10 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 1, 1888. 
The Amateurs' Garden. 
Pelargoniums. 
Few amateurs have yet got into the secret of annually 
cutting down and re-starting the show and fancy 
varieties of Pelargoniums, in the same manner as those 
do who grow for exhibition purposes. Market growers 
do not require large plants, but propagate and grow 
them annually to the desired size from cuttings. 
Private growers and amateurs may do the same thing ; 
but as a rule they like to have large specimens as well. 
To obtain them, old plants must be annually subjected 
to a severe pruning, an operation that in the eyes of 
the uninitiated seems like destroying them. This 
should, of course, have been done about a month ago, 
and the leafless stems and branches should be again 
budding freely. So long as the weather remains 
moderately dry they will suffer no harm by being'out 
of doors, but as soon as it becomes cold with heavy 
drenching showers they should be removed indoors, 
where they can be kept in that condition as to 
moisture, which is most suitable to their well-being. 
Bedding Pelargoniums that were propagated last 
month in the open ground should now be potted up, so 
that they may become established in pots before 
winter, without the aid of artificial heat. 
Calceolaria's. 
Whenever the seedlings are fit to handle, depending, of 
course, upon the time they were sown, they should 
be pricked off into pans or boxes about 2 ins. apart 
each way, and when they have formed nice stocky 
plants they should be potted singly into 3-in. pots, 
and kept growing slowly but steadily in the cool 
temperature of a frame, as near the glass as possible, 
so that they may get the full advantage of the light, 
and remain dwarf and sturdy. Immediately after each 
potting, the frame in which they are placed should 
be kept close until the plants have taken to the 
fresh soil and afterwards freely ventilated. If the 
size of the plants warrant it, they should then be 
put into 40-sized pots about the end of October, as 
this is a suitable size in which to keep them till they 
begin to grow more rapidly as the days lengthen in 
early spring, when they may be put into their flowering 
pots. The chief points in the cultivation of the 
herbaceous sorts consist in keeping them cool, near 
the glass, moderately and constantly moist and clean. 
They are extremely liable to be attacked, much to their 
injury, by green-fly, so that a continual watch must be 
kept upon them, especially at the time they are potted. 
Light fumigations with tobacco paper will keep the 
pest in subjection. 
Chrysanthemums. 
The popularity of this grand autumn and winter 
flower is not surprising, seeing that such a display of 
bloom can be made when everything out of doors is 
fading or has been destroyed by frost and rain. 
Another recommendation possessed by the Chrysan¬ 
themum is that so little fire-heat is necessary at any 
period of the year to preserve it in the best of health, 
and to flower it. During the latter stage no fire-heat 
is necessary, and the cooler and drier the house can be 
kept the better for the flowers, and the longer will they 
last in perfection. If fire-heat can.be dispensed with 
altogether they will be more durable, and unseasonable 
growth of the stems and leaves avoided. Much will 
depend upon treatment from now onwards, whether 
the show of bloom will be good. A leading point to 
be kept in view is whether few large heads are desired, 
or a large number of moderate-sized ones. For con¬ 
servatory decoration the greater the quantity of bloom 
the greater the effect, provided the heads are large 
enough to show their true character. It is necessary 
to disbud to a certain extent, even for this purpose, 
and the sooner it is seen to the better, as the buds are 
now rapidly forming, and if allowed to take their 
natural course they weaken one another. 
Yallotas and Amaryllis. 
Amateurs, as a rule, are not experts in bulb culture, 
but of those grown in pots, few, if any, are easier to 
cultivate in pots than Yallota purpurea and the 
Belladonna Lily (Amaryllis Belladonna). The former 
is evergreen, and should not at any time be dried off so 
as to cause the destruction of the leaves. Less water 
should be given in winter, and the temperature of a 
cool greenhouse is sufficient. The bulbs flower best 
when the roots are pot-bound. Under these circum¬ 
stances an abundant supply of water is necessary 
during summer, and great benefit is derived by assisting 
them with liquid manure during August and September 
till they come into flower, which will depend upon the 
temperature of the house, but those months naturally 
constitute the flowering season. The routine of culture 
is of the easiest, a fact which is attested to by the 
success which the holders of some allotment gardens 
meet with in growing. A zinc pail has been used as a 
pot in some instances, because (so said the grower), the 
bulbs burst an ordinary flower-pot. They also flower 
magnificently. The Belladonna Lily of South Africa is 
quite different from the South American Amaryllis, so 
called, and which are more properly termed Hippeas- 
trums, and require stove temperature. The plant 
under notice is a true Amaryllis, and can be grown to 
perfection in a greenhouse temperature. It is de¬ 
ciduous, flowering in the autumn when the leaves are 
down and very little water is required. The leaves 
commence to push up in winter or early spring, and 
should be encouraged with copious supplies of water 
till they again fade next summer. From now onwards, 
flowers keep coming into bloom, anrl look very hand¬ 
some in their garb of rose, pink, and white. The 
Belladonna Lily may be successfully flowered in a 
greenhouse, window, or even in the open air in warm 
sheltered localities. 
-->X<-- -- 
¥he Vegetable Gr arden. 
Tomatos. 
It is extraordinary what a large consumption there is 
of these just now. The prices in Dublin were never 
known to be so high, and our friends in Jersey and the 
south of France, who are chiefly sujiplying our markets, 
must be making a good thing of it, or it may happen, 
as with other matters, that the growers are receiving 
much less than the middlemen. However this may be, 
I believe that home-growers who devote their attention 
to having them for market during the winter, spring, 
and early summer months, will be able to derive a 
good profit from them. I was told on a late occasion 
by a man who forces Grapes and Peaches for an early 
market, and, who in conjunction with these, forced 
Tomatos this year as well, that he had made more 
money from his Tomatos than he did from either 
Peaches or Grapes. He had the roof of a small house 
devoted to them, and had them also growing on the 
Yine trellis wherever there was space to be had between 
the Vines in the forcing vinery. It is quite evident 
that at the prices they are selling at there is not half a 
supply for the demand, and as yet few people outside 
the middle and upper classes of the community can 
pay the prices asked. If, therefore, it is the case that 
Tomatos will pay better than Grapes or Peaches, it is 
time those who grow these latter fruits for the Dublin 
market should consider the necessity of putting their 
houses in order to allow at least a portion of them to 
be devoted to the forcing of Tomatos instead.— TV. D. 
Lettuces. — Sutton’s Stand-well and All the 
Year Bound. 
The statement at p. 804 of your last volume as to the 
Standwell Lettuce appearing to be identical with the 
white-seeded form of All the Year Bound, is correct as 
far as it goes— i.e., that there is great similarity between 
them, but leaves an impression that the difference exists 
in the name only, which is not the case. The Standwell 
Lettuce, while closely resembling All the Year Round 
in appearance, remains good nearly a month longer 
before going to seed—an advantage which every grower 
recognises the importance of. The Standwell so far 
deserves its name that I doubt if it would produce seed 
in this country. Can any reader say otherwise ?— TV. 
New Peas : The Abbot and The Duchess. 
Having grown The Duchess—a variety raised and sent 
out by that celebrated raiser Mr. Abbot, of Doncaster— 
I am tempted, after reading your description of The 
Abbot as grown at Chiswick, to ask what difference 
there is between the two 1 Will some of your readers 
who have grown both be so good as to say if they are 
distinct or not?— B. L. 
-- 
LOBELIAS FROM SEED. 
Of all dwarf free-flowering bedding plants none are 
more interesting and pretty than Lobelias, which can 
be readily propagated either by cuttings or seed. If 
the latter mode be elected, the present time is a good 
one for amateur cultivators who cannot command 
artificial heat in the spring, for by sowing now a 
large margin of time will be effected, inasmuch as the 
blooming period will commence much earlier next 
season than would otherwise occur were the operation 
put off till next March. Many amateurs possess cold 
greenhouses, which could thus be economically used for 
wintering one of the prettiest and freest of dwarf 
subjects ; and not only so, for plants so saved are 
superior in every way to spring-sown seedlings, being 
more robust in habit, and more free in the matter of 
bloom. With regard to the latter method of increasing 
one’s stock, my experience is that unless the aid of 
artificial means can be adopted it is practically useless 
to attempt to raise plants from seed for bedding 
purposes, as the summer is necessarily over before they 
are ready to take their place as decorative subjects. 
The wet weather of the past season has militated 
against the Lobelia, equally with many other charming 
little pot or bedding plants ; but we must not, therefore, 
lose heart, but accept the lesson as one of experience, 
and philosophise accordingly. 
Herewith I append the results of two sets of sowing. 
On September 5th, 1887, pots were prepared in the usual 
way, and selected Lobelia seed was shaken over the soil; 
pieces of glass were placed on the pots to keep the 
conditions more uniform as regards moisture and 
temperature. Germination occurred a fortnight later, 
but the seedlings were not transplanted till March 
following, when they came into strong bloom under 
glass the beginning of June, and outdoors the latter 
end of the same month. 
The second sowing took place on March 11th, 188S, 
germination succeeded on April 14th, and the plants 
commenced to flower on August 1st, so that comparing 
the two events a clear gain of nearly two months was 
effected in favour of autumn sowing. No artificial 
heat whatever was used, except a petroleum stove to 
just exclude frost. 
The varieties grown are Speciosa, Brighton and 
Swanley Blue. The former is still one of the best, and 
needs no description ; the second is a good bright 
dwarf blue, and the last hails from Swanley, and is a 
light pale blue and white variety of strong habit and 
free-flowering character. It is said to be a grand 
winter bloomer, but of this I cannot speak, as I lack 
the essential conditions needful to illustrate the fact. 
Lobelias generally are well worth the attention of 
small amateurs, for these, grown in pots and given au 
elevated position near the glass, in association with 
Harrison’s Musk—which, by the way, has done 
splendidly this season—largely contribute to render 
the greenhouse gay and interesting. — C. B. G., 
Acton, TV. 
ZONAL PELARGONIUMS. 
Among. the many flowering plants in season at the 
present time, these deservedly retain a foremost place, 
and can hardly be excelled. "Whether utilized for con¬ 
servatory decoration or cut-flower (purposes, they are 
very useful, and are varied in colour sufficient to please 
the most fastidious. By careful management a suc¬ 
cession of plants can be obtained, thereby prolonging 
the flowering period, a great advantage truly, seeing 
that they enjoy so much popularity. 
Plants now at their best will, continue throwing up 
trusses for weeks to come, and those which are to 
succeed them should now be outside, plunged in ashes, 
or on the open ground, so that by having the full rays 
of the sun the plants will grow sturdy and become 
thoroughly ripened. Pinch out the flower stems for a 
short time at least, when they can be introduced into 
the greenhouse, allowing them to bloom at will ; these 
will be found doubly useful at a time when bright 
colours are by no means plentiful. Do not pinch after 
being put inside, as the plants will receive a check 
which cannot be regained, simply because there is not 
sufficient sun and light to enable them to overcome the 
pinching process, and instead of the fine trusses 
expected, a few weak ones only will be the result. 
Nice rich soil composed of loam, leaf-soil and manure 
from an old Mushroom bed will suit them admirably. 
Stimulants should be given when the pots have plenty 
of roots in them, either in a liquid or dr}’ state. Cut 
back old plants in spring and insert the cuttings, which 
will soon root and make good plants for flowering the 
following summer or winter as desired. 
Great are the strides which have been and are now 
being made in the development of the zonal Pelar¬ 
gonium, and the finely-formed trusses are the result of 
much labour, skill and patience. The varieties are so 
numerous that it is possible only to mention a few here, 
but these are good in every respect. 
Doubles. — Guillion Mangellii, magenta ; a free- 
flowering variety. Mrs. A. Saltby, rosy pink. Circe, 
maroon, good. AVonderful, the old red one, useful and 
free. Madame Thibaut, dark pink. La Cygne, white, 
pips well formed, trusses of excellent shape. 
Singles. —Henry Jacoby, dark red ; one of the best 
grown. International, blush, fine pips and truss. 
