562 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The points that seem most promising might be picked out by anyone 

 who had sufficient local Knowledge, and others might be added if it were 



necessary. 



Cannas for Winter Decoration. 



The canna is well known as a summer denizen of our gardens, but 

 it may be somewhat surprising to many to learn that it is equally 

 valuable for room, conservatory, and greenhouse decoration in winter. 

 Cannas were among the plants tried at Wisley during the summer 

 and autumn of 1907, and as some of the varieties arrived late in the 

 season, and were in comparatively small pots, it was decided to pot these, 

 and some others already in large pots, into pots of larger size and grow 

 trnm on, in a light and only moderately warm greenhouse, where the 

 temperature often dropped to 45° at night. All grew vigorously, and 

 threw up flower spikes almost as freely as in the summer months. 

 When the pots became full of roots a little chemical manure was given, 

 but really very little aid in this respect was supplied. All the varieties, 

 in over one hundred pots, succeeded equally well, and surprised many 

 by their clean healthy growth and handsome flowers in December and 

 January. As the house was wanted in March for other purposes they 

 wcie gradually " rested " in February and dried off, otherwise they 

 promised to go on growing and flowering indefinitely. The trial proved 

 very emphatically the use and value of these stately and beautiful plants 

 for winter, and where big, bold plants are required for halls, corridors, 

 and other somewhat draughty places, these will be found more suitable 

 than most, particularly when used in conjunction with palms. The only 

 pest troubling the plants was aphis to a slight extent, but this was easily 

 eradicated by fumigation. 



Kaw Manure and Tree Roots. 



We have seen in several places recently both fruit trees and 

 ornamental shrubs badly injured by the bringing of fresh manure into 

 direct contact with the roots when planting. The jobbing gardener is 

 a great sinner in this respect, and though his intentions may be excellent, 

 the results of such procedure are usually deplorable, as all new roots 

 emitted by the trees are poisoned by coming in contact with the manure. 

 If any manure at all is used it should be well decayed and thoroughly 

 mixed with the soil, or used as a mulch after planting. 



Japanese Iris. 



In the course of an interesting communication from Mr. Kenkichi 

 Okubo, of Osaka, Japan, he tells us that over three hundred varieties of 

 the Japanese Iris (Iris laevigata or I. Kaempfcri) are known in Japan. In 

 order to obtain large flowers the plants are divided after flowering and 

 the old roots removed, the plants being planted in rows and two or three 

 in a dump in soil covered by water. After growth has started fertiliser 

 is supplied, night-soil or oil-cako being considered the best. The more 

 fertiliser is supplied the better the plants respond, but " to put a handful 

 or two of soja beans at the roots before blooming is the secret of getting 



