762 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 28, 1888. 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
Transplanting Leeks. 
Those who took the trouble of sowing a quantity of 
Leeks indoors early in spring will now be able to see 
the advantage of doing so, and the time that is gained 
by the process. It practically means a much longer 
growing season when the initial stages are urged onwards 
indoors, and seeing that they grow slowly and take up 
but little room, it may encourage others to adopt the 
system. It is generally those who grow for exhibition 
purposes that attempt sowing early under glass ; but 
when cultivators in general come to recognise the value 
of this useful and wholesome vegetable, they will take 
a little more trouble in securing the best possible results 
attainable. The ordinary soil of most gardens is 
sufficiently rich to produce Leeks of good size and 
quality, by increasing the length of the growing 
season, and amateurs, if they choose, could produce 
bulbs of which even professional gardeners might be 
proud. It may be taken for granted that early-sown 
Leeks have not only been planted by this time, but 
have attained considerable size. Spring-sown batches 
may still, however, be transplanted with the view of 
securing a good breadth of this hardy vegetable. The 
object of transplanting is, of course, to blanch the 
long-necked bulbs, as well as to increase their length 
and thickness. A deeply-dug or trenched piece of 
ground, well enriched with manure, should be selected 
for the purpose, and after taking out shallow trenches 
at-regular distances apart, the Leeks may be planted in 
a single row along the bottom, 9 ins. apart from plant 
to plant. Early-sown ones would profitably occupy the 
ground planted much farther apart. The thinnings of 
the spring-sown beds may be used for the purpose, 
selecting as strong specimens as can well be spared. 
The roots may be shortened a little if they are incon¬ 
veniently long, as well as the leaves. This will prevent 
the latter from wasting the resources of the newly- 
disturbed plants, and from flagging should the weather 
prove warm after the operation. They should be 
earthed up from time to time as growth proceeds. 
Celery. 
Some growers neglect the operation of earthing up 
till late in the season, and then do it all at one or' two 
operations. Growth is, however, greatly encouraged after 
the first earthing up, especially should the weather be 
dry and warm. Celery is naturally a moisture-loving 
plant, growing in ditches in a wild state, so that we 
materially assist it by earthing up. Blanching is the 
primary object in view, but careful observers cannot 
fail to perceive how much more rapidly it grows after 
the first earthing up. Before commencing, remove all 
suckers or shoots from the crown of the plant, with the 
exception of the main one, of course ; and small or 
fading shoots from the latter should also be removed. 
Loosen down the soil from the ridge on each side, 
breaking it fine with the spade—an operation that will 
not be difficult after so much rain. Then hold the 
leaves by their stalks in the left hand, so as to prevent 
soil getting into the crown, and with the other 
distribute the soil all round the plants. Do not bury 
them too deeply, but add more soil later on. 
Shallots, Potato Onions, &c. 
"Whenever the leaves of these have died down or fairly 
begun to get yellow, they should be pulled up and laid 
in some sunny position to dry, out of the reach of wet, 
however, if such a position is at command. The early 
silver-skinned Onions, both of the autumn and spring 
sowing, should be pulled up at the same time if the 
foliage has fairly died down. If left in the ground 
much longer, they will re-commence growth and be 
spoiled. Do not leave them on the ground if the 
weather be wet, otherwise they will start afresh as if 
they had not been moved. A hard bottom, such as 
stone pavement or boarding, would be most suitable 
under the circumstances. 
Polyanthus. 
After the seeds have been ripened and collected, the 
old plants may be lifted, carefully divided, and re¬ 
planted. It is to be presumed that while the plants 
were in bloom the meritorious varieties were noted and 
marked. This, of course, refers to seedlings which 
have just flowered, showing what they are worth. Old 
well-known or named kinds will not require such a 
weeding out. Sow the seeds obtained as soon as they 
ripen and have been collected. Pans or boxes are 
most suitable for the purpose, so that they may be 
sown thinly, and allowed to develop till fit to handle, 
when they maybe pricked out into other pans,using fresh 
soil. By working up a collection in this way, annually 
sowing seeds and retaining the best when they come 
into bloom, surprising results can be obtained by the 
careful and observant worker. If well treated some of 
the seedlings will flower the following spring. Those 
divided and re-planted just now will receive little check 
owing to the abundance of moisture, and will be 
thoroughly re-established before winter. 
Chinese Primulas. 
Make a sowing of these now to come into flower in 
spring. Make the sowing in a well-drained pan, using 
a compost consisting chiefly of leaf-soil and sand, with 
a small quantity of loam. Sow evenly and thinly over 
the surface, cover lightly with soil, and after watering 
with a fine rosed watering pot, place a square of glass 
over the pan. If a greehouse be at command, or a close 
frame, stand the pan there, keeping them close till the 
seedlings appear, when they may be gradually inured 
to the drier atmosphere of the house. Keep them near 
the light as well, and on no account suffer them to 
become drawn. As soon as they make a rough leaf or 
two they may be potted off singly into thumb pots, or 
what is better, they may be pricked into another pan 
or box, and allowed to get to some size before potting 
them up. They are more easily kept moist in a large 
body of soil than when potted singly in the early 
stages, and there will be fewer deaths, as a rule, when 
they are kept constantly and genially moist, yet not 
sodden. Keep the young seedlings in a cool position 
during the warmer days of next month. 
-->X<-- 
NEW PLANTS CERTIFICATED 
By the Floral Committee of the R. H. S. 
July 24 th. 
L^lia Amesiana. 
The pseudo-bulbs of this Orchid are from 6 ins. to 
12 ins. in length, bearing at the apex a solitary, oblong, 
leathery leaf. The plant exhibited had ten flowers on 
three spikes. The sepals and petals are blush-coloured, 
and the latter are folded backwards along the middle, 
somewhat in the way of L. elegans. The labellum is 
the most conspicuous part of the flower, and is of a 
rich dark purple colour, and finely undulated and 
crisped at the margin. The mouth of the tube is 
white, while lower down it is yellow, and purple at 
the base. Exhibited by Mr. Ballantine, gardener to 
Baron Schroder, The Dell, Egham. 
Anguloa Ruckeki alba. 
Those who know the ordinary form of the species can 
easily imagine a pure white form; for with the 
exception of a few transverse purple bands on the 
interior of the labellum, all the rest is spotless. The 
flowers are also of the usual size, and deliciously 
fragrant. Exhibited by C. Dorman, Esq., Laurie Park, 
Sydenham. 
Saccolabium cceleste. 
The leaves of this beautiful species are from 4 ins. to 
6 ins. in length, arranged in a two-ranked manner, and 
are rigid and deeply channelled. The flower-spikes, 
about 6 ins. or 8 ins. in length, are axillary and erect, 
with the blooms very close together, having obovate 
white sepals and petals tipped with blue. • The labellum 
is bent away from the column, flat, and of a deep blue 
colour, with the lateral lobes small and tooth-like. 
The spur is straight in its upper portion, as in Sacco¬ 
labium, but it is hooked at the tip, which is blue. 
Exhibited by Mr. B. S. "Williams, Upper Holloway. 
Stuartia sub-Camellia. 
Few of the species belonging to the Camellia family 
can be cultivated in the open air in this country, but 
such few of them as we have are interesting plants, 
with large showy blooms. In this case the latter are 
cup-shaped, with large, rounded, white petals, jagged 
at the margin. The leaves are oblong, slightly oblique, 
and somewhat leathery, bright green, and shining, 
bearing the Camellia-like flowers singly in their axils. 
Exhibited by Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Iris lievigata, Enterprise. 
The varieties of the Japan Iris, although more correct 
botanically when relegated to I. laevigata, are better 
known in gardens under the name of I. Ksempferi. 
The variety under notice has the falls striped and 
marked with violet, purple and white, while the 
standards are purple and white, the former predomin¬ 
ating, and giving to them their particular hue. Each 
segment is furnished with a yellow band at the base. 
Exhibited by Mr. William Gordon, Twickenham, 
Middlesex. 
Iris levigata, Kaiser Wilhelm. 
This is a striking and showy variety, similar in all 
respects to the last, but several shades paler, with a 
more abundant development of the white markings, 
which take the form of irregular stripes and lines. 
Exhibited by Mr. William Gordon, Twickenham, 
Middlesex. 
Carnation, Scarlet Bedder. 
Flowers of this variety were exhibited showing them to 
be of medium size and double scarlet. A pot plant 
formed a mass of branching stems about a foot in 
height, and amply furnished with flower buds ; there¬ 
fore, although vigorous, it is dwarf and bushy, suitable 
for bedding purposes. Exhibited by Mr. R. Dean, 
Ealing. 
Carnation Elaine. 
As a border Carnation this is one of considerable 
merit, having pure white regularly double flowers, 
with the petals shallowly crenate at the margin. Only 
flowers, however, were shown. Exhibited by Mr. J. 
Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford. , 
Oreocome Candollei. 
Botanically this is an Umbellifer, now included in the 
genus Selinum. It is a tall-growing plant, about 3 ft. 
or 5 ft. high, with numerous compound umbels of 
white flowers, having a slate-coloured disk in the centre. 
The foliage is the most conspicuous and ornamental 
part of the plant, the lower leaves being from five to 
six times finely divided, and bright green. Exhibited 
by Mr. C. Noble, Bagshot. 
Nothochlsna Muelleri. 
The fronds of this beautiful and distinct-looking species 
are pinnate, with oblong-cordate, bluntly pointed pinnse. 
The upper surface of these pinnae are furnished thinly 
all over with ovate silvery white scales, while the lower 
surface is densely felted with them, and pale at first, 
but ultimately becoming of a rusty colour. Exhibited 
by Messrs. W. and J. Birkenhead, Sale, Manchester. 
SCOLOPENDRIUM YULGARE CRISTTTLATUM. 
This variety of our native Harts-tongue takes its name 
from the dense Parsley-like crest which terminates 
each frond. The latter is about 6 ins. or 8 ins. in 
height, narrow and erect, so that a well-grown plant 
has a pretty appearance from the compact mass pro¬ 
duced by the large and distinct-looking crests. It is 
also highly suitable for cultivation in pots. Exhibited 
by Messrs. W. & J. Birkenhead, Sale, Manchester. 
LASTREA MONTANA RAMO-CORONANS. 
The typical wild form of the Mountain Fern when seen 
even in its native habitats is a beautiful subject, owing 
to the shuttle-like or elliptic outline of the frond, 
which tapers towards the base and apex. In the variety 
under notice each pinnae terminates in a small crest, 
while the apex of the frond is furnished with a large 
crest. Being dwarf and tufted it is highly suitable 
for cultivation in pots. Exhibited by Messrs. W. & J. 
Birkenhead, Sale, Manchester. 
Rhododendron, Purity. 
Great improvement continues to be wrought amongst 
greenhouse Rhododendrons, and this variety has 
terminal trusses of large pure white flowers. The 
elliptic, leathery leaves are borne three to six in a 
whorl, and are of large size for hybrids of this type 
generally. It has been raised from seed of R. Teys- 
manni, which was fertilised by pollen from R. Taylori. 
Exhibited by Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Rose, Duchess of Albany. 
This H.P. is a sport from the popular and showy 
variety La France. The outer petals are all regularly 
retiexed, giving it the peculiarities of form so character¬ 
istic of La France, from which it differs in being of a 
deep rose-pink, several shades darker than the parent 
stock. Exhibited by Messrs. William Paul & Son, 
Waltham Cross, Herts. 
Rose, Paul’s Cheshunt Scarlet. 
The striking feature of this new H.P. is that the flowers 
are of a brilliant crimson-scarlet, being the nearest 
approach perhaps we have of a true scarlet Rose. It is 
a decorative variety, regularly and closely set in bud, 
but not very large, at least those shown. The leaves 
are deep green, smooth and ample. Exhibited by 
Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt. 
By the National Carnation and Picotee Society. 
Picotee Silvia. 
The flowers of this new Picotee raised by Mr. J. 
Douglas are pure white, with a narrow or light purple 
edge to the petals, which are very shallowly crenated 
or toothed at the margin. The bloom is of medium 
size, regularly developed, and beautifully marked. 
Exhibited by Mr. J. Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford. 
