September 7, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
213 
deal, so that the air may circulate under the boxes, and thus 
prevent loss through damp. 
Notwithstanding the great heat of the present summer Violas 
have flowered so splendidly right up to the present time that we 
have as yet inserted no cuttings; the work will, however, be in 
progress by the time these lines are in print. When a sufficient 
number of young shoots spring from the base of the plants can be 
obtiined we give them the preference, but in many instances these 
do not suffice to supply our requirements; the points of the old 
shoots are then used. If these are stopped early in the spring they 
make good plants. Any varieties which produce very few cuttings 
may^ be quite cut down now, the old shoots cut into lengths con¬ 
taining two or three joints each, and be inserted in pans placed in 
cool close pits. More cuttings will be produced from the old 
plants by the end of September, and these if dibbled into light 
soil placed in cold pits will make excellent plants. The Dairy¬ 
maid, a variety I have grown this year, has been very popular. 
Early in the season the flower is ivory white, but as the summer 
wanes the colour is French grey. Countess of Hopetoun is I 
think still by far the best white variety, indeed, I know of no 
other bedding plant which makes such a splendid white bed 
during the summer months. All my gardening friends who visit 
me are glad of a few cuttings of it when they do not already 
possess that variety. The most of our cuttings are inserted in 
front of a south wall in the ordinary garden soil, which is rather 
light. A little road sand is first placed on the surface. The cuttings 
are placed a couple of inches apart, and are well attended to in 
the rnatter of being watered when they require it. They remain 
in this position without any protection throughout the winter, and 
only a very low percentage of losses are the result. 
Coleus, Iresine, Alternantheras, Mesembryanthemums, Helio¬ 
trope, Cupheas, and similar plants root quickly and easily if 
inserted in well-drained pots or pans which are stood in a pit or 
frame, provided they are kept close, syringed once or twice daily, 
and are shaded from bright sunshine. Should wet cold weather 
set in the three first named plants, being somewhat tender, will 
make more satisfactory progress if stood upon a hotbed or in a 
heated pit, the great point to aim at being to get cuttings of all 
kinds established as soon as possible after being inserted. To do 
this they must not be allowed to flag after they are taken from the 
parent plants. If greater attention were paid to this point we 
should hear less complants about the difficulty of rooting cuttings 
of all descriptions.—W. C. 
SEASONABLE HINTS ON FLORIST FLOWERS. 
Theee has probably never been a season more disappointing to 
the cultivators of florist flowers than that of 1893. Everything 
seemed turned topsy-turvy ; plants came into flower three weeks or 
a month before their time, and the dates of exhibitions had to be 
altered ; and now that the end of August has come we are asking 
ourselves where are our autumnal flowers ? The long-continued 
drought increased the difficulty, and to keep plants in good health 
was no easy task. 
Auriculas. —These, the earliest of florist flowers, were the 
first to indicate the normal character of the season ; they were out 
of flower fully three weeks before their usual time, and consequently 
have had a longer time in their summer quarters than usual. So 
far as I can see they have not suffered from this. I see few 
summer deaths among my small collection, but altogether they 
look well. They have not certainly suffered from drip, for there 
was no rain to cause it. At present it will be necessary to go 
carefully through the plants to take off all dead outside leaves, 
remove weeds, and if there be any aphides either brush them off 
carefully or fumigate the plants. In about a month’s time it will 
be necessary to remove them to their winter quarters either in pits 
or frames facing south, giving them all the air possible, but not 
allowing them to get rain. I have this year reduced the size of the 
pots in which the plants are grown, and this of course makes the 
collection seem to be much smaller. I remember successful 
cultivation being achieved by those who grew in both large and 
small pots, and am therefore not sure whether I shall gain much by 
the change. 
Carnations and Picotees. —Here again the character of the 
season has led to very unsatisfactory results, at least so far as my 
own garden is concerned, owing to the excessive forwardness of the 
plants, which necessitated the alteration of the date of the 
Carnation Show. It was necessary to layer very early, for the 
wood was ripe, and had it been left any longer layering would 
have been a matter of very great difficulty. It was a choice of two 
evils, for I feared that too early layering would lead to the layers 
running up to bloom ; the weather of July being wet and com¬ 
paratively dull was favourable for them, and the layers rapidly 
rooted. I now find that my fears were not groundless, as a con¬ 
siderable number have spindled for bloom, and will of course be 
valueless. It will now be time to remove layers from the plants, 
for notwithstanding all that has been said as to wintering them in 
the open ground it is a hazardous thing, and I think it is much 
better to remove the layers, and pot them and place them in 
cold frames for the winter. They may be potted either singly 
or in pairs, and by this method the plants will be very little 
disturbed when they are planted out in the spring. It is 
best to use simple compost in potting ; in fact, good loam with 
a little sand is all that is needed. Where the plants are potted 
in pairs they should be placed near the outside of the pot ; when 
potted they ought to be removed to a close frame for two or 
three days, watered, and afterwards have as much air as possible 
given to them. By the end of September they may be removed 
into a frame facing south, which can be left partially open night 
and day. This will, of course, be the proper time for adding to 
one’s collection, and it is remarkable how much more people’s 
minds are turned towards the border varieties than to the old 
florists’ kinds, not that I think that the latter will ever lose their 
place in the estimation of the true florist ; the only thing likely to 
effect that being the over-dressing to which they are subjected. It 
is almost hopeless to have this remedied, although attempts have 
been made by offering prizes for undressed flowers to get rid of 
the practice. 
Gladioli. —Here, again, the season has sadly interfered ; like 
everything else, they were too early. In the west of England 
they were mostly over in the second week of August, and here I 
shall hardly have a flower left by the end of the month, whereas 
in some years I have had a difficulty in getting a stand for the 
Crystal Palace on the 6th and 7th of September owing to their not 
being yet in flower. Notwithstanding the dry weather, or perhaps 
in consequence of it, they have done better with me this year than 
last. One result will be that the bulbs will be sooner fit for 
lifting than in most years, and this will probably be in their favour 
for a future bloom ; there will be, however, no necessity for inter¬ 
ference with them for some time. The earlier sections of the 
Lemoinei and Nancianus groups will, however, soon be ready, as 
they are earlier than the Gandavensis section. I do not lift these 
every year, but protect them with a mulching of some sort. As, 
however, I did not lift them last year I shall do so now. I have 
found, singularly enough, that while my unprotected bulbs 
perished in the winter 1891, thus dispelling the notion of their 
hardiness, here at any rate, one of them, Duguesclin, has 
survived, but so have some of the varieties of the Gandavensis, and, 
therefore, I am afraid neither of the section can be pronounced 
hardy. 
Pansies. —The summer has always been in the South of 
England a trying time for these plants, as the dryness of our 
atmosphere does not seem to suit them ; they may now contract 
mildew and perish. I find that many plants have gone off since 
they were planted out. It will be necessary now to put in small 
pots any cuttings that have rooted, and to divide the plants, cutting 
off all straggling shoots and placing them in a cold frame, which 
should be kept close for a few days until they are rooted. 
Roses. —This exceptional season is now drawing to a close, and 
certainly the last few weeks have wonderfully developed the 
growth of our plants. I think it is now a very good plan to thin 
out the weaker shoots and those which have done duty in flowering 
this year. It gives more air to the plants, and consequently a 
greater chance of ripening the wood. The long shoots which have 
sprung up from the base should now be staked to prevent their 
being blown about. 
I have not included among florists’ flowers such as Phloxes, 
Pentstemons, and other plants which have been by some 
included amongst them, nor have I said anything about Tulips 
and Ranunculus, because nothing can be done with them except 
looking over the bulbs to see that they are not receiving any injury 
from mildew ; neither have I included Pelargoniums or Fuchsias, 
which are essentially greenhouse flowers. Neither can I admit 
their right to be included in this division ; and yet it would be very 
hard to say on what principle a Phlox is not to be considered a 
florist’s flower while a Carnation is. But definitions are puzzling 
things, and I have never met with one about florists’ flowers that 
would go on all fours.—D., Deal. 
FACTS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT APPLES. 
It will, in all probability, be a long time before we again have 
such splendid crops of Apples of the finest quality. Our English 
grown Apples ought this year to hold their own against all comers, 
for they apparently possess every desirable good quality, being 
large, highly coloured, and of fine full flavour. Many varieticg 
