April 10, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
507 
when I mention that another bed, situate within 
200 yds. of mine, was totally wrecked. Here are two 
instances, and soot was not used in either, though I am 
an advocate of soot and fowl-house manure, believing 
it to be an invaluable fertiliser for the Onion bed. 
High culture and a fast growing season will considerably 
prevent the ravages of this destructive pest.— C. G., 
Dorlcing. 
-*->:£-<-- 
FRUITS, FLOWERS k VEGETABLES. 
Early Rhubarb. —Two years ago the gardening 
press was largely used for advertising a variety of Rhu¬ 
barb called “The Paragon.” I obtained just half-a- 
dozen roots for trial; the first year of planting of course 
we could not give a fair judgment on its earliness or 
quality ; but this year having it planted at one end of 
a row of Champagne, I am enabled to give it a fair 
and impartial opinion. I have this day measured the 
longest stalk, and find it 4 ins. long ; while I am the 
fortunate possessor of about half an acre, on which the 
largest of the stalks would average 12 ins. in length. 
I look upon Paragon as quite twelve days later than 
the true Champagne. The raiser of Paragon Rhubarb, 
cannot possibly have seen Champagne (true), or other¬ 
wise he would not think so highly of Paragon. I have 
tried Royal Sovereign Rhubarb and St. Martin’s 
Rhubarb, in fact all the varieties in the Market, and 
find none equal to Champagne. I may here note that 
my stock was obtained from the raiser—the late Mr. 
Hawk, a market gardener of Deptford. Mr. Bunyard 
obtained a First Class Certificate for this variety, I 
think last year at Kensington.— R. Gilbert, Burghley. 
Out-Door Chrysanthemums at present. 
—Some time ago I referred at some length in your 
columns and your contemporaries to the great utility of 
these for cutting purposes, and how on a prepared bor¬ 
der, especially against a south wall, really fine blooms 
can be produced. For such a purpose I have my cut¬ 
tings now well rooted and hardened off in the open air, 
in boxes, for the past ten days. To avoid any check, 
I mean to transplant into the prepared border some 
day of the coming week. Some of them are seedlings of 
my own, from seed received last year from Marseilles. I 
remember that the champion prizetaker, Mr. Molyneux 
stated to one of his interviewers he felt as proud of his 
fine out-door Chrysanthemums as those that won cups 
for him. The mistake too often made is that many 
think any time for planting, and any rough-and-ready 
treatment good enough, and failure results. I bury 
several loads of the richest farm yard manure beneath 
the borders.— TV. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
Wintering Lobelias. —I venture to give you a 
few details of my method of treating Lobelias for stock, 
and which has never failed to give plenty of cuttings. 
I put in a batch of cuttings at bedding-out time in the 
usual way, pot them into thumbs as soon as possible, 
and place them in a cool frame kept close. As soon as 
ready, I shift them into 54’s, returning to the same 
position until rooted through, when they are gradually 
hardened off and the lights removed altogether until 
the frost approaches sufficiently severe to affect them. 
All this time the flowers are cut off, which induces the 
formation of hardy sturdy growth. In November or 
December (according to the weather), I move them 
from the cold frames to a temperate house on a shelf 
near the glass, and as early in January as I like, I have 
pots full of nicehardy cuttings to begin propagating from. 
I have tried other methods some of which have appeared 
in your columns, but have found none to succeed equal 
to this.— J. H. Witty, Highgate, H. 
May I add yet another method of treating the 
Lobelia, for saving a stock, namely, the plan of saving 
a little seed from selected plants, and sprinkling 
a little on some border, where convenient, towards the 
end of July, when fine young plants may be lifted in 
good condition for wintering. Some may say that a 
good stock will not be kept true by these means, but 
most of the plants will be coming into flower, so that 
those can be selected that are good ; the remainder may 
be potted up into sixties, put into a cold frame for a 
week or two, then taken into a house where the tem¬ 
perature ranges at about 50° ; they will then give a 
fine display of blue on till Christmas, which, I hold, 
is better than the plan practised by many, of growing 
them on in pots through the summer, and keeping 
them pinched in. — G. Baskett. 
Ellam’s Early Dwarf Cabbage.— I should 
like to say a few words in favour of a Cabbage which I 
believe is not half so well known as it deserves to be, 
namely, Ellam’s Early Dwarf, which, coming in as it 
does fully a month or more before any other sort that 
I am acquainted with, and being of that size so desirable 
for a gentleman’s table, should certainly be widely 
grown. After a winter like the past, those who can 
now cut nice solid hearts, the size of a breakfast cup, 
have indeed an acquisition. I may state that I com¬ 
menced to cut the above variety on March the 8th, 
although the east winds retarded their growth to a 
great extent. I can now cut, not a few, but a dozen of 
fine solid heads.— G. Baskett, The Gardens, Elm Croft, 
Parkstone, Dorset. 
Marechal Niel Rose.— At the residence of Mr. 
Spink, Broomgrove Road, Sheffield, there is to be seen 
one of the most vigorous young trees it has ever been 
my lot to behold. This Rose was struck by its owner 
about three years ago. Two years last autumn it was 
potted into an 8-in. pot, and afterwards plunged into 
a border which had been prepared for a vine. It put 
out two or three fine shoots the first season, reaching 
the roof (which is 11 ft. high), and extending the 
greater part of the length (which is 18 ft.). These 
growths produced a fine lot of bloom twelve months 
ago. After flowering, a top-dressing was given, which 
covered the pot. This, I have no doubt, encouraged 
the roots to leave the pot, and extend into the border. 
Last year it broke into growth freely, which covered 
the whole of the roof, and part of the sides, and is now 
producing about 500 splendid blooms and buds in 
various stages of development, some in clusters of four, 
and many shoots have two and three. I might also 
mention that this is not the first Marechal Niel Rose 
which Mr. Spink has grown so successfully. At a 
previous residence, he had a tree which was treated in 
much the same way, which produced 1,500 blooms in 
one season, after three years’ growth. During the 
period mentioned, Mr. Spink was much troubled by 
the mildew on the young growths, which destroyed 
many of the buds ; but this he soon found out, by ex¬ 
perience, was caused by opening the ventilators at the 
top of the house. Having discovered this, he was 
careful to keep the top ventilators closed, and the 
mildew disappeared. In the present greenhouse, at 
one end, which is set apart for the Rose, there is no 
top ventilation provided (here it is quite free from that 
pest), but ample ventilation is given from, the side 
ventilator. Mr. Spink does not believe in turning the 
Roses out of their pots to plant them, and his idea is 
strengthened by the experience of an amateur friend, 
to whom he gave a good strong plant. The amateur 
employed a jobbing gardener to plant it for him. The 
Rose was turned out of the pot, the soil shaken off, and 
the roots all carefully spread out in the new soil ; but 
this fine ' Rose refused to grow after such treatment. 
Mr. Spink does not give all his attention to the Rose 
tree. He also has a partiality for several other subjects, 
amongst them Vines, which are vigorous and healthy, 
showing abundance of fruit. Under the shade of the 
Vines there are some good examples of Azaleas, flower¬ 
ing freely. He is also trying his hand with a few 
newly imported Orchids, which are breaking freely, 
and producing roots. These are objects of great interest, 
and will be carefully watched by Mr. Spink, who is one 
of those amateurs who will succeed. — J. Walker. 
The Culture of Carrots.— As Onions and how 
to grow them has been a subject of discussion in your 
columns lately, I think I shall not be out of place in 
sending you a few remarks on the culture of Carrots, 
as this vegetable also is very liable to injury by wire- 
worm, &c., and in some places it is as difficult to get 
a good crop of as of Onions. I have no doubt but that 
all gardeners have no difficulty in securing a crop who 
are favoured with a deep light sandy soil, but the case is 
different with many of your readers whose soil is heavy. 
To grow Carrots with any degree of success, the best 
soil is light deep sandy loam, and it should always be 
trenched two spits deep. Let the soil be ever so deep 
and suitable for Carrots always trench dig if you 
wish to be successful, and dress the ground with good 
cow and horse-manure mixed, hut if the soil is heavy 
use no cow-manure at all. At sowing time, from the 
middle to the end of April for the main crop, point 
over the ground -with a fork, rake it level, mark off the 
beds, and draw out the rows 1 ft. apart to give them 
plenty of light and air between them ; this is one of 
the secrets of success. Cover in with the back of the 
rake, then get some lime or soot, and double the 
quantity of sand, mix all three well together, and 
sprinkle it along, patting the bed gently all over. 
"When the young Carrots have grown about 1 in. high, 
thin out to 1 in. from plant to plant; Carrots should 
never be allowed to grow higher before being thinned 
out. One very important point is to disturb the young 
plants left as little as possible. I sow here cleaned seed 
thinly, and only thin out where they grow unequally. 
Keep the Carrot beds well watered in dry weather, as 
success follows constant and steady growth. If any of 
your readers should find any difficulty in obtaining a 
crop of Carrots, let them give my plan a trial. J. L. 
The Primula Conference. —Now that the 
weather has changed the promise of a successful ex¬ 
hibition of Primulas has very greatly improved, and 
amateurs, as well as professional growers, are anxious 
to make it a great success. This I have no doubt it 
will be, if all persons interested in the Primula will do 
what they can. It is not given to every one to make 
an exhibition of scores of distinct species, but many 
persons could exhibit one, two, or half-a-dozen, and any 
interesting or curious forms of the common Primrose 
might be both interesting and instructive. Notice of 
intention to exhibit, and also the nature of the exhibit 
should be sent to Mr. Barron, Royal Horticultural 
Society, South Kensington, S.W., at least a week 
before the exhibition. The dates are April 20th and 
21st. The National Auricula exhibition is to be held 
at the same date, the 20th only, but the Primula 
Conference committee would be glad if exhibitors would 
kindly leave their plants for the two days. It may re¬ 
move some misunderstanding if I may be permitted to 
say that the prizes offered for Auriculas are freely open 
for anyone who will come forward and win them. The 
society is supported by the voluntary contributions of 
admirers of the Auricula, and the subscribers think it 
best to leave the classes open, except so far that there 
are classes for large and small growers, so that exhibitors 
must choose whether they will exhibit as a large or 
small grower ; entries must be sent to Mr. Barron as 
above. 1 shall be pleased to send schedules to intend¬ 
ing exhibitors.— Jas. Douglas, Hon Sec. 
Management of Cucumbers and Melons. 
—Cucumber and Melon growers should see at once that 
their hot-beds, made a month or two ago, are of a 
proper degree of heat. This should be particularly 
attended to at this season, for these plants will not 
yield fine fruits, nor a plentiful crop, if the beds are 
devoid of a proper degree of heat. Therefore, when 
you perceive the heat of the beds has much decreased, 
let it be renewed as soon as possible. This must be 
done by adding a lining of fresh dung to the sides of 
the beds. This will greatly enliven the heat, by which 
means the plants will be preserved in a growing state, 
and the fruit will set freely, and grow to a handsome 
size. Air should be admitted to the plants every day. 
This is done by raising the upper ends of the lights a 
little, observing to raise them more or less in proportion 
to the temperature of the heat in the beds, and accord¬ 
ing to the state of the weather. Let mats be thrown 
over the lights every evening about sunset, and taken 
off again in the morning as soon as the sun shines fully 
on the glass. Water the plants occasionally ; the 
Cucumbers will require it often—that is, provided there 
be a good heat in the beds, and the weather is mild and 
sunny, when a moderate watering once a week will be 
requisite. Melons should also be watered moderately 
at times, for they 'will require it occasionally ; but 
•when these plants are about setting their fruit they 
should be watered very sparingly, as much humidity 
would retard the setting of the dowers. Let all decayed 
and damaged leaves be taken off as soon as they appear 
on the plants, either Cucumbers or Melons ; also let 
all decayed male flowers be taken away, sparing always 
a sufficiency of the fresh blossoms for the purpose of 
impregnation. Impregnate or set the young fruit of 
Cucumbers and Melons with the farina of the male 
blossom, and in a few days after they will begin to 
swell, and, in the case of Cucumbers, in about a fort¬ 
night or so, according to the state of growth of the 
plants, they will have grown to a proper size for 
cutting.— T. Griffiths, Woolley Park, Wakefield. 
Tabernsemontana coronaria.— During the 
past year or two I have been growing a good stock of 
the double variety of this plant, as the flowers are much 
liked for all kinds of decoration ; and it is extremely 
