614 
THE GARDENING- WORLD. 
May 25, 1889. 
The Amateurs' Garden. 
Dahlias. 
The tubers that were put into boxes some time ago, and 
placed in a warm corner of the greenhouse or elsewhere, 
will now be sprouting freely. If it be intended to 
divide and make the most of the roots, the operation 
should be accomplished before the shoots have attained 
any great length, otherwise they are difficult to re¬ 
establish by amateurs who have but little artificial heat 
at their command for propagating purposes. Weak and 
slender shoots that are severed from the rest of the plant 
with a small amount of roots attached to them flag so 
much after the operation that they are a long time in 
recovering. Those who have command of sufficient fire 
heat take off cuttings without any of the old tuber, and 
root them. The best plan for amateurs, however, to 
pursue is to take off pieces or tubers of the old plant 
with a bud attached to them. This, inserted in the 
soil, will grow away with little check, and soon make 
good established plants. In doing this, however, care 
must be taken to secure a bud on the top of each tuber 
or piece of one, because the lower part of tubers seldom 
or never produce buds, and the roots would therefore 
be lost. 
Tuberous Begonias. 
Even in cases where the tubers have been kept back for 
want of proper heating appliances, they will now be 
starting away freely, and those in possession of a 
greenhouse only will be able to make a fine display 
with just a few good tubers. Yery little (if any) 
artificial heat is required, and the only difference 
between plants so treated and those started in a stove 
is that the former will be later in coming into bloom. 
It is a mistaken idea—entertained not only by amateurs, 
but even yet by some professionals—that tuberous 
Begonias require a great amount of heat. They are so 
nearly hardy that many of the stronger varieties will 
outlive the winter in moderately dry soil in the open 
border. If the plants are still in the soil in which they 
were grown last year, no longer time must be lost in 
having them re-potted. Before doing so give the soil a 
good watering some time previous to the operation, so 
that the old material may drop away readily and allow 
room for as much fresh soil as possible. Should they 
already be growing in small pots give a size larger, and 
as soon as the plants are established put them in a cool 
airy house with plenty of light. 
Double Primroses and Polyanthus. 
As soon as these go out of flower they should be lifted 
and divided, if it is desired to increase them. In those 
places where they are used for spring bedding purposes, 
they must soon be lifted to give place to the summer 
occupants of the beds. At this period of the year they 
should be transferred to a shady border of good, 
holding, rather moist soil, where they will not only be 
able to exist during the drought of summer, but to 
make good growth. The finest of the single kinds may 
be marked while in bloom, and retained for future 
planting. All worthless kinds may be thrown away or 
planted at the margins of shrubberies. Seeds may be 
saved from the very finest varieties, and in this way a 
valuable strain may be secured. After transplanting 
at this season, give a heavy watering. 
Vines. 
The present is a very important time for regulating 
the growth of young and growing Vines, which 
amateurs, as a rule, neglect till they form such an 
intricate mass of growth that the production and 
ripening of fruit becomes impossible. Vines should be 
trained to one, or a few rods, but in small greenhouses 
a number of rods are allowed. "Whatever the number, 
there should be 3 ft. of space between every two rods, 
and the latter should be trained along the lower angle 
of the roof, and when at the proper distance apart 
taken straight to the top of the house. It will not be 
possible to furnish all the rods during the first season, 
but this can be done gradually. Then supposing that 
these upright rods are now in position, and producing 
lateral shoots, the flower bunches will now or soon will 
be quite apparent, and when this is the case the point 
of the bud should be pinched out just beyond the first 
or the second leaf—preferably the latter if there is 
plenty of room for the leaves to be fully exposed to 
the light. Growth will soon commence again, pro¬ 
ducing secondary laterals; all of these should be 
pinched beyond the first leaf, and crowding rigidly 
prevented. Crowding prevents the free access of light, 
and hinders the ripening of the wood, hence the cause 
of so many Vines in amateurs’ houses being un¬ 
fruitful. The thorough ripening of the wood by 
exposure to light and the absence of crowding will go 
a long way to ensure success. The process above 
detailed should be closely attended to from the com¬ 
mencement, and if a little attention is given to the 
theory of it there will be no difficulty in carrying it 
into practice, with good results. 
-—- 
Hardening ITiscellany. 
The Japan Quince. 
"When nailed on walls there are two methods of treating 
this tree, or rather bush. Pyrus (Cydonia) japonica, 
when subjected to artificial treatment, acts very differ¬ 
ently, according to the method adopted. "When 
subjected to the spur system it always looks neatest 
when grown on a wall, but the production of bloom is 
almost invariably scanty compared with plants treated 
in a more natural way. At Gunnersbury House, 
Acton, Mr. Hudson trains the leading upright shoots 
to a wall, and allows the lateral branches to grow away 
freely from the same. "When treated in this way there 
is no inclination to develop strong rampant shoots, but 
a twiggy growth is made which flowers freely. For 
some time past the plants have been a mass of bloom ; 
and as the wall abuts on the pleasure ground the effect 
is striking, the more so as the other subjects grown 
there are in keeping with the Pyrus. Clematis of 
various kinds, Roses, including R. multiflora, come 
into bloom later on, and keep up a display during the 
summer. 
Kalanchoe carnea. 
The genus Kalanchoe is closely allied to that of 
Bryophyllum, as is evidenced both by the flowers, 
foliage, and habit of growth. The leaves, curiously 
enough, are of two distinct kinds ; one is ovate and 
crenate, but otherwise undivided, while the other is 
pinnately divided. The plant may be grown to the 
flowering stage while it bears the simpler kind of leaves 
only, as we have occasionally seen it in this country. 
It has, however, only been recently introduced, and we 
cannot yet say definitely how it may behave under 
artificial treatment. There is a specimen at Gunners¬ 
bury Park, Acton, bearing large opposite leaves divided 
to the midrib into three distinct leaflet-like segments, 
with much of the general appearance of a Bryophyllum. 
The vigour of the plant must be held accountable for 
this kind of behaviour when it is well known that 
specimens may be flowered satisfactorily while bearing 
undivided leaves only. 
Wild Mountain Hybrid Daffodils. 
In reference to what I stated in last week’s issue of 
The Gardening "World, I forgot to mention that the 
Bernardi group have been growing here since 1886, and 
it is only this j*ear that I have noticed how closely they 
fit the best LoDgford Bridge forms. Many wild Daffo¬ 
dils are like our garden seedlings, not exhibiting their 
true characters for three or four years after first 
flowering. For instance, when Muticus first bloomed 
with me in 1886, it was wretchedly small, but now 
many of the flowers are the size of Emperor. We shall 
yet have scarlet Daffodils of the Nelsoni class. —W. B. 
Hartland, Cork. 
Ramondia pyrenaica alba. 
Compared with the purple flowers of the type, the 
white variety is chaste and beautiful, especially by 
contrast. With the exception of the anthers and a 
ring at the base of the corolla, which are of a deep 
yellow, all the rest is pure white. The flower scapes 
only rise about 2 ins. or 3 ins. above the wrinkled, 
hairy foliage. A Botanical Certificate was awarded to 
it by the Royal Botanic Society on the loth inst., 
when it was exhibited at their summer show by Messrs. 
Paul & Son, Cheshunt. 
Ligularia Kaempferi variegata. 
The plant under notice is considered old-fashioned, 
and therefore is greatly neglected in gardens at the 
present day. It was formerly to be found pretty 
frequently in conservatories, and also as a half-hardy 
ornamental-foliaged plant that could be used in a 
variety of ways out of doors during summer. As 
flowers are seldom produced, the utility of the plant is 
dependent on its leaves, which are large, orbicular, with 
a cordate base, resembling to a great extent those of 
Petasites or Tussilago, variously and often extensively 
variegated with creamy white. This plant flowered 
recently in the large winter garden or conservatory of 
Messrs. Hooper & Co., at Maida Vale. The flower- 
stems and yellow flower-heads resemble those of the 
hardy Ligularias grown in herbaceous borders, and may 
also be compared to those of a yellow Senecio, to which 
they are closely allied. The plant under notice is very 
vigorously grown, and near by it is the other - variety 
L. K. aureo-maculatum, better known under the name 
of Farfugium grande, and noteworthy on account of the 
large yellow blotches on the leaves. The typical green 
form does not seem to be in cultivation. 
Fritillaria recurva. 
A large number of the Fritillaries have flowers vary¬ 
ing as to size, but a great proportion of them have not 
very brightly nor attractively-coloured blooms, owing 
to the dull brownish green ground of the segments, 
which are usually heavily chequered with deep brown. 
The subject under notice is a Californian species, with 
stems varying from 1 ft. to 2 ft. in height, according 
to their strength. They are, like most of the other 
species, rather sparingly furnished with linear, glaucous, 
deep green leaves, more or less tinted with a bronzy 
hue. The flowers, which are borne on a single stem, 
vary from one to nine, according to the strength of the 
plant, and are upright or somewhat nodding, hell¬ 
shaped, and beautifully chequered with scarlet on a 
bright yellow ground. The markings are more distinct 
internally than externally, where the scarlet is more 
diffused over the yellow. It is certainly a graceful, 
handsome and very distinct species, and takes its name 
from the segments, all of which are recurved or revolute 
at the tips. Flowers of it have recently reached us from 
Mr. T. Smith, Daisy Hill Nursery, Newry, Ireland. 
Hoya imperialis. 
Although introduced as long ago as 1S47 from Borneo, 
this grand species has not yet found many cultivators ; 
but it has no doubt been tried and given up by many 
on account of its being more difficult to grow and flower 
successfully than most of the other kinds now in culti¬ 
vation. Mr. Hudson has flowered it several times at 
Gunnersbury House, Acton. The old spurs are not cut 
away after having bloomed, but are allowed to remain. 
The floral axis continues to elongate for several years 
in succession, producing fresh umbels of bloom. The 
plant in question showed plenty of flower-buds during 
the winter months, but owing probably to the unfavour¬ 
able nature of the weather and the defective light, they 
dropped. It has recently been re-potted, and has taken 
favourably to the change, for at the present time there 
are twelve trusses of flowers in various stages of ad¬ 
vancement, some being on the point of expanding 
when we saw them recently. The flowers are 
reddish brown, certainly not very brilliant; but their 
great size, coupled with the thick, waxy, and noble 
aspect of the blooms, constitute it an object of great 
interest in a stove or warm conservatory. 
Aubrietia tauricola. 
The name of this would indicate that it was an in¬ 
habitant of Mount Taurus. It is a beautiful dwarf and 
compact variety, and like all the other Aubrietias, is a 
variety of A. deltoidea. The flowers are small, violet- 
purple, and produced in dense masses, forming a 
cushion about 1 in. or 2 ins. above the foliage. A 
piece of it finely in bloom was shown by Messrs. Paul 
& Son, at the Royal Botanic Society’s show last 
week, when a Floricultural Certificate was awarded 
to it. 
Tiarella cordifolia. 
So chaste and beautiful and so profusely produced are 
the flowers of this species, that the plant ought to 
receive a more extended cultivation. It belongs to the 
Saxifrage family, and from the midst of a dense tuft of 
heart-shaped leaves it sends up a great profusion of 
scapes, bearing racemes of white flowers with long 
stamens and pale yellow anthers. The plant is per¬ 
fectly hardy and suitable for rockwork. Exhibited by 
Messrs. Paul & Son, at the summer show of the Royal 
Botanic Society on the loth inst., when it was awarded 
a Floricultural Certificate. 
Thalictrum aquilegifolium rubrum. 
The typical form of this is an erect-growing herbaceous 
plant, with moderately finely-divided foliage compared 
with that of T. minus, and the stems attain a height of 
from 3 ft. to 5 ft., bearing a large panicle of flowers 
with a profusion of long, creamy white stamens. The 
latter constitute the sole beauty of the flowers, and in 
the variety under notice the long filaments are rose- 
coloured, with small pale yellow anthers. The stems 
are generally 2 ft. or 3 ft. high, rendering the plant a 
