JrLY 27, 1912. 



573 



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SOME USEFUL BORDER 



FLOWERS. 



COREOPSIS GRANDIFLORA. 



Although this plant is perennial, yet the 

 most satisfactory results are obtained when 

 it is treated as a biennial. It is a beauti- 

 ful subject for a summer display m the 

 flower borders, and deserves to be exten- 

 sively grown. The fine yellow blossoms are 

 borne in great abundance on wiry stems, 

 and produce a grand effect when several 

 plants are massed in good-sized groups. The 

 flowers are extremely useful for table de- 

 coration and a goodly number should be 

 grown iri the reserve garden for the supply 

 of cut flowers. 



Seeds are best sown during July, in pans 

 or boxes, and placed in a cold frame to ger- 

 minate. When the seedlings are of suffi- 

 cient size to allow handling, transplant 

 them into boxes, and afford frame treat- 

 ment until established. "When ready plant 

 into nursery beds, where they make good 

 stock for the following spring planting. 

 April is the most suitable time for trans- 

 ferring them to their permanent quarters, 

 and, if lifting and replanting are carefully 

 accomplished, there :s little fear regarding 

 their future welfare. 



Supporting the plants is necessary to 

 maintain them in an upright position, for 

 their beauty is altogether lost when the 

 growths are allowed to fall over. A neat, 

 slender stake, placed to each central 

 growth, will be found to provide all that is 

 required to keep the plants erect. 



PERENNIAL GAILLARDIAS. 



the 



amongst 



border 



These may be numbered 

 most showy of all the summer 

 flowers. Brilliant effects are obtained by 

 grouping several plants together in the 

 foreground of the borders. The flowers are 

 of immense value for room decoration, es- 

 pecially if used with some light material, 

 such as gypsophila, and they are very last- 

 ing in a out state. Although of perennial 

 habit, the plants frequently die out when 

 grown in wet, cold borders. A rich soil, in 

 a warm, sunny position, is necessary for 

 their successful cultivation ; and, given 

 this, the plants will survive two or three 

 seasons, and sometimes longer. After 

 flowering for three years they usually show 

 signs of deterioration, and a fresh stock 

 of young, vigorous plants should take their 

 place. 



Gaillardias are readily raised from seeds 

 sown in July, and the young plants treated 

 in the same manner as biennials, when they 

 will flower well the following season. 



If seofLs are sown early in February, and 

 the plants put out into their permanent 

 quarters when large enough, a few flowers 

 are obtaine<l the first season. A good strain 

 of seeds should ])e procured from a reliable 

 source. 



AVlien it is desired to increase the stock 

 of the named varieties, propagation by cut- 

 tings must be resorted to. To accomplish 

 this successfully, the cuttings must be 

 taken either in the spring or autumn. If 

 taken during the former season, a little 

 artificial heat is necessary to root them ; 

 vv'hile, if early autumn propagation is fol- 

 lowed, they will root in a close cold frame. 

 Plants rooted in the early part of the year 

 J^hould be put out into nursery beds, where 

 they will make fine clumps for planting 

 out either in the following autumn or 

 spring. Autumn-struck cuttings should l>e 

 potted up and wintered in cold frames. 

 There are many lovely named varieties now 

 obtainable, yet splendid results are to be 

 had from a packet of seeds. 



PAPAVER NtJDICATJLE. 



During late years a great improvement 

 has taken place among the Iceland poppies, 

 and, instead of only having the white, 

 yellow, and orange forms, there are now 

 many beautiful shades of colour. The 

 flowers are extremely light and graceful, 

 resembling crimped tissue paper when first 

 opening from the buds. They have fairly 

 good lasting properties, and are very effec- 

 tive when used for filling small glasses. A 

 well-drained soil suits the plants best, and 

 a sunny position should always be selected 

 for their cultivation. Plants raised from 

 seeds sown in February will flower the fol- 

 lowing summer, but the most satisfactory 

 results are obtained from those raised 

 from seeds sown in July. The seeds should 

 be sown in pans, and germinated in a cold 

 frame. The seedlings must be pricked off 

 into boxes as soon as they are large enough 

 to handle, and afforded cold-frame treat- 

 ment until established, after which they 

 must be gradually hardened off. In 

 favoured districts, where the atmosphere 

 is fairly dry during the winter, these pop- 

 pies should be put into their permanent 

 quarters during the autumn ; but when 

 there is any doubt regarding their hardi- 

 hood , cold-frame protection should be 

 afforded through the winter, planting them 

 out in the following spring. 



in well-prepared nUrsery beds, where they 

 will make good plants for putting out iit 

 the followang early spring. If autumn- 

 plantmg is preferred, the strongest plants 

 may be selected and put out at such a 

 time, leaving the small ones until the turn 

 of the year in early spring. 



It is an easy matter to raise a stock from 

 seeds, and fine varieties may be obtained 

 if seed from a go(xl strain is sown. The 

 seeds should be sown and the seedlings trans- 

 planted as advised for the poppies, even- 

 tually plianting the latter into nursery beds 

 when they attain sufficient size. Flowers 

 are produced the following summer, accord- 

 ing to the size of the crowns. The greatest 

 enemies the pyrethrums have are slugs* 

 These pests quickly destroy the young 

 shoots before they appear above ground, 

 and pverv endeavour should be ma<le to 



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prevent this. 



Gnaton Gardens. 



E. C. POOLKY. 



SAWDUST MANURE, 



I was much interested in the note on 

 this subject which appeared on page 502 

 of th? Gahdeners' Magazine for July 0. 

 In several large towns, to my knowledge, 

 it has been a difficult matter to obtain 

 manure free from sawdust and shavino;s 



G.M. 376 



MR. F. DENNISON'S FIRST PRIZE SET OF TWENTY-FOUR ROSES 



Belfast 



Tliese flowers won the Amateur'^ Trophy. 



In many gardens these l)eautiful little 

 poppies reproduce themselves freely from 

 seeds, and see<:llings are frequently met with 

 springing up in hard gravel walks at the 

 base of a rockery. In less favoured gar- 

 dens it is a difficult matter to keep the 

 plants alive through the winter, owing to 

 so much dampness. Where this trouble is 

 experienced, it is advisable to protect the 

 plants through the wet winter months. 



PYRETHRUMS. 



The double and single pyrethrums are 

 highly appreciated both for the adornment 

 of the flower borders and for room decora- 

 tion. The chrysanthemum-like flowers and 

 light, feathery foliage, produce an effective 

 display, either when growing m the border 

 or in a cut state. There are many beautiful 

 named varieties, both in the doubles and 

 singles, but undoubtedly the latter are 

 prettiest. Propagation is accomplished by 

 dividing up the old plants and by seed- 

 sowing. "When it is desired to increase the 

 stock of named varieties, division has to 

 be resorted to. This operation should re- 

 ceive attention immediately the flowering 

 season is over. The plants are lifted and 

 carefully split up into small pieces with 

 roots attached to each piece, and planted 



and chips. Scores of tons of wood chips 

 are used every year for bedding down cattle 

 and horses, chiefly the latter. I n- 

 doubtedly, the sawdust retains practically 

 all the valuable manurial liquid. There is, 

 however, one matter connected with the 

 use of sawdust and ehips which is, to my 

 mind, disturbing, namely, the danger of 

 fungus trouble in the coming years where 

 such material is used regularly. I would 

 like to have some assurance on this point 

 before using the wood in soil generally. 

 Quite recently I remarked on the vastly 

 improved appearance of the shrubs, tx 

 etc., in a nursery to a foreman in the said 

 nursery, and he replied, ''Yes; they are 

 all looking well. We have stopped the use 

 of sawdust and wood chips in the manure." 



In Cheshire, my father used to bed down 

 the cattle with ^' roach,'' i.e., the sj-i dy 

 portion sifted from the chipping fr<^m a 

 neighbouring quarry. The bed was dry, 

 the cattle warm and very clean ; scarcely 

 any liquid ran away, but was absorbed 

 by the sandy roach. The manure, as col- 

 lected, w^as duly stored, and, in time, used 

 on the farm fields, both for grass and root 

 crops, and it proves! better than any of the 

 manures with straw litter. The grit also 

 improved the soil, which was very cjayey. 



Geo. Garnek. 



