830 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 29, 1891. 
The Amateur’s Garden. 
SEASONABLE WORK inthe GARDEN. 
Chrysanthemums. —Plants in pots will now be 
showing what is termed the “crown bud," and it 
must now be settled by the cultivator whether he 
wants large flowers and few of them or a larger 
number of smaller flowers. If it is desired to secure 
the crown bud, then the lateral shoots which arise 
in the axils of the upper leaves should be removed 
with the finger and thumb as soon as they make 
their appearance. Three good flowers may also be 
obtained by removing the crown bud and leaving 
three of the axillary shoots which bear what are 
spoken of as " terminals.” When bush plants are 
grown a slight but judicious thinning is all that is 
required, and this must be done later on, when the 
buds show themselves on the lateral shoots. 
Pinks and Carnations. —Pipings of Pinks that 
were put in early and early-layered Carnations 
will now be rooted and may be planted in their 
permanent quarters at once. Plants so treated 
always flower better than those struck late, and they 
are moreover hardier and of better constitution than 
those kept under glass till spring. See that those 
more recently layered do not get dry after periods of 
dry weather, as the soil in which they are layered is 
apt to do so when light material has been specially 
prepared for them. 
Bedding Plants. —Propagation should now be 
carried on in all earnestness so as to get the cuttings 
well rooted before the dull and cold weather sets in. 
Ageratums, Verbenas, Heliotropes, Iresines, Coleus 
and Pelargoniums are those most requiring attention. 
An old hot-bed from which the Melons or Cucum¬ 
bers have been cut, or early Potatos dug, will prove 
suitable places for placing the boxes and pots or pans 
containing the cuttings. Here they may remain till 
danger of frost necessitates their removal indoors. 
The little heat remaining in the beds will favour the 
rooting of the cuttings. After this has taken place 
plenty of ventilation must be given. 
Gardenias. —Young plants of Gardenias which 
are being grown on for winter work in pots should 
now receive their final shift before the dull days of 
autumn set in, so that the pots may be full of roots 
and stand the winter better. They should be kept 
in a house with a good growing temperature over a 
bed of fermenting leaves if possible, or even plunged 
in it, to encourage root development. At all times 
guard against the establishment of mealy bug upon 
them. 
Bougainvillia glabra. —With liberal treatment 
plants in pots may be kept flowering for some time 
to come. The weak shoots may be cut away to 
prevent the crowding of the stronger ones which 
may be expected to flower. Mulch the pots with 
manure, and give liberal supplies of water while 
growth is being made. 
Achimenes, &c. —The various forms of Achi- 
menes will now be at their best and doing service in 
the greenhouse or conservatory. They must be well 
supplied with water at the roots, but the foliage 
must be kept as dry as possible, and all decayed 
leaves removed at once. It would be all the better 
for them if they could be kept in an intermediate 
temperature, especially during wet weather such as 
we have been having. The difficulty could be partly 
overcome by turning on the hot water occasionally 
so as to warm the pipes on the mornings of dull days, 
giving ventilation at the same time. The treatment 
required by the Achimenes will also suit Gesneras 
and Tydaeas. 
Crotons, Aralias, &c. —Now is the time to 
make a reckoning of the quantity of stock of table 
plants likely to be required during the winter, and if 
more plants are required then cuttings of such 
things as are considered necessary (including 
Crotons, Dracaenas, Aralias, Pandanus Veitchi and 
others) should be struck. 
Linum trigynum —Those who grow their stock 
of this useful subject planted out in frames should 
now think of lifting it and potting it up. Keep the 
plants in a close frame for a few days until they 
have taken to the new soil, after which they may be 
ventilated freely till cold nights necessitate their 
removal to warmer quarters. 
Staking Plants. —The herbaceous border will 
now require frequent attention, as tall-growing 
subjects are liable to be borne down by wind and 
rain, and thereby spoiled as far as their flowering is 
concerned. Perennial Asters, Phloxes, Sunflowers, 
Solidagos and Dahlias are amongst the plants that 
call for immediate attention. More than one stake 
will often be required for Dahlias, if the plants are 
large. Thin out the weak and unnecessary shoots to 
give the others more light and air. Loop up with 
pieces of matting all strong shoots that are liable to 
get broken down. 
Onions. —The bulbs of winter Onions should be 
pulled up when the tops get broken down and show 
signs of going to rest. Those with thick necks may 
be encouraged to go to rest by bending them down. 
Frequent heavy showers have a tendency to keep 
them growing, and even after the bulbs have been 
pulled up it will be necessary in weather such as we 
have been having, to remove them to some dry shed 
or under cover where they will be protected from wet 
yet get a free current of air amongst them. Spring 
sown Onions will require longer time in the ground 
in most places owing to the lateness of the season. 
Coleworts. —The Rosette and Early London 
Coleworts are the most useful of their kind, but many 
growers use early and hardy varieties of Cabbages 
for the same purpose. The ground is now in a suit¬ 
able condition for planting, and the opportunity 
should be taken of putting in a good breadth. 
Herbs. —When these are intended to be dried for 
preservation they should be cut when they reach the 
flowering stage. All such things as Mint, Thyme, 
Sage, Tarragon, Marjoram, Lavender, Hyssop, 
Savory, &c., should be cut, tied in bunches and hung 
up in a cool, dry place where they can receive 
plenty of ventilation, and dry gradually. In the 
case of Chamomile the heads of bloom should be 
gathered by hand, and laid out thinly to dry in a 
shed before being stored ready for use. 
Melons. —Comparatively little water will now be 
required either in the atmosphere or at the roots. 
Syringing need only be given on fine days, and the 
paths and walls sprinkled at other times. A mulch¬ 
ing of manure over the beds would save the necessity 
of frequent watering by preserving the moisture in 
the soil. Attend to the tying of the stems as they 
grow and to the stopping of laterals. If all this is 
done in good time it will spare unnecessary expendi¬ 
ture of energy on the part of the plants. 
THE SHREWSBURY 
FLORAL FETE. 
Again an unqualified success—a much finer exhi¬ 
bition than any seen in the far-famed Shrewsbury 
Quarry before. So writes a correspondent who 
visited the Shrewsbury Show and Gala last week, 
and we have the same satisfactory report from others. 
The competition for the groups was very keen, and 
the first prize was worthily awarded to Mr. P. Blair, 
of Trentham, for one of the best examples of a show 
group ever put together. In the principal stove and 
greenhouse plant class those old rivals, Messrs. 
Cypher and Finch, each put his best foot forward, 
and the judges, finding it impossible to say which 
was the best, made them equal first—which was the 
best thing that could be done, as after weighing up 
the merits of both for a long time they could not 
come to any other decision. The other plant classes 
were all well filled. 
The cut flower section was an excellent one all 
round, and the fruit classes brought together a great 
quantity of produce and really of good quality con¬ 
sidering the wet and sunless season. The high 
quality was particularly noticeable in the Grape 
classes. The display of vegetables was as usual 
most excellent, and the untoward season notwith¬ 
standing quite up to the high standard of previous 
years. The cottagers came out strong in all the 
classes open to them, and some of their exhibits were 
really wonderful. The competition with wild flowers 
was also an important feature in this section. The 
miscellaneous exhibits were a grand feature, and 
comprised admirable contributions from the local 
nurserymen as well as from several coming from a 
distance. The display of Gladioli made by the 
Messrs. Kelway & Son was specially worthy of 
commendation. 
Notwithstanding the unsettled state of the weather 
the attendance of visitors numbered 15,000 on the 
first day, and 45,000 on the second, and the total 
receipts from all sources amounted to over £3,000. 
On the second day £1,413 ns. was taken at the 
gates. The Shrewsbury committee, and the Secre¬ 
taries, Messrs. Adnitt & Naunton, know how to 
handle a Flower Show, and stand at the head of all 
for pluck and success. 
NOTES FROM IRELAND. 
(Continued, from page 793. J 
Belmont Nursery, Belfast.— Here I saw the 
Rose at home. I had often seen and admired the 
exhibits of Mr. Hugh Dickson. But on the occasion 
of my visit it was my privilege to see his Roses in 
their thousands, with a lustre on their foliage which 
gave abundant evidence of high culture and a pure 
atmosphere. As we walked round the Rose 
quarters the various points of the different varieties 
were pointed out, and all the newest varieties in 
commerce and their adaptability to different situ¬ 
ations explained as only a master hand can explain 
them. After the Roses we inspected a splendid 
breadth of fruit trees, and passing on in due time 
reached the houses, the first of which was filled with 
specimen Camellias. Although dubbed old-fashioned 
they still found many admirers, and flowering early 
are very useful and by no means despised here. 
Adjoining is a stove full of useful well-coloured stuff. 
On one side I noted a nice batch of Orchids 
amongst which Cattleya Eldorado and C. Gaskelliana 
were in bloom. Further on a span-roofed fernery 
came under review. This contained a large stock of 
Adiantum cuneatum, an indispensable plant where 
there is a brisk demand for cut flowers, as is usually 
the case at the Belmont nursery. 
Then followed house after house of Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums and other plants grown for cut bloom, but 
the piece de resistance was a large span-roofed 
house of Tuberous Begonias, and a finer lot I never 
saw before. The double ones were more like Holly¬ 
hocks, than anything else, and ranged from pure 
white to delicate pink, and the most dazzling scarlet. 
The plants were beautifully shaped, compact and 
symmetrical, with the flowers clear of the foliage, 
round and solid looking. Outside, too, I saw them 
bedded out in thousands. Their advantages for this 
purpose are many over the Zonal Pelargonium. 
The flowers defy the rain in a wet season, and with 
the help of their tubers withstand the drought in a 
dry summer for a long period. Seedlings are pricked 
out in pits and on borders, and the promising ones 
carefully watchedTor'improvement. 
On one side of the houses I noticed a splendid lot 
of Dahlias, of which doubtless more will _be heard 
later on. A long broad border of shrubs and conifers 
planted for effect was very attractive, the beautiful 
tints being blended most harmoniously. The same 
sorts are also represented in bulk, and their quality 
is quite in keeping with everything else grown by Mr. 
Dickson. After tea and an hour’s chat, I bade my 
host farewell, and thus ended another pleasant 
chapter in my holiday trip.— fas. Brown, Arddarroch, 
N. B. 

SHIRLEY POPPIES. 
The Shirley Poppy has a straggling habit of growth, 
and in this respect requires amendment. I have a 
long border 70 ft. long and 6 ft. wide, on which I 
have a row of these popular Poppies, the entire 
length. The seeds were sown broadcast about the 
middle of April, in a line 9 in. wide, and when the 
seedlings w'ere large enough they were thinned out 
to about 6 in. apart. When the plants grew to over 
a foot in height they began to fall about and get out 
of the line — as someone remarked "Just like 
Poppies." Some Pea stakes from an early crop 
being at liberty, we had them shortened to about 2ft. 
in length, and placed on each side of our row of 
Poppies, one man holding up the straggling growths 
while another put in the stakes. In about a week 
they had grown through the stakes, and to a great 
extent hid them from sight. The line now' looks 
neat and orderly, and the plants flowering with the 
utmost freedom are admired by all who see them. In 
front of the Poppies there is a broad band consisting of 
three rows of Paeony-flowered Asters, just beginning 
to open, and a row' of dwarf Chrysanthemum- 
flowered Asters next the Box edging. Staking the 
Poppies in this way has been a great success, and I 
strongly recommend the practice to all who grow 
the same sort. What a wealth of flowers and 
variety these Shirley Poppies yield. They are 
singularly beautiful too used in a cut state, and 
especiallv so when mixed with wild grasses —T Ij\ 
