THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



167 



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ANSWERS TO 



COR RESPONDENTS. 



Editorial Communications should be addressed to the 

 Editor of the Gaedenees* Magazine, 148 and 149, 

 Alder&gate Street, E.G. 



Secretaries of horticultural societies are invited to 

 " send early notification of forthcoming exhibitions 

 and mt^etint^fi. and are requested to advi.se us con- 

 cerning changes of dates. 



gptoimenfl of plants, flowere, and fruita for naming 

 or opinion ehould be sent to the Editor of the 

 Gardeners' Magazine, " Endsleigh/* Priory Park. 

 Kew, Surrey, and as ^rly in the week &a poeeible. 

 All parc^le must be suffioiently prepaid. 



PERPETUAL CAENATIONS IN A MIXED 

 COLLECTION.— F. H. C, Holtnee" Chapel: 

 We cannot devote a house entirely to per- 

 petual-flowering carnations ; but, neverthe- 

 less, we are anxious to grow a small collec- 

 tion, and should be glsS to know how far 

 we are likely to succeed with them in a 

 mixed collection of greenhouse plants. — A 

 cold frame, especially a span-roofed frame, 

 will serve well to house the young* stock dur- 

 ing the summer months, and if a lights airy 

 position can be provided at one end of the 

 greenhouse when the time comes for housing 

 the carnations, there is no good rea^n. why 

 you should not have flowers during the 

 coming winter. Tlie great trouble in a mixed 

 collection is that the amount of water needed 

 for many plants causes a moister atmosphere 

 than is suitable for the carnations. Why not 

 build a little carnation houee? It would 

 not be a costly business. 



S 



ULPHUR 

 Horsham : 



FUNGICIDE. 



The question, is doubtless a com- 

 mon one, and has been answered 

 times, but even so. 



many 



as I do not bind up the 

 "G.M.," please tell me how to prepare the 

 sulphur solution that is so useful as a pre- 



ventive of fungus disease of many kinds. 

 Diseolve loz. of sulphide of potassium (liver 

 of sulphur) in some hot water, and then add 

 sufficient tepid soft water to ?nake up three 

 gallons of solution. The mixture will then 

 be ready for use, and should be sp raved on 

 to the plants. 



SOWING SWEET PEAS.— H. H., A^ot : 

 I should like to raise sweet peas, so that the 

 plants will be strong and vigorous, oy p'aiU- 

 iiig time in early April; and I should also 

 • ike a handy book on sweet pea culture. 

 Please give 



me your 



pea 

 assistance. 



Sow the 



^eds at once in a warm greenhouse, and as 

 ^non as the seedlings have pushed through 

 tile soil transfer the pots or boxes to a frame, 

 ^^"^ ^l^^m close to the glass. Give air ac- 

 cording to the conditions of the weather. 



I but 



fi I. 1^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ coddle the plants in 

 T ie belief that by keeping the frame close 

 Tiiey will advance more rapidly. That wav 

 nes disappointment. " Sweet Peas and Their 



owl^'l^''''''" 2d., or Is. 8d. 



(Cloth boards), from W. H. and L. Colling- 



' 14« and 149, Aldersgate Street, E.G., 

 '^in prove a most useful book, 



..Pg^'-WES CERTIFICATED IN 

 'A- ^. C, Kildare: W^ill you kindly ten me 

 T/^ii^ " Answers to Correspondents " 

 ?inio.i ..."^"^^ of the potatoes which 

 intZf '^^'^^fi^ates during 1911, and also the 

 vou^T""! varieties ?-AVe presume 



your 

 column the 



1911, 



tell 



a 

 a 



was 



I 1 



uiET .f'^*'''*^ *o potatoes dur- 



R^fvni i T-*^^ Vegetable Committee of the 

 mJ^} Society. An Award of 



^ First-cla^s Certificate) 

 ..fter ''^''^ following varieties, 



^^15 at Westminster: Balgowrie Seedling, 

 il^si fet' ^^,«leen; Bobbie's Prolific, 

 QtS?-A?^\\f Edinburgh; Erin's 



laid (V Hillsborough, Ire- 



^on Vxet ^'""^A S!^^^^- Veitch and 



f?^'od aS ti.' ^""^ Tremendous, Messrs. Too- 

 irn ^ ^' Southampton. 



Gingham ^ot- 



nll tl,t ^ f ''T^ ^ '^ank of laurels wherein 



plants have grown much too high. 



.--paraHv:;;' tS ^ '-^"^ 



the 

 ■^vish 



a 



E^J'een fn.No i*"V' "-"^^"^ bank of glossy 

 ^^sults if ^'^t^^^r fearful as to 



'"■^n laurpl ^"i, ^""^ ^-^ s«v<^rely.— llie com- 



been vigorous, there need be no fear as to 

 results if severe pruning is carried out now. 

 Cut or saw down the shrubs to a point rather 

 below the level at which vou wish the bank 

 to be, as allowance must be made for the 

 new growth. Having removed the top 

 growth in this way proceed to cut out any 

 dead or dying stems; clear the ground of 



decayed leaves, twigs, or rubbish, and give a 

 good dressing of old manure, burnt garden 

 refuse, road scrapings, etc., as this will en- 

 courage root action and keep the soil from 

 drying quickly under the influence of sun 

 and wind. With a comparatively small 

 amount of care, it should be possible to keep 

 the bank at the desired height for many 

 years to come by annually pruning with a 

 knife — not with shears. 



RETARDING PRIMULA OBCONICA. — 

 G. P. S., Der'by : Circtimstances are such 

 that we need as many flowers and flowering 

 plants as possible six weeks or two months 

 hence, instead of at present. A fine batch 

 of Primula obconica is just in full bloom, 

 and I am wondering whether anything could 

 be done to keep them until the period named. 

 Perhaps you can suggest a means to the end 

 in view.- — -Pick off all the flower spikes and 

 remove old and in any way damaged leaves ; 

 pot each plant afresh, giving it the smallest 

 possible shift and using a compost of good 

 loam, old coav manure, sand, and a little 

 leaf-soil. A fortnight hence put the plants 

 into a frame or pit, from which ^irost is ex- 

 cluded, and then let them come again into 

 flower. If dull weather prevails it may be 

 necessary to again return the plants to the 

 greenhouse to induce the flowers to open by 

 the desired time. 



TRADE NOTES 



NAMES OF PLANTS. 



A. C, Hamble.— Veltheimia viridifciia. 

 J. S., Abl>ey Wood. — Cymbidium ebur- 

 neum. 



H. S., Bexley. — 1, Tillandsia usneoides ; 2, 

 Nertera depressa. 



J. W., Epsom. — 1, Odontogiossum Laml>ea- 

 uianum; 2, Cattleya Trianse. 



S. L., Bodmin.— 1, Polygonium clorinda ; 

 2, Nephrolepis Whitmani; 3, Correa car- 

 dinalis. 



C. T. F., Cambridge. — 1, Calceolaria Bur- 

 bidgei; 2, Dracaena Godeefliana; 3, D. con- 

 gesta; 4, Ophiopogon jaburan. 



W. E. J., Horstead. — 1, Rhododendron 

 praecox; 2, Skimmia japonica ; 3, Dipiopap- 

 pus chrysophyllus ; 4, Abies Nordmanniana ; 

 5, Sequoia semper viren.s. 



OBITUARY. 



MR. HAYWARD MATHIAS. 



Wc regret to learn that Mr. P. Hayward 

 Matkias passed away suddenly on February 

 10, death being due to heart failure. Mr. 

 Mathias was a retired civil servant, but many 

 years ago he entered enthusiastically into the 

 cultivation of perpetual carnations, as an 

 amateur, at lliames Ditton, and, seeing the 

 orcat future of the flower, he entered busi- 

 ness as a grower and formed an establish- 

 ment at Medstead, Hants, He was largely 

 instrumental in forming the Perpetual- 

 flowering Carnation Society, and was the 

 first secretary and treasurer of that body. 

 Failing health compelled him to resign these 

 offices, and he went to live at Lucerne, Stub- 

 bington, Fareham, Hants. A quiet gentle^ 

 man, with a steady, unquenchable enthusi- 

 asm, he had also a pleasant tffanner that en- 

 deared him to all his friends and acquain- 

 tances. 



GARDENING ENGAGEMENTS. 



Mr C J. Cradwick, previously foreman 

 at The Gardens, Middleton Hall, Kings 

 Lynn, Norfolk, has been appointed head gar- 

 dener to Colonel Grant, Sherborne House, 



Sherborne, Dorset. 



Mr. R. D. Greenham, foreman at Joyce 

 Grove Henlev, has been appointed head gar- 

 dener'to A. E. Motion, Esq., Upton House, 



Messrs. John K. King and Sons, Cogges- 

 hall, Essex, have been awarded a Diploma 

 and Commendation Medal in connection with 

 their exhibit in the recent seed competition 

 held at the Bruissels International Exhibition. 



From Messrs. Robert Veitch and Son, 

 Exeter, we have received a few unusually 

 fine sprays of the graceful Buddleia asiatica. 

 This IS a capital shrub for greenhouse and 

 conservatory decoration during i he latter 

 half of winter, and, though not particularly 

 showy, it is elegant, and very sweetly fecente<t. 

 We are informed that the long spikes sent 

 were grown in a cool greenhouse. 



FORTHCOMING ENGAGEMENTS. 



TUKSDAY. Alarc'h 5.— Koyal Hortioulturfll Society. 

 Njircisfiu^ Committor m©e*tfl at Fruit, 

 Floml. and Orchid Committoee meet :it 12 o'clock. 

 Lecture at 3 p.m. on Th^ Stimulation of Plant 

 Growth," by Prof€»8sor H. E, Armetron^. 

 S-cientiftc Oommittee at 4 o'clock. 

 Koyal HorticulturaJ rSociety'g Spring Bulb Sihow; 

 two da vs. 



THUR.SDAY, March 7.— Linnenn Society Meeting. 

 ManchastJer and North of Kngland Orchid Society. 



MONDAY, March 11.— United Horticultural Benefit 

 and Provident Society. Annual Meeting at Royal 

 Horticultural HaJ'L, at 8 p.m. 



THUUSDAY, Marah 14.— North of England Horticul- 

 tural Soc iet y me^ ts at B rad fo rd 



TUESDAY, March 19.— Roj^ail Horticultural Society. 

 Narc'isisus Oom m i ttee- mee^ts at 11. :^0. F ni it , 

 Floral, and Orchid Committee.s meet at 12 o riock. 

 Ix^ture at 3 p.m. on "Ferns," by Mr. H. B. 

 May, V.M.H. .Scientific Committee at 4 flock, 



THURSDAY, March 21.— IVrpetiial FJowerin-r ( .u iim- 

 tion Society, ut RovmI Horticultural Hall. \\\vt- 



minster; two ^Iny^. 



Linnean Society Al^'ft injjf. 



Manchegter and North of England Horticultural 

 Society. 



TUESDAY, March 26.— Bournemouth Spring Flower 



Show ; two dav5. 

 WEDNP:SDAY, March 27.— Liverpool Spring Show; 



two day^. 



Royal Horticultural Society's General Exflmination 



in Horticulture. 

 Roval Botanic .Society Meeting. 

 THURSDAY. March 28.— Torquay Spring Show. 

 SATURDAY, March 3().— French Horticultural Society 

 of London. Annual Dinner. 



SWEET PEA PERFECTION. 



When growing Sweet Pea*?, grow only the best. To 

 obtain the very best, send direct to ECKFORD for 

 your Seeds; but remember ihey are only genuine 

 when obtained direct from Wem. b^ckford's are the 

 largest retaile. s ot S\\ eet Peas in the world, and do 



not supply tbe trade. 



£1,000 in CASH PRIZES given away. Send a 



postcard for particulars. 



SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FOR 912. 



Exhibitors' 

 (E) Collection. 



24 giant waved varieties, 

 new and up-to-date fine 

 lor exhibition, 10 seeds of 

 each, SS. 6d,, post free 

 ra^h with order. 



Villa (C . Collection. 



12 splendid varietie5,suit- 

 able for exhibition, 50 

 seeds of each, 28. 9d. post 

 free, cash with order. 



Exhibitors' 



(Di Collection. 



12 giant waved varieties, 

 new and up-to-date; fine 

 for exhibition, to seeds 



of each, 28 Od. post 

 free cash with o rder. 



Half Villa 



(B) Collection. 



?5 splendid v arieties, 

 suitable for exhibition, 

 25 seeds of each, 38. post 

 free, cash with order. 



Villa (E) Collection. 



12 splendid varieties, 

 suitable for exhibition, 25 

 see^ s of each , lS.6d. post 

 free, cash with order. 



Villa \ By Collection. 



24 splendid varieties,suit- 

 able for exhibition, 50 

 seeds of each, 58.6d. post 

 free, cash with order. 



A spec al,y tv? itien book et on Stvect Pea Grotaing 

 given 7vith every order. Send to WEM to ensure 



satisfaction. 

 Send a postcard to day for large illus- 

 trated and coloured Catalogue. It 

 giv es full particulars of a' I novelties in Sweet Peas 

 lor lJ*lii, aNo complete particulars of the iElOOO 

 off red in Prizes for growers of Eckford's Sweet 

 Peas, and contains full list of all Flower and 



Vegetable Seeds. 



HENRY ECKFORD, F.R.H.S., 



iDept 221) WEM, SHROPSHIRE. 



op growth has Banburv. 



