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Gardening for Amateurs 



Yellow Ground Picotees. For general 

 purposes the following are said to be good : 

 MrSo J. J. Keen, Santa Claus, Onward, 

 Margaret Lennox, Agnes, Mark Twain, 

 Exquisite, John Ruskin, Her Majesty. 



Before closing this chapter I want to say 

 a few words about the two events in the 

 year which, as a Carnationist, I most look 

 forward to my visit to Edenside and the 

 London Carnation Show. 



I usually go to Great Bookham a few 

 days or a week before the show. Once at 

 Edenside I enter into a state of bliss. The 

 Carnations in pots have been brought under 

 glass to flower ; and you walk round the 

 houses, looking at thousands of the best 

 Carnations in the world. But it is not 

 merely a visit of pleasure ; I always improve 

 the shining hours by obtaining from my 

 guide much useful information concerning 

 the idiosyncrasies of individual Carnations 

 (the health of Mrs. Robert Berkeley is of 

 unfailing interest) ; and I take notes, which 

 later on assist me in making out the list of 



Carnations which I always order in August. 

 I should strongly advise any reader who 

 intends to start growing Carnations to go 

 to the nursery of some Carnation specialist, 

 and thence obtain good plants and expert 

 advice in the choice of them. Nothing but 

 disappointment can result from obtaining 

 worthless Carnations. The new varieties 

 are so infinitely stronger and healthier than 

 those introduced even ten years ago, as well 

 as being far more beautiful, that it is more 

 than foolish to waste time and money in 

 cultivating the old worn-out kinds. 



The visit to Carnations at home is a 

 good preparation to seeing them in public 

 and intelligently appreciating them at the 

 show. 



The National Carnation Society's (Southern 

 Section) Show takes place in July at the 

 Royal Horticultural Society's Hall, Vincent 

 Square, Westminster. I urge all Carnation 

 lovers to make a point of attending it, and 

 then, if not before, to become members of 

 the National Carnation Society. 



Rockets. Though an old-fashioned 

 flower, the Rocket is one of those which 

 have not lost their popularity among more 

 up-to-date gardeners ; and there is no 

 good reason why it should, for in the her- 

 baceous border or in the shrubbery no other 

 subject can surpass it. There are both 

 single and double forms, both comparatively 

 easy to propagate. Cuttings taken in Sep- 

 tember and inserted in sandy soil in a cold 

 frame generally root without trouble. 



Leaf-mining Maggot. Those plants 

 which are known to be liable to attacks of 

 the leaf-mining maggot, such as Mar- 

 guerites, Cinerarias, and Chrysanthemums, 

 should always be observed closely, so that 

 the first commencement of the attack is seen 

 and dealt with, and thus very often the 

 trouble prevented from spreading. A few 

 leaves picked off at this stage will not 

 greatly disfigure the plants, but if this is 

 objected to the maggots may be killed by 

 means of a gentle squeeze between the 

 thumb and finger. 



Double Lobelia. Although a little more 

 difficult to propagate in large numbers, the 



double-flowered blue Lobelia is far more 

 effective in summer bedding arrangements 

 than the single varieties. It is necessary to 

 retain a few plants in the autumn from which 

 to propagate in the early months of the year, 

 but a better plan than lifting and potting 

 the old plants whole is to take off compara- 

 tively small pieces with roots attached 

 somewhat early in the autumn, so that they 

 can become established before the winter. 

 The old plants need care in watering during 

 the winter, or they die off wholesale ; but 

 with small well-rooted pieces this trouble 

 is not apparent. Cuttings will root easily 

 in a little warmth after the turn of the year, 

 and propagation can be continued for several 

 months. 



Dividing Begonias. When the stock of 

 Tuberous Begonias has become lessened 

 owing to losses during the winter, if the 

 tubers are large enough they may be cut in 

 halves after growth has commenced, so that 

 each part has one or more shoots attached. 

 Dust a little lime over the cut surfaces in 

 the same way as cut seed Potatoes are 

 treated. 



