94 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 4,1902 
should be 70°, and 10° to 15° more from sun heat, losing no opportunity 
of admitting a little air to allow of the escape of rank steam or 
accumulated moisture ; hut in no case must the air be admitted so as 
to lower the temperature below 70°, The night temperature should be 
(!0° to 65°, 5° more in mild weather. Instead of planting out too soon 
shift into larger pots as required,plunging them in a bottom heat of 80°, 
securing the stems to small stakes and rubbing oil the laterals to the 
height of the bottom wire of the trellis. Plants for pits and frames 
should be stopped at the second rough leaf. 
Cucumbers. —Cover dung frames with double mats at night, the 
linings of the beds being attended to weekly or fortnightly according to 
the state of the weather, keeping a supply of well mixed dung and 
leaves in readiness for that purpose. 
Young plants arc now ready for transferring to the hillocks in the 
Cucumber house, it having been thoroughly cleansed, and the soil placed 
in a few days previously to become warmed. Press the soil firmly about 
each plant, place a stick to each, and secure it to the first wire of the 
trellis. If bright sunshine occurs shade lightly in the middle of the day 
to prevent flagging, and after the plants become established it can be 
discontinued, subjecting the plants to the full inOuencc of the sun. 
Keep the night temperature at 65° ; 5° less on cold, and 5° more on mild 
nights ; and 70° to 75° by day, with 80° to 90° from sun heat, closing 
early in the afternoon, with plenty of atmospheric moisture on fine days. 
Plants in bearing will need copious supplies of liquid manure in a 
tepid state. Crop lightly, and keep the plants clean. Avoid over¬ 
crowding, keep the foliage thin, remove bad leaves and exhausted 
growths, stopping others one or two joints beyond the fruit as space 
allows, maintaining a supply of young growths for successional bearing. 
Strawberries in Pots. —The early plants have thrown up the 
trusses strongly, especially La Grosse Sucr6e and Vicomtesse Hericart de 
Thury, the earliest having set freely, and being well thinned are 
advanced in swelling. This should be accelerated in a temperature of 
60° to 65° or 70° by artificial means, and 10° to 15° advance from sun 
heat, maintaining a genial condition of the atmosphere by dampings and 
light syringings on bright afternoons. When the fruit commences 
ripening a drier atmosphere will improve the flavour and colour of the 
fruit. Plants advancing to the flowering stage must not be hurried, 50° 
to 55° being ample by artificial means, and 60° to 65° with sun heat and 
free ventilation ; but avoid cold draughts, especially directly upon the 
plants. More plants should be started without delay, such varieties as 
Sir Joseph Paxton, President, Noble, Auguste Nicaise, James Veitch, 
and Sir Charles Napier affording grand fruit, introducing along with 
these some of the early varieties, as La Grosse Sucr^e, so as to secure the 
succession unbroken. Keep a sharp look out for aphides in the stages 
preceding flowering, fumigating upon their first appearance, for they 
insinuate themselves into the opening buds, and give much trouble 
unless promptly destroyed. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
Dahlias .—Strong young plants with one clear stem are preferred to 
old stools and several shoots, and that whether extra fine exhibition 
blooms or quantities of flowers for cutting or otherwise .are required. 
Instead, therefore, of planting, or may be dividing the old stools, the 
better plan is to start these in gentle heat, and strike cuttings from 
them. Set the roots closely together in a newly started vinery or other 
moderately warm house, covering all but the collars with moist soil. 
Numerous strong shoots will soon be formed, and these should be taken 
off with a heel when not more than 3 inches long. If left till they are 
too long to be taken with a heel—that is to say, till they are become 
hollow stemmed, they will not strike. Fill 3-inch or rather smaller pots 
with loamy soil, put a little sharp sand in the holes made for a cutting, 
and fix the latter firmly. Close frames and a moist bottom heat are not 
desirable, the cuttings striking most readily when set not far from hot- 
water pipes, or on an old fashioned flue in a moderately warm house. 
Cuttings thus raised and given one shift would make fine plan's by the 
middle of May, but later struck plants do not require a shift. Dahlias 
c.an also be e.asily raised from seed, though a stock of named plants well 
selected is much to be preferred to seedlings, many of which are seldom 
worth garden room. Sow the seed in pans, place these in a fairly brisk 
heat, cover with squares of glass. Shade and keep the soil uniformly 
moist. When the seedlings are of good size, and before they spoil each 
other, cither place singly in 3-inch pots or prick them out 4 inches apart 
each way in boxes of good soil. The plants in cither case would trans¬ 
plant readily, and flower freely this summer. 
Carinas .—These are among the noblest of bedding plants, and suit¬ 
able alike for massing or for associating with other plants. Not only is 
their foliage of a highly ornamental character, but the flowers are also 
very effective. The dwarf hybrids are particularly good, the flowers of 
these almost rivalling Gladioli in size, the colours also being very bright 
and good. Of the older forms some of the best are C. Annei, Biborelli, 
Chatei sanguinea, grandiflora floribunda, nigricans, Warscewiezi, and 
zebrina, all of which can be raised from seed. In order to be sure of 
the latter germinating quickly and well they must be soaked in water 
till they are swollen to double their original size. This may take place 
in a day or two, or it may be three weeks before they are sufficiently 
swollen and soft to pl.ace in soil. Bottles of water are most to be nre- 
ferred, the seed being less likely to be left dry in these, and they m.ay be 
cither plunged in a brisk bottom heat or stood in the evaporating 
troughs or hot-water pipes. Bow the swollen seeds singly in 3-inch pots 
filled with moist warm soil and plunge in a moderate strong bottom 
heat. When these pots arc filled with roots shift into 6-inch pots, using 
a rich loamy compost, .and with the aid of a little heat strong plants will 
be ready for bedding out early in June. 
Clumps that have been kept through the winter may be started in 
heat as advised in the case of Dahlias, and when the growths are 
2 inches or rather more in length, split up and divide so as to reserve a 
few strong roots with each shoot. Potted off singly they will soon 
become re-established, and a good stock of plants will be the result. 
Pentstemons .—In order to be certain of perpetuating good named 
varieties cuttings ought to have been rooted last autumn, wintered in 
cold frames, and prepared for bedding out in April or May. Seedlings, 
however, are quite as beautiful as named varieties, a single packet of 
seed giving a large number of plants. Sow the seed at once on the 
surface of well prepared pans of soil. It is a good plan to moisten the 
latter prior to sowing the seed, covering lightly with fine soil. Place 
in a frame over a hotbed or in a fairly brisk heat, cover with squares 
of glass, and shade heavily till the seedlings appear. The latter being 
early, pricked out in pans or boxes of good fine soil, and kept for a 
time in gentle heat, will soon be large enough for hardening off, and if 
planted out in beds or borders of well prepared soil by the middle of 
May, a fine display will be made this season. 
Antirrhinums .—These should be raised from seed as advised in the 
case of Pentstemons, and, in common with the latter, will not prove 
very showy if the seed-sowing is much longer deferred or the seedlings 
are neglected. Antirrhinums can be had in separate colours, and by 
good treatment will make a grand display, a dry season not militating 
severely against them. The best whites are particularly effective and 
serviceable for cutting from. 
Sweet Peas .—Where many cut flowers are required early Sweet 
Peas ought always to be raised under glass and planted out. The newer 
varieties are particularly good for cutting, and seeing that the seed 
is dear and distributed in small quantities these, in any case, ought not 
to be trusted in the open ground. Fill the requisite number of 3-inch 
pots with good loamy soil, and in each sow seven or eight seeds. These 
germinate surely and quickly in gentle heat, but the plants ought soon 
to be hardened and planted with their balls of soil and roots intact 
where they are to flower. Rows or patches of seed of the common 
varieties may also be sown in the open at much the same time as the 
earliest garden Peas. Grow plenty of the old white, and abundance of 
a good scarlet variety is always appreciated. 
Mignonette .—Much th.at has been advanced concerning Sweet Peas 
is also applicable to Mignonette. Enemies of various kinds render it 
next to useless to sow seed early in the open, but a few dozen plants, 
raised in small pots and planted in good soil before they become badly 
root-hound, will give off early spikes of flower, and perhaps keep 
flowering strongly all the season. Garraway’s White ought to be grown 
everywhere. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Chrysanthemums .—As these become rooted harden them if they 
have been under handlights, and place them on a shelf close to the glass, 
to prevent their being drawn up weakly. If in thumb pots be careful the 
soil does not become dry, and when the plants arc well rooted transfer 
them into 2^-inch pots. They will grow sturdily if placed where the 
temperature does not fall below 40°. Cuttings must still be inserted 
where the plants are required to produce large flowers place them singly 
in small pots. Those for ordinary decoration may be inserted thickly 
in boxes, and covered with a square of glass. Early and late flowering 
varieties are very useful where cut flowers are largely in demand. Good 
supplies of the former should be rooted ; there is no hurry about the 
latter, and we rarely root the whole stock of these before March. As 
the old stools are thrown out wash the pots and store them away ready 
for the time when they will be wanted. A note should be made of any 
extra pots that may be needed, so that there will be no delay at potting- 
time. Soit the stake.®, and provide fresh ones in the place of those too 
short. If these are to hand they can be painted in readiness, while 
work outside is at a standstill. 
Mignonette .—Fill 5-inch pots with a compest of three parts fibry 
loam, the other part being composed of leaf mould and sand with one- 
seventh of decayed manure. Make the surface even, and sow seed of a 
good strain evenly, cover the seed with fine soil, and water with a fine- 
rose can. If the pots are placed in a vinery just started the seed will 
soon germinate ; gradually harden and place them on a shelf close to the 
glas®, where the temperature will not fall below 45°. Thin out, if neces¬ 
sary, those raised from seed sown early in September. Keep these as cool 
as possible. If any of the plants are growing weakly pinch out the 
points. Be careful that they do not become dry at their root?. Stan¬ 
dards and pyramids, where the flowers are not needed, may be removed,, 
and the growths tied down ; give these a little artificial manure to the 
surface of the soil, water carefully, and keep the plants standing on a 
moisture-holding base. 
French and Fancy Pelargoniums .—Pinch out the points of late- 
rooted cuttings and place them into 5-inch pots. Use for a compost 
fibry loam, sand, and one-seventh of manure. Place the plants on a 
shelf, keep them cool, and water carefully. Pinch all shoots on plants, 
that need it that are not required for early flowering. Some of these 
will need repotting, and in doing this press the soil firmly to prevent 
soft leafy growth. All that is needed at present is to keep the plants 
slowly moving. Although they need careful watering do not keep them 
so dry as to injure their soft, active roots. Watch for aphides, and! 
fumigate at once upon their first appearance. 
Zonal Pelargoniums —Bushy little plants in 3-inch pets may be 
placed into 5-inch s'ze, using the compost advised above. Merely keep 
them growing, but do not pinch their shoots. As soon as the dayB 
