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Gardening for Amateurs 



Notes of Interest 



THE Iceland Poppy. Papaver nudi- 

 caule is a lovely flower in the garden, 

 and a great favourite with ladies for 

 table decoration. Growing about 1 foot 

 in height, the dainty flowers in white, 

 yellow and orange, on slender stalks, can- 

 not be surpassed for light floral decorations. 

 The only complaint one can make is that 

 the flowers are rather fleeting, but to 

 obviate this to some extent its blooms 

 should be cut when only half expanded. 

 Sow the seeds during July and August, 

 preferably in the bed or border where 

 the plants are to flower. Once the plant is 

 sown, in addition to its being a perennial, 

 if it is growing under favourable conditions, 

 self-sown seedlings will come up year after 

 year to maintain a supply of young plants. 

 The Iceland Poppy, in common with many 

 members of the Papaver family, thrives in 

 most soils and positions. 



Tropaeolum speciosum. Among hardy 

 climbers this is one of the most showy, but 

 good specimens are rarely seen in the south 

 of England. In Scotland and the north, 

 however, it grows with unusual freedom. 

 Known as the Flame Nasturtium, it succeeds 

 best on a bed of north aspect, and likes a cool 

 moist rooting medium. In hot weather it 

 should be given copious supplies of water. 

 It is often grown with success planted against 

 Yew trees or other dark-foliaged evergreens, 

 for it climbs through them with ease, and 

 relishes their shade and protection. Plants 

 in pots are easily obtained, and should be 

 planted in spring in loam and leaf soil. 



Eradicating Colt's Foot. There are 

 few weeds so difficult to eradicate as Colt's 

 Foot or Foal's Foot (Tussilago Farfara), as 

 the rootstock branches below the surface of 

 the ground and extends to a very consider- 

 able depth. It is practically impossible to 

 uproot it by the ordinary procedures of 

 digging and trenching, while digging up the 

 rootstocks entirely is a very serious matter. 

 The safest and best method is to spud or 

 hoe out the plant persistently. It is very 

 important to prevent seeding ; therefore the 

 plant should be spudded out while in flower. 



This prevents the mischief due to the dis 

 tribution of ripe seed, and if properly done? 

 many of the leaf -buds on the rootstock just 

 below the surface of the soil are damaged, 

 weakened or destroyed at the same time. 

 Repeated spudding or hoeing of the leaves 

 must be practised early in the season, and 

 also later in the year, allowing as little leaf 

 growth as possible to be made. The spud- 

 ding should take place well below the surface, 

 and if a pinch of nitrate of soda be dropped 

 into the hole it helps to destroy the root- 

 stock. 



A Good Way of Dispatching Gut 

 Flowers. It is a good plan to cut a raw 

 Potato into pieces and insert the flower 

 stalks in the Potato. The latter, being 

 cool and juicy, will keep the flowers quite 

 fresh. This is most suitable for Roses and 

 other hard-wooded plants. 



To Destroy Ants. Ants are annoying 

 and destructive little pests when they take 

 up their habitation about the garden or out- 

 houses. A simple means of getting rid of 

 them is to flood their haunts frequently with 

 water, and if the water be hot so much the 

 better. Water containing some odoriferous 

 insecticide is also good, or 1 oz. of carbolic 

 acid in 4 or 5 gallons of water will prove 

 a certain cure. When liquids cannot bo 

 used, get a soil fumigant like Vaporite, 

 Kilogrub, Ausfixtin, or such like, and 

 sprinkle it about the places frequented by 

 the pests. 



Glazing a Greenhouse. The squares 

 of glass should overlap inch, not more, else 

 soil and sediment generally lodge there. 

 Embed the squares of glass in the putty, 

 but do not use any top putty. The glass is 

 held firmly in position by f -inch nails (sprigs), 

 four to each square two to prevent the 

 latter from slipping down, and two to prevent 

 it from lifting. Insert the two nails 1 inch 

 above the lap. Use boiled linseed oil and 

 whitening, thoroughly mixing until the 

 putty is of the proper consistency to use. 

 If a very small quantity of common tallow 

 be mixed in at the same time melted, of 

 course the putty will be improved. 



