396 



THE GARDEN AND FIELD. 



February, 19 U. 



liquid animal or artificial mamuo 

 Soot water i»> also most, beneficial, 

 heightening the colour of both foli- 

 age and flower, or sulphate of atn- 

 monia at the rate of half an ounce 

 per gallon of water acts as a capi- 

 tal stimulant. These applications 

 should only be, made when the soil 

 is thoroughly moist, and not 

 oftener than once a fortnight. 



♦ 



Imitation v. Re&l Flowers. 



Our horticultural friends across the 

 Atlantic (soys "Horticulture") are 

 somewhat worked up about the increa- 

 sing popularity of florists to sell them. 

 In this country the problem is by no 

 means a new one, and the increasing 

 skill shown in the production of these 

 imitation flowers should not be under- 

 estimated. It must be admitted, how- 

 ever, as we have before remarked, tliat 

 the artificial flower has its place, and an 

 unqualified denunciation of it by the 

 grower of fresh goods would hardly 

 serve any good purpose. The sinning 

 which we all can consistently condemn 

 is its use as a substitute for the real 

 thing where the latter can and should 

 properly be used. Fresh flowers in a 

 ladies' hat are as impracticable as a 

 bridal bouquet in cloth imitation would 

 be abominable. Last winter it was 

 quite a common thing to see on Broad- 

 way silk cattleyas worn as corsage 

 adornment, but everybody could see 

 they were imitations, and on freezing 

 days when fresh flowers could not he 

 worn we must admit there was some 

 commonsense in the practice. "The 

 eternal fitness of things" is a good stan- 

 dard to have in mind. Any florist who 

 would encourage the use of artificial 

 flowers as substitutes for the genuine 

 when the latter would be practicable 

 and fit is a proper subject for censure, 

 but there are plenty of uses for the 

 former and the more nearly perfect they 

 are made the better we enjoy seeing 

 them. Let us be careful not to stand 

 up so straight that we tumble over 

 backwards. 



♦ 



Sugar baskets are one of the 

 best possible material for the sides 

 and ends of a bush house. They let 

 all the air through that is neces- 

 sary, and make a very effective 

 windbreAk. To straighten the 

 basket."! lay them on the ground 

 and pour boiling water over them. 

 Put a length of timber and some 

 stones from end to end until the 

 baskets dry. 



Anemones and Ranunculus. 



The St. Brigid Anemone is a most 

 charming variety ; the larg;, semi-double 

 flowers are freely produced, nestling 

 among beautiful fern-like foliage, and 

 the colours are greatly varied, some 

 flowers being intense scarlet, others 

 purple and pure white, and delicate 

 shades of other colours. The French 

 Ranunculuses (Asiaticus superbissimus) 

 are free-flowering, give many colours, 

 and are very fine indeed. The double 

 Persian, and the double Turban in 

 scarlet, white and yellow, are all worth 

 growing, and deserve very good treat- 

 ment. Having determined the positions 

 for the plants, either rows or clumps, 

 put in the roots as follows : — If in rows, 

 make these 15 in. apart in the lightest 

 soil of the garden, and put in the 

 roots with the claws downwards (in the 

 case of the Anemones especially) 6 in. 

 apart, and bury them 2 in. deep. If 

 the roots are to be grown in clumps, 

 place from five to a dozen 9 in. apart 

 each way in the clump, and cover them 

 the same depth as those in the rows. 

 Label the clumps and rows at once to 

 prevent injury to the roots before 

 growth appears. 



♦ 



Why are Some Flowers 

 Altogether Barren ? 



At the outset, a distinction must be 

 made between flowers which are sterile 

 when insects are c eluded, and those 

 which are incapable of fertilization with 

 their own pollen, or self-sterile, as 

 Darwin terms them. In the former 

 case sterility is merely due to the fact 

 that the pollen is prevented from reach- 

 ing the stigma, or that the pollen and 

 the stigma mature at diff^erent times. 

 In the latter class there are a number 

 of plants that aresterile even where in- 

 sects are given every opportunity of 

 fertilizing them. This is the case of 

 five species of Pasiflora, several species 

 of Verbascum, and a large number of 

 Brazilian Orchids. In the last in- 

 stance it was found that the pollen was 

 often actually poisonous to the plant. 

 But the examination is not yet complete, 

 as the fact of self-sterility cannot be 

 |)roved except by protecting the plant 

 from insects, and then fertilizing it by 

 pollen of other plants and by its own 

 I)ollen. It is, however, ascertained that 

 the phenomenon is found at random 

 throughout the whole vegetable king- 

 dom. The causes of it are due to en- 

 vironment. Plants self-sterile in 



Brazil become fertile plants in 

 England : plants sterile in spring 

 become fertile later in the season. 

 Darwin concluded from this that some 

 degree of differentiation in the produc- 

 tive system is necessary for the full 

 fertility of plants. Self-sterility must 

 be regarded, then, as an incidental 

 result, dependent on the conditions to 

 which plants have been subjected, such 

 as excess of heat, manure, moisture, 

 and the like. — "Florist." 



MRS. AGNES MINCHIN WRITES 

 THIS LETTER ABOUT THE 

 MA,RVELLOUS EFFECTS OF 

 CLEMENTS TONIC (Adelaide 

 Series No. .8.) 



" This medicine was like the 

 Olive Leaf to me. It gave me 

 hope, it gave me strength,. It made 

 my blood richer and purer. I can 

 only thank your great medicine for 

 that splendid blessing, health." 



Here is the letter in full. Read 

 it. Surely human sufiering is 

 painfully illustrated in this story : 

 " Frederick Street, 

 "Riverton, S.A., i7/io/'i2. 

 " CLEIWENTS TONIC, LTD. 



" Twelve months ago I suffered 

 with a bad form of liver com- 

 plaint, that made my life a mis- 

 ery. Life was a burden, not a 

 pleasure. I had bilious headaches 

 and sickness, and a feeling like 

 seasickness, and was as useless as 

 a saUor on a rough \oyage. 



" CLEMENTS TONIC WAS 

 LIKE THE OLIVE LEAF TO MEi 

 — it gave me hope, it gave me 

 health. My liver and digestion be- 

 came per'fect, and I have not been 

 troubled since with the bad at- 

 tacks of sickness. The medicine 

 improved my blood, it became 

 richer and purer. I took five bot- 

 tles of CLEMENTS TONIC, and 

 this last six months I have en- 

 joyed the l>est of healthj. I CAN 

 NOW EAT AND SLEEP WELL, 

 ANDl a':NJOiY LIFE. I CAN 

 ONLY THANK YOUR SPLEN- 

 DID. MEDICINE FOR T|HAT 

 Crli EAT BLESSING-HEALTH. 

 (Signed) "Mrs. Agnes Minchin." 



Many causes contribute to seri- 

 ous periods of ill-health in women 

 — ^and o\'erwork in the home, cares 

 of motherhood, climatic changes, 

 hereditary weaknesses, and func- 

 tional ailments, are a few of them. 

 No women, whether married or 

 single, .should be without CLEM- 

 ENTS TONIC. It gives strength, 

 and it i.s always handy to get 

 from the Chemist or Storekeeper. 

 Get it, and have Health. — Advt. 



