October 25, 1890 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
121 
is difficult to handle them without breaking some off. 
These are the young roots, and the only feeders by which 
the plant imbibes its food. If growing in peat they 
are found pretty equally diffused over the ball; but if 
in mixed soil, they are invariably in greatest abun¬ 
dance on that side which is most in contact with any 
fragments of peat or other decomposed vegetable 
matter. Incapable from their extreme delicacy of 
penetrating stiff hard soil, and peculiarly susceptible of 
injury from dryness, particularly while in a state of 
activity, these fragile rootlets soon wither and die 
when so exposed, entailing a serious loss upon the 
plant, and that at a time when it requires all the 
assistance it can get to enable it to perfect its growth, 
and form flower buds for the succeeding season. From 
these facts, as well as from experience of results, it 
seems obvious that a soil to be suitable for Rhododen¬ 
drons must be soft and spongy in its texture, capable of 
retaining moisture, and possessed of a larger percentage 
of vegetable matter. 
Anyone obtaining peat from one of the dealers in 
that article will have it in the form of large cakes, and 
NARROW-LEAVED CROTONS. 
Fop. exhibition purposes various types of Crotons are 
used ; but the broad-leaved varieties predominate as 
large specimens, and as for this particular purpose 
preference is given to a few of the leading kinds, little 
or no variation occurs from year to year. Public taste, 
however, at present gives preference to the narrow¬ 
leaved and graceful kinds for table decoration. The 
accompanying illustration of a variety named Mrs. 
Dorman, sent out by Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, 
will give an idea of the type referred to. Small plants 
with broad leaves have altogether too heavy an effect 
to be desirable on the table, more especially by gas¬ 
light. The variety under notice has narrowly linear, 
gracefully recurved leaves, about 12 ins. to 15 ins. long 
when well grown, and J in. wide. The margins are 
of a rich green, and a broad, more or less irregular 
band of orange-scarlet runs along the centre. We are 
indebted to Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son for the 
opportunity of figuring it. Although we have followed 
the garden usage of employing the word Croton, it is 
but right to say that the botanical name is Codiaeum, 
three advanced clusters of fruit, and they have in¬ 
creased in number from that date. The first week in 
August I counted 200 fruits on the plant in all stages 
of growth, and the same number six weeks later. 
Since then the tan in which the Pines were plunged 
had to be disturbed, which operation destroyed a great 
portion of the roots of the Tomato plant, so that at the 
time of writing there are only about fifty fruits, but 
the plant is still growing. The variety is Vick’s 
Criterion, and if anyone can tell me of another that 
will beat this or Gilbert’s Surpasse for giving a supply 
of fruit from December to the end of March I shall be 
extremely obliged to them. 
“ W. J.” in the Garden, p. 330, writing of diseased 
Tomatos, states that, as a rule, the first to succumb to 
it are the less robust ones, including Vick’s Criterion. 
Now my experience is just the reverse of this, and I 
have invariably noticed the disease first on the large 
fruiters, and they have died right out, whilst Vick’s 
has bravely struggled on for weeks after. Our plants 
are allowed to grow like Cucumbers, are stopped above 
the flower until the allotted space i3 covered, but 
when received they should chop it up small, or break 
it into pieces with a coarse rake, but they should not 
screen it. To this can be added, if procurable, an 
equal quantity of well-rotted leaf-soil, free from 
sticks, and with the addition of some sharp sand. 
Should the original soil of the garden be clayey or 
chalky, it should be dug out to a depth of 18 ins. or a 
little less, and some of the compost be put in its place ; 
it is not well to mix in any of the old soil with it. 
When the Rhododendrons are planted they will be 
benefited by a strong mulching from a decayed hot-bed, 
and the process may be repeated with good effects for 
several years. I am afraid that too many of the 
Rhododendron growers do not sufficiently estimate the 
value of good culture, and the sustaining and in¬ 
vigorating effects of a liberal surface mulching with 
manure. 
The Rhododendron is sometimes called the Rose Bay ; 
this is also applied to the Nerium Oleander. The latter 
finds a place among noxious, deadly, and ill-omened 
plants, for Linnaeus mentions a case in which its odour 
proved deadly. It is worthy of notice that the flowers 
and foliage of this shrub will exercise a deadly influence 
on many quadrupeds ; hence it is called in India the 
horse-killer, and in Italy the ass-bane. Epilobium 
angustifolium is also known as the Rose Bay.— II. 1). 
Croton, Mbs. Dorman. 
as with all the other fine-foliaged subjects termed Croton 
by gardeners. _ o:C c> _ 
TOMATOS. 
I have a dozen plants of these in 12-in. pots that 
were sown on February 4th of this year, and all have 
been affected with the disease in the leaves, like the 
sample enclosed, the worst being six in the coolest and 
most airy house. Those in the adjoining house have 
been kept rather more close and warmer, and are still 
flowering and setting fruit. A month ago I syringed 
these with water in which sulphate of lime had been 
boiled, and though not free from the disease, they are 
much better. Both lots have been grown on the north 
sides of span-roofed houses, and have had to take their 
chance with French Beans, Celosias, Eranthemums, 
Linums, &e. One plant on the north side of a house 
in the same range, in which Melons and Cucumbers are 
growing, has been all but free from the disease, and is 
still fruiting, which it will continue to do up till 
Christmas or later, as we took away the tile from under 
the pot some time back, and the roots have found their 
way into the Cucumber bed by now. Another plant 
in a 12-in. pot, put on the tan in the Fine stove from 
outside on September 24th, 1889, has been entirely free 
from disease. When taken indoors there were two or 
barren shoots are frequently removed. Our plant in 
the Pine stove covers a surface of 18 ft. by 2 ft. 
Writers on the Tomato recommend in their cultural 
notes free admission of air as one means of preventing 
the disease ; but with me, you see, the plants most 
freely ventilated were the worst, for at the time the 
disease made its appearance the worst house was us ed 
for hardening bedding plants previous to putting them 
in cold pits. 
I may add that one year I had an attack of the 
fungus in the Pine stoves, but after painting the pipes 
with sulphur it disappeared. Sulphur is of very little 
use on pipes that are only slightly heated. That good 
crops can be got in cool airy houses I admit, for in the 
damp valley of Walton-le-Dale, close to the river 
Ribble, Mr. Troughton has annually as good crops as 
I ever saw, and the plants are always free from all 
kinds of diseases.— TF. P. R. 
New way of Propagating Hydrangea panicu- 
lata. — This consists of using the flower buds as 
cuttings. The buds root readily, provided they are 
taken off with a heel. If grown in small pots and 
forced, these small plants can be made very effective 
for decorative purposes, as they flower almost immed¬ 
iately .—Bulletin d'Arboriculture. 
