298 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 9, 1886. 
already touched on. Lettuce and Celery ought also 
to be sown and treated in precisely the same manner ; 
the best kinds among the first-named being the Bath 
and Paris White Cos, and the latter the Sandringham, 
which is a very dwarf stocky variety of a sweet nutty 
flavour. Young plants of Cauliflower or Lettuce that 
have been wintered in beds should be got out at once, 
the Cauliflower in drills drawn 20 ins. apart, and the 
Lettuce on a warm sunny border, or in a row close 
under the foot of a wall. 
Turnips are sure to be in request as old ones will 
soon be over, and the best to sow now is the Extra 
Early Milan, which bulbs quickly and is fit for use 
quite a month before Snowball and others are ready to 
pull. The most suitable place for Turnips is a border 
sloping south, and the same for the first batch of 
Carrots, the soil for which should be light and sandy 
and free from manure. For frame culture, or growing 
outside to draw young, the French Horn is the best, as 
it comes short and thick and a very good colour. If 
Peas and Broad Beans are not in, the way to gain time 
is to sow in boxes or pots and transplant, and this, 
where birds or slugs are troublesome during the winter, 
is the better plan, as those sown during the autumn 
often get spoiled. The Mazagau used to be considered 
the earliest Bean, but the Seville Long-pod beats it, 
and a good Pea for first picking is the American 
Wonder, to succeed which none are equal to Day’s 
Sunrise and Advancer till the second earlies come in. 
Winter Spinach will soon be running to seed, and a bed 
or border of the Bound or Summer should be sown at 
once on rich soil in a warm situation, and when up 
thinned out, leaving the plants 6 ins. apart.— Alpha. 
-- 
FRUITS, FLO WERS & V EGETABLES. 
Protecting Pot Strawberries during the 
Winter. —Many good gardeners have heated us with 
numerous articles on the above subject, the majority 
being of opinion that stacking them with coal-ashes in 
ridges is not the best plan. I have now for forty 
years been an extensive forcer of this delicious fruit, 
but bearing in mind the good old proverb, “ Self-praise 
is no recommendation,” I will not say whether I have 
been a successful grower or not; but leaving that for 
others to determine, I will now try and describe how 
my good and worthy old master, George McEwin, late 
of Arundel Castle, used to winter them. George 
McEunn grew Strawberries in his day at least as well 
as any man in the three kingdoms, and I may here note 
that the following four varieties were then grown : 
Keen's Seedling, Trollope’s Victoria, Eleanor, and, 
lastly, British Queen ; the latter variety being a special 
favourite. Something like 5,000 plants were grown at 
Arundel annually. About the first -week in October, 
when the foliage puts on that beautiful autumnal hue, 
we began stacking them in ridges ; but I must here 
remark only Keen’s and Trollope’s, leaving British 
Queen and Eleanor until the middle of November. 
Every pot was duly examined, and if the least dry, it 
received a good watering. In conclusion, permit me 
to say that I was George McEwins first foreman, and 
during the three years I spent with him, this was the 
identical system which he practised.— Jl. Gilbert, 
Burghlcy Park, Stamford. 
Hedychium coronarium. —The most fragrant 
member of the family, this white-flowered Hedychium, 
which can vie with the Gardenia or Tuberose in the 
richness aud sweetness of its powerful perfume, should 
find a place in every collection of stove plants. Of the 
easiest culture, requiring only plenty' of root-room and 
copious waterings whilst in full growth, this delightful 
plant, with its terminal heads of snow-white curiously- 
formed flowers, with a pale green spot on the upper 
divisions, needs only to be known to become a favourite 
and be thoroughly appreciated. I have found the 
blooms to last longer in water when gathered just as 
they open than they do when left on the plant. So 
powerful is the perfume that two or three flowers will 
scent a room. Though they are of but short duration, 
there is a good succession of bloom, lasting for a con¬ 
siderable time from large well-grown heads.— J. T. 
Poe, Piverston. 
Planting out Poinsettias. —I saw this plan 
of managing Poinsettias in summer recommended, and 
in a few favoured places it may answer very well, but 
in low lying cold districts where we get early and late 
frosts, I would warn gardeners to be careful not to 
trust the whole of their plants outside. I know Poin¬ 
settias can be grown well under cold treatment, but 
only a few degrees of frost soon settles them. At least, 
I should prefer a cold pit w'here the lights can be put 
on in case of frost setting in as it did last September, 
and terribly cut some Poinsettias, Callas, and Bouvar- 
dias that were planted out in the open quarters. I have 
grown the old stools much in the same way as Pelar¬ 
goniums are cut back and grown on from year to 
year with success.— G. Merritt, Kimpton Eoo, Welwyn. 
Potting Palms. —About this season of the year we 
like to go through all the Palms, giving them a thorough 
good sponging ; and repotting any that require it. 
It should be remembered, however, that if the soil is in 
good condition Palms will thrive well in comparatively 
small pots, and they are also more serviceable for deco¬ 
ration than when grown in larger ones. It is im¬ 
portant that the compost used for potting should be 
moderately dry, and the plants should be potted firmly, 
keeping the stems well above the surface of the soil. 
The compost should consist of good fibrous yellow loam. 
If really good loam is to be had, a good sprinkle of 
sharp sand is all that should be added for potting the 
small plants ; but for the larger plants a liberal addition 
of well-rotted stable manure may be made, or if the 
loam is close or heavy some peat should be used.— A. H. 
Vines Bleeding. —The plan of employing halves 
of Potatos in staying the bleeding of Vines is a very 
old one. It was a practice in vogue some forty years 
ago, as I well remember, and seemed to be successful if 
not elegant. It is not a plan which needs a patent or 
a score of testimonials to make it profitable, neither 
does it bring in much cash to the promoter of it. We 
are so much the creatures of fashion, that use often 
rejects the simplest and cheapest remedies because 
they have the merit of being simple and cost nothing. 
Vines used to bleed after being pruned years ago as 
now, and cut Potatos answered admirably. Mr. 
Fraser has done well to recall attention to a remedy 
which is always at hand, and may be employed at any 
moment.— D. 
Preparing for Spring. —The time will soon 
come round for the sowing and planting of the various 
crops, and those who are best prepared will stand the 
best chance of success. So far the weather has not 
been very favourable for getting on with the preparation 
of seed beds, but still we must do the best we can. 
Where the few frosty mornings were taken advantage of 
for getting manure wheeled on to land intended for 
Peas, Beans, and Cauliflowers, this can now be dug in, 
even though the ground is rather wet, the dung will 
keep the workman’s feet from coming in direct contact 
with it. In fine weather we prepare our quarters for 
Onions, Carrots, &c., by forking in a good dressing of 
burned refuse with a little gas lime mixed with it. The 
Onions follow Celery, and the Carrots come best 
on land that was well dressed for Cabbage. The 
refuse and lime not only kills insects but keeps the 
ground open and free, and is the best dressing for 
Potatos. On wet days the hands may be employed 
in looking over the Seed Potatos and other stores. 
Early Peas should be sown in pots, to be subsequently 
potted on or planted out in frames or warm borders ; 
there is nothing gained by sowing outside just yet, 
except in very favourable localities. Now is a good 
time to plant Horse Radish and Sea Kale. — G. M. W. 
Aspidistra lurida variegata. — Although 
this plant will live under almost any conditions, yet it 
will well repay a little care and attention, especially 
while in a growing state ; the present will be a good 
time to repot, or divide any plants that require it. 
Any good rich compost may be used for potting, and if 
the pots can be plunged where there is a little bottom- 
heat the plants will soon begin to throw up fresh leaves 
now ; the variegation will be better if the plants can be 
well exposed to the light.— A. II. 
Fruit Congresses. —I am not surprised that 
“X. Y. Z. ” should think the Edinburgh Congress with 
its many thousands of dishes of Apples and Pears -was 
a wearisome maze, and incapable of producing any great 
good. Even at Chiswick, were a less number of dishes 
were staged, and some tangible effort was made to 
evoke order out of chaos, it was but too evident that 
not one-half could be accomplished which was looked for 
and that in the matter of revising nomenclature alone 
myriads of fruits could not be fairly sworn to, for the 
simple reason that diverse places and methods of culture 
produces even of the same kinds samples very diverse in 
appearance. It is without doubt the case that jurors, 
how'ever expert, find that any practical revision of 
naming or other beneficial result is almost impossible 
in the face of the difficulty which is presented when 
exhibitors refuse to permit their samples to be arranged 
under sorts instead of under collections. There is in 
these congresses too much desire on the part of those 
w’ho exhibit to make the finest show of fruits, and too 
little regard to the interest of pomology, which 
■would be best served if the promoters of a congress 
were at full liberty to arrange the respective kinds in 
sorts so far as practicable ; further, in no case should 
any exhibitor be permitted to send at any future 
congress more than his best fifty Pears or hundred 
Apples as giving all that was needful ; were that rule 
adopted, we should not see so much rubbish henceforth 
at fruit congresses.— A. I). 
Libonias. —In reply to your correspondent (C. IV., 
Doncaster) respecting the cultivation of Libonias, I 
would advise him to treat them in the following 
manner :—We will suppose the plants to be at present 
in the conservatory, and after doing service there they 
may be moved into a pit or greenhouse, from which 
frost is excluded, where they may remain till April or 
May, when the straggling shoots may be shortened and 
the points of others pinched so as to preserve the plants 
in shape. They may then be turned out of the pots 
and have the balls reduced, so that most of the plan ts 
will go back again into the same size pot. The soil we use 
is three-parts loam and one of leaf-soil with a sprinkling 
of sand. Immediately they are potted they should be 
well watered, and moved into a pit or frame, where 
they can be kept close and shaded for a week or two 
till they get hold of the fresh soil. We like to plunge 
the pots, in order to guard against dryness at the roots 
and lessen the demand for W'ater, and for this reason 
we prefer a frame on a gentle hot-bed to a pit for them 
till the end of September. After this they ar’e best in 
a temperature of not less than 45° at night ; but they 
will expand more rapidly if, later on, they are provided 
with more heat. We have grown L. floribunda and L. 
Penrhosiensis ; but as the latter answers our purpose 
the best, we have discontinued growing the first- 
named. We do not exceed a 6 -in. pot, as we are satisfied 
with bushes about 15 ins. in diameter. — W. P. R. 
Isolepis gracilis.— This is such a useful plant 
as an edging that it should be grown in large quan¬ 
tities by those who have much decoratiug to do. The 
present will be a good time to increase the stock by 
dividing any old plants. If potted in good light soil, 
and given a position where they get a fair amount of 
light and a moderate temperature, they will soon 
make good plants.— A. H. 
Panicum variegatum.— This is also a very 
useful plant for staging, but it will not thrive well 
except in a stove temperature. It may be propagated 
at any season, and good pots may be had in a short 
time by rooting about six cuttings in a small sixty 
pot, and potting them on into 4S sized pots after they 
are well started ; light sandy soil should be used. 
— A. E. 
An Error in Celery Growing. —The usual 
manner in which Celery is grown will admit of a very 
considerable improvement. The present system of 
moulding up for the purpose of blanching is based upon 
an injudicious foundation. It is not necessary to bank 
Celery with a good and productive soil ; moreover, it 
is a waste of good material. The contention of the 
■writer is, that instead of earthing it up in the usual 
manner, viz., by the use of the soil by which it is 
surrounded, a much better and cleaner growth is 
obtained by the use ol dry litter to form a fairly com¬ 
pact bank to the required height, and covered by some 
of the most dry material at hand. In a vast number 
of cases Celery is dwarfed in its growth by having the 
soil, which is frequently in a very wet state, massed too 
tightly around it, besides being more or less cankered 
aud rotted on the outside from the overpressure and 
dampness combined. Whenever a dry loose material is 
used to mould it, Celery will invariably grow, not only 
to a greater degree of perfection, but more rapidly and 
far cleaner. Like many other plants, Celery does best 
when it is liberally treated with manure, but in the 
