December 1, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
213 
and a multitude of narrow petals. Over-ripened wood 
is, in my opinion, the cause of smaller flowers in the 
south, and narrower petals than we are in the habit of 
producing. 
Top-dressing. 
I advised room in the pots for 2 ins. of soil, and this 
space is to be filled up with rich material as a top¬ 
dressing for the plants. This is an important matter. 
It keeps the roots in full activity, and they are there¬ 
fore capable of taking up food much more freely than 
they could possibly do if the roots became sluggish. 
We top-dress to the extent of exceeding the limit of 
the pot by placing pieces of turf above the rim. The 
soil when the flowers are expanding should be full of 
active roots. This keeps the lower foliage in a healthy 
condition to the last. Here lies the secret of large 
flowers possessing depth, solidity, and breadth of 
petal. 
After Housing. 
Now begins one of the most critical periods in the 
plant’s life, and many plants go wrong from the day 
they are housed. Many a young grower has had all 
assisted in keeping them by absorbing the moisture in 
the atmosphere. The flowers kept three weeks, and 
were staged in good condition afterwards. I give this 
for what it is worth, and think it well worth trying. 
My last advice is, beware of fogs if real success is to be 
attained, for in one night they will undo the work of 
the whole season. 
--- 
IMPATIENS HAWKERI. 
There are several reasons probably why this plant has 
never become so popular as Impatiens Sultani, not the 
least being that it is more difficult to propagate than 
the latter, which can be increased as readily by seeds as 
by cuttings. It is true that a much shorter time has 
elapsed since the introduction of I. Hawkeri than in the 
other case, but it must be remembered how quickly I. 
Sultani made its appearance in almost every garden of 
any extent soon after it was introduced. 
Now, however, less care is bestowed on the cultivation 
of I. Sultani, and we get accustomed to seeing very 
indifferent specimens of it. So it is with hundreds of 
very sandy soil, and immediately placed in a propaga¬ 
ting pit or frame. The soft juicy shoots which will be 
inserted as cuttings are very impatient of a dry 
atmosphere, and no time should therefore be lost in 
transferring them to the moist atmosphere of a 
propagating pit. 
Some growers seem to have difficulty with young 
plants, which die off as if attacked by some disease, but 
the effect seems to be due rather to unfavourable con¬ 
ditions after they are rooted. In shifting on young 
plants a more substantial compost should be given, 
which, however, should be rich and open. It is not 
desirable to give large shifts, as the plants flower better 
when their roots are rather confined ; and who can 
gainsay the beauty of the large deep carmine flowers of 
this handsome species ?— T. Turner, West Hill. 
-—>X<-- 
HARDY PRIMROSES. 
Living literally amidst hardy Primroses, and having 
here and there allied forms of Polyanthuses by hundreds, 
I hardly imagined that the fact of these beautiful 
Impatiens Hawkeri. 
that could be desired in the way of plants, and evil 
results have followed a continuation of the treatment 
the plants received outside. The same strong feeding 
must not be continued for a time. The plants sulk 
after losing what they delight in—namely, night dews. 
If bright weather continues considerably more moisture 
is evaporated from the foliage, and any failure in 
making up for these deficiencies will prove detrimental 
to the plants. Syringe them thoroughly two or three 
times a day, according to the weather. When they 
are accustomed to their new quarters we feed again on 
the same principle as before housing, and continue to 
do so until the flowers are ready for cutting. We 
fumigate with tobacco-smoke after housing, for neither 
plants nor flowers will thrive if fly exist upon them. 
I shall pass over the subject of dressing, for enough 
has been written about it, in fact, sufficient to frighten 
a young beginner. My advice is to grow the flower fully 
out, as however good the dresser may be he cannot 
make a good bloom out of a bad one. 
Keeping the Blooms. 
After they are expanded, put them into a dark outhouse 
as dry as possible. Once I had occasion to place some 
plants in a certain shed, and there was some lime in a 
corner that was just falling. This I always thought had 
new plants that get introduced, and are afterwards 
neglected, simply because they cease to form any 
novelty. I hope I. Hawkeri will not thus be suffered 
to fall into neglect, for at present it is a noble-looking 
subject amongst a general collection of stove plants. 
No cultivator may expect to get the same dense and 
springy habit as occurs in I. Sultani naturally ; but by 
giving the plant a full and free exposure to light at all 
times, except when the sun is strongest in summer, it 
forms stiff and short-jointed growths, which will alwaj's 
commend themselves for their deep metallic lustre, 
which is altogether wanting in I. Sultani. 
Then again extremely large plants are not par¬ 
ticularly desirable at the present day, owing to the 
large quantities and the great amount of variety that 
is required for decorative purposes, whether in the 
conservatory (which at many places is attached to the 
house) or in the house itself. Under the circumstances, 
then, frequent recourse should be had to propagation, 
which may be done almost any season when the light 
is good. Cuttings are what I employ, as it does not 
seem to produce seed, at least without artificial aid. A 
few plants of different ages will meet the requirements 
of most establishments, so that when a few cuttings 
can readily be spared they should be inserted singly 
in thumb pots, preferably close to the sides, in light, 
hardy flowers blooming so freely just now merited 
special notice. When Primroses are blooming 
profusely, one is apt, with use, to imagine that they 
are in bloom elsewhere just as freely, and treat the 
matter as of no interest. However, I take it that such 
is not the case, and that so far from these beautiful 
flowers being in bloom universally, they are not 
even grown universally, in fact, are rarely found in 
gardens. More is the pity, especially in such a season 
as the present, when these flowers are to be found at 
the end of November almost as abundantly produced 
as in the month of March. 
The flowers have of late, owing to open mild weather, 
lack of frosts and heavy rains, been wondrously pure 
and clean, rivalling the best products of the spring. 
They are exceptionally fine, as owing to the cool damp 
nature of the summer the plants made strong leafage 
and crowns ; indeed, they have done wonderfully well. 
There is one thing, however, worthy of notice, the 
finest of growth and bloom is obtained from plants 
raised last autumn, kept in frames all the winter, and 
planted out in the spring. The flowers in many 
respects show considerable variation, not only in self 
colours but also in markings, and I have one which I 
hope to exhibit at the Drill Hall next meeting, which 
is the most charming I have ever seen.— A.D., Bedfont, 
