April 17, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
519 
pots for conservatory decoration. Liquid manure may 
be given freely with advantage either to pot plants or 
to those in the open ground. — J. 
--- 
Scottis h Gar dening. 
The Flower G-arden. —In this department one 
cannot suggest much for the north which is not already 
well advised for the south. The work of renewing beds 
with soil, repairing turf, sowing grass seeds, top¬ 
dressing old lawns with bone-meal, soot, &c., or with 
some of those preparations so suitable for the purpose, 
are some of the operations now demanding attention. 
Planting out of hardy plants for the usual purposes of 
bedding, may be done whenever the weather will allow 
it. Pansies, Sedums, Antennaria, and such like, are 
much run upon in the north, and as the early frosts of 
last September are so fresh in one’s memory, we would 
not stand tenaciously to tender plants however well 
they may look during August. 
Where spring and early summer bedding is popular 
and practised, much attention to trimming, weeding, 
hoeing, mowing, rolling, and sweeping will be neces¬ 
sary. What valuable plants Violas and Pansies are 
for such purposes—they are now coming into flower cn 
masse. Violets, Primroses, Daisies, and many of their 
class are doing good service, but using such plants for 
forming grotesque shapes on the surface of the ground 
we do not think is very pleasing to many tastes. 
Where lawns are weedy, it is still a good time to remove 
the weeds, afterwards dust fine soil over the surface, 
and sow seed of choice lawn mixture ; birds attack 
this as soon as it vegetates. 
Bedding-out plants are always best when grown in 
frames or cool pits after this season, and when they 
arc able to stand with lights off, they will then he 
getting forward ready for the planting season—about the 
end of May. It is a mistake to suppose that exposure 
to cold draughts and pelting rains is proper preparation, 
while one wishes to harden gradually partial destruction 
is not to be practised. Many successful bedders in 
cold parts keep their plants growing steadily till June 
before planting out.— M. T. 
Vegetable Crops. —Where sowings of the usual 
crops have been made in frames or under protectors of 
some sort, much care must be exercised to prevent the 
plants from becoming drawn. There is nothing gained 
by a close high temperature with such subjects as are 
here referred to ; we have good batches pricked out, 
and others coming on rapidly since the seasonable 
weather came to the rescue. To meet the difficulty 
with something which cannot be raised well under glass, 
we cleared off the snow—we have seldom much in these 
parts—and trenched down the frozen surface to the 
bottom, the fresh soil was sown with Parsnips, planted 
with early Potatos, and Spinach, Peas, &c. were also 
got in. We notice (April 9th) that Onions are through 
the soil, the seed was steeped in water, placed in heat 
a day or two, slightly dried, then thrown into rows 
and covered with light dry soil; at that time the 
weather was so severe that it seemed that the soil would 
not be fit for use, except by trenching down the frozen 
crust, as above indicated. Boxes of Onions, Leeks, and 
other items are being pricked out. 
Potato planting is about finished, but not so in the 
field. Many of the leading growers on a large scale 
seldom plant before the end of the month, and others 
do the work of planting in May. On heavy land we 
have to cut out drills with the spade ; dibbing, in such 
soils, holds water in a crust like an egg, which fre¬ 
quently rots the seed. Drills drawn, and the sets 
covered with such kindly material as leaf mould, old 
Mushroom manure, chopped turf, &c., will reward the 
grower for his pains—this is, of course, for early select 
lots. Planting out of Peas and Beans from boxes, pots, 
&e., pricking off all early Celery under glass, sowing 
main crops of Beet and Carrots, must now be pushed 
forward, also French Beans/ Scarlet Runners and 
Broad Beans, and transplanting from the lots sown 
under glass ; Chicory, Asparagus, and Seakale (these 
two latter do best in the north from seed sown after 
being steeped in water for a few days), Spinach, Turnips 
two or three kinds in small lots, Radish, American 
Cress, Chervil, and Herbs. More Broccoli should be 
sown, and examine all seeds to see if they have vege¬ 
tated, so that a remedy for failures may yet be made. 
Birds and slugs will now increase their efforts so that 
netting and soot must be used freely. —M. T. 
WINDOW, TABLE AND INDOOR 
PLANTS. 
Hyacinths Indoors. —These are now getting over, 
and remarks about them may not he seasonable, yet I 
cannot refrain from stating a little of my experience 
about them, as it comes in on the side of economy. In 
the first place 1 must say that I fear that my views of 
what is beautiful in these plants W'ould shock a grower of 
thosestately and primly-tied large-trussed show 7 varieties; 
but, nevertheless, I must candidly confess that I love the 
common varieties grown as those I have under my eye 
whilst I am writing much better than the exhibition 
kinds as we see them staged, and I find most of 
my friends (the ladies especially) are of my way of 
thinking. 
Mine have been and still arc lovely, their varied foliage 
and gracefully arranged spike, some of w'hich (I tremble 
to tell it) are from 1 ft. to 18 ins. in height, their 
supports reaching only half -way up their flower-spikes 
to allow of their curving this way or that way to break 
the stiff appearance which I consider so undesirable, 
and which is the marked feature in a professionally- 
grown group of them. Grown as mine are, a group of 
them will arrange gracefully as they grow, merely re¬ 
quiring a twist of the flower-pot to bring the heads into 
their proper places. 
The sorts that I like best are all cheap sorts—viz., 
Grande Vedette, white; Grand Vainqueur, white ; 
Amy, carmine ; Norma, pink ; Robert Steiger, bright 
crimson; Charles Dickens, light blue; William I., 
dark purple, &c. These are all singles. Groot Voorst, 
blush ; Lord Beaconsfield, deep red ; La Tour d’Au¬ 
vergne, white ; and Blocksberg, blue ; doubles. These, 
with any other cheap named sorts known to be good, 
and eked out with some unnamed mixed ones, will make 
a charming and continued display if potted as soon 
as the dried bulbs are received, and placed under ashes 
or cocoa-nut fibie in the open ground, to be brought 
into the conservatory or dwelling-house as required, 
when they are well rooted and their spikes are 
pushing up. 
Being an old exhibitor, I know well that safety in 
transit, uniformity in appearance when staged, and 
other considerations, force the growers of exhibition 
flowers to truss them up so unnaturally ; but for plants 
for the house we need not follow them, as the flowers 
are infinitely more lovely when merely supported but 
yet allowed play for their natural graces.— M. A., 
Camb. 
-->£«-- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
_ ♦ 
♦ 
THE FLOWER GARDEN. 
In preparation for the approaching bedding-out 
season the plants should now be hardened as much as 
possible, by exposing them freely to the air on fine 
days, and where they are placed in frames, the lights 
should be taken off whenever the weather is suitable, 
that is, free from frost. A little ventilation should be 
left on all night, but when there is danger of frost as 
is frequently the case at this time of the year, it is 
better to close the frames and cover them with mats, 
or tiffany secured at one end to a roller is more con¬ 
venient, as it can be run on or off quickly. These 
directions specially apply to Pelargoniums, which are 
so largely used for summer bedding, and though these 
must be sturdily grown, and well hardened prior to 
placing them in the beds, they are soon affected by 
frost, and if not killed they are often so much dis¬ 
figured as to be comparatively useless. In the event 
of Pelargoniums getting frozen, however, a hint as to 
the best treatment to adopt may be of service. Never 
allow frozen plants to be exposed to the sun, and the 
best plan is to water them well with a rose can, then 
shut them close and shade if the weather be bright. 
Prompt treatment of this kind has prevented severe 
loss on more than one occasion, and with the utmost 
care we may sometimes be caught napping. If Pelar¬ 
goniums and other plants of that character have to be 
grown in a greenhouse or other structure, let them be 
as cool as possible consistent with safety from frost, 
ventilating freely as advised for the frames. Bedding 
Calceolarias require no artificial heat now ; the more 
they are exposed to the air the better, whether in pots 
or planted out. 
Tender plants of the Alternanthera, Lobelia and 
Iresine class can be now propagated if the stock 
is insufficient. Alternantheras of the paronychioides 
type are quickly increased by cuttings of the shoots 
inserted in very sandy loam and leaf-soil, and 
placed in a warm frame, or where large quantities are 
to be raised, they can be dibbled out in beds of cocoa- 
nut fibre refuse or light soil like that described above ; 
but they require a temperature of 60’ to 70°. Alter¬ 
nanthera amoena is rather more difficult to increase, but 
it is treated in a similar manner, as also are Iresines 
Lindeni and Herbsti. Lobelias are quickly increased 
by cuttings, and this is the best method where named 
sorts are grown and it is wished to produce an uniform 
effect in the beds ; for though plants are readily 
raised from seed, they often come up in several shades of 
blue, and irregular in habit—some dwarf, and others 
comparatively tall. Of the named varieties L. pumila 
compacta is the best as a dwarf variety ; Blue Stone, 
Blue Beauty and Blue King being of stronger growth. 
For Lobelia and most other plants propagated at this 
time of the year, also for raising seeds, a hot-bed is 
indispensable, and when properly prepared, cuttings 
strike and seeds germinate very rapidly. If the manure 
heats violently when thrown together in a heap, it must 
be turned several times, and then made into a bed about 
3 ft. deep. Upon this a frame should be placed, 
leaving the lights open for a few days until the rank 
steam and gases have escaped ; then place in a layer of 
cocoa-nut fibre refuse about 6 ins. deep, and in this 
plunge the cutting or seed-pots or pans. If the bed 
continues hot, leave the lights open J-in. at the back 
of the frame, and examine the cuttings twice or three 
times a day, not allowing them to become dry, but 
supply tepid water with a finely perforated rose-can, 
and shade from the sun. As soon as the cuttings are 
rooted, which can be seen by the growth commencing, 
or when the seedlings are well above the soil, remove 
them to a cooler position where they can be near the 
glass, as it is highly injurious to young plants obtained 
in either way to be drawn and weakened in their earliest 
stages. Pot them separately as soon as they are large 
enough ; in the case of cuttings, when they have formed 
some good roots, and with seedlings, when they have 
produced their second leaves. 
In such a bed as that named, not only can all the 
half-hardy annuals be advantageously raised for subse¬ 
quent planting out when thoroughly hardened, but 
Cucumbers, Melons, and Vegetable .Marrows are also 
easily obtained from seed with such assistance. For 
all the same advice is applicable, do not allow them to 
remain in the bed too long, but also be careful in 
removing them that a serious check is not given them. 
The herbaceous or mixed border should be got in 
order, as many plants are now starting into growth, 
and the seeds of numerous annuals may be sown in the 
border, first preparing the soil by raking it fine, and 
sowing the seed thinly in patches. Any old established 
clumps of plants like “Michaelmas Daisies,” as the tall 
growing Asters are popularly designated, can be divided 
if desired, as it is not well to occupy too much space 
with a few sorts, the beauty and interest of such bor¬ 
ders being greatly increased by the variety of the plants 
placed in it.— Scolytus. 
-»>X<—-- 
GREENHOUSE RHODODEN¬ 
DRONS. 
This beautiful class of plants well deserves a place 
in all establishments where high-class cultivation is 
carried on. The large-flowered or bell-shaped section are 
particularly noted for their scent, which is deliciously 
fragrant, and the flowers in many cases are beautifully 
fringed. This section may be grown in a comparatively 
cool house, and when the plants attain a large size the 
quantity of flowers they will yield, if well managed, is 
very great. The only drawback this section has is the 
loose habit they nearly all seem to inherit, and con¬ 
sequently they require to be trained into bush or 
pyramidal form. An intermediate temperature suits 
them to make their growth, with plenty of light, only 
shading from very hot sun, but better without if the 
foliage can be kept from injury. When growth is com¬ 
plete, they must be gradually cooled down to ordinary 
greenhouse temperature. Large specimen plants may 
be treated as ordinary greenhouse subjects all through, 
and when the growth is mature, may be placed out of 
doors for a time till frost threatens. 
The smaller-flowered or jasminiflorum type require 
rather different treatment; the same temperature suits 
