484 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



Shawyer ami Lad}' .AslUown the best keeping pinks ; 

 while Pharisaer, which is very similar to Prince de 

 lUdgarie, are the finest flesh-colored two. The latter, 

 however, hjses its salmon color too soon — sooner than 

 its purer blush twin brother. The lasting power of 

 Roses, as with other flowers, depends on their being 

 cut at the right time and in slitting their stems or 

 Hghtly hammering the ends, as we dn in the case of 

 Chrysanthemums. Then give them a good drink in 

 deep water in a cool and, if possible, darkened mom 

 before arranging them in a vase. 



* * * 



Those who are on the lookout for novelties for the 

 big Kational Flower Show at Philadelphia next spring, 

 or for any other of the greater or lesser exhibitions, 

 might hunt up the two rambler Roses White Tausend- 

 schon and Sylvia, both of which originated with the 

 firm of Wm. Paul and .Son, Waltham Cross, England. 

 They are each good, and it ought not to be eight or 

 a dozen years before they reach America (z'idc notes 

 on tiiis question in last month's CiiKO.\'iCLii). (Jf the 

 two, Sylvia is the more desirable, being sweetly 

 scented and easily forced. By the way, how quickly 

 the little cluster Rose Geo. Elgar, which was shown 

 at New York last spring, has gone ahead. It seems 

 to be in the hands of half the growers in the Middle 

 West already. It goes by the pet name of the "Yellow 

 Sweetheart," and is a fine companion to Cecile Brun- 

 ner. This name is often spelled Cecil Brunner, but 

 wrongly. Hadley is giving a splendid account of it- 

 self, although just on the shy side as regards blooming. 

 Ophelia, too, is everybody's favorite, being so vigorous 

 and so beautiful. It was raised by the Paul above 



named. 



* * * 



It will M)nn 1)e time to sow Clarkias for blooming 

 in the spring. Get read}' by about the first of January, 

 sow in 4-inch pots in light sandy soil, place in a warm 

 house, say 60 degrees, in a propagating frame with a 

 top to it, and wdien the seedlings are through, thin 

 them out to two or three at most, and divide the ball 

 of soil, a part to each plant, when they are 4 inches 

 to 5 inches high, and pot off separately. Or they may 

 be carefully sown in seed pans, wdiich is perhaps the 

 better way, and the seedlings be pricked off and potted 

 when of sufificient size. They shovdd be grown cool 

 and slowly after they have germinated and made a 

 good start, as the Clarkia is very nearly, if not quite, 

 as hardy as the Sweet Pea. Trained up into pyramidal 

 form they make elegant and thoroughly delightful 

 subjects for the greenhouse or conservatory. Some 

 nice specimens were seen at the gardens of Mrs. D. 

 Willis James, in charge of Wm. Duckham, last May. 

 See that vou get the bright salmon-colored type, as 

 the mauve-colorcd kinds arc not an^^where like so 

 j)leasing. 



Cleaning and scrubbing the interiors of plant houses, 

 more especially palm houses, is part of the work of 

 the .short days of November and December. It is some 

 job, believe me. But cleanliness is, if not next to 

 godliness in this case, certainly necessary for salva- 

 tion — the salvation of the house and the stock in it. 

 Palms are usually much-used plants, and not only are 

 they improved by a good sponging, but they must at 

 all costs be freed of whatever scale is on them. Only 

 a manual operation will clean badly infested plants. 

 The steady em]ilovnien( nf \Iphinc is al^o rcccwinicnded. 



* ;|; =!< 



Manv of us are alwa\s on tlie alert for somclhing 

 novel in the cut flower line. What better could we 



have than Tricker's winter-flowering Water Lilies ? 

 Probably the}- are not so uncommon after all. I mean 

 winter-flowering Nymphaeas, as such, for there are 

 several species whose natural proclivity it is to bloom 

 when their brethren are at rest, and it seems to have 

 been with these that Mr. Tricker has been working. 

 He is improving the flowering qualities and adding to 

 the color tones and selections of the flowers. He is 

 also specializing in plants for aquaria, a decorative 

 line closely allied to gardening that many of us know 

 all too little about. These winter Nymphaeas require 

 water at a fairly high temperature as one of the es- 

 sentials of their successful cultivation. 



* * * 



That well-grown vegetables, when properly staged, 

 can be made one of the attractive features of a horti- 

 cultural exhibition, equally in the interest they fur- 

 nish, the Roses, Carnations or other cut flowers or 

 groups, has been proved over and over again at the 

 few shows where first-class vegetable exhibits are 

 seen. The ladies, even the grandest, sto]) to admire 

 and appraise the culinary produce. Art, beauty and 

 utility combine in a collection of kitchen garden ma- 

 terials as they only do in a choice table display of 

 fruit. And why don't the societies offer a prize for 

 this latter? They are missing a good thing. 



^ ^ ^ 



One of the most interesting books I have hit upon 

 recently is "Old Fashioned Gardening," by Grace 

 Tabor. Some of my friends will no doubt put me down 

 as one fearfully behind the times, since this excellent 

 book was published in January, 1913. Yet I used to 

 consider myself somewhat of an authority on garden- 

 ing literature, and have given addresses before clubs 

 and societies on this very subject. However, during 

 the past two years there has been a serious hiatus in 

 this particular line of my studies. When one is taken 

 entirely away from old haunts and scenes of richest 

 j)rivileges, to a place entirely new and strange, it takes 

 time to become re-established. Like a soldier whose 

 base of supplies is severed, even if only temporarily, 

 one feels in difficulties. Rut that matter is righting 



itself. 



* * * 



It was a great treat some months ago to visit the 

 very excellent collection of books set out by the .New 

 York Public Library, and there browse for a while 

 with old and new friends. The thought has many 

 times occurred to me that if we as gardeners are ever 

 to establish our profession on a better basis than it 

 enjoys today, it will only be through an educational 

 development, and no association, however well or- 

 ganized in other respects, will last permanently or 

 wax strong that has not made, or does not make, 

 provision for the mental as well as material uplifting 

 of its members. Even the mechanical and industrial 

 trafles have made provision for the education of their 

 members by the founding of schools and colleges, and 

 as artisans are mostly engaged in towns and cities, it 

 is easier for their organizations to supply the needful 

 mental pabulum. Through our many gardening so- 

 cieties and similar institutions, we, however, can assist 

 the younger members by furnishing collections of the 

 best books. Gardeners are scattered in rural places, 

 and the librarv is the easiest and the best means of 



|)nividing a course of instruction. 



* * * 



W'.is it nut Carlyle who said that the true universit\- 

 in these days was a collection of good hooks? Rus- 

 kin also says, "None of us need many books . . . but 

 (Coiitiiiiird on [^agc 4*^2.) 



