March 7,1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
199 
find faults in them not visible to Mr. Horner, parents being 
generally somewhat blind to the defects in their own bairns.” 
If I am “ self-shunted ” on to a little “ siding, by loving and 
growing the old varieties as well as everything new I can get, I can 
only say I have much good company with me on the siding. But I 
deny that I am shunted. I am on the proper and main line, thick 
with sensible growers, while Mr. Horner is oif the main line running 
a train of his own on a very narrow guage in his own private 
domain. My papers are written for those who are beginning to 
form a collection, and to whom I am giving my own actual expe¬ 
rience in Auricula culture, and a few of my own ideas on the flower 
formed after long and careful thought, and if I differ in them from 
Mr. Horner, it does not follow that it is I who am wrong ; but 
even if I am, no one is bound to accept more of my opinions than 
he chooses. 
I would strongly advise all who purpose to form a collection not 
to begin on Mr. Horner’s plan with two of each class, and have after 
them only their own seedlings. If this plan is adopted I am quite 
right in saying that the extinction of the old varieties will follow 
in due course, a consummation which all real lovers of the flower 
would deeply deplore. I fear Mr. Horner will make no more of 
his seedling raising than the famous raisers of past times. A 
hundred and thirty years ago some growers crossed as assiduously 
as Mr. Horner can.possibly do, and so down to the present time we 
have had constant efforts to improve the flower, and the results we 
have in the many lovely varieties now in a carefully chosen collection. 
Let us keep our old flowers, and add the new which prove themselves 
really improved varieties.—J. M., Dundee. 
OIL AS A DESTROYER (?) OF MILDEW. 
The statement of Mr. Meehan relating to the effect of oil as a 
destroyer of mildew is misleading, therefore I hope to be excused for 
pointing out that the formula recommended by him—a compound of 
linseed oil and sulphur painted on hot-water pipes—probably owes its 
efficiency solely to sulphur, which is well known to be in almost any 
form, and especially when vaporised, most destructive to fungus life. 
Linseed oil is a fixed drying oil, which does not vaporise at low tem¬ 
peratures, but when exposed to the air soon sets into a varnish. 
Mr. Meehan quotes Dr. Lindley as an authority that oil effectually 
prevents the growth of minute fungi; but he overlooks the fact that 
the oils referred to are volatile or essential oils, which chemically have 
nothing in common with fixed oils except the popular name “oil.” 
Volatile oils evaporate entirely at comparatively low temperatures, and 
the vapour diffused in the air condenses on the surface of the plants, 
and consequently on the fungus, to which, as stated by Dr. Lindley, 
many of these oils are fatal. Linseed oil not vaporising when exposed 
to the heat of hot-water pipes could not reach or have any effect on the 
plants distributed in a house.— Edmund Tones. 
I CAN endorse your able correspondent’s statement in the Journal of 
February 28th, page 166, concerning the above, as it was tried here as a 
preventive of this pest with complete success. The large show house of 
Chrysanthemums at Chilwell is now pretty well known. One of the 
4-inch pipes on each side of the house was painted here with sulphur, 
mixed to the consistency of paint with linseed oil; this was done the 
last week in September, previous to housing the plants. A few plants 
had a slight attack of mildew when taken in, but were dusted with 
sulphur ; no symptoms of mildew showed itself from then till the time 
of their removal. One thing concerning the use of the above is it cannot 
be removed from the pipes ; in fact, when the water contained in them 
becomes very hot the fumes are yet perceptible.—J. Pithees. 
In this week’s Journal I see another reference to painting the hot- 
water pipes with 6ulphur as a preventive of mildew.’ I have adopted 
this plan since reading of it in Mr. Gilmour’s book on the Rose, with the 
desired effect—no mildew. 
I want to ask Mr. Gilmour, or any other of your readers having 
experience of this method, if they have ever noticed that their dark- 
coloured flowers come lighter in colour ? With me, W. Holmes and 
Cullingfordi, amongst Chrysanthemums, kept their colour for a few days 
and then became bronze. Now, was this not a case of bleaching by 
sulphurous acid ? I think so, but would be glad to know that my expe¬ 
rience is unique, as there is no doubt about the mildew being kept in 
check.—W m. H. Mueeay. 
FLOWERING PLANTS RAISED FROM SEED. 
C Continued from page 177.') 
Coming now to annuals which require to be raised under pro¬ 
tection, it may be observed that it is, as a rule, much better to 
defer the sowing of these as late as possible, and to make use of as 
little artificial heat as possible, so that sturdy little plants may be at 
hand when the season is far enough advanced to allow the young 
plants to be set out without check. Nothing can be more suitable 
for raising this class of plants than ordinary cold frames or ground 
vineries. The seeds are sown quite thinly, and merely covered 
with soil. A mat thrown over the glass keeps the soil in a moist 
condition, and in a few days the young plants push through the 
ground. All now wanted is ventilation when necessary, watering 
as required, and when the plants are sufficiently large, the selection 
of a dripping day to transplant them. A thin stirabout of soil 
and water, through which the roots of the young plants are drawn, 
helps them considerably. It is a safe rule with this class of plants 
to enrich the surface layer of soil, as they are generally surface¬ 
rooting. Many of these are among the most popular flowers for 
the garden, and deservedly so. In the same class may be noticed 
good biennials, which do well treated as annual plants by sowing 
early in the season. 
Asters are so well known as to require nothing said in their 
favour. There are now numbers of varieties of these, some of 
which are of less value than others. The plants I have found do 
best are these :—“ Victoria ; ” the flowers large, of perfect form, 
and the plant strong and healthy in growth. Reid’s Quilled is, if 
anything, even hardier, and under high cultivation nothing can be 
finer. These are also admirably adapted for cut flower purposes. 
The Dwarf Chrysanthemum-flowered is of the Victoria type, 
flowers very large, but rougher than the above, the best of the 
dwarf sorts. In warm situations Truffaut’s Improved Pasony 
Perfection is fine. It is, however, too tender for cold situations, 
as the flowers never incurve perfectly. The White Pseony Per¬ 
fection is an excellent variety both for bedding and cutting. The 
White German Emperor is also good for cutting purposes. Asters 
are much improved by a mulching, and in every instance ought to 
be allowed a warm position. 
Phlox Drummondi has of late years sprung into a position of 
the first importance. The habit of the plant, from a straggling 
untidy one having been improved to one of a close dwarf growth, 
and the colours of the flowers at the same time are more vivid and 
clear. The two best forms are grandiflora and “ hortensiaeflora.” 
It may be noted that particular colours may be had separately of 
this and others of the same class of annuals. 
Salpiglossis variabilis is a flower which is not much known, 
judging from the many inquiries one hears about it from visitors. 
The colouring of the flowers is quaint, and all of them are good 
and suitable for cut flowers. The seeds are small, and we sow 
these in a box somewhat earlier than others. Scabious is not much 
known either. In some localities it is possible that it might be 
well treated as a hardy annual, though I have always found it do 
better raised under glass. Some of the colours are exquisite, 
those I prefer being white, flesh colour, and rose. These are 
employed for cutting. Some of the darker colours are very good. 
Zinnias are more popular in the south than in the north, for the 
simple reason that the northern climate is often too severe for 
these beautiful but tender plants. It may not be generally known 
that single Zinnias are exceedingly beautiful, and worthy a place 
wherever a warm enough corner can be found for them. Stocks, like 
Asters, are a large family, the Ten Week forms being very commonly 
grown in small gardens. Better than these are the varieties of 
a biennial habit, which require sowing in February or March in 
order to flower them the same season. The best forms are— 
Emperor, a variety which produces massive spikes of bloom, and 
the East Lothian, the best of which produce long close spikes of 
flowers, and very abundantly. Indian Pinks form an attractive 
group. They are suitable for mixed borders. The single varieties 
are showy. 
Single Dahlias have been so much improved that unless for 
special purposes these may be safely raised annually from seed. In 
order to get good strong plants, sow seed about the end of March, 
and transplant the seedlings into cold frames, employing light open 
soil to grow them in. A good method of treating these is to peg 
down the plants twice in the course of the summer. No stakes 
will be required, and the habit of the plants greatly improved 
apparently. Fancy Pansies are also easy to raise from seeds. If 
sown early, say at the beginning of February, they will flower from 
J uly onwards. Pentstemons of the florist type also do well from 
seed. These should be sown early and treated in order to have 
strong plants quickly. No strain is better than the French for this 
purpose. Carnations, as a rule, do not bloom until the second year, 
but by sowing in January and growing on rapidly, very strong 
plants can be secured, many of which will bloom the first year, and 
the second most abundantly. Grenadin Carnations are most useful 
raised thus, and flower well the first season. Pinks bloom the first 
year. Antirrhinums may also be raised early, and will bloom 
abundantly throughout the summer and autumn. Sunflowers, of 
which the Dwarf Double and Veitch’s New Miniature are, I think, 
the most worthy, do well raised in April under glass. These are 
indispensable flowers. Nicotiana affinis requires to be sown in 
March and pricked out into rich soil into a cold frame. This is 
excellent for mixed borders. It flowers most abundantly in poor 
soil. Verbenas are very easy to cultivate as seedlings. They should 
