantations  of  early-flowering 
Chrysanthemums  (of  which  30,000  were  sent  out 
last  spring)  and  Dahlias.  The  firm  has  also  a 
branch  nursery  at  Boston,  where  they  grow  Roses 
and  many  other  hardy  plants. 

The  glass  department  is  not  allocated  to  decora- 
tive plants,  hut  to  such  as  will  produce  crops  for 


SOME    OF    THE    VIOLA-BEDS    IN    MESSRS.    ARIINDALE'S    NURSERIES    .\T    NETHER    GREEN, 

SHEFFIELD. 


and  side  petals  black,  top  petals  sk"y  blue  ;  Gladys 
Finlay,  pure  white,  rayless,  with  a  clearly-defined 
purplish  blue  margin ;  Lady  Knox,  primrose, 
large  ;  Maggie  Mott,  soft  mauve  ;  Moseley  Perfec- 
tion, rich  yellow,  superb  ;  Mrs.  T.  W.  R.  Johnston, 
upper  petals  mauve,  under  petals  shining  black  ; 
Mrs.  Morrison,  dark  mahogany,  striped  pink  and 
rose,  with  a  prevailing  bronze  sheen  ;  Kathleen, 
white  ground,  delicately  suffused  blue,  with  a 
heavy  piurplish  red  edge  ;  and  James  Pilling, 
white,  broadly  edged  lavender.  These  are  a  few 
of  the  many,  and  might  form  the  nucleus  of  a 
splendid  collection.  Bidens  '  dahlioides  was  an 
attractive  hardy  plant,  with  pretty  pink  flowers 
resembling  the  Cosmea  on  long  stems,  which 
flowered  freely  from  June  till  October. 

To  mention  the  hundreds  of  other  plants  seen  in 
perfect  condition  would  simply  mean  that  all  the 
most  popular  kinds,  as  well  as  those  of  unques- 
tioned merit  and  charm  which  are  not  so  frequently 


sale  in  the  shops,  and  the  three  features  of  out- 
standing merit  were  Tomatoes  Pioneer  and  Prolific, 
both  raised  by  the  firm,  and  which  are  remarkable 
for  the  freedom  and  persistency  with  which  they 
yield  fruits  of  perfect  table  size  and  quality,  and 
the  strain  of  Primula  obconica  gigantea,  for  which 
Messrs.  Artindale  are  famous.  There  were  perhaps 
5,000  plants,  with  flowers  varying  in  colour  from 
pure  white  to  deep  crimson  and  as  large  as  a  five- 
shilling  piece,  and  orders  for  plants  were  being 
despatched  to  many  distant  places,  while  seed 
orders  for  these  are  often  received  from  South 
Africa,  and  other  countries.  The  nursery  reflects 
credit  not  only  upon  Messrs.  Artindale  and  Son, 
but  also  upon  their  capable  and  courteous  manager, 
Mr.  Lewendon.  We  presume  that  the  firm 
would  be  pleased  to  welcome  any  of  our  readers 
who  happened  to  be  in  the  district  at  any  time 
during  the  spring,  summer,  or  early  autumn 
months. 


TO 


ANSWERS 
CORRESPONDENTS. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 


PLANTING  HERBACEOUS  BORDERS  {Lover  ol  Horti- 
culture).—\nu  canuot  <io  lirttpr  than  arr-inse  the  plants 
m  groups,  say,  about  tliree  or  six  to  each  sroup,  and  thus 
create  an  effect  impossible  in  any  other  wav  In  the 
wider  portion  you  would  have  room  for  about  three  sets 
of  groups,  and  in  the  narrower  part  two  groups.  Thi> 
arrangement  does  not  take  any  more  plants  than  that  ot 
planfmg  solitary  specimens,  and  by  employmg  select 
colours  a  more  decided  effect  results.  By  arranging  tli.- 
groups  alternately,  more  room  is  given  them,  and  the 
surface  soil  is  better  furnished.  Unfortunately,  you  sav 
nothing  of  the  nature  of  the  soil,  whether  light  or  heavy, 
and  this  would  have  been  helpful.  For  the  hack  row  employ 
single  and  double  Sunflowers,  particularly  Helianthu's 
raultitlonis  and  H.  m.  Hore  pleno  ;  Delphiniuni"s  Amos  Perry, 
La  Fraiirr.  liuk(<)r  (nmiau-lif .  .Mrs  (T,  t-litim  and  King  of 
ll.li,liii,iiii,,^;  also  tb.l,,|i,,»iii'.;.Mieliarlnias  Daisies  ;  Astei 
cordilolnis  Ideal,  c.  Perfection.  Koise-Angliw  Mrs.  Eayner 
N.-A.  pulchellus,  N.-A.  Mrs.  S.  T.  Wright,  Bcautv of  Colwall' 
Feltham  Blue  and  Climax.  By  allowing  a  yard  for  each 
of  these,  the  total  lengtli  wniilrt  he  occupied,"  The  second, 
or  middle,  row  should  1  luitaiii  Phloxes  in  jiink.  scarlet,  and 
white  and  blue  shades,  also  Auemime  japonica  in  white, 
pink  and  red.  Aster  erieoides  Desire,  A.  No\i-Belgii  dcnsus, 
A.  diflusus  horizontahs.  Helemum  cupreum.  Trolliiij. 
Gaillardias,  Oriental  Poppies,  Aquilegia  chrysantlia, 
single  and  double  Pyrethrums,  Flag  Irises  in  variety  and 
others ;  while  the  front  row  might  contain  Hepaticas, 
Anemone  sylvestris,  Helenium  pumilum.  Phlox  cana- 
densis, Pa;onia  tenuifolia  fl.-pl.,  Christmas  Roses,  Cam- 
panula carpatica  alba,  C.  c.  Kiverslea.  C.  White  Star,, 
C,  muralis,  C,  Hendersonii.  alpine  Pidoxes,  Narcissus 
Emperor,  N.  Empress,  N.  Sir  Watkin.  N.  Barri  con- 
spicuus,  Iberis  sempervircus  and  others.  In  existing 
circumstances  you  would  find  it  a  great  help  if  you  pur- 
chased "  The  Hardy  Flower  Book,"  by  E,  H.  Jenkins, 
which  is  obtainable  from  our  Publishing  Department  for 
Us.  lOd,.  post  free.  The  book  not  only  contains  plans 
showing  the  arrangement  of  the  plants,  but  is  replete  with 
lists  giving  their  height,  colour  and  time  of  flowering 
You  would  find  it  invaluable. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

SOIL  FOR  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  (G.  D.  B.),— On  no 
account  use  peat  in  flir  culture  of  Chrysanthemums,  the 
main  staple  required  f.)r  tlie  potting  compost  being  good 
fibrous  loam. 

DWARF  WHITE  JAPANESE  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  TO 
FLOWER  IN  NOVEMBER  (Hlnckley).^l\OTy  is  a  good 
wliife  that  makes  a  capital  bu.sh ;  Moneymaker  is  a 
Inaiiliful  cut-flower  variety;  Pearson's  White  is  a  useful 
whit  I  sport  from  La  Triomphautc  ;  and  Felton's  Favourite 
i~  a  wcll-knoH-n  market  white  for  November  cutting, 

INJURY  TO  PELARGONIUMS(/!?noram««).— The  trouble 
with  the  Pelargonium  leaves  appears  to  be  mainly  due  to 
the  plants  having  been  grown  in  a  moist  atmosphere 
for  a  time  and  afterwards  exposed  to  a  rather  drier  one. 
We  do  not  think  you  need  fear  any  trouble  with  them. 
The  Cinerarias  are  attacked  by  green  fly.  Thoroughly 
fumigate  the  house  or  frame  in  which  they  are  growing 
so  as  to  keep  this  pest  in  check.  Cuierarias  are  very 
subject  to  it  and  need  frequent  fumigation. 

PROPAGATING  PERPETUAL-FLOWERING  CARNA- 
TIONS (.-l ,  B.  Z),).— You  do  not  soy  what  facilities  you  have 
for  the  propagation  of  the  Perpetual-flowering  Carnations, 
as  where  proper  appliances  exist  they  strilie  root  verv 
readily,  Witn  regard  to  the  sand,  ordinary  silver  sand 
is  usually  employed,  though  builders'  sand  will  do  if  sifted 
finely  and  free  from  impurities.  If  you  have  but  an  ordinary 
greenhouse  hi  which  to  strike  the  cuttings,  perhaps  you  have 
■■\  small  propagating-case  in  the  warmest  part  available 
for  the  purpose.  Failing  this,  a  box  about  six  inches 
deep  and  placed,  if  possible,  over  the  hot-water  pipes, 
will  do.  Provision  must  be  made  for  drainage  by  iu.ring 
some  holes  in  the  bottom,  over  which  must  be  placed 
some  broken  crocks.  Then  put  on  a  good  layer  of  sand, 
into  which  the  cuttings  must  be  inserted.  After  this 
a  good  wateruig  must  be  given  through  a  fine  rose,  and  when 
the  superabundant  moisture  has  dried  up.  the  box  must 
be  covered  with  a  sheet  of  glass.  This  should  be  taken 
oft  every  morning  and,  if  necessary,  left  off  for  a  time  m 
order  to  dry  the  foliage,  as,  should  this  not  be  attended 
to,  the  leaves  may  decay.  Directly  the  cuttings  are  roofed, 
the  glass  must  be  removed.  When  put  in  they  must  be 
shaded  from  very  bright  sunshine.  Where  there  is  a 
handhght  or  small  propagating-case  available,  the  cuttings 
may  be  inserted  in  pots,  putting  four  cuttings  around 
a  pot  3  inches  in  diameter.  The  same  general  treatment 
must  be  observed.  The  best  cuttmgs  are  furnished  by 
the  short-jointed  side  shoots  ;  those  that  show  a  tendency 
to  flower  must  be  avoided. 


TREES     AND    SHRUBS. 

TO  DESTROY  AN  OLD  IVY  ROOT  (0.  D.  &,),— The 
large  Ivy  stem  may  be  destroyed  by  exposing  a  few  of  the 
main  roots,  boring  holes  three  parts  of  the  way  thnmgh 
and  filling  them  with  corrosive  sublimate  in  solutinn, 
.V  hole  slanting  downwards  and  half  an  inch  or  thne- 
quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter  may  be  bored  in  the  stem 
and  treated  in  a  like  manner.  Common  household  salt 
may  he  used  for  the  same  purpose  as  the  corrosive  subli- 
mate, but  if  does  not  act  (piite  so  quicWy, 


l2fe^ 


m%^^^- 


GARDEN,  t 


■^?= 


No.  2195.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


Deckmbkk  13,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


\0TKS  OF  Tin-:  Wkhk     617 

COUUESPONI>KNl'E 

Soiiio  fiotKl  t'hrysaii- 
thomuin-*     .  .      . .     ins 

A  littli--kiKiWTi  Rose     618 

Canary  si'cii  as  a 
f'hristinas  di'cnra- 
tioii      618 

Mi'asurinjj:  Cyclamen 
flowers         . .      . .     618 
Which  is  thk  finp.RN- 

SEY  L11.V  ?  . .  . .  619 
I'orthcominj;  events..  619 
KosE  G.\RDKN 

Rose-j^rowinfi  in  town 
ijardens.— II,      ..     619 

In  a  Hampsliire  gar- 
den            619 

lllE   HE.4TH    G.\RUEN 

.\  I)  a  u  k  of  St. 
Dabooc's      Heath     620 

UOCK   AND   W.\TEK   GARDEN 

The  designhit:.  eon- 
structio  n  and 
planting  of  rock 
gardens        . .      . .     621 

Oorydalis  thalictri- 
folia      621 

,V  beantifnl  Priekly 
Thrift 621 


Gkeenhocse 
Seasonable  notes  on 

Carnations  . .      . .     622 
Single  and  decorative 
Chrysanthemnms     62.3 
Science   in    Rei,.\tion   to 
Horticulture 
Autumn  eultivation 
of  soil         . .      . .     623 

N  E  W     AND     1{  A  R  B 

PLANTS 624 

Gakdeninc.  for  Beginners 
The  amateur's  green- 
house in  winter..     625 
Gardening  of  thf.  Week 
lor    .Southern    'jin- 

deris     •^-jn 

l'"ol    Northern    tiar- 
tlen-      

G  '.UDESISO  ACUOsnrs 

Editor's  Table       . .     627 
Fruit  Garden 
An     ideal     urehard 
ff)r  n  small  cottJ^u'i 
holding        . .      . .     627 
Answers   to    Corre- 
spondents 
Greenhouse     . .      . .     628 
Miscellaneous         . .     628 
Societies 628 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


620 
r27 


ILiIiUSTRATIONS. 

E.\liibition     Chrysantheniunis      at      The      Gardens, 

Crookley  Park,  Horndean.  Hants 

A  partially-shaded   bank  clothed  with  St.  Dabeoc's 

Heath 

Corydalis  thalietrifolia  in  the  rock  garden 

Acantholimon  venustum.  a  useful  Prickly  Thrift     . . 

Single  Chrysanthemum  Robert  Thorpe      

The     new     double  -  flowered    variety    of     Primula 

malacoides "  . . 

Arum    Lilies,     Coleus    thyrsoideus    and     .Magnolia 

stcUata  in  the  greenhouse 


620 
621 
622 
623 

624 

623 


EDITORIAL    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  wdcomes  p?ioiographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  imll  not  be  responsible  tor  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  eare,  however,  ttyill  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  loill  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctty  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  oumer  of  the  copyright  wilt  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  will  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


OSices  :  20,  Tavistock  ."itreet,  Covent  Garden,  W.V. 


Maidenhair  Ferns  for  Cutting. — Where  fronds 
of  the  well-known  .\diantuin  cuneatum  are  in 
great  demand  for  cutting,  it  is  a  good  practice 
to  cut  a  few  plants  completely  down  and  allow  them 
to  get  somewhat  dry  at  the  roots,  afterwards 
placing  them  in  a  temperature  from  60°  to  70°, 
when  they  will  soon  push  up  new  fronds,  which 
as  they  grow  may  be  gradually  hardened  off  before 
cutting.  If  occasional  batches  of  this  valuable 
foliage  plant  are  treated  in  this  manner,  good 
frf)nds  may  be  (Obtained  throughout  the  year. 

Snowdrops   in    the  Rock  Garden. — Species  of 

Snowdrops,  siK  h  as  (ialanthus  eaucasicus,  G. 
cilicicus,  G.  Elwesii  and  G.  Imperatii,  should 
find  a  place  in  the  rock  garden,  as  they 
help  to  brighten  it  up  during  the  dull  days 
of  winter.  The  first  named  blooms  during  most 
of  the  winter,  and  G.  Elwesii  flowers  quite  a  fort- 
night before  G.  nivalis,  the  common  Snowdrop. 
Where  any  of  these  are  already  in  possession,  care 
should  be  tJken  that  they  areiiot  smothered  by  any 
vigorous  subie<  Is  ^vhirh  may  1"*'  growing  near  them. 

A  Good  Winter-Flowering  Shrub.— The  value 
of  Pieris  floribunda  or  .-\ndromeda  fioribunda  as 
a  hardy  winter-flowering  shrub  does  not  appear 
to  be  generally  appreciated.  It  may  be  due  to 
the  fact  that  it  is  rather  a  slow  grower,  although 
iu  a  small  state  it  is  very  ornamental.  It  com- 
mences flowering  now,  and  often  continues 
till  February  or  March  ;  but  sprays  open  freely 
in  water  and  keep  fresh  for  several  weeks.  Like 
most  other  North  ."American  shrubs,  it  likes  peat, 
but  will  thrive  in  soil  suitable  for  Rhododendrons, 
and  when  planted  should  be  made  firm. 

A  Beautiful  Winter  Heath.— Although  Erica 
camea  is  often  spoken  of  as  the  Winter  Heath, 
it  does  not  usually  reveal  the  full  beauty  of  its 
flowers  until  February  is  here.  Much  earlier 
and  quite  hardy  is  E.  mediterranea  hybrida. 
This  we  have  flowering  now  in  a  position  facing 
north  ajid  in  ordinary  well-drained  soil,  to  which 
neither  peat  nor  leaf-soil  has  been  added.  Its 
flowers  are  of  a  charming  rose  pink  colour,  and 
it  makes  a  neat  tuft  of  growth  about  nine  inches 
high,  exceeding  this  a  few  inches  with  age.  This 
winter-flowering  Heath  deserves  to  be  much 
better  known  than  it  is  at  present. 

Pruning  Evergreens. — There  are  a  number 
of  evergreen  shrubs  that  require  a  certain  amount 
of  pruning  to  keep  them  in  a  symmetrical  shape. 
Advantage  may  be  taken  of  this  time  of  the 
year,  as  there  is  always  a  demand  for  such 
material  for  decoration,  and  the  one  operation 
serves  the  two  purposes,  as  such  material  keeps 
fresh  for  a  long  time  if  placed  in  a  cool  position. 
Unless  the  shrubs  are  intended  to  form  a  hedge, 
cutting  back  to  a  flat  surface  is  to  be  avoided. 
It  is  much  better  to  remove  the  projecting  branches 
by  cutting  them  right  out,  rather  than  form  a 
wall-like  appearance  as  we  often  see. 


Rose  Gloire  de  Dijon. — Some  beautiful  blooms 
of  this  old  Tea  Rose  gathered  from  the  open  garden 
on  Sunday  last,  the  7th  inst.,  reminded  us  that 
this  is  usually  the  earliest  of  the  double  Roses  to 
flower  and  the  last  to  finish.  Often  we  have  had 
good  blooms  before  May  had  departed,  and  we 
have  yet  to  find  a  new  Rose  that  will,  even  in  a 
season  such  as  this,  give  us  flowers  during  eight 
months  of  the  year.  Although  raised  so  long  ago 
as  1850,  we  are  glad  to  find  that  the  sterling  quali- 
ties of  Gloire  de  Dijon  are  still  recognised.  It  is 
a  good  rambler  and  very  sweetly  Tea-scented  ; 
hence  we  ran  well  afford  to  overlook  the  fact  that 
some  of  the  flowers  come  with  divided  centres. 

Perpetual  -  Flowering  Carnations.  —  These 
charming  flowers  of  winter  bid  fair  to  become 
almost  as  popular  at  this  season  as  the  Rose  is 
during  the  summer  months.  The  splendid  exhi- 
bition held  by  the  Perpetual  Flowering  Carnation. 
Society  in  London  last  week,  and  a  report  of  which 
appears  on  another  page,  served  to  draw  attention 
to  the  usefulness  and  the  charm  of  these  flowers. 
Some  of  the  dinner-table  decorations  were  very 
good  indeed,  especially  under  artificial  light,  a 
test  that  many  so-called  dinner-table  decorations 
do  not  emerge  from  successfully*  It  was  gratify- 
ing to  note  that  the  public  attended  well,  and 
thus  showed  their  appreciation  of  the  work  the 
committee  is  doing. 

A  Useful  Berried  Shrub.— One  of  the  brightest 

shrubs  just  now  is  Cotoneaster  Simonsii.  It 
has  nothing  to  its  discredit  except  that  it  is 
by  no  means  rare.  If  it  were  difficult  to  obtain 
or  grow,  it  would  be  at  once  placed  in  the  front 
rank  of  shrubs  for  winter  effect.  This  Cotoneaster 
will  thrive  in  almost  any  soil  or  situation,  is  par- 
ticularly good  for  towns,  and  rarely  fails  to  produce 
a  heavy  crop  of  its  bright  orange-coloured  berries, 
which  hang  on  the  branches  sometimes  as  late 
as  .May  and  retain  their  colour  the  whole  time. 
It  grows  fairly  rapidly,  but  can  be  kept  in  bounds 
by  occasionally  shortening  back  those  growths 
that  are  too  venturesome. 

"The    Garden"    in    1914.— We    hope    next 

week  to  be  m  a  position  to  make  an  announce- 
ment that  should  be  of  considerable  interest  to 
our  ever-increasing  number  of  readers.  We  have 
been  able  to  secure  an  unparalleled  list  of  authors 
and  articles  for  the  coming  year,  some  of  which  we 
hope  to  announce  in  our  next  issue.  The  reputa- 
tion for  authoritative  articles  and  artistic 
illustrations  which  The  Garden  has  enjoyed  ever 
since  its  foundation  over  forty  years  ago  has 
increased  year  by  year,  and  no  effort  will  be 
spared  to  keep  this  reputation.  The  contributions 
which  have  been  already  promised  for  1914  enable 
us  to  look  forward  with  no  small  degree  of  confi- 
dence to  a  brilliant  New  Year.  We  take  this 
opportunity  of  expressing  our  warmest  thanks 
to  a  very  large  number  of  correspondents  who  have 
written  to  us  acknowledging  their  indebtedness  to 
and  cordial  appreciation  of  Thf.   Gardf.n. 


(W8 


THE     Gx\RDEN. 


[December  13,  101. > 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

i  I  he   Editor   is    not    responsible    for    the    opinion 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Some  Good  Chrysanthemums. — I  have  pleasur- 
III  si-iuiiiiK  yi'ii  «  pliotngraph  of  a  fjri'iip  of  our 
1QI3  exhibition  Chrysanthemums.  These  plants 
were  rooted  in  the  months  of  January  and  February 
ni  a  cold  greenhouse,  and  proved  very  successful 
throughout  the  whole  season,  being  free  from 
rust  and  maggot,  and  retaining  their  foliage  from 
the  rim  of  the  pot  upwards  to  the  flower  in  a 
splendid  condition.  You  will  notice  that  the 
blooms  are  a  fine  size,  hut  the  largest  flowers 
were  those  of  F.  S  Vallis,  R.  Vallis  and  F.  Payne. 
— A..  E.  LiiTTMAN,  The  Gardens.  Crookley  Park, 
Horndean.  Hants. 

A  Little-Known  Rose.— Referring  to  the 
ijuestion  of  a  little-known  Rose  called  Donarte 
(le  Elvira,  mentioned  in  your  "  Correspondence  " 
column  on  page  595  of  November  29  issue,  I  find, 
both  in  Pernet-Ducher's  and  Ketten's  catalogue, 
what,    bv    the    description,    is    evidently    the    same 


been  in  Portugal  that  it  is  a  great  favourite  in 
Portuguese  gardens.  It  came  to  me  many  years 
ago  among  some  Roses  from  France,  and  I  was 
so  delighted  with  it  that  I  ordered  it  again  and 
again,  both  for  myself  and  for  many  of  my  friends 
who  admired  it.  It  is  a  Noisette,  and  here  in 
North  Notts  it  does  better  on  a  wall  than  climbing 
over  poles.  -It  grows  very  quickly,  and  is  con- 
stantly covered  with  flowers  of  a  beautiful  shade 
of  salmon  pink.  Everyone  who  sees  it  admires 
it  and  wants  to  know  its  name.  I  think  it  such 
a  pitv  that  so  few  English  nurserymen  grow  it. — 
Agnes  Melush,  Hodsock  Priory.  Notts. 

Canary  Seed  as  a  Christmas  Decoration. — 
I  think  some  of  your  readers  may  not  know  the 
very  fresh  and  dainty  Christmas  "  greenery  " 
that  can  be  obtained  by  sowing  canary  seed  now. 
I  always  sow  it  about  three  weeks  before  Christmas 
Day  in  small  bowls  and  vases  not  more  than 
4  inches  to  6  inches  deep.  I  fill  these  with  coarse 
sand  to  aboiit  an  inch  below  their  rims,  soak 
them  thoroughly,  and  sprinkle  evenly  a  layer  of 
j  canary  seed  on  the  surface  ;  then  put  them  in  a 
I  warm,   dark   place,   keeping   them   daily  moistened 


EXHIBITION  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  AT  THE  GARDENS,   CROOKLEY'pARK,    HORNDEAN,   HANTS. 


Rose,  but  named  Duarte  de  Oliveira  (Brassac, 
1880).  It  is  described  as  a  very  vigorous  climber, 
floriferous  and  of  coppery  salmon  rose. — Charles 
B.  Bragg,  Handsworth,  Birmingham. 

I  was  pleased  to  see  a  note  upon  a  variety 

y<mr  correspondent  calls  Donarte  de  Elvira 
(page  595).  It  is  a  great  favourite  of  mine,  but 
lost  to  me  just  at  present.  I  believe  the  correct 
name  is  Duarte  de  Oliveira,  and  it  was  sent  out 
by  M.  Brassac  in  1880  or  1881.  It  is  given  as  a 
cross  between  Ophirie  and  Reve  d'Or,  and  those 
who  know  these  two  varieties  can  form  a  good 
idea  of  it  when  I  say  it  partakes  of  both  parents 
about  equally.  It  is  strange  how  some  of  our 
useful  old  Roses  get  missed ;  and  yet  at  that  time 
of  day  M.  Brassac  was  well  known  as  one  of  our 
best  French  raisers. — A.  P. 

I  am  delighted  to  see  that  your  corre- 
spondent in  The  Garden  of  November  29  is 
writing  in  praise  of  a  little-known  Rose  that  is 
.1  great  favourite  of  mine  ;  only  may  I  venture 
to  correct  her  in  the  spelling  of  the  name,  which 
shoidd  be  Duarte  de  Oliveira.  I  supposed  it  to 
be   Spanish,    but   was   to>d   by   a   friend  who   had 


with  tepid  water  till  the  little  pink  tops  are  about 
an  inch  high.  Then  I  bring  them  to  a  sunny 
window,  and,  turning  them  round  daily  (so  that 
they  grow  up  evenly),  I  have  the  pleasure  of 
watching  their  rapid  progress  to  clusters  of  bright 
pink  and  green  foliage.  When  grown,  they  last 
another  three  or  four  weeks  in  good  decorative 
condition,  even  in  rooms  lighted  by  gas.  By  that 
time  I  have  another  batch  (sown  at  the  close  of 
the  year)  to  take  their  place.  Sometimes  I  stick 
some  early  cut  Snowdrops  among  them,  with  good 
effect.  Their  bright,  fresh,  verdant  hue  is  very 
pleasing  to  the  eye  in  the  dark  winter  days. — 
Anne  Amateur. 

Measuring  Cyclamen  Flowers. — In  reply  to 
Mr.  Blair  re  the  measunng  of  a  Cyclamen  flower, 
page  594,  issue  November  29,  I  measured 
it  by  stretching  the  bloom  flat.  Perhaps  it  would 
have  been  more  explicit  had  I  said  each  petal 
measured  3  inches  ;  but  I  was  tempted  to  measure 
them  that  way,  and  under  the  circumstances  I 
think  most  people  would  have  done  so  ;  for,  take 
a  plant  carrying  seventy-one  fully-expanded 
blooms,  some  of   them  with   six   and  seven   petals, 


and  the  plant  measuring  21  inches  through, 
naturally  one  would  say,  "  I  wonder  how  much 
they  measure  across  "  ;  hence  my  meaning  6  inches 
from  tip  to  tip.  But  as  for  growing  old  corms, 
I  do  not  think  I  shall  ever  do  that,  because  I  have 
never  seen  the  blooms  of  old  corms  come  up  t^i 
those  blooming  the  first  time,  and  we  are  quiti- 
satisfied  with  seedlings  here.  I  have  measured 
several  of  our  plants,  and  find  some  are  22  inches 
and  the  majority  18  inches  through.  Of  course, 
they  have  not  yet  finished  developing.  I  counted 
the  leaves  on  one  plant,  and  found  it  was  carrying 
115,  the  largest  of  them  measuring  4  inches  in 
diameter.  So  all  the  time  we  get  those  results, 
no  old  corms  for  us. — F.  C.  Willie,  The  Gardens, 
Great  Walstead.  Lindfield.  Sussex. 

Rosemary  and  Carnations. — Noticing  your 
remarks  about  foliage  for  associating  with  cut 
flowers,  especially  of  a  light  nature,  on  page  581 
of  November  22  issue,  I  might  say  that  Roseman,- 
is  an  ideal  plant  in  the  Sunny  South,  but  in  northern 
climes  this  cannot  be  depended  on.  This  year  a 
trial  was  given  to  an  annual  imder  the  name  of 
Artemisia  sacrorum  viridis  [Artemisia  annua. — 
Ed.1.  Seeds  were  sown  in  April,  and  by  August 
the  plants  had  developed  into  fine  Cypress-like 
bushes  in  the  open  borders,  and  have  since,  almost 
daily,  yielded  quantities  of  foliage.  This  is  scented, 
is  very  light,  and  mixes  well  with  almost  any 
flowers,  hardy  or  tender,  although  it  ought  never 
to  be  associated  with  flowers  that  are  fragrant, 
otherwise  their  natural  fragrance  is  apt  to  be 
somewhat  lost.  This  plant  does  not  seem  to  be  in 
the  Kew  lists.  Is  it  known  mider  another  name  ? 
It  is  a  plant  that  ought  to  be  widely  known  and 
widely  grown.  Eucalyptus,  especially  E.  globulus, 
grown  in  the  open  during  the  summer,  is  also  a 
welcome  foliage  plant  suitable  for  cutting  and 
.irranging  with  cut  flowers,  as  also  are  the  long, 
feathery  growths  from  Lupinus  arboreus.  There 
is  yet  another  subject  that  is  ofttimes  forgotten, 
viz.,  Lemon-scented  Verbena  (Lippia).  This, 
raised  from  cuttings  early  and  planted  out  in  a 
warm  border,  provides  a  lot  of  fragrant  foliage, 
at  this  season. — H.  R.,  Twickel,  Holland. 
Plants  Flowering  Late   in  Yorkshire. — Much 

has  been  written  to  the  papers  about  plants  in 
bloom  so  late  in  the  year.  How  about  the  follow- 
ing, now  in  bloom  in  my  garden  in  this  north- 
east comer  of  Yorkshire,  eight  or  nine  miles  from 
the  sea  and  300  feet  above  it  ?  Geums,  Violas, 
Roses  in  quantity.  Chrysanthemum  maximum 
Wynward,  Berberis  Darwinii,  B.  Aquifolium,  Arabis 
Acre  pleno,  Doronicum,  Veronica  repens,  V.  Bid- 
willii,  Aubrietia,  Arabis  Billardieri  rosea,  Achillea 
umbellata,  Lithospermum  prostrata,  Linum  perenne, 
.Andromeda  floribunda,  Arbutus  Unedo,  Vibunium 
Tinus,  Alyssum  saxatile  flore  pleno,  single  Alyssum, 
Sweet  Alyssum,  lonopsidium,  Campanula  muralis, 
C.  persicifolia,  Potentilla  aiirea,  Armeria  laucheana, 
Dianthus  atrorubens,  D.  graniticus,  Primula 
capitata,  Sedum  spurium,  Gaultheria  procum- 
bens,  Polygala  Chamaebuxus,  Phlox  vema, 
Santolina  Chamaecyparissus,  Gentiana  acaulis, 
Anthemis  Aizoon,  Acsena  microphylla.  Cyclamen 
neapolitanum,  Hutchinsia  alpina.  Primula  cash- 
meriana.  Antirrhinum,  Primula  Double  White, 
Helianthemums,  perennial  Sweet  Pea,  Erigeron 
mucronata,  Meconopsis  cambrica  flore  pleno. 
Clematis  Mrs.  Moser,  Jasminum  nudiflorum, 
Iberis  sempervirens,  Hieracium  aurantiaeum, 
Cerastiura  Biebersteinii,  early-flowering  Chry- 
santhemums, Ericas  in  several  varieties,  Per- 
nettyas.  Bunch  Primroses  by  thousands.  Pears 
and   Strawberries. — J.  J.  Burton. 


December  13,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


619 


WHICH    IS    THE    GUERNSEY 
LILYP 


THE     ROSE 


CARD  E  N. 

TOWN 


1MEAN  the  old  original — the  variety  tluit  has 
givcu  rise  to  all  the  myths  and  t£iles  that  arc 
told  to  account  for  the  introduction  of  this 
Japan  {?)— Cape  of  Good  Hope  bulb  into 
the  little  island  of  Guernsey,  where,  as  we 
say  in  my  part  of  the  world,  it  at  once  made 
itself  at  home  and  grew  away  "  like  squitch." 

Whether   it   is   Banbury   cakes,    or   Shrewsbury 
cakes,    or   Everton    toffee,  or   the  Guernsey  Lily, 
there  is  a  sort  of  historical  satisfaction  in  being 
quite    certain    which    is    the    "  old    original."     It 
adds  a  something  that  nothing  else  can.     Which, 
tlien,  of  all  the  many  Nerines  is  the  true  Guernsey 
Lily  ?    I  used  to  think  it  was  N.  sarniensis,  and  that 
N.   sarniensis  was  in  colour  a  sort  of  pale  i)range 
red.     In    Nicholson's    Dictionary   it   is  said  to  be 
"  pale  sahnon  coloured."     This  summer   I  bought 
some  of  what  was  said  to  be  "  the  real  thing  "  from 
the  island  itself,  and  the  other  week,  when  I  paid  a 
visit  to  Colesborne  to  see  Mr.  Elwes  and  his  magni- 
ficent colleilion,  I  took  him  a  flower  of  my  new  pur- 
chase, which  he  at  once  pronounced  to  b.--  "  rosea." 
Since    my    return    home     I     have    gone     further 
into  the  matter,  and  I  have  turned  up  the  Bclaitical 
Magazine,    where,    on    Plate    294,    the    Guernsey 
Lily,    or,    as   it    was   then   called,    the     Amaryllis 
sarniensis,   is   pictured.     There   it   is   undoubtedly 
rose-coloured,    and    in    the    explanatory    text    the 
description  of  Dr.  Donglass  (sic)  is  quoted  :    "  each 
flower  in  its  prime  looks  like  a  gold  tissue  wrought 
on   a   rose-coloured   ground."     About   a   year   ago 
a  copy  of  Dr.  James  Donglas's  "  Monograph  on  the 
Guernsey  Lilley  "  came  into  my  possession,  and  so 
I  am  able  to  verify  this  allusion  in  the  Botanical 
Magazine,  and  also  to  add  the  interesting  informa- 
tion that  the  author  claims  to  have  given  the  name 
N.  sarniensis.     He  says  on  page  8  of  the  enlarged 
second  edition  of  1729  :    "  To  this  island  likewise 
we  owe  its  common  English  name,   the  Guernsey 
Lilly,    which    I    have    ventured   to   render   Lilium 
Sarniense,  on  the  authority  of  the  Learned  Cambden. 
who  tells  us,  that  Samia  is  the  Latin  name  us'd 
by    Antoninus   in    his   Itinerarium    Marilimum   to 
express  the  island  of  Guernsey."     (The  italics  are 
in  the  original.)     .\s  Dr.  Donglas  gives  a  chrono- 
logical  list   of  names  from  1635  to  1726,  and  the 
title  N.  sarniense   does  not  appear,  I  presume  his 
statement  is  correct.      If  so,  then  the  true  Guernsey 
Lily  is  rose-coloured. 

If  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  said,  I  would 
consider  the  question  as  settled,  but  it  is  not  so. 
There  seems  to  be  the  possibility  of  a  second  "  old 
original  "  having  come  to  the  island  vid  Paris,  if 
the  "  Narcisse  de  Japon  "  of  P.  Morin  was  a  true 
Nerine  ("  Remarques  nessaires  pour  la  Culture 
des  Fleurs,"  edition  1667,  page  24).  Or  if  John 
Rea  is  to  be  trusted  {"  Flora,  seu  de  Florum 
Cultura,"  1665,  page  78),  there  seem  to  have  been, 
even  in  those  early  days,  more  varieties  than  were 
known,  except  by  hearsay  in  England. 

Hence  it  seems  to  me  that  even  then  (c.  1660-70) 
the  Guernsey  people  may  have  had  not  only  sarnien- 
sis rosea,  but  also  corusca  and  something  akin  to  un- 
dulata,  and  that  the  name  Guernsey  Lily  was  from 
the  first  not  so  much  specific  as  generic.  Is  there, 
then,  any  one  "  old  original  "  ?     Joseph  Jacob. 


FORTHCOMING    EVENTS. 
December       15.  —  National       Chrysanthemum 
Society's  Executive  Committee  Meeting. 
December  18. — Linnean  Society's  Meeting. 


ROSE-GROWING     IN 
GARDEN  S.-II. 

11-  the  Rose  were  as  easily  cultixated  as  the 
Marigold,  half  the  enjoyment  of  growing 
it  would  be  gone,  and  certainly  we  should 
not  all  appreciate  it  as  we  do  now.  Fortu- 
nately, then — or  unfortmiately  if  you  prefer 
it — the  Rose  is  more  subject  to  the  attacks 
of  insects  and  suffers  from  a  greater  variety  of 
complaints  than  any  other  flower  of  our  gardens, 
and  in  this  respect  the  town-dweller  is  especially 
favoured.  He  cannot  escape  these  pests  entirely  ; 
but,  by  observing  a  few  simple  rules  at  the  com- 
mencement, he  can  prevent  them  from  getting 
the  upper  hand,  and  so  lessen  the  amount  of  work 
entailed  subsequently.  I  have  already  pointed 
out  the  advantage  of  having  the  beds  as  far  as 
possible  in  the  open,  away  from  walls  or  fences. 
The  neighbourhood  of  trees  must  also  be  avoided. 
Sunshine  and  air  mean  health  and  strength,  and 
strong  plants  are  better  able  to  resist  disease. 
.\nother  important  point  is  that  the  beds  should 
not  be  made  too  wide.  Three  feet  is  a  convenient 
width,  which  will  just  accommodate  a  double  row 
of  trees  and  leave  room  for  a  narrow  border  of 
Violas  or  some  other  edging.  So  planted  they 
are  more  easily  accessible,  and  can  be  better  looked 
after  than  where  the  bed  is  a  wider  one. 

In  towns  especially  we  must  avoid  those  varie- 
ties with  weak  constitutions,  or  which  are  especially 
subject  to  mildew.  Nor  is  it  of  any  use  to  nurse 
sick  plants.  It  is  better  at  once  to  get  rid  of  them 
and  fill  their  places  with  healthy  trees  which  will 
start  fairly.  Old  and  worn-out  specimens  that 
have  not  bloomed  satisfactorily  are  also  best 
got  rid  of.  Usually  these  have  exhausted  the 
food  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  their 
roots,  which  have  penetrated  deeply  into  un- 
prepared soil  and  are  practically  out  of  reach 
of  fertilisers.  Do  not  yield  to  the  temptation 
to  carpet  the  beds  with  other  flowers.  Remember; 
the  continual  use  of  the  hoe  throughout  the  growing 
season  is  quite  as  important  as  manure.  Lastly, 
give  ample  room  between  the  plants. 

The  greatest  handicap  of  the  town  gardener 
is  smoke.  Frequently  it  is  present  in  the  atmo- 
sphere to  such  an  extent  that  in  dry  weather  the 
leaves  become  coated  with  a  layer  of  grime.  Now 
every  leaf  has  many  thousands  of  tiny  holes  in  it, 
called  storaata,  and  through  them  the  plant  absorbs 
the  necessary  gases  and  discharges  superfluous 
moisture,  just  as  we  do  through  the  pores  of  our 
skins.  It  will  be  seen,  then,  how  important  it  is  that 
the  leaves  should  be  kept  clean.  This  is  one 
reason  for  using  the  syringe  freely  and  frequently. 

Of  insect  pests,  the  aphis  easily  takes  first  place, 
both  by  reason  of  its  ubiquity  and  in  point  of 
numbers.  It  has  been  calculated  that  the  great- 
grandchildren of  one  aphis  might  number  over 
sixty  millions  if  all  could  find  standing  room 
and  were  left  unchecked.  Fortunately,  the  death 
rate  is  high  ;  but  it  is  hard  work  to  keep  it  uniformly 
at  100  per  cent,  in  our  own  gardens  and  to  deal 
with  alien  immigrants  as  well.  Steel  the  heart 
and  soil  the  fingers.  It  may  be  a  messy  job, 
but  is  a  very  effective  way  of  keeping  them  down. 
One  quickly  becomes  expert  at  running  over  a 
growth  with  finger  and  thumb,  and,  if  this  be 
done  regularly,  a  great  many  trees  can  be  looked 
over  in  a  few  minutes  ;  but  the  hand  must  always 
be  supplemented  by  the  syringe.  While  we  are 
looking  for  aphis  we  shall,  of  course,  catch  cater 


effective  remedy.  Wherever  a  leaf  is  seen  to  be 
curled  or  eaten,  go  carefully  over  the  whole  tree. 
Moths  never  lay  their  eggs  singly.  One  of  the 
most  harmful  of  larvio  is  that  of  the  sawfly,  which 
does  considerable  damage  to  standard  Roses 
by  boring  into  the  pith.  To  prevent  this,  the  cut 
parts  should  be  painted  over  with  enamel  when 
the  trees  are  pruned.  Cuckoo  spit  is  often  trouble- 
some in  towns,  and  the  little  green  insect  must  be 
caught  and  slain  before  he  has  time  to  blow  bubbles 
with  more  of  the  precious  sap.  Earwigs  must 
be  looked  for  in  the  blooms.  These  are  all  the 
insects  the  grower  need  worry  about.  Ants  will 
not  trouble  him  if  his  beds  are  hoed  regularly. 

The  worst  enemy  of  the  town  gardener  is  mildew. 
This  usually  makes  its  appearance  towards  the 
end  of  July,  but  long  before  then  one  must  take 
active  measures  to  combat  it.  It  is  best,  there- 
fore, when  spraying,  to  use  a  preparation  that  is 
equally  effective  for  dealing  with  mildew  as  well 
as  aphis,  and  there  are  many  excellent  combined 
insecticides  and  fungicides.  If  expense  be  a 
consideration,  a  very  cheap,  easily-made  and 
effective  remedy  may  be  made  up  as  follows : 
First  make  a  strong  stock  solution  by  dissolving 
Lifebuoy  Soap  in  boiling  water.  To  two  gallons 
of  water  add  an  ounce  of  liver  of  sulphur,  pre- 
viously dissolved  in  a  pint  of  hot  water,  and  as 
much  of  the  soap  solution  as  will  make  it  lather 
freely  when  stirred.  The  quantity  will  depend 
on  whether  the  water  be  hard  or  soft,  but  the 
latter  should  always  be  used  for  preference,  rain- 
water if  procurable.  Spray  the  under  sides  as  _ 
well  as  the  tops  of  the  leaves,  and  syringe  with 
clear  water  about  two  hours  afterwards. 

Black  spot,  fortunately,  is  as  fond  of  country 
as  of  town  life.  Regular  spraying  with  liver  of 
sulphur  will  prevent  its  appearance.  Where  a 
plant  is  infected,  it  is  best  to  bum  it  at  once,  rather 
than  rim  the  risk  of  the  disease  spreading.  My 
next  article  will  deal  with  some  of  the  Roses  best 
suited  for  town  culture.  P.  L.  Goddard. 

{To  be  continued.) 


IN     A    HAMPSHIRE     GARDEN. 

Some  oi'   the  Newer  Decorative   \'akietii:s. 

(Continued  from  page  615.) 
Irish  Fireflame  (Hybrid  Toa,  Alex.  Dickson 
and  Sons,  ifjia). — I  have  very  little  to  add  to  the 
notes  that  I  have  contributed  on  more  than  one 
occasion  to  your  columns  concerning  this  Rose, 
except  to  say  that  the  result  of  growing  Irish  Fire- 
flame  for  the  past  season  has  only  been  to  add  to 
my  admiration  of  this  very  beautiful  Rose.  It 
is  still  producing  buds  and  flowers  ;  but,  of  course, 
the  brilliance  of  the  colouring  of  the  normal  flower 
is  lacking  somewhat  in  these  December  blooms. 
It  proves,  however,  that  the  ground  colour  is  yellow, 
and  not  pmk  as  in  Irish  Elegance.  I  confidently 
expect  to  pick  flowers  of  this  variety  (if  Jack 
Frost  does  not  intervene)  at  Christmas.  No  lover 
of  single  Roses  should  be  without  a  plant  of  Irish 
Fireflame,  the  most  beautiful  of  all  singles. 

Lady  Dunleath  (.Mex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  1913). 
— I  made  an  especial  note  of  this  variety  last  year 
at  Newtownards,  and  I  am  glad  that  Messrs. 
Dickson  have  been  able  to  put  it  into  commerce 
this  year.  It  is  a  lovely  Rose,  with  all  the  refine- 
ment of  a  pure  Tea,  coupled  with  the  vigour  and 
shape  of  a  Betty,  only  fuller,  with  more  petals. 
To  call  it  a  yellow  Betty  hardly  does  it  justice, 
for  it  has,  I  think,  more  shape  and  substance. 
Outside  of  the  petals  creamy  white,  with  a  deep 


_  ellow     centre.      It     is     a     delightful     Rose.     The 

piUarsJ  and  here  hand-picking  is  by  far  the  most  |  plants  carried  plenty  of  bloom,  and  it  is  bound  to 


620 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  13,  1913. 


A    PARTIALLY-SHADED    BANK    CLOTHED    WITH    ST.    DABEOC'S    HEATH 
(daboecia    POLIFOLIA). 


berom*;  very  popular,  especially  with  the  ladies. 
11   is  fragrant. 

Lady  Greenall  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sous,  1911). — 
The  note  of  distinction  about  this  Rose  is  very 
marked.  Its  exquisite  shape  accounts  partly  for 
it,  perhaps,  but  it  is  the  tout  ensemble  that  is  so 
pleasing,  "  Like  a  queen's  her  golden  head " 
is  a  line  that  always  occurs  to  me  in  connection 
with  this  Rose.  It  is  a  good  grower,  the  flowers 
held  very  erect  on  stiff,  long  stalks,  with  a  strong 
Tea  perfume.  With  me  almost,  if  not  quite, 
free  from  mildew.  Colour  not  tmlike  the  last 
named — that  is,  white  or  cream — with  yellow  or 
gold  in  the  centre  of  the  flower. 

Lady  Hillingdon  (Tea,  Lowe  and  Shawyer 
and  G.  Mount,  rgio).— Undoubtedly  the  best 
bedding  Rose  of  its  colour,  namely,  a  good,  sound 
golden  orange  and  deep  apricot.  Very  free-flowering, 
free  from  mildew,  a  good  grower,  but  the  flowers 
are  not  held  quite  upright.  It  makes  an  excellent 
standard,  a  most  beautiful  bed,  and  one  of  the  best 
of  button-holes.  Now  that  it  is  down  to  normal 
prices  it  should  be  in  every  garden.  Those  who 
want  it  should  order  it  at  once,  as  the  stock  is 
very  nearly  sold  out  for  this  season,  so  I  am  told. 

Lady  Margaret  Boscawen  (Alex.  Dickson  and 

Suns,  icili). — Another  very  pretty  button-hole, 
both  in  the  half-open  bud  and  fully-<  xpanded 
flower,  as  the  latter  is  not  too  large.  It  is  a 
soft  pale  flesh  colour,  very  delicate  and  pretty, 
a  good  grower  and  opener,  with  a  delicious  scent. 


Lady   Mary   Ward 

(S.  McGredy  and  Son, 
r9i3).  —  This  is  a 
wonderful  piece  of 
colouring  very  difficult 
to  describe,  burnished 
copper  and  deep 
orange,  almost  a 
bronze  shade.  A  very 
fine  bowl  of  it  at- 
tracted a  great  deal 
of  attention  at  the 
National  Rose 
Society's  Autumn 
Show.  The  flower  is 
of  good  shape  for  a 
decorative  variety, 
and  the  plants  can 
be  placed  somewhat 
closer  together  than 
is  usual,  as  it  is  not 
a  vigorous  grower. 
Lady  Roberts  was 
once  described  by  a 
Rose-loving  parson  as 
"William  Allen 
Richardson  gone  to 
heaven  "  !  Lady  Mary 
Ward  might  be 
described  as  Lady 
Roberts  gone  to  the 
same  place.  It  is 
quite  unique  in  its 
colour-scheme. 

Lady  Pirrie  (Hugh 
Dickson,  1910). — This 
Rose  has  improved 
very  much  with  me 
this  year,  both  in 
colour  and  growth,  so 
much  so  that  one  can 
fairly  call  the  latter 
vigorous.  No  doubt  it 
suffered  (as  so  many 
of  these  new  Roses  that  strike  a  distinct 
note  do)  from  over-production,  and  it  was  not 
too  vigorous  to  start  with  ;  in  fact,  one  would 
almost  have  called  it  a  poor  grower.  But  now 
that  it  has  had  time  to  get  established,  it  is  quite 
a  different  matter,  and  it  makes  an  ideal  bedding 
Rose.  The  varying  colours  of  its  petals  are  delight- 
ful, and  there  are  few  more  beautiful  Roses  for 
table  decoration.  Salmon  overlaid  with  a  deep 
copper  red,  mixed  with  fawn  and  yellow ;  they 
are  all  there  at  different  stages.  The  flowers  are 
medium  size  and  not  very  full,  but  they  open  well 
in  all  weathers,  and  stand  the  rain  a  great  deal 
better  than  most  Roses. 

Leslie  Holland  (Hugh  Dickson,  igrr).— This 
makes  a  fine  bedding  Rose.  The  colour  is  very 
fine  in  the  young  flowers. 

Little  Dorrit  (Tea,  Paul  and  Son,  t9i2),— A 
very  pretty  China  Tea  of  good  growth.  Buff  and 
carmine  tmted — a  pretty  combination. 

Mme.  H.  de  la  Valette  (China,  Schwartz,  1910). 
— This  is  another  China  of  even  deeper  colouring 
than  that  old  favourite  Mme.  Engine  Resal, 
yellow,  shaded  coppery  red  of  the  brightest  shades. 
A  good  grower  and  very  free.  Can  be  recommended. 
Mme.  Jules  Bouche  (Croibier  et  Fils,  igri). — 
This  is  a  pretty  Rose  of  a  refined  Maiden's  Blush 
colouring,  very  free,  of  good  habit,  and  the  flowers 
of  quite  good  shape. 

Mary  Countess  of  Hchester  (Alex.  Dickson 
and  Sons.   igog). — A  very  free-flowering,  vigorous- 


growing  bedding  Rose  of  bright  carmine  colouring 
in  the  younger  flowers  and  buds,  shading  to  a 
crimson  carmme  in  the  larger,  fully-open  flowers. 
Fragrant  and  nearly  free  from  mildew. 

Margaret  Molyneux  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
1909). — Named  after  my  eldest  daughter.  A 
beautiful  decor:  tive  Rose  that  flowers  in  large 
trusses  on  long  footstalks  right  up  till  the  frost. 
Deep  saffron  yellow  in  the  bud,  fading  to  a  bright 
but  pale  cream  in  the  open  flower.  A  Rose  of  few- 
petals,  hilt  delightful  if  cut  young  and  used  for 
the  house.     Sweet-scented  and  a  good  grower. 

Melody  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons,  191 1). — .\ 
Hybrid  Tea  with  a  lot  of  Tea  blood  in  its  veins 
A  beautiful  Rose  with  a  somewhat  curious  name.  I 
suppose  the  idea  is  all  right — "  If  only  I  could  speak, 
what  a  song  I  could  sing."  My  plant  has  pleased 
me  so  much  that  I  am  making  a  small  bed  of  it, 
and  there  are  not  many  Roses  that  1  can  promote 
to  that  distinction  in  my  small  garden.  A  real 
good  yellow,  of  a  lovely  Tea  shape,  deep  primrose 
shade  in  colour,  fine  growth  and  mildew-proof. 
A  table  of  this  Rose  at  the  National  Rose  Society's 
show  in  the  autumn  won  first  prize. 

Moonlight  (Rev.  J.  H.  Pemberton,  1913). — This 
is  an  entirely  charming  Rose,  judging  from  the 
numerous  exhibits  staged  by  the  raiser,  and  well 
worthy  of  the  gold  medal  of  the  National  Rose 
Society,  which  it  obtained  at  the  Autumn  Show 
this  year.  It  is  described  as  a  semi-climber, 
obviously  a  seedling  from  Trier  or  from  the  same 
strain.  I  noticed  one  of  your  contributors  seemed 
to  think  the  National  Rose  Society  was  making 
a  great  mistake  in  giving  such  a  Rose  a  gold  medal. 
Why,  I  wonder  ?  The  National  Rose  Society  is 
out  to  encourage  all  kinds  of  Roses,  not  exhibition 
varieties  only.  A  Rose  that  can  give  us  its  flowers 
in  such  profusion  and  of  such  good  quality  in  the 
autumn  as  Moonlight  does  is  very  welcome,  and 
its  raiser  should  certainly  be  encouraged  to  go  on 
and  give  us  something  more,  even  better  if  possible. 
If  he  does,  I  am  sure  other  gold  medals  will  be 
his  reward. 

Sotithamplon.  Herbert  E.   Molyneux. 

i'J'v  be  continued.) 


THE     HEATH     GARDEN. 

A    BANK    OF   ST.    DABEOC'S    HEATH. 

IN  order  that  hardy  Heaths  should  be  seen  to 
their  best  advantage,  it  is  necessary  that 
'  they  should  be  planted  in  a  semi-wild  place 
where  they  may  assume  their  natural 
beauty.  To  grow  Heaths  in  circular  or 
angular  beds  is  to  deprive  them  of  half 
their  charm.  Most  of  the  Heaths  will  succeed 
under  the  partial  shade  of  trees,  where  they  should 
be  allowed  to  spread  more  or  less  unchecked  in  all 
directions.  St.  Dabeoc's  Heath  is  one  of  the 
most  desirable  of  them  all.  It  is  not  an  Erica, 
although  it  is  closely  related  to  that  genus,  but 
is  known  botanically  as  Daboecia  polifolia  and 
Menziesia  polifolia.  Like  most  other  Heaths, 
it  thrives  in  a  sandy  peat  soil  to  which  a  fair 
quantity  of  loam  is  added.  It  is  well  suited  for 
planting  on  the  fringe  of  a  shrubbery  or  woodland, 
while  for  growing  over  rockwork  or  for  clothing 
a  bank  it  has  few  equals.  Our  illustration  depicts 
a  bank  clothed  with  St.  Dabeoc's  Heath  in  Messrs^ 
James  Box's  rock  garden  at  Lindfield,  Susse.x. 
Here  the  white,  rose  and  purple  forms  of  this  Heath 
grow  so  freely  that  they  have  to  be  kept  within 
bounds,  while  in  the  long  season  from  early  June 
till  late  September  the  flowers  are  freely  produced. 


December  13,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


621 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 

THE    DESIGNING,    CONSTRUCTION 
AND  PLANTING  OF  ROCK  GARDENS. 

[Continued  jroni  page  608.) 
Selection  of  Stone. — This  is  frequently  a  matter 
of  the  locaUty  m  which  the  work  is  being  carried 
out,  and  is  controlled  by  the  matter  of  cost,  as  it  is 
liardly  probable  (and  rarely  advisable)  that  one 
would  import  a  foreign  stone  into  a  district  abound- 
ing with  natural  rock  of  any  sort.  Opinions  differ 
very  greatly  as  to  the  best  stone  to  use,  and  I  think 
it  depends  to  a  very  great  extent  on  the  point  of 
view  from  which  you  approach  the  question ; 
certainly,  much  on  the  class  of  work  for  which  it  is 
to  be  used. 

We  had  a  fine  collection  of  samples  to  study 
during  the  Royal  International  Show  at  Chelsea, 
1 912,  and  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society's  Spring 
Show,  1913,  and  a  careful  comparison  leads  me  to 
place  them  in  tlie  following  order  of  merit :  The 
winner  of  the  first  prize  in  the  600-feet  class  at 
the  1912  show  and  a  gold  medal  at  the  1913  show 
(Mr.  Wood)  used  a  grey  limestone,  collected  in 
beautiful  weather-worn  pieces  in  a  certain  district 
in  Yorkshire.  The  advantages  of  this  stone  are 
so  obvious  that  it  seems  imnecessarj'  to  recoimt 
them.  Especially  is  it  suitable  for  small  rock 
gardens  ;  indeed,  it  is  hardly  suitable  for  bold  or 
extensive  work,  as  it  is  difficult  to  obtain  anything 
in  the  nature  of  large  pieces.  The  cool  grey  colour, 
porous  nature  and  weathered  appearance  all  combine 
to  make  this  stone  one  of  the  most  attractive, 
both  as  regards  appearance  and  for  plant  culture. 
The  grey  limestones  used  in  the  exhibits  of  Messrs. 
R.  Wallace  and  Co.,  and  Mr.  Clarence  Elliott  in  the 
1913  show,  are  in  many  respects  so  similar  that  they 
are  certainly  worthy  of  mention  in  association. 
Moreover,  they  are  both  obtainable  in  large  pieces, 
and  therefore  more  suitable  for  bold  w^ork.  Next 
in  order  I  placed  the  oolitic  limestone  from  the 
Purbeck  Hills,  used  in  two  of  the  larger  of  the 
■'  trade  "  or  non  -  competitive  exhibits  at  the 
International  Show,  1912.  I  do  not  think  there 
exists  anything  more  beautiful  for  rock  gar- 
dens when  in  association  with  water  than  this 
stone.  It  is  an  easy  stone  to  use,  as  one  can 
scarcely  make  the  mistake  of  placing  it  in  any 
but  the  right  position.  It  never  looks  new,  and, 
so  long  as  it  is  used  the  right  way  up,  yiever  seems 
to  be  asking  itself  how  it  comes  to  be  in  its  present 
position.  Even  when  the  inevitable  disaster 
occurs,  and  a  few  pieces  of  it  get  left  lying  quite 
bare,  through  the  death  of  the  plants  surrounding' 
them,  it  is  sufficiently  picturesque  in  itself  to  be 
quite  unobtrusive,  which  is  more  than  one  can  say 
of  many  other  stones.  It  can  be  obtained  in  pieces 
of  considerable  size,  and  so  used  for  large  or  small 
rock  gardens.  The  next  three  stones  run  each 
other  very  closely  on  points,  although  each  has  its 
distinct  advantages.  One  is  the  well-knowai  Bargate 
stone,  excellent  for  effect  and  plant-life,  but  very 
difficult  to  obtain  in  pieces  sufficiently  large  for 
really  effective  work  ;  another,  Derbyshire 
sandstone  or  grit,  that  can  be  abnormally  ugly 
unless  carefully  used  (which  it  rarely  is).  To  all 
appearance  this  stone  is  too  hard  for  rock  plants 
to  thrive  thereon,  or  even  vegetate,  but  experience 
has  taught  us  that  they  will  succeed  admirably 
on  or  among  it.  It  is  obtainable  in  any-sized  pieces 
required,  up  to  eight-ton  blocks.  For  big,  bold  work 
it  is  invaluable,  and  very  cheap.  Many  notable 
rock  gardens  have  been  constructed  with  it,  par- 
ticularly, I  might  mention,  that  at  Friar  Park, 
HLi.loy,  and  (I  believe)  also  that  at  Warley  Place. 


Against  Sussex  sandstone  I  have  two  objections. 
The  colour  when  new  is  very  distasteful,  and  even 
when  weathered  it  is  likely  to  fritter  away  in  parts 
and  leave  ugly  yellowish  patches  glaringly  exposed. 
In  every  other  way  it  is  an  excellent  stone  ;  plants 
love  it.  Care  must  be  taken  in  using  it  that  it 
does  not  become  rigidly  '*  beddy  "  in  appearance. 
It  usually  comes  out  in  thick,  flat  slabs  that  must 
be  used  flat,  and  the  consequence  is  that  it  sometimes 
becomes  monotonous  in  outline.  There  is  also  a 
good  Yorkshire  sandstone  closely  allied  to  the  Derby 
grit  previously  mentioned,  that  is  very  useful 
for  bold,  massive  work,  but  it  is  not  the  most  desir- 
able stone  in  association  with  water.  Of  all  the 
stones  used  in  the  International  Show,  I  liked  the 
Kentish  ragstone  the  least.  Cold,  hard,  tmdesirable 
in  colour,  its  only  advantage  seems  to  be  that  it 
is  a  cheap  stone  to  use  at  home.  It  should  never 
be  sent  far  away.  There  are,  however,  some  grades 
of  this  stone  much  more  suitable  than  others. 
There  are  other  fine  stones,  notably  on  the  Western 
borders  of  Oxford,  in  parts  of  Gloucestershire, 
and  many  others ;  but  the  range  I  have  given 
will  serve  for  the  purpose  of  comparison. 

Where  the  intention  is  to  utilise  a  suitable  site 
for  the  introduction  of  picturesque  rock  effects, 
the  principal  requisite 
is  stone  of  bold, 
rugged  formation  that 
is  sufficiently  suscep- 
tible to  climatic  and 
atmospheric  action 
that  it  will  take  on  a 
weathered  appearance 
quickly,  and  yet  is  not 
affected  to  any  great 
extent  by  frost.  If, 
however,  the  intention 
is  to  cultivate  alpines, 
a  softer  stone  is  desir- 
able, and  a  slight 
frittering  away  01 
particles  is  really  de- 
sirable lor  man  y 
plants.  Needless  to 
say,  as  so  many 
alpines  revel  in  lime- 
stone, this  is  the  most 
serviceable.  Indeed, 
there  is  a  limited 
nvmiber  of  plants  that 
will  not  thrive  with- 
out it. 

George  Dillistonl.. 
Colchester. 
{To  be  continued.) 


establishes  itself,  and  can  be  relied  upon  to  throw 
up  its  bright  yellow  spikes  of  flower  in  good 
numbers.  Moreover,  the  foliage  of  this  plant 
is  very  decorative,  and  it  never  looks  better 
than  when  draping  boulders  of  rock,  particu- 
larly if  the  leaves  have  assumed  that  bronze 
tint  peculiar  to  this  species.  .'\s  a  greenhouse 
subject  this  Corydahs  is  of  great  value,  both  for 
pots  and  baskets.  It  seeds'  freely,  and  the  seeds 
germinate  readily  under  glass  if  sown  quite  early 
in  the  vear. 


A     BEAUTIFUL     PRICKLY     THRIFT. 

(.\C.4NTHOLI.MON    VENUSTUM.) 

This  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  the  Prickly 
Thrifts,  much  more  refined  in  appearance  than 
Its  more  ordinary  relative,  .'\cantholimon  (;lu- 
maceum.  The  foliage  is  narrow,  somewhat  re- 
sembling that  of  a  Dianthus,  and  when  the  new 
leaves  first  form  they  are  quite  soft  and  flexible. 
.\s  they  mature,  however,  they  become  intensely 
rigid  and  spiny,  and  are  as  sharp  as  a  needle  at 
their  points.  The  colour  of  a  tuft  of  this  plant 
is  a  soft  greenish  grey,  tending  more  to  grey  as 
the  plant  increases  in  health.     The  flowers,  which 


CORYDALIS 
THALICTRI 
FOLIA. 

When  this  plant  was 
shown  for  the  first 
time  in  this  country 
some  ten  or  tw'elve 
years  ago,  it  was 
welcomed  as  a  very 
promising  subject  for 
the  cool  greenhouse. 
Since  that  time,  how- 
ever, it  has  proved 
its  worth  in  the  open 
rock  garden,  for  if 
planted  out  in  the 
spring  in  a  favoured 
nook     it     quickly 


CORYDALIS    TH.<VLICTRIFOLI.\    FILLING    A    SHELTERED    NOOK    IN    THE 
ROCK    GARDEN. 


622 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  13,  1913. 


are  of  a  bright  rose  tint,  are  produced  in  July,  a 
point  of  considerable  value  when  so  many  of  our 
choice  alpine  plants  are  early  flowering. 

The  arching  spray  of  buds  is  curiously  suggestive 
of  a  grass  plume,  while  the  cinnamon-coloured 
calyx,  which  finally  develops  into  a  saucer-shaped 
frill,  persists  for  some  time  after  the  flowers  have 
fallen.  Here  at  Woodford  it  thrives  in  a  gritty 
compost  to  which  old  mortar  has  been  liberally 
added,  in  a  position  fully  exposed  to  the  sun,  and 
protected  from  winter  wet  by  a  roof  glass.  Last 
year  in  M.  Dallenges'  garden  at  Chene-Bourg, 
Geneva,  I  saw  several  magnificent  tufts — by  far 
the  finest  I  have  ever  seen — revelling  in  the  torrid 
sunshine  of  that  district  and  aglow  with  numerous 
sprays  of  flowers. 

The  propagation  of  this  plant  is  difficult,  since 
it  roots  very  deeply,  with  almost  fibreless  thongs. 
It  is  said  to  "  layer "  if  outstanding  pieces  are 
pegged    down    and    fine    soil    placed    upon    them, 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


SEASONABLE     NOTES     ON 
CARNATIONS. 

THE  Editor  requests  me  to  send  a  few 
notes  from  time  to  time  on  the  fascinat- 
ing subject  of  Carnations,  and  as  a 
preface  I  wish  to  ask  readers  to  peruse 
these  notes  as  being  tempered  with  the 
exigencies  of  a  Scottish  climate  at  least 
as  difficult  as  that  of  the  Midlands.  At  this  time 
of  year  Perpetuals  are  by  far  the  most  interesting 
section,  and  from  which  we  are  reaping  the  fruits 
of  a  prolonged  and  exacting  attention,  while  many  of 
us  are  preparing  for  the  harvest  of  anotlter  winter. 

At  the  time  of  writing,  the  bulk  of  my  own 
cuttings  are  rooted.  Propagation  begins  early 
in  October,  the  cuttings  receiving  stove  treat- 
ment.    Roots  are  emitted  in  a  week  in  the  case  of 


ACANTHOLIMON    VFNUSTUM,    A    USEFUL    PRICKLY    THRIFT    FOR    THE    ROCK    GARDEN 


aided  by  a  piece  of  stone  to  retain  the  moisture 
in  the  soil,  though  so  far  I  have  not  tried  this  plan. 
My  own  plants  originated  from  root  cuttings 
about  ten  inches  long,  which,  after  being  firmly 
planted  in  the  above-mentioned  compost,  were 
tended  carefully  for  some  three  or  four  weeks 
and  have  now  made  quite  a  nice  colony. 
It  is  said  to  come  well  from  cuttings  when 
the  necessary  skill  has  been  attained,  while 
seed,  when  it  can  be  procured,  is  doubtless 
the  best  means  of  securing  strong  plants.  It 
is  said  to  suffer  during  severe  cold,  and  if 
caught  by  a  cold  snap  while  lying  wet  may 
be  killed  outright.  Probably  the  roof  glass 
already  mentioned,  coupled  with  perfect  drainage, 
will  minimise  any  untoward  accident  of  this 
kind,  at  least  in  these  more  southern  counties. 
It  is  a  subject  worthy  of  all  the  care  that  one 
may  bestow  upon  it.  R.  A.  Malbv. 


quick-rooting  varieties,  and  generally  they  are 
ready  to  be  potted  in  a  fortnight.  The  cuttmgs 
being  so  brief  a  time  in  the  propagating-house, 
the  soft  growth  prophesied  by  some  folks  as  a 
result  is  never  apparent.  I  am  fortunate  in  having 
pits  just  suited  to  the  simple  requirements  of  the 
little  things.  For  standing  them  on,  a  stone  stage, 
which  keeps  them  cool  at  the  root  and  near  enough 
to  the  glass  to  negative  etiolation,  is  an  item  of 
first-rate  importance.  The  ventilation  is  of  a  kind 
that  on  fine  days  air  can  be  admitted  to  play  all 
around  them,  or  on  cold  ones  and  during  high 
winds  shut  off  altogether.  I  know  that  in  spring 
many  growers  bring  on  young  stuff  in  rather 
warmer  and  less  well-ventilated  structures,  but 
during  the  winter  such  treatment  would  inevitably 
ruin  the  plants.  By  the  time  this  is  printed  the 
best-rooted  plants,  which  are  those  which  have 
rooted    round    the    balls,    all    in    4-inch   pots,    will 


have  been  topped,  the  hard,  cold  treatment  being 
just  the  thing  to  enable   them  to  break  strongly 
and    freely.     The    other    stages    of    the    structiure 
in  which  are  the  young  plants  contain  the  choicest 
of   the   flowering   stock,    the   remainder   occupying 
a   much   larger  structure   along   with   Chrysanthe- 
mums.    These    are    freely    ventilated    unless    the 
weather   is   unsuitable,  and   a  slight   heat   in    the 
pipes   by   night    and   by   day   secures   a   buoyant 
and  dry   atmosphere,   the  two  chief  requirements 
to    hinder    the    development    of    leaf-disease,    and 
they  also  enable  the  plants  to  keep  on  the  move, 
though  slowly,   and  the  forward  buds  to  expand 
in  a   kindly  manner.     For   the   next   six   weeks — 
the  most  trying  in  the  Carnation  cycle — manure, 
if     applied     at     all,    must    be    meted    out     with 
great   judgment.     Nitrogenous  manures  especially, 
which    if    estimated     by    the    appearance    of    the 
foliage     might    be     concluded     to     be     valuable, 
should    not    be    used,    a   flaccid    cgndition   of   the 
flowers,  accompanied  by  a  weak  calyx 
that  more  often  tlian  not  splits,  being 
results  which  follow  their  use.    Another 
cause  of  weakness  in  some  varieties  is 
the  production   of   too  many  growths, 
which  if  left  without  reduction  either 
do    not    flower    or    only    yield    small 
blooms.      Lady   Alington,   May    Day, 
Mikado,  Britannia  and  Mrs.  F.  Burnett 
are  varieties  which  transgress  in   this 
way,   and   these  should    be  examined 
and  tliinned  two  or  three  times  in  the 
period  from  October  to  May.      Those 
left  in  a  very  short   time   increase   in 
vigour.     This  is  a  little  cultural  expe- 
dient which  is  easily  overlooked,  but  it 
is  a  very  important  one  where  only  one 
set  of  plants  is  grown  to  provide  an  un- 
interrupted supply  of  flowers.     In  cold 
weather  lower  the  temperature  to  45°. 
Malmaisons  must   be  kept  as  quiet 
as  possible  until  the  turn  of  the  year, 
the  season's  layers  being  kept  rather 
ilrier  at  the  root   than    two    year    old 
I'lants.     When  the  latter  are  allowed 
in  become  and  remain  dry  for  too  long 
1  time  at  the  roots,  the  old  foliage  gets 
■  lesiccated,    turns     yellow,    has    to    be 
-tripped  off  the  stems,  and  the  plants 
'  in  the  whole  are  much  the  worse  for 
the  experience.  It  is  just  the  distinction 
between  not  overdrying  the  plants  and 
giving  a  little  too  much  water  that  the 
enthusiastic  grower  has  to  observe.    I 
standing   in  the  same  structure  with 
Perpetuals,    the     warmest     part    and 
the  least   ventilated  should  be  given  up   to  Mal- 
maisons.    Both  sections  need  to  be  vaporised  at 
frequent  intervals  as  a  preventive  measure  against 
aphis  infestation.     Borders  established  in  outdoor 
beds    may    require    weeding    after    the,   unusually 
fine  weather.     The  spade  is  an  efficient  implement 
for   the   purpose   at   this   time   of   the   year.     The 
method   to   follow   consists  in   pushing   the   spade 
along    about    two   inches    under    the  soil  sinface, 
transposing    each   spadeful   so   that    all   the   little 
weeds   are   buried   deep   enough    to   destroy   their 
vegetative  powers,  and  at   the  same  time  leaving 
a  surface  of  clean,  fresh  soil.     Stock  being  wintered 
in    frames    should    be     ventilated     always.     The 
severest   frost   does    not    harm    the    plants,    but 
a      stagnant,      damp      atmosphere      does.       Care 
should  be  taken  that  the  pots  are  covered  over  the 
rims  to  secure  them  from  breakage. 

Tyninghame .  R.   P.  Brotherbton. 


I 


December  13,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


623 


SINGLE     AND    DECORATIVE    CHRY- 
SANTHEMUMS. 

There  is  a  definite  chanu  and  beauty  associated 
with  Chrysanthemums,  for  they  contribute  largely 
to  our  pleasure  and  enjoyment  in  brightening 
our  homes  and  gardens  at  one  of  the  dullest  periods 
of  the  year. 

The  cultivation  of  decorative  and  single  Chry- 
santhemums does  not  materially  differ  from  that 
generally  given  the  other  sections  of  this  family. 
They  may  with  advantage  be  propagated  later, 
splendid  plants  being  obtained  by  propagating 
in  March.  A  fruitful  source  of  failure  is  propagating 
too  early  and  starving  the  plants  before  they  reach 
their  flowering  pots.  Propagated 
at  the  date  named  and  grown 
coolly,  giving  successive  shifts  as 
the  pots  become  well  filled  with 
roots,  and  employing  loam  of  good 
quality,  success  is  readily  assured. 
The  soil  for  the  final  potting  is 
the  most  important,  and  should 
consist  of  four  parts  good  fibrou^ 
loam,  with  a  third  part  each  oi 
leaf-soil,  sand  and  horse-manure, 
and  a  4-inch  potful  of  soot,  bone- 
meal  and  an  approved  fertiliser, 
such  as  Thomson's,  Clay's  or 
Bentley's,  to  a  well-heaped  barrow- 
load  of  soil.  The  compost  should 
lie  thoroughly  mixed  and  used  in 
a  condition  that  admits  of  firm 
potting,  and,  except  in  the  case 
of  specimen  plants,  pots  having  an 
internal  diameter  of  7J  inches  to 
8  inches   are    quite    large  enough. 

The  Best  Singles.— One  of  the 

earliest  singles  to  open  is  Joan 
Edwards,  a  variety  with  stiff, 
erect  stems,  and  flowers  of  a  good 
rose  shade.  Mary  Richardson 
follows  immediately  with  reddish 
salmon  flowers  of  a  most  attra<'- 
tive  shade  that  is  particularly 
effective  under  artificial  light.  This 
shade  is  practically  repeated  in 
Lady  Fumess,  a  variety  that  flowers 
in  December,  and  this  scas^in 
the  plants  promise  to  be  exception- 
ally good.  All  the  Pagram  family 
produce  good  decorative  single 
flowers.  These  include  Edith  Pag- 
ram, rich  pink,  with  white  zone  ; 
Mrs.  Tresham  Gilbey,  pure 
yellow  ;  and  Bronze  Pagram, 
reddish  bronze:  and  yellow.  Mrs. 
W.  Gamer  is  an  improved 
and  larger  form  of  the  latter, 
while  White  Pagram  gives  pure 
white  flowers.  Sylvia  Slade  is  a 
particularly  showy  flower  of  rose 
garnet  colour,  with  an  inner  ring  of 
white,  after  the  maimer  of  a  Cine- 
raria. Ethel  .\shdown  is  similar  to  this,  but  on  a 
much  larger  scale.  One  of  the  loveliest  white  flowers 
is  found  in  Mensa.  These  areequallv  good  disbudded 
or  in  natural  sprays.  Other  good  whites  include  Mrs. 
P.  Sterling,  Stella,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Abbott,  Robert  Thorpe 
and  Gertrude.  Florrie  King  forms  beautiful 
flowers  of  pale  flesh  pink.  Gracie  Trower  is 
lavender  pink,  and  Gracie  Lambert  a  deeper  shade 
of  pink.  .Among  chestnut  shades,  Leo,  Mrs.  W.  G. 
Patching,  Oriental  and  Walton  are  particularly 
good.  This  colour  is  effective  as  a  luncheon-table 
decoration,    and    is    equally    good    under    artificial 


light.  Of  dark  shades,  .•Vrcturus,  C.  J.  Ellis,  San- 
down  Radiance,  Belle  of  Weybridge,  Roupell 
Beauty,  Hale  Crimson  and  Cannell's  Crimson 
arc  all  effective  colours,  aitd  cover  a  season  extending 
from  October  till  January.  Good  yellows  include 
Queenie  Jessop,  Kitty  Bourne,  Marchioness  of 
Cholmondeley,  Norah  Bramwell,  Sharston  and 
Golden  Mensa. 

Of  Double  Varieties  that  develop  good  flowers 
when  grown  in  natural  sprays,  the  Caprice  family 
are  indispensable,  coming  into  flower  in  succession 
to  the  outdoor  kinds.  Kathleen  Thomson  is  one  of 
the  brightest,  coloured  chestnut  crimson,  with  gold 
tips  ;   Caprice  du  Printemps,  bright  rose  pink  ;  and 


flowers.  Crimson  Quintus  gives  particularly  grace- 
ful and  light  sprays  of  glowing  crimson  shade. 
Mrs.  C.  Beckett  gives  white  flowers  that  are  tinted 
green  in  the  early  stages.  Mrs.  J.  H.  Silsbury  and 
Godfrey's  King  provide  beautiful  decorative 
flowers  when  grown  in  bush  form  and  the  laterals 
disbudded  to  a  single  bud.  For  mid-December 
flowering  Baldock's  Crimson  is  invaluable,  with 
flowers  of  a  bright  reddish  crimson.  Matthew 
Hodgson,  rich  crimson  ;  Framfield  Pink,  rich 
rose  ;  Christmas  Rose,  fine  shade  of  pink,  in  flower 
at  Christmas ;  Mrs.  Thomson,  white,  flowers 
sUghtly  incurved  ;  and  King  of  Plumes,  a  pretty 
variety  with  yellow  flowers,  the  petals  being  much 
.  laciniated,  give  a  charming  effect 
of  great  lightness. 

Thomas  Smith. 
Coombc  Court  Gardens. 


SCIENCE  IN  RELA. 
TION  TO  HORTI- 
CULTURE. 


SINGLE    CHRYSANTHEMUM    ROBERT    THORPE,   A    BEAUTIFUL    VARIETY 
WITH    WHITE    FLOWERS. 


Butler's  Caprice,  an  intermediate  shade  between 
the  last  two.  White  Cap  and  Yellow  Cap  are 
similar  except  in  ctilour,  which  the  name  indicates. 
Market  Red  follows  with  flowers  of  a  velvety  red  ; 
Thomas  Moore,  rich  wine  red  ;  Mrs,  W.  A.  Read, 
rich  bright  crimson  ;  Mrs.  Rider  Bird,  a  fine  shade 
of  fawn  ;  and  Freda  Bedford,  a  faultless  shade 
of  pure  apricot.  Foxhimter  gives  flowers  of  a  rich 
glow'ing  crimson  shade,  resembling  the  well-known 
Mrs.  J.  H.  Silsbury.  Dazzler  is  a  deeper  shade 
of  crimson,  also  having  petals  of  great  substance. 
West  Hall  Crimson  is  stiffer,  with  reddish  crimson 


AUTUMN     CULTIVATION 
OF    SOIL. 

Wliat  is  Fertile  Soil?  — It  is 

generally  recognised  that  autumn 
cultivation  of  soils  has  a  beneficial 
effect  upon  fertility.  Let  us  con- 
sider the  subject  from  the  point 
of  view  of  the  requirements  of 
crops.  It  will  make  the  central 
facts  clearer,  perhaps,  if  we  first 
of  all  consider  the  chief  proper- 
ties of  a  fertile  soil.  It  is  re- 
quired of  a  good  soil  that  not 
only  will  it  afford  a  safe  anchorage 
lor  the  roots  of  plants,  but  that  it 
must  give,  during  the  growing  sea- 
son, a  constant  supply  of  water 
to  the  transpiring  foliage.  Further- 
more, it  must  be  able  to  yield  up 
to  the  feeding  rootlets  all  those 
different  mineral  constituents,  such 
as  phosphates  and  salts  of  potash, 
as  well  as  those  simple  com- 
poimds  of  nitrogen  (nitrates  or 
salts  of  ammonia)  that  are  abso- 
lutely required  by  all  garden  crops. 
There  is  another  condition  that 
is  sometimes  unremembered  by 
cultivators,  and  that  is,  the 
capacity  of  the  soil  to  hold  air,  and 
yet  this  is  one  of  the  most  essen- 
tial aids  to  fertility.  Ventilation 
is  just  as  important  for  soils  as 
it  is  for  ordinary  dwellings,  as  in 
the  absence  of  pure  air  the  active 
living  roots  of  our  ordinary 
cultivated  plants  would  sicken  and 
perish.  Moreover,  as  the  oxygen 
of  the  air  is  used  up  in  the  process  of  respiration, 
not  only  by  the  roots,  but  also  by  the  vast  popu- 
lation of  germs  that  inhabit  the  soil,  certain  waste 
products  of  a  poisonous  nature  are  produced, 
and  these  must  be  removed  or  rendered  harmless 
if  the  soil  is  to  be  kept  fit  and  sustained  at  its 
highest  point  of  efficiency.  Lastly,  a  fertile  soil 
must  be  able  to  take  up  the  sun's  heat  and  retain  it. 
Warmth  is  of  supreme  importance,  and  especially 
so  in  spring.  If  at  times  the  land  is  too  wet,  the 
heat  is  absorbed  by  the  useless  water,  and  the 
soil  remains  cold  and  uncongenial  to  early  growth. 


624 


THE    GARDEN. 


[December  13,  1913. 


The  Value  of  Digging. — Now,  how  does  culti- 
vation affect  these  conditions  of  soil  fertility  ? 
The  one  great  mechanical  effect  of  digging  is  that 
it  makes  the  soil  finer  in  grain,  and  the  finer  the 
grain  the  greater  is  its  fertility.  To  appreciate 
fully  the  importance  of  this  fact,  let  me  refer  for 
a  moment  to  the  way  the  roots  of  a  plant  feed. 
It  is  well  known  that  all  food  taken  up  from  the 
soil  must  be  absorbed  in  solution  in  water.  No 
solid  particle,  however  minute,  can  pass  through 
the  membrane  that  acts  as  a  covering  to  the  young 
roots  and  root-hairs.  But  it  is  a  peculiarity  of  all 
tillage  plants  that  their  roots  are  slow  to  take  up 
what  we  may  term  "loose"  water,  that  is,  water 
that  is  free  to  drain  away  from  the  soil.  The 
water  they  really  take  in  is  the 
water  that  clings  to  the  surface 
of  each  little  damp  particle  of  soil, 
as  such  water  is  more  highly 
charged  with  food  slowly  dis- 
solved out  of  the  little  solid 
mass  to  which  both  the  film  of 
water  and  root-hair  are  so  closely 
attached.  Ordinary  digging  tends 
to  break  up  the  soil  into  a  finer 
mechanical  condition,  and  so 
tends  to  increase  its  water-holding 
power. 

Autumn  Cultivation  carries 
the  crumbling  process  much  fur- 
ther, especially  in  the  case  of 
heavy  or  stiff  soils.  By  throwing 
up  the  soil  in  rough  ridges,  the 
frosts  of  winter,  by  freezing  (and 
therefore  e.\panding)  the  water 
within  the  pores  of  the  soil, 
causes  the  coarse  lumps  of  soil 
to  swell,  and  because  of  this 
pushing  apart  of  its  particles, 
cohesion  is  weakened  and  their 
former  closeness  of  texture  is 
destroyed.  The  ridges  quickly 
dry  out  in  the  March  winds,  and 
are  easily  pulverised  when  spring 
operations  begin  in  the  garden. 
This  expansive  force  of  freezing 
water  is,  by  far,  the  most 
powerful  agent  at  the  gardener's 
disposal  for  the  breaking  down 
of  lumpy  soil,  and  so  for  con- 
verting it  into  a  mellow  and 
kindly  workable  condition,  and 
neglect  of  this  relatively  cheap 
and  easy  method  of  increasing 
fertility  is  a  refusal  to  take  advan- 
tage of  one  of  Nature's  most 
generous  offers  to  aid  the  gardener 
in  his  efforts  to  secure  the  best 
services  of  the  soil  in  the  bountiful 
production  of  crops. 

Cultivation  and  Fertility. — Having  thus  briefly 
referred  to  the  method  by  which  the  soil  may  be 
reduced  to  a  fine  condition,  we  may  now  consider 
a  few  of  the  advantages  arising  from  such  work. 
But  first  it  may  be  well  to  remark  that  a  gardener 
should  always  remember  to  think  in  terms  of 
area  of  soil  particles  available  for  exploitation  by 
roots,  rather  than  in  terms  of  superficial  area  of 
his  garden.  A  well-tilled  plot  of  a  rood  area  may 
be  quite  as  productive  as  a  badly-tilled  plot  of  an 
acre,  as  it  all  really  depends  upon  the  fineness  of 
the  soil.  A  little  hard  cube  of  soil  will  have  six 
sides  or  surfaces.  If  it  is  broken  in  two,  the  six 
sides  become  twelve,  and  if  these  two  are  again 
divided,  there  will  be  twenty-four  sides,  over  each 


of  which  a  water  film  can  cling,  and  so  the  work 
of  dissolving  out  plant  food  substances  from  the 
soil  can  be  extended  over  four  times  a  greater 
area  in  the  last-mentioned  case  than  in  the  first. 
In  fact,  a  cubic  foot  of  soil  such  as  is  used  for 
potting  purposes  represents  in  reality  about  an 
acre  of  absorbing  area  for  roots.  As  long  ago  as 
the  year  1733  the  father  of  tillage  husbandry, 
Jethro  TuU,  when  advocating  the  thorough  culti- 
vation of  soils,  referred  to  this  extension  of  the 
absorptive  area  as  the  "  root-pasturage,"  and 
so  in  sober  truth  it  is.  Remembering  that  all 
garden  soils  contain  practically  an  imexhaustible 
supply  of  plant  food,  if  only  it  could  be  made 
available,    and    also    that    the    only    natural    way 


NEW     AND     RARE     PLANTS. 


AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Chrysanttiemum  Maud  Jeffries. — A  decorative 
Japanese  variety  of  the  purest  white,  and  one  of 
the  most  valuable  of  these  for  late  flowering  and 
conservatory  decoration.  A  large  group  in  small 
pots  was  sent  by  Colonel  the  Right  Hon.  Mark 
Lockwood,  C.V.O.,  M.P.,  Bishop's  Hall,  Romford 
(gardener,  Mr.  CradduckJ. 

Violet  Kaiser  Wilhelm. — A  large  and  spreading 

flower,  paler  in  colour  than  La  France,  with  sweet 

perfume.     The  variety  has  very  long  stalks,  and  is 

quite  distinct.  Shownby. Mr. T.Johnson,  Shaftesbury. 

Chrysanthemum    Cardinal. — A 

single-flowered  sort  of  rich  briglit 
crimson  colour,  with  big,  con- 
spicuous, golden  yellow  centre. 
Not  more  than  2  J  feet  high  as 
shown.  The  rich  colouring  is 
brilliantly  effective  in  the  fullest 
light.  From  Messrs.  James  Veitch 
and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea. 

Begonia  Rosalind.  —  This 
newest  addition  to  the  winter- 
flowering  section  is  a  great  gain 
in  colour,  which  is  pure  rose,  the 
only  one,  we  believe,  of  this 
precise  shade.  It  is  possessed  of 
the  same  dwarf  habit  and  free- 
dom of  flowering  as  Syros  and 
Emita,  and  will  make  for  these 
a  good  companion  plant.  It  was 
raised  from  B.  socotrana  and  a 
white  -  flowered,  tuberous  -  rooted 
variety.  From  Messrs.  Veitch  and 
Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea. 

Chrysanthemum  Commodore. — 

A  fine  crirason-coloured,  single- 
flowered  variety  of  good  size  and 
substance,  though  less  brilliant 
than  Cardinal.  From  Mr.  T. 
Stevenson,  gardener  to  E.  Mocatta, 
Esq.,  Woburn  Place,  Addlestone. 
Primula    malacoides    fl.-pl. — 

Just  a  ienii-double-flowcred  form 
of  the  now  well  known  and  de- 
servedly popular  Chinese  species, 
varying  nothing  in  colour,  habit 
of  growth  or  freedom  of  flowering. 
This  and  the  type  make  ideal 
pot  plants  for  the  cool  greenhouse. 
From  Bees,  Limited,  Liverpool. 


THE    NEW    DOUBLE-FLOWERED    VARIETY    OF    PRIMUL.\    MALACOIDES. 


in  which  it  can  be  so  made  ready  for  the  roots  is 
through  the  dissolving  action  of  tightly-clinging 
water  films,  it  follows  that  fining  the  soil  is  equal 
in  effect  to  manuring  it.  Furthermore,  such 
thorough  cultivation,  by  increasing  not  only  the 
water-holding  power  of  the  soil,  but  also  its  air- 
holding  capacity,  encourages  the  growth  and  general 
activity  of  useful  bacteria  in  the  soil,  and  especially 
such  forms  as  are  engaged  in  the  work  of  nitrifica- 
tion. Closely  associated  with  this  metliod  of  soil 
improvement  is  the  important  question  of  liming ; 
but  a  consideration  of  this  particular  aid  to  fertility 
must  be  held  ovei'  as  the  subject  of  the  next  article. 

David  Housto.n. 
Ruyat  CuUege  oj  Science,  Dublin. 


NEW     ORCHIDS. 

The  choicest  uf  novelties  was 
seen  in  the  lovely  Cattleya  named 
Maggie  Raphael  The  Dell  Variety, 
sent  by  Baron  Schroder.  The  flowers 
were  ivory  white,  save  for  the  lip,  which  was  royal 
purple,  with  gold  markings  in  the  throat.  It  was 
unanimously  granted  a  first-class  certificate.  Each  of 
the  following  received  an  award  of  merit :  Cattleya 
Mrs.  Temple  variety  Dreadnought,  from  Mr. 
C.  J.  Phillips,  Sevenoaks  ;  Cypripediums  Goliath 
and  Strelsa,  from  Mr.  W.  R.  Lee,  Heywood,  Lanes  ; 
Laelio-Cattleya  Auto-Doin,  from  Messrs.  J.  and  A. 
McBean  ;  Odontioda  Latona  Goodson's  Variety, 
shown  by  Mr.  H.  S.  Guodson  of  Putney  ;  and 
Odontoglossum  Saturne  violaceum,  sent  by  M. 
Henri  Graire,  Amiens. 

The  foregoing  novelties  were  shown  before  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  at  the  meeting  held 
on  December  2. 


December  x3,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


625 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS 

THE     AMATEUR'S     GREENHOUSE     IN     WINTER. 


THE  furnisliing  of  tlic  gieenlioiise  or 
conservatory  during  the  winter  months 
is  a  comparatively  easy  matter  in 
an  estabhshment  where  propagating 
and  growing  houses  are  at  command 
to  keep  up  regular  supplies  of  flowering 
plants.  The  amateur,  as  a  rule  having  no  such  auxi- 
liary houses  from  which  to  draw  his  supplies,  must 
to  a  great  extent  rely  on  plants  that  can  be  grown 
outdoors  during  the  summer  months,  or  possibly 
on  what  he  can  produce  with  the  aid  of  a  few  cold 
frames  ;  nevertheless,  even  with  such  limited 
means,  a  good  variety  of  plants  can  be  produced 
for  the  winter  embellishment  of  the  greenhouse. 
It  is  a  great  advantage  if  a  hot-bed  of 
leaves  and  stable  manure  can  be  used 
for  the  raising  of  seedlings  and  cuttings 
during  early  spring.  In  such  a  frame, 
or  even  in  the  greenhouse  itself,  such 
plants  as  Cinerarias,  Chinese  Primulas. 
Primula  obconica,  P.  malacoides.  Chry- 
santhemums and  Salvias  for  late  autumn 
and  winter  flowering  can  easily  be 
raised. 

The  Cinerarias  and  Primulas  can 
be  grown  in  cold  frames  all  the 
smnmer  and  removed  indoors  in  the 
autumn.  Such  plants  as  Chrysanthe- 
mums and  winter-flowering  Salvias, 
which  pass  their  initial  stages  in  the 
greenhouse  or  cold  frames,  are  stood 
outdoors  all  the  summer  ;  in  fact,  some 
of  the  later-flowering  Chrysanthemums 
may  stand  out  at  the  bottom  of  a  wall 
until  the  beginning  of  November, 
especially  if  a  piece  of  scrim  canvas  is 
placed  over  them  at  night.  Here  I 
would  advise  amateurs  to  grow  a 
quantity  of  Chrysanthemums  in  6-inch 
pots,  rooting  the  cuttings  about  the 
middle  of  March.  The  Caprice  du 
Printemps  type,  such  as  Kathleen 
Thompson  and  White  and  Yellow  Cap, 
are  very  suitable  for  this  purpose,  as 
also  are  many  of  the  single-flowered 
sorts  that  are  now  so  popular.  Darenth 
Jewel,  Norma,  Miss  OUve  Prater,  Robert 
Thorpe  and  Mary  Richardson  are  all 
good  sorts. 

Cyclamen  are  very  useful  for  the  greenhouse, 
as  they  produce  their  flowers  for  a  period  of  several 
months.  They  are  generally  sown  during  August 
of  the  previous  year  ;  but  the  amateur  would  do 
weU  to  sow  earlier,  say,  about  the  middle  of  July. 
Tills  would  give  stronger  plants  for  the  winter,  a 
great  advantage  where  not  much  heat  is  at  command. 
The  following  spring  they  can  be  rernoved  to  a  cold 
frame  and  be  grown  there  all  the  summer. 

Arum  Lilies  are  favourite  subjects,  and 
have  the  advantage  of  being  able  to  be  grown 
outdoors  all  the  summer  and  dried  off  and 
potted  up  again  at  the  end  of  the  summer,  or  they 
can  be  planted  out  and  lifted  during  the  autumn. 
Tills  latter  method  is  a  distinct  advantage  for 
the  amateur,  as  he  thus  starts  the  winter  with  a 
,  good  ready-grown  plant,  which,  with  liberal  feeding, 
will  produce  flowers  for  several  months.  The 
accompanying  illustration  depicts  a  pretty  arrange- 
ment of  .Arum  Lilies  and  the  blue  ivinter-flowering 


Coleus  thyrsoideus,  with  plants  of  Magnolia  con- 
spicua  at  the  back.-  The  Coleus  can  be  raised  from 
seed  during  the  spring  or  from  cuttings  put  in  about 
the  beginning  of  June,  and  should  be  grown  in 
a  cool  greenhouse  during  the  summer.  It  requires 
careful  attention  as  regards  watering,  as  it  is  apt 
to  lose  its  lower  leaves  if  neglected  in  this  respect. 
Bulbs  are  very  useful  for  winter  and  early  spring 
flowering.  The  most  popular  are  Freesias,  Narcissi 
(especially  the  Paper-White  Narcissus,  which  can 
be  had  in  flower  from  November  onwards),  Roman 
Hyacinths  and  the  large  florists'  varieties,  and  Tulips 
of  various  sorts,  starting  with  Van  Thols,  other  good 
early  sorts   being   Vermilion  Brilliant,  Moii  Tresor, 


to  them  during  tlie  winter.  The  same  applies 
to  the  Cape  or  Scented-leaved  section,  which  arc 
favourites  with  many  amateurs,  as  also  arc  Cactus 
or  succulent  plants,  which  require  very  little  water 
in  the  winter.  During  that  period  all  watering, 
as  far  as  possible,  should  be  done  in  the  morning. 

Foliage  Plants. — Quite  a  variety  of  beautiful 
foliage  plants  can  be  grown  in  the  cool  greenhouse, 
and  many  of  them  prove  useful  for  the  decoration 
of  the  dwelling-house.  Chief  among  them  are 
such  plants  as  .'Aspidistra,  .•\sparagus  plumosus, 
.■\,  Sprengeri  (this  is  good  for  baskets),  Cy- 
perus  alteinifolius,  Cordyline  australis  in  several 
varieties,    and    C.    stricta.     Many    cool  -  house    as 


ARUM    LILIES,    COLEUS 


THYRSOIDEUS     AND     MAGNOLIA    STELLATA 
IN    THE    GREENHOUSE. 


GROUPED    1-OR    WINTER    EFFECT 


Keizerskroon  and  King  of  the  Yellows.  Good  early- 
flowering  sorts  of  Narcissi  other  than  the  Paper- 
White  are  Henry  Irving,  Golden  Spur,  Van  Sion,  ob- 
vallaris,  Horsfieldii,SirWatkin  andodorusrugulosus. 

Success  in  flowering  bulbs  early  depends  to  a 
great  extent  on  their  being  well  rooted,  and  that 
means  they  must  be  potted  early,  Freesias 
and  early  Narcissi  should  be  potted  from  the 
middle  to  the  end  of  August,  and  Tulips  from  the 
beginning  to  the  middle  of  September.  They 
should  be  stood  outdoors  and  covered  with  well- 
weathered  ashes,  leaf-soil  or  Cocoanut  fibre  until 
they  are  well  rooted,  when  they  should  be  removed 
to  the  cold  frame  or  cool  greenhouse. 

Clivias  are  useful  plants,  and  are  quite  happy 
in  a  cool  greenhouse,  keeping  them  on  the  dry  side 
during  the  winter.  Pelargoniums  of  the  Zonal 
type  should  be  given  the  driest  and  warmest 
part  of  the  house  and  not  be  over  watered, 
for    too   much    moisture   at    the   root    proves   fatal 


well  as  hardy  Ferns  prove  very  useful  for 
the  amateur's  greenhouse  during  the  winter. 
Helxine  Solieroli  is  very  useful  for  draping  the 
edge  of  the  stage.  Azaleas  of  the  indica  type 
are  very  useful,  especially  such  as  Deutsche  Perle, 
which  can  easily  be  had  in  flower  by  Christmas, 
Bouvardias,  Acacias  and  various  Heaths  are  useful 
for  winter  flowering,  while  a  few  plants  of  Boronia 
megastigma  should  be  grown  for  the  sake  of  their 
fragrant  flowers.  Such  plants  can  be  purchased 
very  cheaply  every  season,  as  they  are  slow  and 
difficult  to  grow  from  their  initial  stages.  Speaking 
generally,  the  larger  flowering  shrubs,  such  as 
Magnolias  (shown  in  the  illustration),  Prunuses, 
Rhododendrons  and  the  like,  cannot  be  accom- 
modated in  the  small  greenhouse,  at  the  same  time 
.\zalea  Deutsche  Perle  andsimilar  varieties,  together 
with  Deutzias,  Bouvardias  and  innumerable  Heaths 
should  find  a  place  in  the  amateur's  greenhouse, 
however  small  it  may  be.  J.  C. 


626 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  13,  1913- 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR 


SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Tree  Felling. — Carr  is  necessary  iii  taking 
down  large  trees,  and  it  is  wise  to  employ  ex- 
perienced men  for  such  a  purpose  rather  than  to 
risk  damaging  the  surrounding  trees  which  one 
is  endeavouring  to  maintain  in  good  condition. 

Care  of  Trees. — Old  trees  should  he  systemati- 
cally gone  through  every  two  or  three  years,  remov- 
ing any  dead  wood  that  may  be  in  them.  This 
is  especially  necessary  if  they  are  situated  where 
they  may  be  used  for  sitting  under  during  the 
summer  months.  Such  trees  as  Weeping  Birch, 
Beech  and  Ash  must,  naturally,  be  left,  so  that 
the  trees  develop  and  exhibit  their  pendulous 
habit  of  growth  ;  but  other  trees  that-  have  a 
good  spread  of  branches  may  with  advantage  be 
trimmed  a  fair  distance  up  the  main  stem, 
thus  allowing  air  to  penetrate  beneath  them. 
By  doing  this  the  grass  may  be  kept  in  fair 
condition  by  manuring;  but  where  the  branches 
are  allowed  to  come  too  near  the  ground,  the 
grass  will  naturally  die  and  thus  prove  an  eyesore. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Perpetual-Flowering  Carnations.— These  have 

bloomed  well  during  the  autumn,  no  doubt  owing 
to  the  mild,  open  weather.  Go  over  the  plants 
as  often  as  may  be  necessary,  tying  in  the  young 
growths  and  disbudding  the  bloom-buds  to  one  to 
each  shoot.  Under  certain  conditions  the  surface 
of  the  soil  is  apt  to  get  a  little  green  at  this  season 
of  the  year,  but  an  occasional  scratch  over  with 
a  label  or  something  similar  should  keep  it 
clean.  If  allowed  to  accumulate  it  robs  the  roots 
of  much  necessary  air,  and  the  plants  are  apt  to 
become  sickly. 

Primulas. — These  arc  now  making  a  good  show — 
at  least  the  earlier  batches — and,  to  keep  them 
throwing  up  stronglv,  an  occasional  sprinkling  of 
Clay's  Fertilizer  may  be  given.  This  adds  colour 
to  both  flowers  and  foliage.  Valsol,  also,  I  find 
a  good  manure  at  this  season,  but  it  must  be  used 
very  sparingly. 

Begonias   Gloire   de   Lorraine. — These   appear 

to  be  lacking  in  colour  in  many  places  this  autunan, 
and  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  if  they  were  given 
a  little  less  heat  as  the  flowers  open  and  a  little 
manure  as  advised  for  the  Primulas,  they  would 
not  be  so  insipid  in  appearance.  Plants  that  have 
been  in  bloom  some  time  should  have  the  stale 
blooms  removed,  as  these  only  tend  to  make  the 
plants  hiok  dull  and  of  poor  colour. 

Bouvardias. — The  older  plants  of  Bouvirdias 
in  many  instances  will  be  going  out  of  ffower,  and 
unless  there  is  sufficient  young  growth  coming  along 
that  is  likely  to  produce  bloom  to  warrant  their 
remaining  in  the  intermediate  house,  they  should 
be  removed  to  a  cool  one.  The  younger  plants 
are  usually  more  continuous  in  growth,  so  they 
should  be  kept  going  to  provide  material  for 
button-holes  or  for  small  vase  work,  for  which 
purposes  they  are  very  useful. 

Gardenias. — These  are  much  appreciated  during 
the  winter  months,  and  plants  that  are  pushing 
their  flower-buds  must  be  fairly  liberally  treated, 
both  as  regards  heat  and  moisture,  to  ensure 
their  opening  kindly.  Too  low  a  temperature 
at  night  after  the  buds  reach  a  certain  stage  often 
tends  to  make  them  drop.  As  these  plants  are 
very  liable  to  be  troubled  with  insect  pests,  they 
must  be  periodically  sprayed  with  an  insecticide 
to  keep  them  down. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

I  have  already  advised  in  these  columns  the 
necessity  of  pushing  on  with  all  groundwork-  while 
the  weather  is  open,  but  it  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that  some  soils  are  very  much  better  left  alone  if 
in  a  very  wet  condition,  this  applying  generally 
to  very  heavy  soil,  and  I  find  that  here"  in  the  Thames 
Valley,  where  the  ground  is  sometimes  apt  to 
be  flooded,  trenching  in  the  month  of  February 
is  often  more  remimerative  than  autumn  trenching. 
In  the  event  of  very  severe  weather,  manure  and 
leaves  should  be  wheeled  on  to  the  ground,  and 
even  if  the  ground  is  hard  only  for  an  hour  or  two 
in  the  morning,  it  is  advisable  to  do  this  work  then 
rather  than  when   it  is  soft,  and  thus  avoid  cutting 


up  paths  and  making  a  mess  generally.  Further 
heaps  of  hot-bed  material  also  may  be  prepared, 
as  with  the  turn  of  the  year  it  will  be  necessary 
to  get  many  of  the  early  vegetables  on  the  move. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Peach-Houses. — Bv  this  date  all  the  Peach 
trees  should  be  quite  ready  tor  pruning,  though  I 
have  found  the  leaves  hang  much  longer  this  season 
than  ever  before.  The  cleansing  of  the  trees  and 
the  houses  must  be  continued  as  time  permits, 
as  even  late  Peaches  are  apt  to  push  their  buds 
quite  earlv  in  the  year,  and  it  is  advisable  to  get 
the  work  finished  before  the  trees  reach  this  stage. 

Vine  Borders  in  newly-planted  houses  that 
need  extension  should  be  attended  to  as  early  as 
possible.  Wherever  it  is  convenient,  the  soil  should 
be  prepared  under  cover,  so  that,  when  it  is  beuig 
put  on,  it  is  not  in  too  wet  a  condition.  Soil  in 
a  sodden  state  is  apt  to  go  sour,  especially  if  it 
is  trodden  in  as  firmly  as  is  desirable.  Frozen  soil 
also  should  be  avoided.  Too  large  a  mass  of  soil 
added  to  a  border  is  also  undesirable,  a  foot  or 
18  inches  in  width  being  quite  sufficient  at  a  time, 
as,  once  the  border  is  completed,  the  only  means 
of  enriching  it  is  by  annual  top-dressings,  and  by 
this  means  it  can  quickly  become  too  high  for 
practical  purposes. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Pruning. — After  the  shifting  and  planting  are 
completed,  a  start  should  be  made  with  the  pruning, 
preferably  with  the  wall  trees,  and  too  great  care 
cannot  be  exercised  in  this  direction,  as  in  many 
instances  the  different  varieties  of  Apples  and 
Pears  need  a  very  different  system  of  pruning.  It 
is  quite  advisable  for  the  head-gardener  to  super- 
intend this  work  himself,  unless  he  has  a  man  who 
is  thoroughly  well  up  to  the  work  and  understands 
the  requirements  of  the  individual  varieties. 
An  effort  should  always  be  made  te  keep  the  spurs 
on  the  wall  trees  as  short  as  possible,  there 
being  nothing  gained  in  allowing  these  to  become 
long.  If  a  fruit-bud  or  two  can  be  secured  near 
the  base  of  the  spur,  the  rest  may  be  cut  away 
with  advantage  ;  in  fact,  where  the  spurs  are 
pretty  close  together,  here  and  there  one  may  be 
cut  back  to  a  wood-bud  each  season  to  keep  up 
the  supply  of  young  spurs. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Wohum  Place  Gardens,  Addlesione,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Erica  carnea. — This  precocious  Heath,  flower- 
ing from  February  to  May,  should  be  freely  planted, 
not  only  in  the  Heath  garden,  but  along  the  edges 
of  mixed  beds  and  borders  of  herbaceous  flowers. 
I  once  saw  a  bed  entirely  filled  with  it  in  a  Fife- 
shire  garden  on  a  lawn,  and  although  it  is  over 
thirty  years  ago,  the  impression  produced  on  my 
mind  has  never  faded  from  my  memory.  Unlike 
Heaths  generally,  it  is  not  at  all  particular  as  to 
soil  ;  but  if  a  little  peat  or  flaky  leaf-mould  .and 
sand  can  be  given  to  it,  it  will  be  grateful  for  the 
attention.  It  can  be  planted  now  in  open  weather. 
The  white  variety,  generally  known  as  E.  herbacea, 
is  also  very  attractive. 

Propagating-Boxes. — Those  situated  near  centres 
of  population  can  often  get  disused  dry  fish  boxes 
ready  to  hand  very  cheaply,  or  it  may  be  a  type 
of  box  which  can  'be  sawn  in  two  longitudinally, 
and  thus  form  two  useful  boxes,  with  the  lid  nailed 
on  one-half  to  form  a  bottom.  Where  boxes 
have  to  be  made,  three-quarter-inch  planks  should 
be  used,  and  a  suitable  size  for  most  purposes 
is  30  inches  by  15  inches  by  4  inches.  Of  course, 
light  plants  like  Lobelias  do  quite  well  with  a 
depth  of  3  inches,  while  East  Lothian  Stocks 
require  about  double  that  depth.  Give  them 
ample  drainage. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Forming  Pergolas.  —  Climbing  Roses,  and 
especially  the  wichuraianas,  can  be  grown  in  a 
varietv  of  forms,  and  the  pergola  is  one  of  the 
most  pleasing  in  every  way.  Although  the  hard- 
woods produce  the  mo'st  natural  effects  for  pergola 


construction,  yet,  with  the  exception  of  the  Oak, 
they  arc  not  verv  durable,  and  if  I  had  a  choice 
I  would  use  Larch  or  Oak.  The  paved  pathway 
is  perhaps  as  good  as  any,  laid  irregularly.  Above 
all,  a  sufficient  root-run  of  good,  deeply-wrought 
soil  must  be  provided  for  the  Roses,  01  good  results 
need  not  be  looked  for. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
Chrysanthemums. — All  plants  as  they  go  out 

of  blocmr  should  be  cut  over,  and  the  plants  placed 
in  as  light  a  position  as  possible  to  ensure  firm 
cuttings.  These  remarks,  of  course,  chiefly  refer 
to  the  singles  and  decoratives.  Some  of  the 
large-flowered  Japanese  varieties  are  very  shy  in 
producing  cuttings,  and  where  sufficient  stock  has 
not  been  received  of  any  of  these,  the  surface  soil 
should  be  carefully  pricked  over,  and  the  plants 
receive  a  ti.ip-dressing  of  rich  soil  to  encourage 
the  production  of  cuttings. 

Potting    Liliimi    auratum.— After    the    bulbs 

come  to  hand,  no  time  should  be  lost  in  potting 
them  up.  For  single  bulbs,  pots  7  inches  or 
8  inches  in  diameter  (according  to  the  size  of  the 
bulb)  should  be  used.  Drain  the  pots  thoroughly, 
and  use  a  compost  of  turfy  loam  and  peat,  flaky 
leaf-mould,  dry  horse-manure  and  sharp,  clean 
sand,  all  in  about  equal  proportions.  Use  the 
whole  in  a  rather  rough  state,  pot  loosely,  and 
leave  ample  room  for  subsequent  top-dressing. 
Give  a  slight  watering  and  keep  rather  dry  till 
growth  commences.  Place  in  a  cool  pit  or  frame. 
Forcing  Plants. —  Batches  of  these  should  be 
introduced  to  the  forcing-house  from  time  to  time, 
placing  those  newly  introduced  in  the  cooler  end 
of  the  house.  Tulips  should  be  shaded  from  the 
light  till  the  flower-stems  are  a  good  length,  other- 
wise they  will  be  short  and  dumpy.  Do  not 
allow  the  night  temperature  to  rise  much  above 
60".  Damp  the  hmisc  about  midday  with  a  fine 
spray. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Early  Strawberries. — Where  ripe  fruits  are 
wanted  by  the  middle  of  March,  a  small  batch 
may  now  be  introduced  to  the  forcing-house. 
The  plants  should  be  taken  to  the  polting- 
bench  and  all  decayed  foliage  be  removed.  The 
drainage  ought  then  to  be  seen  to,  and  where  the 
surface  soil  looks  sour  the  plant  should  be 
turned  out,  the  drainage  rectified  and  the  plant 
carefully  returned  to  its  pot.  The  surface  soil 
of  the  whole  batch,  must  then  be  pricked  with  a 
stick,  after  which  the  plants  ought  to  receive  a 
surface-dressing  with  horse-manure,  which  should 
be  watered  in.  Place  the  plants  in  the  forcing- 
house  and  maintain  a  minimum  temperature  of 
from  45°  to  50°,  with  a  rise  of  from  5°  to  10°  during 
the  day. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 
Supporting    Bush    Fruits. — On    heavy,    rich 

soils,  and  especially  in  the  vicinity  of  trees,  certain 
varieties  of  Gooseberries  and  Currants  are  apt 
to  lurch  over.  Any  such  should  have  attention  as 
soon  as  the  bushes  have  been  pruned  and  the  weather 
permits.  Prepare  a  sufficient  number  of  forked 
branches  of  moderate  thickness  ;  then  ease  the 
soil  at  the  neck  of  the  bush  with  a  digging  fork, 
replace  the  bush  in  a  perpendicular  position,  and 
on  the  side  to  which  the  bush  is  inclined  insert 
the  single  end  of  the  support  in  the  ground  at  a 
slight  angle,  fit  the  fork  under  the  most  con- 
venient lower  branch,  and  firm  up  the  soil  round 
the  neck  again. 

Pruning    and    Training    Wall    Trees.— This 

work  should  be  pushed  through  as  speedily  as 
possible,  as  we  generally  get  our  severest  weather 
during  January  and  I'ebruary. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 
Rhubarb     and    Sealtale. — Batches    of    these 

should  be  introduced  to  heat  to  be  forced  from 
time  to  time. 

Foot-Scrapers.— There  should  be  a  plentiful 
supply  of  these  in  the  garden.  A  useful  home- 
made'scraper  can  be  produced  as  follows  :  Procure 
two  pieces  of  Redwood  3  inches  by  2  inches,  point 
and  tar  them,  drive  them  fully  halfway  into  the 
ground  at  about  a  foot  apart,  make  an  incision 
about  one  and  a-half  inches  deep  on  the  top  of . 
both  simultaneously  with  a  saw,  then  force  a 
liglit  bar  of  iron  ciit  to  the  required  length  into 
each  incision,  and  the  foot-scraper  is  finished. 

Charles  Comfort. 
Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


December  13,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


627 


GARDENING    ACROSTICS. 


A    s  .luiiouiiced  in  our  issue  for  November  2.;, 

f\  we    are     publishing    eight     gardening 

/    %  aorostics,  to  be  divided  into  two  sets  of 

/        %        t<uir  each.    Each  light  correctly  guessed 

*  ^      will  count  one,  and  also  each  "  first  " 

and    each    "  last."     Thus,    supposing 

I  111'    wliiilr    IS    China    (firsts),    .Aster    (lasts),    the 

lull    marks    will    be    seven — one    for    China,    one 

lor    .Aster,    and    one    for    each    of    the    five    lights 

I    C  .  .   .  .-\.     H  .  .   .  S,    1   .  .  .  T,    N  .  .  .  E    and 

.\  .   .   .   R.     Hence,     suppose     a     competitor     got 

everything  right  but  the  light  I  ...  T,  he  would 

count  six,  and  it  would  not  matter  if  he  attempted 

to  solve  that  particular  light  or  not. 

Those  entering    for    the    arrostirs    must  observe 
I  lie    rules    published    nii    pai^e    607  of   last    week's 


DOUBLE     ACROSTIC     No.    2. 

l-'irsts — Two  fruits  are  more  than  brothers.  I 
am  the  "  Esau." 

Lasts — A  succulent  apocarpous  fruit — sometimes 
red  and  sometimes  yellow — e.g..  Yellow  .Antwerp 
and  Red  .Antwerp. 

1.  .A  small  genus  of  aquatic  herbaceous  plants 

with  yellow  flowers,  natives  of  the  northern 
temperate  hemisphere. 

2.  A  once-popular  genus  of  hard-wooded  South 

.African  evergreen  shrubs. 

3.  One  of  the  heaviest,  oldest  and  best  flavoured 

of  the  white  "  berries  "  of  show-land. 
\.  "  Avec   les  curieux  elle  passe  pour  I'lmp^ra- 
trice  des  fleurs  et  la  plus  belle  production 
de  la  Nature." 

5.  A  race  who  stamped  out  the  Vine,  but  intro- 

dnred  the  Lemon  and  the  Orange. 

6.  .Although   I  had  fed  millions  for  generations, 

I  was  not  a  "  world  product  "   until  after 
my  introduction  to  the  New  World. 

7.  Ill    an  epigynous  flower,  what  is  the  position 

of  the  ovary  ? 

8.  Pearls  in  an  imperial  crown. 

y.   What  is  obtained  from  Diospyros  ebenum  ? 

Solutions  of  the  above  must  be  sent  so  as  to  reach 
the  Editor  at  zo,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden, 
London,  W.C,  not  later  than  the  first  post  on  Saturday, 
December  20.  Mark  the  envelope  "Acrostic  "  in 
the  top  left-hand  corner. 


THE     EDITOR'S    TABLE. 


Hardy  Flowers  from  South-West  Scotland.— 

Mr.  R.  I'lndlay,  Logan,  Stranraer,  sends  a  box 
of  shrubby  Veronicas  and  a  hardy  Eupatorium 
which  are  now  flowering  well  in  many  gardens. 
The  flowering  spikes,  remarkable  for  their  fresh- 
ness, were  sent  on  November  28  with  the  following 
note  :  "  I  have  the  pleasure  of  sending  you  by 
post  a  few  sprays  of  Veronica  and  also  of  Eupatorium 
wienmannianum.  They  were  all  cut  from  the 
open  garden  to-day.  The  plants  of  Veronicas 
are  quite  a  sight  at  present.  Gauntlettii  and 
meldrumensis  are  the  freest  to  flower  here  in 
autumn.  1  am  sorry  there  is  no  flower  on  Veronica 
macrocarpa,  which  is  one  of  the  very  best.  These 
late-flowering  shrubs  are  so  useful  in  this  mild 
district  in  grey  November.  Eupatorium  wienmanni- 
,inum  has  done  verv  well  this  vear." 


THE     FRUIT    GARDEN. 


AN    IDKAL  ORCHARD    FOR   A   SMALL 
COTTAC;].-     HOLDING. 

Manuring  the  Soil  for  Young  Trees  Before 
Planting. — .A  word  as  to  the  economy  or  other- 
wise of  this  custom.  The  o^iject  the  planter  should 
set  out  before  him  is  the  production  of  that  sort 
of  shoot  growth  on  his  trees  which  will  secure  to 
him  the  best  and  heaviest  crops  of  fruit.  The 
question  will  naturally  be  asked,  "  What  sort  of 
growth  is  this  important  growth  in  which  we  are 
in  quest  of  ? "  I  answer  that  it  is  that  growth 
of  moderate  strength,  neither  too  strong  nor  too 
weak.  Such  a  growth  as  this  is  matured  and 
hardened  fairly  early  in  the  season,  affording 
ample  time  in  late  summer  and  autumn  for  the 
plumping  up  and  ripening  of  fruit-spurs  and 
flower-buds  ;  whereas,  if  the  growth  is  overstrong, 
the  chances  arc  that  in  our  short  summers  it  will 
often  be  found  difficult,  and  sometimes  imp<issible, 
to  properly  ripen  such  wood,  with  the  usual  result 
of  barren  trees  and  branch  growth  stronger  than 
ever,  needing  recourse  in  a  few  years'  time  to 
root-pruning  before  such  trees  can  be  brought 
to  a  fertile  condition.  On  the  other  hand,  too 
weak  a  growth  is  a  loss  on  all  sides,  and  leads  only 
to  failure.  Therefore,  as  I  pointed  out  before, 
the  safe  course  to  follow  is  to  forbear  to  manure 
on  good,  deep  loams,  and  to  manure  moderately 
on  lighter  and  poorer  land. 

Distances  Apart  at  which  Trees  Should  be 
Planted. — The  trees  which  pay  best  to  grow 
(not  speaking  of  bush  trees)  are  Apples  and  Plums, 
and  the  best  way  to  plant  these  is  to  put  them 
alternately  in  the  row,  for  the  reason  that  Apple 
trees  live  longer,  make  larger  trees  and  remain 
longer  in  profit  than  do  Plum  trees.  The  Plum 
trees,  when  signs  of  failure  or  decay  set  in,  can 
be  grubbed  up  and  the  extra  space  given  to  the 
•Apple  trees,  of  which  by  then  they  wUI  have  need. 
I  advise  that  the  .Apple  trees  (standards)  be  planted 
20  feet  apart  in  the  row  ;  this  will  take  fifty-four 
trees  to  the  half-.acre.  Of  Plum  trees,  which  should 
be  planted  between  the  Apple  trees  in  the  rows, 
there  will  also  be  fifty-four  trees,  making  in  all 
ro8  standard  trees  for  the  orchard.  The  distance 
between  the  rows  of  .Apple  and  Plum  trees  should 
also  be  20  feet.  This  space  for  many  years  over 
the  greater  part  of  the  orchard  may  be  profitably 
planted  with  bush  fruit  trees.  Of  these  I  will 
speak  later. 

Planting   the  Standard  Trees. — The  holes  or 

spaces  for  planting  being  ni.iw  ready  to  receive 
the  trees,  let  us  consider  for  a  moment  the  points 
to  look  for  in  a  healthy,  promising  young  tree. 
It  will  be  time  well  spent  and  space  economically 
used,  as  unless  your  trees  are  of  the  best  at  the 
start,  it  is  hopeless  to  expect  success  in  after  years. 
In  the  first  place,  I  would  say,  purchase  your 
trees  of  a  responsible  firm  of  fruit  tree  growers 
with  a  reputation  to  maintain.  On  no  account 
have  anything  to  do  with  cast-away  trees  sold 
at  auction  sales.  Usually  they  would  prove 
too  dear  at  a  gift.  Go  and  select  the  trees  yourself 
if  -  ou  can  and  are  competent  to  choose  the  best  ; 
if  you  are  not,  take  a  friend  with  you  who  is. 
Choose  a  standard  tree  with  a  straight,  young 
stem  with  a  clean,  shiny  and  a  healthy-looking 
bark.  A  tree  with  bark  which  appears  dry  and 
cracking  in  many  places,  with  twists  and  big  knots 
on  its  stem,  you  must  fight  shy  of.  Three  year 
old  trees  from  the  time  of  grafting  or  budding 
are   the   best   to   plant.  "  By  then   they  will   have 


fair-sized  heads  already  formed,  and  a  foundation 
laid  for  a  permanent  system  of  branches  by  those 
who  are  skilled  in  the  work. 

Planting  the  Trees. — Let  the  soil  already  in 
the  holf's  In'  forked  over  a  few  inches  deep  ;  then 
prepare  a  bed  to  lay  the  tree  in.  This  is  done  bv 
forking  out  a  hole  in  the  middle  slightlv  larger 
than  the  roots  of  the  tree  when  slightly  shortened 
will  occupy.  This  should  be  about  ten  inches 
deep  and  slightly  concave  in  form,  the  object  in 
view  being  that  the  ends  of  the  roots  should  have 
a  tendency  to  grow  upwards  rather  than  down- 
wards, surface  roots  being  of  so  much  more  import- 
ance in  fruit  production  than  are  roots  pointing 
down  towards  the  subsoil.  See  that  the  bottom 
of  the  hole  is  firmly  trodden  down  to  receive  the 
tree,  choosing  a  dry,  fine  day  for  planting.  Do 
not  plant  in  wet  weather.  The  next  thing  to  do 
is  to  take  the  tree  in  the  left  hand,  and  with  a  sharp 
knife  shorten  its  roots — the  stronger  ones,  if 
they  are  above  a  foot  in  length,  to  shorten  to  this 
length,  and  the  smaller  and  finer  roots  to  have 
their  tip  ends  only  shortened,  any  broken  or 
damaged  roots  to  be  cut  back  below  the  damaged 
parts.  There  is  a  right  and  a  wrong  way  of  cutting 
these  roots.  The  right  way  is  to  cut  them  so  that 
the  cut  side  will  face  upwards,  not  downwards. 
The  young  roots  formed  next  summer  from  the  cut 
part  facing  upwards  will  have  a  tendency  to  grow 
upwards,  and  those  formed  on  the  part  facing 
downwards  would  have  a  tendency  to  grow  down- 
Wards,  with  detrimental  results,  as  pointed  out 
above.  Press  the  tree  gently  into  the  centre  of 
the  hole,  and  then  carefully  cover  in  the  roots  with 
the  finest  of  the  soil  in  the  first  place,  filling  all 
open  crevices  with  the  hand.  Arrange  for  the 
larger  and  lumpy  pieces  to  be  placed  round  the 
sides.  The  new  roots  made  in  the  spring  and 
summer  will  soon  find  them  out,  and  greatly  benefit 
as  a  result.  When  the  hole  is  filled,  tread  the 
soil  firmly  down.  Its  surface  should  be  an  inch 
lower  than  the  level  of  the  surrounding  land.  Too 
deep  planting  must  be  avoided,  and  the  best  way 
of  doing  so  is  to  plant  the  trees  the  same  depth 
as  they  were  previously  planted  in  the  nursery. 
This  is  always  plainly  indicated  on  the  bark  of 
the  tree  by  a  dark  ring  at  a  point  which  was 
previously  level  with  the  surface  soil ;  but,  as  a 
rule,  ro  inches  deep  is  the  correct  depth  to  plant. 

Mulching  the  Trees. — A  mulch,  3  inches  deep, 
of  well-rotted  manure  should  be  placed  on  the 
surface  of  the  soil  round  each  tree  as  far  as  its 
roots  are  supposed  to  extend.  The  essence  of 
this  manure  will  be  washed  to  the  roots  by  winter 
rains,  enriching  the  surface  soil  and  encoura.'jing 
the  formation  of  many  indispensable  surface  roots. 
This  mulch  should  be  slightly  added  to  in  April. 
It  will  be  invaluable  in  reducing  evaporation 
from  the  soil,  in  keeping  the  soil  moist,  and  in 
feeding  the  surface  roots  during  summer. 

Staking  the  Trees. — Strong  stakes  that  will 
keep  the  trees  well  in  position,  and  that  will 
last  for  at  least  three  or  four  years,  should  be 
used.  They  should  be  as  long  as  the  stems  of  the 
trees  and  be  secured  to  the  trees  by  three  ties,  one 
within  2  feet  of  the  bottom,  one  in  the  middle,  and 
one  within  3  inches  of  the  top.  There  is  nothing 
better  with  which  to  tie  the  trees  than  moderately 
thin  tarred  twine.  The  twine  should  be  first 
coiled  round  the  stake  before  it  is  placed  round 
the  stem.  This  will  secure  the  tie  in  position, 
preventing  it  from  slipping  either  up  or  down. 
A  thin  strip  of  cloth  an  inch  wide  should 
be  coiled  round  the  stem  of  the  tree  where  the 
ties   arc   to   protect   the   bark   against  injury  from 


628 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  13,  191.;. 


tying.  During  the  following  summer  these  tics 
should  be  examined  to  see  they  are  not  too  tight, 
as  the  stems  of  healthy  young  trees  swell  rapidly. 
The  foregoing  treatment  applies  to  both  Apple  and 
Plum  trees.  Owen  Thomas,  V.M.H. 

(To   be-  contiuncil.) 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 

RULES  FOR  CORRESPONDENTS, 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAc  EiMor  intends  to 
make  'L'he  G.\iii>en  IwJpiiif  to  nil  readers  who  desire  a^sisl- 
tlnce,  iw  Matter  uhut  the  brunch  of  gardmimj  may  he.  and 
with  that  object  will  make  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  AH  communications  should  be 
c.learlij  and  covciseltj  written  on  one  side  of  the  paper  onli/, 
and  addressed  to  the  EDITOU  of  THF.  G.VRUKN,  2n,  Tavistock 
Street.  Cot'cnt  Garden.  London.  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  nni/  ilesifmation  he 
may  desire  to  he  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
querii  is  sent,  each  should  lie  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naminrj  should  be  clearlii  numbered  and  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  ftowering 
shoots,  where  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  thai  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Publisher. 


THE     GREENHOUSE. 

SALVIA  NEMOROSA  VIRGATA  (£.  B  ).  Th.'  plant 
would  bi'  quite  safe  in  the  licrbacfDUs  border,  though 
its  sriatiT  beauty  \vo\ild.  wi-  think,  be  best  revealed  by 
planting  it  in  a  group  or  bed  apart. 

NAMES  OF  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  (L.  ,1.  7/.).— \Vc 
are  iilile  til  luuiie  several  of  tlie  varieties  you  have  sent 
us  ;  those  we  have  not  rtanied  are  niueh  out  of  character. 
No!  1.  White  y\iintus  ;  No.  2,  Bronze  Soleil  d'Octobre  ; 
Nos.  3  and  6,  not  known  ;  No.  4,  Commandant  Blusset  ; 
No  h  O.  J.  Quintus  ;  No.  7,  sport  from  La  Triomphante  ; 
No.  8,  La  Triomphante  ;  No.  9,  Yellow  Triomphante  (sport 
from  La  Triomphante)  ;  No.  in.  not  known,  very  poor 
quality.  It  is  very  difficult  to  name  Chrysanthemums 
unless  they  have  foliage  as  well  as  bloom  on  the  spray 
sent  us. 

PRIMULA  OBCONICA  FAILING  (Ecton).^.K  difficult 
question  til  answer,  jjartieularly  as  you  do  not  mention 
whether  any  otlier  plants  are  as.sociated  with  the  Primulas, 
and  if  so,  whether  they  are  similarly  affected.  A  tempera- 
ture of  about  60° — that  is,  if  the  thermometer  goes  beyond 
it  at  times — seems  rather  too  warm.  We  should  also 
consider  that  once  a  fortnight  is  quite  sufficient  to  feed 
the  jilants.  Is  there  any  means  of  sulphur  fumes  getting 
into  the  structure  in  which  are  the  plants  ?  We  do  not 
think  the  presence  of  iron  in  the  soil  would  affect  the 
Howers  of  your  Primulas,  for,  as  you  say,  the  plants  them- 
selves arc  in  good  condition. 

A  SUPPOSED  YELLOW  CHRYSANTHEMUM  SPORT 
(TF.  F.  II. i- — We  liaM'  carefully  looked  into  the  colour 
and  character  of  the  flower  which  you  have  been  good 
enough  to  send  us.  Although  you  say  it  is  a  sport 
from  Miss  Maud  Jetferies,  we  are  disposed  to  think  it  is 
identical  with  F.  S.  Vallis  respectively  in  colour,  foliage 
and  form,  and  we  would  advise  you  to  make  a  comparison 
with  blooms,  &c.,  of  that  variety  if  you  grow  it.  Y'ou 
should  give  the  plants  good  crrltivation  next  season,  and 
send  the  resnltiui;  Honins  to  the  floral  committee  of  the 
National  Chrvsaiitlieiinini  Society,  who  will  quickly 
determine  its  wortli  and  ilistinctiveness. 

FAIRY-RING  SPOT  ON  CARNATIONS  (.1.  C.).— This 
is  caused  on  Carnations  liy  a  cold,  damp  atmosphere, 
hence  the  autumn  of  the  year  is  more  favourable  to  its 
development,  and  plants  growir  in  a  low  situation  are 
more  readily  affected  than  those  grown  in  an  elevated 
one.  Britannia  is,  perhaps,  more  subject  to  this  disease 
than  any  other  variety,  and  all  varieties  such  as  Lady 
Alington  which  have  Britannia  blood  in  them  have 
the  same  fault.  Fairy-ring  spot  cannot  flourish  in  a 
greenhouse  where  the  atninsphere  is  dry  and  buoyant. 
it  is  most  essential  to  n movr  the  affected  leaves,  as  the 
disease  spreads  so  rapidly,  but  if  the  plants  are  dusted 
with  a  mixture  of  half  flowers  of  sulphur  and  half  air- 
slaked  lime  its  development  is  checked,  and  \inder  the 
right  atmospheric  conditions  it  will  be  exterminated. 
In  bright  weather  the  disease  can  be  destroyed  by  syringing 
the  plants  witli  a  mixture  of  suli>hiiie  of  imtassium  and 
soft  soai),  but  rain-water  must  bi^  used. 

KITCHEN     GARDEN. 

SPINACH  AND  SLUGS  (M.  H.).— We  .supposi-  there  is 
no  doubt  your  Spinach  has  been  destroyed  by  slugs  ; 
millipedes  are  often  very  troublesome  with  that  crop. 
The  liming  fusing  powdered  quicklime)  will  do  more  than 
anyt fling  else  tu  destroy  tiie  slugs,  and  dusting  with  lime,  or 
even  with  ashes,  will  render  the  plants  obnoxious  to  them. 
It  would  he  well  to  try  watering  the  plants  affected  (and 
the  soil  about  them)  with  permanganate  of  potash,  loz. 
to  one  gallon  of  water. 


INJURY  TO  CELERY  AND  PARSNIPS  (.Rosebud).- 
I'ake  care  that  al!  the  Celery  and  Parsiup  refuse  is  burnt, 
not  allowed  to  remain  on  the  soil.  Treat  the  soil  w'ith 
kainit  when  digging  and  bury  the  top  deeply.  Plant 
the  Celery  lui  another  site  as  far  away  from  this  as  possible 
next  year,  and  make  sure  the  young  plants  are  kept  clean 
by  spraying  them  with  paraffin  enuilsion  at  intervals 
ihiring  their  growtli.  We  do  not  think  there  is  anything 
very  greativ  aiui-^s  with  the  Calceolarias,  and  what  is  wrong 
is  mostly  diie  til  slightly  uncongenial  surroundings.  Avoid 
drauglit's  and  take  great  care  over  the  watering.  Iveep 
a  sharp  look-out  for  aphis  attack,  and  fumigate  on  its  first 
appearance. 

SPANISH  CARDOON  (t.  H.).— This  plant  is  known 
iLiiiler  the  seirntilie  name  of  Cynara  Cardunenlus,  and  is 
closely  allied  to  flir  (Jlobe  .\rtichoke.  There  is  no  speciat 
date  by  which  the  plant  ought  to  be  ready  for  use,  and  it 
is  usual  in  places  where  it  is  grown  largely  as  a  vegetable 
for  the  crop  to  be  so  arranged  that  the  plants  will  mature 
at  intervals  of  a  few  weeks  from  early  October  onwards. 
.KX  the  approach  of  frost,  the  plants  are  taken  up  and 
stored  in  a  frost-proof  shed  or  cellar.  The  earliest  crop 
is  usually  from  seed  sown  indoors  in  February  or  March, 
the  (ilants  being  jtlaeed  in  the  open  in  May.  Later  crops 
may  lie  raised  friim  seed  sown  out  of  doors  in  .May.  The 
finishing  of  the  crop  may  be  determined  to  some  extent 
by  the  time  of  earthing  up.  .\s  a  rule,  about  three  weeks 
arc  allowed  between  earthing  up  and  digging.  This  is 
considered  qnite  long  enough  for  blanching  purimses. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

FUNGUS  TO  NAME  iR>irkriii„r,l).  tlie  fungns  you 
send  is  Otidea  aurautia.  often  eallnl  I'eziza  aurantia. 
If  is  Mot  rare. 

INJURY  TO  AN  ANTIRRHINUM  ( Z'.  B.).  ihe 
Antirrhinum  is  aiqiarently  attaeked  by  a  fungus,  but  tlie 
plants  arrived  in  sueli  a  drii'dup  enndition  that  we  could 
make  out  nothing  satisfactorily.  Will  you  send  ns  a 
few  more  packed  in  a  tin  box,  in  order  that  we  may  make 
a  careful  examination  of  them  ?  We  shall  then  probably 
be  able  to  suggest  a  remedy. 

HORSESHOE  FERN  (Mrs.  J.  B.  i.).— We  regret  that 
wr  are  iinaequainfed  with  a  Kern  known  as  Horseshoe 
Fern,  but  if  you  could  send  us  a  leaf  we  should  have 
great  pleasure  in  identifying  it.  and  could  then  advise 
vou  as  to  the  cultural  details.  In  the  meantime,  as  it 
is  a  native  of  New  Zealand,  there  is  little  doubt  but  that 
it  will  thri\e  under  the  conditions  you  describe  as  having 
been  found  suitable  for  othi'r  Ferns. 

MANURE  FOR  LAWN  (i.  .1.).— Your  lawns  may  be 
given  a  good  dressing  of  well-decayed  horse-manure 
with  a  dressing  of  basic  slag,  the  latter  being  used  at  the 
rate  of  4oz.  to  the  square  yard,  .A  further  dressing  of 
hone-meal  may  be  given  in  spring,  using  it  at  the  rate  of 
4oz.  to  the  square  yard.  Lawn  sand  sown  over  the  grass 
in  spring  will  probably  destroy  many  of  the  weeds,  but 
more  good  will  be  done  by  the  manure  encouraging  the 
grass  to  outgrow  the  weeds.  Some  of  the  coarser  weeds, 
such  as  the  Plantains,  might  be  uprooted  now  before  the 
manure  is  aiqiliid, 

CELERY  INFESTED  {J.  .7.).— The  old  saying  that  a 
.stitch  in  time  saves  nine  was  never  more  true  than  in  the 
case  of  the  maggot  of  the  Celery  fly,  for  it  is  scarcely 
possible  to  get  rid  of  it  after  it  has  lodged  itself  between 
the  two  surfaces  of  the  leaf,  as  it  does  at  this  stage.  The 
best  way  to  make  the  best  of  a  bad  job  is  to  clear  away 
all  the  worst  of  the  outside  bottom  leaves,  afterwards 
dredge  the  plants  with  soot  (not  in  large  quantity  I.  and  flu  n 
to  earth  up.  To  prevent  an  attack,  dust  the  plants  sfiglitly 
over  every  ten  (lavs  during  the  whole  of  tlie  umnth  of 
June,  while  the  Celery  fly  is" about.  This  will  prevint  the 
fly  lodging  in  the  leaves  to  deposit  its  eggs,  and  save  your 
plants  from  injury  later. 

VARIOUS  QUESTIONS  {F.  W.  H.).— We  do  not  recognise 
the  pests  to  which  vou  refer,  but  would  advise  you  to 
remove  the  plants  from  the  frame  and  thickly  sprinkle 
the  bottom  with  flue  unslaked  lime.  The  sides  of  the 
frame  may  be  given  a  coating  of  whitewash  made  of 
unslaked  lime,  and  applied  while  still  hot.  This  should 
serve  to  eradicate  the  pests.  At  the  same  time,  an  occa- 
sional investigation  by  the  light  of  a  lantern  when  dark 
may  reveal  other  enemies  than  those  which  you  have 
noticed.  The  Daffodils  should  certainly  be  at  once  taken 
inside.  If  the  leaves  have  appeared  through  6  inches  of 
soil,  they  an'  almost  sure  to  be  so  weak  at  the  base  that 
snnie  support  will  be  needed. 

WEEDS  ON  LAWN  (E.  G.  P.  H.).--Therc  is  nothing 
about  the  specimens  of  turf  sent  for  examination  to  account 
for  the  grass  turning  yellow  in  the  way  you  mention. 
The  weed  described  as  a  coarse-looking  grass  is  Luzula 
campcstris,  a  dwarf  member  of  the  Rush  family,  which 
is  common  in  grassland  throughout  the  United  Kingdom. 
The  other  weed  is  a  species  of  Polvgonum.  The  latter 
Hicil  should  be  pulled  up.  but  little  good  can  be  done 
bv  pulling  up  the  Luzula  if  it  is  generally  distributed 
tbriuighout  the  lawn.  Although  the  soil  looks  good, 
tlie  grass  evidently  requires  some  extra  food  material, 
and  you  would  be  well  advised  to  apply  bone-meal  at  the 
rate  of  6cwt.  to  the  acre,  with  a  dressing  of  well-decayed 
farmyard  manure.      Ihe  manures  may  be  applied  now. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.— Jftss  B.  Vumminijs.~l,  Picris 
llorilmnda  ;    2,  Dianthus  Caryophyllus  (garden  seedling) ; 

3.    Campanula   portenschiagiana. A.   R.  H — 1,  Mme. 

Jules  Grolez ;  2,  Souvenir  de  la  Malmaison. 

NAMES  OF  FRUIT.- If.  ./.—I,  Lord  Suffield ;  2, 
King    of    the    Pippins ;    3,    Golden  Noble ;  4.    Sugar-loaf 

Pippin. ./.    .K.— The   fruit   arrived  all    in   pulp,   and 

impossible  to  name 


SOCIETIES. 


BIRMINGHAM     AND     MIDLAND     DISTRICT 
GARDENERS'      ASSOCIATION. 

Tm;  Kiu'cvTioN  of  .v  (i  \ki)i:nku. 
"At  (iiii's  I  tV'iM  that  1  am  skatin ;  on  vrry  thin  it-i'." 
was  tlic  introductory  remark  of  Mr.  J.  Udalo,  Instructor 
in  Horticulture  to  the  Worccstershirt*  Education  C'om- 
ni  ttcc.  when  commencini?  his  lecture  to  the  mcmber- 
of  the  above  society  on  the  1st  inst.  "  The  Gardener  : 
H's  Education  and  Traininji,"  he  said,  although  by  no 
means  a  new  subject,  was,  nevertheless,  one  which  required 
much  serious  thouiiht.  (lardeners  as  a  body  did  not 
occupy  the  status  that  they  should;  therefore  they  were 
not  paid  as  they  should  be.  In  fact,  they  were  liable 
to  be  despised,  for  their  momentary  positions  were  not 
as  favourable  a*  those  of  many  other  professions.  This 
certainly  was  due  to  the  prevalence  of  many  types  of 
gardeners,  whose  limited  knowledge  so  curtailed  their 
work  that  it  forced  thi-ni  to  accept  situations  at  21s.  to 
25s.  per  week.  Thin,  too,  the  danger  of  the  lady  jiardeuer 
also  rendered  their  ]»isition  precarious  if  thi-y  did  not 
possess  an  adequate  rdncation ;  for  those  competitors 
of  the  fairer  sex  nut  nu\y  receive  a  ^ood  education,  but 
tliey  have  a  likiim  for  this  work,  and  also  possess  thi- 
charm  of  stilliu;^  thr  acidity  of  the  mistress  with  a  little 
swei'tness  unknown  to  most  irardeners  unless  they  culti- 
vated lioiid  appearance  and  address.  As  a  jjroundwork 
the  youuir  liardener  should  acqxure  good  grammar,  accurate 
arlthmi'tie  autl  legible  writinir.  and.  if  he  wished  to  prove 
hini'-ill  'theieut  in  his  calling,  u  knowledge  of  chemistry, 
botany,  grography,  mensuration,  drawing,  entomology, 
and  even  a  slight  acquaintance  with  Latin  were  all  neces- 
sary. An  absoluti-  essential  to  real  success  was  in 
personality,  in  having  acvite  observation,  quick  to  denote 
colour,  form  and  proportion,  an  easy  adaptability  to 
environments,  and  an  administrative  capacity  in  which 
loyalty,  honesty,  faithfiihn'ss,  earnestness  and  truth- 
fulness were  combined.  A  suitable  age  for  the  young 
gardener  to  commence  upon  his  life's  work  was  from 
fifteen  years  upwards,  and  during  the  next  succeeding 
years  he  should  attain  proficiency  by  careful  continuation 
of  his  former  scholastic  studies  by  taking  up  advanced 
classes  in  all  the  important  subjects  which  come  within 
his  sphere  of  requisites.  He  should  bo  prepared  to  do 
all  grades  of  work  willingly,  from  weeding  to  stoking  : 
he  shoulrl  be  methodical,  observant  and  clean  ;  he  should 
learn  the  propagation  of  plants  as  well  as  the  growth 
of  flowers  ;  he  should  also  inchide  a  good  knowledge  of 
landscape  gardening  work.  Above  all,  he  would  be  welt 
advised  to  keep  a  diary  of  his  daily  work  and  observations 
from  the  very  outset:  thus,  he  would  be  able  in  after 
years  to  refer  back  to  much  useful  information  gained 
by  his  own  experience.  All  this,  said  the  lecturer,  meant 
long  hours  of  close  study  and  hard  work  ;  but  to  the 
industrious,  diligent  follower  of  this  advice  there  was 
the  reward  in  after  years.  Loud  applause  was  accorded 
to  Mr.  Udale  upon  his  resumption  of  his  chair,  and  the 
many  remarks,  together  with  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks, 
gave  evidence  of  the  satisfaction  of  his  audience  at  the 
lecture. 


fHE    ANGLO-AMERICAN     EXPOSITION,    1914. 

HOUTICUI.TURE.   AKUnKiriTijTVRE   ANIi    PoUKSTUV   SECTION 

The  Anglo-American  Exposition  which  will  be  held  at 
Shepherd's  Bush  next  year  has  for  its  object  the  cele- 
bration in  a  fitting  manner  of  the  hundred  years  of  peace 
and  progros  brtwi-m  the  Knglish-speaking  peoples  since 
the  rrr;ity  of  (ihent  in  ],sl4.  As  becomes  an  exhibition 
illustrative  in  the  fulli'st  possible  sense  of  the  activities 
of  two  great  nations  tanious  for  the  prominent  part  they 
have  taken  hi  the  advaneimcnt  of  tlie  gardening  art 
in  its  varied  aspects,  demimst  rat  ions  of  both  American 
and  British  horticuJture  are  being  organised  on  as  com- 
prehensive a  scale  as  possible.  This  section  of  the 
Exposition  is  being  organised  by  the  Committee  of  Horti- 
culture, Arboriculture  and  Forestry,  which  ineliides 
among  its  sixty  members  the  foremost  horticulturists, 
arboriculturists  and  forestry  experts  of  the  present  time, 
who  have  also  had  much  experience  in  the  organisation 
of  exhibitions  of  the  highest  class.  The  committee  lias 
already  made  considerable  progress,  and  has  formuiated 
a  scheme  which  there  is  good  reason  for  believing  will 
ensure  a  representation  of  horticulture,  arboriculture 
and  forestry  worthy  of  the  two  great  nations  interested. 
Adequate  provisions  have  been  made  for  the  display 
of  rock  and  water  gardening  of  the  most  varied  character, 
which  has  of  late  years  attained  to  so  high  a  state  of 
development,  more" especially  in  this  country.  A  largo 
area  on  the  western  side  of  the  grounds  will  be  placed 
at  the  disposal  of  those  who  are  specially  interested  in 
this  fascinating  branch  of  the  gardening  art.  Hardy 
hi'rbaeeoiis  ])lants  will  not  be  less  liberally  provided  for, 
as  evideiieid  by  the  spacious  Court  of  Progress  having 
been  aliivtted  to  tliem,  to  English  formal  gardens  and 
KhinbHlrndroiis,  and  here  the  firms  who  devote  .special 
attention  t(.  these  im|>oitant  classes  of  plants  will  show 
their  taste  in  arrantzenient  and  skill  in  cultivation. 

Roses,  in  view  of  their  iinportanee  and  popularity, 
will  have  much  space  devoted  to  them,  and  under  the 
scheme  th--  Kliti-  (iardens  will  be  almost  wholly  occupied 
by  these  fraL'rant.  attractive  flowers.  Ornamental  trees 
and  shrubs,  which  have  had  so  utany  valuable  additions 
made  to  them  as  thi'  ir>u\\  of  tin-  explorations  in  M'estern 
China  witliin  recent  vears,  sliould  also  constitute  a  great 
feature  of  much  interest  and  usefulness,  indeed,  arrange- 
ments are  being  made  for  the  representation  of  many 
other  classes  of  plants  that  can  be  successfully  grown  in 
the  open  during  the  summer  months. 


.^^fey-- 


GARDEN. 


•ms=^' 


No.  2196.— Vol.  LXXVII. 


CONTENTS. 


December  20,  1913. 


Notes  of  the  Week    629 

Correspondence 
s^Rose  Mrs.  Cornwallis- 

West 630 

Silver-lpaf  disease  of 

frait  trees   . .      . .     630 
Plants  HowerinK  out 
of  doors  at  Good- 
wood         630 

P  R  n  N  1  N  0-KNIFE     v. 

SEOITECRS      .  .       .  .      831 

Forthcoming  events . .     631 
"  The    Garden  "   in 
1914        631 

Rose  Garden 
Rose  notes  from  the 

Riviera        ..      ..     631 
In  a  Hampshire  gar- 
den        632 

Trees  and  Shritbs 

Twisted  trees..      ..     633 

CoiocRED  Plate 
Rose  Mme.  Edouard 
Herriot       ..     ..     633 
Rock  and  Water  Garden 
The      desisning    of 
rock  gardens      . .     634 


Flower  Garden 
Sweet  Pea  notes    . .     635 
Reliable    Lilies    for 
garden    cultiva- 
tion       635 

Greenhouse 
The  winter-flowering 
Begonias     ..      ..     636 

Gardening  for  Beginners 
How   to    propagate 

Chrysanthemums  637 
Hints  on   manuring 

soils 637 

Hints      on     storing 

Dahlias       ..      ..     637 

Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens    ..      .„      ..     638 
For    Northern    gar- 
dens      638 

Gardening  Acrosucs   639 

OBITtTART 

Jtartin  John  Sutton  639 
John  Pearson         . .  639 
ANSWERS   TO    Corre- 
spondents     . .     . .  639 

Societies 640 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Primula  obconica  growing  outdoors     630 

Horse    Chestnut    and    Sweet    Chestnut  twisted  in 

reverse  directions       632 

A  twisted  Oak  tree 633 

Rose  Mme.  Edouard  Herriot       Coloured  plate 

Spirals  on  Beech  tree 633 

A  weather-beaten  Hawthorn        633 

The  designing,   construction  and  planting  of  rock 

gardens 634,635 

Winter-flowering  Begonia  Optima        636 

How  to  propagate  Chrysanthemums 637 

The  late  Martin  John  Sutton       639 


EDITORIAL.    NOTICES. 

Every  department  of  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  tvelcomes  photographs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  hoivever,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stajnps 
are  enclosed,  he  will  endeavour  to  return  non-accepted 
contributions. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  imist  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  trill  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  THE  Garden  vnll  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE    WEEK. 


Royal  Trees  at  Chatsworth. — The  fine  collec- 
tion of  trees  at  Chatsworth  had  additional  interest 
added  to  it  on  Friday  of  last  week,  when  the  King 
and  Queen  each  planted  a  Cedar  of  Lebanon  in 
the  pleasure  grounds  adjacent  to  Chatsworth 
House.  -^  illustrated  description  of  the  fine 
gardens  there  appeared  in  our  issue  of  the  6th  inst. 

Protecting  Wallflowers. — In  cold  localities  it 
is  no  unusual  experience  to  lose  the  whole  stock  of 
Wallflowers  during  a  severe  spell  of  frost  unaccom- 
panied by  snow.  The  risk  of  this  will  be  greatly 
reduced  if  twigs  of  Spruce  or  Yew  are  placed  among 
the  plants  at  about  two  feet  apart.  This  tends  to 
break  the  current  of  cold  air,  which  is  the  chief 
factor  in  working  havoc  among  the  plants. 

Slugs  in  the  Rock  Garden. — M  this  time  of 
the  year  raurh  damage  is  done  to  plants  by  slugs, 
and  as  these  pests  lie  concealed  during  the  day 
beneath  the  foliage  of  some  of  the  denser  plants, 
the  soil  beneath  them  should  be  heavily  dressed 
with  dry  wood-ashes,  mixed  vrith  fresh  soot. 
Two  or  three  dressings  of  this  during  the  winter 
will  generally  be  sufficient  to  stop  their  ravages, 
and  will  afford  suitable  food  for  the  plants. 

Clothing  Tree  Stumps. — WTiere  for  any  reason 
a  tree  has  to  be  cut  out,  it  can  still  be  made  an 
object  of  beauty  if  it  is  cut  several  feet  above 
the  ground  and  then  covered  by  some  suitable 
plant.  Clematises  are  suitable  for  this  work, 
especially  C.  montana  and  C.  Vitalba  (Traveller's 
Joy).  Other  plants  suitable  for  this  purpose 
are  Polygonum  baldschuanicum,  the  common 
Dog  Rose,  Forsythia  suspensa  and  the  common 
Ivy.  It  will,  of  course,  be  necessary  to  dig  a 
good  pit  and  fill  it  with  rich  soil  in  order  to  give 
the  plant  a  fair  start. 

Forcing  Rhubarb. — Many  are  imder  the  im- 
pression that  to  get  Rhubarb  early  it  is  essential 
to  have  a  liigh  temperature.  This  is  quite  a  wrong 
idea,  for  anyone  who  has  a  cellar  or  similar  place, 
where  the  temperature  is  from  55°  to  60°,  can 
grow  this  welcome  subject  successfully.  If  the 
roots  are  placed  close  together,  soil  worked 
between  them  and  an  occasional  watering  given, 
they  will  do  we'l.  It  is  desirable  to  dig  up  the 
roots  some  time  before  they  are  required  for  forcing, 
and  leave  them  exposed  to  the  frost.  When 
treated  in  this  way  they  will  break  into  growth 
quicker  and  give  better  results  than  if  forced  as 
soon  as  dug  up. 

A  Giant  Dahlia. — When  Dahlia  imperialis 
was  first  introduced  from  Mexico  in  1863, 
much  interest  was  centred  around  it,  owing  to 
its  lofty  stature.  It  proved,  however,  to  flower 
at  such  a  late  period  of  the  year  that  it  was  useless 
out  of  doors,  and  a  very  large  structure  was  needed 
for  its  accommodation.  Such  being  the  case, 
in  time  it  almost  went  out  of  cultivation.  Still, 
given  a  house  sufficiently  lofty,  it  forms  a  striking 


and  uncommon  feature.  It  reaches  a  height  of 
fully  a  doren  feet,  the  lower  part  of  the  stem 
being  clothed  with  huge  compound  leaves,  the  upper 
portion  consisting  of  a  large  branching  panicle 
of  blossoms.  The  individual  flowers  are  bell- 
shaped  and  somewhat  drooping,  while  the  colour 
is  whitish,  marked  slightly  with  red  at  the  base. 

Fruit  Failing  to  Set. — The  Board  of  Agriculture 
and  Fisheries  are  engaged  in  an  enquiry,  through 
their  Horticulture  Branch,  into  the  failure  of  fruit 
trees  to  set  properly  through  insufficient  pollination, 
and  they  would  be  glad  to  be  put  in  communication 
with  the  occupier  of  any  orchard  of  five  acres  and 
upward  who  has  reason  to  believe  that  his  trees  are 
bearing  less  than  the  normal  crop  over  a  series  of 
years.  Fruit-growers  who  are  planting  new 
orchards  are  also  invited  to  communicate  with  the 
Board  at  4,  Whitehall  Place,  London,  S.W. 

Ornamental  Fruiting  Plants.— Now  that  the 
flowering  season  is  practically  over  outside,  thofe  ' 
plants  that  are  grown  for  their  ornamental  fruit 
are  appreciated,  and  help  to  brighten  the  garden 
at  what  would  be  otherwise  a  dreary  time.  There 
are  quite  a  number  to  select  from,  so  that  it 
is  an  easy  matter  to  get  variety  for  large  or 
small  gardens.  Aucubas,  several  Berberises,  a 
number  of  Cotoneasters  and  Crataegus,  Gaul- 
therias.  Sea  Buckthorn,  Leycesteria  formosa, 
Pemettya  mucronata,  Rosa  rugosa  and  Skimmias 
are  a  few  of  the  best. 

The  Popularity  of  the  Rose. — The  report  and 
financial  statement  of  the  National  Rose  Society, 
presented  to  the  members  at  the  annual  meeting 
in  London  last  week,  and  a  report  of  which  appears 
on  another  page,  is  an  eloquent  testimony  to  the 
ever-increasing  popularity  of  the  Rose.  In  1908 
the  membership  of  the  society  stood  at  what  was 
then  regarded  as  the  high  figure  of  3,150,  but  now 
it  is  nearly  double  that  number.  Notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  Coimcil  have  expended  large  sums 
on  literature,  prizes  and  other  features,  the  financial 
statement  is  particularly  good,  and  we  congratulate 
the  Council  on  the  excellent  work  they  have  done 
and  are  still  doing. 

BIue-FIowering  Plants  in  the  Warm  Green- 
house.— Flowers  of  a  blue  tint  are  always  admired, 
and  of  those  now  in  bloom  Barleria  caerulea  is  very 
pleasing,  while  a  few  of  the  earliest  metallic  blue 
flowers  of  Eranthemum  pulchellum  are  also  ex- 
panded. These  will  shortly  be  followed  by  the 
rich  cobalt  blue  blossoms  cf  Coleus  thyrsoideus, 
which,  of  comparatively  recent  introduction, 
quickly  became  a  universal  favourite.  The  most 
uncommon  of  the  three  plants  above  mentioned 
is  the  Barleria,  which,  as  with  many  other  Acanthads, 
forms  a  rather  erect-growing  plant,  with  the 
principal  shoots  terminated  by  a  cone-like  head 
of  bracts,  whence  the  flowers  protrude.  They 
are  of  a  beautiful  sky  blue  colour,  and  though 
the  individual  flowers  do  not  last  long,  a  succession 
is  kept  up  for  some  time  from  one  head.  It  is  a 
native  of  India,  and  is  also  known  as  B.  strigosa. 


630 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  20/1913. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

(The    Editor    is    not  responsible    for    the    opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Rose   Mrs.    Cornwallis  -  West. — in    my  notes 

tfi  you  on  this  e.xhibition  Hybrid  Tea  I  wound 
up  by  asking  the  question,  "  Should  not  this  Rose 
be  renamed  Lady  Randolph  Churchill  ? "  I  am 
informed  that  in  making  this  suggestion  I  was 
wrong,  and  that  the  Rose  in  question  was  named, 
not  after  the  lady  now  known  as  Lady  Randolph 
Churchill,  but  after  Mrs.  Cornwallis  -  West  of 
Newlands  Manor,  Lymington,  Hants,  and  Ruthin 
Castle,  North  Wales,  at  both  of  which  places  it 
does  e.xtremely  well.  I  shall  be  glad  if  you  will 
kindly  find  room  for  this  withdrawal  of  my  remark. 

H.    E.    MOLYNEUX. 

Primula     obconica     Growing     Outdoors. — I 

enclose  you  a  photograph  of  some  Primula  obconicas 
growing  out  of  doors,  which  may  interest  you.  The 
photograph  was  taken  last  week,  and  shows  plants 


growers  we  are  all  an.Kious  to  know  how  to  get 
rid  of  a  troublesome  pest,  and  any  practical  informa- 
tion would  be  welcomed  by  a  large  body  of  culti- 
vators.— Enquirer. 

Early  Peas  in  Pots  and  Boxes. — The  note  or. 
early  Peas,  on  page  607,  issue  December  6,  is  very 
interesting  and  instructive.  "  T.  G.  J."  does  well 
to  recommend  boxes  as  well  as  pots  for  the  purpose 
as  the  plants  will  do  just  as  well  in  the  former  as  in 
the  latter.  They  are  not  as  expensive  as  pots,  in 
the  first  instance,  but,  of  course,  do  not  last  as  long 
Good  turves  are  cheaper  still,  and  I  have  been  very 
successful  in  growing  Peas  in  them.  Flat  turves 
2J  inches  deep,  are  large  enough  in  which  to  raise 
the  Peas  that  are  to  be  planted  out  in  the  open  border 
in  due  course  ;  but  turves  i  foot  wide,  the  same  in 
length,  or  at  most  15  inches,  and  7  inches  deep, 
are  the  kind  to  use  for  Peas  that  are  to  be  retained 
under  glass.  A  shallow  drill  is  scooped  out,  the  Peas 
sown  and  covered  with  good  compost. — Shamrock. 

The  Midland  Daffodil  Society.— It  will  be  good 
news  to  all  who  are  interested  in  Daffodils,  and  in 


/  -     >■     ..;  ,   . 

*-":'>■'  ■> 

V* 

t         # 

'"'Vj;  -i-.''"    '■ 

' 

n  ',,,  ,/                   ,,  '   .'  •; 

V. 

%^'\S.. 

x^ 

'•/ 

:^^ 

'M':r^^^ 

> 

; 

W'W, 

■^^.sf^ 

^^ 

'Ofc 

^m^K 

/-.„-"& 

♦  l.-/*-<3^ 

f^^^^kmS^BtSBS  -M^^ 

m 

'^ 

^ 

^^'./^'"i'  -'^ 

PRIMULA  OBCONICA  GROWING  AND  FLOWERING  IN  THE  OPEN  AT  HASLEMERE,  SURREY. 


which  stood  last  winter  without  protection.  They 
were  raised  from  seed  in  the  spring  of  1911 
and  flowered  that  winter  under  glass.  In  May  I 
planted  them  out.  They  bloomed  all  through  the 
summer  of  1912,  and  through  the  winter  as  well, 
and  have  flowered  constantly  up  to  date.  Our  eleva- 
tion is  720  feet  above  sea-level ;  the  soil  is  sandy 
and  light.  They  suffered  rather  in  the  dry  spell 
we  had  in  the  summer,  but  did  not  seem  to  mind 
the  cold.  They  are  sheltered  from  north  winds 
by  the  shrubs  behind  them. — C.  Wray,  Hill  View, 
Grayshott,  near  Haslemere. 

Silver-Leaf  Disease  of  ^  Fruit  Trees.— I  have 
carefully  read  the  remarks  in  two  copies  of  The 
Garden  by  Mr.  Irwin  Lynch,  and  have  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  it  is  a  very  good  scientific 
exposition  of  the  theory  of  cause,  progress,  warning 
and  conclusion  ;  but  as  for  a  cure,  I  fear  we  must 
look  further  afield.  None  of  the  many  quotations 
made  by  Mr.  Lynch  gives  us  any  clue  as  to  the 
remedy    to    be    applied    for    efficacy.     As    fruit- 


the  Midland  Society  in  particular,  to  know  that 
at  a  special  general  meeting  held  at  Birmingham  on 
December  10,  the  president,  Mr.  P.  D.  Williams,  in 
the  chair,  it  was  decided  that  the  society  should  go  on 
as  nearly  as  possible  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  the  late 
Mr.  Robert  Sydenham,  but  that  there  should  be 
no  public  dinner  in  1914.  Mr.  Herbert  Smith, 
who  is  now  the  managing  director  of  Robert 
Sydenham,  Limited,  promised  that  the  society 
should  have  the  same  help  from  his  firm  in  the 
future  as  in  the  past.  Mr.  C.  L.  Adams  was  unani- 
mously elected  treasurer  and  Mr.  Watts  a  member 
of  the  floral  committee.  The  new  rules  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  relative  to  awards 
were  adopted,  and  will  be  in  force  at  the  next  show 
on  April  23  and  ^4.  It  was  decided  to  perpetuate 
the  memory  of  the  late  Robert  Sydenham,  the 
founder,  by  having  the  words  "  Robert  Sydenham, 
Founder,"  engraved  on  all  the  medals  and  note- 
paper.  It  is  hoped  that  an  annua!  dinner,  to 
commence  in   1915,   will  be  decided  upon   at   the 


meeting  which  I  think  is  to    be   called  for    8    on 

the   evening   of   the    first    day's   show   in    1914 

Joseph  Jacob. 

Plants  Flowering  Out  of  Doors  at  Goodwood.— 
.\s  an  indication  of  the  mild  weather  experienced 
in  various  parts  of  the  comitr>',  many  correspon- 
dents have  sent  us  lists  of  plants  flowering  out- 
doors in   December.     The  following,   sent   by  Mr. 
F.    Brock,   gardener   at   Goodwood,    Chichester,   is 
one  of  the  most  interesting  :    Abutilon  vexillarium, 
Abelia    rupestris,    Achillea    alpina,    A.    argentca, 
A.  millefolium  Cerise   Queen,   A.  tomentosa,  Ajuga 
reptans  atropurpurea,  Alchemilla  alpina,  Alonsoas, 
Alyssum   minima,   A.    saxatilis,  Aloysia   citriodora 
(Lemon-scented  Verbena),  Anchusa  italica,  Andro- 
sace    camea,    Anthemis    tinctoria,    .^tirrhinums 
(Snapdragons),    nine    florists'     varieties ;      Arabis 
albida,  A.  a.  flore  pleno.  Arbutus  Unedo  (carrying 
ripe    fruits,    green    fruits    and    flowers),    Armeria 
maritima  rosea,  Asperula  suberosa.  Aster  Thomp- 
sonii,    Aubrietia    Dr.    Mules,  A.    graeca,    A.    Mrs. 
Lloyd    Edwards,    A.     Hendersonii,    A.    Wallacei, 
Berberis     Darwinii,     Cassia     corymbosa,     Caltha 
palustris.   Campanula  muralis,  C.  spicata,  C.   Van 
Houttei,   Ceanothus   azureus,    C.    Ceres,   C.    Gloire 
de    Plantiferes,    C.   Gloire  de   Versailles,   C.    Marie 
Simon,   Clerodendron    Bungei,   Cheiranthus  Cheiri, 
Japanese       Chrysanthemums,       three      varieties  ; 
Chrysanthemum   maximus,    Chrysogonum   virgini- 
animi,    Chimonanthus    fragrans,  Choisya    temata, 
Collomia,  Coronilla  Emerus,  Cosmea  Sutton's  Dwarf 
Miniature,  Cytisus  canadensis,   Dianthus  deltoides, 
D.     fragrans,     Doronicum     austriacum,     Erigeron 
Asa  Gray,   E.   mucronatus,   E.   philadelphicus,   E. 
speciosus  grandiflorus.  Fuchsia   gracilis,   F.   Riccar- 
tonii,   Gaillardia   grandiflora.   Geranium   Endressii, 
Geum    Heldreichii,   G.   rivale,    Gypsophila    repens 
rosea,   Hamamelis   virginica   (Witch    Hazel),   Heli- 
anthemums  (Sun    Roses),  four  varieties  ;   Heuchera 
sanguinea,    four     varieties  ;      Hutchmsia     alpina. 
Hydrangea      hortensis,      Hypericum     aegypticum, 
H.    olympicum,    H.    patulum,    H.    reptans,    Iberis 
corresfolia,     I.     Pniitii,     I.     saxatilis,     Jasminum 
nudiflorum,  Lavandula  spica   (Lavender),    Laurus- 
tinus.    Lobelia   speciosa,    Lonicera    fragrantissima, 
L.    brachypoda,    Linaria     alpina,    L.    maroccana, 
Lithospermum    prnstratum,    M  ■gnolia   grandiflora. 
Mignonette,    Nepeta    Mussinu    (Catmint),    N.    M. 
superba,  Nicotiana  aflinis  (Sweet-scented  Tobacco), 
Nycterina      selaginoides,     CEnothera     macrocarpa 
(Evening    Primrose),     CE.     taraxacifolia,    Odonto- 
spermum      maritimum,     Othonnopsis     cheirifolia, 
Oxalis  rosea,  Passiflor'a  cserulea  (Passion   Flower), 
Pentstemon    Newbury    Gem,    P.    White    Newbury 
Gem,   P.  Myddelton  Gem,   Phlox  setacea,   P.  pro- 
cumbens,     Potentilla    nepalensis     Miss    Willmott, 
P.    Tonguei,    Rosmarinus    officinalis    (Rosemary), 
R.  prostrata.  Rhododendron  Grand  Arab  ;    Roses — 
Orleans,   Jessie,    Mrs.   Cutbush,   Marquis   of  Salis- 
bury, Griiss  an  Teplitz,  Hiawatha,  Crimson  China, 
Pink  China,  Irish  Elegance,  Hermosa,  Frau   Karl 
Druschki,    Souvenir    de    la    Malmaison,    Dorothy 
Perkins  and  wichuraiana  alba  ;     Rudbeckia  New- 
manii.  Salvia  Pitched,  S.  Star  of  Zurich,  Sedum 
stoloniferum,  tall  German  Scabious,  Senecio  pulcher, 
Sisyrinchium     grandiflora,    Solanum    jasminoides. 
Spiraea   Anthony   Waterer,    S.    confusa,   S.    Thun- 
bergii.    Stock    Crimson    Beauty    of   Nice,    Tiarella 
cordifolia  (Foam  Flower),  Tritoma    Uvaria    (Red- 
hot  Poker),  Tropaeolum  canariense  (Canary  Creeper), 
Verbena  venosa,  V.    tenera  moorenetta,  Veronica 
Autumn!^, Glory,    V.    Andersonii,    V.    A.    variegata, 
V.  decussata,  V.  Diamant,  V.  salicifolius,  V.  Simon 
Delaux,  V.  La  Favourite,  V.  Bidwillii,  V.  rupestris, 
Vinca  major  (Periwinkle)  and  V.  minor. 


December  20.  191 3.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


631 


PRUNING- KNIFE 
TEURS. 


SECA- 


FOR  a  long  time  after  I  took  an  iaterest 
in  pruning  I  had  a  great  dislike  to 
secateurs,  looking  upon  tliem  as  a 
clumsy  substitute  for  a  good  knife,  and 
suitable  only  to  those  very  amateurish 
performers  who  were  unable  to  make 
proper  use  of  a  pruning-knife  ;  but  after  a  time 
luy  opinions  became  modified,  partly  through  seeing 
how  much  secateurs  were  coming  into  general 
use,  more  especially  among  the  workmen  in  our 
own  nurseries.  Experiment  showed  that  they 
had  advantages  in  certain  cases,  and  extended 
use  made  me  quite  fond  of  them  ;  and  now  I 
would  like  to  record  for  the  sake  of  the  inexperienced 
the  particular  advantages  of  the  two  rival  tools. 
There  can  be  no  question  that  to  the  person  who 
has  mastered  the  A  B  C  of  the  use  of  the  knife, 
the  pleasure  of  a  good  clean  cut  is  greater  than 
the  sensation  of  squeezing  through  a  branch  with 
a  pair  of  specially-made  scissors  ;  also  the  cut  is 
bound  to  be  a  cleaner  one.  .-Vgain,  one  can  cut 
through  a  much  thicker  growth  with  a  knife  than 
can  be  done  with  secateurs,  and  leave  a  clean  wound 
behind  which  will  soon  heal  over. 

Now  for  the  other  side.  Pruning  Roses  and 
Gooseberries  with  a  knife  cannot  be  called  a  joy  ; 
there  must  always  be  a  drawing  of  the  knife  across 
a  branch  to  effect  a  clean  cut,  and  if  (as  will  some-i 
times  happen)  there  should  be  a  slip,  the  hand 
of  the  operator  comes  sharply  away  and  is  sure 
to  be  caught  by  the  prickles  of  the  Rose  or  spines 
of  the  Gooseberry ;  thick  gloves  may  save  one, 
and  they  may  not.  With  a  pair  of  secateurs  there  is 
no  drawing  action  ;  the  blades  encircle  the  branch, 
and  a  steady  press  makes  the  cut.  Here,  then, 
is  a  case  where  the  scissors  easily  beat'  the  knife. 
Again,  fancy  yourself  on  the  top  of  a  ladder  or  high 
set  of  steps.  You  require  both  hands,  as  a  rule, 
to  make  a  cut  with  a  knife,  and  it  is  not  everyone 
who  feels  comfortable  in  such  a  position  with  nothing 
to  hold  on  to  but  the  thin  twig  they  are  cutting. 
Now,  with  secateurs  one  can  take  a  firm  hold  with 
one  hand  of  the  ladder  or  a  stout  branch  while 
cutting  away  freely  with  the  other  hand  ;  moreover, 
if  one  be  at  all  ambidexterous,  one  is  able  to  prune' 
all  within  reach  of  either  hand,  thus  saving  time 
in  going  up  or  down  and  moving  the  ladder  or  steps. 
I  would  say,  then,  to  the  amateur,  "  By  all  means 
have  both  a  good  knife  and  a  good  pair  of  secateurs," 
for  both  are  useful  and  add  to  one's  pleasure  in 
doing  the  work.  It  seems  a  great  pity  that  our 
English  manufacturers  do  not  give  us  a  good  pair 
of  secateurs  at  a  reasonable  price.  I  think  I  may 
salely  say  that  aU  such  tools  come  from  either 
France  or  Germany.  That  good  home-made 
secateurs  are  made  I  do  not  deny,  but  they  are 
generally  sold  retail' at  about  5s.  to  7s.  6d.  a  pair, 
while  very  good  French  or  German  made  ones  are 
retailed  at  2s.  gd.  to  3s.  6d.  If  our  own  makers 
canTiot  compete  with  these  lower-priced  imple- 
ments, well,  I  suppose  there  is  no  help  for  it,  and  we 
must  go  on  as  we  are  ;  but  it  seems  a  great  pity 
that  some  efiort  is  not  made  to  retain  what  must 
amount  to  a  very  large  slice  of  trade  now  going 
abroad.  J.  Duncan  Pearson. 

The  Nurseries,  Lowdham,  Notts. 


FORTHCOMING    EVENT. 
January  13,  1914. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
Exhibition  and  Meeting  at  Vincent  Square,  West- 
luuisler. 


'THE    GARDEN"    IN     1914. 


*    S    bnetl)'  indicated  in  our    last    issue,  with 
/\  a  view  to  still  further  enhancing  the 

/    %         value   of   The   Garden,    we    are   now 
/       %       m     a    position      to     state     that     we 
^  *      have  secured  for  the  coming  year  the 

services  of  many  of  the  leading  authori- 
ties on  gardening,  who  have  promised  to  contribute 
articles  on  subjects  of  which  they  have  made  a 
life-long  study.  Those  of  our  readers  who  remember 
Sir  Herbert  Maxwell's  articles,  which  appeared 
some  years  ago,  will,  we  feel  sure,  be  glad  to  learn 
that  he  has  once  more  promised  to  contribute  an 
invaluable  series  of  articles  to  our  columns.  Miss 
Jekyll,  whose  reputation  as  a  deviser  of  colour- 
schemes  in  the  flower  garden  is  world-wide,  has 
also  kindly  promised  to  write  on  the  sub- 
jects for  which  she  is  so  deservedly  famous. 
It  would,  indeed,  occupy  far  too  much  space  to 
state  in  detail  the  many  articles  to  be  contributed 
by  new  and  well-known  writers  ;  but  the  following 
brief  summary  will  serve  to  indicate  their  authori- 
tative and  comprehensive  character.  We  summarise 
them  tersely  as  under  : 

Trees  and  Shrubs  will  be  fully  dealt  with  by 
Mr.  W.  J.  Bean,  ^^U.  Dallimore  and  others. 

Hardy  Flowers  and  Carnations  by  Mr.  r.  p. 

Brotherston,  .Mr.  E.  H.  Jenkins  and  Mr.  S.  Amott. 

Water-side  Gardening  by  Mr.  James  Hudson. 

The  Rock  Garden  by  Mr.  Jenkins,  Mr.  Dillistone 
and  Mr.  .-Vru'itt. 

The  Heath  Garden  by  .Mr.  T.  Wilson,  head- 
gardener  to  the  Earl  of  Strathmore. 

Hardy  Primulas  by  Dr.  J.  McWatt. 

Daffodils  and  Tulips  by  the  Rev.  J.  Jacob. 

Roses  by  .Mr.  H.  E.  Molyneux,  Mr.  W.  Easlea 
and  Mr.  P.  L.  Goddard.  The  latter  writes  specially 
on  "  Roses  for  Town  Gardens." 

Sweet  Peas  by  Mr.  T.  Stevenson,  Mr.  S.  M. 
Crow  and  others. 

The  Vegetable  Garden  will  be  in  the  hands  of 

.Mr.  E.  Beckett,  \'..M.H.,  and  Mr.  E.  Molyneux. 

The  Fruit  Garden. — .\rticles  in  this  important 
section  will  be  contributed  by  Mr.  Owen  Thomas, 
V.M.H.,  Mr.  E.  -\.  Bunyard  and  others.         • 

Plant  Diseases  and  Treatment  of  the  Soil.— 

Under  the  heading  of  ■'  Science  in  Relation  to 
Horticulture,"  Professor  Houston,  F.L.S.,  wOl 
deal  exhaustively  with  the  Treatment  of  the  Soil 
and  Plant  Diseases. 

Diseases  Ol  Bulbs. — Mr.  George  Massee,  F.L.S., 
whose  article  on  a  disease  of  Narcissus  bulbs  we 
reprinted  from  the  Kew  Bulletin  in  our  issue  for 
December  6,  has  promised  to  contribute  an 
illustrated  series  on  diseases  of  bulbs. 

Lawns. — Mr.  Peter  Lees,  the  well-known  green- 
keeper  at  the  Mid-Surrey  Golf  Club,  will  contribute 
articles  on  the  treatment  of  lawns. 

Auriculas,  Chrysanthemums.  Greenhouse  and 

Other  Plants  will  also  be  fully  dealt  with  by 
acknowledged  e.xperts. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  special  writers  who 
are  contributing  to  The  Garden  during  the  coming 
year.  Most  of  these  articles  will  be  accompanied 
by  practical  and  artistic  illustrations.  With  such 
a  list  of  important  contributors  we  look  forward 
with  every  confidence  to  the  New  Year.  It  has 
always  been  the  aim  of  The  Garden  to  place  before 
its  ever-increasing  circle  of  readers  authoritative 
articles  by  recognised  experts,  and  we  feel, 
from  letters  we  daily  receive  from  correspondents 
all  over  the  world,  that  the  success  we  have  achieved 
is  most  cordially  appreciated. 


THE     ROSE    GARDEN. 

ROSE    NOTES    FROM    THE    RIVIERA. 

THE  BEST  STOCKS  FOR  WARM  COUNTRIES. 

HAVING  much  enjoyed  Mr.  Molyneux's 
Rose  notes,  which  I  see  have  been 
also  read  by  garden  enthusiasts  in 
many  countries,  I  wonder  if  he  can, 
out  of  his  stores  of  knowledge,  give 
us  some  information  on  the  important 
point  of  Rose  stocks.  In  England  the  Briar 
stock  is  so  generally  used,  and  has,  moreover, 
proved  itself  so  much  the  most  satisfacton,'  medium 
for  the  propagation  of  Roses,  that  there  is  little 
more  to  be  said  on  that  subject.  This,  however, 
is  not  the  case  all  over  the  world,  and  contributions 
on  this  point  will,  I  think,  be  welcomed  with  much 
interest  by  those  who  garden  in  the  Colonies,  or 
even  on  the  Riviera,  where  now  so  many  good 
gardens  arc  to  be  found.  Gardening  as  I  do  on 
this  last  and  well-known  coast,  I  have  found,  to 
my  regret,  that  the  Briar  stock  is  unsuitable  to 
the  climate  and  conditions  generally.  It  suffers 
severely  from  the  summer  heat  and  drought — so 
much  so  that  after  the  first  beautiful  and  brief 
flowermg  in  spring  is  passed,  the  Rose  on  that 
stock  never  does  any  more  good,  and  generally 
dies  out  by  the  third  year.  The  stock  employed 
by  gardeners  and  nurserymen  here  is  that  called 
"  indica  major,"  a  strong-growing  Rose  that 
withstands  the  summer  drought  without  suffering, 
and  after  the  autumn  rains  starts  into  vigorous' 
growth  at  once  ;  hence  its  value,  because  it  produces 
the  greatly-valued  November  and  December  Roses 
that  are  the  glory  of  this  coast.  I  have  never 
ascertained  its  origin  with  certainty.  If  Rosa 
indica  was  one  parent,  what  was  the  other  ? 
This  is  the  Rose  used  all  along  the  coast  as  a  hedge 
Rose,  and  seems  ubiquitous  in  cultivated  land. 
Its  wreaths  of  pale  pink,  double  flowers  of 
many  shades  of  colouring  contrast  charmingly  with 
the  crimson  indicas.  which  are  also  used  for 
hedges. 

The  R.  multiflora  hybrid  De  la  Grifferaie  was 
much  used  at  one  time,  but  has  proved  uncertain 
as  a  host,  for  only  the  strongest-growing  climbers 
live  more  than  a  year  or  two  when  grafted  on  it. 
The  native  R.  sempervirens  has  always  seemed 
worthy  of  trial  on  dry  and  poor  soils  where  it 
thrives ;  but  it  is  not  sufficiently  vigorous,  I  am 
told,  and  cannot  compete  with  R.  indica  major. 
There  is  one  Rose,  however,  I  should  like  to  recom- 
mend for  dry  and  warm  climates,  and  that  is 
R.  bracteata,  the  Macartney  Rose.  Is  it 
used,  I  wonder,  in  China,  or  the  Cape,  or  the  ."Anti- 
podes ?  It  has  a  more  marked  influence  on  the 
Rose  budded  or  grafted  on  it  than  any  other  stock 
I  am  acquainted  with,  but  it  suckers  badly  and 
has  such  hooked  and  piercing  thorns  that  it  is 
called  by  gardeners  '■  La  Rose  Cruelle  "  !  It  is 
extremely  vigorous  and,  of  course,  evergreen  in 
this  chmate,  and  has  the  valuable  quality  of  growing 
continuously  all  through  the  winter,  so  that  Roses 
on  this  stock  are  more  continuous  also  in  growth 
and  flower.  The  curious  property  it  possesses  of 
adding  to  the  depth  of  colour  of  any  Rose  budded  on 
it  is  shown  to  a  very  marked  degree  in  th_at  beautiful 
but  uncertain  Rose  Georges  Schwartz,  which 
attains  a  richness  of  tone  that  is  quite  unequalled. 
That  curious  but  picturesque  Rose  General  Gallieni 
assumes  a  brilliancy  and  beauty  of  colour  that 
it  never  attains  on  its  own  roots  or  on  R.  indica 
major,  but  I  should  call  it  essentially  the  amateur's 
stock,    as    R.    bracteata   takes   a  year   to   establish 


632 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  20,  1913. 


tself  and  d'jes  not  transplant  very  readily.  To 
those,  however — and  they  must  be  many — wh<i 
possess  rampant  bushes  of  this  Rose,  which  is 
so  beautiful  in  itself,  I  would  say  :  "  Bud  freely 
on  each  strong,  succulent  growth,  and  enjoy  the 
result." 

Can  anyone  say  why  its  close  relative,  R.  sinica, 
is  quite  useless  as  a  stock  ?  Or  can  anyone  say 
they  find  it  reliable  for  that  purpose  ?  The  new 
Rose,  R.  lucens,  of  modem  introduction,  seems 
a  very  promising  plant  in  every  way,  and  those 
who  are  happy  to  possess  it  will,  I  hope,  tell  of 
their  experience. 

A  large  number  of  Roses  from  the  seeds  Mr. 
Wilson  collected  in  China  are  worthy  of  trial, 
but  not,  I  imagine,  for  those  who  desire  winter 
Roses.  They  seem  to  have  a  very  definite  resting 
period  in  winter,  and  their  bark  does  not  rise 
kindly  when  buds  are  waiting  for  a  stock.  The 
Banksian  Rose  is  well  known  as  a  stock  for  Marfechal 
Niel,  and  the  blooms  at  first  are  particularly  rich 


IN     A    HAMPSHIRE    GARDEN. 

Some  of  the  Newer  Dkcok.wive  Roses. 
{Contiuucd  fruin  page  620.) 

Miss  Cynthia  Forde  (Hugh  Dickson,  1909). — 
In  its  particular  shade  of  pink,  which  is  generally 
termed  "  rose,"  and  covers,  I  suppose,  as  many 
roses  as,  if  not  more  than,  any  other  shade  of 
colour  that  one  could  name,  I  am  inclined 
to  place  Miss  Cynthia  Forde  at  the  head  of 
them  all  as  the  best  bedding  Rose  of  this 
colour,  even  in  front  of  that  fine  old  variety 
Caroline  Testout,  for  so  long  the  most  popular 
garden  Rose.  It  is,  I  think,  a  more  beautiful 
Rose,  of  a  more  pleasing  shade,  not  perhaps 
a  better  grower,  but  certainly  more  sweetly 
scented.  I  do  not  know  its  parentage,  but 
it  is  nearly  ten  years  ago  since  I  first  made 
its  acquaintance  at  Belmont,  and  it  then  struck 
me  as  having  a  good  deal  of  Antoine  Rivoire 
blood  in    its    veins.      Be   that    as    it    may,  it  i; 


(I)   HORSE    CHESTNUT    AND    (2)   SWEET    CHESTNUT    TWIbTI  D    IX     klVl.kSi;    DUO  XllONS. 


in  colour  ;   but  I  have  not  heard  of  Roses  generally 
doing  well  upon  it  for  any  length  of  time. 

It  is  disappomting  to  find  that,  though  Roses 
root  so  readily  from  cuttings  when  put  in  in  August 
in  this  climate,  there  are  not  many  varieties  that 
in  the  end  make  strong  plants  on  their  own  roots — 
probably  because  they  do  not  produce  enough 
roots  to  stand  the  summer  drought  and  heat.  To 
water  heavily  during  the  summer  is,  curiously 
enough,  the  way  to  kill  rather  than  cure  a  Rose 
that  is  weakly  ;  mulching  the  roots  deeply  is  by 
far  the  better  plan.  As  the  natives  say,  they  die 
of  a  coup  de  soleil  if  they  are  watered  when  the 
sun  and  the  ground  are  so  hot.  There  are  diffi- 
culties of  one  sort  or  another  to  contend  against, 
wherever  your  lot  may  be  cast  ! 

La  Selva.  Brancolor,  Nice.  E.  H.  Woodall. 

[We  shall  be  pleased  to  hear  from  corre- 
spondents who  have  had  experience  of  the 
difficulties  mentioned  by  our  correspondent. 
The  subject  is  one  of  considerable  importance 
to  both  amateurs  and  nurserymen. — Ed.] 


a  very  excellent  Rose,  and  should  be  in  every 
garden. 

Mrs.  Alfred  Tate  (S.  McGredy  and  Son,  1909).-— 
Another  Rose  that  saw  the  light  of  commerce  the 
same  year  as  the  last  named.  Not  quite  such 
a  good  all-round  Rose,  perhaps,  but  for  some 
purposes,  such  as  table  decoration  or  a  button- 
hole, even  more  useful.  It  has  few  petals,  but 
its  charm  lies  in  its  fine  colour  and  beautiful 
long  buds,  coppery  pink,  with  a  fawn  tinge,  a  good 
grower,  flowers  held  erect  on  good,  long  stems, 
not  subject  to  mildew,  sweetly  scented  and  very 
free-flowering. 

Mrs.  Amy  Hammond  (S.  McGredy  and  Son, 
r9rr). — This  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best  Roses 
these  raisers  have  given  us.  I  have  grown  it  now 
for  three  years,  and  each  year  it  has  improved. 
This  year  it  has  given  me  some  of  the  best  flowers 
I  have  grown,  and  its  autumn  blooms  were  as  good 
as  the  June  flowers.  It  belongs  to  the  flesh- 
coloured  Roses,  and  is  therefore  "  up  against  " 
Pharisaer,      Grace      Molyneux,     La     Tosca      and 


Viscountess  Folkestone,  and  I  am  inclined  to 
think  it  is  a  better  Rose  than  any  one  of 
them.  \  fine  grower,  not  miduly  subject  to 
mildew,  and  a  very  free-flowerer,  it  is  destined 
to  become  very  popular  when  better  known. 
Named  after  the  wife  of  a  very  enthusi- 
astic Rose  amateur  and  exhibitor  (and  one 
of  the  vice-presidents  of  the  National  Rose 
Society),  and  who  herself  has  won  many  prizes 
for  table  decoration  and  in  the  other 
decorative  classes  at  the  National  Rose  Society's 
shows. 

Mrs.  Arthur  Munt  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
1909). — A.  good  creamy  white  garden  Rose,  strongly 
Tea-scented,  that  somehow  is  not  so  much  grown 
nor  so  well  known  as  its  merits  deserve.  A  com- 
pact, but  not  a  vigorous  grower,  not  subject  to 
mildew ;  it  makes  a  fine  bed,  especially  in  the 
autumn,  when  the  flowers  come  as  good  as  in 
June. 

Mrs.  Charles  E.  Alien  (Hugh  Dickson,  1911). — 
A  charming  decorative  Rose,  pale  yellow  ochre 
to  buff,  very  free-flowering,  a  good  grower,  not 
particularly  subject  to  mildew. 

Mrs.  Charles  E.  Pearson  (S.  McGredy  and 
Son,  1913). — It  may  be  considered  early  to  speak 
or  write  definitely  about  this  Rose,  but  I  have 
grown  it  all  this  last  season,  and  there  is  very  little 
fault  to  find  with  it.  As  a  pure  bedding  Rose 
of  its  shade  of  colour  it  is  far  ahead  of  anything 
else  at  present  on  the  market.  It  is  a  very  much 
improved  Lyon  at  its  best,  the  flowers  perhaps  a 
trifle  smaller  and  the  whole  habit  of  the  plant 
smaller,  too.  It  makes  a  particularly  neat-looking 
plant,  each  flower  seeming  to  be  produced  at  the 
same  height  from  the  ground.  It  is  sweetly 
scented,  and  has  a  much  better  constitution  than 
Lyon  or  the  pernetiana  Roses  generally.  The 
colour  is  a  good  orange  apricot  that  holds  well, 
flushed  on  the  outside  of  the  petals  with  red- 
\iilow.  If  a  plant  could  be  taken  up  and 
t  ransplanted  straight  to  the  centre  -  piece  of 
a  table  decoration,  it  would  want  no  arrang- 
ing, no  stems  shortening,  the  whole  being  compact 
and  complete. 

Mrs.  E.  Powell  (Bemaix,  igti). — This  is  a 
very  good  bedding  crimson,  of  fair  shape  and 
size,  free-flowering,  that  is  well  worth  trying ; 
but  it  is  by  no  means  the  ideal  crimson  bedder 
we  are  looking  for.  The  blue  is  too  conspicuous 
jn  the  older  flowers. 

Mrs.  Franli  Bray  (Alex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
191 2). — This  is  a  considerably  better  grower 
than  Mme.  Ravary,  to  which  it  otherwise  has 
some  resemblance,  both  in  the  colour  of  its  flowers 
and  foliage  ;  but  the  former  are  more  freely  pro- 
duced, with  a  good  deal  of  pink  mixed  with  the 
orange  that  enables  the  flowers  to  retain  their 
colour  better,  especially  in  the  autumn,  when 
Mme.  Ravary  is  often  but  a  ghost  of  her 
real  self.  I  do  not  think  it  is  at  all  a 
case  of  the  one  replacmg  the  other ;  they  are 
sufficiently  distinct  for  there  to  be  plenty  of 
room  for  both.  Delightfully  fragrant,  and  in 
flower  as  I  write. 

Mrs.  Franll  Worltman  (Hugh  Dickson,  ign). — 
This  is,  I  think,  gouig  to  prove  a  good  garden 
Rose,  but  it  is  in  a  very  strong  class.  There  are 
many  good  rose  pinks.  It  is  free-flowering,  carries 
its  blooms  well  and  erect  on  good,  long  shoots. 
Is  not  predisposed  to  mildew,  and  is  a  good, 
vigorous  grower. 

Southampton.  Herbert  E.   Molvneu.x. 

(To  be  continued.) 


Siif^f'ldiii-jit  io   Till:   GARDEN,  December  20///,    191 3. 


NEW  ROSE    Mme.  EDOUARD  HERRIOT. 


Hudson  &  Kearns.  IJtI..  Printers.  London,  S  B. 


December  20,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


633 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 

TWISTED   TREES. 

IT  sometimes  happens  with  certain  trees  that 
the  trunks  show  a  marked  tendency  to 
twist  in  a  spiral  manner.  Everyone  who 
is  at  all  familiar  with  our  British  trees  has 
probably  observed  this  tendency  in  the 
common  Hawthorn,  a  tree  often  met  with 
in  bleak  and  wind-swept  positions,  when  both 
trunk  and  liranchcs  bend  over  with  the  direction 


a  few  inches  thick.  The  tree,  eventually  formed, 
by  its  continual  growth  on  the  inner  side,  two 
remarkable  spirals  suggesting  a  pair  of  scrolls. 
The  Judas  Tree  (Cercis  Siliquastrum)  is  often 
twisted.  An  old  tree  in  the  Botanic  Garden  at 
Cambridge  is  reputed  to  be  very  slowly  revolving, 
so  that  the  branches  now  leaning  to  the  west  were 
many  years  ago  said  to  be  facing  north. 

The  cause  of  trees  growing  in  spirals  does  not 
appear  to  be  well  understood,  but  one  factor 
whicli  may  throw  light  upon  the  question  is  the 
formation  of  new  cells  from  the  cambium.  These 
cells  slide  either  to  the  right  or  to  the  left  as  the 
growth  of  the  tree  proceeds.  The  cells,  which 
arc  elongated  when  seen  in  tangential  section,  are 
known  as  sliding  cells,  and  should  they  slide  equally 
in  both  directions,  no  twisting  of  the  trunk  would 
result.  This  twisting  is  worthy  of  attention  at  this 
season,  when  deciduous  trees  are  in  their  winter's 

C.  Q. 


COLOURED     PLATE. 

PLATE    1483. 


ROSE     MME.     tDOUARD     HERRIOT. 

^HALi.     ne\er    forget    the    glnriinis    (iispl.t\-    ni 
IS    lim-    uo\'ell\'   that    1     was    pri\ilrgeil     to    see 


3. A    TWISTED    OAK    TREE 


of  the  prevailing  wind.  Such  trees,  if  of  any  age, 
invariably  have  rough  and  gnarled  bark,  some- 
times twisted,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Hawthorn 
depicted  in  the  last  of  the  series  of  illustrations. 
The  advantage  of  such  a  twist  is  obvious,  for 
just  as  a  rope  is  strengthened  by  twisting,  so  is 
the  tree  better  adapted  for  withstanding  tin- 
strain  placed  upon  it  in  a  wind-swept  position. 

In  the  case  of  the  Horse  Chestnut  (Fig.  i),  the 
twisting  is  not  at  all  common,  and  it  is  really  diffi- 
cult to  understand  why  certain  trees  possess  this 
peculiarity  while  others  growing  under  precisely 
similar  conditions  are  normal.  Another  point  of 
more  than  passing  interest  is  the  direction  of  the 
spiral.  In  all  of  the  cases  illustrated  the  spiral 
is  from  left  to  right,  except  in  the  case  of  the 
Sweet  Chestnut  (Fig.  2),  in  which  the  reverse 
spiral,  i.e.,  right  to  left,  is  well  defined.  This 
remarkable  tree  stands  in  the  Arboretum  at  Kew. 
The  Sweet  Chestnut  is  rather  addicted  to  the 
production  of  spirals,  which  may  be  in  either 
direction.  In  the  case  of  the  Oak,  however, 
the  tendency  is  by  no  means  common.  Fig.  3 
represents  a  derelict  Oak  in  Windsor  Forest 
which  has  been  killed  by  lightning.  Here  the 
twist  is  observed  not  only  in  the  main  stem,  but 
also  running  through  the  branches.  In  very 
hollow  trees,  open  on  one  side,  spiral  growth  is 
sometimes  seen,  owing  to  new  wood  continually 
being  deposited  on  its  own  inner  surface.  .\ 
remarkable  example  of  this  curious  growth  is 
exhibited  in  No.  4  Museum  at  Kew.  It  is  a  section 
i>(    Ivliii    trunk,  so   hollow  ;is  to  be   merely  a  shell 


Herriot  will  be  grown  by  tlie  million  in  the  near 
future.  I  was  not  surprised  to  learn  that  M. 
Pernet-Ducher  was  obliged  to  decline  many  large 
orders,  and,  indeed,  most  of  the  demands  had 
to  be  considerably  curtailed,  for  this  noted  raiser 
caters  for  the  whole  world.  The  pernetiana 
Roses  have  most  assuredly  come  to  stay.  There 
are  some  rosarians  who  fear  that  the  tribe  lacks 
constitution.  I  grant  that  Rayon  d'Or  and  Lyon 
have  a  very  bad  tendency  to  die  back,  but  this 
tendency  will  be  gradually  eliminated.  Certainly 
with  Mnic.  Edouard  Herriot  there  is  no  such 
tendency  as  far  as  I  have  seen,  the  plants  in  my 
possession  looking  the  picture  of  healthy  vigour. 
We  all  know  how  splendidly  this  Rose  was  exhibited 
last  year  at  Vincent  Square  and  Chelsea  by  that 
prince  of  growers,  Mr.  George  Beckwith,  and  it 
must  prove  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  novelties 
yet  raised  from  a  colour  point  of  view.  Like 
most  popular  novelties,  I  expect  it  will  be  over- 
propagated,  as  was  the  case  with  Lyon  Rose 
and  Rayon  d'Or  ;  but  no  doubt  many  rosarians  have 
seen,  as  I  have,  these  two  superb  Roses  sending  up 
wood  that  could  almost  be  described  as  timber  after 
thev  had  recovered  from  this  over- propagation. 

1  have  blooming  now  (December  6)  a  most 
charming  variety  of  the  group  named  Mme. 
Ruan.  There  is  a  resemblance  to  Viscountess 
lolkestone,  and  yet  sufficient  of  the  Briar 
suffusion  to  stamp  it  as  one  of  the  distinctive 
pernetianas.  The  flower  has  a  warm  apricot  hue 
pervading  the  pink,  altogether  a  delightful  blending, 

I  saw  at  M.  Pernet-Duchcr's  quite  a  number 
■  if  seedlings  of  Mme.  Edotiard  Herriot,  of  which 
we  shall  doubtless  hear  more  very  soon.  There 
seems  to  be  no  end  to  the  variations  possible  in  the 
cross-fertilisation  of  the  Rose,  and  no  sooner  do 
we  have  some  startling  novelty. introduced  than 
there  are  others  to  eclipse  it.  In  my  rambles 
through  the  seedling  quarters  of  the  three  great 
Irish  raisers  last  July,  I  noticed  quite  a  number 
bearing  undoubted  relationship  to  the  pernetiana 
group,  so  that  this  tribe  will  soon  become  one 
of  the  most  important,  perhaps  even  eclipsing 
the   Hvbrid   Teas.     -All  readers   who    wish    to   add 


4. SPIRALS    ON    BEECH    TREE. 

at  the  end  of  last  May  when  visiting  my  friend 
M.  Pernet-Ducher  at  his  home,  Venissieux,  near 
Lyons.  It  was  a  beautiful  sunny  morning  when 
I  wa6  conducted  to  that  part  of  the  famous 
Rose  gardens  vhere  Mme.  Edouard  Herriot 
was  growing,  and  here  row  upon  row  of  the 
healthy-looking  plants  were  in  full  bloom  at 
this  early  time  of  the  year.  These  particular 
plants  were  cut-backs,  for  the  thousands  of 
maiden  plants  in  another  part  were  only  just 
showing  bud.  No  one  who  could  have  seen  the 
Rose  here  in  its  home  could  have  any  doubt  as 
to  its  ultimate  success.  What  a  colour  !  •  And 
who  can  describe  it  ?  I  guess  it  will  need  an 
artist  to  correctly  name  its  various  tints,  but  the 
coloured  pl.ite  will  give  some  idea  of  its  beauty.  .As 
a    Rose   for    bedding   and    massing,  Mnic.    Kdoiiaid 


IA\\  lllllKN. 


634 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  20,  1913. 


distinctive  novelties  to  their 
collections  must  certainly  have 
Mme.  Edouard  Herriot,  and  it 
they  do  not  yet  possess  Arthur 
R.  Goodwin,  Louise  Catherine 
Breslau,  Cissie  Easlea  and  Wil- 
lowmere,  I  would  advise  them 
to  gel  them  during  the  present 
planting  season.      Danecrom. 


ROCK     &    WATER 
GARDENS. 


"TmE    "RlCiMT     Wi\V     To     Ui>E: 


THE     DESIGNING    OF 
ROCK   GARDENS. 

{Continued  fro^n  pa^^c  621.) 

Arrangement     of     Stone. — 

This  depends  to  such  a  great 
extent  upon  the  nature  of 
the  stone  used  and  the 
purpose  for  which  the  work 
is  being  carried  out  that  it  is 
only  possible  to  give  a  few 
general  instructions.  The  must 
important  point  to  remember 
is  that  every  piece  of  stone 
should    be     placed     with     due 


THE      VywoMC,    Way 


.2>hE,TCH     h. 


^U^ 


PLANS    G    AND    II,    SHOWING    THE    RIGHT    AND    WRONG    WAV    TO    USE 
STEPPING-STONES.  1 

I 


regard    to    its    relation    with    every    other    piece    in     every     other    respect,     competent     gardeners,  I  construction  of 

used.       There    must    be    a    sense    of    connection    splendid   cultivators,    and   some    even    with    more  l|  arranged  that 

running      through      the      whole 

scheme.      Even     detached, 

isolated  masses    should   bear   a 

relation   to   every  other  portion 

of  the  arrangement.     No  pains 

are     too     great    to     spend     to 

attain     this     object.        If     the 

stone     bears    distinct   lines     of 

stratification     (such    as    in    the 

Bargate   stone),   then    the   lines 

themselves   supply   the    key   to 

the      arrangement.        On      the 

other   hand,  if    a  conglomerate, 

such    as    the    Derby    sandstone 

previously       mentioned,        the 

treatment     may    obviously     be 

much     more     free.       In     these 

stones     such      actual     lines    of 

stratification     as     are    apparent 

in      the      original      mass       are 

frequently     many      feet      apart, 

and    such     stratification     as    is 

introduced     should     be,     while 

quite      clearly     pronounced,     a 

little      less     definite      than     in 

stones   that   show  thinner   beds 

in    themselves.     In   no    case   is 

it    wise    to    lose    sight    of    the 

fact     that     some     stratification 

exists     in     all    stones.       It     is 

just    as   easy,   however,    to   err 

on     the     side     of     too     much 

"  line,"    and    this  is   frequently 

the     case     where     considerable 

experience        in       the      actual 

handling      of      the      stone      is 

absent.       Lack    of    experience, 

however,      does      not      accoimt 

for    much     of    the    bad    work 

that     is     done,     but     is     due 

to     the     absolute    inability     of 

tlie     operator     to      grasp     the 

full     significance     of     his 

work.       Many     excellent     men 


STONE    STEPS    WELL    PLACED    IN    THE    ROCK    GARDEN. 


than  ordinary  powers  of 
design,  totally  fail  in  this 
one  respect.  Every  stone 
placed  should  have  a  reason 
for  it  being  in.  its  position. 
None  should  be  used  that  is 
unnecessary,  and  one  is  far 
more  likely  to  obtain  satis- 
factory results  from  too  little 
rather  than  too  much  stone. 
Where  the  cultivation  of 
alpines  is  the  main  considera- 
tion, every  stone  should  be 
placed  with  a  slight  back- 
ward slope,  so  that  the  ledge 
formed  by  it  vrill  catch  the 
water  and  direct  it  towards 
the  roots  of  the  plants  on 
that  ledge.  There  should  be 
sufficient  soil  between  the  stones 
for  root  action  of  the  particular 
plants  to  be  grown  in  that 
position. 
Steps    and    Paths. — .\  very 

important  feature  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  rock  garden  is  the 
creation  of  steps  and  paths.  To 
maintain  a  perfectly  natural 
appearance,  these  should  be  of 
the  same  stone  as  is  used  in  the 
the  rock  garden.  They  should  be  so 
they  give  the  impression  of  being 
a  continuation  of  the  stratifi- 
cation of  the  adjoining  stone. 
This  is  really  important,  many 
an  otherwise  good  arrangement 
being  spoiled  by  the  introduc- 
tion of  paths  formed  of  another 
stone  altogether,  and  used  in 
such  a  way  that  while  they 
would  make  excellent  paths 
through  other  portions  of  the 
garden,  they  are  too  obviously 
artificial  for  the  rock  garden. 
With  regard  to  steppmg-stones, 
these  should  be  irregular  in  out- 
line, and,  in  fact,  providing  the 
upper  surface  is  sufficiently 
smooth  for  pleasant  tread,  the 
more  irregular  they  are  the 
better. 

Stepping-stones  are  useful, 
not  only  for  crossing  water,  but 
in  the  low,  marshy  places  in 
the  rock  garden,  and  can  even 
be  used  with  good  effect  to  form 
the  main  paths  (see  illustra- 
tions). Stones  used  for  this 
purpose  should  be  selected,  not 
made,  but  if  any  rough  dressing 
has  to  be  done,  the  marks  of  the 
tools  should  always  be  effaced. 
Above  all  things  avoid  arrang- 
ing stepping-stones  to  go  the 
length  of  any  piece  of  water. 
Never  make  a  crossing  for  the 
sake  of  introducing  stepping- 
stones.  The  accompanying 
simple  plans  illustrate  the  right 
(G)  and  wrong  (H)  positions 
f.ir  their  use,  which  should 
.ilmost  invariably  be  at  the 
narrowest  part  of  the  stream. 

(rEORCE     DiLLISTONE. 

('olchester. 

{To   be    concluded.] 


December  20,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


635 


THE    FLOWER    GARDEN. 

SWF.ET    PEA     NOTES. 

VARIETIES      FOR      EXHIBITION. 

Once  to  evory  aian  and  Nation  comes  the  moment  to 
decide, 
In  tlin  strife  of  Faith  and  Falsehood. 
For  the  ^'ood  or  evil  side. 

THE  Sweet  Pea  grower  has  to  make  his 
choice  of  the  varieties  he  intends 
growing,  and  when  he  views  the 
lengthy  lists  coiitaiiied  in  every  cata- 
logue he  may  be  pardoned  if  he  quails 
before  the  task,  for  the  difficulty  is 
not  so  inuch  what  to  select  as  what  to  neglect. 
The  National  Sweet  Pea  Society  has  listed  many 
"  too-much-alike  varieties,"  and  all  e.xhibitors  should 
avail  themselves  of  this  and  other  exclusive  expert 
knowledge  by  becoming,  for  the  small  annual 
sum  of  5s.,  members  of  this  society.  Some  readers 
may  think  it  superfluous  to  state  that" Sweet  Peas 
are  known  as  the  Spencer  or 
waved  varieties,  and  the 
grandiflora  or  non-waved 
varieties,  yet  many  arc  still 
ignorant  of  this  fact. 

In  making  a  selection  for 
exhibition  purposes,  the 
grower  will  be  guided  largely 
by  the  schedules  of  the  shows 
where  he  intends  competinf-. 
Personality  also  is  a  potent 
factor  in  choosing  varieties, 
for  without  a  true  love  of 
the  flower  no  real  success 
IS  possible  ;  thus,  each  cx- 
liibitor  will  select  the  varie- 
ties and  colours  he  Iike> 
most. 

A  close  study  of  the  varie- 
ties since  each  was  introduced 
enables  the  following  list, 
arranged  according  to  colour. 
to  be  recommended  as 
I  lioroughly  triistworthy  ;  and 
where  two  or  more  are  men- 
tioned, the  names  are  given, 
in  the  opinion  of  the  writer, 
in  order  of  merit.  Of  the 
novelties  offered  this  present 
.lutumn,  these  twelve  arc 
good  : 

King  White  {.\.  Dickson 
Mid  Sons). — Without  doubt 
the  largest  white  Sweet  Pea 
that  has  yet  appeared  ;  a 
vigorous  grower,  producing 
fine,  beautifully-waved  blooms, 
good  stems. 

Blue  King  (Bide).— A  Lord  Nelson  in  Spencer 
form,  good  grower,  carrying  nicely-placed  flowers 
(abundance  of  fours),  which  stand  rain  and  sunshine 
well. 

New  Marquis  (Dobbie  and  Co.), — An  improved 
stock  of  this  much-prized  mauve  variety,  and  now 
the  best  thing  in  its  class. 

Illuminator  (Burpee  and  Dobbie  and  Co.), — 
.\  richer  and  deeper  coloured  Edith  Taylor,  excel- 
ling it  also  in  growth  and  size  of  flowers.  One  of 
the  prettiest  varieties  yet  raised. 

Sincerity  (B,  W,  Deal).— A  deep  cerise,  brighter 
than  Kathlet-n,  a  novelty  of  the  previous  year,  and  it 
is  also  au  advance  un  size  of  flowers,  of  which  it  carries 
plenty  of  fiiur'i.     Au  altogether  first-class  Sweet  Pea, 

Blue  Picotee  (Dobbie  and  Co.). — A  better 
variety      than       Mrs.     Townsend,      having      more 


substance  in  the  flower.      It  makes  a  fine  bunch  for 
exhibition  purposes. 

Phyllis  (W.  J,  Unwin). — An  improved  Mrs. 
\V.  J,  Unwin,  which,  in  all  probability,  it  will 
oust  from  popular  fav^air. 

Edith  King  and  Mabel  Baccus  (W,  J,  Unwin) 
will  delight  all  lovers  of  the  Helen  Pierce  family. 
Both  are  vigorous  and  free,  and  will  please  either 
for  the  garden  or  exhibition. 

Mrs.     M'lllwrick     (Malcolm    and    Dobbie    and 
j  Co.). — A   bicolor  with   rosy   mauve   standard   and 
j  wings  of  a  deeper  tone.     A  vigorous  grower,  pro- 
ducing   plenty    of    fours.      It    is    delightful    when 
{  seen  growing  mider  glass. 

Wedgewood  (A.  Dickson  and  Sons). — .\  medium 
blue,  superior  in  size  and  colour  to  Flora  Norton 
Spencer. 

Anglian  Royalty  (E.  W.  King)  attracted  atten- 
tion at  the  Chelsea  Show,  and  lovers  of  this  colour 
should    procure    it.     It    requires    to    be    grown    in 


Dobbie's  Sunproof  Crimson  and  Maud  Holmes  ; 
scarlet — Dobbie's  Scarlet,  Red  Star  and  Scarlet 
Emperor  ;  cream  pink  (pale) — Gladys  Burt,  Mrs. 
H.  Dickson  and  Constance  Oliver ;  cream  pink 
(deep) — Margaret  Atlee,  Mrs.  R.  Hallam  and 
Doris  Usher ;  cream  flake — May  Campbell ; 
blue  flake — Loyalty  ;  orange  flake — Mrs.  W.  J. 
Unwin  ;  lavender — Lavender  George  Herbert 
(Dobbie),  R.  F.  Felton.  Moonstone  and  .'^sta  Ohn 
Spencer  ;  lilac  and  pale  mauve — Improved  Bert- 
rand  Deal  and  Bertha  Massey  ;  dark  mauve — 
Mrs.  J.  C.  House  and  Tennant  Spencer;  cerise 
(pale) — Edith  Taylor  ;  cerise  (deep) — Kathleen 
(Deal)  ;  magenta — Menie  Christie  ;  ivory — Lady 
Knox ;  maroon  and  chocolate — King  Manoel, 
Nubian  and  Red  Chief  Improved  (Bolton)  ;  maroon 
flake — Senator  Spencer  ;  picotee — -Elsie  Herbert, 
Helen  Williams  and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Breadmore. 
Orange  shades  requiring  shading  :  Orange  pink — 
Edrom  Beautv  ;    orange  scarlet — Edna  Unwin  and 


STEPPING-STONES    LAID    AS    ADVISED    IN    PLAN    G    ON    OPPOSITE    PAGE. 


mostlv   fours,    ou 


partial  shade,  but-T  did' not  see  this  variety  grow- 
ing, hence  cannot-'s.iy  fijrther  of  it. 

Qualcer  Maid  (Malcolm  and  Dobbie  and  Co.) 
was  first  seen  by  me  under  the  name  of  Grey 
Lavender.  It  is  a  large  Sweet  Pea  of  good  sub- 
stance, a  fine  free  grower,  with  flowers  having  a 
dove  grey  standard  and  blue  lavender  wings. 

Turning  to  varieties  of  previous  years,  in  whites 
we  have  Etta  Dyke,  White  Queen  and  Nora 
Unwin  ;  rose  and  carmine — Rosabelle  and  John 
Ingman  ;  blush — Agricola  and  Mrs.  Hardcastle 
Sykes  ;  pink  (pale) — Elfrida  Pearson  ;  pink 
(deep) — Hercules,  Countess  Spencer  and  Pink 
Pearl  ;  cream — Dobbie's  Cream,  Deal's  Giant 
Cream  (waved)  and  Clara  Curtis  ;  bicolor — Mrs. 
Cuthbertson,  Mark's  Tey,  .\fterglow  and  Wenvoe 
Castle ;  blue  (light) — W.  P.  Wright  and  Flora 
Norton  Spencer  ;  blue  (dark) — Lord  Nelson  Spencer 
(Sydenham)     and     Mrs.     G.     Charles  ;      crimson — 


Thomas  Stevenson  (Dobbie)  ;  salmon — Barbara 
or  Melba  ;  salmon  pink — Lady  Miller  ;  fancies — 
Charles  Foster,  Eric  Har\'ey  and  Prince  George. 

Selections  of  varieties  for  garden  decoration, 
together  with  suggestions  for  colour  effect,  will 
be  dealt  with  in  a  future  article.         S.  M.  Crow. 


RELIABLE    LILIES    FOR    GARDEN 
CULTIVATION. 

There  are  several  Oriental  Lilies  which,  while 
admirably  adapted  for  the  conservatory,  are  by 
no  means  equally  suitable,  by  reason  of  their 
susceptibility  to  atmospheric  influences,  for  garden 
cultivation,  such,  for  example,  as  nepalense, 
Lowii,  wallichianum  and  sulphureimi,  of  which, 
however,  the  distinctive  variety  last  mentioned 
sometimes  does  succeed,  as  with  Mr.  Grove  at 
Heuley-on-Thames,  during  an  exceptional  season 
of   brilliant   sunlight,    such    .as    we    had     the    rare 


636 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  20,  1913. 


privilege  of  experiencing  this  year.  But  this, 
after  all,  according  to  my  own  experience,  is  only 
the  exception  that  •  inphasises  the  prevailing  rule. 

One  of  the  most  reliable  and  enduring  of  all 
Oriental  Lilies  is  Lilium  monadelphum  szovitzi- 
anum,  a  native  of  the  Mount  Caucasus  regions 
and  of  Northern  Persia.  I  have  one  noble  specimen 
of  this  Lily  that  has  flowered  in  the  same  sheltered 
and  shady  situation  for  fifteen  years,  and  rarely 
reaches  a  height  of  less  than  8  feet,  thereby  eclipsing 
its  attainments  (for  so  Sir  Herbert  Maxwell  has 
assured  me)  at  beautiful  Monreith,  the  woods 
environing  which  residence  I  can 
see  almost  daily  from  this  manse 
across  the  spacious  Bay  of  Luce. 
L.  m.  szovitzianura  is  one  of  tlie 
loveliest  of  all  Lilies  ;  extremely 
fascinating  is  the  exquisite  citron 
colour  of  its  pendulous  flowers, 
which  have  invariably  a  memor- 
ably artistic  effect.  It  is  really  a 
much  more  charming  Lily  than 
even  the  great  Himalayan  gigan- 
teum,  which  has  this  disadvantage 
when  compared  with  m.  szovitzi- 
ajium :  that  it  takes  an  offset  at 
least  four  or  five  years  to  build  up 
its  immense  flowering  bulb.  The 
latter  is  sometimes — as  at  Monreith 
— perpetuated  by  seeds,  but  this  is 
an  extremely  protracted  process, 
making  great  demands  upon  the 
patience  of  the  most  earnest  and 
persevering  cultivator. 

It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  such 
liandsome  and  comparatively  re- 
cent introductions  as  L.  regale  and 
L.  Sargentiae  are  as  hardy  and 
vigorous  as  the  familiar  L.  Brownii 
(to  which  they  seem  to  be  some- 
what closely  affiliated)  when  growTi 
in  the  open  garden,  and  they  will 
assuredly  be  acquisitions  if  they  are 
even  more  enduring.  But  I  mucli 
regret  to  say  that  varieties  of  this 
special  type  have  never  lasted  for 
more  than  two  years  in  my  garden. 
One  short  season  has  generally 
proved  sufficient  for  the  lifetime, 
however  charming,  of  Krameri  and 
rubellum,  whose  diminutive  bulbs, 
in  our  humid  Scottish  climate,  too 
prematurely  disappear,  leaving  no 
trace  of  the  bulbous  origin  ol 
their  existence  behind. 

Speaking  from  long  and  patient 
experience,  I  would  say  that  the 
most  reliable  of  all  Oriental  and 
Occidental  Lilies  for  garden  cul- 
ture are  auratura,  especially 
platyphyllum,  and  the  attractive 
forms  Wittei  (almost  pure  white) 
and  virginale ;  szovitzianum  and 
giganteum  ;  candidum,  one  of 
the  most  graceful  and  richly  fragrant  of  all 
Lilies,  which  should  be  even  more  widely 
cultivated  (especially  for  contrast  among  beds 
of  pink  and  crimson  Roses,  as  in  Logan  Gardens 
in  this  county)  than  it  is  ;  the  equally  odorous 
washingtonianum  and  the  luminous  scarlet 
Martagon  ;  tigrinum  splendens  ;  the  various 
charmingly  contrasted  varieties  of  elegans  or 
thunbergianuin  ;  longiflorum  varieties  Wilsonii 
and  giganteum  ;  Heuryii,  pardalinuni,  Hurbaiikii 
and  speciosnm  maguificum. 

Wigtonshire.  N.B.         David   K.   Williamson. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


THE     WINTERFLOWERING 
BEGONIAS. 

HESE  Begonias  are  rapidly  coming  into 
favour  now  that  their  cultural  require- 
ments are  being  more  fully  under- 
stood. Jhey  are  the  result  of  inter- 
crossing the  pretty  Begonia  socotrana, 
a  pink-flowered  species  with  fibrous 
roots,  witli  varieties  of  the  tuberous-rooted  section, 
which  produce  such  a  gorgeous  display  during  the 


T 


WINTER-FLOVi'ERTNG    BEGONIA    OPTIMA.       THIS    HAS    BEAUTIFUL 
ORANGE    SALMON    COLOURED    FLOWERS. 


summer  months.  Two  firms  stand  out  con- 
spicuously in  raising  these  gems,  viz.,  Messrs. 
J.  Veitch  and  Sons,  Limited,  Chelsea,  and  Messrs. 
Clibran  of  Altrincham.  The  former  were  (as  in 
many  other  instances)  the  pioneers,  and  the  first 
plant  they  introduced  was  John  Heal,  named 
after  that  veteran  hybridist  who  has  served  his 
firm  for  over  fifty  years.  This  was  followed  by 
other  novelties,  such  as  Elatior,  a  semi-double 
flower  I'l  rich  rosy,  carmine  shade  ;  Ensign,  alsf) 
semi-double,  light  carmine  toned  with  scarlet  ; 
Ideala,  bright  rosy  carmine  ;    Mrs.   Heal,  brilliant 


rose  carmine  tinged  with  scarlet ;  The  Gem,  a 
fine  rosy  red ;  Winter  Cheer,  semi-double,  rose  car- 
mine ;  and  Winter  Perfection,  semi-double,  bright 
rose  pink.  Those  of  recent  introduction  embrace 
Optima,  a  lovely  shade  of  orange  salmon;  Fascinator, 
bright  salmon  ;   and  Ernita,  a  fine  orange  scarlet. 

Of  Messrs.  Clibran's  new  kinds  I  would  call 
attention  to  Scarlet  Beauty ;  Eclipse,  salmon 
scarlet;  Clibran's  Crimson;  Lucy  Clibran,  orange 
suffused  with  rose  ;  Altrincham  Pink,  apricot 
orange  suffused  with  pink ;  Miss  Clibran,  rich 
blush  pink  ;  Clibran's  Pink ;  and  Progress,  salmon 
and  orange,  all  of  which  have 
double  or  semi-double  flowers. 

Cultural  Hints. — New  varieties 
are  ol)tained  from  seed,  but  the 
amateur  and  general  gardener  will 
increase  his  stock  by  the  usual 
method.  This  is  by  cuttings,  which 
may  be  taken  any  time  from  April 
till  August.  They  are  made  from 
the  yoimg  shoots  which  form  in  the 
axils  of  the  leaves  after  the  plants 
have  completed  their  season  of  rest. 
Make  them  in  the  usual  way  by 
rutting  off  the  lower  leaves  and 
severing  the  stem  immediately 
below  a  joint.  Place  them  singly 
in  2^-inch  pots,  using  a  sandy  com- 
post, and  then  arrange  them  in  a 
hand-light  or  small  propagating- 
frame  where  the  temperature  does 
not  fall  below  70°  Fahr.  Directly 
they  have  filled  their  pots  with 
roots,  put  them  into  others  two 
sizes  larger,  and  so  on  till  they 
reach  the  flowering  size.  Cuttings 
that  are  rooted  in  the  early  months 
will  require  pots  about  six  inches 
ni  diameter,  and  a  later  batch  will 
need  4j-inch  or  5-inch  receptacles. 
A  good  rooting  medium  consists  of 
the  best  fibrous  loam,  two-thirds  ; 
leaf-mould,  one-third  ;  and  a  little 
silver  sand.  The  loam  should  be 
rather  on  the  light  side,  and  for 
full-sized  plants  a  sprinkling  of 
well-decayed  manure  may  be  in- 
corporated with  the  mixture.  The 
pots  should  have  one-fourth  of 
their  depth  filled  with  drainage, 
and  when  repotting  do  not  make 
the  compost  too  hard. 

At  this  period  of  the  year  many 
of  these  Begonias  will  be  in  flower, 
and,  when  these  are  over,  a  partial 
rest  should  be  given  until  the  end 
of  March  in  a  temperature  of  55^ 
to  60°  Fahr.  At  this  time  they 
need  very  careful  watering  ;  in 
fact,  this  may  be  said  to  be  the 
most  critical  part  of  their 
existence.  But  if  they  are  kept 
moderately  dry,  no  harm  will 
should  aim  at  giving  just  sufficient 
the  stems  and  foliage  in  a  healthy 
condition.  After  growth  commences,  the  plants 
will  need  repotting  in  the  mixture  named  above, 
and  they  ought  to  be  placed  in  a  temperature  of 
60°  or  65°  Fahr.  As  root  action  becomes  vigorous, 
more  water  may  be  given,  and  at  no  time  must 
they  be  allowed  to  suffer  from  drought.  A  somewhat 
moist  atmosphere  is  essential  throughout  the  grow- 
ing period,  but  lui  overhead  spraying  is  advised, 
and  any  condensation  of  moisture  on  I  he  leaves  is 
detrimental  to  thoir  welfare.  W.    B. 


accrue.     We 
to  maintain 


December  20,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


637 


GARDENING      FOR      BEGINNERS. 


HOW    TO     PROPAGATE     CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 


THE  Chrysanthemum  is  not  a  difficult 
plant  to  propagate.  Indeed,  it  is  one 
of  the  easiest,  and  the  majority  of 
the  varieties  produce  cuttings  very 
freely.  .Mthough  it  is  a  simple 
matter  to  increase  the  stock,  or  to 
renew  it  by  means  of  cuttings,  the  best  results 
are     only    obtained     when     these     are     carefully 


A. CHRYSANTHEMUM     SHOOTS      SUITABLE      AND 

UNSUITABLE    FOR    CUTTINGS,    AND     HOW    TO 
PREPARE    THE    GOOD    ONES    FOR    PLANTING. 

treated,  rooted  under  the  best  conditions,  and  cared 
for  afterwards  as  they  require  more  rooting  space 
and  head-room.  Amateur  cultivators  may  succeed 
in  striking  90  per  cent,  of  all  cuttings  inserted 
if  they  possess  an  ordinary  garden  frame,  and 
95  per  cent,  if  they  can  make  use  of  a  greenhouse. 
In  the  unheated  frame  there  is  much  moisture 
to  contend  with  during  the  months  of  December, 
January  and  February.  From  a  greenhouse  only 
slightly  heated,  all  excessive  moisture  can  be 
e.xpeUed.  Preference  should,  therefore,  be  given 
to  propagation  on  a  greenhouse  stage,  if  both 
frame  and  stage  are  available. 

Good  and  Bad  Cuttings. — There  are  three 
quaUties  in  cuttings  to  be  fomid  every  year, 
namely  :  Suckers  growing  from  the  soil  in  the  old 
pots  without  buds  prematurely  formed  ;  suckers 
possessing  flower-buds  ;   and  young  shoots  growing 


from  the  stems  of  the  old  plants.  The  first  named 
must  always  be  used,  if  obtain  ble  ;  the  second 
and  third  kinds  where  new  varieties  and  others 
that  are  very  shy  in  producing  cuttings  are  con- 
cerned. It  is,  however,  much  the  wisest  plan  to 
purchase  cuttings,  if  this  can  be  done.  Even  in 
the  case  of  strong  cuttings,  some  from  a  distance 
would  thrive  better  than  old  stock  that  has  been 
propagated  from  for  a  number  of  years. 

It  is  advisable  to  propagate  some  cuttings  later — 
in  January  and  February — and  when  this  course 
is  decided  upon,  select  the  strong  suckers,  remove 
all  weakly  ones,  and  so  strengthen  the  former  for 
use  in  due  time.  Now,  towards  the  end  of 
December  the  cultivator  must  make  a  selection 
of  the  varieties  he  intends  to  propagate.  They 
will  be,  first,  those  that  are  late  flowering,  followed 
by  the  medium  early,  the  earliest  of  all  being  in- 
serted at  a  later  date.  Late-flowering  sorts  should 
be  allowed  a  long  period  of  growth,  as  they  are 
naturally  late  in  making  the  first  break,  and  also 
in  producing  the  crown  bud  that  is  usually 
"  taken." 

Soil  lor  Cuttings.  —  Use  the  very  best 
procurable,  as  it  must  remain  round  the  roots 
throughout  the  growing  season.  There  can  be  no 
better  compost  than  one  made  of  fibrous  loam 
and  leaf-soil  in  equal  proportions  for  the  strong- 
growing  varietie  and  rather  more  leaf-soil  than 
loam  for  the  weak  -growing  ones.  Plenty  of  coarse 
sand  must  be  add        n  every  case. 

The  Sketches  t  :ained. — Fig.  A,  No.  i,  shows 
a  good,  free-growirij,  cutting,  the  stem  of  which 
must  be  severed  just  below  a  joint  with  a  sharp 
knife.  No.  2  represents  a  bad  cutting  with  a 
flower-bud  in  the  point  of  growth.  No.  3  shows 
a  rooted  sucker  ;  the  rooted  portion  must  not  be 
inserted ;  cut  off  the  stem  as  denoted  by  the 
dark  line.  No.  4  depicts  a  good  cutting  prepared 
for  insertion.  If  a  cutting  is  severed  between 
the  joints,  it  will  decay,  as  shown  at  No.  5.  No.  6 
represents  a  cutting  bearing  buds  ;  if  topped,  this 
kind  usually  produces  more  buds,  as  shown  at  No.  7. 

In  Fig.  B,  No.  i  shows  how  to  insert  cuttings 
round  the  side  of  a  pot  ;  No.  2,  the  callus  forming  ; 
No.  3,  the  new  roots  ;  No.  4,  a  cutting  inserted 
singly  in  a  pot  ;  No.  5,  cuttings  in  a  small  frame 
on  a  greenhouse  stage  ;  and  No.  6,  cuttings  in 
pots  in  a  cold  frame.  Water  with  care  at  all 
times,  and  ventilate  a  little  every  day.  G.  G. 


following  will  get  the  full  benefit  from  the  enriched 
soil.  It  is  only  necessary  to  keep  the  manure  in 
an  open  shed,  or  to  cover  it  sufficiently  to  prevent 
water  passing  through.  Shamrock. 


HINTS    ON     STORING    DAHLIAS. 

After  lifting,  Dahlia  tubers  should  be  well 
dried  before  storing.  For  those  possessing  ample 
suitable  accommodation,  the  actual  storing 
presents  but  little  difficulty  ;  but  there  are  many 
not  so  fortunately  situated,  and  who  hardly 
know  how  to  preserve  the  tubers  through  the 
winter.  This  latter  class  of  gardeners  should 
give  the  storing  in  clamps  a  trial,  for  when  this  is 
rightly  done  the  tubers  winter  well  and  later 
grow  satisfactorily.  Choose  a  dry  site  for  the 
clamp,  raise  the  tubers  from  direct  contact  with  the 
ground  surface  by,  first,  a  few  thorns  or  a  splined 
platform — in  either  case  well  covered  with  dry 
Wheaten  straw — and,  having  arranged  the  tubers 
pyramid  fashion,  cover  well  with  enough  dry  straw 


HINTS     ON     MANURING     SOILS. 

When  winter  comes,  the  thoughts  of  the  cultivator 
turn  to  the  question  of  manuring,  especially  in 
the  case  of  the  application  of  manure  to  the  vege- 
table groimd.  Experienced  cultivators  use  their 
judgment  and  only  apply  manure  to  heavy  soils 
now,  reserving  manures  for  light  land  until  the 
spring.  When  organic  manures  are  kept  for  several 
months,  during  the  winter  season  they  should 
be  protected  from  all  rains,  as,  if  exposed  in  large 
or  small  heaps,  the  greater  portion  of  the  plant 
food  would  be  washed  away,  and  the  better  course 
to  take  would  be  to  bury  it,  even  in  the  light  groimd. 
Heavy,  retentive  soils  may  be  manured  now,  and, 
indeed,  in  dry  weather  at  any  time  during  the 
winter ;  but  light  soils  must  not  be  manured  before 
the  months  of  February  and  March.    Then  the  crops 


6 


I777 


B. HOW    TO     PLANT   THE    CUTTINGS    AND    THEIR 

SUBSEQUENT    TREATMENT    IN     GREENHOUSE 
OR    FRAME. 

to  preserve  them  from  frost.  Now  cover  the  whole 
well  with  earth,  as  when  clamping  Potatoes, 
leaving  a  wisp  of  straw  projecting  at  the  centre 
to  ensure  ventilation,  and  then  thatch  the  clamp 
securely.  The  result  will  rarely  fail  to  please, 
and  will  solve  the  storing  difficulty.  J.  T.  B. 


638 


THE    GARDEN. 


[December  20,  1913. 


GARDENING    OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR     SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Rhododendrons. — Established  beds  uf  Rhodo- 
dendrons are  very  much  benefited  by  a  top-dressing 
of  old  spent  hot-bed  manure,  or  even  leaf-mould. 
These  being  surface-rooting  plants,  it  is  not  wise 
to  fork  over  the  beds.  Such  a  top-dressing  will 
keep  the  plants  in  a  good  vigorous  condition, 
with  the  foliage  green  and  more  or  less  erect, 
according  to  the  variety.  Starved  plants,  even 
in  the  winter,  are  yellow  in  appearance,  the  foliage 
looking  as  though  it  is  flagging. 

Hardy  Azaleas  are  also  greatly  benefited  by  a 
mulch  of  this  description.  Then,  again,  the  colour 
and  size  of  the  bloom  are  much  enhanced,  while 
the  foliage  is  larger  and  brighter. 

Flowering  Shrubs. — The  extreme  mildness 
of  the  winter  has  much  to  answer  for.  Here  in 
these  gardens  we  have  had  several  varieties  of 
the  shrubby  Spiraea  in  bloom  during  November 
and  December,  while  Berberis  Darwinii,  in  several 
instances,  has  given  a  full  crop  of  bloom.  B. 
stenophylla  is  not  so  precocious,  only  isolated 
shoots  having  opened  their  blooms ;  but  so  forward 
are  the  buds  that  one  is  greatly  concerned  as  to 
the  amount  of  damage  that  a  hard  frost  will  do, 
and  certainly  it  does  not  augur  well  for  a  good 
show  of  blossom  in  the  spring. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Bedding  Geraniums. — Where  these  are  rooted 
in  boxes  or  several  in  a  pot,  it  may  be  advisable 
to  get  them  potted  off  singly  as  soon  as  possible, 
as  they  have  made  a  good  deal  of  growth  this  autumn 
and,  being  close  together,  there  is  danger  of  their 
becoming  imduly  drawn.  It  may  be  argued  that 
it  is  early  for  this  operation,  and  so  it  is  ;  but  it 
is  better  to  do  it  now,  when,  perhaps,  there  is  more 
time,  than  to  leave  it  till  February-,  when  work  is 
generally  more  pressing. 

Pelargonium  Maxime  Kovalevsky. — This  some- 
what new  orange  scarlet  variety  should  prove 
effective  for  bedding  if  it  is  floriferous  enough. 
I  have  seen  two  or  three  beds  of  this  variety, 
and  in  each  instance  it  was  perfectly  satisfactory. 
Not  having  used  it  for  bedding  purposes,  I  cannot 
definitely  state  that  it  is  a  good  continuous 
bloomer,  but  hope  to  prove  it  during  1914. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Liliums  in  variety  that  are  being  forwarded 
for  Christmas  should  have  the  stamens  removed 
as  they  open  —  this  to  keep  the  flowers  clean  ; 
and  wherever  possible  the  plants  should  be  removed 
as  the  flowers  open  to  a  cooler  house  to  keep  them  in 
good  condition  as  long  as  possible. 

Lachenalias. — .^though  these  plants  do  not 
like  forcing  in  any  way,  those  that  are  in  frames 
may  with  advantage  be  removed  to  a  light,  airy 
house.  If  left  in  frames  too  long,  the  foliage  gets 
big  and  soft.  The  drier  atmospheric  conditions 
prevailing  in  a  house  hardens  the  foliage,  and  the 
plants  when  in  bloom  have  a  much  better  appearance. 

Freesias. — For  the  same  reason  Freesias  are 
much  better  in  a  cool  house.  Plants  that  are  well 
rooted  may  be  given  liquid  animal  manrffe  whenever 
they  are  dry,  this  being  preferable  to  artificial 
manure,  and  it  will  tend  to  increase  the  size  of  the 
blooms. 

Humea  elegans. — This  subject  requires  very- 
careful  cultivation,  especially  during  the  winter 
months.  The  plants  must  at  no  time  be  allowed  to  get 
dry,  as  this  is  fatal  to  the  foliage.  Potting  on 
also  must  be  done  before  the  roots  become  too 
densely  matted  together  in  the  pots,  and  if  in 
4j-inch  or  6-inch  pots,  the  next  shift  should  be 
mto  their  flowering  pots — 8J-inch  being  a  very 
suitable  size,  though  if  the  plants  are  warited  for 
use  in  small  groups,  a  few  should  be  left  in  fairly 
small  pots,  or  they  will  grow  too  large. 

The  Kitchen  Garden. 

Forcing  Frames  that  are  not  m  use  should, 
if  possible,  be  overhauled  and  painted,  but  do  not 
make  the  mistake  of  using  any  of  the  tar  preparations 
as  a  preventive  of  rot.  The  fumes  that  arise  from 
them  will  prove  a  nuisance  for  months.  Lettuce, 
Beans,  Radishes,  &c.,  all  being  burnt  by  them  every 
time  the  sim  comes  out  at  all  powerful,  even  though 
there  may  be  plenty  of  air  on  the  frames  at  the  time. 


During  Wet  Weather  lights  may  be  scrubbed, 
large  labels  made  and  painted,  and  stakes  sharpened 
and  arranged  in  different  lengths  for  the  various 
purposes  for  which  they  may  be  required. 

The  Root  Shed  also  should  be  looked  over 
as  the  opportimity  ofiers,  removing  any  subjects 
that  show  the  slightest  evidence  of  decay.  Late 
Potatoes  that  may  have  been  put  away  in  bulk 
should  certairdy  be  gone  over,  selecting  any  that 
may  be  required  for  seed,  while  the  really  small 
ones  should  be  given  to  the  pigs  or  poultry  after 
being  boiled. 

Rhubarb.  —  Further  supplies  should  be  put 
in  the  forcing-house,  as  with  the  turn  of  the  year 
.A.pples  and  stewing  Pears  wUl  be  scarcer,  and 
Rhubarb  is  always  welcomed  in  the  kitchen  as  a 
change. 

Lettuce  and  Cauliflower. — Seeds  may  now  be 

sown  for  early  crops  in  frames.  Of  the  former.  Golden 
BaU,  Tom  Thumb  and  AH  the  Year  Rotmd  are  the 
best  varieties  in  the  order  named  ;  while  for  Cauli- 
flowers I  have  found  Carter's  Forerunner  as  good 
as  any. 

Tomatoes. — A  sowing  of  Tomatoes  should  also 
be  made  to  succeed  those  sown  or  propagated 
from  cuttings  in  the  autumn.  Sow  thinly  and 
keep  very  near  the  glass,  or  the  seedlings  will  soon 
become  attenuated  at  this  season.  The  smaller 
varieties  of  Tomatoes  are  best  for  early  work, 
the  variety  Sunrise  being  excellent. 

The  Hardy  Fruit  Garden. 

Pruning. — This  should  be  continued  as  the  weather 
permits.  Having  made  an  early  start,  it  gives 
one  a  chance  to  select  or  choose  the  more  favourable 
days  for  pushing  on  ^'ith  the  work.  Pyramid 
and  bush  trained  .\pples  and  Pears  cannot  well 
be  kept  too  open,  and  wherever  possible  the  branches 
should  be  about  two  feet  apart,  this  allowing  a 
maximum  of  light  and  air  between  them.  In  very 
many  instances,  even  in  otherwise  well-kept 
gardens,  enough  attention  is  not  paid  to  this  matter, 
and  were  the  pruning-saw  used  rather  more,  better 
results  would  often  be  obtained  in  some  of  the  older, 
and  consequently  larger  trees. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 
Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addlestone,  Surrey. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 
The  Flower  Garden. 

Top-Dressing. — There  are  various  perennials 
which,  when  grown  in  beds  or  masses  of  any  kind, 
are  benefited  by  an  annual  top-dressing.  Lily 
of  the  Valley  is  one  of  these,  for  imless  liberally 
cultivated,  good  spikes  and  large  blooms  cannot 
be  obtained.  From  2  inches  to  3  inches  of  spent 
hot-bed  or  Mushroom  manure  makes  an  excellent 
top-dressing  either  for  Lily  of  the  Valley  or  for 
Daffodil  beds,  especially  the  commoner  varieties, 
where  they  are  grown  in  masses  for  cutting.  Dog's- 
tooth  Violets,  Scdlas  and  Grape  Hyacinths  should 
receive  about  an  inch  of  maiden  loam  ;  failing 
this,  old  potting  soU,  with  a  little  manure  such 
as  I  have  just  indicated.  Varieties  of  Primula 
Sieboldii  should  also  have  a  similar  top-dressing, 
but  only  just  deep  enough  to  cover  the  fleshy 
rhizomes. 

Marking  Bulbous  Plants. — Where  valuable 
bulbous  plants  are  interspersed  among  the  general 
run  of  hardy  border  flowers,  it  is  often  dlfdcult 
to  locate  them  when  wanted,  some  of  them  ripen- 
ing their  foliage  early  in  the  summer,  while  others 
have  not  begun  to  push  when  the  beds  or  borders 
are  being  forked  or  dug  over  in  the  spring.  To 
obviate  the  difficulty  I  have  fotmd  it  a  good  plan 
to  insert  a  green-painted  hard-wood  peg  about 
an  inch  thick  at  each  plant  or  clump.  A  stock 
of  these  pegs  could  be  made  and  painted  during  bad 
weather,  to  be  ready  for  use  when  growth  com- 
mences in  the  spring.  Oak  or  Ash  is  ven,'  suitable 
for  this  purpose. 

The  Rock  Garden. 

The    Beginner's    Selection.— Those    who    are 

commencing  rock  gardening  on   a  moderate  scale, 
and   are  imdecided   as  to  what  to  order  for  early 


spring  planting,  will  be  well  advised  not  to  be 
too  ambitious  at  the  start,  or  disappointments 
are  sure  to  follow.  Commence  with  things  that 
succeed  with  ordinary  cultivation.  One  can 
never  be  far  wrong  with  a  good  selection  of  Cam- 
panulas, Phloxes,  Primulas  (for  the  lower  reaches), 
Saxifrages,  Dianthuses,  Myosotis  rupicola,  Aubrie- 
tias,  Lithospermum  prostratum,  Saponaria  ocy- 
moides,  Veronicas  and  Viola  gracilis.  I  would 
also  include  that  gem  Daphne  blagayana.  which, 
unlike  any  of  the  foregoing,  requires  stony 
peat.  All  the  others  indicated  will  thrive  in  either 
rich  or  light  loam. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Clothing  Tree  Stumps.— Where  trees  have 
been  cut  down  to  the  ground  and  the  process  of 
grubbmg  out  the  roots  is  considered  rather  trouble- 
some, the  stumps  can  be  mounded  over  with  soil 
and  then  planted  with  some  of  the  Mossy  Saxi- 
frages or  Sedums. 

Summer-Houses. — Those  intending  to  invest 
in  a  summer-house  have  great  choice.  There  is 
the  ready-made,  portable,  revolving  type ;  also 
the  substantial  and  durable  tvpe  covered  with 
rustic  work  of  Larch,  Spruce  "or  Oak.  During 
this  autumn  I  revisited  one  in  .Aberdeenshire 
which  I  have  known  for  half  a  century.  Inside 
it  is  done  in  rustic  work  with  split  Hazel.  It 
has  been  revamished  from  time  so  time,  and  it 
looks  as  fresh  to-day  as  it  cUd  fifty  vears  ago. 
Much,  however,  can  be  said  in  favour  of  the  inex- 
pensive plain  wood  in  summer-houses,  covered 
with  natural  climbing  plants,  Honeysuckle,  Hops, 
Clematises,  Roses  and  other  quick-growing  plants. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 
The  Chrysanthemum  Order. — Those  who  intend 

purchasing  new  varieties  should  place  their  orders 
without  delay.  A  perusal  of  the  trade  lists  wall 
show  that  the  singles  are  now  in  the  ascendant, 
and  I  will  confine  myself  to  suggesting  a  few  varie- 
ties of  these  which  aire  well  worth  growing ;  Ceddie 
White,  chestnut,  with  gold  centre  ;  Ivor  Grant, 
rose  pink,  with  white  zone ;  Josephine,  golden 
yellow  ;  Manor  House  Terra  Cotta ;  Mensa, 
white ;  Golden  Mensa ;  Mrs.  Loo  Thomson,  a 
primrose  sport  from  Mensa ;  Sylvia  Slade,  rosy 
garnet,  with  white  band  round  the  disc  ;  and  Red 
Chief,  chestnut.  Ceddie  White  makes  lovely 
sprays,  but  all  the  other  varieties  indicated  had 
better  be  disbudded. 

Christmas  Decorations.  —  The  extent  and 
character  of  these  must  depend  upon  the  size  of 
the  rooms,  the  taste  of  the  owner,  and  the  quantity 
of  material  available.  Evergreens,  Holly  and 
Ivy  are  always  useful.  Berried  plants  are  generally 
acceptable.  Solanums,  Rivinia  humilis,  Cratsegus 
Pyracantha,  Cotoneaster  microphylla,  C.  Simonsii 
and  Skimmia  japonica  are  all  eligible.  White 
flowers,  too,  are  always  in  good  taste,  and  should 
include  Roman  and  other  white  Hyacinths,  Paper- 
White  Narcissus,  Ldium  Harrisii  and  Lily  of  the 
Valley.  Simplicity  should  be  the  aim  of  the 
decorator.  A  trail  of  Ivy  twined  naturally  roimd 
the  stem  of  a  tall  reading  lamp  cannot  be  improved 
upon,  nor  can  a  sprig  of  berried  Holly  in  the  hand 
of  a  statuette. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Potting  Off  Early  Tomatoes. — Where  Tomato 

seed  was  sow-n  last  month  for  early  use,  the  seed- 
lings will  now  be  fit  for  potting  oft',  and  care  must 
be  taken  with  the  seedlings,  or  damping  off  is 
likely  to  ensue.  Use  2j-inch  pots  and  employ  a 
fairly  sandy  loam  mthout  any  fertiliser.  Instead 
of  placing  the  plant  in  the  centre  of  the  pot,  put 
it  on  one  side,  and  this  will  reduce  the  risk  of 
damping  off.  Place  the  plants  m  as  light  a  position 
as  possible,  with  a  temperature  of  about  55°,  and 
water  rather  sparingly.  Retain  the  surplus  plants 
for  a  time,  lest  damping  off  should  take  place. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 

Top-Dressing  Mint. — Mmt  is  a  very  exhausting 
crop,  and  should  receive  a  good,  rich  top-dressing 
annually.  The  early  spring  is  perhaps  the  ideal 
time  for  this ;  but  a  hundred  things  require 
attention  then,  and  it  can  be  done  now  with 
advantage. 

Greens. — Do  not  throw  away  the  stems  when  the 
plants  have  been  cut  over  ;  they  will  yield  a  second 
crop  in  the  sprmg.  Charles  Comi-ort. 

Broomfield  Gardens,  Davidson^  Mains,  Midlothian, 


December  20,  1913.] 


THE    GARDEN. 


639 


GARDENING    ACROSTICS. 

A   S  announced  in  our  issue  for  November  22, 

/%  we    are    publishing    eight     gardening 

/   %         acrostics,  to  be  divided  into  two  sets  of 

/       %        four  each.    Each  light  correctly  guessed 

•  *      will  count  one,  and  also  each  "  first  " 

and    each    "  last."     Thus,    supposing 

the    whole    is    China    (6rsts),    Aster    (lastsl,    the 

full    marks    will    be    seven — one    for    China,    one 

for    .-^ster,    and    one   for   each    of   the    five   lights 

C  .   .   .  A,     H  .  .   .  S,    I  .  .  .  T,    N  .  .  .   E    and 

A  .   .  .   R.      Hence,    suppose    a    competitor    got 

everything  right  but  the  light  I  ...  T,  he  would 

count  si.x,  and  it  would  not  matter  if  he  attempted 

to  solve  that  particular  light  or  not. 

Those  entering  for  the  acrostics  must  observe 
the  rules  published  on  page  607  of  the  issue  for 
December  6. 


DOUBLE     ACROSTIC     No.   3. 

Firsts — One  of  the  oldest  artificial  forms  of 
gardening.     Matius  introduced  me  into  Rome. 

Lasts — The  very  latest  absurdity  of  our  neigh- 
bours across  the  Channel. 

1.  The  author  of  these  lines  : 

■'  How  well  the  skilful  gardener  drew 
Of  flowers,  and  herbs,  this  dial  new  ; 
Where  from  above  the  milder  sun 
Does  through  a  fragrant  zodiac  run, 
And  as  it  works,  the  industrious  bee 
Computes  its  time  as  well  as  we  ! 
How  could  such  sweet  and  wholesome  hours 
Be  reckoned  but  with  herbs  and  flowers." 

2.  The  surname  of  the  man  who  first  wrote  an 

English     book    on     flowers,     not     in     the 
"  herbal  "  style. 

3.  A  mysterious  disease,  so  affecting  the  leaves 

of  certain  trees  as  to  suggest  its  name. 

4.  A  chorister  and  courtier,  a  farmer  and  poet, 

from    whom   we   get    many   pre-Gerardian 
hints  about  English  gardens. 

5.  A   species   of   Tree   Mallow   known   to   Aber- 

crombie,  but  which  only  last  year  received 
an  award  of  merit. 

6.  .\  Pear  of  Shakespeare's  day,  possibly  intro- 

duced by  Leland. 

7.  Devil's  Dye. 

S.  I  am  half  covered  with  a  cupula. 
1).  The  Swan  River  Everlasting. 

10.  Stored  up  by  the  Dahlia. 

11.  A  special  bite  noire  of  Repton's. 

Solulions  of  the  above  must  be  sent  so  as  to  reach 
the  Editor  at  20,  Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden, 
London,  W.C.,  not  later  than  the  first  post  on  Saturday, 
December  27.  Mark  the  envelope  "Acrostic"  in 
the  top  left-hand  corner. 


SOLUTION  AND   NOTES   OF   DOUBLE 
ACROSTIC    No.  1. 

CLIMBER  — TENDRIL. 

*  I.     C  AS  T 

t    2.  L  ETTUC  E 

t    3.  I  -XIOLIRIO  N 

§   4.  M  AUN  D 

II    5.  B  AKE  R 

U    6.  E  ICHLER  I 

**    7.  R  UNCIVAL  L 

*  Flower-pots  are  usually  sold  by  the  "  cast  " — 
sixty  small  3-inch  pots  go  to  a  cast,  t  See 
■'  History  of  Cultivated  Vegetables,"  second 
edition.  Vol.  I.,  pages  316  and  317,  by  H.  Phillips. 
X  The  Ixiolirion  tatariciun  is  probably  hardy  in 
light,  sandy  soils  ;  it  has  lovely  blue  flowers,  which 
remind  people  of  Freesias  ;  they  last  well  in  water. 
§  The  quotation  is  from  Mrs.  Earle's  "  Pot-pourri 


in  a  Surrey  Garden."  ||  J.  G.  Baker  of  Kew. 
1  Eichleri  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  newer 
"  species "  Tulips  for  garden  decoration  ;  see 
Botanical  Magazine,  plate  6191  •*  Tusser,  who 
wrote  "  Five  Hundred  Pointes  of  Good  Hus- 
b.indrie,"  thus  speaks  of  the  runcivall  pea  : 
■'  Dig  garden,  stroy  mallow,  now  may  ye  at  ease, 

And  set  (as  a  dainte)  thy  runcivall  pease." 
— Quoted  in  "  History  of  Gardening  in  England," 
third  edition,  page  86. 


RESULT    OF     ACROSTIC     No.    I. 

In  accordance  with  our  rules,  it  was  possible 
for  competitors  to  get  nine  marks  for  this  acrostic, 
one  for  each  of  the  seven  lights  and  one  for  each 
correct  "  first  "  or  "  last."  The  following  marks 
have  been  awarded  : 

Nine  marks.—"  W.  R.  D.,"  "  Elm,"  R.  Chap- 
man, "  White  Lady,"  "  Hero  "  and   L.  A.  Louden. 

Eight  marks. — "  Mona,"  "  Nautilus,"  "  Jan," 
G.  Tolson,  "  Ping,"  "  Erbel,"  "  Rusticus," 
"Judith,"  "  Penwame,"  "  Westbank,"  "  Shelah  " 
and  "  Tortoise." 

Seven  marks.  —  "  Iris,"  "  Tempus  Fugit," 
"  E.  C.  F.,"  "  Miss  Marindin,"  Mrs.  Devenish 
"  Miller  "  and  "  Boarsvale." 

Six  marks.- — "  Anna  Olivier "  and  William 
Slocombe. 

Five  marks. — "  St.  Kevins,"  "  Mowgli,"  G.  D. 
King  and  "  P.  P." 

Four  marks. — A.  Henderson. 

Two  marks. — "  Teutamen,"  M.  Browne,  Wm. 
.\cwalt  and  G.  B.  Bassett. 

One  mark. — "  Glevum." 


OBITUARY. 

MARTIN    JOHN     SUTTON. 

It  is  with  deep  regret  that  we  have  to  record  the 
death,  in   his  sixty-fourth  year,  of  Mr.   Martin  J. 


Sutton,  J.P.,  which  occurred  suddenly  on  Sun- 
day last  at  the  Piccadilly  Hotel,  London. 
He  was  the  head  of  the  famous  Reading  firm,  and 
had  been  staying  in  London  for  the  Smithfield 
Club  Show,  of  which  he  was  a  vice-president.  An 
anaesthetic  had  been  administered  to  him  for  a 
dental  operation,  and  death  ensued.  Mr.  Sutton 
was  the  eldest  son  of  the  late  Mr.  Martin  Hope 
Sutton,  who,  with  his  brother,  .-Ufred,  founded  the 
seed  establishment  at  Reading.  He  entered  the 
business  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  in  1871,  when  he 
came  of  age,  was  taken  into  partnership  by  his 
father  and  uncle.  In  1887  he  became  head  of  the 
firm,  and  continued  so  until  his  death.  It  was  in 
agricultural  circles  that  Mr.  Sutton  was  most 
widely  known.  For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  centurj' 
he  was  a  leading  member  of  the  Royal  Agricultural 
Society,  while  he  was  connected  %vith  various  other 
societies,  including  the  Bath  and  West  Society, 
the  Royal  Counties  Society  and  the  Smithfield 
Club.  Mr.  Sutton  was  much  appreciated  as  a 
writer  on  agricultural  subjects,  his  best-known 
work  being  "  Permanent  and  Temporary'  Pastures." 
To  the  end  he  continued  to  supervise  actively  the 
business  of  the  firm,  and  only  a  few  months  ago, 
in  conjunction  with  his  brothers  and  sons,  he 
conducted  the  negotiations,  so  important  in  the 
horticultural  world,  in  taking  over  Messrs.  Veitch's 
seed  business  and  the  nursery  at  t.angley,  Slough. 
Mr.  Sutton  was  a  great  philanthropist,  being  a 
generous  subscriber  to  religious,  social  and  other 
clubs.  He  was  a  Knight  of  Grace  of  the  Order  of 
the  Hospital  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem  in  England 
and  a  Chevalier  of  the  legion  of  Honour.  H? 
resided  at  Wargrave  Manor,  Berkshire,  and  was  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Reading  and  for  Oxfordshire, 
a  member  of  the  Berkshire  County  Council,  and 
Mayor  of  Reading  in  1904.  Mr.  Sutton  was  twic« 
married,  his  second  marriage  taking  place  in  1912. 
There  are  two  sons  and  a  daughter  by  the  first 
marriage,  the  latterjbeing  the  wife  of  the  Vicar  of 
Wargrave. 

JOHN    PEARSON. 

Mr.  John  Pearson,  the  gardener  at  Beechwood, 
Murrayfield,  Edinburgh,  died  on  December  10, 
and  many  will  receive  the  news  of  his  death  with 
regret.  Mr.  Pearson  was  in  his  seventieth  year, 
and  was  much  respected  for  his  character  and  for 
his  ability  as  a  gardener. 


THE    LATE    MARTIN    JOHN    SUTTON. 
(.Phcta  BtliM  and  Pri,.) 


ANSWERS 
TO     CORRESPONDENTS. 

THE     GREENHOUSE. 

ARDM  LILIES  GONE  WRONG  (.Reader).— U  the  plants 
were  healthy  before,  we  should  say  that  the  cause  of  the 
leaves  bemg  discoloured  and  turning  yellow  must  lie 
found  in  the  soil  or  m  the  water  given  them.  Have  you 
used  artificial  mamu-es  too  freely,  or  have  you  given  toe 
much  soot  ? 

BEGONIA  GLOIRE  DE  SCEADX  {W.  H.).— ThU 
Begonia  was  raised  by  MM.  Thibault  et  Keteleer  of  Sceaux 
in  France,  and  distributed  by  them  in  1885.  By  the 
raisers  it  was  announced  as  a  hybrid  between  Begon» 
socotrana  and  B.  sub-peltata,  but  doubts  have  before 
now  been  expressed  as  to  whether  B.  socotrana  had  any 
part  in  its  origin.  At  all  events,  no  fiuther  information 
on  the  pomt  can  be  gahied.  It  is  Indeed  a  beautiful 
Begonia,  regarded  either  from  a  flowering  or  foliage 
point  of  view. 

ADVICE  ABOUT  A  GREENHOUSE  (N.  B.  i)— Th,e 
amount  of  ventilation  required  in  the  greenhouse  will 
to  a  certaui  e.xtent  depend  upon  the  class  of  plants  yon 
intend  to  grow  therein.  It  is,  however,  a  good  plan  to 
ensure  ample  ventilation,  and  the  ventilators  not  required 
may  be  kept  closed.  Of  course,  the  main  ventilation 
will  be  at  the  apex  of  the  roof,  and  may  be  arranged  in 
various  ways.  If  the  house  has  a  lantern  on  the  top, 
the  side  of  the  lantern  may  be  hinged  on  the  upper  part 
and  open  at  the  bottom  by  means  of  a  ratchet  acthig  on 
all  the  ventilators  at  the  same  thne.     This  is,  of  course, 


640 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  20,  1913. 


the  most  expensive  system  of  all,  but  decidedly  the  best- 
Another  plan,  if  there  is  no  lantern,  is  to  have  hinged 
lights  along  the  top,  extending  the  whole  lenstli  of  the 
house,  but  disposed  alternately.  These  should  be  so 
arranged  as  to  allow  of  the  opening  being  15  inches  in 
depth.  This  will  be  enough  roof  ventilation,  even  on  a 
hot  day.  Besides  this,  three  traps  should  be  worked  in 
each  of  the  side  walls  at  about  half  their  height.  These 
traps,  if  18  inches  long  and  8  inches  or  9  inches  wide, 
will  be  extremely  useful  for  opening,  especially  in  bad 
weather.  The  height  of  the  central  stage  will,  of  course, 
depend  upon  the  plants  that  are  intended  to  stand  thereon, 
but  3  feet  would  for  general  purposes  be  a  very  good  height. 
TREATMENT  OF  OLIVIAS  (Anxiety).— The  Clivias 
that  have  been  outside  during  the  summer  should  be 
wintered  in  a  greenhouse  In  which  a  minimum  night 
temperature  of  45°  feo  48"  is  maintained.  They  should, 
during  the  winter,  be  kept  on  what  is  usually  termed  the 
"dry"  side,  that  is  to  say,  enough  water  must  be  given 
to  keep  the  soil  moderately  moist,  but  on  no  account  must 
they  be  watered  till  they  absolutely  require  it.  Clivias 
flower,  as  a  rule,  during  the  spring"  months,  but  one  or 
two  uncommon  kinds  bloom  in  autumn  and  \vintor. 
If  the  roots  are  in  good  condition,  the  plants  will  stand  for 
three  or  four  years  without  repotting,  and  keep  in  good 
health  even  if  they  are  pot-bound.  A  10-inch  pot  should 
be  sufficient  for  a  large  specimen.  If  repotting  is  necessary, 
it  must  be  done  immediately  after  flowering,  using  a 
compost  made  up  principally  of  fibrous  loam,  with  a  little 
leaf-mould  and  sand,  and,  if  available,  some  small  nodules 
of  charcoal.  Throughout  the  summer  the  plants  may  be 
watered  somewhat  liberally,  but  the  newly-potted  ones  will 
not  require  so  much  water  as  those  that  are  estabhshed. 
These  last  may,  when  growing,  be  assisted  with  an 
occasional  stimulant,  either  one  of  the  many  plant  foods 
now  on  the  market  or  a  mixture  of  liquid  manure  and  soot- 
water  combined.  In  any  case,  as  with  all  plants  that 
have  thick  fleshy  roots,  only  a  weak  dose  of  stimulant 
must  be  given,  otherwise  the  roots  may  be  injured. 

MISCEI.LANEOUS. 

SHRUB  FOR  A  LOW  PORCH  (R.  W.  ii.).— You  will 
find  Berberidopsis  corallina  a  suitable  climber  for  the 
position  indicated.  It  is  a  native  of  Chili,  and  bears  a 
profusion  of  showy,  coral  red  blossoms.  It  has  also  the 
merit  of  being  evergreen. 

MILLIPEDES  (3.  A.  F.)— The  little  pests  you  send 
are  millipedes.  They  are  extremely  troublesome  pests, 
and  very  diflQcult  to  eradicate.  They  feed  on  all  sorts  of 
fleshy  roots  and  even  large  seeds,  and  do  enormous  damage. 
Liming  the  soil  is  the  best  method  of  dealing  with  them, 
but  where  plants  are  growing  this  cannot  be  easily  done, 
and  it  would  be  well  to  bury  pieces  of  Potato  or  Carrot, 
marking  the  places  with  sticks,  and  examine  and  remove 
the  captures  every  few  days,  dropping  them  into  paraffin 
or  boiling  water. 

PLASTER  OF  PARIS  AS  A  MANURE  (E.  L.  B.).— 
You  may  certainly  use  the  plaster  of  Paris  moulds  in 
the  way  you  suggest.  Plaster  of  Paris  is  sulphate  of 
lime  or  gypsum  from  which  the  water  of  crystallisation 
has  been  expelled,  and  which  takes  up  water  when  it  is 
able  to  get  it  again  and  sets  in  a  hard  mass.  If  this  mass 
be  ground  again  to  a  powder,  it  is  practically  the  same  as 
sulphate  of  lime,  and  may  be  added  to  soil  for  the  same 
purpose  as  that  substance  is  used.  The  sulphate  is  not 
quite  so  good  in  counteracting  acidity  of  the  soil  as  are 
some  of  the  other  forms  of  lime,  but  at  the  same  time  it 
has  a  very  beneficial  elfect  upon  the  soil,  and  both  clays 
and  sands  are  made  more  productive  by  its  use. 

NAMES  OF  PLANTS.  — TT.  E.  P.—l,  Solanum  jas- 
minoidcs  ;  2,  CoroniUa  Bmerus;  3,  Nephrolepis  cordifolia  ; 

4,    Campanula   isophylla. C.  5.  S.  J.,  Edinburgh. — 1. 

Thymus  Serpyllum  lanuginosus;  2,  Saxifraga  cuneifolia  ; 
3,  Veronica  etliptica;  4,  Lonicera  species,  cannot  name 
without  flowers;  5,  Erysimum  nipestre;  6,  Tolmitea 
Menziesii ;  7,  cannot  name  without  flowers  ;  8.  Erigeron 
alpinus  variety ;  9,  Claytonia  sibirica  (probably) ;  10, 
Sedum  prealtum;  11,  Selaginella  kraussiana  ;  12.  Trades- 
cantia  crassifolia. 


SOCIETIES. 


THE    NATIONAL    ROSE    SOCIETY. 

Thk  annual  general  meeting  of  the  above  society  was  held 
at  the  Westminster  Palace  Hotel,  Victoria  Street,  West- 
minster, on  Thursday,  the  11th  inst.  Mr.  C.  E.  Shea,  the 
president,  was  in  the  chair,  and  a  large  number  of  members 
were  present.  After  the  minutes  of  the  previous  meeting 
had  been  taken  as  read,  scrutineers  of  the  ballot  were 
appointed,  these  being  Messrs.  C.  C.  Williams  and  H.  E. 
Mount.  Before  commencing  to  read  the  report  of  the 
Council  for  1913,  Mr.  E.  Mawley,  V.M.H.,  the  hon.  secretary, 
read  a  telegram  from  Mr.  E.  T.  Cook,  president  of  the  Eose 
Society  of  Canada,  conveying  good  wishes  from  the 
Canadian  Society  to  the  National  Rose  Society.  The 
following  are  the  salient  points  of  the  report : 

"  During  the  past  twelve  months,  with  one  exception, 
more  new  members  have  joined  the  society  than  in  any 
previous  year.  For  the  flrst  time  in  the  history  of  the 
society  the  number  of  members  exceeds  six  thousand. 

In  order  to  encourage  growing  Roses  under  glass,  a 
new  departure  this  year  was  made  by  holding  a  spring 
show  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Hall,  Westmmster,  on 
May  1.  Considering  it  was  the  first  exhibition  of  the  kind 
ever  held  In  this  country,  and  that  the  cold  and  sunless 
weather  somewhat  upset  the  grower's  calculations  as  to 
the  date,  it  must  be  regarded  as  having  been,  on  the  whole. 


a  success,  and  judging  from  the  interest  displayed  by  the 
members  and  their  friends  in  the  exhibits,  this  spring 
Rose  show  of  the  society  promises  to  become  an  extremely 
helpful  and  popular  exhibition. 

The  metropolitan  show  again  took  place,  by  the  kind 
permission  of  the  President  and  Council  of  the  Royal 
Botanic  Society,  in  their  beautiful  gardens  in  Regent's 
Park,  the  date  of  the  exhibition  being  July  4.  Favoured 
by  the  season  and  the  weather  on  and  before  the  show 
day,  this  proved  the  largest  and  finest  exhibition  the 
society  has  ever  held.  The  attendance  of  members  and 
their  friends  was  also  larger  than  on  any  previous  occasion. 
The  provincial  show  took  place  at  Gloucester  on  July  15. 
This,  too,  was  a  fine  and  extensive  exhibition  ;  indeed, 
larger  than  either  of  the  three  previous  provincial  shows. 
The  arrangements  for  the  exhibition  were  excellent,  and 
admirably  carried  out  by  the  hon.  secretary,  Mr.  W.  H. 
Pickford,  assisted  by  other  members  of  the  local  committee. 
The  autumn  exhibition,  which  was  held  in  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Hall,  Westminster,  on  September  11  and  12, 
proved  one  of  the  smallest  and  least  attractive  shows  of 
the  kind  the  society  has  yet  held.  This  was,  no  doubt, 
owing  to  the  dry  and  otherwise  unfavourable  character 
of  the  weather,  so  far  as  Roses  were  concerned,  during  the 
summer  and  early  autumn  of  this  year. 

During  the  past  year  the  *  Rose  Annual  for  1913,' 
containing  for  the  flrst  time  some  coloured  illustrations, 
was  distributed  to  the  members  in  April,  while  a  new  edition 
of  the  '  Official  Catalogue  of  Roses  '  was  sent  out  In 
November. 

At  the  last  annual  general  meeting  the  Dean  Hole 
Memorial  Medal  was  awarded  to  Mr.  George  Dickson  of 
Newtownards,  County  Down,  Ireland,  for  the  great  services 
he  has  rendered  to  the  Rose  during  the  past  half  century 
in  raising  so  many  new  Roses  of  special  merit,  and  as  one 
of  the  most  successful  pioneers  in  the  scientific  hybridisa- 
tion of  Roses. 

The  number  of  societies  in  affiliation  with  the  National 
Rose  Society  is  now  fifty-five,  or  about  the  same  as  in  the 
previous  year. 

The  Council  record,  with  regret,  the  death  in  January 
last  of  Mr.  Alfred  Tate,  since  1904  a  vice-president  of  the 
society,  and  a  keen  rosarian.  His  Rose  garden  at  Leather- 
head  was  the  largest  and  finest  in  the  kingdom,  and  his 
exhibits  of  decorative  Roses  were  the  best  ever  staged  by 
an  amateur.  He  was  regarded  with  the  highest  esteem 
by  all  who  knew  him. 

They  also  regret  to  announce  the  death  in  October  last 
of  Mr.  J.  T.  Strange,  whose  genial  nature  endeared  him  to 
all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  in  the  Rose  world.  He 
was  one  of  the  society's  oldest  members,  having  joined 
the  National  Rose  Society  in  1877,  when  he  was^at  once 
elected  on  the  Council,  and  last  year  he  became  a  vice- 
president  of  the  society. 

Judging  by  the  amount  received  in  gate-money  from 
the  general  public  at  the  exhibition  in  the  Royal  Botanic 
Gardens  there  was  a  good  attendance  of  visitors.  The 
receipts  from  all  sources  during  the  past  year,  including 
a  balance  from  the  previous  year  of  £442  12s.  2d.,  amounted 
to  £4,061  6s.  5d.,  and  the  expenditure  to  £3,586  10s.  6d., 
leaving  a  balance  at  the  bankers  of  £474  15s.  lid.,  after 
£500  had  been  placed  to  the  reserve  fund,  which  now 
stands  at  £2,000. 

During  the  past  year  1,045  new  members  have  joined 
the  society,  or  a  greater  number  than  in  any  previous 
year  except  1910,  when  the  number  of  new  members 
was  1,050.  Allowing  for  the  losses  by  death  and  resigna- 
tion, the  total  number  of  members  is  now  6,035.  Taking 
the  year  as  a  whole,  nearly  three  new  members  a  day  have 
l>een  added  to  the  list  of  membership. 

The  spring  show  will  take  place  in  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Hall,  Vincent  Square,  W'estminster,  on  St.  George's 
Day,  Thursday.   April  23. 

The  metropolitan  exhibition  will  be  held  in  the  Royal 
Botanic  Gardens,  Regent's  Park,  on    Tuesday,  July  7. 

The  provincial  exhibition  will  take  place,  at  the  invita- 
tion of  the  Mayor  and  Corporation  of  Bath,  in  the  Sydney 
Gardens  of  that  city  on  Thursday,    July  16. 

The  autumn  exhibition  will  be  held  in  the  Royal  Horti- 
cultural Hall,  Vincent  Square,  Westminster,  on  Thursday, 
September  24." 

The  financial  statement  was  next  read  by  the  hon. 
treasurer  Mr.  G.  W,  Cook. 

The  president,  in  proposing  the  adoption  of  the  report 
and  financial  .statement,  welcomed  the  ladies  who  were 
present,  and  drew  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  year 
had  been  one  of  records  and  the  most  satisfactory  in  the 
annals  of  the  society.  They  had  put  by  the  biggest  sum 
by  £200  than  they  had  ever  put  on  deposit  before.  The 
literature  sent  out  had  been  better  than  ever.  There  was 
still  more  and  better  to  come,  so  that  members  would  get 
more  than  value  for  their  money.  The  proposition  was 
seconded  by  Mr.  Frank  Cant.  In  doing  so,  he  said  the 
balance  sheet  spoke  for  itself.  He  thought  the  distribution 
of  useful  literature  was  one  of  the  wisest  steps  the  Council 
ever  took. 

Mr.  Lewis  Pawle  said  he  thought  it  was  unwise  to  keep  in- 
vesting in  Consols.  Mr.  Johnson  said  he  would  like  to  see 
ladies  on  the  Council.  He  criticised  the  methods  of  voting. 
That  afternoon  one  hundred  or  so  members  had  elected 
the  Council.  All  the  county  members  were  disfranchised. 
He  would  like  a  postal  vote.  Mr.  W.  J.  Grant  supported 
this.  Mr.  E.  J.  Holland  spoke  against  the  postal  vote, 
and  also  said  that  it  was  quite  open  for  ladies  to  be  put  on 
the  Council  if  members  would  take  the  trouble  to  nominate 
them.  The  report  and  financial  statement  were,  after 
other  friendly  discussion,  carried  unanimously. 

The  chairman  then  proposed  that  an  honorarium  of 
£150  be  granted  Mr.  Mawley  as  an  appreciation  of  his 
services.  This  was  seconded  by  Mr.  G.  W.  Cook.  Mr. 
Mawley  had  done,  and  was  still  doing,  a  vast  amount 
of  valuable  work  for  the  society,  and  they  could  well  afford 


to  increase  his  honorarium  from  £100  to  £160.  This  was 
unanimously  agreed  to  with  acclamation.  Mr.  Mawley, 
in  responding,  said  the  most  difiicult  nut  he  ever  had  to 
crack  was  to  express  his  appreciation  of  what  had  been 
said. 

The  next  business  was  the  alteration  of  certain  niles 
and  by-laws,  full  particulars  of  which  had  been  sent  t« 
every  member.  Only  one  of  these,  viz.,  By-law  No.  7, 
gave  rise  to  any  appreciable  discussion.  The  proposed 
alterations  in  this  by-law  were  for  the  purpose  of  more 
clearly  defining  what  is  meant  by  an  amateur,  and  we 
pnblish  this  herewith,  the  alterations  being  in  italics : 
"  By  the  word  nurseryman  is  understood  a  person  who 
maintains  a  garden,  or  other  horticultural  establishment, 
for  the  purpose  of  returning  him  a  profit.  By  the  word 
amateur  is  understood  a  person  who  maintains  a  garden 
with  a  view  to  his  owti  use  and  enjoyment,  and  not  for  the 
purpose  of  gaining  a  profit.  No  person  shall  be  allowed  to 
compete  as  an  amateur  who  sells  Rose  plants.  Rose  blooms, 
or  buds  for  budding.  As  exceptions  to  the  foregoing  (a) 
an  amateur  may  sell  his  Rose  plants  when  giving  up  posse.tsion 
of  the  garden  or  place  ivhere  they  hare  been  grou>n,  and  [b) 
an  amateur  may  sell  new  seedlings  or  sports  of  his  own 
raising,  but  only  to  nurserymen.  No  person  shall  be  allowed 
to  compete  as  an  amateur  ivho  is  a  resident  member  of  a  house- 
hold where  a  nursenj  business  is  carried  on,  nor  any  person 
ivho  issues  a  catalogue  or  price  list  of  Roses,  buds  for  budding, 
or  other  horticultural  produce.  No  lady  may  exhibit  as 
an  amateur  who  is  engaged  in  the  fioral  or  horticultural 
trade,  or  who  is  herself  a  paid  gardener,  or  paid  fioral 
decorator,  or  who  is  a  resident  member  of  the  familv  of  one 
engaged  in  such  trade  or  employment.  Anv  objection 
raised  as  to  the  rightful  qualification  of  an  exhibitor  shall 
be  referred  to  the  Council  for  arbitration,  and  their  decision 
shall  be  final  and  binding  on  all  parties." 

Dr.  Waddell,  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Pemberton  and  one  or  two 
others  protested  against  the  proposed  alterations,  on  the 
grounds  that  amateurs  who  raised  new  seedlings  were 
deprived  from  recuperating  themselves  financially  to  the 
fullest  extent.  It  was  to  the  amateur  that  they  must  look 
for  new  breaks  in  seedling  Roses,  and  the  National  Rose 
Society  ought  to  encourage  amateurs  instead  of  putting 
obstacles  in  their  way.  After  a  good  deal  of  discussion 
the  proposed  alterations  were  carried  by  a  large  majority. 
The  ballot  for  election  of  members  of  the  Council  resulted 
in  all  the  proposed  members  being  elected  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Mr.  R.  F.  Felton. 

After  the  meeting  a  conversazione  was  held,  when  light 
refreshments  were  served,  or,  rather,  scrambled  for,' to 
the  accompaniment  of  delightful  music.  We  would  suggest 
that  the  Council  another  year  hold  this  pleasant  gathering 
at  the  Albert  Hall  or  some  other  large  building,  so  that 
the  large  number  of  members  and  friends  can  meet  in 
comfort. 


Proposed    Edinburgh    Winter    Garden,— For 

a  considerable  time  a  proposal  to  erect  a  winter 
garden  in  the  West  Princes  Street  Gardens,  Edin- 
burgh, has  been  under  the  consideration  of  the 
Town  Council,  and  several  schemes  have  had  much 
attention  paid  to  them.  The  proposals  were 
decidedJy  advanced  at  a  meeting  of  the  sub- 
committee appointed  for  the  purpose  of  considering 
the  matter  on  December  ii,  when  it  was  unani- 
mously agreed  to  recommend  to  the  Lord  Provost's 
Committee,  which  has  charge  of  the  consideration 
of  the  subject,  that  a  winter  garden  be  erected. 
Should  the  committee  accept  the  scheme,  and  should 
it  be  agreed  to  by  the  Town  Council,  the  City  of 
Edinburgh  would  be  in  possession  of  a  structure 
which  would  be  a  source  of  much  advantage  and 
enjoyment  not  only  to  the  citizens,  but  also  to  the 
many  visitors.  At  present  the  latter  have  few 
public  places  in  which  to  shelter  in  inclemen  t 
weather,  except  the  somewhat  dreary  expanse  of 
the  Waverley  Market  under  its  ordinary  conditions. 
The  scheme,  which  has  been  prepared  by  Mr.  J.  W. 
M'Hattie,  the  Parks  Superintendent,  and  Mr.  J.  A. 
Williamson,  City  Superintendent  of  Works,  is 
estimated  to  cost  about  ten  thousand  pounds. 
It  provides  for  the  erection  of  a  winter  garden 
composed  of  stonework  and  steel,  and  situated 
at  the  east  end  of  the  West  Princes  Street  Gardens, 
next  the  Mound,  and  in  what  is  at  present  about 
the  least  attractive  part  of  these  gardens.  The 
building  would  provide  seating  accommodation 
for  a  large  number  of  persons,  with  suitable 
provision  for  plants,  together  with  promenades 
decorated  with  flowers  and  plants.  The  plans 
appear  to  be  excellent  in  conception  and  in  design. 


***  The  Yearly  Subscription  to  The  Garden  is  :  Inland 
s.  Gd.  ;   Foreign,  8s.  9d. 


life^ 


s^^t^r-^- 


GARDEN. 


-:a^= 


IiS5^^^«^''^         ^  M 


No.  2197.— Vol.  LXXVIl. 


December  27,  1913. 


CONTENTS. 


841 


Notes  of  the  Week 
Correspondence 
Snow  in  the  garden 
Hints   to   compilers 

of  schedules 
Which  is  the  Guern- 
sey Lily  ?    . .      . . 
Early   Tomatoes   in 

Canada 
Acantholimon  venus- 

tum      

Forthcoming  events. . 

t'LowER  Garden 
The   herbaceous 
Spiraeas 
Some    PEOUUiRiTiES 

OF  Mistletoe 
Kitchen  Garden 
Seasonable  notes  on 
vegetables  . . 
Greenhouse 
Greenhouse  Heuths  in 

winter (>i5 

EOCK  AND  Water  Garden 
The   designin;;,  con- 
struction       and  ' 
planting    of    rock 
gardens        . .      . .     646  \ 


642 
642 


642 
643 


643 
843 


643 


644 


644 


Rock  and  Water  Garden 
The  Gibraltar  Candy- 
tuft       846 

Trees  and  Shrubs 
Trees     and    shrubs 
with    ornamental 

bark     647 

Rose  Garden 
In  a  Hampshire  gar- 
den        647 

New   and   Rare 

Plants 648 

The  Tangierian  Iris  . .     648 
Gardening  for  Beoinners 
Hints     on    planting 
new  shrubberies . .     649 
Gardening  of  the  Week 
For    Southern    gar- 
dens      680 

For   Northern   gar- 
dens      650 

Gardening  Acrostics   651 

The  Naming  of  Tulip 
Breaks 651 

answers  to  Corre- 
spondents    . .     . .     652 

Editor's  Table       . .     852 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

A  winter  scene 642 

Some  peculiarities  of  Mistletoe 644 

Erica  hyemalis         645 

The  Gibraltar  Candytuft  (IberLs  gibraltarica)    . .  646 

Silver  Birches  in  the  woodland     647 

The  Tangierian  Iris        648 

Hints  on  planting  new  shrubberies      649 


BDITORIJIL    NOTICBS. 

Every  department  o{  horticulture  is  repre- 
sented in  THE  GARDEN,  and  the  Editor 
invites  readers  to  send  in  questions  relating  to 
matters  upon  which  they  wish  expert  advice. 


The  Editor  welcomes  ■photo^raiphs,  articles  and  notes, 
but  he  will  not  be  responsible  for  their  safe  return.  All 
reasonable  care,  however,  will  be  taken,  and  where  stamps 
are  enclosed,  he  uriU  endeavour  to  return  jwn-accepttd 
contriimtians. 


As  regards  photographs,  if  payment  be  desired,  the  Editor 
asks  that  the  price  required  for  reproduction  be  plainly  stated. 
It  must  be  distinctly  understood  that  only  the  actual  photo- 
grapher or  owner  of  the  copyright  will  be  treated  with. 


The  Editor  toill  not  be  responsible  for  the  return  of  artistic 
or  literary  contributions  which  he  may  not  be  able  to  use,  and 
the  receipt  of  a  proof  must  not  be  taken  as  evidence  that  an 
article  is  accepted.  Publication  in  The  Garden  iviU  alone 
be  recognised  as  acceptance. 


Offices  :  20,  Tavistock  Street  Covent  Garden   W.C. 


NOTES    OF    THE     WEEK. 

Votes  (or  Gardeners'  Royal  Benevolent  Insti- 
tution.— We  shall  be  glad  if  any  readers  who  have 
votes  to  spare  will  kindly  send  us  their  signed 
voting  papers.  We  are  interested  in  a  thoroughly 
deserving  case,  and  the  votes  will  be  utilised  to 
the  best  advantage. 

Burning  Garden  Rubbish.— It  is  a  good  plan, 
where  it  is  possible,  to  keep  a  smouldering  heap 
going,  particularly  through  the  winter,  so  that 
all  tree  or  bush  primings  and  other  dead  material 
that  is  cut  from  the  beds  and  borders,  as  well 
as  weeds  when  they  are  not  too  wet,  may  be  burnt. 
The  ashes  are  excellent  manure  for  most  crops, 
but  should  be  kept  in  a  heap  until  they  are  required, 
for  if  scattered  about  they  lose  much  of  their 
valuable  properties. 

Preparing  to  Plant  Bush  Fruits.— Those  in- 
tending to  plant  Gooseberries  or  Currants  in  early 
spring  should  lose  no  time  in  preparing  the  groimd 
for  their  reception.  The  ground  should  be  bastard- 
trenched  and  receive  a  good  dressing  of  organic 
manure,  to  be  incorporated  with  the  top  spit. 
If  the  soil  is  light,  cow-manure  will  be  most  suit- 
able ;  but  if  the  ground  is  heavy,  stable  manure 
will  be  best.  Add  a  little  wood-ashes  if  available. 
Lime  can  be  applied  and  raked  in  after  planting 
in  spring. 

General  Index  to  this  Volume.— .\s  the  present 
issue  completes  Vol.  L.XXVII.,  we  are  presenting 
a  general  index,  together  mth  a  title-page  and 
frontispiece  suitable  for  binding  the  whole  of  the 
numbers  published  during  the  present  year.  Next 
week  we  shall  publish  our  Special  New  Year 
Number,  which  vrill  be  considerably  enlarged 
and  contain  many  new  and  interesting  features. 
We  take  this  opportunity  of  thanking  those  of 
our  readers  who  have  sent  us  seasonable  greetings, 
which  are  heartily  reciprocated. 

Grass  Orchards. — These  are  perhaps  not  so 
much  in  evidence  as  they  once  were.  Nothing, 
however,  can  be  said  against  the  system  if  judiciously 
carried  out.  One  thing  has  been  abundantly 
proved,  viz.,  that  if  the  best  results  are  to  be 
obtained,  a  circle  of  6  feet  to  8  feet  in  diameter 
must  be  cultivated  round  each  tree.  Those, 
therefore,  who  have  hitherto  allowed  the  grass 
to  grow  right  up  to  the  stem  of  the  tree  will  do. 
well  to  scarify  round  it  for  the  distance  indicated 
above,  and  then  fork  in  some  rotten  manure  and 
bone-meal. 

The  Treatment  of  Early  Bulbs. — Many  varie- 
ties of  early  Tulips,  Narcissi  and  Hyacinths  should 
be  introduced  into  heat  for  blooming  early  in  the 
year.  Those  that  are  pushing  up  their  flowers 
must  be  carefully  handled  to  get  the  best  results, 
maintaining  a  lair  amoimt  of  heat  and  moisture 
where  they  are  being  forced,  so  as  to  get  as  good 
a  stem  on  them  as  possible,  .\lthough  not  always 
admired,    the    Duo    van    Thol    varieties    of   Tulips 


are  useful  during  the  Christmas  season,  particu- 
larly as  there  will  be  a  shortage  of  flowers  during 
the  next  two  or  three  weeks.  Owing  to  the  Chry- 
santhemums being  much  earlier  than  usual,  all 
other  kinds  of  bloom  will  be  in  demand. 

Streal(  Disease  of  Sweet  Peas. — The   National 

Sweet  Pea  Society,  with  the  object  of  securing  a 
preventive  and  cure  of  the  disease  known  as  streak, 
are  offering  a  prize  of  ten  guineas  and  the  gold 
medal  of  the  society  to  the  first  person  who  can 
prove  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  committee  that 
he  or  she  has  a  cure.  As  arrangements  are  now 
being  made  for  testing  preventives  or  remedies, 
anyone  who  has  discovered  a  cure  should  com- 
municate at  once  with  the  secretary,  Mr.  H.  D. 
Tigwell,  Greenford,  Middlesex,  who  will  be  pleased 
to  furnish  full  particulars.  Will  any  members 
of  the  society  whose  Sweet  Peas  have  been  badly 
attacked  by  streak,  and  who  are  prepared  to  test 
remedies,  please  commmiicate  vrith  the  secretary  ? 
Double  -  Flowered-  Chinese   Primulas.  —  The 

readiness  with  ^vhic^l  fairly  double  forms  of  the 
Chinese  Primula  can  be  raised  from  seeds  has  led  to 
the  almost  total  disappearance  of  the  very  double- 
flowered  kinds.  The  old  double  white,  which  used 
to  be  grown  by  the  houseful  to  supply  Covent 
Garden  Market  with  flowers,  is  still  occasionally 
to  be  met  with,  but  the  varieties  with  blossoms 
of  aii  exceedingly  duplex  character  which  were 
raised  by  the  late  Mr.  Gilbert  when  at  Burghley 
seem  to  have  totally  disappeared.  They  created 
quite  a  furoreiii  1877  and  1878,  when  no  fewer  than 
five  of  them  were  given  first-class  certificates  by 
the  Royal  Horticultural  Society.  The  varieties 
were  Earl  of  Beaconsfield,  Marchioness  of  Exeter, 
Mrs.  Barron,  Princess,  and  White  Lady.  These 
could  only  be  propagated  by  cuttings  or  layers, 
and  consequently  they  realised  good  prices  for 
some  time. 

Funeral  of  the  late  Martin  John  Sutton. — The 

funeral  of  the  late  Martin  John  Sutton  took  place 
at  Sonning  Church,  near  Readmg,  on  the  17th 
inst.  The  edifice  was  filled  with  members  of  the 
family,  relatives  and  friends,  and  a  great  many 
visitors  were  at  the  graveside.  Simultaneously  a 
memorial  service  was  held  at  Greyfriars  Church, 
Reading,  where  many  members  of  Messrs.  Sutton 
and  Sons'  staff  attended.  Among  those  present  at 
Somaing  Church  were  Sir  Bowen  Jones,  Dr.  Voelcker, 
Mr.  Franklin  Simmons,  Mr.  A.  H.  Matthews,  the 
Mayor  of  Reading,  M.  Philippe  de  Vilmorin,  ^r. 
N.  N.  Sherwood,  Mr.  John  Collingridge,  Mr.  George 
Gordon  and  Mr.  F.  W.  Harvey.  At  the  memorial 
service  at  Reading  the  Deputy-Mayor  and  Corpora- 
tion attended  in  their  robes,  others  present  being 
Lord  Moreton  and  Mr.  McRow  of  the  Royal  Agri- 
cultural Society,  Mr.  Powell  of  the  Smithfield 
Club,  and  Mr.  J.  Lonsley  of  the  British  Dairy 
Farmers'  .\ssociation.  A  great  many  wreaths 
and  other  floral  tributes  were  sent,  including 
one  from  the  .\gricultural  Seed  Trade  of  the 
United  Kingdom. 


642 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  27,  tgl^. 


CORRESPONDENCE. 

{The  Editor    is    not    responsible    for    the   opinions 
expressed  by  correspondents.) 


Some  Interesting  Seedling  Snowdrops. — Seed 
lings  from  Galanthus  cilicicus  (the  so-called- 
Autumn-flowering  Snowdrop),  from  seed  sown  in 
1909,  are  now  blooming  here  profusely  for  the  first 
time,  but  they  did  not  commence  to  open  until 
December.  The  pollen  used  was  that  of  Galanthus 
Elwesii,  but  so  far  they  do  not  seem  to  vary 
from  the  seed  parent  in  any  visible  respect,  the 
flowers,  and  especially  the  distinct  foliage,  taking 
after  G.  cilicicus.  A  good  many  of  the  fiowers  have 
a  small  green  blotch  on  the  outer  petals,  and  they 
vary  somewhat  in  height.  —  F. 
Herbert  Chapman,  Rye. 

Snow  in  the  Garden.  —  The 
sunmaer  aspect  and  conditions  of 
the  garden  would  in  time  become 
decidedly  monotonous  if  such  con- 
tinued indefinitely,  and  the  winter 
brings  a  welcome  change  and  rest. 
The  view  presented  on  a  winter 
morning  is  very  impressive,  the 
branches  being  weighed  down, 
bowing,  as  it  were,  with  reverence 
for  Nature's  fiercest  element — King 
Winter.  The  old-fashioned  winter 
may  be  considered  by  some  to  be  a 
thing  of  the  past,  but  a  fall  of  snow, 
when  it  comes,  puts  quite  a  new 
series  of  pictures  before  lovers  of 
Nature.  Snow  scenes  in  the  garden 
are  very  beautiful,  and  though  they 
may  not  last  long  in  this  changeable 
climate,  they  provide  pictiu'es  not 
only  for  the  memory,  but  for  the 
camera,  by  means  of  which  they 
can  be  recorded.  The  photograph  1 
am  sending  will  give  some  idea  of 
the  charm  of  conifers  when 
partially  clothed  with  a  mantle  of 
white. — E.  E.  Carter,  Romford. 

Hints    to   Compilersof 

Schedules.  —  Promoters  of  horti- 
cultural exhibitions  will  now  be 
arranging  their  schedules.  I  have 
often  thought  how  much  better  it 
would  be  if,  instead  of  cups  and 
medals,  useful  articles  were  offered 
for  prizes.  From  my  own  experi- 
ence of  those  responsible  for  the 
necessary  polishing,  &c.,  they  be- 
come a  useless  annoyance,  and  are 
often  put  away  out  of  sight.  As 
for  medals,  they  are  neither 
use  nor  ornament.  For  instance  : 
A  provincial  exhibitor  takes  a 
collection  to  London  at,  often,  great  cost,  and 
possibly  obtains  a  bronze  medal,  which  seldom 
afterwards  will  see  the  light  of  day.  In  place  of 
s»ch  useless  articles,  why  not  a  silver  table-centre, 
Rose-bowl,  corner  table,  silver  flower-vases,  a  tall 
vase  for  specimen  blooms,  sugar-basin  and  cream- 
jug,  tea  and  coffee  service,  and  salver,  with  inscrip- 
tions ?  Such  articles  would  be  a  pleasure  for 
those  responsible  in  the  household  instead  of 
being  a  nuisance.  I  have  heard  ladies  remark 
that  flower  show  and  other  exhibition  committees 
should  have  the  assistance  of  ladies  in  the  selec- 
tion of  useful  prizes ;  then  the  household  and 
posterity  would  look  upon  deserved  honours  with 
pleasure  instead  of  the  reverse. — A.  C. 


Gas  Boilers  for  Greenhouse  Heating. — Read- 
ing the  article  on  these  in  The  Garden  for  Novem- 
ber 29,  page  600,  reminded  me  of  a  garden  in  this 
locality,  which  I  was  looking  round  in  the  summer, 
where  two  small  houses  are  so  heated.  The 
gardener,  who  went. but  three  or  four  days  weekly 
to  this  particular  place,  told  me  the  gas-heating 
arrangement  answered  splendidly,  and  was  easily 
managed  by  his  employer  on  the  days  he  was  not 
there  and  in  the  evenings.  I  did  not  ask  the 
name  of  the  boiler  used,  but  it  was  connected 
with  the  meter  in  the  house  and  turned  on  and 
off  from  outside  the  greenhouses,  around  which 
were  pipes  of  3  inches  diameter.  In  another  large 
garden  in  this  district  the  conservatory  used  to 
be  wanned  with  a  gas  boiler,  but  that  has  since 


A   WINTER    SCENE    WHERE   GARDEN    AND    WOODLAND   MEET 


been  discarded  for  the  usual  method — firing. 
From  an  economical  standpoint  coke  and  coal 
are  first  ;  but  for  cleanliness,  easiness  and  prompt- 
ness— especially  when  dealing  with  small  structures 
— gas  wins. — C.  T.,  Highgatc. 

Which  is  the  Guernsey  Lily  ?— I  have  read 
Mr.  Jacob's  letter  on  page  6r9,  issue  December  13, 
with  interest,  and  after  referring  to  the  Botanical 
Magazine,  plate  294,  agree  with  him  that  this 
illustration  represents  the  form  which  we  now 
know  as  rosea,  and  not  the  form  usually  sold 
as  sarniensis,  which  is  inferior  in  size  and  much 
more  orange  in  colour.  Some  years  ago  Lord 
Northbrook  gave  me  some  bulbs  received  from 
South    Africa,    of   which    the   larger   produced    N. 


rosea,  and  the  smaller  what  I  have  hitherto  called 
N.  sarniensis.  Both  of  them,  like  the  cultivated 
bulbs  usually  sold,  were  very  shy  in  flowering 
as  compared  %vith  their  hybrids,  and  also  as  com- 
pared with  N.  Fothergilli  and  N.  Meadowbanki, 
which  are  the  best  of  the  old  varieties  for  general 
cultivation.  All  of  these  flower  early  in  comparison 
with  the  majority  of  the  strain  which  I  have  been 
raising  for  years,  and  which  are  also  much  more 
floriferous  than  the  imported  bulbs.  It  is  much 
to  be  desired  that  some  resident  in  South  Africa 
who  knows  the  plants  in  their  native  country 
would  give  us  particulars  of  the  extent  of  variation 
which  exists  in  Nature,  and  tell  us  something  about 
their  habitat  and  life-history.  From  their  behaviour 
in  cultivation  I  expect  that  most  of  them  grow  in 
places  where  the  rainfall  is  very 
irregular  and  where  frost  does  not 
occur. — H.  J.  Elwes,  Colesborne. 
Mildew  on  Roses  in  Canada. — 

In  your  issue  of  November  8  your 
correspondent  "  E.  M."  writes  of 
a  preparation  called  Serum  that 
he  has  tried  with  wonderful 
results  as  a  cure  for  mildew  on 
Roses.  I  should  be  very  glad  to 
hear  whether  other  readers  of 
your  most  useful  publication  have 
given  Serum  a  trial,  and  with 
what  results.  Mildew  is  very 
troublesome  here — Victoria,  B.C. — 
and  as  my  garden  is  near  the  sea 
and  exposed  to  our  prevalent  cold 
winds,  I  have  no  doubt  this 
aggravates  the  disease.  I  have 
tried  spraying  regularly  with 
potassium  sulphide,  as  recom- 
mended by  the  National  Rose 
Society,  also  with  formaldehyde, 
lysol,  lime  and  sulphur,  and  some 
other  recipes,  all  with  little  or  no 
results.  It  seems  curious  that 
Roses  that  are  very  liable  to 
mildew  in  England,  in  many  cases 
are  not  so  liable  to  it  here,  and 
vice  versa;  for  instance,  most  Roses 
of  the  "  mult-scans "  type,  like 
Crimson  Rambler,  do  not  suffer 
from  mildew  to  the  same  extent  as 
do  the  wichuraianas.  All  my 
wichuraianas  were  completely 
spoiled  by  mildew  last  summer, 
while  Crimson  Rambler,  Yellow 
Rambler,  Ards  Pillar^  Flower  of 
Fairfield  and  Mme.  Alfred  Carri6re 
were  only  slightly  affected.  Out  of 
123  different  varieties  of  Roses  of  all 
types  in  my  garden,  only  eleven 
showed  no  sign  of  mildew,  viz., 
Blush  Rambler  (Cant),  Aglaia, 
Conrad  F.  Meyer,  Jessie,  Rayon  d'Or,  the  Irish 
singles  Elegance,  Beauty,  Modesty,  Harmony,  and, 
lastly,  the  Sweet  Briars  Lady  Penzance  and  Meg 
Merrilies.  I  should  also  like  to  know  whether  Serum 
is  any  good  as  a  preventive  or  cure  for  black 
spot,  which  plague  was  introduced  into  my  garden 
last  summer  by  planting  some  "  treasures " — 
Juliet,  George  Dickson,  Mme.  Charles  Lutaud, 
British  Queen  and  Sunburst.  These  were  imported 
from  France,  and  I  apparently  imported  a  fine  crop 
of  black  spot  into  the  bargain,  much  to  my 
disgust,  as  I  had  had  no  sign  of  that  trouble  before. 
I  treated  the  plants  with  formaldehyde,  with 
no  apparent  result.  —  Chas.  R.  Serjeantson, 
Room  617,  Sayward  Building,  Victoria,  B.C. 


December  27,  1913-] 


THE    GARDEN. 


643 


Early  Tomatoes  in  Canada. — It  would  be  interest- 
ing to  Icnow  if  any  reader  of  The  Garden  has  grown 
the  early  varieties  of  American  Tomatoes  in  England 
in  the  open.  These,  while  rather  coarse  and  small, 
are  verj-  hardy  and  early,  and  are  grown  in  large 
quantities  in  Eastern  Canada  for  early  tise.  There 
are  several  varieties.  Earliana  is  the  first  to  ripen,  I 
and  Chalk's  Early  Jewel  comes  about  two  weeks  i 
after.  The  seed  is  often  sown  outside  early  in 
Mav  and  the  seedlings  transplanted  in  the  fields. 
Some  years  ago,  near  Montreal,  I  tried  several 
of  the  early  English  varieties,  and  although  they 
produced  large  fruit  of  better  shape,  they  were  not 
so  early  as  the  American  varieties.  In  British 
Columbia,  where  the  climate  is  about  the  same  as  in 
England,  Earliana  ripens  in  the  open  and  produces 
good  crops.  I  should  be  pleased  to  send  seed  to 
anyone  who  would  like  to  try  them  this  season. — 
T.  Sheward,  Hillbank.  Vancouver  Island,  British 
Columbia,  Canada. 

Acantholimon     venuslnm.— To    the    majority 
there   is   more   than   a  modicum   of  truth   in   Mr. 
Malby's  statement  on  page  622  that  this  precious 
midsummer-flowering    alpine  is  difficult  to   propa- 
gate, though  this  may  be  done  in  a  variety  of  ways. 
Further,  your   correspondent  adds  that  "  it  is  said 
to   come   well   from   cuttings  when   the  necessary' 
skill   has  been   attained."     And   this  is  true.     As 
Mr.     Malby    does    not     apparently    furnish     the 
"  necessary    skill,"     may     I     be      permitted      to 
supplement     his    remarks  ?      In    the    first    place, 
for     all    practical     purposes,    it     is     almost     im- 
possible   to    increase    this    species     by    division,  1 
its     root     system    being    generally     opposed     to  I 
it.    and   the    plants  of    our    acquaintance   insuffi- 
ciently   large    to    admit    of    it    being   successfully 
done.     Layering    might     be    similarly  dismissed ; 
hence    the   cultivator   is   left   with   three   methods 
of    propagation    at    his    disposal — cuttings,    root- 
cuttings  and  seeds- — all  of   which  are  good.     Only 
one  type  of  cutting,  however,  is  of  the  least  service, 
\-iz.,  that  with  a  heel  attached  and  one  of  com- 
parative   youthfulness.       Cuttings    such    as     this 
inserted  in  June  or  July  give  little  trouble  if  the 
recently-formed  shoots  are  secured.     Almost  pure 
sand  is  the  best  medium  ;     a  cold  frame  the  best 
place.     The    root-cutting    system    is    a    far    more 
reliable  way  to  the   alpine-grower  of  limited    ex- 
perience,  though  I   do  not  know  why  Mr.   Malby 
emploved  roots  "  10  inches  long."     In  that  length 
there  would  be  ten  cuttings  if  the  root  was  of  any 
size.     Root-cuttings  may  be  inserted  in   Januarj' 
and  February-,  and  are  best  in  a  greenhouse  tempera- 
ture   or     very     gentle     bottom-heat.     The     great 
obstacle  in  the  way  of  root  propagation  is  that  of 
plants  large  enough  to  supply  them,  while  there  is 
a  certain  amotmt  of  risk  to  the  plant  in  being  dis- 
turbed and  mutilated  at  the  time  named.     Seeds, 
when  procurable,  present  no  difficulty  whatever ;  the 
difficulty  is  in   getting  supplies,   or   at   least   any 
quantity,   imless   pollination  is  resorted   to.     This 
is,    however,    well   worth  while,    seeing   the    value 
of  the  subject.     Curiously  enough,  the  commoner 
A.    glumaceum   will   not    only   submit    readily   to 
division,  but  will  root  more  freely  from  cuttings. 
Nodal  cuttings    I    have    foimd,  however,  are    not 
of  the  least  use. — -E.  H.  Jenkins. 


FORTHCOMING     EVENTS. 
January  13,  1914. — Royal  Horticultural  Society's 
I  '      Exhibition  and  Meeting  at  Vincent  Square,  West- 
I         minster. 

January  19. — National  Chrysanthemum  Society's 
Executive  Committee  Meeting. 


THE   FLOWER   GARDEN. 

THE     HERBACEOUS    SPIR.EAS. 

WHILE  the  genus  Spiraea  is  of 
considerable  extent,  the  her- 
baceous species  constitute  but 
a  comparatively  small  propor- 
tion of  it.  Those  that  do, 
however,  possess  an  import- 
ance of  their  own,  chiefly  because  of  high  decorative 
value  for  the  most  part,  and  particularly  so  when 
intelligently  employed  in  water-side  gardening. 
It  is  here,  indeed,  as  also  in  the  cool  and  rich 
soils  of  the  garden,  that  the  plants  grow  most 
luxuriantly,  vielding  of  the  abundance  of  their 
fleecy  panicles  in  no  ungenerous  or  uncertain  way, 
and,  provided  space  is  permitted  them,  of  that 
fine  form  which  is  among  their  greater  assets. 
Hence  to  plant  them  well  the  gardener  should 
know  them  well,  know  something  at  least  of  the 
development  of  a  ten  year  old  specimen  in  order 
that  it  may  develop  unhindered,  unchecked  by 
other  plants  whose  habit  of  growth  and  stature 
may  be  of  a  like  character.  In  such  circumstances 
the  noblest  of  these  Meadow-sweets  will  embellish 
their  surroundings,  adding  dignity  and  not  a  little 
importance  to  the  spot  they  are  intended  to  orna- 
ment. Too  frequently,  I  think,  the  ultimate 
development  of  a  plant  is  either  unknown  or 
insufficiently  considered  by  the  gardener,  the 
net  result  a  cramped  or  huddled  mass  incapable 
of  displaying  the  plant  at  its  best.  One  has  fre- 
quently seen  the  Japanese  Anemone,  a  plant 
endowed  with  rare  beauty  and  fine  form,  so  treated, 
crowded  in  by  other  subjects  in  such  a  way  that 
one-half  of  the  value  of  the  picture  is  lost.  So 
unique  a  subject  is  well  worth  considering  apart, 
employing  it  rather  in  isolated  groups  or  affording 
it  a  flanking  position  where  it  could  be  seen  to 
advantage.  When  employed  as  a  border  plant, 
however,  the  great  spread  of  its  well-cut  leaves 
is  worthy  of  thought,  and,  given  this,  the  right 
place  or  environment  will  follow  in  due  course. 
These  remarks  are  equally  true  of  the  bolder 
Spiraeas,  which  can  hardly  be  given  a  fair  chance 
in  an  ordinary  herbaceous  border.  By  water-side 
or  streamlet,  or  the  approaches  to  woodland  scenes, 
where  the  soil  is  cool  and  deep,  the  plants  may  be 
made  much  of,  and  in  all  such  they  may  be  grouped 
with  a  free  hand. 

CiJturally,  the  chief  item  meriting  attention  is 
that  once  well  planted  they  shouldTremain  for 
several  years  midisttirbed  ;  hence  a  deep  bed  of 
well-enriched  soil  should  be  at  their  command. 
Such  a  bed  may  be  prepared  in  all  cases,  where 
possible,  to  a  depth  of  3  feet,  to  the  lasting  benefit 
of  the  plants.  Those  having  more  or  less  woody 
rootstocks,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Goat's-beard 
Spiraea  (S.  Aruncus),  appear  to  resent  root  distmb- 
ance  and  division  to  a  much  greater  extent  than 
such  as  S.  venusta  or  S.  camtschatica.  The  first- 
named  species  is  somewhat  slow  in  establishing 
itself,  and,  if  divided  at  the  same  time,  the  belittling 
effects  of  the  dual  operation  will  be  seen  for  at  least 
three  years,  even  with  the  most  generous  treat- 
ment. Where  division  of  the  roots  is  contemplated, 
early  autunui  will  be  found  a  good  time — probably 
the  best — though  the  work  may  be  done  at  other 
times  dining  the  dormant  period  of  the  plants. 
The  dwarfer  border  sorts,  e.g.,  Filipendula  and 
palmata,  may  also  be  divided  in  spring,  with  good 
results.  Apart  from  these  things,  the  plants  are 
of  the  easiest  culture,  and  are  also  perfectly  hardy. 
Those  named  here  are  the  most  important. 


Spiraea  Aruncus  (Goat's-beard  Spiraa). — In  its 
fullest  vigour  this  fine  plant  may  reach  to  5  feet 
high  and  fiUly  as  much  through  ;  hence  it  needs 
catering  for  on  generous  lines.  It  is  a  plant  of 
the  highest  ornament,  beautiful  in  the  disposition 
of  its  tripinnate  leaves,  and  most  effective  in  the 
gracefully-droopmg  plumes  of  its  creamy  white 
flowers,  which  appear  in  summer-time.  Well- 
marked  varieties  are  Kneiffi,  with  very  finely-cut 
leaves,  and  plumosa,  whose  foam-like  inflorescences 
render  it  both  valuable  and  distinct.  The  typical 
species,  which  has  been  known  to  cultivators  for 
nearly  three  centuries,  had  a  wide  distribution  in 
Europe,  Asia  and  America.  A  lover  of  rich  soils 
and  moisture. 

S.  astilboides. — A  species  of  miusual  merit 
and  excellence,  one,  indeed,  that,  like  the  Goat's- 
beard  Spiraea,  might  be  considered  first-class  for 
water-side  planting.  In  the  branched  feathers- 
panicles  of  its  flowers  it  is  quite  distinct,  somewhat 
dwarfer  and  perhaps  even  more  graceful  than  the 
last  named.  The  flowers  are  creamy  white. 
Japan.  A  form  known  as  floribimda  is  of  more 
compact  growth,  and  much  in  demand  for  pot 
culture. 

S.  camtschatica. — A  giant  in  its  way,  attaining, 
on  occasion,  8  feet  or  10  feet  in  height.  Though 
of  a  lesser  leaf  spread  than  either  of  the  above 
named,  the  plant  is  in  some  respects  one  of  the 
most  remarkable,  its  huge  palmate  leaves  and 
spreading,  fleecy  inflorescences  crowning  the  tall 
stems  rendering  it  quite  conspicuous.  As  S. 
gigantea  this  fine  plant  has  gained  some  notoriety.. 
S.  rosea  elegans  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  showy 
of  its  varieties,  but  there  are  others  intermediate 
in  colour  between  this  and  the  original.  All  are  of 
the  same  habit  and  highly  ornamental. 

S.  digitata. — A  native  of  Eastern  Siberia, 
usually  in  moist  meadows  and  sub-alpine  regions. 
The  plant  has  a  prostrate  tuft  of  piimate  leaves, 
from  which  the  flower-stems  issue  to  a  height  of 
4  feet  or  so.  The  flowers  are  white  or  pink  tinted. 
S.  d.  nana  is  virtually  an  alpine  of  6  inches  or 
9  inches  high.  It  is  a  pretty  and  quite  rare  form, 
wiih  pmky  white  flower  clusters. 

S.  Filipendula  (Dropwort). — ^This  dwarf-growing 
British  species  is  characterised  by  much  dwarfness 
and  by  its  deep  green,  interruptedly  pinnate, 
glabrous  leaves,  forming  a  spreading,  prostrate 
tuft  close  upon  the  groimd.  The  type  is  not 
much  grown,  its  double-flowered  form,  S.  F.  flore 
pleno,  being  much  esteemed  as  a  border  plant. 
It  is  less  than  2  feet  in  height.  Flowers  white, 
with  pink  buds  in  loose,  spreading  panicles.  The 
species  is  quite  distmct  in  its  tuberous  roots. 
Easily  increased  by  division  in  spring.  Quite  at 
home  in  the  ordinary  border. 

S.  lobata  (Queen  of  the  Praurie). — One  of  the 
gems  among  border  kinds,  and  a  plant  of  the 
easiest  culture  in  rich  soils,  in  which  it  will  attain 
fully  4  feet  in  height.  The  flowers  are  of  rosy 
carmine  colour,  and  are  arranged  in  terminal 
panicles.  With  moisture  the  plant  is  of  taller 
growth,  and  is  welcome  anywhere  in  the  garden 
by  reason  of  its  colour.  S.  I.  magnifica  has  deeper- 
coloured  flowers.  Most  frequently  foimd  in 
catalogues  as  S.  venusta.  Native  of  North 
America.     EasUy  increased  by  division. 

S.  palmata. — in  every  sense  a  first-class  plant, 
at  once  indispensable  to  pot  cultivation,  to  cool 
and  moist  border  sods,  or  near  the  water-side, 
where  it  is  capable  of  brilUant  efiects  by  reason 
of  the  richness  and  rarity  of  its  broad,  corymbose 
panicles    of    rosy    crimson    flowers.     Distinct    in 


344 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  27,  1913. 


1. .MisILtlOi,    ON    APPLE    THREE    YEARS 

AFTER    SOWING    THE    SEED. 

habit  and  with  some  refinement,  it  is  a  peer  among 
its  fellows.  A  plant  of  the  highest  value  to  the 
hardy  plant  gardener.  It  revels  in  moisture  and 
rich  soils,  and,  given  these,  in  addition  to  their 
distant  shade  at  midday,  its  flowers  last  a  long 
time  in  perfection.  I  know  of  no  herbaceous 
subject  capable  of  affording  such  a  mass  of  lovely 
colour  as  this,  none  more  worthy  the  best  en- 
deavours of  the  gardener.  All  the  varieties  I 
have  seen,  judged  from  the  standpoint  of  their 
picture-making  effects  in  the  garden,  are  second- 
rate  by  comparison.  They  are  alba,  white  ; 
elegans  and  maxima,  both  having  pink  flowers. 
In  response  to  a  generous  treatment,  the  plant 
may  reach  nearly  four  feet  high,  though  the  half 
of  this  is  most  usual.  Native  of  Japan.  Easily 
increased  by  division  at  any  time  when  dormant. 

S.  Ulmaria. — This  common  British  Meadow- 
sweet, the  inhabitant  of  marshy  places  and  wet 
ditches  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  is  rarely 
cultivated.  In  all  its  forms  it  is  worthy  of  a  place 
in  the  wild  garden,  if  not  quite  good  enough  for 
the  border  now  that  the  choice  of  subjects  is 
so  great.  E.   H.  Jenki.ms. 


SOME 


PECULIARITIES 
MISTLETOE. 


OF 


A   S    everyone     knows,    the     Mistletoe    is    a 

I\  parasite    living    upon    various    trees. 

/    %         It   is   most   often    seen   growing   upon 

/       %       the  Apple,   but  it   is    also    met    with 

*  *■     on    the    Hawthorn,    Willow,     Poplar, 

Lime,      Maple,     Mountain      Ash,     and 

even  on  Cedar  of  Lebanon  and  Larch.     There  is  a 

popular  impression  that   the   Mistletoe  has  a  great 

liking  for  the  Oak,  while,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the 

two  are  seldom  found  together.     The  rare  occurre  nee 

of  Mistletoe   growing   upon   Oak  was  held  sacred 

by  the  Druids  and  regarded  as  a  Divine  gift.     Dr. 

Biill,    in    a    paper    in    the    "  Journal    of    Botany," 

only    mentions    seven    authentic    instances    of    the 


growth  of  Mistletoe  on  the  Oak  in  this  country.  Since 
then,  however,  other  instances  have  been  recorded. 

The  very  slow  growth  made  by  the  Mistletoe 
plant  in  the  first  few  years  of  its  existence  has 
been  a  cause  of  an.xiety  to  those  who  have  fondly 
hoped  to  grow  large  bunches  of  Mistletoe  in  their 
gardens  in  a  short  space  of  time.  Some  idea  of 
its  rate  of  progress  may  be  obtained  from  Fig.  i, 
showing  what  in  reality  is  a  promising  young 
Mistletoe  plant  three  years  from  the  time  of  sowing 
the  seed.  The  two  large  clusters  of  Mistletoe 
seen  in  Fig.  2  appear  to  be  older  than  the 
Whitethorn  which  carries  them.  Such  a  result 
has  been  obtained  by  grafting  the  Mistletoe  upon 
its  youthful  host.  This  is  accomplished  by  remov- 
ing 'the  Mistletoe  with  a  portion  of  the  tree  on 
which  it  is  growing  and  grafting  upon  another  tree. 

Unquestionably,  the  most  frequent  host  plant 
of  the  Mistletoe  is  !he  Apple,  and  it  is  notorious 


2. LARGE    BUNCHES    OF    MISTLETOE 

GRAFTED    ON    WHITETHORN. 

that  some  old  orchards,  notably  in  Herefordshire, 
carry  heavier  crops  of  Mistletoe  than  of  .Apples. 
\  most  singular  thing  concerning  Mistletoe  is  that 
although  it  occurs  on  a  wide  range  of  trees  and  is 
so  very  common  on  the  Apple,  yet  it  is  never 
foimd  on  the  Pear.  Some  attempts  to  grow 
Mistletoe  on  Pear  trees  were  made  last  year  in 
Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons'  nursery  at  Langley 
by  Mr.  Allgrove,  and  the  results  were  so  remarkable 
that  the  subject  has  since  been  brought  before 
the  scientific  committee  of  the  Royal  Horticultural 
Society.  Mistletoe  seed  was  sown  on  a  number 
of  Pear  trees,  and  in  many  instances  germination 
took  place.  In  no  case,  however,  did  the  Mistletoe 
get  beyond  the  stage  of  germination,  and  no  leaves 
were  developed.  The  effect  upon  the  Pear  was 
very  noticeable  (see  Fig.  3),  for  the  Mistletoe,  in 
its  attempt  to  establish  itself,  killed  all  the  tissue 
of  the  tree  stem  just  within  the  bark,  completely 
encircling  the  stem.  All  growth  was  killed  above  the 
point  where  the  .Mistletoe  had  germinated.      C.  Q. 


THE      KITCHEN      GARDEN. 


SEASONABLE     NOTES    ON     VEGE- 
TABLES. 

Winter  Spinach. — In  some  soils  Spinach  a 
this  season  has  a  common  knack  of  dying  when 
the  plants  are  a  few  inches  high,  owing,  no  doubt, 
mainly  to  the  presence  of  some  grub  or  insect 
pest  attacking  the  roots.  As  a  preventive  sprinkle 
soot  and  wood-ashes  freely  over  the  plants  and 
betweenTthe  rows.  During  a  spell  of  dry  weather 
well  stir  the  surface  soil,  about  the  plants  especially  ; 
this  will  act  as  a  deterrent  to  insect  pests  as  well  as 
a  stimulant  to  growth. 

Broccoli  growing  in  heavy  soil  especially  should 
have  careful  attention  in  the  preservation  of 
prematurely-formed  heads  by  heeling  them  over 
to  the  north,  thus  giving  double  leafage  protection 
to  the  forming  heads.  It  is  too  early  to  heel  over 
the  main  batch,  those  just  now  forming  heads. 
From  the  side  to  which  the  plants  are  to  lean 
dig  out  one  spit  of  soil ;  then  gradually  heel  over 
the  plants  by  digging  under  the  roots  on  the 
opposite  side,  thoroughly  covering  the  stems  with 
soil. 

Mint. — This  is  one  of  the  most  important 
herb  crops  in  the  garden,  and,  all  too  often  but 
meagrely  produced,  not  succeeding  as  well  as  it 
should.  The  growth  is  usually  too  weakly  to  give 
the  best  results  in  the  spring,  when  a  quantity 
is  required.  Now  is  the  time  to  endeavour  to 
remedy  such  a  detect  and  assist  the  next  season's 
crop.  If  the  roots  have  not  occupied  the  same 
site  more  than  three  years,  there  is  no  need  to 
replant  the  bed,  although,  where  a  quantity  of 
green  Mint  is  required,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  make 
a  small  annual  plantation  in  the  spring.  More  suit- 
able roots  are  then  available  for  lifting  for  forcing 
early   in    the    year.     Cut    ofl   the    current   season's 


3. MISTLETOE    FAILS    TO    GROW    ON     PEAR 

AND     KILLS     THE     UPPER      PART      OF 
ITS    HOST    IN    THE    ATTEMPT. 


DeceiMber  27,  1913.] 


THE     GARDEN. 


645 


growth  close  to  the  ground,  clearing  away  all 
weeds,  and  lightly  fork  over  the  surface.  If  the 
soil  is  heavy  in  character,  give  a  dressing  of  half- 
decayed  leaves,  vegetable  refuse  and  wood-ashes. 
This,  with  the  aid  of  frost  and  weather  influence, 
will  gradually  work  down  among  the  roots  and 
assist  the  next  season's  growth,  inducing  the 
production  of  stout,  succulent  stems  and  larger 
leaves.  In  the  case  of  light  soil,  half-decayed 
manure  as  a  mulch  will  render  equal  service. 

Asparagus. — Remove  the  whole  of  the  tops 
to  within  2  inches  of  the  soil  and  clear  away  all 
weeds.  If  the  soil  is  heavy  in  character,  lightly 
fork  it  over  during  dry  weather  and 
apply  a  compost,  2  inches  thick,  01 
half-decayed  horse-manure,  leaves, 
vegetable  refuse  and  wood-ashes. 
Such  a  mixture  is  much  superior  to 
the  all  too  free  use  of  heavy  green 
manure,  which  is  a  common  plan, 
to  be  followed  with  a  coating  of 
soil  dug  from  the  alleys  between 
the  beds.  The  latter  especially  is 
neither  desirable  nor  necessary,  as 
such  a  thick  covering  of  unsuitable 
material  is  liable  to'  make  the  roots 
too  wet  and  cold  during  the  winter 
months,  especially  if  the  soil  has 
not  been  deeply  trenched  or 
drained.  In  the  case  of  light, 
well  -  drained  soil,  naturally  or 
otherwise,  a  thicker  coating  of  half- 
decayed  manure  can  be  used  with 
advantage. 

Potatoes. — Those  stored  in  heaps 
in  sheds,  cellars  or  buildings  need 
occasional  attention,  especially  in 
removing  diseased  tubers.  Neglect 
of  this  may  mean  serious  loss,  espe- 
cially this  season,  when  so  many 
plots  had  the  haulm  affected  by 
disease,  but  which  had  not  developed 
it  seriously  in  the  tubers.  In  such 
a  case  the  disease  in  the  tubers  is 
not  so  evident  at  lifting-time,  but 
shows  later  on.  Even  if  there  are 
no  diseased  tubers,  the  turning  over 
of  the  heap  will  assist  the  preser- 
vation of  the  tubers  so  much  better 
than  when  allowed  to  ferment  in  a 
heap,  which  all  too  often  happens 
when  lifting  is  done  during  showery 
weather. 

Manuring  Ground.  —  During 
frosty  weather,  when  the  ground 
is  hard,  all  manure  that  is  required 
should  be  wheeled  into  position. 
It  is  a  mistake  to  make  deep  ruts  in 
soil  when  it  is  wet,  as  it  takes 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  summer 
to  recover. 

Spring  Cabbages. — Whenever  the  soil  is  suffi- 
ciently dry,  these  will  derive  considerable  benefit 
from  hoeing  or  otherwise  stirring  the  soil  about 
them.  This  year  slugs  have  bjen  troublesome, 
eating  large  holes  in  the  leaves  and  thereby  weaken- 
ing the  plants.  A  dusting  of  soot,  or  soot  and  lime 
mixed,  around  each  will  act  as  a  deterrent,  and 
will  provide  the  Cabbages  with  som^  food  in  a 
mild  form. 

Parsley. — -In  some  soils,  especially  in  the 
Northern  Counties,  a  supply  of  fresh  green  Parsley 
is  difficult  to  maintain  throughout  the  winter. 
It  is  wise  to  make  up  a  frame  on  a  spent  hot-bed, 
for  example,   filling  it   to   within   6  inches  of  the 


glass  with  a  compost  of  light  material,  adding 
soot  and  wood-ashes  freely.  Lift  plants  from  the 
spring  sowing  with  a  good  ball  of  earth  attached 
and  transfer  them  to  the  frame  6  inches  apart, 
thus  giving  abundance  of  air  space.  Keep  the 
soil  well  stirred  and  remove  the  lights  daily 
during  fine  weather,  covering  them  with  some 
protecting  material  during  periods  of  frost.  Fre- 
quently grubs  attack  the  roots  in  some  soils,  causing 
the  plants  to  die  oft  suddenly.  A  thorough  soaking 
with  water  to  which  is  added  petroleum  at  the  rats 
of  a  wineglassful  to  three  gallons  of  water  will 
usually  check  the  insect  pests. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 


A 


ERICA    HVEMALIS,    ONE    OF    THE    MOST    USEFUL    OF    THE    WINTER 
FLOWERING    GREENHOUSE    HEATHS. 


GREENHOUSE    HEATHS    IN  WINTER. 

VERY  important    matter    in    connection 
with   the  successful  culture   of  green- 
house  Heaths    at   this   season   of   the 
year    is     to    maintam     a    reasonable 
circulation  of  air,  as,  should  the  atmo- 
sphere   become    stagnant    and    over- 
charged with  moisture,  mildew  is  very  apt  to  set 
in.     Once  it  obtains  a  hold,  it  is  likely  to  cause  a 
good  deal   of  trouble,  though  it  may  be  combated 
by  dusting  the  plants  with  sulphur 
and    increasing  the    supply    of    air. 
Properly  attended  to,  however,  this 
last   will    keep    mildew    entirely  at 
bay. 

Watering.  —  The  watering  of 
Heaths  at  all  seasons  is  a  very  im- 
portant matter,  but  in  winter  even 
greater  care  than  usual  is  necessary. 
The  soil  in  which  Heaths  are  potted 
(peat  and  sand)  dries  very  quickly 
once  it  has  passed  what  may  be 
termed  the  medium  stage,  but  more 
particularly  in  the  case  of  plants 
that  are  stood  near  the  hot-water 
pipes.  In  any  case,  when  a  plant 
is  watered,  it  should  be  thoroughly 
done,  otherwise  the  soil  may  be 
moist  at  the  top,  and  the  bottom  e\- 
ceedingly  dr\'.  When  this  happens, 
the  delicate,  hair-like  fibres  are  sure 
to  suffer,  and  the  [plant  quickly 
falls  into  ill-health.  The  abo>'e 
remarks  apply,  of  course,  with  equal 
force  to  spring,  summer  or  winter 
flowering  varieties  ;  but  these  last 
being  at  the  present  time  most  in 
the  limelight,  I  will  confine  my 
remarks  to  them. 

Of  winter  Heaths,  Erica  hyemalis 
has  long  occupied  a  prominent 
position,  and  to-day  it  is  as  popular 
as  ever.  It  is  largely  grown  in  a 
few  market  establishments,  and  from 
these  \videly  distributed,  either  by 
means  of  autumn  sales  or  orders 
later  on.  The  specimens  of  this 
Heath  that  are  to  be  met  with  in 
the  florists'  shops  of  London  are 
models  of  successful  culture,  and 
such  a  standard  could  only  be  , 
reached  by  those  who  make  a 
speciality  of  such  plants,  with  houses 
specially  adapted  for  their  accom- 
modation. They  are  practically  all 
grown  in  pots  5  inches  to  6  inches  in 
diameter.   A  well-flowered  specimen, 


such  as  is  shown  in  the  accompany- 
Cauliila'A^ers. — Tiiose   not   sufficiently   advanced    ing    illu;tration,     can    be    purchased     at    a    very 
for    cutting    should    be    lifted     and    laid   in    cold    cheap  rate. 

frames  or  at  the  foot  of  a  south  wall,  where  The  early  history  of  E.  hyemalis  is  obscure, 
they  will  continue  to  grow  and  mature  their  i  but  it  is  commonly  regarded  as  of  garden  origin, 
heads,  which  will  be  quite  useful  during  the  At  all  events,  it  has  been  an  exceedingly  popular 
winter  months.  Heath  for  m  my  years.     The  flowers  in  colour  are 

Tomatoes. — Young  plants  should  be  kept  quite  '  rose  and  white.  About  thirty  years  ago  a  pure 
close  to  the  glass  in  a  buoyant  atmosphere  to  white  form  (alba)  came  prominently  forward, 
prevent  their  being  drawn  up  weakly,  or  they  and  it  is  now  largely  grown.  There  is  also  a  variety, 
will  be  of  little  service  for  the  supply  of  winter  .  superba,  whose  blossoms  arc  of  a  richer  colour  than 
and    early    spring    fruit.     White    fly    is    at    times  ,  those  of  the  type. 

troublesome.     On  the  first  sign  of  this  pest  carefuliy  I      E.  gracilis,  now  in  flower,  is,  as  a  rule,  at  its  best 

fumigate  the  plants.  E.  Molymeux.       i  in  the  autuma  and  first  half  of  winter.     It  is  of  a 

Swanmore  Park,  Bishop's  Walthim,  Hants.  dense,   twiggy  grow;h,    and    bears   its   small   rosy 


646 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  2'],  1913. 


purple  blossoms  in  great  profusion.  There  are 
some  well-marked  varieties  of  this,  namely,  rosea, 
m  which  the  purple  shade  is  to  a  great  extent 
eliminated,  the  flowers  being  an  almost  clear 
rose  tint ;  nivalis,  under  which  name  is  included 
the  best  white,  though  in  tone  of  colour  there  is 
a  certain  amomit  of  variation ;  and  vemalis, 
which  does  not  bloom  till  the  New  Year,  and  is 
altogether  of  stiffer  and  more  bunched  growth 
than  the  others.  E.  gracilis  readily  lends  itself 
to  growing  in  those  miniature  pots  which  are  now 
so  much  in  vogue. 

Another  Heath  whose  blossoms  are  home  in 
the  depth  of  winter  is  E.  melanthera,  which  in  its 
cultural  requirements  is  one  of  the  most  accommo- 
dating of  all  Heaths.  The  flowers  of  this,  which 
are  borne  in  the  greatest  profusion,  are  mauve, 
with  dark-coloured  anthers.  Though  it  can  be 
flowered  in  5-inch  pots,  larger  examples  are  vcr^- 


wilmoreana,  rose  and  pink.  The  propagation 
of  these  Heaths  and  their  culture  during  the 
earlier  stages  are  very  exacting,  unless  one  has 
everything  to  hand  for  the  purpose.  Such  being 
the  case,  it  is,  as  a  rule,  more  satisfactory  to 
purchase  a  few  examples  just  as  the  buds  are 
developed. 

After  Flowering.— If,  after  the  flowers  are 
over,  there  is  a  desire  to  keep  them  for  another 
season,  the  plants  should  be  cut  back  hard.  Then 
they  will  soon  commence  to  push  out  new  shoots, 
and  as  soon  as  these  are  about  half  an  inch  in  length 
the  plants  may  be  repotted,  using  a  pot  a  size 
larger  than  that  in  which  they  have  been  in  before. 
Sandy  peat  forms  the  nlost  suitable  compost. 
It  must  be  rammed  down  very  firmly.  Effective 
drainage,  too,  of  course,  is  most  essential.  Kept 
in  the  greenhouse  till  gro%vth  is  completed,  these 
Heaths  during  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  may 


THE    GIBRALTAR    CANDYTUFT    (IBERIS    GIBRALTARICA)    FLOWERING    IN    DECEMBER. 


useful  for  decorative  purposes.  If  potted  on  so 
as  to  obtain  good-sized  bushes,  this  Heath  does 
not  need  to  be  cut  back  as  hard  after  flowermg 
as  most  of  them  do.  K  pleasing  way  of  growing 
E.  melanthera  is  to  take  the  young  plant  in  hand 
early  and  tie  it  to  an  upright  stick.  The  leading 
shoot  must  be  kept  secured  in  position,  when,  with 
a  little  assistance  in  the  way  of  pinching,  the 
plant  will  assume  the  shape  of  a  narrow  pyramid, 
so  different  from  its  usual  habit. 

Other  pretty  winter-flowering  Heaths  are  E. 
caffra,  a  dwarf,  bushy-growing  little  plant  with 
white  flowers  ;  and  E.  colorans,  of  upright  growth, 
whose  long-tubed,  white  flowers  before  expan- 
sion have  a  reddish  tinge  on  the  outside.  Others 
that  come  in  as  succession  to  those  above  named, 
and  the  earliest  of  which  may  be  had  in  bloom 
before  winter  has  left  us,  are  candidissima,  white  ; 
hybrida,  bright  red ;  persoluta  alba,  white ;  p. 
rubra,  reddish  ;    spenceriana,  purplish  lilac  ;    ar.d 


be  stood  out  of  doors  in  order  to  ripen  the  wood 
and  ensure  the  formation  of  flower-buds.      H.   P. 


ROCK  AND  WATER  GARDEN. 


THE  DESIGNING,  CONSTRUCTION 
AND  PLANTING  OF  ROCK  GARDENS. 

[CinuiuJed  from  pa'^e  oj.)..) 
Soils  and  Planting. — The  question  of  soil  can 
be  dismissed  very  briefly,  as  it  is  rather  a  matter 
of  the  individual  liking  of  the  plant  than  a  question 
of  construction.  For  perhaps  50  per  cent,  or 
60  per  cent,  of  the  plants  used,  fibrous  loam,  a  little 
leaf-soil  or  peat  (or  both)  and  some  good  sharp 
sand  are  quite  satisfactory.  For  the  remainder  it  is 
merely  a  matter  of  varying  the  quantity  of  one 
or  the  other  of  the  above  constituents,  and.  in  some 
cases,  adding  a  proportion  of  limestone  chippings. 
.\ny  definite  formula,  except  for  particular  subjects. 


would  be  misleading.  In  the  matter  of  planting, 
more  can  be  said  with  advantage.  An  intimate 
knowledge  of  the  plants  used  is  the  only  sure  guide. 
It  is  in  the  misptacing  of  various  plants  used  that 
so  many  rock  gardens  fail.  There  are  plants 
for  sunny  aspects,  and  those  that  prefer  shade,  some 
that  revel  in  moisture,  others  that  seem  perfectly 
happy  on  the  driest  ledge.  Nor  is  the  appearance 
of  the  plant  a  safe  guide  to  its  habit.  Take,  for 
instance,  Ramondia  pyrenaica.  To  look  at  it  anyone 
ignorant  of  its  preferences  would  conclude  that  it 
would  thrive  almost  anywhere,  and  for  choice 
prefer  an  open  sunny  place  with  great  depth  of  soil. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  some  of  the  best  plants  I  have 
seen  were  growing  in  vertical  interstices  between  the 
cool  north  sides  of  some  massive  boulders. 

So  many  books  giving  the  experience  of  others 
are  published  now  that  there  is  not  much  excuse 
for  many  of  the  glaring  errors  that  are  made  in 
this  respect.  The  grouping  of  plants  is  a  matter 
that  cannot  be  learnt  from  books,  however,  but 
it  is  to  this  that  many  of  the  individual  charms 
of  the  rock  garden  are  due.  Drifts  and  cascades 
of  flower  and  foliage,  in  appearance  tumbling 
from  ledge  to  ledge,  can  be  skilfully  arranged, 
without  such  arrangements  being  obvious.  A 
sunny  slope  planted  with  Viola  gracilis  in  one 
large  mass  is  very  attractive,  but  if  smaller  and 
gradually  diminishing  plantings  are  made  on  the 
lower  ledges  to  give  the  appearance  of  having 
seeded  itself  in  all  directions,  the  effect  is  much 
enhanced  ;  and  then,  if  the  planting  in  its  im- 
mediate vicinity  is  of  a  grey-leaved,  yellow-flowered 
plant  like  an  Alyssum,  the  combination  becomes 
perfect.  There  are  hundreds  of  studies  that  can 
be  effected  in  this  way  without  the  introduction 
of  one  note  of  artificiality.  Of  course,  to  the  man 
who  revels  in  the  microscopic  detail  of  a  plant 
because  it  is  new  or  rare  rather  than  beautiful, 
such  schemes  will  not  appeal.  He  will  consider 
that  a  plant  loses  its  individuality  and  its  merit  ■ 
as  an  item  in  his  collection  if  it  shares  the  effect 
it  produces  with  another  plant.  It  is  not  for  the 
collector  I  write,  however.  I  have,  indeed,  little 
sympathy  with  the  man  who  collects  plants  in  the 
same  spirit  as  the  philatelist  collects  postage  stamps. 
Colchester.  George  Dillistone. 

THE     GIBRALTAR     CANDYTUFT. 

(IbERIS    GIBRALTARICA.) 

CoNSTAXT  reference  has  been  made  in  these  pages 
to  autunm-flowering  plants  for  the  rock  garden, 
but  in  Iberis  gibraltarica  we  have  a  subject  worthy 
of  special  mention,  since  it  flowers  in  the  dead  of 
winter.  The  plants  overhanging  rocks  shown  in 
the  accompanying  illustration  commenced  to 
flower  in  the  early  days  of  December.  They  were 
on  December  18  in  full  bloom,  and  will  continue 
to  flower  for  some  months  to  come.  Each  year 
this  subject  may  be  depended  upon  to  flower  at 
Christmas.  There  are  two  varieties,  pink  and 
white,  and  so  freely  are  the  heads  of  flowers  borne 
that  when  seen  from  a  distance  the  white  forni 
resembles  little  drifts  of  snow  in  the  landscape. 
It  is  a  suitable  subject  for  a  dry  wall,  providing 
it  is  given  a  fairly  good  rooting  medium,  when 
it  will  thrive  in'  association  with  such  subjects 
as  Cotton  Lavender,  and  Cerastium  tomen- 
tosum.  The  sunny  side  of  the  rock  garden 
suits  it  best,  and  it  should  be  planted  in  a  favoured 
niche,  so  that  it  may  overhang  the  rockwork. 
It  is  both  evergreen  and  hardy,  and  when 
once  established  will  grow  for  years  if  not 
disturbed.  Propagation  is  effected  by  cuttings, 
and  it  also  produces  seed. 


December  27,  1913. 


TREES     AND     SHRUBS. 


TREES 


M 


THE     GARDEN. 

out  and  carefully  removing  the  old  growths  without 
damaging  the  young  stems,  the  beautiful  powder 
or  bloom  on  which  is  easily  disfigured. 

The  recognised  methods  of  cultivation  are 
suitable  for  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs  grown 
for  their  attractive  bark  in  winter.  In  some 
instances,  however,  it  is  quite  worth  while  supple- 
menting the  usual  tillage  operations  with  a  little 
extra  attention.  Much  thicker  and  longer  growths, 
for  instance,  are  made  by  the  Brambles,  Willows  and 
Comus  when  the  ground  is  deeply  dug  and  freely 
manured  previous  to  planting  and  an  occasional 
mulch  of  old,  well-decayed  manure  applied.     There 


647 


AND    SHRUBS    WITH    ORNA- 
MENTAL   BARK. 

rCH  may    be    done,    particularly    when 

the  pleasure  grounds   and  shrubbery 

borders  are  fairly  extensive,  to  make 

the    whole     place     more     attractive 

and  interesting  in  winter  by  giving 

a     little      attention      at     planting- 
time   to   trees    and  shrubs  of  a  deciduous  nature 
which    have    brightly-coloured     bark.       There    is 
additional  justification    for   plant- 
ing most  of  those   named  later  in 
ths   article,  as    most,  if    not   all, 
of  them  are  attractive  in  summer, 
either  on  account  of   their  graceful 
habit— the    Silver    Birch    (Betula 
alba),  for  instance — or  the  highly- 
coloured   foliage,  a    good   instance  "■ 
of  which  we  have  in   Comus  alba 
Spaethii. 

A  considerable  list  could  be  given 
of  the  numerous  deciduous  tree? 
and  shrubs  with  attractive  trunks, 
branches  or  twigs.  The  intention 
here,  however,  is  to  limit  the  list 
to  a  comparatively  few  of  the 
best  which  stand  out  prominently 
from  the  remainder  and  are  par- 
ticularly adapted  for  the  purpose 
in  view.  These  will  be  found 
V  aluable  ahke  for  both  small  and 
large  gardens,  for  they  may  be 
planted  as  single  specimens,  small 
groups,  or  massed,  where  space  per- 
mits, in  prominent  situations.  The 
choice  of  suitable  positions  for 
planting  the  respective  subjects  has 
much  to  do  with  the  ultimate 
success  or  failure  of  the  project, 
more  particularly  in  pubUc  parks 
and  large  private  pleasure  grounds. 
For  instance,  to  show  to  the  best 
advantage  the  undoubted  beauty 
and  attractive  character  of  the 
White-stemmed  Bramble  (Rubus 
biflorus),  it  is  desirable  to  have 
evergreens  in  the  background, 
though  not  necessarily  quite  close 
to  the  Brambles,  .\gain,  masses 
of  the  Cardinal  Willow  are  very 
nice  in  the  shrubbery  border,  but 
they  are  far  more  attractive  and 
thrive  better  by  the  water-side, 
even  if  it  is  only  a  ditch  with 
water  at  some  periods  of  the  year, 
though,  of  course,  if  no  water  is 
available,  this  is  impossible. 

In  numerous  instances  the  best- 
coloured  bark  is  that  on  the  young 
shoots  of  the  recent  summer's 
growth.     Such  being  the  case,  the 

aim  of  the  cultivator  should  be,  by  pruning  and  is  another  side  to  the  question,  and  that  is,  with 
other  means,  to  induce  the  production  of  vigorous  few  exceptions,  among  the  shrubs  the  best  results 
young  growths.  For  instance,  the  SaUx  or  Willows,  are  obtained  with  yoimg  plants,  so  that  after  a  few 
when  grown  particularly  for  the  winter  beauty  of  the  years  of  hard,  pruning  the  Willows  and  Brambles 
stems,  should  have  the  young  shoots  made  the  pre-  should  be  grubbed  out  and  replaced  with  young 
vious  summer  cut  hard  back  in  spring  to  within  one  stock, 
or  two  eyes  of  the  old  wood,  which  in  practice  usually  '      Among    trees,   the   most    noteworthy  with    con 


well  Imown,  the  most  noteworthy  \arieties  being 
Betula  alba,  B.  Ermannii  and  B.  ulmifolia ;  B. 
papyxifera,  with  brown  bark  ;  and  B.  nigra,  which 
has  black  peeling  bark.  Fraxinus  Excelsior  aurea 
receives  its  common  name  of  the  Golden-stemmed 
Ash  from  the  colour  of  the  bark. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  three  genera — 
Comus,  Rubus  and  Salix — are  especially  rich  in 
shrubs  with  attractive  stems  in  winter.  In  the 
Comus  or  Dogwood  family  we  have  red,  yellow 
and  green  twigged  shrubs.  C.  alba  and  the  varie- 
ties Spzethii  and  sibirica  have  red  bark,  C.  sanguinea 
viridissima  green  bark,  and  C.  stolonifera  flavuramea 
yellow  bark.  The  stems  of  some 
of  the  Bramble'.ffamily  are  the 
most  conspicuous  among  all  shrubs, 
several  of  them  looking  as  if  the 
whitewash  brush  had  been  liberally 
used  on  the  stems.  This  con- 
spicuous character  has  led  to  Rubus 
biflorus  being  popularly  termed  the 
Whitewash  Bramble.  Almost  or 
quite  as  good  as  this  species — some 
growers  say  they  surpass  it — are 
the  newer  Chinese  species  R. 
giraldiauus,  R.  Veitchii,  R.  thibet- 
anus,  R.  lasiostylus  and  the  variety 
R.  biflorus  quinqueflorus.  The 
showiest  of  the  Willows  are  Salix 
alba  var.  cardinalis — the  Cardinal 
Willow,  with  red  bark  ;  the  Golden- 
stemmed  Willow,  S.  alba  var. 
vitelliua  :  and  S.  daphnoides,  rath 
I  conspicuous  bluish  white  bloom 
>r  powder  on  the  stems.  There  are 
several  other  Willows  with  coloured 
stems  which  might  be  used  if  space 
permits.  Berberis  virescens  has  red 
items,  while  B.  dictyophylla  is  also 
ittractive  in  winter.  The  green 
stems  of  some  of  the  Cytisuses, 
Spartiums  and  Genistas  may  also 
receive  consideration.  A.   O. 


ROSE    GARDEN. 


IN 


SILVER 


BIRCHES      IN"      THE      WOODLAND.      SHOWING      THEIR 
BE.\UTY    WITH    A    B.\CKGROUND    OF    CONIFERS. 


A     HAMPSHIRE 
GARDEN. 

Some  of  the  Xewer  Decorative 

RosES. 

{Continued  from  page  632.) 

Mrs.  Frederick  W.  Vanderbilt 

iS.  McGredy  and  Son,  1913). — My 
choice  of  all  the  Lyons-raised  seed- 
lings of  this,  or,  for  that  matter, 
of  any  other  raisers.  The  growth  / 
is  further  away  from  the  t\-pe, 
and  is  vigorous,  free  and  branch- 
ing, and  not  stiff.  The  flower 
is  very  fragrant,  and  although 
the  plant  is  not  mildew-proof, 
it  is  not  particularly  or  badly 
addicted  to  mildew.  The  colour  I  have  left  till 
the  last,  because  it  is  very  diflicult  to  accurately 
describe.  One  turns  to  the  National  Rose  Society's 
official  catalogue — "  coppery  yellow."  That  would 
seem  to  point  to  a  predominance  of  yellow.  The 
raiser    has,    however,    a    different    idea.     He   calls 


WINTER 


■  it  "  deep  orange  red,  shaded  bronze  apricot  red," 
means  down  to  near  the  ground.  The  treatment  spicuously-coloured  stems  or  trunks  are  .\cer  j  pointing  to  a  predominance  of  red.  To  attempt  to 
of  the  Rubus  or  Brambles  is  rather  different,  pennsylvanicum  (syn.  striatum)  and  the  variety  [  describe  the  colours  in  two  words  is  futile ;  it 
In  this  case  the  pruning  is  best  done  in  autumn  erythrocladum  ;  the  Chinese  Maple,  Acer  Davidii ;  j  simply  cannot  be  done.  I  think  all  the  various 
as  soon  as  the  leaves  fall.     It  consists  in  cutting    the  Birches,    the    white  bark    of    which   is    fairly    colours  named  are  there,  but  not  in  the  order  of 


648 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  27,  1913. 


beautiful.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  almost  a 
single,  and  a  few  yoimg  flowers  in  this  stage  are 
strikingly  beautiful  as  cut  blooms.  It  is  not  an 
idea]  bedding  Rose,  owing  to  its  habit  of  growth, 
which  is  tall  and  whippy  ;  but  it  is  a  most  inter- 
esting Rose  to  grow,  and  is  sweetly  scented. 
Southampton.  Herbert  E.   Molyneu.v. 

{To  be  continued.) 


NEW     AND     RARE     PLANTS. 

FIRST-CLASS     CERTIFICATE. 

Cattleya   percivaliana   alba    Lady    Holford.— 

white, 


their  relative  importance.  For  example,  a  yellowish 
copper  is  nearer  the  mark  than  a  coppery  yellow. 
In  the  same  way,  if  the  raiser  had  said  a  reddish 
orange,  shaded  bronze  red  apricot,  I  am  inclined 
to  think  he  would  have  been  much  nearer  the 
actual  colour.  Taking  out  the  dominant  colours, 
we  now  get  copper,  orange  and  apricot.  They 
are  all  there,  and  at  respective  stages  each  is  the 
principal  colour  in  the  flower — copper  in  the  bud, 
orange  in  the  half-open  flower,  and  apricot  in  the 
fully-expanded  bloom,  with  all  the  half  shades 
in  between.  I  do  not  think  there  is  any  red  in 
the  flower  except  such  as  forms  a  constituent  of 
the     copper.     The     advent     of     Pernet-Ducher's 

strain  has  made  a  vast  difference  to  the  colour  i  An  exquisitely  beautiful  flower  of  purest 
of  our  garden  Roses  ;  but  it  has, 
unfortunately,  introduced  several 
elements  which  are  by  no  means 
to  be  desired.  An  inexplicable 
dying  back  of  seemingly  healthy 
wood,  a  bad  habit  of  growth,  and 
a  marked  hereditary  tendency  to 
black  spot  are  on  the  other  side 
of  the  picture.  These  will  all  have 
to  be  bred  out  before  we  can  look 
for  a  good  bedding  Rose  in  this 
section,  and  the  Rose  under  notice 
has  progressed  as  far  in  that  direc- 
tion as  any  that  I  have  come 
across. 

Mrs.  George  Preston  (Alex. 
Dickson  and  Sons,  1910). — One  of 
the  new  Roses  that  by  reason  of 
its  colour  perhaps  has  been  some- 
what overlooked.  I  cannot  account 
for  it  in  any  other  way.  I  re- 
member once  hearing  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  respected  of  our 
Rose' nurserymen  saying,  "We 
don't  want  any  more  pink  Roses. 
I  won't  look  at  a  pink  Rose."  I 
cannot  understand  that  point  of 
view.  To  be  logical,  it  must  mean 
either  that  pink  is  a  bad  colour  or 
that  pink  Roses  have  reached  per- 
fection and  cannot  therefore  be 
improved  upon.  Now,  neither  of 
these  propositions  is  true.  Perhaps 
what  was  meant  was  that  pink  as 
a  colour  was  out  of  fashion.  Be 
all  that  as  it  may,  I  would  welcome 
any  Rose  if  it  was  better  than  a 
Rose  already  in  commerce  (which 
it  resembled),  be  the  colour  what 
it  might.  To  get  back  to  Mrs. 
George  Preston,  this  is  a  warm 
silvery  pink.  The  flowers  are  of 
good  size  and  substance,  freely 
produced,  sweetly  scented  and  par- 
ticularly good  in  autumn. 

Mrs.  Gordon  Sloane  (.\lex.  Dickson  and  Sons, 
1912).^!  think  this  is  going  to  be  a  good  decorative 
Rose.  I  have  only  one  plant  of  it,  and  therefore 
one  has  to  speak  a  little  charingly.  The  colour  is 
distinct  and  good,  coppery  pink  and  flesh,  especially 
in  the  early  flowers.  It  is  a  good  grower,  of  that 
free-branching  habit  that  is  so  essential  to  a  free- 
flowering  Rose  ;    strongly  perfumed. 

Mrs.  Joseph  H.  Welch  (S.  McGredy  and  Son, 
1911). — Those  who  only  know  this  Rose  from  the 
specimens  seen  in  the  exhibition  boxes  at  shows 
can  have  but  very  little  idea  of  it.  The  bud  or 
half-open  flowerr— it  is  very  often  nothing  more 
than  the  former  that  is  exhibited — is  very  fine, 
but   a  yoimg  flower  "fully"   open   is  much   more 


and   of    a   free,    easily-expanding   character.     The 
flowers  are  moderately  large  and  sweetly  scented. 
These  were  exhibited  by  Messrs.  W.  Wells,  Limited 
Merstham. 
Cypripedium    nitens    leeanum    var.    smarag- 

dinum  (C.  leeanum  giganteura  x  C.  Sallieri 
hyeanum).— Sepals,  petals  and  lip  uniform  greenish 
yellow  ;  dorsal  sepal  of  greener  tint,  obscurely 
mottled  and  heavily  tipped  with  white.  From 
F.  T.  Hanbury,  E^q.,  East  Grinstead. 

Odontoglossum  Cleopatra  RoseDeld  Variety.— 

Sepals  and  petals  nch  cinnamon  brown,  faintly 
bordered  yellow  and  tipped  with  white.  Lip 
crimson,  with  .yellow  crest,  reticulated  and 
heavily  tipped  with  white.  From  de  Barri 
Crawshay,   Esq.,  Sevenoaks. 

Odontioda  Langowoyi  (O.  Uro- 

Skinneri  x  Miltonia  schroderiana). 
— Sepals  and  petals  acutely  pointed, 
crimson,  green  tipped.  Lip  ruby 
red,  broadly  tipped  with  white. 
From  Messrs.  Charlesworth  and  Co., 
Hayward's  Heath. 

Cypripedium    bourtonense    (C. 

insigne  Harefield  Hall  x  C.  Blanche 
Moore). — A  flower  of  giant  pro- 
portions. Sepals  and  petals 
greenish  brown,  with  pouch  of 
the  same  colour.  Dorsal  sepal 
4  inches  across,  greenish,  copiously 
blotched  brown  and  heavily  bor- 
dered with  white.  From  G.  F. 
Moore,  Esq.,  Bourton  -  on  -  the  - 
Water. 

The  foregoing  were  shown  at 
the  committee  meeting  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  on 
December  16. 


THE    TANGIERIAN    IRIS.         FLOWERS    BLUE    WITH    A    BRIGHT    GOLDEN 
BLOTCH    ON    THE    FALLS. 


petals  slightly  waved  at  the  margin.  The  heavily- 
crested  lip  displayed  a  centre  of  richest  orange, 
delicately  feathered  with  white,  the  richer 
colouring  extending  well  into  the  tube.  From 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Sir  George  Holford,  K.C.V.O., 
Westonbirt. 

AWARDS     OF     MERIT. 

Chrysanthemum    Bertha    Lachaux. — A    very 

useful  and  beautiful  late-flowering  decorative 
variety  of  deep  pink  colouring.  The  variety  is 
of  the  decorative  class,  the  florets  spreading  or 
shglitly  reflexing. 

Carnation   Philadelphia. — ^This  is  one  of  the 
cerise  pink  shades,  somewhat  deeper  than  Lawson, 


THE     TANGIERIAN     IRIS. 

(Iris  tin'gita.va.) 

This  lovely  Iris  was  intro- 
duced from  Tangier  as  long 
ago  as  1872.  When  successfully 
grown,  it  is  looked  upon  as  one 
of  the  most  charming  species 
of  the  genus.  It  shows  a 
marked  liking  for  a  warm,  simny 
situation,  which  is  not  surpris- 
ing when  we  consider  its  habitat. 
In  favoured  counties  like  Devon 
and  Cornwall  it  docs  well,  espe- 
cially if  given  a  sandy,  gritty- 
soil  to  which  lime  rubble  has 
been  added.  During  the  winter 
it  needs  protection  from  heavy 
rains.  Some  exceptionally  tine 
plants  in  full  flower  were  shown 
recently  before  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
by  Messrs.  Barr  and  Sons.  The  plants  created 
great  interest  and  admiration  by  reason  of  their 
healthy  growth  and  lovely  flowers.  These  plants 
had  been  growii  under  glass  from  strong,  selected 
bulbs,  which  were  potted  up  in  early  August  and 
given  cold-frame  treatment.  It  is  worth  noting 
that  this  Iris  makes  a  fine  pot  plant  for  the  green- 
house, and  may  be  lightly  forced  like  the  Spanisli 
Iris.  The  flowers  vary  in  the  upright  standards 
from  light  to  dark  blue,  the  falls  usually  of  a  paler 
shade.  Each  has  a  bright  golden  blotch.  Its 
time  for  outdoor  flowering  is  May  and  Jime,  but 
when  growK  as  a  greenhouse  plant  it  may  readily 
be  had  in  bloom  at  this  season. 


December  27,  1913-] 


THE     GARDEN. 


649 


GARDENING      FOR       BEGINNERS. 

HINTS     ON     PLANTING     NEW     SHRUBBERIES. 


WHETHER  the  proposed  new  really  rich  soil  helps  matters  wonderfully ;  but  i  firmly  with  soil,  leave  a  space  of  bare  soil 
shrubberies  are  to  be  large  or  there  is  a  great  deal  that  is  of  poor  quality,  and  around  them,  as  grass  must  not  be  allowed 
small,  every  effort  should  be  those  persons  who  have  to  grow  shrubs  in  such  to  grow  right  up  to  the  stems.  A  large,  round 
made'  to  prepare  the  soil  well,  :  should  make  it  as  suitable  as  possible  before  putting  bed,  3,  on  a  lawn  is  not  difficult  to  plant.  The 
to  put  in  the  most  suitable  in  the  plants.  Trenching  is  the  first  consideration,  j  large  holes  represent  positions  for  the  big 
kinds  of  shrubs,  and  to  arrange  '  Whether  the  soil  be  rich,  gravelly,  sandy,  peaty  |  shrubs,  and  the  others  for  the  small  speci- 
them  in  the  most  attractive  way.  Even  a  very  '  or  clayey,  it  must  be  trenched  to  a  depth  of  at  i  mens.  At  plantmg-time  there  must  be  some 
small    shrubber\-    makes     a    dwelling-house    look  '  least   20   inches.     Thirty  inches  would  be   better,  1  formality,   but  it   will  be  less  apparent   in   a  few 

especially  in  cases  where  the  larger  kinds  of  ;  years'  time.  The  remaining  sketch  represents  a 
shrubs  are  to  be  grown.  In  carrying  out  |  boundary  fence  and  an  arrangement  of  shrubs  ; 
the  work,  the  cultivator  must  keep  the  sur-  [  No.  4,  a  narrow  strip  of  lawn  ;  No.  5,  a  narrow 
face  soil  on  the  top,  simply  turning  it  over  border  in  which  some  small  specimens  are  planted  ; 
and  breaking  it  up.  The  subsoil  must  be  and  No.  6,  the  path  and  tUe-edging.  In  thousands 
kept  below  and  well  loosened  with  the  aid  of  small  gardens  much  privacy  may  be  obtained 
of  the  garden  fork.  If  there  is  a  grass  turf  j  if  the  shrubs  are  so  arranged,  and  there  would 
to  deal  with,  the  latter  must  be  buried  about  ;  be  plenty  of  space  for  flowers.  A  few  deciduous 
nine  inches  below- the  surface  and  chopped  '  kinds  of  shrubs  judiciously  mixed  with  the  evergreen 
into  squares.  In  a  short  time  it  will  com-  sorts  will  add  to  the  general  appearance  and  give 
mence  to  decay  and  supply  nourishing  food  j  additional    interest    to   those    of    a    non-flowering 


Jji.;^)^'^/7^M^//mk^' 


-AP4 


8 


i;o 


.^-    -  --  r<n 


^■>  4.  wt-- 


A. PLANTING  CLIMBERS  AGAINST  A  WALL  AND 

SPECIMEN    TREES    IN    THE    OPEN. 


more  substantial,  inviting  and  comfortable. 
Furthermore,  shrubs  afford  the  cultivator  a  great 
amoimt  of  interest.  He  derives  pleasure  from 
watching  their  growth,  and  in  association  with 
them  he  can,  all  the  more  effectively,  arrange 
other  subjects  in  the  garden.  Some  shrubs  look 
best  when  grown  in  beds  on  the  lawn,  others  are 
more  suitable  for  growing  in  side  borders  near 
paths  and  walls,  while  many  are  the  most  effective 
when  treated  as  specimens. 

How  to  Prepare  the  Soil. — Very  fine  shrubs 
can  be  grown  in  quite  poor  soil  if  it  is 
well  'treated.  So  many  cultivators  are  under 
the  impression  that  it  is  useless  for  them  to  attempt 
to  form  a  shrubbery  because  the  rooting  medium 
is     indifferent     as     regards     quality.     Of     course, 


for  the  shrubs  for  a  considerable  time 

every  case  the  best  soil  must 

be  kept  near  the  surface,   but 

where  poor   soils   obtain,    the 

most  nourishing  foods  should 

be   placed  on  the  surface  and 

just  below  it,  as,  owing  to  the 

porosity  of  the  soil,  the  rains 

will  soon  wash  down    all   the 

best   portion  below  the   reach 

of  the  roots. 

Planting  ttie    Shrubs. — In 

the  case  of  a  new  shrubberj-, 
it  will  be  foimd  necessary  to 
fill  up  space  with  temporary 
shrubs,  those  intended  to 
remain  permanently  being 
planted  first.  In  Fig.  A  two 
forms  o£  shrubberies  are 
shown,  one  near  a  wall  and 
garden  path,  and  the  other 
an  irregularly-shaped  one  on 
a  lawn.  In  the  first  named, 
herbaceous  and  other  flower 
roots  may  be  used  to  fill  in 
space,  so  that  aU  the  shrubs 
put  in  will  be  permanent 
subjects.  No.  i  shows  a 
climber  on  the  wall ;  No.  2, 
a  standard  deciduous  tree  ; 
No.  3,  a  nice  specimen  coni- 
fer ;  No.  4,  a  dwarf  shrub  ; 
and  No.  5,  the  edging  and 
portion  of  path.  In  the  large 
lawn  bed,  Nos.  6,  7  and  8  denote 
the  larger  permanent  shrubs,  all 
others  being  planted  to  fill  up  the 
vacant  space.  Some  of  them  will 
remain  in  their  positions  for  probably 
a  dozen  years  before  it  will  be 
foiuid  necessary  to  remove  them  to 
allow  sufficient  space  for  the  others 
to  grow  in.  Fig.  B  shows,  at  Nos.  i, 
2,  2,  the  way  to  group  shrubs  on 
a  lawn.  There  may  be  as  many  as 
seven  or  even  twelve  in  a  group, 
but  in  each  case  they  should  be  so 
disposed  that  every  specimen  can 
be  seen  from  whichever  point  it  is 
viewed.      After   covering   the   roots 


In  !  character. 


G.  G. 


i£0i^0M^ 


■•"0 


^i^''A''^fu,  ■'■'■'  ■.'..'■''''■'■■•' y.', ■''■., '  •  ■''      '.'•■'"■'■''■■. 


B. SHOWING    HOW    TO     GROUP    SHRUBS    FOR    EFFECT. 


650 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  27,  1913. 


GARDENING     OF    THE     WEEK. 


FOR 


SOUTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 

Paths. — Any  paths  that  may  have  been  cut 
up  through  the  heavy  traffic  of  alterations  should, 
if  possible,  be  put  right  at  once.  It  may  mean 
that  the  whole  surface  of  the  path  will  need  brealdng 
up  and  regravelling.  In  such  a  case  the  old  gravel 
should  be  carefully  levelled,  and,  if  a  fairly  wde 
path,  sufficient  camber  should  be  allowed  to  take 
the  water  away  nicely,  a  flat  path  soon  wearing 
into  holes  through  the  water  standing  on  it.  If 
the  surface  of  the  old  gravel  is  left  moderatelv 
rough  and  the  fresh  gravel  is  carefully  levelled 
and  well  rolled,  the  whole  will  become  thoroughlv 
consolidated  and  not  be  likely  to  pick  up. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Double  Arabis. — Considerable  trouble  is  being 
experienced  in  these  gardens  through  the  birds  pull- 
ing up  or  breaking  off  the  young  plants  in  the  flower- 
beds. Whether  this  is  pure  mischief,  or  whether 
they  do  it  to  more  easily  get  at  the  small  black 
slugs  that  secrete  themselves  on  the  under  part 
of  the  foliage,  I  do  not  Icnow  ;  but  anyone  experi- 
encing the  same  trouble  would  be  well  advised  to 
place  black  cotton  over  the  beds  some  8  inches 
or  lo  inches  above  the  plants. 

Nicotiana    Colossea    variegata. — Cuttings     of 

this  beautiful  subtropical  beddmg  plant  should 
be  inserted  in  a  brisk  bottom-heat  as  they  become 
fit.  Side  growths,  I  find,  root  much  more  quickly 
than  the  tops  of  old  plants,  and  if  rooted  early 
in  the  year  and  potted  on  as  they  require  it,  they 
should  make  quite  nice  plants  by  planting-out- 
time. 

Dracaena  indivisa  is  a  most  useful  subject  in 
the  flower  garden,  and  young  plants  raised  from 
seed  during  the  past  spring  should  make  quite 
nice-sized  plants  for  dotting  purposes  if  kept 
nicely  moving  through  the  winter  and  spring. 
Potting  on  should  be  done  at  anv  time  as  they 
require  it,  6-inch  pots  being  about  the  right  size 
for  plants  raised  this  year,  and  should  carry  them 
till  they  are  required  for  planting  out. 

Acacia  lophantha  and  Eucalyptus  raised 
during  the  summer  should  also  be  repotted  as  they 
become  fit,  as  if  good,  well-furnished  plants  are  re- 
quired, the  pots  must  not  be  allowed  to  get  too  full 
of  roots  before  the  plants  are  potted  on.  Very 
little  heat  is  required  for  these  subjects  ;  but  if 
the  plants  are  small,  it  might  be  wise  to  keep 
them  nicely  on  the  move  during  the  winter. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Pot  Roses. — Plants  req\iircd  for  fairly  early 
bloommg  should  be  removed  under  cover  at  once, 
where  they  should  be  allowed  to  get  fairly  dry 
before  the  work  of  pruning  is  commenced.  Unfortu- 
nately, all  Roses  have  continued  growing,  or  at 
least  held  most  of  their  fohage  till  now.  What 
effect  it  will  have  on  their  flowering  remains  to  be 
seen,  but  they  will  not  get  much  rest  this  season. 
Plants  permanently  planted  in  the  houses,  whether 
for  covering  the  roof  or  in  beds,  may  be  pruned 
at  once.  They  should  then  be  given  a  thorough 
cleansing,  also  the  house,  after  which  a  little  of 
the  surface  soil  should  be  removed,  substituting 
this  with  a  little  fresh  soil  to  which  has  been  added 
some  half-spent  manure  and  bone-meal.  The 
borders  shotlld  also  be  thoroughly  well  watered, 
the  subsequent  treatment  accorded  the  plants 
varying  with  the  date  they  are  wanted  in  bloom 
or  with  the  varieties. 

Pruning. — The  Teas  and  Hybrid  Teas  do  not 
require  such  severe  pruning  as  the  Hybrid  Per- 
petuals,  though  it  is  doubtful  if  there  are  many 
of  these  latter  grown  now  in  private  places,  except 
perhaps  Frau  Karl  Druschki,  Mrs.  J.  Laing,  Captain 
Hayward  and  one  or  two  others. 

Imantophyllum. — This  most  useful  plant  may 
Ije  had  in  flower  over  quite  a  long  season  if  part 
of  the  stock  is  introduced  into  heat  and  the  re- 
mainder allowed  to  come  along  gently  in  quite  a 
cool  house.  Plenty  of  manure-water  is  necessary 
when  the  plants  are  throwing  up  their  flower- 
spikes,  and  this  makes  quite  a  lot  of  difference 
not  only  to  the  size  and  colour  of  the  flower,  but 
to  the  foliage  as  well. 

Amaryllis. — Many  of  the  early-flowered  bulbs 
last     year    arc    now    pushing    their    flower-spikes. 


in  a  light  position  in  one  of  the  houses.  Should 
they  be  wanted  quickly,  they  will  stand  a  fair 
amount  of  heat  ;  but  care  must  be  taken  with  the 
watering,  or  the  fohage  is  apt  to  overgrow  the 
flower-spike. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 
Ridging  the  Soil,  m  addition  to  trenching. 
IS  a  decided  advantage  where  the  soil  is  of  a  heavv 
clayey  nature.  Such  treatment  allows  as  much 
of  the  soil  as  possible  to  become  thoroughly  dis- 
integrated with  the  action  of  frost  and  air,  so  that 
when  the  season  of  sowing  arrives  it  is  drier  and 
breaks  down  nice  and  fine,  and  so  provides  a  good 
seed-bed.  This  latter  is  one  of  the  essentials 
towards  the  successful  cultivation  of  all  classes 
of  vegetables,  and  in  soils  of  varying  character 
different  means  must  be  employed  to  attain  the 
desired  end. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Tomatoes. — These  call  for  careful  treatment 
at  this  season,  and  where  the  plants  are  ripening 
their  fruit,  too  much  moisture  must  not  be  afforded 
at  the  root,  nor  must  the  atmosphere  of  the  house 
contain  too  much  moisture,  or  heavy  foliage  and 
little  fruit  will  be  the  result.  If  the  trusses  are 
fairly  well  set,  the  points  of  the  shoots  raav  be 
pinched  out  and  thus  induce  the  fruit  to  swell 
quickly. 

Fruit-Houses  generally  that  have  been  started 
some  little  time  must  be  kept  steadily  moving, 
making  no  attempt  to  hurry  them  until  the  days 
begin  to  lengthen  some  little  time  hence,  at  the 
same  time  maintaining  the  proper  amount  of  heat 
and  humidity  in  the  houses  to  ensure  the  growth 
coming  away  strongly. 

Strawberries. — Good  batches  of  these  may  now 
be  placed  indoors.  The  first  batch  will  probably 
have  been  in  a  week  or  two,  and  if  in  one  of  the 
fruit-houses  that  have  been  started,  the  gentle 
rising  of  the  temperature  should  suit  them  well. 
If  the  successional  batches  are  put  in  as  other 
houses  are  shut  up,  they  will  naturally  produce 
a  nice  succession  of  fruit.  Sufficient  water  should 
be  given  at  this  season  to  keep  them  from  getting 
really  dry,  increasing  it  accordingly  as  the  plants 
make  growth. 

Hardy  Fruits. 

Raspberry  Belle  de  Fontenay. — This  autumn- 
fruiting  Raspberry  has  this  season  been  more 
prohfic  than  ever  1  have  known  it,  and  though  the 
flavour  is  not  so  good  as  at  midsummer,  it  is, 
nevertheless,  very  useful  during  September,  October 
and  November,  and  even  in  December  we  have 
gathered  one  or  two  good  dishes  of  fruit.  It  is 
an  excellent  grower,  and  where  Raspberries  are 
in  much  demand,  a  row  or  two  of  this  variety  is 
well  worth  growing. 

Thomas  Stevenson. 
(Head-gardener  to  E.  Mocatta,  Esq.) 

Woburn  Place  Gardens,  Addtestone,  Surrey, 


and  directly  this  is  noticed  they  must  be  placed  |  February. 


FOR     NORTHERN     GARDENS. 

The  Flower  Garden. 

Digging  and  Trenching. — This  work  should 
be  pushed  forward  in  open  weather,  but  be  left 
severely  alone  during  frost. 

Calceolarias. — While  these  and  other  half- 
hardy  plants  in  frames  should  be  well  exposed 
in  open,  mild  weather,  they  must  be  sufficiently 
protected  from  frost.  Should  severe  frost  set  in. 
It  will  be  advisable  to  supplement  the  mats  with 
a  covering  of  straw,  and  some  loose  litter  should 
also  be  placed  round  the  box  of  the  frame. 

Protecting  Early  Bulbs. — Where  Snowdrops 
and  Scillas  are  grown  in  square  or  oblong  beds 
for  cutting  purposes,  a  one  or  two  light  frame 
may  in  turn  be  placed  over  Snowdrops,  Scillas 
or  Chionodoxas,  Dog's-tooth  Violets  and  Daffodils, 
thereby  hastening  the  flowering  period  by  a  fort- 
night or  more. 

The  Rose  Garden. 

Late  Operations. — Where  any  rearrangement 
of  beds  or  their  occupants  has  been  contemplated 
and  the  work  cannot  be  got  through  for  some 
little  time,  it  will  be  wise  to  hft  the  plants  without 
delay  and  lay  them  in  by  the  heels  in  a  vacant 
piece  of  ground,  carefully  named,  deferring  the 
planting   of   them   in   their   permanent  places   till 


Rose  Hebe's  Lip.— This  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  varieties  of  old  garden  Roses,  and  not 
\ory  well  known,  I  think.  It  is  a  white  Rose 
with  a  tinge  of  bright  pink  on  the  tips  of  the  petals, 
which  much  enhances  its  beauty,  especiallv  in 
the  half-opened  buds.  I  purchased  it  from  Messrs. 
Dobbie  and  Co.  before  they  left   Rothesay. 

The  Pleasure  Grounds. 
Trees  and  Snow. — When  a  heavy  snowfall 
occurs,  valuable  ornamental  trees  are '  frequently 
damaged  through  the  weight  of  accumulated 
snow  breaking  the  branches.  If  a  heavy 
fall  of  snow  occurs,  therefore,  a  rake  or  long  pole 
should  be  employed  to  dislodge  the  snow  from 
spreading  ornamental  trees  such  as  Piceas,  Pinuses 
and  Cedars. 

Plants  Under  Glass. 

Callicarpa  purpurea. — This  attractive  purple- 
berried  stove  shrub  is  now  almost  over  for  the 
season,  and  may  be  cut'  down  to  within  about 
six  inches  of  the  ground,  either  to  be  grown  on 
again  or  to  furnish  cuttings  for  young  stock. 

The  Newer  Winter  Begonias. — Begonia  Gloire 
de  Lorraine  is  as  yet  indispensable,  but  some  of 
the  newer  and  larger-flowered  varieties  should 
also  be  grown  by  those  who  have  accommodation. 
Such  varieties  as  Miss  Clibran,  Optima,  Progress 
and  Bank  Hall  Beauty  can  be  recommended 
without  hesitation.  I  would  also  put  in  a  plea 
for  old  B.  manicata. 

Cinerarias. — These  have  made  much  growth 
on  account  of  the  mild  autumn.  Vaporise 
occasionally  for  green  fly,  and  on  the  first  appear- 
■rnce  of  the  leaf  miner,  spray  with  Quassia  Chips 
Extract. 

Forcing  Camellias. — These  old-fashioned  plants 
should  not  be  subjected  to  hard  forcing  ;  but  if 
a  few  plants  are  introduced  to  an  intermediate 
temperature  now,  they  will  prove  very  useful 
for  the  conservatory  by  the  beginning  of  February. 
Never  allow  them  to  suffer  for  the  want  of  water, 
or  bud-dropping  will  be  the  result. 

Bulbs. — With  the  lengthening  days  these  will 
respond  more  readily  to  a  little  forcing,  and  they 
should  be  brought  forward  in  considerable  batches, 
as  it  is  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  that  they  are 
most  prized.  Daffodils  will  not  stand  such  hard 
forcing  as  Hyacinths  and  Tulips. 

Fruits  Under  Glass. 

Cordon  Trees. — For  Apples  or  Pears,  the  cordon 
system  has  much  to  recommend  it,  its  two  chief 
advantages  being  that  one  is  able  to  obtain 
fruit  at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  while  by  it 
one  can  secure  the  maximum  amount  of  fruit 
in  a  given  space. 

Potting. — No  time  should  be  lost  in  procuring 
the  trees,  and  if  they  are  to  be  potted,  the  operation 
should  be  performed  as  soon  as  the  trees  come 
to  hand.  Generally  speaking,  pots  12  inches 
in  diameter  will  be  sufficient  at  first.  Drain  the 
pots  carefully  and  use  a  compost  of  about  five 
parts  of  sound,  fibrous  loam  to  one  part  of  rotten 
cow-manure.  Ram  firmly  with  the  potting-stick 
and  leave  quite  2  inches  for  water.  Water  through 
a  rose  and  plunge  the  plants  outside  among  some 
light  material,  standing  the  pots  on  a  slate  to 
prevent  the  ingress  of  worms. 

The  Vegetable  Garden. 
Jerusalem  Artichokes. — This  crop  requiring  a 
long  period  of  growth,  it  cannot  be  planted  too 
early  in  the  year,  provided  that  the  ground  is  in 
good  condition.  Keeping  this  in  view,  the  quarter, 
if  not  already  trenched,  should  be  done  so  at  once 
if  the  weather  permits.  A  rather  light  soil  suits 
this  crop  best,  and  it  should  not  be  too  highly 
enriched,  or  stems  instead  of  tubers  will  be  the 
result. 

Home-Made  Pea  Guards. — An  effective  Pea 
guard  can  be  made  by  tacking  18-inch  wire-netting 
(half-inch  mesh)  on  to  lengths  of  wood  2  inches 
square.  A  man  at  each  end  then  lifts  the  guard 
on  to  the  line  of  Peas,  and  draws  the  lengths  of 
wood  slightly  closer  till  an  arch  is  formed  over 
the  line  of  Peas. 

Pea  Stakes. — No  time  should  be  lost  in  pre- 
paring a  sufficient  quantity  of  these.  Beech, 
Elm  and  Hazel  all  make  first-rate  Pea  stakes. 
Those  who  cannot  get  natural  ones  must  fall 
back  on  wire-netting  or  wire  hurdles. 

Charlfs  Comfort. 
Brooinficld  Gardens,  Davidson's  Mains,  Midlothian. 


Dkcember  27,  1913O 


GARDENING    ACROSTICS. 


THE    GARDEN. 


A  S  announced  in  our  issue  for  November  22, 

t\  we    are    publishing     eight    gardening 

/  %        acrostics,  to  be  divided  into  two  sets  of 

^^^      four  each.    Each  light  correctly  guessed 

/  m     will  count  one,  and   also  each  "  first  " 

and    each    "  last."     Thus,    supposing 

the    whole    is    China    (firsts),    Aster    (lasts),    the 

full    marks    will    be    seven — one    for    China,    one 

for   Aster,    and   one   for   each    of   the    five   lights 

C  .  .  .  A,    H  .  .  .  S,    I  .  .   .  T,    N  .  .  .  E    and 

A  .  .  .   R.      Hence,    suppose    a    competitor    got 

everything  right  but  the  light  I  ...  T,  he  would 

count  six,  and  it  would  not  matter  if  he  attempted 

to  solve  that  particular  light  or  not. 

Those  entering  for  the  acrostics  must  observe 
the  rules  published  on  page  607  of  the  issue  of 
December  6. 


DOUBLE     ACROSTIC     No.    4. 

A  very  big  book,  written  in  a  very  big  way 
almost  exactly  200  years  ago.  The  last  of  its 
type. 

Firsts — the  type. 

Lasts — the  author's  surname. 

1.  I  once  gave  the  Dutch  a  horrid  fright. 

2.  A   famous   book,   written   for   Old   England's 

glory. 

3.  A  great  Russian  botanist  of  modem  times. 

4.  A  gardener  once  law  the  capability  of  the  spot 

and  made  a  lake  and  his  fortune.     Where 
was  this  at  ? 

5.  The  Strawberry  Tree. 

6.  The  surname  of  the  man  who  gave  us  "  the 

most    complete    book    of    Gardening    ever 

published."     A  regular  gardening  octopus 

iu  its  wide  embrace. 

Solutions  of  the  above  must  be  sent  so  as  to  reach 

the  Editor  at  20,   Tavistock  Street,  Covent  Garden, 

London,  W.C.,nol  later  than  the  first  post  on  Saturday, 

JantMry  3,  1914.      Mark  the  envelope  "Acrostic  "  in 

the  top  left-hand  corner. 


SOLUTION     AND    NOTES     OF 
ACROSTIC    No.    2. 

NECTARINE—  RASPBERRY. 

•  I.  N  UPHA  R 

t  2.  E  RIO  A 

J  3.  C  ARELES  S 

§  4.  T  ULI  P 

II  5.  A  RA  B 

H  6.  R  ic  E 

•*       7.       I  NFERIO        R 

tt       8.       N  ECTA  R 

JJ       9.       E  BON  Y 

Firsts — ^If  a  Peach  stone  be  sown,  it  is  quite 
uncertain  whether  the  resulting  plant  will  be  a 
Peach  (downy)  or  a  Nectarine  (smooth),  and 
vice  versa.  Lasts — -Botanically,  a  Raspberry  is 
such  a  fruit.  The  Red  Antwerp  and  the  Yellow 
Antwerp  were  known  considerably  more  than  a 
hundred  5'ears  ago.  *  Nuphar  is  thus  described  in 
"Nicholson's  Dictionary  of  Gardening":  "The 
yellow  Water  Lily  of  our  streams  and  pools  is  a 
Nuphar."  t  Ericas  come  from  South  Africa. 
They  were  a  very  popular  genus  for  greenhouse 
cultivation  about  the  sixties  and  seventies. 
{  Gooseberries  are  called  "  berries  "  among  Goose- 
berry show  people.  Careless,  raised  near  Birming- 
ham, is  an  old  variety  of  excellent  flavour.  In 
the  "Gooseberry  Grower's  Register"  for  1889 
It  occupied  the  premier  position  as  the  heaviest 
white    berry.     §  The    Tulip   is    thus    described    in 


"  Le  Floriste  Francois"  in  1654,  page  20(3.  This 
is  an  exceedingly  rare  book  on  Tulips.  It  is  the 
first  floral  monograph  ever  published.  ||  .An  inter- 
esting account  of  the  Arab  influence  on  the  coasts 
of  the  .Mediterranean  is  to  be  found  in  "  Wander- 
ings of  Plants  and  Animals,"  by  Heyn  and  Stally- 
brass,  pages  37  and  38  and  336  and  337.  H  Rice  was 
the  staple  food  of  the  poor  Indian  for  generations 
before  it  was  introduced  to  America. — "  Wander- 
ings of  Plants  and  .Animals,"  page  383.  **  See 
any  book  on  botany  for  description  of  terms, 
tt  In  Fritillaria  imperialis  (Crown  Imperial)  the 
nectaries  are  in  shallow  excavations  on  the 
inner  side  of  the  perianth  leaves  near  their  base. 
Each  one  exudes  a  large  drop  of  nectar,  which  is 
seen  on  loolcing  down  into  the  flower.  %%  Dios- 
p>Tos  ebenum  produces  the  best  Ebony.  See 
such  a  book  as  "  McCullocli's  Commercial  Dic- 
tionary," under  "  Ebony." 

*,*  Owing  to  the  Christmas  holiday,  this  issue 
had  to  go  to  press  before  Die  last  day  for  sending  in 
solutions  of  Acrostic  No.  2.  The  results  of  this 
wilt  therefore  appear  in  our  issue  for  January  3.  1014, 
together  with  the  results  of  .Vo,   t,. 


THE 


NAMING  OF  TULIP 
BREAKS. 


M 


AY  I  thank  Messrs.  Leak,  Krelage  and 
Needham  for  their  most  interesting 
letters  ?  The  naming  of  breaks  has 
become  an  important  question  to 
both  the  sellers  and  the  purchasers 
of  Tulips.  The  striped  flowers  that 
we  used  to  root  up  and  consign  to  the  rubbish  heap 
are  going  to  be  marked,  saved  and  "  grown  on." 
.Already  I  hear  of  one  of  the  largest  wholesale  firms 
of  Holland  casting  about  to  secure  stocks  so  as  to 
be  in  a  position  to  serve  their  .American  customers. 
It  is  a  straw  which  shows  the  direction  of  the  wind. 
Only  let  the  fashion  grow,  so  that  these  broken 
Tulips  command  a  ready  sale,  and  we  shall  all  of  us 
be  saving  all  we  can.  This  is  when  the  difficulty 
will  begin.  Clara  Butt  may  break  in  any  or  all 
of  the  many  gardens  in  which  it  is  grown.  .As  the 
custom  is  at  present,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent 
Mr.  Leak  giving  the  break  one  name,  Mr.  Krelage 
another,  myself  a  third,  and  so  on  ad  infinitum. 
When  only  an  odd  Cottage  or  Darwin  break  was 
picked  out  here  and  there,  it  did  not  very  much 
matter  how  the  names  were  given ;  but  let  the 
numbers  appreciably  increase  and  these  broken 
varieties  become  fashionable,  then  some  hard-and- 
fast  system  becomes  imperative,  or  their  nomencla- 
ture will  soon  be  in  a  hopeless  state  of  confusion. 
Mr.  Needham,  in  The  Garden  of  December  6, 
has  told  us  how  the  Tulip  men  of  the  past  and 
present  avoid  this.  The  underlying  principle  ot 
their  nomenclature  is  "  Once  a  Sir  Joseph  Paxton, 
always  a  Sir  Joseph  Paxton."  The  rectification 
or  the  becoming  striped  is  only  a  stage  in  a  bulb's 
life-history,  and  the  change  does  not  make  a  new 
variety  any  more  than  the  growth  of  whiskers, 
beard  and  moustache  on  the  smooth  face  of  John 
Smith  makes  the  aforesaid  John  Smith  into  Peter 
Jones.  They  speak  of  a  self-coloured  Sir  Joseph 
Paxton  as  Sir  Joseph  Paxton  breeder,  and  when  it 
is  striped,  as  Sir  Joseph  Paxton  rectified,  or,  more 
usually,  they  give  the  type  of  rectification  into  which 
it  has  broken — if  with  only  a  light  marking  on  the 
edge  of  the  petals,  as  feathered,  or  if  with  much 
colour'  all  over  them,  as  flamed  and  feathered. 
Every  break  must  take  on,  roughly  speaking,  one 


651 


or  the  other  of  these  markings  ;  so  a  Cottage  or 
a  Darwin  variety  will  always  give  a  lighter  or  a 
darker  break  corresponding,  I  believe,  to  the 
".feathered"  and  the  "flamed  and  feathered" 
of  the  strict  florists.  From  a  conversation  I  have 
had  with  Mr.  Leak,  I  gather  that  this  is  his  ex- 
perience. It  certainly  is  mine,  only  I  find  that 
there  is  an  almost  inevitable  tendency  for  the 
delightful  light  breaks  to  become  dark  in  the  course 
of  a  year  or  two.  How  well  I  remember  an 
exceedingly  lovely  broken  Tara  being  shown  at 
one  of  the  last  of  the  Temple  Shows  by  Mr.  B.  S. 
Faudel-Phillips,  who  kindly  gave  me  half-a-dozen 
that  same  autumn.  What  has  happened  ?  Mine 
became  so  heavily  coloured  that  they  lost  all  their 
beauty,  so  much  so  that  last  year  I  consigned  them 
all  to  the  "  mixed."  .At  the  Perpetual  Flowering 
Carnation  Show  in  December  I  met  Mr.  Faudel- 
Phillips'  gardener,  and  he  told  me  that  theirs  have 
gone  just  like  mine.  I  mention  this  because  1 
believe  that  there  is  a  tendency  for  all  breaks  to 
go  much  the  same  in  the  course  of  time.  .As  Mr. 
Needham  has  told  us,  the  various  strains  of  Sir 
Joseph  Paxton  are  now  practically  all  one.  What- 
ever difference  there  once  was  has  not  been 
retained. 

Naming  difficulties,  of  one  sort  or  another,  have 
always  been  a  Tulip  appendage.  Nothing  can 
well  be  simpler  or  better  than  the  practice  of  the 
strict  florists,  and  if  their  flowers  were  the  only 
ones,  and  they  themselves  the  only  cultivators, 
there  would  be  an  end  of  the  matter.  To-day, 
however,  instead  of  being  the  only  growers  of 
Tulips,  they  are  but  a  very  small  minority,  and  it 
is  a  case  of  other  men,  other  manners,  both  with 
respect  to  the  types  that  are  esteemed  and  the 
system  of  naming.  Again,  we  must  remember 
that  what  I  may  call  the  simple  and  expressive 
system  is,  after  all,  but  a  comparatively  modern 
invention,  and  that  we  never  read  of  Semper 
Augustus,  or  Gonda,  or  Admiral  van  der  Eyck  of 
the  Tulip  mania  time,  or  of  Zomerschoon  or  French 
Crown,  which  are  older  by  far  than  Sir  Joseph 
Paxton  or  Trip  to  Stockport,  as  being  flamed  or 
feathered.  (It  could  not  be  done  now  if  one  wished, 
for  no  one  knows  from  what  they  sprang.) 

Here  then,  is  our  difficulty  and  perplexity. 
We  have  two  types  of  flowers,  two  types  of  growers 
and  two  methods  of  naming  ;  one  scientific  and 
expressive,  one  "  anyhow."  Should  we  continue 
as  we  are,  or  should  we  try  to  establish  the  newer 
and  more  accurate  system  ?  I  should  like  to  do 
so  if  I  thought  it  practicable,  but  I  do  not.  It 
might  make  confusion  doubly  confounded.  I  do 
not  know  if  I  have  found  the  Philosopher's  Stone, 
but  I  have  been  busy  looking  for  it  ever  since  I 
read  Mr.  Krelage's  article,  and  here  is  the  result 
of  my  efforts.  I  would  propose  that  the  joint 
committee  who  will  meet  at  Wisley  draw  up  a  list 
of  break  names  for  all  the  Cottage  and  Darwin 
Tulips  that  they  know  of,  and  that  then  they  should 
strongly  recommend  everyone  to  adopt  them. 
Thus,  supposing  the  name  .Australia  is  given  to  the 
rectified  form  of  Clara  Butt,  everyone  would  liuow 
what  to  call  his  break,  for  all  breaks  are  the  same, 
whether  they  take  place  at  Haarlem  or  Wisbech 
or  Whitewell.  Some  might  be  darker  and  some 
lighter  at  the  start,  but  the  difference  will  not 
continue  for  long  ;  but  while  it  lasts  it  could  easily 
be  noted  in  the  catalogue  description.  This  scheme 
would  leave  all  existing  names  as  they  are,  it  would 
be  carrying  out  the  principles  of  the  newer  nomen- 
clature of  the  show  men,  and  it  would  provide 
a  series  of  ready-made  pigeon-holes,  into  which  we 
could    all    put    our    breaks.      If    a    new    variety    is 


652 


THE     GARDEN. 


[December  27,  1913- 


introduced,  tlie  introducer  would  give  it  a  double 
name,  one  for  its  breeder,  the  other  for  its  rectified 
state. 

If  this  suggestion  is  thought  feasible  and  ulti- 
mately adopted,  although  it  will  not  altogether 
appeal  to  my  reason  it  will  to  my  sentiment,  for 
the  contemporaries  of  Wearmondt  and  Gaergcedt 
(1637)  spoke  of  Gonda  and  Semper  Augustus 
simply,  so  in  sinning  we  shall  but  be  one  with  them, 
even  if  they  did  it  through  ignorance  and  we 
because  of  expediency.  Joseph  Jacob. 


ANSWERS 
TO    CORRESPONDENTS. 


RULES  FOR  CORRESPONDENTS. 

QUESTIONS  AND  ANSWERS.— TAe  Editor  intends  to 
make  The  Garden  helpful  to  all  readers  who  desire  assist- 
ance, no  matter  ivhat  the  bra/nch  of  gardening  may  be,  and 
with  that  object  will  m,ake  a  special  feature  of  the  "Answers 
to  Correspondents  "  columns.  All  commtmicatlons  should  be 
clearly  and  concisely  ivritten  on  one  side  of  the  paper  only, 
and  addressed  to  the  EDITOR  of  The  Garden,  20.  Tavistock 
Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  W.C.  The  name  and  address 
of  the  sender  are  required  in  addition  to  any  designation  he 
may  desire  to  be  used  in  the  paper.  When  more  than  one 
query  is  sent,  each  should  be  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper. 
Plants  for  naming  should  be  clearly  numbered  arid  securely 
packed  in  damp  grass  or  moss,  not  cotton-wool,  and  floivering 
shoots,  ivhere  possible,  should  be  sent.  It  is  useless  to  send 
small  scraps  that  are  not  characteristic  of  the  plant.  Letters 
on  business  should  be  sent  to  the  Pcblisher. 


FLOWER    GARDEN. 

BELLADONNA  LILIES  NOT  FLOWERING  (Z.  M.F.  F.)- 

— The  reason  why  your  plants  of  Amaryllis  Belladonna 
fio  not  flower  is  possibly  the  bulljs  are  not  ripened  properly 
in  the  position  where  they  are  growing.  As  a  rule,  the 
best  results  are  obtained  when  the  bulbs  are  growing  at 
the  foot  of  a  warm  wall ;  in  such  a  position  they  are 
usually  sure  of  well-drained  ground,  while  the  heat  from 
the  wall  assists  in  ripening  the  bulbs.  Perhaps  your 
plants  would  give  more  satisfactory  results  if  you  moved 
them  to  a  position  at  the  foot  of  a  greenhouse  wall. 

ANTIRRHINUMS  DISEASED  (F.  B.).~1he  Antir- 
rhiuums  which  you  now  send,  and  which  have  arrived  in 
excellent  condition  for  examination,  packed  in  moss  in  a 
tin  box — we  wish  all  oxir  correspondents  would  adopt 
this  fashion  of  packing,  or  improve  upon  it  by  folding 
the  specimens  in  a  piece  of  soft  paper  (not  cotton-wool) 
first— enable  us  to  say  that  they  are  attacked  by  a  fungus. 
This  fungus,  which  is  apparently  a  species  of  Septoria, 
is  fruiting  abundantly,  and  by  means  of  the  spores  which 
it  produces  \viU,  no  doubt,  travel  very  quickly.  Not  only 
are  the  leaves  attacked  and  brown  spots  produced  upon 
them,  but  there  are  patches  on  the  stems  which  also  show 
the  trouble,  and  which  soon  spread  through  the  stem, 
killing  it  at  this  spot  and,  of  course,  all  above  the  spot 
attacked.  It  would  be  well  to  remove  all  the  plants 
affected  as  completely  as  possible  and  burn  them,  taking 
care  that  the  spores  are  disturbed  as  little  as  possible  in 
the  doing  of  it.  Immediately  after  this,  spray  the  plants 
with  a  solution  of  potassium  sulphide  at  the  rate  of  loz. 
to  three  gallons  of  water. 


ROSE    GARDEN. 

ROSES  INJURED  BY  INSECTS  (F.  G.  P.).— We  rather 
tliink  the  trouble  arises  from  earwigs,  which  have  been 
very  prevalent  this  year.  We  also  think  the  browning 
of  the  flowers  has  been  rather  the  result  of  the  washes 
applied.  We  think  if  you  used  a  strong  solution  of  Quassia 
chips  you  wniild  at  li'a^i  maki^  the  foliage  objectionable 
to  till'  iTisici-.     AN"  'ji\r  tlir  soil  a  good  dusting  of  soot. 

TREATMENT  OF  AMERICAN  PILLAR  (A.  B.  S.).— 
In  the  ease  of  flue,  vigorous  growers  like  American  Pillar, 
the  young  growths  should  always  have  separate  supports, 
such  as  Bamboo  canes,  allotted  to  them,  so  that  they  do 
not  impede  the  development  of  the  flower-clusters  or 
hinder  their  own  growth  from  maturing.  Where  possible, 
the  old  growths  should  be  almost  isolated,  so  that  each 
may  display  the  fine  trusses  to  the  best  advantage.  This 
also  ensures  the  more  rapid  development  of  the  whole 
plant. 

ROSES  FOR  HOUSE  FRONT  {Catkeruie).  — Two 
excellent  varieties  would  he  Climbintr  Caroline  Testout 
and  Gloire  de  Dijon.  You  could  either  nail  the  gro\vths 
to  the  wall  by  means  of  some  shreds  or  put  in  at  intervals 
some  small  hooks  so  as  just  to  loop  the  growths  as  they 
need  it.  We  rather  prefer  this  latter  arrangement,  as  a 
Rose  appears  more  natural  when  it  hangs  away  from  the 
wall  a  little  and  the  pendulous  nature  of  the  growth 
induces  a  more  abundant  blooming.  A  good  creeper 
for  the  side  of  the  house  would  be  Clematis  montana, 
white  Jasmine  or  Wistaria. 


ROSE  FOLIAGE  DISEASED  {Lady  Beaumont).~The 
Itoses  have  been  badly  infested  with  Rose  slugworm. 
It  has  been  very  prevalent  this  year,  and  might  easily 
have  been  discovered  beneath  the  foliage.  The  slugworms 
are  very  small,  of  a  pale  yellowish  green  colour.  They 
can  easily  be  killed  by  spraying  the  bushes  with  nicotine 
wash,  repeating  it  at  frequent  intervals.  In  winter, 
remove  the  surface  soil  of  all  the  beds  very  carefully 
and  have  it  burnt,  placing  fresh  soil  on  the  roots,  as  the 
larvse,  when  mature,  fall  to  the  ground  and  pupate  in 
the  soil  in  small  oval  cocoons. 


THE    GREENHOUSE. 

PRICE  OF  BEGONIA  METALLICA  (T.  H.  S.).— This 
Begonia  cannot  by  any  means  be  termed  a  scarce  variety. 
If  it  is  a  well-furnished  plant  in  good  condition  it  should 
be  worth  5s. 

LEONTICE  {W.  P.  W.). — There  are  three  or  four  species 
of  Leontice,  but  they  are  tuberous,  not  bulbous,  plants. 
The  flowers  of  the  different  kinds  are  of  a  yellow  or  yellowish 
colour,  borne  several  together  on  a  spike  from  G  inches 
to  1  foot  in  height.  They  are  hardy  in  a  well-drained 
soil,  but  flower  so  early  in  the  year  that  they  are  most 
satisfactory  when  grown  under  glass. 

THE  GREENHOUSE  WINTER  SWEET  (C.  W.  £.1.— 
This  plant,  known  by  the  scientific  names  of  Acokanthera 
spectabihs  and  Toxicophlsea,  comes  from  the  northern 
portion  of  Natal,  and  consequently  requires  more  heat 
than  South  African  plants  in  general.  It  thrives  in  the 
coolest  part  of  the  stove  or  in  an  intermediate  house  ; 
that  is  to  say,  a  structure  with  a  minimum  night  tempera- 
ture of  50°,  rising  during  the  daytime  and  increasing  as 
the  days  lengthen  and  the  sun  gains  power.  A  compost 
made  up  of  loam,  peat  and  sand  will  suit  the  Acokanthera. 
As  your  plants  are  iu  small  pots,  we  should  not  advise  you 
to  shift  them  until  the  month  of  February,  as  the  roots 
will  by  then  be  regaining  their  normal  activity  and  soon 
take  possession  of  the  new  soil.  If  you  desire  to  grow  your 
plants  in  the  form  of  bushes,  they  must  have  the  growing 
points  pinched  out  several  times  during  their  earlier  stages, 
for  the  Acokanthera  is  naturally  of  a  somewhat  straggliug 
habit  of  growth.  It  does  well  trained  up  the  glass  at  the 
end  of  a  warm  structiue.  The  flowers,  borne  in  dense 
axillary  clusters,  usually  during  the  winter  months,  have 
obtained  for  it  the  name  of  the  Winter  Sweet,  which, 
by  the  way,  is  also  applied  to  a  hardy  shrub — Chimonanthus 
fragrans.  You  say  nothing  as  to  the  treatment  your 
plants  have  received,  hence  we  cannot  indicate  the  weak 
spot  in  their  culture. 

FRUIT    GARDEN. 

QUINCES  SPLITTING  (A.  P.,  Sussex).— The  rotting  of 
the  Quince  is  due  to  there  being  a  crack  into  which  rot- 
producing  fungi  could  gain  an  entrance.  It  does  not  appear 
that  the  cracking  was' in  any  way  due  to  the  fungus,  but 
probably  the  attack  of  the'  latter  began  after  the  fruit 
was  picked.  There  is  nothing  in  the  frmt  to  suggest 
the  cause  of  the  cracking,  but  probably  the  roots  got  dry 
in  the  summer,  and  as  a  consequence  the  skin  rather  set, 
while  the  wet  weather  we  have  experienced  since  August 
caused  it  to  attempt  to  swell  so  rapidly  that  the  skin 
burst.  We  do  not  think  the  wood-ashes  had  anything 
to  do  AVith  the  trouble. 

BLACK  CURRANTS  AND  BIG-BUD  (Forfar).  —  The 
big-bud  disease  among  Black  Currant  bushes  has  become 
all  too  common,  not  many  gardens  being  free  from  it. 
It  seems  a  hopeless  task  to  try  to  exterminate  it;  so 
many  have  tried,  and  all  have  failed  as  far  as  we  know. 
The  best  we  can  hope  to  do  is  to  keep  it  more  or  less  in 
subjection,  and  the  only  way  of  doing  this  is  the  method 
you  propose  to  adopt  with  your  young  Boskoop  Giant 
tree,  namely,  pick  off  the  diseased  buds  and  burn  them  and 
the  mites  together.  There  is  one  comfort  we  can  take  to 
heart  in  the  matter,  namli|^4hat  trees  (and  we  have  noticed 
old  trees  especially)  secfi'to  go  on  bearing  good  crops 
of  fruit  in  spite  of  the  disease. 


MISCELLANEOUS. 

IMPROVING  iTHE  SOIL  (A.  £.).— Remove  the  sardine 
tins,  broken  bnlt  It  s  and  crockery  as  completely  as  possible, 
and  give  a  guod  dn^sLng  of  stable  manure  and  dig  in. 
As  a  general  manure  you  may  mix  (at  the  rate  per  square 
yard)  loz.  of  sulphate  of  potash,  half  an  ounce  of  sulphate 
of  ammonia,  half  an  ounce  of  superphosphate,  and  fork 
in  lightly  in  spring.  Nitrate  of  soda  may  be  used  sparingly 
for  special  cases  in  which  it  is  desired  to  get  plants  to 
grow  more  vigorously.  » 

TENCH  WEED  (G.  E.,  Smsex).— The  weed  in  your  lake 
is  the  Tench  Weed  (Potamogeton  natans).  The  only 
way  to  eradicate  it  is  to  keep  it  pulled  out.  If  it  were 
possible  to  clean  the  lake  out  entirely,  that,  by  removing 
the  mud,  would  go  a  long  way  towards  destroying  the 
weed.  The  lower  kinds  of  plant-life,  such  as  Alga:,  may 
be  destroyed  by  adding  copper  sulphate  to  the  water 
at  the  rate  of  one  part  to  750.000  to  1,000,000  parts  of 
water,  but  such  weeds  as  the  Tench  Weed  would  require 
a  much  stronger  solution,  and  one  which  would  kill  all 
kinds  of  water  plants  and  fish  at  the  same  time. 

USEFUL  INSECTICIDES  (G.  5.).— The  best  wash  for 
aphis  on  Roses  or  anything  else  is  one  of  the  Tobacco 
washes,  which  may  be  made  bv  steeping  half  a  pound 
of  Tobacco  leaf  in  water  for  two  h'^urs  and  diluting  to  ten 
gallons ;  but  it  is  not  cheap.  We  have  found  Quassia 
and  soft  soap  almost  equally  ettective,  so  long  as  it  is  used 
when  the  insects  first  make  their  appearance.  It  is  made 
by  boiling  gently  lib.  of  Quassia  chips  in  water  for  a  couple 
of  hours,  dissolving  half  a  pound  of  soft  soap  in  the  water 


and  diluting  the  whole  to  tea  gallons.  This  may  be  used 
indoors,  but  we  know  of  no  better  dip  than  the  one  made  by 
kneading  flowers  of  sulphur  in  a  handful  of  soft  soap 
and  dissolving  the  mixture  in  one  and  a-half  gallons  of 
hot  water.  This  is  excellent  for  sponging  or  dipping 
Palms  and  similar  plants. 

OIL -STOVE  FOR  HEATING  A  TOMATO -HOUSE 
(B.  W.  A.). — If  you  object  to  pipes  in  the  house,  you  cannot 
do  better  than  have  a  stove  such  as  the  one  you  refer  to. 
These  and  similar  stoves  are  very  useful,  and  serve  the 
purpose  well  if  they  are  kept  clean  and  filled  late  every 
night,  so  that  the  wick  can  be  left  burning  level  for  the 
night.  Several  firms  advertise  lamps  in  The  Gakden 
from  time  to  time,  which  heat  short  lengths  of  pipes  filled 
with  water  and  fixed  to  the  top  of  the  lamp.  For  a  long, 
narrow  house,  such  as  yours,  a  lamp  of  this  kind  would 
give  a  more  even  heat  throughout  the  structure. 

INJURY  TO  CARNATIONS  AND  GRAPES  (Enquirer).— 
The  leaves  of  thr  < 'amutions  are  badly  attacked  by  the 
fungus  Heterosporiuni  t-chinulatum.  This  fungus  is 
always  more  prevalent,  like  the  rust,  in  houses  where  the 
atmosphere  is  moist  than  where  it  is  dry,  and  we  should 
recommend  you  to  keep  the  night  temperature  up  to  about 
54°,  to  keep  the  air  dry,  and  to  ventilate  on  all  suitable 
occasions.  The  Grapes  sent  are  not  only  of  poor  colour, 
but  also  of  poor  size,  and  the  spotting  on  them  appears 
somewhat  like  that  produced  by  red  .spider,  but  may  be 
due  to  mealy  bug.  Is  the  house  devoted  only  to  Grapes  ? 
If  not,  they  are  probably  interfered  with  by  the  other 
occupants.  Perhaps,  also,  the  temperature  has  been  too 
low  or  variable.  They  certainly  ought  to  be  going  to  rest 
now.  The  fact  that  you  have  found  shanking  to  occur 
is  clear  eviih'iwt^  thut  there  is  something  wrong  with  the 
border,  and  until  that  is  attended  to  it  is  not  at  all  likely 
that  you  will  U-  jil'lo  to  get  good  Grapes.  In  all  probability 
the  drainage  of  the  border  is  defective,  and  very  likely  also 
there  is  a  deficiency  of  potash,  which  should  be  made"  good 
by  manure. 

CARNATIONS  SPLITTING  THEIR  CALYCES  (E.  M.  B.). 
— Carnations  split  their  calyces  from  many  and  various 
causes,  lack  of  cultivation,  overfuluess  of  the  flower, 
short  and  ill-shaped  pods,  being  some  of  the  primary 
causes.  Some  burst  habitually  because  of  their  short, 
Pear-shaped  pods,  i.e.,  those  which  are  unduly  large  at 
the  top  and  small  at  the  base.  Such  as  these,  unless  they 
possess  some  special  quaUty  of  colour  or  fragrance,  are 
not  worth  tolerating,  seeing  there  are  so  many  varieties 
of  all  sections  to-day  without  the  defect  of  which  you 
complain.  The  flower  that  opens  perfectly  when  rightly 
cultivated  is  that  having  a  long,  cylindrically-inclined 
calyx  or  pod,  and  from  which  the  petals  rise  in  regular 
order.  We  remember  the  late  Mr.  James  Douglas,  who 
raised  thousands  of  seedling  Carnations  each  year,  saying 
that  if  three  dozen  of  such  a  lot  were  good  enough  to  merit 
a  trial  a  second  year,  and  one  dozen  sufficiently  good  in 
that  trial  to  rank  as  flrst-rate  flowers,  he  was  perfectly 
satisfied.  In  so  large  a  lot  of  seedlings  we  have  seen 
scores  that  would  have  been  welcome  thirty  years  ago ; 
but  to-day,  so  rigid  is  the  selection  and  so  good  the  existing 
strains  of  these  flowers,  there  is  only  room  for  the 
very  best. 

NAMES     OF    PLANTS.— ^iice    Oill.—l,     Tradescantia 

crassicaulis  ;    2,  Lotus  Bertholettii. W.  E. — 1,  Cypri- 

pedium  insigne  variety  ;  2,  C.  Niobe  ;  3,  C.  arthurianum  ; 
4,  C.  leeanum  variety  ;  5,  probably  Oncidium  flexuosum. 


THE     EDITOR'S    TABLE. 


Outdoor   Flowers    from   Tunbridge   Wells. — 

A  lady  who  signs  herself  "  J.  M.  N."  sends  a  most 
interesting  collection  of  flowers,  gathered  from  the 
open,  with  the  following  letter  :  "  We  are  sending 
you  a  few  flowers  for  your  table,  all  picked  from  the 
open  borders  in  the  garden — Daphne  fioniana, 
D.  Uauphinii,  Desfontainea  spinosa,  Fuchsia 
microphylla,  Grevillea  sulphurea,  Humea  elegans, 
Leptospermum  scoparium,  Lithospermum  rosmari- 
nifolium  and  Parochetus  communis.  The  two 
Daphnes  have  been  in  constant  bloom  since  April, 
and  the  Grevillea  has  had  some  flowers  on 
it  ever  since  October,  1912.  We  planted  the 
Parochetus  as  a  small  plant  on  the  north  side 
of  the  rockery  in  June,  and  it  is  now  a  large 
mass  of  leaf  and  bloom,  covering  a  space  of 
14  feet.  Our  Leptospermum  was  planted  several 
years  ago  in  one  of  the  most  exposed  parts  of  the 
garden.  It  is  now  10  feet  7  inches  high,  and  there 
is  hardly  a  month  in  the  year  in  which  there  is 
no  blossom  on  it.  In  July  this  year  it  J|was 
perfectly  white  with  flowers  all  over  it.  It  seeds 
itself  freely  in  the  gravel  walks  and  borders  near 
the  shrub.  The  Lithospermum  flowers  are  such  an 
exquisite  blue.  We  hope  they  will  not  all  have 
fallen  off  by  the  time  they  reach  you." 


\