March 17,1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 217 
larger pots are needed shift now, using lumps of peat with a little 
sphagnum and sand, affording good drainage. 
Forcing House. —Many plants will be starting into growth natu¬ 
rally ; nevertheless, a successional batch of such as Dielytra, 
Deutzia gracilis, Prunus sinensis alba flore-plena, Yiburnum Opulus, 
Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendrons, not omitting R. odoratum; Azaleas? 
pontica being very sweet, English and Ghent varieties very beautiful, 
and mollis varieties finer still and forcing quickly. Lilacs must not 
be omitted, and Double Thorns with Sweet Briar are generally 
esteemed. Roses also must be grown in quantity. Pinks, Lily of 
the Valley, Hoteia japonica, and Spiraea palmata will need to be for¬ 
warded in gentle heat, a temperature of 50° artificially being sufficient, 
and 10° to 15° or more from sun heat. A few Lilium auratum and 
L. longiflorum also should be placed in heat, and they will be useful 
when flowers are not very plentiful. To succeed these and to precede 
those in the open ground a cool house should be devoted to a succes¬ 
sional batch of Liliums, ventilating freely above 50°. Damp the 
plants early in the afternoon of bright days, and moisten available 
surfaces in the house before nightfall. Violets, though late from the 
prolonged cold, are coming in well from plants in frames, and should 
have ventilation freely above 40°, withdrawing the lights with the 
external temperature over 50°. Water them when necessary with 
weak liquid manure, and do not allow any deficiency of moisture at 
the roots, or the flowers will suffer. 
NOTES ON VILLA AND SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
Hardy Climbers. —Climbers are seldom sufficiently closely pruned ; 
or instead of thickets of growth with a minimum of bloom we should 
see a vigorous growth, which would be neater in appearance and give 
the greatest amount of bloom. Roses, Clematises, Honeysuckles, 
Cratseguses, Pyrus japonica, Jasminums, and Forsythias are improved 
by being occasionally hard pruned, the young growth or the laterals 
of this following invariably giving the most satisfactory results- 
Roses that are uninjured and thinly trained should have all lateral 
growth spurred-in to about two buds of the main branches, all spray 
closely cut out, strong leading shoots laid in where requisite, and the 
fastenings generally made good. Marechal Niel blooms best on the 
young growth, and this should be laid in thinly, cutting out any not 
required and as much old growth as possible. Early-flowering 
Clematises to have the young growth thinned out only, and the late- 
flowering, such as C. Jackmanii, to be cut back freely to induce the 
formation of strong flowering shoots. The Japanese Honeysuckle 
should have the thickest growth cut away, the young growth that 
will follow to be neatly laid in. Spur-in all lateral growth to near 
the main branches. Jasminum nudiflorum and Forsythia viridissima 
maybe freely pruned where necessary immediately after flowering, 
laying in a few leading shoots where required. The long growths of 
deciduous Magnolias and Chimonanthus fragrans to be spurred in, 
leaving any of the flowering heads of the former. Ivies may be cut 
closely in, or if getting too heavy may be cut down ; the young growth 
following, and which is generally the prettiest, to be thinned out and 
nailed up where necessary. The neat-growing Ampelopsis Veitchii 
needs but little pruning, but the old Virginian Creeper requires to be 
cut over. The former is much the better variety. The lateral growth 
of Wistaria sinensis to be spurred-in to near the main stems, laying 
in young growth where space is to be covered. 
The present is a good time to plant climbers. Where the border is 
very poor a little good fresh soil should be added, especially if pre' 
viously occupied by plants. Climbers are usually distributed in pots, 
and can be more quickly established in them if the roots are carefully 
opened out, cutting off those bruised or in an unhealthy state prior to 
planting. Do not bury them deeply, neither go to the other extreme, 
or they may probably suffer from drought. If the soil be dry supply 
water freely in the course of a week, and mulch with short fresh 
manure before hot weather be anticipated. 
Pruning Poses. —This operation should now be performed in almost 
all localities. Many standards have been killed by frost; those much 
injured may yet produce fresh growth near the union of bud with the 
stock providing they are cut hard back. The growth resulting, if it 
does not flower freely, may yet lay the foundation of a good head of 
bloom the following season. Vigorous growers with sound wood 
should not be cut back very closely, and may be left 4 or 5 inches i n 
length •, weaker growth being cut to about the second bud, in each 
instance pruning to an outside bud. All sprays should be cut clean 
out, and straggling heads be cut into shape. It is these old straggling 
heads that are most injured by frost, rather closely pruned heads re¬ 
maining more vigorous for years. Dwarf trained, and those on their 
own roots especially, are comparatively uninjured, and for the future 
will doubtless be more generally grown. They may be pruned 
similarly to the standards, or the strong young growths may be 
retained to a good length and pegged down, cutting out the old 
flowering growth to induce the formation of other strong growth for 
the next season. The pruning of the dwarfs should not be neglected, 
or they will soon be beyond control. The Roses should be pruned in 
a manner similar to the Hybrid Perpetuals, or the young growth 
retained and the old cut out where possible. 
pi.ant houses and frames. 
Propagating Bedding Plants. —Pots of autumn-struck cuttings or old 
plants and roots of Verbenas, Lobelias, Heliotropes, Petunias, 
Veronicas, Ageratums, Abutilons, Dahlias, and Salvias, ought now 
to be placed in a gentle heat—a mild hotbed being suitable—in 
order to induce them to furnish cuttings freely. Any of these will 
strike readily in the aforesaid hotbed, providing a little ventilation 
be allowed should there be much steam in the bed. This is especially 
necessary this season owing to the excessively wet state of the heat¬ 
ing material. The cuttings will also strike freely in boxes or pots 
covered with squares of glass, and placed on a staging near to hot- 
water pipes or flue in a forcing house. Both boxes and pots should 
be of sufficient depth to admit of a layer of crocks covered with a 
little rough material, 2 to 3 inches of fine sandy soil with a thin layer of 
sand on the surface, and a good depth for the cuttings so that these 
may just clear the glass ; the latter to be kept on closely till the 
cuttings are struck. The tops and side shoots are the best; cutting 
the former clean across close to the third or fourth joint, and the 
latter with a heel or small piece of the old wood attached, trimming 
off the lowest pair of leaves in both instances. Insert the cuttings 
firmly and rather thinly up to the lowest leaves, and water in with a 
fine-rose pot. Coleuses, Iresines, and Alternantheras may be struck 
similarly to the preceding. The tops of bedding Pelargoniums when 
made into cuttings should be dibbled in round the sides of G or 8-inch 
pots, draining well and using light gritty soil. They strike best in a 
dry heat, and should not be watered till it is seen the soil is become 
rather dry. Glass should not be placed over these, as they are very 
apt to damp off. Cuttings of succulents, such as Kleinia repens, 
should be placed on a shelf to heal previous to being inserted, and 
but little water must be given until they are struck. 
Sowing Small Seeds. —Lobelias, Pyrethrums, Petunias, and Penste- 
mons ought now to be sown. Use light sandy soil, and either pans 
or boxes ; drain these well, make the surface even, and water through 
a fine-rose pot a few hours previous to sowing. Distribute the seeds 
evenly, press them in with the bottom of a pot, and cover very lightly 
with sand or fine sandy soil. Closely cover with squares of glass, 
place on a gentle hotbed, and shade heavily till the seeds have ger¬ 
minated, when the glass should be tilted, and shading from bright 
sunshine only. Moisten from the bottom by partially immersing in 
a pail of warm water in preference to dashing water overhead. 
Tuberous-rooted Begonias, Gloxinias, Torenia Fournierii, and other 
choice fine-seeded plants may at this time be reared in the same 
manner as the foregoing. Fine peaty soil should be used if possible, 
otherwise leaf soil must be substituted. 
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THE STRAW HIVE. 
I HAVE been honoured by a kind invitation to read a paper on 
« The Straw Skep and How to Make the Most of It ” at the next 
quarterly meeting of the British Bee-keepers’ Association, which 
will be held in London. The distance between Sale and London 
is too great for an old man somewhat shaky to travel on such an 
errand, and hence I did not accept the invitation, but I may 
