186 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ September 1, 1892. 
or does extend from November to February, during -which time we 
should maintain the temperature as near as we can from 43° to 50°, 
with as little fluctuation as possible. No doubt gardeners have 
noticed how Azaleas are excited into growth in the winter months, 
and in many cases the buds are so weakened that they go blind. 
I believe this is caused by keeping the plants in a too high tempera¬ 
ture, probably by excessive fire heat. This has such a tendency to 
dry the plants that frequent watering is necessary, causing the 
growth to start, much to the annoyance of the cultivator. The 
same thing occurs with Camellias and many other plants. It thus 
becomes very necessary to watch closely the variation of tempera¬ 
ture outdoors in connection with resting plants, as at times it may 
be 50’, or even higher, and we must then guard against any 
excessive amount of moisture about our plants. High night 
temperatures should, as far as possible, be avoided. 
It should be remembered that in whatever position a plant is 
placed it should stand perfectly level, and on some material where 
the water may drain away freely. If the plant is not level the 
danger is that the soil on one side of the pot is dry and the 
other side wet, which is the worst possible condition for a plant 
to be in. 
The action of rain water, whether artificially or naturally 
applied, has been proved to be by far the most beneficial to plants, 
as by its aid the solubility of food becomes more rapid. Guard 
against the application of cold or hard water to the roots of plants, 
and especially in the winter months, when there has been a heavy 
fall of snow, hail, or cold rains. The water in the tanks then 
becomes very much too cold. This may not be noticed in the 
ordinary course of things, and the plants are sure to suffer a check 
at the roots that, in the case of Camellias, for instance, would be 
quite sufficient to cause bud-dropping. I am always very careful 
that the water in our tanks is a few degrees warmer than the house 
in which the plants are growing. This is very important in suc¬ 
cessful plant culture. We are apt to say sometimes on beholding a 
sickly plant—one mildewed or with rust on the foliage—that it 
must have been subjected to a draught or current of cold air, 
whereas the probable cause was the use of cold water, which 
paralysed the roots. Proof of this may easily be seen by giving 
one or two applications of cold water' to winter Cucumbers or 
Kidney Beans when setting their pods. 
The syringe is useful when rightly used. It is not uncommon 
to find a plant full of roots lacking the necessary amount of water 
needful for its support, as by the appearance of the surface of the 
soil it may seem to have even more than is required. The 
cultivator must not err on this point, and hence the syringe, good 
old friend as it is, must not be trusted too far. One other 
important thing occurs to me. Water tanks should be occasionally 
cleaned out, as there is often a great accumulation of soot and dirt 
in them, which is syringed upon the plants and disfigures them, as 
will hard water or water charged with lime. 
Another important fact should be borne in mind, and especially 
should young gardeners note this, as sometimes they may be called 
upon to undertake the management of perhaps a large garden ; I 
mean the adequate provision of a supply of soft water. In our own 
neighbourhood we have not much to fear as to a water famine, but 
in some districts it becomes a consideration of the highest import¬ 
ance. No one knows the difficulties experienced through a scarcity 
of water in a garden but those who have to endure it, nor the 
anxiety of gardeners when they see their crops dwindling away. 
An excess of rain cannot be prevented, but a water famine, in most 
cases, if not in all, may be averted by a well devised system of 
storage when the rain is in excess of immediate requirements. In 
conclusion, I would say to all young men, Learn to observe, take 
notice of all your plants from day to day, keep in mind the treat¬ 
ment you have subjected them to, notice the slightest change in their 
appearance, and discover the cause of it. You will then have made 
a start in the right direction, for depend upon it the man who errs 
and finds out the true cause of his failure has learned something; but, 
on the other hand, he who ascribes his failures to the wrong cause 
has not. Observe the appearance of plants in perfect health and 
endeavour to keep them so. It is better to learn by close observa¬ 
tion than to follow instructions laid down by those of us who are 
working perhaps under very different circumstances, as you can 
then work in accordance with your own surroundings. — B. 
Cromwell.— (Read at the Liverpool Horticultural Association.') 
HARDY FLOWER NOTES. 
We are having a late season, and, although we have had better 
weather for the last few days, storms of wind and rain have sadly 
marred the beauty of the flowers. Some of the late opening 
flowers seem as if they had lingered too long before appearing 
upon the scene, and everything betokens a short period of beauty. 
The Tiger Lilies have only opened their flowers within the last day 
or two, Hyacinthus (Galtonia) candicans still dallies, and refuses to 
open its chastely beautiful bells, and other late bloomers open but 
slowly. The Composites are, however, in force. 
Looking at the Sunflowers with their golden blooms, one is at 
a loss to decide whether they lighten the dull days or, by the 
contrast of their brilliancy, make the rain and the gloom more 
perceptible to our eyes. Some of them seem hardly at home in 
our northern latitude, and look as if they longed for sunnier 
realms, where the luminary whose name they have appropriated 
shines for a longer time and with brighter radiance. The day 
of the annual Sunflowers seems to have departed, for a time at 
least, and, admirer of perennial flowers as I am, I cannot but miss 
these great, golden heads on gigantic stems which decorated so 
many gardens. They were overdone, no doubt, but in some 
positions they were unequalled, and among the numerous perennial 
species, their allies, and their varieties we have none to compare in 
massive grandeur with the annual varieties. Yet there are some 
fine plants among the perennials, plants which hardly merit the 
contemptuous way in which the late Robert Browning spoke when 
he said :— 
“ I know a mount, the gracious sun perceives 
% 5{c * 
And underneath the mount, a flower I know, 
He cannot have perceived, that changes ever 
At his approach, and, in the lost endeavour 
To live his life, has parted, one by one, 
With all a flower’s true graces, for the grace 
Of being but a foolish mimic sun, 
With ray-like florets round a disc-like face.” 
And this flower, he says, “ men call the Sunflower sportively.’’ 
We are not, however, content with the “ray-like florets round a 
disc-like face,” but have sought to discover or to raise double 
forms, and the search has not been in vain. Helianthus multiflorus 
plenus has been succeeded by the fine Soleil d’Or with its quilled 
florets, a decided acquisition in the garden, and apparently quite 
hardy in this locality. Beautiful also is the newer Bouquet d’Or, 
which, however, seems to be of a more delicate nature, as it did not 
survive last winter in my neighbourhood. This is unfortunate, as 
its fine colour and form make it very acceptable Then, although 
not coming within the category of double flowers, we have the fine 
Helianthus gig&nteus, a name which I feel justified in taking 
exception to as impressing us with an idea of ungainliness and want 
of grace, whereas there is nothing of the kind in this graceful flower 
with long wand-like stems and somewhat small flowers. Would 
that we could give it a sheltered spot where it might display its 
graceful habit unfettered by stake and tie. It is only thus that 
some of these fine flowers can have justice done to their beauties. 
But, alas ! such wind-swept gardens as mine necessitate that tall 
flowers should be condemned to a confinement and bondage 
unnatural and undesirable. 
If these golden flowers are thus adorners of the garden, there 
are others beautiful alike in the garden and as cut flowers. Among 
the latter white flowers are always welcome, and specially useful 
from the quantity of bloom, from the neatness of the flowers, and 
from their easy growth are some of the Achilleas. Perhaps one of 
the best of these is the well-known A. Ptarmica fl. pi., the double- 
flowered Sneezewort, which is said to be known in Gloucestershire 
and other parts as “ Seven-years’ Love,” and to be carried by 
bridesmaids under this name. The march of improvement or the 
desire for novelty has, however, introduced to our notice a rival 
flower known under the name of A. grandiflora The Pearl, an 
appropriate enough name, justified by the character of the flower. 
The flowers are larger than those of A. Ptarmica fl. pi., looser and 
lighter in the formation of the flower, and have a pleasing colour, 
differing considerably from that of the older plant. This shade, if 
the term is permissible, is well described by the name The Pearl, 
as the flowers are of a pretty pearly tint. Growing in the garden 
the difference of the flowers is not so noticeable, but when cut and 
placed together it is readily seen. I saw the two shown in com¬ 
peting stands at a flower show lately. The stands were side by 
side, and the most careless observer could hardly fail to observe 
that The Pearl was an improvement upon A. Ptarmica. 
The value of these Achilleas for cutting leads me to refer again 
to the Eryngiums or Sea Hollies as being very useful for cutting 
to dry for winter decoration, a use which many people do not seem 
to be aware of. They should be cut before their best bloom is 
over, and hung heads downward in a dry warm place until they 
are thoroughly dry. I made a remark some time ago on the con¬ 
fusion in the nomenclature of these plants, and a fresh instance 
of this was brought under my notice at the Show before mentioned. 
I was informed that three plants received under the name of 
