82 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



January 27, 1912 



ANSWERS TO 



CORRESPONDENTS. 



BditoriaJ Communications should be addreesed to the 

 Bditor of the Gardeners' Maqazink, 148 and 149, 

 Ald«r5g"Ate Street. E.G. 



Secretaries of horticultural eocieties are invito to 

 fiend early notitiicatioa of forthcoming exhibitionte 

 and meeti'ngs, and are requested to advise ue oon- 

 oerning changee of date«&. 



DAMPING OF FERN PROTHALLI.— 

 J. B., Sheffield: Tlie rapid damping ofi of 

 large numbers of fern prothalli ia due to the 

 preesenct? of a fungus named Pythinm inter- 

 medium, but th<? presence of the fungus is 

 due to certain conditions, just in the same 

 way as mildew. Exc-ess of moisture when 

 the crowded prothalli are just developing 

 providers conditions favourable to fungus 

 attack, therefore overhead watering should 

 never be resorted to when ferns are being 

 raip?ed from spores. The needful moisture 

 can be provided by standing the pots in 

 saucers of water, or by dipping each pot 

 gently into a bucket or tank of water until 

 the moisture rises through the drainage and 

 soil, and just moistens the surface. It will 

 be obvious that unlei=ti dipping is carefully 

 performed it will be no advantage over over- 

 head Svatering, 



DAMAGED HLANTS IN GREENHOUSE. 

 F. E., Camberley: Tlie damp surround- 

 ings, low temperature, and insufficient ven- 

 tilation, probablv all combine to produce the 

 unpleasant results noted. A little more heat, 

 combined with increased ventilation, would 

 (secure -better atmospheric conditions in the 

 house. The other matter we are endeavour- 

 ing to elucidate, and hope to reply further 

 at an earlv date. 



EXAMINATION IN HORTICULTURE.— 

 S., Barnsley : We congratulate you and your 

 friends upon your work and success. Tlie 

 Royal Horticultural Society hold four ex- 

 aminations in horticulture; a general ex- 

 amination for those eighteen years old and 

 upwards ; a general examination for juniors, 

 under eighteen years of age ; a school 

 teacliers' fxam i n a t ion and a public parks 

 examination. \\ c imagine you will prefer 

 the school teacliers' examination, which con- 

 fines attention to cottage and allotment gar- 

 dening. Tills examination is only open to 

 elementarv and technical school teachers, 

 and has l:>een undertaken in view of the in- 

 creased demand in country districts that the 

 school teachers shall be conpetent to teach 

 the elements of cottage and allotment gar- 

 dening, and of the absence of any test what- 

 ever of such capacity. You can obtain full 

 particulars regarding this examination on 

 application to the Secretary of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society, Vincent Square, West- 

 minster, enclosing a stamped addressed en- 

 velope for reply, 



HEMP FOR SUB-TROPICAL GARDEN- 

 ING. — F. K. F., Staines: The hemp used in 

 6ub-tropical gardening is Cannabis sativa, an 

 Indian species, easily raised from seeds sown 

 under glass in March or April, and grown 

 freely in rich soil until planting time, 



OUTLINE SYLLABUS OF R.H.S. 

 TEACHERS^ EXAMINATION.— S., Barns- 

 ley : The folowing outline syllabus will give 

 you a good idea of the nature of the examina- 

 tion : (1) Some knowledge of elementary 

 chemistry and biology, as affecting garden 

 practice. (2) Such a knowledge of the forma- 

 tion and nature of soils as is essential to 

 cultivators, (3) Information as to the best 

 average sizes of cottage gardens and allot- 

 mente such as men engaged in diverse voca- 

 tions can cultivate in spare time. (4) Prepa- 

 ration of soils for the reception of crops of 

 all descriptions to ensure successful results. 

 (5) Renovating neglected gardens. (6) Manur- 

 ing soils for diverse crops with some know- 

 ledge in practical form of the nature of 

 manures and their constituents. (7) Spring 

 vegetable crops, varieties and method of 

 cropping, time© for manuring, planting, etc. 

 (8) Summer crops — successional. (9) Autumn 

 or winter crops for successional purposes. 

 (10) General treatment to secure best results 

 for all seasons. (11) Suitable fruits for cot- 



tage gardens. Varieties, methods of culture, 

 pruning and training. General treatment. 



(12) Fruits suitable for allotment culture. 



(13) Flowers for cottage gardens, seasons of 

 flowering, methods of propagation, etc. (14i 

 Flowers suited for allotments, varieties and 

 general culture. (15) Window gardening, 

 inside and out. 



S 



GIANT FRENCH CARNATIONS. 

 Chingford : In all probability the strain of 

 carnations you refer to i^ the one known as 

 Geant de Nice, and is iargt'ly grown in 

 the Soutli of France for the early flower 

 markets. The plants resemble a tree carna- 

 tion in sfyle of growth, and they grow freely 

 and flower abundantly. You can purchase 

 seeds from most of the seedsmen who adver- 

 tise in our columns. The flowers are large 

 and of varied and rich colours. Sow seeds in 

 gentle heat in February, pot the j-eedlings as 

 soon as they need more root room, and plant 

 out on a warm border at the end of May. 

 These plants will flower in September, and if 

 they are protected with frame-lights they 

 will continue to bloom for a long time. Now 

 that the perpetual carnations are so well 

 understood and so largely grown for winter- 

 flowering, we doubt whether it would pay to 

 grow any quantity of the Geant de Nice 

 strain for flowering during the winter under 

 glass; if you have room to spare, grow a 

 dozen or two in pots, plunge them out in 

 May, and lift them and bring them into a 

 warm, airy greenhouse in October. The ex- 

 periment would not be a costly one^ but would 

 prove the value of the strain for the pur- 

 pose you have in view. 



SWEET PEAS FOR EXHIBITION.-^ 

 S. S. H., Retford: An excellent work on this 

 subject is " Sweet Peas and Their Cultiva- 

 tion," (by C. H. Curtis, Hon. Secretary, 

 National Sweet Pea Society. This can be ob- 

 tained at Is. 2d., or Is. 8d. (cloth) post free, 

 fromW. H. anJ L. Collingridge, 148 and 149, 

 Aldersgate Street, E.G. 



ROLLING LAWN.— B. E. S., Dartford : 

 As long as the gffi.ss is not frozen, or the 

 lawn so wet as to be sticky and very soft, 

 rolling should be done twice a week, 'Use a 

 moderately heavy roller, and do not roll the 

 lawn twice consecutively in the same direc- 

 tion ; work lengthways one time, and cross- 

 ways the next. When the surface is fairly 

 dry give the lawn a good sweeping, using a 

 new birch broom for the work. 



i>rAMES OF PLANTS. 



B. T. L., Lichfield. — 1, Plumbago rosea; 2, 

 Callicarpa purpurea. 



T. I., Byfleet. — Probably Oncidium incur- 



viim 

 C. 



pum 

 L. 



, very poor specimens. 



W., Bangor. — 1, Odontoglossum cris- 

 ; 2, Lasiandra macrantha. 

 M. A., Abergavenny. — 1, Rrododendron 



arboreum; 2, Pelargonium denticulatum. 



N. R., Saltash. — 1, Gmnogramma calome- 

 lanus; 2, G. Matthew.si; 3, Lastrca liispida. 



A. A., Plymouth.— 1, Abutilon Thompsoni; 

 2, Euphorbia fulgens; 3, Pinus Pinsapo; 4, 

 Francisea calycina; 5, Amaryllis aulica. ' 



E. G. K., Winche ^ter. — 1. Hamamelis 

 mollis; 2, Exacum affine ; 3, Monstera deli- 

 ciosa; 4, Camellia Donckelaari ; :^, lirica 

 carnea. 



W. L., Whitby. — 1, Adiantum cuneatum; 

 2, probably A. c. mundulum ; 3, A. c. Le- 

 grandi ; 4, K, c. gracillimum ; 5, A. c. graudi- 

 ceps; 6, A. c. Pacotti. 



FORTHCOMING ENGAGEMENTS. 



THrirsOAY, February 1.— Tannean Society Meeting. 



SATriiDAY, February 3.— French Horticultural So- 

 ciety of London. 



MONDAY, February 5.— National Chrysanthemum So- 

 <"irty'.s Annual Meeting, Carr's Restaurant, Strand, 

 W.C. at " p.m. 



Tl'KSDAY. February fi.— Uoyal Horticultural Society; 

 CVmiuiittees mi^et at 12 o'clock; Lecture at 3 p.m. 

 on " riant* of Fiji and other South Sea Islands," 

 by Sir Kverard im Thurn; Scientific Committee at 



1 n'('lor-k. 



THI lisnw. K. U-inry 8.— Manchester and North of 



Hnsrlarul On h id i^Vvcictv 



FUrDAY. K^bniriry ft. INynl Gardeners' Orphan 

 Kund Annual Mivtmur and Klection at Simi)6on*« 

 liestaurant, Strand, at 3 p.m.. 



» > • 



- - • 



■ - 



• • ■ 



CONTENTS. 



Note of the Week 

 Mr. Robert Sydenham 

 Early Vegetables 

 New^ Siweet Peas 

 The Scientific lnter^.st in Sweet Peas 



A First-clas^ 24 Sweet Peas 



Market Interest in S\vtet Peati 



Soil Preparation for Swe-et PeaS' 

 Winter Heaths for the Rock trarden 



Sowing" Sweet 1 ' e ; u< 



Solanum jasminoides 



Hardy Heaths in the Flower Garden 



The Witch Hazel 



Some Winter Flowering Irises 



The Balsam Po^jlar 



Sweet Pea Euthu>iasm in Sc-otLand ... 



Rubus bambusaruni 



Worlj for the \V<'ek 



Exhibitions and 3Ieeting,s 



O l^ri t u. £i H-» 4>> fc.- 

 Answero to Correspondents 



k ■ 



■■ • • 



■ 1 



P ' ' 



- » 



I 4 



A » * 



PAGE 



63 

 €5 

 6a 

 67 

 €8 

 6» 

 70 

 71 

 72 

 74 

 74 



76 

 75 

 76 

 76 

 77 

 77 

 78 



7^^ 



81 

 82 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Portrait: Mr. Robert Sydenham, 6o ; Sweet Pea 

 R. F. Felton, 67; Sweet Pea Mr&. W. J. 

 Unwin, 69; 6weet P<ea Etta Dyke, 70; Sweet 

 Pea Countess Si>eneer. 71 : Sweet Pea Charles 

 Foster, 72 ; Three Good Sweet Peas, 73 ; 

 Sweet Peas rai^sed in boxeis and ready for 

 potting- off, 74 ; S"vvcet Peas put singly in 

 paper pots, 74; A Successful Example of the 

 Use of Hardy Heaths in the Flower Garden, 



HiUingdon Court, 75 ; Cvmbidium Schkgeli, 

 79. 



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SOUTHWELL. NOTTS 



ANGLIAN SWEET PEAS. 



If 



1/- pkt. 

 1/- Pkt- 



Noted for vigour and size. 



Anglian Cerise, new cherry red Spencer ... 



Ivory, true Spencer form ... 

 Pink, apricot on bloom, grand 



blooms, enormous size ... P 

 (Pbe finest bunch of Sweet Peas at N.S.P.^- 

 Show was that of Anglian Pink, exhibited by Mr. 

 T. Stevenson who won the Eckford Cup)- 



Anglian Blue, brilhant wavy blue ... - pkt- 

 „ OrangCj the finest of the orange 



shades 



Queen IViary, pale pink on cream 



R08ABELLE, the largest wavy rose- 

 coloured Sweet Pea. classified ^ bv 

 N.S.P.S. as best of rose shades; raised 

 by Mr A. Malcolm ■ . 



(Seeds to be had of most Seedsmen or direct; 



NOVELTY CATALOGUE FREK ^ 



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THE SWEET PEA KING. 



6d. pkt- 



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