436 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
t Jane 2, 1897. 
herbaceous plant, is seldom seen in pots for decorative purposes, 
but it is distinct, graceful, and bright, the leaves slightly heart- 
shaped, lobed, the bright rosy red bell-shaped flowers in slender 
panicles. Acacia armata in 48 and 32-size pots makes admirable 
little specimens with spike-like growths of fragrant yellow flowers. 
Mignonette, Schizanthus, Gardenia florida, the rich scarlet Scutel¬ 
laria Mocciniana, and many other plants are employed in a similar 
manner. 
In the centre beds are Camellias (planted out), large Azaleas, 
Chrysanthemum frutescens, Roses, Richardias, and Eupatoriums, 
while the roof is draped with Fuchsias, Kennedyas, and Tacsonias. 
From the preceding notes some idea can be formed of the numerous 
and varied plants contained in this house, but its aspect is being 
frequently changed, and few casual visitors are aware what a large 
reserve stock is required to maintain it in good condition throughout 
the year. In private gardens employers do not always give this 
matter due consideration, for it is impossible to keep such a house 
continually gay without an adequate supply of pits and frames in 
which to bring the plants forward. 
The Orchid houses contain a more interesting display than we 
have seen at Kew for a long time, while the herbaceous ground 
and rockery are full of beautiful plants. Both these departments 
are, however, too important to be dismissed in a hurried note, and 
further reference to them must be reserved for another letter.— 
Visitor. 
LETTUCES ON DRY SOILS. 
We all know that a garden having a hungry, sandy, or gravelly soil, 
not well supplied with manure either in a liquid or solid state, is not 
the one to expect good Lettuce from in a dry season. A hot sun speedily 
withdraws all the moisture that is within its reach, unless it be assisted 
to a liberal extent by manure in some shape or other ; and the drain 
there is on that substance renders it necessary to look well to the best 
means of supplying it in just such quantities as may be wanted, and 
also at the precise time when it is called for. 
To have really good, well blanched, and crisp Lettuce on dry soils, in 
a dry, hot season, be sure and sow only the newest seed that can be had, 
and let it be sown where it has to remain, thinning the plants carefully 
and commencing watering early—say by the time they are about the 
size for planting. Continue this every two or three days, as the weather 
and other circumstances may seem to require, taking care to increase 
the quantity or quality of liquid manure as the plant advances in size, 
and towards the last, daily waterings will not be too often if the weather 
be exceedingly dry ; of course, using soft water if possible, or, if not to 
be had, let the other water stand some hours in the sun before using, 
for cold spring water is at variance with the well-being of all plants. 
Give a good soaking when you do water, for in this case there is no 
danger of giving too much on ground so naturally drained ; but when 
liquid manure is given it would be better to give no more than would 
just moisten the soil as deep as the roots are ; but in all this watering 
some care must be taken to prevent it from evaporating too quickly. 
Leaf mould is neat and good for mulching, and can also with advantage 
be dug into the ground afterwards ; but if that cannot be had, something 
else must be substituted. Short grass will also do, or, in fact, anything 
that will check evaporation ; the object being to keep the roots of the 
plants in a uniform moist, warm state ; for it is a mistake to expect a 
good result where there is much difference between the top and bottom 
temperatures of the plants. 
Besides the care necessary, as above, in encouraging a healthy growth, 
there is much advantage in having the best variety to cultivate. The 
Bath Cos is still as good as any; but excellence depends on the care 
with which the variety has been kept from contact with others while 
seeding. Other local circumstances also affect it; but it is not a bad 
practice to sow several kinds at once, and mark the result. Most likely 
there will be a difference in their qualifications for resisting the tempta¬ 
tion to run to seed. Sowing where they are to remain, as above, being 
perhaps the most important point to attend to ; and if it could be done 
on the north side of a wall so much the better. The shade of trees is 
not so good, for they often rob the plants by their roots as well as injure 
them by the shade they give them. Above all, use liquid manure plenti¬ 
fully, and the result will hardly fail to be favourable. 
It would be as well to remark here, that in the sowing of this crop 
in dry weather recourse must be had to the watering-pot as well before 
the seed is put in as at any other time. A good watering of the ground 
before sowing, and shading after, will often coax the plants up with less 
detriment to the ground than when repeated waterings are obliged to be 
made after that operation is done.—R. J. L. 
PROPAGATING CHOICE PERENNIALS. 
In the early spring months a great number of the choicer 
hardy perennials may be propagated with success, and also with ad¬ 
vantage to the operator, since plants propagated at this time have 
ample opportunities of making good progress during the summer 
ensuing and becoming well established before the arrival of winter ; 
therefore the earlier the start the better for the plants in the end. 
Taking hardy perennials as a whole, the major portion of them are 
most easily propagated either by division or by cuttings or seeds. 
It is not, however, my intention to speak particularly of these, but 
rather briefly to point out some of the few that are difficult to in¬ 
crease. 
Lychnis Yespertina plena. —This is not only one of the very 
finest perennials in cultivation, but also the most difficult to in¬ 
crease ; indeed, it is not to be accomplished by ordinary means. It 
is still very scarce in collections of hardy plants, and some of the 
leading lists do not contain it at all. When well grown and fully 
established it attains a height of 3 feet, and forms a bush quite as 
much through. Imagine such a one, then, laden with pure white 
double and fragrant flowers from the middle or end of June till the 
arrival of frosts, and the reader will have a fair illustration of what 
this fine perennial is. I have had its flowers nearly 2 inches across, 
and as such it is most charming and always admired. I have never 
known it to produce seeds, and the progress to be made by division 
may be imagined when I state that the plant invariably forms 
several inches of straight fleshy stem, which is inclined to be woody 
with age, immediately below the tuft of radical leaves, which 
renders division almost impossible. It is attempted sometimes, 
but almost always with miserable results ; the really only safe 
method is from cuttings, which may be had in the following 
manner. The plants are now starting naturally into growth in the 
open border, and these if lifted and placed into a warm greenhouse 
or frame will soon produce cuttings of the right stamp. Those 
which experience has taught me to be of the right sort are formed 
about the base of the plants, and should be taken with a heel 
attached when they are about 3 inches long or thereabouts. Insert 
them in sandy soil in well drained pots, plunge in gentle bottom heat, 
and keep them close and shaded, the majority will form roots in 
about a month, when they may be removed to cooler quarters to 
harden, and ultimately be potted singly. By introducing this 
plant into heat it will be seen that it soon throws up a flower 
stem ; and here I would warn those who have no experience of 
it to have no cuttings which are formed upon the flower stem, 
not because they will not root, for they will, and almost as readily 
as the best procurable, but the disappointing part is that they 
seldom make plants, and never good ones, simply because there are 
no breaks at their base—they are, in fact, axillary growths contain¬ 
ing flower buds. Altogether it is a plant requiring both time and 
patience to succeed in increasing it to any extent, and having done 
so it is worth looking after. After years of experience and watch¬ 
ing I have long since concluded that this is the only satisfactory 
way of propagating this handsome border perennial. 
Everlasting Peas. —For another example, where propagation 
is not very simple, I would refer to the several forms of 
Everlasting Pea, Lathyrus latifolius and varieties, which, although 
quite old inhabitants of our gardens, are now far from common. 
Few flowers are more useful in a cut state than the true old white 
form, which is very difficult to obtain, since so many inferior ones 
are sold for it which have been raised from seed ; and though a 
fair number come comparatively true from seed, the best means of 
keeping up the true stock is by cuttings, and for these there is no 
better month than May, and no more fitting place to root them in 
than a dung frame, I inserted the first a day or two since, and 
shall continue doing so while any are to be had. The only fit 
cuttings are the breaks which nestle closely at the base of the 
plants. Strip them off with a heel attached, and without trimming 
or further preparation insert them in sandy soil in well drained 
pots. In three weeks they form roots, and may be potted. Never 
introduce stock plants of this into artificial heat. They soon 
become drawn and weakly, the results of which are too well known. 
Never fail to secure the first batch of cuttings as soon as they are 
ready—say when not more than 4 inches long. I attach some 
importance to this particular, since experience has proved that if 
one or two of the strongest shoots are allowed to take the lead un¬ 
disturbed they not only soon become useless themselves for pro¬ 
pagating purposes, but render the remainder weak and unfit for 
severing from the parent plant.—J. H. E. 
AN OLD LECTURE ON POTATOES. 
By Mr. R. Fenn. 
( Continued from page GO.} 
When the green tops of Potatoes appear above ground, which they do 
regularly under good preparation and treatment, hand-scarify the ground 
between the rows, and as this is proceeded with cover those young tops 
which show themselves completely with soil to protect them from the 
frost. They are not perfectly safe from the latter, and indeed I never 
allow mine their free liberty to the light of day till the second week in 
May. By constantly attending to this earthing over their heads the 
slightest chance of the frost killing them is prevented, and the moulding 
is thus by degrees completed when this process is generally about to 
be begun. Besides, the early moulding plan, as I will call it, offers 
