42 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 17,1899. 
at his hardy Ferns, herbaceous plants, Roses, and magnificent 
Water Lilies Mr. Marshall was ready for a ten-minutes drive to 
the Peaches. Our thanks are due to him for his good guidance, 
and we had the great satisfaction of learning of his willingness to 
accept, if required, the chairmanship of the Gardeners’ Orphan 
Fund, now vacant through the lamented death of Mr. George Deal. 
In the interests of this Charity, which ought not to suffer through 
the calamity in question, we venture to express a hope that Mr. 
Marshall will be unanimously elected by the Committee to the 
position he is so well qualified to fill. 
FLOWER CULTURE FOR PROFIT. 
Semi-double Zonal Pelargoniums. 
Of late years, or since church decoration has reached such a 
high pitch, there has been a good demand for flowers bright in 
colour, as well as pure white, that will last fairly well in a cut 
state. At most of the principal festivals large quantities of semi¬ 
double Pelargoniums, or as many as can be obtained are used, and 
at other times there is a fairly good local demand for them, both 
for church decoration and other purposes for which serviceable 
flowers are required. These Pelargoniums, however, cannot be 
classed as highly profitable plants, as they have to be kept about 
all the year round, and require a fair amount of heat during the 
winter, or when most in demand to have them in flower. At the 
same time they are bright and effective winter flowering plants, 
and are very useful for house decoration, in a cut state or other¬ 
wise, the surplus flowers not needed for the purpose bein^ 
marketed. 
What the church decorators need are varieties either bright 
scarlet in colour or pure white, and they are also the best for dinner- 
table decoration. Mixtures will not be accepted by the former at 
any price. All must be of one shade of colour, and if not scarlet 
as near that tint as possible. The favourite variety is F. V. Ras- 
pail, and on the whole this bright scarlet form is the best that can 
be grown extensively for winter and spring flowering. Wonderful 
is too small, and Bruant, a very sturdy grower, and which produces 
extra fine trusses of rich scarlet flowers, is scarcely free enough. 
None of the whites are so free-flowering during the winter as the 
best of the coloured varieties, but they flower profusely early in 
March and up to Whitsuntide. La Cygne is perhaps the best in this 
section, the true Candidissimum plenum being also a free flower¬ 
ing variety of compact growth. Heroine is likewise fairly well 
adapted for forcing, this producing large loose trusses and extra 
large pips, each with a longer footstalk than often seen, being there¬ 
fore one of the best for buttonhole bouquets and for “ mounting” 
generally. Of the other shades of colour the best we have yet 
tried are Guillon Mangilli, rich magenta, and remarkably free ; 
General Billot, which has a suspicious resemblance to the last 
named ; Grand Chancellor Faidherbe, a double Henri Jacoby, 
Madame Thibaut, purplish pink ; Madame Leon Dolby, blush 
white, fine truss ; Mrs. Arthur Lattey, light pink ; and James 
Vick, deep salmon. 
Large, rather than medium sized to small plants, give the best 
results, and the preference is also given to those comparatively 
young. Supposing the start has to be made with newly struck 
plants in the spring, these ought soon to be topped, and if they are 
already in small pots, this being the simplest way to strike them, a 
shift into 5-inch pots should be given directly they are breaking 
afresh. Still keep them growing in gentle heat and well exposed 
to the full light, stopping the shoots as often as necessary in order 
to get a good bushy head. From 5-inch pots they ought to be 
shifted into 8-inch or rather larger sizes, and in which they are to 
flower. Clean well drained pots should be used, and a fairly rich 
loamy compost, with plenty of grit added, this being well rammed 
into the pots. During the summer sunny pits and frames are the 
best positions for the plants, where they must not be neglected in 
any way. Too often these plants are set in the open during the 
summer. This causes them to be sturdy it is true, but thus treated 
they invariably lose the best of their foliage, and although they 
flower abundantly when first housed, the trusses are much smaller 
and not so continuously produced as in the case of those kept under 
glass. Stopping the plants should cease in July, the aim being to 
secure a few uncrowded firm shoots, which will branch and flower 
freely through the winter. 
. After the Whitsuntide flowers are cut all old plants should be 
dried off for about a fortnight, and then cut freely back. When break¬ 
ing afresh turn them out of the pots, reduce the roots considerably, 
and repot into same sizes as before. Keep in gentle heat till grow¬ 
ing strongly, and before they become drawn transfer to frames or 
pits. The best of them may well be given a shift, 10-inch pots or 
rather larger answering well. We only stop any straggling shoots 
on old plants, and thin out where they are crowded. Tall plants 
usually flower the most freely, and if these are wanted do not 
prune back too hard, and also allow a few strong shoots fro 
develop and branch. If cuttings are rooted each spring, stopped 
once, and shifted into 4-inch or 5-inch pots, these will succeed 
well on various light shelves and front stages of forcing houses,, 
and be handy for growing into larger specimens the following 
season. 
It is not so much in the preparation of the plants that many 
private gardeners fail, as in their winter treatment. In some 
instances there are few or no suitable houses or positions for 
flowering them ; in others they are treated to too much heat and 
moisture, crowding being also a frequent cause of failure. Light 
forcing houses, such as are used during the season for growing 
Melons and Cucumbers, suit these semi-double Pelargoniums well. 
Such structures could usually be prepared for them late in 
September or early in October, and there ought to be a thorough 
clearance of any hotbed material and soil there may be in them, 
the glass and woodwork washed, and the walls whitewashed.. 
What the plants require and must have is plenty of room and. 
light, accompanied by a dry heat and an airy atmosphere. Set the 
pots on a bed of rich soil or a moist bottom of any kind, and they 
will quickly root through into it, causing a rank flowerless growth. 
Even if this contingency be prevented the moisture arising favours- 
a sappy delicate growth, and few or no trusses are obtained when 
most wanted. Keep them clear of all other plants, maintain a 
temperature of about 50° to 55° by night, and 60° to 65° in the 
daytime ; admit air according to the outer weather ; keep the floors 
dry, and the plants dry also. Liquid manure to be given only 
when they give signs of exhaustion. 
At Christmas time the scarlet and white varieties sell readily at 
from 2s. to 3s. per dozen trusses, little more than half that figure 
being given for the other shades of colour. From that time to 
Easter the prices range from Is. Gd. to Is. per dozen for all varie¬ 
ties ; but at Easter somewhat better prices can safely be asked for 
the whites, and there is a fairly brisk demand for scarlets. Later 
on the prices have to drop to 6d. per dozen, and we have frequently 
been content, or rather had to be, with 4d. per dozen, better sales 
being made at Whitsuntide, when we get Is. per dozen for scarlets 
and whites. All ours are disposed of locally, and at better prices 
than prevail in the London markets. I must not omit mentioning 
that it is possible to cut and get rid of hundreds of trusses cut 
from plants of Guillon Mangilli and F. V. Raspail, growing against 
sunny conservatory walls.—M. H. 
AUTUMN-SOWN ONIONS. 
Were it not for the bulbs obtained from the sowings of Onions 
made early in the autumn of the previous year, a break in the 
culinary supply of that wholesome though much abused vegetable 
would assuredly occur during the months of May, June, and the 
early part of July. The bulbs of the previous year’s growth are 
then soft and disposed to push into growth, and consequently are 
of little value for culinary purposes, and those of the current year’s 
raising are not large enough to supplement the supply, hence the 
necessity for making two sowings of the most approved varieties 
in July, the first about the end of the third week, and the second 
ten days later for succession. 
Ground which had been trenched and liberally manured for 
the previous crop, say Peas or Cauliflowers, will be admirably 
adapted to the requirements of Onions, without any additional' 
dressing of animal manure of any kind being given. As soon as 
the ground is cleared of the crops indicated dig it a good spit deep, 
breaking it fine in digging ; then tread it over and make it level 
with a coarse rake, afterwards strewing a little fresh soot over the 
surface before drawing drills, running north and south, about 1 inch 
deep, and from 12 to 16 inches asunder. Sow the seed thinly in 
these, but a little thicker than would be desirable in making the 
spring sowing, so as to make allowance for drawing young plants 
from the rows for salading purposes during the autumn, as well as 
for any mishaps that may occur in the winter months. Return 
the soil to the drills, and then tread and rake in the same direction 
as the drills, so as to present a firm and smooth surface when 
finished. 
As soon as the young plants appear stir the soil well between 
the rows with a Dutch hoe, and remove any weeds that may appear. 
The thinning and weeding are best done during dull showery 
weather. Three inches from plant to plant in the rows will be 
ample space for the winter months, drawing every alternate plant 
