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THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



Sempervirens Felicite perpetue, Myrian- 

 thes, Rosa plena, Banksifeflora, and 

 Hybrid China Laure Davoust, and 

 Menonx. So many papers on chrysan- 

 themums have appeared in this work, 

 that of late we have purposely avoided 

 the subject. By referring back, you will 

 find all you want. To shift cuttings 

 from the pots in which they are struck 

 to those in which they are to bloom, is 

 not advisable. It is called the "one 

 shift system," and though practised 

 with success by many cultivators, no be- 

 ginner should attempt it. The soil gets 

 sour before the roots find their way into 

 it, and the plants grow coarse. By 

 shifting on from size to size, the plants 

 acquire a compact thrifty habit, and 

 bloom more satisfactory. 



Asplenium Bulbiferum. — C.A.J. — This 

 may be propagated to any extent from 

 the spores, and the simplest way to do it is 

 to break some soft stone to pieces, of the 

 size of hazel nuts, and spread a layer of 

 the stone over a surface of damp peat, or 

 cocoa-nut dust, rub off the spores so 

 that they fall on the stone, and cover 

 with a bell-glass. But very few fern 

 growers ever raise this from spores, for 

 the fronds produce young plants in 

 abundance, and these can be taken off 

 and potted, and soon make fine plants. 



Blue Hydrangeas. — The students of the 

 Floral World owe you a vote of thanks 

 for suggesting the production of blue 

 hydrangeas. This experiment will be 

 amusing, and perhaps the results will be 

 instructing. Let us endeavour to pro- 



; duce specimens worthy of being exhi- 

 bited on the tables of the "United 

 Horticultural Society," accompanied by 

 plain statements of the ways and means 



that have been employed M. B., Upper 



Norwood. [In penning that paper, we 

 forgot to add our opinion that blue 

 hydrangeas are hydrangeas spoiled. Let 

 those who admire them do their best to 

 produce them ; for our own gratification, 

 we would not bestow a single moment in 

 an endeavour to change the flowers from 

 the soft pleasing pink hue which they 

 ordinarily have. But let them come to 

 the U. H. S. by all means, that a fair 

 criticism may be made.] 



Books on Ferns. — C. A. J. and P. B. — 

 All Mr. Lowe's works on ferns are good, 

 though the descriptions are scant, and 

 there are but few notes on cultivation. 

 Sometimes fault may be found with the 

 pictures ; nevertheless, the plates are as 

 a whole beautiful and correct, and the 

 volumes are remarkably low priced. 

 The volume just completed on " Our 



Native Ferns," price 21s., contains 

 superb portraits and excellent descrip- 

 tions of British species. Newman's 

 "British Ferns" is an elegant work, 

 and the notes on cultivation are practi- 

 cal and suggestive. Mr. Newman's 

 great sin is needless trifling with the 

 nomenclature. Writers on ferns seem 

 to think it necessary to rearrange the 

 classes and rename the species, in 

 order to demonstrate their cleverness. 

 Sowerby's Ferns, with descriptions by 

 Johnson, contains good figures, but the 

 text is commonplace. Moore's Hand- 

 book is invaluable ; but as Mr. Moore 

 has attached his name to a lot of cheap 

 volumes, which are horribly got up, and 

 are second-hand siftings, we advise you 

 to order the one published by Messrs. 

 Groorcbridge at 5s., which is a beautiful 

 pocket volume containing excellent 

 figures and masterly descriptions. The 

 " Nature Printed Ferns " and Hooker's 

 u Century of Exotic Ferns " are superb 

 productions, but costly. There are 

 dozens of cheap (?) works on ferns, 

 which are not worth a moment's atten- 

 tion ; and we forbear to mention their 

 names, for it is not agreeable to name 

 things expressly to condemn them. 



Various. — J. G. Kendal. — Your green- 

 house plants, with yellow leaves, are 

 probably water-logged ; repot them, and 

 in doing so, use plenty of drainage. 

 Guano would not benefit cuttings of 

 plants at all. Charcoal is beneficial 

 to plants if placed in the bottoms of the 

 pots. — F.N. — We make it a rule never 

 to tell people what to plant in their 



' beds and borders ; the colours that 

 would please one person might disgust 

 another. We shall give examples of 

 planting beds and ribbons next month, 

 as we do every year. See page 51 of 

 last number for annuals. Your cobea 

 does not need " preserving " during 

 summer ; it will preserve itself. Small 

 cuttings of variegated balm, put in pans, 

 will make roots and be strong by planting 

 out time. — F. Gardener. — We really 

 cannot advise you what to grow in your 

 lean-to ; there are very few vegetables 

 that do any good under glass. We 

 never advise people what to grow in- 

 doors or out ; but when they tell us 

 what they think of doing, or wish to do, 

 we are ready to give an opinion, and to 

 advise, if needful. — C. F. Frdington. — 

 Usually, communications are sent to 5, 

 Paternoster Row ; but in the case of 

 flowers to be judged, it is best to send 

 them direct to Mr. Hibberd, Stoke New- 

 ington, London, N. 



