September 6, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
9 
this, when Pelargoniums and other so-called bedding 
plants are almost washed out of the soil, prove their 
immense superiority as bedders. Many people who 
plant out singles in quantity, do not seem to be aware 
that double Begonias are equally serviceable for this 
purpose if only the proper kinds are used, and a nice 
compost is prepared for them to grow in. 
Often I hear it said “ I have tried Begonias out of 
doors and given them up in despair as they will not 
grow with me.” This is utter folly ; I have cultivated 
almost every named Begonia sent out in filthy smoky 
Lancashire, within half a mile of a dozen factories 
whose chimneys were continually belching forth smoke, 
causing an atmosphere nearly allied to a “London Fog.” 
Yet, even there, Begonias throve and though the foliage 
would soil your hands with soot, after a shower they 
would look as bright and clean as new pins, and bloom 
away as if they were enjoying the smoke. 
Soil has a lot to do with success in Begonia culture, 
but strange to say few of our noted growers agree on 
this point. Some say give one fourth rotten manure, 
others pin their faith on culti¬ 
vating without this almost universal 
plant food, and I am inclined to 
agree with the latter sect. 
My idea of a first-class Begonia 
compost, is two parts of leaf-soil 
(not too decayed), one part each 
of turfy loam, sharp sand, and bog 
mould (peat), this will do either for 
pot culture or for beds ; in the 
former I would suggest plenty of 
drainage being used and about once 
a month give an egg-spoonful of 
Standen’s manure to a 6 inch pot, 
as top-dressing. An all important 
point is not to start the tubers 
into growth too early in the season, 
and to thoroughly harden off before 
planting out, giving plenty of air 
from the time growth appears above 
the soil. For pot culture, the 
middle of February is a good time, 
and a month later for bedding. 
About the first or second week in 
June ;is quite soon enough to bed 
out, and as the plants should then 
be in flower, or nearly so, the 
garden will be gay until the middle 
or end of October, unless cut down 
sooner by frost. Of varieties there 
are dozens, nay hundreds, but I 
stick to some of the old named 
kinds for freedom of flowering and 
good habit. Mixed single seedlings 
are well enough for a couple of 
months, but they are not nearly so 
constant or free flowering as a few 
I shall name ; but as to seedling 
doubles, so far as my experience 
goes, they are useless as bedders and 
unworthy of pot culture. 
Some growers, for reasons best 
known to themselves, write non¬ 
sensical twaddle about named 
varieties, especially doubles, de¬ 
teriorating in quality from over 
propagation, but I defy anyone to 
prove such to be the case, as quantities of those I have 
been growing since sent out five years ago are as good 
to-day as when first put in commerce, and in no single 
instance have I known a double, or for that matter, a 
single either to fall off in quality, though, of course, 
some seasons they are not as good as others. 
But to return to my subject, in singles I would 
place Sedeni superba first, for though but a small 
bloom, the wonderful profusion in which the rosy 
crimson flowers are produced makes up for its lack of 
size. I send you a shoot, Mr. Editor, to give you an 
idea of its free-blooming qualities. Crimson Bedder, 
not unlike H. Jacoby in colour, good habit, medium 
size, pretty foliage. Madame Oscar Lamarche, a fine 
orange-red variety, free bloomer, splendid habit, and 
strong grower. Lrelia, sometimes spelt Lelia, lovely 
scarlet-vermilion, free flowering, fine habit. Mrs. 
Laing, Snowflake and White Bedder are equally beau¬ 
tiful white varieties, but I think the latter is the most 
hardy and free flowering. Of yellows 1 can say very 
little for bedding, the sun being so liable to spoil the 
blooms, but the best is Golden Gem. Lady H. 
Campbell is the best pink that I am acquainted with. 
Now we come to doubles, Robin Adair (an old love 
of mine) takes first place with its noble crimson 
medium-sized flowers. A good companion both for 
freedom of bloom and contrast in colour, is G. Legros, 
a beautiful soft sulphur-yellow. J. T. Poe, called after 
an old friend, carries its lovely rose-coloured flowers 
well above the foliage, and, like its namesake, always 
look you straight in the face. Madame Comesse, fine, 
salmon-rose, free-flowering, and good grower. Though 
rather expensive to bed out, Oetavie, snow-white, is 
grand, and almost as good is Yirginalis, same colour 
and good habit. Ceres, soft rosy pink, with lighter 
centre, extremely floriferous ; an exquisite flower. 
Madame Crousse, pale salmon, and a gem, fine upright 
habit; and though last by no means least, Mons. Felix 
Crousse, superb orange-scarlet blooms, sent out and 
called after himself by that noted raiser to whom we 
owe so much for having introduced (in my opinion) the 
finest named doubles in cultivation, notably for habit 
and size of petals. 
Please bear in mind that I have only given a selection 
of the best double and single Begonias as bedders, and 
that there are dozens of others equally amenable to 
Scarlet Bizarre Carnation, C. H. Herbert. 
out-door culture. If any of your readers wish for 
further lists, I shall be happy to reply through your 
columns. 
Unfortunately I cannot recommend Tuberous Begonia 
flowers as travellers, though the roots can be sent all 
over the world, but I send you a few flowers culled 
from the open garden, and grown without any protec¬ 
tion whatever, to give an idea of how they succeed in 
Ireland. My harvest of bloom will, I am sorry to say, 
be shortly over, for I must decapitate my plants 
in order to obtain cuttings later on. — IV. Morley 
Reamsbottom, Alderborough, Geashill, King's Co. 
-— XE< -- 
JAPANESE ANEMONES. 
The difference between well and badly-grown plants 
of this species is well marked, as those know who have 
cultivated them or seen them grown on different 
principles. When the “let-alone” system is the 
prevailing one the plants get dwarfer every year after 
a certain time, and the flowers get smaller, as well as 
fewer in number. To maintain the various forms of 
this species in the best of vigour, it is necessary to 
renew the beds or plantations every few years, unless 
the soil is naturally very rich, and is well manured or 
top-dressed every year. Of course, a pretty fair display 
can be maintained in the ordinary border v/ithout the 
use of manure, but the grandest effect is obtained when 
the plants are made to grow vigorously in beds by 
special treatment. 
The soil should be trenched to the depth of 18 ins. 
or more, loosening up the subsoil to allow superfluous 
moisture to pass away freely. Should the natural soil 
be bad, then the whole or part of it should be removed 
and replaced with good loam, or as good as can be had. 
Old pottiDg soil from under the potting-benches, for 
instance, will .prove more serviceable than the natural 
material, should that happen to be either chalk, sand, 
or stiff clay. Soil containing a considerable quantity 
of humus or decaying vegetable matter, would prove of 
great service in retaining moisture during the summer 
months when that element is generally very much 
needed, particularly in the southern counties. Any 
fresh soil that may be added should be used in the 
rough state, so as to resist decay as long as possible. 
If the soil is very heavy, a little peat might, however, 
improve its texture mechanically. 
Beds made up in this way should 
be planted with good suckers that 
are generally not difficult to obtain 
where a few large plants are grown. 
If done during this month, the roots 
will be well established in the fresh 
soil before winter sets in. After 
that, planting had better be deferred 
till spring. Mulch the bed with good 
farmyard manure, taking care not to 
bury the foliage of the newly-planted 
pieces. The manuiial properties get 
washed down to the roots ; and if 
the material is left on the beds all 
the summer, it will prevent the too 
rapid escape of moisture from the soil. 
Should the summer prove a dry 
one, the application of a good supply 
of water, flooding the bed, say once 
a week, would be of great advantage 
to the plants, and increase the quan¬ 
tity of flowers. The latter are very 
serviceable in a cut state, or for 
making a display in the flower 
garden, where they might be used 
to advantage in place of Pelar¬ 
goniums, Calceolarias, and similar 
overdone subjects. In sheltered 
places where the flowers may be 
protected against storms of wind 
and rain in autumn, isolated beds 
or clumps might be planted on the 
lawn or margins of the pleasure 
ground, where they could hardly 
fail to be appreciated as summer 
gives place to autumn, but while the 
foliage of trees is yet in prime 
vigour. Even in such a place a 
mulching of manure could hardly 
be objectionable, as the broad leaves 
soon cover the surface of the ground. 
The beds might even be utilised for 
planting Gladioli between the stools 
of Anemones ; and an early display 
could be produced by starting a few 
corms in heat, putting them in 
small pots so that they could be moved about and 
the plants hardened oft’ before consigning them to the 
open ground in May. 
There are three very distinct forms in cultivation, 
and the wonder is there are not more considering their 
utility and the varied purposes to which they might be 
put. The typical form, Anemone japonica, is less 
cultivated than any, but why this should be is difficult 
to say. The flowers are produced on long peduncles 
that spring from the top of the flower stems from an 
involucre consisting of three or four leaves. The sepals 
are very numerous, narrow, oblong, and rosy carmine. 
They overlap one another simply owing to their great 
number. The leaves are ternately divided into three 
large-lobed segments. The stems vary from 2 ft. to 
3 ft. in height. 
A very popular one is A. j. elegans, variously known 
in gardens as A. j. rosea and A. j. hybrida. The flowers 
are of a beautiful pale rose colour, and 3 ins. in diameter, 
with relatively few (about five) broad and much imbri¬ 
cated sepals. The stems vary in height from 3 ft. to 
5 ft. according to the vigour of the plants, the soil and 
the treatment they receive. It is certainly choice in its 
way, and should be in every collection. The most 
popular of the three is A. j. alba, also known as 
Honorine Jobert. The pure white flowers vary from 
2 ins. to 3 ins. in diameter, according to the state of the 
plants. Like the typical form, the stems are dwarfer 
than those of the last, say 2 ft. or 3 ft. 
