February 12, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
general operation of potting greenhouse plants may not 
be out of place. In the first instance, these plants 
should not he potted unless the roots are in a healthy 
condition. If robust at the roots, they -will show it 
in their general appearance, and in the uniform healthy 
green colour of the foliage. The next thing is to be 
careful that they do not get overpotted at any time. 
A space in which the fingers can be pushed down 
between the ball of soil and the new pot, is ample for 
this class of plants. In the drainage of their pots 
greater care must be exercised, and after the crocks arc 
properly placed in a pot, a layer of fibry peat should 
be carefully laid over the crocks. This should be made 
firm, as well as the soil that covers the rough peat 
placed in the pot before the latter is ready to receive 
the plant. 
Good firm potting must be practised with all green¬ 
house plants of the type mentioned above. Always 
bear in mind that it is requisite that sufficient space 
should be left on the surface to contain as much water 
as will moisten the whole ball. This is the great secret 
of success in keeping plants healthy, with the usual 
ventilation given this class. If hard-wooded plants 
are not healthy, it requires a person with some ex¬ 
perience to handle them properly, for in many cases 
they invariably die if their roots are molested whilst 
in bad condition. Something must be done, however, 
to bring them back to a healthy condition. This 
something is often a matter of kill or cure. If the soil 
should have become sour, and the roots, to a certain 
extent, dead, it will be safest to take a sharp-pointed 
stick and gradually pick a lot of the sour soil away so 
as to reduce the hall to such an extent that it will 
again go into the same sized pot or even smaller. After 
this operation the plants will require to be kept closer 
for a few weeks, and great care exercised in watering 
them. At the end of this time they will either show 
signs of starting afresh or of dwindling away altogether. 
Should the latter be the case, it will be as well to throw 
them away immediately, for nothing spoils the look of 
a greenhouse more than plants standing about in a half 
dead condition. 
I should advise all amateurs and beginners at this 
kind of work to have a fair amount of patience when 
they are about to commence work of this nature, and 
to study carefully the nature of the subjects in hand. 
They will find it to their advantage in the end to 
possess plants enjoying good cultivation. They will 
also find the pleasure of attending to a greenhouse 
greatly enhanced, especially when friends visit them, 
and they can point with pride to their skilful manage¬ 
ment. Casual observers walking into a potting-shed, 
and seeing men busy at the operation of potting, may 
think it an easy matter ; but observers must under¬ 
stand that these are men who have been educated to 
the profession from youth, and have given it special 
attention. In many cases they are as well qualified to 
do this work in a quick and workman-like manner as a 
competent bricklayer is to use his trowel and lay bricks 
at so many hundreds per day. The principle required 
to obtain the necessary knowledge to pot successfully, 
is quick comprehension of matters in general, a sharp 
eye, and active hands. One possessed of these can 
soon surmount difficulties.— W. G. 
-- 
Hardening ffoTEs from 
Scotland. 
Scottish Horticultural Association. —The 
usual monthly meeting of this society was held on 
February 1st—Mr. Milne, president, in the chair. 
There was a good attendance of members. Two papers 
were on the programme—the one by Mr. G. Nicholson, 
curator of the Royal Gardens, Kew, on “Hollies”; and 
the other by Dr. Drinkwater, on 11 The Chemistry of 
Leaves.” Neither of these gentleman, however, was 
able to be present to fulfil his engagements. Mr. A. 
Mackenzie read a report on the Chrysanthemum show 
held a short time ago in Edinburgh. It was stated 
that the show was the most successful ever held in 
Scotland, and particular reference was made to the 
great improvement which had been effected in the 
culture of the flower within the last twenty years. A 
financial statement proved the income of the show to 
have been £59 19s. 6 d., and the expenditure £58 3s. 9rf. 
On the motion of Mr. M. Dunn, Dalkeith, seconded by 
Mr. D. Mackenzie, the report was approved of. The 
president intimated that at the last meeting of the 
council it had been arranged to have another Chry¬ 
santhemum show next season. It will be held in 
a larger hall, probably the Waverley Market, about the 
last week in November. The exhibits displayed on 
the table, included a beautiful collection of Chrysan¬ 
themum blooms, shown by Messrs. R. B. Laird & Sons. 
There were eighteen named varieties in remarkable 
condition for the time of year. Special reference was 
made to the condition in which one variety, named 
Elaine, was shown. 
Lawns. — The renovation of grass sward is a matter 
which should not be neglected. The levelling up of 
holes to bring the whole surface to a presentable con¬ 
dition may be done w'lien the ground is frozen hard ; 
the soil can be wheeled on and no damage done by 
barrows. Holes are easily observed when rain has 
fallen and is frozen. A mixture of good loam with a 
portion of bone-meal or Yine manure mixed with it, 
does well to increase growth in grass without inducing 
coarseness. The surface may be levelled with a wooden 
rake to equalise the dressing, which may be ^ in. or 
more in thickness, then a thorough raking to prepare 
for grass may be given in March. Sow the seed early 
in April on a fine surface, cross-raking and rolling it. 
It is a difficult matter to get clean turf, but grass 
seed sown on well prepared surfaces will give the 
greatest satisfaction. Dressings of soot and rich soil 
are excellent for killing moss ; the latter is significant 
as an exhibition of poverty. It is often forgotten that 
heavy crops are taken from lawns. The continuous 
close cropping is very exhaustive, and the soil requires 
renovating as for any other kind of vegetation. We 
often have had to renovate bowling greens (we have a 
large one at present) where the proprietors have ex¬ 
pressed their wonder at the failure of grass and the 
increase of moss ; just as if the former could thrive on 
inert soil. Draining and all such work can be done 
advantageously on lawns for some weeks to come, and 
good drainage is conducive to fine healthy grass.— 
Caledonian. 
Rhododendron Nobleanum.— This is truly 
a very valuable plant at this season of the year, both 
for show, house decoration, and for cut flowers; 
Though it has become comparatively scarce, and not 
easily procurable in the trade, it is very easy of man¬ 
agement. Our stock is severely cut every season during 
January and February ; but they soon recover even 
under very ordinary treatment. New growth comes on 
simultaneously with the flowers in the gentle warmth 
of a newly-started Peach house, vinery or similar 
position. When the flowers are cut, or the plant is 
allowed to retain them as long as they last, young 
growths are well advanced ; and when hardened off 
with care, they form flower-buds for the following 
season. We place them out in an ordinary shrubbery, 
from whence they are removed in autumn, and tubbed 
or potted as their root requirements necessitate. These, 
w r ith two or three dozen flowers opened on each to fill 
up space after the removal of Chrysanthemums, &c., are 
no mean objects. We find home-grown plants much 
finer in foliage, and the blooms larger, than those 
purchased. We think many of the failures with these 
plants are caused by poverty of soil, dry positions, and 
it may be that the stock is grown year after year on 
the same land. A quantity of well-rotted manure 
mixed with common peat or leaf-soil, and placed over 
the roots of plants which are to be forced, does much 
to invigorate them. There are, of course, other kinds 
of Rhododendrons excellent for winter work ; but we 
recommend this old favourite, so tenacious of life, as 
being very serviceable, and giving very little trouble to 
keep in a flowering condition. It is well adapted for 
Scotland, as we have seen it in larger quantities in 
northern parts than elsewhere.— Caledonian. 
Gros Colmar Grape.— I thought the general 
opinion of the excellence of this Grape had been, on all 
hands, confirmed. I suppose it received an indifferent 
character at first because it was erroneously supposed to 
be fit for use as soon as it was coloured and coated with 
bloom ; it has sometimes been exhibited in such 
condition, when totally unfit for use. I have never 
seen it fit for use before October or November, and 
those who value it most, to supply their own tables, 
will not allow it to be cut before their Hamburghs and 
better class of Grapes are consumed. Hamburghs keep 
well till after the new year, and are appreciated by all 
proprietors I know who have had a choice of kinds. 
O 'H ** 
37 d 
I have seen the Gros Colmar frequently on exhibition 
tables at autumn shows, but never tasted any which 
I should consider worthy of a prize when earlier kinds 
■were present. In Scotland, this Grape has been often 
seen in fine condition, and requires an early start to get 
it ripened well. If autumn sun is allowed to complete 
the ripening process, with a moderate administration 
of fire heat, accompanied by abundance of air, this 
Grape assumes a very different character than when 
ripened with a minimum of heat late in the season. 
I enclose a few berries to show that it can be grown quite 
free from the coarse taste by which it is characterised 
during autumn.— Scot. [They were very good.— Ed.] 
-->*<-»- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
Peaches and Nectarines. —Where these are grown 
under glass, if not now in flower they will very soon 
be so. The amateur, if he wishes to secure a fair 
average crop of these juicy, delicious fruits, may do it 
almost to a certainty any season under glass, if he 
choose, by a little timely attention. The weather out 
of doors at this season is very frequently unfavourable 
to the ventilating of houses ; and in cases where no 
artificial heat is used, this matter is liable to be over¬ 
looked altogether. When Peach trees are in bloom, 
the stagnant atmosphere fostered by these conditions 
is fatal to the setting of the bloom by hindering the 
dispersion of the pollen. A somewhat higher tem¬ 
perature should be maintained during the flowering 
period—say, about 45°; this will allow the top venti¬ 
lators to be partly opened, which, with a little heat in 
the hot-water pipes, will cause a free circulation of air 
in the house. Besides this, the pollen will also be 
distributed by lightly tapping the trees with a stick, or 
with the hand, two or three times a-day when they 
are in flower. A thorough dispersion of the pollen 
would also be secured by fastening some long plumy 
feathers on a pole, such as are used for dusting rooms, 
and lightly brushing over the blooms. The same 
applies to Nectarines and Apricots grown under glass. 
Kitchen Garden. — Where herbs are much in 
request, the borders containing them may be gone over 
and rectified. New plantations can be made by dividing 
the root-stock, and re-planting the pieces on well-pre¬ 
pared ground that has been properly manured ; this is 
necessary if good crops for cutting are expected. Thyme, 
Mint, Hyssop, Balm, Horehound, Sorrel, Marjoram, 
and similar-habited subjects, may receive this treat¬ 
ment. Lavender, Sage and Rosemary are better if 
raised from seed or cuttings, as they are of a more 
woody nature, and do not produce suckers so freely. 
Early sowings of Peas, Beans, Carrots and Radishes 
may be made on dry warm borders. See that the 
indoor sowings of Peas and Beans made last month are 
not becoming drawn by being too far from light. A 
free circulation of air should also be kept in the house 
where they are grown. As soon as the soil is in a 
fairly favourable condition, early varieties of Potatos, if 
not already planted, can either be so treated or dibbled 
into the soil—preferably the former. For main crops 
on open unsheltered breaks, they need not be planted 
thus early, unless stress of work later on should neces¬ 
sitate it now. Dress Asparagus beds, and put them in 
a condition for the crowns to grow away freely when¬ 
ever the temperature rises. Mixtures of horse and cow 
manure are most commonly used ; but seaweed, where 
obtainable, may also be utilised to advantage. 
Forcing Department.— Work of all kind in this 
department should now proceed with alacrity. If the 
manure for hotbeds has previously been prepared as 
advised, no delay need be made in getting the beds 
made up and covered with 9 ins. of soil. After all 
danger of violent heating is over, plant early Potatos, 
and between the rows sowings of Early Horn Carrot 
and Radishes may be made. In frames where a gentle 
heat is maintained,, sow Cauliflower, Lettuce and early 
Cabbages. Melons, Cucumbers, Tomatos and Onions 
for early use can be sown in pots or pans and potted on 
when fit to handle ; the Onions may be pricked out in 
a frame for early use. Chiyes come on early and form 
a good substitute for Onions. Continue to bring in 
batches of Rhubarb, Sea Kale, Asparagus and such 
things for forcing. Strawberries should also be started 
away into flower for early fruiting ; and vineries will 
now require attention where second early supplies are 
required.— F. 
