284 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 31, 1887. 
of their native wilds. This was fifty years ago, when 
very few species or varieties were either known or culti¬ 
vated in Europe. If he could have lived to have seen 
the heritage that has come down to us ! Then, as 
Mr. Hugh Fraser remarks in his useful book, “The 
gorgeous Indian R. arboreum was but recently in¬ 
troduced, and had not yet bloomed in this country, 
though wondrous things were said of its tree habit and 
dark crimson blossoms ; and as yet the still popular 
R. ponticum, R. catawbiense, R. caucasicum, R. 
maximum, R. ferrugineum, R. hirsutum, and a few of 
their varieties very nearly made up the list of what we 
may term showy sorts, though all were worthy of the 
high praise which was accorded to them.’’ 
It is not everyone who can grow the Rhododendron. 
I have known them to be planted in forecourt gardens 
round London only to die. I think many of the 
positions assigned to them are too hot and dry, therefore 
they fail. I have seen them doing well in some places ; 
but almost invariably on the north side of a dwelling, 
and in rather stiff moist soil, with which has been 
mingled some peat or chopped-up fibrous turf. If 
anyone will examine the soil about the roots of 
Rhododendrons that are planted in a stiff soil with a 
little clay, they will observe that the whole of the peat 
has become absorbed, but that the roots have got into 
the moist loam and are well establishing themselves in 
it. Some peat is very helpful at planting time ; but 
Rhododendrons can yet be planted without it. Mr. 
Fraser recommends the preparation of artificial com¬ 
post in the absence of peat, and he states that “the 
materials for forming an artificial compost, which will 
adequately supply all their requirements, exist in a 
separate state, and may be found in abundance in 
every district in the country.” Loamy turf from old 
pastures, cut just deep enough to include the fibre, of 
which it cannot have too much, with about one-half 
of its bulk of rotten leaves and old cow dung, and 
more or less sand, according to the character of the 
loam ; the whole mass chopped down with the spade, 
not too fine, and well mixed together, will form a 
compost which any Rhododendron will duly appreciate 
and grow in with the greatest luxuriance. Charred 
garden refuse, such as primings, weeds, and old tan 
bark, form a valuable supplement to such a compost; 
and may be used liberally when it can be had, with 
great benefit to the plants. In no other form should 
these substances be introduced, as unless they are so 
thoroughly decomposed as to be scarcely distinguishable 
from fine mould, they are not only worthless but highly 
pernicious. This applies to old tan, which has some¬ 
times been recommended. We have never seen the 
young roots working freely amongst it in any state, 
but very often when the decomposition was but partial, 
the ball was found to be covered with white fungus and 
the plant in a sickly condition. 
One fact must be borne in mind : Rhododendrons 
appear to have a great repugnance to calcareous soil, 
and refuse to grow where lime or chalk is in immediate 
contact with the roots. Hardy as the Rhododendron 
is, it is always well to plant in sheltered positions, so 
that as little harm as possible be done to the flowers by 
wind ; the plants are also impatient of too much shade, 
apparently preferring the open, and drip from trees 
should be avoided. Then plenty of moisture is 
necessary, as drought is very hurtful to the plants, and 
a full exposure to the sun enables the wood to become 
thoroughly ripened, so as to withstand the] winter’s 
frost and set their buds.— li. D. 
-- 
HABROTHAMNUS ELEGANS. 
Amongst plants suitable for training to walls or 
pillars in greenhouses or conservatories, this very free- 
flowering Mexican plant will hold a foremost place. 
To flower it well, it should be planted out in a good 
rich border, where rampant growth will be made, 
terminating in large thyrse-like panicles of rosy crimson 
flowers. After the terminal thyrse has been cut, the 
latent eyes will break out into growths, each point 
bearing a thyrse of flowers, only on a smaller scale than 
those produced at the end of the principal shoot. 
When tied to a pillar in a conservatory it naturally 
assumes a very graceful form, all the shoots that spring 
from the main stems arching over gracefully and bearing 
at their ends the flowers. 
Its usefulness as a plant for cutting from during the 
autumn and winter months will be appreciated by those 
who may require such flowers for church and similar 
decorations. After flowering it should be pruned hard 
back ; and the operation may be done any time after the 
plant shows signs of exhaustion (about February as a 
rule). When pruning is completed, the border should 
have some good rich compost forked into it, to feed the 
plant for another season, and during the growing period 
abundance of water at the roots ; and a free application 
of the syringe overhead upon all favourable occasions is 
productive of good results. The free use of the syringe 
will help to keep down green-fly, which sadly destroys 
the heads of flowers if not well kept under. 
Its cultivation in pots will yield a lot of flowers to the 
grower, but to get quantity and quality it must have 
both root and head-room. A few years back I saw in 
the window of an old Yorkshire labourer’s cottage, a 
plant of this Habrothamnus trained on a ladder to face 
the window, and I was told that it was never without 
flowers, the owner considering it to be one of the best 
of window plants. I saw the plant on several occasions, 
and it always appeared to be in a thriving condition, 
although not bearing such large leaves and flowers as it 
would do under greenhouse culture.— IF". G. 
-- 
CYCLAMENS. 
"Welcome, indeed, are these attractive plants at this 
gloomy season of the year, when every effort is being 
made to maintain a continuous floral display in the 
conservatory. Chrysanthemums began weeks ago to 
hang their heads, and in the course of a few days the 
last of them will take leave of us in this house, giving 
place to substitutes, which come in the form of 
Camellias, Azaleas, Epacris, Cytisus, Cyclamens, Cine¬ 
rarias, and many other winter-flowering things. 
Among the above-named subjects not the least note¬ 
worthy is Cyclamen persicum, on which I will make a 
few cultural remarks. If everyone knows what I am 
going to say I will retire, assured that I have related 
nothing new. Never mind, I will mention what I 
know about Cyclamens or Sowbread. As it is not 
deemed advisable to keep the corms after the third or 
fourth year, it will, therefore, become necessary to 
raise a batch of seedlings annually to keep up the 
stock. Commencing with seed sowing, I may remark 
that this can be done at various periods of the year. 
A reliable authority says that during November and 
December is the best time to sow, and another writer 
asserts from August to October to be the most suitable 
period, while a third states that the end of January is 
a good time ; but on this point the sower must please 
himself. I consider October a suitable month to per¬ 
form the operation. 
A common and successful method of raising seedlings 
is as follows :—Procure an ordinary seed-pan, drain it 
efficiently, and fill with a compost consisting of fine 
loam and leaf-soil in equal parts, a quantity of peat, 
and some silver-sand. Sow the seeds—or, as recom¬ 
mended by some, dibble them in—| in. apart and 
% in. deep. Place the seed-pan in a temperature of 
50® in a moist shaded greenhouse or pit, and when the 
seedlings appear, move them close to the glass to 
prevent them becoming drawn. When large enough, 
they should be lifted out carefully and re-planted 2 ins. 
apart in 5-in. or 6-in. pots, and again placed near the 
glass in a similar temperature and situation, where they 
ought to remain throughout the winter. As spring 
advances, re-pot singly into 60s, and afterwards 
remove into those of larger size as the plants grow. 
In potting, do not more than half cover the corms ; 
for if wholly covered, as recommended by some, the 
leaves and flowers are apt to damp-off. Should green¬ 
fly make its appearance, fumigation must be resorted 
to. Syringing overhead in the afternoon will keep 
down thrips, and as the sun becomes powerful at this 
season, shading must be resorted to. They ought to 
make good growth during the summer, and by autumn 
they will be of a fair size, commencing to flower by 
Christmas. • As it is not deemed advisable for those 
with limited accommodation to trouble with seedlings, 
I will take leave of them here, and proceed with the 
management of two-year-old and three-year-old corms, 
a few of which ought to be possessed by everyone who 
owns a greenhouse ; and if he has not already got a 
few, he cannot do better than apply to the nurseryman 
or florist, who will soon supply him with a few 
excellent plants at a mere nominal price. 
We succeeded in producing magnificent plants under 
the following treatment. In a shady corner, with a 
north-western aspect, we placed a frame, in the bottom 
of which we put about 9 ins. of rotten dung from an 
old hot-bed, and above this about 4 ins. of soil—loam, 
leaf-soil and sand mixed. About the middle of June 
the corms.' which had been resting for a few weeks, 
and were beginning to show signs of activity again, 
were taken out of their pots and planted about 18 ins. 
apart in this frame. I may here add that water was 
withheld from them during the few weeks they rested ; 
but they were never allowed to become so dry as to 
justify one in saying they were subjected to the drying- 
off or starvation process, as some choose to term it. 
After planting they received a good watering, and the 
lights put on, being shaded with an old half-worn mat, 
through which the light could penetrate, but not the 
sun to do them harm. On dewy nights the lights 
were removed, giving the plants' advantage of the 
refreshing moisture which they enjoy so well, and 
about the middle of September we carefully lifted and 
potted them. Some of the corms measured about 4 ins. 
across, and were put in 24-size pots, using a compost 
consisting of loam, soil and peat in equal parts, with a 
dash of Clay’s Fertiliser and sand; a quantity of 
charcoal was also added to the soil. 
The house in which we placed them for the winter 
was one of those structures that seems to suit the 
requirements of these plants—a low span-roofed pit, 
with a sunken path in the centre, and a bed of ashes 
on either side. The temperature was kept between 45° 
and 50°, and the atmosphere moist and genial, never 
allowing it to become dry and arid. By December 
they commenced flowering profusely, and continued 
doing so until February and March. 
I was rather amused, five years ago, to see a corm 
divided into four, and each quarter potted singly in a 
60-sized pot, in a greenhouse under the charge of one 
whom I thought ought to have known better ; and on 
asking what reason he had for the foolish proceeding, 
he replied that it was the best white he ever saw, and 
as it had never matured any seeds, he resolved to 
propagate it by division of the roots. It is needless to 
add his attempt was fruitless. 
Cyclamen persicum is a native of Persia ; and 
although the corms are very acrid, those of other 
species, its congeners, are the favourite food of the 
wild boars of Sicily and Italy, which gave rise to the 
English name, Sowbread.— J. Peebles. 
—-- 
Gardening Miscellany. 
Peach Trees Dropping their Buds. —Your 
correspondent, “ D. C.” (p. 268), invites the opinions 
and experience of practical men upon the subject of 
Peach trees in early forcing houses dropping their buds. 
I happened, a few years ago, to be placed in much the 
same predicament as himself. I went to a situation 
early in January of that year, and finding the buds in 
the first house dropping very much, pointed it out to 
my employer and others, when I learnt that the same 
thing occurred more or less every year in that particular 
house. This set me thinking deeply as to what were 
the causes and remedies. I found the borders and 
roots of the trees in good condition, and the branches 
had good, plump, not over-gross wood in them ; in 
fact, all seemed in a perfectly healthy condition, well- 
trained, with not an over-abundance of wood. The 
trees were trained upon the roof, which I consider a 
most material point in very early houses, as at that 
time all the solar heat and light, consistent with 
material and proper ventilation, it is possible to give 
them is necessary. They should not be planted at the 
back of the house, or even low upon trellises. This 
method may do in late houses, but not so well in early 
ones. So far this was satisfactory. "What could be 
the cause ? Was it dryness at the roots during the 
growing and ripening process of the previous year’s 
wood, or was the wood properly ripened ? Both are 
well-known causes of buds dropping. Some whom I 
know think that dryness at the roots during autumn 
will hasten and develop the ripening process. This is 
a great error, especially with regard to Peaches and 
Nectarines, as the buds and wood require to be fully 
and properly developed if good results are expected. I 
took particular care that the roots should not be allowed 
to get dry while the growing and ripening process 
was on, and during the month of August had all the 
lights removed from the roof of the house, thus ex¬ 
posing the trees to the full influence of the weather, 
and properly ripening and hardening the wood. The 
night dews in autumn are valuable auxiliaries for this 
purpose. The lights were replaced early in December, 
and during the two successive seasons I had charge of 
the place we had no trouble with the buds dropping, 
except one tree at the end of the house, which did only 
fairly well, owing to a double row of hot-water pipes 
running through the border close to its roots. This 
was not an error in practice, but in the construction of 
