November 7, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
153 
with others just coming away. The whole of the plants 
under Mr. Hastings charge are in the best of health 
and condition, and for months to come, with dwarf 
Chrysanthemums, Zonal Pelargoniums, Primulas, 
Cyclamens, &c., the houses will be kept well stocked 
with gay and showy flowers. — JV. Sivan, Fallowfield. 
-- 
SUMMER-FLOWERING CHRY¬ 
SANTHEMUMS. 
In our last we gave an illustration of some new early- 
blooming Chrysanthemums of the tall-growing and 
large-flowered section, and which perhaps give better 
results under pot culture than if grown in the open 
borders. The small-flowered section now under notice, 
and of which four varieties are here illustrated, is on 
the other hand a most valuable one for early autumn 
blooming, either in pots or borders, and it is difficult 
to say under which system of culture they are most 
useful. Those who have to meet large demands for cut 
blooms will, of course, plant them out, but the amateur 
who has a greenhouse and only a limited amount of 
garden space, would derive the greatest pleasure from 
growing them in pots, and especially if they are 
manipulated so as to get them in bloom early in Sep¬ 
tember when the beauty of the summer-flowering 
plants begin to wane. It is then that a little house 
can be made gay and interesting until the large-flowered 
Show and Japanese varieties come in. 
The varieties illustrated are, 1, La Bien Aimee 
(new), a charming variety for growing in 48-pots, its 
average height being about 16 inches ; it is a very free 
bloomer, and the flowers, which are very neat, are of a 
deep shade of carmine, lightly tipped with white. 
2, Surprise (new), grows about 2 ft. high, and is also a 
free bloomer, its flowers being larger than those of the 
first-named, and in colour pure rose with the petals 
tipped with white. 3, La Petite Marie, is a great 
favourite of ours, a variety that seems to please all who 
see it, being very dwarf in small pots ; an early and 
continuous bloomer, and its flowers pure white. 
i, Pomponium (new) is a first-rate novelty, growing 
about 2 ft. high, and producing its extra double deep 
yellow flowers very freely. For the opportunity of 
illustrating the new sorts we are indebted to Mr. W. E. 
Boyce, from we have also received cut blooms of many 
other good varieties. 
-- 
TUBEROUS BEGONIAS. 
These beautiful plants, which year by year are 
becoming such prominent ornaments in the flower 
garden, will now need some attention if the tuberous 
roots are to be saved. For some years past, a few of 
these Begonias have been grown extensively for conser¬ 
vatory decoration, and as such were duly admired. As 
bedding plants, however, they are a comparatively new 
race, and even yet the public mind is not sufficiently 
aroused as to their undoubted value in the flower garden. 
The Zonal Pelargoniums are not done with yet, however, 
and it takes a good deal of persuasion to dislodge a 
group of plants which has withstood the severe test of 
so many years, and the still severer criticisms of those 
who have so much opposed the “scarlet fever,” which 
has had so much to do with bedding arrangements 
generally. As summer and autumn-flowering plants 
the tuberous section of Begonias admirably adapt 
themselves, and from the many free-flowering and 
dwarf sturdy habited kinds which are now procurable 
in nurseries, where they are made a leading feature, 
it may safely be predicted that there is a great future 
in store for them, a future of popularity which will 
long hold its own. One of the points favouring this 
prediction is, that these Begonias may be grown equally 
well for bedding purposes by those who are not 
possessed of heated structures as bythose who are, and 
if spring gardening is indulged in, in the early part 
of the year, there is nothing less expensive and so 
productive of good results, that can be planted to follow 
as the Begonia. 
The attention they require now, however, is lifting 
and storing them away at once, as a few degrees of frost 
plays sad havoc among them ; lose no time, therefore, in 
lifting them and shaking off a good part of the soil, for 
they make quantities of roots when planted in a free 
generous soil. Place them in shallow boxes, and take 
them to the potting shed, where they may be covered 
with light dry soil. The tubers should not remain ex¬ 
posed to external influences, and, when covered over, 
may be placed in any shed or out-house where they 
will remain dry ; anywhere, in fact, where artificial 
heat is not needed. There will be sufficient moisture 
in the soil to keep the tubers sound and plump till the 
foliage and stems are thoroughly matured and ready 
to fall off, at which stage they should be overhauled, 
removing all dead foliage and stems, which if left 
about them, will only assist in rotting the tubers ; 
when this is done, place them again n the boxes, and 
cover them with dry soil. They may now be stored in 
any cellar, shed, or similar place from which frost is 
excluded, and which is practically dry ; the chief points 
to aim at, being to keep them quite dry and secure 
from frosts, at the same time avoiding heated struc¬ 
tures. 
When I say, keep them quite dry, I do not mean to 
infer that there is any necessity for so drying them, as 
to cause them to shrivel—far from it; as to dry any 
tuber or bulb to this extent tends only to weaken 
them ; but to render my meaning the more obvious, I 
will cite an example. Presuming we have say a dozen 
kinds, and in as many colours, wffiich it is necessary 
for bedding purposes to keep separate and distinct, 
the simplest and best way of wintering them safely is 
this:—Obtain as many small wooden boxes (cigar 
boxes will do capitally if large enough for the tubers) 
as you have varieties ; place the tubers in these, with 
their respective label, and sprinkle a little dry soil, or 
soil and cocoa-nut fibre mixed, among them. When 
all are thus complete, obtain a box sufficiently large 
to hold twice the number of boxes you have filled ; 
and having a bushel or so of cocoa-nut fibre refuse at 
hand, put three or four inches of it in the bottom of 
the box ; upon this place your boxes of tubers, and 
when all have been put in, fill in the box vdth fibre. 
In this way, covered in and lined with the fibre, they 
will remain as plump and sound as when lifted from 
the ground, and the safety of the tubers is guaranteed. 
The box, if placed in a damp cellar, should be stood 
on a couple of bricks ; in this v r ay a great many tubers 
may be wintered in a space of 3 ft. square. So much 
then for the bedding portion. 
For those which have been grown in pots, a different 
plan is necessary. In most cases the pot plants will 
have done their w'ork, so far as flowering is concerned, 
for the present, and water must be gradually withheld. 
At this stage, great care should be taken to keep the 
water from getting a lodgment in the hollow at the 
top of the tuber, and when the stems are sufficiently 
"mature and loose, to come away freely, they may be 
removed, and the hollow part filled with soil. Being 
in pots, these will not be got into so small a compass 
as the hedders, so that the floor of a cold house, having 
a good ash bottom to keep away worms, or a brick pit 
from which frost can be excluded, will suit them well. 
Place them close together, and cover with 6 or 8 ins. 
of cocoa-nut fibre refuse, spent hops, or tan, and they 
will be safe. 
In the case of such things as these, it is a too com¬ 
mon and not very prudent practice to place them 
under the stage on their sides ; and it not infrequently 
happens. that they are too near the hot-water pipes, 
which dries the very life out of them. Because a plant 
or bulb requires a season of rest, it does not follow' that 
compulsory measures should be taken to bring it about; 
rather let their resting period be one of extreme quiet, 
uninfluenced by artificial heat, which should only be 
given in case of very severe frosts. As I have pre¬ 
viously stated, I prefer giving them a good depth of 
loose material for a covering, to ensure their safety 
than of resorting to fire heat, as with the former no 
water is needed throughout then resting period, while 
it is necessary where fire heat is used ; so that, between 
heat and water, the tubers are invariably excited into 
action prematurely, which is anything but beneficial 
to their well-being. A cool uniform temperature is 
much the best for these plants, and such as they 
require is within the reach of all.— E. J. L. 
The Botanic Garden, Glasgow. — The Town 
Council of Glasgow' have decided to allow the Society 
to continue in the possession of the gardens until March 
31st, 1S87, any deficit then remaining to be made up by 
the sale of plants and other moveable property of the 
Society. 
Early-flowering Chrysanthemums.—1, La Bien Aim£e ; 2 Surprise ; 3, La Petite Marie ; 
4, Pomponium. 
