24 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
September 8, 1888 
the warmest end of the greenhouse, and watered but 
sparingly until they break afresh, and push away freely. 
They will flower all the earlier if not very severely 
pruned, as the buds on the upper portion of the shoots 
are always the more advanced. If the soil has been 
much washed out of the pots give a top-dressing, using 
some manure in the soil. 
Bedding Violas. 
Those who grow Violas for market purposes know the 
value of annual propagation in order to obtain vigorous 
plants in spring with large flowers. It is the custom 
with amateurs, and even with gardeners in private 
establishments, simply to lift their Violas from the 
beds in autumn, and lay them in closely in rows some¬ 
where conveniently out of the way, or even to leave 
them in the beds till spring, when they are lifted and 
broken into pieces with the hand, refilling the beds or 
borders with the pieces. In other cases they suffer 
even greater neglect by being left in the beds or as 
mere edgings from year to year, while the plants get 
weaker and the flowers smaller. Under this system 
the plants gradually die out, and growers wonder why 
they degenerate. In the drier and warmer counties of 
the south this takes place very rapidly, especially in 
dry summers like that of 1887. Countess of Kintore 
is a deep lavender-blue and white variety that resists 
the drought, and flowers with greater freedom than 
any other ; while Countess of Hofetoun is a meritorious 
white variety that flowers well in wet seasons, or in 
autumn when the weather becomes moist. There are, 
however, many new ones of sterling merit that deserve 
trial. They should now be propagated from cuttings, 
put in light soil in a frame, or on borders in the open 
air behind a north wall for southern counties, and in 
front of a south aspect wall in northern counties, where 
they should be shaded for a few days if the weather is 
dry and bright. Side shoots are best for cuttings, and 
root-suckers may be had in plenty, many of which will 
be partly rooted. Very little dressing is required 
beyond the removal of the lower leaves, unless the 
cuttings are old and spongy, when they must be cleanly 
cut close below a joint. Insert them with a bluntly 
pointed piece of wood as a dibber, and press the soil 
firmly about them. By spring they will be nicely 
rooted, and soon grow away, and flower freely when the 
weather becomes warm. 
Pentstemons. 
Like Pansies, Violas, Carnations and similar hardy 
subjects, the Pentstemons are essentially flowers for 
everybody who has a love for them. Besides their 
own inti in sic merits for beauty, freedom of flowering, 
and infinite variety as to size and difference of colour, 
they recommend themselves to the amateur because 
easy to cultivate, and may be preserved in a cold frame 
in winter. Although nearly hardy, especially in the 
south, they are nevertheless liable to succumb in 
severe winters, when frost and wet alternate with one 
another. In heavy, loamy or clayey soils that retain 
much moisture they are liable to perish. There are, 
however, some varieties that are exceptionally hardy, 
and outlive the winter without any protection whatever. 
The old plants are in some instances lifted in autumn, 
and stored away in boxes in a cold frame ; but they 
never grow away a second time with that vigour which 
is characteristic of autumn-struck cuttings. The best 
method of procedure is, therefore, to insert cuttings 
every autumn in pots, pans, or boxes, in a light sandy 
soil, and stand them in an unheated frame, or place a 
hand-light over them according to the quantity re¬ 
quired. Shading from bright sunshine will be 
necessary for a time to prevent the large membraneous 
leaves from getting flagged, especially if at all soft. 
Select short side shoots, pulling them off with a heel ; 
trim with a sharp knife and remove the lower leaves * 
insert them firmly, and not too closely. Pots are 
perhaps the best for small quantities, and those 
cuttings generally root best which are inserted round 
the rim. Before commencing to put them in cover the 
pots with a layer of clean sharp river sand. 
Succulents. 
A large number of Aloes, Agaves, Mamillarias, Cereus, 
and similar things are admirably adapted for green¬ 
house treatment, or even for the windows of dwelling- 
rooms, if they are kept dry in winter. Large specimens 
are admirably adapted for standing out of doors in 
prominent positions during the summer months, where 
they give an interesting and unwonted aspect to the 
surroundings. The keeping abilities are often impaired, 
however, by being left too long at the mercy of the 
weather in autumn during heavy splashing rains. If 
the ground where they are stood is at all wet or re¬ 
tentive of moisture, it constitutes another evil that 
ought to be avoided. All plants of any value should, 
however, be removed at no distant date to a greenhouse 
or a pit with dry shelving, and where ample ventilation 
can be given to ripen off their tissues properly. Upon 
this depends their power of keeping through the winter 
under a low temperature. Moisture is the greatest 
enemy to these fleshy subjects, doing most damage, of 
course, when the temperature is much below that of 
their native country, and when the freezing-point is 
approached or stands at that figure for any length of 
time. 
-- 
FLOWERING STOVE PLANTS.-III. 
Dipladenias. 
In these we possess one of the finest and most useful 
classes of exhibition climbing plants, with brilliant- 
coloured flowers, which are produced in abundance on 
well-cultivated plants, if we omit D. boliviensis, with 
flowers pure white, and throat of chrome-yellow tinge. 
To grow these plants to the highest state of perfection 
a compost of porous peat is requisite, intermingled with 
rough pieces of charcoal and broken brick, and in the 
case of large plants a small amount of good fibrous loam 
may be added. Taking these subjects from the cutting 
onwards, they generally thrive well if kept in a good 
heat, bottom-heat, if applicable, being of the greatest 
advantage to the development of root action. The roots 
may be described as tuberous, and to aid these tubers a 
strong top growth is necessary, producing plenty of 
foliage, which can only be obtained by the application 
of top and bottom heat. In the cultivation of these 
plants it will be found that a season of rest is requisite 
after the strong stimulus given to growth. It will 
therefore be necessary to keep the plants as dry as is 
consistent with the temperature of the house’during the 
winter months, and care must be taken that the wood 
does not shrivel up from too quick a drying process, or 
the tubers in the pots will suffer at the same time. 
When starting the plants into growth in the early 
spring months, it will be found necessary to turn them 
out of the pots, examine and cut away all decayed 
roots and tubers, prune top shoots in to correspond with 
the root action likely to be developed, re-pot into the 
soil advised previously, and plunge in a good bottom- 
heat, training the young shoots as they advance in 
growth upon strong threads tied to the roof, to which 
they will readily twine if the plant be placed in a 
position so that the shoots can travel westward—that 
is, following the sun. They can afterwards be taken 
down from the roof and placed upon trellis-work if 
required for exhibition or for the furnishing of the 
general arrangement of the stove during the autumn 
months. D. Brearleyana is probably about the best 
amongst the high-coloured section, whilst D. amabile 
will still hold its own when well cultivated. There are 
other forms, but the two named will be good enough 
for ordinary purposes. 
Anent the propagation of these plants, it may be 
said that they may be increased by cuttings in strong 
bottom-heat. Take a good well-matured shoot, cut it 
into lengths of 3 ins., or make a cut between every pair 
of leaves, and insert them in very sandy peat, plunging 
in a good bottom-heat, and cover with a bell-glass ; 
they will soon root and quickly commence to grow 
from the axil of the leaf, the roots being produced from 
the stem below the leaves, but not necessarily from a 
joint where leaves have been growing from. These 
plants may also be produced from seed, and seed may 
be obtained from fertilised flowers of any of the 
forms named, provided care be exercised in the matter 
of fertilisation. It remains an open question if some 
amateurs in horticultural pursuits have not obtained 
better results from the hybridising of Dipladenias 
than some of our skilled professional men have done 
up to date. Take heart, oh ye amateurs ! 
Miscellaneous. 
Under this heading we may enumerate the following :— 
Jasminums, of sorts, also Manettia bicolor, of which it 
is difficult to see a plant at the present time. Passi- 
fioras, of sorts, not forgetting P. princeps. Stephanotis 
floribunda, of which I need say nothing further than 
do not depend upon seedlings, but if you have a good 
variety be content with plants propagated from it. 
Stigmaphyllum ciliatum is a plant very subject to red- 
spider, and requires a good deal of syringing. Thun- 
bergia Harrisii and T. laurifolia constitute a very good 
arrangement of stove climbers, either for the adornment 
of the stove or warm greenhouse at home, or for the 
practical purpose of supplying the exhibition tent where 
the sorts are suitable for the purpose. — IF. G. 
Gardening Miscellany. 
A Stimulant for Spent Mushroom Beds. 
If any of your readers have tried Thomson’s Tine and 
Plant Manure on spent Mushroom beds, I should be 
glad to know if they have experienced the same success 
as I have. I had a Mushroom bed in the spring of 
1887 which was completely exhausted, and I did not 
anticipate being able to gather any more Mushrooms 
from it. However, I put a handful of the manure into 
every three gallons of tepid water, gave the bed a good 
watering, and covered it with dry litter. In about a 
fortnight afterwards I was agreeably surprised to find 
another crop making its appearance. Last spring I 
had another bed from which I had been gathering for 
about two months, and when it ceased to yield, my 
foreman wanted to clear it out, but I told him we 
would treat it in the same way as the one the year 
before. AVe did so, and in a fortnight afterwards the 
Mushrooms came up as thick as ever. Every ten days 
or so we damped the bed down with the liquid, and I 
believe we gathered more Mushrooms from it after 
applying the liquid than we did previously. I have 
great faith in the value of this manure, having seen the 
benefit of it here in the case of Tines and other plants, 
and I trust you will bo able to find a comer for this 
note in your valuable paper, in the hope that my 
experience may be useful to other gardeners .—Malcolm 
McIntyre, The Glen Gardens, Innerleithen, N.B. [We 
gladly afford space for a record of such a valuable bit 
of practical experience, and should be glad if other 
gardeners would follow Mr. McIntyre’s example in com¬ 
municating useful hints for the benefit of their brother 
craftsmen. — Ed. ] 
Shirley Poppies. 
Poppies continue to enjoy much public favour, to which 
they are justly entitled. The old garden favourites 
are chiefly run upon, although there is yet a number 
of species that deserve greatly extended cultivation, 
such as Papaver Bhceas, P. umbrosum, and P. 
pavonium, the former a Caucasian variety of our 
common Corn Poppy, and the latter a Central Asiatic 
species. The so-called Shirley Poppies consist of a 
selection of beautifully coloured varieties of the Corn 
Poppy (P. Rhceas). The double forms of this plant 
have been cultivated in gardens for a very long period, 
and now the single forms have suddenly sprung into 
popularity again, like single Dahlias. A bunch, 
including many beautiful varieties, comes to us from 
Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham. 
The scarlet and red varieties of the wild plant are 
avoided for the less glaring and pleasing lighter shades, 
such as white, blush, pink, rose, and beautifully 
blended combinations of these colours. Bose varieties 
often run imperceptibly into scarlet at the margin, 
w 7 hile the base of the petals may be pink. In other 
cases there is a large white blotch on the base of each 
petal instead of a black one as in the wild type. The 
blotch even there, however, is not constant, but may 
be altogether wanting. Another feature that strongly 
recommends the Shirley Poppies to general cultivation 
is the crumpled and plaited character of the petals, 
due to their being crumpled or folded in that manner 
in the bud. This gives them a better effect than if the 
petals were smooth, flat, and glossy. There is a 
tendency already for the flowers of this strain to 
become double, as in the old garden varieties of Papaver 
Bhceas. _*_ 
The Double Hawthorn in Flower. 
We are wont to talk of the unseasonable flowering of 
the Glastonbury Thorn, but a tree of the double crimson 
Thorn in full bloom in September is phenomenal. A 
specimen of Crategus oxycantha rosea plena, the double 
Bose-flowered variety, has been sent us by Mr. Mason, 
St. Anne’s Park Terrace, Wandsworth. It is now in 
full bloom, whereas in July last the tree was entirely 
leafless, and apparently dead. The owner, thinking it 
was so, pruned the branches back to some extent, with 
the object of ascertaining whether they were fresh or 
dried up. They appeared quite sound, and the tree 
was allowed to stand, with the present results. The 
cause of this unseasonable growth was owing to the 
tree having been lifted in September last year—that is, 
about twelve months ago—which had the effect of 
throwing the tree into a dormant state, although we 
should rather have expected opposite results from such 
early lifting, and that the roots would have been well 
prepared to make an early start. We suspect that the 
soil had been very dry after such a droughty summer. 
Growth is not yet by any means rampant, but it speaks 
