246 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
December 19, 1885. 
excitement and profitable labour. But in other depart¬ 
ments it proved also useful, for the cold and the dry 
frost enabled much useful work iu pruning to be got 
through. Some people manifest antipathy to pruning 
in hard weather, but there is no sound objection to the 
work being then performed unless the frost be un¬ 
usually severe. 
In the recent case there was no intensity, and only 
moderate frost, hence the opportunity to get amongst 
trees to give them that thinning which is so often 
needful could not be permitted to slip. Truly, to any 
active man fond of the saw and pruning knife, there is 
much that is invigorating and pleasant in clambering 
through and into the heads of big trees to thin out su- 
perflous branches, and properly to admit light and air, 
with the needful regard to form and density. 
If trees be attended to rightly at least every other 
year, the need for cutting out big branches will be 
rarely presented, the neglect of thinning punishes the 
bad cultivator in the lacking of quality in his fruit 
crops, and the exceeding difficulty experienced in 
gathering them. In a score of ways the labour involved 
in pruning is amply repaid, not only in the pleasure 
always felt in the work by any good pruner, as also in 
the resulting benefit to crop and tree, and in the 
quantity of useful firewood which accrues. 
-->X<-- 
DOUBLE CHINESE PRIMULAS. 
At this dull season of the year one cannot do too 
much to endeavour to brighten the surrounding gloom 
by making as gay as possible the greenhouse or conser¬ 
vatory. To do this effectually variety will be requisite, 
and while Heaths, Epacris, Bouvardias, Poinsettias, 
Tulips, Roman Hyacinths, and single Primulas play 
their part, we must not omit from their midst a few 
pots of the double flowered varieties of the latter, which 
rank not only among the finest of our winter-flowering 
plants for greenhouse decoration, but also among the 
most exquisite and desirable. Not only arc they win¬ 
ter-flowering, for they commence flowering in early 
autumn and continue through the winter, and last a 
long way into spring, in this respect quite surpassing 
the single flowered kinds ; and what is more they do 
not shed their flowers from the calyx as is the case with 
the single varieties, indeed, they retain them in the 
majority of cases till the bloom withers on the plant; 
a decided advantage over the single flowers. 
But let it be understood that while I now strongly 
advocate the double forms of this group, I have equally 
strong notions in favour of the single forms, which are 
so much more easily managed—so easy and simple is 
their culture, in fact, that it is a difficult matter to fail 
with them, provided they receive any attention at all. 
Again, from a packet of good seed various colours may 
be secured, which are sure to prove both interesting 
and acceptable. On the other hand the doubles can 
only be propagated by means of cuttings, which are not 
the simplest things to manage, nevertheless, good plants 
may be procured in quantity and at a moderate cost, 
for they are grown by thousands for the sake of their 
exquisite blossoms, and those who make their cultiva¬ 
tion a speciality seem to have comparatively little 
trouble with them. 
Their greatest enemy at this season of the year is the 
watering pot for they need very careful watering in¬ 
deed, and care should be exercised that the water 
is given round the side of the pot and not against the 
heart or crown of the plant; this is a common error, 
and one far from being known by careless workmen, 
who, continuing daily their fatal practice, never dream of 
the results till either failure or death ensues; the watering 
is in reality the primary point in their cultivation just 
now and too much importance cannot be attached to 
it. If healthy, vigorous, and free-flowering plants are 
desired, a light airy position should be chosen for them 
out of the reach of drip, which will be more injurious 
than the watering, simply because the work is continu¬ 
ously and silently going on unnoticed. The double 
forms of these Primulas do not at a moment exhibit 
any signs of decay : the plants on the other hand 
invariably keep in good health so long as a root remains, 
and I have known plants to be almost rotted through 
at the collar, yet apparently in good health ; in this 
they are rather deceptive, which is all the more 
reason why careful hands should deal with them. 
Given a fairly rich soil at potting time they do not 
require the assistance of artificial manures, a little weak 
soot-water may, however, be given to those that are 
strong and healthy every eight days or so, and if grown 
in a mean temperature of about 50° a good supply of 
flowers may be kept rrp. 
Though the number of varieties are somewhat 
numerous, and in as many shades of colour, none 
have appeared to come into such prominence as the 
original double white kind, i.e., Primula sinensis 
alba plena, which from its durability in a cut state, its 
geuerai usefulness, and last, but not least, its florifer- 
ousness, is grown by the thousand for the supply 
of cut flowers, that find a ready sale in all *lie leading 
markets of the kingdom. The flowers are of such a 
useful size, that they are employed in most choice 
floral arrangements, either for personal ornamentation, 
as pot plants in groups, or the like. Where the flowers 
are used for button-hole purposes, and are required to 
give the greatest number of its flowers, they may be 
taken off singly and wired, continuing the picking as 
the flowers appear ready, and by the time a single 
spike has done flowering you will have secured about 
three whorls of its flowers. 
There are some two or three other varieties very 
similar in general character, but the flowers are fringed 
at the edge, these are alba plena fimbriata and eandi- 
dissima, all very free ; atro-rosea plena has flowers of a 
rich crimson, very large ; Blushing Beauty is white, 
suffused with rose ; Fairy has large handsome flowers, 
double white and beautifully fringed ; Peach Blossom, 
rosy peach, free and good ; Miss Eva Fish is among 
the finest, splendid flowers of a rosy lilac, melting 
into blush, magnificent trusses ; Rubra plena, very 
fine ; Lilacina plena, a very abundant bloomer, flowers 
useful and lasting ; Emperor and Empress are doubles 
with fern-leaved foliage, the former with rich crimson 
and the latter with double white flowers, both are 
large and handsome, having large trusses. These 
with Lilac Queen, King of Purples, and Magenta 
Queen which are descriptive of their own colour, 
constitute some of the most worthy of this- charming 
and useful group of plants. — J. 
•--- 
ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE 
CHRYSANTHEMUM. -II. 
Having at p. 216 given instructions how to treat 
cuttings for striking, before I proceed further with -my 
notes upon cultivation, it will not be out of place 
this week to give a few hints to those who have their 
plants out in the ground. I know from experience that 
there are a great number who do not grow any, or very 
few Chrysanthemums in pots, but plant and bloom 
them out in the open ground ; and I imagine from 
several inquiries I have received within the last few 
days, that the frost caused anxiety to many who grow 
their plants in this way, so that the following hints 
may be useful. 
When the plants have done blooming they should be 
cut down to within 6 ins. of the soil. On the approach 
of frost the roots should be well protected by having 
short litter placed around each root, or what will 
answer just as well and look neater, cocoa fibre refuse. 
When protected thus, the roots will be able to stand the 
cold, and after all danger of frost is over the protecting 
material may be removed, and the suckers throwing up 
around the roots will soon strengthen. 
Now let me proceed with the culture required to pro¬ 
duce specimen or exhibition blooms. Those amateurs 
who have visited any of the Chrysanthemum exhibi¬ 
tions lately held, will probably say that it is of no use for 
them to try to grow such large blooms as are seen there, 
but if one person can grow them, why cannot 
another ? One great secret in the successful cultivation 
of the Chrysanthemum can be given in two words, viz., 
perseverance and attention. Cuttings inserted and 
treated as previously directed should about the second 
week in February be ready for potting off singly, and for 
this purpose the requisite quantity of 3 in. pots should 
be procured, and the soil mixed in readiness. 
The soil for this potting should cousist of two parts of 
good turfy loam and one part of well decayed manure, to 
which add enough silver sand—which should be coarse 
— to keep the whole porous. The cuttings should be 
shaken out of the cutting pots, taking care to shake 
out only one variety at a time, so that no mistake may 
occur in labelling them ; then proceed as follows :— 
Place a piece of broken crock at the bottom of a 3-incli 
pot, on this put some smaller crocks, and over 
all put a few rough pieces of turf; then fill up the pot 
with soil, make a hole in the centre, into which put 
the rooted cutting. The soil should then be pressed 
firmly around the plant, and a gentle watering given to 
settle the soil around the roots ; after so doing, return 
the plants to a cold frame, and keep them shut up close 
for a few days, after which air should be given on 
every favourable occasion. 
Excellent and very frequently really good exhibition 
blooms can be had by inserting the cuttings eaily in Feb¬ 
ruary in a house where a nice comfortable temperature is 
kept up. They will readily strike, when they should be at 
once potted oft' singly and be placed on a shelf near the 
glass, and they will very soon make good plants. In 
fact, where the plants are grown for the purpose of only 
producing a few blooms on each plant, I think Feb¬ 
ruary quite early enough to put in the cuttings—that 
is, if they are put in and grown on quickly-; but they 
must not be forced. The plants must not be stopped, 
and as at this stage they are liable to get infested with 
green fly-, they should be slightly dusted with tobacco- 
powder. Attend carefully- to watering them only when 
needed, and above all, do not keep them shut up more 
than is necessary-, or the plants will become drawn and 
weak. 
They- will soon fill these pots with roots, when they 
will be ready for the further treatment which shall be 
given in my next.— IV. E. Boyce, Yerbury Road, 
Holloway. 
-- 
Scottish Gardening. 
The Apple Congress in Edinburgh.— 
While the display of Apples recently shown in Edin¬ 
burgh was truly- wonderful, it may be questioned if the 
amount of real practical good likely to result from such 
a gathering will be very great. The jurors had a most 
bewildering task, and seemed like men lost in a maze. 
It looked almost like cruelty to ask men to spend two 
days in a cold building, endeavouring to solve the mys¬ 
teries attending some 12,000 dishes of Apples and Pears. 
The different climates and conditions in which the same 
varieties had been grown, had had such an effect on 
them that it was almost impossible to decide what they 
were. As a spectacle the Congress was exeeedingly- 
fine ; a walk along the tables, and a glance at such a 
collection as that staged by Messrs. Bunyard & Co., 
from the favoured clime of Kent, was a great treat; but 
to begin and compare and discuss 12,000 dishes seemed 
a hopeless task. Financially the exhibition was not 
encouraging, and it is to be hoped if another such 
“ Congress ” be attempted in Edinburgh, that the pub¬ 
lic will patronise it much moit largely than they- did 
this one. They will be rewarded with a beautiful sight, 
there can be no doubt of that, and the really practical 
people who wish to gain knowledge, and confirm or 
refute certain theories and opinions, must rest content 
with the small amount of practical benefit derivable 
from such a display.—A". Y. Z. 
Vine Roots are mostly- found to push their 
way outwards though planted ever so well inside, and 
arches formed in front walls of structures may be 
blocked up with bricks, stone, or other material to force 
the roots to fill the inside border, but these only keep 
them back for a time. 1 have just found that Vines 
planted two years ago have forced their roots through 
firm barriers of stones, soil, and bricks rammed to¬ 
gether, they- have grown 6 ft. into the outside soil and are 
found firmly matted in the natural clay. Sometimes 
when the outside soil is unhealthy (perhaps poisoned 
by manure) the roots will turn back and find quarters 
by the front wall and may get away under the drainage 
and escape the putrid border altogether. I once re¬ 
moved a very old border which had been carefully- 
tended for many y-ears by- the gardener in charge, who 
had grown many excellent Grapes ; the roots had never 
found their way info the carefully manipulated border 
at all, but were away in the foundations of the struc¬ 
ture ; one vine started to grow from a piece of old stem 
inadvertantly left in the front wall, and was by- far the 
strongest young rod in the house and reached the top 
of the rafter first. I have not much faifli in placing 
barriers along vine borders to prevent the roots from 
rushing rapidly outwards where they- find, very- often, 
soil unsuited to their wants, and the labour and the 
expense of border making is to some extent lost, The 
