[ April 24, 1890. 
■^40 JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
*^hen give it a good soaking through a fine rose, which should be done a 
few hours previous to sowing to allow the soil to settle. If these and the 
•following instructions are carried out more water will hardly be re- 
' quired until the seeds are germinated. Scatter the seeds evenly and just 
• cover with a little of the soil ; give it another slight sprinkle, cover the 
I pan with a piece of glass, plunge into heat of about 65°, and shade from 
^he sun. As soon as the seedlings appear they should be taken out and 
. placed in a warm greenhouse or pit near the glass, where they will get 
sufficient heat to prevent their becoming drawn. As soon as they are 
large enough to handle prick them out into pans or boxes, carefully 
water and shade for a few days. In about a week or ten days they will 
have made a little root; then gradually harden off and place in a cold 
frame fully exposed to the sun with plenty of air ; look after them for 
water, and on no account should they be allowed to get dry. When 
fairly established, or when they have made about six or seven leaves, 
plant them out into well prepared nursery beds, or trial beds I should 
•call them, in a sheltered situation. Make the soil very fine on the 
surface and plant them about 10 inches apart, where they should remain 
until they have flowered, which will be the following June or July, 
■ when they should be carefully looked over and special varieties marked 
(should you be fortunate enough to secure any), and anything worth 
keeping might then be propagated, and all useless sorts pulled up and 
thrown away. In the winter when the weather is sharp they will re- 
tquire protection ; nothing would be better than box frames and lights, 
netcaly to protect them from frosts, but to keep off snow and heavy 
Tains, of which if they get too much, which is the case during the present 
■season, they will be liable to a disease known as the spot.l If frames 
and lights are not available a skeleton frame might be made over them 
with quartering of wood and mats or canvas used when necessary. 
Cuttings, —This mode of propagation ought to be commenced as 
■soon as they can be taken, which in ordinary seasons would be about 
the beginning of July, before they get too hard and woody from exposure 
to the seorching sun, which renders them less liable to root so readily 
as when in a more tender state. This would apply more to named 
•varieties and those of which the quality of the blooms is certain, as 
doubtless some will not be sufficiently expanded to decide by the time 
mentioned above, and besides some are apt to run in colour, and in that 
case it would be better to leave these for the more certain method of 
propagating by layering them. When taking the cuttings care should 
be exercised by getting them where they appear too thick or too high 
ap the stem where they could not be easily got at for layering, and not 
to damage or disfigure the plant just as it is coming into bloom. The 
most certain method of propagating by cuttings, I consider, is by making 
op a slight hotbed in a pit, or a half-spent one would answer as well, 
where another crop had been previously taken from. If using the latter 
TCunov'e all the old soil from the surface and cover the bed to a depth 
iuf about 4 or 5 Inches with the following compost—One part of loam, 
•one part leaf mould, and a little horse dung (not from old Mushroom 
•beds, as it is liable to cause fungus), then add about one part of river 
•or well washed road sand where obtainable, if not use silver sand, well 
mix the whole and pass it through a fine sieve. The soil should be far 
-•enough away from the glass to admit handlights, which should be placed 
close together so that the cuttings will be enclosed in two separate cases. 
If this method is adopted the chances of success will be much greater, 
o,s the air will be excluded to a greater extent, consequently less water 
- and less shade will be required, and not so likely to damp off. Press 
^he surface evenly and sprinkle with water through a fine rose, then 
insert the cuttings in rows pressed in firmly and about an inch deep 
not too close together, say, about 2 inches apart according to their size, 
tthea give a good watering to settle the soil about them. Put the 
- •outsride lights on and shade, leaving a little air on until they are quite 
dry; be careful on this point, or they will be almost sure to damp oS, 
athen place the tops of the handlights on, keep close and not remove 
for a fortnight at least if they are thriving all right. In preparing the 
cuttings they should be cut horizontally with a sharp knife close below 
the joint, and the sheath that covers the joint should be carefully peeled 
off with the knife—not pulled off with the thumb and finger. Should 
the weather be very hot and dry the handlights may be sprinkled 
■-outside occasionally. Here I might say the shading used should be of 
some light material, and only used when the sun is out. After the 
above mentioned time the lights may be taken off sometimes of a morn¬ 
ing, to dry the glass and see if any of the cuttings appear to he rotten, 
df so pull them up, but I do not think any danger need be apprehended 
• on that score. In about six weeks they should be fairly well rooted, 
dhen the handlights might be dispensed with altogether. In another 
•SBaek afterwards they will be ready for potting into 60’s, one or two 
in a pot. Place them back in the same pit and keep rather close for a 
week or so, gradually allowing more air afterwards, when they might 
be removed outside and fully exposed to the sun until they are taken 
to their winter quarters. 
(To be continued.) 
Events oe the Week.— The second of the Showc at the Eoyal 
Aquarium, Westminster, will be held on Tuesday, April 29th, and will 
be chiefly devoted to Auriculas. The Executive Committee of the 
British Fruit Growers’ Association will meet in the Horticultural Club 
Boom, Hotel Windsor, Victoria Street, S.W., on Thursday, May 1st, at 
5 p.M. The following are the chief of the Society meetings : The Eoyal 
on Thursday, April 21th, at 4.30 P.M. ; the Quekett Club at 8 P.M. on 
Friday, April 25th ; the Eoyal Botanic Society at 3.15 P.M. on April 
26th ; the Eoyal Geographical, Society at 8.30 p.m. on Monday, April 
28th ; and the Society of Arts on Wednesday, April 30th, at 8 p.m. 
- The Weathee in the South was unpleasantly character¬ 
ised for several days at the end of last week by keen easterly winds 
which, in some cases, seem to have damaged the fruit blossom far 
more than the recent frosts. Friday w as exceedingly cold for the time 
of year, but the wind changed to a westerly direction with a little rain 
and a slightly higher temperature. Pears are showing fairly well in 
some cases, in others there is not half a crop. Apples and Plums are 
not very promising according to reports from several districts. 
- The Weather in the North. —April 11th to 2lst. The 
week has been marked by prevailing easterly winds, a hard ungenial 
atmosphere; no frost except 2 ° on morning of 15th, and in the latter 
part but little sunshine. This morning, with slightly falling barometer, 
we have promise of a welcome shower. A fine “ tid ” has been got for 
Potato planting, and garden and farm work is satisfactorily forward in 
all departments.—B. D., S. Perthshire. 
-The Wildsmith Memorial Orphan Fund.— We are glad 
to state that by a subscription of two guineas by the Horticultural Club 
the whole amount required for the election of the Wildsmith Orphan 
has been raised. 
- Selaginella Emiliana.—A s a dwarf, compact (growing, 
dense green plant for decorating purposes, such as to hide larger pots 
in the front of groups of plants, or as an edging in the stove or warm 
fernery, capital plants can be grown in 3 and 1-inch pots. This Sela¬ 
ginella grows about 6 inches high. The edges are crested, and altogether 
it is very attractive. By dividing the roots a large stock may quickly 
be obtained.—S. 
-The Committee of the inhabitants of Finsbury Square have 
aceepted a design by Crompton & Fawkes, Horticultural Builders of 
Chelmsford, for a pavilion for the centre of the square. The building 
will be 24 feet by 18 feet, and about 40 feet high, cruciform on plan 
with ornamental gables facing four ways, surmounted by an octagon 
lantern, in which a four dial clock will probably be placed at a future 
time. The base will be red rubbed brickwork, and the sides will be 
glazed for the remainder of the height. The roof will be covered by red 
tiles. It is contemplated that the building will be opened the first week 
in June. All the details have been designed by Mr. Fawkes. 
- The Horticultural Exhibition at Berlin, April 25th. 
May 5th.— On Friday, April 25th, the great horticultural Exhibition 
at Berlin will be opened. It is said there will be a great quantity of 
fine plants and products from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, 
Italy, Austria, England, &c.,; but especial features will be the archi¬ 
tectural and art display. The chief purpose is to show how horticulture 
may be united with architecture and art, therefore decorated rooms, 
balconies, verandahs, staircases, &c., will be shown. Nearly 600 exhibi- 
tors have entered, who require 7200 square metres of space, 5600 of 
which are covered ; 29,000 mark prizes, and many honorary and govern¬ 
mental prizes are offered. The Emperor, who is patron of the Horti- 
cultural Society of Prussia, has given a grand gold medal; the Minister 
