July 27, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
757 
making annual growths of from 7 ft. to 10 ft. long, 
and can be trained on balloons or tall branching sticks, 
to which they will cling by means of their tendrils. 
It can also be trained upon the roof of the house ; the 
last would probably be the best position for it, but as 
the branches die off and the bulbs are dormant for 
several months in the year, this would probably be an 
objection in most places. 
It is not by any means a difficult plant to grow. 
The bulbs should be placed in the pots in which they 
are intended to flower, during the month of March or 
beginning of April, before they put out new fibres or 
stalks, in a mixture of equal parts of loam and leaf- 
soil, and a little well-decomposed cow-manure with a 
sprinkling of silver sand, good drainage being an 
essential point. Water must be withheld until the 
buds make their appearance, when the plants should 
be placed in a 
good brisk top and 
bottom heat, in 
which they revel. 
During the sum¬ 
mer while gi owing 
they will fre¬ 
quently require to 
be watered, but 
must only have 
small quantities, 
as they are always 
liable to rot. All 
through the grow¬ 
ing period strict 
attention must be 
paid to training 
the shoots, or else 
they may get 
entangled with 
other plants. 
When the plants 
have done flower¬ 
ing, and the foli¬ 
age begins to turn 
yellow, water 
should be gradu¬ 
ally withheld. 
The roots may be 
taken out of the 
ground when the 
stalks are decayed, 
and placed in sand 
and preserved 
during winter in 
a dry place, and 
where they can 
receive no injury 
from the cold. 
Some prefer to let 
them remain in 
pots, simply lay¬ 
ing them on their 
sides until the fol¬ 
lowing season, and 
then re - potting 
them. The plant 
is increased by 
division of the 
roots in spring, 
and may also be 
grown from seeds. 
In this country it 
has seldom per¬ 
fected its seeds. I am given to understand that the 
roots an 1 every portion of the plant is poisonous, and 
Johnson says the true name is Clinostylis.— Alfred Gaut. 
-- 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
Feeding and Top-deessing. 
Successful exhibitors know how highly important these 
two points are in the cultivation of Chrysanthemums, 
and under no pretence whatever can they afford to 
neglect them. Under these circumstances a few 
remarks on the subject may be acceptable to young 
hands, and to others who have not hitherto experienced 
the pleasure of winning honours at shows, but who 
wish to do so in the immediate future. In regard to 
feeding, this ought to begin the first or second week in 
July, and continue till the blooms are three parts 
expanded. Perhaps no better stimulant than liquid 
manure from a farmyard can be used, all points 
considered, but as this varies greatly in strength, 
judgment must be exercised in using it. It is better to 
begin with weak doses, which should be given at 
intervals of a few days; afterwards, say from the end of 
August onwards, it may be increased in strength, and 
soot-water given occasionally. 
There are many kinds of artificial manures that may 
be used with advantage by sprinkling a little over the 
surface soil, to be washed in with the rains, or carried 
down to the roots in the usual course of watering. 
More than ordinary caution should be taken with such 
manure, or the consequences may be that many of the 
surface roots will be killed ; I have had unpleasant 
experiences of this kind, and do not intend to be so 
liberal with them in the future as in the past. About 
the middle of August the plants will be greatly 
benefited by a good top-dressing of turfy loam, four 
parts, and one each of bone-meal, horse-droppings, and 
leaf-soil. This should be pressed down quite firm, 
allowing the turf to form a rim of fully an inch above 
the sides of the pots.— J. II. IF. 
POLEMONIUM RlCHAEDSONI. 
POLEMONIUM RICHARDSON! 
All the species of Polemonium are pretty, but the 
larger flowered ones command the most attention in 
gardens. P. cceruleum, P. Richardsoni, and P. reptans 
are the best known, together with their varieties. A 
variegated form of P. cceruleum with white flowers is 
extensively used in some gardens as an edging to flower 
beds. Botanically, P. humile is the more correct name 
for P. Richardsoni, but the latter is better known in 
gardens, and for that reason we have used it here. The 
leafy stems vary in length from 6 ins. to 8 ins. or more, 
and bear corymbose panicles of large rich blue flowers. 
All the larger leaves are mostly crowded at the base of 
the stem, and like those of P. cceruleum, are beautifully 
pinnately dissected. The species is known under a 
third name of P. villosum, and there is a pretty variety 
of smaller size than the type with violet or lavender- 
blue, or nearly white flowers. This is P. humile 
pulchellum of botanists, but it is also cultivated under 
the name of P. pulcherrimum. Being a native of the 
Rocky Mountains, from whence it was introduced in 
1827, it constitutes a suitable plant either for the border 
or rockwork, and proves quite hardy in the southern 
countries, at least. Its dwarf habit, finely cut leaves, 
and the quantity of flowers it produces, as may be seen 
by our illustration, are the chief characters that 
recommend it to the attention of horticulturists. 
-- 
CROP PROSPECTS. 
I have heard of no complaints respecting light crops 
of any kind of orchard fruit in this district, except 
here and there on a few Apple trees that were infested 
with caterpillars. As far as this garden is concerned I 
would not wish for a better crop, and the fruit is 
forward. Pears are deficient on walls here, whilst 
trees in the open are well cropped, including two trees 
of Marie Louise (about 35 ft. high), which only bear 
occasionally ; Peaches and Apricots are grown only in a 
few places in the 
open, and I believe 
they are a failure, 
at any rate we 
have not a single 
fruit of either, a 
circumstance that 
has not occurred 
during the past 
ten years, if ever 
it did before. 
Last year’s growth 
died to within a 
few buds of the 
base on all our 
Peach trees on 
the walls, and in 
a less degree on 
trees in unheated 
and overshaded 
houses that were 
built perhaps 
before the large 
Oak and other 
trees were planted 
in front of them. 
No doubt the 
wet dull summer 
of 1888 is re¬ 
sponsible for this, 
as the wood never 
ripened. Will 
anyone explain to 
me how it is that 
we have more 
Plums this year 
than we have had 
during the past 
ten years put to¬ 
gether? On a tree 
of Golden Drop a 
dozen fruits might 
have been covered 
with the palm of 
the hand. I have 
hitherto attri¬ 
buted the paucity 
of fruit on the 
Plum trees to un¬ 
ripened wood, but 
I must have some 
other excuse now 
if future failure 
occur. Will any¬ 
one furnish me with a reasonable one ? Strawberries 
have been an extraordinary crop, but for all that I have 
not heard of the wholesale price being less than 5s. per 
dozen [?]. There are remarkably heavy crops of Goose¬ 
berries and Currants where birds have not interfered 
with the buds. I see the caterpillar has defoliated some 
of the Gooseberry bushes, and a start was made on a few 
trees in this garden, but some finches set to and 
cleared them, which is the only kind act I ever 
remember them doing for me.— W . P. Roberts, Preston. 
Bush fruits are abundant with me, and Strawberries 
promised well for a heavy crop, but the drought 
materially reduced the bulk. Wall fruit was all that 
could be desired in the early part of the season, but 
the Plums have nearly all fallen off, and the Pears too. 
Apricots and Peaches are an average crop, and the 
latter are abundant indoors. Potatos are a splendid 
crop, and free from disease. Peas are abundant, as indeed 
are vegetables of all kinds. We have had nice rains 
lately, which have greatly benefited vegetation. —IF. 
Watson, Gardener, Potterhanworth Rectory, Lincoln. 
