July 3, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
winter, tliose reared on the stage of tlie greenhouse were 
immensely superior to those struck in the frames. 
If reared in frames, they should be protected from frost 
by covering the lights with thick mats on very cold 
nights ; but on all mild days plenty of fresh air must 
be admitted, otherwise.mildew (a thing to which the 
Chrysanthemum is peculiarly susceptible) is sure to 
make its appearance. 
The chief thing to aim at in the culture of the Chry¬ 
santhemum is to keep the plant steadily progressing in 
growth after the cutting has become rooted. Any 
check, either by exceptionally severe weather or from 
the plant becoming pot-bound, is sure, in some measure, 
to affect its future. It is, therefore, of the utmost im¬ 
portance to re-pot at the exact time the plant is ready 
for transfer, and I am of opinion that the more changes 
you give them in reason, the better it is for the plants. 
In transferring from one size to another, many people 
make a serious mistake, for the sake of avoiding an ad¬ 
ditional shift, in selecting too large a pot for the plant’s 
requirements, which is much the same thing as fur¬ 
nishing a little boy with a pair of men’s boots—he 
naturally feels uncomfortable in them. I invariably 
make three transfer^—first, from the small pot in which 
the cutting was struck into a 4-in. size ; secondly, from 
the 4-in. into a 6-in ; and lastly, from the 6-in. into a 
10-in. diameter, which is mostly sufficient for the re¬ 
quirements of ordinary plants, especially those which 
are intended for cut blooms. Any large specimen plants 
might be the better with a 12-in. diameter. I invari¬ 
ably use little circular tubs of the same size when I can 
meet with them of the right size, being convinced that 
the plants do better in wood than in pots. All my 
largest flowers of last year were grown in wood, and I 
noticed particularly that the foliage was remarkably 
handsome on all such plants. It may not be generally 
taken into consideration that wood is a non-conductor 
of heat, while pots are very ready conductors, and as 
the Chrysanthemum is required to stand all day in a 
blazing sun for the proper maturing of its wood, the 
roots doubtless often become highly heated through the 
pot, while those in wood are, comparatively speaking, 
quite cool, and consequently the plants are less dis¬ 
tressed during the long sunny days of summer. I have 
frequently noticed the difference in the foliage at mid¬ 
day ; the leaves of such plants as were growing in pots 
were hanging their ears and looking in dire distress, 
while those in the tubs seemed quite fresh and com¬ 
fortable.— Geo. Kidson, Hull. 
( To be continued.) 
-- 
HARDY PLANTS IN FLOWER. 
(Continuedfrom p. 6S3.,) 
Coreopsis lanceolata. —About fourteen days ago 
the first flower of what I may justly term one of the most 
showy and effective of all Composites began to expand. 
This is Coreopsis lanceolata. Who is there having a 
garden, and knowing the value of this plant, that 
would be -without it another day ? The excellent habit 
of the plant, which grows 2| ft. high, and covered with 
brilliant golden yellow flowers for some four months 
together, is a thing not easily surpassed ; indeed, I 
know of no perennial so thoroughly hardy, and calcu¬ 
lated to make such a display for so lengthened a period, 
as this Coreopsis. It is certainly one of the very best 
perennials in cultivation, and valuable as a cut flower. 
Individually its flowers are some 3 ins. across, not 
circular as in many, but deeply blotched at the margins. 
From the present time till the end of October this will 
be one of the best border plants, though it can hardly 
be said to have began flowering as yet. 
Bahia lanata.- —Another yellow-flowering plant is 
to be seen in Bahia lanata, having smaller flowers, 
though produced in the greatest possible profusion. 
This will make a good plant for the rockery or the 
border ; its height is about 15 ins., and very compact 
and neat in general appearance. The leaves and stems 
are woolly—hence the specific name—and the golden 
flowers, which come so freely, last a long time in a cut 
state. It is readily increased by seeds and cuttings. 
Silene alpestkis. —Few of our readers would de¬ 
spise a’ plant of dwarf prostrate habit, which, to use a 
common-place expression, is literally smothered with 
pearly -white flowers, charming as a rock plant, and 
equally attractive as a front-row plant in the border ; 
such, however, is Silene alpestris, which may be counted 
among the best of Alpines. It grows exceedingly freo 
in almost any soil, is very hardy, and when in flower, 
its glistening panicles of white flowers, rising about 
6 ins. high, almost completely cover its prostrate tufts 
of leaves. Not only does it spread freely on the sur¬ 
face, but from below, stoloniferous growths are freely 
produced, so that it is an easy matter to soon form 
large handsome patches. For the sunny sloping sides 
of the rockery it is simply grand. Cuttings inserted 
now root freely in sandy loam ; it also produces seed 
abundantly. 
Silene maritima plena. —But writing of the Silenes 
I am reminded of the double white form of S. maritima, 
than which we have no finer rock plant in cultivation. 
To those unfamiliar with the plant, the following de¬ 
scription will give some idea of it. Presuming you 
have before you a plant of spreading habit, and dense 
tufts of glaucous leaves, upon which are situate large 
double white flowers, which so closely resemble the 
double white pink, that it has often been taken for it, 
and you have a rude idea of Silene maritima plena. It 
Is remarkable for its free-flowering habit, and its 
large handsome pure white blossoms ; cuttings may be 
inserted any day during the summer months, and root 
readily. It produces its flowers abundantly, and lasts 
for some considerable time. It has many admirers, but 
it must have many more, and it needs no effort on my 
part to sound its praises. 
'Wallace’s Saxifraga. —I thought the other day, as 
I carelessly plucked a small panicle of Saxifraga Wallacei, 
that I had before me one of the very best plants that 
the bouquetist could be possessed of. Its pure white 
flowers, which are far ahead of the majority of the 
mossy section of Saxifraga, in point of, size, appeared 
to me, arranged at such a convenient distance from 
each other as to be the very thing itself. Its stems 
are hard, and well adapted for mounting, and its 
extreme floriferousness greatly favours its use. It 
grows about 9 ins. or a foot high, and if protected by a 
light when it begins to expand, purity will be added 
to its already white blossoms. It is altogether an 
elegant plant, easy of culture and as easily increased as 
any other member of its section, useful either for 
massing or for edgings, in fact, it is a valuable and 
attractive plant in any position. — J. 
--- 
Scottish Gardening. 
Cinerarias and Calceolarias. —The flowering 
of the Cineraria from March to the middle of June is 
easily accomplished by sowing seeds in the first week 
of July by growing them cool and shaded from bright 
sunlight, but at no time keeping the seedlings close and 
coddled. Such plants come in well, and are remark¬ 
ably useful when well grown as a succession to the batch 
which may have been sown during May. To give a 
good* succession from October to June, three sowings 
are necessary, the first in March, the second in May, 
and the third at the period named above. Some great 
mistakes are made by forcing the plants into flower 
with heat. Green fly, and probably red spider, too, will 
put in an early appearance ; besides, the flowers which 
are thus forced into existence are poor and not worth 
their room. A fine Cineraria should be strong in 
foliage, spreading widely over the pot 2 ft. to 3 ft. in 
diameter, and when the head of bloom is fully de¬ 
veloped it should not stand more than 9 ins. above the 
foliage, and be as wide again as it is high. There are 
some fine strains now extant; a remarkably fine lot were 
growm at Beech Hill Nurseries (Mr. Downie) last year. 
The fine heads of bloom, with individual flowers of 
large size, were very distinct ; their peculiar dwarf 
habit was very desirable. Cinerarias in the north do 
not succeed so well by continued exposure in shady 
positions as they are found to in the warmer south ; 
nevertheless they can be grown in the northern cooler 
districts with greater ease, and often are found unsur¬ 
passed in excellence by the best seen where greater sun- 
heat is experienced. 
Calceolarias are more easily managed in the north 
than in warmer parts ; this is truly a cool moisture- 
loving plant. Whether one grows the showy shrubby 
kinds, or the attractive herbaceous class, reward will be 
certain. The present time for late flowering of latter 
kinds from June to end of July may be sown now ; 
never subjected to drying heat—have at all times 
abundance of air—and not allowed to become pot-bound 
or waterlogged, a good display for show houses at the 
proper time will be certain. Various opinions as to 
soil for Cinerarias and Calceolarias are entertained by 
695 
great growers of these flowers, but the best we liave 
seen were grown in good strong loam, with a small 
portion of soot, sand and burnt earth added ; manure 
applied as a mulching when the roots filled the pots 
and flower-spikes coming up. We always make the 
growing of shrubby kinds of Calceolarias a simple 
matter, by lifting a quantity in October, trimming them, 
and placing the roots firmly in small pots ; at the turn 
of the year a liberal shift is given, and they do grandly. 
— M. T. 
-- 
The Amateurs' Garden. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
The earliest Potatos are now being lifted, and the 
Ashleaf varieties are much better with us this year 
than was expected, and although the tubers are not 
quite so large as usual, perhaps, they are of excellent 
quality. It is our custom, when planting early Potatos, 
to have a quantity of light leaf-soil and old short 
manure prepared to place over the sets, which makes a 
great difference in the quantity of the produce, and the 
roots are much more readily lifted. A good proof of 
the advantages derived from this practice has been 
accidentally afforded this season, for with two rows 
this dressing over the sets was by some means omitted, 
and the yield in these instances was most noticeably 
inferior to that of the rows treated in the way described. 
Later Potatos are making strong haulm-growth now, 
and are looking fairly satisfactory, the change to a 
higher and more seasonable temperature having just 
come in time, as a much longer continuance of cold and 
wet would have proved disastrous. Lettuces are afford¬ 
ing a good succession, and we are still planting out from 
the seed beds both Cos and Cabbage varieties. Piadishes 
also are turning in well, and a little seed is sown every 
■week in a cooler situation than earlier in the season, 
and if the w T eather proves dry water must be liberally 
supplied to these plants, or the roots soon become hot 
and unsuitable for salading. Mustard and Cress are 
sown out of doors in similar situations and at about 
equal intervals to keep up a supply fit for cutting. 
Tomatos are now planted out in warm positions. We 
have some in front of the greenhouse wall, where they 
are fully exposed to the sun during the greater part of 
the dajq and the only requisite is to keep the plants 
well supplied with water, and after the fruits are formed 
a mulching of manure will assist them wonderfully. 
The principal object in growing Tomatos out of doors is 
not to encourage a too luxuriant growth, but short, 
firm stems and branches that will flower early, and 
thus the fruits will have to set and ripen. It is im¬ 
portant that the plants be strong but well hardened 
before they are placed out, that they are not planted 
too early, as the slightest check will interfere greatly 
with their success. 
Some attention must now be given to summer pruning 
or pinching fruit trees against walls or espaliers, for 
though it is not such an important operation as the 
winter pruning, it will, if carefully performed, greatly 
facilitate the -work at the latter season. The principal 
point is, if the trees have been properly trained and 
kept in their right form, to shorten the excessively 
strong shoots which soon run out into branches des¬ 
troying the due proportion of the tree, weakening other 
parts,and from their ownluxuriance generally remaining 
fruitless. In the culture of the fruit trees, it should be 
endeavoured as much as possible to render them as 
evenly balanced as possible, encouraging sufficient 
growths of medium strength to keep the tree healthy, 
and restraining those of undue vigour in reasonable 
bounds. Of course, if there is a space it is desired to fill 
with growth, some extension must be allowed, but it is 
better to select growths for this purpose that are 
developing freely, but not too strongly, and even these 
may be preferably shortened a little, as it gives the 
other portion a better chance of maturing thoroughly. 
As all the growths that require removal now are com¬ 
paratively soft, they can be readily pinched off, and it 
is not necessary to use a kuife. 
Strawberries are ripening, but are late and not a very 
large crop ; they will, however, require all the more 
care, and clean straw should be placed in the rows for 
the fruit to rest upon. This is preferable to tiles, as, 
although it is rather littery, it serves to keep the 
ground moist, as -well as protecting the fruits from 
splashing by rains. Where birds are plentiful, nets 
must be placed over the beds and pegged down on each 
side of the rows, as, if the slightest space is left, the 
birds will find then way in and cause serious damage. 
